The Ramsey Chronicles

2011-12-01T12:10:00.001-08:00

This is the logo that I designed for my new online store today :)

When You're Away

2011-08-05T12:07:00.000-07:00

I feel like doing something big...Bella is gone until Saturday and when she comes home, I think it would be nice to have a surprise for her. I have some furniture that I need to put in her room and take out the old stuff. The new dresser and credenza will replace her current dresser, cabinet and television stand. It will give her bedroom a much needed improvement!

Bella has been keeping her room clean for about a month now. It has been a big shocker, let me tell you! I have been rewarding her here and there with things but I think she now enjoys having a clean and tidy room. Maybe now that she's about to start High School, she is ready to take better care of her things. Hmmm...I wonder when Ryan will be ready? LOL

Halley's had a clean room pretty much since birth. Justin...he's a disaster waiting to happen. Give that boy anything and it ends up on the floor. At night when he's getting tired, he starts taking his clothes off...socks, shirt and finally pants. All of them ending up scattered throughout the house waiting to be discovered the next morning and taken to the laundry room.

Anyway, where I was going with this...I'm debating whether or not to tackle Bella's room because I just don't know if I will be able to get it finished before she gets home. I know that I will run into things that need to be organized and I just can't help but to do it. I might have to recruit Halley's help. She came home early from camp and so she's got the day free.

I know that Bella will love the new look of her room when she gets back. You know, I think I'm going to go for it! Wish me luck!

Good Vibrations

2011-07-28T13:23:00.001-07:00

Last week, I sure complained a lot! But, things are great and I thought I should post about some happy things while they're fresh in my mind.

Last year, I'd been telling my brother that I wanted to lose some weight. He had been bragging about how great and easy it was for him and so I thought I should give it a try, too. So, on January 1st, I went for it. I had been prepping my family for about two months and let them know that it was coming...so we were all prepared. Wouldn't you know, it wasn't hard to do at all after the first 4 days! I gave it three months because we were going to go to Disneyland at the end of June and that was my target. I knew it would be hard to continue doing well on vacation, but it wasn't so bad. Anyway, by the time we went to Disneyland on June 24th, I had lost enough weight to go down 4 pants sizes. We all had lost weight. Each and every one of us! Yay! Lots of people noticed...but what I noticed is that I could actually fit into the clothes I had bought that were too small. I had some really nice things that had never been worn just waiting for me in the closet. The pants I had been wearing? Yah, there is no way I could even wear them with a belt, anymore. I don't feel any smaller, but the proof is in the pants ;)

I have slacked off for a few months am still wearing the smaller sizes but I've gained some of it back and so it's time to start it up again. I now have a goal (and my brother does, too) for the end of the year. Hopefully, if I can keep it up, January 1st I will have one more goal to lose and when I am done, I should be smaller than I was when I graduated High School...when I got married...before I got pregnant with Ryan. I'm looking forward to that!!! I've already lost 1/3 of what I need to lose!

In June, we did get to go to Disneyland and it was wonderful, of course...and I want to go again. Like tomorrow. But, I have to wait until next year to go back. We went with Brian and Kristy. We took the Yukon down there and stayed by the resort so we could just walk to and from the park. I had a blast. It was so much fun and the only problem was the girls singing to the top 20 on 20. My brother's ears were bleeding, I think. Anyway, he put a stop to it at about Santa Nella and the rest of the ride down was great.

The lines at the park were not too bad. When we went a few months earlier with my mom, Ian and Tyler, it was busier...and hotter! It was nice to have a little drizzle in the morning to keep things cool. This time, Troy didn't go, so we did a lot of shopping. We also ate at the park for every meal instead of at our hotel room. We took plenty of money so that was our plan. The kids had also been saving up their money since Christmas and birthdays, etc. They had lots of gift cards/cash to use. It was nice to not have them asking me for everything ;) They just bought it with their own money.

As soon as we got back from our trip, the next day was the opening day of "Switch". I started a business with someone I've known, since I moved to Susanville, in March. It's a good business, but it wasn't necessarily a good partnership. In June, I knew things weren't working out and so we're no longer in business together...but that's ok. I'm really enjoying things and I've even hired my first employee who will be starting in a couple weeks.

My store is a new/gently used and consignment store. I have to admit, I love it. It's a lot of fun meeting new people every day. I've already been able to order new things from wholesale vendors and it has sure made school clothes shopping for the girls a lot easier. They just pick out what they like! I am lovin' it...

There is a downside, though. I have no life! LOL I haven't gotten to do hardly any gardening this year, but the garden looks beautiful because it's not nearly as much work as it has been in the past! I'm glad that I get to go down there now and then but I wish I could do a little more.

I'm not in the Young Women's Organization anymore, either. I was really sad when I was released from that calling at church...but you know what they say, when one opportunity ends, another begins. Ain't that the truth! Now I get to work with the Stake Relief Society Presidency as the Second Counselor. I am loving it and didn't think I'd ever get over YW, but it's all good. Currently, we're planning a dinner for our August Stake Conference and a Stake Cookbook for our November Women's Conference. I also teach Relief Society on the 3rd Sundays, so I look forward to the Sundays that I get to travel to other wards and meet the women in other areas. I've really loved it! It's a great calling :) We're going to get a new Stake Presidency in August...it will be bittersweet, I'm sure. I've really loved our current Presidency. What wonderful men! Their shoes will be big ones to fill...

Halley got her driver's license last September, so we needed another car. Troy drives the Yukon now, Halley drives the Kia and I now drive a VW Passat that gets great gas mileage! The trips to Orland or Reno aren't so expensive anymore. It's nice to be able to go places more often! We went to Orland a few times lately and got to watch Pirates of the Caribbean in 3D and Transformers in 3D on my birthday. It's always nice to get to see my family! I got to see Joe and Vince this last trip, too. Brian was out of town on a Quad riding trip to Oregon.

Halley got a job at Safeway and she loves it! She will be able to work there all through college if she wants...Safeway does transfers. She plans on going to Chico to live with my mom. Bella does, too. Won't that be hilarious!!! Actually, the two of them are like peas in a pod, but my poor parents need to enjoy their golden years without extra tenants!

Ryan has his driver's license, now, too. He doesn't really care about having his own car because he's just going to go on a mission in Dec/Jan. He is concentrating on college until he leaves. I think he's getting a degree in Video Games; Majoring in COD and minoring in Halo. His friends must be doing the same thing because they "study" quite often in his room...lol They're good kids, though. I can't complain!

Bella and Halley are going to start their dance lessons soon. They will probably do Jazz and hip-hop. Today is Halley's 17th birthday. I'd tell you what her presents are, but she hasn't opened them, yet. We're going to go to Reno this weekend and do a little shopping. My mom and Brian are coming for a visit, so we're going to have a great time!

Justin has had a great summer with Baseball finishing up (he did really well this year), hanging out with his BFF's Jack and Jimmy once in a while and his other BFF, Mikaylyn. Those two are so cute together. They play all day long...and occasionally get into a squabble. The last one (her mom texted me) was because they were arguing about what their kids were going to look like. Justin told Mikaylyn that he wanted them to look like him and not her! LOL Mikaylyn (KK) lives next door and is the same age as Justin. Her dad said that when they turn 14, Justin can't come over any more...hahaha.

KK was gone all last week and my poor son was just miserable. He finally admitted that he missed her but told me I'd better not tell anyone. He didn't say anything about not posting it on my blog, though.

We lost our two cats, Charlee and Julie. Charlee gave birth to 6 babies and 4 days later, she died. Julie died about two weeks later. Same symptoms. They both had subjective signs of being poisoned. It's really sad... One of my friends thought they may have had feline parvo, but Charlee would have had it when she was pregnant and her babies would have died, too. We were able to save two of her babies only because a friend helped us out. They are alive and doing so well! Poor Sassy is going crazy, though. The babies will not leave her alone! At least these cats aren't nursing on her...hehehe The white boy is named Cotton and the black girl is named Comet. They don't go outside at all. We wouldn't want anything to happen to them!

Troy is back on nights at work, which means I have to get dinner on the table at 5:15. Hard to do when my store closes at 5, but I've been doing ok since we established some rules about responsibilities at our last Family Home Evening. It's amazing how that works...

We're going to go camping soon and I'm looking forward to that...Buck's Lake with a few families from church. We had a great time last year and I would imagine that it's going to be even better this time. The kids really love kayaking and we're going to be able to do that again, too!

My 39th birthday was the 4th and I made plans with Bekki to go have sushi to celebrate. Bekki's birthday is tomorrow. So, we took the boys (Ryan and Ian) over with us and had a great time. We watched Harry Potter in 3D, went to Sushi and then went to see Transformers in 3D. We didn't get home until almost 2 in the morning. Poor Bekki...I know she had to be tired, but she stayed awake the whole way home and I didn't fall asleep, either! I did run over a rabbit, though. THUMP!

The last few days I've really gotten to talk to my girls a lot. I'm so proud of them for trusting me enough to tell me things that might make me upset with them. It's important for us to have these open lines of communication between us so that they're never afraid to talk to me. I love them so much and couldn't be happier that I get to raise them. They're a lot of fun...even if they drive me crazy sometimes. I think we need a girls only trip. We should plan one of those soon!

I really can't think of anything else big that we've done lately...Troy hasn't gone fishing at all this year. His birthday is coming up soon. Maybe his brothers will go fishing with him or something?

I hadn't posted for a year until last week, so I think I'm pretty caught up now. Hopefully, I won't have to write a book anymore.

Bad Reputation

2011-07-16T09:45:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was not a very good day for me. I think inside, I had to admit that I could never fix something that was broken. It's a very saddening thing, but most of all, I was angry.

I was called a hypocrite yesterday. I try really hard to not "do as I say and not as I do" and for the people that know me, they know that I rarely ask for help, I rarely apologize and I rarely back down from my opinions.

I don't like to ask for help because I like to be the person that helps. It makes me feel good when I can be there for others and feel needed. I like to be strong and independent and when I feel that I can't do it myself, I feel like a failure. But, that's just me and how I was raised...my dad could do anything, fix anything and make anything. So could my mom. They didn't give up and I don't, either. They didn't let us be "quitters", either. If we started something, we had to finish it. I have to admit that sometimes things are hard. I want to give up or quit, but I just pray a little harder and things seem to work out alright. A very good friend told me a saying the other day and I really like it...I'm going to have to remember it! It's "You can do hard things". She was basically telling me that is what she says to her children, but hey...it can work for grown-up's, too ;)

I don't apologize unless I mean it, either. I'm not one of those people who will apologize just to shut somebody up. That isn't me at all. An apology is a very humbling experience for me. It's admitting that I was wrong (which I do not like to do AT ALL) and accepting my fault but most importantly, it is an opportunity to make a change. The end results are always good, but the process of getting there is one of my most difficult things to do. Troy always tells me "Jesus would forgive but you don't...and you always try to be like Christ". He is right...but I am certainly not perfect and it takes me a while to realize my faults sometimes. Apologies are hard. What's even harder is not knowing that I've hurt someone or done something wrong and I'm not aware that I did it. Boy, that's a tough one!

Just yesterday, I realized how inconsiderate I can be sometimes...when I go on and on about how bratty my kids can be and how they can't seem to do anything right and they know better and so-on and so-on. I heard about another parent's challenges with their child and it made me feel so ungrateful. The things I see as troubles are not really that bad. If I put myself in someone else's shoes, I'd realize that things could be more difficult. Things could be a lot harder than they are. Things could be so much worse. I've been very unappreciative of the children I have been given. Each parent/child relationship is different. I truly admire the person that pointed out her own struggles and difficulties because if I were in her shoes, I don't know that I could do it. She is (and I'm totally crying while I'm typing this, too) truly amazing and a gift from God to the children that she has and the family that she holds together.

My opinions...well, those get me in to trouble more often than not. Some of my opinions are dumb, I know, but I'm allowed to have them-justified or not. So when I was accused of being a hypocrite because I cover up my mannequins (put jackets on them and scarves when they are wearing tank tops with bare shoulders, put cami's on the low cut necklines, etc.) in the store when I know that the Bishop is coming in OR that I don't want to sell short shorts or miniskirts, but I do sell them...are those really things to judge me about?

If I remember correctly, I voiced my opinion about how bad I felt when some wonderful young men came into the store and told me "your mannequins are immodest". How horrible did I feel? Um, MUCHO! It taught me a valuable lesson- and they were absolutely right. Those mannequins were very immodest! Although I wasn't the one that had dressed those mannequins, I allowed them to remain immodest. After the young men left, the next day I voiced my opinion about the situation and how I felt. So when I dress the mannequins, they are not immodest. And you know what? The store looks completely different now that it is 100% my own and I don't have someone else trying to dictate what I should and shouldn't do with my business.

Do I sell miniskirts? Yes. But I didn't want to in the beginning! I even stated that I felt like a hypocrite and for that reason, I made a decision that (and to this day, I regret) I would allow my daughters to wear the dang skirts, so long as they wear leggings under them. I do not like that decision, but the girls have their own free agency and I have to them to use it. Another one of my very best friends also told me that I need to "pick my battles". Great advice. Hard to do? Yes. So...if you ever see one of my girls wearing what looks like something out of a 3 year old's drawer, please tell them if you think it's too short. I'm just the mom...they don't always listen to me. Thank goodness they wear the leggings underneath. I think it looks absolutely ridiculous, but at least they're trying to be more modest.

The short shorts...oh my gosh, now I'm fired up! I despise these things. Someone showed up in the store one day wearing shorts that did not come down any farther than her crotch. In fact, the joke that day was how she "fit into a child's size 12". Well, good for her. I can fit into clothes that are smaller than I should be wearing, too. Does that mean they look good? No way! The shorts looked horrible. For the parent that lets their daughter out of the house in these shorts and brags about how great she looks: do I really have to tell you what image that sells?

When I confronted the parent about the shorts yesterday, this is what I got..."Well, I'm not letting my girls out of the house with cleavage showing". Really? Isn't it the same difference? Boobs...legs...bare shoulders or stomachs...who cares? Teenage boys are soooo visually stimulated-it makes good boys feel uncomfortable and naughty boys feel challenged (as in, hey...I bet I can get some of that) How do I know this? I have talked to mothers of teenage boys about this very same subject. If that's the kind of attention parents allow their daughters to be receiving, it is no wonder that teenage girls these days are doing the things they do-smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol, smoking pot, having sex, cutting themselves...the list goes on and on!

When I was in High School, I hung around with the popular kids. Let me tell you, I got into my own fair share of trouble...I did things that I regret but I can't take them back. I can only try to help my own children learn from my mistakes and pray that they make better choices than I did. When I see a friend, someone I love and care about, having difficulties because their child is going down a path that is leading in the wrong direction, all I can do is offer help or advice. I've been there and done that so I do know what I'm talking about. Situations might not be the exact same thing but they are similar.

It's really a shame when parents push, push, push their children to be popular. Some parents seem to sacrifice their children in the process. Hey, Texas Cheerleader Mom...where are you now? All for what? High School is 4 years. What are your children going to do with the rest of their lives, because I guarantee you that your cheerleader/drill team/volleyball/basketball/softball/track & field/soccer/Barbie doll superstar isn't going to be any better off 15 years down the road because she was the only Freshman on the Varsity team.

Do you want to know what my reality check was? It was really hard for me to not have a football star for a son...he didn't really like playing. I love football...my brother was a great football player-captain of his team, Homecoming King, etc. I only dreamed that my son would be like that, too. I am so thankful that my son was not! While others were out drinking and partying, sexing up girlfriends and doing all kinds of naughty things, my son was home playing video games, eating pizza rolls and drinking root beer. On Friday nights. With his friends. I don't think I was EVER home on a Friday night between my 8th grade and Senior years.

It didn't take me long to realize that my son did not sacrifice his morals or his beliefs to become popular and fit in with the "in crowd". He did not care about those things at all. My son chose friends that were, for the most part, good boys, too. His friends are boys I admire. They are great examples of integrity and I trust them all. I can honestly say that I have never had to worry about what my son was doing, where he was or who he was with. I'm so glad that Tyler, Ian, Nathan and Steven are the young men that they are (Nathan, Deric and Taylor, too) and that they don't care about hanging out in my home even when the parents are there. They probably hear a little too much from time to time, but we're real people. Real loud people, that is! LOL Those boys are going to be great husbands and fathers someday! In fact, one of them can marry Halley and the other one can marry Bella. Then I will be content and I will never have to worry about anything ;)

Girls, on the other hand...they are waaay harder. I am glad that I can talk to my girls and even though they don't agree with my strict rules and regulations sometimes, at least they understand where I'm coming from. Sometimes they give me challenges and say "that's not fair" but I don't have to be fair. I'm trying to be a parent. I'm not trying to live out my life through my kids. I'm not trying to be their friend or their friend's friend. As a very wise person told me "You have to be your child's moral compass". Kids can do or say what they will and I will listen...but if they tell me something that makes me uneasy, you can bet that they will get an ear full from me. I don't claim to have a "gift" to be able to talk to these kids. I don't care if what I say makes them mad. Kids only get one shot at a few things...once they blow it, they don't get a do-over.

And my favorite line ever is "I'm not a parent in denial". If you have to say that, then guess what? You're in denial. Nobody wants their children to do bad things. I am so thankful that I have a husband that I can tell *almost* anything to...and that he is a co-parent when I need him to be. I can talk to him about problems with our children and we, together, decide what is best for them and what we should do for them. I will admit, sometimes life goes on and Troy doesn't know what is happening on a day-to-day basis, but when he works 12 hour shifts, sometimes he misses things. Every night at the dinner table, Troy asks the kids "How was school today". It drives Halley up the wall and she rolls her eyes as if to say "Here we go again..." and Bella just giggles because she knows that we've all talked about how geeky he is for saying it EVERY NIGHT...but the fact that he asks tells us that he cares about their day and their lives.

Troy knows everything I know about the kids. If the kids ask me not to tell him something, I make him guess so I'm not telling. He is my partner...who else can I trust to love and care for them as much as myself? If I deliberately shut him out, that is not being a responsible co-parent, is it? I am so thankful that my husband works at the Juvenile Hall. I am so glad that my best friend's husband works with the boys at the High School. You know why? Because they know who the good boys are and who the bad boys are. You can bet your life that if one of our girls were dating a boy with a bad reputation it would be without our knowledge or over our dead bodies. In no way would we ever accommodate or encourage such a relationship! And I know of girls that are dating boys with bad reputations...and having sex with these boys...and the parent continues to allow the relationship. Hello!!! Wake up and smell the bad parent of the year award! I would seriously pull my child out of school and make her life a living you-know-what.

I guess the moral of my post is that I am glad I have children who talk back to me once in a while, have a messy bedroom, forget to do their chores and spend all their paycheck on movie tickets, gas and candy. Because when I look at the big picture, my children are talking back to me because I'm trying to be a good parent and the lines of communication are open. My children have a messy bedroom because they have nice things to put on the floor. My children forget to do their chores because they can't wait to finish the next chapter of the Percy Jackson book they're reading. My children spend their paychecks on movie tickets, gas, insurance and candy because they have a job and aren't asking me for money.

And I don't want to be a "do as I say and not as I do" parent. I try to be a good example...I really do. And I am thankful that this person pointed out the flaws in me so I can put myself under a microscope and see the areas that need improving. I pray that I can come out of this a better person. I pray that parents will stop making excuses for their children and take ownership of their shortcomings. And I hope that if any of my friends ever need to talk to me about something, I won't just get mad, defensive, shut them out and chastise them for listening to explicit rap music when they were a teenager. (Yes, I got that yesterday, too...)

If a friend cares enough to tell you something EVEN when they know it will make you upset, I think that's a pretty good friend. The timing might stink, but you know what? It takes a village to raise these kids of ours! I'm so glad that I have the husband that I do, the parents that I do and the close friends that I do. I know that my children are loved (as rotten as they can be sometimes ;) and cared about. I know that my friends would do anything to help my kids and they are there for them whenever they stop by and post-it their bike/car, TP their house, take over their karaoke game, eat their waffles or paint their rocks. I would do the same for their kids, too ;)

The Unforgiven

2010-05-05T22:52:00.000-07:00

Today, I realized that I let my emotions control me a little too much. Lately, I have been so hard on my family. Why am I like that to the ones I love the most? I really don't know why I act like a drill sergeant around here. I just want my house the way I want it. Is that too much to ask?

Yes. It is.

I found out recently that I have obsessive-compulsive disorder. It was a big relief for me, but I have a hard time dealing with it. I've always tried to hide the fact that I'm controlling, but it is hard and yeah, let's face it...didn't work. It's nice to know that I'm not just a control freak! I'm obsessed with being a control freak, apparently! lol If I am out of control, I have anxiety. The same goes for my house. If it's a mess, so am I.

So, I got these pills and took them for a whole month. I was doing SOOOOO good! I became much more organized because I stopped being overwhelmed about whether the laundry was going to get done or whether the floors were going to get cleaned or the dishes...but I missed my follow up appointment because I had to take kids to a youth conference and I haven't been able to reschedule yet...so I've been really nasty to everyone-because I'm out. So now I'm back to being grumpy about all of the work that is NOT getting done. I actually went into the girl's rooms and took every single item that was in the wrong place and threw it on the floor. I dumped out every piece of dirty clothes out of their laundry baskets, too. They don't have them anymore.

When people think of OCD, they don't usually associate it with cleaning. I'm not the kind of person that has to wash my hands all of the time (although being in public places with lots of people like the Children's Fair really freaks me out!) or has to lock and unlock the door an odd number of times, etc. I'm just very ridiculously anal about where everything goes and things like that. So, when things are a mess, I can't stand it! I think I'm the only person who will vacuum their fireplace bricks several times a week. For a month or so, it was every day. I spent two hours in the living room with the vacuum. Who does that???

I can give you an example that will put things into perspective. Have you ever seen Sleeping With the Enemy, when the husband puts all of the cans in the cabinet facing forward? That is me. When I am obsessed, I alphabetize my spice cabinet, too. Things aren't clean until they're perfect.

For many years, I was unhappy inside because I was always depressed about messes. I felt overwhelmed because cleaning everything I wanted to clean seemed impossible. I can look back now and see that I even had an obsession with cleaning my friends homes on a few occasions!

I am so thankful for modern medicine. One small pill can make me feel like a whole new person. I like being a new person! My kids, on the other hand...do not like the clean and organized version and NOW they see my compulsions where as, before, I was like "A.D.D. with a cleaning fetish".

As a result, I have gotten rid of serious clutter in my home, as well as in my life. It feels good. I highly recommend that you throw away or give away those things that you no longer need. You will find so much more peace of mind. It's amazing!

Who's fault is this? Is this hereditary? I think it's my step-dad's fault. After all...he did use to follow the Millar kids around with a Dustbuster! And I am SO not joking...he scarred me for life!

Bye Bye Love

2010-02-26T10:07:00.000-08:00

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...ha, I'm just messin' with ya!

Seriously, though- Katie Bigney tagged me one time in her "5 things I hate" blog. While I don't like to use the word hate all that much (except if I REALLY dislike something just AWFUL), I think I can do this...I feel like giving this a shot today. I'm getting rid of all of my negative energy so I will be happy...happy...happy!

1. I hate crowds. I don't like to be in big groups of people. The Children's Fair here in town makes my skin crawl. All those people and little children running around makes me nervous. I actually feel anxiety when I go to concerts and don't sit in the assigned seats. Being on the floor scares the crap out of me. Overcrowded rooms just about can put me over the edge. We visited a restaurant not long ago and it was really crowded. Thankfully, we were there late and people started leaving so it turned out to be ok. But yeah, I don't like big crowds. At all. Not many people know that about me.

2. I hate to try on clothes, which is strange, because I love to shop! I don't like having to take my clothes off in public places when a thin piece of fabric separates me and the world. I do, however, love to find the right size in a certain brand. Then I only have to try things on once and I can buy the right fit every time. Well, except shoes. That is a whole other story!

Speaking of shoes...I have a problem with shoes. I don't know what happens to my shoes, either. I think Troy throws them away. When we moved to Susanville, I had over 40 pair of shoes. I put them into two big bags and have never seen them since. My babies!!!

It happened again when we moved from our apartment to our house. I had a lot of shoes...not 40 pair, but a lot! I generally don't buy shoes unless they are on sale, but this one pair of shoes that I had were soooo cool that I bought them full retail price. They were brown with thick, chunky soles, two buckle straps around the heel and they were lace-up shoes. They were like Dr. Martens, but more expensive. I never told Troy how much I paid for them and I hardly ever wore them because I didn't want them to get ruined. Yeah. They're gone. So were all of my tennis shoes. I must have had 5 pairs of Nike!

I love unique shoes. Shoes that nobody else has. I notice shoes and think "those are cute" or "ew...those are uuuuugly"! I do have a pet peeve about shoes, though. I can't help it! I get chills when I see open toed shoes with panty hose. It's just a personal issue. I see it a lot. No bueno! Even Oprah cuts the toes off her hose if they are going to be visible!

These days, they make seamless hose, too. But, I still think that if you're going to wear open-toed shoes, get a pedicure and show off your piggies! But then again, I'm not a trend setter so who is going to listen to me? lol Ah, I really don't care anyway. It's not my feet!

3. I hate having my house "a work in progress". I want the bathroom finished, the crown moulding hung, the kitchen finished and the family room painted with new carpet. I like my house better now than I did before we started the changes, but I sure wish everything was complete. Recently, I have gone to HomeDepot.com several times loading up my shopping cart with a chandelier, beautiful countertops, new kitchen faucet, cabinet pulls and knobs. Never fear, Troy is always right there to shoot me down saying "we have to finish the other things first". Bah humbug!

4. Here's a shocker-I hate hearing gossip and lies. Hey, it happens. But when you constantly hear it from the same place, it grows old. I can't believe how many people feed off of it, though. I know I've talked about it in my blog before, but it's a continuing problem. I can't believe the things I have been lied to about where gossip is concerned. Things as stupid as "who asked who to be friends on facebook".

But when all is said and done, it is still gossip. No matter how hard you try, you can't justify telling it. I wish I had more integrity. I hope that I will never again be afraid to stand up for what I believe is right, especially when there is damage being done. I know that no good ever comes from gossip and chances are, you will be SO molded! Why do people do it?

5. I hate bandwagon jumpers. I hate it when people like a team or a player just because they're winning. Or losing, for that matter. I hate it when a person is so fake, that they can't make a decision for themselves and they make their own decisions based on what others do or say. Some people have actually tried to pick fights with others because of this. Where is the originality? Where is the individuality? Really? You are going to defend something just because someone else tells you how it is? Find out for yourself! Fake. Fake. Fake.

Now I am pretty outspoken, so I don't have a problem saying that I like the 49ers and the Giants when they haven't done well in years. So what...they will eventually be back on top. You know they will! Besides, I can wait. It really isn't that big of a deal. I'm over it, already!

Aaaah...now I'm happy.

Happy Trails

2010-02-25T23:22:00.001-08:00

I am really looking forward to this weekend. I have had just too much crap in my life lately, so it's going to be really good to get the heck out of Dodge. I really feel like celebrating! What could be more fun than hanging out with good friends and family?

Tomorrow night, I'm going to Reno with friends and we're going out for dinner. We're celebrating a few birthdays! It's just going to be a quick trip, though. I have to get up early on Saturday morning. Early. Like 5:00 AM early!

Saturday, Ryan is going to be in the Science Bowl in Redding. It's put on every year by the Department of Energy. It's going to be held at Simpson University. There are going to be 28 teams representing 13 schools. Ryan is a co-captain for one of the two Lassen High teams. I hope they do well...he seems to think that his team is pretty good, so we'll see! Good luck, Ryan!

I love watching Real Housewives of Orange County. There's a few characters that just make me laugh. I think they should have a Real Housewives of Susanville. I have a great cast in my head. I could write it on my blog, but I'd probably get sued and then they'd take my big TV and I couldn't listen to Vicki say "She's classless trash" anymore. What on Earth would I possibly do with my time?

I am looking forward to going to see Wicked! It's the story of the witches before the Wizard of Oz. I really want to go see it soon, but I have to wait to see when a certain someone *cough*BekkiFink*cough* can take a day and go...because Charlotte and I are SOOOOO in whenever! As long as it's not during my Disney trip this June ;)

Aaaaah, and plans are still in the works for a Fort Bragg trip, and we're hoping that everything works out for this, too. Wouldn't that be sweet?

Halley got her driving permit today. I am scared poopless. Seriously. Ryan drives pretty good. I've driven with him quite a few times. Halley...yeah, no. I am afraid that my big Yukon XL is just too big for her to learn to drive in. I drove a Suburban when I was her age, but hello, I was driving Harvesters, bank out wagons, front-end loaders, Steiger and Rice Trucks for a few years by then! Hmmm, I never did learn to drive the CAT.

I will never forget one time I was 14 years old, maybe 15. I had to drive the Steiger from our house to a ranch my dad was working on that was clear out between Willows and Maxwell. I drove it over the bridge at the end of the driveway and nearly had a heart attack because 4 of the 8 tires were hanging over the side. I just went right on through the stop sign at 162...I didn't care. Nobody was coming, anyway. I went down 45 past Jeanna's house, past Ali's, past the Joneses and then came to 4 corners. I got to the stop sign and had to stop because there were others there, too. Well, the engine died and I couldn't get it started again!

I had forgotten to push in the clutch. So dad came back several minutes later and was so mad, that he kicked me out of the tractor and let Brian, who was flippin' 10 years old, drive the rest of the way. I cried because he was so mad at me.

Sometimes when you look back at things, you realize that they were really not that big of a deal to you. Sometimes, your feelings are just a waste! You're happy to move on and find something better. Funny how that works, but it's true. I always do! So here's to better things. May we all find them!

Sassy is scratching at my door...Justin took her in to bed and she wants out because I'm not in there with her. Poor girl! I'd better go rescue her. Happy trails...

It's Been A While

2010-02-21T13:15:00.000-08:00

A lot has been happening in our family and I have been so busy with "life" but we have been doing well and all things are good.

We had a super Thanksgiving and an even better Christmas. Unfortunately, Troy had to work those days and so we did go to visit family without him. That was a first and I think that he was a bit lonely. I wish that he would have been able to come with us, too.

New Year's was fun...spent it with a bunch of the youth at a little party at church. Lots of video games and snacks with waffles for a late-night dinner.

I got to go to Reno for a Girl's Night Out a few weeks ago. I had a blast with Emily, Bekki and Charlotte. We had a great dinner at Sushi Club, but I don't think Emily liked it too much...lol. After that, we got some power shopping done ;) It was a great time to just get away from Susanville for a while. The next day was Sandy's baby shower and that was a lot of fun, too. She received some really nice gifts from her guests. Sandy's such a good mommy to baby Hayden!

Valentine's weekend was wonderful. Friday night, The Klinock, Fink and Ramsey couples went to the temple and after that, out to Sushi Pier. We had SOOOO much food, that we were all stuffed and I seriously thought I was going to get sick. As Troy and I were walking into the Super WalMart, I told him I felt nauseous. I just knew that I was going to go into the bathroom and get sick. I swore that I was never going to eat another piece of sushi again. Well, I didn't get sick afterall. Troy came home and had the leftover sushi for breakfast and two days later, I changed my mind and can't wait to go have sushi with them again! Hahaha

Valentine's Day was great, too. I went to Orland with Bella and stayed at mom's house while Troy took the boys to his brother's house to watch the Daytona 500. I really enjoyed the time I got to spend with my family. I had a really good time. Mom, Bella and I went shopping for some things for the house (mostly towels) and Bella's birthday. She told me that it was the best day of her life! She got lots of cool stuff, including a "New Moon" zippered hoodie, a zebra print dress, turquoise Converse tennis shoes, a new pair of jeans, a few other tops and another zippered hoodie, some socks, jewelry and that's all I can remember. She was so happy. It was really fun to spend that time with her.

I was so pleased to pick up the guys and see Justin holding 12 long-stemmed red roses for me. He carried them all by himself and picked them out just for me. He was so sweet. Troy bought me a Lauren scented candle and a box of chocolates. I bought him some cologne and chocolates. The cologne smells really good and is called "unforgiveable". Go figure.

When I was browsing in TJ Maxx (I think) in Chico, would you believe that I ran into Sue Miller from high school. She looks just the same, but really tan! I told her that I wasn't going to be able to make the 20 year reunion. It's just not a good day for me since I will be coming home from Young Women's camp and then preparing to leave the next day for another week long Fort Bragg camping trip.

I got to thinking, High School was so much fun for me when I was there but I have grown up and moved on with my life. And while I really love those people that I went to school with very dearly, I have had a few negative experiences more recently and discovered that some of the people that were a big part of my past do not want to have anything to do with me now. That really breaks my heart. It changes a lot of my feelings and makes me not even interested in being around people who could be like that.

This past weekend, we celebrated Bella's 13th birthday. We rented a room at Diamond Mountain and had a great dinner there. Ryan didn't come because he was at a LAN party and Troy had to work. Ian and Bekki, Charlotte and Sandy and Bella's friend, Sandie, came with us. Melanie and the girls came to swim for a while and have some cake, too. Bekki baked a really yummy cake and Charlotte decorated it. That's actually an understatement. The cake was amazing! We had the best time and the slumber party was pretty fun, too. We made prank phone calls at 1:00 in the morning (hahahaha Bob!!!), watched New Moon and played Truth or Dare. I had to go out into the hallway at midnight and announce "I like peanut butter" but Bekki had to run up and down the hallway in her pajamas! It was really funny!

The next morning, we ordered room service and had a big breakfast before we went back down to the pool for a while. Boy, was I tired! I don't think I slept too well, but the bed sure was comfy!

Last night, Jana came over and visited for a while. We just hadn't gotten to spend time together lately and it was way overdue! She is such an awesome friend. Today in Relief Society, we were told about an upcoming activity that we could talk about a person we admire, I immediately thought of her! I am very lucky that I have such wonderful people in my life.

I got to have a talk with someone today and was reminded that sometimes we all think "boy, I'd like to say such-and-such", but it's another thing to actually say it out loud. My friends know that I am a pretty outspoken person. It's not always a good thing and have I had to eat my share of humble pie! But I'd like to think that I'm a pretty kind person, too. I tell my friends when I think they do a wonderful job raising their children. I compliment people when they do an amazing job with a project. I tell people when I admire them and how they inspire me to be a better person.

And even though I will most likely go to the upcoming birthday party at church, I won't be singling out any one person in particular. I think that so many people deserve my admiration that I couldn't possibly narrow that down to one.

