I am heading home for the holidays tomorrow morning. May not be on time and let me tell you this will be a Christmas to remember but now I am going home. Can't wait to see everyone that has been waiting for us. It will be a good day!

Salvaging Christmas

Well, we are stuck in Boise that is. I was supposed to be in Virginia right now, hanging with my family and getting ready for Christmas. It would have been the first time we were all together for Christmas in 14 years. Yeah, it was a big one. We are here though. So now I am having to salvage Christmas. I know this will be funny one day. Not so funny now although I am trying to laugh and I have had several conversations with God about this one. We were all checked in yesterday and putting the kids to bed since we were going to have an early morning. That is when the mister checked the flight status and there it was.....cancelled. Great. So we call Alaska and they tell us it is our flight out of Boise that is causing the problem. We could get out of Seattle. Hmm...do we try to drive to Seattle. It is 9pm, snowing hard, and it is a 10 hour drive to Seattle. The mister calls back and asks about Salt Lake, LA, Portland, anywhere...nothing. Dec 27th is the earliest we can leave. Okay I guess we will take what we can get. Then we decide well let's try to drive. Alaska calls back about our flight on the 27th, I tell the girl that we are going to drive so we will fly out tomorrow. She says Oh no. She had cancelled our flight for the 23rd. Okay, I guess we are going nowhere. Now being the efficient girl that I am, I had already taken down the tree, packed away all the decorations and shipped all the gifts FedEx....even the Santa gifts. What now?! So the mister calls FedEx and gives them our sob story...the gifts will be here tomorrow. Just in time for Christmas eve. Since I was heading out of town we had no groceries...nothing...no milk, no eggs, no cheese, no bread...you get the picture. So I had to brave Walmart and Costco 2 days before Christmas. Fun Fun! Now I am home sitting by my fire trying to figure out what just happened. I am salvaging Christmas. It will be fine. We will be fine. I will spend Christmas with my family. It may be on the 28th but we will still be together and this Christmas will go down in the history books for us.

~Scarlett

My 2 Front Teeth

Christmas Vacation

Christmas Vacation is here and boy am I loving it. The month has been hectic to say the least. I am ready to take a break and just enjoy some time with my family. Tomorrow we are going to open a few presents, head out to breakfast, and go see high School Musical 3. We haven't seen it yet and it is in the dollar theater now. You probably are wondering why we are opening presents so early. We are heading back east for Christmas so we are opening a few presents that don't really need to travel across country with us. My wonderful husband is taking me home for the holidays. It is the first time in 14 years that my family has been all together for Christmas. We always see each other in the summer but travel at the holidays is not the easiest. We are spending Christmas in Fredricksburg. I am excited to see the decorations. It should be beautiful. It will be fun to have my family around me. I have most of the presents wrapped and almost all the projects done. I will have to post a few pics of some of the things I made this year. It was fun to do a little crafting even though I had to squeeze it in between a million other things!

My People

You know how there are times when you just need your people. You know the ones that know you, really know you. No frills, no masks, no fuss, just you. That is what I need right now. This week has been hard. Despite all that is going on around me I am trying to keep that Christmas spirit but let's face it, this world sucks! There I said it and I feel a little better. I love to hide out this time of year at home, Christmas music blaring pretending all is good in the world unfortunately this week I have not been allowed to do that. Yesterday I had to go to a memorial service for a very good friend whose daughter died. She was 38...young. She committed suicide. I know I can hardly believe it myself. Seems to be a theme in my life this year and I am starting to hate it. Before I headed off to that memorial service I had to make a call to Child Protection. Usually this is not a big deal, I make the call and leave the rest to CPS. This case is different. Sad. That is about all I can say about that. I also hate it. So I am doing what I do to survive. Writing it here. This is my place to dump so sorry if this is not uplifting but I just had to dump. BLAHHHHH....So come friday I am leaving it all behind and I will spend the weekend with the ones I love the most in the world and I can hardly wait. My Christmas music will be blarring and all will be right in the world again.
~Scarlett

Simply Christmas

Last night was our music program at church and it was fabulous. I think it may be the best one yet. The band was awesome and the kids did a great job but the message is what touched my heart and I needed that. I went into the program thinking one more thing to do on my list of gottados. I had a conversation with a friend right before the program started about all the shopping, wrapping, partying, and trimming I still had left to do. We both agreed it was the busiest December we have ever had and neither one of us were in the spirit. About 15 minutes into the program we both had tears streaming down our faces. The entire message was about how all the things we have to do keep us so busy that we forget why there even is a Christmas. It is simply this...God with us...He sent his Son so that we could be with Him and He could be with us. That is all God wants is to be with us. How amazing. So quite down shopping and wrapping and trimming because my heart needs to be still. My heart needs it to be Simply Christmas.

~Scarlett

Sweetness

I was driving in the car with my gigi the other day and we were listening to Christmas toons. The song Mary did you know came on and she started singing along. It was so sweet. I have always loved that song, one of my favorites. After the song was over we had a little conversation about it. It went like this:
gigi: Mom Mary was sooo lucky.

me: Why is that sweety.

gigi: Because she got to see God.

me:(chills) Yeah she was pretty lucky because God chose her out of everyone in the whole world and she got to have baby Jesus in her tummy.

gigi: She had a magical baby.

me: I am sure that it was very magical having an angel come and tell you that you were going to have a baby.

gigi: It must have been magical to kiss God.


I love this girl more than words can ever express. Thank you little one for reminding me why we celebrate and giving me perspective in all the hustle and bustle.

