lurkers

since reading marty's blog on blog etiquette and lurkers etc...i went lurking on many different sites...it was quite fun..running into people i know...seeing what everyone is up to...finding new bloggers...etc. etc..it is really fun to just take some time and start looking...so any of you lurkers out there, if you are reading my blog...welcome to it...hope it's entertaining and not too boring...hope you'll learn a bit about my life...and what i like to do...so have fun and leave some comments...

stop the presses

EXTRA EXTRA READ ALL ABOUT IT!!!!!

hey, just a quick blog...my daughter kerry thinks i'm great, because i can blog..and she's having troubles...isn't that the greatest? when does that happen that your daughter wishes she could be like her mom? i had to tell her that i actually had alot of help from kel, her sister....but, i'll always remember this great moment...doesn't take much to make my day....

pictures of summer

kerry and whit playing spoon games in ireland
kerry and kate in scotland
kerry and whit at jackson
willie in nice, france
whit, kerry, russ and kelly at the cliffs of moher in ireland

jo and russ in edinburgh

kerry in pisa
gavin at stonehenge
kelly in bellagio, italy
russ on lake como, italy

what do you do in the summertime?

oh what do you do in the summer time? when all the world is green? as the song goes...what do you do? i've come up with some things...summer is my favorite time of year...at the first of summer, i'm usually thinking..the kids are going to do so many things, etc....and then about 2 weeks into it...all those plans are dropped...for a whole lot of nothing...that's what i love about summer...i usually try to not have any appointments...drs...dentists, etc. etc...i just want to be free! free to do whatever, whenever...no school to worry about...not much of anything...just fun times.....so here are a few things that i like to do in the summer....read mine and then why don't you add yours?

go to the beach

read books

lay out in the sun, at the pool or the beach or the lake...wherever there is hot sun

travel...somewhere very exciting...or not so exciting...just going somewhere

stay up late...we used to sit outside and sing family songs when i was a kid...

have sleepovers...now it will be with my grandkids

have visitors

eat homemade icecream

fresh peaches, fresh corn, watermelon, fresh tomatoes...all those great summer foods

going to the movies

last day of school is always great...

we celebrate all (except the grandkids) of our birthdays between april and august...so alot of parties...

lazy mornings....

lazy days...

lazy nights...are you getting the picture?

fireworks

walks

going to the park

having barbecues..nightly with russ barbecueing

sitting by a fan....

riding in a convertible

going boating

riding a train

a plane

a boat

a subway

a taxi

i'm sure you're getting the picture again...just go...

playing out on the grass

when i was a kid, we would play night games in the street at night...kick the can, hide and seek etc...

sleeping outside

going camping

swimming

smelling the flowers

mowing the lawn...that was when i was young....

riding a bike

sooooo, that's what i do in the summer time

it's just a few things...i'm sure you'll think of alot more...

so enjoy your days...i will.

in my next life

in my next life i think i will be talented....i've just been watching all the final shows of "dancing with the stars", idol, all these reality shows that show people with incredible talent...it makes me want to dance or sing...luckily for all of you, i'm not on national t.v. , but, as i say, i wish i could...it looks like so much fun to dance like that...i think that's my favorite...watching the dancing...i love the fact that these people really haven't danced before they go on this show...i love leila ali...she's the greatest...i love strong women...everyone knows my favorite strong woman is laura croft, from tomb raider...even in shrek they had the princess squad...it's the greatest...so, anyway...in my next life, i will be in dancing with the stars...the finale......and i will be the winner!!!! so watch out!

shrek

on friday night kelly and i took gavin and owen to see shrek.....they loved it...especially gavin...he already loves shrek...during the movie he sat on my lap, perfectly still...until about the last 10 minutes, he did not move...then he started eating popcorn and drinking my drink...at the end of the show, he was still transfixed and was dancing to the credit music...what fun it is to do these things with the kids...i love to see the babies perspective...they love it...last night when we were going to dinner, jeff was in another car...gavin saw him at a stop light...he was sooooo excited...it's the little things that make them happy....seein shrek, and it only has to be a picture, not the movie, seeing his dad, being with kate, it was her little babies and necklaces...we all need to remember this quality that little children have...to be happy with the little things that happen...don't get to carried away in all the big events in your life..enjoy that sunset, the beautiful mountains, that ice cream cone. being able to take a walk in the evening...whatever little things that you love, enjoy them....the babies do...they do it automatically...so we should try to also......

slc

so, i've moved on....i left denver on friday morning...it was a very quick trip...didn't want kelly and willie to get sick of me...and then flew to slc....it was a fine flight, except for security which is huge in denver...got to a HOT slc...i'm here for brooke bagley iverson's wedding shower...my neice's abby and whitney threw the shower and it was a great time...we had an earlier shower, so they had breakfast goodies...it was very nice...brooked got alot of pretty gifts..she seems happy....the great aunts were there...it's always nice to see them..they always remind me so much of mom...then we aunts, then the cousins and the babies...so alot of people running around...it was a very fun time...then after the shower, kelly and i went and did a bit of shopping...always a good time...i've sort of shopped for about 5 days...always great...we took gavin to shrek last night...he loved it...sat perfectly still.....it was very fun....so tomorrow we go home....it's been a nice trip......

