No room at the inn!

Last night I gained added insight into the nativity and the kids learned a thing or two.

We had combined with a couple of families to have a special family night. Shania and Andrew were the only two of our kids that made it to the event, but that is a whole different story and suffice it to say, we'll be trying again when behavior is better. Good luck!!!

Anyway, since we didn't have any little kids to play the parts the teenagers and older kids had to step in (they were thrilled to death) and the adults were playing the part of the innkeepers. The grandmother of one of the families was designated as the first innkeeper and the conversation began as such:

Knock on door

Innkeeper: Hello?

Joseph: Do you have any rooms?

Innkeeper: Are you married?

Joseph: Uhhhh . . . .

Innkeeper: Well, I guess I don't have any room.


We were laughing so hard we had to stop the whole production. And what was even funnier was the grandma just sat there with a smile on her face as if there wasn't a single problem with what she had said.

Things don't change and too bad you can't follow through in today's world as grandma did last night.

Dexter on the town!

The kids dressed up Dexter and he was ready to take on the world.





You can tell he looks absolutely thrilled!!!

Onion body armor

I usually refrain from advertising my good looks and otherwise covetous features. But, as many of you will want to adopt some of my fashion sense and beauty secrets I thought I would flatter myself just this once.

Deal of the Week!

I don't know about you, but shopping has gotten me completely befuddled and wanting to stay clear of anything that requires shelling out money. Here it is how many days until Christmas? and I'm still trying to figure out what gifts I can get from the kids' extensive lists. It isn't that I don't have ideas or their lists are lacking, oh no!!! That would be the easy part.

Come here, we have the deal of the century -- oh did we forget to mention you have to sign all these contracts, deals, etc. before you get the good price. My store is better -- oh did we forget to mention we don't have the item in stock any more. What do you mean it costs how much???? It is plastic for crying out loud.

So, the battle goes on and you will find me on Christmas Eve frantically addressing gift cards because the hard drive of my brain just crashed and I am told there are no more upgrades for my model.

My Childhood Home

My childhood home. It was a grand, old farmhouse. Located at 1297 Old Darby Road (later changed to 2811 Old Darby Road), Darby, Montana, was fondly nicknamed “The White House” – whether by envious neighbors or because of the many people coming and going didn’t matter. To me, it was a palace, an incredible masterpiece that demanded the attention of a four, year old wrapped in the world of make-believe.

It didn’t take long for the oil drum for the furnace outside the window of the family room to be changed into a giant horse, which when painted white to match the siding on the house became the white stallion that would save all the damsels in distress.

The steep, narrow stairs to the upstairs became a perfect “mountain” for those rainy or snowy days on pillowcases or cookie sheets. You took your life in your own hands if you happened to walk around the corner on one of our many sledding expeditions.

The balcony outside my parents’ bedroom hosted many a scene from Romeo and Juliet. Not to mention ways of “breaking” into the mansion when we inadvertently locked ourselves out while playing Sherlock Holmes.

The ¾ wrap around porch was the arena for all of our olympic skating events, basketball tournaments, circus performances on the metal railings, and hours of sanding and painting.

The plaster walls in our bedrooms became wonderful and exciting archaeological digs for those evenings when sleep wouldn’t come and we were to “entertain” ourselves quietly in our beds.

The dungeon, or root cellar, filled hours of imagination as we crawled through spider webs, mouse droppings, jumped from apple barrel to apple barrel, swung from nylons full of onions, and even nursed baby kittens found under the stairs.

I’m sure my parents never dreamed of the games of hide-and-seek in the dirty clothes in the laundry, racing around the “oval” the stairs made of the outside rooms as we screeched and yelled in games of tag, late nights with the older siblings listening to their stories which at times ended in broken windows, the broken tiles on the roof left as evidence of sneaking from room-to-room not in the house but outside on the overhang, or the wonderful telephone games we would play as we shouted to each other through the heater vents.

