What NOT to do.

If anyone out there wants to know what NOT to do in the situation that one of your animals is hurt, I'm the person to come to. My dog, who is a part of my heart, a part of our family, was hurt very badly last week. So of course I started right away with doing everything wrong. This is what I did:
1. I went into panic mode.
2. I didn't clean the wound properly.
3. I got someone to staple the wound shut. (It was huge by the way)
4. I covered the wound and kept it covered so that the dog could not chew the staples out and open the wound.

What I should have done:
1. Stay calm.
2. Clean the wound with Betadine.
3. Leave the wound open even though it looks like it needs to be sewn shut. You have to realize that there just is going to be a huge scar. It is that or a dead dog.
4. Let the dog lick the wound and let it be open to the air.
5. Get the dog on an antibiotic.

Thank goodness, I learned the right way in time. My dog is doing okay. Yesterday he was draining infection. Today I have hope. He is on the antibiotic and he has torn the wound wide open and cleaned it all out. Who knew that dogs are better doctors for themselves than any human.
So... live and learn.

Blogging Versus Facebook

I know that I am probably backwards on this subject. I really don't have any idea how most people feel. But the way I look at it Facebook is for news. I find out the most interesting things on there. I love it. But Blogging is for musing in a way. I guess I do a little of that on Facebook too, but not so much as here. I figure that this blog is somewhat like a journal. It is something that someday my posterity may get a kick out of. I hope so. But facebook is not the place to put all of this because it isn't for the public eye. I know that my blog can be viewed by anyone who finds it, but not many will really find this blog interesting enough to stop and read. That is okay with me. Like I said, this is mostly for my family and friends. I love ya Facebook, but blogging has my heart.

Change

You know they say there are only two things you can count on and that is taxes and death. Well there is one more. You can count on things changing. All the time. And mostly when you get comfortable and love the way things are. Now if you don't like where you are at and want a change it seems to take FOREVER to happen. But I have determined that the best way to approach this problem is to find those moments that are great and wonderful and savor them, enjoy them, put them in your memory forever, because they are definitely on their way out soon. Replaced with something else, sometimes just as good, sometimes not as good, sometimes better, sometimes worse. Count on it. And if it is a good change, revel in it. If it isn't a good change, have hope. After all it is going to CHANGE.

One of Those PRECIOUS Moments I Will Never Forget

Rocky and I went to Northern Utah this weekend to attend a wedding for our niece. We stayed in Roy with Rowdy and his family. I thoroughly enjoyed those kids, my grandkids. They are such awesome kids. The wedding was in Brigham City at a small wedding cottage built out of an old home. They had a beautiful back yard for a garden wedding. The weather was perfect. But now to that precious moment. Dancing was planned at the end of the affair. There was a dance floor on a little higher ground. The DJ was setting up for the dance. Rocky promised Britnee a dance. But then Grandpa Hatch, who we had brought to the wedding, needed to go home. He was getting pretty tired. Rocky didn't want to break his promise to Britnee, so Rowdy turned on his music on his ipod and Rocky and Britnee and Rowdy and Tifnee danced. The whole song. It was so sweet. Then when that song was over, Britnee and Tifnee switched and Britnee danced with her Dad and Tifnee with Grandpa. And then the DJ got his music going and they danced the whole dance to louder music. Those little girls had smiles as big as a mile. And my heart just glowed. So PRECIOUS.

It Takes A Lifetime To Fail

You know I have been thinking about failure and our interpretation of it. Someone I love very dearly feels like they have failed. And I was thinking, hey it isn't over until it's over. So as long as you're still alive you can still keep trying. If you fall, all you have to do is get back up. And in the process of all of this you get stronger and smarter. So the falls become learning experiences. So I think if you do keep getting back up and trying your hardest, you actually will never fail because your success will be in the character you have built and we will be credited for every try as success in the eyes of God.

Philosophy

I saw a sign that said: Everyone is fighting their own battles, so be kind to them. This goes right along with a philosophy I have already had. That is: Everyone has a reason for what they do. It isn't always a good reason in someone else's mind, but to them it makes sense. It is a battle they are fighting with themselves or with what is happening to them. So my reminder to myself today is to be patient with those around me and realize that someone may be hurting. I need to reach out of myself and be helpful not hurtful.

I Love the Rain.

I should say that I love Nevada rain. I didn't like Oregon or Washington rain that much, because it is always raining there and you get kind of waterlogged. But Nevada rain you really have to appreciate. Just like anything that you don't get very often you really appreciate it when you do get it. We had a fantastic rainstorm yesterday. And then a little bit today. Everything is washed clean and smells fresh outside. The ground is damp and the plants are happy. I love it. I love it. I love it.

IRA

This is Ira, our not-quite-two-year-old, youngest grandchild.

I just spent 5 days with him and what a treat that was.

I may be prejudice but I think he is the smartest, cutest, and funnest almost two-year-old around.

This kid is coordinated like no other kid his age. He can work in the garden helping his dad shovel, pull weeds, and pick vegetables. He is a pro. He can feed the chickens and gather the eggs. And he can swing a bat professionally and hit the ball on a tee made by his father, just his size, almost every swing. He can feed himself and make very little mess, that is unless you leave him there too long and he starts playing with his food.

And speaking about eating, I have never seen a kid this age eat so well. He eats fruits and vegetables, fresh and cooked, and loves them. I saw him eat a small bowl of grapes, a slice of apple, and a whole banana in one sitting. He loves all the other healthy foods too. He loves hummus. Hummus is a Levantine Arab[1] dip or spread made from cooked, mashed chickpeas, blended with tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and garlic. It is a popular food throughout the Middle East and elsewhere. It is good for you and makes a pretty good snack. Ira likes to dip crackers in it. But he doesn't need too many crackers. He usually licks off the hummus and then dips for more.

Ira has his own language right now. He hardly ever says "yes", instead he says "oh". He loves to say "no" though. In fact he tries out "no" on everything until he realizes he may want what is being offered, so then he switches to "oh". He calls all food "Gookie" and all fruit is "apple". All drink is called "water". And, by the way, this kid drinks a lot of water. I have never seen a kid this age drink water so well.

Ira has one thing that is not anything to brag about and that is he refuses to take naps. So whenever he gets in a car he is tired and goes right to sleep. All naps are taken in his car seat. And you have to hope that it isn't too late in the day or else you will be playing with him until late. But that isn't so bad since he is so fun to play with. One day while I was there we decided to see if he would take a nap while watcing his favorite movie, "Monsters Inc.". So I sat by him and he laid on my lap and watched the entire movie without sleeping. Guess who did do a little sleeping.

Ira gives great kisses. He is a very loving kid. He warms my heart. I love this boy.

In this picture above, Ira is checking for eggs and feeding the chickens.

In this picture he was climbing on the television that went out while I was there and had been put on the floor to be taken out. In all the time I was there Ira did a lot of climbing, but I do not remember one time that he fell. He is very coordinated, as I said.



This picture was taken right after bath time and he was having Elmo sing a song for me. Ira knows the words to a lot of songs and can do actions that go with them. I think his favorite is "Popcorn Popping on the Apricot Tree."

So this is Ira. I am sure there will be a lot more to say about him as he grows. He is going to have a brother or sister in January. He knows there is a baby in his mother's stomach. He also thinks that his Dad, Me, and even himself, has babies in their tummies.
What a cute kid. I miss him already.
Love you Ira
Grandma

I LOVE Autumn

This is my favorite time of the year. It is not hot. It is not cold. I can get weeds out and they don't come back. My lawn grows slower. But it is still green. I still have to water things, but not as much. My fall flowers will be blooming and they are BEAUTIFUL. The days aren't quite so long so I see my hubby more. He isn't as stressed with putting up hay because the hay grows slower. My power bill is less. I can work out in my yard longer in the morning's because it is cooler. I love working in my yard. I just LOVE this time of year.

