A Toast to Preference

I cook, I clean, I do laundry, I drive here and there, I tutor, I listen and pay attention, I am a nurse, I am a cheerleader, I am a soft place to fall, I am a mother.

I have a few minor requests. One of the kids chores is to set the table. Finally, I stated a want of my own (notice I didn't say need), I requested that the cup that is set above my plate be a glass one.

I do not like plastic cups, so sue me. If given the choice I will choose a glass cup to drink from every time. If I am at a friends or relatives house and they hand me a plastic cup I will not think twice about it. In my own home where I know that the sturdy glass cup awaits I will reach for it every time.

So now when the kids set the table they always say something like, "Don't forget to get the princess her glass cup" or "you know who wont drink from a plastic cup". I admit once I stated my request I made fun of it too, like "looks like someone doesn't know the difference between glass and plastic" and then of course the kids would groan. Everyone is welcome to drink from a glass cup at my table, kids included its just a better way to live, I mean drink.

As for being a princess, I don't know many princesses who would tolerate ten months of port-a-potty use with limited electricity and water. I guess sleeping in a lumpy bed full pf peas would not phase me, but dinning on a delicious meal only to toast it of with a plastic cup would sure make me turn up my nose.

What is your princess/prince preference? (not your cup preference per se, but preferences in general).

First day of school and bag of love

Here are some pics of the kids first day of school. Bella is in the 3rd grade now and has enjoyed her first week so far. She loves meeting up with her cousin Sydney at recess and before and after school to play.



































Olivia is in the first grade and is pretty much a live version of Junie B Jones (a children's book series about a precocious little girl). When I went shopping with Liv to get school clothes and a new back pack, I realized she had a very specific vision of what she wanted her pack back to be. We ended up at Ross in the purse section so she could pick a large handbag for her back pack. My little six year old insisted on carrying a black leather-like ladies handbag. It was the same price as Bella's "normal" backpack and I figure if it helps her self esteem to carry that, it was ok with me. Benjamin was beside himself with her choice, he couldn't help but smile and say that girl is our spice.







































Holman's first day of school he insisted on wearing this




















Overalls that were two sizes too small, without a t-shirt and with a cowboy hat. I told him that wasn't going to work so he compromised with throwing his robe on. What a team player.




















I did manage for him to put on a regular shirt and cut the overalls so now their overall shorts. Parkin hasn't really noticed their absence but likes to be a part of the picture process.

A whole lot of ugly going on

Oh my we went to Breakers Water Park with our good friends. We had a great time, but boy was there a whole lot of ugly going on. The swimsuits or lack thereof were amazing. I just had to make a list of top ten questions about my experience.

10) Why is it that little chested women somehow think it is attractive to flaunt the lack of cleavage they have? Sweetie just because it isn't there doesn't mean that others need to know for a certainty that it is not.

9) How is it that parents let there little girls run around in little "band aid" bikini's? Come on mom, you wouldn't let your son run around in a thong, would you?

8) Why is it that all the female lifeguards choose to wear a two piece?I am pretty sure having that extra piece of fabric in the middle will not make you go slower in the water.

7) Why is it that as a society we find it acceptable to have teenagers who are "life" guards. I mean we are putting our trust in a generation that is barely aloud to operate a moving vehicle, and has higher insurance because their reflexes are not quite developed and they sometimes make reckless choices ( i remember). The human brain is not fully developed until after the teenage years! With the economy being so bad can't we have the trickle down effect move its way to the swimming pool.

6) What is the purpose of a pornographic tattoo on your back, the person who has it can't even look at it!

5) Now time for a statement, tattoos are dumb and look trashy. "Mommy why do you have a boa constrictor wrapped around your leg and Tinkerbell flying around on your back? Cause mommy likes snakes and fairies.......

4) Are white bathing suits a good idea? No they are not

3) Is there really such a thing as the Hulk? Yes Benjamin and I saw this dude who had a severe upper body but apparently he didn't know where the leg weights were at the gym. Bless his chicken legs. (Hey I can't just rip on the ladies)

2) Were the waves that lame when I was a kid? I seriously remember giant waves that were awesome, is it a child's memory? Or have they cut down on the cost to run the waves and reduced its power consumption? How can I find that out?

