Anyone Wanna Come Over?

So this is what I spent several hours doing tonight:

However, I am fresh out of milk, so grab some on your way over, ok?

Thanksgiving Recap

In case you totally missed it, yesterday was Thanksgiving. We were able to make it to both of our family's celebrations - which was great.

This is the look of two guys who know the entire day is about food!

Carter and his mama.

Here is Carter chatting with my cousin, Hannah, and my brother's girlfriend, Tracy.

Here is the grand table. My aunt Taunya hosted the dinner, and there were quite a few people there. Almost 25 I think!
Carter likes to mimic almost everything my mother does. She taught him to go "ahhhh!" after a nice, long, refreshing drink. Here they are messing around at the table.

My brother, Dana, and his girlfriend, Tracy.

Tracy had to help Dana out with his food coma.

My dad and uncle Fernando enjoying a good chat.

Me and my boys.......great moment.

My child is clearly not shy in helping himself to the food.

Clearly.

After my family's dinner, we ventured over to Eric's mom and stepdad's house for even MORE food!

Here is Eric and his sister, Ashley.

Of course, we had to do olive fingers with Carter. He loved it!

Carter reading a book with his aunt Janelle.

He loves these books that his Grandma Michelle has!

Eric, his mom, Michelle, and Carter. I love this picture!!

It was gymnastics time, apparently.

We finished out the night playing Scattergories. I love that game!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wishing each and every one of you a very Happy Thanksgiving.

Random Fact #50

I LOOOOOOVVVVVVVE Christmas music. More than any other music.

If you people wouldn't look at me all wierd, I would listen to it year round. It puts me in the most chipper of moods. All my music on my blog is now Christmas music. Don't rain on my parade. It's time to move all the Christimas CD's to the car. Time to introduce the child!!!

Thankful

Well it's that time of year again.

Time to be with family, enjoy great food, share laughs, create new memories, and be thankful.

The following is a list, in no particular order, of things I am thankful for this year. I encourage you to do the same.

My son. Who is healthy and happy. And puts a smile on my face each day.
My husband
My parents
My brother
My extended immediate family.....and my new in-law family!
My best friend. She knows who she is.
Our pets
A stable job in this unstable economy.
A warm house to come home to every night.
Food to eat (because sometimes, we seriously don't even have that)
A new president, who promises change, and I hope he can do it.
Reliable vehicles
Good daycare
Friends
Laughter
Health
Love

How to Annoy Me

Find a way to butt into every single one of my cases - when NOT asked.

Because I'm a complete idiot and can't do a damn thing on my own.

How to Annoy Me

DON'T have casual Friday.

Because I don't long to wear jeans or anything.

Really.

Sheesh

Weekend Recap

So here we are, at the end of another weekend. The last weekend before Thanksgiving. Where did the year go?! Here is my weekend update, picture style.

We started off the weekend with a new booster seat for Carter. His Grandma Michelle has one and he does well in it. So we got one (mostly for Thanksgiving) and have been using it non-stop since Friday night. He loves it. Daycare also uses it on the floor like in this picture. They tell him to "load up" basically, and he walks over and seats himself. It's so cute!

Then, Aunt Ashley came over and we got haircut numero dos. Which went over about as well as haircut numero uno. He LOATHES getting a haircut. Which, according to my mother, he must get straight from me because this was basically my same reaction!

So, my payment for the child's torture? I got tackled. Taken down. Hardcore. His knees are NOT kind!

We worked on our "I'm mad.....sorta" face.

We watched some local college football. With our cheesy grins, of course.

We played dress up with dada's hat.

And got shoulder rides around the house.

And broke out the rocking chair to watch a classic animated movie (Robin Hood).

We ate breakfast......which required each and every finger to handle one little Cheerio.

We laid down with Papa because he hurt his back. I swear, these two could have fallen asleep if we left the room for 32 seconds.

And the child found his new favorite toy.....the box that held the booster seat. He wanted to be carted around in that thing alllll day.

