Swiss Miss-

I was able to go to Swiss Days in Midway Utah last week. What a blast. Too be (or act) young (childish) again! I really dont think I have laughed (giggled) soo much in years. I few out with 4 close friends from Texas on Wednesday- We stayed until Monday Morning. It has been awhile since I got to hang out in SLC area. One word- Beautiful. I still dont want to live there- but would absolutely love to have a second home there for breaks with the family.

Cathy was the coordinating force behind the festivities,

She is a dooer-

She booked the flights

She arranged the itinerary for the week

She coordinated with her family and friends

She essentially made it happen for all of us.

Yay Cathy!

We hit her favorite haunts from her days in the hood- We got to meet her family- LOVE them! We stayed up until the wee hours of the morning talking and giggling. On the first night I think Michelle and I were the last to get to sleep- Actually Michelle was the last to get to sleep. I kept on telling her I was going to sleep- literally. I found myself in the middle of a sentence that made no sense at all, more than once- talk of a monkey and putting our shoes by the door... What do you do with that? Since there is no logical recovery from that babble- I would just wake myself up again and giggle again...

Simple me.

We shopped until our wallets felt light- Trolley Square- Tai Pan (?) Rod Works, Material Girl (amazingly cute quilt shop), Swiss Days, Shade, Brighton, ahhh

We ate until my friends size 2 pants were nearly tight... no comment here-

Cafe Rio, Lori's Livingston Lodge, Spaghetti Factory, Swiss Tacos, Pei Wei, Diane's Bed and Breakfast..

We got to go to Sally Smarts house- Tami's mom. She made everyone feel welcome and loved.

Went to see the new Sandra Bullock movie- Best part of it was...looking at the lovely Bradley Cooper- DONT GO SEE IT- The only reason we had fun at it was the fact that we were together... It Really SUCKED.

We ended the week in SLC- We saw the Spoken Word at the Tabernacle on Sunday morning. God Be With You gets me every time- Humbles me. We were able to go with Tami to see her MIL. She is in a care facility. She can barely move, doesn't communicate with people. She is still young- She was diagnosed in her early 50's. She is only in her 60's, she looks as if she is 80. To watch Tami hold her close and talk to her so honestly and gentle- Tami kept kissing her cheek. FINALLY Joyce (Tami's MIL) gave her a simple kiss and squeezed her hand. Although she seem to be a shell of what she once was- She is loved- The care facility specialized in Brain injury- It was heart breaking. We had a patient of about 70 in full flirt mode- Yet he prefaced everything he said with..."I was married, my wife was beautiful. She died." You could see he still remember how much he loved her at one time. By the time we walked out the door to leave- we were in tears. The power of love. We have decided to find a home to visit and adopt a patient to visit and get to know.

Sunday was a family Dinner at Cathy's moms house. Now when I say family I mean the ENTIRE family! 43 people were there. She cooked and cared for EVERYONE. A highlight was everyone watching Americas funnies Home Videos - There was a roar of laughter- Too much fun for on Sunday.

We had fun with Photography- Will post pictures as soon as some are forwarded my way.

After all the fun I was so happy to get back to the sweltering heat of Texas and my amazing family. I missed them so much. The messes Hayden Makes- not so much- but everything else.

Welcomed in the drive way with a kiss from my love- A big hug!

Home Sweet Home!

But excited to do this again next year!

Long time no Blog!

