What a Doll

It's not a big deal if you cry while watching The Bachelorette.

Three times.

Or more.

It's also not a big deal if you finish watching The Bachelorette and you are suddenly obsessed with Dolly Parton and you feel sad that you never realized before how great she is. Better late than never!

This is Dolly with her husband. They are in love and have been for 47 years. Forty-seven years! That is a long time for anyone, but especially for someone as famous as Dolly Parton. They met at a laundromat. The first words he said to her were: "You're gonna get sunburnt out there, little lady!"

She wrote this song about him:

  

I think it's okay if something as silly as The Bachelorette is what makes you believe in love. Or someone as old and sparkly as Dolly Parton. Or someone as beautiful as him:

It's important to believe in love! Even if it's cheesy. What makes you believe?

Story of a Non-friendship

Once upon a time, there was a beautiful girl who lived in Idaho. Actually, she just went to school there and lived there 8 months of the year.

This girl became friends with a boy. They got to be pretty good friends! He was funny and nice, and so was she, so they got along really well.

So well, in fact, that when he announced that he was transferring to school in Utah, she decided to pass him along to her sister. Her sister was also funny and nice, so surely they would become just as good of friends as the Idaho sister had been with the boy.

The Utah sister was very excited about this! She could always use some more friends. Especially at this time in her life when all of her other friends scattered to the perimeter of the country and left her very lonesome in little ol Provo.

The boy was very excited about this too! He txted the Utah sister several times before he came to town. She recommended places he could live. She almost found him a job. They made plans to hang out once they were both in the same state.

And then, he moved to Utah. And all contact ceased. And they never became friends. One time, the Utah sister even invited him to do something really super-fun called going to an awesome rope swing. And he didn't go. And no one could understand why, because the Utah sister was awesome and fun and great in lots of ways. Except then, one of the Utah sister's friends told her that boys don't want to be friends with you unless they like you, like one of your friends, or you are feeding them. Which makes sense, I guess, but is still stupid.

And that is why, this blog post is the story of a non-friendship. Because no friends were made. And no friends were harmed in the making of this blog.

All I'm saying is, it doesn't make any sense that I am so upset about this. But I am butt-upset about it, and that's why I had to blog about it.

Ice cream Fans

I am taking a class this semester to learn about how I can use technology in my teaching. It happens every Wednesday evening, and only 6 students are in my section.

The first week, I was in California, so I missed class. Oops.

The second week, I was working until 4, and class starts at 4, so I didn't get there until almost 4:30. Ooooops. I felt really bad showing up that late, so I brought some ice cream with me. I didn't know the class was so small. I just felt bad. I thought maybe I could give the ice cream to my teacher and tell him sorry for missing the first week and a half-hour of the second week.

But when I walked in, the teacher was standing at the front of the room teaching and 5 girls turned to watch me come in. I sat down, suddenly feeling a little silly for having brought ice cream. Who does that?? Campaigners do that. Brown-nosers. Etc.

So my ice cream sat in my bag. And I sat in my seat, worrying. The ice cream was melting. I should share it! But I didn't have any spoons. How could we eat it? Maybe there were spoons downstairs. Should I offer it to my teacher? Should I explain? Should I offer it to my classmates? Should I just....let it melt?

Finally I couldn't stand it anymore. I raised my hand.

"Okay so.....I just want to say. That the reason I was late, is because I was at work. But I still feel really bad about being late, so I brought some ice cream, but I don't have any spoons, but it's sitting in my bag melting, and I'm kind of getting stressed about it, but I was wondering if I could go and like, find some spoons, and I could share it with everybody?"

My teacher blinked at me. He's a really nice man who was majoring in pre-med and then switched to technology, and he has a cute little wife and like 3 kids. He's one of those people whose face is naturally set in a smile.

"What am I supposed to say to that?" he asked, "No! Let the ice cream melt!" He laughed at himself. "I'm just kidding, um...."

"I have a spoon," said one of the girls. She sheepishly pulled one out of her backpack.

"Oh....me too," said another girl.

And just like that, everyone pulled a spoon out of their backpack. And we happily passed the ice cream around and partook. And now, every week, I bring any mess-ups to my class. And we eat and be merry. And my teacher once emailed us and said, "Hello ice cream fans!" to start out his email.

