The Good, the Bad and the Ugly....

As most of you know, I've been taking the TRAX train to and from work now for over 4 years. Sometimes the commute goes well, other times it does not. For example, the last few days on the trek home there has been no air conditioning on the TRAX cars. And with it being nearly 100 degrees outside you can imagine what it feels like on the train. It's been so hot, in fact, that a colleague told me they had a medical emergency the other day due to the heat. The train conductor wouldn't even answer their call for help and finally someone on the train had to call 911 on their cell phone and have emergency personnel meet them at a nearby stop. I wasn't on the train that day, thank goodness. But I was on the train two days ago where it was so hot and smelly and everyone around me was speaking in Spanish that I actually turned to the guy next to me and said "Did I get on the right train? I think this is the train bound for Mexico".

Those experiences don't happen often, but when they do happen, they are very frustrating. It's those times when I think to myself "Why do I deal with this? If I just drove to work, I'd have air conditioning, I'd get there on time, I'd get home on time, and I wouldn't have to listen to all the people cursing and threatening to kill someone at UTA". Sometimes all of that just feels like so much to deal with!

That is exactly how I've been feeling the last couple of weeks. But then something remarkable happened. Yesterday I got on the train after work and it was packed full. I walked on looking around for a place to stand when all of a sudden, a man stood up and offered me his seat. Then another man stood up and offered another lady his seat. And then another, and another. It was like a chain reaction. This rarely happens, and I was extremely touched by the sight of what I saw. Then today I was walking to the platform to wait for my train. Another train was already at the station and was about to depart when I looked up and saw a guy standing in the doorway poking his head out and waiting for me. I didn't know this man, but he saw me coming and assumed I needed to get on that train so he was holding the doors for me. I waved at him and yelled "Thank you so much, but I'm not getting on this train!". I felt bad but was extremely grateful for his kindness.

In the four years I've been on the train, I have definitely had my share of bad experiences and even down right ugly ones. But somedays I have really good experiences. I have definitely seen my share of crazy people and rude people. But I have also met some amazing people who are very thoughtful and gracious.

So in pondering over whether I should say goodbye to mass transit or continue to stick with it, I I have decided for now to stick with it. Because in some cases, the good generally outweighs the bad and the ugly.

Weekend In Pictures...

I already mentioned that I watched my nieces and nephew over the weekend so my sister and her husband could go to Idaho. Here are a few pictures from that weekend:

Swimming:

Goofing off at home:

Picnic in the Park:

We had such a fun weekend. The kids were hilarious and had me laughing non-stop! I love being able to spend time with them.

How Fast Can You Type?

99 words

I'm not really sure how accurate this test is, but it's fun just the same!

Whirlwind Weekend....

My sister Valerie took part in her first ever triathlon on Saturday in Idaho. My mom and dad along with another sister and her husband went to Idaho to support her. She swam, biked and ran the entire thing in 3 hrs 29 minutes. I am in awe over the fact that she did it! She trained for this in only 7 months and though her time was slower than most, I am still so very proud of her! She is an inspiration to me.

Though I didn't make the trek to Idaho to see her, I hope she knows I was cheering for her from the confines of our sister's house where I was watching their three children (so they could go to Idaho). The weekend for me was definitely eventful and absolutely exhausting. I would love to have children, but definitely not three at a time...

I took a few pictures and videos of my weekend with the kids. Once I have time to sit down and go through them, I will post a few. But for now, let me just briefly mention a few of the things from those two days that made me laugh out loud:

1 - My 4 year old niece was drawing me a picture on the etch-a-sketch. She didn't want me to look at it so she went and sat at the kitchen counter and said to me "Don't look at this. While I am drawing it, why don't you look around at all our decorations!" and she motioned toward all the decorations on their walls with her little hand.

2 - My 7 year old nephew wanted to teach me how to play Star Wars on the Wii. He did a very good job of handing me the controller and telling me which person I was supposed to be. But he did very little in explaining how I was supposed to use the controller(s). Basically, the next 30 - 40 minutes went something like this:

"Camille jump! You have to jump!"
"How do I do that?"
"Push A!"

"Camille, you are supposed to fight them."
"All I know how to do is jump!"
"Push B to fight"
"Which one is B?"
"It's on the back"

"Camille, you have to switch to a different person to get up there"
"How do I do that?"
"Push C"
"There's a C? Where is C?"
"It's on the back of the numbchuck"
"The numbchuck? What is that?"
"It's this thing in your other hand"
"This is a numbchuck?"
"Yes. Push C"

"Camille, if you would quit crashing, maybe we'd actually pass this level."
"I'm sorry, I'm just learning how to do this. I can't seem to get past those boulders."
"I can see that."

