Here we go!!!

We are off on our trek. We are packed up, and loaded in. Our life is about to change drastically. I'm excited, but very nervous. I'm going to miss Sierra Vista. I'm going to miss my house, my great friends, and the familiar of the town. We have made so many memories and had so many experiences here. Tommy, and Tim learned to talk here. Tim learned to walk here. James went from a toddler to a boy. This is the longest place we've been at. In a way, I feel like I grew up here. I will miss it here.

Leaving is nothing new for us. It's what we do. We come, we conquer, we move on. One day I'll have my "white picket fence."



I have been many places... and I have to say by far nothing can beat the desert sunsets. This is what I will miss.

I'll see you all on the other side.

While I'm gone.

I know you are all going to miss me while I'm on the road. I'm not going to have a chance to blog about our adventures until we are settled for a little bit. We are going to be on the road for 3 days straight {with three kids, a dog, a van and a moving truck} yes this will be an adventure! Some say that we can't make it in 3 days {you know who you are :)} And all I have to say is... Oh, ye of little faith. {but I'll let you all know how it goes}

So to keep you entertained while I'm gone I found some fun things for you to watch. Enjoy, Enjoy!!!

There are Literal Videos. They are so funny. These are the actual videos, and the songs were changed to match the video. Really.... get ready to laugh!

Tears for Fears


Billy Idol


The Monkeys


Really, what are people thinking.... or not when they open their mouths???


For all you Twilight Fans! {I am NOT a fan, I have NOT read the book, or seen the movies nor do I want to.... but these were really funny!}


#2

I hope you all liked these, I thought they where pretty funny.

I will see you all soon, and who knows I may peek in on you now and then before I get a chance to post.

James lost something.

James lost something... at first he was really worried. He got first loose tooth!!! The husband and I were really excited! However, James was not. He was very worried that his tooth was coming out because he was not brushing his teeth well enough. He cried and promised that he was doing a really good in brushing and was taking care of his teeth. It took a lot of convincing to let him know that this was a good thing.

Poor James has a narrow mouth and baby teeth very close together... boy oh boy, we are in for dental work!!

Some really yummy things!!

I got these ideas from little momma and company she is a cute blogger. Her photography is amazing, and her ideas are great, and her recipes are really yummy!!! {so go peek and take a look at her blog} {oh... the recipes I got from her blog, but I made them and the pictures on this blog are mine}

Dutch Baby

3/4 C milk (I used skim)
1/2 C flour
2 large eggs
1 and 1/2 T sugar
1/2 t vanilla extract
3 T butter
...
powdered sugar
desired fruit for topping
...
15 minutes before baking, preheat your oven to 450. Have a pie plate ready.Whisk together milk, flour, eggs, sugar, and vanilla. Put the butter in the pie plate and place it in the oven to melt. When butter is just melted, brush the sides of the pie plate with it so the pancake will not stick.Slowly pour the batter into the hot pie plate. Bake it for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 and bake for another 8 to 10 minutes, until pancake is well browned. Remove from oven and spoon fruit into the center of the pancake. Top with powdered sugar.

Play Dough Sugar Cookies

3/4 cup butter, softened
3 ounces cream cheese
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt assorted colors of paste food coloring {I use the gel}

DIRECTIONS
In a bowl cream butter, cream cheese and sugar until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; beat until smooth.
In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add dry ingredients to the creamed mixture. Stir till soft dough forms. Divide dough into fourths. Tint each with a different food color. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Working with half of each color, shape dough into 3/4 inch balls and for each cookie place 1 pink, 1 green, 1 blue and 1 orange ball together to make 1 large ball. Shape into a 12 inch long roll (like a snake), starting at one end, coil roll to make a 2 3/4 inch round cookie.

Place cookies 3 inches apart on lightly greased baking sheet.
Bake cookies for 8 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool and store in an airtight container.

These where so fun to make!!