~Merry Christmas
Scarlett

Okay so you have to hear my totally absurd Target experience. Tuesday night as I was trying to squeeze in making dinner before picking up gigi and a friend from gymnastics I hear a crash in my living room. I run in to see my Christmas tree laying on the floor. I think what the heck just happened. I ask the little man to help me set it back up when I realize the tree stand broke. We have a fake tree and bought this tree stand last year at Walmart. I call the mister who happens to be in Beverly Hills working and spotting stars (Will Smith) so he decides to help me and search the net while I am driving to get gigi. Tree stands are not very easy to find but he spots one on the Target website. It says IN STORE ONLY so I went to the store. After searching for a while I decided to ring the customer service thingy. Here came someone to help me. I asked about the tree stand and she looked totally clueless so she referred me to another guy that was supposedly the Seasonal expert. I ask him about the tree stand again clueless. I said well it was on your website as an in store only item. He looks at me with a completely straight face and says "Well, 99.9% of the time our website is wrong". Are you kidding me???!!! So I say well that is really helpful. Then he offers me a tree stand for a real tree. I tell the guy that I need one for a fake trees. He says oh, the fake trees come with stand. um yeah I have a fake tree I just need the stand. So he just stares at me like I am nuts. Then along comes Miss clueless to let him know he has another customer that needs his expertise. I walk away shaking my head and wondering what corporate would think of him tell me that their website sucks. I should have know when he walked up that this was hopeless. He had the shifty eyes...you know where they both go in a different direction so you don't know which one to stare at. I know mean...but you are laughing and if you aren't you really want to. Any hoo, back to square one. I head home but on my way call the mister to let him know that Target's website is wrong 99.9% of the time and a cross eyed dude stood between me and my tree stand. The mister says I just called Walmart for you and they have one. I swing into Walmart and head to the Christmas section just hoping I do not have to call on an associate for help. There on the shelf is one tree stand. The irony??? it is the exact same piece of *&@# tree stand that I had at home in several different pieces. I grab it pay the 7 bucks and head home wondering what the heck just happened. Seriously? Did I do something to deserve this? Got home put the tree back up only to find that it was swaying back and forth. I put books under each leg, say a prayer, and go to bed. What else do you do?

Bah humbug....Scarlett

** If you happen to have a good idea for a tree stand apparently there is a market. Just make sure it is not a piece of %$#@.

Forgiveness

Okay it is 6am and I am posting. If you know me at all that is crazy because I always get up at the last second. I have a huge knot in my neck so I was up at 4am. Hopefully my massage lady will fix that today. As I was sitting here in the quiet of the morning my mind has a little time to wander. A luxury most moms don't get due to all the background noise. There has been a theme in my life lately that has surrounded gratitude. I know that it comes with the Thanksgiving season and all but this year it has spoken to my heart. Last night in our small group we were asked to give one thing that we were thankful for. No pat answers allowed, you know the ones, God, kids, husband, country. We had to really think about one thing we were thankful for outside of all that. One word has been coming up lately and that is forgiveness. I am thankful for forgiveness. Maybe that sounds like a pat answer and yes I am thankful that God forgives our sins but more than that I am thankful that God allows us to forgive others and that He heals relationships. I am also doing a Beth Moore Study right now (Psalms of Ascent) and I have been struggling just a little to get into it. This week hit me square in the face. It was about forgiveness. She talked about how God forgives us and does not keep a record of our sin. If He did we could not stand. I thought about that and what that really means. The fact that God keeps no record yet we keep every detail of when we have been wronged. I know I do. God has been working on my heart in this area and when I finally got it the very thing that I was so desperate for him to fix and heal was done. I cannot tell you the burden that has been lifted from my soul. For that I am thankful. I am thankful for forgiveness.

Happy Holidays

Well, it is official....the holidays are here. I hope that your stop here gets you in the holiday spirit. I love Christmas and all that comes with it, baking, shopping, parties, and the magic that shines in my kids eyes. They get so excited they can hardly stand it and I love to help that excitement out just a little you know hearing reindeer on the roof or spotting Santa taking a test flight getting ready for the big day. We are heading to Virginia this year for Christmas so Santa will deliver there first since they are on eastern time. It should be fun. We have decked the halls in kerbyville and the oven has already been fired up for some baking. So with that said...let the season begin!

~Scarlett

More Gratitude

Today I am thankful for time at home. We skipped black Friday and spent the day at home. Gigi was so excited to put up the tree so we decked the halls. It is always fun to get out all the ornaments and remember when. Then we spent a little time visiting our neighbor and her grandson. Gigi loves to go over and do art and she is always willing to let the kids break out the paints and go to town. I got to spend a little time in front of my sewing machine working on Christmas gifts. We topped off the night with an invite from friends to head to the dollar theater. Overall a very good day totally free of crowds, sales, traffic, and crazy people! I am thankful for that.

~Scarlett

Day 2 of Thankfulness

Today I am thankful for chocolate. I know that is really deep but I made triple chocolate biscotti last night and it is what got me through the day. Thank God for the little things!

~Scarlett

Week of Thanksgiving

So in honor of Thanksgiving and wanting to focus on all that is good in my life I am dedicating this week to all that I am grateful for. Today I am grateful for my family. They are the ones that get me through the week and I am always happy to come home to them. I love you all. I have included some pictures of my family. This was the very fun weekend that we had in Moscow at the U of I vs. BSU game. Despite our loss we had a very fun time tailgating!



The little man just had to make a poster to support his team.

The mister has not lost his touch when there is a baby on board.

Who couldn't love these cuties.

