14 Day of Valentine Love

 14 Day of Valentine Love For Women

Here are some suggestions for little or no cost, to treat your husband or loved one in your life for 14 days of Valentine Fun:

Use these or be creative and think up your own. Most of all have fun showing your love!!!

Each evening after it's safe, plant your little surprise to be found the next day.

Begin on the evening of January 31st to be found on Feb 1st, then repeat until Valentines Day Feb 14

His favorite candy bar under his pillow

Put a passionate love note in his wallet , lunch bag, day planner or brief case.

Heart Attack (tiny paper hearts taped to) his closet door, or closet floor.

 Heart Shaped Pizza for dinner

Make his favorite sandwich and surprise him at work

A big lipstick heart drawn on the mirror

A red or pink balloon tied to his car door handle

A coupon for a back or foot rub

A heart shaped soap for his shower or sink

Breakfast in bed.

Cook his favorite dinner, serve it by candlelight and possible at it with just the two of you.

A handmade valentine card expressing your love

 Candy kisses sprinkled on his side of the bed or in his car

Make him his favorite dessert or cookies

A love note tucked in his church shirt pocket

Fill his car with red and pink balloons while it at work

A kiss imprint on his car window

Wash his car for him, or do another of his regular around the house chores for him

Offer him an entire day to do just as wishes

A picture of you in a cute frame for his desk or night stand

Technology Overload

Do you ever feel like all you do is waste time on the computer? 

For a while now, it has completely taken over all of my free time. 

My "to do" lists are left undone, while I try to fit in my basic "Mom" duties between checking out the computer each day.

It is such a waste of time. . . . . 

Plus, the pressure of commenting, reading blogs, reading facebook, living up to expectations I've put on myself.

Then ... I just don't want the pressure anymore. I just want to quit!!

I've put my blog on Private and then back again to Public several times this week. I know I need to blog and keep my personal journal up to date and would hate it if my family couldn't read it.  

But then, WHAT is there to blog about when you work and then waste time on the computer day after day?

Boring life -- that is what happens. 

I need to snap out of it and "get a life". Quit living my life by checking out what others are doing. 

I read an article yesterday about "Farewell to Facebook" here.

The article completely spoke to what I was feeling. I decided to delete all of the people who have "found me" through facebook. People I went to school with 30 years ago and never have kept in touch with. It was good to see them on facebook and catch up on what they are doing - but then the day to day life stuff goes on and on. Stuff I don't relate to because I don't know them - but I get sucked into their "wonderful" life and start feeling like such a failure. 

All of a sudden I don't want to blog or share - because I'm not good enough.

SAD....

I sat and deleted all of the people from my ward and school days. Now my facebook profile only has 16 people from immediate family whom I love and love me. People I won't waste time on - my time on. 

I felt relief. I felt like I could start being "me" again. 

I know it sounds silly ... but just deleting "facebook acquaintances" ... has been freeing. Now I won't get my feelings hurt by some brash statement someone says. 

Today, I came home from work and started on my "to do" list. I may have an actual life again - when I limit the hours spent on the computer. 

This will be a great thing. The article was an eye opener and I think it is going to give my life back again. I feel better today .... like a load has been lifted off. It's kinda funny how I feel freer in blogging to people who don't know me and don't really care what I blog about. 

aaaaahhhhh It's been uplifting to get back to what I want to do and not impressing anyone. :-D

(I can't even imagine if I played computer games - thank goodness I don't)

Pink and PurPle Polka dot CuPcakes

The fun has begun! Play practices started out with a cast party.

They watched "Once Upon a Mattress" movie and Brady loved every minute of it. 

Here are a couple YouTube videos of the movie. 

I was surprised that Glee Star Matthew Morrison starred in the movie. 

The cast members were assigned to bring a pot luck food item that started out with "P". 

We chose to send: Pink and PurPle Polka dot cuPcakes.

I used a white cake mix and dyed half pink and half purple. It was extra fun!

So far Brady is loving each minute of practice. The teachers asked him why he isn't in choir. He just doesn't have enough credits to have that class. I can't wait until I can watch the show. It's all very exciting.

Brady's in the High School Musical this year!!

Yippeeeee!!

Brady tried out for a part in this years high school musical production of:

"Once Upon a Mattress!" 

Or sometimes known as: "The Princess and the Pea". 

AND

He has been chosen for a lead role as the Jester! 

He will be singing 3 songs and do a tap dance. The day that he tried out for the musical, he wanted to learn how to juggle. He found some instructions on how to make the balls out of balloons, watched a YouTube video and practiced and practiced over the weekend. By Monday he could juggle. He is quite good. He is very talented! I can't wait until we can watch him perform.

Below are some YouTube videos of the songs he will be singing. Practices start today. The productions will be held March 10 - 12 and 17 - 19. 

There is an "A" cast and a "B" cast. Each day a different cast will be performing. I'll have to find out the exact dates Brady's cast will be doing the play. If you want to come and watch him, let me know so that I can get you tickets. 

It's all very EXCITING!! 

Christmas 2010

Christmas! Our most favorite time of the year!!

The glow of lights that comes into our home brightens our hearts and minds. I love it!

I took it easy this year. I tried not to over book myself and enjoy the music, sights and sounds of this wonderful holiday celebrating the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. I wasn't as frugal as I wanted to be, but I paid cash for everything (Nothing was charged). 

I received some really delightful gifts this year. 

