FIFTY YEARS?!

Have you ever collected anything?

Have you ever LOVED something so much that you would do anything for it?  

You would search the world over to find that special "one"? 

Kinley has collected rocks her whole life.  I am talking 13 years of finding rocks of all shapes, colors, and sizes under her bed, in her closet, and in MY dryer!

Now she has narrowed it down a bit to rocks with more value...which is also more expensive.

The only thing I can relate this to in my life is antique jewelry 

and that didn't start until my thirties!

It all began when my husbands uncle brought home a TRUNK of it!

It took 2 men to lift this treasure that was brought all the way from California!  The lady that owned all of the jewelry obviously had an obsession for the stuff!  

Uncle Al spread it all over a six foot table so we could divide it between us.  My two sister in laws and I stood around  the table taking turns picking one piece at a time for several hours.  It was all beautiful with intricate detail  that made it so hard to choose. I saw several I wanted but didn't want to say anything for fear that the others would 

pick it before it was my turn! Mandy, my cousin that wasn't even there came out ahead of everyone because there was a bunch of jewelry that looked so much like something she would wear and love that we all made a pile for her. 

Since that day I search for special pieces in antique stores when I get a chance.

It has actually been interesting  because so much of the "trendy" jewelry that are in stores now are knockoffs, just like the clothing industry.  For example, the owls everyone has been wearing for a few years now...

OLD! 

 I have a few antique owls that I wear all the time.

Now for the actual reason I started writing this post.....

My dear Brighton LOVES turtles.  

She has loved them for years. Because of this, her Grandparents bought her a huge

 collection of turtles made of ceramic, plastic, fabric, and other random materials.  She has tried for years to get us to buy her a real turtle. We thought about it and decided to wait and see if she could take care of fish first.  We almost bought her one for Christmas a few years ago until we  learned that kids can get salmanilla from turtles.

THAT sealed the deal.  NO TURTLE.

Fast forward until yesterday....my friend called me and let me know that her friend 

was giving a turtle away with the cage, lights and everything. 

 I asked what it ate because I am NOT ok with the live feeding thing.

She assured me that the turtle was a herbivore and I wouldn't be making trips to the pet store for dead crickets, fish or anything of the sort.  How could I pass it up?  It was too simple. I called Jon and let him know my dilemma.  Being that Jon was a huge animal lover as a child, he couldn't resist.  Other kids have asked for all kinds of animals but the hair makes him have allergies, and the kids barely take care of the one dog we have so Brighton hit the jackpot when she picked an animal that wouldn't annoy us...too bad.

We let her know that she was getting an early birthday present and told her to shut her eyes.

We were all sitting in the front room waiting with anticipation to see the look on her face.  All 

the kids knew how big of deal this was.  

When we gave her the go ahead, she opened her eyes......

SHOCK

Disbelief...

And finally....

The HAPPIEST little girl ON EARTH!

(Do you see the tears in her eyes?) 

So far she hasn't named the little guy but has thrown around some names like

Hagrid, Virginia, Speedy, Bullet, Steve, and Eragog!

Jon couldn't help but play with him.

The proud owner of the cutest, most loved "Russian Tortoise" around!

We let it crawl around and held it.  It didn't seem to love the flash from my camera in it's eyes for some reason.

Last night before bed I found her "instructions" on how to take care of the turtle.

It says, "Wait three to four days for your pet to adjust to his new surroundings,

then try holding him for short amounts of time offering food by hand."

Woops.

With a lot of luck, hand washing and years of work, he is supposed to live FIFTY YEARS!

We figure if Brighton can pull this off, she will be 58 years old.

That's more years than most people stay married.  

He will be a perfect companion for my Brighton!

Mother Teresa

Mother Teresa was an amazing woman!

I had no choice but to add her beautiful sayings to my collection of quotes!

