Monday Morning Musings - 1/2 The World's Problems Could Be Solved If People Just Drank More Water

Friday. My house was a disaster. Addison decided it would be fun to dump an entire bottle of hot pink fingernail polish on the carpet in my craft room. All in one spot. I moved her away from the mess and immediately went to the computer to look up how to clean fingernail polish out of carpet, on the internet. While I was doing that she found a thing of loose face powder and dumped it out all over the carpet in the other room (I only have 2 1/2 rooms with carpet, why can't she dump anything on the concrete or hardwood floors?). I picked her up to clean the powder off of her and at that very second my phone rang. It was my agent saying someone wanted to come see the house. I'm not complaining, because I'm glad they're lookin', but....it just wasn't the best time. That's ok though. The girls and I made a mad dash through the whole house and got it clean just in time.

I have decided to start Positive Visualization Therapy. I don't know if that's a real term, I think I just made it up. But anyhoo, I am visualizing us selling the house this month and moving into our new house in August. I am writing the closing and moving dates on my calendar. I am starting to pack everything up. Because we ARE moving in August. I just know it. And anytime now someone is going to magically appear and buy my house. I am saying magically because no one is actually looking at my house so in order for anyone to buy it they will just have to magically appear. Ooops. I've already gone and messed up my Positive Visualization. I hate it when I do that.

I bought a new toothbrush and last night was the first time I used it. I accidentally bought a compact head. I feel like I am brushing my teeth with Addison's toothbrush. Since when did buying a toothbrush become so complicated? While I was brushing my teeth I started thinking about how far the toothbrush has come in the last few decades. They really have come a long way. Once a year or so ago I was out of town and forgot my toothbrush so I just bought a cheap one at the store. It was the old fashioned kind that just had the plain straight bristles. I could not stand brushing my teeth with that thing. I didn't feel like it was getting my teeth clean at all.

On the subject of teeth and things that clean the teeth, what's up with toothpaste these days? Can I not just get plain old regularite toothpaste? Whitening toothpastes make my teeth sensitive. I would rather have nasty yellow teeth than have ultra sensitive ones. But I have to stand on the toothpaste aisle for 15 minutes staring like an idiot before I can find toothpaste that isn't whitening. That's the problem we have in this country, nothing can just be plain old regular anymore. It really gets on my last nerve.

Like sugar-free stuff, for instance. We don't do sugar free at our house. I would rather have hyped up kids than kids with cancer from the artificial sweeteners they put in EVERYTHING nowadays. I seriously don't buy anything sugar free, but I don't buy that much with sugar in it in the first place. Anyway, I ran into the store the other day to quickly buy cough drops. I just grabbed some and paid and left. I got in the car and looked at them. They were sugar free. It really made me mad. The best part is that it says over consumption can cause loose bowls. Mmmmm. Nice. Just what I've been looking for in a cough drop. I'm thinkin', Ok, well most people probably won't over consume cough drops, but what about those people out there who eat 10 different sugar-free (by sugar free I mean it has an artificial sweetener in it) products everyday? I think that would count as over consumption. The other day Steve bought a new kind of Gatorade and I was reading the package to see why it was so new and special and it is because it is low calorie. So I immediately started reading the ingredients and sure enough it had sucralose and acesulfame in it. Why can't people just drink plain old water?

Sorry, I just started rambling about things that get on my nerves and I just kind of got carried away. Now get up off your booty and go drink a glass of water.
W-A-T-E-R. WA-TER.
That thing that comes out of your kitchen sink.

Thank you, I'll be here all week. Until next time, have a fabulous day!

If Wishes Were Trees, Trees Would Be Fallin'

Current Song Stuck In My Head:

Ahhhhh, what would it be like to go back to the 80's for just one day? Back when life was so simple and my dance moves actually fit in.

Flashback Friday - Little Pink Playhouse

Allyson, Kristy & Farrah

This picture was taken in our little pink playhouse that used to be in the back yard of the house we grew up in. I have a lot of fun memories of that little playhouse.

Permission To Work Them Like Little Slaves? Permission Granted.

