The Best Parts of the Weekend

I know it's Wednesday, but I'm finally just catching my breath, okay? 

The not-so-great parts of the weekend being: 

1) The usual pattern of clean, make a mess, clean, make a mess, clean, make a mess, clean, make a mess that highlights every weekend with a house full of people. 

2) That darn daylight savings switch back that has royally screwed up our already terrible sleep habits, exacerbated by the Hunger Games addiction that Kate and I have going. (She actually asked me to HIDE the 3rd and last book because she has 2 book reports due this week. Impressive, right?)

3) That's about it. It really wasn't that bad of a weekend. I just like making lists. 

So here are the best parts:

1) In the last few weeks since the weather has been warming, I've noticed people perched on some of the rock outcroppings near the mouth of the canyon that I drive by every week when coming back from Will's cello lesson. I wanted to find and hike the trail! Thanks to wonderfully warm and sunny weather last weekend, we did just that, taking a few sketchy pictures on Brandon's iphone. This hike starts about 5 minutes from our house. It's still depressingly brown here, but the warm sun on our faces made up for the barrenness of the dun colored heath.

Kate and Will show their independence by refusing to smile for my pictures taken at times they deem unnecessary and annoying:

 That's Utah Lake to the left:

 And our house is somewhere over there on the right:

Kate is NOT taller than me (she wishes she were--BAD). It's just how we are standing on the mountain:

 Not a bad view up there for a round trip (garage to garage) of less than 2 hours:

2) Sunday we had a PAR-TAY for lovely Laura and luscious Liv. Well, it was just for Laura's birthday, but we always celebrate when Liv is in the house. I told Laura that I LOVE to take dinner requests (I really do), so she requested I make my favorite, midwest, Waddell favorites. (Waddell is my maiden name.) Isn't she fun? So I made a variation of my mom's shepherd's pie, a la Alton Brown's food network recipe. Yum, if I do say so myself. I think I'll post the recipe on Pinterest so it looks like I do something in there. But the best part of the meal (in my opinion) was my mom's original recipe blueberry banana cheesecake. You DO NOT know what you are missing! No link, you have to email me if you want the secret recipe. 

Laura turned 27, so I broke out the nice candles for her:

I love birthdays. And Laura:

Love birdies, Brent and Camille. Oh to be 18 again! Actually, not the best year of my life . . .

3) That's it really. I just like to make lists. Like the one I made for Deseret News that earned me my first negative comment! (And I approve comments, so you've got to give me a little credit there for accepting his rant . . . ) What do you think of this post? Am I stuck in the 50's?

I really am working on Part 4 of "A Love Story", as well as a post on my experience with anxiety attacks, and also what is finally working at my house as far as chores and money stuff goes. If only I didn't need to sleep. And feed people. And clean the toilets. And shave my legs. And shop for toilet paper . . .