From Snow Country

Roxie's First Solo

2009-11-15T17:58:00.002-07:00

Don't fall over or pass out....Thanks to Rachel learning how to post a video, I have an update for my blog! :o)

So here's my latest brag post...

Roxie is an 8th grader this year and has fallen in love with singing. She sang in an ensemble last year at the Christmas concert, but this is her first solo. She picked the song herself and practiced for hours before auditioning. She made auditions and practiced for more hours before performing. Lots of hard work went into this and I think (in my unbiased opinion(o:) she did fabulous! We love her choir teacher who knows just when and how far to push her.

Needless to say, she's also in love with Phantom.

The not so cute 2-year-old

2009-07-15T00:27:00.007-06:00

This picture is what finally made me decide to go ahead and document this experience.

This is Lincoln cleaning Chili off the ceiling in my kitchen.

We had come home from church and I was in the other room when I heard a terrible crash in the kitchen. As Lincoln later described to me, he opened the oven door and then slammed it shut.
The slam proceeded to make one griddle slide two of its legs off the top of the stove, which made the 2nd griddle fall off the stove and come crashing to the floor. In the process, it hit the spoon inside the pot of chili, broke it, and sent chili flying onto the ceiling.

um, yeah.

Our stove is a double oven housed in a small kitchen of little storage. So there are several things stored up there. 2 griddles, a cupcake holder and chips (out of kids reach). So one griddle did not survive, the chips were a bit smaller, and all else managed to be okay.
Luckily, Lincoln was not hurt by anything falling, just scared to death he was capable of such mayhem. He was extremely willing to clean up the broken bits of plastic from the griddle by sweeping and was so careful in doing so. It really made me smile. He is such a sweet boy, even when he's in trouble.

I was so grateful he wasn't hurt. He could've gotten burned, or had something land on him. He was really being watched out for.

The Joys of Traveling

2009-07-08T23:36:00.000-06:00

First, you take this...

Then the 10 year old sister adds this...

And you get this...

Lots of fun to clean up with only wet wipes! But aren't we grateful for those! This happened on a quick trip to Utah July 5th. I sure do love this little guy!!

Bugs, Bugs, and More Bugs!!

2009-06-20T17:41:00.000-06:00

These are some layouts from this summer at my parents house in Utah. I don't know what it is about rolley-polleys and my kids!! They love to pick them up and hold them. I'm not so fond of bugs...so who knows where they get it from!

Happy Celebrating Women Weekend!

2009-05-07T23:37:00.004-06:00

I know...you all thought I'd fallen off the face of the earth. You'll see more of me in months to come when I'm no longer a full-time employee outside of my home.

I just read this song written by Michael McLean on the TOFW blog. As you read, think about the women you know, including yourself. When you're done, I hope you can give yourself a little more credit for all the good you do in your corner of the world.

Quarter to seven on a Thursday night
She’s running late again
She gets a ticket ‘cause she ran the light
Racing to help a friend
Then she remembers a promise made
A couple of weeks before
She’d bake the brownies for the PTA
But she’s run out of time
So she gets hers from the store

Quarter to seven on a Friday night
She’s running late again
What can she wear that’s gonna look just right
At the party she’s throwing for him?
Living on rice cakes and Diet Coke
She hasn’t lost that much
Her dress is too tight and her hair’s a joke
But the party’s a hit
‘Cause it had her magic touch

And she doesn’t know
That she’s an angel in disguise
And she doesn’t know
That we see heaven in her eyes
And she doesn’t know that she’s all right
She might have been blinded by the light
Of all the good that she does
That she doesn’t know

She’s been worried ‘bout the kids next door
Since the breakup last fall
Got them some T-shirts from a Hard Rock store
That they haven’t worn at all
Reading the paper about some plight
Plaguing a distant shore
Pulls out her checkbook and starts to write
And feels guilty she doesn’t send more

She doesn’t focus on the good she does
All she sees is where she’s failed her part
Can’t she see that we think she’s a saint
Because she’s givin’ all she has straight from her heart

Quarter to seven on a Sunday morn
She’s on her knees again
Aching for all who’ve been bruised and torn
She’s pleading for help for them
She has a rather extensive list
Of those she’s been praying for
But then she remembers the ones she missed
How sorry she feels once more

‘Cause she doesn’t know
That she’s an angel in disguise
And she doesn’t know that we see
Heaven in her eyes
And she doesn’t know that she’s all right
She might have been blinded by the light
Of all the good that she does
But she doesn’t see it because

She hits a traffic jam on a carpool morn
And feels guilty what she’s thinkin’
When she honks her horn
She wrote a sympathy note for her dear friend, Grace
But got it lost somewhere in cyberspace
And at the charity auction when she wanted to help
She raised her hands so many times she sort of bid against herself
She got the casserole made for her friend who was sick
But then apologized because the crust was too thick
She’s runnin’ to the soccer and the baseball games
She cheers for the teams but forgets their names
She doesn’t know that she’s a miracle
She doesn’t know her love is lyrical
She doesn’t know this song’s for her to hear
She doesn’t know that we are so sincere
She doesn’t know that she’s the best
She doesn’t know she’s passed the test
She doesn’t know, she doesn’t know
She doesn’t know

After reading this, I thought of the saying that goes something like this.

"To the world you may be just one person,

but to one person you just may be the world."

We never know our influence or how far reaching it truly is. Let's be gentle with ourselves. I hope we have a great weekend celebrating all the women who influence us.

As a side note, I also wanted to share with you this quote from Elder Ballard:

"More than ever before we need women of faith, virtue, vision, and charity, as the Relief Society declaration proclaims. We need women who can hear and who will respond to the voice of the Lord, women who at all costs will defend and protect the family. We don’t need women who want to be like men, sound like men, dress like men, drive like some men drive, or act like men. We do need women who rejoice in their womanhood and have a spiritual confirmation of their identity, their value, and their eternal destiny. Above all, we need women who will stand up for truth and righteousness and decry evil at every turn and simply say, "Lord, here am I, send me."

Just an inspiring thought I read tonight. So I pray the Lord will bless us as women to stand up and stand out about those things that matter most to us.

Happy Mother's Day to all you special women in my life.

All About Troy...

2009-01-31T00:01:00.002-07:00

I'm so glad my cousin tagged me with this one. This month Troy and I celebrated 14 years of marriage. Isn't that amazing? I'm glad I have him for the rest of FOREVER!!

*What is your husband’s name: Troy Wesley Huckaby

*How long have you been married? 14 years

*How long did you date? 6 weeks, then engaged for 3 months

*How old is he? He is 36

*Who eats more sweets? It's a toss up, I definitely buy/make more than he does tho'

*Who said I love you first? He did

*Who is taller? Him, by almost a foot!

*Who can sing best? We both enjoy singing

*Who is smarter? Him! Especially when it comes to church stuff.

*Who does laundry? Me, most of the time. But when I was first called as the RS President, he did A LOT! Now that I work, I usually do it on my day off.

*Who pays bills? Me and Rachel too! (The sister-in-law I live with.)

*Who sleeps on the right side? If you are looking at the bed.. Me

*Who mows the lawn? He does, and I'd like to keep it that way ALWAYS!

*Who cooks dinner? Rachel and I alternate weekdays through Saturday, Troy cooks EVERY Sunday! It's sooooo great to have a day off! He's done that most of our married life.

*Who drives? Probably half and half...I'm not sure. It brings to mind a question of a lady from church...She said to me "Why is it that you and Rachel are always driving those Huckaby Brothers around...Do they ever get to drive?" I guess I drive to church a lot. I thought it was funny. We both like to be in the driver's seat...and we both like to tell the other how to drive!

