Goodbye Twenties, Hello Hairnets...

I started working at Costco in addition to the salon, fearing that I would have to wear a hairnet and pass out samples, but then I heard that those people are a contracted company. Whew! Wait - then I found out that Costco randomly passes out samples too...ugh. So I stayed late when asked the other day, stretched on a flattering hairnet (took over for the guy wearing 2 - one over his beard LOL!!) and rubber gloves, and enthusiastically passed out pineapple. It was exhilarating. Even the elderly couples made fun of the hairnet.

Trissa surprised me with a birthday breakfast during our early run on my 30th birthday - very sweet! She told me she had to run into the restaurant to use the bathroom. "Elmer's has really nice bathrooms, Brooke!" I've never really had a surprise like that. I hadn't even brushed my teeth and there were a bunch of friends there - yikes! How I love my sister (BFF's!) It was Meg's birthday too!

Claire got her hair butchered (good thing it was only a $4 haircut) so we went to my salon, La Bella Vita, and had it re-cut. What an adorable experience - she was so good! Trissa had to hold her up in the shampoo chair because she was too little, and she got her hair blow dried for the first time and kept smiling at herself in the mirror. Oh that little doll! I also took her to LBV for a pedicure the other day, which she happily tooted through. :)

Sarah Bareilles had a concert at ISU the other night in the GYM!! I love her, and it was SUCH a good concert. SO surprising she came here, but I was so happy.

I'm loving being 30 and living in my big sister's (gorgeous, recently remodeled) basement, and working in rubber gloves and a hairnet as a stocker (how appropriate!). Just waiting for my big break...

Everyone Poops...

...and unfortunately I was the one cleaning up the accidental one by the four year old today. Oh, what we do for love, and how I love her so - even when she's naughty, which is half of the time. Sweet, sweet Claire.

I am so thankful for my sister and Ryan for inviting me to live with their family. Each day I look forward to coming home to family and contributing. I will always look back on this time fondly, and I know I will learn a lot.

I've also attached a picture of the finished house from Extreme Makeover. It truly is amazing and very tasteful. A lot of thought and love went into this quick and incredible project.

Napoleon Dynamite's brother, Ty Pennington, and Scout.

They started building the house last Thursday, and the revealing to the family is already tomorrow! I included pics from Friday vs Saturday nights. There was a DJ Saturday, and Trissa and I were trying to start a dance party and requesting songs! Some info: the house is over 6000 square feet (they maxed out the height limit of course!), the show spent $80,000 on refinishing/repairing the kids' instruments and buying new ones, the mortgage (for the old house) will be paid off through fundraising, one of the sons received a full scholarship to a nearby school, and the construction company is paying the taxes on the home for the next 20 years! The revealing happens sometime between 12-5, and they're letting spectators in before 8am, so we'll be camped on a friends' lawn around 6am tomorrow for a LONG TIME. It will be worth it to see the faces of the family when they are shown their new home. We're so excited! Trissa is getting interviewed by one of the 4 designers for the house, and will be on tv! We've also got one of the kids and her husband staying with us, so we're kind of a big deal.

Tonight we went to a fundraising concert/auction where my brother in law, Ryan, won an autographed shovel(!) for only $900 (wth?), and the designers, including Ty, played songs with a band. Ty is a dork. And his pants are inappropriately low.

Napoleon Dynamite's brother is in our ward at church! When I saw him I couldn't stop staring (was a little starstruck), giggling, and repeating lines from the movie in my head. I really want to ask him about his brother, but I probably won't. So cool though!

I added this cute clip of Ellie fiddling while Scout sings along. She's kind of a brat (Scout!) but really cute, and quite the accompanist. And isn't Ellie a good fiddler?!

Past the old Romping Ground

We all spent Monday and Tuesday in Island Park, near Yellowstone, at a friend's cabin, playing games, reading, watching movies (Brother Bear...watch it!!), and floating the river. On the way back, we passed through tiny towns and by many potato fields (there isn't much out here!) The tiny farm towns were charming, and had motels consisting of small cottages, and businesses called PMS (professional motor sales?), Otis': proudly serving BEER, and the Ranking Motel. We also passed an adorable B&B next to Warm River which is known for it's fly fishing. The B&B is run by my sister Trissa's good friend Sadie's parents. This is what Trissa referred to as Sadie's 'old romping ground.' Hehe oops!

Trissa has a very good friend Jane, who lives 2 blocks down, and is a single mother of nine children. She found out 2 years ago that she had breast cancer, went through chemo therapy, and had a mastectomy. More recently, she discovered that she has a brain tumor, and then on top of it all, the family's house was totaled by a house fire. Thankfully, the Australian Shepard Betsy, herded everyone safely out of the house. Last year, Trissa nominated Jane's family to be on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition; the show receives approximately 1500 nominations each day - each story heartbreaking and deserving I'm sure. However, yesterday the fire station presented Betsy with an award, and then Ty Pennington from the show did the revealing that Jane's family had been selected to receive a new house while vacationing for a week in Key West...WITH Betsy! (The show bought her a bikini!)

The whole town -especially our street- has been buzzing, and this family truly is deserving. Last night we helped Jane's kids move their (8?) instruments including their piano(!) to our house to keep for the week, and then watched them drive away to the airport in a limo. Today the house is completely gone, only a dirt hole is left, and the new house will be revealed on Tuesday at noon! They work 24 hours a day, and today Trissa found out that the 2000 or so volunteers that are "required," don't actually work - they pretend to for the show! Also, Jane's daughter Sophie told us that they had to do several takes for the revealing - how many times in a row can you act that surprised? Reality tv? Pssshhhh...right.

Look to my right and I see the Hollywood sign...

...and hear a chicken laying an egg outside. This is my new life in Pocatello, Idaho! When I arrived, the HOLLYwood (the 'wood' barely fitting on the page) sign was on the window from a Miley Cyrus show the girls had put on the day before. I just got told that I'm a young grownup, because I'm not married yet! Ha! I don't want to get married if that means I'm an old grownup! Totally not worth it. My days begin with chickens squawking, and are filled with twirling around, princess dresses, attending plays / musicals by 4-7 year old actresses, and thinking up responses to, 'Aunt Brooke, will you play with me?' Don't get me wrong, I love it! The first day I was here (and only the first day) they fought over who got to sit by me and hold my hand all day. I was charmed! The chickens (mostly just Daisy) fly out of the coop and need to be lifted, fluttering, back in each day.

The missionaries' window in the house next door faces my window, so 'Careful when you change, Brooke!' Hilarious. The girls don't really understand that I live here, and keep looking confused when we tell them. Claire (4): "Can I come to your house?" Me: "My house is your house!" Claire (confused smile) "Stop it, Aunt Brooke!" And after a few days when Ryan (brother in law) returned from a business trip, they greeted him with, "Dad, Aunt Brooke is still here!" I guess they'll understand when I stop living out of my suitcase.

Good Day

Today was a good day. I don't feel like I get to say that very often, but it was. I began the day by speaking with a good friend, and ended it surrounded by friends who I am thankful for, and by reading a website which includes a new positive thought each day (www.greatday.com). I am thankful for many things in my life today: the opportunity to be able to help my dad recover from surgery, my good Polish friend Gabriela inviting me over for amazing home cooked meals so often, my friends from church reaching out to me although they don't know me well, my sister's family so graciously offering to let me live with them during this difficult time in my life, and much more. I hope that those in my life are aware of the difference they make in my life, and I hope that I make a difference in others' lives somehow. I know that I will make it past these trials and will be happy having learned what it takes. I need to choose the directions that I feel are best for me, and also allow myself to be guided.