My hunter/gatherer husband

Aaron just got this elk tonight. Here is the meat we are going to eat for the next year!!! What a provider. Also, while I am bragging, yesterday, while he was out hunting on the mountain close by, I looked out the back window and our faucet had burst, so I called him and told him we had a swimming pool in our backyard. He came home really quick and fixed it and then went back out. WHAT A MAN!!!! I am so lucky!

We liked this a lot!

A Gun in the House
The purpose of fighting is to win.
There is no possible victory in defense.
The sword is more important than the shield, and skill is more important than either.
The final weapon is the brain.
All else is supplemental.
As John Steinbeck once said: 1. Don't pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he'll just kill you.
2. If you find yourself in a fair fight, your tactics suck.
3. I carry a gun because a cop is too heavy.
4. When seconds count, the cops are just minutes away.
5. A reporter did a human-interest piece on the Texas Rangers. The reporter recognized the Colt Model 1911 the Ranger was carrying and asked him 'Why do you carry a 45?' The Ranger responded, 'Because they don't make a 46.'
6. An armed man will kill an unarmed man with monotonous regularity.
7. The old sheriff was attending an awards dinner when a lady commented on his wearing his sidearm. 'Sheriff, I see you have your pistol. Are you expecting trouble?' 'No Ma'am. If I were expecting trouble, I would have brought my rifle.'
8. Beware the man who only has one gun. HE PROBABLY KNOWS HOW TO USE IT!!!
But wait, there's more! I was once asked by a lady visiting if I had a gun in the house. I said I did. She said 'Well I certainly hope it isn't loaded!' To which I said, of course it is loaded, can't work without bullets!' She then asked, 'Are you that afraid of some one evil coming into your house?' My reply was, 'No not at all. I am not afraid of the house catching fire either, but I have fire extinguishers around, and they are all loaded too.' To which I'll add, having a gun in the house that isn't loaded is like having a car in the garage without gas in the tank.

My New Nephew!

My new nephew was born on Thanksgiving Eve, I am not even sure when the last of my brothers and sisters kids were born, I am thinking Gunner is pretty much on the last few kids born list. Aaron's little sister is having a baby in February, so these two will be my little one's closest cousins, and I am really not sure how many more cousins will be born, we are pretty much down to the last few people having kids. This is Charles, my little brother Brent and his beautiful wife Cynthia. Aren't they just so cute!!!

Gunner is 5!!

I can't believe my baby turned 5. I am still in denial that he is not my baby and last child despite my growing belly and lack of ability to turn and twist. He got a kids laptop that he has already learned to say his A B C's from and enjoys playing a lot in just the day and a half that he has had it. We celebrated his birthday with all the cousins and family in Woodruff, we sang to 3 kids at the same time, we had a little family birthday party at home also. I am trying to do a new thing this year, just have 1 birthday party for all three at the same time in the summer. Hopefully that will work out. But he seemed to enjoy it. Happy Birthday my little boy!!!!!!

Vacation

Well, our vacation was wonderful, I got to see a TON of family, I saw a niece (step) I haven't seen in probably 15 years, a cousin I haven't seen for probably 10 years, a sister (step) I haven't seen for 5 - 7 years, and nieces and nephews, I don't even know anymore, oooo oooo oooo, that would be 2 nieces I haven't seen for probably 15 years and thier kids. My kids had so much fun, Rietta had a hard time for a while because all of the cousins there are boys (not all, but most) and she really does not like boys, then she got to meet a cousin that is a month older than her and they became best buds for the rest of weekend and she was much happier. Gunner was in heaven with all of the boys and the crazy things boys do. Tienna has a cousin there that is just a month older than her that they pal around. It was great. LONG Drive, not as long as Jodi's or April's, but long enough for me. And obviously my husband was able to keep busy, look at the pictures of the shop in the previous blog.

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and that you can all enjoy the spirit of the holidays and the stress of bills and life won't take that away for everyone.

more shop pict's

Shop Update!

Aaron has been busting his rear (and our piggy bank) on the shop, take a look!

