Good fences make good neighbors...Too bad I don't have any!

Someone called the cops on us...again! It must be the cool thing to do here in Rifle. Apparently our Dog has been barking and roaming the neighborhood. Our dog is an inside dog. He goes outside to go to the bathroom. The rest of his time is spent getting dog hair on my furniture and chewing up the kids' toys. I admit that occasionally I have found random things that he has brought back to the yard from who knows where or I notice that he is in the neighbor's yard but I quickly get him in the house and am always apologetic if he gets into the neighbors yards. I am not one of those people that let their dog roam and run a muck with the other neighborhood dogs.
What frustrates me is that someone obviously has a problem with me. Why can't they come and talk to me about their problem and let me do my best to remedy it? Why involve the cops about something so petty? Have enough nerve to come to me and I will take care of it. Just don't call the cops. That's just lame! I am sure they have better things to do. It doesn't help my case at all that moments before the officer arrived, Mikie opened the sliding glass door and let the dog out so that when the cop arrived Nacho was on the front lawn barking. I can't argue that my dog isn't usually the one barking when he is out there doing just that. It is just SO embarrassing to have the police on your front porch and the neighbors gawking instead of hanging their Christmas decorations on their house. The only thing going through my head as I am out there is "what cowardly neighbor was pathetic enough to call the cops on me?" Who does that!? Poor Nacho will bear the brunt of my frustration with solitary confinement to the kennel and supervised bathroom breaks. Like I have nothing better to do with MY time.

We Enjoy So Much.

"The Prophet Joseph said at one time that one of the greatest sins ofwhich the Latter-day Saints would be guilty is the sin of ingratitude.I presume most of us have not thought of that as a great sin. There is a great tendency for us in our prayers and in our pleadings with the Lord to ask for additional blessings. But sometimes I feel we need to devote more of our prayers to expressions of gratitude and thanksgiving for blessings already received. We enjoy so much. (God, Family, Country, Salt Lake City:Deseret Book Co., 1974, p. 199)."



I tend to be pretty needy when it comes to prayers, especially lately. I tend to worry about things too much. No matter what seems to be weighing heavily on my heart, The Lord always provides. It is always so humbling to see miracles in my behalf. We got an email saying that we are approved for a loan for the adoption. That was indeed a miracle! We have been blessed with a doctor that was willing to dig a little deeper and get me feeling better. Friends have been inspired to come and visit or call or take my kids while I have been sick. Mikie's teacher called to tell us that Mikie is so above reading levels that they want to move her to first grade reading. I think I am going to take some time just to express my gratitude in my prayers because I truly have so much to be grateful for!

I Am Going Through Withdrawls!

Last month the transmission on our Ford Expedition went out. It didn't just go out, it exploded! So we are down to one vehicle, a beat up Dodge truck. It is comical to see it loaded with all the kids! It is a real pain in my butt to get them all in there and buckled in their car seats. For the most part I do not go anywhere. There are times when I haven't left the house in a whole week! If it weren't for church on Sunday, I probably would never leave the house. I have the GREATEST neighbor in the world that picks up and drops off the girls from school. I would really be hating it without Tracey! (She would kill me for mentioning it!) Well it is all starting to get old and very inconvenient. I do not like burdening others like this. I do not like bumming rides all the time. I do not like taking Mike to work at three in the morning. I miss my Expo! I won't be getting it back anytime soon either. We don't have the four grand it is going to take to get it fixed. Michael is busting his butt and working eighteen to twenty or more hours a DAY to get it and the adoption payed for by next month. We have other options that might work out too. Most importantly we have the Lord and he always seems to pull us out of these deep holes we dig ourselves into. I wonder how long He will keep doing it?

The Fine Print Of Motherhood

It seems that May is monopolizing a lot of my blog entries, but she keeps doing these mischievous things that are just too funny. It is not even winter and we have had a share of sickness. It must be easier to make the rounds when there are so many little ones to get infected. This time it is Madse who is sick. He kept complaining that his tummy hurt. Well he was up in the bay window playing and before I could do anything, he puked all over the back of my couch and in the bay window. I grabbed a bowl as quickly as I could but watched helplessly as he moved from one spot to the another. Why do little kids do that?! They travel with their vomit. It's really not cool. So I caught the last tablespoon of puke in the bowl I so desperately ran to get and then I stripped him down and put him in the tub. I had a game plan. Let him soak in the tub and I would start the nasty job of scrubbing and disinfecting my couch and carpet. When did I sign up for this? No one tells you this stuff when you are planning on having kids. It's like a veteran mother's revenge on a new mother who has no clue when she keeps this information to herself. So anyway, I was frantically scrubbing when Madse yells from the bathroom "MOMMA! May's in da tub wif her twose on!" I just left her there. What else could I do? I couldn't interrupt my game plan. I couldn't resist snapping a few photos and taking some video but then I got back to scrubbing the crap out of my sofa.
The look on her face is priceless, so sheepish and too cute to get mad at! Even though I had no idea what I signed up for, I get a kick out of the fine print of motherhood.

Carving Pumpkins Is Fun To Do, To Do, To Do!

Halloween is not complete with out a little pumpkin carving. Conditions were perfect. We fed the missionaries and Mike was home early from work. Michael was in charge of the pumpkin carving while I cooked dinner. He really did a fantastic job with the kids.