My childhood home was filled with smells of baking bread, delicious meals, music, laughter, a flurry of activity, loving parents, quiet moments of reading, gospel study, and happy memories. I love and miss my childhood home – even more now that I need to create one of my own.

Our Crowning Jewels!!

Miffed and sniffing!!!!

I am writing and getting a load off my chest -- I knew there was something there under all of that!!

I all want you to know the reason my blog is boring and pathetic looking. You see, my mentor has taken an unauthorized sabbatical. While I am here sweating and grimacing at this stupid computer, she is home being waited on hand and foot. Let me paint you a picture, thus helping you all feel my pain and suffering.

For a week she had servants selecting her menu, doing the shopping, and literally putting the food right in her body. Laundry??? We won't even go there. Sheets were changed, fresh towels provided, and her pillow plumped on demand. Royalty is what comes to mind when I think of the patience of the attendants even changing her clothes. She didn't even have to change the toilet paper roll. I even heard from the spider on the wall there were times she was so caught up in herself she had the hired help bring the bathroom facilities to her. Talk about first-rate service.

A nice, little, old lady came and would read to her, fix her hair, be her answering service, and even crocheted a blanket that she would wrap herself in.

When it was time for exercise, the machines were brought to her. I also heard from my "spider" that if my mentor decided she was too tired to exercise the hired help would push the machine for her. What will they think of next?

She has since relocated. She got tired of the hired help she originally had and has now moved on. Some people can be so ungrateful. She now lounges in bed and chats with her friends on the Internet. She will tell you she is homebound, but my "spider" told me she was seen carousing around the school during school hours.

So, here I sit. Wallowing in my incompetence. Completely lost and cursing. Don't you feel sorry for me?

Blast from the past!

Last night I decided that I would try my culinary skills and invest in some time and effort in educating my children on the finer things of life. I searched my cookbooks, wrote down ingredients, went to the grocery store, searched the Internet on how to cook said ingredients, and then placed the delicacies in front of my children with a hopeful expression on my face. What could be better than pureed, butternut squash. Yummmy!!!!

Oh, this was going to be good. I could hardly wait for them to scoop the smooth, creamy, yellow vegetable into their watering mouths. The look of shear delight that would beam across their angelic faces as they let the flavors soak into their taste buds. The sounds of satisfaction with this new found taste as they would be asking for more. The suspense was almost killing me, but the anticipation was worth it.

But alas, my bubble was shattered. No looks of enjoyment from their beautiful faces. No ooohs and aaaahhhs as the flavors danced across their tongues. No jumping in line to get more. No praises for the efforts of their bedraggled mother. My ears were assaulted with gagging sounds. And then there were watering eyes, dry heaves, pinched noses, exclamations of disgust, and "Oh, Mom, this is so gross."

At last!!!! I have reached true motherhood. I went, I struggled, and I conquered. I feel true release from all the pain and suffering I felt as a child. I have reached a pinnacle of true bliss. No mother can truly feel the joy of laughing at their children's expense without having suffered first themselves. I feel I have passed on a legacy. From mother, to daughter, and then onto child. The cycle will continue. And . . . . I . . . . have come out the winner!!!! Oh, words cannot explain the deep satisfaction of knowing I have given my children an experience they will never forget. And, here I will now allow myself a cruel chuckle. Bring on the liver -- I can hardly wait!!!!

Remember, keep it simple!!

Do you ever hear the phrases, "You are making things too complicated. Keep it simple."?? How many times have we fretted over a problem or situation only to have a simple solution presented by a third party? Last night was such an occasion.

I love math. It is straight forward, black and white, there is always a solution, and numbers do not lie -- until I went to BYU and learned about imaginary numbers and my world fell apart. But I digress.

Shania was working on finding functions for plotted points on a graph. The short of it is, if you have a number in the y-axis and a number in the x-axis, by finding the function you can find any number on either axis. Sounds simple, right? Actually, it is and I usually have a good time at it.

