Shiner's House of Fun

Merry Christmas 2011

2011-12-05T19:08:00.004-07:00

Needless to say that one can go a very, very long time with out blogging. But another year has come and gone and from my family to your, a wish for a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Drama Queen, The man holding Lucy, Queenie and sweet-boy

How long can one go without blogging?

2010-06-22T17:15:00.003-06:00

I guess that I have proven to myself that life does indeed go on without blogging. Case in point, my last post.

I am finding that life is better stated in one liners on Face Book and through IM's to people in the neighborhood. So to family that is now far away, I will try to get on here more often and let you know what we are up to..... until then I need to go play with the kids before work returns to demand my time.

The Man's Birthday

2010-03-02T16:10:00.002-07:00

We celebrated another BIG Birthday in our home with The Man finally catching up to me.It took some time to get all the candles in place and after that many I needed a second set of eyes to count for me, so I asked Drama Queen to count them for me. She took one look at the cake and exclaimed, "Oh Dear". We giggled over that one, but we finally determined that there were just the right amount of candles on there. Then the lighting of the candles........
For the second time that night the smoke detector went off.

Lots of presents and quiet night with just the family. It was a great birthday.

Modeling his new jacket, my stud.

Happy Birthday - I love you!

McCall Winter Carnival Insanity

2010-02-02T15:29:00.003-07:00

We have heard all about the fun our friends have had in McCall every year for their winter carnival and so we decided to tag along and see what it was all about. McCall is about 2 hours from Boise and get a surprisingly large amount of snow and remains relatively cold all winter. So late January they haul out huge ice blocks and snow blocks and carve them into amazing winter sculptures, some the kids can play on and some you just look at and wonder how they did that. It was a great time walking around in the melee with all the other people that came for the freezing good time.DQ so happy to be somewhere there was a pool to swim in and endless fun to be had.
The family enjoying the pool, I had worked the night before and with 4 hours of sleep under my belt I thought the pool was an unsafe arena for me to venture into, so I side lined the fun for now.

Next morning we awoke to a beautiful day, cold crisp and ready for us to take on the tubing hill. This is the best thing ever. The tubes have tow ropes on them and you ride up the hill being pulled by a rope tow, then you pick one of three runs to fly down and do it all over again. It was so worth the cost and all the screaming.

DQ came off the rope tow so The Man had to tow her up with him, good thing she is so light.

The whole gang coming down the mountain, it was such a fun time and now we know what to expect so next year we can be more prepared for more fun, namely going snowmobiling and avoiding the crowds.

Thanks Fenn's for letting us tag along - you guys are the best!

Work, work and work

2010-01-15T20:59:00.004-07:00

So it is a new year and with it a new adventure. 2010 has started off with a jolt but it is a good thing. I went through four days of mind numbing orientation followed by 36 modules that had tests with them that had to be completed with 100% correctness.

WHAT!

So needless to say that I have been pushing my mind to the max. Then it was on to my first shift on the floor for 12 hours. I ran my but off, going from one end of the floor to the other and back again more times then I could count - more times because I got turned around and forgot where the stock room was. We had a patient expire and one vomit for over an hour that needed a total bath and bed change. It was a rush and I came home exhausted but thrilled to finally be doing something that I really wanted to be doing.

So needless to say that time is limited and so I might be able to visit here once in a while but know that I miss all my bloggy friends and hope for you all the best this year.

This is a prosperous time for you, was what my fortune cookie said and I am gonna run with it.

Happy 12th Birthday

2009-12-29T07:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday!!!
See this beautiful girl, she is 12 years old today.

I cannot believe that it is really here. I remember holding her in my arms, this new little life and thinking that we had so much time to be together and my, how it has flown by.
So today I want to wish her a very happy birthday and let her know that my greatest joy in life has been to be her mom for the past 12 years.
She is my little sweet-pea and always will be.
Happy Birthday DQ!!!

Night Before the Night Before the Night Before Christmas Party

2009-12-24T13:21:00.003-07:00

Every year we try to have our "Night Before the Night Before the Night Before Christmas" Open House and this year was no different. We opened our home to our new neighbors and ward friends and had a crazy but fun evening. The pile of shoes at the door show how many were in attendance.
Good friends guarding my piano and my Santa collection.

My Lemon and Lime culprits, then later in the evening the lemons and limes ended up back in the punch bowl.

Fun to see some hard working guys have a moment of fun and laughing with old friends.

All in all it was a fun night and I am glad that we did it, but it will take a year to recover and decide to do it all again next year.

Sunday thoughts.......

2009-12-20T21:52:00.002-07:00

2009, when one looks back on a year does it ever seem to make sense, or does one just see alot of choices made in moments of panic?

How do I define all that happened in 2009?

That is something that I have been pondering, what do I look back on and remember the most about this year?

The answer to that question is also a hard one, for right at this moment I have regret.

Regret that I did not do enough, that I did not do all that I could, that I took so many things for granted, things that no matter what I do, can never be altered.

I also see times of sacrifice, intense joy, ultimate suffering, love beyond this life, moments that I hope will define me as a better person, moments of renewal, reunion and remembering things of long ago. It has been a year to say the least and one that in all my power will not be repeated, but there is also much hope in the year to come and dreams of peace for my soul.

But for today, I am wearing my heart on my sleeve, tears come easily and often, thoughts are constant in my mind and reminders of sacrifice for my behalf on the forefront of my being.

What was 2009 like for you?

Merry Christmas

2009-12-16T21:39:00.003-07:00

I have been internetless for a while and see that I have seriously neglected my blog and email and facebook and all that. But for a while longer I am going to be missing in action as the holiday quickly approaches. You see, I want to spend time with my family, making memories, taking time to just be and doing things that make my heart happy. It is a hard time for me but I am so happy that things in my life are progressing ahead and there is much hope for the coming year.

So my wish to all is that you take the time this season to really look around you, see the many people in your life that mean so much to you and take the time to let them know. Truly the best gift is those that share this journey through life with us and help to make it bearable.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!

What we have been up to....

2009-11-30T15:47:00.003-07:00

Are you all sitting down?

Here we go again!

We are doing the move again to Boise.

I am hoping that this time it will stick!

After the passing of my mom, we took a long look at our life and decided that alot of it was not what we wanted. It was time to make some changes - MAJOR CHANGES! So we are taking charge of our lives and deciding things that we want rather than someone else making those decisions for us. So this week we are packing boxes and getting ready to move again - that makes three times in one year, but it is a move that we are really anticipating.

Time Again

2009-11-13T07:00:00.000-07:00

Am I the only one that has noticed that the catalogs are filling my mailbox again.

I love it though, in my day we would get the Sears catalog and pour over the pages looking for the perfect thing for Christmas. Since I was the youngest I was the last to get that book and by then it was pretty marked up. But it still brings memories of childhood and dreaming of what I would get that year from Santa.

So now, I stack them in a pile on the coffee table and let the kids mark them up, watching as they are so excited about this toy or that gadget and helping me get into the Christmas spirit too.

So what do you do to get into the spirit?

Happy Birthday Dad!!!!

2009-11-07T07:00:00.000-07:00

November is a great month as two of my favorite people have Birthday's.

My BFF and then my Dad.

So today I am wishing my Dad a most joyous Birthday ever.

I love you Dad and here are just a few of the reasons that I do......

You still love getting "TOYS" at Christmas and play with them as much as the kids do.

You raised me to love the Lord and cherish my family and I love having so many Temple Open House pictures with you and Momma C in them.

You are still a BIG kid at heart and love Lagoon as much as we do and are willing to go on the crazy rides with us.

You are the favorite Grandpa and do everything you can to help me and my little family no matter the personal sacrifice.

My Dad came many times to Idaho to help my family while I was gone caring for my mom, without his love and help we all would not have made it.

Thank you Dad, I love you so much and am grateful to have you in my life and to be such an integral part of my little family's life as well.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!

Happy Birthday Nicole

2009-11-03T02:45:00.000-07:00

Today is my BFF's Birthday. We are not going to mention how old she is cause I am older than her and we never discuss a ladies age..... ahmmm.

Anyway, IT is her Birthday and I just want to tell her how much I appreciate her after all these years with her top ten list.

Top Ten:

1 - She can laugh with me and cry with me but I know that I am NEVER being judged, just loved.

2 - She is an amazing cook and I love to come to her home, she always has something good to eat.

3 - We think alike that helps when I have trouble articulating words and she has her own language that I am privileged to know.

4 - She is an amazing person in all respects. She is so STRONG in her faith, she loves her husband and family fiercely and she is as loyal as anyone I know.

5 - She means what she says. You never do not know where you stand with her and I love that!

6 - She is real.

7 - After all these years, she is the one that I still want to call, text or e-mail all my lifes' worries to and she gets it and I can trust her with my story.

8 - She is the best roomie you could have and I love going to WC every year with her.

9 - She never gave up on me or our friendship, no matter what.

10 - She is my BFF, a gift I treasure daily and Thank Heavenly Father for blessing my life with.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NICOLE!

Our Crazy Weekend

2009-11-02T12:36:00.003-07:00

Drama Queen's School had a Fall Festival that we went to over the weekend. It was alot of fun for the kids, lots of games and candy and candy and more candy. The best part of the festivities was a game called "Make Your Own Scare Crow."

This is how it went.

The kids selected a hat and then ran to the next balloon on the fence- there they selected VERY LARGE pants and had to put them on. Then they had to run to the next balloon on the fence and get a VERY LARGE shirt on and run to the hay bale that had BIG CLOMPY BOOTS that they had to put on and try to run to the finish. I sat there and laughed my head off, that was the best idea that I have seen yet.

Sweet-boy was SO done but DQ did it again.

and again.

Then it was time for more sugar. They both won at the cake walk on the same turn.

After the spook alley it was painting of the pumpkins, very scary faces indeed.

It was a great day, plenty of sun, lots of sugar and fun, a great way to celebrate Halloween.

What we have been up to.....

2009-10-28T23:17:00.003-06:00

First we had to say good - bye to Grandma Jean, it was a beautiful service, with everyone saying what they felt in their hearts and a resting place that I think she will like - all except for the snow.Then it was on to some stress reducing for The Man. He is doing better as long as he takes his medicine, but no worries, I am an evil caregiver and I am sure that he is envisioning me as the pumpkin so I will stop making him take pills - HE HATES THEM.
Sweet-boy so happy with his pumpkin and ready to set it out and try out the candle.

All our Jack O' Lanterns ready for the big night. We will see in this apartment what happens, but I think we will have it all done before the sun goes down. Drama Queen's school is having a big carnival so we will get goodies from there. Ooooohhh, scary.

While I was away I thought it would be a good idea to send the kids and Dad something fun for them to do, so thanks to MindWare I was set. I got Sweet-boy a Soda Pop making kit and here they are concocting something fizzy.

It was definitely a work in progress and so funny to see Sweet-boy trying the mix as he does not try anything. It was worth it to see his squished up face.

Sweet-boy begged me to take a picture of his creation and place it here. I know not what it is, but he is very proud of it.

There is a lack of Drama Queen on this post. She has hit that "DO NOT TAKE MY PICTURE MOM!" stage so I am lucky that she sat in front of her pumpkin. Ah well, I will get her another time. So that is what we have been up to this week.

Thank you to all that have sent so many prayers, condolences and kind thoughts our way. I could not survive this without all that goodness coming my way.

Goodbye Mom

2009-10-22T11:58:00.002-06:00

I am back home and as much as I am glad for my return I am so sad at what that means.... My Mom is no longer with us.

Back in August, on my mom's Birthday she got the news that she had Cancer. It was such a devastatingly blow to me, so many losses in my life already that I could not take one more, not one! But there it was in the call from my brother. So I did what I had to do, packed up my home in Boise, moved my family to Twin Falls and left to join my siblings in seeing mom.

It was so hard to see this feisty, spry woman who looked amazingly good, wear oxygen and be teetherd to a machine. To listen to her tell us her wishes for her death. It was all too much to imagine. And then there was the realization that mom wanted me to come and help her through this. Could I do it? Could I be the rock that mom so needed in her life at that time? Oh I felt utterly unprepared for this task, but my love for her and my need to not have any regrets were enough to make the sacrifice.

So I left my family behind in the hands of my husband and left to become my mom's 24/7 caregiver. I am not going to lie, she was hard, she was difficult and she made it very clear that she wanted things her way. My lesson was to learn to just say - "Yes Mom," and get it done. So many awful things that needed to be done; taking her to the doctor to hear the sad prognosis, going to the mortuary to arrange her funeral and helping her pick a casket, writing her obituary and beginning the process of closing out a life. There are times that I was certain that I could not handle one more moment, I wanted to run, far away and just ignore that this was happening. But I felt the prayers of so many friends, I felt the comfort of my Savior that I could do this, no matter how hard. How could I? Because in the end I loved my mom and she needed me.

Days went by and before my eyes she faltered. Each day was less then the one before, each moment became more precious. Her reliance on me more and more and the visits with Hospice closer and closer. Then one day, it was time to gather the family around and tell her - Goodbye. At first my one brother was so angry that I had caused so much trouble by gathering everyone - mom looked good. She did! She hid the battle that was raging inside her so well. She did not let on to how tired she was, how much energy it took to just move about. She was ever the consummate host. I told him to just wait, tomorrow you will see how much she has changed. Then he knew and we all gathered around mom.

She held on to make sure that loved ones had been talked to and then she nodded at me and said it was time to go. I sat with her, comforting her, swabbing her dry parched mouth and doing everything I could think to keep her comfortable as she fought this battle alone. Even though I was there that was the hardest part, knowing that she would do this alone. I could not go ahead and open the door, and make sure that her pillow was in the chair for her. She would be leaving me behind and doing it all on her own.

