I've always wanted.......

I love those big soft pretzels, so I'm experimenting. I found a recipe for them and I'm going to try making them with all different kinds of recipes until I find one that tastes like the ones you buy from a vendor. Oh sure, by the time I'm finished I might be a little crazy, but I'm a firm believer in setting goals.


And blogging even if you don't have any clue what to blog about.

This one I liked well enough to blog.

This letter came to me as an e mail and I liked it well enough to blog it(sorry Julie It wasn't me.) There are a few things I'd change in it but for the most part I liked the idea.

I learned last week from a, um......... Slimey progressive that the term "Liberal" was out of date, something of the past, and that "Slimey Progressive" was the politicaly correct way to say it now.

To: All liberals "slimey progressives"


We have stuck together since the late 1950's, but the whole of this latest election process has made me realize that I want a divorce. I know we tolerated each other for many years for the sake of future generations, but sadly, this relationship has run its course.
Our two ideological sides of America cannot, and will not ever agree on what is right, so let's just end it on friendly terms. We can smile, chalk it up to irreconcilable differences, and go our own way.

Here is a model separation agreement:

Our two groups can equitably divide up the country by landmass each taking a portion. That will be the difficult part, but I am sure our two sides can come to a friendly agreement. After that it should be relatively easy! Our respective representatives can effortlessly divide other assets since both sides have such distinct and disparate tastes.
We don't like re distributive taxes so you can keep them. You are welcome to the liberal judges and the ACLU. Since you hate guns and war, we'll take our firearms, the cops, the NRA, and the military. You can keep Oprah, Michael Moore, and Rosie O'Donnell (You are, however, responsible for finding a bio-diesel vehicle big enough to move all three of them)

We'll keep the capitalism, greedy corporations, pharmaceutical companies, Wal-Mart, and Wall Street. You can have your beloved homeless, homeboys, hippies, and illegal aliens. We'll keep the hot Alaskan hockey moms, greedy CEO's, and rednecks. We'll keep the bibles and give you NBC and Hollywood. You can make nice with Iran and Palestine and we'll retain the right to invade and hammer places that threaten us. You can have the peaceniks, and war protesters. When our allies or our way of life are under assault, we'll help provide them security.

We'll keep our Judeo-Christian values.. You are welcome to Islam, Scientology, Humanism, and Shirley McClain. You can also have the U.N. But we will no longer be paying the bill.

We'll keep the SUVs, pickup trucks, and oversized luxury cars. You can take every Subaru station wagon you can find.

You can give everyone health care, if you can find any practicing doctors. We'll continue to believe health care is an individual's responsibility and not a right. We'll keep The Battle Hymn of the Republic and the National Anthem. I'm sure you'll be happy to substitute "Imagine", "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing", "Kum Ba Ya", or "We Are the World". We'll practice trickle-down economics, and you can give trickle-up poverty your best shot.

Since it often so offends you we'll keep our history, our name, and our flag.

Would you agree to this? If so please pass it along to other like minded liberal and conservative patriots, and if you do not agree, just hit delete. In the spirit of friendly parting, I'll bet you ANWAR which one of us will need whose help in 15 years.

P.S. Also, please take Barbra Streisand

Winning the Debate!

I've debated all morning whether or not to do this. But as I watched this little clip again and again it finally occurred to me that Braden already had figured out what would happen. Listen closely to what Braden says after I make the comment that this is for posterity, really.

He says "a. k. a. your blog." I guess I'd better not make a liar of him. Oh, how he knows me so well. Amazing what kids can learn in a mere 12 years.

Now, having said that: Don't you all wish you had such a talented husband. It's not many people who can pick up a cane and begin dancing and have it look so....... well, um....... hmmmm........you decide. I just know that I am lucky! I'm not sure why, but I am!

I've been tagged and this is what it's like to be married to a cowboy

1. Go to your "my documents" file

2. go to your 6th folder

3. goto your 6th picture

4. post it and blog about it

5. tag 6 more people

Roger and his two brothers, Bart and Shannon working calves. It must have been 5-6 years ago because I have other pictures of the same day and Braden and Caib are pretty young. That and Roger has a goatee and I'm pretty sure he hasn't had one of those for awhile since he's in the bishopric now.

I tag: Amy,Susan, Mom, Andrea, Felicia,and Stephanie(unless she finally delivered)

So this is what it's like to raise cowboys!

Mom: Caib!!! get out side and get your chores done. NOW!(for the bazillionth time)

Caib: GRRR!!

Mom: If you don't get out there now I'll give you a spanking(I'm to the point that I'll try anything)

Caib:(disappears really fast)

Mom (Yelling loudly): What, Caib, your not man enough to handle a spanking?