Heartaches

I don't know how to describe the ache in my heart. It isn't necessary to feel this way. My brain tells me not to. My logic knows I don't need to. But when your child comes close to death your heart takes over your brain and logic. He is OKAY. But the fact that he could be the opposite has unsettled me.
My missionary son was hit by a car on Wednesday. He was riding his bike through an intersection and a man ran the stop sign and hit him. He was thrown up on the hood and windshield of the car. Then rolled off into the street among the traffic. But not only does my heart feel frozen from the fear, a bigger feeling of gratefulness is taking over. I will thank my Heavenly Father every day for the life of my son. Not only his life, but he is virtually unhurt. Just bruised. Really a miracle. So the ache isn't just from shock and fear, it is from love and thankfulness.

I have Decided to LIKE Mondays.

I have. I have decided to like Mondays. You notice I didn't say LOVE. I have to start with LIKE because up until now it has been HATE. You have to start with baby steps. The reason I have decided this is because:
1. They are going to come whether you like them or not.
2. Attitude can make you or break you in the happiness area.
3. I WANT to LIKE Mondays.

So there you have it. I now officially LIKE Mondays.

Do We Have To Agree

Do we have to agree in order to get along. Can't we disagree without being disagreeable. Can't I voice an opinion without venom coming from somewhere. What is that all about? AND I need to tell myself this as much as anyone. So I say to myself, "Self, you can like someone or love someone who doesn't always see eye to eye with you."
Enough said.

For Now.

Well, I only have one more grandchild to spotlight. But I am going in a month to visit him and I thought it would be a lot better to post something about him after spending time with him. He is farthest away from me and I see him the least, but I am going to spend 5 DAYS with him. Yesterday he called me on the telephone. He visited with me for quite a while. He isn't even two yet, so I am not sure what we visited about, but it was fun. Oh, how I love my grandchildren. They have enriched my life far above what it would be if I didn't have them in my life. Anyway that is all for now.

Dalley

This is Dalley J Westwood, two years old just before I gave him a haircut.

This is the haircut.

This is the result.

This is our ninth grandchild, the son of our only daughter. He is a born cowboy. He hasn't got a chance to be anything else with two grandpas and a Dad that are true blue cowboys. It isn't surprising that this boy doesn't like many toys. His toys are ropes, play truck and trailers, play horses, etc. You get the picture. He doesn't like to watch cartoons on tv either. His favorite show that they sometimes record for him is the auction. He loves watching the cows and horses being shown for sale purposes. Another sign of a true cowboy is that you can't ever find them without their boots. And Dalley is no exception. He has to have his boots on all the time. He also is always wanting his belt on. One day his parents stopped at Cal Ranch to get some things they needed. They found a little pair of chaps just Dalley's size. They tried them on him and decided to buy them for him. Well, they had to have the girl at the register ring them up with them still on Dalley, he would not hear of taking them off. And he wore them all day.
Dalley has a lot of health issues. But you would never know it. He just works around them and his parents do too. First of all his heart is on the wrong side. This gave us a little scare when he was born. Next he has a horseshoe kidney, which means that the two kidneys are hooked together, but they are functioning okay. Third, Dalley's diaphragm is in the wrong place also. It is on top of his lungs instead of where it should be. This means that some day they will have to try to put it where it is supposed to go. Meanwhile he gets out of breath easily. There are other issues because of it, but not anything they can't handle. Dalley also gets very car sick and vomits anytime there are a lot of turns. Actually, Dalley vomits easily anyway. He is allergic to potatoes and if he eats them, you will be cleaning up vomit. He is allergic to a few other things too. He has had RSV, pneumonia, and has spent many days in the hospital because of it. And to top all of this off, Dalley has Long QT. That is what Alyssa and Britnee have. However, so far he hasn't been affected too much by this. All of these things add up to 4 specialists, his pediatrician, and the local doctors being visited on a regular basis.

There are inmuberable funny things this boy has said and done. He is quite a little character. But the latest funny one is that when his cousin Ira was here we were all here together for a long weekend. We ran out of milk, but Ira has some rice milk that he drinks. So we put some of that in Dalley's sippy cup. He took one drink, shook the cup, and said "This not milk." He drank it eventually, but he is no dummy. I adore this little boy. He makes my life worthwhile. He calls me "Nana" and I love it. I love him.

L.E.

This is two-year-old L.E. We call her L.E., but her initials stand for Lynda Elaine. She is named for her two grandmothers. This little girl is full of personality. I call her the "Quiet Tornado". She is sweet, all smiles, full of love, hugs and kisses. She has a quiet way about her, but don't let that fool you. She can do more damage than most boisterous, loud kids. But she does do it with a smile. One of her greatest talents is that she wraps every male in the room right around her tiny little finger. Especially her Daddy and her Grandpa. She just puts her arms around their neck and hugs them and kisses them and they will give her whatever she wants. They just melt.

In the picture above where L.E. is sitting on the sink, she had just got up from what we thought was a nap. But she used this quiet time wisely to explore and find fun things to do. Well, she found a jar of vaseline. It was a fairly large jar. She not only had vaseline all over her hands and her face and in her hair, but the "Pack and Play" and the carpet had a nice greasing down too. But how can you be mad at that face. We just laughed and now when she takes a nap we choose a room that is fairly kid safe.

Speaking of naps, last time they were here Kayce took her in and laid by her to get her to go to sleep. Kayce was a little tired herself. L.E. tickled her back and pretty much soothed her mother to sleep. Did LE. sleep? What do you think?

As L.E. is learning to talk she has some really cute things she does to communicate. She will ask for something and if you can understand what she really wants, when you hit on it, she will say "Yea". She always says thank-you for everything.

L.E. is unafraid. She never balks at anything. She and her cousin, Dalley, just hit it off really good. When they are together they don't need anyone else. They talk, play, and pretty much entertain each other. But they become twin tornados. And these tornados aren't quiet. So the best thing to do with those two is to get them outside in the wide open space. It is much safer that way.

But oh, this girl has my heart. I have to admit she melts me too. She can do no wrong in my eyes. I adore her.

Love ya L.E.,

Grandma

Luke Shawn

This is Luke Shawn, named for his Dad and his Uncle Shawn. We call him Lukie to distinguish between him and his Dad. I told him the other day that when he felt like he didn't want to be called Lukie anymore, then he should let me know and we will call him whatever he wants. He said that he would let me know when, but he would like to be called Luke Shawn. So there you go. He was sure named right in being named after his father. From the minute he was born I felt like I had gone back in time. I felt like I was holding my baby boy again. He looks like his Dad and he is totally his Dad in every way. Quite often I tell Kayce "Sorry about that." But I'm not really sorry, nor is she. Luke was a delightful baby and a fun kid to have around. And so is Lukie.

When Lukie was only five months old Luke had to have surgery on his eye. He had to have a cornea transplant. Kayce needed to be with him, so I took the kids for a week. Lukie was absolutely easy to take care of even at five months. But that is when his attachment grew for his Grandpa. He loves the ranch, he loves being a cowboy, he loves going fishing, he loves exploring outside, he loves working, he LOVES his Grandpa. I think he loves me too, but he really LOVES his Grandpa.

Recently, Luke brought Lukie and came to help Rocky on the ranch for a week. The other kids had school so they didn't get to come. Boy was Lukie in heaven, and so were we. What a fun time we had with him. I adore this boy. Who wouldn't. Now we are planning a time for Cody to come and visit, just him. But the funny thing is, he wants Lukie to come too. They love each other, these two boys. I love that they are close to each other and love being together.

Funny Story: I have MANY funny stories about Lukie. I will have to tell two of them because I can't choose between these two favorites. 1st one: When Lukie was staying with us that time when it was just him and his Dad, he did some art work for me. He drew a picture of a heart and wrote some letters on it, the ones he knows how to write I guess. Anyway, he asked me what the heart said on it. I thought he had tried to write something on there but I wasn't sure what it was that he had wanted to write, so I said, "I don't know Lukie, what does it say." He said, "Grandma, I don't know how to read. Don't you know how to read." What a character.

2nd one: Usually when the kids are here I try to read a bedtime story to them. They all get tucked into bed and I go read to them. I had bought a new book and was anxious to read it to them. It was a "Winnie the Pooh" book, one of my favorites. So I read to them for a little while, then they asked if they could have one more story. Lukie said, "Yeah and this time, Grandma, tell us a story from your mouth." ( He meant, don't read it, just tell one.) That was so funny. All of us got a good laugh out of that one.

