I Got Got.....

****Thanks to my cute former babysitter for tagging me****

10 years ago I was:
1) Living in Idaho
2) Missing my family
3) Enjoying my little almost 1 year old Drama Queen
4) Surviving with just one car - we were so poor
5) Learning that friends can be just as fun if not better than family

5 things on my "To-do" list today:
1) return all those over-due books to the library
2) start getting Christmas gifts organized
3) call an ENT for Sweet-boy
4) get registered for school
5) make some time for me

5 snacks that I enjoy:
1) chocolate
2) carmel, usually with chocolate
3) swiss cheese with peanut butter
4) nectarines
5) dried blueberries

5 things I would do if I was a millionaire:
1) have no more debt
2) build my dream house
3) give my parents' $50,000.00 just cause
4) take a long cruise somewhere with my hubby
5) do many, many random acts of kindness for complete strangers

5 jobs I have had:
1) Bank Teller
2) Unit Clerk in an Emergency Room
3) Supervisor for Life Flight
4) Secretary
5) Crossing Guard - it is more fun then you think

5 places I have lived:
1) Utah
2) Idaho
3) Utah
4) Utah another city
5) Utah another city

5 people I tag are:
1) Manwaring Moments
2) Spouse in the House
3) This is the day...
4) This is the Life
5) Busy Lady

Let us all give thanks.....

Thanksgiving

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Let us give thanks for God Above.

Thanks for expressions of His love.

See in the book of nature, grand

Taught by His love on every hand.

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Let us be thankful in our hearts,

Thankful for all the truth imparts,

For the religion of our Lord,

All that is taught us in His word.

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Let us be thankful for a land,

That will for such religions stand;

One that protects it by the law,

One that before it stands in awe.

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Thankful for all things let us be,

Though there be woes and misery;

Lessons they bring us for our good-

Later 'twill all be understood.

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Thankful for peace o'er land and sea,

Thankful for signs of liberty,

Thankful for homes, for life and health,

Pleasure and plenty, fame and wealth.

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Thankful for friends and loved ones, too,

Thankful for all things, good and true,

Thankful for harvest in the fall,

Thankful to Him who gave it all.

Wishing all a day filled with family, love and much Thanksgiving.

Try-It-Tuesday

Sorry no picture for this but it is a really good recipe and something that you can make as neighbor gifts that they will love. It sounds interesting but is really yummy and so moist, not like the dreaded fruit cake.

Banana Carrot Cake

Items that you will need:

3/4 cup pureed banana (2 large)

1/4 cup vegetable oil

2 cups sugar

Beat together until sugar is dissolved then add:

3 eggs

beating thoroughly then add:

3 1/2 cup shredded carrot (3 to 4 medium)

1/2 cup crushed pineapple, drained

1 tsp vanilla

stir together then add:

2 1/2 cup flour

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground allspice

1/2 tsp salt

Gently fold fry into wet ingredient until just combined, DO NOT OVERBEAT.

Bake in a greased and floured loaf pan at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or till tester comes out clean.

Cool on wire rack, then enjoy!!!

My Christmas Wish List

It is time to put all those wishes down in list form. Sad to say that my list will be nothing concerning world peace, it will however cover all the things that I want, not need but WANT, and dream of having one day.

Yes, it is a totally selfish list and a dream......

1) A new home with more room and a lower monthly payment. Now that is a wish right.... but one I hope comes true - yeah when I win the lottery.2) A brand new car. Not a previously used or gently used car. A new car that I put the first 100 miles on. Of course this one will have no payment.

3) A safe in my closet that no matter how much I and take out always has piles and piles of money in it - $100 bills only thank-you!

4) I want to experience paradise again. I want to go on a month long vacation with only my hubby to Puerto Vialltra and this time not be sick and get to do all those things that we wanted to but instead I was praying to the porcelain Gods to just kill me. Yep, it was our honeymoon, I got food-poisoning the first day there.

5) I want my hubby to be happy in a job; successful in what he does or just to find his niche. With that safe of never ending money, who needs a job. We will just play.

6) I want a Travel Trailer so that we can go camping in style. I love camping but do not do the tent thing, but get me in one of these and we can go cross country for months.

This is my wish, but not my reality.

I really do want people to have the peace that they need in their lives, the struggles to go away and that our country might unite in love. I want for us to never forget the reason for the season and all the blessings that we do enjoy. I want for all our service men and women to come home to their families. I want our children to be safe and live in a world with no fear. There is much more, but I think we all get the point.

