Muddy Adventures...

One thing we know for sure, is that The Rooster loves to have alot of fun! 

He has great friends and they love a good adventure together. 

A few weeks back, The Rooster gathered his dear friends and they set out for a day 

of 4 wheeler riding. He asked if he might "borrow" the UTV The Farmer gave to 

me for Christmas. We agreed...they gathered some snacks and sodas and took off. 

Not too long after they were gone, one of the girls in the group 

posted this picture on Facebook...

where I saw it....;)

   

 And there it is! STUCK!!! 

I didn't call The Rooster...I just prayed that he would figure it out without 

damaging the vehicle. Well...they tried...and tried... and failed and failed. 

 They didn't ask for help...but returned to our home to get a truck in hopes of 

pulling the UTV out. And then more time passes. Until now it is dark. 

 The friends had built a fire to stay warm. 

 Finally I said to The Farmer... "don't you think we should call to see if they need help...?" 

and he said "No...let them figure it out."

 Finally more time passed...it got later and later and The Farmer gave in. 

 He called The Rooster, figured out their location and headed to pull them out. 

 Now stuck...the UTV, a 4 wheeler, and The Rooster's truck.

   

 The Farmer wasn't gone too long. 

 Turns out...he was able to pull them all out pretty quickly. 

 After he returned I ask him how it all went and this was his reply... 

"There wasn't one functioning brain in the whole group!"

 That was his summary. The kids???..

.They had a fantastic time! In fact...they all gathered to have dinner together,

 even though they were covered with mud. 

It was an experience that won't soon be forgotten!!

Varsity Football and The Boy....

Wow....Am I ever behind on bloggin! Life is busy these days...a good busy....but BUSY!

So....part 2 of the first away game of the season...Reserve NM.

The Varsity played very well....and WON their game! This was a very sweet win because,

1. Reserve has not been the best in the area of sportmanship.

*Last year their coach was a real piece of work....and the team played very dirty.

2. It was their Homecoming game!

*guess they invited us because they thought we would be an easy win...not the case!

3. The game was played on their own field.

*Last year we met half way in Silver City, NM.

The Varsity team is loaded with talented young men this year! Several of them played

and exceptional game. No major injuries to speak of....only Rancho...which turned out to be a charly horse...which we later determined...he was just really tired and needed a rest....and so he took it on the field;) Tempers did get a little heated at moments....The Boy

lost his temper for a moment after beling clipped from behind while recieving a pass.....

which.. p.s. the ref. chose not to notice the event....anyway.....

Aside from a little drama, the game was excellent and the team played well!

PreShie was showing support to #83...who will remain nameless;) He is a sweet young man who thinks Preshie is pretty great!


As a Mom, I am finding so much joy in watching my children have great experiences!

It is a complete pleasure for me to follow them...no matter how far....to see them participate in

sports, cheer...or whatever it may be. I really appreciate that they allow me to share in these experience with them.

I not only love them....I really LIKE them!

I am still not sure what happened to the ref. something about his knees....I felt kind of bad to take a picture....but it was one of those moments that needed to be photographed. By the way...he got right up and finished the game with any problem. The Boy felt a little bad because he said...."that guy was the nice one." We spent from 12:00 noon until 5:30 pm in the sun...watching football and cheerleaders. We left sunburned, but happy!

Late that night we got the news that my niece had been in a very serious 4 wheeler accident in Northern Arizona. Her injuries were so serious, I didn't sleep much that night, fearing we would get another terrible phone call.

Thankfully she is doing so well, and will fully recover from her injuries.

The last several days have been full of learning experiences. I have learned that honesty is rare.

DisHonesty seems to be the norm these days. It seems to be ever present and accepted.

Secret Combinations....still exist.....it is difficult to find people who are willing to stand for what is right.

Having said that....no one is perfect...we all have room to improve, including myself.

Another random note....I have watched two young men prepare to leave on missions this past week, one actually reported to the MTC yesterday. That particular young man is the son of a dear friend of mine named Jen...you can find her HERE......I watched her boy make some tough decisions last year...decisions where he had to choose between friends he loved, and doing what was right. He chose well! I gained a deep respect for that young man, and his friends love him dearly and respect him for being strong when they chose not to be. He will be an amazing missionary! I had the chance to visit with him the night before he left....I could see in his eyes that he was prepared to embark on this next phase of his life. He was ready! He is a great tribute to a wonderful Mother who taugh him well. She has taught him by example. The second young man will leave next week. He too is changing right before our eyes....maturing. Last night, during a cookout at our house, he came into the kitchen and asked if he could do anything to help me clean up....it isn't something he would have done a few weeks ago....but last night I saw in his eyes a tenderness I have not seen before. He too is ready! Last week at the football games, after their win...the Varsity kneeled together on the football field, to sing "The Army of Heleman" it is always a touching moment to witness....I caught a glimpse of that same young man....sheding tears as his friends sang....he knew that it was his turn to serve and this is the moment that he had been preparing for, for most of his life. At that moment...he knew....he was ready!

