One step forward two steps back

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.  I am so tired of doing everything for this wedding twice.
It all started again last night when I went to Sam's Club to get pictures printed for the frames that we had bought to display.  Jessica had everything organized and labeled for me so all I had to do was select the picture and have them printed, easy you say, but I say nay :(  The big 11x14 pictures came out pixelated and now I have to go home and put them in photoshop and  change them to a larger resolution so that they will look better being blown up to that size.  So back to Sam's Club I go later this week.  I went to get a nice relaxing pedicure today and thought that I would try to use my time effectively and since I was right by Walmart I would go and get a cute little girl sleeping bag for Hailey to sleep in, but I wasn't even suprised to see that there was  no little girls sleeping bags,  unless of course they like spiderman.  Knowing that Jeff was on the other side of town I called him to go to the other Walmart and low and behold a pink sleeping bag was found.  I moved on to  Sonic to pick up pebble ice because  that is the "prettiest" ice to use for a wedding.  I went up to order my ice and go figure the ice machine was not working properly and they asked me to come back later.  REALLY?  This is exactly why I say everything I do is one step forward and two steps back.  Am I jinxing myself  somehow?  It is getting so bad  that I went to the quick stop to get a coke the other day because I decided to drown my pathetic self in chocolate and believe it or not their air conditioning was out and all the chocolate was off the shelf.  ALL OF IT!
  I can't even buy a   piece of chocolate without going to do it twice.

BRIDAL PICTURES

I STARTED WRITING AND SAVING
A POST ABOUT THE CRAZINESS  OF
PREPARING FOR JESSICA'S WEDDING,
BUT THE WAY ITS GOING IT MIGHT
BE NEXT YEAR BEFORE IT GETS DONE,
SO I HAVE DECIDED TO POST BITS
AND PIECES OF SOME OF THE CRAZINESS
AS I THINK ABOUT IT.
GETTING A PHOTOGRAPHER FOR
THE WEDDING HAS BEEN  A LITTLE DIFFICULT BECAUSE JESSICA DID NOT WANT TO SPEND HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS OUT OF HER BUDGET.  SHE  DIDN'T HAVE "OFFICIAL" ENGAGEMENT PICTURES AND SHE WASN'T GOING TO HAVE BRIDALS, BUT TWO WEEKS AGO SHE HAD A PHOTOGRAPHER WHO WOULD DO HER BRIDALS AND HER WEDDING FOR $100.  SHE IS JUST STARTING OUT AND I KNOW, I KNOW,  YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR,  BUT  SURELY  THERE WILL BE SOME CUTES ONES WHEN IT IS ALL SAID AND DONE.  I SAY BETTER THAN NOTHING. IT SEEMS THAT IN EVERY STEP IN THE WEDDING PREP THERE HAS BEEN A HITCH OF SOME SORT.  JESSICA HAS SUNDAY AND MONDAY OFF AND SO THEY DECIDED TO DO HER PICTURES ON SUNDAY.  SHE LEFT IN THE MORNING TO GET HER HAIR DONE AND JEFF AND I WENT TO CHURCH, PICTURES WERE AT 4 PM AND  JUST AS SHE GOT HOME I REALIZED THAT SHE DIDN'T HAVE A BOUQUET FOR HER PICTURES.  NO FLOWERS, I WAS JUST ABOUT TO DIE. HOW COME I DIDN'T THINK ABOUT THIS EARLIER?  SO I THOUGHT WELL SHE IS USING SUNFLOWERS AND I AM SURE THAT ALBERTSONS WOULD HAVE SOME, AND OFF I GO TO THE STORE WHILE JEFF, JESSICA AND THE PHOTOGRAPHER GO TO HER FIRST SPOT FOR PICTURES.  THERE IS A HOUSE ON THE WAY TO THE STORE WITH A HUGE FIELD OF SUNFLOWERS AND I DECIDED TO STOP AND ASK IF I COULD BUY SOME FROM THEM BUT ALAS, THEY WERE NOT HOME AND I THOUGHT SHOULD I JUST CUT SOME AND COME BACK AND PAY FOR THEM?  PROBABLY NOT SO OFF TO THE STORE.  I GET TO ALBERTSONS AND THERE ARE NO SUNFLOWERS, BUT THEY DID HAVE A YELLOW FLOWER THAT LOOKED LIKE A SUNFLOWER BUT WITHOUT THE BROWN CENTER, SO I  BOUGHT THOSE AND SOME BABYS BREATH AND RAN OUT THE DOOR.  BEFORE I LEFT HOME I GRABBED SOME SCISSORS AND BURLAP TO TAKE WITH ME.  I DECIDED ON MY WAY BACK TO STOP ONE MORE TIME AT THE SUNFLOWER HOUSE, BUT AGAIN NO ONE WAS THERE AND AS BAD AS I WANTED TO CUT DOWN HER FLOWERS I KNEW THAT JUST WOULDN'T BE RIGHT.    WHEN I GOT THERE I CUT THE BURLAP IN A LONG STRIP WRAPPED IT AROUND THE STEMS, CUT THEM OFF AND VIOLA' INSTANT BOUQUET.  IRONICALLY WHEN WE WERE DONE AND AS I DROVE UP THE ROAD TO MY HOUSE THERE ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WAS A PATCH OF SUNFLOWERS, READY AND WAITING TO BE CUT DOWN,  TO BAD I WAS IN SUCH A HURRY TO GET TO THE STORE OR MAYBE I WOULD HAVE SEEN THEM.  GO FIGURE, JUST MY LUCK, ALL I COULD DO IS LAUGH.

