Geneology

Well today I was looking for my CU stuff and found a really old BOM that Big Red had in a drawer. I'm talking about 1800 book. The name of the original owner was written inside and though faded you could just make it out. So I decided for fun to try and look up the person on the internet and see what I could find out about her. Well in the process I found this cool site that has pictures of tombstones from all over the U.S. . So I've been bitten by the bug and talked to Mom and I plan to start doing geneology work this next week. I was specifically given in my patiarchal blessing counsel to do this work sooooo, I guess the season in my life is here for me to do it. It won't be convenient I'm sure. But I have to make the time and I figure that it will make going back to the temple this year that much more special. The funny thing is that is all started with me wanting to keep up my own journaling better....Isn't it funny how things tie in together?

Dad

Hey Dad! I found these pictures of you from Danny Kay's birthday in 06. Right before you found out you had cancer. I so didn't recognize you. I'm like who is that fat man? Do you remember growing the mustache because you didn't want the Jack in the Box gang to recognize you? Don't worry about that anymore, lol, your own daughter doesn't recognize you. So see there are some possitives you don't look like Boss Hog anymore. He he.

Hugz, LMSS

Boys and Pets

Amadeus has tried to bring home several frogs. The first one we discovered was poisonous and I made him get rid of it. Somehow, it found it's way back inside and he had to catch it and rerelease it into the wild. I guess it realized a good thing when it had it. lol.
The boys have had several pets over the years from a wienie mut dog that they adopted from the bus stop and named Brown Sugar to turtles and fish. The first one's were fish. We had a gold fish named Cowboy and Music Man and the age of two named the other onewhich was a male beta, Masala. Yeah ummm.... I have no idea, lol. We went through several male beta's. I was going through my divorce and I just couldn't tell Music Man that Masala had committed fishy suicide on top of the fridge. After all this was already Masala II. So I bought another one before he could find out. Then we moved to a new apartment. And Music Man was trying to show me what I good pet owner he was so we could get a new pet. So he had taken Masala for a walk. Masala died the next day. I barely saved the next one from getting a bubble bath. I think Danny Kaye was in on that one. Then their Uncle caught a baby turtle and gave it to them. I have no idea why but apparently one of them thought the turtle was cold because I went to get a glass of milk and found the turtle in refridgerator in one of their play tool box drawers. The poor thing had a cold for about a week. We gave it back to my brother to release into the wild after that. We moved into a house and then had a string of dogs that my parents kept giving to us and the one we adopted that was a stray that I mentioned above. Brown Sugar went trick or treating with us and got lost. Music Man found out later that someone in the neighborhood behind us had readopted him. Our favorite dog was A-Bear. Danny Kay still to this day calls him Eddy Bear. We loved him alot. He went on many a walk and bike ride with me to Alisa's house. Then about 3 or 4 Christmas's ago he got very sick. My vet friend says it was probably cancer. I knew I couldn't do another dog. I was in mourning and I would be mad at any other dog because they wouldn't be A-Bear. And I felt so guilty. I felt that I hadn't spent enough time with him. So when the boys wouldn't let up about a new pet. I went out to a farm that my vet friend had heard about and I got a cat. Ruth who was our comfort after losing a beloved pet was a sweety. and still is. She gave a little show of jealousy when Lil Red came home but has quickly become attached to him as well. She comes up to him to try to get petted and frets when he cries. She has always worried about me when I've been in pain and sat at my feet on such occasions. She still tries to assert herself in small shows like laying down on the baby's specific spots when he's not occupying them. She still considers herself the baby. But I no longer worry about her hurting Lil Red which she never did but I was not blind to the danger. Music Man just earned his right to pet of his own this last year. He tried to bring home some crickets from his Aunt's house in S.A. but they were eating each other and dying so he released the last ones back in the wild. So we bought him a guinea pig for Christmas. He named it Wyatt. I think he's learned what I pain rodents are and doubt he'll want to own one again. But he's attached to him and wouldn't think of turning him out at this point. Danny Kay is holding out for a dog this next year. I still don't want one. Big Red isn't to crazy about them either. So we'll see.

