With Love, From Me to You (Reader Love Part 2)

I love my readers.  Recently I promised that I’d chose one to profile on my blog from the people who liked a blog link I posted on FB.  I decided to write a note to every person who liked that link.  Here’s a about half of them.  If I forgot you, remind me!!  Pictures that make me laugh randomly inserted for your amusement.  Look at what I do for you.  What a charitable individual I am.  Dear God, send blessings.

Caroline B is the reason why this blog looks exactly the way I like it.  She’s a blog design wizard.

Jennie D became my surprise wedding dress picker-outter when I cornered she and the Circe crowd one random day in SLC.  Very pleased with her recommendation.

Rynna may be the brainiest woman I know.  I’m wordy, but this classy dame knows latin and rocks red lipstick.

Cicily is the only reason I would ever live in Petaluma again.  I miss you terribly.  Let’s go on a girl’s vacation (in our dreams).

I could say that Rachael C’s foremost talent is taking pictures, but I’ve seen her with Whit’s kids and she is an amazing auntie.  I want to adopt her.

Kirsten is one of my soul mates.  Once my VT by some divine providence she once sat down on my couch and told me the most unexpected inspiring story.  Kirsten is a picture of strength.

Anne, hooray!  You should follow everything Anne does online (fb, insta) because she loves herself and her life and says bad words.  Anne’s down-to-earth and says it how it is and has the most delicious baby in the world.  I know, I’ve snuggled him.

Cindy is an endearingly secret hippie, except she’s hot and takes showers.

Every time I run into Janie she already knows what’s up!  How do you remember all of us so easily?  Janie is one of those genuinely kind people who always knows the right thing to say.

Rachel LC, ohmygosh I’m excited for you to have your baby and then talk CamRom into doing the same.  Get on that, please.  Also, please tell me how to get in shape because I am so lazy.

Lisa Marie, just go for the weird hair for heaven’s sake.  You can totally rock it.  I know you have freaky hair inside just waiting to get out.

Al. How exactly did you accomplish a inter-state move with two weeks notice?  You’re a machine.  And I bet your house is more put together than mine after 6 months.  We’ve been friends for what, 12 years?  You think the neatness would have worn off. 

Cathryn, best photo of a kid invention ever!   The paci mits were hilarious.  Very resourceful.  I wish I could come hold baby Eleanor!

Emmy might be my oldest friend on this list.  Some day when Mimi is bossily directing plays in our neighborhood I will video tape them and send them to you.  And then Val will quit and cry.

Brittany, secretly I’m jealous that you get your mom all to yourself and I have to share mine with those other sisters.

Circe, I’m available on Sunday evenings for dinner, just saying.  I’ll invite you guys down some time.  Until then, your Instagramming recently has been excellent.

Court Was, see?  Everything turned out ok.  Bet you were worried for a few years there.  Was it you or your roommate who got rear-ended by a cop?

Lisa Can, how in the world do we know each other?  Mystery.

Kanad, uh dude, where are my knives?  Next time I’m in SF we shall dine somewhere unnecessarily pretentious and I will make awkward jokes about death to the waiter.

There are few lives that I’m genuinely envious of and one of those is Andrea’s.  Oh, you’re remodeling your house?  Well this amazing woman remodeled the bed and breakfast she owns in CAMBODIA.  What, YOU don’t have a friend who runs an international travel agency and bed and breakfast?  And that’s only a fraction of what she does. 

Victory, sometimes I see your fairies and rock collection posts on pinterest and I just have to chuckle.  You’re the paganist Mormon I’ve ever met and it’s fantastic.

Janelle W your life stresses me out because it reminds me of when I was in my first few years teaching.  It’s so hard but you make it look like a cakewalk.  I’m glad there were no pictures of me from that time because I was not capable of teaching full time AND being cute.

Allison sometimes I pretend I’m a twenty something San Francisco girl who goes out to fab places and dresses all chic, and then I realize I’m pretending to be you because you’re cool.  Also you go to a lot of weddings, have you noticed?

Tabitha, I remember when we were in class and you said something about Gossip Girl and I almost jumped for joy.  Why was that show so good?  We need to discuss the ending.  I was satisfied but I thought Serena’s dress was lame.  I’m Chuck Bass.

Mary FD, I think it’s weird that we don’t know each other IRL because we’ve been blog friends since forever.  I suggest that Ally B remedy this next time I’m in SF.

