day nineteen!

Here I am on day nineteen! I know that I have not exactly followed the rules for 30 for 30. I did take three pictures in one day.... but, as I told Kelsey I am fifty and I can twist rules for this little game.... I'm wearing my new GaP sweater that I bought right after Christmas and my gray pants that I got at Macy's before the holidays and my favorite winter boots that I bought last year at TJ's ~ Love that store!!!
I wish my camera was better but the other day I got up super early...not on purpose, either....and saw this amazing sunrise. Have I mentioned how beautiful it is here in Alpine??? I didn't think so! But, the colors were so gorgeous! Heavenly Father certainly knows how to put on a show!!!

Yesterday, today and tomorrow!!!

This is my shot for Sunday ...just taken a day early! In fact, I may for the next week do all of my pictures on monday and have it all taken care of for the week! This may be my new twist on my 30 for 30!!!
Here is my Saturday shot! New necklace and add my jeans for a new look!
Just playing a little song on the piano! After we got home from going out with our friends the Vance's and the Krogue's to Joy Luck (our new favorite Chinese restaurant!)
Here I am on Friday with my Miss Me jeans and my fun top from Macy's (that I bought last year) that has a nice thick black belt! gotta love it!!!

Confessions of a failed few days....

Apparently, I should be on day 15 of this 30 for 30 quest.... You may or may not have noticed that I have not posted for the last couple of days. Why? You wonder??? Why has Cathy not shown us the outfit she has figured out with her thirty pieces of clothing? Could it be that she has succumbed to the winter blah's??? or could it be that she is just tuckered out from a very busy last few months? or that she just did not feel like going out in public as she has been filling out just a bit? There you go...my confession to all of the above! But, I did wear something yesterday... put very little make-up on so I'm going to see if I can pull this thing off.... maybe! Monday and Tuesday were complete sweat days!
I not only wore sweats on MOnday and Tuesday and yes! if you remember on Saturday, as well. I was in the mood to begin the withdrawal of our Christmas decorations. I am about seventy five percent done with that project. Still have two trees up but the Christmas plates are put away until next December. I did work out those days and did some good deeds. But, I could not bring myself to pull myself totally together! Rick even asked me on Monday if he wanted me to take my picture! I was so impressed that he (my official photographer) remembered my little quest....but told him no thanks I'm on hiatus!

So here I am in my corduroy's and a fun sweater with an even cuter flower that my oldest daughter, Jamie made me! This is for my Thursday picture!
Here I am on Wednesday which should have been day thirteen. This is about as close to being in sweats as possible but still not too casual! This is the outfit I wore to watch ByU decimate San Diego State! What a game, what a Jimmer! This is what college basketball is all about! Wow!!! Kurt, Jen & Mr.Cannon spent the evening with us and it was adorable watching Cannon cheer for B-Y-U! His vocabulary is so impressive! Those of you who have known me for awhile understand this is a huge deal for me to be so engaged with BYU sports! I have been a big fan of Utah (as that is where I spent my one and only year at college) but something has changed in me....

Day ten and 11 of 2011

True Confessions! I wore my sweats all day on SAturday! What a great day! So this is really my day eleven which is my second Sunday of 30 for 30!
The girl's bought me my jacket at Banana Republic for Christmas. I'm wearing my sexy Mama boots and a brown skirt that I think I bought at JCP.

day 8 & nine

Went to the movie's with my girlfriend Kjlara (the J is silent...) and saw......
Secretariat! What a great movie!!! I am wearing my black patent books, my downEast Jeans, my grey top from GaP and a grey long sleeve t from...somewhere very fashionable! Thanks J for taking my pictures!!!
This is a self -shot I took of me from day eight with my fake ring from Nordy's Rack, the lavender sweater from N-Rack and my white blouse from Ann Taylor. I was wearing my Miss Me jeans...
Just another gorgeous view from our back deck! The sun on the mountains is quite beautiful and my camera is not doing the justice that I witnessed! Have I mentioned how much I love Alpine????

