favorite meal

I love this time of year--
I love the cooler weather
the smell in the air--
blankets on the bed-
the ability to wear a sweater
and socks--
but most of all
I love the FOOD!
Warm,
yummy,
comfort food.
Being a thanksgiving baby
i have a real affinity for pie--
and all thanksgiving food--
But more than anything
I love what we do with the leftover turkey.

We found a recipe years ago
that has become a family favorite--
a reason to REALLY look forward to thanksgiving-
and the leftovers that come with that day.
The funny thing is though
we make EXTRA leftovers
just so we can make this meal.

This is our thanksgiving meal with our friends--
We all have family in town--
and while we love them and spending time with them
there are those moments

when you wish you spend the holiday with your friends--
so we do our "friends thanksgiving"

on the Sunday following thanksgiving--
and boy do we feast.....
First my brother makes homemade noodles

with the help of his son--kinda like the young apprentice

passing on the tradition to the next generation

it could be made on dry pasta--
but the yumminess level goes up several notches with his pasta

Then we take the turkey
(which we made extra of--just so we could make this meal)
and marinate it in "Stuff"
Broil it till it is warm and crispy
then we make a cream sauce
(how can you go wrong with butter and cream)
Pour it over and top it with peas
so it appears healthy

I love this dish

my arteries on the other hand....

are grateful we only have it only have it once a year.

It doesn't take long for the dish to be devoured

Leaving us all very full and satisfied...
knowing it will be another year until we will have it again.
Gotta love tradition---
did i mention the yummy rolls also?
And what about the pumpkin bars
or cranberry bars--
man i love our Thanksgiving alternatives....

Canasta

I found this post on Heidi Swapps blog
It made me laugh and made me think of this past weekend

"You can’t make footprints in the sands of time

if you’re sitting on your butt.

And who wants to make buttprints in the sands of time?"

- Bob Moawad

While the "boys" were out playing in the snow/mud and doing the things boys do
the girls were inside where it was toasty warm playing games and sitting on our butts.
We are quite the competative group when it comes to our games--
The new game this weekend that held us captive was an oldie.....
CANASTA.
You are asking yourself as we did "Isn't that a game that old people play?"
It is the same question that was posed by all that came in
and i think i even thought it at one time
for some reason while playing it i felt like i should be talking with a New York accent.
Just my little wierdness. And yes Canasta has been around since the 50's--
isn't it funny how everything old is new again?
We definitly play games in cycles--
what will next years game be....HMMMM

Need to get my hearing checked

Sometimes, something is said
and it makes you do a double take--
wondering if you really heard what you thought you heard.
Today i had one of those moments
that left me scratching my head
and laughing to myself.

I was at work--
my team had just gotten on the bus
(I had girls soccer)
and here comes a kid from the boys team
and he asked the girls coach
(who is also a guy)
We need to borrow your panties--
(at least i thought that was what he said?!)
I have heard alot of requests for things from coaches before
but this was a first--
And never mind the fact that guys don't usually call their underwear
"PANTIES"?
I turned around with a rather perplexed look on my face
and asked the kid
"What did you just say?"
He replied
"I need to borrow the PENNIES"
(as in the practice jerseys)
I started crackin' up.
Yup--it's time to get the hearing checked.....

The best Grilled Cheese

My kids have skills in the kitchen.
They are all accomplished in cooking something--
which is wonderful for me.
They keep me fat and happy.
Today I was hungry for something--
and knowing that we were virtually out of everything
i knew that my choices were slim--
What is a girl to do?
Well this cute punk
offered to make me a grilled cheese.

He makes a perfect grilled cheese--
perfectly golden brown
with just the right amount of butter
and then the cheese
--perfectly melted
YUMMMM---IEEEE

Can i just say this was theeeee best grilled cheese
i have ever had.
Maybe the fact that i was served it in bed
made it even better.
Maybe because it was made with LOVE--
maybe because it was my "BIG" birthday
Or maybe because i LOVE this kid
that made it the tastiest....
Whatever the case--it was a great--
maybe he should now work on mastering the
Paninni.....

