A Love Story

The month of January

2012-01-30T13:12:00.000-08:00

We have had a lot going on but nothing huge I felt I need to blog about. I started school again on the 17th and am taking 9 credits this semester... Algebra, Ethics and Communications 101. I really, really like my Ethics and Comm class, algebra is just so darn boring! If all goes as planned I should be able to apply to the Nursing program next January. YAY!

Jace has been doing Judo and really loves it. He had his first tournament on Saturday and ended up taking 4th out of 13. We were very proud of him. Wrestling starts this week and then baseball next month so I think we will stop Judo until next Fall.

Not much else I feel the overwhelming need to blog about. My life is about to get very, very busy! Wish me luck!

Things I am grateful for....

2012-01-02T14:04:00.000-08:00

There are so many things that I am grateful for, we really do have such a blessed life. These are in no particular order.

1. Brothers - These two fight like cats and dogs and drive me crazy somedays but I know they share an amazing bond that I will never fully understand. They can mess with each other all day long but someone else starts and it is not ok. I am not sure there is any bond quite like brothers!

2. Mothers and Sons - I always wanted a daughter, until I had my boys. I know I would love a little girl but there is nothing quite like the relationship a mother has with her son. Little boys are tough on the exterior but nothing can make them feel better than their moms, there is just something about boys and the love they feel for their mamas. Just ask my husband, I am very happy he has such a wonderful love for his own mother.

3. Fathers and Sons - When I see my oldest son look at his father and believe that he is the most perfect human being on the planet and strive to be exactly like him, it melts my heart. My boys believe that their father does no wrong and that is how it should be. I know one day my husband and his sons will be best friends!

4. Pets -Our pets are a huge part of our family. I cannot imagine my life without my dogs. Both my boys came home from the hospital to my oldest dog, Kasey. It will be a very hard day when she is gone. They are our fur children and we love them just as much as the rest of our family members!

5. Husbands - I love this man so much! I knew I loved from the time I was 15. He is really such a wonderful, caring husband and father and I am so lucky to have him. Not to mention he is a great handi-man to have! His hands on skills when it comes to motors and welding amaze me everyday. He is what one may consider a "man's man" and it not in the least bit romantic, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

6. Extended Family - Without the support of my family and my in-laws, I am not sure I could do most of the things I do. I love all these people so much and cannot imagine my life without a single one of them. We may not always see eye to eye on situations and we may battle at times, but they are our family and we love all of them. I have a huge appreciation for each one of them and all that they do.

7. Cousins - I love that my kids are so close and such good friends with all of their cousins. I wasn't real close to my cousins growing up and I wish I had been. In fact, I barely know any of them to this day. I know my boys will carry on a special relationship with their cousins forever.

8. My home - It is small and old, but I love my little home! I keep wanting to get a bigger one and I am sure we will someday but man there is alot of memories in this house. It is my home and it has provided us many good times over the years.

9. Friends - I have some really, really great friends! I didn't post a picture because I don't have one that includes them all and I feel like it should. My friends help me cope with the stress of everyday life and I have cried on their shoulders more than once. Sometimes it is just because I am mad at my husband and sometimes it is just because I am mad at my kids and sometimes it is just because I am mad at myself for being mad at my husband and kids. For whatever the reason is, they help me get through that moment and I am so grateful for all of them!!

When Rylan made out his thankful list at church he included books, bugs, flowers, school and water. I love how simple those things are yet how much they fill the lives of children. When I think about all the things I am thankful for I try and remember the simple things too.

Hope you have a happy and blessed 2012. Happy New Year!!

Christmas 2011

2012-01-01T11:50:00.000-08:00

We had such a good Christmas this year! Jace has really been going back and forth on what he believes with Santa Claus. I finally sat him down this year and explained to him that although there isn't any one Santa Claus, as parents we are all Santas helpers and that Santa is hope, joy and belief in something you can't see. He seemed even more confused about it than ever so I just told him that around here, we like to believe! He seems to go back and forth on believing. One minute he says he knows Santa isn't real and the next he says he is pretty sure he heard Santa on the rooftop. His grandma caught him cuddled up in a bed hugging a Santa Claus, crying. I think he is really struggling with wanting to believe and knowing the truth.

Rylan of course still believes but he is such a logical thinker he told me that he knows for a fact the reindeer are not real because, "deer don't fly." I think by next year he will have it all figured out, it is just the type of personality he has.

Jace finally came in and woke us up at 5:30 AM, I wasn't happy but agreed to get up. Once up, we realized someone had messed with our alarm clock and it was actually only 4:30 AM. Once the boys saw what Santa brought them, we all crashed until Uncle Tyrel and Aunt Julie came to open presents with us at 7 AM. It was nice to get to fall back to sleep.

We had Josh's family Christmas on Saturday and then my parent's and our own on Sunday. It was so nice to not have to run all day on Christmas this year!

Christmas programs

2012-01-01T11:34:00.000-08:00

We had a couple of Christmas programs this year that the boys got to be in. The first one was at Rylan's school and it was so cute. Rylan's music teacher use to be a professional musician and the man is the most passionate person about music I have ever seen. And man does he love those kids! He and another professional musician friend of his wrote a song and designed a dance to it, it was called the Reindeer Dance. I have tried to post it on here but the video is just to long. Rumor is... they are going to be professionally recording the song and music video and will use the 1st and 2nd graders of Homedale Elementary. We are so excited for Mr. Savell!!

The second program was the boys program through the church. The boys both got to be Shepherds and were really, really cute! My favorite was the little one and two year old farm animals, they made the whole program!!

Two VIP's in one day

2012-01-01T11:22:00.000-08:00

I got a letter from the school that both my boys were going to get to be VIP's on the same Friday. How lucky is that?! Josh was able to only have to take one lunch off to come and eat with the boys. I was so proud of both of them.

Jace really started out struggling this year in math and after a few meetings with his teacher and many nights of endless math problems, he has improved immensly. In fact, he has passed many of the kids in his class. Once it clicked for him, it was all over from there :) He is such a good kid with an energy most kids don't have :)

Rylan is doing very well, he always scores very high on his reading and math. School comes very easy for him and I hope he continues to love it so much!

2 year anniversary!!

2011-12-05T07:51:00.000-08:00

Two years ago this month I quit smoking! I believe that although it was one of the hardest things I have ever done, it was the best decision I have ever made (besides my children :)). I know that not only was it the best decision for me but also the best decision for anyone who cares about me (which I like to believe is a lot :)). Watching someone you care about die from lung cancer or Emphysema is not fun for anyone, especially the one dying. Most importantly though, I hope that this decision affects my boys the most and they will choose to not smoke because neither Josh or I do.

One fun fact is that I have saved $3285.00 by not smoking these past two years, I have also added 3 years back on to my life. This is by far my greatest accomplishment!

A new endeavor...

2011-12-01T16:20:00.000-08:00

I am both super duper excited about this and sick to my stomach nervous!

In a couple of weeks I get to start volunteering at West Valley Medical Center in Caldwell. I will be there every Monday from 8:30-12:30 and I get to work in Labor and Delivery, ICU and Women's Unit. I will be running things for the nurses and checking to see if patients need blankets, snacks, water, etc. AND after I have been there a few months they will put me in ER as well.

I am so excited to get to be around what I am going to college to do and I am also excited to get my foot in the door with West Valley. I really want to work there when I get my RN and I have been told this not only looks really good for my application to the Nursing program but also really good for employment with them.

One thing I learned is you do not just walk in and start volunteering... there are background checks, blood tests, interviews and a 4 hour orientation you have to go through and that is all before you even start. I will have to train for a couple of weeks and then will be on my own to volunteer away.

Anyone who knows me knows how much I love to volunteer my time and this seems like the perfect fit!

Searching for our Christmas tree

2011-12-01T16:11:00.000-08:00

There was lots of sledding!

There was a friendly game of see if Josh can throw the cheetos into his sister's mouth.

There was snowman building.

There were self-portraits.

There was the search for the perfect tree.

Someone was seriously tired on the way home, obviously not the dog!

And someone is never tired.

I can't believe I didn't get a picture of our trees. I will take one of ours here at the house and put it on here.

Jace is 9...

2011-11-23T20:05:00.000-08:00

If you want to know how I feel about him turning 9, just see the post a couple places down. Nine years ago on the 20th of November I was induced at 7AM (my brother beat me to the hospital and I think thought I would have that baby before he had to be at work at 8). It was a long day of labor and at 6:04 PM he was born by emergency c-section. He was the most beautiful creature I had ever seen in my life. I knew the very first time I held him, I would never be the same person. I was absolutely overwhelmed with the amount of love I felt for such a little thing.

Nine years later we celebrated his birthday with a friend sleepover and a day at Wahooz. We all had such a good time!

I really love these boys and am so happy Jace has such good friends.

On Sunday he was going to have his family party but during church he became very sick and by the time we got home he had the full blown flu. We called off the party and I felt awful about it but some were nice enough to still drop his presents off to him.

Family Pictures

2011-11-21T15:10:00.000-08:00

Love, Love, Love our family pictures! LOVE THEM!!!! Did I mention that I love our family pics?! If you love them and are looking for family pics, this gal is amazing!

Sigh....

2011-11-09T09:37:00.000-08:00

Pictures like these make my heart heavy. I have been known to find a picture like this and out of nowhere have a break down. In fact, if I have anything to do that day... I don't find pictures like these.

Isn't this the cutest little one year old with his upside down Cheetos bag? Look at that face!

Or how about this little Easter egg hunter with his red hair and cute little face, whos absolute favorite word was "Ouside" and who, by the way, is going to be 9 next week.

