We had a carnival.

 Lillie's party was lots of crazy fun! Since Lil is getting older, she got to invite some of her Primary friends from church. Lillie also has a slew of cousins, so between her three friends from church and cousins, there was a whopping 17 kids in attendance.

To keep with the Carnival theme we had face painting, balloon flowers&swords, and a few carnival games like gone fishing, duck pond, bean bag toss, and a three leg race. Each child received tickets for each game, depending how lucky/skilled they were, and afterwards all the kids were able to buy prizes and treats with their tickets. There were pixie sticks, cotton candy, gumballs, swirl lollipops, and circus peanuts.

So, I went to Wal Mart the night before to buy a cake. When I got to the bakery department, I stood in front of a bunch of sheet cakes for $24.99. I couldn't do it. I really wanted to just buy a cake. I just couldn't justify spending 25 bucks on a crappy tinkerbelle cake that would cost a slight fraction of the cost to make myself and didn't even go with the theme. Instead I bought $6 worth of ingredients and attempted to make clown cones. It was almost a failing attempt, but the whole process went quickly. I will never know how Baskin Robin's gets their smiles to stick to the ice cream. Oh well. They sort of looked like clowns (the kind you have nightmares about).

In the end, it was an exhausting, hot day. Lillie loved every waking minute and said, "Mom! I'm five now!" at least 27 times that day. She woke up to 5-shaped pancakes, got her fingernails polished, had her birthday party, and ended the evening eating at her restaurant of choice: Arctic Circle (where all she ate was fries).

The 11th Street Mess

Has anyone in the history of modern real-estate every had a transaction like this one?
Well, probably.

This is our 5th house we've put an offer on since February. Hurray for us! Some people hear that we've been looking for a house for 8 months and assume that we haven't found one because we're too picky or something. Not true, judgementals. We have found 5 houses. We have lost 4 of them to multiple offers that bid way above what we can afford. And even if it did take that long, who cares? It's not like it's a small decision.

The house we love the most sits on a beautiful tree-lined street with beautiful landscaped yards and tire swings. It's 11th Street. We put an offer on this home all the way back in April, a couple weeks before Dustin turned 30. What has been going on from then until now can be summed up into 2 words: stressful crap.

Headache after headache, and to make a long story short, we were suppose to close on this house on August 17th (Lillie's Birthday). However, on August 6th, the sellers went through what is called a variance, which basically means that after reviewing their finances, they found they are unable to pay the closing costs (which they already signed to do) and they were trying to get the closing costs waved. That process takes anywhere between 2-6 weeks. However, because of this, the house went back on the market until that went through. Here's what we found out out today.

Good news: The bank accepted the variance this morning!
Bad news: Someone else put an offer on the house last week.

So, we are once again in a bidding war against another potential buyer. If we can outbid them, then we will sign the papers and get on our way of completing the inspection and finalizing our loan. If not, we pretty much wasted the last 4 months waiting for this gem. We have no idea what their offer was, we just know it was significantly higher than our original one. (?!?!?!?!? GAH!)

But let me tell you, this house is beautiful. And I really, really, really hope we get it.
Here's to another day of fasting and prayer and Mt. Dew!

My inventions.

I have difficulty following through. Let's just put that out there.

BUT

I have some pretty great ideas. One time when I was 18, my best friend Michael and I decided to start a business selling screen print T-shirts that say funny Mormon things. We even bought a .com website, and had sample T-shirts made to promote our ingenious products that for sure every consumer would want, Mormon or not. We were going to make at least $200,000 each. It was called MyBishopRocks.com. And surely enough, Summer was over that's where it ended. I went off to Rexburg, he went off to NYU, and the website expired. So for all of these awesome ideas...and because I know I will never follow through with them, I will post the rest because I still want someone to.

1. Opposite-Microwave. I can't think of a better name. It's essentially a feature on a microwave (or another unit itself) that makes food colder. Dustin thinks it's scientifically impossible, but there's got to be some science-nerd with that insane, stereotypical electrocuted-hair look and nasely voice that can figure this one out. I mean, really? Am I the only one who overheats things? Or who doesn't want to wait 25 minutes to eat cheesy potato soup?

2. Toast Grabber. Again, poor name choice. Maybe it's just every toaster I've ever had, but I feel like I'm risking extreme electrocution when I jab metal knives in there to try to stab my toast to pull it out.

3. A cleaning product for extreme grease build-up. Oh really? I should try dish detergent? Steal wool? Comit? Straight acid? Nope. None of them have worked for the nastiness that is on the outside and top of our refrigerator that is located directly next to our range. And for your FYI (that's a quote), that grease was not from us. We don't fry things.

4. Feux-orange leather backpacks. I don't want to spend $400 on a backpack, I just want to look like I did.

(Okay, okay. If someone really does invent that opposite-microwave, I will need at least 2% commission.)