Good propaganda

The other day i received an E-mail
about a thanksgiving lunch that my sons seminary class was having.
He was on the list to bring a dessert---
along with about 15 other kids.
I thought that was alot of dessert for a group their size.
But the real question is
"Can you ever have too much dessert?"
I say NO!
There were equal numbers bringing salad--
HMMM--must be alot of kids who like salad.
When i dropped off the dessert
I noticed that a number of the schools administration
was walking up to the church.
Thinking to myself-I thought
"That was nice of them to invite the principles and such"
When i walked in the gym was filled with tables--
(I realize now that i was a bit SLOW on the thought process)
It still was not registering in my brain-
until the bell rang
and THRONGS of students
(enough to stop traffic for a bit)
crossed the street to come to our church for lunch.
Our church put on a free thanksgiving lunch
for ALL the students at the high school!
Our doors were opened for ALL to enter--
I loved seeing it happen.
Maybe for some it was the first time in our church--
A security guard spoke with my son when he was cleaning up
He said he knew that our church did alot of good in the community and wished
that it was being mentioned more instead of the political nonsense.
I couldn't agree more.
It won't happen overnight
but maybe it made a difference today
even if it is only a small one...

Something to ponder

I am still plugging away at organizing--
but nothing new to report about it--
plus i want to write about something else-
something that i have been thinking about-
something that i have been pondering-

Since the election things have been a bit crazy-
My girlfriend and i were talking about this the other night.....
and then I have been reading about this as well.
(this is a very interesting article from a LA police officer who is a member of my church)
and hearing about people who are rather upset
at the way a proposition regarding marriage turned out.
I have seen pictures of protests outside our temples--

It seems that in the name of tolerance your views are tolerated ONLY
if the coincide with what someone else believes.

I have heard of people losing their jobs because of the way they voted.
I have heard of people having their cars and homes vandalized over this.

We have not hid our beliefs on the sanctity we feel for marriage.

This country was founded on religious freedom,

and yet here we are fighting for our right to use our constitutional right to vote

to protect our religious freedoms..

I can't help but wonder why this is not viewed by the police as HATE crimes.
If we were Jewish and this was our synagogue would they allow people to write on it?

--to openly vandalize it?

This picture tears me up--I hate vandalism and graffiti

I don't even let my children write on their bodies in pen

because i believe the body is a temple--

and here someone is openly defacing part of our church grounds.

We are being singled out for what we believe--

The sad thing is this is not the first time this has happened.

In the early years of our church we were chased out of Missouri and had an extermination order placed upon us. They took everything away from us--in order to be rid of us.

They even killed our prophet in hopes of disbanding our church--

All of this because of what we believed.

I thought things had changed...

Now we are being persecuted

for wanting to keep the sanctity of marriage intact.

I feel for those people who are up front in this battle.

I wonder how i would handle it--

if i was challenged at every turn to stand up for my faith--

Would I?

My prayer is that I would be strong enough--

and that those that are being challenged will be also.

It is not an easy thing to be singled out for what you believe.

I find it interesting that the bill passed with 52% in CA

and yet the state is NOT 52% Mormon--

HMMM who else is being targeted for their beliefs?

I love what Paul Bishop who is an LDS cop in CA said about this

"Tolerance is not agreement

and should not be a one way street.

However,

we must still remain tolerant of those

who are intolerant of us.
Recognize the adversary at work here

– making good seem bad

and evil seem good."

and the cleaning continues...

I am just going to apologize now--
in my pursuit to write 365 entries this year--
I tend to write what i know at the time--
and my life these days
involves cleaning and organizing.
If only it happened as fast as it does on TV.
It doesn't!!!
And to boot--
why is getting organized so tiring?
And why do things have to get worse--
before they get better?

All progress is precarious,

and the solution of one problem

brings us face to face with another problem.

-----
Martin Luther King, Jr. quotes

This is the picture of the spillage out into
my once clean dining room....

At least now you can see the floor into the office
and i have a few surfaces clean--
(these had to be cleaned off to be moved tomorrow)

I got my shelves up--
they only minorly frustrated me-
How much fun it has been having a place to put things.

I figured out what my problem is--
I have enough to stock a small store--
in something the size of a storeroom--

kinda like squeezing those extra 10 pounds into jeans that are too small--
everything just kinda spills out where it can

And lest i think I was actually getting ahead--
A leak developed in the laundry room
(origin yet to be determined)
and so the room which had be clean,neat and orderly up this point
is now NOT!
Just one more thing to put back on the list....

You don't make progress by standing on the sidelines,
whimpering and complaining.
You make progress by implementing ideas.
Shirley Hufsteddler quotes

I know i am making progress-
it is just that sometimes it is hard to see
the forest through the trees .