Caib(quickly reappears turns around and bends over): I can handle a spanking.

Mom(swats him pretty hard, and laughing says): now get out there and get your chores done. (you should never miss an opportunity like that)

Caib: (Laughing says) See, I can handle it. Ha!!! (a slight pause and then): Mom, can I haul the bag of dog food in the tracker?

Mom:Probably not.

Caib: why, Braden gets to drive the pick-up.

Mom: do you drive the pick-up when your with Dad?

Caib: sometimes

Mom: Well, then maybe you'd better wait until Dad tells you, you can drive.

Caib(typically): AAHRGGG!!! I hate being the younger brother! I never get to do anything!

Mom(undisturbed and used to such outbursts): Fine, go haul the dog food in the tracker. (note: the dog food is only 75 feet away from where it needs to be)

Caib(standing up and heading out to do his chores whispers)YES!

Chance: Wait caib, I wanna go wif you.

Caib: Ya gotta wait until I'm done hauling the dog food, bud.

Mom(waits until Caib has gone outside then jumps up and runs to the window to see if her 10 year old can even get the tracker started. He does)

Caib(puts the tracker in reverse and after stalling 3-4 times finally backs up way to fast and slams on the breaks)

Mom(grins through the window where she can't be seen)

Caib(puts the car in what he thinks is first and stalls the tracker until Mom takes pity and goes outside)

Mom: Is it in first?

Caib: I think(he shifts to neutral and puts it back in first...................................

Long story short. the dogs got fed this afternoon from a bag of dog food that Caib hauled 75 feet in the tracker after stalling quite a few times and then lurching to a stop way to close to the dog pens. After emptying the bag of dog food into the can he easily got the tracker into reverse, and as I watched from the house, sped backwards out of the lot and into the street, almost. He managed to throw on the breaks and get the tracker stopped after running over one log near the wood pile just before almost backing onto the paved road.

I wish that I could say that Caib learned his lesson and won't want to drive for awhile, but, unfortunately, he's a cowboy and, sigh... That is not what it is like to raise cowboys.

Chancees' Chatterings

Chance has a friend he calls "Mr. Fantastic" Just about every weekday morning while we are down in our corner office on Main street(the pick-up on the corner of Main and 1rst south)Chancees' friend wheels by in his wheel chair on the way to his job at the elementary school. "Mr. Fantastic always stops and visits with Chance for a few seconds each morning. This started last August around the first week of school. about that same time Chance began hollering to "Mr. Fantastic" after their short conversation and he'd headed to school. "DON'T FORGET!"

Neither "Fantastic" or myself could figure out why he shouted this after each conversation but we both got a kick out of it.

Then, a week later Chance added on to his daily reminder of "don't forget". His new daily reminder now became. DON'T FORGET AND STAY OUT OF TROUBLE!

So, for the last 5-6 months each school day the ritual has continued. except now Chance has added the family to his daily reminder. Braden leaves for the bus at 7:20 each morning. As he walks out the door He shouts "See Ya!" to which Chance began yelling, Yep...you guessed it, "Don't forget and stay out of trouble!" Braden responds "O.K. Bye!"

Aubree and Caib ride down to the "office" with us and walk to school from there. As they each leave for school first Aubree and then five minutes later Caib. He, in turn, tells each "Don't forget and stay out of trouble". They always respond with an O.K. or Alright see ya.

Roger leaves for work right around 8:15 every morning and as he hollers out "Bye" Chance quickly responds "Don't forget and stay out of trouble".

After Chance began adding family members to his daily reminder I got the great idea that it would make a pretty good family motto. Thus, the plaque. I know it's not really very fancy but Chance is so proud of it especially the part at the end that says -Chance Brian-.

Little Elf

I Just thought this picture was cute. Aubree's always claimed that Oaklee was part elf. Well...... Maybe she is

Oh My Heck!!

That's right. Oh my heck!!! I can't believe what I've just done.

Well........Maybe I can believe it, but I'm still appalled(I spell checked it and it says that it's spelled right)
Last night I was up most of the night with one child who decided to go to sleep at 5:30 P.M. and would not wake up no matter what I did with him. (Uh huh, the three year old.) and I was up with the baby who is experiencing her first cold. poor little thing. then I had to get up early because, though I had read and re read the lesson I had to give in R.S. today I hadn't sat down and actually prepared it. So, I'm tired. It's 9:30 P.M. all the kids are finally down and I thought, well, I'm just going to brush my teeth lay down and probably zonk. But, before I make it to the bathroom The three year old looks up at me with a look of slight fear and guilt as he says "Uh Mom, I pead." (He has been my hardest kid to potty train) "And the couch is wet" So after taking care of that problem. I head, once again to the bathroom a little more tired and flustered then before.
I'm guessing that because of just dealing with Chance and that whole episode it must have tainted my next moves. I went into the bathroom sifted through the toothbrushes picked up one put toothpaste on and proceeded to brush my teeth. I finished up, put the tooth brush away and picked up the dental floss. That's when it hit me. I had just brushed my teeth with the wrong toothbrush. (Yes, to me that is appalling) I'm usually accompanied by uh... the three year old when I go to brush my teeth and have to find his tooth brush first and help him well, he was in on the chair by the wet couch. Having fallen to sleep while watching me clean up the couch. Sigh.... I think I'll go to bed.

