Melinda's Blog

Okay, OKAY already

2011-11-14T18:45:00.000-08:00

Sami has been gently encouraging me (nagging) to update my blog. I told her I really didn't have much to blog about, but I am trying to stay in her good graces so I will do as she asks.
1. Our dog poops his weight daily. Gross fact, but nearly true. If he doesn't go at least twice when we take him for a walk something is wrong (and YES, I do take along bags).

2. Our family is trying to wean ourselves from sugar. Sigh. Yes, at the holidays. I don't know why, but we always seem to pick this time to "get healthy". We went on our first walk today and it felt good. We actually had a vegetable at dinner...and yes, corn is a vegetable. It is a Carruth vegetable.

3. I am working hard on family history. I really wish that more of my ancestors had kept journals...then those tricky to figure out relationships would be oh so much easier!

4. I am having trouble accepting that my baby is a high school senior. I think I'll show you his picture now...isn't he handsome? Looks just like his dad.

5. I am having an even harder time thinking about both my kids being in college next fall. I'm glad I have a year to get used to it!

6. Dan is finished teaching the three classes he worked so hard at this year. He is very glad to be done and is hoping he won't have to do it again! Just so you know, he is the expert at SIGN RETROREFLECTIVITY. Just ask him, he can tell you all about it.

7. We had our first fire in our woodstove last week. We've had another since then. We usually don't fire it up (no pun intended) until well into December. I'm thinking maybe we'll have some SNOW. Yup, I said the "s" word to all those who have an aversion. Get used to it...we are in a La Nina year.

8. I'm 1/3rd of the way through making my homemade Christmas gifts. I love doing it, and I love being a little ahead of the mailing time curve.

9. I'm happy that I gardened this year, but even happier that it is over now. I will clean the garden out soon, and ready it for next year. I'm excited to plan and think about the possibilities!

10. I now have 72 hour kits for all of the vehicles we own, plus a larger family sized tub with more emergency preparedness things in it if we should be home and need to leave in a hurry. I am so thankful that this is the year that I decided to get this done. It feels great to be prepared!

That is all for now. Love to all of you who read my blog..I hope to be posting more in a more timely fashion.

Happy Sami? Love to you too!

Garden Finale

2011-10-05T20:47:00.001-07:00

Well I'm considering this years gardening a success. I was very happy with some things, and some things I will not repeat next year. The top two pictures show different angles - the tomatoes, lettuce, radishes, carrots, strawberries, peas and cukes all turned out great. The acorn squash got mad because I tried to move it where it didn't want to go and only gave me two squash...one of which the dog got. My onions are still 3 inches tall. They are still green as grass...but they stay the same size. The lettuce was great, but I didn't pick it all quickly enough so a lot of it went to waste. I will plant it differently next year. I had to replant the carrots, but the second time they came in like gangbusters...and they are all different colors! Tons of tomatoes - and they didn't mind being corraled by bungie cords attached to the fence. The pepper plants looked absolutely sick forever..and now that fall is on its way they are beautiful. I did get some jalapenos, but we'll see if the others mature enough to eat. I did get one red pepper that I ate - you can see it in the third picture of harvested items. It tasted great - but not great enough to pay $5 for the plant to get one pepper. The last picture is of flowers from David. He gave me dahlia tubers for mothers day this year and I planted them in the garden. I got so many beautiful blossoms! Next year I'm going to add potatoes and zucchini and remove radishes, squash, and peppers.

RIP Thomas, AKA Fatty

2011-09-25T18:02:00.001-07:00

Thomas, our last surviving cat, went to heaven last week. He was 16 years old! His arthritis was so bad that he was walking like a bulldog. Every time he jumped off the bed he cried and cried. We made the hard decision to send him to heaven. RIP Fatty!

Sami has been begging me for new pics of Anubis, so here they are:

The Honeymoon is OVER!

