Turning Back Time

Dave is into Dragons and I saw this clock while shopping for Christmas, and thought it'd make a good addition to his office. When we looked closer at it, the big hand wouldn't go past 7 and the face was cracked. The day after Christmas, we took it back to where I bought it and exchanged it for one that worked. When we got back, Heather asked where we'd gone and Chas told her that we went to turn back time.
I laughed when Dave told me this, and just had to post that here on my blog. It wasn't much, but it was a fairly decent Christmas. It was good to share it with both families, and I hope that our plan for rotating which Family we spend Thanksgiving and Christmas with works out.

Bah Humbug/Hum Bahbug

As far as I could remember, Christmas was my all time favorite holliday. I'd always be excited for Santa, the lights, decorations and Christmas Specials on TV. I loved going Christmas shopping with my parents until I was old enough to go on my own, and snooping around with my siblings for our gifts when Mom and Dad left the house for any period of time.
A few days ago, Mom asked me out of the blue what my favorite Christmas memory was. Though this question seemed simple, it wasn't. I had quite a few memories that I loved, Grandma coming over Christmas morning to watch us open gifts, siblings keeping me up all night waiting for the OK from Mom and Dad to see what Santa brought, and looking at lights on Christmas Eve and exchanging gifts with Grandma and Grandpa on the way home.
Out of these memories, and others, the one that sticks out the most is the late nights with my siblings. I remember being so excited for Santa to come when I went to bed, and just as I doze off, I'd hear a light tap on my door, usually around 1am. It'd be one of my brothers, as I was sharing a room with Heather, and they'd come sit on the bed and talk with me until it was time to open presents. We'd try to figure out what we got, tell each other what we bought people, and just spend some good quality time together.
As the years progressed and we each went our own ways, the joys of Christmas for me turned in to Giving, rather than receiving. I loved to find out what people wanted, go out and find the perfect gift for everyone, and pray they liked it. The last 5yrs or so, that joy has faded for me, and this year, I just can't seem to get into the "spirit" of Christmas. I feel I have totally become a scrooge. I don't know if this is because I'm overwhelmed with making gifts for people this year, or because everyone I know has kids to share their Christmas with, or just because I can't seem to do what I want to for everyone this year. I know that it does hurt knowing that my siblings and other friends who DO have kids get to experience something that I've been jealous of since I have been unable to have kids, the look of extreme joy on their faces Christmas Morning when they open their gifts and see what Santa brought them.
I really don't know for sure why I feel this way this year, I know part of it is the parental, no kid thing, but it's not the main reason. All I know is that it's really bothering me, and I hope I can get out of it. If you click on the title of this post, you'll be taken to the song that best describes my feeling for this Christmas. Feel free to take a look and as usual, your opinions and thoughts are welcomed.

Biting Off MORE Than I Can Chew

Ok, so lately I've been intensely working on hats and scarves for my nieces and nephews Christmas gifts. Last week, since I shaved Merlyn naked, I decided to find a simple pattern for a dog sweater, and make him one to keep him warm. I found one online, printed it off and then went to work. It took me 2 days tops to finish it with doing a little altering. I put it on him and he totally enjoys wearing it, though I'm trying to figure out a way to make the back sit better on him.
Looking at the finished product, and back on all the other projects I've done, or am doing, I thought long and hard about using all the yarn I have to make afghans, dog sweaters, cat/dog toys, hats, scarves, and whatever else I can make or figure out how to make, and sell them. Chrystal has been telling me that I should sell them on Etsy, and it's been a thought, but I don't think I really want to pay for selling my stuff online. I have considered maybe posting items on my Facebook for people to see and possibly buy, but the only thing I see holding me back is the prices for things.
I do not know what people are willing to pay for my products, nor do I know what would be a reasonable price. Should I do special orders? Make up some in advance? I just don't know. I think it needs a lot more thought before I act upon it, I know for sure that Dave would be extactic if I used up all my yarn and retired my hooks for a while. My wrists and fingers would thank me for sure too. Who knows. This is what Merlyn's sweater looks like.

Good Fun and Good Friends

Saturday afternoon we were blessed by a visit with some friends. Dave has known Rachel since High School, and I met her almost 14yrs ago at Idaho Business Week in Boise. It's a funny story with Rachel. Dave and I attended her wedding, then after they moved, we lost touch with her. When the time came that Dave and I got married, as a wedding gift to him, I found him his 2 best girls. It took a few months to locate them, but finally succeeded. He was delighted to see her and his other friend Heather at the Temple, and though everyone else thought it was weird to see me give my husband 2 girls for a wedding gift, it was the best thing he could have ever had.

We once again, lost touch after our wedding, then finally reconnected thanks to Facebook and Myspace. Well, I think it was about a month or so ago, when I found out that Les was being sent to Mississippi and they were moving there in January. I told Rachel that she HAD to come see us before they moved, and they made the trip this weekend. Les immediately began to give me a run for my money, and he was caught off guard MANY times when I had witty comebacks for him and gave as good as I got. Dave and Rachel got a kick out of us I think, and I really hope we can visit them more before they head south.



We took them to eat at Craigos where they got their first taste of Apple Beer, then it was off to Outer Limits for some 3D Blacklight Golf. They had a blast with that, and towards the end Les decided it was fun to pick on me. I kept throwing the wit back at him, and realized how like Dave he is. All in all it was a good, stress free visit.