I snuck a quick pic at the happy bride-to-be

HEY MOM! GUESS WHAT?

LAST WEEK JESSICA WENT HUCKLEBERRING (IS THAT A WORD?) WITH HER FUTURE FAMILY IN-LAW AND CAME HOME WITH A SMALL CONTAINER OF BERRIES FOR ME.  I WAS EXCITED BECAUSE THEY ARE A MUCH SOUGHT AFTER FRUIT IN THESE PARTS. ANYWAY, I SAID GREAT! MAYBE WE CAN MAKE SOME HUCKLEBERRY ICE CREAM FOR THE FAMILY ON FRIDAY BEFORE THE WEDDING.  SOUNDS GOOD RIGHT?  I KNOW HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE ICE CREAM HOWEVER, I HAVE NEVER MADE HUCKLEBERRY ICE CREAM BEFORE...  *NOTE TO SELF DON'T OFFER TO DO SOMETHING YOU HAVE NEVER DONE BEFORE THE WEEK/DAY BEFORE A BIG EVENT.
WELL TO MY SUPRISE JESSICA AND TJ WENT HUCKLEBERRING AGAIN ON MONDAY AND BROUGHT ME MORE HUCKLEBERRIES, THIS TIME THEY HAD ALMOST AN ICE CREAM BUCKET FULL.  THEY WERE SO HAPPY TO DO THIS FOR ME.  NOW I HAVE ENOUGH TO MAKE ICE CREAM FOR THE WEDDING.  RIGHT?  REALLY?  ARE YOU SERIOUS?  YES, THEY ARE... IT'S NOT LIKE I HAVE ENOUGH TO DO, NOW I GET TO MAKE ICE CREAM FOR 50.

WEDDING CRAZINESS

CALL ME CRAZY, CALL ME FRANTIC CALL ME NEUROTIC, I KNOW I AM ALL OF THE ABOVE AND READY TO HAVE A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN.  SO I AM DRAWING ON THIS QUOTE TO HELP GET ME BY.  I'M TRYING TO LAUGH, REALLY I AM.

