*Monday Memos*

*MONDAY MEMOS*

   

 (If pictures are too small, just click to enlarge) 
Weekly recap of my rather crazy, insane, but fun and rewarding life!

dear blizzard, this winter has really been one for the records.  The snow just won't stop!  We keep getting buried and then dig out and then get buried again!  What a year to have to train for the Boston Marathon huh?

I love looking out our big windows when it's storming!

There is usually deer out there when I look out.

I worry the poor things are hungry!  All of their food is buried!

Monday morning I drove out west to see conditions for my run, but it was blizzardy. I came back and it was totally calm and so I decided to just run from my house. Before I headed out I made a batch of bread dough so it could raise while I was running.  Since it was so calm, I thought about going 10 miles because I am short on miles.   Everything was great until I went west and then I met the same storm that I thought had calmed down.  It was crazy!  I got pelted with a huge blizzard!  It was painful when it hit my face! OUCH!  It turned into quite the storm and before I got home I was asked by two peeps if wanted a ride.  I am sure I looked like I needed one but I turned both down.  After all I HAD to get in my miles and I would rather be wet and miserable than have to finish on the dreadmill!  I'm sure I would have got asked by many more, but there weren't too many peeps out driving in it, let alone running in it!  They were much smarter than me!  My runner friend Bob, was one of those who asked me. When I turned him down he said, "Jodi!  Get in the truck!"  I told him I was only about a mile from home and I would be fine.  He just shook his head.  LOL  As soon as I got home, I jumped in the hot shower!  I am not sure when a hot shower has ever felt so good!  I was FROZEN! Only the cold DOES bother me anyway!  (Frozen pun- get it? haha) Brrr....  I don't have any photos because my phone completely froze as well.

The photos don't do it justice because my phone froze when I wanted to take a good picture....but my pants and jacket was covered in snow.  They were practically white.  You can kind of see the snow pile on my hat below my glasses.  It was thick!  Glad I was only out for 45 minutes!

After my shower, I finished making the bread.  Dave brought lunch home from the clinic.  It was an Idle Isle chef salad.  Not something warm, but still good!  

Once the bread was done, I headed out in the storm to deliver it. BIG mistake!

I thought to myself, "I must be crazy!" and I immediately agreed with myself as soon as I started driving!

It was basically a white out!  Most of the roads were pretty slick.

I can't get enough of how GORGEOUS the trees are during and after a snow storm!

The temple with a blanket of snow.

I also had to run to Seagull and the storm wasn't near as bad down that way, but when I got home....Holy Hannah,  I could NOT get up my hill to my house. I tried and tried and tried.  I even tried going up it in reverse.  I was stuck. There was NO way my car was going to make it up that thing!  The plows had been plowing the main roads but not our cul de sac.  I wasn't sure what to do and so I pulled off the side of the road on Highland until I could get help.  The man on the corner was out snow blowing and he yelled at me, "You aren't going to park it there??"  I yelled back, "W H A T do you want me to do?!!!"  I mean seriously!  I had no choice!  He did some hand signs and was not being very understanding and once again told me to not park there.  Another neighbor named Lynn waved me over.  She was so nice and offered to help me and told me I could park it in her driveway but I knew I couldn't get it  in her driveway so she called Ray (an older guy) at the end of the hill to ask if I could park in his. I warmed up in her house while she talked to him and even got to meet the legendary Tough Enough.  He is a cat with a story I won't go into right now.  Ray said I could park in his driveway. I told him it would only be until Dave got off.  Dave was on call and so that meant he would be home late.  

I am standing in my driveway taking this photo....my car is inside the red circle

After I parked in Ray's driveway, Lynn offered to give me a ride up the hill. I told her I was fine and could walk it, but she insisted.  She couldn't get her 4 wheel drive Suburban to go up the hill either.  Once she made some adjustments, it started to quit spinning and the tires grabbed the snow and we made it into my driveway.  Whew!  However, after I came in I could still see her lights in my driveway and I went back out and she was stuck in a snow bank she slid into.  And she was STUCK! 

The red light is Lynn's stuck suburban.  The photo on the right is what she was high centered on.