I admire YOU because you chose to move on with your life even though you knew it would be difficult for you and hard for your children. Your life would never be the same and I know that was scary for you. I know it was for the best, even though I have never told you that before. I love you and I admire your courage.

I admire YOU because you had a difficult life and made some mistakes but you are not afraid to talk about it openly and tell others what has helped you overcome these things. You are a great person and I love you and admire your humbleness.

I admire YOU because your cards always seem to be stacked against you, but you are not afraid to fight for yourself or those who are important to you. You don't give up. You sacrifice so that others can have, even though you do not have a lot to give. You are a great friend and know what it takes to be one. I love YOU and your loyalty.

I admire YOU because you excel at everything I see you do! There is not anything that you can't learn or teach yourself. I admire you because of your willingness to share your talents. You give so much of yourself and rarely do you receive the praise you deserve but I think knowing that you have made a difference is all that matters to you. I love you and truly admire your selflessness.

I admire YOU because you are just the best! You have a wonderful relationship with your spouse. You love him with all your heart. He loves you back! He isn't afraid to tell the world what a great eternal companion you are to him. Your children respect you and love you, despite the challenges that they have given you. You love them unconditionally. You live your life for your family because they mean the world to you. I love you and admire your dedication to your family!

I admire you because you let me love you when someone you loved let you down. You let me inside of your world when you have built up a tall wall and only let a few people inside. You don't trust many but you have faith in me. I love you and admire the love you have to share.

I admire YOU because you are beautiful. Your physical beauty is only a fraction of what you hold inside your heart. Your compassion for others often brings you to tears and your love for nature and animals is immeasurable. You are innocent amongst a plague of immorality. You are naive to those things that are worldly. I love you and all that is about you!

So as you can see, people that I consider friends and even my family have some great qualities. I wish that I had more time and energy in my life so that I could be influenced by them even more. I have a lot to learn before I grow up ;)

Are you trying to guess if I'm referring to you? Chances are, I am! Do you see these qualities within yourself? Because a mixture of all of you is who I would love to be!

2009-11-13T10:40:00.000-08:00

Everyone wears glasses, or so Justin thinks. Mom and Dad wear glasses, Ryan wears glasses, Ian wears glasses, Kelly and Bekki wear glasses...so everyone wears glasses. Justin sneaks glasses whenever he finds a stray pair around the house. It doesn't matter if he can see or not. He truly wants to wear them.

The other day, Justin swiped $2.00 from my rental car and we went into the Dollar Tree. While I was looking for zip-lock bags for carrots, Justin picked out a pair of glasses all on his own and went through the check-out line and bought them, unbeknownst to me...and now Justin wears the glasses everywhere he goes. He drives us crazy with his glasses.

He has been as proud as a peacock strutting around in his little blue glasses with 1+ magnification. They're reading glasses, but he doesn't care and wears them 24/7. I told him that if he wore glasses that were bad for his eyes, his eyes would get bad. He quickly said a prayer in the car so Heavenly Father wouldn't make his eyes go blind. Do you know how hard it was for me to keep a straight face?

I just got a phone call from Johnstonville school...this is how it went down:

"Denise, this is Sandy at Johnstonville School...Justin is fine, but there was a problem at recess and his glasses got stepped on and now they're all cattywompus. He's wearing them, but he's worried that you're going to be upset with him."

Me: "Baaahahahahahahaahaaa! Let me tell you about Justin's glasses..." and I proceeded to give her the deets.

Sandy: "hahahahaa, well I'm glad to know that because I thought they were a prescription."

Me: "No, no prescription, so that's just fine if his glasses are broken, you can just tell him that mom said he could throw them away".

Sandy: "No, I'll let you do that all on your own! LOL"

Apparently, Justin is just beside himself. How am I going to keep a straight face when he comes home all upset about his glasses? Oh my. This is going to be good...

When You Wish Upon A Star

2009-11-12T11:02:00.000-08:00

My life is good. Sometimes, I forget how great I have it...but I truly enjoy my life. These are the things my family and I have been doing the past few weeks:

I sent off Ryan's Senior Portrait to the yearbook! I can hardly believe I have a Senior in High School. Let me brag juuuust a little. He is taking 5 AP classes and he has been the top student in his AP Chemistry class all year, until his last test. Imagine being the top student in a chemistry class!

Ryan still doesn't have his driver's permit. I'm ok with that. He's having to concentrate on his school work too much to get a job and that is the one requirement that I have for him to drive. So, we will put that off until he is able to work.

Ryan still spends most afternoons playing video games with his friends, Ian and Nathan. Nathan doesn't come over quite as often as Ian does, but both boys really enjoy their company. Some days, it's pretty noisy over here, but that's ok. I love it.

Ryan's bedroom is a mess, but he says that's ok because he doesn't ever go in there. Where's the reasoning behind that? Today, Ryan is home sick with a sore throat. I think I will ask him to tidy it up and bring me his sheets so I can wash them.

Halley has been enjoying her friends and she is a typical texting teen. I never know what is going on with her because she never talks on the phone...just with her fingers! Most of the time, she is texting her friend, Sierra, when I ask. What do these girls talk about all of the time? Hmmm...one of life's big mysteries!

Halley did really well on her report card! In fact, when we opened it up and read it, we thought it was Ryan's! She is doing very good in her schooling and taking some difficult classes, too. She, like Ryan, never seems to have homework. I'm glad that they take care of that on their own. She has been trying very hard to be a good student.

Lately, Halley has been having trouble with a boy in her seminary class, but I spoke with her teacher and he is going to try to keep an eye on things so that it doesn't get out of hand. Halley admitted that she has been talking out of turn in class and I had to tell her that it was pretty disrespectful for her to behave this way. She got the idea and will try a bit harder. What can I say? The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

I can remember being in school and sitting by one particular girl and getting in trouble almost every single day. Jennifer Ponciano and I had to put our noses in circles drawn on the chalkboard one time because we wouldn't stop talking in Mr. Olson's class. Mr. Foote got after us all of the time and so did Mrs. Beane. I guess I just liked talking. We would laugh and laugh, too. There was always something funny. To this day, my mother tells me that one of my teachers (at a back to school night) told her "Oh, you're Denise's mother? Denise is my best talker!". So, I guess I have a reputation to uphold!

Back to the kids...

Bella almost made honor roll! She missed it by one grade :( She was so disappointed in herself, but she doesn't realize how far she really came! I am very proud of her for buckling down and accomplishing such a great task. She brought all of her grades up from D's and F's to B's with one C.

Bella really enjoys her school and has a lot of friends that she hangs around with. She has really blossomed this year and turned into such a kind and loving girl. She is always giving me hugs and telling me "I love you, Aunt Denise". It's nice to hear! There's hardly a night that goes by that she doesn't come and give me a kiss goodnight.

We moved Justin into another room and so now Bella has her own room. The girls are getting along very well and are inseperable. They go everywhere together. It's really nice to have them getting along so well. Now if I could just fix things where Justin is concerned!

Justin is just a spoiled little brat sometimes! He is very demanding and bossy at home. He doesn't realize that Ryan and Ian do not want to play with him and he gets so upset when they tell him to leave them alone. I try to explain to him that they are 16 & 17 years old and they don't want to play with a 6 year old, but that doesn't work too well. He usually ends up crying and then I have to send him to bed early.

At school, Justin is great! He's in the top group of his class and his teacher is quite fond of him :) Justin is so lucky to be in Bishop Gollnick's class. And I am so fortunate to be able to help in their class every Tuesday afternoon. I come in just after lunch during sharing time and I get to stay for Math, PE and recess. It's very hard for Justin to not "go ahead" in his math, but it is important for the students to go over every problem with their teacher. There is such a range students in that class. I don't know how he does it all day. There are 2 boys, in particular, that are in trouble every time I go there. They are very naughty!

Justin had his first girlfriend, Kaylee, but she broke up with him he said. When I asked him how she did it, he said "I don't know". It's very funny. He really likes her, though. On the bus, one of the "naughty" boys from his class had punched him about 10 times before he finally pulled on Kaylee's hair. Justin took the boy's arm and twisted it behind his back (like if you were to make him say "Uncle") and the boy started crying. Justin got a citation! I guess you don't mess with his girlfriend!

Sassy is sporting a new look these days. Halley has been using her babysitting money to buy the dang dog clothes again. So now she wears a pink sweater with a cupcake on it. Sassy is so funny...she still follows me everywhere and sleeps with me, too. So does Justin most days.

Troy is working nights at the Hall and has most Sunday's, Monday and Tuesday off. He has been trying to keep the yard up now, since we had a "talk". The leaves just keep falling. It's awful, since we don't even have a tree in our front yard! He was looking forward to going fishing a week or so ago, but his friend had a quad accident and they didn't get to go. Maybe soon...

The supervisor turned in his resignation at the Hall and so now they don't have one at this time. Troy thinks that someday, he might be able to apply after he's had more experience. Right now, he's qualified to be a 3, which is a Supervisor. He has really climed the ladder there quite rapidly.

I just learned that Troy's job actually pays better than a probation officer, which is what he wanted to do a while ago. He's very happy where he is and enjoys working with the children a lot. I think it is a great place for him to be.

We had a great Halloween party at church this year. Charlotte, Bekki and I dressed up as witches and I haven't dressed up in years. I had a blast! How could I not, with those two?

Our garden is pretty much done, except for carrots, which we still have lots of picking to do! Justin and Bekki juiced some yesterday and he loved the juice! Wow! Ian, Halley and Ryan picked so many carrots. We picked, washed, peeled, cut, blanched and bagged 48 bags, each containing about 3 cups of carrots. There was also about 1 1/2 gallon of juice and 4 gallons of baby carrots that I brought home for stews and soups. Jana and I are going to make some stew and soup and pressure can it soon.

There's a chili cook-off at church tomorrow. I'm going to make my white chicken chili and cornbread. It is making my mouth water already. There's no judging area that it really "fits" into, but that's ok. I like my chili because it's different and it doesn't need to win anything for me to love it. It's all in fun, anyway. There's contests for the hottest and best use of meat, but that's all I remember. It's going to be lots of fun :)

Now for me! I've been talking with my mom about going on a vacation this summer...it's long over due. We really haven't done anything big since we moved to Susanville. We really enjoyed our camping trip with the Klinock's and Fink's last summer at Whiskeytown Lake and we have our reservations in already for next year, but we need to do something BIG too!

So, we have decided that we should take a trip down South for a vacation! The last time we went, I drove down in my car (I still had the Grand AM) and Ryan and Halley were just 3 & 5. It was so much fun! I picked up Troy and my mom at the airport after we had gotten checked into the room and stayed a while by ourselves. Mom and Ryan flew back home and Troy and Halley drove with me. That speeding ticket that I got going down the grapevine ended up being quite expensive! This time, we're planning ahead so we can save up for lots of good times!

This time, we have two more kids and a bigger car, so we'll all just drive down together. It will be a great time! The kids aren't going to find out though...it's going to be a secret! The hard part is going to find the time off that Mom and Troy can take at the same time!

And my car...my wonderful car...I am so excited to get her back soon. My Yukon XL (Lola, Y-Lo for short)is at a "spa" having some "Botox injections" and a complete "make-over". I think that she is going to look beautiful when she comes home and I can't wait to drive her around once more. In fact, she is going to be even more beautiful than she was on the day we bought her!

I need to make sure that she goes back to the "spa" every 15 days so she can stay that way!

Thanksgiving is going to be great...we're going to Mom's house. The girls are staying with Mom and I'm staying with the boys at Uncle B.'s house. He is bribing the kids...he told them he's buying a PS3. I played a joke on him and told him that Mom was getting an XBox 360 Elite.

Summer, can't you be here already?

Blue

2009-10-24T10:54:00.001-07:00

I've been playing around with the pictures Jana took and Danielle edited...and I found a feature on photoshop that allows you to "pop" one color. So, I chose blue. I really love how these photos turned out and I am going to print these and matte them in some solid black frames. I think they will look amazing in Ryan's room on his wall!

Photograph

2009-10-18T15:03:00.000-07:00

Yeah, you had to know this one was coming! I am so blessed to have such wonderful friends...look what they were able to do with Ryan's Senior Pictures- I am sooooo happy with them. Jana and Danielle, you're the best!

Time After Time

2009-10-16T20:10:00.000-07:00

I think that I have only posted once since school has started! Where does the time go? I need to bring you up to speed with the happs in our house...

Troy has been to POST training and finished that two weeks up and then he decided he needed to take a 3 week vacation from work. He has to go back to work on the 21st. He hasn't done much, but he did manage to sneak in a trip to the NASCAR race on the 11th with his dad and Jeff. It was Ryan's birthday and he got to go along. They had a great time. Troy went fishing with his friend, Charlie, at Eagle Lake last week. They didn't catch anything...but he had fun.

Me? I've been doing the same old, same old. I am done with the garden, for the most part, so we only have the fall/winter prep work to do. Together, our group picked 19 boxes of tomatoes before the first freeze. Each box had at least probably 25 pounds in it. That was a lot of tomatoes! All but 4 boxes were green still, so we had to wait for them to ripen. Last Monday, a few of us got together and made salsa, enchilada sauce and prepared butternut squash for freezing. I was so inspired, that I came home and cut up the pumpkin and baked it so I could make pies. I made 6...they weren't that big, but they were tasty. We kept two of them and gave some friends the other ones.

I got together an order of strawberries and made a bunch of strawberry freezer jam. Some, I added mango, but mostly just strawberry. It's not my favorite, but it's pretty good.

I started watching a new series on TV. It's called Leverage. Troy and I finished watching seasons 1 & 2 and season 3 is starting up next year. If you liked the movie "The Italian Job", you'd like this series. It's really good.

Girl Scouts is really busy this time of year, but I haven't had all that much to do, since I'm just the Service Unit's Secretary and not a troop leader anymore. I sort of enjoy my freedom! I am the Camporee Chair, so I am quite excited about all of the fun things that I get to be a part of planning, since I haven't had the opportunity to participate before. The best part is, I get to work closely with Jana...she's got a lot of ideas and she is just on the ball!

Ryan is going to get his senior pictures done tomorrow. Jana's taking them and she's got a few locations lined up. Her pictures are awesome, so I can't wait to see them! They are all going to be outdoors...

Ryan turned 17 on the 11th. He had a great day at the NASCAR races. He's doing great in his schoolwork. At first, he was a bit overwhelmed with all of his AP courses, but he's fit into a routine and he isn't so freaked out anymore. It's nice. He's been doing pretty good around the house. I'm a lucky mom. Tonight, he's having Nathan and Ian spend the night. They're at the football game having a good time!

Halley is doing her thang...hanging out with the girlies and enjoying life. She's had Kambry come over a few times and hang out/spend the night. She played on the Powder Puff football team a few weeks ago. She loved it. Her team didn't win, but she says the seniors cheated, so who knows? Halley says Bella is just a bit too much for her and so now the girls are going to have their own rooms instead of sharing. Gee...I wonder how long this will last? Kambry is spending the night tonight with Halley and they're at the game, too.

Bella is having a few struggles...school is hard for her now that she's in Junior High. She's having to spend a LOT of extra time doing work and she is getting better every day. She's been grounded for 3 weeks and just got an extra week added on. She should be "ungrounded" on October 19th.

Bella wants to be "Bella" from Twilight for Halloween...so she's got to figure out what she wants to wear for a costume. She's already talking about wanting to have her birthday party at the casino for swimming again. That is doable!

Bella got a fish a while back as a test to see how responsible she could be with a pet. The poor thing almost died a week or so ago, but she hadn't changed the water at all and was feeding it like a pig, so she cleaned out the water and cut back on the meal worms and the fish is doing great. If she keeps this up, she wants a bigger pet- a hamster!

Justin just pulled out another tooth- top right. He looks rather silly...lol. When his big teeth grow in, he's not going to look like my baby boy anymore! He will look like a completely different kid :( He is growing up soooo dang fast! Justin's doing well in school. I'm helping out in his class on Tuesday afternoons. He doesn't seem to be having any troubles. I'm ok with that!

Sassy is just a big lazy girl and her new nickname is "Sergeant Sassy" because she's the potty police. If I go in there, she has to follow me in, watch me go and then inspect what goes down the drain. She's crazy! I think she is secretly hoping that I will drop some toilet paper off of the roll onto the floor because she loves to eat toilet paper and kleenex. She

Last night, Sassy got into the shower with Halley and when she got out, she was absolutely crazy! She ran around the house for about 5 minutes! She was so excited, she couldn't stop. It was hilarious!

Marmalade, well, he just comes and goes...but now that it's cold outside, he's sticking around and letting us pet him again. He makes his "meow...meow" announcements when he gets home until someone acknowledges his presence by saying "Hi, Marm!" and then he goes in for the ear rubs. He's such a silly cat.

We had a really yummy dinner tonight and our tummies are nice and full. Sassy, Justin and Bella are all in bed sleeping and it's quiet except for the dang NASCAR race that Troy decided to watch. Maybe if I sneak really quiet into my room, Sassy won't wake up and follow me in, and I can get some sleep, myself! Naaaah...I doubt it!

She Works Hard for the Money

2009-09-11T13:22:00.000-07:00

Oh my gosh...has it really been 3 weeks since I posted anything? Hmmm, well gee...I wonder why? School started and I got Justin and Bella enrolled in Johnstonville School. I am so thankful for that! Justin's 1st Grade teacher is actually our bishop, Mr. Gollnick. Bella is really enjoying her 7th grade class, too, despite the way she felt about going to this school at first. I'm very proud of her. Ryan is a Senior and Halley is a Sophomore. Ryan really needs to have his Senior photos done soon, too. Luckily, Jana's going to do them for us if we can ever get around to being ready at the same time!

Last week, I went to Reno with Judy and we went grocery shopping. I was amazed at how much we fit into my car! It was full!!! It took me forever, it seemed, to put away the groceries when we got back home.

Last Friday, we went camping with the Fink's and Klinock's at Whiskeytown Lake. It was amazing. I don't remember ever going there before, which is pretty strange. I probably have and just don't remember. We had such a good time, we've already booked our reservations for next Labor Day Weekend! We're even going to go to Ft. Bragg next summer. I'm so flippin' excited! It's my favorite place in the whole world...I can't wait to show them what a wonderful place it is. My kids love it, too. Justin hasn't been there before, but I know he will fall in love with the beach.

The garden is in full-swing. I am now overwhelmed with tomatoes, zucchini and cucumbers. Our pear order came a month late and I apparently lost 2 boxes, because I don't have them at my house. I've already canned 2 boxes and this last one that I have here I am going to make into jam later on today, if all goes well. Yesterday, I canned (with Halley and Bella's help) 31 jars of pears. Some were spiced with vanilla and cinnamon, some were wedges and some were corkscrews. Corkscrews are my favorite!

Today, I wanted to make jam with my friends, but I realized that I still have a sink full of cucumbers to make into bread & butter pickles and a lot of other things to do. I've already cleaned a 5 gallon bucket full of white onions, which really yielded about 2 gallons worth. I had to grind about 36 cups of wheat today so that I could finish off my first bag! I used my new grain mill...and I love it! I've already made 4 loaves of fresh whole wheat bread today.

Tomatoes...coming out my ears. I have fruit flies all over the place because of the pears that are ripening and now they are wanting to play in the tomatoes. So, I had to do something with them this morning. I chopped half of them in the food processor and put them in the big canner with chopped celery, onion, garlic and bell pepper and made 14 quarts of Italian Style stewed tomatoes. I still have 3 gallons more of tomatoes that I need to finish. I think by the end of the day, I will have used all of my jars.

So, I need lots more jars! LOTS more jars!

Tonight is a football game at home. I'm looking forward to going to watch the boys play. Jacob Wolfe, Luke Petersen and Darren Lee are all on the Varsity team and I've watched them all play together since Ryan was in 8th grade and played with them, too. I'm not sure who they are playing, but I'm sure they will play hard.

I will try to keep updating more frequently!

Swim

2009-08-11T14:37:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was probably one of the most fun days we've had this summer. Troy had the day off and Charlie Gilmore asked Troy on Sunday if we wanted to go to the lake...heck yeah! Judy Wolfe brought her boys and Ian went with Tricia and Charlie and we picked up Nathan Duerksen, too.

We had the best time. Just sitting by the water and watching the kids play. Justin wore his life jacket because the water was a little deeper and we needed him to be safe. There were rocks to jump off of and there was a huge fallen tree that the boys tried to swim over to the island with but we kept telling them to come back. We didn't want the Sheriff getting after them for being out too deep with no life jackets!

You can see that the kids had an absolute blast. I think that the next time we go, I want to jump off of that rock! I will take Justin with me. I know he'd love it! Once he gets started, I bet he will keep going and keep going!

The kids had such a great time yesterday that the boys came back over here and stayed the night and the girls stayed at Tricia's house. The boys stayed up until 5:30 this morning! Can you believe it? That's crazy!

(continued on Saturday)

Tuesday, we had our first Service Unit Team meeting for Girl Scouts. Jana is the new Manager, with me as the Secretary and Reagan is the Treasurer. There are a few empty spots left on the team, but other members include Jana's mom, Melody, and her sister, Joanna. They've been involved with Girl Scouts for a very long time and I'm sure that there is going to be a bunch of great ideas for the girls this year. In fact, I am positive there are...because we've already discussed so many new things! We've even got a theme for this year- "Over the Rainbow". Jana's troop made a really cool rainbow for inside the cabin and it's made out of hand prints that are cut out of construction paper. It's a great theme!

I'm going to be way involved with Camporee, which I have wanted to do for a very long time. I have so many fun and exciting ideas and they are so different than what has happened at camp so far. I already have an awesome committee to work with and that is half the battle, right there! Camp is gonna rock!

Bella is going to be in a troop with her friend, Sandra. Halley, we are still trying to get into a troop with one of her BFF's, Kambry. Kambry's mom is the leader and I know that they will have lots of fun together in that troop if she is allowed to join.

Today, Jana and her mom went to some special training in Carson City. It was going to be such a long day...I just couldn't go. The last time I left kids that long, it was an absolute disaster. Bella and Justin fought so loud over the stupid Wii that it woke Troy up from his sleep and he was NOT a happy camper! Bella is grounded from the Wii for 3 days because she shut it off when Justin was trying to play.

That was on Thursday. I had taken Ryan and Halley to Reno to do some clothes shopping. We went to JC Penney's and then to Del Taco for lunch. After that, we headed over to Plato's Closet, which is next to Sushi Pier 2. There were some really cute things in there. I told Ian that his mom should take him...it's a total skater type place. I bought a shirt for Ryan but didn't realize that there was a cross on it, so I don't know what to do with that shirt now...lol. He won't wear it. Halley bought a few Aero tops, too.

After we went there, we drove out to the Summit and checked out Dillard's, Levi's, the Gap for kids, Chico's, BeBe, A&F, Justice and Aeropostale. Halley got two pair of Levi's at the Levi's store and I think we got about 15 shirts at Aeropostale. Four of them were the undershirt tanks that the girls like to wear, though.

We had been talking/texting River all afternoon. She usually goes to Reno a few times a week, but wouldn't you know, today wasn't one of them. After a few hours, she decided that yes, she needed to go, afterall! So, we met up at the Grand Sierra Resort and played in the arcade for a while and then went to the buffet for dinner. By the end of dinner, it was really time to go! I thought we were making good time, but my watch was slow for some reason and we were 20 minutes behind schedule!

The kids had a party to go to at Luke, Ricky and Charlene Petersen's house. The older kids were so excited and there were a lot of kids over there. It was a s'mores party just to celebrate the end of summer and have one last hoorah before school starts on Monday.

When we got home, Ian was over playing with Justin and Bella and so we took him to the party, too. They all had a great time! Ian ended up staying over night because we were going to the lake the next day. That was yesterday.

We left for the lake at about 11:15, but forgot that Ian needed to change and grab his towel, so we had to come back and take care of that...lol. We didn't get up to the lake until 12:10 and we were there a good hour and a half before anyone else showed up. It was fun just by ourselves...because when we got there, we noticed golf balls out in the water. By the time the kids swam out and dove for them all, I think that there were about 105. Ian found 90% of them, too!

The Gilmore's and Autenrieb's came around 1:30 and the Cardenez family came, too. The kids had a great time with their friends. I'd like to go again next Saturday if we can make it. It sure is a great spot. And no...I didn't jump off of the rocks. Nobody did this time. The water level seemed to have dropped to an unsafe level.

Ian found a stinky old catfish that was dead on the shore and chased me out into the lake with my capri pants on. I had already gotten wet earlier, but man...that fish was STINKY!!! I finally escaped when I splashed water on him and he dropped his catch of the day.

We kept Hannah with us for a little while longer since her family had to go early. So after we dropped her off, we took Ian home so he could get a shower and change. I was pretty exhaused after our day in the sun, but Jana came over and we had some canning to do. We made another batch of pickled wax peppers, dill pickle halves and more chips, plum preserves and salsa. The salsa turned out to be way too salty! The recipe we found was not the same one that I always use and they had written 2 T salt instead of 2 t. We really need to fix that salsa because it's too salty to eat! Unfortunately, we'll have to wait until next Wednesday when there's more ripe tomatoes. I'm not going to buy them at the store...they're way too expensive for how many we need! All together, it was 28 cups of chopped tomatoes. To fix it, we'll need another 56 cups! That's about 4 gallons of tomatoes by my calculations. Usually, we only get to pick about 2. The rest aren't ripe enough and we don't want to wait for them to ripen.

Today, I canned 10 quarts of pears. It was taking so long! Oh my gosh! We picked the pears last Friday and so they took all week to ripen. They were so good, even Troy ate them and he doesn't like pears. The problem was, I would use a vegetable peeler to remove the peels and then I'd use an apple corer to remove the core and find that the center of the pear was rotten. After all that work peeling, it became very frustrating. Finally, I just gave up and didn't peel them anymore! Half of the pears were not good inside.

I kept 3 quarts fresh in my refrigerator and canned the other 8. Jana gets half of them and hers are all canned. I hope she doesn't mind the peels! LOL. Troy and Justin love them just the way they were before canning. I better make sure that they get eaten in the next 2 weeks, but I'm sure they will. Justin ate 4 pears today all by himself! Bella loves them, too!

This morning, Troy got off work and doesn't have to go back until Wednesday. His schedule changed AGAIN!!! Anyway, Saturdays are our big housecleaning day and his sleep schedule usually continues right through our cleaning and it goes unnoticed. Today, however, he woke up from his short nap to find everyone doing their extra chores and twice he asked "Who's coming over?". I had to explain to him that "This is what we do on Saturdays while you sleep!!!" He tried to go back to bed, but it was too late. I gave him chores to do, too. He trimmed the rose arbor out front and cleaned out behind the dryer.

Tonight, I sent Troy down to the garden with Justin so that they could pick some corn on the cob and dig up some potatoes for dinner. We had steak in marinade all afternoon and it was a real treat for us, because I don't usually buy red meat besides ground beef. I had bought it a few weeks ago and stuck it in the freezer. Dinner turned out to be really good. It's nice to have fresh corn and potatoes for dinner. There's so much down at the garden...I think I'm going to try to fix eggplant parmesan tomorrow night for a side dish. I've never cooked it before, but Jana says it's great, so we'll see!

Right now, Bella is in her room, Justin's playing the Wii, Troy's laying on the couch with his phone listening to music and talking to people on Facebook, Ryan's at a friend's house (this is the third time this week...what's wrong with him?) and Halley is at the fairgrounds with the Girl Scouts working at a concession booth for the Monster Trucks tonight.

Tomorrow is my day to teach in Young Women's...my lesson is about Scripture Study. I'm suppose to be making a book marker for them, but instead, I'm blogging. I better get going. It's getting late and I don't want to leave it for the morning!

Sassy is loving her bones that are from the steaks and so life is good...

Listen

2009-08-09T17:22:00.000-07:00

Today is Sunday again. What a wonderful day!

The girls slept outside last night in their tent so they could be sure that it would suffice for our camping trip over Labor Day weekend. We are looking SO forward to that! I've already booked our reservations and I can't wait! Young Women's is going to be pretty empty that Sunday!

Anyway, the girls got up this morning and got right ready for church and so did the boys without one single argument. It was great. All of Justin's church clothes were ready and he got them put on all by himself for a change. Except for his tie, of course.

I got to teach Tom's Sunday School class again. It was fun. People always say "great lesson" but it's not like I make it up...I just have to read what's in the manual. I can't take any credit for that.

Charlotte taught the lesson in Young Women's and it was about the Second Coming. I get to teach next week.

Justin had a talk in Primary today. It was about preparing now to someday go to the temple. He read it all by himself, and did very well. I was really happy to see him not needing any help at all.

Troy got to help Walt in the Sunbeam class.

Ryan and Halley both gave talks in Sacrament about Youth Conference. They were really nice to hear. I enjoyed hearing about the spiritual experiences that they shared. It was nice to hear Ryan tell Halley that he loved her, how many pieces of watermelon he ate and that he gets distracted by Chips Ahoy cookies.

It was nice to go to Orland for a visit yesterday. Jana drove with me and we picked a bunch of grapes at my mom's house. We're going to make jelly with them. It's going to be a lot of work cleaning them off, though!

Sassy just woke up and blew out of here like nobody's business.

I went to a yard sale and bought the cutest little nook for the dining room. I can't wait to paint it black to match the carpets that are in there. I want to paint the kitchen table and chairs black, too. It will look sweet! Little by little...

Tomorrow, I was suppose to go to Reno with Reagan, but our family got invited to go to the lake, so we're going to do that, instead. It will be a fun chance to enjoy the day together before the kids go back to school. We haven't been to Antelope Lake this year, so it will be a great opportunity for some friends & family time.

Right now, I'm enjoying the silence. I have no idea what Justin is doing in his room, but he's quiet. I think he's sleeping. Ryan is in his room. The girls are in their room quiet. Troy's quiet. He thinks it's funny to text me things like "I'm sitting on the couch". Sassy is sleeping, as usual...you could hear a pin drop in this joint.

The front door is open. A breeze is blowing in.

Sassy just ran back into the house. Oh, the horror! What on Earth did this dog get into? She smells like slow, rotting flesh!!! I need to go find something to spray in this house. Where's the dog shampoo? Someone needs a bath!!! STAT!

HALLEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Turning Japanese

2009-07-31T08:57:00.000-07:00

Bekki and Charlotte are always talking about sushi. Yuck, right? Well, we decided that we needed more canning jars and since Wal Mart was out, we needed to go to Reno and buy some more...and have sushi while we are there!

We listened to Wicked, the musical, the whole way there almost. I really enjoyed hearing the story about Elfeba, Nessarose, Galinda, Fiero (the scarecrow), the lion, the tin man and the horrible wizard of Oz. I am SO looking forward to watching it someday and having a whole different view about the Wizard of Oz. It's amazing how everything ties all together! What a plot!

On the way to Reno, we came upon an accident. About 4 cruisers raced past us going at least 90 miles per hour. Where's the public safety? Nobody died and this is the carelessness we get. There was nobody directing traffic to the West and it was just a mess on 395. We finally figured out the side road would bypass the accident and we went on our merry way, passing Portia and Nichole coming back from Reno ;)

About the sushi...I have to admit- I was quite terrified. I've only had sushi (besides the California Rolls that you buy at the Supermarket) once and I thought it was disgusting. But, I was willing to give it a try!

Sushi Pier 2 in Reno is where we went. It's off of South Virginia. It has a really great atmosphere and seemed to be pretty trendy. The menu was a bit scary, but Bekki and Charlotte were pro's and knew just what to order.

I must have tried 6 or 8 different kind. I really liked the upside down sushi (tempura shrimp, scallops, smelt roe and sweet sauce) and the Mickey Mouse (rice, raw tuna, avocado, lemon, crab and hot sauce) the best.

However- you knew this was coming~ had Charlotte and Bekki not been sitting beside me, I would have spit out the crystal shrimp kind as soon as I could have. It was pretty gross! It must have taken me 2-3 minutes to swallow it. I had to be really careful so I didn't make myself gag. I don't know what it was, but those shrimp and the cooked salmon one was just not good to me. Must be an acquired taste...lol

Anyway, that was last Thursday night. We ended up buying probably 12-15 cases of jars and are ready to put them to use...bring on the tomatoes!

Friday, we went to the ward campout over by Aunt Yvonne's lake house at Almanor. It was a really nice day and we headed out around 10:30 AM. We hit so much road construction on the way, by the time we got to the campsite, it was already noon! I had the boys (Ian and Ryan) put up the tents and the girls cut up veggies for tacos and I cooked the meat over a bag of charcoals.

We had just finished lunch when some others began to arrive, so we grabbed a few of them and went down to the lakeside for some water fun. The Cardenaz kids, Ian, Ryan, Halley, Isabell, Justin, Shirleen and I had a really great time. Hannah even fell in deeper than she was suppose to and got both of her casts wet. Halley did well keeping her hand held high above the water, though.

When we went back to camp, many others had arrived and it was looking like a regular campground. When we first got there, it looked absolutely dreadful and a part of me wanted to just turn around and go back home. There was no running water except an old pump well that you couldn't even prime. You had to crank on it about 50 times before you could even feel the pressure build up. And the toilets...oh my goodness! OUTHOUSES! Oh, the horror. I refuse to go in one of those. But, in an emergency situation, I pee in a cup and dump it in. Too many episodes of freaky TV shows to make me not want to use those things! Some people think I'm crazy, but EW, I don't even care.

Dinner was fun and the dutch oven dessert cook-off was certainly interesting. I was already done eating by the time the winning entry was finished so I didn't get to try it, but I've heard many wonderful things about Joe Dodge's cobbler and ice cream.

After dinner, some families prepared skits for entertainment and the YW even provided a few songs to get us going, too! It was a lot of fun. After the skits were over, a few people stayed around the campfire and roasted marshmallows for s'mores and then the night got really interesting. In fact, my husband had such a great time, he's looking forward to camping again really soon! Can you believe it?

The next day, we packed up and headed over to Canyon Dam with the Dodge's and the Gilmore's for some swimming. What a great day in the sun! We got some pizza when we got back home. It was so stinkin' hot and tiring...there was no way I was going to cook when all I wanted to do was get into the shower.

We were actually suppose to call Aunt Yvonne and meet her and Uncle Bob at their lake house but we left before they arrived. So, I left them a message on their phone at home and they ended up calling the next day and inviting us back over for the afternoon/dinner.

I hadn't been to their house in quite a few years, but I still remembered the way. The kids absolutely loved their house and I told them not to worry about dinner...Aunt Yvonne was an excellent cook. We had lasagna, salad, french bread and cobbler with Schubert's ice cream for dessert!