It's a pretty good summer term.

A Trip to the Delly

You know how sometimes, two people are perfect for each other? And the more you find out about them, the more you realize that they really fit nicely? And they're kinda like two parts of a whole?

Oh. Here's an example :) 

Kelly and Dahl (Delly, when you put them together) are married. And they just happen to be perfect for each other for lots of reasons, but one of those reasons is that Kelly was born on May 20 and Dahl was born on May 21. So now they celebrate their birthdays together :)

Kelly is such a stupendous person! I can't remember a time when we weren't friends. We've been buddies since we were little, and I think since even before that. 

Whenever we are together, we laugh a ton. I think we think each other is so funny because we have similar senses of humor, but maybe it is because we actually are both really funny? You decide.

Kelly is the perfect person to be the oldest sibling because she is a peacemaker. Plus, everyone loves her and wants her attention whenever she is home. She is just nice and encouraging! 

Kelly always tells me I am a good writer, and I'll be a good teacher, and that she loves my blog. She encourages me with boys and with anything else. Her support means a lot to me!

When Kelly got engaged, I was the first person to find out! Dahl called me that day to tell me that he was going to propose, but I sneakily kept it a secret. I helped Kelly curl her hairs and then they went to get engaged :) And then they named me the MOH and you know I was pumped about that!

When we were little, we took sewing lessons and made these gems. Obviously, we were (are) super-cool. 

Having a sister you are so close to makes things interesting when she decides to get married. But if you are lucky, (and what about this blog would make you think I am not lucky?) then your new brother-in-law can become an honorary brother to you in a lot of ways. 

Dahl is PUMPED to be married to Kelly. He loves and supports her, and that is a good reminder to me of how I want my husband to be. 

Dahl is also nice to me! Sometimes when I was in Florida, I would call them and tell them all about the boys in Florida, or my job, or my friends, and they would give me advices and laugh at my stories. 

Dahl is fun to complain to because he humors and agrees with me. I remember one time when I was complaining about campaigners at work and he totally joined in. He was completely on my side, and I appreciated that. 

One time, Dahl wrote a really nice letter to me. I still have it because it was so nice :) He is very sincere, and I don't ever wonder how he is feeling. I also appreciate that because I know he is not fake. He is also thoughtful about people, and I like hearing his insights and psycho analyses. 

Happy birthday, cute people! 

Friendship

Sometimes, friendship means making late-night runs to the grocery store and winding up at the hospital cafe. Where you wind up playing Bingo with the staff. And then you end up winning Bingo, and it ends up being a great night.

Sometimes, it means listening for 20 minutes instead of hanging up when your friend accidentally butt-dials (or booty-calls, whichever you prefer to call it) you. Which sometimes turns into you recording the conversation she has with herself in her car. Which sometimes winds up on your Facebook.

Sometimes, it means going to Little Caesar's for your second dinner in one night.

Sometimes, it means that you are suddenly overcome with the need to eat said second dinner anywhere but at the table. 

Sometimes, it means eating toast and jam for dinner with your roommate and bonding by talking about boys.

Sometimes, friendship is falling asleep on a couch in an apartment that is not your own 3+ days a week. Sometimes, friendship is spending more time at this apartment than the actual residents spend there. 

Sometimes, friendship means that you talk about your feelings a LOT. You also talk about how you're feeling about how you're feeling. 

  

And sometimes, friendship means Temple Tuesdays. At 6 in the morning. Which means I have to be getting to bed in like, negative five hours. 

All I'm saying is, I am super lucky to have the friends that I have :) 

Whataman

Once upon a time, there was a family that started out with a girl. Then another girl came, and then another girl, and then another girl. All of these girls were quite welcome, but when finally the fifth child came, and he was a boy, there was great rejoicing in the land. 

That boy was arguably paid as much attention as an infant as Prince Harry himself was. His parents loved him, and his sisters fawned over him. He could do no wrong. His name was Joseph, and he was born on May 13th, 16 years ago. 

In the spirit of full disclosure, I have to admit that we may have taught him how to kiss our hands and open doors for us with a hand flourish and an "after you." And we also might have let him dress up in a sea-foam green princess dress once. 

