Grandma's Easter party 2011.......

Okay, I'm sure people have quit looking at my blog because I am such a slacker at updating.  I will try to get better I promise!

Friday night I was getting things ready for my annual Easter party.  I decided to make pies.  Yes, I said pies.  I have NEVER in my life made a pie, really.  But I found this recipe for strawberry pie and I just had to make it for my Easter party.  I honestly don't know what possessed me.

So Friday night I sat cutting up 4 pounds of strawberries (2 pounds per pie).  They were so easy to make (especially since it called for graham cracker crusts that I could buy all ready to go).  Here is a picture of the finished products.  I have to say they looked great and they tasted as Leslie put it "delish!"  I was quite proud of myself.

Saturday afternoon the gang came over and we started by coloring eggs.  Here is everyone...

 (this is what I get when I say "Everyone look at Grandma!") 

Gunner took off his shirt so he wouldn't get egg dye all over it and I had to give Cambria an old shirt of mine to cover her white clothes.  Cambria's eggs were covered in glitter and sequins (I know you are all surprised by that) and Jax's eggs all had crazy faces.  Gunner told me that my party was the best part of Easter.  That's all I need to hear to keep this tradition going.

We had Hawaiian Haystacks and rolls for lunch.  Very yummy. The kids just wanted to get to the egg hunt part of the party so we had to do a little 'convincing' to get them to eat.

They found all the eggs, and it was really great to see the older ones (Jax and Cambria) making sure Gunner found all his eggs.  I gave them each a little gift, Jax, Trev and Braxton got Lego sets, Gunner got puzzles and Cambria got a jewelry making kit.  They were all happy with their 'spoils'.

Then there was this moment....

Yes, there is a story to go with it....

I couldn't post this picture on FB with the rest of them because Jamie was sick and said she looked horrible (which she didn't) but she didn't say I couldn't put it here on my blog (of course I didn't ask her either).  :)

The story....
Cambria had said that she had stepped on a nail (not at my house) and so she was showing her foot to Leslie.  When Leslie was done looking at it Cambria was sitting on the couch with her foot pulled up looking at the bottom of her foot.  Angel was shocked and asked Cambria how she could twist her leg around and look and the bottom of her foot like that.  Surely no one else could do something like that.  Well my girls and I all said that we could do that and to prove it.....we have a picture.

After everything had settled down we had the pie. Yes, they were yummy but I had let one sit out on the counter and so when I cut into it, it didn't hold together well when I took it out of the pie tin.  It kinda was a big pile of strawberries and graham cracker on a plate not really resembling a piece of pie.  But no one seemed to mind because they all cleaned their plates and Angel took my other pie home to share with friends.

Today in church I was the "music lady".  It was my turn to play the organ, I love it when I get the holidays cause I get to play some of my favorite songs.  Then I had to fill in at the piano in Junior Primary (Letty had to take her visiting daughter to the airport).  Then I had to rush in to Relief Society to lead the music. Whew!!!!!

I hope you all have a Happy Easter!

Highlights of the past 2 weeks......or I am a slacker..........

So it's not like I haven't had anything to write about....I just haven't done it.   So a quick recap......

It's a small world.......
A couple of weeks ago a vendor came to my office window, like he has for the past 2 years, to get a P.O. number from me.  I was giving him a bad time when he stopped and looked at me and said "Didn't you used to work at Grand Central?!"  I stopped and just stared at him.  I worked at Grand Central over twenty some years age.  Who would possibly remember me and better yet HOW (as in good or bad) did they remember me? 

I said cautiously, " Yes.....Why?"  He said, " You don't recognize me do you?".  I said "Nooooo.".  He said, "I'm Jim Shores!"  I said "Oh. My. Hell!" and started to laugh.  Connie who was in my office was just staring at us.  I told her "He was my first boss when I started with Grand Central!"

We talked for a little bit more and then he had to go.  Who would have thought someone would have remembered me from that long ago.  Heck I can't remember people from yesterday sometimes....... 

Cambria's school program........
Last Friday I took off early from work to go out and watch Cambria's school program.   I love school programs, kids are so much fun to watch.  I went out early and had lunch with Leslie and Gunner.  When I got to their house Gunner was waiting for me by the door.  He had his Buzz Lightyear backpack on and said the minute he saw me, "Grandma, I'm all ready to go to scwool!"

Gunner has wanted to go to school since his 3rd birthday last summer when Angel first gave him that backpack. 