1) And the biggest question that Benjamin and i talked about is................ What is it about the presence of water that brings people to practically wear nothing? It is not the sun that does that, people don't generally walk around parks on a hot day half naked. It is not like bathing suits are made like they were decades ago, they dry fast, so there is no need to reduce the amount of fabric being used...Why oh Why.

The views expressed in this blog represent a woman scorned by the banking industry and as such she is bitter about many things. She does promise to lighten up by weeks end.

Our new dog

We have a new dog. His name is Rocco, he is a mini doberman pinscher, or at least he looks like one. I told the kids the next dog we would get, wouldl be a small one, because we don't seem to do well with large dogs. The cool part is we don't have to feed him, he is our neighbor's dog, but visits often. We have been told Rocco's girlfriend lived in our place before we moved in, so he knows how to get through the fence. Rocco will also come to the front door and whine for Parkin to open it. Half the time nobody can hear him but Parkin, Parkin is half puppy so we know he speaks the language. For now the kids adore him, he really is a gentle dog, which is good for me because they have let up on their requests for their own dog.

This morning there was a huge rainbow so we jumped in the car real quick so we could drive to the end of the rainbow and get us a pot of gold. Rocco jumped in too, the kids tried to get him out, but were too nervous to chuck him out the door. I said shoot the neighbors don't know where he is half the time (I don't think they care) so lets take him with us. Yes the kids were concerned about me being taken to jail for doggy kidnapping. I told them I would explain to the officer that he is in our backyard more than he is in his own. They said that is true mom. Anyways we didn't make it to the end of the rainbow before it disappeared, the kids were disappointed but I explained that it is rare to get to the pot of gold, otherwise everybody would be walking around talking about their pot of Gold. Am I right?! (I don't know what Bella is doing with her toothbrush next to Rocco)

"The Lord giveth the Lord taketh away, blessed be the name of the Lord"

The word of the Lord to Joseph Smith the Prophet, while he was a prisoner in the jail at Liberty, Missouri, March 1839.

Doctrine and Covenants 122:7-8

7 And if thou shouldst be cast into the ^apit, or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into the ^bdeep; if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to ^chedge up the way; and above all, if the very jaws of ^dhell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee ^eexperience, and shall be for thy good.

8 The ^aSon of Man hath ^bdescended below them all. Art thou greater than he?

Last week in Sunday School we talked about adversity and suffering. The one common thread that all humanity shares is having adversity in their lives and going through some sort of suffering. The discussion brought up that fact that when we go through adversity we learn something from it. Well if we all experience suffering and adversity and we all learn from it, than the world would have a bunch of enlightened people walking around. We know this isn't the case, so how do we learn something from our trials and not simply pass through them? Simple answer prayer.

We did not get our construction loan. We explained to our kids how we will be selling our land. It has been a rough year full of challenges. We wanted to learn from our experience and not just pass through it. I asked the kids (and hubby) to tell me something they had learned from living on the land.

Bella- "I think we became closer as a family, we had no walls to separate us. Also I now am BFF's with my cousin Sydney, because we lived out there we became real close."

Holman- "I learned that when you live in the desert, you can go pee anywhere."

Olivia- " I learned that when there is a peeing contest, you should never look." (Holman and cousin Jared J thought this was great fun, sorry Suzie if this is too much information).

Parkin- " I learned the best sleep is right between my mom and dad and I plan to sleep in between them until I am teenager". He didn't say anything, but I know he was thinking it.

Benjamin- " I learned that my wife and kids are tough and resilient, and can handle just about anything."

As for me, I learned, well too much to mention..... I do know this Heavenly Father does answer prayers, usually not how we expect.

I take comfort in the fact that my pioneer ancestors, settled in an area, layed down roots, planted a garden and before they could harvest it, they were driven from their homes (by a mob not unlike Flagstarr Bank, ok not even close) to start a new. And that is what we will do, lucky us we don't have to load a handcart and walk for miles, we get to settle in a double wide mansion.