The Wanderer

Hi Everyone!  My name is Harley.  And I just knew you needed to see these pictures that Mommas cousin Heather took of us.   I know Momma doesn't talk about me much here, but I am actually the most important member of this household.    Why, you may ask?

Because I keep him in line!

That is my brother Toby.  Yes, he is my big brother.  And he picks on me.

Oh sure, I know how innocent he looks.  Don't believe it for a minute.  This boy is full of piss and vinegar.  You've seen the scar on Moms shoulder, right?  You haven't?  Well, one night I was sleeping peacefully on her shoulder, when psycho boy decided to jump on me.  I got startled, and accidentally put out my claws and hurt my momma.  I was so ashamed I hid under the couch for two days. 

Anyways, that incident doesn't even compare to the stunt he pulled this week.  This sweet, innocent *snicker* decided to run away.  The weather has gotten really warm and nice, and all the evil white stuff of doom has finally disappeared from the deck.  We like to go outside and lounge in the sun while Mom works in the garden, or watch the girls play.  But, we are always supposed to go back inside when they do.  Because there is a really big scary highway in front of our house.  I'm not quite sure what that is, but Momma doesn't like it, and I listen to her like the good girl I am.

Toby didnt.  Yes, this sweet little boy ran away yesterday.

He got out sometime yesterday while the girls were playing, but Momma and Daddy didn't know until they got home from the softball game really late.  Momma said she even thought she saw him in the field near the house, so they took turns driving around the neighborhood looking for him.  I tried to help them call for him, but he was nowhere to be found.  The girls were so upset.  Katrina didn't want to go to bed until she knew he was ok, and poor little Madi was convinced he was going to get run over by a car (is that why Momma hates the highway?). 

I spent all night comforting the girls.  I was so mad that Toby would be so inconsiderate to our girls.  He knows how much they love him. 

This morning, the girls, Momma, and Daddy were still really upset.  Momma and Daddy even prayed that God would bring Toby home.  Then, while they were getting dressed, Katrina looked outside and saw him!  She ran outside in her pajamas and when he refused to come in (see what a meanie head he is?), she just picked him up and came back in. 

Then he sulked all day.

Because Momma didn't find the headless mouse he left for her until tonight. 

Sometimes brothers can be such jerks.

True Story Tuesday - The Photo Blitz!

Disclaimer:  There are a TON of photos.  Because I couldn't pick just a few.

Eight years ago today, I married my best friend.

He is the sexy one on the right.

Together with my girls

I stood before God, our friends, family, and our pastor

and married my best friend.

We had dated for 5 1/2 years before we said I do, but I had made a promise to my mom to finish college before I got married.  So I received my diploma from college (from my dad - another TST post) in April, then got married in June.

I know there was stressful times that day, but I don't remember them.  What do I remember?  Well, I remember more food than we could ever eat

I remember the hours spent with our friends and family, transforming our church (with an orange basketball court for carpet)

into a fairytale (and had fun in the process).

I remember watching my love become an uncle

and precious moments with my daddy.

I remember the act of love and sacrifice shown to us by my new father in love.  He had not made a wedding cake in years.  But, for his son, he made two.  We had a beautiful 3-tiered American cake, complete with fresh flowers from his garden.  We also had the French wedding cake, which is essentially a tower of cream puffs with jordan almonds glued on with sugar.  Heaven, I know.

I remember our friends and family checking their inhibitions at the door to have fun.

I remember how hard our youth group worked to make sure everything was perfect (even when the tray of sparkling cider tumbled).

But, most of all, I remember committing for a lifetime to my husband.  I remembering promising to honor, cherish, respect, and love him till death do us part.  I remember looking into his eyes, and seeing the love I had always dreamed of. 

Happy Anniversary, my love.  I was, and always will be, honored to be Mrs. Jerome Bleger.  You are my prince, my love, my light.  Tu es mon meilleur ami, et la joie de ma vie.  Je tadore pour toujours. 

By the way:  these beautiful photos were taken by the amazing Carol Cardwell of Carol Cardwell Photography. 

