Lesson learned: Angels are important.

Today has been a day of lessons learned.

I have potty trained three children in this home. My carpets could tell a tale that many would not care to smell. So with this in mind, I had my carpets cleaned before our holiday guests arrive. Yesterday was the day I had the carpets cleaned. I had them steam cleaned. I am not sure I am a fan of that process, since the carpet was still wet last night when we went to bed. The 1st One helped me move all of the furniture off the carpet in the family room yesterday morning. This morning, before the 1st One went to school, she offered to help me put the furniture back. I gladly excepted the help. The sofa table was the trickiest. I had Christmas decor on it I didn't want to take off just to move the table a few feet. She grabbed one end and I grabbed the other. We carefully started to move the table. I noticed that one of the nativity pieces was wobbling. Before I could save it, the angel took a nose dive and shattered on the hardwood. The lectures started from the younger children. "Mom, you need to be more careful. It wasn't our fault. Can we fix it?" There was no fixing this poor angel. She had taken her last flight. I swept up and we moved on with our day. It was just the angel, she couldn't be that big of a deal in the nativity set could she? She wasn't Mary or Joseph or heaven forbid the baby Jesus.

My days are filled with driving children to and fro. Today was no different. The 1st One goes to school at 8:15. The Little Jamaican goes to pre-school at 9:30. This is when I have a few hours to get stuff done and work with My Son. At 12:00 we leave to take the Wild Child to kindergarten. Immediately following dropping the Wild Child at school, I drive back to my neighborhood to pick up the Little Jamaican from my dear friend Wendy.

Let me tell you about Wendy. Wendy is the woman that when you meet her, you adore her. She is beautiful, funny, smart and incredibly compassionate. Everything I wish to be, but fall short of. Wendy picks up the Little Jamaican from preschool and keeps her until I get back.

Today when I pick up the Little Jamaican, Wendy hands me some beautifully wrapped gifts. I am a believer in waiting until Christmas to unwrap gifts. Especially when the wrappings are that beautiful. When I got home, I put the gifts on the kitchen counter and proceeded to go upstairs to make some calls and change the laundry. When I came back down stairs, I find the beautiful wrappings torn apart. My Son had decided he couldn't wait for Christmas, or his mother, to unwrap these red velvet and gold foil packages. The one was a family gift and the other one was for me. The family gift was still there on the counter, but the wrapper was all that was left of the one that was for me. I started looking throughout the house trying to find where and what the gift was. Several minutes later this is what I find:

Turns out angels are important. Though this angel is ridiculously large for this nativity set, this is where she will stay this season. Between Wendy, My Son, and a well placed gift, I am reminded how important angels are now, as they were for the birth of our Savior.

Luke 2:8-15
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace good will toward men. And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

Angels seem to be around whenever we need them. A friend, a sister, a child or the type that aren't so easily seen, have blessed my life countless times. Today a sweet anxious for Christmas child and a dear friend were the angels that reminded me that I am loved enough by my Heavenly Father that he has surrounded me with angels.

What I got for Christmas

This year my mom gave me a book she put together herself, (she may have had some help from an aunt.) that is honestly one of my most cherished parts of this Christmas. This book is a three-ring binder with a scripture, carol and Christmas story for each of the first 25 days of December. Every night before my kids go to bed, we read the scripture, sing the carol and then I read them the story. I love the way this makes my house feel. There is so much love in the air you can almost see it.

Last night's was exceptional. So if you don't mind......I would love to share it with you. If you are not interested......that is OK too, but now would be the time to quit reading.

Scripture: Matthew 25:40
"Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."

Carol: Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
Have yourself a merry little Christmas,
Let your heart be light
From now on,
our troubles will be out of sight

Have yourself a merry little Christmas
Make the Yule-tide gay,
From now on,
our trouble will be miles away.

Here we are as in olden days,
Happy golden days of yore.
Faithful friends who are dear to us
Gather near to us once more.

Through the years
We all be together,
If the Fates allow
Hang a shining star
upon the highest bough.
And have yourself
A merry little Christmas now.

Now for the story...

The Sharing Session
by Marion Brenish

As a California tourist unaccustomed to single digits, the bitter cold of that December day in Washington, D.C., was dampening my holiday mood. Accounting for the windchill factor, the temperature was below zero. When I ducked into Union Station, I hoped only to get warm. What I got was a lesson in the real meaning of the season from a homeless person.

Warmth was slowly being restored to my hands and feet as I settled onto one of the public benches with a gleaming cup of coffee. Now I was ready to relax and do some serious people watching. I noticed a homeless man seated nearby and several tables of diners spilling out into the great hall from the upscale America Restaurant. Heavenly aromas from gourmet treats were tempting me to consider an early dinner. From the longing look in my neighbor's eye it was obvious the he, too, had not failed to notice the banquet taking place around us. I wondered how long it had been since he had eaten anything. Expecting he would approach me for a handout, I welcomed such a plea on his part. He never did. The more I look at this scene, the crueler his plight seemed. My head and heart were battling it out: the former telling me to mind my own business, and the latter urging me to make an immediate trip to the food court on his behalf.

While this internal debate was raging, a well-dressed young couple suddenly approached. "Excuse me, sir," began the husband. "My wife and I just finished eating and our appetite wasn't as big as we thought. We hate to waste good food. Can you help us out and put it to good use?" The kind stranger handed a large styrofoam container overflowing with goodies. "God bless you both. Merry Christmas," came the grateful reply. Feeling good about what I had seen, but dismayed by my own lack of action, I observed my neighbor's response to his sudden good fortune. First he scrutinized his new found bounty, arranging the soup crackers, inspecting the club sandwich and stirring the salad dressing. Then he slowly lifted the lid off the soup, inhaling the aroma and cupping his hands around the steaming bowl. It was obvious that he was going to prolong this the enjoyment of this miracle meal. Finally, he appeared ready for that long dreamed of first taste. Meticulously unwrapping the plastic spoon, he filled it to overflowing, lifted it towards his mouth and with suddenness that stunned me stopped dead in his tracks.

The reason for this unexpected behavior soon became clear. Entering the hall and shuffling in our direction was a new arrival. In his seventies (or so he appeared), hat less and glove less, he was clad in lightweight pants, a threadbare jacket and open shoes. His hands were raw and his face had a bluish tint. I wasn't alone in gasping aloud at the sad sight, but my neighbor was the only one doing anything about it. Quickly pulling aside his treasure, he leaped up and guided the elderly man to an adjacent seat. He took the old man's hands and rubbed them in his own. He tenderly draped the down jacket over the older man's shoulders. Finally, he spoke. "Pop, my name's Jack, and one of God's angels brought me this meal. I just finished eating, and I hate to waste good food. Can you help me out?" Placing the steaming cup of soup in the stranger's hands, he didn't wait for an answer. But he got one. "Sure, Son, but only if you go halfway with me on that sandwich. It's too much for a man my age."

