Nightmare Christmas, Rotten Rascal

Our Christmas experience this year has been....every parents nightmare.
My all to honest 7 year old has, unfortunately, not been receptive to learning good manners :(
It's one of those events that I can't decide weather I really should share?
But I will, for your enjoyment, and in hopes of releasing my inner turmoil.
KIDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It all began on Christmas Eve.

After receiving 2 platters of cookies from some dear friends a third friend stopped by with more homemade goodies. We are so blessed! Because I was cleaning my bathroom I failed to here the knock at the door. My 7 year old answered the call and came screaming back to the bathroom, platter in tow......more cookies Mom! I met him with a smile, appreciative of the delicious treats, asking him who delivered when he continued with....I told them to keep'em we had enough but she said oh no you keep them, have somemore".

I'm pretty sure I was blue in the face when I asked, you said what........, oh Daws ee!

The next incident was that night as we unwrapped gifts with Grandma. He chose the biggest, grandest gift in his pile of 3 to unwrap first. After shredding the paper and discovering it was a paper jam guitar he exclaimed, these things are junk they don't work.

Seriously, whose kid is this? Had I not been concerned about breaking the guitar in front of Grandma I would have jerked it out of his 7 year old hands and beat him over the head with it!

It's not over yet........... I know, I should have thrown him in a snow pile and left him there. Had I known, Oh if I had known..........

Now, here we are hosting Christmas. After unwrapping an autographed cap he states I already have one of these......I think the gasps that filled the room slightly thumped at his manner radar. He quickly followed with a but it's not signed so thanks.

Better but not great. I'm scanning the room.....Is there a rug big enough to crawl under around here?

Our Christmas adventure with the little rascal is not over yet. I wish!!! Please....you Mother's out there. Tell my I haven't failed at my job and his behavior is not indicative of my parenting.

The last scene played out when he opened an itunes gift card and loudly and boldly informs the giver, Itunes! I don't use these.

Okay! Okay I say! Is Christmas over yet? I'm POSITIVE this kid of mine deserves nothing but coal! What a rotten rascal!!!

What does it mean?

What does it mean when you use nearly an entire can of pledge in one week?

What does it mean when you honestly have to stop and think, really think about when you last deep cleaned your house?

What does it mean when you step outside to wash a few windows and wonder if this is the first time you've washed windows since they were put in. What year was that?

I'm pretty sure it means my New Years Resolution should be to clean more frequently next year.

Ya right :D I can already see that one being broken.

Happy cleaning, baking, cooking, wrapping or whatever it is you are doing these last few days before Christmas.

What do I know?

Quickly, because I really don't have time to be at the computer, I wanted to blog about the sweetness of my 10 year old. He's smitten with a classmate. Honestly, he has been for a good year now. Well, in the last month, these two 4th graders, have decided they are now dating.

When I was a 4th grader kids were going out. Well, NO, that was 6th grade. When I was in fourth grade I was still asking for cabbage patch dolls and boys were gross:) Times have changed:(

Anyway, after an afternoon of errands in Ottumwa I arrived home, pulled in the garage, and was greeted my wonderful hubby who was sporting a humongous grin. He opened my car door and whispered in my ear that when he walked into the house our 10 year old was fixing a small gift bag of chocolates and candy canes for his special friend.

I immediately went into a coughing fit, the news taking my breath away, but concluded it was a really sweet gesture that HE HAD DONE COMPLETELY ON HIS OWN.

I'm proud of his thoughtfulness but left doubting my own predictions. I really, really, really, really thought he was the guy who would only care about sports and that girls would fall farther down on his important list until he was older-much older!

What do I know?

I know I would have LOVED to have been in the classroom today when MY 10 year old sweetie, handed his special friend, threw at her, dropped at her feet, that small little gift bag full of chocolates and candy canes. I'm thinking that both of their faces were shining the color of Rudolph's nose?

old fashioned

This Sunday, we ended our evening with some old fashioned Christmas caroling. A good size group, from the Troy Church, divided into 3 groups to sing and deliver gift bags around the town of Troy. It was an awesome evening strolling through the snow dusted yards and listening to the kiddos sing about the TRUE meaning of Christmas. I'm positive the small gesture warmed many hearts.

On Saturday, the boys and their cousin Baylee entertained themselves with some old fashioned outdoor play. Two of my boys, especially, have a strong passion for ice skating......a dying winter pastime, unfortunately. I vividly remember the mystical feeling of ice skating on Grandma Freda's pond as a young child. And, the time Grandpa Mart took his snow blower to the pond so my younger brother & I had a path for our skates to glide on.....oh the love of grandparents!

If I didn't thank you then, THANKS BUNCHES, Grandpa!

This weekend we also enjoyed a few hours playing old fashioned board games. The hit game for the weekend was the game of LIFE. (The early 80's addition, from my childhood). We always fill the room with laughter as we see who will land the highest salary to collect each pay day, how many kids your little car will hold and who will become the millionaire.

It was truly an awesome old fashioned weekend!

Santa

Every year I pull out my collection of Santa photos with the boys sitting on Santas lap. I proudly display them, all of them.

I'm still a sucker for the magic of Christmas.

Because we've had photos taken with some really bad Santas the boys are typically full of comments and questions. These words easily roll right off my tongue to calm their inquisitive minds,

"that big jolly guy can't be everywhere! Mr. Claus has many jobs for his elves this time of year. Besides building toys, Santa sends out some of his favorite elves to dress up and pretend to BE Santa Claus. Which one do you think is the REAL Santa? "

The pointed fingers begin indicationg :D

This year, as I pulled out each precious photo from the box, smiled, and dusted'er off Dawson flew at me with words I was none to prepared for.

He looked at this photo and hollered,

Dad, IS THIS YOU? Sure looks like YOU! Look at Santas eyebrows! I think it's YOU!

As if on cue, I gave the proper, light hearted, chuckle and out rolled those famous words right off my tongue.....

"that big jolly guy can't be everywhere! Mr. Claus has many jobs for his elves this time of year. Besides building toys, Santa sends out some of his favorite elves to dress up and pretend to BE Santa Claus" Which one do you think is the real Santa?"

After much deliberation Dawson has deemed,"this Santa is REAL!........ Maaaaaybe?"

paint projects

Currently the Davis Herd is drowning in paint projects.