What great hosts they are. I love the time I get to spend with them, but it is just not often enough. I use to love our vacations with the Koehnen's. Those were the best times growing up!

Tuesday night was Halley's birthday. The kids had an activity at church, but Justin and I went over to Bekki and Kelly's for a birthday party for Bob Klinock and Bekki. Bekki makes THE BEST bbq'd pork ribs. Pork ribs are my FAVORITE. Justin even commented about how great the chicken (I just say it's chicken so he'll eat it) was! He had 3 whole ribs! And Shanna, Kelly's mom, makes the best potato salad (except for Tricia's of course) but I was too full to get any.

Kelly gave me the biggest piece of birthday cake ever. Luckily, Justin helped me but I still couldn't eat it all. I think it was from Costco. Mmmm.

We left Justin there and he and Ian came back around 10 that night and we watched Harry Potter 6.

Wednesday is our picking day down at the garden. There was so much that Jana and I got, that I had to share. I was not going to be able to use it all myself! I still have about 10 gallons of produce to process. Zucchini, cucumbers, radishes, bell peppers, jalapeno peppers, wax peppers, eggplant, lemon squash, green beans and tomatoes! I shared with the Wolfe's, Dodge's, and Bishop Gollnick. I still have plenty, though.

Yesterday was just a blur. I had to drive up to the Youth Camp to drop off the kids for conference. What a horrible road that is!!! Kim Duerksen rode with me, so it was nice to have someone to visit with. We took Ryan, Halley, Nathan, Charlene and Bonnie. I just know that the kids are going to have a great time.

Last night, I was working on a budget (I started at 3:00) and then Ian came over, so we were talking about stuff when I looked at my watch and realized it was almost 6:00! I was suppose to do pedicures with Bekki at 5!!! OOPS! I just grabbed my keys and went out like a whirlwind. Luckily, I don't think she was too mad ;) We stayed until 7 getting our toes done and Bekki got her nails done, too. I used more of my birthday money that my mom gave me...so now I'm down to $30.00 left. What can I use it on? hmmmmmmmmmm...

I picked a really pretty pink color for my polish. Bekki got purple. The girl that did our pedicures was really nice, but Monica Morris does a WAY better job. WAY better. Did I say WAY better? Cause Monica is WAY better ;) Oh, and I found out that my friend, Carre, does hair again. She's working at Hair Hunters up on Main Street. I know who I will be calling now!!! Carre is awesome.

Today, I had a surprise 40th birthday party for Troy. It wasn't as big and dynamic as I wanted it to be...but it worked. You see, two years ago, I missed Troy's birthday. He has been a PITA ever since. So, I told his parents to come surprise him and texted a few close friends at the last minute but it turned out great. Emily & Cassie came with Dom and Lily, Tricia and Charlie and the kids, Bekki and Kelly, Charlotte and Sandy, Brad and Valerie all came to enjoy a good lunch and have some cake. I'm so grateful that we have the friends that we do...they make any day a great one!

Brad and Valerie came back for a short visit, but they are on their way home now. Justin and Bella are in their own rooms being quiet. No TV or anything for two whole hours! That's what you get when you can't get along with anyone- time by yourself!

Berta sent over some really fun church themed games to play. I can't wait to break them out and have a good time.

Troy has to work tonight, but I don't. I have a movie to watch but I think I'm going to take advantage of the quiet and pop it in. Kim, I think, is going to pick up the kids tomorrow, so that will free up some time. I really need to give Jana a call though. I haven't talked to her since Wednesday and something just doesn't feel right...lol.

Peaches

2009-07-22T16:58:00.000-07:00

Well, not really...apricots! They're coming out my ears :) Which is a good thing, because we love them but there are just oooo many!

Our next door neighbors have a great apricot tree. It's just gorgeous this year. Lots of fruit is ripening every day. Only one of them actually like the apricots, though. So, they said that we can have as many as we want and I've been trying to keep up with them but a few fall here and there to fall victim to bugs.

So far, I've canned 36 jars of apricot jam. Some have pineapple in it and it is so good. I have actually made the recipe in the pectin box 12 times and I know it by heart! I have made my own version, which includes pineapple, and it is very easy to follow:

Apricot-Pineapple Jam
16 Cups chopped apricots (use the pulse on the food processor)
5 Cups (2 cans) crushed pineapple
2 T lemon juice
12 Cups granulated sugar (be sure it's cane sugar!)
4 boxes pectin

Combine all ingredients, bring to rapid boil and maintain for 3-5 minutes. Pour into hot jars and seal with hot lids/rings. Jars will ping within minutes.

I've also canned cherry preserves, cherry pie filling, blackberry pie filling, lemon pie filling, pickled peppers, peas and strawberry rhubarb jam this year, too. I'm gearing up for "tomato" season, which will start before we know it. Charlotte already picked our first ripe tomato at the garden yesterday!

I plan on canning a whole bunch of stewed tomatoes and pureed tomatoes. I took an inventory today and discovered that I only had 6 empty cases of quart jars and I need at least 12. Wal Mart is officially out! So, in my panic, I made plans to go to Reno tomorrow with Bekki and Charlotte to secure some more supplies! We're going to go out for sushi, too. Mom, don't gag. They say it's really good!

So far, I've also gotten lots of oregano and thyme from Walt Adams that I have dried and will be incorporating into my spice rack. I'm still working on perfecting the dried apricots. They just aren't my friend right now. It's pretty hard figuring out when they're done or not done enough.

This afternoon, I've been watching the Fast and Furious 4 and cleaning up the kitchen from my whirlwind yesterday and the day before. Jana came over and pitted cherries with me while Sandy helped me with apricots. I also cleaned lettuce, Bok Choy, zucchini, onions, cucumbers and peppers and got them ready to keep in the refrigerator.

Tonight, we're going to have a great stir fry when we get home from Young Women's. We're going to have a super fun activity, but I can't post about it yet. I don't want to ruin the surprise!

Halley is trying to find her dad so he can take her to Wal Mart. Troy went to a meeting at work at 2:00. He thought he'd be gone a little over an hour. HA!!! He's going on 4 hours now! Oh well...over time. Sassy is on the couch, dead to the world, as usual. Bells and Justin are playing go fish and Ryan is helping Paulette pack some things to move with Ian and Kelly. I'm thankful for the service that Ryan is willing to do. Sometimes it's hard getting him motivated! After all, he IS a teenage boy!

Today was a really nice and intimate lunch to say "goodbye" to Paulette. I'm really going to miss her sweet self! Her parents, too. Her dad is just so cute! Halley always makes comments about what a cutie he is. Anyway, Paulette is a great lady and I am glad that we will be able to keep in touch through Facebook. It has really opened up quite a few doors lately. I hope that my oldest bff Amber will sign up so that we can stay in touch, too! I haven't talked to her in so long! She texted me today, though. Looks like she's going to join...yay!

So that is what I've been doing with my crazy life these past few days. Next week, I'm looking forward to meeting Rosemary Carmon when Carolyn and I meet up with her for lunch. She and Carolyn go way back and Rosemary is married to Grant Carmon that was in my class at Willows High School. Should be a great time, but I warned her that I was loud and crazy but in a good way...lol.

I already used part of my birthday money to get my hair done, but now I need a pedicure, so I just made an appointment for that, too. I'm going to go with Bekki so we can visit while they make our toes pretty. You know what would really make them pretty is ME not wearing FLIP FLOPS down to the garden! Like that's going to happen...lol.

Halley's birthday is next week, too, on the 28th. Lots of fun to be had! Bob Klinock's birthday is the day before and Bekki's is the day after. We'll celebrate somewhere in between! I have big plans for her party but I have to figure out when it will be. Halley wants to go to Orland for a visit.

Bella's social worker, Aiko, came over yesterday for her monthly visit. Things are going well and she is going to give Lee (from State Adoptions) a call to have him schedule a visit with us. They need to get a report together to have for court in early September. We like things how they are right now...moving along nicely with no problems. Hopefully they will stay this way. It's sort of scary adopting someone. You wonder if you're really what they want or are they just afraid to be alone. Hopefully things will continue to progress in a good way.

My sister's getting married- to some guy. I have never heard of him until a week ago, but you know, she's known him for years... I think Isabell is happy about it. Personally, I think my sister's nuts for marrying a guy she spent a week with, but what do I know? If she's happy, then I guess that's a good thing. Just a little "woah, you're what???".

Justin and Bella are still playing cards...war now. Those two are not the best of friends, but they play games together the best. They usually have a lot of fun playing cards. It's nice to see them having a good time and enjoying each other's company. The TV is off and it's quiet, so all is well in the Ramsey house.

I caught Justin texting Ian earlier..."you want to get poned at go fish?" Poned is a word they use like "owned". When you own someone, you dominate the game. Justin was telling Ian that he'd dominate him at Go Fish. Does anyone else see the humor in a 6 year old trash talking about a game of Go Fish? LOL Maybe it's just me?

I love my life :)

Where the Party At?

2009-07-18T11:11:00.000-07:00

About two weeks! That's all that's left...for me to plot my sweet justice!

What am I going to do? I'm going to have a party! Friends, family...you name it. You're all invited. This will be the biggest celebration this street has seen in a lonnnnnnng time! Woo hoo!

I think I will have a pot-luck style party. Bring whatever you like. Some of my favorites are Jana's strawberry pretzel salad, Reagan's pasta salad and baked beans (with my own adaptations), Tricia's potato salad, Charlotte's cake, Bekki's salami & cream cheese roll-up's, my jalapeno popper dip- those are the makings of a good party!

Why, do you ask? You have no idea the torment I have lived with for the past two years! Absolutely NO idea. I've shared it with a few of my closest friends...but really, you don't even know. I only hope that my point will be made once and for all!!!

But, I better not get into it. You never know who reads my blog. I wouldn't want to hurt that special someone's feelings! ;) Mwahahahaha (do you hear my evil laugh?)

I Wanna Be Sedated

2009-07-17T21:52:00.000-07:00

This morning, I got up at 6:45 and took a shower while Halley slept in just a little bit longer. At about 7:00, I gave her a happy pill. At 7:20, we left the house so that we would check in for surgery at 7:30.

Halley was really quiet on the way over to the hospital, but no tears! We registered and got the ID bracelet put on Halley and then went down to the surgical waiting room watching peppy people on HGTV that obviously had way too much coffee...

And let me just say that I sat in that room for far too long- and if I EVER have to watch Jon & Kate Plus 8 again, I am going to seriously bleed from my ojos. Seriously.

Back to my story-

The pre-op nurse came in to take us across the hallway, where the temperature dropped to at least 64. It was soooo cold in there. I could never work surgery! Halley changed out of her clothes and into her rear-exposing gown and lovely surgical hair net. Halley got a nice and toasty warm blanket, but all I got was lousy goosebumps.

The nurse went over all of the paperwork, consents and la de dah's and then another nurse came in to check her wrist band. Next came the tears. It was time to start the IV. I had already explained this procedure to Halley at least 5 times, but the nurse told her how it was going to happen again. And then I told her. Again.

The IV was started very quickly. The nurse did give her a little injection of Lidocaine or something and so Halley didn't get too upset over it. Anesthesia came in next to get her going. He realized what a nervous wreck Halley was when he pulled out a syringe with NO NEEDLE that he was going to bolus into the IV and she freaked out!

"I thought I wasn't going to get another shot". Halley shrieked. I calmly explained "it's going in the IV right here" and showed her the port. The guy quickly gave her something for her nerves right away.

Ten minutes or so later, when the guy realized that Halley was STILL upset, he gave her some more and said that ought to do it! Boy, was he right...about 20 seconds later, Halley looked over to me and slurred "I feel loopy, but I still don't want this". I didn't laugh, but I thought it was funny.

As anesthesia wheeled her out of pre-op, she gave me a hug and kiss good-bye and I have never been so afraid I was going to lose my daughter in my life. I was scared. I had to go into the waiting room again and say a prayer for Halley, the doctor and myself.

The doctor said the surgery would take about a half an hour, but it didn't begin until after 9:30. Fred Nielson saw me sitting in the waiting room and popped in several times to see if I'd heard anything, but I hadn't. I'm glad that Reagan and Bekki were texting me while I waited...I was a big ball of nerves. I wish that Jana used her phone to text!!! There was a sign that said no cell phones, but I snuck texts in...shhh!

FINALLY! At a little after 11:00, the nurse came in to tell me that Halley was in recovery. Whew. What a sigh of relief!

I went in to see her and it's hard to see your own child with tubes and monitors connected everywhere. She had a PO2 on her finger, BP cuff on her arm, leads for EKG on her chest, back and side, and a nasal cannula with oxygen in her nostrils. I could tell by the monitors that she was doing fine, but I just wanted her to wake up already!

There was a baby screaming in the curtain next to Halley. How she was sleeping through that is amazing! I tried to get my phone out to sneak a picture and the nurse said "oh, you're not going to take a picture of her like this, are you, Mom?" jokingly and wouldn't you know...Sissy perked right up and opened her eyes! Dang it! lol But I was so glad to see her awake.

It didn't last long, because she fell right back asleep after she saw me, and so I quickly took her picture! As she woke up more and more, I asked her if I could take a picture of her for everyone to see and for her scrapbook, since she'll want to remember this someday, and she said yes. She sat up with her eyes opened and smiled as best she could. She does not believe me that she agreed to that picture at all. You be the judge!

Halley had to sit up to get dressed...threw up in recovery.
Got into the Yukon to go home...threw up in the parking lot. Then, she reached over for her lip gloss and said (and this is a direct quote) "Dang it! I can't open it". I just looked at her like she was crazy but she didn't even realize what she had just said or it's significance!
Went to BK to get a smoothie...threw up by the park.
Went to bed...threw up in the bathroom.
again...
again...
again...
and again.

Finally, Halley came out and said she was going to get something to eat at around 9:00. The Duerksen's were over for dinner and we were having a great visit with their family, Bekki and Ian and so she visited for a while, but not too long before she went back to bed.

Bekki brought Halley some popsicles and some flowers to cheer her up. What a sweetie. I guess I'll have to forgive her for going to see Wicked without me tomorrow. lol

As Halley was sleeping in my room, I noticed a small tube of lip gloss that was beside her on the nightstand. "Compliments of Banner Lassen Medical Center". Was this a burn? ;)

Nathan and Deric are spending the night with Ryan and Justin...the boys are all here in the living room playing the Wii. Ian had to go home at 10, so they're pretty bummed out. Other than that, I hope that this night goes well. Bella's still not feeling too good (better than yesterday, though) and she and Halley need to get up very early to babysit in the morning. I hope that Halley does not have a lot of pain. As of 10:00, her finger was still numb! Can you believe that?

Thank you to everyone who called, texted and prayed for Halley today. I know our prayers were heard. She's doing great and now I can "chillax"-as she would say.

Cuts Like A Knife

2009-07-16T20:02:00.000-07:00

By now you've probably heard- Halley needs surgery. So we went and had her pre-op labs done today and the stick was over before she could even say "ouch". She didn't even have time to cry! HA!

Halley spent all day at the fair and I am glad that she has been able to have one last hoorah, since the next 6 weeks will be spent with her finger in a splint. She is scheduled to be at Banner at 7:30 AM (boo) for right index finger flexor repair. The doctor hopes that this will be fixed with one surgery, but he can not make any guarantee. Halley still thinks that she will not need to use that part of her finger and surgery is unnecessary.

Bella has been in her room all day. She has an upset stomach and isn't feeling very well. I felt her forehead and she feels a bit warm, but not feverish. It's just hot here today, so maybe that's all it is.

Justin STINKS! That boy will not take a shower and he REALLY needs one. Tonight, he's goin' down...I went to Wal Mart to buy Halley's medicine and Justin told me that I needed to buy him medicine for gas. I told him that having gas is not a disease- it's a sickness!

Ryan is having a problem with one of his friends. I think they will work it out, but it's just a bunch of drama right now. I told his friend to let him cool off for a couple days and then try to talk to him. We'll see how it goes.

Troy is off until Saturday. We're having the Duerksen's over for a BBQ tomorrow night, so that should be a lot of fun. I'm looking forward to playing some games or something fun! I played Phase 10 with Charlotte a couple weeks ago and had a blast...maybe I'll get that game from Wal Mart tomorrow. It's pretty easy, kind of like Uno and Rummy mixed.

I have no idea what I'm going to fix for dinner tonight. I'm just not hungry for anything. The hot day has just sucked the appetite right out of me. I went to McDonald's today with Justin, Reagan and the kids...it was so stinkin' hot that I just couldn't stand being home and so the kids wanted an ice cream cone and I got some PowerAde. I know, I know... I say it's hot here, but I know that it was hotter in Orland/Chico, but for Susanville, 95 is a scorcher and that is what my rear-view mirror said it was today at 3:30!

OK, so let's plan some dinner here...nothing heated on the stove, baked or fried. I don't want to heat up the house any more than it already is! That leaves the microwave. OK, steamed veggies and white rice it is! Now that was easy ;)

Urgent!

2009-07-14T16:58:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I was looking over things at the computer desk, when Halley comes up to me, sobbing, with a shirt wrapped around her hand. There was obvious blood. "Oh, great", I thought...what did she do?

Halley had already put a band-aid on her finger and where she found it is beyond me, because I don't buy them! I am strictly ANTI BAND-AID!!! Anyway, that is neither here nor there-

I asked Halley what happened and she said she cut her finger badly "opening lip gloss". I didn't even need to look. My baby was in hysterics and when I asked if she needed to go to the doctor and she said "Yes", I knew there was a problem. So, off to the Urgent Care we went.

Halley was so frightened, that on the way to the clinic, she asked me if they were going to have to amputate her finger. I could hardly help myself from laughing out loud. But with my best serious face, I reassured her "No".

It was great!!! Not one person in the waiting room- we walked right into the back!!! Amazing! Then, upon examination, they found that her flexion was not working and so off to the ER we had to go...

We checked in at 5:34. I know that, because I was texting Charlotte and Bekki that I couldn't go to the garden at 6:30 and Walt was expecting me to help water and transplant.

There was NOBODY in the waiting room...YES!!! We were golden. But there we sat. Waiting. Waiting.. Waiting...

Someone that we knew came out. She was with her boyfriend. Halley told me that the girl was pregnant. I didn't even know what to say.

Someone that we knew came in. His wife needed to be seen badly. They took her right in.

Someone else came in. We still waited.

Then, they called for Halley. The doctor's name on the board was one I did not recognize, so I thought "maybe it's a traveling doctor and we'll get one that knows what he's doing". Is that sad or what? Only in small towns do you dread going to the Emergency Department.

But then, horror struck. I saw the doctor that was on duty when I sprained my ankle last year. I really didn't think that he was all that great, but what do you say to your daughter who is in tears?

They put us in the triage room and began to ask Halley questions, like "what was your birth weight", "how many inches were you when you were born" and "were you a normal delivery". After a few of these questions, I said "Now, what is the reason that she is in here answering these unrelated questions, instead of being examined by the physician? We've already been waiting (and I looked at my watch) an hour and ten minutes". I have worked in a level II trauma center. This is NOT how you handle patient care!!! The lady kept on with her stupid questions, assuring me that her past medical history from nearly 15 years ago was important to her visit today. Go figure...

Then, the chick says "OK, let's get some vitals" and Halley nearly jumped out of her seat. Her eyes got as big as saucers and with a terrified look on her face, said "What?!?". I replied "Your blood pressure".

Before too much longer, we went into a treatment area and then the physician came in and asked "What can I do for you". Halley must have had a strange thought in her mind, because her eyes got big and she held up her hand like "DUH"...can't you tell?

So, the doctor tried to get a bit of a history and then it was time for the examination.

They created a sterile environment and then irrigated her wound with Iodine and normal Saline. The cut wasn't that deep after all. But, there was a problem. Her flexion/extension tests did not show the flexing that there should have been. The doctor immediately thought that a tendon had been cut.

To make things worse, the doctor needed to explore the wound. For this to happen, he was going to need to give Halley some topical anesthetic in order to give her some local, but what she really needed was a freakin' valium!!! Maybe two!

Boy, does that girl have a grip! But, he explored the wound and found it to not be deep. Good, huh? Not exactly...because she can't flex her finger where it needs to flex! He decided to have a couple sutures put in and call the ortho doc.

Today, I spent a good part of the morning gathering information for her appointment and she will be seen tomorrow at 2:00.

Tonight, we have some gardening to take care of and tomorrow is going to be combined mutual: SURVIVOR!!! I'm really looking forward to that.

Oh, and if you need to ask HOW Halley cut her finger, the answer is this: She was using a utility knife to open a small metal container of lip gloss. Lip gloss!!!

Yankee Doodle Dandy

2009-07-12T15:01:00.000-07:00

Yes, I am...a Yankee Doodle Dandy. Being born on the 4th of July has some great advantages! I have the best birthday every year. No matter where I go, there are always fireworks to celebrate the coming of a brand new year!

This year, Troy's brother and sister came to stay with us for a few days. Josh also brought Lucie, his girlfriend. We love Lucy! She us just wonderful :) My mom and Terry decided to come for a visit, too. They stayed at the River Inn, so we got to take the kids swimming a couple times. It was great having them over. I haven't gotten to spend much time with them lately.

Troy and Josh took Justin fishing and they caught several fish. Justin does really well! The next day, Terry went with Josh and Troy and they brought home 15 more fish! I forgot to send some home with Josh for Brad, but Berta said not to worry...he wouldn't know the difference! There's still fish in the deep freeze from last year ;)

Jana, Dave, Morgan and Jackson came over for dinner, but the chicken took so long to cook, we didn't get to share dessert with them, so I took some over to them a bit later. We caught up with each other for the fireworks after it got dark. The kids had a great time with sparklers. It was a great show! After that, we came back and lit off fireworks in the street. It was good and dark, so they lit up really nicely!

Bekki and Charlotte came by with a really neat birthday present for me :) I've already used it, too! Mom and Terry gave me some money and I used a little bit of it to go to the Beauty Corral and have my hair cut and eyebrows waxed. Halley liked my hair so much, she decided to have hers cut, too. Now Bella wants her hair cut really short!

Last Wednesday, Charlotte, Judy and I went to Chico to the Bishop's storehouse. We brought back so much stuff, it was crazy that it all fit in my car. I bought 200 pounds of hard white wheat, 100 pounds of sugar, 50 pounds of flour, 25 pounds of oats, 12 pouches of potato pearls and 50 pounds of dried milk. When we were at WinCo, a lady behind us thought we were bakers because we were buying so much flour. I think, all together, we bought 225 pounds of flour alone! I am glad to get started on my wheat, though.

Last week, I dried some spinach and green onion. I made my own spinach dip and it was really good. I know that it will be lots better once I figure out ratios of what spices to add. I bought some from Tastefully Simple for $8.00 and I made twice that much for essentially free. The smell and taste were so much better...everyone that smelled it thought so.

Halley left for camp on Monday and Bells went on Tuesday. I drove over on Thursday all by myself. A deer ran out in front of me and let's just say it is no longer living. Neither are my passenger side head lights. Luckily, no dents!

Camp was great! I spoke about it a bit at church today. I really enjoyed getting to know the girls as I showed them how to do a few crafts projects. The girls are quite creative and love to show individual talent when it comes to their own special designs. The Stake YW Presidency really did a remarkable job with this year's camp. I was so impressed with everything that I participated in.

I also got to spend some time with Annette Bates and Charlotte Nebeker in the kitchen and I really enjoyed their company. It was fun serving the girls! I got to hang out with Tricia and Callie Jo a lot, too. Halley spent a lot of time with me. It was really nice. Isabell was having a blast every time I saw her. She was totally in her element! I hope that her sweet testimony of the gospel will continue to grow and that she will always remember the special times that she had for her first year of YW camp!

I followed Tricia home for a little way after we left camp. I was worried I might have some car trouble, but everything turned out to be fine. One of the girls in Tricia's car was a little car sick, so they pulled over and we went on ahead. We got back just after lunch time and I headed straight for the shower! I had planned to go to the garden a bit later, but I ended up falling asleep on the couch in the family room.

I got woken up twice, when Helen came over and then Reagan. It was fine, though. I ended up going with Reagan to grab a bite to eat and we got to catch up a bit. I hadn't seen her since before she went to Colorado. She is starting to show some baby in her tummy and looks really cute. Still really tiny, though!

Ian came over for a little while and the boys got to play some games. I found out last night that Justin has learned how to text on my phone, which is pretty tricky...and so I had to explain to Bekki and Ian today that if he gets a wierd text from my phone, it's Justin...not me. You know, things like "can you come over and play". I didn't want them to think I was a freaky stalker or something! lol

I'm looking forward to combined Mutual on Wednesday. We're doing the Survivor game from TV. It's going to be a lot of fun!

I think I'm about up-to-date now...

I'll Be Missing You

2009-06-30T17:06:00.000-07:00

When I was in the 7th grade, Amber Jones and Dawn Green were my best friends. I would take turns inviting them over to spend the night and we had great times, no matter what we did. We always had lots of fun! On occasion, there were ugly times, too...but mostly just fun.

I remember going camping one summer with Dawn. We went to Fort Bragg, which is my favorite place in the world. We were in High School...and I think it was the summer between 9th and 10th grade. We stayed at MacKerricher State Park with her parents in a tent, while they slept in the camper. It was great! We had lots of privacy and could stay up or sleep in as late as we wanted. Her sister, Kimber, didn't even bother us. In fact, I think she stayed with a friend or grandparents that week, because I don't remember her even being there.

When we were camping, we would spend all day long walking up and down the road to the beach. We were checking out the cute guys along the way, of course. My mother's going to crap when she reads this...I never told her about the mischief we got into while we were there. This was the summer of "Tokyo Road".

We met this guy one day. He was just soooo cute. His name was Carl Berger. We hung out with him all afternoon. Eventually, he had to leave for one reason or another- we were on our way walking back to the campground when we met these two other guys, Jason Soderquist and Chris Elledge. We told them about Carl, and they both started laughing. They were all friends, but it seemed that Carl, although cute, was quite the geeky guy because he wore "bottle bottom" glasses, which he had carefully removed when he saw that we were two cute girls! Funny, huh?

We spent hours talking to Chris and Jason and we really liked them. They were cute and funny. They eventually talked us in to sneaking out that night when the parents fell asleep. At 11:00 PM, the guys met us along the road and we hung out all night in Chris' room, which was a converted garage. We played cards, watched T.V. and stuff. Early the next morning, they dropped us off near the campsite and we snuck back in to bed like nothing ever happened!

When we were fast asleep, Dawn's mother ripped open the zipper on the tent and asked us where in the heck we had been all night. Needless to say, we got grounded. Camping when you are grounded is no fun. We had to stay with the parents the whole rest of the trip. We had made plans to see the guys the next day, but never could meet up with them. The only thing left that we could do was listen to Bon Jovi on her ghetto blaster. Hence, the summer of "Tokyo Road".

A few weeks later, I went back to Fort Bragg with my parents and the first place we went when we got there was the Chevron gas station where Chris worked. I could have just died. He remembered me, of course. He wondered what had happened to us that day. We talked a few times while I was there when I called him from the pay phone, but I never got to hang out with him again. Once in a while, Jason would call me at home, but that eventually faded. Dawn never got to talk to either boy again.

Later on in life, Dawn moved to Chico and was working at a hair salon in Orland. She use to do my hair when I worked in the ER at Enloe. I remember Dawn telling me about the pain she was in. She had really bad back problems...I lost touch with Dawn after we moved to Susanville, and have frequently looked for her on Facebook. I've never connected with her again.

Dawn died last Sunday. She is the fourth person that I know of from my WHS class of '90 to leave us. She was 37 years old. I will always have a special place in my heart for her. She was a good friend and a beautiful person. Rest in peace, Dawn.

C'mon Get Happy

2009-06-27T12:31:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was such a busy day, but I made it through it just fine! Thank goodness, I had Jana's help with some last minute craft projects-she has some wonderful examples!

I left Jana's and went to the house to start a load of laundry, and then I had to be at Judy Lee's house for our camp craft meeting. I did the whole craft thing this year for about $50.00. Judy was pleased to hear that!

Next, I had to go pick up Halley from her friends house out in Janesville. Kambry and Halley both gave me a "thumbs up" for the crafts I had chosen and that made me feel pretty good! You always worry that the kids won't like the ideas you come up with, but this year looks good.

So I didn't leave Judy's house until 3:15, which meant that I didn't get back in to town until 3:57. The movie at the library started at 3:30 and Justin was pretty upset. I didn't want to take him in late, and besides, I still had my laundry to do.

At about 6:02, Bekki asked me what time we wanted to meet up and I freaked out, because I wasn't anywhere near being dressed and I had to go! I said "I'm on my way now" and I went to pick her up.

My clothes were still partially wet! I thought the movie started at 6:10 and I was wrong...lol. It started at 6:30. But, there was a plus side. It was hot in the theater and I was coooool! Tricia told me that I better not start smelling like mildew, but I just smelled the Downy fabric softener and my Aqua Di Gio ;) That's what I get for being in a hurry!

Last night was just what I needed! I had a really good time. Bekki, Tricia and I went to watch "the Proposal" at the movies and that movie was just so funny. It wasn't TOO predictable, but it had a few moments that were a bit obvious. My favorite part was when Sandra Bullock was riding her bike through the woods and saw Betty White doing a Native American ritual type dance. Sandra started singing "Get Low" by the Ying Yang Twins and I was cracking up! They also referred to MC Rob Base and DJ Easy Rock in the movie and that was my favorite "tape" my senior year... Joy and Pain, It Takes Two...what great memories.

After that movie, we went downstairs to meet up with the guys. Bob, Kelly and Troy came to see the blockbuster "Transformers" with us, and Ian came along, too. We sat in the very back row and threw popcorn on unsuspecting movie-goers. Just kidding. We didn't throw any popcorn! We saw a few other friends there...Julie and Bonnie Wedemeyer came and Luke and Jake were there, also. They're such good boys.

The movie was really long, but very good. A few crude parts, but that's what you get with a PG-13 rating. You just wonder why they have to throw junk in there...but they do.

I really enjoyed going out last night. The kids stayed home and didn't have to call me even once. I was a bit worried, since I don't leave all of the kids home together, usually!

After the movie, Tricia and I visited for a while before we headed home and I'm glad that we got to talk. Our kids are kind of fun to discuss ;)

Today, the girls are not happy with me at all. I explained to the girls that if they do not stay out in the tent trailer, then it is time to pack it up and put it back in the garage. It's ugly. I don't want it in front of my house if they're not going to use it. Problem: Isabell wants to use it. Halley doesn't. Drama.

Also, I told them that they needed to clean out the pool so we could fill it up and Isabell is about having a fit, pretending she knew nothing about it. Um...yeah, she did. I asked Halley on Monday for she and Isabell to have it done by Friday. Halley told Isabell and I knew she told Isabell, because we've already had this discussion once. I don't know why she thinks I forgot about this conversation, but sometimes I think she has blackouts regarding what she is suppose to do. She really does put on a good show, though.

But then again, all of the kids are talented in that area ;)

The neighbors had a yard sale fundraiser for their dog. Isabell gave her dog, Poca, to Kelsey next door. Isabell had not taken proper care of her dog for so long, the malnutrition caused the dogs bones to be brittle. In the past week, "Trixie" has broken both of her front legs. It has cost $200.00 for the vet bills. Halley and Isabell went through their things and found some items to donate. All together, the yard sale made over $100.00 and so they are half way there! Great job!

The yard sale is over now. The neighbors are packing it up. Justin keeps coming home with "free" things. So far, he's found two little hand held video games, tons of balloons and a pair of sunglasses. I had to tell Tyler that Justin is "cut off" before he brought anything else home!

Hopefully, we'll find the hole in the pool, patch it up and the kids will be able to fill it up and start swimming. They need to get some sun.

Time after Time

2009-06-25T11:03:00.000-07:00

Today, I have a lot to do.

Bella played with Sandra a good part of yesterday and then invited her to spend the night. Sandra's still here and doesn't have to be home at any certain time. Bella is loving having a new friend.

Aiko is suppose to be here today at 1:00 or so. I told Bella that I needed her report card to give to Aiko and wouldn't you know...it's lost. Great! I'm having trouble scheduling things that Bella wants and needs, as well. Dental appointment; the only place in town that takes Medical is so full, I can't make her a new appointment for a long time, so I am trying to get her onto Troy's insurance so I can take her where we go for her check-up.

Bella wants to play a sport. I've asked for her birth certificate so we can sign her up...she really wanted to do cheerleading, but I couldn't sign her up without it, so that ship has sailed. Thank goodness, really. I didn't want to have to drive to Reno every week this summer.

I need to take her to the doctor, but I "don't go" to doctors unless there's something broken, really. I just don't know who to take her to see! I totally disapprove of the care provided at Lassen Family Practice. Women's Health is different, but the standard of care given in the other offices is just not good enough for me or my children/niece. I know what good care is. I was a part of that team for many years and did the better part of the exam myself!

Plus, I just can't deal with many of the front desk staff. I think they got their jobs from the special prize inside of a Cracker Jack box.

Troy deals with Dr. Meadows a lot through work, so I am trying to get her an appointment there. However, they do not accept new Medi-Cal patients and I have asked for an exception, since she will become private care in September. We will see how that goes...I am still waiting for an answer.

I've gotten her dental all squared away, but the dental office is out on vacation and don't return until after July 5th. So, we'll have to wait and see. I had her an appointment scheduled (which took over two months to get in) for the office in town that accepts Medi-Cal, but Bella was sick with the flu that day and I couldn't take her. I am not going to take her back there if I don't have to.

And counseling...geez! I have to get her preapproved since she is out of county. That is like pulling teeth. The girl that makes those appointments and referrals is always out of the office. This week, she's on vacation. I've been working on this since May 23rd. I need her Social Security card for the appointment, and Aiko will be bringing that today, thank goodness. Hopefully we can get her in soon.

Meanwhile, we're still trying to learn the ropes here. She is fitting in with the other kids just fine and dandy, like she's been a part of our family her whole life. She fights and argues with them often, but not out of character for a girl her age. That's just what my kids do. So, I send them to time out in their rooms, take away their cell phones and ground them from the Wii. That's about all I can do, but I get peace and quiet when it gets too loud...

