Holy December Batman!!!

Can you believe it is December already? Wow...like where did the year go already! I am guilty of serious blog neglect. I think it is a federal crime I know!!! But...hey I am here now so, upward and onward!!!!

November in review....

Twilight. LOVED it. Went in with fair to partly cloudy expectations and came out pretty surprised! I thought it followed the book pretty well, maybe a little choppy but all in all I liked at alot! I took my darling sweet daughter Sydney who is 13 and has read Twilight more times than she has read the Book of Mormon (sad but true what can I say). We bought tickets to go at midnight and once again I expected it to be a mad house and it was not too bad. We had a lot of fun and DEF some Mother/Daughter bonding time. She LOVED the movie more than air I think...she loves Edward and Emmett and Jasper, ok...she loved them all. It was fun to watch her and all the others like her (13-16 year old girls) getting all giddy and squealing when Edward came on screen for the first time! Made me giggle and reminded me of my youth and my deep unchanging and devout love for Donny Osmond! Yes...I had a poster of him and Marie on my wall and Marie had holes all over her face from where I threw darts at her! Ok...maybe I needed some counseling but at least I am being honest now right? All in all...it was a fun night and a fun movie!!!

Also in November. Mitch turned 16. Ok...how in the H. E. double hockeysticks did I become old enough to have a 16 year old??? I don't get it...last I remember I was like 20. Seriously!!! Argh. Oh well...he is a great kid and we had planned on having a ginormous party with everyone and their dog...doing all kinds of crazy things for the big 16 year old celebration party. About 2 weeks before his bday he asked if he could invite just a few 5-6 friends over to our place and play video games....ahhh, hello??? YES!!! Way easier and cheaper!!! Thought that was all a go...until. About 1 week before his bday, he comes into my bedroom pretty late at night and proposes a new plan? Yikes a 16 year old with a plan...I was sure involved a new car and the answer would be NO!!!! For sure! Anyway...he gets all serious and says..."Mom....I have been thinking. What if instead of a bday party, I ask a girl on a date and you and dad take my date and I on a date...to you know...show me the ropes on how a date should go?" I was like....uh.....YES!!! What a FAB idea. Sometimes that kid really does have a brain!!! So...that is what we did and it was really fun! Took his sweet date (Jacqueline Bauer) and him to PF Changs (super yummy) for dinner and then came back here and watched Kung Fu Panda with all the family. What a super fun first date idea! We had a blast, the rest of the family had a blast...and I hope he and Jacqueline did too! How grown up is that! I think it will become a tradition with the other kids too now! Very fun idea!!!!

Also in November...football ended YAHOO!!! And basketball began...sniff sniff...back to running again. Mitch made the Sophomore team. We were kinda hoping for JV...but all his buds made the SO team too and their coach is a super rock star. So...it should be a great year! Yahoo!!! First game is tomorrow so we'll see how that goes! Wish them luck!!!

Also...in November. My folks stopped on their way home from the Senior Pro Rodeo finals in Winnemuca to spend a weekend with us. I never get them for longer than 36 hours...so we just enjoy the time whilst they are here! :) He had an early Christmas with them which was alot of fun...who doesn't like early presents!!! And...I got to put my trees up! Yahoo!!!! I could leave them up all year round for reals! LOVE THEM!!! Soo...here were are on Dec 1 and my trees have been up for one whole month! Hehehehe. Love it!!!

November was a great month, and now that I see how fun it was I feel bad for not blogging more about it! Oh well...I will try and do better!

Also...I found this super cute lil antique rocking chair on Craigslist and got it for...are you ready??? $35 bucks! What a steal. I LOVE IT!!! And it loves me!!!

Merry December to all!!! Hope your Christmas plans are all ready and you are ready for a fun relaxing holiday season! I know I am!!!

Twilight Trailer

Tagged by everyone it seems!!!

8 Favorite TV shows

1. CNN...I am a bit of a news junkie (I know...NERD ALERT)
2. Amazing Race
3. ANTM
4. Heroes
5. Prison Break
6. Mystery Diagnosis (I missed my calling in life I think..they medical shows fascinate me!)
7. Inside Brookhaven (the weight loss hospital)...(I know...it creeps everyone else in my family out)
8. Funniest Home Videos (Can't EVER go wrong with funny animals and multiple crotch shots!!!)