But no matter what we did, Joseph has turned out downright manly. He is taller than me. He has a man voice. The picture above shows him before he turned into a man all of a sudden. Kind of overnight.

I love how helpful Joseph is. He is just a nice boy! When I ask for his help with something, he kindly gives it. He is really patient with me when I am accidentally dumb at something. 

He is also fun to play with. I love playing nerts with him, or Just Dance, or basketball, or biking with him, or Ticket to Ride, or anything else. He is fun to play with and he is so cute - I mean, manly - when he is explaining the rules to me.

Joseph is awesome because he is super-smart. I remember him reading the Harry Potter books when he was only 6 or 7. It was so cute because the book was like, as big as him.

Last year for Joseph's birthday, I took a trip with him and Julie to Virginia Beach. We stayed with some family friends and had a great little weekend. He let us listen to whatever music we wanted to in the car and didn't even act judgey! 

Joseph is super-handsome. See above.

Joseph is versatile. He can be serious, but he is also silly a lot of the time. He does funny poses in pictures and joins in when we burst into a silly song at the dinner table. 

He is a good brother to all of his sisters. One time when we were younger, I was sitting in the study and he and Julie walked in. 

"Oh, hi Sister Johnson!" Julie said. "Thank you sooo much for agreeing to watch Bud today."

"I....." I started to interrupt, but then didn't have anything to say.

"I'll be back at around 4?" Julie said, smiling sweetly at me.

"Sure?" I said. 

"Okay, bye! Bud, be good for Sister Johnson."

As it turns out, "Bud" was a game that Julie and Joseph played frequently. They were such cute little buddies then, and they continue to be now that they are both in high school. 

Joseph is also a good broder to Sarah. He and Jacob like to tease her, like older brothers do, but they really love and look out for her. Look at how manly he is dancing with her!

Okay, he usuallllllyy takes good care of her.

Joseph does track at school. This reminds me that he is a man because he runs like a man. And then he smells like a man. 

 And then, he poses like a man. 

I just think he is a freaking stud. With or without glasses, he looks so great!

Joseph is a leader. He is good with kids, and he is good at spotting the needs of others. I love to see the way he watches out for people who maybe don't have as many friends. He is sensitive and kind. But like, in a manly way :)

He is such a good brother to me. I think one way we really bonded was when I taught him piano lessons. He was my first student, so I tried out lots of new things with him. He was always patient and respectful. He practiced whatever I asked him to practice. I remember sitting next to him on the piano bench and just laughing with him. I love watching him play piano, because whenever he makes a mistake, he shakes his head and kind of grunts, and then fixes it. It's a funny little habit that I actually kind of picked up.....

Maybe from having so many sisters, Joseph has gotten really good at consoling me by saying just one or two things. When I'm annoyed, he'll listen to me vent, and then he'll just think about it for a minute, and then he'll say his one-liner, and then I'll feel better. Just like that. He is so handy to have around.  

I love you Joseph! I love the way you want me to cut your hair even though I suck at it. I love how you aren't too cool to join in on dance parties that we like to randomly have. I love how you develop your own interests in things like LOTR and then you want to share those things with me. You are so great for so many reasons! Keep manning it up!

Mother of Mine

When I was younger, people often told me that I looked like my dad. Obviously my dad is handsome and stuff, but now that I am older and people have started telling me I look more like my mom, I am quite happy about it. She is pretty. And a girl. And if I remind people of her in any way, I am flattered :)

One time when I was little, I remember staying home from school because I was sick. Or "sick" maybe? Anyway, my mom brought me a pink tray with coloring books and crayons and a plate of eggs, and I just sat there being "sick" and taken care of. I think that's why now, I love taking care of people when they're sick! And not to brag, but I think I'm pretty good at it. 

Every year, my mom likes to take us to Larriland Farms to pick strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and whatever else is in season and sounds good. We will make jams, syrups, and anything else with those jams, and it is always so yummy. 

My mom is nice because she's my mom and my friend. I remember the day after I got my first boyfriend, and I txted my mom all excited. She called me right after I sent that txt. I love thinking about that conversation because she was so excited for me and we just talked like she was one of my friends my own age. 