2011-09-08T09:02:00.001-07:00

Sweet Anubis....has turned into a little terror at times. If we leave him alone and he thinks we've been gone too long, or that we shouldn't have left at all, he tears things apart. Namely my work stuff - highlighters, pens, pencils, and ANY papers left on the arm of my computer desk. I've now learned to put things away - most of the time. He has also destroyed two pairs of Dan's reading glasses. Thank goodness these are glasses that he bought at Walmart and not at the eye doctor! We have a box full of newspapers that we use for fire starter in our woodstove that he has gotten into a couple of times...tiny bits of paper everywhere! And then, to top it all, yesterday he found these somewhere in the yard.....
Yep, two baby gray squirrels. He didn't harm them physically (mentally they'll probably never be the same!), but wanted to play. Fortunately I found him and them before they died. I couldn't just leave the sweet things there to die, so I drove them out to Tumwater to a wildlife rehab place. This sure has been an exciting adventure!

A new addition to the family

2011-08-14T09:42:00.001-07:00

Meet Anubis! We brought him home on July 1, 2011 from Prosser, Washington. Yes we traveled almost four hours for a dog. It was very hard for me after Zeus died to not have a dog in the house - I missed Zeus so much! I started looking on shelter websites across Washington for a Shepherd mix. The only one I found (at the time, of course!) was this sweet looking lab/shepherd mix in Eastern Washington. When he was found he was very very sick with parvo, and was emaciated. He was 6-8 weeks old at the time. The shelter took him in and nursed him back to health. He is a very vibrant little fellow - that is growing and growing and growing! His legs are very long for his body, and the vet says he has at least 3 breeds in him. We think he is mostly lab...and he is a digger. He is very mellow and independent, yet loves us and wants to please. We are excited to have him in our family.

COUPONS!

2011-06-28T18:32:00.001-07:00

Okay, I am NOT an extreme couponer, but I am really enjoying saving money! I saved 62% from retail on the pic with the pasta, and at least that with the other pic. Albertsons is great when they do double coupon days...like today. I bought the Rhoades Rolls and the three bottles of stain remover for $1.35!! I actually made .50 on the deal and it was 129% savings. My kids think I am crazy, but I am saving like mad on the grocery bill AND getting some food storage going!

Cat in the Sun

2011-06-28T18:30:00.001-07:00

This is Thomas, aka "Fatty". Yes I know, very unpolitically correct, but he answers to it. And he used to weigh 30 lbs. He is 16 years old now and has outlasted 3 other cats. He is declawed in the front and rarely goes outside. This happened to be a nice day and he ventured out to roll on the patio. Like a scaredy cat he ran back in when the neighbor's dog barked at him!

2011 June Update on my Garden

2011-06-28T18:24:00.001-07:00

It doesn't look a whole lot different than my last post, but some things are coming up nicely - namely the lettuce, radishes and strawberries. The peppers are languishing - I don't know why. I had to replant the carrots - and the tomatoes are finally starting to look halfway decent. I think the cukes are going to make it, but the melons & onions look sick. I'll be happy with whatever I get!

My Garden is HERE!

2011-05-22T17:25:00.001-07:00

It is done!! As long as we don't get torrential rain in the next few days, I believe I've been successful in my garden this year. I was able to finish weeding and turning it over on Friday - that is the first picture - oh, and the tomato plants I rec'd from Vicki are in too!. It is far from perfect, but most of the weeds and grass are gone and I've raked it. I thought I might die from doing this..it was SO labor intensive. I was about to give up when David appeared with a glass of water - bless my boy! I took a long drink and keep on going. I then let it rest for the day, and then on Saturday Sami and I planted it in the rain. I just wanted to get all the plants and seeds I bought IN. I planted lettuce, carrots, onions, radishes, my mother's day dahlia bulbs, peas, two kinds of cukes, watermelon, honeydew melon, and strawberries. I am SO jazzed!!

Zeus May 16, 2011

2011-05-16T18:21:00.000-07:00

Zeus lost his battle with lung cancer today and joined his canine sister Cassie in Heaven. He was a great dog - just always happy and sincerely loved us with all of his being. He was happiest going for a walk or having you just sit with him outside. He loved his "squeakies" - the toys we bought that quickly lost their squeek! He also loved ice cream, and always knew when it was his turn to "share". The minute Dan's spoon started clicking the bottom of the bowl he came running. Dan shared a last bowl of ice cream with him today. It was hard to let him go, but we know he'll be happier and will be able to breathe better again now. We love you Zeus!

Sami is Home!!