I grabbed two garden shovels and we spent the next 20 minutes digging her out.  It was STILL coming down hard.  Once she got out of that mess she slid again back into the snow bank only this time she was high centered!  So....we dug her out of that mess for another 20 or more minutes.  She was able to finally pull forward but no sooner had she cleared the snowbank, she started sliding backwards down our hill right into Coleman's brick mailbox!  I thought she took it out!  Luckily, it just moved but when she pulled forward it moved back!  But she was stuck and how this time!  We dug and dug and picked ice and dug and dug and after another 20-30 minutes (we were both exhausted by this time!) she was able to pull sideways into McCarley's driveway and I thought she was stuck in it as well, but miraculously she was able to get down the hill back into her driveway.  OH MY!  All I had to do was walk 30 yards home and none of that would have happened!  LOL  But who knows?  Maybe if I had, I would have fallen and broke my hip or something!    

The deer must have four wheel drive because they didn't struggle getting up our hill

After all of that, I had to then shovel our entire driveway!  It was HEAVY and WET snow and very labor intensive!  I thought I was going to kill over!  I just chalked it up to cross training!  I text my boys this picture and said, "Where are you when I need you!"  We don't own a snowblower because we have a plow we usually put on our four wheeler but the four wheel drive went out on it. 

SO MUCH SNOW! 

More pix of the deer

I was one wet puppy by the time I got inside!  When Dave got home, we had to go back out and move the car to the cul de sac on street down.  What a crazy adventure!  But kinda fun!  I love storms!  They add excitement to life!  However, I am going to be one sore puppy!

I settled in with some nice hot cocoa and social media!  hehe

dear tuesday morning, I woke up to this...

It just won't STOP!  It seems this is the same scene every morning!

Oh my, it was a winter wonderland!  The trees were SO beautiful!!!!  

In the middle is my garden globe.  It is nearly buried as are our huge rocks! 

Some pix of the depth

We have a lot more here on the bench than even just a mile or so west

I had to drive to Kaysville for my harp lesson.  I wasn't sure if I was going to make it or not because the roads were horrible.  They did finally plow our street though. 
Once I got to the freeway, the roads were totally fine.  Even dry in Layton.  I can't believe the difference the amount of snow we have compared to everywhere else.  We have been plastered!   South of us hardly had any snow!  It was my group lesson today and so I really hated to miss it.  I am so glad I was able to go.  It was a lot of fun!

After my lesson, I shopped for things for Carson's package.  Namely a Mickey Mouse because that is what he really wanted.  I looked everywhere!  I could not find one!  Finally, I tried Walmart even though I sent Dave there the day before to find one.  I ended up finding the perfect one!

dear wednesday, it snowed AGAIN!  The streets were heavily snow packed and so I couldn't run.  And I just could not force myself on the dreadmill.  Dave was off.  I finally (after several  years of owning one) put our heated mattress pad on our bed.  Dave did not want it on, even though it's a dual control but I finally said enough is enough.  I can't stand to get in bed because it's so cold and so I stay on my chair with my heated throw when I should be in bed.  It is going to be so nice!

Same scene again....

I had an ortho appointment and I am so excited because I am getting close to being done!  And today he took off the ugly attachment on my front tooth! I was so happy!  
 
Dave and I went to lunch at the Maddox drive through.  It was so good!  I love their mini burgers!  The fries were extra hot and crispy today!  We also mailed Carson's package.  Later on, I didn't feel well and so I had to lay down and rest for a bit. I had on the movie Jeremiah Johnson.  Kind of fun to see those old movies.  When Dave was at his meetings, I spent the time trying to catch up a bit on my blog!

Some pix I took when we were out.  This is my favorite street after it snows.  I think it's so beautiful!  Like I said before, I just can't get enough of how beautiful the trees are! These pix don't even come close to showing how gorgeous they looked!

The top right is Tyson's tree in the park.  It is nearly buried.

These are some shots from some parks in town.  The benches are barely showing as are the picnic tables!

This is a car that is parked at our rental!

Icicles!

The deer are getting cover under the big evergreen tree on the right in our backyard.

dear thursday, we had our first Revelation's study group at Caryl's in the morning. It was really good. She is amazing and so knowledgeable! 

I ran after we were done.  It was a nice day for a run!  Got in 5.5 miles.  I did a few hills. 

I had to take more photos of trees!  This one is my fave!!