My biggest excuse is..FB

For those of you not familiar with the great FB it is Facebook. The thing really sucks you in! The story on Facebook and me...I signed up for it last year sometime- I had an invite from our old neighbor Marcell, I signed up- All you do is add your birth date, name, hometown, and where you currently live. I didn't think much about it. Truthfully I thought it was like more like myspace- for the 16-15 year old's. Recently I was talking with my mother and she mentioned something about my brother posting some pictures that my sister liked. Bell goes off in my head- My siblings have an account on FB. I need to check their pages out. I logged onto my account I had over 300 friends that had requested to be added as friends... Wha? For those of you wondering how the heck I could not know that- I have a crap email account that I sign up for everything with- So my 'real' email doesn't get cluttered. I went through the names and was amazed- People from as far back as 3rd grade- People and friends from High school, old neighbors, missionaries from my ward when I was in HS, old church leaders, old boyfriends, roommates from college, our German exchange student, friends from abroad. I seriously never believed I would see hide or hair of many of these people for the rest of my life. Some (that I hit the ignore with) I never wanted to see again. I have received many friendship requests over the past few months with attached messages- Some saying things like ' I know you probably don't remember me- but when we were 16 I was ...in the convenient store by the beach and you were with... you sat by me...." Really? Do people really think that -if you most likely have no recollection of who they are- didn't know their names, you want to waste time on the computer talking/ catching up with them? Baffles me. I guess I just don't like to open our book of life for just anyone. Who is to say who these people really are? But on the flip side I have caught up with some great people. I have been amazed at the amount of friends from throughout our life that have done so many wonderful things for the world. We are talking humanitarian missions, adoption of children from all over the world, Political analysts, campaign coordinators- Doctors, lawyers, pilots, Newscasters, Musicians, Artists, Published Authors- I have always known that I walk among giants. I am also floored how many of my friend have turned to the democratic party since Bush... I guess it is the Illinois upbringing and the fact that many of them still live in Chicago- that's all I got- other than Guantanamo style brainwashing there is no intelligent reason for the change of party-

I am amazed at the random things people post on FB- Conversations I really don't want to see or be part of- I occasionally post comments to friends referring to their comments. I have posted pictures of our family- the biggest response from friends that haven't seen me for the past 20 years is- Holy Crap- you have 5 children- How are you not crazy- Or you look great for having 5 children- That comment always makes me smile. What are mothers of 5 supposed to look like- Hair knotted, dirty apron on, huge circles under your eyes, no makeup, mom jeans? Really? C'mon now. I wouldn't post those pictures- Ha.

Oh well- Even the lame things of FB suck you in. I really get nervous when people try to 'chat' with me ...I don't respond...I haven't any idea what to say to them other than 'Whats Up' and 'wow that's great'.

Closing the book on FB chapter...

Life has been busy. Hunter just turned 15! I can't believe my baby is 15, HS soccer is in off season, Shw now has Rec soccer again, Cole is playing with his newly created select Baseball team, Rachie has finished Basketball and is playing soccer again, Jordie is doing Gymnastics and writing a story a day, Hayden is climbing everything! He still isn't talking.

The other day a laugh track was obnoxiously playing with some Disney show- Hayden was standing a foot away from the television...each time the laugh track would begin he would follow suit and begin to laugh wildly- abruptly stopping when the track stopped- he would glance over his shoulder as if to acknowledge to us that he knew what was going on- why weren't we laughing with him? His insane actions caused us to laugh for obvious other reasons- entertaining child. Hayden can now open all the doors in the house... Scary.

As for me and Doug- Life is great. Still love and adore him. He has been golfing quite a bit. I bought him the Golf membership for Christmas. For those of you who don't know my Douggie, he gets wound up pretty tight at times. He doesn't explode, we don't fight but I can just tell by his whole demeanor when his cup is full. Golf and monthly massages have been quite therapeutic for him. He is getting a little time to himself outside work, family, and church- He deserves it.

- Then again don't we all?

Same ole me. I am still a slave to my toddler. I get kind of bitter about it occasionally, feeling stuck at home, limited by his schedule and the demands of being a mom BUT then again that is my job, I chose it, I love it (some days more than others), and I will be the best I can be at my job. BTW, I made Doug have a little surgical procedure after Hayden... I am looking forward to Haydens College years! 16 more years to go! This time there will be no recalculation of that number leading to an empty nest! Yeah Me! Although we recently went to a UT baseball game- The kids are convinced we should build an 'estate' with 2 guest homes on it- They then can go (25 minutes away) play ball for UT, glean the reward of their educational system AND still hang out and eat with the family. Ha- I keep telling them I need to record them saying that- who knows what tune they will be singing in a few years!