2011-05-01T15:06:00.001-07:00

Our girl is home! Dan and I flew down to Provo, Utah to get her on April 21. She was all packed up - I was so proud of her efforts. We did a little cleaning in her apartment, and then we were free to do what we wanted. I had a list of stores to shop at - ones we don't have here at home. We managed to get to all of them, and fit in visits with family and friends. On Saturday April 23 I flew home and Sami and Dan drove home. They stopped along the way and visited family, and still made it home Easter Sunday at 2:30 am. We are so glad she is back! She hopes to gain employment this summer to help with college costs, and enjoy home cooked food. I hope the summer is a nice long one so we can enjoy her before she goes back in the fall. And yeah, I don't know how to fix the pic - you get the idea though.

It stormed in Utah when we were there - aren't these clouds something else? The wind was so strong it really knocked the car around on the way back from the airport. Sami was nervous -she almost pulled over to let Dan drive but then it calmed down a bit. A truck with garbage packed in the back started losing his load - and garbage rained down! I was glad to get through that all.

I thought I would add this pic of Dan eating this scorpion laden sucker. Why he would do such a thing is beyond me...other than he can now say he did it. YUCK~!

My Garden "Becomes"

2011-05-01T14:51:00.001-07:00

So as you can see, I've weeded a bit more and am now up to the crawlspace entrance. I'm now 1/3rd of the way there! If you compare this pic to my last post, you can see what I've done. I've been disappointed with the weather - I am a fair weather gardener, and pouring down rain doesn't help my causes! By the time I went back out after the days of rain had passed, I found new weeds in my already weeded garden. So patiently I plucked the new ones out and then moved on to the old. It kind of reminds me of life. When we work hard at overcoming a bad habit, or work at maintaining a new one, we can't just say "okay I conquered, I'm done with that and on to something new!" Periodically we have to go back over old territory and pluck weeds to make sure we are maintaining what we've gained. It doesn't take much usually, just a little care.

Oh, and I've learned how to grow the best, most wonderful lawn anyone has ever seen! Plant a garden - you'll have all the most hardy, hard to pull grass you could ever want.

I thought I would update you on Zeus too. Here he is with his second most favorite play thing. Yes its a log - and a small one at that. Usually he will get one from our wood pile that is nearly too big for him to carry in his mouth, and then proudly run around with it. He was tired in this photo because he ran around "visiting" his neighbor doggy friends (from his side of the fence - he didn't run loose) while I gardened. He is getting shorter of breath now, and if he runs too hard he nearly passes out. Generally though, besides a little coughing he does okay. He coughs occasionally, some days more than others, but other than that he seems happy. The lump on his side gets bigger with each day, but it doesn't seem to slow him at all. We are watching closely for signs of pain, although the vet said he probably wouldn't have any, just a tougher time breathing as time goes on. We are just loving him, and taking one day at a time. It is a good outlook on our own lives, don't you think?

Zeus the Wonder Dog

2011-04-16T20:38:00.000-07:00

Two posts in one day, I know, can you believe it? I've decided to become better at blogging since I love reading my friend's blogs. This is Zeus. He is my best friend during the day when no one else is at home. He lays behind my computer while I work; when it is raining and we can't walk outside he lays by my treadmill as I sweat away; he even follows me to the bathroom and sits outside the closed door. He lets me know when someone comes to the door, and he makes me feel safe. I don't hesitate to walk around the block or even in the next neighborhood when I have him by my side. We found out recently he has lung cancer. A strange diagnosis for such a young dog (6 years). He still runs around outside like crazy, but he coughs more every day. We will be sad when it is his turn to go to heaven, but I am so grateful to have had him in my life. Love you Zeus!

The Turtle vs the Rabbit

2011-04-16T20:29:00.000-07:00

So we've had this raised garden spot for years. I've planted in it quite a few times, although in recent years mostly it is a spot for grass and weeds. Oh, if only the grass grew as well in my lawn as it does in the garden! Anyway, prior to last year I hadn't gardened in a few years. Too much to do in other places. Last year I decided I really wanted homemade salsa - from fresh grown tomatoes. So the kids and I spent a day digging out the weeds and grass...til we got down to the opening to under the house. We had to stop there because we found a bird's nest in the grass. Anyway, I figured we had enough space for tomatoes and peppers. We planted....and it rained, and rained, and rained. I gave up, the tomatoes finally came back but the peppers died. I let the garden to to seed..again.