When I was in Florida, my family drove down to visit and left the Sabie car with me for the rest of my college program. When my program ended, my mom and Julie flew down and drove back to Maryland with me. We had a great time because my mom is such a fun travel companion! We could have just driven straight from Florida to Maryland, but instead, we stopped by a plantation and went to St. Augustine's on our way home. 

She let me drive super-fast, and just appreciated it. She engaged us in fun conversations. We logged our trip in a little notebook. We introduced her to music that we liked. 

My mom is a great mom. She loves being a mom! I love that she loves her job. I never ever feel like she would rather be anything else than my mom. I have grown up believing that the job of a mother is the best job there is, because my mom believes it. 

She is a mother to seven of her own kids, but she is also an honorary mother to many people. This picture is us with our honorary brothers: the Pest Control Boys of 2009. Kelly and I met them in our singles ward when we were home for the summer, and had them over for dinner almost every Sunday until they left. They loved our family and especially our parents. I love how my mom welcomed them and cheerfully fed them. She is an example to me of great generosity and hospitality, because boys can eat a LOT.

Birthdays are special to my mom! Every year, she cuts out signs like the one above for our birthdays. When I was at college, she sent me my own letters so I could carry on the tradition. Besides this tradition, we like to go around the table and give everyone the chance to say what they love about the birthday girl or boy. My mom comes close to crying every birthday :) We also read what my mom wrote about our birth, and it is so beautiful and nice. 

My mom always wants to improve at something. I don't know where her number is.....maybe she didn't participate in a race in this picture? But whatever. The point is, she runs. She used to walk every morning, but she's gradually built up to jogging and running. She is always setting goals for herself, which inspires me, because she is never just stagnant. She works on earning her Young Women's medallion, and when she finishes, she starts over. She reminds me that no matter how good you are, you can always get better at something. 

My mom is cute with my dad. They are so cute I want to die. One time, I was driving with my mom and "Falling for You" by Colbie Caillat came on the radio. She called my dad and the following conversation happened:

Dad: Hello?

Mom: Hi Sid! I'm just driving with Heather, and there's this cute song on the radio, and I think I'm Falling for you!......Hello? Sid?

Dad: I gotta go. *Hangs up*

Mom: (all sad) I think he just hung up on me....

Later, my dad called back and explained that he had been on a business call and just quickly answered my mom's phone call, but then got flustered and didn't want to say anything romantic so that his business buddies could hear, so he just said he had to go. I still make fun of him to this day about that. 

My mom makes me feel like I am great at anything I do! She always encourages and supports me, whether I am trying to learn a song on the piano, about to go take a test, working on becoming a teacher, or trying out a new hairdo. She asks me for advice. I even gave her a few piano lessons! She was such a great pupil :)

Before I went back to college for my second semester, we had a great photo shoot in the BWI airport. Also, my mom said that she was sad that we were going back to college, but she was also happy, because she knows that it is a good thing. 

My mom had a GREAT time at college. Ah de boys loved her and tried to take her on dates and stuff. 

But she only looks at one boy like this!

My mom is a good daughter. She loves and respects both of her parents, and they always say she was the perfect child. Which must be why she got 7 perfect children :) Karma can be a good thing sometimes....

One time, I was in the kitchen doing homework or cleaning or eating or something, and my mom was in the next room over, reading a book to Sarah. The book she was reading was called "Oliver Pig at School" by Jean Van Leeuwen. It is about a pig named Oliver and his first day of school. He worries about normal things, like who will be his friend, if his teacher will be nice, and how he will get on the right bus to go back home.

I heard my mom reading in the background and didn't pay too close attention. Then I heard her voice start to quaver a little. Then it rose in pitch. 

"What if no one talked to him on the bus?" she squeaked. "What if no one talked to him all day?"

We make fun of her for it, but secretly, I realize that I am turning into my mom. You know why? Because the other day, I read the 5 classroom rules that my 2nd grade team came up with, and I started crying a little. Because they were so darn cute. 

And you know what, I am fine with turning into my mom. She is a darn decent lady, and I love her :)

Happy Mother's Day! Thanks for birthing me!