The night seemed to drag on and I prayed that soon, oh God, soon please come and take her from this awful battle. I selfishly wanted her to stay but because I loved her I prayed for her to go...... and oh how my heart aches for her.

I would like to think that mom looked out her window and saw that it was a cloudy, grey morning and decided that if she could not see the beautiful blue sky, the red-red rock and black of the mountain, then there was not point in getting our of bed and so she went to where she could see the blue- blue sky and she left us.

The moment she was gone, her home became a stranger to me. What was I supposed to do? For so long I had been running so hard, doing for her, attending to her needs that in the silence I did not know what to do. I am still wondering what I am supposed to do...... What does a child do when they lose their mother? I am only 40 and she is gone. My kids have lost such a great grandma. Many have lost a neighbor, ward member and dear friend and we are all heartbroken.

So I am home, looking at a mound of laundry that I should do, but I can't for my grief. I want to sleep and dream that for a moment she is not gone. But going to call at any moment and give me her advice and we will talk about the kids and mundane tasks of life and she will tell me before she hangs up that she loves me. But then I know, that will never be again.

So today I am numb. Today I am still so full of grief that it hurts to breath and I wonder if I am any good to anyone? But I will hang on and make it one more day, cause that is what she would have wanted for me, to go on one more day and then another and then another, cause that is what we did - celebrated that we had made it to one more day.

Gone for a while.......

2009-09-29T09:44:00.002-06:00

See this amazing lady,

I am gone to spend some time with her, laughing,

talking and just remembering what it is like to be with my mom. I will catch you on my return.

Pray that my little family can handle mom being gone for a whole week - time for Dad to shine.

Simple Things

2009-09-16T16:27:00.004-06:00

It was an average day, time for lunch.

So the man and I met at Costco to do two things: get a hot dog and drink combo and get him a card.

As we were walking out a woman coming in was smiling at us, she meet my gaze and I wondered what she was smiling at.

As we approached each other she stopped in our path and said the following,

" I love to see couples holding hands, you must be in love."

This comment stopped me, we always hold hands when we are out together and I never really think about it. Is it cause I love this man dearly or that we have been together so long that going with him and not holding his hand would seem like going outside without my sunglasses?

At any rate it made me wonder, is PDA just for the younger generation or do we have a better handle on what true love really looks like........♥

The Monument

2009-09-14T22:53:00.002-06:00

God,
Before He sent His children to earth
gave each of them
a very carefully selected package
of problems.

These,
He promised, smiling
Are yours alone, no one
else may have the blessings
these problems will bring you.

And only you
have the special talents and abilities
that will be needed
to make these problems
your servants.

Now go down to your birth
and to your forgetfulness. Know that
I love you beyond measure.
These problems that I give you
are a symbol of that love.

The monument you make of your life
with the help of your problems
will be a symbol of your
love for me,

Your Father.

Blaine M. Yorgason

Moving Day.....again

2009-09-03T11:37:00.002-06:00

Things are all amiss in my home.

I have taken pictures off the walls.

I have lovingly put mementos and items that I have not seen for a long time back into the darkness of the box that they will call home for at least 7 months.My nice furniture has been wrapped with cling wrap in the hopes that they will stay nice looking through yet another move.
There are pathways through the house, piles of belongings that I will be putting away in a garage to wait for another time to come out again.

And amidst all this mess, there is some peace. Many people have said that this is really a raw deal. How can you handle all this? I do not know where the strength is coming from when I feel every fiber in my body scream out from lack of sleep, lack of proper nourishment and that feeling that this just might be the straw that breaks my back. But every morning I pull myself up off the floor and go back to packing, cleaning and moving forward to our next destination. How do I do it?

A friend sent this to me and I would like to share it with you......

She told a story about a boy and his mother. The mother was embroidering and the boy looks up at her from playing on the floor and asks what she's doing and that it really looks messy from where he's sitting. She explains that she's embroidering and that if he went to play then came back after a while she'd show him what it looked like on her side from her lap---this is like Heavenly Father embroidering our lives. Sometimes we look up and think, boy this is a mess, but if we have Faith that after a while we'll sit on his lap and see the beautiful side of the embroidering then we can make it through the messy parts of life.

This is my life, it is a big old mess, but in a while it will be beautiful again and I will be able to know that with my Father in Heavens' help that I made it through another rough spot and will have something wonderful to remember it by. The memory of a wonderful woman that gave me life, faught a good fight and found rest at the end of the road.

And so we go on........

Grandma Jean

2009-08-31T00:23:00.002-06:00

My mom lived 5 hours away when we lived in Utah and we managed to go see her about twice a year. Since we are now an additional 5 hours away jumping in the car to go for a visit is a major undertaking, but one that we are now more apt to do. You see in the midst of packing up my home after the initial move to Idaho in June, we are slightly annoyed with this inconvenience and life is somewhat not too pleasant right now, but we have to go where the job is - that is the short and long of it. Along with all this turmoil, there has been an undercurrent of stress; my sweet mom, Grandma Jean, has been having health issues and ones that are not easily fixed by proceedures.

Today, we got the news that her time is now limited to months and I am in shock........ I have to deal with the realization that I will soon not be able to call her on the phone and talk to her, to ask her how to start the yarn on the needles when I forget it, that all my memories are going to go with her. I am finding that I wish that we had gone down more before this wake up call. I am finding that things that seemed so important before are not and that I need to get my family moved and settled so I can go and spend time with my mom. I am finding that relationships are more important then where I live, or if half our house is in storage, or that my life is not as rosy as I wish it to be. I am finding that it is the people that are in this journey called life with me, the people that I call family, friend, child, that hold my life, my love in their hands - that has suddenly taken on much more meaning to me.

I love you Mom!

And we do it all over again.......

2009-08-24T20:40:00.003-06:00

What am I doing this week. I am getting ready to fill one of these again with boxes and dishes and furniture and our life and move all over again. Anyone know of someone in need of renting a 3000 square foot two story home, 4 bedroom, 3 bath with lots of closet space, in Boise, Idaho? It is in a great neighborhood with a elementary school, clubhouse and pool.

Our Excusion to Twin Falls

2009-08-20T12:40:00.005-06:00

So as the summer is winding down and we are looking at having to move to another city, we decided to go visit The Man. He has been telling us about his nice room at a hotel and the kids and I packed up and crashed his pad for a few days. He needs to work and I guess I need to find another place for us to land in Twin...can I just tell you how much I hate looking for a place to live. But we have to make the best of this situation and so if going to a hotel is part of the deal then we will make the best of it, like going swimming for hours at the pool to wear out rambunctious kids.

We got some things we thought would sink but the best sinky toy for the pool was moms watch.

The plastic jacks just sat on the surface, but were still fun to gather, when they tired of diving for my watch.

The kids scoped out the room, selected beds and of course had to do the bed-bingo...bouncing from one to the other. I felt sorry for the people below us, but as it turned out there were lots of kids there during our stay, so who's to say it was us jumping on the beds......

One of the nights as were we driving around we decided to walk the rim of the Snake River. As you drive into Twin you have to go over an enormous bridge. To walk beneath the road and hear the cars zoom overhead is something, but to then to gaze out at the structure truly makes one wonder and wish they were there to watch it go up.

There were ski boats and fisher men in the river as we walked by, but all you can see is river going on and on.....

We walked until the path ended and the sun began its decent in the sky. It was a great evening, spent together just talking and being together. I know that we have done this before, the man gone working in another state, the kids and I following as soon as we could, but somehow it was easier, they were also so much littler. Now they know what is going on, they miss their Daddy and I miss having someone to defer to. Let's not even get started on the not sleeping issue. So as hard as this is, we want to get the move over with and get settled and hopefully stay put for a while, at least that is the hope. But I cannot think too far ahead anymore or I will get disappointed and I need to keep things going here. I have noticed that if I am down the kids are down and we might as well just go back to bed. There is too much to do, too much to really be appreciative about and as I tell the kids, "As long as we are together then everything is alright, no matter where we live, no matter what we have, our family is most important." So here's hoping that we can do that again in one place soon......

Two Weeks and Counting......

2009-08-17T07:00:00.000-06:00

It is the last two weeks of summer and I will be spending that time with the most important people in my life - these kiddos.

Enjoy the last brief time with your kids.....soon you will only see them for that rush in the morning and then the rush when they get home.....sad to see it come, in some ways glad it is finally here but I do miss them when they are at school.

Boise Zoo

2009-08-14T07:00:00.000-06:00

It was time to go and see what Boise Zoo had to offer. So away we went with everyone in the city that had the same idea and went to the Zoo. Drama Queen was so excited -NOT- to be there. At least their penguins actually get in the water and swim around. We once spent an hour at Hoggle Zoo watching and waiting for the those penguins to jump in, they would teeter on the edge and then on one foot and lean over the edge and then settle back down. No swim, no nothing and we just stood there for an hour in the baking sun.
My dapper boy with the penguin group.

They had a cool explorers area and some neat animals from the outback.

Just monkey'ng around at the Zoo.

We ended the day at the kids area that had lots to do and lots to see and lots of places to get rid of energy.

Another fun day at the Boise River

2009-08-10T13:03:00.004-06:00

The kids have been begging to go back to the river and spend the day. So we packed up the wagon and drove to our spot. The water level was slightly lower than when we first visited, but it was still a great spot.There was a partially built fort that the kids worked on and then Sweet-boy wanted his own. So we gathered wood and began the delicate process of making it stay in the trees.
Not bad with what we had to work with, but not good for keeping much of anything out, especially the torrential rain that we have been having.

Drama Queen in her shelter, not bad for either of them and it kept them busy while I finished a good book-Three Weeks with my Brother by Nicholas Sparks.

What is a trip to the woods without a good walking stick? Or something like that is what they told me.

We quickly took over and established a great spot to base from, but as my adventurous kids let me know, "We must search farther!" and so we packed up our camp and went further into the woods. We found a spot right along the river that allowed us to watch the rafters as they floated by and was just beneath a bridge. There were fly fisherman catching lots of fish and the kids even got a chance to release a big fish in to the river.

DQ had been wanting to go swimming all day so we kept daring her to go in the river. It was slightly colder then the pool - alot cooler. But she finally did it and then it was swim time. Sweet-boy wanted to go in, but was not too sure about all that cold.

So he played with the floating logs that came along.

We stay and played till the last of the river rafters went by, and the fishermen called it a day, and as the sun went down we began our jouney back to the car. The kids were tired, we all smelled like wet something, but it was a great time.

CoMpUTeRS

2009-08-03T02:22:00.002-06:00

We have been without a computer for a week and it has been really hard to deal with. I love that I can stay connected on my cell-phone but there is something about the feel of a normal keyboard. So hang in there as things are reloaded and new programs are tested out. I hope this is it, but we will see. Apparently there was a BIG virus that was making the computer slow. And someone thought it was all my blogging that was the problem......hm.... I think NOT!!

Birthday Bash

2009-07-31T07:00:00.000-06:00

Sweet-boy got invited to a great Birthday Party. It was all about water which is always a big hit. Happy Birthday to Miss B!!!

They played water games and had a blow-up slip-n-slide. If I knew the thing could take it I would have been going down. What fun for the kids.

One of the many trips down the slide for my guy.
The best part was the pool the kids splashed into at the bottom.

Then they had a pinata` that was really crazy to hit.

I love watching the kids chasing all the candy. It was the best too - Tootsie Rolls and bubble gum - yummy.

Showing mom his stash and I am already picking out what I want.

Funny part of the party is that Sweet-boy had another loose tooth that he has been hanging on to. So he went down the slide rather crazy and came up with a bloody mouth and a tooth no longer in his mouth. Yahoo he had lost his tooth and had a great time doing it.

Another great water day and the anticipated visit from the tooth fairy.

Hind Sight

2009-07-28T15:24:00.006-06:00

As most of you know we moved to Boise in June. The Man got a job with the company that first got us to move to Boise back in 1998. It has been wonderful to fall back into the slower pace of Boise. To see old friends again and renew those friendships. It has also been a blast to be just down the street from my BFF. There is nothing like talking on the phone for an hour about nothing even after we just spent the morning together. Even though we have been here such a short time it feels like home, a place where we can really see ourselves for long term. I almost think that is really something that we will never have. I think the longest that we have stayed in one place was our West Jordan, Utah home and that was five years.

As we settled in and unpacked boxes, the rumblings began. The Man was frustrated with the work set-up. I do not blame him, having three people think they are your boss and telling you three different things is enough to make anyone INSANE. But for my man, it was really difficult. Then there was the un-spoken expectations that were not met and then as with most companies the word from above that non-revenue generating positions were going to be eliminated. The BIGGEST reason we took this position was for the stability of money. We have done commission for so long that I wanted....... no we needed the stability of something to rely on. Yes, I think commission is great but the good months are few and far between and just try telling the bill collector that it was a slow month. So needless to say that last one hired is always the first one fired. So he and a few others were notified that their positions were being eliminated. They have given us the option to take a Sales Position in another city, but it requires a long commute for my hubby and us moving again.

Is that why I did not unpack every single box?

Is that why I began to feel the need to keep our boxes?

Is that why I have begun to feel sad?

Why, when everything about this move felt so right?

Why when I discussed this decision with the Lord did I feel it was what we needed to do?

Why yet again do I have to face my children's' faces, as they are making friends and settling in and tell them that we have to do it all over again?

WHY?