It was suggested by my doctor that I need to be outside more during the day. I need the sun on my face so that I sleep better at night. So I decided to take on the garden again. I decided to start today by just pulling grass a little at a time. Slow and sure wins the race - like the turtle, right? So the first pic above shows what I finished today. Doesn't look like much, but it was the end with the bird's nest in it last year, so this was 2 years worth of grass and weeds. It felt good, and I decided that even if I only plant flowers in May, I will have my face in the sun whenever it shows. I'll post more pics as I get more weeded.

Someone Turned 50!

2011-03-27T15:00:00.001-07:00

Dan turned 50 on March 17, 2011 and we had to have a party to celebrate! We held it on March 19 at the home of friends of ours. It was a blast to connect with people we haven't seen in awhile, and to share stories about Dan. Funny stories were shared of course, but people also told what a good person he is - and how he would give the shirt off his back to anyone in need. It was a great night!

The Flower

2011-02-20T18:12:00.001-08:00

We moved into our house in March of 1992. Sami was not yet a year old, and could barely see out the front window when standing on her tip toes. Our yard was full of flowers - big flower beds everywhere, and along every side of the house. It was beautiful....and overwhelming. I couldn't keep up with it and keep up with everything else. So we tore out all of the beds and replaced most everything with grass. All around the house we dug down and put in black rock bordered by landscaping timbers - the red ones. It made a sidewalk all the way around - and we didn't have to mow next to the house, which was nice. The year after we made all of these changes a lone tulip pushed up through the black rock and bloomed. It was very pretty - and I thought "as soon as it is done blooming I will dig it up and transplant it." Spring turned into summer, and I totally forgot about that tulip. Until next year - and it bloomed again! And so on and so on. Now we are in 2011 and that tulip is now sprouting 4 blooms instead of one. The kids and I look for it every year - and none of us is planning on removing it any time soon. As I was pondering today during church about trials and what makes us move through them I thought of this tulip. When going through a trial I think about being in a black tunnel. I can't see light behind me, yet it is most familiar as that is where I came from. The urge to turn around and go back is strong. I can't see light ahead of me, and the fear of failure keeps me from wanting to move forward - even though I know the light is there - my Heavenly Father tells me it is and I so desperately want to believe it. When I take one step forward, and step with faith towards the light - opposite of where I have been - I grow. With each step the darkness becomes lighter....and finally I see peeks of light - until I burst through the dark rock into the beautiful day. Kind of like the tulip....and each year we grow more and learn more until we blossom into a bouquet.

Here we are again...

2010-08-15T20:21:00.001-07:00

Well it is that time of year - again. August, late summer, the time of hot days and scurrying to finish the last of summer while preparing for fall. We have had a great summer. We've tried to take it a little slower - like my last post - and just enjoy our family. Having Sami home was wonderful! And David now has his drivers license and is driving everywhere. This fall will seem a little strange when the kids are back at school (Sami at college and David a high school junior). I'm a little unsure about it. When we started the summer it seemed to stretch out before us like a long break...now it is almost over and I feel like it just started!

We had the opportunity to attend an 80th birthday party for Dan's uncle in Port Townsend. It was really a family reunion for most of us. I loved being able to reconnect with those we haven't seen in a long time, and commit to seeing those who live close by more frequently. We had great entertainment - we have some very talented family members who are brave enough to share their talents. Most of all it was wonderful to drift from group to group and catch up on life. How often do we have the chance to do that in our busy lives?

My hope for this next 12 months is that we continue to reconnect with those we have lost touch with. Let a little of the "busyness" of life relax a little, and just take time to savor a few minutes with those we love. Anyone want to join me?

Breathe deep....relax

2010-06-30T20:59:00.000-07:00

I am trying to get better at not being in such a rush. Sami and I were in Walmart tonight, and we both said - this is fun! The reason it was fun is because I was being patient with her shopping, and we weren't in a hurry to get somewhere else. How often does that happen? It seems to me that most of life is "hurry hurry - we need to get to the next place, activity, whatever". I'm trying to make it my goal to slow down - do the important things and then relax. Hard to do!