It wasn't easy making my way to the food court with tears blurring my vision, but I soon returned with the largest containers of coffee and the biggest assortment of pastries possible. "Excuse me, gentlemen, but..."

My parents, like yours, taught me to share, but it wasn't until that day in Union Station that I truly learned the meaning of the word. I left the hall feeling warmer than I had ever though possible.

Sunsets....

Another picture taken from my back porch. We really did do well to buy this house sight-unseen. I'm not a photographer so please excuse the quality. Still, I love the colors.This sunset happened sometime this past week. I love the sunsets this time of year. The warm and cold colors contrasting. What is your favorite part of winter?

A not so Me-me Meme.

Krista my dear friend has tagged me with this meme. Here are the rules

I say some nice things about the person who tagged me and one other person. Pretty straight forward simple. Here goes:


Krista - There is much to be said about Krista. To pick just a few nice things is going to be hard. I know her well. She is like a sister to me. Krista is witty and funny. Really.....if you haven't read this or this then you really have no idea how funny she can be and even then, it is just a glimpse into her funny side. She is a loyal friend. If you are her friend, you can count her every time. She is kind....in a world where that seems to be a dying trait. Krista is my life line when the kids have pushed me over the edge. She will listen to me whine about how frustrated they are making me and sympathize with me. In her blog, she mentions we have a good cheese and wine relationship. I "whine" and she says "cheez."

Shelly - Shelly is my SIL but for all intents and purposes, when you marry the brothers we did, you become just plain sisters, fast. The thing I most admire about Shelly is her ability to let things roll of her back. She has been through some craziness this past year, with her sense of humor intact. Now to be truly fair to Shelly, I have to say that life has thrown her many challenges over the years. She always moves past them without being bitter. And I mean Always!! One other note about Shelly, if she loves you, she is a strong advocate for your happiness. She will protect you, she will fight for you, she will kick butt. Thank you, Shelly for that.

Dreaming of a WHITE Christmas!

Did you wonder if you came to the wrong place? I was feeling festive.........

Anyway, on to one of the many things I have to talk about tonight. The first one being, how children will and do repeat what you say. The Rocket Scientists has this saying that goes something like this when I am asking him to help me with something that he isn't sure he wants to do. He says, "You're killin' me woman!" I usually smile and let it be. That is until the the 1st one started using that line on me when I'd ask her to pick up her shoes or clear off the table. Now you know on the inside I was busting up. That is some pretty funny stuff, but on the outside I had to tell her it wasn't OK for her to use that line with me. The RS has decided with some encouragement that maybe this is not a line he will use with me anymore either.

The next thing is my fun loving Friend has this link to a personality test. If you haven't figured it out yet.......yes......I can find endless entertainment in these type things. So if you are wondering about which "color" I am, I'm white.

"Whites are motivated by Peace. They seek independence and require kindness. They resist confrontation at all costs. To them, feeling good is more important than being good. They are typically quiet by nature, process things very deeply and objectively with great clarity. Of all the colors, whites are the best listeners. They respect people who are direct but recoil from perceived hostility or verbal battle. Whites need their "alone time" and refuse to be controlled by others. Whites want to do things their own way and in their own time. They ask little of others and resent others demanding much of them. Whites are much stronger than people think, but are not often seen for their strength because they don't easily reveal their feelings. Whites are even-tempered, diplomatic, and the voice of reason; but can also be indecisive, unexpressive, and silently stubborn. When you deal with a WHITE, be kind, accept and support their individuality, and look for non-verbal clues to understand their feelings."

I would love to know what color you are!!!

The last thing I wanted to cover in this post is my erratic posting and reading of my bloggy friends. I miss you when I don't get to read what you are doing or thinking about, etc. I want to say that it is going to get better, but chances are, it will not for a while. I have plenty I want to blog about. I am lacking time. I have this part of my brain that shifts with no explanation that sends me in a different direction than I was originally headed. This instance......as a child I was not neat or tidy. My mid-teens this shift happened and everything had to be neat and organized. Then sometime after I had been married for about 4 years, there was a shift again. Neat and organized were taking leave. Well about 2 months ago, neat and organized came back. I have almost 10 years of clutter that suddenly can no longer exist in my life. Getting rid of all this clutter is a serious time sucker. Since I will have no peace until it's done, and that is what I am motivated by according to the previously mentioned personality test, it is what is occupying most of my free time. This is not to say that I will not be around at all, just not daily. More like three to four time a week.

I hope you all had a happy Thanksgiving!

Back to cleaning.......

Karen

Watching my mother fall victim to my children

My sweet mother took my children yesterday and kept them over night so that I could get ready for Thanksgiving. Since we live back close to family, we usually do the get together here since we are best equipped for gatherings. Besides that, I LOVE to cook! Really!!! And the entertaining part is nice too. It makes me feel at home to have people I love in my home enjoying themselves.

Early this afternoon, my mom calls to check on the time of dinner. She was running behind. Yeah.....she had my kids, so that is to be expected. But the story behind why she was running late must be told. Now, in my experience, grandmas are suckers for grandchildren. Why that is exactly I don't have a firm grasp on yet, but I am sure there will be a day that I do. Well, my sweet mom was bringing a few homemade pies and mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving. She seemed to have a handle on that. That is until the my children, aka the grandchildren in question, asked if she would make them brownies. Now if they asked me, the answer would have been an easy "NO!" There would be plenty of good things for them to eat when they got home. Being the grandma put her at a disadvantage; You know being a sucker for her grandchildren and all. She started to tell them that she really didn't have time when the Wild Child in all her charm uses her cutest smile and voice and says, "Please, they're like a river of chocolate." Yep, she made them brownies.

Hey Mom, if you get a chance to read this before you collapse into your bed tonight......Thank you!! I could have never pulled it off without you.

Stolen Thanksgiving Meme

It has occurred me over the last year that ones ability to be happy is somewhat dependant on that person's ability to be thankful for what they have. I have watched this in myself, particularly. If I have lost my happy place it is a pretty good bet that I have forgotten to count my blessings. I am working on that. There is no reason to not be grateful when I have so many blessings.

Flea has this meme on her blog. She "borrowed" it from someone else. So I thought I would join in on the fun.

Little Thanksgiving Meme

1. What are you thankful for?
Yesterday I spoke with a woman who is very dear to me. She is currently living in a homeless shelter. While speaking with her, I became aware to my core of how truly blessed I am. I am thankful for a knowledge of a Heavenly Father and that He loves me. I am thankful for good parents, for an amazing family, for children who challenge me and make me smile. I am thankful for a warm home, a husband who loves me and supports me. It occurs to me that this list could go on for some time. I think I will do that somewhere else........

2. What is your favorite thing to make?
Hmmmmmm........this is a tough one for me to answer. I love to cook/bake. If I have to pick one, I will say the stuffing/dressing. A few years ago, I found a recipe that calls for apples and chestnuts.....yum.