Lukie, I adore you and always will. Love,

Grandma

Kate Evelyn

This is Kate Evelyn, named for my mother. We call her Kate. This is a very remarkable girl. She has a gift. I have never seen such an artistic ability in a child from such a young age. When she was only 3 she could draw like a 10 year old. Now that she is 7 she draws and does artwork that is better than I or most people could ever do.

Kate loves people and she loves to talk. She started talking very clearly at about age 1. She visits with anyone she sees. She isn't a bit shy. One time I needed to go to St. George and I didn't want to go by myself. It happened to be a time when Luke and his family were here, so they sent Kate with me. She kept me awake the whole way there and back.

Even though she is talkative, she also can be quiet and do her own thing for hours. She is polite and sweet. She has a serenity about her. I love having her around. She loves to ask me about my mother, her namesake. I had a book of pictures of my mother. She was so interested in it that I gave her one similar for Christmas. She loved it. She also treasures a picture of my mother that she keeps on her wall. She heals my heart. I love this girl. I feel very close to her. She is always coming and quietly giving me a hug. She likes to be with me. And the feeling is mutual.

Funny Story: The day after that trip that we took to St. George together, she went to the range with her Grandpa, her Dad, and her brothers. They had a cook out and they had roasted marshmallows. She told her Grandpa, Rocky, that this was the second best day of her life. He said "Well, what is your best day?". She said "Yesterday, with Grandma was the best day of my life."

I am blessed to have this girl in my life. I love you bunches Kate,

Grandma

Cody

This is Cody. He is 8 years old. He is the oldest in his family. He is an outstanding boy. He is bright, intelligent, polite, hardworking, sweet. He is our scientist. He finds out all about things all the time. He particularly likes animals, insects, reptiles, whatever you can catch. He knows about dinosaurs, fish, lizards, whatever there is to learn about in that area. Whenever he comes to visit he takes home lizards, spiders, scorpions, etc. Sometimes Grandpa has some already caught for him when he gets here. One time I caught Cody a baby horny toad. He thought that was the best thing in the world. Last year when we went to Niagara Falls, we brought him a live snail all the way back with us. He was thrilled.

Cody is a hard worker. Whenever he comes with his family to help out on the ranch, he is out there the whole time that his Dad and Grandpa are out there working. He is a big help.

Cody likes to go fishing, but not for the same reason that everyone else is going. He likes to catch crawdads or let the fish go that others have caught or beg someone to let him keep their fish. He has caught frogs and gave them a new home in the horse water trough.

It is easy to give Cody a gift. If it has to do with science or animals, he will love it.

Cody is learning to play the harmonica. He is excited and entusiastic about it.

Cody suffers from allergies and asthma, but that does not stop him from enjoying the things he loves to do, many of which give him allergies. He is allergic to hay, horses, and cats among other things. He deals with this very well.
Funny story: When Cody was really small, maybe 5 years old, he was telling us all about how when he got older he was going to have a museum. He was telling us all about the things that he would have in there and how he would take care of everything. Then he looked at me and said, "Grandma, you should have your own museum too." I said, "But Cody I wouldn't know how to start a museum like you do. I wouldn't be able to do it." He said, "But Grandma, all you have to do is read. Don't you read." What a hoot. I have been laughing about that ever since.

Well it is pure joy watching this boy grow up. I am looking forward to seeing what he can become. I know it will be great. I love you Cody,

Grandma

Tifnee

This is Tifnee. She is 6 years old and is the youngest of Rowdy's family. She is a very independent girl. She will go far in life because whatever she wants to do she will put 100% into and she WILL do it.
I have had the opportunity to babysit Tifnee a few times. I have found her with a ready smile and full of sunshine most of the time. She was easy to take care of and played by herself quite well when the other kids were in school. She loves books, games, puzzles, music, etc. She is smart and she works hard at whatever she wants.

When Tifnee was a baby she was quite the Daddy's girl. I love this about her because I kind of like her Daddy too. Tifnee also adores her sisters. She is very close with them.

Funny Story: When Tifnee was very small she was staying with me while her parents went somewhere. I put her down for a nap. I thought she was sleeping very well and it seemed to be a fairly long nap. Later I went to check on her only to find that she had found some fingernail polish and had entertained herself quite well. But it wasn't too disastrous. The only thing that was permanently colored was my temple quilt. But I just look at that all the time now and remember what a precious little girl she is and she is way more important than a quilt.

I love you Tiffy

Grandma

Britnee

This is Britnee Rose, our 8 year old wonder. From the moment she was born she has been absolutely beautiful. From before she was born her life has been a battle. They thought she would have some birth defects. But she didn't. She is beautiful, exceptionally bright, talented, and always cheerful. She has had some major health issues, however. But you would never know it looking at her or talking to her. She never talks about it except as a matter of fact. She never lets it affect her outlook on life. In fact, she kind of enjoys the hospital stays. She likes being pampered a bit, I think. But she isn't the pampered kind. She is very independent and determined to do the things that she enjoys. She is my hero.

Britnee has beautiful hair. She can grow it really long. She had it really long before this picture. But she had it cut and donated to the "Locks of Love". Alyssa does this also.

With one of Britnee's healthe issues, she developed some scar tissue on her voice box. She can only whisper now. She had a tiny little voice to start with, but now it is very quiet. But, again, this does not get her down. She has found a way to kind of talk in a high pitch, so that it is louder. Someday she will have another surgery to see if the removing the scar tissue will help. But no one is in too big of a hurry for that since she went through a complete year trying to heal from her last surgery. But until then...... Did I say this girl is a trooper?

Britnee especially loves her Uncle Ryan. They have a little something special. They adore each other. In fact, if he is around I don't see a whole lot of her. She follows him like a shadow.

Funny Story: Britnee wrote to Ryan on his mission right after her baptism. She told him that she wished that he could have been there and that she missed him. She said "I miss you so much. If you look really close you can see tears all over this paper." That, of course, melted his heart.

Britnee is very talented on the piano and with dancing. She is a natural. She, like Crystal, reads far above her age level. She is amazing. I guess you can tell that she means the world to me. I miss seeing her. We don't get to see her family very much. But when we do it is awesome.
I love you Britnee, always and forever,

Grandma

Alyssa

This is Alyssa, my 12 year old beautiful granddaughter. This isn't the best picture, but it's all I have right now that is current.

Alyssa is my kindred spirit. We have just clicked since she was born. She is one of the two grandchildren I have been present for their birth. I felt my mother's presence when she was born. Maybe my mother taught her all about me. Maybe this bonded us. All I know is this girl and I just click.

When Alyssa was four years old she was diagnosed with Long QT. It was discovered when she passed out for no reason. She has a pacemaker that she will live with for the rest of her life. She is one of the bravest girls I know. She is smart and funny and pure joy to be around.

Alyssa is a wonderful big sister. She cares for her two younger sisters and plays with them and seems to enjoy doing it.
When Alyssa was little, her family lived just across a dirt road on the ranch from us. She would love to come and visit me all by herself. She was such a funny little girl. She was such fun. She is very creative and easy to entertain. She loves to hear stories that I wrote in my journal. Whenever I stay at her house she asks for bedtime stories of our family. She especially likes ones about her Dad.

Funny Story: When her family moved this last time I was emailing her and asking her how she was doing. Did she have some new friends? Did she like school? What was her favorite subject? She wrote back and said that she had some friends and that school was okay. I think lunch was her favorite subject. And then she said, "One thing that I just don't like about school is learning. I don't like learning." I laughed and laughed about that. She is so funny.

Well, to sum it all up about Alyssa, she is bright, sunshine, funny, beautiful, sweet, loving, all that any grandmother would want in a granddaughter.

Love ya Alyssa,

Grandma

Rocky James

Rocky James is my oldest grandson and my second grandchild. He is named Rocky for his Dad's father and James for his Mother's father. I call him both names together because it keeps people straight on whether I am talking about him or my husband, his grandfather.

In this picture he is the boy in the back with the sunglasses. He is 15. He has been a light in my life ever since he was born. He has always been my little buddy. Now he's not a little buddy anymore, but he is still by bud. He has kept me awake on many a trip. He is very good at talking and he always asks a lot of questions. I love that about him.

