The dating scene for a 50+ year old............

Have you ever wondered how the dating scene looks for a 50 something year old. Yeah, me neither. But, I get to hear all kinds of funny stories right from the woman who is currently living it. Yep, my mother. So, I have come up with "names" for all of these guys that she has told me about. It's actually pretty pathetic. So girls, whatever you do, just try to stay in a relationship during your "golden" years, because as we have seen, there's nothin' but the slim pickin's left after that.





1. Fake Picture Guy: this guy posts a picture on his online profile for a dating website. Well, when you meet him, you realize pretty fast that this is an old picture. Yep, at least 20 years old. I guess he wanted it to be a surprise that he had grey hair and wrinkles.........





2. Drunk Guy: this guy goes to a concert with my mom and he is totally blasted. Yep, before the concert. So, he continues to drink, and fall down, and drink, and fall down, and so on.....





3. Drunk Guy II: this guy loves to have a tottie or two. Especially before he's about to drive. Ask the cop who gave him the citation. Now he calls my mom to she if SHE can pick HIM up to go to a movie. I don't think so......





4. Broken Neck Guy: Yep, this one is a dandy. He didn't break his neck once, not even twice, he has broken it a grand total of 4 times. He has to rearrange his whole body in his seat before he can even look at ya. Sounds fun.





5. Farmer Guy: This guy says he loves to see movies. Oh goody, so does my mom. She asks him what the last movie he saw in theatres was..................His answer..............The Titanic. Oh, that just came out last year..................right???????????





6. Slow Guy: This guy says he just loves to hike. Sounds good. But upon further observation, you realize that there is actually not much hiking being done, more of stopping to take a breather and enjoying the scenery.





7. Many Questions Guy: This gentleman came right out and told my mom that he doesn't approve of any women who have tatoos, belly rings, shaved hair (yep, down there), or anything else he deemed inappropriate. OK then. What great conversation to have on the first date!!!





8. Boondocks Guy: This guy lives 20 miles up a dirt road on top of a mountain in the middle of no where. I'm sure it's just beautiful up there, living off the land, eating chipmunk stew, ................Honey, keep pluckin' those chickens, I'll be back in 3 hours, I have to run to the store for more oil for our lanterns.





9. After the Fact Guy: This guy loves to call my mom on the phone. But only really late at night after he has had an adventurous day alone. Then, and only then, is he ready for some companionship. We get the picture, Romeo.

10. I Like Myself Guy: This guy likes himself so much that he thinks everyone likes him that much. Only, we don't like him, so get over yourself already!!!! Oh, and he LOVES to hear himself talk, and talk, and talk......





Well, so far that's all I can come up with. Isn't that sad. I mean, my mom certainly doesn't act her age. For that matter she doesn't even LOOK her age. And most of these guys are like on their death bead, looking for companions to sing them hymns as they gently drift off too..................sleep.


So, if any of you can think of a "good" man, send them our way, and I'll make up a name for them. :-)

The story of the cell phone from hell.........

Yep, I have come to the conclusion that that is what it is. We got Danielle a cell phone about 3 months ago and she was just loving life. She carried it everywhere. She listened to the ring tones for about 4 hours per day.............just going through each and every irritating one, over and over.

You know, her phone has like 3 times the ring tones as mine does. Go figure. Circus music, nascar noise, loud tones, soft tones, jingles, can-can's, you get the picture...........

So, she had about 200 minutes to start with. We explained to her that she shouldn't use them all at once, because we were not going to buy more until like, two months or something. So thank god they were not charging minutes to listen to ring tones. Oh, and if you don't buy minutes every 60 days, I think you loose them and stuff like that. So, after about 3 weeks, she had only used about 7 minutes. She was quite the responsible cell phone user. She got all her kicks out of listening to the ring tones...............Cheap entertainment.

Anyway, about 4 weeks into it, she lost her phone. Now, if you know me, and you know my house, you will know that this is a bad thing. I was thinking there was no possible way this phone would ever show up again. Oh, and no.........we couldn't just call it, because responsible cell phone user had it turned off in order to save the battery. So, I searched her entire room. This was not fun at all. I found tons of stuff that I would never want to find again. Sticky suckers, tons of MC D's toys, garbage, dog treats, dirty laundry, but no phone. So I searched the basement. I also found tons of yucky stuff. I believe I found enough popcorn under the cushions of our couch to feed an entire family in Africa for like a year. At least. But no phone.

So a month later I was cleaning out my car. I know, I probably should do this more than once a month.....and there it was. The cell phone was just laying on the floor in between the seat and the door. Luckily the thing didn't fall out of the car!!! Or maybe not????

So, for 2 weeks I have been trying to reactivate this phone from hell. I have been online, and as I am almost ready to close the transaction, a screen pops up and says..." We're sorry, your reactivation process has had a problem. Please call 1-800.....eat-crap and we will be happy to assist you. " So, I call the number, I enter in 30 digit codes for like 20 minutes, just to find out that I don't have all the codes I need. So I try to get to an operator, and let me tell you , this is nearly impossible. After holding for like 30 minutes, I get a friendly-Pakistani-lady, and I couldn't understand a single word she said, and then I realized I just told her it was ok to put me on hold. What???? No.........( I try to say ) But, she already did it. And then the elevator music starts up again and about 4 seconds later, the call is disconnected. It figures. If I could just see these people in person, I swear I would pull out my umbrella on them. My really big umbrella.

It's no fun being sick!!!!

Our whole house is full of sick people!!!! It's probably about time to quarantine the place. It is not good. Danielle was really sick about 2 weeks ago and I took her to the doctor and she was diagnosed with something called walking pneumonia. So, she was on some strong antibiotics and lots of rest. She missed her basketball game and some school, and skiing. So, she started to get a little better, then about a week later she took another turn for the worse. Huge fever, vomiting, pain, etc. So, it was Sunday and I had to take her to the immediate care. I was so worried her pneumonia was getting worse!! So, they did and X-ray and said that the pneumonia was coming along fine, and the progress was good and that wasn't what was making her so sick. So, after some more tests, they sent us home with another antibiotic and some yucky medicine for nausea. Finally today she is feeling a bit better. She missed school yesterday and today she is home again. Maybe tomorrow..............

Joe came home from work yesterday and he was so tired he passed out on the couch. my dad came over and he couldn't even keep his eyes open for that. So about 3 seconds after my dad walked in the door Joe was snoring again...... :-) He flew to Salt Lake this morning, we'll keep our fingers crossed about his condition. They may have trouble waking him when his flight is over, he may just have to continue on with the flight and end up in someplace like......................Cambodia?????

I have been on antibiotics for about 5 days for a sinus infection. I feel like I have developed the flu on top of that. No, its not enough just to take care of a sick child, I have to be sick myself. How ridiculous is that. I barely have the energy to get myself out of bed and clean up her vomit that sprayed all across her bed and carpet...................yuck. The laundry is piling up!!!!!