Every morning before breakfast we have a thought and family prayer. We get our thoughts from the book "Stand A Little Taller" which has a different scripture and then a quote that goes along with that scripture from Gordon B. Hinckley for each day of the year. I was so excited when I read today's quote. I made sure my children were listening and I read it twice, very slowly for emphasis. Now I'm going to type it up in bold letters and hang it in the kitchen. And every time I hear a complaint about doing chores, I'm just pointing to the sign. Here's the quote:

"Children need to work with their parents-to wash dishes with them, to mop floors with them, to mow lawns, to prune trees and shrubbery, to paint and fix up and clean up and do a hundred other things where they will learn that labor is the price of cleanliness and progress and prosperity."

Stuck In My Head - Just About A Mile From Texarkana

When we were growing up, my mother used to sing this song to us all the time. Now my sisters and I sing it to our kids, and my mom sings it to her grandchildren. I never knew it was a CCR song until today. I love CCR, how did I not know that? I guess you learn something new everyday.

I've Given Up And Have Decided To Steal The Thunder

Introducing Mr. Baron:

I said before that I didn't want to steal any one's thunder. But ya know, come on. What century do we live in? How hard can it be to send us a picture of the little cutie pie. I told my mom when she arrived yesterday that she better take a picture with her phone and send it to me immediately. She did, but it took it's own sweet time getting here. She sent it early yesterday afternoon and the picture came through to my phone at precisely 3:59 AM. This is my sister Kristy's newest addition. His name is Baron. I can't get a pin down of the middle name. I don't know if they are still undecided or what. They were trying to decide between Earl (after my dad) and Scott (after my sister's husband). I personally think they should give him a title and call him Baron of Earl, but they weren't too keen on the idea. I think they are wrong. Think about how much more distinguished he would be going through life with a title. I wish I had a title.

Anyway, he just looks cute enough to eat. I can't wait to see him in person. Cute little Baron.

WebCam Wednesday - My So Called Life 24/7

This video was taken in May, way back when the kids were still in school. They are out of school now and therefore I am blessed with this 24/7. Anyone wanna come visit for the summer?

Through The Looking Glass

Last week I did a post with a video from "The Office" on it. While looking for that particular video on You Tube, I stumbled on another little clip from The Office. Upon viewing this video, I had a startling realization. First of all, I thought the video was hilarious. So I proceeded to watch it. Over and over again. Zac was in the room with me and he was really getting annoyed. He asked why I kept watching it over and over and I told him it was because I thought it was funny. He then told me if I thought that was funny then my sense of humor was messed up. I wasn't being completely truthful with him. Yes, I did think it was funny. But there was another reason for the repeated viewing. Sigh.....I felt like I was watching myself. (anguished cry) I....think......I might be like.....Andy.....on the Office.....and he is really annoying.......soooooo.....
does that mean I am really annoying too?

Monday Morning Musings - Roly Poly Pell Mell Tumble Bumble

The title of this post really has nothing to do with the actual post. It is one of my favorite lines from one of my favorite books. When I was trying to think of a title, that's all that came to me.

I don't want to steal anyone's thunder in announcing the birth of a new sweet baby boy, but I asked her if I could talk about it on my blog and she said yes. I have a new nephew as of this morning. He wasn't due until Wednesday. Kristy had placenta previa and the baby had turned again so he was breach (naughty little booger, after all those positive turning vibes your mommy was sending you). They had to do an emergency C-section early this morning. Both mommy and baby are doing well now. I hear he is very cute and weighs 7 lbs. and is 21 inches long. He is at the moment nameless. He has a maybe name, but I won't tell you what it is. I will let them do that when they have decided.

I think I might have made a mistake by letting my kids see the P-13 Indiana Jones movie. Now every time there is a PG-13 movie they want to see, they ask if they can see it. I say "NO! It's PG-13". And of course they reply, "but you let us see Indiana Jones and it was PG-13". It's really becoming irritating.

People keep dumping their junk in our dumpster at our new house. It is really beginning to tick me off. I really want to make a sign to hang on it that says:

"Please quit putting your crap in our dumpster.

I'm sick and tired of paying to haul away your stuff.

One of these days we will be your neighbors

and I hope you feel guilty every time you look at us!"

