Dear Journal,

Today was one of those just really great days. It started with the {9:00 a.m. - oi!}blessing of one of my favorite babies. Mr. Cam Kozlowski. Dang that kid is cute. His eyes are pure sunshine. I get to feeling really happy just by being in his presence. Ashley, his mother, bore a wonderful testimony. I have always known that she is as sincere, and genuine, and wise as they come, but I was still struck by those traits as she shared her testimony today. My favorite part of it would have to have been the part where she fanned her tear-filled eyes and then proceeded to tell the congregation "I need to stop crying, I just got my eyelash extensions filled last night and they're all going to fall out if I don't." I literally laughed out loud {emphasis on loud} and so did her sweet sister and the rest of her family. Like I said, that girl is genuine as the day is long. She epitomizes what it means to be "without guile,"and man do I adore her for it.

Did I mention what a treat it was to go BY MYSELF and actually sit and listen to an entire sacrament meeting sans Tennyson {the gremlin} and Kort {the man-child of a thousand drinking fountain drinks}?

Consider it mentioned.

We attended our regular sacrament meeting at eleven, and it was another doozy! I cannot believe the love that our ward shares. It really is like a family.  I don't know how we'll ever talk ourselves into moving somewhere else.

Kort gave the talk in Primary, and did a great job...minus the constant fiddling with the microphone and the unnecessary comment about the fact that he took a bite {yes, an actual bite} out of the paper his talk was written on because he claimed to be starving.

By the by, how many times does one have to say:

Have you not eaten ANYHING for three days?
Do you have not one, but TWO able-bodied parents?
Is your belly distended?
Do you live in Africa? Cambodia? Guatemala?

Then you ARE NOT STARVING!!!!

After church, Tennyson awoke from his nap feeling MISERABLE and crying like crazy. He is constipated...again. Let me rephrase that, he is constipated continuously. All the time. Day in, day out. It is horrific. We have been trying everything. Fiber gummies, Miralax, coconut, lots of veggies, prune juice, etc... Everything works for a very short time, but his body inevitably gets used to it, and then it stops working. So we are using those in heavy rotation, but if anyone has any suggestions for long term help for our poor little dude, I would certainly welcome the information.

We went on not one, but two walks in the glorious sunshine.

We ate German pancakes with bananas and whipped cream for dinner.

We sat around the living room chatting and reminiscing about the good old days and how Kortland use to sing Bon Jovi's hit song "You give love a bad name" by belting from his car seat:

"Shock-a-la-ha! And you're to blame! You give love a bad name!"

and then Jordan piped up and admitted that she always thought the song went:
"Shout to the Lord! And you're to blame!"

{Ha ha! Quite the religious zealot, that one.}

Then, we started talking about how the human mind has a very difficult time being 100% random. Or even 50% random, for that matter. Kortland brought this to our attention, oddly enough, several months ago, when he said:

"They say that it's really hard to be random, but I'm really good at being random. See watch, I can name 5 things that are totally unrelated. Kay, mark, set, go.

Car...door...weirdeeee !"

Ha ha ha ha ha!
That was only three words...and since we were getting in the car, the "car" and "door" portions don't count.
And since "weirdeee" is a made up word, I'm fairly certain that it doesn't count either.

The hubs and I consistently have a good laugh over that one.
We'll be driving down the road, and one of us will suddenly yell out:
"Car! Door! Weirdeeee!"

So, tonight, we yelled it out again:
"Car! Door! Weirdeeee!"

And then we retold the story of it to Jordan.

And then we challenged one another to call out five completely random objects.

I COULD NOT  for the life of me do it.
Mine went something like:
"Couch. Frame. Rug. Mirror. Window!" {All home interiors.}
Then I tried again:
Mountain. Lake. Stream. Bahhhh!!! {All nature.}
I was no good at this game.

Jo did okay, but only when she thought them in her head first. And even then, she was at 25% randomosity.