Christmas

Ok, so this photo was taken last year, but it is a photo about my subject on this entry, so Oh well. Anyway, since it's a month away, I thought I would share a little thought about Christmas. A few weeks ago, I was asked if we should draw names as a family, cutting back on expenses on having to buy for everyone.

I didn't respond right away, gave it some serious thought then after about a week, I told this person that I THOUGHT it'd be better for everyone to get each other gifts, even if it's "Family" gifts, rather than drawing names. I told them that it seemed more fair in the sense that those who couldn't be there to draw names didn't have somebody else do it for them and nobody would be left out or overlooked. I also pointed out that you didn't have to spend a lot for "Family" gifts, that it worked pretty good for Dave and I over the years. Though at times it seems a bit lame or Korny with what we put in these baskets, but they've got a LOT of thought put into them, and it gives people a taste of the heart put into the gifts.

This year I've focused on what to get Dave's family, and though I've drawn a blank for the adults, the kids are pretty well covered. I am quite stoked and hope they like the ideas that I have for them. Each child gets a home made hat and scarf in their gift, then a few other odds and ends sealed with LOTS of hugs and kisses. Knowing that money is tight for ALL family members, I would be quite content with a few cases of Mountain Dew LIVEWIRE as I can't get it in Pocatello, or any CD by Andrea Bochelli or Luciano Pavaratti. Yeah, I went there, I like those two, I've also got a christmas list that is being sent to everyone, and for "Family " gifts for Dave and I, there are TV Series I've got on my list we BOTH would LOVE to have in our posession.

I just ask everyone to remember that Christmas isn't about receiving, it is so much more than that, and the world seems to forget the true meaning. Lets all take the time to think about the true meaning of Christmas, and have a happy holiday season!

Halloween

So this year for Halloween, I actually dressed up and took Kaitlynn out Trick or Treating. We didn't go very far, just to COSTCO and the ward Trunk or Treat. I was going to take her to the few houses in the neighborhood but when we got home, she peed her pants. It was your usual "too excited and busy to stop for a potty break" and she felt so bad about it.
It was not that big of a deal though because she was loaded with candy and pretty worn out from the days activities. Her parents dressed her up as a pirate, and when she saw me dressed up as a little kid, she wanted to be one, but I managed to convince her to be MY babysitter for once. She liked that idea, and was content with being a pirate again. COSTCO was taking free pictures of the kids, and before I took Kaitlynn's home to her parents, I made a copy, this is what she looked like.



Later that evening, Marsh and Em brought Tucker over in his costume. If you've ever smelled him after he farts, you'll understand and agree why he was dressed as what he was. It was so stinking fun watching him crawl around in that costume.

Good Therapy

As y'all know, I've been working on improving my crocheting, and lately, began to make hats. This Christmas, I plan on giving all my nieces and nephews home made hats and scarves along with their gifts, and as I was working on Faith's hat, the Elders saw them and wanted to pay me to make them one. Being Missionaries and a good source of therapy for me, I told them I'd make them the hats for free, they just needed to pick out their yarn colors. It took me 2 weeks to finish both hats, but I really liked the way they turned out. These are the hats.



I will not lie, though it was a ROYAL pain in the butt due to the type of yarn, the purple and black is my favorite. I didn't rig it to be striped, niether of them really, and it was soooooooooooooo soft. I think that I will start making more, and am toying with the idea of charging people for labor. They can furnish their own yarn, but depending on size, I'll charge them for the time it takes me to make them. I just need to decide on what would be reasonable, any ideas or suggestions???

Flair

Lately on the nights that I cannot sleep, I'll get on Facebook because it doesn't require much brain activity, and just look at the different apps that I have. The other night, I decided to see if they've got any new "Flair" and found some pretty good ones. With all the hype on the Swine Flu, I've taken to telling people who ask me if I have it, that I don't have the curly tail or a snout, so it's gotta be the regular flu.
With people dying from the Swine Flu, I know it's not a joking matter, but I can't resist, and I'm not the only one. As I was browsing through the flair, I found one with a cartoon pig that's wearing a hospital mask. Above and below it it said "Swine Flu, Bacon's Revenge". Now just spending HOURS, and I mean HOURS looking at little pieces of Flair tells ya that I have no life, especially when I'm sick. As I was finding all these funny little ones, my absolute favorite at this moment is
" Don't knock on Death's door, ring the doorbell and run away, he hates that!"

A WOW Moment

On Tuesday Kaitlynn came over to make cookies with me. The FIRST thing I did when we started, was explain to her that the Oven is really hot and that she couldn't touch it or she'd get burned really bad. She fully understood as each time I opened the oven door, or Layla came near to the oven, Kaitlynn would say "really hot". She did GREAT at following directions, and helping with the cookies.