So the whole time I was there he kept that backpack on.  Even at the table while we ate lunch.  I was waiting for Les to get done doing a client's nails and looking through some photo albums she had made when Gunner saw a picture from Christmas with him holding the Batman lunchbox and water bottle I had given him.  He had to have me get it out of the cupboard and fill it with water for him.  Then he asked me it it would spill if he put it in his backpack.  I told him no because I had put the lid on tight.

We went to the school, yes Gunner still had the backpack on, to see the program.  Cambria played the recorder, sang songs, and said her line.  She was of course perfect (okay, so I'm a little biased).  I would at this time show pictures but the batteries in my camera decided to die at the moment the program began :(.

When the program was over Cambria and Braxton came out and I was just going to say goodbye when Braxton begged me to stay "just one more hour!"  How can I resist that?  So all the kids jumped in my car and I went back to Leslie's.

I was sitting talking to Les when I looked down at Gunner.  He was eating a sandwich.  I asked him where he got the sandwich and he proudly said "It was in my backpack."  I asked him if he made it and he told me that he had.  Then he pulled out the Batman water bottle and another bottle of water and showed me those.  I told Leslie she is going to have to check his backpack every morning when he actually does start to go to school.  But at least he will be prepared.

Then I sat on the couch and watched Spongebob with the kids cuddled  around me until I had to go.

Martin Harris Pageant Auditions......
My friend Carrie has been involved the the Martin Harris Pageant in Logan for the last 7 years.  This year she is once again the choreographer.  She asked me back in January if I would be the pianist for the auditions. When I asked her what that involved she just told me that I would play for the people for the singing part of the audition and that it would be no problem for me because I had great sight reading skills. Right, no pressure there.......  She said that most people would just be singing songs from the Hymn book, but that a few people would bring something different.

So auditions were last Friday, Saturday, and this last Wednesday. Well just like American Idol, there was the good, the bad and the ugly.

I was put in a room with Rhonda (the director) and small groups of people would come in. She would have them read for her and then they would sing.  I think I played "I Am a Child of God" for 90% of the people trying out that night.  Really people.....be original......... A couple of the people brought their own pianist (whew....took the pressure off of me).

I have to wonder how people hear themselves.....I mean, I know that I don't have a great singing voice and I would NEVER think of having to make anyone listen to me sing.  I will sing in choirs, but that is because I can blend in or at home or car with the radio where no one can hear me. Anyway....there were a few people that when they started to sing I just cringed.  They were so off key it was scary.  I would even play the melody notes louder to try and help them get on key but that didn't work. I had to keep reminding myself that this wasn't Broadway.

There were a few that were wonderful though.  I love to play for someone that can sing and do it well.

Last night were the call backs.  There were only 3 women that Rhonda was trying to choose for the lead woman's role as Lucy Harris.  Carrie was one of them, yeah Carrie!  So they all had to read a scene with the guy that she had chosen to play Martin, and then sing solo and in a duet with him. So I got to play the music from the pageant.  Al three ladies could REALLY sing!  I loved it.  So now Carrie is waiting to see if she gets the role or not....Good luck Carrie!

After they were done Rhonda asked me if I will come back for rehearsals to play the piano.  The music is "canned" for the production but they need someone at rehearsals to help people learn the parts.  So I will be doing that in July.

Rhonda and Carrie were also trying to get me to audition.  I told them that I didn't sing, but Carrie said I could just be part of the extras for the town scenes.  I don't know, playing the piano in front of people is one thing....getting up on stage to be part of a production is another.  I've never had the desire to be on stage (acting and singing).  So we'll see what happens with that.

At these tryouts I had another "it's a small world" moment....Carrie introduced me to this man who had rewritten the script for the pageant.  We were talking when all of a sudden he stopped and looked at me and asked me if I had gone to Box Elder High.  Again I just stared at him..I only went to Box Elder my junior and senior year.  Who would remember me...and how would they remember me? 

I told him that I had.  He then asked me what my name was again.  I told him....he asked what my maiden name was, so I told him.  He just kept staring at me then he asked me my age (okay so now you are getting a little personal) I told him.  He all of a sudden smiled and said that we had gone to school together.  I just nodded my head.  I really don't remember many people from my high school years.  Mostly because I went to 2 different high schools.

So when I got home I looked in my year books but I can't find him.  I wonder if he knew me from my brothers or sisters.

Out with the old, in with the new......
This was my last week at the Perry store.  I am taking vacation next week and then I start at the new store on the 11th.

I am excited for this change and the challenges it will bring.  I will miss my friends but not so much some of the memories.  Some things that happened to me at this store were not great, which is some of the reasons I went for this transfer.  It's time for a fresh start!

