Two seasons in Arizona

There are two seasons in southern Arizona. We have summer and not summer. When dealing with our two seasons I have learned a couple of tips, these tips really benefit people who are in a camping like situation but I feel that it might be of interest to the privileged who live among us.

Tip 1: When wearing deodorant in the summer season I find it best to wear the gel kind. The powder gets all clumpy when you don't live with AC or swamp. Also in the summer it is quite refreshing to apply that cool gel deodorant to your armpits and on really hot summer days it is never a bad thing to reapply several times especially in the afternoon. But when you are in the season of not summer, man that cool gel does nothing for you except bite at the pits! So in the not summer season stick with the powder DO.

Tip 2: A working car is your friend no matter the season! In the summer season without AC or swamp (did i mention we have been living like this for nearly 4 months?!) a working car can be a life saver, even if it is just to ride to the mailbox for four miles on a dirt road. To have the AC blasting at you at full force can be that lifesaver that you need till that 5:00 sun hides behind the hill. In the season of not summer the working car can provide the heat that awakens your limbs. I find it a particularly good hideout after you have dropped the kids off at the bus station, to just linger a bit for maybe two or three hours enjoy the warmth and the tunes.

Tip 3: When using the portapotty in the summer or in the not summer season sanitation is always important. There are a few tips that I find beneficial to share. In the summer season after you have finished your business that has brought you to the portapotty open the door hold it open with your foot get a quick squirt of hand sanitizer and get the heck out of dodge as quick as possible! It is summer man, heat rises, no use hanging around! But the story for not summer season is quite different. You prop your foot to open the door, squirt the hand sanitizer and rub it into your hands as quickly as possible before exiting! Picture this it is late at night you leave the unrubbed wet sanitizer in your hands and you step out into the howling cold wind. That my friends feels like stabbing knifes. The five second wait to make sure it is all rubbed in will be well worth it, remember there is no fire or heater awaiting you at the trailer to warm your little tootsies or fingers.

Path of Enlightenment or trail of tears :)

One of the things we want to have at the homestead is a path that encircles both properties. With the path we wouldn't have to worry if the kids are out riding their bikes or driving the go-cart. So since our building progress has been in a holding position and we had nothing we could do to further it, I decided that something I could do was start our path. The first day I grabbed my shovel and just started bushwhacking through the desert landscape. In the first day I cleared about 100 feet with a narrow footpath. Later Benjamin came home and I had showed him my handy work he said, "Oh, Lesley you must have been really bored!" Which was true. I had cleaned my little 8X10 cell i mean trailer and I was ready for a change. The next day i woke up and made the path wider about four feet across. The process continued. The little boys would grab a shovel and head for the trail with me - and then promptly ditch and chase after grasshoppers. I actually had dreams that my arms turned into Popeye's, way too masculine (don't worry that hasn't happened). The kids would arrive home from school and ask how far I had gotten and run out to see the progress. So far I have cleared over 450 feet. The kids were great and helped collect rocks to line the path. At the time of this path clearing I was reading the book "Fire of the Covenant" which is about the Willie and Martin Handcart companies crossing the plains in horrible conditions. I kept thinking I got to get to the South Pass for me that was the wash. ( I just want to give a quick shout out to my ancestors the Loaders, Their son in law (Jaques) blasted them for not wanting to go by handcart, even publishing an article about there lack of faith. But those Loaders weren't prideful and showed up with their handcarts ready to pull, Grandpa died on the trail showing where his loyalties were, so take that Mr. Jaques!) Sorry I digress. I made it to my South Pass and Benjamin built me a bridge, all from lumber he had salvaged. When my project is done it will be a little less than half a mile long! Great for a jog or stroll in the moonlight admiring my port-a -potty :)

its nursery time!

For all friends who might not know significant Mormon achievements, I will tell you about one that all Mormon parents look forward to: 18 months! At 18 months your child is welcome to attend nursery during adult classes. It is oh so liberating, no more bribing them to be quiet with countless fruit snacks. It is a fabulous moment. When we dropped Parkin off he saw the toys and knew that this was where he was suppose to be! We love our little man or as we call him Triple P (Practically Perfect Parkin). This is a picture of him on his momentous day.