On the second to the last batch, we were doing some editing on photos and I told her to peek into the oven and see if the cookies were done. I knew the timer hadn't gone off, but thought I would give her something to do. Two seconds or so later, I hear Kaitlynn holler "They're done". I got up, took the 10 steps it takes to get to the kitchen, and stopped in shock.The oven door was wide open, and Kaitlynn was standing in front of it.
As I approached the oven, I discovered the cookie sheet was sitting on the stove. Kaitlynn had opened the oven, grabbed the towel I was using as a hot pad, and pulled the cookies out herself, and placed them on the stove. She did not get burned, and was quite proud of herself for what she did. I put the cookies back in the oven to let them continue to bake, then took her aside and explained to her that she couldn't do that without an adult around to help.
I proceeded to tell her that it was ok, I was proud of her for not getting burned and trying to help, and not mad at her.
I then sent her mother a text message telling her what had happened, that I was shocked about it all and that it was all so fast. Part of me was proud of that little girl, this story is proof of how we need to be examples. When we don't know it, we're being watched, and others learn by example. I wasn't aware at how intently Kaitlynn was watching and learning what I was doing, until she did the unthinkable for a 3yr old, without being injured. Seriously, what 3yr old do you know, would think to take an extremely hot cookie sheet out of a oven at 375 degrees with a towel or oven mitt??? All I can say and have been saying since the incident is "WOW".

My New Roommate

Today's entry is all about my new roommate. I call him Mighty Mouse, and this is why. A few days ago, Dave was sitting in our room, and saw a movement out the corner of his eye. The light was on, and 4 dogs were in the room, but this big mouse shot across the room, and under the door.
We let Mom and Dad know the following morning, they purchased more traps, and after it was baited and set, we placed it under our entertainment center. That night, as we were watching TV with the light on and 4 dogs in the room, again, "Mighty Mouse" ran across the floor, and into the closet behind Merlyn's kennel. Merlyn was sleeping soundly in his kennel, so we pulled it out, had "Mighty" cornered, literally, and sent Mason to catch him.
After a failed attempt at Mason chasing him, Gus caught on to the excitement, and before long, he joined Mason in tracking the mouse through the basement. The mouse had gotten away, for now, and everyone went to bed. Early this morning, when I got Dave up for work, I was getting ready to get up and turn the Bedroom light back off, when once again, Mighty darted from under the entertainment center and out the door. I know it's only a matter of time before he's caught, but I must say, this isn't any ordinary mouse, this is the first mouse I've seen that is brave enough to be seen by 4 dogs.

A Long NEEDED Visit and Trip

So yesterday Dave's sister Rachel loaded up her 3 kids, stopped by to pick us up, and headed to Salt Lake City. We were taking the kids to the Hogle Zoo, and just visiting with each other. Isaac was beyond hilarious when he kept telling Dave that he was driving the wrong way, as if he knew where we were going. The kids did GREAT for as young as they are and as long as a drive it was, and when we got to the zoo, it was go go go.

We saw almost every animal there, though we missed out on the baby elephant, and stayed awhile past when the zoo closed. As we were leaving the zoo, Isaac tripped and fell head first onto a cement parking block. He was fine other than a really sore head and cheek, as he bit his cheek when he fell. After one of the employees of the zoo gave us some ice, we loaded the kids in the car, stopped off at the store and got some Tylanol for Isaac, then headed to dinner.

After dinner, because it was so late, rather than hit the mall or temple square, we decided to head home, stopping by Krispy Kream to get some doughnuts. We didn't return to Pocatello until about 2am so Rachel crashed at mom and dad's, and in the morning the kids had a field day playing with each other.

Today's photo is of Isaac, I just absolutely LOVE the way it turned out/looks, and am seriously considering entering it into the fair next year.

Uncanny Resemblence.

Ever since Tucker was born, I'd keep saying that he looks a lot like Marsh. Last night, as I was loading pictures from Marsh's photo album so I don't have to when I work on scrapbooking, I ran across this photo, which to me, could pass as Tucker. It was taken in 1980 and obviously, Marsh is a few months old.



This is one of Tucker, I think he could almost pass as Marsh's twin. I must admit, this little man is quite attached to me. Lately if Mom, Heather or anyone else but Marsh and Emily hold him, he cries. When I get him, he hugs me and is happy. I love him dearly, and enjoy the times I get to spend with him.

Making Progress

As all of you know, Merlyn has been a pretty skittish dog since we've gotten from the breeder nearly 5yrs ago. (dang time flies) Since I noticed he is skittish, I've been trying to work with him conquering his fears so to speak, and have made some progress. He's not as scared of strangers as he used to be, and has even nipped at the gas man.
He'd run when kids are around, except for if it's Kaitlynn. Early on he and Kaitlynn formed a special bond, and when she's around, he is her dog. She is the only one who can lie on him like a pillow, grab his tail, ears, feet, and just manhandle. The other day I was watching Layla. She'd just woken up from her nap, and I just changed her diaper when Merlyn decided to join us on the bed. She'd crawled over to him and this is what I saw, it went on for a good 45min. and I was quite proud of Merlyn. He didn't snap, growl, or run. He lied there, and if she moved away, he would try to cozy up to her again.

I'm sooooooo a dead woman after this post!

Ok, so we all know that I love my husband VERY much. For the past few weeks, I've been kicking him to the couch so I can attempt to get a little sleep, and he can to. Well, today, after an early dinner, I'd came up to check things out and update my blogs. I decided to get my camera, and when I got to our room, I heard Dave snoring. Being the loving wife that I am, I had to snap a picture....


