This is my handsome baby brother. He is on his mission right now in California, enjoying warmer weather than we are here... but that is okay. I just wanted to say I am proud of him and that he is a pretty cool kid, who has a pretty cool gal waiting for him.

So I thought I better start with a picture, it is more fun that way. I am a little bummed today. I was going to get liscensed to do daycare in my home, but I can not. I live in a Mobile Home zoned area. I payed alot for our house, only to find out I live in a mobile home... I thought Modular homes were supposed to be better than manufactured. Hold their value, resell better, be better quality... but I might as well be living in a single wide for all the good it is doing me. I could have a residential home for disabled or elderly (like a rise home or a beehive house) but not an in home daycare. Like I am a daycare center! I just want to watch kids instead of working outside the home. And I could attempt to change the zoning, but apparently that won't help and I still wouldn't be able to do it. How dumb is that. Here is the other factor, the largest daycare center in Vernal has just closed it's doors. It was registered over 100 kids. Now tell me where they are all going to go for care? That is right! No where. I am just frustrated with the whole governmental system. I am sorry for people that are thinking more government is the answer.

So, now enough of my rant. I am sorry for neglecting my blog. I have been slightly crazy with the holidays coming and going and all that is involved with it. I have been making two quilts, and although they are not perfect, actually far from it, I am almost done. I just need to sew the binding on to the edges. Then I will be done and can wrap them. I am also making 3 baby quilts for my two girls and the girl I babysit. I also need to start Lily's gift of a bathrobe and Anna's gift of a robe/dress that she can wear when she goes swimming. It is all good, and yes I will finish in time.

I hope the holidays go well for all of you, and I will post pics of the stuff I have made when I finish them.

Sherbet

It's over... and at the same time it begins....

So today everyone with the political fire is back to normal. I felt compelled to stay up and see how it all shook out. It wasn't who I voted for, but as I watched everything unfold, I saw some interesting things.

First, anyone who can get voters to turn out in the masses they turned out in, and wait 3-4 hours in some cases just to vote, deserves a little respect. Second, I really believe that some of the people were not very informed in their decision (and that goes for both candidates). Third, John McCain showed a lot of class in his speech following the announcement that he had lost. Fourth, Barack Obama made a lot of good points in his speech (i.e. government can't fix everything, our nation needs to come together, the root ideals that the republican party is based on are ideals we should all have and strive to share, this election showed that people and their vote do count, etc.)

I lay awake most of the night thinking of what I would post here. There was alot that went through my head. I think Barack won't be so bad if he can lead this nation the way he led his campaign, and get the masses involved. I also think he has an uphill battle as he tries to help people understand things are not going to be great over night and that people still have to take responsibilities for their own problems and actions. I think this is a momentous occasion that we will look back on and say I was alive when we as a nation elected the first African American to the office of president.

Barack brought people out and united so many minority groups that if this continues, and our country unites, as it states in our name the United States of America, then our nation has a great and bright future in front of it.

Everyone has something to offer as far as ideas and different points of view go. I am grateful to have stayed up and had the opportunity to see many different peoples.

So let's see what the future holds, with an open mind, understanding, and no judgements or "I told you so"s.

Pics from Halloween

Oh, the joy of Halloween. I am not gonna lie, I do love it. I love to dress up every year, and while I contemplated not dressing up this year, at the last minute I knew I had to, out of principle. I will not go out being a boring Mommy. I was a pirate, and my kids helped me scrounge my costume together last minute. Which was nice of them, cuz I was not a happy camper most of the day....

And no, there is not a picture of me in my costume, as I have to be the one taking the picture. Blaine was at work. But he did get home in the nick of time to go with us, and we did just hit the family's houses and then once around our neighborhood. We went with some friends up the street, the Crane's, and that made it more fun to take a long walk around the big block, in the dark, with kids already hyped up on sugar and racing one another to the next house.

All in all it was a good Halloween, and we still have candy, and the good kind too. Surprise surprise. Anywho, they had fun, I had fun, and on the sunday following, we had great milk shakes with lots of chocolate bar candy in them with our dinner. (I know really nutritious, but they did get their calcium and vitamin D from the milk and Ice cream, right? And it was with dinner...)

I did go and vote today, and feel better after finally deciding to go and getting it done. Just so you all know, I did vote McCain. I respect each person's opinion to vote as their conscience directs them, so if you disagree it is fine with me.

