I did it myself (kind of...)

Hello and Good-bye

2010-09-07T15:15:00.000-07:00

What would make me want to resurrect my blog after its' death of natural causes after a more than two year absence? Well, a lot of things have happened, both good and bad over this two year period and I just need to share them. After living in Kansas for 9 years, Jeff, Kim and family moved back to Utah and now live only 50 minutes away which has blessed our lives immensely. We were so surprised and thrilled to hear they are expecting twin boys and can't wait to hold them! Rand received his MBA from BYU after coming back from Memphis and he and Suz live in Lindon, which is even closer than Provo which gives me a darling new baby Cole and a big brown-haired boy (as Cayden would say) to spoil, along with Jeff's kids. Julie has been back for several visits (I LOVED the long one this summer especially) and I have been able to fly there and spend time with her a few times, which I loved. We helped Lindsay move from South Weber to Kaysville, and then to my Mom's condo in So Ogden and she is moving closer to graduating next spring. I love hanging out with her and seeing all the movies Dad doesn't really want to see. We have dealt with the difficulties of my mom's aging with its' dementia which means that sometimes I am dealing with someone I don't even know (or like :( ) On the bright side on the good days I get to visit with the mom I haven't seen in 6 or 8 years - the one who notices things about me and tells me how much she loves me and is grateful for all I do for her. We moved her to Chancellor Gardens Assisted Living and things are better there for the most part. We've had two wonderful family reunions at Lava and a delightful one at Regi's where we got closer as families and it made me again grateful for the blessing of family. But what brings me here today is that today I had to take my Mollie (Little Miss Mollie) to the vet and hold her so she wouldn't be scared as she made her way back to heaven. Was it hard? Yes. Why did I put myself through it? Because I wanted to do the best thing for her because she has been the best thing for me for 8 plus years. She has been there for me when I was sad and lonely or when Carl was gone. And she has been there when I've cried for joy because my kids were coming back home to live. The thing is--she has always been there for me, so I wanted to be there for her. So even though today is a day of sadness, it is a day of joy because I have had her with me these past 8 years. And now Lindsay and I will go out and find another little ball of joy to get me through the tough and joyful times. AND I WILL BE GRATEFUL.....

THANKS FOR ALL THE FUN EVERYONE

2008-08-13T18:47:00.000-07:00

It seems the fun is behind us and we have only great memories and crazy pictures to remind us of our fun summer. It was so nice to have Jules here for the 4th of July and the next week. And we had such a good time with Jeff, Kim and family both at the cabin and at Lava. Then Jules was back for a short visit for her friends wedding. And I have to say, I haven't quit smiling since Rand called and told us they are coming to BYU in 2 weeks to start his MBA program. Now I tried to honor their wishes not to pray for them to choose BYU over Univ. of Michigan. I just prayed that they would be blessed with whatever was best for their family. I guess Heavenly Father thought that BYU was best. (After all, it's HIS University). Anyway, we are very excited - (Yes Carl is excited to have someone to do the "FUN STUFF" with. I thought I was fun, but oh, well...)
Thanks to all who came and helped to make our 4th annual Blair reunion so much fun! Sharon and I kind of went into withdrawal after it was all over, but are now looking forward to next year! The most important thing is - isn't it great to have a family that you WANT to spend several days with? Love you ALL!

2008-07-25T10:32:00.000-07:00

ARE YOU GETTING EXCITED FOR LAVA (or LAUVA, if you prefer) YET? Here are a few pictures from last year to help get you in the mood!

2008-07-21T15:57:00.000-07:00

here's a cute stolen tag:
1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you have of me. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you. If you don't want to play on your blog, or if you don't have a blog, I'll leave my memory of you in my comments.

I am game, It should be a lot of fun.

2008-07-19T19:01:00.000-07:00

PROBLEM SOLVED!!!
Thanks for all of your help regarding my search for a lip gloss flip phone. Anna was first to respond with an e-bay selection, and many of you gave me great suggestions. Today Jules and Areta found them at Claire's in Arizona and I ran right over and bought 2 at Claires in Layton! Now I know I can count on you all when I REALLY need a favor. (and did anyone notice this is my SECOND text in 1 day?

