It's already OCTOBER?

I just wanted to post a thank you list and update you on my "bucket list" to stay busy and not miss the kids:)

I know it is hard to believe but I actually am making progress on the bucket list - although I am afraid I will not finish it before it is time to start all over again! For the most part it is wonderful to complete tasks that have been hanging over my head for years, yes years!

I STILL DO NOT HAVE A GATE! What is up with that? It has been since May 25th that we have tried to get it corrected. They did come and put another post in, but alas...they took the gate and now it is just wide open! Wait, I am going to go take a picture and post it! Doesn't this just scream, "Come on back and steal or vandalize whatever you want!" Okay, maybe I am exaggerating, but honestly! Frankie and I are getting a good laugh out of it because crying is just not an option.

My thankful list:

I ran into two of my neighbors today, Jana and Tamra, and they brightened my day. I feel so fortunate to have good neighbors. I know they care about me and my family as much as I do theirs. I am also so grateful for my kids having good neighbors - that helps ease the distance between us.

I am thankful that there really is such a thing as a free lunch! My good friend from high school, Lisa, won a free lunch for 25 people AND I made the cut! Woo!

On Friday morning I got to work with not one but TWO of my nieces at the store...may I just say how much I love them? They are awesome:) No, really, even if I weren't their aunt I would think so!

I realize my list would go on and on and on because I am now reflecting on the many many kindnesses shown to me in just the last week...thank you so much. Really, you make my life so much easier. Funny thing is that many of you don't read my blog or know that I am aware of the good things you are doing for me and my family, I am aware and grateful.

Much love to each of you.

Hello Arizona!

Lucky me got to go on a week-end trip to see David, Jessie, and Bella AND this cute kid! Yes, he is saying "Nooooooooooo" to his mommy;)

Let me back up, first in SLC before my flight left, I got to hook up with Jason and Ellory (sp?). I love that guy. My cousins are all amazing! I think my "cool" points tripled by just being in their presence. I flew into Phoenix pretty late on Friday night. Although Bella might look mellow on Jessie's lap in this picture:

She was pretty excited to see me. I wasn't sure if she would remember me...but she did! On Saturday we met up with these two for lunch at Paradise Bakery in Glendale.

Oh, there is that cute boy again! He keeps sneaking in my pictures!

Then we went to World Market which was pretty interesting. I could have spent a lot of time and money in there but we were on a mission! There was a dog that needed sod in her backyard. Off to Lowe's we went. Refer to Jessie and David's blog for the info on their WONDERFUL neighbor who did all the labor I thought I was going to be doing. I took one for the team and played with his little guy, Rylan, who is almost 2 years old. It was tough, but someone had to do it! Jessie and I raked the rocks for a short time (long enough for blisters because the gloves David got out for me didn't make it onto my hands). Here are some before and after pictures:

Rumor on the street is that Jon and David have now put a brick border around the lawn, leveled out the rock around the edge, AND fixed the gate which apparently was not hanging correctly...

On Sunday afternoon, we zipped over to check out another cousin's digs... so here you have another picture:

I must say it again, I LOVE MY COUSINS EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM! It was absolutely wonderful seeing Jordyn and meeting Ellis... what fun they are having because they choose to.

If you are still hanging tough and reading, here is a funny story for you as a reward! Now, if only I were a good storyteller... Frankie had decided to send a guitar down for David to play. Instead of shipping it and chancing damage or it getting lost, we decided I would carry it on. David's concern was someone would ask me to play it in the airport. Frankie had a feeling someone would ask me about it. Well, they were somewhat right. The case caused a fellow guitar player to approach me in the gate area. The conversation went something like this:

GP: So...do you mind me asking what vintage that guitar is?

Me: I don't mind. Actually, I am really not sure.

GP: The case makes me think it might be old.

Me: Well, to be honest, I have absolutely no idea. I do know it is a RED Rickenbacker!

GP: Really? (insert looking at the case as though he wished it would magically open)

Me: Would you like to see it? Maybe you would be able to tell what year it is?

GP: Really! That would be great!

I open the case while now two other young men stand up behind me so they can get a good look... that wasn't awkward at all!

GP: Oh wow. That is sweet. I would guess 1960s.

He continued to thank me four or five times. Come to find out it is a 1964. Too funny. Here is David with my delivery -

It was a great week-end! So relaxing and fun. Thanks to Jessie and David for everything they did to make it nice for me. Thanks to Missy for DRIVING ACROSS THE VALLEY! You did it!!! Thanks Jason and Jordyn for making time for me. A big thank you to Savannah for making this trip possible.

MUCH LOVE!

Because I know you care ;)

I need a break from cleaning the office...okay, really dejunking which is a LOT more work. Therefore, I thought I would share what is on my playlist that is motivating me to clean. Here you go!