Mother Teresa was born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu in Skopje*, Macedonia, on August 26th, 1910. Her family was of Albanian descent. At the age of twelve, she felt strongly the call of God. She knew she had to be a missionary to spread the love of Christ. At the age of eighteen she left her parental home in Skopje and joined the Sisters of Loreto, an Irish community of nuns with missions in India. After a few months' training in Dublin she was sent to India, where on May 24, 1931, she took her initial vows as a nun. From 1931 to 1948 Mother Teresa taught at St. Mary's High School in Calcutta, but the suffering and poverty she glimpsed outside the convent walls made such a deep impression on her that in 1948 she received permission from her superiors to leave the convent school and devote herself to working among the poorest of the poor in the slums of Calcutta. Although she had no funds, she depended on Divine Providence, and started an open-air school for slum children. Soon she was joined by voluntary helpers, and financial support was also forthcoming.

This made it possible for her to extend the scope of her work.

Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person.

God doesn't require us to succeed; he only requires that you try.

I do not pray for success, I ask for faithfulness.

I know God will not give me anything I can't handle. I just wish that He didn't trust me so much.

If you can't feed a hundred people, then feed just one.

Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.

Love begins by taking care of the closest ones - the ones at home.

Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.

I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world.

It is impossible to walk rapidly and be unhappy.

Random Hair

My hubby came home from work really late the other night.  

To let me know he was sorry, he had a little treat for me (pictured above).

How sweet is that!  He knows I love to blog in bed.  It is great to be able to store my laptop inside and sit in comfortable positions. He has always been so thoughtful.  

When I asked where that idea came from, 

he said he was already in the store buying one of these...

Boy, am I grateful for slow growing nostril hairs! 

 Girls have to deal with enough other hair annoyances!!!

I spend way too much time shaving my legs and doing all the girls hair.

Guys hair seems to recede on the hair line and grow back out in other

 random places...like the back, ears, eyebrows, and nose.  

Yuck, maybe a period isn't THAT bad...yah right! 

THEY DESERVE IT!

I am grateful for....

Mack had to write a list of things she was grateful for in school during Christmas time. She actually won a prize for doing such a great job so I thought I would share it.  I am missing part of the list but I wanted to copy what I found.

I am grateful for............

1. My family
2. My friends
3. Lizzy
4. School
5. Food
6. Warm food
7. Clothes on my back
8. A home to live in
9. A bed to sleep in
10. A blanket to cuddle in when I am scared
11. The church
12. Jesus
13. A wealthy family that gives to others
14. A loving hand to hold
15. A mom and dad that are married
16. Music
17. A friendly community
18. A kiss from my parents to keep me happy
19. Six kind sisters that love each other
20. Teachers
21. My animals
22. That my dad has a job
23. The world
24. The president
25. That I can help others
26. That there is food to give
27. Doctors
28. Medicine
29. The government
30. Police
31. The law
32. Space
33. Stars to gaze upon
68. The American Flag
69. Soldiers in the war
70. The gospel
71. Babies
72. Laughter
73. Christ
74. Christmas
75. Thanksgiving
76. The New Year
77. Goals
78. We are able to be resurrected
79. We can be a family forever
80. Love
81. Life
82. Phones
83. Rocks
84. Arms to help each other with
85. Feet to walk with
86. Eyes to see
87. A mouth to speak
88. A nose to smell
89. Ears to hear with
90. Knowledge
91. College
92. Uniforms
93. Hope
94. I am able to read
95. Veterans
96. A clean place to live
97. Bathrooms
98. Service
99. People
100. God

Helen Keller

Helen Keller is another one of my favorite people to quote.

I love how she overcame her perceived limits and made her life beautiful!

All the world is full of suffering. It is also full of overcoming.

Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.

As selfishness and complaint pervert the mind, so love with its joy clears and sharpens the vision.

It is a terrible thing to see and have no vision.

Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see a shadow.

Life is an exciting business, and most exciting when it is lived for others.

Never bend your head. Always hold it high. Look the world straight in the eye.

No one has a right to consume happiness without producing it.

No pessimist ever discovered the secret of the stars, or sailed to an uncharted land,

or opened a new doorway for the human spirit.

Self-pity is our worst enemy and if we yield to it, we can never do anything wise in this world.

My First Mc Linky!