My friend Connie got my job, so I've been training her all week.  She is nervous, but she will be great.

Last night Connie called me, her husband had gone to the Priesthood Session of conference, we went to this little boutique they were having at the Crystal Inn. Then we went to Wendy's and had our favorite....their chicken/apple/pecan salad. It is the yummiest!  You all should try it!  I went over to her house and we watched "Tangled"  She hadn't seen it so I brought over my DVD.  I still love that movie!!!!!

Dinner at Jamie's........

Tuesday I got a surprise at work.  Diana had come up to get her taxes done and she stopped by the store to see me!  We had a great talk and I was so happy she stopped by.  It made my whole day.

This week I had to go over to the North Logan store to help with their pre-inventory audit on Wednesday and Thursday.  I learned a lot and the girls that came from the other stores were so much fun.

Wednesday we decided to go to Olive Garden for lunch.  We had the world's worst waiter there.  He started out with the attitude that we were just annoying him to be in his presence.  Then every time he brought stuff to the table he would set it down in front of me and the girl across from me and tell us to "pass it down" (we were in a booth).  No "please" or anything nice like that.

Usually when they bring your meal they put it down in front of you and then ask if you want grated cheese or not. Nope not him,  he would leave it all on the tray and just say not ask if we all wanted cheese and then start grating, not even letting us say how much we wanted or anything.  I had to shout out that I didn't want cheese on mine and he looked at me like I was retarded.  But hey, it's my meal and if I don't want cheese on it I don't have to....jerk!

When he brought back our bills with our credit cards and change in them he just dumped them (really just dropped them) all in front of me with a pile of pens and walked off.  I had to sort them all out and pass them out to the girls. Needless to say he did NOT receive a tip from any of us!

Thursday we went to Chili's.  We had a much better experience.  The waitress was so good to us, and yes we all tipped her!

Friday I took off early and went down to Jamie's to spend time with her and the boys.  Jax was out of school early so I just hung out with him until Jamie got back from helping at another site.  Then I went up and hung out at her office until she could get off work.

Jamie, Jax and I went shopping .  We stopped at Old Navy and then went to the mall.  Jamie was trying to find things for them all to wear to a friends wedding she has coming up.  She found clothes for the boys but nothing for her.  I picked up some white tanks from Old Navy.

After shopping Jamie picked up Trevon and dropped us all off at her apartment while she went to get groceries.

She made tilipia and salad for dinner. Very good! 

After dinner Jax showed me how to play Plants vs. Zombies.  This was probably a big mistake because I ended up playing it past midnight.  Jax helped me along the way, giving me pointers on which plants to use and when. 

The boys fell asleep and I took the movie "The Brother's Grim" to Jax's room to watch.  I didn't see the whole movie because I fell asleep half way through it.  Jamie was down loading pictures on to her computer when I went upstairs.

Saturday morning I went downstairs and watched cartoons with the boys.  Is there any other way to spend a Saturday morning?  When Jamie woke up we watched "Ice Age 3".   

I took Jax home with me so that he could go to his dad's.  Johnny was at work so Jax stayed at my house until he came and picked him up.  We went to Arby's for lunch and then just hung out and watched TV and talked.  He is growing up so fast, he will be in Junior high this next year.

Dinner at Leslie's......

Yesterday morning at work I received a text from Leslie saying that Paul was working grave and that I should come out and she would do my nails, make dinner and watch a movie.  Sounded good to me...

So after I got done with my workout I headed out to Leslie's.  I kept getting texts from Miss Cambria wondering when I was going to arrive.  I was greeted at the door with huge hugs and kisses from Cambria and Braxton (this is honestly one of the best things about being a grandma). Gunner had fallen asleep on the couch.

So I went over to Gunner and started whispering in his ear to wake up.  I noticed by his head on the couch was a pile of change and when he rolled over a penny a dime and quarter were stuck to his face :). He started to wake up but wouldn't open his eyes.  So I asked him if I could give him a kiss and he just shook his head yes.  Then I asked him if I could give him a hug and he just shook his head yes.  Then I asked him if I could pick him up and hold him and he finally opened his eyes and held up his arms.

When he was fully awake he told me that the money on the couch was out of his jar and he wanted to show me how he could count it. Braxton was watching and when Gunner started counting the coins (not the value of the coins but the number of coins) Braxton said that he was doing it wrong.  Gunner just ignored him and kept counting.

Leslie made cabbage rolls and strawberry shortcake for dinner.  Very Yummy!