The girls had to make up a cheer routine. IDAHO, Idaho, Idaho, go, go ,go!

The little man working intently on his poster.

I hope that you have lots to be thankful for as well.

~Scarlett

Mexico

I thought I should probably get on here and post a few pics from Mexico. Before I know it January will be here and I will be so far behind it is not even funny. I had to put this pic by itself because it needs some s'plainin'. This my friends is what you call a Mexican Taxi ride. Just imagine 15 people trying to fit into a VW van of some sort. Well, let's just say we did it and apparently it is legal to let your kids ride in the hatch back. I really have no idea why I was telling them to sit on their bottoms, somehow I thought that would prevent them from flying through the window in case of an accident. Do you notice the sleeping baby? Um Yeah, car seats not required. He slept the whole way through cobblestone streets, weaving in and out of traffic, and pouring rain....quite the adventure. The kids loved it and thought we were on a roller coaster ride. I on the other hand was trying not to look at the road.... way to scary. I realized how well trained my kids are. They attenpted to put on their seatbelts in every taxi. Some work others well not so lucky. The manual rolldown windows were a real treat. They had never really seen them so they were facinated. Kept them entertained the whole way. Here are a few more pictures:

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

As most of you know there have been a few things happening in Kerbyville. Last week the mister's grandfather passed away. We all headed up to Northern Idaho to celebrate his life. I call it a celebration because we have a lot to celebrate because of him. Grandpa has been battling Parkinson's disease for the last few years so his death was bittersweet. We will miss him but we know that he is with the Lord and I am sure that he is having the time of his life. Grandpa was one of the most wonderful men I have ever met. He always had a kind word and a smile. He worked harder than anyone I have ever know. The man was unstoppable. He ran a dairy for over 30 years with his brother so you can image how hard the two of them worked. When he found out he had Parkinson's he began a battle. He would walk between 3 to 5 miles a day trying to keep the disease from winning. I have always wanted to make a difference in the world and I only hope that at my funeral people will say the things that they said about grandpa. He did not earn a great fortune or become famous but he made a great impact on many people. He left a legacy by investing in people and loving them. He lived what he believed. We will miss you grandpa.

We're Back...

Well, almost. I am sitting in the Seattle airport writing this post. We are almost home from a fabulous trip to Mexico. The kids had a blast and learned a lot of spanish. My gigi no longer says yes, she says ce. We had a lot of fun and took a ton of pictures. There were several highlights on the trip and I honestly can't name my favorite thing. While we were gone a lot changed. We watched a new President get elected via spanish TV. We caught part of the election results in a little resturant called PiPi's while the Mariachie Band played. My gigi lost her two...yes two front teeth during a fiesta. Luckily the tooth fairy has her passport so she made it all the way to Mexico. She brought 50 pesos! Gigi used that to buy a few treasures at the Marketplace. She is pretty good at bartering. Smart girl. We have a few more adventures this week but I will post more later we have to board our plane.

Vandal Victory!

Well it was homecoming weekend at the Uof I. We headed north to take part in the festivities. I must admit that I had forgotten how charming the Uof I can be in the fall. The leaves are changing and the air is crisp. You can feel football in the air and you can definitely smell the tailgaters cooking up some yummy things are their bbq's. The little man was impressed when we ate lunch and all the waiters were wearing their Vandal gear. You get a little tired of the blue and orange in bronco country. We headed over the Kibbie Dome and caught a little tailgate action, jump houses, and shopping at the bookstore. The game turned out to be a nail biter and the Vandals pulled out a Victory. I have never seen a team or fans so excited over a win. The dome erupted and my little man cheered like crazy. Here are a few picture of the weekend:













The fam on the turf celebrating the victory. The little man had to run a few touchdowns and gigi did a few flips....maybe they have a future here!

Had to get a picture with Joe Vandal!

The guy showed up and started leading some cheers before the game started. You have to admit he is in the spirit.

He is ready for some football.

The kiddos outside the Kibbie Dome. The little man made a sign because he wanted to get on TV. Hey, it's not ESPN but Altitude will work for him.

3:42am

I know funny title for a posting but that is the exact time that I have woken up the past two nights. Hum, what is that about? Actually, I know....stress, that's right the s word. All day long I talk to people about what stresses them, how to manage it, you have to let it out or it will get the best of you, well I need to listen to my own advice. I have been going about 100 miles an hour the past few months. The good part, well it's almost the end of October and I actually don't know how that happened. The bad part.....3:42am. I know when I am stressed because that's what I do, pop wide awake at the wee hours of the morning and start mulling over my day, what lies ahead, and what mistakes I made the day before. I know, crazy. I need to get it out in my awake hours so it doesn't come out at 3:42am. That is where you come in. Here is where I am laying down that stress, right here in my virtual journal. You are probably thinking what have you been so stressed about? Well, good question. I did manage to figure that out at about 4:18am. Things at work with some students...you know the yucky stuff that counselors have to hear and handle, it comes with the territory but occasional life gets out of balance and it gets the best of me, family, my brother is going through some medical treatments for thyroid cancer, we are keeping positive but still you know, and of course kids, my kids get a little stressed in life and I need to make it better for them. So with all that said I have been trying to figure out how to regain some balance in my life. I think I found a little peek into what the answer will be....no, not Puerto Vallarta in 10 days, although that will definitely help. It is the Ladies Bible Study that I am starting. We are focusing on the Psalms of ascent. I am not totally sure what that means but all I know is Beth Moore promised that I would be happier after this study and I am holding her to it. Not that I am not happy but hey we can always be happier right? She also said something that really gave me a boost. We are only in the situation we are in for a moment. We are not stuck there forever. So with all that said, life will calm down soon and things will get back in balance. Even in the mist of stress and even at 3:42am, I am happy and grateful for the wonderful people in my life, the mister who rubs my back, my kids who miss me when I am not there, my friends that let me vent, my family who calls and gets way excited to see me, and even my job because I know it is my calling. God has blessed me more that I ever imagined or deserved. So to all this stress.......I am letting you go!!!!

