It's A Brand New Day or One Year Later or You Gotta Fall In Order To Land.

It’s a brand new day

The sun is shining

It’s a brand new day

For the first time

In such a long long time

I know I’ll be ok.

I'm In Love...

Subjects - Little Miss P & Miss R

Date & Time - 2/11/10 9:33 pm
Location - Miss R's bed

Love Notes From My Daughters

You mack
me Happy
I Love
You So
much Love
your doter
:R
To Mommy
<-Hug me please thank you



Mommy P and
I miss you.
We love.
you! Hope you have
a good Day whith ->
Star and Brad. thank
you for the turkey.
ther is a treat!
in the lanch Box.
Love R, P
To mommy
Hope you have a
good day. mommy



mommy
Hope you
Have a
good day
Love:
R
To:
mommy



my I Love
you. Hope
your Day
is good ->
OXOXOXOX
OXOXOX
Love
R



Love. P
to. mommy
I Love you
I miss you



I Love you
mommy.
have a
good Day
with Star,
Brad.
Marry
christmas
and a
Happy new year
I Love:
R
To: you
Dec 7
2009
7:59

Insight Into The Mind of Little Miss P

On the wall outside Little Miss P's kindergarten class they have posted "Wanted" posters for each of the kindergarteners. Each poster has a picture of a kindergartener with a list of things that tell others about them. Most of the kids responses are normal, with a few "out there" or "silly" responses. Not my girl.



I am: a cat

I live: on a rock

I eat: dog food

I have: a pet guitar

I like a tree to eat

I hate: people

I wish: I could never be alive





Talk amongst yourselves.

Anyone Know A Good Contractor? or Pull Out The Blue Tarp!

Gingerbread Waffles

3 c. flour
4 t. baking powder
2 t. cinnamon
2 t. ground ginger
1/2 t. freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 t. salt
4 eggs
2/3 c. dark brown sugar, packed
1 c. canned pumpkin puree
1 1/4 c. milk
1/2 c. molasses
1/2 c. melted butter


Combine dry ingredients. In another bowl, beat eggs and brown sugar till fluffy, then beat in pumpkin, milk, molasses and melted butter. Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir until moist. DO NOT OVER STIR, seriously. Then cook it. Then eat it. These waffles are a softer waffle, don't hold out for a crispy waffle. I had it this past week with huckleberry syrup. Yum.

Things That We Are Thankful For or Things For Which We Are Grateful

I sat down with the girls today and talked about gratitude. Why? IDK, maybe because Thanksgiving is this week? So, they made this list of all the things that they are grateful for in their lives. Here is the list that the girls made - word for word.

We are thankful for:
turkeys & family
our house & family
God & Jesus & everything that you could imagine
mommies & daddies
sister, cat, fish, mom & dad (glad to know where I stand in the line-up)
the prophet & bishop
Church & temples & everything, except bad guys
my house & warm clothes
bishops & prophets & grandmas & grandpas
missionaries
the Book of Mormon
my uncles & aunties
books, school, animals
a warm house
cozy bed
all our electricity
the cozy fires & everything that makes us warm
food
pillows
hugs & kisses
friends
flowers
food (double entry I know, they like food)
breakfast & lunch & dinner (again with the food)
rice bags (bags that we heat up in the microwave that help keep us warm at night)
clothes
TV
butterflies that fly in the air & all the animals that are living
milk
Books of Mormon (see below)
The Best Two Years (a movie I recorded off of BYUTV during conference this year, the girls love it, the humor is right up their alley)
dishes, so that we don't have to drink soup off the table
our Primary Program

L'Automne

L'automne est un deuxième printemps où chaque feuille est une fleur.

Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.

-Albert Camus

I Know The Plans I Have For You

"I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11


Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3: 5-6

Cabin Fever or The Internets Got Me.

I left work early last Friday feeling like I had about three and a half elephants sitting on my chest. Ever have that feeling? Even some of my co-workers noticed something wasn't quite right with me. One was just polite enough to ask if something was wrong with my eyes. Nice. I anticipated some down time before I got the girls from school and a nice, relaxing recovery over the weekend.

No such luck.

Of course I should know better. I have kids, two of them in fact. Every mom knows what it is like when she is sick, I don't need to go into detail about it. If you don't know, go ask a mom. That said, I am no exception. So, then the most wonderful thing happened. Miss R came down with a fever Sunday night. Then Little Miss P followed suite on Tuesday afternoon. Needless to say, I haven't quite gotten the recovery I was hoping to get. As an added bonus I've left the house twice in the past week for short jaunts out and back. Needless to say, cabin fever has hit all of us, and I think we are starting to get on each others nerves, Maybe just a little bit. The girls are bored. I'm bored. I'm bored because I'm sick. I'm bored because I don't have any energy to do anything because I'm sick. I'm bored because I have been resting so much, I'm no longer tired enough to sleep, yet I am still mysteriously, completely exhausted. I'm bored because I've watched so much TV that it feels like my eyeballs are going to start to bleed. So tonight I decided to change it up and trade one time suck for another. I got on Facebook. I checked out a friend's status. You know the rest of the story.