Here are some pictures of the last couple of months. We just went on a family vacation to Maui for Spring Break. Doug set us up in a great Suite. Amazing. We had a blast hanging out with Uncle Ben. The kids thought we were going to Breckenridge again- we surprised them by handing them the tickets to Maui in the Denver Airport. They hadn't been to Hawaii before- They were so surprised and excited.

Phew- well there is a novel for you-

Back to work!

Dream House giveaway

For those of you entering the HGTV dream house giveaway- Just thought I would let you know you need not waste your time. I have it from a trustworthy source (the voice in my head) that this home was made for me- It is going to be mine so... Don't be a hater- just be happy for me- You guys can come visit as soon after they announce my name as the winner.


Funny Story.
The other day I was watching HGTV with the kids. Doug was out of town. They showed a commercial for the Dream Home giveaway. I remembered that I have yet to inform them that I will be the winner this year. I told the kids that I was going to sign up for the contest. Jordan, our 6 year old, was overly excited about it. She kept on giggling and telling the rest of the kids to look and see what mom was doing- look at this house... After her being silly about it a bit too much I asked her to please calm down. About 15 minutes went by and Jordan still had a smile from ear to ear. I looked at her, baffled. What was this kids deal? She looked deep into my eyes and with her smile, she giggled and nervously said "Mommy, Daddy is going to be soo upset" giggle giggle.
Pause wah?
All of us asked her "What? Why will Daddy be mad?"
"You just bought that 2 million dollar house, Daddy is going to kill you-(giggle giggle) he is going to be mad..."
All of us started laughing.
All the nervous laughter now made sense- she really wanted the house and was excited but she knew how this was going to go down when daddy came home- I guess she thought I was willing to sacrifice my life for my children to live their life's in our new mansion. The things I do for my children- the sacrifice.

Why isn't it this simple?

Theodore Roosevelt's ideas on Immigrants and being an AMERICAN in 1907.

'In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else , for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag... We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language... and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people.'
Theodore Roosevelt 1907

Brace yourself for what I think...

A friend published this preamble in her blog.
I love it and felt the need to share.
So often we are bombarded with whining Americans. Sad. We as Americans have an abundance of opportunity and freedoms. This is my forward to all the whiners-
Put your big boy/big girl pants on and get over yourself.

I have the freedom to say this and you have the freedom to agree or disagree.

God Bless America.

PREAMBLE TO THE CONSTITUTION

This is probably the best [forward] e-mail I've seen in a long, long time. The following has been attributed to State Representative Mitchell Kaye from GA. This guy should run for President one day...



'We the sensible people of the United States, in an attempt to help everyone get along, restore some semblance of justice, avoid more riots, keep our nation safe, promote positive behavior, and
secure the blessings of debt-free liberty to ourselves and our great-great-great-grandchildren, hereby try one more time to ordain and establish some common sense guidelines for the terminally whiny, guilt ridden, delusional, and other liberal bed-wetters. We hold these truths to be self evident: that a whole lot of people are confused by the Bill of Rights and are so dim they require a Bill of NON-Rights.'



ARTICLE I:

You do not have the right to a new car, big screen TV, or any other form of wealth. More power to you if you can legally acquire them, but no one is guaranteeing anything.

ARTICLE II:

You do not have the right to never be offended. This country is based on freedom, and that means freedom for everyone -- not just you! You may leave the room, turn the channel, express a different opinion, etc.; but the world is full of idiots, and probably always will be.

ARTICLE III:

You do not have the right to be free from harm. If you stick a screwdriver in your eye, learn to be more careful; do not expect the tool manufacturer to make you and all your relatives
independently wealthy.

ARTICLE IV:

You do not have the right to free food and housing. Americans are the most charitable people to be found, and will gladly help anyone in need, but we are
quickly growing weary of subsidizing generation after generation of professional couch potatoes who achieve nothing more than the creation of another generation of professional couch potatoes .