Five

Tears stream down my face when I think about how fast time is flying! Lillie is 5 years old today. The only word I can use to describe that little girl is: sweet. She is sweet and compassionate in every way and is just plain gentle and loving. I sincerly am in awe the Heavenly Father gave her to us.
At 5 years old, Lillie knows her entire alphabet, and knows 12 sounds of the letters. She can count to 100, and can write all of our names in our family without asking. She loves coloring and doing crafts, playing with chalk, reading books, and riding her Hello Kitty bike. Lillie loves having her fingernails painted red, wearing dresses, high heals, and dousing herself with lotion each day. Her favorite scripture story is Jonah and the Whale, and she loves singing primary songs. Lillie has passed off 12 articles of faith this year, and is determined to learn the 13th. She is compassionate, and always brings me a drink of water and snacks when she can tell I'm having a hard time. She sleeps like me, knows all the words to the latest country songs on the radio, and dances when nobody's looking (but I always silently crack her door open so I can watch). She's an excellent big sister to Jack, and is very forgiving--which is essential when being a big sister to Jack. She is shy, has a soft, little voice, and says the sweetest prayers by her bed each night. I love her. She has taught me significantly more than I will ever be able to teach her.

Here are some snapshots of her life, so far.
(The only thing lacking is the background music of "Butterfly Kisses at Night."...Pipe down! I know it's cheesy!)

August 17th, 2007 at 1:35AM

6 lbs. 14 oz. 21 1/2 inches

Lillie's 1st Birthday

Lillie walked on her knees from ages 10-17 months.

2nd Birthday.

3rd Birthday

4th Birthday!

Happy 5th Birthday, sweetheart.

The taste of sweat in the shower.

So it might be slightly inappropriate or perhaps a bit on the unusual side, but I love the taste of salt water running down my face the minute I immerse myself in our shower following a long run. That's the taste of a champion, my friends.

September 15th is the big race day. After finishing five half-marathons over the last three Summers, I finally heeded my sister's subtle suggestion to just go for a full marathon. Every time she would tell me that I'm already half way there, I would say, "Yeah, but I enjoy 13 miles. I would defiantly not enjoy 26."

Until this year.

I can do hard things (well, that's what I tell myself). I am only 25, and I'd like to think that I can run 26.2 miles. I recently had a conversation with another person regarding Gatorade. This person was non-factually (is that a word?) trying to convince me that drinking Gatorade while exercising will make it impossible to lose weight. While I have not yet researched their statements (and let's be honest, I probably won't), I thought it was interesting that they assumed I was out running to lose weight. My motives for running are much less shallow than reasons just to loose a few inches around my dog-chew-toy looking stomach.

On Friday night after dousing myself with my large deodorant-looking-stick of "Anti-Chafe" in various locations all over my body (some much too awkward to mention), I tied my shoes, grabbed two of my energy GU's and stuffed them in my sports bra, and asked Lillie where the heck she put the "hair-pod" (ipod). After a failed attempt at locating it, I decided to just leave. It was 6:15PM, 87 degrees, and pleasantly overcast.

Long story short, I was lost in my thoughts about how much it would cost to drive vs. fly to Disneyland, what Ben Perry might be up to after all these years (means he still won't accept my friend requent on facebook), what I should make for dinner over the next month or so, and why the heck Tim Allen didn't write out Mark in Home Improvement. I also saw 2 dead snakes up in the foothills, and I swear I saw a real tarantula--even though Dustin does not believe me that I saw a 4 inch diameter hairy-legged spider, I promise it happened ("Harry.... don't... move."). I turned back on 6th Street just after 9:40PM and was greeted by Dustin at 9:45. He informed me that he thought I was taking too long, and apparently called the police to go looking for me. Ummm..... yeah.

The best part of Friday night was getting in the shower, tasting the salt, stretching while the conditioner sat in my hair (hoping I didn't get any "surprise" visits from my husband...), and fully realizing that I just ran 19 miles. This is really happening. My night ended by drinking large mason jar's full of Cool Blue Gatorade (we have the powder mix) and playing scrabble, in which I got away with the word 'FANDUE'. Dustin still won.

Has the last 3 months been easy? Not unless you think running 30+ miles a week in scorching heat mixed with blisters and chaffing sounds easy.
BUT.
I am doing it. And I am excited to cross that freaking finish line in 32 days.

Vinegar.

As we're preparing to move, the deep cleaning has already begun. Seems appropriate for another cleaning tip. Have I done this one already?

White vinegar. Not diluted. In a spray bottle.

If you're looking for an all natural way to clean my arch-enemy of hard water (and reason #11 on my list of "cons of Idaho"), go and buy a gallon of white distilled vinegar for about $1.50.

I use vinegar to clean my windows (especially the outsides), mirrors, hard-water-ridden drinking glasses, and even my sinks and bathtub faucets. A few sprays and a washcloth will make them shine. And because it's a natural acid, it works a gazillion times FASTER than Windex (which I also love).

The Idaho Falls Temple uses vinegar on all their sinks and drinking fountains. Does that place ever smell like pungent rotten-eggs mixed with aged Cheddar and perspiration under your bra? Nope. That eye-watering, stinging stench disappears in a couple minutes.

 I promise.