I need help!

Yes there are two posts today. If you want the warm and fuzzy one, just scroll past all this nonsense and get to it, BUT if you want the cold hard truth......read on.
I am addicted. I cannot control myself. I realize that I need help.

Let me tell you about my night. I got myself all hyped up on these little babies that the "Drama Queen" wanted to make out of her Science book. Yep, they are pure sugar and I love them. (Whipped, baked, meringue - yummy)

Then I was off to a well known Women's hang-out, AKA Enrichment, for some much needed "girl-time". Yes, I was looking for trouble and I found it. Projects were begun, confidences made - let's just say what is learned at Enrichment, stays at Enrichment! It was late, clouds were rolling in and I headed home to bed. However, I didn't make it very far, I heard the call, I tried to ignore it, but those blogs, those upgrades, all the things that I can do to make my blog spiffy seemed to be screaming for me to join them. I admit it, I have no will power and I gave in. I perused the regular stomping grounds, but then I ventured out to the great unknown, I traveled farther then I had ever gone before and seen things that made my blog scream out - YES, Yes, more, more, and I was trapped. In the end I finally succumb to exhaustion about 5am and regretfully signed off.

When I awoke this morning, I felt like something dragged behind a semi, teeth with fuzz on them, and I had slept in my clothes.

And this is the beauty that I saw in the mirror - lovely.

Does anyone else see the resemblance?

I'm going to bed.......

****PS - I think that this dementia has a lot to do with the fact that I was listening to Jennifer P's music from her blog and it happened to be the song from "Children of the Corn". That was a truly scary blog!!!!

Why I do it.....

Why do I get up in the morning.....

So I can see these wonderful faces. Why do I clean the house, fold the laundry and cook the same meals over & over again....

So I can keep this family happy.

Why do I go out at midnight to get that last gift from the kids.....

So I can see how happy it makes Dad to get the right Father's Day Gift.

Why do I do what I do...

Because it is the best thing I will ever do!!!

Try-it-Tuesday

Yes, it is Try-It-Tuesday again and here is a family favorite recipe that is so easy and so yummy and a good way to get the kids to eat their vegetables.

Lemon Chicken

Here is what you will need:

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast cut into bite size pieces

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2TBL butter

1 TBL Corn Starch

1 can chicken broth

1 large carrot sliced diagonally (more if you like more carrot)

1 cup frozen peas

2 TBL fresh lemon juice

1/2 tsp lemon peel

1/2 tsp salt

3 TBL parsley

1 cup minute rice

****

In a large pot melt butter then saute` chicken, garlic

and onion about 5 minutes or until chicken is not pink -

then add cornstarch and cook for 1 minute.

Using your lovely assistant, add the broth and carrot and bring to a boil.
When carrots are starting to soften but not mushy add

the peas, lemon juice and peel, salt, parsley and the minute rice.

Bring to a boil, cover and remove from heat for 5 minutes.

Serve with nice rolls and a fruit salad and you have a great one pot dinner.

This is a no left-over dinner and one that my kids

really do enjoy making as well as eating.

For more great Try-It-Tuesday ideas go here and check the comments.

All because two people fell in love.....

Thirteen years ago I married my "Best-Friend".

I mean that!

When we met, we became friends first - although "The Man" was deeply in love with me. I had been hurt, I mean really hurt, and had almost decided that I was going to, by choice, live my life alone because I never wanted to feel that hurt again!! However, he would not give up on me, he called, we talked, we did things as a group and slowly the group got smaller, then it was just us, doing everything together. It was so wonderful to have someone that was so like me, so fun and such a good man to call my friend. When he professed his love to me, I thought that would end it all, I was so scared and I did not want to loose what I had finally achieved; a relationship with a man that was built on respect and mutual appreciation. But as I searched my heart, prayed long and hard about it, I knew that I loved him, but could I trust again.......

I am happy to say that it was a good risk and one that has produced 2 amazing children and memories of a life filled with someone that I deeply love.

All of this because two people fell in love and I know that the best is yet to come!

Happy 13th Anniversary,

I love you!

WaHoo....Raging Waters!

Every summer, thanks to our Orthodontist, we get a FREE trip to Raging Waters for the day. It makes paying the price for straight teeth a little easier to take.

****

Our first destination is the wave pool.

We got a floaty, that only mom used, and headed for the water to find the best place to get smashed by the waves.

Funny story: The first time "the Man" and I went to a water park was 3 days before our wedding. We got a 2 person float and took to the wave pool. Having tried time and again to force each other off the float as the waves pounded us we did not take into consideration that we were rocked back into the less than 2" of water area. As a wave hit us it rocked the floaty back and caused "the Man" to fly off head first into the water, he planted his head on that hard concrete bottom. When he rose up and turned to look at me, it was not him but a bloody mess that I was looking at. He had split open his head and was bleeding, that with the water from the pool it was running down his face and he was dizzy and confused. We quickly got him out of the water and to the first aid office and then off to the hospital for stitches and X-rays. After we had his neck cleared they worked on sewing up his head. They wanted to shave the site which was in the front of his hair and I freaked. "We are 2 days away from our Wedding and we are not shaving any part of his head!!!" So to that Doctors credit, he moved each and every hair out of place, taped it down and then stitched up his head. With a C-collar, seven stitches, free passes back to the water park and some crazy memories we headed home. On our Honeymoon, in Mexico, I got to take the stitches out.

