Locked Keys and Gummies.

Today started off awesome when I made a quick run to the grocery store for some bread.  As soon as I closed my car door I realized that the keys were inside.  I don't know why the whole keys and cars thing is so difficult for me.  I am constantly losing my keys, (see here for gory details) can't ever find a good spot to keep the slippery suckers, and seem to lock them in the car itself on a regular basis (Confession:  The last time I locked the keys in my car was... last week.)

Me with my keys.  We are together about .0001 of my life.

Actually.  I do know why it is so hard for me.  Because I grew up in Price, Utah.  And in Price, Utah you keep the keys in the car in the ignition and you never lock the car.  That was car and key etiquette I was raised on and by golly, some habits are hard to break!  I remember my dad actually scolding us kids if the keys weren't in the ignition when the car was parked in the driveway.  Naturally, moving to the "big city" and having to lear to lock a car has taken a toll on me.

But that's not the point.  The point is that the city of Orem is awesome and if you lock your keys in the car you can call the Orem police department and they will roll their eyes at you and then come get the keys out of your car free as can be.  Since April I have used this service three times.  It's awesome that the city of Orem does this, but I can't help but wonder if I would have learned my lesson better by now if I had to fork over $100 every time I locked myself out of the car.  What am I saying?  Who wants to pay $100?

But that's not the point!  The point is that I bought a five pound bag of gummy bears while I was waiting for the copper to show his face.  I was going to buy just a normal size bag, but it was 4.5 ounces for $1.49.  Or I could get 60 ounces for $7.99.  Such a better deal even if I have absolutely no need for that much gummy in my life.  Now, I'm just wondering what in the world to do with five pounds of bears!

Moving onward.  What you will now read is probably the most adorable guest post I have ever had on my blog.  It makes me want to be married for 16 years and look back at how far we've come and what little rascals our kids are.  I guess more than anything, Laura's post made me realize how much beauty there is in every stage of life.  It it made me want to soak in the beauty of this exact moment even more because life goes so freaking fast.

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DON'T STOP READING!!!

Yeah yeah...I know...we have all done it before.  It's a super busy day and we come across a guest post and click that little x on the top right.  I promise I wont be too boring...okay at least that is my goal here.
I am thrilled to be guest posting for the second time here on Bon's blog.  It's not often I get to guest post so forgive me if it's a bit all over the place.  I normally post over at Mice In The Kitchen.  I would love for you to stop by and say hi.   I have been blogging for just a little over a year and have loved every second of it.

Recently my husband and I celebrated our 16 wedding anniversary (we started dating 21 years ago).  I would love to say it was a wonderful and magical  anniversary with a horse drawn carriage and roses everywhere...but that would be a lie.  Now before you start imagining divorce papers and arguments about who left the toilet seat up for the millionth time please let me explain.  We are actually very much in love so much so that you can not separate one of us from the other.  Over those years we have been there for each other for hard times, we have fought our way through times when we were not seeing eye to eye, and hung tight to each other when it seemed like our world was turning upside down.  Now it's so much easier to write that then it is to actually go through those things but I truly believe that God allows those test in a marriage so you can grow your love.  You never can truly appreciate the good without going through some bad.

In May we went on our very first small vacation away from the children.  This was the first time I have ever spent one night away from our 4 kids..and of course we did what I am sure a lot of crazy parents do...we talked about them. One night though we had a bit different conversation.  We had ordered room service and were watching TV and eating. We laughed about how quite the room was.  So I reached over on the table and started to knock as if a child was knocking at the door . "mom.....mom...are you in there mom....mom ...mom ...where are you mom....dad....dad....are you in there dad.....dad....dad....where are you mom and dad."  That of course made Tim roll his eyes and start laughing...he commented  how now he felt at home.   That started a conversation on how much our lives had changed.  How different it was from when we started to date in High School, how even our young married (pre-children) life was so different from what it is now.  When our first was born we had been married 3 years and took that sudden change between it being "we can do whatever we want" to  "OH NO...I'm out of diapers."  We made it through 4 children and almost 10 straight years of changing diapers...at one point we had three in diapers at one time.  We now have started the first official teen years with our oldest who just turned 13.   Yet our love for each other has never grown faint, never dimmed, we still kiss each night before bed and I watch him pull out of the garage every morning before work.

That night for our 16th anniversary we put the kids to bed.  I ran to Olive Garden and brought home the exact same meal we ate at our first "official" date which was our Homecoming dance our Sophomore year in High School.  Yes, we had to tell children to go back to bed several times and had to avoid the glare from a dog who desperately wanted to share dinner with us but it was our anniversary....just the way we like it.

Thanks so much to Bon for allowing me steal a spot on her blog and thank you so much to all of her followers for taking the time to read my guest post.  Again, I would love for you to stop by Mice In The Kitchen and say Hi!