When Rocky James was in Pre-school, they lived in Hiko and I lived in Alamo. He would come down to town on the bus in the morning and they would drop him off at my house and he would stay until time for pre-school, about two hours. Then I would take him to school and he would ride the Kindergarten bus home. I cherish those times. We had some pretty good times together. Sometimes we would go to the store for some groceries and I would buy him a little treat. He would always ask for me to buy one for Crystal, too. He is still thoughtful like that.

Rocky James loves motorized vehicles of any kind. He can talk for hours about 4 wheelers, motorcycles, dune buggies, cars, trucks, etc. He is really bright. He learns all about these things and how they run. It just comes natural to him.

Rocky James is a hard worker. He loves to help his Grandpa, and he is always helping me in the house. He would keep my floor swept when he was just a little guy. He always asks what he can do for me. I love that about him.

Rocky James loves dogs. He had to talk, work, and beg long and hard to get his parents to let him have a dog. They wanted to be sure that he could take care of the dog himself. He practiced whenever he was at our house by taking special care of Ryan's dog, Riggin.

Rocky James is very close to Ryan. They are more like brothers than Uncle and Nephew. They even fight like brothers. But they are loyal to each other.

Funny Story: One of those times when Rocky James was at my house waiting for pre-school he told me that a truck had broke down up by his house. He assured me that his Dad should be the one called to fix it because his Dad can do anything. He wouldn't even need anything to lift the truck because his Dad is strong enough to lift it all by himself.

As anyone could tell, I love this boy. He is one in a million. I love you Rocky James.

Grandma

Crystal

Crystal, the beautiful sixteen-year-old girl in the back, is my oldest grandchild. She is intelligent, talented, beautiful inside and out.

Intelligent: She could read almost before she could walk. She has always been able to read well above her age level. She has read many, many, many books. Her grades in school are excellent.

Talented: She can play the piano beautifully. She plays the flute and is first chair, I believe, in her orchestra. She writes and her artwork is pretty good, too.

Beautiful inside and out: Crystal has always been a beautiful child. Of course, I am prejudice because I think she looks a lot like her Dad, my oldest son, who I think is a very good looking man. But the most beautiful thing about Crystal is her inner qualities. She is quiet, sweet, and a joy to be around. She is fun to play games with. She is always polite and respectful to people. I can't get enough of being around her. She always makes me happy.

One funny story: When she was little, maybe about 3 or 4, she and Rocky James, her brother, were staying with me. They were playing so good, so quiet, when I realized that quiet can be deceiving. So I went looking for them. They were in the back part of my house by the bedrooms. They had found some marking pens, thank goodness they were washable markers. They had written all over the walls and all over Rocky James. Me: Oh dear, who has done this? Crystal: Rocky did it. Me: Oh, I see, I wonder how Rocky was able to write all over his back. Crystal: :).

There is a whole lot I could write about Crystal. I have nothing but admiration for her. I love you sweetheart.

Grandma

My Plan

I came up with a plan for my blog while I couldn't sleep last night. I thought about how this blog is, in a way, a journal for my grandkids. So I thought it would be kind of neat for them to someday come upon this and find a post about them. So, for the next couple of weeks, that is what I am going to do. One child at a time. This may be a wacky idea, but it is my wacky idea. For anyone that doesn't want to read these particular posts, they will be named after the child they are about, so you can skip on by.

It's Over, but it's Not Over

The surgery is over and I am greatly relieved. But what isn't over is the disruption in my life. I am having trouble sleeping tonight. It isn't like me to not sleep. Especially on pain meds. But I am not really complaining. I feel very blessed by how well everything has gone. I am thankful for an attentive loving husband. I am thankful for sweet, concerned kids. I am thankful for my daughter bringing me home and taking care of me. I am thankful to spend some good time with Dalley. I am thankful that I will get to see Luke, Kayce and the kids while I am here. I am thankful that I will get to go home with Shawn, Stina, and Ira. So, the disruption has its perks. I am okay.

A Tribute to the Dad's in My Life

The main Dad I want to pay tribute to today is the Dad to my kids. He is the best choice I have ever made. In two days I will have spent 37 years as his wife. Each year is better. Each year I discover more about him that makes me realize how blessed I truly am. I have been sitting here as he talks to each of his kids on this special day. Words cannot express the love I feel for him in the way he counsels them and tells them he loves them and most of all tells them what terrific parents they are.
This does make me miss my Dad. It makes me yearn to see him and talk to him again. I know that day will come, but right now I have to be patient. I am so thankful for my knowledge of Heavenly Father's plan. And one of the main reasons I do know the things that I do is because of the great man, my father, who taught me all about it. It makes me want to live better so that I can be with him as well as my Father in Heaven and my Savior.
I do not have the gift of expression. I admire so much those who do. But this is my simple heartfelt tribute to the two most important father's in my life.

And the Jury is Out

I have spent the last two days doing jury duty. I won't say that it was fun. Quite the opposite. But I will say that it was interesting. I learned a lot about different things. Like, railroads and how they run and what they carry and a lot of other details., bloodhounds used in police work and how they are trained and how they work, and just a whole lot of other stuff. Yes, I would say that it was interesting, but I lost two days of my life in which I did not live my normal life and did not see or talk to anyone in my family pretty much. Glad to serve, but glad it's over.

Don't Be In A Hurry

Wow. I just read an article that may have changed the way I think forever. I have been feeling confused by the gravity of being "busy". But then I read this:
Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin said, "I fear that we may feel the busier we are, the more important we are--as though our busyness defines our worth." And he said, "Being busy is not necessarily being spiritual-for in fact, noise and busyness can actually crowd out the still, small voice of the Spirit."
This article goes on to say that we should not be too busy to remember God, don't be too busy to include Christ in what we do, don't be too busy to meditate and ponder, and to not be in such a hurry to do everything. Of course there is more to be said about all of this. But it did make me think in a different direction than I have been. I was one guilty of thinking that being busy made a person more important or noteworthy. I am now totally sold on the fact that this is not true. I now believe in the merit of taking time to remember, ponder, and pray to God.

What Does Love Have to Do with It?

Everything. Love is what makes us tick. It is what makes us happy. It is what makes us sad. It makes us joyful, it makes us hurt, it makes us content, it makes us reach for the stars. I was just sitting here thinking about how so many times we don't think there is quite enough love left to go all the way around. We are jealous in a way of other peoples joys and achievements. We sometimes think that we aren't as good as those people so we are less deserving. So Wrong. There is more than enough. They can be wonderful, capable, high achieving people and we can still be who we are and be just as deserving. They can have wonderful experiences and it doesn't take anything away from our wonderful experiences. There is no competition with love. I guess I am talking about God's love. But where do all of us get our love from. From God of course.
I am talking to myself here. I have to be reminded. I am way too low on the self-esteem pole. But I am getting better. Because I KNOW I am loved.

I Really Shouldn't

I really shouldn't be blogging today. So why am I? Here is some ideas I have come up with:

1. I feel guilt for not having blogged for a few days.
2. I like to write things down when I am sad or scared.
3. I need to be validated.
4. All of the above or none of the above in which case it would be "I don't know."

Why shouldn't I be blogging. Because I don't feel good. I don't have anything uplifting to say. Or really of any interest. I am BLUE.

I can't seem to shake this BLUE feeling.

Do I know why I am BLUE. I think so. I am facing a surgery in two weeks. Only minor surgery. Nothing to worry about. But I am a control freak and this is way out of my range of control. I will be out of control of my house, my yard, and my job. I feel like I will be out of control of my entire world.

And to top it all off I feel like a WIMP. This is nothing to worry about. This is going to better my life in the future. But still........
And then there is the money. It is going to be a small financial burden until it is paid for. Therefore the stress.

Now the question is: Do I delete this post or not. Is it of any value in the future which is what this blog is all about, a type of journal.

Maybe it will help. Maybe I will keep it. Maybe I will delete it.

NOTE: If you are reading this, it didn't get deleted.

Picture of the Twin Tornados

Just thought I would a picture of the little ones. I love the looks of pure joy on their faces!