It would be difficult for me to express all my thoughts about it. It remains a constant disappointment to me that my drawings are not yet what I want them to be. The difficulties are indeed numerous and great, and cannot be overcome immediately. Making progress is like miners' work: it doesn't advance as quickly as one should like, and also as others expect; but faced with such a task, patience and faithfulness are essential. In fact, I don't think much about the difficulties, because if one thought of them too much, one would get dazed or confused.
Vincent Van Gogh quotes

A clean balance?

There needs to be balance.

I love a clean and organized house--
Who doesn't?
When it is messy it does drive me crazy--
and yet keeping it clean
and staying ontop of my kids--
and becoming a raving lunatic in the process
also drives me crazy.


Our lives are busy-
busier than i ever anticipated...
but i refuse to be the maid in this house--

How do you find balance in keeping it clean and life relaxed?

I don't want to be a "cleaning freak"and yet i want it clean?
I need some of that fairy dust that once it gets clean it will stay clean?
Anyone know where i can pick some up? Price is of no object.

Our house is clean enough to be healthy,

and dirty enough to be happy."

----

~ Author Unknown

A day lost in IKEA

Why is it
that in the pursuit of cleanliness
and all things organized--
things have to get much worse
before they can get better?

I started digging out my office today--
SCARY!!!
Heaven forbid that i would fall in there
and not be able to get up.....
I think i would have been buried alive--
For this reason it is safer to work together with someone---
the buddy system isn't just for swimming anymore.....

To truly prepare for this task---
this monumental undertaking--
I felt it warranted a visit to IKEA.
Who knew that i would spend
both breakfast (which was free)
and lunch there today?
When i finally made up my mind
as to which storage system would work best for me--
i proceeded to gather the boxes up and head for the exit--
but not before going to the "last chance" section.
Can i tell you how much I love this area of the store?
I think i was a year ago that my girlfriend and i came away
with only inches to spare in my van--
that we managed to fill with amazing deals.....
(You have to go back into this area with NO expectations
of finding what you want.)
As i cruised through the area and was about to exit-
i found the exact shelf--color and all--
that only minutes earlier i was prepared to pay full price for-
only this was about a third cheaper.
YIPPIE!--
and it was already put together--
what a deal--
only one problem--
it didn't fit in the truck put together
so we still had to take it apart.

So now with new storage possibilities
i am ready to take on the room
and make magic happen.
Who knows--
maybe i will actually be able to work in there one day soon....

(pictures of the progress will soon be following--stay tuned for updates)

Picky eaters

We are a household that loves food.
We LOVE all kinds of food--
and sometimes we forget
that not everyone is like that--
----like us.

Tonight my oldest was invited to a friends house for dinner
and being the dutiful mom
I reminded her to use her manners
ask if they need help
and to eat anything that was placed before her.
She laughed at that last statement
and responded that she wouldn't have any problems
because the friend she was eating with WAS picky.

We have always had the two bite rule in our home--
or
try it---you might like it.
And the forever favorite statement is
"you get what you get--and you don't throw a fit"

“Food is a subject of conversation
more spiritually refreshing even than the weather,
for the number of possible remarks about the weather is limited,
whereas of food you can talk on and on and on.
Moreover, no heat of controversy is induced
by mention of the atmospheric conditions
(seeing that we are all agreed
as to what is a good day and what is a bad one)
and where there can be no controversy
there can be no intimacy in agreement.
But tastes in food differ so sharply…
that a pronounced agreement in them
is of all bonds a union the most intimate.
Thus, if a man hates tapioca pudding
he is a good fellow and my friend."
A. A. Milne, ‘Lunch’ (1934)

I have learned that taste buds change
(except where eggplant is concerned)
and the way things are prepared makes a HUGE difference
(ie: brussell sprouts)
in your ability to like something.
I also feel that having an open mind makes a big difference
in your ability to like something.
As Americans we are rather finicky eaters
compared to the rest of the world--
we leave many "parts" of the animal untouched--
(and I am OK with that--since i live here---
but.....
if i was in a foreign country i would try to do as they do)
i hope that i have/am preparing my children
to be open to other cultures/food
for when they serve their missions
or eat in others homes.