2008-07-19T18:22:00.000-07:00

OK SUZ - Here are my fours... (and a five)
A. Four places I go over and over - my mom's house, mom Heaton's house, Smith's and Costco
B. Four people who email me regularly - my friends Barbara and Janice, Eddie Bauer, and Cheap Tickets or Travelocity
C. Five who I wish would email me regularly - Taylor, Ashley, Emily, Parker, and Cayden
D. Four of my favorite places to eat - Plates & Palates, Cafe Rio, Paradise Bakery, and Red Robin
E. Four places I would rather be right now - Topeka KS, Arlington TN, Gilbert AZ, and on vacation anywhere.
F. Four people I think will NOT respond to this - Rufio, Maxx, Mollie and Pretty Paws ( only because they physically can't)
G. Four TV shows I watch regularly - The Office, The Today Show, anything on Masterpiece Theater by Jane Austen, and So You THINK You Can Dance

Sorry this took a while... I'm a little slow..

2008-07-16T14:54:00.000-07:00

SIX RANDOM THINGS...
I'm responding to Michelle's JULY 4TH tag. So here goes:
1. I love clean sheets, towels and the smell of rain. I love to wash blankets and comforters and hang them outside to dry and then snuggle them.
2. I usually shower in about 2 and 1/2 to 3 minutes, and like to turn off the water while I soap up. This is not because I am GREEN or conserving water, but because I don't want to rinse until I'm through washing. (How do I know how long my showers are? I was challenged by Jules to time myself (and her) and I did and she took about 9 minutes but may have been shaving :)
3. I am an avid fan of acupuncture and have been going since October. This, (coming from someone who as a child cried all the way to the doctor because I just knew I was going to get a shot), is amazing to me.
4. I have a serious compulsion to buy children's books; the problem is now I can't remember if I have already bought them or not, which sometimes leads to me having two and then gifting one to a deserving soul.
5. I am in need of 1 but possibly 2 lip gloss flip phones. I simply can't refuse when my 4 yr. old Emily says" Grandma, what are you doing tomorrow? Put this on your list. See if you can find my lip gloss flip phone" (that she left here last summer...) I've tried several dollar stores, Kings, etc. A reward may be offered.
6. You are never too old to be hit on even if it is on the phone. I received a text on my cell asking me if this was Amy. I responded, "No, sorry." He said "What's your name? I'm Julian?" I said, "No, sorry, it's not Amy - it's Marilyn". He said,"oh, haha my bad. But that's a beautiful name. I don't mind stayin in touch; want a picture? I don't mind". I ignored him; next text "I'm a drummer, I'm 22, a published poet..and model..you?" I ignored him again. Next text from him "How old are u?" Finally - I texted back "NOT INTERESTED, MARRIED, OLD, AND HAPPY!!! GOOD-BYE!!!... No more texts from him. But I have his number if anyone is looking for a 22 year old published poet, drummer and model. :) :) :)

2008-07-12T08:52:00.000-07:00

I deleted my old blog so if you want to know those things, just ask. I am going to respond to the 6 things tag very soon. Be very excited.

2008-07-04T07:45:00.001-07:00

OK. So I have two blogs; My last post (a few days ago) I accidentally put on the old blog, so I reposted it on my regular blog. I just finished an amazingly long Tagged By Two and guess where I posted it? You're right - my old blog. So simply click on my profile and click on Marilyn's I Did it Myself Blog and you can read my two's list. If you want to, that is... And can anyone tell me how to delete my old blog?

2008-07-01T14:28:00.000-07:00

Carl, Linds and I had a fun night with Suzanne and Cayden Saturday! We had a cook-out and ate outside, and then brought out Lindsay's antique trike for Cayden to ride. We pushed him around on it and pretty soon he hopped off and ran right into the kiddie pool fully dressed! It kind of surprised him ; so we took off his clothes and put his swimming suit on. He then proceeded to pick up small amounts of water in a small cup and tried to throw it on Mollie or any of us. He played in the jeep while Carl got the bike carrier ready. Then they rode around the neighborhood for a while. Cayden seemed to enjoy it almost as much as Carl. (chuckle) We ended the fun with a dip in the bathtub and he was ready for bed. (and so were we...) They flew out yesterday and I'm sure Rand was really excited to have his family back home again.

