Thirteen

Thirteen years ago today Julianne was born. We had hoped her arrival would coincide with my father's birthday...a big one for him, turning 50 and all...but apparently she wanted her own birthday and kept me laboring for a good 21 or so hours before making her entrance at 7:43 AM on the 10th. 7 lbs 5 oz of sweetness.

And while keeping a great deal of that sweetness throughout these past 13 years, added to the mix is humor and wit, wisdom and smarts, drama, stubborness and sarcasm, fashion sense, talent, spirtuality, generosity, and friendliness....all of which make up the amazing and wonderful girl that is our Julianne Dlora. Happy Birthday sweet girl!

Waking Up in Vegas

I had Katy Perry's "Waking Up in Vegas" in my head all weekend. And not that we ourselves were gambling, getting drunk or eloping....although we did see a lot of that going on...we were there for Brandon's Black Jack gymnastics meet. Still, the song persisted.

"Shut up and put your money where your mouth is
That's what you get for waking up in Vegas.
Get up and shake the glitter off your clothes now
That's what you get for waking up in Vegas."

I don't know why.

(Dinner at Cheescake Factory in Caesars Palace)

Brandon and I flew in Friday afternoon. Bryan met us at the airport having driven down a few days earlier for a rifle class at Front Sight in Pahrump. (The man lived out of the truck for 4 days. Literally. Slept on a foam pad and a sleeping bag in the back of the covered truck. Bought groceries and kept them in his cooler. Warmed up burritos in the classroom microwaves, charged his cell phone during lectures. Didn't take a shower for a few days but claims that when you're in the middle of the dessert on an outdoor shooting range...who cares? It's just like camping! Well...not my cup of tea but I'm glad he had fun. All the same, I'm pretty sure he was immensely thankful for the shower and soft bed at the Hilton when he arrived in Vegas Thursday night.)

Brandon had never been to Las Vegas before. We gave him a little bit of a heads up before we left....you know, that there are tons of great and neat and cool things about Vegas....but also a lot of things that aren't so great, neat and cool. And that if he saw a billboard or ad, he should just turn his head and ignore it. He reacted well. Marveling at the lights and sights..because truly, Las Vegas is pretty unique. But also ignoring the crap, even though I had no doubt he noticed it. And honestly, we were so busy with gymnastics that we had little time to truly take in much of the strip...much to my chagrin. (I'd hoped for some more shopping and sightseeing. Oh well. Another time.)

(Brandon was gaga-faced walking through the Forum Shops in Caesars Palace but this fountain full of mythological gods and creatures especially caught his attention seeing as we are right in the middle of the "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" series.)

Las Vegas or no, gymnastics was the reason for the trip. We were up and at the sports center bright and 7:30 AM early for Brandon's warm up and competition. Sitting on those hard, metal bleachers for a good 4 hours or so was not overly comfortable but what fun we had watching Brandon! This was a BIG meet. Teams from all over the country were there. Brandon didn't place in any event, but just the thrill of being there was enough for him. He came running up to me when the whole thing was over, to give me a big hug. I asked him, "So...was that kind of fun?" "Kind of??" he asked incredulously. "It was AWESOME!" I'm glad.(Getting stretched by Coach Gabe before his turn on pommel horse. That's cousin Davis standing in front of the pommel waiting for the judge's high sign to begin his routine.)

(Look at those pointed toes!)

(Getting feed back from Coach Adam after his floor routine.)

(Johnny, Brandon and Davis at lunch at California Pizza Kitchen after the meet. Gabe and Adam also joined us and there was a whole lot of silly hilarity going on. Release of competition pressure, maybe?)