Family Feud Forgotten

As many of you know about ten years ago Benjamin along with my twin sister Lindsey and her husband Ryan and my brother John were on the television show Family Feud. It was a crazy fun once in a life time experience, that I often look back on and laugh. Unfortunately we lost. It came down to the last question (which it always does), I gave the number one answer and got control of the round thank you very much, Benjamin gave the number two answer and then it came down to my brother John..... he gave a good answer but it wasn't the number three most surveyed response. We lost our chance to go to the final round to win ten thousand dollars, now the grand prize is twice that (timing and chance right, Jay). Since then we have always ribbed John that he owes us.

Well all is forgotten. This whole construction loan process has been a nightmare. Everyday the bank was coming at us with this request or that request. We were about to lose our loan if we did not come up with hard liquid cash and fast. Not many people you can approach with such a large request (one they don't got it, two they won't lend it), but after some brainstorming John and Robin popped into our minds. They saved our bacon! So if they ever get this documentary thing rolling you better believe they will get a shout out from the Howe's but if not, my blog will have to suffice. Everybody should have a big brother to turn to when they are in a pickle, so john thanks for being that brother and thanks for making wise investments! Robin, thanks for marrying my brother, you have been a great friend, you provide the perspective I need on so many levels. Thanks to all the people who have prayed on our behalf, now the real adventure begins........

PS Sorry if this embarrasses you two,but this blog is also my journal and I need my posterity to know .

8 random things about me

1. I have tons of freckles everyone who has seen me knows that, but on my left hand there is one giant freckle, that luckily helped me remember that it was my left hand. "Students please raise your right hand" yikes stay calm Lesley just look for the freckle. "Now if everyone could please turn to their left" casually stretch your fingers Lesley oh yeah there's the freckle. Man I love that beauty mark!

2. I love a good practical joke, at least the ones I pull :) Once I convinced my Biology teacher in High school that I was on the wrestling team. He said girls don't wrestle, I replied with don't you read the newspaper they have written about me. Then when they announced over the PA that the wrestling team was excused for the rest of the day for a tournament I collected my things and he wished me luck. The list goes on National candle day, a deaf interpreter...remember it is only lying if you don't correct it within in 24 hours otherwise its just a great joke!

3. I have a secret stash of Whoppers in my sock drawer. Some days it is what carries me through, the knowledge that a little malt and sweet loving chocolate will be there.

4. I love thrift stores! Unfortunately in Benson I have only located one. Parkin goes through shoes like mad out here, I got these shoes for 50 cents!

Luckily the laundry mat that I go to (there are two in Benson, I patronize the classy one, yes there is a difference) has a rack of used clothes for only 25 cents! This is Bella modeling her new dress. I clean my clothes while I shop, how great is that!

5. I am a talk radio junkie. My parents would always listen growing up and it would drive me crazy not listening to music in the car, luckily Holman and Parkin don't mind...yet.

6. The theme song to Murder She wrote instantly soothes my soul and puts a smile on my face.

7. My favorite day of the week is Thursday. The anticipation that the weekend is near (the weekend is never quite as relaxing or fun as I imagine it to be) but come Thursday its time to think of what might be.

8. Since downsizing to a 23ft by 8ft home I only do 4 loads of laundry every six days. This is a picture of my kids dressers, they each have three drawers worth of clothes (the girls do have a couple of dresses hanging in a portable armoire (compliments of Sarah downsizing). Oh yeah who wouldn't trade their comfy home with running water and electricity for only four loads of laundry for a family of six! I have such a blessed life ;)

Top ten things I have learned from using a Port-a-Potty

10. Don’t look down! Whatever happens don’t look down.

9. If you find that you are compelled to look down, open the door and walk backwards, this will remind you under no circumstances to look down.

8. If you know it will be a quick visit, take several deep breaths before entering and then hold the last breath and make a race out of it. You will be a winner if you can make it without breathing.

7. If you know it will not be a quick visit, it is socially acceptable to tie a handkerchief to your face before entering. You will be glad you took the special effort.

6. Treat the people that dump crap for a living like heroes! They are doing what most wouldn’t ever dare to do. Man I love those guys, their visit is the most anticipated service call ever.

5. The closer the John not always the better, sometimes a healthy distance can be worth the walk especially if the Heroes aren’t coming for a few more days.

4. A cleaned out port-a-potty isn’t always ideal. When it is cleaned out they add more liquid, when there is more liquid it splashes better……enough said….too much said.

