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The Sunny D: June 2014

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Summer Shenanigans

Rice Terrace in Bali

There are a few things that just make summer more special than the other seasons during the year. I am a teacher and summer means FREEDOM. Possibility. Time. I went on an epic trip with my Mom, so summer usually mans travel to me. Also, it gives me an opportunity to get into more mischief than usual. 

1. The best thing is a lot of my house gets that good deep down cleaning it has needed the last 9 months. I started this summer cleaning out my closet. YUP. All of that fit in my closet. I sold it and some other stuff on Facebook which made a little extra pocket money.
2. I get to read, two books that have already been devoured are:
I highly recommend both. 

Choosing our Glory was such a thoughtful read about the three degrees of glory and applying them to our life. It opened my eyes in many ways...there is another blog post billowing up in my mind about this and some of the things I learned and am trying to apply in my life. Anyway, if you are looking for some spiritual enlightenment that is not Skousen but makes you think....this is your book. 

DAD GUM YOU FAULT IN OUR STARS.  I couldn't put this book down and it was my friend when I came home from Asia and couldn't sleep at 2 in the morning and had the yearning to eat...lunch. It is a very good read with lots of one liners that pop into my head occasionally. Like, Pain is meant to be felt. I devoured this book in about 2 days. I then went to the movie alone and cried and cried and cried and ate my cheeseburger from In-n-Out because I was starving. It was so good. The burger and the movie. 

I also read a book called Wheat Belly. I enjoyed it very much but have decided that I love wheat too much to give it up or demonize it as part of my diet. However, also a very good read and food for thought. Literally. 

I am now onto The First 2,000 Years which is fabulous. I am on Chapter 2. 



3. I get to spend time with my munchkins who I love so much. I took Aydan to lunch and to see the new Tom Cruise movie Edge of Tomorrow, which was really good. Go see it. Oh and I get to see movies. I LOOOOOOVE the movies. So much. In fact, I told a guy I would never go out with him again because he only rented movies from Red Box, he didn't like spending money on movies. Which told me two things: CHEAP and LAME. Back to Aydan.


That was some Cheesecake...some peanut butter Reese's something concoction. I would never order but sometimes it just isn't about you. He was in sugar coma heaven. As you can see from the previous picture I also love...not doing my hair. Quite literally. What is the point. It is HOT. 

This would be half the contents of my classroom in my kitchen. So NO I am not a hoarder. If you come over to my house...sorry. 

4. I love SUMMERTIME APPLES. That is right. In Arizona we harvest apples in June. The neighborhood I live in has some orchards with apples in them. The kids and I went over early one morning and picked some. We then canned apple pie filling half without cinnamon and half with. 

AND NOW.....A TYPICAL SUNNY D EXPERIENCE.

APPLE THIEVERY
The apples are ready to pick. In fact they are quite over ripe. I had book club at my house where we discussed a book called, The Element by Ken Robinson. A book I also highly recommend. After book club a few friends and I went over to the orchard to pick some of the already turning brown, they are so ripe apples. We realized upon arrival that we didn't bring anything with us to gather them up with. After, giggling probably quite loudly and checking out the apples and trying to pick them and gather them in our shirts....My friend looked into the trunk of her car where she had a GIANT ORANGE TARP. PERFECT. We wrapped that sucker around the tree covering the ground underneath it. We then had a discussion of how to get the high up apples off of the top of the tree. When it was brought up that Apple Jack in the TV Series My Little Pony just runs up and kicks the tree trunk and all the apples fall off. We did not kick the tree, but we thought maybe shaking the branches a little would do the trick. AND IT DID!! Apples came off that tree lickity split. We were so excited and moved to the other side of the tree to begin shaking. Did I mention it was 11:30 PM? When suddenly a figure in man's pajama bottoms, no make-up, scraggly hair and a t-shirt began to walk toward us. The thing spoke............... it was a she and she said:

Um...Excuse me. I can see you shaking the branches of that tree. 

Me: Yeah?

Well, Do you live in the neighborhood? THESE apples are only for people who live in the neighborhood. You know I can see your tarp. 

Me: We live in the neighborhood. ( ummmm..yes...I pay the astronomical HOA fee just like you sister...Hairs on the back of my neck starting to stand up...DO you DARE CHALLENGE ME?!?? BRING IT.) Ok not really, but a true annoyance and feeling like SOMEONE should GO BACK TO BED and possibly mind her own business...was how I felt at that exact moment. 