So what is on your Christmas List this year?

Do you pick up Pennies?

***Another great e-mail shared. Enjoy!!

Several years ago, a friend of mine and her husband were invited to spend the weekend at the husband's employer's home.

My friend, Arlene, was nervous about the weekend. The boss was very wealthy, with a fine home on the waterway, and cars costing more than their house.

The first day and evening went well, and Arlene was delighted to have this rare glimpse into how the very wealthy live. The husband's employer was quite generous as a host, and took them to the finest restaurants. Arlene knew she would never have the opportunity to indulge in this kind of extravagance again, so was enjoying herself immensely.

As the three of them were about to enter an exclusive restaurant that evening, the boss was walking slightly ahead of Arlene and her husband. He stopped suddenly, looking down on the pavement for a long, silent moment. Arlene wondered if she was supposed to pass him. There was nothing on the ground except a single darkened penny that someone had dropped, and a few cigarette butts. Still silent, the man reached down and picked up the penny. He held it up and smiled, then put it in his pocket as if he had found a great treasure.

How absurd! What need did this man have for a single penny? Why would he even take the time to stop and pick it up?

Throughout dinner, the entire scene nagged at her. Finally, she could stand it no longer. She casually mentioned that her daughter once had a coin collection, and asked if the penny he had found had been of some value. A smile crept across the man's face as he reached into his pocket for the penny and held it out for her to see.

She had seen many pennies before! What was the point of this?

'Look at it.' He said. 'Read what it says.' She read the words ' United States of America '.
'No, not that; read further.'
'One cent?'
'No, keep reading.'
'In God we Trust?'
'Yes!'
'And?'
'And if I trust in God, the name of God is holy, even on a coin. Whenever I find a coin I see that inscription. It is written on every single United States coin, but we never seem to notice it! God drops a message right in front of me telling me to trust Him? Who am I to pass it by? When I see a coin, I pray, I stop to see if my trust IS in God at that moment. I pick the coin up as a response to God; that I do trust in Him. For a short time, at least, I cherish it as if it were gold. I think it is God's way of starting a conversation with me. Lucky for me, God is patient and pennies are plentiful!

When I was out shopping today, I found a penny on the sidewalk. I stopped and picked it up, and realized that I had been worrying and fretting in my mind about things I cannot change. I read the words, 'In God We Trust,' and had to laugh.
Yes, God, I get the message.
It seems that I have been finding an inordinate number of pennies in the last few months, but then, pennies are plentiful! And, God is patient.....

Where I am this weekend

First I packed my bags, kissed the family good-bye, said a quick prayer of thanks and jumped into my car.****

With the radio blaring on whatever music matches my mood I begin to think about the weekend I will be having all alone!!!

My destination is Idaho to visit my BFF!

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After a dinner of Fondue madness and the company of women driven to enjoy the evening, we will depart......to get in line and watch this!!

Finally after what seems like forever it is here!!!

As if that is not enough to just make one declare this was the best night ever; the next day will be full of creative crafting as we make Christmas cards with more delightful company and sinful food.

It is my weekend.

I get to enjoy it alone, with just me, I get to remember what my first name is, (no it is not Queenie) and the joy of laughing, and laughing and being carefree.

Thank you Honey for giving this weekend to me - I love you dearly!!!

Gratitude Turkeys

I saw this idea here and loved it.

It was so fun to finally do with the kids and to see what they are grateful for.

Take some fall colored paper and trace out your hands, cut it out and then answer this question - What are you grateful for?

One answer for each finger.We placed them in the most visible place in the house - the kitchen.

I loved to write what I was grateful for, but to hear each child state their gratitude was so tender. It was easy to fill up all my fingers and helped to show each of us that we have many, many things to be grateful for this year.

Try-It-Tuesday

We have had so much sickness in our home as of late that I have been making this to help with sore throats. This is not just for when all are ill but also when you just want a good hardy soup on those cold and rainy days.

Chicken Soup with Homemade Egg Noodles.

Egg Noodles:

2 beaten eggs

2 tbl milk

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup flour (more to make less sticky dough)

Combine eggs milk and salt, then gradually add the flour until it is stiff to knead into a ball. Place on well floured counter and roll out till thin. Using a pizza cutter cut noodles, covering with flour and let dry for about 1-2 hours OR, I just roll them out, cut them and then roll them in extra flour so they are not sticky and slowly add then to the boiling soup one at a time and let them cook about 12 to 15 minutes. This makes them more dumpling in texture.