2008-06-17T14:46:00.000-07:00

My kids have done a nice job of posting info and pictures from our trip, so I thought I might add a tiny morsel myself. First of all, we had SUCH a great time, no matter what has already been said about injuries, etc. The weather was perfect, even slightly chilly at night the first few nights (for Jules). We ate, slept, swam or lounged on the beach whenever we felt like it. It was a full time job watching Jules and Linds make deals with the natives. I tried to learn sudoku (Suz, thanks for being so patient), but it involved too many decisions for me. So what was my favorite thing of the whole trip? Actually it was just having my kids and best bud around to just enjoy and talk to. I missed them all so much the day after we got home. But the pictures bring it all back for me. Thanks kids; I'm now excited to read the book :)

2008-05-19T04:51:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, my Jules turned 30 making me officially older than anyone I blog with! (except Max!) She celebrated for several days. (ok, maybe 2) Here are a few little known things about my Jules: she was affectionately called "Magpie" by Grandpa Blair because she was a non-stop FAST talker when she was little. She loved to show her Sunday School teacher her new panties, and she had trouble saying her r's. We just thought she was from the south when she said "Can I wear my shotes (shorts) today Mom"? She gets excited about things like new shoes; she likes to admire them all the way home from the store. She also gets excited for trips and stuff, just like her mom. (Which is why I'm writing this at 5:30 a.m. 5 days before we head for Mexico.) She is an affectionate, loving daughter, friend, cousin, aunt and sister - which you probably already know, AND WE ALL LOVE HER A LOT!

2008-05-03T06:38:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I visited Michelle and Delilah. I got to hold and snuggle her (Delilah, not Michelle) and satisfy my grandbaby fix at least for a while. I'm hopefully posting a few pictures from our trip last week. I just LOVED driving through 15 MILES of AMAZING tulips and daffodils at the Skagit County Tulips Festival. And this is Multnomah Falls, the waterfall Carl and I climbed to the top of. It is not King's Peak, but then I am not a hiker either.

2008-04-25T06:34:00.000-07:00

Carl and I drove along the Columbia River Gorge in scenic Oregon yesterday. It was so green and beautiful. We climbed to the very top of Multnomah Falls, the 2nd largest year-round waterfall in the U.S.
www.spectacularoregon.com/.../multnomahfalls.htm It was hard (for me) but I MUSCLED IT! I recovered just in time to hit an Outlet Mall, and the Clackamas Town Center Mall on the way home. We are heading for Seattle today and a little warmer weather.

2008-04-07T18:10:00.000-07:00

SEVEN THINGS YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW ABOUT ME, AND MAYBE DON'T CARE TO KNOW...
OK, Anna, you asked for it.
#1. When I was little, my mom found me outside knee-deep in a mud hole full of water. I was completely naked but having a great time. I think I was about 3 but could have been 9 or 10. :) Lindsay inherited this fondness for being naked and ran through Yeager's sprinklers without her suit at an early age.
#2. In about 4th grade, my best friend Janet and I let Michael F. and Bruce T. find out we were staying after school so they could chase us (and maybe try to kiss us). When they caught us and tried to kiss us on the cheek, we acted shocked and slapped them.
#3. I went to a "hop" at Clearfield High for my 1st date with Carl. When he called to ask me, I was already hanging out with my friend Alene, her friend Richard, and Robert, a guy I had been dating (a little). So I just told them I had a date with Carl Blair and I had to go. They didn't take it well, but it worked out well for me.
#4. I twirled the baton in parades from Roy to Brigham when I was about 8 years old. I wore a glittery, sequined costume. I must have been a vision to behold...
#5. Carl and I took disco dancing lessons when I was 24. After our 6 lessons, we went to the Upper Level disco in Clearfield one Fri. night and discovered the music was 100% faster than anything we had practiced with.
#6. In Hawaii, I had my picture taken with Rihanna when Smith's flew us there to see her concert. We didn't know who she was, so we went out to dinner instead of going to the concert.
#7. I am safety certified with Utah State Off Highway Vehicles to drive a 4-wheeler. No Kidding!

