Holiday Eating Binges!

Is there really a Santa Claus?

Every year I get this question from my kids, especially my girls. I always tell them that I believe in Santa Claus because he represents the Christmas spirit of giving and that he reminds me that I need to be more concerned about giving to others than what I get in return. Of course they just want to know if he exists. They have seen Santas at Christmas parties, but even Jaxon knows that they are not the real Santa. We went to my In-Laws for Christmas eve dinner this year. As the kids were all playing some of the adults caught this man in red coming to the front door.

Jaxon could not stop talking when Santa came in to the house. He was the first to sit on Santa's lap when the opportunity arose. He told him that he had been really, really good and what he wanted.

Mason was just as excited as Jaxon although he was a little less talkative. He had no doubt that there was a Santa either so it was very natural to sit on his lap and tell him what he wanted. You can see that he is holding the bottom of Santa's beard! So glad he did not pull on it.

Sidnee was my doubter last year and so I expected more of it this year, but was not harassed by desires of proof. She concluded that this was the real Santa when she was done. She was acting shy because she thought he would tell that she had been mean to her sister earlier that day.

I thought Raven might think that she was too big to sit on Santa's lap this year as she is quickly outgrowing a lot of childhood things (much to my dismay :( ), but she climbed up when it was her turn and giggled the whole time.

So to answer the question, yes Smith children, there is a Santa Claus! He came to Grandma's house just to prove to you that he was real!

A season for giving thanks!

I really love this time of year. I appreciate being able to take the time to think about the things that I am most grateful for. There are definitely many things on my list which keeps growing as times become more uncertain. I keep adding to this list as each day goes by. I love what Henry B. Eyring said about the more you look for the blessing in your life the more you realize that you have and that you should write them down so that you can be reminded of them when you are struggling to find them. Anyway, now that I have talked in circles, I will share some of my blessing so that they are written down if I ever forget them and need to be reminded.

#1: A husband who works hard to provide for his family, teaches karate so that his daughters can take it, shares his passion for biking with his children, takes his wife shooting, plays with his family and uses his priesthood for the benefit of his family while showing his sons and daughters how to honor it!

#2: A healthy active pre-teen who loves to do karate, tries hard to do what is right, asks many, many, many questions to make sure she understands the principles that we are trying to teach her and still thinks that most boys are gross and dumb!

#3: A daughter who finally believes she is smart, loves school, did awesome on her Johnny Appleseed wax museum report, would rather play in the dirt with the boys at school, loves to give me hugs and keeps me on my toes!

#4: A son who loves the chicken he caught on the 4th of July, loves his friends, loves soccer, scares me because of the things that he loves to try on his bike (thanks to his Dad!), tries to be obedient, wants to be just like his Dad when he grows up, plays well with his little brother and loves to take care of Max!

#5: My little sidekick that sticks to me like glue, helps me cook, wakes me up at 4 am to snuggle, laughs all the time, teases everyone, tries to scare me and is fiercely independent until he thinks that I am walking out the door without him, watches football with his dadand says that he wants to play football for Boise State when he grows up!

#6: Extended family who provide lots of laughter, teasing, good times and love (this includes both sides of the family, I just don't have photos of my side! (happy now Bubba?) )

#7: Friends who will always be there through thick and thin, love my kids like their own, listen to our fears, laugh when we are happy, cry when we are sad, are always honest with us, never mention our faults and are always in our corner cheering us on!

#7: continued from above, come into our lives when we most need them, and stay regardless of the distance between our homes, are only a phone call or text away, never make fun of your dreams and share theirs with you, their doors are always open!

#7: friends continued still, share their abilities and accomplishments no matter that the whole world knows who they are and never act like they are better than you. Provide another positive roll model for your children and not only invite you into their world, but make sure that you feel welcome!

#8: the things that remind me of who is ultimately in control and is always mindful of me and what is going on in my life. The beauty that these possess and the joy they give me by just being!

There are so many other things that I am grateful for but this post would be impossibly long.
Let it suffice to say that everyday I am appreciative of one more thing than the previous day. Today as my friend returns to Iraq, I am particularly grateful for his and his family's sacrifice along with the countless others who give all that they have to ensure our many freedoms, even to the sacrificing of their lives. May they ever know that I am eternally in their debt for allowing me to keep the right to speak my mind and ever grateful for all the freedoms that come from their service!