Our first painting project is an update to our family room. Friday night we dove in, ripping off trim, pulling up carpet(disgusting) and painting walls. We're excited for the new look but wonder why we do these projects when we are feeling crunched for time.....I am hosting the Davis Christmas in 19 days and have yet to have one Christmas decoration out.

My second painting project has to be kept a secret. BUT i'm dying to share it with you. I have high hopes for how it will turn out. It's going to be given as a gift, so until Dec. 25 you will have to wonder. I will do my best to not let the cat out of the bag......it's killing me.

Stay tuned for pics of the the family room transformation.

I went out of my box and put an exciting color on the walls.

museum

During our return travels home from OK we took the time to stop by the National Cowboy & Western Heritage History Museum in Oklahoma City. Although I wasn't real sure of the interest my herd would have in a museum, I knew if they were ever to enjoy a museum it would most likely be a cowboy one. It was spectacular.

Some of the museums highlights were seeing memorabilia from the bull riding legend Lane Frost. They boys couldn't believe that was really HIS shirt and HIS belt. They had to plug in the movie on the way home to confirm it.

Other interesting exhibits were the history of rodeo room, with pictures of cowboys in front of Madison Square Gardens in NYC during the Rodeo World Series, dating back to 1934. Trophy buckles that were sponsored by Levi & Strauss-not Wrangler.

I didn't know that.

The women in rodeo hall with women like Tillie Baldwin, a woman bronc rider and bulldogger! Seriously, a woman bulldogger!

I was amazed and pretty sure I would never want to cross that tough bird!

The kids were also fascinated looking at $37,000 saddles!

Did ya read that...$37,000 saddle! Whoa, would you really ever ride it if ya gave that much?

Could you really call yourself a cowboy with a saddle like that...

seems to me kindof pretty boyish.

Okay, okay, I'm struggling with why a 37,000 saddle would exist?

Even more fascinating was when I got jumped by 3 security guards for taking flash photos of the exquisite saddle masterpieces.....

In my defense the map was hard to understand-rooms were designated: yes photos-no photos-photos with flash ok-photos ok BUT without flash.....

.geezzzzzz how about a simple yes OR no?
The kids also really enjoyed walking the dirt roads of an ole' western town completey resembilant to the era. There was a livery stable to board your horse at when you arrived into town. There was a blacksmith shop, bank, one room school, church, general store, saloon and right across from the saloon a jail. With a jail cell hand made from old wagon wheels.

Do you recognize the 2 jail birds below?

Rising Stars

As some of you are aware we recently returned home from our 2nd trip to the Rising Stars Calf Roping in Duncan, Oklahoma. The excitement for this rodeo had been building for a month or more as we ALL loved the getaway last year. Many hours were spent in the barn riding, roping and tying down calves in preparation for 2010. This roping competition draws young Rising Star Calf Ropers from many states: California, Minnesota, Kansas, South Dakota, Mississippi, Louisiana, New Mexico, & Missouri just to name a few. We feel fortunate to be able to partake, visit with ole' rodeo family, and observe the young ins' make new friends.

Although this trip is more than just about finishing on top Dexter did prove to be a fierce competitor this year in the 12 & under breakaway competition. He finished 12th out of 105 kids, earning a little bit of pocket change and a spot to rope in the final round. I believe my boy along with his horse, Popcan, were functioning on pure adrenaline......the announcer was loud, the music was louder and the crowd was crazy.......especially this mama.

Jaxson and Dawson were also successful in their events. They each caught calves which IS a WIN at the ripe ole' ages of 7 & 10.

Pepe Le Pew

Last night the older boys and I were headed to town for our monthly 4H meeting. As we cruised west on our merry way we smelled a fresh slaughter in the road. A stinky, unfortunate, black and white striped skunk lay splattered in the west bound lane. I wrinkled my nose, held my breath for a few short seconds, stepped on the gas and hoped to speed out of stink territory, quickly.

THEN,

THEN,

THEN,

my 12 year old rolled down the window and claimed he likes that smell!!

Are you kidding me, Pepe Le Pew?

brrrrr nelly

Brr nelly!

The temperature is dropping today. As I sit and type I'm noticing that I'm chilly from my nose down through my phalanges. you know, your toes

I'm not complaining, though. I LOVE the change of seasons.

In all honesty I'm ready to see the white stuff fly.

My apologies to you winter haters.

For this blog post, beings this is November the month of Thanksgiving, I thought I'd ramble off the first 10 things that cross my mind that I'm thankful for.

• family
• health
• faith
• Freedom of religion
• USA
• friends
• IOWA seasons
• warm drinks to sip on
• my home,a roof over my head
• socks!

Yep, I'm ending with socks...some love shoes, I love good socks!

stick to your ribs recipe

Below I posted a recipe that the Davis Herd deemed delicious. Beings I'm a townie gone country I'm wondering if this recipe has perhaps been around for years? It seems quite possible that my great granny may have fried this up in her kitchen at one time. However, this recipe is too good to wonder about....I had to share!

2.5 cups flour divided

2 TB salt

1 t cayenne pepper( or less...the Davis herd men have sensitive tongues)

3 eggs lightly beaten

3 pds tenderized round steak

1 c frying oil

2.5 c milk

1 t garlic salt

3/4 t celery salt

1 cube beef bouillon

In a shallow bowl combine 2 c flour, salt and pepper, set aside. Beat eggs together and remaining 1/2 c flour. Dredge meat in flour, egg mixture, flour. (thats the secret, the egg flour mixture) Then fry in hot oil over medium heat until golden brown. Remove from skillet, drain and keep warm. Pour off all but 1TB spoon of the oil. Stir in leftover flour, stirring constantly until flour is browned. Remove from heat and stir in milk, garlic salt, celery salt and beef bouillon. Return to heat and simmer constantly until gravy thickens.

Serve this with some mashed taters and corn and it's what I call a good ole' Iowa,

stick to your ribs, meal.

BEEF its whats for dinner :)

the bull rider, bull fighter and old man

Friday night we strolled around town offering tricks for a treat. Well, not really. However, we did return home with entirely too much candy.

Dexter joined a small group of friends on the square, doing his own trick or treating this year. I believe he had fun with his peers. He went as the same ole' old man that he had dressed up as last year. Pa wasn't sure this was a good idea; letting Dexter venture around the town with other 12 year olds after dark. I assured Pa plenty of adults would be out and watching. Dexter promised he wouldn't rob a bank.......thank goodness!

