Stuff from today...

1. Jillian's car is not fixable. She has a loan on it. Yeah.We're on to plans B,C, and/or D.
2. We had our first-date 27 years ago today.
3. We said hello, and then said goodbye to our son 11 years ago today.
4. On a happier note, I'm on day 6 of perfect vision! It's still a wondrous, amazing, miracle of a blessing.
5. On an eye related note: now that I can SEE I have finally been able to groom my eyebrows which were becoming cave-man-like, as well as remove a 6 ft. long chin hair that no one bothered to tell me was taking over my face over the past 3 months....stay tuned for any other interesting surprises that I may find in the coming days....

Blog Fail

I don't know why I haven't bothered to blog this month. September is almost over! Anyway. Some stuff that's happened:
1. Over Labor Day weekend we cleaned the garage.
2. Andrew and I celebrated our 23rd anniversary.
3. Ryan got a speaking part in the school musical. (He was bummed...he did NOT try out, and really only wants to be in the "ensemble" or in other words, in the back...hahahaha)
4. We all worked. We have 6 jobs between the 4 of us.
5. Ryan took 2 mental health days from school already. Snort. It's, what, 4 weeks into school? Sigh.
6. Jillian's car lost the will to live. And is at this moment in the shop possibly getting a new engine.
7. Grace started an Irish Dance class! Super fun! It's called Rinceoiri Don Spraoi (Rin-Cory-Don-Spree) and apparently means "Dance for Fun" in Irish Gaelic.
8. Grace ALSO started a Hip-Hop class and is continuing her piano lessons.
9. We watched WAY too many dorky videos on YouTube. Otherwise known as wasting time on the computer.
10. After a long, miserable 11 weeks of glasses-wearing-blindness, on September 22nd at approximately 4:09pm I went from 20/800 vision to 20/15 vision. My 5.0 diopter astigmatism is also a memory. It took about 19 seconds per eye. Awesome. Seriously. Best. Thing. Ever.

August Quotes

"Grace, I feel like yelling at some cheese." - Jillian
"Grace, are you done pouting yet?" -Ryan "In a minute." - Grace
"You're covering my shift AND pretending to be my boyfriend? That's a lot to ask of one person in a week." - Jillian to Tanner
 "If we got some cows, we could MAKE some cheese and hamburger patties." - Grace
"Hey look! Butt chin!" - Grace
"Let's go be cheerleaders." - Ryan to Grace
"...only bearable 'cause I could look at Daniel Craig's butt." - Jillian
"Do I need to start making my beard?" - Grace

"I need to learn the difference between porcupine quills and snake skin." - Paige
"Were you IN your body all day?"- Mom to Grace
"Tyler just butt-dialed you." - Grace to Jillian
"My beard fell off." - Grace
"There's nothing to eat in this house." - Ryan


There were certainly more crazy things said in our house this month...but I've been too busy to write them down, and too brain-dead to remember anything past, oh, about 3 seconds ago. :P

Hogwarts 2011

 We had the end of year ceremony on Sunday. Another successful (?) summer of Hogwarts at the Ditty house. Five contestants this year: Jillian, Tanner, Paige, Ryan, and Grace (In order of age.) Each contestant had their own section of the poster and competed in the areas of: Daily jobs, Practicing (instruments or sports), Reading, Exercising, Attending Church, Reading Scriptures, and Work (or workbooks.) These points were awarded by each contestant and were based solely on the honor-system.
Then there were the ever coveted HOUSE POINTS which were awarded only by the Headmistress for feats of extra courage, work, kindness etc.

 There were two sections for reading because I'm still desperately and futilely trying to get Grace to see the wonder and magic that can only be found in books. She's still ambivalent and skeptical about that. Sigh.

 Jillian won an award for most House Points; Tanner for most work and scripture reading points, Paige for most reading points, and Ryan for most daily job points. They only won these areas because I took Grace out of the running for them....

Because SHE won the coveted Goblet of Fire, or in other words First Place. This award comes with a cash gift, as well as the glory and honor of having your name etched on the Goblet. Ryan came in 2nd, and won the House Cup, which is a smaller, but no less glorious piece of "Pottery" (hee) and has 10 years of contestants names etched on it as well.
Congratulations to all five of my kids on a job well done. I love you all, and am super proud to have you in my life!
"...it is out choices...that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities..." - Dumbledore

First Day of School 2011

 4th Grader at Renaissance Academy...with Math, English, Science, History, Art, PE, Chinese, and Music to learn!

12th Grader at Lehi High....with Choir, Show Choir, Musical Theatre, Choir Aide, Seminary on his schedule. Hmmm. Seems to be takin' it easy this year ;)

Summer Trip to St. George and Zions in lieu of Lake Powell

 Our yearly houseboat trip to Lake Powell was canceled at the last minute due to some health problems with my niece. SO Andrew made a spur of the moment decision to go ahead and take Grace and Ryan on a vacation anyway...to visit Ty in St. George. They went to Dixie Rock....

 And hiked in Zions National Park...

And swam in the hotel pool...or in Grace's case tried to drown her brother ;)

Lasik update

Only a small change in nearsightedness, and NO change in astigmatism today at the eye Dr. That means another appointment in 2 weeks, and then probably scheduling the Lasik for the end of September.
I've been waiting, blind, for this day to order lenses for my OLD and LAST pair of glasses! Hopefully they'll come in quickly, and I'll be able to see for my last month before NO MORE LENSES of any kind! Well, except for the fantastic sunglasses I always wear...yippee!