Melissa, My answer is yes, you won't cry by the end of the call. I have made my kids cry today, I told them they had to clean under their bed.....

'I'm Back (famous last words)'

Yes, yes....I know, it has been years it seems. I haven't had the internet, and my work blocked us, not right I tell you. A lot going on and I am still trying to figure out how to type on a laptop, when did I become so computer stupid? Lots of things have been happening....Hiking, lots of hiking, the weather has been great and it is something we all love to do except for the teenage daughter (go figure).

My favorite bother, okay if you want to get technical I only have one.

West Desert...

Little Isaac, not nearly as pleasant as me.

Isaac is offically a first grader.....like they would ever hold back a Kindergartener...

SCHOOL is OUT, and I am trying to prepare myself for the following:

1. Kids get up and call me at work.
2. Kids eat breakfast and than call me again.
3. Kids disagree on the cartoons to watch and call me.
4. Kids decide they want a snack and call me to find out what they should eat.
5. Kids call yelling about how 'unfair' the other one is.
6. Kids call to see if they can go outside.
7. Kids call again tell to me it is almost lunch, 'what should we have.
8. Kids call to tell me some cool new toy they want for their birthday's which are months away. You see where this is headed right?
9. So, by this point I am trying to figure out a way to change my phone number at work......nope that will never happen isn't in the 'budget'.
10. Mom can I tape this show on Nick that won't be airing for 3 weeks, that could never wait until I got home.
11. Mom, can I have a popsicle? (We are on approximately call number 32.)
12. Mom can we play with clay.
13. Mom can we go run through the sprinklers.
14. Mom, fighting, crying in the background....
15. I want my mommy at this point, I call MY mom and she laughs and laughs and laughs at me......*sigh* Help me....
16. CAN"T they call JASON

**Stay tuned for more updates....there should be why more, damn the summer is long!

Easter Pics.....

Our Easter Egg hunt with Shylie and Heidi...Love those kids....it was such a beautiful day!

Clarice and Shylie

Easter basket hunt at Grandma's and Grandpa's. Danielle, Chelsea, Chandler, Clarice (holding Shylie), Sidney, Isaac, and Porter.

Heidi....Love the cheeks
Shylie



















Clarice and Isaac

Cheyenne missing CodyBear

Note to self....

If you tell your children to work out their own disagreement be aware that there could possibly be pain involved. Clairce has a wicked arm and CAN and WILL give her 17 year old sister a black eye if you piss her off......OH...and one other thing....Clarice hates me...oh well, she will get over it.

Moab

A few of many of the Arches we saw...I can truely see why people would travel from all over the world to see this, it was stunning....

Below we are st Dead Horse Point......I don't have words to say how beautiful it was.

Fiery Furnace, this hike is by permit only, we did the hike two days in a row after we received the permit and paid for the two days. It is a self guided tour and pretty scary in some spots....

We are sitting on a ledge here that drops about two hundred feet, I thought I was going to cry when I relized that we were not going to turn around....but I did it! I did something that I have never done before.

Married White Female

Looking for a peaceful place....
Don't need a large space.....
Don't eat much....
Don't have a lot of money....

Clarice's 10th Birthday Party

I am not a 'party' kind-of gal.........I really don't like throwing parties at all. But this one turned out great even though I wasn't in the best spirits. My cute little Clarice had a great birthday.Me and Clarice
Jason and I,
too bad it is blurry,
it was the only time during the party that I was pleasant......:~(
The day of Clarice's birthday!

Happy Birthday.....Clare-Bear
(You'll be driving in 6 more years.)

I went running yesterday!

Damn it felt good!

Monday......I really like Monday today.....
I hate corners.....I want all of the rooms in my house to be round....

MONDAY......

Why does today fell like Monday....?

Could it be that I am at work on this beautiful day that fells like spring?
Could it be that I feel invisable?
Could it be that begging doesn't work?
Could it be that today is exactly like yesterday, and I am afraid that tomorrow will be the same as today?
Could it be that I have lost my 'Easy' button?
Could it be that drive sometimes means reverse?
Could it be that tears really start in your heart?
Could it be that I think I have lost my 'voice'?
Could it be that.........?

Happy Birthday Dad 68th

I know that everyone is waiting and so here goes!!! I know that everyone who reads my blogs waits patiently for my Collective Soul updates:

Collective Soul is coming in June, yep, June 27th....guess where? Green River, WY

I notified Jason and he gave a long sigh, I noted to him it was only a 2 1/2 hour drive. He did wonder on why it was in Green River WY, 'all that is there is cowboys?!?!?'.....I told him, we should get a really great seat than.....right? Seats have not gone on sale yet.....I WILL keep you posted, now you know why I only have 6 people that read my blog. http://www.collectivesoul.com/

Although, I did get him to go see Travis with me http://www.travisonline.com/. He still owes me due to my crappy Valentines Day, so he really doesn't have ANY room to complain, nor will he until at least the year 2016 ( no, I really don't hold grudges, he just is un-thoughtful).