But I am afraid if we make people angry, they will do something worse than dumping junk in the dumpster. There was so much stuff in it the other day I told Steve I wanted to load it all up and drive to the main road that comes into the neighborhood and just dump it in the street. He wouldn't let me though. At least they are kind enough to put it in the dumpster now. Before we had a dumpster they just dumped their junk in the yard. What is wrong with people that makes them think that that is OK to do?

Before we got all the door and windows on the house we used to have this kid who would come in and vandalize the house. He never did anything really bad. But one day he made the mistake of writing his name really big in caulk. I think it was Carson or something like that. When that happened I really wanted to make a bunch of signs and hang them all over the neighborhood that said:

"If you have a child named Carson, he is vandalizing my new house and I would appreciate it if you would try and show some parental supervision"

But again, Steve took all the fun out it. He thought it was best not to upset sweet little Carson for fear that his harmless vandalization turn harmful. I still can't wait until the first day we go to church and meet a kid named Carson though.......

No Yolk!

Conversation with Zac tonight:

Zac: Mom, do you know that egg shells are actually really hard?

Me: Really?

Zac: Yeah. You know that carton of eggs? You could actually stand on it and not break any eggs.

Me: Really?

Zac: Yeah. I learned it on Reading Rainbow.

Me: Really?

Me, thinking to myself: .......that carton of eggs, eggs, Costco, tonight, that carton of eggs, five dozen, zac, eggs, car, refrigerator, that carton of eggs.......

Me: Zac. Did you stand on my carton of eggs?

Zac: Yeeeeeeeeees. But very lightly.

Flashback Friday - Hangin' With Grandpa

Aubrey, Emily, Zac and Roy: AKA Grandpa

Christmas 2003

Green Thumbs And Erasure

So we are having an open house tomorrow. I am bound and determined to sell my house this weekend. I have been killing myself getting ready for it. I spent the last two days doing yard work. YARD WORK. I don't do yard work. Um mmm, that is not my thang. I have had friends tell me that they think gardening and yard work is relaxing. And I'm thinkin', what in the sam heck are you doin' in your regular life that makes you think gardening and yard work is relaxing???? I have bought plants and flowers (potted-cause that way the work is already done for me) to put around the house and patio areas for past open houses. And then, when the next open house comes along, I take the dead stuff back to the store and get new ones. Just like yesterday, I took what appeared to be the remains of a palm tree back. I think it is fabulous for stores to make exceptions for people like me. You don't even have to save your receipt. If you pay with a debit or credit card, they can just look it up that way.

Anyhoo, I actually planted flowers in my flower bed. Which I am not very happy about. They look nice if you are standing just a few feet away from them. The problemo is I picked purple flowers and I didn't really think it through. I should have picked something that popped more. I looked for red but the red (cheap) flowers they had looked slightly evil and the purple ones were the only ones I liked. But you can't really see them from the street. Oh well, next open house I'll just yank them up and take them back and get new ones. Although there won't be another open house because I am selling the house tomorrow. I forgot. Anyway, I have to keep these puppies alive cause I am not doin' that again. Ever.

Current song stuck in my head:


Which inevitably makes me wish there was more of this goin' on in TV land right now:

(sorry this is the best video I could find)

Thinkin' Thursday - G'day Mate!

Global Warming Extremism At It's Best:

ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) has on their website a fun little children's section. One of their games is called "Professor Schpinkee's Greenhouse Calculator". Children can answer a series of questions about their everyday life. The computer then calculates their answers and tells them what age they should die so they don't use more than their fair share of the earth's resources. Seriously. I'm not kidding. It told me I should have died at age 16. Oops, I've now used more than double my fair share! I am a useless, worthless piggy individual. What age should you die? Click here to play the fun game and find out. And then, you can go grab your kids and let them find out when they should die too. It could be a fun family activity.

WebCam Wednesday - Hola from Elder Snow

Yep, you read it right. I have a new weekly post. Don't worry, sooner or later I will run out of days of the week, and you will all be safe. (If you couldn't tell, I have this thing for alliteration.)Anyway, I was given a flip camera by my father for Christmas. He loved reading his daughters blogs everyday and he wanted to give us a handy way of sharing video. I feel bad that I didn't post more videos for him to see. But I have decided to bless you all with a little sneak peek into our everyday lives. Hence the birth of WebCam Wednesday.

