New Christmas lyrics (by Jacob)

Silent Night, O Holy Night
all is bright
all is calm
Gather 'round your Mergin
Mother and chite
Sweep in Heavenly peeaACCE
Sweep in Heavenly peace.

You better watch out
You better not cry
You better not pout
Jesus is coming to town
He's making a list
He's checkin it twice
he's gunnda find out who's naughty or nice
Jesus is coming to town.


Jacob has been singing for weeks. Really loud. I'm actually amazed at how well and accurate he has been for the most part. The new version on Santa Claus is coming to town came out today, but he blamed it on his "transformer."

Husband is home. I'm all better. Well mostly. He leaves to go back to work on the 23rd of December. This is the 3rd Christmas in a row that he has had to work. BUT we'll have him home next year. This is a good thing.
It's 7 degrees outside and it's snowing. There is a fire in the fireplace downstairs, Christmas music on and a beautiful tree decorated by the kids upstairs. The only thing missing is the minty hot chocolate. It really is a good, good day.

I don't have a whole lot to say. My kids have done some pretty feakin' funny stuff lately, but at the present my head is full of choir rehearsal crap and so I can't remember anything specific. I am super grateful to them for keeping it together when I'm still off my rocker. I am so blessed and I am so aware of those blessings, but I can't dump the funk. You know how every once in a while all the ducks in the pond (of your brain) are floating nicely, in a row. Then something comes along and eats one? That's where I am. It really isn't a big thing either. I think it is a bunch of little things gnawing away at the once happy, free floating duck. Whatever it was... I can't get the rest of my little ducks back in a row and I'm grieving. Angry or sad pick one...quickly because it will be the opposite in a minute.

the new flavor

So I guess I gotta watch my choice of words. Jacob and Joey were excused from the dinner table for trying to escape during prayer. The rule is: if you don't pray with the family, you don't eat with the family. This is a new rule that came about because of Jacob's earlier attempt to be sneaky and leave during the prayer and then come back thinking no one noticed he was gone. What I wouldn't give to be 4 again. The simplest things seem so entertaining. So tonight he and Joey both took off. What the heck? So it was into their beds until the rest of us were finished eating. After dinner I tried out my new blender by making some smoothies for dessert. When J & J were allowed to came back out to eat they, of course, were only interested in having a smoothie. Now after a long week of eating insane amounts of junk food I'm feeling guilty about how much crap these little kids are eating. I told those two that they couldn't eat *crap* until after they ate their veggies and meat. So then I had Joey whining that all he wanted was "crap". And Jacob piped up as he was shoving his mouth full of peas and corn "Joey, you have to eat this stuff first and then we can have some crap." I had to explain that the name of dessert was a *smoothie* and not actually *crap*. (sigh)

