Odds and Ends

I haven't posted in almost a week and I know the axis of the entire earth is starting to shift - so I thought I better get some really important news out there (to save the world). I have a good excuse - I have been sick. In the last 10 days I have been through a terrible visit from my Aunt Flo (I know that is so Jr. high), a kidney stone, bad seasonal allergies that eventually turned into a sinus infection and an upper respiratory infection. But in these last ten days I have done my visiting teaching, prepared and given one sharing time, made my dinners for food group (twice), gone to Globe to pack and move my mother into her new home, helped my mom unpack, thrown away two truck loads of stuff from my mother's house, gone to two Dr.'s appointments and one orthodontist appointment, attended Courtney's first volleyball game, taught French, and done approximately 14 loads of laundry. I have taken several naps and in fact spent two full days sleeping (missing an important primary visit) but thanks to some good antibiotics and a pantry full of Gatorade and Diet Coke - I am on the mend.

My food group meeting yesterday was pretty hilarious - the week before no one said what they were going to make for the coming week. We have never had anyone even suggest anything close to what another person is doing - yet, yesterday, when we got together to trade - we had three almost identical meals. So there will be some re-purposing going on this week.

Courtney's first volleyball game was yesterday. She made the school's 7th grade team. There were almost 70 girls who tried out and 15 made it. Courtney was initially chosen as what they call a "bubble player" - or what I would call a "bench warmer". The coach told her should would probably only play when someone was gone - I kind of figured the reason she was chosen was because she is so tall and she has VERY long arms. So yesterday, I didn't expect to see her play - but she did! She was great! Her team got clobbered, they played two games and the whole thing was over in less than 30 minutes. They lost 25 - 8 and 25 - 6. They really only had one good volley the whole day. I could see the coach was very frustrated - the majority of girls on her team seemed scared of the ball so I was really proud of Corn while she was in there - she really went for every ball.

Devon is on the 7th grade flag football team. His games will be the same time as Courtney's games but I am so proud of his attitude. I told the kids that I would just have to split it up and half of the time go to Courtney's and half of the time go to Devon's games but Devon had a different take on it. He said that he has always been involved in organized sports (which is true) and that we have always attended every one of his soccer, football, baseball, and basketball games (which is true) and that I should just go to all of Courtney's games and not worry about his games. For now, I am going to do just that - it is still 110 degrees out and his games are outside - but I will go to some of his games when it cools down a little.

Morgan turned 11 on Sunday. Such a bummer to have your birthday on fast Sunday! We were supposed to be out of town for a family reunion but I was too sick to make the trip. So we were home - we went to church - then had dinner. I made her favorite dinner (spare ribs) and we had chocolate mousse for dessert (also her favorite) and she got to open some cute new outfits. She had a birthday with her friends a couple of weeks ago - it was a High School Musical party. It was a lot of fun, lots of dancing and singing, pizza and makeup. We made the invitations as backstage passes and told everyone to dress in red and white (East High colors). We turned the dining room into a dance floor/ karaoke stage and the living room in to a movie theater for the premiere of High School Musical 2.

This is getting really long - but I just have to talk a little bit about my Mom. We went up to Globe on Monday morning. My sister Susan and her husband Lyle and our brother Jeremy came up also. Her house was really a disaster - she has been having a really hard time getting rid of things. We loaded up two trailers, the back of Jeremy's Tahoe, my Mom's van and there is still so much up there. We made the trip down to my brother Lonny's new house where my mom will be living. It is in VERY north Scottsdale - it is technically county land - and pretty close to Fountain Hills. When my parents lived in Globe it was almost exactly 1 hour from my door to theirs - my mom has moved to the valley to be closer to all of us and it is almost exactly 1 hour from my door to hers. Her place is nice but I think the reality of moving her entire life into a 12 x 12 room has finally hit. There will be a lot more purging to do.

But during this last move - we inherited a full sized hospital bed (we will put it in the downstairs bedroom for company or for when my mom wants to stay over), the humongous grandfather clock that I have no idea where I am going to put, and a new t.v. which I will also put in the downstairs bedroom and move the video games in there (yippee!). I'm trying to deal with all of this new stuff that needs to be cleaned (Alan thinks our garage smells like old people) on top of the mess that is my house (one week of sick mom makes for a messy house) . Still to come in this week, all four kids to the dentist, me to the Dr. again, another volleyball game, curriculum night at the elementary school, another trip to help my mom get organized, and thank goodness tomorrow night - A GIRL'S NIGHT! I love my friends!