Twin Tornadoes

Have you ever seen two tornados running side by side and coming your way? I have. This weekend I had these twin tornados running through my house constantly. They are only about 2 feet high and have very blond hair, both of them. They even have names. L.E. and Dalley. They are so cute together but they leave a mess in their wake. But, oh how it does my heart good to see them so happy and to see them truly love each other. They did not fight even once. They couldn't wait to see each other each morning. In fact, L.E. woke Dalley up on Monday morning because she couldn't wait. When they went for a walk down to the field, they were holding hands. It was so cute. I've heard of cousins that are really close growing up. I've always thought that would be cool. Well, these two look like that is where they are headed.

My Bliss was Brief, But it Was Fun While it Lasted.

So, a week or so ago I blogged about Dalley asking for me when they called for Rocky's birthday. Well, I talked to them again night before last. Kristi put Dalley on to talk to me. He couldn't even get "Hello Nana" out before he was asking "Where is Bompa." And no matter how many times I told him that Bompa was out cutting hay he would not give up. He really felt that if Bompa knew he was on the phone, he would come rushing in from the field. He is probably right. I am sure he thought I should go out and get him. After all he was willing to wait. Silly Nana. Where is your sense?

Dear Grandkids,

This blog is for you. Someday maybe you will be reading all of Grandma's old blogs back in the olden days. Maybe you will come upon this blog and maybe you will read it and find out that your Grandma has another side to her that maybe you don't know about.
Did you know that I was young like you are once. And I had a lot of the same feelings that you do. Times were different, but people aren't.
I met your Grandpa in High School. No, it wasn't love at first sight. In fact it took a while for us to appreciate what we now love about each other.
One of the things I always wanted more than anything else in the world was Grandchildren. I guess that meant I had to have children to get them. So I did. Now I have you and oh how precious you are to me. Besides the gospel and your grandpa you are the most important thing in the world to me. You see, I love children. When I was raising my own, I was too intense on making sure they turned out all right. But now I get to do it again right and do it a better way. I know you will turn out all right. You are beautiful, each one of you in your own special way. I marvel at how precious a soul that you are. I can hardly wait to see how you grow and change.
Anyway, when you read this some day, just know that I love you. In a special way. You are one of the lights in my life.
Love ya for all eternity,
Grandma

Music to My Ears

Yesterday was Rocky's birthday. Our kids called. When Kristi called she put Dalley on the phone to say "Happy Birthday, Bompa." I was on the other phone. He quickly said "Happy Birthday Bompa." and then went right into "Where's Nana" (that's me). The thing is, Grandpa is always the favorite around here, because he provides the kind of entertainment that the kids just love; riding the 4-wheeler, riding horses, feeding cows and horses, irrigating, etc. So you can imagine how I felt being looked for by a very precious 2-year old. What a bright light in our life that little boy is.

I LOVE Rain.

During the night we got just a slow rain that made the whole world fresh and clean when I got up to exercise. I love mornings like that. We had a few more small showers as the morning progressed, but now it is just a beautiful day. A clean, sparkly, good day. That is what I love about Nevada rain. It comes and cleans everything up and then it goes away.

HOURS

I love the hours in the day. I want to enjoy each one of them. I want to use them to the fullest. But they are so fleeting. They whiz by so fast that it makes my head spin. BUT there are always more of them. I just wish that I didn't have to sleep. It would be so fun to use up all those too.

Well, I guess he told me!!

Luke and his four year old is here staying with us this week. Luke is helping his Dad get caught up on some work. I have really enjoyed the time spent with Lukie, my four year old grandson. This morning he really got me. He was doing some art work. Cutting and Pasting and that sort of thing. He drew a pretty good heart and cut it out. Then he wrote some letters on it. It looked like a bunch of "h's" and maybe a t or an r. So he said to me, "Grandma, what does this say?" I said, "I don't know honey. Can you tell me what it says?" He said, "Grandma, I can't read. Don't you know how to read?" I laughed and laughed. Finally I told him that I was sure it said "I Love You" on it. What a kid!

Judging.

Today the thing on my mind is how people judge each other. I hate it. Seriously, there is something to like about everyone. I mean everyone. But there is also something to criticize them about also. Some more than others. But don't you think the world would be a better place if we decided to look at the good in others rather than look for the things that we may not like.
I spent an hour with a friend yesterday who had some very ugly, viscious things to say about a family in our valley. If I tried to disagree or at least show her how she maybe needed to look at this family with a different perspective, she shot me down. She knew that they were this way and I was wrong. I have known this family for 20 years. They have some trials within their family, but they are good, honest people. They do their best with what they are given and what they DON"T need is someone looking at them with a microscope thinking they know better what they could be doing to make their life better.
What is more, this friend that was saying these things does not have a perfect family nor a perfect track record. I love her with all of her flaws. It is like the hymn we sometimes sing in church. "Once I said unto another, 'In thine eye there is a mote (a small particle). Hold and let me pull it out.' But I could not see it fairly, for my sight was very dim. When I came to see more clearly, in mine eye there was a beam (a large board)." Isn't that the truth. Or what about what Christ said, "He who is without sin may cast the first stone." I want to meet that person who has the right to cast the first stone because he is without sin.
Okay there, I have said it. Now I will step down from my soapbox.

Who Knows Better Than a Cowboy and Bugs

Okay these are the two things on my mind today. And just in case there is any confusion, the two don't necessarily go together.
First I will start with the cowboy thing. I have been quite irritated since almost a year ago I was talking to some young people and one of them was outraged at the fact that cows are kept in pens in large numbers. The audacity of young people really gets to me. Sometimes they don't have a clue what they are talking about. Have they got a clue that they don't know as much as they think they do at least? I have needed to write this down to get it out of my system and then I will be done with it because I know it won't change the minds of anyone but I will feel better. Mainly these kids, as I call them, have the impression that country folk or, specifically, cowboys are dumb and uneducated. Oh so wrong. I don't know all cowboys, but I know the cowboys in my life and they are the most intelligent, hardworking, industrious, caring, and savvy of anyone I meet from the city. And cows are their life. They have had to learn everything there is to know about cows in order to make a good living and to pass down their legacy. They would not last long at all in their business if they don't take care of their animals. So if they keep them in a corral with lots all together, believe me they know what they are doing.
Now about bugs. I don't like bugs. So I try to keep them out of my life. But I've been wondering if this is the next thing I will have to endure from the same people who worry about cows or little mice (I once had a comment from someone like this on my blog about catching a mouse). I mean, there is a reason that we use the term "Bug" for something that irritates us. Bugs really bug me. So are we going to have to make sure that we are being humane to bugs and are we going to be villified for using the term "bug" in a deragatory way? I don't know, but these people really are starting to "BUG" me.

I Am Sure I Am Breaking A Copyright Law

I think there is a law against taking someone's pictures and using them.

But since it is my grandchildren I am sure their mother's will forgive me.

This is 16 month old Ira. This face can break your heart.

Here he is bowling, rented shoes and all. I wonder what his score was.

Here is 2 year old Dalley right after a bath, all squeaky clean with big feet.

And this one is right after his Grandpa combed his hair, hotter style. Pretty smart looking kid.

What I have Learned from Glen Beck.

You know there are a lot of things floating out there about Glen Beck. But I am here to tell you if you listen to all of those without listening to him, you are being extremely unfair and foolish. Just give him a chance. I have learned a lot about histroy from him. And I have learned a lot about the constitution. I have grown to highly respect and appreciate our founding fathers from him. I DVR his program and watch it when I can. Today I learned from him about Martin Luther King Jr. What an awesome man. I was a kid during the years he was alive. I was in High School when he was killed. I didn't listen to the news back then or pay attention to politics or anything. I wish I had. The man did so much good and in the right way. Not with violence or anger. With reason and truth. Glen's latest thing is to have the anvil of "Truth" and pound it with "NON-Violence." He doesnt want everyone to believe him and what he says, he wants everyone to find the truth themselves and work towards the good of our nation. Exactly how I feel. Now I will get off my soapbox and go to work.

I still say Things come in Threes.