As if this photo wasn't enough, and Dave, I really do LOVE YOU! I got video of what I hear each night, and why he's been sleeping in another room but unfortunately for me, fortunately for him, it wouldn't load. Needless to say, he's quite loud, and it kills me that he has to sleep in another room, but I just can't keep the ear plugs going and risk getting another ear infection.

Labor Day

Sunday and Monday, we went to Emily's family cabin for a family camping trip. Because we couldn't find anyone to watch all the dogs, Dave and I came home Sunday night then returned to the cabin early Monday morning. We ate breakfast, then Dave and I took Dad's Razar out for a drive. I got Mason to follow us mostly down the road, then he began to lag behind, and I got a crazy idea to see if he'd ride in the back. Dave stopped and I put Mason on the back of the Razar, where he rode the rest of the way down, then back up to the cabin.



After our ride, everyone but Dave, Mom, Emily, Tucker, Andy and his wife, went fishing. I desperately needed a nap, so I crawled up into the back of Marsh's truck, and fell asleep for a few hours. We had a nice breeze up there, and I was really comfortable. When I woke up, Emily and Tucker came to see me, while waiting for Marsh and Dad to return with the Razar.



Shortly after this picture was taken, Emily left Tucker with me, and went on Marsh's 4 wheeler to find him. Then Chas took Tucker to Heather and took me for a ride on Andy's 4 wheeler, where I prayed for dear life. It was his first time driving one, and my first time riding one, and it was CRAZY!!!!! We all had a lot of fun though, and the only thing missing was Dan and Chrystal. (Yes, it'd be a hoot to see how well they'd handle "roughing it" with the rest of the fam.)

Self Taught

As most of you know, I've been collecting TONS of yarn, most of it came from Grandma after she passed last year. Lately, I've been trying to learn new crochet stitches, and this is one of my new favorites. It's called the BOX STITCH, and it's a lot of fun to do. I'm making this afghan out of the yarn I got from Grandma, it's going to be white and green, then trimmed in black. The other yarn in the photo, the pink,blue,purple multi-colored is another stitch I'm trying called the SEED STITCH. It's going to be a blanket for Merlyn's kennel, and is yet, another easy stitch to do.

I catch a lot of crap for being so young and crocheting, but I have found it to be a good stress reliever, and a fun hobby. Dave doesn't like it at times because it takes up most of the time he wants to spend with me. I admit, I'm a bit addicted to it, I go pretty much everywhere with some form of a crocheting project, and work on things while I'm watching TV or trying to get sleepy. It has been the best therapy I've had yet. I'll post more photos of other projects as they come.

Dad's New Truck

This blog entry is because Dad requested I take a picture of his GMC Senoma so that Dan and Chrystal can see what it looks like. While he was in the ER a few weeks ago, waiting to be checked out, he had Marsh go to the dealership and purchase this for him.

The original plan was for him to give us the Tahoe, and fix up the S10 for us as well, he keep the money from our cars if he can sell them, and then fix up Emily's old Honda for Heather. After some time thinking, Dad has decided to keep the Tahoe as a backup, fix the S10 up for Dave and I, the Red Honda for Heather and sell our Van and Honda. I am ok with this plan, the S10 would be much easier to take the dogs in, and I don't watch kids as much, and if I do need to go somewhere with a kid, I'm sure I can get my hands on another vehicle with a back seat they can ride in. Anyway, it seems like everyone likes the Senoma, everyone that is, except me. I don't know why I don't like it, but I just don't.

True Redneck

I went to Blackfoot today to visit Sara and teach her a little more crocheting. When I got there, we went and grabbed a bite to eat, and she pointed this out to me. I thought it was so hilarious, I had to stop on my way home and take a picture to share with you.
She'd explained to me that it cracks her up every time she sees it, and has even seen people grilling on it. She calls it the "Redneck Deck". Can you guess why she would name it that??? Yes, this is the true side of BLACKFOOT, IDAHO.

I know that at first glance it's just a stack of pallets, but if you take a closer look, you'll see chairs on them, sadly, I know people who'd do something like this.(NO, it's NOT me.)

Hogle Zoo

Dave and I went to the zoo in Salt Lake yesterday, and though our feet were ACHING, we had a blast. We took the train ride, and saw almost all the animals they had to show. They have some new baby animals at the zoo, some of which weren't available for showing (the elephant was born on the 10th of Aug, and was in seclusion with it's mom to bond.)
I took a lot of pictures with my camera, though I admit it's not the best, I got a few good shots, and today's photo is of the Giraffes. Though I wasn't close, the camera took a good closeup of the baby. I don't know why, maybe because it's unique in it's own way, but I just love the Giraffe, they seem so graceful and mysterious. Enjoy the photo, there will be more of our trip to the zoo in the VERY near future.

Long Needed "ME" Time......