The beauty of summer

Summer has a purity and a beauty of its very own, don't you agree?  It is like no other season.  It stands bold and fierce, burning even, but offers the very best of everything. Long nights and lazy mornings.  Swimming pools and fourth of July weekends.  Camping trips and family vacations.  Ghost stories and campfires and flip flops and sunglasses and tan tan legs.

I have been off for summer and Greg has been in between jobs and getting ready to start his graduate program.  Therefore, we were both free as the wind for a week.  We went to the water park, we feasted on shaved ice, we slept out on the tramp, we roasted mallows over a camp fire, we went to the movies, (Man of Steel- I was unimpressed.  What's with all the punching?), we tried some golfing, we visited with family, and we told ghost stories to our little hearts' content.

In short we lived the pure, unadulterated summer life of a child.  And it was glorious.  I wish it were somehow possible to take a week every year in the summer to just be little kids again.  To do summer the way eight year olds do... in the most carefree and innocent way possible, with no responsibilities and no burdens, just one long hot summer day followed by another.

Greg will start up a new job this week, and then the first week of July he will start his master's program in marriage and family therapy and before you know it, it'll be August and I'll be back teaching them little rugrats.  We will get busy again and the days won't be slow or long or carefree.  They'll be busy and hectic and all other things that life can get, and these long, summer days will be just a distant memory.  Some dreary day in January, when I'm scraping ice off my windshield and feeling stressed and busy and oh so overwhelmed, I will wonder, "Why can't life just be simple and easy and fun again?"

And I'll remember this week.

Sleeping out on the tramp.  The flash... it was a bit bright.

Blogger's Roundtable #4.  One of the most stimulating and interesting hours of my life.  These girls are incredible and I loved talking so in depth about the power of writing and how to become better writers.  I left totally invigorated and motivated. (From left to right, Suzzie, Kimberly, Tayler, Aubrey)

It's when I look at pictures like this I wonder when I became the type of person that takes pictures of dogs.  But who can deny how cute he is?  All ready to head up for a weekend of fun with Greg's parents.

The second time in my life I have played golf.  I was awful.  Absolutely awful.

Summer evenings.  One of my favorite things in the world.

Carrying both sets of clubs.  What a stud.

And of course, a picture of Greg with his old man for Father's Day.  Gary's hair is pretty much always sticking up like that, and that is only one of the many reasons why we're so crazy about him.

On the day before Father's Day

With his girls. (Only my oldest sister is missing from the picture).  My dad has often been accused of favoring the girls in the family... I'd have to say it's a pretty fair accusation.

Father's Day week is typically the hardest week of the year for me.  It doesn't help that my pop's birthday is June 18- the two holidays always fall very close to each other, if not on the exact same day.  There is something about the edge of Father's day that is harder than anything else. Harder than the birthday, harder than the anniversary of his death.  Maybe it's because those other days go by unnoticed by so much of the world.  I can mourn quietly in my heart, and I'll call my mom to make sure she's okay, but the rest of the world just keeps on moving on, and somehow that makes it easier.  I still go to work, nobody knows the significance of the day, and the hours are a quiet remembering of my dad.

I suppose Father's day is hard because it is such a loud day to remember my dad.  It's impossible to go about business as usual.  Everyone is shouting from the rooftops about dads. Dads are so great! I love my dad! Going to barbeque tonight with my dad!  The speakers in church go on and on about how great their dads are, how blessed they are to share this day about them.  Instagram is chalked full of pictures of all of you sharing the day with your dads.  Facebook statuses run longer than usual, as everyone elaborates on the awesomeness of their dads and how much they look forward to the years ahead.  For those reasons, Father's Day is the sharpest of holidays for me, the day where the pain of his absence is most acute.

So I'll hold my breath, put on a brave face, and request extra long hugs from Greg tomorrow.  I am excited for the day when Father's Day isn't something I have to "get through" anymore, but a day that I can again enjoy and look forward to.  How many years does that take?  One?  Five?  Ten?

Or....

Maybe I should make old Greg a father?  That'd surely do the trick...

On my dad:
+ My dad's death taught me with a surety that God doesn't take without giving back.
+ Some of my favorite memories of my dad involve cherry cokes and a stick shift.
+ What my dad taught me about the good old days
+ Doing really crappy chores often reminds me of my dad.  Say what?!?
+ A post in which I talk for a very long time about the process of grieving

I was duped. Totally and utterly duped.

I had the most horrible day yesterday.  More horrible than all your days put together, I promise you, so don't even try to one up me!  First my one year old niece was puking all over me and Greg.  I felt so bad for the little girl, but at the same time was totally disgusted.  Secondly my "new job" is a total bust.  I will give you the full run down next week, but it's safe to say I am quitting.  And by that I mean I already quit.   I'll put it this way- I am not in the mood to change the diapers of grown men for a measly $8 an hour.  Who do they think they are trying to kid with that wage for that type of service?  I was totally duped into that job and the fact that they got me to do it even one day is an outrage, I tell you!  An outrage!

