Ranting

I've seen several different sorts of blogs out there. And I'm always drawn to the ones where I'm not looking at the cute crafts, but rather reading the stories about their lives. I blog-stalk several navy wives, one ex-navy wife, and a few horseback riders. I stalk people's pets, and their kids. In the end, sometimes I just can't get enough stories. Maybe it just comes with being a writer. You want more to write with and their stories get added to my repertoire. Either way, I've decided that I need to do less pictures - and more ranting. Besides, I could benefit from a good outlet, it's not as if I have my husband here to listen to my whining!

1. If you get to do something snazzy. Don't rub it in. It seems all week I've had to deal with people telling me how excited they are to do things that I can't do. "Oh, you and your husband had a great Anniversary dinner? I'm so excited for you." "You get to go to Hawaii? Awesome." "You just won $4,000 at the casino? Splendid." It's not saying that I wont be able to do these things, and I'm ashamed to say that I am guilty of the second complaint, of not more than a month ago. But did I really rub it in?! Maybe I did, and for all of you whose toes I crushed? I'm sorry. Seriously, I'm never telling anyone about my great news. Or maybe I'm just over reacting, and maybe i'm just horrible and bitter, but dude, have a little consideration for those of us stuck at home, not gambling, or with out their husbands!

2. Sometimes I just don't feel like cleaning. My house, at this moment, is a disaster. For those of you who knew me while I was growing up - my definition of disaster has changed a bit. My house looks nothing like my room did in high school, and in general, it's clean. But right now, it's messier than it's been in months... no. Years. There are clothes upstairs and down in various baskets, there are blankets everywhere (honestly, why did I think I needed so many?!) loose socks, books, papers, etc... But I'm exhausted! I worked all weekend, I haven't had more than an hour here and there off in who knows how long. And yes I know I've had all sorts of trips - Missouri, Hawaii, Ember came to stay, but those aren't breaks. Vacations and visitors are nice - but they aren't very good about really making people relax. In general, trips are stressful! And the last thing I want to do when I get home is clean. I want to SLEEP. My house will be clean tomorrow - I've had enough of the mess and I'm ready to overhaul, but for heavensakes I REFUSE to feel guilty because my house got messy for a few days! It's not the end of the world.

3. Just because I miss church for a few weeks, it doesn't mean I'm inactive. I love my ward. They are wonderful. All of them. But as I listed above, I have been going on several trips in the last month or two. Well, for someone who has not one but TWO very important callings, my absence is -always- noticed. I got more "Welcome back!" "It's so good to see you Sister Mooneyham!" and "Been busy?" in church this week then I've ever heard in my entire life! Not that I mind, it makes it obvious that I've been missed, but sometimes I feel guilty enough about missing, can't I just slide by under the radar once? Oh well, I shouldn't complain, I got to see my visiting teacher and my Home Teachers both this week, and everyone knows I could use the company (messy house or no).

Last, but not least.

4. Never write something like THIS at the end of an email:

"Third, I have some huge news to tell you and I can't go into details. Just keep as much money in our account as possible. Thanks."

When I got my *one* e-mail from my husband, I was more excited than I can express. Until I got to the end of course. And now I am just extremely happy that I will be speaking with him this weekend, because if I have to wait another month to get that news I'm going to be hunting down that Submarine myself! I'll keep you all updated... if I can.

Photos and Fun!

Recently I took a trip to Port Angeles with Jenny and her two kids, Nivek and Mackenzie. We had a great time! I found out that fly fishing here in Washington involves catching 10lb steelhead and that Hurricane Ridge is so high that we had to drive through clouds to get to the top! We also got to see all of the hot Twilight spots, like the place that Bella ordered her mushroom raviolli when Edward told her he was 'special'. They even have a dish on the menu called "Bella's Mushroom Raviolli" Who knew?! We stopped and saw Red on the way and got these precious pictures that were touched up by myself and Tina - the third member of our neighbor trio.

Journaling

Today, while listening to conference I decided that I was going to compile all of my e-mails to James into a word document that I could use as a sort of Journal. I've been meaning to do this for quite awhile. As I write to him almost every day, it really is a great way to keep a journal - without keeping a journal! I just finished with 2009, and it's 113 pages! I was in shock! Anyway, while sorting through I found several entries that made me smile. They are a bit long, but I find them funny, I hope you do as well!