We cuddled with the dog.

And just when we thought the night was over, the child had to help unload the dishwasher......he has his own version of how this goes down.

Someone out there actually likes me!

I got an award!
That means someone out there in the Land of Blog actually likes me. and my blog. and what I have to spew forth every day.

Amazing, huh?!

This award states: This blog invests and believes in the PROXIMITY - nearness in space, time and relationships!These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers! Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award.

So now I have to nominate 8 people to receive this award. (Do I even read 8 blogs?!!)

Jacque over at http://3charmedones.blogspot.com/ because we have developed a friendship despite some odd circumstances, lol! Her baby is 5 days younger than my boy, and we share stories, go to movies, lunch, etc. and just have a good time being us. We also share another blog for books.

Marchelle over at http://workingmomchronicles.blogspot.com/ because she, too, is a mother and I love her stories. And her photography is amazing and it inspires me.

Michelle over at http://michellescreativetreasures.blogspot.com/ because she is my mother in law and I would get in trouble if I didn't give her an award. Just kidding! But she posts all of her creativeness on her blog and it's so much fun to look at!

Dorothy over at http://betzibu.blogspot.com/ . She is my husband's hip grandmother and she has the most amazing stories to tell. Some will make you laugh. Some will make you cry. But they are amazing no matter what she has to say.

Wendie over at http://mrskellerbaby.blogspot.com/ because she is an old friend from way back in the days of high school. Because, god, they seem like so long ago!! She, too, has a baby, and enjoys good food and great wine.

Countrygirl over at http://dreamscountrygirl.blogspot.com/ because she honestly has the best blog EV-ER and I don't know one blogger who would disagree with me.

Spanki (yes, that's her real name!) over at http://spankslittlerascals.blogspot.com/ . Another woman with amazing photography talent.

Seriously - I know that's not 8, but those are my fav blogs and those girls all deserve the award.

Under the Banner of Heaven: Final Synopsis

I was finally able to finish this book. It took me much longer than it usually takes me to read a book simply because the subject matter had a way of making me slam the book shut in disgust, anger, and frustration. But I have now finished the book and would like to offer my thoughts on the final half of this book.

And I would like to state, for the record, that I didn't read this book with the intention of slamming the LDS and FLDS folk. Truth be told, people who were or are in the LDS religion are very close in my life. My father was raised LDS, as was my husband. I am related to countless LDS members here in Idaho, Utah, Missouri, and who knows how many other states. My husband has members of his family who are still LDS members. I have a good understanding of this religion based on what has been shared with me throughout my life - so I would like to think that my opinions are fair. And they are MY opinions. And this is my blog. If you don't like it, don't read it.

Polygamy is the next subject tackled in the book. Joseph Smith committed to the D&C that polygamy (plural marriage to those who want to sugar coat it) was the new up and coming trend in the Mormon religion. However, trickles of the concept were not well-received, much to Smith's shock. He thought the idea would go over well with his followers. A select few were in full support of the idea. But the majority of people were repulsed. So the issue was swept under the rug - or so the general population thought. Smith secretly practiced plural marriage, much to his original wife's dismay, and a few select followers also partook in the trend. It seems, later on in the book, that Smith was conspiring with another follower to make up revelations, wherein god was speaking directly to Smith's wife, telling her that plural marriage was ok. At that point, even though I already felt that all of these "revelations" were just made up, it was a done deal for me. And Smith's wife didn't buy a word of it either.

Plural marriage continued on in the religion - long after Smith's death. Another LDS leader, Brigham Young, was also a supporter of plural marriage - justifying it by saying it was actually an antidote to immorality, because men with a multitude of wives wouldn't be tempted to engage in adulterous liaisons or visit prostitutes.

Um - how about just keep it in your pants and have some self control?!?

But whatever - they lied through their teeth in order to seek justification. And lying was something they were/are clearly proud of. "Lying for the Lord" as they call it. Young himself even bragged "We have the greatest and smoothest liars in the world." Gee, what a nice trait to brag about.