So, here we were with a bunch of numbers for "y" and a bunch of numbers for "x". Shania and I worked those numbers in so many different ways we were going crazy. After we tried multiplying, dividing, using fractions, exponents, and trying everything again, I finally told her we needed to call her teacher because we were definitely missing something and I was sure it was something simple.

Well, the telephone call was made and as it turns out, it was a simple subtraction problem. It was so simple. I can't wait to see her teacher today and have a good laugh over that one.

Simplicity -- life is simple, the gospel of Jesus Christ is simple, the simplest and easiest route is usually the quickest, problems broken down into simpler situations are easier -- simplicity.

Okay, so now I have to get my butt off this chair, go take a shower, finish getting dinner ready for this evening, finish my telephone calls for church, exercise, finish the laundry, go through my "to-do" list for today which I'm sure includes cleaning of house, get kids' uniforms and everything ready for soccer tonight, pick up kids, have piano lessons, do homework and reading with kids, and . . . . Did I forget anything? Simple!!!!

God's creation

It never ceases to amaze me the beauties that surround us, if we would just open our eyes. I took Shania to Susanville (112 miles) for her soccer game today -- which their team won and she received the praise of her coach as being the only one that played her position perfectly -- brag, brag!!! But that wasn't what I wanted to write about.

As we drove over the mountain, I couldn't get enough of the magnificent, pine trees that lines the road. The leafing trees (I won't pretend that I know any of the names of any of the trees around here) were changing colors and the brilliant golds, reds, and yellows were scattered all through the forests. As I came up over different peaks and saw into the little valleys, I could see small streams or a couple of lakes that were tucked back away from the chaos of the road and cars that zoomed by.

Off in the distance, next to a grove of fallen trees I spotted a couple of deer. One was eating while the other was watching as sentinel.

How can anyone deny that there is a loving Heavenly Father and not marvel at the creation that He placed before us for our enjoyment? How can anyone say that there isn't a purpose for our existence or that we are not the crowning glory of His vast creations?

Yet, it has recently been brought to my attention that both Levi's and PG&E (Pacific Gas & Electric -- the big utility company here) are paying large sums of money to defeat the bill to protect marriage. The opposite of what this bill stands for that will violate the ultimate gift that can be given to all mankind.

When one steps back and looks at the grand scheme of the universe or even the little ant that walks through the grass in the yard, if that person would stop and let the spirit whisper to his heart, there is no denying our Heavenly Father exists, our Saviour, Jesus Christ, helped to create all of this Earth for us, and wants us to return to live with Him again.

A humbling thought when we realize that not only has He given this to us, but He can take it away. I can't imagine the pain our Heavenly Father must feel at the misunderstandings and abuse that we allow the adversary to introduce into our lives.

I'm thankful for those quiet moments when I can reflect on the love of Jesus Christ and the assurance that floods my mind knowing I can have faith in Him and turn to Him, working toward returning to Him someday.

Dad, but I need . . . .

Oh, the injustice. The long explanations and reasoning behind each detail. The mournful pleas and countless ways of trying to explain the same thing. Only to be confronted each time with . . . "Do you NEED it or do you WANT it? Well, in that case, you can't have it." The fastest way to lose it all was to profess the dying need for something.

To the hormone clouded mind, there was no difference. If you want it, doesn't it mean you need it to soothe your feverish desires to fit in and be part of every one else. Of course, every one else had it or was doing it -- that is what it was all about. Never mind the sensibility of each request. The important thing was the need.

How could parents be so insensitive to their children's needs? If they really loved them, the parents would see to it the child had all of those much needed and important things. Yet, in the end, all the kids heard was how much they would thank their parents when they had their own. Yeah, right!!!!

