tagged - 7 random things about myself

Welcome to Huish FHE. I offered to let Jon do this, he said no. I offered Mariah to do it on each other, she said no. So I decided to do it together with Jon for HE tonight, shall I tell him?

1. "Well, in a world with about 3 billion how do you find someone who is unique? They're all unique in some way and alike in some ways" said Jon.

I am unique because after 30 years I still adore this nut I am married to, sometimes I even kind of understand him ... OK I just pretend to! At least he isn't talking radio-ese. Guess he didn't want to tell me I'm pretty boring and nothing interesting about me. By the way, he hasn't given me a straight answer for about 6 years.

2. I like every room in my home to have a different "flavor" or decor. Why should someone get bored walking through their own home, right? No matter how I start, I seem to end up putting "whimsy" into it.

3. My kitchen is never spotless. I love to clean and shine it, then can't help myself, I HAVE to cook something in it.

4. Whenever I cook something, my mind immediately starts thinking of how to make it lower fat and how to make it from food storage items that can store long term.

5. I would rather eat crunchy, spicey food than most sweets.

6. I hope I get to keep my freckles when I am resurrected.

7. Jon likes all the stuff I make, like paintings, quilts, clothes, patches on his dozens of jeans and he has excepted that once I attack a room to redo it, it will never, ever be finished. I will always find some little thing that will be fun in it.

I tag Mariah (second time Mariah!), Jessica, Katrina, Robin, Danette.

I Love to See the Temple

I spent the afternoon with some fine young people going to the temple. Watching them serve, I realized that there is hope, the Gospel is true, we have a loving Heavenly Father, and life is good.

I am grateful.

Sweetheart Tag

I saw this on Angie Whitaker's blog and thought, yeah, why not? I talk about him all the time so here's another chance to count my blessings.

This is Jon, I have no idea who the fat lady next to him is! She needs to look into WW or something!

1. How long have you been married? 30 years,7 months, 14 days.

2. How long did you date? That is hard to figure. We went on one date, Jon asked if he could call me again. I said I would like that and then waited ... While we were eating lunch, he had mentioned his mother. I had the impression that she had passed away, he still missed her. There was a misty look in his eyes and he didn't act weird about it. We-e-e-ll, I set the trap, baited it and then he didn't call again for four long weeks! Every time my brother Bob asked if he had called, I got more embarrassed and disappointed and told him that no he hadn't and if he did I would hang up on him. Finally, I heard his tight little voice over the line, all resolve melted away and the rest was history! From the second date was about 7 months til we got engaged and then married 6 weeks later.

3. How old is he? 61

4. He was 4 inches taller when we got married but now he is shrinking faster so it is more like 2.5 -3 inches taller.

5. Who sings the best? I guess I can usually carry a tune better, but his voice sounds better since my asthma has made me so raspy.

6. Who is the smartest? We both have areas that we are pretty smart in, and totally dunderheads in others, so we usually balance each other out. Guess that is why we work so well, though those who knew us in our younger years think we're a pretty odd match.

7. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Jon sleeps on the right side for now, but I usually get the side closest to the bathroom. I seem to stumble a lot in the dark when I'm half asleep.

8. Who mows the lawn? Lawn? That sounds vaguely familiar ... oh yeah that was the yellow stuff in our yard when we first got married. Jon was kind of annoyed when I watered it and then he had to mow it with a push mower, can you believe it ... no wonder he "liked to save water". Now no one even rakes the gravel.

9. Who cooks dinner? I usually do 90% of the cooking. Jon is willing to pitch in when he needs to, well he does grumble some times, BUT he did give the kids some pretty funny stories when I got home late. Of course their stories get better and I do laugh but, they were well balanced, what more do you need? Maybe he should have let the little buggers starve, huh? He has developed this cute little habit of cruising through the fridge and opening everything he can find. If it doesn't smell bad or have little fuzzies, he nibbles and moves on to the next container. His rule seems to be NEVER eat the last bite! Something bad might happen ... he mixes and matches different foods and seems quite pleased with himself when he is done.

10. Who is the first to admit they are wrong? Neither of are ever wrong, what's the problem?

11. Who kissed who first? We dated for a long time by today's standards before kissing. We held hands, hugged, and said goodnight yada, yada, yada. Then one night he took me to Miracle Mile Deli (in Christown Mall in Phx.) then on the the movie, A Bridge Too Far. He didn't just hold my hand that night. He would give it little squeezes and stuff that told me, he was planning "The Move". Now I really liked the idea, but after hating men for well over two years before I met him, I was kind of nervous. I still couldn't say what that movie was about. He finally took me home, managed to give me a little peck, (wondering if I would deck him or something cause I had been acting kind of weird all night, giggle). It was so nice I laid a big ole smacker on him ..... so I guess he gave me the first peck and I gave him the first kiss.

