Sappy Sunday

Well, since I did not have a copy of Brittany's Bingo to get me through Fast and Testimony meeting, I had nothing better to do than recall the past month and some of my experiences.

I had a sappy moment of reflection on the gift of marriage....



Mike and I were shopping at LL Bean where couples of all ages flocked through the store looking for comfy outdoor wear. Mike was having a hard time picking out shirts, when I noticed a cute elderly man slip on a sweater- much like the ones Mr. Rogers used to change into.
As he pushed his arms through the sleeves, his bony wrists dangling awkwardly like a puberty stricken boy, he looked to his little wife and shrugged and shook his head. He was completely overwhelmed.
She hobbled over and quickly straightened the shoulders, pulled the sleeves down gently, and smoothed the sweater around down his chest. He was fine.....

This little moment of tenderness caught me off guard, and I found my eyes filling with tears (thus, the sappy Sunday story) and I quickly vowed to be nicer while I helped my husband shop.

I will never forget the vulnerable look on that sweet old man and the way his wife 'fixed him right up.' I hope to be shopping and smoothing sweaters with my hubby for many, many years.

BINGO! (travel log, sight seeing, marriage, senior citizens, and free space)

Desperate Times call for....

Desperate measures.

I have waited 10 months to do it, and today is the day. It is up to me to complete the assignments of young children that will have parents and grandparents alike beaming with joy and pride.

That's right, it is time for our Primary Program.

I thought I would work a little on this every month, making it one easy thing to tie together at the end of the year, HOWEVER in true Burton fashion I have waited until the last minute. We are reviewing the program as a presidency in church on Sunday. (Molly, don't tell anyone I am such a procrastinator !) SOOOO..................

I am armed today with a 44 oz Diet Dr. Pepper (am I not drinking soda?), croissant sandwiches left over from last night, in my Jimmie Johnson pj's (much to Mike's dismay- he is a FORD fan) with unwashed hair and traces of make-up clinging on. I am at the computer and cannot leave until I am done. (oh!!! the blogging and Facebook temptations. Wicked wicked world!!!)

I am messy and focused.

It is how I work best.

Expect the Unexpected

You may have noticed the lovely new very braggy pics in the side bar. Of course you have seen the photos of the Sacred Grove below.....but the next few photos will leave you green with envy, and you will surely see this was the vacation of a lifetime.



This is a piece of cake I acquired in Downtown Boston. They had a huge old marble building , complete with rotunda and balcony, that was filled with food vendors of every sort. All I cared about was the cake. I wrapped it up so I could sit down and enjoy in the car.
Are you jealous yet?



What about if I show you my moment of personal growth. Yes, these are the shoes.
I bought the cool Merrill boots you see on my feet (so comfy- like walking on weatherproof cloud, if there is such a thing) and couldn't bear to throw my old clunkers away. They sat on the backseat for days while we drove around. On our last day I noticed the very charitable option for myself. I found the courage to scream "Stop!" and we pulled to a halt.... the rest is history. I hope they like clunky shoes in Africa because these are special to me.

Last but not Least......



We used the self timer and a nearby bench to capture the quaint beauty of this Adirondack Lake, only to find a surprise waiting on the bench with the camera.





Yea. that's right. Someone's teeth were left here.
I am pretty sure there is a tour bus full of cotton-heads somewhere in New England that has one disappointed passenger. That sour dough bread is going to be tough to bite into now. But it sure makes for a fabulous vacation.

Am I just the luckiest girl alive, or what.

You guys should all come on vacation with me next time and you, too, can experience such fabulous moments.

Palmyra New York

IN honor of our Conference weekend...... a few religious photos from vacation.

The first is taken in the Sacred Grove. I will be in big trouble if I don't inform you MIKE took this picture. I loved walking through the grove.... I learned some amazing things while pondering there. Maybe someday I will be inspired to share them here, but for now let it be said... I am so happy to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

Second photo was taken of a display in the HIll Cumorah Visitors center. The Hill Cumorah was beautiful, too. I would love to go back to see the pageant someday.