*Who is first to admit they are wrong? Usually him, I'm the grudge holder, but I try not to keep it up for long. We usually have things resolved within a day.

*Who kissed who first? I totally kissed him!

*Who asked who out first? He asked me out three times before I said yes...scheduling conflicts.

*Who wears the pants? Depends on the issue

I tag whoever wants to do it.

I cheated

2009-01-18T17:09:00.002-07:00

I spent hours trying to get a blog background made just right, and kept messing it up! So I decided there's nothing like using someone else's talents. Thanks to The Cutest Blog on the Block, I have a cute, seasonal background!

My mini-vacation...

2009-01-14T11:03:00.003-07:00

Life never turns out the way you envision!

I decided to keep up with the loss of income from school by folding laundry for a local house cleaning company. I did some work for them last month and they said I could work for them anytime. So when I found out that I had a week off from school, they said I could help them catch up on laundry.

I had no idea.

I don't even know how many houses they clean in a week, and the holidays are a swamped time. There is so much laundry, it pales my family's loads considerably! I've worked 6.5 hours the last two days, and today will be more like 8 hours. And I still won't be caught up entirely! It's crazy. When I go home for the day, the owner keeps the washer and dryer continuous until bedtime. Then she gets up early and starts more. I can't imagine what the silence will sound like for them when it's finally caught up!

I don't mind folding laundry. It makes me feel good to come into laundry everywhere and leave with it folded and wrapped and stacked on the shelf. The room I do it in is a family room and I'm sure it's nice for them to have the space back to sit and relax after their long day of cleaning.

Small bonuses: I'm by myself all day and can watch tv, listen to music, and check my email and post to my blog while I wait! It's been a nice break from school stress. Just what I needed.

I {heart} Facebook

2009-01-10T23:16:00.002-07:00

Facebook is easy for me to read, post and check in on long lost friends. I love that it takes just a few minutes to look things over. It's become a more frequented site for me now that I'm working. So if you're missing seeing me here, check for me there.

I do hope to post holiday happenings at some point before the end of January!! I may just get the week off tomorrow. Sort of a mini vacation! Wouldn't that be great? We'll have to see what happens with my student...I'll try to keep you posted! (Pun intended.)

I did better than I thought

2009-01-10T23:12:00.002-07:00

I love this blogging thing, even though it's taken a back seat since I started working full time. As I looked at my dashboard today, I realized I made 52 posts last year. That's an average of one a week and, for me, that's pretty incredible! Here's to at least some posts in the year to come...maybe more like one a month tho'. (c:

I have the coolest Mom EVER!

2008-12-11T15:29:00.006-07:00

I know some of you want to argue this fact with me, but you'll never win! :o)

I talk to my Mom frequently. She always makes me feel like I can do whatever I need to and that everything will be okay, no matter what I'm dealing with.

She has become one of my best friends. I talk to her about my hopes and dreams and everything in between. She listens very well and know when I am just venting and when I'm asking for advice. She helps me with everything from computers to advice on how to survive being a working parent.

She loves Christmas and she's good at it! She loves to decorate and make treats and always picks just the right gifts.

She's also very good at birthdays, which is what I'm getting to. This year she sent my birthday package up with Karen and Gary for Thanksgiving and they had to give it to my kids to hide from me. The kids did so very successfully and on the morning of my birthday, they gave me my box. She had sent a huge container of peach jam to help feed all the people in our house, a quart of this years salsa, and my very personalized, very much appreciated gift.

The salsa was wonderful, and I even shared it with the RS sisters at our RS Christmas party. (Which meant I didn't have to make anything, just buy a bag of chips. Which I really needed at this point!)

As for my personalized gift, she sent a 500 GB external hard drive. I had been asking advice and talking about it all year. I wasn't asking her to get one for me, but she knew it would be a dream slow coming in our current situation. I will put it to good use, downloading and making digital scrapbook pages. She also gave me the most beautiful card that talks about scrapbooking to go with it! It says:

Daughter

In the scrapbook of my heart,
there are so many pages
that carry your name...
I have so many memories of you
laughing and having the time of your life,
celebrating milestones,
sharing hugs with family and friends,
Every year you keep adding to that collection,
precious keepsakes that show
how much you love

and how very much you are loved.

I love my mom and all the good she teaches me. I miss being near her so much! She carries The Spirit with her everywhere she goes. She is one of the most in tune people I know. Her life has been tested this year with cancer. I want her to stay with me forever, just a phone call away. I hope the Lord allows that to happen for a long time to come. She truly is amazing.

I love you, Mom!

Thanksgiving

2008-11-30T14:58:00.000-07:00

Troy's assignment again this year was to cook the turkey. He had explicit instructions to keep it simple with only a few seasonings and to not fill it with anything "weird" as he has in the past.

He likes to get up and get the bird ready, and give it one last hug before he plops it in the roasting pan. This bird was a 24 pounder and fed all 17 of us with plenty leftover.

Troy and Rodney went over to our little church house early and got the tables set up. They also decorated the tables very appropriately. This is the only picture of my family that day with Angie being a little hidden by the centerpiece. Don't we look excited?

The best things about Thanksgiving: Family, time together, every one contributing to the meal, and, of course, the food. My favorite foods are always the homemade rolls and the pies.

We were glad to have our family, Rodney's family, Yolanda and her kids, Mom, Pop, and Chad all in Cascade. It was a lot of fun!

We missed all of our loved ones who couldn't be with us, and hope their Thanksgiving was wonderful as well.

Halloween Delayed

2008-11-05T22:02:00.001-07:00

I'm sure there will be questions involved. And if you are easily offended by political incorrectness, you might as well stop reading now. So with little further explanation, here's our Halloween:

Rodney: wierd pumpkin head guy

Troy: Idaho spud

Yolanda: Sarah Palin

Jolinda: Aunt Jemima

Harris: mummy

Lincoln: Little devil

Roxie: dead basketball cheerleader with her dead cheerleader friend and Pippi Longstocking

I've never once stated my political correctness in anything, and was told I was close to overstepping my bounds. I'm sure you're anxious for the story...

So, Troy wanted to be an Idaho potato for Halloween. He shaved his head and covered himself with brown paint. I took one look at him and told him he looked like a bouncer! I then got the idea to become Aunt Jemima. Mind you, this is about 3:30 on Halloween. So, without anymore thought, Troy painted my face brown. I put the bandana on my head and pulled out an apron. Seriously, a simple costume minus the face painting.

I know this would not fly in all parts of the U.S. and I didn't mean any offense to anyone. I rarely dress up at all for Halloween, so this was a big change for me.

I was feeling okay about it until I went outside of my home.

People in Cascade said that I could never pull that off anywhere else and that I was pushing the line a bit. Who knew it would be so controversial!?! Troy and I did not paint our arms and hands because we were serving scones and hot cocoa as our "treat". It was a lot of fun, but I think for the following years I will just stick to the Old Navy Halloween t-shirt.

Pumpkin Carving Party

2008-10-18T22:44:00.000-06:00

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

I've been tagged

2008-10-18T20:01:00.005-06:00

Since I'm already here, I thought I better take the time to reply to a tag from Callie. I think she posted it about the time I started working...so it's about time I took care of it!

20 years ago:

1- I was living in Riverside, UT,

2- Starting 8th grade;

3- I loved Band and Young Womens, and was trying to love Utah.

10 years ago:

1- Angeline was about 2 months old, RoxAnn was 28 months and I was trying to figure out how I could raise 2 small girls so close in age!

2- I had become a consultant for D.O.T.S. (now, Close to my Heart) and loved getting out to share with people my love of scrapbooking and stamping.

