Everybody has secrets...

It's true, everyone has secrets. Some you tell to your closer friends, some to only your spouse or BFF, and some you tell noone.

I've been busted.

My secret has been exposed. Sorta.

It recently came out.

And then it was Dave that busted me so it was even worse!

But then in a quiet, ashamed voice so quiet I had to strain to hear him, he admitted that he shared the same secret.

Floored.

How could we be together so long and I not know this about him???????????????

So now, we are together in our ashamed, closeted secret......

We're Maroon 5 fans.

Seriously, this is a HUGE problem.

See, he's all Texas and Old School country and I'm all alternative and loud ass rebel music.

Nowhere in this mix does MAROON 5 fall.

We're just so ashamed.

Worse, in our mutual admiration we know all the words and we *gasp* dance to that shit.

So now you know. My deep closeted secret.

And so help me, if you call me out on it in public.......

I'll call you a bitch-ass liar. Loudly.

Excuse me, I gotta get my Moves Like Jagger strut on.

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I'm Taking The Remote

Not sure how (but I have my ideas) but my kids have become huge fans of Toddlers and Tiaras.

WTF?

Oh hell to the no.

I'm locking that mess out on the remote stat!

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This is Our Normal

 So we went on a little roadtrip.... to the farking mall. Cause when you live in the boonies, you have to drive about 80 miles to get to a mall. Poor Dave! But they wanted to spend some of their Christmas money at stores there so here we went. But it's a long drive, and honestly I put my ipod in and jammed all the way there alternating between reading and napping. Cause he's the driver yo. And well the kids? They take after their momma.

 Including the constant red ears in every single picture. Hi Duch, eatting Mexican food. Yummy.

 This is surely a patented "teen" look she's giving her sister.

 Oh look, I wore makeup (but the hat kinda nixes that out huh?)

 We might have pitstopped at a huge surplus place. Fun! Cause you should always stock up on the necesscities in the event of WWIII.

This says it all.

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Strolling ....

There are times when the house is quiet and I'm working away when I have my music on shuffle. It's rare but occasionally I get hit by a bus. You never see it coming but it's those brief little walks down memory lane.

Every memory I have is somehow tied to a song. I think it's pretty clear now that I'm a huge music junkie and my tastes are wide and varied. My ipod is an eclectic jumble of things that make me happy and probably looks like itunes threw up to anyone else. I don't care, it makes me happy.

So I'm sitting here humming along minding my own business when a song comes on. It brings tears to my eyes. And since I'm a step or two on memory lane, I just switch over to the playlist set aside for those moments. It's a audio scrapbook of my life to date.

The highs.

The lows.

The possible wrong turns that turned out to be necessary.

The amazing blessings that make my heart soar.

But I think it's good to briefly touch base with what made you the way you are. So while I won't waller around in there, I will stroll through briefly. Just enough to get a smile on my lips.

Tonights stroll was an instant throwback to a roadtrip I wasn't suppose to be on, one that I'd have gotten strangled for and looking back, one that I learned a big ole lesson on. It wasn't often that I threw caution to the wind back in the old days (yeah, hard to believe right?) but before I found my voice I walked a very straight and narrow line. Except there were a few little hopping skippy steps I may have missed. This was one. That song brings back the smell of asphalt in the air, the feel of a hot sticky night so unbearable we had all the windows down and had every limb possible sticking out the windows trying to catch a breeze even if it meant fighting off the bugs. Bon Jovi was blaring and we were sanging and the world was frozen for a little while. No worries, no stress, no drama.... just being.

God I love that song.

It's a good one for strolling.........

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Do I need to explain this?

I'm tenacious sometimes lol

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Christmas 2011 ~ Griswald Style

So the holiday season is in full swing here in Griswald land! We are thrilled and blessed to be spending the entire holiday together, no waiting on Dave to fly in and me having help with every step of the process. I am getting a little spoiled that way, but I like having a full time partner again. I think he's kinda digging it tooo......

So without too much ado, here's a breakdown on the last few days.



 Sleepy Santa passing out the goodies. Since we wanted to make the 10 am church service that means up and at it early this morning. I can't remember a Christmas when Dave had to get everyone up and literally drag us all into the livingroom for presents. :) Having older kids rock! And having so much family that bless my kids with gifts made this quite the ordeal. The tree threw up all over my house good grief.

 The duckie is back! Slippers and houserobes were a must for my girls in this weather. Plus a gentle reminder that we do have a full time guy in the house so no naked streaking after showers. We b a bunch of nuts around here.