Items that you will need:

For soup:

Boiled chicken (as much as you like) torn into bite-size pieces

3-4 sliced carrots

1 cup frozen peas

1/2 onion chopped

about 1 tsp Dried Basil

Salt and Pepper to taste

about 1 tsp Garlic powder

Chicken Bouillon or broth for the soup

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In a big pot, decide how much soup you want. I use a 6 quart stock pot and just about fill it with liquid and then add the bouillon to give it a good rich broth. I also add just about 2 tsp of beef bouillon to give it a richer taste ( do not make it too salty as the noodles bring in salt). Bring the broth to a boil, add the chicken, carrots, onions and boil till carrots are tender. Add peas, basil, pepper, garlic powder and again bring to a boil. Now you are ready to drop in the noodles. To thicken the broth I add the flour from the noodles and even more to make it more of a stew consistency.

Pair this with some crunchy french bread and you have a great fall dinner.

I got another one!

In my daily haunting of blogs, I saw my name as a recipient of this bloggy award. Tiffany, thank you so much for this. You truly made my day.

So now I get that arduous task of selecting 8 people to receive this award. So as always here are the rules:

"These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers! Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award.”

So in no particular order here are my eight:

1) Spouse in the House She needs all the love she can right now. And whatever you do, no one mention Semper Gumby to her.

2) Pennies in My Pocket I just love a deal and she has got them here, besides she is so real and one of my favorite daily reads.

3) Dogs and Jeans Yep it is a guy blogging and I love the sarcasm and truth of Trooper Thorn. Go check him out, I know that you want to, so go and get the mans' perspective on life.

4) John Deere Mom She is so cute and her kids just do the craziest things. Besides that Jackie Dog is good for some shinanigans'. I love her life on a farm and all that entails.

5) Life as a CFers Wife She is amazingly strong in the face of such trials. I haunt her blog but am truly a follower.

6) "This is the day...Ps118:24" She is an amazing person and someone that I could stop over and get pumpkin bread from and just chat. I get to live vicariously through her with all her pets.

7) Manwaring Moments I just love this funny gal. She has the best recipes and ideas and is just FUN!!!

8) Pawly & Sandy She has been so dear to me for so many years and I am so glad that I get to keep in touch with her in the bloggy world.

So come and get your awards and enjoy the bloggy love!

What I am doing for Christmas money

With the holiday season fast approaching and our budget stretched thin, like many we are trying to recover from a season of $4.00 a gallon/gas, having a good Christmas is becoming elusive. But hard times is also the mother of invention or apt to make one become very creative to any idea.

The idea that I was presented with was to clean a house, not just any house but a mansion of great worth. This home was located in a very exclusive gated area, patroled by guards and very pristine. I also felt very much like Cinderella on her way to the ball not to attend, but to clean. I even got to wear my own set of booties (slippers) for the occasion.But off I went this morning at 7am to clean, this 6000 square foot, 7 full bathroom mansion and while I was cleaning I was also learning a few things along the way. I learned that I really do not mind cleaning other peoples houses. That even if I did have that kind of money, I would still want my kids to live in a middle class neighborhood and have chores to keep them grounded. That it takes alot more than money to make a house a home. That the only thing that really made me go "Wow" was the view from the balcony of this house, other than that it was just walls, windows, and a roof. But, one that is considerably cleaner then when I arrived seven hours earlier.

So what are you doing for Christmas money this year?

Christmas Music

It is only the beginning of November and already three radio stations that I know of have all-the-time Christmas music playing.

I LOVE IT!!!!

I cannot get enough of Christmas; the lights, the smells, putting my wreath on my car, the endless chocolate to enjoy. But it is more then that, I love the songs and the message that they bring into my home. The opportunity that I have as a mom to sing "Silent Night" with my kids in the car as we travel to and fro. Now do not get me wrong, I think that seeing the Christmas items in the store in the middle of September is insane.
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However, It is the meaning of what we are gearing up to celebrate that I love. It is the scheduling of visits to family that we have not seen in a while and in some cases since last year. It is the anticipation of snow to play in, gingerbread to bake and eat and bake again, gifts to wrap, cards to send and receive from long lost friends, and the animation of my children's' faces when they spy another gift under the tree. It is also the time that we take in remembering our Savior, His gift to us and talking about ways that we can serve those around us, not just during this season, but always.
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So do I think that having Christmas music blaring in my car and in my home is too early and too much - NO!!! I do not think that we can give enough time to the real reason that we celebrate Christmas.

