Very interesting........(to me at least)

I love these nerds

 

Zachy sure wanted to be leaving for school with the kids the other day.

Tag time

What a crappy night. If and when I have to vote for John McCain I will hold my nose and possibly say a bad word. I am of course discouraged by the results in Florida but I am more upset by the dishonesty of McCain this weekend by publicly distorting Romney's record and saying that he was for an early withdrawal from Iraq. So much for straight talk, Senator. :( He sure didn't like it when he was attacked in a similarly underhanded manner in 2000 but some people will stoop to any low to win.

To take my mind off this I have been tagged by Holly.

Where were you born? Afton,WY
Middle name: Erickson
How old will you be this year? 32
Nicknames: Kay, my brothers call me gay kay (nice,huh)
Are you taller than your mother or father? Shorter than Dad, taller than Mom
Do you cry often during movies? Yes.
What is your biggest pet peeve? People who are mean to babies and kids, especially in stores in full view. I don't want to know what happens when people aren't around
Favorite color: RED baby
Favorite foods: Anything chocolatey or cheesy
Favorite restaurants: Johnny's, Olive Garden, Jalisco's, Melting Pot
Favorite beverage: Godiva Hot Cocoa, I also love Spicy Hot V-8
Favorite cold cereal: Honey Bunches of Oats, my mom's granola
Favorite smells: Citrus fruits
Favorite time of day: Night time
What brand of shampoo/conditioner do you use? Matrix
Favorite make-up products? Avon cream to powder foundation
How many pillows do you sleep with? 2-3
Do you play an instrument? Oh no
Have you ever been skinny dipping? eek no
Did you do any sports in High School? Basketball for a time
What was the last movie you saw in the theater? Enchanted
What is your favorite article of clothing? My brown and pink sweater
What is your dream vacation? A really long Carribean cruise with my sweetie, and a huge trip to Europe someday
What was your first impression of your spouse? He's cute, and skinny!
If you were an animal what would you be? Mark said I would be a grizzly bear. Ha Ha!
What is your favorite "me- time" activity? Shopping and reading
Favorite TV shows: Survivor, Special Report with Brit Hume
What is your dream car? Honestly something similar to a new Chevy Suburban or a Cadillac Escalade
What is one of your weaknesses? I speak before I think, I am scattered
What do you fix for dinner when there's nothing to fix? Spaghetti
If you could live in a different decade/era which one would it be? I don't want to live in the 19th century but I always wonder if I could hack it
What is the emotion you feel the most? Worry
Do you consider yourself outgoing? I can be.
What is something you are constantly working on? Organization
Any hidden talents? I can hit a softball pretty dang far
What is a word or phrase you overuse? "If I have to tell you one more time...."
What was the hardest thing that happened to you this past year? Letting a friend go
What is the best thing that happened to you this past year? It's been a great and uneventful year
What is one thing you hope to accomplish this year? I am going to learn the insurance business and get my license
The best piece of advice you learned this past year? The "SECRET"

I tag Lauri, Becky, Robyn, and Rachel

Oh! The most exciting news of the night and this year thus far! Betsy is having her baby tomorrow. Yippy Skippy! I can't wait!

The last word

I have already started sweating the Florida primary tonight. I have read many articles but I have to say this was my favorite. Dave Barry

I will miss President Hinckley. He was truly a good man and respected by all who knew him. Paul Harvey gave a moving tribute to him yesterday. I wish everyone who sincerely wanted to know what our church was about could have heard him speak. I am so happy he has been reunited with his dear wife Marjorie.

Busy

Wow. This week has flown by.
Some of the highlights:

Ryan and I lived through the Pinewood Derby this week. He had a shiny blue car called appropriately the "SEAHAWK". What it lacked in speed, it made up for in style. I was in charge of the "Judging Booth". Basically we asked the boys the favorite thing about their cars and then gave them an award based on that. It was a good night and I am also glad it's over.

Kendall came down yesterday and we talked "business". He sells life and health insurance in Wyoming and Idaho and he wants to expand down here and we are figuring out some work I can do for him from down here. It could be a great thing. If you live in Idaho or Wyoming and need health or life insurance, he's your guy.

