Today the fate of our great country will be decided

Warning......political opinion (as in MY OPINION.....not anyone else's) ahead......if you tend to be liberal, you will probably not like what you are about to read.......consider yourself warned.......If you do decide to forge ahead, do so at your own risk.

Today is the day. I have cast my vote and there is nothing more I can do. I must watch and wait along with everyone else.

I cant help but feel a little gloom and doom. For starters, it is raining outside and the cloudy sky has been casting a dark shadow on my soul all day. Secondly, there are MANY important MORAL issues being decided upon, by the American people, today and frankly, as a whole, they do not have my confidence.

I fear we may be headed into the destruction of our country, as we know it . I mean, as a Latter-Day Saint, I have always known it would happen, I just hate to see it come so soon.

Senator Barack Obama is a man of little/no integrity and mixed up morals. He cares nothing for the well being of our country, only to have himself in the spotlight. It is hard enough to follow/support a leader who knows what they want and is willing to work hard to get it, let alone a leader who has no idea what he believes in/stands for. He really is a Superstar...........a man who looks good for the camera but has nothing but fluff in his head.

It could, in fact, be worse.........Hillary Clinton could still be in the race (fluff in the head is far better than steel in the heart and a "lightless" countenance, dont you think?)

SENATOR McCain......you are, by far, the better choice for this country......too bad the majority is too stupid to know that.

(This piece is not intended to personally offend anyone. We all have our own beliefs, thank goodness, and have a right to voice them).

Leaves, Leaves, and MORE Leaves

For many months we have enjoyed the shade of these two beautiful trees in our back yard. We knew, once fall came, we would have quite the task of raking leaves but dreamed of the fun the boys would have jumping in them.

Saturday dawned bright and chilly. What a perfect day for leaf jumping. Rob raked and raked until there was a pile big enough to enjoy. He left for a football game so the kids and I put on our shoes and set out for an adventure.

We had such an fun time. Even Mommy got into the game (such a rarity.....I don't think the kids quite knew what to think of it). Here are some pics:

Just having fun......

"Whoa Cael, NOT ON ISAAC'S HEAD!"

Good throw Gabe!

"Guys.....I SAID, 'NOT ON ISAAC'S HEAD!'"

Burying the mommy. I buried Gabe and Cael as well but they would not hold still long enough to take a picture.

When Rob got home he raked them back into a big pile and we all took turns taking a running leap into it. Except Rob himself. He barely touched it. He said he doesn't like getting leaves in his underwear. No one can blame him right? (CHICKEN!) He hadn't even showered yet (again, CHICKEN). Don't worry....Gabe and I made sure he got his fair share of leaves dumped on his head.

I thoroughly enjoyed the experience (even though I found a slug in the hood of my hoodie. YUCK!). What a good time.

This morning when we looked out the window......you couldn't even tell the leaves had been raked the day before. The yard was COVERED (and the trees are not even half bare). Gabe was so anxious to go out and play again, until we reminded him it was Sunday. But......by the look of things, we will have plenty more "Adventures in Leaves" ahead of us.

Good Times........Good Memories..........On the road to becoming a "GOOD" (as in a more playful....not so mean all of the time) mother.

Halloween Bandwagon

We am jumping on the Halloween picture bandwagon.

Festivities started Tuesday night when we went to our old ward's trunk-or-treat. Sorry, no pics.....I forgot the camera.

The fun continued Thursday afternoon. We decorated and ate cookies (my mom's tasty pumpkin cookies) and carved our pumpkins (the two medium sized ones we grew all by ourselves......yeay!). We had a really good time doing that as a family.

Gabe didn't like cleaning his out but I made him anyway (gotta' make a man out of him).


Isaac thought it might be a good idea to EAT the raw pumpkin
(he seemed to enjoy it...no harm done).

All a-glow! Thank for the gourds and corn stalks Grandpa and Grandma G.

On Friday I made pumpkin tortillas for lunch (thanks for the idea Sheena).

I got to go school with Gabe and participate in his classroom Halloween party. It was a lot of fun. I don't get a lot of one-on-one time with Gabe. (Again, I forgot the camera but hopefully one of the other parents will send me a picture).