Top items of Change and Importance for 2010

I have viewed some of your blogs that have highlights of your last year of living.... I thought I would try this for myself. I love the way that some of you write, it make's me want to be a better writer and more thought provoking... I have opened up my calendar of the last year and for myself I want to document some of what I have done in the past year...

- I love it when our kids invite their friends to stay at our home. The beginning of January, Cara did this with her friends from Arizona and we had so much fun with them! They skiied/snowboarded, ate, played games with us and just had fun! Great way to start the year out in our rental home we stayed in for four months in Lehi.

-Cara a few days later drove to Rexburg with Kelsey and they raced down a hill on inner tubes with a crash at the end of the hill. Cara ended up with a concussion and a few hospital visits. It is always my worse nightmare....getting a call saying that one of my children is hurt and to top it off it wasn't like she was close by. Thanks to faith and prayers she ended up being okay and back at school.

-Looked for houses for us and for my parents...

-Flew to San Diego for the first of seven times to help Mom and Dad. Dad fell a few days after Christmas and ended up with a broken hip! along with his leukemia to deal with. Kelsey and I stayed in San Diego to help them. There was definitely some bonding moments with Kels & I.

-Our oldest daughter turned 27 years old.....how is that possible???

-The Olympics started in Vancouver on the 12th of February and I watched in great anticipation not realizing I would be there in a week!

-Saw my dear friend, Margaret's daughter married in Washington.

-drove to Vancouver, BC with Nicole and SArah to get a taste of the Olympics! A dream come true for me....I always wanted to ski in the Olympics, I may be able to do it in the Senior Olympics?

-Reese Catherine was given a name & a blessing by her Dad, Conrad in Rexburg, Idaho. I was able to make the blessing dress. We drove up for the occasion with Kurt/Jen/Cannon.

-Closed on our home in Alpine, Utah....getting closer to having my clothes, personal belongings all under one roof!

-Dear friends from Michigan, the Bertolina's come to visit...

-Attend our new ward, the Alpine 8th Ward in the Alpine NOrth Stake. Love our ward!!!

-Tear into our brand new, never been lived in home! Add walls, tear our fireplace to place a hearth under it, ceilings all painted white, color in some rooms, make a small bedroom into a master closet, add new carpet in "new" master.

-Kelsey turns 22 the day of my party! Thanks for sharing your day!!!

-Kids throw me a 50th birthday party at Noah's in Lindon... Friends from all three recent area's we have lived in come to help celebrate! DAd on his death bed, literally...

-Mover's come with most of our belongings....they forgot our bedroom set that was in another storage unit at their facility.

-Move and live in our own home! We have an address I hope you will never have to erase again!

-I am asked to serve in the YOung Women's organization as first counselor. Love the women and young women I am working with!

-Rick takes me to Las Vegas for my birthday...we see Lion King & ran into some good friends from Enumclaw...the Paschich's.

-Dad passes away three days after I turn fifty. Jamie & Conrad and girls come in the evening we find out about Dad's passing. Mom is amazingly strong.

-I fly out to attend Dad's funeral. Kels & Rick fly out a day later for the services. All four of us children spoke at DAd's two services.

-Get connected to family member's who I had not seen in years. My cousin, David Killian and his family was one of those connections that has been such a blessing to all of us.

-Fly back with MOm after the memorial service for Dad.

-Drive to Arizona to pick up Cara from school. Attended the Gila Valley Temple open house.

-walked when I was home with my walking buddies~ Crystal and Jeanie. The views that I see everyday here in Alpine are quite possibly the most amazing views on earth!!!

-Cindy Routsen helped me do Cara's zebra wall! She is an amazing artist!!!

-Babette and Yssa come for lunch....loved all the visits from so many dear friends!

-Lynn came with her baby for lunch...

-The Butler's, Wendi and Chad and their boys come for a visit...

-Josh Little from Michigan came for dinner.

-Cousin DAvid, wife Carol and girls come stay with us!

-Cara's roomie's family come for dessert...

-Kelsey flies out to Michigan for Anna's wedding...

