Recovery from "Girls Week"...

I am determined to stay on my feet and not drop into a hole feeling sorry for myself and being all lonely without the "girls" today (like I did last year).

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So I got up, did my walking this morning.

My Sister emailed me with a great name for my goat!

Who has been singing to me, and keeping me in great spirits all morning.

Meet Abby (Abigail) Goat!

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Rudy is pretty far under his covers with the cooler morning temperature, and especially with Abby singing away... "high on a hill"! He wasn't into the yodeling at all, but still in his usual fine mood.

My girls on the other hand... they are a mess! Taylor either wants me to hold her in my lap.... or go play in the mud with her outside. Either is fine, but nothing in-between will do.
And this face... trying to work, with this face looking up at me all day!

Good Grief Charlie Brown!!!

Could they be missing Aunt Lynn and Nene any more? I think we are all feeling the same way inside.

But no time for feeling low around here... we have more company coming today!

Yipee! We are really excited to finally get to have one of my strong silent mysterious man's childhood friend and his wife and mom come by on their way to Washington. We have been trying to hook up with them over the years several times with no success. I hope today is really going to be the day.

Weekend with the "girls"...

Friday we took my Mom to go see Mamma Mia!

So Fun!!!

She kept asking why both of us had seen it and still wanted to go see it again?

After the show, she realized why we were both so excited to take her, and go see it again.

We even went and bought the soundtrack to the movie... so we could dance and sing some more! Love it!!!

We shopped... what's a girls weekend without some shopping?

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Saturday, we got up early to go do the Women's 5k Walk... and it was pouring down rain, complete with thunder and lightning!

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We drove into the city anyway, thinking it might clear up... yeah right!

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As we approached the areas to park, indeed there were thousands of women in rain coats, tarps and garbage bags walking towards the starting line.

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I had to make a decision whether to walk or not?

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I had been sooooo sick just last month, was I feeling healthy enough to go out and get drenched in this rain? I wanted to walk so badly, but even over the past two days I had been feeling the effects of bad air quality and coughing and having to use inhalers. I was afraid. I knew in my heart if I got soaked to the bone, I would be too seseptible to get sick again... I can't get sick, not again!

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So sadly, I dropped my Sister off near the starting line and me and Mom drove to the finish line at the park and waited for her in the dry car.

(We literally dropped her off... I know it looks like I only slowed the car down and pushed her out from this picture... but I did stop. he he he)
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Here is the view of the race from the finish line, going accross the ridge. Only 1.2 miles to go from here... Sis called from the ridge, and we think that she is here in the Orange.

I had to get out and brave the wet to go meet her at the finish line for a picture!

After the race we came back home, to get her dried out.

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And I left for a meeting with my Stake Leaders.

We were so very blessed to be taught by our General Young Women President, Sister Dalton from Salt Lake City, UT. And by Sister Thompson from the General Relief Society.

They were amazing, and it was a wonderful way to include more really good girl stuff in my "girls weekend".

My Mom and Sis left Sunday morning. I miss them already. But I have some wonderful great memories to keep me going until the annual celebration next year.

(note to self: Do not miss your hair appointment on Tuesday!!! Yikes!!!)

Thursday with my Mom and Sister...

Thursday, we went for our morning walk, then got ready for a busy day out.

First we stopped by a cool outlet home decor store. It's all the big rave amongst the local ladies. They have new stuff in all the time so their stock rotates every week, it's super cute stuff, and they have great prices.

This week they had a really large amount of Fall and Halloween decorations.

I love this stuff, but I have to be careful of how much I bring home, a girl can get carried away you know. So I try and just look for things I really really love and have to have, and just blog about the rest of the cute stuff that is just neat and fun to look at.

The music notes were really fun, but my Mom and Sister decided I could paint this on my wall behind the guitars instead of buying the metal sculpture.

So there you go, just in case I didn't have any projects on the shelf to do.

I loved the Moose... I think I have a thing for them. These were made from pieces of bark, and one day when I have my log home... I will buy me a moose like this to occupy a shelf.

I saw more Halloween stuff than I needed to in a year... The acorns were very cool... but a girl doesn't need anymore reminders on the shelf that she is a nut case. Fun, but Pass on these too...

My Sis found some really pretty bead garlands in an aqua marine blue color... very pretty! I got some in an amber color to wrap around some battery powered candles I found. They reflect the light and are beautiful.

Now, let me not mislead you that this was a casual shopping experience... we were in this tiny shop with 500,000 (okay that is a slight exaggeration) of our newest best girlfriends. You kind of have to put on all of your patience before you go shopping here. It's wall to wall girls everywhere you turn, grabbing and snatching and eeewing and awwing at everything, and trying to push their way through the crowd to get to something they saw and couldn't live without, before someone else gets a hold of it 1st.

So when you think you've seen everything you need to see, you get yourself out for some fresh air. And then there is more outside.

I liked the big acorns.

And the metal pumpkins.

We made it out alive... and went on down the road to the Women's Fitness Show...

Caught a great view of the Capitol from the parking garage...

Last year we got out picture made with Jared from Subway, but he wasn't there yet... his big debut would be on Friday.

But we did get to see some of the Biggest Loser cast...
Marty and Amy...
They travel around now and tell their stories and inspire people all over the world now... what a job!
Here is my sis spinning for a prize from the Minute Rice booth...

One of the booths was cake decorating... not sure how these fit into women's fitness?

But they sure did look cute.

Oh speaking of cute... Look who I found performing on center stage.

Our little towns mayor's daughter singing and promoting her new cd. I guess all the talent runs in the family.

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Then we made our way out after tasting all the non fat yogurt, protein bar samples, string cheese, and chocolate non fat milk, with our bags full of freebies and goodies; over to a local bistro downtown.

It was such a fun place, and we got a kick out of the boys behind the counter. They were working so hard... doing a great job getting the hoards of people through the line.
Don't these turkey and cranberry sammies look yummy!

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Then my Sis HAD to go to Cabela's... she didn't want to disrespect anyone in Idaho by not being able to say she had never been there!

Plus, after my SIL's hilarious post about this place last June (if you haven't read it GO NOW, DO NOT PASS GO, DO NOT COLLECT $100 DOLLARS, it's too funny)... my Sis didn't want to miss out on any of the reindeer fun she read about!

And we have proof... here she is!

And we didn't miss the big ugly catfish either.

I had to document the moment... the last time she was in town, we had to go into Costco for their non-fat swirl yogurt almost every time we came within 12 miles of the place. Even if we were going the other direction... she would ask "are we near Costco, I'm having a craving for yogurt"!

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So she got her fix. She has them at home, but claims if you eat them by yourself they are not as healthy, as if you eat them with someone else (half the points). So we shared one!