I need to add here that I am most bothered by people who are so closed minded and refuse to see something from another persons point of view. I try, and while I may not agree with them, I still respect that they can have convictions different than mine. I just don't think it is productive in any way, shape, or form to resort to degrading and biased name calling, or slurs, or even to condem someone who is differnt than yourself, just because they are not like you or they have a different view than you do. Tolerance for EVERYONE no matter our differences is something that I think we should all work on. I am not saying I am perfect, but diversity is what makes this world so great and we can appreciate each person the way they are.

Okay now that I have that off my chest, I feel better. And the person who sparked this rant will never read this blog, even though this person is a relative. (i.g. my family never reads my blog, any of them) so I feel better getting it out, although I wouldn't mind them seeing this, but I know it wouldn't change their opinion.

So enough of my soap box. The season for Thankfulness is upon us, and a time to count our blessings. Maybe take some time to be thankful for the country we live in, even though it has some flaws, and be grateful we can spout our opinions out.

Pictures! Pictures! Pictures!

Here is my wonderful Husband!

Here is my bro and I at the concert the other night. He is the lead singer of Awaiting Daybreak.

Here he is in action!

Jam On!

Here I am with the band! (Me, Sheldon, Bob, and Brad)

Here I am with the keyboardist from the Hanks

Here I am with the drummer from the Hanks and Sheldon and his wife Teisha

Here is the singer from the Hanks and the bass guitarist, Me and Sheldon

And Here is the Bass guitarist from the Hanks and I.

It was an awesome concert, and I have to say, my bro and his band ROCK!!! They brought down the house and ripped it up! I am so proud of him and the rest of Awaiting Daybreak. There was another band after them and before the Hanks, but they weren't as good.

As for the Hanks..... they were so worth the concert. They are great! I loved it! The singer had everyone do interpretive dance of an elk just born, growing up, and then on the first hunt. It was hilarious! I was so impressed with them. They know how to work the crowd and will definately be huge one day!

Awaiting Daybreak

So, I hope this works. Here is my brother Sheldon's band Awaiting Daybreak. They rock!

Enjoy!!!!

Apparently I did it right, because it is trying to upload it, so I hope it works when it gets to the page.

I just have to figure out how to do all this to keep up with Ramanda, and all her cool tech savy-ness!

Also they are playing at the Elks Lodge in Vernal this Friday! Come watch them rock out!

No dice on the USB cable

So I was so excited to hook up my digital camera and put more pics on, but sadly I can't find the USB cable to make it work. I hate boxes of crap.

So now my next goal is to find the CD's that have the recent pics I got developed on them. Then I can put up some from at least sometime in the last year. And as I unpack more boxes, maybe I will find the USB cable I need. Maybe.

I also need to take more pictures. I have slacked off for the last couple of months, like I have been stressed with other things or something.

We are slowly unpacking and getting settled, and I am half anxious/excitged half dreading/loathing the ominous call from the bishopric that will signify a calling or a speaking assignment in sacrament meeting. It will be the beginning of the end of not having any responsibility, and at the same time will kind of be the "official" induction into the ward.

We did get the kids school pics yesterday, maybe I will try scanning them and posting them here later today.

Sherbet

So here is a copy of a recent article from the Vernal Express:

School board, parents, work closely together to get kids to school safely
by Tabatha Deans
5 days ago 32 views 0 0
Sherry Brokaw, parent and spokesperson for the Sunburst Terrace community, presented Uintah School District board members with a petition signed by parents in her community, requesting a school bus stop for the 43 children who live in Sunburst. Brokaw said she was concerned for the children’s safety as they walk the 1.5 miles to school, citing as safety hazards large truck traffic and lack of sidewalks. Areas within 1.5 miles of schools are considered “parental responsibility zones,” but during the Aug. 26 school board meeting, board members voted to reinstate bus services to two areas around Discovery Elementary and Ashley Elementary. Brokaw and members of the Sunburst community were hoping for the same consideration.“There’s already a bus that goes past there on its way to Quailbrook,” said Brokaw. “And it’s only half full.”Board members were sympathetic to Brokaw’s plight but were unable to satisfy her request for bus service. They referred Brokaw to her school community council, saying that every school zone is being surveyed for safety issues through community council meetings.School Board President Rodney Anderson said, “There’s no question that 500 West is hazardous,” and board member Perry Taylor added, “Sunburst is definitely on the list, but it’s an issue all through the district.”After the meeting Taylor talked with Brokaw about some misconceptions regarding the busing situation. Brokaw questioned why Quailbrook and Ashley received bus service so quickly.According to Taylor, the two routes were reinstated after a misunderstanding caused the board to discontinue them. Originally board members thought the routes would require new buses to continue and opted not to buy buses for the routes. When they realized their error, during the Aug. 26 board meeting, they reinstated the routes. The board is gathering information from each school and from parents surrounding the school about how many students walk, conditions of the streets, and parental ability to drive or walk their students to school. This information will be analyzed to determine which areas are the most dangerous.Taylor said the school board realizes walking is hazardous for the children, but even after identifying dangerous zones, the district is faced with the challenge of coming up with money to pay more bus drivers.“It’s a money issue,” said Taylor. “We have to be able to pay bus drivers enough to compete with the oilfield industry. Nobody wants to drive a school bus when they could be making more money driving a water truck.”Taylor said utilizing parent or community volunteers as unofficial crossing guards isn’t feasible because of liability issues, but the board is working with city and county officials to discuss the possibility of more school zones, signs around school zones and/or designated crossing areas.Parents of students who attend Davis Elementary expressed their concerns at school community council meetings within the past few weeks. Some felt their area/school was neglected by the school board and claimed their children were in extreme danger when walking to school, due to ongoing road construction that limits the walking area for students.Jayme Leyba, principal at Davis Elementary, said the school board has addressed their concerns.“We’re as dangerous as anybody else,” said Leyba. “Unfortunately our parents aren’t as vocal as some others, but the school board has been helpful. I think they’re working hard to come to a resolution.”Leyba said the board agreed to add one stop to an existing route near the school, and if parents can get their children to that neighborhood stop, the bus will pick them up. School board members will address each community’s concerns through community councils, and said they’re dedicated to ensuring that all students get to and from school safely.Concerned parents should contact their school’s principal for more information about commmunity council meetings.



So, I am slightly embarrassed and also laughing really hard about all of this. I feel worse for Perry Taylor. He gets this all the time. And here is a funny side note about his comment about the money end of it and how people would rather drive a water truck than a school bus. He is CEO of Western Petroleum, a trucking company! Ha Ha! Now they don't deliver water, but they do deliver fuel and have a relatively large fleet of CDL holding truck drivers.....

So here is the Community Spokesperson sigh-ning off

Sherbet

Here goes my first try

So here is me trying to put a pic on here. If anyone knows how to make this work, just in case this doesn't let me know.

So obviously it worked. This is a pic of my cousin Steph and I singing kareoke at a family reunion in 2004. I am glad I know how to do this now and will soon be posting recent pictures of me and my family to this blog.

Sherbet

New House

We are moved in and loving our new house. It is in a nice neighborhood and I am getting used to our new ward. I am still working on how to add pics to this whole thing and maybe one day I will figure it out.
Kids are loving school and doing well at it. Blaine is surviving his new job and still plugging away at school. He should graduate this fall with his bachelors in english, and huge milestone out of the way.
Not much else for now, so I hope you are all well out there.

Sherbet

For Sandman

So, no I am not dead. And so obviously I am still alive. I am, however, living with my mother, which is weird and wrong on so many levels. I can't say that it has all been bad though. Also, just so the question can be answered that is going through your head, yes my DH and kids are with me too. And no we are not getting divorced. Mother's-in-law are best liked from a distance, and there is no house big enough for two women. And that is that.

On the up side we are supposed to close on a house next week, and yeah I know I have written that so many times before, this time I really mean it. I hope. It is nice, brand new, four bedroom, two bath, with a killer master bathroom, and a modular home. I love it.

The kids are back in school again, and I am loving it. Well except the whole take them to school and pick them up thing. But that will pass when we get into our house. I guess then they will ride the bus and that will be awesome. Also, having a kindergartener sucks because the whole day is shot, because you have to be there to get your kindergartener at a specific time in the middle of the day. Pain in my butt.

On the upside, my bro, Sheldon, is in a band called Awaiting Daybreak. They played a kickin' concert tonight and then chilled with a record exec for a couple of hours. They could have big things in their future..... If you want to check them out, go to youtube and search for Awaiting Daybreak. I don't know how good the videos are, but they are there. Watchfor their newest song, Believe It to be onthere soon. It is awesome and totally rocks. I have had it stuck in my head for the past couple of days, but in the best way. Always wanting more.

Later,

Sherbet

Huge July BlowUp!