Today I went to Sara's house, it was the first time in 4 years that I've been there, I'm pretty ashamed of that, but we're working on it being more frequent. Anyway, she wanted to learn how to Crochet, and though I am not so good at it myself, I said I'd teach her what I know. I got to her house around 12-12:30 and we got started. We sat there, and I made her practice making chains until she felt they were good enough, then she learned a few stitches.
We talked, worked on stitches, talked and just had some good quality time together. Right around 2 she had to take William, her son, to the school to meet his teacher. She had asked me to stay and watch Hannah for her, and while she was gone, I tried teaching Hannah how to Crochet upon her request. It wasn't a very good lesson, and we both decided she needed to wait until she was a little older. I didn't leave their house until almost 5.
On the drive back, I got to thinking about all the fun times Sara and I had. I realized that though there was a 9yr. break, she's been my oldest friend. We're at least on our 19th year of being friends, and I think she could be the "Patty" I've longed for. She's more than a friend, she's a sister and I love her dearly. We have decided to use all our yarn scraps and make friendship quilts, throws, whatever you want to call them. I am also going to try to make a trip to her house every Tuesday.

It Doesn't Suprise Me

Today was a decent day. I got up in time to have Lunch with Dave. We went and got a Jamba Juice, then came home. Just as Dave's lunch was up, Marsh, Emily, and Tucker came over for "Brunch". Mom fixed French Toast, and it was only Marsh, Emily and me.

While we ate, Dad played with Tucker and swung him. He had to quit after a short time because he was quite winded. The reason behind it is he and Marsh went Fishing yesterday. Somehow he fell, got stabbed by a stick, and really did a number on himself.

Today, after he met with his siblings (except for Marae) he decided it was time to go to the ER because he was having a hard time breathing. Mom called and let us know that was where they were, and we decided we'd go hang out up there for a bit to see what the verdict was. Basically Dad got the crap beat out of him, by Mother Nature. From what Heather told me, they gave him good drugs and sent him home. He's got a nice scratch on his belly accompanied by a bruise though.

A Crafty Day.

Today I got Meado and Chloe a hour later than I was supposed to. By the time they showed up, I was a bit upset, tired and just didn't feel like dealing with kids. After their constant questioning, I pulled out my craft kit and began trying to focus on something other than wanting to strangle them. (Ok, so I really wouldn't strangle them.) Anyway, I began to paint some glass "rocks" as the girls looked on. Being as tired as I was, I wasn't sure how they'd turn out or how creative I was feeling, but I spent about 45 minutes painting them, and they turned out better then expected.

BUNCO!!!

Tonight was our monthly night of playing BUNCO. We play EVERY 2nd Wednesday of the month, and it has grown since we started our group. When we started over 2yrs ago, we only had 3 tables, now we're up to 5 tables and are totally enjoying ourselves, for the most part. There are a few people that tend to ruin it for others at times, but for the most part, it's fun.With the increase of tables comes the increase of the "winnings" . For example, tonight I walked away with the most wins, $13 cash. Mom won the most BUNCO's, I didn't catch who lost the most, but Dave walked away with the Boobie prize.

Thank the Lord Above

This is a photo that was taken shortly after I entered into Young Womens. It was one of the first activities I'd attended, and as you can tell, I didn't feel very comfortable in that dress. Just as the photo was taken, somebody said quite loud, that I needed boobs, at the time, that was embarassing to me. When I first saw this picture, I cringed. Wondered what the hell I was thinking agreeing to put that thing on. I've always been kind of a Tomboy, and don't like being in frilly, girly dresses.

I looked at this picture for a while after I found it a few months ago, and then pulled out one of my wedding photos, and realized what a butterfly I have turned into. I'm glad I didn't have the "princess" dress, that I was simple and "thrifty" with my choice of wedding dress. Though it was so simple, I had more compliments on it than I expected, and was so amazed at how well it turned out. I was worried it wouldn't turn out like I had in my head, but it was so much better. The kicker is when I look at that now, I realize how it has a bit of a Renassance look to it. That is what I love about the dress, and Mom likes that too. Here's a photo of that dress. Such a better one than the above.

One of The Beauties of Pocatello

I came across these flowers on our way home from your Sunday Evening walk. I thought they were pretty, and a bit unique, at least until I ran across some other ones right next to them, I swear, they're hybrids of these white ones and the pink ones next to them, they were awesome. Hope you like, at least as much as I did.

Father Son Bonding Time

Tonight when I got home from the Chaney's house, Marsh, Emily and Tucker were here visiting. Marsh had to show me that Tucker likes the "lollipop" song, yes, Marsh shouldn't quit his day job. Anyway, today's photo is of Marsh doing something that Tuck LOVES. I must say, the crazy child really is Marsh's , he is almost always carried upside down, has Marsh's signature SMELLY farts, and often times looks like him.

Anyway, it's fun to watch Marsh with him, and I get to go camping with them in a few weeks. I'm excited because it'll be a camping trip with Heather and Chas too. Yes, the siblings here in Potato Hell are all going to spend 2 days with each other, and quite possibly all in 1 vehicle. YIPPEE!!!!!
No worries, if things get tough, I've got the TajMahal of Tents, and can easily escape to it. I'll also take 2 cameras and LOTS of pictures, so you'll get them coming with the Photo of the Day. Thanks Chrystal, for the comments and motivation, lets see how long this lasts!

One of my Favorites!

Ok, so I know that I've had a lot of pictures of Kaitlynn on here, but I really couldn't resist this one. I found Dave's camera last week, and decided to wipe the memory card clean. When I did, this is one of the photos I found. It was taken when she was a few months old.