Kwynn, if life was a badass contest you would be winning it.  Yes people, one of my friends does Roller Derby AND dressed as Francis to her baby’s PeeWee for Halloween.  This is qualification for permanent badass status.  I wonder what you’ll be doing when you’re sixty. 

Lovely Susannah (great family, yes. amazing photographer, yes.  killer wedding, yes.) but let’s talk about your perfect hair.  You have Disney princess perfect long cascading straight blonde hair.  The rest of us can’t keep up.  It’s gorgeous.

Krista Krista Krista, you’ve always been so effervescent.  I remember you chatting and giggling til all hours of the night at Girl’s Camp.  AND you have beautiful babies.  I hope you go for like eight.

Mard-A the Hard-A another soul sister.  Why can’t we be sister wives?  Mardee and I had our first three kids the same years.  I want to live next door to you, but not in Bentonville.  If I hear of you coming to Utah and not seeing us I will cry myself to sleep.  Yes, we will be here. 

Jen once sent me a unicorn card that sang for no reason whatsoever.  It was a hit and made a very hard week into a more magical one.  Can you please teach me how to raise teenagers? 

Melonie TS I am so impressed with your 1-2-3-4 method of baby having.  I hope you have 5-6-7 in rapid succession too.  It’s hard but so much fun!  Just wait til they can all buckle their seatbelts and put on their own shoes, it’s going to be so easy!

Janice, another classy woman who globe-trots and always has a ton of fun going on.  I feel like you’re a second mother to those of us who grew up at the theater, I can’t imagine it without you.  And you make a mean pavlova.

Angee, you, my dear, are a mystery.  How did you find me?  I think you’re somehow related to the Sally clan. Enlighten me.

Lauren in GA, do you think you have the longest standing reader award?  I wish you would update so I could see how little John is doing.  Do you live within driving distance of Disney?

Sally I wish I were in your ward (because then I’d live in LA).  RS president while working and raising kids?  Sounds hard but you made it look easy.  Funny, smart, and capable, just the way I like my lady friends.

Sindee, thank God for you, keeping it real and interesting in this often bland state.  How does so much culture and awesomeness fit into such a little package?

Bronwyn, dude where do I even begin?  Whenever I enter a room and see you in it I remember that the world is a pretty rad place.  And my favorite part is texting you in that room for your wry remarks that are always on point.  Please blog more.  You have such a great writing voice and joie de vivre.  You are proof that beauty brains AND comedy can coexist. 

Natalie WB, what’s up smarty pants?  I think it’s funny that you downplay your writing ability.  You’re a great writer and I love following your little family.  I’ve so appreciated all your thoughtful comments throughout the years.  Oh, and your recently family pictures are AMAZING.

Sarah Lucy has always been SHYYYYYYY.  You left all of your underclothes in Nathan’s bathroom, just FYI.  And for this we love you.

Mother Teresa is one of those people who have never spoken a mean word (that I’ve ever heard.)  She’s one of those guile-free individuals who make apostles wives look like harpies.  I want to be Teresa when I grow up.

Mandy Wats, next time I have a baby I expect you also to have a baby and for our nursing in the Mother’s room to reconvene.  Thanks for saving me therapy bills by talking me through some really hard times.  I am so glad I got to hear your story.

Jo, the yoga body, for serious.  It’s unbelievable.  In my fantasy world I have the patience and discipline to do yoga and not cry.  Please educate. 

Tamra W., we could be BFFs but the anti-coke propaganda you linked made me burst into tears.  You mean to tell me my special friend Coke is bad for me?  Never!  But, you do post a lot about chocolate, so maybe there’s hope for us yet.

Rebekah, seriously, I had NO IDEA I would come all the way to Utah and meet a multiple degree-holding, LA born and raised, funny smart UCLA grad who loves books and babies.  You’re a Godsend.  We have so many adventures in front of us! 

Mary N is one of those women who has it covered.  You know those types who are asked to do something and rather than just making something do they achieve whatever it is like a professional and wave it off like it was just something they did in their off time? She’s one of those. 

88 Lines about 44 Readers

I love my readers.  Recently I promised that I’d chose one to profile on my blog from the people who liked a blog link I posted on FB.  I decided to write a note to every person who liked that link.  Here’s a about half of them.  If I forgot you, remind me!!