3. Do you have a special table cloth?
Sort of. I have table cloths for Thanksgiving and Christmas mostly, but quite often forget that I have them.

4. What is your favorite thing to eat?
Pecan Pie!!!!!!

5. What time do you eat?
This varies with the year and it's guests. We make our best effort to accommodate work schedules, nap times, distance traveled and whims.

Play along if you like.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Knees should not look like basketballs

I may have mentioned before that the Rocket Scientist has an auto-immune disorder. Yeah and it's great fun to be had by all. No....not really.


The first time we became aware of it, we thought he had injured his foot. The doctors couldn't find anything wrong with it, yet it was swollen and extremely painful. Now my guy's tough rarely breaks. If he is wincing in pain.......it's bad! So, back to the doctors he went for some blood work. They thought maybe it was gout. They sent him home, told him to call back in a few days for the blood work results. You know....it came back inconclusive. The doctor told him to avoid red meat and get in shape. We wanted to do what was best. So we cut out all red meat and most meat in general. Trying to be a good wife I put him a vegetarian diet. Well..........not the right answer. The swelling got so bad and so painful. Both his ankle and knee started swelling. Eventually it went away and he went back to eating red meat. There were a few recurrences over the next year. Then we moved to Kansas. Can you believe the entire time we lived there......not one bad "out break."

I could drag this out.......but you all really don't want me to do that. Turns out soy is the trigger for him. His body just can not process it. Do you have any idea how many things have soy in it. Try to eat out and not consume soy or one it's products.

Over the years I have gotten really good at avoiding soy. Sometimes we miss something and the man ends up in extreme pain. Of course then I feel terrible for missing it.

Last week the RS's knee started bugging him. It wasn't long until it was as big as a basketball. The poor guy spent the last week in bed. I have been through everything. I can't figure out where he got the soy. I'd say this is one of the worst cases he has ever had.

So I'm back to the drawing board. I wish there was just a test that would say this is the thing that causes your knee to look like a basketball, but once again, no. We get to do trial and error. My next best guess is "high fructose corn syrup." Fortunately this is a bit easier to avoid. Sorry, Babe.....no more Soft Drinks for you.

If you are easily offended.....this post is not for you.

Bloggy friends......life is kicking my butt! Really!! Family, if you are about to scroll down and witness my shame as a mother.....you were warned in the title. Even the Rocket Scientist says looking over my shoulder as I am posting the following pictures that I am "crossing the line."
Really though......the pictures say it all. I can't keep a grip on life. The kids are running the house. Ya.....you see what they are using for stickers these days. Apparently it's not enough to put stickers on furniture or walls where they have been warned that they will spend the rest of their lives in time-out if I find another sticker in one of those places. Nope, they decide it's time to take it public and put it on an upstairs window you can see from the street.

I know I should have some shame, but I can't find it under the crayon colored walls, dirty bathrooms and mountain of laundry that has become my charmed life.

To fit in or not.....

Oh this little clip made me laugh. It also made me think...... There has been way too much of that going on around here lately. It has occurred to me that I have no desire to be "normal", to fit in. I do however, want people to be comfortable around me. It's an interesting balance. Certainly not a balance I have perfected.

Playin' Tag

Flea tagged me with this Meme of 4 things. This one is a little harder than it looks. Or maybe, I'm just over thinking it.


A) Four places I go over and over:
1. The kids school. Three times a day. I have a kindergartner and a second grader.
2. Target......I love this place. So much so, that it a prerequisite for living someplace new. If there is no Target.....I'm not going
3. The Laundry Room....whether I want to or not
4. Costco


(B) Four people who e-mail me regularly:
1. Krista
2. Carrie
3. My Aunt Jean
4. My Dad



(C) Four of my favourite places to eat:
1. Rumbi Grill, I love their Voodoo Chicken Salad......YUMMMY
2. Cafe Coronado....I have only ever been there once, it's in Phoenix and it is amazing.
3. Phuket....A Thai food restaurant in Huntsville, Alabama....truly some of the best Pad Thai ever known to man.
4. Red Beans Bayou Grill in Wichita, Kansas. The tomato bisque is worth the trip.



(D) Four places you'd rather be:
1. Huntsville, Alabama
2. Target
3. Lake Tahoe, it is so beautiful there
4. Europe, I have never been and really want to.

(E) Four TV shows I could watch over and over:
1. House Hunters International
2. Extreme Makeover House Edition
3. Everybody Loves Raymond
4. According to Jim



(F) Four people I think will respond:
1. Krista
2. Carrie
3. Missy
4. Kim.....because then she will have something to post about.

Message In a Bottle

It's that time of year. The time of year that there are things that my spouse needs to know without the children over hearing me.

It use to be that we could spell things, but those darn kids keep getting smarter! I remember my parents spelling when we were little to discuss things they didn't want us to overhear at the dinner table. Of course, all that taking us to school and all, started to work against them too. My Dad has a firm grasp of the Spanish language and my mom just enough to look confused when they started trying that route.

So, last night we were trying iron out the details of Wednesday night without the kids finding out I was taking them to Disney On Ice. As we spoke in code I was reminded of being a little kid trying to figure out what it was that my parents didn't want me to know. You know....I'm not really against my kids knowing. However, I am against them asking about it every waking second until the moment arrives. Anyway, I decided that I would tell them we have plans for Wednesday night. They wanted to know exactly what it is we are doing. I said that I wouldn't tell them, but they could guess and I would give them a few hints. Typically all the questions about this would make me crazy, but the guesses are so darn entertaining.

So do you have a special language of your own? How is it working out? Does it leave you looking confused like my mom with Spanish words flying at her or me when my husband tries the "really big words" route? You wishing your kids didn't spell so well? I may be trying the message in a bottle route next.

A Married Question Meme...

My friend Melissa tagged me with this meme. Since I love to talk about the Rocket Scientist, I was thrilled to play.

What is your husbands name? Rocket Scientist, well in cyberspace it is.
How long have you guys been married? 14 years
How long did you date? Too long. I felt like I had to drag him to the alter, kicking and screamin'. 1 year.
How old is he? 37
Who is taller? The Rocket Scientist
Who can sing best? The RS's Eustachian tubes collapsed years before I met him while skiing a semester he spent at BYU. So, the answer would be me. (that is really not saying much)
Who is smarter? He is a Rocket Scientist. He was a physics major. He also just thinks more than I do.
Who does laundry? I'm not sure if anybody does laundry looking at the pile.
Who pays the bills ? He makes the money, I spend it.
Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? I'm not sure which is the right side.
Who mows the lawn? The RS
Who cooks dinner? Both of us.
Who is the first to admit when they are wrong? Me, but it usually is me who is wrong.
Who kissed who first? He kissed me first, but if he had waited much longer....I would have kissed him.
Who wears the pants? I make the decisions and he has the veto power.