Today, the big whining experience is Justin and the stinkin' popsicles. Oh, how I wish my life were such a challenge. What color do I want? If I don't take a red one, then someone else might and it won't be there if I want it later! My goodness. Justin is worried about what color Ryan is going to pick and Ryan won't even be home until after 3:00. Luckily, Tyler (Ryan's friend) is here to hang out for a while and Justin has gone in to bother him, instead of me ;)

Halley's friend, Chelsea, has gone back to her grandma's house. She's here visiting from Alaska and she stayed over last night. Halley is going to be spending the night with her super cool friend, Kambry, tonight.

Bella's friend, Sandra, has gone home, too. Now it's all quiet on the homefront. With all of the kids that were here earlier, Troy has turned into a turtle again and retreated into his shell. He will probably not come out of our bedroom for a few hours. He's got a TV and a bathroom in there...candy in his night stand. What more could a guy on his day off want? I should be a good wife and take him in a Pepsi.

Tonight, we are going to go and do some more work in the garden. Jana can't make it until after 7, but we sure went fast last night! It took us under one hour to get two sections of potatoes done. We rock! It's becoming easier each and every day. I think tonight we will need to do some more watering, though. It only takes an hour to water, though! Yay!

I lost my cell phone. I don't know where I put it. I'm a bit saddened. I know it will turn up...but all of my phone numbers are in there and people call that phone instead of the house. I think my battery is dead and so I can't hear it ring. I remember having it when I texted Ryan, Ian and Tyler "game" and they all lost. Tyler was quite unhappy with me...lol. I actually sent them the message "Emag backward" and Ryan's response was "Elohttub". He's so quick-witted!

I need to do some last minute cleaning. But I think I should probably fix my hair and put on some make up so Aiko won't be scared of me when she gets here. I really wish I could find Bella's Report card, but I suppose that we will have to request one since it's due today. Dang it! She'll be here in 45 minutes. Good thing everyone's done their chores already. The house doesn't look like a tornado hit it, which is what you'd expect after having 8 extra kids over yesterday and two extra over night!

I have plenty of time to relax!

One Thing Leads To Another

2009-06-23T14:51:00.000-07:00

This is my on-line journal. For those of you who read it, remember that. This is my feelings about my life, my liberties and my pursuit of happiness.

Today's post is about a speed bump along the way...

Sunday at church, Bekki gave a really good lesson in Young Women's. As good as the lesson was, it was really hard to sit there and listen because it was one of those things that you feel are directed "just at you". I know it wasn't...only because she's following along in the book and suppose to be there ;) But it still was a difficult lesson to swallow.

I will just spell it out- the lesson was about "Forgiveness".

For what it's worth, I have a very hard time with forgiveness. I know I'm suppose to forgive. Forgiving is the easy part. I'd like to think I can forgive fairly easily. Really, all it takes is a sincere apology...most of the time. But, that's not enough, I guess. To truly forgive, we must be able to forget and that's where I have a REALLY hard time.

I have certainly had things happen in my life that have called for forgiveness. Sometimes, I have to apologize for the stupid things I have done (or said)and it is a very humbling experience. I don't like to make mistakes. But sometimes, it's not me. Sometimes, others have done things or said things that they shouldn't have and I let these things bother me- especially if there is no apology made. The point is, it happens and when it does, if an apology is made, I'm able to move on and let it go.

It makes me feel so good inside when I am able to solve problems and put them all behind me. But, unfortunately, it doesn't always happen.

Sometimes it doesn't get to that point. Sometimes, no apology is ever made. In this case, I go on feeling really angry inside. Seldom do I feel "hurt" for very long. Hurt, almost always, quickly turns to anger when I make an attempt to right things and it just doesn't happen.

This is where I'd like to thank Bekki for her lesson on Sunday. I learned that if I am not able to forgive people for the things that they have done to hurt me, then my Heavenly Father will not forgive me for the things that I have done that require forgiveness. Pretty easy, huh? Wrong!

Holy cow...I don't even know where to begin. I really haven't faced some of my "bigger" problems- I've just been carrying them around for however long. Some, for quite a long time! It's hard! I just try to keep them buried in the back somewhere... Surely, it would be easier to just move on but then these "things" would never truly be forgiven, would they? So that doesn't work!

I am working on forgiveness this week. Forgetness, actually. I am really trying hard to forgive AND to forget. I think that this world would be a much better place if I (and a few others) could always try to remember this;

1. Be honest with your friends, family and those you deal with. Honesty is ALWAYS the best policy!

2. Speak kindly of others as if they were standing next to you. The things you say will come back to haunt you if you don't.

3. Admit your mistakes and do your best to make amends for them. If you never do anything wrong, then you must be perfect...but wait, Jesus is the only person who has ever lived that is perfect. Hmmm...what does that tell you?

4. Save the drama for your mama... and I'm not your mama!!! And for my kids-this doesn't apply to you. I don't want to hear your drama, either!

I really feel strongly that the best way to solve problems is to get them out into the open. Hit them head on, so to speak. I'm a pretty direct person and I don't think there's any reason to be evasive. Once things are brought out into the open, you have two choices. Either you can fix it or you realize that it's just not worth it, after all.

This is how I feel.

Sometimes, you try so very hard to get to the brightly ripened fruit that's at the tip-tip-top of the apple tree. So, you climb higher and higher and higher, until you're covered with ugly scratches from the rough and rugged branches that are along the way. Finally, physically and mentally exhausted, you get to the very top. You painfully stretch your bleeding arm out for that single, shiny red prize and delightfully pick it, only to find that the ever-enticing apple you've been desperately longing for is filled with tiny little worms that weren't even visible until you took a closer look.

So what do you do? Do you pick all of the nasty worms out or do you just give up and throw it away?

Afterall, you REALLY wanted that apple~

You Might Think

2009-06-21T18:47:00.000-07:00

Today was the widest range of feelings I think I've ever had during a sacrament meeting. The reason I'm posting twice today is that we just shared our Father's Day dinner and filled Troy in on the things that he missed during church that made us laugh, cry and everything in between.

Here are the highlights of our conversation:

The Jensen's son, Sean, was singing his little heart out during the Primary Children's presentation, but didn't quite finish his words when all of the rest of the primary children did. He sang on, and on, and on, and on...lol I couldn't keep a straight face. He is such a cutie pants!!! Happy Father's Day, Ben!

The Wilson's daughter, Sarah, sang so well! You could hear her voice far above the others, as she sang out to her daddy with so much love and happiness. This brought a smile to my face and warmed my heart, too. Happy Father's Day, Brian!

The Heffner's daughter, Jordan, was quietly drawing when suddenly her brother, Caleb, must have done something she wasn't quite fond of. Jordan gave him a look and then whacked him over the head with her notebook. Her mom, Nancy, gave her a talking to, and I chuckled inside because we've all been there! But then a few moments passed by and something rubbed Jordan the wrong way again, because she gave Caleb another look and then punched him in the face. Nancy took her right out of sacrament and I'm sure that Jordan got "a look" from her mommy, too. I know you're not suppose to laugh at the kids, but boy- it was tough! I know all was forgiven when Jordan came back a few minutes later and her brother sat there quietly stroking her hair. It was so precious. I wish that their mother could have seen that from where I was sitting. It would have touched her so much, as it did, me. What love those children share! Happy Father's Day, Scott!

Then there was Justin. Quietly playing with Post-It notes, (the half size ones). He had two orange ones and a hot pink one. All is going well while Wayne Beeson is giving his talk, and I looked over to see what Justin was doing and saw that, on his face, he had manufactured a mustache with the two orange pieces and a goatee with the pink one. I giggled instantly and I surely hope that Wayne didn't think that I was laughing at him. Happy Father's Day, Troy!

And this brings me to my own "been there, done that" for those Mom's who wondered what got into their kids today...lol. It will be one of those stories you love to tell when your kids are older-I can almost guarantee it!

When Ryan was old enough to pass the sacrament when he turned 12 years old, Justin was barely over two. Mind you, Justin could talk quite well by this point and always seemed to say things at the most inappropriate times. We had missed attending church for the first year, because we were in Second Ward and never connected. So here we were, in sacrament, trying to teach Justin how to sit quietly after he'd only been attending church for a year. This is the story of Ryan's first time passing the sacrament...

As we bowed our heads and listened to the prayer, I was filled with so much joy as my son approached this wonderful step in his life. All was quiet, as I heard the small voice of a child- Justin- and my eyes opened instantly to find he had left the pew and had wandered all of the way up to behind the row of Deacons standing over the bread!

If that wasn't horrific enough! The prayer continued as Justin began to tug on the back of Ryan's shirt and yelled "Ryan...Mommy wants you NOW!". Oh, I could have died!

While I'm sure that everyone else got a good laugh, I was mortified. But here it is, 4 years later, and I now can laugh every time I tell the story.

I just love kids. I look forward to the quirky things they do and for these little things in life that make me smile. Today, there were many things that made me happy. I am so grateful that I went to church today and for the children who have to sit quietly for over an hour and listen to things that they don't understand. I know it's a long time for a little one to have to be still. I can barely do it myself! I know that one day, they will appreciate the reverence that their parents teach them and they will understand why it is important. Until then...keep making me smile and know that Heavenly Father loves you, squirmy pants and all!

Magic

2009-06-21T15:57:00.000-07:00

Justin's riding a bike! I don't know what happened- I went to the lake to take the older kids for a big bike ride and BBQ and when I returned, Justin was riding his bike like a pro! But when I left, I had to hold him up and get him to balance on one training wheel (the other wheel was broken off last summer) and he just didn't get it...he couldn't figure out how to ride.

Tyler next door was such a sweetheart. He has an old bike that he wasn't using and he gave it to Justin because it was much easier for him to ride. Now, the two boys have been riding scooters, skateboards and two-wheelers all over the place. They (on occasion) even ask to go across the street and ride on a longer street. They are having a really good time this week and have been playing the Wii together, too. Sometimes, Tyler gets on at his house and Justin plays here and they play together over the WiFi. I love Animal Crossing! It's so fun...but I wish more than one person could play at a time. There are other kids on the street (the ones that Justin sometimes has trouble behaving himself with) but they're gone somewhere and they told me they're moving soon to their grandma's house, so this week it has just been Justin and Tyler. Justin has been wearing his helmet, too...I'm very proud of him.

This week has just been FULL of good times!!!

Wednesday night was when Justin learned how to ride. Thursday, he drove his dad crazy. I think they went for 3 bike rides that day. Justin told him that he was his best friend that day. It really melted my heart. It was so cute. Troy even played Mario Kart with him. I think he is encroaching on my territory, though! That's my turf. He can have the bike rides. I'd hurt myself! hehehe

We had a nice BBQ at the lake. While the kids were off on their ride, Judy W. and Jenny, Amy W., Sarah and I went down to the water to relax for a while before the food started cooking. It was really nice visiting with them. They're great. What you see with them is what you get. You don't have to try to figure them out! I really like that!

Just as the food started cooking, the kids started coming back. Judy and I had left our phones in the cars, so I felt really bad when I found out Bekki had been calling us because the bike she had was flat and she needed a ride. Luckily, Bob Klinock picked her and Sara Bell up on the way back. Apparently, Sara had enough. lol I was really proud of Bella for finishing the ride. It was 10 miles long and she didn't think she could do it, but she did...in one hour!

Thursday, I waited around not doing much. I thought Judy was going to call so we could go and pick some cherries, but I got to stay home that day. I even took a break from gardening, and the girls! Poor Charlotte...they spent all day with her! lol

Ryan was over at Ian's house Thursday and spent the night, so the house was SOOOO quiet that day. It was weird! Usually, the boys are at our house. They like to stay up so stinkin' late...I thought it was good that they were over here, since Bekki and Kelly have to get up early for work and I don't. But, I have to admit, a good night's rest was really nice! You see, when they play games until after 1 in the morning, they're on the other side of the wall from my bedroom. If they whisper, I can hear it. So, I just lay there...listening to them have a good time, with an occasional "HA HA" and it makes me giggle in bed.

The girls left pretty early Thursday morning and went to help Charlotte with some things. They had snow cones, Burger King, went for a bike ride, sat in the jacuzzi and even helped her in the garden. They had a blast!

Friday, they wanted to go back to Charlotte's, but I had to call them home because Bella left her room a disaster and that was not ok. I was actually over at Jana's house when I found that out. Jackson had his 7th birthday party and it was an absolute blast. Justin laughed and played the whole time he was there. There were water games outside and an ice cream cake inside, which Morgan said was about the best cake she ever had! What a compliment!!!

Ryan went to spend the night at Tyler's house on Friday afternoon. Wow, three days in a row that he has done something out of our house! This is a good summer, so far!

Yesterday, I got up early to meet Charlotte and Bekki at the garden to finish watering and to pick some peppers. I had big plans to pickle them, and they turned out great! Except, the only people that will eat them, so far, are me, Sandy Klinock and Halley. Everyone else is just too wimpy! lol

I was on my way to Bekki's when I found out that Ryan was home on Saturday. Later, when I was at Charlotte's (we were making juice with about a million pluots) Ryan asked me where I was but I told him not to tell. I just know that the girls would have "shown up" unannounced! Besides, we got a few good games of Guitar Hero in. Charlotte kicks some major butt. I know that Bekki would kick my butt, too. They use a PS2 and the finger keys are not close together like they are with the 360. My hand hurt after a short time because I haven't played it in forever...but I can only play on medium at best, anyway. That's why I have the "Flair" on my Facebook that says "Darn you, Orange button". lol It gets me every time! Even blue was giving me a hard time yesterday, though. And then, in the midst of my warming up, I got burned with some freakin' hot juice! lol My hand is still red, but it doesn't hurt anymore. The price you pay for a year's supply of Pluot juice! We found that it makes some killer lemonade when you mix it, though!

Last night, I came home and fixed dinner and visited with Jana for a while while we bagged up some lettuce with the Food Saver. I'm really loving my $10 at a yard sale investment. (Now I need to find a PS2. So if anyone has one that they'd like to sell for pretty cheap, let me know!)

I started to watch Hancock with Justin, but I was just too tired. I went to bed at about 10:30.

This morning, I got up early to refresh for my lesson today. I got to teach the Gospel Doctrine class for Tom Smith. I was really nervous, but it went really well, I thought. I was worried that someone would have an "opinion" that was a little far fetched or stretched from the gospel standards and I didn't want to have a debate about what was right or wrong. Luckily, that never happened and the two people that said they were going to give me a hard time *cough*Bekki and Charlotte*cough* never did! ;)

This afternoon is Father's Day. I've planned a good dinner for Troy...his favorite, Chicken Cacciatore. I don't know what to fix for dessert, but I will leave that up to the kids. Afterall, Bishop Gollnick said that without Mothers, there'd be no Fathers, so I say it's Mother's Day today, too! But don't tell Troy I said that. It will be our little secret ;)

This week, I am looking really forward to going to see Transformers. I'm just dying to go to the midnight showing on Tuesday but I promised Tricia and Judy that I'd wait until later when we can all go together. So if anyone else wants to go with us, let me know...it's going to be awesome!

Woo Hoo

2009-06-13T13:04:00.000-07:00

Summer is here!

This last week has been just absolutely a whirl wind! There were last minute assignments to turn in, field trips galore, barbeques and lots of fun to be had by everyone.

To start everything off, Troy has had a special skip in his walk lately...he got a promotion at work. He will be a Senior (not just an acting Senior) on July 15th at his next evaluation. We are so proud of him. I am so glad that things did not work out for the state job. Troy took the state exam a while back when it was open for one day. He scored very well and was suppose to go in for further testing, but we decided that he needs to stay where he is. We are doing just fine and Troy is working in a job that he enjoys.

I have made a few changes in my life, for the better. I have just gotten to a point where enough was enough. I was tired of being in one-sided friendships that were only convenient when someone else wasn't available to hang around with. It hurt me a lot to realize that, but I have felt so "free" ever since I just let it go and stopped letting it bother me! Now, I don't have to listen to gossip. I don't have to listen to crap about other people that is none of my business. Why anyone would want to be a part of that is beyond me. I'm always the last one to know, though. Luckily, I've had some very wise people help me through this. Consider it a "been there, done that" sort of thing. It's always a tough lesson to learn, at any age.

I've been working down at the garden when I can...twice this last week. It rained one day that I wanted to go and on another, I was just too tired. I hope to catch back up this next week!

The girls and I went to Diamond View's graduation. We knew several of the kids and wanted to wish them well. The girls are growing up so fast...so beautiful! The boys are turning into wonderful young men, too. It's really great to witness such wonderful milestones in their lives.

Ryan finished out the school year coming out on top, as usual. He did very well and is looking forward to his AP classes next year. Ryan has been having friends over all week long, camping out in the back yard, playing video games and watching TV in the tent. I know that I wished he would play outdoors more, but this isn't exactly what I had in mind! lol

Halley checked out of school last semester, apparently. All of her grades went down. I am really upset. She is so much smarter than she gives herself credit for. All she has to do is try but she just won't do it. She should get all A's with a few B's, but instead, she gets mostly B's with an occasional C. That's not honor roll material and she knows that...but she says she will work much harder next year. We had a "talk" about grades and how important they are. She admitted that she didn't do as well as she should have. But, she's willing to do whatever it takes and I'm proud of her for that. Halley has been babysitting a lot lately and helped out the last week of school in Justin's class with me. She had a really good time. The little kids just loved her!

Isabell made Honor Roll for the first time ever! What a great accomplishment!!! I am so proud of her for achieving this, despite the turmoil that has been in her life the last couple months- moving to a new town, attending a new church, making new friends, going to a new school, and everything else! I am absolutely disgusted with her school, though. There are so many negative things about it. I wish that I could send her to a better school, and hopefully I can get her in there next year.

Justin got a great report card! He was at the top of his class all year and I really think that his teacher enjoyed having him in her class. At the end of the year testing, Justin scored "early 3rd grade" for his reading level, which makes me so very happy! I know that first grade is very different...we will see how well he does with "real" school next year!

This last week, Justin had play day at school, a bounce house, water party, two movies, two park days, two barbeques, a field trip to a farm, an awards assembly and a pizza party. Whew! I pretty much attended most of it, so I'm exhausted, too!

As a family, we are trying to get back into the swing of regular Family Home Evenings. We were doing them on Thursday, but then we had to change to Monday, and now we have to change again. I'm not sure which day to pick now!

Last week after church, I studied my scriptures from about 3:00-9:00 PM. It made me feel so good to get to the bottom of a question that was really left unanswered in class. I spent a good part of the afternoon texting with a friend about different quotes we had found and things we had read. I can't wait to go to class tomorrow and see if anyone else came to the realization that we did.

This afternoon it is so nice and quiet on my street. I am able to let Justin play outside without any problems! Justin has a rough time sometimes, so I really don't like him playing with other boys outside, especially when they are unsupervised. Ryan's the worst. Justin's always running in crying.

I am so glad! I just found out that there is a boy Justin's age that lives nearby. (Two houses on our street are for sale, and the children that live in them will be moving soon. One of them was suppose to be sold at the beginning of this month, but it fell through, so who knows how much longer they will be there.) Zakary was in Justin's class this year and they are really good friends. Justin can play with him all summer long~ AND, he has a sister that is Bella's friend from class, too! This is going to be very nice. I know their mother, too :) I know that her children are good kids. It's nice when you don't have to worry about those types of things. I really like their mom. She's been a lot of fun to get to know this year on field trips and during class parties. I won't mind if Justin's playing over at their house, too. Their family has a son that is in Ryan's class, as well.

This summer, I need to get Justin's bike fixed. It's really strange how, for the past two or three years, I've told every other child on this street to leave Justin's bike alone...but yet the training wheels keep getting broken off because his bike gets ridden anyway. I know I need to be more tolerant, but it's hard when we can't afford to just go buy a new bike whenever it breaks. I think Justin is probably the only 6 year old around that can't ride a two-wheeler. (I know, I'm exaggerating) I really want him to learn how to ride his bike, though! He has a nice scooter, but I will most likely run it over within the next two weeks. So, if anyone finds a nice scooter at a yard sale, please pick it up for me if it's under $10.00. I'll buy it from you and keep it on hand in case of emergency.

Give Said the Little Stream

2009-05-31T15:40:00.000-07:00

This is my favorite church song and I wanted to share it with you. Whenever I am feeling down, I sing it in my mind and I cheer up right away...usually! It also helps to think of the movie "The Home Teachers" when the bathroom gets flooded and he falls through the floor!

Give said the little stream
Give, oh give
Give, oh give
Give said the little stream
As it hurried down the hill
I'm small I know but wherever I go
The grass grows greener still

Give said the little rain
Give, oh give
Give, oh give
Give said the little rain
As it fell upon the flowers
I'll raise their weary heads again
As it fell upon the flowers

Singing, singing all the day
Give away, oh give away
Singing, singing all the day
Give, oh give away

Give what is in your heart
Give away, Give away
Give what is in your heart
And your heart will ever live

Laugh when you're filled with joy
Laugh away, laugh away
Laugh when you're filled with joy
For laughing's giving too

Snap!
Tap!
Clap!

Give all you've got to give
Give away, give away
Give all you've got to give

Sing when your heart is full
Sing away, sing away
Sing when your heart is full
For singing's giving too

I have some extraordinary friends. I just want to thank them for all that they are. I know that someday, I will be a better person, because of the things that they teach me. Life is one giant lesson to be learned! It comes with some very humbling experiences. I am not very good with those! I like to be able to fix things all by myself and there are some things that are just "bigger" than me.

That's where the humbling experiences come in!

I have always felt that "giving" of myself makes me feel the best. Whether it's my time, service, money if I have it, or other ways. Giving makes me feel so good. It's just me. It's who I am and what I like to be. I feel really bad when I don't live up to my own expectations of myself. I am my own worst judge!

So, I am going to remember to keep giving my all in everything I do!

Today, we had a change in our bishopric. Kelly Fink (we just love him to pieces!) was released from the Bishopric as the 2nd Counselor and called to the High Council. Joe Dodge was called as his replacement. I told Joe that he has some very big shoes to fill... I know that he will surely give his all to his calling and his family will be greatly blessed because of it. Congratulations, Joe!

On a sad note, we will really miss seeing Kelly's smiling face every Sunday as he sits up front. We will also miss hearing his sweet testimony of his wonderful wife and children :) And now when Justin is misbehaving, I won't be able to say "Kelly is watching you" and have him straighten up...lol. It use to work because Justin thought if he was naughty, then Kelly wouldn't let Ian come over to play! HA!

Tonight, we're having crunchy tacos for dinner. I think I have to make about a million taco shells. I never fry them, but tonight, I said I would give them a special treat!

We Are the Champions

2009-05-30T20:00:00.001-07:00

Yesterday,well actually, it started on Thursday-I had gone to lunch with Tricia and Reagan and then we went to browse the annual Assembly of God rummage sale. Well, it was not Thursday! It was Friday! So, on Friday morning, I got up and took the kids to school from Seminary and called Jana to remind her that we were going to hit the Yard Sales! On my way to Jana's, Tricia called to see if we were still on and I ended up riding with her (my windshield was soooo dirty, I couldn't see out very well) and Jana went with Joanna since she had to go to the bank first. We were going to meet up at 9:15...

Well, we would have met up, but we skipped one of the yard sales that Jana stopped for and we never did find each other! But, we all had a great time.

I got 3 cases of canning jars that were unopened, a water bath canner, a jar grabber, a food saver with the canister attachment, lids and bags, cast iron skillets, roasting pan with a lid, one gallon jug and for Justin, I found some vowel flash cards, money flash cards, and sight word flash cards, as well as a rhyming bingo game. He loves Bingo!

I think I did really well. Before we left, I actually told Tricia that I wanted to find some canning supplies. She said the trick is to say it out loud. She was so right! When she gave me the stink eye for finding all the good stuff, she said "I want to find BETTER deals on a food saver, canning jars...etc. We both started to laugh.

Jana got a really cool pressure cooker and quite a bit of jars. I think we did AWESOME! The things I got totalled over $200 worth alone and I paid under $60.

I was so thirsty when I was done, though. I went through BK and got some lunch, but when I got home, Sassy was giving me her puppy dog stare and I felt guilty...so I put it up and was going to wait until she went in the other room. About a half an hour later, I had forgotten about it, and then Tyler came out of Ryan's room...I didn't even know he was here! LOL! So I gave him my lunch. I'm so nice! But, I drank every last drop of my soda ;)

Later that afternoon, Ian came over, and then Nathan. Some boys went to the LAN party at school, others stayed to play video games. The girls got into trouble for bickering. I don't know how my mom put up with Darcie and me as long as she did. I finally just sent them to their room and didn't let them come out all night. Which was nice, because it was really quiet! Both girls fell asleep by 10 PM.

Reagan came to my rescue when I was late picking Justin up from the after school program. I have never been late!!! EVER! I think I was talking to Emily when my 5:30 alarm went off, so I just totally spaced it. I was almost there when she called to say that she was at my house with Justin. I'm so glad I put her name on the Emergency Card! I don't know why they didn't call my cell phone, though. Wierd!

Bekki came over for a while last night. I really enjoyed visiting with her. We're singing tomorrow with the YW in church. It will be a lot of fun!

Today, we got up and went down to the garden for a while. I was really happy to go down there and I thought we'd get some work done and impress Walt, but the stinker was already down there! I was going for a surprise attack on those weeds, but I tell ya, I think he lives down there!

Jana and I put down plastic underneath the sprinkler pipe and we did some weeding with the hoes. Tricia, Judy, Bella and Hay all did weeding and the garden looks so nice. Jack and Justin went to town on the dirt hill down there. We need to take some cars and trucks for them. They had a blast riding their scooters with Mo, too!

After gardening, we had some lunch and I had to get ready for the movies. Tricia and I went to see Star Trek. I didn't know what to expect, but it was great! Halley and her friend went to see Terminator. Bella went to see Angels and Demons. I went in to see that movie, too, when Star Trek was over, but I couldn't find Bekki and Charlotte! The theater was way too dark. I thought it was going to be a scary movie, but it wasn't. It was about a secret group of people trying to murder the cardinals from the Catholic church.

Tonight was Nathan Duerksen's birthday party. It was a surprise and I can't wait to hear all about it. I dropped the boys off over there and they are going to play paint ball.

I got some very disturbing news today about one of my dearest friends. I really worry about her and hope that her family is doing well under their difficult circumstances. Never take your spouse for granted!

Right now, Halley and Justin are outside playing with neighborhood kids and Bella is feeding her dog. Troy's watching COPS. Yay. I thought it was a good time to catch up on my life :)

I can't wait to see Terminator! I saw Monica and Joe today as they were leaving. They said it was really good...and I should know that!

I'll be back!

Live Your Life

2009-05-27T00:17:00.000-07:00

Today was Jana's birthday! YAY!!! We celebrated by going out to lunch and catching up...not that we haven't gotten to talk a lot lately~ we've been gardening our pea-plantin' hearts out! But I really enjoy my "Jana time" and so today was a lot of fun. Katie came along, too, and I just love that little girl! It was so cute hearing her ask for things and saying "please" and "thank you". She's so polite!

We talked about life. We both decided that hey...our lives aren't so bad! So we're going to have fun living them ;) I did have to share some bad news with her, though. I don't think that it's working out with Isabell's dog, and I just don't know how to be the bad guy here. She's just not giving it the attention it deserves and so I really think that it needs a new home, but I don't want to break her heart. I'm going to have to pray about this one some more!

After lunch, I went over to Walt and Helen's to drop off some carrot seeds that Jana had gotten on line. We visited for just a while before I had to go to the bank to work on some EFT problems. Luckily, they are awesome and know what has been going on. It's been tough because I had to cancel my cards due to some fraud, but I alerted them at the beginning of April and it's still happening. The lady at the bank was a little upset that nobody had cancelled my card in the first place. I didn't even think about that until 2 weeks ago. It is going to take another 10 days or so, but it's several hundred dollars in charges that have to be investigated. Hooray for Reg E!

When I finally came home, it was after 3:30. Reagan brought the kids over, Ian was here, I had to go to the store...I just didn't feel like fixing a big dinner so I got frozen pizza, as the boys had requested. Those silly boys didn't even come to watch the movie-they just played video games the whole night! Brawl! You'd think they'd get tired of that dumb game! lol

I bought some great movies and I watched them with the girls tonight. The Skulls is really good. It's one of Jeff's favorites! (Troy's brother) I'm going to watch part III tomorrow. Well, maybe not. We're having Young Women's at 6:30. It's going to be fun! I can't wait, as usual.

My sunburn is killing me. The back of my neck is just fried. I am having a hard time finding comfortable tops to wear.

Justin has a game Wednesday at 5:00. I don't know who it's against...but it should be a good one. He's doing so well this year in little league. He's hitting the ball like a champ. You can see how he tries to imitate the things that Ian does. He swirls his bat when it's over his shoulder. If he starts snapping his fingers, I'm going to crack up!

I think tomorrow is going to be a great day. I am going to be spending it with some great people! Woo hoo!

Hip Hop Hooray

2009-05-21T12:48:00.000-07:00

I, for one, am really glad that Kris Allen won on American Idol last night. I really believe that if I had to listen to Adam Lambert scream one more time, I was going to throw up, flu or no flu. He is a freak. From his blue emo haircut, to his black eye-liner, chains in his pockets, all the way down to his platform knee high boots. There are even rumors that he is gay which is neither here nor there. I can see a scandal brewing with this one already.

People! What are you voting for him for??? Is this the kind of person you support? Do you really like to enable and encourage people to live these lives and be role models for our children?

A friend made a good point when she said that all of our "icons" stood out...but let's take a look a some of these rock and roll legends:

Elvis Presley; died of a drug overdose.

Madonna; Truth or Dare? A Rod Scandel...

Prince; performs with his butt cut out of his pants, and the lyrics to most of his songs we could never play at church dances.

Michael Jackson; Black or White? Gay or straight? Pedophile or not? Let's not forget blanket!

Kiss? Gene Simmons has openly slept with over 4600 women and I've heard him joke with his son, Nick, about the nude poloroids of them in his basement- in the home that he lives in with his "I don't believe in marriage" nonwife and their two children.

Elton John, Mick Jagger, the list goes on and on. Even Jessica Simpson started out singing Christian Music and look at her now.

I'm not saying I don't like their music for the most part. I grew up listening to almost all of it.

BUT!

For Heaven's sake. There has got to be someone out there who is a famous singer/icon that didn't have a horrible reputation. It's no wonder our children are growing up in the world they do! It is a good day when you turn on the top 20 and the song doesn't talk about "from the top of the (stripper)pole, watch her go down" or "take me on the floor". These are songs that my children want to sing along with in the car. The music is good. Why do the words have to be so ugly?

About a month ago, Isabell got her phone taken away because it rang during sacrament. Can you even believe that the DAY BEFORE this happened, I got after her because her ring tone was "Smack That"? Highly inappropriate for a 12 year old girl to have on her cell phone. Anyone, for that matter! I read her the lyrics and everything. She was quite embarrassed. Luckily, she had changed it, but could you imagine hearing that song go off during the sacrament prayer? I would have died!

Now I'm not bagging on Tricia's comments. I completely understand where she is coming from. An icon should stand out. They do stand out...it just got me thinking about what I want for my children in an Idol or icon.

To me, an idol is someone that they look up to. Someone that they admire. Someone that they think is really cool. Luckily, when I think of who my children admire the most, Kelly Clarkson (America's first Idol) and Rob Thomas (from Matchbox 20) come to mind.

We've seen Kelly in concert two or three times, I think. She puts on a really good show. She even sings barefoot! She's really down-to-Earth. She doesn't come on stage looking like a hooker (ADD moment...Jana, remember the squirt guns? lol) She doesn't swear like a trucker or smoke or drink on stage. Behind the scenes, it could be different. I don't know.

And Rob Thomas just seems like a "nice" guy. I don't know of any Matchbox 20 songs that are inappropriate. But, that doesn't mean there aren't any.

KISS, I've seen. Totally different environment. So disgusting, in fact, that I swore after my last concert (Metallica and Godsmack) that I would NEVER go to another rock concert like that again.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that WE have the power to choose our idols. America voted. Time and time again-America votes for a pretty decent act. We voted for Carrie Underwood who now performs in immodest clothes, but didn't do that on American Idol. What a disappointment (especially when she butchers Home Sweet Home!!!). Maybe America wants a change. Maybe America is ready for a change. Maybe the music industry isn't giving us what we want!

What A Wonderful World

2009-05-17T19:00:00.001-07:00

Today was just amazing! We got up for church and left early, arriving at about 9:00 AM when church started at 10:00 AM. Why so early, you ask? Well, today was Stake Conference and it was going to be a big one! Elder W. Craig Zwick, of the Quorum of the Seventy was going to come to our little neck of the woods. We also were going to have President and Sister Moyle from the Reno Temple come and speak. It was especially sentimental for me because President Moyle is such a sweet man and I have had the opportunity to visit with him on a few occasions at the temple.

I can reflect on that day and the memories that come back are so special to me. I will forever hold a place in my heart to all the friends who helped us prepare for that big day and for those who actually participated in our ceremony. Some even came to wish us the best as we left the front doors and walked outside onto the temple steps.

I was really wondering what the purpose of our special guest was going to be today. Was it going to be some new council? Well, it wasn't anything new...but we were reminded that we are in a tough economy and that we had been encouraged to be prepared for quite some time. I was very impressed with the words that Elder Zwick spoke about his wonderful wife and son, Scott.

One of Elder Zwick's daughters is married to Henry B. Eyering (First Counselor in the First Presidency)'s son, but he never spoke of her.

We cleaned up the back yard yesterday. It was so much work! The girls did a wonderful job. I am really impressed with their dedication. Ryan wouldn't really help too much, but what's new. Ian wanted to set up the pool and it took forever to fill! Today was so hot, I let the kids jump in to cool off, but didn't let them "swim"! lol (long story). We are very concerned about people coming into our yard without permission. We are going to have to get a lock on the gate very soon, just to be safe.

Tonight, I'm fixing a quick dinner. The boys requested lasagna. They would not settle for anything less. Darn.

The swamp cooler is going. The house smells really good...and laughter fills the silence every time I think it's safe to take a nap.

It's going to be a hot summer this year. But it's going to be great, I can tell!

Summertime

2009-05-13T23:29:00.000-07:00

It's hot, then it's cold. It's sunny, then it's cloudy. Mother Nature...ya wanna make up your mind any time soon?

Today, I was really enjoying the peaceful outdoors. Jana, Katie, Sassy and I spent a couple hours down at the garden while we watered potatoes. Well, dirt with potatoes buried somewhere in there. The weather was just right for like a second, and then I started to get a bit cold. But, you'd never know, because I didn't complain! I was a good girl.