I was pleasantly surprised by....

Yesterday was rot with surprises for me. First was that the alarm to the school started going off when I unlocked the door for the cheerleaders. Thank heaven that the office manager was there shortly after to drop her daughter off and she turned the alarm off for me. That could have turned out a lot different and not pleasant at all. Then our family went to the Gun Show in Sandy to find a few things for our 72 hour kits. We found everything on our list and a couple of extras too. Merry Christmas to us! The kids even got a pocket knife each. I have never been to a show where we got everything on are list. There were 2 times that I felt like we should get something. We heeded the feeling the first time and I couldn't think why I should get the second item which was a duffle bag, because we had so many. When we got home and talked about it, I discovered why the feeling had been there. One more reminder to me to always listen to that little voice and ignore my own ideas. Good thing it wasn't a big deal this time. We quickly made it through all of the vendors so that I could meet some friends to see the movie "Twilight".

I went to the movie knowing that a movie-made-from-a-book is never as good as the book. I wasn't too convinced that the casting was right either, but there were some scenes from the book that I wanted to see them in color, not just in my imagination. I patiently waited in line for about 40 minutes with my friends. The theater was packed and there were actually about 10 men brave enough to enter this world of vampires with all these women. I now like who they cast for the characters with one exception and that person was not the lead so I can live with it. The scenes that I wanted to see were done beautifully.

The above scene was one of my favorites that was a surprise for me. I laughed when a lot of the women "oohed" when Dr. Cullen came on screen, giggled when a couple of things were corny instead of scary like I had imagined them and really wished that some of my close friends had been there with me for it so that the things that we had discussed could be rediscussed. I thought that the movie was well done especially considering that it was from a book. I have learned that no movie will ever match up to my imagination. This is another case where you can see the movie and then read the book to add extra details. I will go see it again with my friends and love it again. I thought that the movie did a good job at showing the feelings in the relationship between Edward and Bella. Anyone want to go with me while all kids are in school so that the teenagers aren't making funny noises and a cell phone isn't going off behind me? I give the movie an A.

Saying goodbye!

We learned last week that Steve has high cholesterol. The doctor has given him 3 months to get it down or he will have to go on meds. He is only 37. I can't imagine another 40 + years on meds. I have been reading up on what he should and shouldn't eat. Since it is a genetic thing for him, I figure the whole family may as well eat healthier so the kids can learn now to eat like they should for this genetic mutation. So we are saying good-bye to some of our favorites or eating them a lot less. It is up to me to keep the menu on track, because they all eat pretty much whatever I feed them.

Good-bye Mr. Red Meat!

Come saute with me vegetable family!

Good-bye cream family!

Hello, Miss Sexy Dark Chocolate!

Au revoir Monsieur Gateau du fromage!


Steve is doing good eating things that he doesn't like such as spinach when I don't disguise it. Luckily we do eat pretty healthy, it is just a matter of remembering "plant are our friends, animals are our enemies!" If you have any good recipes that are healthy, please share with me!

Meetings, meetings, meetings......

I have been feeling that meetings are going to be the death of me. I have a meeting at least once a week for my callings or something else that I am involved in. Most of these meetings are what I call fluff meetings. There really is no reason to have them except that the organizers feel for some odd reason that it is necessary. I find it annoying because a 2 minute phone call or better yet a 1 page email would accomplish the same thing. As the athletic director, most of my conversing is done via email. I love it. It wastes no ones time with stupid questions that have already been answered. If I get such an email I simply respond by forwarding the answer that was already sent. As far as church meetings go, we were counselled about 5 years ago to not have unnecessary meetings, but to especially eliminate most of our Sunday meetings. I must admit that I personally abstain from most of those meetings that I am supposed to go to on Sunday. I believe that my time is better spent with my family. Steve has 2 days off a week and one of them is Sunday. I am happy to go to meetings when he is at work or when it doesn't take away from my family plans. I have always been taught that family comes first in this religion and sad to say, there are people who believe that their callings come before their family. I am not one of those and for some reason not even the prophet feels that the church comes before his family, so I am in good company.

My cup runneth over!

