Register for "Captain Deano's Crew"

Our team (Captain Deano's Crew) is up and running for the JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes. Any and all are welcome to join us! We truly appreciate everyone that supported us last year. The Walk is on November 1st, 9:00am (registration starts at 7:30) at Tempe Town Lake. To register:
1) Go to www.jdrf.org
2)Click on Register for the walk
3)Find the Tempe, AZ walk
4)Click on Register for this walk
5)Enter your info. and you are good to go

If you need help registering please let me know. If you walked last year but your team T-shirts are un-wearable...I have more. We ran out of or have only a few left of small/medium T's for kids and small/medium T's for adults. We can figure it out if these are the sizes you need. I guess when I ordered the shirts last year I was just in denial that more people are small rather than large like us! Shoot! I am not sending out a letter this year but I am hoping to get an e-mail out to everyone soon with more info. Stay tuned and we hope to see you there!

Help the boy get rid of "the sugars"!

This might be funny only in my World

The other night Eric and I settled into our usual couch-potato spots, all ready for another great episode of Ghost Hunters. Eric had made us a giant bowl of home-made popcorn. Man was it good. We were all settled in chowing down and enjoying life when I realized that, "This popcorn is making me thirsty!" Eric had a big glass of ice water and I kept begging drinks. About half-way through the show Eric all of a sudden yells out his favorite explicative (frick, that is). It frightened me a little, I must admit. He turns to me and asks, "did you notice anything about this water?" I hadn't, but I was afraid of what it might be. I have often been known to throw something up in the ice container that shouldn't really be there, especially if the freezer is crowded. You know- the occasional bag of peas or otter pops are most popular. Well, inevitably when the kids crush their ice all heck breaks loose and you get all kinds of floaties that shouldn't be there. I knew whatever was in his ice was going to be my fault, of course. He hands me his cup to show me what was in there along with his half-melted ice.s A flippin' Snack Pack! How did that get in there, you ask? Eric didn't realize that he had scooped it up with his manly-man hands along with the ice. We had been drinking the water and didn't even look down and notice. We broke out into one of those laughs that never seems like it is going to end. I started laughing that scary "Granny-laugh" that is more like a wheeze than a giggle. It was a good 15 minutes before we got ourselves under control. It was nice to have a good 'ole hee haw and not be standing near the incontinence isle (you know who you are...you shall remain nameless).

The worst insult a Six Year Old can give

Every night as I tuck Sadie into bed, I see this written on the wall above her bed. I always get a good chuckle. Apparently when she had a time-out on her bed, she was VERY angry at me. The only thing she can think of to get back at me is to write my name on the wall and then X out my name. This is the equivalent of her saying, "You're dead to me!" It's hard to see, but her name is written above my name, but her name is circled. She's good- I'm bad. She's perfect- I'm imperfect. She's beautiful- I'm ugly. You get the picture.

Yes, those are holes in the wall- another story that we won't go into here. I feel no need to air all our dirty laundry on the web. (Actually my laundry is clean- HELLO! It's not important that it's just piled up in a giant mountain on the couch. I hope you don't have nightmares about it when you see the image in your head, Tia!)

Don't get too excited,,,

I'm THINKING about starting to post again,,, I can't decide,though,,,shall I?

Wish the period key on my computer wasn't eternally broken,,,

Flight of the Trampoline

The day was hot and sultry. A gentle breeze was blowing. Eric looks out the back window and much to his surprise, a fierce dust devil appears. It was an angry little devil. It picked the trampoline up and blew it into the air. Sadie and Zane scream in disbelief. In order to frighten the tramp as much as possible, the devil twirls it around and around and through the air and across the backyard. The trampoline must be punished. A defenseless little tree is flattened in the process. Through the air and almost into the power lines it flew. Cars slam on their brakes as they see the trampoline flying and coming straight toward them. Over the fence it flies, landing right next to the busy road. A disaster is averted. Eric travels to the desert behind the house to gather the broken body of our beloved friend. We will miss you, dear tramp.

Trampoline for Sale at a Discount Price

BK, would you mind?

I am all out of Mexican vanilla. Would you please run down the street and get some more for me? Thanks. Just bring it next time you come up. You're lucky you live in Mexico because you have great access to things like wonderful vanilla. Don't worry, I'm good for it :)

Shut up...I'm starving!!!

I'm not sure why, but when Millie Jones is pregnant or nursing, she gets a severe case of the crazies. It doesn't matter if there is a huge pile of dog food out, she get the CRAVINGS for people food. If you open the door she runs in looking for crumbs. When the kids walk through the back door and leave it open (almost every time...what can I say? they were raised in a barn) she runs in, knocks the garbage can over and runs out with garbage in her mouth, hoping to get a morsel. The other day I went outside to call Sadie to come get ready for school and I see Millie struggling over by the end of the house. I go to her to inspect and she has one of my P.E.T. canning canisters stuck on her head! The residue on the inside tells me that this container was once full of Cocoa Puffs. I can only imagine what she was thinking, "Yes, this is stuck on my head but since I'm here, I might as well eat the cereal." I'm pretty sure I won't be filling this one with oatmeal anytime soon...it is now a bug collector for the kids. Only a few more weeks till we can get rid of the puppies. I can't wait till Millie is back to normal!