And that brings me to my current thought: I can't wait until this summer. We are going to have such a great time. I can't wait to get the backyard cleaned up this weekend so that we can put up the pool in a couple weeks. It's going to take some time to warm up...it's a big one! The Finks are just awesome for letting us put it up at our house. Their reasoning was that Ian will be over here, anyway. We love having Ian over. Our kids just adore him.

This summer, I want to be able to hang out in the yard ALL day if I want to. After the housework is done, of course. Luckily, that takes like 20 minutes. I am so proud of the kids for doing their chores. When everyone helps, it gets done so fast. Everyone is so much happier, too. The kids really deserve to have a great summer. They've been working so hard at school. I couldn't be a happier mom.

Halley and Justin have already been talking about having the neighbors, Tyler and Kelsey, over to swim. Last year, they played in their pool, but it was a small one and got pretty crowded. These are the kids that play catch with Halley through her bedroom window when she gets grounded to her room. lol They are so cute!

This year, for the 4th of July (July is my favorite month of the year), I've already decided that I'm going to have a big celebration at the end of the street in the cul-de-sac. My birthday is the 4th and my mom's birthday is the 8th and I'm not sure what her plans are, but hopefully we'll be able to do something fun together.

I believe I leave for Girl's Camp on the 9th. Halley goes on the 6th for her 4th year overnight hike! That week is going to be so fun...I am in charge of crafts. I do have to recruit some tent moms for help while I'm there. I've got some really fun things in mind. I'm going to be making them over the next week or two so I can get final approval soon.

Halley's birthday is July 28th and Bekki's is the 29th. We've got to do something wild and crazy for those days, for sure! Halley always wants a party. I'm game!

I'm looking forward to barbeques in the backyard! We've got a great yard once it's been cleaned up after the winter! It will be really nice to have friends over. I haven't gotten to do that for about 3 years because of the family room.

Driving to the lake last year was fun, but it gets so windy. I am really going to like having water here so I don't have to drive. The only driving I want to do is to a campsite! Besides, I really like to go to the lake with Jana and Reagan. Now, we can all just hang out poolside!

Halley told me that she is going to (hopefully) get to go to Six Flags with Emily again. She is so excited! I told her not to hold her breath...her smart mouth gets her into trouble. She didn't think I was funny.

So before I know it, summer will be here and I will be enjoying the warm weather and cool water. I wish I could wiggle my nose and have July here tomorrow! I wish I could wiggle my nose and have a chicken coop built, too. But, that will come soon, hopefully!

Then in August, Troy's birthday is on the 2nd. Nothing major really happening (off the top of my head) for the rest of the month. We better do something fun for his birthday or he just might have a fit. We don't want that! He still complains about his 40th birthday because we were at Girls Camp and didn't even call. Hello! No reception!!!

Geez...I'm getting ahead of myself. This month is Jana's birthday on the 26th, and my brother's birthday on the 29th! Let's have fun and enjoy these special days first!

How Much Is That Doggie in the Window

2009-05-12T14:23:00.000-07:00

I was talking with my "bff" Jana today...and I think that I am going to have to start paying her for her psychological services! lol

Seriously.

Jana asked me how things are going with Bella's dog and I just about lost it. I am ashamed to say this out loud. I don't like her dog. Maybe if the circumstances had been different, I would. They aren't and I am trying very hard to be patient and not make irrational decisions based on my own personal feelings. That would not be "fair" and I am only one in my household of 6.

These are the things I do not like about her dog, Poca:
It stinks
It is dirty
It is sneaky
It poops on the floor
It barks all night
It whines all day
It is just not Sassy...our cute, precious, house-trained, baby girl, pug

These are the things I love about her dog:
It loves Bella unconditionally
It gives her affection whenever she wants or needs it
It is cute, in her own "one ear up and one ear down" sort of way
It is so tiny
Bella loves it so much

These are the things that are not the dog's fault:
I was not wanting another dog (like that)in my house. I would have taken another "Sassy" any day!
When I found out about the dog, it was too late. There was nothing I could do to change it.
I was not ready for that kind of dog. I didn't want it.
The dog is just a puppy
It did not ask to be born
It did not ask to be brought here
It lives in a small carrier and has no room to do move
It can not eat or drink unless it is fed
It can not take a bath on it's own
It can not talk
It can not speak for itself
It is defenseless

So, I feel pretty bad about the way I feel towards this innocent puppy. All it wants is to be loved. It deserves to be taken care of and loved just like the other dog in our home. It is part of our family.

What can I do to make this situation better? I can be a better person! I can help Bella learn how to take better care of her dog. I can teach her to bathe it and not be so dirty and stinky. I can love and appreciate the warmth that it brings to our home. If Poca makes a mess, Bella will have to clean it up, and that's just how it's going to be.

I can stop calling it an "it". She is a perfectly healthy dog and she has her shots and will hopefully grow to a hopefully not so "ripe" old age. Bella can learn to be the best dog owner ever.

But it has to start with me. I am the one that will set the tone in our home. I am the one that makes the decisions and can make this a good experience or a bad one. It all starts with me.

Where do I go from here? I think a good place to start is at the pet Dr.'s office, so we, together, can become educated.

Mother

2009-05-10T10:04:00.000-07:00

Today is Mother's Day, so I wish my mother a wonderful day!!! I'm getting ready for church right now, and you're on my mind, Mom! I love you!

Yesterday we went to the temple and did some clean up around the temple grounds. I was really impressed with my children and how they did not complain...not even once! They did the job very well and made me so proud of them. The Wolfe's went, too, and boy are they great. I just think their family is awesome!

Baptisms were especially special :) We baptized a lot of our family members, including Grandma Gerry. Lance is a baptizing maniac! He must have done over 100 dunks...lol. I was really hoping to feel Grandma's presence there, like I did when we baptized Grandpa Paul, but I didn't. I think I was trying too hard. I was a bit depressed...but I know that she had a chance to accept the gospel and that makes me happy.

Lunch was wonderful, as usual. We went to King Buffet with the Ives, Wolfe's, Gilmore's, Lively's and Wilson's. Ashley got a text during lunch that sparked a pretty funny conversation and I'm still chuckling about it inside.

On the way home, we listened to the Disney Channel and it was just a really pleasant trip. We brought Krista home, too.

The girls had to babysit last night, so I had a real treat...sleepover with just boys! At one point, I decided I would go hang out with them before I went to bed, but as I sat on the blue couch, I smelled something really bad. When I said "What is that smell", Ian said "oh, safety", and that was it. I had to leave. Those boys are still going at it this morning!!! The back half of the house is just BAD!

I fixed breakfast for the kids but I am still full from yesterday so I just had some vitamins and Diet Coke with Lime. What a breakfast! I tell ya...it was great ;)

I hope that everyone has a wonderful day. The kids have all wished me a Happy Mother's Day and I have a pretty balloon with yellow roses and flowers, chocolate and a great card. I couldn't be a happier mom :) Especially since it's Charlotte's turn to teach...hehehe

Stuck On You

2009-04-26T20:35:00.000-07:00

Last night was so funny! I decided to check Facebook as the day was winding down, and to my wandering eyes should appear? Looks like Charlotte pulled a prank on some poor, unknowing soul and posted a picture that showed white chalk written all over someone's windows! Hahaha! So funny...

Until I looked a bit closer and realized "Hey...that looks like MY car!".

It was! This is what she and Bekki did to my poor Yukon...

When I saw that, I just about died laughing. I was in the shower while they violated my ride! Of course, my next thought was "How can I get them back?", and "Who can I recruit for some extra hands?".

Luckily, Ryan and good ole Ian were more than willing to go out on a prank run!

First, we had to investigate our options. It was 9:50 PM. We could not go to Wal Mart and buy anything. It was too late. So, all I had around the house was a bajillion things of toothpaste, shampoo and conditioner. Sad thing is-I'm not sure what it would do to the paint on the car, so that was out :)

But oh, wait a second! I think I have a bunch of Post-it's. Yeah, Post-it's! So, into the car we go...off to Charlotte's house. She goes to bed early. What the heck. By now, it's 11:20 PM.

There's Sandy's car. Tonya's car. Bob's truck. Where's Char's car? Apparently, Shane had driven it to work! So she got off easy. This time.

Over to Bekki's house. She goes to bed a little later, but still doesn't stay up as late as me. Ian confirmed she's in bed by 11:30. So out we go!

Post-it's...all over her car! About 3/4 of the way done, I hear a front door open and "You're so busted". Dang it!!! She caught us.

Lucky for us,though...Bekki was in her jammies and didn't scare us away, so we finished sticking them on her car and laughed all the way home.

Until today when she said she's got to avenge her car...

Oh no.

Anyone know any good pranks? I'm going to need an arsenal, I think! lol

Show Me Love

2009-04-22T14:30:00.000-07:00

I really don't want to be a negative Nelly. My life is surrounded by both good and bad, and sometimes, it's really hard to find the wonderful things. They are there...in living color. I think that being cranky is just easier than being happy sometimes.

What I've come to realize is that whenever I see, hear, read things that people say-whenever they are negative, I automatically think "wow, I'm glad that I'm not like that"-but am I? I mean, really, am I? Everyone gripes. Everyone complains. It's a problem if that's ALL that you do, though.

For example...the other day, I was sitting by two people. One of them was going on and on and on-and on- about her daughter and all of the things that she does, all the money she spends on her, and how "good" she is. Seriously. For at least an hour. I wasn't even part of the conversation. I just overheard the majority of it. I shook my head (to myself, of course) at the part where she said that her daughter dressed inappropriately, but it was ok, because she was a "good girl". She also felt that her daughter should have gotten an award that was recently given to someone else. This same person actually tried to justify being mean to someone long ago because her clothes were different.

It really made me think. I do not want to be like that. I do not want to be that kind of person. I really hope that I'm not. Am I?

While I love my children dearly, I know they are faulted. Just yesterday, I voluntarily drove Ryan and Halley down to a juvenile probation counselor (that Troy works with) to discuss with them what will happen if they continue to discipline their little brother. It is not ok. Now they know that it is not just "my rule". It is the law.

Every parent wants to be a good one, don't they? I think there has to be a balance between being a friend and being a parent, though. I hope that I NEVER allow my children to dress immodestly, talk inappropriately, or let them act out just because "they're good kids". That, to me, is just not right.

Because my kids are good (for the most part...lol), I hold them to higher standards. It's tough, but sometimes, it's just as tough on me. I don't like seeing my daughter cry because I won't let her have a boyfriend before she's 16. That's just heart-breaking. I did it. I had boyfriends...so why can't she?

I'll tell you why-because it's what's right.

Recently, I've been struggling with quite a few topics; make-up, boys, language, curfew, dances...all very common issues in teenage households, I'm sure. I've had to be a very "mean" mom at times and my kids are very unhappy with me. But, that's life.

Then, on Wednesday night, Bekki Lee and Christina Anderson came in to talk to our Young Women about "Peer Pressure". They discussed things that were hard for them from ages 12-21. Boy, I tell you...they started with make-up and ended with kissing. It was JUST what my girls needed to hear!!! And best yet-it didn't come from ME!!! It came from two girls that had "been there, done that" and they are cool, so the girls listened to them. The girls hung on every word as the Lee Sisters even read and quoted from the book "For the Strength of Youth".

It is my hope and prayer that the girls will remember and heed the advice that they were given that day. I know that if they do, they will have such a fulfilling life. I am so happy that the girls have role models that set good examples. I am so thankful that I have the friends and family that I do, that will help to look out for my children and protect them from some of the ugly things in this world.

Fight For Your Right

2009-04-22T00:05:00.000-07:00

So I'm feeling a little frustrated. Can you tell? I made up a song. You sing it to the tune of the Beastie Boys "Fight for Your Right (To Party).

Earn the Right (to keep a dog)

You ask your Aunt Denise for a dog- and hope she won't say "No"
You say she's housebroken- But you really know
It craps on the floor- and pees on it too
But if you don't say anything, then she won't know the truth

You gotta earn the right to keep a dog

We saw the dog eat it's poop, and we said "NO WAY"
That little (beep) - craps three times a day!
Currently the dog lives inside a crate
Now your Aunt made a contract that you must sign and date (Follow it!)

(repeat chorus)

Don't watch TV or play games until your homework's done
And remember to take the dog out so it can get some sun
It barks all night 'cause it's outside and scared
Since it can't come in the house, do you even care?

You've gotta earn the right to keep a dog!

May 10th...let the countdown begin.

Circus

2009-04-17T11:39:00.001-07:00

I took this quiz on Facebook that is suppose to tell you the theme song for your life. Mine came out "Circus" by Britney Spears. It said how I like to be the center of attention. Well, I don't think I do. I do like to be laughing and having a good time when I'm at a party or something, but I don't take compliments well and I certainly don't like to feel like "all eyes are on me". That makes me super uncomfortable. I guess that's why I don't like gossip...if I hear it, I wonder what's being said about me, too.

Tonight was our recipe swap. I invited people into our home and we exchanged salad recipes. I made egg salad, and I know that my father-in-law would have loved to be here for that. My recipe is pretty much the same as my deviled egg recipe, but I add celery to the salad. I think my eggs turned out better than I've ever made them before, which is good, because I actually had to make a recipe out of it! I really like my deviled eggs. Normally, I just throw things in, but sometimes, they just don't come out like I want. Last night, I made 24 and when I went to get a second one, they were all gone! I have a feeling that Ryan snuck into the kitchen.

Jaquelle's mother-in-law, Gwen, made this REALLY good grape salad. Come to think of it, I still have some in the kitchen! I think I might have to get into that pretty soon...Tricia's potato salad was wonderful. I've heard many compliments from Reagan about it but I hadn't ever tried it before. It's great and simple! I will be making that for sure! Emily brought a variation of Reagan's pasta salad, which we all LOVE over here. She put olives, salami and cheese in it. It was really good.

After the recipe swap, Halley had a Sierra and Kimmy stay over night. The girls had a great time! Bella loves Halley's friends. They played together really well. I'm glad! Ian stayed and hung out with Justin and Ryan. Boy did the kids stay up late! I went to bed at 12:30 and kept my bedroom door open and they were so loud. All of a sudden, it was quiet. Either they fell asleep or I did...one or the other!

This morning, I took a quick shower so I could fix breakfast before it was time to take kids home. Today is Char's birthday party, so Halley is all fixed up as a super hero. Jennifer is going to have a blast with these kids at her house! They're really excited. Off we go to go find a present at Wal Mart!

In the Mood

2009-04-13T21:52:00.000-07:00

Well, are you surprised? I'm blogging! Can you guess why? I fixed my blog! What an inspiration it is to have a page that you enjoy looking at. I created it myself and I am so happy that it's finally "up". It didn't take long for me to make at all. I could really get into digital scrapping if I wanted ;)

The long part was trying to figure out how to put it up on blogger, since they only have generic templates. I've been working on this for two and a half, almost three, hours!

So I think that I am quite behind in my blog posts! Lots has happened since the last time I posted, which was waaaay back when.

This is what I have been up to; rented a sander and polyurethaned the hardwood floors, bought new drapes/scarves for the living room, painted the living room, hallway, dining room, family room, cut and hung baseboard (still have crown moulding and quarter round to finish), hung up a new front door, got the family room ceiling fixed, got the kitchen lights fixed, built a wall in between the kitchen and dining room, broke the kitchen table leg off, bought new living room couch, sofa, coffee and end table, switched to satellite TV, moved bunk beds into the girls room, moved an entertainment center into Ryan's room and moved the buffet cabinet into the family room along with the leather couch and lazyboy couch.

I'm sure there's more that I forgot, but it's all blurring together.

We had another review from Glenn County to make sure our house was still good enough to have foster children in. We forgot to hang up the smoke detectors after we painted, so we have to get those back up. We need to have them rechecked within 30 days, and the social worker will be here next week, so we're all good. Except, the smoke detector in the hallway goes off mysteriously. Today, Bella and Hay were making sandwiches and off it went. How wierd!

We now have Isabell (Bella) living in our home full-time. She started school at Meadow View last week, and she is in the same class as Joe Hill and Ricky Petersen. She really likes being friends with Ricky. She says he is really nice to her and on the first day of school, he really made her feel welcomed. I could just give him a big hug. If he only knew how hard this change was for her...

If things do not change, then our next court date in September will be a final adoption hearing. I've been communicating with Darcie about all the details I can, so that she is still a part of her life and gets to make decisions as a parent. I think that she is making really good choices when we talk about them together. I'm proud of her. She's trying really hard to be a good parent-I can tell! Bella is doing really well, but I do not think that she expected her mother to tell her "no" about things that she wants to be doing. I felt like I turned into my own mother when I told Bella "when you have your own children, you can make these decisions, but since you're 12 years old, you can't".

Boy did my mother laugh when I told her that one!

Easter was really fun. We had baskets ready for the kids that morning and then we went to church. The Easter Bunny hid eggs while we were in Sunday School, so the kids had a good hunt and found all 36 eggs when they got home. We had ham, mashed potatoes, fruit salad, pasta salad and deviled eggs for dinner. After that, we watched a nice church movie together. Bekki and Ian came over for just a bit, and then we wanted to watch another movie, Johnny Lingo. It was a great lazy day! We were too full for cupcakes, so we are eating those today!

Today, we went letterboxing. It's really fun! Jana introduced us to this sport last year and we have been waiting for good weather so we could pick it up again. We found two boxes today, all within a couple minutes drive from our house. Troy even went, despite his complaining, and had a great time. I think he's hooked. He just sent me a text from his parents house. He's showing them the website! lol

If you don't know what letterboxing is, go to letterboxing.org and check it out. It's a great time to get outdoors and spend the day with your family. Pack a lunch and have a great time!

Now that I like looking at my blog again, I will be posting more frequently. I've missed reading what is going on in everyone elses lives, too!

Drive

2009-02-17T10:28:00.000-08:00

I had been toying with the idea of going to Reno on Monday, but I just couldn't get motivated. You know how it is...kids up until after 3:00 AM, keeping you awake, too. So, at about 11:00 in the morning, I decided that I really did need to go. There were a lot of things on my list that I had to get out of the way, and I wasn't going to accomplish them if I stayed home all day, doing nothing. I had this little voice in the back of my mind saying "you need to go...you need to go".

I took a shower, told Halley she had 10 minutes, and we were off. I sort of procrastinated even leaving town. I stopped at the store, went to get some gas (knowing it would be cheaper in Reno, I only got 3 gallons), and went through the oil change place, got my car vacuumed and looking clean again.

Next thing we knew, it was almost 1:00 and we were heading to Reno where a snow storm was brewing. Um, what were we thinking?

Our first stop was the Home Depot on McCarran. We picked out carpet and paint schemes for our "new" house. We are going to have someone call for an appointment soon...they have to come to Susanville to measure, they wouldn't just take our word for it.

After that, we drove all the way to the Summit. I love that place! We went to Ambercrombie, the Gap, Bebe, Lane Bryant, Dillard's (which is my favorite store), Aero, Chico's, and the Buckle. Halley found a few things here and there and I had the best time shopping with her! She tried on Prom dresses and had lots of fun with those. I'll have to post a picture! I got a few things for myself, too.

My boots! Before Christmas, I saw some boots that I wanted really bad, but I didn't get them...and I found them. Just one pair, in my size, all by itself. They were so lonely. I had to rescue them!

Halley wanted to go to Kohl's, too, so we drove on over there. While we were in the parking lot, I got a call from Ellen, who was on her way back from Sacramento, and I told her that I'd wait for her and she could ride home with us home. We ended up driving to Truckee to meet her (long story...ask her about it ;) and I'm glad that we were able to spend some time with her.

Before we picked up Ellen, though, we still had some major things to check off the list! We found some things at Kohl's that we couldn't live without...and then we had to go to Costco. Costco was not busy at all, so we actually made it through there really fast. I didn't even bother with a cart. I got a flat. I knew this trip meant business.

After Costco, we filled up and headed to pick up Ellen. It really didn't take us long to get to Truckee. There were chain checks at a couple places, but I didn't have to stop.

It was so great seeing Katie. She came to me, grabbed on, and didn't let go. She hugged me for what seemed like a half an hour and when Ellen walked by, she said she saw Katie's face and she was just beaming. That makes me feel soooo good. I love that little girl!

The ride home was really fun. We talked about everything and got to catch up on things that we hadn't talked about in quite a while. I miss not getting to see Ellen on her lunch breaks anymore!

When we dropped them off at their house, it was about 11:30. The door was locked and so she had to knock for Kimmy and Christopher to open up! Of course, Christopher answered the door in his underwear. Poor Halley. She might have just a liiiiiittle crush on him and seeing him in his underwear really embarassed him! He quickly ran and put some clothes on, which I thought was pretty funny! When I went to the car to leave, Katie started crying for me, so I had to go back and give her loves :) She was all better then. I wonder if Jana is going to hear all about me today? lol

It was getting close to midnight when I got home, so I left the groceries in the car. It was 32 degrees...nothing was going to spoil! Troy and the kids brought everything in this morning and I have only put away the refrigerated things. I have to make room for everything else.

I really enjoyed my day with Halley. I forgot to mention that she got her hair cut, too. She's growing up to be such a lovely young woman.

Love Is Spoken Here

2009-02-14T21:08:00.000-08:00

Yay! Today is Valentine's Day! Troy and I were engaged 17 years ago, today! I still remember it just like it was yesterday.

I was sitting on the foot of his bed and he handed me a small box. I opened it up and there was nothing inside. I was thinking "what in the heck is this for", and then I turned to look at him and he was kneeling on one knee, with the ring in his hand. He's such a nut! I just started crying. I'm such a girl!

Today was awesome! I slept in for a lonnnnng time! Troy had already gotten up and taken a shower, so I had the bathroom all to myself, too. Before too long, I started hearing NASCAR on the television, and so I decided that I had things to do today, and off Justin and I went.

I treated him to McDonald's, since that's where he wanted to go. He loves "Nick Donald's" and he ate all of his chicken nuggets, like a good little boy!

Next, we went to Robbin's House of Furniture to price carpet, a new living room set and other things. I must not have been in a good mood, because I didn't find one couch that I liked. Justin, on the other hand, had to sit in every chair and "try it out". He was so flippin' cute!

I made an appointment to get the house measured for carpet, and they will come sometime Monday afternoon. That stinks. I forgot I wanted to go to Reno! LOL Oh well.

Next, Justin and I went to Sears. Oh do I want new appliances! The dishwasher that is in the kitchen is seriously like a 1980's model. The rest are all new from when we bought the house six years ago, but I'm ready for upgrades after seeing what is out now! They had a professional stainless steel double oven/stove combo that I want soooooo badly. Maybe someday. For now, I have to wait.

Sears gave me the information I needed for our washer/dryer warranty, so I better get on that right away.

Then, we went to the furniture "rental" place to see what they had, since I didn't find anything I liked at Robbin's. That place was even worse. We decided to go to Wal Mart and get some Valentine's Day gifts...so that's what we did.

I thought I needed to get the kids something for dinner, since Troy and I were going out...so we went to Safeway and I found a few things that sounded really good and decided that I didn't want to go out to dinner, afterall. I wanted to stay home and cook for my family and play games with them tonight.

We're really having fun watching things on the new TV. Megan and Chris were over for a while and Halley did Megan's make-up and I did her hair for the dance that they were going to at the college. She looked great. Chris is such a sweet guy. He brought her a rose, stuffed Frog and a monster card that Fred wanted to "borrow" to take home to Reagan...we all laughed.

Troy went to the movies with some guys tonight and I hope he is having a wonderful time. He just doesn't realize how important it is to have that time with friends once in a while. I practically had to force him to go! I hope that this is the start of something new. I know he is in excellent company.

Tomorrow, I get to teach the girls a lesson in Young Women's. I'm sure I will tell you what a great time I had at church and what a wonderful group of girls we have in Young Women's and how much I love my calling. I look forward to Sunday's every week! If there's one day a week that is energizing, soothing, relaxing and invigorating all wrapped up in one, it's Sunday!

When It's Love

2009-02-13T22:52:00.001-08:00

Today was "hit and miss", as one of my bff's would say...lol

It started off great, and then I felt bad because I blabbed about something I got, when the person I told, didn't get theirs yet. Strike One.

I wanted to buy a new pair of shoes, but the shoe store here in town carries about 3 brands of shoes and I just didn't like any of them. I think I'm too young for Clark's, too old for DC's and too "I'm not trying to impress anyone" for Uggs. Strike 2.

I wanted to go find paint chips for narrowing down our choices. I want color. Troy wants white. Needless to say, a disagreement ensued, and two trips to Wal Mart later, I was in tears. Strike 3.

I thought that Valentine's Day was going to be ruined, but things quickly turned around because, I think, Troy wanted Tri-tip for dinner. Eh, that's ok. I get color on my walls :)

We went to dinner at the ward Valentine's Party and it was really good! The food was excellent, as usual. We had Tri-tip, baked potatoes, and salads. I think there was chocolate cake, but I was just too full to eat any.

We got to visit with the Duerksen's and the Autenriebs, but before I knew it, Reagan was shaking her groove thing out on the dance floor and left me alone with the guys. That's ok. I really enjoyed talking with Fred and Troy about scary movies. I think that we might just go see one tomorrow night! Troy and I also got to visit with Kim Jensen, who is just the sweetest person. I haven't gotten a real chance to get to know her very well just yet, but we did find out that Ben and Kim are NASCAR fans! I think that we just may have to get together one of these days (even though they are Jimmy Johnson fans) and talk shop. Another reason to hurry up and get my house finished!

After dinner, we went to watch "Taken" at the theatre. I've already seen it, but it was good enough to see again. Fred and Troy both liked it. There is a lot of action in that movie and it was right up Troy's alley. Jennifer P. even came with us! Reagan must have twisted her arm really good ;) We're going to have a "girls movie night" at her house one of these days. It sounds like a lot of fun...I can't wait! Her house is so cozy!

I forgot to make reservations for dinner tomorrow night. Yikes! I hope that we can find something in the morning...

It's snowing right now. Lots. I hope that when I wake up, there is plenty on the ground. I really don't feel like working on Valentine's Day! Besides, we could use a little more snow pack, so long as it melts off the streets before too long ;)

Halley babysat for the Faiferlick's tonight. I told her that she would absolutely love Melanie's girls...they are so cute! After she was done sitting, she asked if she could spend the night with Megan. I better make sure those kids are safe- oh, how funny! They just walked through the door!

Well, after a nice visit with the kids, they've assured me that they will not be doing donuts anywhere that isn't safe- as in, no trees or cars. *sigh* that makes me feel SO much better!

Look out, Susan Ranch Park...here come the kids! And they better be wearing seatbelts! I can't really get after them for doing donuts in the snow. I do it, too! LOL Ask my mother and father-in-law! The last time they were here, I nearly made them pee their pants. They didn't realize I did one on purpose when we were out looking at Christmas lights over on Shadow Mountain Drive! They made me drive them back to our house shortly after that. lol.

And Jan, I'm dying to know how things went today! I've been thinking of you all day long! Put your cell phone in your purse so I can call you! lol

Crumblin' Down

2009-02-09T21:47:00.001-08:00

Today was the first day of my big project! I'm going to try to do something every day now, even if it's just a little thing, so that I can have my beautiful home soon :)

This morning, Halley and I had a great time over at Joyce's house. I just knew that once we were able to accomplish what we set out to do, it would be really quick and easy. I am very happy that it worked as well as it did.

When we got back into town, we went to look for "Lost" Season 3 and 4 at the video store, but they didn't have it. So, we went and got groceries, instead. All of my cash later, we came home, and there we stayed for the rest of the day.

I took all of the pictures off of the walls in the living room and hallway and patched up the holes with spackle. There are some things that may require joint compound, but I am going to save the "high up" things on the wall for Troy to do. Tomorrow, I'm going to repair the walls in the dining room, laundry room and kitchen. I think that Halley and Ryan can do their own rooms...and I'll do Justin's when I do ours. It's going to be a lot of work, but I'm ready for it. Our house is starting to look so plain now that we are getting ready for the work.

I have gotten quotes for carpeting from Floors By Ray in Orland, but I think that I can get a better deal going through Home Depot. Home Depot's good carpet is still less expensive than the carpet that the carpet stores have, and installation is less expensive, too. I am not willing to spend $4500 carpeting 1500 square feet of my house! Forget that...lol If I can't find better prices, I'd rather get all new stainless steel appliances in my kitchen and refinish the hardwood floors. I can do area rugs, I guess. Even though I don't really like them!

I have found some really cool things that I want to get for our home, though. I was focusing on lighting and things I can do myself today. I found a really pretty chandelier, hallway light, ceiling fan/heater combo, ceiling fan, kitchen faucet, shower head, wood blinds, drapery scarves and rods. Best of all, most of it is free shipping!

I came across some things that I really want, too. My list keeps getting longer. What am I ever going to do?

Megan and Chris came by to show me the truck that he got. It's a pretty nice truck! They seemed so happy.

Ryan has been a little brat this weekend, so he has spent most of yesterday and all of today in his room. He hasn't been allowed to come out, except to use the bathroom and get something to eat. I think his room is getting a good cleaning. I caught a glimpse of it while I was sitting here.

I got a message from Lee from adoptions. He still doesn't have a date, but he said that I can arrange transportation with Social Services so that Isabell can come here on the weekends. That will be nice so we don't have to worry about picking her up and dropping her off. It takes so much time out of the day and we could be doing fun things together. Hopefully, it won't be much longer before Isabell is living here once and for all.

Tomorrow is back to school. Back to work. I guess that I'd better turn the cell back on and answer the house phone. It's been a really nice and quiet weekend!

When You're Smiling

2009-02-08T23:15:00.000-08:00

Yay! Justin lost his first tooth! He is so excited! We were all sitting around in the living room arguing about what color we were going to paint the walls and all of a sudden, Justin blurted out "Hey, my tooth"! It was so funny...we all started laughing! He's going to be a sad little boy in the morning when he realizes that the tooth fairy doesn't leave "twenty bucks" like he is expecting!

I took a picture of Justin with the hole in his mouth, but it's on my phone that is charging, so I'll have to try to remember to upload it later...Justin is trying to drag me to bed because he wants the tooth fairy to come NOW! But, I'm not quite ready. I haven't finished telling about our day just yet.

Ward Conference was wonderful today! It was so nice to hear that Bishop Gollnick was going to remain our bishop for a while longer. Carolyn Shelley and I were pretty nervous there for a while! I felt quite guilty about not going to the temple yesterday. I really wanted to go, but I had a call into Christine and she didn't answer, so I didn't get a chance to see if she could work for me. I felt so bad telling Bishop I couldn't go when he called to ask if I wanted to ride over with him. It broke my little heart! I am really going to cry when he is released one of these days. I truly appreciate him and all that he does for my family and our ward. He is a great man.

In sacrament, we sang some hymns that I just wasn't familiar with, but I was so proud of Justin...he tracked all of the words with his finger as we were singing. He is learning so quickly and I am just so tickled that he is doing as well as he is. He makes my job (being a mom) a lot easier than it should be.

I was a bit embarassed today when President Struve mentioned me in front of our whole ward. I don't know why, but it made me nervous. I love helping people-Judy Lee summed it up today really well when she said, in Young Women's, when she is helping others, it brings her the most joy. That is how I feel! I love to do for others! I just felt like eyes were on me and I got really flushed. It passed quickly, though, and I lived.

I remember how good I felt when I was working with everyone to put on a good yard sale for Emily's family. It wasn't just me...lots of people helped with it and I couldn't have done it without those people. The community was very generous. I guess that's why I don't feel like it was just "me". There were so many people, mostly from our ward, who came to help, bake, and offer support. It was truly a blessing.

Our class was great. I am so happy that Tom is our teacher. I had just started going to that class when Sister Liddle got released, so I hadn't gotten to get to know it well yet. I am enjoying Tom's lessons a lot. I really like him. I love his sense of humor and today, he said something that made me laugh so hard, but I had to keep it to myself. I think it was more of an inside joke, but everyone else laughed too! It was REALLY funny! It was also really cute to see Kim's baby scooting all the way up to the front of the class! She is such a cutie! She made me giggle, too!

After Young Women's, we met with the Stake Presidency. We got to reflect upon our callings for a while. I can't say it enough...I LOVE MY CALLING and I love the women I work with and the girls that are in our Young Women's. I am so excited to go to Young Women's Camp this year and put together the crafts. I already have one planned out. I am going to miss Charlotte and Bekki, though! They're going to be in Pennsylvania and so they aren't going to come. Who am I going to play "Fill or Bust" with? I think I am going to take the tent trailer and have a room all to myself! That will be really nice to not have to worry about someone hearing me snore!

Halley has been hanging around with Megan once in a while. She is enjoying their time together. I worry about the older kids that they may come in contact with, but I just keep reinforcing to the girls that Halley is only 14 and she is not alllowed. I know that Megan has grown up quite a bit and I think that she understands where I'm coming from. Chris (Megan's boyfriend) seems to be a great guy and they have a lot of fun together.

Troy is just loving his new TV and can't wait to watch the Daytona 500 on it next weekend. He informed his family that he couldn't go to Orland because I "made Valentine plans". Well, the plans are Friday...the races are Saturday and Sunday. I asked him why he said that and he told me that he just wanted to stay and watch it on his new TV. I thought that was cute, but at the same time-don't make me out to be the bad guy! LOL I've finally caved in and said "yeah, go ahead and go" and he doesn't want to! What kind of crap is that? LOL I think he is going to have his family come here, if they are willing, and I think that will be a lot of fun. I'm going to be at church anyway, so it really doesn't matter to me.

There is no school tomorrow...I think we're going to get together with Reagan and her kids and do something for Jacob and Justin's belated birthdays. It's suppose to snow, so we'll see what happens. I'm going over to Joyce's in the morning to do some fun stuff with slideshows, and then I get to clean up the house a bit. Luckily, the house isn't that bad. It just needs to be swept really good and the clothes put away. The bedrooms are clean, except for my clothes, of course. I'm so lucky that my children are old enough to have chores. When everyone works together, the job is a lot easier!

Anyway, today was a good day and now I get to go find some cool things to put under the pillow!

Everybody Have Fun Tonight

2009-02-06T23:51:00.000-08:00

I had a great Girl's Night Out! Not that I don't get out much...lol. But, after sitting in the store all day with not much to do, I just like to have some fun. Halley was gone to her friend's house, Troy was at work, Ryan had Nathan spend the night and Justin just wants to hang out with them, so why not?

Charlotte stood me up, though...lol. Tricia, Emily, Reagan and I went to the Lion & Lamb pub for dinner. I ordered a burger and fries, but it was gross. I didn't even eat half of it. We sure worked our waiter over, though! At one point, he just sat down and asked Reagan if there was anything else she needed. It was pretty funny. We were thirsty and our drinks needed lots of refills!

