Memories Part 4: Grandma Saggy Skin

Growing up my Father’s mom, Grandma Murphy, lived in Salt Lake City Utah. We lived in Provo so that meant that we got to see her pretty frequently. I loved visits to grandma’s house. She lived in a little apartment on the West side of Salt Lake and it had a very distinct smell, like raisins, cheap dish soap, and medicine. Grandma Murphy was always taking photos; most of pictures of our family growing up came from her.  She also loved to put ice down people’s back when they weren’t expecting it. But my favorite thing about my grandma when I was young was her droopy saggy skin. I loved to sit on her lap and pull her skin up and down and stretch it from side to side, to run my fingers up the cracks and ridges. She was really patient with me and let me mold the skin on her arms and neck without complaint. Grandma Murphy was such a great woman, I love her and miss and can’t wait until I get to be with her again.

Birthday Bash

Thursday I celebrated my 26th Birthday. 

I am sure I have mentioned before but I am not a huge celebrator these days. I have hopes and dreams of being this great party thrower and planning ahead to do nice things for those I love on their special days, but I'm just not there right now. So the day wasn't too eventful, but I dig low key and easy too.

I did what I have done for most birthdays during my life, we went swimming! We went with my dear friend Christie, and my mother-in-law.

 Here I am only six more weeks to go, haha let's cross our fingers for five. She loves the pool and moves a lot while I swim and I love the exercise, it feels so nice to use my body for exercise.

 Kacen has really stared to take to the pool. When he wears the little floater in the lower picture he will push himself off the stairs into the pool and then kick around and come back to the stairs. I can't believe how athletic he is, he does all sorts of crazy things at the park and after only three days of practice he kicks with really great form in the pool. We do spend a lot of time without the floaters working on blowing bubbles and he is pretty comfortable with hanging out on the stairs.

And today he was walking along a rock wall with about a five foot drop and of course he wouldn't hold my hand, and against all hopes he fell off the wall, like tumbled down rocks into weeds! He just looked up at me and I told him to walk up the grass hill, but he turned right around and CLIMBED UP THAT WALL! Man I think he is so cool, an athletic artist. Well for now. And I can't wait to see what other fun things he starts to enjoy. 

Then we went to Shady Maple Buffet with Perry and Valarie, and Christie watched Kace, so nice. But seriously $17 per person for a buffet, that's nuts! But you eat free on your birthday. It was pretty good, but buffets aren't really too great these days, my stomach doesn't hold as much and I really miss the leftovers the next day. But it was still a great relaxing time and a really fun time hanging out and chatting with the grown ups. We had one picture outside the restaurant but I didn't look nearly as good I did above so it didn't make the cut.

And the celebrating will continue with a ladies lunch this Tuesday around 12:30 at Tulsi in Lancaster. If any of you want to come celebrate my life, haha, please do, it will be a blast. 

Memories: Part 3 "Even if I have to go bathroom?"

My all time favorite line from the movie Annie is when miss Hannigan comes into the orphan room after Annie is smuggled away in the laundry and asks, "Where's Annie?" And one of the girls replies, "She had to go bathroom." Then miss Hannigan mocking the girl in a really nasally voice mimics back, "She had to go bathroom." Check it out real quick on youtube here. I always thought I would play that little girl really well.

Probably Summer Time 1991

My parents were leaving for the night and told us children to wash the dishes, “THEY HAD BETTER BE CLEAN BY THE TIME WE GET HOME.” I don’t know whose idea it was, siblings feel free to comment here, but somehow we agreed to just hide the dishes in the oven so when our parents got home they would think the dishes were done and ran off to play.

Weeellll later that night my parents came home and being the intellectual people they are, they found the stash. Oooohhhh we were in troouuuuble. My dad was fuming, “Now you kids had better stay in here and wash these dishes, I don’t want anyone to leave the kitchen for any reason until the dishes are done.” I asked my dad, “even if we have to use the bathroom?” He replied, “I don’t even care if you have to use the bathroom, you stay in here and finish the dishes.”

I don’t know how, but this came off as a challenge to me, so I stood there and wet myself. Yeah sure I knew it was sick, and it felt awful as it ran down my stretchy pants into my jelly shoes. But that was all put aside because I knew that at any moment I would get one of these, “oh Heather I am so sorry I didn’t know you had to use the restroom or I would have let you go.” But instead I got one of these, “Well now you have to stand there in your pee and do the dishes.” Luckily my mom inserted with a voice of reason, “Jerry that’s unsanitary.” So I was forced to clean up my own pee, wash my clothes, take a bath and then do the dishes.  

Oh Just This and That

Soooo where to begin? So much to share and only 15 minutes til bed. Speed round:
Habitat for humanity toilet crazy
all lids up....

all lids down....

Goggles

Fun at our new found park in Bainbridge

And kayaking on a warm Saturday night

Activities like this remind me of how our lives used to be back West, lots of recreation. I am so grateful to all of our friends and family, both here and there, who always make/made doing fun outdoor things like this possible. It rejuvenates us to get out and do active things, I have been swimming a lot lately and eating better and I have so much more energy and strength and I love it.

This little adventure wasn't flawless though, I pinched my finger in the ore as I snapped it together and took off a huge chunk of skin it looks sick and hurts badly. I also rubbed the skin off thumb because I was such and intense paddler, haha or my hands have become week and sensitive. Only three years ago I frequently ripped quarter sized pieces of skin off my hands while rock climbing and didn't think about it at all, now all of the sudden one tiny rip makes me whine.

By the way Kacen loves the boats.

I want to give a special thanks to my in-laws because they indulge my silly wants, like: kayaking, sister wives, hot fudge, ice cream and Papa John's Hawaiian Pizza, they are soooo good to me and what do they usually get? An ornery pregnant woman.  I love my in-laws so much and don't really express it too well. They are such good people, and great parents. A special shout out to Perry on this Father's Day, he helped my husband become the amazing man he is today, through his example of love and compassion. He never reads this and I always joke him that I write about them on here so if he ever does read this at least he will find something nice.

A special shout out to my daddy-o, Jerry. He is a great dad, I talk to him at least once a week. He loves his grand kids so much and just likes to hear what we are up to. I love my parents so much too. My fav memories of my dad is when he used to take me out of school to go fishing and told me if I told my mom he would not do it any more. So we would sneak out of town, get some junk food and go fish. I hate fishing, but loved the time with my pops.

And last but not least a special shout out to my Ky Ky pie. I love this guy so much. I don't like to even think of my life without him. He not only lead our family in doing correct things, he works hard, he cares about becoming a better person, he takes care of Kacen and he does the laundry and dishes. What a man! Oh and he is so cute. One time when we were somewhat newly married he skated down to Winger's, where I was working, and some hostesses were near the door and said, "Oh man look at that hottie out there, I love a cute preppy skater look." So I went to see and it was my Ky, haha. Yeah he is a hottie. And also he makes me laugh and motivates me to get out and to things I know I love even when I feel lazy and just want to sit around eating muddy buddies witting blog posts (hehe I am doing that right now).

Happy Sunday.