I had to rush home because a man was coming to deliver a new electronic dart board that Sky bought for Dave.  I then made sugar cookies from the box mix I bought at Swigs.  They turned out really yummy. Swig sugar cookies are one of my favorite things in life! I have had such a craving for sweets lately!  I will buy the box mix again since I don't live close to a Swigs.  They are definitely my most favorite cookie in the world!  These ones are not exactly like the ones they sell, but close enough!  

I then made the medals for Stake YW basketball.  We had a great turnout again tonight!  It is really a lot of fun!!!  I took our new pinnies as well!  Dave is still on call so he got home late, but still beat me. 

With Val and Ayako

They had to play to fill in for a couple games to even up the numbers. I was happy to keep score.

dear friday, it was a very cold morning.  Only 4 degrees!  Not sure what it was with the wind chill.  Brrr...  I decided to bag my run.  Not something that I do often but some days are just too cold.  I headed to Ogden to meet some old high school friends for lunch at Hug Hes.  Diane planned it and she invited Denise. Diane is the cutest thing and Denise was a blast as well.  We talked for a long time and then since we were out of time we planned two more lunches!  We caught up on each other and discussed a lot of high school peeps.  It was really a lot of fun.

Some of the beauty I saw on my way home

Dave was on call but got home early so we watched a movie on On Demand (MI 4) and ate leftovers.  Not your typical date, but it beat going out in the cold!  It was fun snuggling up to each other while the storm blasted outside.

dear saturday,  I waited until the sun was out a bit and then headed on a 7 mile run.  At least I think I went 7 but my phone froze and so I'm not sure.  I better start taking my Garmin!  I wanted to see if my new phone camera would take the close ups like my other one did. I tried it out on these crystaled flakes.  I think it did pretty well.  Look at how intricate each crystal is.  So breath taking!

These were in a church parking lot.

I ran to the high school to check out the track hoping it had been plowed.  NOPE!  Ugh!  I can't do speed work unless they plow it!  Don't they know that?  :) But it does look cool all covered in a thick blanket of snow.

Taylor showed up and we had fun visiting and he helped me find some Boston flights while I made him red velvet cupcakes. He found some great deals and I was so grateful he was helping me!  I do not enjoy that at all!  I still haven't booked them yet because I am stlil waiting on everyone's firm commitment and schedule!  I also prepared my SS lesson.

Taylor and Mr. Cat watching a Chucker bird.  It's on the right on the rock.

Practicing his juggling skills.  He's good!

We went to dinner with the Singleton's to Texas Roadhouse. I was so excited to see they had fried pickles!  I orded some of those and they were really good but I had to send my steak back twice because it was not done and when she brought it back, it was still not done!  After they brought it back the second time, the waitress said there will be no charge.  Not sure how you can't get a well done steak right, but oh well.  It was freezing!  But a lot of fun.  We discussed Boston and had fun catching up with them.  Forgot to take a photo!

dear sunday, I got up and finished preparing my lesson.  If I had saved all of my lessons, I can't even imagine how much time it would have saved me over the years!  My SS went okay.  Johnny taught the adult 5th Sunday lesson on talents.  He asked me in the class if I had always ran....I said no.  Then he asked me why I started.  I said it must have been a moment of insanity.  Then I said, "Mostly for therapy."  He joked, that with five boys - yes, that would make sense.  haha  Then he said,  "We shouldn't hide our talents....like playing piano, right Jodi?"  haha  I totally forgot Dave was speaking  in same building for another ward conference or I would have gone to listen!  I saw Val after and she told me he did a great job and that he talked about our black cloud that has been hanging around and told them to not get discouraged.  I feel bad I missed it.  He was gone until late so I ate without him and then hibernated for a bit.


dear mckay,  as part of their service they dressed up like characters at some ski resort fund raiser or something.   McKay was a hedgehog but his head didn't come off.  LOL  These crack me up!  

McKay is the one with the glasses

dear mr. cat,

He's shaking his head at all this snow as well!

dear random,

Dawn posted this memory on Facebook and it's always been one of my favorite pictures.  We were having the best laughs that day.  I LOVE my friends!  They are such a riot!  You can't see Dawn and Kathy's face too well, but they were laughing just as hard!

Sky and Sarah took a trip to Disneyland.

Dave showed me this paper and I had to laugh.  Too late!  hehe

dear quotes,

Truth!