Well, a million years later, here I am and just the other day I about fell off my chair. "Son, do you really NEED it or do you just WANT it? Now, really think about it. What is the truth? Do you need help figuring it out?" Yikes!!! Where did that come from? I swore I would never say or do those things. Alas, the more I "mature" the more I realize how like my parents I am becoming. I thank my Heavenly Father daily that I had good parents that I could become like.

So, good luck kids. You don't have a prayer of a chance. I learned from the best and they say each generation gets better than the last. That should mean I'm just about perfect -- hee, hee!!

Lightening -- the true purpose

I have geniuses living in my house. Our conversations revolve around such deep subjects as the reason those "air men" that are outside car dealerships have to have the air blown into them all the time so they won't deflate, why it would be better to have a snake instead of a turtle, the mechanics of a mechanical pencil and the logic behind it being better than the ones that need to be sharpened, and other mind blowing subjects like how the booger got on the door.

Yet, it never ceases to amaze me how these little minds work and the logic that is used to explain phenomenons that don't seem to serve any purpose. The other day I was driving with McCade and there was a plume of smoke from a fire in front of us. We were discussing how the fire got started. McCade, with all the wisdom of a 4 year old, said, "It was caused by lightening."

"Really," I replied.

"Yes. And did you know why we have lightening? It is because Heavenly Father is cleaning up."

And, there you have it. A true mark of brilliance.

Shirly Temple has nothing on my princess!!!

Drum roll please . . . .



Isn't she the cutest thing you've ever seen?


I won't even begin to tell you how long this took.

Check out those curls!!


Work it girl!!!




Now for the throne . . . .



Check out the toilet paper . . .


Don't miss the torn jeans . . . .


This is definitely high class!!!

Now enters the prince . . . .


Sweet, sweet, sweet!!!


And they lived happily ever after.

School supplies

Back in the day . . . you know which ones I'm talking about. Walk up hill both ways, wind blowing in our faces, snow ten feet deep, bare foot, etc., etc. Life was much simpler. A couple of pencils, notebook, maybe a box of crayons, glue that you were told not to eat -- or sniff, those great erasers you could stick on the end of your pencils, and if you were older and more "mature" you could sneak in a pen. Your one electronic device in the "later years" was a basic calculator and it was pretty cool if it had a memory on it.

Remember the "trapper keeper"??? That was high tech and you were a nerd if you didn't have one. Glue sticks!!! That was an amazing invention and everyone scrambled to be the first to have one in their school paraphernalia. Not to mention the deluxe box of crayons with its own sharpener in the back.

Got the list from the school for the kids' supplies. What happened to the neat little box of crayola crayons? Now you have to have the ones that don't crumble, stain, can be erased, only mark on specially designed paper, have a computer chip in them that won't work if you take your neighbor's, sharpen by themselves, digitally tell you what colors you are creating when you mix them, have voice commands to tell you when you are running out, and downloads to a million Internet sites or nearest store for the cheapest price to purchase new ones.

A flash drive with a lanyard? What in the world is that? I realize I am a dinosaur in the space age, but what's next? Individual laptops with wireless connections to the Internet and teleport stations? What happened to simplicity?

I am sooo old school. I believe in a little elbow grease and "wrinkle" brow research. Got a subject to study? Good!!! Pull out the encyclopedias, reference books, trip to the Library, and good ole' communication. After, back it up with the Internet. Math problem? Take it to the pencil and paper. Work it out, scratch it out, go through a ream of paper, whatever it takes. Figure out the answer and why, then take it to the calculator.

My kids are so deprived. What they wouldn't give for a "new" age mom!! Stuck in the dark ages. They should be thanking their lucky stars -- I just allowed them to have electricity. What am I going to have to give them next?

I'm a Princess!!!!

Which Disney Princess Are You?

You Are Ariel!

Headstrong and fiesty. You have a mind of your own that's full of romantic dreams about the world around you. Exploring exotic places is your ultimate dream, and although you can be a little naive you'll realize that there is something to be gained from your family's wisdom.