3- We were living in the first house we built on Century Drive, I had fallen in love with Utah and still say that's where I'm from, even though I've lived lots of places.

5 years ago:

1- RoxAnn had started 2nd grade and Angeline was in Kindergarten. Harris was 16 months.

Halloween 2003

2 - Troy had started his own company, after becoming a general contractor. We had moved to a 3 bedroom apartment (about 1400 square feet) after selling our 3000 square foot home. And I was the Webelos den leader.

3 - I was diagnosed with Depression. (Can you see why?!?) Troy and I made the decision for me to not be medicated and have tried to stick through the low times together. I know Troy's response to the doctor's diagnosis pulled me through this rough time. He doubled his efforts, which were already 100%, and he gave me a priesthood blessing that truly saved me.

4 - I have to add that I took fall pics for the first time ever in Logan Canyon after years of telling myself I wanted to. (which I can't share with you because the scrapbook is in storage :o( )

3 years ago:

1- We were living in a spec house that hadn't sold in Elwood, UT.

2- Harris was transitioning from the Up-to-3 program to the school district for speech therapy. He began riding the bus to preschool from Elwood. I didn't want him to grow up.

3-Troy was working in Cascade with Rodney and only came home once every two weeks. The following month (November), we decided we wanted to reunite our family 24/7 so we took a leap of faith and moved to Cascade. We lived in the basement of the Elders Quorum President until we sold our house in Utah and found a place to live in Cascade. Wonderful people who touched our lives forever and have had influence on a lot of things we choose to do.

1 year ago:

1- Lincoln was born in February!! A long awaited wish come true. By this time of year, I was loving that he was part of our family and feeling like we were now complete. You can't mess with 2 and 2!!

2- I was babysitting a 5 year old half days which was great for Harris. He had a play mate to keep him company while Lincoln napped.

3- I was past my 1st year as Relief Society President. I still had a lot to learn!! (I still do!) We were preparing for our first funeral which happened to be a young child. It was a difficult time.

This year so far:

1- We've moved in with Troy's brother Rodney, put 85% of our stuff in storage, and we still haven't started building a house.

2- My mom was diagnosed with Breast Cancer, and two dear friends of mine passed away in February. These things have brought about much change for me, especially the importance of others in my life.

3- I started a job which has been a difficult transition for me. I loved being a stay-at-home mom. I hope I can return to that soon. Luckily, my job seems to be only for the school year.

Yesterday:

1- My babysitter wasn't at home. I still have no idea where she was/is and am not sure if she's even thought of us. Thankfully, my sister-in-law was visiting from out of town, and she was willing to add babysitting Lincoln to their list of things to do.

2- It was Homecoming for our little 1A school. We won our first football game of the season, and part of our family was there to witness it! Roxie played in the pep band.

3- We also had our Primary Pizza Party to reward the kids for all their time and effort they put toward their primary program. We're excited to see how they do next Sunday.

Today:

1- Harris woke up at 2:30 a.m. puking and continued that until about 7:30 a.m. He has had diaherrea and has laid around all day.

2- Lincoln thought it would be good to eat not only one, but two pieces of bread Harris had eaten off of today. Great!

3- The rest of the family got to spend the day at Tamarack and in McCall and Ponderosa State Park. I'm bummed I missed it, but Harris was grateful, and I enjoyed my day with him.

Tomorrow:

1- I suspect Lincoln may not make it through the night without puking.

2- If he does, we'll head to church.

3- We'll send Pam and the boys back to Utah. We might even make an afternoon treat.

Next year:

1- I might be a stay-at-home Mom again!

2- I'd like to take a trip with Troy. Anywhere will do.

3- A family vacation would also be nice.

4- Oh yeah, and maybe a house. We'll see.

Thanks for taking a walk down memory lane with me. Hope you liked it!

I tag Denise, Rachel, and Robie.

What's a paraprofessional?

2008-10-18T19:33:00.002-06:00

On Sept. 22 I started a new job. (Hence, my lack of blogging!!) I am now the paraprofessional for the 18-21 Special Ed program at our school. (Paraprofessional=Teacher's Aide.)

I teach one student. (Overwhelming, hu?);o)

He is 18 and is working toward getting his GED. Now those of you who are on Goodreads get why I'm reading the GED prep course book! I teach 4 subjects a day. We start with Critical Thinking and Math. Then he goes to Web Design and Lunch. After lunch is English, Weightlifting, (yes, I get paid to work out!!), and Science. I've relearned several things already and am looking forward to replacing Critical Thinking with History.

I work M,W,F and then Substitute Teach on T and Th. Some weeks I work 5 days, most weeks only 4, and if I'm lucky, I get T and Th off completely. My student came on W this week and asked if he could come 4 days a week. Next week I'll meet with the superintendent and the HS Special Ed teacher and decide what we can do to accomodate him. That would put me tutoring M-Th and have Fridays off. That would be nice. Substituting would have to end then.

The Flower Shop has had to go. I really enjoyed the short time I was there, but it's just too crazy to think I could do that with everything else.

My kids love having me at school. It's been good to get to know the Jr and Sr HS teachers, since Roxie is now in the upper grades. I like getting paid to be at the school. ;o) For the past 3 years, I've volunteered frequently, (which is also very rewarding), but it's nice to know we're getting some financial benefits from me spending so much time there. We may be okay through this economic crisis yet!

I just wanted you to know what I've been up to and why I'm not posting very frequently. I try to keep up on all your lives by reading your blogs...so keep posting. Know that I think of you all often and wish for time to post about our lives. I'll find a balance soon, I hope, and get some time to post. Until then, take care.

And the Verdict Is...

2008-09-17T22:09:00.002-06:00

Roxie is sticking it out. I told her she could quit, which was a change of tune for me. She was able to change her schedule and tomorrow she will start having an advisory period every other day. This is a 40 minute class to be used as a study hall. I'm hoping for an extreme improvement of the hours spent on homework. It should allow for some better planning and access to teachers for help when needed. This should make sports more bearable. Although if she quit all sports, I think I'd be okay with that.

Thanks for your input, though there weren't many who shared their thoughts on this. Thank you for those who did. I really do value other's opinions, especially when it comes to unfamiliar ground in parenting!

No longer a SAHM

2008-09-11T22:58:00.003-06:00

Today I started work at the local floral shop. I have no experience in this area, just a childhood dream fulfilled.

It was a lot of fun! I walked in and my boss asked me to put together some displays.

No pressure! No, really, it was fun just looking at all the flower choices and getting to use whatever I wanted to make whatever I wanted. The following photos are my first two professional arrangements.

While finishing the second one, we got several orders for custom arrangements. I made 4 arrangements, tweaked another, and we also wrapped one in 5 hours. We also received several orders on the phone for next week.

It was great to deliver a couple of these arrangements. I think this will be a fun part of my job. I delivered flowers to a family who just closed on a house, with the new house keys attached. And to a High School Volleyball Coach before a game, from her husband, "just because it's Thursday". I love to see happy things for other people. I really needed to give a service like this. It made me smile.

Current Family Fight, I mean, Discussion

2008-09-10T19:37:00.004-06:00

So Roxie decided to play volleyball this year. In Jr. High they allow everyone who wants to play on the team without tryouts. We went to the parents meeting and were promised that everyone would get a turn to play each game. We understood it would be one team.

Then comes reality...

The teams get split into an A and B team based on serving and bumping accuracy. This means most of the older girls are on the A team and the rest are on the B team. With a few exceptions...a 6th grader and a couple 7th graders are on the A team (with all the rest 8th graders). The B team consists of one 8th grader and the bulk 6-7th graders.

Did I mention there are 25 players on the team?

The A team only has about 10.

