Monkeys ARDently In Sinc

2011 Mardis Family Reunion

2011-07-08T20:27:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics from our first annual Mardis Family Reunion, held in Idaho Falls, ID on July 1st through the 5th. Enjoy!
These first three are of our backyard tent campground. There were a few of us there!

Here we're getting ready for one of our many craft projects.

The kids had fun shooting tiny marshmellows at each other - and they shot a LOT!!

Pretty little Boda Belle chillin in the shade of her tree.

While younger brother Steve looks on, Doane "instructs" Jacob on the art of grilling....or something like that...

And yes, the marshmellow wars are STILL going on!

Here's Marylou and Regan, strategizing their plans for decorating their shirts.

Brittni and Jacob finished their shirts - where's everybody else's?

The aftermath of our marshmellow wars....and believe it or not, they were all cleaned up!

Lots more shirts and another tent. Sure wish I woulda had my camera handy to capture everybody wearing their shirts - they were cool!!

Patrick getting ready to share his talent of telling jokes.

Dean just LOVES to show off his toothless grin!

Here's Addie and Aubree's shirts - they are stylishly designed!

The Mardis Brothers, from youngest to oldest:
Nik, Aaron, Chester, Steven, Isaac, Doane, and Russ

The audience enjoing the talent show.

Grandma Susan introducing various acts for the talent show.

Angie, Lou and my feet - aren't they pretty? :)

The M.A.R.D.I.S. C.L.A.N (minus the L)
Marylou, Angie, Russ, Doane, Isaac, Steven, Chester, Aaron, and Nik - what a crew!!

We had a great time at the reunion, and look forward to our next one in 2 years!!

FHE Activities

2011-05-03T17:53:00.000-07:00

So here are a few things we've been doing with our good friends, the Volks, for Family Home Evening these last few months...enjoy!

We are learning about "bearing" our testimonies to others.

And here, we're learing about "growing" our testimonies...

And our most recent lesson, we talked about Christ's sacrifice for us. We made a mobile, and "sepulchre" stones...

We had other lessons, but it wasn't until the last few months that I remembered to photo and document our lessons. We even got to do a lesson at the Lybbert's house. That was fun!

I want to express my appreciation to my parents, for setting the example for me to do Family HOme Evenings, and to the Volks (especially Cheryl) for giving me the motivation to do this for my family. And thank you to all my teachers and leaders. You're all the best!!

Beka's Lucy Loulabelle

2011-03-01T12:53:00.000-08:00

I have some sad news for my (not very many) followers....our dog, Lucy, ran away on the 7th, and we found out that shortly after she ran off (the little bugger), she was hit and killed by a car. It took the lady who witnessed it almost 3 weeks to call and let us know. We are all very sad, and will miss our little dog suh-um fierce!

Once I get home (and I remember), I'll post pics of her throughout her short 4-year life...cry with me if you want to!

Wall Climbing Videos 5 (I hope)

2010-12-16T18:20:00.000-08:00

Here is the last video we did at Doane's drill weekend...

Wall Climbing Videos 4 (I hope)

2010-12-16T18:17:00.000-08:00

Here is yet another (hopefully)wall climbing video...

Wall Climbing Videos 3 (I hope)

2010-12-16T18:14:00.000-08:00

Here is (hopefully) another video....

Wall Climbing Videos 2 (I hope)

2010-12-16T18:05:00.000-08:00

Round 2, perhaps?

Wall Climbing Videos (I hope)

2010-12-16T17:59:00.000-08:00

Here is round 1 of the videos from our wall climbing ventures. For some reason, the sound isn't working, but you get the gist...enjoy!

Military Party Fun

2010-12-06T19:21:00.000-08:00

This last weekend we went to Doane's Family Military Weekend (or whatever you want to call it. We were promised lots of good food, lots of fun activities, and lots of socializing with the other families. Overall, there was lots of food (some good, some not-so-good), some fun activities (although we were promised a driving simulator which never got up and running, dangit!), and not much socializing with other families, because Doane's unit doesn't have a whole lot of soldiers with families. It's mostly comprised of single soldiers (mostly men, a few women). But following are some of the pictures from the activities we DID do! I even included some nice butt shots of me, just to show I'm not a chicken, or embarrassed to show my LACK of talent. Enjoy!

When I find the pictures of Dean I took climbing, I'll post them, too.

Aren't we a bunch of fun people? ;)

Jacob's 5th Grade Project

2010-11-09T21:43:00.000-08:00

Hello all! Long time no chat, I know. But I just have a quick post for the night. Jacob's 5th grade teacher, Mr. Barnett, has issued a challenge to his class. He has a website that has a Clustr Map. This is what the teacher says:

'Global Connections Challenge'

Our Global Connections Challenge has started!

Each school year I challenge my class to spread the word about our classroom web site in order to get visits from all seven continents (Yes, including Antarctica). You can see the visits to our site below on a really cool hit counter from Clustrmaps. This simple exercise demonstrates how connected the world is through the Internet, and it provides for awesome teachable geography moments. You can get involved by spreading the word about www.mrbarnett.com to everyone you know so they too can learn a little about us and what we're learning about.

Challenge Goals

-All seven continents, 1 Super Point

-All 50 US States, 1 Super Point

-All Canadian Provinces, 1 Class Point

-Visit from mainland China, 1 Super Point

-A visit from Andermatt Switzerland with picture, 1 Class Point

-Visit from the 3G base station near Gorakshep village Nepal, Mount Everest

(A picture would be awesome!) - 1 Super Point

So please stop by the website, http://mrbarnett.com.
Just ignore the any reference it may say about "Lakeview Elementary". It's really Garden Heights Elementary. So please stop by, and tell all your friends, foreign and domestic, to go, too!

Thanx much!

Family Pics in Spokane

2010-08-18T17:39:00.000-07:00

TwiNerd Midnighter - R We Acting Our Age?

2010-08-08T19:20:00.000-07:00

All right fans, I finally got around to posting the pictures from the midnighter (that Korbi finally sent me). Rather than posting each picture, I made a collage, so you can enjoy them all at once!
Luvs to ya'll...

More Silverwood Fun!

2010-08-08T19:06:00.000-07:00

Hooray, I found the pics on Doane's phone, too!

Silverwood Fun!

2010-08-07T11:34:00.000-07:00

Fun at the Silverwood Theme Park....

unfortunately, I just have the pictures from my phone. The pics we took with our camera and Doane's phone got eaten up in cyberspace!

TwiNerd Party @ Korbi's!

2010-07-05T19:02:00.000-07:00

On the 25th of June, we had a "Twilight" party at Korbi Ashton's, in preparation for the release o the Eclipse movie the following week. There were some good times had, and some great crafts made. Unfortunately, I only have a few of the pictures, but I present them to you for your viewing pleasure...

the goodies

the crafts

Bethany has the NERVE to text her husband during our party - ALL males are banned!!

Katie just found out that she was going to have a total of SEVEN kids....she's a little shell-shocked!

Aren't we a bunch of HOT women? (Yes, we're all in our *some*ties, but we LOVE twilight!)

Stay tuned for pics of the midnight movie some of us party-goers went to!

Kinder Grad & Scout Day Camp

2010-06-27T17:12:00.000-07:00

Okay, I'm finally getting to the posting of Dean's graduation pics, and Jacob & Patrick playing one day at scout camp. Enjoy!!

Dean & class singing

Mom (almost) and Dean

Jacob & Corbett

Jacob in Tank

Jacob is wondering if he looks cool enough in the gear, to sign up for the job?

Patrick rockin the police gear!

Jacob in the TANK

Patrick in the TRT

Parick & Zane, hangin out on the tank truk

My cutie-puh-toodie scouts!

Hope this was worth the wait!! PEACE

coming soon....kindergarten grad pics

2010-06-22T19:15:00.000-07:00

Hello, faithful readers.....coming soon to a computer near you are funny/cute pics of kindergarten graduation stuff, and scout day camp adventures...be patient!

Facebook Daze!

2010-04-10T19:41:00.000-07:00

Hello to all my not-so-faithful-followers!

You may note that I have now gone back to public-viewing for my blog, as some of you have been on the non-visit category since I went private....you traitors!

So I'll post a couple pictures of things we've been doing, and maybe I'll follow up later. The reason for the title of this post is because I've been consumed by Facebook, and all the games I can play there....doh!

St. Patrick's Day 2010

This is my favorite holiday because why? Phshaw, as if you didn't know! It's GREEN!!!

Friday the 13th Birthday

2009-11-13T10:18:00.000-08:00

It's Friday the 13th, and it's my birthday - I LOVE it when my birthday's on Friday!!