So tag you're it.

Second guessing my words

You know I have started many posts in the past couple of days, only to abandon them. Some because I can't find the right words to express how I feel. Others because, I decided they have no relevance to me or most people. Then there is the one that I think I sound whiny and well, I'm not a fan of whining when it comes to me doing it. I have way too much to be thankful for.

So, this brings me to a question. Do you have posts you start and never finish? Post you finish that you never actually post? Posts that you delete? I guess that is more than one question.

Can I exaggerate like Longfellow?

I feel like I'm hearing Paul Revere running through the streets yelling the "British are coming, the British are coming." Only it sounds more like, "Christmas is coming, Christmas is coming." Can you believe that we have, at least, two local radio stations that are playing Christmas music almost full time. Yes, I mean now. This has been going on since the day after Halloween, at least.

Maybe this is the cry in the streets, trying to salvage our economy. I hope they accomplish their mission, because if I hear Christmas music in September of 2009, Paul and I are going to have a talk.

Crop Circles in My Head

I am feeling a bit philosophical tonight, so you all have been warned. I have always thought myself to have a clue when it comes to life. The strange thing about that is.......the older I get the more I realize........there may be no clues, for me anyway. Just when I think I have it figured out............well........the rules change? Or maybe it is that I never understood the rules to start off.

For instance, you might fall in love with someone when you are young and think that this is it. You believe you will get married, have a family and live happily ever after. Then you start to hear about the statistics of young love and its success rate. It appears that the rules are changing. Then you get your heart broken and you think your life is over and once again it feels like the rules are changing. You meet other people, you date, you eventually find someone else you fall for. Then you begin to wonder which set of rules apply to this new relationship. Is this the happily ever after? Are you still too young? Is this the heartache express?

You see, it seems like this is the pattern of life to me. That there are sets of rules that I clearly do not understand. Health......Nutrition......Right......Wrong.......Republican......Democrat......
Life......Death........Love...... it is as if their definition changes daily. Then I wonder if it is just my own evolution that brings to a higher understanding of the things in my life. Or maybe these are all just pieces of a puzzle that I need to keep turning until I have them facing the right direction so that they will fit with the right place. Either way, I have a lot to learn.

If you haven't had enough deep thought I might suggest reading this. She is a dear friend of mine that has some real insight to life.

Traditions

Thank you all for you kind words and thoughts at the passing of our furry family member. Your words were so appreciated.

We all have our own sets of traditions. This is really funny to me, since Halloween is a necessary evil so to say. To say that I am not fan, is truly an understatement. It's a holiday about candy, monsters and tricks to me. None of which I believe deserve a celebration.........well maybe the candy.......but no one needs 35 pounds of candy to consume for themselves. (Yes, I do really know the real story behind Halloween.) So, the fact that our families most defined traditions are for this holiday, humors me a bit.

When the kids were really little, it was too much work and too much for them to cope with to carve 4 pumpkins. The Rocket Scientist came up with this great idea. He would hand each of them a black crayon and tell them to draw the eyes and tell another to draw the nose and so on. The RS would then carve out whatever and where ever they drew. There are years that we have some Jack-O-Lanterns with some serious personality. So this is this years. I love him. I think he is darling. The Sea Monkeys trick-or-treated in the neighborhood. I have decided that there is no easy way to take a picture of four kids at once. There is always somebody not looking, walking away or posing in a fashion that, well, scroll down, you'll see.

One from the Rocket Scientist

Today has been a rough one. The Rocket Scientist in all his sweetness has written the post that I desperately needed written tonight, but could not do myself.

So, after dinner tonight I sat down at my computer. I went to flickr.com and looked at the pictures that Karen has saved on the website...one thousand eight hundred and seven (yes, really, 1,807). I looked at everyone of them. There were pictures of unfinished yards, finished yards, houses, houses that became our homes, home improvement projects, trips to home improvement stores to buy stuff to do those home improvement projects, and pictures of the Sea Monkeys in shopping carts at home improvement stores. Of course, I lingered slightly longer on those last pictures.

In addition to the pictures of the Sea Monkeys in shopping carts at home improvement stores, there were pictures of birthdays, Christmases, Halloweens, and vacations. I saw kids playing in desert yards, Great Plains yards, and yards buried (and I mean BURIED) under the Greatest Snow on Earth. If you don't believe me, read the license plates. It says so right there. I saw pictures of kids who sneaked off to fall asleep in their beds and pictures of kids who sneaked out of their beds to fall asleep on the floor. There were pictures of kids blowing out candles on cakes, eating cakes, and, of course, wearing cakes. As I looked at these pictures I noticed two things--not a single picture of my beautiful wife and I am (and I can prove it beyond a shadow of a doubt) the most fortunate man who has ever lived. And for that I am grateful. Blessings have been lavished upon me that I will never deserve.... I know that and I acknowledge that.

And despite all the feelings of gratitude, I hadn't found the picture for which I searched. It was a needle in a haystack. See I was looking for this picture (or a semblance, thereof).



See, the yellow lab (to the left) is Sabrina. You've seen a picture of her before. Sabrina is a Guide Dog flunkie. I've been advised to refer to this as a "second career", so as to avoid injuring her delicate self-esteem. Sabrina is my dog. The dog on the right is Penny. We got her as an "oops" from a friend. Penny is Sabrina's dog. I'm certain Penny cannot remember a day in her life without Sabrina.

Sabrina came to us in the summer of 1998, just a few months after we moved into our first house. She was, bar none, the best trained dog in neighborhood...until I got a hold of her. Sabrina has lived in every state in which I have lived. Really. California (for guide dog training). She moved back to Utah in 1998 to become my dog. She moved from Utah to Kansas with me in 2003. She moved from Kansas to Arizona with me in 2004. She was even willing to move back to Utah with me in 2007. For each move, Sabrina rode in the vehicle I drove. We played together, ran together, wrestled together, and hid out in basements during tornadoes together. We traveled the road between Clinton, Utah, and Carlsbad, California, who knows how many times together. I could go on and on about the things we've done together. This picture reminds me of Sabrina's favorite pasttime. I was, so often, the recipient of her expressions of love.



Sabrina and I have spent many days and nights side-by-side. She is gentle and concerned by nature. She is massively expressive with her eyes and eyebrows. She truly broke me in as a pet owner. I have always planned on being the one responsible for all of her care, regardless of what she required. However, I wasn't with her last night. I was 1,442 miles away from home, on business in Nashville, Tennessee, and Huntsville, Alabama. Sabrina left us in her sleep.

I've spent the day trying to occupy my mind with (what today anyways seems so trivial) thoughts of how to ensure the rocket that will someday carry astronauts to the International Space Station & the moon will function properly and meet its intended mission. Each time I lost focus, I had to fight the tears that wanted to flow knowing I will never have the opportunity to see my own "man's best friend" again.