Last night we had Mark's company Christmas party. It was a lot of fun. We won a humidifier. :p We actually needed one but I wanted to win the foodsaver. We ate at a yummy restaurant called the Sandpiper. I would totally go there again. I shamed Kendy into babysitting for us. He's my younger brother and the kids loved having him over. He wore them out by having them sit on the wall (hee hee) and hold a book with their arms outstretched and race up and down the stairs. I think he enjoyed torturing them. :) They thought it was great fun!


We're catching up a little this weekend. We're heading off to Sam's Club to stock up. It should be interesting with all 6 of us out shopping. I don't know sometimes why we torture ourselves.

I will put some pictures up soon. Promise.

For the Grandma's and Aunties ;)

First of all thanks for your cool comments on my previous post. It's fun to see I am not the only Twilight aficionado.

Secondly, this post is for the kiddos grandparents. I tend to talk about whatever comes to my mind on my blog (yikes) and I haven't done as much family news as of late. I thought I would try to catch up the grandparents on our activities.

Brynn got her report card back this week and she was thrilled with the results. She has been busy using my scrapbook stuff to make bookmarks for her friends and family. She is really quite creative. (I can't help it bragging a little, I AM her mom) :) She's also hooked on the "Reba" TV show, Hank the Cowdog books, and the Ella Enchanted book and movie.

Ryan has two things on his mind. Food and saving for a Nintendo Game Cube. He likes to help me take Avon catalogs around and I pay him a little pittance for his work. He also has $40 coming back from the return his crappy helicopter he got for Christmas so he is saving up for a GameCube. I am not sure I want him to buy it. We are in negotiation. His other hobby is eating. He doesn't grow out, just up. He is 9 and wears a men's size 7 shoe.

KateLyn has been the queen of playdates. She had two very long ones on Friday. (the kids have been enjoying a 4 day weekend)She invites so many people over I doubt she can keep track of them all. She also likes to write poems and songs. They are cute. She wrote one for me today:(in different colors on the PC)

Apples
Red Yellow Green.
Juicy Crunchy.
They have seeds.

Deep, huh? She is a little tease that also gets her feelings hurt easily.

Zachy is funny. That's all I can say. He loves to ride around on Ryan's back. Ry and Kate will play with him for hours. They are so good to him. Brynn thinks he is cute but doesn't give him a lot of attention. He loves Blue's Clues and now Dora. It's so fun when he dances along. The kids play their cd players and he just "feels the beat". He is really shy around other kids his age and usually starts warming up to them as we have to leave.

That's all the news for this fine day. We had a nice day today. We got lots of housework done (makes me happy) and the kids have been keeping busy playing out of sight so I won't find them and put them back to work.

Talk to me about "Twilight"

You would think I was one of those 13 year old girls who went to see the movie "Titanic" 20 times. I have absolutely fallen in love with the book "Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer. I started reading Wednesday and I finished yesterday. The funny thing is I have had the book since July. I had purchased the book when Mark and I went to Salt Lake for our anniversary but the subject matter (vampires)kind of freaked me out.( I am easily scared) Usually I don't like the genre at all so I didn't start it until the other day. Wow! I loved it. I am still trying to figure it out exactly. I was utterly fascinated with this book. I keep thinking about it and I even dreamed about it. :P

My questions to you are this:
Have you read it?
Did you love it?
Are New Moon and Eclipse just as good? I am just starting New Moon.
Why is this such a fascinating book?
Are you excited for the movie? I am.







Speaking of the movie I went to the authors website and read about the upcoming movie. I think there has been some controversy about the casting of Bella and Edward. (Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson-he of Cedric Diggory fame) I have a hard time picturing these two as the main characters but that's the problem with casting a movie of a beloved book. Everyone will have their own opinions. I would love to read your responses- Randa, I know you've read it. :)

Thoughts about Michigan

Now these thoughts are off the top of my head so take them for what they are worth. ;)

Of course I am thrilled with Mitt Romney decisively winning the Michigan primary. The McCain and Huckabee campaigns keep saying he was the "favorite son". While he did grow up in Michigan and people over 50 may have a favorable impression of his father (Wolf Blitzer at one point was referring to Mitt as George) it was more than that. Mitt found his voice on economic issues, which unequivocally is his strength. I definitely think Washington could use an effective CEO. With banks increasingly suffering from the subprime mortgage mess, and the war going better, people naturally turn their minds to their own personal wallets. This could be good for Romney. Whether the Mormon issue will continue to dog him I don't know. It could backfire on his detractors though, we will see. Super Tuesday should be good for junkies like myself.