I love that I have some independence now, I can remember thinking when they were this age and going through sleep deprivation or major stress that it was never going to go away, they would be little forever. I swear that was just last month. I love that I am able to start doing things for myself again, that my husband and I are able to start spending more time on our marriage again, that I have a different relationship with my children then I did in these pics... a more mature one, BUT I sure do miss these sweet little babies. I wish I had known then what I know now, how fast it would all go. I think I would have cherished moments a little more, not wished there little lives away so fast.

Sigh....If only I could have one more of these sweet little things!

Halloween 2011

2011-11-09T09:34:00.000-08:00

There was Halloween parties and lots of trick or treating. We had so much fun this year! Rylan even won the City Halloween costume contest with his robot costume that my sis-in-law made for him. He was so excited!

A busy weekend

2011-10-24T16:41:00.000-07:00

On Friday evening the High School Drama Club was putting on a fundraiser that consisted of what they called "Spooky Alley". Jace really, really wanted to go and since it was the HS putting it on I thought, how scary can it be. It was creepy and Jace ended up being up all night with nightmares. I learned my lesson on that one!

On Saturday we got up and drove to Linder Farms and did the corn maze and pumpkin patch, the boys had a great time! We then went to my brother-in-laws house and spent the afternoon carving the pumpkins.

On Sunday, we went up to where Josh is going to go elk hunting next week and set up his camp. He does this every year because it gets so crowded up there. It was a beautiful day and we had alot of fun!

Update

2011-10-07T15:58:00.000-07:00

Gosh, I can't believe it has been 6 weeks since I blogged! Alot has been going on... Jace and Rylan are both in flag football and that is consuming every Saturday for us. I am half way through the semester at school and can't believe how fast each semester goes by. Really, just life has been going on. Lots of little details that I am not sure are blog worthy. I will leave you with this video of our little rockstar.

First day of school - 2011

2011-08-22T13:24:00.000-07:00

WOW! I have a 1st and 3rd grader this year. Both of my kids are in school all day long. I am so happy I am taking college classes or I would be bored stiff! I am still driving bus and got a FT route this year, but that is only in the morning and in the afternoon. I have all day in between.

I dropped these 2 precious boys off at school and they were both just fine leaving me for the whole day. One mom said, "do you think it is worse when they cry and won't let you go or when they have no use for you?" I think that latter is harder for us mommas. As I was hugging Ry good-bye, he told me "I love you like crazy girl." It is very possible that I have played the song Crazy girl a few to many times.

How did my babies become boys?!

Caldwell Night Rodeo

2011-08-21T15:01:00.000-07:00

Apparenlty this riding thing is going to become a normal thing around here......

Steer riding

2011-08-15T14:27:00.000-07:00

Check out this cowboy.... how cute is he?!

Check out what this cowboy did Thursday night.... how brave is he?!

Check out how much this cowboy takes after his father?!

Fair week 2011

2011-08-15T11:21:00.000-07:00

What a great fair week we had. I am sad it is over... although it will be nice to sleep again. Ry showed his goat on Wednesday and Jace showed his pig on Friday. Both of them did great!! Then on Saturday Jace sold his pig and it went for much higher than we could have ever expected. Thanks Champion Produce!! And the other 3 who were bidding on it!

Some pictures of our week.

It was a little harder then I thought to say good-bye to Sammi the pig but we got throught it.

Family Pics 2011

2011-07-25T12:42:00.000-07:00

Summer 2011

2011-07-25T12:30:00.000-07:00

4-H, slip and sliding, zip lining, hiking, swimming lessons, baseball and camping are just a small glimpse of all the things we have been doing this summer. When it slows down and I get more time I will try and post more.

Kindergarten Graduation

2011-05-30T19:53:00.000-07:00

Friday May 20th, the same day we left for Disneyland, Ry graduated from Kindergarten. How my baby became 6 and will be in school all day next year is a complete mystery to me. Seems like just yesterday I was bringing him home from the hospital. During his ceremony his principal said it best, "The days are long but the years are short." Somedays feel like they have taken forever to get through but 6 years has absolutely flown by.... in the blink of an eye my baby graduated Kindergarten.

Here are some pictures of his big day, I managed not to cry at the ceremony..... barely, but I still did it.

Disneyland 2011

2011-05-30T19:23:00.000-07:00

We started our trip off on Friday the 20th. As soon as the boys got out of school we threw them in the car and headed out. They had no idea we were even going until we got into the car. The looks on their faces were priceless, excited does not even begin to describe what they were!!

That night we drove to Hawthorne and stayed with Joshs brother and his family. They were having a huge celebration there for the armed forces so we stayed on Saturday and watched the parade and walked around to all the different booths. It was so much fun to get to see his family. We left around 3 that afternoon and drove to Lone Pine, CA. It was an awesome little town in the mountains. It was beautiful and it was the place that Tremors was filmed, which was kinda cool.

The next morning we headed into Anaheim which was about a 4 hour drive from where we were. On Sunday all we did was Downtown Disney, which is just shopping and restaurants. The boys LOVED the Disney and Lego store. We ate at the Rainforest Cafe, and about 20 minutes after that I became extremely violently ill. I thought for sure I had massive food poisoning until I woke up Monday morning with a horrible fever and the worst aches and pains I had felt in many years. I went to Disneyland for 3 hours and came back to the room and slept for over 17 hours straight. Not at all how I envisioned my first day at Disneyland.

Tuesday morning I woke up feeling much better. I still could not eat or drink but the aches were gone. So we went to Disneyland and spent the next 13 hours there, and then the next 2 days after that. The crowds were awesome! About 15-20 minute wait per ride. I have been there when there has been 1-2 hour waits. We were able to do each ride at least 3-4 times and some more than that. Seeing Disneyland through my childrens eyes made every penny and every second of it so worth it. It was truly a magical experience that I will never forget!

We left on Friday morning and stayed in Coalinga, CA. Josh had to meet with some onion growers there for his work. We stayed at a place called Harris Ranch and it was beautiful! We headed to Reno on Saturday and then Sunday we came home. Other then me being sick, it was such a wonderful trip!! Here is a very small amount of the pictures I took.

In 2 more days.....

2011-05-18T17:13:00.000-07:00

We will be on our way to this place!!

The boys still have no clue we are leaving on Friday. I am so excited to share this time with my boys!!

Ry and I at the zoo

2011-05-18T12:35:00.000-07:00

I drove the 1st graders to the zoo a couple weeks ago and since Ry had only missed one day of school all year I pulled him out and let him come with us. We really had a great time just the 2 of us.

State Wrestling and Pigs

2011-05-18T12:28:00.000-07:00

Jace got to go to State for wrestling this year in Idaho Falls. Just he and Josh went since I had so much going on here. They seemed to have a great time and Jace took 10th out of 16, way better than I thought he would do.

We also recently got Jaces 4-H pigs and Ry's 4-H goat. The goat has lovingly been named Lulu but the pigs have yet to be named.

Easter 2011

2011-05-18T12:13:00.000-07:00

We had a pretty quiet Easter compared to some years. All Jace wanted from the Easter bunny was a pair of plaid shorts ?? This is the same kid who lives in Wranglers, I never would have thought of plaid shorts for him. All Ry wanted was a football ?? He is not much into sports so I was confused by this as well. My kids are changing on me. Funny how I am seeing the peer influence on them.

We decided to take a drive to the Owyhee Dam because we heard that the glory hole was over flowing and was pretty amazing to see. It was alot of fun but it was so, so, so cold! We took a picnic lunch that I ended up eating in the car.

After 4 months......

2011-04-22T19:15:00.000-07:00

The Secret is finally out!!!

Rylans B-day

2011-04-22T19:11:00.000-07:00

Ry turned 6 on the 13th and how in the world my baby ever came to be 6 is beyond me. He has been such a huge blessing in our lives. He is one of the funniest kids I know, 90% of what comes out of his mouth will crack you up. He is also incredibly honest and has no problem telling you exactly how he feels and he is the first one to stand up for himself or someone else. He walks to the beat of his own drum and no one will tell him any differently. He is sweet and I get told all the time, there is something so special about that kid. He and his brother truly make my days!

My life

2011-03-31T14:25:00.000-07:00

This has been my life for the past month. WRESTLING. Not only does Jace practice 3 nights a week, we spend all day on Saturdays at tournaments. One more month to go and then it will be baseball season. We get exactly 2 days in between wrestling and baseball.

I have been on my Spring break this week from school and am loving it! It is nice to not have to worry about spending all my time while Ry is at school studying. I have been able to get alot done and at the same time not do alot.

I started a Bible study group last week and LOVE it so far. What a great group of young moms to do this with. Such real people that go through real things,the same things every other young mother struggles with. I think this group is going to be really good for me.

Spring Break 2011

2011-03-18T14:34:00.000-07:00

We just started Spring Break around here, well kinda. The boys are out from school and I am not driving bus but my school doesn't go on break for another week. Today we had to run into Nampa to get a few things for a poker tournament I am involved with putting on to raise some money for our youth sports. I have to say, if the rest of the time is like this my boys may not make it through spring break. Today involved a huge fight at the Walmart check out about who was going to put the groceries in the cart and ended with my huge bottle of orange juice flying off the counter and onto the ground. It took every ounce of willpower to not beat them to a bloody pulp right there in Walmart. I am pretty sure the cashier thought I was going to. I now as my parents are reading this they are thinking, "Paybacks are a bitch!"

Please lord, help us all make it 9 more days!