8 Favorite Songs

***Wow*** I can only choose 8???

1. Lady Antebellum "Looking for a Good Time"
2. Due West "Sweet Gravity"
3. Mr. Mister "Kyria"...have to be OLD to know that one!
4. Yaz...."Only You"
5. Dixie Chicks "Landslide"
6. Almost anything by Erasure or any other sweet 80's band....
7. Sydney Parker and Becca Nelson "Somewhere There's a Mountain" Nashville Trib Band
8. Jacqueline Bauer "Firm in the Faith"


8 Favorite Restaurants

1. PF Changs
2. Outback Steakhouse
3. Costa Vida
4. Taco Del Mar
5. Red Robin (yummiest fries ever!!!)
6. Coldstone (does that count as a restaurant?)
7. El Te Nampa
8. Truthfully....anything I DON'T cook!!! :)

8 Favorite Movies

1. Better Off Dead
2. Forever Strong
3. Kung Fu Panda
4. Lord of the Rings (Trilogy)
5. The Princess Bride (Inconceivable!!!)
6. The Sound of Music
7. Hairspray
8. Twilight...when it comes out! I am sure I am going to LOVE it!!!!

8 Things that happened yesterday

1. I slept in!!! Yahoo for no school
2. Took my sweet kidlets to lunch at...Taco Del Mar
3. Took Mitch to an ortho apt!
4. worked on Moon Hee's rag quilt (yahoo almost done)
5. thought alot....
6. went grocery shopping....yahoo....food in the house is a good thing!
7. Took Mitch to FB practice and went back and got him
8. Went to be early....didn't even watch the news! Wowzers!

8 Things I am looking forward too

1. Living in a new house on our property! Hopefully soon!!!
2. My Mom and Dad coming this weekend for a few days! yahoo....early Christmas!!!
3. Putting up my Christmas tree's early....for #2. :) Any excuse will do!!!
4. Mitch's LAST JV football game on Thursday!!! Yahoo....ready for a break from JV football!
5. being creative again
6. deciding what to do with all my free time! Maybe start doing weddings again??? Take photography class with Shandy and/or Kristy???
7. snow!!! I know...you all hate me...but I LOVE the snow!!! Canuck at heart I tell ya!
8. a NEW YEAR!!! Hopefully with more happy times and success' than this year!!!

8 Things on my wish list
1. 50 mm 1 1:8 lens for my Canon 30D
2. Snappy flash for my canon 30D
3. A new house...nestled cozily on a picturesque acre lot overlooking the mountains
4. An acre lot...in a developed sub that we can finally build on!!! Come on...please hurry!!!
5. a NEW to me Suburban. I am not greedy...anything from '04 on!!!
6. a new TV! Ours is on its VERY last leg!!! And I mean that!!!
7. Money to buy a new TV!!! :)
8. for my family to be happy and healthy...and get along with each other!!! PLEASE!!!!

8 people I tag....

1. Shandy
2. Laurie
3. Greta
4. Deanna
5. JeNeale
6. MeKayla
7. Rita
8. Melissa

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Eh!!! For all you Americans who thought you had the edge on the "Columbus Day" holiday...Guess what!!! You don't! It is actually Canadian Thanksgiving today! Pretty sweet!!! And since we have an Elder...Elder Gwilliam serving here who is from Alberta in real life, we decided to go all out today! We had a full blown thanksgiving dinner! And it was FAB!!! Turkey, stuffing, mashed taters, sweet pa-taters, salad, fresh baked rolls, gravy...and pumpkin dessert! We all got VERY full and it was heavenly! Then we went outside and hit golf balls into the mint field with the baseball bat! Tres magnific!!! It was very fun! Sent Elder Gwilliam and Elder Shuler home with a ginormous serving of leftovers for later!

Also....today is Randy's FAVORITE holiday of the year. I know, many of you have other fav's....like Christmas (my personal FAV), Halloween, maybe even Easter! But no...my sweety LOVES Columbus Day. Why you ask???? Well, let me tell you. He LOVES this day because as a State of Idaho employee he get today off! It is October's holiday! Wahoo!!! And to cap it off, the kidlets have to go to school, as it is NOT a school holiday! So...he gets a nice quiet peaceful day at home. He spent the day working on his boat seats! They are turning out pretty good. I will post a pic when they are all done. Trust me...if you haven't seen his boat...don't get your hopes up! It is a real winner winner chicken dinner! But he loves it. So, I guess that is all that matters!

Ahhhh, thank goodness for great days like today!

Hope all my fellow Canucks...or Canuck wanna-be's had a GREAT day too!!!

XOXOXOXO

I give up...

I had been trying to post David Archuleta's new video...CRUSH...for I guess this country girl is more computer illiterate than I originally thought! ARGH! I get it posted and then it says the vid is temporarily unavailable? WHA??? Oh well....I give up! So....I guess you are on your own. Try this link. It is such a great song!!! And hello....he is such a cutie!!! If I wasn't almost 40 and married....I would be all over that cute boy! Ok...I just scared myself!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yff9nCctMkg

Go and enjoy some David! Decided it was time for something more light hearted than the usual as of late! Hope you like! GREAT SONG!!!