That's the story of our week so far. Fun, Fun. Hopefully we will all be feeling chipper by Thursday, because we are off to Boise for the grand invention convention. We will probably all have to share the driving, I think all of us are too tired to drive the whole way ourselves. So, happy thoughts, people. Happy thoughts.

My current favorite quote

I couldn't agree with me more............

~author unknown

Walking With Grandma

I saw this poem at the spring arts and craft fair I went to today. It would have been a good addition to the previous post about my mom.......So here it is.............Oh, and check out the picture of my mom and Danielle at Disneyland on the carousel, cute, huh!!!!

I like to walk with grandma,

Her steps are short like mine.

She doesn't say "Now hurry up",

She always takes her time.

I like to walk with grandma,

Her eyes see things like mine do -

Wee pebbles bright, a funny cloud,

Half hidden drops of dew.

Most people have to hurry,

They don't stop and see

I'm glad that God made Grandma.

Unrushed, and young like me.

~Poem by Thena Smith~

Neiko's favorite toy

I am sure if you have a dog, you know what I'm talking about. Actually, I believe the same thing applies to young kids.......

Neiko's favorite toy is not one of the "doggie" toys that we have carefully selected for him from a pet shop. These include, special chew toys, special toys that are supposed to clean his teeth, balls, ropes, etc. Nope, these really don't spark his interest. The ones that he wants are the ones that aren't even toys to start with. He absolutely loves cups. Small cups. He will play with them forever. Sometimes he loses these cups underneath our coffee table, and he is a little too big to crawl under there and get them, so after a couple minutes of trying to reach it, he gives up.

So this morning, we noticed that his favorite cup was underneath the coffee table. We got it out of there and he immediately started playing with it. He was so happy to have it. So, thirty minutes later, he still had the cup. He was still playing with it. We were all talking to him like " Oh, Neiko, you just love your little toy, don't ya, boy..." "Oh Neiko, you are so happy with the toy, huh, boy..." etc. So, the phone rang and it was my mom. And I was filling her in about the cup, and about how happy neiko was to have it back. I was like " he just hasn't let it go since we got it out from under the table. " I thought this was super cute and kept on talking to my mom. Finally Danielle went over to Neiko because she was gonna play with him and the toy. Upon closer examination, she realized that the cup had a small crack in the bottom and it was actually stuck to his toe nail. It would not come off. He couldn't let it go even if he wanted to. So, I felt really bad because I was totally oblivious to the fact that this cup was actually attached to his foot. Luckily, we only had to perform a small surgical procedure to remove the apparatus from his foot....( just kidding...) But, it's really too bad he can't talk. I'm sure he was probably thinking......" Are you guys really that stupid???? The toy is fricken STUCK to me!!! Help me!!!. I HATE this toy!!!!

Sorry Neik........

Busy Lives

You know, my life has seemed so busy lately, I'm sure a lot of you know what I'm talking about, especially if you have kids at home, jobs, pets...........etc.... But, I have been thinking of how ridiculous it actually is. I mean, why do we fill our lives with all of this stuff??? How much of it is really effecting who we are?? I really don't know.

Danielle has basketball practice, and games. She has hip-hop lessons, and recitals. She has been wanting to ski every weekend, so we have been working that in as much as possible. She is so involved with friends, I believe it may be taking over her life, a little. She is involved in all sorts of after school activities that actually have to do with school. We go to every single after school function at her school. We even take other parents' kids along. I hate to say that I do think that a lot of these activities have really been good for her. Oh, and let's not forget homework. Do you know how much homework a second grader has these days. It's crazy. I also hate to say that I have recently wanted to add a couple things to that list, but my husband said....."she's busy enough already!!!" I know, I know. But she would like to start other things also. I guess we need to wait till she finishes up basketball.

So, since we have had the river place, our lives have seemed to be extra full of this weekend getaway experience. And for the most part, I think this has been an awesome addition to our life. It has brought it's share of headaches and problems, but the good parts, I think, greatly out weigh the bad. By a long shot. But it for sure has taken up much more of our time then we EVER imagined. We thought we would be sitting in front of the fire, drinking a beer, relaxing, yeah right. You only get to do that after all the work is done. Hey, when is all the work gonna be done???

Joe's promotion has brought on a very different atmosphere in this house. Our weeks seem to go by extra fast when he is down in Utah for a couple of days. (at least for me...) He probably thinks the time just drags on. This has actually given me a bit of time to tidy up my house so that when he is home, we have a bit more time for the "other" stuff. We feel like we are continually coming and going.

My volunteering for AARP has been a great experience, but as with all things, when you start to help out people, they would always love to have more help. So, I think this year I have successfully been able to keep my hours down and only go in one day a week, but they are already gearing me up for next year and talking about seeing me more...............I really like doing this, but I also don't want it to effect my family time. At all. No getting around it.

Ok, so the point I was trying to get across is this.............

When I was growing up, our lives just didn't seem this full of "stuff". It all seemed a little simpler. Maybe I am just imagining things, but it just didn't seem so hectic 20 years ago. Have we all chosen to be this busy? I guess in a way, we have. We could tell Danielle she couldn't be so involved in things. We could get some self control and stop volunteering for so much stuff. We could try to stay home a little more often, and just enjoy being here. But hey, what fun is that??? We have gotten used to a busier schedule full of activities, and sometimes I actually think we would go nuts if it was less full. Or are we already nuts??? Probably.

The Picture Says it All..............

My Cabin

Look at my "cabin". I have always wanted one. And actually, all I got was a 1960-something single wide trailer that we had the experience of trying to "turn" into a cabin. I will try to post some before pictures for those of you who haven't seen it before. I think we did a pretty good job. From the inside, you'd never know the difference. Now from the outside, it's not too convincing. But, it is currently doing it's job as my private little get-away. I love it there and hopefully I will still be thinking these positive thoughts this spring when we get to clean up the huge mess that the last few wind-storms have made. Lot's of work, but its definitely worth it!!!

Time for a happy blog...........

I have done enough complaining for the near future. I decided I needed to post something "good" for a change.

This is Danielle on the four wheeler last weekend at the river. You know, when I was a kid and I was on my motorbike I was soooooo careful. I was scared to death to wreck on it. Almost too scared to have any fun. Well, Danielle must take after her dad. She is already pretty gutsy on that thing. He had "no fear" when it came to motorcycles. Hopefully she is right in the middle of us when it comes to her comfort level on that bike. Still having fun while being super careful. If not, mom will put the brakes on it in a hurry!!!!

:-)

cute cartoon

A Welcome Sight

Alright, I was doing my evening ritual ( watching entertainment shows while painting my nails...) and they were talking about the Anna Nicole thing and I just had to come and post my opinion about it. I was absolutely shocked ( in a good way) that as the judge was giving his order ( if that's what you call it...) he actually got really choked up. He cried. You never see this happen. I always wondered how these professionals could go through a trial that is very emotional and read a verdict so calmly. Like they weren't even involved in it. So, I was pleasantly surprised to see him show so much emotion. I mean, I didn't really want him to cry, but it hit me that this man was actually, well, human. Because sometimes you've got to wonder.