I thought of my wife, who, once again, had to face a difficult challenge alone, because, once again, her husband was across the country (or across the ocean) on business (I am so sorry you had to handle this Karen). I thought of the Sea Monkeys, who, even though they try, will take several weeks to grasp that Sabrina is really gone. Even the First One is struggling with the concept, despite having lost one of our cats a couple of years ago. The Little Jamaican won't get it for several months, or maybe even a couple of years. I think about Penny, who, last night, lost her master, her friend, and really her momma. I've been told her tail has been between her legs all day long trying to figure out why she's alone.

Mostly, I think about Sabrina, and the years we spent as companions...the miles on foot, the miles by car, the of number times I wore my arm out throwing balls for her, the time my dad hit her with an aluminum bat because she was to impatient for the ball to actually get hit far enough for her to run after it, and the amount of things she destroyed even within the last couple of months with her teeth (I thought labs outgrew chewing). Mostly, I think about how grateful I am that yesterday afternoon, before I left for the airport, I had the opportunity to watch her run, full-bore, to her feed bowl. I'm also glad that I heard she ran the yard last night before going to bed. Sabrina, we will all miss you. You're a great pet, great dog, and great companion. I will, however, miss you more than the others...I knew that would be the case, though.

Lastly, I think about the three incredibly kind neighbors (one state trooper, one municipal police officer, and a director of new product training for Novell) who stepped up after I made a single phone call explaining the situation. They took upon themselves the task of removing Sabrina from her kennel and the kennel from the garage so Karen would have so much less to worry. And, to the director, an incredibly deep, heart-felt thanks for taking Sabrina and burying her on your family's farm, where I can stop on my way to or from work and say good-bye to the friend to whom I didn't get to bid farewell.

Good-bye, my friend.

Good-bye sweet puppy, I will miss you, too.

Funny backsides, cheap gas and missing you.

Today as we were at the gas station, the Little Jamaican notices a man putting air in the tire of a motorized scooter. She starts chuckling and then full on laughing. She blurts out, "Mom, I see that guys butt cracker." Of course, I have to look, yep, you can see where the good Lord split him. Leave it to a four year old to notice, find funny and point out such a spectacle to the whole car.

Speaking of gas stations, I was so excited to see that one of the local gas stations is down to $2.59 a gallon for our lowest grade. Then because I'm apparently not thinking clearly, I decided to see what it cost for gas in some of the other places we lived. Most of them were a few cents to about 20 cents lower. Then I got to Kansas. You know where we lived in Kansas is down to $1.97 gallon. Suddenly $2.59 feels a little high.

The Rocket Scientist was business traveling last week. Sadly not leaving me much time to blog when I'm running around trying to keep the Sea Monkeys out of trouble all by myself. This week is not different, he left today, taking my heart and my sanity with him.

I miss you all. I will be doing my best to catch up with you. If I don't you will know that the Sea Monkeys are keeping me buried.

Funny stuff I learn about from my kids....

The Little Jamaican kept asking for the same thing over and over again. I was having a heck of time understanding her. Finally, I got that she wanted to watch something. Then I had to ask many times what it was she wanted to watch, because it sounded like she said, "Chuv-chuvs." Ya.....I didn't have a clue, but the Rocket Scientist new what it was.

How to recapture trust?

No this is not a "how to" post. This is a plea...........I have recently been thinking a lot about this. A LOT! When trust is broken, how do you recover it? Can you get back what you broke? Once you are untrustworthy are you always untrustworthy in the eyes of the person whose trust you broke? Do you let friendships go over trust issues? Spouses? What about children? How do you earn trust? How do you give trust? If you took time to read this, please take time to leave your thoughts. I really need to hear them.

Disclaimer: At the Rocket Scientists request, I am stating that this post has nothing to do with my marriage. We can't have you all thinking he is anything other than the Mr. Incredible he is.

The unknown use for a lime green bracelet

There is no end to what my children will do to avoid going to bed!

Glazed.......

Last week, was a busy one. One of my three sister's wanted her kitchen cabinets glazed. She seemed to be under some delusion that I was the person to talk to. Don't get me wrong.......I love to glaze. I'm just not sure I'm the person to talk to. That all said, my sister, her husband and myself got busy and glazed the cabinets and the oak handrails in her house.

Here is a before shot:

This is my sister that loves the water and loves boats. The following are the after shots. I also love the crown moulding and knobs on the cabinetry! I love how the color of the cabinets changed. It honestly makes them feel and look brand new.
There are home improvement projects I love and others I hate. This is one that I love. So which improvement projects do you love? Which do you hate? The top of my hate list is ripping out old flooring. (Makes my skin crawl. I can't help but think about all the stuff that is in the old flooring.)

Not enough branches in my family tree

You may have noticed that I don't mention my mother-in-law much. I need to say up front, she is an amazing woman. I love and adore her, but most of all I miss her. My sweet Rocket Scientist lost his mother to cancer about 6 months after we got married. Ruth was her name. She fought cancer like a master ninja. In the end, though, I think it was just her time to go. God must have needed her more there than here. So, even though there are days it breaks my heart that she isn't here to meet 8 of her 11 grandchildren I know that there must be some Divine purpose in why she is there instead of here. Who knows, maybe she was one of the angels desperately working behind the scenes to help us get our children. (Trust me there were angels employed. Adoption is a miracle all of it's own.)

Ruth was from a holler in West Virginia. I love to hear the stories she told of her growing up there. She was kind enough to record a lot of her memories in both the written and audio formats. It really is a treasure to have. One of the things she talked about was that most of the people that lived in the holler were related. Everyone was related to either Hackney's or Hurley's or both. Before you were allowed to have a crush on someone, you had to figure out how far removed that family member was. (I know many of you are either laughing or cringing.)

Well tonight when we were out and about with our Sea Monkeys, the Wild Child was talking about how Mom and Dad lived together before we had kids. Then she proceeds to say that we even lived together when we were kids. The Rocket Scientists zooms in on this and says, "Your mother and I did not live together before we were married." The Wild Child's response to that, "Yes, you did! Mom was your sister!" The Rocket Scientist is now trying to control his need to laugh. "Baby, Wild Child, your mother is not and was never my sister!"

"Dad, she was too. Mom is your sister!"

"Nope, Wild Child, Grandma Ruth grew up in West Virginia, not me."

You would think after a conversation like this that the RS might have made some sort of head way, but no. She went to bed tonight, honestly believing that the RS and I are brother and sister.

On the Contrary!

Have I ever mentioned that I love the charter school my 1st One and Wild Child attend. They are learning a ton. The best part of that is that they are excited about what they are learning. I don't know about you, but when I was is school they didn't teach us about "greeting" new people and proper etiquette for such situations in the 1st and 2nd grade. My 1st One came home and told me all about it. She even said, "You should say, 'Hello, my name is ........, it's a pleasure to meet you.' Mom, did you know that is a greeting?"

