Note to Self

The world is a much happier place for MachMomma.
Now that she has new Buckle jeans

Now if only my bum looked this good in them

See here for the story

The couple that sneaked into the White House without any credentials!!!!!

Cutting Our Tree

I did survive although I felt like Thing 1 and Thing 2 were jumping on a trampoline in my belly all day yesterday. I guess it will be another 5 or 6 years before I do that again...


We have a lot traditions or routines in our family.

I'm going to talk about two of them today

First off, every year we go to Hawt Brother Larry's and cut down a pinion Christmas tree.
Which in itself is wonderful. We always go Thanksgiving weekend.

Secondly, Lovie and I have very spoiled children. They do not feel that way however.

But we supply able opportunities to teach our children how to work and make money. MasterChef is a beekeeper and has been since he was 10. He has 12 hives. We sell the honey and put the money away for his future.
We bought chickens when Ms. Fitt was 10 and she sold the eggs. We had a delivery route every week. It's hard to believe we have had chickens for 14 years. We probably have had 1,000. chickens too!

About 6 or 7 years ago, Lovie got this new passion and some how managed to justify it through the kids.

Trapping Bobcats

First off let me tell you it is highly regulated and actually very humane... considering.
Bobcat fur is the only spotted fur used in coats today, so the bobcats Lovie and the boys get are bought and shipped off to Italy to make fur collars and cuffs for coats.

Yes they get paid well.

On the average, each of the kids get about $500. a year into savings from this adventure.
That's why MasterChef bought a car when he was 13.

When we went to cut the Christmas tree, we stopped to check the traps Lovie set out previously. This is the first bobcat of the season for us.

While Lovie and the boys took care of the cat, me and the little girls had some fun with the camera on the other side of the hill





Derci is really concentrating on saying bobcat here. She really isn't Neanderthal child


And then off to find a tree, what usually takes us 45 minutes took 4 hours. We followed Lovie all over that mountain, looking for the perfect tree.
It was my fault, he thought he found one and without thinking I immediately commented on the hole in it.
That really got him going and he was ever persistent to find one to my liking no matter how much I back-tracked my previous comment on the tree he found.

All the while the boys are getting a long splendidly because they have Babe to pick on.

A fun snow ball fight with Babe and BadBoy turned into a war against The Little Sister when MasterChef became involved.

So yes, there was wailing and knashing of teeth, along with Babe running away into the forest and the boys thinking that was really awesome.MasterChef in typically form

Babe in her happiness.Obviously before the snow ball fight

My fav pic, even BadBoy Rockstars have a soft spot for Little sisters...sometimes

The Tree
and absolutely no holes
It is perfect
and smells really good too
Thanks Hawt Brother and Family

Note to Self

Last night Lovie and I went to dinner for the big anniversary.
He always takes me nice places to eat and has no qualm about the money tossed at all that over priced food.
Although the restaurant's specialty was seafood I was craving a steak.

So I order my usual filet Mignon with bleu cheese crumbles and sauteed mushrooms.
I asked for it to be cooked medium rare

Upon receiving my dinner, I realized after just one bite of utopia that my steak was actually rare not medium rare.

For most this would be a horrendous experience, for me, a heavenly one.

I love rare steak. It is so tender and juicy and good.

But I am to chicken to order it because of all the risks involved.

It was divine prophecy that I receive this steak, my natural man-side decided.
After all it has been years since I have had the guts to have one.

Upon awakening this morning, the feeling in my belly said I may be regretting my Natural Man choice. I will let you know exactly how good that steak was later...

I cannot just pick on my rare steak, it could have been those oysters on the half shell that were the size of fried eggs

I didn't marry my husband to change him.

I married my husband because he had potential

Can I just say
He has actually flourished beyond my expectations

Happy Anniversary
He is the longest boyfriend I have ever had






On another happy note
Happy Anniversary #3
to my eldest kidlet
Ms. Fitt and Baby Huey

DEA Officer

DEA officer stops at a ranch in Texas , and talks with an old rancher. He tells the rancher, "I need to inspect your ranch for illegally grown drugs." The rancher says, "Okay , but do not go in that field over there," as he points out the location.

The DEA officer verbally explodes saying, " Mister, I have the authority of the Federal Government with me." Reaching into his rear pants pocket, he removes his badge and proudly displays it to the rancher. "See this badge? This badge means I am allowed to go wherever I wish.... On any land. No questions asked or answers given. Have I made myself clear? Do you understand? "

The rancher nods politely, apologizes, and goes about his chores.

A short time later, the old rancher hears loud screams and sees the DEA officer running for his life chased by the rancher's big Santa Gertrudis bull......

With every step the bull is gaining ground on the officer, and it seems likely that he'll get gored before he reaches safety. The officer is clearly terrified. The rancher throws down his tools, runs to the fence and yells at the top of his lungs.....