This is the latest fashion, don't you know? I must pose for the camera.
Sadie tried to remove it, but it was REALLY stuck. It took everything Eric had to get it off of her!

Pyrameds are the Best!

Would anyone love to try the best, most comfortable FLIP-FLOPS in the world? If you do, here's your chance. Eric's getting me a new pair for my birthday. The shipping for 1 pair of shoes is $10. DANG. With each additional pair, the shipping increases by a mere $3.50. You do the math. I highly recommend these...I can't live without them...let me know if you are interested.

http://store.surfnsea.com/browse.cfm/2,44.html

Believe in the Power of the Jinx

On Sunday as we were driving to church I told Eric that I was REALLY liking 2:00 church. My whole life I resisted afternoon church...it's too hard, you spend all day getting ready, no naps, the list goes on and on. Well, Sunday morning I decided that it is Wonderful! Eric lets me sleep in. I have plenty of time to prepare my lesson and get clothes ready and kids scrubbed. I said, "Can you imagine trying to go to early church now, after all these years of late church? It would be a disaster!" We get there and the Bishop stands up for announcements. He says that starting next week, church starts at 8:00AM. What? This can't be! I then remember my comments to Eric on the way. At the exact moment that I said those things, the universe shifted. The Bishop SAYS that he had a meeting with the Stake President about the unusual change but I'm certain that's only in his mind. He thinks he did, but our church time didn't actually change until I blurted out my true feelings. I jinxed it for myself and whoever else in my ward that was enjoying afternoon church. My heartfelt apologies. I will think twice before I speak and jinx whatever else may be going well for me.

You Deserve...A Swift Round-House Kick to the Face!

Why such a violent title you ask? Because that's what I would like to do to certain people when they make certain comments. Sometimes I wish I could just do whatever I felt like at the moment with no consequences. I don't want to confuse you so I will explain: Since we have been having so much "jug talk" of late, I feel the need to vent about people who can't show enough restraint to NOT comment on the size of my jug. Really, can everyone just mind their own Bid-ness? Who are you and why do I care what you think? I don't.This morning as I was waiting in line to buy mine and Eric's breakfast sodas, I hear a voice from behind me, "WOW! You really must be thirsty!!" I turn around and there is a lady (with a banana clip in her hair I might add--who wears these anymore? can you even still buy them?) that feels like she needs to stick her nose where it doesn't belong. I answer her with a very dry, "yes", and I turn my back to her. I'm pretty sure she felt stupid because of my reaction. As I was getting in my van she came out of the store and kinda glanced at me and tried not to make eye contact. That's right, lady, keep your head down and move along.

Now, if this was an isolated event I wouldn't think twice about it. However, 90% of the time, some dummy will make a comment. Really now, I don't comment to other people about their purchases. Why? Because I could care less what people are buying. I need to come up with a solution so I don't do something I regret when I'm feeling more like "Grumpfruit" and less like my normal, happy, bubbly self. I think that when they put in their 2 cents, I will put in mine right back at them. For example: "Man! A Monster energy drink, a pack of cigarettes, and a King-size Peanut Butter Cups! You must have a death wish. Call a hot-line and get some help, buddy." This might work if we weren't living in a time where people will pull a gun at will and shoot you dead. So, as Plan B I am just going to confuse people. I will need to set my jug down, raise both hands high above my head and wiggle my fingers energetically. Then I will say in a robotic voice, "I must! I have lots of people depending on me!" This will befuddle them and they won't know what to say. I need help with this situation so if you have any more suggestions, I will take them into consideration. Thank you for your cooperation.

Why be boring?

I almost put a really gross title for this post, but showed some restraint...you can all thank me later. I just have to tell you, Hanny, Eric can't get your Chicken Parmesan out of his head. He said he had trouble going to sleep Sunday night. Not because it did him wrong, but it did him right. He has mentioned many times how delicious it was...not only the chicken, but the marinara sauce as well. He has made a suggestion that I believe is quite good. For future Sunday dinner polls, how about adding 1, 2, 3, or 4 new menu items to try so we can continue to incorporate new dishes into our rotation. He is not a creature of habit like some of the rest of us, so to make some of the more finicky eaters happy, maybe we should try this...what do all of you think of that? Yes, Mom, your opinion matters very much...please share your ideas. Sharing is not (optional).