3/15

JayJay,

I'll have you know my sweet that I just hauled my comfortable butt OUT of bed to come write you an e-mail. You better be grateful! I know you are though, so that makes me happy. It just means that you get another e-mail from your wonderful wife. Me! So today started out pretty lame. I woke up this morning to a full on blizzard... which was horrible because of course, I had to go to church. Can't ditch out on leading the music! Or teaching my blasted sunbeams! Anyway, so I dragged my sick (I'm on my period too, YAY) lazy butt out of bed and get dressed in a hurry so that I can leave early for church and right as I'm about to walk out the door I get a call from the missionaries: "Hey sister mooneyham, think you can go drive down this road that nobody ever drives on in the snow because it is super steep and twisty and pretty much a death sentence to anyone who drives on it, to pick up the this girl for church?" And what do I say? "It will make me late." They reply that they will lead the music for me if I don't make it ontime. So guess who is suckered into taking the deadliest road ever to pick up some chick? Me. Terrified, but thankful I have the Tahoe, I head out. I get the girl with only moderate slipping and sliding. I prayed aloud just about the entire time... afterall, I was doing the lords work; he HAD to protect me! Sure enough, I get her and we make it to church in one piece, though I walk into sacrament meeting ten minutes late only to see that they DON'T have anyone to lead. They wave frantically at me and I ditch my stuff on the nearest bench and run up to the front just as the organist finishes her intro... she started it as soon as she saw me. So I open to the page of a song that I REALLY didn't pick out and have to figure out how to lead it as we go alone. Ok whatever, not the best start but I'll survive. Song two was easy.. and also one that I didn't pick. Song three was great.. but super difficult to lead, and the organist, bless her heart followed my every move. (BAD IDEA, YOU PLAY, I'LL FOLLOW!) my regular organist and I have this down to a science. Anyway, so after the entire congregation figures out that I don't know what I'm doing and start singing their own tune (I swear that it really happened. I wanted to cry) Finally it ended... and the last song was absolute cake. So the second hour starts and honey.. it was amazing. NO SUNBEAMS! Half our congregation was gone because of the snow and apparently I have less active families in my sunbeams because not a single one was there! YES!! Anyway, it gave me an opportunity to talk to the missionaries and the girl I brought to church and I got to hang out in relief society. It was fantastic.....

It continued, but it got mushy, so I'll leave that part out. Haha.

5/12

(I'm starting this e-mail mid way through too)

.... Today was sad. I had to take my mom to the airport. She came on my dog walk with me, and met that bulldog. It was really fun. We went out to Scenic Beach and the tide was way way out. So it smelled all gross and the rocks were all barnacle-y... if that is a word. So mom and I were just meandering up the beach in the manner that you hate when I almost stepped on one of those pig plushy blobby looking starfish. You know, the purple ones. Anyway, after shrieking in my typical manner when I see sea creatures we realized that there were starfish EVERYWHERE. Seeing movement beneath a rock I decided to kick it over, and you know what I found?! CRABS - not the sexually transmitted disease of course - It was AWESOME! Okay, so really it was terrifying. Combine tiny spiderlike size with swift skittering abilities and my 'favorite' crustacean and you can only imagine what my first response was when that first rock was flipped and all the creepy critters scattered. Yeah. I pretty much screamed like a banshee, and maybe I didn't run a half-mile (which you TOTALLY exagerate by the way) loop around my mom and the rock in question, but it definitely gave me a scare. But the adrenaline was great, so we spent the next hour flipping rocks and shrieking when the crab babies went nuts. In other words. We had a blast! We got squirted a few times by burrowing sea creatures, which was surprising and also terrifying, but I suppose I survived. After Scenic Beach, we hit the Airport and I dropped mom off and then came home. I read that book and watched some shows and had dinner with Tina and Dale. It was fun. :) Anyway baby, I'm off to bed. I love you with every fiber of my soul and I can't wait to see you. MUAH.

Forever yours,

Kara

I hope you weren't too bored! But I thought they were funny and they made me smile! Also, as a follow up. Inspite of my lame attitude, the girl that I picked up from church that day was baptized this past weekend. I'm so proud of our missionaries and the work they have put into that girl for the past year.