After dinner, we went to the Sierra Theatre and watched "He's Just Not That Into You". Boy. If I had seen that movie before I met a few certain guys, my life would have been so much easier. It was truly a great movie. I loved it...and wouldn't mind seeing it again!

We are enjoying the new TV that Troy got the other day. It's got a really good picture if you play the 360 on it. I can't wait to surprise Isabell when she gets here. She's going to freak out, especially when I tell her that she can watch Twilight on the TV now, since it's got USB ports!

Oh! How exciting...we're planning a trip to Tahoe for a week over Spring Break. Won't that be fun? We're hoping to rent a condo with 4 or 5 rooms. There will be 6 of us. We have plenty of time to think of fun things to do. It will be too cold to go to King's Beach, but maybe we could go out on a boat or something. I want to go to the pier and teach the kids to fish for crawdads with bacon, like I use to when I was little. We caught tons! They're really dumb-they grab on and won't let go.

I am all in for a vacation. We haven't been on a real one in a long time. I just hope that Troy can get the time off of work!

I talked with Joann tonight about Isabell. I had been really upset with her about things that I had found out, so I was afraid to talk to her because I didn't want to get mad at her. I just wish that the Adoptions and Social Services would tell us the same thing. It would sure save us both a lot of stress, that's for sure. Social Services tells Joann one thing, and Adoptions tells me another. It really is frustrating. She actually thought I didn't want Isabell to come and live with us anymore, when in actuality, I've been leaving messages with Adoptions thinking that she was going to move in with us permanently any day now. Hey-that's what I was told. You want to believe it! One thing is for sure and that's I know it's going to happen...BUT WHEN!

We're going to be doing a lot of things to our home over the next two months and a part of me wants to surprise her and have it all beautiful when she gets here. But, another part of me wants to have her be here and see the progress and get to help decide what colors go on the walls, etc. It would really help her to feel a part of our family, I think. It would be really nice...wouldn't it? Or am I just being rediculous? Who knows-maybe I've had one too many 7-Up's tonight!

White Wedding

2009-02-04T21:47:00.000-08:00

Tonight was Mutual and I think we had one of our best nights yet! I absolutely loved it...

We had Ashley Lively come in and talk to the girls about the importance of striving to achieve a temple marriage and she did great! She brought her wedding album and her dress and the girls just loved it. I was really impressed about how beautiful they thought her dress was and it was so modest. It made me so happy to see the girls react the way that they did.

Ashley had a great tale to tell and I was very impressed with how well she told her wedding story. The girls had questions for her and it was a nice interaction. The girls were very attentive and it was just wonderful.

Charlotte baked a wedding cake and decorated it just perfect! It was so elegant and I was pretty surprised how well she did in such a short time. At 3:30, she was just starting to make the frosting! That lady is just amazing! She never does anything less than perfect. I wish she would rub off on me some :)

We talked about the differences in marriage ceremonies today, i.e., cival weddings vs. temple marriage, and how a normal wedding is "until death do you part" and a temple wedding is "for all time and eternity". I just know that the girls will have a greater respect for marriage when their time comes.

We gave the girls (off) white satin hangers with rhinestones and a wedding cake charm, with a short poem attached that read:

Hang on to your values,
Hang on to your testimony,
Hang on to your goals,
So that some day you can
"Hang"
your temple Dress on me.

I hope that the girls will hang their hanger in their closet and frequently be reminded about their goals and dreams to one day achieve a temple marriage, too!

The boys played glow-in-the-dark basketball. I had to walk through the gym a couple times and was so worried that I was going to get nailed with the ball...thank goodness I didn't!

I took some great pictures with my camera, but I don't know how to upload them to the computer yet! I can put them on facebook, though ;)

I Get Lost

2009-02-03T18:20:00.000-08:00

There's a show on TV called Lost. It stars Matthew Fox and I think I'm hooked. Emily's been trying to get me to watch it for quite a while and I finally caved in and I love it! It's just a good show. Lots of action, suspense and mystery all wrapped up into 45 minutes. I watched seasons 1 and 2 without any complications and I thoroughly enjoyed them, but I have begun season 3 and it's not as good. I'm hoping that I will get through this series quicker and move on.

I still have season 4 to go still and then I will be caught up with broadcasts on TV. Season 5 started not too long ago, so I will be able to find the episodes on abc.com, which is where I'm currently catching up on those I haven't seen. Ryan has gotten into it, too. He needs to watch season 2 still, but it's harder for him since he has to go to school. I can watch them at night, but he plays his games then.

Once I'm caught up to season 5, I can watch them wherever on my phone, so I will be up to date in no time!

I'm feeling a little bit better today, so I actually cooked some dinner, which made Troy very happy. Justin didn't like it, as usual, but that was too bad. Halley complained, too. Ryan took one look at it and said that he was having cereal. You want to know what I made? A pot pie with Bisquick topping. Yeah. I admit. It was pretty gross. Troy loved it, though. Funny, huh...Reagan was making it for dinner and so I thought I'd try it out, too. Yeah. No. There's a reason I have my Bisquick cookbook in the cabinet and not on my shelf. We don't like those sort of things over here!

Well I'd better get back to my Lost. Jack is calling me.

You Make Me Laugh

2009-02-02T10:51:00.000-08:00

Warning: TMI approaching...

This morning, I may have sneezed out some brain matter. That sneeze was the best thing I've felt for three days, but it may have left me a little impaired. So, due to the fact that I'm feeling so awful, I decided that I need some pick-me-up's.

Joyciegirl gave me just what I needed! Thanks, Joyce!!!

Joyce told me about a website called hulu.com where you can watch any old thing from television. SO, I looked up the old Super Bowl commercials. There was one commercial I had seen before, but it makes me laugh every time I watch it. Now for your viewing pleasure, I will show you what makes ME laugh :)

Over My Head

2009-02-01T21:06:00.000-08:00

Where do I start? I have felt like pooh for several days now...but I've tried to fight it and whatever "it" was has gotten the very best of me. Today, I had to give in and let "it" win. I tried to go to church this morning, but at correlation meeting, Bishop noticed that I wasn't my usual cheerful self. He asked me if I needed to go home. I guess he could see it in my eyes that I was a bit under the weather, so I told him I was sick, and off I went. We have our plans for Young Women's for the next month or so, and I'm really excited about the fun things that we're going to be doing this month. It really doesn't take much to have fun with this group, though!

The past few days I really haven't done much...but I became a grandma when Halley brought her "baby" home from School on Friday. She named her Rosalie. Emily and I had plans to take the kids out for dinner to Chineese, and Reagan came, too. We decided that we were going to go see a movie, so I quickly called Jana to see if she wanted to come, but she already had plans for the evening (dang husbands). One of these days, we'll get out, I promise!

Halley and Kam (her friend) stayed to babysit Lily and Dom, and we met up with Bekki and Shirleen at the movies. We saw "Taken" and it was pretty good. I like lots of action in my movies, and this was surely full of it! The story was a bit disturbing, though. It was about a father that reluctantly lets his 17 year old daughter go on a trip to France, and when she arrives, she is kidnapped into an illegal prostitution ring. The father goes on this murdering rampage to save her and her virtue. Let me just say that Liam Nieson kicks some butt in this movie!

I worked at the store yesterday while Troy stayed home with the kids and did the laundry. Kam went home around 3, and then we had a party to go to over at Natalie's house. Jacob was gone to Colorado, so Reagan promised her that she would be able to do something fun and she wanted to have Halley paint her nails and do her makeup. We went to Black Bear for dinner, dropped Halley off to babysit and picked up Justin to "join the party".

I did not feel well at all...Justin kept eating my food and didn't want to eat his own. I went home and wanted to go to bed so badly, but I just didn't get around to it. I didn't realize, at the time, that I was getting sick and so I was fighting it.

Nathan spent the night on Friday with Ryan and then on Saturday, Tyler came over and stayed. Justin has had a rough weekend. The older boys just don't want to play with him and I know it's hard, but they take over his room and he has no place to go and I feel so bad for the little stinker.

Halley is not wanting to go to seminary in the morning because she still has her baby. Ryan is using his "one day off per month" and staying home. He's joking about having a "Reagan-Free" day. He even sent her a text to tease her.

This week should be pretty exciting...I filed our taxes on Friday night, so I expect that they might just be here by next Friday...Tuesday at the latest. It's always taken about 8 days, but I can't remember if it was 8 days total or 8 business days. Oh well...I still have lots of things to plan for.

Ellen called to see if I could watch Katie tomorrow, but I just can't do it, since I'm not feeling well. I feel so bad because I miss that little girl something crazy and she asks for me all the time and it just breaks my heart. Maybe one of these days later in the week, I'll be able to go visit her over at Jana's. Jana and I have some planning to do and Dave's going to be gone, so it's a great time to get our stuff done. I am hoping to be able to go and scrapbook with her this week, too!

(Hey Jana-maybe we can do a movie party with the kids or something! That would be fun...except for Wednesday night when I'm down at the church :) We'll see!

Other than that, I'm still waiting to hear from Social Services/Adoptions about Isabell and when she will be moving here with us. I wonder when that will be...

Meanwhile, Sassy has learned a new thing-she now tries to provoke me to play with her. She will sit at the base of my feet with her face on the floor and her rear in the end, wagging her tail as fast as she can...and then she will quickly jump just a bit to startle you. If you move, it's on! She will not stop for anything and I usually have to whack her with her toy. That dog is crazy.

Troy is working nights now, so I've got my bed all to myself 4 nights a week. Sassy usually sneaks in with me, though. Justin has been sleeping in his room just fine as long as Ryan doesn't steal his covers when his friends come over. I don't like this arrangement, but it will continue until July, so I might as well get use to it!

Feels Good

2009-01-28T20:31:00.001-08:00

There are so many things going on in my life right now, that I can't even begin to imagine how I am going to feel when a few of them are behind us.

To start, things with my niece are not as I had been told. She has actually been told that she will be coming to live with us very soon. I did not know that. I had been told that she was staying right where she was. She has a few "demands" that she is making, but I don't have to negotiate with her, so that is up to Social Services and State Adoptions.

After speaking with her case worker from the state yesterday, I feel so much better. I don't know why I put so much faith in the things I had been told, but you just expect people to tell you the truth, darn it!

So, I REALLY need to get going on our house project!!! I had hoped that it would have been finished by the time she got here, but it won't be, and that is ok. She will be able to help do the fun stuff (all kids love to help paint) and I am going to love my home when it is all finished! Like I said...I'm going to feel like having a big party! Oh, but wait...then it will get messed up! ;)

I am looking forward to having carpet on my floors, walking around in bare feet again, and not have them feel like they've been submerged in ice cubes and water. I am eager to have color on my walls. In fact, I want to pick some colors and have my family help me to narrow them down. With the new furniture we want to get, I need to make sure that they won't clash, so I have to pick carefully.

And my kitchen...oh, my kitchen! How I will love to have my kitchen floors all done. Those very few things will be so nice. Eventually, I want to convert everything to stainless steel appliances and put in a trash compactor, but that is for next year ;) I can't afford to do it all right now. This way, I will be able to get what I want, and not have to settle for what I need.

I am glad that things are working out. I am so very lucky to have a home that I can fix up just the way I want it. I am grateful that my husband will help me to make my dreams come true!
I will have to take some before and after pictures once we are about to get started. First up...walls! Then carpet. Then tile!

Shopping A-Z

2009-01-20T22:17:00.000-08:00

I have a great list! I am a list-maker...and I write, re-write and write things over again. I doodle all over my lists (a trait passed on to me from Grandma Gerry through my mother). I doodle hearts, stars, fleur-de-lis, scrolls, flowers, dots, anything I can think of.

The other day, when I grabbed Halley's notebook to begin my new list, I discovered something. Halley doodles, too! I won't break that mother-daughter confidence and tell you the things she was doodling but it sure was cute. Tonight, when she realized I had confiscated her spiral notebook, she cut out the pages that she wrote on. I just laughed. Too late, I thought...I already saw! Hahahaha

So, back to my list...I planned what I am going to plant in the garden this year, and how much of what I need for my food storage. I am going to have a big shopping day when the time comes! I wonder if everything I need will fit in my car. My list from the Bishop's Storehouse is over $2000.00. I'm only going to get half of it now because I have to spend that much on items that aren't at the storehouse, like honey, salt, baking powder, fruit, vegetables, etc. There's just sooo much!

I do have a few tips that I'm relying on. I hope that you figure out what you need, so that you can be better prepared for the future, too! Here are some of my tips.

1. Figure out what your family needs with a food calculator like this.
2. Substitute items that your family will not eat for equal amounts of items that they will.
3. Look in your own cabinet/refrigerator and write down the things that you do not want to go without, like Best Foods mayonnaise, ketchup, Ranch salad dressing packets, onion soup mix, etc. Figure out how much you would need for a whole year.
4. Make a priority list. Buy things first that you could use to make wholesome meals right now. For example...don't go out and buy tons of sugar, pickles, peanut butter, salt and baking powder your first month. What if you have to use your food storage right away? What are you going to make with sugar, pickles and baking powder? Nothing!

Instead, first purchase things like flour, oil, pinto beans, dry milk and rice. You could make tortillas, and refried beans for dinner with and rice and milk for breakfast. If you had to, you'd do it.

Next month, buy a few more bulk things that would compliment the things you've already purchased. Build it up that way!

OR...what I am going to do is buy half of everything now and then each month, continue to add more until I have that whole year's supply saved up.

I also need to buy a grain mill and incorporate whole wheat into our foods. I've been baking whole wheat bread lately and my kids are beginning to complain less and less. Get your kids use to it now so they will eat it in dire circumstances. If you have picky kids now, you are going to be in trouble.

If we have to solely rely on our food storage, Justin will not be eating very well until he realizes that it's all he is going to get. But, even Justin is beginning to like whole wheat bread when it is toasted with butter! It's a start!

On a sad note, today I had to throw in the towel for my niece. I just can't keep up with the games that the Glenn County Social Services Department and State Adoptions Agency are playing with our family. I can't even hold them fully responsible. All I know is that they have failed. They have had over 18 months to place this child with her family and they have failed. I am really angry with the foster parents. The foster parents are at the center of all of this and have interfered for far too long. If they would just give up, Isabell would be in our home right now. I can't compete with them. This is a child's life. My niece is not a prize to be won, so I have to just let go and hope that they will take good care of her.

Eat It

2009-01-17T21:15:00.000-08:00

Food Storage! That's what I'm focusing on right now. It's a big deal for me and my family, too. I am really hoping to have a good plan figured out by the end of this month so that I can make a significant purchase to get us going strong in the right direction. There's just a few things I have to do before then, and one of them is build a pantry in my kitchen!

Right now, I have a lot of "wasted space". My kitchen is huge, but it needs some serious upgrades, which we are going to incorporate over the next month. Basically, I need to tile my floors. That will make everything so much better! I also need to build two walls, and one will have a doorway. I don't think it will be too hard at all. I know that if I had my mom and my brother here, we could do it really easily. I think the three of us could do anything! My mom's pretty handy. I really try to be, too. My dad was really good at fixing things, too.

So last night, I got to go over to Jana's house and we sat down and went over some items that we really need to purchase soon. Things like butter powder, whole egg powder, margarine powder, cheese powder, etc. I need to get so many things like flour, rice, wheat, grain mill, etc. The list just goes on and on!

Jana and I also decided what things we wanted to grow in our garden this spring. We had such a good garden last year. It was a big job, but most of the time, it was a lot of fun. It was tough work, though...but I enjoyed it. I learned how to can peaches and pears (boxes and boxes and boxes), stewed tomatoes, enchilada sauce, tomato paste, salsa, dilled beans and grape jelly. The only thing I have left is enchilada sauce. The kids fought over the beans! I couldn't believe it! I did pickles, too...but they were soggy and who wants a soggy pickle!

This year, we're going to have to can LOTS more if we want to obtain our year's supply! Boy, one case of salsa didn't last a month in this house. And it was a lot to make it! I used home grown jalapenos, tomatoes, and onions. I used home grown bell peppers, onions and tomatoes for the stewed tomatoes. I even grew cilantro, parsley and chives. It was a lot of fun!

Walt Adams is a great teacher and he has shown us soooo many things to help us be better gardeners. I appreciate his efforts so much. Tuesday, he is going to teach a preparedness class in his home and I am really looking forward to attending it. Jana and I will be taking some pretty good notes, I'm sure! Reagan wants to get in on the order, too. Between the Adams, Jana, Reagan, me, Charlotte, Bekki, Seron, Judy, the Duerksen's, Danielle-those of us who are actually storing things...I just know that we will be able to make quite a large order and I hope that we can do it soon. It will be fun to buy things in bulk and have a canning party, too. With the end of the world coming on December 12, 2012 (I'm totally being sarchastic here...that's when the Mayan's predicted the end of the world) things are bound to get ugly really soon!

Some great websites to get started are beprepared.com and providentliving.org . You have to start somewhere! Why not start now?

Da Da Da

2009-01-15T07:16:00.000-08:00

I really haven't had anything major happen over the last couple of days. I've been busy and haven't gotten to talk to people that I wanted to...so I didn't get my Jana fix and now I'm crabby! So, I've warned you...remember? I said that I'm crabby!

I got a different cell phone because I didn't like the Voyager, afterall. I couldn't do what I wanted to, and so now I've ordered a Storm. I will pick that up this weekend, I suppose. I just want to be able to use the dang internet while I'm at the store. Is this too much to ask?

My kids got phones that they wanted, but they paid for them themselves, and will continue to pay the monthly bill for them. In fact, they didn't do their chores yesterday, so I suspended their phone accounts. You don't live up to your end of the deal and I'm taking away mine!

I hope that nobody thinks my kids were just handed their phones, because they work for what they get. I don't just give my kids what they want because most of the time, they don't deserve it. So, I make them earn it. I see spoiled kids all of the time...and it makes me really mad (I don't know why) when parents try to make their kids popular by buying them things that are cool and expensive. It just makes them spoiled brats. Then the parents wonder why their kids don't have the friends that they want them to.

I guess it doesn't help much when the parent acts the same way. Hence my saying "If you're trying so hard to be cool, you're not cool at all". Just be yourself. You don't have to be cool. What's "cool" anyway? Geez... If people don't like you for who you are, then figure out why, change the things you can (and are willing to change) but most important, move on! Find people who like you for who you are and not what you are. Someone once told me "You can buy a phone but you can't make it ring". So true!

It doesn't bother me one bit if someone doesn't like me. Sometimes I wonder why, but most of the time, I just ignore them. Yeah, I can put on a fake smile and be nice, but I am not a fake kind of person. I just like to spend my time being happy with people that make me feel good. I like to laugh and I like to have a good time, so that's the kind of people I like to be around, too.

I guess I should be happy that my life is busy, because that means I have lots to do. I guess with lots of time on my hands at the store, I feel bored.

Message in a Bottle

2009-01-13T22:06:00.000-08:00

This is the kind of text that I get just before I go to bed...do you think I can sleep without figuring out what this says? Thank you, Nathan Duerksen!!!

8732372473640142342802647
1*w,x,y,z 9
2*t,u,v 8
3*p,q,r,s 7
4*m,n,o 6
0*j,k,l 5
6*g,h,i 4
7*d,e,f 3
8*a,b,c 2

So the new message is:
23877386374665968768258463

Which translates to:
Be Sure To Drink Your Ovaltine

What's this??? A crummy commercial???? Sonofa*****!

NATHAN!!! I'm going to get you for this!!!

Ring My Bell

2009-01-13T21:38:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I don't like my cell phone now. I took it back. Why on earth should I pay $15.00 for V-cast when I don't get the TV shows in Susanville and I don't have the internet access that I want? So, if I cancel the internet-then why would I need a touch screen phone? Exactly!

So now I have a phone like Megan Dowdy's, but I'm just hanging on to this one for a couple of weeks until the new Blackberry Storm that I ordered comes in and I can pick it up. There will be my internet access, Baby!

Ryan got his today and he loves it. I could have gotten the Blackberry Curve, but the screen isn't as large for internet browsing and that is what I want.

I went grocery shopping tonight and got some pretty good deals. I was surprised to find my whole shopping cart (including fish, ground beef, chicken, scallops and meatballs) only cost $109.00. That's a great price for a week's worth of food!

I'm going to try to do a lot in the crockpot this week. Chicken cacciatore (Troy's favorite), white beans and ham, Chicken and stuffing bake, spaghetti and meatballs, just to name a few. I'm having to rely a lot of Halley for side dishes. She's not too enthused. But, that's just how it's going to be for a while, until I can get some extra help at the store after school. Until then, I'm there until 5:00 or later.

Justin had a pretty good day at school today. So did Ryan and Halley. Halley babysat for the Autenriebs this evening while Reagan hosted Bunco at her house. I think I'm going to scrapbook with Emily and Reagan tomorrow night for a while, but I'm not positive just yet.

I really want to get together with Jana and figure out what we are going to need for our food storage soon. Maybe we can get together on Dave's day off this week...I know that between her lists and my lists, we will come up with a great plan...and then going to the class that Walt's teaching next week will make us even more prepared! I need to be ready to make the purchases when our tax refund comes in, so I have to get on the ball. It's going to be here before I know it! I have a great idea for the food part, but she knows all of the other things, like flashlights, batteries, etc. We need to know how many pounds of tomatoes we will need to grow this year in our garden, etc. It's going to take some time to figure everything out, but getting a head start on the project will put us in a good position.

That reminds me...I have to get quotes for carpet, drywall work, paint, tile work, etc. I'm still hoping for that new house!

I feel really bad for my sister, Valerie. She called me today and she is out of a job. Her boss gave them the rest of the weeks pay, but she didn't see this coming. I told her that she should come up here and try to find a good paying job...they're everywhere! We'll see what happens. She has a great personality, but she's awfully shy and I just don't know if she has it in her to move to a new place. I will have to include her in my prayers!

Manic Monday

2009-01-12T20:23:00.000-08:00

The reason I say it's manic, is because I've sort of fallen into this "routine" of cleaning the house on Mondays. I use to clean on Saturday, but it just happens this way now. I don't look forward to cleaning, but I sure feel great when it's done. Although this time, I really didn't have too much to clean. I just put away a few things in the kitchen and made dinner early, instead.

The kids have really been doing a great job cleaning up after themselves, and I'm proud of them for that. They know that if they start slacking off, then I will slack off on their cell phone privelidges and they don't want that to happen!

This morning, I was so happy...I had all day to do nothing! Well, I slept in a little bit until Reagan called and then I went over to help her move beds in the kids rooms. It took quite a while, but I'm glad that I was over to help out. It wasn't really hard, per say...but there was other things to do first, etc. I'm glad that I could help. Especially since we went to Taco Bell after we were done.

When I was on my way to her house this morning, I remembered why I had nothing to do all day. I completely forgot to go and help in Justin's class! I felt soooo bad!!! I am not usually a flake like that! I owe Mrs. Moore a big apology for this one. I'm sure that the kids didn't mind, because they get to do puzzles instead of work at a center!

I came home and that's when I worked on dinner and the kitchen. I fixed meatballs and put them in the crock pot to keep them warm. Troy eats early these days, so I'm trying to be a good wife and make him happy :) We had whole wheat noodles and corn with them and they were really good! I used Lipton Onion Soup Mix with them...everyone liked them, which is nice. Justin usually complains, but he didn't tonight.

I got to visit with Jana a little bit on the phone today, but I had to call some tax guy about a problem from 2005's business taxes. I didn't want to forget, so I had to do it right then. I went to her blog and got to see some really cute pictures of Morgan's birthday party. She had such a good time. The pictures that Jana takes really capture the moment. Yeah, she's got a great camera, but she really has an eye for content!

We read our scriptures at the table and although we are suppose to be studying them, there really wasn't that much to study. It was a fairly easy read. That was nice!

Things are going well with the kids, except today I had to ban them from taking pictures of Justin's butt with their cell phones. They seem to think that it's hilarious and I disagree. I think it's disgusting. That was their last warning...if there's a next time, they get them taken away!

I went over to Emily's tonight after dinner. It was nice to get to visit with Cassie for a while, too. We're going to do our Visiting Teaching this week on Thursday, so I need to call and make our appointments. I hope I don't forget. Justin got to play with Dom for a while and Halley played with Lily. She's growing so fast and has so much hair! I can't believe how much she tries to talk. Dom got a new tooth today at the dentist's office. He was really excited to show me...

Now, we're back at home all settled in...we're watching the Secret Life of the American Teenager. Things are quiet. Justin has gone to bed. In my bed...my nice, warm and cozy bed with brand new sheets and comforter! Have I said how much I love my new sheets and bed set? I just may go to bed early, too!

Sisters In Zion

2009-01-11T14:52:00.000-08:00

Can I tell you how much I love being with the Young Women on Sunday? They make my heart so full. They are truly a joy in my life and someday, when I am released, I am going to cry like a baby. I hope that day will not come for a very long time.

When I was young and growing up in the little Baptist church on the corner of Hwy 45 & 162, I had the best time. I've always loved going to church to sing and be around my friends. In High School, I went to mass with my Catholic friends, but we really didn't stick around and we usually took off to Burger King. In Orland, I went with another friend and it just never made sense to me. As an adult, I have found my home.

I think that when you go to church, you should be in a comforting place. If you don't feel that special warmth and spirit, then maybe it's just not what you are looking for. I think that your relationship with your Heavenly Father should be a blessing in your life and one that you can trust. I don't have my "dad" anymore, since he passed away a few years ago, but my relationship with my Savior and my Heavenly Father has grown stronger because of it.

It means so much to me that I have a relationship with my children. I can be their friend when they need me to be, but most of all- I need to be the parent that guides them in the right direction. If my children see a poor example in me, then I will not be doing my job and will only be sending them down the wrong path later in life. I really have some things that I need to work on!

I want my children to grow up with all of the opportunities and blessings that they have been promised as children of our Heavenly Father. And how are we suppose to know what these blessings are, if we do not seek for them?

Now that Troy is going to work nights again, we have had to change some things around. We are moving our Family Home Evenings to Thursday nights. We are going to have dinner at 5:15, so that Troy can be fed and be at work by 5:50. We are devoting at least 5 minutes of our evenings to reading the scriptures at dinner time...at the table! I truly hope that this will bring our family closer together and that we will find the answers to those questions that we stand in need of at this time in our lives.

I am thankful for Troy and his willingness to come back to church after such a long absence due to his work schedule. He really is a good man and I hope that he will continue to strive to be a good example to his children, too. I am REALLY looking forward to the upcoming Provident Living and Preparedness class that is coming up on the 20th. I am going to try very hard to make some goals for our family. More important, I think that we, as a family, need to set these goals together for a more prepared lifestyle. I know that if we work together, we can achieve anything. Right?

So, as you can see, I've had a great Sunday morning and I think that I am "spiritually charged" enough to make it through one more week of this life :)

It Was A Good Day

2009-01-10T21:49:00.000-08:00

I woke up to the phone ringing, and Halley sounded very excited when she bolted through my bedroom door...Nonna was coming for a visit! Uncle Ken was going to bring her for a visit and they were spending the night at a hotel.

Honestly, the memories of the last time I was in a hotel room with those two makes me laugh so hard, I nearly wet my pants to this very day. That was about 10 years ago, I think. Uncle Marvin was with us and so was my brother, Brian. Aunt Roberta was there, too, but she got a whole room all to herself that night. We didn't mind. We laughed all night.

I barely had time to get dressed before I had to be at the store today, but I had a few errands to run before I made it. You see, I still had not finished my mom's Christmas present!!! Yikes! I had to track down who had it and then I picked it up on my way to the store. I was working on a necklace and earring set, which was nearly completed except for the main necklace part. So, I headed to the Bead Shop just before I opened up the store. I found a beautiful string of Aquamarine that I just had to buy to finish it up with. So that is what I worked on for a couple of hours...that and the kids school pictures in a frame.

At 3:00, I came home and barely had time to change before they got here, and it was really good to see the both of them. I hadn't seen Uncle Ken in quite a while! He's always so fun to have around. He had been in Texas over Christmas and so he got to tell us about his trip and the last buffalo that he had killed. He must really like buffalo...I think he gets one every year and it's over 500 pounds of meat, alone!

We exchanged gifts and my mom got Troy and me a really pretty bed set. I just love it and the colors are perfect. It wasn't too long before Troy had the bed stripped down and made over. We even got new sheets! Nice thread count, too!!! Thanks so much, Mom! We love it!

The kids all got some really nice clothes, and they will look great on them! They've already worn the sweaters today. Justin wasn't too impressed, but what 6 year old kid really wants clothes? His birthday present was better for him, because the clothes were camo pattern and that is his absolute favorite.

We went to dinner at the casino and do you think I listened to myself when I said "Don't get the wings"? Nope. I got the wings. My poor tummy! But, we had a great time at dinner and I think I figured out the secret to the wings...get the hot sauce on the side! Makes a world of difference! Justin ate all of his, 1/3 of mine and had a root beer float, too! My mom said she didn't think she'd ever seen him eat so much. The boy must have been hungry...but he loves his chicken!

Mom came back to visit for a while and Uncle Ken stayed at the hotel. We played Candy Land, Chutes and Ladders and Book of Mormon Go Fish. Justin tried to cheat a few times, but we made him be honest. He likes to sneak up those ladders! He ended up winning Candy Land. I think I won on Chutes and Ladders and my mom won on Go Fish, but Justin thinks that he won because he counted his cards all crazy and thinks he had the most pairs. We just went with it.

The kids got sassy going and before we knew it, Justin's pants were off again. I don't know why that dang dog loves to take his pants off so much, but she does. We have the wierdest dog in the world. She'd be perfectly content chasing the pants off of Justin and trying to bite Halley's stomach all day long. I think she's wiped out, though...she's lying on the couch and snoring quite loudly. She sure has it rough.

Oh, and we got a surprise gift today! I'm sure you wouldn't appreciate it as much as we do, but someone gave us a brand new pipe wrench. Now, when our sink is plugged up, we won't have to call the plumber. Funny thing is, the plumber that we call is who gave us the pipe wrench! What a nice guy, huh! We've had to call him about 3 times this year. He has really taught us a lot and the lessons I learn from him are worth way more than his bill. So if you ever need a good plumber...I know a great guy! Thanks, Bob!

Don't Care

2009-01-08T20:32:00.000-08:00

Really, I do...but I just had to tell you how much I love Fall Out Boy. Ryan says I'm "gay" but I don't care. I think they are so cool and I love Pete Wentz. I think he's nuts for marrying Ashlee Simpson, but to each their own. He is just so cute!

I tried a long time to find a ringtone for my new phone and this is it! I found these songs on V Cast and Playlist.com and got them for my phone. That, and a cool site that is free: phonezoo.com. You'll have to check them out! Thank you to Shawn at the Verizon store for telling me about it! You can get like 25 free ring tones a day! I found cool ringtones from One Missed Call, Rob & Big and a bunch of other fun ones. Hmmm...I wonder what will play when you call my phone? hehe Better hope it's not "white and nerdy".

I found a nice wallpaper for my phone, too. But, I chose not to download it, because it was inapproprite for this 36 year old mother/wife to have a half naked guy from a musical on her cell phone. Could you just see me lose it at church and have the bishop return it to me? Oh, the horror. So, no Dominic Cooper for me! Sorry, Sky!

Fantastic Voyage

2009-01-06T21:15:00.000-08:00

I forgot to say that I ordered a new phone! I'm so excited! It has a touch screen and internet capabilities. I need it for work, so I can go on line and help Maria with orders if she needs me to. My new phone is an LG Voyager, in Titanium. Did I say how excited I am? Ryan's getting a Blackberry Storm, the lucky kid! He's paying for it with his own money. He's chosen to get the new phone instead of a new iPod/hard drive for Christmas. He's returning his gifts for the phone. He's even more excited about his new phone than I am about mine!

Thank You

2009-01-06T18:09:00.000-08:00

I just had the world's worst morning. Ever. I planned on sleeping in as much as I could with Troy waking up at 5:00. The older kids had a late start day, so I didn't have to pick them up from Seminary today. I only had to get Justin off to school. Then, I could crawl back into my warm bed for a little while before I had to be at the store.

At about 7:45 when we leave, I realized that I didn't know where my keys were. Crap! I almost always hang them on the coat rack in the living room, but they weren't there and I wasn't the last one that used them. I won't even tell you that there was no reason for MY keys to be used, since SOMEONE has their own keys. Wait, did I say that out loud? Oops... ;)

Anyway, I tore this house apart in ten minutes trying to find my keys everywhere! I freaked out. What was I going to do? Not only could I not take Justin to school, I couldn't get into the store and I had to open it at 11:00! So, in my panic, I called Reagan and asked her if she could swing by and pick up Justin and take him to school, too.

I felt really bad, because Justin missed breakfast. What was I suppose to do?

Anyway, after 3 phone calls to the Juvenile Hall (I won't tell you how t'd off I was) I thought I'd better humble myself and say a prayer.

I can't even begin to tell you how many times I've heard about people praying to find something that was lost, and then as soon as they are done praying, they discover that what was lost is right in front of their face. Unbelievable. But, it's true!

So, as soon as I opened my eyes, I was looking at a pillow on the floor that belongs on the couch. I thought to myself, "I'd better look in the couch cushions". Even though I hadn't sat on that couch with my keys.

I looked under the cushions and there were no keys. I felt defeated. I hung my hands down my sides and sighed, just as Ryan picked up the pillow I had observed and kicked my keys that had been hidden beneath. My keys!

I am so thankful that my Heavenly Father loves me. I'm sure he felt the panic inside my heart. This has been my humbling experience for the day, and since I didn't bare my testimony last Sunday, I decided it would be good to share this with those of you here.

I've had so much going on since Christmas, I can't believe I haven't posted anything new since December 27th! Anyway, to catch you up, the state adoption agency will be coming over tomorrow to meet with us. This will be the third time we've had our home evaluated to make sure that it is acceptable.

I'm still unsure what is going on with the January 15th court date, whether it has been postponed for Isabell or not. I will find out tomorrow, I guess. It's looking pretty good that she will be able to come and live here, but you just never know! I'm glad that Isabell (who wants to be called "Bella") has made a new friend (Hannah) and realizes that she will meet many new people here, too.

Hannah spent the night last Friday (Halley had Charlene over) and the girls watched Twilight again. I think I've seen that movie 5 times now. I'm so sick of it!!! We watched Mamma Mia!, too. Now, I've seen that one at least 20 times and it will never get old, if you ask me!