Following the prophet -- at all costs . . . .

Some people say they have a green thumb. Others say theirs is a slight shade of purple. And others will confess their thumb is closer to the color black. If a black thumb means your gardening is less than par, what possible colors can be left for those of us that can't even grow dirt???


I tried to do as I was told. I planted at the right time. There were tomatoes, beans, cucumbers, peppers, and carrots. I even planted things that technically shouldn't grow in our hot climate. Our lettuce deteriorated on the spot -- no surprise there. My peas thrived for about a month and then succumbed to the harsh realities of nature.


Yet, as often happens to me, not only did I not get a single tomato and as you can see my cucumber plants have definitely seen better days, the only "harvest" I was able to squeeze out of my pathetic garden was four winter peas.


Yes, you read correctly. In a climate where vegetables like peppers, beans, and cucumbers thrive on heat -- I have failed. And vegetables that shouldn't even break the surface in the glaring heat of the sun brought forth their best and gave me a couple of winter peas to enjoy.



Mother nature is cruel. If it isn't my lack of gardening thumbs, it is the jack rabbits. But, I planted. My family will starve if we ever need to rely on my "skills", but I will prevail and try again . . . . . . later!!!

AAAAHHHH -- Who let that in the house????

Can you believe this? You turn your back for just a minute and the riff-raff thinks it can move in!!!! Honestly, do I really have to clean up behind all the appliances? I thought if you ignores it, then it wasn't there.



Visions of Portugal, sewers in the streets, torrential rains, and many other creepy crawlers haunt my dreams!! Who needs exotic destinations, rainforests, humid jungles? Just come and visit our house. But beware -- I don't divulge what is in the soup!!!

The results are in!!!

Okay, the amazing results are in. Drum roll please . . . . . . I finished!!!! Well, that wasn't too exciting, but considering the fact that I haven't been exercising more than a couple of times in the past month, I feel pretty darn good about my results.

Now for you real triathaloners the Lite is really just a sneeze. But for us beginners, it was a real eye opener. My first realization came when I learned that the place at which I exercise lied to me about the length of their pool. They told me it was 25 m. When I got to the place this morning I thought the pool I would be swimming in must be 50 m because it was sooo big. I calculated we would be doing 5 laps, no biggy. Only to be told that it was really 25 m and we would be swimming 9 laps -- I about hyperventilated on the spot. I told myself it couldn't be that bad. I swim for an hour at a time. We had to be done in 10 minutes, can't be that hard.

Realization #2 -- I had never shared a lane with another person before.

Realization #3 -- Where here I thought I was a good swimmer, I got lapped by my lane partner. Do you know what an energy drain it is to watch your lane partner get out of the pool and realize you still have another lap to go? I can swim, but apparently not very fast!!

Realization #4 -- Trying to put on spandex shorts after you swim is a not a good idea. I got my toes caught in one of the legs and about fell over trying to shove my foot through the fabric. Doesn't work!!! It just continues to stretch.

Realization #5 -- I put my shoes out by the bike and if you walk to your bike with wet feet in the dirt and stickers, putting your shoes on is a major problem.

Realization #6 -- There is a HUGE difference between a mountain bike and a road bike. I know, my eyes are still burning from the wind as those road bikers went flying past.

Realization #7 --The bike ride for me was definitely the easy part. Getting off the bike and trying to stand up and try running takes an incredible amount of coordination.

Realization #8 -- Whoever said the transition from riding the bike to running is difficult, LIED!!! It is dreadful and absolutely mind boggling. I felt like my legs were rubber and were numb for the first 100 yards.

Realization #9 -- There is an end to every race and the finish line stays in one place, even if it feels they had to have moved it.

Realization #10 -- I had a great time, loved it, and can't wait to do another one. Of course, now that I know what to expect and I can prepare better.