The hubs took the cake though. He hadn't been listening when we specified that
1. The objects had to be random and unrelated, and
2. That each word had to be autonomous.

His offering?

"Poop butt. Peanut Butter Sandwich!"

{And honest to goodness, even as I type this, I am laughing so hard that my nostrils are flaring to high heavens and tears are LITERALLY streaming down my face. - Fortunately, I got my eyelash extensions filled several days ago, so, unlike Ashley, I am not under direct threat of having them fall out.}

Oh, how I love that man of mine.

My stomach hurts from laughing so hard.
I love this little family.
I love all the quirks.

But mostly, I love the thought of just how very much mileage I am going to get out of the phrase:

"Poop-butt-peanutbuttersandwich!!!!!

The Campfire Letters.

Dear Tennyson,

It was your first time going up the canyon and having a campfire party for Family Night. Woo-hoo!
{Okay, you were decidedly underwhelmed... but that's not exactly new. Love that signature sober face...}You got bored and testy, so we put you in the van and turned on Nemo....then you were happy as a clam.

It's official.
You may look like your mother, but you are your father's son all the way.

Xo,
Your Mom.

Dear Kortland,

Are you SERIOUSLY gonna eat two hot dogs and a s'more with those hands?
{Answer: Yep.}

Xo,
Your Mom

Dear Campfire,

Why you gotta be such a turd?
So we forgot the lighter fluid.  Big Whoop.
It's like you get off on being withholding or something.

Xo,
Lola

Dear Graham Crackers and Nutella,

Thank you.
No, really, thanks.

Whenever I feel like eating my feelings, it's nice to know I have a few little somethings as lovely as you to turn to. You are a match made in calorie-rich heaven.

Xo,
Lola



 

Dear Fuzzy Caterpillars,

How cute are you guys?
I mean, honestly?
Crawlin' around on the hot dog roasters like you own the place...
{Cause, well, technically... you DO.}

Word,
Lola

Dear Hubs,

You know how you totally hate any and all things that have to do with camping? And you know how you get  all sorts of annoyed just THINKING about all of the baths that will have to take place, and the laundry to be done, and the leftover camp-y smelliness that will likely linger in our new mini van for a week or two...

And you know how we didn't bring fire starter with us today, so you had to get the fire going old-school-style, and once you finally had a roaring fire, you got all antsy and started trying to put it out before it "really got going" {because you desperately wanted to get it over with, get home, and get into a hot shower?}even though we were just trying to relax and roast us up some delicious jumbo-sized marshmallows so that we could smother them in nutella and then mush them in the middle of two graham crackers and stuff them in our faces, and then repeat that process 5 to 6-ish times?

And remember how when we met, I told you that I was a prissy city-loving girl, and that I preferred candle light dinners and a sappy opera to camping or hiking or outdoorsy stuff of any kind? And remember how you LOVED that about me, because you really hate all that crap too? And then, remember how a few years ago, I suddenly decided that I really, really love doing "all that crap"?

Yeah, um sorry about that.
In all fairness, YOU told me that you didn't like football. {ha!}

So I guess we're even.

Xo,
The Wifey
{P.s. Thanks for taking one for the team today. We had a great time.} 


Today we are livin' it up, mountain man style. What are YOU doing today? The girls at communal global want to know, so link up and share!

What I learned at Monte Gee's Funeral

My friends' father recently passed away.
He was also my neighbor for roughly 10 years.
I attended the funeral a week ago today.

It was incredible.
It was also clear that Monte Gee touched many, MANY lives.
It was even more clear that he was an incredible father.
How do I know?
Well, because his kids are amazing, for starters.
They don't usually get that way all on their own.
{Well, their mother is a class act too, so, they sort of didn't stand a chance of being anything short of completely awesome...}

The talks were inspiring.
The music was beautiful.
I know this is sort of coming off like a five-star-rated review
of someone else's funeral...
and that that is sort of bizarre and all...
however,
I am just putting pen to paper {so to speak}
in hopes of processing a lot of thoughts & feelings.
Thoughts which have left my mind reeling...
and feelings that I hope will linger with me
for many years to come.