I spoke with the daughter after she got home
inquiring on the evening--
they had pot roast--easy enough to like--
but she said her friend did not like gravy--
who doesn't like gravy?
Isn't gravy like a food group of its own?
They discussed the fact about his pickiness--
and she told him that he wouldn't want to eat at our house--
because her parents don't like picky eaters--
(a whole lot of truth to that statement)
I don't know what we would do
if any of my children ended up with a picky eater--
it would be a major travesty--
I would wonder where we had gone wrong in their upbringing-
it would make me question my roll as a mother and if i had failed....

liking food is right up there with....

1.being faithful in the gospel
2.treats my child well-
3.adores my child
4.able to provide support for their spouse
5.has ambition
6.NOT A PICKY EATER
7.plays and is competitive at "Settlers"

Can you really trust someone who won't eat your cooking?
Or be willing to try something new.....
(up to this point we have yet to poison anyone...)

I can only hope that as my children start into the courtship stage of their lives
that they will take this to heart.

"Food...
can look beautiful,
taste exquisite,
smell wonderful,
make people feel good,
bring them together,
inspire romantic feelings....

At its most basic,
it is fuel for a hungry machine;..."
Rosamond Richardson, English cookery author

It seemed like a good idea at the time...

(Note to self--even if you think it is a good idea--don't do it)

I am somewhat of a laundry goo--rew
I read the labels
and try to be obedient to what they say--
but there are those moments of craziness
where i step outside that box
and mix it up--
ignore the label
thinking i know more than they do.

I have been washing everything in sight.
Washed the covers from the comfy chair--
and they still fit when i put them back on--
that is always a good sign.
(they were still wet--
so poor little man had to wait to go to sleep till they dried)

Pillows from my bed--
Washed--
oh how nice they smell-
and plump and fluffy again--
this was a good idea.

Now the feather pillows from the couch--
Yeah--not so good.
I have washed feather pillows before--
I know that it says
Dry clean only--
but lets be real--
if i have to take it to the dry cleaners-
let alone pay for it to be dry cleaned
i might as well buy new ones--
so in the washer it went.
Let's think about this for a minute--
do ducks get dry cleaned?
NO--
Ever seen a duck in the water--
all the time--
so it seemed like a safe bet that they could be washed.
The key to making this work is the drying part--
you must be attentive to the soggy pillows
and make sure that the dryer does NOT turn off
leaving the wet pillows in a smelly heap--
Also--you might want to notice the zipper on the cover
before you wash the pillows--
there by eliminating the actual washing of the pillow--
and just washing the cover which was really what needed it after all.
Some things work--
some things don't--
After all life is about trial and error--
taking chances--
Woohooo I am such a crazy girl--
Anyone up for a walk on the wild side?
Heck maybe we'll have a pillow fight.....

UPDATE: With much attentiveness and care
the pillows were washed and dried
(had to change the setting on the dryer and run it a number of times)
the pillows turned out OK---
no dry cleaner needed here......

Freakishly cleaning

I am still scrubbing and cleaning
attached at the hip with the vacuum--

I think i am getting a bit obsessive in my attempts
(is this a bad thing?)
When i say
DEEP CLEANING--
I mean
DEEP!
There is no stone unturned--
or in other words
the fridge and stove
have been moved out
sweep and mopped under--
and todays obsessive compulsive cleaning
involved my laundry room.
I actually enjoyed being in there again--
something that has not happened in a long
I mean LONG time.
I cleaned out the cabinets--
reorganized--
the disorganized
and eliminated junk.
There is something calming about
having a place for everything
and everything in its place.
I even cleaned out under the washer and dryer-
as well as the tops--

but my over the top
freakish cleaning took place
with me inside the dryer.
I found myself cleaning off the marks
that dried on gum had left--
and then i started vacuuming the lint trap--
apparently my lint trapping lint trap
leaves lint in the lining of my dryer.
I was sucking for all i was worth--
If you come over--
to see this clean lint trap--
disregard the over the top messy office--

(don't judge me to harshly--
I only post this picture in the event of trying to
"keep it real"
--it is my life--what can i say?)
that is next weeks project.

For today I am concentrating
on those important things you can't see.....

I see dead people.....

I'm not just saying that....
I really do.

Let me explain....

There are a few perks that i get with my job.
The greatest one is getting paid to watch my children and nieces and nephews participate in their chosen sport. I would be there anyway--but at least now i am getting paid to have the backache.

