Family.

I guess I told my mom that I would organize her photos while I visited this summer. She has several plastic bins full of pictures and "memories." I seriously don't remember having this conversation. I'm sure someone did---either me or one of my sisters, anyway. My mom reminded me of this yesterday. I leave tomorrow.

Last night we sat looking through pictures. There are some good ones. We laughed at old perms, apologized for bridesmaid's dresses, and had fun laughing at ourselves. My niece, Olivia, held up a picture from my sister Diane's wedding. It was a picture of her husband and all the best men standing in line dressed in tuxes.

"Were all these men your husband?" Olivia asked my sister.

I love sitting around and just being with my family. We tell silly jokes and reminisce. This is why we are here. After looking at pictures we loaded up and drove to Nielsen's for frozen custard and Iron ports. Another tradition.

We go home tomorrow and hopefully we have enough good times and memories to last until next year.

Generic hats are the pits.

My dad gathered a hose from the garage and as we stood in his driveway, he pointed down the street where he would be going to water some grass he had planted. "If you want to come help, I'll be over there." He pointed again.

I was waiting for a friend to pick me up, but nodded anyway. "OK," I told him. "Maybe I'll stop by to watch you work."

After 15 minutes of waiting, my friend still hadn't arrived and I started walking down the street. I figured it couldn't hurt to admire his new grass for a few minutes---the grass in some strangers' yard. Besides, I could see him sitting in the grass from where I was. His hat was one of a kind.

My dad wasn't facing me, so I decided to sneak up on him. I thought I'd surprise him. I'm not sure exactly what I was planning to do--either rub his shoulders or jump on his back. I was standing right behind him, with my hands on his shoulders when he whipped his head around. The look on his face when he turned his head toward me, was almost more surprised than the look on mine.

I could have sworn it was his hat. But apparently it was not. It was the hat of a very startled man who was definitely not my father. And I was at a complete loss for words. I mean what could I possibly say? "Sorry, I thought you were my father?" (As I all but straddled the poor man.)

So I said nothing and walked away. I heard another man ask "Did you know her?" and then there was a very fast exchange in Spanish. I just walked as quickly as I could back to my parents house. I never looked back.

Community shoes.

At my parents' house there are an assortment of shoes in the entry way. We just take off our shoes and leave them there. And, when we are in a hurry and it's time to leave, we just slip on the closest pair and go.

Last night, I needed to go pick up my kids and my sister decided to come along. She tried on a pair of black sandals by the door. "Wow, these are so comfortable," she commented while she walked around the living room.

"They aren't mine. They must be one of Jenny's girls." There really were a lot of shoes by the front door. "I'm sure they won't mind if you wear them," I assured her as we walked to the garage door. Walking past the couch on the way out, she called out, "Thanks for letting me wear your shoes."

Both girls looked up. "Sure, but they aren't ours." My sister and I looked at each other blankly before remembering that there were a couple people talking to my parents in the other room. Surely they hadn't taken their shoes off and left them in the entry way! We snuck over and peeked through the door but had to run away because we kept laughing so hard. Finally we saw that the woman sitting at the table with my parents was indeed barefoot.

My sister took the shoes off and tried to arrange them exactly as they had been. I swear we laughed so hard I almost peed my pants. I could just imagine my parents walking their guests to the door. Then the woman looking around and not finding her shoes..."Um, I'm sure I wore shoes here!" It's a good thing we didn't leave with them still on! I guess it's the chance you take when you leave your shoes unattended.

Psst...by the way...I just thought you should know...

I never feel very comfortable going to my parents church. I haven't always felt this way. Just since the one Sunday, right before church started, that my dad yelled over to me, "Mindy your hickey is showing." And everyone (at least it felt like everyone) turned to stare at me.

Actually it was only my slip that was showing. I often get the two mixed up myself. Hickey---Slip, common mistake. So I understood completely. But I always feel like ever since then, people in that ward look at me rather strange. Especially since at the time, I had been there for a month without my husband. Do hickey's last that long? I don't know.