Happy Working Song Amy Adams

You're the First, the Last, My Everything Barry White

Remember Harry Nilsson

Johnny and June Heidi Newfield

Lights Journey

Life In a Northern Town (Live) Sugarland, etc

You Belong With Me Taylor Swift

I Gotta A Feeling Black Eyed Peas

Cha Cha Slide Mr. C

How is that for variety?

Hope you are having a productive day too!

Much love...

AUGUST BUCKET LIST

**Note to self, figure out why the iPad won't let you type the post but only the title on blogspot.

I have started an August to do list. Frankie has renamed it my bucket list. Let's be honest, it is the list designed to keep me from wallowing. I am going to try and accomplish several things or at least one item each day. The purpose of this list is to help me forget that the kids are all living far away; this is fine sort of. Knowing that all I ever wanted to be was a mom and that the kids really don't need mothering anymore is a bit shocking. Yes, I have had over 20 years to prepare for this transition but feel I was not very prepared. So what is on my bucket list you ask?

Garage: check into floor options, clean freezer, organize and clean

Laundry room: Organize and clean

Linen Closet: Organize and clean

Kitchen: Fix drawer, reconfigure shelf organizers, change fridge filter, paint under sink, window treatment, organize and clean, food storage

Den: Organize and clean, prepare filing cabinet, dust

Light fixtures to change: dining room, entryway, hallway, laundry room, upstairs bath

There is a list for each room in the house and the outside. Outside the list is this: GET THE FENCE GUYS BACK TO FIX THE GATE!!!!! The main thing inside is to DEJUNK! It is going pretty well. The kitchen was my starting point... the cupboards above the counters are done. Before anyone starts telling me to do something for myself, these are things for myself. I will also do other things but I find it is when I am home alone that it is easy for the blues to roll on in. So there you have it.

This post seems somewhat blah but really we are super duper excited for the munchkins! Isn't it great that they are courageous in moving forward with their lives? That is awesome. We will be planning on a midwest tour to Iowa and Michigan in the Spring and I believe Arizona is on the docket for January ;)

July is grand!

Good Things to Come

Are we there yet?

Frankie pointed out to me that "our" blog has not been updated in quite some time. However, he did not change that fact...hmmm. We have been on the go for the last few months and are still trying to catch up. I leave Monday for Iowa with Larkin. Larkin and I just went to Mesa and painted with Jessie. Frankie and David went to Copenhagen, Malmo, and London. Urpy made a stop for lunch with the girlies:) Tan Man is spending the night tonight. I love the following word: H O M E, especially when those I love are in it with me. I also am going to try and add a you tube video that brought a tear to my eye. Jeffery R Holland was president at BYU back in the day :)

What kind of mother am I?

The above home was purchased by David and Jessie on Monday. It is located in MESA, ARIZONA! They will be living in this home for the next 4-5 years or so while David completes his education. It is five minutes from Jessie's work and David's school. Jessie LOVES the sun!

The above home was purchased by Cody and Larkin yesterday. It is located in IOWA CITY, IOWA! They will be living in this home for the next 5 or so years while Cody works on his PhD. It is in a nice area and has a lot of closet space and sunshine...two requirements for them. They have lived in really nice apartments since they were married; although, both have been basement apartments. They will actually live above ground :)

Hence the question, after three trips to Iowa and two to Arizona encouraging the above moves...what kind of mother would help her children move so far away?????? Never mind answering, I already know: a mother who wants her children to be happy and progressing even if it is so far away. We love our children. They are truly the joy in our life. I really have to think about how good it is for them and push out the thoughts of how much I will miss all of them! Thank you to those who are watching out for them in the new areas they are moving.

Hoping for pictures...

I am going to try and post some pictures...are you all crossing your fingers and saying a little prayer for me? If not, stop reading and do! I think it worked! This is on the beach at Puerto Morales, love Frankie's face he is pulling!

Important Life Lessons

We just returned from a family trip to Mexico with ALL of the kids. I learned some very interesting things while there...

1. It really does not matter where I am, Mexico or at home, I love having my kids with me the same.

2. You pay a price when you remember to put sunscreen on everyone EXCEPT yourself.

3. I am grateful to live somewhere that does not require armed security posts. Thank you to those who make this possible.

4. My children and spouses are so much braver than I am when it comes to eating different foods.

5. Joy comes from watching your children really enjoying being together.

6. My husband really does love me, even after all these years.

7. There is no place like home.

8. It does feel wonderful to be warm in March ;)

9. Stealing from my aunt Tina, There is nothing as valuable as a mother's hug.

10. Families really need to be together forever!

Much love to you all.

Time marches on...

How do you keep enthusiasm and progress in your life?