Gabe said to one of his friends, "That's my mom. She's a lot of fun."

Truthfully, I don't know where he came up with that. I am not-so-much fun but it was nice to hear him say it. Maybe I'm not a complete failure after all.

We had a yummy dinner of chili (again, my mom's super tasty recipe) and cornbread (I forgot the baking powder. It was as flat as a pancake but still tasted good). We got the kids dressed and went trick-or-treating.

The kids looked so cute.

Gabe's Spiderman costume had HUGE muscles (reminded me of the way Rob looked in college) and he enjoyed flexing them for everyone. We had a few "polite" issues (with Gabe) while trick-or-treating (he would say, "What did you give me?" "Wow, I don't like those" "I LOVE THOSE" "Cael can't have those"....the list goes on. We finally gave him a script. It consisted of three phrases...."Trick-or-treat" "Thank you" and "Happy Halloween." He did much better after that.

Cael dressed up as a ghost (although with his coat on he looked more like a hunchback). He had the CRAZIEST hair. It was awesome. People couldn't take their eyes off of it (as if he doesn't get enough attention for it everyday).

Isaac was a frog. We did get him to "ribbit" a few times. SOOOO cute. That boy is just adorable. Trick-or-treating did not hold the same magic for him as it did for the other two. He just kept reaching into his basket and whinning for candy. I finally gave in and gave him a few pieces to quiet his whimpering.

(Yes.....the ghost and frog are repeats from years past).

When we got home, we put Isaac to bed. The other two got to watch Scooby Doo and drink hot chocolate. They LOVED it.

Once all the kids were fast asleep, Rob and I settled in to watch a scary movie together. We haven't done anything like this since before we were married. We watched "The Others." And.....it was scary and truthfully, anything but settling.

All-in-all it was a really fun week.

Next thing to look forward to.......AUNT CHRISTY'S COMING in two weeks.......YEAY!

Phantom was a blast!

Rob and I went to Phantom of the Opera last night. We have been anticipating this for a long time. We bought our tickets clear back in May (when we had a job) and have been anxiously awaiting this night. We have seen it, together, once before (Rob has now seen it 3 times) and, I must admit, it was FAR better here than in Salt Lake. We had AMAZING seats (first balcony, first row, almost center..........did I mention we bought tickets the day they went on sale?), the acting/singing far surpassed that in Salt Lake, and the Spokane Opera house did a $1,000,000 remodel, a few years ago, just so it could host Phantom properly. IT WAS AWESOME!

The Phantom (Richard Todd Adams) was spectacular. He did a PHENOMENAL job. Talented actor/singer, avid sports fan (he watches ESPN in his dressing room when he is not on stage), family man (has a wife and newborn baby who are joining him on tour next week.....that should make sleeping interesting), and..... he's quite a looker, don't you think (although not so much in the grotesque make-up)?

We were lucky enough to get to share the night with our good friends, J & J. Grandma and Grandpa G watched the kids (thank you), and we went out for some FABULOUS Mexican food before the show. What a flippen' good time we had.

Funny story.......I wanted to get a picture of the four of us.......of course, and figured we could do it once we got there. We knew we would not be able to take pictures inside the actual theater so we stopped to take one just outside the doors to our seats. An usher came up to us and said, "You cant have that in here. There are no cameras inside the opera house." At this point I'm thinking two things......1. "How gay is that!" and 2. "We have seen other people taking pictures.....how come no one stopped them?"

So I say......."Ummmm......not inside the entire building."

"Nope"

So I look at my comrades and say....."Well, I guess we will have to take one later.....outside.....after the show"

She says (rolling her eyes), "I guess you could take one really quickly but you have to hurry."

So I say, "Thanks..........ummmmm.........Will you take it for us?"

The usher, "HUMPH.....I guess so.....but we have to hurry."

So....she took the picture...(didn't follow my instructions for focusing the camera......which is why the picture is blurry) but at least we got the picture.

I guess persistence pays off ( and a few nasty looks.....just kidding, I didn't give her any nasty looks....at least I dont think so).