First tournament

2011-03-08T12:32:00.000-08:00

The boys had their first wrestling tournament on Saturday and we had to get up and be out of the house by 6:15 AM. That is going to take some getting use to again! This year Jace is in the Intermediate age group so basically what that means is instead of there being 6 kids in the bracket there is now between 18-22. Essentially, he is playing with the big boys this year. Ry ended up having to wrestle 1 kid that weigh 15 lbs heaver then him and then another one, who is one of his best friends, that weighs almost 10 lbs more. It was so screwed up and a total mess. He was so excited though that he took 3rd!!! Out of 3 he took 3rd! :)

Jace did really, really well his 1st match. Had the other kid pinned in 30 seconds! His other 2 matches were a bit tougher though and overall he ended up 12th out of 19. Not terrible for his 1st match in the big boys group but nowhere near where he would like to be. This weekend we are headed to Kuna so hopefully it will bring better luck to us.

On another note... I got 100% on my Psychology midterm! I am stoked! I studied my arse off and it totally paid off.

VIP, lost tooth, dates and much more

2011-03-03T13:41:00.000-08:00

Busy does not even come anywhere near describing what my life is right now! To give you an example, I don't have one free Saturday until June! Not ONE! So, I have been bad about blogging but will try to do some catch up here.

2 weeks ago Jace got VIP for his class. He was beyond excited! Every Monday since school has started he has told me, "Maybe this week I will get VIP." The kid tries so hard, all that dang energy just gets in the way. When his teacher emailed me and told me about him getting VIP I called Josh and told him, to which he replied, "Did they run out of kids to give it to"? We love Jace so much but we know better then anyone how he can be.

Rylan lost his very first tooth last week! When he first realized it was loose he told me, "Finally I have a loose tooth, I am the only person in this family that still has my baby teeth." The night he lost his tooth I was soooo sick and had gone to bed early. Thankfully the tooth fairy still made an appearance. I was shocked to find out that HE left Ry $4.00 for one tooth. Holy Cow!

This week Ry got asked on a date to Chuck E. Cheese. This by the same girl who continually declares her love for him and I caught attempting to kiss him on the bus, to which Ry replied "we are way to young for this kind of behavior." The kid cracks me up!

Our 1st wrestling tournament is on Saturday and I am so excited! Jace is doing amazing at practice and Ry actually is really liking it this year. He is 100 times more aggresive then last year, which still isn't much but hopefully this year he won't laugh the whole way through his match. Jace has been doing 5 1/2 hours of practice a week. 4 hours of freestlye and 1 1/2 hours of greco. I hope all his hard work really pays off.

And... I have midterms next week. I cannot believe that it is already time for midterms! I am half way done with my first semester. I think my schooling is going to go much faster then I think. I am also shocked at how much harder the classes are then I imagined them to be. I am still getting A's in both my classes but it is taking alot more work then when I went to school for my MA.

Many Updates

2011-02-07T13:01:00.000-08:00

Well, I will start off with school. It is going great and I am doing very well so far, all A's! But I am defenitely feeling overwhelmed right now. I am involved with baseball, wrestling, I volunteer at the boys school, work PT and am trying to do school and raise a family. I started to wonder if I made the right choice by deciding to go to school but ultimately I know I did. I just need to figure out a way to make it all work.

The boys have been doing well. They have started wrestling so our schedule gets really, really busy in the next 3 weeks. We then have a couple week break and go into baseball, then 4-H after that. We are taking them on a very special vacation at the end of the school year which is going to be a huge surprise for them, we will not tell them until they day we leave. I have been working on that alot too.

We finally had some beautiful sunshine this last Saturday so Julie, the boys and I went out to Jump Creek and hiked to the falls. The boys loved it!

The boys got there report cards here a few weeks ago and I am so proud of them. Jace is right where he should be, right at grade level and Rylan is above grade level. It seems to fit both of them pretty well. Any day Jace keeps his energy in control and doesn't get sent to the office (which by the way has yet to happen) is a good day in my book!

Josh and I had a fun date night last weekend, went to the Mona Lisa to eat then met up with Julie and Tyrel and played black light minature golf, which was weird but lots of fun.

I guess that is all I can think of right now. I will try to update again soon.

College

2011-01-16T19:49:00.000-08:00

I have officially started school and so far.... I LOVE IT!! This semester I am taking English 101 and Psychology 101 and I absolutely love Psychology, like could change my major to Psychology love it! And I got 100% on my first test! I am so excited about this new adventure in my life and feel so lucky I have such a supportive husband in all of this.

New Years Eve 2010

2011-01-03T15:39:00.000-08:00

Josh and I went back and forth if we should go out and have an "adult" night or do something with the kids. The kids quickly won as we realize we will have many, many years to party on our own and the years are numbered to spend it with the boys. So we let the boys pick where to eat at... they picked Applebees and then we took them to the Bulls and Broncs Bash.

We took them last year and had a great time! After going this year I realized part of the reason was because it snowed so bad last year that very few people braved the roads and came out. This year it was PACKED! It started out ok and we had this huge group of 60 something year olds come and sit by us and I was kinda relieved it wasn't a bunch of 20 year olds..... until about 30 minutes into it. All these guys that came and sat down were Caldwell Night rodeo board members (identified by it plastered all over there jackets) and one of them was actually a Canyon County elected official and these people were the most obnoxious, rudest people I have ever encountered. They were 10 times worse then a bunch of 20 year old drunks, because the 20 year olds you would expect it from. Totally ruined the whole night!! And after witnessing the way these guys acted and treated other people, I will never again give any money to Caldwell Night Rodeo.

The boys still seemed to have a good time as I think they don't pay much attention to what is going on around them but we had talked about doing this for an annual tradition but it cost so much money I don't feel it is worth it when you have experiences like that.

Presenting the Jace and Rylan Band....

2011-01-02T18:22:00.000-08:00

Turkey cookin

2010-12-30T14:59:00.000-08:00

So... Julie asked me why I hadn't told this story and really she is right, it is pretty funny in hindsight.

The day before Christmas Joshs mom got really, really sick. She always cooks the turkey and ham so we have never had to do it before. Well Friday morning I got a call from Julie saying mom is really sick, we need to spend the day cooking for her so she doesn't have to do it. OK.... how hard can cooking a turkey be?!

We brought it to my house and stared at it for awhile trying to figure out where to begin. We started by pulling out the neck and ripping the heart off the hind end. But there was this huge piece of plastic stuck in its butt that would not budge, it was still a bit to icy inside. We searched around for the giblets package but realized they didn't put one in this bird. We waited ever so patiently for the dang bird to thaw but it was taking forever so I got this great idea to go and get my blow dryer and stick it in the birds rear end, Julie held the birds legs apart and it was working wonderfully until we started smelling hair product, so we ended that idea. It had gone on just long enough to thaw it enough to get out the plastic piece.

We put the bird in and 6 hours later it was done. In the meantime Joshs mom called and asked if we had pulled the giblet and heart package out and cooked it for Josh, I explained that there was no package and the heart was attached to the bird above the rear end. She sounded very suspicious of the whole thing but said... "well ok." I decided to be nice and cook the neck and heart for Josh since he loves them. After they were done I proudly told him to eat up. He refused saying that is was obviously not the heart since it had bones in it and skin on it and wanted to know what the heck it was. Julie and I fought for awhile with him until Julie was cutting up the bird and found the giblet and heart package cooked inside the bird. We then had to figure out what the heck that heart was, we came to the conclusion it was the tail. I guess we should have figured it out when we had to rip it from the hind end of the bird.

I also should say... have you ever seen a turkey neck?? A few years ago Julie saw the neck and asked if it was the turkeys "dinger"... we explained if it was it would drag on the ground when the turkey ran. So everytime I looked at the neck while cooking I imagined this turkey having this "dinger".

We took the cooked bird out to Joshs mom and dads and told them the story of the bird cooking and after laughing so hard I thought they might pee themselves, they told us we should show Martha Stewart how to cook a bird!

It ended up being pretty tasty, but it was quite the experience. Now we know and will be great turkey cookers!

1 year anniversary!

2010-12-29T14:46:00.000-08:00

Today is my 1 year anniversary since I quit smoking! It is honestly almost hard for me to remember what my life as a smoker was like but I know it feels so good to have the freedom being free of smoking provides. I am now past the part where the smell of a cigarette makes my mouth water and am now to the part where it just plain stinks.

This is by far the hardest thing I have ever done!!!

Chef Ry

2010-12-28T19:38:00.000-08:00

Rylan LOVES to cook, bake or anything that involves being in the kitchen. I keep telling him he can be the next Guy Fieri... I LOVE that guy! Anyway... he is now taking a cooking class through the 4-H program and he is loving every second of it.

For Christmas he got his own "Chefs outfit"... he loves it!

Check out this little chef

Christmas 2010

2010-12-28T19:28:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful Christmas this year. It really did not feel like Christmas at all this year so it was a little hard getting into the spirit but all in all it was a good day. I do have to say that Jace was so excited this year I thought his little heart just might blow up. I don't think he ever thought Christmas would get here. Jace asked for 3 things this year.... a bike, a Nintendo DS and an X-box 360 and what the heck?! He got all 3!! Santa brought the bike and then grandparents filled in the rest, lucky kid! Ry really wanted a bike and santa came through for him too.

We also took our annual picture with my side of the family... so fun to look at every year!

TWINS!!

2010-12-28T19:20:00.000-08:00

On the 14th of Decemeber the Love family was given to beautiful little blessings. Joshs brother Jerry and his wife gave birth to twins. Calvin Joseph and Amber Kay were both healthy and about as perfect as can be. How fun it will be to have twins in the family!

Sledding and tree decorating

2010-12-12T11:36:00.000-08:00

Last weekend the boys went sledding. They LOVE to sled, again I do not like the cold so I sat this one out but from all the pictures it looks like they had a great time!

