GIRLS WEEKEND IN LAS VEGAS

we left Salt Lake around 1:30 on Friday and arrived in Mesquite at 8:30 p.m. Nevada Time. It was 105 degrees outside and Mesquite was a ghost town for a Friday Night. Many of the casinos have closed because of the economy. Before heading into Mesquite though, we stopped by Genette's friends, Tom and Claudia, and the view from their yard in Virgin, Utah is spectacular. It is the backside of Zion's where you see Kolob Terrace. The red rock, the sun setting, the clouds in the sky make for a softening of such a harsh rugged area.
On Sturday we got up at 9:00 and went swimming (sorry no pix of swim suits folks, I made a promise) and the temperature was at 100--at 9:00 in the morning. We headed into Henderson, Nevada; which was the real reson for our trip. My mother's longest friend--since age 7, was celebrating her and her husband's 50th Wedding Anniversary. It was a very nice time for all of them and we just went and were hanging out. Actually I was the only one that knew Linda. Genette was too young to remember them and KoriAnn went along for the ride.
After the Anniversary Party we headed into Las Vegas. 4:00 in the afternoon and it is 108 degrees. I am sure had I gotten down on my hands and knees and measured the temperature of the asphault, it would have been at least 400 degrees--okay that is a bit of an exaggeration, but have I ever mentioned that I hate the heat. I am sure I have. So therefore, hot is hot!! If it's 108 it may as well be 408! I also do not enjoy being in crowds, so I look up a lot to avoid a bit of agoraphobia!
KoriAnn promised her husband she would go get him something from the Nascar store, which is in the Sahara. We went in, we bought, we left.
Next we headed to Margaritaville for dinner and the place was just packed, so we went a little further down the strip to the Stratosphere and ate at the Roxy Diner where everything is 50's style, except for the prices. It cost four of us $61.00.
Off we go to leave and Genette conned us into playing a slot machine. Although I am not a gambler by any stretch of the imagination, I put a $5.00 bill in the slot and won a little. Then all of a sudden my machine goes off on a little power tangent and I won $75.00. OKAY, I'M DONE!!! I took 200 dollars with me--I came home with $160.00 That wasn't too bad of a weekend in Las Vegas.
On Sunday we headed home and made a stop in St. George to see my aunt who is recuperating in a rehab home after she fell a few months ago and broke both of her legs and is stuck down there by herself. She and my uncle live in Paragonah and he has to work all week and also worksd weekends at his "outdoor office" in Zion's. We got there and couldn't find her and waited hoping she was in church. We ran over to the Temple grounds and shot a few pictures. Oh, and have I mentioned how much I hate the heat! St. George was downright cold compared to Mesquite and Las Vegas. It was 90 degrees when we arrived. I felt like I needed my winter coat. We came back to the Rehab house and---no Sheryl. We left and came home. The picture at the beginning of the post is of the control they had over the New Harmony fire--which has been burning for over a month. The winds kicked up on Sunday and by the time we returned, it was a blazing mess.
On this trip I managed to break my sister's camera at the St. George Temple and also almost broke the back window due to the horrible winds by throwing the car keys back to her. They were sailing along just fine--right into her hands, when a big gust of wind picked them up and then proceeded in dying down and they landed on the window of her car. It was definitely time to come home. It was a fun trip, but it should have been at least a day and a half longer. It is just too far to drive for just a 2and 1/2days when most of that is driving.

WONDERFUL FRIENDS/WONDERFUL SMELLS

Last night after an emotional primary meeting--discussing all the things that have to been done to keep the Primary running and talking about this, that and the other, we had an emotional cry--yep, yours truly started it by getting emotional about a past Primary Program and it went on from there.

Life hasn't been great to some of us, but somehow we keep plugging away at it. And sometimes when you have to get something off of you chest--it takes a group like these women to talk it out and help you see the things you need to do--coming from another prospective, that is.

Then I came home, helped my mom with a computer problem and had to open the computer room window because it was sooo stuffy. When I pushed open that window---the most amazing aroma tickled my nose. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, the smell of a campfire or burning wood in a fireplace. It just relaxes me and has a way of sending me to another realm of thought--to a place where maybe life might be simpler and more relaxed.

