08/11/2012

1.  It is August 11th and in 11 days my two boys will turn 11!  How cool is that?

2.  I intended to get a lot done today.  But instead I stayed in bed until 10:00 (to be fair, it was really 8:00 California time), lounged around, and managed only to get to Target and the grocery store.  We were well and truly out of food!  What didn't get done:  Unpacking, laundry, cleaning out the car, cleaning the house (Ben did a really good job keeping it clean for the past week, but there are a few things that need attention), and organizing my school stuff.  I'm hoping to start lessons on Monday, so I have my work cut out for me tomorrow.  The boys had a pretty lazy day, too, watching G.I. Joe episodes on Netflix, playing with the dog, and researching cars on the internet.  They're all deciding their favorite cars.  I think Mosey likes the Chevy Silverado, Joseph the Ford F350 with chrome and black leather interior, and Brigham likes the Ford Flex.  I guess we're all American-made over here.

3.  I have a million pictures from our trip, most of which will have to wait until... well, a long time from now, but I did finish our big family picture.  I only had to switch 11 heads to get a picture with everyone looking something like themselves.  That's not such a bad ratio when you see how many little kids were in this picture!  I set up the shot and then a neighbor came over and took about 20 different shots to make sure I had enough to sample from.  The weather had been so, so nice that whole week, but starting that Sunday, it got HOT.  I got overheated and could barely stand up in this picture, but it was worth it.  We are missing only 3 people in this picture-- Rosalynde's husband John (busy curing cancer in St. Louis), and my brothers Abraham (finishing up an internship with the NSA in Maryland), and Christian (on his mission in Paris).  It's amazing to see how many people are in our family now.

4.  Oh yeah, one other big piece of news:  We're moving!  Less than a mile away, so nothing too major.  I think maybe I wrote about the house before-- the one we offered 10% less for and the owners didn't even respond.  Well, a few days later they reconsidered and came back with a counter-offer.  After a few negotiations back and forth, we signed a contract, and will close in 19 days.  I'm excited!