Then I remember that He said the road was going to be long, it was not going to be easy, but together we could do it! I guess that in remembering that, I feel better about things. He has a plan for us, even though I feel that we are just a lost ship being tossed about on the sea's. He does have a reason and maybe in a year I will see it; maybe I will never see it but there is a reason for things in our life. That is what I have to hold on to. That no matter what my address is, my family is still together. That no matter how many times I move my belongings it is another step in my journey through life that either makes me better or helps me loose 10 pounds from the physical exertion. That in the end it is just a move, it is just stuff and that as long as I support my husband, love my family and be the best that I can, He will help in my shortcomings.

At least that is what I am telling myself today.

Tomorrow might be the day that I start to cry.........and can't stop for a while. But even in the sorrow that I feel for yet another loss - this is life and it is our roller-coaster and really I would not want it any other way.

Roaring Springs

2009-07-27T07:00:00.000-06:00

We are all about things to do that involve water, if some of you have not noticed. Our dear friends got us tickets to go to Roaring Springs. So we loaded up the kiddos headed to the park and were there when it opened - something that I have never done on any theme park. We found some good seats and layered on the sunscreen and headed out for a full day of water fun.

Somewhere in there Sweet-boy is getting dumped on, best thing they ever invented for kids.

My Drama Queen getting ready to tackle as many rides as possible. Her favorite is still the Lazy River - she swims while mom floats along.

We were right by the kiddy pool area and they have a great slide to go on. Sweet-boy loved that and the wave pool. Here he goes.

Whooshing past me.......

His kind of slide.

I think after the scary white roller coaster at Lagoon he is going for slow and not so scary.

Kicking back in the shade. The Man was not up for too much fun. He hurt his hand on the kids scooter back in June and is still wearing a splint. I think we might have a fracture but you know men and doctors.......and that is all I am gonna say about that one.

Six hours in the sun - baking.

Lunch of high priced concession food,

time spent with good friends and family - priceless!!

A very tired but happy boy and another great day together.

Our Trip to Utah

2009-07-20T14:37:00.004-06:00

It was time to head to Utah and visit the family along with some appointments that we needed to square away. We packed up the car and headed to my parents home to spend the week. Upon arrival we had to make sure that the trains were set up. No trip to Grandpa's is complete without the train set on the floor for all to play with.Making sure that there were plenty of mishaps with the bridge.
Look mom, the bridge is out again. All this fun began at the crack of dawn and went till bedtime every night. But you gotta love G&G for letting them leave it out.

Next we went to Lagoon. I love this place and this was the year that Sweet-boy was finally able to do all the rides. So what does Grandpa suggest but to go on the old white roller-coaster first. Sweet-boy survived the coaster but he was not so sure he wanted to go again on the ride. But he did try alot more then last year and that is great. Drama Queen on the other hand is a total adrenaline junky - the faster the ride the better and she dragged me along on each and everyone. That is alright cause I like the speed too.

Merry-go-round, tearing up the town.

Grandpa and Sweet-boy on the Odyssey ride. It gets you wet but not as wet as some of them.

We had such a great day and it was over too soon. The best would have been if The Man could have been there, but someone had to work. We will sure be going back for another day of fun.

Another day we went to the Oquirrh Temple Open house. We had to wait in a tent that had big tubes pumping in the air-conditioning.

Sweet-boy loved standing in front of that and being blown away.

It was amazing and so beautiful. The kids loved it and were so glad that G&G were there to enjoy it too.

My wonderful family - I love you guys!!!

Still a handsome couple after all these years.

Beautiful.

Lastly it was our annual trip to Ragging Waters. Thank you again Dr. Madsen we love our trips there.

It was a wonderful time to go to Utah, perfect weather, wonderful company and alot of time with my most favorite people in the world.

My Anniversary Present

2009-07-17T07:00:00.001-06:00

When The Man and I got married, I had an okay full bed set. The Man said that was not good enough so we went to the local furniture store and he selected the bedroom set that has stayed with us for thirteen years.

I hated it!!!

It looked cheap, it was cheap and with all the changes in location you would think it would have gotten dinged up - no. He told me that when we got our first house we would get my dream bedroom set, when we did this and that....... On and on it went the promise of that nice bedroom set. Finally after 14 years of waiting, it happened. I got to go in and forget about the cost and get the bed that I have always wanted. Setting it up was better than any present I remember getting. It was here, my new KING sized mahogany sleigh bed with matching Hutch and night stands.

It is luxury and then some.

The best part is that we all can fit on the bed. There is room. No more playing hot dog in the bed. The Man and then Sweet-boy on the edges and mom stuck in the middle wondering why body parts are going numb.

Thank you Honey!!!

I love our new bedroom set, it was SO worth the fourteen years that I had to wait for it.

Happy Anniversary.

Bruneau

2009-07-15T07:00:00.000-06:00

Our next adventure.

Just outside of Boise there is a place in the middle of no where, on the road to Elko if you miss the turn, that is just amazing. As you drive up there are these gigantic mountains of sand and in the middle of them is a river area. This was our next adventure - Bruneau Sand Dunes.

It was a perfect day. A dusting of clouds, calm water and the place almost all to ourselves.
We set up our stuff and quickly started exploring the water. It was wonderful as it never got any deeper then my waist so I knew the kids were safe to go out swimming.

It was cold and took a while to get used to, but once they were in, they were in that water.

The sand dunes were white sand and the water sand was black. It was a stark contrast but one that we really enjoyed and the rocks, all different kinds. We quickly filled a bucket with rock treasures to bring home and look up on the internet.

Look at the happy kids. If it has water in the adventure they are truly happy.

Look at my happy feet. Too bad the water and sand did a number on my pedicure. It was time for another one anyway.

There were reeds all along the edges and some kind of water grass that the kids thought would be great to gather and make.......

...........a nest out of.

This was the monster's from the deep green kelp nest, or so I was told.

I had forgotten my watch and so we had to rely on the sun for our time que. We finally got loaded up and on the road at 5:30pm. It had been a long, but wonderful day with my kids. I love our adventures and sharing these wonders with them. They asked if we could do this again too, of course. But next time we want to make sure that Daddy can come too.

Tomorrows adventure is going to be the best yet - they get to clean the house.

Greenbelt

2009-07-13T07:00:00.001-06:00

The morning dawned and the kids and I were off for the first of many adventures. First we went to the local Free Summer Kids Movies and enjoyed a free show and very over-priced concession food. Then it was time to go exploring.

Now the last time that we had been to most of these places there was only one kid and DQ was barely 3 at the time. So I thought it was time to re-acquaint the kids with the wonders of our town.

There is a park in Downtown Boise that has BIG trees and a great play area, that after seven years is still in the full sun. But it is a great place to start the adventure. We swung on the swings and marveled at the wild but tame wildlife in the park - squirrels.
I have to laugh each time I see one. Story coming: Last time Idaho was our home, my brother was living in Japan and I commented to him that we had so many squirrels here. He told me that there were no squirrels in Japan as the locals used their meat in dishes and had eaten all the squirrels there. So I feel lucky for our American squirrels, no worry of that happening.

The kids in amazement over how tame they are and how close they will come to you for a nibble of PB&J.

Walking along the Greenbelt to our next destination, the MK Nature garden. I love this place, so many things to see and learn about. We loved walking around and reading all the signs.

Looking into the pond that had the biggest fish I had ever seen.

Sweet-boy looking into the water at some fish.

The fish got bigger as we went along.

My little adventurers ready for the last stop on our journey. Along the greenbelt is an area that actually goes into the river. It is calm and protected and a great place to get wet on a hot day and the best part is that no one is gonna scream cause a rock got thrown, or the sand was moved or even that we used the tree limbs to make our own dam in the river. It was a total hands on nature fun time and we loved it.

The kids tried to stay dry but in the end, we were all really wet.

You know it is a good day when the kids ask if we can come back tomorrow.

Definitely!!

What We Have Been Doing

2009-07-11T07:00:00.002-06:00

It was about 99 degrees outside and the kids wanted to make a home-made pinata`. So with flour and water, left-over packing newspaper and a balloon from the craft box they got to work. Molding and layering the paper in the heat, thank goodness for Sunny D.

We let that thing cook in the sun for the rest of the day, deflated the balloon and all the Webkinz in our home had a party and broke the pinata`.

Also in the blistering heat, the best package arrived at my door. Sweet Heather had a give-a-way and I was a co-winner. It was loaded with wonderful things and even sunscreen that I have used and a book that I am just starting. Good pool side reading for sure. Plus some dark chocolate covered almonds, so good. Thank you Heather you are the bomb!!!

Then it was the much anticipated first making of the cinnamon rolls in my new kitchen. Sweet-boy of course wanted to help me out. For the first batch in Idaho, I have to say they were the best that I have ever made.

Sweet-boy cleaning up all the spilled butter and cinnamon-sugar mix. I tell you these were good rolls even in dough form. Did I keep them? No. These wonderful creations went to all the people that helped us move in as a thank you. But next batch is all ours.

And the Winners are..........

2009-07-10T11:12:00.003-06:00

The time has come to announce the winners of my Scentsy give-away. Here we go.......

1) Stefani - has won her choice of a Scentsy System - 3 Scentsy bars of her choice plus 1 deluxe Scentsy Warmer.

2) Angelina - has won Scentsy 3 Pack- 3 Scentsy bars of your choice.

3) Melanie - has won a Scentsy Room Spray.

Thank you to all that entered. Now to those that won, go to my website WWW.Scentsy.com/TammyShiner and check out which item you would like to have. Then e-mail me your selections with your address and I will have them sent to you.

Scentsy Give-away

2009-07-06T07:00:00.000-06:00

Here it is folks, another great Summer Give-Away!!!!

Since I have started my own Scentsy Business I wanted to begin with a give-away. Comment once, comment often but all this week the give-away will be open.
Tell me if you have heard of Scentsy.
Tell me if you love that smell in others homes and have no idea how to duplicate it.

Tell me how you (like me) never win anything and really need a summer-is-almost-over-and-the-kids-are-making-me-crazy win to make everything right in your world.

This contest will run all week and winner's, YES I SAID WINNERS, will be selected on Thursday night and posted on Friday. So check back and may you all be winners.

Shameless Business Plug

2009-06-30T07:00:00.005-06:00

I have done it!

I finally joined one of those sell-to-all-your-friends-and-family-work-from-home-business'. The only reason that I did it was because I am totally addicted.

I love this stuff!!!

Who doesn't like to walk into their home and have it smell fresh and clean when it isn't? Who doesn't want to have their car smell heavenly even though we lost several sippy cups and a few french fries in the back abyss? Who doesn't yearn for that smell that makes your house a home, at least that is what my kids think when they get home and my scents are wafting through the air. They know that where that smell is, Mom is and thus they are home.

So since I am my biggest consumer, I thought it might be a good idea to benefit from the habit and so I invite you all to help me out. Check out my site, look around and if you see something you like, give it a try.

Also look for a fun give-away contest next week to help get my business going. There will be multiple gifts given and fun free stuff to win. You can comment-enter as many times as you want. Final drawing will be held on Friday July 10th with the winners posted then. Good luck everyone and go check this Scentsy stuff out.

Train Fun Grandpa Style

2009-06-28T07:00:00.002-06:00

It is always fun to get the tracks out with Grandpa and see what happens.The building, the merging of the minds and what is the end product......
An incredible track system that has lots of thrills built into it.

Plus, one big disaster pit, that is a must for any track system.

We just love our grandpa.

Cousin Fun

2009-06-25T07:00:00.000-06:00

While we were back getting the last of our house, we decided to get together with the cousins. We meet at a great shady park and let the kids play and play after a boring day of packing yet another Uhaul truck. DQ happy at last, something fun to do.
My little monkey boy.

But then the rules were broken and he was to spend the rest of the night here, in time-out.

Does he look pathetic enough for you?

He told Aunt L that his mom was super mean.

YES I AM!!!!

The Man playing football with just a few of the many boys in his family. I could not believe that he had the energy to do it after loading the truck and then we went on to play volleyball.

It was a great night, lots of fun. It did however take a few slow stretches to get moving the next morning and a BIG dose of Ibuprofen.

Thanks Utah cousins, we hope you will come for a visit soon.

The re-visist of a great post

2009-06-24T07:00:00.002-06:00

Since I met one of my bloggy friends a few weekends ago, she reminded me of her favorite post.

So this re-visit is for you Elena.

I hope you enjoy it and everyone else too, it really is one of my favorites too.

Click here

Happy Father's Day

2009-06-21T07:00:00.003-06:00

I know that he is not my Father, but I want to pay tribute to a man that is really as good as my dad, my husband.

When I met The Man, I was not impressed. I really did not like him that much and was not shy about expressing it, but we grew to be friends and then fell in love. I am so glad that he did not give up on me and that he stuck it out when I clearly did not feel the same as him, his patience has given me the best (almost) 14 years of my life.

Why do I think he is a great man.......because he can be just as silly and goofy and nutts as me. Just ask my BFF as we took her camera one day at an outing and unknown to her proceeded to load it with alot of these kinds of pictures. That after a long day of work he can still go out and do flips on the tramp or play crack the egg with the kids.
That because I wanted it, he worked so hard, even in the snow, to finish the deck for me to enjoy.

That he is one of my favorite men in my life. That he is a strong man of God and he loves his family fiercely.

That no matter what I give him, no matter how many pictures I take and no matter how many times I change my mind, he loves it, he poses' and he is my biggest supporter.

Happy Father's Day honey!

I am so glad that I married you and that together we have created such a fun family. I love being your partner in life, love and all our adventures.

Oh What Do You Do In The Summertime......

2009-06-19T07:00:00.000-06:00

I know we have only been in this house for 2 1/2 weeks but there are some things that just have to be changed and the outside lights were one of them, and the flower beds needed my special touch, but that is a whole other post.