We returned from Utah...and Lived!

2010-04-25T14:40:00.000-07:00

We just returned home from flying to Utah to pick up Sami and her stuff for the summer.....stuff. Wow. Here are a few travel tips I gathered that I thought I would share:
1. Smarte Cartes at the airport (to put all of your luggage on) are not only for the aged and business traveler. Won't ever traipse across a crowded airport without one of these again.
2. When you receive a prompting, please pay attention. 2 coins for the above mentioned Smarte Cartes had been sitting in my car for years - some other traveler must have left them there. I kept thinking "I should take those with us". Didn't. So instead paid full fee for the carts..which was worth it, but still.
3. Spend the extra money on a decent room. It's worth it to be in a clean place where the staff bend over backwards to help you. Doesn't have to be the Ritz, either.
4. Be thankful when your college returning child has 5 bags and not 10. Saw several with the larger amount. Made me want to cry for the parents. They needed 2 or 3 Smarte Cartes.
5. Take a little time out to visit. We had the best time with our friends, the Hansens, who so graciously let us come and spend the day with them before we came home. We love you!

Glad to be home and glad to have Sami home for the summer. Now does anyone have a job for her???

It's February!

2010-02-12T20:22:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it is February already...and that my last post was in October! I keep putting off posting because I think that I have to put a picture in each post..that is dumb! I'll try to do better about not waiting so long to post - and post even when I don't have pictures.

Thursday (February 11, 2010) was my last day at my job that I do away from home. It was a very hard decision to quit...and many factors played into my reasons. I thought I would be there forever! Slowly it became apparent to me that it wasn't in my future. My billing business here at home has grown and I was feeling like I wasn't doing a good job at either job...so I chose to be here. I know God has a plan for me - and that was the major decider in which way to go - I just have to be patient now until the plan is revealed! In the meantime I am going to try to do some things for myself - like exercise - and get caught up on things that I have had to let slide. Nah, I'm not going to dust..that can slide forever.

On another note, Sami is home visiting us for the long weekend. It is so great to have her here. She is has a sunny personality and just shines whereever she is. David is getting ready to try out for baseball at school, and is now playing basketball for the church league. He is having a blast - he loves sports. Dan is getting over a bad cold,and is frantically studying all of the time for the college math course he is taking. He is so smart...maybe someday I'll take a course or two and see what I can learn.

Families can Be Together Forever

2009-10-11T16:54:00.001-07:00

This picture is of the Seattle LDS temple. I wanted to share it's beauty with all of my readers, but especially those of you who are not of my faith. I want each of you to know that the thing I treasure most in this world is my temple marriage to Dan. I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that by attending the temple and being sealed together there for time and all eternity that we will be able to remain together not only in this life but in the next. Our children also...and their children and so on. I am extending an invitation to anyone who wants to learn more about how you can be with your family together forever to contact me. No pressure involved, I just want to share what I know. I love you!

Leavenworth Autumn Leaf Festival

2009-09-27T19:11:00.000-07:00

Our weekend trip to Leavenworth was great! Every year our high school band participates in the Autumn Leaf Festival parade in Leavenworth. Last year we went and watched both Sami and David play in the parade and stayed for the year. This year we decided to stay over the weekend. The number of people that came was amazing...the shops were very full. We've decided that we will go back for the day again this summer to enjoy the shopping without so many people! The band won first place for AAA schools. YEA River Ridge High School!

Finally, our Utah Trip!

2009-09-27T18:56:00.001-07:00

We weren't sure we would have time to go to Temple Square - I am SO glad we managed to get there! We had a whirlwind tour of the temple grounds, the church office building, and the visitors center and we pretty much ran through most of it. It was so beautiful!
It took us a few trips to various stores, but we finally were successful in getting Sami's room put together. We did buy some things ahead of time and had them shipped to our friend's house...but it was amazing the number of times we still had to go to the store. And I would not have believed this if you had sworn on a stack of bibles, but most things WERE cheaper at the bookstore!

David spent most of the trip "trying to have patience!" The one thing he wanted was to buy a special CTR ring...and they didn't have the one he wanted in his size. We did order it when we got home - so not all was lost. It was very hard to leave her there - but we all knew it was the right thing. We are so excited that she is coming home for Thanksgiving!