Honestly though, I really had a good time. I wanted to do this for fun and to finish. The first person across the finish line did it in 21 minutes. The time for the first female was 27 minutes. I crossed in 38.12 minutes. Not too bad. There were about 50 entries of which at least 40 were young enough to be my children. Of the ones in my age group (they didn't separate out) I think I finished right up there.

I'm proud of myself and look forward to another one. For those of you that are thinking of it, get out there. For those of you that are experienced and run the sprint or more, even if it is only one or two, my hat is off to you. I look forward to one day being among you.

A ghostly realm . . .

A peaceful setting . . . . All looks well . . . . Tucked in for the night . . . .

Where are the people????

Morgan: "They're ghosts, Mom." Who needs dolls and barbies?
Just a couple of pieces of clothes and we're happy as clams.

The world we live in!

I don't write much. Frankly, my life is pretty mundane and boring. Not to mention the fact that my computer is at the back of the house and if I sit down and face the screen little sirens go off in the kids' heads indicating that mom is out of the room and therefore they think they have full reign of the house. Never a good combination!!

This morning, I couldn't let this opportunity slip by. The kids are drooling comatose in front of the television watching some pointless brain drain. If I make this quick, they won't even know I'm gone.

For those of you that don't live in California the politics of our "fabulous" state may not have come to your attention. Then again, if you are living in one of those 25 states waiting with baited breath for the outcome of our election, then you are very much aware of the international dilemma facing us as voters. I say international because it will affect all of us worldwide. What is that you ask? We are getting ready to vote on one of the most devastating items of our time -- gay marriage.

In 2000 this bill came up on the ballots and was shot down, only by a small margin, but it was shot down nonetheless. It has now come up again because the Supreme Court overruled the previous ruling. The ramifications are beyond my scope of understanding. Sunday, our Bishop came in to Relief Society and Priesthood and spoke to us about the concern the Church has for the outcome of this vote here in California. He said that never before has he seen the Church take such a public stand on any issue before and we will be asked as members of the Church to stand up and make our beliefs known. The Church is asking us to get politically involved and do all we can to stop this bill from making it on the ballots in November. When this item came up previously, other religious denominations were against it but financially didn't want to get involved. This time, they are offering their support. I fear it might be too late.

It's just a "gay marriage bill" you say. Yes, it is wrong, but what harm can it do to the Church? The Bishop talked to us extensively about a meeting he had with stake presidents and area authorities this past week about what this bill truly means and what they are trying to push through. If this bill passes here in California, not only will 25 other states who are waiting for the outcome will pass the bill, but the bill wants to legalize gay marriage and it will put a mandate against denying marriage to gays on every official that is authorized to perform marriages. That includes all faiths, yes the LDS faith as well. Legally, they will be able to attack our complete belief system. Our bishop expressed his deepest feelings about what this could mean for each priesthood holder that may be asked to perform a gay marriage. I am sure there are other areas of this topic that haven't been shared with us and may be shared in the future.

We are definitely living it the last days. Countless times we have heard from the brethren about strengthening home and families against the onslaught of the adversary. More than ever, I feel the need to protect our families and all that we hold dear. We hear that the downfall of nations begins with breakdown of families. Not that this is the beginning of the breakdown of families, but I fear that California is on the brink of tipping the scales to non-reparable damage. The waves of devastation will be felt throughout the world.

Please keep us in your prayers. We will need the faith and prayers of everyone to keep this from moving forward.

We train 'em early

We have been taught to teach our children to work. We have been taught not to give handouts to our children -- they need to put forth an honest effort to get a return on their investment. We here in Redding, CA believe in this principle and feel strongly in teaching our children when they are young. In fact, we hold nothing back. Call it slave labor, if you wish. We call it preparing for the future. Someone has to debug those darn trees!!!!

California Cowboys

You remember Wayne Archambo (can't remember how to spell the name) that lived above us in Darby? His comment was, "Big hat, no cows." Love that saying. I would love to hear his comment on this one!!! Cutest dang "cowboys" I ever did see though.