There is also this recipe of "Emily's Free-Form Rainbow Lollies". {My pictures didn't turn out so go there and see her pictures and the ingredients. Her pictures will make you want to do these}

Answers to your burning Questions

I know you all have questions....the kind that keep you up at night. They stress you out and make it so you can't function like a normal person. Well... I'm glad that you are here, I'm glad that you made it and that I can help you.

Q: When you can't find your shoes, where is the most logical place to look?

A: Look in the bottom of the laundry, naturally!

Q} Do shoes really have super powers? No.... sorry they do not make you run faster, or jump higher....

A: Not unless they are Transformer shoes, then of course they have super powers and really cool powers like wall clinging.

Q:Your pet dinosaur has been bugging you all day, what do you do?

A} Take him for a walk, and since they don't walk on a leash very well, it's easiest if you put them on the scooter.

***{forward....I went to Utah last March for my brother wedding, and ever where I went I saw a blue FJ Cruiser, I now see is all the time... I swear the car is stalking me.}***

Q}What do you do when you are sure you are being stalked by a car? {a blue FJ Cruiser to be exact}

A} You make them move next door so you can watch them!

Q} You have a new umbrella and no rain, what do you do?

A} Use the sprinklers

Q} You come down stairs and your stuff has been moved.... ghosts maybe.

A:{Or you can just look in the reflection.} If you are going to be sneaky, don't take a picture of yourself.

Q} What do you do when your neighbor wants her 15 minute of fame....

A} Easy... put her picture on you blog. Look Priscilla it's you!!!! {this is my totally awesome {and hot, and talented, and funny} neighbor!}

Q} What do you do if you want to fly....

A: Flap your arms really fast. {and have a super cool swing}

Q:What happens when you put dad in charge of breakfast?

A: You get German Chocolate cake and milk


Q:What happens when you give the boy what ever he wants to keep him quiet during church?

A: He breaks it.

Q: Why are boys so convenient?

A: Does this need an explanation??

Q: What do you do when you don't like the blondish, redish, orangeish color in your hair? And then.... you leave in the dark hair dye in to long,{thanks to a phone call with the neighbor that wants her 15 minutes} and then.... the husband is making fun of you because you look gothic?

A: Wash your hair and then do a hot oil treatment and then.... use dawn dish soap to draw out more color. Then you get the dark brown {NOT black} color that you wanted.

Q: People ask me all the time if I share with my kids.....

A: Of course I do!!! I eat the red and green candies, and they get the orange and yellow, the ones I don't like.

Q: What do red, yellow, green, blue, orange, and purple make?

A: A brownish, greenish, greyish color.

Q: What do you get when a permanent marker and a toddler are in the same room together?

A: You get a work of art. Just.... not where you want it.

There you have it. I hope you can sleep better now, and that your curiosity is cured... at least a little bit. If you have any other question let me know I would love to solve them for you.

He made headlines again.

His cuteness is overwhelming, but his antics are well... driving me crazy!!!

He loves apples, which is great! Better apples than chips except this is where I find them.

{Yes... that is under the couch.}

{I suppose I need to be happy that it made it back in to the fridge.}

Oh, and the strawberries... it's one or the other. He will eat the whole thing, stem and all. Or he will only take one bite out of each one.

And here we have Tommy entertaining himself quietly.

James reading a book.

But where is Tim???? Oh, here he is. Sitting in a pile of cups that he has poured out.

What do I do with this child??

What the world needs... Wednseday

More late night games with the husband....
{at least until I win}

Mummies among us

For those that don't know, I am home schooling the boys. I'm using this summer to work out any kinks, to learn how they learn the best, and making sure this is something that I can do. I'm pretty relaxed right now, {it's summer after all} but the boys really like learning, so why not keep it up.

Last month we learned about dinosaurs. That was a lot of fun as we talked about the meat eaters and plant eaters. We were even able to go to the dinosaur museum while we were in Utah. It's a lot of fun listening to them tell me all about the things that they learn.