3. Because of this splashing effect, it is sometimes ideal to squat. You may say that you always squat over a port-a -potty toilet, but when you are using a port-a-potty as your sole source of toilet use that practice is soon forgotten, unless it has just been cleaned out. Then squatting is a must!

2. Teaching the kids to keep the lid down is no less hard out in the wild, but the consequences are a whole lot more! Keep the lid down.

1. Don’t look down! Whatever happens don’t look down!

What I really miss........ and what I love to have

Electricity! Not having running water has not been that big of a deal, but no electricity has been quite the adjustment! We can haul water with no problem, hand pump water is not that big of a deal, bucket showers and camping showers no problem! But no electricity, no cooling, lights, crock pots, refrigeration that my friend is hard! I have made a chocolate cake in a solar oven that was fun! But I miss brownies done in 20 minutes. So Jen this list is for you a list of what we have eaten for dinner these last few weeks: spaghetti, burgers, mac in cheese, grilled chicken, baked potatoes, nachos, pasta, pasta, pizza and more pizza to name a few. Another big change is all the dish washing hand pumped water to wash oh yeah!

You have never seen a group of people so excited to have a portapotty! Enough said on that one ;)

Counrty Chauffeur

It was so awesome, Suzie and I had had enough of driving the kids to school, and were ready to have the kids ride the bus. We talked to the school and signed the kids up for them to come home on the bus. Then right around the time that we would normally arrive home from picking them up from school the kids come running up to the tent. We were surprised to find a 15 passenger van at our driveway. The driver comes out and explains that he is the director of transportation for Benson school and he will be picking the kids up at our property in the morning and dropping them off at the property in the afternoon. No Bus stop, a chauffeur! Unfortunately he said they will be reworking the bus schedule and the chauffeur service would not last forever, bummer. What a classy school instead of telling us to take the kids to school until they have it worked out they cater to us, sweet.

Nature up close and personal

The kids have loved being in the nature. They have literally played for hours in our wash. One of the neighborhood kids came over with her pet goat and Liv went up to her and said, is that a lama? No Liv, that is a goat. City kid.

Later Bella had found two dragon flies mating, Benjamin told her that that was what was happening, so she chucked them on Livvey who freaked out. Benjamin said don't worry there married, then Bella said, there was no bug going, buzz buzz your married buzz buzz.

Nothing like country learning.

Moving on up to a trailer park

I mean RV park! Benjamin swears there is a difference. Hmmm it is classy living no matter what you call it. When we found out that getting the electricity to the land could take upwards of 5 weeks we had to go with plan D i mean B. As I look around my beautiful house and think of what the next couple of months, shoot maybe a year will bring, I have a lot of heart palpitations. Actually i can't wait to experience trailer park living, honestly. What really gives me heart palpitations is packing up. It is one thing to pack up to move to a new house it is an entirely different to pack up to live in 1/13th of what I am living in now. My kitchen has shrunk by ......it hurts to do the math on that one. I can't remember who wanted me to blog on what I will be cooking, the more I think on that one the more interesting (and pathetic) that could be. I am very excited that the Olympics are coming, I may be living in a box air conditioned mind you, but at least I have those feel good overcoming obstacles stories that the Olympics inevitable show. Let's hear it for electricity. I need to find my happy place and learn to channel it in small confining places with a dog that doesn't like me. I do love our land and can't wait to be tenting it out there. Tent life never looked so good. Say a prayer for me on this most adventurous week yet!

PS We have sold our oven and dishwasher, two major conveniences gone. That is an interesting way of life. Anything short term is bearable.

Seven 11 Slurpee Suprise

When I was younger every time my grandparents came to visit us from SLC, grandpa would take us to go get a Slurpee. We could get the biggest size we wanted and any flavor (back then it was just cherry and coca cola to choose from). It was an awesome tradition. To make things better Grandpa would then let us tell him how to get home. We would try our best to get him lost so that we could prolong the drive and have a good laugh when he would obediently follow our direction. Little did we know that Grandpa knew Tucson roads better than any native Tucsonan and we weren't fooling him at all. Such a little tradition provided such a great memory. Well today my Grandpa turned 88 on 7/11 . Imagine my delight when Benjamin called me up to tell me that Seven 11 gives free Slurpee's on this day to celebrate their store. Check out this site that gives the history of the Slurpee http://slurpee.com/ I laughed thinking of how it is such a great tribute to my Grandpa that we take the kids to get a Slurpee. I called him up to wish him happy birthday and told him about the promotion and promised to take pictures to send him. Free Slurpee's are already really awesome but they also served Costco cake, yippee! Here are the pics.

oh yeah check out that awesome hair :)

So happy Birthday Grandpa, here is to a great comedian, a fantastic supporter (he would cheer me on in high school basketball and get a kick out of me fouling out -which I did often) he has a wonderful legacy of Faith and hard work (Bella' is named after Grandpa's hardworking farming parents Isabell and Julius, thus Isabella Jules ). We Love you!