I guess it really isn't a fitting title, it actually sounds more like a sales ad slogan. There has just already been so much that has happened in July that it blows my mind! First the bad. Our good friend Ben got in a motorcycle accident. He cut an antelope in half. Rather impressive if he wouldn't have suffered so much damage from the stunt. He was in the twist west of Vernal, a place where you never see antelope. All in all he is lucky. Two-weeks later he is still in the hospital with broken ribs and a head injury that puts him on an emotional roller coaster. Now it isn't a secret that Ben and I have never been close, he is more Blaine's friend, and we have our difference's of opinion. But if you want to have a heated conversation about gun control, politics, or the state of our nation, he is the one to have it with. He is an amazing writer and a truly loyal friend. We are all praying he will get better fast so that he can come home soon!

Second, the good news. My sister Karen can't have a baby. She is unable to have children of her own accord. So unlike me that can get pregnant at the drop of a hat, she has gone through a constant struggle of knowing there is something out there she can't do, no matter how hard she tries. So she filled her life with travel with her husband and a really successful career in real estate. She owns two ReMax offices and was always right near the top of the list of selling agents. She outwardly appeared to have it all, but deep inside she knew something was missing. She knew she wanted to be a mother. So, they started looking at adoption. She has had so many ups and downs in the process, and it seemed heart ache after heart ache. But still she continued on. And finally this month, she recieved a call from her social worker saying a birth mother had chosen her to adopt her baby. This is such a spiritual experience I won't go into all the details here. But know that this little tiny girl was sent to this earth to be Karen and Darren's baby. She just took a different route to get to them. She is so tiny and precious and has a head full of dark hair. She has forever changed the life of my sister. And I sit in awe of the wonderful plan of our Heavenly Father and how he can take the mistake of one young woman and use it to bless some one else. I am humbled and grateful for selfless people who know when to give their child more than they themselves could.

And on that note I will end this blog for today. I hope you all had a great 4th of July and remembered how lucky we are to live in this wonderful nation.

Sherbet

Executive. . . . It does have a nice ring. . . . .

In June, I helped promote my first team mate to District Manager! Way to go Shanae! This makes me Executive District Manager! I am not sure what cool incentives this holds for me other than a cooler title, but I am excited none the less. I have to add in here, the momentum is slowing a little, but still going great! I love that this business will be the key to getting out of debt faster. It is just amazing!

On a sad note, Blaine will no longer be teaching. It just doesn't pay enough, and working 3 jobs just isn't working out. He will start with Western Petroleum in a couple weeks and will have a significant pay raise. It will be nice and maybe we can get ahead and get our own house.

Happy July 4th in a few days! May it be full of candy from parades, BBQ's of good food and much time spent with friends and family!

It has Finally Happened!!

On this day, June 27, 2008, an historic event happened some time between 6:00-6:30 AM. I came down stairs to find my dear sweet husband on the couch, cell phone in hand. At first look I thought maybe he was just checking his messages. But no, could it be? Has he finally done it? No? Yes! Yes! Yes he has figured it out! He has done it! He has changed his voicemail message! He has changed his voicemail message from his apologetic wife telling people he hates his phone to a typical-no-nonsense-I-can-be-taken-seriously-type phone message! I can hardly believe it! Is he finally growing up? Is he stepping out of the dark ages and accepting the fact that cell phones will inevitably be a part of his life, forever, F-O-R-E-V-E-R! It almost brings a tear to my eye.....

Here's to you Sandman!

So, I don't want to be a slacker and neglect my blogging duties, so here is a post.

Now, I am at a loss for books to read. I know I could peruse the shelf of bittercreek and find something, and I am waiting to borrow the Host by Stephenie Meyer, but until then I must rely on books I already own. Now I am not saying I don't have some great books, and that I don't like to read them, they just go by so much faster the second or more times you read them. I curse Blaine for not knowing where he put Books one of the Bartimaeous trilogy, as that is my favorite by far, and so reading that series is out of the question, or even passing it on to others who would enjoy. And so I find myself, with the near release of the movie, rereading the Spiderwick Chronicles with my boys. They have enjoyed them and are attempting to read them themselves, but I have also read aloud some of the parts of it, and found myself once again wishing that this series of books would have been fleshed out a bit more and made into the amazing books they could have been. I am not saying I don't like them, I do love this series and it is an amazingly easy read (come on, my 8 year old boys are reading them) but to see the potential these stories hold to become an amazing saga taunts me. I feel the stories could have been sooo much more but will just have to deal with the reader's digest version that is here.
Anyway, I am on the 3rd book and am realizing the movie hacked this book in dumb ways. It would not have been that hard to follow the story, especially with what they did with the story in the movie, but instead they changed and complicated some uncomplicated parts. And once again, I am finding that I like the books, for the story, much better. And I like the movie, for the entertainment value, just as well, but in a different way.