The kids have been doing a bunch of field work lately, aka: field trips, that have all been centered on or around trees and the products they provide us. They talk about how they grow, why leaves change color, what grows on trees, how we get paper form them and what might live in and around them, to name just a few. A few weeks ago the the 1st One was able to tour and Violin Making school. Can you believe how cool? I know you are all thinking......."OK....we get it. You like the school.......is there a point here?" No point......just a Wild Child story.

So this past week when the 1st One was at school and before it was time to take the Wild Child to afternoon Kindergarten, the Wild Child had the Little Jamaican and My Son sitting on the couch. She was literally making them stay there, because she had made a "Contrary" and they were doing field work, learning about some of the animals in her "Contrary." She had taken all the throw pillows off the couch and had made "cages" for some of her "animals" (aka: stuffed animals) and was pulling them out one at a time and talking about them to her brother and sister like she was a tour guide. Of course, this is all very amusing to me, especially since it took me forever to figure out what a "Contrary" was.

This is what I over heard as she was giving the tour of her conservatory. "This here is a weasel-rat. They live here in the forest. Can anyone tell me what a weasel-rat eats?" as she is holding up her stuffed animal that is actually a weasel she's named Womp. "Do they eat leaves? No. Do they eat bugs? No. Do they little kids? No. How about noses?" She lets out a little snort/laugh. "They eat HAIR! THEY EVEN EAT THEIR OWN HAIR!" Wow.........now that is a very self sufficient weasel-rat.

My list of excuses.....

I'm feeling bad about not posting much this week and even worse about not reading so many of your blogs. I do have a list of excuses, but you all really don't want to hear them. I do have a ton of stuff to tell you all about, but still no time. I'll be back soon though....I have to tell you all about the Wild Child building a "Contrary" and show pictures of the cabinets my sister, BIL and myself glazed in thier house.

Happy Birthday, Jen!!!!!!!

Sometimes in life, you meet people that you like right away. Jen who is Buried With Children is one of those people. Today is her birthday........so stop over and tell her Happy Birthday.

Jen, Happy Birthday. I hope this is your best birthday yet! Sorry that the video is so dark. We are still learning to carry a tune, but our sentiment is heart felt.

1st Snowfall

Oh, how I love snow on green trees. Did I ever mention that I grew up near Lake Tahoe? That may be my definition of paradise. It really is beautiful there. The water is crystal clear and the pine trees almost have a coconut/pine essence that mingles with the mountain air. In the summer the air is hot and the lake is cold with sky scraping pine tree surrounding you. But the winters........oh the winters. The snow all over those pine tree over looking that blue lake is breath taking.
This is the snow that fell on Sunday. Not too much.Just enough snow to get the Wild Child all excited about snowmen and lobbing snow balls at her dad. You notice the flip-flops on the deck covered with snow? Yep, I think, most of us were still in summer mode when this storm said, "Hello.........You are not in Arizona anymore." I know, I know, we have been here a little over a year and half, but I still haven't adjusted back to having so many weather variations.
Oh hey, did you also notice the size of this deck? Can you really call this a deck? The builder we bought this house from calls it one, but I'm thinking that may not be the right word. I think we will put a real deck out there sometime next year.

No again, no again, no again

I love when my kids are first learning to talk. There is something almost magical listening and watching as those patterns develop in their little heads.

My sweet Son at the tender age of seven is just really learning to talk. There is a lot I still don't understand, but there is a lot I do. Part of it is, he talks really, really, fast. If you know this child, you know that this is the exact opposite of everything about him. He likes to take his time. He doesn't like to rush anything. For a long time I worried his life's aspirations were to be a "couch potato."

Two of my new favorite phrases from him are: "No again, no again, no again" and "No bubbles" The first one he uses for the obvious things........the things that he doesn't want to do again. The other one is reserved for the washing of his hair. Nope, he doesn't want it washed. As a matter of fact, he doesn't like it combed or cut either. Trying to cut his hair is similar to what it must be like to shave a cat. It takes two of us. We don't subject a stylist to this as it is quite taxing. I hold his arms down and wipe his nose, as he is screaming through the whole thing and the Rocket Scientist shaves his head. Sounds like fun.....huh? Tomorrow will be one of those delightful days that My Son will get a haircut, at which point I am sure both he and I will be crying, "No again, no again, no again!"

It smells like.....

SNOW! Yes, I am aware there is no snow in this picture, but it honestly smells like it. If you ask the weather man he'll tell you, we should see some this weekend.

So do you love it or hate it? Snow that is.

What's in an IQ score?

Free-IQTest.net - IQ Test


Yeah........I'm not sure how accurate this little test is that I took, but I am going to believe that I am that intelligent today. (Trying to keep from rolling my eyes.)

Toilet Only Family

You all know about how the Olympic sport went at our house, right? Well, that has had some ramifications I was not expecting. A few days ago, the Rocket Scientist steps out into the backyard to call the Wild Child and the Little Jamaican in for dinner. He finds two little girls who are butt naked. Yes, just from the waste down. So, we have a brief talk about why we don't take our clothes off outside. So, dumbly, I'm thinking problem fixed. That is until I walk into the back yard the other day to find the Little Jamaican "squatting" on the lawn so to say. She argues that it is OK since the dogs do it and so does My Son. Yeah.......that's the kind of logic I'm getting from a 4 year old. I might be in trouble there.
Because of this particular situation, I have been trying to convince My Son that he needs to come in the house to go "potty." Friday morning all the Sea Monkeys were up really early. Like, I wasn't out to bed yet, early. So like any good mom of young children, I start to tell everyone to go "potty." As I am laying bed I can hear someone relieving themselves in the bathroom down the hall. Somehow it sort of sounds like My Son, but not quite right. A few minutes later I walk down the hall, because the 1st One is claiming that the floor is wet outside the laundry room. Now I'm thinking something has gone wrong with the washing machine and it must have flooded. I'm starting to worry about water damage until I see the wet floor. Clearly, someone with male plumbing has used my carpet like he uses the grass in the back yard. I know that there are dad's out there who think that it is all cool to use the back yard as a loo, but not for this house. Nope............we apparently don't clearly see the difference between grass and carpet. We are a toilet only family.

Tag, your it.

I was tagged by the Oysterblogger to tell 7 weird or random facts about me. I may have done this one before, but honestly I can't remember. I'm sure there are plenty of things weird about me, so hopefully you all won't think....."I think I have heard this before."



1. I want a minimum of 6 kids. The RS says we are done.

2. I was in the "band" in high school

3. I know from first hand experience you should never shave your legs and swim it the Great Salt Lake on the same day. (Ouch!)

4. I gave the RS an ultimatum when we were dating to ask me to marry him by New Years or I was out of there. (I know, a bit bratty.)