 Prin got her an ipod touch and frankly the kid was bouncing off the ways. So excited for her latest big girl deal. Plus since it was also her birthday and she's now a TEEN, 13 to be exact, we got all the stuff she needs to make her room TEENy. Pics later from that end, Dave is hanging stuff in there as we speak.

 Not sure where she got this tutu but it's the most adorable thing ever and we had to bribe her NOT to wear it to church. The kid racked up on toys. Mainly because she still loves to play and before we moved, she donated so much of her toys to the local Goodwill or church. Big hearted kids get rewards!

 The teen and Murphy checking out the new bedding for the new teen room. You can also see the cool telescope my mom got them this year. We have so many stars and constallations visable on top of our mountain!!!

 Santa brought them an activity table for the gameroom but otherwise between us and the family, my kids were spoilt rotten. Good lord.

 All the kids! Murphy got a new rubber chicken. He found it yesterday before I wrapped it, literally dragging the Petco bag out of hiding and around the house trying to get me to open it. So when I boxed and wrapped it, he then started dragging around his wrapped present, lol. Smart booger. But it was a hit!

 And since it is colder than crap here (-2 this morning) and still dark (beware coyotes), Prin taking the boy out also requires a parent with a pistol going out too. Never realized that living so far in the boonies would require me to have a handgun on my hip anytime I'm in the yard, mercy!

 So last night, we celebrated the kids' 13th and it was a blast. She wanted a GF cake and in all my articulate nature, I decorated it accordingly.

 Sissy got her a hoodie, Daddy got her a gorgeous necklace with a Murphy dog charm and I got her a Twilight book, now that she's PG 13 official. She is so excited. That book is glued to her hands. So glad I held off on letting her read it till now.

 With all the excitement, Murphy was feeling left out. He was pouting all snuggled up to the couch. Poor boy. He hates when the kids get something and he gets nothing. Spoilt rotten dog.

 The beautiful plant given by a new friend here in Idaho, well I'm struggling to keep it alive. It's tougher than it seems, I swear. My next degree after my MBA is def gonna be in raising plants I think.

 So when you have a long day and your tummy hurts and you have a guy like Dave, you get treated to dinner out at the little local diner rather than cooking. The rents (no makeup, so shut it).

 Friday was a full day of parental shopping. Just me and him. We had a blast. And I conned him into trying on a hat but he's a ball cap kinda of guy now I guess. I'm totally saving this pic though, yummy.

 When it's daylight, we all take turns walking the boy. So Prin gets a little of the snow action too. She's 9 now and my big girl gets to take on some Murphy action.

 Did I mention she's 9? I need to post her bday pics too. We celebrated hers on the 19th and my baby just keeps growing! Here's family scrabble night. We try to have board games one night a week. She is really good at scrabble, dang it.

 So after presents were opened it was time to head into town for church. It's about an hours drive into the big TOWN (hey, it's the closest walmart so it's town, lol). My babies all prettied up and ready to worship.

 I dressed up too. Forgetting the snow on the ground, I brought out the big guns, my hell on heels. I made it into church fine holding onto Prin for dear life but coming out of church, I got the bride style carry from Dave. It was slick and I of course wore the wrong shoes. But I looked nice!!!!!!!

 See, nice. Actual makeup and slightly fixed hair. Don't fall over in shock. Wait till I put in my purple streaks for the upcoming LSU BCS game!

 View along the ride to church. This is one of the ranges that the kids will snowboard this year, their PE class has them signed up for lessons. This could be interesting.....

 When I came in to start Christmas dinner this is what I found. I'm thinking Dave got tired of the squacking chicken. I gave the kid back his toy. Bless his heart, he's so mistreated.

And mommy's christmas? Besides some awesome sweats from Victoria's Secret (I love those sweats, I have like four pairs on the pants, I live in them!) I gots a little tv/dvd combo for the kitchen. I spend so much time in there cooking now so I have soemthing to keep me entertained. Nice. Thanks to my peeps for spoiling the mommy!

So now it's time to get the dressing out of the oven and check my ham!

Merry Christmas to each and every one of you. Please remember that Jesus is our reason for the season!!!!!!

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Timeless

So as usual, I'm running behind on blogging about life events up in this mug, but today is special. While we never celebrate it.... today fourteen years ago, Dave and I were married in a tiny little Oklahoma church. He was in the Navy and we'd been engaged for some time but it was on this day a long time ago that we made it official.

