the one about swimming with the Searles

My brother and his family were gone all weekend, so we offered to "pool sit." It was hard, work, but we managed. ;)

On Friday evening, we invited the Kandice and her family to come swim with us. They brought Pizza, pool toys and lots of FUN! It was a blast! Thanks, Kandice, for bringing the family and hanging out with us. It was nice to have a little company while we had the TOUGH job of pool sitting.




The water was a little cold, so you kind of needed to jump in rather than slowly creep in. Kandice wanted to make her entrance into the water by going down the slide, but we told her that you kind of need a wet bum to go. So she decided to dip her bottom in the water. It was so funny, and actually a pretty good idea, but she got stuck! I had to help her out.

the one about Morgie-Ma-Goo

I love Janice's little girls SOSOSOSOSOSOSO much! Really I do. And I don't know why, but I have always been super close to Morgan. I love this little thing to pieces!!!!! In fact, my whole family loves her to pieces. And you know whats great??? She loves us too!

The other day we were going to the new Rec Center and Morgan wanted to ride with me. We had to stop and get Brett some lunch, so while we were waiting in the line at Burger King, I started being dumb and taking these pictures. Morgan and Quayd were being so silly and cute! I love them!!!

PULL A SILLY FACE!!!
Janice, I am happy for you, but I am SO MAD that you are taking my little Ma-Goo away from me! If you decided that you don't have room for her... I will sure take her off your hands! ;)

the one about saying goodbye to the Cooks

My friend Janice is moving. This has been a possibility for a long time, but now it is real. I am sad that they are leaving, but I also know this is a great opportunity for their family. Greg got a great new job so they are picking up and leaving to Kentucky in about 2 weeks.

Kandice and GJ invited us up last week and we had a nice "farewell" BBQ with Janice, Holly, Kandice and their families. I didn't take very many pictures, but I did get a few. (Thanks Brett)

Look at our cute kids...

the one about the Buxton Expandable Organizer

Have you seen the commercials for the Buxton Expandable Organizer? No.... I didn't order it!!! But every time the commercial comes on, Quayd tells me that he thinks I need it. He knows how I LOVE purses and he sees how handy this thing is, so he really thinks it would be beneficial for his mom. It's kinda sweet, actually, but this thing is HIDEOUS! He saw the commercial again this morning and said, "Mom, I really think you need that. Look, you can even find your things in a blindfold!"

the one about my big movie debut

Finally Hollywood has realized that my life is movie worthy.

And I think they have captured the true essence that is me. Well, here... just see for yourself...

It's called, "All the Boys Love Mandy Lane."

click here MY MOVIE

I think its going to be HUGE! ;)

Funny, huh!

the one about boating

My Brother and sister in-law invited us to go boating with them the other day. We were so excited for the chance to go! We mostly just fished all day, but did a little cruising around the lake. We took lunch and just relaxed. It was so much fun! We are so lucky to live in such a beautiful area with lakes only a few minutes away. It was super easy to load up and go. We laughed all day and just had so much fun. The boys got along well and we laughed all day. We loved it! Thanks Brandon and Danette for the GREAT time.

Sometimes I am sad that Quayd has no siblings to interact with, so I try really hard to expose him to lots of different things and people. It makes me so happy that his cousins are just next door and that his aunt and uncle include Quayd in a lot of their fun stuff. It means a lot to me. He is a special boy and I always want him to have the very best! This was such a fun day and a great experience for ALL OF US to have such a great time with my family.

Enjoy a few pictures...








I just noticed that since I was the only one taking pictures, there are none of me. So there is really no proof that I was even there. How sad. But I assure you, I was there, and I think I had the most fun of everyone!!!!

the one about four-wheeling

So this is how we have spent our afternoon, trying to make the most of our ugly front yard during all of this road construction.

We fired up Quayd's four-wheeler and he has been riding it all day. Brayden and Brennen had to get in on the fun too! They got on their Dad's big four-wheeler and everyone took turns.


No fights!! Amazing.

Once that started to get old, Brett made a jump, but so far, Quayd is the only one brave enough to try it.

theone about the past, present and future

This looked a little fun to me. Kandice's friend from Australia tagged her, and I decided that Kandice would tag me.

20 years ago...
1. I was almost 10 years old. My best friend in the whole wide world was Marcie. We were probably playing on a hot summer day, just like today. We probably rode our bikes to 7-11. We had probably had 9 fights by now, so I had stormed home mad. By the time I got home, she was calling to see if I cold come back and play. (We lived about 4 houses away.)
2. My parents were still married.
3. I was just your average, energetic, happy 9 year old girl.