Okay, so I have three things wrong with my world and it always seems to be like that. If one thing breaks down then be looking for two more. One of the elements on my water heater is out. My ceiling fan in my bedroom needs repairing or replacing. And yesterday I found out that the well that supplies water to my sprinkler system is gone out. I was wondering what would be next when the second thing happened. I have all the parts for the first two. But the last one can prove to be very expensive. I am waiting to hear the verdict on that one. And I know it isn't going to be pretty.

That's what Friends are For.

So I am very thankful for good people today. Rocky is really under the wire to get his pipeline job done, haul his cows to the range,and keep up with work and chores and irrigating and farming and whatever else I ask him to do. Anyway, today we have people all over the place helping. Dustin and Kristi came home and they are hauling cows. Wade helped haul cows yesterday and Ross is coming today to haul some. Marita is doing whatever we need her to do. And about 15 or 20 guys are out there with Rocky laying the pipeline. I appreciate all of these people so much. We have a bunch of women bringing up food to feed everyone when they get done. It is a beautiful thing. And the government didn't even have to tell them to do it... Go figure.

Okay, Now THAT was funny.

Well, I have had a really good laugh. Good for my soul. Marita and I went Visiting Teaching. We went to Amy Huntsman last. It was dark. We stayed about 45 minutes. When we came out Marita decided to back out of the driveway. Like I said it was dark going in and it was dark coming out. She didn't know there was a ditch there. I didn't think to tell her. All of a sudden we felt a thump. She says, "What did I hit?" So I got out. I said, "You didn't hit anything, but you are in the ditch." Both back tires were in the ditch. So she guns it and burned a bunch of rubber all to no avail. So she decides that I should come and drive and gun it and she will just push the truck out. (Did I mention we were in her truck.) But I thought, "This isn't going to work. But I can push it out as well and she knows her truck and she can do the rubber burning." So I get back there and she guns it and I push and IT WORKED!! Only the tires flipped a bunch a water on me coming out of the ditch and then covered me with dust when it hit the dirt. So I looked like I had been frosted. But it was only my bottom half, so we're all good. But I laughed and laughed and now I feel great.

I've never had as much fun as when ....

I think the one thing I discovered lately is that the most fun I have ever had is when I am helping someone. Friday and Saturday was spent totally doing that. It is way more fun than just splurging on myself or kicking back doing whatever I want. It is also the solution to most problems. Forget yourself and help someone else.

Oh, one funny thing (to me anyway) happened. I dreamed Friday night that I was getting ready for church and I realized I hadn't prepared my Primary lesson. So I woke up at five a.m. and dove out of bed only to realize about five minutes later and when I was fully awake that it was Saturday. Well, then as I said, Saturday was a full day and I didn't get to my Primary lesson until about 10:00 at night. I stayed up preparing the lesson. I got to bed rather late. So when I get to Primary, not one single kid in my class is there. It is the Clark County Fair and I guess they all decided to go there. So this lesson that plagued my whole weekend did not happen.

Funny things happen every day. It keeps life interesting and fun. I am going to look for those opportunities to help someone and those opportunities to laugh. That is my kind of fun.

Is Anyone Listening?

I don't know about how I feel today. It just seems that everywhere I turn no one is listening. The government is not listening to us. We are supposed to be the ones they answer to. They do work for the people you know. And we pay them well for that.
Daily I get telephone calls from people who will not listen to me. You say that you can't afford to donate to their cause they just think up another amount that maybe you can pay. What is hard to understand about "I am broke. I can't afford to pay you anything."
Even the people who come into my office don't listen. They have to say what they come in for and they don't want to hear your response. I guess they just want a pound of flesh. I certainly wish I could literally give it to them. That would be a nifty way to lose weight.
I have friends who don't listen. Not all of them mind you. But some who don't want to hear anything you have to say unless it pertains to them. They aren't happy for your joys, they want theirs to be better. They aren't sad for your woes, they want theirs to be worse.
Even family doesn't always listen. However I have to say that my family is exceptional. They listen pretty good, most of the time.
Excuse me for this blog. I don't mean to complain. But I just needed to have someone listen to me today. And this computer listens really well. And then I can read it and I know I am listening at least.

I Am A Little Random Again Today

More random thoughts because that seems to be what I am all about these days. My mind just flits from one thing to another. So here are todays:

1. Spring is probably named Spring because you never know when it will Spring into life.

2. It really does matter what brand of batteries you buy. So spend a little extra to get a whole lot of extra use out of them.

3. Flowers are some of the most beautiful of God's creations. I love flowers. They look beautiful and they smell beautiful and they make everything else beautiful.

4. There is really no reason for coloring eggs on Easter. It seems a little bit of a weird tradition. But it is fun to do, so I guess I will shut up and color eggs.

5. Sometimes opening your mouth to say anything at all is not the best choice. Sometimes more is said by not saying anything. Sometimes you need to open your mouth and say the right thing. Sometimes it is hard to tell whioh is the right thing. But it is never wrong to say "I love you."

6. Am I obsessive/compulsive or am I just weird or am I a neat freak or do I have to be in control or am I normal. I am going to pick normal.

7. I take back everything I said about dogs being easier than kids. No they don't talk back and yes they do give a lot of affection, but they can be disobedient and sneaky too. My dog will only sleep on the couch, which is forbidden, when we are not around. How can I tell he does? Well, I have caught him and he also snags the couch cover with his claws. What can I do when I am not there to discipline him.

8. I love dogs, but I don't want anymore dogs after Riggin is gone. Why? Three reasons. There could never be another dog like Riggin. It is too much work to get them trained. I have run out of people to take care of him when we are gone.

9. I wish I had had more kids, then maybe one of them would have lived near enough to be able to see the grandkids more often.

10. I was just about to put one thought here that would divulge my age and I realized that thought needs to be kept to myself. And why in the world does age matter at all. I don't know. It does though.

Stupak is Stupid

I am just one of those of the general public, who according to politicians, don't know what is good for me. They say that I need their help, because I am just not smart enough. But I think I am smarter than some of them. I am smarter than Stupak who caved in with the excuse that an Executive Order was signed to satisfy his demand that no government money pay for abortions. Even I know that an Executive Order isn't worth the paper it is signed on. Maybe he isn't stupid, maybe he is just one of those politicians that can't tell the truth if they open their mouth.

A Joke

So I heard a joke today that I liked. Here it is:

There was a certain politician who had been in the Congress for many many years. One day his time came and he passed. He met St. Peter at the gate. St. Peter told him that he could choose to go upstairs or downstairs, whichever he wanted. The politician asked if he could check out the two places. He was granted his request. First he took a look downstairs. He found a lot of his friends and there was a beach and beautiful weather and parties going on with lots of food and drink. Then he went upstairs to check it out. It was a very peaceful beautiful place. He went back to St. Peter and said that it was extremely hard to choose, but he decided he liked the party scene and would like to go downstairs. So St. Peter put him on the elevator down. When the politician got off the elevator he found a hot firey furnace. He walked up to Satan and asked what was going on. Where was the party and the fun and all that he had thought he saw. Satan just shrugged and said. "We are doing just what you did on earth. Making lots of promises that we don't keep."

Time Change

I don't like time change. Daylight savings time is not saving any daylight. There was just as much daylight last week as there is this week. They just stole it from the morning and tacked it on to the evening. Why? It just sounds like another governments great idea. Not. I wish I could protest and just stay on the same time year round like Arizona. Nature does a good job of taking care of itself. Maybe I will move to Arizona. But then I would miss Nevada. I guess not. I'll just keep on doing what I am forced to (and complain about it.)

Daffodils

My Daffodils think that it is Spring. Too bad the weather man didn't get the memo. So here are these beautiful flowers blooming in my yard, but everything else looks like Winter. I wondered why they bloom so soon before its surroundings are ready to dress them up. Then I wondered if there was some kind of lesson to learn from it. I came up with the idea that we should all be our best self no matter what or who we are surrounded by. Someone may be watching and will be enriched by your presence like I am with the daffodils.