Pictures interspersed are holiday shots that I didn’t blog about because they are rather obvious, but need to be included in the history of Christmas 2013.

 

Beth we need to talk about Karaoke.  With all your confidence I thought you were a sure thing for a duet partner and you left me hanging!?  You can do it!  Rematch!

Dayna is a superstar.  She does it all.  For some reason I primarily associate Dayna with entertaining.  She opens up her lovely home and then allows you to feast on whatever deliciousness she’s whipped up.  This is  talent I admire in women.  More people should entertain like you do.

Jeanelle Shaw I imagine you somewhere up north where there is granola and cold weather, neither of which you particularly like.  Is that where you live? 

Scotty B, hey, look at that!  A new relative!  I’m still snickering to myself over the Danny and newspaper comment.  I also very much appreciate your contributions to the raising of my husband.  You did a great job older brothering him into the snarky softy he is.

Jen, I made it.  Remember when you and Dave described to me what Sacrament meeting was like for the first few years with your five kids?  Well I can finally sit through a meeting without wanting to lay down and cry and when I do I think of you.  (Time to add another kid!)

Lindy I associate with having a million friends and no enemies.  It seems like everybody knows and loves Lindy.

Kim, woman about town.  Life has served you some interesting challenges and you’ve taken them all in stride and make everybody laugh.  I can’t even remember the last time I saw you, perhaps at Paige’s? 

Nadine, I still tell the story about when you used a quote from a prophet in an essay to make your point and I had to let it count because, well, when Thomas S. Monson says it it’s probably factual.  That paper was fun to read.

Heidi where do you live now?  I think you came to UT and the Hazens did not invite me over.  Now I am mad at all of you.  I want to meet your kids.

Kat, don’t try to pull this Kate thing.  It’s Kat.  Your baby is cute and I want to cuddle her.  Have a few more, please, and then report back to me how well they like all that fancy food you cook.  

Erika, you and Mike outdo each other on facebook all the time and I love it.  I can only imagine what it’s like in your house and what DOESN’T warrant a status update.  Maybe you should message the snark to me, I’m a willing audience.

Mary Hasner, so great to see you at Jay’s funeral.  Just seeing you there brought back memories of that Hawaii vacation when Jay was at his most amusing.

Dawn, how did I end up with Brass?  I still maintain Punk is a much better fit.

Linda, one time you were teaching some lesson in RS and you told the story of how you started to go to Al Anon.  I thought I was the only one in the room who had any experience with that trial and listening to you that day gave me so much hope.  Thanks for sharing your stories.

Heidi, you’re one of Celia’s favorite success stories.  When I was hopeless about the prospect of remarrying she would frequently cite you, “Well you know Heidi married that awesome dude and her life is pretty fantastic.”

MaryAnn I feel like you’re part of our family.  You’re a Maher by association, I think, or maybe related?  Either way, you’ve been here cheering us on and I appreciate it!

Mimi, great minds think alike.  How happy are you with Jude’s name?  What are you going to name your little girl?  Whatever it is, maybe I’ll use it too so we can have two name twins!

Lauri, a sincere thank you to you.  You’re one of the first people I met in our new ward and you’ve made me feel so at home.  Mimi adores you and I am buoyed up every time I see you at church, which is every week.  If you can do it smiling in the face of adversity, so can the rest of us.

Shannon Ritz, are you feeling any better?  This fall has been horrible for you I understand.  I’m a bad friend for not coming to see you in the hospital.  Please don’t friend divorce me.

Melissa soooo I was not anticipating that level of talent in my living room last week.  You guys are so good! Thanks for reminding me of Wagon Wheel, I’d forgotten that song and how much I love it.

Gina, I love that every time I see you it’s summer.  We have the best summer job ever.  Next year I need you to share some of your art ideas because your projects always turn out and sometimes mine tank.

Meg Wy three boys!  What is it like being in a Hong Kong with three tiny boys who need to run around and might get run over?  I would be a total mess.

Danna, you’re one of those people who I think is my kindred spirit based on pinterest and blog posts alone.  Know what I mean?  We like the same stuff.  We share interest in fashion and writing and art.  Maybe you should invite me to visit you in the United Arab Emirates and we can go to fashion shows and art museums together.

