Ok, so I haven't posted in awhile. I have felt like death warmed over for the last week and a half. Bronchitis has stolen both mine and Miranda's good moods. I am so glad that David doesn't have it, which is unusual as he usually gets it twice as fast and twice as bad as us. I am looking forward to the temperatures rising and this bug burning itself out soon.

In between coughing fits I am trying to get our belongings sorted through. Not only does it need to happen for our move but our ward is having a recycling event so we are hoping our goods make it to the hands of those who really need it. There are so many in our ward out of work right now. It is really scarry. We feel so blessed as we are still doing quite well while so many are not. We want to share and hope that our stuff makes it where it really needs to be.

I so appreciate all those who blog regularly. While maybe not really productive, blog checking really helps me feel connected to other women. So thanks to all of you.

My big fun at the moment is looking forward to a few days in Chicago with Sandra in about 4 weeks. I haven't seen her since our kids were all small, and she only had two. I am so ready for a couple girl days. Thanks for letting me come Sandra.

Here is hoping that all of you are enjoying better health than I am. And here is to an early spring for all of us.

My facebook 25 Random things about me list

1. I have had 33 addresses in 7 states, including Alaska, in 3 out of 4 corners of the US since I was 19.
2. I have seen a shepherd on the Mount of Olives and crossed the Sea of Galilee.
3. My favorite jobs were part time Nanny and parking toll booth operator at the University of Utah.
4. I once owned my own business. It failed but I loved every minute of it.
5. I love to cook but hate cleanup. I have an automatic dishwasher yet oddly my dishes are never automatically washed.
6. I usually wake up between 4 and 5:30 even on my days off. I was a night owl all my life until about 5 years ago. Some cosmic switch was flipped and now I am a morning person.
7. My favorite color is, was, and always will be Purple.
8. I want to retire on a Harley.....a purple one. Parked at a small home near the Oregon coast.
9. I grow tomatoe JUNGLES...in big red pots. I have a 3 tiered herb garden. Except for the bending and weeding and bugs, I love gardening. There is nothing better than eating a tomato you grew yourself, or a raspberry, cherry, pumpkin etc. Last year I grew 5 pumpkins. Well, they grew themselves out of my compost pile.
10. My favorite smell in the whole world is a campfire.
11. I own a hooded black and red velvet Wiccan Priestess robe. It is heavy and luxurious. It keeps me warm on cool Halloweens. The Purple one came out the next year, D___it.
12. I have bungee jumped off a bridge in Canada.
13. I am a netflix junkie, which is what I do between 4 and 7am.
14. I have a tattoo (yes, get over it) that I got in my wild impetuous 30's. I am quiet and conservative most of the time and I don't seem like the Harley tattoo type but she is under there somewhere. She is also the one with that Red Headed temper which doesn't rise to the surface very often.
15. The first boy I dated and the first boy I loved live 25 and 3 miles from our new house respectively. One of them will be in my ward. My husband is certian that he will be our new home teacher. That would be very wierd for me.
16. I inject white goo into pink puckers (among other orifices) for a living.
17. I have the funniest, sweetest, and smartest cat and dog. Gadget and Rusty (Long haired minature daschund).
18. My first marriage lasted 3 days, which was also my age (In years). He broke up with me in sunday school.
19. My first crush, if you don't count my first marriage, lasted longer than most of my adult relationships. 1st grade to 4th. He is a resteraunteur in Moab now.
20. I once lived in a dairy barn (converted) and had dolphins in my front yard. Real, wild ones.
21. I saw a whale in the wild on my 30th birthday.
22. If I could travel anywhere it would be Italy and Greece, then New Zealand and French Polynesia.
23. I love off shore fishing. I have caught salmon, halibut, and rock fish among others. We were on a party boat last year with a loud obnoxious bragging group of young men who were boasting that they were going to win the boat pool for the largest fish caught and that we could all just hand them the money right then. They were very quiet when the captian handed the money to me. ;)
24. I love flowers. I have so many favorites it is ridiculous to call them my favorites.
25. My proudest accomplishment is my sweet, considerate, big hearted little girl, who isn't so litlte any more.

Our New President

Our new President has many challanges ahead of him. Let's hope he is more than pretty speeches.

My fellow citizens: I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation...... as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition. Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers, and true to our founding documents. So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost, jobs shed, businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly, our schools fail too many, and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet. These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable, but no less profound, is a sapping of confidence across our land; a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, that the next generation must lower its sights. Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real, they are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this America: They will be met. On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord. On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn-out dogmas that for far too long have strangled our politics. We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness. In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of shortcuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted, for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things -- some celebrated, but more often men and women obscure in their labor -- who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom. For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life. For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West, endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth. For us, they fought and died in places Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn. Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions -- that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America. For everywhere we look, there is work to be done.The state of our economy calls for action: bold and swift. And we will act not only to create new jobs but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together.We will restore science to its rightful place and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality...... and lower its costs. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. All this we will do.Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions, who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short, for they have forgotten what this country has already done, what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose and necessity to courage.What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them, that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long, no longer apply.MR. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works, whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public's knowledge will be held to account, to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day, because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government. Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched. But this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control. The nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our gross domestic product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on the ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart -- not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our founding fathers faced with perils that we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake. And so, to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and we are ready to lead once more. Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with the sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use. Our security emanates from the justness of our cause; the force of our example; the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.We are the keepers of this legacy, guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort, even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We'll begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people and forge a hard- earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we'll work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat and roll back the specter of a warming planet.We will not apologize for our way of life nor will we waver in its defense. And for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that, "Our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken. You cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you."For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus, and nonbelievers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth. And because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace. To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict or blame their society's ills on the West, know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those...To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history, but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to the suffering outside our borders, nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it. As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service: a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment, a moment that will define a generation, it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break; the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate. Our challenges may be new, the instruments with which we meet them may be new, but those values upon which our success depends, honesty and hard work, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism -- these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility -- a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character than giving our all to a difficult task. This is the price and the promise of citizenship. This is the source of our confidence: the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny. This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed, why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall. And why a man whose father less than 60 years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.So let us mark this day in remembrance of who we are and how far we have traveled.In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by nine campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people: "Let it be told to the future world that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive, that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet it." America, in the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words; with hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come; let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations. Thank you. God bless you. And God bless the United States of America.

Greeting Cards have all been sent......

Almost.......

I have a few left to get out and my rush is far from through. But I am trying to enjoy the holiday preperations, something I don't do very well.

I do it because I have a little girl and want to make Christmas memories for her like I had, but I find the work extensive and a little tedious. But enough bah humbug. I am just tired and a little under the weather. Someone brought something unexpected to the Ward Christmas party. You don't want the details.

I do love Christmas, the day, and I honor the reason we celebrate.

I love the preperations that other go to so much trouble to make.

I love watching a kid (usually mine) on Christmas morning, when all the preperations are worth it.

Oh, and the food is good.

Short and sweet. I am going to bed now. The bug is winning.

Hope everyone is enjoying their holiday preperations.

Happy Christmas Rush.

'TIS THE SEASON......

OF JOY AND THANKSGIVING!

My Thanksgiving post is a couple days late. I had to work both Thanksgiving and Black Friday with other chores to accomplish yesterday. So in the wee morning hours I am blogging my Thanksgivings.

First, I am grateful for my family. For the husband who loves me more than anything and is always there to comfort me and is so good with the knots in my back. And for the sweet little girl with the kind, loving, and helpful heart. You are my truest joy. I would be lost without you two. I love you so much.

I am grateful for loving and faithful parents who taught me the gospel and how to love unconditionally. They taught me how to make bread (not that I ever do it), and how to check my oil. They gave me their time. I have so many fond memories of both my parents spending time with me, playing, reading, teaching by word and example. I was blessed with goodly parents.

I am grateful for my siblings. At 9 years old I thought I was destined to be an only child. But then these two came into our family and though I was older we 3 bonded and enjoy a close relationship to this day. My kindhearted brother was always there to listen and comfort. He helps without being asked, and though he works full time and is also going to school, he lovingly and playfully greets his daughters and wife when he comes home and helps out around the house.

I am grateful for Lalagene, my stepmom. She has been such a support and friend in my life and was there for my dad after my mom died. I love her and appreciate her.

I am grateful for 5 years with my sister. I left home when she was little and we only got to see each other sporadically until she moved out here to get her masters degree. Though we are almost complete opposites with different tastes, opionions, and views, we enjoyed living together and having that time to really get to know each other. We taught each other things and bonded. I miss having her around.

I am grateful for David's parents, for the values, lessons, and life skills they taught him and for the love they shower on my daughter. They are good, simple people with country values. Now if I can just convince Pop Pop to leave some of the taxidermy behind when we all move. Ha Ha. ( I'm not kidding, there over 100 pieces, some full size, a mountain goat, ram, baby bear, bobcat, and the heads, many deer and one moose, as well as the full smaller birds and one fish. The man is very talented, if you have an appreciation for that kind of art.) Mom Mom loves to spoil both Miranda and the dog, both to excess. Sometimes I have to be the mom, which isn't too popular with any of them. But the woman is a powerhouse that never stops fussing and fixing while we are there. She has several medical conditions which cause her pain, but she doesn't slow down even when she should. She is stubborn but kindhearted. We love you Mom Mom and Pop Pop.


I am grateful for all the friends I have had in my life, the ones who led or followed me into wild adventures, for late night explorations of the meaning of life, for laughter and quiet moments of conversation, support, and friendship, and for girly lunches and shopping. For that strong shoulder to cry on when life got too much to handle. Some friends I am no longer in touch with, all I cherish both past and present, both related and not.

Not last and not least, but all I have time for on this post, I love my animals. Past and present. Thankyou for the unconditional love, for entertaining me, for curling up on my lap and comforting me when no one else is around. I cherish that bond and value it almost as much as human contact. In many ways it is simpler than trying to communicate with humans. But I'll take THAT struggle with the joys as well.

One last thought. Take time to smell the roses, to notice and acknowledge a kids smile, to really taste and enjoy your food, to hear the wind in the trees, to notice and appreciate the small beauties all around you. And take the time to make and cherish the small moments with your kids, your spouse, your family and friends. Remember birthdays, send cards, make calls. (A goal I am trying to be better about). Love, tolerate, forgive, cherish.

Wishing all of you a very happy holiday season.

Please Touch.......

Museum

This past Saturday we went down to the new Please Touch Museum that opened up in Fairmount Park in Philadelphia. We had never been to Fairmount Park and it was really nice. There were some amazing old buildings that had been built for the Centennial celebration and so they are all over a hundred years old and amazing architecture. Beautiful old oak trees lined the street, although they are mostly bare of leaves now.

We met my friend Jessica, her husband Mangesh (Manny), and their beautiful little girl Layla Mungekar. Jessie is a dear old friend and my old roommate from Portland, OR. It was so nice that we both ended up on this end of the country close enough to see each other once in awhile.

Layla and Miranda became fast buddies and Layla followed Miranda all around the museum. Actually I guess Miranda did more of the following. Toddlers aren't known for long attention spans.

There was a beautiful old wooden carousel. It was pretty tame (slow) even for a Merry Go Round. Miranda was bored with it but it was just right for Layla.

She was waving at her DaddyThe butterfly was my favorite piece of art. It was in the Alice in wonderland garden.

Two cute.......

SLUG BUG COOL

Here is Miranda in the Zephyr

They had some cool old toys on display. This was psychadelic barbie....having lunch at McDolnalds.

And here is Stewardess Barbie (no, not flight attendant Barbie. We didn't have those in the 60's)

And who could forget Light Bright?


And don't forget Ken and Chrissie...

Halloween (Belated)

Happy November. Ok, Happy Mid November.

I know it is a little late but I wanted to document our Halloween. Halloween is a big deal at our house. I’m not so much into over decorating, but we put up some lights and decorations.

Miranda is on the right. I don't remember what the catalog called her costume. It was cute though. On the left is her friend Lauren.

We make icker green punch, float glow sticks, and put dry ice in it, all in a black cauldron. We heat the punch slightly which makes the dry ice bubble and foam. The kids, and even the adults, love it and people remember us from year to year.

David also sets up a ground fogger, strobe light, glowing skull, laughing skull, and we have Halloween music playing. We add a few more things each year and this year we got the punch just right. We had been ordering a green punch from Schwans but they quit making it so we had to concoct our own. We had peach juicy juice, Gatorade powder, lemonade, and Hawiian punch and added some V-8 smoothie to it which made it just a little bit cloudy (creepy), and it also seemed to make the dry ice bubble and spit even more, which really added to the witches brew effect.

My other project has been to start going through 10 years of baby gear and girls clothes. I went to the storage unit and hauled (from the back of the unit no less) all the baby clothes out and they are now clogging my living room as I sort them for friends, family, good will, or the garbage. Next is to get rid of the baby gear. I am not hauling this stuff to North Carolina. I already hauled it across the country, through one apartment and 2 houses. I has just sat there not doing me or anyone else any good. So out it all goes. It is very nostalgic going through all those little clothes though; Lots of memories. I am sorting some of them out for Miranda to keep. You have to have something you wore as a baby to put on your own kids. I didn’t actually have any of my baby clothes, but I had some of Jeanie’s. They may go out of style but it is about the memories.