Yep.

Still allergic to honey.

Course by course, one by one, till you shout, "Enough, I'm done!!!!"

Today I left the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Dinner

White toast with hummus. That should balance out nicely.

Also, this:

With her 3rd husband, she uses the word "always" - it being a relative term meaning "until Hubby #4 comes along"

First Day of School 2016

Makers of mischief. Schools, beware.

H and C are together again for the first time since elementary school, H a senior and C a freshman. We took them to school and watched them walk in together this morning and my heart just flipped. There went the two "fighter monkeys." Good luck, high school!

R is in 7th grade and unlike last year at this time, looking forward to the new school year. Last year's transition from 5th to 6th grade (elementary to middle school) was rough. But this year she feels more comfortable, has a few more friends, and is playing SAXOPHONE in the band!

Good times!

Pretty much

Meeting

"I've called you all here today because...."

Cuddling

...and watching Girl Meets World ❤❤

Waiting With Bella...

...until it's time for her to go in for a job interview.

Bella: Guess who's stressed!

Me: YOU DON'T NEED THIS STUPID JOB! IT'S NOT IMPORTANT! YOU CAN DO ANYTHING YOU WANT! You go in there and tell 'em where they can stick their JOB

Bella: Okay! See you in 45 minutes when I'm done yelling at the manager!

(I'm shocked at the things that come out of my mouth sometimes. "No good mother would say that! What are you doing??")

Later: She got the job! She's working at the Winco on Highway 99, in the deli!

Worst Cemetery Name Ever:

Mount Ever-Rest.

BOOOOOOO.

I. R. Pissed

Spent some time volunteering at the North stake Family History Center today.

Tonight we learned that the new school year starts August 31st. GROSS!!

The first day of school is usually the Wednesday after Labor Day, but this year, that would put the first day of school on September 7. Apparently that can't happen. 

BOOOOOO HISSSSSSS

I have a situation

Goofing at the Roseburg (Oregon) soccer fields

FINALLY

....She likes her kitty tree

Color War

It's Spirit Week at C & R's school. 

(We own nothing yellow.)

Green, we have more of.

Housey Stuff

Cutie Hubby fixing the bathroom sink

New sewing area! Thanks, Hubby, for hauling this thing upstairs!

I unpacked another box! 

Seattle: Snoqualmie Falls

B and I visited the falls, footbridge, and lodge today.

Found in the gift shop. This spoke to me. B, not so much.

The footbridge

A photograph inside the footbridge, of these women overlooking the falls back in the day. This one made me cry. And laugh. And hug B. "I'll never let go."

Thanks, Snoqualmie Falls!

Quick Trip To Seattle

Having mentioned that we have a gay child, I was approached by two LDS friends from high school about participating in a study the LDS church was conducting. The church's marketing firm were going to interview parents, peers, and church youth leaders of LGBTQ LDS kids, in three stakes around the United States.

My friend M (married to my dear friend B) is in the stake presidency in one of those stakes, in Seattle. They asked me to come up, participate in the study, and spend the night with them after the meeting.

So today, I drove up to Seattle and to the church and met M there. It was so fun to see him for the first time in almost 30 years, and trippy to see him older and acting in his stake position. Weren't we 16 and 14, like, two weeks ago?

While waiting to be brought in, I did the obvious and took selfies, then snooped around the building. It's an older church with interesting architecture, quite a departure from the standard stake centers I've become used to.

This pulpit has two lecterns, for what I hope is when dueling bishops stand up to debate doctrine ("Showing shoulders is fine!" "Showing shoulders is PORNOGRAPHIC!!").

I like the blue and white.

Very nice.

About the actual study, I can't share much because I signed an NDA, but I can say that the meeting was absolutely gut-wrenching and I spent most of the time in tears, sometimes sobbing. Other parents in the group were right there with me, some becoming quite animated as they discussed the effects the LDS church had had on their LGBTQ kids. Just completely painful. 

Still, I came away from it feeling heard, and hopeful that something we said would touch the church leaders and help them see what devastating experiences they and the members create for these precious kids. I felt positive about the doctrinal changes that would hopefully come soon. 

Afterward, I followed M to their house, hugged the crap out of B, spent some time talking with them about the study, the church, and life in general, and went to bed exhausted. 

Piano Babes

Love it when they hang out like this. ❤❤

And: a random shot of R (and Robin Hood).

Growing Stuff

B's aloe vera baby

....and his beans

Bella's lavender seeds

My teensy catnip! 

Gabby's Wedding

Church selfies

Me and Hubby

C and me 

At the reception:

The Cat's in the Bag

....and there she sat for another two hours