Today was a good day, despite the cold weather. It has been one of those days were I reflect on the things that I have received. Sidnee was baptized yesterday. We are fortunate to have much family and many good friends around us who came to help us celebrate the occasion with her. I can hardly believe how fast she and my other children are growing up. Somedays I do feel like they are making me lose my mind, but what parent doesn't feel that way occasionally? It is strange to me to think that Steve and I have been married for almost 12 1/2 years. We have a beautiful home in a great neighborhood with great neighbors and many friends. Steve has a good job, our vehicles run, we are all healthy and sassy! We love our ward, our town and our hobbies. We have food in our fridge, freezer and food storage. We have clothes to keep us warm and a furnace that works to heat our home. I am really enjoying my warm slippers right now. I have Internet and phone to help me keep in touch with those who don't live close. I live in country where I am free to worship my God and vote for whom ever I please. My children are able to go to school and receive a good education. There is gas in my van so I can go wherever I want at least until I have to buy more gas. I get to play volleyball, basketball and softball with women in my ward. I had a bounteous tomato harvest. There is just so much that I have to be grateful for. What more could a person want besides a Chrysler 300? Seriously though, it really humbles me to think about all that I have. I may not be rich in the eyes of the world, but in my eyes, I am rich beyond my wildest dreams.

count your blessings

The idea that really struck during conference was gratitude. There were several talks that touched on that topic. It made me stop and think about the things that I have to be grateful for. There are so many little things that I tend to take for granted or chalk them up to luck, that really are blessings. Steve and I have been working pretty consistently on our food storage since before we moved to Eagle Mountain just over 3 years ago. I have been couponing and canning things. I didn't can too much last year, but this year I was determined to. I bought 2 bushels of peaches that we put up as a family. Even the kids helped without complaining too much. After finishing the peaches, I really was feeling that we didn't have enough put away. I was wanting to can more, but as is with everyone right now, money was not in the budget for that. The next day one of my neighbors gave me a box full of pectin for freezer jam. I almost didn't take it because I didn't have any fruit left to jam, but I just couldn't say no. So here I was Saturday with a box of pectin, but no fruit. Monday I went to run an errand. While on that errand a friend called to tell me that the Church cannery had a surplus of peaches and could I please grab her some on my way home. I told her that I would. I grabbed a box on the way and then stopped at the cannery. I ended coming home with about 5 - 6 bushels of peaches. Now I was feeling grateful that I had taken the pectin because here was fruit to use it on. I called a friend and the next day she and I spent 4 hours making jam. We still hadn't made a dent in the peaches. We decided to have a canning party during priesthood session and invite whoever wanted to come. We ended up with 5 ladies. We made jam for 1 1/2 hours and still had about 1 1/2 bushels left and a ton of pectin. We decided that since we had used all of our containers that we would let someone else have the rest of the peaches and pectin. Just as we were finishing cleaning up we had 3 late comers show up, so we sent them home with the rest of the pectin and peaches. Everyone was happy and feeling blessed. Yesterday I was wishing that I had more tomatoes so that I could make and can some salsa. Today I got an email from a freecycler saying that they had a lot of green tomatoes. I was the first to respond. I came home with 2 bushels of green tomatoes. The man threw in some hot peppers and onions when he found out that I was going to make green tomato salsa. Once again I am feeling very blessed. These things have come to me when I have a lot of other things going on, but how could I not feel blessed when the Lord is giving me what I have asked for. I feel very blessed that I can put food storage up for my family and be able to do it on our budget. It makes me realize that the Lord is mindful of every righteous desire of our hearts. It is as President Eyring has said, the more you look for blessings that have come to you, the more you see that you have been blessed with. May we all look for what we have been given instead of focusing on what we don't. Even in this time of uncertainty, we can be grateful for what we have now and live in the moment as President Monson has counseled.