Simple mathematics!

Here's a real kick in the pants. I learned that to gain 1 pound you have to eat 3500 more calories than you burn off in one day. On the flip side, to LOSE 1 pound you have to burn 3500 more calories than you eat in one day.

Simple math really, but I could have sworn to gain a pound it requires a sniff and to lose a pound you had to eat carrots and lettuce, workout all day, avoid all appearances of enjoying food, plug your nose whenever you saw something that might taste good, always walk everywhere you go, never sit down and stop thinking because your metabolism will shut down, sleep on the treadmill, then get off the treadmill, shower, and start your day all over again.

Who knew? All I have to do is burn 3500 more calories than I eat. Oh vey!!! I'm already behind.

Yeah!!! It's raining!!!

I woke up this morning to blessed rain. It isn't often that I get excited for cloudy skies and rainy weather. I mean, after all, the kids will be in the house all day driving me and each other absolutely crazy. But at this time, we are in desperate need of moisture. I realize that a couple drops of the wet stuff isn't going to do too much to nourish the parched earth, but we'll take everything we can get. When I look out my window and see the brown grass, the cracked dirt, and dying flowers I'm thankful that we are getting a small reprieve from the scorching sun.

Okay, truth be told, I am the one getting the reprieve. This means I don't have to water my garden, my flowers might have a fighting chance, and the dead "grass" (more like weeds) is getting the attention it deserves. Oh, wonderful rain!!! Now I can go back to bed and ignore my duties.

Sundays -- what is it about Sundays!!!

Now I realize this might come as complete shock to most of you, but I have to admit that I'm struggling with the whole "Sunday" thing. I know, knock me right off the pedestal.

Honestly though. I spend hours trying to prepare throughout the week. I read the lessons, try to think happy thoughts, get geared up and say this Sunday will be different, try to prepare the house, etc., etc., etc. Sunday morning rolls around and the circus begins. Our church doesn't begin until 1:00 p.m. Problem numero uno (I know I'm sinking to a Spanish low, but it doesn't sound as good in Portuguese). How do you keep the Sabbath spirit all morning with the kids? Then there is the bathing, dressing, making sure they have lunch without spilling on their clothes, changing the clothes, run out the door (you'd think we'd be on time . . . . after all we've had ALL morning), and rush to find our seats.

Next, show time. The kids are hungry (Did I bring snacks? No, we just ate!!), they don't like who they are sitting next to, musical chairs begin as they try and negotiate a new position on the bench, the bag that's packed isn't "interesting" enough and it is more fun to bother the closest sibling, they try and snag a "meal" from the sacrament tray, etc., etc., etc.

By the time the meeting is over, the parents look like they've been through a tornado. Forget any hairdo or make-up that might have been in place when you left the house. That is long gone. The clothes are a wrinkled mess and the bench looks like Hurricane Andrew crashed through. I look over at Karsten and wonder why in the world do I do this to myself every single week. Did we get anything out of that?

And it doesn't stop there. Oh, no. We still have the afternoon/evening to come home to. My nice clean house doesn't exist (I swear Gremlins live in my house and trash it while we are at church), the kids are too hungry to wait for dinner and therefore the dinner isn't eaten when it is made, all the pent-up energy explodes as we get in the door, and I'm thinking to myself, "Okay, the Sabbath is a day of rest, a day of worship, of recharging ones' "batteries", and gearing up for the following week." HOW COME IT KEEPS MISSING MY HOUSE?????

Out in the Wild!!!

The kids had their school camping trip this weekend at Whiskeytown Lake.

OOOOhhhhh baby! As Kaela said, "You look like a super model, Mom." Ignorance is DEFINITELY bliss.

Morgan in her painting class by the lake.

Morgan & McCade helping Daddy guide the canoe.