Oh, and last but not least, what in the heck is up with Britney Spears?? I'm sorry, but that girl needs some help. I mean, whenever I act like that, I get help. ( Just kidding, people...)
:-)

Yes, I would like cheese with my "whine"....

I am feeling the urge to whine a bit......

First of all, Why is my house always grand central station??? Why do all the kids have to come here and play. ( play = another word for, make the house look like a hurricane hit.) Ok, danielle has some friends that once in awhile let her go over to their house, but let me tell ya, they are few and far between. Who nominated me to be the babysitter of every neighborhood kid?? I'd be rich if I was getting paid for this. (don't take this as I don't like kids, I love kids, just not every fricken day, people.)

Why do I volunteer for crap I don't even want to do??? I got a call from the children's library lady where I work ( very part-time) and after I got off the phone with her, I realized that I had just agreed to go to every daycare in this fricken town and read stories and sing songs like "the wheels on the bus" and do self-puppet shows like " where is thumb kin" to all the happy little runny nosed kids there. What???? I did what??? I am gonna do what??? I don't even think I have ever done "where is thumb kin" with Danielle. Ok, maybe I have. But not in a public place when every single eye is right on you. I can't believe I agreed to this. Let it be known that I have already had like 2 sleepless nights over this. I wake up sweating like a pig just thinking about it. And no, I'm not just practicing being the pig in "the big bad wolf" story. Although, I probably could use the practice..........

Why am I the one who has to plan out every single family function in order "not" to hurt any ones itty bitty feelings. I mean, why do I have to worry about it??? Did I sign up for this? Ok, my parents don't do wonderful when they are in the same room. So why do I fricken care. Why. How come I just can't do like the rest of them and not loose any sleep over whether so and so gets one more hour of Christmas family time than the other. I mean, good grief, who made me in charge of all the "arrangements". Actually, I am not quite sure they even know I am making arrangements. I think that they think everything just falls in to place perfectly because of....................fate???? Give me a break people. I have spent tons of time going over different scenarios trying to make everything work out just peachy so that no one has a bad day. Well, I just figured out that one person still has a bad day. Who could it be???? Why, I think it is me. So how's that workin' for me???? Not too well, I have to admit.

Ok, I feel so much better. Now that I have vented, I will go pour me a big glass of cheap red wine. My favorite. Oh, and I will slice up some cheese to go with it.

What is with these people?

Ok, every night before my "main" TV shows come on, I sit down to relax and watch some entertainment show that is on. So, I am sure you guys know what I am talking about when I say....." What in the hell is going on with this Anna Nicole crap??" Why do people turn into psycho's when someone dies. Doesn't her mom watch the same TV that we do? Because if she did, she would know that Anna Nicole absolutely despised her. Jesus, even little old me knows this. I mean, she was shaking uncontrollably ( ok, I know it could have been due to some sort of substance she may have been using.....ya think? ) just at the thought of her mother ever even SEEING Dani Lynn or her, ever. So, now that Anna has died, her mom thinks she should have the body to bury wherever she wants. What??? Oh, and why in the heck would it matter who the father of that baby is when it comes to where to bury her??? Anna was obviously closer to Howard, so on the subject of where she wanted to be buried, wouldn't he know best?? Maybe I am wrong here.( But I highly doubt it.... :-) ) I think that she probably should have had all of this crap written out in great detail in her will. So, who knows. Maybe Larry B will get control of her body and have her cremated and sitting up on his headboard in a hooters cup or something.

Playdates and Alcohol

I have been browsing around different blogs lately, and I have seen alot of comments about this topic that was discussed last week on the "Today" show. They were discussing how some moms had chosen to add drinks to their playdates with the neighborhood moms and their kids. This is stirring up a bunch of different opinions. As you can only imagine.

Ok, so here, I'll put my two cents in........

I have had a drink at a playdate. "A drink" is the key word. A simple glass of red wine. I did not get sloshed. This playdate also was next door, so I did not have to drive home, I just had to stumble. Joking.

Also, I have good memories of playing with my friends and relatives while my parents were getting "drunked" up with the other parents. Hey, we got away with alot more after the parents had a few!!!! :-)

So, I don't think this is a huge deal. I don't feel like me or the other moms that have had a drink at a playdate were being irresponsible. Heck, it helps ease the stress of thinking about the huge mess we are gonna have to clean up after the kids get done fingerpainting the walls, linoleum, bathroom, windows, doors, etc.......Not to mention spilling their kool-aid all over everything in sight. Good grief people, a moms gotta do what a moms gotta do. Don't judge us till you've been there. The only thing I regret is that the last playdate I attended was like..................3 years ago.

Fact, By Danielle

I was organizing papers................filing some, throwing some in the garbage, and I ran across this little essay that Danielle wrote at school last year. I just thought it was cute how she spelled everything..............( I'm gonna post it just like she wrote it.)

Fact

Snow is white.

tocos have shels.

Grass is green.

the sky is blue.

Hats go on yore head.

Dichonerys tell you what words mean.

A is the first leter of the Alfabet.

rocks are hard.

I thought that was pretty good for a first grader. Pretty cute, too. So, that one definately isn't going in the garbage.....

Sea of Red

The sea of red I am talking about is the view we had from our seats at none other than.......The Kennel, at Gonzaga University. Yep, we were there. We were there when the 2 seniors played their last minutes on their home court. We were there when it was 2 minutes till the start of the game and the student section was jumping up and down, screaming, clapping and getting ready for the game beginning tip-off. We were there to hear the roar of the crowd as Gonzaga entered the McCarthey Athletic Center and they were in the mood to WIN. It was awesome. Joe, Danielle, a friend from Joe's work and my mom and I were lucky enough to get 5 tickets to the game that every Zag fan wanted to be a part of. I will tell ya, I could have sold those tickets for 5 times what I paid for them, but if you felt what we felt as the team ran out on the floor, you'd know why I didn't. WE WERE THERE.

Don't even ask me how I got the tickets. It's kinda like how you can never ask my grandpa where his favorite huckleberry picken' spot is, you just can't give it away......

Also, I'm gonna miss seeing Derek Raivio playing with the team next year. Hey, what can I say, I felt a tiny connection to the guy. His family has ties to the same neck of the woods I do, yep, none other than the little town of Mullan. So, us Mullanite's have loved watching him play along with the Zags. Yep, Mullan knows how to grow 'em.

:-)

Got Snow?

It was a great day for skiing at Lookout Pass yesterday. Joe, Danielle and I spent about 7 hours on the hill. It was not too cold, at some points the sun was shining and at other points the snow was falling out of the sky like a blizzard. All in all, it was a good day!!! Hopefully we still have a few good weekends left for skiing. I'm not ready for the snow to melt quite yet.