This means that no one gets very much playing time and it's constant swap outs. They each get to play about 1 serve. The first game the coaches pulled Roxie only while it was her turn to serve, then put her back in so that she never got a chance to serve at all.

The cost to play is $15. Then when there's an away game, we provide our own dinner. This is okay with us.

Roxie has decided now that she doesn't like it. It's hard to get everything done like homework, dinner and family time. Not to mention YW also. She's staying up late and getting up early to accomodate all that is required of her. Of course some things just aren't happening all together.

Do we make her stick it out to learn commitment or end her misery and let her quit? That's my poll question. Please vote.

Mean Mom Award

2008-09-10T16:54:00.002-06:00

If someone actually starts giving this one out, they'll have some stiff competition from this corner!

Yes, there is a story...

So today Roxie gets up at 5:30 AM to begin her homework and get ready for school pictures. (She's on the Volleyball team and got home at 10 last night from her game 1 1/2 hours away.)
Her dad got up, made her breakfast, and helped her with homework. (Isn't he great!!)She's scrambling to get out the door at 7:55 to ride to school. She calls directly from school and says she forgot her picture envelope and could I please bring it to her?

I'm still in my pajamas.

I get dressed, put a hat on and try to be optimistic...taking the opportunity to walk to school.

Oh yeah, it's also Team pictures. I take her the money and what I think is the correct envelopes. Turns out after talking to another parent in the hall, we need a special envelope Roxie never got from her coach. So I go back into the school and track down the correct envelope, take it to her, and she says...

I forgot my VB stuff, can you bring it to me?

I want to wring her neck!! I say sure.

I shouldn't have. I decided I am done playing this game of 3 trips a day to the school for one child! Granted I do not live in a big town and the school is close, but it annoys me! So as the day goes on, I decide not to take her stuff to her. She has no cell phone, so I just wait.

At 3:30 she calls...Where's my stuff?

(Where you left it!!) I say, "It's too bad you forgot it when you had 2 1/2 hours to get ready for school this morning! I won't be bringing it to you. You can ask a friend for shorts, or not practice. Will you be able to play tomorrow w/o practicing?"

"IDK"

"Well, I'm sorry you forgot. Maybe you'll remember next time."

5 minutes later...another call...

"My friends don't have shorts I can borrow."

Oh Well! "So do you have to come home?"

"I'll see what coach says..."

I haven't seen her yet.

I'm heartless. I can't wait to hear what Troy will say.

ABCs of Me

2008-09-10T16:27:00.004-06:00

Denise had this on her blog and she tagged me...so I am obligated (;o))to share the following...

Here are the ABC's of ME.

A-Attached or Single: Attached

B-Best Friend: Troy-always constant and true

C-Cake or Pie: Cheese-Cake or Pie

D-Day: I favor Tues & Thurs. No reason really, it just seems that most fun things I do are on those days. Saturdays are great for Family Fun.

E-Essential Item: Though evasive a lot of days, the will to keep trying and improving.

F-Favorite Color: red, yellow, purple

G-Gummi bears or gummi worms: Bears

H-Hometown: Tremonton, UT mostly

I-Indulgences: Anything chocolate...or sweet...or homemade...or fresh bread like

J-January or July: January I still like the snow then...but July is nice for the beach...I guess it's a toss up.

K-Kids: My nerves can't handle the 4 I have sometimes, but I love them just the same.

L-Life is incomplete without: Friends, esp. GIRLfriends!

M-Marriage Date: January 6, 1995

N-Number of Siblings: 3

O-Oranges or Apples: juicy sweet oranges

P-Phobias or Fears: BIG SPIDERS...I've learned to handle the little ones. Actually, bugs in general.

Q-Quote: New favorite..."Courage does not always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, 'I will try again tomorrow.'"
~Mary Anne Radmacher

R-Reason to Smile: Family, time to scrapbook

S-Season: Winter...I love frosty trees and sparkling ice crystals in the air

T-Tag Three: Robin(maybe she'll post something...), Alison, Robbie

U-Unknown fact about me: I'm pretty transparent...I'm not sure I have an unknown!

V-Vegetarian or Oppressor of Meat: Oppressor!

W-Worst Habit: Negative self-talk

X-X-Rays or Ultrasounds: Ultrasounds...It's amazing to see that other person growing inside you.

Y-your favorite food: Italian, gotta love all those carbs!!

Z-Zodiac Sign: Sagittarius

Today is a crappy day!

2008-09-10T16:21:00.000-06:00

That's it!

Yes, That is a REAL snake!

2008-09-04T22:18:00.003-06:00

Lincoln loves our snakes.

He is always signing to Troy that he wants to "play" with the snakes. On the day the header photos were taken, Troy consented.

Prince Caspian is Roxie's Ball Python that Troy cares for. He is the smallest of our snakes at only 3 feet long. He is the favorite for Lincoln to hold because he's not bigger than him!

This leads me to another story...

Recently, Rachel spent two weeks in Utah visiting her family with her kids. During that time, Wormwood escaped. Actually, Screwtape and Wormwood escaped (the little devils)!! Screwtape was easily found the next morning after The Great Escape. (He's too big to hide very easily, being 5 1/2 feet long and weighing in at about 15 lbs.) That's when we discovered Wormwood was nowhere to be found. We kept this news to ourselves for a day or two until the landlord called and said he was coming to replace our water heater. This caused some anxiety and we told Rodney what had happened.

He didn't have much to say.

Fortunately, he didn't show up while the landlord was there (the third day missing). But Troy feared for his life because Rachel was to return two days later. (Let's just say she's not fond of the snakes.) Rodney had consulted his Mom and she immediately began fasting so Troy's life would be spared. Rachel returned and we all kept our secret...even the kids didn't say anything!

The day after she returned, I found Rodney in the crawl space debating how he should pick up the lost devil.

He asked me to do the honors. I agreed and returned Wormwood safely to his cage.

Troy breathed a sigh of relief. The snake was found and Rachel didn't need to know.

UNTIL.....

Rodney had to speak in Sacrament Meeting about Fasting. Guess what story he shared?!?

The cat was out of the bag...but the snake wasn't!

Rachel threatened murder, but only to the snakes. Thankfully, we still have a home.

His Future's So Bright...

2008-08-30T21:27:00.006-06:00

Right...He has to wear shades.

The whole time I'm taking a walk with Lincoln Thursday, I'm thinking of this song and how it would make such a cute blog post. So even though he fell asleep, I still took a picture.

Then tonight I log on and find my friend Denise has a post with the same title! (Are we 80s girls or what?!?)

Oh well, chalk it up to procrastination. It wouldn't be the first time.

I'm really not trying to copy you Denise!

Great minds think alike, right?

My Day Off

2008-08-17T00:44:00.004-06:00

I spent the morning sleeping in and then blogging, reading blogs, and emailing.

Then I went and did this:

I have not jumped off a bridge since I was in high school! It was fun and the water was great. We were just wasting time waiting to go white water rafting with the youth group from church (all 3 of them!). Mitchells jumped before me...First Dan, then Kim:

Oh, and the highlight was talking to this guy wandering around in his underwear!!

Well, not the highlight, but the most talked about!! We had a great float down the Cabarton Run and I finally got to paddle the whole way. It felt good to work my arms. I've focused on my legs so much, my arms needed the work. Plus it gave a good workout for the day. After rafting for 3+ hours, Kim and I swam on and off the last 30 minutes. It will take my body a few days to forgive me, I'm sure. But it's never felt so good to be sore!!

He Loves Me

2008-08-16T11:19:00.005-06:00

Today I have to take a minute and be grateful for Troy.

He gave me the day off today. A much needed break from the chaos that has been my house.