5. My favorite car was a Toyota Tercel. (I could park that thing anywhere!)

6. I love model homes!!!!

7. Dusting is something rarely done in my house. (I tease that it is against my religion.)



All right, time for me to tag a few of you and since I can't remember who has done this and who hasn't........if you haven't consider yourself tagged.

Is it genetic....because it sure isn't enviroment?!

My darling son is a charmer. You can ask any one who has spent any amount of time with him. There are days I would go as far as to say that he has the making of a womanizer. Yes, I know, I need to keep an eye on that.

Even when he was really little these traits would make themselves known. The Rocket Scientist had some Christmas Shopping to do, when there were only three of them. That would have made My Son around 2ish. Now mind you, he just recently started saying words and sentences we can mostly understand. So in these days I'm referring to, it was all gibberish and smiles. Well the Rocket Scientist is in Target doing some Christmas shopping for his kids. He has My Son with him. In the Rocket Scientist's words, "Your son picks out the hottest, best lookin', stacked woman in the store and starts chatting her up." Yeah, that's great huh? My Son has continued this type of behavior over the years and yes, he does seem to find the most attractive women with, hmmmm, how to put this delicately..................with the plentiful chest. This can be rather embarrassing as a mom. Especially since that particular description does not describe me. In fact, the Rocket Scientist has made it clear that if I were ever to decide to leave him.......he gets My Son. He claims it would be his only chance of ever having a date again.

Now, you need to know that the Rocket Scientist is not a womanizer. Not in the least. He is terribly shy by nature and analytical, making it somewhat difficult for him even to flirt with the woman that makes it clear daily that he is the only guy for her. So, as I am becoming more aware of what My Son has to say, I realize his favorite character of all time is "Puss in Boots" from Shrek. He has made it so clear that he is requiring us to call him Puss these days. Yeah.......that 's right. He wants us to call him the name of a womanizing, fictional cat. I find myself asking, is this genetic?, because the RS certainly is not providing the environment. Or maybe it is too many times watching the Shrek movies, providing the environment.? Either way, "Houston we have a problem!"

Whatcha Readin'?

Flea tagged my with a book meme. I hope she is not disappointed in what, "is lying around my house."

Here are the rules: Grab the nearest book. Open the book to page 56. Find the fifth sentence. Post the text of the next two to five sentences in your journal/blog along with these instructions. Don't dig for your favorite book, the cool book, or the intellectual one: pick the CLOSEST. Tag five other people to do the same.

I wish I had something as entertaining as "Taming the Liger," like there was a Flea's house, but sorry, not so much. (side note: Did you know that there are actually Ligers?) So this is what is on the Rocket Scientist's night stand. He's still reading it, but it's the next book I'm reading. I'm sure that there are books on my night stand, but they would not be the closest at this point as I would have to unbury them.

So the book is: Rich Dad's PROPHECY, by Robert T. Kiyosaki with Sharon L. Lechter, C.P.A.
"Most people already realize that they are in financial trouble but still do not realize the full impact of the many flaws of the law. When this realization hits critical mass, a panic will occur as people fight desperately to save their retirement and their lives. Unfortunately, all the diversification in the world will not save them from a crash of that magnitude. Warren Buffett, reportedly America's richest and smartest investor, has this to say about diversification. He says: 'Diversification is a protection against ignorance. It makes very little sense for those that know what they are doing.'"

Sorry that was 6 sentences......but, I just couldn't leave you all hanging on half of a thought from Warren Buffett, could I?

Let me see...........who to tag............alright, here we go. First my cousin Susan at Random Samplings of My Delightful Life, Tori at The McKee's, Jen at Buried With Children, Jenn at I Hate Whine!, and A Thorn Among Roses.

I can hardly wait to see what you are all reading.

Fickle is, as fickle does.

I did warn you that I am very fickle, right? Well, the Sunset last night was amazing!!! It really showed off all the fall colors on the mountains. I really do love Fall's warm faded colors. One of these days..........I am going to have to invest in a "real" camera. :)

Feel like a teenager?

Today, I had to make a trip to Office Max to have some stuff laminated for My Son's education. The Wild Child was the first one out of the van. The others were taking forever to get out. I can hear her talking to me as she is leaning against the store front. I'm still trying to get the others out, so I am not sure what she is saying. Finally everybody is out and I can finally hear what she is saying to me. She is leaning against the store front, just like this: She says to me, "Mom, I feel like a teenager when I stand like this." The girl scares me.

So Long Summer.......

It occurs to me today that summer is over. Kids are back in school, days are getting shorter and cooler and I have a tree that the leaves already turned and then fell off some time this weekend. I have already started to miss it. I was looking through my pictures and found these of day in early September when some family friends took us boating on East Canyon Reservoir. What a fun day that was. I'm going to call them L and L. L and L are two of the funnest, nicest people one could ever meet. Can you believe Mr. L is teaching my kids to drive his boat? My kids loved that. (Not that they can actually drive a boat until 16 in our state.)

My Wild Child was freezing that day. Mrs. L was really sweet to cuddle her and keep her warm. The Wild Child ate that right up.
So now that it's over, I'm missing the boating trips, the playing, the not having to get up before the sun most of the week. I'm not missing the temperatures yet, but it is just a matter of time. Anyone else missing summer?

All that said......I'm sure sometime soon I will be posting about how much I love Fall and then how much I love Winter. I'm so fickle

Finally............

The night before our sod arrived, the Rocket Scientist and I were working on putting our border in for the "flower beds." I use "flower beds" loosely. They will be filled with bushes, trees, flowers, a water feature and hopefully some of my garden mixed there too, but not until next year. Of course, the Seamonkeys were out helping us. When it was time to come in, I made everyone strip at the door and marched them stark naked to the shower. When the RS and I came back down stairs to clean up the clothes, we found this. Honestly, this was nothing! We picked them up by the legs only to discover the pockets were filled with dirt as well. Oh the joys of little boys. I have decided the saying over My Son's bed is so fitting. It goes like this: A boy is a symphony of noise loving covered in dirt. The next day the sod came and I am pretty sure I heard angels singing! We are truly blessed to have many friends and family so willing to jump in and help us. I can not thank them enough.

Cousins enjoying the newly laid sod brings a tear to my eye. You have no idea, how it has tortured the Wild Child not to have a space to run WILD.
This next one is my brother laying sod in my backyard. I'm telling you, this is a guy you want to know. He's genuine, honest, generous and about as smart as they come. Did I mention this guy has saved our backsides repeatedly with time and labor?
What do you suppose is on their these kiddo's mind? I really don't think this is an expression of patience.........but I have been wrong before.
The sod is finally all in. YAAAAAHOOOOOOOO! It is unfortunate for me to say that so far this is the only half way decent picture of it. After we finished up the job and the clean-up, I was too tired to walk back down the stairs to take a decent picture

So now I have a question for all of you. I need some trees, but I'm not sure what I want. I need a smallish tree that likes shade and a large, fast growing evergreen. Anyone have some suggestions?