~Scarlett

Repair Man

So I am sitting here waiting for the repair man. I am always amazed that they can tell you they will be here between 10 and noon and we actually come home and wait. I am wondering if I could just tell work I will be there sometime between 8 and 4. Do you think that will work? I wonder. Actually I have nothing to complain about. I am at home, it is quiet, and I am going to cut into that stack of fabric I bought. Thank you repair man!

Fridge on the fritz

So like a week ago my fridge was making a very strange noise, since I was on my way out the door to work and late like usual I decided to worry about it later. Sometimes you just have to do that. When I came home there was no noise so I figured all was well. A few days later I started to notice that my milk was not as icy cold as usual but again thought it was in my head. A few days after that I mentioned it to the mister and he agreed that things did not seem as cold. Last night I was becoming concerned so I cranked to to as cold as it gets went to bed and decided I would call a repair guy in the morning. This morning I got up as usual and was following my daily routine...shower, let the dog out, wake up kids, make my carnation instant breakfast,.... umm this is where everything fell apart. You can imagine my dismay when I went to pour the milk into my instant breakfast and it looked more like cottage cheese than milk....no....it was not frozen...Ewwww! Panic...maybe I waited a little to long to call that repair guy?!

~Scarlett

I'm in LOVE

So I got the new Williams Sonoma fall catalog and I must say....I am in LOVE. Pecan pumpkin filled pancakes were one of the many yummy recipes included, not to mention all of the amazing dishes, cookware, and thanksgiving decorations. I was instantly inspired and for some reason I can hardly wait for Thanksgiving. Just looking at the catalog made me want to break out the dishes and start cooking. I start to get that way when the weather turns cooler, the urge to make some yummy soup or a roast just takes over. You know those dishes that just instantly comfort you....mmmm...chicken n' dumplins. See just writing this makes me hungry. Does anyone else get this way? Well, I have already decided I am going to try some of these recipes. I will let you know how they turn out. Now I just have to find the time!

The Best of Both Worlds

Life has been a little busy in Kerbyville. I have lots of things floating around in my head to blog about. I finally made it to the fabric store last night and found a few little goodies that I will be posting soon hopefully. As we speak or in this case type I am downloading some really cool scrapbooking kits from the shabby shoppe so I have lots of work ahead of me before the holidays. All of that aside I will get to the point of my post. As my gigi and I were driving home from the fabric store last night we were jamming out to radio disney. I know.....seems like I am feeling older lately, it's the christian station, the 80's, or the disney channel in my car. Did I mention that a lot of the 80's songs are now on easy listening....yeah our parent's station that was so not cool when we were growing up! Any hoo, as we are listening to radio disney it occurs to me that I am singing along with Hannah Montana and I know all the words. Then gigi and I try to decide who it is that Hannah is singing with is it Joe Jonas maybe....sounds kinda like Joe....no it happens to be Corbin Bleu....oh yeah sounds like Corbin. Cool. Then it occurs to me, when did this happen? When did I become a radio disney junkie? Who knows I just am and I have to admit I love singing along with my girl! Ohh, a tune just popped into my head....peanut butter jelly time!!!! Uh, that is a whole other post!

In honor of this post here is a picture of my gigi at the fair. She was in the rabbit dress up contest. She is Hannah and her rabbit is Miley.

Counting Down!

Life has been a little crazy in Kerbyville. The little man is on his second round of being sick. That's right second illness since school started. We have all had colds, sore throats and stuffy heads. It has been busy, busy, busy. I thought I was going to get some extra help at work since the number of students that I have between two schools is so high....not happening. I will just have to make it through and I guess at the end of the year I can make myself a T-shirt because the school district sure won't buy me one. They are getting a bargain....2 counselors for the price of 1. In all of the craziness I have been looking for something that will make my stress level go down just a little. I have been looking for a light at the end of the tunnel. That is when I found this..................
in 40 days this is where I will be! Ahhh... one week to relax and forget about schedules, lunches, laundry, homework, bedtimes, and whatever else seems to scream for my attention. I am on the countdown to Puerto Vallarta. 40 days baby! I don't know if it is to soon to start counting but I don't really care. I am going to look at this picture when I get stressed and try to think warm sunshine, long days, and time to regain my sanity. We are going with the mister's brother and family and some friends. There will be a bunch of kids to entertain each other so the grown ups can actually have a conversation or two. I can't wait..... 40 days!

Scarlett

Are you the creative type? I have a friend that is starting a new business and I think it is kind of cool. Check out her wesite to see for yourself http://www.stitchingroom.com/ I am thinking that I might have to check out one of these parties. Very Cool!

Happy Birthday!

Today is the mister's birthday. He has finally caught up to me. He just loves those three months a year when he can say I am older especially now that we are pushing 40. Yesterday we met with friends from church. It was there son's birthday today too so we had a little celebration. In honor of both the birthday boys I made this....

I know, I know but how do you tell an 11 year old that he can't like BSU. His parents are Vandals. Any way, everyone thought it was cute and the kids had a lot of fun with the cake.

Happy Birthday to You!!!!

