Shaker Shack

TIME TO MOVE ON ...

2012-01-18T21:16:00.000-08:00

Well we blew it. WE DID NOT MAKE AN SNL WITH THE AUSSIE. I'm sorry. We tried! He was over there and then we were here and she was there and it just never worked out. Darn it!

So Bryce is gone, and we will miss him forever.

Now, onto my newest phase.

I need a vacation. A REAL vacation! A place that will whisk me away from work and worries. This place will have to supply me with amazing food, incredible lodging, preferably a beach and a pedicure that will knock my socks off ... pun intended.

I LOVE to dream of these vacations. I've even been known to have them perfectly executed on paper. And then ... I browse them. That's right. I find these magnificently perfect get-away packages and I pull them up on my double monitors and press 'NEXT' all night long. Eventually I get tired of clicking ... and I'm done with my phase, without even having to pack a bag, find a sitter or take a sedative.

So help me out ... where should I go for my next web-cation?
And what was your bestest real vacation ever?

I've been here before ... maybe it's calling my name again!

Dear Friends & the Australian parents -

2012-01-12T19:46:00.000-08:00

We've been having a blast! As soon as Jake met Bryce, he turned to me and asked "Can we keep him?" I will never get tired of the accent. Try as I might to perfect it, I just can't do it justice. He says that I sound British. I'm afraid that's as close as it's going to get.

Poor little Bryce (who really isn't little at all) has had a cold or allergies or something that is creating some serious discomfort since he landed in our fine country. He's allergic to America! But this kid is a rugby player and he doesn't let anything slow him down. Tough as nails I say! (I typed that in British).

He has been to a hockey game, go-kart riding, touring Tempe, checking out the high school, tasting American food, hiking Sedona, viewing the Grand Canyon, shooting guns, experiencing our family and all the while making sure to leave his shoes outside the front door (even though we don't). He's a very well-mannered bloke!

He calls me Mummy and pats my head. We've grown to love him and we are so glad that we signed up for this experience. I really hope he gets feeling better so that he can enjoy his last weekend in the states.

... and you can all look forward to an Australian Sunday Night Live
coming right up!

Until then, here is a little glimpse of Bryce the Australian.

I heart 2012!

2012-01-05T19:11:00.000-08:00

Good grief!

A friend came over this morning and stated ...

"you need to stop having your twinges!"

Oh dear.

I suppose it did look like I was having twinges all through December.

Don't be silly.

Actually, just like December in every home,

it's just been very busy.

Busy, busy, busy.

I had a lovely Christmas!

My favorite part of the day was getting to Skype with my son.

Oh Keaton.

I can't wait to see your face again

and get a big bear hug in August.

Hooray for 2012!!

But first things first!

We have an Australian student coming to our house tomorrow!

I'm feeling a bit frazzled.

I don't know what to cook ...

I don't know how to entertain ...

I don't even know how to throw a boomerang!

But the boys are SO excited and I'm sure it's going to be an adventure that we won't soon forget ... mates. I'll be keeping you posted as we experience a bit of down under.

Twinges.

2011-12-05T18:31:00.000-08:00

Lately I've been having twinges.

[twinj] a mental or emotional pang: a twinge of guilt; twinges of sorrow.

I've heard that lots of people have twinges around the holidays, but that's not it. It has nothing to do with Christmas or the new year, rather everything that is consuming my next few months.

Maybe you've heard, but I'm going to be a Grandma ... to a grandson. Absolutely amazing.

The moment that I heard of this little man, I squealed. I ran through the house squealing. And then I squealed some more. I don't ever remember feeling more excited ... maybe equally as ... but never more.

After my squealing was done, my first twinge came. I wanted to call my sister. I wanted to tell Kristi that I was going to have a grandson. She would have run right out and bought him his first pair of Converse. And she would have listened to me squeal some more over lunch.

She loved her nephews like no other Aunt could ... and this would be her first great-nephew. Twinge.

A few minutes ago, the little mama of this grandson-to-be sent me this picture ...

Another twinge.

Kristi was all about education. It was so important to her, that she made sure to leave behind an opportunity for a Bachelor's Degree to each of her nieces & nephews. This will be the first success story due in large part to her generosity. Big twinge.

I'm so blessed. Blessed to have a grandson on the way. Blessed to have a daughter who emulates fantasticness with every fiber of her being. And blessed to have a sister who sends me twinges from the other side.

Big twinge.

IT'S A BOY!!!

2011-11-30T22:08:00.000-08:00

I can't believe how exciting this is getting! I think every household should start with a boy ... when that's what heaven sends. When heaven sends a girl, then it should definitely start with a girl. BUT I REALLY WANTED A BOY! Ahhhh! I can't wait! Let me squish his cheeks ... let me at 'em!

Place your bets ~

2011-11-30T06:24:00.000-08:00

TODAY IS THE DAY!

Today is the day that we find out

if our little grand-nugget is going to be

a boy or a girl.

I'm about to explode.

Any guesses?

Sunday Night Live 11.27.2011

2011-11-28T05:26:00.000-08:00

To Elder Shaker -

P.S. I met Nie Nie this weekend. She was lovely.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-20T08:59:00.000-08:00

And to all ... a good night.

Sunday Night Live 10.23.2011

2011-10-23T09:19:00.000-07:00

From Corpus Christi with love y'all ...

Y'all come back now y'hear!

Sunday Night Live 10.16.2011

2011-10-17T06:48:00.000-07:00

This is not my best performance.

Please don't feel obligated to watch.

I feel so ashamed.

My life in movies might be over.

Sunday Night Live 10.9.2011

2011-10-08T22:45:00.000-07:00

It only took us 15 takes to get through this one.

Take 1.

And finally ...

Please share your October favorites!

GO DIAMONDBACKS!!!

2011-10-07T01:06:00.000-07:00

Come on boys ... Arizona needs a little boost right about now.

You can do this!

P.S. I'm the proud mama of the 'E' and the 'L'.

We have spirit how 'bout you?

Sunday Night Live - 10.2.2011

2011-10-02T19:39:00.000-07:00

You will enjoy this week's show much more if you simply play a little bit of

this in the background. Because we are CELEBRATING over here!

A little sneak peak of the day Gary and I were told that our whole world was about to change ...

clearly, I had no idea I was being filmed. So unprofessional of me!

Scout Campish

2011-09-28T18:39:00.000-07:00

Today, my house felt like Scout Camp. Remember this post? Well Wall-E 2.0 has gone missing. He managed to chew through a renovated (with duct tape) portion of his condo. Jake tried to remodel the little guy's residence and give him a TV room. Instead, it enabled the escape of 2011.

So now we have traps set up ... all over our house. Mark my words, Jake is going to be an Engineer of some type. Just look at the creativity mingled with perfect balance!

We'll try with all our might to catch the little fella'.

Apparently they like corn.

It better not end up in my bed.

But just in case it doesn't work out with the hamster, Jake came home from school today asking if we could get an Australian. I waited for him to finish his sentence. Australian Shepherd? Australian licorice? But that was it. Just an Australian. He is begging for us to be a host family to an Australian boy.

Clearly, we do not entertain our children nearly enough.

Have you ever been a host to a foreign exchange student?

P. S. You are not going to want to miss the next Sunday Night Live. Seriously.

Visiting up North ~

2011-09-22T15:52:00.000-07:00

As you may have heard on Sunday Night Live, I took a trip up with my sisters to visit the parents last weekend. It was lovely weather, lovely scenery, but mostly ... lovely donuts.

Right out of my Dad's garden!

This was right after Julie smacked my hand down. Please click on this picture so that you can really see my ridiculous face. Aye yi yi!

It really was lovely, but I was ready to get back to my hood.

What is your favorite town outside of the city?

Boys & Girls ... it's Sunday Night Live!

2011-09-18T21:53:00.000-07:00

We're Baaaacck ~

2011-09-14T08:19:00.000-07:00

Sunday Night Live ... on Wednesday!

Because we're crazy like that.

Teachers & stuff ~

2011-09-08T19:25:00.000-07:00

Last week, I went to visit Kacey in her real, live classroom.

It's finally here!

She is in her last semester of school and is in the middle of her student teaching.

Look how fun it is when your kids grow up!

You get to go on field trips to visit their careers

and eat sandwiches with them at the grown-up tables! Yes!

Speaking of teachers. I got my second email yesterday from one of my boys' teachers letting me know that he didn't appreciate this child's behavior in class. He told my Freshman that he was annoying and that he was surprised that nobody had beat him up yet. I'm not sure that teachers should tell their pupils that they are annoying. I'm pretty sure that they are supposed to save that for those special times in the teacher's lounge. And just look at these faces ... you know they're completely innocent!

Surely I jest. I'm the first to admit that my children can annoy. They've pretty much perfected that verb. We'll have to work harder on the more pleasant adjectives in the world and try to make the teachers less annoyed and confused as to why they haven't been beat up yet. I should take some pride in the fact that they have never been beat up, right?

Continuing on with the teacher topic.

Look at these cute boys that are out teaching the Gospel!

Oh, Keaton.

I like teachers (usually). But I think I hate school.

Do you like school?

P.S. Did you miss Sunday Night Live last week?

For those of you who did, don't worry, we'll be back.

For those of you who didn't, we'll still be back.

I fall. So what?

2011-08-31T19:22:00.000-07:00

So, I fall.

Yep, like I fall a lot.

Some are just baby falls,

others are monumental ...

but let me assure you, I fall.

The most memorable "incident" would probably be off of the school bus. Whenever I mention that I fell off of my school bus once, people inevitably have a sad little picture in their minds of an elementary student trying to make it down those enormous steps. Well, the steps were still enormous, but I was in High School. Yep. I rode the bus in High School. So what?