Saturday I went out garage-sale'ing and found some brand-new-still-in-the-box-outside-lights for a killer deal. It was time to put them up. The sun was shining and it was finally not raining and most of the light-bulbs on the old lights were burnt out. Definitely time to change out those lights. So as I am up on the ladder working away, Sweet-boy and "B" decided to make box people out of the boxes.

With a little instruction on the proper technique for punching out holes in the boxes using a screw driver, they were happily on their way to making something wonderful.
Sweet-boy going to town on the right place for a arm-hole.

"B" kinda scary with the screwdriver.

"Can you see me mom?"

All done and ready to parade around the neighborhood.

"B" with plenty of air-holes in the box.

All this from a couple of boxes.

I love watching what kids come up with to entertain themselves on a nice summer day with nothing but two boxes and their HUGE imaginations.

Yahoo!!!

2009-06-17T07:00:00.000-06:00

It finally happened!

The tooth that has been the joke at dinner, the ever present thing on my Sweet-boys lip- is no more. We have a gap in the smile and Mom is ever so happy. I just wish it had not been 4am that the dear little tooth decided to "POP" out and leave it's home. All that yelping and screaming that early in the morning is not good for sleeping nor my heart-rate, but all good things never happen in the still of the night, do they?!
Three teeth gone, how many more to go? If he is anything like his sister he will loose them in bunches. But for today we are happy with this one new gap in the smile.

Here comes the sun!!!!

2009-06-16T07:00:00.001-06:00

Finally the sun came out. It has rained and rained and if it was not rainy it was cloudy and cold. Not very good pool weather and my little fishy kids have just been dying to go to the pool. We loaded up our stuff, met our friends at the pool and started to have some fun.
The kids finally in the water.

Drama Queen looks like she is tackling the English Channel.

Sweet-boy showing me his entrance into the pool.

It was a great day, one where I slathered on the sunscreen on everyone but me. So mom is glad that the rain has returned, she needs time to recover from her first burn of the summer.

Can someone get rid of this tooth?

2009-06-14T07:00:00.000-06:00

For over two months we have had a wiggly tooth in our house. Normally it is Drama Queen that is falling apart but finally it is Sweet-boy that seems to be ready to loose the baby-teeth. You would think that with all the whooping and hollering that goes on when a tooth is lost that he would want in on it?

NO!!!!

We now deal with a kid that has his front tooth hanging out all the time, looking like something that I have seen somewhere before......... But where.......And then I remember, "A Year Without A Santa Clause". This is one of my most favorite Christmas, Rankin-Bass cartoony movies of all time. Needless to say that everytime I see my little guy, I smile. He is very watchful over his tooth and wants it to fall out when it is ready. So for now we watch and wait. But I think I will go and watch that movie, all because of a tooth.

The Petti-bomb-skirt

2009-06-12T07:00:00.000-06:00

So the kids in our Utah ward were all wearing these skirts - the pettiskirt. I looked at them during sharing time thinking that they would be easy to make, just alot of gathering. Then I talked to one of the mom's that had made one, it took her 8 hours to make just one and as she explained it to me, my eyes glazed over. Suddenly the hefty amount that they wanted on the internet was nothing compared to my sanity. So I ordered one, had it sent to Idaho and it was here waiting for us when we arrived.

She looks so grown-up.

Can you believe she will be in middle school next year - yup Mom is having a hard time relating to that. But for now she is my "Sweet-pea".

The Big Move Part 1

2009-06-08T07:00:00.000-06:00

Finally the day had come; the big move, the truck was rented, the house was packed and we were anxious to get things loaded and get going. The kids were a big help in loading the truck with all the boxes. I think they liked playing with the dolly more then moving boxes.

Look at those hard workers, they really helped alot!
DQ playing in the trees in the park one last time. We will miss the big trees, but I am sure we will find some more to climb by our new home.
Saying "Good-bye" to friends.

All our stuff either in the truck, on the lawn or in the garage. We had so much help that the house cleared out in about an hour. What took the longest was realizing that we had too much stuff to fit on the truck and having to unpack the truck and get the essentials on for the initial trip.

The truck is packed and this is all the furniture that will need to remain behind till we can come back for it. What a mess, but also amazing that we have that much stuff. I am the purge queen, so I was surprised that we had any left-over, but we do.....

Finally we are off...... The Man drove the truck with his car hauled behind. It was quite the caravan. (Don't look now Dad but I am taking this picture while I am driving - ahhhhhhh).

Finally the state line comes into view and we are feeling that much closer to our new life, our new adventure and what we hope will be happier times.

Our new home - we are so happy that we are here. It was great to arrive at "Home" to have so many people be there to welcome us and help to get our home off the truck and into its new residence.

Now we can really start saying, "there is no place like home......."

Stay Tuned for the "before and after of the move". I hate unpacking but it needs to be done.

I can never wait for anything

2009-06-06T07:00:00.000-06:00

The Man works for Canon and so you would think that we could get some cool things......yep we do. I got a great camera for

'just cause" and a printer to finally print off all those pictures that I take.... So when the parents camera died we decided to get them one. Since I can never wait to give gifts to people we gave it to them - NOW!!!! Look at all those instructions that are never going to be read.
It is a tiny power shot and is so small and cute that I was wanting one too. We could have gotten it in Pink and Purple, but Dad was glad that we didn't.

Sweet-boy gets to be the first picture.

Happy Mother's / Father's Day folks!!!

Did someone call for a Doctor?

2009-06-04T07:00:00.000-06:00

I was a little late in getting out of bed, so in our house that must mean that there is something wrong with Mom, heaven forbid that I could be tired or something..... But here came my in-house medical crew - Doctor Sweet-boy and Nurse Drama Queen.

First they needed to ascertain the extent of my illness - "Mom, are you in there?"
It was determined that I was suffering from the most severe cases of foot neglect they had ever been seen. Doctor Sweet-Boy removed the cancer from my toes while Nurse DQ assisted.

The need for serious intervention was determined and a new medical device was used in removing all remaining dead tissue from my foot - (love my Pedi-egg).
This is where Nurse Drama Queen really took over, she scrubbed and rubbed till my foot was nice and smooth.

I am glad to say that the patient survived the operation and is looking forward to another procedure as my feet are in dire need, again.

Gotta love the in-house medical crew.

D-CNA

2009-06-02T11:41:00.000-06:00

It is official folks.

I have officially, but not officially(2-5 days for the state to issue my license #) and by that I mean that I took my last State Mandated Test for my CNA Licensure - the dreaded skills test - where I demonstrate my knowledge on none other then a manikin in a hospital bed.

I was so nervous that I thought I was gonna throw-up, plus the 4 hours of sleep didn't help, nor the ingestion of 2 super large Cokes to get me hipped up for the test.

BUT I DID IT,

and as Momma C says, now I am certified as Dangerous where prior to this I was just really dangerous thus D-CNA!

This is what I looked like when I got home - yeah it kinda scared me too! But I am done - YAHOO!!!!!

Last Day of School

2009-06-01T07:00:00.001-06:00

This is Sweet-boys teacher.

She was so wonderful and such a great teacher to have for First Grade. Our gift to the class was of course Sweet-boy's favorite treat - full size chocolate bars for everyone. It was a bitter-sweet moment as I have really loved working with his teacher, this year was really great because of all her endless patience with my little guy.

Thank you Mrs. Carr!!!Drama Queen with some of her classmates.

The kid wearing the backwards cap ate all the time. He always asked me for food even with his stash in his desk. I have never seen a kid eat so much, all the time. We will miss this funny kid. His little sister was in Sweet-boys class so we got to know them real well.

The best 5th grade teacher.

Helping out in her class was so fun, it was always something new and different and I got to work with all the kids not just a group. Thank you Mrs. McDonough for your first year teaching you were wonderful and we wish you many more successful years teaching.

The petite girls in DQ's class. She told me that not only was she the smallest in her class but in the 5th grade. This was the big discovery on one of their field trips. Poor thing, but we have lots of time for those long legs to catch up with the rest of her.

1st and 5th grade completed - check!
On to our next year with new schools and a school system that sends their 6th graders to Junior High - not too sure that mom is ready for that one.......

Why Grandpa is the Bomb!!!

2009-05-26T07:00:00.001-06:00

There it was, the e-mail that almost made me want to be anywhere but here this weekend.

It is Thomas' visit to our local railroad and this was the reminder that it was time for us to buy our tickets.

No, not me.......

Let me explain.

I love Thomas, I buy Thomas stuff for Sweet-boy, I love the movies, I love building tracks for his trains to live on for a day and I love the corniness of it all, so why do I cringe? Well, last time we went with the whole family I was a month post my Hysterectomy, so the clanging of the train was a new experience in pain for me and my "Happy Pills" were not able to compete with all that jarring. Plus we are currently in the midst of packing and that was a time constraint that I could not deal with.

I e-mail Grandpa Extraordinaire!!!

Would you attend Day Out with Thomas with your little buddy?

Of course was the reply and so we got it arranged.

It was a logistic feat as Sweet-boy was on a school field trip and would need to be picked up from there by his Grandpa to be able to attend. Needless to say all powers to be were very accommodating and it went off without a hitch.

Here are my happy boys returning from a fun filled day with each other and seeing Thomas.

See that, one little guy that just ♥♥♥loves♥♥♥ his Grandpa. He got a Thomas tattoo on his hand and will not wash it off. He even asked if we could re-do Thursday so he could spend the day with Grandpa again.
Thank you Dad for doing that, you are the best Grandpa, not surprising since you were the Best Dad!!!

Here comes the Cat......

2009-05-21T15:20:00.005-06:00

I have been a little bit MIA as of late so I need to let you know why. The cat is coming out of the bag........ We have been taking alot of weekend trips to here (any quesses?) and not just for the excuse of seeing our BFF's.

It is because we are finalizing a job and a house and getting ready to load our lives into one of these again and head North towards what we call - HOME!

In 1998 my husband dragged me kicking and screaming to Boise, Idaho and it was the worst and best thing that has ever happened to me and my family, see funny story here. We moved away in 2002 and have been trying to get back ever since then, and now the time has come. We are packing up our house, making final arrangements and moving forward in our lives where it has felt that we have been spinning our wheels for 2 years, waiting. I told The Man about three months ago that come the end of May we were moving, I did not know where but we needed to move on and take charge of our lives - the rest the Lord would need to deal with cause I could not anymore and here we are moving forward.

So wish us luck as we bid our place in Utah good-bye and move back to Boise, to friends and a place that is home to us. I cannot wait, it is the first move that I have really wanted and am excited about......

Week in Review

2009-05-17T17:27:00.002-06:00

A blog that I haunt does the week in review. I like the idea and think that with my increased level of "lack of time" to consistently come up with great, witty, daily posts, we will do the week in review.

So here we go..........

******

Took my written CNA test on Monday. Not bad it was all computerized and it was very similar to the lame tests that I had been practicing on. I hate these tests because you have to dummy yourself to ensure that you understand their questions. I wonder if anyone from the state level has taken one of these tests since conception. Some were so insulting that I wondered if I was not completely misreading the question. When I was taking the class I talked with my instructor on how the bookwork and the quizzes did not reflect the same information - this was a great mystery to all of us. I think that this is why she will be going through them all and correcting them as her Master's Project. But sadly I will not be a benefactor of that change. Anywhoo,..... I took the test at the closest facility and it was a massive testing center, on everything. Problem number one. I was placed in the back of the room on a computer and for a while it was quiet, then two (sorry stereotyping coming up) nit-wits (you all know what I mean, 20 year old space-cadets) came in to take another test. They were placed right beside me, I wondered at the wisdom of this when there were clearly other locations they could have been placed at, but there they were. I continued on with my test, able to think because it was quiet, when they started their test, it was a keyboarding test of all things. So for the next 30 minutes all I heard was "click, click, click and then snapping of the gum". I was dumbfounded at what I now had to test in -a very disruptive environment. So needless to say that of the 30 questions that I had answered I was sure of their accurateness, but the remaining 70 I was not so sure. I slowly read the questions and thought about the answers among the "click, click, click, snap", hoping that any minute they would finish the test. FINALLY they finished and got up, as noisily as they could, snapping that @^*$%%# gum the whole time. I took a moment to regain my composure and resumed the test. After all that, I was told that I had to wait for 2-5 days for the results to be mailed to me - what? So I left thinking that I might have not done so good, but there was the hope. I received the envelope and made The Man open it. He asked me what I thought I got and I said 90%, but it was better then that - I got a 94% overall and in some areas I got 100%. So that was a great something in the mail for me. I will take the skills portion on the 26th and hope to nail that one too. This one is worse, it is pass or fail and I am really nervous about that one.

****

Wednesday, The Man took me out to lunch and to an afternoon movie. We saw the new Star Trek Movie, which I really recommend. If you were a Treky watcher when you were young you will really enjoy this one, the casting is dead-one and it was fun to watch the same mannerisms that we saw in the original cast duplicated in this one. Great two hours!!! He also bought me an MP3 player, I know big deal everyone has one, well not me, we are technologically backwards at our home - so this was a big deal. I would like to say that I love it but of the 2 minutes that I have listened to it, I am not sure I know how to work it. Drama Queen is seen with my gift in her ears most of the time now - oh well - I can share.

****

The Man took me away for a weekend visit with my BFF. It is rare that both the spouses and all the kids get along but we do and it is always so wonderful to go and visit them. It was an early Birthday present and one that I really enjoyed!!!

****

So that is my week, I wish that I could say that next week was going to be easy and not another week of running like a mad woman, but that is life as the mom.

