Boys and Toys

Skyler and Sage came over to visit a few weekends ago. After a while of being there Skyler made his way to the basement and found one of Uncle Jakes remote car toys. All he needed were a few batteries and he was good to go. We fixed the battery issue and away he went. Soon he and Uncle Nash headed out side to ride on the sidewalks. All of the rest of us followed. Glad for a nice day to spend some time outside. Winter is nearing an end and it is nice to head out side for a bit. Sage and Uncle Nash are looking at shadows. Sage tried hard to keep up with his big brother. Skyler tried hard to keep ahead of Sage.

Skyler figured out the driving thing and soon found himself getting farther and farther away from all of us.

Skyler driving, Sage keeping up with him.

Uncle Nash giving Sky some driving pointers.

Enjoying the outside which encouraged M to clean out her flower beds and rake the front yard. Two days later it snowed and hid all of the work M did.

Media player for him, pans for her

This weekend we added two new household items to our home. John got an ipod and fell in love once he figured it out. it is hard to leave our comfort zone but we did. Today we went out shopping because I need a new outfit for the upcoming week. I didn't find a dress but I did get a great set of new pans. What would make two people more happy...I don't think anything would. Nice pans and nice music where ever we go.

73 things I Love about LaRee

1~ Things are what you make of them
2~ FAMILY is important
3~ Be organized
4~ You don't always need new things
5~ You can make a wonderful meal with basic things
6~ Sisters are your best friends
7~ Take time for your self
8~ Learn something new every day
9~ Listen to others stories
10~ Love everything you are doing
11~ Spend time doing simple things
12~ Write down your memories
13~ Spend time outside
14~ Grow a garden
15~ Eat what you grow
16~ Use the space you have creatively
17~ Be happy to clean up after your husband....because you love him:)
18~ The best part of life happens around your kitchen table
19~ If you think you can your right
20~ Serve others
21~ Let others help you...you don't always have to be Super Woman
22~ Everyone has at least one good quality
23~ Lay on the grass and look at clouds
24~ Insist on a clothes line outside
25~ Don't be afraid to work hard
26~ There is no such thing as woman's work or mans work. Do it all
27~ Love the person you are. I made it
28~ Never get together without something to eat
29~ Love everyone
30~ A Skore bar will make it all better
31~ You can always fit anything you need to into the trunk of a car
32~ Food always tastes better on a fire
33~ Love your kids no matter what happens
34~ Taking care of your family is worth it, even if it is hard
35~ Time spent in the garden is time well spent
36~ Always agree to go for a car ride
37~ Washing dishes is better than drying them
38~ Singing makes the time fly by
39~ Peaches are better in the winter out of a bottle
40~ The smaller the bathroom the less you have to clean
41~ Be the organizer. Someone has to do it.
42~ You can make a castle out of a few chairs and some blankets
43~ Playing store in the garden adds hours of time spent in the garden
44~ It's ok to clean and cut a deer on your kitchen table
45~ Picking flowers and pressing them makes a fun activity
46~ Remain positive in the face of adversity
47~ Forth of July is a great time for a BBQ
48~ 7 kids can all use one bathroom and survive
49~ Back to school canyon dinners are a necessity
50~ Don't make divinity on a rainy or cloudy day
51~ Navajo Tacos are a family favorite
52~ When you are hunting you can make rain puddles in the road and no one cares
53~ You are never to old to swim in Bear Lake
54~ Never camp near skunks if you are having a kidney stone attack
55~ You can never have to many sewing projects
56~ Neighbors are great people to serve dinner to
57~ Reading every day is not an option
58~ Don't worry just make it happen
59~ Quilts are the best hugs you can make for your children
60~ Food storage is not only fun to store but fun to use
61~ The Easter bunny likes to color the mini eggs the best
62~ You can pretend to be "little house on the prairie" even in the city
63~ Sleeping in the great out of doors is the best sleep you will ever have
64~ Live today like there is no tomorrow. Enjoy today
65~ The school of life is a great place to learn
66~ Throw papa down the stairs his hat
68~ Your kids will never forget hearing you call them down stairs
69~ It's ok to cry
70~ Someday, we will be together again. I can't wait for my great big hug
71~ You will have a plate of fudge waiting for me because I can't make my own
72~ You are always here we just may not know it
73~ Everyone needs their own leprechaun
and one to grow on: You'll always be my "baby".

Happy Birthday Mom...

I love you!!!

