gone camping

I honestly have zero time to blog. I leave for girls camp at 5:30 in the morning (Monday) and I'm no where near ready to go. Fear has set in and my stress level this weekend is beyond high. As an added bonus Aunt Flow JUST arrived. I'm in tons of pain. Perfect timing as usual. I'm really not doing very well (a complete wreck if I'm being honest), but will try to look for all the positive things while I'm gone. I've been hammered with so much cruddy stuff lately that the good stuff should be easy to spot. I will update when I get back...should I not be in a coma.

Miss Jenny Lee, my dearest childhood friend...I haven't had a chance to email you yet. I'm SOOO sorry! It's not from a lack of desire. I can't wait to catch up with you. I've missed you tons!

Oh lifeguard...can you help me?

Chad and his friend Hunter are lifeguards at golfland sunsplash for summer jobs. Hunter has been staying here and they just drive into work together. After they get real jobs when summer is over, they plan to roommate together in a house out here. For now they are enjoying the "fun" job. I'm sure all the girls that frequent the water park are sure glad these two cute guys are on watch. I wouldn't doubt a fake near drowning just to get their attention. Save me! Save me! LOL!

Notice the lovely smushing in the passenger door of Chad car? Him and Hunter went to town to pick up Kyle Saturday night so he'd be home for church Sunday morning. Just after picking him up, two cars drove up on each side of him boxing him in. The car on the drivers side gave him a little bump leaving a scratch, the other car however rammed into his side. All the guys in the cars were laughing and cussing at them, then they drove off. A witness chased after one of the cars and got the plate number. Chad filed a police report and and they got the statements of 3 witnesses that saw it happen. The cop ran the plates, but were unable to track down who it belongs too. My guess is the cars were stolen and the ones who stole them were driving all over town messing with people while trashing the stolen cars. Makes me so mad! Chad door doesn't open and the glass is broken inside the door so he can't cool down the car with the AC. Not a good thing in the Arizona heat.

Mark is on a ride with a few of his friends, so I opted for an early dinner. I haven't been to the grocery store so decided what the heck, breakfast for dinner sounds good to me. I made biscuits and sausage gravy with scrambled eggs that had a little cheddar cheese and a touch of sour cream. So good! And while were eating abnormal why not eat dinner on Santa's Christmas cookie plate? Nice touch, huh?!

Okay, I have to go change into real clothes. Cole has basketball practice soon. I'm wearing really ugly stretchy cleaning clothes that I should never be seen in public in. I'm all about stretchy when I'm cleaning. Most every day I wear makeup. Not today. and I have no intentions of putting any on just to go sit in a sweaty stinky gym at the end of the day. Not that I'm a fancy girl or anything, but my kids appreciate it when I keep the embarrassing moments to a minimum and how I look right now would most definitely embarrass them. But then again when I took the pictures of Chad and Hunter in their lifeguard uniforms Chad said "these better not end up on the blog" So apparently I like to pick my battles. :o)

Sugar and spice and everything nice...

HA!... Who am I kidding! In the George house full of boys there is no such thing as sugar and spice and everything nice. We're more about the snips and snails and puppy dog tails. Not to mention the wrestling, boxers briefs, burps, gas, bad jokes, video games, air soft guns, sticks, stones, frogs, bugs, lizards, and mud...lots and lots of mud!

In case you can't tell...that is Cody and Chad. See all the weeds in the yard? They were suppose to be pulling all of those. They tend to get distracted easily. One day I hope to have a nice weed free yard with pretty green grass and flowers...if I can only get them to focus on the task at hand. A mother can dream.

Patriotic Enrichment Night...