How nice is that???????

Yep, that's what lucky me got for Valentines Day. I have such a nice and thoughtful husband. I really hope he didn't take my previous post seriously.....

Anyway, I like 'em, I really, really like 'em.

Kids say the funniest things....

Yes, I know I am stealing that title from a TV show, or is it the "darnedest" things??? Either way, they do.

We went to a function at Danielle's school called Dinner and a Book. We went to her school, ate a school lunch that they called dinner, (Actually, it was either super good chili or I was just super hungry....), then we had to rotate from classroom to classroom, doing different activities and listening to different speakers.

So, the first one was this really patient lady that was teaching all the kids ( and parents) about the food pyramid ( did you know it has TOTALLY changed since when I was a kid), about what foods are healthy, what foods are categorized as, and she also went into this big spiel about how Calcium is super healthy for yourself, including your bones. So, she said that 99% of your bones were calcium ( who knew) and that you could have osteoporosis if you didn't eat enough of it. (Yes, I know that....) She shows us all some containers of a white powdery substance and she says the amount in the littler container would be the amount of calcium in a baby's bones if they were ground up and put in that container. So, the first little kid raises his hand and says " Is that a real baby???". She happily tells them no, it is not. So, she goes to the next bigger container and says the same thing but that it would be the amount in an 8 year old bones. Yep, the next kid raises his hand and asks " Is that a real 8 year old???", she happily tells him, no. And on and on, you get the picture.

The next room is where we got to be involved in a "Chain" story. You know, one person starts it and passes on to the other to add their part of the story. So, the teacher starts it. All the little girls are like...." And the baby and the mommy ride the boat down the river and watch the birds fly by....." and the little boy that was next goes...." And a huge shark jumped out of the water and bit the heads of the mom and the baby...." then the next little girl is like...." then the shark opened his mouth and the mommy and the baby jumped out of the shark's mouth and got back on the raft and sang happy songs......" and the next little boy goes...." then the raft went off the cliff and they died." ( I guess that's the end.)

So, we next went to a classroom where the kids bodies were traced while they were laying on paper. One little girl was carefully drawing around a little boy and she tried really hard to draw everything just perfect. Then they switched, and the little boy drew the girl in like 2 seconds and before he got done he went back up to her head and drew "devil" horns on it. So the mom of the boy noticed before the mom of the girl did and the boys mom went over to the drawing and drew a huge red bow over the top of the horns. The whole time I was just cracking up. Gosh, kids are too funny. Thank god for the difference between boys and girls. It keeps thing interesting.

Eating out.....

Why can't I just have a pleasurable experience at a fast food restaurant. Maybe I am just asking too much. Maybe it is a sign that I need to just drive right past them and fight my temptation to eat a yummy "big mac" or "regular" (at arbys). Although, my last experience could actually pass as good, OR bad. Let me explain......

My mom and I are sitting in Arbys, enjoying ourselves, eating our food, and after I was about half done, the older guy in the table behind us, started coughing. Yes, I know, sometimes you need to cough, but this was just.......Way past that. He just kept on coughing this awful, yucky sounding cough. I was thinking, "Jesus, go outside and let us finish stuffing our faces, already". But, he didn't. So, after about 3 of these "episodes", I wrapped my food up, put it on the tray, and sadly threw it in the trash can.

So, the bad part about this experience is, I was enjoying my food, until I lost my appetite and had to throw it away. The good part is, I lost my appetite before I stuffed myself into feeling totally full and miserable, like I usually would do.

This experience has made me try, to always see "good" part of a bad situation. There. I did.

Time.......

We all need more of it. Well, I guess I can only speak for myself. It's funny, it seems like after you have kids, time goes by like twice as fast as it did before you had them. Why is that. I mean, before Danielle and during my school days, time seemed to just drag on. I can remember just hoping for time to go by faster so I could graduate high school, then graduate college, then get married, then have kids, and to tell you the truth, the first few months after I had danielle time seemed a bit slow also. But my mom and other family members kept telling me to cherish every moment, because one day I would look back on it and it would seem like one day disappeared into the next way to fast. It is true. But when she was a baby it would seem like an eternity when she cried. Joe and I would take turns walking with her, rocking with her, trying to comfort her, and it seemed nothing helped, and it seemed she would cry forever, and we were both looking at each other to do something, and then finally, she would fall asleep. But those were the months that seemed to go on and on, at the time. But now, as I look back, it seems like they only lasted minutes. It's funny how your brain works.

So I sit here wondering how we have covered the last eight years of her life in what seems like 1 or 2 years in my head. Are the next 10 going to go as fast? Unfortunately, everyone has told me that yes, they will go just as fast.

She has changed so much in the last couple of months that sometimes I don't even notice it until I take a picture of her and really look at it. When her school picture came back I looked at it and could not believe how much she is changing. And it's all happening right before my eyes. So why is it that it is so hard for me to see? I don't know, maybe it's because it's kind of gradual when she is right in front of you all the time. But, it's still happening. So, I got the camera out, and I plan to start taking pictures more often, so I can try to capture a little bit of time, and make it stop, for a moment, or two......

Happy Valentines Day!!!

Let me tell ya, Neiko has been very busy today. He was eager to perform his important duty as an official "Valentine" for grandma and Danielle. We have already delivered two bouquets of flowers to grandma's house and Danielle's school. He got a big huge hug from grandma and is waiting patiently for Danielle to get home from school. Happy Valentines Day, Everyone!!!

You Go Girls!!!!!

Wow. I can't tell you how excited I was as I watched the Grammy's last night. I was laying in bed as the "Song of the Year" category came up and I will tell ya, there were a lot of good songs up for that award. As they read the results, I crossed my fingers and hoped for the best......And, they won. I let out a scream. Yes, the Dixie Chicks stole the show by winning 5, count them, FIVE Grammies. So, let me tell ya, I was super jacked. I really didn't know that it would have happened like that. It was awesome, and well deserved. Let the controversy begin!!!

A funny joke for you.....

Oh my gosh, I saw this and I could not stop laughing. I thought I'd share it with you all. Enjoy!

Oh my gosh.....

What was he thinking?? What were THEY thinking? I am talking about Gonzaga Bulldog starter Josh Heytvelt and Teammate Davis. Last night they were stopped for a routine traffic stop and bam, life changed for both of them. The officer thought he smelled marijuana. They found it. Along with that illegal drug, they found mushrooms. What in the world were they thinking??? So, off to jail they went. And per Gonzaga Staff at a press conference today, they are indefinitely suspended. They will more than likely never play basketball at Gonzaga University again. Wow. Head coach Mark Few is "shocked and saddened." So are we.

It's One Week Till Valentines Day......

I saw this and just had to post it!!! Cute, huh.

Nope, it's not a hint for my husband, believe it or not, he wanted to buy me diamond earrings for our 10 year anniversary and I talked him out of it. That's right girls. what was I thinkin???

