life is a journey

Our 25th Anniversary!

2012-02-16T23:22:00.000-07:00

THEN Our Engagement

and NOW Our 25th Anniversary

WOW ! I truly can't believe it has been 25 years! Where does the time go?! The older

we get the faster time goes! It is crazy! I am so thankful for this man God gave me!

25 years ago (with our parents permission although they thought we were crazy

i am sure) I flew to Florida to spend a few days with Dan while he was at Tech school in the Air Force. ( I brought our rings with...just in case...we decided to get married) Well,

yep! you guessed it we went to the court house and got married. Then we went

to celebrate at Dairy Queen...we shared a banana split. Then he went to the barracks and I went to the hotel ! hahahah now that was quite the honeymoon ! So then I flew back home to Colorado, bought a Pontiac J 2000, packed up and drove back down to Florida. We lived in a one bedroom trailer, in which my foot fell through the floor! But we didn't care we were living on love! 3 months later we went home for 2 weeks and had a real wedding at the church where Dans Dad married us. Then off to Texas for the next 4 years.

We have been told several times...." You just have the perfect marriage and a perfect family"

Well, can I just say...marriage is commintment, marriage is having unconditional love,

marriage is putting the other first before ourselves. Marriage is so many more things!

Let me tell you we have failed in some areas! In fact without hanging out our "dirty laundry"

we have been to the place where we were done. Can't take it anymore...done. But God

gave us strength to just keep on through thick and thin! Our love for God and our love

for eachother ( that can sometimes get tainted by circumstances and stress ) and our

love for our three sons got us through some really tough times! Satan is out to kill, steal

and destroy Christian marriages! and I can tell you he was out to destroy ours.

But I am happy to say that we have won ! 25 years later and we are better than ever! And wise enough to keep guarding eachothers hearts and our own hearts!

Someday when the timing is right I would like to use "our story" to maybe help others!

So, although I like the compliment of my marriage and family being perfect......it is just not, we are a normal couple, trying to serve God, raise a family, work, pay the morgage, make time for family and friends and still find the time to nurture eachother! I am so thankful to be married to a man who loves God and loves me with all his heart! I am honored to be his wife!

This is not posting quite right either...I don't know why!

The Pitbull

2012-02-16T12:27:00.000-07:00

I am a huge dog lover ! But I will say I am not too fond of this breed. I agree

that if raised by the right person they are probably nice dogs. I don't think

just anyone should have one. Maybe good loving dog trainers only !!!!!!!!!

Reason #1: My husbands dog was killed by two pit bulls owned by a family friend.

Reason #2: Like today....I took my 2yr old daycare boy and our dog for a walk.

I pulled up to the park and there was this guy with his pit bull on a leash. A silly LONG leash.

This guy was a pretty big buff, strong looking guy and his dog was yanking him everywhere.

At one point he was actually having to "jog" to keep up with how fast the dog was pulling him!

Good-grief in only I had had my camera I would have took a video! He looked like an idiot!-with

an uncontrollable dog! It was funny other than the fact that I wanted to go for a walk. So I we waited

for several minutes in the car and let him get FAR away then we went. I was armed with: my dog,

some mace and a pocket knife. Yes this is what I carry on my walks! LOL I am not paranoid, just

aware and cautious! I walk a lot and have been approached by other loose dogs that are sometimes

not too friendly. And one time there was a weird guy hanging around a park. So I always go

prepared to kick some *&% hahaha. Just kidding! Back to today...we had fun for a while then

the guy and his pit bull started back my way so we cut our walk a bit short!, and went home.

I just kept thinking if that dog got loose he would have not been able to do anything to stop it. He looked like a little toddler trying to walk a dog!!! If you're going to have a dog like that you

better be able to control it! Scary! Maybe I will get my concealed weapon carrier permit yet!!

:-)

( why this is not posting right I will never know!- sorry! )

Brrrrrrr-freezing!

2012-02-15T22:49:00.000-07:00

I must be getting old because I find something very wrong with this picture! LOL

So thankful when this happens!

2012-02-13T21:01:00.001-07:00

Just when you wonder if your kids are getting it.....they say something that

confirms they are !!!!!

???

2012-02-13T09:40:00.000-07:00

Why is it that this yummy fruit is just not a satisfying as

these biscuits and gravy!

Snow storm = potato soup!

2012-02-03T12:55:00.001-07:00

We have about 14 inches of snow...we are snuggled inside by the pellet stove nice and warm! I am so thankful for a warm house to be in when it is snowing like crazy outside. On a day like today I like to make soup. I start out with a package of Bear Creek creamy potato soup mix and you can Dr. it up just how you like. Today I added:

3 sliced potatoes

5 sliced carrots

some onion

some celery and

turkey sausage.

put in crock pot and let cook several hours on low.

Serve with cheddar cheese, sour cream and toast or crackers.

Yum.

( I think potato should be spelled potatoe ) weird, I know.

40 something...

2012-01-29T10:49:00.000-07:00

Two things I don't like about being in my 40's...the effort it seems to take

to do my hair and look half ways decent! aaaannnnddd:

The hairs on my chinny-chin-chin ! Good-grief!

Get to know your neighbors!

2012-01-28T08:58:00.000-07:00

So about 2 years ago we had lived in our house for about 6 years and we only really knew 2 neighbors. ( to which one of them don't like us anymore...pretty much can't stand us and we don't really know why..we have apologized for what we don't know and tried to make it better...but nope, they just don't like us. But we just continue to show ourselves friendly) It often bugged me that we didn't know more neighbors! Oh. we would wave as they would drive by or say Hi as we would walk by their houses but I thought, How sad it is that back in the day people would have friends in their neighborhoods and now days people are just too busy or ??? to make it happen. So it took me about a YEAR but finally I just wrote out individual cards to 4 women that I knew were home during the day, inviting them to coffee at my house. I am a pretty quiet person and this was totally out of my comfort zone and quite frankly scared me to do this. To my suprise they were ALL thrilled! Here we are a little over a year later of meeting every other week in eachothers homes. We have grown to 10! Here we are at one of the ladies 80th birthday. I am the youngest by about 10 years so they range form 55 to 80 years old. It has truly been a blessing to get to know these ladies! And to know that if any of us needed anything we would have someone close by! So if you live in a neigborhood...just do it...invite a few ladies to coffee. We started on Wednesdays, but now to work around all the schedules we may have to switch to Saturday mornings twice a month. Even just once a month is great! We keep it very easy..during the holidays we took the month off and then had a Christmas "family" party instead. Make it easy, nothing fancy! You might be suprised at how many great neighbors you really have!!

What a treat!

2012-01-23T09:59:00.001-07:00

Supper during the football game! Steak is a treat for us. It gets

expensive so we only get it once in a while. I marinate it in soy sauce

and steak seasoning for a least a couple of hours if not over night. Dan

and Jerid get to grill it though because I have a tendency to over cook it.

Steak with steamed broccoli, cauliflower and carrots with some Texas

Caviar will satisfy you for sure!

Why did I not know this!?

2012-01-22T14:02:00.001-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I found Pinterst! NOT a good thing! I like it too much...way too many good ideas! Here is one I wish I knew a long time ago...or wish I would have thought it up on my own! Not that creative I guess. To store your sheets fold them up nice and put them in the pillowcase! Brilliant! Now,,, realistically it won't look this nice...I should really post a picture of mine and you would laugh. Maybe my Grandma's would have looked like this as she ironed her dishtowels and hankies!

If you are like me at all it will really look something like this:

seriously! who's would look like the upper picture???!!!

I am such a blogger!

2012-01-19T11:07:00.001-07:00

I have not been very good at blogging lately! I love to blog but I struggle with

what to blog about. Where I am right now in life I find in hard to know what to

blog about! My kids are too big to blog about, a lot anyway. I do daycare and

I can't just blog about someone elses kids. I don't love to cook, I cook to feed my

family. I just need to get better at blogging about what I do day in and day out.