Don't bother reading, it's not pleasant

So...I always start my blogs with "so" ever notice? I just did. So...I've been thinking. Why did I move? My reason (biggest excuse) was to come live up here with my BFf and write. Which we have done. And I have had some kick butt experiences that couldn't have happened if I still lived over there. The weather here is oddly amazing and seasonally appropriate. It's unlike any other place in Wyoming I've found. The wind rarely, if ever, blows here. The moisture content is higher here than say, Casper, (where we were for Thanksgiving) but we're not breathing water. Sidenote: Casper is the land of the never ending wind. I think they call Chicago the windy city just because there are more people there to complain about the wind. But I bet the stats would show that Casper is truly the windiest of the windy cities.
We haven't gotten crazy snow. Which I wouldn't mind more of to be honest. No tornado's, no hail, rarely a thunderstorm, nothing like Texas. The summer's not to hot. Winter is cold like it should be. Weather is perfect, if not a little boring.
I don't have to lock my doors. House or car. I do, but I don't have to. This place is safe.
I have music. I am singing in a 12 piece women's choir. They call us the ambassadors for the Washakie Museum. We meet once a week. That's it. And these women can sing. It's lovely. I don't even have to go searching for a group. They called me.
My grade school kids, that'd be Sariah, Gabe, and Caleb, are doing amazing. there might be 200 kids in the whole school. Sariah had read over 1million words by the beginning of the second quarter. Her teacher said he couldn't have asked for a better student.
Gabe's fine and Caleb is quiet.
Spencer's experience with school has been crap. It's always been rough. But it's been really rough here. It's just the homework. So we are thinking about doing home school with him. There is a virtual academy for Wyoming. It's like a public school curriculum online. We'll learn more about it when Jason gets home. And yes, the thought of this scares the hell out of me, but so does leaving him in a school system where their main goal is making sure he can get a *job* out of high school. Not a career, not into college, a JOB (freakin back water crack smokin...I'm hormonal, let me complain) they need to change their objectives and their dialog.
So here is where my issues start to arise. I can't get into all of the Spencer issues with school because that could take all night and they aren't the only things putting weight on my head right now. Long story short. He took the *MAP* test, like the TAKS, they are given a percentile score, you know the *if yer kid got a 50% he scored better than 50/100 kids that took the test nationwide.* Spencer scored the following: general science 98%; Math 69%; Science concepts 91%; Reading 98%; Language usage 90%. Yet he is failing most of his classes because he doesn't want to play the *game*...
So I wonder, was moving here good for Spencer? Could Sariah have accomplished more in a place with more to offer. I don't know how things could have been different for Gabe and Caleb. But I think that Caleb would be reading better had he started in Katy like Sariah and Gabe did.
One hand the kids are safe and doing the best with what they have. Other hand could they be doing more.
NEXT. Jennifer is moving. I know, I know I could feel the BOO HISS from the Texans reading this. And I will BOO HISS louder than anyone, and I'll through in a What the hell. Jason is mad because I say hell a lot now, that's Jennifer's fault, she started it. I say it quietly, and mostly under my breath but still...
anyway...explanation. Bill, the husband of my BFF, has until now not decided upon a career. They have been floating around with their flower shop for 7 years now. It's just not, and hasn't been, paying all the bills. We all know this can happen when you own your own business (wink, wink, nudge, nudge Pizza what?). So he *man*ed up right before we moved here and started working for a dentist while Jenn ran the shop. Long story short. Dentist convinced Bill to go to dental school. Become dentist and come back, work here(ug ug). Two years in Laramie to finish undergrad(he's my age) then 4 years at a dental school somewhere. Good for him for deciding. Bad for me because it actually affects my family. I'm so bitter about this whole thing that I could just spit venom. He's supposedly leaving Jennifer here with the kids for another 10 months, so that she can attempt to sell/work the store. I don't think it'll be that long. I think they'll walk and that'll will shorten my time with my friend and the reason I moved to this particular little smelly town. Selfish or not I'm mad.
I have found a handful of people that I like in this little town. Kudos to them.
HOWEVER...At church I feel like a three ring circus act, either that or a car wreck. I feel like I'm being watched. I only like being watched when I'm on stage. Otherwise just let me have moments of weakness by myself so I can figure them out and then I'll put on the *perfect* face again. You don't get moments of weakness in a small town, if you do it's what defines you. In Texas I could go for a week and not see anyone, fall apart completely, twice even, and then pull it together before I had to see anyone.
Then there's the shopping...lack of shopping. Over priced, under quality shopping. That is all I will say about that, cause every time I go to the grocery store here I get angry and thinking about it makes me grumpy.
Bottom line...I wasn't happy in Texas for all the reasons that I am happy here, and I'm not happy here for all the reasons I was happy in Texas. SO if I could take all the people that I loved from down there and move them up here and if y'all brought a Walmart and HEB, and some geckos and frogs and a High School that didn't have a principal that taught math in MY high school from'87 to my graduating year of '93, not kidding, it was like walking in to a time warp, And if you could bring a dental school with you so that my bff's husband could get a stoopid career, then I might be perfectly content. Or if my husband, who is my bff #1, could get a high (enough) paying job, that would keep him home every night, I think that would make everything else null and void...since that probably won't happen here...
The bottom of the bottom line...I may not be happy anywhere, pathetic isn't it. I know, I know happiness is what you make it.

I am thankful and grateful and extremely blessed. I never doubt that, but there are days when the down of the down gets me and I shouldn't talk to people. That would be today, I'll be better tomorrow, wait tomorrow is Sunday. I'll be better on Monday, wait lets try Thursday, I like Thursdays. Thursday's are my favorite.

When a long day gets longer

So my husband was a little disappointed that I haven't updated my blog. This touched me a little (in the head) and reminded me why I started the blog in the first place.
I woke up the other morning at the typical 6:something so I could chase Spencer out the door in time for seminary and then get the other 3 up and dressed and fed before the bus arrived at 7:25. When I get up in the AM it would be TOTALLY less stressful if Jacob and Joey stayed asleep at least until the big kids made it out the door. Having been a mother of 5 previous *3 year olds* I know better. The 3yo's are the ones that are last to bed and first to rise. Jacob successfully passed along the torch a few months ago. So now instead of his face being the first and last one I see, it's Joey's little mug. Jacob now sleeps-in, almost always, until Spencer leaves at 6:45. The frustrating thing is that there are just two more little loud bouncy things around my ankles while I'm dragging the *I'll sleep-in as late as I can, except on Saturdays, and twice as long on Sundays* group out of bed. How does the baby sleep? She'd sleep until 11am if I let her. To be honest, sometimes I do let her.
Sometimes I'll go back to bed for a nap, while J & J watch Dora and Diego.
One morning I stayed up. I got those who needed to go to school on their way, the baby out of bed and everybody else fed some toast with peanut butter. I started in on dishes and other things while the little kids played. I answered emails and the phone and took a shower and came out to the hungry monkeys, so I decided to fix lunch. I made Campbell's soup with Goldfish noodles and grilled cheese sandwiches. Then I looked at the clock. It was 9:09am. Seriously? I was making "lunch" at NINE O'clock in the morning.? At that rate dinner would have been at 3 and we would have been in bed by the time the kids got off the bus from school.

good day to ya.

Ellie's 2nd Birthday

So the baby turned 2...Waaahhhhh...



Or was it 16?

My two Princesses

The Castle cake... we kept laughing 'cause it looked more like a pink temple. I wouldn't let Spencer make and Angel Moroni to put on top though

We should have waited to give her the Princess cell phone... She refused to put it down. She loves it and her baby.

I always have intentions for finishing my stories. Sometimes my life and lack of motivation runs away with me and it takes forever to get back to the blogging world. It's usually when I am frustrated and needing a creative out put that extends past the Facebook one liner.
My frustrations, today, are with food. I have desire to plan and carry out an EASY menu that will feed 7 hungry kids and not cost a million dollars at the already over priced grocery store, and not throw a kink in the line. So if any of you have any bright and tested ideas, let me know. I felt like being a more creative, but now I'm irritated because the oldest genius forgot he had detention after school today, due to being tardy. so I'm going to go be frustrated for a minute and then let the natural consequences fly.

