Jump and Shout

Have you been to Jump and Shout?

If not, don't go, it's not any fun.

NOT!!!

Why didn't I come up with this place:

a.)  Adult sized jumpy castles.

b.)  Adult sized jungle gyms.

c.) Adults & Dolls get in free.

d.)  "Tag - You're It!"

e.)  Slides.

f.)  All done in the luxury of not wearing shoes.

Thanks for inviting me sis!  I am already planning my birthday party!

Hello Kitty

It is my favorite little gal's birthday!

She turned {3}

or in her words, "I'm tree!"

Miss Norie likes Hello Kitty. 

I designed these cute cupcake wrappers just for the pretty little princess.

They turned out really cute & tasted yummy.

The small cake on the top was originally covered in pretty dainty flowers, but there was a very unfortunate event involving the cake sliding off the cake plate & dumping itself upside down on the counter...very sad.  Live & learn my friends, live & learn.  Since there was not enough frosting to repeat the process it just got frosted smooth.  It kills me because it was looking so precious. 

We had a very exciting day.

Lunch with the girls at Sweet Cakes.  This is how we celebrate Nora's birthday...put her down for a nap & then go out for lunch.

Swim party once the Birthday Girl woke up!

Bethany's in-law's have a resort style pool that they always so graciously allow all of us to use.

Thanks Peterson's!

I think this is Blake.  The goggles make it hard to be 100% sure.

Lucy looks like she's enjoying herself.

After a nice long dip in the pool, it was cake time.  She blew out her candles 1. At. A. Time.

We had to work off all the sugar somehow so Beninem blasted his new song so we all could dance.

Santa's Sleigh Is Thumpin'

[coming soon to an itunes near you]

Some were a little too into it...

"Shimmy down the chimney!!!"

It was an awesome day!  Thanks for having cause to celebrate Nora!

P.S.  Looks like some funny business went on during the swimming portion of the day.  : )

WooFie

They called me 'Woofie' growing up.

Endearing, isn't it.

I obtained the name due to my love of furry four legged creatures (& I suppose my furry little chicken legs).

I ran with the dogs, so to speak.

Like a child mimics those older than them, I mimicked the canine.

Down on all fours.  Barking.  Panting.  Licking.  And Yes, even lapping up my cereal from the floor.

My family has always had at least one precious pooch, if not more & there have been many throughout the years.

  They come & go, unfortunately.  Fortunately, All Dogs Go to Heaven.

I expect them to smother me with kisses when I leave this world.

I thought I would introduce you to some of them.

This first one is in fact a dog.  Really.  I promise.

Chelsea & I were brought into this world about the same time.  She lived to be 17 years old (in human years).  As the years went by she looked less & less like a dog and more & more like a javelina. 

Chelsea had attitude.

 

Chelsea was the mother of Chewie.  Chewie is lucky she was named Chewie.  We spent Family Home Evening one Monday night placing names into a hat.  There were a lot of poor options [Pepsi - from Dad, Homer - from one of my brothers, Sophia - from Mom].  I think another brother put Chubaka & that is what was chosen.  My mom shortened it to Chewie to make it less awful.  That was the last time we named a dog by drawing out of a hat.  After that, Mom just got to decide.  

Please, do not judge Chewie, she was not blessed with good genes.  She, unlike Chelsea, was very good natured & happened to be as sweet as can be.

Chewie begat Star {just kidding about the begat, it's funny though, right}. 

Star, Star, Star. 

 {Shake your head}

Dad called Star, "The Wimpiest Dog In the World" or for short, "Sissy."  I loved him with all my ♥ though.

  Star got his wimpy reputation by several encounters he had with a real dog.  Star thought he was big stuff.  Romping the neighborhood without a care in the world until he came face to face with a dog that could eat him for breakfast.  Good thing he was fast.

This is one of Star's brothers or sisters, I don't remember what it's name was.

I am not picky with my love for 'Man's Best Friend.'  For example, I don't even know who's dog this is, but I appear to be in love.

 

Meet Cinder.  Short for Cinderella.  She was "special" is a nice way to put it.  I think there were a few screws loose on this gentle giant.  She liked loved the trick "shake."  Which was cute.  At first.  She never stopped. 