Later that night we came back for the Winter Cup. A competition for the big boys....for the college teams, etc. These are the guys that will compete for the honor of being on the Olympic team in London 2012. In fact, Jonathan Horton, from the 2008 team, was there! Because of a broken thumb he couldn't compete. But he did sign autographs. Brandon was desperate to get an autograph but we didn't have a pen or anything for him to sign. Not one to give up easily, Brandon found some one with a marker and had Jonathan sign his SWAG Black Jack shirt that he had received after the meet earlier and was wearing. (He refuses to wear the shirt now. Is concerned the multiple trips through the laundry might make the autograph fade. He insisted I hang the shirt up on his bedroom wall....) The Winter Cup was AMAZING. I can't count how many times my jaw dropped open in amazement at the things these gymnasts can do. WOW...for lack of a better word.

(Brandon and Davis watching the Winter Cup. How awesome for these boys to see what they have to look forward to if they keep up the hard work.)

(Completely zonked out at PF Chang's after a long, busy day. Heck, it was midnight before we left the restaurant. I had a half a mind to join Brandon in his nap on the bench.)

Umm...ouch?

This is what gymnasts call a "rip." They are very common...this is nowhere close to the first one Brandon's had. But unfortunately he has his big Blackjack Meet in Las Vegas on Saturday. Normally, when getting a rip, gymnasts clean it up, wrap it up, and then get back to work. In this case, because he does have this big meet Brandon's been babying his hand slightly. On the advice of his coach, he skipped working on high bar yesterday. And we've got a cleaning, medicating and wrapping routine down. We're hoping, hoping that we can get the thing mostly healed before Saturday. But if not, he'll compete through the pain. It's all part of life as a gymnast.

These, right here, are some awesomely talented, hard working, and strong boys! (Have you seen the kinds of muscles gymnasts get?? Dang!) Brandon is the last boy standing on the right.

Brrrrr.....

Rebekah: "Mom, are you going to drive me to the bus stop?"
Me: "Yeah. It's only 3 degrees outside."
Rebekah: "It's 3 degrees??! Good thing I'm wearing this warm sweatshirt!"
Me: (Looking at her incredulously....because she's wearing the sweatshirt AS A COAT and has a short sleeved shirt on underneath.) "Rebekah, if there's ever a day for a big, puffy coat today would be it."
Rebekah: "Nah...this sweatshirt is warmer than my coat."
Me: "Uh-huh....yeah, right."

Maybe a reminder of the "Ugly American" lecture is in order...

It's ridiculously cold outside. I was shocked at how bitter that wind felt. According to the news the 60 mph gusts we had here in our town yesterday took the record for craziest wind in the state. Which made our temps feel like -16. Not to worry, this doesn't dampen my enthusiasm for winter. It just means warmer clothes and lots of hot chocolate! All the same, I am looking forward to the mid-60's that are forecast for Las Vegas this weekend....

Happy February!

Happy February all! I decorated for Valentines a few days ago. Do you like my Valentine tree? Bought last year on a Pottery Barn sale, it's supposed to be an Easter tree. And I fully intend to use it as such come April. But I think it can easily do double duty with hearts in February. (I can't take credit for the idea though. I totally copied my friend Mylissa.)

I stayed up late reading "The Lightning Thief" to Brandon. Well, actually...it wasn't all that late, but I was tired. I shouldn't have let Brandon convince me to read that "one more chapter, please Mom!" I soon found my head nodding and my eyelids drooping. And kept catching myself reading words that weren't actually on the page. (I'm sure this confused Brandon...time and time again, asking him "What did I just say? Oh. Sorry. It really says this...." And eventually I must've fallen asleep on the couch because I woke up around 11:30, all the kids having put themselves to bed after turning off the lights and covering me with a blanket. I really need to stand firm and not let Brandon talk me into reading more than I've originally promised. It's just so hard to say no when he starts rubbing my back and playing with my hair....
One quote from the book that I do remember...you know, before I started nodding off. It's when Percy and his friends are down in the Underworld looking for Hades. And Percy is describing the scene: "To the left, spirits flanked by security ghouls were marched down a rocky path toward the Fields of Punishment.....Even from far away, I could see people being chased by hellhounds, burned at the stake, forced to run naked through cactus patches or listen to opera music."
hahahahahahaha....breath.....opera music!....hahahahahaha!! :)
Maybe I should double check with Bryan to make sure that listening to opera music isn't a form of punishment for him....seeing as I sing opera music frequently....