This month we are working on Ancient Egypt. We have learned about the continent that Egypt is on, the longest river and of course the pyramids. James is fascinated about the canopic jars, and the mummies. So one morning... he died, and what else were we to do. So we did what anybody else in ancient Egypt would do {assuming you were a person of importance} We took his brains out his nose, and then open him up and put his soft organs in canopic jars to be saved for later. Then we wrapped him up. {we didn't have any proper wrap....} So using toilet paper, Tommy and I mummified him. Lucky for us James did come back... the after life came quickly for him.

Then Tommy died....

And so did I...

Here is "James" in hieroglyphics, he did a really good job looking at the pictures and drawing them.

That night {since we were all in the afterlife together} we had an Egyptian meal. We had Numora {like a cake}, Hummus and pita bread, dates, & beef and eggplant... it was suppose to be lamb and eggplant, but we did not take enough money with us into the after life and I was not going to be paying $40 for lamb... Everything was really good!!!

This has been a fun unit to work on and the boys really have gotten into it. Once we get to North Carolina {where will the base of operations for a bit, while the husband searches for a more permanent place of residence in Florida} we are going to learn about Joseph and the coat of many colors, and Moses. Now that they know where Egypt is, and it's familiar.

I think this will be a good thing.

Much ado about Facebook

My thoughts on Facebook...

I think I like Facebook. It's fun to see what others are doing through out the day, but really... do I have to know that you kid pooped 4 times that day??? I comment now and then and I try to make it meaningful, but I have a hard time with that because I'm a talker. For those that don't know, I seriously can talk for hours.... and I like it. I really like the phone and have the hardest time texting with it's so much easier to dial a number and say "Hello"

Anyways, the purpose for my rambling at 12:49 in the morning {why am I awake?} is to pose a question... What do you say to the person who remembers you, but you {for the life of yourself} can not remember them do you add them anyway? Ignore? Add them and then ignore them? What if they have been "searching for you" and "I'm glad I found you, you have a cute family." I'm feeling really bad because I have no recollection of this person. I'm searching through my memory bank and it's just not coming.

Ok... another dilemma... what if you want to be friends with someone {and KNOWS that this person stalks you blog} but doesn't want to be a Facebook friend? Do you write a note to them and list the reasons why you want to be friends.... deep down knowing that you just want to compare you life to theirs. {Admit it you all do it!! And yes people my kids are that pretty.}

So there you have it.... those are my question in the wee hours of the morning... and your answers would be greatly appreciated.

What the world needs... Wednseday

Lots of sunny park days!
{it's hard to swing and take a picture at the same time}

Death to Scammers

I posted some stamps to sell on Craig's list. {which I still have if anyone is interested} and instead of getting people who want to buy them I've been getting scammers that are replying to me. After sending them hate mail back and wishing them well to hell.... I've decided that I was going to make it funny instead.

Here is the email that I received and this was one of many {this is exactly how it looked in my in box}
Hello seller How are you doing today? Am interested in your item you post in Craigslist, so i want you to get back to me with the condition and the last price for it and the list of item you have in thecraigslist...Thanks and waiting to read from you soon


Here is my reply... {yes I sent this to the "buyer}
$1,000,000 in US currency

I'm selling gold rubies in the shape of Obama's head.

Please send me your Social Security number with checking account information and routing number so this transaction can be processed quickly. ***NOTE: I don't accept cash or checks only Cashier's Checks or IOU's from the state of California

Please don't be alarmed when the two men in dark suits and sun glasses show up at your door. They will be picking up the Cashier's Check or IOU and leaving you with a message from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Give them the code word Banana.

If you have any other questions please refer to the FBI Fraud Center, for your convenience you can click HERE to go directly to the site.

Thank you again for your interest in my item, I'm sure that this will work out best for both of us.

-Seller

PS... by opening this email you have now installed a worm on your computer that will log you key strokes and visited internet sites {NO porn please} to include your usernames and passwords and be sent directly to me. Who's Scammed Now!!!

Oh yeah... don't try to run any anti-virus softwear to remove the worm, it embeds itself into your computer and becomes part of the BIOS

In case any of you are wondering... I have absolutely no idea how to install any worms {deep breath out now} the husband was helping me write this.

