What's Up Buttercup?

What's new? Where've you been? What's going on in your life?

The answers!

• Cara was here for a visit. We got to spend a couple hours together, rebonding. Aynde even called while she was here (weird? nope. We're connected like that!) so all three of us were sort of in one space for a brief time. Cara took the girls and I out for hibachi at Hanabi's (home of THE BEST TEMPURA ON THE PLANET!!). She put up with me playing 'my best friend is a (soon to be) doctor.. so what do you think this bump on my leg is' and didn't even sigh once. I admired her new Palm and she admired my Treo. Oh and yes, I remembered to get a picture:

(Cara's the tall one, I'm the short one, duh!) Oh and she passed her boards! Go CARA!!!

• My hairdo is new.. but not terribly. Pat and I made me spiky! (she calls it a 'sprout' but whatever, it's SPIKE!!) It's basically my same cut but I can spike the top and back if I feel attituderific. Right now it's causing me to use about double the product I would normally, though. Gotta get that under control.
• Posting pictures of my 'What Not to Wear' purse. (Yes, still buzzing about the new purse. At least little things that make me happy make me happy a LONG TIME). 'What Not To Wear purse', you're asking? The purse is NOT an example of what not to wear. Instead it's an example of how much the TLC show has taught me. Not too big or too small; has some detail but not too much, some pattern, but not too much and the wallet I found matches perfectly and isn't too busy. Observe:

Happy sigh... Yep. Still love it.

• We have finished repainting the main living areas of our house. By we, I mean Cowboy and the Kids painted the walls a gorgeous sort of.. latte color and the trim is high gloss enamel white. I assisted with chocolate chip cookies home baked and lasagna reward as rewards. I do not paint.
• We have finished washing the carpets and saddle soaping the couch. By we I mean myself and the Kids. Cowboy does not wash carpets or saddle soap anything but his boots.
• Cowboy has finished rebuilding the fence on both sides of the house.
• He also added a three foot by twenty foot stretch of brick next to the driveway where the grass had been turned to mud/dirt when we (and the previous tenants) ran over it in order to get into the driveway from our very narrow street
• We found lovely things for the girls to wear at the wedding. Amanda has a skirt and blouse from Ann Taylor and Shelley has the same from Fashion Bug (she felt Ann Taylor was too grown up).
• The boys have been out to Washington and back. They flew out all and back all by themselves and even managed a 2 1/2 hour stop over in Salt Lake without incident. They've seen the ocean, gone to a county fair (where Will says there were many 'hot girls') and a farmer's market. Mostly, they spent hours playing with the dogs and horses at my parent's house. Mom and Dad also got them their outfits for the wedding, taking some of the burden off us (Thank you!!).
• Everybody starts school in the next two days. That's right. Everybody. My baby starts Kindergarten today. We were lucky enough to get her into their all day program. So long daycare bill!!

Coming up:

• My last day of work is Friday, after which I'm not back until September 5th.
• My parents arrive Sunday. Hence the painting, cleaning, fence rebuilding and brick-laying and time off work. The new fence/gate is needed for Retro and the new dog, Dora (coming with my parents), who will be Amanda's.
• We leave for Gillette, Wyoming and the wedding in a few days. We'll arrive the afternoon of the rehearsal, then dinner and the wedding the next day. I cannot WAIT to meet Deena and her family and pretty much have my 'speech' all wrapped up (except for the 'please don't let me cry' part).
• After the wedding, we're going to join my parents, grandfather and uncle on a mini-tour of South Dakota. We'll swing through New Castle, Wyoming (major metropolis) on our way to Custer and then Mt Rushmore. We'll spend the night in Rapid City and then start back West. We'll pass through Sturgis and actually end up back in Gillette before we turn South for home.
• My brother in law has given me my next writing assignment: something light from the perspective of the 'civilian' for his Trooper newsletter/magazine. He said something about my being a good writer, which is like someone saying to you "Oh yeah, you're the funny one. Say something funny!". You appreciate the compliment but aren't sure you can live up to the pressure.

All this excitement is already causing me loss of sleep and panic attacks. Have I ever mentioned that I happen to be wound tighter than a spring? oooooooooooh yeah. By the end of next week, I'll make Shelley-Sue's Drama Queen tendencies look like a Zen Meditation.