As we walked away she says......."You better put that away before someone takes it away from you."

And I'm thinking, "Yeah, I'd like to see them try."

Needless to say, we had a really good time.

When Rob and I got home and were walking inside, I said, "Man.....I wish we had that kind of passion in our relationship." and he say to me, "What do you mean, we do," and I'm thinking to myself, "Ummmmm..........OKAY......whatever you say dear." (Okay....maybe a little too much information but, come on girls, you get it, don't you?)

Someday, when Gabe's a little older, we will take him to go see it too. He loves it and can hit those high notes right along side his mama (now, I did say I could hit them. I didn't say it sounded good.....but I have fun doing it anyway.....my kids look at me like I'm crazy.......they're probably right!)

Until the next time, I guess we will just have to be satisfied with our cd's, movie, and fond memories of the theater.

I want to see Les Miserables too.

7 RANDOM/WEIRD THINGS ABOUT ME!

1. Growing up my nickname was Tigger (as in....the most wonderful things about tiggers are tiggers are wonderful things........etc). I don't know if it had to do more with the fact that both he (as in Winnie the Pooh's Tigger) and I both have flourescent orange hair or because I bounced off the walls constantly. Probably both.

2. Until I was well into my high school years, I rarely EVER walked down the hallway in my parents house, I summersaulted instead (I think I was rightly nicknamed....Don't you?).

3. I have a broken (bent and crooked) tailbone. In first grade I was spinning around on the jungle gym (again.....Tigger) before school one day and came crashing down (mid spin) onto my tailbone. It REALLY HURT. I remember sitting sideways on my chair for days.
It makes for uncomfortable lap sitting ( for Rob mind you....not me) and makes it very difficult to perform any sort of pilates moved that requires balancing on the sitz bones. I also worried that it might get in the way during child birth but have, somehow, come out of two V-births without any re-breakage.

4. Out of 7 children in my family, I am the only that did not work at Storehouse Market. I am very proud of that fact.

5. In a bizarre twist of events, when the above mentioned Storehouse Market closed, it became a Gold's Gym. I worked out at that gym for YEARS and am now working for Gold's Gym here in Spokane. Coincidence......I think NOT. Maybe it is fate's way of getting me in the end.

6. I have been sent to the principal's office three times. Once, in grade school, when my friend S***** and I were chasing after two sisters, growling at them (They were African-American and the principal thought we may, in some bizarre way, be acting out racistly........nope, not kidding.......In our defence, they were doing it to each other and we just thought it would be fun to join in. No racism involved). The second time was in 11th grade. I had a teacher who had it out for me because I, and another girl, laughed at some very disrespectful remarks a boy in my class made to/about her (she did have every right to be mad). She tried to kick the three of us out of her class (for the rest of the year). After a meeting with the principal, the teacher, and my mother, I was given the choice whether or not to stay (the other two bailed) and my mother thought it would be a good idea to show that teacher up (my mother thought the teacher handled the situation horribly and wanted me to show her that I could act maturly even if she couldn't). So....I stayed. The third time was, again, in 11th grade (man, I had a rough year). It was actually in Seminary. I was quite the disruptive child. I was going through a rough period and didn't really want to be there so I made my teachers life miserable. Unfortunately, my teacher was a personal friend of my fathers and in turn, my dad was mortified when I was asked to leave his class. I, then, tried to drop out of seminary all together but after talking with the principal, decided to continue in a different class. Really, I just stopped going to seminary, for the most part, anyway. I was a complete piece of poo poo back then.

7. I LOVE BANANA PEPPERS! I eat them on ANYTHING I can possibly think to put them on. Oh, and I love green peppers and yellow pepper, and orange peppers, and red pepper. I guess I love all peppers, excluding the ones that make my mouth burn.


Now....for my victims.......so many to choose from......I think, in the spirit of randomness, I will close my eyes and choose.......you guessed it, AT RANDOM. Here goes.......
JULIE G., CELESTE, JAYNE, NATALIE, AMANDA, CARRIE, AUDRA