12. Who wears the pants in the family? I know lots of people think that I do, and Jon thinks that is pretty funny. There isn't much he cares about when it comes to the daily grind and would rather not worry about it. Over the years, yes years, I have come to respect his wishes and try to repect them in making decisions. For the important things, gospel, family, country ... he is immoveable most of the time. When it has been hard to live with, I remind myself that is one of the reasons I fell in love with him. Integrity is his middle name and I can always depend on him. That is priceless.

Tagged -- fire camp 2006

Meet Karen. I can't remember her last name but I do remember her a one of the most patient, nicest people you'll ever meet. She is from northern NM, works for some gov't agency and started going to fire s about the same time I did. We worked some fires and then next thing we knew, were sent to a fire in her "neighborhood". After the team took a few weeks off, we were all sent to southern ID to a fire for a few days, then to one in northern ID. The rest of the pics are from that same fire. I traveled for two loooooong days to get there, found myself in the middle of a church ballfield full of very deep dust. It was funny. We evidently were the biggest act in town. The locals would drive around and around the camp gawking at us. We had fun taking pics and waving to them. A little mom and pop grocery store made wonderful salsa! It save my sanity. I bought two containers and took them on up north to keep me going for awhile. We southwesterners need our necessities after all. It took 5-6 hojurs driving to get up to the camp outside of Stanley, ID.

We had to hit every Walmart on the way to get warmer clothes, thank goodness for the warning. I'll do a post with full pics some day and show why!

We drove through Sun Valley to get there and fell in love with the country. I had been gone for a week by then and was really missing my family and thank goodness for our cell phone plan, I could call a lot and stay in touch.

This is the camp we took over as the third team for a very huge complex of fires. It is only about 1/3 of the line of vehicles that was there. At night there were really a lot and it probably extended 1/4 mile, all three to four line of cars and trucks. When one of the fires started towards the camp from downhill, very dangerous, they had to to an enormous burnout downhill to protect us. You could see no more than 30 -40 feet, could hardly breathe, the sun was just a big red ball in the sky and plenty of ash falling in camp. Great adventure for we asthmatics. Jon showed up the morning of our second day there and what a joy! We worked a lot of odd hours, but he still got to snore for me every night. One gal in a tent near ours said that she enjoyed listening to us giggle and talk every night when Jon got to our tent. Yes, we knew others might hear us so we minded our p's and q's. I think we were just punchy from lack of rest. My typical day started at 5:00 am if I was going to shower before breakfast, then eat and report to work by 6:00. We would eat our tables for lunch and take "half hour" for dinner. The camp ws so spread out that it could take 5-10 minutes just to get in the line and then wait. We learned early in the summer how to avoid the crews or it would take forever to get through the food line.

There were over twenty of these YERTS. It took less than 24 hours to empty, take down and pack them up to go back to the cache. It really is something to watch. Sometimes, equipment will be set up on a table out in the open to finish up the finances for the fire. Kind of funny.

This is my Hunny Bunny, in the plaid shirt, in the Communication YERT. The gal with the hat is from Snowflake, AZ. She was always dress to the T . I got the biggest kick out of it because most of us look pretty ragged within a day or two . Sixteen hour days will do that to you! Mac is the guy next to Jon and was my friend when he requested Jon be sent up there. He was pretty funny. He knows us well enough to know that we get tired of being separated by work and went to the bother of jumping through the hoops to get Jon and not just whoever. He works for AZ state
something and has known Jon for quite awhile.

Some how I just lost two pics, oops!
One was the interior of the finance yurt (just found out I was misspelling yurt) and the other was
Cove Fort. We stopped there on the way home for lunch and some rest. We loved it so much that we went up there in 2007 to do demonstrations for the Cove Fort Days in August. Another story.

Finally we got home and Gabe greeted us . What fun to watch him try to fill Papa's boots! He also loved the big old dirty hard hat from the fire collection. Our big boy was only about 26-27 months old by then. What do you think. Should he grow his hair back out? He looks a lot like Aunt Sassy doesn't he?

I love President Packer. Always have. Last Sunday, listening to him during our regional conference, I came to love and appreciate him even more.

As he talked about the coming years and the changes to our lives that we were going to experience I had a very peaceful, unsettling but still peaceful, feeling come over me. I had felt sick to the depths of my soul for the last couple of weeks that no matter the outcome of the election, we were in for a new way of life. I came to appreciate how hard we had to work to keep body and soul together for so many years of our marriage, at least I have a place to start on stretching the dollars that never seem to be there! I suspect that it may be harder in some ways than before, but I listened closely and it gave me assurances to share with my children as they called me the night of the election.

President Packer said the same things we have heard so many times. But what impressed me was the way he reminded us that no matter how hard it is in the future, we MUST pay our tithing so that we may be blessed. I could just hear our loving Heanenly Father pleading with us to keep this commandment so he can bless us. He wants to shower His blessing on us, He is eager to, it is all up to us.