I am busy all the time so........

hmmmm I need to use my imagination!

Hope to be blogging more, thanks for your patience!!

Acupuncture

2011-12-28T12:30:00.003-07:00

I hope I am not speaking too soon but I am becoming a believer in acupuncture.

I have been dealing with neck pain from bulging discs and migraine headaches for

20 years....the older I get the worse it has been getting. I have tried everything.

Medical doctors, massage therapy, physical therapy, chiropractors, Spine One and a couple

of meds. The meds I don't like at all...to me it is just covering up the symptom and

not getting to the problem. "oh here take this" which I did some just to get relief.

I was advised to get steroid shots too. No thanks. Muscle relaxers just put me to sleep

and also not getting to the root of the problem. I like some chiropractic , physical and

massage therapy. But acupuncture has helped the most. With 4 visits, my muscles

are more relaxed then I can ever remember...still have a tiny bit of pain but only

twinges instead of constant. Headache free for 2 1/2 weeks !! Knock on wood!!

Sure hope it continues!! Hope to visit only once a month soon.. If you have pain

I would recommend at least giving it a try! He is even treating some other issues which

have improved also!!! YYYYeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaa!!! Give me a month or two to know

if I am a total believer!!

Christmas Day

2011-12-27T15:07:00.000-07:00

We celebrated just the 3 of us on Christmas Day! We let Jerid

open one gift ate a cornish hen feast and saw Sherlock Holmes!

Great day but wouldn't recommend the movie!

Jerid wouldn't be in the picture. He is as stubborn as a mule!

On Friday the 30th we will celebrate all of us!! More family

pictures to come! Hope you all had a great Holiday!!

Domestic Violence

2011-12-05T16:25:00.004-07:00

Came home last night to a woman needing to hide until her friend could pick her up.

Yep. She had been beaten by her husband so she got out of the house and called for help.

In the mean time walking down the street in slippers and no coat in the snow hiding when

ever a car drove by. We hid in my back yard and I just held her till her friends came.

She left with friends and I knew she was safe, but it all happened so fast. We could have

sat in my car where it was warmer....(she didn't want to come in the house). So I just held

her her trembling body tight and prayed for her. I told her she doesn't have to stay with

a man who does that to her (black eye, bloody mouth and bumps on her head) and that

she deserves better than that! And so does her daughter!! I know where she lives and

will follow up with her. Now just praying what my role should be from here. She needs

encouragment to help herself out of a bad situation! Its happen before she told me through

the tears....just not this bad. I went to bed thankful she was safe and that I met her. But also

thinking about how I am in my warm safe home and right up the street and around the corner someone is getting the crap beat out of her. Very disturbing.

You know it is going on in the world but when you are

face to face with someone, who is running for safety it just opened my eyes.

It's looking like Christmas!!

2011-12-03T12:36:00.003-07:00

Dan calls me a scrooge because I am not big into Christmas decorations!

I love to have a tree and to put up Dan's Mom and Dad's nativity. But

that is about it. So this year I thought: okay we will even put the tree

up on Thanksgiving weekend! I don't think we have done that since the kids

were little! Hey! I am not a scrooge! In fact I secretly think he is a bit of a

scrooge because I can say he hung maybe 10 things on the tree! LOL !

Although I will cut him some slack as he has been VERY busy with

work even on the weekends!! Which is a blessing and I am very thankful

for how hard he works for our family.

My 2 year old daycare boy thinks baby Jesus looks like a frog! lol !!

Sentimental value to this Nativity !

It is snowing outside which always gets me in the mood to bake!

Kringla

2011-11-15T08:47:00.001-07:00

This is kringla it is a Norwegian sweet bread like cookie. My Grandma always

made them at this time of year. Yesterday my mom and I spent the morning

making them. Yummy!

Not very often we have time to do this because of how busy life gets.

So it was a special fun time.

Smart Dog!

2011-11-10T08:15:00.000-07:00

We have some of these kind of jingle bells hanging on our sliding glass door.

Rylee dog knows to ring them with her nose when she wants to go outside!

I know. Smart dog!!

The only thing I don't like is when she does it at 12:30am and 4:25am in the

same night! A friend of mine talks about her little one not sleeping well on her

blog. Well if it is not your child it will be something else like your pet that will

get you up in the night or too early in the morning!

I was kinda mad....but really I am super glad! Getting up 2 times is better

than cleaning up a mess in the morning!!!

Good-Rylee-Dog!!!!

Life is full of these!

2011-11-09T21:09:00.002-07:00

Love is....

2011-11-02T09:47:00.003-06:00

Hhhmmmmm....Am I all of these?

I think I need to work on a few!

Playing Quelf for Luke's Birthday

2011-11-01T09:36:00.001-06:00

Quelf is a funny game where you have to do very random and sometimes

embarrassing things.

Can't remember what Dan had to do here but obviously it was pretty funny!

Luke had to dance like a ballerina for a minute! Not too graceful!

Oh-man ! What do we have to do now!??

We missed Allison doing her dance!

Isaac had to sing "Take me out to the ball game" with no words.

hahaha...I have to do what?!

put a pot on my head and knock on it saying "hello where am I" or

something like that! lol !

I had to take my shoes off , grab my feet and say "Sasquatch" three times.

Quelf makes for a lot of laughter!

Happy Birthday Luke

( Wow! I just realized my kitchen is a MESS...but hey!, there's a party going on! )

Colder evenings = movies

2011-10-26T15:04:00.004-06:00

Now that the weather is cooler we seem to watch more movies. Here are a few we have seen lately.

For a scary movie this one is pretty good!

One of my favorites!

This movie on the other had was VERY CREEPY! I won't be watching this one again.
Can't say that I like scary movies very much!

A Man's Best Friend

2011-10-20T08:09:00.001-06:00

Apparently she is a better "greeter" than I am!

car shows & wish lists

2011-07-03T09:06:00.004-06:00

Last night we went to the Golden Car Show. No, I am not a huge car fan. Just a small car fan. I like the old Muscle cars the best. Like this 1968 Firebird or

Like this 1968 Camaro. Pretty cool cars right. Seems like the cars now days are pretty dumb compared to these cool cars!!!

We had one of these 1980's Toyota Pickup. It was a "beater" but we LOVED it. This is not an actual picture of ours. Ours had a bit bigger tires on it ....It was awesome. We brought it in to the shop to get worked on and the next morning I got a call asking me "why did you pick up your truck, it is not here" WHAT !!!! Yes, someone stole it ! Three weeks later they found it totaly tore apart and trashed. When we saw it you could barely tell it was ours. BUMMER !!! but it's just a car right.? Maybe one day we will get another old one to go 4-wheeling in the mountains with. Or maybe we will get a couple of ......

These!! Yamaha ATV's !! This has been on the wish list for lets say 20 some years. LOL ! Maybe someday when I am a Grandma we will have a couple of these! How about a Toyota pickup, a couple of these aaaand a nice trailer to haul them on!!???? That would be good!

Life is full of work work work! And it is good and healthy to make time for fun fun FUN !!! But I always remember that you can't take any of these "THINGS" with you..."things" get old and break and cost money to fix....things, really can add even more work! What really matters in life are that God is first and your family and friends...your relationships, .....People. People in your life, that is what really matters ! And they are in your life for a reason. No one will remember how much money I had or what toys I had... but they will remember what kind of person I am!

I would still like a couple of these toys though!! LOL !!!

Daycare kids

2011-06-30T09:00:00.001-06:00

The HOT weather is here!! Too hot at the parks unless we go early so I invested in a pool for the kids! The last few years I have had this:

when my guys were little they had a blast in this!
The last few years I had the same thing for the daycare kids. They were bored! They would play 15 min and be bored!!
I couldn't figure it out! Good-grief ! PLAAAAY!

