Oh No He Didn't

Oh yes he did. I finally talked Scott into going and get a pedicure. You all have to understand that he has the softest and in the best condition feet that I have ever seen, so he certainly does not need a pedicure. I just thought he would enjoy the massage and pampering that goes with the pedicure. Men have them all the time, and some men must have color or top coat put on because they told him to pick his color. He was quick to say "nothing" please. So they just gave him the pedicure minus any type of polish whatsoever. I, myself, can't believe that men have anything put on but some must for them to offer it. We went with Whitney, another post MCAT treat to help her relax from the months of hard work and studying. It was such a great thing to spend special time with each other. He is a good sport, and again this is one of those "making a memory" things that he just couldn't say no. No wonder I feel so blessed. He is the best husband a woman could have and I feel very blessed to have him in my life. I am a lucky girl!

Doesn't Scott look happy to be here? Here is Whitney, she is happy to be here! The finished product, my toes look pretty.

Mama Mia

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What a fun night. The movie Mama Mia opened on Friday, July 18, 2008. My sister-in-law, Jennifer, and I decided that when it came to the theater we were definately going to go together. I also thought it would be fun to go with my girls. Josie and Amy were not available because they had prior commitments. Josie went with her BFF, Devin, to Lava Hot Springs in Idaho, and Amy had a family reunion with her family in Fairview, Utah. Jennifer saw the play and we knew that when the film was released we would have to go together. There was no question about that. I love having a sister-in-law that is such a good friend as well. She brought her neighbor, Diane, a very nice lady and it was a pleasure to have her with us. Our niece Cara (Jon's wife), was free and came as well. It was so much fun. We went to dinner at an Italian restaurant and then off to the movie. I loved the movie. I love ABBA music so this was a treat for me. If you get past the premise of the movie (a little dicey) and just enjoy the music, scenery, and over all fun of the movie it is well worth going to see. Scott watched the two grandchildren so that Shauntel could come and just enjoy herself. Shauntel is such a great Mom and spends just about every minute with her children so a night out is a treat for her sometimes. Whitney took the MCAT earlier in the day and so she needed a night out to just sit and relax. She has studied so hard for this test. We will have to wait a month until we know her score but she is now officially finished with school for the summer and doesn't have to return to class until September. Anytime I get to spend time with my girls life is good. I love them all so much. And yes Brad, I love you too and I love to spend mother and son time as well. Since I spent such a fun week with Shauntel I think it is time to show her how much I love her.



10 Things I Love About You...Shauntel

1. I love that you are such a wonderful mother. You use all the things you liked when you were growing up and improve on the things that you didn't like. That is good, every generation should be better than the one before,.
2. I love your sense of humor. You make me laugh all the time.
3. I love that you come to spend time with dad and me. It is a treat.
4. I love how considerate you are with others. This is a quality I think is very important.
5. I love that you throw such good parties. You try and make the guest of honor feel special and you put so much time and effort in on their behalf. Your last party was a blast, Scott Banasky's Birthday.
6. I love that want to help me with my chores (such as painting doors) even though I keep putting you off.
7. I love that you are so much like your dad and want to help people with their projects, such as building houses and things like that.
8. I love that you are patient with me and never make me feel stupid or embarrased when I do silly things.
9. I love that you are respectful to our whole family. You don't let the problems mar you down and are so fair and respectful to everyone, except maybe Jo Jo.
10. I love that when I was feeling overwhelmed and deprived of blessing, you reminded me that I have a lot to be thankful for and trials in life are just temporary and will be over soon. I love you!

Sushi Adventure Part 2

One of Scott and my philosophies is to try and never pass up an opportunity to make new memories with our children. Today Scott and his dad, Merrill, went on a coal mine tour with Shauntel. I did not feel like I should go due to a stomache issue I am having so I stayed at home. I felt a little guilty for staying home but Brad, Amy and Whitney invited me to a sushi party. Brad loves sushi but does not have anyone to go with, because Amy is not a big fan. Whitney tried a California roll at a dinner we had with Shauntel and Ryan, and decided she would like to try the full sushi experience. When Brad heard this he was excited and they made a sushi date, which was today. They invited me along. At first, I wasn't going to go because I was apprehensive, but I decided this is one of those memories in the making, good or bad. So off we all went to the Happy Sumo at the Gateway Plaza in Salt Lake. This was the only place open for lunch; but it was a great restaurant. We ordered all types of sushi - maki, sashimi and a beautiful dragon roll. So basically we had regular and yellow fin tuna, salmon, crab, and Ikura(salmon eggs). It really is a beautiful meal. It was so delicious. We ate every thing we ordered. I was overstuffed. I only had one piece that I did not like but the rest was wonderful. My favorite was a tuna roll that came on one of the combo platter but I don't know the name. So good! Whitney really like it all too. She is very picky with food so this says a lot. She would put it on the level of pancake, and if you know her that means a lot. All in all I am so glad I went. Fun was had by all!