The somewhat whole story: I was asked by a friend to babysit her kids while she, her husband and daughter went to a funeral in CA. My friend is a grandma to these three boys she's raising. And she's doing it with one leg due to an amputation at the hip from having cancer several years ago. The boys mom isn't far away, but really has very little to do with them. The oldest two are close to adoptions being final but the youngest still has parental rights attached so can't be taken out-of-state. Anyway, they dropped the boys off Tuesday and won't be back until late next Tues night. Luckily, I have great friends in our little LDS branch. Each of us are taking a couple days and spreading it out. I had them Wed till noon, someone else took them and then I got them back yesterday morning. They will go on to another house tonight then on to one more before "mama" and "papa" come home.

Recently, Troy's sister moved to Cascade and while she works, Rachel and I babysit her two kids. This is fun for the cousins and is great for them to know each other better. So, total, with Rachel's, mine, and Yolanda's kids, we have 9. Not so bad when another adult is around. It's manageable and usually all the kids play and get along so well. Meal time is the craziest, but again, with another adult, it works out.

This week, Rachel has been gone with her kids. So with the addition of the boys the number of kids is the same, but I am the lone adult.

Yesterday, Yolanda had the day off and took 2 of my kids to her house. Even with the numbers being low (only 5) I was feeling a bit overwhelmed last night. I had spent the day making pies for a fun evening of volleyball and pie. So amidst the babysitting, the kitchen was a disaster as well as most of the house. Troy came home, we had dinner, and cleaned up then went and played volleyball and ate pie. Troy recognized by my impatience with him that I could use a break. Instead of getting mad at me, he let me vent my frustrations (me not being nice at all) and took it all in. Later he offered to take all the kids with him and Rodney today to McCall. Rodney needed some help with work and so Troy said he could help him and then take the kids and do something fun.

I don't think most guys understand how much this really means to a Mom. It was exactly what I needed today. I guess Troy really does get it.

He loves me. Even after me being the orneriest person alive, and not so nice to live with, he still loves me. There's a lot of security in that. So kudos to Troy and a wake up call to me, I need to be nicer even when things are difficult. Because, after all, I also love him.

This Should Be Fun...

2008-08-15T16:50:00.002-06:00

Borrowed this from my friend Denise' blog...wanted to try it!

1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn’t matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog.

You can post any memory affiliated with any of our family members. I look forward to hearing from you ALL!!

My New Journey

2008-08-15T15:10:00.003-06:00

Like several of my friends, I've found a new interest in exercising again. It's been many years since I was really serious and self-disciplined enough to exercise consistently. Well, I've been at it for about 3 weeks now and manage to workout 3-6 times a week. I've increased my miles each week so that this week alone I will have about 7 miles behind me. I've been doing this by walking, hiking, running, (yes, I did say running!), biking and playing volleyball. It's been a lot of fun actually. I take my kids with me sometimes, but Fridays are my long days and I go by myself.

My sister-in-law moved to Cascade recently and brought with her a Cruiser. I don't know much about bikes, but I love this bike. It has a seat for a big behind, and only three gears. I don't know how to work all those 21 and up gear bikes. I think for what I'm doing now, this is great. I just mosey along the lake and enjoy the scenery. (Well, not really moseying... it's hard work for what appears to be mostly flat ground!!) Biking is fun because I can go farther faster and get those miles behind me, but a walk is good for talking with my kids. Running is slow, but I like it more than I thought. I went on a hike with Roxie yesterday and it about killed me really! But I did it and I still could convince myself to go today.

This has really given me the mindset that I can do what I put my mind to, if I just make that commitment. Here's to the commitment sticking!!

My August Desktop

2008-08-15T15:00:00.000-06:00

I was emailing a friend to tell her about these when I thought I might as well show you all here. This is my August Desktop:

You can download this template already made - just add photos - from shabbyprincess.com. (A new one each month.) Even if you don't scrapbook digitally, I'm sure you store your photos on your computer. So drop some recent photos in and you'll have a cheery greeting each time you turn on your computer.

Here I am promoing something I know nothing about...It just dawned on me that you probably have to have some version of Photoshop in order to drop your photos in. I'm not sure. The least you could do is try and see what happens.

Anyway, I love having this as my desktop. Especially that cute little baby of mine!

Harris the Artist

2008-07-31T20:19:00.005-06:00

Harris loves to draw.

I love to display his art.

Good combination, don't you think?

My office is plastered with his Kindergarten artwork that I can't bring myself to throw away just yet. This piece came from church one Sunday. I just took it out of my church stuff and had to share. I think it's beautiful!

Roxy at 12

2008-07-24T16:30:00.000-06:00

I started writing this without Roxy around. The first thing she would say is, "My name is now spelled with an IE!" A new change. I stole this idea from my "li'l sis". I wanted to do it in conjunction with my kids' birthdays, but as life always seems to get ahead of me, I'm a little late. With Roxy's help, I'll fill in the blanks... (We did this on the way to Utah and didn't have the list, so you'll see some additions to what Harris' had.)

RoxIE's favorites

Song: "Take a Bow" by Rihanna
Book: Trapped in Death's Cave (currently reading)
Candy Bar: Butterfinger
Vacation: Grand Canyon
School Subject: Science...no, Band
Sport: Soccer
Thing to do in my free time: Hang out with friends

Food: Fettuccine Alfredo
Movie: My friend Flicka
Color: Purple and Black
Scripture Story: David and Goliath

Place to eat: Wendy's

Drink: Lemonade or Jones Green Apple

Car: Lamborghini and Slug Bug Convertible

Moment: Going to the Boise Temple for the 1st time
Outdoor Activity: Camp, 4-wheeling, bike ride

Fruit: Peach
Animal: monkey
Vegetable: Potatoes
Friends: Jennifer, Kelsey, Shaunna
Snack: Toast and butter
Game: Ghost in the Graveyard
Thing to do with Dad: Read
Thing to do with Mom: Cook
Thing that has happened lately: Relay for Life

Looking to the future...

What I want to be: Cosmetologist
Some ambitions: Travel around the US and Go to India
Where I would like to go on a mission: India
Something crazy I would like to try: Bungee jumping and sky diving
Someone I would like to meet: Chris Brown, Rihanna,
Jonas Brothers, Mylie Cyrus
(Famous People I've Already Met: Ryan Shupe)
Temple I'd like to get married in: Salt Lake Temple
Some goals I currently have: Read 30 minutes daily, write in journal,
personal progress

Harris is 6

2008-07-22T00:24:00.000-06:00

Harris is an all-around boy. He is my most active child, spending all possible time outside, on the move. It rained today and I finally got him to sit still for a minute to tell me some of his favorites. Then we lost power and had to try to remember what we'd already done and finish it up. We finally got it all together so...Here goes!

Harris' Favorites
Song: "You Are My Sunshine" and "Baby Mine"
Book: 5 Minute Bed-Time Storybook, The Brave Little Bulldozer
Candy Bar: Twix

Candy: Candy Cane
Vacation: Day trip to Boise to Boondocks
Thing to do at School: Play on the playground and classroom sandbox
Sport: Baseball
Thing to do with free time: watch movies, play with Tyson, play outside
Food: Pizza Plus Pizza and Breadsticks
Movie: Air Bud Movies
Color: Green and Red
Scripture Story: Nephi
Outdoor Activity: Ride Tyson's Bike
Fruit: pineapple
Heroes: Mom and Dad, Jesus
Animal: Giraffe
Vegetable: Carrots
Friends: Lance, Andrew
Snack: Chocolate covered chocolate chip granola bar
Game: 20 Questions
Things to do with family: games, Family Home Evening(esp. treats!)