Next week I am going to Hawaii and I am hoping that that beautiful island will fully erase the trauma I experienced yesterday.  If not, looks like I'll be vacationing all summer.

I am now going to introduce you to four lovely ladies who have all put a lot of time and effort into their own blogs.  Each one is unique and beautiful in its own way.  In the past I have always had sponsors write their own paragraphs but this month I wrote them. Let me know what you think of it- does it make you more or less likely to visit their blogs?

SAMANTHA

Samantha is the writer behind the blog 24to30 where she keeps it real and keeps it fresh.  I think what I love most about her blog is that she is so down to earth- when I read her blog I don't feel like she is trying to keep any secrets or pretend to be someone she's not.  It's just Samantha.  Being real.  She is a mom to three, but the real focus of her blog is on sharing her weight loss journey.  I get the feeling from her that she'd tell you just about anything if you wanted to know.  I especially loved her letter to her 21 year old self- I saw so much of what I experienced at 21 in that thing. (Oh, and I totally agree on the skip the big honeymoon thing!)

Blog/ Facebook

SARAH

Sarah's blog, Venus Trapped in Mars, is one of the most original blogs I've ever read.  She is a self professed "Espn for women" and her blog focuses a lot on, yep, sports!  On her right sidebar instead of the typical links of "about me" "shopping" "my favorite brands" etc, she's got basketball, tennis, football, etc.  She's also a graphic designer, and you can tell from the look of her blog- it's sparkly and gold and beautiful.  I almost felt like I was visiting Kim Kardashian's blog!  I absolutely loved her post on everything she doesn't "get"... The obsession with Bachelor, people who don't have iPhones, or people who think Sarah Jessica Parker is ugly.  The list is totally random and so hilarious- make sure you check it out!  (I died laughing when she admitted she used to set her alarm at 3:30 am to harvest soybeans on Farmville.)

Blog/ Twitter

HOLLY

Hey Hollywood is where you will find Holly talking a million miles a minute about all the adventures in her life.  Previously known as Running in Stilettos, Holly's blog has got a little bit of everything.  On Thursday she does a "I've come to realize" link up that is both observant and hilarious.  She's got some giveaways here and there, but mostly her blog is about her life and all the fun she has.  Seriously, when looking over her posts I couldn't help but think, "Dang!  Homegirl has a ton of fun!"  One of my favorite posts is this one where she gives advice on what to do if you're in a car accident.  Let's just say some of us need all the help we can get!

Blog/ Twitter

BETH

The first thing that will probably catch your eye when you hit up Beth's blog, Hang on, Honey, is her blog design.  Every once in a while I come across a blog where I have to just sit for a minute and take in the aethetic.  I love the font that she chose and I adore her title:  Hang on, Honey: An ode to the twenty somethings.  (I think I mostly love this because doesn't it seem like every blogger claim to be a "twenty something")  She is tracking her weight until her wedding in October- but has missed a few "mini goals".  I laughed out loud when she said in this post, "I'm really good at listening to advice and ignoring it..."  Aren't we all?!?  I totally loved her "I think you might be lost" post where she made fun of everything people had googled to get to her blog.  

Blog/ Twitter

Go give these girls a visit... and don't forget to leave me a comment saying which way you prefer the group posts.  Last month's group post was here.

AND NOW.... THE WEEKEND!  HALLELUJAH!

Introducing: THROWBACK THURSDAYS! Week one: Learning to drive

FOLKS:  Don't forget to pick up a copy of "Seriously, I'm Kidding" by Ellen Degeneres and read it for June's book club.  I bought it yesterday and have been tearing through it.  It's the perfect beach or lazy day read and it is hilarious.  We will be discussing that book on Wednesday, June 26.  Book club has always been the last Thursday of the month, but I'm moving it to the last Wednesday of the month to make way for something extra exciting I got going on for Thursdays.

I introduce to you....

A SUMMER OF THROWBACK THURSDAYS

BLOG STYLE

Here's how it works:

1.  Every Thursday through August we'll be throwing it back here at thelifeofbon.com.  We want to see pictures of course, but we want the stories that go behind those pictures even more!  And because I'm a total control freak, I've even mapped out a nice little schedule for all of us.  I figure the prompts will make it easier to come up with something to write about every week.

TH  6/13  A memory of learning to drive, your first car or the early driving days.

TH  6/20  Elementary school crush

TH  6/27  Throwback birthday

TH  7/4   Throwback fourth of July

TH  7/11  First job

TH  7/18  Moving away from home

TH  7/25  Memory of one or both of your parents from childhood

TH  8/1   Favorite summer vacation

TH  8/8   Childhood friends

TH  8/15  First kiss

TH  8/22  Memory of a high school teacher or high school class

TH  8/29  Back to school memory

Admit it, those topics are totally bomb.

2.  Follow www.thelifeofbon.com, slap that little button somewhere on your post, and link up your Throwback Thursday posts!  I'm so excited to read everybody's stories.

3.  Visit new blogs and make new blog friends.  No duh!

Shall we begin?!?

This week's Throwback Thursday subject is learning to drive.  Well, I think you all know I am pretty much the worst driver ever, and that started from day one.  Part of my problem was I was learning to drive on a stick shift- that's a lot to think about all at once!

Me at sixteen.  Such a baby.  A baby who couldn't drive a car.

From the get go I had a "lead foot" as my driving instructor said.  What can I say?  Some of us are just born speed demons.  It took me forever to get the hang of driving- just a lot to process all at once.  Take this journal entry, for example.

June 10, 2002

The other way cool thing that happened this week was that I got in the car for driver's ed!  YEA!  We have to be in the car with an instructor for 6 days (12 hours) before we can get our license. This makes me so happy. It means that after I turn 16 I can get my license right away! Driving is pretty hard.  I hope I can pass the test.  My problem is that I am not very aware of my surroundings.  I will be concentrating so hard on the car coming to me from the left that I won't see the one coming right at me. Or I'll be trying so hard not to speed that I'll be swerving out of the lane! It's like I can only concentrate on one thing at a time and any more than that just completely overwhelms me. I know I will get the hang of it, and I have gotten a lot better since I first started, it's just frustrating.

Six months after getting my license, I was driving home from school in my mom's minivan.  I understand a minivan ain't too hip for a dashing 16 year old like myself, but my parents were on a vacation and it was the minivan or don't drive at all.  I chose the minivan.  Naturally.  I was cruising on home, happy as can be when I thought, "Oh wow!  Is that Heather and Matt in that jeep?"  I started honking, looking over at them, waving wildly, the normal 16 year old antics when CRASH.  I rear ended the car in front of me. The car was stopped at a red light and I was just cruising on through, like there was nothing in the world to worry about.

My parents were not too happy.

Wish that was the end of it.  I totaled our gray station wagon my senior year of high school.  Even got the newspaper picture to prove it. Yep, the car accident made front page of our local small town paper, ah geez!

See me standing next to the car?  Cool hair do, huh?

With two accidents in high school, my parents weren't about to let me take a car to college.  I went my freshman year without a car, and then my sophomore year I totaled another car that I was borrowing from my brother for the weekend.  Yep.  Three accidents by the age of 20.

I guess I can't get too mad when people give me such a hard time for my driving, huh?  In my defense I haven't gotten a ticket in two years and haven't had an accident in six years.  I'm getting better!

Now link up!  What do you remember about learning to drive, your first car, your first ticket or accident?  LINK UP LADIES!

And so this is sum sum...

Well if you want to know the truth, I'm mad at Greg.  You see, he was supposed to be writing this post for me tonight.  But he forgot.  And begged for an extension.  I told him he better freaking shape up and keep his deadlines if he expects to make it in this business and he just rolled his eyes at me.  You know the look, "The oh please, wife, you humor me..." look.

You see, Greg told me in support of my hard blogging work he would write me a guest post every 1000 followers.  What a guy!  Well, 1000 followers came and I got him to whip up this sweet little diddy.  Everybody loved it!  He stole the show!  The girls swooned!

Then 2000 came and went, and all of a sudden Greg didn't want to crank out the posts anymore.  I mean, come on, I'm not asking posts every day, boy, I'm  just asking one for every thousand followers!

I let the 2000 marker slide and then months later, here I was, giddy to pieces with 3000 people somehow so unwisely following along with my shenanigans.  And guess who did not put out another post?  GREG!

So Sunday I decided the asking time was over.  It was demanding time. Here I am, 3343 beautiful followers, and Greg just hiding away in a little hole.  The nerve!  "Greg.  You're posting on my blog on Wednesday!"  I demanded.  To which, surprisingly, he said nonchalantly, "Yah, okay, sounds good."

Tell you what, never believe a man who nonchalantly says "Yah, okay, sounds good..." because I came home from tennis tonight, (Yes, I am taking intermediate tennis lessons with six perfect strangers, and it is safe to say that I am absolutely the worst person in the class.) and said so sweetly and tenderly, "Are you ready to put that post up?" To which Greg said "Oh my gosh! I forgot. Can you post tonight please and then I'll post tomorrow?"

Men.  Totally useless.

Look at him.  Don't he look ever the conniving and mischievous husband?  Because he is!  (And that would be my new bra I got from Victoria Secret's semi annual sale.  My favorite time of year, naturally.)

This post was at no time supposed to be about Greg not posting a post.  And yet somehow this post is about nothing but the boy that didn't post the post when he was supposed to post!  (How many times can YOU say post?!?)

On another note, summer has been bomb so far.  I've hit up the water park three times already and you better believe I have just lazed and lazed that lazy river.  I think I could probably lay on a tube on the lazy river for literally eight hours a day.  Consider it my new full time job, baby!

Speaking of jobs.  I got one.  For the summer, I mean.  It's a job working with mentally disabled folks... mostly I take them grocery shopping and to the zoo and the movies and such.  It's a real tough gig but someone's gotta do it.  Actually, it knocks out two of my summer goals in one.  Small part time summer job... Check.  And because the pay is so disgustingly low, Service.... check.  I didn't even realize there were still jobs out there that paid that low.  And this coming from a teacher!  When will someone pay me what I think I deserve?!?

Anyway... today was orientation for said job.  Whoever decided to show terribly made videos from he 80s for orientation needs to be shot in the head.  I don't know how many useless orientation videos I have sat through in my life, but those are hours I will never get back, people!  Also I trained with a 19 year old who told me how depressing it was that she's getting so old and that she lived in Hawaii five times.  Not that she lived there five times- that maybe would have actually been cool.  She told me five times.  Some people just like to talk about themselves, you know?  She totally got on my nerves because she was an over achiever and a know it all and obviously so very proud that she had lived in Hawaii and had three different jobs this summer.

Truth be told, (also, my brother thinks anyone who says truth be told or honestly when they talk is a chronic liar.  Why else would you need to clarify which sentences are telling the truth?  If someone says truth be told with one sentence, does that mean all other sentences are lies?  FOOD FOR THOUGHT!) I think she bothered me because she reminded me so much of myself.  Over eager, yappy, know it all.  I wonder if subconsciously the reason we don't like certain people is because they possess many of the characteristics we don't like in ourselves?  Now THERE'S something to think about it!

This post has gone on long enough!  Long enough I say!  It feels scrambled and carefree and not very organized and really maybe kind of pointless. Question mark?  But I like it anyway.  This post, I mean.  It is me and it is summer and a true reflection of me and my brain and how it works in the summer.  Here to there to here to there at a million miles an hour.  Snow cones to water park to tennis to cabin to smores to vacation to summer job to late nights to sleeping on the tramp.

Oh.  Summer.  Don't ever leave.

Can't you just feel the carefree radiating off of me in this picture?
And why are my lips purple?!?

Painting the town red

Blouse: c/o Veryjane, necklace: c/o Veryjane, Jeans: Nordstrom, Sandals: c/o Veryjane, 

Bag: Ross (Similar here), Sunglasses: A beach in Mexico.

I'm pretty freaking stoked to be teaming up with Veryjane this month.  Basically it's the best business idea anyone ever came up with.  You know how online stores and boutiques always carry the cutest stuff but sometimes they're just so dang expensive?  That's where Veryjane comes in.  They find those adorable boutiques and get you crazy good deals on the products- sometimes as much as 75% off!  I know it sounds too good to be true, but I speak the truth, people, I speak the truth! Right now they're selling a J.Crew inspired necklace for 53% off.  They've sold 438 in two days- no big deal.

The deals change every day, and sometimes the goodies are snapped right up before you even have a chance to get your hands on them.  That's why you have to check back often- you know, like you do on twitter or pinterest!

Take a look at the site and you'll seriously be amazed.  I'm a gal that loves a bargain, and this is as great an online bargain as I've ever seen.  Oh- and the variety is out of control- from jewelry to iPhone cases to chevron pillows to baby onesies- you can find anything you want from Veryjane.

The best news of all is that they are giving one two THREE of you a $25 voucher so you can get yourself some screaming deals for free.  What's not to love about that?  All you gotta do is follow on facebook, friends. Easy freaking peasy.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

14 Cures for Writer's Block

I still have a couple of seats left for our blogging/writing roundtable on Wednesday.  It's the roundtable to beat all roundtables!  Email me at thelifeofbon@gmail.com if you want in.  It will be held at a public place in Orem.  I am beyond excited.

Speaking of writing.  Tonight I had writer's block.

I knew I should write because I always write on Sunday nights.

But even more than that I knew I needed to write for me.  To clear my head, to let thoughts rest, to make sense of the whirlwind that is my constant brain.  Writing gives me purpose and fulfillment.  It is a need that is real and pressing for me.  It never goes away.  It is by writing that I make sense of my life and my experiences.  Often times I won't even know how I felt about something until I have written it.  "Ah... so that's how I felt when that happened..."  I'll realize...

And yet, tonight I had not one idea of what to write about.  Just a need.

