Melarky

It’s really hard for me to think of things that I haven’t already shared on Melarky. Most people already know that I’m a nail bitter, a gamer, a procrastinator, a cake decorator, a Mom, and a snoop ( to name a few). I’ve tried to think of some of my secret wishes, that most probably don’t know or I don’t share because they make me look like I’m 12.

#1 I wish I could go to Paris/ Speak French. I’ve always thought it would be a neat place to go, but ever since Mark made a stop there when he went with his Dad to Africa, I’ve wanted to go even more. I’d only want to go though if it was with Mark. It’s seems like such a romantic destination. I’d also love to know how to speak French. When we were in Quebec for a week, I loved the lanugage, and even ordered a hot chocolate in French. Learning French isn’t really a secret. I think Mark knows that one at least. I’d love go to Paris and visit all the touristy places, then venture out into the country and really get lost in the culture.

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Not only is “Pictures of you” a great Cure song, but is the title of today’s post. I decided there was a real lack of Wellington pictures lately. Yes, a few here and there, but more, there needs to be more!

Wellington is 18 months old. Lately he has been obsessed with bikes. He loves to eat cheese and otter pops. He has three new teeth. He loves to play and get tickled. He climbs everything. He loves to dance and will dance to anything. I love our little Wellington, we are so lucky to have him, and sure lucked out! He is such a sweet boy and easy going.

Okay, now I’m thinking of that song and if your like me, once you get a song in your head, you’ve just got to listen to it. Plus, you can look at pictures, while you listen to “Pictures of You”…Mind blowing, I know!

Wellington wearing lobster hot pads.

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After seeing this bounce house on KSL, I showed it to pappy, he thought it looked really fun. I called the lady who was selling it, she was right here in Logan (how lucky is that?). Pappy said he wanted to go ahead and get it so Mark and I went and picked it up for him.

He thought it would be really fun for all the grandkids to play on, have for family get-together’s and eventually the family fun center Pappy invisions having someday.

This was taken yesterday (Saturday) when Heather came into town with her all kids. Heidi and her kids were also there…Scott and Korby, sad you weren’t there, I think Pappy will set it up on Monday for the BBQ.

It is really fun and I wish I was 6 again. The kids and even the neighbors played for hours on it. I’ve heard they sell them at Cosco, as well as I’ve seen more on KSL.

Story One:
A few months ago I lost my wallet. I searched for a week, tearing apart the house, going through the cars, racking my brain of where I must have dropped it. I hate losing things, but it’s even worse when it’s credit cards and personal information, I just had continuing sinking feeling in my stomach. After searching and with no luck, I figured it was gone forever. So I started canceling my cards, getting a new license, and collecting the other various cards. I now have all new cards, a new wallet and I even splurged and got a new purse.

Story Two:
Tonight Wellington was playing with his Daddy’s keys. Mark doesn’t usually let him play with his keys, but we were in the kitchen with him, and it was keeping him quiet while we were busy on a project, so we let him play with them. After a few minutes I saw him behind us, having just opened the coin door on the Crystal Castles arcade, then shutting the coin door and looking very guilty. “Mark I think Wellington just put your keys in the arcade!”

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Our upstairs bathroom has been in need of some updating for some time. When we first moved in, almost 5 years ago, the first thing we did was paint. It had this bad sponge job done on it, (boy I hope the past owners never see this). It also had carpet in half of it, which I dislike very much. I’ve always had this aversion to carpet in a bathroom, in addition to the gross carpet we also had a problem with the toilet. Whenever you would sit on the toilet it would wiggle and sink down a bit and an image of falling through the bathroom floor became a very real possibility.

After receiving our tax return (this was two or three months ago), we decided to do a little improvement. We got Gary on board and soon the boys were tackling the bathroom. The goal was to do it in one day. It’s a fairly small bathroom, so the goal was do-able, but I was still a little worried I’d be out a bathroom for a while.

After the carpet was ripped up and the toilet removed, they realized there was lots of water damage under the toilet area. A large hole in the sub floor was cut, so that the big tube that takes the waste away (and I was there to help clean up for that one, hooray!) could be replaced. A new sub-floor was put in as well as extra reinforcements under the toilet for added support for those individuals that take an extra 15 minutes on the toilet to read their Bathroom Reader.

I was really happy to get brand new linoleum flooring. It was a new kind of floor that you don’t glue down, so it was really easy for the boys (I mean Gary) to install. It looks great. The toilet works great and isn’t moving underneath me anymore. I sparkled the bathroom up and bought some new bathroom accessories to complete the new bathroom feel.

Newborn Wellington would fall asleep to the bathroom fan

New floor, and no carpet!