After we ate I had a quick tour of the house so she and the kids could show me the things they had done since the last time I was there.

Then Leslie took me into her salon (which she now has in her house) and did my nails.  She has this new polish called Shellac. It isn't acrylic so it doesn't build up or lengthen your nails.  It is like a gel polish so that you have to file the tops of the nail a bit to roughen them up so the polish will adhere better but it doesn't thin them out like when you get acrylic nails. Then you put a bottom coat, 2 coats of the polish and a top coat.  After each coat is put on you have to put your nails under a UV light for 2 minutes to set the gel.  It took about a half hour for her to do my nails this way. Acrylic takes an hour to do. When they are done you have a VERY shiny polished nail and the best part is they were dry and hard the minute they were done.  No having to be careful because you might mess up your newly polished nails. 

This is really perfect for me.  I love to have nice nails. With the acrylic it ads thickness and length which is nice for a while but then my nails get too long and they get in the way of many of the things I do. The main one being playing the piano.  Pianist CANNOT have long nails.  So the Shellac is perfect, I can have my short non existent nails and they look pretty and the Shellac lasts a lot longer than just regular nail polish.  Cambria picked out my color for me, a nice pink.

After that Braxton had decided that we should play a game, so on the couch he had laid out 3 games for us to choose from.  We played Trouble.  Gunner just wanted to push the bubble that rolled the dice and tell us what number it was.  At one point in the game Braxton kept moving his piece the wrong number of spaces.  Leslie said to him, "Braxton, you don't know how to count!"  He replied, "I know mom, it's cause I'm color blind!"  How do you possibly reply to that?!?! :)

Cambria won, I came in second and Leslie came in third.  The "color blind" kid came in last, he was more worried about trying to send us all back to the beginning then getting all his pieces home.

If nothing changes...nothing changes...a new challenge.........

So after a weekend of torturing myself with the pros and cons of taking a job back in Ogden I had my interview on Monday.  It went so smoothly!  I had 4 managers there and they each asked questions.  It was Josh, who will be the new store manager and he was an assistant at the Perry store, Vanessa, who has been an assistant manager in the Perry store, Paul and Chris.  They asked the questions and I shot the answers right back at them, no ums, or awkward pauses.  It was even FUN!

 I was at peace for the first time in about a week. I knew then that if they offered me the position I would take it.

Then the wait....I am not a patient person and waiting for the phone call to tell me if I did get the job or if I sucked didn't was almost worse than trying to decide if I should go or not.  I just wanted to know!  So Thursday afternoon I got a call from Paul telling me the position was mine if I wanted it!  Yay!!!!!  I will be starting when they take possession of the new store on April 11th. My friend Jeanell is already down there at the hiring center, she is the new personnel manager! 

The present store management was not happy with my decision.  They are losing a lot of key and good people to the new store.

Don't get me wrong.....I will miss the Perry store and my friends that I leave behind, but this is something I have to do for me on so many levels.  I am not the same person I was a year ago and it's time for a change.

So I will be a commuter once again.  It will not be a long drive and when the bad weather hits I will just have to put on my big girl panties and do it!  I've done it before. There will also be the possibility of car pooling with some of the others that will be going or maybe I will check out the bus routes and see if one will work for me.  Who knows what adventures await!?

Happy Birthday Diana!

Yesterday morning I woke up to what I love about winter.  It had snowed during the night and everything was covered in beautiful white snow!  The sun was just coming up over the mountain and everything was glistening.  The sky that was showing was already a brilliant blue. So I got out my camera and snapped some pictures to share.

Here is a look at my backyard, even the wires to the house were coated with snow....

This is my maple tree....so pretty...... 

This is looking down my driveway at the mountain.  The plows had already been out this morning so as you can see my work was cut out for me.  Oh well, a great way to burn off some calories....... 

I had just started shoveling when Carol and her husband and their son-in-law Troy came over with their 4wheeler and shovels.  We made quick time of the almost foot of snow in my driveway and the 2 feet the @#%^ plows had left at the end of the drive.  The 4wheeler is light so Carol (who probably weighs in at 110 on a good day) had to sit on the back to add some 'weight' for traction.  She looked like a rag doll every time Bill hit the pile of snow left by the plows. I told her she was going to be suffering from whip lash by the end of the day.

While they were finishing my drive Troy went over to my neighbors (whose husband just had open heart surgery) and started on their drive.  The neighbor on my other side was just coming out and putting her little girl in the car so she could go to work and looked at the end of her drive and then at her car.  Carol and I went over and started shoveling her out until Bill came with the 4 wheeler.