Veterans Day

Grandpa spoke to all the fifth graders at Rozie's school for Veterans Day. I learned many new things and my reverence and gratitude for him and his experiences increased. A BIG thanks to Jason for helping me figure out how to upload and share this video :) It starts in the middle of Grandpa's introduction - he is talking about when Matt was hit in the crosswalk out in front of the elementary school...he went to the same school Rozie teaches at!

Grandpa Speaking from Tammi Hopkins on Vimeo.

26 years later

Well, 26 years later I love this guy more each year, even without the beard -- which I hope will come back some day :) We were able to take a drive from San Francisco to LA. This pic is from the Giants game. It was an afternoon game, very low key, very interesting and fun. We got to see the stadium, Lincecum sp? pitch, Randy Johnson pitch, and some of our favorite players.

I guess that's it. I went and heard my grandpa speak for Veteran's Day. He was in World War II. Sometimes I get complacent about the blessings of living in America. I hope I don't anymore. I hope we all take time to thank those in the service of our country. I am hoping to post the video of his talk as soon as I figure out how.

Much love.

SAD WEEK FOR BUG!

Just realized that I made no mention of Larkin being sick with CROUP - yes she should have outgrown it by now. . . She missed work all week except Friday. . .Get better Buggy! We love you!!!!!! A BIG SHOUT OUT TO CODY for taking care of her :)

HAPPY NOVEMBER!

We really have nothing new to "blog" about - just wanted you to know we are alive! Frankie spent October taking care of me (flu), running the store, running the household, on and on... what a trooper! He is an excellent caregiver:)

May I just state here for all to read that I love Halloween! I love the kids dressing up and coming over. I actually had one beautiful ballerina bring me a beautiful bracelet! She is my buddy, Sophia. Riley came with her sweet little "thank you"! Then my cousin, Courtney, brought Kalli and Tarek. Kalli played her Halloween recital piece on the piano - it was awesome! Tarek and I were both scared by an older teenage girl scantily dressed as a vampire or something. . . Of course, it wouldn't be halloween without Bailey coming by and my sweetheart Izzy! Then our last trick or treater was an adorable lion, JACOBY! Can you say absolutely adorable. He was chatting up a storm. So stinking cute. . . truly should be against the law. Thanks to all who brought their kids over!

We were able to get back in touch with some dear friends the Gustafsons. Their little guy, Bridger, has successfully had a bone marrow transplant down in Texas. His mom has always been so fun to be around. She has a blog that chronicles their experiences. We are so happy for them and hope things continue going so well. They are a great example in so many ways - thanks!

May I say thank you to all of my cousins and nephews wives who blog? I am so glad to read about how you are - THANK YOU! Hope you are all loving the Fall. I need to learn how to put pictures on to spice things up! I will work on it.

Much love (really!)

There's no place like home. . .

What a crazy month! A few of the highlights for us:

For Larkin's graduation, I took her on a trip to the land of my forefathers: Indiana! It was so good to show her my old stomping grounds and to introduce her to family that I love! We flew into O'Hare and drove over to Indiana. We were able to stay with my cousin, Jill, and her family. What a great time! They were wonderful to stay with and we had so much fun. My cousin, Cara, put together a surprise party for my Grandma Luke's 90th birthday. She was surprised to say the least. It was wonderful to see my aunts, uncles, cousins, their kids, etc. There were some family members I hadn't seen in 20+ years. It was wonderful to be with people who love and miss my parents as much I do. Larkin had a wonderful time meeting people who thought she was wonderful instantaneously. After spending time in Indiana/Michigan, we spent a couple of days in Chicago. What a fun place to visit! We hit museums, shopping, a White Sox game, and the 95th floor of the Hancock Building. . .yes I am afraid of heights, but did it anyway! I believe there were promises of a visit out west by certain people:) On the way back, we were bumped to Minneapolis. Sad day, Mall of America called our name for a few hours! Larkin was so disappointed. . . not.

Frankie and I were able to make a trip down to Provo for Larkin's thesis defense. She officially passed! Then we were able to go down for graduation. The day before we were able to hook up with Urpy and Rob Rogers and their girls! We love their family. We hadn't seen them in way too long. It was a terrific bonus! What an amazing day to see Bugs achieve a masters degree in communication disorders. She did it! All her hard work paid off. We were thrilled for her and the progress she made over the last six years. Way to go Bug! She is now working in the Alpine School District as a speech pathologist.

I was able to go to Minneapolis and "help" Brittanie and Marcus Darrington with their third baby, Will! It was more like a vacation to play with two darling girls and their baby brother. Marc is a wonderful father - it was kind of weird to see him in that roll ;) They were a sweet family and so fun to be there!