Happy Thanksgiving to ME and my kids

I am so excited, I get to go to my dad's for Thanksgiving. I haven't been there for Thanksgiving since I don't know when, Aaron says we went one time when we were married, I don't remember that. But my kids have never been there or had a BIG FAMILY Thanksgiving, I AM SO EXCITED!!!! We have always just had small, a few people Thanksgivings, which are nice, but, baby, I grew up with the 100 plus people at Thanksgiving and then smaller as my dad's brothers and sisters split off, but ours were still BIG!!!!! I AM SO EXCITED!!! Happy Thanksgiving to everyone and I hope you all drive safe and have a great Thanksgiving time. BONUS: Aaron might even go with us!!! WOOHOOO!!!! Maybe I will learn how to upload the pictures onto Aaron's laptop, because I just learned to do it on the computer and now it is shut down. Sorry for no pictures lately.

Others Tragedies remind me of Blessings

My little young step nephew who couldn't be more then 12 years old yet (man how time flys when you move away). Married this wonderful young woman and tried for years to have a baby, that baby is now 2 years old. Then they had another one, when the baby was born she had a lot of heart problems. I haven't talked to my nephew, J C, since he was about 12, just heard about him through grape veins, so I might not be so right on all details, but anyway, she just died this past week. She was about 8 months old. I just have been broken hearted since I heard for him and his wife. I could not imagine having to bury one of my kids. I get so over whelmed and tired when my kids are sick, but they have had nothing compared to what this baby went through in her little life. The doctors told my nephew that they should put the baby on a list for a heart transplant, but that would set her up for multiple heart transplants as she got older and a lifetime of disabilities and medications to make her body take the transplants. The baby has had to be kept away from everyone because of her immune system, they basically cut themselves off for the whole 8 months, to keep their baby safe. OH MY GOSH!!!! I could not stand the pain and the heart ache that these two are going through right now and have gone through. It is so sad that it takes tragedies of people I love and admire to remind me how easy my life is and how lucky I am that I have not had to deal with these kinds of things. I saw my cousin have to bury her little baby who died from SIDS. A mother from my home town bury a boy about 7 years old who drowned. My dad told me about my Uncle, when his little girl died from the same kind of thing as this baby, my uncle held the baby until they burried her, he played pattycake with her dead body. Isn't that just break your heart. I would be completely paralyzed if this happened to me, even knowing that we will be together again someday, I couldn't handle this.

Good luck to all of you and your families. I hope that you are all healthy and happy and take this chance or any chance to hold your kids a little more and remember your blessings, and I will be thankful for colds all winter long, because, at least I get to have them still, I am so selfish when it comes to having my kids.

Under 200 Days left

Yeah!! Only 199 days left of being pregnant!!!!

Mountain Drive

So we went with Aaron on a drive on Sunday (after we didnt go to church because we are all too sick) to look for spots for Aaron to go hunting this weekend. Beautiful mountain country. We brought our coats thank goodness and were able to get out and look at the beautiful sites. Gunners faces, I tried to pick out the best, he is so funny about cameras and pictures.

Cute family, just missing our daddy, but someone had to take the pictures, I kept trying to talk him into me taking the pictures and him being in them, but I didnt win, obviously.
Beautiful, isn't it.

Disconnected internet

Well, we decided to disconnect our Comcast and save us $100.00/month, until we have to buy the adapter to be able to watch TV, so that means, I now have Aaron's cell phone, we have no internet at home, and our tv will die. Aaron has a laptop, but he takes it with him during the day, so I will only be able to check up on it at nights. So, this might make less blogs for a while. Sorry. But Aaron took some really cute pictures that as soon as I can talk him into uploading, I will do a blog on that. Plus, I am completely los ton his laptop, it is weird for me to use. I feel very very incapable of using his laptop. I am sure I will get use to it.

SICK!!!!!!!!