****

My water kids, having a great time.
"Sweet-boy" getting warm, it was hot but the water was a bit cool.
In the kids area they have a rope bridge that the kids love to go on.
Look at that stretch, go girl go!!!

She was so proud to make it over.

Now it is time for both of them to do it,

what a squirmy, slippery, feat.

The big kid on the back got that thing a rocking

and I thought that "Drama Queen" was not going

to make it, but she held on.

"The Man" joined us and we had a great time at

the rest of the park. Each year we get to try

more and more of the fast, fun slides.

Thank you Dr. Madsen for another great adventure!!

A Big Thanks to UDOT, Mayor Rocky Anderson and the Sierra Club

I wanted to personally thank UDOT (Utah Department of Transportation), Mayor Rocky Anderson, and the Sierra Club for the most enjoyable afternoon spent in Davis County traffic.

I had finished enjoying Gateway and a movie with family and as it neared the 4 o'clock hour I began to anticipate the delight of being stuck in traffic for the next 65 minutes. I so enjoyed watching the houses creep by and my gas gauge drop lower and lower as my tank emptied at an alarming rate for not having reached higher than 10MPH! I also wanted to thank you for your infinite wisdom in fighting with Mayor Anderson over the proposed development of Legacy Highway (that was to relieve all this wonderful parking), you enraged him and so he brought in the Sierra Club: that delightful bunch of do-gooders that slowed things down and cost billions of my tax-dollars to console. I am so happy that my taxes went to make someone elses' day and saved, ........what again????
But really I enjoy knowing that all this time spent not moving, not progressing to our home destination drives my children to the point of boredom and their only way to escape is to sleep till we finally arrive home.
I have to admit that there were several pauses along the way where I was tempted to catch some ZZ's as a way to kill the wait time. However, instead I took pictures of my children sleeping, dreaming of freeway scenes whizzing by. But, not on this journey, and maybe not on the next, but we are hopeful.

So I just wanted to thank you for all the reasons that I am glad for traffic jams and the rising cost of gas, increased taxes and the faltering economy, my trips home provide that distraction for me each time I make it.

Nothing Better......

We were in Salt Lake for errand running day.

"Drama Queen" got to stay with G&G while "Sweet-boy" got to have his first cavities filled.

Let's just say that the trauma from that experience is something

that I never want to endure again but

his love for Chocolate will make that a reality.

#####

After all that fun we went with G&G to see...

KUNG FU PANDA

Now I am not one to flock to kids movies although with kids under 12 I have no choice. There have been some that are wonderful and some that left a bad taste in the mouth and pocket book - but this was an enjoyable 2 hours.

#####

But the best part was to get time with G&G!!!
We love you guys!!!

Arm update

It has been three weeks to date since the

great Plasma Trauma and thus time for an update.

*****

I am still in pain, almost Arthritic in symptom and

the bruise has really turned into a

lovely shade of purple, black and icky green.

I am still wearing the arm-sling and taking Ibuprophen

for the pain and hope that this will all soon be a distant memory.

I know - what a mess!!!

Fresh Tomato Onion Sandwich

With all the fresh produce this is a great one to use up all those Tomatoes lying around

Sliced Pumpernickel Bread - toasted and cooled

Mayonnaise spread on both slices

Tomato slices - Salt & Pepper to taste

Onion thinly sliced - use either white or Vidala

Slap together and eat. It is really yummy and a good summer treat.

This also needs a breath mint or two after eating.

Enjoy!!!

Crazy Swim Party

The "Drama Queen" is fortunate/plagued by a winter Birthday. So we are never able to celebrate with fun summer activities - till today.

******

We decided to invite some of the girls over for a swim party

and an "Un-Birthday Party".

Playing crazy water games.

They were all really good sports with the games!

Mom's crazy game of Ice-in-the-cup relay.

It was really funny to watch them think

this through and figure a way to win.

"Drama Queen" opening presents', we are well stocked

with "Pet Shop" and activities to help in the heat of summer.

Cooling off in the pool, even Mom

joined in - it was a hot day!

Even after all that fun in the sun the

kids still swam the day away and perfected their

acrobatics!!

*****

It was another great day.

Primary Parade

What would make a HOT summer night any

better than a Primary Parade.

First the kids decorated the Scooter and the Hummer

to make sure they were Parade ready.

As the Parade started our cute little neighbor boy

jumped in the Hummer for a ride.

Once the Parade was finished there were

water games at the park for the kids.

"Sweet-boy" was so excited to do the Tug-o-War

with the looser falling into a mini-pool. In fact he liked it so much he dove head first

into the pool without the tug going on.

That is my water boy!!!

"Drama Queen" waited in line for the Horse Ride,

it was a very long line.