Are you ready for some football!!!!

Saturdays have become very busy at our house....we are in football season. The little man has started his first year of tackle and boy does he think he is big. They practice hitting hard, grunting and growling...yeah it's a guy thing and I am trying hard to understand. Suddenly he needs to consult his dad on everything and I really have no clue about life. I am trying hard to let this happen but it is not very easy. There are a few rules that I have learned about being a mom of a boy....never ask if it hurts to get tackled, never ask if marks on his feet hurt, never ask if anything hurts!, never attempt to help him put on or take off his pads even if he is spinning in aimless circles trying to get them off...you may touch the pads if he ask you to, never talk about anything that went wrong at practice until you are in the privacy of your car, and never attempt to slap his helmet of shoulder pads, only guys do that. Large learning curve but hey I am getting there. On the other hand I am a cool mom of a cheerleader because I know a few cheers, remember how to do stunts, and remember jumps....score....at least I had a girl so I can feel some sense of worth! Here are a few pics of the day...I am allowed to take pictures....

My girl cheering her heart out!

He's on the move...number 34.

Making some contact.

Cheering makes her a little crazy!

Finally!

There is a day that my little girl has been waiting for. She has been talking about it since kindergarten....through first grade...and now into second. She kept asking when it would happen, when I thought it would happen, and why wasn't it happening. I had actually forgot about it because she had not been asking about it much lately. Tonight when dad was tucking her into bed she asked him to check and see if it was getting close and pop.....

out came the tooth. Finally! She gets to put her name on the lost tooth poster at school. She has been waiting to be included in that count since kindergarten. She has been wiggling her little tooth for years hoping it would come out. She was so excited that I couldn't help laughing with her. The sentimental part of me thought back to when that little tooth first peeked through those gums....how could it's job already be done! Oh little one you are growing to fast!

~Scarlett

See What I Mean....

So...it has been a really crazy week. The first week of school is always full of tears at our house. I know that sounds terrible but everyone is so tired in the evenings and someone usually ends up in tears. Last night gigi and I went to Staples while the little man was at football practice. One would think that a trip to Staples would not end in a crying fit....one would think. Well, gigi was so tired and when I would not buy a bucket of pick your own paperclips the tears started to flow...it ended with me being the world's worst mom because I would not buy the velvet color by number poster. Finally we made it out the door and into the car. I thought that maybe I could ease the tension of the day with a little sugar and a stop at Krispy Kreme. I needed that sugar high as much as she did. Did I mention that I am working at two schools this year and between the two I have 1125 students....yes that is one thousand one hundred twenty-five students to one counselor....like I said.... I need the sugar high...I actually think I need something stronger but Krispy Kreme will have to do. So.....we make the trek into the store which instantly dried the tears and put me in number 1 mom standings again! Woo Hoo....the things that fried dough can do for you. Any hoo...went to order and gigi just loves the ones with sprinkles that's when I saw this......

AAHHH.......see what I mean.....I am in the heart of Bronco nation....they have even invaded Krispy Kreme. I asked the guy behind the counter if they had ones with black and yellow sprinkles and he gave me a blank stare, no not because he was totally appalled that I was a Vandal, my guess is by the looks of the tattoos and piercings he was not really familiar with university life. So I bit the bullet and bought the Bronco doughnut. It's killing me!!!

* On a side note did you see that McCain's running mate is a Vandal. That's right there might just be a Vandal in the White House. I wonder if there are any Broncos in the White House...probably, I think they drive the food services trucks...graduates of the Boise State Truck Driving School!

I am a Vandal

I am a Vandal, I am a Vandal, I am a Vandal but I happen to live in Bronco Nation. Some of you feel my pain and others have no idea what I am talking about...well here it is....I am a Vandal and the Broncos are our rivals...arch rivals might be a better word. I mean we coined the cheer "Who do we hate, Boise State". Yeah, I know the tide has turned and BSU has beat us for the last oh I don't know 12 games? I will remind everyone that before that Idaho had won the previous 13 or 14 games. Any way, you might wonder where this is going. Well, my little man has started tackle football this year and they hold the opening jamboree at BSU. The kids get to play on the blue turf and yeah, it's kinda cool especially when you are 9. We're talking a college stadium here. After the little man's game on Saturday we headed over to an area where they were having a free bbq for the players. One the way we passed by the weight room/indoor practice area for the BSU players, that's when we ran into this guy.....

Yeah, it's Ian Johnson...you know the Fiesta Bowl Superstar..blah,blah,blah (sorry did I type that...it's my vandal pride just can't help it). Well, you should have seen the stars in my little man's eyes. I mean this is as close to a real live football hero as you can get and in this town he is a hero. He also happens to be a really nice guy that was willing to stand and take pictures with little guys who were living their dream. So I said get up there and I'll take your picture. The little man ran right up there, all he needed was the word from his vandal parents that it was okay to take a picture with the enemy (oh, see that vandal pride). So, I am thankful that he was there and stopped to take some time with my little guy but I still hope we kick their butts this year!!!

***Had to include this picture...aren't they cute!

Back to School

Tomorrow is the first day of school. All over the valley there are moms that are probably doing cheers. This mom is not cheering. It's back to work for me as well but that is not what makes the end of summer so sad for me. I will miss lazy mornings snuggling on the couch watching the Disney channel until noon, I will miss taking walks and catching grasshoppers, I will miss warm evenings sitting on the porch swing watching the kids swim, and I will miss sitting out under the stars watching movies on the big screen until midnight. These were just a few of the fun things we did this summer. Now it is back to early mornings rushing to catch the bus, evenings filled with homework and football and gymnastics, and piles of laundry waiting for the weekend. I love summer not just because it is warm but because we get to be together just us...no interruptions. So I will go back, I will fall into the routine, I will make the schedule work but I will be wishing for summer in my heart!