Last night at Enrichment night they asked Chad to talk about his experiences in Afghanistan. He did an amazing job. He talked for a little bit then did a slide show presentation showing how things are there along with a question and answer part. He was interesting, informative and very funny. Everyone loved it and were very impressed. He also showed a couple of video clips of "close calls" when he was driving and he had his camcorder on his dash recording. One of them had an explosive buried in the side of the road that was detonated as he passed beside it. He had to swerve hard to avoid it. The road came up in this huge mound bigger than his vehicle. The other was a truck that blew up in front of him with a suicide bomber driving it. It sent debris flying at him. He quickly threw it in reverse to get out of there. Its a very strange and un-nerving thing as a mother to watch videos of terrorists trying to blow up my boy. I count my blessings everyday that Heavenly Father watched over him and brought him back home to us.We set up a display table as well. I grabbed an arm full of his ducks for the table and told them about the story of his Uncle Steven advising Chad to be the duck and stay down and safe instead of the goose that runs around getting shot. I told them how so many of my blog readers sent him care packages that included these ducks showing their support and love. They all though it was great.I finally put together Chad's National Guard frame. I really love how it turned out and so does he, so I'm a happy mom. :o)Money from Afghanistan
Brother Harmon spoke before Chad and gave us a great lesson on American history. He was very informative and even quizzed us. He brought these old flags to display. The lower only has 48 stars. I love old flags and cant help but think of the history that surrounds them. It really was a great evening.


Today Chad, his friend Hunter and myself worked on wood for girls camp. They are now ALL drilled and sanded. It feels great to have that checked of my to-do list. My list is still long, but that was a big one.
We have a fun and busy weekend ahead of us. I've gotta run now, but I hope you all have a wonderful weekend as well.

bedding and a tag questionaire

Does this bedding look too juvenile for an adult room? I like this quilt set. My bedding is getting tired, old and ugly so I've been looking online for different Americana style quilts. Most of them are way too expensive. (for me) I found ones that I really loved, but I just can't afford them. This one is on the lower end so it's in my thinking about it list.

This is one that I really love!

So sorry I haven't blogged since last week. I planned to blog about Father's and sons camp out but apparently they never took the camera out of the truck. Mark and the boys had a great time with lots of other fathers and sons from the ward. They said the camp spot was perfect and they ate really well. (Thanks to me...hee..hee) Mark was in charge of breakfast for everyone so I cut up a huge amount of fruit salad and Mark and I made the fixins for breakfast burritos so all they had to do was fill the tortilla's and grill them. Of course I made tons of salsa for them too. I also made tin foil dinners for my guys to eat for dinner up there. I hope to get pictures for one of the dad's that actually used his camera.

In other news Mark traded his motorcycle in and got another Royal Star like his old one that he has dearly missed since the very minute he sold it. The only difference is this one is black cherry, not black. It's gorgeous! I'll take pictures of it to share when the windshield isn't covered with bug guts. Bigger news is Mark FINALLY has his motorcycle license. He's been riding motorcycles his whole life, but now he's finally legal! Yippee!

Happy Birthday to my awesome sister in law Chris. I hope you had a wonderful day. I love you and I miss you tons!

5 Things about me....

5 things on my to do list:


1. Laundry


2. Dishes...lets face it...the whole house needs cleaning.


3. LOTS of camp stuff


4. cook dinner


5. Take Cole to basketball practice





5 places I've worked:


1. Burger King (as a teenager)


2. House keeper-but I was pregnant with my first baby and puking all the time so that didn't last. Apparently home owners don't like that.


3. Full time mom and Mark's errand girl

4. Still doing the mom/errand girl thing

5. Yep, still doing the mom/errand girl thing and busier than ever.





5 favorite foods:


1. Tacos - I love them!


2. Steak and potatoes


3. Chicken cordon bleu lasagna casserole


4. Breads and desserts


5. Good old home cooking - nothing fancy





5 things you may not know about me: This one is hard because I tell everything on here.


1. I am completely addicted to drinking water, but only with teeny sonic ice and only in my big scrapaholic cup.


2. I feel TERRIBLE that I don't get to be with my cute grandsons enough. I miss them! I need to plan some outings with them.