It seems throughout the entire history, to date, that the Mormons are somehow trying to take over the country, and the world. In 1857, the Saints announced that they would ignore any and all federal statutes they determined to be unjust and would expel from their midst any federal officers who didn't meet the rigorous moral standards of the Mormon Church. So now they feel they are above the law of the United States, as they were back then.

The book jumps to modern days - 1996 to be exact - and a devout FLDS follower named Kenyon Blackmore, who dragged his many young wives and children all over Central America, and claimed to be the last prophet before the return of Jesus. The author was able to interview the eldest of Kenyon's daughters, Evangeline, who was forced to marry Kenyon (yes, her FATHER) at the age of 12, at which time, he began raping her. The age of twelve, according to Kenyon, was the age when Mary was impregnated with Jesus. Kenyon was attempting to carry on this "tradition" with his own daughter. When Evangeline tried to fight off her father, he told her that she would forever be damned to hell for not being submissive. Evangeline's father finally succeeded in getting her pregnant after almost a year of trying. Evangeline lost the baby, however, and was cast out by her father into the wild.

The book later turns back to the story of the Lafferty brothers, who were the men who killed their own sister-in-law and baby niece by brutally stabbing then with a ten inch boning knife. All under guidance from god, who revealed to them that the woman and her child must be eliminated. God told them. They better do it. Because god commands that people be slaughtered, right? Who knows - I stay out of religion. The Lafferty brothers were eventually caught after trying to stay on the run. When they were finally caught and had guns held to their head, they laughed and smiled and said "it was kind of fun." They had received revelations from god instructing them to go on this killing spree to rid the world of evil people. This is what FLDS people believe.

Later, we jump back to modern day Colorado City. To a little girl who wants to show the author what she has come up with for her life. The little girl pulls out a child's version of blueprints for her future house. The house is sort of like a small community - with a common area for all the children, a master bedroom for the husband, and individual rooms for each wife. A CHILD thought of this. It makes me sick to think that the FLDS people are brainwashing their children to believe that this is ok. That taking multiple wives is ok. Marrying family members - whether it's nieces, step-daughters, daughters, sisters - is OK to them. And forcing them to have sex at the age of 12 or 14 is ok. Making them mothers at that age is ok. And you know what, they DO think it's ok. Those little girls think it's ok because that is what their own mothers have TAUGHT them. They are taught to be submissive and obedient to their husbands. They are taught that their sole purpose on this earth is to pop out as many kids as physically possible, and then teach those kids the same beliefs that were pounded into their brains.

The author then interviews several people that were raised in the FLDS religion, but who have decided to leave because they "saw the light". They challenged what has been taught. And they admit that the leaders, when asked about the contradictions between what the religion taught and scientific truth, advised that "the way to handle that was to just avoid asking certain kinds of questions." They were to just believe whatever was told to them by the leaders and never ask questions. Never think for themselves. They were trained to ignore contradictions. One former member said "it staggers me to look back on the things I used to believe. For example, ever since I was a child, we were taught that negroes were terrible, that they weren't even human." And since negroes weren't allowed to live in their towns or be members of their church, they never learned any different until they left the religion.

"It's amazing how gullible people are. But you have to remember what a huge comfort the religion is. It providers all the answers. It makes life simple. Nothing makes you feel better than doing what the prophet commands you to do. ... You can refuse to pay the guy, or even kill somebody, or whatever, and feel completely good about it" Because the prophet tells them it's ok. "And that's a real big part of what holds this religion together: it's not having to make those critical decisions that many of us have to make, and be responsible for your decisions."

"If you want to know the truth, I think people within the religion - people who live here in Colorado City - are probably happier, on a whole, than people on the outside. But some things in life are more important than being happy. Like being free to think for yourself."

How to Annoy Me

IGNORE THIS SIGN.

No really.