Only in Utah

2009-09-01T14:16:00.000-07:00

I will definitely post pictures soon, but since SOME of you think I am stingy in my posting, I will do this for now until I can unbury work desk!

We just got back from taking Sami to BYU. For those of you who don't know, it is in Provo, Utah. We noted a few things there that you would only find in a heavily populated Mormon place....
1. A store devoted entirely to TIES. Millions of them. I had to drag David away..
2. A store just for missionary preparation...anything and everything you may NEED on a mission.
3. Beggars with signs that said "Jesus loves you" and "Love your neighbor, please give".
4. A chapel on nearly every street corner.
5. A ward for every three streets, and a stake almost as often!
6. Someone sitting behind us on the plane to Utah testifying of his knowledge of the savior and the gospel.
7. Food storage - huge food storage - for sale in Walmart!

The Coolest thing EVER

2009-08-11T19:13:00.000-07:00

Well, if you are not a fan of genealogy, this may not be the coolest to you. This last week I contacted someone that entered in info on my family line into Family Search. After a couple of days I was disappointed because they didn't email me right back - very patient, I am. Then I received an email today. We really couldn't prove, yet, that my ancestor is her ancestor, BUT, she had me go to this website: http://pilot.familysearch.org. I did, and found the coolest, most wonderful site ever! If I am the very last one to discover this site please don't laugh. I was able to pull up my ancestor's name and with the name it had a copy of the ACTUAL register where the ancestor and his new wife's names were written! It is amazing! Go - go now and look for yourself! It is SO COOL!

Boys of Summer

2009-08-03T20:11:00.000-07:00

This is not happy post, nor a funny one. I have been agonizing all day over some news that I received. I believe this happened Sunday...Four boys that were on the varsity baseball team at my children's high school were involved in an accident. A preventable accident. This entry is not to place blame, or stand in judgement - it is just one mother's view of a terrible, awful happening. These boys were at the height of their lives. 18 - newly graduated seniors with their whole lives ahead of them. They decided to drink and drive. Now one of them is dead, one is critically injured, one is in jail facing dire consequences of being the driver, and one walked away with no physical injuries, but probably enough emotional injuries to last a lifetime. I've seen these boys - I saw them all get awards at the baseball award banquet. I believe they all signed my daughter's yearbook. What a waste. I feel deeply for their parents and the anguish they must feel. I feel for the boys themselves, and the awful realization of the consequences they must now face. How I wish they could be boys of summer one more time.

106 Degrees.....One Hot Cat

2009-07-29T20:07:00.000-07:00

Does this need any explanation?? It IS HOT!

Everyone is Dripping....

2009-07-28T18:39:00.001-07:00

Do you hear it? The constant drip, drip, drip...no it is not a leaky faucet, but all of us SWEATING! I am SO ready for fall! And yes, I am whining, I live in Washington! The temperate state...not too cold, not too hot. But it IS too hot!

High School Graduate...part 2

2009-05-16T21:35:00.002-07:00

Sami graduated with honors (a 3.5 or higher) and was a WASL achiever...this means that she passed the state mandated testing that graduates MUST pass in order to graduated, the first time she took the test. We are very, very proud of her...she is now college bound!

A High School Graduate

2009-05-16T21:35:00.001-07:00

I am still not proficient at adding pictures to my posts....so I'll do the best I can to share this most wonderous event with everyone. The top picture is of the impromptu manicure and pedicure that Sami and I gave her before her Graduation Party. They are our school colors of Navy & Silver! Then the next pix is of her with the cake we bought. We had family and friends over to grandma's house to celebrate the completion of her high school education.

Prom Princess 2009

2009-05-16T21:35:00.000-07:00

Well we lived through getting ready for our last prom. Sam has been preparing for weeks now for this event and at this moment she is dancing the night away. We always start formal dance preparation the same way...shopping for the dress. It has to be perfect, and she always knows when it is the "one". We found it right away this year, however we shopped for days afterwards to be sure. Then come the shoes, the nails, the hair...Isn't she beautiful?

More Spring Break fun!