THis year I tried this! The Hippo head slide was a huge hit!

Todays kids.......need it a little fancier!!!! LOL !

continued from previous post

2011-06-27T07:09:00.000-06:00

Scroll down to Shine video clip, below posts and playlist.

Shine

2011-06-26T11:04:00.003-06:00

Our church puts on a "prom" for people that have special needs. This year I signed up to be and escort!
What an great experiance! Something I have never done! It was awesome to see all the happy faces! Smiles were everywhere you looked! The best thing was to see the JOY in Ian's Mom's eyes everytime she would come check on him. She was amazed at the Love shown to her son and all the other guests! That alone made made my day. Along with how Ian made me laugh! He scarfed down his Chick-fil-a meal in the fancy dining room, we played all kinds of games, he liked the penny toss into a bowl of water best. In fact I kind of had to distract him to get him to move on! Once we started dancing...He would not stop for anything! LOL ! We danced the night away! As we were having fun with all the guests, their parents and/or caretakers got to relax in another room.

Ian at SHINE 2011 The Big Party !
Video clip coming soon!
to see last years Shine recap 2010 go to
www.flatironschurch.com and see it!
Soon the new one will be up on the website.

Wedding time! Our Family is Growing and we Love That !

2011-06-14T13:51:00.002-06:00

Luke and Allison during the first dance! They made their entrance to one of my favorite songs:
Shook me all night long! AC/DC

This is Allison's family

I love this one because of all the laughing faces!

Our two Daughters-in-law !

The Bride with her mom and I

Me, Jerid, Isaac, Luke and Dan

Good looking guys or what!

What a beautiful Bride!

This one is awesome as he spots her starting up the isle!

Our children......being normal ! I love this one! Dan and I are tying to act as though
we NEVER act like them! LOL !

grandpa and grandma!

More extended family photos to come.....soon !

Dirt bikes are for girls! LOL !

2011-05-13T13:19:00.000-06:00

It's HIS bike but I get to ride it sometimes!

Water !!!

2011-05-13T13:09:00.002-06:00

I am usually good at drinking plenty of water everyday ! As for the past few months? I have been horrible !! But
"That is nothing a NEW water bottle won't cure ! why does a new one just seem to make the water taste better !?

2011-04-21T12:25:00.002-06:00

hhhhmmmmmm 6'2" and still growing. LOL
If he knew I posted this he would not be happy :-)

Grandpas Birdhouse

2011-04-05T09:20:00.000-06:00

My Grandpa made this birdhouse a LONG time ago. In fact, for as long as I can remember it was hanging in their front tree. Three years ago, birds finally moved in. Every Fall when they move out for the winter I need to do some fixing and gluing, yet keep it as original as I can. This year I moved it closer to the house under our porch, I had to change the wire hanger because it was rusted out and broke. It is right outside our sliding glass door! The perfect spot because we get an up-close view and the birds don't even know!

Look close...you can see one bird going in the hole.

They always use the corner hole where the wood has broken away instead of the real hole.

hours of enjoyment right from the diningroom table!

ooops!!!

2011-03-25T07:54:00.000-06:00

Usually my gray hair doesn't bother me too much....this week I felt like covering it up a touch.

So I went to Sally's to get my Dark Brown Brown TEMPORARY hair color. I am scared to

use the permanent color. Well, they were out of my color so I went ahead a tried Wine Brown.

It really was a pretty color in the store! Bad idea....the gray hairs look pinkish, purple! UGGG!

NOT pretty! oh well! thank goodness it will wash out within two weeks! I will never do that

again!

In the business of life make time to cherish eachother!!!

2011-03-18T19:53:00.001-06:00

Always, always, always, put your family first !!

You will be blessed far beyond what words can say!

Chris Medina - What Are Words

2011-03-16T14:11:00.000-06:00

This is one of the most beautiful songs I have ever heard! This is
true LOVE ! You love no matter what!!! What a beautiful story!

2011-03-16T06:32:00.000-06:00

I am currently working on my blog to make it look different! Doing new things and learning a bit more how to do different stuff! I will let you know when I like what I got! May take a little while so hang in there with me!

Rehearsal Dinner

2011-03-15T14:27:00.000-06:00

In June our 2nd son Luke is getting married! When I have to plan any kind of a party I like to keep it as stress free as possible! I am not one to get too uptight about stuff like that. But I am not the greatest planner for them either. We have decided to do it here at the house, and serve pulled pork sandwiches ( one of my daycare parents has a smoker and has offered to do the "Smokin" for us! How awesome is that!?) they will be served with baked beans and all kinds of veggies.
Sounds like there will be about 40 people! Should be lots of fun! Can hardly wait! I love weddings and am so happy to say I have the best daughter-in-laws in the world !

2011-03-15T14:15:00.000-06:00

Made Strawberry Shortcake for my daughter-in-law's birthday!
My husband said ...don't get cool whip get the stuff out of the spray can.
Now, everytime I go in the kitchen I have to squirt some in my mouth! Yum!

No Time

2011-03-10T07:48:00.000-07:00

So sad....No time to blog! It has been sooooo busy with just everyday stuff! My days are all running together with no break inbetween the days.   I have been finding myself tired and wake up at 3am and don't sleep good after that!
I have been productive regaurdless....got my closet cleaned out, some yucky carpet ripped out and keeping up
around the house! So that is GREAT !

Also noticeing I am a bit "edgy" must be a woman thing...So NOT like me to be that way more than a day! But I
make it a point to be nice to everyone around me, and am careful what words I let out of my mouth. That is
never an excuse to treat anyone badly! When I feel ornery for no apparent reason that is my warning flag to keep my mouth shut and know that it will pass!    hahaha!

Lemon Over Chicken

2011-01-27T07:12:00.000-07:00

Thursday is my busiest daycare day so if I don't get something in the crockpot it will be frozen pizza or some kind of "breakfast" for dinner. Here is what I made for tonight. Looks yummy and it is not even cooked yet! Lemon over chicken....very easy! check out mykindofcooking.blogspot.com for the recipe! Many great and easy recipe on my sister-in-law's blog!!

Little Pup with a Bad Habit!

2011-01-21T11:16:00.001-07:00

Here is my little neighbor dog Jake, I have taught him a bad thing. Everytime he is let out front he runs over to my house and barks and scratces at the door for a treat! And there is Rylee dog in the back " Hey mom! give us a treat..hey. hey. hey mom! my friend my friend and me want a treat!!!!!" Spoiled rotten dogs! I started it, so I don't mind!

Life is Full of Decisions !

2011-01-18T20:25:00.004-07:00

Hmmmm...I have about 2 years to figure out what I want to do when I "grow up". Decisions decisions..... I have some thoughts on the subject. All I ever wanted to do growing up was to be a Mom. I have been very happy fulfilling that dream! Being a mom & a daycare provider is the best, most rewarding job ever! and at the same time the hardest job ever!

I would love to work in a newborn nursery.....a CNA's dream job. A nurses assistant in a nursery...wouldn't that be a blast!!!???? along with that I would love to help on the labor and delivery floor! Helping out the new moms with their tiny new little babies!!

Or .....................maybe work in a crisis pregnancy center as a ultra-sound tech or a counselor...to help these beautiful women know they have choices....choices that allow their precious baby to live!

All of these ideas require some schooling so we will see what happens! I am excited what God has for me next! I will always be a mom but as the kids leave home my role changes and that is exciting.

Who knows.... in a few years when #3 son starts out on his own...we may just pack up and team up to drive truck over the road! I could drive one of those big rigs! Hey! that way we could pay of the house in a year or two! Then,,,we would be debt free!!! How great that would be! That way I wouldn't have to work Full time so I can still have time for my family and to take care of our home!
Decisions....Life is Full of Decisions !

feeling like a beauty!

