Dear Lisa,

I posted a few things because it has been a while, and you told me that I needed to put some stuff up for your reading entertainment at work.  So, three posts sit below for your reading enjoyment (and anyone else that might read my blog).  But I just wanted to let you know that I was thinking of you.  Happy Monday!

Love,

Shaine

Thanks for being a scout widow

I received this letter in the mail yesterday from the Bay Area scout council yesterday.  It is a thank-you note to me for "allowing" Kevin to go to Scout Camp and "letting" him spend so much time with the Scouts, molding young men into adults of good character.  They assure me that all the time I've spent alone while he is in Scoutmaster mode is not in vain. 

In all seriousness, it was a nice thing to receive (if a little corny).  I've never begrudged any of the time Kevin spends with the Scouts doing what he needs.  And I usually use that time to spend with my own girlfriends, so...win-win, I guess.

But if the San Francisco Bay Area Scout Council wants to thank me for being a Scout widow, well, that is fine by me.  And maybe next time there could be a gift card to DSW in there?

What to do with myself

When the Scouts were prepping to leave for camp a couple weeks ago, I cannot tell you how many times someone asked me, "what are you going to do with yourself with Kevin gone for  a whole week?"  Like without Kevin I don't have anything to do.  Little did they know that I had already prepped my week, well, weeks ago.  In addition to getting up and going to work (every day), hanging out with Katy and Lisa, some Relief Society activities, and spending some quality girly time with Maggie the Wonder Pup, I also decided to host a dinner party (which deserved its own post, so see below).  Maggie tried to hook a ride with the Scouts and go to camp.  She even dressed the part.  Unfortunately, she got left behind.  She was devastated the whole week.  But she sure looked cute waiting for everyone to load up.

Zestfully Lemon Dinner Party

A little while ago, I posted about a fruit arrangement that inspired me.  With Kevin gone at Scout Camp, I decided to use the Friday night to the best advantage and host a dinner party for some of my girlfriends in the ward.  I decided to be a bit more formal than usual, and sent out the invites, rather than my usual Facebook or evite methods.  But I used lemons and limes as my theme throughout the evening.  We ate outside, used the fine china and silverware, and the table linens.  It was so pretty!  The menu consisted of lemon chicken, green beans with lemon zest, and some yummy bread.  We also had a sparkly lemonade as our adult beverage.  It was just such a fun and relaxed evening.  I thoroughly enjoyed myself from planning to hosting, and can't wait to do it again.

 The invites

 The outdoor dining set-up

Dessert!  Lemon-lime cupcakes with lime sorbet.  De-lish!

 

Thievery

Kevin and the scouts left for Scout Camp after church on Sunday, and before they hit the road, they had lunch at our house.  There was a little sandwich buffet lined up; you know, meats and cheeses.  The usual.  After all had left and I came back inside to start cleaning up, I noticed that there seemed to be a great deal of cheese missing.  Then I looked in the backyard and saw Maggie acting suspiciously.  I went out there and found her with a HUGE chunk of cheese, nibbling it down and trying to hide it in the vegetable bed. Little sneak.  She had managed to get through half of it, and I took the rest away.  But still.  She had somehow managed to jump up on the dining room table (which she has never done), snag the cheese (which is something she loves), and took it outside to eat it without being caught.  She almost got away with it.  It makes me wonder what else she has gotten into without me being any wiser.

I am a genius!

Ok, not really, but I like to pretend that I have great spurts of ideas sometimes.  It makes me feel good about myself.   A couple days ago, though, I think I did have a stroke of inspiration.  I had been thinking about an idea for cupcakes and tested it out the other day to reports of "bomb-diggity" and "I need another one" from my co-workers.  Flattery is just music to my ego.  But I made lemon cupcakes and infused vanilla frosting with lime zest and lime juice.  It was super yummy.  I'm definitely a more adventurous baker than a cook (and better at baking than cooking), but I'm super jazzed that what I was going for turned out so well.  Yea!!!

My favorite things, continued

I like my bathroom.  Actually, I REALLY like my bathroom.  I love the light in there, the color scheme.  Bright yellows and greens make me happy.  It sounds kind of silly, I know.  It's not like any significant part of my day is spent in there.  But whenever I'm in there, I just enjoy how I've set it up.  There are mementos of my travels, butterflies, and my make-up and girly stuff.  It's a happy room, and I enjoy it.

Words to live by

My friend, Wendy, found this quote and shared it with me.

"Cinderella is proof shoes can change your life."

Truly, words to live by.  

Happy Independence Day!

This past weekend Kevin, Maggie, and I headed to the Beach House for the annual Davis Family Reunion (and Robb and Vanessa joined in as well.  We've adopted them into the clan).  There was lots of laziness, laughter, and talking.  It was definitely a much needed break.  It is good to get away from home and do absolutely nothing.  The fireworks were professionally illegal, and it was a consisten 75* all weekend.  Lovely.  Maggie was very happy to have all those people adore her, but was a little scared of the fireworks.  When we came back to the house from the beach, we found Maggie under the bed in my aunt and uncle's room.  She didn't yip or bark, or totally flip out, but she did snuggle up to my Dad and just tremble extremely violently.  Later she climbed up in bed with Kevin and I, curled up, and did not move the entire night.  She was wiped out from the noise.

I love the extended family.  I love how much fun we have together, and hearing the stories they tell when we're together.  And hanging out at the Beach House is never a bad time.

On a more patriotic note, I have several family members who have served and are currently serving in the military.  I am grateful for the freedom of my country and the foundations it was built upon.  There are a lot of problems with the USA, but at its bones, we are are a wonderfully fortunate people to be able to call ourselves Americans.  God Bless the United States of America.

Recuperating from the fireworks