2009-05-16T21:32:00.001-07:00

Sam decided she didn't want to weed...so I gave her the chore of cleaning the inside. She said

she'd clean the whole house and she did! She took pictures so she'd have proof of her hard work. She kept saying - I did the whole thing! She did a great job - this is what our kitchen looks like (occasionally, at least!)

2009-05-16T21:28:00.000-07:00

I have a pad of paper on my refrigerator that has a list on it that young son here wrote. It is a list of chores and the title of it is "Mean Lady's Chores". Well during spring break for one day we did some work...this is my son weeding and turning over our garden so we can plant this year. I put these pics on here backwards...the top pic is when he finished!

2009-04-28T16:53:00.000-07:00

This Great, Wonderful, College bound young woman just won her first scholarship! If you see Sami, tell her "congratulations!"

Faith and Fear

2009-04-05T12:00:00.000-07:00

While awaiting the final session of General Conference, a thought continues to run through my mind. I think this will be the first time in many years that I have seen all sessions of conference. I have enjoyed it, probably partly because I am in my jammies and I can eat breakfast while listening to the choir sing! I also enjoyed the messages and can tell you that some hit very close to home. One phrase that has been repeated in this conference, and many times in my own circumstances in the last year, is "Faith and Fear cannot coexist". It is so easy (believe me, I know) to rely on fear as our rudder instead of faith. How often do our minds shoot off into "what if" scenarios? There are so many things to fear. I would like to challenge all of us, including me, to rely on our faith instead. Crowd the fear out. Replace our "what if" thinking with "as long as I do what I know to be right, things will work out". Don't give room to the fear, and the faith will grow. All it needs is a little space, a little nurishment, and Heavenly Father will do the rest.

I've been Tagged!

2009-02-28T22:08:00.000-08:00

Not so sure how this works, but I'm going to try! Crazy 8's....

8 Favorite TV Shows
1. House
2. Friends (yeah, I KNOW they are reruns)
3. Giada on the Food Channel
Couldn't come up with 8 - I don't watch that much TV!

8 Things I Did Yesterday
1. Doctors Appt.
2. Finished the book "The Shopaholic & Manhattan (LOVED IT!)
3. Worked on Scholarships with Sami (hours...)
4. Worked at my home job (medical billing)
5. Took David to the batting cages
6. Sneezed 140 billion times (winter cold...ew)
7. Bought Sudafed - did you know you have to sign for it?
8. Went to dinner with friends (after the sudafed, of course)

8 Things I Look Forward To
1. Sun sun sun - 75 degrees
2. Regaining my girly figure
3. Finishing helping Sami with scholarships
4. Leavenworth this fall!
5. Spring cleaning (yes, I am weird)
6. Having a few less pets
7. Retirement (yes, I know that is YEARS off)
8. Going to the temple

8 Favorite Restaurants
1. Casa Mia
2. Olive Garden
3. Taco Bell
4. Applebees
5. the Thai restaurant in the mall - the sit down one, not the food court one
6. El Sarape on the westside
7. Big Toms
8. Anywhere where I don't have to cook!

8 Things I Wish For
1. Two healthy, happy, confident kids
2. To be a good mom for my kids and wife to my husband
3. For all of us to be healthy
4. To finish the kids' scrapbooks
5. Dan to enjoy his job
6. To pay off our bills
7. For my family to say "oh mom, dinner looks great!....oh, mom dinner tastes great!
8. Vacation

8 People I Tag
1. Vicki
2. Anyone else who reads my blog! let me know who you are!

Accepted!

2009-02-14T21:03:00.000-08:00

Sami has been accepted to BYU Provo! There were a lot of people that said she wouldn't make it in as she didn't have a 4.0 and she didn't take enough AP classes....but they were WRONG, and she did make it!! We are very excited for her...now please pray she gets some scholarships! We've spent a lot of time applying for them. I know now why they say it is like a parttime job when you apply for scholarships. It is amazing the work it entails. She went to a baptism this morning and was home by noon. She worked from noon to 5:15 - solidly. She must have typed over 1000 words in the different essays she needed to write. I was her editor...and her writer's block breaker...and her cheerleader. I love you Sami! I know you'll do great!

