Winter Visitors

Mom, Dad and Pierce came for a visit this weekend. Pierce, Ty, Lee and Trey all went snowboarding/skiing Sat. It snowed the whole day! Lee said he only got to do one run and spent the rest of the day on the bunny hill with Trey. Trey loved it!

Sunday Mom, Trey, Shani, Lee and I rode the Polar Express to the North Pole.

5 degrees is very cold. Not a good temp to wait for the Polar Express in your Jammies in.

Dad was very very very very very ill. It was just cold so he was hiding out under his hideous beanie.

It is always nice to have family come visit. It feels like the Holiday's.

"Each one... Reach one..."

My ever so lovely and talented sister came last Monday to take pictures of the Teen Parents I work with. She is magical and can make anyone look and feel beautiful. I wanted these girls ( and boys) to feel that.

If you want to see all of the pics check out chealambphotgraphy.blogspot.com or on Chea Lamb Facebook.

These girls have so many challenges with boyfriends, families, poverty, school and trying to be a good parent without any role models. They could use some help...

Chea is helping me round up some items these girls are in need of.

(Many people feel that my girls deserve what they get because of choices they made...but we have all made bad choices. Some just show on the outside more than others.)

Some items that they are in need of....

socks: any size up to 24 months

warmy blankets: (it is cold here!)

cribs

crib mattresses

warm clothes: boys sizes 18-24month

girls sizes 6 mo-5T (Many girls!!)

Baby books, toys, car seats, strollers really anything is a help!

"Shooooos"

Paige has a fettish with shoes! Not a bad one to have. Last night we were at Big 5 buying new basketball shoes for Ty and Trey. (Apparently the ones I got at the thrift store were not good enough.) Anyways while everyone was busy trying on shoes, Paige too was busy at work.

She had filled up a near by trash can with about 6 pairs of Nike High tops from the display. I am not sure what was going through her head but she was greatly dismayed when we put them back!! She has such a delightful scream that she has perfected. She usually gets what she wants when she uses it. So she tried it out in the store. I hate shopping with all of my kids and with Lee!

Waiting for Pie is Dumb!!

We went to Morgan Utah for Thanksgiving. From the time we arrived early Wednesday morning Trey was ready for pie. He was constantly starving for lack of nourishment. (Pie)

Thursday morning he asked for a piece, During dinner he asked for a piece. When he was told that we were waiting for another cousin he exclaimed that "Waiting for Pie was Dumb." I don't think that prim and proper Grandma Murphy knew what to say. Of course we did not continue to wait for the cousin and Trey was at last appeased. After reflecting on Thanksgiving Dinner I think I agree. The only thing I looked forward to is Pecan Pie.

Thanksgiving Trip was great. The best part was spending time with my Best Friend from High School. Man I love that girl. It is so great when you can find someone that time apart does not change your relationship. She arranged for our families to have a soccer match, feed llamas and goats, eat lunch and spend time catching up. Good times!

I have so many great memories of Dianne.

I am Thankful for Pecan Pie and my only friend (other than sisters) that has stood the test of time!!

"Fall" Thoughts...

I hate Fall...and today I began listening to Christmas Music on XM. I decided to put up Christmas Decorations tonight. Except I also hate Daylight Savings so I have been taking to going to bed about 8:00pm. I would go to bed at 7:00 but that would make me seem to lazy!

Anyways since I have decided Fall is over I will say that I think I am obsessed with Pumpkins.

I think about them all the time and want to have them.

I want gourds, white ones, antique ones, huge ones and all of the small ones, ornamental,foam, or ceramic... are all good.

Since I regularly deny myself things I really really want I did not purchase all of the pumpkins I wanted. Thus leaving me obsessed with them.

Next year I am planting my whole back acre in pumpkins and gourds. Maybe I will sell them.

I hate Fall!!

YES THAT IS A TOOTHBRUSH!!

Strange how when the toilet gets clogged no one did it! This morning we mysteriously woke up to a clogged and gross toilet. Since I am apparently the only one who knows how to use a plunger I plunged our problem. Paige seemed fascinated with this process and several minutes later I found her using the plunger and the toilet brush. Gross!!
The second time I went in the bathroom to tell her "No, No, Ca ca, Yucky" I saw what she had done...
You can only see two of the cars in the toilet... there were four, and Shani's toothbrush. (Shani's bathroom drawer is her favorite, many lip glosses, chap sticks, toothpaste, bows and other goodies.)
Shani told me later that she had even been brushing her teeth lately... with that toothbrush. I guess she is implying that brushing was an option and she recently had made it a habit. My kids are kind of sick! Nonetheless all items were retrieved. Time to start closing the lids!!

If I Can Not Do Great Things, I Can Do Small Things in a Great Way

My Dear Friend Passed away last Wednesday Night...
Ann Hale was one of the first people I met when we moved to Socorro NM 5 years ago.
We were like Mutt and Jeb. She is 6 feet 1 inch and I am 5 feet 5 inches. We started teaching Drug Prevention Classes in the Middle School and continued our work with youth for the next 5 years. Although Ann is 9 years my senior we found much in common. She grew up in Whiteriver Arizona, My best camping memories are of Whiteriver.
She loved the Arizona Wildcats as do I. She played basketball at MCC... I attended MCC.
So the similarities were a stretch. Nonetheless I enjoyed a co-dependent, enabling, close -distant tumultuous relationship with this powerful, and gentlewoman.
I attended her Memorial on Saturday and my eyes have still not recovered.
Lesson learned... I will pay more attention to relationships. I guess in the end that is all you have.
She will be missed.