Sometimes reliving my past is quite painful.

Anyway, it happened again the other day. Jake was sitting in the truck waiting for his morning transport to school. I knew that we were on a time crunch, and I was scurrying. Scurrying is usually where something goes askew. As I headed out the door (no pun intended), something (like air) got in the way. I dove over the threshold like there was a million dollars just waiting on the other side. I dove out head first, arms outstretched in a futile attempt to stop the inevitable and I believe I caught some air for a moment! You'll have to ask Jake ... he saw the whole thing. I landed in plank position ... and didn't dare move. I hit every part of me ... and my phone. Moment of silence please for the Droid. May he rest in peace. I finally discovered that I could get to my feet, maneuver my way into the truck, and get the boy to school on time. Because I'm a mother and that's what we do! The bruises and scrapes have healed, I've replaced my phone, and I'm ready to blog about it.

I don't understand why some people are more coordinated than others. I never have been. My dream of being an Olympic badminton star was always dust in the wind. I'm over it.

Sometimes it really bothers me, but then I see videos like this and I realize that even the most sculpted athletes sometimes fall. And I feel better ... because I laugh really hard.

I fall. Do you?

Hot Mess ... or confess?

2011-08-28T21:27:00.000-07:00

And in case you're super young and curious ...

The new and improved KKK ...

2011-08-21T20:38:00.000-07:00

Another Sunday ... another "show".

What shall we name this show of ours?

* I forgot that I got TWO comments last week on our show. Pardon my absentmindedness ... this week's show is dedicated to my second comment and loyal friend, Diane.

Well that was fast!

2011-08-16T20:58:00.000-07:00

Watch out young mothers.

It happens fast ... real fast!

Life as Matthew

2011-08-15T11:25:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, we got to go see Matthew and his band play at the Hard Rock Cafe in Phoenix. It's always fun to watch him perform, but this was a superb venue with magnificent seating around the stage. Loved it!

Last week, Matty began an additional adventure. He and his buddies decided to paint their tummies and go to a Diamondbacks game with the goal of being seen on the Jumbo Tron. Aim high my boy! They were playing the Dodgers that evening, so it was decided that the painted tummies would spell #Beat LA. If you know Twitter, you know that the # sign is known as a hashtag! This would prove to be genius!

They bought their tickets, made their way into the stadium and sat in place (fully clothed) until the perfect time was decided upon for the big reveal. It was then, that they took off their shirts, began chanting for our home team ... and the crowd went wild. They were on the Jumbo Tron, they were on TV, and they would become personal friends with Baxter the mascot as well as the fans.

The next day, they were found on Twitter (the gang is now known as #human hashtag), and given some seats by the dugout to "perform" again. Since then, they've made several other appearances and they're livin' the dream. Mark Grace has been enjoying playing tic-tac-toe on the hashtag tummy. Jake & Garrison were recruited for the last game as they spelled #Go Dbacks ... and they will all be taping seven promos for a large network (known as FOX Sports) tomorrow afternoon.

Only in Matthew's world do these things actually happen.

Dream big, people! Dream big!

Perfect ending ...

2011-08-09T22:12:00.000-07:00

We took a quick trip to California this weekend ...

and it was the perfect way to end our warm little summer.

I had to wear a jacket!

Here are some highlights of our spontaneous escape.

We also created yet another ridiculous video of ourselves

while we were mingling with the other movie stars.

Ooooh la la ~

A broken wrist wasn't going to stop the scuba diving kid!

Now push play for your viewing pleasure ...

Batten down the hatches!

2011-07-31T20:16:00.001-07:00

I'm in big trouble ...

2011-07-27T20:42:00.000-07:00

It has recently come to my attention that my boys read my blog. Who knew?! It was also brought to my attention, that I mentioned every other child's birthday this year ... except for my baby.

That's right. On July 9th, my baby turned 14!

You know what that makes me?

Yep, super old.

I remember his day of birth all too well. I was 6 hours into some pretty intense labor, and I hadn't asked for an epidural yet. My Grandpa McKinnon was there with me and Gary, and he was rubbing my back as I sat on a big bouncy ball at the foot of my bed. Best Grandpa in the whole darn world. I was feeling braver than I had the first four times and I was proud of my pain tolerance. Shortly after this sensation of pride, I was whisked away, prepped for surgery, and experienced my one and only C-section. Garrison was trying to come out butt first ... it wasn't working. I have a picture of the doctor grabbing his two little feet out of my stomach. If you'd like to see it, raise your hand. Gary had no problem watching and taking pictures of the devastation of my tummy.

Anyway, the rest is now 14 years of history. I was in love with this little guy and his amazing head of hair the moment I laid eyes on him. The red hair runs deep in my family, and belongs to some pretty special people ... Garrison included. I was so happy to finish off our little family with this freckle faced kid.

It's not that I forgot his birthday, oh no. I just haven't been much into blogging lately. Making music videos? Yes. But blogging? Eh. We had a splendid time as a family at Jump Street. In theory, this place is as fantastic as it gets ... if you're a kid with a healthy bladder. It's wall-to-wall trampolines that line the walls and the floor. You can hop, hop, hop and twirl all night long ... if you have a healthy bladder.

I hop, hop, hopped for about 2 1/2 minutes and then had to make a quick exit off of the trampoline and into the ladies room to air dry.

Like I said. I'm super old.

My baby is growing up.

And I wouldn't trade any of this for nothin'.

Happy birthday little G!

My happy place ~

2011-07-20T22:48:00.000-07:00

Toro Camp was calling me ... and I just couldn't stay away. I was able to go watch Keaton shed his blood, sweat and ~~tears~~ more sweat every year for four years. I was able to watch him form bonds of friendship that still carry on and support each other, even as they are spread out onto different continents.

There is something about football camp that completely fills my whole soul. There is something about watching your offspring push themselves (even when they're the smallest little guy on the team) toward seeing how far their healthy bodies will allow them to go, and then being able to watch them as they see their own accomplishments and are a bit astonished at the goals that are met.

There is something about watching them respond to a staff of coaches who can demand much more than their mothers ever could.

There is something about the crisp air that we get to escape to, and those summer evenings that even require us to wrap up in quilts as we watch our boys on the field under the bold, bright lights. It's my happy place ... and I've never seen Garrison happier as he followed in Keaton's footsteps.

Until the very last night ... when he broke his wrist.

Dang football. Why do we love you so?

Happy Birthday week Keaton!

2011-07-17T23:20:00.000-07:00

Since my last video debut,

the family has decided that we could put music to this stuff and call it MTV!

Well, we did play some music,

but all it did was remind me that I'm a super white girl who has no rhythm.

Good grief!

Hi Keaton!

2011-07-10T23:11:00.000-07:00

Kacey and I were feeling super silly tonight. And we've been working on getting videos together for Keaton. Well, we thought that maybe ... just maybe ... you'd like to take a gander.

Oh, ooops. That was a still shot. Let's try again!

AAAAAND ... ACTION!

AAAAAAND ... a little more.

Feel free to move along and do something more worthwhile.

I promise we will not be offended!

CUT!

What in the blazes is going on in Arizona?

2011-07-06T22:14:00.000-07:00

This summer has been a doozie for forest fires in our area. Over 800 square miles charred in the Wallow Fire alone. Luckily this year hasn't evacuated my parents ... yet!

Last week, a power transformer exploded and left us without any power for a few hours ... yep ... it was about 114 degrees that day. Of course Garrison and his friends found a ride so that they could look up close and personal at that power plant disaster. Luckily, my husband is part Macgyver and he just pulled some wires out of somewhere and cut them up and attached them somehow to something, and put a plug on something else, and hooked that something up to the house, and turned something on .... and we were one of the few in town with power for awhile. My hero.

But yesterday, yesterday is the one that will stay with me. Because yesterday, a haboob hit my hometown. Yep. Little ole' Mesa had a haboob. Now a haboob is a really big deal. Just look at this video!

The Phoenix Haboob of July 5th, 2011 from Mike Olbinski on Vimeo.

But let's face it. It's not the dust that we're all thinking about. It's not even that eerie looking monstrosity of a cloud. It's the name. Seriously? Haboob? Who named this big ball of dust anyway? Well if you didn't already know ... it's actually Arabic.

According to Wikipedia:

A haboob (Arabic هبوب) is a type of intense sandstorm commonly observed in arid regions throughout the world. They have been observed in the Sahara desert (typically Sudan), as well as across the Arabian Peninsula, throughout Kuwait, and in the most arid regions of Iraq.^[1] African haboobs result from the northward summer shift of the inter-tropical front into North Africa, bringing moisture from the Gulf of Guinea. Haboob winds in the Arabian Peninsula, Iraq and Kuwait are frequently created by the collapse of a thunderstorm. The arid and semiarid regions of North America – in fact any dryland region – may experience haboobs. In the USA, they are frequently observed in the deserts of Arizona, including Yuma and Phoenix^[2]^[3], as well as New Mexico and Texas ^[4]. During thunderstorm formation, winds move in a direction opposite to the storm's travel, and they will move from all directions into the thunderstorm. When the storm collapses and begins to release precipitation, wind directions reverse, gusting outward from the storm and generally gusting the strongest in the direction of the storm's travel.^[5]^[6]^[7]

When this downdraft, or "downburst", reaches the ground, dry, loose sand from the desert settings is essentially blown up, creating a wall of sediment preceding the storm cloud. This wall of sand can be up to 100 km (60 miles) wide and several kilometers in elevation. At their strongest, haboob winds can travel at 35-50 km/h (20-30 mph), and they may approach with little to no warning. Often rain is not seen at the ground level as it evaporates in the hot, dry air (a phenomenon known as virga), though on occasion when the rain does persist, the precipitation can contain a considerable quantity of dust (severe cases called "mud storms"). Eye and respiratory system protection are advisable for anyone who must be outside during a haboob -- moving to a place of shelter is highly desirable during a strong event.