Thing to do with Mom: Play 20 Questions

Thing to do with Dad: Work
Thing that has happened lately: Madi and Tyson moving here

Moving on to the future:

What I want to be: Worker with Dad
Some ambitions: "When I turn 7, I want to own a pocket knife"
Where I would like to go on a mission: Colorado
Something crazy I would like to try: Go into the dark without a flashlight
Someone I would like to meet: My 1st grade teacher!
Temple I'd like to get married in: Boise Temple
What I would like to be in the newspaper for: Winning a sport
Some goals I currently have: Learn to play coach-pitch

Wildlife in Cascade....and I don't mean Our Life!

2008-07-08T17:26:00.005-06:00

The month of June brought a couple animals around the house.

We started out with bats, (an annual summer experience Rachel tells me). They started by hanging out in the carport, which is only a slight nuisance due to the mess they leave behind. The fun began when they got into the house and started flying around Father's Day weekend. All in all, I believe 14 bats entered heaven that weekend thanks to Rodney's tennis skills and Troy's batting skills. The bats in the house were not very conducive to photo opps but I did take some pics of them hangin' in the carport. Can you count how many there are?

Who really cares, anyway?! We decided they are much better outside than in!

A few days later, a much more pleasant visitor came by.

We enjoy seeing the foxes all over town. Troy took Lincoln out to feed the fox. Lincoln was really excited!

He ooohed and aahed and threw food for the fox to get. It was really cute.

He is so inquisitive! It was great to watch Troy spend this time with Lincoln. Everyone else was in bed so it was something special just for the two of them.

Harris the All-Star

2008-07-08T15:20:00.004-06:00

Harris loves to play T-Ball!
His first game was the first week of June and

Harris had to wear a sweatshirt to stay warm!

Here he is playing catcher.

Playing the infield (a couple weeks later
in warmer weather!)

Showing off his skills at bat

Team photo after the last game
when everyone finally got their uniforms!

The best thing about T-Ball is there is little competition. Everyone bats, everyone plays, no outs, and they all have a blast! Great season, Harris!

Softball 2008

2008-07-07T17:16:00.004-06:00

This is how Angeline played softball this year. She cheered from the dugout, played the bat girl, and did some photography. She was their #1 Fan!

Roxy played lots of positions including third base. She became a really good batter,(check out that stance!), and hit the ball several times. They rallied in their last game to take 3rd place in the tournament! Way to go!

I enjoyed keeping score for most games and became known as being very outspoken. For those of you who know me well, you will deny this claim, right? :o) I suppose I will be score keeping next year for Angeline's team...

These are the coaches (in the back) Abigail and Kelly. It's great for the younger girls to see older girls who are sporty and fun. It gives them the feeling they don't have to be "tomboys" to play sports.

This couple's business sponsored our team. After winning 3rd place, they treated us to pizza at the local cafe. They spent a lot of time and money to help the team out this year. They were awesome!

Blog Reading

2008-07-07T16:35:00.002-06:00

So lately my time on the computer is spent reading everyone else's blogs! I love keeping up on all your lives and have finally found some time to post some more things about us. Now those of you who have stopped checking my blog for lack of posting can have something to read again from us.

Lots of you have made your summer trips or are in the middle of them. Our trips away from home consist of visiting family in Utah and that's about the extent of it. No "Real" vacations for us! Instead we stay close to home and enjoy where we live. Hopefully our happenings are fun for you to read. Here's to more posts!

Snow, Snow, GO AWAY!!

2008-06-12T17:30:00.003-06:00

This is what we woke up to yesterday morning...

I could not believe it! This, among other things, warranted a day of chocolate! Surely this mustn't be Summer Break!

Today warmed up to about 65. Although I could stand that steady for another 3 monthes, I don't think it will last. Hopefully no more snow until the end of this year!

6th grade is over!

2008-06-12T16:59:00.003-06:00

Roxy's gonna love that I posted this...

I love this photo! It's great to catch your subject off gaurd. It seems more "real" when I get shots like this.

Roxy is growing up and moving on to Jr High! It seems so strange. She graduated out of Primary and left 6th grade all in one week. She is an awesome kid and rarely causes trouble. We are starting into a new adventure as far as age and such...Hope we don't have to brace ourselves too hard for what lies ahead. :o)

Her class took a field trip to Zim's-a Hot Springs pool about an hour away. I got to go as well. It was a lot of fun! I had to race some of her classmates before lunch, but afterwards I just pulled out the camera. Here's just a few shots of all the fun they had.

P.S. I love my camera!

I couldn't resist the opportunity for a class photo. They are such a good group of kids! For those of you who don't know, not only is this everyone in her class but also in her grade. (We really didn't know what a small school was growing up!!)

Congrats, Roxy! On to bigger and hopefully better things...We love you!

Two-wheeler Fun

2008-06-12T14:35:00.002-06:00

This is Harris over Memorial Day weekend. He and his cousin Gracie learned to ride a two-wheeler! They were so proud of themselves. Harris never biffed once, he just kept pedaling and off he went. Slight frustration exposed itself once or twice, but then he learned to channel that energy into just trying harder. He did excellent and now has a new bike at home to ride! Excellent effort, Harris!

Happy Birthday 10 days early! Dad couldn't wait to let you get out there and ride!

Happy Mother's Day to Me!

2008-05-18T22:48:00.001-06:00

Aren't these stairs loverly? These stairs have caused pain to two of my children this month. I recently posted about Lincoln falling down the stairs...these are they. Well, Mother's Day brought a different story. It goes something like this...

Angeline was going down to the food shelves to get something to help Troy cook dinner for me. In the meantime she had chosen to take a letter my Dad wrote to her and was reading it on the way down. She thought she was on the bottom step but she still had one to go...She fell and screamed with pain.

I took one look and told Troy it was broken.

He said we would not be taking her to the ER.

So we iced and elevated and waited till morning...

The doctor saw us around 11 and sent us for x-rays. The break was obvious and this is how she looked leaving the office that day...

Lucky for us, Jack (my nephew) recently broke his foot so he had the crutches. Angie gets to wear this beautiful boot for awhile. We see the specialist tomorrow in Boise because the break is near her growth plate. We'll see what he has to say. After a week on crutches, she's getting the hang of it.

We took these photos Tuesday night. I was surprised how bruised her whole foot was! I've never seen a bruise on the bottom of someone's foot.

This started out our week and it only got busier from there. I'm glad to have it over with. This week is looking up, hopefully the DR tomorrow agrees!

It's Okay For Now

2008-05-12T10:34:00.002-06:00

I must have been tired last night because I figured this out this morning without too much hassle. Athough it's not as cute as it could be, it's different for now, which is all I really wanted. I expect to hear from you experts soon! :o)

Blog Redesign

2008-05-11T23:09:00.002-06:00

Okay, I'm not sure how you all do it! I've spent hours trying to impress you all with my designing abilities and keep failing...

I apologize to all of you who had to look at my blog while it was a mess! I'm just ready for something springy and cute using all my scrapbooking supplies. Rachel goes to bed long before I do, so you'll still have to wait. For now, it's a borrowed change while a work in progress. If you happen to view while it looks undone, keep checking back. A change is coming soon!!

Poor Lincoln

2008-05-10T23:06:00.004-06:00

Tuesday Lincoln had the run in with the driveway.

Wednesday, he falls down the wooden stairs to my room and scrapes his nose again! This time, there was immediate blood and lots of screaming. As I changed his diaper later that day he had several little bruises on his body.

Then on Friday, he was wrestling with Harris on the couch and they both fell off - Harris landing on top of Lincoln's head!

He's had a rough week!! And has the scabs and bruises to prove it.

(The photo doesn't look as bad as real life!)

Poor guy.