Here is what I learned at Monte Gee's funeral:

When it comes to your kids:

your time='s love
your undivided attention ='s love
your kind words ='s love
listening ='s love
going to your kid's baseball game ='s love
taking your kids hiking/camping/hunting/4-wheeling ='s love

Encouraging your kids to serve others ='s they will be thoughtful people when they grow up.

Loving your kids in a such a deep and abiding way that they cannot mentally or emotionally comprehend it ='s they will be equipped to love their children in the very same way. It creates a pattern, or cycle, and with so many "bad" or "abusive" cycles perpetuating themselves in the world today, this is a refreshingly good one.

When it comes to your spouse:

Loving and respecting your spouse ='s a happy spouse who loves and respects you.
Loving and respecting your spouse ='s happy children who feel secure.
Loving and respecting your spouse ='s children who will grow up knowing how to love and respect their spouses...which ='s their children growing up and knowing how to love and respect their spouses...and so it goes. Another lovely, self-perpetuating cycle that pays huge dividends for your posterity {and the world at large} for generations to come.

Loving and respecting your wife ='s she will feel wonderful about herself, take good care of herself, take good care of her {a.k.a. your} children, and will probably look like Jackie O at your funeral... okay, maybe that last part only applies to Monte's wife...but still, it's worth a shot, right?

When it comes to your grandchildren:

Taking time to adore and love your grandchildren ='s they will feel and remember that love.
Taking time to adore and love your grandchildren ='s your kids will interpret your love for their kids as your love for them.
Taking time to adore and love your grandchildren ='s you will be wisely relishing and reaping your rewards for all those times when you wanted to kill your kids, but didn't.

When it comes to being a good neighbor, and/or citizen of planet earth:

Stopping on a dark canyon highway and having your high-school-age kids and their friends clear boulders from the road after a rock slide because even though you were lucky enough to "miss them" you would sure "hate to have someone else catch them." ='s you are pretty much just a great person...and there is a good chance that that goodness will rub off on your kids, and they will do good things too.

There is also a good chance that one of your kids will mention that story at your funeral, and people will totally bawl because they will be so touched by the fact that so much goodness could reside in just one person, and they will have a desire to carry on your legacy now that you are gone. {Now, while that's certainly not why you do such good things in the first place, it's nice for others to have a reminder and good example to look up to and strive for.}

So, yeah.
I walked away with a grocery list of Monte's characteristics that I would like to better emulate.

I also walked away feeling grateful for the knowledge that Monte will be with his family again someday.

There is no greater gift {or comfort} than this.

A Lola Letter... if you will.

Dear Saturday,

I sort of really love you.

I love your slow, pajama-clad mornings.
I love the way you lend yourself to lots of quality brother time.

I love the pancakes,
and the fruit,
and the doing of dishes
with cartoons blaring in the background.

The dogs love you too.
They love having both of their boys home all the live long day.
They love taking naps with their mama.
They love watching the hubs play black ops, give orders through a head set, and yell at stupid-ish soldiers {running around like chickens with their heads cut off} in the t.v.

I love the crafting...
and the arts and crafting...
and the random drops-ins from
papo,
neighbor kids,
and sisters of sister-in-laws {holla Brook!}

and I really love the little bare feet.
and the still being in jammies at noon.
and then the hurrying and getting out of jammies
so I can meet a friend for a late lunch at Mimi's Cafe
and CATCH UP {which was so, so great...even though Ten was kinda ornery and such}

I love having a story dictated to me by a 7 year old master story teller
{Kort "tells", I type.}
"The Golden Feather" is going to be the world's next literary masterpiece...
I just know it. ;)

I just love you, Saturday.
Really and truly, I do.
See you in six...

Love,
Me

cousins.

baseball.
family.
warm summer night.
getting out of the house after being cooped up for three days straight...
bliss.