For today's video I have chosen this little video taken on Mother's Day. My brother Sam is serving a mission in Mexico City. He was able to call home and talk to us all on Mother's Day. My mom did have to remind us that he called to talk to her (some of us were a little piggy with the phone-Stephen). We loved hearing his voice with his newly acquired Espanol accent. Only 3 1/2 more months and he will make his way back to us and we can see him in the flesh. But for now, this is all we got: (sorry my children are so obnoxiously loud-welcome to my everyday)

(I just remembered why I don't post more video. It takes a very looooong time to upload. I might have to rethink this whole Wednesday thing.)

Baby Jam

Addy listening to mommy's iPod.

Monday Morning Musings - Finally Gettin' Around To It

I just finished folding 5 loads of laundry, which probably shouldn't have even been folded because they have been all squished up in the laundry basket for so long. I have about 5 loads of towels that still need to be folded. I have a load in the washer, one in the dryer, and 8 loads sorted but dirty sitting on the laundry room floor. In the book I am reading, it takes place in the 1100's, and there is a monk and he is talking about how it has been like 6 months since he changed his clothes. I am very tempted......but then I read on about how lice and boils are a regular part of everyday life back then, and so I continue to bathe and change my clothes on a daily basis. Good old 21st century living, every things gotta be so clean.

Speaking of laundry.....SOCKS! I don't mate socks. I like my socks to live a celibate life. So I don't buy any cutsie, colored socks. Everyone has white, and everyone has only one kind of sock. That way when I do laundry I just put all Emily's socks in a pile, all of Zac's in a pile, and so on. Then I don't have to worry about there being an even amount or finding the matches. Only problem is they don't sell a package of all white socks for feet of Addison's proportions. That really irritates me. I bought a pack that had mostly white but still had some colored. I am really tempted to just throw the colored one's away.

While we are on the subject of socks being irritating, Steve has sock issues. He has this thing about buying new socks. He usually buys them when he is out of town on a job and feels the need to buy more....for some reason...I don't know. His problem is, he buys a different kind every time. That really goes against my one kind per person rule (he doesn't feel the need to conform to any of my rules, you unruly man you!) (that was said with my fist raised and shaking, just in case you didn't get it right). So if you thought I was irritated by trying to find the matches to Addison's socks, you should see how irritated I get when I have 20 different stacks of Steve's socks all over my laundry room table. Oh no, I'm not even slightly exaggerating. He has 20 different kinds of socks. And he likes to switch 'em up everyday.

I just went back and read that paragraph and I couldn't even make it past the first sentence. You know, the one where I said Steve has sock issues. I hate to admit it, but I could be the one with sock issues.

I bought a couple pairs of new capris the other day. And they both have the kind of waist doer upper things (I don't know what else to call it) that have the zipper, then a button above the zipper, then they have the part that goes over and fastens to the side. You know what I'm talkin' about? Well, I am used to pulling up my pants and only having to perform 2 tasks to get them all done up. Adding a third thing is really throwing me off my game. I find my zipper unzipped quite regularly. Ya know, cause I do the button, do the other fastener, and well, that's 1, 2 things done, and I think I am done. But really, I'm not.

Anyway.......maybe I should talk about something other than laundry.

The other day I Steve and I heard a song. And it was an old song, but someone had remade it. And I said, "Turn that off, they have totally screwed that song up". And Steve had never heard the song before and I said, yes you have to have heard it before, everyone has. And so I sang it for him, but he still said he had never heard it. And he asked me how old it was. And so I started doing the math. And it was from the 60's and, well, do you know that the 60's were FIFTY years ago. I mean, I know I wasn't even alive then (although Steve was), but most of my favorite songs are from then. So that means that the music I listen to is FIFTY years old. And when I think of it that way, it makes me feel really old.

Oh, and Karri Bertrand, if you are reading this, I just saw your comments in my picasa album. E-mail me! I'll put my e-mail in the comments of this post. And anyone else who wants to e-mail me too, feel free!

It's A River In Egypt. Oh, And By The Way, Happy Fathers Day.

Has it really been five months?

I have had that phone call before.

"Allyson, there is something wrong with your dad. They don't know if it is a heart attack or what but they are taking him to the hospital. Your mom wants you to meet her there."