You Can Plan All You Want But Weather Does What It Wants

We are leaving tomorrow to go to Roy for Britnee's baptism. We thought the weather would be good one weekend. But no. The weatherman says it will storm tomorrow. So I guess we will be driving in it. It isn't like we have a choice on whether to go or not. We must go. And besides that Rocky won't be home to plow snow. With the State Highway requiring a Furlough Day every month we need the money from his overtime to make up the difference. So last weekend it said it would storm, but it didn't. He didn't get the time in.
But I am not going to worry about all of this. I am so looking forward to seeing Rowdy and his family. It has been a while since we were last together. We are going to have a great time together. Luke and his family will be going too.
(Jane, I bought the book that Sara wrote to give to Britnee. I hope it is helpful. Their experience really touched my heart and I am so thankful that it ended well.)

This Is Random Thought Day

And here are some random thoughts.

Some of the people I consider to be very good friends are as young as my kids.

Some of my best friends are my kids. And I was blessed with some pretty special kids/friends.

When something is taken away usually you get a blessing to replace it.

Sometimes life isn't fair, but it is always worth it. And sometimes life is hard and it is still worth it.

Everything that I love and enjoy usually includes my family or my friends.

Change really is as good as a rest. Sometimes change is really hard but it is way more interesting.

I really don't like getting older but the alternative is even worse.

Dogs and horses have always been my favorite animals because they can be pretty good BFF's.

I Love It, I Hate It

I love getting moisture. In a dry climate, moisture is wonderful. But I am very spoiled. Because I want to do what I want to do. And I want to go see Dalley for his birthday tomorrow. And the snow may prevent that. We'll see. So I love having snow, but I hate having it come this weekend.

Eyes

So, I get up at 5:00 every morning by the alarm. Rocky gets up at the same time, so it works well. Sometimes though he has to go in to work early. So he sets the alarm for whenever he has to go, this morning it was 2:00 a.m. to do snow plow duty. So he then will set the alarm for me. As he did this morning. However, I woke up at 5:42 and the alarm had not gone off. I could see that the alarm was still on and hadn't rung yet. So I checked it. He had it set for 5:50. What? Do you think it was his EYES?

NOT Happy with the Mail Service These Days

I am really unhappy. Really, really ticked off at the mail system right now. Ryan has not received mail from us for two weeks because stupid rules. He lives with a family in Buena Vista. Because their name is on the box, they will not put his mail in it unless you say care of The Randall Family. However, he has received some of the mail, just not all of it. AND they haven't sent it back to let me know. My letters are out there in no-man's land. He lived in Centennial and Aurora which are big cities and we had no problem with this. He lived with members there too. So what is the big deal if someone gets a letter that is not addressed to their family. If they don't feel that it belongs to them, then THEY can return it. Good Grief! Sorry, I am just frustrated. Now I have blown off a little steam, I feel better. So I will go write ANOTHER letter and address is right.

Kristi, You Know Me Too Well

So I just can't resist the post I put on yesterday. I thought most people would think, "Wow, she's wacky today." and leave and probably never come back. But, no, not my daughter. She figures me out and I still can't explain the whole thing. It will be clear as a bell soon.

TWELVE!

I love twelve. I am excited for twelve to happen. Twelve will give me one more reason for living and one more reason to count my blessings. I also love October. That is the month I was born and it is the month two of my children were born. October is a good month. Especially October 2010.

Ode to Joy

I have been thinking about Joy today. Even the scriptures say that "Men are that they might have Joy." So why is it that we feel guilty if we have any? I find it interesting that some people feel very burdened with so much to do and so many calls for their time. It is like they can't feel right unless they can feel burdened. I guess my quirky personality (and it is quirky, I am aware of that)is one that if it isn't bringing me joy then maybe I need to analyze it and find out if I need to do it. Always keeping in mind however that Work and Service bring more Joy than laying around doing only what I want. But there does need to be a balance. You do need time to do the things you enjoy. You know, "All work and no Play". So it is a constant choice thing. But if you find Joy in just working your head off, then have at it. But don't complain. Have the Joy! It affects me to hear about it. It is like I am constantly turning on the lights in my life and trying to keep them on and some people just come along and keep turning them off. I don't want to hear how busy you are. I want to hear how happy you are. Well, there you have it. My humble opinion.

Buena Vista

Buena Vista, that is where Ryan is right now. It is pronounced Biewna Vista by the locals. Like View only Biew. I have fallen in love with this place even though I have never been there. Ryan loves it there and I have gone on the internet and found videos and pictures of this place. It is absolutely beautiful. It is surrounded by 4 peaks which have been named after Universities. They are Princeton, Harvard, Yale, and Columbia. I saw the sun set over Mt. Princeton on one video. Breathtaking, that is all I can say. Buena Vista has around 2,000 people there and is at almost 8,000 feet elevation. It is in the more southwestern part of the state. This is sure to be one of the places we will want to go next year when we make a trip to Colorado. Well, that was my geography lesson for today. I love geography. I want to know all about this world and the countries and the people on it. Unfortunately, my memory doesn't keep track of all that I have learned over the years. But it is in there somewhere.

Olympics and Missing Ryan

I LOVE the Olympics. I like all parts of it. The interviews, the games, the stories. I love it all. But my husband? He is a sports lover, but doesn't care to watch the Olympics. He likes the Summer Olympics but not the Winter Olympics. I guess because he isn't into Winter Sports. But when Ryan was home he would watch all of the events with me. Well, except for the Ice Skating. He would even watch that with me some of the time. But our favorite was the Speed Skating. Oh how I am missing him now. However, Rocky is being a pretty good sport and watching a little here and there with me. What a guy!

President's Day! Hurray!

Today starts a long weekend. When I get home from work then I do not have to go back to work until Tuesday. Hurray! I LOVE holidays. I am thankful for President Lincoln and President Washington. Only I think we should celebrate their birthdays separately and have TWO holidays. It only makes sense. Columbus gets his own day. Martin Luther King gets his own day. So why do Lincloln and Washington have to share. Not fair at all. But I will resign myself to being happy to have one day off. Don't worry. I'm happy.

Honesty, Integrity, and Time

So, those are the things on my mind today. Wouldn't it be a wonderful world if we had a little more of all of those.
Honesty: I can make sure that I am honest in all my dealings with everyone and everything. The world will be that much a better place.
Integrity: The same as honesty but much, much more. I can try to have integrity in everything I do, including relationships. I don't mean the big stuff. But what about the simple things. If I say I will help my spouse with something, then follow through and do it. (No matter if he has done his part) Integrity doesn't depend on what other's do or say. It is all about what I do or say.
Time: I can give all of this that I have to spend in helping others and not wasting any of it. I was thinking about this one because I have been very guilty lately of not keeping in touch with a lot of my loved ones. I need to improve here. Again, it depends on me and cannot be blamed on them.
I am not saying that I do everything right in these ways, but I certainly can strive to do the best that I can.
So that is my two cents for today.

Something's missing.

I woke up this morning with the feeling that something is missing. Maybe it is the company I have had the last week at the breakfast table. Or maybe it is the help I have had with tying my shoes every day. Or maybe it is the diapers..(Nah, not that one.) Maybe it is the big help I had with driving the truck while Rocky feeds the hay. Maybe it is the entertainment I have had in the evenings lately. Yeah, I'm pretty sure it is all of them.

I Sorta Forgot What it Was LIke.

That is my excuse for not blogging. I forgot what it was like to have a little person around to take care of. It isn't that they take up all your time. It isn't that you have to entertain them. It is just that my mind hasn't been on blogging. Oh, but my mind is on funner things. I have had Dalley since Sunday evening. He has been a joy to be around. He is so funny. I can see why his mama is missing him big time. I don't know what I am going to do without this little shadow after this. I will miss the little voice copying me in my humming. I will miss the angelic smiles. I will miss toys strewn all over the house. I will miss having someone to talk to while I am driving the truck while Rocky is feeding. I will miss trying to figure out what "zork" means. Well, I guess I won't miss the toys. But I will miss the rest. Oh, the funniest thing he has said was last night. Maybe I shouldn't tell this on Rocky but it was too funny. Dalley is always coming up to me and telling me he is poopy. He just wants his diaper changed. He is usually wet. "Tinky" means the other. Anyway, Rocky passed a little gas last night and Dalley told him he was "Poopy" and "Tinky". What a laugh we got out of that.

What do you do with a bad mood?

AS the morning has progressed today, I just seem to get grumpier and grumpier. I feel like putting a warning sign on my chest that says BEWARE-I might bite. So I am looking for suggestions to fix this. What do you do when you see this attitude coming along?