10 years ago...
1. I was newly engaged. We had talked about marriage, but now it was official. I had my ring and everything.
2. I was planning my wedding and fighting with my mom about it!
3. I was super excited to be on my own! I was working at Wal-Mart and living in the apartment that would later become Brett's and my first home.

5 years ago...
1. Quayd was just about to turn 1. I was still trying to recover from my crazy sickness. I was still pretty weak, but improving every day.

2. We were living in a small rental house by my in-laws.
3. Brett had a good job. We had NO money and tons of medical bills but things were finally starting to look up for us.

3 years ago...
1. Quayd was almost 3. He was just starting to be the funny kid that he has become today. He was talking tons and he was potty trained.
2. We were toying with the idea of adoption.
3. We had been living in our current house for a year. I had tons of awesome friends.... something I had not had since High School. I was loving this life clear full of GREAT friends!

1 year ago...
1. Quayd was preparing to go to Kindergarten, and I was really trying to talk myself out of sending him. I was so worried that he wsn't ready.
2. Brett was working construction, and just about to start working at AirGas, where he works now.
3. We were preparing to go on our first BIG vacation, out of the country, on a cruise!!

So far this year...
1. I have fallen more and more in love with my great husband. After nearly 10 years we are happier than ever. I realize how lucky I am to have found such a great guy to help me raise our perfect child!
2. We have officially become the owners of our house. Not just paying to own it, but we actually OWN IT!
3. I have learned a lot about myself. I have learned that even though my health is pretty good, I am not invincible. I still have many limitations and I just have to work on being patient with my body. I am still a work in progress and no matter how tough I think I am, I still have to remember that I am only human.

Yesterday...
1. Was Father's Day. We had a swell day, full of swimming, relaxing and getting a terrible sunburn!!


2. Quayd decided he was ready to learn how to swim without a life jacket, and he did it.
3. I ate this turkey and stuffing smothered sandwich thing and I still have heart burn from it today.


Today...
1. I have been trying to clean the dirtiest house in the universe.... mine!
2. Quayd has been relaxing in my bed and watching tv all day, trying to recover from his mild sunburn from yesterday. (It's nothing like mine or Brett's!) So I have been waiting on him hand and foot. It has been really fun, actually. He even wanted me to feed him his lunch!
3. I think we are going to have dinner with the Galley family at Family Home Evening.


Tomorrow...
1. We will go to the library and turn in Quayd's weekly reading record for the summer reading program. We should have done it today, but we just couldn't get moving.
2. We will probably go for a bike ride to the library then to get a shaved ice.
3. There better be some more progress on my dang road!!! Look, though... I finally have a sidewalk!!!

Next year...
1. I will be feeling better than ever! I will have already hit the big 30!!! So that stress will be gone.
2. Quayd will have made it through first grade with flying colors, and he will be almost 7!!!!
3. We will go on an amazing vacation and spoil ourselves ROTTEN!

Now it's your turn.... TAG!!!!! You're it!

the one about road construction and rabbits

ERRRRRRRRRRRR!!! I am so mad at my stupid road construction bull crap!

First of all, it has taken SO much longer than they said and they keep changing plans and trying to jip us. My house is so dusty because of all of the mess. They shut my water off at weird times without telling me. I hate having to pick up my mail at the post office. And whenever it looks like they are making some progress, they are digging something else up again. One step forward, two steps back. I am so bugged. I swear everytime I look outside they are just sitting on their butts. GET TO WORK!

Well, you think that is bad??? Get this.... One of the idiots brings his two big dogs to work everyday. They just wander the neighborhood and it is totally annoying. Well, as if the dog crap on my lawn wasn't enough.... the damn things got into my rabbit pen and killed one of the rabbits on Thursday!!!!!!! Can you believe that!?!?!?!?!?!? Thank goodness Brayden walked by when he did, or I am sure they would have gotten the other two also. I wasn't home when it all happened, but my Grandparents were and they marched right out there and told the guy all about it. He felt terrible. Like, REALLY TERRIBLE! He offered to replace it or give money or something, and my Grandma gave him an earful about how you can't just "replace" a pet. Well, a few hours later, he showed up on my door step with another rabbit. It was a nice gesture, and we appreciated it a lot, but if it were up to me, I probably wouldn't have replaced it. Not to be rude. But we all know how quickly rabbits reproduce. And we have been very lucky so far. We have had these three rabbits for a year now and have not had one baby. That is a good thing! Well, we don't know for sure if we have all males, females or if things don't work right, because trust me! They all have the "motions" down. They all give each other "piggy-backs" (as Quayd calls it) all the time! Well, our big rabbit has really taken a liking to the new rabbit. It is NON STOP! And I am embarassed to say this, but it is hard to look away when it is happening. It's like a bad train wreck. You know you should look away, and you want too, but you just can't!

