Flashback Friday & 5QF

All I can say is THANK GOD IT'S FRIDAY!

Seriously.

I am so ready for this weekend.

Let's start off with a little Flashback. Once again back to 2009.

Oh yeah! I'm definitely not complaining that it doesn't look like this today.

Instead, it's 77°F!

And now for ...

1. Will you run to the store or to pick up a kid looking a mess? Sadly, yes. I'll try to look somewhat presentable, but sometimes that is way less impressive than other times.

2. Do you finish a book if it's boring or you don't like it? It's rare, really rare, for me to not finish a book that I start. Or at least that used to be true. Now, it's much easier for me to put down a book and not pick it up again for months, if ever.

3. Beach or mountain vacations? Honestly, I wouldn't mind either. I just love to go somewhere new and different. I'd be very happy lounging on the beach or hiking in the mountains.

4. What thing/event says "winter will end and spring is right around the corner" to you? Oh, I don't know. Daylight Savings Time, I suppose. It's been so gorgeous here the past few days, but I still kind of feel like there will be another snowstorm before summer comes around. Hopefully mild. Minnesota certainly has been spoiling us for our last winter here. :-)

5. Would you prefer couples or family vacation? I guess I prefer couples - only because it is fewer people to manage. Not having kids of my own, family vacations would be with my parents, siblings and their kids, and that adds up to a lot of different preferences on what to do, eat, etc.

Flashback Friday & 5QF

Back in 2009, I posted this photo on my blog ... without ANY commentary.

I'm 99.9% sure it was part of a photo challenge on winter.

I'm fairly positive it's a picture of the Mississippi River, partially frozen over in March.

Such a different March than this year! Thankfully. ☺

If you'd like a peek at what I was doing around this time back in 2008, I'd just started a new job. You can read about my 2nd day here.

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And now for a little Five Question  Friday.

1. Are you looking forward to the time change this weekend?
Thanks for the reminder!☺I can't say I'm really looking forward to it. Springing ahead = losing an hour of sleep, right? I'm already always so tired. Of course, I will appreciate the shift is daylight hours. So, I guess I'm torn.

2. Are you getting the new iPad/would you want a iPad?
No and no. I'm SO not an Apple girl. Give me a PC any day. Also, we're trying to save all our money for our move this summer. No new toys for us for awhile.

3. If money was not a problem, what is the one thing you would splurge on?
Travel, without a doubt! I would go somewhere I'd never been before, stay in a nice hotel, explore all the activities in the area, enjoy all the different traditional foods. I want to see the world!

4. How did you and the Mr. (or Mrs.) meet?
We met at church.

5. Summer is right around the corner. Bikini or one-piece?
If I can find a cute bikini that is super flattering, then bikini. Otherwise, one-piece. It kind of depends on the activity I'll be doing as well as just how hot it actually is outside. Of course, we're likely moving to FL this summer, so bikini seems like it will be more natural there.

Any fun plans for the weekend? I'll be doing the usual - lesson planning. I have a half marathon next weekend, so I hope to get in some running, too. It's been over a week since I've been out.

Have a great weekend! Don't forget to spring ahead on Sunday!!

5QF #4 & Flashback to 2009

I haven't done this for awhile, but it's a fun, easy post and that's just what I need after today (more on that hopefully tomorrow).


1. What's your favorite way to spend down time (alone or with a significant other)? Watching TV or a movie, reading blogs, or taking a nap. Probably in that order of preference, but really any of those will do.

2. Are you the kind of person that wants things more as soon as you know you can't have it? Yes, definitely. Me and will power aren't the greatest of friends. I mean especially when it comes to food, which is precisely why I don't diet and don't eat particularly healthy.

3. If you were given $1000 to spend on yourself, what would you buy? I would overhaul my wardrobe. Perhaps with the advice of a personal shopper or something. Fashion is definitely not my forte, and my clothes are pathetic. All too often I show up at work only to realize how much I hate my outfit.

4. Do you ever go out to eat by yourself? Dinner? No. Lunch? Absolutely. I wouldn't really have a problem going out to eat by myself for dinner, but I just don't ever do it.

5. What company would you want to do a blog review for? Probably just about any company that would offer me something to try to improve my running or core. There are likely a few companies in particular, but I'm probably be willing to do a review for just about any company that I find interesting.

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I thought I'd do a little Flashback Friday today as well.

Back in Feb 2009, I did a little daily photo challenge. Topic: winter

On 2/24/09, I posted this picture of Sallie playing in the snow.

It's probably not as fun for you to Flashback with me, but I love looking through old posts and pictures. Brings back fun memories of our last apartment. We didn't get anywhere near this amount of snow this year (knock on wood).

Sooooo... happy Friday, everyone! I've got a lot of work to do this weekend, but no other plans, which is niiiiice! What are you up to this weekend?

Did you know?

I've been blogging on this blog since the summer of 2006.

Occasionally I've done Flashback Fridays posts. Usually these posts were random photos from my past, but I thought it would be fun and I didn't have anything else to blog about today to re-post some of my older posts.

The following post, How Many of Me?? was originally posted on February 7, 2007.

Clarinda Dodson

HowManyOfMe.com

There are: 0 people with my name in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

Clarinda Wilson (This was surprising to me.)

HowManyOfMe.com

There are: 5 people with my name in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

There are 1,500 people in the U.S. with the first name Clarinda.
There are 50,995 people in the U.S. with the last name Dodson.
There are 1,016,894 people in the U.S. with the last name Wilson.

I honestly was surprised at how many Clarindas there were. I've never met another one (besides my Great-grandma) and most people I meet have never heard the name before.

Of course there is that small town in Iowa...

End of original post.