I must have been all doped up on medication or something???? :-)

Hey, I thought I saw him slip something in my drink that night.........then I got real tired and I was like ...."oh no honey, not diamond earrings......."

Things that make you go hmmmmmmm

Ok, I ran across a really weird thing when I was doing taxes this past week. I was helping this husband and wife. They have 3 kids at home. They do not make much money........AT ALL. So, I had done about 4 returns already for previous tax payers, and everyone that day had qualified for something that Idaho calls the "Grocery tax credit". What this is, is a credit that Idaho gives back to tax payers because we pay a state tax on groceries (food). So, when I finished this family of five's return, I was going over it with them, and I noticed that the grocery credit did not automatically come up like it had on the previous 4 I had done. So, I stopped and looked over everything again, making sure that I put in the right amount of dependants, etc. I mean, this credit is worth $20.00 per person and that would mean $100.00 for this deserving family. So, I looked back at the return, and everything looked right on it. But still, the credit did not post. So, I asked my supervisor to come over and take a look at it too see if I made an error or what??? After about 5 minutes of looking, he finally remembered that you have to make a certain amount of income in order to qualify for this particular credit. WHAT??? You mean, if you don't make enough money, you don't qualify for this grocery credit.???? That is like, bizarre. These people are buying groceries for 5 people for crying out loud. They make an income that qualifies them to be in the poverty level. If this family does not qualify for the grocery tax credit, then who does. I believe that these type of people are who deserve it most. Maybe I'm crazy.

A Quote along with a story......

I was looking for a quote to post to my blog today, and I came across this one, and I immediately thought of my mom. I am not very good at putting my thoughts into words, but I hope that I can do it good enough this time, so that you will all understand just how much I appreciate my mom's influence with Danielle, and of course, our whole family.

The quote is this.......

If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder, he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him the joy, excitement and mystery of the world we live in. ~Rachel Carson

So, as I read it, I wanted to find the perfect picture to go along with it, and I looked and I found many to choose from. The reason there were so many to choose from is because this is the way that my mom is around her grand kids. ALWAYS helping, showing, explaining, laughing, and teaching my daughter whatever she wants to learn or experience. If there is any possibility for my mom to help her, she will. And its not just helping, but the patience along with the help is just something that she does without thinking. I, on the other hand, was not given this gift of patience like my mom has. I need to continually work to be patient, and sometimes I unfortunately fail. But she never does. The kids can learn to water- color paint ( and drip paint and water all over), they can put huge puzzles together with help from grandma, they can make Christmas gingerbread houses with sticky frosting and tiny candies that get lost in the carpet, they can learn how to sew, they can plant flowers (even if they aren't the most gentle and break off a few leaves, grandma never minds..) they can make tons of crafts, they can read for hours on end with her and she'll listen just as closely the 10th time as she did the first, and it seems she never tires. How does she do it? When I become a grandmother will I have this gift? I can only hope and pray that I do. Because it is that gift, that means the world to the kids that are experiencing it first hand. And they will cherish that gift forever. And I believe it will help to shape the way they interact when they become grandparents. So, here's a huge shout-out to my mom, " Thank you, thank you, thank you, what a difference you are making."

Former Vandal to Wear Superbowl 2007 Ring

Yep, that's right. Jake Scott, starting offensive lineman for the Indianapolis Colts, is a former Vandal. He was drafted in 2004 by Indianapolis in the 5th round. He has been said to be the most physical offensive lineman for the Colts.

How awesome is this. A Lewiston, Idaho grad who went on to play at the University of Idaho, ends up winning Superbowl 2007. That's what I'm talkin' about!!!!!!!

Oh, and lets not forget, GO VANDALS!!!!

Decisions, Decisions.....

Alright, in less than an hour, two of my favorite tv happenings are on. One of them being "Friday Night Lights", and the second being the Gonzaga game. How dare they schedule a gonzaga game during my favorite show. Jesus, I need to find out what is happening with Lila and Jason for crying out loud. Is she gonna marry him???? The suspense is killing me. But I also want to know how my Zags are doing. Oh my gosh, I think I am just gonna have to flip back and forth. This will indeed drive Joe absolutely CRAZY. Hey, a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do, right????

My Boy.........

Here's my puppy Neiko. I guess I shouldn't call him a puppy anymore, he is almost two years old. But, it just seems right, because he is so small and all. He is a little less than seven pounds. Perfect, if you ask me. Isn't it funny how dogs just love it when you come home. I mean, you could have just went outside to get the mail, and when you come back in the house a few minutes later, they are soooo excited, like you were gone for hours. It seems he knows when I am having a bad day, because on those days he is extra cuddly. He's my boy. I found this cute quote, and I thought of Neiko when I saw it, so here it is.....

Happiness is a warm puppy. ~Charles M. Schulz

On to STATE!!!!!!!

The amazing...."Shower-O-Matic"

Non-working model category

(Patent Pending :-))

After all the hard work and time Danielle put into her invention, she got through the first round at her elementary school and then we went to the regional competition today. And........she placed second in her grade level. That means she qualified for the State Convention. So, off to Boise we will happily go, and we will be all smiles the whole way. Well, in between all the "are we there yet?" 's, and the "I have to go to the bathroom." But we are sooooo proud of her. Great job Danielle!!!! We knew you could do it!!!!!

If you all are wondering what this amazing invention does, well......it is kind of like a human car wash, but its in your shower at home. It sprays shampoo, conditioner, and soap out of the shower head in between the water. (You must program it in.) It saves you time and energy during your busy morning routine.

Over the River and Through the Woods....

It's off to work we go....?????? Actually, we are up at our "second" home, but I think for Joe, it is starting to feel more like a second job. And believe me, his first job takes up TONS of his time already. Anyway, he is currently outside in the below 30 degree weather hooking up a new pump that will replace our old broken one. I believe it cracked because we had no power due to falling trees and the pump just got too damn cold. So, there you have it. The story of our life lately. Problems, problems, problems. Oh, and to top it off, Joe has already been up here and back home today once. (Ooops, I forgot Danielle's basketball shirt here last weekend and she had a game at 9:00am bright and early this morning, and to top it off, it was picture day.) So, I will be soooooo glad when we get this water, power, TV and tree problem figured out. Oh, and lets not forget "Go Zags".

My favorite song of the week.........

Is.........

Gretchen Wilson....
"Come to Bed"

She sang it on some country award show a couple of months ago and they have finally started to play it on the radio. Check it out!!!

Welcome to Pocatello

Here we are, in good 'ole Pocatello, Idaho. I don't think I have been here since High School. I believe we came down here for Boys State in Basketball, or maybe football. I believe I rode down on the bus with the band. Mullan High School Pep Band, that is.