First Celebrity Swine Flu Fatality

2009-05-14T07:00:00.000-06:00

And we all know who the carrier is.

Tagged by the number eight

2009-05-12T09:43:00.002-06:00

Top 8

My 8 favorite TV Shows
1- Castle
2- Law & Order
3- Dancing with the Stars
4- American Idol
5- Local News
6- Life with Raymond - reruns
7- WipeOut - so funny
8- America Funniest Home Videos

8 Things I did Yesterday
1- Laundry
2- Errands
3- Returned and purchased other Mother's Day gifts ( I know I am so picky)
4- Took my CNA written Test
5- Helped at my kids school with end of year testing
6- vacated my home twice for showings
7- had my tires totated
8- took 2 loads to the DI

My 8 Favorite Restaurants
1- Japanese Steak House
2- Out Back
3- Olive Garden
4- Panda Express
5- La Puenta
6- Cheesecake Factory
7- Johnny Carino's
8- Morelias

8 Things I am Looking Forward to
1- School being over for the year!!
2- Spending time with my hubby
3- Visiting my BFF
4- Payday
5- Swimming in the pool
6- having no schedule
7- Warmer weather
8- camping trips

8 Things on my Wish List
1- Future Posibilities
2- A secure future
3- Some $$ in my savings account
4- Disneyland
5- A trip with just my hubby
6- a puppy
7- Time to read
8- A better economy

Now I have to tag 8 people so I look forward to reading all of yours.
1- Heather
2- Caroline
3- Megan
4- Emma
5- Elana
6- Laurel
7- Rhondalue
8- Kate

The Pomp and Circumstance

2009-05-08T18:21:00.003-06:00

This is a day that I never even thought would be an option for me.

****

I decided that after so many semesters of trying to finish nursing pre-requisites and having to back out mid-way that I needed to do something in a more timely manner and something that I could also ensure would get my foot in the door and also to see if indeed I wanted to really be a nurse, when I grow up.

****

So I enrolled in the Certified Nursing Assistant program at SLCC. It was a 9 week self-paced course that I determined should really only take me 5 weeks to complete. As with everything that I do, I became obsessed to complete the course before my kids Spring Break but to also complete it with the highest score of my class. I am glad to say that I did just that, in fact I completed it much sooner than my completion of my clinical portion. All I hoped to obtain was a chance to make a difference in a patients life by helping that person get better and walk out the door of a hospital, well on their way to complete recovery. It also is a skill that will enable me to be more marketable - I hope.

****

But what I got was an opportunity to do something that I have never done, walk at Graduation. When the letter arrived telling me that I could participate in this celebration I was dumbfounded, and of course my family was so happy to support me in doing this, that the decision was made. The kids especially were delighted to come and watch mom accomplish something that was really hard on all of us in sacrifice of time. So early this morning, before most people were leaving for work we were up and dressed for the momentous occasion.Photo Opts with all the beautiful tulips the kids planted last fall.
The kids so happy to be out of school for the day.

Can you see me in the melee of people. I had to stand on my chair and scream and yell to get their attention.

I was waiting to see how badly they murdered my name, it was really hilarious but so great to be in the moment.

Look at me, I was close to tears and so happy to have my sweet family there to support me. I also felt the love and well wishes from all my friends and family far away. It was a great day and one that I hope my kids will remember. We are starting a wall of achievement where all our degrees will be placed, I want my kids to reach for a better life and know that it is an expectation in our family.

****

What a great day - hail the college graduate, class of 2009!!!

Why it is Crucial to get some Girl Time

2009-05-05T08:59:00.003-06:00

For the past four years my BFF and I look forward to getting together with 18,000 of our closests un-known sisters and spend two days being uplifted, rejuvenated and renewed. It is such a wonderful experience to do this, for four days we have names, we get to do whatever we want to do, even have mint brownines for breakfast if we want too, but that was not such a good idea. We laugh till all hours of the night and feel like teen-agers again until we call home and hear from our kids. Then they proceed to tell on Dad of all the things that he is not doing right. We console them and then chuckle that Dad is dealing with this and we get to ignore it all for another day.

So why is it Crucial to get girl time?

It is not only really, really necessary for the mom, helps with her sanity, but it really does make your family miss you. When I got home, I was tackled with hugs from my kids, Sweet-boy did not let go of me for the longest time. Drama Queen was not satisfied till she let me know all the things that had not gone as normal and that they had had Eggo's for dinner the entire time I was gone. My house is very messy and needing of a good scrubbing, laundry is it's own monster and the cookies and goodies are dangerously low, but I can see over all that. I have a renewed sense of who I am, that I make a big difference in the world and in my own little circle. Thanks Crazy Lady, WC would not be the same without you.

Women's Conference

2009-04-29T09:17:00.001-06:00

Yep it has finally come. Once a year I am assured some much needed girl time with my BFF and it is finally here. We both have been counting down the weeks and are so happy that it is finally here. I will catch you on Monday when I am completely renewed and spiritually fed and looking at the world in my rose colored glasses.

What we are doing this weekend

2009-04-24T07:00:00.000-06:00

One of the gifts for Sweet-boy was a slip and slide. It is barely past snowing weather and he is all about when we can use it.

So we decided that if they wanted to, we would give it a try. After the lawn had been mowed, which was like cutting hay, we laid out the slide. Then as per rumor, we covered it with dish soap for extra slip.

Not only did we get the kids wet and happy, but they were all clean and soaped up for the day. I love a two for one.

First Grade Follies

2009-04-22T07:00:00.000-06:00

Today was the First Grade Field trip and I was begged to attend by my Sweet-boy. How could I pass up all the fun on the farm.

Our first stop was to watch poor little sheep get all their wool cut off. I never heard so much baying by the poor animals. Here is a kid getting mauled by alot of kids.

The baby cows were our favorite, look how cute.

Then it was off to see the Fire Station and all the new trucks and toys, er I mean tools. This was definitely the highlight of the day.

That is one tired little guy, we went everywhere and had a great time doing it, the best part was coming home early with mom and going for ice cream.

Now that is my kind of a field trip.

Belated Birthday Fun

2009-04-20T22:58:00.002-06:00

So Sweet-boy had a birthday and he was so excited to open presents. Being a nice mom, I let him open two before we had breakfast. He opened a legos one, which of course was a huge hit! Then came time to open DQ's present to him.
She wrapped it a little too good, much effort into opening this one.

I was so proud of her, she has knitted a scarf all by herself for him, and here it is. He loved it of course!

Now in our house it is not a birthday without the cake being on fire, and I mean it too, we have always placed a sparkler in the cake along with all the candles. Makes for fun in trying to blow those candles out.

Happy Birthday, to my best boy!

Just when you thought it was all over......

2009-04-14T09:36:00.003-06:00

See Queenie, See Queenie Study, Study Queenie Study!

***

See Queenie, See Queenie pull her hair out, Pull Queenie Pull!

***

See Queenie, See Queenie wait to take her State Exams, Wait Queenie Wait!

***

See Queenie, See Queenie wiggin out, Wig Queenie Wig!

We are close to being done, now the either you know it or not moment is coming. Keep the faith, I am gonna need it.

Happy Birthday Sweet-Boy!!!

2009-04-10T07:00:00.000-06:00

Seven years ago my life changed again.

It was not an easy change to deal with....let me tell you why.

When the man and I got married I wanted nothing more then to have children with this man that I love so intently, but things just did not happen as we planned and when three years later and countless procedures and infertility testing resulted in nothing we sadly began the paperwork for adoption.

I was heart-broken.

Then one day a neighbor had a dream that I was holding a little baby, she knew that we were working towards adoption so I took it to mean that things would progress quickly for a birth mother, but she stated that it was my child, that I was pregnant and would soon have a child of my own. I took it as nothing, how could I get my hopes up over a dream.......two weeks later we found out that I was expecting and I never doubted her "dreams" again.

When we had Drama Queen my doctor told me that this was my life, I would probably never have another child (her pregnancy had been riddled with problems, total bed-rest after 20 weeks) and to just accept this as my life. So I did, I had a beautiful, perfect little girl and went on with my life knowing that she was going to be the only one.

Four years later I kept throwing up, I felt sluggish, awful and really sick of the flu that never seemed to go away. Food started to taste like dirt and I was so tired all the time. I had stopped worrying about my very irregular periods years ago, so to say that I was or could be pregnant was not even a thought. I had a trip planned to Utah and so I called my OB/GYN to schedule a check-up. He looked me over and asked if there was a chance I could, well of course there could but YOU said that was never going to happen again.....? One dip stick later and it was confirmed that we would be meeting a new member of our family, but when? With no idea when this all happened we had no idea how far along I was. So in I go for an ultrasound and I was 3 almost 4 months along.....what? I had not noticed that I was that far along - but when you are told that this will never happen again, you ignore the fatigue, the movement, the possibility that another miracle could have happened. I had mixed emotions, was I happy, was I ready for another child, could I handle this, how would this change our lives? So began the preparation for another child.

On April 10th at 7:39am (gotta love scheduled c-setions) we met our son and I fell in love all over again. He will be seven years old and I cannot believe how quickly the time has gone. He has been my little buddy, always happiest by my side. When he went to school I missed him terribly and I still do. He gives me love all the time and there truly is a special place in a mothers heart for her son and I cannot imagine not having his special spirit in our family to make us complete - besides he is just so stinking CUTE!

Happy Birthday Sweet-boy!!!!

Another Spring Break Adventure

2009-04-09T07:00:00.000-06:00

We were off again for another great adventure, but this time we had great guests with us - Grandma and Grandpa. Everything is better with them along!! Our destination was Thanksgiving Pointe for some Dinosaur Adventures. They have a great museum there with lots of hands on fun for the kids and for the bigger kids too.We were so impressed with all the fossils and where they were located - this is a fossil of a shore and all the water ripples - fun to run your hands across it.
Grandma deciding what color the dinosaurs should be, I think the purple with pink dots was the favorite for everyone.

They had a big erosion center which is basically a series of snake like bowls, filled with sand, water, trees and dinosaurs that the kids can play in. They move the sand, change the waters path and move the animals around. Sweet-boy was there for over an hour working to move the water around. It was really cool and great place for messy fun.

Another reason I do not like swimming in the ocean, there are big things in there.......

Sacrificing the kids to Jaws - what a fun Grandpa.

After, we went and had lunch and then Sweet-boy got to go and have a sleep-over with G & G for his birthday. It has been a really great week so far, I am having time with me kids and remembering how much fun it is to just wear the mom hat and be with them.

Our April Fools Day excitement

2009-04-08T09:43:00.002-06:00

April Fools day bloomed cold and uneventful, little did we know that it would not take long to change into something no one could have planned for.

About 11:30am I was still in my pj's reading and finishing up my final question review when the helicopters arrived. I thought that it was Hill Air Force Base doing test flights but we get more rumbling from F-16's buzzing the house then we do from choppers. So of course I go out into the back yard to investigate. Why they are camped out over my house? It is not the military but our local news channel helicopters - Chopper 5 and Channel 2's helicopters circling our quiet neighborhood. That was when I looked up the street and saw the mighty presence of law enforcement camped out in our neighborhood. Many of which stationed in front of our house. What the........?

Of course there is nothing on the news, nothing to report and the reverse 911 missed our number so I was in the dark about what was happening. Thank goodness for a caring VT that called to tell me that we were on lock-down along with the school. Some bad guys had ended a chase in our neighborhood and they were still looking for them. GREAT!!!! So I went around and fortified the doors and checked to make sure that everything was locked up tight. Then I realized that if they had us evacuate I was still in my pj's and that might be a problem.

All afternoon, I kept checking the news, watching the police walking the streets with their guns drawn, it was unnerving to say the least. As time passed on I knew that we were going to have a problem. The School was on lock-down, I had to go to class and I was having a hard time getting a hold of the man. What were the kids going to do? I knew that they were completely safe, two weeks earlier they had a drill lock-down - how ironic that they were going to use it so soon. I called the school and got nothing, called again and still no answer, what to do with the kids. So I went to the school and with my poster in hand that told them I needed my kids, I was cautiously allowed into the school by a big burly gun toting district man. He scared me to death, but was not real keen on becoming a babysitter for my kids, nor letting them go home to an empty house while all this was going on. I was allowed into the office and staff went to retrieve my kids. I had to show ID to everyone (even though they all know me and my kids - I am still not sure that is a good thing) and with my kids in hand we got a police escort to our car. The kids were a little uncertain about what was happening and asked if a bad man was waiting to get them in the school or at our home and so we had great talks about the things that had happened that day. I am sad that we had to discuss this but also glad that I got to answer their questions and help reassure them of ways to be safe in an uncertain world. They were in the safest place to be and the school handled things in such a great manner I never once was worried about their safety. I was also so impressed with how the many and I mean many police agency's worked to make our neighborhood safe again. I was also impressed with how much time Chopper 5 dedicated to helping search for the last bad guy.

In the end all bad guys were found and went to jail, for what I hope will be a long time. We still live in a really safe neighborhood and I am glad for all the people that worked so hard in calling to make sure that many in our neighborhood were safe and also kept updated as to what was happening. Things could not have been better.

If you want to read more click here for the story.

Weekly Update and Spring Break Begins

2009-04-07T07:00:00.001-06:00

Well it is over and I am very proud to say that I passed my CNA Final. I earned a 97% on the test, not bad for such an old lady with a crazy life. I still have one last clinical and two state level tests ahead of me, but I have more confidence that I can do it. I also have two weeks to wait for that to be scheduled so I have more time to study like a mad woman.