I have been spending time on Facebook, but I think I have found a new past time.... posting stuff on Craig's List hoping to lure scammers in and then mess with their heads.

Tunes on Tuesday

Most have heard this song by Toby Keith. For me it's one of those that really sends chills up my arms. We are so lucky to live in this wonderful country. I think after 9/11 people everywhere where banding together and wanting to help each other. People were God fearing again. There was such an air of patriotism around. And now.... we are back to being petty. Just because the years go by doesn't mean we should care any less about those that died on the fateful day or those that are fighting to keep our freedoms free. And, "So you can sleep in peace at night when you lay down your head."

Courtesy of the Red, White, & Blue {the angry American} by Toby Keith

God bless America and God bless the troops, thank you!

Called to Serve... 3rd verse

Those that know James knows that he LOVES to sing!! And by all means that pretty much an understatement. He loves all music and picks up on the lyrics really quickly {everything from Country, to Alternative, to Oldies, to the new stuff, he will even hum the tunes to classical music}. He has learned a song in Primary "Our Father's Family" with the sign language. He has learned many hymns and can now sing in sacrament. This past week during dinner James was singing "Called to Serve" he finished up and asked what the third verse was. I told him that there isn't a third verse. So he decided to do what any other 5 year old would do... he wanted to write a third verse. So after thinking about it for a couple days he came with the words to the third verse of Called to Serve. This is all him!! All I did was help him keep with the beat of the song.

Here it is sung by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir {so you can hear the tune} and then I wrote James' verse





Called to teach the message of His love,

And the plan he has for all of us.

When we die we all will go to heaven,

And live with him again.

{-James Grammer}

Great things are going to come from this boy. His testimony is so strong and he loves to share it. James you amaze me, thank you for teaching me so much!

Ramsey Canyon

The boys and I went up to Ramsey Canyon today. It was really pretty and a good day to go. {we had planned to go yesterday but James had to learn a lesson about why we don't lie}.

Going up to the canyon is really neat because you go from a total desert to a pretty wooded area with a lot of wildlife.

{betcha didn't know that we have to watch out for bears...}

Now the very first time I came up here I ended up lugging Tim up the trail. {thanks Amy for helping with that} We've been a couple more times but at one point or another I've had to carry Tim. This time he walked the whole way... which meant we went a little slower but I didn't have carry him at all. Although he did tell me he was tired the whole way up.

We didn't go as far as we usually do because we found a splash area... just what we wanted...Now I'm perfectly fine to let the boys get wet and play in the water... they dry. Mud, on the other hand, not so happy with. {hey, I just don't want to clean the car out}

{Some of these pictures I'm just trying to get different angles and playing with my camera}





James helping Tim
Tommy looking for new friends

James catching pond skater, he ended up falling in.

Tommy trying not to fall in...

{I'm needing to ok at something..}

My beautiful boys on the rock

Finally we were making our way back and James became blind. Oh, no worries, he goes blind at least 3 times a week. {"A bee stung me, in my eye... I'm blind!!!" "I got soap in my eye... I'm blind!!!" "I ate a {ittty bitty} piece of tomato.... I'm blind!!!} He was fine once we spotted some wild turkeys his eyesight returned without any debilitating side effects and he was able to see them scratching around.

While we were watching the deer and turkeys Tommy found a blue beetle that Tommy decided wanted to be his friend. I have nothing against bug in nature... how ever bugs in my car is another story. So I had him set his new friend free.

What the world needs... Wednseday

More burning hot phosphorous {otherwise known as sparklers}

Tunes on Tuesday

I love this song! Even without the words it's very inspiring, It really makes you want to stand up and sing with them

"Battle Hymn of the Republic" by Julie Ward Howe {1862}

Here are two verses that that she wrote, but are not sung.

I have seen Him in the watch-fires of a hundred circling camps, They have builded Him an altar in the evening dews and damps; I can read His righteous sentence by the dim and flaring lamps: His day is marching on.