I really like this one, because it looks like she's saying "And if you look here" or something to the effect. This was one of the days when we were working on delivering phone books, and to keep her in the yard, we filled a kiddie pool with toys and pillows while we prepped the phone books for delivery. So, this is todays photo, and the last one until I can get internet access. Hope you enjoyed the blogs, and that I can pick up on them again sometime down the road.

Layla Jean Christiansen

I've babysat Layla and Colby Christiansen for quite some time now, at least for all of Layla's life. At first, she would have nothing to do with Dave, she was all about being around me, now that she's older, it's reversed. She totally adores Dave and has nothing to do with me or anyone else when he's in the room. Lately she's been trying to walk, and it's fun to watch her take her first few steps before taking the easy way out and begins to crawl. As you can see in the photo, she isn't very big, and it's kind of wierd to see this "midget" baby walking through the room.
Like her older brother, Layla has a lot of personality, and is quite smart for a toddler. I got a wild hair the other day when they were here, and began to teach her how to say "eat" and "more" in sign language. She got them after the first try. I must say that my favorite thing about babysitting is watching the kids grow and learn new things. To think the most simple things in life are exciting and new, experience things for the first time. I like being a help in their development, and try to do things that aren't just educational, but fun as well. I adore these kids, and love watching them.

A Nice Surprise

Today Dave and I went to pick up some EPSOM salt to soak my toe in, and when we returned home, Mom said that I had company coming. Not getting much sleep, I couldn't figure out who, so she told me. Jordyn and her son were coming to visit. I don't know why, but the little one has taken to me quite well, and it's so cute watching him with Jordyn.

Because I know the situation between Archer's parents, I also knew that Jordyn doesn't get to see him much, so I told them I'd take a picture of them together. Archer is really a ham, and loves taking pictures. I must admit, it's strange to still hang out with my first love, and watch him/her become friends with my husband. I would have never thought, in a million years, that anything like that would happen.

One Giant Headache And Lesson Learned

On Tuesday, Marsh, Emily, Heather, Dave and I went to lunch at McDonalds. I wasn't that hungry, and neither was Heather, so we got Happy Meals. We all sat down and ate our lunch, Dave finished eating before everyone else and had to get back home to get to work, so I sent him ahead of us in the Tahoe. Before he left, I placed my wallet in my happy meal box with my apples I planed on eating later, and asked him to take them home for me. He said ok and then left, nothing else was said.
Thursday afternoon/early evening, I was getting ready to take Heather to dinner on my Gift Certificat to Texas Roadhouse, compliments of Jordyn, when I realized I didn't have my wallet. I turned to Dave and asked him what he'd done with the happy meal box, and I got the response I was hoping I'd never hear. "You told me to throw it away." I was horrified. Not only did it have my ID, Debit Cards, and at least $15 in it, but it also contained all my medical cards, pre paid legal card and other important items.
Why I did it, I don't know for sure, but I called up McDonald's and asked them when their trash gets dumped. To my dismay, they said it was just dumped today. I tearfully (yes, I cried over it) explained to them that there was a HUGE miscommunication between my husband and I, and he accidentally trashed my wallet on Tuesday. The gentleman on the phone apologized, and we hung up. Not knowing exactly what else to do, I called and ordered replacement debit cards, and then tried to gain my composure.
Once I was calmed down, Heather and I went to eat at Texas Roadhouse though we really couldn't afford it, it was a sacrafice that needed to be made because we were in serious need of Sister Time. I talked to her about the incident a little bit, and was shocked to hear that Dave asked her to drive him to McDonald's so he could go "dumpster diving". What was more impressive, and really touched me was that Heather offered to go dumpster diving with him to find my wallet. It meant a lot, and to those of you who know Heather, you know it was a BIG gesture on her part.
We had a wonderful time at dinner, talked about different things, how much her husband is liked, her car, whatever was on our minds at the time. After dinner, we came home, she went to help Chas and I got online for a bit. Now I'm going to spend time with my husband, and try to make him feel better about the whole thing. I'm slowly getting over it, and kind of dread getting a new photo ID, oh well, it's gotta be done.

My Sister

This particular post is based solely on my sister, Heather. As everyone knows, she's been pretty hard to live with at times, and even harder on me. Though we've had some pretty rough patches, I would like to say that her and I have grown a LOT closer over the last few years, and I really love her to death.

Recently she's been feeling neglected by me, mainly because I've been busy with things here on the computer.
I feel pretty bad that I've been spending a lot of time on here, but there are things that need to be done, and unfortunately it takes a lot of my time.

To get back on track though, I want to let my sister know how proud of her I am. Though she has a knack for making enemies, she's also got a pretty big heart. I've seen her fall, hit rock bottom, and I've seen her pick herself back up and bounce back harder than ever. She survived abuse, a divorce, and finally found that one person who makes her the happiest in life. I see the way they are with each other and know they're in love. It's rare these days when she's moody and angry at the world, most of the time she's pretty laid back and loves her life. Heather, if you read this, I really love you, and am proud to call you my sister. I am happy you found your best friend, that you compliment each other and wish you the best in life.