Across North Africa and the Near East, there are many regional names for this unique sandstorm. The word haboob comes from the Arabic word هبوب "strong wind or 'phenomenon'."

All this being said ... it still cracks me up. I'm way too immature for such weather terminology. And I think that the weathermen saying the word got me going even more! Standing there in their suit coats acting all serious like about the big haboob that was headed our way. I've been giggling all day long just thinking of the word. I even questioned it really being a word!

Haboob.

Thanks for stopping by and giving me a chuckle as I look at the mess you left behind.

You big haboob.

Dirty little rat -

2011-06-26T23:35:00.000-07:00

Jake has a new job. Which means that Jake has new money. The rule WAS that he had to put half into savings, pay his tithing, and the rest was his to spend.

Jake likes to spend.

Saturday, I got a phone call that went something like this.

Jake: "Mom will you take me to Petco to buy a fish?"

Me: "No. We don't want anymore indoor pets."

So he came home with a hamster.

I began to raise my voice ... lecture ... and throw a little fit.

Jake: "But you said that I couldn't get a fish"

Me: "No. I said that we don't want anymore indoor pets."

I continued to rant and rave.

Not only did he purchase a hamster, but he purchased the whole castle and moat that is apparently required to raise the hamster into a fine young rat. He bought the best food, the best fluffy white stuff that lines the bottom of the castle and the best exercise ball that any creature would desire. He spent every last penny of his earnings and all of it was non-refundable.

I continued to rant and rave.

About 20 minutes after arriving home with his new little friend and introducing him to his new surroundings and naming him Wall-E, I heard this ...

Jake: "No. Please don't die. Please don't die. Please don't die." Tap, tap, tapping on the castle wall. Gosh he's dead."

Me: Feeling a little guilty about the ranting and raving and possible verbal abuse to the rodent ... we hopped in the truck and drove to get a replacement.

New rule. No more purchases without some serious consent from a parent.

The new little guy is named Wall-E 2.0.

We're giving it a trial run.

Jake is grounded.

Creative genius I tell you!

2011-06-23T00:46:00.000-07:00

The other day, I was going through photos, and I found this little number ...

This picture is not only hilarious, but it also tugs on my heart strings ... yes, I have them. This was 1975. I had just lost my Mom, my Dad had just lost his high school sweetheart, and there we were just trying to hang on for dear life. We were living with my Grandma and the big Daddy-Daughter Date came up. What a trooper my Dad was ... and what a great sport to wear this homemade mess. What? You didn't realize that his outfit was homemade? Stop it!

Since this picture defined what a great Dad I have, I decided that I would like to use it for Father's Day. So, of course, I called up Miss Kacey. Because she's a creative genius. I told her that I'd like to make a card out of this picture. She giggled. Five minutes later ... she emailed me this masterpiece! In one hour, it was waiting for me at the local Walmart to pick up and mail to Overgaard, AZ.

He loved it.

I don't know how she does it, but she does it good. How did she get that paperclip on the picture? How did she come up with that cute notebook paper background? How did she know how to put it all together to create exactly what I wanted? I don't know.

On Mother's Day, I wanted my little Nursery kids to be able to give their Momma's something at church. So I sent her a sweet little picture, and she turned it into a gift.

Look at this adorable graduation announcement ... front & back ~

And these are my super cute nephews & niece in the form of a perfect Christmas card.

So my point is ... she's a genius. And if you are like me, and you have no idea how to participate in this digital age that we're in ... you should contact Kacey. She's good. She's real good. Amen.

Happy Birthday Matthew Parry!

2011-06-21T09:58:00.000-07:00

This is so weird.

How can you be 24 when I'm only 29?

Happy Birthday my boy.

They walked, and walked, aaaaaand walked.

2011-06-20T07:07:00.000-07:00

The Trek was a huge success from the Shaker point of view. My instincts were correct ... my boys are part pioneer. They loved every minute of it and Gary was ready to go again as soon as their journey was over.

Look at these cute pictures!
Click on them to enlarge ... and see my boys right up front.

Jake was assigned to the Free Family with Ma & Pa Free.

Garrison was assigned to the Harvey Family with Ma & Pa Harvey.

And Gary (who is hiding in the back) was assigned to the Hutchinson Family.

If we are ever counseled to walk across the plains again ... I will have no problem sending my ~~boys~~ men. They will most likely have to send for me later ... by airplane ... accompanied by a soft pillow, a blanket and plenty of carbohydrates mingled with some protein. Amen.

From Junior High to the trek ~

2011-06-02T07:18:00.000-07:00

So much has happened since I blogged last! School is out and Summer is in full swing. We completed another phase in our house as we finished strong in Junior High.

Elementary School ... check.

Junior High ... check.

High School ... here they come!

Garrison got straight A's this term and I couldn't be more proud.

Jake ... worked very hard as well. :)

Today, my modern family has traded in all of their batteries, bathrooms and comfy beds for three days of pioneer living! They will be pushing handcarts, hiking mountains, sleeping on the ground and eating off of tin plates as they reenact our pioneer heritage. When Matthew and Kacey did this a few years ago, they dreaded it. It was hard, hard, hard. Tears were shed (not by Matthew) and blisters were born. But this morning, the attitude was different. These three boys could not be more excited. Gary has been running around for a month getting ready for this day. I think he was born to be a pioneer. I can't wait to hear all of their stories! Look how cute they are!

Dear Keaton -

2011-05-16T08:34:00.000-07:00

When I got this picture on my phone on Saturday, I cried. I saw you and Dad standing there, and my mind got dizzy. I thought to myself ... "Wait a minute! Dad said he was working in Utah ... Keaton is in Idaho ... oh ya, they're right next to each other. Gosh Dang it Gary!"

I realized that Dad had pulled a fast one. He called your Mission President to ask for permission to see you, but he forgot to ask for my permission. Silly Dad.

After I was done huffing, puffing and pouting, I realized that his decision was wise. If Dad had asked what I thought about a quick visit ... I would have stomped my foot and said absolutely not! And then, once I saw that my opinion didn't matter to him, I would have swiftly packed my own bag and hopped on board. And then, once I saw your face ... I would have clutched you like there was no tomorrow and probably stuffed you in my bag and took you home. Who knew how wise Dad really is!

His report (and your Mission President's report) is that you are solid. This little distraction would not affect you, because you are focused and steady. I'm so proud of you ... still a little bit mad at Dad ... but SUPER proud of you.

Have your best week ever!

Love, Mom

Arkansas Trip - Day 3

2011-05-10T07:52:00.000-07:00

I woke up in the morning feeling like P Diddy ... just kidding. We woke up early the next morning and drove through some curvy, windy roads to get to Blanchard Springs Caverns. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!

We took an elevator 200 feet into the ground ...

and came out to see this.

The pictures don't do it justice ...

trust me ...

it was super cool.

After exploring the deep underground,

it was time to get cleaned up and go baptize Grandma Freda!

This was, by far, the best part of the trip.

She was so excited and couldn't stop smiling.

So proud of these two Shakers!

This is Elder Quinn and Elder Syme.

They taught her everything she needed to know.

They loved Freda and she adored them.

After 18 years of waiting for another member of our family to join us on this spiritual journey, it was finally here. It's so exciting to see a lady of this caliber, who has always been a very good, righteous and happy person ... actually find a whole other level of happiness and meaning. Freda knows her Bible. She has studied her scriptures for years and arguably knows them better than many. As she studied, prayed and came to realize that there was another book that added to her knowledge and the Bible ... she said "It just HAS to be true!" She never looked back.

We are so glad that we were able to experience this as a family. Watching a person that is darn near perfect, grow in strides that didn't seem possible, is a testament of what is available to everyone.

If you are not a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and you would like to learn more about it ... check out our website. It's so exciting!

Keaton even added his input on the website. He's so cute!

I know that this is the one true church on the earth today. This statement might sound a bit uppity, but shouldn't you know this about your religion? There are many good people and awesome works going on in our world, but I stand firm in my knowledge that this is the one true Gospel. It is perfect. I am so grateful that my Heavenly Father has created a plan that has helped me grow while I'm here, so that I can return to Him with my family at my side and live in a state of glory that is incomprehensible. I know that I have family members already there preparing for us and teaching those that didn't get to hear this message while they were here. It's amazing. If my testimony can testify of one thing ... it's that there is more. So much more. Amen!

Arkansas Trip - Day 2

2011-05-03T23:29:00.000-07:00

This was our super fancy cabin, right by the White River. It was so fancy that they placed the water heater right next to the shower, and we almost conquered all of the ants trying to take over the kitchen. Freda stocked our kitchen full of food and made sure we were all taken care of. Bless her heart!

It was absolutely beautiful outside!

We were driving a van,

so I cracked myself up all weekend long referring to our

"van down by the river".

Sometimes I can't get enough of my humor!

First thing Friday morning, the boys found a fishing guide ... to guide them ... as they fished. While they fished, Freda and I lounged around watching the Royal Wedding. I felt absolutely no connection to Princess Kate as I squished ants with a damp paper towel ... in a van down by the river.

This was the happiest hound dog you ever did see. Y'all.

If I were a dog ... this is where I would want to live.

Here come the boys back from their expedition!

They had the best time and that boat was full of Trout.

See the fishing guide in the background? He was picking up the fish, smacking their heads on the side of the boat ... thud! ... and then cleaning them up. It was gross ... I walked away.

Shortly after this picture was taken, Jake picked up one of the slimy, skinless, freshly slaughtered fish ... snuck around behind me, and stuck it in my face.