Take a stand

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has asked once again for its members to take a stand for marriage. This time for those in California to vote for Prop 8 which will repeal the current marriage law and make it so that a marriage will only be between a man and a woman. If you live outside of California you are to get a hold of family and friends there and encourage them to vote for it. I will support that and email my family in California. This is an issue where no man can sit on the fence any longer. The local news had an interview with a family here in Utah who is LDS and has gay children. They feel they are being torn by this issue. I don't understand this. Although more extreme, how is it different than how a parent should react if their child gets caught stealing, or decides to live with someone out of wedlock? As a parent you should reprimand the child, but still love them. How is that hard? If my child decides to live with her boyfriend, I will let her know how I feel, I would be worried that she is not living the principles that she has been taught therefore not be able to have the full benefits of membership, but I would still love her. In my mind you can love a wayward child, while still living the gospel of Jesus Christ to the fullest. There is no one forcing me to choose between my church and my child. I hear so many people say that the church should change it's rules. I say no! Very much NO!!! God will not change the rules just because he has a child who is having problems passing his test here on earth. I am sure He is more heart broken than we can imagine. I say this as a parent who loves her children with all that she is and knows that what I feel for my children is a minute fraction of what our Father in Heaven feels for us. I know that this is a difficult situation for many, but we need to remember that gender is essential to our premortal, mortal and post mortal lives. I hope that the Lord will bless those whose lives this personally affects will rely on Him and be granted the peace of mind that they need at this time.

Sloppy Joes!

I was talking with a friend and we agreed that when we find a recipe that we like, we should just put it on our blog so that all can see. So here is the recipe for Sloppy Joes that I just discovered. I wanted to find a recipe that my family would like as I have never made them for my family due to the fact that Steve doesn't really care for them. I also wanted to find one that I could make from things that I already have in my food storage. Anyway, here it is:

Sloppy Joe Sandwiches

1 lb ground beef 1 Cup ketchup
1/4 C water 2 Tbls brown sugar
2 tsp worcestershire sauce 2 tsp mustard
1/2 tsp garlic powder 1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp salt

In a large saucepan, cook beef over medium heat until no
longer pink: drain. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Bring
to a boil. Reduce heat: cover and simmer 30 - 40 minutes.
Serve on buns. Yields 4 servings. Taste of Home cookbook.

Politics is like religion!

With the upcoming election there are many people who are talking about politics and I have witnessed some very heated discussions. Here in Utah the majority of people are Republican with of course the minority being Democratic supporters. It doesn't do any good to harass others about their beliefs, just like we don't harass people about their religious beliefs. It is perfectly fine to as questions and try to see the others' point of views, but when it comes to arguing that only gets people's backs up and causes hard feelings. I may not agree with some of the reasons that other people back their prefered candidate, but I will not make fun of them. Just as I will not make fun of those who are not of the religion that I believe in. I really think that it is interesting that some people pay more attention to politics than they do their religion. It amazes me and at the same time makes me sad to think how much effort goes into something they do every four years compared to something that they do every day. I think that the same council that my ecclesiastical leader gives me about interacting with people of other faiths can apply to interacting with people of other political views. Treat them as human beings, answer their questions, but never argue with them. You will never convert someone to your point of view by belittling theirs. Arguing never leads to anything but pain and misery. Anyway, enough from my soap box for now. Whatever side you stand on this election, my request to you is this, please vote in this upcoming election for the candidate that you feel is the best for what you beleive after you have gotten down on your knees and counciled with your maker.

time stretcher

I have seemed to run into days that are too short. My days need about 28 hours in them and my weeks need 9 days to do all the things that I need to get done. My house seems to be suffering from the lack of this missing time. This found time would allow me to get 2 more loads of laundry, 1 more hour of homework and stories for the kids and maybe a story for myself. I have searched the internet for such a contraption to accomodate my needs but alas have come to a dead end. I have several mechanically inclined family members and friends that might be able to help. Do you think that if I bribed them with fresh homemade bread and jam that they would rise to the occasion and answer my cry for help? Any volunteers are welcome. I promise the bread and jam are worth it! :-)

Has anybody seen.....?

Life has been a little crazy since school started. That might be putting it very mildly. I was asked at the end of the summer to be the Athletic Director at my kids' school. I agreed whole heartedly because I would love for there to be a good program going by the time Raven enters middle school. That is only 2 years away. I mistakenly thought that it would take only a little more time than it did to coach soccer this past spring and our family has to volunteer 40 hours a year anyway so...!
WRONG. We are 3 weeks into the school year and I am averaging 2 hours a day on this VOLUNTEER position! I could do more except that I still have a house to run.