Practice makes Piranha

I can't remember which Howe brother in law use to call me the PE Nazi (Peter, Aaron hey it could of even been Jeremy?). I have the belief that just like academic classes in High School are graded on how well you perform, PE should be the same way. I don't think that a student taking Biology should get an A just because they dressed appropriately and showed up 90% of the time. No it all comes down to tests and a performance of their Biology knowledge, if they can't run a lab test well, they don't get an A for showing up. The same should be for PE, A's go to the kids who perform outstandingly. They win the badminton tournament, they run the mile under 7 min (OK maybe 8 min.) Well maybe my theory has changed a little bit. Olivia my very precocious 5 year old, has wanted to be a Palo Verde Piranha since her sister swam last year on the team. She had yet to swim a 25 without stopping a requirement for joining the swim team. But I had talked to the coach and as long as the team roster wasn't full what would the harm be letting her workout with the team? The coach was on board for letting her participate. The first meet came....and went she didn't compete. But we knew at this point she could do it. The day of the second meet she was really nervous but she said she wanted to do it. It made me nervous watching herself sike up to it. She was to do one event freestyle. She got up looked like she was going to run away and then the buzzer went off and she jumped into the pool and swam her heart out not stopping once to grab onto the lane lines, she was awesome. She finished! She didn't get first but she didn't get last a real A performance. I cried at the finish line because I knew how much she really wanted to be on the team, it was beautiful a real Rudy moment. Once I knew Liv could do it and wasn't in jeopardy of being replaced , I began to recruit for Bella's relay (hey I maybe willing to give an A for effort but I am still competitive). The recruiting was a success. They now have an awesome medley relay and a freestyle relay. Incidentally Bella has an awesome backstroke, she has gotten first place every meet, not that it matters ;)

Not even a shelter dog will stay in this place.

Like every smart house seller should do, we decided to buy a dog. This was not a whim decision. We have for some time wanted to buy an Australian Shepherd dog. They are dogs that need to work, like to run, and are protective and even like to herd children. We think they would be the ideal dog for us when we move out to the land. They will run around with the children and warn them from danger a real Lassie dog. They also like to herd goats and since Suzie and I will be making homemade goat cheese, (look for it in classy health markets), we thought it would be perfect. Anyways, that bread can be expensive so we were delighted to find out that six such puppies were at the Pound. We went down there with the kids to pick out the dog that best fit our family, a social non aggressive one. We decided which one we all liked and ask to be able to play with it in the Pound yard. The Pound lady asks will this be an outside dog. Yeah, we have five acres of land for the little guy to explore. She then says well this is a puppy and it can't be outside for at least 6 months. Then I say well after that it can be outside, right? She says no then it will be displaced because it will have gone from a little cozy house to being thrust outside. Then she says you can go back to the kennels to look for a dog that is primarily an outside dog, look for one with a yellow tag. She wouldn't adopt out the shelter dog to us. The kids were so sad, we had known this was the kind of dog we had wanted. I was dumbfounded are you kidding me? The whole car ride home the kids were so sad and I was fuming. She would rather keep the dog in the Humane Society instead of adopt him out to a loving family. When I got home I called the Humane Society up to ask who they would adopt out the dog too. Unfortunately I got connected to the same ridiculous lady. She said she would adopt the dog to someone who would have it as a primarily house dog. So I tell her that we have researched this breed and they enjoy a job to do and prefer a farm like lifestyle ie a place to roam. She then tells me too many people put their dogs outside and buy them to be a yard ornament. I told her we did not drive all the way to the humane society to buy a yard ornament. Next time I get one of those flyer's in the mail asking me to donate to the Humane Society I won't feel a twinge of guilt when I throw it directly in the recycling bin. I know it is not the best time to buy a dog, but when providence knocks you open the door.........or have it get shut in your face by a mean lady who prefers to spend her days smelling cat urine and wet dog hair than learning how to interact with decent folk.