Jaxson chose to hit the streets dressed as a PRCA bull fighter. We completely painted his face and it took 4 attempts with makeup remover to eliminate all of the colorful stuff. I'm hoping this squelched any hidden dreams of being a real life bill fighter. I kept asking Jaxson, "How would you like to do this every night?" I'm pretty sure he wouldn't :D

Dawson was decked in Wranglers, chaps, a Wrangler shirt, cowboy hat, cowboy boots, belt with the biggest buckle in the house, leather glove and a bull riding vest. He was a PRCA bull rider with the attitude to match it. We added a little artsy flair with a mustache and foo man choo face hair. I'm really hoping this idea does not live long past Halloween also.

the bull rider, bull fighter and old man

Another Wild & Wacky Day.....

Today, Dawson dressed for school Wild & Wacky. His class was rewarded with a day of choice by their teacher. They could have chosen a pj day, movie celebration, etc...

Wild and Wacky Day received the most votes.

I think this might have something to do with older siblings......

Dawson learned from a professional, Dex, and was totally pumped to play the part. Honestly, he came out of his bedroom dressed this way on Monday and had to dress again.

Today he was ready. Up at 6:30 am, dressed wild and wacky, and feeling that way too. What a goof that boy was this morning.

I'm pretty sure his teacher is going to feel as if she's at the zoo today....24 silly first graders.

His clothes are layered, backwards, too big, and mismatched.

That is Dawson, Wild and Wacky!

weekend

What a wonderful weekend:)

Friday night the Davis Herd allowed the older boys to attend the varsity football game, NO parents! We picked them up during the 4th quarter and all seemed to go well. How independent they're becoming.

Early Saturday morning we pulled out of the driveway in the rodeo rig headed for Widmers Rock N Roll Arena. The boys had loads of fun back in the saddle competing and playing football between events. We're hoping to have as much fun at the next one late November.

Sunday we celebrated 50 sweet years of marriage with Dan's folks. I cherish what they are to this family and thank them for showing us how to do things the right way. So many seem to get lost in this world instead of focus on loving forever.....What an inspiration!

i swore....

• I swore to never be one of those parents whose 12 year old child had a cell phone.
  
• I swore to not have a 3rd line until child NEEDED it!
  
• I swore child didn't NEED a cell phone until activities took him away from ma & pa, routinely.
  
• I swore child would be 16 before really NEEDING a phone.
  
• I swore when he did get a phone, he WOULD NOT have text messaging.
  
  Today, I'm eating my words.......

Good-bye Miss. Kitty

For the past 14 days we've sheltered a kitty in the house. The boys rescued Oatee from a terrible fate. It's 2 siblings were found still in the middle of the dirt road.

Knowing this furry feline could never take up permanent residence in this house,

• because middle child is extremely allergic to cats,
• because master Herdsman would come uncorked,
• because Dewey, our wire hair fox terrier, is a cats worst nightmare,

I began a frantic search for an open door and loving arms. I was thrilled to end my search when my cousin agreed, with excitement, to be it's human mama.

Because I want to keep family relationships good, I offered to have kitty checked out at the vet.

There, I found out Miss. Kitty, is approx. 8 weeks old, and MISTER KITTY!

Life with Mr. Kitty has been interesting.

Mr. Kitty likes to wrap around your feet and bite at your toes like some type of killer cat!

Mr. Kitty ran across the couch this morning, onto an end table, hit the decorative doily and pulled EVERYTHING to the carpet, including the bowl of potpourri.

Tomorrow we will tell Mr. Kitty good-bye and he will thank us for saving his life.

Okay, he probably won't.

i think she died....

Dawson's wearing a festive jack-o-lantern smile these days. He's been losing a tooth a week since school started. Okay, not really! He has lost 3 teeth since the first day of school,which was back in August. If you were counting, that would be 3 teeth in 5 weeks. Nearly, a tooth a week.

This pattern of events has created a reputation for Dawson within the walls of DC Elementary.

At school, when one loses a tooth, they briefly get a moment of fame...

all of your peers "want to see", you then begin your walk to the school nurse, passing the offices ladies, to pickup the prized treasure chest to hold your lost tooth. Mrs. Graves, Dawson's 1st grade teacher, also places the child's name on the tooth chart in the classroom.

This experience is similar to having your own star on Hollywood Blvd.,

and taking that long walk of fame, 3 times!

Unfortunately, since Dawson arrived home last Wednesday with another treasure chest, the tooth fairy has failed to visit. This morning as Dawson awoke, he walked his little fingers under his pillow in search of his $$ from the tooth fairy. When his fingers wrapped up that treasure chest, again, he threw up his pillow and hollered to anyone who may be listening...
"I think the tooth fairy died!"

Hopefully she'll come tonight?

homecoming

For as long as I can remember homecoming week in small town Iowa has meant TPing trees. The Davis Herd boys have had many questions about the toilet paper dangling from trees and blowing in the fall breeze. The site has brought back many memories,

caused me to smile and giggle, and feel sad for the real trouble the kids can now

find themselves in if they are caught partaking of the homecomingweek ritual. Unfortunately, a few years ago some bad apples spoiled the harmless prank for the whole bunch when they

took the TPing festivities to a level of vandalism.

Today I spoke with one Dad who, with his kids, TP his own house.

His comment was, "IT'S HOMECOMING!"

Partners in crime: Dexter and Dawson

When we arrived home from the homecoming parade the boys were full of Mustang spirit and begged for a roll of toilet paper. Not willing to part with too many rolls of the cushioning stuff I gave them one roll and told them to get after it.After all, homecoming in small town Iowa IS trees decorated with the white stuff.

Along with:

* a parade full of floats & kids

*an entire community lining the streets

*maroon and gold MUSTANG PRIDE

*decorated business windows

*a football game with a packed house

GO MUSTANGS!!

wild & wacky 2011

Today, Dexter left for school dressed wild & wacky. It's homecoming week and the D.C. Middle School is partaking of the festive activities.

I wanted to share with you The Wild & Wacky Dexter.

I think he did good.....

4 or 8

Last night Jaxson and I missed the roping practice but the story told to me is worth sharing.

After a whole lot of try Dawson is finally catching calves in the practice pen.

Dawson roped 4 calves slick around the neck off of his trusty stead, Baldy.

He was feeling like a real pro when Grandpa Jack decided to pump him up more and ask, "how many calves did you catch tonight"?

Standing tall and proud, like a peacock, Dawson said, "8, yep, I think 8."

His demeanor was so serious he may have convinced you.