Skillet Chicken Parmesan

Crispy , seasoned chicken breast, a robust tomato sauce

and two kinds of cheese make this Italian classic simply irresistible

1/4 c. olive oil or vegetable oil

1 c. chopped onions
1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/4 lb)
1/3 c. Progresso Italian style dry bread crumbs
1/3 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg, beaten
1/2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
2 T. grated Parmesan cheese

1. In 3 qt saucepan, heat 2 T. of the oil over medium heat. Cook onions and garlic in oil 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in tomatoes, sugar, salt and pepper. Heat to boiling, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat; cover and simmer, stirring occasionally.
2. Between sheets of waxed paper, flatten chicken to 1/4 inch thickness. In shallow dish, mix bread crumbs and 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese. Dip chicken into egg, then coat with bread crumb mixture.
3. In 12 inch skillet, heat remaining oil over medium heat. Cook chicken in oil 10 to 15 minutes, turning once, until no longer pink in center. Pour tomato sauce around chicken in skillet. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over chicken. Cover and heat until melted. Sprinkle with 2 T. Parmesan cheese just before serving.

One foot on a Banana Peel

Last night for FHE treats we made banana splits. We spared no expense...bananas, ice cream, strawberry, pineapple, chocolate sauce, whipped cream, sprinkles, and a cherry on top. The kids had been looking forward to this for a really long time (since the day before). I don't know why every FHE can't be great...maybe it had to do something with the awesome lesson (thanks Hanny) and the best treat ever. Have you seen the Sponge Bob episode called "The Best Day Ever!" The kids were singing "It's the best treat ever!" to that tune. (I know you've seen it, Amber...I know Sponge Bob is your most favoritest show ever, you can't fool me). Anywho, we had a great night but we had to wrap it up with some bad news for the kids. We had to tell them that because of the economy, we were going to have to let one of them go.....

(OK, not really but that would have been funny!)

Gilbert Temple

GILBERT TEMPLE ARTIST RENDITION

The 10-acre site selected for the Gilbert Arizona Temple is located near the Loop 202 on the southeast corner of Greenfield Road and Pecos Road.

Feeling lucky?

Check out the website Matage Custom Framing (link in side-bar). Enter the drawing for a beautiful piece of art! You never know!

Chicken nuggets

This morning me and Deano were sitting on the couch. He read me a story that he had written last night about zombies. The story was set in a cemetery, of course. Somehow the conversation ending up as us discussing death and the resurrection and all that lovely stuff we have to talk about more often then we would like. Deano says to me, "I'm sure glad that no one in our family has died!"
I say, "What?!? We have had a lot of people in our family die!"
He says, "I know, mom! I was talking about our 5-piece family!"

I told him that I think he has been eating too many chicken nuggets if that is how he thinks of our family. He agreed so I think we will lay off the nuggets for awhile. :)

P.S. No, Mom, this is not an actual picture of the nuggets that he has eaten lately, but I'm sure they did look similar before they were consumed.

The Moral of the Story

The new Lowe's by Mom and Dad's house is open...woo hoo! Eric went in there yesterday. On the way out he passed by a drawing for a $100 gift certificate. He almost went right by but turned back and put his name in. In the afternoon he got a call saying he won. Yippee! Looks like our trees are going to get that drip system they've been begging us for (spoiled rotten trees). They just might make it through the summer now. The moral of the story: put our name in any drawing you may see at Lowe's...you never know, we just might win again! :)

P.S. No, Mom, this is NOT an actual picture of the card he won...but it will look similar.

It's your birthday, Deano!

Ok- it's wasn't really his birthday but I couldn't help but yell that out when he got a surprise package in the mail today. He came a running and it was a brand spanking new meter (that uses the same kind of test strips that we do that will connect to his pump). Once he checks his number, it is automatically sent to his pump. No more entering numbers manually. We were all cheering and very happy for this new little piece of technology to help make life a smidge easier. I looked over at Eric during the celebration and he was shaking his head (while smiling at the same time). I must have given him a funny look because he said, "this is so sad that we are so excited and happy for this". Yeah, we are pitiful, but you gotta be happy for the little things.

