Popcorn popping on the apricot tree

Whew, Can I just say the last three weeks have felt like 3 months. Especially the last week and a half. In short my life has been pretty much put on hold the last week and a half while trying to help with a very time sensitive situation. I am grateful that I can help but it was little stressful. I just thought I would share a funny little story about just trying to find a little happiness in the week of craziness.

There is a family that we know from church that every single one of my family adores. They have 6 boys all under the age of 10. You can imagine how busy their mother is. ( she is amazing) Well we LOVE to have them all come over to our house. There are boys playing downstairs on video game. There are boys playing on computers. There are boys running around the back yard. There are boys running on the tread mill and then there are some stealing cupcakes from the table.

We always hate it when 7 or 8 o'clock rolls around and they have to go home and go to bed. Lame!! Their parents are always some much fun to have around to. I love Eve, their mother. She is always fun to talk to and has a great laugh!

Anyway, last week I spent a few days on the phone and driving around to different centers who specialize in the kind of problem that was going on and then talking to specific people I needed help from to remedy the problem. One of those days I was fit to be tied. It has been very clear why I felt I needed to come home this fall and I was happy to provide the help but as I drove around that night finishing up the visits I needed to make I was on the verge of tears. Then a BRILLIANT idea came into my mind. I needed a bit of happiness and I wanted to go over to this family's house to hang out with them because there is no way to be around them and not get that. Well that night after my last visit I ended up going home because it was pretty late by the time things were done. The funny part is when I got home Tressa had just gotten home from their house because she needed a dose of happiness and escape from everything going on as well. That little family doesn't even know how much they serve us. I didn't visit them so I had to settle for this video I took of one of the boys the last time they came over to play. Tressa laughed at me alot because I would watch it over and over again and giggle every time! Hey, I had a lot of stress to relieve. Thanks for the help buddy!!

Just a few Sunday thoughts

I wanted to take a moment and express some thoughts I have had recently. I am so grateful for my Heavenly Father and the fact that he truly knows each and everyone of his children. It's amazing to me how each one of us can be going through our own individual lives and we can see the hand of the lord in our individual lives. He's got a lot of people to keep track of and still his is able to do it and make it look so easy. I am so grateful that Heavenly Father fills me in on his plan for me little by little. As soon as I learn to not be such a control freak and let him take care of things everything goes so much better. Just this week things I have wondering about have all become so much clearer and I have been having some AW HA Moments. I am so grateful that Heavenly Father trusts me with serving his children and guides me on what to do and how to do it. I honestly would be so alone and lost without his help.

Dear Sister. (another pictureless blog.)

Wow I need to go to bed! But I also have to get this out. This blog was originally started as a place for me to get my thoughts and feelings out. I used to write it in the form of a letter to my sister. Because Liz is some one I look up to so much and just adore. I adore all my sisters and I am so grateful for each one and their goodness to me and how they will listen to me for hours on end. My life wouldn't be so amazing if I didn't have my sisters. Anyway, that's a post for another time. Right now I find my self needing to go back to the old school of this blog. So here it goes....

Dear Sister,
The last 4 days have been some of the most stressful days I've have in a long while. You know how through out life Heavenly father presents you with many learning experiences and choices to be made? HA Well I have had quite a few and they've been good ones!

The last few days fate forced me to reminisce on one of those choices I made a few years ago and that brought with it a quick condensed version of how to tie up loose ends and clean up that tiny little pile of dirt that you would much rather sweep under the rug. (It's so much easier that way but after much studying not the best way.) It amazing at how the little decisions in life can really affect your future. This weekend I reflected on a past decision. It wasn't little, but very life changing. I felt kind of like Pocahontas. You know, where she is at the fork in the river and trying to decide which path to take. Well my paths weren't quite as exciting as hers but I could still Identify.

I found myself with two choices. One was heart wrenching and the other was easier, but my gut told me it wasn't right. So do I cause my self the pain by taking the road less traveled? Or should I take the easy way out while undermining my intuition? As you know I stayed true to the promptings I had and through many tears took the road that wasn't easy. At the time I got many confirmations that it was the right thing, however after all was said and done I found myself questioning my logic every now and then. Especially after I saw another take the path I passed up an seemed to be successful.

After the clean up on isle 10 this weekend, I was driving around by myself thinking about it all. And one more time a confirmation came. But stronger and much clearer then the others. You know when Heavenly father tells you to do something and you don't quite know why? Then a while later you understand? This time I felt more like I had dodged a bullet. It felt a lot like how I imagine a soldier would feel if he was supposed to go on a dangerous mission but another went in his place and was broad sided by an attack. The soldier is so sad for the man who went in his place however so happy he is safe and sound. Does any of that make since? Is that bad to feel.