This is what my shriveled brain should look like instead of the raisin it has become.
Between being: Mom, wife, chauffeur, vt district leader, Stake Y.W. sports director, house cleaner, laundry lady, chief chef (although the bread that Raven made yesterday tastes pretty good), dishwasher, homework warden, pipe fixer.... I am finding it hard to find time to sleep. Even though I really want to take a nap everyday with Jaxon and don't. It seems that I have misplaced my brain somewhere because everything that goes into one ear comes right out the other ear. My brain is no longer stopping things. Of course I am not sure that I would change anything even if I could! So if you see an extra brain or two lying around, would you please send them my way?

Stolen body parts!

You've heard about people who have been abducted and had their kidneys removed by black-market organ thieves.

My thighs were stolen from me during the night a few years ago. I went to sleep and woke up with someone else's thighs. It was just that quick. The replacements had the texture of cooked oatmeal. Whose thighs were these and what happened to mine? I spent the entire summer looking for my thighs. Finally, hurt and angry, I resigned myself to living out my life in jeans.

And then the thieves struck again.

My butt was next. I knew it was the same gang, because they took pains to match my new rear-end to the thighs they had stuck me with earlier. But my new butt was attached at least three inches lower than my original! I realized I'd have to give up my jeans in favor of long skirts.

Two years ago I realized my arms had been switched. One morning I was fixing my hair and was horrified to see the flesh of my upper arm swing to and fro with the motion of the hairbrush. This was really getting scary - my body was being replaced one section at a time. What could they do to me next?

When my poor neck suddenly disappeared and was replaced with a turkey neck, I decided to tell my story. Women of the world, wake up and smell the coffee! Those 'plastic' surgeons are using REAL replacement body parts - stolen from you and me! The next time someone you know has something 'lifted', look again - was it lifted from you?

THIS IS NOT A HOAX.




This is happening to women everywhere every night.


WARN YOUR FRIENDS!


PS. Last year I thought some one had stolen my Boobs. I was lying in bed and they were gone! But when I jumped out of bed, I was relieved to see that they had just been hiding in my armpits as I slept. Now I keep them hidden in my waistband.

I have also found that they take the hair that is falling out of your head and make it grow out of your chin.

PLEASE ALERT ALL THE MATURE WOMEN YOU KNOW AND MAKE THEIR DAY!!!!!!! LOL

'Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain.'

Will it ever stop?!?

Do you ever feel like your life is a carousel ride? You keep going up and down and round and round. Every year it seems to keep getting faster with no sign of slowing down. It always seems like there is more to do everyday then I have time in the day to do those things. I keep waiting for it to stop and it never does. Sometimes I feel so dizzy that I want to puke. Between taking kids to school, soccer, karate, activity days, birthday parties, cleaning the house (right!), grocery shopping and sick kids (those never happen, do they?) when am I supposed to squeeze time in for the yard and church callings never mind trying to find me time, I am exhausted. Or maybe that was from the lack of sleep? It is hard to find some calm in this stormy sea of life, but I am trying. Any clues as to where to find the off lever on this carousel called life?

Family Reunion

Last week the kids and I went to my family reunion in Ellensburg, Washington. We took our time on the way there. We stayed 2 nights at the Hull's in Boise, 3 nights at my brother's in Oregon, and 3 nights at my aunt's house. We camped 2 of the nights in her back yard and the last night we stayed in the house as we decided to stay after all of our things were packed. It was a really relaxing vacation until the drive home. Due to the fact that we stayed in Washington on Saturday night, we had to make the whole drive home on Sunday as the girls started school on Monday. The kids did really well and I am happy to report that they all came home with me. I did not intentionally or unintentionally misplace them anywhere along the way. Here are a couple pics of my family. This is my Mom's side.

The tasty carne asada being cooked. Yes it was very good, even used in breakfast burritos the next morning.

There were tons of small kids. I think that I was told that there were 17 under the age of 5. My mom herself has 13 grandkids with 2 more on the way. No that is not an announcement for those of you who are curious! I am not having anymore babies!!!!!!!

So many things, so little time!

I know I have been A.W.O.L. for awhile, but I am back. I had a nice little vacation and need some time to gather my thoughts and photos.

Not a bad penny, just a mean sister!