I screamed. Loud.

And it touched my hair.

Then Gary got on the phone and started talking to Junior

(no I did not make that name up)

to find out what was going on around town.

Wouldn't you know it ... there was a truck pull that very night!

So we headed over to meet Junior at the "Reel 'Em In" restaurant ...

where I did not order the plump frog legs.

And we headed over to Thayer, Missouri for the event of the evening. Now if you've never been to a truck pull ... you've just never lived. These trucks are L-O-U-D ... and they've been training for practically their whole adult lives to be able to pull things ... super big, heavy things. The entire county brought their families, dogs and coolers out to witness the smoke,

smell the oil (pronounced ole') and hear the rumble.

Feast your eyes ...

That was one full day!

Arkansas Trip - Day 1 ... y'all

2011-05-03T09:22:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful time this week as we gallivanted around the Ozarks of Missouri and Arkansas. Thursday night, we tried out a new airport! It's a smaller place, and we actually got to walk out onto the tarmac and into the plane. It was a little bit exhilarating ... it felt sneaky.

Jake and Garrison were so excited to fly!

As soon as we landed ... Gary ran into his buddy, Roger. They hugged.

And they talked ... and talked ... and talked. They were happy.

Then we drove for a couple of hours,
saw our first armadillo
and checked into our place.

All of our adventures will be posted this week.

Come back ya'll.

Dear Kristi ~

2011-04-27T07:59:00.000-07:00

I miss you like crazy today. I had a little conversation with you in the bathroom the other day ... I hope you heard me. I think you did. I want to tell you so much. I want you to know how amazing all of your nieces and nephews are turning out. They're getting so smart and so big. I want to tell you all about our world and the crazy things that are going on around here. I want you to see my wrinkles and my gray hair. I want you to know of the adventures we've had since you've been gone ... some of them were inspired by you. I want to tell you everything ... and then I am reminded that you already know.

Hang tight little sister

and thanks for watching over us.

I love you.

Kristi Lee McKinnon

8/14/1969 - 4/27/2005

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T08:54:00.000-07:00

This is lovely ... enjoy.

Good Morning!

2011-04-20T08:18:00.000-07:00

I got to drive to the airport this morning at 4:00 a.m! I thought I'd be the only one on the road at that hour, but I was not. There were plenty of other sleepy drivers making their way over to Sky Harbor. I wonder if they were driving without shoes on, like me. It was too early for shoes.

When I got home, this little guy made us some oatmeal.

He cares about my heart.

I heart him.

When we got done, I poured bleach down my kitchen sinks in an effort to make my whole house smell clean. I think it's working. Great lazy trick! Now the real trick will be trying to stay awake until bedtime. The magical regimen of hormonal ingredients hasn't quite kicked in yet.

Do you have any lazy tricks we could all use?
Do you drive without shoes?
Do you eat oatmeal?

Happy Birthday little Jakey ~

2011-04-18T08:48:00.000-07:00

I think it's super funny that the State of Arizona says
these two can drive in 7 months.

Super funny.

What a handsome little devil you are!

HAVE YOUR BEST DAY EVER!

Silly Facebook

2011-04-15T09:08:00.000-07:00

I'm not a real fan of Facebook. I signed up so that I could keep track of what my kids were saying/doing. I go weeks without even looking at it. But now, I might be changing my mind. I received this beautifully written message on my Facebook thingy ... not really sure how it got there ... that's how much I know about this craze. Please read about how angelic this literary scholar thinks I am ... and know that I did not respond ... nor "poke" him.

Hello
how are you doing ?I am Mark Payton, i came across your profile i really love what i saw in it, you seemed to me like an angel that makes the cool morning sunrise and I believe that One of the best ways to convey exactly how you feel about someone is through words,word is a powerful weapon that cuts across every good or bad mind. and am taking time to appreciate you and your picture I will like to get close to your heart and as friend first ,love to read from you quick or you can add me to your list markpayton1960@yahoo.com Hope to hear from you soon.

Do you do Facebook? Have you experienced any crazies?

"HORMONE-eous" living ...

2011-04-14T10:24:00.000-07:00

So I'm trying something new. Although I have a split decision from the medical field on whether or not I have Lupus, I just don't feel good. I WANT TO FEEL GOOD! I have never been one who sits around waiting to be healed. I believe that we have so many resources that have been handed to us during these high-tech medicine times, and if we don't take advantage of them ... it's our own fault that we don't feel well!

For example, at one point in my life, my face hurt. I mean, my face REALLY hurt. I experienced what has been best described by other patients as "lightening bolts shooting down my face". Seriously. This crummy situation was misdiagnosed by 6 ... SIX different doctors until I was finally correctly diagnosed with Trigeminal Neuralgia. Long story short, I had a craniotomy with microvascular decompression (they cut through my scull, wrapped some shredded teflon around my trigeminal nerves and adhered my fractured skull with a titanium plate) ... and I was healed! Never an ounce of that lightening bolt pain since the moment I woke up from surgery back in 2004ish. Now what if I hadn't continued to search for an answer? Well, I can tell you that there are numerous documented statistics that reveal a dastardly nickname for other Trigeminal Neuralgia patients ... they call it The Suicide Disease. It would have been very hard to live life with that kind of tremendous chronic pain, and I am very grateful that we found answers for my universe.

So I'm on the hunt again ... to find answers. In the process, I've found a doctor that is putting me on a regimen of vitamins, minerals and natural hormones. I'm taking more little pills now than I've ever taken in my life ... but they're good pills ... none of them are synthetic ... some might call them happy pills (but not that kind). Here is my daily dose of this new trial run ...

Thyroid
Vitamin D
DHEA
Probiotic
Fish Oil
CoQ10
Multi Vitamin
Progesterone
Estrogen
Niacin
Testosterone (I'm a little nervous about this one ... a hairy chest immediately comes to mind.)
Iodoral
Glucosamine Chondroitin

Apparently these are all super important, and apparently I was SEVERELY lacking in every department. Which shocks me because I always eat right and exercise (ha ha NOT).

So this is my new thing. I'm gradually beginning the process and I'll keep you posted on the effects. I took the Niacin last night for the first time, and it was a rush! Seriously, I got a weird rushy feeling ... which I was warned about. But when I read about the positive effects of this little pill, it made me happy to swallow it.

Here's the deal. I'm getting old. I know that, and for the most part, I accept that. But I will be doing all that I can do to be able to enjoy my life, enjoy my grandkids (nope, no big announcement) and to live! I hope that this natural process will be the answer for me. But let me tell you, it can't make me feel any worse! I'm excited!

How about you? Do you take at least a Vitamin each day?

Leavin' ... on a jet plane.

2011-04-12T22:22:00.000-07:00

I booked four airline tickets tonight ...

for a big event that is taking place at the end of this month.

You might say it's an event of a lifetime!

Any guesses?

Nah, you'd never guess this one.

We're flying to Arkansas (ya'll) to witness Gary as he baptizes his Mom, and welcomes her into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints! It's kind of a miracle that has been many years in the making. I still can't believe it. She's so excited to have finally found what she has been searching for, and we're thrilled to be able to experience this new found happiness with her. This incredible woman just added a whole new dimension to our family.

What a gift to be given this Easter season.

Congratulations Freda! You Mormon, you!

Girlfriends

2011-04-11T06:41:00.000-07:00

Everyone should have girlfriends (unless you are a married man) that they have lunch with, giggle with, and are comfortable enough with to stand under the rump of a horse for a photo with. Thanks for the day ladies!

Do you have girlfriends?

Fatherly advice ~

2011-04-06T08:50:00.000-07:00

Every day, my sweet father-in-law takes the long walk (across the street) to our house. He brings treats for our dogs ... and they love him for it. He grew up as a feisty boy from Jersey, but he's turned into quite a softy.

Yesterday, after he was finished with the dogs, we sat out on our front porch for a nice visit. He looked lovingly down at my bare feet and said "I don't like the color of your toenail polish ... it makes your toes look sick. You should get a red or pink."

I love a man who encourages a fresh pedicure.

And I think he was right ... they do look sick!

Conflict Management ~

2011-03-30T09:19:00.000-07:00

Lately I've been having a conflict with myself. When I read other blogs, they have the happiest children who are perfectly adorned and color coordinated to match the fronts of their homes/bicycles. We typically get to hear the sweet phrases that escape their mouths so innocently, yet eloquently profound and headed for the publisher.

Well I've been waiting for these things to happen. Really I have! I don't want to paint a bad picture of my boys, and so I wait. I've been waiting for that super cute thing to happen so that I can blog about it. Still waiting!

It's not that my remaining two are bad kids, but they are teenagers. And although they are boys, we still have a bit of drama that inevitably sneaks in from day to day. Mildly entertaining to me, but it might be considered taunting if I share it with the public.

So here's my conflict. I want to be real in my blogging, but I don't want people to read my blog and then want to smack my boys when they see them on the street! I've had to draw a line as to not incriminate my remaining resident offspring. So consequently, I don't do a lot of blogging anymore! Sorry Mary Ellen!

Other than going private (which I'm not going to do), I guess my only solution is to tread lightly. I don't need to share every ridiculous wrinkle that is created under this roof, and I don't need to share anything that a prosecuting attorney would like to get their hands on. It will be a mild version of what real mothers of teenagers deal with.

For example! Last night, we went to Target ... because I'm a sucker for these things! Every year I devour them until I am finally satisfied with the sweet taste of Easter and ready to move into Summer.

Anyway, while we were there, Jake found a pair of shorts that he needed/liked. I told him that I would buy them, but that I was going to hold onto them until the drawers in his room (which were already imploding with clothes that haven't been worn since the Bush Administration) were cleaned out and organized. He agreed. Our purchases were made and we went home.