Well, he ran 10 calves and his Dad's pretty sure only 4 were caught. Hahaha!

• When you're 7 years old, roping more than one calf makes you feel like you're on fire!
• More than one catch and you think you OWN the arena!
• One catch makes up for 2 misses.
• 4 catches, 8 catches, a little fabricating, does is really matter?

Herd Carpentry-not for hire!

Well over a year ago Dan & I had to cut holes in our drywall to replace junk faucets in our tub/showers. We temporarily disguised the holes with cute art work the boys had made, as we pondered how to repair our drywall. My extremely talented grandfather, a master carpenter, explained to me how he felt best to repair. I did my own little You Tube search, as recommended by a friend, and felt quite confident after viewing the video. I learn best with pictures.

I was ready to impress and show I had inherited those master carpentry genes.

I cringe to admit this....my carpentry skills still need perfecting, a little.

In desperate need of a drywall saw, which we do not own and I couldn't find one to borrow, I improvised with my stainless steel tomato slicer knife. It worked like magic! No kidding!
It was sooooo sharp I nicked a small hole in the pressurized water line and water came spraying at me like some kid had me held up with a squirt gun! I jumped, and went screaming as fast as I could to the basement to shut off the main water line into the house.

Shoo! Glad I could think to do that! Another plus, I even knew where it was :)

Returning upstairs I was relieved to see the spray had stopped. I surveyed the small puddle within the wall as I debated my next move.

Call hubby? Or back to You Tube?

What do you think I did?








I..............surrendered and called the hubby.
I hated having to do that!

After a minor plumbing repair, it really was minor, I continued my carpentry job this morning, with the hubby. After some deep conversation the repairs are complete, with NO DUCT TAPE!

In case you're wondering,
Davis Herd Carpentry is not for hire ;)

finally....rodeo pics

As promised, but a bit delayed, I will now post a few of my favorite pics from this years rodeo season.

Dexter was a smokin' 2.8 seconds in the breakaway at Leon, IA this year. Look at that determination....

I do believe he wants to hurt that pour baby cow.

In this photo Jaxson is showing that defenseless nanny goat who is boss. I remember the day the goats got the best of Jaxson......not anymore!

I love,love,love this picture of Dawson and his Shetland pony, Tiger.

Although he finished the season on a bigger stead I couldn't help but post this fun lovin' picture of these two buddies.

Dawson and Tiger are out making a few warm up laps before the main event.

I think Tiger can see where he's going?

Here are your future NFR qualifiers. What great friendships these lil' cowpokes have formed. The "kid" down front and center is a "celebrity" to those 10 buckaroos surrounding her!

elected for......?

Once again, as the Davis Herd sat around the supper table last night, Dexter shared with us a story about his day. He was proud to inform us that he had volunteered for a position that had to be voted on by peers, and won. Trying to find out a little more about this , and keep the conversation going, I decided to ask a few questions. Each question was answered with an "i don't know", "i don't know" and eventually a "let's just drop it".

The five of us were in a fit of laughter as we concluded that Dexter's not even real sure what he was elected for?

fudge balls

Dawson had his first flag football practice last night. After an early supper we hopped into the pickup and headed toward town. As we traveled south down the gravel road, we were passing the grain bins when Dawson said, "Hey look, Mom, the fudge balls are back on the trees."

I smiled and replied, "you mean hedge balls?"

Any amount of one on one time spent with one of the boys is always fun.

The conversations are often entertaining.

As the running to sports practices picks up and the trips to and from home grow tiresome, I'll always be ready to chauffeur with the reward of a fudge ball conversation.

job

Last Saturday Dexter clocked in at 7:30am for his first job.

I'm not sure; however, if he thought of it as a job?
Bob and Ginger Fisher, TF EVENT PHOTOGRAPHY owner/operators, were looking for an extra pair of hands to help with some running jobs at the local Mule Show.

Dexter loves photography and has gotten to know the Fishers quite well. TF EVENT PHOTOGRAPHY can usually be found at the rodeos, behind the lens or in their onsite viewing and printing photoshop. Although Dexter's main job was not behind the lens thankgoodness Bob did let him venture out with one of his fancy cameras.

I panicked when I saw Dex take off with that $$$$ camera.

WALK DEXTER! WALK VERY VERY CAREFULLY, DEXTER!

TOES STRAIGHT AHEAD PLEASE BUDDY!!

http://www.tfeventphotography.com photo by Bob Fisher

Movin' on up...

My boys are movin' on up!

Dexter was giddy with excitement for his first day of 6th grade, more so than his first day of kindergarten!

Jaxson is pumped to be in 4th grade....thinks his teacher is really nice and next year means football with pads! Eeeeeek!

Dawson is thrilled to be in 1st grade! He loves being out of the kindergarten wing and thinks his teacher is TALL! I guess when Mom is 5'4", he notices? Also, Dawson is excited to be able to play flag football this fall.

colorado

Nearly a week ago Dexter returned home from his annual trail riding trip to the CO mountains. He's accompanied Grandpa Jack and Uncle Ray, for 3 years, to an area near Montrose, Co. They love the sites and the joy of being on horseback for hours. I wanted to share some of the awesome photos....Blue Lake... I imagine this was a breath taking view

Dexter and Popcan in a patch of wild flowers

Every year the mountaineers claim it was the best year ever.

Dear Blog Friends,

How have you been? I have missed you!

My apologize for my lack of communication. Our summer schedule has allowed for little time indoors....and much less time at the computer.

I am looking forward to reuniting. I have so much to blog about. Where shall I even begin?

Check back soon.

I will introduce you to our new farm friend.
Update you on our rodeo accomplishments.
Share with you some of our silly summer pictures.
And, post that soon to be taken, first day of school, photo.

Sincerely,
Davis Herd Wrangler

fancy clothes

This past Saturday the boys traded in their wranglers, cowboys hats and boots and put on fancy clothes to be part of their cousin Ashley's wedding ceremony. They looked soooo handsome I wanted to share!

It was a spectacular day!

century

I'm happy to report that I survived my 5th RAGBRAI. This year I was only able to partake of 4 days but it challenged me to ride the Karras Loop.

This loop adds a few extra miles to an average 80 mile day giving the cyclist the opportunity to ride what has become known as a century ride; 100 miles, 1 day.

Cycling sistah, Mitzi, was there for every mile too.
WE DID IT!

