TAG! I'm it.

If you are recieving this in email, the preview came up showing that some of the questions were in random orders and not with their answers. I'm not sure why, so if that is the case...sorry! I'm trying to fix it.

I have been tagged my by friend Kate. The rules for this tag include answering the 8 question written below. I then have to make up 8 new questions and assign 8 new people to answer them. So here goes something--or nothing. You can choose.

1. What is your creative outlet?
I have a couple of creative outlets. I LOVE LOVE LOVE to sew. I like that I can have an idea in my head and make it out of fabric. I use a pattern the same way I use a recipe. It's a good guideline but I'm going to do what I want to make it the way I want it. I also enjoy cooking; and I have tons and tons of rubber stamps that I use periodically.



2. What is your favorite place to be?I'm not sure I have a favorite place to be, but I LOVE being with my family--immediate and extended. Each January our whole family rents a lodge at the church property in CleElum and we all hang out for 3 days eating good food, playing games and freezing in the snow. That time each year with many of my brothers and sisters and parents is priceless.


3. Do you now, or have you ever had a collection of anything? (mine was and is Pez dispensers)
I used to collect mini tea sets. I have over 75 sets of rubber stamps. I guess that is a collection, although I don't buy them anymore. I have made it a rule not to buy anything that is not of use in daily life. I don't want to have to take care of it or store it.  I do have 18 Christmas Trees though...I'm going to have an enchanted forest this December. I'm pretty excited about it.

4. Share 3 things or objects you love most, and why. (people included)
I've decided not to include people in this answer only because I can't narrow them down to 3. There are way more than that. So objects win this time. 

I love my Kitchenaid Mixer. I love it because it is red. It does a lovely job mixing cookies, kneading bread dough and mashing potatoes.  It is easy to clean up and I've learned this weekend that it is also portable. It was put to good use at my Dad's house.

I love Rough & Ready styling gunk made by shortsexyhair. It's the best 'gunk' available for spiking short hair. I use it everyday when my hair is short.

I love my cell phone. I wish I didn't. I wish I didn't need it or only had it around for emergencies, but I don't. I love it's qwerty keyboard. (I had fun typing qwerty just now--twice.) I love it's big screen, that I have over 25 speed dials and that I can access the internet on it. I love it too much.

5. Why do you blog?

I started my blog because I am a copy cat and a friend of mine that I was serving in the primary presidency with had just started one.  She only updated hers once a month and I didn't think that was enough. All of the sudden I had a place that I could write down my thoughts and when you talk as much as I do, you have thoughts come up more than once a month.  My next reason was because I lived over 29 driving hours away from my family and I thought it was a perfect medium to show them what was happening with our family. My reasons now for blogging are 1.This is my politically correct journal. Since I can't say something mean on here--or I won't, this helps me to see the glass half full. 2.I'm my number 1 fan and when I think I'm hilarious I inflict my bad humor on your people.  3.I want to be published. This is a good medium to practice being creative.4. Why shouldn't I blog? It's super fun!  :)

6. What is your take on pets in the home/ as family members?
Define pet. Cats are not pets. I HATE THEM. They are good for mousing--outside and...mousing--outside. I don't like them. I don't think they are cute and they bug me when they rub against my leg and get hair on me. Dogs on the other hand...believe it or not, I don't love dogs as a breed or animal type either. I do love specific dogs. Animal--the dog. He's very nice. My neighbor's dog, Tator. He's very nice also. That being said I take it on a case by case base. (HA! Poetry!) Dirty houses don't need pets. If you can't feed your family, sell your pets. If you are going to have a pet, take care of it and love it. We actually got rid of our dog about 3 weeks ago. It wasn't working out in this neighborhood so he went away. I am sad about that, so obviously I'm not totally against dogs in your home and as a member of your family. DON'T HAVE A SNAKE AS A PET! They are disgusting.

7. What are your internet 'guilty pleasures'? (aka facebook, youtube, etc)
Facebook was my guilty pleasure for 2 years. I was consumed by it, so it turned more into an addiction. So, I deactivated my account for a couple weeks, deleted all my friends that I see on a day to day basis, and then reactivated it so I can keep in touch with distant friends every few days that I don't ever get to see in person. I also love YouTube a couple times a week. I spend most of my time on this website though...blogging amazing tidbits for your reading pleasure. You are welcome.

8. I hate the dentist. OK, that's not a question, but it IS open for discussion amongst yourselves. :) I feel like Linda Richman, from coffee Talk , leaving you with a topic to discuss...WHAT? You don't know who Linda Richman is? See that YouTube Video below to be introduced to her. The Dentist. I actually love going to the dentist. I love that the dentist can fix a painful tooth. I love that the hygienist can make my teeth sparkling white. Free toothbrushes and floss are appreciated. I like good check ups and being told that I don't have any cavities. Yep, I love the dentist.