~Scarlett

It's Fair Time

Hello blogger friends....it seems that I have dropped off the face of the earth....well not really, life has just kicked into overdrive. We have just finished our first Fair as 4-H'ers and WOW we learned alot. The first thing that I learned is that it is really not that easy to get a pig into a trailer??!! Last Thursday we had to take the pigs to weigh in and check them in for fair. I got up in the morning and did a few things then headed for the shower. The mister says why are you taking a shower...oh I don't know just thought I would, why. Well, we have to load the pigs....so...you have never loaded pigs before have you...no, how bad can it be? (haha). So we decide it is time to head out to load the pigs. We get the trailer ready and head into the pen to catch the pigs and convince them to walk into the trailer. They really do not like to walk up the grate because it scares them, there is really not a lot of traction with those little piggy hoofs. So the mister and I try to get the first one in the trailer...umm not working...finally he grabs it by the ears and tries to drag it up into the trailer...umm not working. We send gigi out for reinforcements...the neighbor..who is a former 4-Her her self. She comes over and we grab the pig by the ears and tail and manage to drag it into the trailer. Once we get it up in the trailer I use a board to block it in. They try to grab the second one since it was squealing, the one that is in the trailer gets upset and basically charges me. He about knocks me on my bottom and escapes...back to square one! Now we decide to get the other one instead because he is bigger...not moving...here comes the other neighbor...I wonder what tipped him off, maybe all the squealing. Now there are 5 adults trying to get these pigs loaded. Finally we tie a rope around the middle of one, the mister grabs the ears, neighbor on the tail, neighbor in the middle of the pig, neighbor pulling the rope, and I am holding a board to try and trap it. Heave ho and he is in, now we tie him off so he can't move and I stand and block him with a board. They grab the second one and basically do the same thing. Lift the ramp and lock them in!!! Yeah they are loaded...umm....let's just say when pigs get upset well, they poop and we are all covered in it. Now I see why I didn't really want that shower. So, I check the time to see how long before we need to leave.....well, that only took 2 hours!!! So I have decided soccer moms...4-H moms can kick your butt anyday!!! I actually think that I am going to talk my SIL into making me some 4-H mom T-shirts on this really cool website called cafe press. If you want to make your own t-shirts you should check it out. Any way, the kids had a blast at fair and it was all worth it when my little man took 3rd place for one pig and 2nd place for the other. He took 2nd place in his class for showmanship and 4th place overall. Woo Hoo! I have a whole new respect for 4-H kids, they work so hard! The whole thing was worth it when I saw the smile on his face in the picture above!

Hang'n with the Cousins

Here are a few more things that we have been doing this week. The kids have been hanging out with their cousins. They have been on several adventures together.
Here is my little man heading out for a float on the Rappahanock River. Not quite as big as our Rivers and definitely not as cold. I bet the water was almost 90 degrees. They had fun splashing around and finding treasures.
The kids also got to spend some time with their grandpa. Here are all the cousins. My kiddos are the little ones and my brothers are the other two. My nephew is 6'1" and he is only 14. WOW he has grown!

I guess you would call her my niece dog...Miss Maya. She made me miss my Romo. I know the two of them would have had some fun together.
The boys headed out back for some paint ball. My little man loved it so who knows a paint ball gun might be on the Christmas list.
The girls decided to hang out upside down. They are both in gymnastics so they had to show us their moves.

I have been riding around with my brother on his Harley....no pics....what was I thinking. It is fun. Who knows maybe I will turn into a biker chick!

~Scarlett

Gone with the Wind

Whew, it has been quite a week here in VA. I feel like I have been gone with the wind. We have visited a lot, ate a lot, and learned a lot. Here is a little recap of a few things we have been doing.....


Shopping in Historic downtown Fredricksburg. This is a street view. There is a lot of history here. More battles were fought in Fredricksburg than any other city. There are several old houses with cannon balls in them from the war. This is also the childhood home of George Washington. He built a house for his mother in downtown that is still here.
We went on a Ghost walk one night. This is one of the most haunted towns in the US. This is a graveyard next to one of the old churches. Some of the people buried here date back to the 1700's.
This is Chatam Manor. A home built buy a wealthy family in 1771. This home became the headquarters for the Union Army during the civil war. Abraham Lincoln met here with his leaders during the war. George Washington visited Chatam as well. This home overlooks the city of Fredricksburg. Chatam was a thriving manor before the war. There are documents that over 100 slaves worked here. After the war and the fall of slavery the family was in financial ruins. The home was sold and restored. It is now part of the Park service.
This is a view of the city from the lawn of Chatam. I love the steeple. There are many churches here. I think in a previous life I lived on a plantation or in a manor. Hence the name Scarlett! I will post more, I have tons of pics and stories to tell!

~ Y'all come back now...Scarlett

I'm going home

There has been a lot of adventure in Kerbyville. Tomorrow I head home. Most of you know that I am originally from Virginia. I am headed back for a visit. It will be fun to show the kids all the sites. They can hardly wait to get to Gran's house. A week of sun and surf, site seeing, relaxing, and eating at my favorite places. We can catch fireflies and drink Slurpee's in the hot evenings. I am sure it will be hot, always is this time of year. I will try to update while I am there but I can't guarantee anything. So, see y'all later!

