"She's Leaving Home"...

Yesterday we headed to Utah to drop Whitney's stuff off at BYU. After a whirlwind unpacking in the new apartment, and a quick hello to a few new roommates it was off to Heber for Trevor and Megan's wedding reception. The yard was beautifully decorated and everything was just lovely, including the two 'hotties' scooping ice cream. This morning we made the drive back down Provo Canyon to really leave Whitney in Provo. Two years ago when I did this, only Eli and I made the trip. I was doing great with the whole situation, or so I thought. We had an ice cream cone at The Creamery and then walked her back to her dorm. The image of Eli trying so hard to blink back his tears is forever embedded on my heart. As Whitney and I hugged just 'one more time' we agreed not to cry and not to say goodbye, but just 'I'll see you soon.' I had been praying for months for courage and strength to be able to let her go, and I can honestly say those prayers were answered for several days. I experienced a calm reassurance that she was where she wanted to be, where she was supposed to be, and where she needed to be. I was fine for about 2 days until I went into her room the first time she wasn't there. Then it hit me. She was gone. I think I stopped breathing. It felt like forever, just standing there, taking it all in. No more sound of her laughter, no more scent of Jasmine, no more 'wits from Whit', no more JEOPARDY challenges, and no more 'goodnight, mom, I love you'. The days went by quickly, and I found that taking deep breaths made it all okay. I came to look forward to her e-mails, and I could still hear the laughter in her voice when she called. Dropping her off last year was a bit easier, but Eli still blinked back those tears for a few miles after we left. This year we had the whole family, so it was a bit different. I asked Eli if he had anything to say to her before we left. "Nope. Just goodbye." No more tears this year. Maybe third time's a charm. It was a bit hard on Cassidy, their last hug was a little longer,but they left each other with a smile. Dad's hug was big and friendly, mine a little bit gentler, but again, no tears, and just an "I love you...we'll see you soon!" Some days I miss her like crazy, but on days like today, I am grateful to know that she is once again, where she wants to be, where she is supposed to be, and where she needs to be. It doesn't get much better than that!

The most 'bang' for your buck!

After having really long hair for almost 5 years, and no bangs for even longer, Whitney took the plunge a few days ago and got a 'new do.' I love the new highlights/lowlights, and the bangs really brighten up her face. All I've got to say now is, 'Girl, you look rockin' hot!' This is definitely NOT a bad hair day for her! I wish her many more good ones to come!

Is Larry Boy a Cucumber?

Before you start thinking I endorse "Veggie Tales" as an interesting title for a blog, let me speak: I needed a clever way to lead into my food favorite of the day, fresh cucumbers from my garden. Today I ate 2, yes count them, 2 all by myself and I didn't even share. Next to tomatoes, cucumbers are the reason I let Phillip grow me a garden. I love them plain, with pepper and salt, sliced, chopped and combined with tomatoes and red onion for a fresh and calorie-free relish that's great on hamburgers and hot dogs, or marinated in rice wine vinegar. Here's my all-time to-die for cucumber recipe: Thinly slice about 8-10 cucumbers, (About the thickness of paper) toss with rice wine vinegar and add imitation crab flakes and sesame seeds. It's to die for!

On the first day...of the first grade...

It has finally happened...my final baby is starting first grade, my second baby is a senior, and my first baby (who I'll blog/brag about later!) is a junior in college. Eli went to bed last night at 9:00. We all followed about 10:30. By 10:35 I was fast asleep. That is until I was awakened from a deep sleep by a flashing light show in my hallway. I went to investigate. There was my wide-awake, bright-eyed boy, turning the lights on and off, on and off, on and off. "What the heck are you doing?" "Getting your attention. I can't sleep! I'm too excited!" So, on the first night before the first day of first grade, he slept on our floor. The photo speaks for itself!