Mapleine

2009-02-11T21:58:00.000-08:00

I never thought I would ever do this....I purchased my own bottle of MAPLEINE! For those of you not "in the know" Mapleine is the genuine imitation maple flavoring ingredient in grandma's special maple syrup! (which, I believe has enough butter to harden your arteries, as David reports, and lots of mapleine, sugar, and water) Grandma (according to my children) makes the BEST PANCAKES and MAPLE SYRUP in the WORLD! No matter how often I make them, they never compare to grandma's. I am glad grandma has this distinction - because when it comes time to have them for dinner (Sami's suggestion) I won't be making them! Sami has agreed to take on the next generation of pancake making in our family. WOO HOO Sami!

Bowling is NOT a spectator sport

2009-01-30T18:21:00.000-08:00

My daughter decided this fall to join her school's bowling team. Of course she wanted us all to come watch her bowl. So off we went, twice a week, to area bowling alleys to watch her. She did very well - advanced from the C team to Varsity! I've decided that bowling is not a spectator sport, however. First of all, there are at most 3 chairs to sit in that are even remotely close to the alley you want to watch. The other 2 chairs that are nearby are filled with both team's gear - including everything they took to school that day (backpacks, cell phones, shoes, coats, etc). The day that you arrive early (or you THINK you are early) they decide to start even earlier, so you shouldn't even try. Today was culmination of the year - the district competition. Fortunately it was held in a bowling alley with more room than I've ever seen, however we had to drive an hour and a half to get there! There were so many fans, you had to really jockey for a position to see - well you could see if you stood on one foot and closed one eye and tilted your head to look around the tall man in front of you! We ended up getting brave and asking if we could sit with other teams - and were lucky to find a seat now and again. All in all it is fun cheering your child on in a sport. She did well today and ended this season on a happy note.

Life's Lessons

2009-01-22T18:49:00.000-08:00

After teaching a lesson on Sunday at church I was struck by the number of women who think their offerings as mothers, wives, sisters, aunts, are not acceptable. That somehow, after all the laundry, dirty toilets, running about for this child or that, they should have the extra time to be sure there are no dust bunnies ANYWHERE, and they are calm, cool, and collected ALL THE TIME. I do not think I am perfect by any stretch, and often have trouble accepting that any part of my offering to my family, workplace, friends, world is acceptable. However, it has become my goal to help myself and as many others as I can reach to understand that we are expected to try our best - and the Lord picks up the rest. We are not expected to be perfect in any way...just to try our best. So next time you are tempted to punish yourself because the laundry is growing (why don't we ever have more to wear if the laundry GROWS?), or the flower beds are weeded, remember, we are acceptable as we are in the sight of God.

I'm Back!!!

2009-01-22T18:47:00.000-08:00

Well, at the urging of some good friends, I am attempting once again to blog. I love reading other's blogs, so maybe now I can find those extra minutes to blog some of my own. It was suggested to me that this is a good way to journal - and needing help in that department thought that was a good idea.

Sleeping

2007-04-14T15:50:00.000-07:00

One of my most favorite things in the world is to sleep in. As a mom, now often does that happen? Kids and hubby need lunches during the week, and weekends are often filled with chores that need to be done and not enough hours to do them! So today was one of those rare days. Kids and hubby left at 6 am - yes AM - to go fishing. I snuggled in after they left and drifted back to a warm comfy sleep.......to be awoken by howling. Not a few barks to let me know that someone had walked by the house or started their car, but consistent, persistent howling! Our two canine children decided it was a good time to practice for the local howl-in. About the time I was reaching for anything that could resemble a weapon they stopped. And the kids and hubby rolled in. Sigh.....maybe next time!

My First Entry!

2007-04-11T19:53:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure how successful I will be at blogging, but I have been lurking reading many blogs recently and decided to join the fun. I like to read about others lives - makes mine seem simple! I am in the midst of changing jobs, my 15 year old is learning to drive, and my 12 year old is in the throes of baseball season. We are kept busy with all that, plus our 4 cats and 2 dogs. Oh my - I don't know how I ended up with SO many animals! I've done this secret study....I've noticed that when my friends get done having children they continue building their families with "animal" children! Seems to have happened to me. Maybe I was supposed to have 8 children???