Tales of a Shoebox Princess

So I'll have to encapsulate in a Ten Things format. It's the only way I can organize my thoughts. Ten Things that threatened to blow up my brain while also making me happy: 1. I turned 45. Mind blowing, but happy too. I lived to see another year and what a year it was. And barring any major changes (such as my demise), I will live to see another year. 2. Paul came home from college. He is applying for jobs and a mission. Dental exam yielded a few cavities that need repair, and Uncle Dentist has a few buildings that need repair so a trade might be enacted between the two needy people. 3. Christmas. Little tiny Legos, regular-sized Legos, headphones, photo books, a suit, a wool coat, chocolate, books, gift cards, and other goodies made their way into the house and into the possession of three good little children in our household. 4. THE PHONE CALL, or should I say the Skype call? We got to chat with our Elder Evans for a 1 1/2 hours. He showed off his Spanish skill (girls ...

I can. These were all taken by Jen of hawleyfocus (with the possible exception of the very last one). We like her photography skillz. We also like her. Under the olive tree bouquets Bride and bridesmaids Boys don't like to watch kissing The wedding party male contingent looking very manly He couldn't stop kissing her--and right in front of her parents! And his! Very happy! A bunch of people who showed up

This is a story from the wedding. It is 100% true. Most of you have probably heard the story, but I'm going to tell it anyway. Sunday morning of our Utah trip was spent slowly getting ready for church. Daylight Savings had kicked in so we were up early with plenty of time to spare before we had to head over to the Tanner Building on BYU campus for Paul's ordination in his priesthood class.  As we were getting ready, Jim grabbed the suit bag for the suit he brought, which he was going to wear both to church and to the wedding and reception. He bought the suit a few months before and had the pants tailored to fit. He unzipped the suitbag and eased the suit coat out. Then he reached in for the suit pants. But he couldn't find them.  "I think I left my pants in Minnesota," he said with a perplexed look on his face. He was so sure he had packed them.  No suit pants anywhere. All he could find were jeans. We still had an hour before we had to be at the church ...

I just watched my baby get married.  I got to hover over her all morning, while everyone else had to wait in the waiting room for her to get ready. I got to hover afterwards while everyone waited outside for her and her new husband to exit the building. I was the first one to see what she looked like in her bridal finery.  She was a beautiful bride.  I'll post pictures as soon as I get some.  She picked a good young man. He picked a precious young lady. *Sniff*

I'm up again at an unholy hour of the morning, although sleeping until 5:19 was technically sleeping in. Thank you, seminary, for skewing my perception of time.  If I had told my college age self there would come a time in my life when sleeping until 6 a.m. would be enjoyed and even considered heavenly, I probably would have shot myself for thinking future me was an alien in disguise. As a teen, I never could understand how in the world my mother could get up at these weird morning hours (when technically it wasn't even MORNING yet because, hello, there was no SUN peeping over the horizon) and do housework (and really all I can see now is getting up early isn't so bad; the actual doing of housework I still don't understand. How can I do housework when I have to catch up on emails, cute kittens, and people of walmart? I'd be willing to bet if facebook existed when my mother was in her 40s, she'd have been parked in front of her Apple 2e instead of downstairs grin...

I have no title for this post because I haven't thought about what I'm going to write. I guess I'll start off with a big ol' hug 'n thanks to Jim. Not my Jim; his dad. Hugs for coming out all this way to visit us. Hugs for enduring getting in and out of cars, Hugs for not pointing out my lack of organization and lack of attention to household matters. Hugs for coming to Paul's race.  And thanks for the candy. It didn't last long. Also last weekend, and completely unrelated to the visit from Granddaddy, we learned that there exists a parasite that lives in grasshoppers and they emerge when the grasshopper dies. Matt was dismayed this past weekend when he opened his container of dead insects for his insect collection and found two long writhing whitish worm-like creatures where there had previously been none. He was even a little panicky. "Mom, there's something in my bug jar," he said with an uncharacteristic complete lack of humor in his ...

SIL Jen and I have been in negotiations over my Christmas card layout for this year. She has something against me liking blue and wanting it for a background two years in a row. Actually, I don't think last year's card was blue. I don't remember sending out cards last year. The year before that had a navy background though, I do know that. Anyway, cards are coming this year. Really awesome cards. The only thing I regret about this year's photo shoot is that no one took a picture of my mother sliding down the stairs on her butt while we, the Evans family, were sitting for our portrait. My mother--ever the scalliwag, even in her "dotage." No I won't show you the picture that I finally chose. But I will show you a few that I didn't choose. This picture was actually taken as a test to see if the basement room offered enough light. But I liked how it looked and kept it. I fiddled with it too, to make it look "artsy." I fiddled with this pict...