It's begining to look alot like Christmas

Saturday was one of those fairly nice autumn days, no rain, no sun either but also no snow on our roof top. We had no major projects planned so I calmly broached the subject of putting up the Christmas lights, to which I got no response. Nothing, not even a "Drop Dead it is my Saturday and I am doing nothing." So I went about my day and the lights did not get put up, but the seed had been planted.

The Man is great about putting up the lights; every year we have them, every year we enjoy having a festive looking house. The problem is that The Man always, and I mean always, decides to put those lights up when it is just getting dark, or the rain is coming down, or after the first snow so he is slipping around.

I hate that!!!!

I spend the time he is outside, inside the house straining to hear if he has fallen off the roof. So I send the kids out to make sure that Daddy is alright in this dangerous but necessary project.

I was gone most of the day today and when I got home this is what I saw.

The Man and Sweet-boy getting things ready to go on the roof. But first the house had to be decorated, the stairs, the hallway and all the second story with lights.

The Man bringing the first of many strands out onto the roof. Notice that we do not use ladders when going out an open window is so much more fun.

Sweet-boy going out on the roof to help his daddy. He was running around like a mountain goat and it was making me very nervous, but he also helped alot and I know that dad liked that.
(This picture is about a girl and a boy and with his dad. They were making their mom scared. She screamed and screamed for hours at home.) Sweet-boy told me to write this for this picture.

Drama Queen wanted to get in on the action so she also got out there with dad on the roof.

When the sun went down, I went out to check the progress and the kids were sitting on the very top of the house singing songs, watching dad get the last of the lights up. It was a beautiful sunset but the best part was finally flipping the switch and getting this.......

I love that it is beginning to look alot like Christmas.

Leave it to my kids to come up with some fun

When all is quiet in my house that does not always mean that things are okay.... So I went exploring and this is what I found. Take one set of stairs, an old toddler mattress and two kids with too much energy and you have the makings of a great activity.

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First you pull the mattress up to the top of the stairs.

Then you get on and start inching closer to the edge of the stairs.

You let gravity pull you down the stairs at a faster-than-I thought-was-possible-speed with your sibling tagging along.

You laugh hysterically cause this is so much fun.

Then you get tangled up in the mattress at the bottom of the stairs and do it all over again and again and again.

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They wanted me to do it, but when I could not even inch over the edge I opted to become the person that captures all the fun.

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Kids that were sick just hours ago it seems are so resilient and so much fun. I wonder what they will come up with next?

Sick Kids

This week already started out as one that I was dreading.

It is Parent-Teacher-Conference and thus in their infinite wisdom (the school district) the kids are let out early all week......That means instead of 3:45pm, they get home at 1:35pm. I already hate Friday's for that reason. But to boot, we have the sickness here. Sweet-boy sounds like a Seal with a serious sinus infection and Drama Queen has a lovely fever of 102 to 103 that only manifests itself late at night along with a sore throat and breath to kill the most brave at heart. So they are home, I am trapped and we are off to make that despised visit to the Pediatrician that nets only $30 less in my pocket and a diagnosis of "just give it time, they just have a cold." But I want it all to go away......

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We are home from the doctor's and here is the scooby.

Drama Queen does not have strep, but, Sweet-boy does have the croup.

So go figure.

The kids I thought was the sickest is not and the one that I thought I should save my money on was the worst.

Bloggy Tests

Do you ever take these tests and wonder who thought these up?

Like this one......for those that really know me, am I really Elinor Dashwood???

You Are...Elinor Dashwood!

Take the Quiz here!

Then there is this little gem.

Your Blogging Type is Confident and Insightful

You've got a ton of brain power, and you leverage it into brilliant blog. If that is really true then why can I not do simple 5th grade math? Both creative and logical, you come up with amazing ideas and insights. Okay, I agree with this one, but getting those ideas out of my head and into something amazing and where the problem lies. A total perfectionist, you find yourself revising and rewriting posts a lot of the time. Has anyone see my "Quirky" post, no need to say more. You blog for yourself - and you don't care how popular (or unpopular) your blog is! After my Layover on Blog Around the World with 79 commentors to get back to, I think that popularity is overrated. I love the visits but getting back to each and everyone was a three day affair. I loved it but just that once.... This really is a blog about my crazy family and our little space in the world. Like it or not, this is it.