2011-01-13T16:12:00.002-07:00

Evelyn 4yrs......"Why do you have so many warts and nipples on your face?"
Me.....so many what?!!!
Evelyn....warts and nipples!
Me....do you mean moles?
Evelyn....oh, yea those ugly things!

warts and nipples, gotta love-em!

Meet Your Neighbors !

2011-01-12T20:23:00.000-07:00

For the past year or so I have thought about how to get to know my neighbors better....it is sad how now days neighbors don't know eachother except for the smile and a wave as you drive by or a simple "hi-how-are-you" as they walk by and you happen to be out front. What do you do? I finally wrote out invitations to have "coffee" at my house. Finally this morning was the day.....4 grandma's came over and we had snacks and visited for 2 hours. It was fun. Next time there are 2 other gals that are younger that also may come. Today the quietest lady, when it was time to go spoke up and said " Next time we can do it at MY house!"
They were all thrilled! Made me glad! 2 of them are widows, one has parkinsons and the other is a loud mouth, hahaha. All in all it was a great time and it is nice to get know my neighbors.

Good way to think for the New Year !!!

2011-01-11T07:17:00.005-07:00

Take twelve fine, full-grown months; see that these are thoroughly free from old memories of bitterness, rancor and hate, cleanse them completely from every clinging spite; pick off all specks of pettiness and littleness; in short, see that these months are freed from all the past—have them fresh and clean as when they first came from the great storehouse of Time.

Cut these months into thirty or thirty-one equal parts. Do not attempt to make up the whole batch at one time (so many persons spoil the entire lot this way) but prepare one day at a time.

Into each day put equal parts of faith, patience, courage, work (some people omit this ingredient and so spoil the flavor of the rest), hope, fidelity, liberality, kindness, prayer, meditation, rest (leaving this out is like leaving the oil out of the salad dressing—don't do it), and one well-selected resolution.

Put in about one teaspoonful of good spirits, a dash of fun, a pinch of folly, a sprinkling of play, and a heaping cupful of good humor.

As I was reading a few blogs today I ran across this post. So I copied it off of http://www.pamsmidwestkitchenkorner.blogspot.com/ please visit this site.
Also http://www.mykindofcooking.blogspot.com/ is a great recipe blog!

Red Neck Woman Like Me

2011-01-05T07:37:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago it had been unusually cold here at night! FREEZING! You would never know I was from the mid-west! Anyway our house was built in the 60's and none of the bedroom windows have been updated. Needless to say they are quite drafty and I even have to lay towels on the window sill from moisture. It is freezing up there when it gets so cold so I put sweat pants on..tuck the bottoms in my socks so the legs stay put, a tank top and a long sleeve shirt! And that is how I go to bed! Dan looked at me laughing and said " nothing like a red neck negligee! " Yep! that's me! LOL !
Hey! at least I was warm!
won't be posting a real photo of that one!

Christmas ! 2010

2010-12-30T20:06:00.001-07:00

The camera was taking pictures on it's own so we got some funny pictures.

The whole family ! Usually one of the guys or one of the girls are missing so it is a big deal to have everyone together at one time!

FINALLY a new photo of Jerid!!!!!!!

Isaac and Cassie

Luke and Allison

2010-12-02T07:20:00.002-07:00


For the last three weeks it has been this way! Not totally in a bad way just a ZOO !

biting the bullet....cutting landline and going to cell phones.

2010-11-05T08:53:00.002-06:00

    this is my kind of phone as a kid....many hours spent on this baby!
In fact when we moved to the boonies in the mountains of Colorado we
had a party line....I think it had something to do with being in the Mt. because
no, I am not that old. Anyway...it was fun listening in on other peoples
   conversations! ( yes I did that! )

Then it was a big deal to get the push button phone...man, to
be able to dial that fast! Awesome!

   Now, the cordless phone! How great is that to be able to
   walk around the house, continue what ever you are doing
while talking on the phone! This is great except for the neck
   ache that would follow.

   Now the cell phone...we have been sharing one for 4 years now.
The kids had to have a job and pay for there own when they wanted
one.   Well here we goooooooo....no land line!? No sence
   in paying for both! feels crazy! going total cell. I will stick to the basic
FREE phones though! I AM a tight wad you know. Great. Next
thing I know I will be texting like a mad woman.....then again...maybe not!
Feels weird but this will be good....

The never ending job of dishes!

2010-11-02T20:50:00.000-06:00

I find that if I use the dishwasher as a "drying rack" I will stay caught up better!

It is SO OLD that ya pretty much have to "wash" the dishes before you load it!

So why not wash them really good then let them dry....now I do dishes several times a day, a

few at a time, then there is a lot less to put away before I wash some more! Now I never have a

sink full of dirty dishes because I hate to unload a full dishwasher! Wish I would have thought of

this a long time ago !

( this in not a picture of my dishwasher....mine is too ugly to show! )

Halloween

2010-10-23T17:13:00.001-06:00


Had fun watching Isaac, Cassie and Jerid carve pumpkins last night ! The roasted seeds were yummy too!

The Funnies

2010-10-22T06:41:00.002-06:00

Spread the Stupidity

Only in America......do drugstores make the sick walk all the way to
the back of the store to get their prescriptions while healthy people
can buy cigarettes at the front.

Only in America .....do people
order double cheeseburgers,
large fries, and a diet coke.

Only in America ......do banks
leave vault doors open and then chain the pens to the counters.

Only in America......do we leave cars worth thousands of dollars
in the driveway and put our
useless junk in the garage.

Only in America..........do we buy hot dogs in packages of ten and
buns in packages of eight..

Only in America.....do they have drive-up ATM machines with
Braille lettering.

EVER WONDER ...

Why the sun lightens our hair,
but darkens our skin?

Why can't women put on mascara
with their mouth closed?

Why don't you ever see the
headline 'Psychic Wins
Lottery'?

Why is 'abbreviated'
such a long word?

Why is it that doctors call
what they do 'practice'?

Why is lemon juice made with artificial flavor, and dishwashing liquid made with real lemons?

Why is the man who invests all
your money called a broker?

Why is the time of day with the slowest traffic called rush hour?

Why isn't there mouse-flavored
cat food?

Why didn't Noah swat those
two mosquitoes?

Why do they sterilize the
needle for lethal injections?

You know that indestructible black
box that is used on airplanes? Why don't they make the whole plane
out of that stuff?!

Why don't sheep shrink when it rains?

Why are they called apartments
when they are all stuck together?

I like this one!!!
If con is the opposite of pro, is Congress the opposite of progress?

If flying is so safe, why do they
call the airport, the terminal?

Marriage & Family

2010-10-18T07:07:00.003-06:00

As I was blog surfing I ran across this post ! I really liked it so wanted to share it with all who read my blog. As far as the video....I had never heard this song before, the words are great ! Take time to listen ! Making time for family is so important! Dan made a huge decision to leave a pretty good paying job about 10 years ago. He was gone all the time, so he thought it was more important to be home and be there for our kids. It was a huge sacrifice financially and we may not have been able to give our kids everything they wanted, lots of clothes, fancy house, pay for their cell phones and buy them the fancy tennis shoes unless they pitched in....ect. But one thing I know for sure is we gave them "us". It has been hard but I know we will never look back and wish we had given our kids more stuff instead of us. Time...the time we give our families is way more important than all the stuff !

"The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother." --Theodore Hesburgh

"My dad told me on the day of my wedding, 'Never go in a place that you wouldn't take your wife.' -- Unknown

"What counts in making a happy marriage is not so much how compatible you are, but how you deal with incompatibility." --Leo Tolstoy'

"The first duty of love is to listen." --Paul Tillich

2010-10-06T15:59:00.001-06:00


It is that time of year again!!! I love caramel apples!! The peanut one is the best!

all I can say is: Rylee dog is spoiled rotten to the core!!