~Scarlett

P.S. Let me know what you think of the playlist. I stole the idea from Clover. I was ready for something new. Hope y'all like the changes.

Reunion in Kerbyville

Helloooo my friends! Whew...I am back. Seems I have been gone for a while and yes the dust that is collecting around here means that I am out having some fun. We were gone last week for a Kerbyville family reunion. I know, the words family reunion can cause some to start sweating profusely and digging frantically through the medicine cabinet to see if they can find that old bottle of Xanax or at least an old bottle of whiskey just to make it through the weekend. Well, it is kinda like that in Kerbyville as well...just kidding. The weekend actually turned out quite nice. We spent time on the lake, horseback riding, playing kick the can (a family reunion tradition) and catching up with old friends/relatives. I have included a few pics so you can see all the fun we had....


The little man and his Papa...uh no resemblance there.












You can make a fashion statement with floaties.




My nephew...Is he not cute?!
My little man learning to water ski.

My gigi with her new "pet" a toad. We left him in a pond with his family.

Stuff White People LIke

So, a while back...like Christmas...my BIL was telling me about this blog called http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.com/ it is a really funny blog. Well, I think it is funny and it seems that my BIL and I have the same sense of humor. I was reading it to the mister and he did think it was funny but not quite as much as me. Yeah, it makes fun of white people a little and might be politically incorrect but it is true because I have actually done some of the things that they say on this blog. I am thinking that the author must be doing well, there is now a book out and a book tour so take a look and maybe you will get a little laugh too!

~Scarlett

WALL-E

On Friday the kids and I were a little bored so we headed to our local theater and saw the movie WALL-E. It is a new film by Disney/Pixar. I love these guys because they are brilliant and funny. I haven't seen a Pixar film yet that I didn't like. I wasn't sure if WALL-E would follow suit or not. I am really not into robots and for the life of me I could not figure out what the film would be about. We got our popcorn and drink and settled into our seats, boy was I in for a surprise. Besides completely falling in love with that cute little guy I was amazed at the political/environmental message that this film gave. I mean basically the entire earth is covered in trash because all the humans have bought into consumerism and buy big.....does this sound familiar? One guy decided to send everyone into space while they attempted to clean up the earth. Everyone sits all day in hoverchairs, eat, and talk on their computers...ummm again familiar? All the people seem to weigh well, umm, a lot...okay they are really fat! See what I mean about brilliant? Maybe you are not with me but this film puts consumerism right in our faces! I won't ruin the ending for you. When I left the theater I wanted to recycle everything I could, head straight for the gym, and not eat for a week! I had some SUV guilt to driving home. Listening to this little rant you might actually think I was turning into a democrat...no such luck clover...although I do like Obama. Anyhoo....very cute movie....very funny twist for the grown ups. I would recommend it. These Pixar guys are well...brilliant!

~Scarlett

Seriously?

Seriously...that is what I was saying to myself last night as we sat at dinner. The mister had just flew back to town on an early flight which put a major kink in my mac-n-cheese dinner. Thank goodness he rescued me when he called on his way home from the airport. Of course the kids and I were standing in the middle of Hastings renting movies and argue about the fact that we did not need to buy yet another stuffed animal, that's when the mister said those magic words....do you want to meet me somewhere for dinner...heck yea! It's that or ummm mac-n-cheese. So anyway this is where things get interesting. We head off to Goodwood BBQ. As we sit down to order my little man starts a rant about the kids menu. He was like "why do they have these stupid names for the food...you know Red Robin cheesey mac-n-cheesey or Denny's Dino nuggets..that is just dumb". Although he does have a point, I am thinking he is just hungry and those of you who have ever seen my child in a hunger meltdown...well, it's not pretty. His blood sugar seriously bottoms out. Finally dad arrives...he usually can calm him a little. That is when it happens. The little man says I don't want to order from the kids menu...I am to big for that...WHAT...WHAT...WAIT..he can't be to big for the kids menu, he is supposed to love the crayons and the color sheet. So, dad does what I could not...he lets him order from the grown-up menu. Here's the kicker...he ate as much as I did. So it is official...we have crossed over to ummm...preadolescences. I actually had someone suggest a book for me to read about preadolescences. I just can't think about that yet, you know deodorant, armpit hair, voice change....uugghhh...how can it be...we are about to enter the twilight zone!

~Scarlett

Something Yummy

Okay so I was think'n today... yes I do think occasionally and I wondered why my blog didn't have all this cutesy stuff. You know, how to throw together a cocktail party for 16 of your closest friends in 5 minutes or less, or how to make a lovely book bag out of organic material that you made yourself from the cotton you harvested out of your back yard (yes I am catty and to all of you out there that do this there is nothing wrong with it I am just envious). So as I was throwing together a little snack to keep my kids occupied I thought hey, I'll blog about this I mean it is homemade, from scratch, no mix! (nothing organic though). So I will share one of my favorite recipes that I love, love, love and my kids are hooked on it now. It is incredibly hard to make so if it turns out right well you might just be the next Rachel Ray! (I had to say that because I was just reading about how people always say recipes are easy and they really aren't and my SIL was ranting a little about a friend that gave her a recipe and was oh this is so easy you won't even have to go to the store but it had weird ingredients like cider vinegar in it). So if you need a dessert here is one that you can whip up in no time. It is called Texas Sheet Cake it's a yummy chocolate cake with frosting. I am not even going to pretend it is my recipe but I have been making it for quite a while. It is really yummy if you cut it into squares and freeze it. So there you are.....my attempt at having a cute, crafty little blog. More to come after my cotton harvest!