Other things I enjoyed were:

A viewing of the Bad Boys (self contained cyclists that haul BBQ grills, coolers, a full bar, radios and who knows what else)

A tent that didn't leak! Woo-hoo, yipeeee!

My Torsk supper at the Half Moon in Clear Lake. SCRUMPTIOUS!!

Lots and lots and lots of laughs!

A saying I overheard from a wise cyclist passing me on route:
Wife happy, life happy!
Wife mad, life be bad!

Until next year......

high gear

WOW! The Davis Herd had been livin' life in high gear. I do believe we are gone more than we are home. A few things that have been keeping us busy are:

RODEO.
This is Dexter's first year as an IRCA card holder so we've been hitting the trail hard. Although he's managed to stop the clock with some good times he has yet to fill his pockets with the green stuff. We're learning the importance of being a good winner and loser and realizing what it means to be driven to accomplish something.

FAMILY.
It had been awhile since we had seen Ms. Baylee so it was great to have her around for a couple of days last week. While she was here many hours were spent in the pool and at the pond.
We're also nearing the celebration of a beautiful relationship. Saturday, July 31, Ashley Butler will marry Nick Gardner. The boys have been fitted for tuxedos, bridal showers have taken place and now we're counting the days until the main event. The boys are ready to boogie, really!

CYCLING.
It's nearly time for my annual vacation. RAGBRAI. I've been logging a few last minute miles, shopping for a new and improved hopefully waterproof tent, and packing for my Saturday departure. I know it seems completely insane to most but.... I CAN'T WAIT!

maiden voyage

Monday the Davis boys ventured to the farm pond to cool off for a bit.
They were extremely excited to set sail in the new inflatable boat Dawson received as a birthday gift.

Unfortunately, the strong winds that afternoon were quite powerful and took the young sailors by surprise. Their small vessel was carried south before making landfall on the pond dam shore.
Never fear!
Captain was determined to stick with the planned voyage and fought his way across choppy water, shouting commands at his younger officers. Dawson was scared, scared, scared and debated abandoning ship.

Once back to the dock the youngest sailor planted 2 feet on dry land, happy to observe the maiden voyage of his new ship.

June 24th

Today we celebrated Dawson's 7th birthday with friends and family.
I can't believe my baby is 7!
Don't sing, Daddy...don't do it!

We met 6 of his friends at the city park for a picnic lunch and an afternoon of swimming.
I can't believe I agreed to that....
Chin up, Dawson...say cheese!

Overall they were very good. I do think they were glad to see each other again. Some of them hadn't seen each other since the last day of school.
And, water guns were a huge hit!

MY monkey

I added a few more zoo pictures.
When I look at these photos of Dawson they make my laugh out loud!! He LOVED the zoo and insisted having his photo taken often, if you can't tell. I think the monkeys were getting to him that day. Or, he was feeling right at home?

zoo

Tuesday the Davis Herd took off for Omaha. It was time to leave the soggy grasslands behind and take in a good ole' Midwestern attraction. Our get aways are very rarely planned. This trip was no different. Book a room on priceline, pack your bags, turnoff the lights and shut the door.
We spent Tuesday evening pool side and oh how relaxing it was. We had the entire pool to ourselves! Later that night it was pizza delivery, late night t.v., a book for me, and off to dream land.
We woke Wednesday with big plans to visit the Omaha Zoo. A zoo membership was our Christmas gift from wonderful Gr. and Gr. Mart. It was my first time to the Omaha Zoo, the boys first trip to the Omaha Zoo and Dans first trip to A ZOO! It was FABULOUS!

3rd grade

Earlier this week I was phoned by Jaxson's teacher and asked if I would be available for a fun game the last day of school.TODAY. I gave my sure reply and asked what game?

Are YOU smarter than a 3rd grader? said Mrs. Swan.

My immediate thoughts...Man, what have I agreed to? What kind of authority will I have with Jaxson all summer if I don't pass this? Worse yet, what if I embarrass him?

So, that night at supper I did what any SMART parent would do. I asked Jaxson for a few "sample" questions. I was asked 2 questions before his Dad chimes in with a ..Hey bud, she's tricking you.

Bleep, bleep, bleep...Thanks alot DAN! Why don't you scoot your smart lil' cowboy self up to the classroom and play the game!

My last night study session was over.
I thumbed through a few homework sheets this a.m. and ventured off to school.

Thank goodness, I AM just as smart as a third grader. Shoo!

For fun, let's see if YOU are smarter than a 3rd grader?

How many bones are in the human body?
In a magnetic reaction what 2 ends attract each other?
True or False? The planet Saturn has rings?
Name the planets in order.
Name the 7 continents and the 4 major bodies of water.
Spell "baby" in the plural form.

laugh, laugh, laugh

Today I spent the afternoon in Ottumwa. The cupboards were growing bare which is indication for the monthly grocery adventure. Plus, with the holiday weekend approaching it seems as if their is always extra munching going on here at the Davis Herd.

After doing some serious damage at Walmart I headed over to Fareway for a few more items. It just so happened that I was stocking up on the sugary stuff(pop)and as I lifted the pack of rootbeer all 12 cans went banging, clanging, rolling down the isle.

If only I had a kid with me to blame it on.....

I stood frozen with the empty box before I burst out laughing at myself! At that point I wasn't sure what people were staring at: ME or the 12 rolling soda pop cans.


Laugh at yourself first, before anyone else can.
Elsa Maxwell

ice cubes

Dawson and I were setting the table for supper, last night, when he pulled out the ice cube tray from the freezer.

The boys have been busy making flavored ice cubes, colorful ice cubes, you name it ice cubes.

I explained to Dawson that when mommy was a little girl our refrigerators didn't make ice cubes and we had to fill those ice cube trays and dump them into an ice bucket to have ice for our supper glasses.

He turned to face me with those big brown eyes and said Mom, did you even have food coloring to make colorful ice cubes back then?

I love the innocence of kids....

it wasn't me!

Wonderful Aunt Stephie recently mailed a package to the boys that included, the nearly nonexistent, candy cigarettes.

Do you remember them?

Upon first realizing they were in the package I honestly debated over whether or not to even give them to the boys. Aunt Stephie; however, wanted a photo.

I convinced myself their was no need to fear!

Neither her nor I are smokers after puffing away on those candy sticks.

So, Monday night the boys lined up on the couch in the living room and nibbled away on a highly concentrated sugar cigarette.