This morning, silly Jake asked me for his new pair of shorts. I reminded him of the deal that was made and he did his best to convince me that his drawers were just fine. Oh sweet little Jake ... how did our definitions become so disconnected? He didn't argue for long and before I knew it he was on his way to school ... in an old pair of clothes. Harsh? I say no. So I continued about my day not giving it much more thought.

About 30 minutes after this handsome child had been gone, I noticed this little love note that he left on my office door. I gasped and then giggled.

The energy that was put into these bubble letters alone could have cleaned out two drawers! I love how he avoided more conflict with me by just taping this up and running. The irony is, he has no idea what conflict he just began. Oh Jake. You silly, silly ARTISTIC boy.

Does anybody that reads this have teenagers?

WHAT WAS I THINKING?

2011-03-23T23:05:00.000-07:00

Kacey found these amazing photos of me recently. I can't stop laughing ... hard. I keep bringing them closer to the trash can, but I just have to document my foolish past first. One line keeps coming to mind ... "What was I thinking?" Seriously!

I actually had a friend come over and take these pictures for someone!
I totally thought they'd be the perfect birthday present!

Let's analyze them, shall we?

First of all, I LOVE the dirty, generic Keds. Of course you would wear those shoes with that sultry look! And I love that that's no shadow in back of my head ... that's just my hair. My elbow resting on my knee and chin like I'm so bored with the whole paparazzi scene. And that shimmering lip gloss ... at least 3 applications for sure! It's definitely one of my best looks of the 80's.

Quick!

Change your clothes and let's hang up a dark colored quilt for the new look!

Now what you want to do is wear all white with a dash of acid wash to show off your sexy silhouette that is just glaring into the camera. Again, nothing screams "I'M INTO YOU" like that irritated look. Please notice the popped up collar and earrings to match the whole ensemble ... and I felt so good about the crowd stopping shoes that they just had to stay on ... with the socks!

I'm pretty sure I'm channeling Rob Lowe in St. Elmo's Fire.

Wait. I'm just going to gaze naturally to my left, and you just take the shot! Pure genius! Can you believe how I made it look like I was just sitting in front of a white wall in my living room? I especially love how my right knee was apparently stuck in that upright position all day long. So hot!

The funniest part to me is that this was long before the digital age. Oh ya. I actually took a whole roll of these babies down to the corner drug store and paid to have them developed ... and I picked them up ... in person! Imagine the laughter in the dark room as these images came to life! And then let's just take a moment to imagine the horror as these were received as a gift. What was I thinking??? OMG!

It's days like these that you just hope your kids have more sense than you.

And then I find a stack of these developed from Kacey's glory days.

Sweet white sheet in the background ...

pouty lip smothered in some sweet lookin' gloss.

Gaze naturally to your right.

You make me proud girl ... and I'm sure I do the same.

Please tell me you're all laughing with me!

I did it!

2011-03-15T17:18:00.000-07:00

Remember this post? Well I tried it again ... for my anniversary ... and I made it! I went all the way UP ... and all the way down. It was certainly one of the hardest things I've ever done (and I'm one miserable mother this week), but I did it!

Gary kept on telling me that I could do it, and I believed him. He would go ahead of me (leaping from boulder to boulder like the smooth gazelle that he is) and scout out the best route for me to lunge my frail body toward. He never let me out of his sight, and he never complained that he could have climbed the camel, lassoed it and taken it for a walk by the time I made it to the top. It was actually the perfect thing to do for our day (of course I got a nice meal that evening as well), and it proved to me again that things worth having are worth working for.

I did it! Booyah!

Happy Anniversary to me!

2011-03-11T07:49:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow will be 17 years since this picture was taken!

Oodalolly a lot has happened in this time! I'm not gonna lie. Blending families is hard stuff. But I had three little ones who needed a Dad ... and I needed a man! Gary was up for the task. I think he fell in love with the family before he fell in love with me (and he fell in love with me super fast)! Anybody who knows Gary, knows that he is crazy! His energy level far surpasses anybody I've ever known. He accomplishes more in a day than most do in a week. He fears nothing ... and is willing to try anything. He has protected and taught our little family unit and is an amazing example of good work ethic and service. It's been a crazy ride, never a dull moment ... and I don't see that changing anytime soon.

Thanks for the ride you hunka hunka Shaker!

Our newest member of the family ~

2011-03-08T06:44:00.000-08:00

I'd like to introduce you to my new daughter-in-law, Kaelin.

We needed one more "special k" in the family ...

Karen, Kacey, Karl, Keaton & Kaelin.

If you'd like to see more pictures like these, go here!

Coping ...

2011-03-07T08:29:00.000-08:00

Apparently my daughter is concerned for mine and Gary's well-being. Read about it here. I think it's cute, but I would have to say that Kacey's parents are coping just fine! Little Kacey got married in May, little Keaton began his mission in August and little Matty got married on Saturday! It's been a big year for sure! When I think back on this year, I think it might possibly be my favorite since 1987.

June of 1987, I became a mom for the first time. I remember thinking that I could not possibly EVER be this happy ever again! It was amazing! And then ... it got hard ... really, really hard!

I wish my glasses could have been just a little bit bigger.

Oh my goodness when I think back to the sleep deprivation alone, I get a little twitch in my left eye! But it was good. And it was good to the tune of four more times! My babies have been my whole world, and for the most part, our world has been good.

But now I'm old.

And my back aches.

And I need more sleep.

So when my little ones choose to grow up and leave our nest for people and places that bring a whole other dynamic to our family unit and happiness as we once knew it ... it's fine by me. In fact, it's awesome.

It's a little bit funny to me that Kacey wonders how we are coping. She should know how we're coping, because she lives less than 5 miles from home and visits us practically every day (sometimes more than once). And the extra funny part of this new family dynamic (and Kacey's melodramatic mood), is that now Matthew and his new little wife live one block away from Kacey and her little Karl. Kacey finally has a sister and Matthew and Karl are great friends ... they just have homes down the street from each other instead of bedrooms across the hall from each other. It's our new life, and so far ... it's sweet!

How do you feel about your current phase of life?

Ah love ... and weddings ... and love.

2011-03-02T07:34:00.000-08:00

GO HERE ...

http://www.vimeo.com/20504873

just look at my little boy!

Happy Birthday Kacey Michelle ~

2011-02-28T07:50:00.000-08:00

Just look at those pigtails!

Easter 1991 ... Matt is totally working the camera ... you couldn't care less.

p.s. I made that little dress and hairbow for you.

Ah the ole' farm ... and your first little brother.

All dressed in white, ready to be baptized.

You stayed true to the covenants made that day.

Constantly making me smile

... and even crack up!

Happy Birthday little one. You put the sparkle into this guy's eye, but you light up everyone who knows you. You've created the best possible 22 years any mother could ask for. I love you!

Rambling with a headache ~

2011-02-15T07:33:00.000-08:00

I woke up this morning with something wrong ... it was my head. My head was ALL WRONG. I don't get headaches ... hardly ever. This one was a doosie.

Last night, I went to a Yoga class. I came home craving Crunch and Munch, but opted for Cheerios instead. Maybe the healthier choice put my body into a tailspin and mustered up a good headache to teach me a lesson?

Jake came home from school yesterday, immediately displaying tears over a test that he had taken earlier that day. After a few minutes of whimpering, he went into his room and promptly fell asleep for what I assumed would be a much needed nap ... he woke up this morning. I'll say it was much needed! Happy Valentine's Day to him!

So I think there's something in the air over here. I think Jake is certainly going through a growth spurt. And maybe I'm going through a "spurt" of my own. Because sleeping for 13 hours sounds like pure heaven to me!

And I found out that we have some new neighbors moving in sometime soon. She's fancy. She's young, beautiful ... and fancy. I'll bet she's going to be completely taken by my vast array of sweats. I'm not fancy. Oh well.

How do you treat your headaches?

Have a ramblin' day!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T08:50:00.000-08:00

Mr. Shaker - thanks for teaching me the art of F-U-N!

Modern Day Overhauls

2011-02-08T10:06:00.000-08:00

Mammogram in November was lovely and of good report.

Got my teeth cleaned last week ... no cavities!

On my way to the ole' Pap Smear now.

Do you ever wonder what cave women did?

Wardrobe dysfunction ~

2011-02-07T08:01:00.000-08:00

I don't like shopping, I hate to spend money and I don't like to play dress up. I'm a little bit of a boy in that regard. I can't walk in heels and I don't like clothes that touch me in my ever-so-sensitive crevices, so I buy things that pretty much hover around me, all the while keeping their unflattering distance. I perfected the look of lounge wear at a very early age ... see here!

Oh my word I was so cute! Look at that scrumptious blond hair
and that perfect outfit! Sigh.

Anyway, at a gathering of friends last month, it was noted that most of my wardrobe is from Sam's Club. It's the perfect scenario. I grab a bag of Laura Scudders and a shirt! Consequently, I'm starting to look at my closet with a bit of disgust. In my world, lounge wear is usually perfectly acceptable. However, on the rare occasion that it isn't ... I panic! I walk into my closet and scope over the same Mtn. View Toro football shirts and try to imagine adding a necklace to spruce it up a bit. So my dear friends have volunteered to take on this challenge. They're going to show me how to shop wisely and possibly even in the right size and shape. I am skeptical, yet hopeful about this process. If it doesn't work out, I'm going to wear my very best pajamas to Matthew's wedding ... and I may start wearing them to church.

Does every other girl like to shop?

F words!

2011-02-04T07:56:00.000-08:00

Don't you just LOVE a captivating title? Ha!

