GIGGLY (as in LAUGHING, not the movie)

Look who I found (or who found me) while out walking this morning! It's Andy Madsen!

My mom and I were out on a walk this morning when Andy ran past us. Andy and I both did a double-take, and then gave each other sweaty hugs. "Andy Loomis! It's Andy Loomis!" I deliriously cried. It dawned on me about 35 seconds later that Andy Loomis was a guy I went to High School with, and Andy Madsen was this cute fellow I was so happy to see. Sorry for the goof-up of names, Andy. Blame it on heat stroke or something, just not age.
Andy and I went to BYU together, and were lucky enough to know each other through Folk Dance. He was always fabulously happy and super cute (you can see he hasn't changed much!) and he features in many a happy memory. What a fun blast from the past. I just wish I had brushed my teeth before I left the house this morning! Note to self: you never know who you are going to meet on the jogging trail: be prepared.

And speaking of fun, last night the Lovely One had us all over for family fun, since some cousins, aunts, and moms were in town for the weekend.

Laurie has the best party house in town! You can't help but be happy when you're there. The food is always amazing, and the company can't be beat! Thanks again, Laurie. You are lovely.

I aspire to be as wonderful an aunt as the Lovely One. I am having trouble, though, convincing a few of my nephews that they really do love me. Slade told me today that he is not going to be my nephew anymore. Because I am so nice, I then spent the rest of the day telling him that he has to be my nephew, he has no choice in the matter. You can see how happy he is about this:

Something that made me happy was getting to eat yummy food at Bajio Grill. I enjoyed my bean and cheese burrito, but not nearly as much as my mom enjoyed her salad with "mongo salsa." Lindsay and I told her it is mango salsa, not mongo, but mango or mongo, she was a happy wooman (that is not a typo) getting to eat her greens. How could we not be happy getting to spend the weekend together? Thanks for coming, Mom! Let's do it again soon.

Some more favorite laughing moments:

"So you think you can prance?" "So you think you're a Vance?" --Super-Rob, after seeing my interpretive dance to Colin's love song...

"I am not being funny. I don't know how to joke." --Gayla

"If we called my grandpa "Grandpa" in Swedish, then he would be "Farfar." But I'd just call him "Fart Fart." --Joshua, in an addendum to why Michael's mom is called "Farmor."

"So Lane was making out backstage, huh? He's got a showmance going on!" --David Moore

"Joshua is just like me: he's GRACEFUL. Graceful means that he trips and falls over everything." --5-year-old cousin Jenna, who really is that kind of GRACEFUL.

In church on Sunday Sister Backman was called to be a Nursery Leader. Immediately following her sustaining, Brother Backman, her husband, was called to be a Nursery Worker. That's just the way it should be.

A conversation on the wave-runner after Joshua, who was driving, jumped over a huge wave and "caught some air:" "Did you feel that--that THRILL?!" "Well, if you mean, do I feel sick to my stomach? Then, yes, I felt it." "Yeah, Mom! That's exactly the thrill I mean. It's so AWESOME!" Now I know exactly the "thrill" Michael feels at my excitement over shopping!