A phone photo was snapped, sent and the boys were given' the speech on.....

back in the old days....before they knew the dangers of real cigarettes...they used to make.....blah, blah, blah.....you get my drift.

This story only gets better!

Tuesdays I volunteer in the elementary school. I spend the mornings in Mrs. Rays classroom, were Dawson is a student. Yesterday, as I strolled into the classroom with a friendly smile, I'm quickly surrounded and under attack.

Mrs. Davis, Dawson told me he was smokin' cigarettes last night and that they were candy cigarettes and I don't think they make candy cigarettes. Were they real? Was he REALLY smoking cigarettes. Cigarettes are BAD for you! I like candy! I wish I could have one! Candy cigarettes..ooooh.

Needless to say I walked in unarmed. I said the first thing that came to my mind and did my very best to shush those inquisitive 5 year olds!

I blamed their Aunt Stephie!

Yep, I sounded just like a kindergartner.

I didn't buy them, it wasn't me!

lock-in

Dexter became a member of the Chequest 4-H club this year and spent Friday night at the community center in their annual lock-in. It was a night full of fun activities and NO sleep!

Dexter has really given us some struggles this year on staying up late.

I mean, come on he's a middle schooler ya no.

So, he was ready for this night!

Bringing a sleeping bag was optional...he opted to not.

I dropped Dex and a friend off at 8:30PM Friday night and picked them up at 9:00 AM Saturday morning. This being after they helped plant 600 trees for an hour on NO SLEEP.

It was community service project on Arbor Day.

Needless to say Dexter fell asleep at 11:30 AM Saturday and slept until 7:30 Sunday morning!

I'm hoping this experience has fulfilled his staying up late desires.

When he woke up Sunday morning he said he didn't think he felt good......

He's really like his mama, WE NEED SLEEP!

Part 2


Big screen t.v.s
the over sized t.v. turns most homes into man caves(specifically mine), rocks the walls with their theater sound systems and take the thrill out of a paid theater show. Not to mention the cable companies and their zillion channels that manipulate your inner will & turn you into the lazy couch potato.

Ipods
so now I own a computer worth X$ and have x$ worth of purchased music files stored on my hard drive. Seems a little risky. Sure, I could buy the CD's to backup my music library but isn't that kind of like taking this all back to purchasing the artists CD in the first place?

Computers
yes, I will admit they have their benefits. Knowledge at your finger tips! But sometimes too much knowledge with the consequences of "couch potato syndrome". Right? How often have you piddled too much time away..for fun or out of frustration?

Cell phones
The original was a genius idea. Remember it? The big bag phone the size of a cosmetic bag glamour girls. I love the bag phone idea for traveling emergencies but is it really necessary to be available 1440 minutes a day? Not to mention text messaging. And yes, I do it. But we're taking the meaning out of relationships. Not just through our voiceless conversations but do you know of someone who constantly looks at their phone? Or answers their phone/responds regardless of where or what they're doing. People, do you realize how rude we're becoming? And, accepting of it!

Gaming systems
Whatever! Good for hand eye coordination? Who's the brainiac that discovered that? And now you can do it to reach your fitness goals! I"m a believer of board games, word puzzles and yard games. AND your good ole' imagination? Does anyone remember a great game you used to play as a kid? I'm not sure my bro or sis read this but we used to spend hours playing "alligator". Well, until someone went home crying because someone wasn't playing fair. But think of the life lessons learned.

GPS
Yep, got one of those too. Garman, as we can her, can get you there or get you lost. Can any of you relate?

Blackberries
ugh! Nearly all of the above wrapped into one.

no. 2 lead pencil

Part 1

I'm fed up with technology today.
I often feel as if we, the American people of the world, are becoming over stimulated.
We have over sized t.v.s, ipods, computers, cell phones/text messaging, blackberries, gaming systems, GPS systems, high tech digital cameras...what else?
When I try to sit in silence, I can't.
I can literally hear the hummm of technology.
It perturbs me.
Yes, I am thankful for a few modern conveniences:
running water, refrigerators, A/C & heat.
And venting on the Davis Herd blog is much cheaper then weekly therapy sessions
BUT
Was the world not working perfectly with small t.v.s? Boom boxes and radio? Writing letters? Real phone conversations? Board games? Learning to read a map? And a no. 2 lead pencil?

WANTED

WANTED

I'm in search of a couple female kittens. Unfortunately, this winter, both of our friendly female cats, India & Ms. Blackie, went missing.

I'm wondering if the 2 foxes who took up residency in the hay bales this winter... ummm...

ate them?

Anyway, the Herd is left with 3 felines; 2 toms,

1 wild mystery and a barn that is once again seeing sparrows and mice.

So any good mousers you are willing to part with please let me know.

While I'm posting about wants I'll go ahead and add that the Davis Herd wants a Nubian billy goat to add to their 9 nanny goats.

I'm having quite a time finding a Nubian billy.

Theirs something about those big floppy ears that make'em....cute.

Did I just say cute goats? Please don't let Master Davis Herd know that.

Ohhh the cute kids we could have...

Remember! Kid goats that is!

Hobbies

Hobby 1:

Finally, i say finally, after a good long break, I climbed back into the saddle of my lil' orange bicycle and went for a tiring 27 mile ride. I would have been fine with 15 miles the first time out, and considering the windy conditions; however, cycling sistah takes no slack. I love that about her, though. She makes me a better cyclist.

Watch out RAGBRAI 2010-this year marks five in a row!

Hobby 2:

I'm ready to pursue another passion.

The Davis Herd Wrangler would like to become a beekeeper.

STOP screaming, gasping or laughing-those are the typical responses I get-and help me get started. PLEASE.

I would like to be an assistant beekeeper this year for a little hands on training. Do any of you know a beekeeper? Or know of someone who knows a beekeeper?

I've been doing my own research and would like to have bees on the farm by next spring.

I did see an add for beekeeping instructional training to be held May 1 at the Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage in Rutledge, MO. I would really like to attend and shared my wishes with Dan. He prefers I not go alone....he's afraid I may stay and dance, dance, dance. lol

Sooooo any takers?

HaPpY 12th BiRtHdAY!

It's a BOY!

Dexter Dean Davis

5 pounds 2 ounces

18.5 inches long

9:54 PM

Introducing...

Dexter received an early birthday present this weekend.

He's now that proud owner of a furry 4-legged Lionhead.

Do you know what a Lionhead is?

It's a bun, bunny or rabbit depending on it's age.

Or so I was informed.