Anywho, to start the day off, my boys came in my room SHORTLY after 7 this morning, and brought me these flowers, which Dean was kind enough to model for me....

Then, to add to the "coolness" of having a Friday the 13th b-day, it's SNOWING!!

What a great day! And later tonight, I'm going to Jess's house for a Twilight party - too cool!

Great Contest!

2009-09-25T08:26:00.001-07:00

I'm posting this on here, and on my Facebook page (maybe I'll get double entries!).

Go to my funny friend Amy's blog, and check out this cool contest!

http://youarefunnyhun.blogspot.com/2009/09/contest-contest-contest.html

Then be sure to browse her blog, for a good laugh!

Bowling Fun!

2009-09-20T18:23:00.000-07:00

I went to an activity with the Young Women (Mel & I horned in on the Miamaid activity, as we didn't have any Laurels there). I took pictures of it with my phone, just to document the event....but then I couldn't FIND them on my phone - ARGH!!

But never fear, I found them! so the following pics are from my YW bowling night, where we had three girls (2 MM, 1 L), to three leaders - I like those odds! If only classroom sizes worked out half as well!

First of all, I have to post a few pics of my GINORMOUS shoes I had to wear. Whether the guys was joking or not, he said these were the last pair of shoes he had...so I just went with it!

See? Aren't they huge?

Next up we have our fearless leaders, Mel, Cheri and me...

Look at my cloddhoppers!!

This is Heidi, doing her thing...

And Kayla, huckin' her yellow ball down the lane...

Rhylee brings up the rear, cuz she was a little late (but boy were we glad to see her!!)

School Dayz

2009-09-08T18:22:00.000-07:00

Sorry, everyone, for being such a blog slacker!! I've become hooked on FarmTown on FaceBook (and other games), and I've let me blogging go by the wayside. Doane says I play the farming games WAY too much, but it's fun!!

Anywho, here are some pictures of the first day of school!

Spoons

2009-07-20T22:38:00.000-07:00

Hi all (or very few, as it mostly is...)

I was chatting with a friend tonight, and she directed me to this website, which tells the story of being sick. For those of you who may have wondered about me, and my multiple sclerosis, this is a good explanation. I hope you enjoy the story!

http://www.butyoudontlooksick.com/navication/BYDLS-TheSpoonTheory.pdf

Thanx Jami!

Ocean Shores Day 1

2009-07-19T17:54:00.000-07:00

Ocean Shores Day 2

2009-07-19T17:53:00.000-07:00

Camping in Ocean Shores State Park

2009-07-19T17:48:00.000-07:00

Boeing's Museum of Flight

2009-07-19T17:47:00.000-07:00

Woodland Park Zoo

2009-07-19T17:41:00.000-07:00

Space Needle & Pacific Science Center

2009-07-19T17:40:00.000-07:00

Seattle Aquarium

2009-07-19T17:39:00.000-07:00

Snoqualmie Falls

2009-07-19T17:38:00.000-07:00

Harbor Tour

2009-07-19T17:37:00.000-07:00

Mamarazzi's Love

2009-07-07T09:25:00.000-07:00

Hi all. I just wanted to give a shout-out to Mamarazzi and the love she spreads throughout the blogo-sphere!

During the last swap I participated in, my partner had some family issues, so was unable to send me my swap package. I was REALLY let down by this, as I was looking forward to getting to know her more. She seemed like a really fun girl.

So anywho, I was keeping Mamarazzi informed of the situation, and in light of my lack of a package, she sent me a little something so I didn't feel left out. Isn't she sweet?

She sent me a notepad, pen and bookmark, from her trip to "fishful thinking". She made a playlist CD for me. And she sent me a little manicure kit. Such a wonderful person she is!

Home & Yard Pics

2009-07-05T13:13:00.000-07:00

As my last "public" blog post, I submit to you pictures of things that we "grow" at our house.

First, we "grow" the boys' imaginations, and they build stuff with Lego's big and small....

The boys are supposed to be sleeping, but they can't help but grin!

Here are the side views...

And we also "grow" hair, and given the boys' (read "my") preference for short hair, we have to cut it often. So upon being told her would have his hair cut, Dean requested an "x" in his hair. Then of course Doane added to it a little....

As you have seen, I'm trying to "grow" my flowers. Here's a shot of just ONE of my stargazers, just about ready to blossom for me, and smell up my yard!

My daylillies are doing very well, too. My friend Viki wanted to see my purple-ish ones to see if she wanted a start from them this fall, so I took a picture of both so she can see a side-by-side comparison.

We also "grow" our garden. You'll have to look a couple of posts back, where I showed pics of our garden. So I have updated shots of each of our veggies/plants.
Corn
Watermelon
Carrots
Tomatoes

We "grow" trees that we thought were dead, but is now thriving....

And finally, Doane likes to continually "grow" his imagination and building skills, but it's just taken me a LONG time to post about it with the new slide addition....

Private Blogs

2009-07-01T21:00:00.000-07:00

For all you faithful (or not so faithful, just droppin' in sometimes) followers, I've decided to make my blog private. I'll be doing the change-over (I think) on Monday, July 6th. So if you want to still view my blog, shoot me an email or call me or text me or sum-pin'!

Check out my counter on the right!!! It's so cool (NOT!!! The counter isn't working right!!!)

Wally World Pics

2009-07-01T10:42:00.000-07:00

Okay, I'll admit it - I went to WalMart. I know, it's scary!! But I was tired of waiting for Doane to edit and print out pictures that "we could do ourselves", and in lieu of going to Sear's in Tri-Cities, we went to good old WalMart here in town.

Now, I'm not gonna post all the pics, cuz I gotta save some to send out to the fam, and I wouldn't want my mom stealin' 'em off my blog-o-sphere just yet!

So enjoy!

Aren't they the cutest??!!!

Chocolate Extreme, Baby!

2009-06-18T22:31:00.001-07:00

I had the day off work yesterday, and managed to get pretty much nothing accomplished.....except pay a few bills and fold laundry - which that in itself is a major accomplishment, cuz I had buckets and buckets of laundry to fold!

Anywho, I told my friend Jenica that I would watch her three dolls for her, so she could have some quiet time. And guess what? She brought me one of these as payment. Yummy!

This is DQ's Chocolate Extreme blizzard, and it has chewy brownies, cocoa fudge, and chocolate bits in rich Dairy Queen cream. It is sooooo good. Thanx, Jenica!

Happy Wedding Colors!

2009-06-11T21:28:00.000-07:00

I just had to post this, because Dean was so funny when I painted my toes....

Today, my good friend Becca was married to Matt. Since I now work in the floral department at Safeway, I've been privy to her wedding colors, and picking out the flowers for her arrangement. Although I was REALLY stressed out at work yesterday, it helped mollify it a little that part of my duties were selecting her flowers....

Becca chose a blue and fuchsia mix for her colors, and its a fabulous combo! So when I went to get my nails done today, I decided I needed a pedicure, too, because my polish was 3 or 4 weeks old. When I first sat down in the chair, the lady asked me what color I wanted. Then I had to get up and go pick one. I had Dean with me, so he wanted to "help". Of course me, being the adult, had the winning vote, but when he saw the color, he liked it too.

So I went back and sat in the chair. Dean wanted to sit in a chair, and have his feet "washed" too. I pulled him up on my lap, and he stuck his feet in the water with me. I don't know how many of you have had a pedicure, but there's not a whole lot of room on those chairs for yourself AND a child. But we made it work! And all day long (while I've been with him), he's talked about having his feet washed, and how much fun it was. That made the uncomfortable time worth it! The lady even "scrubbed" his feet with a little brush, too. It was cute!

Anywho, since Becca's colors are blue and fuchsia (generally), I picked blue as my toe color. When I got home, I put these cute little stickers on, and they had fuchsia. Then I wore a shirt that had fuchsia in it down to TriCities for the ceremony. Aren't I so color-coordinated?

And yes, I am bringing my foot up to my shirt, so you can see the two colors together. Do you think I would realize how much easier it would be to take my shirt off and step on it? Oh, no, not me. I have to do it the hard way!

Growing Garden & Flowers

2009-06-06T20:21:00.000-07:00

So I've had these pictures on my camera for about a week now, and decided I should really try to post them....

On Mother's Day, my family went out in our back yard, to plant our garden. We planted lots of things, but we had to wait until they started to sprout before we could take pictures.

We planted corn

We planted watermelon

We planted carrots

We planted cucumbers

And we planted tomatoes

As you can see, our tomatoes aren't doing so well. But at least we tried!

All the other things have grown even more since taking these pictures, but I didn't want to go down and take more before I did this post, or I'd never get it done!