3. Mark spoke in our ward a few weeks ago. He said things that totally embarrassed me. I cried most of the day. He tends to speak before he thinks. He will never do that to me again. Really bad day! The rest of his talk was great.


4. I'm really struggling with my kids growing up. It's all happening so fast. I don't want to be alone and I wish I could remember more of the past. Why didn't I take more pictures? I need to scrapbook more. I thnk I will feel better about things if I get the memories I do have preserved.


5. I'd really like to get a spray on tan, but I don't think I could hold my breath for 30 seconds-twice! I could see myself freaking out in the booth while choking on that stuff. I would love to have a little glowing color without the risk of cancer.





5 things I'd do if I were a billionaire:


1. Pay off our debts.


2. Build a custom home with a basement -a white picked fence and a wrap around porch goes with out saying. Of course there will be a cute red barn in the back yard with big beautiful shade trees all around.


3. Have a 2 year supply of food, water, fuel, and necessities for my family.


4. Help others in need- especially extended family and friends.


5. Do things with my family to create memories that we can't afford to do now.

Craft and Emma Smith movie...

Here is a picture of the main craft we are making at girls camp. I will share pictures of all the smaller crafts once I have samples made. As I mentioned before the theme is "Like the Stars". "Steadfast and Immovable" is also part of our theme. It's a 12X10 piece of pine that I painted and sanded the edges. I glued an 8X8 piece of sheet metal to make it a magnet board. I painted wood stars and glued round magnets to the back. I had Kim cut vinyl with the words "Steadfast & Immovable" I drilled holes and hung it with ribbon. I will have lots of colors to choose from for the girls to paint their boards to match their rooms or taste and the ribbon and vinyl will be available in black and white. The vinyl will also be in several different fonts to choose from. I think the girls and leaders will all like this craft. It's such a good reminder for them to remember who they are and to be true to their values while striving to be the best that they can be.

Tonight we took the young women to the Emma Smith My Story movie. While we are up at girls camp each ward has to do a devotional on someone. We drew Emma Smith's name so I was thrilled when I heard this movie was here. She was the wife of our first prophet, Joseph Smith. This was such a powerful and emotional movie. I cried quite a bit during it. The trials Emma and Joseph went through were unimaginable. My chest was heavy and my heart ached. She was such a strong amazing woman. I think the girls have a whole new appreciation for Emma Smith and their devotional at camp will have so much more meaning to them. I know it deeply impacted me. Here is a clip of the trailer to the movie. For you local Arizona readers It is showing at the Cinemark in Mesa on Dobson and the 202 until June 12th. It really is a must see. I'm taking Mark there to see it again before it's gone. I found a listing online of where it's showing around the country for those of you who are interested. It seems that the theaters that get it are only showing it for a week or 2 so you have to jump on it if you want to see it.