"Are you French?"

2008-05-10T23:02:00.003-06:00

This made me laugh...

Harris says to me today: "Do French men have big noses?"

I say: "Well, some do."

Harris: "Are you French?"

Thanks a lot, Harris!! He nailed my most self-conscious part of my body right on the head!! Or maybe I should say the nose!

Sadly, the trees have to go

2008-05-07T16:02:00.006-06:00

Our lot had 4 trees on it to begin with. Saturday we spent the morning cutting 3 of the 4 down. I know it's sad, but Rachel's Family Room couldn't accommodate a tree growing up the middle of it.

Angeline took this after one tree was down.

Troy starts to cut the big one down...

A huff and a puff and...TIMBER!!

Troy has skills. The stake he is standing by was an estimation of where the tree would fall, out a foot or two. In other words, it fell exactly where they wanted it to. (Rodney helped a lot in this process, Troy was just the one to hold the chainsaw.)

The brothers went straight to work to cut the branches off.

Troy helping Rodney out of a bind...This also happened to Troy, I just don't have the photo. I like watching them work together. They can tell what the other needs without speaking a word.

The trees will be put to good use. We figured the big tree can be used as a post on Rodney's porch and also the center post in our home. (It's long enough for both.) Rodney has been making and installing twig railing so we will use a lot of the branches on our railings as well. What we don't use on the houses will help to provide heat for us this winter in our wood burning stove. We are trying to be earth conscious!!

My boys looked so good in their matching clothes...and it wasn't even on purpose!

Now there's a family tree if you ever saw one!

L to R: Angeline, Jack, Harris, Gracie, Samuel

Lincoln's mobility

2008-05-07T15:33:00.000-06:00

Lincoln is very much on the move lately. As I was sweeping the carport yesterday he ventured up the driveway and went to the other driveway the kids were playing on. He was headed downhill when I heard him cry. (He had a run in with some pine needles and slipped.)I sent Roxy to save him and she brought him to me looking like this:

There wasn't any obvious blood so I just kindof laughed at the dirt on his face. He, of course, didn't think it was funny at all. When I pulled out the camera, his crying increased as you can tell by the photo. Once I got the dirt all cleaned off, he did have a little scrape on his nose. Then I felt more sorry about laughing. Today, his lip is actually bruised. He wasn't cooperative for the "after" shot. Sorry you missed it.

You can tell he's my fourth child. With Roxy I probably would've freaked out a little. Amazing how we adapt as parents, isn't it?

Our Favorite Lake

2008-05-07T15:23:00.001-06:00

This is Cascade Lake. You may not be able to tell it is a lake because it is still covered with ICE!! I am anxiously awaiting the day it all melts because that will mean we can go swimming! We love swimming, fishing, and boating at the lake. At this rate though we won't be able to swim in it until August because it will be freezing!!

Grandma and Grandpa Hight

2008-05-02T16:39:00.002-06:00

Grandpa is always on the run, helping friends or driving cars, but had lots of fun spending a couple weeks with Lincoln. They became "buddies" while we visited over Spring Break and the week after.

This is Grandma Hight, and she has a story to tell this year. On January 10, she was diagnosed with Breast Cancer. The main reason for my visit with them was to be there at the end of her 6 weeks of radiation. When I got this photo, she had finished up and was beginning the long road back to full strength. Today, she is still only working half days and is not as strong as she used to be. I love her and pray for her often. She is my Hero.

Lincoln and the Huckaby's

2008-05-02T16:34:00.002-06:00

I love these pics of Lincoln with his Huckaby grandparents. He was so sweet the day we went to visit them. He hasn't been around them much and yet he gave them all his love. These were taken at the first of April.

Lincoln just gave Grandpa kisses without too much coaxing on his part. After that, I asked him to give Grandma kisses. I think it took at least five photos to get this one. Every time he kissed her, he'd look at me to see if I got it on camera. I'd have to tell him to give her more kisses. He never complained about sharing all those kisses with her.

Very sweet!

Internet issues

2008-05-02T16:21:00.001-06:00

Since moving into Rodney and Rachel's house, we've had problems being connected to the Internet. We finally have the bugs worked out and I will begin posting again. For all of you who wish I would post, you have something to look forward to. :o) See you soon!!

Cleaning means I'm almost done!

2008-04-09T23:23:00.003-06:00

Well, tomorrow is my cleaning day. I have 3-4 women to help me clean the house I just moved out of. Whatever we get done will be much better than we received it, that's for sure! I still have a load of things from the garage to bring to the house. (Who knows where we'll put it!) I hope to get some boxes unpacked here before bringing it over. Other than that, I'm finished with that house and have now commenced life in the Huckaby Commune. :o) What will the neighbors think of those Mormons down the street that have 7 kids and 2 women home all the time?! We'll be the talk of the town before too long. ;o)

I'm sorry I haven't kept up with anything on my blog! At least you'll all know I'm trying to make it through, now that I have a new post. I'll be posting some cute pics of Lincoln before too long, I hope. I spent two weeks with my Mom during all this moving so I took pics with all the grandparents. I'll post them as soon as I learn how to download from my new camera. ;o) (Thanks, Mom.)

Keep checking in. I'll be anxious to hear from you all.

I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy every minute of it!

2008-03-07T22:02:00.002-07:00

Well, maybe not every minute of it!!

This is my new favorite quote. I am getting packed and ready to move in with the "other" Huckaby's in Cascade, Rodney and Rachel and their three kids.

"Why?!" you may ask.

Basically, Troy and I are poor. But not only that, we are preparing to build our houses this summer. When this happens (the building of houses) our husbands are basically nonexistent. They eat and sleep with the family, if that! Rachel and I decided that we would manage better with two Moms and no Dads rather than 3 and 4 against 1! So we're combining 7 kids and hoping to survive the building process.

Oh, and we're trying to do it in 2 weeks.

"So, why on earth are you blogging?!", right? To keep the small bit of sanity I have left! :o)

I look at it like this...

Rent: More manageable
Groceries: Way too much
Bills: Minimized
Having another woman to go through it with, under the same roof: PRICELESS!!

I am actually looking forward to it in a lot of ways. Rachel is a good friend and we have several things in common. I plan to learn a lot from her and hopefully my bad habits won't rub off on her!

2008-02-28T00:20:00.000-07:00

Make a scrapbook - it's easy!

Tagged by reading Alison's blog

2008-02-27T22:35:00.004-07:00

A - Attached or singe: Attached eternally!

B - Best Friends: I wouldn't want to leave any out...

C - Cake or pie: Mostly pie

D - Day of choice: Any day laughing and/or playing with my family

E - Essential Item: Troy!!! When he and I are both busy, I'm a basket case!

F - Favorite color: Yellow, red, purple (not necessarily in that order)

G - Gummy bears or worms: either/or I'm not a huge fan

H - Hometown: Tremonton, UT

I - Indulgence(s): pedicures and time to scrapbook

J - January or July: I still like the snow in January (not by now!!)and my anniversary is a good way to start the year, but I think July in Cascade is more fun!

K - Kids: 4, 2 and 2; RoxAnn, Angeline, Harris, Lincoln

L - Life is incomplete without: My family

M - Marriage date: January 6, 1995

N - Number of siblings: 3, 2 brothers and 1 sister

O - Oranges or Apples: Apples, I don't have to peel them (ie. LAZY!)

P - Phobias or fears: Arachnophobia, claustrophobia and fear of heights

Q - Quotes: I collect them...hard to choice to share just one...how's this?
"We shall never know all the good that a simple smile can do." ~Mother Teresa

R - Reason to smile: All the kids are sleeping and I'm doing something I want (ie. SELFISH!)