I also went out and took pictures of my flowers I've got growing in the front yard. I'm so excited, because I planted seven stargazer lilly bulbs. They're my favorite!

These are my daisies (with some dying or dead daffodils in the corners.....)

And these are my stargazers.

You can also see my daylillies on the top right, but they're nothing cool, as I had those last year. But I did notice today that their buds are starting to come out, too. Yeah, I'm gonna have a flowery yard!

Guard Weekends Are Generally the Pits!

2009-06-06T20:13:00.000-07:00

Argh, I hate these long weekends when Doane is gone! But at least my good pal Jenica squeezed me into her busy schedule for a darling cut and color! Didn't she do a good job?
(Remember that the front view is after going in and out of the rain a few times, so it kind of got tamped down by the weather....)

Is it Sunday nite (late) yet???

PJ Sleepover!

2009-05-31T20:48:00.001-07:00

On Friday, I hosted a PJ Sleepover at my house for my group of Laurels (I am the advisor). I know what you're thinking - "She has no daughters of her own, she has no sisters, what the CRAP is she thinking having a sleepover with a bunch of girls??!!!" And I would have to agree.

But it didn't turn out too bad. At various points of the evening, I had six of my seven girls there, plus the Young Women President. The slacker seventh girl kept making excuses and bailing on us. We'll get revenge on her - never fear (although she should....)

Before she had to leave, Rhylee was able to pass a couple things off, and make plans to finish other goals, as well. She's such a cute girl! We were all bummed that she couldn't stay with us.

Staying at my house overnight were four of my girls, plus the President. That night, we accomplished sewing a darling apron, modeled by the seamstress herself Brittney. Notice, if you will, the double-sided nature of the apron, for more versatile, reversible wear! With this task done, Britt can mark off one of her requirements.

And our fearless leader Melode showing her support for the accomplishment, of course...

With the teaming up of Lizzie and Kenzie, Lizzie was able to complete all her requirements to receive the Young Womanhood Recognition - yeah Lizzie! Kenzie was able to mark off a couple of her requirements, too. Great teamwork, girls! Unfortunately, Kenzie had to leave before I took any pictures (spaz me forgot about the camera I set on the counter specifically to document the night until after two of the girls left - doh!) so I don't have a picture of Kenzie and Lizzie together working. But work they did, believe you me!

At about quarter to twelve that night, the four girls that were left decided to go over to the high school and walk a couple laps for the Relay for Life (that I was supposed to be walking at for my work, but couldn't because of the sleepover). The other, and main, purpose of going over there was to try to retrieve our missing girl, Danielle, as she said she would be there until 12 or 1. She wasn't there, of course, but we walked a combined total 6.5 miles, and I was able to check in at my work's tent, and show them all the reinforcements I brought with me. Yeah for Relay for Life, and for continuing to give people hope for a cure! And especially hooray for my girls, wanting to walk in support of it, and for indulging me in pictures and chatting with some of my co-workers. Love my girls!

Lastly, to prove we survived the night, I had my husband take a picture of us all Saturday morning, before we at the donuts and drank the OJ I bought for breakfast. Aren't we all cute? In honor of being the "old lady" advisor, I wore curlers.

From left to right, it's Brittney, Mattie, Kayla, me, Melode, and Lizzie. Smashingly sexy women at 8 AM!!!

MMB Giveaway!

2009-05-18T09:20:00.000-07:00

Hello all! I wanted to tell you about a wonderful giveaway sponsered by the Mormon Mommmy Blogs. Just head over here to see what you can win!

Day 15 of Stinky Body Gas

2009-05-15T08:00:00.000-07:00

Rounding up the "E" farts is the "important" one....

A very loud clear fart by a very important person is an Executive Fart. It is either sharp or flat, somewhat off key, but otherwise a very business-like fart. No nonsense about it. But no one is supposed to notice. Particularly the farter. If you do not laugh at the Executive Fart this is either because you are scared of the person who farted or because the fart is so gross. Common with very important people.

Although not "executives", I experience this fart quite often at work. Mostly from older customers who either can't tell they're farting, or don't care that they do. It can be quite smelly!

On the other hand, I am guilty of doing it at work too, and blaming it on bad produce or rank meat. Gotta love it!

Last Pay It Forward Gift

2009-05-14T19:03:00.000-07:00

So to those who have been following the progress (I know, you don't really exist, and this is just for my posterity....) I have completed the second Pay It Forward gift, which is awarded to my friend Korbi. I'll have to take it to her after its washed, but them I'm done!

If you zoom in, you can see that I outlined the bears with the same pink thread I "tied" it with.

Now, if only Laurel would remember I entered HER pay it forward.....

Ice Mints

2009-05-14T08:29:00.000-07:00

Okay, I hope this works, and everyone can see it. My friend April sent me this little video, in honor of the "fart" posts I've been doing. I love it! You're the best, Ape^3! So even though I'll be posting in non-alphabetical order, I'll risk it, because I don't want to risk messing up the post by trying to publish on the right day...

Dove Visibly Smooth

2009-05-14T08:13:00.000-07:00

So a while back, I entered my blog information on the Dove website, to get a chance to sample their new deodorant, Dove Visibly Smooth.

A week or two later, I receive a box in the mail from Dove, and I was like "what's this?" Inside there was a sample of the new deodorant. I started trying it the next day.

It took me a couple days to get used to it, but it really works! My hair grows slower, and I have less stubble longer. Love it love it love it!

To learn more about it, go here to Dove's website, or here to their Facebook page.

If you live by me, I've got several coupons left, if you want to buy it and try it out. Just let me know.

Day 14 of Stinky Body Gas

2009-05-14T08:00:00.000-07:00

Today's stinklamation is all about punctuation!!!!

This is a punctuation fart. Timing is the whole thing. The farter, or someone, must be speaking. For instance, the speaker will say, "Ah, shut up!" and then someone will fart a loud sharp fart. This is a true Exclamation Fart. If the speaker is also the farter he may delay his fart until the right moment and then force it for all he is worth. If it works it is still a true Exclamation Fart, although more often than not it is an accident and for this reason rare.

On a side note, I have a funny story about this particular fart. Back when my husband and I were dating, my husband would "deploy" this fart without knowing its true name. It became a regular occurence that either right before or right after he told me he loved me, he would fart. I was, of course, at first offended. Now we laugh about it, and try to fart right before or after saying "I love you!"

Happy Teeth

2009-05-13T21:31:00.000-07:00

I keep forgetting to post this from last week. And it is definitely something to celebrate!

Last Thursday, my boys and I all had checkups at the dentist. All four of us made it out of there without any cavities. Phew! Dodged that bullet!

Then Doane went in for his checkup on Friday. I couldn't ask him until Saturday (because I was working), but he made it out of there without any cavities, too!

Now, it's not such a huge accomplishment for Doane to not have cavities, and maybe even Jacob and Dean, and occasionally Patrick. But for me not to have any cavities along WITH all the guys is stupendous!

I just wanted to have it on record somewhere that I actually went to the dentist and had a clean bill of health, and all my kids and husband did, too! What an accomplishment!

Day 13 of Stinky Body Gas

2009-05-13T08:00:00.000-07:00

On this Wednesday of May, I bring you the next section of letter-named farts. It's very proper and upright, so no laughing!

A very classy fart. The sound alone distinguishes it from all other farts. There are some who will say that this is a put-on accent, but that is silly. When it comes to farting no one goes around sounding like an Englishman. It happens or it doesn't. The sound it makes is, thip. Sometimes it will go thip thip. It is unmistakable. It is probably as proper and upper class as a fart can get.

Remember, no laughing! This is a very proper fart people!!!

Stinky Body Gas Post 12

2009-05-12T08:00:00.000-07:00

To round up the "D" fart series, I give you....

Some people might want to put this fart under the general heading of Musical Farts (see under M) but I for one have never considered the drum very much of a musical instrument. It is a multiple noted fart of the same tone or pitch farted very fast. It sounds more like a real drum roll when now and then the farter happens to throw in a rim shot at the end, but you can not expect this every time. It should in no way be confused with the Chinese Firecracker Fart, which is by far the more colorful of the two, although the Drum Roll Fart is much more rare.

Stinky Body Gas Post 11

2009-05-11T08:00:00.000-07:00

It is necessary for a dog to be around for this fart to occur. People who fart and blame it on the dog when there is no dog within miles are making a travesty of the whole fart identifcation business, which is difficult enough as it is. This is always a silent fart but one with an odor you could blame on a dog that was dead. The farter tries to blame it on the dog. He will even go so far as to run the dog out of the house. Do not be fooled. When a dog farts it will usually grunt too. It may even get up and walk away. This is what you should do when you have identified a Dog Did It Fart. They are vile.