You Know.......(sheepish grin, trying to look cute).......These apples are for all the of the families in the neighborhood and everyone comes with their little baskets and their families and just takes what they need for their applesauce. I wasn't sure if you lived in the neighborhood with the giant tarp and all. We have people drive up here in vans in the middle of the night and clean the apples off of these trees. 

Me: clearly annoyed. Trying to be kind, but thinking GIVE ME A BREAK I have NEVER seen ONE family picking these apples, let alone with their "little Utopian baskets" I am so irritated with this Orchard Police Lady who lives across the street at this point. I feel it is best to keep my mouth shut and let her have her "fantasy idea of the orchard" say. I am however, ready to give her my address if needs be. When my friend obviously more Christlike says.

We're sorry. 

Me: You know there ARE three of us and we are all splitting these apples. I am sorry we woke you up, we were probably kind of loud giggling and talking. 

I wanted to say....it is very bad for the trees to not have all of their apples picked it stunts their growth, there are PLENTY of apples as we are only picking from one tree in the orchard, and GO BACK TO BED and continue to police us from behind your mini blinds lady....but I didn't. 

Okay, well I just wanted to make sure......heads back to her house. 


We continue picking until we are done. I mean three ladies in their 30's stealing apples in the middle of the night is SERIOUS business. It sure made the apple picking more fun, feeling like I was getting in trouble for something. 



5. LAST CHANCE.....new leopard heels and cute black dress! I love Last Chance. I love having time to drive out to Last Chance! I got a brand new bedspread (King Size) for $20! Love. 


6. I have officially become that person that brings their dog every where with them.Except, this is just a loner dog we are babysitting. This is Jimmie Johnson Jr. my little sisters dog. He is the cutest. 


7. Summer Time Goals! The kids and I are working hard on some goals this summer. I just used an old page of a calendar to keep track. 

8. The Gym. I have joined a new gym called Orange Theory and I am pretty much in love. I feel challenged every day. It is in and out one hour and rotates from treadmill, to row machine, to weight room. I burn about 500 calories every time. Today I burned 570. They hook you up to a heart monitor so you can see your progress and I just love that. My cousin goes and I meet her a couple times during the week and that is super fun. You know I can be a lazy person. I love naps, actually I love sleep in general. However, I am SO much more balanced when I work out every day. I love getting in this routine again. 


Thursday, June 12, 2014

Bali 2014

One of the pools at our Hotel Champlung Suri. It was very beautiful and very inexpensive. They had a delicious free breakfast and we were right across the street from the Monkey Forest which proved to be a lot of entertainment. 


Our first night at the hotel we got a massage. The had these pretty arrangements to look at. 

Here is where we ate breakfast the first day. Of course who wouldn't want to sit there and look over our beautiful hotel? We learned quickly that this was a bad idea....for lurking in the tree's around us were MONKEY'S looking for a free snack. Before I knew it one lunged towards me grabbing the fruit right off my plate. I shrieked LOUDLY. 

Pill. Waiting in the tree


You will see so many new things in Bali. One is the way they drive. There are sometimes up to FIVE people crammed on one of those little motorcycles! This guy was carrying a WHOLE piece of plywood. Now that is TALENT. 

My Mom and I hired a driver while we were there through the hotel. He was great and spoke excellent English. We attended a Balinese play of good and evil. I truly respect the Balinese people. They are VERY devoted to their religion. 





After the play our driver took us to a traditional Balinese home. The people still lived and worked there. On the way there my Mom asked if the women had a dowry for when they got married. He explained that sometimes they did. Sometimes they would have cattle in their dowry. 

I said, so she COULD be a ten cow wife?
The driver didn't know what I was saying but my Mom laughed in the back seat. 

The place they sleep

The kitchen, those are real hot coals. 

Chicken Coop


You will see statues wrapped in this black and white checkered cloth. It symbolizes good and evil. The black and white, then there are also grey checks. It is everywhere. 


This is still in the Balinese home. Each home has it's own temple. They give offerings to the God's they are very beautiful. They spend 30% of their yearly income on these offerings. They believe in appeasing the Gods. 



A darling Balinese girl, helping her Mom sell tourist items. 



There are rice fields everywhere. Our driver said that everyone works in the fields and helps in the harvest. We were there during harvest time. 

They people are so kind and sweet. 


I have so many more pictures of Bali. It is truly a beautiful place. The people are kind and so devoted to their religion. I just loved that. I will have to post more later. 



XOXO The Sunny D 

Monday, June 9, 2014

2 Unfortunate Events

Being single can be tricky sometimes, but having great friends makes it oh so much better! 

