Welcome to our neck of the woods!!!!!

Tomorrow, the crew of Good Morning America will do a show called "flip the switch" from here in Coeurd'Alene!!!! Our light show, parade and fireworks will start tomorrow morning bright and early at 4:00am, and will be broadcast live on GMA. They have been here filming and getting ready for a couple of days. The producer of the show told the CDA Press yesterday that CDA is the "Superbowl" of Christmas. Something we have known all along. I have been keeping my fingers crossed that it will snow, because, even though it is absolutely beautiful here in the winter, with or without snow, it is truly over the top when there is snow on the ground!!! Well, guess what??? I woke up this morning to snow. Almost 4 inches. I am so happy. The lake city will sparkle for the whole world to see. Awesome. I just can't decide if I can get myself out of bed that early, and go down there to see all the hype. It certainly will be something I think I will regret if I don't do. But miss D want's to go also, so I am trying to figure out what to do. I think the odds are that we will be down there. It will be early and cold, but I think we will be there. Wish us luck, and toon in to GMA tomorrow. You don't want to miss it!!!!

Thanksgivings over, now bring on Christmas!!!!

With the weatherman saying there is a potential snowfall tonight....(Double YEAHHH!!!), I am ready for Christmas. Here's my to-do list...

Christmas Tree # 1 up..........check
Christmas Tree # 2 up........almost check
Christmas Tree #3 up(Danielle's)..........check
Icicle lights up outside........check.(Thank you god for not letting Joe fall of the roof THIS YEAR...)
Multiple fake Santas inside........check
Xmas Decor on front porch...........check
Kitchen Xmas decor............check
Bathroom Christmas Decor.......check
More outside Xmas lights........not yet checked.
Fixer house decked out in Christmas decor........check
Ok, I just realized this is pathetic. It isn't even December yet. Don't I have anything better to do??? No!!!! But, I found a fun quiz. Oh, and just for your info.....I don't sing. I have no idea why the quiz said I do.....
:-)

Your Christmas is Most Like: The Muppet Christmas Carol

You tend to reflect on Christmas past, present, and future... And you also do a little singing.

What Movie Is Your Christmas Most Like?

A good day....

Here are Danielle and Austin and some "mystery" girl, posing in front of Joe Vandal on Saturday in Moscow. Even though Idaho lost, we had a great time. And thanks to a guy giving out his extra tickets for free by the ticket line...we got to see the game without having to buy one single ticket. It definitely was a good day.

The "Perfect" Tree

Yep. I wouldn't have even known it, but after Danielle and I spotted this tree on the side of the road on our way to Mullan, just calling out our names, she turned to me and asked..."Mommy, is this the "PERFECT" tree for you??". And I said "Yes, actually it is, Danielle".

So all of that talk got me thinking about years ago, when Joe and I were going to have a winter wedding, because I NEEDED a winter wedding, I couldn't be happy without tons of snow on my wedding day, tons of perfect Christmas trees with hundreds of sparkly white lights on them, beautiful evergreen centerpieces with candles, colorful holly with red berries on the wedding cake, and I could go on and on. So, lucky for me, the snow just piled up before our wedding on that December day. There was more snow that year than there had been for many years before in Mullan. And it was perfect. Absolutely perfect. Just what I had prayed for. Snow.

So a couple days before my big day, when my dad, my uncle buddy and I were out by the park hunting for five Christmas trees to decorate the church and the reception hall, I just couldn't find the "perfect" one. I had them up to their calves in snow, trying to maneuver around in their jeans and coats, searching high and low for the right one. "Is this one good?" They would say. "NO, it needs to be fluffier!!", I would say. And then to the next one.."It needs to be taller", and to the next one "It needs to be shorter", "It needs to be bigger...". And so on they would go, searching for the one that might meet my qualifications. And finally, after at least an hour of going from beautiful tree, to beautiful tree, we agreed on five. The search was over. We did it. Well, I guess I should say "they" did it. And the trees WERE perfect. They couldn't have been more beautiful. And when I think back now, I wish I wouldn't have been so picky, I wish I would have made it a little easier on them that day, but because of that day, and because of the way they happily searched on, even though I know they were tired and cold, I truly know how much they cared for me, and how much they wanted me to be happy on my special day. And I just hope they knew that because of them, I was.

The Flintstone's Thanksgiving.

