Preparation.

Shilo had a swim meet yesterday. 

Mar is still in TX, and Bill had the BYU CougarRun (AGI is a sponsor), so it was just Shi and me.

Shi swam well, despite being at Elitches for hours the day before (she told me that throughout the meet whenever she would close her eyes she felt like she was on a roller coaster), and staying up past 1am that night. Those years of preparation pay off in situations such as these.

One more regular season meet, then Prelims, then Finals before Shi is finished. Finito.  She has somewhat enjoyed coaching this year, and mentioned that the younger set (8 and under) particularly adore her.

I have spent the past week working (home and salon) and preparing for Girls Camp, where I have been given the assignment to help cook. The ladies I am working with are wonderful, but the task is HUGE.

I leave for camp early Tuesday morning, and Mar and Lauren are arriving in CO Monday evening (they leave for camp Wednesday am), necessitating I have my junk (ALL my junk) together by tomorrow night.

At our final cook's meeting on Friday, I offered to make a stencil for our aprons by today, and another cook was willing to stencil them. I got up this morning and whipped up this little baby.

The theme for camp this year is based around Superheroes.

I also offered to laminate some table/drink/food labels and embellish them with a little superhero flare.

I still need to print a few more, and am down to four sheets of lamination. Since I don't want to add a run to Sam's Club into my day tomorrow (I already have hair appointments to work around), I'm going to make do with what I have, plain and simple (I have to keep reminding myself, since I am a little OCD about wanting to do more than is reasonable/needed/required = running faster than I have strength).

The YW were supposed to each get two shirts to make on Monday for camp, one white, one green.

I have been to Hobby Lobby three times looking for green shirts in adult small. That is enough.

So I opted to purchase white shirts and dye half of them green.

(Mar has invited 3 {three!} non-member friends to join her at camp + Lauren Billat is coming, so I'm trying to make sure ALL the girls are covered. Our ward camp leader is working on the shirts with the girls tomorrow, but Mar and Lauren won't be here yet, so I may end up having Shilo go make them or making them myself {which I may not have time for}. Plus I have to throw a dye job in there, too. Maybe I'll get them dyed today... is that an appropriate Sunday activity?)

Also, as I have previously mentioned, I cooked rice this week.
400 cups.

This is what a freezer with 400 cups of cooked rice in it looks like:

Half of the bags are hidden behind other frozen food items.
Good thing my freezer stash was a little low to begin with.
I only had to take out two bags of ice left over from Shi's grad party, and my two ice cream maker bowls (no homemade ice cream this week).

I am excited but anxious for camp.
I'm already exhausted from my summer schedule, and hope to have the stamina to work hard all week long. I'm sure the preparation will pay off and things will go as smooth as butter.


I've also been preparing to teach the Laurel class today.
Our lesson is on Sustaining Church Leaders.
Here are a few highlights from my studies:

Favorite one-liner:
"Stick with the Brethren" 
(Pres. Hugh B. Brown)

Favorite scripture story:
Exodus 17:8-12

Favorite quotes:
"Even though the Lord calls His servants by revelation, they can function only after being sustained by those they are called to serve. By our sustaining vote, we make solemn promises. We promise to pray for the Lord's servants and that He will lead and strengthen them. We pledge that we will look for and expect to feel inspiration from God in their counsel and whenever they act in their calling."
(Pres. Henry B. Eyring)

"You will all abide the pledge you have given to the Lord and to one another by the uplifted hand, that you all mean to uphold and sustain these officers in all these various organizations, that... you will do everything you can to help them, to benefit them, bless them, and encourage them in the good work in which they are engaged."
(Pres. Joseph F. Smith)

I'm looking forward to this week -- and to this week being over.
{Oxymoron}

Simple Gifts.

The story doesn't change around here:

high-intensity action.

That's how we roll.

And since time is short and the story long, I thought I would quickly post some highlights.

I will keep the narrative brief.

Here are a few of the {simple gifts} of the past week:

Gramps meeting Scarlett

who can't quite wake up to say hello just yet

A sleepy baby on her first social outing

despite the contortions required to get secured in her car seat

Flashbacks to the old days
Austin was out of town for work, so Gramps did the honors

The smell of Scarlett's neck - yum!

Smiles for Grammy

Red Robin for Tay's 25th Birthday

Being there to celebrate with him

 Bottomless rootbeer floats for Bill, 

individual baskets of fries and a lot o' sauce for all

Deep conversations

The milk-drunk contentment of a satisfied baby

Scratchy Grampa kisses

oh my, she looks like Britt here

Almost baths for an almost gone umbi cord

Scarlett's first dip in the water

she looks like her daddy-o here

Grammy teaching binkie love

after a rub-down with Johnson's baby lotion - YUM YUM

Love from some Greats

Good, healthy BM's

a squirter that got away in the middle of a diapy change

I love the smell of nursing babies' poo.  I really do. But I was glad that gusher didn't shoot my way.

Uncle and Auntie love

beautiful flowers from Tay and Lynnea

Several days of time lapse, 

since I neglected to snap pics of 

Scarlett's first dr. appt

shopping for a blessing dress + accessories

organizing Britt's cupboards and pantry

sewing custom onsies for Scarlett

a whole lot o' hugging and kissing and rocking and holding

and the long drive home on Friday. By myself.

(Bill had flown home Tuesday evening, since I selfishly requested some mom/daughter/granddaughter time - 

thanks, babe!)

Red Robin for Shi's 18th Birthday

heck yeah, twice in one week is the bomb

A birthday cake provided by neighbors

the same neighbors who had stayed at our still-not-ready-for-company house for 3 days while I was away

= a story for another day

I think Shi was hoping for her fave strawberry yogurt cake

I was just grateful she had a cake (I'll make it up to you, Shi)

A swim dad to cheer on the girls

I was making up for lost time and worked at the salon all day

A long-desired stroll through Parker Days

and an awesome daddy-o who kindly obliged and got soaked when the rainclouds dropped buckets

next year, Mar, maybe you can get a ticket to ride

A free printable for ward Father's Day gifts

AND barely enough yellow ink to print them out

+ a dad and 2 girls willing to spend Sunday morning assembling

how the assignment came to me = a story for another day

Father's Day kisses

Smiles despite Mamita's not-so-pleasant disposition

= a story I'd rather forget

Homemade gifts

New not-so-dad(ish) jeans

in those boxes on his lap

 It was an amazingly full and wonderful week.

Up this week:

Mar flew out to Houston this morning to visit the Billats

Work and work for Bill, Shi and me

Cooking 100 pounds of rice and gearing up for Girls Camp next week (I'd better get hopping)

Cleaning house, finishing my eternal pile of laundry, and pulling myself together

IF I have time

The After Party.

The set-up:

The party:

We only snapped a few pics at the beginning, and then again at the end. Prior to the party starting, I regretted scheduling the open house for 3 hours (what was I thinking??), but found the time flew by and it was over before we knew it. It was great to visit with good friends, meet some of Cheyenne's family friends, and have amazing family members there to help pull it all off. 

You guys are the best.

At the end of the day, I'd call it a success. The girls had a great time.
Love you, beautiful ladies :-*