This is a picture of what I looked like at the fireside...sans heels. You know, because I am making an effort to go to singles stuff. 

Here is one golden example of why being single, LDS, and divorced stinks. BAD. I went to a great fireside tonight. I was feeling good. I had worked out pretty hard this week and I felt like (although I failed to do my hair today besides brushing it) well..I felt like I looked pretty good. I mean I even put on some lipstick. Anyway, The fireside was a good one, it was about Jerusalem and the places Jesus walked and that we don't have to actually GO to where Jesus walked to follow in his footsteps or feel the spirit. After the presentation everyone makes their way to the cultural hall which is basically a stage/basketball court/big room for church gatherings. There are always refreshments back there, this week it was cookies. Which I didn't eat because I was heading to Emilynn's for a waffle party. A girl has to show some restraint sometimes. 

I ran into a group of friends and had a great conversation, and finally made my way to the cultural hall. I stopped and chatted every few feet with friends until I arrived at the refreshment table. Emilynn and I had to let Cool Cucumber know that we were leaving to go to her house to get the waffles started. As I made my way to the refreshment stand I realized that I towered, TOWERED above just about every male there. I am 5'8 but with the heels I had on I was well over 6' tall. We talked to Cool Cucumber and as I turned I ran into a woman from the ward I grew up in. She and her husband were in charge of the singles activity that evening. I gave her a hug and said hello and then said, "Man I am taller than every guy here!" I then realized she was talking to another fellow from our old stake. In fact his younger sister was my friend growing up. She introduced us and I said, Oh I know your sister! She was my friend. Our conversation took a nosedive from that point complete with flames and loud explosions.

He said, "It will never work out between us, I live in LA." 

To which I wish I had replied...I would have to be interested in your pasty skinned, shar-pei forehead, scrabble-sized, yellow teeth first. However. I didn't. Because that is mean, but it did run through my head. (Oh my gosh you SHOULD HAVE SEEN THE LOOK on my friends face that had just introduced us.)

I said....slightly dumbfounded, "Wow. I can't believe you're already dumping me! That is the fastest relationship I have ever been in, under five minutes." And walked my five inches taller than him self away. My friend from the old ward by my side shaking her head. 

 I bet he lays awake at night and wonders why he's coming up on 40 and never been married. OH BROTHER. 

The wonderful Sunday firesides, you never know what you're going to experience. 


The second unfortunate event is one that haunts my dreams. The other day I made a big, yummy summer salad with avocado, corn, tomatoes, onion, black eyed peas and cilantro. You eat this tasty salad with corn chips. I made the salad because I had a huge bag of corn chips on my pantry floor. The Costco sized bag of corn chips. My kids were at their Dad's and I was just getting this yum left over salad out for my lunch. I had the bag of chips on the counter and I was HUNGRY. I had a hard workout earlier that morning. I popped one of the chips into my mouth. I grabbed a small handful to put on my plate when I felt a little tickle on my hand. As I pulled the handful of chips out of the bag a HUGE ROACH crawled of my thumb and onto the counter. I screamed loudly for everyone to hear. Except I was the only one home. Then my ninja reflexes grabbed my tennis shoe off my foot and smashed that roach with a loud, CRACK! 

Then I washed my thumb really well with ANTIBACTERIAL SOAP.

I lost my appetite. 

I had eaten one of the chips. 

I ran up the stairs and swished many times with Listerine and brushed and flossed my teeth thoroughly. 

I then called the exterminator. 

I am completely grossed out. 

It's even worse than being in a very short term, two minute relationship and being dumped because I don't live in LA. 



The End. 

The Sunny D










Sunday, June 8, 2014

Singapore 2014

Exactly. 



My Mom and I had so much fun in Singapore. Here are a few more pictures of downtown Singapore. 


 This is a famous hotel that looks like a ship.
Laser light show




These things get as big as a crocodile. They are monitor lizards we saw this one sunning at the Chinese Gardens. 


Doors at the Hindu temple. I love doors. Our driver explained to us that the woman with the big breasts is the wife of the Gods. She is very beautiful and they use her as a symbol to say, "this is a beautiful woman and place, he says it interests people to come and find out more about their religion." I thought that was kind of interesting. 

The Noodle Man. In Chinatown, he makes the noodles right there in front of you. It was pretty awesome. -Me, Mom and Lori
Oops. I covered noodle man's face. It was really hot there and we bought those dresses at the Indian Market the day before. The less clothes the better. 
I love this view.