Saturday Fun

Janelle asked me to watch Kaitlynn while her and Lee did 3 mystery shops. Normally they take her with them, but she wasn't allowed to go, so she spent the day with me. Meado and Chloe were supposed to come over as well, but their parents were having problems and I didn't get them. Anyway, to make sure she had fun, we went to the park, and played on the slides. They had a bridge there that she was afraid to cross, so I reassured her it'd be ok, and then when I got on it, I showed her how fun it was to jump and make the bridge shake. We played there for a while, then decided it was time to head on out to get Jamba Juices for everyone.
On our way to Jamba Juice, we decided to go to McKee's to see the animals. She requested to see frogs, so I showed the frogs to her. Kaitlynn had a lot of fun just seeing the different animals and saying Hi to all of them. When we got to Jamba Juice, she paid for the items we bought, waited for them, and then helped me into the Tahoe with them. When we got home, she took Dave's down to him, and then we watched a movie until her parents came to pick her up. Kaitlynn didn't want to go home, she was having too much fun blowing bubbles in the front yard, and even threw a fit when I took the bubbles from her and told her she could do it at home if it was ok with mommy. I hope I get more times with her in the future, she's a special little girl who is full of personality and love.

Quick Trip To Twin

On Thursday, July 9th, Dave, Joesph and I made a quick surprise visit to his family in Twin Falls. We expected Dad to be working, but when we got there, to our shock, he was out mowing the lawn. He had one of those rare days off, so we got to spend the whole day together. We dropped off Joe so he could do his laundry, but left it in the Tahoe while we went to lunch with Andy. We went to a Mexican restaurant for lunch. It took forever to get there due to construction, but when we got there, I got a chicken sandwich. I thought when I ordered it, that it'd be like any other chicken sandwich you'd order in a restaurant, about the size of a hamburger. Imagine the shock on ALL our faces, when I'm presented with a half a loaf of bread with a chicken breast on it the size of a frizbee. I am not exaggerating on this, and was done eating after 4 bites of this sandwich. Needless to say, I brought the rest home to snack on for the rest of the week.
After lunch, we did a little light shopping and then it was off to Wal-Mart to visit Jacob since he had to work. When we got back to the house, I gave the girls their hats that I bought for them. They LOVED them. Faith kept hers on most of the time, Sara did a lot of poses in hers for a bit then they came off. Because of all his scratching, I took Merlyn with us as well. Come to find out that Faith is terrified of dogs, it was a shock to see that she took to Merlyn, almost too well. She'd follow him around, talk to him, hug him, and just made him real nervous with not leaving him alone. All the nephews enjoyed him too.

As usual, since the visits are far and few between, I took my camera and took pictures, here they are, at least my favorite ones.

Sara Grace Hiedenblute Faith Hannah Hiedenblute
Faith Hannah, Sara Grace, Matthew Zachary, Isaac Lee, and Joshua Ryan aka "The Tank"

Goodbye to Good Talent....

As everyone has heard by now, Michael Jackson passed away from that appears to be a heart attack, at the golden age of 50. Many people think of him as this freaky child molester, or a monster, either way, he was quite quirky to say the least. Regardless of all this, his career started at an early age, and unlike a lot of child stars, his name never fizzled out, instead, it grew to Pop Royalty.
What I think is sad about Michael Jackson is that he was not happy with himself, maybe it was because of how he was raised, or because he grew up in the public's eye, but you can tell that he was never comfortable in his own skin. He started out as a handsome young man of the African-American nature, but in the end, was not much more than a skeleton with flesh on it.
I must admit, he was heavily judged by his actions, but he definitely knew how to sing. Some of my favorite songs were "You Are Not Alone", "Black Or White", "Smooth Criminal", "Will You Be There", and "Heal The World". Not only do I like the music to these songs, but the lyrics, especially on You Are Not Alone and Will You Be There. I've got Heal The World on here, listen as it's sung, Michael has a very good point in this song. Hope you like it as well as I do.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W61Q-EZ8R7M

We shouldn't judge the wrong doings of any man, that's something that we have to leave up to our maker, so lets just remember Michael Jackson for the POSITIVE things he's done in his life.

FARKEL

Being a Facebook Junkie as some would call me, I have found a game called Farkel. Some people describe it as Yahtzee on crack, I just think it's a fun new dice game. Until recently, I thought it was a computer game, but then I got curious and Googled it. Come to find out that it's a REAL game, and comes in a travel tube. I have searched the local stores for this game, and haven't had any luck, that is until we went to Idaho Falls Saturday.
After spending what seemed like HOURS at the zoo, we went to lunch and then to the Mall. While we were walking through the mall, we went to Barnes and Noble so Dave could find a book he was looking for. I began to get curious, and went to see what games they had. As I rounded the corner, I came to a shelf that had 5 Farkel games on it. After the shock of actually finding it wore off, I looked at the price and decided to get it.
I haven't played it yet, and plan on it soon. Dave hasn't played it, and doesn't seem to want to, but I'm going to at least get him to try it once. If he likes it that's fine, if not, at least he tried it. It's one of those games you can play alone, and I"m sure you could make it so you played it like BUNCO. Knowing me, I'd find a way to do it that way. Anyway, that's the highlight I guess, next to finding out that BASKIN ROBBIN still carries my Daqueri Ice. I know that a 5 gallon tub of it is in my future. Enjoy the photos, some are of the zoo.