PS for Today: Natalie, thanks for the pumpkin seeds!

I am so Strict...he he he

As everyone who knows me knows that I don't ground my kids. I have found 'other' alternatives.

I don't usually stiffle my children when they talk becuase it is good to let them know they have a voice and it needs to be heard no matter what. I wasn't like this when I was a younger mom, and I truely regret this, but with age does come wisdom.

Okay, so back to my original thought. I give chores instead of grounding....not only do the kids not like it at all I benefit from it as well. I don't give them normal everyday chores that they do already, I make them do things above and beyond that I don't even like to do. Like the following:

1. Clean the laundry room
2. Weed the yard
3. Clean the garage
4. Clean the dog run
5. Scrub the floor
6. Dishes for a week

These are my favorites.

So the other day my daughter decided my 'NO' wasn't enough and continued to 'keep it up'. She is a teenager and I understand that, but why can't I, for once, just get the last word in? By the end of the 'conversation' I was able to get the following done (yippee), I did warn her to stop talking:

• Two loads of laundry - 1st offense
• The dishes for a week - 2nd offense
• AND clean the laundry room - 3rd offense (this was my favorite)

After she was done, she pounds up the stairs and says with a small smile on her face, 'You are so Strict'. Yep.....but I did warn her before any chores had been assigned that she needed to stop.

My Favorite Things:

I love the way my kids still call me mommy, even Ashlee who is 23 calls me mommy....
I love the way my kids never faulter in their love for me....
I love my husband and how extremely patient he is with me, I can truly say that I want to be with him forever....
I love my parents, and how I am such a great mix of both of them.....
I love music, I love to sing, I love to listen to others play, it reaches parts of me that can't be reached any other way....
I love nature....
I love the sunset....
I love the ripples that raindrops make....
I love to see how long it takes for a snowflake to melt in my hand.....
I love snow angels.....
I love the warmth of the sun on my face....
I love God more every day for the four seasons that he gives us....
I love rocks, shiny rock, not so shiny rocks, lava rocks, fossil rocks, from the smallest pebble to the largest mountain....
I love all the containers of rocks that I have collected over the years....
I love my father for helping me to love rocks......
I love my mother for giving me my 'spirit'......
I love the dirt under my nails, and knowing exactly how it got there....
I love the sound of the wind in the trees....
I love the smell of my great grandma's lilacs in the spring.....
I love to see my kids running down the driveway when they come home from school....
I love that my kids still believe in Santa......
I love that I still believe in miracles.....
I love my husband more today than I did yesterday.....
I love it when Jason blows on my neck....
I love the smell of rain in the summer.....
I love laughing so hard that tears run down my face.....
I love my IPod...
I love my friends....
I love how my kids follow me to whatever room I go to in the house, I won't tell them that though......
I love it when Isaac lays on my shoulder and tells me I smell good......
I love the feeling of a great workout......
I love my children's 'spirit'......
I love color......

Saturday.....I am working today - once every eight weeks isn't too bad....and brought lots of supplies to play with.....I am crocheting a blanket for Clarice for her birthday, I will be doing this all day AND getting paid for it....

First and foremost....I am back, healthy and well. I am feeling surprisingly well. Thanks for all the prayers, food, and concern.

1994 S10 Blazer

Today when I go home our 'driveway paperweight' should be one step closer to being gone, by Sunday it will be GONE!!! That Blazer S10 has been in our driveway for almost four years, I can truly say that I am not quite sure what we are going to do without it. It has been a thorn in our sides since we bought it. I can't tell you how many times that Blazer died on the freeway with only me in it...scary huh?!?!? I had to change a blow-out in the dark on the side of the freeway at 5:00am (yes, I changed a tire, on a truck, in the dark, on the freeway, thanks dad for teaching me that). I remember coming to work with bloody knuckles and horrible amounts of dirt under my nails. That Blazer has been in our family for awhile and has done great things for us even though it has cost us thousands of dollars in the long run.

1. Topaz mountain, it has brought us safely back many times.


2. Fossil hunting in the Unitas


3. Rock Hounding - many rock hounding trips!


4. Camping trips


5. Rock runs - trusty Blazer has carried thousands of pounds of hand picked river rocks back to our home


6. Wendover - MANY


7. Brought Isaac and Clarice home from the hospital.


8. Trips to Yellowstone

I will remember the Blazer, sometimes foundly, sometimes not, but I will be happy to see the driveway again. Fairwell.......good luck my sometimes friend.