We went to the temple in Palmyra that night (after the Mona Lisa chocolate cake). It was so small and intimate- with gorgeous stained glass sparkling windows of the grove in every window. Mike and I were called as the witness couple- which is always fun on a trip (except for the time I passed out in St.George during the session while kneeling. That wasn't cool.But I did get free crackers.)

I was so glad that we added this to our trip- we did not include it in our original plan, but my traveling man was sure he could get me there. I am so grateful that he did.
The whole feeling at the Smith family farm, the grove, and the hill is so serene and solid. In today's times, I found that extremely invigorating.

You Really Do Love me!

Wendy gave me the fine honors of this big time award. Now my coolness comes to you in the form of short answers- which is really hard for me. If I cheat and use more words, forgive me.

Here are the rules: I have to answer the following questions with one word answers and one word only! Then I must pass it on to seven others!

This award comes with a list of questions:
1. Where is your cell phone? bookshelf
2. Where is your significant other? Reno
3. Your hair color? Darkbrown
4. Your mother? Complicated
5. Your father? Burtoni
6. Your favorite thing? Chocolate
7. Your dream last night? circus
8. Your dream/goal? joy
9. The room you're in? Dining
10. Your hobby? Reading
11. Your fear? Obama
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Debtless
13. Where were you last night? Eating
14. What you're not? Organized
15. One of your wish-list items? Kindle
16. Where you grew up? Elkridge
17. The last thing you did? Massage
18. What are you wearing? jeans
19. Your TV? DVR
20. Your pet(s)? missing
21. Your computer? dying
22. Your mood? tired
23. Missing someone? painful
24. Your car? minivan
25. Something you're not wearing? rings
26. Favorite store? Ikea
27. Your summer? lazy
28. Love someone? intensely
29. Your favorite color? pink
30. When is the last time you laughed? today
31. Last time you cried? today


Easy enough- and don't worry. I haven't forgotten about the vacation. I am sure it is killing you all to see the unexpected happenings I can't wait to share- but a tag is a tag!

I tag Calvin, Shannon, Cami, Afton, Mary (she already did it, so just go read her answers for fun) and who ever else is dying to do a tag. Wait- only two whoever elses. That makes seven.

If you ever travel with Mike

Before divulging the has beens of my vacation, I want to give you all a few travel tips for traveling with my husband. (Janna- this is especially for you and your Amazing Race hopes with Mike).

1~ Forget about "what time it is at home". It doesn't matter if your two hours ahead, so getting up at 6 is like getting up at 4, there is no 'home' time. The time is what is, no excuses. Even if that means curling up in a fetal position for a nap on the back seat while you drive across 3 states.....you get up and get it done.

2~ When you have a chance to eat, take it. If you are not a 'breakfast person' you are now. You sit down at that hotel breakfast and get your fill. You do not know for sure when the next meal may be. Hunger is no excuse for bad attitudes or crankiness of any kind. Adding a huge breakfast to my daily meals has always meant gaining an instant 5 lbs on every trip we have gone on. Oh well.

3~ Try to stretch the bladder. Even though your bladder may be naturally small, and you get a little antsy when the urge hits, you have got to buck up. Somedays are better than others for this, but it seemed easier this time since I was not downing Diet Cokes all day.

4~ Know your geography. Don't even embarrass him by suddenly clapping for joy and exclaiming "I think I finally get it! The Atlantic Ocean is on the EAST and they are both the closest to A in the alphabet!" Even if you have no idea what state (or country, for that matter) you are in, just pretend like you do.


If you can get these few little helpful hints down he will take great care of you. This includes impromptu stops at the local bakery, free reign while shopping for new boots, and cute souvenirs that everyone will drool over later.

And on top of all that....he will show you the world. That's a deal I'm taking.

Just a bit of heaven

Oh. My. Gosh.

On a whim I ran into this little adorable cafe in Webster New York....Mona Lisa Cafe (website www.monalisacafe.net) before heading back to the hotel to get ready for a temple session (Palmyra, folks.....yes. It was very awesome). You should have SEEN the cakes and pastries and gelato..... oh, wait, I took a picture. I will show you when I get photos uploaded.... but take my word for it.
Delightful.
Lots of frosting, thick fudgy chocolate layers, little pink flowers- and all this delivered in a white box with a Mona Lisa sticker on it. LOVE IT. Am I trying to lose weight? I hope not.