The next perk to my job is getting to go on really cool field trips. I love to go to a museum or on the tours at the Botanical garden all for free. But one of the field trips i enjoy that really fascinates me is the Cadaver lab at Grand Canyon College. I realize that some of you are cringing at the thought of this....I used to feel the same way. I have found that over the years this is something that really interests me. The human body is amazing--the things that it is capable of doing I find intriguing. While you do realize that these were once living beings--most of them lived long full lives and all decided to dedicate their bodies to science. They do not look like "people" as we know--most of the skin has been removed and they are not pink like a live person---you are looking at their "parts"--systems--muscle groups and organs. It is rather like the game of operation. I realize that it is not for everyone--but each time i have the opportunity to go I walk away with a deep appreciation for my body. The fact that it works the way it does--the complex systems that all work together is a testimony to me of Gods infinite ability. Things do not happen by accident. I am always amazed when they show the ovaries and uterus how unimpressive they are--and yet they are the key to life. Something so small can hold a child--a new being--something that once was a mass of cells.....It really blows my mind. This last time I went one of the cadavers was of a 43 year old black woman. It made me think of my own mortality--after all she was only a few years older than me. She had passed away from ovarian cancer--as far as i was concerned that is far too young to be on a cadaver table.....I thought about if she had kids--somehow it was personal that day for me. The most interesting thing about this woman was that the only way you could tell she was black was by her ears--the guy who was showing us this woman made the statement that "color is only skin deep"--once the skin is removed we really are all the same on the inside....all children of god--doing the best we can. I do believe that the body is just a temporary shell for our spirit and when the day comes that our body fails,our spirit will have the opportunity to be reunited with those we love. Maybe that is why i don't mind seeing the "bodies"---at this point they are just the shell of who the person was.....someone who gave of themselves even to the end of their life....giving themselves in service that others may learn to help those that as still alive......

Faces from the past

My computer is being cranky--
sooo while i wait for my video program
to upload--AGAIN
I figured this would be a good time to blog--

For many, many years I had family pictures that covered my piano.
Some were always there--
others would be updated as i got new pictures taken.
My children's--latest and greatest professional pictures
were housed there.
That was where i could go to stare at those
cute,
innocent,
sweet,
kind,
faces--
(before they became teenagers)
These pictures were all taken down
when we did our kitchen remodel--
packed away for safe keeping
forgotten about....
until now.

One of the things I did for my birthday month
was buy some new frames
to put these cherished pictures into.
It was amazing the memories that flooded
as i pulled out these pictures--
They have spent many more years in the box
than i had remembered--
I only gauge that by my most current picture of little man
UMMM--he was barely one.
AGGGHHH--where did the time go?
This is not to say that
i don't have a TON of pictures of this kid--
I DO!--
just not professional taken ones.
My second sons picture was about the time
my little bro got married--
(about eight years ago--I think)
It was during his Jack-o-lantern stage.
Thank goodness for braces--
that and he grew out of that goofy and "not so attractive stage."
It was during that time that i would say
"Honey--it's really OK
if you don't smile with your mouth open"
(I know--not the nicest thing for a mom to say--but true)

I pulled out the picture from my wedding
with my brothers and me--
Punk #4 said--
"Wow mom,Uncle Brad looks so young--like he is a kid"
Well he was.
My youngest brother was still in high school
about the same age as my child #2.
I know that time has gone by--
but sometimes it just slaps you in the face.
He also commented on the amount of hair
that several of his other Uncles had ack then.

I love having the pictures returned to their rightful place--
I love remembering the memories that surround
each and every one of them.
I love having my children interested in their past.

Let the blood flow

It is not often
that you are happy when your children bleed.
But today my daughter came home with this.
She declared that it only took her seven minutes
to fill her gift bag of blood.
I am so proud of her--
it really is a simple act
but it helps so many.
Plus i am proud that she is healthy
and living a life
that allows her the privilege of helping others--
Not everyone can or will do it.
I love that she is learning the lesson that
Giving service--even the most simple of things
manages to put a smile on your face

Little man was concerned
at the sight of the bandage--

After he figured out that all was well
he was more interested in the sticker

My daughter on the other hand
was thrilled with the color of the bandage--
After all even when you give service it is
important to make a fashion statement.

