Collections...?

I don't think people believe me when I tell them I have a tendency to get addicted to having certain items and start collecting...

Since we moved, I have been able to get a good idea of just how much stuff I actually have!

I certainly don't need anymore of these following items:

In case you can't tell...this is a bin full of all my purses! Although, personally, I don't think a girl can ever have too many purses!

Uh... batteries. Batteries! (My family will get that one!)

I don't even use these that often... so when I was unpacking I was SURPRISED that I had soooo many!

Anyone need a pen or marker? This isn't even all of them!

Who doesn't need a million and one stickers?

Needless to say, Soni and I now have items on a "no-buy" list.

Just for fun...2- "It's the Singles Life"

To the tune of It's a Hard-Knocked Life -you know? From Annie.

It's the singles life for us!

It's the singles life for us!

'Stead of minivans & kids, we get roommates & an empty fridge!

It's the singles life!

Got no spouse to speak of so...

it's the singles life we know.

Lots of 1st dates, but no more! All this dating is a chore!

It's the singles life!

Don't it feel like you'll never find a husband?

Don't it seem like you'll never find a wife?

Once a day don't you wanna throw the towel in?

It's easier than living singles life!!

No one's here from the Stake if we should need them.

They are busy visiting all the family wards.

If we're lucky, someday we can join them.

When we're married that will be our big reward!!

Ohhhhhh-Ohhhh-Ohhhh!

Mingle munchies life!

Only 1st dates life!

Empty fridges life!

Only roommates life!

Stake Leaders we never see.

Stake Leaders? There's no such thing!!

When you're here you are ignored,

'Cause you're in a singles ward!

It's the singles life!

It's the singles life for us!

It's the single life for us!

When you're here you are ignored,

'Cause you're in a singles ward!

It's the singles life!

It's the singles life!

It's-the-singles-life!!!

I thought that one was just OK when I wrote it. The only thing I left out is the part where Molly is pretending to be Miss Hannigan...I'll work on it from a Bishop's perspective! I'll also work on finding my "Supermodest" lyrics. That one I LOVE!!

Just for fun...

For those of you that don't know me that well, or my family, I/we like to put our own lyrics to songs. (Especially Debi and I...ask her about her Footloose lyrics. Or "Open Arms" by Journey).
Anyway, when I was in the Singles Ward my friend, George, sent me a link to this song some guy had made up about Testimony meeting...to the tune of "My Favorite Things." Well, of course, I immediately set about making up one for a singles ward F&T meeting. I think it's quite good, of course!

"The Singles' Ward Testimony Meeting Song"

by Catherine Christensen 11-11-06

To the tune of "My Favorite Things"

Verse 1: It's the first Sunday & my "favorite" meeting. We get to listen to hearts that are bleeding. Bishop just sat down kids rush for the floor-soon to be followed by about 50 more.

"Without a doubt" & "I HAD to get up here" just some of the quotes that you're most likely to hear. New roommates fighting, then sharing some hugs. Is it just me or are they all on drugs? First they bore us. Then implore us. What more will they say? These are just a few of my favorite things about Testimony Sunday!

Verse 2: Now a girl gives a "shout-out" to her roommate. Another complains about how she's had NO dates! Bishop is sleeping with an hour to go! What will be said next? We never can know! There're always stories about work and school. Some-guy just testified his boss is a fool! The ward mission leader loves pass-along cards. Just 2 more years then I'm leaving these 'tards! Cell phones ringing! When's the singing? Are you bored my friend? Just 40 more minutes 'til hymn and a prayer and then all of this will end!

Verse 3: A guy tells us he saw a rated R movie. Some-guy that's too old tells us his life is 'groovy.' Engaged couples tell us they're leaving the ward. Can't someone testify they love the Lord? The First Counselor tells us his wife had a baby. Another guy wants to serve a mission...maybe? Finally! The announcement: 5 minutes to go. Why does the time seem to go by so slow? "Bingo!" yells George. Brother Rex snores. Is the spirit near? We've reached the ending, let's sing our last song and get the heck out of here!!

Don't get me wrong people...it's not always like this, but seriously? Everything in this song has happened in 1 or more Testimony meetings. It's just a song with all the weirdness wrapped up together. Some of our Testimony Meetings were wonderful and filled with the spirit! And I did love my time in the singles ward...I just love a silly song!

Coming Soon-"It's a Singles Life"...to the tune of "Hard-Knock life" from Annie

& "Super Modest"...to the tune of "Supermodel" by Jill Sobule (?) written for Girls Camp girls in '08.

I officially have...

...a working bathroom! Woo-Hoo! John was over Saturday and we finally got everything squared away with my bathroom sink! (YAY!!!) Of course, we did have to go get new valves since the old ones leaked as soon as we turned on the water! What the heck! How is everything falling apart on us & worked fine for the old owners?? I just don't get it?! But, you live & learn, right?
We also discovered...(& Soni & I both SWEAR that when we saw the shower rod the packaging said it was TENSION-MOUNTED) that our brand new double rod shower rod that we bought is not...I repeat, IS NOT tension-mounted! (D'OH!) But, we have decided to keep it anyway and will just mount it above the tile into the wall. (We just spent $300 on that tile, no way is it getting holes drilled into it!)
Needless to say, we did not move in on Sunday. Now before you get upset for us...it was our choice. We are spoiled and would really like to be able to shower with a shower curtain up before we move in for good. Also, we get TV installed on Wednesday, which would also be nice to have before we commit to our new location. My cousin should be coming over again Weds. to install the shower curtain, hang curtain rods, hang mirrors etc...
I took a bunch of pictures Saturday but my connector to get them to the computer is at the condo...so look for those later!

