Here she comes...Miss America

When I was a little girl, I LOVED watching the Miss America Pageant.  In fact, I watched it well into my early married years.  There was something fairy-tale-like about the" girl next door" being crowned the most beautiful girl in America.

Last night, I was still fighting the flu and couldn't drag myself off the couch so I wrapped myself in a blanket and turned on the TV.  The only thing I could find to watch was Miss America.  I'm embarrassed to say that I watched it for 2 hours.  First of all there were way too many implants.  Yes, that is allowed...in fact "any enhancement that improves the contestants self esteem" is OK. Many of the contestants spoke of their spray tans, hair extensions, spray glue to hold their swimsuit or evening gown in place, and of course the reconstructive and plastic surgery that many of them had undergone.

The most painful part of the evening was the "talent" portion.  I had to laugh when the first contestant to perform did a baton routine.  Seriously...A BATON ROUTINE...in 2013?.  Who does that anymore?  One did a "modern dance" routine that looked like she was making it up as she went along.  She looked dizzy when it was over.  And there was the girl who sang an Adele song that was just bad.  I don't think she hit one note correctly.  Three contestants did a tap dance and two played the piano...one of the pianists seemed like a legitimate  pianist...the other one played a piece that I think she perfected for the contest but doesn't actually play the piano.  Really, the talent portion was more like comedy.

The swimsuit competition was scary.  The girls were all wearing the same bikini (in different colors) and when they came out, it could have been an advertisement for starving African children.  I'm all for being thin and in shape but they just didn't look normal. And to watch them walk in their high heels with a bikini on was unnatural.

And of course the "interview" section is always awkward.  What can you say of any value in 20 seconds when you are asked about armed guards at schools, medical marijuana, or Honey BooBoo?

One more commentary...when last year's Miss America came out to crown the new winner, she looked like a 70's version of Cher.  Look it up and see if you agree.

In the end, Miss New York won.  I thought she was a valid choice.

(wow...her mouth is almost as large as her earrings)

So with all that being said, what makes a woman beautiful?  I like what my son, Jeff, has said on occasion, "nothing is more beautiful than a confident woman."  What is your opinion?

Christmas recap

The Holiday Season went by WAY TOO FAST but it was a fun Christmas.  Here is a quick re-cap

1. Holiday baking with Olivia

2.  A Whipple family Christmas party which included Minute to Win it Games, reading our parents love letters, and neighborhood Christmas caroling on a float from the Light Parade...yeah, we know how to party!

3.  Christmas with Jeff and Olivia before I flew out (no pictures...they came over when my electricity was out and I didn't think of pictures)

4.  A pre-Christmas trip to Utah.  We bundled Mike (and ourselves) up and took a night walk around the neighborhood to look at Christmas lights.  Then dinner (just me and Lisa) at the Riverwalk shopping center to see the beautiful lights and decor.

5.  Christmas in Ohio

6.  Eve of Christmas Eve Party

Katie and Spencer are genius!  They celebrate what they refer to as the Eve of Christmas Eve (Dec 23)  They have a dinner the kids love...see  their excitement...then have a slumber party under the Christmas tree; play a new game and watch a new movie.  The idea is to keep the kids up as late as possible so they will go to bed early the next night.

7. Christmas Eve nativity reenactment

8.  New Christmas PJ's and the annual family photo under the Christmas tree.  (I got new pajamas too)

9.  Early morning wake up call (5:30 a.m.) to open presents...that was 3:30 Arizona time.  Yikes!

10.  SNOW!!

11.  Snow shoveling which quickly turned to Sledding

12.  Games!

13. Flew back to Utah to spend another day with Michael then back home to Arizona.  Whew!!!

14.  Then rang in the New Year with 6 of my good friends with a fondue dinner and good conversation

I have a few more days off before I go back to work.  What a great break!

Let it snow!!

Today was an early release day at our elementary school so the parent organization put on a snow party for the students after school.  As it was in the planning stages, it sounded like a recipe for a disaster but I was pleasantly surprised at how smoothly everything went and of course the kiddos had a blast!

Two hours before the event, two big trucks came in and started blowing snow in a section of the parking lot and in another place in the playground.  After school was out, the kids put on the "snow clothes" and went out to play in the snow.  In addition to the pile of snow, there was a big slide that the kids could sled down.

Most of the snow melted within the three hours (as you can see below) so we didn't have to shovel it to have the playground ready again for tomorrow.

For those of you who live in snow areas, I know this seems ridiculous but for us Arizona folks, this is the best we could do to have a White Christmas.

Twas the night before Thanksgiving....

...and the table was set

The Sun'll come out tomorrow....

Did my post title make you start singing..."Tomorrow, Tomorrow, I love ya tomorrow...You're only a day away!"

Last Christmas I gave my mother in law  2 tickets to Hale Center Theater so she could take a friend and see any production they were doing this year.  Hale is a community theater in the neighboring city of Gilbert.  Everything I have seen there has been well done and I've enjoyed it.  Joan called me last month and told me she'd like to use her tickets and she'd like me to go with her.  She wanted to go see the production of Annie.

Like everything else I've seen there, this  production did not disappoint.  We both enjoyed the afternoon and then enjoyed a yummy pasta dinner at Macaroni Grill afterwards.  Somehow I cannot get ahead with my mother in law. I gave her the tickets, she took me to the play and then she took me out to dinner.  I felt like it was my Christmas present rather than the other way around.  She is one of the most generous people I know.

 Since we went to the matinee, there were a lot of Seniors there as well as a lot of children.  The kiddo sitting next to me talked through the entire performance and one of the things he was asking his dad was why the girl did not look like Annie.  When she came out in the final scene in her signature red dress, he got excited and said, "that's the real Annie."  I could handle the questions and constant talking from the little boy but what was getting annoying was the dad who was singing Every.Single.Song. Grr!