Wow the relief! Anyway, now that this weekend is over I feel like I can breath again! Thanks for letting me vent a little,

Love,
Your little sister

Halloween

This Halloween I had a really hard time deciding what to be. Actually every halloween I have the same problem. I will think about what I should be the whole month and stress about putting something together. THen I usually end up going into our basement and grabbing whatever I can find the day of Halloween and throwing it on. (they end up being the best ones too) The last three years I have pretty much only dressed up for work because I end up working every year on Halloween. But I still have fun doing it. This year I wanted to be an angel but this is how it turned out:


I was to picky when looking for my angel costume and had nothing when I was getting ready for work. Luckily my personal assistant was on duty and we went to work on plan B. I just wish my mom was there to help us with the nose and makeup. Here are a few pictures of the process:








I was so excited because I thought I looked pretty good! LOL But when I got to work people kept telling me how creepy I looked. It wasn't what I was going for but I got over it and laughed it up.

I also thought I looked like a green gonzo

Updates

Ok, so there has been a lot going on and yet I feel nothing has happened at all. I'll update you on the lastest. A few weeks ago Tressa and I went to a Tri-stake dance put on by our stake. Our stake never puts on dances and there is a reason for that. However, the new young YSA reps who plan the activities don't know that. I think I am the YSA that has been here the longest (6 years! WOW) and experienced the days we used to try to put on dances. So this year the reps planned a fall dance and invited 2 other stakes. I have invited my friend from PA and was going to meet him and his friends there. Right before we planned to leave I got a call and he was like "Deb where are you? There are only two people here." The tradition of Columbia hosted YSA dances lives on! Well Tressa and I showed up determined to have a good time. We walked in, made them dim the lights and grabbed all 15 people there and threw them all on the dance floor. We ended up having a great time and meeting some pretty cute guys. Here's a picture of Tressa and I after we had gotten home at 2 am. We were tired and had had a really good work out keeping the energy of the dance up.


Last Sunday we had our Primary presentation. I teach the CTR 7 class and I love it. They are a handful but they have so much life. Anyway, they all got up there in front of the ward and did amazing. Each one said their part and did it so well. HA I know I am just their teacher and it was their parents who helped them with their parts but I was very proud of them and thought I'd give them a shout out.

You know that Halloween is in the air when the makeup is on the bathroom counter. Us Allred girls have never been very big into make up but we still have drawers full. Growing up the most makeup I ever wore was mascara. Now I have added blush and a light powder to the club. I have never felt I have much talent for applying it. My mother, however is very talented and that is where the halloween part comes in. She has a talent for dramatics and can turn any cute as a button face into a scary, scared villan or an 80 year old man. So every year before an halloween party since I was tiny our bathroom has always looked like this.

Tagged

Okay so I am going to try to get this post done as quickly as possible. I have 4 minutes before my time limit I gave myself is up. So get ready set go!
(Kim I think I was the one you tagged since you don't have any other Deborah's on your blog list)

#1: I don't like to be alone. Okay so there are times where it just feels SOO good not to have any one around and to be left with only my thoughts. But for the most part I am so much happier when I have some one around. I don't even have to talk to them, but knowing they are in he vicinity makes me feel better. HA Tressa is probably rolling her eyes because any time I know she is in hearing distance I will start talking to her or yell for her to come closer so I can talk her her. But come on, I already know what has happened in my day. It's easy for me to run out of things to talk about when I am just with myself.

#2: I don't like my toothbrush to be dirty Or really touch ANYTHING that could make it dirty. I guess I am OCD in that area. I mean I put that thing in my mouth to clean it, so shouldn't it be clean as well? I usually stand it up in the little toothbrush holder so it's not touching anyone else's toothbrush and can air dry or I always have a cover to put on it. (of course I realized that when I put it in the cover it doesn't dry and breeds more germs but whatever. It helps me sleep at night)

#3: I like my name to be capitalized. When people write my name, for some reason it really bothers me if they do not capitalize it. Just seeing deborah instead of Deborah urkes me and for a brief second before I get over it I am annoyed with the person who wrote it that way. Even when I am feeling lazy while writing something and don't capitalize some one else's name I will capitalize my own. (but 9 times out of 10 I feel bad and go back and capitalize the other person's name too)

#4: Okay here comes the really weird one. I really don't like going to the bathroom. I don't know why but I HATE doing this. I don't know if it's because it is inconvenient or I'm too lazy but I usually hold it until I REALLY have to go. Even writing about this is stirring up my dislike for the task. (weird) My mother tells me I hated having a wet or dirty diaper when I was a little so I think it is something stemming up from my childhood.

#5: I hate dog hair. Our dog...wait, let me rephrase that. Tressa's dog Maggie, is a funny looking chow/lab mix and she sheds like it's her job!!! Really I have never seen so much hair in my life come from one living thing. And it gets ALL OVER and then you can't get it off! uhg, so annoying! Anyway, I have such a hatred for her hair that I do not allow Maggie in my room. I call it "The dog hair free zone". And if there is a blanket or article of clothing she has touched I will not use it until it has been washed. I also wont kneel on the floor during family prayer because her hair will get on my knees and then I will track it back into my dog hair free oasis. So instead I do a kneeling type of deal while balancing on my toes.