On Wednesday night we decorated our tree. This is one of my favorite traditions. I remember growing up we would go and pick out a tree as a family, turn on the Chimpunks Christmas music and decorate the tree together, it is a tradition I have carried on.

Snow day!

2010-12-02T11:20:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we woke up to almost a foot of snow at our house. I honestly cannot remember when it has ever snowed a foot over night! Makes days like those tough being a bus driver, that is for sure. But luckily it was a snow day here in Homedale and the boys and I didn't have to go anywhere.

The boys were so eager to get out and play in the snow but anyone that knows me knows I HATE the snow! So luckily for them Aunt Julie was happy to come over and play with them. They really are lucky to have her... in so many ways.

All in all it was a great day at home.

College Bound

2010-11-25T11:11:00.000-08:00

On Monday I registered for my first 2 classes... there is officially no turning back now! My goal is to be done in 5 years!

Jace turns 8!

2010-11-25T11:04:00.000-08:00

On November 20th Jace turned 8 years old... technically it was at 6:04pm. I seriously cannot believe he is 8 years old. Geesh... where has all the time gone?!

On Friday he had his best friend Joseph (I LOVE that kid) spend the night and we went bowling and ate dinner then came back and had a typical sleep over.... you know, NO sleep.

On Saturday wehad his "family" party and he sure got a lot of great gifts. It was a great birthday but seemed older somehow this year... different from all his other birthdays. Just another sign he is growing up.

Of all the cakes he could choose from, he chose the hunting cake. This kid is so much like his father it is unreal!

Halloween weekend

2010-11-01T11:31:00.000-07:00

Oh my goodness.... this has to be the longest Halloween ever! It started on Friday when the businesses here in town did the annual safe and sane trick or treating. Obviously they had to do it friday since Sunday almost all of them are closed. I love that our city does this and the boys had a great time.

I love this picture with the flag in the background

The whole gang

On Saturday Joshs Aunt had a Halloween party at her house... they had fun games for the kids and some great food! The boys begged me to dress up and I really am not big on dressing up but I did a little for them!

Making brother a mummy

Bummed this didn't turn out better (camera was cold). Jace with his Uncle who was in the army.

All in all it was a great weekend with my boys but I am happy Halloween is over for the year!

Idaho City

2010-10-25T10:49:00.000-07:00

On Saturday my sis in laws and I decided to kidnap my mother in law for the day and take her to the mountains. She hasn't been on a drive in so long... she spent all her time taking care of her mom and she so deserved a trip out. I LOVE being with these girls... I have been with Josh so long that his sisters are just like sisters to me and his mom is my 2nd mom. I really love these gals... and we always have so much fun together.

When we woke up Saturday morning we realized it was icky and raining out so we decided just to go to Idaho City and get some lunch... look at all the beautiful fall colors and then come back. After we got there and had lunch, it was fairly warm out so we drove into the mtns a little ways and let the kids get out and run around.

All in all we had such a good day and I think it was so good for my MIL to get out of the house for the day!

The BIG test

2010-10-22T15:24:00.000-07:00

It really wasn't the BIG test but it sure felt like it. I went in today and took my COMPASS test... which is basically a placement test. You really cannot fail it but that still was not very reassuring! I have been studying up on my algebra for the last 3 weeks. Problem is I didn't understand algebra (and failed it) 13 years ago when I took it in HS.... not really sure how I expected to understand it now. I did my best and got a really bad score on my placement test so I will be taking Math 015 (pre-algebra) and then Math 025 (algebra) before I can even take a college level class (and one where I actually get credits for it). The same classes kids on my bus are taking right now. UGGG! Although I think now I will do much better because I actually want to learn this stuff... not at all like HS.

On the good side... I got a near perfect score in both my reading and writing!! So they will start me much higher up in those classes.

Oficially I start classes in January and I am so, so excited!! They said if I can go 1/2 time, which is 2 classes a semester then I should be done about May of 2015. I figure I will still only be 36, lots of time left!

Some pictures I came across

2010-10-08T14:25:00.000-07:00

I came across some pictures from the basement the other day and really these ones have no rhyme or reason as to why I am putting them on here... they just stood out and I decided I would like to have them on my blog.

My mom and I... it says I was 3 months old

My dad and I... it says I was 10 months old

This picture was in the newspaper... My grandpa was LT. Governor at the time and it was the day my brother was born. We were looking in on the Senate.

Our Junior Prom

Our Senior Picture

I'm finally doing it!!!

2010-10-05T07:27:00.000-07:00

I have wanted so, so badly for the last 8 years or so to go back to school and get my RN (registered nurse). I even went to school to get my MA (Medical Assisting) because it was much faster then getting my RN but quickly found out the schools push more people through then there are jobs available for MA's, and honestly I make more money driving bus then I would as an MA.

SOOOO.... I am all signed up through CWI to start school in January!!!! It will probably take me a year or two longer then it would if I didn't have a family but that is ok. I will do whatever it takes to get this done. I will actually be able to do most of my core classes online, so that will be wonderful! The RN program is extremely hard to get into at any college so I will just take that as it comes and pray that I will be able to get into one.

I am so happy to finally be pursuing what I feel like I have always been meant to do! I hope to be writing a post in 5-6 years from now saying that I am working in a hospital in the OB department, that is my ultimate goal!

11 years ago....

2010-09-22T11:29:00.000-07:00

11 years ago this week I married the love of my life.... the "man of my dreams". I cannot believe how fast it has gone by and how many memories we have created along the way. He really does complete me and I still look at him and think "I am so in love with that man". We have had many ups and many downs and it hasn't always been easy, somedays we have really, really had to work at loving each other and other days it has been so natural but not once have I ever regretted one second of our life together. I wouldn't change one moment!

Happy anniversary Josh... I love you so much! Thanks for being you!!!

Quick trip to Twin

2010-09-22T11:17:00.000-07:00

Josh has the best boss (and bosses wife) in the world... he really does. They are wonderful people who really do appreciate what Josh does.... and they show it. Last weekend they invited us to Twin to go watch the races (Joshs boss races) and they would get us a room and pay for the tickets into the races. My boys love to watch him race so we jumped at the opportunity and we had such a great time!!

We drove down Saturday afternoon, after Jaces football game and came home on Sunday. BUT before leaving on Sunday Josh surprised me and bought me a new wedding ring set for our anniversary!!! It is beautiful and I cannot wait to pick it up on Friday!!!

Saying goodbye to a wonderful lady

2010-09-13T18:20:00.000-07:00

Last week Joshs grandma passed away, she was 87 years old and she was a wonderful woman. She LOVED her grandkids and great grandkids more then anything and was very active in all their lives. And she cracked me up... she was very quiet but she had her opinions, and she knew how to get a point across if she needed to. Her 1st husband died when she was in her 30's and her second died 23 years ago, she was a very independent woman.

I have many stories about her that make me laugh... from her running her motorized shopping cart into the sunglass display at Target to the pillow that had a flammable warning on it and she thought for sure it was going to spontanously combust. She made me laugh.... alot. She was warm hearted, fun loving and easy going and her grandkids thought the world of her. When I was thinking back on her the other day I realized that I first met her almost 20 years ago.... before Josh and I were even together and even then I remember thinking what a neat lady she was.

She is going to be missed terribly by everyone that knew her... and a whole lot by my boys who really, really loved her.

Girls trip

2010-09-09T09:45:00.000-07:00

On Friday Julie and I headed out for a trip to SLC and Lagoon. It was kindof a last minute decision and I am so glad we did it. Friday night we spent the night in Jackpot... although we really didn't gamble. Julie is not much of a gambler and I am going to be in Jackpot in 2 weeks so thought I would save my gambling. we did eat a nasty buffet though.

On Saturday we got up early and drove into SLC.. we stopped in Wendover and ate breakfast and then went on to Salt Lake. After getting our hotel room we went to a chocolate store.... YUM! Then went to downtown SLC and went shopping. So much fun!! Later that evening we went to a restaurant called The Mayan. It is Mexican food but while you are eating there is a pool next to you and people dive into it. The show was pretty cool but the food was not very good.

On Sunday we spent the majority of the day at Lagoon... I am not nearly as tough as I use to be on some of those rides. I use to be fearless, not so much anymore!! That evening we went to the coolest little movie theater in Bountiful nd watched Vampires Suck.

We drove home Monday. All in all we had a wonderful time and it was so good to get away for a few days, but I was more then ready to get back home and see my boys.

BSU and the fair

2010-08-26T09:40:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Jace got to play football at BSU.... he was stoked. He LOVES the Broncos and couldn't wait to play where they played. Ended up he had to play outside the stadium... darnit! He still had a blast though.

After that we went to the Boise fair... I LOVE the fair! Mainly I love it to people watch.... the strangest folk come out to the fair, why is that??!! We had a great time and were going to get on a ride that evening when out of nowhere a 70mph wind gust came through there. It was insane... things went everwhere. I guess there was several injuries but we were fortunate not to be around all those tents when it hit. We headed for the parking lot and that is where we stayed for over 2 hours. I have never been in traffic like that and I hope to never be again!!

All in all it was a great day!!

School... really?!

2010-08-19T13:19:00.000-07:00

The boys went back to school yesterday. It was a very sad day for me. This summer has gone by soooo fast and my baby was starting Kindergarten. I cried for most of the morning while Ry was gone and was very eager to get him at 11.

Jace was not thrilled about going back but Ry had been counting down the days on the calendar. He was so excited to start school. I think they both are going to love there teachers and have a great year.

Jace - 2nd grade, Ry - Kindergarten

BRACES??? ALREADY!!!