I just found out that the reason Jaxon broke stuff in the chicken coop was because his mean sister Raven thought it would be funny to lock him in the dark coop by himself. She forbade Luke and Mason to open the door even though Jaxon seemed to be going bizerk inside. Erick said that from the damage that was done Jaxon must be claustrophobic. He said that he was extremely surprised that Jaxon didn't have a bunch of scratches or bruises on his little body. He said that Jaxon had torn through things trying to get out. Jaxon finally broke through the wall of the coop beside the door, breaking the door in half. Let's just say that the only thing that kept me from beating the crap out of Raven or locking her in the coop by herself was the fact that there were other kids sleeping in the tent next to her. This story came to light after she scared the tar out of Mason so bad that his frightened noises made the dog start barking in the back yard. I will admit that I am having a hard time controlling my anger towards Raven right now. She and I will definitely be having some words in the morning when we wake up. I absolutely will not tolerate my child being a bully especially to her own siblings! I know without a doubt that if the tables were turned and someone did to her what she has done to her brothers she would without a doubt be freaking out and screaching at the top of her lungs demanding justice and retribution!

A Bad Penny?

My family reunion is this coming weekend in Washington. The kids and I left yesterday so that we could take our time and mostly so that I would not feel rushed. We arrived at the Hull's in Boise about noon on Saturday. Since then my dog has tipped over the swing set, Jaxon has broken some stuff in the chicken coop and minor other stuff. I am waiting for Erick to tell us that we can't come back. The Hull family probably feels like we are that preverbial bad penny that keeps turning up!

9 WORDS WOMEN USE

(1)Fine:This is the word women use to end an argument when they are right and you need to shut up.

(2)Five Minutes:If she is getting dressed, this means a half an hour. 'Five minutes' is only five minutes if you have just been given five more minutes to watch the game before helping around the house.

(3)Nothing:This is the calm before the storm. This means something, and you should be on your toes. Arguments that begin with 'nothing' usually end in 'fine'.

(4)Go Ahead:This is a dare, not permission. Don't Do It!

(5)Loud Sigh:This is actually a word, but is a non-verbal statement often misunderstood by men. A loud sigh means she thinks you are an idiot and wonders why she is wasting her time standing here and arguing with you about 'nothing'. (Refer back to # 3 for the meaning of 'nothing'.)

(6) That's Okay: This is one of the most dangerous statements a woman can make to a man. 'That's okay' means she wants to think long and hard before deciding how and when you will pay for your mistake.

(7)Thanks:A woman is thanking you, do not question, or Faint. Just say you're welcome. (I want to add in a clause here - This is true, unless she says 'Thanks a lot' - that is PURE sarcasm and she is not thanking you at all. DO NOT say 'you're welcome' .. that will bring on a 'whatever').

(8)Whatever:Is a woman's way of saying 'SCREW YOU'!

(9)Don't worry about it, I got it:Another dangerous statement, meaning this is something that a woman has told a man to do several times, but is now doing it herself. This will later result in a man asking 'What's wrong?' For the woman's response refer to # 3.

Mamma Mia Rocks!

Jill Clark and I have been wanting to see Mamma Mia in Las Vegas for sometime now. Everytime that we go there we comment on how much we want to see it.

When we heard that it was being made into a movie we decided that we would go see it together. We finally got our crazy schedules to correspond today. We went to the first showing. We were not disappointed except that one of the main characters ends up being gay. That was the only thing that I objected too. I love Abba so it was great to hear their music. Yes I know that the story is built around their music. I thought the movie was cast very well and thought Meryl Streep did a fantastic job. I didn't know that she could sing. So if you love Abba at all, go see the movie. I now have to save my pennies so that I can buy the soundtrack!

I am finished.......

Okay, I know that I really procrastinated reading the Twilight series just to be stubborn. I borrowed the first three books from a friend and read them all over Memorial weekend. I was hooked. I love Stephenie Meyer's writing style and feeling like I am sitting there with everything unfolding right before me. Her books are easy to read and clean. Everything was left to the imagination. I love that.

So early Saturday morning I got my hands on the last book. I finished it this morning. I love it. I love how she answered all the questions that I had from the other books. I am sad to be done and am looking forward to the book that she is supposed to write from Jacob's perspective. Want to know what happens? Do you? Then go read the book instead of my blog!

Boobies!