S - Season: FALL (esp. in Logan Canyon)

T - Tag Three Friends: Whoever wants to (Do three friends read this?)

U - Unknown fact about me: I used to sneak out of the house as a teenager!

V - Very favorite store: Any scrapbook store!!

W - Worst Habit: Yelling at my family

X - X-ray or Ultrasound: Definitely ultrasound

Y - Your favorite food: Breads of all varieties

Z - Zodiac: Sagittarius

Lincoln's Shadow

2008-02-22T16:02:00.001-07:00

I know this isn't a great photo, but there is a cute story. On Feb. 12, I saw Lincoln standing at the fridge bouncing his head back and forth and "talking" to his shadow. The sun only comes in through the window late in the afternoon. He usually misses this opportunity because of naps and therefore has not had much experience with seeing his shadow. It was so great to watch this moment of discovery.

Great Quote

2008-02-16T17:09:00.001-07:00

I know...twice in one day!! It's a shocker!

I ran across this quote while dejunking my office:

Happiness keeps you sweet
Trials keep you strong
Sorrows keep you human
Failures keep you humble
Success keeps you glowing
But only God kees you going!

It's soooo true!

Two angels in my life

2008-02-16T15:37:00.004-07:00

This post will explain my earlier one a little. My thoughts have definitely been turned in this direction of friendship and sharing of our lives.

Natalie Boren is an angel to me. Now also to all. She returned to her Heavenly Father on Feb. 3, leaving a husband and 2 small children to cope with earthly life without her. She was special to me for several reasons. First of all, before she even knew who I was, I was invited to her home for dinner. I was visiting Troy in Cascade looking for a place to live when they invited us to dinner. I went home that evening not knowing what we were going to do. We had not been very successful. A couple days later the Borens called Troy and asked if we would be interested in living with them. They had an apartment in their basement with 2 bedrooms and a kitchen and laundry. We could live there rent free until our house sold in Utah. Amazing offer! We decided to do so and stayed for 4 months. I will never be able to thank them enough for bringing our family back together again. I don't know of a family in our branch that has moved in and has not had the pleasure of being in the Boren home. I have learned the need to share more of me with others and invite more people into our home. Natalie never took advantage of me living there. I would have to really talk her into letting me help her with her almost 2 year old daughter. She never wanted me to feel like a built-in babysitter. She always was willing to be with my kids. She would take them horse back riding and let them come up to play. They loved being with her. I have learned to give more than I receive. Natalie got pregnant while we lived there. I have never seen anyone be so sick in all my life! She always told me she was more than willing to help someone else with whatever they needed. I have learned to always look for ways to help others. Even when my life is hard. I always knew with Natalie that what you see is what you get. She was so honest and open and never once pretended to be something she was not. I knew much about her in a short time. She was never afraid of anything and took obstacles head on. I love that about her. I know that I now have one more reason to continue choosing the right so that I can see and be with her again.

Cami Johnson was an angel to me when I was younger. She woke up in heaven the evening of February 13. I met Cami when I was finishing 7th grade. My family had moved to Thatcher and she was in my ward. We became fast friends. She always had time for me. We would spend countless hours together at each other's houses and anywhere else we could go together. We both had lots of other friends but we were very close. I need to relearn the importance of time with my friends and always make them a priority. (Keeping in better touch!) She was my sister in the gospel. I never felt uncomfortable talking about spiritual things with Cami. When we were together we listened to a lot of Michael McLean and Wanda Lindstrom. :o) We did a Laurel project together and put on a fireside for several wards. She helped me gain a strong testimony of the Savior and his love for all of us. This time I remember doing these things with her make me a better member of the church today. She helped me through lots of difficult times. She could have told me I was wrong and left me on my own...but she didn't. To me that is true friendship. She and I lost a friend that was very dear to us our senior year and she really helped me not be mad at Heavenly Father for taking him away. She and I shed many tears together over this loss. I learned that best friends stick through thick and thin. A true friend really does share with us through everything...the laughter is fun, but the tears really bond us. I am sad to think of her husband and twin left here to cope. She touched my life in a way no one else could have. I'm so glad Heavenly Father gave me her.

I think I needed to be reminded of these things. I've learned a lot the past few weeks. Or maybe I should say relearned. Now I only need to put it all into practice and add to my daily life.

I'm still here...and looking for your insight

2008-02-12T23:57:00.004-07:00

I just wanted to post a note to say I'm still here. It's been a crazy couple of weeks! I hope you'll keep coming back to see my musings on several topics but for today, I pose a question for all to answer:

What makes a good friend? Think of your closest friends. Why are you still friends with them? Have your friendships spanned many years or have they only been for a short time? I'd like to hear from you. As more time passes, I'll explain why I asked. For now, I look forward to your comments.

Why I call it Snow country...

2008-01-31T17:33:00.000-07:00

I chose the title of my blog for this time of year. I know it won't always be winter but I will always live in Snow Country as long as I'm here. Everything we do revolves around the weather to some degree.

Today school was closed for an official Snow Day. Now as you look at these photos realize that accumulation is generally no more than 2-3 ft at once. ;o) JK! I think the most we've gotten at once this year is 2 feet, but that's not all the time. I would say around 6-12" at once is more normal. It has snowed all day today and I trudged out to take these photos. The storm is not over and so it may be worse in a couple of days...we'll have to see.

Now, before you see the photos, I do not live in a glamorous home...yet. We hope to build ours this summer and I will be more proud of that. But for now, I am dry and warm and that's really all that matters. It's a shame I'm a little prideful...

Although it appears the snow is completely covering our view out, we can still see a little bit. With each storm our view is slowly disappearing...

Our garage doesn't have a metal roof like the snow roof over our trailer, so the snow stays put there longer.

I do have to explain this photo a little. This is Troy's truck. You may not remember or know what it looks like.....you still don't! Those are our trash cans to the back. If you look carefully, you may be able to pick out the side mirror.

This is my home and I've grown to love the mountains and the beauty the snow brings on a sunny day. To be quite honest, I don't mind the snow days one at a time. It's all week long that bogs me down a bit.

Something I'd never seen before living here is ice crytals in the air. It's so beautiful to be out and about and the world seems to be shimmering. A sight that can't be put on "film". You'll just have to take my word for it.

No matter where you are, love the world you live in.

Our Prophet Dear

2008-01-28T08:49:00.000-07:00

I'm blogging my heartache this morning. It was a hard thing to tell my kids last night of the passing of President Hinckley. My sweet little Harris prayed for him every time he uttered a word of prayer. It was especially saddening for him. This is the only prophet my kids have known, and it was hard for each of them to feel the loss. I will always remember him as one of my favorites. I pray for his family as they adjust to this void in their lives. I pray for the adjustment to the Apostles and I pray for President Monson. I also think of the sweet reunion that is happening and the smiles that are being shared on the other side with his dear wife. Let's always cherish those around us and let them know we love them.

Winter Carnival

2008-01-27T18:09:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed the Winter Carnival ice sculptures yesterday in McCall. It's one of my favorite things during the winter here. We all had fun tromping around in our winter gear. Troy's favorite was the "Ghost Herd" (wild horses). The "Jupiter" train reminded us of home and family. The kids enjoyed fireworks over the lake at dark. It was great to have a family day. It's been a long time.

It snowed again today and is forecast to snow all week. Hopefully we won't be buried!!

Welcome to our blog!

2008-01-24T14:22:00.000-07:00

Robin inspired me to start blogging. I've loved hearing about their lives. So now I want to share life from snow country. This tree in the photo is the favorite sight to share with anyone who visits our home. This was taken in October last year. (R to L: Roxy, Lincoln, Harris, Angeline)

Welcome to our blog!