It's been a really wild ride that is no where done and I'm thankful for my man, my marriage and my life.

So happy anniversary baby, I love ya and think you're hot so really what is there else to say?

(See I could say stuff about naked and etc but I reframed, proud much?)

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My kid, middle school choir

Since there is no Spanish, no computer science, and no art.... She got choir. Time in bucket is all I can say here. But here we went

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I was wrong

Not only forgiven but forgotten... Sweet Jesus, the Yummiest sound on earth.... The slight vibrations upstairs from him beating the shit out of the punching bag in the workout room downstairs. Lord have mercy.....

Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4GLTE smartphone

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Three things

If my husband is talking shit, he's happy. It's when he's serious that you run, and run fast. But sometimes in the middle of a story or something the Smartass comments get to me. For example tonight, I'm trying to soak in the tub and read. He comes in and wants to chat. We chat, he moves the curtain to try and perv a peek and manages to spill my drink in the tub.

In frustration, I ask him.... Name three things u love about me quick, hurry....

He didn't miss a beat...

Supper, Sex, and Silence

I'm gonna hide all his socks and underware, trade his good pillows for the kids and then .... Have a headache for a week!

Or just laugh and dose his ass with bath water. Good lord but he makes me nuts.

Too bad I'm so easy, he went to get me a fountain soda so all is forgiven. I sux.

Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4GLTE smartphone

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Makes My Heart Hurt

It's times like these that I'm reminded that I DO have a heart.

It's a tough morning for me, not me personally but because my heart is bleeding for someone that was close to me once, someone that I care about even if I can't be close friends with, someone that is a friend just in a different sense of the word.

She lost her husband last night to a work accident.

All I can be thankful for is that the family was together the morning before, attending church together and spending those little moments that seem so small and unimportant but really are everything.

It reminds me of how much I have to be thankful for, how much my life is a blessing straight from God and to cherise each and every one of these little moments.

I have no idea what this family will do, all I can do is send my prayers, thoughts, and messages of love.

Still my heart is bleeding this morning for them, the children involved and the woman left to stand alone.

Take a minute to say an unspoken prayer for my friend, she is facing hell right now and needs them badly.

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Well I Can't Call Them Back, Ever

So while Dave was doing some urgent business travel this past week, the kids were in school... and I was having trouble with the satelite. So I called and they promised to send a tech to the house from the nearest large city 52 miles away... (not be confused with the walmart city 35 miles away) and he'd be here between 12 and 2.

So at 11am after cleaning out the pellet stoves (ashes dudes, lots of ashes) I needed a shower badly. Now because this house was apparently built for some rich guys grad student kids there are four bedrooms and NO master. So my bathroom is across the hall from my bedroom. And apparently from the front door (huge window in that bastard) you can see straight down the hall.

And who sees where I'm going with this?

Yeah, so thankfully all the satelite guy saw was me in a sports bra and boxer shorts while towel drying my hair but still......... ummmm hello. I have a built in doorbell as Murphy has figured out that the road leading to our house is OUR ROAD and thusly goes insane anytime someone pulls up, but he was distracted by trying to lick the water off the side of the shower and somehow missed the whole, satelite dude is standing at the door while I practically streak through my house.

The poor guy, he never looked me in the eye. All I can say is.........

F me!

Dave took it alot better than I thought, he's hanging some type of sheers on all the main floor open glass this weekend apparently. For some distortion at least he says. Cause living in the middle of nowhere on the side of a freaking mountain apparently guarantees you NO PRIVACY.

Sigh.

I hope my satelite never screws up cause that's one place I will not be calling back out.

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Dead hookers and syringes

Dead hookers and syringes - the name of my new band. So today was fun. (Sarcasm people)

I managed to get a little work done and then the kids off to school, Dave off for a last minute flight to deal with some shite going down at one of his sites and then BAM. No power. For seven hours. No internet, no lights and NO FARKING HEAT. My phone was fully charged but it's a droid so that bastard won't stay charged that long (I blame angry birds). So I had to baby my phone.

At first it wasn't a biggie. I did some school work until my laptop died. I thought about going to town for a soda and snack, except couldn't figure out how to open the garage door manually. I suck at manually things. Then Murphy and I had a staring contest. Then I used precious cell phone battery to harass the power company. Then I found out the entire town is out of power due to an incompetant line worker, I hope he gets no Christmas bonus.

