Evolution in Parenting

In a moment of clarity and sanity,
I put some thoughts down,
and shared them over here.
Head on over, will ya?

Hey! Happy Monday!

I'm over at the Mormon Mommy Blogs today...
check  me out,
would ya?

Thoughts On Trials

Hey!
I'm over at my most Favorite place today!
http://mormonmommyblogs.blogspot.com/2010/10/sign-on-shore.html

On the Way to Casual Bloggers Conference

One of the most fanstastic perks of living in Colorado Springs

is watching the Thunderbird Air Show

each year for the

Air Force Academy graduation.

And it just so happens that

we have a pretty good view from our deck:

Which explains why I was an hour late leaving for my 

New Scary Adventure

aka 

The Casual Bloggers Conference

in 

Sandy, Utah...

which, for the record,

isn't really sandy at all,

but from the humongous amounts of traffic

is more like Asphalt, Utah.

But I digress...

I got my bahooey into the car

and headed West with my sweet BFF, Nan.

As you know, my memory likes to play 

hide-n-seek

with me

so to be safe,

Nan--an avid Non-Blogger,

volunteered to be my escort.

Southern Utah was especially colorful

this spring--

 I just couldn't get over the colorful desert flowers along the way...

 So I made Nan pull over so I could get a closer look...

 Ahhhhh...so beautiful!  We talked about the 3 L's....

Life, Little Yahoos, and Laundry along the way. 

Isn't it amazing how you never run out of things to talk 

about with a good friend?

It was really great to just have some time away from la familia

to think, ponder and pray.

We laughed our guts out,

sang with Lady Antebellum,

got a little choked up at times too.

Good friends are the best.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Okay, so besides the CBC,

big on our To-Do-List

was

IKEA (did you just hear angels sing too?).

We don't have IKEAs here in Colorado,

so that was a MUST-DO.

We walked around there for 

two and a half hours!

No kidding.

It was Retail Therapy like none other.

Loved. It.

 Is this lamp not the coolest thing??  

I have no idea where I'd hang it,

but if someone gave it to me,

I'd find a place, no doubt.

 More Lamps...I think I have a "thing" for lamps.

Is there a support group for Lamp Addictions?

"Hi, I'm Momza and I am addicted to Lighting."

IKEA is so freaking huge,

it could have it's own Zipcode.

  After my puppies were plum.wore.out,

and my pocketbook too,

we bid adieu to IKEA and headed over to the

BIG SCARY ADVENTURE

aka

The Casual Blogger Conference:

 You know these women.

Denae, Crash, and Kazzy.

I was overcome with shock and awe that they knew me too.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At Teresa Collin's Girls Night Out,

we were treated to mini-massages--

Nan was almost in pure bliss during hers--

the only thing that woulda made it better

was if she had someone rubbing her feet

and a Diet Pepsi.

Seriously though,

it was a well-planned event;

so much to do and the people were super too.

~~~~~

A trip to Utah

is incomplete without a trip to

 I had their Pork Barbacoa Salad...delicioso!! I could only eat half of it, but even writing this, my mouth is watering and wishin' I had the rest of it!  

~~~~~

 When Nan travels, she knows how to travel in style--

a pedicure is always on the menu...

and she treated me to one too!

 I've said this before, but it's so true, I'm repeating it: 

The worst part about getting a pedicure is

 that you have to STAND UP and WALK OUT afterwards.  

 Cheesy Nan

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We stayed with the Sharps in Pleasant Grove.

I could write a whole blog just about the evenings we spent with them.

Seriously. 

 We met Mr.Elder Sharp while he was a missionary in England.  He was one of the elders that taught MR. W the discussions.  We are keeping Mr. Elder Sharp for eternity.  His wife Sarah is his perfect companion. We LOVE her to infinity and beyond.  And don't even get me started on their precious family. Sweet. Scrumptious. Serious. 

While there, Sarah introduced me to Body Bugg...and I am loving it! There's a whole 'nother blog on that coming soon.  

Sarah also introduced me to Dawn Weidauer, a professional make-up/hair stylist.  Dawn works in Media Make-up and has a Who's Who List in her bag.  Dawn is preparing to launch another blog aimed at everyday folk like me where she does makeovers and uses step-by-step instructions to teach us how to look like a billion bucks on any budget.  I gladly became her first Makeover.  I don't have pics of this, but let me assure you, tons were taken, and will be posted on her new blog when she's ready to launch it.  

I really wondered what Dawn could do with an old hen like me.  I wasn't expecting much, honestly.  But, for the record, when she was finished, I felt beautiful.  Like, prettier than I've felt in a long time.  

Dawn is a miracle worker!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 So this is the Sharp Family.

Well, most of them.

Their son, B. was off to play with a friend,

and Dawn's son, L. was there playing with blondie Mr. T,

so I told L. to stand in "proxy" for B. for the photo.

But the rest of the gang are 100% Sharps.

 Sarah introduced me to OOBEES--

We went to the OOBEES outlet...

got all the girls some for $8 a pr.

Total hit at home!!

Thanks Sarah!

~~~~~~

And that's just Part Uno for the CBC trip.

I have so mucho-much to share,

the rest will be on tomorrow!

~~~~

Do As I'm Doing, Follow, Follow Me

Maybe you've heard about the NEXT BIG THING
in Blogland...
It's THIS !!!

And while I wasn't sure I was gonna be able to make it,
a "kindness magnet" has attached itself to me
and the planets have aligned just right--
Mr. Wonderful and the Yahoos have encouraged me with a resounding:
"YOU NEED TO GO!"

The hairs on my neck are standing on end
as I suspect that there will be much
celebrating and carrying on
in my absence!

I still need to work out the details...

like where I'm gonna stay?

should I drive or fly there?

who will be my new BFF?

is there a Cafe Rio nearby??

and 

MOST IMPORTANTLY--

What am I gonna wear??