For what it is worth, Romney won among conservatives last night, Republicans, people who thought the economy was the number one issue and get this.....Evangelicals! Very interesting. Carolyn, what did you think?

Toffee Dip

Brooke's Toffee Dip (great with apples)
1 package cream cheese softened
2 C brown sugar
1/2 C Toffee bits

* I added a little cinnamon and vanilla to taste.

I blend the cream cheese and brown sugar together with a mixer and then stir in the toffee.

Baby showers and stuff

My little sis Betsy is going to have a baby by the end of the month so Amy and I decided it was time to have a shower for her. We held it in Wyoming at my mom's house on Sat. The roads were terrible so I decided to leave Mark and the kids home. I didn't want any more people out on the roads than needed to be. It took me awhile to get there and back but I thankfully didn't have any incidences.

Bes's shower was fun. I would post pictures but I left my camera at my parents. :( I don't like not having my camera. What if the kids do something embarrassing and I want to capture it for posterity? Amy and I made little cucumber sandwiches, toffee dip and apples, cookies, homemade slush, and pickle wraps. Very girly food. Bes made a haul and I think she was happy.

About 1/2 hour after the shower my sisters and I were going to take my mom out to dinner for her birthday and we got a text from Kendall in Hawaii that said, "It's crazy about the avalanche" or something to that effect. We didn't know what he meant but we had a really bad feeling. It turns out that 3 snowmobilers from Star Valley were caught underneath a massive snowslide and died. They were all from Smoot, Wy and had at least 9 kids between them. One of them unfortunately was Betsy's OB. She was shocked to say the least and felt terrible for the Dr's family, being a young widow once herself. She will now go to another doctor in the same practice for her remaining 2.5 weeks and the delivery.

Needless to say, we all lost our appetites so we didn't go out to dinner and I instead headed home. It took me about 3 hours instead of 2 but I was really glad to get home Sat. night late.

Zane is being transferred for the first time tomorrow. Love ya Z!

Life is good and go Mitt in MI!

Texas Roadhouse and disowning Kendall

Mmm. We went to Texas Roadhouse with Amy and Don etc. tonight. YUMMY! That place always gets it right. I had pulled pork and it was to die for! Our kids were fairly well behaved, there are just so stinking many of them. :) Those poor other patrons. The waiter gave the kids each 5 straws and since they were almost closing he kept bringing them extra dishes of mashed potatoes and gravy that would have gone to waste. They were in heaven.

It was my brother Kendy's 24th birthday yesterday. He was down here with his girlfriend Chelsie and we went to lunch. We had a great chat and a fun time and then guess what.....today he flew to Hawaii without telling ANYONE. He went with my cousin Nick who is my cousin and his business partner. He didn't even tell my parents and he lives with them. He's so weird. He likes to surprise people. He and Zane took off for Las Vegas a few months ago and didn't tell anyone. What they don't know is that Amy and I have spies everywhere. :)

Lucky to be alive

My mind is filled with the politics of the evening but first I want to share a story with you. My dad's uncle D (he's in his early 60's) was feeding his cattle yesterday and a freak accident occurred. He was standing on the back of the hay rack and he fell through a rotted piece of wood and was suspended upside down in the frigid weather and was stuck so badly that there was no way he could pull himself up or work his foot out. He was stuck upside down suspended barely above the snow for 3 hours! He barely made it and wouldn't have except my uncle M and aunt H felt like something was wrong and went to investigate. Thankfully, they found him (nearly frozen) and rushed him to the hospital where he is doing well. The remarkable thing is the doctors told him if he hadn't been upside down, he would have frozen to death. Since he was upside down the blood was able to keep his heart and head warmer than they would have been otherwise. I feel so bad for him. What a freak accident. I am so glad M and H were there and followed their instincts.

I am almost (I said almost) tired of this election already. I have read so many articles and blogs the last few days I think I could be President. J/K Wow, did Hillary pull off an upset or what? She was supposed to lose by double digits. I think you should NEVER underestimate a Clinton. I think it would be cool to have a female president, just not her! Maybe Condi Rice or someone. She'd be great.