I just wanted to wish everyone the happiest

First Friday of February

... ever!

Because I love my Friday's ... and I thought you might to.

Sin makeup. Eeesh. No, I'm not making a religious statement about makeup, I'm just throwing some Spanish your way ... because I took two years of it in college ... and I'm pleased that I remember the word sin! Anyways, maybe next week I'll tell you how I ended up with that Tiffany ring on my wedding finger. It's my favorite. Have a lovely weekend!

The Reveal ~

2011-02-03T08:02:00.000-08:00

First of all, I should tell you where I got the inspiration for my new room. I love this blog call The Lettered Cottage ... and I follow it like any good blog stalker should! They create these adorable cottages in Alabama ... and it made me want one ... only in Arizona ... and in my house. So I called THE brothers ... have I mentioned them before? Yes, my brothers are possibly the best at remodel work, since they were taught by the best ... THE Dad. I'm very lucky to have such perfectionists of the trade in my family, but they would totally work for you as well ... just let me know if you need a Contractor!

I started snapping shots of my room to post, and they all ended up looking like crap. So I called Kacey. Maybe you've heard of her? Yep, my daughter is the first K of K & K Photos! AND she's the Kacey of Kacey's View! Man do I know people or what?! She was kind enough to throw on her coat (because it's still freakishly cold) and grab her little Roscoe and head on over to take some pictures of my room while it's still clean. :)

And here is what my brothers and my Kacey have created for me.

Thank you!

Here is the before. I just threw up a little in my mouth.

And here is what happened, when I dared to dream ...

and call my brothers.

I didn't buy any new furniture or any decor. This stuff was already in my old ugly room. Everyone should have a good bookshelf to hold all of their ~~crap~~ most important pieces and reading material.

This used to be my office before Kacey got married and gave me her room! My sister-in-law found the desk and the hutch separately at Goodwill. They were both old and brown ... hard to imagine? She gave them a pretty new black coat and placed them together and voila ...
lovely desk that now encompasses Gary

and his stuff.

He is happy.

This is me and Roscoe ... my first Grandson. I love him.

I had all white blankets on my bed, and then my ~~dirty plumber~~ handsome husband came home and plopped down on the bed. It was his idea to grab an old brown blanket and put it down so that I wouldn't give him that look. Then he brought in some excess pillows from the family room couches ... and it was a match! Now he can plop on down with his boots and all for a quick nap without the look.

See that tall black hutch? It used to be old and brown as well ... a hand-me-down from Gary's Dad years ago. Same sister-in-law, Nicolle, wife of Timmy extraordinaire Contractor ... created some more magic and gave it new life just when I was ready to get rid of it. It's one of my favorite pieces.

This is me posing for the cover of a magazine called Ugly Bedrooms Have Hope!

I love my new room.

Thanks for visiting.

The weather & Elder Shaker ... hoppin.

2011-02-02T07:53:00.000-08:00

Today is cold ... freakishly cold for Arizona. I've been watching the news and wondering how other people function in such conditions. I am a true blue native of warmth ... I wouldn't be able to handle my world being covered in frigid white. Whenever it's cold here, my mind immediately wanders to Pocatello, Idaho. I usually hop online to see how cold my boy must be. Yesterday's report was this ...

Pocatello, Idaho -- The National Weather Service in Pocatello has issued a wind chill warning, which is in effect from midnight Tuesday until 10 a.m. Tuesday.  The coldest wind chills will range from 20 below zero to 28 below zero.  Wind chills of 20 below zero will freeze exposed flesh in about 30 minutes.  Pets and livestock are also exposed to life-threatening temperatures if left outside.

Holy gosh. Keaton, please cover your flesh!

He has not once complained about the weather or any part of his mission. He LOVES serving ... and has jumped in with both feet ... proof below. He is the one on the right. He makes me smile.

Work in progress ...

2011-01-31T18:52:00.000-08:00

If I had to choose a favorite room in my house, it would be my bedroom. Even at its ugliest (holy gosh it was ugly) ... it was still my quiet place ... my escape from the South end of things. It sits on the very Northern end of our house and allows me to separate myself from the kitchen, the laundry room, toilet seats used by boys, and bedrooms "cleaned" by boys. The only thing it lacks is a refrigerator, but I can usually convince myself to walk the hall, grab a snack and retreat back to my Northern side. My best days are when my room is clean and my sheets smell of bleach. I know, I know ... bleach is bad. But I was raised on bleach, and quite frankly those are happy fumes to me (this could explain a few things).

So when my brothers ... the most amazing ... seriously amazing contractors ever ... offered to help me surprise Gary with a somewhat updated look in our bedroom, I hopped in the truck and picked out my flooring. This room is covered in fake wood, and I love it. There is nothing about me that needs the real stuff! We have wood laminate on the floor and MDF planks on my wall. It's my absolute favorite room now! But before we have the reveal ... here are some pictures of the work in progress.

First that lovely green carpet had to go ... maybe it will find itself near other ugly shades of carpet in carpet heaven. I was not sad to see it leave.

These are my brothers
acting very natural
as they walk in slow motion toward the camera. :)

At this point, I was happy just to be rid of the carpet. For the life of me I can't recall what we painted on that floor ... but there are lots of white rectangles somewhere!

Then came a fresh coat of paint and that beautiful fake wood. I love how Timmy is pretending to help his wife paint ...

Stay tuned ...

Scary .... Crazy ... Happy Story found here ...

2011-01-27T08:43:00.000-08:00

This is my cousin Becky and her three little kiddos.

A mere two weeks ago, she was pregnant with her fourth little one, when her heart stopped ... no really, it stopped! Her husband and paramedics worked on her for over twenty minutes as they tried to bring a pulse to the Mommy and the baby ... you can read her husband's words here.

Now she has some fancy equipment resting near her heart and she and baby are home again. I LOVE a happy ending! So glad you're okay Becky. We love you!

It's a giveaway!

2011-01-26T06:57:00.000-08:00

The bedroom is coming right along ... but as for now ... it's a spectacle! You know how things usually get worse before they get better? Well I'm here to tell you that things are worse! Here is a sneak peak of current conditions ...

On the up side ... if you're into LOVE and/or mushy, gushy Valentine's Day ... then you simply must visit Kacey's blog for her latest and greatest giveaway. Tell her, her Mommy sent you!

Meadows don't belong in the bedroom ...

2011-01-20T13:52:00.000-08:00

Once upon a time, there was a girl who LOVED the color green! She loved it SO MUCH that she put green carpet all throughout her home. GENIUS! Over the past several years, the whole house has gone through some little makeovers, but the master bedroom has kept that lovely shade reminiscent of an old meadow flowing beneath the bed. Well that's about to change ...

Stay tuned ...

Finally ... a thrilling new post!

2011-01-17T18:54:00.001-08:00

It was pointed out to me recently that I haven't posted since Winter came ... and before that it was Fall. I've been slipping for sure! Then today, Keaton emailed me and asked me what my blog address was so that he could keep up on what the family was doing. Well son, the family got Winter! I'm so ashamed!

My mind has been consumed with technological diagrams and formulas ... it ain't pretty! Last year I decided to bite the bullet and start acting like we own a real company. This decision brought on the world of Quickbooks ... a world that is so foreign to my simplistic world that the two worlds nearly collided with catastrophic results. At the same time, my "real" job commenced with an entirely new system at work. A system that required even more training and brain sculpting. At the end of the day, my brain has been tired yet pleased. I'm learning new things and I think this makes my brain happy.

The hardest part should be over now, and I'm geared up for more blogging. I think this year might be bigger on words than pictures. Sometimes I don't write, because I fail to have a corresponding photo for the post. I think I might be over that thought process and I'm just going to start tossing words out to the keyboard. We'll see what happens when I throw such caution to the wind!

I'm a wild & crazy gal for sure!

I spoke too soon ...

2011-01-04T10:11:00.001-08:00

Winter came ... oh boy did it come! I've never seen so much bedding spread out over front yard foliage in my life! The residential desert now looks like the homeless have taken up camp in all front yards and on top of every bush throughout the land. People are trying to save every last stem & leaf as they use every last stained sheet and ugly blanket to protect their roses and such. Not me. I say survival of the fittest! If we lose a few leaves, so be it. They always come back. And I'm not showing the neighborhood how U-G-L-Y and mismatched my linen closet is ... because it may or may not be symbolic of my own wardrobe.

Anyway, now I have a cold ... a nasty cold ... a nasty and snotty cold. I hate to be cold and I really hate to have a cold! I miss Fall. I might even be looking forward to Summer. On the upside, I drank some TheraFlu last night ... and it worked. It was also successful in reiterating to myself that I could never be an alcoholic. I don't understand why you would continue to drink something nasty until it starts to taste pleasant. Weird.

So Happy New Year to everyone ... and may you all have plenty of Aloe in your tissues.

I shall call this Fall ~

2010-12-15T19:17:00.000-08:00

... and I believe we will skip Winter this year!
I apologize Minnesota.

Visions of our cabin ... danced in our heads ~

2010-12-14T07:54:00.001-08:00

Lately, we've been spending a lot of time at a place I like to call ... our cabin! It's so cozy around the fire and just plain delightful!

Jake loves to frolic with all of his wild animal friends!

We're hoping that none of the raccoons have rabies this year!

Garrison has got to be more careful with those silly skunks!

We LOVE ~~Bass Pro Shop~~ our little cabin!

Sneaky ...

2010-12-09T06:50:00.000-08:00

I snapped this shot of my two bosses sharing highly confidential information as we were having a highly confidential meeting at work ... shhhhhh.

This one was shot by the paparazzi while I was trying to work in my new(ish) blue home office ... previously called Kacey's room. Now all of the secrets are out, and you know all about my job. This message may have to self-destruct within this decade.