Peace out!!!

Been awhile....

I know it has been a very long time since I blogged. Bad blogger!!!! I guess I have been stalling. Bad excuse I know! I have been needing to write about being released from my calling (which I LOVED!!!). I guess I have been waiting to write until I could do it without crying, and I have about decided that might be awhile! So....write away!

So, that is my latest news. I was released from serving as the Nampa North Stake Young Women's President. sniff sniff. I guess I kinda had an inkling it was coming, I have been there for almost 5 years...I was called in the middle of November but not sustained till January...so you can do the math. It is not a calling I felt particularly prepared for or qualified for that is for sure! And DEF not something I would have even envisioned myself doing!!! And NOT something I would have even aspired to doing, if that makes sense! Having never served in the Young Women's organization it came as a bit of a shock to be extended the chance to serve in that capacity! And although that made it hard....it also helped in a way. I went into it having to stick to the basics!!! Pray and follow the promptings of the Spirit to know what to do! I feel so very blessed for the chance I have had to learn as much as I did! I really had to learn to trust in the Spirit and to DO the things I was prompted...when I was prompted to do them! I had the opportunity to work with MANY wonderful people in our Stake, both in my presidencies and with the Stake Presidency and High Council! I have learned a new appreciation for the way the Priesthood serves...especially Bishops! There are so many in our Stake that truly understand the meaning of Service! I appreciate so much the opportunity I had to rub shoulders with the WONDERFUL Young Women of our Stake! What an incredible group of bright shining stars! I am excited to watch as they all continue to grow and progress in the gospel.....I will miss so much the chance to learn from them like I have! They have such incredible testimonies and some have had such a hard road to get to where they are! I know for sure that our Father in Heaven is very mindful of them and all they have done and will do! Wow...I just love them all so much! I will miss very much the ladies I got to work with. Especially this last group....we were only able to serve together for 1 year....but it was an incredible year! Never have I had the chance to work with such neat strong ladies! It was so great to be "all on the same page" and be like-minded in duty and spirit. Made the job so easy and fun....wow....don't think I have ever laughed so hard in all my life! Especially at our girls camp this year! Wowzers! Broken kneecaps and all!!! Thanks so much Laurie Nelson, Tara Pugmire, Desiree Lewis, and Jennifer Tolman!!! Love you ladies.....and I know I always will! Thanks so much for supporting and sustaining me! And helping me to be the very best I can be! I LOVE you all!!!!

I know that it is going to take awhile to get over being released! It is not that I am power hungry or anything like that....I am going to miss serving for so many different reasons! It just was such a wonderful experience that has forever changed the type of person I am! I am sooooo thankful for being able to do it!

I am also very excited for the new group of ladies called to replace us! Sister Greta Summers was called as President...and wow...if I could have hand-picked my replacement...she would have been the one! I just LOVE her dearly!!! And she will be FAB!!! Seriously!!! She called a neat group of ladies to work with her too. 1st Coun Natalie Bauers, 2nd Coun Tara Pugmire (she kept her from my Presidency) and as Sec Nichole Aldous and as her Lite Leader Liz Fulmer as well she kept Jenn Tolman as her Stake Camp Director...big job and she does such a great job! They are all great woman who I admire and they have so much to offer! I am glad they get the opportunity to learn and grow just like I did!

I guess...I am moving onto a new chapter in my life! And it might sound crazy...but I think I will mourn this change for awhile! I really wish everyone could have the same opportunity to serve in the Stake. It really is such an eye-opener!!! And a GREAT opportunity!!!

mmmmm, hello and where have you been all my life?

Since I know you all have been working on your "Boogie Bodies", please make yourself a treat!!! Love ya!!!

Perfectly Peanutty! stole from the "Bakerella blog" I like to visit!

Pretty, peanut butter cookies with just five ingredients:1 cup peanut butter1/2 cup sugar1 egg4 oz. Baker's semi-sweet chocolate, melted1/2 cup finely chopped peanutsThat's my kind of recipe!
Preheat oven to 325. Mix peanut butter, sugar and egg until well blended.
Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Remove and roll mixture into 18 balls.
Place on ungreased cookie sheet 2 inches apart.
Flatten each ball by using a fork to make a criss-cross pattern.
Bake 18-20 minutes or until lightly browned.
Cool for 5 minutes on cookie sheet and then cool completely on a wire rack.
Melt chocolate.
Dip one end of cookie into melted chocolate and then dip into chopped peanuts. Repeat with other side.
Place on wax paper covered cookie sheet and refrigerate until chocolate hardens.And enjoy!