The Good, The Bad And The Ugly

So yesterday was the first day of Summer!  What??  How did that happen?  Where did Spring go?  It seems like Christmas was just a couple of months ago.  In retrospect, here's a run down of my Spring -- the good, the bad and the ugly:


The Good

• A girls' weekend.   After picking up Daughter #3 from university in Idaho, we met up with Daughter #1 and Daughter #2 in Lethbridge.  It was the most central spot for all of us to meet, to watch Daughter #3 try on wedding dresses.  So, so fun!
• The Showbiz Kids Production.  The kids were awesome, and I was so proud of them!  I can't wait for another year.
• Seminary Graduation.  Not only did the students graduate, but so did I (my four-year calling is finished), and I have to say... it feels pretty good.
• Preparing for the wedding.  Checking out pinterest, clipping coupons for Michaels, and  scanning garage sales for vintage-type items has taken up a fair amount of time.
• Preparing for missionaries.  After the wedding we'll begin taking our turn to house the missionaries from our church.  So, I've been trying to get the space ready for them that they will need.  It's interesting how you start looking at your house in a totally different way when you know total strangers are coming to stay with you.
• Convocation of Son #1A.  We're pretty proud of him.  I'll post pictures in a later post.
• A Change in the Recycling.  Town Council announced the new program that just made recycling so much easier.  No more removing the paper labels from the tin cans!  No more peeling the stickers from the plastic wrap!!  And best of all, no more separating the paper envelopes from their little plastic windows!!!  Who knew this little change could make me such a happy woman?

The Bad

• The Dress (check out my earlier post)
• The Rain (check out any newspaper)

The Ugly

• Finding my first grey eyebrow hair.  I don't think I even need to expand on that.

Dixie

Happy Father's Day

I know I'm a couple of days late, but in honor of Father's Day, I wanted to post a few pictures.  These old snapshots of The Mr. with his children are some of my favorites over the years.

Mocking of clothing styles, eye glass styles, and home decor is strictly forbidden.  JUST KIDDING!!  Where would be the fun in that?  Please, mock away.

 He later grossed them out as they watched him clean it.

Acting out the Nativity on Christmas Eve.

Modelling their Christmas Eve pajamas.

Dressing up for the Primary pioneer party.

Christmas Day 1988.

"London's noble fire brigade" in Hillaire Belloc's poem Matilda.

Patiently waiting for the Angel Moroni statue to be placed on the Mount Timpanogos Temple.

The happiest place on earth.

Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum.

Modelling Christmas Eve pajamas. 

Father's Day circa 1997.

Another Father's Day -- a couple of years later.

St. Patrick's Day.

"Supervising" the Sunday dinner dishwashing.

Embracing their nerdliness.

Christmas Day 2007 -- trying out our new Wii game.

Good sports at the "gender bender" version of our annual murder mystery.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY TO THE MR.   YOU'RE MY FIRST PICK FOR SHARING THIS WHOLE PARENTING THING.  LOVE YOU!!

Dixie

The Dress

With the impending nuptials of Daughter #3, I've been looking for a "mother-of-the-bride" dress for the big day.  I wasn't having much luck.  It kinda seems like you get two choices.

This                                                                                                                          

Or this

I was kind of hoping for somewhere in between. 

So at the suggestion of Daughter #2, I viewed a website that looked a little more promising.  There were a ZILLION choices, and after perusing the first 150 pages -- not even joking --  I finally decided on one I had seen on page 7.  The style was perfect for me:  V-neck,  3/4 sleeves, and most importantly, a skirt that hit just slightly below my knees.  

I was a little nervous to order something on-line, but Daughter #2 has done this sort of thing before and didn't seem to be concerned.  Not only was she ordering her own dress to wear to the wedding, but she was also ordering 3 little dresses for the Bride and Groom's nieces, and a few personal items.

I decided to go ahead with the purchase.

• Free shipping promised - check.
• Precise measurements taken - check.
• Color selected from the minuscule color chart - a little dicey, but - check.
• Submit credit card payment of $88 - check.

A couple of weeks later the package came.  Complete with a $22.10 international duty tax.  (So much for free shipping.)  

Daughter #3 and I were so anxious to see if the color was right.  We hovered around the parcel full of anticipation, then squealed with delight when we found the color to be PERFECT!!  I quickly lifted the dress up by the shoulders and let out a huge gasp!  The dress was short!  About 12 inches too short.  Let's just say, it looked a little closer to the second picture shown above than the first one.  

I tried it on hoping I could at least salvage the top half, and maybe wear it as a blouse of some kind.  What a joke.  One of the shoulders was way wider than the other, and would not be enticed to stay up where it was supposed to.  

It was a hideous first attempt at an on-line purchase.  

A hideous attempt that cost me $110.10

I quickly called Daughter #2 to warn her to expect the worst:  Poor quality sewing, not the right size, and an unexpected tax at the door.

Well, the force was apparently with her that day, because not only did everything fit perfectly and was better than expected, but she didn't have to pay any taxes at the door, AND they charged her LESS money than advertised. 

Now, I ask you, "Where is the justice in that?"

Oh well.  I'm actually in negotiations with the company as we speak to see if I can get my money back. If not I think I'll try and find someone with just the right figure to give this dress to.

You know, someone who's really short and whose left shoulder is far wider than their right one.   ;)

Dixie

The Crazy Lady

When I stepped out of my car today at the mall parking lot, I heard a woman's angry, scolding voice.

"YOU'RE MAKING ME SO MAD!!   DON'T YOU EVER DO THAT AGAIN!!

I assumed it was some mother yelling at her child, and my first thought was, "Oh, you poor kid.  My heart aches for you to be yelled at like that." 

As I looked in the direction of the yelling, I couldn't see which parked car the voice was coming from.  

"STOP IT!!  I TOLD YOU NEVER TO DO THAT!!  I HATE YOU!!"

I saw a woman walking by in the general vicinity of the yelling, and figured she was getting quite an earful.  

"STOP LIEING TO ME!!  YOU MAKE ME SICK!!"

Then I realized just how close she was to the angry woman.  She WAS the angry woman.  Certifiably crazy.  

I felt sorry for her and sent a quick thanks heavenward that I wasn't like that.  And then the realization set in.....

I AM like that.  Minus the yelling, of course.  But I totally talk to myself all the time.  The Mr. is always asking me who I'm talking to.  I just tell him that I'm talking to myself, but it's okay because I KNOW that I am.  As long as you KNOW that you're talking to yourself you're still sane, right?

Right?  (crickets chirping.)

Well, at least I've never answered myself.

Dixie