1. Would you ever vacation alone?
WOW, I can't imagine this, even in my wildest dreams! YES... A RESOUNDING YES!!
BUT, I know the second I got there I would start to twitch. I am used to way to many interruptions, spills, and phone calls. I may just go crazy!

2. Do you go the speed limit?
It depends on who's limit you are talking about...I go my speed limit :)
3. Why did you start blogging/following blogs?
I blog because it helps me understand what I am thinking and I love sharing the funny stories that only I usually get to laugh at!
4. Where do you shop for yourself?

I have an interesting idea of shopping for clothes. I shop at secondhand stores that are cheap but sometimes I find GREAT unique things and sometimes I shop at yummy stores that are more expensive but on sale like Anthropologie. I do spend money on great jeans because I wear them so much and they do make a difference in fit.



5. What was the song that you danced your first dance with your spouse to at your wedding...or...what song would you like your first dance to be to?
Hmm, we didn't dance but I do love the song by James Blunt "Goodbye my Lover". It is so sad, but I picture us together at the end of our long lives together..I think it is beautiful.

Want to play along too? Just copy these questions and answer them on your blog, making sure to link up with Mama M's blog.

No blog but want to play anyway, you say? No problem! Just answer the questions in my comment section so I can read your answers!

Thanks Mama M! Have a great Friday everyone :-)

What's Under Your Bed?

I am giddy as a school girl, I am bouncing, I am twirling!!

I just had two rather strong men come and set up my brand new bed frame!

If you want to read WHY I am so flippin'  excited you can read HERE

Jon decided to tell me that they were coming last night at about 1:30 a.m. as I was sleeping.  I was a bit shocked, but not compared to when I woke up this morning are realized what an operation it would be to get ready.  I had to get the kids off to school, which is always a chore finding clothes and getting five heads of hair done. 

 I flew home after I dropped them off, like a mad woman and started ripping apart my bed.  

You see, I have lived in my home for about six years now.  That isn't extremely long, but long enough to put fear into me as I pictured the possibilities.  I always spend my Saturdays monitoring my kids as they clean their rooms and under their beds.  I get so annoyed with the random crap that finds a home there.  I am so sick of it, I actually put our spare mattresses under their beds so nothing would fit!  

Let's just say that it's a good thing my kids weren't monitoring me today!

I was speechless!  From rubber bands, hair clips, jewelry, and Christmas wrapping paper to money, pens, and feathers from my down comforter. I was horrified.  

I always wondered where my cutie shed-less cat slept and it became very evident from the patch of black hair on my white carpet. The random sexy game we have aquired over our 

14 years of marriage from Valentines day had an inch of dust on them.  

(After all we still manage to get plenty of kids here!)

I got it all cleaned up and ready for my sleigh bed!

I think the highlight was when Halle ran over to the enticing menagerie of things and picked something up, put it in her mouth before I could reach and said, "YUM, this canny is gooood!"

Oh my, it looks like I need to focus a tad bit more under my bed instead of cleaning theirs all the time! My bed is beautiful.  When I answered the door to let the delivery guys in, they both turned and smirked at each other.  I knew my hubby wasn't home and all I kept thinking was,

 "Should I be running out of my house screaming?  

Am I one of those naive girls that let total strangers into my home?"

I thought about it for about 2 seconds and then my excitement overwhelmed me.  

How can I tell the kids to run if a stranger offers candy if I am willingly let strangers into my home when I am alone?  I guess the bed was just exciting to me as a bag of chocolate...

(today anyway). 

 I was ecstatic after they set it up that I gave the guy twenty bucks and sent them 

both to lunch. It didn't hurt when they couldn't believe I had six daughters and complimented me for looking so young. They knew how to work it to get a tip, and it WORKED :)

It's a good thing Jonny Boy wasn't around to see the mess or it would have been 

a re-run of My Favorite Fight!

So let me know my friends, are there any scary things under your bed ? 

Please share so I know I'm not the only one...

Melinda, I know you won't be able to comment...haha :)

That Girl Could Have DIED!

Kinley though I was crazy wearing my goggles in the car on the way up to the slope!

It was bright!

Ok, I'm a little weird

Monday I took the girls to Sundance to get our first snowboarding trip in this year!