The first time was on Mother's Day, 2000. We got in the car and drove to Dallas.

The second time, we were already in Dallas. Steve and my dad had just been at a Stars game. We had only been asleep for a short time when my mom came in and said my dad was having a heart attack and she was taking him to the hospital.

This time Steve and I made the 40 minute drive in silence. Almost. I kept thinking it would be just like the other times. It would be scary, but he would get better. We would be at the hospital a few days and then bring him home. Then, after driving for about 30 minutes, a thought came to me. What if this time.....what if this time? I turned to Steve and said,

"What if my dad dies?"

I didn't know I was speaking of an event that had already occurred.

Sometimes I wonder if I am still in denial. I still have his e-mail address in my address book. I still have his cell phone number in my phone. 5, send. That's all I have to push and my phone will dial his phone. I tried it the other day. I got a message saying his "The person you are trying to reach is not taking calls at this time." I didn't even get to hear his voice mail message.

I have thought, "I should probably delete those". But that just seems......wrong. I will never use them again, but......

Sometimes I think, "It has been a long time since I have talked to dad, I should call him". Then I remember.......

A couple weeks ago, I was driving and I saw a blue truck that looked just like his. These are the thoughts that went through my mind in about 1/2 a second:

"is that Dad's truck?"

"no, it can't be, he's at work this time of day"

"i should call him and see if that was him"

"what is wrong with me?"

I am so thankful for the gospel of Jesus Christ. I am so thankful that I know that my father's spirit is alive today. I am thankful that I know that I will see him again someday. I am thankful that I know that my family is Eternal. We will be with him again someday.

It just seems like someday is a long time away.

Flashback Friday - Do I Have Something On My Face?

We took dinner up in the mountains and built a fire and made 'smores. Aubrey thought they were really yummy. It seems like this was just the other day, but it was 3 years ago. Aubrey was only 2 years old. Time goes by way too fast and my kids are moving right along with it.

When The Root Children Wake Up

Aubrey and Emily had their spring concert last Saturday. It was called "When The Root Children Wake Up". It is an old German story. They had a narrator telling the story during the performance. I think my girls did a fabulous job. Here is

Aubrey's Bumblebee dance:
(Aubrey is the curly headed girl who is always to the right of the screen, she is the first bee to sit and spin on the far right at the back)

Emily's Off To School Dance:
(Emily is the 2nd to the last dancer to come out)

The grand finale:
(it is hard to see Emily in this but Aubrey is wearing black leggings with a black sweater with a fur collar)

Yeah, I'm Eatin' Out Of The Trash. Ya Got A Problem With That?

Yesterday I took the kids to the park for lunch. Only I didn't eat lunch at the park. I sat and watched them eat their corn dogs and day dreamed of the leftover taco stuff I had at home waiting for me. I was starving by the time I got home. I couldn't wait to dive into those tacos. I got all the stuff out, meat, lettuce, cheese, olives, salsa. I heated the meat up in the microwave. Then I went to get the taco shells out of the bread drawer. They weren't there! When we had tacos the other night for dinner, I put the tortillas and the hard shells both in the bread drawer. For some reason, Addison really likes playing with the box of hard shell tacos. I have found it in several different places all over the house. Well, I was hungry. My meat was warm. All the other ingredients were just sitting there waiting for me. So I quickly searched the whole house over. I looked in all the other kitchen cabinets, under the couch. In closets, in the bathtub, in her dresser. I was getting really angry and my taco meat was getting cold. DANG IT! I really wanted those tacos. I couldn't eat them on tortillas because the kids finished those off yesterday. Should I just eat the meat and all the stuff, shell-less? Nasty. While I was wandering through the house debating, while still trying to uncover the shells, I found a piece of trash on the floor. So I picked it up, walked over to the kitchen trash, opened it up. And there, half hidden under the refuse, I could see the top of the taco shell box. THE TACO SHELL BOX! So I pulled it out, tore off the used band aid that was stuck to the side, opened it up, and ate my tacos. They were really yummy.

Monday Morning Musings - School's Out, Scream And Shout. Literally.