The Internets got me.

And it was nothing worthwhile, I guarantee. In fact it was so mind numbing I thought I'd share it with you people. I started with a link to dance steps for a video. Why did I click on it? I have no good explanation.

Then I went to this parody:



And then to this one:



Next there came this:



Now with this one, there are a couple of things that amaze me about this clip. 1. Someone actually thought that filming their TV and then posting it on YouTube was a good idea, and 2. Over 600,000 people have watched this clip. Amazing, absolutely amazing.



And then finally this.



And now not only are my eyeballs bleeding, but my brain and bum have gone completely numb. I hope you people appreciate what I have done for you.

Sigh, I hate being sick. We all better get well soon.

100th Post

I can't believe it. I just decided to start blogging again (for real this time) and I just noticed this is my 100th post.

Cool.

So, where have I been you ask? I am going through a divorce people, and that is all I'm going to say about that topic.

Life is good, however. Great, actually.

This is what I have been up to. In no particular, reasonable, or even chronological order of course. I was too lazy to upload my photos in order. And I had even less motivation to organize the mess I created while uploading them.

I've been spending a lot of time with these two lovely ladies.

We did a little bit of this during the summer.


Someone started kindergarten this year. Sigh.


Someone else started second grade. Double sigh. This was her first day of school pose. I couldn't get her to stand still. I just love the dry, dead grass as a background. So lovely. Creates a wonderful ambiance. It cries "White Trash".




We met quite possibly the largest pig I've ever seen. One of her ears was as large as Little Miss P's head. No joke. Enormous. Little Miss P was in heaven. She soooo badly wanted to hold one of the baby piggies, but that wasn't about to happen.


Terrorist Tea Pot - We demand hot tea. I love that this tea pot has a ski mask as a tea cozy. Classic.


While in Spokane, we went to Boo Radleys. Possibly the coolest store in Spokane. I'd say we spent about 2-3 hours there giggling and not acting like the 30 something moms that we are. While in college, I used to call Spokane - Spokompton. In was a lovely nickname that described Spokane quite nicely. Now it has been topped by a new personal favorite - Spokanistan. I loved it soooo much, I brought a memento back with me.

Other fun nicknames for Spokane - Spoklahoma, Spokanada, Spokandyland, Spokvegas, Spokan't, Spokamsterdam. Or Methlehem.


I went to Spokane for my ten year college reunion with one of my most favorite people in the world. Or Tacoma. Yep, she is definitely my most favorite person in Tacoma. While there, we stopped by Pizza Pipeline for some Tricky Sticks. They were just as good as I remember them being.


It's fall and my favorite time of the year. The girls and I took a walk through our neighborhood cemetery and collected lovely leaves of every shape, size and color.

I'm back. (For real)

Screw It

I know you are reading my blog and I don't care anymore. I miss blogging.

Days Like These

Me: Miss R, please go untie your sister, NOW!

It was just the perfect end to one of those days. Do you ever have days like that? Days where you find yourself going from one surreal moment to the next? Days where you find yourself saying the craziest things, and yet they seem perfectly reasonable? I've had several days like that this week. And I'm loving it.

On My Mind

Behold, my soul delighteth in the things of the Lord; and my heart pondereth continually upon the things which I have seen and heard.

Nevertheless, notwithstanding the great goodness of the Lord, in showing me his great and marvelous works, my heart exclaimeth: O wretched man that I am! Yea, my heart sorroweth because of my flesh; my soul grieveth because of mine iniquities.

I am encompassed about, because of the temptations and the sins which do so easily beset me.

And when I desire to rejoice, my heart groaneth because of my sins; nevertheless, I know in whom I have trusted.

My God hath been my support; he hath led me through mine afflictions in the wilderness; and he hath preserved me upon the waters of the great deep.

He hath filled me with his love, even unto the consuming of my flesh.

He hath confounded mine enemies, unto the causing of them to quake before me.

Behold, he hath heard my cry by day, and he hath given me knowledge by visions in the night-time.

And by day have I waxed bold in mighty prayer before him; yea, my voice have I sent up on high; and angels came down and ministered unto me.

And upon the wings of his Spirit hath my body been carried away upon exceedingly high mountains. And mine eyes have beheld great things, yea, even too great for man; therefore I was bidden that I should not write them.

O then, if I have seen so great things, if the Lord in his condescension unto the children of men hath visited men in so much mercy, why should my heart weep and my soul linger in the valley of sorrow, and my flesh waste away, and my strength slacken, because of mine afflictions?