I AM IN PROCESS OF CHRONICLING THIS JOURNEY OF JESSICA'S  WEDDING AND ONE DAY IT WILL GET POSTED AND IF YOU WANT TO TAKE AN HOUR OR SO OUT OF YOUR LIFE YOU CAN RELIVE THE  CRAZINESS OF THIS JOURNEY WITH ME.  IT WILL PROBABLY BE POSTED AFTER THE WEDDING IS OVER.

LANDSCAPING UPDATE

I LOVE A BEAUTIFUL YARD WITH BEAUTIFUL FLOWERS.   I GUESS THAT EXPLAINS WHY JEFF AND I WORK SO HARD TO MAKE OUR YARD LOOK GOOD.  A FEW WEEKS AGO WHEN WE WERE IN WALLA WALLA, WE PASSED THIS HOUSE WITH AN INCREDIBLE YARD.  I HAD TO TAKE PICTURES OF THIS PLACE BECAUSE IT WAS EVERYTHING THAT I WOULD LOVE MY YARD TO LOOK LIKE.  THE FLOWERS WERE IN FULL BLOOM,  IT WAS SO SIMPLE YET SO VERY IMMACULATE.   EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE I WISH FOR A PLACE LIKE THIS WITH A LITTLE COTTAGE OR B AND B THAT I COULD RENT OUT, (IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN A DREAM IN THE BACK OF MY MIND TO OWN A BED AND BREAKFAST), BUT THEN REALITY SETS IN AND I REALIZE THAT IT WOULD BE A LOT OF WORK WITH NOT MUCH PLAYTIME AND I WOULD RATHER PLAY.  SO I WILL JUST LOOK AND ENJOY THE BEAUTY THAT OTHERS MAKE FOR US PASSERBYS TO ENJOY.

WE ARE GETTING CLOSER TO COMPLETING OUR TO-DO LIST TO HAVE THE YARD READY FOR THE WEDDING IN AUGUST.  WE SPENT A VERY HOT SULTRY DAY SATURDAY WORKING IN THE YARD.  THINGS ARE STARTING TO TAKE SHAPE AND I AM HAPPY WITH THE WAY THEY ARE LOOKING.

(Love my new seating area.  It is great in the evening because it is in full shade. 

 Such a nice place to relax at the end of the day)

(My daisies don't look anything like the ones in Walla Walla, maybe one day)

THE LAST PROJECT WAITING FOR US IS THE FLOWER BED ALONG THE BACK FENCE.  I DON'T PLAN ON PLANTING ANYTHING IN IT BEFORE THE WEDDING.  I AM HOPING TO GET IT RAKED OUT NICELY AND THEN TOP IT WITH MULCH AND BE DONE.

WALLA WALLA

LAST WEEK JEFF AND I WENT TO SEE BEN AND MICHELLE IN WALLA WALLA.  THEY LIVE IN SUCH A NICE TOWN.  WE ARRIVED ON MY BIRTHDAY AND BEN AND MICHELLE  HAD A CUTE BIRTHDAY GREETING AT THE FRONT DOOR WHEN WE ARRIVED.

EVERY DAY WE DID SOMETHING FUN...ON FRIDAY WE WENT TO PALOUSE  FALLS FOR A HIKE.  IT WAS A REALLY INTERESTING AREA, WITH A LAVA ROCK FORMATIONS AND A HUGE WATERFALL ALL IN A HIGH DESERT PLAIN SOMETHING  YOU WOULDN'T EXPECT TO SEE UP THERE CONSIDERING THE FACT THAT  THERE IS SO MUCH FARM LAND, ROLLING GREEN HILLS AND VINEYARDS THERE.

WHILE WE WER HIKING AROUND THE FALLS BEN COULDN'T RESIST DROPPING HIS LINE IN THE RIVER AND CAUGHT HIMSELF A LITTLE FISH.

