Capris!!

Last summer I was forced to wear the same two pairs of capris over and over. I could not find any others that looked even passable on me. I was so tired of my one pair of khaki capris and my one pair of blue jean capris that I was ready for cold weather - just so I could wear my jeans again! (I know I could have worn my jeans during the summer, but I'm not a fan of sweltering.)

This year, I struck gold! I found a style of capris that I like! I just may have bought them in black, navy, brown, green, and khaki. Overkill? I don't think so! I am ready for warm weather now!

Oh, and I may have picked up a few new shirts to go with my new capris. A girl's got to have "outfits", right?

One Month to Go!

Jeffrey leaves on his mission one month from today! Or 31 days, as he likes to say.

We have been busy spending, spending, spending. It is expensive to send a kid on a mission. In addition to socks, pants, shirts, etc. (all bought in quantities of 6 or 12 it seems), we have to buy sheets, towels, luggage, toiletries, a shoeshine kit, a first aid kit, plus lots of other stuff too. Every time I go to Target or Kohls, the cash register in my head goes "cha-ching"!

But it's worth it. Every penny. I'm so happy Jeffrey has chosen to serve a mission. I know he's going to make a great missionary, and come home with an even stronger testimony than he already has.

31 days, and counting down!

Pills...Bleh

I hate taking pills. I have two prescription drugs I take, plus a vitamin, a calcium pill, and 2 fish oil gelcaps. All of my pills, but one, are big. I have to take them one at a time, and even then I'm likely to make myself gag. I've been wanting to add some fiber (because I don't eat enough fiber), but the drink stuff is gross, as are the chewable fiber tablets. And I'm afraid to take the capsules because there's a warning on the bottle that says if you don't swallow the capsule completely, it could swell in your throat. I have enough trouble with pills without having to worry about that too!

I had just about given up on the whole fiber thing, when I discovered these little gems:

FIBER GUMMIES!!

Tasty little sugar free gummy chews!

Two tasty chews provide 5 grams of fiber!

Did I mention they are tasty?

I'm very excited to have discovered these! I've finally discovered something I don't mind taking!

Did I mention they are tasty?

A Fond Farewell

On Thursday we bid a fond farewell to Jeffrey's car. We donated it to charity, since we didn't really know what else to do with it.

Here's a picture of her being loaded onto the tow truck.

Here she is, loaded on the tow truck. Such a sad sight.
Good bye, old girl. You will be missed. Well, by the boys, not me.

San Antonio Fun!

We took a whirlwind family trip to San Antonio. Brian was home for Spring Break, and Kimberly and Jeffrey were both able to rearrange their work schedules, so the whole family was able to go. I don't know how long it's been since our entire family went on vacation together.

As I said, it was whirlwind. We drove to San Antonio Monday night, arriving at about 11:00. We checked into our nice 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom, full kitchen Residence Inn, unpacked, settled in, and pretty much went to bed. But we had a nice drive to San Antonio - talking and laughing together. Stopping at Buc-ees - woo hoo!!

Monday morning we watched the History Channel while we waited for the rain to stop, leaving our hotel at about 10:00. Our first stop was the Alamo. The boys didn't really "remember the Alamo", since they haven't been there since they were little, so we thought we should go. Here's a picture of the crew waiting in line. Scott was actually enjoying himself - he just doesn't look like it!

After the Alamo, it was on to Sea World. The weather was chilly and overcast, but that actually worked in our favor, since the crowds were much smaller. The kids wouldn't ride the water rides though - the wimps!

My favorite show was the Cannery Row Caper - starring the sea lions, otter, and walrus. Seriously, is there anything funnier than watching a giant walrus do sit ups?

We went to see the flamingos and were amused by these ducks. Apparently they have been hanging out with the flamingos way too long - notice they are standing on one leg also!
Last picture of the day - my kids cowering in front of the Shamu statue. I think the picture about says it all.
We left the park at about 8:00, went to dinner at a so-so Mexican restaurant, and then went back to our hotel.

We got up early Wednesday morning and drove to the San Antonio Temple Distribution Center for some shopping for Jeffrey. Then we headed home - in time for Kimberly and Jeffrey to both go to work at 3:00.

It was a quick trip, but it was a lot of fun. I really enjoy spending time with my kids, and it was pretty apparent that they enjoy spending time with each other too. It was a nice memory to create - one that I can look back on when Jeffrey is gone, and family vacations with all of us aren't possible.

Jeffrey's Nineteen!

Actually, Jeffrey turned 19 on Monday. What can I say? I'm a slacker! I didn't even take any pictures on his birthday. Bad Mom! But, in an effort to move the demise of his car further down the page, I'm posting a couple of pictures of Jeffrey when he was younger.

Here he is at age 3. Look at those eyes! Wasn't he a cutie? Even if he did have a bowl haircut!

Here he is at age 10. Still awfully darn cute, if I do say so myself.

Soon I will be posting pictures of him at the MTC. Where does the time go?

The Demise of Jeffrey's Car

On Monday, Jeffrey was in a car accident. He was on 99 driving behind three other cars when the driver of the first car slammed on his brakes because he saw a tiny pool of water in the middle of the road. Everyone else slammed on their brakes, but since Jeffrey's car is old, and his brakes aren't the greatest, he ran into the back of the car in front of him. Fortunately, those were the only two cars involved in the accident. Also fortunately, both he and the other driver were fine. And fortunately again, the other driver's car was not seriously damaged - it looks like just the back bumper will need to be replaced.

Unfortunately, Jeffrey's car did not fare so well. See for yourself:

Sad

So, so sad.

Seeing as how we only have liability on that car, I do believe it is headed for the car graveyard. It would cost way more to fix then it is worth.

This causes a problem. We really need two cars. But we only need two cars until the end of April. It takes Jeffrey 35 to 40 minutes to drive to work. I don't have the time (or the inclination) to drive him to and from work every day. And I need my van. I can't let him take my van to work every day. We thought about buying a cheap car, but then we would have to worry about it breaking down and all the hassles that would entail.

So what's the solution? A rental car for me! Until the end of April I will be driving this 2010 Hyundai Sante Fe:

I decided to rent a small SUV because when I do get rid of the van someday, I think I would like a small SUV. This gives me the chance to try one out for a while and see what I really think of it. So far, it seems pretty nice. The fact that it has satellite radio doesn't hurt either! I think I'm going to enjoy this next 7 weeks. And I know Jeffrey is going to enjoy driving my van!

1994 Chrylser New Yorker, we bid you a fond farewell. I always thought you were hideous, but for some strange reason the boys loved you. You served us well. R.I.P.