2010-08-19T13:12:00.000-07:00

Last week Jace got braces on. Everyone I tell that to says Braces, already? We are not thrilled about it but his dentist told me he doesn't refer patients as young as Jace very often to orthos but Jace was one he thought needed it pretty bad. Of course.... that is the luck we have with him.

So one week later we were in getting braces on the top, a retainer on the bottom and a jaw expander on the roof of his mouth. This is just the first round of braces... he will have to do it again in about 5-6 years.

So far he seems to be doing very well with them and has had virtually no pain. He was being a goof in the pic below :)

Ry takes 1st place

2010-08-16T18:31:00.000-07:00

On Thursday at the fair they had a vegetable contest where you had to make something using just vegetables and enter it into a contest that would be judged. On a whim the boys decided to enter and both turned out super cute but Ry took 1st place and won $15.00. They had alot of fun!!!

Ry's is on the left and Jaces is on the right.

Lewis the Goat

2010-08-16T18:26:00.000-07:00

Last week was our local fair here and this was Jaces first year in 4H. We had a wonderful time but basically lived at the fairgrounds and were exhausted by the end of the week. And we can't wait to do it again next year, lol.

Let me start by saying I could not stand Lewis when we first got him for Jaces 4H program. Lewis is a pygmy goat and Lewis is the most stubborn goat there ever was. But after lots of working with him Lewis turned out to be a pretty good goat and by the end of fair I actually really liked Lewis.

Jace did well when he showed Lewis and Lewis only drug Jace one time. A HUGE improvement for Lewis! Jace was only a cloverbud in 4H this year so there was no champion or grand champion but he did get a participation ribbon... which he was very happy about.

A big step

2010-08-03T20:33:00.000-07:00

After a couple of years of going back and forth we have decided to put our house on the market! I am happy, sad and nervous all at the same time. We need more space so bad and we need to be out of town so the boys can raise there 4-H animals and explore like Josh and I use to do when we were growing up but there are sooooo many memories in this house. It was the house Josh and I moved into right after marriage and it was the house that both my boys came home from the hospital to. I know we will make many other memories in our new home but this one is still hard to leave behind.

It will officially be on the market tomorrow!!! Wish us luck!

4th of July

2010-07-23T17:03:00.000-07:00

Our 4th of Julys are pretty much identical every year but I love our traditions and it is by far my most favorite holiday of the year.

We always start by going to the parade in Wilder at noon... then go to the park for lunch and music then in the evening head to the derby. Jace has recently become obsessed with the derby and cannot wait until he is old enough to drive in it. Gosh he is too much like his dad. Ry told me that he is going to be an art teacher but will take the day off to drive in the derby as well.... anyone who knows Ry knows the derby doesn't really fit his personality and I have a feeling he will be more involved with it from behind the scenes then actually in it.

Jace ripping his tooth from his mouth while waiting for the parade... that kid will do just about anything for money!!

Some of the cousins on the Love side (not that there is any cousins or ever will be on the Corbet side)

The boys and I

Swimming Lessons

2010-07-23T16:54:00.000-07:00

Both the boys did swimming lessons for the first time this year. I took them over to Givens Hot Springs because I had heard wonderful things about the teacher there and she defenitely did not disappoint... she was wonderful!!! Neither of the boys "passed" on to the next level but she is very particular about passing them... they have to be able to do everything correctly before moving on. Which is what I loved most about her... if I am going to pay for lessons I want my boys to be able to swim well.

Ry was pretty nervous to jump by himself and never did try but Jace of course had no fear and was more comfortable with the water.

Regional Wrestling

2010-07-23T16:32:00.000-07:00

WOW... I know how incredibly far behind I am. We have just been to darn busy, literally! Barely been home. So now it is time for catch up. We left on Fathers Day and headed to Pocatello for regional wrestling for Jace. What an amazing experience that was. There was kids from Alaska, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, California, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada and these kids can wrestle. You don't come from Hawaii to wrestle in Idaho unless you are one of the best. Jace got put out pretty quickly but he had an great time and what an amazing experience it was for him!!

This video was of his second match... his 1st one he did much better. Went through the whole 1st round with the kid before he was pinned.

Rylan and his friend Trenton Fisher hanging out.

He wrestled on Tuesday and I woke up Tuesday morning feeling kinda icky... luckily I got to watch him wrestle before Tuesday afternoon when the icky turned into full on flu. How terible to be stuck in a hotel room with the flu. Then to have to drive 5 hours home with it. YUCK!! About 4 days later I started rounding the corner and feeling a bit better. It was a nasty one.

My Birthday

2010-06-29T11:54:00.001-07:00

I had a great b-day this year. I turned 31... I rememebr when 31 seemed old. I can remember when my mom was 31 and she seemed ancient to me, now she is much older then that but still seems young to me. I guess time and age really are relative.

The weekend before my actual b-day Josh took me to my favorite place in the whole world, The Mona Lisa. We had a wonderful time.

The weekend of my b-day we had a little BBQ down at the park and ended up having a great time.

Warm Lake

2010-06-14T15:14:00.000-07:00

Every year we use to go camping around the Warm Lake area.... it is one of the most beautiful places I have been to and I use to often think that someday it would be "my heaven"...that when I went to Heaven, my family and I would always be at Warm Lake camping. I LOVED that place. We went for 5 years in a row and then I had Ry in April of 2005 and was not about to take a 2 month old camping for a week... so we didn't go that year. The next year some friends of ours invited us to stay at there cabin in Cuprum so we didn't make it in 2006 either. In 2007 a horrible forest fire came in and wiped out the area I LOVED so so much. I was so sad... so we started camping at another area... which I love but it isn't Warm Lake.

We hadn't been back since 2004 and decided a couple weekends ago to head up there and just see what it looked like. It almost made me cry... the whole area is gone... completely burned up. It will take decades to be back to the place it what at one time. But the memories it brought back were amazing!!!

Here is some pics of our trip... it was flooding terribly but everywhere is right now. I am glad we went.... I hated to see the condition it was in, but was happy to see it again.

Memorial Day 2010 and other things

2010-06-02T07:24:00.000-07:00

Jaces last day of School was Friday the 28th and I cannot believe he will be in 2nd grade already. 1st grade flew by and he sure loved his teacher... he almost cried the last day. Mrs. Smith was great with him and he excelled immensly with her. He went from reading 15 wpm with 76% accuracy to reading 73 wpm with 100% acuracy! He also made some wonderful friends this year, all in all it was a great year.

Memorial Day weekend was pretty crummy weather wise but we did take a ride in the hills on Saturday and only got rained on briefly. I am really, really tired of this rain!!

No more preschool

2010-05-18T11:17:00.000-07:00

On Friday night (May 14th), Ry graduated from preschool. I am still trying to come to terms that the preschool years stage of our lives are done, I just can't wrap my mind around it. It went by so, so, so fast!

Ry couldn't be more excited for it to be done. He is beyond ready to start Kindergarten and I believe he will excel immensly in school, he loves to learn! He asks me everyday if he can go over to Kindergarten and has been asking me for the last 2 months.

His graduation was awesome and he has made some really great friends in preschool who I honestly believe will be lifelong friends. His teacher is amazing, Jace had her as well and I wouldn't ever reccomend anyone else for preschool. She has taught my kids so much and they love her!

Ry and Teacher Erica

Ry, D'Orr and Trenton

Jeffrey, Ry, D'Orr, Trenton and Jaxon

cute

2010-05-12T19:13:00.000-07:00

Answers below by Ry: age 5

1. What is something mom always says to you?
take out the trash (??)

2. What makes mom happy?
when I am nice to you

3. What makes mom sad?
when I am mean to you

4. How does your mom make you laugh?
tell me a joke

5. What was your mom like as a child?
you liked doll sets

6. How old is your mom?
13

7. How tall is your mom?
hands about 2 feet apart

8. What is her favorite thing to do?
go to the fair

9. What does your mom do when you're not around?
sit and be sad

10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
dancing (lol)

11. What is your mom really good at?
Super Mario Brothers

12. What is your mom not very good at?
Batman (on DS)

13. What does your mom do for her job?
drive bus

14. What is your mom's favorite food?
hamburgers

15. What is your mom's favorite animal?
monkey

16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?
Spongebob

17. What do you and your mom do together?
eat lunch

18. How are you and your mom the same?
I look like you

19. How are you and your mom different?
I am a boy

20. How do you know your mom loves you?
cuz you always say that

21. Where did mommy meet daddy?
Frosty palace

22. Where is your mom's favorite place to go?
the zoo

23. Who is Mama's best friend?
Kim (lol)

24. What is Mama's favorite color?
pink (no)

25. Who does Mama love?
me and brother

Answers by Jace (age 7):

1. What is something mom always says to you?
I love you

2. What makes mom happy?
I do

3. What makes mom sad?
If I am gone

4. How does your mom make you laugh?
do funny things

5. What was your mom like as a child?
you liked pancakes

6. How old is your mom?
30

7. How tall is your mom?
50 inches

8. What is her favorite thing to do?
dance with me

9. What does your mom do when you're not around?
drive bus

10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
cleaning (lol)

11. What is your mom really good at?
dancing (hmmm)

12. What is your mom not very good at?
driving bus (what the heck)

13. What does your mom do for her job?
drive bus

14. What is your mom's favorite food?
tacos

15. What is your mom's favorite animal?
giraffe

16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?
Batman

17. What do you and your mom do together?
play

18. How are you and your mom the same?
i was in your belly

19. How are you and your mom different?
i am a boy

20. How do you know your mom loves you?
you say it ALLLLLL the time (lol)

21. Where did mommy meet daddy?
The Drug store (lol)

22. Where is your mom's favorite place to go?
Applebees

23. Who is Mama's best friend?
Tonya

24. What is Mama's favorite color?
purple (I hate purple)

25. Who does Mama love?
your dad

Ry's trip to the Zoo

2010-05-12T14:11:00.000-07:00

Jace had a trip to the zoo a couple of weeks ago but I am waiting for the pics from another mom (yes, I forgot my camera).