NICE SUMMER DRIVE

Tonight,Kassie, Ashlynne and I took a little drive to Davis county to check out a few spots for her to hold her wedding party. They have finally settled on a date--September 26th.
What we saw tonight was a spectacular sunset--from Bountiful Boulevard, up by the Bountiful Tempo (As Ashlynne says), of which Ashlynne is always thrilled to see. The water off the lake while the sun was setting were peaches, apricots & indigo blue just as it was getting dark and was just absolutely stunning. The clouds were wispy and it was just one of those perfect evenings that you never want to end.

We drove quickly up to Bountiful Ridge Golf Course before they closed the gates for her to check out the Pavilion and we were met at the Clubhouse by a beautiful doe and her two fawns, just munching away at the greenery at the golf course. They didn't seem to be bothered by the fact that we were watching them. A few weeks ago at our Brunch for the 30th high school reunion, we had a few visitors of the deer variety come and pay a visit just as we were breaking up. It was great to see them just enjoying themselves, while we enjoyed watching them.
All in all, it was a nice evening topped off by ice cream cones from Arctic Circle.

LISTEN, IT'S QUIET!

Yes, you read right. Kassie and RJ took the kids Friday night to his mother's for a sleep over and then went out to dinner. Janessa was here, but was in bed by 9:00.

Saturday, Kassie and RJ got up, took Andrew and left for the day. Kassie to work, RJ to his mom's to get the kids and they were gone until late evening. They showered and then they were off to bed.

This morning we didn't have church meetings because of the Oquirrh Temple Dedication and we went for the 3:00 session. The kids got up early took Ashlynne and Andrew to my sister's house and took Austin with them to RJ's baseball game. They got home around 7:00 p.m.

Then the tornado hit--the living room HAD actually been clean for two days--count them two days. This never happens. Then The Kids came home and everything was back to normal. Noises, messes, dirty diapers, crying, you name it... but for a few short hours it was really quiet! It was very nice.

LESSONS IN FALLING ASLEEP 101

I really had to laugh when Andrew was trying to go to sleep tonight. I was rocking him in the rocker and the other kids were watching the Disney Channel for quiet time.
He was a bit fussy and I had him over my shoulder at first. Then it was the fussing for the bottle routine, which turned out to be worthless, because he was already asleep--just fighting it.
When the first postition came up--I laughed out loud--He opened his eyes, looked at me and then went right back to dreaming of whatever 8 month olds dream about.
He was in five different positions from beginning to end til he was asleep enough that I could get up and put him down in his crib. It was pretty funny from my end--I guess you just had to be there.





Pix 1 & 2 are of the same position--except it is a side view and front view.
Pix 3 is how he was positioned after the bottle fell out and onto the growund.
Pix 4: his head was completely up and against the arm of the rocker and he continued to try and push it out of the way--only in his sleep!
Pix 5: He is now starting to get comfortable and go into his deep sleep.
Pix 6: Finally comfy! on his belly, leg hanging down. He has it made.

HAPPY 24th BIRTHDAY KORIANN

Happy 24th Birthday KoriAnn. It is really hard for me to imagine in my older mind how little you were when you first started out, and here you are today, turning 24. Nearly a quarter of a century old.
KoriAnn started out as a 2 lb 9 oz preemie with little expectation of living and was giving a name and blessing in the hospital just minutes after she was born.
Today she is a lovely, vivacious, old married woman who out conned the doctors and we were celebrating her birthday with her at P.F. Changs.
We had a great time and delicious food an we thank you for inviting us. It was nice to just go to dinner and not have to think about what to fix. And we enjoyed the company too!
Shown in the pictures are: KoriAnn Anderson in green stripes, Ben Anderson in orange stripes and sunglasses, KoriAnn's friend Brynn in yellow, Genette in brown stripes Gwen in blue stripes and Me in peach stripes. Someone must not have given Brynn the memo on the stripes for eating attire. Maybe next time Brynn.

SUNDAY EVENING EMERGENCY ROOM

As life goes on at Hartford Hotel, so does the regular business of visiting an emergency room. Not with one, but two of us last night.