I thought I should pay tribute to the deceased and show off the survivors. I guess I should tell a little bit about them. Rabbit #1, Tuffy, came to us last summer at the Kids Rodeo. Quayd caught it and brought it home. I was out of town with Janice and I got a phone call that we were the proud owners of a rabbit. Brett and Quayd were so proud of themselves. I, on the otherhand, was not impressed. Well, of course, I fell in love with him! He is adorable and so much fun. Well Brayden and Brennen wanted in on the action and we hated for Tuffy to be all alone. My mom had some friends who had baby rabbits they were giving away. We took the boys and let them choose one to keep in our pen. They are supposed to help us take care of them, but honestly, Quayd does all of the work!!! Except poop clean up. That is Brett and I. The bunnies are fun though and we love them. We are all so attached to them. Even my Grandparents love them. We sit out in front of the pen and just watch them for hours. (Train Wreck! Train Wreck! Piggy-Back! Train Wreck!) Last August, the boys entered them in the county fair. They all won blue ribbons. It was actually Brennen's rabbit who was killed. Here is Quayd with Tuffy (at the fair).

Brayden and Digga. (the smaller, mostly white one. the other one is Tuffy again.)

Brennen with the late Shiney.

So, here is the replacement rabbit, Charlie. (And it is actually WAY cuter than the dead one! Shiney was for sure the homliest of our three rabbits!) And here it is, post-piggy back with Tuffy.


Anyway, the gestation period for rabbits is 31 days, so mark your calendars.

the one about Father's Day

Kind of a strange feeling around my house today. Don't get me wrong, Father's Day was fun and great and I think Brett had a good day. But we definitely noticed the absence of one very important and special father. Mike. It is strange to think that we are approaching the 1 year mark since his death last August. And even closer to the 1 year mark of when we last saw him alive.

Strange story... Mike had a million and two health problems. And weird problems too! We still joke that if it could happen, it would happen to Mike. Anyway, he was on several medications for several different things and was pretty much confined to a wheelchair. He was a veteran and he was able to go to a type of rehabilitation center in Florida to adjust medications and get him adjusted to life in a wheelchair. He flew out early on July 24th. So on the 23rd, Brett, Quayd and I, Talia, Mike and Gleneita (I think that was all that went) went to dinner and spent some quality time together. When we said good-bye to him that night, that was it. That was our good-bye. It is so weird, but that night when we drove away from their house, Brett said to me, "That is the last time we will see my dad alive. He's not coming home." I totally brushed it off and thought he was totally weird, but he knew. Also, looking back, Mike was so insistent that he see everyone and tell everyone good-bye. It was so important to him. Isn't that crazy? He knew, without really knowing, you know? I miss him.

It was our ward's Father/Son camp out on Friday night and Brett always took Mike and Quayd, so it was a little difficult for him this year. These are scrapbook pages from the camp out 3 years ago.

This picture is from the last time we went to Hidden Springs Lodge. Just thought I'd throw it in here. (Brett, Randy and Mike playing cards.)

My dad lives so far away and even though I hate it, we just aren't super close. Throughout my 30 years, he has lived far away longer than he hasn't. As sad as it seems, it is just the normal now. We talk occasionally, but he has his life and I have mine. It is kind of a tough thing for me to talk about, so I don't very often. I love my dad though and I miss him too!

With the shortage of Dads here, we also realize just how blessed we are to have the amazing Grandpas that we do! Last night we got to spend some time with Grandpa Lane to celebrate his Birthday and Father's Day. We had a pizza party at his house. I couldn't pass up this great photo opportunity.

This morning, we got to be with my Grandpa for breakfast on his patio. My mom and I cooked, and my Grandparents provided the space! Brandon, Danette and the boys were there too. It was fun.