I have no pictures this time, just rantings and ravings!!!!!! Aaron and Rietta just finished anti-biotics for "a touch of bronchitis", like today. Then Tienna woke up with a fever at like 4:00 this morning. Then Rietta woke up to her alarm clock at 6:45 and got dressed then came up and told me that she was feeling really weak and hot and couldn't swallow and felt like throwing up. So, both of them stayed home from school then at like 1:00 this afternoon, Aaron called saying the same things!!!!!! My family is sick every year from early Fall to middle of Spring. Good thing the baby is not due until May, hopefully by then we will be better. AAAAAAAAA. We have been drinking tons of Orange Juice. Taking daily vitamins. I have tried taking Vitamin C daily before, we still get sick. I change the towels in the bathroom a lot. I have my kids wash their hands. Like once a week, I get a washcloth with stuff on it and wipe down all the lightswitches and door knobs. Any other ideas of what to do to keep my family from getting sick ALL THE TIME!!!!! I can't handle sick kids and husband, but especially right now when I am so tired from being pregnant, hopefully I don't get sick also, that would be REALLY HARD. Thanks for listening, any suggestions, please let me know.

Fall continued. . .

The kid picture was supposed to be with this one, sorry, you would think I am completely computer illiterate. Anyway, this is another favorite about Fall, is the cooler weather to play outside and have more fun. Also, one of the best signs of Fall is GENERAL CONFERENCE!!! I LOVE General Conference and look forward to it every 6 months. Yeah, it is here!!! P.S. Gunner's faces are fake, he was being silly for the camera.

Fall

My dear friend Carrie posted a beautiful blog about Fall. I share your feelings Carrie. Here are some pictures from my front porch. I love all the colors on the mountain, sorry it is a little blurry.

My funny little Gunner

(Not updated pictures) We were at Grandma Lynda's house on Friday we were talking about life insurance, chances of inheritance, ya know, family stuff like that. Grandpa Steve came out of the other room with a VERY funny look on his face. He said "Gunner just asked me what my life insurance was". I laughed SO hard. My girls have been asking Aaron for his pay checks lately making him a little nervous. Now Gunner is asking Grandpa about his life insurance. My kids are preparing for their future aparently. Funny, funny little kids.

Aaron's Shop

Pretty big isn't it. This is as high as it will be in the main part of the building, the entrance will go up a few more layers. But it is nice to have it this far. Aaron is really pushing himself to get it enclosed before the first snow. He has worked SO HARD. He is doing great, I use to be his brick laborer, but now, I am not even aloud to touch the brick. I was even getting muscles from lifting and moving and stacking and restacking all the brick. He was always nice and said that what I did helped, but I think he just wanted us out there with him. See the truses on the 2nd picture, there will be a room above the shop also, that will be fun. BIG, BIG, BIG.

Big weekend

We had a busy weekend. Friday, the ultrasound then a wedding/reception. Saturday, a friend's birthday party that the whole family was invited to and a baptism. So inbetween everything, I was trying to get a batch of canning here and a batch there. This is my very neglected kids, worn out from the running and the sitting and waiting, and then the running again. I thought Tienna's place to sleep was great. Gunner, got ready for the baptism, laid down and was out. Beautiful times.

Baby

So, I started bleeding last week, instantly felt not pregnant and have been sure since that I was not pregnant and couldn't figure out why the baby hadn't come out. Well, this is why, the baby is still alive, we saw and heard the heart beat. See the little peanut.

Canning

I have been canning my toocas off lately. We have had a huge abundance of cucumbars this year, I have canned about 150 quarts of pickles. More than a year supply. We have given tons away, and I have had people over to teach (lower picture), and other people have shared peaches, apples, etc for us. The lower picture, we had tons of fun, with three other ladies (some of my good friends), that many people don't fit in my kitchen, all the heat from the pickles and the so fun conversations that happened that day. SO MUCH FUN. !!!!!!

K. I will get this figured out someday. Sorry, for the same picture two times on the next one. Obviously, I like that one.

Working on Daddy's Shop

Sorry, again, you have to turn your head sideways for that one.

First Day of School

Peeing off the cliff

I know that it is not really this, but this picture makes me see Father/Son camping experience. Ha ha ha. Uncle Davey, I hope you don't hate me for this.

Sorry

Sorry, I had to learn how to get the pictures from the camera to the computer. Now, I know. So, I need to do some make up work.

School Hair Cuts

Aren't they adorable!!!!

Tienna's beautiful before hair, and now her beautiful after hair