Charlotte gave me this set of measuring spoons. The are very heavy duty metal with fun carvings and angels at the top. It's fun to grab a spoon full of flour and see the hearts dented into the flour or spices. I'm having tooooo much fun with these measuring spoons. I love them!!

Jo made me this apron. Isn't it cute?? Snowmen! Jo is really talented. She has been making these aprons to give as wedding presents. I was very happy that she made me one too. I've been wearing it everyday!

It's cool to receive cooking stuff .... do they know me or what? 

Look here! I received this ornament from Cherie!!!! BEAUTIFUL! Thanks Cherie for thinking of me. I was very surprised!! 

This year, Jason, Brady and Sharon gave me a shot gun for Christmas. I've wanted a gun for a long time. I can't wait to go out shooting with my children. I hope I can handle it. It's heavy and big. I know I feel a lot safer having a gun in the house. 

When I tell people that I received a shot gun for Christmas they are all shocked. To me it isn't a surprising thing. I was raised around guns and am a pretty good shot. Guns do not scare me at all - especially if I am holding one. I feel safe and secure and it is a good feeling. 

Thanks Jason, Brady and Sharon! This was a terrific gift! It was funny that Santa put the bullets in my stocking. I asked my children if they checked their stockings Christmas morning - and they asked me if I checked mine. It was a surprise! I felt inside and it felt like a stocking full of batteries. I was laughing when I found out it was shot gun bullets. 

Christmas morning Jason got up and made breakfast for us. He made biscuits and gravy. It was very tasty and nice to be pampered. 

We built a fire and started opening presents. 

Jason received, 2 pair of pants, a shirt, a hoodie, shoes, PJ bottoms, socks, exercise bike, floor lamp, a knife set with a knife sharpener, and a hand made wooden cutting board (made by my brother in law Kelly - thanks Kelly!! He loved it!). 

Brady received 4 pairs of pants - all of his older pants are getting too short and he has "Floods" LOL! 5 new shirts, new shoes, socks, gloves, wallet, two DS games and 2 Halo games for the computer (but Halo 2 didn't work because we don't have a graphics card in the computer - boo hoo).

This is the present I was really excited for them to open. It was a Lego set of a Halo fighter. They loved it too! Brady saw it as we were finding presents for "toys for tots" and we knew we had to get it for them. 

Our family received the Scrabble flash game. I was addicted to playing it over and over during the week and the batteries were ran down within the week. :-( SAD!

Sharon received a blender, rubber made food storage kit (the lids stick to the container), glass casserole dishes, PJ bottoms, shirt, Scrabble, an X-box game, and 2 World of Warcraft upgrade games. 

Jason has always loved legos. The first thing he did was start to put it together. I was excited that it had a ton of parts (I thought it would be like a Biconical with a couple of parts.)

Here it is all put together. I didn't catch a photo of Sharon putting hers together. 

Then they started posing and playing with them... Such big kids!  Here are some really short videos of them playing with their toys. LOL! 

It was a wonderful Christmas. We were all spoiled! 

Thanksgiving

 

Internet picture - I didn't take a single picture during Thanksgiving (totally forgot). 

This year for Thanksgiving 2010 the weather was stormy and snowy. There were several storms that hit Idaho and the roads were treacherous. I knew the storms were coming in a week before and didn't feel good about the trip to my Mom's house for Thanksgiving. I called her and she talked me into going anyway. I had purchased an airplane ticket for Brady to fly there to spend extra time with his cousins. Our schools took the whole week off due to budget / tax cuts, which meant that Brady was out of school all week. I still had to work during the week, so we planned to fly Brady into Pocatello (via Idaho Falls) to spend time with his favorite cousin Autumn. I already blogged about the canceled flight and terrible time Brady had to get into Pocatello here. 

I continued to work throughout the week. I had a terrible feeling that didn't let up about traveling home on those terrible icy snow covered roads. Finally on Tuesday I made the decision not to go and those terrible feelings immediately left me. I knew it was the right thing to do to stay home. The problem was that Brady was in Pocatello and I had to find a way to get him home. I ended up purchasing another airplane ticket to return him home. He flew back on Friday.

Jason and Sharon had to work on Thanksgiving and were staying home. I decided to cook a turkey dinner and we planned to have it on Friday since they were off and Brady was flying home. I've never cooked a Thanksgiving dinner on my own because I always go home for Thanksgiving. I really enjoyed it. I ended up cooking a turkey and a ham (Jason wanted ham). I made pies too - I've never made pies for Thanksgiving, I am the "roll" girl. It was a new experience, but fun. We had, Turkey, Ham, Stuffing, Mashed Potatoes and Gravy, Sweet Potatoes, Broccoli in white sauce and cheese, Rolls, pumpkin pie, apple pie, cherry pie, banana cream, coconut cream, and lemon pie. It was yummy!

The one thing I did with my turkey that I wished I wouldn't have, is I put a butter / herb mixture under the skin of the turkey for a moist and flavorful turkey. The turkey was moist and yummy - but due to the herbs - I couldn't use the leftovers. I tried but they ruined the soups and casseroles I made due to the overwhelming flavor of the herbs. I won't be doing that again. 

Jason and Sharon had a friend from work that was stranded too, Jared. He came to dinner and enjoyed the day with us. We had a lot of food, played games and laughed. I had such a great time!! I could see changing my tradition to having my own family Thanksgiving dinner, especially since Jason and Sharon seem to always work on Thanksgiving holiday. I know my Mom will be sad if I decide to stop going - but I am seriously thinking about it.