-Girl's Camp for the last week of June. Started a new fad....not sure that it will go but I ate sauerkraut and marshmellows! It actually wasn't that bad! Did some slack lining...love it!

-Cara turns 20...all of our kids are in the twenties for this next year! Cara is home working for the summer!

-Drove to Montana for a mini-vacation to spend time with Conrad & Jamie and his family.

The weather was so cold ....no water skiing for us!

-Helped Brianna do a quilt out of her Mom's clothing...

-Rick works in Louisiana on the BP spill...

-Kelsey's friend comes for a visit from Nevada...

-The Cammack's come for lunch...

-Attend youth conference and go to the Manti Temple

-Get released from YOung Women's and put into the new Relief Society presidency.

-Go to Sliding Rock with the youth...

-Kurt and Cannon share birthday...Cannon is one! Jen's b-day three days before!

-Experience my first Alpine Days.... Kels & I run in the 5 k and I place third in my age division!

-Nicole, Maria, Shane and Zandy come for dinner...they are family!

-Dick and Cindy Williams come for a visit...

-Head back to San Diego for the last time while we have family there....Mom sold her home!

-Move..... boxes..... is this my lot in life? ha ha Had fun with Brent (he came to help with the move) on our last day there after the mover's left we headed to the beach .... too cold! then off to Old Town and had a great mexican dinner!

-Drove twelve hours with Yuki in the front seat of the Honda while Mom sat in the back seat...

-Read The Book Thief...great book! In a book club with gal's from my ward.

-Diane Bumstead comes to stay!

-Mom lives with us....looking for her own home!

-Hiked up to Silver Lake with Rick...amazing views!

-picked raspberries with Rick... canned pears, raspberries, peaches, tomatoes...

-Hiked with Klara up American Fork Canyon...

-Enjoyed many dinner's with Kurt and Jen and mr. Cannon

-Rick drives to Enumclaw to claim our remaining belongings from that state!

-Rode our bikes up Grove....harder than it looks!

-watched my nephew, Colson play football!

-had Elder Anderson/Lierman and my two cousins, Kelsey and Lindsey for dinner/games

-joined the DUP this fall! Learning about my pioneer history!

-took care of the grave marker issues for Dad's grave.

-Fishing trip with Craig, Connor, Colson & Ella....Rick was a good sport!

-my cousins Rick Pettit's son returned home from his mission...went to their church

-Cousin Bobby and Molly come after dropping their son off on his mission.

-joined the Bookmobile! It comes to the elementary school in our neighborhood twice a month.

-Canned grape juice....love the smell in the house!

-shopped for our tree for Festival of Trees...new friends!! new AdvenTure!

-Hogle Zoo for Boo Zoo with Cannon, Jen, Kels and Rick

-Helped with Mom's move to her home in American Fork

-Jamie and family come for Thanksgiving, Kels arrives same day!

-Camaron & Morgan's bridal shower...thirty attend

-Pie Gathering with Kleinman, Pettit & Killian families! 42 attend!

-Thanksgiving dinner at our home...

-Temple Square and the lights with our family...

-Set up for Festival of Tree's at South Town Expo/work at festival on Friday with scones

-Living nativity evening... Vance's, Brent's family and Janelle come for dinner

-In charge of the ward adult dinner/ great turn out and good food & entertainment

-See the First Presidency Message at the Conference Center/ see Sis. Kinman

-Attend the DAvid Archuletta/Mo Tab concert with Kels & Cara & Craig & Kathleen

-Camaron and Morgan get married in Manti Temple

-Saw Santa for our Santa pictures minus Jamie and family :(

-Jamie and family fly in from AZ on Christmas Eve. WE greet them with crazy Christmas sweaters and eat at Joy Luck for dinner!

-Christmas with our family at our own home!

-Played in the snow with the girls....fun sledding down Cemetery Hill.... Love the snow!

watch A-Team, danced with Just dAnce 2, ate lots of good food, laughed, played games, etc. Just being together was awesome!