2008-03-14T12:02:00.000-07:00

OK, I am officially ready to "POST A NEW BLOG". It just took me 4 months to think of what to write. I just read the blogs of Anna, LeAnne, Michelle, Cindy, Misty, and of course, Suzanne, Rand and Jules. I am now inspired.... Lindsay and I are headed to Ikea today. I feel in my heart that she want us (me) to buy "friendship items" there. Like when you go with your friend and buy new shoes together, only one of you pay for them. No worries, I've been to Ikea with Jules, Suzanne and Linds before and it was lots of fun! Carl has been out of town a lot so I'm all caught up on the chick flicks I wanted to watch. I just bought Dan in Real Life and even watched the director's commentary with it. (I liked it THAT much!) Well, sorry for the 4 month blog drought... I will do better.

2007-11-13T17:48:00.000-08:00

ARIZONA IS AWESOME!!!
Dad and I had a great time with Jules in Arizona last week. We played, shopped and saw a movie "MARTIAN CHILD" (excellent, by the way). Dad fixed her sink among other things, and we ate some very expensive steaks!!!!!!! It was just fun being there with her and attending Fast Meeting where 98% of the testimonies came from the women! Now we are looking forward to going to Kansas next week for THANKSGIVING. (Linds is disappointed that we're not going out to eat for Thanksgiving). Oh well...

2007-10-31T19:34:00.000-07:00

HALLOWEEN NIGHT - OCTOBER 31, 2007
Well, as you can see Mollie and I had a fun Halloween night. Everyone loved Mollie's lobster costume. Mollie didn't mind it unless I pulled the eyeballs over her eyes and she couldn't see. Then she would stand perfectly still until I uncovered them. Linds came over for some Halloween food and fun. But I have loved keeping up with all of your blogs - and I especially love the videos! In two days I'm flying to Arizona to spend the weekend with Jules and then off to Scottsdale with Carl for 3 days.

2007-08-24T12:31:00.000-07:00

In July, we had a delightful time with Jeff, Kim and family, Jules, and Linds as we vacationed at the cabin, and partied at the big Blair Reunion in Lava. Tubing the river was fun (at least it was the one time I went) and I had such a good time with the kids. We came home exhausted but with lots of fun memories! (And it didn't even matter that we ran out of gas!) Now I'm looking forward to Julie's visit Sept. 21 and going to Kansas for Kim and Ashley's birthdays!

2007-08-24T12:10:00.000-07:00

I have been a little busy for the past month, so I am about to attempt to catch up my blog. I will start with the most recent events. Carl and I had a great trip to Alaska where he caught (and kissed) a fish, escaped an attack by a bear, we flew in a helicopter and landed on a huge glacier and drank from a glacier river. We sailed around Glacier Bay while sitting on our deck balconies with the Pages. (It was 80 degrees, and amazing!) We ate, and ate, and ate every bit of sugar and 20 times more than Suzanne went without this month. It was fun but I'm glad to be back, and Carl is preparing for the Lotoja next weekend.

2007-08-09T08:09:00.000-07:00

I know you have ALL missed my witty and amusing blogs lately, but hey, I've been as Jeff would say, "Too busy living life to write about it!" After a delightful week with my family (which I will write about later, I'm off with CB to Alaska to encounter glaciers and bears. (And possibly eat enough on the cruise to resemble one - the bear, not the glacier). So hang on until August 21st when I shall have a terrific tale to tell.

2007-07-15T09:36:00.000-07:00

DID YOU KNOW that the dictionary lists two pronunciations for the word lava, one with a short "a" sound, and one with a dieresis .. over the a, as in lauva. In an informal poll conducted the week of July 9th, 10 out of 14 pronounced it lava with a short a sound, as in cat. And after calling 5 Lava motels, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Olympic swimming Pool directly, I found that they all pronounced it lava (as in cat) also. Just in case you were wondering.........