It was such a hot beautiful day today, that we couldn't pass up the invitation from Brayden and Brennen to swim in their sweet pool! Talia also invited us to go swim at the lake, but we thought the pool sounded much nicer. So she came here instead. Then we made Gleneita get out of the house and come hang with us. She brought lunch too, which was great!
So speaking of swimming, My son is a fish. Just so you know. He has always loved to swim! He has taken swimming lessons, but has never really caught on to swimming without a life jacket. And he hasn't really cared! He got a new life jacket this summer and when we were at the lodge last week, it really rubbed him and made sores all over. It was pretty sad. So today when we were getting our swim suits on, he said, "I don't want to swim with my life jacket anymore. I think I will learn to swim today." And you know what??? HE DID!!!!! Once he had it in his mind that he could do it, he did it with no trouble at all. Can you believe that? He was jumping off the side and swimming to the other side and everything. I am just amazed.

Well, I hope Brett had as nice of a day as I did. It was very laid back and relaxing. Quayd and I got him a golf pass and I am sure he will put it to good use! I am so thankful for Brett and the great dad that he is. He is so cute with Quayd and I love seeing them together. Brett is teaching Quayd to be a good man, just like he is. When I am with the two of them, I feel so safe and loved. They respect and love me so much, and I feel the very same about them. I am so glad I was able to give Brett his beautiful son and give the Grandpas and Great-Grandpas thier Grandson. I am so thankful for the wonderful men in my life!!!!

Happy Father's Day!

the one about hanging out with friends

Tonight was our ward's Fathers and Sons camp out. Brett and Quayd are gone, and I wanted to do something fun! Lindsay C. called me and invited me to hang out. We had a great time, ate some dinner and watched a movie at her house. Thanks Lindsay!

After I got home, I got on the computer to blog (your welcome, readers!) Kandice was online and we started chatting. Well, here is our conversation..... (ignore the typos, we can't type as fast as we want to talk!)

Mandy: oh my gosh!!! i am leavingyou a comment on your blog RIGHT now!!!
Kandice: you were. my goodness. i am so flattered
Mandy: that is wierd, huh
Kandice: cnat wait to read it
Kandice: what you been doin
Mandy: well, i went and hung with lindsay for a little bit
Mandy: now i am home.... all alone
Mandy: and likeing it. not loving, LIKING
Mandy: man,,, what i wouldnt give for some nacho's tonight
Kandice: is your sore bum better
Mandy: much
Mandy: i have been back to my old regular self
Mandy: OH MY HECK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mandy: i have the biggest beastliest zit on my back and i need some assistance
Kandice: oh really.
Kandice: that sounds very intriguing
Mandy: i know! i cant reach it
Kandice: well, if you need me to assist you
Mandy: i do i do! i asked lindsay if she was into that stuff, but she said EWWWWW gross
Kandice: seriously, what kind of weirdo woudl not pop a zit ;)
Mandy: but i wll have to play tomorrow, cuz i have no car. Brett took mine
Mandy: there are like 2 heads on it i think
Kandice: welli am in in my nighty, but i could still come over
Mandy: gas prices are SO high!
Kandice: hehe
Kandice: i know
Mandy: but i would buy you some nachos for it
Kandice: hmm, and some peanut butter mms
Mandy: ABSOLUTELY!
Kandice: k, deal. be there in a jiffy
Mandy: and we can come back here to eat them
Kandice: k, and then pop your zit
Mandy: do i have to wear a bra?
Kandice: do i?
Mandy: heck no!
Kandice: hehe. i will put on something more ummm nicer though
Mandy: i will put on a hoodie
Kandice: and i will put on some pants
Kandice: and a shirt
Kandice: k. bee there in a sec.
Mandy: and i will put on underwear
Mandy: jk
Kandice: hehe...ok
Mandy: cant wait
Kandice: k, bye bye

Isn't that funny! We do that quite often. Just the other night, in fact, with Jamie! But she wasn't online tonight and it was too late to call. Anyway, we went to 7-11, got our treats, came back to my house and listened to 80's music. Kandice has quite the 80's collection!

It was so fun!! Conan O'Brien was on, so we muted him and read the closed captions and laughed and laughed. Then it was zit time! She picked on my back, then I picked on hers. YUMMY! We have so much fun and we are so much a like sometimes, it is scary. Thanks Kandice, for being so weird and impulsive, like me!! You are the best! And thinks especially for taking care of this awful thing. Or things! Nice one(s), huh!