-Round off the year with Cara's bff from Michigan came for a visit. She was part of the family!

day seven....oh heaven's!

Here I am on the seventh day of 30 for 30! Not sure that I will do all thirty days.....too much picture taking! I have my Miss Me Jeans, my pink long sleeve from DownEast and my gray jacket from..... (this is one reason I wonder why I'm doing this as I don't remember where I bought it!) I hope this loss of memory is "not" a medical condition! Like the zebra wall? I thought I'll take pictures around the house! My shoes are not from the three I picked to wear for the next thirty....they are my slippers!!!
These are a few of the sister who came to our senior sister luncheon. We had nineteen for lunch! It was so much fun! These sister's are a blast!
I love these sister's...they are all amazing! and so full of life!!!

Laralee and Theresa are in the Relief Society Presidency with me. We had a blast putting this luncheon together....love these girls!

Days 5 & 6....

Here I am on Day 5. My sweater is from Gap and my jeans are from DownEast Outfitters.

Here is my day six....Rick is my photographer and he thought this "shot" would be fun with his gun! So there you go!!! Same cords I wore the other day along with a grey turtleneck and a new fun scarf that I found up at Swiss Days this summer...

Day 4...Sunday

Here I am in my day 4 out fit! Both my top and skirt were bought at Macy's last year when all of my winter clothes were in storage. I bought my patent leather boots at DSW in Michigan... I forgot about them until just a week ago! We had our parents over for dinner tonight along with Rob and Robby (Rick's brother and nephew!) I made chicken pot pie, green salad, mandarin jello, rolls and mince meat pie.

Saturday is a special day....

Day three..... Saturday! I am wearing a vest that I got at Costco, my shirt is from Snowbasin Ski Resort and my jeans are from the Buckle. My boots were bought at NOrdstrom Rack and are Cole Haan. I'm not one to talk brands....so this is big for me!

Got some drawers cleaned out today and it felt so good to get some places in the house re-organized and cleaned up! Love that feeling.... I know we have only been in our house since the end of March but doesn't everyone's home get a little messy after the holidays??? I know that I am probably the only one that happens to.

Have you ever tried the Tortilla Soup at Cafe Rio??? I could eat it once a week...for sure! Ask for extra chicken and tomatoes....it is scrumptious and surprisingly filling! Did I mention that Rick and Kurt went on an elk hunt with the Bumstead boy's in Morgan and both of our guys came home with an elk. That means we have hundreds of pounds of elk meat..... anyone have any good recipes???

day 2

Here I am ...day 2 on this funny little journey! I am standing at my across the street neighbor's door here!
I knit this scarf last winter! My sweater is from gap and my pants are from somewhere....?
Thanks to Jen for taking my pic's of day 2! What will I do when Rick leaves for Detroit next week???

first outfit....

I know that I am not following the rules for this little exercise of .... living with what you have! I am suppose to show the thirty items of clothing that I will be using for the next month. I have all but two items picked and photographed but am pooped! So I am thinking I'm doing good by getting this pic up! Hope I can do this!!!

Thirty for thirty....

You are probably wondering what I'm doing with this stylish looking hat on! I'm beginning the challenge of wearing only thirty pieces of clothing for the next thirty days. Apparently, age is no respector of peer pressure. You all know that I have some adorable twenty plus aged daughters and apparently they think it would be fun to pick out thirty items of clothing~ jeans, tops, shoes, sweaters, skirts (thirty of them) and mix & match them for the next thirty days..... the other part of this is we can not buy any clothing items for the next thirty days. My girls have all posted on their blogs what items they have chosen! NOt me!!! I just took a pic of my closet...pretty boring! I'll have to choose my selections tomorrow a.m.!!!

The hat is a little joke with the girls. Rick let Kylie pick it out and yes... buy it at the dollar store. Kylie's MOm would not let her bring it back to Arizona. Cara wanted Ky to wear it at the airport and Jamie (the Mom) did not see the humor in it. I'm not sure but I think this hat could be the Smith family gnome! Look for it in my 30 for 30! I'll try to be as creative as possible... I promise! This should be fun! WE have Kenzie in on the 30 for 30 and I'm hoping Jen will do it too! I sure love all of the girls in my life!!!