Needless to say, I wasn't a very quick learner. But then again, I'm not sure I had a very good teacher. But aside from that, the weekend was a blast. We went to a movie, went swimming, had lunch at the park, dinner at McDonald's...it was definitely full of adventure.

Pioneer Day Commemoration Concert....

Saturday night I had the pleasure of attending the Pioneer Commemoration Concert at the Conference Center, featuring the Mormon Tabernacle Choir along with the Osmond Family. I have to say that I have never been a big fan of the Osmonds. Not because I don't like them but because they were before my time. My parent's never listened to them nor did anyone else in my family. So I have never been familiar with their music. But I sat next to a lady at the concert who went on and on about how much she loves the Osmonds and how she was so excited to be there to see them perform live. I didn't want to spoil her excitement, but the only way I knew how to comment on that was to say, "That's great! I wish I could say the same. But I'm here because my little sister is in the Tabernacle Choir and it's her first big concert". She did not seem impressed.

But truthfully, that is the reason my parents and I even went to the concert...because it was my sister's first concert with the choir. Otherwise, we would have been just as content to stay home and watch it on TV (if we watched it at all). But I am glad I went and I did have a good time. The Choir did a great job and the Osmonds did a good job as well. I thought they were a very entertaining part of the show.

But if I'm being honest, I will say that I found myself feeling a wee bit disappointed by the fact that it went from a "Pioneer Day Commemoration Concert" to an "Osmond Family Affair". The choir sang about four or five songs dedicated to the Pioneers and then the rest of the show was all about the Osmonds. Instead of the program saying "A Pioneer Day Commemoration Concert with Special Guests: The Osmonds" it should have said "An Osmond Family Concert with Special Guests: The Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square. Because truthfully, that's exactly what it was.

Don't get me wrong...it was entertaining and I'm sure all those who are die-hard Osmond fans loved every minute of it. I just felt bad for my sister and the rest of the choir who were simply there as back-up singers to the Osmond Family. For being a world-renowned choir, it was a little disappointing to see them to simply ooing and ahhing behind the Osmond Family. And to make it worse, the music was so loud that you couldn't even hear the choir ooing and ahhing. Basically it just looked like they were standing there for a good hour of the 1 1/2 hour show. But like I said, I'm sure the die-hard Osmond fans loved it. It was a really fun concert, but perhaps I would have enjoyed it more had I gone to hear the Osmonds instead of the choir.

My dad did not have the same opinion of the concert as I did. In talking to my family last night, my brother asked how the concert was. His comments made me shake my head in disbelief and nearly caused my brother to fall out of his chair laughing. Here are just a few of the things my dad said*:

Brother: How was the concert last night?
Dad: Are you asking me personally or all of us as a group? Because if you are asking me personally, I'd have to say it was the worst thing I've been to in my entire life. I was just telling your mother that I would have rather mowed the lawn and had a root canal than to have had to sit through that.

Dad: The Osmonds simply make up for what they've lost in talent by using a bunch of cheesy pictures and flashing lights.

Dad: They should have advertized it as the Osmond Family Has-Beens 50th Anniversary Concert. That's what it was.

Dad: They just need to retire. They've been around for 50 years. That's long enough.

Me: Dad, the concert wasn't all bad.
Dad: You're right. The choir was excellent.

Dad: The Osmonds got a 10 minute standing ovation. Never in the history of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir has ANY guest performer received a standing ovation like that**.

For those who don't know my dad, he does tend to get a little bit dramatic just to prove a point. We've dealt with this our entire lives and we've learned to just laugh at him rather than try to argue with him. It was quite humorous to sit and listen to him, but it was even more humorous to watch my brother try and hold his composure.

My advice to my brother was that he should watch it for himself and make his own opinion. I offer the same advice to anyone else who reads this blog. Definitely don't take my dad's word for it.

* In my dad's defense, he had just traveled to Idaho and back in a span of 24 hours, sat through a 4 hour triathalon and had to deal with horrible traffic. So he was a little tired and cranky to begin with.

** The Osmonds did get a really long standing ovation (they got 2 ovations, actually) but it was not anywhere near 10 minutes long. And as you can probably suspect, my dad did not stand up either time. Neither did I for that matter. I only gave one standing ovation that night, and it was for the choir after they finished the concert with "Come, Come Ye Saints".

Chillin With The Family...

We had a BBQ/water party at my parent's house on Monday night. It was a blast! I had way too many pictures to post, so I made a collage.



I love my family and I am so glad for opportunities like this when we get to spend time together. We only get to see my sister's family once a year (as they live in Arkansas) so it's fun to see the cousin's excitement when they can all get together.