Because I promised Julianne that I would drive her to Taylor's house at 6:30 this morning (she and her friends frequently like to get ready for school together, swapping clothes and doing each other's hair and all that) I couldn't go to the gym. I talked myself into running on the treadmill. I was fifteen minutes into my run before Rebekah came in and begged for a ride to the bus stop. Knowing that it was only 12 degrees outside, I consented. I threw on a big trench coat over my shorts and tank top for the quick car ride around the corner and down the street. (And laughed when I realized how silly I must look...) I resumed my workout with a speed walk on a steep incline. But 15 minutes into that I realized that it was time for Brandon to wake up. Sigh. I got him moving and made him breakfast. By the time he was out the door, Lilian was up. She did not want me to get back on the treadmill. "Too loud!" she said. So after turning on "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse," I did some pilates and some sit-ups on the floor next to her before deciding that maybe I could declare this piecemeal workout complete. Sheesh. Talk about multi-tasking. Maybe tomorrow will go more smoothly? I'm hoping to win the "mind over mattress" battle and get myself to the gym to do some spinning. We'll see.


My Paperwhites are blooming on my kitchen table. Aren't they pretty?

Donuts....yum

Julianne, report card in hand, went with her friends to Krispy Kreme a few days ago. Apparently they give out a free donut per A grade. Her 4.0 GPA equalled 7 donuts.
I wasn't trying to sneak a donut! I was just curious as to what kind she had in there, I swear!!

Gem State Invitational

Brandon had a meet in Boise...well, Meridian, actually...this past weekend. It was his first out of state meet and was definitely bigger and a bit more prestigious than the home grown meets we've been doing. Teams from Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Montana, Utah and Idaho were all there. We drove up Thursday afternoon with my cousin Camilla and her son Davis in tow. The whole team was staying at the same hotel so for Brandon it was like some big sleepover with all his teammates. They all went swimming Thursday night and ate breakfast together Friday morning. Lots of laughing. This team is like a family and all get along remarkably well. They help each other and cheer each other on. When someone finishes a routine, they all jump up to give him a hug, knuckles or a pat on the back. The older level boys will come early to a meet just to hang out with the younger boys who are competing, to give them moral support....which means the world to Brandon because he looks up to them so much. These boys have some serious team unity going on and it's awesome to watch.
Brandon did well at this Gem State Invitational. His injured chest is healing and didn't bother him as much this time. And even though he is still not healed quite 100%, he won 4th place all around in his division and as a level 5 team, they won 1st place.
Next weekend: the Blackjack Meet in Las Vegas.

Watching TV and hanging out with Davis in the morning before breakfast.

Running in when their team was announced at the beginning of the meet.

1st place for the level 5 team!!! (Brandon is the one holding the plaque.)

Brandon and Davis with their coaches Gabe and Adam. Brandon absolutely adores these guys. They push him, they can be stern with him when they need to be. But they also very obviously, in word and action, love him. And Brandon lives to make them proud.

A warning

I know I've mentioned it briefly already but just for posterity's sake and all....this is what COULD happen to you if/when you try snowboarding for the first time. Just a warning. Your leading foot could kind of spin around unexpectedly. And then you just might have to throw your hands out to catch yourself as you fall to the snow below you. And then maybe you might feel a sharp pain rip through your wrist causing you to yell something. Most likely "OUCH" if you are Julianne. Possibly something worse if you are me. A trip to the Insta Care for x-rays will then follow the next day when you realize that your arm is swollen and you can't do much with it without experiencing A LOT of pain. And though you will be thankful that x-rays show no actual fracture, (the official diagnosis will be "a bad sprain") you'll still have to ice it daily, take lots of ibuprofen and wear a splint....not exactly the most trendy of accessories. Upside...you'll get lots of attention.
So there you have it...just so you know what to expect.