I think the next book I will reread will be the Artemis Fowl series because I like the authors take on dwarves. It intrigues me and I would like to see that made into a movie, or even a series of movies, but who knows. I have to say that even though it would intrigue me to see Bartimaeous made into a movie, I think it would be half-hearted attempt and that they wouldn't be able to capture the true essence of the character or the whole over all story. It would in my opinion be worse than the Harry Potter hack-job-of-a-movie (and I like them, again for the entertainment value, but of course the books are WAY better).

And now I feel as though I have taken on the persona of Lisle, and have made my very own version of his form letter, and laid it all out for everyone. I hope you enjoyed it just a smidgen as much as I enjoy Lisle's, as I can only dream of being as great of a writer as him.

Toast to Lisle and all the mystery contained there in!

Sherbet

Swirling around in time

Time is speeding up and swirling around me. I missed half of what I was supposed to do last week. Okay mostly it is swirling around me cuz I am still trying to get organized. But I am getting better. I just need to be better now!
We still haven't gotten our stimulus check, and I am still trying to wait patiently. I hope all is well with all of you and that life is just exciting enough.
Sherbet

I did it!!!!!

On May 31st at 9:30 PM MT I promoted to District Manager!!! I am so excited I am on cloud nine and can hardly believe i made it here. Blaine says it is because I went forward with intention and made it happen, but it came down to the wire. I think it is because I got a new shirt that says Arbonne on the front, and it brought me good luck! Either way I am soooo excited and am now shooting for Area Manager! My goal is to go into qualification for it this month. I also have 6 New Awesome Biz Builders under me! This is insane and going sooooooooo fast I feel like my head is spinning! But in a good way!

Hold on tight! I am on my way!!!!!!

Sherbet

Busy May

I can hardly believe May is winding down. So much has happened.

Adam and Austin were baptised and it was great. We had so many people come and it was awesome. I can remember when they were just tiny and now they are in cub scouts.

Blaine had another b-day.

Blaine and I had our 9th anniversary. It is weird. Sometimes I feel like we have been together forever, and nine years is just not long enough, and at the same time I feel like we are still just starting out together. He really is my best friend, and even though life sometimes is hard there is no one I would rather go through it with.

And finally I am promoting to District Manager this month with Arbonne! I will start Area Manager qualifications in June and should finish it up in July!!! This is going so fast I can hardly believe it!!!

Hope all is well with you out there!

Sherbet

Isn't it Ironic

It seems so many of my posts lately have been about this house we were in the process of getting. And now I am posting about it again, just not in the way I would have liked. We actually knew Monday night, but I have been putting this off all week. I hate to be the bearer of bad news.

We didn't get the house. Our lender wouldn't close the deal. We waited 2 months for a no, pissed off a whole list of people that it took so long, decided our friend really didn't have our best interests at heart, and yelled and cried. It is still depressing as I write this.

I wonder why we can't get a break. Maybe Blaine's mom can't do it all on her own, maybe we can't do it on our own, maybe maybe maybe. I guess we will never really know why until we are on the other side. It just frustrates me and, for a minute or two, resent that my husband is an idealist and not money driven.

Blaine however loves his job, and he found out recently that the school actually turned down certified teachers and hired him, an un degree-ed, no teaching liscense, perpetual college student. It is pretty cool. I guess I will just bide my time until Jan 1 2009 comes, and with it a pay raise.

On the up side, my Arbonne has taken off. It is screaming! I am getting bookings/referals from every guest at every show, and just got two people into the business--and they are the one's who approached me about it!!!! I can't believe it! Referals and recruits were the two things I had the most trouble with, and I have sooooo many I am not sure what to do with them.

Alas, it will all work out the way it is supposed to, and right now I just go with the flow of it all.

Sherbet

Maybe, just maybe, a light at the end of the tunnel.

We got some of the stuff ready, and maybe we will close sometime this week. It is looking okay, but still slow. I am hoping this will be soon. I am wearing down on the patience level in so many areas.
On the up side, my Arbonne business is taking off. I am so excited. It is going great. I am almost booked up for all of May. I guess I am half way booked, but that is pretty amazing considering it isn't even May 1st..
Adam and Austin are preparing for baptism, and I am feeling scared and inadequate. Time flies so fast, and I feel like there is soo much left to teach them. They still seem so young to me. I guess they are, but old enough.
Blaine still loves his teaching job, and is thriving there. He is also plugging away at school, and I can start to see a light at the end of the tunnel.
Anna goes to Kindergarten screening tomorrow, and I am excited. She is ready to go to school. She is so smart, I guess she gets that from her dad. Hee hee.
Lily is still working on the whole potty training thing. She has it down some days, and some days not, but direction is more important than speed, right?
Sherbet

Time marches on. . . .