It was the best. When we got to the hotel we were UPGRADED (yay Priority Club) and I got to soak in a huge jetted tub while knowing my cake was waiting at arms length.

Now come on......does life get any better than this?

Oh yeah. I am seeing sights on va-cay, too. But the cake....well that just couldn't wait.

My blogging eyes are opened

I started noticing cute and funny blogs. I started commenting. People read my comments and came to say hi. Now blogging is a part of my life, my networking, my therapy in the grown-up world, almost as soothing as knowing I alone will get to lick the bowl by myself.

Anyway, I am on va-cay this week in the New England states (stop! I know....) and so I am letting you in a super blogging tradition. It is Kristina P and her funniness......click here for her current contest. http://adamandkristinapulsipher.blogspot.com/2008/09/let-couch-jumping-commence-giveaway.html

I won't give it all away, but it is something very yummy covered with frosting. She is celebrating 20,000 hits. I did a dance the day I got 200. It is all good. Your prize was not witnessing my wicked moves.

And I have learned some really cool things and can't wait to show you great pics of me squinting in the rain with frizzy hair that was once straightened in front of historical mansions and such. You can't wait....but you will have to.

The Bag is the Best Part!

Let me start by saying this. I know that life is hard sometimes and unexpected (below post). But sometimes simple small things can make a person very happy.....or very irritated.

Take shopping bags, for instance. You know how great it is to walk through the mall with two or three cute little tote sacks hanging from your greedily clutched fists? (dillard's alert everyone-ugly bags equals less shopping there. *ick*) Of course! Every woman gets this! Imagine my horror today when I went into Bath and Body to use a coupon and buy an airline approved size lotion for my trip this weekend, and was totally cheated out of the famous TOTE.

I purchased room oil, spray scents, purse size lotion, and got a free full size lotion (Midnight Pomegranate, in case your are wondering). The cute little lady proceeded to SHOVE my purchases into a plastic bag no larger then a Ziploc. To make matters worse, she wrapped the oils in a huge wad of paper and then forced it into the bag.

When she handed me the receipt it would not fit in the bag. I made a very furious attempt to push it in, hoping she would say "oh! Let me get you a bigger bag!" but no. This girl was cold as ice. She did not even care that the girl next to her was handing HUGE totes to everyone with a smile while she happily stepped around the counter side. My girl did NO stepping. I will never go in that Orem shop again! The handles were stretched, the bag was ripping, and I still had shopping to do. Pleeeez!

I love shopping bags. I save them. I re-use them. I leave them with the tissue poofing out by my bedside for months to remind me of my shopping experience. This stupid plastic thing? I threw it away the moment I got home. Way to go and ruin the environment!

I took a picture, but my camera died before I could get it to upload...so later. But take my word for it. This was not the way Bath and Body was meant to be!

How do you Blog Something like this....

Last night I was resting on the couch, enjoying my husband's company, when our phone rang. His 23 year old nephew was in a car accident that killed him instantly. The pale look on Mike's face, the pit in my stomach, the feeling that it just all a weird dream...all of those things took over. We are also on 'cell phone' duty- returning texts he received yesterday and answering to tell people the news. Mike has done a great job of that and didn't want his mom to have to deal with it.

Mike's parents have been taking care of this nephew since his mother (Mike's sister Carrie) died of cancer almost 3 years ago. He has always struggled and really leaned on my in-laws, and my mother in law promised Carrie she would watch over him and give him the help he needs. This is so hard for her, he was working graveyard shift at the grocery store and then driving, earning extra money and trying to make a life for himself. My mother in law is taking this so personal and this boy's dad has struggled with depression since he lost his wife. This puts a greater burden on those around him, and his brother he left behind. A family of four is now a family of two.

I have to look at it all and be reminded of the bigger picture. He had been visiting the cemetery and saying he missed his mom....the family is- as expected-pulling together. We are asking ourselves what we can learn from this, and feeling the peace that comes with knowing he is with his mother, who was so close to him during his life.