That's What She Said...

My sister's family is in town from Arkansas, having arrived here last Saturday morning. Because of this grand occasion, I have spent a lot of time with my family over the past few days (probably too much time). Being surrounded by about 14 adults and 16 children in the course of 3 days is exhausting, but it can also be hilarious. Here are just a few of the funny things either I or other members of my family have said:

"You are as skinny as a twig! I can tell you're skinnier than last year. You've been running!" - my 9 year old nephew talking to me (the one who last year said I was going to have a baby).

"Why is everyone looking at me and laughing?" - my 3 year old niece

"Someone peed on my head. I was not happy" - my brother. Not sure if this is what he actually said, but this is what I heard.

"Oh man! There are none of my mom's cookies left! I guess I'll eat one of these kind. Well, maybe two." - my 5 year old niece.

Conversation between my nephew and me as he's trying to help me play the Nintendo DS:
Nephew: "You need to try and pop the other teams balloons, but don't go over the edge!"
He hands me the DS and about two seconds later:
Me: "Okay. Wait. Why can't I get any of those boxes?"
Nephew: "Because you are dead"
Me: "Dead? How did I die?"
Nephew: "You went over the edge! You can drive around all you want, but it won't help you"
Me: "Why not?"
Nephew: "Because you lost!"
Me: "But I'm still moving.."
Nephew: "It doesn't matter. You're a ghost. You drove over the edge. You're dead. Do you understand? It says it right here, 'you lose'".
Nephew: "She doesn't seem to grasp the concept."

"I put something on my hair a few months ago that completely damaged it. It's recovering now, but for awhile I was afraid it was going to end up like his." - my sister who pointed to her balding husband.

I have Been Changed...

I've never been one to have a plethora of friends and I think that is partly because I am shy. It takes me awhile to warm up to people and feel that I can trust them enough to really open up and be myself. Some people view this as being stuck-up or uninterested and so they never really take the time to get to know me.

But despite that, I have to say that I have met some people over the years who have blessed my life in a multitude of ways. I am one who believes that people come into our lives for a reason and it's generally because we need what they can teach us at that particular time in our life. Sometimes they even inspire us to face our fears and reach new heights. I have been extremely blessed to have these types of people in my life. And I have come to cherish them a great deal.

So today I dedicate this post (and the song below) to those friends I've known for a lifetime, those I've known for only a few years, and for those I may have just met.* I want you to know how much you mean to me. I appreciate your friendship more than you could ever know and I thank you for your love, your support, your encouragement, and your trust. Because of you, I have been changed for good.



*If you are reading this post, then you are considered one of these friends. Unless, of course, you just randomly clicked on my blog through someone else's blog and we really don't know each other. In which case, you are welcome to become my friend! Leave a comment and we'll get to know each other.

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad!

Congratulations on 44 years! You are the best parents I could have ever asked for. Thank you for your love, your wisdom and your humor. I know I haven't always been the perfect daughter, but I thank you for your patience and your support. Thank you both for raising eight amazing children. We owe all we are to the both of you.

Mom, thank you for showing me how to be a woman of God, and a great wife, mother, and grandmother. And thank you for teaching me how to be a good sport in case my husband ever decides to use me as a human shield in a water fight.

Dad, thank you for showing me how to respect others and how to give unselfishly. Thank you for teaching me how to honor God in everything I do. And thank you for never using me as a human shield.

I love you both!

Total Eclipse of the Heart...

The other day I was reading a friend's blog where he wrote a post of all the songs he likes that are not cool to like. On this list he put "Total Eclipse of the Heart". When I read that, it brought back a memory of a birthday party I threw for two other guys a little over a year ago. We had about 20 people there and I thought it would be hilarious to pull out the karaoke machine. I told one of the guys that in honor of his birthday, he had to sing us all a song. He chose "Total Eclipse of the Heart" but didn't want to sing it by himself.* So, we all decided to sing it with him.

So, in honor of that moment and to let Matt know that he's not the only guy who likes this song, I am posting a little video clip of all of us belting it out in my living room.** Notice that the guys seemed to get into it just as much as the girls. Therefore, I would venture to say that it's not completely uncool to like this song.***



We did such an amazing job that the neighbors came over and asked us to shut up!

*The birthday boy who chose the song is the one in the video holding the microphone.
** Not all the people in attendance are shown in this video, but most of them were still singing.
***Okay, maybe it is uncool to like this song. Maybe we're all just a bunch of big nerds.

Happy Birthday Grandma!