 
OKAY, I am tagging the following 8 suckers:
1. Donna, my new friend in my new ward.
2. Ben and or Liz, my old friends in my old ward.
3. Kelly, my friend from High School. Her blog is PriVaTe! 
4. YOU! If you aren't included in the other 7 spaces, you win the prize for #4, my favorite number. Blog these answers then comment to let me know so I can read them. Gracias.
5. Gina, my little sister who NEEDS to update her blog ASAP.
6. Margaret, my cousin whom I have never met.
7. Carina, one of the best visiting teachers I have ever had. We moved from a town to go to school and she moved to that town after they finished school.
8. Elise, one of the best sister missionaries I've ever had to pleasure of getting to know.
 
Okay ladies and Ben, here are your questions...
1. What are your favorite soup and or bread recipes?
2. What are your nicknames? How did you get them? (Bonus points for embarrassing stories.)
3. Where is your favorite place you have lived? Why?
4. What kind of camera do you have? Do you like it? Hate it?
5. What is the worst meal you had to eat? This means you didn't just stir it around on your plate then dump it, you ATE it. Think mission stories people!...or newlywed ones. haha
6. What is your favorite television show that you probably shouldn't watch?
7. What is something you did as a child that you couldn't tell your parents until you were an adult?
8. Why do you blog?

Sign of Fall...

WARNING to my friend Trishelle, below are nasty pictures that you will NOT like.


I LOVE Autumn. It's my favorite FAVORITE season. (I typed holiday and had to delete it.) I love the trees changing colors, the brisk air and all the holidays that seem to follow so closely behind the beginning of this season. One thing I don't love is that migration of spiders from outside--where they belong and inside where they are disgusting. I'm not terrified of spiders like my friend Trishelle, but I don't like having them in my home.

For instance, check out this little monster that was on my wall yesterday just as Nicole was leaving for band. He looks big in the photo, but he was huge! Easily the size of a silver dollar. He's moved on to spider heaven now, thanks to me and my broom. I've got skills.

Our guest came back for another visit...

This time he took a nap on our back porch-in the middle of the day.

Our new neighbor 'Joe'

This evening Ken and I came home from the the super market and saw a huge raccoon run across our driveway, stop and stare at us, and then run up a tree.

Right as 'Joe' ran across the drive, the kids ran out of the house. They were going to see it. We quickly sent them back in the house and explained that raccoons aren't interested in playing.

I called my Dad to tell him about it, because that is what I do whenever I ever see anything exciting, and then it showed up again in the back yard. It was looking for a treat. I got it on video. I was talking to my Dad while I recorded and when I hung up with him I also ended the video. But I also got some still shots of 'Joe'. They are in the post right below this one. I took them on my phone so I had to send them separately.

I tried previewing this video and it said to try again later. I'm not sure why that would be be. Anyway, if it doesn't work, try again and if it still doesn't work, let me know and I'll try something different.

Accomplishments and Resolutions...

If you'll remember a year ago, I shared that I am kind of anti-New Years resolutions. I typically just try to do new things and stretch myself a little bit. Here are a few things I did this year, that I had never done before...

I went to Oklahoma and Texas. (I LOVE Oklahoma City!)

I entered pictures into the county fair.

I started working at a new school with EMH (Educable Mentally Handicapped) special ed. children.

I cooked a ham...twice.

I started wearing contacts.

Our cat had kittens...I'd never seen/or been a part of the experience before. (It's WAY over rated.)

I survived having a flat tire. (I could have died you know!)

I touched an alligator.

I learned a little bit of photo shop...it was only useful for mocking my friends on facebook.

I took classes at the rec center on ceramics and toll painting. I will be doing that again in the future.

That's all I could come up with. I feel like I am missing a few things, but as you can see, my new experiences weren't anything special...just new to me.

This year I am also going to set some resolutions. 3 that I thought of on my own, and 1 that I am stealing from a friend.

My 3 resolutions...

#1 Visit 3 new states.
#2 Make a pumpkin pie from scratch...I'm also going to grow the pumpkin.
#3 is something that I try to do all the time, but I have to recommit every so often...
Never tell my kids no, when I can say yes. Sometimes no just comes out before I even think about it.

My stolen resolution...
Start what I finish. You can read Kate's blog for more information.

I hope to make my 3 states...Illinois, South Dakota and Pennsylvania.

Kitten Update

The kittens are 4 weeks old now...All little furballs. They have started to walk around the laundry room and a couple of them love to hear their voices.

The Mom moved them a week or so ago and we actually thought one of the neighborhood huligans came in the house and stole them. (He suggested the idea earlier in the week.)

We have 2 girls and 3 boys. Nicole loves them, Matthew enjoys watching them occasionally, Ken also loves them, I'm counting down 2 more weeks then sianara little furballs, and if they want the mom too, they can have her!

Speedbump came back...

UG!!

Is there really anything else that needs to be added? He was waiting outside by the garage when we woke up on sunday morning. I guess he won't end up being a speedbump after all.