Me The JUROR

2010-10-01T12:30:00.001-06:00

Today I went to Jury duty! This was my first time....because of being a daycare provider I have always been able to get out of it ! This time I was secretly excited!!! I got to get up, get nice clothes on, even put my face on! Now that is fun for a person who stays home with little kids all day!!! Wow. I really need to get out more! ha! Anyway after arriving 25 minutes early they gave me a juror sticker. Pretty important stuff! Then we sat and waited....luckily I brought a book. Then we watched a short film on what this was all about , which was very interesting being it was all new to me. After an hour or so the gal said 6 of us would be chosen to stay. Inside I was raising my hand saying pick-me, pick-me!! But No. after another hour she came back to tell us what ever it was they didn't need a Jury anymore so we could all go home. Bummer ! I really was disappointed! I really wanted to do this! Oh-well. maybe next time!

To Eat Healty

2010-09-30T06:47:00.005-06:00

For a couple of years now I have been trying to drink some of my fruits and veggies by blending them up in a blender! So most mornings I whip up some carrots, tomato, spinach, blueberries, banana, strawberries and some raspberries. The ingredients vary but that is what was on the menu this morning. Add a little rice milk and water to thin it down. I go in really good spurts and do this everyday and then , miss days too. This week I was sick of it so I happened to add some Agave nectar to it. Ahhhh did that help! Just switched the flavor up a little ....YUM! well,,maybe not yum, but better.

Last weekend the guys went hunting....Luke didn't go but he is pretty busy and not home much. So I rented a chick flick ! Love when I can do that! To actually watch a movie and cry when I need to!!! That is awesome! I chose The Last Song with Miley Cyrus ....I have heard good and bad about it but I really liked it! Not my favorite or anything but worth seeing!
Maybe next year I will go on one of these hunting trips! Sounds like I am missing out when I hear the stories!!

2010-09-23T14:26:00.000-06:00

2010-09-23T07:02:00.001-06:00

I did not like World History in high school. Now it is actually very interesting! Although I need to say I don't like the projects that go along with it. Parents have to help a little too much. :-) Wish I would have studied harder when I was in school!

Prayer....it's really not that hard.

2010-09-02T22:51:00.004-06:00

Sometimes when I pray I have no words....and that is okay....just be still and quiet....He already knows!

You don't have to say anything. You don't have to label your needs and desires with boxes to check off. He knows them already because He knows you. He knows the sound of every cry and every laugh He knows when we are content or not. He doesn't need us to explain, because He loves us well enough to just, know.

Sometimes when I pray I realize that I pray to Him as if He doesn't already know everything. As if I'm another customer in the long line of people who want to talk to Him.

I want to start to let Him be Him in my prayer. I want to be able to rest knowing that I don't have to work to pray, because He is in the business of knowing already.

I just wanted to encourage you all to reach out to the God who has already filled the gaps, and embrace Him as the Father who doesn't need anything from you. You are freed from responsibility, and enabled, through grace, to be a part of the miracle.

Ahhh. Doesn't that feel nice?

Family

2010-09-01T06:33:00.004-06:00

This photo was taken on Jerids 16th Birthday. In this photo are my three guys, Jerid, Luke and Isaac, daughter-in-law, Cassie, and two of my nieces on Dan's side of the family, Addison and Caroline ! Aren't they CUTE ! Because of them we still get to put candles on the cake and they are thrilled to blow them out even though it's not even their birthday ! We get the kind that keep re-lighting and the giggles just flow out of them !

Cheers to me! that's okay right ?!

2010-08-20T07:32:00.001-06:00

School has started up again....I am glad to be on a schedule again! Ahhhhh nice and quiet this morning....no kids and no daycare kids. I have needed this morning for a while. Just a little time alone...I am so busy taking care of everyone else I litterally forget about myself. My tenth grader hates school.....he never has liked it very much......what a few bad experiences with rotten teachers can do to a kid. I never liked high school either...so I really feel for him...my heart breaks as a mom to see that kids are jerks and he would rather come home for lunch than stay at school with immature kids... But then again, I am glad that he is strong enough to not be a part of the crap that goes on there.!!! and if that means come home at lunch time... I am glad I am here. at home. so he doesn't have to come home to an empty house.! Today is my day though....I will be gone, solitude is needed, no talking to be done, go to any store I want to window shop, go to the eye doctor to take care of me! I will come home this afternoon REFRESHED and ready to take care of my family again..

So cheers to me today! and I will not feel guilty about it either! Everyone around me will love me for it! Who knows....I may even watch Dirty Dancing today....while doing laundry of course !

M O T H E R

2010-08-07T11:29:00.000-06:00

M odel of selflessness
O uter and inner beauty
T hankful & caring
H umble & patient
E ver gentle & kind
R eflection of Christ's love

2010 Camping

2010-08-03T08:11:00.001-06:00

Camping ! Camping is something we have done because it doesn't cost a lot of money! Raising our kids this is what we did for fun! We did do one Disneyland vacation ! Now that the kids are young adults getting all of us together at the same time is a little harder. Luke could not make our camping trip this summer because he helps lead music at church. So here is a video of him..you will find the song he is leading at 9min. 3 sec. Take it All is the name of it !

Here are some photos of the camping trip with Isaac, Cassie and Jerid !

health food is not a priority camping....fried pop tarts! Okay we did have some health food!

Jerid, Cassie & Isaac

the views were beautiful!

Jerid fishing.....not the most patient fisherman

Isaac and Cassie

this was their method of chopping wood! ha !


Dan and I let the kids go fishing WITHOUT Wilson the little dog. You see she loves to play fetch. Well, that is not a good mix when you're fishing....every time you cast she thinks she is supposed to fetch it !! So Dan and I took the dogs a 4 mile hike ! WHEW ! There is not a lot of air up there! Was sooooo fun though !

Movie Buff

2010-07-06T21:24:00.002-06:00

I am a total movie buff.....tonight I watched Return to Snowy River.....
The Man from Snowy River and this one are one of my favorite movies.
These movies remind me of when I was in high school and my folks had a couple of horses....Goldie and Princess.

I would take them both for rides all the time...so so so many good memories!
As a kid you never know how good you had it! I could just go for a ride any
time I felt like it. What I would give to do that now!

Here is a picture of Goldie back in the mid 80's

here is another one of a day trip in the mountains....what a blast that was!

BBQ in Frisco

2010-06-30T12:28:00.003-06:00

We finally had a free weekend so we went to a BBQ in Frisco, CO. It was fun but cut a little short.
You see, when you have a teenager, with no friend or siblings with, you get a teenager that is in a hurry to get home. I managed to get a few pictures in, but I had to tell him to just get his butt over there and laugh, so he did. I have to tell him all the time, that he will think we didn't love him much because we don't have any pictures of him! He HATES to have his picture taken. Dan doesn't like a crowd either. "sigh" Was fun anyway just to get out of town and enjoy the mountains! Here is what I got !

updated daycare photos!

2010-05-18T13:47:00.006-06:00

Rylee dog and Ryley girl, Evelyn, Mallory, Logan & Audrey

psssssssssss.

2010-05-18T13:25:00.002-06:00

After I laid the daycare kids down for a nap today.....the just turned 5 yr. old crawls into where I am on her hands and knees and says:

" Pretend where I am is inside.... and where you are is outside....(.then she lifts her leg and "pees")

and says...psssssss! Gave me a good laugh! I like when little kids say and do funny things!

Romance ????

2010-05-14T07:39:00.002-06:00

My 15 year old would find it romantic if a girl brought him this! A Western Bacon Cheeseburger!

There were flowers on the table this morning and we didn't know if they were to Allison from Luke or if Allison gave them to Luke! So Jerid said...." If a girl brings me something, I would want it to be a Western Bacon Cheeseburger! " I asked him if that would be romantic and he said " Heck-ya! "

Too funny!