2007-06-29T09:36:00.000-07:00

Rand, Suzanne & Cayden came last Thursday and left on Monday and it has taken a few days for me to get over being sad. I took Rand to the airport Wed. night and hopefully will see Suz and Cayden again before they leave on Sunday. We had such a good time - Cayden has 2 speeds - fast-forward, and stop. He is either moving like crazy or asleep. But we enjoyed them at the cabin and just hanging around was fun too. Now I'm looking forward to Jeff, Kim and family and Jules coming in about 3 weeks! We will have such a good time at LAUVA!

2007-06-18T10:23:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Father's Day and I enjoyed talking to all my kids this weekend. I especially loved being online all at the same time, but I had to concentrate really hard to keep up. Kim & Jeff, thanks for updating everyone on the expanding size of your family... I kept a very good secret since Mother's Day! We are sure excited for Rand, Suzanne and the C-Monster to arrive on Thursday. I think by then I will really feel like summer has arrived. I'm so grateful to have Carl as my best friend, and appreciate him more now that I see him less. (Does that make sense?) And I'm proud of the fine fathers my sons have become. So..., I just have to say that right now
LIFE IS GOOD!! (And yes, I did hike to the place in the above photo - in Sedona, Arizona.

2007-05-20T07:41:00.000-07:00

It's Sunday, May 20, and I'm just reflecting on what a wonderful Mother's Day I had last week, thanks to all who spoiled me with lavish gifts and phone calls. The highlight for me was talking to all of my kids and grandkids. I made it through church without crying; last year I spent Mother's Day in Kansas and that was a real treat. I had a great time with Julie in April in Arizona. I went to my first Ikea (can you say...overwhelming?) and loved the shopping at the amazing malls there. We had fun in Scottsdale and Julie killed (or maimed) a cockroach in the kitchen of our hotel suite! Dad and I are enjoying our new buttermint green bathroom and the new tile is fun too. It may boring to all of you (if, in fact, anyone ever reads this), but it has been fun having your Dad home for more than a week. (He leaves in the morning). We are looking forward to Rand, Suzanne and Cayden's visit in just 4 weeks and 4 days, and Jeff and Kim's family and Julie visiting in July for a whole week. It will be fun to go to the Blair reunion together in Lava (that's LAUVA) Hot Springs. I LOVE watching the Cayden-Cam (hint, hint Jeff) and keeping up with your blogs. I'm now working on Thanksgiving in Kansas..... so we'll see if I can pull it off! That's POW for NOW! Love, MOM

2007-04-09T19:35:00.000-07:00

It's Monday night and I am leaving Memphis (and a little bit of my heart...) early tomorrow morning after spending a week with Rand, Suzanne and the C-Monster! I taught him how to eat new flavors of baby food, and he showed me how he can spit it back at me! He's perfected the talent of blowing raspberries (figuratively, of course) whenever he gets a little put out with us.
But he suffered through many photo shoots and a trip to Nashville, and he is a great little traveler. Carl and Rand enjoyed mountain biking and Suz and I shopped at the Opry Mall. We had a fun Easter and look forward to Suzanne and Cayden's visit next week. That's Pow for Now!

2007-01-13T11:35:00.000-08:00

Having the stomach flu is good for one thing - it helps you appreciate how much better you feel when it's over. I lost a day and a half this week and found I never want to hear about Rosie, Donald Trump and Barbara again in my lifetime. I found out another thing - I miss my kids and grandkids... a lot. I can't wait until Sunday to visit the webcam!!!

2006-12-10T09:12:00.000-08:00

Well, it's Dec.10 and I'm not getting much sleep any more. Someone is a little excited about Christmas! I must have been a good girl because all of my kids are going to be here for Christmas! I've been making little piles of surprises in the Christmas room (Jeff's former bedroom) and could use some ideas in case anyone from my family stumbles onto this blog. Their initials are S.B., K.B. J.B. and L.B. Bye for now!

2006-11-19T17:13:00.000-08:00

Not to be outdone by my children, I have created my own blogspot and expect lots of visits from those I love. I actually just wanted to have my name on Rand and Suzanne's comments instead of anonymous so here we are. Sorry there is (and probably will never be) a cute video.