It was breathtaking with ample fresh powder from our recent storm. It was so refreshing to get out of the inversion we have been dealing with the past few weeks.

It was one of those days I wish I could stay forever.

Only problem was...

By the time we actually got on the hill we had a bit less than forever.

The first trip of the year usually presents itself with some problems like missing gear.

Where is my snowboard and boots? I still don't know. Someone must have decided to take it for a whirl! Anyway, after getting the kids all dressed, bathroomed, sized, and on the hill we only had an hour and a half to ski! Are you kidding me? There was no turning around at this point so I had to let the babysitter know and ditch Whitney's dance lessons.

After all we still only had two and a half hours. This was actually perfect for me.

Have you ever tried to wrangle a beginner skier,

keep an eye on 3 others and try to balance yourself?

It is harder than it looks.

Probably the most memorable horrific part of the day was when I was concentrating on getting Ella down the hill safely. She is only she is only 6 and needed so extra TLC. She was doing great despite the fact that I insisted on her starting to learn how to make an S shape down the hill. She would rather go straight down in a snow plow without much control of her direction.

Next thing thing I hear is a girl screaming at a nearby ski school to "GET OUT OF THE WAY!!" I thought, "What an idiot! That person has NO business skiing on the slopes being so out of control!!" I have been hit by people like that. I want to kill them until I turn and see that they are a minor and I would go to jail if I knocked them out!

(I have never punched a child don't worry).

The ski school instructor yelled at the girl to slow down in fear of the safety of the children in the class. "Can't they kick people out like that" I thought.

As the chick blazed past us, I realized to my horror that it was none other than

MY KINLEY!

Are you KIDDING ME? I wanted to crawl behind a pine tree and hide for a few hours! I nonchalantly skied past the instructor as he yelled,

"THAT GIRL COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED!"

I smiled and agreed. What kind of mother would send her kid on the mountain unprepared like that anyway?After I turned the corner I sped up to find Kinley in a heap on the snow.

Yes, she was fine (until I got to her anyway!)

You see I had encouraged her to try skiing for the first time. She has always been a snowboarder. Since the age of 8 she has been practicing. I offered to give her some ski tips because it is so different but she declined saying that her experienced friend was going to teach her. Hmmm, well we can see how well this worked! After that little episode, she was a little more teachable and learned a few tricks. When we got home I ordered pizza. I thought she would be excited but she said she was so sick of hearing "Keep you skies in pizza shape" she could die. Of course, she still ate the pizza. It was that or cereal.

Renting a full ski package for 3 plus passes for all = $250

A day on the slopes with my best friends = priceless

Beautiful Blogger

Wow!  I am so excited to get an award. I am pretty new to this social blogging thing.  I sometimes wonder if anyone is out there actually reading what I write.  It is fun to have people respond to my crazy thoughts and stories I tell.A long time ago I thought about writing a book, and then I realized I didn't have any advice.  

I have been through really hard times and made it through alive and thought I would share how I did it.  A book is too organized for my personality.  I am random and share different thoughts depending on my mood of the day.  That is why I love to blog, it is an outlet for me.

I would rather write or read than watch T.V.

(Just as I said that LOST popped on the T.V.!!) I will have to finish this later!...OK, I'm back!

Thanks for sending me this award

Sonora at Twinfinity!

Can I send you back the award?? Because your blog is great!

Thanks for helping me see that someone does read my crazy rants!!

Seven interesting things about myself:

1. I think I have adult onset A.D.D  I go from blogging to cleaning the toilet (as I scrub the           counter), shovel one fourth of the driveway, and talking in the phone all within 10 minutes.  Do I need to be medicated or does it help me get more done.  I don't know! I overestimate myself daily.  I believe I can pull anything off.  This can be a good AND a bad thing!

2. I had a step daughter when I was married, 2 baby girls and a niece within 2 years of being   married when I was 20 years old. I followed that up with three more daughters.

3.  My husband and I own more businesses than I can remember when people ask. He is good at running them, I am good at supporting the madness!