Five years later?

HowManyOfMe.com

There are or fewer people with the name Clarinda Dodson in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

HowManyOfMe.com

There are people with the name Clarinda Wilson in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

Apparently one person has my name now. Or is that one person me?? *shrug* I don't know.

Have a great weekend!


Don't forget to enter my giveaway for StrongStride. Only two more days to enter.

Nauvoo, IL

Playing organ at Lyon Drug in Nauvoo, IL

When I was younger, my aunt lived right in Nauvoo. We took a few summer trips down there to visit with cousins.

I loved walking around Old Nauvoo and seeing how the pioneers lived. It was fun!

One year, I even got to play this little organ. It's not something they usually let visitors do, but my mom asked, and so I got to play.

This was back in the day when I was actually taking piano lessons and could play far better than I can now.

DC Marching Band Trip

In 1993, our high school marching band when to Washington, DC, to march in the 4th of July parade.

I didn't actually get to march (so don't look for me in this picture), but I got to go anyway! Whoo hoo!!

Flashback Friday: 1989

1989

Big Glasses and even bigger bangs!

Oh yeah!

My little brother, Corey, sure looks happy.

Not so sure about the rest of us.

Flashback Fridays: June Nieces

This was back in 2002.

The year Suzane was born.

She'll be 8 tomorrow.

Holding the new bundle of joy is her big cousin, Selena.

Aren't they just adorable?!

Flashback Friday: Grandma Gertie

Gertrude Wilma Ausbern (Bird-Wilson)

December 22, 1920 - June 5, 2010

This is a picture of my grandma holding me at Christmastime 1979.

This picture was taken at my high graduation party.

My grandma is the redhead on the left.

This is a 5-generation picture; the baby is my sister's 2nd child, AJ.

Yesterday, I attended my grandma Gertie's funeral. It was a very nice service. One of my cousins, who was unable to attend, wrote a letter that one of his brothers read. It was really touching to hear about all of his memories about Grandma Gertie.

My grandma lived in AZ most of my life, so I didn't have the opportunity to spend much time with her. It was wonderful to learn so many interesting things about her yesterday. And to hear so many fun stories. She will be missed, and I wish I'd gotten to know her better.

Flashback Friday: High School Graduation

It's graduation season, so I thought it would be perfect to flashback to my high school graduation.

When I found my photo album and starting flipping through it, it hit me...

Oh WOW!!

15 years ago TODAY I graduated from high school.

I can't believe it!

It hardly seems that long ago.

I mean, I can't possibly be that old, can I?!

Here are a few shots of me and my closest friends from that momentous day.

We're so full of hope - looking forward to our bright futures!

Jill, Me

Before commencement at Jill's grandma's

Jill, Me

Hugging after commencement

Aimee, Me, Jill

After commencement

Angie, Me

After commencement

I have to admit, I got a little weepy-eyed looking through my photo album (and writing this post).

What good times we had that weekend!

Click here to see my Facebook album with more pictures from this weekend.

Flashback Friday: 1996 - Memorial Day

We were so suprised to see snow still on the ground in the middle of May! We had to play!

Memorial Day weekend, 1996

I went up north to Duluth (and beyond) with some friends for the weekend. It was so much fun. We got lost a few times. Angie got to drive her dad's brand new car. We visited Gooseberry Falls and the Splitrock Lighthouse (which apparently turns 100 this year, or so I read on a bus billboard recently). We laughed. a. lot.

Click here to see a few more pictures from this weekend. Mostly, the pix are of waterfalls. Waterfalls are probably one of my favorite things to see in nature.

Happy Memorial Day Weekend, everyone!

Flasback Friday: Valentine's Day

In honor of Valentine's Day on Sunday, I thought I'd flashback back to some kissey shots.

We were married December 21, 2004.

We were sealed for time and all eternity on March 29, 2006.

Flashback Friday: Brr...It's COLD

What's a girl to do on a COLD Friday night at the end of January?

Flashback to a cold, winter night in 1987, of course.

Warming ourselves by the fire.

Hmmm...that doesn't seem to be working...

How about a little wrestling? That's should definitely warm us up.

Now what???

Ok. We look ridiculous!! What were we thinking? Blue thermal top TUCKED into thermal bottoms? Printed socks in the ugliest slippers ever? Red puffy gloves really top it off!

BUT every time I look at these pictures, I LAUGH! Seriously. I've got to publish this post, so I can stop the laughter.

Flashback Friday: Christmas 1991

Ok. I couldn't decide on just one photo today, so here's a few from the Christmas of 1991.

What's so funny, you may ask?

Well, my mom made a bunch of these cute little boxes that year. On the inside lid, she wrote "Merry Christmas," but she messed up on this one. Instead of Christmas, she wrote Christopherson, so she fixed it to read, "Merry Christopherson's Christmas." It think it was particularly funny, because I didn't even notice right away - she had to point on her mistake. This was probably funnier if you were there.

These next three pictures must have been from a ward Christmas party.

Jen

Corey

Mom

Flashback Friday: Christmas 1980

This week just flew by! I've hardly had time to update my blog, so I was excited when I realized that today was Friday, and an easy blog post was just minutes away.

This is me in 1980. Age 3.

Aren't I just the cutest?!

Flashback Friday: Christmas 1979

A couple of my friends (K and Lara) have done, from time to time, a feature on their blogs called Flashback Fridays. I've often considered doing this on my blog as well.

So...here's my first attempt. I thought it would be fun to flashback on Fridays throughout December to various Christmas pictures.

This picture is from 1979. I'm the adorable one in the red dress. Oh wait! We're all adorable girls in red dresses!!

(L to R: Katie, Tara, Treva, Clarinda)