Then what happened?

OK, so I said that wasn't the end. After Gabe changed, we went in to do some more clothes shopping at Kmart, remember I had already been in there once. This went off fairly well. Most everything we found fit. Gabe and Caleb would stand in the changing room and I would throw clothes in to them to try on. Sariah was a little more difficult. She's still tiny. but VERY particular about how things "feel". So it took her longer to find and try things. Spencer was bored. we had previously done shopping for him, so he was basically along for the ride, and to buy his gear for his welding class. Which, by the way, we found NONE of while there or at Walmart, so Spencer's presence is now that of an annoyed annoying teenager. Like a poky sliver in the bottom of your foot. So that's what his classification is for the rest of the story, the sliver. Now, he can't just bother me. He has to antagonize everyone, and so the energy of the trip has just gone from "we can get past the puke, " to "Are you kidding me?" And then at the check out line, it happened again, I spend money and get ill. I just don't like the feeling. and it wasn't over.
We finished Kmart and went and got lunch at Wendy's. I was skeptical, but Gabe said he really was fine, so whatever. Then we headed across the street to Walmart and shopped there. We had to get a lot of nonfood things, TP, PT, laundry stuff, et cetera. And we found Sariah another pair of jeans that needed to be tried on. I've learned my lesson, she must choose her own stuff now, and try everything on. After all that and a couple trips to the bathroom, for everyone, we headed to the food section to take care of the main reason we were there. After a few minutes of grabbing things that we needed, I realized that I needed to go to the bathroom. Here is why...I hadn't been paying close enough attention to the *time of month* and so when you feel that familiar...Oh crap, things need to be attended to. So here I am in the bathroom at Walmart with no purse, no coins, no feminine hygiene things. What choices do I have? Toilet paper. I don't think I need to go into anymore detail about this. I went out with a quasi positive mood that I would be able to finish shopping. When I got out to where I left the kids, they were fighting about what 100 calorie cookie packs they wanted for their lunches. Sorry, those cute little packages might be nice when you live alone, but trying to feed 7 kids lunch everyday? they just aren't economical. That was the last silly little straw. Plus I needed to go to other side of the store to pick up some *girl* stuff. This confused everyone. So While they waited I also bought some bubble bath, so I didn't have to have the *talk* with my 4 oldest children on the way home. After we checked out, spending more money than I have at Walmart, (other than buying our TV) since Christmas, I mentioned to Spencer that I needed to go back to the restroom. "But, you just went?!" said the sliver. (Bite me,) I'll be right back. We loaded up the puked on Suburban and drove home. But that's not all...there is still what happened at home... and on Sunday.

Something to blog about

So I have learned when ordinary mundane tasks take a twist to the difficult, do to whatever circumstances, good stories are born and there is finally something to blog about. I have said and I quote myself... Good art comes from weak hearts. This applies to all sorts of things. It just adds to the idea of *opposition in all things*... makes everything a lot funnier. So here we go with my two days direct from the funnier side of Hell.
It all started when Caleb, the new 1st grader, walked out of his room dressed for the first day of school. His jeans were too short and there were little holes in both knees. And then when Sariah, the new 5th grader, came out dressed for the 2nd day of school in the same pair of ratty jeans she wore the first day. She complained that "nothing fits" when told to go change (because she looked like a hobo.) I don't have anything, in particular, against hobo's. As long as my children don't accept their *forced* sense of fashion for their own. I came quickly to the conclusion that my children needed new clothes. This required a trip to the nearest Walmart. Which happens to be in Riverton, a nice hour and 20 minute jaunt down the highway. The soonest this could happen was Saturday. I asked my friend to keep the 3 youngest kids. While I understand the insanity of taking any children shopping wherever there are fluorescent lights involved (I'm telling you there is a connection in crazy behavior in children and the lighting in the stores), I am not stupid enough to shove them all in a hot car (the AC isn't working quite right) and then shop with them for clothes, let alone food. We are attempting the cold lunch approach this year. So we needed to get groceries at a cheaper location, which is NOWHERE in this town. So our Saturday started out with the goal of accomplishing two things, buy clothes, so they're not naked. And buy food so the lunches don't totally suck.
In the car on the way we listened to "Eclipse" the 3rd book in the Twilight series. Interesting, I'm not sure still how I feel about these books, but that's another post altogether. I sped a little which I rarely if ever do. The most I go is 5 over the speed limit. But even that much with windy mountain roads can make a warm car ride even bumpier or more sway-ier, add WY wind and you get the PERFECT ingredients for car sickness. I should know, I used to puke on every car trip, just ask my sister. Everything was fine until we were maybe 5 miles outside Riverton, if that. Gabriel says from the middle seat, "I think I'm going to be sick." I wasn't quite sure how to process this information. I had dealt with Sariah saying that most of the trip just so she could have her window down. So I suggested that he move over to the window and get some air. I would have pulled over but we had been stuck between two trucks for a while and there was no real place to do it. I yelled for Spencer to find a trash bag, we had nothing in the car. Come on, we always have some sort of trash bag in the car, we have melted crayons... and an old cheeseburger, why not a stupid trash bag. I looked back at Gabe in hopes that he could understand that we were super close and if he could just hold... oh never mind. By the time I had even registered anything, he had already puked out the window. Now in the land where the *handbook to life* is handed out when you're born, you get to learn directly from its pages making some of life's experiences easier. But since we don't live there, we have to learn some things by trial and oops. For example, in the *handbook to life* under the chapter titled "Things NOT to do" you would find suggestions such as; "Pee on a flat rock" or "Teach your baby sister to bite" or "Puke out the window, going 65mph... into the wind." Gabriel got to learn this one on his own.
After I realized that it had already happened we pulled into the Kmart parking lot, (It was across the street from Walmart. (I thought it might be a nice change for clothes shopping.) to asses full damages. Gabe had tried to get most of the puke off his face using the half dried baby wipes that were in the car. I looked at his shirt trying to decide if we could get away with taking him inside. Oh, I didn't mention the chocolate cream pie that he had for breakfast. Right do the visual math. Anyway the decision was made that I needed to go buy him some new clothes and have him change. I got out and then saw the side of the vehicle. All I could do was laugh and think about the truck driving behind us, it had to have gotten hit. (that's mean, I know) I went in the store, found him a Tshirt and pair of shorts and some wet baby wipes. Then went back out. While he changed, I tried to wipe down the side of the suburban with the baby wipes. So instead of chocolate vomit splattered, I mean SPLATTERED all across the truck, we now had whitish smeary chocolate puke swirls all across the truck. And this was NOT all that day. but that is all I have time to type right now. Spencer starts seminary tomorrow morning and that means I have to get up early so I can make sure he catches his ride. but I will continue tomorrow with the rest of what happened, because that was all before noon. Oh and then there was today...