AFTER THE FALLS WE WENT THE LAVENDAR FARMS AND MICHELLE AND I PICKED LAVENDAR. (WHEN I SEE A PLACE LIKE THIS  I THINK I WOULD LIKE TO LIVE IN THE COUNTRY  AND HAVE  A  LOT OF WORK... WAIT! WHAT AM I THINKING?  NO I GUESS I REALLY DON'T WANT TO HAVE MORE WORK TO DO EVEN THOUGH IT DOES LOOK LIKE FUN).  THE FARM IS AT SOMEONES HOUSE WITH ROWS AND ROWS OF LAVENDAR TO CUT.  A GIFT SHOP AND IF YOU HAD TIME TO STAY YOU COULD MAKE A WREATH OR SOME KIND OF LAVENDAR CRAFT. IT WAS REALLY FUN TO CUT OUR OWN BUNCH TO TAKE HOME AND OH THE SMELL... IT IS SO GOOD. THEY HAD COMPLIMENTARY LAVENDAR LEMONADE, BUT I HAVE TO ADMIT I WAS NOT A FAN.

MICHELLE AND I ALWAYS LIKE TO CRAFT TOGETHER SO WE MADE 4TH OF JULY BANNERS WHILE WE WERE THERE.   I DIDN'T GET MINE DONE BUT SHE DID AND IT TURNED OUT SO CUTE.

WE ARE SO HAPPY TO SEE THAT BEN AND MICHELLE ARE ADAPTING WELL TO THIER NEW HOME.   WE HAD A GREAT TIME WITH THEM AND CAN'T WAIT TO VISIT THEM AGAIN. 

A HIKING WE GO....

WELL I WAS HOPING FOR A FUN WEEKEND IN JACKSON ON A VERY ANTICIPATED REPELLING TRIP FOR OUR ANNIVERSARY INSTEAD, I SPENT THE WEEK BEFORE THE TRIP  DEALING WITH BENIGN POSITIONAL VERTIGO...SOMETHING THAT DOESNT GO WELL WITH CLIMBING AND REPELLING OFF THE EDGE OF A MOUNTAIN.  SO VERY SAD TO SAY WE HAD TO CANCEL THAT TRIP BUT  AFTER A FEW VISITS TO THE DR. MY VERTIGO IS GONE AND WE WENT ON A HIKE TO LOWER PALISADES LAKE WITH OUR FRIENDS DAVE AND SHARON. WE HAVE LIVED IN IDAHO FOR MANY YEARS AND THERE ARE ALOT OF PLACES THAT JEFF AND I HAVE NEVER BEEN AND THIS HIKE WAS ONE OF THEM.

THE SCENERY WAS SO PRETTY AND THE MORNING TEMPERATURES WERE SO NICE. IT WAS FUNNY HOW MANY PEOPLE WE KNOW ALONG THE WAY. 

ON THE TRAIL I ALSO NOTICED A LOT OF BUTTERFLIES, I REALIZED IT HAS BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE I HAD SEEN SO MANY MONARCHS AT ONE TIME. WE WENT THROUGH SEVERAL HATCHES OF BUTTERFILES, ALL DIFFERENT COLORS. I DON'T THINK I HAVE EVER SEEN BLUE ONES BEFORE SO I TRIED TO CATCH A PICTURE OF THEM, HOWEVER WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE YOUR GLASSES ON SOMETIMES THE PICTURE ISNT EXACTLY WHAT YOU HOPED TO GET.

I SET MY GPS TRACKER ON THE WAY BACK DOWN SO WE COULD SEE HOW FAR AND HOW LONG THE HIKE TOOK...

RETURN TRIP: 4.94 MILES... TOTAL ROUND TRIP NEARLY 10 MILES

2.02 HOURS...ROUND TRIP 4 HOURS....

AND ENOUGH CALORIES BURNED TO EARN AN ICE CREAM FORM THE SQUARE ICE CREAM STORE ON THE WAY HOME.

HIKING WITH MY FAVORITE PERSON....THE PERFECT DAY. FYI HIKE TO UPPER PALISAIDES THIS FALL WHEN THE LEAVES ARE TURNING IS ON THE AGENDA.

