An Angsty Post About Making New Friends

So...

Tonight I went out with a couple of girls in the ward.

Window shopping. An activity which I sincerely love.

I had so much fun, I couldn't stand it.

Now I am home and I can't stop thinking...

Was I awkward? Did I over share? Did I apologize too much? Did I stay too long? Did they invite me because they wanted to get to know me or do they just feel bad for me?

Making new friends is a little bit scary for me...Remember how I worry? A lot?

But here's the thing:

I have a lot of spectacular friends.

Friends who love and support me.

Friends who think I'm funny and interesting even if we are just running errands together...or sitting around watching tv...or making jam...or cleaning...or studying...or eating taco soup...or eating anything, really.

I think I need to remember that there was a time when I didn't know those women very well either.

And it was probably awkward then too, but we became friends anyway.

I need to remember that I am enough just the way I am.

And that I am good at finding great friends.

Or that great friends are good at finding me.

Whichever the case may be.

Life in Cartoon Motion

Thank you, Mika, for providing the soundtrack to tonight's impromptu dance party in the kitchen.

Thank you, Oliver J., for suggesting it in the first place.

And thank you, Jesse, for being the designated photographer. I guess that happens by default when you hang around in your underoos.

Ole!

I love my life!

Scenes from the Kitchen

Caught red handed:

And now for the grand finale...

Yes. That is, in fact, what 2 lbs of blueberries on my kitchen floor looks like.

Our current favorite method of blueberry preparation: Freeze them! Eat them one at a time and they are like itty bitty popsicles from heaven!

That is, after they have been well rinsed...which is especially the case in this instance

The Story of Jesse's Life: Self Confidence

Sometimes I like to read my own blog.

I think that's called narcissism or something, but alas...

Today was one of those days.

"I used to be so funny!" I called out to Jesse who was standing in front of the mirror getting ready for school*.

I could hear the sigh from the bathroom as Jesse said, very matter of factly, "You are still funny."

We've been over this before, but sometimes I just forget how awesome I am.

See. Full of myself. I told you so.

Anyhow,

Jesse continued by saying, "besides, whatever you lack I make up for with my excessive amounts of wit and charm."

OK. So we're both hilarious.

*This post drafted Wednesday July 11th 2012

Yes, I am Swimming...

I was driving home from the Young Women activity tonight, enjoying the rare opportunity of having time to myself, listening to Florence and the Machine's "Swimming," and thinking...deeply.

I remembered Henry B. Eyring's encouragement:

"... ask yourself, “How did God bless me today?” If you do that long enough and with faith, you will find yourself remembering blessings. And sometimes, you will have gifts brought to your mind which you failed to notice during the day, but which you will then know were a touch of God’s hand in your life."

My thoughts led me to consider the many blessings that have graced my life in recent weeks. Many very pronounced, straightforward, and undeniable. Others harder to discern, yet still apparently deliberate. All of them in abundance.

I then arrived at the same irrefutable conclusion that I always do:

I am loved.

Psst...

So...um...

I'm wearing my excited eyes in this picture because, guess what!!!

I'll be HOME for Christmas!

You can plan on me...

I also considered wearing my excited smile for this photo, but alas, that baby shows so many teeth that at close proximity it just resembles a T-Rex and I didn't want to scare you...besides, the eyes are quite enough on their own.

My grandparents are THE BEST! No Battle, triple stamp, no erasies!

Hair Cuttery Fail

So...

Oliver was looking pretty shaggy.

A lot shaggy!

And I declared that it was time for a haircut.

I watched tutorials.

I read multiple what-you-need-to-know-to-cut-your-kid's-hair posts online.

I tried it.

It did NOT go so well.

So we took it all off.

If you ask Oliver about his hair, he will tell you that it's all gone.

That it got buzzed.

He would be right.

I feel like his new haircut ages him by about 40 years...don't you think?

The best part about it all...he's hardly two, so he doesn't care.

Besides, it'll grow.

By December, his long curly locks will be back with a vengeance.

And I fully intend to try again...though only under the direct supervision of someone...ANYONE with more hair bending experience than me, myself, and I.

Oliver Plays...

A few things about this last photo...

1. Ollie is in tickle monster mode. Hilarious.
2. Yes mom, he is indeed wearing a camo shirt and red gym shorts. No they don't match. Yes. He wore them all day. Even in public. I'm getting better every day! In case you're confused, you should know that I tend to be a teensy bit high strung about Oliver's clothes matching JUST right....It drives my mother crazy
3. Those ice packs on the floor in the back? Yeah, they were frozen when the photo was taken. I took them out of the freezer to thaw...that's the night that the power went out. The next day I was buying ice at the store...Irony?

In Which We Learned How Lucky We Were:

We went to church yesterday and heard all sorts of crazy talk about last Friday's storm...

Did you know that some people lost hundreds of dollars in frozen food in their freezers?

Did you know that some people are still without power and may be without until friday or longer?

Did you know that the usual morning commute traffic was about 8 billion times worse this morning because traffic lights are out all over the state?

Did you know that whole shopping centers are still without power

Did you know that some people had their roofs ripped off?

Did you know that one county's water system was affected and now the whole county is being asked to conserve water wherever possible until further notice?

Did you know that people are dying because of the heat?

We invited a family who was still without power to our house for dinner last night. We showed movies in our living room and made popcorn for the kids. We let the adults use the internet to finish and submit a paper for school.

They kept apologizing for crashing at our house...I kept insisting that it was no trouble. I know they would have done the same for us.

We are so lucky to be safe and comfortable.