I don't want to be a downer and debated whether I should even post today, but how can I not? How can I not remind myself (and you) that life is precious, and that everything we have and experience is such a gift. The shock of an unexpected death is so surreal, but then the peace that comes when you ponder our true existence beyond this can not be explained.....I just wanted to let my feelings out and share this today. They have asked me to sing "Angels" at the funeral...I am not sure how you get through a song like this, it fits his little struggle through life so well...I am extremely honored but very overwhelmed.

Every day is a gift~ and there are greater forces around us at all times, and I hope I can be aware of that and do what I need to do.

Nurturing my Marital Status

Yep. I've really done it now. I decided to read this book by Dr. Laura- the "let me interupt you and tell it like it is in a totally witchy way" lady. (Can't listen to her becasue of the previously mentioned habit).

My sister in law had this book, and a freind had told me a year ago how it changed her perspective towards herself as a wife. I have wanted to read it, and now the pangs of gulit are stabbing me hard.

Think of it as this (I will summarize for you). 1- Make good food and look nice for your husband. 2-Give him lots of lovin' whenever he needs it. 3- He, then in return, will take care of you forever. Kind of like an eternal sugar daddy.

I am not at all opposed to this concept. The thing this book is doing though, is making me realize the truth us ladies have known all along. A good man is hard to find.

Well guess what... I have a good man. I have a great man. Why do I get mad if he doesn't take out the garbage quickly? WHy do I roll my eyes if he wants me to snuggle on the couch? Why do I act....ummmm, can I say it, ......like his mother some days? NO MORE!!!

I am going to "little wife" him so much he will think he is the luckiest man alive. Little cute texts? Sending them. Compliments? Giving them (not hard for me, he is a very hard worker.) Lovin? Consider me the gal.

Dr. Laura- I may hate the way you cut off your callers, but this book is the best reminder for a housewife like me, who tends to forget what a great thing a marriage is. Consider your point taken.

Now if you will excuse me I need to go straighten my bed and check to see if it is time to recolor my hair....little gray hairs so not sexy!

Have I gone Mad?

It's been SEVEN days and 11 hours since I had one of these. (Dang, that looks good!), but who's counting?
Not exactly on purpose, I somehow have quite drinking Diet Coke. Mike has humored me by running with me, as I am a self proclaimed "beginning runner", and he feels it is time to clean up our diet. He informed me I needed to "make him eat healthy". The strange thing is, as he turns down the cookies and candy and brownies I make, he is making ME want to do better.
One week of this- he lost 8 pounds. EIGHT pounds. I lost ONE. I am not giving up. Something about the bloatedness and grandma looking legs has finally gotten to me. I have not had a coke for over a week.
Lest you think I am righteously sustained let me remind you, Crystal Light Focus has plenty of caffeine to get me through the afternoon (yum), but no carbonation.
I have no idea if this is for real. I have no idea why I drive past the Texaco with my re-fill mug and don't stop for a quick burst of icy pleasure. I just haven't. Maybe Obama is right.......it is time for CHANGE. Like a politician's promise, however, I must ask..... how long will this last?

Spontaneous Trips and Low Expectations

This was taken a couple of years ago during a trip to the Grand Canyon. Rv-ing is fun, I will admit, but when your husband decides we MUST get in a trip and school is in and clients are coming is it really that fun?

See, Mike had to travel the night of Father's and Sons (best church program EVER) and my little Parker actually cried over missing it. Daddy promised a trailer trip before the year was through.....thus, we are going up the canyon TODAY. (but MOM gets to go. Hooray for me!)
We already disagreed on location (I wanted hook-ups, pavement is more important to him) and time ( I wanted another week entirely). I lost both arguments. So, with NO MEALS planned (I told him to decide what he wants. He said TIN DIN's every night), and NOTHING in the trailer- we are heading out.
To ease your grief for me I will remind you, I will be HOME every morning to send my kids off to school and work a couple clients in. There is food, clothing, and lots of sugary cereal in my house, so we can grab what we need and get ready for the day.
At best, this could turn into a great family time with walks, talks, laughter and love (think LDS commercial meets Go RV-ing.com). Maybe I can sit by the campfire and enjoy my book. At worst, we will freeze at night, the kids will be bored (no TV) and fight, and whine over burnt hamburger meat in tin foil (think Griswold's and Chevy Chase).
Any guesses on how it will be?