Again....a wonderful week of learning and always through hard experience the Lord blesses us with sweet experiences. We are blessed!!

This One's For You Pedaling....

I thought of you when I saw this......

Advice that I think you would give.

I love your passion for politics!

Dear Friends....and....Amazing Chocolate!

During Easter Break, The Farmer and I found ourselves in the San Francisco area.

Business required that we be there over night, and so we filled the trip with some great fun as

well as the necessary. The weather was wonderful, a bit cold, but still amazing.

After looking at equipment and meeting with customers, we drove to the

most delightful town, Carmel By The Sea. AMAZING!!!

Our dear dear friends, The Davidsons live in Carmel, and so this was the

perfect time to catch up and see the sights.

The Davidsons are the kind of friends that, even though you have not seen

each other for many years, you pick right up where you left off. We love them!

It was wonderful to see them and their beautiful family.

After a yummy dinner together, The Farmer and I drove to Monterey

to spend the night.



The next morning brought great sight seeing.....



Some catching up with a soul sister....

And a little planning of the next combined family vacation...

so the kids can catch up too.

Next, it was off to...


LuLa's Chocolates! This the the Davidson's business in Carmel.

Gourmet chocolate????!!! Can it get any better than that?

We really had to watch The Farmer....he was sticking his fingers in everything!;)

Can you blame him???

A wall of ribbon??? How could you not love going to work at LuLa's?

I have decided that I NEED this wall of ribbon in my house.


Every box is beautifully wrapped....if you are interested in trying a little

Lula's Chocolate....go to .....www.lulas.com...you will not be disappointed.

Then it was time to return to San Francisco to catch the plane to Phoenix.

We passed through the artichoke capitol of the world...and if you know us.....

you know that we had to stop at the local farmers market. There were the most

amazing strawberries....huge and beautiful.

Artichokes as far as the eye could see....

And fried artichoke hearts at a roadside stand....

A perfect taste of heaven for us.

WE LOVE ARTICHOKES!

It was a wonderful trip...the best part.....catching up with some great friends...

and the chocolate was worth the trip too!

More Rodeo

This Is What Friendship Looks Like...

A group of men who have known each other for most of thier lives. Several,
since childhood. Many years have passed and they have all taken different paths,
and those paths don't cross too often for some of them. One of the friends
is suffering from an illness that will take his life. He has a wonderful son
who has somewhat given up his youth to help care for his family. And so one
friend suggests they all meet, and why not meet at the National Finals Rodeo
in Las Vegas.

And so the plan is set in motion. The friends all come from different directions
to meet. The drive is long, but worth it for everyone.

Lots of laughs, lots of memories.

Lots of eating. Friendships renewed. A son (of the ill friend) more grateful
than words could express (although he repeated his gratitude over and over).
This is what friendship looks like!


p.s. They all enjoyed the rodeo too!

Oh, Wow! Thanks!

I don't know what to say....Thanks to my dear friend Pedaling for passing on this award to me. I love her blog, she is such a great writer, and has a super ability of sharing her feelings and views of the world in a genuine and entertaining way. I am sure I would love her blog even if she weren't a good friend. I have found alot of joy in blogging...I apprecite her encouragment and especially her sweet comments!;)

Back In The Saddle Again!

Last week was "one of those weeks" for me. We all have them, sometimes more often than we would like. And oddly enough the week seemed to revolve around food. So here is a little recap, since I didn't have much time to post last week.

I hosted bookclub for September. My book selection was The Holy Secret, by James Farrell. An amazing book and a wonderful discussion with some yummy food mixed in. We had ribbon sandwiches, French Country Salad,
Fruit salad...with freshly picked peaches and blackberries,
Of course...cupcakes...Coconut filled chocolate and ....
Banana cupcakes and a few spritz cookies. Book Club is always full of laughter and uplifting comments. We had a great time. It was time to bottle green chile this week. So in the midst of preparing dinner for Leadership Training (we had Stake Conference this weekend) I bottled the green chile. Yum, Yum!! So with several other activities mixed in...this past week was all about food!

So, I am back in the saddle again! Ready for another week, hopefully with a few less demands, and a little more time for blogging;)

My Dream Cruiser....

My Friend Pedaling inspires me! She loves bikes. She loves to ride them. And she seems to be quite good at it too. Right now she is preparing for a Triathlon. She got me to thinking about biking too....and this would be the bike. I have taken it on a test ride, and it is a must for me! And yes, I will need a basket too! *Sheila here is a quote for you to help inspire you while you run "...but then I started running, I started dreaming. It couldn't be helped. The mind works as hard as the body does during exercise. It knows it's role during these lonely interludes - to inspire, analyze, and fantasize." Bart Yasso, My Life On The Run
Good luck training...it is hard, but it is worth it!