P.S. Did I mention that she claims snowboarding was SO much fun, despite the injury, that she's anxious to try it again?

My new TV/sitting room

Remember this room? The one that used to be Lilian's before the bedroom shuffle back in November? Remember those plans I had to turn the room into a TV/sitting room? Guess what? I did it!


A first glance from the door. (And yes, that is a Christmas wreath STILL hanging on the window. Sigh. I've got 8 wreaths still hanging on various windows and coach lamps outside. Can I pretend that they are Valentine decorations? They do have red ribbons!)

A piano in my TV/sitting room? Yeah. This is where Bryan and I decided to compromise. He's not a big TV watcher which meant that he was less than thrilled about my ideas for this room. This piano used to sit in our living room...and when the Christmas tree went up in December we moved the piano to the empty room to make space. He decided that having the piano in this room was actually kind of nice. I remembered that he'd said before how he wished he had some kind of screen up on the wall above the piano for his lessons and tutorials. Ding, ding, ding!!! I suggested that we mount a TV on the wall above the piano! It could be a TV room for me and a piano room for him. He agreed and the rest is history. :)

This is a love sac couch. We have another matching one downstairs. I originally pictured an entirely different kind of couch in this room but in the interest of saving $$$ we decided to use this one for now. We may swap it out in the future but in the meantime, I pretty much wrapped my entire decorating/color scheme around a black couch and a black piano.

Skinny little mission style bookshelf from Home Decorators Collection. I built it myself! Well, I didn't actually go out and cut the tree down or anything....but I did put the thing together when it arrived in numerous pieces. How cool am I?

The matching mission style table and cute little lamp from Target.

The past year or so I've been enamored of this whole "Keep Calm and Carry On" theme. Always liked the message of it all...especially in times when I am dealing with anxiety. Then I learned the history behind it. The British Ministry of Information produced these posters at the beginning of WWII in an attempt to raise public morale in the face of impending invasion. Which got me even more excited about it, being the history buff that I am. I decided that my TV/sitting room was the perfect place to hang one of these posters.
The pictures of London's Big Ben and Paris' Eiffel Tower also came from Target. I stumbled across them back in December, fell in love with them, and bought them on the spot...deciding that I would work them into my decor somehow. I think a good portion of this room comes from Target...the rug, curtains and square wall shelves are also from there.

And, of course, the craft closet....


And what about that corner of the living room where Bryan's piano used to sit? Now that the Christmas tree is down, is that corner just sitting empty and lonely? Nope! Check this beauty out:This is what I officially spent my Christmas money on. (Thank you, Lynn and Carol!!!!) Although Bryan claims that with all my other TV/sitting room purchases, I've spent his Christmas money as well. Hmmm.....
I'm still experimenting with what I want to put on top of it which is why there are some empty frames up there. But isn't it pretty?

We Like To Read

All three of my oldest kids were out with friends last night and had eeked every minute they could out of the evening, all coming in exactly at their 10:30 curfew and no earlier.

Point being, it was late.

A little past 11:00, as I was passing through the living room in an attempt to turn off lights, lock doors and more or less shut down the house for the night I was surprised to find all three of them reading, each inhabiting a different couch or chair. Brandon had fallen asleep but the other two were going strong. I had thought that they were down in their rooms, maybe not fully asleep but at least winding down for the night.

I guess I shouldn't be surprised. For me, winding down for the night does include reading. Doesn't matter how late I'm going to bed or how tired I am, I refuse to turn off my lamp until I've read at least a page or two. I guess my children take after their mother....

(By 12:40 Rebekah had fallen asleep but Julianne was STILL reading.)

Julianne reading: "Flipped" by Wendelin Van Draanen

Brandon reading: "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days" by Jeff Kinney

Rebekah reading: "The Lost Hero" by Rick Riordan (and hiding her face because she was irritated I was trying to take her picture.)