Today Ry's preschool (he is done with preschool in 2 days, another post for another day) went to the zoo. We had so much fun!! A little stressful because there was ALOT of kids there and we were tryignto keep track of the 5 boys in our group, which is much harder then it sounds but all turned out well and Ry had a great time.

Mothers Day 2010

2010-05-11T06:26:00.000-07:00

What a great day it was! The boys got me a card and then also made me one, Josh made me dinner and Jace at one point brought me in some tulips he had taken from our flower bed... unfortunately he pulled them up by the root and stuck root and all in a vase. I thought it was hialrious and adorable, his dad... not so much.

I had no idea how much I would love being a mom... I knew I always wanted to be one, that was never in question... just never knew how much I would love it. My boys are my life... and to me they are perfect in every aspect of the word. I cannot imagine a day without them.

Happy Mothers Day to all you amazing moms out there... it truely is the most selfless, rewarding job there is.

4 month anniversary!!!!

2010-04-29T08:28:00.000-07:00

Today is my 4 month anniversary since I quit smoking!! I have never been anywhere near this successful. I have not had even one drag since I quit in December. I seldom think about it anymore and the smell of it now makes my stomach queasy... I truly believe I am now a non-smoker.

So... with all the money I have not spent I went and got my hair cut and colored. I am happy to have a change!

Ry's 3rd party

2010-04-29T08:23:00.001-07:00

Ry had 3 parties this year for his b-day... yes 3! 1 is never enough!!

This was our family party/BBQ we had. It turned out to be a beautiful day... and we had lots of fun. So nice to have everyone together every now and then.

I didn't get very many pictures.. but here are a couple I did get.

Is it really that time already?

2010-04-27T12:27:00.000-07:00

Today was a hard day for me... today I took Ry in and registered him for Kindergarten. He is so excited to go I am trying to be really happy for him but I am not happy on the inside. I am very sad. I want to know where the last 5 years went and why they couldn't have slowed down just a little bit. Never again will it be just me and Ry cuddling on the couch watching cartoons after sending brother off to school. Those days are over... and WOW, it doesn't feel good at all.

I would give just about anything I have to keep my boys little forever. I know that is not the way the world works, but I wish it was!!

Here we are right before leaving to go register.

27 second pin

2010-04-19T08:00:00.000-07:00

I know the exact second he pinned the kid cuz I had my camera on! This kid beat him the weekend before at Rocky Mtn High, teched him not pinned him, and last weekend at centennial Jace pinned him in 27 seconds!

My Baby turns 5

2010-04-14T15:45:00.000-07:00

The title pretty much sums it up... what it can't describe is the sadness I have been feeling the last couple of weeks. It is all just going too fast!

it is hard for me to put in words the way I am feeling... so here are some pics and I hope he had a great 5th b-day.

Josh took him to the Discovery center.

The boys b-days always seem to last about a week. On Wed. he had his friends party and on Sunday we will have the family b-day party.

I took all his friends to McDonalds... they seemed to have a great time.

1st Place

2010-04-11T08:04:00.000-07:00

Jace got 1st place yesterday at Meridian. I was so so so so so excited for him!! He has come so far since that 1st tournament where he was pinned in both matches in less then 1 minute. Yesterday he pinned the guy (very first pin) in 54 seconds! This is the same guy who kicked his butt all over the mat 2 weeks ago. He has been going to 5 practices a week (all his wanting to do) and been practicing at home even more, it is def. paying off big time!

I love to watch him wrestle probably more then I love to watch anything else. I am so proud of him and all his hard work. The video is just his 1st round of his 1st match, I did not get the match where he pinned the guy but one of the other moms did so I will have to try and get that from her. In the match below he "teched" (getting 6 points or more ahead) the other boy therefore winning the round.

*** Currently having problems loading video, I will keep working on it.

Easter 2010

2010-04-07T08:15:00.000-07:00

We had a very low key Easter this year. It was the 1st year that we didn't have to be more then one place and really didn't even see any extended family. In one way it was nice to not have to run all day but also kinda strange not being with family.

The Easter Bunny was good to the boys....I believe this will be Jaces last year believing in him and that makes me incredibly sad. All day he was questioning how the bunny could carry all that stuff and he kept telling me "It just doesn't make sense mom".

That evening we took Joshs mom and grandma out to dinner in Caldwell. It felt weird eating dinner at restaurnat on Easter but was nice not having to do any work.

All in all it was a pretty good day.

Spring Break 2010

2010-03-31T08:17:00.000-07:00

I can't believe another Spring Break has come and gone. I hate it when it is time for my boys to go back to school. I miss them so much when they are at school.

We had a great Spring Break. Spent alot of time with our good friends The Garrisons and the boys really loved that. We also had a couple days where we did nothing at all except snuggle on the couch and watch movies. I know how limited my time is that my boys can curl up under a blanket with me on the couch.

On Friday we went to Boise and spent a few hours at The Discovery Center. I love that place! The boys really love it too, but Rylan could live there if I let him. He would stay right in that pretend grocery store and be a pretend cashier and never leave. Gosh - he isn't my child is he?!

It was a really fun day and Ry already asked if I would take him back for his birthday in a couple weeks (which by the way I am really, really struggling with... but that is another post for another time).

Just so darn busy

2010-03-22T11:11:00.000-07:00

So lately I have been dealing with some anxiety issues... which is really pissing me off since I have never had any kind of emotional or anxiety type issues. I honestly have no idea why or where it came from but the anxiety is defenitely there.

It very well could have to do with how busy I have been lately... somedays I think I have taken on way to much and others I think I can just do it all no problem. This last weekend was by far the craziest I have had in awhile.

On Friday I headed to town early to get everything I needed for the HYS fundraiser we were having on Saturday.... it ended up taking alot longer then I had planned and barely made it home in time to get everything unloaded and head down to work the concession stand for the JV game.

On Saturday we had to be at capital High in Boise at 7 am for a wrestling tournament for the boys. Jace did so well, I was so bummed I forgot my camera. He did not win his matches but they were close and he didn't let the other guy pin him. I think in another year he is going to be one heck of a wrestler. I had to leave the tournament early and rush back to Homedale to set up for the fundraiser which I didn't get home from until after midnight.

On Sunday we were in Meridian at 11:30 for my dads b-day lunch at Famous Daves... which was AMAZING food!

Today the boys and I are doing nothing but cleaning house and I am loving every minute of it. And I wonder why I have anxiety??!!

It's ok mom... I'm not choking!

2010-03-10T18:40:00.000-08:00

This afternoon after getting off the bus we got home and on the way into the house Ry found a nickel on the ground. Never did I think when he picked it up to tell him don't put it in your mouth. I thought we had been through those instructions many times in the past.

Imagine my shock when Ry comes up to me very calmly and says "mom... remember that nickel I had. Well I swallowed it and I can feel it stuck in my throat. But it's ok mom, don't worry, I am not choking. I will be fine."

Me... in total panic mode. "WHAT?! Are you serious? no it's not ok (running in circles now) it is defenitely not ok!"

We arrived at the ER and of course they took him back quickly not knowing if any minute the coin that is stuck in his throat will shift and cut off his air supply. After X-rays it was shown that the coin was actually in his stomach and not in his throat.

I have now told him for future reference not to eat money... or anything other then food for that matter. He has agreed and as we walked out of the hospital he told me "mom... i sure am glad THAT is over."

Wrestlers

2010-03-07T13:10:00.000-08:00

My boys had there first wrestling tournament yesterday in Homedale. It was such a long day... we started at 6:30 am with registrations and ended at 9:30 pm with clean up. It was such a good day! I love to watch my boys wrestle. They aren't great yet but with time I think they can be. Both did very well considering it was there very 1st match ever. Ry ended up taking 5th due to a forfeit and Jace took 6th. Both boys medaled due to the fact that all kids medal. That is what I love about these tournaments. I have video of both of them wrestling and will be getting it up soon. Rylan laughed so hard during his second match, it was hilarious. I am not sure if it was because he was nervous or he was just having that much fun. Jace was very serious and put up a good fight even though he was pinned fairly quickly.

My little student of the week

2010-03-01T13:43:00.000-08:00

Jace has been wanting to be student of the week since the 1st week of school and every Monday he would come home and say "Didn't get student of the week this week". I told him he had to try really hard to be as good as possible. Jace wants to be good and usually he is but sometimes the BOY in him just causes problems for him. When he came home last week and told me he was student of the week... we celebrated in a big way. I am a huge believer in really focusing on something positive for him.... he always hears negative things, from everyone around him. Jace quit, Jace stop, Jace don't do that, Jace, Jace, Jace that I feel when something very positive happens it is extremely important to spend just as much attention on that as the things he does wrong. That being said... he got to pick what was for dinner and we took him out for ice cream.

I went to his school to get a picture of "the board"... I got him in 1 pic but he was in too big of a hurry to get out and play soccer to get in the other pic (that is the BOY in him). His friends all got in it though... might be one I have to save for graduation.

I cannot believe he is almost done with 1st grade... and my youngest will start Kindergarten. I sure do love my boys... I can't imagine my life without them.

A future star ?!