Even the fifteen minute nap I got earlier today was interupted by a sweet little voice whispering "Mom, Mom,"(and then much more urgently)MOM! can you help me?

I'll never understand why someone whispers at you when your asleep. It does the exact same thing that yelling at the top of your voice would do....That is wakes you up.

Ahhh the life of a mother.

Happy valentines day

My kids really wish this was a tradition at our home on every Valentines day. Unfortunately, It's only a tradition every, oh, 3-5 years. This year I misjudged and made the cookies way, too big(in my opinion, not my kids). Oh well. I figure things mean more the longer they stay with you, and I know that this cookie is going to stick with me for a long time. Right there on my hips where I'm sure it'll look the best.

Ah well, Happy valentines to you all.

"Chancee's Chatterings"

sssssshhhhhhh!!!!! We're whispering. I have no Idea why. Chance is sitting under my feet with a blanket tied on like a cape and another blanket draped over the front of the desk so he can hide. Oaklee is asleep in her carseat in the other room so that Chance can Play in the tent that we set up for him in his room. So, Why is he in here, under my feet whispering up at me from under the desk and behind a blanket?

I don't know! that's just Chance.

Chance: (in a whisper from under the desk) Mom?

Mom: (tuning him out as she blogs, says nothing)

Chance:(again from the same location whispers) Mom!

Mom:(continues silently blogging)

Chance:(in a very very Loud whisper)MoM!

Mom:(finally whispers back) What.

Chance:(whispering still) I Love You!

Mom:(Not teary eyed, or endeared, or guilty, just programmed .responds) I Love You, too.

That's right if you haven't guessed it I spend a lot of my time responding to my three year olds constant declarations of love.

Ahh, but I do love the little guy!!

Sick mommy!

Moments in a moms life that make even the sick days worth it.

Last night for dinner we had peanut butter and jam sandwiches. Well....Aubree and Chance did, anyway. Aubree was the chef. I was so sick all day that I didn't eat a thing. Aubree decided that she could make dinner for herself and Chance. She even gave him the option of having a corn dog or a sand which. Braden, Caib and Dad had to fend for themselves. I think they had sandwiches as well. I wouldn't know. The fun thing about it was seeing a 6 year old feel so responsible because she was taking over for mom who couldn't do a thing.

Thankfully I'm feeling 80% better today and even had some toast for breakfast.

Another Moment that made this Mom grateful. Caib had to give a talk in church on Sunday. The topic was "Heavenly Father sent me to Earth to be with a family." Our FHE lesson the Monday before had been on team work and the importance of learning to work together as a team family. Caib and Braden are on a Basketball team. Their first game was, well....pathetic. The team had played miserably together and Braden and Caib had both been very nervous about even getting the ball. (That's what prompted the FHE lesson). So we discussed the whole idea that if they aren't living as good team members in the family or in life then it shows on the court, and in other areas of their lives. The next Game they had, they didn't win but it was so improved that the kids felt much better after the game. They had even contributed a few baskets to the team.

The grateful moment in this Mom's life came from being given the chance to help Caib prepare a talk. Thanks to the Basketball experiences and those that give their time to help the boys play and learn. Caib understood the whole concept of working together as a team and doing his part to make the team(family) successful. You should have seen the determination on his face as he defended a kid almost a foot taller than he is and kept him from scoring the last 2 points of the game.

I would have had!

I would have had some very fun and interesting blogs posted this last week but my computer came down with something and I had to get it feeling better. But I'm back, thanks to a wonderful PC surgeon. (sorry Rob, your just to far away) yeah, it took a surgeon. But everything is working much better now.

here's another "So this is what it's like raising cowboys"

Note the holster and gun. The dogs um.... riding in Caib's saddle bag? My favorite part of this is the smile on the little guys face. What great brothers. My least favorite part is the hay leaves that end up in boots, pockets, hair, etc. But, note that it is still a favorite. And, thanks to shop vacs it's really not bad, at all, to deal with.

And Grandma, notice that they're coatless. That's because of the wonderful weather that we're having.