Happy Birthday to my dear, sweet grandma! She turned 88 today and is just as spry as ever. Well, she claims she's not, but she gets around very well for someone her age.

In honor of my Grandma, here are 88 memories and special things about her.

1 - She loves God and is very faithful to the church.
2 - She goes to the Temple regularly (she received her endowment maybe 15 years ago.)
3 - She loves everyone. And I mean EVERYONE! There is nobody left out of that sentence.
4 - She's very optimistic and looks for the good in everyone.
5 - She never complains. At least not that I've heard.
6 - She used to have all her grandkids sleep over at her house.
7 - She always made us waffles in the morning at those sleep overs.
8 - She walks around the neighborhood daily to get her exercise so she can keep up with her grandkids at Disneyland.
9 - She's always helping someone.
10 - She always goes above and beyond her call of duty.
11 - She's strong.
12 - She's very independent.
13 - She's a great listener.
14 - She's brave.
15 - She's classy.
16 - She almost always attended the piano recitals, concerts and plays of her grandchildren.
17 - She will drop everything at a moments notice to help anyone.
18 - She received Midvale City's " Woman of Achievement" award and seemed embarrassed by it.
19 - She's humble.
20 - She's patient.
21 - She's gracious.
22 - She's not afraid to speak her mind.
23 - She's a great teacher.
24 - She was a great wife.
25 - She's a great mother.
26 - She's a great grandmother.
27 - She's a great "Grandma Great".
28 - She reads her scriptures daily.
29 - She reads something everyday to exercise her mind.
30 - She read War & Peace at age 84 because I read it (and she understood it better than I did).
31 - She stays up on all current events.
32 - She can talk to you about anything.
33 - She can use a computer.
34 - She always gives hugs and kisses.
35 - She has the Spirit with her constantly.
36 - She will give up the front seat so she can feel "young" (my family had a house rule that the oldest always got the front seat).
37 - She is artistic.
38 - She never raises her voice.
39 - She's a great cook and bakes the best coconut bread.
40 - She still drives; but not on the freeway.
41 - She visits her son (who lives in a nursing home) almost 5 days a week.
42 - She's musical. She plays piano and sings.
43 - She played Beth in the play "Little Woman" when she was younger.
44 - She has a witty sense of humor.
45 - She loves good movies and likes to recommend those she has seen.
46 - She got her ears pierced when she was in her 70's.
47 - She tells me stories of her "old age" like how she woke up on Saturday and went to church, thinking it was Sunday.
48 - She believes she still has a full life ahead of her but says her car needs to last longer than she does.
49 - She has a beautiful smile and she uses it all the time.
50 - She worries about everyone.
51 - She takes pride in her family.
52 - She took care of her younger brothers as she was the oldest.
53 - She learned to sign at a young age so she could communicate with both her parents, who were deaf.
54 - She continually checks in on her Aunt who is failing in health (and is only 1 year older than she is.)
55 - She is honest.
56 - She would leave all she had and move if the Lord asked her to.
57 - She's a law abiding citizen.
58 - She's patriotic.
59 - She believes in the leaders of our country, and she votes!
60 - She always looks for the silver lining.
61 - She valiantly took her children to church each week by herself (grandpa wasn't active).
62 - She had her children sealed to her and Grandpa only a few months after Grandpa died (since he got a recommend before he died, they didn't have to wait the full year).
63 - I have never heard her swear or use any kind of foul language.
64 - She used to die her hair brown to hide her gray. The first time she did it I thought she was somebody else.
65 - She wears a wig now and at first was very self conscious of it. But we think she looks adorable.
66 - When Grandpa would curse or complain about something she'd always say "oh Ivan" but she never got mad.
67 - She kept a closet full of dress-up clothes that we would always use for our skits we'd make up.
68 - She would gladly sit through our skits and then clap and cheer and praise us as if we were creative geniuses.
69 - She was very good at shorthand and use to record all her grandchildren and great grandchildren's baby blessings up until about two years ago.
70 - She still gives all her children (and spouses), grandchildren (and spouses) and great grandchildren something for their birthday and Christmas. It must cost a fortune!
71 - She still throws a Christmas party for her family every year and will probably do so until she dies.
72 - She still has the family over for "Midvale Harvest Days". We have a big feast and watch the fireworks shoot off from the school behind her house.
73 - She loves visitors and would be happy to sit and talk to them all day long.
74 - Nobody is ever an inconvenience to her.
75 - She is the most sincere person I have ever met.
76 - She used to go the Midvale parade with us every year.
77 - Once she asked me to back her car out of our driveway so she wouldn't hit another car that was close to her. It was a very hot summer day and I could barely touch her steering wheel. I got out and told her we should get some wet rags and she said "No. I'll be fine". She got in the car and next thing I saw was her pulling out two hotpads. And that's what she used to drive home.
78 - She loves my dad's new SUV because it has running boards and she can actually get in it.
79 - The family always went to her house on Sundays and she always had treats for us.
80 - She had a gumball machine at her house we could use whenever we wanted. And she provided the pennies.
81 - She loves the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and was so thrilled when my sister made it into the choir.
82 - She's very good at the art of compromise.
83 - She had my brother-in-law remodel her kitchen and she was so exited to be living in the 21st century.
84 - She never gives up on anything.
85 - She's always on time for everything.
86 - She has a great deal of trust in others.
87 - She'll never say no to anyone, unless you're a telemarketer.
88 - She a blessing to anyone and everyone who knows her.