And why should I yield to sin, because of my flesh? Yea, why should I give way to temptations, that the evil one have place in my heart to destroy my peace and afflict my soul? Why am I angry because of mine enemy?

Awake, my soul! No longer droop in sin. Rejoice, O my heart, and give place no more for the enemy of my soul.

Do not anger again because of mine enemies. Do not slacken my strength because of mine afflictions.

Rejoice, O my heart, and cry unto the Lord, and say: O Lord, I will praise thee forever; yea, my soul will rejoice in thee, my God, and the rock of my salvation.

O Lord, wilt thou redeem my soul? Wilt thou deliver me out of the hands of mine enemies? Wilt thou make me that I may shake at the appearance of sin?

May the gates of hell be shut continually before me, because that my heart is broken and my spirit is contrite! O Lord, wilt thou not shut the gates of thy righteousness before me, that I may walk in the path of the low valley, that I may be strict in the plain road!

O Lord, wilt thou encircle me around in the robe of thy righteousness! O Lord, wilt thou make a way for mine escape before mine enemies! Wilt thou make my path straight before me! Wilt thou not place a stumbling block in my way—but that thou wouldst clear my way before me, and hedge not up my way, but the ways of mine enemy.

O Lord, I have trusted in thee, and I will trust in thee forever. I will not put my trust in the arm of flesh; for I know that cursed is he that putteth his trust in the arm of flesh. Yea, cursed is he that putteth his trust in man or maketh flesh his arm.

Yea, I know that God will give liberally to him that asketh. Yea, my God will give me, if I ask not amiss; therefore I will lift up my voice unto thee; yea, I will cry unto thee, my God, the rock of my righteousness. Behold, my voice shall forever ascend up unto thee, my rock and mine everlasting God. Amen.

2 Nephi 4:16-35

Blueberry French Toast

Oh yum. This is one of my favorites. Ever. And it is easy to make. One of the best things about this recipe is that it is prepared the night before. No work required in the morning other than popping it in the oven. Which is ideal for me because I am NOT a morning person. Another great thing about this french toast is that it doesn't require syrup. I don't need to explain why this makes me happy if you have ever seen Little Miss P eat. If not, just guess.

2 1/2 cups whole milk

8 eggs

1 t. vanilla

unsliced day old bread (I used bread that is slightly larger than a baguette, but I have made it before with larger bread. It really doesn't matter.)

brown sugar

cinnamon & nutmeg to taste

BLUEBERRIES!

Grease pan. Slice bread 1-1 1/2 inches thick and place in pan. Mix milk, eggs and vanilla together and pour over the bread. Sprinkle nutmeg & cinnamon on top of each slice and then cover with about 1/4 inch of brown sugar. Put blueberries on top, cover it and put it in the fridge overnight. Bake at 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes.

A Zen Moment

Seen On T-Shirt Today

We have nothing to fear but fear itself....
and spiders.

Out of the Mouth of Babes

Little Miss P: "Does ______ go to church?"

Miss R: "No. She wants to, but her mom & dad won't let her. They don't believe in God."

Little Miss P (with a look of disbelief and a dropped jaw): "What?"

Miss R: "I KNOW! It is very upsetting."

Little Miss P: "But God is real."

It is conversations like this that cause my heart to swell with love - for my children and for my Heavenly Father. I am so glad that they are learning at a young age to follow the Lord and know that He is real. I'm grateful for the blessing and experience He has given me of being able to raise children and participate in a vital part of this great plan He has for us.

When I struggle with the challenges of parenting and fear of letting my children go out on their own into the world, I find comfort in the scripture verse in Proverbs that says, "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it."

Likewise I also love a children's song at church that speaks on the same message.


We'll Bring the World His Truth

"We have been born, as Nephi of old, to goodly parents who love the Lord. We have been taught, and we understand, that we must do as the Lord commands.

Chorus: We are as the army of Helaman. We have been taught in our youth. And we will be the Lord’s missionaries, to bring the world his truth.

We have been saved for these latter days, to build the kingdom in righteous ways. We hear the words our prophet declares: “Let each who’s worthy go forth and share.”

We know his plan, and we will prepare, increase our knowledge through study and prayer. Daily we’ll learn until we are called, to take the gospel to all the world."


When I attended church as a child, this song was one of my favorites. As I started to attend church again as an adult, it moved me deeply once again. A few weeks ago in church, some of the seminary students sang this song in sacrament meeting. I could hardly hold back the tears as I felt the Spirit speak to me of the great importance of raising my children correctly, when they came to the line, "We have been taught in our youth." It spoke to me again today as I overheard my children's conversation. I am so grateful for experiences like these that strengthen me and uplift me. And that I can return to memories like these when times are hard and I am discouraged.

Mon Frere

Check this out! This is my brother and a friend climbing Colchuck Peak. Guess which one is my brother....

Seen on T-Shirt Today

Haikus are easy
But sometimes they don't make sense
Refrigerator