So sneaky.

Annual Christmas Chaos ... check!

2010-12-07T07:17:00.001-08:00

Me & G ...

2010-12-06T06:51:00.000-08:00

Garrison has an affinity for extra credit. If any teacher offers ANY type of extra credit ... he's all over getting it done ... and quickly! Currently, he is reading A Christmas Carol in his English class and his teacher offered an AMAZING dose of extra credit, one that would raise his grade from a B to an A+. The task was to go to the Herberger Theater in Phoenix and see A Christmas Carol and then to get an autograph from his friend who had a starring role in the play. F-U-N!

So on Saturday, the two of us hopped on the 202 and headed East. In downtown Phoenix, there are few parking spaces other than parking garages that charge $7.00 ... but it was a special day, so we parked. We skipped (but not really) across the street and into the box office. I was told that this showing was a discounted rate, but I heard the cute young voice on the other side of the glass window say "That'll be $41.00 please." I heard myself mumbling "holy crap", but it was a special day, so I paid the lad through the tiny hole in the glass window. We sat on the front row of the balcony and it was a lovely, very well done play.

Note: My definition of a well done play = short.

After the play was over, we made our way down to the lobby to find the lady in the green dress to get her autograph and seal the deal on the extra credit. Deep breath. Job accomplished! Since we were already paying to park in downtown Phoenix, I decided that we couldn't quite be done yet. We walked across the street to one of my F-A-V-O-R-I-T-E places of all time. Seriously, this place runs a close second to Disneyland for me! The Hyatt Regency Hotel, or more specifically ... the glass elevator at the Hyatt Regency Hotel! If you ever want to step into Willy Wonka's shoes for just a moment and feel like you're going to burst through the top of one of the tallest buildings in Phoenix ... as you are soaring and seeing the sights of the valley for miles around, then you just have to do this!

We rode that elevator up & down three times and then headed back over to the parking garage to pay our $7.00 and head home. It was a lovely day. G was super happy to have achieved such extra credit and I was happy that I got to spend some alone time with him.

On the way home, I started wondering about all of the other kids that clearly would not be able to afford such status from the teacher. This was a pricey request! I am glad that I was able to have this day with Garrison and to be able to give him something that meant a lot to him, but if I was not able to do this ... I think I would hunt down that teacher for putting such ideas in my child's head! And really ... what did the student actually have to do to obtain these points?

Parking on the third floor of a concrete garage = $7.00
Seating for 2 at the Herberger Theater = $41.00
Riding my favorite elevator with G = $0
Achieving such extra credit in Junior High = ~~Priceless~~ $48.00

Singing lots of praises today ...

2010-12-01T06:54:00.000-08:00

Things have been rather busy around here ... and I think I'm SO CLOSE to having a roof that no longer leaks ... as well as some bonus work that Gary threw in for good behavior! Praise to the men who had any part in repairing our roof that has leaked many lagoons for about six years! Praise to my sister who stayed at our house during the last Monsoon storm (while we were in the lovely land of Catalina Island soaking up the sun) as she managed to move furniture that would have been damaged and commenced with monumental loads of laundry after the mopping up process was over. Praise to my Dad for teaching my brothers how to create beauty and shelter out of wood and callused hands. Praise to my brothers for always taking good care me. Praise to my husband who knows how to do just about ANYTHING ... and has the energy to get it all done. Boo yah! It totally makes me not even care that he stayed out until 2:00 a.m. playing poker last night!

The man never quits ...

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

2010-11-29T11:46:00.000-08:00

Arizona could have never prepared him for this!

Matthew & Kaelin -

2010-11-26T14:49:00.000-08:00

Today, little Matthew was walking through an art gallery in downtown Mesa with his cute little girlfriend, Kaelin. After looking at all of the exhibits, they came upon this HUGE & hilarious picture that was placed on an elegant easel ...

then he got down on one knee ... and asked her to marry him!

In March, I will be another mother-in-law!

Congratulations you two!!!

Petey loves Matty ~

2010-11-03T07:47:00.000-07:00

One of our little Chihuahuas is smitten with Matthew. When Matt moved away, Petey would get so excited when he would come back to visit, and he would follow him out to his car with high hopes of a field trip to Matt's house. His favorite were the sleep-overs!

Well, Matthew has moved back home for a short spell ... and Petey couldn't be happier. He follows his big brother from another mother around the house ... and look at this -

Petey waits outside of the bathroom for his Matty ...

and he waits some more ...

until he finally comes out and they are reunited once again!
This puts a little spring in Petey's step.
Zoey doesn't get it.
It's true love.

Mourning women ~

2010-10-28T08:49:00.001-07:00

What do women do when they're mourning
and they need to do something ...
ANYTHING?

They bake.
We gathered our sad selves together
and made 11 lasagnas in less than an hour.

That's what we do!

Reverent Soldier

2010-10-18T08:09:00.000-07:00

Today, I can't help but liken our full-time missionaries to soldiers. Our young Mormon men and women who leave all that they know behind them for two years to serve the Lord are much like the men and women that we see in uniform on the news every day. Our military people are putting their best feet forward to valiantly help save our country. And while Mormons have many soldiers serving our country as well, our young missionaries are putting their entire souls into saving our world and our brothers and sisters in Christ. When we lose a soldier, people line the roads waving flags and their services include every honor that they deserve accompanied by that 21 gun salute. When we lose a missionary, it's much more quiet.

Today, I salute this young man.

Nicholas Taylor Ferrin
8/4/1989 - 10/17/2010

You have made us so proud, Nick. We watched you grow and you inspired us as we attended your farewell. We didn't know how symbolic that day was, but we know now that all who attended were in the presence of a Celestial man in the making. Thank you for making us laugh. Thank you for being real. Thank you for showing us how to conquer this life. We love you and will miss you.

Nick was our friend. He was serving from our ward in Portland, Oregon when he suffered a Brain Aneurysm on Saturday. His parents flew up yesterday to say goodbye to their son. We are all so saddened by this and hope that you will join us in prayer on behalf of this amazing family.

Fancy News -

2010-10-05T17:50:00.000-07:00

Occasionally, I catch myself wondering why I live in Arizona (except for the fact that my whole family is here - and they have been here for a million years). Then ... out of the clear, blue sky I get zapped in the face with the answers.

A couple of Saturdays ago, it was miserably hot and it was October. I almost quit. I almost packed it up and moved up North, or over East, or anywhere but here. And then it happened! A dust storm rolled into town and brought a few sprinkles with it. Since then it's been delightfully cooler and we've been blessed with rain ... AMAZING RAIN ... and even some hail! I believe the worst of Summer is finally over. This is the time of year that I live for, and it's the time of year that other parts of the country are prepping for freezing pipes and snow chains. No thank you.

Another thing that we have around my little piece of this world is A.M.A.Z.I.N.G medical care. If you need a titanium plate in your head (like the one that I sport around in) ... we have Barrow's Neurological Institute. If your child is in bad shape ... we have Phoenix Children's Hospital (a shout out to Ben ... a Doctor who reads my blog)! And if you just need a second opinion or fantastic medical care from some really phenomenal doctors ... we have the world renowned Mayo Clinic. People have been known to travel for days to get to these facilities, and they are all a swift 30 minutes from my driveway.

This was Julie at the Fancy Mayo Clinic.
She thought she was getting a pedicure instead of a consult
in our fancy doctor's office.

Well, it finally occurred to me that I needed to utilize my options. So I made a couple of visits to the ole' Mayo Clinic. After lots of fancy blood work and a couple of educated consults with a lovely Dr. who specializes in Lupus ... new news rolled into town right along with that gust of cool wind. According to the fancy Mayo Clinic ... I DO NOT HAVE LUPUS.

Neat-o, eh?

And happy Fall!

Happy October!

2010-10-04T12:00:00.001-07:00

Elder Shaker is having fun and doing great!

I'm SO EXCITED that the weather is finally changing.

Good vs. Evil ...

2010-09-27T21:07:00.000-07:00

So tonight, I drove right past the Jack In The Box and I pulled into the gym. It was family night, and all four of us were determined to find some happy endorphins. Now that we're home and I hear my boys giggling instead of quarreling ... I think Racquetball may have done the trick.

However, I was not feeling very happy while I was in the process of accumulating those happy endorphins. Not because I was all sweaty or out of breath, but because somebody in the vicinity of my "work-out" was full of much more than an endorphin of any kind. That's right. One of the fellow members of our gym was incredibly flatulent this evening.

The first time my sensitive nose picked up on that familiar scent, I thought "oh my ... somebody must be awfully embarrassed right now". But as time passed, as well as much more gas, I realized that they weren't embarrassed at all and that they were just downright rude. It became my mission to narrow down the culprit and then I would know who to stay away from at future visits.

As my suspects each moved on to other pieces of equipment, and as the unpleasant whiffs continued, at last it was between two people ... one on my left side and one on my right. The young man on my left was jogging up a storm and I thought that this could certainly "stir things up". While the woman on my right was at a steady stroll the entire time and didn't really look the part of a tooter.

Well, the young man left and the smell lived on. It was the lady ... and I use that term loosely! She had a long, long braid down her back and at this point I was wondering if she was actually part pony ... it would have explained a lot. This woman was not healthy, and I was glad that she was trying to partake of some sort of wellness. But I'm here to tell you, from the smell of things ... she had a long way to go.

You're probably all wondering why I didn't just move. Well, because that's not how I roll. I was irritated and I had to get to the "bottom of things"! I thought that there were some unwritten rules about flatulence. The first of which being that you never stick around the scene of the crime man! Move along and create some kind of diversion! Maybe she was taught otherwise.

Anyway, I didn't let it stop me and it made me appreciate the Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin candles that I had waiting for me at home. Family Home Evening lesson ... opposition in all things. Those candles never smelled so darn good. There's no place like home.

Saturday Morning!

2010-09-24T10:26:00.001-07:00

If you think that Kacey's things are lovely ...

... then you should go visit this sweet little get-together tomorrow morning!

Tonight ...

2010-09-23T20:44:00.001-07:00

I drove right past this place ...

and then I drove right through this place ...

and now I'm going to go watch my episode of this ...

Don't judge me.

Love is in the air~

2010-09-15T07:55:00.000-07:00

On Friday, September 10, 2010 ... my sister got hitched!

And this little man ... finally has a Dad.

Welcome to the family, Kent!

Kacey's creations ...

2010-09-13T07:15:00.000-07:00

If you're into giveaways ...
or terribly cute things ...
you should visit this sweet little place!

www.owltreatcreations.blogspot.com

The Phonecalls ~

2010-09-07T19:07:00.000-07:00

Last night, after I blogged, I crawled into bed and watched TV until about 3:00 a.m. Sleep was nowhere to be found ... I looked! I thought Keaton might be calling bright and early, so I placed my cell phone and a home phone right by my pillow so I wouldn't miss anything. It worked.

At 6:00 a.m., the home phone rang and it was him, calling from the airport to tell me that he was doing GREAT. We had a short but sweet little conversation and he was off to go serve in the snow. He seems so ready and it was great to hear his voice.

...........

Fast forward to about 8:00 a.m. The phone rings again ... this time it's Jake.

"Mom, will you please come pick me up? I didn't know that I had homework (in three of his classes!) and I'm so tired I just want to rest today."

Oh silly Jake.

The answer was, no.

.............

Now back up ... Did you grow up with the classic Mormon movie "The Phonecall"? I need to giggle & watch that flick again. But tonight I'm climbing into bed early and hoping that the phone doesn't ring until tomorrow.

Rambling at midnight ~

2010-09-07T00:24:00.000-07:00

Labor Day, 2010. Our day started off early over here ... 4:30 a.m. to be exact. Gary and the boys went dove hunting with our little friends, the Arnett's. I didn't even know we were hunters. We weren't hunters! Until Labor Day 2010. Apparently they were almost sprayed by other humans with guns ... luckily Gary yelled for the youngins to cover their eyes! ... and they didn't hit a dove until they were on their way home where they ran into one with the truck. No wonder the state allows us to thin out the dove population a bit!

After the hunt of 2010 was over, we all headed over to the gym where the boys played racquetball with Gary and Uncle Danny, and I walked briskly on a fancy machine with it's own little television. My walk went by rather quickly as I tried to keep up with reading the subtitles while maintaining a steady yet oh-so-slight incline.

After the monumental work-outs, we headed over to Subway (because anybody who watches The Biggest Loser knows that you can literally lose 300 pounds by eating there) ... which would have been perfectly healthy had I not demanded a double scoop of Thrifty ice-cream following my oh-so-lean turkey sandwich. Oh well.

What would Labor Day be without a well deserved nap for those who regularly labor? Nothing! So we all took a little snooze as we fell asleep watching how baseball gloves are made (no wonder we dozed off)!

Around dinner time I decided that I would rest from my labors of cooking, and go shopping with my friend for some home decor that I desperately needed (toothbrush holders ... how have I lived this long without them?!) It was my first visit to Home Goods ... and it will probably not be my last.

Finally, tonight ... Matthew had a show. He's a rock star. It was his biggest show yet and even Grandpa Vince and Grandma Carol were in attendance. It was bloomin' hot ... sweat was everywhere ... but it was awesome. I love his new song, in memory of a friend we just lost.

We all came home and I remembered that I had to get our company billing done. So my work is now finished. My little ones and my big one are all in bed sound asleep. The dishwasher is humming and the evening has cooled down. I think we're done with this nonsensical heat and something new is in store.

Tomorrow, Keaton leaves for the mission field. It is possible that he will get to call home. If he does, then the day after Labor Day will be my new favorite day ... especially the one in 2012.

Happy Labor Day!

Fair Skin and Freakiness ...

2010-09-01T21:36:00.000-07:00

Walking through Target this evening ...
I was approached by a young man.

Young Man: "Excuse me, can I compliment you on your feet? I dabble in Reflexology and I am really taken with your fair skin! Would you be interested in some sessions?"

I briskly moved forward with my cart full of socks (how ironic), and let him know that I already had a great Massage Therapist.

Ha!

Sessions?

Is THAT what they call it now?

This blond streak is clearly working for me!

HA!

Although I must have a thing for my feet as well, since I do have a phone full of feet pictures. Some people are great at taking self-portraits of their faces. I dabble in feet ...

but not Reflexology ...
and not young men ...
HA!

Mid-Life Questions ...

2010-08-27T08:12:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, I saw a woman with two-toned hair ... and I totally made fun of her and called her Cruella Deville. Yesterday, I came home from the "salon" (can we call Fantastic Sam's a salon?) with a big blond strip right down the side of my face. Am I a hypocrite? Do I look like Cruella? Do I secretly long to be Cruella (minus the killing of Dalmations and draping myself in them). Is this what they call a mid-life crisis? Why can't I just go gray and be happy with whatever comes naturally?

The bottom line is that I don't feel old enough to be gray ... and I think I would look atrocious! I'm not ready to be atrocious yet! Does this blond strip make me look atrocious? Say it isn't so! Granted I could be a Grandma in the very near future and most of my children are now taller than me, but I'm still fighting it.

Oh dear. Cruella is a fighter.

Whatever. For now I will fight the hot flashes with my hormone patch and the gray hair with two bottles of color. I don't know if I will ever let myself go gray. My hair is one of the few things that I can control! And in case you didn't know this ... if I didn't color it, I would be completely gray. Oh the mere thought of it! It's not for me and I'm not for it. But I will probably try every other color except gray as I travel on this journey through aging. Fun!

Long lost family ~

2010-08-25T08:10:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I received an email from Robert Brent McKinnon in West Valley City, UT.

He ran across this picture while he was doing some family history research on Google, which directed him to my blog.

It turns out that my handsome Grandpa is this man's second cousin. Long live blogging ... and people who thrive on family history!

Alas, this is not one of my talents ... but welcome to the family Brent (he says that his friends and family call him Brent ... and that's me)!

P.S. If you're wondering how I know that Brent isn't just some looney tune who is stalking my blog (like so many do) and just waiting outside of my house for a shot of me in curlers ... don't worry he proved himself. The man sent Pedigree charts and has more information on my family than I ever will have. Land sakes he is bonafide!

Like Christmas!

2010-08-23T14:57:00.000-07:00

We got our first letter ... and he LOVES it!
Oh joy oh joy that boy!

My favorite quote from the letter
"There isn't a doubt in my mind that this is where I'm supposed to be."

Oh Keaton ...

2010-08-18T16:42:00.000-07:00

This little guy grew up and left today.

Kacey cried ... a lot.

I held it together just fine ... until he walked away.

North Security Checkpoint ... damn you.

First Day of School -

2010-08-11T07:48:00.000-07:00

I think I hear the thunderous roar of mothers across the neighborhood cheering for school teachers across the land. Actually, if I listen closer, it sounds a bit like a huge sigh of relief. We made it through one more summer. The days of trying to entertain and create diversions between siblings will come to a rest for yet another season.

For me, school is bitter sweet. Does anybody else feel like the teachers are actually giving US the deadlines for posters and homework to be finished? I do. Summers are free from a lot of the hassle that school provides ... but I suppose it's worth it all day long.

Two years ago was our last Elementary experience. This year will be our last Jr. High experience. Weird.

I think my boys are going to do great this year,
because they get to carpool with this cute cheerleader!
Sweet!

And they have a super hot Mom
who waits outside like this as all of the cars drive by!
Again ... sweet!

And they have a super cool Dad
who could beat up all other Dad's around the playground!
SO SWEET!

And they have each other.
So sweet that they don't even get it yet.

Someday they will ...

Good luck boys! We love you!

Lil' Keaton

2010-08-09T20:48:00.000-07:00

Lately, I can't get enough of this kid.
He's getting ready to learn all about living away from home
... and winter!

Since I've done this once before,
you'd think this would come easier for me.
Nope.
I just keep chasing him down for one more hug.

I'm going to miss this face!!!

Please come to Keaton's farewell this Sunday at 11:00 -
and enjoy some yummy stuff at our house afterward.
And kiss this face goodbye.

Fake jumping ...

2010-08-05T18:02:00.001-07:00

My daughter likes to lift me up ... literally.
I don't know what I would do without that girl!

Here we go ...

2010-08-04T18:24:00.001-07:00

So here's the deal. Apparently I have Lupus. Systemic Lupus. I guess two rounds of blood work don't lie. I've been through the denial phase, the fear phase snuck up on me one long weekend, and now I guess I've begun the acceptance phase.

I've heard lots of bad/scary stories about people having a pretty hard time with it. I'm done with those stories. I know they're out there, but I don't choose to listen to them anymore. So we're moving on.

If you have any great success stories regarding Lupus ... something that will have me dancing in the sprinklers with my arms held up high ... then please feel free to share them!

This is going to be a place of the most positive outlook on the disease. Not a big hairy deal.

So there. I said it.

Booyah!

2010-08-02T21:01:00.000-07:00

What do you do when life gets hard?

You run away to California ...
and you make K & K Photography bring their cameras!

I don't jump. I tried.

Inquiring minds want to know ...

2010-07-21T07:27:00.001-07:00

I'm looking for a new Primary Care Physician.
If you live in my neck of the woods ...
who do you go to
and why do you like them?