Two days after I returned, Frankie went to Casper to drive his mom to Grand Junction, Colorado. Frankie's oldest brother retired and the HMO he was the CEO of had a big shindig. Frankie's brother, Rod, was able to fly in as well. He had such a good time. The scary part was that he was giving his mom computer tips - anyone who knows Frankie know that as a family, we never imagined him giving anyone help on the computer! Way to go Frankie!!!

While Frankie was gone and David worked, Jessie orchestrated their move into a new townhome. Man, talk about family stepping up big! Terry, Savannah, Roz, Brad, Tanner, Jackie, Mark, and Dan helped move. We did it all in one trip thanks to everyone's trucks and Terry's trailer! And of course, Camille watched Bella! Thanks to all.

Then to wrap it up our nephew, Travis, got married to Betsey! We love them both. The next day our cousin, Markell got married. We are excited for both couples. Needless to say, life has been incredibly busy with good things.

September. . .we hope is slower. . .and we hope to be home more. . .

Much Love.

And the beat goes on...

Sometimes do you feel like life is passing you by and somehow you are on the slow train and no matter how fast you try to move forward you are stuck in mud? My lists seems to dominate my time and they are increasing in length and difficulty. The things I really want to do go undone; part of the things that "have" to be done get done and the rest roll over to another list another day. . . BLAH! I wish I could scoop my kids up in my arms and transport us all back to when they were little and the hardest decision was what to make for dinner and making sure we played hard all day. . .

The moral of the story: Don't blog late at night when you are melancholy!

Where to begin. . .

The top ten reasons I don't want to write this post:

1. Trying to catch up is frustrating and ruthless with the month we just experienced!
2. I am not clever and you all are!
3. I would have to write pages to cover the great trip to Las Vegas, ie pool, hotel, midnight bowling, dance competitions, shopping, fun! fun! fun!
4. My nephew Taylor is now 16, that would age me greatly to write about all of my memories of good times with "Tay Tay". He is awesome and I absolutely adore him; however, the age thing you know.
5. If I write about Taylor's birthday then I must give a shout out to Grandma Luke, Terry, Jill, Stephanie, Robert, Grandpa Parry, Matt, Stacie, and on and on. Then what I want to remember about them etc. It would be endless.
6. I really don't want to have to write about Frankie, Cody, Larkin, David, and Jessie going to the Incubus concert on July 16.
7. It would make me sad to think that Jack's Pack is over for another year. It was so fun to watch.
8. There are truly not enough words to adequately describe the trip Larkin and I took to Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin (thanks navigator bug)! We went for my Grandma Luke's surprise 90th birthday party. a HUGE shout out to Cousin Cara for planning it.
9. I would have to sit in one place long enough. . . AND
10. You would be able to see how incredibly blessed my life is and think I was spoiled :)

Sad but true

So today Frankie was supposed to be a witness for one of the people who broke into the store about a month ago. His mom and "meth head" sister were there, but he was not. He had waived his preliminary hearing. . . noone told us, so there we sat. While sitting there. . .

A nice looking young man was brought in for his preliminary hearing in handcuffs and leg shackles (?). His parents were sitting beside me. His mother was trying to maintain some type of composure. However, tears filled her eyes and quietly trickled down her face. I wanted to cry with her; such a sad looking face. I pondered that her tears were not because of her feelings, but because she loved her son so much. She recognized that his decisions had taken him down a path that would cause him problems. . .I wanted to reach out and hug her but realized that would probably be crossing MANY boundaries! When we were leaving we ran into the detective in the hall. . .

He showed us the picture (read mug shot) of another suspect they were trying to arrest today for the break in. It took my breath away. . .we knew him. Now I really felt like crying. He played babe ruth with David one year. I had tried to be a good friend to his mother and to him. His mother had surgery and we had helped with meals etc. He had been in the store shopping etc. I knew their family was dysfunctional and that this was the path of least resistance for him; however, I hoped. . . but the drugs, alcohol, and gangs were too much temptation. . .

So, today I am feeling pretty sad. Is it better to hope and be sad or accept and harden ourselves?

The good news: I LOVE MY CHILDREN! How grateful I am that they are safe and sound. Although, David is outside in the rain working at the airport tonight. . .He is working!

More good news: I love my husband for understanding my sadness today. I don't think I am allowed to go to court with him next time though.

Thanks for listening/reading if you made it this far.

Much love.

Two random thoughts!

I just realized that the previous post sounds like a command. . . it was really two separate thoughts. . . Example:  Venting over the rude customer.  Secondly: Shout out to larkin. . . My apologies to anyone who actually reads this. . . I really was not trying to be bossy or obnoxious (unlike the customer who kept me late ;)  The title of the previous post just sounds rude!  I am sorry :(  It was not said in a rude voice at all. . .however, it is hard to hear my voice in the world of blog, bummer.

Much love anyway.