Ok, we aren't the Flinstone's. But for a minute I felt like we were. Danielle insisted that she have the turkey leg all for herself at dinner, and she also insisted she eat it like a "cave" girl. So, we decided, what the heck. Let's just be thankful we are all happy and healthy.....and let's not forget.....HUNGRY.
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!!!

Did Someone Say I Have Too Many Knick-Knacks???

I didn't think so.

:-)
(Hey, I even think I could cram a few more in there.....)

Hmmmmm

There is a check cashing/payday loan "store" here in Post Falls, and especially during this time of year, I just cringe when I see the people walking in there with their checks in hand. It just makes me ill. I am sure you have all watched the 60 minutes specials about the fees that the customers of these type of businesses face AFTER they get their "loan". Pure robbery, if you ask me. So, today, as I was driving by it, because it is on the main road, I noticed that they had a new message on their outside billboard. It said..."Food Drive, Donate Inside.." Wow. Great idea. God knows you are gonna have to hand your customers food on their way out because they won't be able to afford it with the sky high fees you are charging them. Good grief.

Who Do We Hate????

BOISE STATE!!!

"We", being the Vandal fans, of course!!!
I am watching the game between the Broncos and the Vandals, and I just needed to let out some steam!! We are actually doing very well. Keeping in there. The score is 24 to 14 Broncos and it is almost the half. I'll take that!! Go VANDALS!!

I knew it!!!!!

Ok, I have thought alot about this topic in my adult years....and finally someone who IS a billionaire has verified it. Cause if ya do some research about it, like I have, it's hard to find anything solid. Believe me, I have looked. So, here is what I'm talking about....
Warren Buffett, a business man and a Billionaire, has come out and said that he admits that he has the "big bucks", (DUhhhhh...) and he admits that he is paying LESS in taxes than his employees.....(the example he used is his secretaries). So, he says he is currently paying 18% in taxes to the government. After doing a bit of research....he found out that his Secretaries are paying 30%. Yep, now he IS paying MORE, if you look at it at from a total dollars standpoint, but percentage wise, he is paying about 12% less. MANY wealthy people are paying less of a percentage than the lower earning public, but NOT MANY of them will come out and admit it. Why would they want to? Then it might "Change". Then they might have to give up a little more of their billions. Poor Billionares.
If you listen to some politicians that are against a lower percentage for the top 1% of the wage earners in this country, you will hear some weird things. One being that if the top 1% of wage earners would pay an equal percentage of tax, social security could be fixed, and other programs like that could be implemented, maybe even a national healthcare policy for Americans. Sound good to you guys??? Maybe. But alot of people think it just isn't that simple. Well, maybe it's not, but I am sure glad Mr. Buffett brought his concerns to the media, so we can all think about it and wonder if anything will ever change.....

I wish my hips were bigger.....

Ok, you'll never believe what I heard on the news today. Sometimes I wonder if there are scientists sitting around somewhere twiddling their thumbs, trying to think up some stupid idea for a "scientific" study. I mean, who comes up with these things????
The latest one I heard about today was that a mom's HIP size, during pregnancy, actually effects the intelligence of her child. I guess they figured out that women who have bigger hips, have smarted kids. Who says???? Is this really "scientific". You have got to be kidding me. Crap, Danielle is out of luck, then. Because I was SUPER skinny in the hip area when I got preg-o with her. But, on the bright side, if we were currently trying to conceive a child, this one would have NO problem-o in the smarts department. Just ask my jeans.....as they have recently went up ANOTHER size. Oh well, that gives me an excuse to buy new pairs of cool jeans.....right girls. Ya gotta look on the bright side of things. Oh, and I am just wondering if bigger hips would also make ME smarter. I'll have to think on it and get back to ya.....but I don't think so....darn it.

It's here....

Yep, I knew it would be just a matter of time before the MRSA Staph infection hit Danielle's school. Since I have "connections", I heard about it today, and we haven't even received a letter home yet. I am assuming it will be tonight. So, I am currently doing a bit more research, and I think that Joe and I will weigh our options tonight, but the main consensus by the panhandle health district is to just keep your kids clean and sanitized. So, Danielle has been using a hand sanitizer that I sent with her to school, even though the schools have their own..., and I will start making her wear long sleeved shirts and long pants. I think keeping most of her skin covered should help, and we will continue to tell her to not be touching other kids too much. What can ya do??? We can't make her live in a bubble. Although it might be nice, sometimes.....