Kady {short for Kadydid, like the grasshopper} shared my birth date.  She was a snobby little dog with bug eyes.  Chloe was just about as hyper as a dog can get.

Chloe as a puppy.  Do you know how much I love puppy breath?  DON'T judge!  If you have smelt puppy breath then you know what I am talking about.  If you have not smelt puppy breath then you have no idea what you are missing out on.

I told you I like dogs didn't I?

Group shot!  Places everyone! 

Cinder ♦ Chewie ♦ Me ♦ Chloe ♦ Kady

Chloe had puppies - then met her tragic end causing us [Mom] to feed these cute little rats every three hours from a miniature bottle.

Andie {short for Andolynn of Evergreen, I told you Mom picks the names now} is the current resident at the Shill home.  I call her many things. 

Andie.  Andolynn.  Andinni Mussolini.  And sometimes when she acts crazy possessed [like really, it's freaky] I call her Rasputin.  You know...like the evil radical Czar who killed all the Romanov's (Anastasia's family).

I saved the best for last.

This is Rose.

The best dog.

In.The.Whole.Wide.World.

If she wasn't covered in fur, I'd swear she was human.

If she's not in heaven waiting for me when I get there:  I want my money back.

Squirrel?

Secret Life of Dresses

I have worn many dresses.  Some are homemade & some are bought from a store.  Some cost more than others.  Some are not my dresses at all.  Some I wore many times, while others are worn only once.  Each is very different. Some are still very pretty.  However, others simply are not, but I guarantee you each were stylish at some point in time.

More times than not I was dressed to match my sister.

Coordinating dresses made by our mother.

This is my mom's favorite picture of me.  Personally, I always thought it made me look like a midget.  I guess I am sitting down?

Cute little boys in identical peach dresses.

Easter at Grandma & Grandpa Perkins.  Finally too old to wear matching dresses.

At a Young Women's activity we had a paper dress fashion show.  Our mom's had to construct our dresses using only paper.  Needless to say, mine stole the show.

I loved dressing up in my mom's old dresses.  This green one was my favorite.

I would have friends come over & we would set up our own little studio, try on each dress, & then photograph each other.  I think I am taking it a little too seriously here.

We were so sophisticated {wink}

I think I am lost in thought...what a nerd.

Bethany wanted every shade of pink for her wedding reception.  She got it.

Tim & Holly's wedding soon after Adam & Bethany.  Getting my hair done was always my favorite part of dressing up.

My very first dance. 

Homecoming 2002

I wore Bethany's hand-me-down for Prom 2003.  It was my favorite of her dresses.

Homecoming 2003's dress was a competitor for my favorite High School dance dress I wore.  This is the first of the three dresses I designed for myself.

The second was inspired by the dress in How to Lose A Guy in 10 Days - - mine doesn't show as much skin, but I ♥ the color.

Winter Formal 2004

The last dress I had made was the other competitor for my #1 spot.  I remember all the girls had this style of dress, but mine was unique because it was homemade.

Prom 2004

Another important dress {sort of}

Class of 2004

aka: FOREVER ago!

All of these dresses are special, but not quite as special as these next three.  In my room, growing up was this poem:

My Three White Dresses

My mom bought me a white dress,

Not red, or pink, or blue.

She said it was a special dress

Like very other few,

There has been just one before,

A dress now put away,

That I wore sometime ago

Upon my blessing day.

As a little baby clothed

In my first white dress,

My dad held me in his arms,

There to name and bless.

So pure and clean was I just then,

With time to grown and learn

About the Father's plan for me.

My glory I must earn.

Now I've reached the age to judge

The wrong road from the right,

And I am here to be baptized

In this dress of white.

So once again I'm free from sin.

The path is clear to me.

I'll grasp the rod and hold on tight, I vow with certainty.

Just as mud would stain my dress,

Sin would stain my soul.

The key is to repent or bleach,

For whiteness is my goal.

And if I try my very best,

Then richly blessed I'll be,

Wearing inside God's holy house

White dress number three.

So today I make this pledge:

I'll strive to choose the right,

Through this sacred baptism ordinance

In my second dress of white.

-- Linda Gay Perry Nelson