4.  I still think about what I want to be when I grow up daily. I also often look at my kids and wonder how and when they all got there.

5.  I could eat a sandwich for every meal and be extremely happy!

6.  I hate llamas!  Some people think they are special, I think they are mean people put into llamas bodies after they die.  Look into their eyes sometime, and you will see that I am right. 

 If that doesn't work, try being spit on.

7. I have competed in triathlons all in the name of fun.  I don't care if I win, I just love the idea of having a goal and trying something new.  I almost drowned once when I was kicked in the face and won't compete again until I have open water swimming lessons.

I have just really dove into the ocean of blogs that are out there for me to read!  I am honestly pretty overwhelmed at the time and energy these amazing people put into their blog.  I understand why they do because I do the same thing!

SO in random order, here are some great blogs I have recently found and love!

Kates World By Kate  is a fun blog that has already received other awards but is fun to read.

Are They All Yours I think is great because I love looking at the food she makes.  It is like trying to understand how a gymnast does their tricks, but with food.  I also like her boldness in sharing her beliefs in the gospel.

Grand Pooba is hilarious!  You never know what you will get when you click on her link!

A Likelee Story she has beautiful pictures to go with honest life stories and I like how her site flows.

Confessions From A Working Mom Where do these pro bloggers come from with widgets and buttons to spare?

Because I Don't Scrapbook I like the way she tells stories and has a book club!

Home is Where you Start From One of my first "bloggie friends".  She truly amazes me with how she 

home school's her children and writes about it.  Another Super woman!

I love looking around and seeing all of the good these wonderful mothers are doing with their families, communities and me :)  Thank you for your dedication to making life more beautiful!

Here are the rules for this award:

-Thank the person who nominated you for this award.

-Copy the award & place it on your blog.

-Link to the person who nominated you for this award.

-Tell us 7 interesting things about yourself.

-Nominate 7 bloggers.

-Post links to the 7 blogs you nominate.

Captured Miracles

I LOVE it when people use their talents and energy toward something bigger than themselves.

Something that will change lives and give them a purpose.

I was just sent this link from a friend. Helen is a photographer and friend I haven't seen in a long time but wanted to post this because it is beautiful. She donates a portion of her earnings to different children foundations to give back. I love the illustration that Jesus has his arms around us even in the darkest of days. Sometimes when we don't even realize that he is the one supporting us through all of the heart ache.

Thank you for sharing your talents Helen. Click the link below to see her amazing work!

Captured Miracles

1,2,3, Chucky's Scary

One...

Two...

Three... years old!

It only took us a week to eat her fairy cake.

Bug was so excited she couldn't stand it any longer!

For Bug's birthday we went to Chucky Cheese with all of the cousins.

The all had a blast running around for hours trying out all of the rides.

I have to say that I am not personally a fan of Chucky, but Halle sure was!

My brother in law even checks to see if it is Jackson that stinks!

What a husband!

Kinley and Lizzy were trying to outsmart the game and push off the coins

that are magnetized to the edge. They looked a bit guilty when I caught them, and for good reason :)

Na Na playing with baby Madisen...her smile is precious!

D.J. has beautiful eyes and I just want to squeeze him every time I see him because

he looks like his dad. When D.J. got to the party he was apprehensive about getting on the rides and was just enjoying watching his cousins.

We kept trying to encourage him to join in the fun, but he wasn't having it!

Shauntyl's friend Anna, Whitney, and Shauntyl

This is my fifty something year old mother. I hope to have as much fun as she does at Chucky Cheese

at her age as she does! She was laughing and playing as I walked up. She had no idea I was watching or taking pictures. What a woman!

Sorry Lizzy, but you look quite a bit like Chucky in this picture!

You can't tell me this dude isn't freaky! I don't care who you are or what age, it is disconcerting to see

big oversized animals singing and jerking back and forth.

Jackson is a doll also.

He looks to me like he is driving a truck down a very steep hill.

Dave and I kept laughing at D.J.'s butt as he sat on the horse.

My beautiful sister Camille

and below is her son Jackson.

By the end of the night D.J. was obviously enjoying himself!!

Yea, mission accomplished!