Drum roll please . . . . yes, that is me in the back of that kayak with Kaela and Andrew.

Andrew conquerors the lake.

Kaela taking a much needed rest on our hike of Shasta Bally
(1.5 miles with 2000 vertical feet -- and we that was only a 1/4 of the way up).

Our hiking group taking a rest with Shania in the long, sleeve red shirt.
She was worried about sunburn (according to her mom).

Logan is proof of a successful camping trip.

Diminishing mental capacity

I am really struggling with this whole "mind" thing. I h ave heard countless explanations for my lack of mental abilities. Everything ranging from age, kids, to "I didn't have it in the first place". But seriously, what is happening to me? I can't keep anything straight anymore. I can't remember something more than a few minutes. And forget about multi-tasking!!! I was queen at doing a million things at once. I am now doing the "pick something out of the refrigerator and can't remember if I was using it or putting it back" syndrome. I'm making light of the situation, but truthfully, it is exhausting me and making it very difficult to have a positive outlook on life.

No Dog = more work

Who knew??? I mean, here I was thinking that my life would be so much easier and have so much more time on my hands once Tasha found a new home. That is not so. What has occurred to me is how much Tasha really helped in the house cleaning department. Since she has been gone, I have spent more time sweeping my floors, vacuuming my rugs, picking up food items (which were never supposed to leave the kitchen), scraping dishes before they go in the dishwasher (just kidding!!!), and not to mention worrying about food dropped. Before I could just look at it and know that "hoover" would be along shortly to rake in the spoils. Albeit I now have more brain space in which my thoughts can get lost now that I don't have to constantly be on guard as to where Tasha is. I do have to say that I discovered the mystery of her incredible weight gain and dislike for her own food. So, thanks to the earthquake knocking all the dust off the ceiling, etc. I now have to wear goo-gone on the bottom of my feet to keep them from sticking to the floors. Where is Tasha now that I REALLY do need her????

Blasted earthquake!!!!

Last night, I was reading and minding my own business when I could have sworn my ceiling was caving in. It all started with a slight shaking of my couch, which I yelled at the kids for disturbing my reading only to remember they were all in bed and couldn't have bumped the couch. I looked up and was attacked by huge, killer dust bombs. After gasping, panting, and flailing my arms to ward off this onslaught of enemy artillery I rolled out of my blanket cocoon and huddled on the floor. "Did you feel the earthquake?", Karsten yelled from the back room. Oh great, now my house is going to fall down.

It's bad enough when you shuffle down the halls of the house and realize the only reason you can't pick up the pace is because all of your energy is being spent lifting your feet above the rising tide of debris left by well-intentioned children. Now I have to worry about my house falling down because the dust that is holding everything together is being jarred loose by offending earthquakes.

I had nightmares last night. You would have thought it was about the building falling on my children and wondering if laying next to their beds would be a safe place. You know you read about the places to be when an earthquake hits and one of them is next to furniture so when things fall they can lay on an open space. No, those weren't my nightmares. Mine involved mountains of dust that would sift down through the cracks. Have you ever seen the movies of volcanoes and the dust that is in the air? That would be my house.

I don't believe the earthquake last night was a sign to me that I need to get my food storage, etc. in order. No, actually, it was more of a sign that if I don't get my house clean I wont' be able to find my kids without a bulldozer. And just when I was beginning to enjoy my book!!!!

Sophistication at it's finest!!

Now, you do have to realize that we were raised in a very proper home, learned all the forms of etiquette, and therefore are considered the most refined and polished young ladies. Our every action and mannerism drips with the poise and grace that so defines our lives. Our husbands adore us and our children can't wait to grow up and be just like us.

I've made it!!!!

Miracles never cease. As my kids say, "Welcome to the twentieth-century, Mom." Of course, I couldn't have done this without my sister, Madusa. So, if there are any errors or things that look funny or don't make any sense -- it is all HER fault.