Sushi Adventure Part 1

Summer Semester Mid-Term

I took my mid-term test for my Sociology 1020 course and I pulled a Whitney, again. Pulling a Whitney is when you think you did poorly on a test or assignment and when the test comes back you see that you did great. I was one of two students who received 100% on the exam. I do have to say our class is small, only eleven students but still I brag. I really did think that I did not do well and was resoved to get a B or C. I was quite excited when I saw my score, to say the least. I truly love school. That is why I am in class this summer. I graduated from Salt Lake Community College this past May with my Associate Degree in Psychology. I was going to take the summer off and just relax before I start class in the fall at the University of Utah. That lasted about two weeks and then I became so bored that I decided to take this class. It also helps me stay on schedule to graduate from the University of Utah in May of 2010. My major at this time is Social Science Composite with an unofficial minor in History. I decided to major with this degree so that if I want to teach in middle or high school I can take the licensure courses and become a teacher. At this point, I am going to earn my Bachelors Degree and then earn my Masters Degree in Psychology. I hope to be able to teach psychology in the future because I find it a very interesting subject. I have always yearned for a college degree and I am very happy to be able to attend classes now to work on this goal. At my age, I feel very fortunate to be able to do so and graduated on the Honor Roll and Dean's List (I only tell this for future generations because I want them to know if you work hard you can do well). I want all my children to get as much education as they desire, even if they have to postpone class attendance while taking care of their own families. Scott has earned his Master Degree in Management (what a good example he is to me), Shauntel has earned her Associates Degree from the College of Eastern Utah, Ryan (my fantastic son in law), has earned his Associates Degree from the College of Eastern Utah and has certified in numerous Insurance programs to help with his career in the insurance field, Brad is currently working on his Bachelors Degree in Computer Engineering, Amy (my sweet daughter in law) is almost finished with her degree in Secondary Education (I don't know if they name it Social Science Composite at Utah State or not) and will do her student teaching this fall, Whitney is finishing her Bachelors Degree in Sports Medicine and will take her MCAT on July 18, 2008 (we are all so very excited for her, she wants to become a doctor), Jacob (my nephew who lives with us) started his college career but is taking time off to serve a mission for the LDS church in Merida Mexico, and Josie will enter 9th grade this fall. So you see, I am pleased with each of my children and husband and love to brag on their accomplishments. Education is one of the gifts that we get to take with us when we leave this earth, what a treasure it is!

Celebrate Good Times

This was a week of celebration and fun. I have started working only two days a week so that I can spend time with Josie this summer. She has been very busy with Devin (her BFF) and the Florida vacation, so we have not spent a ton of time together but I am home so that is nice for me and I am here when she needs me.

My first event of fun this week was having lunch with my friend Patti, her twin daughters, Stephanie and Natalie, and Josie on Wednesday. Mike and Patti Gulbraa are our good friends from South Jordan. I met Pattie when she was expecting the girls and had the opportunity to help after the girls were born. Natalie had to stay longer in the hospital so I was able to watch Stephanie while Pattie would go and spend time with Natalie, and we have been great friends ever since. The girls are nine years old now. They are so cute and I love to see them and spend time with all of them. We had lunch at Cafe Rio's in South Jordan, one of my favorite places to eat. We got all caught up with their tales of school and their family vacation. They had quite an exciting and scary experience involving Mike and a runaway horse but all is well. I love to spend time with Patti. She is truly one of the most honest and kindest people I know. She would do anything for anyone. I have always looked up to her and count myself lucky that I am one of her friends.

My next celebration was Friday, The 4th of July! We spent a quiet day and that was a treat. Josie went to a parade in Murray with her BBF so Scott and I went and had breakfast at Kneaders. They have delicious sour dough pancakes, but not as good as mine. I let my sour dough start dry up and I truly regret this because it came from my Dad. He has passed away so I am going to get a start from my uncle, the only brother left, because I want a start from the original batch dating back to my grandfather. We then weeded some flower beds. I did not plant flowers this year because I procrastinated but I will try and do better next year. Then we had a BBQ with two more of my favorite people. David and Jennifer and their three boys. David and Jen are not just family (Scott and David are brothers) but also good friends. David and I have similar senses of humor and make each other laugh constantly. Jennifer is sweet heart and is always a pleasure to spend time with, so we had a great time. Not only did we spend time with them but we enjoyed our favorite splurge, King Crab Legs. We all agree that God must have created king crab just for us because we all truly love them, sorry PETA supporters. What could be a better 4th than spending time with family and eating crab legs? Nothing, that what! And just when I thought the day couldn't get any better, Whitney came up to my bedroom and asked if we could watch Pride and Prejudice, my most favorite book and movie. Besides reading the book recently, I have watch every version of the story that I could find. I love it! Actually, I love all Jane Austen novels but I have not read all of them yet, I have two and half to go. Right now I am reading Mansfield Park. I am really enjoying it but it is taking me forever because I don't have a lot of time to read right now. The movie is the newest version (2005) with Keira Knightley. It is a beautiful movie to watch with all the English scenery. What a treat it is to have a daughter that loves the movie almost as much as I do. Scott wonders how I can watch it so many times, and the answer is because I love it, of course. All in all, I had a great week and enjoyed my celebrations with family and friends.