Basement, European vacation, Graduation and the list goes on

March, April and May flew by for me. how about you?? In March we decided to finish our basement. It was insane!! 4 weeks and 5 days from framer to finish... and I can't forget to mention Dwayne threw in his European graduate trip in the last week of all the insanity! We still have touch up painting to do but we can live in it so I will call it finished! :) We hired out everything except insulation and painting/prep work (note to self: Never do it again, any of it!) The basement came together well, thankfully I have a awesome friend and neighbor who came over at 11:30 PM to help me spray primer. I have no doubt she thought I was crazy. my intent was to have EVERYTHING finished by the time dwayne got home from his trip, I was close. I had to push carpet out a couple of days and Dwayne I had to paint like mad when he got home. I felt really bad since I knew he was jet lag. But, in my defense I had ANOTHER project that I started doing the day he left, His own office (as I sit here doing my blog tonight:))I took the blue room, painted it two tone, hung crown molding and chair moulding (with the help of another awesome friend), made the coolest curtains EVER and did a little golf decorating for him as a graduation gift. Yes that was an even more insane week. Alas hooray we finished the basement and I LOVE it.
May was filled with the most anticipated birthday ever in our house. On May 5Th our oldest turned 12!! yes, I am getting that old. For years she has had the desire to go do Baptisms for the dead for her birthday. We went to the Salt Lake Temple. It was a "girl" day. Grandma Culley, Aunt Di, Aunt Nancy and I went with her then we met all of the family for dinner at her favorite restaurant, IHOPS. It was such an inspiring way to spend her birthday. She is becoming such an amazing young woman and we are very proud of her desire to develop her testimony and faith.
THEN, we had the momentous long awaited graduation! It was such an exciting day. I am very proud of him and this huge accomplishment.
The whole month of may seemed like parties. The executive MBA office had a dinner at La Caille for the grads and guest and what would any event be with us without something to spice it up??? not fun I say! we arrived and they were serving appetizers, YUM. they brought around an oriental chicken skewer. Dwayne and I both took one, my thought right after was... I bet this was cooked in peanut oil?! yep, sure was. within a few minutes Dwayne had an itching throat and his tongue was swelling. Of course just one the few times I have no liquid Zyrtec or Xyxal in my purse. We have them get our car and the only place we can remember seeing that might possibly have something was a 7-11. I rush in and buy a travel size benedryl and a coke go back to the car and we both thought he should probably take 2 more pills (4 total). so in I rush and buy another pack, the cashier was looking at me really funny... of course he was! We headed to back to the party and enjoyed the rest of the evening, uneventfully. I will post pics of all the past months of excitement later... I am exhausted juat thinking about the last few months!

time still goes by

OK, so I am willing to admit there are MANY things that I am not good at, so many I dare not list! but for simple moment 2 weeks ago I caught a glimpse of something that I had done good at. well in all honesty I can't take the credit, it goes to a loving Heavenly Father who helps us teach his children. I bet your dying to know what this moment was... not to often I remove my wedding ring, mostly when I do yard work or something really messy. This time I placed it in the kitchen window by the blinds. After doing the work I returned to get my ring and it wasn't there! my heart sank and I was sick!! Well, some of you might know a sweet, cute little one who lives in our home and very much wants to be a "mommy". I asked her if she took my ring (of course!). Yes she replied. Let me stop for a moment. I have been reading the 2009 women's conference talks and I found the perfect moment to put to use what I had been reading yay!! I calmly took her upstairs to her room where she said it was, I looked while she continued to tell me different spots it had "traveled". After a few minutes I was frustrated and I knew I would need help far greater than I. So I once again "calmly" talked to her about prayer and how when we need help and direction we should always ask and have faith. I am sure she didn't understand it all but, we said a prayer and went to work looking. She took me to my bedroom where she told em it was in ONE of the many shoe boxes in the closet... ugh!! after searching all, I sat her down in the closet and talked to her about telling the truth. Just then the 3 older kids came up and realized what I was doing in the closet. My little sweet girl told them a couple places downstairs where it had "traveled". needless to say I was upset so we sat in my closet for a few more minutes when there was a knock on my closet door. My oldest said they decided they needed to pray about it and go to work looking, she said they knew they needed to pray! the tears welled up in my eyes. The 3 had offered a prayer for direction without the prompting from me. Wow I was humbled. after about 3 more minutes it was found.... in the kitchen, in a pencil pouch that is hanging on the side of the fridge. I honestly wouldn't have thought to look there! I am so thankful for the small teaching moments we have with our kids because even when we don't think they are listening or even care they are learning.