I take it all back. Well not the lamentation of Spencer being in H.S. but apparently he did fairly well today...but girls talked to him...I leave that alone for now. It WAS quieter. In my head it was a LOT quieter. I only had to think for 4 people today, instead of 8. And one of those 4 doesn't even really talk yet, and she took a nap. I did laundry ALL day. which is insane because my husband had it mostly caught up before he left. "Laundry is my friend, laundry is my friend," I keep trying, but it's not working. but, When I get to those stupid white socks...arrgh. When Jason comes home the *sock box* goes out the window. So I thought I would match them up fold them. poke my eyes out. It really wasn't too bad. I need to finish the kitchen. We started a remodel quite a while ago. It really started rolling 6 weeks ago. We just tiled our counters. I have to seal the grout, add the back splash, paint and put everything back together. It's a pain in the tuckus (how do you spell that, is it really a word?it is google is a wonderful thing. alternate spelling to the yiddish word *tuches*) to function around a *nonfunctional* kitchen. I saw one episode of that "Jon & Kate+8" show where they were redoing a perfectly good kitchen. I couldn't believe the whining. "This doesn't work because of blah, blah, blah, poor me wah" I couldn't believe it. I couldn't stand it. Maybe the show was deserving of air time when the kids were littler, it may have been neat to see two people working together to raise all those babies. But did they do it alone? I never watched it. but if you have nanny's and nurses, I think you lose a lot of the "WOW" factor. and then add money, plastic surgery, fame and lameness, I think the show should go away and these "normal" people should learn what real life is all about. And on that strange tangent...I will say no more about something that does not deserve my attention. I now need to focus on my seven, one of which is talking endlessly to me, about? I don't know what. and one that is screaming "MOMMY" because he needs his hiney wiped. The *poop ninja* is on duty. And so I will leave you with that weird post to do with as you will.
good day to ya

I never thought that getting child #1 ready for the first day of high school would cause such mental anguish. It's worse than sending one to Kindergarten. With Kindergarten, there is a sense of accomplishment, a sense of "Wow, look at us...one more through the door. And they're potty trained!" But with a high-schooler, it's more like "Aww hell...there goes the last chance for his poor innocent brain." Oh, and the torment and concern for the effect that *other peoples* children may have on them. So we pray, and learn another little lesson from God. Lessons that you can only learn as a parent. I've gotten a lot of those.
So tomorrow is the first day of school. Early, I know. And I'm torn, in general, about the whole thing. Some may say it's good to have the kids in school, it makes life at home easier. I'm not sure about that. I still have 5,6 & 7 at home. I can't peacefully leave the house till 1-4 are home. Maybe I'll get more *home-work* accomplished...wish me luck with that one. We'll have to see how it all goes tomorrow. Why the heck would anyone start school on a Thursday? Why not wait until Monday? Are they trying to ease us into a full week? Giving us a sample of how it's going to be to get 4 (not always cheerful and compliant) kids up and ready for school while either praying that the other 3 stay sleeping (fat chance) so they don't bawl about it not being their turn to go to school.
Actually I think all will run swimmingly. I wish that my husband could have gone to work the day after the first day of school and not the day prior. Ah well. No matter.

so all I have to say in remembrance of tradition in this family is..."First Day of School, First Day of School, BOOGER." that's really a funny story, but you'd have to know Gabriel to find its true humor
Good day to ya.