ARTICLE V:

You do not have the right to free health care. That would be nice, but from the looks of public housing, we're just not interested in public health care.

ARTICLE VI:

You do not have the right to physically harm other people. If you kidnap, rape, intentionally maim, or kill someone, don't be surprised if the rest of us want to see you fry in the electric chair.

ARTICLE VII:

You do not have the right to the possessions of others. If you rob, cheat, or coerce away the goods or services of other citizens, don't be surprised if the rest of us get together and lock you away in a place where you still won't have the right to a big screen color TV or a life of leisure.

ARTICLE VIII:

You do not have the right to a job. All of us sure want you to have a job, and will gladly help you along in hard times, but we expect you to take advantage of the opportunities of education and vocational training laid before you to make yourself useful.

ARTICLE IX:

You do not have the right to happiness. Being an American means that you have the right to PURSUE happiness, which by the way, is a lot easier if you are unencumbered by an over abundance of idiotic laws created by those of you who were confused by the Bill of Rights.

ARTICLE X:

This is an English speaking country. We don't care where you are from, English is our language. Learn it or go back to wherever you came from! (Lastly....)


ARTICLE XI:

You do not have the right to change our country's history or heritage. This country was founded on the belief in one true God. And yet, you are given the freedom to believe in any religion, any faith, or no faith at all; with no fear of persecution The phrase IN GOD WE TRUST is part of our heritage and history, and if you are uncomfortable with it,
TOUGH!

If you agree, share this with a friend. No, you don't have to, and nothing tragic will befall you if you don't.. I just think it's about time common sense is allowed to flourish. Sensible people of the United States speak out because if you do not, who will?

A few of my favorite things

Our guard at the front Door

Hot Cocoa Bar with the kids- even in Texas!

The warmth of the kitchen for preparing with the family

Red and white around the kitchen table - Candles!

The twinkle of the Christmas lights through the glass of the front door

The warmth of the fireplace and the scent of the candles. The stockings awaiting their fill

Full cookie jars, seasonal pears, snowmen decorations, wreaths of berries

Family and Friends - bright sunny weather (83 degrees again yesterday). The Holidays were smooth sailin or driving in our case! Fortunately for us, Doug had quite a bit of time off this Christmas Break. No longer being a resident and having a staff position pans out quite well in the time off department! We enjoyed every second together as a family. Were able to see and stay with my parents in Dallas, and Doug's in Colorado. Were able to see Doug's big brother Dave's family (Dave, Robin, Taylor, Alex, Brandon, Melissa, new baby Kale, and Nicole) Doug's baby bro Ben (aka Beaner in our household... that's what Doug refers to him as in our home and it sticks quite well in my head- sorry Ben), and my sister Courtney's family (Court, Bryon, Taite, and Addison)- We visited Dallas, Colorado Springs, Ft Collins Colorado, Monument Colorado and Berthoud Colorado. We relaxed and gained weight. We shopped and 'saved' money. We anxiously retrieved mail- waiting for the great cards and pictures from family and friends. I stressed and got pimples. We rapped, I mean wrapped and wrapped and wrapped. We drove and consumed large amounts of sodium. We gave and received. We Enjoyed. We sang. We car danced. We went to movies and listened to movies in the car. We laughed - I giggled (watching Enchanted on New Years Eve...what can I say I am simple and easily entertained). We soaked up the beautiful scenery along the drive. If the hills and fields could talk. The history- the people- what what and who has come and gone- so many things to peak curiosity. We stopped on the side of the road to pick cotton that had been left behind from the harvest. We went to the dirtiest Burger King EVER... NEVER go to the Burger King in Amarillo, Texas. GROSS. We had to leave. We shared favorite memories of Christmas in the past. Wii played games. We read books. We cooked, we baked, we decorated. We made many new and wonderful memories. We hope you too had a wonderful holiday season with family. Now that we are back home I have to take down the decorations... It seems as if they were not up long enough. Here are some photos so we can have the decorations up o the blog a smidge longer.
Happy New Year!