On to other news...I got some new eye glasses.  A few years ago, I needed them only for reading.  Now the optometrist is telling me I can wear them all of the time.  I don't think I'm quite ready for that although I do find myself wearing them more and more.

I went to pick them up a few nights ago.  I came home and tried them on so I could really see that they look like.  When it was bedtime, I set them by my purse so I could take them to work the next day.  As I was getting ready to leave for work, I couldn't find my glasses.  After looking around for 5 minutes, I had to leave.  Throughout the day, I was trying to think where I had put them.  My thought was that I had probably set them in the fridge by my lunch rather than on the kitchen table by my purse....does anyone else do silly things like that?  When I got home, I spent two hours (TWO HOURS!!!) looking for my glasses.  I looked under my bed, my night stand, cleaned out every drawer in my bedroom, rummaged through my closet, went through my bathroom, looked in every drawer and cupboard in my kitchen, looked in my spare bedrooms.  I was at wits end and finally decided that I would wait a few days in the hope that they would show up.  I was talking to my sister in law telling her about my "misfortune" when she started asking me, "did you look ....?"  "did you look...?"  I had looked everywhere she suggested.  Then she said ,"did you look under the table?"  Of course I looked under the table!  "Did you look on the kitchen chairs?"  Just then I pulled out the kitchen chair which had been pushed under the table.  There they were.  They had rolled off the table and onto the chair and I wouldn't have seen it until I pulled out the chair and who knows when that would have been since I rarely use that particular chair at my kitchen table.   Hallelujah!  I remember thinking, "there are two hours that I won't get back."

On a related story...I also got some new sunglasses.  Designer Sunglasses.  Louis Vutton Sunglasses.  FOR FREE!!  Someone had left them at the school last year...before I even started working there.  A few weeks ago we were all trying them on and I was "voted" as looking the best in  them so I took them home with me. I can't believe what a difference good sunglasses make.  No more squinting.

And one more thing...I  managed to throw my back out 2 weeks ago.  I'm not real sure how it happened ...I think it was a combination of things but when I woke up in the middle of the night unable (yes, really unable) to get out of bed, I knew I was in trouble.  I have never been to a chiropractor before and frankly have been a little leery of them but I didn't know what else to do.  After three adjustments in 4 days, I was on the mend again.  I have a new appreciation for my back.  I didn't realize how much you use your back and how debilitated you are when you can't use it.  I promise to take better care of it from now on.

SOLO Road Trip

The past few years, I've come to enjoy road trips...particularly when I go solo.  I love to have time alone with my thoughts.  The trip to Utah is 10 hours and that gives me a lot of pondering time (not to mention singing time, and eating time).    I also use the time to memorize...I've memorized the Family Proclamation and many scriptures.  Since this is fall break week, I decided to take a few days and drive up to Utah.  It is a beautiful time of year with the changing leaves and cool, crisp weather; a welcome change from still summer like weather in Arizona.

I talked Lisa into taking a day off of work on Monday (and I didn't have to twist her arm too hard) and we took Michael to Thanksgiving Point-- 13 acres of beautiful gardens.

 Before I share pictures of that, I'm going to digress for a moment and talk about the one of the greatest travesties of having a disabled adult:  Transportation!  We have only been able to find one company that will transport him and they only run Monday through Friday 8-5...which is pretty much NONE of the time either of us are available to take Mike anywhere.  Apparently, disabled people don't need/want to go anywhere on the weekends or evenings.  That means most of our outings are  of necessity someplace we can walk to.  The few times we've taken Mike on a real outing, the transportation costs between $50-$100.  I've had a social worker look for other companies and she located one but he would have to go to Salt Lake to be "interviewed" to see if he is eligible for the service.  Unfortunately, Salt Lake is too far for him to go...he just can't handle that far of a ride and they won't come to Provo.  Unbelievable!

Anyway, enough of my ranting. We did manage to arrange for an outing and off we went.

 Here we are at the rose gardens

Taking a break. 

 Actually, it was Lisa and I who were taking a break, Michael has it pretty easy just sitting there while we push him around.  

the happy couple 

(pretend his eyes are open.  I snapped at the wrong moment)

In case you're wondering, yes, Michael does have is jacket on backwards.  Once he is in his wheelchair it is impossible to put it on the right way.  This works!

beautiful waterfalls

one of the views we were looking at

Pushing a wheelchair is no easy feat.  Imagine a 200 lb man in a 60 pound wheelchair going over a cobblestone path up hill and down hill.  

It's Autumn Time!

A wonderful time was had by all although all of us were worn out when we were finished.

One more digression.  Look at these two pictures taken 4 weeks apart::

The change is subtle but look at the difference in his facial expression.  Each minor change is really major progress and we are grateful for any and all progress

Say CHEESE!

 We had school pictures taken a few weeks ago and they came back this week.  Those of us in the front office who saw them first, had a few good laughs as we snuck a peek through them.  Once they were distributed, there were a few more laughs as each of the teachers saw their picture and we were making fun of each others photos.  One teacher said, "please tell me the truth.  REALLY!  Tell me this is a bad picture.  I want to believe I don't really look like this."  It was a bad picture.  REALLY BAD.  She was relieved.

Look at this! The lighting is bad, the background is hideous, I'm not sitting up straight, I look washed out, etc. etc.


  This isn't the first time I've had a bad school picture.  Case in point...5th grade:

Could I have looked any more unhappy/cranky/scared/mad?  I'm not sure what this expression is.



But my all  time favorite is this one of Jeff.  I think it was first grade.  This goes down in our family history as one of the funniest school pictures ever taken.  (sorry Jeff, this is too funny to keep to keep to ourselves!)