So then here's the question.  What do you do when you need to write, and you know you need to write, but you have no idea what to write about?  No ideas, no thoughts, just that pressing need?

I ain't no professional, so I get stuck a lot.  But I also get unstuck a lot.  So here's some ideas that have helped me when my fingers beg to write, but my brain comes up with nothing.

14 IDEAS FOR CURING WRITER'S BLOCK

1.  Look at old pictures.
2.  Read other blogs (Interestingly enough I find reading old blog posts of mine doesn't help with this- I    almost get overwhelmed like "Freak!  I already wrote everything there is to write!"  Others' blogs does miracles for me.)
3.  Take the dog for a walk- get outside!
4.  Go somewhere public and people watch.  The mall is always a great target.  In the summer, the water park or pool works absolute magic.
5.  Read about current hot topics- something from Time magazine (which lead me to write this post on breast feeding) or Huffington post.
6.  Take a bubble bath.
7.  Carry a notebook with me as I run errands for a couple of hours, and write down thoughts or ideas as they come to me.
8.  Go to the gym or play tennis. (Interestingly enough when I'm engaged in physical activity is when I have lots of my inspiration.)
9.  Get out of the house.  I go somewhere- anywhere- and my mind starts to turn ideas like crazy.
10.  Write everything that comes to your mind the moment it comes to your mind (As seen here and here.)  It ain't no beautiful writing, but many times an idea will emerge.
11. Google "Cure writer's block."  Kidding.  Kind of.
12. Call and talk to a friend that you haven't talked to for a long time.
13. Write consistently.  The less you write the less material you feel like you have to write about, interestingly enough.  By writing consistently (for me, I write five times a week) we keep the gears and ideas turning in our heads.  (I once talked to a friend who hadn't blogged for six months because she said she had nothing going on in her life.  Not one thing in six months?  It's just because she wasn't practicing writing, but certainly there was something worthy or writing.)
14. Write somewhere totally different for a day- a new coffee shop, a park, a library...

That's all I got people.  You got some ideas to add to the pot?  List them in the comments and my favorites will be posted with a link to your blog on Wednesday.

Related:  Eight things I do for my blog that have nothing to do with blogging, So you wanna be a blogger part one and part two 

Bring it, summer!

My last official day of school was on Wednesday.  I walked right out those glass doors and straight into summer.  There are a plethora of problems with teaching, but somehow I feel like all teaching injustices are made right over the 10 week summer break.  Every complaint about my profession I've had throughout the year vanishes when I remember... summers off!

To celebrate the night we did a little campfire with my best friend and her husband and child.  It brought me back to my school days... the last night of school we built a huge bonfire and burned all of our school work from the whole year.  Something about watching your work go up in flames was very satisfying to me at 15 years old.  I have a feeling that if I burned all the papers I graded over the year it would be equally satisfying.

Life is good.


FOR YOUR WEEKEND READING...

+ If you are wondering what books not to read this summer, I've got some suggestions for you.
+ I rediscovered this post I wrote on fighting in marriage... such interesting comments from you guys!
+ We're in the midst of Bachelorette Season... this was how I found out that my husband is secretly in love with the show.
+ I have received such kind thoughts on this post I wrote yesterday- it is terrifying to be so vulnerable on the internet.
+ Loved this post that Jeanine wrote on moving and packing tips... I'll be needing a few, that's for sure!

Give and Take

This week as I was taking down my classroom, I saw this picture- hanging on the wall by my computer.

It is one of my favorite pictures of me and my dad- it was taken the day I started my mission.  I was saying goodbye to my family for a year and a half.  Of course we were sad because we knew we would miss each other like crazy, but more than anything it was a happy day.  I remember hearing my parents promise to write faithfully, feeling so excited for my new journey, and more than anything knowing how terribly proud my parents were of me for making this decision.  And after all, is there anything as great as making your parents proud?

When I look at that picture, I see that day and I feel those emotions- that happiness, that excitement, that complete love.  For the longest time after my dad died, though, I couldn't look at pictures of him and feel happiness.  I felt sorrow, anger, and injustice.  It took me so long to accept that he had to have been taken so early and so unexpectedly from this life.

I remembered how robbed I felt when my dad was taken.  Weeks after my dad's death, an old boyfriend told me that I was seeing myself as a victim.  I remember thinking, "Well no duh!  I am!"  I felt myself a complete and utter victim, someone who had wrong done to them, who had no way of helping themselves.  I felt so powerless and even mad at God for taking my dad.  I remember in those months after my dad's death thinking that the Lord had taken away from me one of the absolute greatest parts of my life and nothing would even be able to make that up.