She is such an amazing woman and I am so lucky to be her granddaughter. I hope I can grow to become the kind of person that she is.

Finer Things Club: France

"Bonjour!" and "Happy Bastille Day!"

Monday was our first meeting of the Finer Things Club. And that day also happened to be Bastille Day, which in France is like our fourth of July. We couldn't have chosen a better day to celebrate the Finer Things of France! Here are some photos to commemorate the occassion!

All Things French. We'll except for maybe that cup of noodles!


Enjoying our tiny Eiffel Tower centerpiece and the French flag (which was hand drawn).

The three founding members of our Finer Things Club:

Feeling totally French. Mike even wore his french shirt that he bought in France!

Enjoying brie and crackers for appetizers and Le Petit Ecolier for dessert.

We even piped some French music through the earbuds of an ipod:

Our first meeting was a huge success! We will be holding club meetings once a month, so be sure to stay tuned for more of the "Finer Things".

"Your Faces are Turning Blue!"

I watched my sister's kids over the weekend and on Friday they kept asking if they could go watch TV. I said "No, I want to have a competition". "What kind?" they asked. This is what we came up with, and it lasted a lot longer than I anticipated. They loved trying to beat each other! It's pretty clear that my niece was breathing through her nose, but it was hilarious to see her standing there between her brothers as if she was in it to win it. So funny!



Down to the final two:

Rock-a-bye Baby...

I'm on the John!

I was sitting on the toilet at work when the lady's phone in the stall next to me started ringing. I didn't really care. But then I heard her say "hello?"

This isn't the first time this has happened. But I have yet to figure out how it is considered okay to answer the phone while you are sitting on the toilet in a public restroom? Maybe some people don't really consider using the bathroom "private time", but I do!

In fact, this annoys me so much (probably #1 on my pet peeve list) that now whenever someone is on their phone in a public restroom, I have started making as much noise as possible. Disgusting noises I won't mention here, but also flushing the toilet about 10 times just to make sure the person on the other end of that call understands they are talking to someone who is in the bathroom. Maybe they will be as disgusted as I am and ask if they can call the person back.

Not only is this practice disgusting, but it is also very rude. Nobody needs to hear you pee let alone hear a total stranger pee. It won't kill you to just let the phone ring until you finish your business*.

*I am not referring to any of you lovely people reading this blog, unless you happen to be one of the culprits. In that case, don't let me catch you on the phone in a public restroom.

New Hairdos....

My sister and I went to the salon on Monday night. While I only went for a trim and a few highlights, my sister decided it was time for a major change.

Before:

After:

Isn't she a major hottie? I just LOVE her new haircut! And like I said, I just went in for a trim and a few highlights, but I came out like this!


It is a little more blonde than I was expecting...but I'm slowly getting used to it.

Portrait of a Prophet...

"Gordon B. Hickley" (Hinckley) drawn by my 10 year old nephew:

"Thomas S. Monson" drawn by my 7 year old nephew:

Blessing Day...

Yesterday was my nephew's blessing day. Here are some pictures from the occasion:


He really does like me, I promise!

Four generations:






Grandma needed to borrow the Yoda stick:




Just a little nap...

So I cut off my sister's head. I still love this picture!

My other nephew had his birthday on the 4th, so we celebrated at his house after the blessing:

Just me and my Grandma:

My nephew did a triple take before he realized I was wearing his tie:

4th of July Extravaganza...

My family had a BBQ and fireworks at my sister's for the 4th of July. It was an awesome night. The kids were hilarious and the adults were pretty funny too!

Sorry ya'll didn't get the invite to the 4th of July Gun Show...it was a pretty amazing show! This is the senior level competition:


4th of July Gun Show Junior Level Competition:

"Are you an old decrepit woman?" I asked. "No, I'm Yoda!"

All those kids with all those fireworks? This could be dangerous!