We were also reminded that it is important to live righteously. I am examining my life, again, and setting new goals to live as our dear Savior did. To be happy in service and joy in the fact that I can help. I have the resources to travel about, reach out, a wonderful husband who supports me and needs my support in his service. We have a barn of a house, but we are working to create a home for us, our family and anyone else that may need a refuge from the world.

I am grateful for the ideas that are coming to me. Ideas that will help to provide for our family, and help them help themselves. Opportunities to help the grandkids learn how capable they are and how joyful it can be to be obedient, even to the commandments that don't seem so important. How to work together as family (immediate and extended) to make our way in this world.

As frightening as the economy, and political changes, etc. are right now, I am grateful for the chance that is developing for us all to be reminded what is really important in this world, to be turned to our faith, to draw closer to Heavenly Father, the Savior, and each other.

I know that President Packer was speaking throught the spirit on Sunday. I know that we can be OK. I know that our attitude in the coming months and years will determine how we experience this time. I know that we have all probably contributed in some way to the trials to come and that through the Savior's atonement, we can repent, be forgiven and be made stronger.

I know the gospel is true. I am grateful for it and the teachings that have helped me to hear the spirit that has led me to my life full of family and good friends. I am even grateful that it led us to stay in this half dead, rediculously hot, cursed desert. It kept me near my family so that we can be here to support each other now. I know that I will have to read this from time to time to remind myself just how good my life is. As random as it seems sometimes, it is my life and I do love it.

Adorable Grandkids; An Objective Opinion

It seems that there are a whole bunch of Halloween parties for kids these days. When Gabe was asked what he was going to be, he kept saying Giraffe again, but it sounded like Dragon. Thought a new custume might be needed by the end of the week! Garrett got the monkey outfit because he is such a monkey in every way. The little tiger is a special little friend, Ava. I stole the pic from her blog . . . thanks Joi :-) . . . I didn't make it.

Tatianna loves pink and babies. She makes a pretty cute little baby Sleeping Beauty. I have taken pics of her sleeping several times, with my cell phone, and she is precious, but I can't seem to get them sent where I could post it. So you will just have to take my word on it!

Arianna loves to be a princess, Cinderella being her favorite and she would probably love for her entire wardrobe was Cinderella Blue. She had already been Cinderella, so Ariel was her choice this year. The costume was hard to find in such a small size, so Belle was winner. I was secretly glad, because personally, I've always ound Belle rather admirable.

Now that we got through Halloween, Aunt Sassy's B'day, and Papa Jon's B'day, we can get serious about Arianna's B'day. She'll be so excited!

WARNING: Being a dog lover can be hazardous to your life!

So, I was walking the other day, minding my own business, zoning out, enjoying the cool morning air. Then this monster dog comes up from behind and scares me to death. If you're thinking I'm nuts, remember that our big dog weighs 9.5 lbs. , the little one is only 9 lbs. Guess the main thing is that it came from behind and I caught the shadow before sighting the actual dog. She was the most gorgeous mahogany red color, so sweet, obviously very young, and had no idea how long her body was. She wouldn't stop following me and the closer I got to Hartman (a main road leaving the neighborhood) the more worried I got. She kept running out in the road, would pull back and run in front of the next car, run across the road and seemed to love all the honking. When I got called all kind of names, honked at, fists shaken at me, she laughed, really she did, I saw it.

I finally called Jon, he came and caught her with the help of another good citizen, and then came around to meet me as I came down our street. That was when the fun really got started! Our poor little dogs could not believe we actually brought that monster beast into our house. No choice, part of our fence is only 3 feet tall, at the most.

We fixed breakfast, tripped over the big dog, stepped on the little dogs, trying to hide behind our feet. Made signs, tripped on the big dog. Put away the dishes, tripped on the big dog. Tried to get out of the door, got tangled up with the big dog. Tried to get on with our plans for the day, and oh yeah, tripped over the big dog. fixed lunch, tripped over the big dog. Sat on the couch to eat lunch and watch the news, pushed the big dog off the couch, over and over. I can't believe we actually had two golden retrievers for about 8 years. They didn't seem to get in the way half as much as this lurpy dog did, and they were both bigger than she is. That night I slept in the bedroom with our dogs and Jon got stuck in the other room keeping Lurpy Lou company. Am I good or what?

The next morning we went very early and put up more posters and came home to sit on top of the phone. Half hour before I was gioing to give up and haul her into the dog pound we finally got THE call. What a relief! I did realize that maybe I didn't make a mistake getting little dogs for living in the city. The grandkids have made me miss our big old lovable goldens, but boy howdy! The grandkids will just have to calm down over here . . . yeah right . . . . or maybe my dumb little mutts need to learn to run and hide . . . . or most likely, things will probably stay the same. Ya gotta love it!