It was interesting to look at this picture and be reminded of all of those complex emotions as I sat in my classroom.  I had just said goodbye to my students whom I had grown to love tremendously. They had hugged me and taken pictures with me and even given me packs of diet coke. I had surprised even myself as I wept with them when I read them this goodbye letter. In these last days at Copper Hills I have felt so much love and purpose.  I have been overwhelming grateful for my time there- for the love I have felt from the student, for my first "big girl" job, for the total trust those teenagers have in me.

My dad never met in this life "Teacher Bonnie".  When he died I was just finishing my undergraduate courses.  He passed away in November of 2009.  I started my student teaching that January, and became a full time teacher at Copper Hills that next September.  All of my teaching experiences, memories, and treasures have come to me after my dad's death.  The laughs I've had with my students, the pranks we've  played on each other, the cramming for exams... all of this wonderful purpose in my life has emerged since my dad left.

I guess I just couldn't help but think how good God is.  I felt so robbed when my dad died, but it only took one minute of me sitting there surrounded by my books and desks and notes from students to realize that God repays.  I felt like he had taken one of the greatest things from me that November, but it is interesting that since then he has given me another "greatest thing"- which is teaching.  All these experiences and love and terrific students He gave me after He took my dad.

I can't help but be overwhelmed when I think of it all.  He takes, but He gives.  I think about the giant hole my dad left in my heart.  It will never be filled completely, but it's almost like God filled a different part of my heart- a part I didn't know even needed filling.  He filled it with a job that gives my fulfillment and happiness and purpose.  He filled it with a husband who puts glowsticks around the bed so it looks like we are sleeping in the future.  He filled it with a mom and siblings that make great efforts to spend time as a family.  I wonder if when my dad died three years ago, if I could have been able to see all the wonderful things down the road, if I would have mourned so deeply.  God had so much greatness in store for me, but I could only focus on what was being taken from me.

So I guess this would be a thank you to my students and Copper Hills for being the next "great thing" that came in to my life, and in its own weird way, for helping me to heal after losing my dad.  It's true that when one door closes, another opens, but when the door that closes is as big as losing your dad, it takes awhile to understand the enormity and greatness of the door that is opening.  That would be you, my students.  I love you and thank you a million times for letting me be your teacher.

Welcome to the spawn of two blogs: LIFE OF YELLOW

One of my blogging idols has always been Erin from Living in Yellow.  The first post I ever read of hers was this one about blogging advice and I remember literally laughing out loud.  "What?" I thought, "A perfect stranger blogger lady can make me laugh this hard?"  I've followed Erin's shenanigans ever since.  Apart from being hilarious she is a little blogging Buddha and I steal all of her blogging ideas.  The girl's a smart cookie!  Somehow I convinced her to do a post with me.  I just got to thinking one day, what if Living in Yellow and Life of Bon were to procreate? What would that blog spawn be like?!?  

Welp.  I think we've got our answer, folks.  

I present to you, LIFE OF YELLOW.

(Oh and P.S. there is a $50 Target giveaway at the end of this post from me and Erin.  Eat your heart out, ladies!)

What is the weirdest thing people say to you about your blog?

Bon:  I have a cousin who tells me every time he sees me that he never reads it. That's always nice to hear.  My husband's friend tells me all the time that he thinks it's ridiculous that people can make money blogging when he has to do "real work".  One time a totally random chick emailed me and told me I was never going to make it in the blogging biz... so, you know... normal stuff.

Erin:  I try to avoid actually talking about my blog in real life. The conversation typically goes like this: "So what does it mean when you say you write a blog? Like what do you write about?" "Oh, just whatever really. My life I guess?" "I don't get it. People that don't know you just want to read about your life on a daily basis?!" "Yeah I don't get it either." I then quickly change the subject to how cute puppies are and that ends all awkwardness. 

If we interviewed your husband what would he say drives him crazy about you (good or bad) wink wink.

Erin:  I don't know if we have a blog post long enough to cover what drives him crazy. I just learned last night that he isn't too fond of me singing outside so that the neighbors can hear. Something about "your voice is worse than nails on a chalkboard" or something like that. He also finds it annoying that I leave my chewed gum around the house in random places. And that I never put lids on my water bottles. And that I gallop through home improvement stores. And basically that I am alive. 

That last sentence is a joke. He actually enjoys my presence. I think. Ask me this same question in another year or two and I may have a different thought on that one. 

Bon:  Let's see... I run red lights, I am always late, I chew my food loudly, I leave meat out and then it spoils, I can act quite bratty when I want to.  Oh- one time I took off my pants in the car because I had to change.  Totally normal!  I thought Greg was going to bust a cap when he looked over-  he was sure all the other cars were going to be looking in on me and seeing my naked lower half.  The guy was seriously fuming!  Don't know why- ain't nothing wrong with some white thigh!

Crazy in the other way?  Well I do have some killer shake your bon bon moves...

What is the favorite post you've ever written and why?