WHAT A DIFFERENCE A WEEK MAKES

Last weekend was totally rotten, lately we have had some really crazy temperature swings,  but today is such a beautiful day the sun is shining and it feels great to be outside.  I however, didn't do a lot today,  I've felt a little lazy compared to others in my family, ie.. Ben who rode a century ride (100 miles) on his Bike in Walla Walla and Brandon who ran yet another Ragnar,  3 legs of the Wasatch Back from Logan to Park City which takes 2 days and Jeff who work most of the day building a railroad tie wall.   Now you understand.  But I did get some flower pots planted, my laundry and grocery shopping done, ok now I feel better, I did do something although much less significant.

You might wonder about my blog title....let me share with you the weather from last weekend. Jeff and I went up to Grand Teton National Park and decided to do the hike around Jennys lake. It's not really a hike because there is not much elevation change but we experienced many changes in the weather in three hours we were out.

When we started out it was heavy clouds but we could see the other side of the lake.  However, as we continued around the lake the clouds became more and more ominous.

 We got rained on, snowed on and then every once in awhile the clouds would lift and we would be able to see  across the lake again.  It was so much fun I am glad Jeff made me get out of the car and go even in the sketchy weather.  We were soaked when we got through, but so much fun.

 I have a great hiking buddy and he is going to take me back to the park in a couple of weeks to do something I have never done, but have

always wanted to do. We are going repelling off the rocks at the top of hidden waterfall on the other side of Jennys Lake. I can't wait. Stay tuned!

Still landscaping

We are anticipating a wedding in our backyard this summer and so we have been trying to complete some of the spaces that didn't get completed last year. Here is a look at some of OUR progress.....

We didnt finish the stone wall last year because we weren't sure what we wanted.  So we finished the wall and planted some quakies and a cute little pine tree.

I wanted to plant something that after it has grown some would soften the rock wall and fill in the bare space so I chose a snowball bush because I think they are so pretty.  Little did I know that my mom has fond memories of the snowball bush that grew at Grandma Craguns house.

We had a corner in the upper part of the yard that we were wavering on... Plants or water feature?  Well as you can see the plants won out.  We had to take the fence down for a few weeks for some repair and while it was out we had a huge rock hauled in and found a cute weeping tree, but for the life of me I can't remember its name, but it is cute.  I also planted some carpet roses, the only kind of roses that I feel I am capable of taking care of.

I am lucky to have the best landscaper in town.   He loves working in the yard as much as I do.

Things are starting to bloom and the yard is looking great.  We have a couple more projects that need to be completed.  We will see how it goes.  If we work as hard at the yard as Jessica is on her wedding plans then neither one of them is going to get done on time.

PARK CITY FUN

I love Park City and if I could  I would love to retire there.  It is such a beautiful place with so much to do, I just love it.  So last week I reserved our timeshare and Jeff and I enjoyed some very much needed R and R.  We had Brandon, Dayna and Hailey with us for the weekend and we had such a great time just hanging out.

We did a little shopping.  Hailey pulls off sunglasses with style.  Which pair looks best, purple or green?

Playing at the Park was such fun.  Hailey loved checking each of the toys out.            



Grandpa Swaner came up and spent the afternoon with us.

           Kids day on main street was fun and Hailey got a cute balloon from a funny clown.

"Mimmi" Hailey loved going to the pool and was ready at a moments notice.

We enjoyed good food and Hailey made a "Castle-dilla" from her quesadilla.  She cracked us up, how does a two year old come up with that.  Her grandma thinks she is the smartest two-year old around.

Even after the kids left I had a great time.  I took a pilates class, a yoga class with Karen, I ran, took early morning walks, I love to walk the hills and enjoy the early morinings outside in the mountians.  I took advantage of some retail therapy,  met Beth and Bree in Salt Lake for Lunch, watched movies and even had some productive time sewing and I even learned how to make sushi.  So much fun and so relaxing.  Thanks to my family for a great week.