Ponies and naked girls

I love that Suzie loves summer and some days I do too, but some days it feels like they are twice as long! we don't have a TV hooked up to watch television, we still watch TV but it is on the Internet or we pop in a video. Some days like today I feel like all I am doing is telling my kids to 1)get off the computer 2) get out of the cupboard and 3) stop changing your clothes! On Monday our pool is closed so no swim team, no lessons, great more time to relax, yeah right. Finally I am able to pry the kids off the computer after watching way to much big kid Disney on line and I am happy to see that Olivia is playing with her barbies, Holman desperately wants a buddy to play with so he tries to join in any way he can. He grabs his horses and gallops up to Livvey's undressed barbies who are waiting patiently for a home made dress made out of dish clothes, and Holman says to Liv, "the ponies are watching the naked girls." At three he means nothing by that but let me tell you those barbies are getting some permanent clothes or they are hitting the trash. We don't get live TV in our house to avoid such perversions :) Ahhh the summer boredom......... And yes I have read to my kids today :)

They are great you store them in the dishwasher and they pop out to help!

For some reason our dishwasher doesn't close properly, it is really annoying. You have to close it at just the right force to make it stick. For the life of me I just can't figure out why????

"Sometimes your the windshield sometimes your the bug"

My mother always calls my Dad a blooming genius, more on that later....

Sunday morning after attending my ward choir where I perform my no-talent talent that of singing soprano I got in the car with my boys and headed home. Benjamin had the girls in his car and had beat us home from choir. They were standing in front of the house waiting for us to back in and unlock the front door. As I was backing in I thought to myself "Man I drive really well in reverse" just than my foot slipped and I don't really know what happened and I accelerated right into the front of the house. Full force right into the bricks. I hate those shoes that I was wearing. I bought them on an impulse buy and have regretted my very non characteristic decision of buying them in the first place. Anyways back to the awful wreck. The girls and Benjamin stood by and watched the whole thing absolutely stunned. Benjamin said he was just seconds away from walking behind the car to help me unload, but on an impulse (tender mercy or prompting from the Spirit) he hesitated just long enough to see me accelerate into the house crushing the wall where he would have been standing. Yikes....When you are trying to sell your house it is not good to have your brick wall completely bowed by five inches in the center, also if you have a seating area it is not good to have the seats slanted and on seatable. Benjamin assures me that he is not mad at me for as the girls put it, for almost killing him. He also says he is not mad at me, he is mad at the situation, I don't know how those two can be separated but beggars can't be choosers.

Benjamin took out the non functioning window benches, love that handy man and waited for my dad to arrive to basically save the day. Now for the blooming genius. Dad and Benjamin hauled these massive beams that Dad had had left over from a job site ( before Dad worked for IBM he was a general contractor and apparently a very good one!) . Dad braced the wall with a beam and had another beam in the center with a jack at the end, braced with another beam on the good wall. He basically forced the bowed wall (and bowed windows which amazingly did not break) back into place nearly five inches of movement. The wall looks incredible it still has some unsightly cracks do to well be running into, but we are planning to hire a mason to hopefully replace the bricks. Dad saved us a ton of money and relieved some of my heart ache over my untimely mishap! I think one of the reasons I love Benjamin so much is his ability to do all things handy just like my Dad. Thanks to Dad he gave Benjamin a new thing to add on his list of things he now can do. Blooming genius!

P. S. I wish I would have taken before and after photos but my faith was pretty small I was just at the hoping things would be better stage.

The no-talent talent show

Bella comes home from first grade today and told me about the school talent show that she watched. She said a girl from her class "performed" she tried to do a headstand to a Hannah Montana song. Bella said she was really embarrassed for her. I said well you love Hannah Montana was listening to the song good, she said no because it wasn't really loud, they just had it up a little so she could find the beat. I was totally smiling because I remember all the horrible no-talent talent shows that I was apart of in elementary school ( you know what I am talking about Alex). What were my parents thinking when they let us dance to "You gotta have Faith" by George Michael......I guess it would be nice if I could.....I mean where were they for that one. Bella said another guy attempted to jump rope but he kept tripping. Of all the performances we go to as parents and I miss the talent show. It doesn't get better than an elementary talent show. Don't worry I asked Bella if she told her friend she did a good job, she said of course I did she is still my friend. It starts so young.