Just the small change made the bathroom look so much nicer. Thanks Gary, it couldn’t have been done without you. As you will see in this video….my sweet Marky was usually “supervising” while Gary was working. This video, while a little boring (sorry Gary and Mark, but you guys bore me) shows what was done to the bathroom.

This happened a few months ago, it’s just taken me a while to get it done.

Okay, so my way back Wednesday video’s kinda petered out there…I was really excited to do it, but the commitment of posting a video every Wednesday was too much for me. Sad, I know. I can’t promise I’ll always do one, I’ll try, but obviously it’s too much of a responsibility for me.

So there you have it, I admit, I’m a lazy procrastinating noncommittal jerk.

As a little girl, folding large bedding and blankets was a difficult chore. One that was always made easier with help from my sisters. We made sort of a game out of folding the blankets, and at the end of folding, with the blanket still in our hands, we’d hug each other. Something you would only find in a house full of girls! And while we continued to hug we’d sing “cooperation” in unison. I’m not sure how that started but folding blankets always seemed to end a little sappy.

As a teenager, I had the opportunity to go to many service centered activities with my youth church group. I learned a lot about working together to get a project done. I remember once, we went to do some yard work for an elderly widowed woman, and as a united group, we all got it done. Weeding, mowing, pruning, we even planted a few flowers. Work definitely goes faster with more hands!

Working together to get something done, brings you closer to the person(s) your working with. You feel united, working for a common goal.

Thinking back on my sisters and me as little girls singing “cooperation” reminds me to always have that sweet willingness to help one another. Something that shouldn’t take a second thought to do. I hope that if you have an opportunity to work together with your kids or husband. I know it will bring more peace in the home, and unity. I know that whenever my husband and I work together on a project, it always seems to be funner and go faster. And we become closer, and get along more, not that we fight a lot, but you get it.

In thinking about working together, I found this video, it is kind of goofy, but cool too I guess, it shows what happens when people, a lot of people work together.

I love links. I really do. I think the possibility of finding a cool new site is exciting. Here’s a quick list of some cool sites. Ones I’ve posted about in the past, and some I’ve just come across. If you have any links you want to share, please do!

Generators;These are fun little things for your blog like countdowns, widgets and quizzes.
Says-it, Say’s it all.
Handy Tools
Be TV Guides Sexiest Star
A bit Morbid

Fabric; Something I love (Heather also has great fabric resources on her blog)!
Retro
Kids
Retro and Kids

Geeky and Cool; sites too cool for school!
Hack A Day
Geeky Gadget Reviews
Movie Reviews
How Stuff Works
Fashion for Geeks
My best t-shirt site pics (all in one convenient list)
Mp3 search
Coolest baby reviews and product blog

Cache Valley Related; I love my town and these are some great local resources.
Trails
City Parks
Food Tour
Resort and Spa

Where we get our deals; You get what you pay for.
Woot
Sellout Woot
Shirt Woot
Ben’s Bargains
KSL
Craigslist
Free Stuff

I dont mean to have this post be so “heavy” but I just wanted to let my friends and family know a bit of what I believe.

Most of you know or have guessed by now that I’m a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day saints. I’m not a convert to the Church, I was born into it and have been a pretty active member my whole life. I went to Church youth activities, have served many callings, I even waited for my husband to go on a LDS mission for two years.

Growing up in Utah I lived a pretty sheltered life. It wasn’t until we moved to Nampa Idaho, my 9th grade year that my safe Utah bubble popped. I know, your thinking “Nampa”? How bad could that be? Well it was way different than what I was used to. Instead of going to a school where the majority of the students were LDS and white, I was now going to a school where I was the minority in both race and religion. I was introduced to metal detectors, camera’s in the hall, the idea of teen pregnancy’s (a new concept for me), school violence, even having a close call with a bully who threatened me with a knife and was later suspended from school because of it.

It was all new and different to me and now because there were less LDS around, I couldn’t rely on others to lead the way and set the example for me. I learned to stand up for what I believed. I had to become stronger in my morals.

I’ve done some traveling, not extensively but I’ve had the opportunity to experience different cultures, religions and had and have good friends that aren’t members. I’ve guess I’ve been “in the world” so to speak and am far from the sheltered life I had in Farmington, Utah.

I’m not too out spoken about my religion, I don’t like to get into heated discussions about scriptures and beliefs, I even feel a bit inadequate about scriptural knowledge, but despite that I do know that I have a testimony.

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I started blogging November 2004.
So far including this one there are 773 posts.
Top 5 States with the most melarky views; Utah, California, Washington, Colorado, then Idaho.

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A Few Melarky Highlights:
I win most embarrassing moment!
Wellington is born!
BFF
The Logan Nunnery
Our Slurpee Machine
My big haircut
Two Takes (rootbeer review)