BFFs

I've been thinking today how important it is to have good friends. I have friends from all different walks of life, and I treasure each one of them. Some of my friends have been around for 30 years or more! In my previous post I talked about how much I enjoy my book group, and had a great time with them last night, but I thought today about how excited I was to get home after the meeting. I was excited to see Jeff and the kids. I was excited to hear what they'd been up to while I was gone and to hear how Kaylee had missed me (she always says she misses me). I was excited to hear from Brit what new facts he'd learned about Corvettes (his absolute favorite car), and I knew that Jeff would say he's glad I'm home and hopes I had a good time. And as I lay in bed last night thinking about the day, it occured to me... my family are my best friends! We know each other better than anyone else, we have fun together, we miss each other when we are apart, and most of all, we are always there no matter what! Yes, it's true- Jeff, Brit, and Kaylee are my best friends forever!

BOOK GROUP

Yay, book group night! Once a month I get together with the girls in my book group to discuss the book of the month. January's book was "A Long Fatal Love Chase" by Louisa May Alcott. It was a good book, I recommend it, and we had a good discussion about it. But we've found after meeting together for over two years that we spend just as much time talking about other things too. We all bring with us our different personalities and views on things, but, we all have come to love and respect each other for what we each bring to the table at our meetings. It's easy to go along from day to day with our own views and thought processes, and kind of get comfortable in our own knowing. But I love that I have an opportunity to be able to see things from another point of view, or another way of viewing. Thanks gals, for good food, great company, and lively conversation!

PERSONAL PROGRESS

Today I've been thinking about personal progression. This afternoon I will pack the kids into the car and drive into downtown Salt Lake City to be there when my brother Joe is recognized for something he's accomplished over the past year. Joe has worked hard for this day and he's sacrificed to get here. So today I'm reminded of the journey we all make while stationed here on this planet, and how different each person's accomplishments may be. I think it can be tempting to compare ourselves with others who may seem to shine a little brighter, or look a little more put together... or at least I've found myself doing that at times. But more and more, I've come to see that it's really just a "personal" thing. We all shine in our own ways! I think the journey is harder for some than for others, and it's impossible to know how hard one person may have to work to get to the same place that another person may have found easily. I love to hear that someone has accomplished a goal, or made progress in their life, it kind of feels the same as when I accomplish something myself. So here is me, sending out the goodness to ya'll, and all of your "personal" progress!

YURT CAMPING... in the dead of winter

This past weekend we tried a new kind of adventure. Camping in the middle of winter has never been a favorite activity of mine, but after staying in a yurt, I think I may have to add it to my list of favorites! Our yurt was built up on a deck and came complete with propane heater, comfortable beds, and electricity. We had a propane grill outside to cook on and toilets 50 feet from our door. The scenery was beautiful and serene, and the wildlife was amazing! Another advantage to camping in winter is the opportunity to have the campground pretty much to ourselves. We stayed both Friday and Saturday nights, and Saturday night we were the only people at the campground. It was quiet enough to hear coyotes howling in the distance which made going out to use the bathroom a little creepy.

We were able to make our own sledding hill and snowshoe across the frozen East Canyon Reservoir during the daytime, and play card and board games at night. Kaylee completely blew the rest of us away at Monopoly! She had so much money, she hired Brit to be her personal assistant and accountant once he went bankrupt.

Jeff brought along his spotting scope to check out the surrounding wildlife and was able to pick out deer and elk on the hillsides from miles away. We saw hundreds of deer, a few elk, lots of wild turkeys, about 15 bald eagles, and a llama. We guessed the llama was an escapee from a nearby farm, but it's still pretty funny to drive around a corner and see a llama trotting down the road! We also had a cute little bunny as our next door neighbor. I highly recommend yurt camping in winter! There is something about being able to enjoy some time away from the demands of day-to-day life that brings a little more balance and perspective. No t.v., no phones, no computer, lots of time to think. It was a wonderful weekend of just being a family.

SNAKES & SNAILS & PUPPY DOG TAILS...