Tyler's baptism day!

My sweet sis-in-law, Jennifer and her newly baptized little one, Tyler....on his baptism day. We came over to their home after for a luncheon. Jenn has leukemia and has had it for a couple of months. Please, keep her in your prayers! The more prayers, the more power....

Cathy and Jenn at the luncheon. Good times and what a cute apron!!!

Uncle Craig, Cara and Aunt Jenn with their most adorable niece!

The four Kleinman kiddo's.. one of the perks for living here!

The reason for fishing....

Rick has been doing some fishing lately. Usually when he has come home in the past he has nothing to show for it. Now I know that fishing is not like shopping but when I go shopping I usually come home with something to show for it! But, since we have been in beautiful Utah Rick has taken up his passion for fly fishing! The other day he was out with his new fishing buddy, Bob Romney and Bob caught a big enough German Brown Trout that fed the three of us! The three were Rick and Cara & I. This is the picture of our meal. All real and healthy foods. Oranges, trout, black beans & pea pods. What a great way to start the year out! Now, if I can finish eating all of the holiday goodies I can continue with the healthy start!

The Big Drop-off's....

Kenzie Patterson left yesterday to head back to Michigan State. WE had lots of fun with Cara's bff from MiChiGan. She will have to come back when it is a little warmer! We love you Kenz and will miss you!

Kelsey left to finish her last semester at BYU-Idaho. This is a cute craft she made while they girls were here! I will miss her, too! So proud of her that she is almost done with her bachelor degree! YOu can do it...polar bear!! (It is super cold in Rex..Iceberg, Idaho!)

Here is the gang of girl's before Jamie and her cutie's head back to the warmth of Arizona. We had bunches of fun and made some great memories. How did I get so blessed to have so many beautiful women in my life????

Reese and Bapa at the airport. I need to find a full length pick of this most adorable coat on little Reese. She is a little dolly and is growing too quickly! She is walking everywhere and loves to cuddle.

Off they go back to med school and to warmer weather. We loved having them here for the holiday and can't wait to get the family back together. I love my family...

Four tree's....it is true!

Here is our patriotic tree. This tree came to being after Sept. 11, 2001 and Kurt asked if we could put a patriotic tree together. I was touched by his feelings of patriotism.

Here is a full shot of it. My new idea is for Rick to build me a small stand that has wheels on the bottom so we can wheel this tree into the storage room and cover it for next year! Hope it works! The other fun thing about this tree is I have had many friends who have given me patriotic ornaments to make this tree even more special.

This is the missionary tree. When we first moved to MIchigan we had a few Christmas Eve's with the elder's and sisters. We would buy clear ball ornaments and have them decorate them with their names and anything else they wanted to do to the ornament. Now it is placed in Rick's office with a train surrounding it. The grand-darlings loved the train this year!

This is our fancy tree that is our only live tree. We found this one at my girlfriend's, Dad's Christmas tree farm. We picked it out in less then five minutes then we had it cut down. This one use to be in our formal living room in Kalamazoo but now we have it placed in our big family room.

This is the kid tree that sits next to our fireplace. One of my favorite moments of the season is when we got home Christmas Eve and Kylie ran upstairs from the garage wanting me to show her every tree. It was magical! This post is especially for Nicole and Sarah...loveyoutwoandthanksforalwayscommenting. That last part was code for them....
I love Christmas...ok? I also love snow......

Park City visit 1/1/11

Kelsey, Cara and Kenzie Patterson in Park City. Kenz is here visiting from Kalamazoo for the week! We are thrilled that she is here.

Cathy, Kels and Rick at Cesero's at PC.

Kenz and Cara in front of the ice skating rink at the resort. It was three degrees when we were there! A bit nippy!

Cara, Kenz, Kels and Jen on Main Street in Park City. The store fronts are so fun!

Cara and Cathy just hanging out at the resort! Not for too long because of the cold....