Anyway, here I am again. Joe and I drove down today so he could hire someone to fill the position here for his company. It took us about 7 hours to get here. Not too bad. But, I was expecting a little more out of this town, the home of Idaho State University. I'm not too impressed. So, when Joe jokingly asked if I would consider moving down here my only reaction was "Hell, no!!!" But, nothing against those who already do, I'm sure you know more about this place than I do, and I mean no disrespect. But, it's just not my cup of tea. Thankfully, we will be headed back to our neck of the woods first thing tomorrow morning.

A joke for today........

Certified Tax-Aide Counselor

Yep, that's gonna be my title. (well, if I passed the test I took today..) For the last 2 weeks I have been taking tax classes with the AARP to become a tax-aide volunteer. Yep, I think it is past time for me to pitch in and do some service for my community. You know, it has turned out to be harder than I thought it was, this tax stuff. You really gotta know what you are doing. Oh, and since most of my clients will be over the age of 60, I better be good with the older generation of Americans, also. I guess I am gonna be put to the test soon. Yikes!!!! I need to just remember to speak up!!!!!! I've already been told that like 20 times in 2 weeks. So, I plan to yell out the questions to my first client. Let's just hope they don't have their hearing aid on high volume....???!!!

Well, today I took my test ( Thank god for open book tests!!!) and hopefully I passed it with flying colors. One guy that has been in my class for two weeks, just got up today and announced that he is quitting. He doesn't think he'll ever "get it". I wish he knew that I have wondered that same question. But, I am still putting along. Cautiously. I just need to keep a bunch of things straight, like.......who's married to who, who gets to claim who, can you deduct this, can you deduct that, and on and on.......

No, hopefully I will learn alot and this will turn into a great experience for me. So far it has been very rewarding. I really didn't know it would take up quite this much of my time, but, it keeps me out of the shopping centers, I guess. So, it's a win, win. :-)

Encyclopedia's........who needs 'em

Elavator Fun

Whistle the first seven notes of "It's a Small World" incessantly.

Sell Girl Scout cookies.

Crack open your briefcase or purse, and while peering inside ask: "Got enough air in there?"

Offer name tags to everyone getting on the elevator.

When at your floor, strain to yank the doors open, then act embarrassed when they open by themselves.

Greet everyone getting on the elevator with a warm handshake and ask them to call you Admiral.

Stare, grinning, at another passenger for a while, and then announce: "I've got new socks on!"

Meow occasionally.

Bet the other passengers you can fit a quarter in your nose.

Frown and mutter "Gotta go...Gotta go..." then sigh and say "Oops!"

Show other passengers a wound and ask if it looks infected.

Sing "Mary had a little lamb" while continually pushing buttons.

Holler "Chutes away!" whenever the elevator descends.

Walk on with a cooler that says "Human Head" on the side.

Stare at a passenger and announce "You're one of THEM!" and move to the far corner of the elevator.

Burp, and then say "Mmmm... tasty!"

Leave a box between the doors.

Ask each passenger getting on if you can push the button for them.

Wear a puppet on your hand and talk to other passengers "through" it.

Start a sing-along.

When the elevator is silent, look around and ask "Is that your beeper?"

Say "Ding!" at each floor.

Lean against the button panel.

Say "I wonder what all these do" and push the red buttons.

Listen to the elevator walls with a stethoscope.
Draw a little square on the floor with chalk and inform the other passengers that this is your "personal space."

Bring a chair along.

Take a bite of a sandwich and ask another passenger: "Wanna see wha in muh mouf?"

Announce in a demonic voice: "I must find a more suitable host body."

Carry a blanket and clutch it protectively.

Stare at your thumb and say "I think it's getting larger."

If anyone brushes against you, recoil and holler "Bad touch!
(from www.lotsofjokes.com)

Quote for today......

Even though you may want to move forward in your life, you may have one foot on the brakes. In order to be free, we must learn how to let go. Release the hurt. Release the fear. Refuse to entertain your old pain. The energy it takes to hang onto the past is holding you back from a new life. What is it you would let go of today.

-Mary Manin Morrissey

Night at the Museum

We just got back from the movie " Night at the Museum" starring Ben Stiller. It was so good. It was funny, it had a happy ending, it made me feel all warm and cozy inside, yeah!!!!! Finally I can say something good about a movie. It's about time, I'd say!!!! Oh, and to top the night off, when we walked out of the theatre it was snowing. Huge flakes. Gotta love it!!! (oh, and that means it has warmed up enough to snow, too. Good news. ) Anyway, if you get the chance, and your in the mood for a real uplifting movie, go see this one.

Happy birthday..........a little late.....

Danielle (and me and her dad and her puppy) would like to shout out a happy birthday wish to Great Grandma Marilyn. If we knew how old she was we could put it in here. Something tells me that its better we don't. :-)

My favorite new song of the week.....

I'm gonna try to do this every week. Yes, it is probably really boring to you all, but I hear so many good songs and I just want to announce them to the world sometimes, they are THAT good. So, this week its gonna be.......
Drum roll please........

Pink~ "U + Ur Hand"

Oh my gosh, it's a great song!!!! You all HAVE to hear it.

The Concert

My mom and I went to the "Hinder" concert on Sunday night. If you don't know who that is, they sing " Lips of an Angel". Does it ring a bell now???? It should, they play it like every other song on the radio these days. Anyway, the concert was really good. Although, I have never been to a concert that I didn't like, so maybe I'm just weird. But speaking of weird, after my m0m had a few beers during the concert, she decided it would be a good idea to join in with the young kids and "head-bang". Do you guys know what that is??????? (You know, moving your neck up and down really fast...) Anyway, I kept telling her that her neck was gonna hurt the next day. I also tried to tell her she was gonna get a head-ache. I really was just trying to get her to stop because it was mildly embarrassing. Ok, if you can't understand where I am coming from here, then just picture YOUR mother at a concert "head-banging". Do you follow me now???? I thought so. So, I have decided that there should be a law determining how old you have to be in order to "Head-bang". It probably should be under 20. Just my opinion, though. For what its worth. Oh, and I'd like to add that I think in the future, I might pass on going to any concert with my mom unless it's country or light rock. Just kidding, mom. I still love ya!!! How did the Chiropractor appointment go???

The Big Thaw

When are we gonna get "the big thaw"???? I have been dealing with MAJOR cold temps here in North Idaho, people. It is getting a bit ridiculous. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE winter. I do. But I like snow, too. Well, its too damn cold to snow. It's too damn cold to do just about anything. It has been below 0 degrees a couple of days. It has not been over like 20 degrees for weeks now. It is supposed to stay the same for atleast another week. Give me a break, weather-man. Tell me some good news.
Oh, and to top the weather situation off, our property in Prichard had another tree fall across the power line (from the neighbors property, again, I might add). So, no electricity. And, no electricity means frozen pipes. Yep, frozen pipes. So, the electric got turned back on today by "very nice and understanding Avista guy", and we turned on the heat and are hoping for the "warming of the pipes". So, we will go back to home-depot and buy our second toilet in 2 weeks, because every time the power goes out, one of the toilet's freezes and breaks. So, we will head back over there when everything warms up and pray that no pipes broke. So, Please, Mother Nature, give us that BIG THAW, like now!!!!!!!