I started getting bored. I painted my toe nails. I walked Murphy. As the house started getting cold, I fought him for the right to lay and read in the one spot of sunlight streaming through on the livingroom carpet. He won. He has more teeth than me. I then coax him into snuggling with me under my blankets while mentally going through my kitchen looking for something to eat. When your cold and wearing two sets of clothes, you don't want to eat anything cold so that pretty much left out everything. Murphy started looking yummy but then I remembered the organic peanut butter. Yummy, we ate half a jar. He likes it too, except it gets stuck in his beard.

I tried to take a nap, but the damn woodpecker was back. Yes, cause living in a log cabin is just apparently Disneyland for woodpeckers. So in my cold, starving state I took my pistol outside and shot at him as he was flying away. I kid you not. Cold and starving with no sugar in the house is not a good mood for me. Didn't help that his evil twin was back hammering outside my bedroom an hour later. Sigh......

I finally get power, I do a little work. I turn in a 15 page research paper on the culture impact of international organizations on organizational culture. Yeah, it took so long to write because it's like knock out meds, prescription strength. The kids come home as house is heating back up. We made mexican, it was yummy.

Prin and I managed to knock out the math homework, ALOT of homework in Idaho dayum. Duchess and Prin also got to watch the Grinch.

Then Dave called. Hotels.com screwed him out of his hotel and there was literally NO available room in a tri-city area. He's looking, I'm looking and finally he called and tells me found a room. In wife mode (which is where I'm doing twelve other things and absent-mindedly talking to him) I ask if it was a good deal.... his respond...

Yeah, the sign outfront might as well say "rooms come with a dead hooker and syringe"....

After I cleaned all the coke zero off my screen, and managed to stop coughing... I reminded him to A: don't shower there (think NORMAN) and B: don't change clothes there and finally C: do not get under the covers for any reason.

Poor guy.

But that is seriously my new catch phrase and when I start my own band, that there's the new name.

Dead hookers and syringes.

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Excuse me while I drool

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This Week: Catchup Yo

 So we Christmas shopped for Dave, Prin busted up her knuckles good trying out punching bags. Seems somebody needs her own set of pink boxing gloves. Dang girl was all about it.

 We tried the local eatting spot. It was YUMMY. Homecooked food! Yes, when you have as much homework as my kids have here, sometimes you just gotta eat out. This is the ONLY eatting place in 35 miles. Forget drivethru, they've never heard of it.

 Duchess is having a Christmas pageant next week. Sniff, my baby is growing up so fast. Doesn't she look stunning. I'm kinda proud that it only took four stores and we managed to put together an outfit that looks like it was sold together. Sweet!

 Every kid should get this greeting when they get off the bus and walk .3 miles down to their house. Murphy is so excited every single day to see them!

 Speaking of Murphy, he's in trouble for eatting my Christmas deocrations that blink. He's apparently hypmotized into a trance where eatting decorative shit is okay.

 The kid stole my favorite jeans. Turd. All the bling jeans in the world and she wants my LEVI's.

 Meet my hawt and sexy snow boots. I anticipate alot of use of them this season.

 I heat the truck and drive them to the end of our road each school morning. Cause damn, it's the least I can do right? It was ONE degree outside when this was snapped. My babies waiting on the big yeller bus.

Evidence that at one point he was busted THINKING about eatting my shit.

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Just Me, the Dog, and the Deer

So the kids are in school quite a bit during regular school week, so once the bright yellow bus pulls away and the sun rises over the extremely tall mountain to my east.... well it's just me, Murphy and the local deer. There are about seven that like to hang out between my and my neighbors (who aren't full time residents) and the road. It's quiet as a church mouse... normally. Except this morning, the cows down the valley were raising hell. And being a canyon really, every moo was echo-ed about seven times. It was hysterical and I'm pretty sure Murphy and I wasted about an hour sitting outside on the deck being amused. We are so strange creatures. I swear that dog smiles. He doesn't talk yet so don't call anyone.

But I was a productive beast today. I finished unpacking the downstairs boxes and got them all put away. I cleaned both pellet stoves and lugged the 40 lbs bags to fill them up. I vaccummed the whole house. I did about seventeen loads of laundry and put in said rooms. I made all beds. I recruited for three hours. I shaved my legs. I cleaned the toliets and tubs. I made a bbq brisket. I scrubbed the stairs. I listened to a ton of inappropriate music. I went to town and mailed Boo's birthday present. I got a fountain coke (yummy!) and I dropped by the school to help out with the preparations for Duchesses' upcoming Christmas pageant. I visited with her new teacher for a progress update. I also did not get the nap I wanted. Oh well, tomorrow I'm so sleeping in. Cause the kids have Fridays off yo. I will b lazy if it kills me.