I love you, man.........

Did you ever notice how almost everything I post is about my kids, my husband or something, just plain other than me directly? People rarely believe that I am painfully shy, but truth be told, I am.

There is a point here. I promise. I have been the recipient of many blog awards in the past few months. You are all way too kind to me. Of course this is conundrum for me since I am fairly shy, but I do love the attention. So, I have not done anything with them yet. I know that is bad.......that is why you don't see them on my blog yet. It's the whole drawing attention to myself, thing that is oh-so uncomfortable for me. So, I procrastinate. I'm still wondering why anybody would torture themselves reading my misspelled, missing words and terrible punctuation, but trust me when I say, "I am so glad you do."

Now there are many, many blogs I look forward to passing these awards on to. So I say, time to square my shoulders, plaster a smile on my face, so you don't see how nervous I feel and pretend that you are all reading something about my kids.

My first blog award came from: A Thorn Among Roses. This woman is amazing. She has a house full of beautiful girls and she always is up beat. She gave me this award:

I love this award, since it is my first. If you have not stopped by her blog, you are really missing out. She is funny, sweet and genuine. She is an amazing mom and someone I want to be more like.

I know that I am supposed to pass this award on, but my conscience is eating me alive, like a mosquito at dusk. Here lies my dilemma.......it's that one little word. You know ASK........ My kids sometimes read this, my mom reads this when coerced, my aunt and uncle, you get the point right. Please still be my friends if I just committed a major blogging faux pas.

This of course makes me think of this:




Which then of course, makes me think of this.

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Ok moving on.......

This award came from Flea at Flea's World. There are many things to be said about Flea. Oh, she's funny and entertaining alright. though truth be told, the thing I love the most about her, is the way she writes, makes you feel like you have been friends forever. Flea......if you are reading this......thanks for the award, but most of all thanks for making feel like a friend.

So here is where I get to pass this one on:


Nicole over at Naptime Optional. She has a funny take on children and parenting that I really enjoy. She's married to my brother so of course, I think her kids are darling. She is the reason I started blogging. She talked about it enough that I had to see what it was about. She also has another blog called The Nicole Show. Also as entertaining. Trust me.......go see for yourself.


Jen is Buried With Children. That is quite literal. She blogs about her adventure raising her darling triplets and too smart & too cute Hayden. You get a few stories about her Jeff in there too. He seems to be superman. She is the reason if I wake up in the middle of the night, I have to turn my computer on to see if she has posted something new. Really if you haven't been over there, you ought to. It's always an adventure.


Dawn over at Dawn's Place is upbeat, even when a hurricane is headed her way. She has great stories of family, friends and neighbors. She is my newest bloggy buddy and I'm glad we found each other.


Shades of Blonde is Krista, my BFF. She did not make the list here because she is my BFF, that is just a matter of fact. She made the list, because she is witty, funny and a total nut. Really, really, really........if you don't stop by her blog every once in a while, you might be missing the funniest thing you could read all month. Some of her funniest are Under the Influence of Pain Killers and I Said Quack!

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Then there is this award from my SIL, Nicole. You know the one mentioned above? Is she just too good to me or what?
Laundry and Children provokes me to think while she is entertaining me. I like that. Really go check her out if you have not. She is doing a month of "Nothing" right now that elevates her to superhero status, in my book.

Nancy's Thoughts are not to be missed. She is cute. (Inside and out.) Her quickly growing family is in the middle of a move. The post on her dream house I felt all the way to my toes.

Life in the Slow Lane is Carrie. She has an amazing ability to capture Kansas in her words and pictures. (and yes I mean the state.) Her life with her hubby TNT are always fun to read.

Stacy at Me and the Boys is a long time friend of the Rocket Scientist and now mine, too. In fact I think she was the RS's first real kiss. This has nothing to do with her blog, just stuff I have rolling around in my head. Anyway, I love to hear about her life and the things she is doing and learning about. I have learned a lot of stuff reading her blog. Stuff I needed to know. Like this and this.

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Honestly you all, I'm going to get a big head and that's a problem.........trust me on this one.

Dawn over at Dawn of My Day aka: Dawn's Place gave me this award:

This one came with instructions. So here it goes:

Here are the rules...
Mention the blog that gave it to you and comment on their blog to let them know you've posted your award. Publish these rules. Share 6 values that are important to you and 6 things you do not support:

6 things I value:

1. My knowledge of a Heavenly Father

2. My children.......I know what it looks like to not have them. It's not happy.

3. My friends.........These are the people that keep me sane

4. My Freedom and opportunity to live in such and amazing country

5. My health.......so I can continue to enjoy all of my blessings to the fullest

6. The Rocket Scientist..........the man is one of a kind. I could be really sappy here and nauseate you all, but I will spare you. I just need to say that I hit the jackpot when it comes to spouses. I could have not done better for me.

6 things I do not support:

1. Complaining without being willing or wanting to fix it.

2. Non-thinkers.........oh you know the type..........their opionion is whatever somebody else told them it should be.

3. Bratz Dolls................................My girls want to dress like them........'nough said. I have a story about this for another time.

4. Apathy..........come on now........you know the type.........sometimes it gets so bad that they don't realize their apathy has cost them many opportunities.

5. Spouses who are there only for better, but when worse comes along they bail. (Honestly, I have a friend that when diagnosed with a very scary cancer, the spouse basically left this friend to die.)

6. Doctor's who think they have all the answers and sentence you to die

6 people I'd like to pass this award to:

1. Flea at Flea's World. Refer to above as to why you should drop over and say hello to her.

2. Thorn Amoung Roses Same here......refer to above about why you are missing out if you don't drop in and check her out.

3. Jen at The Cotton Wife. If you want to see some beautiful photos you really should stop in here.

4. Rhea at The Texas Word Tangle. Her posts are like a box of chocolates. You never know if you are going to get funny, thought provoking, crazy, sweet or informational. Sometimes you get them all.

5. Linda at The 7MSN Ranch. The photography and narration is one of a kind. Beautiful, funny, entertaining to name a few. Mostly what I like about this blog, is Linda is brave. She gave up the life she knew for the life she wanted. She lives her dream. Until recently, I really didn't understand what kind of courage that takes. Today's post had a very large 8-legged thing that makes my skin crawl. If you pop over and you really should, you will see and read some things about some four legged characters you will quickly grow to love.

6. Karen at The Rocking Pony. Reading her blog feels like reading a novel I can't put down. I can hardly wait to see how things are going to turn out. I have to keep reminding myself that she can only write about it as is happens. She makes me laugh and cry, cheer and prepare for battle and whole bunch of other emotions I don't have names for right now.

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Thanks for reading my blog and leaving comments. You all really do make my day when you leave a comment.

I would say you all have a lot of reading to do!! Why are you still here? Go follow those links..... Really............ Now.........................Nothing more to read here..................................... You are as bad as my kids.....................................go................