Seperate Ways, by Rick Trevino

Some of you may know that my parents divorced after around 31 years of marriage. They were high-school sweethearts. They were supposed to be together forever. They were never supposed to do what they did. But they did.

People change I guess, people think different things as time goes by, people sometimes grow apart, but my parents weren't supposed to. But they did.

You know, I am a 31 year old adult, and I can still tell you, that it breaks my heart EVERY day, when I think about my parents going their separate ways. I know some people that have experienced their parents split up, and they know just how I feel. The other ones that haven't experienced this, don't. They might want to, but they don't. I understand why they don't, because I used to be one of them, on the outside. Instead, now I'm here, on the inside of this "break-up". The divorce has been final for years, but it is still very close to my heart, as it also is to my parents. It will always be.

So, I heard this song on the radio today, and it made me cry. This isn't so odd in itself, because I cry often when I hear songs that touch me. But this one really hit home, because I have BEEN there. I have felt all of those feelings. This song does not follow the exact story of what happened to our family during this "ending of their relationship", but the last verse in this song explains tons about what I still feel......, it goes..."..... the last thing they ever did together, will haunt me forever and ever". You might understand it better if you read all the lyrics, so here they are......

"He was never much for shopping. But you’d always see him with her at the store.
She was never much for football, She’d sit there and pretend she wasn’t bored.
You saw one you saw the other. Like a two lane Texas highway straight and true.
But just over that horizon the road that they were riding split in two.

(Chorus)
Separate ways, his and hers, A love that went from great to good
to bad to worse.
Separate lives, what a waste.
The last thing they ever did together was go their separate ways.

It really scares me baby. How easily that good love slipped away.
Let’s remember that forever, is something that we should work at everyday.
And after all those years together, it killed me when I saw their love go bad.
So let’s hold on to each other and don’t end up like my mother and my dad.

(Chorus)
Separate ways his and hers. A love that went from great to good to bad to worse.
Separate lives what a waste.
The last thing they ever did together was go their separate ways.

Yeah the last thing they ever did together, Will haunt me forever and ever,
Let’s promise one another that we’ll never go our separate ways."

So, there it is, and I don't want any of you to think I love either of them any less for what has happened. I think I might even love them more now. I know what loosing something is like now. I haven't lost either one of them separately, but I have lost "them". They will never be a "them" again. But, they both still mean the world to me and I still hold those memories of "them" really close to my heart, but far enough away that I don't dwell on it too much. I just hope I can keep those memories alive in my daughters heart, because she was pretty young when they were together, and she thinks the way it is now, is the way it has always been. But it wasnt..............

Quote for today.....

Once when I was lost..... I saw a policeman and asked him to help me find my parents. I said to him ..... "do you think we'll ever find them?" He said ... "I don't know kid .... there are so many places they can hide."
(Rodney Dangerfield)

And the award goes to...........

Ok, I guess I will not be asked to be a professional movie reviewer anytime soon. Darn it anyway!!!!
In regards to my previous blog about the movie Babel ("Yuck-O", if you didn't read it....), I guess my measly opinion is all that it is....measly. But, still, it is the opinion I have. Even after the big win last night for best Motion Picture, Drama in the Golden Globes. What were they thinking. I am talking about the Hollywood Foreign Press, here. How could their opinion be sooooooooo far from mine????? Does that mean mine doesn't mean crap??? Ok, fine, but I still stand by my crappy opinion. The show was el-yucko!!!! Yes, that's my final answer.

Price check on register 7

Why is it that almost every time I head to check out at a store, I have an issue with a price on an item. Ok, I should re-phrase that, THEY have an issue with a price on an item. Sometimes it even happens with more than one item!!!

So, here's what happened today......

I head to the store I usually shop at. I shop around for items like, birthday presents, school supplies, etc. So, I get up to the register and I set all of my items on the shelf. Well, here's where we encounter a problem: some of the items are on clearance. So, she starts ringing them up and the first two items come up with the marked down clearance price. (Hooray!!!) But, the third one comes up at regular price. So I stop and point it out to the "not so friendly" checker/manager- want-to-be lady. She says, "oh, well, this is from electronics and I can't do anything about the price mix-up."

OK, first of all, it wasn't from electronics, it was from toys. Second of all, she threw the item in the "go back" basket and I was like...."Hey, I want to buy that." She could have cared less. So I said "I will just finish paying for all these other items and then go to customer service and figure it out. " She looks at me with a look like she thinks I am gonna take the item and walk out of the store without paying for it. So, she doesn't give me the toy. So I tell her again that I want it. Then she says " I will walk it back to electronics myself, when I go on break." So, I was irritated and didn't feel like waiting for her break to roll around, and so I said " I'll take it back to ELECTRONICS." So, hesitantly, she gave the toy back to me. So, I left and made a B-line to customer service because I knew that electronics could not help me with my TOY. The whole time I was walking there I felt like she had video surveillance on me or something. I thought the cops were gonna rush up to me any minute. They probably had the cuffs ready.....

Anyway, I safely made it to customer service and I told the friendly customer service associate what happened and he gladly reduced my clearance item with no questions asked. (The tag on the item DID state the clearance price, so there was NO problem with the item at all) There should not have been an issue in the first place.

So, I walk out of the store and drive home, and when I get home I look at my receipt and I see that the reciept total seems higher than it should be. After looking at it closer,I find that another one of the items didn't come up as the marked-down clearance price either. And the difference is like $8.00. So, when I get done venting with you all, I am gonna have to go back to the store, put on my smiley face, and straighten that out also. Fun, Fun.

Wow, time goes by SO FAST!!!

Isn't this just adorable!!! Here's my daughter, at the age of 3 or 4, at her first dance recital. I found this picture while I was scrap-booking, and I thought I should post it because I posted her most recenct recital picture a few posts ago, and the difference was, well, shocking. Wow, my baby is growing up. Ok, I'm gonna log off and go cry now. ....

How Do You Like Me Now!!!!

Wow, it looks sooooo much better, don't ya think!!!! I finally changed my layout after like, more than a year. It's about time!!!! Enjoy!!

Here's a Quote I Found

Jon Bon Jovi and I have a lot in common. Jon plays the guitar; I like to play the guitar. Jon wears a leather jacket; I like to wear a leather jacket. Jon Bon Jovi was one of the 50 most beautiful people in People magazine; I like to read People magazine. -- John Kerry

I thought that was cute. I actually like them both. But am still not sure they have much in common.......

Who Knew????

Who knew that you had to be licensed in order to correctly pop and bag popcorn for elementary students!!!!!

Ok, you don't. But, by the reaction of the PTO Prez and official popcorn popper last week, as she walked up on little old ME popping away, I think she would have been happier if I would have shown her my official popcorn popping badge. Anyway, she was not pleasantly surprised to see me at the controls of the red and yellow machine. Oh well, I was not there to make HER happy. I was there to make the KIDS happy. So There.