As she was riding I heard her yelling, "Faster - Faster!"

Then it was "Sweet-boys" turn to go for a ride.

Thank you Kaleb for letting him bum a ride with you!!!

By the end, the kids were tired and wet but very happy to have

spent the night having fun with the Primary.

Visitors?

Historically the fence has been something that we lean across to talk with our neighbors; it has also symbolized a dream, something that we strive to achieve, stability of a home, security of a spouse and family, the acquiring of a better life.

But in today's instant life of e-mail, blogs, text messaging, and so on...... the fence has become more a metaphor of times past.

Why do I talk about the fence and what it represented....?

Well, most of us are a curious bunch; we blog for fun, a release, a way to hone the creative energy that we posses. In so doing we also open our lives and our "Story" to complete strangers, thus, we are intrigued to know who it is that is reading our blips through daily life. Many of us have counters, visitor maps and such to gather the information that answers the question, "does anyone but family/friends care about what I post?" It also provides that daily ego stroke of someone out there cares about me and came for a visit. This I think is truly the reason we want to know who came to visit.....

So to the visitors from Georgia, Kansas, Colorado, and Idaho - thanks for stopping by. Others from Australia and England leave a comment, tell us what is going on in your part of the world. The best part about this new form of communication in a global world is that we can make it so much smaller just by commenting - good or bad it still bring us together.

Happy Blogging!!

Not worth the fight!!!

Last year "the Man" and I spent our Anniversary painting "Sweet-boy's" room and building this - the largest sandbox, cat litter box ever. What else do you do with a weird, extra large side yard anyway.

Well once it was done and filled to brimming with sand the rules were established:

1) no sand outside of the boards,

2) no throwing of the sand at others,

3) if you see black put it back,

4) no water in the sand box.

What is that in the sand box, water, is it water, could it be that we have forgotten the rules??!!
No, we have just decided that there are some things that are worth the fight and this is not one of them. Besides it has brought hours and hours of enjoyment to the kids and many others in the neighborhood.
Besides, we did it when we were kids too!

I do not like cats.......

It has been beastly hot here lately and when it does go below 80 degrees for the night low, I try to open the windows and give the air conditioner a break.

Well the other night I was sleeping on the couch because "The Man" was snoring up a storm. I had just gotten relaxed and ready to drop off when it starts.....

The hissing and the low growling. It keeps up for about a minute and then the worst cat-fight I have ever heard begins. I am done listening and want these mangy animals off my deck and away from my open window!!!

Determined to do away with this menace, I run out onto our deck in my PJ's, with a pot and wooden spoon and descend on these frenzied animals. Now at this moment what I would have given to be a neighbor watching me come out of my house, crazed and ready to do battle with fighting stray cats. In the end I won, I scared off the cats to the front of the house where they resumed their fight, but out of range of my open window.

I admit that I do not like cats, we had several when I was growing up, every time I wanted to pet them I got scratched so I just do not trust them.

Give me a dog any day..........and we just might soon - "The Man's" resistance is waining.

What will you do for money?

Disclaimer: I was fully aware of the risks and the choice that I was making before I started down this road, but I still was not aware of the cost that it would ultimately mean to me.

We are the average American Family, making due and hoping that we can finally get ahead someday. Well with the rising cost of everything "The Man" and I started talking about what I am going to do with my time next school year as both kids will be in all day school. Now do not get me wrong I understand that I need to help financially with the economy the way it is and that I have been able to stay at home for most of the last ten years but I have also been secretly counting down the last 10 years to the time that I could finally go back to school and really focus on my Nursing Degree. So we were throwing out ideas of this and that and nothing that I really wanted to do - I already have a job on the weekends besides the job of CEO for our little corporation- so I have been hedging about committing to anything. Then the morning newspaper came and there was an article about the rising cost of everything and the way that people were combating it. They stated that there was a drastic rise in the amount of people that were donating their Plasma for cash - yes people sell their plasma for money, just a 2 hour commitment 3 times a week and you too could make an additional $250.00 a month.

So I gave it a try, after all this is how "the Man" paid for college one semester.

The first time was a piece of cake, next time I had a reaction to the medication that they infuse into your system to reduce the red blood cells from glopping together (real technical talk huh?), Anyway it is an anticoagulant of some kind and it made me get really dizzy and almost pass out. But in the process of doing that donation they damaged the vein and caused bruising so I could not donate from that arm till the bruising was gone. But after that they had me see the nurse each and every donation. Well to make a long story short this last donation was my last as they "blew my left vein" then on trying to use the other arm completely "blew my right vein" and then proceeded to fill my arm with the blood being returned to my system and the anticoagulant. The result of all this is that my arm is very painful, I have a nasty bruise and pain in my shoulder and I have to have my arm in a sling for comfort till the bruise goes away.

(this was actually day one of the bruise)

My donation days are over.

So why do I share this story? Because my experience has shown me that I need to really think about what I will do, the risk that I will take and the importance that I am putting on the almighty dollar. There are some things in life that are just not worth it to your health and this has proven to be mine.