~Scarlett

Who are you?

Okay, so my cuz sent me this and I never respond okay well never is harsh but it always takes me a few months. I was tagged a while back on my blog and again never responded....aaww I am bad. So here goes some secrets about me. If you want to respond you will have to cut and paste because you can't really hit forward on my blog. So this one is for you hezy (i didn't add lesy).


Who are you?

Hit forward and place an Y by all the things you've done and N from the ones you have not.
Answer the 29 questions at the end and send it to your friends (including me).

(n) Gone on a blind date
(y) Skipped school class but not school
(y) Watched someone die
(n) Been to Canada
(y) Been to Mexico
(n) Been to Florida
(y) Been on a plane
(y) Been lost
(n) Been on the opposite side of the country
(y) Gone to Washington, DC
(y) Swam in the ocean
(y) Cried yourself to sleep
(y) Played cops and robber
(y)Recently colored with crayons
(y) Sang Karaoke
(n) Paid for a meal with coins only?
(y) Done something you told yourself you wouldn't?
(y) Made prank phone calls
(y)Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose
(y) Caught a snowflake on your tongue
(y) Danced in the rain
(y) Watched the sunrise with someone you care about
(y) Blown bubbles
(y) Gone ice-skating
(y) Been skinny dipping outdoors

Any nicknames? Goose, Queek (when I was growing up), Mom (oh wait maybe that is my real name?)
Favorite drink? Diet Pepsi, Starbucks skinny Mocha
Tattoo? nope
Body piercing? ears
How much do you love your job? Pays the bills, went to school for 6 years to do it, love being with my kids at their school.
Birthplace? Sommerspoint, NJ
Favorite vacation spot? Anywhere with a beach and warm weather, and poolside service, and a spa, okay the beach is good enough.
Ever been to Africa? No
Ever eaten cookies for dinner? I think I may have done that last night.
Ever been on TV? No
Ever steal any traffic signs? No
Ever been in a car accident? Yes, minor though
Drive a 2-door or 4-door vehicle? 4 door, I would really love to drive a 2 seater convertible!
Favorite salad dressing? Ranch
Favorite pie? coconut creme
Favorite number? 5
Favorite movie? That's a hard one....Steele Magnolias Favorite holiday? Christmas...no question!
Favorite dessert? I'm easy, if it is chocolate I love it!
Favorite food? Another hard one...seafood, mom's chicken n dumplins, a yummy steak!
Favorite day of the week? Saturday
Favorite brand of bodywash/lotion? Body Shop coconut body butter
Favorite toothpaste? Crest mint w/ whitener
Favorite smell? Plumeria trees in Hawaii
What do you do to relax? read, lay by the pool, walk
How do you see yourself in 10 years? A little sad cuz my kiddos will be heading off to college, but also excited for a new chapter in my life.
Furthest place you will send this message? Virginia or Ohio so if someone is reading this and they are further away please post!
Who will respond to this the fastest? Who knows, surprise me!

Seven

We made it back from Hawaii and life has been crazy since. My gigi turned 7 on June 25th. We were flying home the morning of her birthday. When we were in Seattle we got a call and gigi was headed to the ER to get stitches in her hand. She was cutting bananas with a steak knife and the steak knife won. 5 stitches later she was put back together. Poor thing what a way to start your special day. The next two days were spent running around planning for her party. She had a very fun time celebrating with her friends, all 18 kids! Yes I am a little crazy. We had to find water proof tape and tape a glove to her hand so she could swim. So here I am house all put back together sitting with my girl and watching Camp Rock. I had to do something to celebrate her even if it is late. So here is a little glimpse into the life of my gigi. She is my heart and I love her dearly. I can't believe that she is already 7. Seems like she just came into my life and rearranged it and she has been keeping us on our toes ever since. So... Happy Birthday my girl...I love you!

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Maui

The view outside my room this morning....ahhh....off to the spa for duo massages!

~Scarlett

15 years

The mister and I jetted off yesterday to Hawaii. We are celebrating 15 years of marriage tomorrow June 19th. When I say that I can hardly believe it. Seems like we were just saying I do and starting our lives together. Young and in love and totally broke. 15 years, a move across country, 2 apartments, 2 houses, and 2 kids later here we are on a beach in Hawaii....no kids with us. I wanted to get all scmoopy and do a slideshow to give you peek into those 15 years but I ran out of time preparing for our trip. It may come next week. I wanted to post a few pics though just for fun. We are on Oahu right now but we are flying to Maui in the morning. Aloha!

How did I ever catch his eye with those glasses(thank God for contacts) ur...or that hair!

The beginning!

We are still look'n good!

~Scarlett

Happy Father's Day

Here's to all the great dads out there, and to the greatest one that lives right under my roof! We are lucky to have you and we love you!

~Scarlett

My Girl

Gigi and I are driving in the car....

Gigi: Mom did you know that horses can have babies that are different from them?

Me: Yes, but they would probably be the same breed.

Gigi: I know but if the daddy horse was a different breed then they would be different from their mom.

Me: I suppose that could happen.

Gigi: It's just like us mom. I came from your tummy but I am not the same person as you.

Me: Your right honey, your very smart

Another drive in the car with Gigi......

Me: What kind of birthday cake do you want?

Gigi: I don't know.

Me: I can't believe you are 7.

Gigi: I'm not 7 I'm 6.

Me: Well, you will be 7 and how did that happen. How can you be that old?

Gigi: Well mom, that's just the way life is.

* I can feel my heart breaking just a little!!!!

~Scarlett