I have read a fiery gospel writ in burnished rows of steel: "As ye deal with my contemners, so with you my grace shall deal; Let the Hero, born of woman, crush the serpent with his heel, Since God is marching on."

I was reading these verses and they fit so beautifully with the gospel that I believe. I truly believe that God was with the Pilgrims, and the early settlers of this land. I believe that God wants to be involved with our lives and that he wants to be remembered. He inspires people like Julie Ward Howe to stir the souls of people to remember Him.

My favorite part. "As He died to make men holy, let us live to make men free"

I'm not sure who this quote is from but it's a good one. "Only two people have EVER willingly died for you, the American GI, and Jesus Christ." His truth will march on!!!

It's all fun until someone gets burned..

I hope everyone had a happy Fourth of July, and was able to stay out of the ER... for the most part. We {fortunately} did NOT have to go to the ER and that means we had a good holiday. {actually the only time we have ever gone to the ER on a holiday was Thanksgiving two years ago, James had to have stitches}

Anyways, back to this year. The boys were awake bright and early at 6:30, which is actually late for them, we usually hear them up by 5:00 {I know, I know, lucky us} We went up four wheeling with our neighbors. It was so fun! I love the quads and we had so much fun. We were able to find a good place with some rocks to climb on, and lots of places to get dirty. Megan was the winner when she found a pot pipe and some one's stash of pot. I guess someone is going to wonder what happen when they go back and their little hiding place was found out.

The husband the the boy climbing on the rocks

Tim when he is till clean.

The husband and I took the boys out for a ride, I had Tim and he had James and Tommy. Captain loves the four wheelers as much as the boys as was ready to go. He runs along the side of the quad and can keep up. He is usually huffing and puffing when we get back to camp, but loves going, and when we went out again, I had to make him stay. The funniest thing was when I took Tim out for one last ride, we went by some cows that were just grazing and Captain tried to heard them. The cows just looked at him like he was a crazy dog {which he is}.

Tim enjoying the4-wheeler? {someday we will get some}

Along with the pot pipe the husband and Alan, also found a couple back packs. Taking the guns just in case, they went to go check it out. It was nothing... it was a drop off of clothes. That's when the illegals drop what they are carrying as they are getting closer to town. I have a whole other post about this... but it's a can of worms I'm sure so I'll save it.

After four wheeling and dirt, we went home to get cleaned up. We had the opportunity to have the missionaries for dinner along with Alan, and Priscilla and their family. So we had a BBQ {naturally, what else do you do on the 4th} There was so much food and it was lots of fun.

Our happy family {remember that happy can have many different meanings}

Our neighbors... Alan, Priscilla, and the kids, {minus one} they too are a happy family.

As dinner was finishing up, the kids were getting restless, so we brought out the fireworks... Now I'm not sure why, but there were NO fireworks to be found in all of Sierra Vista!!! I'm serious! All that you could buy were the snaps and party poppers. Good thing for me I bought a few fireworks last year and saved them. We did all of the snaps which we got the boys to step on them and I was even able to pop them on James' head with my hand. Next came the party poppers. {yes two things that are not a fire hazard, what is the 4th of July with out the fire hazard???}

the fun of snaps...




even the big boys had fun with the party poppers.

Our yard is to small for 10 paces, so they each went two.

We moved things to the front yard so we could do the few fire works that were saved from last year. First I want to ask a question... Who thought it would be a good idea to put phosphorus on a stick and let kids hold it? And sparklers sounds much better than burning hot phosphorous on a stick so at least you have to give the person props for creative marketing. I love sparklers, but next year we will defiantly wait until dark. They are more fun in the dark. But all the kids had a great time.... until Tim touched the hot end of the sparkler. He has officially learned the meaning of hot. Because it wasn't sparkling any more I guess he thought it was ok.

Tommy and his sparkler

Tim.... before he got burned.
James waiting to start conducting.