denver

i'm here in denver visiting willie, kelly and kate...it has been so much fun to see their house, where they live, the area etc...it's very nice...their house is darling...they have done alot of work to it...they are very happy in it...kate is fun to see with her own toys etc....she loves her babies, kisses them and puts them into her stroller...she loves to wear necklaces...everywhere she goes, she has a neclace or two or three...so, it's been a fun time...

busy days

shannon, kerry and ashley
nick, shannon, colin,kerry, derek and ashley

busy week, busy times...i love it...yesterday was a busy day...we had a shower at my house for a friends daughter-in-law...carissa ...she's having her first baby...it was a fun shower, she's tall and thin and looks darling at 8 1/2 months pregnant..she's very excited...so that was a fun time...it's shower time , i guess..next weekend we're going to slc to go to my niece brooke's shower...she got married about a month ago...so as i say it's shower time...it was also prom yesterday...so, my friend danece did kerry and ashley's hair before the shower...they were in curlers for the party...then fixed their hair...they both looked gorgeous...kerry said prom was a great time...russie and whit came home on thurs...whit drove down with russ to visit for a few days...we love having her here...we went to kelly and jeff's for mothers day tonight..she had a wonderful dinner for us and jeff's family...it was a fun time...she made the cafe rio salad, which was very good and tried to make ted's famous chocolate haupia pie...which was not the right recipe...it didn't turn out like ted's...maybe because we were in california, not hawaii...so, it was a great day...all in all...being with friends and family...

the count down

we, kerry and i are on the count down for all things school...she can hardly wait for graduation :)...now, i'm very sad that she will be leaving me next fall:(, but, i have to say there are a few things that i will NOT miss :)....right now at the #1 spot is seminary! i know that it is just a wonderful way to start the morning, but i will not miss that 5:20 am wake up call...i don't think she will either...for the past 3 years i have been going with her to walk with danece or rather to excercise our mouths...i will miss my daily therapy....also, to go along with seminary right now....we have seminary makeups! what a pain...for all those days that we missed our wakeup call...kerry must now pay...she is doing alot of makeups...about 17 hours worth...alot of conference talks are being read...i just have to nag,nag, nag her...#2 spot goes to the attendance ladies...now, nothing against them, i'm sure they will be glad to see us go also...i just hate to have to call her out...they make me feel so guilty that she's off playing, once again...and homework....i don't help anymore...thank goodness....haven't for a few years...but, that nagging once again...did you do your homework? so, just about anything to do with school...i will be glad to have gone from my life....let's see...kelly started school in 1983...it is now 2007...for all you nonmath people...that is 24 years....wow....and i only have 4 kids...as all good things must come to and end...so must school :)....kerry being the youngest has always had me being sad that she's moving on to different things, but happy that i was over diapers, being pregnant, cribs, bottles, elementary school...jr high (ugh) and now high school...i will miss my daily gossip session about who is fighting with who, who is in love with who...etc.etc...hopefully i will hear about college and hear new stories to keep me entertained...so for now....yippee we're done with seminary!

my mom

grandma lundgren, young and old

the lundgren kids
mom
me, mom,polly and marty


mothers day is coming this sunday...i had the most wonderful mom and you can read marty's blog to hear about her also...when i was little i was a little scared of her...i do remember being in trouble and putting a book in my pants so when she spanked me it hurt her...i think i was in big trouble then...as i got older, she became my friend...after i married i went to her for everything from recipe how tos, how to make crafts like quilts etc...when she came to visit, everyone loved it, especially tom, she would iron allllllll of his shirts...i never did that...we loved to go out on dates with mom and dad because they were so much fun...i called my mom just about every day...when we moved to c.a. i told tom that i was going to call home...i was not going to lose touch...that was in the days of expensive long distance.i have pictures of grandma lundgren on top, as a girl and a grandma...she was the wonderful mother that taught my mom everything...when i look at the grandma picture,i can just almost feel and smell her...she was so sweet and loving...the other pictures are of mom with her sisters and brother...aren't they beautiful? and then the picture of.we girls with mom....mom was a fantastic support to me throughout my life...i miss her daily and just hope that she is proud of me...my biggest wish is to be just like her...

saying yes

this morning a friend of mine called to see if i could volunteer at conejo valley days which is our yearly city carnival. every year the disabled kids have a special day when they get to go and enjoy the rides etc... i wasn't able to go, but asked kerry if she could go...i was so impressed with her...within about 5 minutes she had 7 friends that said they would come and help...i am very proud of her in that moment...i know alot of kids that just wouldn't do it...it's great when you can see your kids becoming adults and being so kind and loving...it's been a service type week..we put on our tom mullin memorial tournament on monday...this tournament benefits the john wayne cancer institute...this is the 8th year that we've done it..my kids always support me, and many many friends do also...it's alot of work...and i am always sooooo grateful that karen who is a saint helps me with this....she's the greatest...it's a fun golf tournament at spanish hills...it's in memory of tom..it's fun to see all of his old buddies and employees that come...so after having alot of fun, we hopefully have a big check to donate to john wayne...they are the cancer clinic that tom went to...i've always felt like they kept him alive for 5 extra years...when he was diagnosed, they gave him 6 months to live...kerry was only 4, so 5 extra years was a life time to her...so, this is my way of giving back...so, as i was saying earlier..a week of helping others...that's a good week and a great feeling...thanks to kerry and her friends for being so willing to help.....