I did take my dad aside later and explain that the next time he needed to tell me that my hickey and/or slip were showing, I would prefer he pass me a note...Or announce it over the intercom. Either way.

Pride...

I've been trying to keep up with the training, but have had a hard time breathing and running at the same time. Wednesday a man in a truck actually stopped to ask me if I was okay. That was a little embarrassing.

Today I ran seven miles for the first time ever. On the last mile I was pretty beat. Down the street I saw someone coming towards me. She was tall, skinny with a blond pony tail. It was Barbie! And she was running and smiling. (Give me a break.) I was so tired I was weaving, gasping for breath, and could barely put one foot in front of the other.

I was wearing the baggiest pair of shorts I own (when running, there are more important things to worry about, like breathing, than trying to pick out wedgies from tight shorts) and an over-sized t-shirt. I took one look at her color coordinated exercise top and tiny running shorts and knew I had to suck it up. I gritted my teeth and ran as fast as I have ever ran in my life. There was no way Barbie was going to think she could out run me! Of course it took me almost 20 minutes to recover from that outburst. But it was worth it to see the look of surprise on her face when I flew past her. Take that Barbie.

Are we there yet?

We made it! There is nothing more stressful than traveling across the country with kids. Not that it wasn't fun, mind you. Just stressful. I'm always worried that I'll lose one of them. That is much worse than missing a connecting flight.

And they know how to get on my nerves. "Nick is your favorite child, right mom?" Anna repeats for the millionth time. "Trust me," I say as calmly as possible, "you all annoy me equally." There was just too much waiting and sitting and waiting...

My dad was waiting for us and we got to drive home on the new "Legacy Highway." I noticed that he was the only one travelling at 55mph as we were being passed by everyone. It's one of the great things about driving with my dad. That and he listens to AM radio.

My parents were gone this morning so the kids and I drove to Walmart. I wondered if I should have asked for directions, but realized there was some kind of cosmic force pulling me in, and made it without any problems. We walked into the store and were discombobulated to find that it was laid out completely backwards. We were unable to function for several minutes until we finally got our bearings. How rude! It was so confusing we forgot important essentials like Doritos and bread. Now we'll have to go back.

Early morning run in the rain. What's better than that?

I went running this morning at 5am for a couple of reasons. First, I was awake. Second, I like to run with the cover of darkness. It's bad enough to find myself singing out loud as I listen to headphones, but yesterday as I ran I realized I was playing air guitar as well. And I don't even play guitar...

And I only saw one other person this morning in the park. I think the rain was probably the reason. So, I started my five miles. I brought a stopwatch to time each mile. According to the 16-week training program I printed out, I was supposed to run 5 miles today at 14 minutes 10 seconds a mile. I started as slow as I could and finished the first lap in 9 minutes. Wow! I hadn't realized I was in such good shape.

After the fifth lap---each in nine minutes, I was amazed. I wouldn't have to train as hard as I thought. If I could run 5 miles so quickly, I had to wonder just how out of shape and pitifully slow someone would have to be, to run a 14 minute mile. I even laughed out loud at the thought.

Before getting in my car I jogged over to the park sign to check the map. Then, I double checked the map. One lap = .7 miles.

Dang.

I guess I wasn't done running. After finishing and going home I did the math. I had run each of the five miles in 14 minutes 8 seconds each. I know. You don't have to say it. I'll have a large piece of humble pie for breakfast, please. And a diet Dr. Pepper.

Of course! How could I forget it's Rainbow Day?

"My you look colorful today," I couldn't help notice when Anna arrived home from school. "Duh," (I love that expression, don't you?) Anna continued, "It's Rainbow Day!" Right. I double checked my calendar, but seem to be missing this event. I felt bland and downright dowdy in comparison.

But then, Anna has always had her own style. Similar to Heather, in that, you never know what to expect when she comes up ready for school. I love their creativity and willingness to dress against the trends.

The other day Anna came home mad that some boys at school were teasing her about how good she looked without her glasses on. Interesting enough, she's worn her contacts everyday since...my little girl is growing up. I'm not sure I like that.