But man I do so enjoy that quiet time all to myself. It's yummy.

Soooooooo I now have great wireless internet and satelite but I haven't turned the tv on so I couldn't tell you how that is working out, lol. Plus I moved the tv downstairs into the family room of this place so there is NO TV on the main floor at all. WOW, I love it.

Oh and the highlight of my day: learning that the school serves chicken baked steak. WTF? That just sounds gross. But I rock so I made bacon wrapped asparagus and mashed Idaho taters with my bbq brisket..... so bow down and give me my due! Oh and apple crisp is bubbling in the oven....... I kick the school lunch's butt. Hands down. (and frankly if I didn't, someone should take away my extremely cute kitchen and kick my ass)

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Still breathing....

Just swamped. Be back tomorrow, swears

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Effort

So we have a four day school week. Seriously different. We've done traditional obviously, also year round and even lately a stagered schedule but its our first short week schedule. The babies are a little tired. We get up later than in Texas but that extra long learning day at school is wiping the floor with them. Poor babies. This is that sweet moment when I just gaze at them before turning on LMFAO full blast in surround sound. We b rocking this house in T-minus 4 and counting.

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Is this illegal?

Child labor laws?

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Obviously not my doing....

Huge day. LSU kicked some Georgia ass to win the SEC. Geaux boys! And we girls went into town, 30 miles away to grocery shop. I'm whipped. We got home and unloaded just in time for Prin to head over to a friends. Yeah that was fast huh? Not even a week here and she's all the rage. I decorated the house and Duch helped me attack the tree without injury not counting multiple stabbings and scratches. Then while doing my homework, Prin comes home and proceeds to do my hair. Regardless of what she says, I'm too old for the bow. But I do kinda feel like Barbie tonight.

Peace out from the snowy mountains of Idaho.

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Life in Idaho

Well we're settling in nicely, I think. Okay that is a total lie: I'm not settled in at all, lol. I have the main floor pretty put together but there are still crap to hang on the walls and boxes to figure out where it'll go. I'm behind on laundry. The kids need curtains hung and I've yet to find my curtains for my bedroom. But we did pull a cool parent move: we gave the kids the whole lower level. True they have to deal with parents coming through to the storage area and laundry but the rest is kid city. They have a huge livingroom with their own wood stove to keep it toasty, they also have the huge tv down there (mental note: get bean bags stat), they have their own rooms and a shared bathroom. I swore I'd never do that but ummm I kinda like having a kid free zone. Does that make me a sucky parent? Please remember that I have a almost 13 and almost 9 year old and they are both girls. So sue me, the main floor livingroom is kid free. There is no tv even. GASP. Dave and I decided that between the wall to wall windows and the fireplace there is plenty to look at. Plus we read like some people take zanex so it works for us. And if you are a zanex taker, sorry.

Anyway, so my bedroom is all set up on the main floor. Except I'm living out of boxes. The guest room is nothing but a sea of boxes since we shitcanned the cheap ass bookcases. I have cases of books that need a home. Need bookshelves stat. Thinking of seeing if there is someone local who can build me some. Since Dave won't buy me a table saw. Sigh. I'm so mistreated, no power tools for me. Anyway, it's cold as hell here. Seriously, frigid and the locals are running around without a jacket while I"m looking like the Stay Puff marshmellow girl at the post office.

The post office, that's another funny story. Yesterday I went into town to get my keys and see about my mail. They greeted me by name at the door. My first time there. Seems everyone in town knows us and they've never met us but since nobody ever moves here, we stand out. lol. Holy crap that was creepy. AND the liquor store didn't open until the afternoon so there was no rum in my future. Crapola. Monday I'm so getting my little bottle of rum. And since there is no Sonic in 30 mile radius, I've made friends with the lady at the only gas station in town. They are suitable fountain drinks. It gives me a reason to leave the house. So I check the mail and get a fountain coke everyday. That is my extent of leaving the house. Proud? Go me.

Tomorrow the kids and I have a trip into the big city planned though as we need to hit up the Sams and buy our bulk crapola. It's fun times I tell you!!!!!

Okay, I have work to do and Prin is having a friend over for the day. Yeah, remember they have a four day school week here. And already a friend over, holy crap she is on top of things. Oh yeah, and Duchess is pouting since she doesn't have a friend lined up yet to come over. Kill me now. Looks like I'll be playing Clue with her for the next four hours to keep her happy.

Later.

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