Anyway, tonight for Family Home Evening, we're going to divide up some new chores and look up the meaning of a song. I even picked up some Hot Fudge Brownies for dessert.

Random Stuff:
-I think the dishwasher is plugged. Water is not draining.
-We're out of fire starters. It's cold in this here house!
-We're having Reagan's Hungarian Spaghetti with garlic sourdough bread and green salad for dinner.
-The most popular movie at our house these days is "The Ringer" and "You scratched my C...D..." is a quote that apparently does not get old.
-Justin is having a hard time adjusting to school schedule again, and has been crying since 5:45 when we got home. I finally just sent him to my room for a "time out" and I hope that he will be asleep within the next few minutes.

Hangin' on the Telephone

2008-12-27T20:09:00.000-08:00

Good grief! The phone is constantly being used at my house. Whether it is cell phones or land lines, it seems to be occupied.

I try not to be a phoneaholic, but I really do miss people if I don't get to talk to them often. Sometimes, I need a laugh and I know who to call for that. Sometimes, I need to feel like my problems are not that bad, so I call someone else who always seems to have bigger issues. Then, if I need advice, I have a fix for that, too. Want a reality check? Call this person. Want to just say hi? Call so-and-so. It's like a drug for me, sometimes. Want to hear something crazy? Call this person! I don't know what I'd do without my surrogate heroin.

Troy hates the phone. He won't answer it. He will look to see who is calling, and then tell me. Usually, he just says "It's _______" before he even looks. Most of the time, he's right.

Ryan hates the phone. He gets calls often, but they are from his buddies and I don't have to worry about what he's doing or saying. His friends are good kids.

Halley is Miss Social Butterfly. If she's not talking, she's texting. She gets mad when my friends call her phone looking for me. It wastes her valuable texting time.

Then there's Isabell. Isabell has been on the phone for no less than 3 1/2 hours today. She has called everyone she can remember phone numbers for!

Justin doesn't like to talk on the phone...only when Uncle B calls. Then he'll talk to him about Halo, but that's about it. Of course, Justin wants to call Ian all of the time, but I tell him that he can't. The other day, he wanted to call Ian to tell him that he got a skateboard for Christmas, but Ian wasn't home and so he was sad.

Tonight has been nice. The phone hasn't rang more than one ring in a couple hours. Isabell is sitting on it, I think. Troy and I got to watch Hancock all by ourselves. Ryan's playing video games and Justin fell asleep early. I just know he's going to wake up in an hour or so and ask me what's for breakfast. He's done that twice already this Christmas break! He's so funny.

We had ham, potatoes au gratin and roasted apples for dinner...leftovers, of course. I am glad that we have them because I didn't really want to cook anything new. There's plenty already made in the refrigerator.

Speaking of refrigerator's...I have the best thing going on! I put a table out in the garage and I have all the sodas, pies, fudge, etc. that does not fit in the house. It's keeping it so nice and cold! It's like having a giant walk-in refrigerator!

This is pretty random, but I'm really looking forward to filing our income tax return. We have big plans for the refund and I can't wait to fix up our house. Tonight, when we were watching the movie, I was daydreaming about what our "new house" is going to look like when we finish the work that needs to be done.

I'm going to have the biggest party ever when it's finished. I can't wait to have a decent home that I'm not embarassed to have people over to dinner because my counters are ugly or my kitchen floors are gross. Won't carpet be nice? Oh, I can't wait!!!

Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree

2008-12-25T08:45:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas! We are off to a good start! Mikey called first thing this morning and he was so excited...his daddy got him an XBox for Christmas! It was sooo good to hear his sweet little voice. I really miss that little guy! He is talking with Bella on the phone right now...

We have cinnamon rolls in the oven and the kids have already gotten into their stockings. Today is going to be growing with anticipation until the grandparents/aunt/uncle arrive between noon and one o'clock. Please Christmas, don't be late!

We're sitting around a warm fire listening to carols on the radio. Pretty soon, we're going to go borrow some chairs to seat everyone around our already set table.

This is what is on the menu for dinner. Prime Rib was too expensive, so I decided we couldn't afford it with all we had to buy.

Spiral glazed ham
Scalloped Potatoes (which I don't remember how to make, so I need to find a recipe!)
green beans with garlic
jello salad with mandarins
roasted apples
sweet potatoes
sparkling cider
rolls

dessert:
Egg nog cheesecake, if I can get Halley to make it!
pumpkin pie and whipped cream
apple pie and cinnamon ice cream

and I think that's it...

Hopefully tomorrow, we'll be able to do the baking that we didn't get done yesterday. We had a bit of a problem and had to call a professional to fix it, and so our kitchen was a mess for most of the day. Needless to say, we didn't get to do our traditional goodie plates/gift deliveries, but we did have a few visitors bring us goodies in the midst of our troubles. It was really nice to feel loved when we were faced with "why us". So thank you to those who sent Christmas Cards with their lovely family pictures, letters updating us with the past year's doings, and just a Merry Christmas, with love. We are truly blessed to have such wonderful friends and family!

I hope that everyone has a merry Christmas!

Jingle Bells

2008-12-22T17:44:00.000-08:00

If you open up your mind (and see what's inside) it's gonna take some time to realize...I'm sick of Drake and Josh. They have had way too much time on my television lately! Merry Christmas, Drake and Josh. If I have to hear that "Merry Christmas...Merry Christmas..." one more time, I'm going to say "That's it!" and change the channel!!! Why, oh why, do my kids ALL love Drake and Josh? They've rubbed off on Isabell now, too!

OK, my rant is over. Joy to the world.

I'm so excited to go Christmas shopping tomorrow! The only downside was having to find a place for Isabell to go, because I didn't feel comfortable having her home with the kids all day, without an adult. Luckily, Jana is going to be home with her kids and so she said that Isabell could hang out with them. They're going to make salt dough ornaments, and I'm sure they'll have a great time! Jana's such a wonderful friend...I really want Isabell to like her and her family. Mo and Jack will love to have Isabell over. I can't wait to hear them talk a mile a minute to tell me all the fun they had! They're too cute.

Troy was going to get the day off, but he said that if he took it off, he wouldn't get paid the holiday, so he's going to work. I'm not waiting until Wednesday to do my shopping. I'm freaking out, as it is! I've NEVER waited this long to do our shopping, but this year, that's just how it panned out.

Wednesday, all day, we're going to be doing our baking and such...getting ready for the big day. I need to make a lot of things! Isabell and Halley are going to help out, so it should be a really good day. Then, on Christmas Eve, we're going to drive around and look at lights and watch our traditional Christmas movie (National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation) in the car! Sometimes, that movie sure sums it up for the rest of us...

"Merry Christmas. Holy **** ! Where's the Tylenol?"
-Clark Griswold

Resolutions

2008-12-21T17:12:00.000-08:00

Yes, it's that time of year to start thinking of what your resolutions will be for the New Year. I'm throwing out the traditional "lose weight" because it never works. Last year, I almost killed myself falling in that hole and I surely don't want to experience anything painful this time around!

So, I'm going to think of 10 things that are obtainable. I want to make goals to better myself, as a person, wife, mother, Young Women's leader and friend.

As a person, these are my goals:
1. I'm going to learn how to say "No". I never say no. I worry that people won't like me if I say no. Well, that's too bad. I want to live my life doing things because I want to, and not because I feel like someone will be mad at me if I don't.

2. I'm going to put a stop to gossip. Gossip is never good. Gossip has never made me feel good, whether I was hearing it or speaking it. I am ashamed to have to admit that I have said things that are hurtful. I have heard things that are hurtful and I didn't attempt to stop it. I don't want to hurt my brothers and sisters. Family and friends mean too much to me. The past year or so, I have engaged in conversations that are truthful (not spreading lies or rumors) but I feel very guilty after all is said and done. Just because it's the truth does not mean that it's not gossip. It's still wrong to talk about people behind their backs. What if the things that were said got back to the person that I said it, or that I was a participant in the gossip? How would I feel? I will tell you...I would be sick to my stomach and would forever be sorry. I did not use to be a part of this kind of thing. I don't like it.

As a mother, these are my goals:
3. I'm going to get back to the basics- Family Home Evening should not always be fun! We need to have gospel strengthening lessons that build a foundation for our eternal families. I need to be sure that we are saying our family prayers every night and not just when it's convenient. Have you ever heard "A family that prays together, stays together"? It's true! We also need to be doing regular scripture study too. Especially since Justin has begun to read.

4. I want to make sure that my children are doing well in school and give them plenty of time to work on their homework, etc. I want to help them with their lessons and be there for them when they need me.

As a wife, these are my goals:
5. I want to be sure that my husband has a nice dinner when he comes home from work. He works hard and he deserves that. He should not have to eat prison food.

6. I want to keep my things put away in my room. I have a problem leaving my clothes out. I have a dresser but nothing in it. I hang up my clothes, but it takes me so long, that I only do it once in a while. I need to do it when my clothes are clean. My husband deserves to have a comfortable room to relax in, without my clutter everywhere.

As a Young Women's Leader, these are my goals:
7. I want to pray and put more time into my lessons. I should not have to refer to the manual so much if I have prepared adequately. These girls need strong leaders and I need to give them my all.

8. I want to focus on activities with the Beehives and help them to achieve goals that they should be setting for their own Personal Progress.

As a friend, these are my goals:
9. I want to be a better friend. It is easy to call someone on the phone and see what your friend is doing that day, but actually getting to "hang out" with my friends is just so much better. There's nothing like looking into their face when they tell me about their family, geneaology, High School life, kids, Girl Scout troop...whatever! I just feel so grateful for the time I get to spend with her/them.

10. I want to make sure that I am treating my friends the way that I want to be treated. You know-the Golden Rule...Do unto others the way that you would have them do unto you. I want to be treated good, too. I want to be able to not be afraid to talk to my friend when things are wrong, whether it's personal, spiritual or anything else. I don't want to get upset at a friend when they say or do things that I might not agree with. I need to be a strong example and not let the little things bother me so much.

A few of these things, I've already gotten a head-start on. I'm trying to just be a better person. I want to do that for myself, my family and my friends. Someone once told me (and I've heard it a few times, actually) that they've never heard me speak badly about anyone, and that they really loved that about me, because I was such a kind person. I'm embarassed to say that I haven't been that person for a while. I miss that about myself. I want to be that person again.

These are some of the qualities that I admire about some of my favorite people:
Troy: He never has anything bad to say about anyone (except his dad's brother, Rod). Ever.
Ryan: He is smart. Sometimes, too smart for his own good!
Halley: She is so pure of heart. She is truly a gem.
Isabell: She has the best laugh in the world...
Justin: He is a sponge. He absorbs everything, be it the good, the bad or the ugly!
My mom, Donna: She would help anyone she could, with anything. I think I get that from her.
Troy's mom, Berta: She loves her eternal family, unconditionally.
Troy's dad, Brad: He makes me laugh. I love his sense of humor!
Troy's sister, Valerie: She has a heart of gold. I love my sister!
Jana: She always knows just what to say. She is always there for me, even when I think I want to be alone!
Emily: She is so strong. I really admire her dedication to the things that are important in her life and her ability to know what can wait.
Jaquelle: She is truly a kind person and doesn't get caught up in drama. I really admire that.
Reagan: She tries to keep in touch with everyone. Once you're her friend, she says you're always her friend.
Bekki: She is just a load of fun! No matter what we do, it's a good time!
Charlotte: She is just so smart. She is a great teacher! I learn so much from just watching her.

I need to fix dinner...my list could go on and on!

Lazy Day

2008-12-20T18:35:00.000-08:00

Today was so great! I didn't do a dang thing...except pick up and clean a bit. I even got in a nap. Justin, Ryan and Tyler played video games until Tyler went home, and Isabell played with the neighbor kids, making an igloo and throwing snowballs at the Bigney boys over the fence. Isabell thought that was great. She spent a lot of time outside! I don't know how she can stand the cold so long! When she was done, she came in and relaxed on Hay's bed for a while, so I took a nap for an hour or so.

We're going to watch Hancock tonight and play a "Reindeer" game. I've got everything for Tacos ready for dinner, but Halley's not home from babysitting just yet. She's going to have a great time shopping for Christmas gifts this year. She actually has money this time!

Update: We didn't get to watch Hancock and play our game tonight...I went to watch "Yes Man" instead. It was really funny, but I saw Jim Carrey's butt riding on a motorcycle, which was actually kinda gross. Oh well- it was nice to get out and laugh :)

Working Hard for the Money

2008-12-19T16:25:00.000-08:00

Today, Isabell and I got to go to Justin's class party. He had such a great time, as usual. I even got a plate of goodies for Isabell, since she had to miss her class party today. The kids played a game while Mandy Heard read them the Night Before Christmas story. They had a blast and got a bag full of treats.

For the kids party, they ate a few different types of berries, salami with crackers and cheese, hot cocoa, mandarins, Hershey's hugs with candy cane pieces, cranberry tea cookies, carrots and ranch dip, grapes, white chocolate covered strawberries (Isabell loves them!) and I think that's it...they had a lot of good stuff!

Isabell came to work with me today. She had a good time and I treated her to lunch at the Deli. I had them make her a special soda that I thought she'd like and she loved it. It had vanilla in it. I gave my Twilight book to Isabell, so she read that a bit today. She's on page 30-something. She watched the movie already, but she's going to read the book for a report that's due when she goes back to school.

After work, we went to Wal-Mart where Isabell needed to pick out gifts for Justin, Ryan and then Ryan (she drew his name in the kiddie exchange). I think the things she chose will be big hits!

Next, we were off to pick up Justin from school. Justin had a huge bag of things to bring home! Wow!!! At the afterschool program, the kids were watching "Horton Hears a Who" but Justin didn't get to stay and watch the whole thing. I thought he'd want to come home and play in the snow, but when we got back, Ryan had Tyler over and then Nathan called, so he's here now, too.

Tonight, I'm going to take it easy. I already have roast beef, potatoes, mixed vegetables and rolls fixed for dinner and it's only 4:30. We're going to eat around 6:00 and then we're going to play "the game" again. This time, we're using reindeer names instead of Biblical ones! This ought to be good!

I'm staying indoors where it's warm! The next 10 days are showing snow, except for this Saturday is showing mostly cloudy. How are we ever going to get our Christmas shopping done???

Come On Over

2008-12-19T16:10:00.000-08:00

I went to Orland to pick up Isabell on Wednesday night. The weather had a break from the snow, and so I thought it would be a good time to travel. I took Justin with me, so he missed one day of school (I let Mrs. Moore know) and then off we went.

I had to go and get a few things before we went over to my brother's house, but he called me and told me that I could come earlier than planned. I took my computer for him to look at because my graphics card was all messed up, and he was able to fix it and upgrade it in no time at all. He's so good with that kind of thing. I had tried to fix it for many, many days!

Justin really enjoyed visiting with his Uncle B. Kristy was gone for a while and got home a bit later, but we still got to visit with her, too. We had a fun time. The next morning, we slept in a while and just hung out. It was nice to relax and catch up. We ended up driving to Chico and eating lunch at the Round Table in the Almond Orchard. My mom met us there and it was really good to see her and give her a hug and kiss. Justin was glad to see her, too. We didn't have very long to chat before it was time for me to go and pick up Isabell, but I'm so glad that she was able to come.

When it was time to go pick up Isabell, I had to meet her at the 20th Street Mall. Boy, was it busy. There was not very many places to park! It was about 3:00 and she hadn't had lunch yet, and was hungry, so I got her some nachos from Taco Bell and we headed home.

It was snowing practically the whole way back. We didn't get home until about 6:30, which made me sad because I was suppose to get together with Emily and do some pictures. We had to hurry and get ready because we had a dinner invitation over to some friends of ours and we wanted to be there on time...7:00.

We had such a great time over there! Walt and Helen Adams fixed us Mexican food, which is my favorite. Helen makes a great carrot cake/cream cheese frosting from scratch, too! Mmmm, it was so good. After dinner, we played the most fun game ever. All of the kids loved it, even Troy! I was amazed. Justin kept trying to get "it". Julie Erb and her kids, Brandon, J.P., and Jessica came and we had a blast with them. They're a lot of fun...and Carolyn Shelley came, too, and I ALWAYS have a great time with her! She is the best!

When we got home, I called Reagan to see what she was doing. I told her I'd scrapbook with her when I got home, but she already had Jaquelle over and they were sewing. Jaquelle had surgery on her other hand yesterday. I couldn't believe she was out visiting already! She's amazing. I didn't want to intrude on their quality time, so I just hung out at home and went to bed.

What a busy day, huh!

We Are Family

2008-12-16T15:24:00.000-08:00

I am so happy...I got to talk to a social worker today and they gave me the encouragement I needed. With Isabell trying so hard to make everyone think she has no fun over at our house, it was really making me sad. I wondered if she really and truly didn't want to be here. What I found out is actually quite the opposite.

Isabell is afraid to put her trust and love into a family that can hurt her. She is scared to be away from the one thing in her life that makes her happy, unconditionally...her friends. I have been there, so I know what it's like to move away from them. I do understand. What I really have a hard time with is why she is so afraid to tell people she is happy here. She has the best time EVERY time she's here- laughing and giggling until it's almost annoying. When Halley is gone, she will search me out and hang out with me, sitting by me on the couch so close that she is touching me, cooking and helping me in the kitchen or hanging out with me all day at Maria's store. She wants my attention...and I give it to her-all of the time!

When she turns around and tells the social worker that she has no fun, it breaks my heart. I wonder...ok, which part was no fun? Going to the movies and seeing the movie that you've been dying to see? Going over to Jana's house and decorating cookies? Shopping for new clothes? Playing with the neighbor girl? Watching corny TV shows with Halley? Going for walks? Going to the lake and swimming? Going letterboxing? Picking out a Christmas Tree? Joann told me on the weekends at her house, Isabell lays on the couch and does nothing...Joann even called Isabell lazy the other day when everyone was working but her. But my house is no fun? Tell that to Ryan and Halley's friends!

She has fun here. Why is she afraid to admit it? Do you want to know why? She wants Joann to think that she's having no fun, so Joann will let her stay at her house, so she can stay with her friends. Oh my goodness. This is the rest of her life we are talking about. Intermediate School friends are so temporary compared to the rest of your life. How many of your 7th grade friends do you still talk to every day? Exactly!

Some comforting words were spoken to me today. "This is why the court does not let the children decide what is best for them".

State adoptions is going to come and visit us on January 2nd. Hopefully, with everything going on, he will be able to make it here and observe Isabell when she is with us. If he can't make a decision before January 15th when the court date is, he's already asked for an extension.

On another note, my sister asked me to add her to my "myspace" page. I added her, even though I don't really go there. I even sent her a short message and hoped she was nice and warm wherever she is. It's so cold outside! I am really curious why she would be trying to contact me now...since the last words she said to were basically "leave my kids alone, *****". That's her favorite thing to call me. She even called me that during MY wedding rehearsal. My mother MADE me have her as one of my bridesmaids, even though I said no. I don't really expect her to apologize, even though it would be nice. I guess I need to grow up and get over it.

I need to go to Chico to pick up Isabell on Thursday. I think I might get together with my brother for lunch, but I'm not sure. I told him we should touch base on Wednesday night. Maybe our mom can come, too. I hope I can finish her Christmas present by then! It's only half done. I will be finishing up my brothers tonight over at Reagan's house. I've been working on it about two years now! I bet he's forgotten.

Where The Party At

2008-12-15T15:49:00.000-08:00

I guess it's at my house...good thing I cleaned this morning.

It all started when Ryan's friend, Tyler, called me to see what the snow was like in town. He lives out in Standish and they only got a couple of inches. So, Tyler is spending a couple days with us in town so his parents don't have to drive in the mess.

I had to run a few errands (go to the bank and Safeway) and while I was out, Reagan called...Tyler answered the phone, of course...but didn't say who he was, so Reagan was wondering who was the man I was keeping secret at my house. HA!

After school, Halley showed up with her friend, Cassie. Cassie lives way out in Ravendale, and so she is spending the night, too.

Tonight, I had invited Nathan Duerksen over to go with us on our traditional Christmas Lights /movie/egg nog ride. He wants to come and is bringing "A Christmas Carol" to watch on the DVD player. Normally, we watch Christmas Vacation. This will be a fun change!

I guess Troy will not be able to come with us this time so we'll have to make a special trip with just the family closer to Christmas.

I'm off to make my home made egg nog. Mmmmm, rummy (I mean yummy)!

Here's my recipe, if you'd like to try it:

12 eggs, seperated
4 quarts 2% milk
2 C sugar
about 1/4 C Schilling rum extract and
nutmeg to taste

Beat egg yolks until thick and pale. Slowly, add sugar. Beat in milk. Beat egg whites until stiff and blend slowly into mixture. Add rum extract (to taste) and sprinkle with nutmeg.

It is soooo rich and creamy! I hope you love it as much as we do :)

No Parking

2008-12-15T09:26:00.000-08:00

My poor car...my poor, poor car. Sitting all by herself out there in the icy cold. Just wanting to have her heater on, but she can't. I feel so sorry for her.

I have a two car garage, and there is plenty of room in there...if I drove a Toyota Camry or Honda Civic. But, since I don't, I will have to make do with what I have. I moved the trailer over in the garage so I can fit my Yukon in there. The only problem is- I don't have a Denali. I have an XL. Which means EXTRA LONG! So, the XL sticks out and I can't close the garage door!

This will only last a couple of days, right? Let me check the forecast...for the next 10 days, we are suppose to have: Snow, Snow, Clouds, Snow, Snow, Clouds, Snow, Snow, Snow, Clouds. Nice.

Looks like I'd better go stock up on things that are easy to cook on the stove top, since inevitably, the power will go out. The longest it has been out here was for two and a half days. I kept telling everyone to conserve the hot water, because it would run out fast, but I didn't realize we had a gas water heater and so our hot water supply would continually be restored. DOH! It took us 3 winters before I figured that one out. I thought it was electric!

We have plenty of wood, thanks to the Bigney's. Their landlord said they can't burn wood in their fireplace, so they gave it to us (since the church gave it to them) last year. We have plans to go and cut more wood with Larry Wolfe, but haven't done it yet. I wonder how that will work now with snow on the ground...

I had better get my house cleaning done. I can't vacuum when there's no electricity!

Whistle While You Work

2008-12-15T08:39:00.001-08:00

YUCK!!! Today there is a good eight-to-ten inches of snow on the ground and it's not a snow day? Come on, people...

Having to "de-ice" your vehicle does not allow much time for my warm and cozy bed. I really prefer to stay in the sheets, as opposed to scraping off windows, shoveling sidewalks, putting a tarp over my windows, (since I can't park in the garage, thanks to the trailer in there!) getting wood from the side of the house that's not covered, driving on the streets with crazies, and staying home alone...all day.

When I got home (15 minutes later than usual), you would have thought that everyone on our street got a day off. No sidewalks were shoveled and cars hadn't even moved. They were still buried in the snow. There were only a few trails that had been traveled by early morning cars, and my next door neighbors accounted for most of them. One is a teacher at Justin's school and the other is the cafeteria superviser there. They both need to be to school earlier than the kids, and I am really glad that Brandy keeps an eye on Justin for me while he has his breakfast. This is a new thing for him, but he's been wanting to sleep in a bit later, so I let him...and this way, he gets a nice and warm breakfast every morning at school.

Today, I didn't get to go help in Justin's class. He all but cried when the teacher told him that I had to stay home. The kids are making gifts for their parents and she didn't want to have the surprise spoiled. Justin made sure to ask if I can come again next week, though. The teacher thought that was really cute, and she made sure to call me last night to tell me all about it ;) I also need to give the other "room mothers" a call so that we can plan the kids party on Friday. It should be a lot of fun.

So when I started my blog this morning, I felt pretty good about being the first one to have my sidewalk shoveled...especially since I am not too fond of the snow right now. I even spread ice melt all over, so our postman (Steve Blakeman) won't break his neck walking up to our mailbox!

I did quite a bit before 8:30 AM today. Now, I need to go and get some wood so I can build a nice and roaring fire to warm up the house. It's starting to feel chilly up in here!

The Snow Miser

2008-12-14T19:23:00.000-08:00

The weather has sure been crappy the last couple days! The wind was so stinkin' loud on Friday night, that our chimney cover blew off our roof and went over somewhere in the neighbor's yard. I'm glad it didn't go through a window!

Now we have snow. Normally, I love the snow. Not so much right now. I need some boots. I want Uggs. Real ones. Not the knock offs. Actually, I want Crocs boots. Those are hot. I want black ones!!! Yeah, black ones...

(Daydreaming of black Croc boots)

Just look at these:

Mmmm hmmmm... I'll get them soon-just watch! A girl needs boots in the snow, right? Except I'll get black. Not brown. Oh no! What if they don't have my size???

Halley wants Uggs. Not fake ones. Fake ones are kind of "Ugg"ly. They turn color fast and they just don't hold up because they're not real leather.

Isabell wants the fake ones. She says Uggs are ugly.

Back to my weather report...I don't want snow yet. I want it to wait for Christmas so our family can arrive safely! Dang it!

We got our tree yesterday. It's a bit wimpy, but we got it at the Relay for Life booth and we wanted to support that. It's near and dear to our hearts. Charlie Brown trees need love, too.

Hay just made us some hot cocoa with marshmallows and we're about to start our Shrek Monopoly game. I'm off to buy a swamp, I guess. I hope there's no arguing, or I'm liable to throw the game into the woodstove. Just ask my mom.

Bad Day

2008-12-14T18:34:00.000-08:00

Well, not really bad, just sad, I guess.

I came to the realization that my niece is trying her very hardest to stay in Orland because her friends are there. Her friends are the only stability that she has in her life right now, and apparently, they are the only ones that she trusts. She just had her world come crashing down on her last night/today and I could tell that she was VERY upset because she did not speak one word. She didn't even tell me good bye when she gave me a hug this afternoon.

The state adoption people are considering placement for Isabell. We'd love to have her be a part of our family now that reunification with her mother is not an option. Isabell loves it here when she is with us, and she laughs, plays, sings and giggles the whole time she's with us (well, most of the time). But, when she goes back to Orland, she realizes that if she acts like she's had a good time with us, then the adoption people may recommend placing her with us, and that is not what she wants...so she is (in a way) trying to maipulate things so she can get what she wants.

I just don't know how to show her or tell her that we are here for her and we are not going to treat her badly. She's been coming to stay with us for the past year and a half. Over this time, Troy and I have continually placed her in front of our own children, trying to make her comfortable and welcome. Her social worker said that this is something we will probably have to continue doing for quite some time, and we are willing to go that extra mile for her. I just wish that she would give us a real chance. She opens up to us while she is here, but when she goes back to Orland, she goes into "safe mode".

Last night, we were talking about Christmas plans and she told me that Joann's whole family was coming to visit her. Isabell wanted to stay at Joann's, but I told her that it wasn't an option. She went on about how Joann wanted to be her guardian...etc., etc., etc. Everything she said was basically the opposite of what Joann had told me.

(Oh, wow...the bread in my oven REALLY smells good!)

So, I called Joann and gave her the scoop. Joann said that she has told Isabell all this, and I felt better, but we really needed to sit down together and make sure we understood each other. So, we did that today. Joann told Isabell everything that Isabell did not want to hear, but needed to. Everything I had said was true. That is why she didn't say a word or tell me good bye. Her world just came down around her. I really think she had been trying to convince herself that Joann would keep her until she is 18 and she would be able to stay with her friends. This is not the case, though. Adoption wants to place her with family first, if it is an option.

I wish that Isabell could understand that friends are temporary. Family is forever. She is only eleven...she does not know what is best for her and I do not understand why Social Services has been giving her so many options. They actually allowed her to bleach her hair when her mother said it was ok. Um, is this the same mother that made bad choices and got her children taken away? Youbetcha.

Isabell, Joann and Buster had a good drive home after we met in Mineral. It snowed all the way home for us...those lucky dogs! We passed Emily on the road on the way home while we were singing Abba songs (Mamma Mia! comes out on DVD on Tuesday!). After we got home, we went to Ashley's baptism. It was really nice, except for I couldn't print out my talk so I had to wing it and I've NEVER done that before. I was horrible, I just know it.

Joann called me this evening and told me that Isabell does want to come and stay with us for Christmas, afterall. I know she's hurting. I know that. I just want to fix everything and make it all better. Hopefully, we can get through this together and have a good outcome.

I hope that I never give my children any reason to think I don't love them or want them, for that matter. It really gives me a lot to think about. I know that Isabell will be happy with us...I just have to keep saying my prayers that we will be here for her if it's decided that it's best!

This Is Me

2008-12-07T22:15:00.000-08:00

I have been trying to "figure out" people lately. Sometimes I feel so confused and wonder why people do the things they do. I really enjoyed the psychology classes that I took in college and I would love to continue my education some day...but for now, I'll have to leave the psychological analysis to the professionals.

I thought that in order for me to learn about others behaviors, I might as well start analyzing my own. What I learned is really surprising...I have a personality that I am pretty much stuck with. I can't change who I am. I mean-I can to an extent, but my traits make me "me" and so I need to learn how to embrace them and develop my own personal talents.

I learned that I have a type 4 personality. I am "a guardian". What is really surprising, is when I read about these personality traits, I was amazed...it's like they wrote this specifically for me. Everything is true! I've never seen anything so accurate. This is me, in a nutshell:

Guardian™ Portrait of the Provider (ESFJ)

Providers take it upon themselves to insure the health and welfare of those in their care, but they are also the most sociable of all the Guardians, and thus are the great nurturers of social institutions such as schools, churches, social clubs, and civic groups.

Providers are very likely more than ten percent of the population, and this is fortunate for the rest of us, because friendly social service is a key to their nature. Wherever they go, Providers happily give their time and energy to make sure that the needs of others are met, and that social functions are a success.

Highly cooperative themselves, Providers are skilled in maintaining teamwork among their helpers, and are also tireless in their attention to the details of furnishing goods and services. They make excellent chairpersons in charge of dances, banquets, class reunions, charity fund-raisers, and the like. They are without peer as masters of ceremonies, able to speak publicly with ease and confidence. And they are outstanding hosts or hostesses, knowing everyone by name, and seemingly aware of what everyone's been doing. Providers love to entertain, and are always concerned about the needs of their guests, wanting to make sure that all are involved and provided for.

Friendly, outgoing, neighborly - in a word, Providers are gregarious, so much so that they can become restless when isolated from people. They love to talk with others, and will often strike up a conversation with strangers and chat pleasantly about any topic that comes to mind.

Friendships matter a great deal to Providers, and their conversations with friends often touch on good times from years past. Family traditions are also sacred to them, and they carefully observe birthdays and anniversaries. In addition, Providers show a delightful fascination with news of their friends and neighbors. If we wish to know what's been going on in the local community, school, or church, they're happy to fill us in on all the details.

Providers are extremely sensitive to the feelings of others, which makes them perhaps the most sympathetic of all the types, but which also leaves them somewhat self-conscious, that is, highly sensitive to what others think of them. Loving and affectionate themselves, they need to be loved in return. In fact, Providers can be crushed by personal criticism, and are happiest when given ample appreciation both for themselves personally and for the tireless service they give to others.

William Howard Taft, Barbara Walters, J C Penney, Ray Kroc, Louis B. Mayer, Sam Walton, Dolley Madison, and Dave Thomas are examples of Provider Guardians.

So, I guess what I've learned that I didn't really know about myself is-I need to be appreciated. I didn't realize how much it hurts when I am not doing things for others. It makes me feel good about myself. I am not glad to learn that I need to feel loved in return. That is kind of wierd. I just like to feel appreciated. That is when I am happiest-when I know I am doing something that makes someone else happy.

Oh...and friendship does matter to me. It's very important important in my book. I am very loyal to my friends and I always have been. I feel like I have a lot of people that I associate with, a lot of people that I consider my friends, and a lot of people that I love very dearly- any of them I would do anything for, but I truly cherish my very closest friends. These special people (along with my family) are who make my world go 'round, and I hope that they know that!

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

2008-12-06T10:40:00.001-08:00

Last night was our ward's Christmas Party and it was really fun! The Young Women, on last Wednesday night, had prepared salt dough ornaments with wire and bead "kits" inside zip-lock baggies and then youth got to put them together and color them for an activity. I think they had a great time. The wire was a bit more challenging than I had hoped, but the kids seemed to enjoy hanging them on the tree, which was for the Missionaries.

The food was great! At our table, we had turkey and ham, Kim Duerksen's mashed potatoes, Melanie Faiferlick's green bean casserole, Cassie Smith's pie and the stuffing I made. (I had to hunt for it... and ask to share, but I didn't feel too bad because I misunderstood the instructions and so I had twice as much as I was suppose to in the pan instead of putting it in two dishes. That left one table stuffing-free, so I wanted to make sure it was ours.

There was singing, but I was helping with the craft, so I didn't sing along...but I sure enjoyed watching Santa come and have all of the kids sit on his lap. Justin was with some of his buddies when he was standing in line, and it was so cute- I totally called what was going to happen:

And I'm so paraphrasing here:

Santa: "Hello, little boy...what is your name?"
Little Boy #1: "Jacob."
Santa: "Well you're tall, Jacob! What would you like for Christmas?"
Little Boy #1: "A Skateboard!"
Santa: "Well, you look like you'd have fun with a skateboard, so we'll see what we can do...Merry Christmas!"
Little Boy #1: "Merry Christmas."

(Little Boy #1 leaves and the next little boy sits on Santa's lap)

Santa: "Hi! What is your name?"
Little Boy #2: (looking at his mother, the little boy answers) "Justin"
Santa: "Hi, Justin! What would you like for Christmas?"
Little Boy #2's Mother: (to Little Boy #2's Father) "He's going to say skateboard, because Jacob did...you just watch!"
Little Boy #2: (looking at his mother, the little boy answers) "A skateboard."
Santa: "A skateboard? Well, you look like you'd have a lot of fun with a skateboard, so we'll see what we can do...Merry Christmas!"
Little Boy #2: "Merry Christmas."

(Little Boy #2 leaves and the next little boy sits on Santa's lap)

Santa: "Merry Christmas! What's your name?"
Little Boy #3: "Dominic"
Santa: "Well, hello, Dominic! What would you like for Christmas this year?"
Little Boy #2's Mother: (to Little Boy #2's Father) "You watch...he's going to say a skateboard, too!"
Little Boy #3: "A Skateboard"
Santa: (chuckling) "A Skateboard? Well, you'd really like a skateboard! They're a lot of fun! We'll see what we can do...Merry Christmas!"
Little Boy #3: "Merry Christmas"

(Little Boy #3 leaves and Santa moves on to the other children waiting in line...)