Chloe, as we call her, is a 4 week old bunny.

Too old to be a bun but not quite old enough to be called a rabbit.

Once again, so I was informed.

I do believe the Davis Herd officially now classifies as a petting zoo!

horses,

ponies,

goats,

calves,

cats,

dogs,

and now.....

bunny.

Worm Season

Thursday afternoon as Dawson and I were kneeling down and digging around in the garden

he claimed, "I'm sure glad it's worm season!"

This being as he gently held a slithering earth worm, in his palm, watching it snake and turn trying to escape.

It made me chuckle.

I love my dirty boys.....and worm season, too!

back in the saddle

Yesterday the boys saddled up their ponies,

ready for a leisurely Sunday afternoon ride with their Dad.

What was suppose to be a ride through the pasture

turned into a small cattle drive.

Dan is not much for blazin' the trails and seems to always need a purpose to be in the saddle.

Above the cattle took a wrong turn, don't they always, and Pop helped out with a tad bit of Ford tough horsepower.

The boys of the Herd sit tall in the saddle proud of the job they helped complete.

Ahhh..the joys of the new season.

old time

We are struggling with the time change.

These dark mornings make it hard to rise.

Yesterday, Dawson was still on old time.

We wake the boys in the mornings with a morning kiss,

Dexter probably won't like that I shared that

open their bedroom shades, turn on the light and wait

for them to meander, with school clothes on, into the kitchen.

Well, Dawson never came & never came & never came.

On my search to find Dawson I discovered him

snuggled back between the sheets with his school clothes on.

He had gotten up and dressed and went back to bed.

Dawson is still programed on old time.

COCONUT

Are any of you coconut fans?

I am!

Smell it, drink it, eat it.....IT'S ALL GOOD!

Here's a new recipe worth trying.

It's DELISH!

COCONUT BREAD

3c flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp soda

1/2 tsp salt

2c sugar

1c vegetable oil

4 eggs

2T coconut extract

1c coconut

1c buttermilk

1c chopped walnuts

Combine flour, baking powder, soda and salt. Set aside. Combine sugar, oil, eggs & coconut extract. Add dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk. Stir just until moistened. Fold in coconut and nuts. Pour into 2 well greased & floured loaf pans. Bake at 325* for approx. 1 hour or until bread tests done. Cool 10 minutes before removing...if you can wait that long!

spring

Hello SPRING!!

I'm ready for you.

Your blue skies.

Your crack of thunder.

Your amazing rainbows.

Your beautiful blooms.

Your bright colors.

Your growing powers.

Your warm winds.

Your longer days.

Your fresh air.

See you soon.

March 20

Welcome!

Souls4Souls

Two weeks ago I once again found myself picking up the 101 shoes/boots that lay scattered around our garage floor.

As I was sorting and pairing and pitching a voice in my head calmly said,

Why are you throwing those shoes away?

Sure, they're worn and muddy and WE could do without them

but someone somewhere NEEDS them!

Clean them up, ship them off AND clean up your garage.

Well, I couldn't shake this thought.

Every time I walk through the garage I hear that lil' voice.

Soooo after a few searches of the Internet I've decided I'm going to ship the Davis' worn but not ruined shoes to Souls4Souls in Sheldon, Iowa!

You may have heard of the organization, especially after the many recent earthquakes.

But do you know what is extra special about this place?

Souls4Souls, in Iowa, is partnered with Village Northwest Unlimited. VNU offers a wide array of services and training to more than 180 individuals with disabilities. The individuals have varying degrees of disabilities including intellectual disabilities, brain injury, cerebral palsy, autism, Down syndrome, epilepsy, and range from ages 17 to 80.

Souls4Souls gives these mighty special people a chance in society. They receive, sort and ship our donated shoes.

Sheldon Iowa's Souls4Soul is 1 of their only 4 USA locations.

After this discovery I was moved even more to DO THIS!

I'm also,

inviting you to do it, too!

I'll gladly mail your gently used shoes with those of the Davis Herd.

Dig out those closets, clean off your shelves and

drop your shoes off to me or call me and I'll come and pick them up!

Shoot, I'll even clean them up if I need to.

Check out this awesome organization

http://www.soles4souls.org/.

All types of gently worn complete paired shoes are accepted.

My shipping date: April 1, NO FOOLIN'!

projects

HELP!!!

I'm drowning in projects.

Although I have no deadlines I feel the need to get them ALL done:NOW!

The only deadline is the one in my head.

I really hate to have a list of things that need done...I guess I would rather spin in circles?

No, not really.

My to do list:

Mother's Club tonight. A monthly commitment I fail terribly at.

Volunteering at the school tomorrow. A time I REALLY enjoy.

Horse to the vet Wednesday. I guess I don't HAVE to go but sometimes these trips are our dates.

Thursday, tackle a project in the basement that is bigger than me!

Seriously, I'm going to attempt to spray colored concrete on our walls in a similar fashion to finishing drywall to a texture. Yes, I AM CrAzY!!!!

Friday pick up Ms. Baylee.

Saturday basketball.

Right now...I'm off to vacum....that is after I pick up.

I'm also hoping to squeeze in a workout before the big yellow bus rolls back around.

Probaly not going to happen as I see the time.....

spinning in circles

Spinning in circles.

I seem to be spinning in circles today. It's one of those days when I'm really accomplishing nothing!

I twirl from the kitchen, to the laundry room, to the boys' bedrooms to the basement to the computer and leave every task in the the same disarray I found it in.

Does anyone else ever feel like they're just spinning?

born to boogie

This past week Dexter attended his first middle school dance. It was scheduled immediately following school and I assumed it would be nothing more than another recess...with music.

I mean, when I think back to my middle school dances it was a bunch of giggling groups of kids thinking about dancing.

Right?

Well, at 5:15 I was to town and waiting for my preteen.

As I sat all alone in the silence of my mobile I reflected on how fast my boys are growing up.

Middle school, already!

I watched as girls walked out in fancy dresses, high heel shoes, smiley faces and flushed red cheeks.

Could this really be the present or was I looking into the future through a crystal ball?

Then I spotted him! My baby, my first born.

Walking straight at me with a grin from ear to ear. Coat wide open and blowing in the warm 30* breeze. His hair wet around the perimeter, sweat beads sitting on his nose and his cheeks as red as if he just ran a mile.

My conclusion....my baby was born to boogie.

what to blog?

What to blog? What to blog?