Some of the sites I have really enjoyed recently for conservative leaning information are:

Townhall
Politico
Realclearpolitics
hotair.com
Redstate
Drudge Report
National Review

I wish my man Mitt had done better tonight. He is getting a lot of votes, just not the most in each race. Except in awesome Wyoming. :) I think he would be a very competent leader and I am somewhat surprised he hasn't done better. He's a good debater, a hard worker, and the race is still very fluid on the Republican side. One bit of trivia. Hillary Clinton is the first woman to win a presidential primary. Why does it have to be her and not Condi? Sigh.

I am excited to get my Scarlet Lime kit this week. They put together the coolest kits.

Go Hawks and stuff-

Whew! Thank goodness Seattle won today! It looked like Mark wasn't breathing at one point in the game, but the forces aligned for him today. The Seahawks live to play another week and Mark wins a new Seattle hat from his friendly wager with a coworker.

My stomach is in a perpetual knot right now about the state of politics in US. On one hand, it's pure fun for a politico like myself, but on the other I am sick with worry about my favorites. It could make for an interesting convention. The one thing that I am frustrated with is the fact that Iowa and New Hampshire mean SO much in choosing a President. What about the 48 other states out here in the good old USA? My home state, Wyoming, did the right thing today and gave most of their delegates to Romney. He sure took a beating in the debate tonight although I thought he held his own effectively. He was getting it from all sides and while I like McCain, I thought he was snide and full of cheap shots tonight. George Will had an interesting article on the future of conservatism here.

Don't stop reading my blog if you despise politics. I will try to broaden my subject matter. Good gracious we still have over 300 days until the election. No wonder I about got an ulcer in 2004. :)

Watch out!

Ok, I am still on a roll. You know what? When did Mormon bashing suddenly become acceptable political discourse. We're used to it somewhat but I have about come to a breaking point. Wasn't a central foundation of this country that we are free to exercise our own religion? Is that out of vogue in 2008? I am so tired of my religion (yes, it's a religion) being thrown around like it's a huge liability. Well, if practicing a Christ-centered, family central, love your neighbor(albeit not perfectly) religion is a liability in this "conservative" party, then you better be careful what you wish for. There are a lot of LDS Republicans and they are pretty good at turning the other cheek and getting on with their lives but I will tell you one thing, it's getting OLD! We sure aren't perfect but for crying out loud, who are we hurting? The sad thing is a lot of the criticism is coming from evangelical Christians with whom (ironically) we share so many of the same values. It makes me sad and disappointed in my party.

Still steaming

Arrgh. Can I just say I ardently dislike Gov. Mike Huckabee? Well, I do. I like some of his conservative credentials (he is pro-life and pro-family) but he is setting the Republican party up for disaster in November. He strikes me as a man who wants to be seen as a minister while wheeling and dealing in the ugly world of national politics. It's really hard to be seen as a minister and a politician. It's easy to set yourself up for charges of hypocrisy. I can see the media salivating at the prospect of a Huckabee ticket. While I don't think the criticism the media would give him would be fair, I fear he would bring a lot of foolishness on himself like he has this week. Plus, he gave out 2000 pardons to criminals when he was Gov. Yikes. I even told Mark that I may vote Democrat if Huckabee wins. After the Earth stopped shaking, I quickly repented for that thought. ;) I am sure tomorrow will look better for the fate of the Republican party but tonight in the Iowa caucuses, I have a bad sense of foreboding.

In the spirit of full disclosure I am leaning towards Mitt Romney but also like Thompson, Guiliani, and I could possibly support McCain. Just not Huckabee.

It's 2008 already?

Time flies when you are raising 4 kiddos. Each year at this time I fill an entire notebook full of resolutions. (I love to start things)And then in the notebook they stay until I fervently do it again the next year. This year I am only making three little goals and hopefully I will be more focused. I am going to:

Limit my computer time
Attend all of my women's church group meetings
Go to bed by 10:30-11:00

Wish me luck! Those are small goals...yet I am scared! :)

A brief recap of the last few days. We had a rousing night of entertainment on New Year's Eve. Well, if you count a family game night as rousing entertainment. It was fun and we all laughed a lot. Brynn was sick so we had a fun little night at home. We did toast in the New Year with sparkling cider and fancy goblets the kids love to get out.

The kids went back to school and Mark went back to work today. I loved the holidays but I was excited to get back into my routine again. Happy Happy 2008!