In the end he was ok, and Cars band aide will heal almost anything. Once it got dark we walked about 400 meters and set up the chairs to watch the fireworks that the city put on. I love that I can see them with out going so far, it makes going home and putting the kids to bed easy.

It was a great 4th, and only a few tears were shed. Next year we will be in a new state {hopefully one that will allow us to have hot burning phosphorus on a stick to give to the children} Hope it was mostly safe for all of you too.

Happy 4th of July

What is an American?

by Michael Brown

An American is not delineated by a particular skin color or way of life. He is a person from many places, with many shades of skin; of different sizes and varied energies. He has a Master’s Degree, or he may have never finished high school. He may drive an expensive automobile or perhaps he relies on two mules to carve his living out of the earth. But regardless of what he is lacing the different physical features together is a bond of strength in tradition which exemplifies the American way; a way which opens the doors of opportunity to all people who may knock upon them. An American has a spirit which was born when the bells tolled of Independence, and which has released the adrenalin of his nation time and again when it’s existence was threatened by an aggressor.

An American does not view armed conflict as a means of getting what he wants, but rather as a means of protecting what he has. He is one who loves the very concept of Peace for all nations, but will not hesitate to fight on the shores of others to protect his own. An American sees the knowledge of experience in his past, feel pride in the accomplishments of the present and has hope for the future of the world, even when others would view the days to come with dismay. But a realistic American finds no guarantee of freedom or security in the future solely because he has always had it in the past.

An American recognizes the faults of his system and seeks to correct them through a process unknown to many nations. A process which does not promise absolute perfection, but one which allows for peaceful change, if change is needed. That process is democracy, and an American holds that word so dear, that he stands ready at a moments notice to lay down his life for its perpetuation.

An American finds nothing at all unusual about getting cold chills when his flag passes in review, for his flag has always been a source of inspiration; when the smoke cleared offer Fort McHenry, when its sheen was reflected on the sands of Jwo Jima, and when the colors glistened on the side of the craft which took the first man to the moon. An American sees nothing strange about getting a lump in his throat when the National Anthem is played, or weeping unashamed when taps is played for one who paid the ultimate price for his freedom. He realizes that the only thing that exceeds that price is freedom itself. And American never forgets the indebtedness he has because of that sacrifice, for without, his freedom would only be an unreachable concept in some philosopher’s mind.

A true American is the essence of pride in a way of life. What is an American you say? He is fortunate.

I love this country.I truly believe that is was blessed by the Lord. We have fought for our freedoms, and will continue to do so to keep them. Whether from outside forces or those on the inside. We need to be aware of what is going on around us and be willing to stand up for what is right.

I'm thankful for our forefathers who I believe had the spirit guide them as they were trying to come up with a fair system that would work for all men.

We live in a place where the "Pursuit of Happiness" is a real dream, if we are willing to work for it.

I hope that during this time of year that we can remember all those that fought to make this country what it is. And I hope that we can continue to fight for the freedoms and privilages that we hold so dear.

I'm singing in the rain.

Living in Arizona means that we get to enjoy the monsoons! The day will start off pretty hot, and continue to warm up through out the day. Then the clouds roll in and the rain starts. Today I had dinner in the crockpot {which didn't really turn out} so I convinced Tommy to come play outside with me. {he is afraid that he is going to melt if he gets to wet... but we worked through that.} Tim was all ready and excited to go outside. James was happy to know that we were all going out to play.

I thought about getting my camera but decided not to focus on the pictures and just be totally in the moment of playing with my boys in the rain.

We ran up and down the gutters and "watched for the flood." We took turns chasing each other, Tommy wanted to "swirl in the flood." Tim ran back and forth to each side of the street. James was having fun kicking the water up to see how high he could splash.

It was wonderful! The rain was warm, and along with the sweet smell of the rain, you could smell the lavender from the bushes around the neighborhood. Nobody was outside, so all you heard was the rain coming down and the laughter from the boys. It was shear joy.

It was a perfect afternoon!!!

What the world needs... Wednseday

More time to play in the warm rain... with and without an umbrella.