It's soooo nice to have a dog around to blame the smellies on, but then again, when she actually does fart, you had better run for the proverbial hills, because MAN does it stink!

Stinky Body Gas Post 10

2009-05-10T08:00:00.000-07:00

In honor of Sunday, I've got another church-related post for ya, and we're now on the....

farts.

This is any loud fart in church. This fart was first called to my attention by my father. He probably read about it somewhere. For fart watchers who go to church, this is a good one to watch for as this is the only place it can be found.

Happy Mother's Day to all ya'll mothers out there! And happy birthday to my bro!

Stinky Body Gas Post 9

2009-05-09T08:00:00.000-07:00

The last of the "C" farts, here ya go....

The Crowd Fart is distinguished by its very potent odor, strong enough to make quite a few people look around. The trick here is not to identify the fart but the farter. This is almost impossible unless the farter panics and starts a fit of coughing or starts staring at the ceiling or the sky as though something up there fascinates him. In which case he is the one. Very common.

Stinky Body Gas Post 8

2009-05-08T07:54:00.000-07:00

We are still on "C", so here is today's installment....

This is an exceptional multiple noted fart identified by the number and variety of its noises, mostly pops and bangs. Often when you think it is all over it still has a few pops and bangs to go. In friendly company this one can get applause. Uncommon.

Stinky Body Gas Post 7

2009-05-07T08:00:00.000-07:00

Ladies and gents, we're still on the "C" farts, so here's another to enjoy!

The Celestial Fart
Not to be confused with the Did An Angel Speak Fart, which is simply any loud fart in church. The Celestial Fart is soft and delicate, surprising in a boy or an adult. It is probably the most shy of all farts and might be compared with the wood thrush, a very shy bird. It does not have the sly or cunning sound of the Whisper Fart. It is just a very small clear fart with no odor at all. Very rare.

Stinky Body Gas Post 6

2009-05-06T08:00:00.000-07:00

Guess what, loyal readers? We're now on to the....

fart portion of my posts.

Either a group one or a group two fart. Very tricky. It is meant to be a concealed fart. A matter of close timing is involved, the farter trying to fart at the exact moment he slams the car door shut. It is usually a good loud fart. It is one of the funnier farts when it doesn't work, which is almost every time. It is a desperation fart and not too common.

Stinky Body Gas Post 5

2009-05-05T14:12:00.000-07:00

So I can't find any more info on the copyright stuff for the book (it was published in 1984 - is there a statute of limitations on something that's 26 years old?), I think I'll continue on with my fart posts....We're still on the "B" farts, so here is today's enlightening post!

A silent fart identified by odor alone. Usually an adult fart, occurring while the adult is driving a car or has a front seat passenger who farts. The Burning Brakes Fart actually does smell a little like burning brakes and seems to hang around longer than most farts. Which gives whoever farted a chance to make a big show of checking to see if the emergency brake has been left on. When he finds it hasn't you know who farted. A common automobile fart.

And by the way, Happy Cinco de Mayo! May all your farts today smell like burning brakes!

Stinky Body Gas Post 4

2009-05-04T08:00:00.000-07:00

Like the great bald eagle, this fart is pretty well described just by its name. This can either be a group one or a group two fart and can occur just about anywhere. I heard it one time, a group two identification, in a crowded high school auditorium one night, right in that silence that happens when a room full of people has stopped singing the Star Spangled Banner and sat down. It came from the back. There was not a soul in that room that missed it. A fart like that can be impressive.
The most diagnostic characteristic of the Biggest Fart In The World is its size. Fart freaks who go around showing off, farting like popcorn machines and making faces before they fart or asking you to pull their finger and then they fart, never have what it takes for this one, which is rare even among your most serious farters.

This may be my last fart post for a while, as I need to get copyright info on it, if necessary. It's been bugging me for a couple days, and I get freaked out that some unknown person will come swooping down on me with a ginormous fine. So stay tuned....

Stinky Body Gas Post 3

2009-05-03T08:00:00.000-07:00

Today starts the second letter posts, coming to you from the letter.....

People who would never in their life know one fart from another, who would like to act like farts don't exist, will have to admit that a Bathtub Fart is something special.
It is the only fart you can see!
What you see is the bubble or bubbles.
The Bathtub Fart can be either single or mulitple noted and fair of foul as to odor. It makes no difference. The farter's location is what does it.
Maybe there is akind of muffled pong and one big bubble. Or there may be a ping ping ping and a buch of bubbles.
The sound I should point out depends somewhat on the depth of the water and even mmore on the tub. If ti is one of those big old heavy tubs with the funny legs you can get terrific sound effects. Whille one of the new thing ones half buried in the floor can be disappointing.
But either way, as long as the water is deep enough, whatever the sound, up comes the bubble or bubbles and you have to be quick but glance back over your shoulder and you have seen it, the Bathtuyb Fart, the most positively identifiable fart known to man.
It is a common fart and strictly group one unless you are a kid still young enough to take baths with your friends.

I thought this was a good post for Sunday, since there will be many kids taking a bath to get ready for church. Now they can have fun trying to "see" a fart!

Day 2 of Stinky Body Gas

2009-05-02T09:00:00.000-07:00

Here we are on day two of my fart post series. Let me introduce you to....

This is any fart that gets its power more from being amplified than from the fart itself. A metal porch swing will amplify a fart every time. So will a plywood table, an empty fifty gallon drum, a tin roof, or some empty cardboard boxes if they are strong enough to sit on. Any fart made a great deal louder than it really is through being amplified in this way can be called an Amplified Fart. These are common farts under the right conditions.

May Day!!!

2009-05-01T09:22:00.000-07:00

I've been percolating this idea for about a week or so, but wanted to wait until May Day to start it.

As some of you know, I have a kind of sick sense of humor.....sorry if that shocks some of you.....not really, though! Anywho, when I was in high school, I went into a Hallmark store with my friend Sara. I was perusing their store, and came across a book that intrigued me. I started to read it, and by the time I was a couple pages in, I was laughing so hard I was crying, and my friend came rushing over to see what was going on. So of course I had to buy THE FART BOOK.

For today's May Day post, we'll start off with an "A" fart....

This is a good fart for the beginner. It is easy to identify. It starts with a loud unnaturally high note, wavers like a siren, and ends with a quick downward note that stops before you expect it to. It sounds like something is wrong. If it happens to you you will know right off why it is called the Alarm Fart. You will be alarmed. The Alarm Fart, however, is rare.

In case I forgot to mention it, my Fart Book has an A-Z listing of farts and their meanings. Stay tuned for more!

This book is written by Donald Wetzel, illustrated by Martin Riskin, and published by Ivory Tower Publishing Company, Inc., copyright 1983.

Flower Tragedy

2009-04-24T20:48:00.000-07:00

I pride myself (not really) on my non-green thumb qualities, so am always shocked when something I plant actually grows. Last year, I was so excited to post pictures of my daisies and day lilies growing, and the shot of Jacob pointing at one of my daisies is priceless.

So anywho, I got some tulips last year, and planted them out front by my daisies, and have been anxiously waiting to see if they will sprout. As Doane and I were out weeding, I saw that both tulips had green shoots, and one of them had a small bud. To my utter delight, yesterday my small bud had grown up, and was a beautiful pink. I ran inside and got my camera, to document my non-green thumb accomplishment. Enjoy!

But that is when disaster struck - the neighbors' clumsy spaz dog came tromping over for some attention. After thoroughly stomping around in the flower bed, she laid down ON TOP OF MY TULIP, and broke the stem off. Stinkin' dog! I have every intention of telling my neighbor, when he comes back from his trip, that he owes me some tulips! Not really, but it relieves some irksomeness to say it....

So here is my lone bud, drinking water from my little cup. Poor thing!

Swap Partner II

2009-04-23T02:52:00.000-07:00

She may not know me yet, but for those of you who follow my blog, I'd like to introduce you to my new swap partner Maya. My last partner, "J", was fabulous!

Please go visit my new partner Maya at her blog, and tell her "hi" for me!

Resourceful Mommy: Win an Oasis Garden! SiteWarming for Backyard Botanical Friday

2009-04-21T14:15:00.000-07:00

This contest has been updated. The prize is now the larger Oasis garden valued at nearly $900! The prize comes from the Backyard Botanical Garden Blog, and is hosted by this blog

I got this info from my SIL Ariane. Looks pretty cool, so you should check it out!

Yoplait Giveaway!