I think that is a title of a country song. We still haven't heard anything on our house. I am giving up on it ever closing. Oh, and yesterday my tire blew out on the van as I was driving home from Vernal. It was a little freaky but all is well. I just have to get a tire fixed today. Such is life, if it is not one thing it is another. I will post next when we hear something about our house.

Sherbet

D-R-A-M-A!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, that is a good discription of what the past month has been like thus far. I won't go into all of it, only some. But know it involved my family, our house, my family, jobs, my family, kids, my family,life in general, and did I mention my family? I know I am safe here, cuz none of them will ever take time to read what little ole sherry has to write, so know that I feel like I have been on soap opera. And in the worst kind of way.
Anyway, we still haven't closed on our house. I wish we would, and we must by Monday or we lose the whole deal. I am frustrated with our loan officer, so never use him.
BUT, they did say we should close by Monday, (nothing like waiting till the last minute, eh?) in the afternoon. Which is good since Blaine works until 3:30 and won't be in to town until around 4:00. But as long as we close I will be happy, and I won't slip into a deep depression. . . . . and no one likes that.
Congrats to Lisle on giving in to his inner blogger. . . who knows maybe a cell phone is next! (insert dark menacing laugh while ringing hands in a forboding manner)

Today is my mom's birthday, so a big shout out to her on the day she turns 54!! Happy Birthday Mom! (reminder: no one in my family will ever read this)

Sherbet

April Fool?

This has been an exciting month so far and it is just starting. Still waiting on the house, but I made a new discovery. I found some amazing skin care, and I know your first thought is "Oh, no, here she goes again." And it isn't that I can blame any of you, especially when I keep trying new things again and again. It is called Arbonne, and it has totally cleared up my face. I can't believe it. It just blows my mind. So, here comes the part to elicit, laughs or groans, I have decided to sell it. It is relatively unheard of out here in the west, and the products are so freaking awesome, and great for sensitive skin. So there it is in a nut shell, my 2 second speal on me loving the product.

Now, I wish the weather would make up it's mind and either get warmer or get warmer. I am tired of this snow that keeps sneaking in. Anyway, it has to get warmer, I just am anxious to wear capris, all the time.

Hopefully we will close on our house this week, and we will start on the renovation process. It will be exciting.

Sherbet

End of the Month

As March draws to a close I look back and see an amazing, but overly exciting month. It has been so crazy with soooo much happening that I can hardly believe it. I hope all of you are well and looking forward to conference as much as I am.

Sherbet

Washer won't go......Call Simco!

And that is just what we did. It cost $100 for the service call, $20 for the part, 20 minutes for the guy to fix it, and having a washing machine that works? Priceless!
You never know how much you rely on it until it is gone. And when potty training, it is indispensable.

March is almost over and I feel that it has blown by. Definately in like a lion and out like a lamb, or at least a smaller lion. I am hoping April will be better and warmer.

I am also hoping May will come fast so I can get my tax credit and help boost the economy by paying down some more bills. It almost takes the fun out of it, but you gotta do what you gotta do. I hope all is well with you.

Sherbet

And then the fit hit the shan....

So things seemed to be going pretty well there, didn't they? Well, as the title to this blog implies, things tool a big turn for the worse. Yesterday, we had to fix Blaine's car as it was leaking power steering fluid. We had to do our home inspection for the house we are buying. Our washer stopped working. My dad's truck caught on fire. Yep, you read that last one right. As if all the other things that day weren't enough, my dad's truck caught on fire, while he was inside. He got out okay, but it was bad. He lost his truck, his camper that was behind the truck, everything that was in his truck, including his laptop, his ipod, c-pap (for breathing when asleep), etc., etc., etc. Around $100,000 up in flames. But he is safe, so it is kind of okay.
As for the washer, it won't spin out. It may cost as little as $100 to fix, or as much as a new washer. We'll see, but it will be interesting.
Home inspection . . . well we have multiple broken pipes under the house, and maybe a bad sewer line. I hate plumbing, remember? And all of it is in a crawl space that you don't crawl in, unless you are a snake. Exciting isn't it? (that line dripping with sarcasm)
Blaine's car has been leaking power steering fluid, so he had to fix it yesterday as well. But on the up side, he did fix it.
Add to all of this the fact that what small savings we did have we spent on remodeling the bathroom, and then on the trip to Cali for the funeral.
By the time I went to bed yesterday, I was emotionally spent. I am slightly better today. I don't want sympathy, or the "count your blessings" talk, I just need to vent, and as a result you get to hear about it. I hope life is better for all of you, or should I say both of you. Thanks for reading Lisle and Ramanda. Cheerio!
Sherbet

Take a little trip...

