could "dress" up every day!

A few things I need to admit

#1 -- I am totally girl. 100% Anything makeup, frilly, pink, ribbon, flowers -- I own it or want it.

#2 -- I could wear a dress or skirt every day. Yep, you heard me right every day. I love summer for this reason. I am not talking like "church dresses" I am talking, cute casual dresses and skirts. They are comfortable. They are cool (as in they aren't as stifling and hot as a pair of jeans). Plus -- they are cute.

#3 -- Sometimes I buy these little dresses and skirts I love in the children's section. Not all 'adults' love the above stated #1 and #2 so it makes it difficult to find cute, girly clothes in the womens section. I am a unique audience I guess.

3a -- One time I bought a shirt at The Children's Place and wore it school where one of my six year old students had it on. . . I stopped my obsession with buying little girls clothes for a little while, but I figure that now I am not teaching six year olds anymore and so I will just chance running into a child 1/5th my age wearing my outfit. I think it is worth the risk.

#4 -- I think I need a child to buy clothes for so I stop buying them for myself (also then I wouldn't look conspicuous going through the children's sections in stores). . . and to those of you who are worried (I know you are thinking it) NO, I am not going to buy myself a matching outfit to go with my little girls someday. . . might sew one though?!

I guess that there are some benefits to having the body of a 12 year old girl. Maybe someday I will grow up, mature, wear clothes I can "fill in" you know. . . that kind of stuff. Until then I will just be grateful that I am girly and keep shopping in the section where I belong. Who needs a petite section when you have the little girl section!!?

Bought this cute little number that just screams "I love summer" for a mere $14.99 at Target just a few days ago.
Love it!

Happy Summer Shopping.
I hope you find lots of cute sun-dresses.

Is in love

This is the real thing. No lie, I am sure about this one.

I searched and searched before I made my decision. Nothing hasty about it.
We can spend night and day and never get tired of being together.
I can look at him non-stop and he just gets more and more beautiful.
He makes me work hard. . . but isn't that what love is all about becoming better?!
He takes me where I want to go and I always feel better after we spend time togheter.
Not to mention we look great together, even with me in spandex -- totally hot.
See, true love for sure.

This is evidence that if you wait for long enough you really can have what you want. Good thing I didn't just settle for something less.

If you see me out with my new love, feel free to say hello. I will for sure introduce you. I know you will love him too. . . . but try to steal him and you are off of the friend list.

Don't tell me that I am just in the honeymoon period. . . . this is going to last forever!

is experiencing garden success!

 

My little garden is growing.  My herbs are doing really well, and my tomatoes are growing, growing, growing.  Take that Japanese Beetle! I'll plant everything in planters and prove that I can do it!  I'll continue to document my gardening success when I start to see the fruits of my labors!   All of this from little seeds! 

has an organized basement

 

I am really proud of my newly organized basement (see my other post about the library for more "information").  Because I am not going to be teaching next year I had to move everything out of my classroom.  Lets just say that there was "quite a bit" of stuff that I had to move.  So, I took a few days to organize the basement and store all of my things.  I think I am in love with my new shelves from Costco.  They might be the heaviest things EVER (thanks to Mike for moving them to my basement and my mom for helping me put them together) but seriously, they are magic! It feels so good to have everything all cleaned up and organized.  

I can hardly wait to get to all of the projects on my summer list! Sad when your excitement comes from organization and to-do lists. Maybe one of the things on my to-do list should be to build up my food storage, since I only have one little shelf and like 7 shelves of magnetic letters, files, books, math manipulatives and stuffed animals.  I might starve to death if I don't work on that balance a little bit! 

Is the proud owner of a "library"

 

Ever since Ethan found out that I was moving all of my books from school he has been really excited to come to my "library" in the basement.  Last week I finally got everything all organized and so it was library time.  Ethan called me on Sunday to see if he could come to the 'libaree'.  Camden was sleeping, so I went to pick up Ethan and he and I had some one-on-one library time.  It was fun to see how excited he was about everything.  

 

I put a rug down and my picnic table and some chairs etc.  Really, it is kind of fun to have all my books still out and organized.  Don't get too worried about me.  I don't go sit in my basement and read all alone or anything. 

 

I think that Ethan's favorite part of the library is the easel.  He drew pictures of both of us.  I am the one with "long hair" (in pigtails apparently) and he is the one with glasses.  