2009-04-18T19:35:00.000-07:00

I enjoy yogurt on occasion but find it can be spendy, and I really like playing with my kids, and I REALLY love free things! So to enter into this giveway, go here and check it out!

Mamarazzi's Favorite Things Swap Three!!!

2009-04-17T21:24:00.000-07:00

She's back at it again - so sign up quick!

When I checked she was at 62, and she didn't know if she wanted to go up to 100 again, so get on over there fast!

Pay It Forward Gift

2009-04-14T11:44:00.000-07:00

Back in February, I did another Pay it Forward, where the first three people to comment would get a hand-made gift from me. Well, I'm not all that popular, so I only had two people comment. I've been working on Korbi's gift, and I have no idea how long it will take me.

But I finished my new friend Amy's gift, and thought I'd share a picture of it. So, Amy, here's what you have to look forward to, when I get off my lazy duff and mail it to ya!

It's even reversible! I hate to part with it for a couple reasons:

1. It has monkeys on it, and I LOVE monkeys!!!
2. It's my first attempt at sewing (all by myself) in a VERY long time! So I'm am really embarrassed by it, and I don't want anyone to see the horrible job I did. But it's sooo darn cute!

So even though I could give the apron to Korbi, I won't, because she sews all the time, and does a MUCH better job than I. Sorry, Korbi, you'll just have to wait until I get your gift done....

Easter

2009-04-14T11:27:00.000-07:00

I must do the obligatory Easter Day post, since I've been slacking off lately....

Here we have a picture of the what the Easter Bunny gave the boys. You'll notice there isn't much there....

Earlier in the week, Patrick had gone shopping with Doane at Walmart. Later, Doane told me that Patrick had said something to the effect of "Dad, I know the Easter Bunny isn't real. It's just parents that go and buy the stuff, and put it out." Doane, being sneaky, said that HE didn't buy anything. Technically he wasn't lying, because I do it all. But it worked on Patrick, and he's still a believer.

Then the boys came downstairs and saw their stuff....

Patrick's comment upon seeing their "little" amount of stuff was "That's it? That's all the Easter Bunny brought?" The ungrateful little stinker! I wanted to tell him that the Easter Bunny was hit by the layoffs, also, and didn't have much money, either! Grr!

But the Easter Bunny was kind enough to deliver some goodies for Mom and Dad, just for good measure....

That bunny must know I'm a sucker for end-of-the-world movies!

Free Clock Giveaway!

2009-04-14T11:24:00.001-07:00

My sister-in-law's cousin makes these awesome clocks, and she's giving one away for FREE, to advertise in the wonderful economy we are experiencing right now. Just go here and check out the details!

Update on Touches of Me

2009-04-01T21:03:00.000-07:00

After I painted out dining room, Doane found a little pint of "oops" paint that he thought might look good with the color I had chosen. It wasn't the best, and ended up not really showing that well. But then we wondered what would happen if we mixed that color with some glaze.

Here is the result, and I think it looks pretty cool. Jenica told me I need to post an updated picture of it, cuz it's so cool. It looks even better in person, so come on over and check it out!

In case you can't remember what it was before, go check out my previous post here....

Spirit Week

2009-04-01T19:50:00.001-07:00

I've been really lazy the last little while in posting, so I have a few to catch up on.....

Last week at my boys' school, they had spirit week. On Monday, it was "Favorite Sports" day. Of course, both of my boys picked soccer, but we couldn't find Patrick's soccer shirt from Utah, so he made do with what he found. You can't tell, but both of them are wearing shin guards under their pants, too.

Tuesday was "Crazy Hair" day, and here is my spazzy attempt to make the boys' hair look crazy.

Wednesday was "Pajama" day, and since I volunteer in Patrick's class on Wednesday, I had to get in on the action. Aren't we cute? Even Dean wanted to "dress down" (or be lazy and never change out of his pajamas) that day!

Thursday was "Favorite Character" day, and we couldn't think of anything, so the boys didn't dress up.

Friday was "Hawaiian" day. I dug Doane's Hawaiian shirt out of the closet and threw it on Jacob, then used some leis we had from a party. Not very spirit-like, but it's the best we could do. And of course you have to do the hula when you're wearing a lei!

I still have more posts to catch up on, but I don't know if I'll get to them tonight. Just have faith, that at some point, I'll get around to it....

Doane's Creation

2009-04-01T19:23:00.000-07:00

Many of you know I have a pretty talented husband, who has been called MacGyver several times. So this MacGyver-ish endeavor involves a riding lawnmower, some steel purchased from Doane's work, and some VERY excited boys.

Here is Jacob enjoying the new "ride", and Dean following along (it's not very fast yet....)

Stay tuned for further developments on Doane's new go-cart!

It Pays to Blog Stalk!

2009-03-19T09:21:00.000-07:00

Remember back earlier in the month, when I posted about a giveaway at Willow Lake Scents? Well, I forgot all about it. Then I received a comment on one of my last posts, telling me that I had won. Woo-hoo! So I hopped back over to that site, to see what was going on. It appears I was the third comment winner, and I receive a gift set from Farm Hussy. Any of the four prizes, plus the "mystery" prize, would be great to receive!

I'd just like to thank my fans and loyal supporters, because without them, I would not be blogging. I would also like to thank the creators of Blogspot, because without them, I wouldn't have my blog. And I would like to thank Mamarazzi, because without her, I would never have learned about Willow Lake Scents. And I would like to thank Candid Carrie, who inspired me to do another post today. And I would like to thank my new friend J, because I'm still enjoying the fruits of my last foray into blog stalking, and I'm too lazy to throw the box out, so it sits on my floor and I see it every day, and it makes me smile! And if I've missed anyone in my thank-you speech, I'm sorry. Just remember, you are thanked in my heart, and dearly loved!

Fun St. Patrick's Day Craft

2009-03-14T16:16:00.001-07:00

Hello fellow bloggers!

I just wanted to share with you a fun craft idea I got from Make and Takes. At this site, they do fun projects for kids, ideas for home and family, and great ideas for making life simple. To go directly to the link with this project, go here. My kids were super-excited to do it, too, and it's REALLY simple (my kind of craft, ya know?)

The only thing I did to these is paint them black (and of course stamp Dean's shamrocks, since he couldn't do it himself....)

And of course my boys had to ham it up!

8 Item Me Me

2009-03-10T14:58:00.001-07:00

Although I don't participate in it, I realized that my blog title goes along with the SPT rules for the month. Hooray for me!

Any, I was tagged by my friend Amy, so I'll pass along the joy....

8 Item Tag
Here are the rules:
1)Post the rules on your blog.
2)Answer the six '8' items on the tag.
3)I tag: April, Kendra, Janice, Arianne and Lori

8 Favorite TV Shows:
1. Amazing Race
2. Heroes
3. Medium
4. Eli Stone
5. Survivor
6. ER
7. Ghost Whisperer
8. Big Brother

8 Things I did Yesterday:
1. Went to chiropractor
2. Made lunch for boys
3. Read a book
4. Checked friends' blogs
5. Arranged for son to raise and show a pig at fair
6. Worked
7. Wore new jewelry and flip-flops swap partner gave me
8. Got annoyed with hubby (I know, I know, not anything new....)

8 Things To Which I'm Looking Forward:
1. Spring
2. Tax return coming
3. Planting flowers outside
4. St. Patrick's Day, so I can dress crazy at work
5. Putting up chair rail in my living/dining rooms
6. Temple trip/Bankok food with Brenda
7. Date night with Doane
8. Size 10

8 Favorite Restaurants:
1. Cafe Rio
2. Costa Vida
3. Applebee's
4. Dana's
5. Michael's
6. Inca
7. ....?
8. ....?

8 Things on My Wish List:
1. GREATLY reduced debt
2. Size 8 pants - that fit!
3. Jacuzzi in back yard
4. Good health for myself and family
5. More organized home
6. Recommended food storage - yeah, right....
7. Job like I had in Utah
8. Deeper understanding of scriptures

Willow Lake Scents Giveaway

2009-03-08T16:09:00.001-07:00

I found this from a comment left on my Mamarazzi swap box. This cool blogger is giving away up to four prizes. Cool beans, if you ask me!

So go here and check it out!

New Beginnings

2009-03-07T11:25:00.001-08:00

On Wednesday our ward had New Beginnings, for those girls who will be coming in to Young Women this year. It was fun, and the girls, both current and future, enjoyed it. I guess it helped to see one of the "crazy" leaders looking really "crazy". As part of the night, the girls I teach and I did a little skit, talking about the value colors of the Young Women.