What's Your Blogging Personality?

Here is the cold hard truth, yep I am addicted!!!

80%How Addicted to Blogging Are You?

Created by OnePlusYou - Free Online Dating

This is gonna be rich!

What Your Bed Says About You

Outward appearances are very important to you. You do your best to look good and have an attractive home. Okay I have no problem taking my kids to school in my PJ's, hair messed up and morning breath, I am in my car of course.... You are an organized and disciplined person. You do the right thing because you want to, not because people expect you to. That might be true 50% of the time, but really if I want to I do something then I will , but if I don't, well then I don't! You are very high maintenance. You like everything a certain way, and you're grumpy if things aren't the way you like them. The Man says that this is true! I have to disagree, just about the grumpy part. But I do like it the way I like it and if everyone would just do as I say then everything would be just fine!!! In relationships, you tend to be quite dominant. You enjoy taking charge. I do have a strong personality, but I have learned in 13 years of marriage that I do not need to win every argument, that sometimes it is best to just remain still. You tend to be a dreamy, head in the clouds type of person. You think in terms of possibilities. I do always have a dream in my head and it usually has Enrique the pool boy in it (inside joke with The Man:0). I do always want a goal, something to work for, and something to achieve. You are a total homebody. You are happiest when you're at home. Now I do agree with that. I love being at home, reading a good book by the fires glow or making cookies with my kids. I love being with my family.

What Does Your Bed Say About You?

A little Football and a Great Man

DISCLAIMER: I cannot believe that I will be dedicating any time to the Ute's on my blog, but I fear that I must so that this all makes sense.

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I have no local University affiliation, I went to a community college, but since marrying The Man he has encouraged a very diligent campaign to support the University of Utah Football Team (UTES) as opposed to my parents' favored Brigham Young University Football Team (BYU). In Utah there is a definite division of love and hate where these teams are concerned. The Man graduated from a separate University so his love of the Utes' is something of a way to egg the father-in-law on.

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So today I asked to take my parents to lunch for an early celebration of my dad's upcoming birthday. He picked the place, a local Italian joint, his hang-out, I was ready for them to shout out "Norm" as he came in the door. We walked in and I knew that we were in for it by what was displayed on their "Specials for the Day" sign. Below the Grilled Cod and the Chicken Caccitorie was a proud statement:

GO UTES!!!

I knew that they were in trouble.

First, he asked for a blue pen, it was in the back.

Then he asked to see the manager, he was not in today.

Then he told them that they should be ashamed to have that there and promptly erased it.

All this as we are trying to get seated with all the workers coming to witness the commotion. In the end my mom and I kindly reminded them to make note of who's' glass they were spitting in was not ours........

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We order lunch and Dad gets' his usual pizza lunch meal and it looks great. I have to say that the service was amazing; someone came along to ask us how we were doing several times and then it happened.

The discovery!!

Under the pizza, there was a note, a partially eaten note that said........

My dad loved it!!!

He was up and in the kitchen in a flash and that was when the laughing really began. Fellow patrons got in on the joke and it was a regular celebration in there. As Dad put it, "the best birthday present I have had in a long time."

It was a great afternoon spent with two of my favorite people, that just happen to be my parents!

Dad, I love you so much for who you are; for the person that you helped me to become, for all the fun that I have when I am with you, and for loving my family with such devotion. I love that The Man can come to you and know that he will get support and counsel, and most of all understanding. I love that you gave me my tool box with the knowledge of what each tool did and helped The Man become my "fix-it" man. I love that you are always there to help in whatever way we need it. I love that all my greatest memories in my life have you in them. I love that I get to spend time with you, especially when we went to the Temple together. I love that you married your sweet-heart, your true soul mate, and work so hard at being eternally blissfully happy. I love that no matter what crazy thing we are doing that you are supportive and willing to help out. I love that you love me and I know it each and everyday.
Dad I love you so much!!!
Happy Birthday Dad!!!

What was in my washer.....

We live right next to a BIG park with lots of trees a great place to play for all the kids in the neighborhood.