I went bra shopping the other day. Of course the boys had to stay with me while Steve was shopping for a belt. It didn't take too long before Jaxon realized that there were some bras at his level. Can you guess what happened next? No, he did not try one on. I am sure it is because that is what I was anticipating. Instead he reached straight out with both hands, squeezed the cups (I am sure your husbands have all done this to you!) and said "Boobies Mommy, just like yours"! I corrected him by telling him that it was in fact a bra! Can we say that this little apple doesn't fall far from the tree?!? He isn't even three and he is already fascinated by breasts! Am I in trouble or what?

To ....Facebook or not?

I have been sent multiple invites to join face book, but never have because I didn't know much about it. Steve is on it and showed me what it was all about so I thought that I would give it a try. It has put me back in touch with people that I haven't talked to or seen since I moved to Utah almost 13 years ago. It is almost as fun and addictive as blogging. It has been nice to catch up on old friends and to see their families. I must admit that there are some things that I found out that I didn't want to know. Some of my friends seem to not have aged at all (I hate you all) and others that have added wrinkles and inches like I have (glad that I'm not the only one), then there is the rest who I had a hard time recognizing. It is exciting to renew old friendships. I must admit that I haven't had as many friends since I was a young adult as I do now in my current neighborhood. I feel sad for those who have few friends and hope that I can be a better friend to those who consider me their friend.

Did you know that......

I am a parent who likes to believe that my child can ask me any question and I will give them an honest answer without making them feel stupid. I failed in that tonight. As we were driving home, I pointed out the moon to Jaxon because he always wants to know where it is. I proceeded to tell him that it was growing and would be a full moon before too long. Raven piped in and asked if full moons made women pregnant. I couldn't help but laugh. It took me about 30 seconds to control the laughter as she paused to think about what she said. She corrected herself by saying she meant to ask if it makes pregnant women go into labor. Kids really do say some of the darnest things!

What do you see?

This is one of my favorite pictures because it helps me remember to look for the beauty in things. I find that you can apply this principle of positive thinking to anything in life, it just may be harder with some things. I know each of us struggles with different things. I try to find the beauty in the situation which is hard in the day and age when we are surrounded by so much negative. I am trying to teach my kids this idea. Some days it is easier than others. It is definitely easier to snap back at a snide comment than turn it into something funny. Let me tell you of a recent situation that I had to deal with. I was promised something from someone. I asked several times when I could come pick it up after it was promised to me. I heard nothing from them for a couple of days, then I finally got a response. I was told that they were sorry, but they had felt impressed to give it to someone else, even though it was promised to me first. I was a little upset, because I wanted it and had been promised it. After taking a deep breath, I responded back, letting them know that I appreciated the honesty that had been presented and that knew that it had to be hard, let's face it, being honest can be hard. I then let them know that I was grateful for people who followed their inspiration, because that person probably needed the item more than I did and then I let them know that we were good. The response I got back was cool and made my day. This person had expected me to slam them and was extremely grateful that I hadn't. They had worried about getting back to me and that was why it took them so long. I felt really good and had never had such a response for turning the other cheek. I was so grateful that I had reacted like I did because it truly lifted another and isn't that what we are supposed to do. It really gives me more reason to be positive. So I hope that you too can see the young woman instead of the old hag.

The place I grew up....

Sidnee is off on a grand adventure in my home town. There are many things that I loved about growing up there. I am hoping that she will get to experience some of those things. Here are a few things that I know she will see while she is there.

The logging trucks tend to own the road. You really don't want to come around a corner and run into one of these. My dad did and totalled my absolute favorite vehicle that I drove growing up. A red ford 4 door pick up. I had tons of fun in that going digging.

It is hay season up there and she will get to help her "Papa"(my dad)drive the tractor and learn what haying is all about. I can't tell you how many times I fell asleep while plowing a field. I will say that I had a lot of fun on the haystacks playing king of the castle. I could usually beat my brother, right Brett? Oh well, he was better on the basketball court, which is where you could find us when we weren't busy on the farm.

Main street in the "Hoof". Yes there is actually a 7-11 in my home town. They even have a KFC so they are really hip. Both of those didn't exist when I lived there. My brother and I never did cruise Main as there was always stuff to do at home or at the high school gym.

The many forests around my parents house where our horses and pigs would frequently play hide and seek with us.

