That's a freebie

Our church ward split the Sunday we were driving home from Canada and I'm very pleased with the results. I don't want to get into it here but I was very happy our new ward came with a new bishop. When I heard about the change from Karen I thought, "That's a freebie." Speaking of church, I went with my mom in Magrath and in Relief Society they have a "good news minute" where the women can tell about something good that has happened to them. My mom raised her hand and her good news was that her entire family was home for Christmas. Then an obnoxious neighbor lady raised her hand and said, "She only has two children! All my children (she has six) except so and so were home with us." I wanted to jump across the isle and rip her tongue out but I was able to resist by telling myself, "She's an idiot."

I have returned to exercise with a renewed vigor after gaining what will remain an unnamed number of pounds over the holiday. Apparently sitting in a chair and eating multiple bags of dill pickle chips for two weeks will cause you to gain weight. I thought I was told this wouldn't happen but Grace isn't always right. I'm back doing spin three times a week with Shar (Grace's school teacher also) and have started going to the school gym two mornings a week to do circuit training with a few other neighborhood women. I was doing this last year but they failed to tell me it had started up again after the summer break. I could take this badly but I'm chalking it up to people being super self-involved and am letting it go. This morning was my first morning back and I was hoping for more weight training and less cardio, since I get enough cardio from spin class. It's free and it's exercise so I'm not going to complain...too much. So yeah, this is the year of Shea. The year I'm finally going to be 100% happy with my body. The year I'm going to get over my food issues and be able to have an ounce of willpower. I think being 35 won't seem so horrible if I feel like I am somewhat "hot" for my age. "She's 35? I can't believe it! I hope I look like that when I'm 35." That kind of thing.

My parents gave me a clock when I was home that they had laying around. I like the clock and think it will look good in my "summer house" entry way but it has the loudest ticking sound ever. I feel like I'm the narrator in Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart". The first night we got home I had it in our bedroom and I told Ryan, "This has to go!" I then put it out in the hall and the next day moved it into the living room by the top of the stairs as I was intending to store it in the basement. That evening I could hear it ticking while watching TV so I moved it to the bottom of the stairs. Tonight I was in the living room after everyone had gone to bed and I start to hear the ticking again. "That's it clock!" I put it in the basement and shut the door. If I can still hear it ticking, I'm going to start thinking I've murdered an old man with a "vulture eye" and hid him in my floor.

The "summer house" is moving along at an alarming speed. While I try to tell my brain that, "It's all going to work out." My brain tells me back "YOU ARE SCREWED, SISTER!" I hate brain. Ryan took pictures on his way home from work Monday and we are both getting excited about the prospect of living in this home. I'm starting to grasp that we are moving away from Santaquin and it's sad. I have some great friends here, I love the school and my connections there and I love having Nana next door. Change is good though and I'm pretty good at keeping relationships going. Still I'm not going to be able to pop over to Karen's and have her put tags back on clothes I want to return with her magic gun. That might have to be spirited away when I move.

They found E.T. in our house! No, it has a tent over it so they can stucco in this weather.

A three car garage so Ryan can have a home for his scooter.

The great room/kitchen.