Outwit, Outplay, Outlast

I have some very exciting news that I can now share with everyone. Without even auditioning, I was chosen to be on Survivor - "Home Edition". If you have not seen the show you can get the low down here of how it works.
Here are some photos of what the experience can be like


So. Ok so there is no Home Edition but that is what last week felt like (without the tan and losing a ton of weight) - I was truly in survival mode. Which is good for me since I always have so many things I want to do and schedule out my day to get them done. (ie: today I knew I wouldn't have time to get Valentines stuff done and do the laundry so I got up at 5:30 am to get fit it all in)

Prior to Jeff leaving for his meetings in Vail for a week he had been gone for a week before that. So I was seriously getting myself worked up about him being gone, which I really not like me. He has been busy with school for many years and I thought I had become super woman and used to him being gone. Oh no, I realized I am no super woman.

He left on Saturday morning with already one man down. Sally Jane was getting sick. Sunday came and Sally Jane was getting worse and her fever would not break with medicine. By Monday morning Caroline joined the troops with a fever. We had some serious wailing and gnashing of teeth for the 48 hours.
Annie Kate came home from school Monday hit with the same bug and did not return to school until yesterday. In a way it was good to have Annie Kate express her symptoms because I figured they were the same as the other two who could not.

I have some great friends and neighbors who brought in reinforcements so I didn't have to go to the store.Linda brought me milk and my favorite Cosi salad.Kimberly saved me all week along with bringing me milk, shakes for Annie Kate and flowers


I also got some great mail.Elizabeth sent me this very nice note with some Hershey chapstick. Annie Kate said, "this is really all the way from Hawaii" Thanks! And your good mail label was bright and cheery on our cold snowy day.Jill sent us the box for all the girls in the house. The wrapping paper and ribbon were just as great as what was inside. I loved her "Hang tough Kristi" card. It was full of yummy movie treats and three DVD's for us to watch. And watch we did. Thanks Jill.
I got this very nice card in the mail from my Stake Relief Society President. We had had a great conversation on the phone recently about our new calling downtown and I so appreciated her taking the time to write me a note about it. I post this to remind me there is nothing too small to send in the mail. I kept thinking how thankful I was for her note but didn't want to send a thank you for a thank you. (now that would some great stationery Stefanie and Kacey) So I came up with this idea that took me 2 minutes. I had some R.S. seals that I put on the top of some blank embossed edged cards (you can get these so cheap from your local paper distributor, because so many people make their own wedding invites these days.) with white envelopes and tied blue ribbon around them and put them in the mail that day. I also made some for another friend who is R.S. president thinking with as many notes as they must write it would be fun to have Relief Society Stationery.Eleanor sent me this incredible package with Red Beans and Rice, Beignets, treat bags, sprinkles and these gifts for each of the girls. What a wonderful surprise. Thanks and so thoughtful. Eleanor has a new blog and is FULL of ideas so don't miss them.I got this Valentine package from Carlo. I used the the picks for the cupcakes on made on Sunday and was so grateful to have them. Very thoughtful and I know many of us are grateful to get to know her. I had also got a card from her earlier in the week on the most beautiful stationery. I even looked up the company from the back of the card.Jordan sent this great CD in the mail of Valentine Songs. What is so great about it, other than the fact she took the time to make it and send it to me, is I have only heard two songs before so it was like a whole new world, (not the Aladdin kind) of music. Thanks so much and so generous with your time and your three little ones. I love her new profile photo. Amie is so right that the real thing is so much better.
Liz B. sent me this Valentine goody pouch with dark M&M's (something i have never had before) hot chocolate and stickers that I put to good use. Thanks Liz, I know we are all grateful to you and your great resource websites you have on your sidebar. I use them often. And if you have any ideas for her upcoming dinner let her know.
Chanel had seen my comment about her blog about my LOVE of their birthday tradition. Have you seen it?
It is one of the greatest I have heard this year. So in a matter of days without even asking Chanel sent me the "information" on how to make this a tradition in our home too. Thanks girl. Ok and have you seen the birthday party of the year that she just did. Be inspired!One of the biggest surprises this week was a birthday package I got from Melinda. Really I don't even know what to say. She sent me some toile stationery, the cutest card and some glass pineapple taper holders. It was from Williams Sonoma, their logo being a pineapple so the whole package had the greatest theme. Check out the minature tin tied to the top of the package. Really it was a so generous and I really appreciate your sentiment.
So really during my hard, crazy, sick week how could I not pay it forward. The gals sent me their time and talents and I needed to share some with others as well. So I sat down to make some Valentines. Thanks to Kacey's ribbon and Holly & Emily's birthday gift I had everything I needed right at home.
I used my Sizzix to cut a bunch of heart out of wool felt (my favorite) and used my red and white string to make some heart ornaments and send out the Valentines. I made some Valentine Good mail labels with printing on plain paper and ran them through my xyron machine.

Friday's mailbox of outgoing mail

So, what started and continued as a week of survival, how could I not just be so grateful for the love given me this week. We missed Jeff so much and was happy to see him home, even if he did come home with an AWESOME ski tan from skiing every day. (very jealous but he is very deserving)
I don't know how well I did out outwitting or outplaying, but I did last until he got home.