On Being Your Own Boss

Ry asked if I wanted to go to dinner tonight at his favorite BBQ place. It was mutual night so I really didn't have time, but I have been neglecting him all week so I agreed as long as we went early. However, this was us on the way there:

Ring tone A

"Hi, this is Ryan...insurance...yadda yadda...dmv....proof of...policy...yadda yadda"
"Hold on I've got another call"
"yeah, can I call you back I've got someone on the other line"

Pause between calls: "Hi wife, sorry."

Immediately Ring tone A again

"more insurance yadda yadda stuff"

Phone is hung up. Ry opens mouth to say something...

Ring tone B

"yes at the church...no it's casual dress...do you need the RS room? yes I can pick Kim up..."

Again we thought we had another pause before:
Ring tone A and B at the same time:

"you're kidding they moved?" "do we have a claim number?" "do you have her new address?" "call the company..." "is she still in the stake? oh good." ....and so on

Finally, with both phones silent for more than a second, Ry looks over at me and asks,

"So...are you enjoying our date?"

By the time we actually got there, we had an enjoyable meal with no interruptions...but for the record-I don't recommend trying to go out on a mutual night when your the YW pres or before 5 on a weekday when you are trying to run a business. Just in case you were thinking about it.

Happy Birthday James!

Are you smarter than a Cub Scout?

Alas, we are...not. But we had fun trying...

Our ward does their pinewood derby races family style-so Ry and I joined in on the fun...

You should have seen him so happy with his drill and gorilla glue and duct tape to insert our dimes, and you should have seen him sanding down every corner a million times even though it was already 100% splinter proof.

I myself was quite happy with the racing stripes and the paint job.

You can't see it, but our license plate says "Fitz" Maybe it we had given it a proper name, it would have done better.

Our little car did not win any races-but it didn't give up either. Even though it massively slowed after the incline, just like the Little Engine Who Could, it always slowly slid until it at last reached the finish line. I don't have any pictures to prove it, however, so you're just going to have to take my word for it.

And, of course, every participant got a medal (or Ryan just stole it from some little kid-you can never be too sure)

Wii are not ashamed...

of procrastination, messy houses, ditching scrapbooking parties, or ignoring phone calls (sorry Mom).


Wii are not ashamed of spending Thursday evening determined to beat Super Mario Brothers, without warping...yes, that's right. Without warping: at all.

Yes, this is me at 8-4 with fireballs (I know I'm facing the wrong way, but I couldn't risk unpausing at such a crucial moment to fix it)

Yes, this is King Kupa defeated

Yes, this is the Princess: Safe and Sound

Acknowledgments:

I would like to thank:

my Gma and Gpa Jones for buying me our first ever Nintendo

the Livingston Brothers for being such good examples of how it is be done

My husband for supporting this dream

Nintendo for making such a thing as the Wii so that I could have this moment

Okay, commencing my 2nd quest now=real life

Righteous Ryan

As a preamble to this post, you need to know what Ryan was up to on Sunday:

• PEC meeting at 7am
• Sitting on the stand in place of a Bishopric member (he was even in charge of the microphone--on testimony day)
• Teaching Elder's Quorum
• 2 hours of fast offerings

That takes us to Thursday night...this is what Ry says to me as he leaves me on the couch in my pj's to read Eclipse as he heads out the door to the temple (w/my young women!):

"So, how does it feel to be the wicked one in the family?"

Ah, it's good to be home...

September 1st

For several years now, the date of September 1st has had significant meaning for me. So as it comes around again this year I would like to post about what Sept. 1 means to me this year:

Birthdays:
Happy Birthday to my dear Gpa Livingston (84-right?) and my dear friend Lori (26)! Hopefully the two of you will forgive me for sharing ages...





Beginnings:
Although I am not enrolled in school anymore, I still get a thrill from freshly sharpened pencils and clean white planners each September. I roam the school supply aisles just as eagerly as any new kindergartner. So although I do not need to plan my reading, writing, and arithmetic, I still love to start over on September 1 and make it my own personal New Year's Day. This year, I did get to visit my Alma Mater and attend the first BYU football game against Arizona. We won 20-7...Go Cougars!



Babies:

This year September 1 marks 3 years of infertility for Ryan and me. However, instead of being sad and full of self-pity I have instead decided to focus on

Blessings:

I have a dear niece who is turning 8 this year. I was told recently that during one family prayer she said something to the effect of: "Please bless Uncle Ryan and Aunt Amy that they can have a baby. But if they can't, please help them know that they still have us."

Annette-I hope you don't mind that I shared this on here, but I wanted to publicly announce how much that meant to me. So I now have to take the time to brag about who I have:

Annette Meredith Livingston: almost 8 years old and one of the most talented and sweetest girls that ever did live. Here she is as the star of her school play.
James Kevin Livingston: almost 7 years old--he was one of the sweetest babies and still has the most wonderful sympathy for all around him. He is the most fun boy.

Tate Calvin Livingston: (3) whose little voice melts my heart every time I hear it. He will no doubt break many hearts.

Davis Eric Livingston: (1 yr next month) Look at that smile...need I say more?

Thank you,dear ones, for adding joy to my life. And thanks to your parents who have raised you to be so great! Cannot wait to see most of you next month!

Thanks for this indulgence...who knows what next September 1st will bring, but I say-Bring it on!