Wednesday, July 30, 2008

What We've Been Doing

These last few days have been Crazy - in a good way. We are winding down our summer and getting geared up for school. Every year around this time we spend a day back to school shopping at Arizona Mills Mall in Tempe. The mall itself is like a race track - one very large oval. If you just walk the oval in a straight line it is exactly a one mile loop. I wore my pedometer and we actually walked four and a half miles in that mall! I try and get everything done and bought in one fell swoop. We were not as successful as in years past - but we did okay. Devon didn't want to go with us so it was girls only shopping. I took Devon out yesterday to get him what he wanted/needed.



tired girls at the mall



Alan was in Los Angeles this week during the earthquake. He e-mailed me a very cryptic message knowing that I would freak out before he called and let me know that everything was fine. On a related note, when he is out of town - we are complete slobs. We don't clean, we don't eat regular meals - it is bad news. I'm glad he doesn't travel that often.



Last weekend our ward had an awesome water party / barbecue. Everyone got soaked and soggy. The firemen came and let the kids spray the hose at each other - they loved that. Alan was completely dry until the very end. I was talking to a family that just moved in to our ward and he asked how Alan had managed to stay dry. I explained that Alan was using his position in the Bishopric as his weapon - he was threatening all of the youth with promises of talking in church every Sunday for a month if they got him wet. This wonderful new brother in our ward went and got a hose and told Alan that since they were new they expected to have to speak in church anyway and then turned the hose full on Alan! I laughed really hard.

I lifted this picture from Valerie's blog. The water coming from that young man's hands in a green soda bottle is about to land right in my lap.



We have been having amazing summer monsoon storms. Over the weekend we sat on our back porch and watched an endless show of lightening. We never got the rain but we enjoyed the show.



My daughter Courtney and I are preparing for the release of Breaking Dawn tomorrow night. We have both re-read the series and are planning to nap Friday afternoon so we can attend the release party at Borders and then stay up all night reading the book. I told her she has to buy her own copy or wait until I'm done. She opted for her own copy. Will anyone be blogging on Saturday or will everyone be reading?







7 comments:

Jan said...

I'm in trouble, school starts on wednesday and I haven't done ANY clothes shopping for my kids. I think I better get busy.
Your monsoon picture is great-I wish that we got a little more rain from it though. I love watching the clouds role in and listning to the thunder.
I had to laugh at your comment on Alan, the days Greg works bell to bell and he normally does this several times a week-I allow the kids to PLAY-yeah the house gets pretty trashed but I figure it's summer and we deserve a break from the hussel and bussel :)
Earthquakes are scarey. I'm glad to hear that your husband was ok.

Heather said...

That is a cute pic of the tired girls and ALL those shopping bags!!
Glad your hubby is ok in CA, scary.
My boys copied the soaker from a family in our ward. I don't think they would have thought of that on their own! :)
Happy reading to you. We will be in Williams camping all weekend. I may have to find a Wal-Mart close by and BEG my hubby to take me to buy the book!!

Jolene said...

Jan - you are a professional photographer and you like my little picture? That is the ultimate compliment and if I were really honest I would admit that Alan took it.

Pam said...

Wow, look at all your shopping bags. You must have done pretty good. I love AZ Mills mall but I almost can't make it through the whole thing. I get too tired of shopping halfway around the loop.
Good exercise though!
Did Alan feel anything when the earthquake happened?
The ward party looked like fun. I remember those days. But I don't totally miss the getting drenched with water part when your not looking :)
I can't wait for Breaking Dawn either. That is fun that you and Courtney are doing that. I started reading the series again thinking I would have time to finish all three before the 4th came out and I am still on New Moon. I can't find the time of day to read and then I try to read before bed and I fall asleep too quickly. Bad timing on my part. I should have started when you did. Oh well, don't tell me what happens though. I might have to skip the rereads and just get the book but the others really are so good and it is getting me back into the emotions of everything so I think I have to finish so I can enjoy Breaking Dawn that much more.

Valerie said...

I will see you ladies at Borders on Friday!! WOOOOOOO!!! Seriously... can tomorrow night come ANY FASTER!!! ARRRGGHHH!!

On the quake note, we were in San Diego when it hit and felt NOTHING!! How case this be? I want my money back, California...

Margaret said...

I'm so excited for BD!!!

I am going to be partying with some friends...in a wholsesome way☺

Kate said...

Just catching up on your blog. My, how the kids have grown! They're huge - and adorable as ever (are they too old to be called adorable?). I just figured it out ... it's been over 5 years since I've seen you guys (when we stayed with you for my friend's wedding in Scottsdale). That's far too long. Hopefully our paths will cross soon. Maybe Blacksfork next year?!