A Mom's Job Description !

2010-04-29T13:27:00.000-06:00

POSITION: Mother, Mom, Mama

JOB DESCRIPTION: Long term, team players needed, for challenging permanent work in an often chaotic environment.

Candidates must possess excellent communication and organizational skills and be willing to work variable hours, which will include evenings and weekends and frequent 24 hour shifts on call.

Some overnight travel required, including trips to primitive camping sites on rainy weekends and endless sports tournaments in far away cities. Travel expenses not reimbursed. Extensive courier duties also required.

RESPONSIBILITIES: The rest of your life. Must be willing to be hated, at least temporarily, until someone needs $5.

Must be willing to bite tongue repeatedly. Also, must possess the physical stamina of a pack mule and be able to go from zero to 60 mph in three seconds flat in case, this time, the screams from the backyard are not someone just crying wolf.
Must be willing to face stimulating technical challenges, such as small gadget repair, mysteriously sluggish toilets and stuck zippers.
Must screen phone calls, maintain calendars and coordinate production of multiple homework projects.
Must have ability to plan and organize social gatherings for clients of all ages and mental outlooks.
Must be willing to be indispensable one minute, an embarrassment the next.
Must handle assembly and product safety testing of a half million cheap, plastic toys, and battery operated devices.
Must always hope for the best but be prepared for the worst.
Must assume final, complete accountability for the quality of the end product.

Responsibilities also include floor maintenance and janitorial work throughout the facility.

POSSIBILITY FOR ADVANCEMENT & PROMOTION: Virtually none. Your job is to remain in the same position for years, without complaining, constantly retraining and updating your skills, so that those in your charge can ultimately surpass you

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE: None required unfortunately. On-the-job training offered on a continually exhausting basis.

WAGES AND COMPENSATION: Get this! You pay them! Offering frequent raises and bonuses. A balloon payment is due when they turn 18 because of the assumption that college will help them become financially independent.

When you die, you give them whatever is left. The oddest thing about this reverse-salary scheme is that you actually enjoy it and wish you could only do more.

BENEFITS: While no health or dental insurance, no pension, no tuition reimbursement, no paid holidays and no stock options are offered; this job supplies limitless opportunities for personal growth and free hugs for life if you play your cards right.

Forward this on to all the moms you know, in appreciation for everything they do on a daily basis, and let them know they are appreciated.

Author....not known.

Inspirational movie

2010-04-22T15:08:00.003-06:00

This is worth 3 minutes of your time! I sure like it!!!

http://www.greatquotesmovie.com/

Here's To US !!!!!!!

2010-04-01T21:51:00.001-06:00

No matter what our kids and the new generation think about us,

WE ARE AWESOME !!!! OUR LIFE IS LIVING PROOF !!!!

ToThose of Us Born 1930 - 1979

TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED THE 1930's, 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's!!

First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they were pregnant.

They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can and didn't get tested for diabetes.

Then after that trauma, we were put to sleep on our tummies in baby cribs covered with

bright colored lead-base paints..

We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, locks on doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had baseball caps not helmets on our heads. As infants & children, we would ride in cars with no car seats, no booster seats, no seat belts, no air bags, bald tires and sometimes no brakes.

Riding in the back of a pick- up truck on a warm day was always a special treat.

We drank water from the garden hose and not from a bottle..

We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and

no one actually died from this. We ate cupcakes, white bread, real butter and bacon. We drank

Kool-Aid made with real white sugar. And, we weren't overweight.. WHY?

Because we were always outside playing...that's why!

We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on.. No one was able to reach us all day. And, we were OKAY. We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride them down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.

We did not have Play stations, Nintendo's and X-boxes. There were no video games, no 150 channels on cable, no video movies or DVD's, no surround-sound or CD's, no cell phones, no personal computers, no internet and no chat rooms. WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!

We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents. We would get spankings with wooden spoons, switches, ping pong paddles, or just a bare hand and no one would call child services to report abuse.

We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever.

We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays, made up games with sticks and tennis balls and, although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes. We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just walked in and talked to them.

Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to

deal with disappointment. Imagine that!! The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law!

These generations have produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever. The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas. We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned how to deal with it all.

If YOU are one of them, CONGRATULATIONS!

You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up as kids, before the lawyers and the government regulated so much of our lives for our own good. While you are at it, forward it to your kids so they will know how brave and lucky their parents were.

This quote is by Jay Leno:

With hurricanes, tornados, fires out of control, mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up the country from one end to another, and with the threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks, are we sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?'

For those that prefer to think that God is not watching over us...go ahead and delete this.
For the rest of us...pass this on..

Ouch! Way to go slick!

2010-03-04T22:56:00.001-07:00

The next time you use PAM or ???? Be careful when you are putting the cap back on !!
As I was doing this my hand slipped and I punched myself in the stomach! HARD! hahhaahaha!
It even knocked the wind out of me! Good move....I know!!!!!

The many uses of a Racquetball

2010-03-03T12:34:00.001-07:00

As I write this post I am leaning on a ball. I always have a nice little knot in my upper back on the right side of my spine! I love this little knot! I lay on these little blue balls, and roll around on them like a dog rolling in bird poop! I lean on them while sitting in a chair! I am Very thankful for these because when everyone else in my family are sick of rubbing this nice little knot, they do a pretty darn good job all by themselves!
Okay now I am using sarcasim and I do NOT like sarcasm so the truth is: This knot in my back is really a "pain in the ...........back"! and I don't like it one bit!

Grandpas & Grandmas !!!

2010-02-25T08:51:00.002-07:00

Grandparents are the best! I bought Cream Soda this week! Reminds me of my Grandparents on the left,
Grandma Eunice and Grandpa Kenny Pehrson!

On the right are Grandma Alta and Grandpa Andy Anderson! She used to laugh so hard she couldn't talk, and he would let my drive his tractor!!! I have many good memories of my Grandparents! I miss them SO much! Mine were the best in the whole world!!!
So, If you still have Grandparents, be sure to spend time with them and cherish every moment! I know I sure did!

15 year old gets a ticket!

2010-02-24T07:36:00.000-07:00

I am shocked! Jerid came home with a 35$ ticket yesterday! ( he thought he was in trouble but I just laughed) and thought "How dumb is that!" So he is not even old enough for a drivers license, quite yet anyway, and he gets a ticket for J-walking! UGGG! no warning no-nothing! but a ticket! I talked to the officer and he did compliment that I have a really nice, young respectful man! So he gets a ticket and one huge compliment at the same time!!!! can't complain with that kind of a compliment!!!

Happy 23rd Anniversary

2010-02-16T09:31:00.003-07:00

23 years ago (tomorrow) was our wedding day!

Then: he called me Buddie

Now: he calls me Big Mama hahahaha!?

You're Still the One....XOXOXO
We laugh. We flirt.
We love.
We drive each other crazy-
We keep each other sane.
We hold each other tight
and hold each other together.
We're each better because of the other.
I love you and I always will!

Happy Anniversary.....Babeski !

Shania Twain- You're still the one.

LOVE

2010-02-11T09:06:00.003-07:00

First of all, Happy Valentines Day!

This is actually my favorite holiday, it brings out the "girlie" side of me! I love the colors the stuffed animals the hearts the love, and most everything about it. My husband never knew this until this year! How crazy is that?! On the 17th we will have been married for 23 years, and he never knew that! ( only because I had never told him ) Get it ladies they don't know unless you tell them!!! lol !

When we got married I imagined the perfect life, being a wife, a mom and a homemaker!! That is all I ever wanted!! I dreamed of never having trouble, no financial, job, or disagreement troubles! I dreamed of living happily ever after!