BLIAR

I'm a big fat blogging liar. Here I was all set to start writing every night and what happened? LIFE as usual. I never realized how much time 7 kids, 4 cats(2 in 2 out) a dog, a part time at home dad, a giant messy 30 year old house and almost an acre of land, can take up. Not to mention watching my DVR'd favorite shows, cause you can't watch them when they happen, too loud, and stupid facebooking. Those last two are really quite a waste of time. My house was totally cleaner before getting dish. But I try to balance it all out with sleep. Anyway. On with the real show. I'm going visiting teaching in a few minutes and so this will probably come in segments. Funny, last time I wrote in segments I moved before I could tell anyone what happened.

So Jennifer(my bff#2, Jason is bff#1 as it should be) has list little music academy up here. I helped direct a musical for the teen group this spring. It was a blast, had a good time with these kids and my little super star Sariah. As a *reward* we took this group of kids to SLC to go see the Tabernacle Choir and to have a private tour (since Jenn's aunt is the Executive Secretary we had special privileges) We started out Thursday morning at 6. with myself and Jenn in our Suburban and her hubby Bill and another parent(Lisa, whom incidentally is the lady we bought our house from) in there van. All seats were full with the exception of our 9th, middle front seat. And off we went to the great state of Utah.

Joey just peed on the floor and now I have to go V.Ting so that must be the end of segment one.

NeW pOsTs To CoMe! I have decided that blogging (journal keeping) is important and deserves a little of my time and attention again.(Plus I got a new camera) the old one had taken enough pictures of muddy children and birthdays and kicked the bucket while I was trying to snap some shots of Caleb's first T-ball game...Needless to say I was NOT a happy camper. So I bought a new one when I was in SLC on my little trip and that is what I'll be posting first...ish. I might do those birthdays first, maybe I'll just put it all into one stupid long entry and bore y'all to death with my excessive ramblings. However it happens, I look forward to reconnecting with all y'all through this wonderfully crazy blogging world.

good day to ya.

I'm sitting here eating cold pizza for breakfast, with a slightly stuffy nose, missing my husband on his 31st birthday. I spent 3 hours yesterday morning cleaning out the leaves and junk from my front row of lilac bushes. It was FABULOUS. The weather was perfect. And because I live just outside city limits I pulled all the leaves to our dirt driveway and burnt them and then I put the ashes in one of our garden boxes. Sariah (with the occasional help of Jacob) and I planted our veggie garden box on Saturday. We have corn, peas, beans, radishes, lettuce, onions, tomatoes, eggplant, cucumbers, and zucchini. I'll let you know how that goes. We have one box dedicated to herbs, that's for Spencer to do. Then I still have two boxes to fill. I bought watermelon seeds, and I'd like to plant some strawberries. I'll have to admit that gardening is a little intimidating when you want it to succeed. I've planted in the past and not taken great care or really given a care and so it hasn't been successful. But this year is different. I am realizing that as of May 21st I'll have 7 kids at home...ALL FREAKIN DAY LONG!!!!!!! We cannot stay inside and laze the days away. So we'll be working outside A LOT. The weather hear is very mild. Yes, we saw -25 for a couple weeks in December, but when there is a giant snow storm covering the rest of Wyoming, there seems to be a bubble over this basin. The wind is mild, the sun is shiny, and it actually means something when you stand in the shade, there is an actual temperature change.
It was good for me to go outside yesterday. It reminded me of the reasons I wanted to move. I have to be honest, whenever I go shopping I have the strange and overpowering desire to move back to Houston. Remember now, NO WALMART. The closest one is an hour and a half away. We have crappy overpriced little po-dunk stores. I look like a deer in headlights when I shop. With thoughts like "You want me to pay WHAT? For THAT!?!?!?" and "@#@*&!* $*&@*#*%&" written all over my face. But I will take solace in my outdoor activities, and the low crime rate (compared to Houston, it's nonexistent) and the mountains, the robins and meadowlarks, and the fact that when I go into the kids' schools' it's not like entering a high security facility.
I also have to admit that I miss my friends. That would be those of you reading this. I didn't really think that this would be an issue for me, but there was something to be said for being in a place where most of everyone was in the same or similar place in life. Boowah. whatever. Point is, I'll definitely come and visit all y'all.
I don't know if I've posted these pics already or not. I took these right after we moved here.


This is looking out our farthest driveway(we have 3)This is looking out our middle one


This is too, and that's one of our 10 pine trees


Now these are the garden boxes. We cleaned them out in the fall, and boy am I glad we did. It made planting SO much easier. We used the closest "L" shape one on Saturday.
And that's our house.
So many projects. That's what my husband says every time he comes home. But it's true. And it's good. Well I'm gonna get my giddyap on. Caleb has an ear infection and needs to get to the Dr. so for now...

good day to ya.

So...I seem to be narrating my day in my head again. I guess that means it's time to blog again. I have taken solace at the other keyboard in my life. That would be the piano. Most of you are saying either "I didn't know you play the piano" or "you can't play the piano." Well truth of the matter is... I do and can. Not necessarily to accompany in church with hymns, there seems to be a cross section in my brain that insists I focus more on what people are singing rather than what I'm playing. That is all beside the point. I've "composed" 4 songs since I've been here. I would have said written but they're not scored. The lyrics are finished for 3 of them. The 4th is not finished. It is actually my 2nd song. After watching Jennifer in the writing process, I decided that it couldn't be that hard, and guess what, it's not. And I'm sure there is divine inspiration in there as well. Now all I need is recording equipment and software. It's a satisfying pastime, one that I could and have gotten lost in for hours. The equipment will have to wait for a while, however, because we're going to VEGAS BABY! Jason and I have decided that it is finally time we took a "honeymoon." So for our anniversary in May we are taking a 5 day trip to Las Vegas to see a show and go to the temple and sleep. Hopefully not all at the same time.
Jenn and Bill are going to come and stay at our house. I just need to solidify the babysitting for the daytime while they have to work. I'm super excited. Jason and I haven't been together anywhere without kids in a million years, if not ever. And it's about time we go. So we're going.
Easter was fabulous, because Jason was home. Not so fabulous because on Saturday I had the stomach flu. I was blessed with much improved health on Sunday, enough to where I could be up for everything and not totally hate it. I made the boys ties to match the girls dresses. Unfortunately, we didn't get to complete the picture at church because Ellie and I stayed home. Which was alright since I got a good little "photo shoot" done with her. .

So my mother sent me this via email.
And if any of you have been wondering what it is like to live here in Wyoming, 
well here you go.  Jeff Foxworthy style.



Jeff Foxworthy on Wyoming                                                
                                                                         

• If 'vacation' to you means going shopping for the weekend in Casper or Cheyenne (while the kids swim at the Comfort Inn) You might live in Wyoming
  

• If parking your car for the night involves an extension cord, You might live in Wyoming
  

• If you consider it a sport to gather your food by drilling through 8 inches of ice and sitting there all day hoping that the food will swim by, You might live in Wyoming

• If you're proud that your state makes the national news primarily because it houses the coldest spot in the nation, You might live in Wyoming.
  

• If you have ever refused to buy something because it's 'too spendy', You might live in Wyoming
  

• If your local Dairy Queen is closed from November through March, You might live in Wyoming.
  

• If someone in a store offers you assistance, and they don't work there, You might live in Wyoming.
  

• If your dad's suntan stops at a line curving around the middle of his forehead, You might live in Wyoming.
  

• If you have worn shorts and a parka at the same time, You might live in Wyoming.
  

• If your town has an equal number of bars and churches, You might live in Wyoming
  

• If you know how to correctly pronounce Dubois, Kemmerer, and Fontenelle. You might live in Wyoming.
  

• If you measure distance in hours, You might live in Wyoming.

• If your family vehicle is a crew cab pickup, You might live in Wyoming.

• If you know several people who have hit a deer more than once, You might live in Wyoming.
  

• If you often switch from 'heat' to 'A/C'in the same day and back again, You might live in Wyoming.
  

• If you can drive 65 mph through 2 feet of snow during a raging blizzard, without flinching, You might live in Wyoming.
  

• If you see people wearing hunting clothes at social events, You might live in Wyoming.

• If you've installed security lights on your house and garage and leave both unlocked, You might live in Wyoming.
  

• If the largest traffic jam in your town centers around a high school basketball game, You might live in Wyoming.
  

• If you carry jumper cables in your car and your girlfriend knows how to use them, You might live in Wyoming.
  

• If there are 7 empty cars running in the parking lot at Wal-Mart at any given time, You might live in Wyoming.
  

• If there are more people at work on Christmas Eve Day than on Opening of Deer Season, You might live in Wyoming.
  

• If you design your kid's Halloween costume to fit over a snowsuit, You might live in Wyoming.
  

• If driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled with snow, You might live in Wyoming.
  

• If you know all 4 seasons: almost winter, winter, still winter and road construction, You might live in Wyoming.

• If you can identify a southern or eastern accent, You might live in Wyoming .
  

• If your idea of creative landscaping is a statue of a deer next to your cottonwood, You might be from Wyoming.
  

• If a brat is something you eat, You might live in Wyoming.

• If finding your misplaced car keys involves looking in the ignition, You might live in Wyoming.
  

• If you find 0 degrees 'a little warm,' You might live in Wyoming.
  

• If you actually understand these observations, and you forward them to all your Wyoming friends, You must be from Wyoming.
  

 This is all so true it's almost not funny.

I also think it's funny when...

I also think it's funny when...

Jacob sings, in all sincerity "Take the Kitty lock her up, lock her up ,lock her up. Take the kitty lock her up, My fair lady."
Makes sense, I can hear it can you?

After everyone else went to bed Joey and I were having a snack and watching *Mythbusters*(LOVEthat show) He put black olives on his fingers (totally not original) but he used just 3 of them and *walked* them around and asked in a little alien voice "what's that?". When he got to the 7 layer dip we were eating and asked what it was I told the little alien that I was eating dip with his family on top and he says "NOooooo, not my brother! Is that my mom? and my dad? NOoooo." this may not be funny to you unless you know that up until about a year ago Joey said pretty much NOTHING.

I think it's silly when...

I think it's silly when...
Somebody asks you *how you're doing?* when you are standing in a line at the hardware store holding a plunger and a toilet snake.

100th blog

Hello? (tap...tap...tap) are you in there? Is anyone still out there? I haven't been neglecting my blog as much as I have been avoiding it. I went to write a short note, that I really was alright after that last entry, when I noticed that my New Years blog was number 99 and that the next thing I wrote would be the mongo 100th blog. I couldn't waste my 100th blog on something lame like, I'm still here and all my kids are still alive. My husband came home and we and had a fantastic two and a half weeks together(he had to go back early...again).

So now I am sitting down at the computer very aware of the clock and the fact that the school age kids are coming home in one hour for a 4 day weekend.... ... ... Not sure how I feel about that. On one hand the kindergartner will get to sleep in and not throw a fit when being woken too early to go to school, of which he "does not like." And I might get a little help cleaning up. Or it could all go to heck in a hand basket and totally go the other direction. We shall see. We shall, we shall.

So I apologize for avoiding my blog. And neglecting the posting of my pictures of our surroundings and my most adorable children, especially Ellie. Even with her occasional *mood altercation* she still has the ability to melt my heart with her little smile. It makes me nervous as all get out, when she stands at the top of the stairs. She has yet to make it all the way down. She'll stop and sit on a step. and wait. for someone. This would be fine if she sat correctly on the step, but she sits backwards on it. One little kick of the feet and she'd take a header down the stairs back first.
So on to the 100th blog thing. I was tagged a couple times on Facebook with this "25 things" where you just name 25 random things about yourself. I think I'll paste that and then continue and I'll call it "100 things you didn't want to know about me and more."

1. This will probably take me forever to do, because I type like crap.
2. I have a slight caffeine addiction in the form of Diet Mt. Dew.
3. I'm very funny, especially to myself in my own head.
4. I love my own children, all 7 of them. I Like them most of the time, but there are days.
5. I am not a fan of other peoples children. If I like your kids that means I really like you.
6. I love to write.
7. I love to sing, even more than write.
8. I think the post office should stop raising the price of stamps, because real letters are so friendly.
9. I Really don't like the ages of 3 and 5. I have one of each.
10. Having a teenager really isn't as bad as people make it seem. I may have lucked out. I'll let you know when my next kid gets there.
11. I love french fry sauce.
12. I love really good hot chocolate and D.H.(from a box) brownies
13. I think my sister can be one of the funniest writers I've read, I come close, but she's better.
14. I love to perform. acting, singing, speaking, whatever if it involves practice and a performance, I'm all over it.
15. I am happy to live in the West again.
16. I love looking out my window and seeing pine trees, snow and mountains
17. I'll admit to occasionally missing things about Texas, mainly the people, shopping and the amphibious and reptilian creatures that lived in my yard. I am proud to say that we still own our house there, and if I wanted we could move back. Prob'ly won't, but could.
18. I love Italian food. And I'll never pass up a good Mexican restaurante either.
19. I love completing home improvement projects.
20. I'm a little bit of a perfectionist.
21. The first coat of paint is fun, the 8th and 9th get a little tedious. see previous 2 entries
23. My husband is awesome.
24. I Love being a Durrant
25. I love love love to see that baby girl of mine smile. Melts my heart every time.

26. I'm quite fond of kittens, I don't have as great an affinity for animals as I used to but they are still up there on the important things list.
27. I must admit to trying the *Samantha* from "Bewitched" nose wiggle AND the "I Dream of Jeannie" blink/head nod to get my house clean...didn't work.
28. I think my sock box idea is a good one, even though my husband hates it. All the socks go in one box, you find your own pair. see Tourist Season
29. I can play the piano. I just freak out a little when I have to play while people sing.
30. I've lost my knack for gutting fish, it's been a long time. I should have paid more attention when I was little. (Spencer brought one home after ice fishing, he couldn't gut it so I had to. I think I deserve a merit badge.)
31. Not a fan of spiders.
32. My favorite TV show is Smallville. Tom Welling is one dang good looking human-I mean alien. I also love all things Stargate, this I have in common with my husband and best friend, how cool is that.
33. This is my age, for another 2 months and 27 days.
34. Do I have a tattoo? Once upon a time in the land of *I'll do whatever I want* there was a rebellious little girl.....
35. I wish I would have been a nicer person at certain times in my life.
36. Chocolate Chip cookies are NOT my favorite cookies. Especially the store bought kind. blech.
37. My favorite childhood story was Sesame Streets "The Monster's 3 wishes"
38. My favorite store bought cookies are Oreo's. There is a story behind that.
39. My favorite homemade cookies are Oatmeal Raisin.
40. I like carrot cake
41. I also like lemon poppy seed muffins/bread/cake
42. I am not a fan of dark chocolate
43. I have a pair of and love my *hooker* boots. I'm actually on the hunt for another black pair, my first pair died.
44. I, on occasion, still play my flute.
45. I do not like gummy things. Except Hot Tamales
46. My favorite salad dressing is 1000 Island, NOT ranch. I also like Blue Cheese and I'm not afraid to admit it.
47. I believe that mint and chocolate were made to go together. I'll even tolerate dark choco. if paired with mint.
48. My favorite ice cream is a really good mint choco chip(surprise) and I love Rocky Road with the mini marshmallows not the swirl. There is hidden somewhere a childhood craving for pink Bubble Gum.
49. My nose is not my best feature. Too bad it's in the middle of my face.
50. I do, however, have great hair. It has a mind of it's own, and must be dyed every 6 weeks, thanks to having kids. But it's still great hair.
51. I love the Peanuts gang.
52. I miss REAL cartoons.
53. I wish I knew more about interior decorating. HGTV helps, but...
54. I would love to actually be TOTALLY organized, like Melissa H. organized.
55. My creative artist is frustrated. I have paintings I want to do, but due to the un-organization of my craft/art/office, I can't get them started.
56. Oh yeah, I'm an artist. My eraser is my favorite tool.
57. I like ironing
58. I love the smell of clean laundry. I don't mind washing, drying or even folding, I'm just not so good at the putting away part.
59. I have lived in 4 states. UT, WY, TN, TX. put WY in between and after TN & TX. Do we see a pattern?
60. Spring is my favorite season.
61. Rain is my favorite weather. I did like the rain in Houston, it didn't smell right though.
62. I love the smell on the plains, right before it rains.
63. I'm a poet
64. I have not read a single "Twilight" series book. that may change.
65. I did read all HP books and 3 Leven Thumps books and I ordered the 4th today.
66. I have not eaten out by myself. Nor have I gone to a movie alone. I don't believe the latter would bother me.
67. I try to be a very grateful person and very aware of my blessings.
68. I have a bad habit of taking my socks off in the middle of the night and leaving them under the covers at the bottom of the bed.
69. my space bar has issues
70. It's hard to find a good orange, therefore, oranges are not my favorite.
71. I feel the same way about apples.
72. I like berries. straw, and blue, and fresh rasp.
73. If you have Dish network, DVR is a must.
74. I like cool colors, HOWEVER, I am becoming quite fond of yellow.
75. If I could spend a WHOLE day with anyone, ALONE, it would be... my husband.
76. I would also like to spend a day with President Monson. Just to learn.
77. I DO NOT like large bodies of water. not a swimmer.
78. There are no erasers in my house, the baby has eaten them all.
79. I think Space Bags are awesome, but they cost too much.
80. I like my friends
81. My eyes are blue, with a tan ring around the pupil.
82. I think baby tongues are cute.
83. I love teddy bears.
84. I'm not a big jewelry person.
85. I love brand new babies. that's probably why I had so many.
86. I occasionally want to be a recluse.
87. I would love to cuddle my cat Mogli (pronounced Mowgli, just not spelled that way) more, IF he didn't drool.
88. I like Easter.
89. and Christmas.
90. hate Halloween.
91. is how old my grandma is going to be this year
92. I'm thankful for my faith, knowledge and religion.
93. I'm grateful for my husband and his willingness to support this ginormous family and I'm grateful for his job.
94. I believe music is a part of my survival.
95. I believe God is a very theatrical Being (not my original idea) using all of our senses to get our attention. " I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me."
96. I am grateful I have toes.
97. I am grateful for my health and the health of my family.
98. I am grateful for the faith and prayers from past/current friends and family on my behalf, that resulted in the changing of my life.
99. I am grateful to: a loving Father in Heaven for answering those prayers, my Brother and Savior, Jesus Christ for offering an infinite atonement, and to the speaker and comforter on their behalf, that is the Holy Ghost for pricking my heart and inspiring me to wake up.
100. I am grateful that I get to be with my family FOREVER. eternity is a long time to be alone.

So that's it. 100 things
good day to ya.

Warning New Years Blues/moment of weakness

I think that there comes a point in every body's life when they admit that they just aren't what they should be or what they could be. Not as good, not as strong, not as thin, not as pretty, not as organized, not as clean, not as pure, not as nice, not as quiet, not as smart, not as thoughtful, not as talented, not as creative, not as useful, not as right, not as serving, not as deserving, not as...you name it. There are times when we despise everything about ourselves and if given the opportunity we would sit in the corner of the shower until the water washes us, in all our imperfection down the drain in a swirling whirlpool. All at the same time we criticize ourselves for being such a mess and not having it all together. If you don't have clue as to what I'm talking about, you have never had a hormonal moment in your life and should probably stop reading because you won't get it. Maybe it's not entirely hormone related, all the time, but in those moments those thoughts are magnified 1000 times and the fix it solution seems so far distant and unreachable.
For those of you who wonder how I do it? With 7 kids and a husband who (very gratefully) has a job, a good job, but a job that takes him away for almost a month at time. How do I handle Christmas, and New Years and other holidays and traditions and birthdays and Dr. appointments and school programs and lost teeth and first steps and cleaning and dinner,(lunch, breakfast) and homework and vacation time and church and chores and niceness and disciplines and everything else including hormonal moments of weakness, without him?... Well sometimes I DON'T. My house is not clean and my kids are not nice. And sometimes I don't want to go to church. Someone gave a talk last week in church about how *it's NOT good to do things just because we're supposed to,* You know the "if your heart's not in it"talk. As Jacob was crawling under and behind the pew kicking the divider curtain(between the chapel and the gym) and as I was trying to keep the other kids on top of keeping the 128 crayons(they brought both boxes) and Cheerios from flying across the chapel, and being irritated at the teenager for wanting to color instead of listening or (heaven forbid) help. Jennifer was even there because she was going to accompany me to sing and she had the baby. It's really hard to prepare to sing with the Spirit while your having thoughts of beating your children when you get home. And when I finally caught Jacob and drug him by his ankles over the bench, I thought to this gal that was speaking "You don't have a FREAKIN clue" Sometimes we HAVE to do things just because we're supposed to, if we didn't then we wouldn't make it around to the *do it 'cause our heart's in the right place* time ever again. So I guess in this moment as I feed my children Muddy Buddies for New Years dinner, I admit that I give myself a big fat "F" in motherhood today. When you have to sit down and apologize to your children for being crazy and overwhelmed and tell them you're sorry that you aren't as good of mom as they deserve, your grade can't get any lower. I'll be funny later.