  

Is experiencing summer at its best in Pleasant Grove

 

I grew up in a really great town -- some people like to refer to it as PG. I'll stick with Pleasant Grove, but either way, every year Pleasant Grove has their "strawberry days" celebration.  This year was no different.  Last year I don't think I went to any of the festivities, but all growing up we would go to the parade, the rodeo, the children's parade (which I really loved because I could dress up like a pioneer and pull by 'covered' red wagon down the streets with all the other neighborhood children) and of course the "block party"

This year the extent of my celebrating was the "family night" rodeo and the 5k. 

 I got some great pictures, compliments of Ethan, of the rodeo.  Not really a huge "rodeo" fan, but it was fun to get out and do something with my family.  Plus, who can pass up Strawberries and Cream.  Ethan loved the motorcycle stunts more than anything else and I thought Camden was going to fall through the rafters trying to talk to the "baby moo's" (that would be the calves).  

I think I am good on Rodeo's until next year.  

The Strawberry Days 5k was a fun little race.  The friend that I ran with actually placed in his division!

  I think I came in 9th place or something in my age division with an 8:34 pace -- no serious timing chips and I didn't rush to the front of the pack to sprint off, so I think I was more like an 8:10 mile, but that could be debated.  It was kind of a rainy, dreary day, but not a bad run.  Next year I am shooting for a 20-22 minute finish so that I can earn a really classy trophy, but this year it was fun to just run.  

(the shoe above is actually what I ran in. . . . sorry no pictures of me running.  I only take pictures when I really accomplish something great like a marathon)

didn't catch the bouquet

No, I am not sad about that. In fact, not even sure that a boquet was thrown. That is the way it should be. When we are all late twenties and early thirties is there really a need? The answer is NO! I will stand corrected if Tara threw the bouquet after I made my exit -- at which point I hope that Olivia (in her skirt that said her name all over it) jumped up as high in the air as she could to beat out Tara's nieces who just might have been in competition for the bouquet.

In all honesty, Tara's sealing and wedding dinner yesterday were perfect. No unnecessary hoopla. Classy, grown up and a true celebration. It was how it should be. People who cared were involved and I don't think she got 47 cookie sheets and 53 sets of dishtowels from every person her parents had known at one point in their lives and felt obligated to invite. Nope, this was just the people who had truly played a part in the lives of the bride and groom. No boring line, no wedding mints. There was good food, music, friends and lots of laughing and talking. Tara looked beautiful and her parents were elated!

Tara was my roommate way back in 1998. . . . when we were lots younger. She is amazing and I am excited that she found someone who saw how amazing she is. I didn't get any pictures -- thanks Dim for sending these to me. It was so fun to see all of my old roommates and celebrate with TJ! Lets just hope it doesn't take another 6 years for one of us to get married and bring everyone back together (garn, we missed you). . . . EmS why don't you look into that getting married thing okay!?

Garn. . . this picture is just for you -- I know it isn't a great picture but it has "the finger" (classic Jennie) in it and I couldn't leave it off. . . . If you want to know what Jennie was saying while she waved the finger -- call me!

wishes her brother a happy birthday!

I am the lucky sister of James Owen Ostler. . . true story. All of my life I have been exactly 1 year 4 months and 24 days younger than him. I have been the lucky recipient of lots of love (and a little bit of dislike) over the years.

Honestly, in our early years, getting along was not something that ever happened. However, now that we have grown up and matured our relationship has grown to be one that I never want to see go away.

We have always been really different. . . he doesn't worry -- I do. He doesn't care if the cupboard doors are shut -- I do. He wears free t-shirts -- I don't. He is strong -- I am not. He is smart (like seriously, studies statistics for "fun" kind of smart) -- Not me. He has blonde hair -- mine is brown. He has cute kids -- I don't have any.

Really though it isn't how we are different that matters. Over the years, I have learned that some of those qualities and characteristics that drove me crazy in my early years are actually admirable and I wish I could employ more of them.

(I don't so much need to be a fire-bug like him -- that can be his job)

At times in my life when I have needed a big brother my big brother has always been there and I am lucky so be able to say that. Not only that but he made me like him even more when he married Megan, because she makes him even that much better.

(sometimes I like her more than him, but his is his happy birthday post so forget I said that).

Jim always does what is right and has been a great example to me since day one -- teasing, tripping and near death experiences at his hands aside, I love him.

Happy Birthday Jim!

I couldn't find any pictures of the two of us together and didn't really want to scan any in. . . so you get picture of his wife and family -- which is most important to him anyway. That is how it should be.