Thursday 13

In commemoration of Father's Day:


Thirteen Things I Loved About My Dad (the 1st Man in my life)
1. His sense of humor
2. His love of family
3. He taught me how to work
4. He was always there when I needed him

5. He was a cowboy
6. His smile
7. He always kissed me goodnight
8. He wrote the nicest things in cards and letters to me
9. He never knew a stranger
10. He was an eternal optimist
11. He loved my mother
12. He loved to dance
13. He took us on great trips

Thirteen on Thursday (Friday)

Twelve Things I Love About Our New Home + One Thing I Don't
1. The rose garden
2. The gorgeous back yard
3. The swamp cooler
4. A separate living room and family room
5. The lovely neighborhood
6. It's three blocks from the church
7. It's three blocks from Lucy's school
8. My neighbors
9. The garden spot
10. The trees all around it
11. The birds singing in the trees all around it
12. The mailbox is next to the house
and...the one thing I HATE about this home
13. The kitchen...or should I say lack of kitchen (it is tiny compared to our old one. Of course, every kitchen is tiny compared to our old one)

Thirteen on Thursday

Thirteen of My Favorite Kid's Storybooks

1. Catalina Magdalena Hoopensteiner Wallendiner Hogan Logan Bogan Was Her Name by Tedd Arnold
2. Green Wilma by Tedd Arnold
3. Pirates Don't Change Diapers by Melinda Long
4. Sing Sophie by Dayle Ann Dodds
5. Parts by Tedd Arnold
6. Huggly Takes a Bath by Tedd Arnold
7. How I Became A Pirate by Melinda Long
8. Backbeard: Pirate for Hire by Matthew McElligott
9. Axel Annie by Robin Pulver
10. Axel Annie and the Speed Grump by Robin Pulver
11. I Wear My TuTu Everywhere by Wendy Cheyette Lewison
12. Armadilly Chili by Helen Ketteman and Will Terry
13. Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss

Thursday 13

Thirteen Things I Love About Lucy


1. That she is mine!
2. Her laugh
3. Her funny sense of humor

4. Her artistic ability
5. That she tells me she loves me about 100 times a day
6. Her cute little body
7. Listening to her playing with her dolls
8. She shows gratitude
9. She loves her Heavenly Father and Jesus and tells me she misses them all the time
10. Her made up songs
11. How she gives names to EVERYTHING
12. Her grouchy face (even though it embarrasses me when she uses it on strangers)
13. Her sense of wonder

Happy Birthday Baby Girl!

Thursday Thirteen

Thirteen Things I Hate About Moving

1. This is my 47th move!
2. Cleaning other peoples dirt before moving in
3. The sound of packing tape coming off the roll (worse than fingernails on the blackboard)
4. Discovering how disorganized I am
5. Trying to fit things into boxes
6. Finding people that will help move the big stuff and still treat it gently
7. How tired and dirty I am at the end of each day
8. Trying to keep a 4 year old occupied while boxing, loading, unloading, unboxing, etc.
9. Not being able to find the thing that I need right now because it is in some unmarked box in a big pile
10. Getting rid of stuff
11. Trying to make our furniture fit in someone else's home
12. Being too tired to cook and too poor to go out at the end of each day
13. Knowing this won't be the last time we do this (unless we die that is)

Thirteen on Thursday

Thirteen Things I Love About My Mom

1. She is such a good Grandma to Lucy (she even lets Lucy do this to her)
2. She remembers special days
3. She always sends thank you cards
4. She is a fabulous baker
5. She always had nice dinners for us
6. She can get any stain out of laundry
7. Her smile
8. She didn't give up on her desire to become a mom
9. She let me check out as many library books as I wanted when I was a kid
10. Her gardening skills
11. Her cleaning skills
12. That she served an honorable mission
13. She adopted me

Thursday 13

Thirteen Things I Wish I Could Go Back and Tell My Teen-aged Self

1. At 133 pounds you are NOT fat!
2. Quit worrying about what other people think and just have fun.
3. Don't date that non-member guy, he's trouble.
4. It is NOT better to get forgiveness...it's better to get permission.
5. Stop driving so fast.
6. Turn down your music, you are going to be hard of hearing before you turn 50!
7. Be patient, you are going to find and marry a wonderful man.
8. Join some clubs or other school activities.
9. You are going to fight your hair for the rest of your life, get used to it.
10. Missions are not just for sisters that can't find a husband.
11. Push yourself.
12. Don't give up so easily.
13. Life is good!

Thursday Thirteen

Thirteen Books I Highly Recommend
1. The Book of Mormon
2. The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher
3. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer
4. The Help by Kathryn Stockett
5. Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman
6. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
7. A Long Way From Chicago by Richard Peck
8. Teaching Your Children To Fly by Merilee Boyack
9. To Him That Believeth by Frederick W Babbel
10. The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare
11. From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg
12. Two from Galilee by Marjorie Holmes
13. My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult

Thursday Thirteen...a day late and several dollars short!

Thirteen Things I Would Rather Spend My Tax Money on than Taxes
1. Down payment on a new CAMARO
2. Plane tickets to Hawaii
3. Some new clothing
4. New shoes
5. Cricut cartridges
6. Dinner at PF Changs with my sweetie
7. Boat trip to Catalina Island
8. Books, any books
9. A spa day complete with mani/pedi, facial, massage, spa food
10. A new hairdo
11. Liposuction (tee hee)
12. A gym membership with trainer
13. A lobotomy...

Thirteen Things I Love About Spring

1. Popcorn popping on the apricot trees
2. Shorts and flip flops
3. Going to the beach
4. Birds singing (not just Crows cawing)
5. The smell of fresh cut grass
6. My hydrangeas budding
7. Planting new plants the my dear hubby always buys for me
8. Lucy's birthday trip to the beach
9. Flowers, flowers, flowers
10. Easter
11. The Poppy Festival
12. Planning the vegetable garden
13. Spring cleaning (when it is done)

Thirteen on Thursday

Thirteen places that I would like to visit:

1. Australia - There was an elder in my MTC district, Elder Puric, who was from Canberra. He was so fun and talked all about home. It really made me want to go for a visit.

2. Ireland - Another of my MTC elders was from Ireland. I was the only one in our group who could understand his thick accent. I would love to visit the Emerald Isle and enjoy their rain...yes, I said enjoy rain.

3. Scotland - Jim has Scottish ancestry and I have always been intrigued by the old castles that I read about. So we could do genealogy while we were there.

4. Key West - We went the Florida Keys on our honeymoon, but never made it all the way to Key West. I could live in the Keys with no problem whatsoever! Just call me Parrothead...sing it Jimmy!

5. New Orleans - I love Cajun food. Need I say more?

6. Italy - It just seems like such a beautiful place.

7. The Smithsonian

8. Nauvoo and other church historical sites

9. Kauai - I have been to Oahu and Maui a few times so it is time to check out another island.

10. Africa - I would love to go on a photo safari in Kenya.

11. Vancouver, British Columbia - I fell in love with it while watching the Olympics.

12. Savannah, Georgia - My sister and parents went there years ago and have raved about all the beautiful homes and flowers there. I would love to see them.

13. Prince Edward Island - I am a huge Anne of Green Gables fan and would love to see the setting for the books.

So there you have it. Where would you like to go???