I'm not sure how many more people they helped out but I'm sure glad they were there to help me, I would have been at it for hours (okay a little exaggeration).

At work it was inventory week.  I got to work the marathon from last Monday to Friday this week. Inventory was Wednesday.  We did great, my shrink number came down from .40 to .31!  The market goal for us was .39.  This was my second inventory but my first of me being in the office the full year.
Bob was very happy with me.

Speaking of Bob.....he has been our store manager for 8 years now.  His last day was Thursday.  He is going to manage the Chubbock Idaho store.  It is a promotion for him and a move that he has needed to make.  That being said it didn't make it any easier for us to say goodbye to him.  He is a great friend and I've learned a lot from him.  In the world of retail he is one of the best bosses that I have had.

Sooooo I am thinking of transferring to the new Ogden store.  I have an interview Monday at 1pm with Josh Bambrough, who used to be one of our assistant managers but will be the manager of the new store.  I've been praying and pondering this move for the last couple of weeks and it has been on my mind all weekend.

I, sadly, am a creature of habit.  Change is not easy for me.  My life has been so full of changes, not all of which were in my control.  So when I am in control I tend to settle in and get comfortable.  So in my head I keep going over the pros and cons to this move and really the main argument against going is the commute.  It is not a terrible drive, it is only going to be a little farther than when I worked for Fred Meyer and drove to Ogden, it will probably take me 25-30 minutes.  But when we have those bad weather days the drive can be torturous.  The price of gas is not helping the argument either, but I could get a little raise if their base hiring rate is more than ours.

I'm intrigued at the prospect of going in to a new store and proving myself as a Invoice/UPC associate.  The challenge seems to be calling me.  I have gone through a lot of changes both physically and personally this last year and I feel myself getting restless.  Our store could be in for some huge changes because there are several of us that are interviewing this week.

"If nothing changes....nothing changes!"

So I find out that I'm not a dog person.....

Everyone said how I needed a dog.  That I'd have something to walk with.  That I wouldn't be so lonely. Blah Blah Blah Yadda Yadda Yadda........

So I got a dog.  She was a good dog, house trained, crate trained, smart, what more could you want in a dog?!  She was even a double champion.  I tried for over a month to form some kind of bond with her.  It just wasn't happening. 

I couldn't take the mess of her tracking up my floors, and shedding all over everything or finding accidents when the dog door was right there and I was in a hurry to go somewhere (like work).  I couldn't take her being under my feet ALL the time.  I felt like I was being tied down to my house, not being able to go whenever I wanted to, for as long as I wanted to because I had a dog to worry about.

I have lived alone for 10 years now.  This last spring/summer I was walking at least 2 miles a day, and I didn't need something to take for a walk to get me going.  I was happy walking on my own.  For one thing I walk for exercise not to be social, so I push myself and to tell the truth a dog would slow me down. 

As far a dog helping me not be so lonely.....She couldn't carry on a conversation with me, couldn't go to the movies or shopping, or anything with me.  Just having her in the house didn't help the loneliness I sometimes feel.  My sisters both said that there is nothing better that a warm dog in your bed at night......I can think of A LOT of better things.

Maybe I'm just too OCD to deal with a dog, maybe it's because I've never had a pet (other than birds) but whatever the case I took Chris back to Kathy yesterday. Chris and I just were NOT giving each other what the other needed.  When I got back home later that day I immediately felt more zen. 

Don't get wrong, I love dogs, I just can't live with them at this point in my life.  So don't think poorly of me.  Kathy was very understanding and I do appreciate everything that she and Mike did for me to try to help the situation.

So yesterday after I dropped off Chris I went over to Leslie's.  Jamie and Leslie and all the kids were there.  Jamie and Leslie went shopping Friday for things for their homes and then Jamie and the boys spent the night at Leslie's so that they could do some decorating of Leslie's new house.  I went over to see the progress they were making and to give the kids their Valentines goodies.

Leslie's house is looking very cute.  The kids loved their Valentines and I got to spend time with my family (much better than sitting at home with Chris).  Cambria has been sick for the past couple of days so she was not her usual active self.  But the boys were loving having each other to play with.

Gunner was at the counter drawing and I heard him complaining of his elbow hurting so I turned around to see what was wrong and as I did he said again, "my elbow hurts" while grabbing his RIBS.  So Leslie asked him what these were (pointing to her ribs) and he said elbows.  So we had a little anatomy lesson and he finally got it right.