Congrats & a couple of giveaways

First of all, I have to give a huge shout-out to my new friend Rachel.  She & her hubby, the illustrious Mr. Daddy, just got their 200th follower!  Rachel is one of those ladies you wish you could go have coffee with every week.  She is genuine, loving, wise, honest, and so many other things.  And Mr. Daddy?  Well, lets just that every time he gets ahold of the blog - you are guaranteed to giggle!  They are so excited to have 200 readers they are having a giveaway.  Jump on over to Once Upon A Miracle, give them some lovin, and enter to win some beautiful personalized beach towels.


Also, Sheri over at Unexpected Bliss has a couple of wonderful summer giveaways.  She is giving away 2 $100 Target cards (who wouldn't love that?) here and a Canon PowerShot A3100 IS here.  She is also raising money to send her sweet son to the Rose Bowl Parade in January.  for every $5 you donate to his fund, you will get another 5 entries for the camera. 


So head on over & enter!

True Story Tuesday - Hi Dad!

Now that I've done a few of these, the weird and embarrassing stories from my childhood are just flowing out of my memory.  We have had a lot of laughs at Mom's expense in the last few weeks, to be honest.  Go visit Rachel & Mr. Daddy for more unbelievable stories!

Growing up, we spent a LOT of time at Lake Powell.  What?  You've never been there?  For shame!  Well, here is what you are missing:

photos courtesy Google Images and my brother's FB page

Seriously, we spent almost every weekend from May to October there.  My fondest, and most peaceful, memories from childhood are associated with this lake.  I love Lake Powell.

I learned to ski at about 10.  I have never been good/brave enough to slalom (be drug by a rope attached to a boat travelling 30 miles per hour on ONE tiny piece of fiberglass).  Nope, not that dumb brave.  But I still love to ski.  It is so peaceful, but challenging at the same time. 

This particular weekend (I was about 15) was perfect.  There were very few people at the lake, so the water was like glass the entire weekend.  When it was my turn, I put on my lifesaver, grabbed my skis, and jumped in.

When you yell "Hit it!", the initial pull from the boat is an adrenaline junkie's dream.  You literally surge out of the water, leaning back as far as you can so that the pull of the boat doesn't make you do a faceplant.  Believe me.  I have done my fair share of faceplants.  I can wipeout with the best of them.  This time was smooth sailing. 

I skied for a really long time.  When my arms finally tired, I threw the rope and allowed my weight to slowly sink back into the lake.  I took off my skis and handed them to my mom as Dad brought the boat back around.  I swam to the back of the boat, grabbed the step ladder, and pulled myself aboard.

While Dad started to pull the rope in, I took off my lifejacket.

And realized I was naked from the waist up.

The blessed surge when the boat pulls you up?  Yeah, It pulled my bikini bottom clear to my waist. 

And my poor dad got a front-and-center view of just how grown up his little girl was. 

I didn't ski much the rest of the weekend.

And I ALWAYS ski with a one-piece now.

30 Reasons I'm Glad I'm .... Twenty-Ten

Oh, c'mon!  Give a girl a break!  It's traumatic enough to be celebrating your ... 1st anniversary of your 29th birthday... I don't need any more grief.


Today is my birthday.  I don't really like my birthday.  I remember liking it as a child, and I'm not sure when it changed.  But it did.  And this year, it has been much worse.   I am dreading turning ... twenty ten.  I don't want to be ... twenty ten.  Ugh.  But, I know I need to have a better attitude about this year, and about birthdays in general.  I don't want my girls to dread birthdays like I do.  And so, I present to you,


The thirty reasons why I'm glad I'm ... twenty ten.

1. I now have an excuse for the wrinkles.
2. I will NEVER have to be a teenager again.  Thank you Jesus!
3. It is ok to wear the underwear that is comfortable rather than sexy.
4. My hubby thinks I'm cuter now than when we got married, God bless him.

taken by Kristin at Sunflower Eyes Photography
5. I don't have to worry about getting in trouble for staying out too late because, hey, 9:30 is my bedtime baby!
6. Ten years ago, I didn't have my princesses.
7. It took thirty years for God to get through this stubborn head of mine.
8. I know a lot more now than I ever have.
9. At thirty (gasp, did I really just say that?!?!), you realize life is about the relationships, not the $$$.
10. I will be old enough to adopt when God says go (woohoo!)
11. It is now ok to wear the comfortable shoes rather than the cute ones.
12. I don't feel so bad when I have no clue who the popular pop artists are.
13. When people ask me why I don't wear makeup, I no longer feel the need for a deep, involved, spiritual answer.  I can just say, "because it feels gross".