...that's what little boys are made of. My siblings have been busily adding to our family tree in 2007-2008. Kara and Robb welcomed new baby Daniel on January 10th, 2008, at approx. 3pm. Congrats to the new proud parents and to his big brothers Mitchell and Isaac! I finally got to see him today (and get a pic) because I had a terrible cold last week and didn't want to bring my germs to the hospital. He is such a sweet, quiet, mellow baby. A blessing for Kara I think, now that she is mama to three boys.

This past August, Clark, Tif and Tiani, were able to welcome their little miracle, baby Samuel to be a part of their family! Isn't adoption grand? One day they were a family of three... the next day, out of the blue... they were four! You can see from his picture that his cheeks have a permanent rosy glow from millions of kisses.

But wait, we're not finished yet! Devin and Addy got the news today that their next baby, due at the end of May, will be a boy! No word yet on Joe and Keely's baby, due in summer 2008, but the outcome seems obvious at this point. So many boys! Kaylee and Tiani love all their cousins but were wishing for more girls I think. I agree that a little more sugar and spice wouldn't hurt. I guess we girls will keep our fingers crossed for Kyler to have a sister. Congratulations to everyone!

WEDDING BELLS!

Congratulations to my dad and Diane on their engagement! Dad and Diane have been dating for several months and tonight we got a phone call from a very excited, and happy Diane, to make the announcement that pops had "popped the question!" We are happy for you guys and wish you the best!

MURDER IN THE MIDDLE PASTURE

(Originally titled "Mystery Solved." )

There is seldom a dull moment at our house. With four dogs, eight cats, fourteen chickens, six goats, two ponies and four humans, we stay busy. Last weekend when Kaylee and I went to feed the animals, we noticed a lot of chicken feathers outside of their pen. This usually means that one of the braver chickens has decided to "fly the coop" to see what life is like on the outside. We looked and looked for a chicken in the yard and around the barn, but never found one. We counted the others and came up one chicken short (we used to have 15), and then decided not to assume the worst until it could be confirmed that the missing chicken had met with an untimely demise. We knew it was a possibility, however, because even though chickens can fly, for some reason they just don't! So when they are cornered instead of taking to the air, they run around in circles, well, kind of like a chicken with it's head cut off! Our next clue in the chicken mystery was that the dogs and cats were acting strange. They have been digging holes in the yard and acting territorial. There's been the kind of animal tension in the air that you could almost cut with a knife. When the dogs were outside, the cats were banded together and the two species kind of circling each other in a dog/cat standoff. More feathers were found in various places in the yard, and we inspected the places where the animals had been digging, but never found a body. Finally, last night around 10pm, Brit let the dogs out before bedtime and a couple of minutes later, Jasmine, our cattle dog mix strolled casually onto the deck with a dead, dirty, frozen chicken in her mouth! BAD DOG!!! I suspected her all along! I think she kept burying the carcass in the yard and then the cats would dig it up every night while she was inside sleeping. So, then she would have to bury it again somewhere else, only to find the cats had discovered it again the next morning! She reluctantly handed it over to Brit so that we could give the poor chicken a proper burial in the S.L. County landfill. Mystery solved.

AUTO LOVE

I love my car! It's cute, red and new. I love that is uses less gas and that it emits less pollution. I love the hatch-back because it makes grocery shopping so easy, and I love the power windows and locks. I especially love the keyless entry and sensor which unlocks the doors as soon as I touch the door handle, and the push button start... that's right, I have keyless ignition! I love the freedom I feel to go anywhere because I know my car will perform well and won't leave me stranded. You know those times when all seems right with the world, when you feel warm and fuzzy inside? I often feel that way while driving my car. I think the reason I am so in love with this hunk of metal (and lots of batteries) is because I have driven my share of "clunkers". I've been grateful for every one of my cars, but I have never felt completely safe or comfortable. I spent the good part of 22 years of driving, wondering if I would make it from point A to point B, holding my breath during strong winds on the Freeway, or manually rolling up automatic windows that had long since decided to retire. I am grateful for many things in my life, but today, I am grateful for my car!

A BLOG IS BORN

How do you know it's time to start your own blog? When your kids, ages 10 and 14, already have their own! I'm going to admit something that my husband would probably rather I kept to myself... I fear technology! I try really hard to "keep up with the times", but mostly, I just blunder and "bumble" my way along the techno brick road. I can do this though- with some help from my kids- I'll be on my way! Wish me luck!