Because I just love sitting in the turn lane during RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC, attempting to turn onto my street. To my home. And YOU block the intersection. And it's so much fun to stare at you, avoiding my stare because you know you are a jackass. And I get to sit through another cycle of lights just because you HAD to be bumper to bumper with the car in front of you. We sure accomplished a lot today, didn't we honey?

Trouble

This is what happens when I leave the child alone with the husband to goof around. He ends up in this goofy get-up of an outfit. I had a crappy night last night, so this outfit cheered me up a little bit.

What is WRONG?!

Ok, so I am having an issue with my mouth. Specifically the inside of my lower lip. I have no clue what the deal is - I can't find anything in my online research. This started out in the corner of where my lips come together. Felt like the plaque from my teeth had gotten onto my lip. Couldn't get rid of it. I tried to scratch it off. It wouldn't leave. Woke up the next morning, it has spread all over the entire inside of the lip. WTH?! I looked in the mirror - as in, pulling my lip down, to examine the inside. Couldn't see anything. No film. No white. Nothing. I'm like "uh, am I delusional?!" I can feel it with my tongue, but I see nothing there. So I literally brush my lip with my toothbrush. It's all gone. Feels like normal lip again. Until the day starts to pass. It starts coming back! Seriously. My this morning, I could see these tiny, tiny bumps. No color. But bumps. TINY. But they feel big because your tongue plays tricks like that. So I again brush my lip, scraping all those little bumps off.

WTH is going on with my mouth?!?! This is driving me nuts!

How To Annoy Me

Don't use your blinker.

Because reading your idiotmind is part of my ever-expanding repertoire.

Little Moments

So this moment isn't as sweet as it looks.

Sure we are sitting there, seemingly reading.


But what you don't see in the picture still is him squirming, trying to get away, trying to rip the book from my hands, turn the pages, EAT the pages, push the book away, moan, groan, and gnash teeth.

I really should have started this tradition of reading earlier in his childhood, when he WOULD sit still.

Nonetheless, they are sweet pictures.

How to Annoy Me

Be a complete kiss ass.

Because really, it's such FUN to get that nauseated, I'm-going-to-puke-in-my-mouth feeling watching "normal" people transform into people who will do anything to keep their nose right up their boss' behind.

Ugh!

(I shamelessly borrowed this idea from another blog ( http://www.dooce.com/ )
I will be posting many of these. Because many things annoy me. On a daily basis.)

Blast From the Past

So I don't have any pictures to go with this post at the moment. I am at work. The best pictures are at my parents' house. So we will just have to go without.

My family camps. It's one constant thing I can remember from my childhood. Numerous times each summer.....whether it was at a forest service cabin or in a trailer. Didn't matter. We were out in the wilderness. And having the times of our lives. The four of us kids were inseperable. I'm serious. The best of friends that were ever had. Me and the three boys. One of which really is my brother; the other two were cousins, but I do consider them brothers.

Our days camping were spent floating rivers, riding our bikes, playing wiffle ball, taking hikes to discover the land around us, lounging in the hot springs (pooping in the hot springs............oh yes, that's another story! And I'm innocent in this one, swear!), and many other truly countless adventures along the way.

Our nights consisted of excellent dinners and sitting around the campfire. Sometimes, various friends (of ours or our parents) would join us. Sometimes they stayed. Sometimes they snuck out, apparently scared off by .... well, I'm not sure what. Our campfire singing? But it was funny nonetheless. We grew up on "old" country music - I'm talkin' Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings, Hank Williams, Jr., and of course, David Allan Coe. Outlaw country men, so they have been named.