The Northern Lights are beautiful and one of the things I miss the most about being down here. They are beautiful and the most colorful between now and September. It is amazing to watch them. There is no denying the existence of a God when you watch them. They really do take your breath away. So Mom, take Sidnee to Cheslatta Falls, tubing down the Nechako River, put a life jacket on her before you let her jump off the Nechako Bridge, because she will jump if given half a chance. Don't forget to take her up Sinkut Mountain to see the beautiful view, and Deni, show her how to saddle a horse so that she can go riding whenever she wants and feel the wind on her face and in her hair and take her skinny dipping. A ride or two on the four wheeler up to Crystal Lake if there is time and maybe a pull or two behind the boat on some skis. Oh, don't forget to take her for some fries & gravy, she'll like those.
I don't want to live there, but I sure am grateful for some fond memories of Vanderhoof and would love for my children to experience some of my favorites. Thanks Jill for being the taxi for Sidnee. I really appreciate it. Hey Sid, bring me back some ketchup chips and Laura Secord mint chocolate, and maybe a bar or two of MacIntosh Toffee.
P.S. Don't forget to take some pictures!

Ooooowwwwwaa!

Yesterday was haircut day as our boys looked like nobody cared about them. They hate getting their hair cut. Mason is not as bad and he looks the shaggiest. Here are their before and after.

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE(blurry because he wouldn't hold still)

AFTER
I didn't realize how much the boys look alike until their haircuts were the same. I really do like Jaxon with longer hair, but it is summer and it will grow back. He, however, hates it. He screams when I show him his haircut. He says that he wants it back. I tried to tell him that it will grow back, but he doesn't believe me.

My little thorny rose!

I have this beautiful rose that I love the smell of so much, the problem is that it is very thorny and I find that very irritating sometimes. Sometimes I get such pleasure from it's beauty and other times I struggle to see past the thorns to it's beauty. I am trying to learn how to prune the thorns without marring it's aroma. I have sent this beauty to Canada to one who is a much better qualified gardener than I. I am at the point where I am totally frustrated and wanting to prune it back totally, which I know would in all likelyhood cause it to stop thriving. I am hoping that this experienced gardener can give this rose the attention that it needs while I take a break to brush up on my gardening skills and pay attention to the other plants that need my attention. I have noticed that I tend to spend more of my time and attention on the rose and the other plants don't get as much of my time. It will be nice to have a couple of weeks to spend on the rest. I seems like the rose demands as much of my time as the rest of my garden all put together does. The rose will be gone for 2 weeks on this adventure. Maybe the cooler climate will be good for her. I am hoping during this time that I can petition some insight from the Master Gardener on how to help this rose grow to it's full potential. I know that I have the tools to help it grow or He wouldn't have given it to me.

Jaxon on the 4th!

Jaxon and I picked up Seth Clark after our BBQ at the Smith's. We went home and then down to the neighborhood BBQ because they had stuff going on. Cherokee Street is the happening place after all. Jaxon and Seth were quite excited to see this little train going around. It was a golf cart pulling some garden carts that had some seat belts put in them to make them safe for the kids. They had a blast and didn't want to stop riding. They rode 3 times and whined whenever it stopped and they had to get out. It was good fun. We watched some fire works after it got dark. The loud ones scared Jaxon and he begged to go home, so home we went. We popped some popcorn after we got some jammies on and the boys watched "3 Ninjas". It was a full day for ones so little, but a good one.

I'm having a blast Mom!

Mason got to go to Idaho with Luke and Erick last Wednesday. I half expected a call from Erick a few minutes after they left because Mason didn't look to sure about going. He called at midnight when he got there and hasn't called since. We have had to call him. He has been having a blast. I knew that once he got there and got busy that he would be fine.

The Hull made him one of the family and he has fit right in even though he looks a little different. Can you pick him out of the crowd?

I love this picture of the boys, whom Tami said have been so busy that it was hard to get them to hold still.












They went to an annual chicken chase on the 4th. I thought Mason would have been afraid as he is my more timid child.










"Look what I caught Mom. Can I bring him home? His name is Fireball and I love him so much"!












This is what no looks like. I knew that this was his face before I ever saw the picture because I could hear it on the phone. He will be home tonight. I am glad that he had fun, but I miss my little buddy boy.