So each and everyday after school my kids go to the park and rake the leaves, climb the trees and do Fall kid stuff. Today after their play it was time to wash their coats. I feel they can only go to school and play and school and play so many times before they could walk on their own. It was time.... I load them into the washer and go about my life......

Time to put them in the dryer and I cannot believe what is in the washer!!!

Apparently they had pulled grass, collected pine cones, pine needles, numerous leaves, rocks and various berries from the bushes and placed them in their coat pockets.

I was so pleased!!!!

As with any problem that they cause, they must clean it up.

Two kids trying to fit into one Washing Machine filled with nature. The conversation amidst cleaning out the machine was hilarious.

DQ: "Why did you not leave all that stuff outside?"

SB: "You told me to put it in my pocket."

DQ: "And you could not take it out, we needed that for our nest!"

It continued on but I had to leave that part of the house so I could laugh. Then things got quiet, too quiet!!!

This is what I saw when I entered the laundry room.Sweet-Boy making an attempt to clean nature up with my lint roller.SB: "Mom, Drama Queen will not help me do the rest."

To which my darling daughter goes berserk telling me that she did all the work and the he could do the last of it. She was done!!!

This is what my washing machine churned out of their pockets. It does not look like much but it really was something to behold.

I leave the room for a second and hear a muffled "Help me Mommy!"

This is what I saw on my return.

Not only was he hanging in the washer but somehow he was stuck in there. I had to laugh then.

So after he was rescued, washer all cleaned out, garbage dumped, floor swept and things back to normal, Sweet-boy told me, as I tucked him into bed, that, "I never want to clean nature up again."

Hmmm, I think a lesson was learned tonite and it was good for a post too.

Try-It-Tuesday

Okay I know that I have not done this in a while but I think that we have been living on pizza and spaghetti and I think we all know how to make that. But here is one that I love but the family is not fond of. I think it is the Broccoli. But here it is.

Chicken and Broccoli Bake

Fixings you will need:

8 chicken breasts, simmer till done and torn into pieces

1 bunch cut broccoli, cooked till tender

8 oz cream cheese

2 cups milk

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Place in a buttered 13X9 baking dish the cooked broccoli. Cover with the cooked chicken.In a blender mix the cream cheese, milk, garlic powder and Parmesan cheese and blend. If you want thicker sauce decrease the milk to 1 1/2 cups and increase the cheese to 1 cup.
Pour into sauce pan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly till it comes to a boil.Pour the sauce over the broccoli/chicken and cover with more Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Remove foil and bake for another 5 minutes to brown top.

This is really good the second day after the sauce has thickened.

Enjoy!!!

What makes a true friend....

The year was 1998 and I thought that my life had ended.

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The man had been out of a job for about 4 months and we had just had our first child. It was not the idyllic setting that one thinks should be, when so many wonderful things are happening in your life. Finally, a job opportunity came along but, it was out of state. What? I had never lived away from Utah my whole life. All my family was here. Everything that I thought identified me as me was here. What was I going to do in Idaho!!!?? Needless to say that I did not leave the state as a happy camper, looking forward to this new adventure. I was MAD!!!! I was mad at my hubby for taking me away from my family, away from our first home, away from my life.

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We moved into a townhouse and I was determined to not be happy. The couple that managed the complex seemed normal and were very willing to help us move in but I was not going to like any part of Idaho.

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Time passed and I cried most of the days away. I played with Drama Queen and thought how pathetic my life was.... Day after day, the manager's wife would come and knock on our door. I tried to hide but with one car it was apparent that I was home. Slowly, I opened the door and let her in. We had the same likes, the same crazy laugh and our babies were 2 days apart. She was the sister that I never knew that I needed. She became my best friend and someone that I almost did not let in....

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Today is her Birthday and I want her to know how much I appreciate her. She has saved my sanity, laughed and cried with me during moments of my life that I will always cherish. She is an amazing wife, an incredible mother and I marvel at how she can continually serve those around her with such devotion and no thought for herself. She is humble and true, she is filled with the light of our Lord. Besides, she can laugh loud and hard just like me until our sides ache and our faces are wet with tears of joy. She is a true friend and even when we moved back to Utah she has remained a strong part of my life. Daily we talk, daily I feel her love for me and daily I thank my Heavenly Father for blessing my life with someone that I can truly call a friend!!! Thank you Busy Lady for 11 years of friendship!

Happy Birthday!!!