Did I call that, or what? We were laughing so hard! I hope all of the boys get skateboards! It would be really fun to have them play together (maybe on Reagan's nice cul-de-sac, not our crappy pot-hole infested one!) and learn how to ride them.

We'll see what Santa brings and hope that it doesn't snow for a while!

So tonight, we're going to go to the Uptown Christmas Festival of Lights...Justin is so excited to hang out with Jack and Mo. He was really upset that I didn't take him with me last night, but I really needed my "Jana time" without my wild child chasing Zito (their Boston Terrier) all over their house!

We had a great time catching up on family stuff, kids and school. We got to visit about our Christmas plans and I told her how excited I was that Troy's family is coming here...and how bad I felt about not getting to go visit our families in Orland over the holidays. Troy is really happy that his family is coming. It really means a lot to him.

I got to talk with Joann this morning for a while. I called to talk to the kids, but they were both gone. Mikey was with his dad and Isabell was with the Mendon's. Mikey is going to spend the whole Christmas vacation with his Dad, and they have gotten special permission to have an "unsupervised" visit and allow Darcie (my sister) to spend Christmas with them, as well. That will be really nice for Mikey, but I think Isabell is going to be really sad when she hears that.

When Isabell was here last weekend, I got to have a really good talk with her about her mom. It was hard, but she point-blank asked me if I hated her mom. I don't...but I had to be really careful about how I explained the situation to her. I think I did pretty well, and she understood. I love my sister and I pray for her all of the time. I think I pray for selfish things, though. I need to stop that. I always pray that she will be "normal" and that we will become good friends. I (great, I'm crying now...) want her to have a good life and I want my family back the way it was before all of this happened before CPS took her kids. I feel like (because of her) I lost my best friend. Both of us were doing what we (individually) felt was best, whether it was for Darcie or her children. Perhaps if we had all worked together from the beginning, the end results would be different. You know how hind-sight is 20/20. We can't change the past, but we can make a change for the future. I just don't know where to begin.

So, back to my conversation with Joann- Isabell is coming to stay with us on December 21 (I think) when Joann comes up to stay with her son's family. I want to make this Christmas really special for her because she is just so hurt inside. She does not hate her mom, but she does hate the things her mother has done to her. That is totally understandable, and I told her that it is ok for her to feel that way. I think that you really have to acknowledge your feelings if you ever want to resolve them, and maybe she will be able to move forward a little easier. It just breaks my heart to know the things that she has been through. I just want to give her a family that loves her and will take care of her. I want her to have a good life- whether it is with her mom, us or anyone else, for that matter.

It scares the crap out of me that Mikey will probably be able to go and live with his dad. Why? I just worry that in 2, 3, 6, maybe 12 months, he will go back to drugs. I worry that Mikey will grow up and be "like his dad" and associate with people who are up to no good. I want a better life for that sweet little boy, but it is not in my hands. I just have to have peace of mind knowing that he will be subjected to random drug checks/welfare checks for the next two years.

We will see what happens next month. Say some prayers for the kids and everyone involved, that our Heavenly Father has a good plan for them! I need to tell myself that anything can happen, and that His plan may not be what I feel is best, and that is the hard part! It's the most wonderful time of the year and I need to stay focused on positive things, in order to make our own holidays "merry and bright".

Here's to the joy of Christmas!

Reading Adventure

2008-12-02T22:37:00.000-08:00

Yes, my little boy is reading...I am so proud of him. He read "The Eye Book" by Dr. Seuss (almost) all by himself a couple days ago, but my computer wasn't working so I couldn't post about it.

Justin can read almost any 3-letter word with a vowel in the middle and he can read a lot more, too. I need to make him some more flash cards and give him some more challenges! He is going to start getting to bring home readers from school to help him learn, too.

I went to the bookstore today in town. They don't have much at all for level one readers. I was quite disappointed. I guess I'll have to wait for the next book order to come out. Hopefully it will be soon. I know exactly what to get this boy for Christmas!

Our Thanksgiving was great this year! We had great food and great family...but I did forget to make the deviled eggs. Darn it! Now I have 6 dozen eggs in my refrigerator. What am I going to do with 6 dozen eggs?

It's officially time to start Christmas shopping for my family. I know what I want to get, what I need to get and what I can afford to get. Hopefully, we'll be able to meet somewhere in the middle. This year is going to be hard with renegotiating our mortgage and coming up with the down payment...but we'll still have a great time!

I promised Isabell that we'd wait until she comes back in two weeks to cut down our Christmas Tree and decorate the house. She really wants to be a part of that, so I don't think it will be a big deal to wait.

Reagan had invited me over to her house tonight to sew, but I didn't go...I went over to Emily's and got to visit with her for a while. It was nice to catch up. It was after 10:00 when I had left. I'm going to go watch Grey's with her on Thursday, so that will be fun...and I'm not enjoying this "Denny" business one bit!

Breakin' the Law

2008-12-02T22:25:00.000-08:00

I got pulled over the other day on the way to Emily's house! I had just left my house, pulled out onto Weatherlow Street and a Sheriff's Deputy pulled me over across the street from the tennis courts!

He was a nice looking guy, so I was quite embarassed, and he asked me if I knew why he pulled me over. I nervously said "No".

I knew I had stopped at the stop sign, so what did I do?

The officer was very polite and he told me that he pulled me over because I did not stop at the stop sign at the end of "the street back there". Immediately, I knew that he was not referring to North Street!

He was talking about my street...Arnold Street! The funny thing is, there is no stop sign at the end of my street! At first, the officer didn't believe me, but I handed him my keys and said I'd wait if he wanted to go check for himself. He must have believed me, because then he laughed and apologized, and wished me a good evening.

I told him I was going to have a great evening, now that I didn't get a ticket...and away I went to watch Grey's Anatomy! Emily got a good laugh out of that one, and really, so did I!

I probably should, but it seems like I'm always in a hurry, so I don't stop at the end of my street, unless there are kids (of course) or cars coming and it is unsafe. Why stop, you know?

So now Justin tells everybody that he sees that I "got a ticket from the cops", and I did not get a ticket at all! So if he tells you this story-you'll know the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth!

No More Drama

2008-11-25T10:15:00.000-08:00

Being a teenager is not easy...I know. I use to be one (believe it, or not). I remember how hard it was, to try to be friends with everyone, and then have this one person always talking about you behind your back, trying to be like you, trying to be friends with your friends...etc., etc., etc. Did you ever have a "friend" like that? I sure did! All through high school! She finally did take my best friend away from me, and that really hurt. It didn't last long, though.

Halley experienced this behavior when she became friends with a girl, and the girl seemed to be very fun, creative, pretty, interesting, and really nice and sweet--all of those things that you just find adorable about a friend. They hit it off great, and soon, they were inseperable. They always had fun things to do and it was great. Until...

We started getting prank phone calls. I guess the girl didn't realize that we could call *69 and find out who kept calling us. But, we did. We even told the parents, who believed their child who was lying to their faces.

This girl would say mean things about Halley behind her back, to people that would *every.time* tell Halley all of the mean things that were being said about her. Didn't she know that they would get back to Halley? Really...come on!

The girl pretended to be her friend to her face, but then behind her back, Halley was her enemy. She was so obsessed with Halley that I contemplated calling the police department to intervene. It was really weird and psychotic. I opted for making the principal aware of the problem and he was just wonderful--keeping an eye out for trouble.

Out of this trial came some wonderful advice. Have you ever heard the expression "kill 'em with kindness"? It took some getting use to, but Halley began to use this concept in her life when she interacted with girls that she thought were mean-spirited, naughty or didn't like her. Pretty soon, those girls would get the idea that Halley was no fun to pick on anymore and they'd move on to someone else, like they always do...

When you rid your life of the drama, all things begin to seem brighter. When you decide that a friendship is not at all what it is suppose to be, you move on to something that makes you feel good about yourself. Something that doesn't take so much "work". There's no rule that says that you have to like everyone. I tell Halley all of the time "you don't have to like so-and-so, but you do have to love them".

If someone does not treat you like you want to be treated, then leave them alone. Don't call them, don't be in their way, and don't put yourself in the position for them to be mean to you anymore. I think she finally "gets it" now. There are soooo many people out there. Focus on those who make you happy and try hard to pray for those who don't. They are unhappy with themselves and that is why they try to make you unhappy, too.

Because of these trials, Halley has had other experiences with friends who become "frienemies" and then they have worked out their problems and became friends again. Halley has found friends that like her for who she is. She doesn't have to pretend that she's someone she's not. She can be herself around them without them thinking that she's weird (although her mother may think so, from time to time). You know why? I think it's because they are just genuinely "nice" people to begin with.

Sometimes, your children can be exhausting. But, just think about how exhausting the things they tell you can be...and then imagine living them all over again. No thank you!

So here's to cutting out the drama in your life. You can really learn a lot from a teenager daughter!

Eat It

2008-11-24T17:45:00.000-08:00

I'm almost done with my Thanksgiving shopping! I have made our menu and planned some fun activities so that we will have a special Turkey Day at our house. It's so nice to be able to relax and not have to worry about things...just be able to enjoy a day off and be thankful for what you have.

This year, I am thankful for so many things! I just want to celebrate and have a great time with my little family that I love so very much. I love to cook and wish I had more family members to entertain this year, but it just doesn't work out. My mother-in-law will be having the Ramsey's at her house and my mom will having my brothers over for a nice dinner, as usual. She always goes all out with the china, candles, centerpieces, etc. I'm thankful that I grew up with elegant holidays and I want to do that for my children, as well.

So, here's what we are planning to have for our "Turkey Day".

Breakfast:
Mixed Fruit
Hard Boiled Eggs (Justin's favorite)
Cinnamon Rolls
Cinnamon French Toast Sticks (Isabell's favorite)
Apple-Berry-Cherry Juice

Lunch:
Rolls
salami, ham and turkey
cheddar, pepper jack and provolone
deviled eggs
shrimp and cocktail sauce (Denise's Favorite)
stuffed mushrooms (Troy's favorite)
spinach dip bread bowl (Ryan's favorite)
celery, carrots, mushrooms, cauliflower (Halley's Favorite) and Ranch

Dinner:
turkey (cooked with Bacon, like Reagan showed me)
dressing with Craisins (Denise's favorite)
mashed potatoes and gravy (Isabell's favorite)
cranberry sauce (whole berry)
home made rolls with butter
roasted sweet potatoes or praline sweet potatoes (I can't decide)
roasted apples (this is a new thing that we're going to try)
French's Green Bean Casserole
cranberry Jell-o salad
olives

Dessert:
pumpkin pie with whipped cream
double-layer pumpkin cheesecake (Halley's favorite)
cinnamon ice cream

And you know what comes the day after Thanksgiving??? Decorating for Christmas! I haven't made my list yet, but we're keeping it simple, because things are just harder with the economy right now. I know some people who can't wait to get out her Christmas ornaments and would probably have them out already if their husbands would let them!

Oh, and Justin has two loose teeth. He wants the tooth fairy to come and leave him four hundred bucks, but I told him that wasn't going to happen, but to keep dreamin'. He said that if he had four hundred bucks, that he would buy Ryan's X-Box from him. He's got big plans...and he picks up any loose change he can find and puts it into his piggy bank. He'll do anything for a quarter these days. Except rub Troy's feet...lol.

I spent a lot of time in my room cleaning and hanging up my clothes, etc. Troy was really happy...whenever the kids have their games out, he ends up watching TV in there and he deserves to have a nice, relaxing place to go. I thought about lighting a scented candle for him, but he just says I'm going to burn the house down and blows them out. He's so funny!

Ryan cleaned up his room really good today, too. He even vacuumed! He must want to go to Nathan's reeeeeeeeeeally bad!

Halley is babysitting for Jaquelle. Her new little baby, Jack, is just so precious. And Emily is going to be here in a few so I'd better get going. I need to make a couple things "Lily proof"...

In My House

2008-11-23T15:15:00.001-08:00

I am the happiest parent in the world, most of the time. I have always thought that moms that try too hard to be cool aren't "cool" at all, and I don't want to be like that. I don't care if my kids think I'm crazy. I don't think they do, but I just try to be "me" and most of the time, it works just fine. I feel good when I am able to go places with Ryan and Halley especially when they have a good time. It takes a special bond with your teenage children to make them want to do things with their parents.

What makes me feel even better is when my kids invite their friends over to hang out. Almost every day of the week, we have friends over...sometimes even over night on a school night! I've had Ryan's friend, Tyler, call and ask to spend the night a few days, even when he knew that Ryan was away on an overnight camping trip for Biology. Knowing that the kids like to be in our home makes me feel really good. Another one of Ryan's friends calls me and asks if he can stay overnight, instead of asking Ryan.

Halley always has friends over. It's not uncommon for her friend, Cassie, to come and stay for several days at a time, usually Friday through Tuesday. She lives out in Ravendale, so it works out well for her family.

A long time ago, somewhere I heard to always be the Kool-Ade mom. Not the cool mom...the Kool-Ade mom. Be the mom who is always prepared to entertain her children's friends. Have snacks and drinks on hand and be prepared for anything. I always remembered that advice and it has worked out so well for me. I am very fortunate to have the kids at MY house, so I know what they are doing, where they are, and who they are hanging around with. The funny thing is, my kids have made that choice. I have not made it for them! They are the ones that are always asking to have friends over, etc. When my house is quiet, it is nice-- but it always feels like something is missing.

I don't want you to think that I'm "tooting my own horn", because there are times when I'm not a happy mom at all! If I had my way, my kids would not say fart, that sucks, call each other gay, call ME gay (yeah, I'm gay alright...), pick on Justin, make Justin cry, whine, yell or all of the above. I want them to do their chores without being asked...several times. I want them to love my cooking and eat whatever I fix without them saying "I don't like that" before they even try it.

I remember when I was young, someone once told me "When you have kids, you can make the rules" and you know what? That person was absolutely right. When it comes to the kids, in my house, it's my way or everyone is grounded and that's just the way it goes. Just ask them...

The only problem is...I forget that I ground them!!!

Spotlight

2008-11-22T22:12:00.000-08:00

This week has gone by way too fast! Things have kept us really busy and I'm afraid that it's just the time of year, and I really feel like 2008 is only going to be gone before we know it.

At the top of the list this week- Justin had the "Best day of his life" again on Friday. It was his Kindergarten class Thanksgiving party, he was the line leader AND he got to have ravioli for lunch all on the same day! WOW! To be a kid ;)

When I called the parents to arrange the party, I asked for healthier things this time, vs. the sugary treats they had for Halloween. The parents were glad that we were going to change it up, and so the treats were: popcorn, mini-cupcake, carrots and ranch dip, ants on a log, cinnamon graham crackers, grapes, salami (one mom flaked and did not send crackers and cheese) and fruit punch. The kids loved every bite and didn't miss all the sugary stuff one bit. I think we'll continue to go this route from now on!

We didn't have time to play any games this time. The party had to start right at 8:30 and be done by 9:30 so the parents could leave before 9:45 when the school was going to do a "lockdown" drill for 2 hours. Nobody gets in. Nobody gets out. The kids have to sit on the floor, not talk and not move. They can't even go to the bathroom. I wonder how many kids peed their pants on Friday.

Did I mention that I was a walking zombie on Friday? Halley, Cassie and I went to the midnight showing of Twilight and picked up Bekki, Carolyn and Reagan to party with us on the way! We had to stop at Dana's house for her farewell party (she and her family moved to Louisiana) and that was really nice to share one last hoorah with them). There was some great food there! I baked a lemon pie cake, Reagan took 7-layer bean dip, Carolyn took deviled eggs and I don't remember what Bekki took, but that's about all I ate (except someone made scotcharoo's and I just love them). Emily made some really yummy stuffed mushrooms, too. They were Seron's recipe that I make all of the time. I kind of hijacked it and now everyone asks me for the recipe.

Random Thought: I miss Seron. She moved last month and I've only got to visit her once in her new house. Reagan and I will go over and sew with her after Thanksgiving break.

Anyway, we left the party early so that we could go wait in line, since Carolyn's sister was holding us places. Of course, when we got there, it was like an angry mob, so Carolyn and I stayed up front while the others waited in the back and then we just saved two rows of seats once we got inside. There ended up being 22 people all together that was in our "group", and six of them were teenage daughters. I made Halley and Cassie go to school the next day, but I did let them skip seminary (only because I was dead tired and too tired to get up, myself!) Then, I had the party. I took storebought mini cupcakes because I ran out of time. I feel like I cheated :(

Oh, and after that, I helped my friend in her store for 5 hours. I got my second wind at about 10:00 and wasn't tired until I went over to sew with Reagan. I couldn't stop yawning! We had a yummy dinner, though! Noodle salad and Red Hot wings! Mmmm, our favorites!

So, the movie was ok. It was definitely not as good as I had expected. I thought that the characters were poorly chosen (but I loved Alice and Rosalie, and Emmet, surprisingly.) Jasper made me laugh with his funny looks and crazy hair. I was disappointed in Victoria's character. James was good. I thought Bella and Edward lacked chemistry and Jacob was great. I'm not going to waste anymore money on this movie in the theater, but I'll get it when it comes out on DVD. I think that reading the books really ruined the movie for me. See if I ever read a book again...hahaha. I'm just glad that I got to sit in a row with 5 of my favorite people and visit with them before the movie started :) That, alone, was worth the $8.00. My soda was even crappy...my Diet Coke tasted like Diet Coke Root Beer. Ew!

I am really excited to see that the new Harry Potter movie, Half-Blood Prince, will be out in July. It looks really good and because I love movies more than books, I will not ruin the movie by reading the book.

Oh, and I got a new hair cut! It's really short (I do this when my hair gets long) but fun and easy to take care of. I think I look like my mom again, but she's much prettier than me.

Weekend

2008-11-17T17:59:00.000-08:00

This weekend came and went too fast! Friday night, I got to pick up Isabell in Mineral and she came to spend the weekend with us. Halley was so sad last weekend when she was going to come, because she was going to be gone all day...so we postponed the visit so they would be able to spend as much time together as they could.

Isabell always brings her cat, "Star Gazer". He's a white Siamese type cat, and he's not quite full-grown, yet. He's a naughty cat, and likes to have accidents in the house, and so he is a garage cat when he stays. Sassy is rather fond of Star, but it takes a while for Star to warm up to Sassy. It's pretty funny, because Sassy just wants to play and Star always hides under the wood stove where Sassy can't get him. I wonder what's going to happen when we have the wood burning! There's going to be no escape...

So on Friday night, we were all pretty tired and we went to bed kind of early. Halley's friend, Kassie, spent the weekend with us (she's still here, actually) and the girls went to the playoff game at the high school, and Troy went, too. Lassen beat Chico...Yay! Ryan ended up staying overnight at the Duerksen's house to play with Nathan and the boys. The house was pretty quiet!

On Saturday, the girls wanted to go to Wal-Mart, but I was watching Lily and Dom for Emily so she could clean a house, and so I let them go for a nice walk. It was a really great day...almost perfect T-shirt weather. We've been wearing sweatshirts and jackets lately, so it was a nice change. Justin and Ian drove out to Standish with me to drop off Ryan at Tyler's house, to spend the night. Tyler's parents were going to Reno and they didn't want him to stay alone, and he's a good kid. Tyler is home-schooled, so Ryan doesn't get to hang out with him too often. The girls were getting back from Wal-Mart just as we left. They weren't gone as long as I had expected. If I know those girls, they probably ran out of money!

All afternoon, the girls and I watched movies, but they wouldn't be quiet and stop laughing, so I have to watch them again one of these days. They made no sense to me at all. I just don't get what is so funny to them. Luckily, they moved their laughing to the bedroom so I got a break. I was just about to start a scary movie when I heard a knock at the door...and when I answered it, there was nobody there. All of the sudden, Ian came out of the dark and scared the crap out of me! So, he stayed a little while and played games with Justin. I drove him home a little later, and stepped in a big pile of poo on my way to the car. It was real nice, let me tell ya. I didn't get to go over to Reagan's house to sew, but she had Jaquelle over, so I didn't leave her lonely!

Sunday came and we had a really nice time at church. Isabell forgot her church clothes, so I gave her the choice of wearing regular clothes to church or staying home. She chose to stay home, which was fine, because Troy was here. She felt bad, but I wouldn't have wanted to go in jeans, either. She'll remember to pack her church clothes next time, I bet! We should probably just get her a dress and shoes to keep here, just in case. When I came home from church, Isabell had done the dishes and I hadn't even asked her to do them. It's Halley's job, and I thought that was really considerate of her to do something nice for someone else. I made cornbread for her (I know it's one of her favorites) for lunch, and it was gone in no time! Here's the recipe. We just love it, and Justin will even eat it!

We had a visiting teaching class for Relief Society and some of the ladies did the cutest skit. I also went to a geneaology class and learned how to use the new pilot program on the church website. My grandma would have loved to use this program. She spent hours looking up things that are right at your fingertips, now. The program even has scanned census records that you can view at the touch of a button. I am really thankful that I got to share information with grandma and that she was interested in this sort of thing. It feels good to learn about your family roots and where they came from. I still have a lot of work to do, though!

Sunday afternoon, we just hung out for a while...I knew we had to drive Isabell back, and I wasn't looking forward to that. It's hard for her to say goodbye to Halley (and vice-versa) and it's good to see her wanting to give everyone hugs before she goes. She has sure come a long way, and I'm proud of her. We took Jana and Morgan with us for the ride and the kids watched Evan Almighty in the car while we drove. It's sort of a church movie, right? Noah's Ark? OK, I know that's a stretch...lol. So, we met at Elam Creek campground and said our good-byes until we meet again. I missed seeing Mikey, but he gets to spend time with his dad, and he deserves that chance to reunify. I know that he really loves spending time with his daddy.

When we got back from taking Isabell, the house was really quiet. There was no more laughter, no more video games, no more boys being loud. I hate that. I feel like something is missing and then I just get sad. love having lots of children in my house. It's always happy and makes me feel good. I hope that Mikey and Isabell get to come back for another visit soon :)

I think I'm going to go over to Reagan's tonight and work on the pajamas for Mikey that are almost done. They're going to be a surprise for him on his next overnight visit. I know he'll love them...they're Spiderman, afterall!

Pirate Song

2008-11-10T14:38:00.001-08:00

To know me is to know that I love cheesy LDS themed comedy movies. I have a lot of them and I just think they're hilarious. The next one that is on my list is "Pirates of the Great Salt Lake". Kirby Heyborne is in it and so I'm sure it will bring a couple of laughs. It will be released 12/09/08, and I am really hoping that I will be able to buy it at our local Wal Mart. Fat chance, right?

I know you know who Kirby is...he's the guy that runs a bit "feminine" in the Mr. T Snickers commercial, or one of the guys in the Miller Lite beer commercial where they hold their ears to the ground to find "where the party at".

Well, I first saw Kirby Heyborne in the movie called "Take A Chance". I loaned the movie out to someone that I obviously trusted, forgot who borrowed it...and I've never seen it again. I loved that movie. I love Napoleon Dynamite, and think it would have even been better had they cast Kirby as the liger drawing, steak-to-the-face bikeriding, boondoggle carrying sidekick of Pedro for President!

On a sadder note, my other "favorite" LDS actor, Michael Birkeland, has had some fairly recent publicity. Michael's character, Greg, really makes me laugh when I watch "The Home Teachers". That little gnome and it's giggle are so mischevious! Anyway, I hope that Michael has straightened everything out and is on his way back to making some more great family films. You know that you can't find anything about the outcome...but I do look forward to seeing him make a comeback!

Blue Monday

2008-11-10T14:38:00.000-08:00

Today, there is no school. Come to think of it...there's no school tomorrow, either. Yay. I have nothing to do except my normal weekly cleaning, and there's a lot of fun in that, let me tell ya!

Halley went to a birthday party at the movies and Justin is juuuuuuuuust driving me crazy. I took him (there was my first mistake) grocery shopping with me and the little booger wanted everything in sight.

First, it was powdered donuts...no.
Then, it was energy drinks (he thought they were just soda)...no.
Next, it was cereal that was just basically colored sugar...no.
Cookies, hot dogs, jello, ice cream...no, no, no, NO!

By the time we got to the check-out counter, there were candy bars all over the place and I was almost completely exhausted. But, I am glad to report that he never even asked for one bit of candy. In all fairness, I caved at the chocolate milk, so he was happy.

Tonight, we're having grilled salmon with an avocado-cilantro sauce for dinner. I told Troy that I'd fix fish and it really sounds good. Too bad we didn't have a nice, big, fresh Eagle Lake Trout in the fridge. That would have even been better.

Ryan's going to rake the back yard full of leaves today. Halley cleaned the bathroom before she left to the party. It was all she could do to pry herself away from the book she's reading (Eclipse). Looks like it's just Justin and me for the rest of the chores. I think I'll let him vacuum, since he seems to be pretty good at that. Tomorrow's the Veteran's Day Parade and he has to earn a special outing with Jana and the kids...so this is as good of time as any! They're going to watch the parade from in front of the Police Station. I'm going to be busy, so I can't take him this time- even though I just love being outdoors this time of year. Hardly...lol.

Oh, and on a side note- I'm really getting tired of my 5 year old saying "that sucks" all of the time. So, I've decided that it's now "a 4-letter word" and if he says it, he goes to his room for a 5-minute time-out. So far, he's gone 3 times today. The last time he went, he told me that I needed to remind him when he comes out that it's a bad word. I think he's getting the idea, because I haven't heard him say it in a while.

Now, to work on the "whatever" with the older kids!

Thriller

2008-11-07T14:42:00.000-08:00

Dana is moving in a couple of weeks, and there's a bit of a problem...she is suppose to move on the very same day that the Twilight movie is released in the theater. The problem is- if there's no midnight showing, she won't be able to see it before she goes. Amy, will be letting us know as soon as she finds out if they'll do it, but it's up in the air until we find out.

Fortunately, there's a backup plan...we're going to carpool to Reno to watch it with Dana, Shawna and Stephanie that Friday night! There's a couple different people driving over if that is the case, so that will be a lot of fun. If Stephanie goes, then I could bring Halley and then that would be one last hoorah for them, too.

Warning...if you haven't read it: Spoilers approaching!

I still can't get over how predictable these books are, though. Everyone has read them before me. I seem to be the last to finish. Now that I'm done, I hope Halley will read them after me. I called alot of the plots, though: The part about him being a werewolf...but I had no idea that it wasn't her mom being threatened by James, it was just a VCR tape or that it really was Victoria creating an army, doing all the killings in Seattle, and coming for his revenge! I already knew that Edward saves her when their baby is killing her, but holy crow! I never expected Jacob to imprint with Renesmee!!! Reagan left out the most exciting parts, I swear! I would never have guessed in a million years that there could ever be a happy ending with the Volturi in the end. That was crazy!

I've only seen one of the trailers on TV. It's just how I pictured it, too. I just can't wait to see all of the characters. I just love Alice. I think she's my favorite out of them all, but I was disappointed that she was really not around in Jacob's part and the first part of Bella in book 4. But then again, I just love Jacob, (the werewolf) and secretly wanted him and Alice together! I'm not too much of a Jasper fan, but in the end, I thought more of him.

Overall, I really didn't like the whole Italian vampire part. That's so "cliche and Vampire movie-ish. Reagan was right. Book two is my least favorite, as well. One draws you in, of course, 3 explains the most, but 4...that's a good one, too. Overall, I think 3 is my favorite...which is yours?

Grandma's Song

2008-11-07T09:08:00.000-08:00

Today, I don't feel very good. I was awake weeping most of the night.

I was thinking about the upcoming holidays and how they have changed for my family since I was little, and then I remembered something just awful--my Grandma is gone.

My grandparents were the best grandparents in the world. I got to spend every holiday with them and they even drove all the way to Fort Bragg one year to wish me a Happy Birthday. Not too many people would do that for their grandchildren, but they did. That's just the kind of grandparents they were. Every year, I got a card from them on my birthday that was signed by my grandma from both of them, and I remember commenting one time about grandpa not signing it, too. From that day on, Grandpa signed all of my birthday cards, until he died. Grandpa died when Justin was just two months old. He was so proud of his great-grandson, who is named Justin Paul, after him.

On Ryan's birthday, we went to the temple in Reno. I was standing in the baptism room, waiting for Ryan to do his part, and I was thinking about my dad. I knew he was there at that very same moment with me, waiting for his turn. He told me that I could do whatever I wanted after he was gone (temple work-wise). All of a sudden, I felt something warm against my side, across my back and around my waist. I immediately thought of my grandpa. It was as if Grandpa was standing beside me like he always did, with his arm around my waist. My eyes filled up with tears almost instantly. Do you ever feel like someone is there with you, but you just can't see them?

Grandma passed away in May of this year. Nothing will ever be the same in her family. It's been very hard for me and I haven't wanted to think about it, because then I would have to accept it and I just haven't been able to do that yet. A little over a year ago, Grandma told me that it was alright to do Grandpa's temple work for him, but to be aware that my uncle would not like it if he knew. At the time, I had absolutely no idea that my grandma would die a few short months later. But, I told her not to worry, because if my uncle didn't believe in it being true, then what was the harm in doing it? We both had a good laugh, but I know that my grandma was a bit hesitant, too. She really didn't know much about my church, except for the things we had talked about. I always tried to give her the best answer that I could, but some things I just didn't know enough about. Who knows everything about their religion? I think that it gave her comfort to know that if the church was true, then she would be able to have her family forever, too- not just "till death do you part". Both of my grandparents would want to have their family together for all time and eternity. There is no doubt in my mind about that.

I have faith that this gospel is true. I feel it with all my being. I have prayed about it and I have gotten my answer. I am glad that Grandma agreed to their work being done, herself. She wants to be with Grandpa again, and this is the only way it can happen. Next May, one year after her passing, I can have her work done, too. I know that Grandpa will be there, waiting for her, with his arms wide open. I wonder if I will be able to feel her presence near, too. I miss her so much.

I guess that it's just that time of year to reflect upon what I am thankful for, and one of those things is the time I spent with my grandparents. But, if you ask me, it was just too short!

Update: I just cleaned out my car, and found a check that Grandma had written to Ryan over two years ago. We never cashed it. I am glad that I found that. I think I'll hang on to it for a while :)

A Nightmare on My Street

2008-11-07T08:05:00.000-08:00

Our family was really excited for Halloween this year. We had a great time carving pumpkins and getting into the whole thing. Justin had a great party in his class! I am his room mother and you can bet that I made sure they had lots of fun things to do ;)

I really had worried about the party, because I was having trouble with my stupid telephone service and it was out for a whole week. I had to use Halley's cell phone to make my parent phone calls, and she was a bit upset about that, but I wasn't about to use up all of the minutes in my car, and if I wasn't in there to answer a ring, how could someone call back if I had left a message? Well, problem solved, because I changed phone carriers. So, again, we have a new telephone number. But back to the party--

I took 3 game ideas and they played all morning. They did a penny pitch into a pumpkin, Halloween "Who Am I" and "Pass the Pumpkin" which was like hot potato/musical chairs set to spooky halloween tunes. It was a lot of fun. There were no prizes, but everyone seemed to really have a great time. Those kids were so easy to please, and I was really happy for them.

Next came the actual food part of the party...I had baked mini pumpkin pies (from scratch...not the pie filling mix) and spiderweb cupcakes with little plastic rings (purple, black, yellow or orange) on them and taken some candy for each child, and other moms brought trail mix, punch, apple juice, more candy and more cupcakes that were put into the frige for next week, and sugar cookies with frosting and sprinkles. Mrs. Moore took popcorn balls, and Mrs. Boucher brought treats, as well. The kids loved their special snacks!

It was really special to be there with Justin's class for his party. Troy got to come, too. The kids went around the school in a special costume parade and I got to see a lot of the other kids dressed up, too!

After school, Justin went to a special party in the cafeteria. He had a great time there, of course!

We had Chris Walker's favorite enchiladas for dinner (Thank you, Ellen!) Nathan was over, hanging out with Ryan. Next, we were off to the church party. I was really excited, because last year's party was great! Primary did a great job with setting that up. This year was--different.

The Young Women planned to do a room with donuts on a string and pass out candy. There was a lot of candy left over in the end, but none of the young women stayed to help with the activity, so I was a bit disappointed about that. I was upset because I couldn't get balloons like I wanted to. It was just too expensive. Halley didn't even stay to help-she just took off with the rest of the girls.

There was a giant cake walk going on in the cultural hall...but other than that, I really didn't see too much happening that would hold Justin's interests. There were other things going on, but it just wasn't like "last year", where there was so much going on and so much to do. Justin was ready to go within 30 minutes and he had about 20 pieces of small candy in his trick-or-treat bucket. He had to stay the whole time, because we took one car. So, at just before 8:00, we made the decision to leave and Troy ended up taking Justin trick-or-treating around the neighborhood. It was freezing outside, and I felt really bad that he was out there in the dark.

I picked up Bekki and we went to a scary movie. Reagan was suppose to meet us there, but it didn't work out for her. I think she would have had her hands over her eyes anyway! LOL

Halley left and went Trick-or-treating with her friend, Sierra.

This was the first Halloween in probably 5 years that I didn't get to see Morgan and Jack in their costumes. I missed that! I hope Jana took some good pictures (I'm almost positive she did). The story she told me about why they didn't come to the church party was so funny, I nearly peed my pants. It involves her hyper Boston Terrier, Zito, chasing a rabbit around her house...indoors!

After I got home from the movies, Justin was wide-awake, with a mouth full of candy. One simple sentence summed up the whole day for him and made me smile.

"This was the best day of my life"

The Monster Mash

2008-10-30T08:10:00.000-07:00

Today, Justin is going to his first "Halloween Party"! He could not be more excited! It's going to be a small party, but so much fun! I am going to bring some mummy dogs. Have you ever seen those? They are stinkin' cute! Mine will be cuter, of course. I'm using cocktail weiners.

Justin is going to be a dinosaur. His costume is really cute...it's from the Disney store and it's a few years old, but it fits him just perfect! I can't wait to see his little face light up when he wears it :)

I invited Jana and her family to our ward's Halloween Party. I was worried that it would be too scary for Mo, but the spook part is on the stage, so she can steer clear of that area! They had a really fun time at our party last year, but the Primary put a lot of work into it and it's not the same thing this year, so I'm not sure what activities there will be (other than the one we are planning). Our Young Women are going to be doing powdered donuts on a string for the kids. We're going to have a blast!