Seeing family was the main reason for our trip to California. Since I'm so rarely on the West Coast, I had to stop by Yuba City to see my grandparents and my aunt and uncle. We had lunch with them and my cousin Emily's family. Do I look like my Aunt Laurie? I think so. I hope I have some of the same personality too because she is a wonderful person. Grandma and Grandpa were lively conversationalists. We spent a lot of time with Jim's family, but I didn't take many pictures. These next two pictures are from the last night we were there and I finally had to insist on at least a couple of pictures. Jim and his sisters: Jim and a few more members of the extended family. Jim's dad is in there and three of Tammy's children and a daughter-in-law. And now some pictures from yesterday, Turkey day. OK, this first one. I thought I would take a picture of all five of my children together. Katie's home for the week and I need to get at least one pic. Can you guess ...

I scanned another album-ful of pictures a couple weeks ago. I took a lot of pictures of Katie when she was little, and this was that album. While looking at all the pictures, I was again very grateful that I had taken so many pictures. In the pictures are people who are not with us anymore. I'm also grateful for the grandparents (some of whom are still around)--my grandparents, Jim's grandparents, and Katie's grandparents. There's an awful lot of happiness in my life as a direct result of my grandparents. And Jim's grandparents and parents contributed positively to my good relationship with Jim. I've never felt unwelcome with Jim's family. I decided I would post some tributary pictures. I don't have all the grandparents, but I have some. I might have the missing ones in the next album. So if you don't see yourself, you might have to wait til the next tribute post. And this is a bonus tribute for Katie, since she's in all the pictures. S...

Yesterday afternoon, we got notice that Jim's brother-in-law Will was in town for a day. He drives a truck all across the country and he had a load to deliver in St. Paul. Jim invited Will and his driving partner James to come over for for dinner. We couldn't not have them over! Unfortunately for me, I had a seminary kick-off to attend (and at which I had to present some items, since I'm one of the teachers), so I couldn't be there to help get the house or the dinner ready. But Jim was more than capable and he grilled burgers and brats. I got home from church just in time for dinner to start and for the handle on the deck door to fall off. Will helped Jim fix the door handle--thanks Will! We had a good dinner and conversed about family and plans and all kinds of stuff. They didn't stay much longer after dinner because they'd been on the road for days and days and wanted to get some sleep before the delivery this morning. We don't get to see anyone from...

One that I have no pictures for! A sister-in-law had a 40th birthday and I helped my brother, the party planner, with a wee bit of party preparation and operation. I made sure: 1. That chubby infant legs were pinched and nommed on 2. That the facial t-shirts were properly appreciated. 3. That all party attendees were standing in the yard when the honoree drove up with her face in her hands (it was a surprise party) 4. That the mosquitos were well fed on my legs 5. That the comedian's jokes were heartily laughed at (YES there was a comedian!) 6. That the comedian's attention to his biggest fan at the party (Matt) was also appreciated. The two of them were approaching Laurel and Hardy (or possibly Abbott and Costello) give-and-take ribbing, at the buffet table. Matt can give it as well as he can take it, and fortunately, so could the comedian. 6. That the fireworks were oohed and aahed at. 7. That the cake was distributed to two older people. 8. That Paul was laughed at for no...

I didn't get very many pictures of Other Jim during the party. He was working the crowd, as was I and we seldom crossed paths. But when I did see him, he was being a good party host and smiling and talking to our guests. Party pics: Cupcakes. Close to 8 dozen of them. Kate and Other Jim's friend Rissa decorated them all. I must give them a big blog thank you for all their help. Rissa and Katie got bored writing the same old platitudes on the cupcakes, so they came up with alternative wordage, such as: There was another cupcake with the word "FAIL" on it. I had a good laugh. One of the display boards was a collage of OJ's school pictures: Here is another display board: And yet a third display. Yes, I have taken many pictures of OJ. The cake had a miniature frisbee golf hole on it that I made myself out of a cupcake liner container, a McD's medium drink lid, a straw, an old silver ring, some silver embroidery floss, and a kabob skewer. Necco wafers serve...