Ahhhh. Summer vacation. Here....at....last.......Sob. (That was me crying. I was crying loudly and so I capitalized all the letters in sob and it looked like I was swearing. Which I kinda am on the inside.) There is a part of me that is so glad we are done with homework, spelling tests, getting up and ready and out the door every morning on time. There is a part of me that is excited about lunch at the park and swimming and the library. Then there is a part of me that is crying on the inside because there will be fighting and yelling and messes and 4 kids to take to the grocery store.

Emily, I love her so much. She has inherited my sisters volume level for her voice. And it is constantly set to max. And I wish you could hear her right now. She has been hyped up since she woke up and I've had about all I can stand and she hasn't even been awake for an hour. I feel bad because when my sister was here at Christmas she was telling us that she never understood it when people would always tell her to be quiet or use her inside voice. She didn't know she was being loud. But I'm about to like, lose my mind right at this moment.

The other day I told the kids we were going to Costco. Zac started whining and said, "Do you know how many countless hours I have spent at Costco, against my will?".

Apparently I have genius children. Addison can count to 3 and Aubrey can read. I take full credit for Addison's counting because she has been hearing this on a semi-hourly basis since the day she was born, "If you don't come here by the time I count to 3.....1.....2.......3......". Unfortunately I can't take any credit for Aubrey's reading. She just busted out with it one day. Shocked the heck out of me. She is my first child to read before kindergarten.

Last week, no one came to see my house. The week before we had 3 showings set up and not one of them came. Do you know how irritating it is to get all excited and get my house all clean and leave the house with my kids for hours at a time and then not have the people show up?

Is it wrong to have my heat on in the summer? I just turned it off yesterday and I said, NO MORE! But when I woke up this morning it was 65 degrees in the house and everyone was shivering. I am actually enjoying the beautiful weather. My kids are getting mad that we can't swim though.

Flashback Friday - Oh Happy Day!

Kristy, Farrah, Steve, Allyson, Kay, Earl, Sam and Lauren

Marisa, Hallie, Kristen, Allyson, Farrah, Cloe, Kristy, Lauren

I'm a little irritated with my scanner. Most of the time it works just fine and dandy. But ever so often it just decides to really tick me off. On Tuesday, my anniversary, I was trying to scan a bunch of pictures from my wedding to make a slide show. I only got about 5 done and my computer stopped recognizing the scanner. I found a really good Flashback Friday picture today to use and, by golly, it's still not working right. I don't feel like dealing with it now so you are stuck with some of the pictures I was able to get scanned on Tuesday.

Thinkin' Thursday - You Spell Potato, I Spell Potatoe

The votes are in. 12 voted for Thinkin' Thursday to stay around. 1 voted for it to disappear.

Alright people. You asked for it. Here it is. I begin this Thinkin' Thursday with some trepidation. But I will give it a go and see how it works out. I know there will be people who will disagree with me and I am worried they will feel like they can't share their opinions. I want everyone to be able to express their thoughts and feelings, so please do. But maybe we can try and do it in a nice way?

This weekend Hilary Clinton will officially drop out of the race for the democratic nomination. I can't believe it, but I am sad. More scared than sad actually. I have made my feelings for BO known before. This is what worries me. And don't go gettin' all in a tizzy Democrats about what I am about to say. I am unabashedly Republican, in case you hadn't figured that out yet. So of course I am gonna want a Republican President in office, right. So just like plug your ears if you have to to make it through this next paragraph.

I am a little nervous about who BO is going to pick as a running mate. Because I have a feeling. A very bad feeling. It might be nothin'. Only time will tell. BO has said in the past that he will not choose Hilary as a running mate. However, I am afraid that some special high up important Democratic people will try and convince him to choose her. I mean, I could be totally off base here, but this is what I think. I think the two of them have made such a mess and a divide of the Democratic party that people are totally split. I think that the Dems will feel that in order to assure a win they will have to put them both on the ticket. And if they do that, I think that they will win. I really do. And I don't like it. Remember, this is my OPINION, and I am entitled to it so like I said, no Freaking out.

That really isn't what my TT is about. This is what it's really about. I'm not going to say anything about the media (who I believe is just an extension of BO's campaign), I will let you make up your own minds.

Can any of you think back to 1992? I know, it was a long time ago. It was the year I graduated from High School. YIKES! That was the year that Vice President Dan Quayle misspelled potato:

Oh my. The media would not let him live it down. They still won't. I just heard someone make a reference to it just a few months ago. It was all over all the news everywhere. People wouldn't stop talking about it.