A new Career .....

Lindsey with Ryan, baby Owen and her real mid wife

Me the mid wife in training with baby Owen

Lindsey with her crew, it now has 7 members now!

I received one of the most notable tender mercy's of the Lord that I have ever gotten. And it all happened after I turned thirty! To me the definition of a tender mercy is the witness that our loving Heavenly Father knows who each of us are personally and because of that, He knows how to individually bless us in ways that my seem insignificant or not note worthy to other people. But it is His godly timing that lets you know that such events occur because of Divine intervention.
Stated more eloquently by the Apostle Elder Bednar, "Some may count this experience as simply a nice coincidence, but I testify that the tender mercies of the Lord are real and that they do not occur randomly or merely by coincidence. Often, the Lord's timing of His tender mercies helps us to both discern and acknowledge them."

Last weekend I flew up to Utah to go to Women's Conference with Lindsey, I would have just the weekend to bond and be kid free, we both had been looking forward to this for weeks. On Thursday,we attended various uplifting speeches. It was amazing to walk into a stadium full of 15,000 plus women of all ages attending this conference . We took part in a huge world wide relief service project (we loved the assembly line putting together hygiene packets that were getting sent to hundreds of locations around the world). The next day Friday would be the same, speeches service projects that good feeling, but Heavenly Father knew otherwise.

That night on Thursday evening there was a concert for the conference, it was basically a rock concert for mommas, it was great! The last performer commented how earlier performers had moved the audience to wave their cell phones in enthusiasm and how he had never seen the audience do that for him, I turned to Lindsey and said get your cell phone out, She reached down with her pregnant 37 weeks self and leans over to tell me her water broke! Yahoo I would be able to be there for the delivery. After laughing so hard we left the concert and drove back to Bountiful were she lives and almost 19 hours later she gave birth to her beautiful baby boy Owen Ryan Wallace Smith 7lbs 1 oz . Her husband Ryan was gracious enough to let me help coach her natural delivery...yes 19 hours worth! It was like cheering her on in the 2 mile tack meet event or rather our Marathon that we had run together as teenagers. It was great, I cried more than Lindsey and Ryan combined. Heavenly Father knew how special that weekend would be and helped with the timing, seriously one of the most blessed weekends. I even got to cut the cord! I think his name should be Owen Ryan Lesley Smith :) but I will settle for my Scottish heritage in Wallace! Great fun here are some picks. I think I need to go back to school for Midwifery !

PS Suzie got us a great souvenir of the Conference a CD of all the performers and a signed autograph of the last Singer who put Lindsey in a labor! Too Cool!

not sleep walking......sleep squating

Last night we went out to the land to have a bond fire with our new neighbors, no not Scott and Suzie (unfortunately they couldn't make it), it was the neighbors that bought the third lot. They are from Massachusetts's and they love the land just as much as us. We didn't get home from the smore roast until 9:30 so the kids were asleep. Liv went to go to the bathroom before getting into her pajamas and going off to bed, but five minutes later she wasn't in her bed so I checked in the bathroom and this is what I saw.......she was fast asleep.Oh to sleep that good!

The cheese stands alone with her Heinz 57 sauce

I couldn't believe that in my fist pole question that there were that many people out there (OK the poll was less than 20) that actually liked Twizzlers better than Red Vines, but then the universe corrected it self and red vines came out with the win. But I am astonished that more people (an even smaller amount that voted this time) liked A1 stake sauce better than Heinz 57. I was the only person who voted for Heinz. How can the lady with two number one answers on Family Feud be so off on the pulse of American tastes? I had no idea. I will make sure to stock up on my A1 sauce for all visitor's that come to my steak parties.

My two dollars, I want my two dollars!

I was so excited when I found out that my health insurance was now not going to require co-pays for all well check-ups! Those frequent monthly check-ups for Parkin for the first year all covered! Now this new change happened after the first of the year so the first time I got my free well check-up was for Parkin's 9 month appointment. I originally didn't even schedule for Parkin to go in at nine months because what do they do any way, right? Well now that it was free I decided to go, after all it was only my time that it was costing me. At his free well check-up it turns out that Parkin had an ear infection ( he was acting a little off and I knew his appointment was the next day so I considered it a bonus that they would be checking his ears). I left the office happy that I didn't have to pay for that day's service knowing that I would have to pay for his follow-up appointment. At least I didn't have to pay for his initial service......Not so lucky. I got billed for the well-check-up because Parkin wasn't well at the time of his service he was sick.... Gotta love our health care system. Two phone calls later one to the pediatrician and the insurance company and the result is the same. Nothing in this life is ever free! So now my therapy is this blog, hey wait this blog is free!