This last week we were able to take a trip to So. Cal. It was nice to go, but as is the case in life, not for the best reasons. My paternal grandpa died and we went to his funeral. But as is also the case, we made the most of a bad situation. I traveled down, driving with my kids and no husband (Blaine couldn't get off work), caravaning with my sister Shiloh and her family. We stayed in Mesquite, which is almost half way and has cheap hotel rooms on weeknights. It was fun and a smothering 75 degrees. Actually is was chillier than you would think, especially when you are in an outdoor pool. Hee hee. And then on to California. We stayed in Anaheim at a hotel just a stones throw from Disneyland. We watched the fireworks everynight before bed. We went to the beach twice and swam in the pool everyday, in the 85 degree sunshine. I am so ready for spring now.

The viewing was nice, and the funeral was nice, but a little different for me as it was a catholic mass. An interesting experience, but a good one. It was nice to see my cousins and aunts and uncles we never get to see. I would love to go down there again, under better circumstances, but that isn't likely to happen.

It was a looooooooong drive, but so worth it. It made me realize a lot of things, but those will have to wait for another time. It was nice to spend time with my family.

Oh, and we also went to Medieval Times, and watched live jousting. It is worth it to go at least one time. Rather spendy, but soooo fun, and even funner when with rowdy people, like my family. On a side note, our knight won and my kids got pictures taken with the knights and princess. Then we got our groove on in the little dance floor there. It was a blast.

This also made me get in the mood for a summer roadtrip. Maybe Colorado, and then up to Wyoming or something. (wink at you Ramanda) Blaine even wants to come along. I think he missed me as much as I missed him. Taking care of four kids by yourself is much harder than I ever want to do again. Such is life.

All in all it was fun, and I know it is repetitive, but I am sooooo ready for summer, or at least spring. Hope all is well with all of you. If you are reading these, drop me a line and tell me how you are.

Providence smiles down on us

So we found a house. It is small, but it does have 3 bedrooms and 1 bath, and is a repo. It is amazingly priced and we should be good on getting it. I am excited. I guess the saying that says good things come to those who wait is true! Yay for us!

Plumbing is done

So we finished our whole plumbing escapade. We didn't really laugh, we didn't really cry, but we did yell alot, apologize even more and finally did what had been done before, we rigged it back together.

The handles are hard to turn on and off, one part that should screw in doesn't, and I still need to repaint, but we can shower and the handles don't leak.

I hate plumbing.

Old houses and plumbing

I love old homes, their quirks and charm that is almost non exsistant these days. I hate the plumbing in older homes. It is a domino effect when you start a project. It sucks and it seems to just get worse.

Our shower is torn apart right now. We had a leak on the back wall, and it let water in and then it spread around the rest of the tub, between the surround and the wall, and came out on the edge of the tub, creating a mysterious mildew spot. We bandaided the problem for a while, but then it came back with a vengence. So being the inquistive person that I am, I decided to check around and ended up tearing out the whole surround.

It was bad. It was very bad. Mold and mildew everywhere on one wall, rotting boards on the other, and just some wet spots on the back wall. Needless to say, we are replacing the shower and surround.

Now, it is a good learning experience for me. I get a feeling of pride being able to fix things by myself, being able to take it all apart, and then put it back together. I took most of the tub apart, then let Blaine do the hard taking down of the old sheetrock, as I went off to purchase the new tub supplies.

Then, $400 later I came home with a new surround, sliding glass shower door, paint, and all the other odds and ends required to finish this project. Well, almost all the odds and ends. I forgot the tape for the new green board (water resistant sheetrock) and the expandable foam that Blaine told me we needed when I got home. Thank goodness we still had funds from our tax return available.

So today holds the daunting task of trying to put it all back together so that we can have a shower again, maybe tomorrow.

On a side note, I hate female plumbing too, but I won't go into that right now (just for you Lisle).
Hope all of you are well and doing okay.

Pride Issues

So, I am going to let something out here, and hopefully there won't be too many people who hate my afterward.

So I have recently been chastized and found out I am a snob. I was going to soften the blow, but I just am.