Kate (Katy.  I know you’ve changed it but I’m not there yet.)  I love your instragramming family.  What kind of Doctor are you?  How do you do it with a handful of kids? 

Justin, I know, you should have been first because you’re very very special.  You’ve had an odd impact on my life.  From that first day at Athenian with your round glasses to the plague that hit you mid high school to your letter tattoos, I just kind of adore your weirdness and I think in some ways you validate mine. 

Genevieve, someday we will meet at a coffee shop, have a genius idea for a writing project, write it together, sell it and then live like kings off the proceeds.  Right?

Cassidy, I love your boys!  And could two little boys be more different?  Kaleo and Max spent lots of time with my kids and they were so much fun and definitely get their sweetness from you.  And Mike’s probably one of the few people who gets the confusion inherent in being a punk grown up parent. 

Christine, we need to get a new group show so we can sneak out of our house at night while the kids are sleeping.  Let’s start a monthly movie night!

Sheryl, how far away do you live from me now?  When can we come over to play?  Do you have snacks?

Kim Dale your baby is so sweet, that picture of him learning to smile is to die for. 

Rebecca Johnson, are you responsible for this husband of mine?  Because from what I hear about the antics of Dj and Danny, only a girl with her head on straight could have kept some semblance of order in your cousin triad. 

Becca, I would love to spend an hour listening to you talk about the culture you’ve embraced.  The Athenian perspective and LDS conversion is so unique, I bet we’d have plenty of fodder.

Kerstin, I have the cutest photo of you and your husband from my wedding.  Email me for it.  Btw, every time I wear my 18 hole docs I think of you.  AND when I play practical jokes on my dad.

Shawn, did you know you were one of two people I still keep vaguely in touch with after leaving Petaluma?  It was a hard time for me and you reached out.  Funny how the little things we do make a big impact, and I really appreciated even our short interactions.

Chloe, I’m excited for next summer so I can hear all about your new school.  I love all the cheesy siblings pics you and Dylan post, they’re rad.

Joelle I’m kinda jealous of your work schedule and impressed with the way you balance work and family.  You’ve got it down.

Andrea, somebody told me you’re the new face of something?  What?  Also, if you don’t know Andrea you probably should.  She’s one of my most interesting friends.  Andrea made a village in Mozambique for the express purpose of researching Manta Rays, of which she is the foremost expert.  And she’s hot.  Go watch her BBC special “Queen of Mantas”

Camille VW, can you please bring Diego over some time?  The kids would love to go on a walk with you guys. 

Jeannine, oh my gosh your wedding looked so beautiful!  Post more pictures please!

Heather Haz, remember that time we never hung out?  Why is this?  You like babies and food, I like babies and food.  Let’s make Anne throw a party.

Maya I need you to start a blog please.  I feel like I get bits and pieces from FB but I need to know why you were in Paris recently and all about the trip.  Your public needs you.

Jane, hi.  You should text me more.  Or maybe visit Utah so we can hang out.  Jake has been killing me with his dating stories.

Shannon, every picture you post makes me amazed that places could be colder than Utah.  How are you surviving out there?  Do you ever leave the house?

Laurel I love watching your family transition into Dville life.  It’s so so different, no?  I propose you plan a NYC trip for girls only to show everybody your NY life.  And please invite me.

Julia Busche, I’m jealous of your international lifestyle.  What a rad experience you’re providing for your kids.  Do people try to befriend you just so they can come visit you in Asia?  Not that I would do that so overtly…

Carey Waters, are you still at The Shop?  That’s the one place I miss in Petaluma. 

Monet, you adorable yoga hippie.  Please teach me to like Yoga.  I hate it.  It’s boring.

Friederike, I’m excited for you to come visit but you can’t bring your giant dogs.  I’m afraid of dogs.

Kelli, Al’s friend who doesn’t live in Vegas but used to, right?  Do you ever come through Utah?  We should get our kids together.

Alicia, very impressed with your recent sewing skills.  Why do our mother’s generation make it look so easy?  I can sew straight lines.  Sorta.

Dev, one more Insta post about DTLA without something snarky written to accompany it and I’m going to beat you up.  You traffic in snark.  Get on that.

Makenna, dibs on you this summer.  I hope you’re pinning things on Pinterest so we have plenty of craft ideas.  Or we can just teach them all more air guitar.