***************

Today we had our first adventure of the week. We are not going to be spending much time at home waiting for the sun to come out, we are going to have our own fun. Today was the Living Planet Aquarium. A great place to go and really get into Ocean Life.

Drama Queen playing with the sting ray's. If she could have gotten in there with them I am sure that she would have. She got all wet and had a great time, no fear.

Sweet-boy was not so excited to touch the slime-y, moving things. This from the boy that plays with snakes? Go figure. So he tried to catch the fish that kept swimming by......

He could hear the ocean....

We followed this with a great lunch at Johnny Carino's, a family favorite.

Stay tuned for more Spring Break fun, oh and after snowing most of the weekend, the sun has finally returned. Yahoo..........

I got nothing

2009-04-01T09:42:00.003-06:00

It is the end, I am studying for my class final like a mad woman.

My house is falling apart, the kids teachers have my number on speed dial.

The spring sun has gone away and snow is falling.

This is a dark moment in my life!

Be grateful for your crazy life cause mine

is completely STRESSED OUT!!!!

(See the cat to the right - that is me - hiss, hiss)

I Love This Doctor

2009-03-30T07:00:00.000-06:00

Q: I've heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life; is this true?
A: Your heart is only good for so many beats, and that's it... don't waste them on exercise. Everything wears out eventually. Speeding up your heart will not make you live longer; that's like saying you can extend the life of your car by driving it faster. Want to live longer? Take a nap.

Q: Should I cut down on meat and eat more fruits and vegetables?
A: You must grasp logistical efficiencies. What does a cow eat? Hay and corn. And what are these? Vegetables. So a steak is nothing more than an efficient mechanism of delivering vegetables to your system. Need grain? Eat chicken. Beef is also a good source of field grass (green leafy vegetable).. And a pork chop can give you 100% of your recommended daily allowance of vegetable products.

Q: Should I reduce my alcohol intake?
A: No, not at all. Wine is made from fruit. Brandy is distilled wine, that means they take the water out of the fruity bit so you get even more of the goodness that way. Beer is also made out of grain. Bottoms up!

Q: How can I calculate my body/fat ratio?
A: Well, if you have a body and you have fat, your ratio is one to one. If you have two bodies, your ratio is two to one, etc.

Q: What are some of the advantages of participating in a regular exercise program?
A: Can't think of a single one, sorry. My philosophy is: No Pain...Good!

Q: Aren't fried foods bad for you?
A: YOU'RE NOT LISTENING!!! .... Foods are fried these days in vegetable oil. In fact, they're permeated in it. How could getting more vegetables be bad for you?

Q: Will sit-ups help prevent me from getting a little soft around the middle?
A: Definitely not! When you exercise a muscle, it gets bigger. You should only be doing sit-ups if you want a bigger stomach.

Q: Is chocolate bad for me?
A: Are you crazy? HELLO Cocoa beans! Another vegetable!!! It's the best feel-good food around!

Q: Is swimming good for your figure?
A: If swimming is good for your figure, explain whales to me.

Q: Is getting in-shape important for my lifestyle?
A: Hey! 'Round' is a shape!

Well, I hope this has cleared up any misconceptions you may have had about food and diets.
And remember: "Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways - Chardonnay in one hand - chocolate in the other - body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO HOO, What a Ride"
AND......
For those of you who watch what you eat, here's the final word on nutrition and health. It's a relief to know the truth after all those conflicting nutritional studies.
1. The Japanese eat very little fatand suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
2. The Mexicans eat a lot of fatand suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
3. The Chinese drink very little red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
4. The Italians drink a lot of red wineand suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
5. The Germans drink a lot of beers and eat lots of sausages and fats and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
CONCLUSION
Eat and drink what you like. Speaking English is apparently what kills you.

Spring Utah Style

2009-03-23T08:57:00.003-06:00

Last fall the kids and I planted about 350 bulbs in the ground. There is always that fleeting thought that they got planted up-side-down, but here is proof that we got it right; young weather changing blooms.Sweet-boy so excited to see the Daffodils, finally.
But then we turn around and see this coming our direction. Could all that wonderful sun of yesterday, the kind that tickled our noses and left a slight trace of spring pink to it, could that have all been just a joke?

Yes indeedy it was, winter is not ready to let go. This is the delight that awaited me as I opened my blinds this morning. Poor little guys are not liking that snow on their butter-cups.

We were just jumping on you, snow free and ice chunks melted. Blasteded 6 more weeks of winter, in Utah terminology that means that it could go on till June.

So for today I will put away my capris' and get out the warm coat again and keep dreaming of warmth, the kind that is not fleeting.

Happy Spring!

This is good for a laugh and some are the new proverb

2009-03-20T12:19:00.002-06:00

A First Grade school teacher had twenty-six students in her class. She presented each child in her classroom the 1st half of a well-known proverb and asked them to come up with the remainder of the proverb. It's hard to believe these were actually done by First Grade students. Their insight may surprise you. Keep in mind that these are 6-year-olds, because the last one is, well a classic!

1. Don't change horses until they stop running.
2. Strike while the bug is close.
3. It's always darkest before Daylight Saving Time.
4. Never underestimate the power of termites.
5. You can lead a horse to water but How?
6. Don't bite the hand that looks dirty.
7. No news is impossible.
8. A miss is as good as a Mr.
9. You can't teach an old dog new Math.
10. If you lie down with dogs, you'll stink in the morning.
11. Love all, trust Me.
12. The pen is mightier than the pigs.
13. An idle mind is the best way to relax.
14. Where there's smoke there's pollution.
15. Happy the bride who gets all the presents.
16. A penny saved is not much.
17. Two's company, three's the Musketeers.
18. Don't put off till tomorrow what you put on to go to bed.
19. Laugh and the whole world laughs with you, cry and You have to blow your nose.
20. There are none so blind as Stevie Wonder.
21. Children should be seen and not spanked or grounded.
22. If at first you don't succeed get new batteries.
23. You get out of something only what you see in the picture on the box.
24. When the blind lead the blind get out of the way.
25. A bird in the hand is going to poop on you.
And the WINNER and last one!
26. Better late than Pregnant.

Have a great spring weekend everyone, school starts up again for me on Monday so I will be MIA again, but wish me luck I am on Week #4 and will be more than half-way done. My goal is to finish early before the seven week period comes so keep your fingers crossed.

March Madness

2009-03-18T07:00:00.000-06:00

I have never really thought much about the phrase "March Madness" till this particular March of my life.

I am deep into a class that although started out kinda hokey, is turning out to be a great mind bender. Finally all those years of working at LDS Hospital are paying off. Processes that I heard about, policies that we were tested on yearly, verbage that I have not used for eons is coming back to my consciousness and I am ace-ing the tests. It is like that gift of work experience is finally paying off and my box of knowledge that was buried deep in my mind is open and alive and enjoying being in the light again.....

But I am also seeing the cost that this experience is having on my family.

Dad just is not Mom.

Am I surprised about this realization?

No.

I have attended BYU Women's Conference the last three years and come home to, well, less than desirable conditions. I know that my expectations are not the same as my husbands and my schedule is not the same, but still it is tough.

Friday was a no school day for me and I used the time to play with my kids. I missed them, I had not realized how much I enjoy being with them, bringing the craft box down and watching their creative juices flow, sitting with DQ and doing Pre-Algebra, jumping on the trampoline and trying not to break my neck. I miss that sense of time belonging to me and I wonder am I pushing life along too fast at the cost of what really matters most?

Do not get me wrong, I am really glad that I am doing this class. Come April I will have a degree that will allow me to be more marketable and also step right into a Nursing program if I so choose, but I am also wondering if the time is right?

But when is the right time?

I have always felt that my job in bringing children into this world was to be there to raise them. I know that not every situation allows for that to happen, however I do owe it to my kids to be there when they need me.

*****

Flashback to high school.

I was voted the person most likely to never get married and never have children. I was going to conquer the world, be a CEO and have all the things that money could buy and forget all about men, they are the devil. As we all know that did not happen and when my daughter arrived on the scene all that changed. She became the center of my world, everything I did was for her and still is. One time I got a part-time job and had to go to all day orientation. So I left her with a daycare center and went off to orientation. When I came to pick her up she was still in her diaper of 9 hours ago and was still in her car seat. Had they not taken her out and played with her? The worst was that she would not look at me, she was so mad at me for doing that to her. She was only 8 months old too - she knew what I was doing and she was having no part of it. Needless to say that I quit the job and we suffered financially for a while longer so that I could stay at home. But I saw how important it was to be there, no one was going to do it better than me.

Fast forward to 2009.

People are loosing their jobs, homes are in foreclosure, life is scary and uncertain, no one is immune to financial disaster. Do I still feel that my certification is a good idea - you bet. But do I really want to use it by getting a job, not especially. I have a job, one that I chose almost twelve years ago and it is not going to end anytime soon. It is a job that no test could have told me I was naturally predisposed to, but one that I have grown into and love. My job is being a Mom and no matter what, it is the job that I need to be there to complete.

Dinner Group

2009-03-11T07:00:00.000-06:00

The Man and I have been really lucky to find incredible people where ever we have lived.

This group is one of our favorites - the Dinner Group. We get together during the even months with everyone taking their turn hosting the dinner, we eat great food and spend the night laughing till we are silly.

Well last month it was open and we decided to go out and inflict, I mean enjoy a meal that someone else cooked.Thanks you guys, without you all, things would really be boring!!

5th Grade Fun

2009-03-09T07:00:00.001-06:00

Drama Queen came home with an assignment, make a simple circuit.

Huh?

I can help with the math but that is something that sounded like a good Daddy-Sissy project.

What I love about those two putting their minds together is that they come up with some really cool things.

So with a couple of trips to Home Depot and several switches, wires and light bulbs later they ended up with a working circuit. Now the fun really began. Drama Queen got out the Legos and began to form, something, but then it turned into a masterpiece.

A very proper Lego home for our little Lego man, complete with a mailbox and a tree in the yard.

Best part is that is lights up so cool in the dark.

Day of the showing all the 5th graders got to display their items. I went around to see what others had done and I still thought hers was the best. Definitely no favoritism here.

We have another great teacher this year and here she is. Thanks Mrs D for another fun event for the kids and the big kids too.

So am I any smarter?

2009-03-06T07:00:00.000-07:00

I am back in school and one of my readers - yes Trooper Thorn I am talking about you, asked if I was any smarter yet?

Well, I may know more things then I did before and I have taken more tests than I care to again, but now it is time to put that knowledge into action. I have reached the clinical section and we are not even half-way done yet.

I think the most important thing is to look good no matter what you are doing.
Smarter, well maybe, I actually consider that I now know enough to really be dangerous, but bring on the long-term care facility.

Wordless Moments of February

2009-03-02T07:00:00.000-07:00

Stupidest thing that happened to me all week

2009-02-20T14:38:00.006-07:00

Normally stupid is considered a swear word in our home. I really despise that word, it is very belittling, but in some moments and certain situations there is just one word for things that happen in your life and this week STUPID is it!!!

All week long I have been smelling this awful, horrible, stinky, smell. It follows me where ever I go. I cleaned the house, took out the trash, put more Scentsy wax in my burners, and applied more perfume but, to no avail. It was always there, hanging in the air, that stench.

****

Now since the pregnancy of my son, I have a heightened sense of smell. I walk in a room and I can smell peoples feet, whether their trash is rank or even when the babies need to be changed before others. It is good but for me it has been a lingering curse. I am hyper-sensitive to smells and if something is too strong it makes me physically sick.

****

Fast forward to this week, I am beginning to get sick, the smell..... So last night while watching a movie I smell that smell, I lift up my shirt and look into an orfacice that I normally just ignore - my belly button. It is oozing with a foreign substance that looks like cottage cheese.

What the.......?

I grab Alcohol and fill up my belly-button reserve and scream with pain while it burns - that hurt!!! It hurt all night and made me even sicker to think that all that smell was coming from me.

*****

Morning dawns and I am off to see the doctor. Can I just tell you how embarrassing that was.

Dr: So what are we seeing you for today?

Q: (in a timid voice) I have something oozing from my belly-button.

Dr: What was that, I didn't hear you?

Q: I cannot even believe that I am here for this, it is so stupid. (long pause while Dr stares at me) I am oozing from my belly button.

Dr: Oh, (a look of relief on his face) well lets take a look.

It was people, but as he put it, not the grossest, nor most horrible thing he has seen today. Yeah, that made me feel so much better.

****

Fast forward to the Pharmacist who wishes me a speedy recovery as I pick up my script. I tell him that it is the dumbest thing in the world why I need these drugs. He drops what he is doing to hear the story. I am sure they were laughing long after I left - but he did tell me that it does happen, that it can lead to worse things and it is nothing to be ashamed of. He also told me it was a kids disease too - GREAT!! I really needed to hear that one too.

*****

So why do I share this with you, aside from giving everyone a good laugh through my horror, take a moment next time you are grooming to look at your belly-button and give it some much needed care or you too could be going to the doctor for this STUPID reason.

Why men are never allowed to take phone messages!

2009-02-20T07:00:00.000-07:00

Do I need to say anymore?

Missing in action

2009-02-17T12:26:00.003-07:00

See this person deep in academia, that soon will be me.

Yep! I am taking the plunge yet again.

This time it is an intensive 5 week course, where I will become certified as a Nursing Assistant. This is my short-term and low cost version of nursing school. I figure that when I am done I will either love it and want to finish my degree or hate it and have only wasted 5 weeks and a much lower amount of money, then I will know that another degree is something I need to pursue.

So if I am missing from action here, you will know where I am, deep in study to pass this course.