Almost there!

(PLEASE!!! FINGERS CROSSED PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!!)

Ramon (seriously...if he was single!) has finished the tile in the bathroom, patched the kitchen ceiling, and put in the carpet. He should be finishing up today. (YAY!)
My cousin, John, has promised that tomorrow we are finishing up the rest! Setting the kitchen sink, finishing the plumbing of my bathroom sink, putting on the shower fixtures, and fixing the water line and the valves. It's a small chore list. We should be able to knock it out!
Whoo-Hoo! Although I'm not officially planning that we'll be moving in too soon. (I don't want to get my hopes up, only to be disappointed, again!!) So, I'll let you know when the move actually is happening!

Girl's Camp... Take 3!

May I just say that it is so hard to be focused on Camp when you have bought a house and are working on it?!

Day 1: Drove myself up this year and YUP! You guessed it. Even though I swear I followed the directions to a T, I still got lost! ( I found Target easily!) I had to call my brother for the address to the camp so I could use my phones navi app (Only 2.99) Le sigh! I was only 15 minutes late. Tonight we had a Burden Trail activity... 3 stops where we told the girls they had committed a sin and had them place a rock in their bag. I think they saw an R rated movie on stop 1 Of course my stop had to be the sexual sin! I had to tell them that they went too far with a guy on a date! I think I scared some of the 12 yr olds! I could see them in their cabins later that night asking their cabin Mom's what 'going too far' with a boy meant?! So, for the younger girls, I started telling them they dated before they were 16! Less weird for me!! The girls ended the trail at a big pic of Jesus where they got to "place their burdens" on the Lord. Then Sis. Hale gave a talk. It was a fun night.

Day 2: Ugh! I have to get up at 7?! (Bishop's Night) Today the girls had Archery,water balloon volleyball, and an iron rod activity. Susanne Thompson and I were in charge of the Iron Rod Activity. There was a rope "trail" through the woods & the girls were blindfolded. Susanne would place the blindfold, place them on the right track, tell them not to leave the rope, and then let them go. My job was to have the YCL's try to get them to let go. At first I thought it was going to be a boring time for me, b/c the girls would know what the rope represented and not leave it. SURPRISE! Some of the YCL's were sneaky and would lure them away with the promise of a shortcut, or tell them they were going the wrong way, and to come toward the sound of their voice and they would 'help' them. We got a LOT of girls to leave the rope! I got to play the spirit and when they left the rope I would place them back on and tell them not to listen to the YCL's and to stay on the rope! Amazingly, some of them left the rope a 2nd time!! One girl left the rope 5 times!!!! It ended with a talk by Bishop Smith. It ended up being a lot of fun! PS: A girl fainted in the dinner line tonight. Dun... dun... DUN!

Day 3: The dreaded hike to the Lake day!! It's a 30 minute hike and a lot of it is uphill!! I know I am out of shape and I was not having fun!! It's a long hike, and once you get to the lake you can't even swim!! Only kayaks and canoes. I took a book and just sat in the shade and read while they had fun. Then we had to hike back... and my group got lost... of course! My girls had KP all day today-Woo-Hoo!! I was washing the dinner dishes with Alysha and one of my YCL's came to get me asking me if I could help with another of my YCL's. Well, she was lying flat on the floor, barely breathing, and unresponsive. I thought I was going to have to do CPR!!!! I was scared out of my mind! It was more unnerving b/c I was the first person to get there! SCARY! We ended up calling the paramedics b/c she wasn't responding. They told us it was a bronchospasm. (minor breathing difficulty problem.) We went to testimony meeting once she was responding and said she felt better, but kept an eye on her. They waited to start testimony for us which made the night go WAY LONG!! After testimony we had dessert, and then still had star gazing... by the time the girls went to bed it was probably after 1! I know it was when I went to bed! Anyhow, the day was basically emotionally and physically exhausting! PS... after testimony we got to see 2 American Flags retired

Day 4: YAY! We get to go home! The girls got up, had breakfast, cleaned, packed a lunch, got on the bus, and were on their way! We leaders were about 20 minutes behind them, but we still made it to the Ximeno building before the bus. Here's the final kicker: I locked my keys in my car promptly upon arriving at the church. Yee-Haw! That's what sleep-deprivation will do to ya!

4 loads of laundry, 12 hours of sleep & 1 shower later...I am fully recovered!!

Just an update:

The place is still being worked on. The bathroom is almost user-ready! YAY! As soon as that is ready, we can move in. The carpet is still not in, 1 ceiling fan still needs to be put up, the kitchen sink needs to be set, the upstairs bathroom still needs the pipes set... but that about covers it. WE are sooooo close, but still no cigar people! I'll keep you posted!