One memorable camping trip, we decided to take along one of my best friends, Shoshauna. She didn't have the best family life and was really going through a hard time, so, I asked my parents if it would be ok if she came along and got out of the drama, so to speak. This was sort of a bigger vacation (we were going to Lagoon, and then camping afterwards), so I wasn't sure what my parents, or her parents for that matter, were going to say. But the decision was handed down and Shoshauna was allowed to go. We were STOKED. We had an amazing time in Lagoon. And after our adventures there were over, we continued on our journey to the mountains of Utah, where we camped. Shoshauna had never been camping with us, so this was a new experience for her. She knew everyone on the trip though, because like I said, she was one of my best friends. We played softball together and she often stayed at our house to get away from her own family. So for her to hang with me and the boys was quite normal. And this vacation was no different.

Well, one evening, we were all performing our usual evening ritual: sitting on the tailgates of the trucks, or in lawn chairs, take your pick, singing along to the music, I'm sure roasting marshmallows, and telling stories. Well, the infamous David Allan Coe song "You Never Even Called Me By My Name" came on. This is my family's "song". It was a tradition when it came on to sing at the top of your lungs.................except for one part. The song had "damn" in it. And we children were just too young to say that word. We would plead with our parents to just let us sing it, justifying it by saying it was part of the song and we were just singing along. It never worked. Anyway - I got off-point. So there we all were, singing along to this song. Except for Shoshauna. She had never heard the song. So she was just watching, in almost disbelief, as to what was transpiring around her.....by these loons, who had her camping, out in the middle of nowhere, in another state no less! I'm sure she was absolutely mortified! Well, there is a little interlude in the song where DAC tells a little story. And after his interlude, he breaks back into song. So we all sit, quietly listening to this interlude. I'm sure Shoshauna thinks the madness had ended. Well the song comes back in and we all belt out the lyrics. THE.LOOK.ON.HER.FACE. Priceless. Absolutely priceless. Almost a mixture of fear, shock, and amusement. I think she may have wet her pants!

Well, fast forward to my wedding this year. I'll go ahead and estimate that this is 13 (?) years later. 12? 13? Again, if I could see the pictures, I could give you a better estimate. But I'll stick with 12 or 13 years. I had secretly conspired with my DJ to have that same David Allan Coe song played as the second to last song at the reception. And I had him introduce the song by clearing the dance floor and having the original 8 of us out there to sing it once again. And we did. We belted that song like old times. And we kids said "damn" this time too. I'm sure that was like 15 years of built up frustration coming out, lol!!

And do you know who was at my wedding? My good friend, Shoshauna. And as the 8 of us were standing there in our circle, singing our song, we pulled Shoshauna over with us and she sang along. And she knew the words this time. And I can't even begin to describe how it felt to stand there, on MY night, with 9 people that have been there since childhood, and belt out a song that has brought so many memories to each of us.

And that, my friends, is a night I will never forget.

Random Fact #49

I'm sure this random fact will irritate some people.

I do not get headaches. Ever. It's extremely rare if I do manage to get one.

Usually, what I experience is 10-15 seconds of pain, and then it's gone. I have had only a handful of headaches in my life that last hours. I consider myself quite lucky.....though I am also wondering how long it's going to last.....considering I have a 14 month old running around my house and all. ;-)

Random Fact #48

Coldstone Creamery has the best ice cream EV-ER.

I will try other creations, but usually, my staple creation at Coldstone is sweet cream ice cream, with brownie, raspberries, and hot fudge. It's to die for. We just had some last night because my birthday coupon was going to expire. Oh what a good night it was!

Discoveries and Obsessions

We have made a new discovery in the house.

I bet you'll never guess what it is.

Carter discovered he has a belly button!!

I caught him numerous times tonight, lifting his shirt to make sure it's still there!

Even randomly walking around the house. He would stop, lift his shirt, check out the belly area, then continue on his way. But he would make these stops every couple seconds - it was so cute!!

He had to stop in the living room and make sure it was still there.

And back in the dining room again. Because he was sure he had lost it along his journey!
But alas! It was still there. Oh happy daaaaay!


Uh oh. Then he realized I was snapping all these pictures of him and he got quite offended.
But I assure you. He recovered.

And is back to regularly scheduled activities.