" Your badge.. Show him your BADGE ! "

---

Christmas 2009

‘Twas the month before Christmas*

*When all through our land,*

*Not enough Christians were praying*
*Nor taking a stand.*

*See the PC Police had taken away,*
*The reason for Christmas - no one could say.*

*The children were told by their schools not to sing,*
*About Shepherds and Wise Men and Angels and things.*

*It might hurt people's feelings, the teachers would say*
* December 25th is just a ' Holiday '.*

*Yet the shoppers were ready with cash, checks and credit*
*Pushing folks down to the floor just to get it!*

*CDs from Madonna, an X BOX, an I-pod*
*Something was changing, something quite odd! *

*Retailers promoted Ramadan and Kwanzaa*
*In hopes to sell books by Franken & Fonda.*

*As Targets were hanging their trees upside down*
* At Lowe's the word Christmas - was nowhere to be found.*

*At K-Mart and Staples and Penny's and Sears*
*You won't hear the word Christmas; it won't touch your ears.*

*Inclusive, sensitive, Di-ver-si-ty*
*Are words that were used to intimidate me.*

*Now Daschle, Now Darden, Now Sharpton, Wolf Blitzen*
*On Boxer, on Rather, on Kerry, on Clinton !*

*At the top of the Senate, there arose such a clatter*
*To eliminate Jesus, in all public matter.*

*And we spoke not a word, as they took away our faith*
* Forbidden to speak of salvation and grace*

*The true Gift of Christmas was exchanged and discarded*
*The reason for the season, stopped before it started.*

*So as you celebrate 'Winter Break' under your 'Dream Tree'*
*Sipping your Starbucks, listen to me.*

*Choose your words carefully, choose what you say*
*Shout MERRY CHRISTMAS ,
not Happy Holiday !*

Um...Thanks

Last month was my birthday. MasterChef, who by the way is amazing with duct tape, he has made me and Ms. Fitt purses, wallets and I can not even remember all of the weapons he has invented with a little duct tape, rope, and cardboard roll from wrapping paper.

So I wasn't really that surprised when he hands me this and says:
Happy Birthday Mom


He is out of duct tape, so apparently he thought blue painting tape would suffice.

What the heck?
Don't I trip on enough hay twine already?

It would have been totally different if he would have assembled it.

Christ Centered Christmas

I am so naughty. I should have started posting our family traditions a month ago.
Several years ago. Heck, it's been probably been nearly ten years ago. I checked out this book from the county library.
I feel in love. I tried to find it. It wasn't for sale any more.
So I took the plunge and looked up the author in the phone book. I figured she must be from Utah. Sure enough I found her and was able to purchase several of these books. Which friends and family laid claim too.
Honestly, there is so much information in this, that I have not even used half of it in all these years. And the stuff is good.

You can use this manual in many different ways: Every night in December have a lesson ranging from 5-10 minutes to hours. Or use it as a FHE guide.
Endless possibilities.
For every lesson (there are 24 with tons of supplemental material ). You make an ornament or do a craft. You don't have too, it's just an option.

I have copied one of my favorite lessons and the accompanying ornament. It is about Samuel the Lamanite and "signs". Now these lessons can be simple enough for my four year old or more advanced for my teenagers ( or both, we all need the basics right?).
I will do another post about my Christmas tree, but I for now, I will tell you how much these ornaments make me giggle. The writing and cutting is so dang cute, especially when the very children mentioned have turned into Rockstars and Mad Scientists.


Samuel ornament. The feathers were a hit. This of course was Babe's.

Last night for family reading time.
I call it that because not only do we read scriptures, I like to read other good stuff, like the Church Magazines, articles from the Church News, books with gospel themes (Righteous Warriors By John Bytheway- favorite), timeless quotes and stories from the Book of Virtues, etc.
Well anyway, I read a story about a monkey trap and another story about a woman who was purchasing a nativity set from a market in Central America. Even Lovie said they were really good stories and it took all of ten minutes.

I tell you there is nothing like bonding time with your children sitting around and talking after a good story or two.

The ISBN number of this book is 0-9667633-0-0
I found their web page here
Make sure you get the one by Sharon Velluto and Suzanne Meredith

If you live in SL County you can try the library. But I have to tell you. I am kind of weird about this stuff. Sister Velluto and Sis. Meredith have put a lot of time and energy into this manual and it is worth the $20. Please do not copy the book and get it for free if you check it out.

Honken

So my little girls have started running around the house like Pete and Re-Pete, Squealing and being cute as heck.
The other day, they come running into the kitchen and say
Jelly Belly "Mom there is a spider is the front room!"
Derci "Mom! Spider!!"

So I go get a tissue and squish it.
Thirty seconds later
"Mom there is a big HONKEN spider in the entry, on the wood floor!!"
what child uses the word honken? mine of course!
Derci " Mom! Spider!!"

So I say "Well lets take a look"

"That is a honken spider" I say, "Really Honken"
They both have the exact same look on their face
"Well aren't you going to squish it???"
I really think they thought it was real
I pick it up and say "It's Babes spider. It's pretend"
Still the look
"I can't squish this one (????)"
Derci " Mom. spider. mom. mom. spider...."


Since we have Littlest Pet shops for all occasions, I thought I'd throw one in for fun (and to show the size of this HONKEN spider)