Here are my girls I teach every week (except Chelsi in green on the far right) before our skit, minus one girl who wasn't there yet, who was our ORANGE. Kenzie is BLUE, Kayla is RED, Maddie is WHITE, Lizzie is PURPLE, and Danielle is YELLOW.

Because they're a bunch of fun-loving girls, they wanted to do a "crazy" picture, too.

And what would the night be without our fearless Young Women President? I remember when I was this age, we had the most AWESOME YW President. She lived right across the street from me, and she was the funnest lady! I would still talk to her and go over every once in a while (when I still lived in the same state as her). Deb rocked! And I always wanted to be in YW, and be a leader like her, and hope I could be as cool and looked up to as her. I'm afraid I'm failing miserably.....

Our skit in action shows me trying not to crack up at one of the lines, but at least you can see our ORANGE (Rhylee), who came straight from work to YW, so she only had orange socks on. Hee-hee, funny girl!

The guests of honor for the night, these five girls got fun goodies, a good laugh from the upper classes, and good memories for their introduction to YW!

To wrap up the festivities, our wonderful Bishop spoke to the girls, and ALMOST managed to not choke up. He's such a softie!

So even if I'm not as cool as my old leader, at least I'm not afraid to make the girls laugh and look ridiculous like this....BTW, my ponytail holders have each of the colors of the values. That's why I've got so many....

Mamarazzi's Favorite Things Swap - BOX IS HERE!

2009-03-06T22:11:00.001-08:00

Hello all! About month ago, I signed up for Mamarazzi's Favorit things swap, here...

My swap box from Jeannie finally arrived today - at 7:50 p.m. Come on, it was on the truck to deliver at 7:30 this morning, and this town isn't THAT big! Anywho, here are the goods.

This first picture is of the goods, as I unpacked them and laid them out - before I unwrapped some of my goodies....

Next is a shot of my yummy edibles. The interesting thing is that she included some of her favorite chocolate, which I did as well in my package to her. She also put some Weight-Watcher-friendly snacks, which I should totally get back on!

Then we have my beauty products. Another quirk is that in my box to her, I included nail polish and an item from Bath & Body Works, as well as some of my favorite chapsticks, and she did the same thing....

Then there's my fun flip-flops with matching necklace and earrings, which I can't say I included in my box, but they're GREEN, and that's my favorite color!!!!!

Lastly I was sent a fun foto frame, Paula Dean candle (who knew Paula Dean made these?), and handy magnetic shopping list....

It was a lot of fun opening the box and seeing what Jeannie included for me. I'll admit I was getting a little worried as she talked about ideas, thinking maybe she was going overboard on the spending limit (I still think she did!), but it was much much much fun putting my box together, and then getting her box. I can't wait until she blogs about her box (or maybe I don't look forward to it, because mine wasn't as cool as hers....)

Rebekah Needs

2009-02-27T10:32:00.000-08:00

Although I wasn't technically tagged by my sister-in-law Ariane, I thought this looked like fun, and a good way to waste the last few minutes I have before going to the doctor. So here goes.....

Here’s how it works: Google “[your first name] needs” and share the first 10 results.
That's it: it is that simple. But be honest! These are actual quotes from the top ten results.
Tag the person who tagged you, and pass it on to tag three other people...

1. Rebekah needs.....to break out the work-out dates with Sven.
2. Rebekah needs.....some better gloves and a scarf for her face.
3. Rebekah needs.....to come out of her shell more.
4. Rebekah needs.....more sleep and an earlier bedtime will help.
5. Rebekah needs.....two more surgeries to correct this condition.
6. Rebekah needs.....to turn 1 more or gain 5 more vampire points to reach the next level.
7. Rebekah needs.....our help.
8. Rebekah needs.....to change her cattitude (not gonna happen, cuz don't like cats, and is severely allergic to them!)
9. Rebekah needs.....to tango.
10. Rebekah needs.....to bite some chumps.

I tag April, Emily, and of course Ariane, since I got the idea from her.

Love is in the Air Win

2009-02-23T17:01:00.000-08:00

So back on February 1st, I entered to win this cool giveaway, filled with yummy strawberry stuff from The Body Shop, and I won (I know, it's amazing, but it does happen to me, every 10 years or so....)

I forgot about it for a while, because I've been focused on putting my Swap package together for Jeannie. I finally got everything wrapped, and headed downstairs after my husband got home - so he could watch the kids - and realized I only had 5 minutes to get to the post office. Not gonna happen! So I called the UPS Store, to see if they had the flat-rate boxes for mailing, and they said they did, but told me it would cost almost $14.00! Yikes!! I guess I'll just have to wait and go to the post office first thing in the morning - sorry Jeannie!

But anywho, back to my win. My box came in the mail today. It's pretty fun, and strawberry-ness yummy! Thanks Ann! Love it!

Something Fun

2009-02-23T09:27:00.000-08:00

ESFP - The Performers
The entertaining and friendly type. They are especially attuned to pleasure and beauty and like to fill their surroundings with soft fabrics, bright colors and sweet smells. They live in the present moment and don´t like to plan ahead - they are always in risk of exhausting themselves.

They enjoy work that makes them able to help other people in a concrete and visible way. They tend to avoid conflicts and rarely initiate confrontation - qualities that can make it hard for them in management positions.

Analysis
This show what parts of the brain that were dominant during writing....or it would if I could get the chart to copy. Basically it's 50/50 between Sensing (order, habit, details) and Feeling (spirituality, rhythm, harmony).

I don't know about the lady holding a bubbly beverage, but otherwise it's fairly true. If you want to test your blog writing style, go here.

More Touches of Me

2009-02-22T07:58:00.000-08:00

I know I said I would never paint again, but I couldn't help myself. And even Doane said that the spotty job was more the kind of paint, than the bad painter.

I just wanted to put more of my personality into this house, and reflect us a little more. Before in our houses or apartments, we either had the sterile white walls, or a neutral beige. We've become a bit more daring here, with brown bathrooms and blue/purple/gray (depending on the light) entrway and living room.

So yesterday before going to work, this is what I did....

And to prevent Patrick from touching the walls, or commenting on the paint job, this is what we did to him...

So for however long we can be in this house, it will reflect us living here. And it makes me happy that I can contribute in some small way to the environment we spend most of our time in!

Cubbies for Shoes, & Curly 'Do's

2009-02-19T14:15:00.000-08:00

This Valentine's Day went by like most others for us - it was generally ignored. I worked from 9:30 am to 6:30 pm. Doane stayed at home with the kids, working on odd projects and trying to fly the cool new kites he got for the boys. But in preparation for what I hoped would be a date with Doane after work, I curled my hair and tried to make it look cute. I should also mention that Doane helped to curl the back (as I sat cringing, worrying if he was going to burn me - or himself).

Now keep in mind that when I did it in the morning, it looked a lot better than the pictures! What you're seeing is after 9 hours of work, and a somewhat windy day. And then the bummer of all bummers, our babysitter backed out, so we just stayed at home with the kids. (Unlike some who go to go out together....congrats Becca & Matt!)

And when I came home, Doane had hung up a project that he'd been working on for a while. My new friend Jennie would appreciate ALL the spots for shoes, as we share a love of flip flops. But remember, we have three kids, who have friends, and that's a lot of shoes!

So it wouldn't be so plain and boring, Doane took the ivy we had from old decorating in our previous home, and took some of my monkey figurines from around our windowsills, and decorated the tops of the shelf. Turned out pretty good!

Saturday morning, Doane also presented me with a frame he had made for the plaque he carved while in Iraq. When he showed it to me, it wasn't painted yet. It was just the bare wood. We tried staining it a "golden oak", but we don't like how it looks. But after 5 years, we're making progress on its completion!

"When Are You Due?"

2009-02-11T16:13:00.000-08:00

This is the other thing I've been percolating over posting - I've had two people in less than a week as me when I'm due. I don't even know these people, and they're brave enought to ask me. Just some random customers at work. Gulp, that's a blow to the self esteem!

So this picture doesn't really do justice to what I normally look like, but it gives you the general idea. After the last comment, I just wanted to go home and cry. You can only take so much abuse before you break....

I know I don't have the body of a super model (or even a full-figured model), but give me a break!

I would just like so say a big THANK YOU to my friend Bethany, for asking me other day if I'd lost weight. I hadn't since she'd seen me last, but it made me feel good all the same. At least someone I know, who doesn't see me that often, didn't think I was pregnant, and she thought I had lost some weight, too. Thanks, Bethany! I was complemented in between the two queries about my due date, so it helped make it better.

So FYI for all you bloggers and blog stalkers out there, NO I AM NOT PREGNANT!