I Am A Hypocrite!

Do you know why I am a hypocrite? Because I think all of my friends on Facebook should talk more and let me know what they are doing and thinking and feeling, etc. But do I do it? No! I can't think of one thing to say that would be of any interest to anyone there. I guess I just use up all my ideas on here. But I so love to hear about others. I love to go there each day and see how all of my friends are doing. I have acquired some pretty good and bad news from there. Oh, well. I guess I am a justified hypocrite. It is what it is.

Mystery

I have a real mystery going on in my house. The first day I thought it was a fluke. I came home and found a tray (a tv tray) that Rocky had a bunch of stuff on that he is using for a project he is doing, knocked over and the stuff all over and the tray collapsed. Well I figured that Riggin (my dog) did it on accident. He doesn't usually bother our stuff. Well, yesterday I came home to find that my laundry room was a mess. Someone, (Riggin I am pretty sure), knocked over a little cube storage thing I have. It is two cubes high. On the top I store my laundry soap. I had some Tide that I loosen the one lid so that the pump will let out detergent. It was leaking out and Riggin had walked all over and tracked it all over the place. Then there was a small box about half empty of Dreft Powder detergent. This was all over everything. I mean EVERYTHING. Rocky got home first and attempted to clean it up, which was better than nothing, but, as I said, I still found a mess. Well this morning I was in the laundry room and found even more of the powder detergent. And do you realize how hard detergent is to clean up. I have mopped the floor three times and it still feels a little soapy. I am pretty sure that Riggin is the culprit, but WHY? And if he hadn't done two things I wouldn't think much about it, but I am afraid to go home and find out what is next. I guess we'll see.

Fun Is Coming

In this case "Fun" is defined as "Dalley". And yes he is coming to visit. I get to have him for a whole week. He is at such a cute age. I was just missing him and wishing I could be around for some of the cute things he does and says. And then last night Kristi called and asked me to take him for a week. Rocky is happy too. He really misses not having kids around. And Dalley loves to do what Rocky does, so they are a good team. Rocky is going to love it!

I Am Jealous!

A big wave of jealousy hit me on Friday. Usually, I shove this kind of thing as far from me as I can. But it wouldn't budge that day. I am trying today to talk about it and then maybe it will go away. What am I jealous of? I am jealous because my husband spent an entire day with his parents and had a wonderful time. I yearn to spend time with mine. I am jealous because the ranch I live on has more memories of my Dad than I have and when I ride around it I can see that he was here and he was there and I really wish he were still here. I am jealous because I see people who can drop in on their parents anytime they need to and do. I haven't ever been able to do that. My mother has been gone since before I was married. BUT there are things that I am very blessed with that probably compensate more than I know. I have an awesome husband who is attentive to me and takes care of me and puts my needs before his own. I have good health. I have an awesome job. It is just enough to keep me occupied but not so much that it takes me away from anything important. I have some pretty awesome kids who are all very good to me. AND I have the most special grandchildren around. They truly are exceptional. What was I talking about? Oh yeah, I am truly blessed.

Stubborn Cows!!! Grrrr

Okay, so grrr is the only thing that looked remotely like what I am trying to say. It is supposed to be a description of total frustration. I have been looking out regularly at my lawn only to find cows out there on a daily basis, tearing things up because it is so wet and leaving little rememberances for me to clean up. And believe me they are big piles of rememberances. Rocky and I have both been fixing fence on a daily basis trying to keep them contained and NOT in my yard. But no, these stubborn cows think my grass is greener than the other side. What does it take to convince them that the 400 acres they have to roam is way more enticing than my little patch of lawn. I do have to say that out of the many many cows that we have, it is the same 6 or 8 that keep up this annoyance. Maybe cows, like people, have some that are just more stubborn than others. I don't know, but whatever!!

My Very Best Friend

Today I feel like talking about my very best friend. Rocky is my very best friend of course, but guys don't always get what a girl needs from a friend. So my very best girlfriend just happens to also be my daughter. My only daughter. I don't know if this happens to all mother and daughters, I just know it is this way for me. There is no one who knows me better and understands me better. I can tell her absolutely anything. I can even tell her when I am frustrated with her father because she will love him no matter what and she knows that I am just spouting off. I think if my Mom were around I would be this kind of friend with her. We would be a threesome. But she isn't and so I am thankful every day for this girl. What a blessing she is in my life.

I'm Not Sure I Am In Nevada Anymore.

When it rains in Nevada usually it rains hard and then the sun comes out. Yeah it may be cloudy for a day or so. But the sun comes out even part of that time. Well this last few days have been more like Oregon. It is cloudy all the time and there is a drizzly rain, no downpours really. Quite gloomy. And then last night when I was headed home there was a snowstorm that could match Northern Nevada. The flakes were great big ones. And even though the ground was so wet from the drizzly rain, the snow was laying. I couldn't see the road. This kind of storm isn't that common here. BUT, I know it is only here for a short time and I am enjoying it. LOVING it actually.

TGIF

I am so glad that it is Friday. I am so glad that Monday is a holiday. I love those three-day weekends. I don't, however, look forward to my tasks for this weekend. It is balancing my checking accounts, working on our records for the ranch and getting everything tied up and ready to do my taxes. Then if I get all that done I will get my taxes ready to give to Mark. And if I were lucky enough to get all that done, then I would clean my files for the new year. That doesn't sound like much of a holiday. Maybe I am not TGIF.

Anger Management

I've had an experience today with anger that brings this subject to mind. For my job I sometimes have to write letters. Yesterday, I was asked to write one. We had no idea who to talk to (who was in charge), no known address to mail to, nor any phone number that we could call. So I wrote the letter and it was delivered by our manager. I was blessed to not be to the office yet when the person in charge arrived with enough anger to be dangerous. I reread the letter to see what I had put in it that would be so offensive and create this type of anger. I am baffled. So I am wondering. Why does anyone in their right mind think that an anger such as that will resolve any issue at all. The main idea of the letter was that we needed communication and the Board would like them to attend a Board Meeting and clear things up. WEll this man was very offended that he should be asked to do such a thing. I am more baffled. This isn't a man I know very well, but he doesn't have the reputation for anger or unreasonableness. All I can say is that I am more aware than ever that anger NEVER solves any issue. It creates new ones. It loses friends for you. It makes you miserable. I am vowing to try to always keep my anger in check and never feel that it is a reasonable solution to anything.

Sweet!!

I know. I know. I am a little behind the times on blogging. Everything I know I owe to Brigette. But anyway, I found out a new tool today. And that is deleting comments. Rather easy actually. I just haven't ever needed to before. But I got a comment on my blog from yesterday that was very rude and uncalled for. How SWEET it was to delete it to oblivion.

My Dog is A Cat.

Yep, he is. My dog is a cat. A FRAIDY Cat. Yesterday, I had a sticky trap with a mouse stuck to it only by his two front feet. I was taking him outside, but he kept wiggling and I was so afraid that he was going to come off and run rampant through my house... or up my leg... or into my bed. All of which terrified me. Like mice always do. So I was calling my dog and begging him for help. I kept saying "Get him Riggin. Get him." What did my dog do? He ran and hid as far away from me as he could get. Well, that is good to know I guess. I won't be counting on him for protection from little things like mice. Only from people who I am not afraid of because he puts up quite a ruckus to protect me from them. By the way, I did get the mouse outside without him coming loose in my house.

OH NO!! I Forgot!!

I was reading something about setting New Years Resolutions and then I realized that I forgot to set any. Not even one. So then I decided it wasn't too late, but I can't think of one. Maybe I'm lazy and don't want to work at anything. If that is the case, I will set one later when I feel more up to it. Maybe I haven't had any success with them and only do it to be like everyone else that sets one. If that is the case I guess I will just skip this year. Maybe I am still working on last years. If that is the case, then I will keep working. Maybe I really do have one and I just haven't conciously made note of it. If that is the case I'll just proceed as usual. OR maybe I just set the same ones every year anyway. No that is not it. Okay, my New Years Resolution is to quit being lazy, be more successful at accomplishing my goals, be more conscious of my goals, and set some new ones in the near future. How is that? Done.