I'm Not Ready to Make Nice!!!!

I FINALLY got to see it!!!!! Yep, I'm talking about "Shut Up and Sing", the documentary about the Dixie Chicks and their controversial statement during a concert in london about 3 years ago. Anyway, I have been waiting for it to play around here, and it never did. I had been waiting for it to come out on video, not yet. So, I was flipping through the newspaper and looking at what was going on this weekend locally, and I saw it. The documentary was being shown in Sandpoint, for 3 nights.
So, my husband and I drove up there yesterday evening in a huge blizzard. There were winter storm warnings on the news and wind warnings, but I was going. I could have cared less that we were going to have to travel the most dangerous stretch of road in the whole state of Idaho to get there. I was going. That much I knew.
Well, the theatre it was playing in was as cool as the movie was. It was an old theatre that still "looked" old and had tons of character. It didn't sound like it is used often. It sounded like there would be about 2 more movies playing there till around April. (they must just use this place for "special occasions.., like this show")... :-).
Anyway, it was the perfect place to view this movie. We were surrounded by a bunch of mostly 50 something's that were not afraid to laugh, clap or shout with approval when they saw something they liked. Or didn't like....(for example........Some video of the President of our wonderful country, stating "Mission Accomplished" a couple of years ago....). It was awesome. I did not hear one single person disapprove of the Dixie Chicks and this film. So, anyway, we had a great time. And we talked about the show almost all the way home. Oh, and we had to drive like......35 to 40 mph. Yes, the highway was that bad. But the movie wasn't, and that's all that mattered to me.

Update: The Heaven I'm Headed to

Check out this email I got today.......

I was testing the children in my Sunday school class

to see if they understood the concept of getting to heaven.

I asked them,

"If I sold my house and my car,

had a big garage sale and gave all my money to the church,

Would that get me into Heaven?"

"NO!" the children answered."

If I cleaned the church every day,

mowed the yard, and kept everything neat and tidy,

would that get me into Heaven?"

Again, the answer was, "NO!"

By now I was starting to smile.

Hey, this was fun!

"Well, then, if I was kind to animals

and gave candy to all the children,

and loved my husband,

would that get me into Heaven?" I asked them again.

Again, they all answered, "NO!"

I was just bursting with pride for them.

"Well," I continued, "then how can I get into Heaven?"

A five-year-old boy shouted out,

"YOU GOTTA BE DEAD."

I thought this was super cute. A friend forwarded it to me, and I wanted to post it because of the previous post I did about heaven and who gets to go.

The death of a Tamagachi

How many of you have heard of a Tamagachi. No, it's not some chinese new year or something. It's a dumb computerized toy for kids. I guess the purpose of it is to be kind of like a pet but it's a computerized pet that you need to take care of like you would a real pet. Well, since my daughter likes pets, and we haven't had any luck keeping fish alive, santa decided to give her this tamagachi thing. So, you watch it hatch on the screen and then it has to be fed, and given medicine, and go to the bathroom, and given attention, all that good stuff. Doesn't seem to hard, does it???? Well, news flash, its harder than you think. The thing has already died. Twice. Thank god we can make it come back to life. You have to start all over and let it hatch again, rename it, etc. Well, each day I have been "mothering" this dumb thing more than my daughter has. Just to try to keep it alive so it doesn't die again and break her little heart, again. Well, as I am typing, it is dead. And now I will quit typing and revive the dumb thing and try to take care of it a little better. For my daughter. What us parents won't do for our kids.

The nightmare of the Bratz Baby

A story of nightmarish proportions happened here last night.
I'm talking about my daughter and her "Bratz" Baby. After way too many waking hours of playing, ....... at about 11:56pm last night, just before we were gonna ring in the new year with friends, a problem occured. Yes, its true, my daughter couldn't find her bratz baby. So, she proceeded to look hysterically, throwing everything out of her toybox. When she came in the living room she whined to me...."MOOOOOOOOOMMMM, I can't find my Bratz Baby.!!!!!!!" Ok, I said. I guess I didn't think it was that big of a deal. So, she then stated...." But then I won't be able to dress herrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!" Ok, who cares. It's 11:56 at night for gods sake. I could care less at that point if she could find her bratz baby or not. Is this really THAT big of a deal??? I think her answer was yes. This was almost melt-down material.
SO, then, she turned around and went into the bathroom where I could see her brushing her hair, really hard, and it had to be REALLY uncomfortable. But, that's how she was letting out steam, I guess. So anyway, I know one thing for sure, next year she is soooooo gonna be in bed earlier.

Quote of the day.....

To this world, you may be only one person......
but to one person, you ARE the world.
-Unknown

This quote was taped to my refridgerator for years. I even had it taped to the wall at my work. I found it one day browsing online, and it just really hit home to me. So I was so suprised, when I heard this new song by Brad Paisley on the radio about a year ago, and it basically took this quote, and relayed it to a song. I couldn't believe that it was about THIS quote, the one I had read on my refridgerator daily, and tried to live by. Weird, huh....

The Heaven I'm Headed To, By Dierks Bentley

Here's a song I heard recently, and it really says alot about how I feel about the subject of heaven and I was so glad that Dierks Bentley added it to his latest album. I know alot of people and all of them seem to have different opinions about christianity and who does or does not get to go to heaven. But he seems to sum up my opinions on it in this song. If you get the chance, listen to it.

Artist: Bentley Dierks

Lyrics for Song: The Heaven I'm Headed To

Lyrics for Album: Long Trip Alone

I hear people talk of heaven

And how it's only for the precious few

But in the book that I've been readin'

Sounds to me like there's a lot of room

So I bet some folks are gonna be surprised

About who makes it to the other side 'cause in the

(Chorus:)

Heaven I'm headed to

There's a place for preachers, thieves and prostitutes

Saints and soldiers, beggers, kings and renegades

For any soul that ever found amazing grace

Ain't no tellin' who on earth He might include

In the heaven I'm headed to

It's not my place to say

Just who does or doesn't get to go

I'm only one among the many

Stumblin' down that narrow road

There's so many things in this life to love

And I believe there's hope for each of us 'cause

(Repeat Chorus)

And the only thing I know

We all get the chance to go

Saints and soldiers, beggers, kings and renegades

Any soul that ever found amazing grace

Ain't no tellin' who on earth He might include

In the heave I'm headed to

Happy New Year!!!!!

Well, we barely rang in the new year. We had some friends over and they brought their kids over so Danielle and the kids had lots of fun. I could tell they were SUPER tired once 12:00 rolled around. But, they did it!!!! We got to watch some fireworks that were being set off in another neighborhood, and then it was off to bed. It was a good day. Thanks, Buer family for the good conversation and company!!!! (Oh, and lets not forget the good wine, too.) :-)

The picture of Danielle is from christmas morning and that is the look she had on her face when she first got on her "present". Gotta love it!!!!!