The song of a robin is a song of the heart

This is a shout out to Robin, you know who you are.......Where is your blog????? If you create it the rest will follow.

I wish I may, I wish I might

So taking away all the righteous wishes (world peace, an end to hunger, missionary work in every country) this is what I would want in no particular order.

1. A huge mother convertible, a real gas guzzler, the kind of car made with real metal.

2. My house sold!

3. A peanut butter and chocolate milkshake, anytime for any occasion. And yes whip cream and a cherry are a must. I prefer them at Little Anthony's. Yum Yum!

4. Little dutch shoes on a charm necklace, I got one as a small child and I loved it to death the hand painted windmills are all but gone and the two shoes aren't hanging on a chain anymore. I would love a new one !

5. A fancy tea set for all my tea parties!

So Linda that was good practice! Hopefully the people I tag can do it quicker than me! Amy and Jen lets see what your wish list would consist of.....???? Now I know both of you ladies love to shop so this should be easy :)

A kiss to build a dream on

I love Hershey Kisses, it is the perfect sweet to get you through life's rough and pleasent moments and oh the flavors. They have milk chocolate, dark chocolate, white chocolate, a combination of all three (my favorite), you have chocolate carmel, peanut butter variety, mint chocolate, cherry cordial, orange and white chocolate, chocolate coconut, raspberry chocolate .....I am sure I am leaving some out....let me know :)

The Birds and the Bees from Beamers

I loved being a sunbeam teacher, they would say the funniest things and tell things to you that you know if their parents heard they would turn red. On Sunday Holman entered that great club of random embarrassing comments. One of the girls in the class was talking about how her private itched (lovely) and Holman's poor teacher was trying to redirect the conversation away from that, so when Holman raised his hand to comment on Easter, the teacher was relieved to call on him. He began to explain that his Dad and his brother Parkin, as well as, himself all have a certain private part that the girls in the class don't have. He must have used the "P' word at least five times...yes Linda the real word. Nothing like a good report to, "how did my child do today." He explained why girls and boys are different. Nice very nice.

No post from the newly enagaged!

Sarah is getting married! She hasn't blogged about it? This is what blogging is all about...am I right:) Congrats!

The little joys of life

There is a stop sign by my parents house where someone has spray painted in white "hammertime." Evertime I see it I chuckle.

Livvey with a mic

So Liv got selected to read the joke of the day, which she submitted, over the PA at her school. It was "why did the pirate not go to the movies? Because it was rated Arrr" Good stuff right. So when she enters our car for the drive home from school she says to Holman, "Make way for the movie star." Good times.

My last decade

As I leave the twenties one of the last things I wanted to put on my resume was that I set up my own blog (ok Benjamin had to walk me through it, and this was the second time I had set up a password and email account). The eve of the dawning of the thirties has caused me to reflect on what those crazy twenties were. In my twenties I got married (20). Graduated from college (22). Appeared on Family Feud and lost but with two number one answers (22).Had my first child (almost 23), second (24), third (26), fourth (29). Appeared on Price is Right - well sat in the very back corner of the audience after sleeping on the sidewalk all night (while 7 months pregnant) just to hear "come on down" from Bob Barker, which never happened- what a night! In my twenties I finally traveled east of Texas and crossed the Atlantic Ocean. I have finished reading all the standard works (as of a week ago) man that Old Testament is fun stuff! I have run a handful of triathlons none of them too successful but all crossing the finish line. I have eat'n a lot of crow been humbled by my many nonsenses and have tasted some bitter with my many sweets ooh peanut butter and chocolate what a lovely combination in ice cream. My older sister Hillary assures me that "life is still pretty good on the other side of 20 something." So from my Irish blood (well Scottish blood) but said in an Irish accent "So fill to me the parting glass goodnight and joy be with you all." Goodbye 20's , goodbye firm body oh wait that went 4 kids ago!