Bon:  I kind of totally love this I Believe post that was actually a link up that Erin did.  Every once in a while the writing comes so effortlessly- I almost feel like it's somebody else is writing for me.  The words come together perfectly and naturally, and writing isn't even work and somehow I make something I am very proud of.  That's how I felt that night.

Erin:  This may be a cliche answer but I am going to have to go with my first blog post ever written. That one post has changed my life in so many ways I never thought possible. I get all emotional just talking about how happy I am that I ever hit publish on that February day two years ago. So much courage went into that post and really I think we should all be proud of ourselves for taking that first initial step into this online world. It's a scary (but so much more incredible) journey to embark on. 

How do you deal with negative criticism in the bloggy world?

Bon:  First I usually feel really sick about it.  You know when your stomach totally drops and you feel like you're going to puke?  Like that.  Then I usually tell lots of people seeking some kind of validation.  I can't pretend like it doesn't hurt or it doesn't affect me, but I do try to take it with a grain of saly- the majority of the time the criticism is coming from perfect strangers so you can't put too much stock into that.  I usually try to learn from it too- one of the best negative comments I ever read was about how awful I am at responding to comments.  I realized I am pretty awful and have tried to do better since then.

Erin:  Most negative criticism comes in the form of some anonymous person who has no face or name. This provides quality entertainment between my husband and I as we get to make up what they look like, sound like, and go into full detail on what their favorite hobbies are. They never end up being very pretty and the majority of them play with cats in their free time. And that typically concludes how I deal with it. 

What is one of the stupidest things you've ever done?

Bon:  That would be the time me and my best friend flew into Honolulu with no place to stay for three days, no car, and not a soul that we knew.  We were going to school, but our house wouldn't be available until Monday and we flew in with two huge suitcases and nowhere to go on a Thursday.  We slept the first night in the airport. Then we hung out at a beach (with our suitcases!) until some totally random guy offered to let us stay at his house for three days.  We said yes.

You don't have to tell me how dumb and naive that was.  I know.  Lucky for me, the guy wasn't a creeper and we came out unscathed, but oh my gosh I will never tell my daughters that story.

Erin:  I wouldn't necessarily call this stupid as much as I would awesome, but one time when I was in middle school my friend and I took brownies from the lunch room and left a trail of crumbs all over the gym. We then went and found a janitor and told him that a mouse pooped all over the gym floor. He totally bought it, whipped out the white gloves and mop, then proceeded to go to town cleaning that mess up as we laughed from the sidelines. Realistically speaking I was a horrible person in middle school. But fun? 

You tend to not hold back on your blog, has this ever came back to haunt you?

Bon: Yes, yes, and yes.  Good enough answer?  I'd tell you details but then I know that would come back to haunt me too...

Erin: You could say that. Here's the deal on this one though--the one thing that haunts me the most is something I would've never ever expected to haunt me. Just goes to show you never know anything in blog land. Or life for that matter.

If I gave you $100 to spend in the next hour, what would you spend it on?

  

Bon:  I'd spend it all on luxury underwear just to feel totally sexy.  Or something equally stupid.

Erin: Probably food. That seems to be where all of my money goes these days. 

Do you think that blogs have a shelf life or do you plan on blogging until your 90?

Bon:  Basically I'm planning on being the first grandma blogger.  I'm going to write all about the people in my nursing home- the man who wets his pants, the nurse who is mean, the old lady who leaves her teeth lying around.  Watch for it!

In all seriousness, I have no idea.  I do wonder if one day we will all wake up and think, "What in the heck are we doing spending so much time on blogs?!?" and all forget about them...

Erin: It seems with age comes a lot more wisdom and awesomeness. Thankfully that's all blogs require (wink) so things are looking up for the elderly in the online department if you ask me.

The idea of having babies. Give it to me straight. Your thoughts on having them that is. 

Bon:  Here's the deal.  My husband's a ginger.  We're both scrawny things that didn't hit puberty until we were 19.  We're pale and freckly.  We're nerds.  To top it all off, we're both incredibly stubborn and sassy. Oh- and we're kind of bossy. So basically by having babies we are guaranteeing ourselves a pack of ugly pale skinny redheads who are total dorks, extremely opinionated, boss all their friends around, and never admit when they're wrong.

Bring it on!

Erin: Ask me in 5 years. For now I'm too busy taking bubble baths with a glass(es) of cabernet. 

For Bonnie:  You are a Mormon meaning you don't drink caffeine or alcohol. What is your daily fix that keeps you going? 

I do drink caffeine, just not coffee.  I'm a diet coke fiend.  Four a day, baby.  I also splurge on In-N-Out french fries.  And frozen yogurt.  For about a month there I was stopping every day on my way home from work for frozen yogurt.  EVERY DAY.

For Erin: There's no wine for a year.  What do you do?

I die. That's what. 

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