Cassidy, on the other hand, went to bed late, got up at 7:00, and was still 'primping' (her dad's word, not mine!)at 8:00 when it was time to go! Finally, Whitney, who didn't have to go anywhere early this morning (college student advantage) yells, "We know your hair looks perfect, so go already!" And thus we begin another school year. I don't know what I would do without the mad rushes out the door, the smell of freshly sharpened pencils, the ticking of the clock wondering how they are doing and the thrill of seeing them come back through the door on their first day of school! I've loved it now for 15 years and I'm glad we will be doing it for a few more! Part of the excitement of seeing Eli come through the front door today involved him lifting up his arm to get something out of his backpack. Am I still the coolest mom on the planet? I don't think so! Note to self...rip off the tags BEFORE you send them out the door!

Saying something stupid...

I have a secret addiction. I hate to admit it, but since we got satellite tv I have re-visited the life of "John and Kate Plus Eight." If you're not familiar with their reality show, she had twins, then sextuplets, and their life is utter chaos. I LOVE IT! She and her husband banter and argue and make up and fight again, the kids are normal and healthy and happy and bratty and brilliant, and it just makes me smile. (Probably because I don't have 8 children, but that's a blog for another day!) Anyway, I was watching the show for a few minutes with Whitney this morning (alright, it was a whole hour!) and I made the following remark, "I'm thinking of those 3 twins from SAVED BY THE BELL!" Whitney starts to laugh and I look at her blankly and say, "What?" She replies, "Mom, listen to this sentence. 'I'm thinking of the THREE TWINS!' What's wrong with this picture?" We both had a good laugh over my conflicting sentence. I guess I am destined to go through life knowing that my language skills will always need improvement, and that my own personal grammer goddess, the Queen of English, will be there to guide me right back to where I should be! ***Side note back to the previous blog: I think tomatoes contain lycopene, which is supposed to be really good for your health in so many ways, including preventing cancer and boosting your brain skills. So, in defense of my "Miley-like" three twins comments, I'm sure I'll sound a lot more intellectual in a few weeks when my lycopene levels are back to normal!

The best taste of summer...

The day before yesterday I was in heaven...food heaven, that is. One of my favorite tastes of summer is my first ripe tomato from the garden. Finding those vine-ripened beauties is almost like discovering gold at the end of the rainbow. My tradition for the last 20-plus years has been to take my treasure into the kitchen, slice it and savor the smell, spread a thin layer of butter on bread (this is not for you no-carb eaters!) pile on the tomato, generously pepper it and sprinkle with just a dash of salt. That first bite takes me to a place I'll return to again and again over the next few weeks. Fresh tomatoes in salads, in salsa, on hamburgers, with some bacon and lettuce on toast, plain as a side dish for dinner. Life just doesn't get much better than this...unless it's that fresh cucumber that is not quite ripe enough to pick yet! Once winter comes and the fresh tomatoes are gone, I'll go back into fresh tomato withdrawls until my vine-ripened beauties magically appear again when the summer is almost done, and fall is just around the corner.

Smile for the Camera...

So, I had a friend of mine take a few pictures of my kids for me this summer before Whitney goes back to college again. Needless to say, even though Eli was completely uncooperative, I got a few that I can use, including a darling one of their feet. I have had an idea brewing in my head for awhile now, and once everyone is back in school I am creating a new photo wall in the great room. I'm so excited to get started!In the meantime, enjoy the pics of my beautiful children, grouchy faces and all! On a funnier note, a few weeks ago, one of Eli's friend was over and said to him, "Hey, Eli, you should get some head shots!" We thought he was implying that Eli should become a male model, but what he REALLY meant was head shots from a light saber fight! After the last photo shoot, I can definitely say that modeling is NOT in his future. He is too much of a diva in front of the camera!

Can you believe I will have a junior in college, a senior in high school, and an all-day first grader? Time just flies when you're having fun! We have had a great summer...playing games, running through sprinklers, talking on the porch, watching movies, having late night s'more bonfires, floating lazy rivers and cheering on the Olympians. Now that they are going to be back in school, I guess it is time for me to pursue some of my dreams...like swimsuit model, professional baseball announcer, Three Dog Night groupie, or Iron Chef champion. I guess I'd better get busy!