Movie Theater Locations and Movie Time Listings for Emma Smith - My Story:
The new updated theatrical showings as of 5/30 -
"Touching, insightful--provides a perspective that is long overdue!" - Doug Wright, KSL Radio
Thanks to your requests and help, we have set up the following showings of Emma Smith: My Story.
Anchorage, AK (May 30-June 5)
Theater Location: Regal Dimond Center 9, 800 E Dimond Blvd, Suite 210, Anchorage, AK 99515
Boise, ID (May 30-June 5)
Theater Location: Edwards Boise Stadium 22 & Imax, 7709 Overland Rd., Boise, ID 83709
California (Bay area--coming soon)
Idaho Falls, ID (starting May 23)
Theater Locations: Center Theater, 361 Park Ave, Idaho Falls, ID
Kansas City, MO (May 29 & June 9)
Theater Location: Glenwood Arts, 9575 Metcalf Ave., Overland Park, KS 66212
Showtimes: May 29 at 7:30 pm, and June 9 at 7:30 pm only.
Laie, HI: Coming soon.
Las Vegas, NV (May 30-June 5)
Theater Location: Regal Village Square Stadium 18, 9400 W Sahara Ave., Las Vegas, NV
Mesa/Tempe, AZ (May 30-June 12)
Theater Location: Cinemark 16, 1051 N. Dobson Rd., Mesa, AZ 85201
Nauvoo, IL (June 12 - October 2008)
Showing at: Nauvoo Adventure Zone, 885 East Highway 96, Nauvoo, IL 62354.
Showtimes: Monday-Saturday 3 pm and 7 pm.
Orlando, FL: Coming soon.
Portland, OR (May 30-June 5)
Theater Location: Regal Movies on TV Stadium 16, 2929 SW 234, Hillsboro, OR 97123
Richmond, VA: Coming soon.
Sacramento, CA (June 6-12)
Theater Location: UA Olympus Pointe 12, 520 N. Sunrise Ave., Roseville, CA 95661
San Diego, CA (May 30-June 5)
Theater Location: Regal Edwards San Marcos 18, 1180 West San Marcos Blvd., San Marcos, CA 92069
Seattle, WA (May 30-June 5)
Theater Location: Regal Alderwood Stadium 7, 3501 184th Street SW, Lynnwood, WA 98037
Tennessee (coming soon)
Texas (coming soon)
Thatcher/Safford, AZ (May 30 & 31, June 2 only)
Theater Location: 1014 N. College Ave., Eastern AZ College Activity Center, Thatcher, AZ.
Showtimes: May 30 at 7 & 9 pm; May 31 at 5, 7 & 9 pm; June 2 at 5, 7 & 9 pm.
Tucson, AZ (Aug. 29-Sept. 4)
Theater Location: Century El Con 20, 3601 E Broadway, Tucson, AZ 85716
Washington, DC: Coming Soon.
Now in Utah Theaters (check listings for specific times):
Century 16 Union Heights
Tinseltown 17 in Layton
Gateway 8 in Bountiful
Capitol Theater in Brigham City
St. George Pineview Stadium 10
Please check listings in your area for the specific times, but note that the theater may not post them until closer to the theatrical dates scheduled. Check these emails and the website www.emmasmithmovie.com for updates.

Lake house retreat...

This past weekend we took the young women on a lake house retreat. It was by far the funnest thing we've ever done. Some friends in our ward own the lake house and boat on a private lake. They were kind enough to let us come stay and play there. Otherwise our little budget would have been crushed. We all appreciate their generosity. I don't think I've ever seen the girls or leaders have so much fun. I took like 168 pictures. In a few weeks the girls will be coming over to scrapbook the pictures so they can all have memories saved from our trip. I did get on the boat, but mean Aunt Flow has no sense of timing so I wasn't able to get in the water. So sad! Before I left I didn't think I would even want to get in the water because I don't like lakes, but with this one being small and private it was so clean and nice. I LOVED this place! As you can tell from the pictures everyone had a blast!
The leaders

(yes, I am sun burnt...I'm a burn and peel kind of gal)

The girls and leaders

Gracie..who is so cute with her sunglasses on her head and big flip flops.
Cute baby Olivia who is styling in her sun hat and matching glasses.

One of the girls moved to Mesa and this was her last activity with our ward. Each girl and leader gave her a little something small that reminded us of her. I gave her an orange bowl filled with orange smiles because she brightens everyone's day with her sweet spirit. She radiates true love for everyone. As I was writing the card to her I sat here bawling like a baby. She means so much to me. Miss Jodi will be dearly missed by all of us. Her new ward is so lucky to get her. (she is on the far left in the group picture)

So much has been happening in the George home and I don't have time to talk about it. Some fun, some not so fun. Always crazy and sometimes entertaining. I gotta run. Lots to do to get ready for a camp meeting tonight. I have to look like I'm somewhat on top of my responsibilities. :o)