Elder Gardner helped light all of the jack-o-lanterns. I am pretty sure he burnt his fingers a few times. I have pictures of that but wouldn't want to hurt his pride by posting them! The elders asked me to help them with their halloween costumes. They were a nephite and a lamanite. I had this orange red fabric that we made into skirts and the elders drew pecks and abs onto a tee shirt and I attached some brown fabric strips to their sandals and lace them up their legs. We made headbands too! Pretty realistic if you ask me! They were a big hit at the ward trunk-or-treat party. I hope they got pictures because I didn't.

We posed for a family picture. Little miss Hallie didn't quite make it. She crashed midway through dinner and was snug in bed. Each kid had a pumkin. May rolled hers down the front lawn and I think it is still there. If you look closely at the photo, the last one is all chewed up thanks to Nacho so that one is his. Dang dog!

This Is Halloween!

For some reason I never think to actually get everyone together for a structured picture. So I have a few here and there of our Halloween activities. We did the ward trunk-or-treat party and we went to my friend Liza's for a party. Man does she know how to throw a feeding! Halloween is always laid back and so much fun! I love watching the magic in the kids' eyes when they realize that people give them candy for dressing up. We all dressed up! Ash was a vampire, Mikie was a witch, Madse was Spiderman, May was a purple people eater, Hallie was a care bear, Mike was a redneck, which means he just went as himself. The picture doesn't do his costume justice. He wore cut off bib overalls, a cowboy hat, and work boots. He would wear that every day if I let him. I wore a bright blue polyester dress that I inherited from Grammy. I was something right out of the 70's/ 80's but didn't quite pull it off but it was a blast! At the end of the festivities, Mike rummaged through all of the kids' candy for his favorite pieces. He calls it "The Daddy Tax".

Spiderman didn't want to wear his mask. He casted his fishing pole at the fishing pond.Witchy poo Mikie doing the cake walk!
Redneck Mike and monster May hanging out with Darold.

Little May totally pulls off the purple people eater!
This Carebear was trick-or-treated out!
Me, Liza, and Kristen.
Some of the kids posing for a picture!

I Am It!

I love an excuse to blog. There is some slight discomfort when it comes to writing about myself. Give me a topic about my family and I can write a novel but I just don't think that I am that interesting so bare with me for this game.
The rules:
A. The rules of the game are posted at the beginning.

B. Each player lists 6 facts/habits about themselves.

C. At the end of the post, the player then tags 6 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

FACT ONE: I love every body! I really get along with almost everyone. I am a people person. I can find something to like and relate to in everyone I meet. Sometimes I feel like I like people more than they like me. I like to strike up conversations with random strangers but have found that most people are uncomfortable with talking to people they don't know. It is so much fun to make eye contact with people and smile at them and watch their reactions. It is really rare to find someone that I don't like.

FACT TWO: I lack discipline. I think I am pretty good at most things at first try but I burn out easily and give up on things because it is easier than sticking to it and mastering it. I have had this characteristic my whole life. I have been in singing groups, dance classes, band playing three instruments, and lots of other things that I never follow through with. I have countless projects that are started and have been abandoned because the became a chore instead of that initial thrill. My house is never completely clean. I get so overwhelmed that it never is finished so instead of working at it I just throw my hands up and tolerate the mess. This habit is not something I am proud of and has resulted in me being average and mediocre in everything I do. I do have intentions to change but isn't Hell paved with good intentions?

FACT THREE: I live for music! Hearing it, playing it (I was better at the latter when I was younger) dancing to it, and seeing live shows. The power of music is incredible. I enjoy music that lifts and inspires. I like music from all genres and my tastes are mog podge. I am into finding new to me music so share your favorite bands with me! People that can create music are impressive to me. I had the opportunity to sing back up for my uncle and to watch him put notes and lyrics together and compose something from his heart. It is a secret dream to do that some day. I have been teaching myself to play the guitar and I can't wait for the day when I can wail!

FACT FOUR: Quilting is my passion and obsession. I love to fondle fabric and hoard it thinking maybe I will find the perfect pattern or project for my beloved material. I often deny myself this pleasure because my house is never clean enough or I should be doing laundry or something practical like that but when I give in to my urges and sew I am in HEAVEN! The whole process is just amazing! Picking fabric, measuring and cutting it with a rotary cutter, feeling the fabric as it is being sewn, pressing it together and piecing it all into something beautiful. The sad thing is that I have never actually finished an actual quilt. I have done a few wall hangings,sewn blocks for others and such but I have these tops just sitting there or almost on the verge of being tops waiting to be finished. Dang fact two!

FACT FIVE: I make a mean loaf of bread! I really love being in the kitchen. I can pretty much cook or bake just about anything. New recipes are so fun to make and sharing them or having friends share their favorites is a bonding experience. There is just this unspoken pride in a well worn recipe. People just light up when you ask them for the recipe. Anyone who would like to swap recipes would be my new best friend.

FACT SIX: I thrive on budgeting especially when I grocery shop. I do this because I loathe spending money even on food. So I turn it into a game of strategy. I start out with a detailed menu for two weeks and incorporate what I still have in the pantry and make a shopping list. I am on a mission at the grocery store and I never stray from the list. I make these tallies at the bottom of the list for every dollar amount. The final test is the check out counter. I get all flushed and anxious that I may have miscalculated but I rarely go over my budget and my budget is small. I really feel that I have been blessed like the widow who fed the prophet Elijah her last meal and was in turn blessed that the meal in her vessel and the oil in her cruse. I have seen it happen continually through out my married life when things are tight and there are people to be fed that there is always enough.

That was torture!!!! It took me several days to complete this game. Now I get to tag some of you neener neener!!! So get to it Mandy, Bonnie, Amy, Debra, Christine, and Alison. Heck whoever else wants an excuse be my guest! Have fun!