I have been suffreing from some back pain for the past three months, but the last week and more especially the last three day have been utterly excruciating. Nothing seems to help. Heat has stopped helping, Ibuprofen isn't touch it. Keith had given me some pain medication that I ony take at night. But it makes me sick.

Yesterday I was doing sharing time for Primary, so I had to be there, a little later while I was tearing off tape for the sharing time and talking to Liz about getting lost while running. (No worries--she has been found and no she didn't leave Jeff for four men--they were on her Ipod music..) I broke out in a terrible sweat from nearly every pore on my body. It was running n my eyes, down my back, across my lips behind my ears--I as just plain swweating. And no, it wasn't a hot flash! (yes, I have them and I know what they feel like) --it was from the pain I was experiencing.

After we got home, I noticed that Austin was in the computer room with my mom, who by the way was sick as well (that's an oxymoron--sick/well!) and she said that the kids had been at the park for RJ's baseball game and it had just ended. Ashlynne was
at the top of a slide and fell down the ladder and had broken her nose. The kids had to take her to the ER.

Well, I guess I wasn't going to the ER--I didn't want Ashlynne to see me and make things worse for her and me. Problem solved--I just went to the U of U ER. That way my doctors can get all of my information if they need it.

So off I go to the ER by myself--in hysterical tears because I hurt so bad, sobbing, wondering if I can make it. We didn't want my mome to worry. So I just said I had a meeting I had to go to.

I reached the ER and told thme what was going on--fear of the cancer returning (Yes I have an appointment on Thursday for a two yer follow-up), Kidney stone, or something else, I'm not sure what.

For an Emergency Room they were going to get a present from me for promptness. They were unbeleivably quick--and nice as nice can be, helping out this sobbing hysterical woman. They got me back, I had my blood drawn, pain meds (Dilaudid--woot woot) given thru IV and was in a CT scan in one hour and a half. I'm thinking I am in a dream--this never happens in the ER. NEVER, NEVER, NEVER. And to boot--I wasn't feeling too bad, the pain meds had kicked in and I was looped. I had the results back in 45 minutes--NOTHING! What do you mean nothing? "I'm sorry mam, but there is nothing in there, no mass, no UTI, no kidney stone. You have Renal colic!"
Renal Colic--hypersensitivity to..., , overactivity from..., Spasticity..., WHAT? You have a spastic kidney!

Prescription for pain meds in hand and I am out the door. Have a nice day!
We get home and Ashlynne has come home as well--no broken nose, but plenty banged up and sore and bruised. Me, still pretty looped from the pain meds and ready for bed.



Thanks Liz for being on alert in case we needed you for Andrew. And thanks Nat for helping out too.

Today, Ashlynne is back to normal--except she has discovered she can't wipe or blow her nose. I am still in pain, but have to wait until I see the doctor on Thursday for more answers.

$2.00 TUESDAY AT THANKGIVING POINT

So we took the kids to $2.00 Tuesday at Thanksgiving Point and I have to just tell you--never again. I don't do well with crowds and I get a little (okay a lot) irratated with rude, inconsiderate, pushy moms and children. Especially when they feel that they are more important or their child is more important that yours. What is is with people. What happened to manners? Did they fly out the window with the Reagan Administration or was it long before that?

The kids had fun though and even though it was a sweltering 80-85 degrees in the building, with the air conditioning running at full throttle, they enjoyed themselves. They especially love plying in the tunnel, building stuuf (I really am not sure what it was) with the sand and water and digging and brushing for dinosaur bones. Ashlynne finally got pushed out of the way and started to bury her own feet, so she could brush those. Yep, the kids are just as rude as the parents!

After the Mooseeum (as Ashlynne calls it) Grammie, Ashlynne and Nana went and got an ice cream cone from JCW or JWC (something like that anyway) on the way home and Ashlynne was having a reall tough time with cone and had it running all over her hands, and face, some in her hair, and more importantly made a great mess in the back seat. Austin and Keith had their own stuff going on in the other car heading home.

So if there is a next time--remind me that I am happy paying full price to go when there are not so many Rude Mothers, Fathers and Children.