Michelle Farrell, have really been enjoying all your art posts, especially all the nudie pics.  Why do people get uncomfortable with body art?  I think it’s cool.

Jackie, please pin on pinterest more.  I miss your humor.

Selina, those harem pants were an E for effort.  Show us the finish product, ok?

Annie my gosh woman you are all over the place this season!  How many different cities did you hit in the space of a week?  I hope you have someone doing laundry and cleaning so you can recover from all the fun.

Dorothy, when I read your post about Christmas card mustaches I hoped that your kid had drawn them on the cards you were sending out.  I would have very much enjoyed getting a bemustachio’d Christmas card.

Flora, I wish I could adopt you as our honorary grandmother.  I run across pictures of you and your grandkids and wish that I could ship mine over to your summer of fun!

Brandi, the pictures you took are some of my very favorites of me and my kids.  You have a real talent.  I want to come back to Hawaii just so I can take more pictures with you.  I think we’d be friends in real life.

Live Life to the Funnest!

I was populating the previous post with pictures of people (I’ll alliterate if I so choose) when I ran across all of these pictures.  Holy crap my life is fun.  I have the best life ever!  Look at all this fun:

Roasting marshmallows in full ninja costumes.

Wearing animal print from head to toe.

Dinner out with my lovely bookclub.  Note the photobomber.

Watching tiny Jude attempt to play guitar.  Not a prodigy.

Daily wrestling and acrobatics.

Turban ala Nathan (my long time bud from LA)

Three hamsters on a treadmill.

My book club reading my favorite women’s sociology book.

Taking a popcorn bath for no reason other than Hush brought home a huge bag of popcorn from the Jazz.

Impromptu multigenerational jam session, Mimi singing lead on Johnny Cash’s “I Walk the Line.”

Dressing all professional (minus the pink hair) and landing a new college teaching job.

Going on adventures to hidden streams.

Wearing a wig on a date for no reason whatsoever.

 

Going to weddings.“Try as much as possible to be wholly alive with all your might, and when you laugh, laugh like hell.”–Ernie Hem.

Making CRAZY hair.

Wearing synthetic dreads for a week.

Coaxing this whole family into bowling on Thanksgiving.

Stuffing kids in the top of closets.

Going on a Ninja Training Adventure.  (Jude thinks Hush is his ninja training master and they have to do special training activities, man things.)

Making Christmas Treats

Collecting a whole family of Cheetah loungewear.

Finding my own action figure!  (Seriously, did they copy me??)

 

Pretty much I am the happiest ever ever.  Things aren’t perfect, they never are.  But my squad and I are living life to the funnest.

-Rumi

Late Halloween and Fall Post

Fall felt like this:

Rather than words to describe our first two months together we have videos and music.  We have projects.  We have events.  We have peaceful hearts and happy children.  Here’s a month late picture of our first two months.

Music:

We are borrowing Nate’s drums until one of the other sisters demands we bring them back.  Turns out Hush can also play the drums.

Mimi has started lessons.  She’s surprisingly good already!  I’m also taking guitar lessons.  I’m terrible.  Jude’s started guitar too, though it is probably a bit early for that because of the tantrums involved.

Events:

Remember that day all my dreams came true?  No, not my wedding nor my three children’s births.  That day my whole family NAILED our Oz costumes.  I nearly cried with joy when Mimi, without prompting nor coercion, asked to be Dorothy for Halloween.  The little boys were on board with Tinman and Scarecrow.  And if she is Dorothy, that meant I got to be Glinda! 

Look closely at the skirt, do you recognize it?  Much better use of that fabulousness, no? 

It must be noted that also without coercion Hush jumped right into the fantastic Cowardly Lion costume my mother made.  How incredible is it that I found a man who knows the value of a fabulous if slightly embarrassing costume?  He rocked that Lion.  It was full commitment, without protest.  A man has to be very secure with himself to be the ONLY man in costume at the Ward Trunk or Treat.  It was a dream come true.

Projects:

Hush and I have been developing a land art project.  We came up with some ideas and out came the pen and pad to work out possible designs.  This required some research at the junk yard.

We are getting closer to a finalized plan.  Right now we’re working on a labyrinth. 

Fall is also costume time.  When isn’t costume time at my house?

 

And of course the daily wrestling sessions.

 

Ok, I think that covers most of the fall things.  Record updated.