Oh yeah--by the way
that was the reason she was unable to help me out
when i ran out of gas.
I called her when she was in giving--
but being the concerned daughter that she is
(and perhaps out of some guilt since she had left it empty)
she did call one of her friends to see if he could help me.
And he did call and would have come if i had needed him to.
Isn't that so sweet--
It gives me hope......

Venting my Frustrations

OK, I need a moment--
deep breath---
Breathing in.....
Breathing out.....
Now i will proceed to vent!

Can i just say--
that i really-
I mean REALLY
despise technology sometimes?
I have spent the morning
battling a software company.
We had bought some new movie software
a few months back--
and not needing it till now
I waited to download it this morning.
Just one major hic-up--
for some reason i was missing the registration #
I thought it was a minor deal--
an easy fix
but NO!
After phone calls
and computer generated circles
and a help line that was of NO help
that sent me in more circles
and left me even more frustrated,
I finally found a # to talk to a person--
only,
to talk to the person you had to have the
patience of a saint.
(which at this point i was lacking)

I was needing to walk out the door
to pick up little man for therapy
but not wanting to give up after i had been on hold for a half hour
and knowing that at any minute it would pay off--
and I would get to speak a real person
(the key word speak)
and have my problem resolved.....
Finally a live human voice came on the line
and after me spewing my frustrations at him
(I was done being patient and kind)
I think we got the problem resolved in less than five minutes.

Now i was late picking up
little man.
The lights were all timed
to turn red as i was going through them--
(luckily none had the red light photo's)
As i was pulling into the school i remembered that i was
going to get gas before i picked him up.
My daughter had left it on empty--
I wasn't exactly sure how empty it was
but running late
i didn't have time to fill it up.
I took my chances
and as i was making the left turn into my neighborhood
my van sputtered it's last bit of gas out.
Now i am stuck trying to move a van from a stand still
across three lanes of traffic--
OH MY.
Can i just say the lord sends angels--
one of my friends from church
just happened to be riding her bike
and saw my plight
and hopped off to help me.
Two ladies
pushed the van
across the road--
and then little man and i
walked the rest of the way to our house.
I think i needed the walk to calm down--
cool off.
Whatever it was/is
I now have it off my chest
and i will proceed to get busy
and finish this video for the swim banquet.

UPDATE:
After all that frustration
my oldest son says to me
"Why didn't you call me?--
I could have told you where the registration # was."
AHHHH--
I am now about half way done with the video--
only i am using the old software-
(I had forgotten how frustrating it was--and that was why we got the new one)
because i didn't take into account the learning curve
of trying to figure out the new one.
So all that frustration was for naught--
I guess it just makes me appreciate those days
when everything does go your way.

election day flashback

let me flash back here--

Several elections ago
I was laying in a hospital room
watching the results come in.
I had just given birth
to child #4 at 1am that morning.
Even though his due date was several weeks away
I had voted by mail

on the off chance
that i would be unavailable on election day.
Since he was born on a major election
someone had asked me if I was going to name him
William, Clinton or Robert (as in Dole)
While Robert IS a family name it was not for him.

I was not excited about the outcome

of the election that day--

I was thrilled with our new little Repulican

and knew that he could be anything he set his mind to--

even President.

He is THEE only one of my children born on another day
besides a Monday--
and he missed Monday by just a few hours.

We were in the hospital on Monday night--
walking around--
finding an available TV
so my husband could watch Monday Night Football--
I wasn't in ACTIVE labor
so as i walked around
he watched the game--
It was the Bronco/Raider game--
and on the scale of big games

this was one of them for him.

(I think this might have something to do with

this punks love of all sports--

especially football---just like his dad)

At half time we walked back to be checked
and they sent us off again--
so off to the end of the hospital with the TV.
I would stroll around the couch
and periodically my hubby would call out to me
to see how i was doing--
(he's just that kind of guy.)
When the game was over
(the Broncos won)
we figured that would be a good time to cruise back--
as we tried to open the doors to take us back down the hall
to the main hospital--
we quickly realized that we were locked in.
YES--locked in that area.
What is a pregnant--in labor woman to do?
Luckily there was an elevator

which took us out to the parking garage--
so there i was in my gown and socks
walking through the parking garage at 10pm at night--
They were surprised as we passed Security--
wondering where we had come from--

they were a surprised to find out that they had locked us in

HMMM--maybe they should have checked the area

before they locked the door?