14. I get to wear the cute glasses I always wanted as a kid.
15. I am old enough to gross my children out with PDAs.
16. I am young to gross my parents out with PDAs.
17. I am old enough to be seen as a mentor to those younger than me.
18. I am young enough to be treated like a daughter by those older than me.
19. I get to be reminded of my maturity every morning after a softball game.

20. I get to wake up next to my best friend every morning.
21. I get to tuck in the world's greatest kids every night.
22. I can borrow my parents' vehicle without getting the hour-long safety and friends lecture.
23. I can say the things to my kids that my parents said to me.  You know - the ones you swore you were NEVER going to say?  Because I said so is my current favorite.
24. I can use age as an excuse for my frustrating inability to remember names.  Like my kids'.
25. I have learned I can say no, and that the world will not stop spinning just because I did.
26. I can play a game just to have fun, not to defeat someone else.
27. I have realized that building relationships takes real work, and I am willing to do it.
28. I am perfectly content and capable of making a complete fool of myself in public to get laughs from my kids.
29. When I have a party on my birthday, it is because I want to spend time with the people most important to me. 
30. God has allowed me to spend thirty years on this earth.

And now, I am going to go roast marshmallows with a bunch of really great people.  Have a great evening!

Letters of Intent

To the illnesses that have invaded my home,

Go away.  Now.  Cleaning up the puke/diarrhea from one kid and the excessive sinus infection eye goobers from another have left me pretty much done with anything that might come out of my children's orifices.  Not to mention trying to do all this while battling my own nasty sore throat. I would appreciate it if all three of my children could be well at the same time.  Is that too much to ask?

Sincerely,
Didn't buy enough kleenex or carpet cleaner at the store last week

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Dearest Computer,

I love you.  I really do.  You have been a wonderful and needed addition to our home.  I can connect with my friends, pay bills, store family photos.  You really are great.  But, I have just one request.  Could you please stop randomly jumping web pages when I am in the middle of a message?  Because, it never fails.  I am almost done writing a deep, involved note to someone, and you decide you want to see what is happening elsewhere.  I am sorry if I am that boring, but I promise to do something more interesting once I am done.  Oh, and it would be really nice if you could make the apostrophe key and the up arrow key work again.  I like apostrophes.  They make me happy.

Sincerely,
A frustrated techie-novice-turned-junkie

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To the mean people that lurk online,

Leave my friends and family alone.  Now.  They do not deserve the junk you try to put on them.  Or I will find you.

Signed,
Do you really think I am kidding?

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Dear NCIS, CSI, Chuck, and NCIS: LA,

Why, oh why, did you have to end your seasons like that?  Do you know what torture I am in now?  Do you even care?  Don't even remind me how long I have to wait for next season, please.

Thanks,
a woman who takes her shows just a bit too seriously


P.S. Who was the smart person who decided to get rid of Numbers?  Not so happy about that one...


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To the local glass company,

Thank you so much for bringing us flowers every week at work.  They make my desk look so pretty.  And they give me an excuse to steal the boss/dads really nice camera to take artsy-fartsy shots like this:

Thanks,
the insurance gal who likes pretty things

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To the Weather:

Thank you for cooperating.  I appreciate it.  Keep it up.  And thanks for keeping Utah in its own backyard, for the most part.  I appreciate it.  Now, if we could just keep your temps somewhere above freezing for consecutive nights, I might be able to do some planting

Sincerely,
Itching to play in the dirt 



Now go visit Julie for more letters that just need to be written!

Thankful Thursday ... A Gift of Love

Our sister-in-love Kristin is an amazing photographer.  A few months ago, while they were in town to introduce us to our beautiful new niece, Kristin gave us an amazing gift.

We have not had photos taken of the family, of our girls, since we were pregnant with Madison.  Far too long, I know. 

My girls will not be little forever. 

Someday they will be on their own, leading their own lives.

Someday, all I will have are memories of these years.

Of these moments in time.

But now, thanks to my amazing sister, I will not have to rely solely on my mind.

I will have these photos.

Thank you, my sister.  You have given this mama an irreplaceable gift.