Sweet Memories from the past two years burned in my mind :)

Life as a Mom

One of the biggest blessings in my life has been the ability to be a stay at home mom. I had almost given up hope that that would be a possibility. All the men I dated would still need me to help with income. So the fact that Red came into my life and told me that he "wanted to take care of me and my boys", was not only a shocker but made me realize just how much he loved me. I love shuttling my boys to school in the morning and to various lessons. We listen to morning political talk shows, and talk about what's going on in the world. We have had many teaching moments on the way to school in the morning.And the lessons wouldn't have happened when I was single. I didn't have the money or the time.
I love being able to experiment and practice in the kitchen more on my cooking skills. It is so cool to be able to take care of little things for my husband, like picking up his dry cleaning or going to the bank or post office for him. Also I like being able to reach out to others that normally I wouldn't have time to do. We have a really old couple next door, they are French and I have enjoyed checking up on them and just going for visits and hearing all the stories they have to tell.
Of course one of my biggest joys is being able to play with Little Red and taking care of all his needs. He is growing so fast. If I had to work, I'd miss seeing all the little changes as he's developing his sweet personality. Yesterday I worked with the Music Man on how to make meatballs in the kitchen and Danny Kay and I worked on the third article of faith. Later Red and I had some alone time and prayed together on specific financial issues that we are facing. My life is so much fuller now that I'm able to be at home. I know that some women go back to work for a break from home life or because they need to feel like they've achieved something. Everytime I make Little Red smile, or we make it through a family home evening without complaint, or I make a dinner or dessert that everyone loves, or I'm able to comfort my husband when he's had a bad day; it's at these times that I feel the most accomplished. Even as I had to stop typing to love on my cranky little Red who is teething and have a sour milk smelling shirt on from being urped on, I feel such satisfaction from being a MOM. My oldest sister just posted a poem on her blog about Mothers. It is totally what I'm feeling as I try to explain the joy that I have at finally being at home where I need to be. If you'd like to read it click on the favorite blogger link below for Texasblu Poetry. Above are some pictures that relate some of the joy that I've had at being a Mom. Enjoy!

Answer to Where I Met Red for the First Time

Everyone was wrong! LOL! I thought TISO knew this one. We met at a dinner and movie night for the singles in the Houston area. I was there with a friend and it was my first time to attend one of those. I have to admit that Red jogged my memory about meeting him there the first time. What first caught my attention about him was his fantastic dancing skills. I have always loved to dance and so that was definitely one of the things on my list that would be a plus in looking for the man I wanted to marry. Well I was definitely blessed to find a man that really knows how to dance. He was part of a group in college that danced at contests! Here are three pictures from our short dating life. We dated as friends for a year but as a couple for approximately 6 months. I guess once we got serious and let go of our fears things moved pretty quickly.The first picture was a Halloween/House warming party. Douglas had been planning it for a while but it quickly became our party instead of just his. It was so much fun planning and helping co-host. It was at that party that he told me that he was ready to concentrate on us. The second picture is of us in Idaho at TexasBlu's house. We had just started getting serious but I already knew I was marrying him. Not that I "wanted" to marry him but that I was "going" to marry him, lol. My boys and I had planned a trip to visit TexasBlu and it was important to me for Red to meet her. It was funny though, she didn't really get to know him b/c he and I were cranky from the altitude changes and the house was crazy with all her kids and mine. You can't tell from the photo though about our crankiness, we we're still in love afterall, lol. The last picture was of that Christmas. My family was all in Utah for my brother's marriage. I couldn't go because I worked for the same company as my Dad and both of us couldn't be gone at the same time. So I was bummed about that and it was my ex's year to have the kids. Red and I decided to have a misfit Christmas. We had two other friends that had no family nearby and my youngest sister who also couldn't leave her job for the wedding. While the week prior to Christmas was very yucky and stressful, I have to say that Christmas was fun and special. This last picture was of Red and I engaging in some of that fun.