Irish eye's are smiling

Thursday is my Moms BIRTHDAY! You can bet we would be celebrating the Irish way with her. Sometimes that had a bit of a Mexican flare, or German flare, or Swiss flare well pretty much you could count on pork and cabbage but you never knew what else it would mean. One thing for certain....You would be eating a lot of green stuff today. My mom would always talk about how her mom would make cupcakes and bring Pineapple ice cream to school to celebrate "the twin's" birthday's. She was LUCKY, if I had to share my birthday with anyone Aunt LaRue was a great pick. When I was a small girl I could get them confused pretty easily. Not that they were exact but sometimes you just couldn't tell with out a double take. I got older and it got better but then my mom got sick. One year she was in the hospital for Thanksgiving. That was the holiday we spent with her two wonderful sisters. Aunt LaRue was in the back of the chapel and I saw her out of the corner of my eye and started running up to hug my mom. About half way there I realized that my mom really was not there. I changed my direction and headed to the bathroom to make my eyes stop sweating. That day I realized that some day my mom would be gone and I would still have my Aunt. Wondering if that would be hard or easy became a big dread. Know we know it isn't bad at all. Yes, sometimes my eyes still sweat and my voice shakes and my breathing becomes deep because she brings "MOM" memories back to me but over all she is just like having mom in a different kind of way. When we talk on the phone some times I forget that I am not talking to my mom. She keeps track of everything just like MOM. So Happy Birthday MOM and AUNT LARUE...Here's a scoop of pineapple ice cream and a cupcake just for you.

Delightful Dinner Date

Monday after we fulfilled our family and work duties we headed home to relax. The end of our long weekend together after not seeing each other for four weeks was coming to an end. We grabbed a baguette, salami, cheese, artichoke dip, butter, apples and whiskey and headed to the basement for a little movie named "UP" What a great movie. I laughed, cried and enjoyed the heck out of my simple dinner and date night. Thanks honey for enjoying the simple things with me sometimes. There are not a lot of men that would like a baguette and salami for dinner but I can count on you.

Make it into a full weekend

This week we actually spent some time together when both of us were coherent enough to know what was going on. We spend Friday with the parents, Friday night with the Grands, Saturday with both and Sunday with the family and each other. Saturday morning Gene went off to help his father for a few hours after he had breakfast with the cutest two boys on Earth. Then he came home and picked us all up and we went to the train show and a picnic. While the boys helped me make a sack lunch they found the cheese balls and devoured most of the bag while I made PB & J's to take with us.

It was not your typical train show you see. There was a mile long wait to get inside but the outside trains were fast to see and we rode two trains with out standing in a line waiting.



When Sage got tired of seeing things we asked what the boys wanted to do next. Sky voted to get a shake. We headed to McDonalds for a shake. We were informed that shakes come from dairy queen, but he was pretty happy with his Oreo Bizzard. We drove for a bit and headed home. Once we dropped the boys off we decided we would go check out the season sales in Salt Lake. We stumbled upon a great sale at Kirkham's. Shoes for everyone, a skirt and socks for M. All on sale and an extra 25% off that. Great find. While we were shopping our friends called and asked us to stop by the car show. It was a lot of fun to walk around and look at cars. After the show we grabbed a bite to eat and headed home. Bella was not too happy with us when we got home. We made it up to her on Sunday because we slept in and let her play in the yard for a long time before we headed out to Mexican Dinner with the Garcia's. St. Mary's serves a great mexican dinner. Then we took Mom and Dad to Aunt Mary Garcia's funeral. A stop for pie and an end to a great weekend together.

Everything is a miracle

This seems to be a fitting song for a fitting day.

Today you are YOU!

“Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.” ~Dr. Seuss

Happy Birthday Dr. Suess. A man I love. If it's possible to say that about someone you have never met only read. Amazing work, rhymes, and life lessons. There really isn't much in life that you can't relate to a Suessism.

And for dinner tonight. Green eggs and Ham and green beer because it's MARCH!!!!

Beans, beans the magical fruit

Two sisters happy to can together. Canning alone does not make you smile like this.

Beauties just out of the pressure cooker.

We canned them so we don't have to spend so much time soaking them when we want a good meal of beans. It was a lot of fun and canning in the garage on a camp chef just whets your appetite for camping season. It was a lot of fun. The worst part was waiting for the darn things to cook for 75 minutes. Oh, it may have been bad when I was lifting one out of the cooker and it hissed and spit at me. That made me cuss and say bad words. I am sure my mom was smiling at that exact moments. Here are a few photos of our canning day...

Finishes washed and ready to put away. That is the hard part putting it all away.

White beans, red beans black beans, brown beans...we didn't miss any of them

Amazing what 2/3 cup beans and some water turn into after 75 minutes at 12 pounds of pressure.