Wish me luck everyone this old lady is gonna need it!!!

what keeps LOVE alive

2009-02-13T09:48:00.005-07:00

Every year it comes, it is on the calendar but still The Man thinks that it is a planned day for men to be caught, put on the spot and yet again scrutinized for their lack of the WOW factor. Valentines Day is a real stressful day for the men in our lives, what to do, what will get that "Awhh Honey you shouldn't have" response and make all their wives girlfriends green with envy. After 13 years I have realized that if I want that kinda of a day then I need to VOCALIZE what it is that will do it for me. So Sunday night I sat The Man down and told him what would do it. We already had the kids farmed out for Thursday night for a work dinner. So I asked him to take a personal day off of work and spend the day with me.

What?!

That was it, no large purchases, no trips to the spa. I think he was stunned that I did not have a laundry list of things that I wanted. What I really wanted was to make some memories with my sweetheart.

Thursday morning dawned and I was so excited to know that I had The Man all to myself, no phone, no computer, just us. Once the kids were off to school we read the paper and leisurely got ready for the day. Then it was off to a place that we have not gone to together for a very long time- The Bountiful Temple. This place has special meaning for us and it was good to go back there again. It was such a spiritual boost that I think we both needed. We enjoyed a leisurely lunch talking about us, no kids, no bills, no deep topics, just things that were light and enjoyable. Then we went and did something that we have never done, jewelry shopping. I want a plain band or an anniversary band to wear during my clinicals. My ring is too big and glove ripping to not get trashed on the job. So we went looking and it was so fun- window shopping. I missed doing this when we got married. I told The Man what ring I wanted and he had the ring made, so when he placed it on my finger that was the first time that I saw my ring.

Then it was home to get the kids ready to go to Grandma & Grandpa's for the evening and homework squared away. We dropped the kids off and decided to skip the work dinner and go see a movie. We had the theater all to ourselves, that has never happened before. We sat where we wanted to, we had a popcorn fight and we laughed loud and long. Then we sat there and did what most teenagers do at drive-in's - we made out. It was so fun and so thrilling thinking we were going to get caught at any minute and traumatize some poor teenaged kid just wanting to clean the theater. At this time we needed to get the kids and realized that this was the first time all day that we had looked at the clock. It was sad to think that the day was coming to an end, but it had been a great day. On the drive home, holding the hand of my man I reflected on what a good day it had been. I had the day that I wanted, I had spent it with my favorite person, and I was truly content and happy. This year I loved Valentine's Day - it was everything I wanted and so much more, it is a day that I will remember for a long time to come.

Happy Valentine's Day - go make some memories with your Sweetheart.

Try-It-Tuesday

2009-02-10T10:16:00.002-07:00

Today we are featuring one of my favorite meals, Crepe's or as the kids call them "creepies". They are so easy to make and just the right thing for that age old question - Whats' for Dinner or Breakfast or whatever. So here we go.....

*****

Crepes`

3 eggs

1 tbl flour

1 tbl water

1 tbl milk

pinch of salt

1/8 cup sugar (for a sweet crepe)

Mix all this together vigorously, no flour clumps and you want the mixture to be frothy

In a non-stick pan add just a touch of oil and wipe off with paper towel, making sure to cover the rims as well. You want to batter to stick in place but not stick and never come out of the pan. Pour the batter in and swirl till it covers the entire bottom of the pan. I cook at a high heat so it goes quickly. When the crepe can be separated from the edge easily, flip over and brown the other side. At this point you should be able to move the crepe with your hand and it should slide out of the pan with no spatula.
Let the crepe cool down before adding the filling.
Filling:
I pkg cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
Mix till well incorporated then spread over entire crepe, at this point you can add fruit filling or I used any jam that we have in the fridge.

Roll up and wait for the rest to cool. One batch usually makes about 4-5 crepes so I usually double it.

Place on a plate and sprinkle with powdered sugar and with a BIG glass of milk, enjoy!!!

These are so yummy and so easy to make and once you have the crepe you can fill it with anything you want.

A little rant and rave about the single scene

2009-02-08T07:00:00.000-07:00

I was reading the blog of my sweet friend and she linked to this site called "Why mormon girls stay single".

So of course to help me understand why this adorable, funny, talented and incredibly successful lady is not married I visited this site. I read and the more I read the madder I got!!!

How can these young men be so cold?

I am sure that they are meaning this is good fun, but really. All the things that they listed such as, always being available, no facial hair and no strings attached when they want to get a little action but you really are just their friend?

What the....... Now who sounds like they are playing games?

Definitely the men here!!!

In one of their posts all the things that they mentioned in this day and age would not have gotten me anywhere. Lets show some examples:

1) When a guy calls with a last minute offer for getting together say yes.

Before we were married, the man called me an hour before a Christmas party that he wanted me to go to. An hour, are you kidding? I asked him how long he had known about the party, for two weeks, so if you had wanted me to attend with you, then I guess you would have asked me two weeks ago - answer was No!

So according to this post I would have been marked as not flexible, when in reality all I was asking for was respect. Respect of my time, respect that I was someone worthy of more consideration then an hour.

2) Paying for a date.

Okay on this one, I was very adamant about paying my own way due to there not being any hidden feeling that I was beholden to a man for anything. This was largely due to being burned way too many times by paying men. I also drove to the date so if needed those bathroom visits could turn into a great get-a-way to escape mister creepy. But these guys think that no matter the level of the relationship the woman should pay so as not to drain them of funds. Are you kidding me, when the man told me he loved me, he also told me that he wanted to take care of me, forever. I still offered to pay for things and did but that was the beginning of combining our lives.

3) Displays of affection.

First they thought that any sign of facial hair was an automatic reason to discontinue seeing you. Next, you might be a really good friend and someone that they did not have feelings for but they might still want to lock lips with you and did not see this as a problem. Does anyone else really feel like going and worshipping your husband right now. I mean come on, that is so how men mess with woman's emotions. We are just friends but come give me a kiss.

If I had to go back out there and date again, I know that the answer would be "NO". I have had thirteen years with someone that knows me, good bad or indifferent this is me and I am too old to change now. Then there is my kids, could I handle watching someone else discipline them, be with them - NO!!

I guess after reading all this and getting an idea why my sweet friend is completely frustrated with men in the single scene it also made me grateful for what I have. I am so glad that I have a husband that respects me, that did not treat me like a pal and mess with my emotions. Our friendship was honest from the beginning and through time developed into love, the kind that lasts and gets better with time. We have two amazing kids and a life that I marvel at. I cannot remember a time without him in my life and for that memory loss I am grateful for.

So ladies go and love your man, thank him for being in your life, cause if we found ourselves single I think we would all be very confused, the game of love has really changed since we were in it.

Breakin the Law

2009-02-04T07:00:00.001-07:00

At the crack of dawn I jumped into my car and carefully and cautiously drove to one of my favorite places - Traffic Court.

In one of those mommy moments of trying to get it all done before 5pm, YES, I was perhaps pushing on my gas-pedal a little more then usual and to my great fortune it was all witnessed by a Deputy ever willing to use me to help fill his ticket quota for the day. We got tagged and issued a lovely lime green note to appear and it was time to face the judge.

After being searched, scanned, and ensured that my underwire does set off the metal detector I was herded into a line to check in. Then after that and more forms to sign we were all herded again into the court room. At first I was ready to put up a fight, I was not going 46mph in a 30 zone, but after watching the judge, I quickly reconsidered, guilty might help get this over with quicker. The judge was commanding, point-blank and I think a bit mad that he was here dealing with all of us way before 8am. That was manifest when the man before me got taken to jail the hard way. That made me realise that our freedom can be taken away at any moment if we make dumb decisions. I got called up and put on my most respectful face, saying "no sir" more then I can ever remember saying. In the end having a clean driving record and looking relatively normal got me probation. So now I have to be a good driver for 9 months. That is going to be hard to do with all the driving that I do in a week, but I do not want that ticket nor do I ever want to go to that court room ever again, next time I might not get off so good.

Drive safe out there.

FatCat's Fun

2009-02-02T07:00:00.000-07:00

We had another long weekend with the kids home from school. Instead of hanging around the house we decided to go and stimulate the economy by blowing some Christmas money at FatCat's.

******

It was a great day filled with video games and dreams of owning a motor-cycle. Sweet-boy turned out to be a great rider and he stayed on that motor-cycle as long as his tokens held out. Now that is a happy boy! Drama Queen had to join in the fun too, look at that serious face, she really tried hard not to run everything and everyone down and to go the speed limit. I guess my brush with the law freaked her out.

Next it was bowling, with the bumpers up of course and I had mine up too, I figure that when every throw is a gutter ball that is not fun. Sweet-boy is amazing. I have never seen his technique of sliding across the floor and then the ball rolling along at .02MPH and then knocking all the pins down. He won the first game with a score of 99 and then the second game was 89.

"Yeah, I just knocked them all down mom!"

Drama Queen had her own technique that was unique as well, she really used the bumper to her advantage, making the ball zig-zag down the lane. She ended up beating all of us with her final score of 121.

Bowling, video games, junk food and bumper cars; all the makings for a pretty great day with those that I love. I sure hope that you had a great weekend with your family.

Best e-Mail of the week

2009-01-29T07:00:00.001-07:00

I want to thank my dad for sending me this one. It is another of those "so true" e-mails. Enjoy everyone!!!!

*****

THE GEOGRAPHY OF A WOMAN
Between 18 and 22, a woman is like Africa, half discovered, half wild, fertile and naturally beautiful!

Between 23 and 30, a woman is like Europe, well developed and open to trade, especially for someone with cash.

Between 31 and 35, a woman is like Spain, very hot, relaxed and convinced of her own beauty.

Between 36 and 40, a woman is like Greece, gently aging but still a warm and desirable place to visit.

Between 41 and 50, a woman is like Great Britain, with a glorious and all conquering past.

Between 51 and 60, a woman is like Israel, has been through war and doesn't make the same mistakes twice, takes care of business.

Between 61 and 70, a woman is like Canada, self-preserving, but open to meeting new people.

After 70, she becomes Tibet, wildly beautiful, with a mysterious past and the wisdom of the ages...only those with an adventurous spirit and a thirst for spiritual knowledge visit there.

THE GEOGRAPHY OF A MAN
Between 1 and 80, a man is like Iran, ruled by nuts!

Love really does come in a yellow envelope

2009-01-27T07:00:00.000-07:00

I have to admit that January 2009 started out with a dark cloud permanently hanging about. It seemed that no matter what I tried there was this sense of impending doom.

So how does one combat that?

Well first you turn to your family that is looking at you for the prompt on our families mood, I had nothing to give, so that was a dead end. Then you call your friends and hear that they are in the same fog that you are in, no help there, but still good to comiserate together. Then you turn to your bloggy friends and see that so many are in the same boat as you are. So one day in my funk as I perussed the many posts of so many, it became painfully clear that we are all in the same dilema and all asking the same question, "How do we get through the job loss, the lack of a buyer for our home, the health issue, the deaths, the never ending turmoil around us." I have tired to change the tempo in our home by using that much cherished Christmas money towards fun and not bills. Going to Chuck E. Cheese, FatCat's and even taking Drama Queen for a much needed Mommy-Daughter pedicure. But still it was not enough to truly shake the almost sadness that had found a home in my soul. Then I went to this site and read this.....

******
Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Deep thoughts by me, The Motherboard.
Recently, I have been watching someone I love go through a very difficult thing. My heart aches for her, as we sit and talk, and run the "what if's" over and over. My heart hurts as I watch her struggle to make sense of her new reality.As this trial for my loved one has unfolded, I have found myself reflecting on one of my favorite stories from the Old Testament, the story of Shadrachm Meshach, and Abed-nego.

I love this story because of 3 little words...

But if not...

The 3 amigos, as I lovingly call them (please don't thrust me down to hell for that one...) refuse to bow down to the kings idols. He is angry, and tells his servants to make his fiery furnace 7 times hotter than usual-- so he can burn these guys alive. The King mocks them, and says that if they didn't fall down and worship his idol properly, he would thrust them into the fiery furnace and they would burn to death, and really, who did they think would deliver them? Not their silly God... he, their king, was the one with all the power.

I love love love this next part... My 3 heroes say: "17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to a deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.

18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not a serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up"

I love that whole but if not part. Because that is where our faith comes into play.

But if not... Essentially they were saying that they know that God could deliver them from the Kings hands, but if not, they would never stop believing in their God, and they would never turn their hearts from Him.

We are all faced, at various times, with things we wish the Lord would take away... Things that we would rather not have to deal with or even experience. Sometimes we can pray and pray and pray, and nothing seems to change. Our trials do not go away... they are still there. Some would find themselves wondering where God is? Why is he not answering my righteous desire? That's where that whole but if not phrase comes into play.

Sometimes we have to do hard things. We can go to church, read our scriptures, pray, and those hard things are still there, every morning waiting for us. No matter what we do, they just won't go away. That is when the but if not phrase comes into play... "Lord, I need you take this trial from me. I can't do this anymore. But if not, I will still be true and faithful to you." It's how we react in the but if not part that Lord is interested in seeing. And I think, that's the hardest one to give.

I mean, who doesn't want to have their trials removed? I know I do. But if not, I will stand firm. It will be hard, but I will not waiver. I know, just like Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego did, that the Lord is perfectly capable of delivering us from our own personal "fiery furnaces", however, sometimes he doesn't. And the whole but if not part means that even if my crappy stuff is still here in the morning, I will be steadfast and immovable in my commitment to Christ.

Sometimes our faith is pushed to the very edge, and we have to rely on that but if not principal. We have to trust that even though things aren't turning out the way we want them to, God is still in control, and aware. We know that Heavenly Father will not try us beyond what we can handle, and further, we know that these trials are what make us not only a better person, but also one step closer to being more like Him.