2010-02-27T07:33:00.000-08:00

I rented This Is It the other night. Really only because there was nothing else to rent and I really do love alot of Michael Jacksons music. Josh and the boys had gone out to his parents house and I was watching it when they got home. Rylan immediately became completely infatuated with him. He started to get up and try to dance like him... even started singing.

Josh is not one bit impressed that Ry likes him so much but I had to remind him that Ry knows nothing about him other then his "entertaining" and he really is one of the greatest entertainers ever.

Below is a video of Ry's dancing.... he is being very serious about it.

finally quit?!

2010-02-24T06:37:00.000-08:00

When I first did this I didn't want to put anything on my blog or even tell alot of people because I didn't know if it would work or not. Anyone that knows me knows that I have tried to quit smoking 100 different ways 100 different times. I always do ok for a while then fall right back into it. I do not regret very many things in my life, although I have done some stupid things, I think you learn from your mistakes. But... I regret that first cigarette immensly. I was young and stupid and thought I would never get addicted. 12 years later I was still smoking.

In December I went into a hypnotist to help me quit. I have had HUGE success with it. Not only have I not had any cravings but the thought of smoking actually makes me want to vomit. And being around someone smoking makes me sick to my stomach... I cannot stand the smell that I use to love.

I take one day at a time, that is the best way to deal with these things.

My new camera

2010-02-22T16:43:00.000-08:00

YAY!!! Finally I got a new camera... I only missed about a months worth of pics due to the fact that I seemed to have a hard time making it to town for longer then a 20 minute run into Albies or Walmart.

I am so happy to have a camera that works. Here is the 1st pic I took with it.

That boy above that I love so so much is student of the week! We are so proud of him... he gets to do a whole week of things all about his life.

On another note.... Josh and I went to Jackpot this last weekend and had such a wonderful time. I love it when Josh and I are able to get away just the two of us. We didn't win any money.. in fact we lost all the money we took, but that is ok... that is how it usually works.

A trip down memory lane

2010-02-18T10:16:00.001-08:00

There really is no place like home. Although I now have my own home... there is something so settling to me to be back in my childhood home. I went up to my parents house today to get my Albies ads my dad saves for me and although I go to my parents house often there was noone home and I went into my old bedroom (which I seldom see any longer) sat on the floor and was instantly brought back to 14 years old. The smell, the sun coming through the window, everything was exactly how I remembered it minus the rabbits on the wall now (the room has been converted to my boys room now). It brought me back to a simpler time. A very happy childhood.

I love, love that house... so many memories in it. Such a happy place for me to be.

Some honesty

2010-02-17T11:14:00.000-08:00

I am so sad that I haven't been blogging like I should but the truth is I have been busy. I am not talking about I have a few things to do during the day, I am talking I am never home. Between 4-H, wrestling, youth sports meetings, baseball, driving bus and all the other errands you do on a normal day my life is so crazy right now... it is insane! My kids are lucky to get dinner by 9:00 pm.

And my camera is broke and I desperately need a new one. And if I ever get a chance to go into town and spend longer then 1 hour there I will buy a new one. But I honestly don't know when that will be.

Josh and I are headed out of town for the weekend and I am estatic!! We need to get away together... and we need it bad!

My Story - the conclusion

2010-01-29T11:01:00.000-08:00

When I got off of work that night he was waiting outside for me, It was September 16 1995. Looking at him made butterflies in my stomach like I had never had. He asked me to go for a drive with him and I accepted. We drove around for about 2 hours talking about everything from our goals in life to the strange man walking down the sidewalk. He made me feel like a different person when I was with him… in a good way. Like I could just be me and that was ok. He asked me that night when he dropped me off at my car “Come watch me ride bulls tomorrow in Bruneau.” I thought that sounded exciting and told him I would be there.

The next morning Nicole and I headed to Bruneau to watch him. I was exhilarated and nervous all at the same time. When he came out of the chute on that bull I knew he had me. I love the bad boy dangerous guys and that is definitely something Josh was… but he was also so sweet and good natured. He was the perfect guy in every aspect of the word. That night before we left for home he asked me if I would like to date him exclusively, of course I said yes.

Over the next few months I fell harder and harder for him, which was an issue with my mom because she did not approve of him at all. I am honestly not sure why but the fact was she didn’t so that made it tough. Eventually though she got used to the idea of him and I and got past it. Josh and I became very serious , very fast. But considering the past we had it was not all the surprising. We had already known each other and been friends for so many years. We spent every moment we could together and very quickly I fell head over heels in love with him. He made me feel so different then anyone else had, he was such a good person I felt good being with him.

The summer between my Junior and Senior year was the best summer of my life… to this day. Josh and I were together all the time… cruising town or hanging out with all our friends, watching movies or just sitting in the Frosty Palace parking lot talking for hours. He was so perfect to me. That summer was the first time he said “I love you”.

We started our Senior year together and it was about ¾ of the way through our Senior year that Josh told me he knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me and asked me to marry him when we got out of HS. I said yes right away… I knew I did not want to live the rest of my life without Josh and I knew he was the one for me. Just like I knew in 6th grade he was the one for me. I do not believe in soul mates but I believe in true love and I know that is what Josh and I had and still have to this day.

We graduated together in May of 1997. My grandpa was Governor at this point and I really wanted him to marry us. In order for that to happen we would have to get married before his term was up, which was in 1998. But I didn’t want to marry Josh a few months out of high school. I didn’t want to be “that girl”. I wanted us to live our lives in the adult world and make sure that we could do it. And I wanted to go to and finish college, which I knew would be hard to do once we were on our own. So I went to Cosmetology school and finished in October of 1998. Josh and I then moved in together in January of 1999.

It was September of 1999 when we got married. My grandpa was not able to marry us but that was ok… we had such a beautiful wedding. To me it was perfect… everything I had always dreamed of when I was little. We honeymooned in McCall for 3 days and just enjoyed being “us”. We knew we did not want kids right away, I feel bad for couples who get married and have kids within the 1st year. That time with just you and your husband is so important to build a solid foundation of marriage before bringing kids into the picture. Your whole life becomes about your children once you have them and I think you need to have a very solid marriage to withstand that. So many people do that and then get divorced when the kids leave home because they don’t know how to be a married couple without there whole focus being on kids. Josh and I waited 3 years to start having kids and it was the best decision we ever made.

When I look back at the last 20 years of my life with Josh I know if I had it to do over again I wouldn’t change one single moment. I think Josh and I have such a strong marriage and such a deep love for each other because of the many years before we actually became a couple. We have had many ups and downs but I couldn’t imagine my life without him… not for one single moment.

And whatever happened to Matt Freelove… well he and Josh are very good friends and he lives 3 houses down from us with 2 boys of his own and a wonderful girlfriend. Him and I have remained very good friends.

My Story - Part 2

2010-01-22T07:55:00.000-08:00

Shortly after arriving at Matt’s party I saw Nicole and Matt dancing… very close among other things. I was devastated… this was my best friend and the “love of my life“ (or so I thought when I was 14)… acting very inappropriately. How could they do that? I reevaluated my friendship and reconnected with Carrie again. As far as I was concerned Matt was out of my life and I was moving on. Of course that lasted for about a month and Matt called me on night and told me to turn on my radio. He had requested “Everything I do, I do it for you” by Bryan Adams and there it was on the radio. How could I say No to that?? On again we were. And to this day I can’t hear that song and not think of him.

It was the summer between my 8th grade and Freshman year that I became friends with Nicole Maupin. Nicole had a cousin… his name was Josh Love. Nicole lived right next to her grandma who happened to be Josh’s grandma as well. As luck would have it Josh was close to his grandma and spent a lot of time there. I pretty much lived at Nicole’s house that summer. Becoming closer and closer to her family which meant closer and closer to Josh’s family. His sister and I actually became friends… although she was 3 years younger then me. I really really came to like this family, but nothing became of Josh and I. I was still “dating” Matt but noticed I thought of Josh more and more each day.

Freshman year started in August and Matt and I were still “on”. Things seemed to be going really well with him. We went to lunch together, talked on the phone every night and spent as much time as we could away from school together. But that month something changed. To this day I cannot put my finger on it but there wasn’t those feelings for him any longer. I had fallen so hard for him over this 3 year span that I couldn’t imagine not being with him but he and I both knew it was time to move on. I was devastated because I knew this one would be permanent, not like all the times before where we would be back together in a week but permanent. And it was…. In October of my Freshman year I said goodbye to him for good and over the next few months I forgot about him more and more with each day.. It was May of my freshman year when Nicole and I headed to the Jordan Valley rodeo and I ran into Josh… we connected that night like I never had with Matt. I knew right then that Josh was good for me. But nothing ever came of Josh and I… we got along great, he was incredibly good looking and a super nice guy but we were just friends. He or I was always “dating” someone else when we would pop up into each others lives.

The months went on and I dated a few other guys but nothing serious. I got my drivers license, had a serious car accident, started my first job and went on with my life seeing Josh here and there in between but never anything more then a hug and a how are you. We once ran into each other at a party briefly and talked for hours, even shared a kiss but that was the extent of it. Josh had a girlfriend at the time who was a good friend of mine so I really never thought much more about him and I ever having any kind of future together.

It was the beginning of my Junior year before I would really notice him again… the same way I noticed him that day my 6th grade year. He was in his dads Chevy pick up when he came to the drive up window of the fast food restaurant where I worked. He had changed so much during the summer before. He had been rodeoing all summer and had been gone traveling across the state so I had not seen him for a few months. When he rolled down his window he took my breath away.. He was so much more then I remembered. He flirted briefly with me and drove away. It was right then and there that I knew my life had changed… that there wasn’t going to be anymore Hi’s and nothing else, that whatever it took we would try out more then a friendship and see where it would take us. He came back in later that evening and asked me what time I got off of work.