My cousin Amee came down to visit. She is my favorite cousin, the cousin closest to my age, the one I grew up with, who even lived with Blaine and I when we had our twins. While we have both grown older, have differing interests, and look nothing alike (I am tall and "well rounded" and she is petite and skinny (insert curse on people with fast metabolisms including my love of my life here)), we still maintain the bond shared as children. I was exstatic to see her and her husband and son. They are awesome and our husbands share alot of interests. It is always nice to see her and the conversation flows the same as it did when we were growing up.

Here is where my snobbiness comes in. Amee and her husband are not the "normal" looking couple. She has facial peircings, and he has loooooong hair, and they stand out in a crowd. After they had gone home it hit me that if I didn't know them I probably wouldn't be the one to talk to them first. It shocked me and I tried to deny it. There was a time when I would have talked to people that looked like them. But for some reason, I had changed and I couldn't understand why or how it had happened. It honestly freaked my out. I realized there is so much judgement in the world. I know that the government does profiling, and there may be justifyable reason to do so in my life on some level, but at the same time I am always saying appearances are not who you really are.

It woke me up, and made me look at the world in a whole new way. That crack or meth houses are in everytype of neighborhood, there are good and bad in everyplace you go, and that people who look completely different from you can be your best friends.

I know this probably makes no sense to anyone else, but maybe each of us can look inside our selves and find something to change to make our world a more tolerable and accepting place.

Responsibility

Responsibility-- that is a loaded word. It is something we try to tell our kids is a good thing, but I think most of us would rather have less responsibility in our lives.
It is something that makes us grow and stretch ourselves, and sets us apart from childhood. We voluntarily take on more responsibility with each decision we make in our lives.

On Saturday, we attended the World Wide Training for church. If any of you went, you know it was fantastic, and if you didn't, then you missed an amazing meeting. It was worth going, and maybe even going again.
It was on family. Building, strengthening, fortifying, teaching, and making a celestial family. It talked about the ideal, and that while we should all strive for it, we should also tailor the ideal to our family situation. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
It also talked about how "house work" is not the same as "home making". They are different and you make your home by the way it feels.
So, I am off to go do what goals I have for today: get my house work done, and strive to make my home feel nice.

Later

No Deal

So, we didn't get our house. I guess it is okay. I am okay with it now, I have cried and mourned the loss of the house I never actually had. I have questioned why and lost faith, and recovered. I am okay now, and we are looking at many different possibilities.
On a much better note, Blaine is loving his new job. He is really having his eyes opened and view expanded, especially where therapy is involved. It is cool.
Other wise, we are just hanging out and living life. It flies by so fast.
I'll go for now, and write more later.

Buying a House

The process of buying a house is a painful and long process. It is simple when looked at on paper, but agonizing when the process is going through. It can suck the life out of you and have you on an emotional roller coaster. It is worse than a visit to the dentist to get a root canal--actually I shouldn't say that, I have personally never had one, and don't plan to either, but I can imagine how painful that is as the root is exposed for that brief amount of time.....

Buying this house was supposed to go much smoother, but I should have known better. There are somethings you can count on in life: death, taxes, and home buying is NEVER smooth.

That said and out of the way, we will know today or tomorrow whether or not we get this house, and whether or not we begin a different kind of home search. Either way there will be a post tomorrow.

Sherbet

Welcome!

So, I thought I would try my hand at this whole blog thing. Ramanda is my inspiration, so thanks to you!

Hmmm, I guess I will start with some basics of what is going on with us, and then later will add more.

Blaine starts his new job as an English teacher on Feb. 1 at a local private theraputic boarding school. It is a great opportunity for him to start teaching as he doesn't have his Bachelor's degree yet. This will help him finish this and then he can take an alternate route to liscensure for his teaching liscense. In the process he will get his Master's degree. I am so proud of him.

Adam and Austin are doing great in first grade, and are excellent readers. They are getting so tall, and will be baptized in June.

Anna is part of a preschool group where each of the mother's take a turn at teaching, so I only have to teach once every 7 weeks. Not to bad for me.

Lily is potty training now, and is finally getting the hang of it. She is doing great.

I am looking into starting my own daycare. It is contingent on us getting the house we put an offer on, cause I obviously can't do it when we still live with Blaine's mother. I am hoping we get this new house, but I know it will all work out the way the Lord intends it to, and it will be the way that is best for us.

Other wise we are great and just L-I-V-I-N!

Anyway, I hope this works and that people look at it....

Later!