We have to have faith that God will deliver us from the trials of teenagers going astray... but if not...

We have to have faith that God will deliver us from the trials of sick children... but if not...

We have to have faith that God will help our home sell... but if not...

We have to have faith that God will deliver us from a wayward spouse or a difficult marriage... but if not...

We have to have faith that God will deliver us from the trial of not being able to have children... But if not... We will still believe in God and we will still press forward in Faith.That is the test that God has sent us here to perform. He wants to see what will happen when we are faced with that but if not part of our faith.
*********

After reading her words it was like a 2X4 to the forehead. I had lost my faith, but I am happy to say that I am finding it again. I am finding it in the small and simple things of the smiles of my children. I am finding it in the delight of an impromptu dinner with The Man. I also found it in the most unusual place, a small yellow envelope from Ohio.

A dear bloggy friend (Heather) that took it upon herself to not just send thoughts of hope to me over the internet but took time from her busy life and made, handmade, the most beautiful cards I have ever seen. They arrived today and I was so elated to get them. Especially since all the other things in the mail were bills it was so nice to recieve something made out of the hope that their arrival would bring a smile to the recipients face and it did!

Thank you Heather for your kindness, these works of art have truly made my week.

♥♥♥♥

I also need to thank Motherboard for her post. She had no idea how much her words stirred my soul and helped me to find my faith again.

Things that make me go, hmmmmmm

2009-01-26T07:00:00.001-07:00

A sign that we found at the dollar store that is so perfect for my DQ. It is on the fridge as a gentle reminder to B.E.W.A.R.E. Sweet-boy has been dying to go to Chuck E. Cheese's so we were off for the adventure. This was the best thing they could have invented, a soft cage for kids. I loved the idea and thought about my high ceiling in my garage and a pully system for when the kids need a time out.

Does this really qualify as child abuse if the kids are smiling? He was in there for such a long time that I began to wonder if this would truly be a punishment or just another cool place to play.

It was a crazy place, Saturday insanity, but also supper fun to play video games and be with my best boy. I love first grade but not having my little bud to run errands with me is some times very lonely. I am glad that he still wants to go with me when he is home, even if it was going to Chuck E Cheeses'.

Not just clothes in my Dryer

2009-01-22T07:00:00.000-07:00

There are times when I wonder why I get toys for the kids when major appliances are just as entertaining.

****

This morning I hear the whimpers of someone, who could it be but Sweet-boy. He has set up quite a little comfy place in the dryer and of course he wants his sister to come and see what he has done. Drama Queen of course has to have a turn and a photo op.
Yes, I was tempted to shut the drawer and push "ON".

Now both in there, I really did not think that it would work but there they are.

Now the great challenge to get out at the same time. Next holiday and birthday I am going for new appliances that they can enjoy, no more toys that annoy me or that are not played with.

Try-It-Tuesday except it is Wednesday

2009-01-21T07:00:00.001-07:00

Since we are coming up on Love-Love Day it is time to start thinking about great finger food that also makes you feel loved while you are indulging yourself.

My personal favorite is chocolate dipped strawberries. These beauties were at the store and the perfect shape for dipping.

Wash and dry your strawberries.

In a glass dish slowly melt milk-chocolate in the microwave. The slower the better, use defrost and do not melt all the chips, get it melted and then let the heat melt the rest.

When your chocolate is cooled, dip strawberries by stems and place on waxed paper to set.

Don't those look yummy.

Set them in the fridge to set up and then enjoy. The hardest part for us is making sure that you get more then one - Drama Queen loves these.

Enjoy!!!

Fun - Uncle Mo Style

2009-01-19T07:00:00.000-07:00

I have a brother that has the art of FUN down to a daily must!!!

Where they live it snows alot and the snow plows are not as diligent about clearing the streets. Their lane turns into the best snowmobiling, sledding and 4-wheeler paradise. We visited recently and once dinner was eaten it was time to play and play hard. Mo hooked up the sled (I really think this was a dog-sled at one time) to his 4-wheeler and took the kids for the ride of their lives. In the neighbors yard the snow had been piled high and that was their first experience, flying over the hill on the sled.The kids were holding on for dear life and laughing and screaming the whole time.
More cousins get on and it is over the hill again, this time faster.

Of course I had to get on and enjoy the ride, I hung on for dear life as I am sure my brother was trying to throw me just like in our younger days. It was a riot. I had snot across my face and tears coming from my eyes, and my screams could be heard all the way to the state-line but it was the best fun.

Once the sled got boring all the kids loaded onto the 4-wheeler and hung on again for dear life as Uncle Mo spun doughnuts on the icy roads.

Everyone see what I want for Mother's Day, my Birthday and every other holiday between here and next Christmas? Yep, I gotta get me one of those 4-wheelers - now that is what I call fun!!!

FrontRunner Wahoooooo

2009-01-16T07:00:00.000-07:00

One of our favorite things to do is enjoy a ride on FrontRunner. It goes past our local haunting grounds and has really made commuting a fun experience. We met up with one of our favorite Uncles' for a round trip on the train. Uncle G loves trains as much as Sweet-boy does, so they were both in train heaven.We got off the explore one of the stations but did not make it very far, the cold wind drove us back to the warmth of the train. But we had to have a picture in front of the train that Sweet-boy says he is going to drive one day.
Uncle G did not have a hat and Sweet-boy helped out by covering his bare head with his arms.

Drama Queen in a precious moment, she is smiling and not mad at me for making her pose for mom and her new camera. I love this picture cause it is what I see even when she is yelling at me.....

One last photo and then back on the train for the return trip. Thank you Uncle G, for the great day. We miss you!!!

If you are close to FrontRunner and have not gone, it is really a great time and fun for the whole family......especially a stop for hot chocolate at the Mom & Pop diner that serves HUGE scones.

Another great day!!!!

Late-Overs', Birthdays' and Pizza

2009-01-15T07:00:00.000-07:00

We celebrated a wonderful birthday for Drama Queen - she turned 11. She is growing up so fast but tells me all the time that she is the smallest kid in her class. She is very petite and I tell her that she will love that she is so dainty but I can tell that right now she wants to be a big girl and have buttons. That is fodder for another blog. At school they have the birthday lunch table and what would that be without lunch from somewhere other than school with your friends.Sweet-boy won a free pizza for reading so much, so he took Dad for pizza and some guy time.
Drama Queen got to have a late over.

She invited Miss M to come and hang out for the night. They got pizza, watched silly movies, I even laughed at the one Miss M brought and then what would a night be without sliding down the basement stairs on the mattress.

All I heard all evening was silence and then loud cackling. It was fun and something that Drama Queen wants to do every Friday night.

Ah, the silliness of girls........

I have returned!!!!

2009-01-13T09:38:00.003-07:00

There are some of you out there that are certain that I have disappeared, no such luck. But I did need to take some time to myself, after two weeks with my family I needed some just me time. Do you ever get to the point that you cannot remember what you did yesterday, last week or for that matter remember if what you did had any significance? That was where I was people, kind of a living, barely functioning blob of a person somewhat resembling the person that I remember. So I needed to go deep, within and find "ME" again. I am not there yet but we are progressing and needless to say that the cop that pulled me over and accused me of speeding really "SHOCKED" me back to me. I am sorry that my kids had to see me arguing with a cop and I am sure that it really made all his compassion for me go out the window, but when I am wrong I will take the ticket and go on with my day, but when I was not even going the speed limit, well you have just opened a can of you-really-do-not-want-to-go-there.

So I got up this morning, cracked open a can of Pepsi, opened up the blinds, turned up the tunes' and finally downloaded the software for my new camera, that I am still trying to get through the "How to operate correctly" book. I keep falling asleep while reading it and I figure that is why they have the delete button anyway..... But I like the black and white option or was this the color option, anyway I had lots of willing models to try things out on.

Since I am so behind the times I will not bore you with all the things that we did involving Christmas, however, I do want to hit upon some highlights that I found rather funny. These are not posed, although I am beginning to think that Drama Queen has no other face then this one for when I pull out the camera, but it is rather amazing to see the eyes rolling back in the head, or bulging again and again and again.

I am glad that I have kids to help me laugh and to remind me that alot of my pictures when I was much younger looked like that too.....

But what would the holidays be without a trip to "Build-a-Bear" to get new members of the family and then to go show them off to G&G. I now have more names of things to remember and I have called Sweet-boy the new bears name too many times for me to not consider getting Ginkoba.

So there you go, we had a great time and now that I have seen the pictures and re-lived those memories I have a smile on my face.

Great Tuesday to everyone!

Laughter as per Wikipedia

2009-01-09T13:04:00.002-07:00

Laughter is an audible expression, or appearance of merriment or happiness, or an inward feeling of joy and pleasure (laughing on the inside). So for the weekend I wanted you all to get a good laugh. I do not know this kid but I laughed at this cause it was such a reminder of times I had with my kids when they were finding their giggle.

Enjoy!!!

January Blahz

2009-01-07T05:16:00.002-07:00

I know that the new year is here and that I should really be greeting it with much more enthusiasm, but I. Just. Can't!

It is almost as if the Christmas hoopla took too much and now I am drained. I have nothing to give, I am running on barely reserves, I feel like Wall-e after he was crushed and in bad need of a return trip to Earth for spare parts or in my case a serious re-charge.

Does anyone know what I am talking about?

2008 was really something that we barely survived, gas prices so high that we did without everything just to fill the tank, then indecision that cost us dearly financially and emotionally (yes I am being non-discript on purpose) and now the possibility that our house might finally be sold, but at a financial loss for us. Then blooms the new year and with it the change of my husbands compensation plan, I dread that day. It is the day the we find out how badly they are NOT going to compensate the man for all his hard work, quota goes up, salary goes down and territory gets cut again. I am trying to be positive and be grateful that he has a job, but I am having difficulty slapping a fake smile on my face. I know this is truly a depressing post but it is what it is......or could it be that I have shoveled my driveway three times today and it is still snowing?

Give me some time, it is like my approach to mornings; I dread the alarm, stumble through the routine, crack open a Pepsi and by say 10am or in this case March or April I might just be energized and ready to face the day/year again with vim and vigor.

Things are fuzzy.....

2009-01-01T12:16:00.002-07:00

Happy New Year every one......

I am slowly re-emerging to the outside world and am having a hard time focusing after all the chocolate, the late nights and too many toys that make noise. Give me a few more days to re-acclimate and then we will be back to business.Ready or not 2009 is here.

A Child is Born

2008-12-20T07:00:00.002-07:00

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called, Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." 2 Nephi 19:6
Wishing all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

I am taking this time off to spend with family, friends and those I love in remembering the real reason for the season.

(Be seeing you in 2009.)

"I"

2008-12-18T07:00:00.000-07:00

Heather at This is the day... had a great idea: post a comment on her site saying you want to play along and she would send you a letter, then you get to list ten of your favorite things beginning with your assigned letter and what letter did she give me, ...."I".

So here we go.........

1) Idealistic. Sometimes my head is in the clouds, but I also know when it is time to get to work and make things happen.

2) IHOP. Do I need to say anymore about the kids eat free after 4pm? Didn't think so.

3) Intelligence. Yes, I know that most days I am teetering on the edge of stupidity, but I do have moments of brilliance.

4) Intuition. Once I became a mom I really learned to rely on the gut feeling and it has never steered me wrong.

5) Identity. I feel that I have a strong sense of who I am, my purpose in life, that I matter to many people and that I can make a difference.

6) Imagination. I love that I dream, I create, I see beauty in ordinary things, and that I have passed that desire/trait on to my kids.

7) Infinite. I have much love for my family, loyalty is something that I treasure and the love that I feel for my family is something I want to be infinite.

8) Irreplaceable. There are so many moments in my life that I treasure; the day I married my husband, the days my kids were born, these moments are what keep me going, I want a life filled with them.

9) Influence. I try to be a influence for good in all things. I want to know that in some small way, I made a difference.
10) Internet. The one thing that can bring the world together, help make and keep friends and help with all that homework....."Let's go Google it?"

Gingerbread Cookies Try-It-Tuesday

2008-12-16T16:00:00.004-07:00

I have had alot of you ask for the recipe to make all these lovely Gingerbread Cookies and they are wonderful, as long as you do a few tricks! So here we go....Gingerbread Cookies

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup molasses

3 1/2 cup flours

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cloves

1/3 cup water

Cream butter and sugar thoroughly - takes about 3 minutes. Beat in molasses and water. Add all dry ingredients and mix well. Dough should be still sticky but smooth and pulling away from the sides of the bowl. Place in a greased bowl and chill overnight. Roll out on a lightly floured surface to a 1/2 inch thickness (very important to keep them thick) and cut into desired shapes. Bake at 375 degrees for 6-8 minutes, just till they start to crack. Cook longer if you like brickettes instead of cookies. Let cool completely.

Frosting
1 16 oz pkg powdered sugar

1/2 tsp cream of tarter

3 egg whites at room temperature (very important to be at room temp.)

1/2 tsp vanilla

Combine all ingredients until smooth, if it is too dry add a drop or two of water till it is nice consistency. Icing dries very quickly so keep covered with a damp cloth. I usually place some in a ziploc baggy and cut of the end and just squeeze it out all over the cookies and decorate with your favorite goodies. If you make the frosting a little less stiff by adding more water it does not dry to rock hard - break a tooth- consistency. You will have plenty of frosting so goop it on.

Store them in a covered container and they will remain soft for weeks. I have never had any remain around that long but they stay good for a while.

Enjoy!!!