First I shall inform you all that I'm having to fight for a little bit of computer time.

My oldest recently signed up for facebook and is having alot of fun chatting with friends and playing games. I'm not a real facebook fan and REALLY didn't think he needed to sign up but he's right...alot of his friends are on.

I've concluded that online chatting is the ole' teen line from my days.

Second, my last week was filled with tax preparation and cooking big diners for the Amish men.

ugg on the tax preparation. Not the meals, though. This girl likes to eat!

I've also spent my days cleaning up, painting and staining. The renovations aren't big. We sectioned off the old basement from the new and had a little room built.

It was intended to be a room for sewing, as my sewing projects tend to take over the house, but instead we've made it a room for my niece, Baylee.

Buying a few girl things has been loads of fun!

Stay tuned for pics....

doughnuts

whew....after rereading my last 2 posts I decided I really need to get something else on here to cover up the naughty talk.

So.....I decided to blog about my doughnut making experiment.

Dexter and Grandma Belle made homemade doughnuts earlier in the week. Sunday I believe. Well, a plate of doughnuts doesn't last long on this homestead and after sinking my teeth into that warm fresh glazed treat the little voice in my head kept saying..

you should make doughnuts, more doughnuts!

Then, I logged onto my favorite blogs and found the Pioneer Woman and just posted a doughnut recipe.

Was that fate or what?

Tuesday, Dex and I set to work making dough. My lack of patience led me to attempt a speed rise-which wasn't such a good idea. I had to throw away about a dozen crusted hard lumps that I had placed into a low heated oven. Oh well! After following the directions of Pioneer Woman's recipe exactly the Davis Herd doughnuts didn't turn out too bad.

okay, they don't look as purty as hers but that frying is tricky! Some are golden..some are brown:( I'm not much of a fryer and constantly ask Dan do ya think that's enough oil? lol

There is something about doughnut making that makes me feel like a real pioneer woman.

Where's my bonnet?

We're making more dough tonight and plan to indulge again over the weekend.

Sure hope we can climb on a horse and fit in our saddles come spring:S

lastnight

Last night as we sat down for an early supper, before Dexter's basketball game, Dawson informed us of a naughty word a classmate, Colton, had whispered in his ear at school.

My thoughts were how bad of a word can a kindergartener know?

So, I asked him to repeat it this one time.

Well, low and behold I nearly choked on my mouthful of food!

My toothless brown eyed 6 year old boy leaned over and sputtered j*ck*ss with BIG SAUCER EYEBALLS!

Honestly, I was thinking he was going to say butt or poop or anything BUT j*ck*ss!

As I gasped for air, swallowed and gasped for more air I did my best to tell him I was glad he knew that THAT IS a bad word and I hoped he wouldn't use such language, ever!

He informed me he wiln't.

That's his southern IA way of saying "will not" or "won't".

The story continues with while on our way to town Jaxson asks if the Bloomfield High School will ever be a college, again? For those of you unaware Blmfd is in the process of building a new high school and at one time I mentioned to the boys that the current high school's 3rd floor had once served as a junior college. Or, i think that's what i was told? Anyway, I responded to Jaxson with an I doubt it. He was a little bummed.

Remember previous post : tight knit bunch.

From the backseat Dawson pipes up with a loud "then I"m going to home college".

Problem solved!

Home college? I guess he picked that up from an add on t.v.?

You know, earn your degree from home....

iowa weather map

I received this via email today and thought it was worth posting on me blog. Although I really don't mind the white stuff those of you that are ready to see the green grass, the trees in bloom and feel the warm wind on your face will enjoy it.

Fruit heads

The boys love fruit roll-ups. I found a box of 36 at Costco and bonus: they were 3 ft. long! The boys devoured them. I'm not sure why they have to play with their food but for some reason they loved hanging the whole entire thing out of their mouth. boys.

A throwback

A throwback

from the good ole' days.

When people were wearing bell bottoms, sporting mullets and jiving to Stayin' Alive.

Do you have any idea what I'm talking about?

One sip and it will knock your socks off!

It's refreshing, lite and smooth

And DOESN'T produce those volatile, harsh, sometimes painful burps.

No kidding!!

Some may argue it's flat but sip-on my friend.

You will be amazed!

At what I think is a crisp, clean mouthful to swallow.

The Pepsi throwback!

Word is...it's only on the shelf for a limited time once again. I'm watching for it like a hawk. And

stocking up when I lay my eyes on it. How many cases 1...2....3...4...5...

Now, if they would only put it back into a glass bottle.

sleepy hollow

Any blog reader of mine ever been to Sleepy Hollow in DesMoines?

I'm considering taking the kiddos there for their first Midwest ski/snowboard adventure.

It's whole lot closer than traveling to Boone or at least more doable in a day.

Any insight would be appreciated:)

As you can see, I still got skiing on the mind. After a long awaited reunion between me and mountain I'm addicted.

Who's ready for Spring....NOT me!

My apologises to all you suffering beach babes.

Adventure

Well, I'm home early from my 5 day Colorado Adventure.

The story is too much to blog and comes with some WARNINGS!

Lets just say: It was an Adventure!

What I would like to share is that my Uncle Kevin is still ultimately my favorite uncle!

Their is no doubt we're from the same bowl:)

I love the state of Colorado and could easily live there!

I so enjoy the sport of snow skiing, the layers of clothes, being surrounded by tall evergreens, the spectacular views, the crisp air, the energized heart rate, and the thrill of buzzing down the mountainside.

It was bright...don't look at me check out the view!I'm already deciphering in my head when I can go back.

Until then...anyone up for a midwest ski adventure?

I'm ready to get my boys on the hills and hope someday to have them on the big slopes!

west

Today I'm headed west.

After 3 days of being Mom and 3 fabulous nights in my own bed it's back on the road, up in the sky, and another week of wrestling suitcases.

I'm headed to CO, with my favorite Uncle Kevin, on a 5 day snow skiing adventure.

This is the way my world works, it's either smooth sailing or tornadic.

Tornadic activity:

Sun to snow. Repacking myself (we all know how good i am at that!) Food in the house. Laundry is ALL done. The kids are ready for another week without Mom.

Out the door, again.

The CO trip was planned in September, the Cancun trip was granted to us through Golden Furrow and came about the first part of November. Anyway, I'm making it. And feel VERY fortunate to be able to do both. What a great guy I got!

Check back in a week...and pray I don't run into Pedro:(

Or a tree!