I really don't think you understand my dilemma here, but for the sake of time...it has been a 5 year battle with this issue and I feel like the dog hair is winning. So my strategy is just to avoid it all together.

#6: I like to have cute underwear. I have alot of it to. I blame my love of it on my time folding panties late into the night at Victoria's Secret. However this is not where it began. I have always been picky about my whitie tighties and never buy a pair unless "they call to me." Strange, I know. This is something I have discussed with many married girls or Returned missionaries time and time again. And they all have the same point. It usually goes like this:

"why do you even care what your underwear looks like? No one is going to see it. And it wont matter in a few years any way."

Well my dear married and RMed friends. Yes, it is very true. NO ONE else is going to see it. However I see it and it makes me feel happy. I guess it makes me feel edgy to know I am wearing something fun that only I know about. And since I am not married yet and haven't gone on a mission or made any of the fun commitments that go along with those things, I can indulge myself for a little while longer.

#7: I tend to speak very openly and honestly about myself. Some times I get a little too honest and make my father blush or say things to people who are practially strangers. Case in point: my sister Tressa and I were at a tri-stake YSA dance. It was all over and everyone was cleaning up. I was still on a bit of a high from all the dancing and energy and came up to my sister and this new guy we met that night to tell Tressa we were leaving. Well I gave the guy a hug and realized that his back was not as wet as mine. I promptly said : "Wow, your back is not as sweaty as mine is. Sorry about that. Usually it's the other way around." Tressa was shocked and let me know that probably wasn't the best thing to say to a guy we just met. The fact is I was more embarrassed about it so in a spit second before I thought about the words coming out of my mouth I mentioned it in hopes to get it out there and make me not so embarrassed. It worked for me until Tressa told me that was not something you usually say to guys. Ha you'd think I would have problems getting dates with comments like that. But somehow guys must think my weird quirks are.....I don't know, cute? Who knows but I am working on keeping my mouth shut.


I tag Cathryn, Liz, Olivia, and huh....Tressa

Who's Idea was this?

Some times I wonder what is going through my head when I do certain things. I mean, I know what will happen when I do it and yet still I "try and see". Here's an example for your reading pleasure:

I drive a beautiful Chrysler Sebring convertible. (notice how clean!)

Honestly not the most practical, but oh so fun! (Especially summer semesters in Rexburg when my best friend and I are cruising for guys! Wink, wink!)

(obviously winter semester hence the snow)

A little back ground on the car. It is fun but not perfect. I purchased the car used and so it was "broken in". The roof by the driver's side has a slight space between it and the windshield. It comes in handy when you are traveling across the country late at night in a blizzard and you are wishing you could throw snow in your face to keep you awake! But it's not so much fun when you want to have a conversation with the person next to you. (it's loud on the freeway)

So the beginning of the summer semester a girl in my apartment complex backed into my car making a huge dent in the driver's side door (great. one more problem with it). After driving it around like that for 4 months I finally got it fixed. (the picture above)

While it was in the shop I got to drive this:


(can you say so fun?! these pictures are for you Cat!)

Okay, okay so on with the story. I was SO excited to get my car back and even more excited to find the shop had fixed a few problems on the door that I bought the car with. (was that cheating the insurance company? I don't know.) Because of the little gap in the roof I really haven't washed my car in a long time!! Okay I'm also a little lazy. The only rinse down the poor thing gets is all natural by mother nature. SO during my joy of being reunited with my topless friend I decided I'd make sure she looked good after the cosmetic surgery she had just been through. So because it was dark and a little chilly when I got off of work last night I decided the car wash would work wonders. On the drive over there this is how the conversation I had with myself went.

-"Deborah, this probably isn't the best idea. Yeah, they fixed the door but there still is the gap in the roof. Did you forget that car washes spray your car EVERYWHERE?"

-"Yeah but it's really just a TINY gap and the rain and snow don't even come through that much. I think we'll be okay."

-"Fine go ahead but be ready for the pre-soak."

So I drove into the car wash and made sure the windows were up as far as they would go. The sprayer went over where the windshield met the roof and there wasn't even a drop. I thought I was home free. Oh no, no, no. When it went over the side of the car the flood gates were opened and water streamed in. LOL apparently when the roof on one side doesn't go down all the way the sealing on the side where the windows are is worthless.

The smart thing for me to do would have been to end it right there and drive out. But no, no. One, I paid 8 dollars for that thing and two, my car still wasn't clean! Just wet. So I put the hood on my sweatshirt up and waited, squealing every time the sprayer passed and the cold water hit my seat. I left thinking "who's Idea was this?!" But at least my car was clean. And really if you look on the bright side I got the better end of the deal. For 8 dollars my car was cleaned inside and out AND I got a shower/laugh out of it!