Bump On The Road

2009-02-10T12:00:00.000-08:00

I have felt a little blog-post-slackerish lately. Mostly, I just post links to giveaways or fun quizzes or something. I'm too lazy to be creative on my own, and think up original stories to post about. Maybe it's just my attack making me so lazy....But I had a friend tell me that she missed my posts, so I thought I should do something.

Anywho, I've been meaning to post about this since it happened, because I feel it necessary to display to all what a spaz I am......or just give you a laugh.
About three weeks ago, when the roads and house looked like this....

That day, Doane was leaving with a couple of other guys from work to go to Redmond, and he had to drive. So being the economical person that he is, he took the van, because it gets much better gas mileage. This left me with the truck, but I was glad, because the truck had 4-wheel drive. Unfortunately, he forgot his ID card at home, so I had to run it out to Genie, before they left. So I hopped in the truck with Dean, and off I drove.

I was going around the corner, just down the street from my house, doing only about 10 or 15 miles an hour, when the truck refused to turn, and I slid right into the curb. I was startled, but we were okay, because I was in the TRUCK! Right? Right?

I backed up, and started to drive off again, still with plenty of time to get to Doane before they had to leave. But the truck was driving really weird. I pulled over, and looked at the tire. Ouch, it was flat! Crap, now what was I going to do??!! I called my wonderful neighbor Nancy, and asked if I could borrow her husband to change my tire. Of course she said yes, because she is awesome! Her husband postoned going to the next town over so he could change my tire. And let me tell you, the roads were horrible. As I'm explaining what happened, and where the spare was, and trying to get my jack out, I (and he) was sliding all over the place. He told me just to wait on the sidewalk, or take Dean home where it's warm. I decided that was a good idea.

I called Doane and told him what happened, so he said he would come out and pick up his card. Once my neighbor Juan had changed the tire (and this is my "spare")

I drove over the Les Schwab to get it fixed.

Meanwhile, my friend Jenica had called, to see if I wanted to do anything that day, and she said she'd pick me up at the tire store. Then, we went to LUNCH! We at at Dana', and it was yummy. Then we went shopping, and we went to the Food Pavilion to get some goodies and the best tortilla shells. Then she dropped me off back at the tire place, where they told me that it wasn't flat - it had just popped off the rim. Simple fix, and the lady told me there was no charge! Yippee, not so great a day turned out pretty good!

Thanks Jenica!

Pay It Forward - again!

2009-02-08T21:46:00.000-08:00

Okay, my friend Laurel is doing the pay it forward, but it's a little different than the last one I did. So this is how it works..... The first 3 people to leave a comment on this will receive a hand made gift from me during this year. When and what will be a surprise. There's a small catch...You knew there would be didn't you? Post this on your blog then come back and leave a comment, telling me you're in. Fun, huh? Remember, only the first 3 comments receive the gift. Let's see who looks at my blog!

Friday Foto Finish Fun!

2009-02-06T15:58:00.001-08:00

So I linked to Candid Carrie's website from another one I follow, and it's pretty funny!

I must post one of my favorite photos, and it's got to be this one....

Jacob was just playing around, but I thought it was so precious that I caught his face like that, and pointing to my first bloom! (As if he couldn't BELIEVE that mom managed to actually grow something!)

Anywho, that's one of my favorite fotos!

Favorite Things Swap

2009-02-02T14:03:00.000-08:00

Okay, this looks really fun! just go to here and read through the rules, and try to RSVP soon enough!

Remembering Old Friends

2009-01-27T15:02:00.000-08:00

So I was looking at my friend April's blog, and saw this post. I remember Brooke from my middle and high school years in Cali. It continues to amaze me the people we lost at such a young age! I am forever grateful for the blessings I have, the friends I have made, and those I am able to keep in touch with! To all my friends, thank you for all the memories, and I LOVE YOU!

Here's the story:

Thad Stavn, left, and Brooke Colvin are shown in images posted to a photo-sharing Web site. They were climbing on Mount Hood Wednesday when falling ice hit them, and Colvin was killed.
Story Published: Jan 21, 2009 at 4:03 PM PST
Story Updated: Jan 21, 2009 at 7:33 PM PST
By Brian Barker and KATU.com Staff

MOUNT HOOD, Ore. - A 31-year-old Portland woman was hit by a large chunk of falling ice while climbing with her husband on Mount Hood and was killed Wednesday, authorities said.
The Clackamas County Sheriff's Office identified the woman as Brooke Colvin.
Colvin was climbing with her husband, 33-year-old Thad Stavn of Portland, in an area known as the Hogsback on the south side of the mountain when she was hit by ice sometime before 10 a.m., according to Detective Jim Strovink, a Clackamas County Sheriff's Office spokesman.
Her husband saw her fall about 400 feet after getting hit with the ice chunk, Strovink said.
Stavn apparently climbed down to his wife's location and gave her first aid for about 45 minutes to an hour before deciding she could not be revived, Strovink said. He also called 911 from a cell phone.
Authorities believe she died instantly.
The man eventually skied down to Timberline Lodge, where search and rescue crews had assembled along with an Oregon Army National Guard blackhawk helicopter. Ground crews planned to head up the mountain Wednesday afternoon to retrieve the body.
Information posted on a Web site said the couple was married in September 2007.
Strovink said there has been a considerable amount of falling ice in the area where they were climbing, which is along the main south side route to the summit.
In fact, some climbers this week have reported dodging refrigerator-sized chunks of ice as conditions on the mountain have been warmer than normal.
This was the second time in the past week that falling ice has injured a climber near the summit on Mount Hood.
On Saturday, an national guard helicopter retrieved 45-year-old Michael Leming of Portland after he broke an ankle and suffered other injuries after falling 200 feet near the summit when hit by falling ice.

New Giveaway

2009-01-19T12:28:00.000-08:00

Cool! Sherbet Blossom is sponsoring a giveaway at Make and Takes, and it's awesome! I could use a makeover....

Answering the Call

2009-01-06T22:16:00.000-08:00

It is never good when your phone rings at 10:30 at night, and last night was no exception. I was out in the living room reading, while Doane was trying to sleep, in preparation for his early morning wake-up at 4:30 a.m. to go to work. I hear his phone ring, and I come running, to see if I can answer it before it wakes him up. No dice for me - he's already on the phone.

So I'm listening to him, trying to figure out if it's someone in our ward, needing a blessing for a sick family member or something, or maybe (with our luck these days) someone in our family has had a bad accident or passed away. No dice there, either. I hear the dreaded four words that freeze my heart, and plummet it to the floor - "So, we're all activated?" YIKES! We haven't even sworn in our new president yet!!! How could they be activated, and where are they going? Visions of arranging daycare, quitting my job, having a nervous breakdown are swimming in my head. What am I going to do??!!!

I try to keep the tears at bay, shoring up my strength to support Doane. After all, I was behind him 100% in his decision to sign up for the National Guard, and behind him 110% in his decision to re-up his contract (we kind of depend on that income). I can't whine about it now (I know, I know, I still whine a lot.....I'm only human!!!). So I put a smile (maybe more of a pained I'm going to throw up look - not sure which) on my face, and wait for him to get off the phone.

Finally he gets off the phone, gets out of bed, and starts looking around for something. What's going on? When are you leaving? Where are you going? Too many questions, so I settle with "what's up?"

He tells me that his unit has been activated to go up to Spokane to help with the snow removal. IS THAT ALL???!!! Sheesh, I was giving myself a coronary pity party, and he's just going to Spokane???!! Aaaahhhh, big sigh of relief!

But wait, it gets better. They have to be in Spokane today (Tuesday) at 6:00 p.m., with all their cold weather gear, and they'll be there for who knows how long. Doane was supposed to go to drill this weekend anyway, but maybe they'll cancel that, depending on how long it takes them to "remove" the snow. Dangit! I requested this weekend off, so I didn't have to find babysitters while he was gone. I could work Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, and he would leave Friday night for drill. Now what the crappola am I going to do? Who can I get to watch my kids on short notice, late into the night some days, and have the boys be okay with? I can't POSSIBLY call Becca, because she always watches my kids. And I can't call Mindy, because she watches them a lot, too. I come up with a genius plan for Thursday, and have that covered. Then Becca volunteers to watch my kids on Tuesday - all day, bless her - so that's covered. But I've still got Friday. Hmm, who to pick on now? So I resort to Kathy, who I don't call that much to babysit, and she says yes. Yeah! The day (or days) is/are saved! Thank heaven for good friends! It's the pits to be so far away from family, to not have them to rely on. But great friends and a great neighborhood come in handy in a pinch!

So here are some pictures of what Spokane has been dealing with lately, and why they need help!