But then the job took off, bills increased, children were born, laundry piles grew, and, and, and, and life got chaotic. For us, honestly, all hell broke loose, our marriage has been through a few major storms. I know some day I will be able to use My Story to help someone else!

When marriage doesn't meet the unrealistic expectations we imagine before the wedding, and real life kicks in, women can inadvertently get sucked into tearing down their husbands, and their marriages as well. And then couples stop giving their marriages the attention that it needs.

So girls, we need to realize the toll it takes on our guys if we are not building them up! We need to simply choose words that encourage, NOT discourage. We have a powerful influence on our guys and we will either "make or break" them. So we have a choice to build them up or tear them down, and we need to help them feel respected, appreciated, admired and loved. When those critical thoughts pop in our heads....keep them to ourselves! Take a look inside OUR hearts and see what WE can do different!

Through a wife's gifts of unconditional love, respect, and admiration, we can create the marriages we always dreamed of. How exciting is that!?

If your marriage seems strained right now, think about your conversations with your husband lately. Have your comments been encouraging and uplifting, or discouraging and destructive?

Instead of chocolates this Valentine's day, give your husband what he really desires- respect, admiration, love and whatever else you know he needs! :-)

1 Corinthians 13:2-7, "Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things." (ESV)

*****This is not intended for women in abusive situations!! If that is you get out and get help!!*****

Too COLD for a pic-nic !

2010-02-09T14:48:00.000-07:00

That won't stop us! We will just have one inside! With the front of our house facing south
the sun coming in the glass it actually felt like summer! She thought it was the greatest thing
to have a pic-nic inside! Our snack peanuts in the shell, which she also thought was pretty cool!

2010-02-09T09:09:00.002-07:00

Jerid is playing on the freshman basketball team this year...the season is almost over and they have not won one game yet!!! Uggg! I am starting to feel like a poor loser! He has a pretty good attitude which makes me very proud of him. But I have to admit it is hard to watch his team lose every game, not just by a little either. They get their butts kicked! By A LOT!!! Sometimes I look at the other teams parents cheering and I think to myself....."shut up! " Then I laugh at myself because I have that really ornery feeling inside my chest. Oh- JeriLyn get a grip! They have 5 more games left! There is hope of winning at least ONE game!! Go-Jerid!!! Kick some butt back!

This little joke made me laugh out loud and I was all alone!

2010-01-28T22:11:00.000-07:00

So.... Why do they call it "PMS" ?

Because "Mad Cow Disease" was already taken!!

LOL!!!

this is way too cute! I had to post it!

2010-01-28T15:31:00.002-07:00

Matthew 18:20

For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. Matthew 18:20
Thanks Annette for this email!

Good or Bad Fear ?

2010-01-21T08:00:00.001-07:00

Healthy fear warns us of danger and prepares us to react appropriately.

Unhealthy fear overwhelms us with doubt and insecurity; it drains our spiritual life and physical strength. It steals God's peace from our hearts, and robs us of joy in our daily lives. It causes us to become stagnant; unable to move ahead with the things God has planned for us.

So, are you living with unhealthy fear? Are you ready to replace it with the courageous and confident hope that's found in trusting God alone? By placing our hope in God and not in our circumstances, we're able to get rid of unhealthy fear. With God, we can face any giant in our path with confidence.

This is easier said then done sometimes...especially when our circumstances seem overwhelming , but it sure is a good goal that I keep striving for~

B-A-D BAD DOG !!!!!

2010-01-21T07:07:00.002-07:00

This is where she ends up when I am not looking!

From the Mouth of a 4 Year Old Girl.

2010-01-19T08:01:00.025-07:00

A week or two ago my 4 yr. old daycare girl let me know that:

little girl.........Baby boys have little weenies and big boys have BIG weenies!
me...........They do???! How do you know that?
little girl......my baby cousin has a weenie! giggle-giggle!
me........Ohhhhh! You are right! They do!
No more questions were asked! hahahaha!

Now, as I was looking for a photo to go with this post I ran across this:
Peepee teepee! What?! I have never seen one of these! Personally they are funny but I can't say that I would ever use one! Having raised 3 boys I have had their little fountains of pee get me several times! In fact one of them ( I will not say which one ) got himself right in the face! But I still don't think I would use one of these! But that is just my opinion! This would make a great gag-gift if you ask me! Ha! These are just too funny! The more I think about it...it is kind of a cute idea...but I just don't know!???

too funny!

Shhhhhhh.....Be Still and Listen

2010-01-19T07:56:00.001-07:00

Far too often I seek God's blessings instead of seeking God. I seek His hand instead of His heart. Far to often I run to him like His purpose is to satisfy my every want. Instead of leaning in to hear the whispered will of the Lord, I selfishly shout my will. My desires. My demands. I'd rather have relief from life-pressures than gain the strength to endure them and the lessons I'm intended to learn from them. When I'm desperate to fill my over-sized heart-cart with things that I think I need, I rob myself of what really matters: the pursuit of God and the blessings found in Him alone!!!!
So remember to BE STILL and LISTEN!!!! :-)

Raspberry Beet Jelly

2010-01-07T13:49:00.003-07:00

My Grandma's Raspberry Beet Jelly was a big hit with the little ones!

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T09:27:00.001-07:00

Bringing in the new year. Usually I end up sleeping it in! This year we had our grand dog Wilson here while Isaac and Cassie went out of town to see some friends. We also had three teenage guys in the house. Ate A LOT of spaghetti and salad......watched a Nerf basketball tournament in the family room, with the dogs nipping at their butts! Made Coffee shakes....the only time I drink coffee is in a shake so it actually kept me wide awake until 2am along with a long visit with Luke about the Denver International Airport underground tunnels, creepy art work and the runways shaped in a swastika. Strange....I never knew about that stuff. Weird!
Anyway on to a new year!
Happy New Year!

Here is a good read!

2010-01-01T09:03:00.001-07:00

This book is one of my favorites! One I could not put down, I had to "find" a place to stop before I took a break. Thanks for recommending it ....Cassie and Allison!

The hustle.....of Christmas

2009-12-24T04:31:00.001-07:00

Most of the time I am done shopping.....at least a couple weeks before Christmas. Not this year! I did not even get the annual family photo taken! The photo is my Christmas card....so guess that means, No card from our family this year. Maybe I will get something in the mail for New Years! may be, not.

Two days ago I tried to get the last of my shopping done. I am in the store....really having trouble picking out the gift! Now keep in mind.....I do NOT like shopping. I love giving gifts! I just don't like SHOPPING!

Everything I looked at that I thought was a good idea....wrong size, wrong color, wrong, wrong, wrong.

This was the 3rd store I was in...so was already feeling tired. With a nice, huge neck ache! Finally found what I needed!!!!! YES! I am out-a-here! So I am standing in a pretty short line, and all of a sudden there was a bunch of commotion.......some one threw-up a couple isles over! Not someone little either!.....didn't even squat down to keep it in one spot....so you can imagine... puke was just every where! Not just in one nice little spot! EVERYWHERE! and A LOT of it! Oh-my.... I have had to clean a lot of that up in my day, but boy was I glad it wasn't me to have to clean it up that day!

Needless to say I fell asleep EARLY that night....on the couch till 3 am.

I am so glad that all the hustle bustle at Christmas time is not what Christmas it about!

Christmas.....the day we celebrate the birth of our Savior Jesus! Born in a manger. What a night that must have been! Merry Christmas to all of you! and remember.....Jesus is what Christmas is really all about!

CANDY !!!!

2009-12-16T08:40:00.003-07:00

Two of my favorite candies. Ribbon candy, more for the looks than the taste.

And homemade peanut brittle...I always add extra peanuts!

I have found I need to be very careful eating it though...my teeth have trouble handling it!

Making three kids gave me ..... not so good teeth!