Thank goodness for the escape route

or they would have been in for a surprise in the morning.
We made it back safely to labor and delivery
and waited for a delivery room to come available--

and then this cute punk kid
made his appearance

( he didn't come out this big--
it has taken a few years to get him to this size)

I love this next picture and
Even though this picture is a few years old--
it is one of my favorite
His eyes just speak to me

this one also shows his eyes
as well as his goofy side
and one of the many wounds his face has sustained over the years

and nothing says he-man
than a boy flexing his muscles in pink sequins

He is a sweet boy
that will even give his mom a foot rub
(I think i paid him a buck a foot--but that smile was priceless)

It is hard to think of him as growing up
and then i see this
and it makes me stop in my tracks
at how quickly time is going by

and even though he is growing into a fine young man
there are still moments where he needs his mom
(that is a blog entry for another day)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY
my cute punk

I love you

Election day

I like so many Americans
voted today.
I was prepared to stand in line-
and yet when i got there i walked right in
cast my vote
and was out in less than 10 minutes.
I cherish this privilege that I have been given--
but.....
can I just say---
I am sick of hearing about the election today.
On every channel--
radio or TV
that is ALL they can talk about.
It is speculation--
conjecture--
and then there is the talk of Non-Americans
casting votes.
It has my knickers in a wad at the thought.
I could go on--
but i won't.....
I am proud of my daughter
who got up before the light of day
to go with her dad to cast her first vote.
I asked her what she thought--
how she felt.
"It was kinda boring"
was the report I got back--
I mean what do she expect--
more name calling?
Finger pointing?
Intolerance to differences of opinion.
Hanging chads--pregnant chads
voter fraud?
Or maybe voter intimidation?
Based on the projected outcome
she will be in for an interesting four years--
but I remember going to bed eight years ago
thinking it was over
and finding out in the morning that it was still up for grabs.
As i say my prayers and go to bed tonight
I can only pray that what is best for our country
will transpire......
and then learn to live with the outcome
regardless if my prayer is answered.

Election eve

Tomorrow is election day.
Finally all this nonsense will be over.
The name calling will end.
The eyesores that they call political advertisements
will be removed from the landscape.
I will be able to answer the phone without someone
asking my opinion--
giving me theirs--
or wanting my money
in support of their worthy cause.
My junk mail will be reduced
and i will be able to watch commercials
without wanting to throw up.

I don't know what the future holds for our country--
I am not really thrilled with either candidate-
but i am grateful that as a woman,
and as an American
that i have this right to vote.
I will take this opportunity
to exercise this right
to have my voice heard
to have my vote count.
I am grateful that my oldest child is taking this responsibility
and stepping up--
to try and make a difference.
We can only hope that
honest people,
with worthy intentions
will lead our country.
We can only hope
that we will continue to be blessed
with the freedoms that we really take for granted.
We can only hope
that who ever is elected--
that we will survive these next four years......

winter cleaning

I have been busy digging out--
working on another room today--
One of the children inquired
if this was winter cleaning?
I guess since we have been cooped up all summer
and the weather is finally cooling down--
where we can actually air out the house without melting
the time has come to eliminate the summer dust.
The fans are not running as much these days
and when they are turned off--
you can see the thick,fuzz like dust,
that is begging to be flung at unsuspecting people
the next time you turn the fan on.
There is a certain satisfaction of washing walls--
washing the bedding--
and adding those blankets to the bed
that have been stored away for months.
I figure at the rate i am going--
I might actually get caught up--
a rather exciting feeling--
I love when things are in order--
something my life/home have been sorely lacking lately.
I can thank my mom for this motivation-
it has been far more fun
having someone to work with-
who organizes and cleans like i do
and to boot--I enjoy her company.
Maybe when winter actually arrives this year
I might be ready--
(one can only hope!)

homecoming

After 7 years of wearing braces these teeth are the beautiful result

they go so well with her green eyes

It has been SOOO much fun
helping my daughter get ready for big dates.

Although it can be stressful as well--

when they doubt what you are doing with their hair or makeup.

Thank goodness that this child has finally learned to trust me--

she has learned that even though i am not a high maintenance person

that i am not someone who does my own hair and makeup every day--

I do have the knowledge and skills to make it work for her.

Now how is this for a cute couple? I love the fact that she can actually wear heels and is still shorter than her date. This is a young man who swam with my daughter on her club team this summer. They ran into each other at the city meet a few weeks earlier and decided that homecoming would be a fun first date.