An article in the Seattle Post Intelligence said this, "The winter storm that has paralyzed Spokane set a record for the amount of snow dumped in a 24- hour period, the National Weather Service said Thursday.

The weather service recorded 17 inches of snow at Spokane International Airport in the 24 hours that ended at 4 a.m., 4 inches more than the record of 13 inches set in 1984. Records have been kept since 1881.

More than 3 inches of additional snow had fallen on the city since 4 a.m., the weather service said, driving the total to more than 20 inches.

The city has declared a "Condition Red" snow emergency, meaning crews will work 24 hours a day, seven days a week until they complete a full city plow. The city also was hiring private contractors to help clear 967 miles of streets.

"We've deployed all of our snow removal equipment and are calling in more from the private sector to efficiently and effectively open our streets," Mayor Mary Verner said. "This is our priority."

Okay, okay, so I guess they need some help. I mean, 20 inches of snow? Wow, that's deep!

According to the local NBC new station, "The Spokane County Emergency Operations Center is announcing that between 100 and 200 Washington State Army and Air National Guard troops will begin clearing snow off school roofs Wednesday.
Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire approved the use of the National Guard today, Jan. 6, as a result of resource requests and emergency declarations by Spokane County and cities within the county."

Currently, Doane's unit is staying at their armory, which isn't the largest building to billet them. But, for it's age, it's held up pretty well. I talked to Doane tonight, and he said that they might get moved over to Fairchild (the Air Force Base) in the next day or two. Hmm, would you want to stay there? This happened this morning around 7 a.m.

The section of the roof that collapsed was 100' by 100'.

Anywho, to make a long story short, if you want to get a good night's sleep, DON'T ANSWER YOUR PHONE!!!!

Snow-time Fun on Christmas Day!

2008-12-28T19:53:00.000-08:00

Sorry I haven't blogged in a while, but I just haven't been that ambitious. Plus, our computer crashed upstairs, to I've had to deal with my laptop downstairs, and it runs on Vista. Not so fun for me. I do have other things to post, though, like our Christmas pageant fun, and being snowed in (not really, but I'm REALLY tired of shoveling!) I can't post pictures from our 2nd Annual Chick Run, because our friends with the chickens had them slaughtered before we could do it. Dangit! Maybe next year she'll wait for us to have our chicken run.....love ya Jane!

Anywho, on Christmas day, we took the boys out to the sand dunes and went sledding/tubing. It was a lot of fun. Of course, I first had to be a dork, and put the gator (that goes around the neck) on my head, and have Doane take a picture. I also took a picture of Dean running up to the top of the hill.

Here are some shots of the boys on the sled and the tube.

Me, being the genius that I am, decided to take the sled down face first, and this is the product of that poorly-thought-out idea. Can you see the grit on my face from my run, plus my plow into a snow drift at the end? It was great! But I wanted to do it again, you betcha! The second shot shows how covered my shirt got from that run.

Following are pictures of us enjoying our ride on the innertube, being pulled behind Doane's truck, although the first shot is Doane getting it set up.

After our fun in the cold snow, we all piled back into the truck. But we couldn't pass up a chance for another photo op!

Another Christmas spent far away from our family, but we made the best of it! On a sad note, as Dean and I were riding on the innertube, Doane drove over a rock, and popped the innertube. And we're not just talking a small hole that you can put a patch on it, and it's all good. This hole was huge! Dangit, dangit, dangit!

Yoga Pro Giveaway

2008-12-12T08:45:00.001-08:00

Another giveaway from the Sherbet Blossom site! This looks like a fun invention, and I'd love to have it. Be sure to check out her site, and also look at the Yoga Pro website, to see their stuff. Pretty neat!

3 Down, 2 to Go!

2008-12-11T15:24:00.000-08:00

I have a schnoodle puppy update, for all my faithful followers - I've sold 3 of the 5 schnoodles! Unfortunately, the first to go was my favorite little girl, that I named "Midge". She is the runt of the litter, and she's just adorable!

Here she is.....

And here's the little boy we sold, to the same person as the girl. He's one of the biggest, competing with a black sister.

And we sold the smallest black girl today, to a nice lady. Here she is....

Here's a picture of the group altogether. They are all so adorable, but I will miss my little Midge. My only consolation, which may make it harder in the long run, is that we are keeping the two white ones until Christmas Eve. Strangely enough, the two people who have purchased my dogs are both getting one for their mother-in-law's, and they both live in Wenatchee. Crazy, I tell ya!

Jacob's 9th (YIKES!!) Birthday

2008-12-11T10:31:00.000-08:00

It is pretty handy to have a husband that is talented at drawing and building and cooking and, and, and..... you get the idea. His latest creation, after Patrick's spectacular Transformer cake, is Jacob's Pokemon cake.

Our oldest child turned 9 this year, and the poor kid's birthday landed on a holiday. But we celebrated the day before, with a few friends and family - no, wait, we don't have ANY family up here - just us! But it was fun to have some of Jacob's friends over.

Here is Doane, slaving over his latest masterpiece....

And of course he had to add some detail to the sides, so it didn't have boring, plain sides!

Then Jacob opened presents, and had fun getting lots of toys and action figures...

One of Jacob's friends gave him a Nerf gun, which is cool, cuz we like those, but it you look at Patrick's reaction (on the right), it's hilarious!

And here's the gift the Jacob was most excited about - a box of Caprisuns! Hee-hee!

Oh, silly me, there was really a movie inside there - who did that?????? (Naughty parents!)

And the last shot I'll share is Jacob blowing out his candles. Look, you can see the smoke rising from the candles. Pretty cool!

Happy Birthday Jacob! We love you!

Giveway, Giveaway, Giveaway! from Sherbet Blossom

2008-12-09T09:47:00.000-08:00

Gotta love Korbi, and my sister-in-law, who seem to be really on top of the whole blogger giveaways! The particular giveaway is thanks to Korbi, and you just click here.

Purseket Giveaway

2008-12-03T22:15:00.000-08:00

Again, I just love when my fellow bloggers post links to free giveaways, and all I have to do is copy them, without having to do any of the work looking them up!

Anywho, if you just go to the Purseket website and check it out, then go to this website and enter, you're good to go!

It's a pretty cool invention!

Which of the 5 Senses Are You?

2008-12-02T20:52:00.001-08:00

You are the Sense of Sight

You are a very observant, detail oriented person.

You are able to take in a lot of information at once.

You often see things that other people never notice.

You have a good eye for design and aesthetics.

You love to be surrounded by beauty - natural or not.

When you imagine how something should look, you see it clearly in your mind.

Which of the Five Senses Are You?

I'm not too sure about having a good eye for design and all, or being surrounded by beauty (if you've seen the inside of my house, you know what I'm talking about, especially with disgusting puppy refuse on the floor!). The rest is okay, I guess.... If you want to take this quiz, go here.

Crafty or Ambitious, or Just Plain Crazy?

2008-11-19T15:49:00.001-08:00

Today I was feeling creative - or something. I decided that I needed to walk on my treadmill (which I try to do every day anyway), and then take a quick shower, since I had to watch my girlfriend's daughter for a while. When I got out, I thought to myself "I bet I could do an ok job on curling my hair". I mean, it wouldn't look like it did when Jenica did my hair last week for the red carpet gala, but I can try, right?

I am actually pleased with the result, so I thought I'd share....

So after being mostly satisfied with my hair-do attempt, I decided to make some treats for Patrick's class. I got the idea from my "Family Fun" magazine, that my dear sister-in-law Regan gave me. This was a lot of fun, but the icing was a little frustrating. If you can't figure out how to do it, just email me. Cheap and fun craft!

Aren't these cute????!!!

Did I Teach Him That?????!!!

2008-11-18T08:48:00.000-08:00

Taking a page from my friend Lori's blog, I ask myself, "Did I teach him that?"

Last night, my boys were playing Battleship against their dad, and all three of them got to play against Doane. While waiting for his turn, Patrick decided to "slip" on his chair, and managed to produce this dilemma.....

I can't figure out how you can "slip" and manage to get yourself stuck into the chair like this. We tried getting him out going forward and going backward, but there's simply no way we could get him out. He screamed bloody murder when we were trying to pull him out from behind, because his head was getting smashed. He kept screaming to "break the chair, just break it!!!" So he spent about 10 minutes looking like this, while Doane figured out how to get him out.

Alas, after all the work Doane has done to sand and re-paint our chairs, he had to do this to the chair to get Patrick out. Boy, was Doane an UNHAPPY man last night!

Luckily, Doane didn't actually have to break it. He just had to take some screws out, which (luckily) weren't glued in. So now he just has to put it back together, and we'll have our chair back.....doh!