My Story - Part 1

2010-01-20T07:37:00.000-08:00

I love to remember the story of Josh and I... so I thought it would be fun to put it on here for others to read and for me to have. Josh and I were a long time coming and many many years have gone by since I first noticed him on the playground to where we are today. This is our story... from my view of course.

I was 12 years old when I first moved to Homedale schools from Vallivue schools. It was the 6th grade and I had never been more terrified in my entire life. All the typical thoughts kept running through my head. Will I have any friends? Will anyone like me? What if they all think I am weird? My first day at my new school was both scary and exciting. This was a new chapter in my life and even at the young age of 12 I knew that and knew I had to make the best of it. I horribly missed my best friend from Vallivue, Keri Cloud. She and I had been inseparable for the last 3 years and I had no idea what I was going to do without her by my side.

My teachers name was Mrs. Eidemiller and she did a good job at helping me to feel comfortable in my new atmosphere. I was going from a class of about 200 to a class of about 60... It was strange. Everyone knew everyone and had been together since the Kindergarten, that is the way small towns are. It is very hard to move into a small town and be accepted right away.

Carrie Pearson was the first one to introduce herself and would become my absolute best friend from that moment through our senior year. Right away we became very close, talking a lot about the boys in our class and the teachers in our grade. Several boys introduced themselves to me throughout the day and at last I had made it through my first day of school.

The next day and every day thereafter became pretty much the same… I slowly made new friends and a few boyfriends and each day became easier as I left my old school and life behind me and started a new one. I had been in school for about a month when I really noticed him for the first time. We were at recess and he walked by me and caught my eye. It was then that I asked Carrie “who is that?”. “that is Josh Love” she told me. WOW was all I could think… even in 6th grade he seemed perfect to me.

Days turned into months and I had really settled into my new school and new friends. It was an evening and the phone rang… it was Josh. I don’t know how he got my number or why he was calling but we talked as much as 12 year olds can talk for about 25 minutes. He made me laugh. It was the next day after that I told Carrie… “I really like Josh, someday I am going to marry that boy”. She laughed of course and said “I don’t really see that happening.” “I know” I said “but it is fun to dream.”

Months went by and before I knew it 7th grade was here. Finally I was in Jr. high… I was becoming an adult you know… at least that is what I thought at the time. I had my own locker and I was finally “developing” into my body. I had been in school for a few weeks when Matt Freelove approached me and literally changed the path of my life for the next 3 years. We flirted back and forth for a few weeks before finally he “asked me out”… now if you remember what that is like in 7th grade it means you talk A LOT on the phone and occasionally hold hands at the class assemblies and dance close at the dances, that is about the extent of it. Matt called me one night and said “would you like to go out with me”, “sure” I said. I hadn’t really talked much to Josh in the past few months so I thought well Matt is definitely good enough looking and seems like a nice guy, why not?!

I had no clue how hard I would fall for him over the next few months. I don’t think you can really have your first love when you are 13 but this was as close to that as you could get. We were together off and on for the rest of my 7th grade year. Once the summer came I had become very close to a girl named Nicole Quintana… she had become my Keri Cloud. That summer we were together every day of the week. She lived about 2 miles out of Homedale so we would ride bikes into the local swimming pool and I would meet Matt there everyday. Every day I fell harder and harder for him… everyday we became closer and closer. We would talk on the phone in the evenings for hours and hours on end when we weren’t riding bikes through town or swimming at the pool.

Before I knew it 8th grade was starting… Matt and I were still “a couple” and my life was so perfect I couldn’t have asked for anything more. Although my friendship had remained with Carrie, Nicole and I had grown even closer that summer. The year went on and Matt and I were off and on again depending on the month… but whenever we weren’t together I was always sad. I always wanted to be with him. I started wondering if what I felt for him was healthy at such a young age. It was May of my 8th grade year when Matt had his b-day party at his house. Him and I were on again and I was so excited. Rumor had it there was going to be a lot of dancing and darkness. It was going to be perfect.

Stay tuned for Part 2!

Need to blog?!

2010-01-12T09:48:00.001-08:00

I feel like I should be blogging more... like every day or at least every other day. But then I wonder what I should blog about and if anyone cares what I would have to say and then I think who cares if anyone else cares this is my personal blog... my personal feelings and happenings for me to remember. My mind can be a vicious circle.

So really nothing has been going on.... just life!

I got spit on by a girl on the school bus then she hit me.... that was fun! She is a handicapped preschool girl so really there isn't much I can do but just take it and try to tell her it is not nice... considering she is deaf this is tough to do.

Josh took me out to dinner at The Mona Lisa, my absolute favorite place to eat, and I had the most amazing wine there (and I don't drink wine) but I will be a wine drinker from here on out if only I could find this particular bottle of wine (I want it real bad :)

Rylan went skiing for the first time and has proved to be a natural just like his brother, I think I might need to find a second job to pay for my boys "hobbies". I am so thankful for the boys Uncle who takes the time to take them skiing and teach them how to ski, they are very fortunate to have him in there life and they sure do look up to him.

I love this pic of Josh and the boys!!

New Years Eve 2009

2010-01-05T08:20:00.000-08:00

We had planned on taking the boys to dinner and then to Alvin and the Chipmunks on New Years Eve this year but while the boys and I were driving to town last week we heard on the radio that you could win tickets to The Bull Bash. Jace was all over that... he really wanted me to call in and try and win the tickets. I told him I would try but it was a long shot. What do you know... I was caller 9!! So plans changed and we ended up going to The Bull Bash. Really though it was perfect... the boys had so much fun!!!

Christmas 2009

2010-01-05T08:08:00.000-08:00

What a wonderful Christmas and 2 weeks Christmas break we had. I LOVE LOVE LOVE that I am not really working outside the home (I say that because although I do have a job whenever I am working the boys are with me and I always have the exact same schedule as they do for school... how perfect is that!). I was able to enjoy these 2 weeks with them and we really didn't do a whole lot. We did go see A Christmas Carol one day which scared the dickens out of Rylan and we had to leave 20 minutes into it. But that was about it... otherwise we just hung out at home or at familys houses.

Santa was very good to the boys this year. Jace got an IPOD and Rylan got a painting easel. I got my food processor I have been wanting so bad and Josh got his waders for hunting he has been wanting. We all had a wonderful Christmas!!

From the mouth of Ry

2009-12-21T16:30:00.000-08:00

Instead of just having a thing on the side of my blog that says it made me smile... I really need an entire blog dedicated to the things Rylan says. Everyday the kid cracks me up and amazes me. I need to start a post everyday that says... Ry's sayings for the day. Here are a few that I can think of right off hand.

After his Christmas program he told me he could not sing anymore as his voice was all tapped out.

After catching him kissing a girl on the bus (yes, on the lips) Josh was telling him not to kiss girls cuz they have coodies... his response "No dad those are called nipples and everyone has them."

At Pauls the other day.... very very loudly "Mom, I am itchy, the fleas are biting me. Me: "You don't have fleas Ry". Him "Yes I do and they hurt".

Santa comes to Pauls

2009-12-21T16:05:00.001-08:00

Ry's Christmas Program

2009-12-21T15:59:00.000-08:00

Ry had his Christmas program on Friday. It was very bittersweet for me. This is my 4th preschool Christmas program that I have attended with my boys and it will be my last preschool program I will attend with my boys. Amazing to me that it is gone... so fast!

Ry did a great job and tried to sing really loud but he just doesn't have a loud voice. He was so cute up there though and knew all the sings by heart... he had been singing them to me everyday for about 3 weeks.

Holiday Parade

2009-12-21T15:55:00.000-08:00

A couple weeks ago they had the Christmas Parade here in Homedale. I was worried because the week before it had been below 0 and there was no way I was taking the kids to the parade in that kindof weather. But the day of the parade it had made it up to about 20 degrees. That is the only good thing about it being below 0... it defenitely redefines cold.

They boys had a blast and got a huge amount of candy for as cold and wet as it was.

Catching Up

2009-12-21T15:50:00.000-08:00

I have a few posts to catch up on so that is what I am currently working on... however I ask that you bear with me on these as I am currently heavily medicated on Sudafed. I refuse to be sick over Christmas so I doped myself up on Sudafed and Tylenol and am hoping to get over this crap I have recently acquired. Anyone who knows me knows that me taking Sudafed is the equivalent of a normal person taking Ativan (an extremely heavy narcotic). I just cannot tolerate the stuff and don't take it unless deemed absolutely necessary. Since I have nowhere I absolutely have to be until Thursday I figured now was as good as any to take it. And it will take me until about Wed. to recover from said meds.

Christmas cards minus me

2009-11-30T08:30:00.000-08:00

I ordered our Christmas cards yesterday and I had a picture I wanted so badly to use on them. The problem is I am not in it... so i thought of ways to photo shop myself in but in the end it really didn't work out. So everyone is getting Christmas Cards that say from Josh, Lindsey, Jace and Rylan Love but there is no me. I LOVED LOVED LOVED this picture so much in fact I orderd an 8x10 of it and it really is the perfect Christmas picture.

I know it is strange to do a Christmas card from the family and then not have the whole family in it but that is just the way I am.

Dog Tired

2009-11-30T07:33:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Josh took Katey duck hunting on the river for the morning. She did great for him but was wiped out when they got back. After several minutes of searching my house for her... I found her.

Please don't look at the horribly messy closet... but instead at the cute animal inside of it. She retreated to my dirty clothes basket when she had no other way of getting away from my boys. What can I say... they are boys and slightly rambunctious, which most of the time bothers her.