2009-12-12T16:12:00.000-07:00

Busy butt! His job is a real pain right now...has been for quite some time, so it is good to just stay busy! Usually this is my job....but this time he did it! I usually do it while I am in the shower, but this time it needed the harsh cleaner job...ya know, bleach......I hate the smell of bleach, in fact I asked him if it wasn't to strong and opened the window, didn't seem to bother him and I was literally gagging and had to leave the room! He did a really good job! Maybe this can be his job from now on! ( wishful thinking!)
It looks better than when I do it! Thanks!

2009-12-11T09:54:00.002-07:00

Some days I feel like I need to get a life! People call to check in and ask: What are you doing? Well the same thing I do every day. Get up at 5:15, shower, make lunches, make breakfast, bring people to school, daycare kids come at 6:40, clean kitchen, figure out what to have for supper, do laundry, make bed...sometimes!, vacuum, do crafts or color , make snacks, wipe butts, change diapers, wipe noses and goopy eyes...yes goopy eyes...hope it is not pink eye! Bring kids to play lands or rec-center, go to $ store for cheap color books, play games, watch Curious George, walk the dog, change more diapers, play toys, and take a nap,.....Okay I am in the mood for a chick flick, not a rented one....one at the theater!!!
1 John 5:12 He who has the Son, has life! I know I have a life, now to just get a little more fun into it!

Jack Frost

2009-12-04T08:26:00.000-07:00

Jack Frost has decided to visit Colorado! It is 8 degrees! This is colder that normal! The squeak of the snow under my feet and the bite on my nose from the cold, cold air reminds me of growing up in Minnesota! I am a wimp when it is this cold...unless of course, I was ice fishing or 4-wheeling or something fun like that. This week we had the carbon monoxide detector go off......furnace is dead! Our pickup truck is broke....needs a new rear end, and is too old to put a lot of money in. "when it rains in pours" So today I will look at the positive..... The new heater is in and working great! We had enough money to get one. Even if Christmas will be slim this year, we are all warm and full and have warm running water! Even though we are down to one car for a bit, I am glad I can still walk the dog and get on the floor to play with the little kids! So whether I like Jack Frost or not he sure is very pretty!

My kids

2009-11-25T09:28:00.003-07:00

There was no such thing as a blog when my kids were little. So here are some "Then & Now" pictures of them. They are too old for me to write about them all the time! LOL!

Kids!

2009-11-25T07:51:00.003-07:00

Here are my daycare kids....helping their parents raise the next generation!

Understanding Women!

2009-11-23T11:50:00.001-07:00

A man was walking along a beach and stumbled across an old lamp. He picked it up, rubbed it and out popped a genie. The genie said "You released me from the lamp, blah blah blah. This is the fourth time this month and I'm getting a little sick of these wishes so you can forget about three. You only get one wish!" The man sat and thought about it for a while and said, "I've always wanted to go to Hawaii but I'm scared to fly and I get very seasick. "Could you build me a bridge to Hawaii so I can drive over there to visit?" The genie laughed and said, "That's impossible! Think of the logistics of that! How would the supports ever reach the bottom of the Pacific? Think of how much concrete! How much steel! You're going to have to think of another wish." The man agreed, and tried to think of a really good wish. Finally, he said, "Any girfriend that I have ever had always say that I don't care and that I'm insensitive. So, I wish that I could understand women. I want to know how they feel inside and what they're thinking when they give me the silent treatment. I want to figure out why they're crying, know what they really want when they say 'nothing', and know how to make them truly happy." The genie paused for a while and said, "How many lanes do you want on that bridge?"

Life.

2009-11-18T10:35:00.005-07:00

How can I put this into words? I have had my share of struggles along the way of life, struggles caused by my own mistakes or bad decisions. Or struggles that just happened.

Oh---- on the outside everything looks great and perfect I suppose. But on the inside I have found myself, angry, bitter and extremely hard hearted. My way of building walls to protect myself. Over the last few years or so I have really been working on this. Taking a real good look at myself. I am thankful, for I can now feel my heart softening, the bitterness going away, the anger not as profound!! This is a GOOD thing! Under pressure, your faith-life is forced to show its true colors...and mine was not very pretty. But you know what? The color is becoming prettier every day! For I know, that God is in complete control of this world and He loves me! My life is not by random chance, fate or luck.....it is fully planned,,, planned out by God. All my mistakes, hurts, struggles, illness, pain, divorce, debt, death of loved ones, addictions of any kind, what ever it is, for you or me....good can come out of it. If I become a better person or a more sympathetic person or if I can help someone else because of my life story.....than that is Good coming out of something bad. So I can actually say as hard as life can be sometimes...I am thankful because through the toughest stuff....(once I got rid of my stubbornness) I am like a jewel...shaped with a hammer and chisel. The hammer wasn't strong enough to chip off the rough edges, out came the sledgehammer, if that wasn't strong enough...out came the jackhammer! okay, okay, I got it! Easy does it. God is refining me into what he wants me to be and that makes me thankful.

Can't eat enough.....Drink'em!

2009-11-17T08:46:00.002-07:00

Drink up your fruit and veggies! I do pretty good job drinking enough water....but fruit and veggies? I eat salads and steamed veggies....but a lot of the fruit just doesn't tasted that great to me so several weeks ago I invested in a really good blender....so now to be disciplined to drink them....this morning I ate

1 small apple, core and all

1 small pear, core and all

1 small orange everything but the peel!

a few blueberries and raspberries

1/2 a banana

and some spinach

pretty good but would be better with Half and Half poured in with some sugar! Ha-ha-ha!

Oh well.......trying to feed my body healthy!

Me....clip coupons!??????

2009-11-16T08:21:00.002-07:00

So, I am the worst shopper when it comes to groceries. I do make a list, but only of the things I don't want to forget. Then I just go about getting everything else I need as I walk down the isles. The only good thing I do is, keep with in a certain amount! Recently I have been trying to clip coupons to save money and spend less than what I budget for!

This does NOT come natural for me. In fact I think it is a pain! So this morning I went through all the adds in the paper, planned my meals according to what is on sale, ( this is a real pain to me too!) and now I am ready to head to the store. Grocery shopping is one of my least favorite things to do. So I am going to see how much I save. Maybe that will make it more fun.......If anyone has any tips on saving $$$$ at the grocery store......HELP!!!!!

Awww....to live life backwards!!

2009-11-13T17:02:00.002-07:00

Ha ha ha! I laughed out loud when I saw this! I posted it many months ago....here it is again! Author not known!

I want to live my next life backwards.

You start out dead. Let's get that out of the way right off the bat.

Then, you wake up in a nursing home feeling a little better every day.

When you are kicked out of the home for being too healthy, you spend several years enjoying

your retirement and collecting benefit checks.

When you start work, you get a gold watch on your first day. You work 40 years or so, getting younger every day until pretty soon you're too young to work.

So then, you go to high school: play sports, date, drink a little, be carefree and have lots of fun. As you get even younger, you become a kid again! .

You go to elementary school, play and have no responsibilities.In a few years, you become a baby and everyone runs themselves ragged keeping you happy. You spend your last 9 months floating peacefully in luxury, spa-like conditions: central heating, room service on tap.

Until finally...You finish off as an orgasm. I rest my case.

Sorry again, but that was funny!

Do you know someone who needs you to take them by the hand?

2009-11-12T08:45:00.005-07:00

Or do you need someone to take you by the hand?

Life is good and life is hard. I know some days I am exhausted and just plain sick of it. But I know
when we take our eyes off our fears, our doubts, our struggles and focus on someone else's needs, we somehow forget our own, for a little while. In believing the power of God's promises for others, our confidence in His promises for us, seems to grow as well.

Each day we have the same opportunity. We can come alongside each other in some of life's hardest challenges and highest peaks and say, "Don't give up, you can do it!"
Everyone has struggles, so lets take each other by the hand and do life together!