Heather thought it was cute that I had my head in the lions mouth, little does she know I feel that way every day. The duck literally dive bombed us twice while we were walking through. They should post a sign that says "Beware of KomaKazi Ducks" or somethin.

Anniversary Day 1

We spent last night at a cabin that Emily's family let us use. We were allowed to stay there all weekend, but changed our mind and came home early, though things aren't over for us yet.

When we first got there, these flowers were our welcoming. They were EVERYWHERE we turned, and it was a really nice change to have. Though we didn't stay as long as we'd have preferred, it was a reminder at how much I love the outdoors, and how we all get too caught up in Technology, how much we really do depend on it. It was nice to just stop, and take a breather to reflect on and enjoy the most simple things in life. The short time we spent up there was fantastic. We didn't mind having to clean things up a little bit, and the cabin was quite cozy. The view was worth it all though. It reminded me of the simple things in life. I always feel closer to the lord in the mountains, I feel the spirit better without the distractions of other people, and it takes away my anxieties of life. I'm sure if the rain wasn't so frequent, we'd have stayed longer, but really, it was worth it to just spend a day there, enjoying the beauty the Lord has to offer. I'm off to see what Day 2 of our Anniversary Weekend has to offer us, I'll keep you posted.......

A Good but BUSY Day

I got up surprisingly early this morning, 7:30 and didn't go back to bed or take a nap. Last night Dave and I did the Wii Active, and it KICKED MY BUTT. I tried the easiest mode they had and when I got to the squats, I was beat. Anyway, I got up, showered, and then went to Wal-Mart with Mom to get stuff for BUNCO. When we got home, it was time to take Tucker to his appointment. We got there, the doc looked him over, he got his shots and then after eating, he came home.
When I got back, I thought I'd take Merlyn in to have them look at his neck and see how it was doing. He got an OK to go camping with us this weekend, still needs a warm compress on it, and then we're supposed to bring him back when we get home from camping. When I got back from the Vet, Whitney colored my hair, you can check it out at www.daveandjesslage.blogspot.com I think I'm really liking the color, Dave LOVES it, your opinions are welcome.
Tonight I made the infamous Kitty Litter Cake. The recipe I have is vague, so it turned out different than what it was supposed to be, but it went over surprising well. The first comments were "Oh, thats awesome". Stuart said it, and was totally excited to eat it. Everyone else thought it looked gross, but after they got past that first "shock" of seeing it, they all loved it and Marsh went as far as playing with the "poop" as he ate. This recipe is definately a keeper.

My "NEW" Experiment

So during Christmas, a local radio station, Classy 97, put out free cookbooks, with recipe's from people all over South East Idaho. I got my hands on one of them, and as I was flipping through the desserts, I ran across one that I thought would be a bit fun to try. Before I tell you exactly what it is, the following are the ingredients: Vanilla pudding, White Sandwich Cookies, Spice Cake Mix, White Cake Mix, green food coloring and Tootsie Rolls.
Think this sounds good??? How bout if you saw the end results, think you'd want to give it a try??
Yes, it looks a bit disgusting, and if you guessed a Kitty Litter Cake, you're right. Sure, this makes you think of the real thing, but I"m sure it's so much better. I will be making this dessert for BUNCO this week, and all the people there will be my guinea pigs. We'll see who is brave enough to try it, and how weak people's stomachs really are. I've got the recipe if you want it, let me know.

I am also gonna be changing my hair. I will make sure I take a picture of the final product and post it. I would LOVE your honest opinion of it, and what not.

The Patient From HELL

Ok, so it's been a week or so since Merlyn became Karma's chew toy. The doc removed his drain Friday, the 29th and said to continue flushing the wound, and warm compresses periodically through the day. Doing so has become a task that NOBODY wants. Lately, Merlyn has been in such pain that he lies on his back when he sees his Betadine bottle, and shows his teeth. The other night, everyone was busy, and it came time to flush his wound, so I pulled him out of his kennel, and just as I got Betadine in his wound, he screamed, snapped at me and then dashed under the bed.
Knowing that he'd snap at me again, but needing him back in his kennel where he was safe, I shook a grocery bag under the bed at him, which normally scares him out. This time, he attacked the bag with extreme anger, so I took a Candy Cane decoration and poked him. He ran out from under the bed, and then I couldn't contain my laughter with what happened next. Rather than running to his kennel, he sat between the wall and our bed, and YELLED at me. He chewed me out for a good 10 minutes, angry barks, growls and snarls. I sat there, and told him to let it all out, to tell me about it and let me know when he was done with his tantrum.
He soon calmed down, cowered over to me where I gave him some reassuring pets, a few treats and a kiss on the head. Once Merlyn was satisfied I wasn't trying to be mean, he rushed to the safety of his kennel where he stayed the rest of the night. He started out on this whole thing as a good patient, taking his pills when he needed to, sitting still when I flushed his wound and what not, but now, we've had to muzzle him A LOT, and just recently, because he scratches his wound, we were ordered to put a sock on his foot. All I can say is that I'll be glad when he's all healed up. Though Dave doesn't, I miss him sleeping on the bed by me, keeping me warm. He's getting active more these days though, and when he's better, he's gonna start excersising with me each day.
That's about it, there will be more to come, later. Gotta keep ya hanging on somehow.