How often do you hear people talking about this:



HOLY GEOGRAPHY BATMAN! Apparently my teachers lied to me in school. I had no idea we had that many states!

And what about this one:



He wasn't too far off. He only miscalculated by a few thousand, give or take. Actually 12 people died.

And most recently:



What's wrong with this one? Well, I believe, I mean my teachers may have been wrong about this one too, but ummmm, wasn't it the Russian's who liberated Auschwitz?

Why don't we hear about these (and many more blunders) over and over again in the media? Just sumpthin I was wondering about.

Pinewood Hershey

Last week was the Pinewood Derby. Zac designed this lovely Pinewood Derby car to look like a Hershey chocolate bar. He didn't win but his car did great and outlasted many other cars in the race.

Yesterday his class had a state fair. They have been studying the states and each kid was assigned a different state. Coincidentally Zac was assigned Missouri, the land of his forefathers. He had to make a poster and travel brochure and do a report on the state. He also had to make a 3D display. He made a Missouri "Hall of Fame". He wouldn't let me take a picture of him with it, but here it is. I think he did a great job.

The Call Of The Wild (and I'm not talking about my kids this time)

My kids get on my blog all the time to play my bubble game at the bottom. Well, they are all really irritated with me right now because they HATE the anniversary song and it is really annoying and it disturbs their gaming. So, in order to please the troops, I.....changed the song. Mwaahahahaha. I think they are just irritated by having a constant soundtrack of their lives being sung to them. Tough stuff.


You know how on Memorial day we were going to go ride ATV's and we had them all loaded up and ready to go? Well, we couldn't let such an effort go to waste. So we kept them loaded all week long. Then Friday, when the kids were out of school, we hit the road jack and we didn't look back. We went camping. We had a BLAST. We had so much fun we stayed an extra day and let the kids miss Monday at school. Here are some pictures. Yes, my children are very dirty in the pictures. Being that there were no showering facilities about, we used the tried and true wet wipe bathing method at bed time. I tried the first day to keep them semi clean during the day but we would have run out of wipes within the hour, so I gave that up.

It was perfect weather, except for at night when we froze our bahookies off. We each slept in layers, jackets, 8 blankets apiece, and we were still shivering. We had the whole mountain to ourselves practically so that was very nice. It was hard to come home, but we all pretty much needed a shower so......

I am not kidding you, I am editing my slide show before I post it. I just deleted a picture and an Internet Explorer error message came up saying, "It seems the item you requested has been misplaced. Check your internet connection, cross your fingers, and try again." What the heck kind of error message is that?

Lucky 13 - Happy Anniversary Baby!

What a difference 13 years makes.

Thank you for making me happy for all these years. Keep up the good work Mister!

Love you forever, me.

Shining Happy People Holding Hands

I have been out of town for the past 4 days. We just got home not long ago. I have been wanting to do this all weekend, unfortunately I was not near a computer. That's a lie. Fortunately I was not near a computer (it was nice to have a break from real life).

I am not a confrontational person. I don't like to argue. I don't like to fight. I like everyone to just get along. I am usually the peacemaker. I don't like what happened last week with my Thinkin' Thursday. Every time I think about it, it make me feel sick.

I don't know who anonymous was. I don't even know that all the anonymous comments were from the same person. On average I have 80-100 different people every week read my blog. It could have been anyone of you. I don't know who you all are but I am sure that most of you are people that I know and care about and love.

I have had a lot of time to think it over the last few days. I have decided that it is time to give my Thinkin' Thursday weekly post a rest. I am not retiring it completely. I might bust one out every once in a while. But when I do they will be much less controversial. I want my blog to be a happy place where everyone gets along.

So I am sorry. I am sorry anonymous, whoever you are. I hope you will forgive me. And everyone else who had to listen to the unfriendliness that took place here in my little corner of the internet, I apologize to you too.

All you need is love, da da dan na da. All you need is love, da da dan na da. All you need is love, love. Love is all you need. Love is all you need. Love is all you need. Love is all you need........love is all you need........

And because I just came up with the title for my post and now this song is going through my head: