Love this!

Not so smooth criminal

I stole something yesterday. If you know me, that is a very big deal. I do not steal. Never have. My dad instilled the fear of God Dad in me about theft from the time I was a tyke.

But today it happened. I stopped at a store on my way home from a meeting to do a little shopping. I opened a pack of Mentos and had a few because of the bad taste in my mouth. I put them in the cart and continued shopping. Then the phone call came. The Princess is crying and breathing funny as she says "I hit my head really hard, and I'm dizzy and I threw up".

I didn't hesitate. I ran out of the store, leaving everything. All I could think of was Natasha Richardson and I was sure something terrible was going to happen. Now I am not an over-reactor. I am usually a "hang back, wait and see" kind of gal, but I also follow my feelings and promptings, and I knew I had to leave NOW.

So not only did I steal, (leaving the opened half eaten Mentos in the cart), I broke all speeding laws on my way home, and spent the entire 5 minute car ride talking on my cell trying to reach the nurse.

5 minutes later, I was at the elementary school picking up a very upset, not-so-hot looking young lady. The nurse finally got on the phone, and after determining that her pupils were not dilating funny, and she was alert and everything, she said she should be fine, and we went home. The Princess perked up with orange rolls ("Mom, I want something warm and sugary").

She ended up being just fine after some ibuprofen and some rest. I confessed my sins at book club (where else would I do my confessing?) and The Princess slept in our bed last night. "What if I don't wake up, mom?"

The Princess asked me if my mom was going to walk me back to the store today and say "Sue, do you have something you'd like to tell the manager?" But I think I'll just go back today and pay for my Mentos and be on my way.

I have a feeling Mentos will forever more leave a bad taste in my mouth.

How do you keep your balance?

~List five traditions you love.

(for some reason blogger is freaking out and this post looks like I can't type correctly. grrr)

When 007 and I were dating and beginning to get pretty serious, we took my parents to Sundance to see the play "Fiddler on the Roof". It was our not-so-subtle way of telling my dad that he was just going to have to accept this relationship. (which he finally did, by the way). At the end of the play, my mom said he leaned over to her and said "I get the point".

So you could say our life together, 007 and I began with Tradition.

My favorite traditions we have started as a family.

Our annual family Christmas gathering. We rent a cabin or hotel and get all the kids and grandkids together. With 7 children, it is hard to get everyone together, but when we do, watch out. It is loud, crazy, fun and very memorable. We always do a program where we sing christmas songs intertwined with the story of the Savior's birth. Each person takes a turn reading and 007 and our son-in-law Todd both play the guitar.

(That's my family in that blurry photo. No flash on the iPhone. What's up with that Apple?)

Saturday night date night. This one is important. We have tried to do this our entire married life. It has become somewhat sacred to us. It is a great time to refocus just on each other, and talk about something other than work, and kids, and bills. (except we end up talking about all those things half the time anyway, sigh).

My own personal tradition. Every spring when I pull my convertible out of storage, I take a drive up Provo Canyon. Alone. I just drive. That is always a perfect day.

And to show that it's never too late to start new traditions, the rest of these have all began this year...

Our monthly get together with the kids. The first Sunday of the month, we invite everyone, and whoever can come, comes. Sometimes we have 15 people, other times maybe 5. But we love it! We eat, we laugh, we visit, and everyone goes home.

This year for my birthday, 007 took the day off and we spent it together in SLC. It was so much fun, we decided we were going to do that once a month. I have already began compiling a list of things to do for next month. It reminded us both of when we were dating, and we used to go to Salt Lake just for fun. I like doing things just for fun, don't you?

Want to go to school with me? Go here.

Amen

~Blog about something you never leave home without.

As I am walking out the door of my home, I do the usual inventory. Keys? Check. Purse? Check. Phone? Check.

But the most important thing I never leave home without? Saying my prayers. I have such a strong testimony of prayer. I have seen so many prayers answered throughout my life. Prayers of my mother for her children, prayers of my husband concerning each his children, and my own prayers about everything from asking for help in keeping my cool, to serious pleas for help.

My testimony of prayer came as a child as our family knelt together for family prayer each evening. I am sure as a kid I didn't get much out of that nightly ritual, but it instilled in me something deeper. A practice that has never been broken.

When I married, my husband and I continued that nightly ritual, along with morning prayers together, and prayers at meals. (That is one of the reasons I married the man). We have prayed together when fears of high fevers, broken bones, and surgery have all happened to our child, and we have prayed together in thanks for so many blessings we have been given.

I cannot imagine a life without constant contact with my Heavenly Father. I need Him. Even in my darkest moments, He is there. I can feel Him, because I know what it feels like to talk to Him. Every single day of my life.

And for these reasons, that is what I will never leave the house without.

Want to go to school with me? Go here.

All this torture just to get an email address

I'm playing hooky from school today to post this awesome email I received over the weekend. I don't get a lot of these, so if you do, please indulge me. I'm pretty sure it's the real deal.

(I added the underlines)

Rasmané Ouangraoua
Director General of Police
Ouagadougou Burkina-Faso
Tel/Fax:+226 :+226 750 752 37.
E-mail:gsp.security-sector24hq@hotmail.fr

GENERAL NOTICE FROM POLICE HEADQUARTERS!

We where able to get your email through those that extort money from you. The police got them arrested and after mush beating and torturing they confess and one of them gave us your email address and so many others.

I am Rasmané Ouangraoua the inspector general of police BURKINA-FASO, This is to inform you that the government of this country Burkina-Faso discovered that a lot of Nigerians fraud stars (419) entered this country since the year 2001 capitalise on stealing money from people, they can give you different types of telephone numbers from deferent country to call them, it is lie! They are here in Burkina-Faso capitalising on rubbing people their sweat. We have worn you not to continue. It is scam!!!

After the discovery on this matter and getting those involved arrested, the president of this country His Excellency Blaise Compare map out some money to reward the entire victim involved.

The president of this country His Excellency Blaise Compare has allowed Société Générale de Banques au Burkina (SGBB)to pay the sum of $1.5 million Dollars to any of the scam victim through Bank To Bank Wire Transfer, So contact Dr. Dark Amadou (SGBB) Société Générale de Banques au Burkina Manager now for your reward of $1.5 million.

Contact him with your full information, Bear it in mind that I Rasmané Ouangraoua The Inspector General of Police Burkina-Faso has signed that the only money you will pay to the SGBB is $150 dollars which is wire transfer fee of $1.5 million. You are advice to contact Société Générale de Banques au Burkina through the bellow information:

SGBB Manager Dr. Dark Amadou / EMAIL: : societe.general.bf@gmail.com N/B: In Case if the bank try to ask you extra money apart from what we indicate here, do not hesitate to contact us through the email address above or call on phone .

Rasmané Ouangraoua

Director General of Police

Ouagadougou Burkina-Faso

In my house from now on there will be mush beatings!

My Perfect Store

Today's Assignment: ~Describe the perfect bookstore. Prompt: "It looked so inviting. There were_____, with lots of _____. . . "

Are you kidding me? Could this assignment be the most perfect assignment ever?

From the age of 7-35 I practically lived in the perfect bookstore. Valley Book Center, 52 West Center Street, Downtown Provo.

Why was it perfect to me? Sit back and I'll tell ya.

First of all, it was owned by my parents. Parents who packed up 3 kids, quit good jobs in California, and headed to Utah to start their own business. They didn't know the first thing about running their own business or about bookstores. But hey, why not?

When you first walked in, you were greeted by someone at the front desk. You then might have spent the afternoon browsing the aisles, finding favorite titles, locating new titles you just had to own, or perusing the vast wall of magazines.

This was back in the days before coffee shops and bad musicians. It was just books. Books, books, and more books. This is where I began my love of reading. And my love of people.

We had so many characters come in and out of our doors those many years. Many who became dear friends, and others who we still get a chuckle about when we sit together and reminisce.

Our dear friend C, a big biker type guy who cried like a baby right along with me on the last day before we closed the store for good.

Our friend J, who we found out later bought books mainly because she was lonely and wanted to visit with us. When she died, we went to her home and found stacks and stacks of unread books. I miss her.

The out-patient at the mental hospital who came in every week and said exactly the same thing each time. "Ya got any new home-plan books?"

The old couple who never went anywhere without each other and would yell "HELLO!" To every customer they would see.

Oh, I could go on and on. I wish I would have kept a journal of those book store years. It would make a great book.

If I would have been the one to greet you, some funny things might have happened.

(the following are all true stories)

A lady walks in. My sister and I are behind the counter. She approaches and asks "Where are your Westerns?" I tell her to go straight down the middle aisle, all the way to back. She starts walking and looks back at my quizzically. "Just go right there", I say. "Our most popular ones are there at the bottom". Again, with the furrowed brow she looks at me. "Just go right there", I say. (Customer service at it's finest - I would have been fired had my parents been there) She must not have seen any she wanted, because next thing I know, she is walking out the back door without another word. Meanwhile my sister is laughing silently, but hysterically, tears streaming down her face. "WHAT?!" I say to her. Her reply? "She said RESTROOMS!"

Another day a lady comes in and asks for "all over sex books". (This is in no way a weird request. If you've worked in a book store, you know). I proceed to begin showing her our section on sex. (I'll bet most of you did not grow up in a place with your own section on sex. Well not my own, but you know what I mean). I point out to her books like the "The Joy of Sex', and several others. Finally she looks at me with the weirdest expression, and asks, "What did you think I was asking for?" "All over sex books", I say. Then she laughed like I had never heard a laugh before. It took her several moments to calm down enough to tell me, "I was looking for OLIVER SACHS books!"

I miss my store.

Want to go to back school with me? Go here.

Up and At "Em!

Today's assignment: ~Write a paragraph about your philosophy of work.

I have written before about being raised by my dad. Every Saturday morning he would yell "Up and At 'Em!" and we would scramble out of our rooms to see what project we would be working on that day. When dad came home from work, we had better be looking busy, and have our chores done.

I started working when I was in elementary school, selling lemonade at the Sidewalk Sales downtown in front of our store, Valley Book Center. The Hallmark store next door had the coolest stand, and they let me sell out of it every year.

I began working for real in Jr. High. I would walk the several blocks from Farrer Jr. High to our bookstore on Center Street, and work there along side my parents. I loved it! I loved having a job, and money, and conversations with real adults about real adult topics. You want to discuss why So & So is a great author? Me too! Or why Such & Such book is one of the best books ever published? Let's chat!

When I got to high school, working at the book store was still awesome, but I wanted to fit in with my friends. "How come I can't work at the Snowy Shack Mom?" Oh what little did I know.

I worked at the bookstore most of my high school/college life, except for the diversions to work at the Carillon Square movie theater, and Provo Art & Frame. But I always went back to the books. I will ALWAYS go back to the books.

Now comes the part that may cause the controversy. I LOVE working outside the home. I took off one year after the Princess was born, and by 8 months, I was dying to get back out there. I needed it. I craved it.

So when the Princess was 14 months, I accepted the offer to run the Provo Downtown Action committee. It was part time, and I had a very flexible schedule. I was still helping out at the book store, and I did both and guess what? I was still a good mother. I spent loads of time with the Princess, we traveled, we spent summers at 7 Peaks, and we read books every night before bed.

• I get extremely frustrated when I read women's blogs saying things like, "I am so blessed to be able to be home with my kids, and not work". So what about the mom's who have to work? Did Heavenly Father forget to bless them? I don't think so. He blesses each of us in different ways. And believe me, I have been blessed when I was working, an blessed when I was home.

Sorry, back to the story.

When the Princess started kindergarten, I was offered the full time position of running the Downtown Business Alliance of Provo (a more serious version of the Downtown Action committee). Richard had just "retired" from the county, so he was home more during the day. Absolutely! I said. I worked for the Alliance for an additional 7 years. And I loved it. Loved having my own office, my own staff, working with amazing people, and gaining some great knowledge.

All during those working years, I knew I was where I was supposed to be. Working AND parenting.

But then, all of a sudden, I was told that it was time to go home. My daughter needed me more now. I needed to be there when she got home home from school. My Heavenly Father let me know in no uncertain terms that what I had been doing was good, and now what I will be doing will be good.

I'll be honest. It was a struggle. I felt as if my identity had been ripped from my soul. I didn't know who I was anymore. But then the Princess walked through the door after the first day of school, and I greeted her with a plate of cookies, sat down and heard about her day, and it WAS good.

Now I have the ability to work with my mom once again, running the wholesale side of our book business. It enables me to be home with the Princess, help out my family, and work along side the Princess each summer, teaching her the things that were taught to me.

It's all good.

Want to go back to school with me? Go here.