Decisions-Decisions-Decisions

So today was "slushy day" for the kids. I had promised them the previous night that if they got on their beds and went right to sleep that I would get them their long-awaited slushy. I know, poor deprived kids...but really, it builds character to be deprived, right? Well, we were ahead of schedule to pick up Deano from school so I thought we would stop real quick and get Sadie and Zane theirs. We get in the store and Sadie decides that she wants to get a treat instead. That was fine by me so she starts looking at every single item...all 2 thousand of them. I could just read her thought process because I know it so well- "this candy has more but this one is chocolate and that sounds good but look at that candy- I like that one too, which candy has more and which one will last longer but still taste the best...etc...etc..." Once she finally decides, she trys to talk Zane into getting her number two choice with the hope that she will get some of that treat, too. When treats are few and far between it's even harder. I feel really bad for her because I know what that feels like. I can make a huge decision fairly quickly but when it comes to the little ones like hmmm....what should I order at the restaurant? I can't decide. I go back and forth and weigh each choice like it's the last one I'll ever make. Then when the decision has been made and it's to late to go back, I have regret. Everyone else's food always looks better and I have "food envy." So to wrap up my long rambling blog...this one is going out to all of you who has ever said, "It's okay, Min- you can have half of my meal." To those of you that can tell be the look on my face that I'm disappointed that I didn't order what you ordered and you always share. You know who you are and I thank you! By the way-are you going to eat that?

The Lesson

After I picked Sadie up from school today she asked me if we could stop at Circle K after we went to the bank so she could get a slushy. I, of course, said, "We'll see." I don't know why but Zane thinks that that means yes. He starts cheering and I have to go through the whole schpeel about how "we'll see" doesn't necessarily mean yes. Maybe yes and maybe no. I told them both to be good and then I would make a decision. Zane has been stuttering really bad lately. Not really with the letters but with whole words...does that make sense? Well, on the way, Sadie and Zane start fighting about something so insignificant that I can't even remember what it was. Sadie gets so mad at him she slugs him. He starts wailing and, of course, I get mad at her. A few minutes later after everyone has calmed down Sadie asks, "can we get our slushies now?" I launch into a lecture about how can she expect a treat when she can't even be nice for 2 minutes. I go on and on and on and on and on. I learned from the best :) Finally Zane interrupts and asks with his stutter, "Mom-mom-mom-mom-mom- are you teaching us a lesson?" It struck me so funny that I couldn't even be mad anymore. Not sure a lesson was learned, but he could tell that I was serious!

Attention: Grampa

I didn't want to say anything, but someone needs a haircut...

Counting change

While Eric and I were at the wedding Mom and Dad had the kids separate all the coins out from their big coin jar. They were really excited to do this and mom and dad were excited that it took them a long time. They had a game going that whoever guessed closest to the actual amount (without going over, of course) won 10%. Gage was really disappointed that Dad won. I can't remember how much it ended up being...mom? Each kid received $6 for all their labors. Me, Dean, Sadie, Avery, and Zane are going to Wal-Mart tomorrow (Friday) so they can spend their money.

Chucky Cheese

Delly LOVED the kiddy area with the little rides. It was easy to keep track of her because that's pretty much all she wanted to do.
Avery and Sadie looking down from the top of the jungle gym.
Sorry that the pic is sideways but that's just the way it is. Mom and I may or may not be responsible for getting Gage addicted to Wheel of Fortune. Just so you know, Gage and Drey are VERY thoughtful kids. They won a ton of tickets for all the little kids and didn't even try to get a prize for themselves. All the little kids were very excited about all the treasures that they were able to get because the boys won them so many tickets. You know how it is usually a nightmare for us when we try to leave...well, when Mom and I said it was time to go, all the kids just walked toward the exit without anyone throwing a fit or anything! It was definitely a tender mercy for us...but all the kids did great and we had a fun time!

Sprinklers

Before going outside to play in the sprinklers.

Kiddo update

Yesterday morning I got a call from the Primary president. She says, "You know you have sharing time tomorrow, right?" I immediately thought she was joking...how could this be? I was scheduled for June for my sharing time. I told her that and she said that there was two different copies of the schedule. One was wrong and the other right. Looks like I got the wrong one. So this morning I am frantically trying to pull it together. Mom kept Delly last night because she is the most "needful" kid and I needed a little piece and quiet to try to figure it out. The night before last I was laying in bed and I heard a big THUNK. Delly started to cry. Eric went in her bedroom and found her on the floor. Poor girl fell off the bed. I remember doing that as a kid and that is not a good feeling. She calmed down quickly, though. Maybe she does that often so it didn't upset her too bad. Mom and Dad watched all the kids yesterday afternoon/evening because Eric and I had to go to the wedding of our neighbors daughter. It was in their backyard and it was very interesting. The boys slept at Mom and Dad's last night, too. Mom is going to bring them to our ward for Sacrament meeting. We are going to see Horton Gives a Who Monday for our activity. The kids are doing really good. They have adapted well...mostly because they think they are on vacation too and vacations are always fun. Oh- by the way- I don't know what Avery's deal is but we can't seem to fill her up. She has been eating more than even Gizbert! She's a pit right now. I didn't know that she had it in her. If she's a little bit plump when you get back, you'll know why. I don't know if you are going to be able to check out my posts but I will keep updating in case you get to an internet and want to know how your kiddos are doing. I hope they found your luggage, Tia and Justin! That can't be fun. At least you have Hanny and Joey to share with! Be careful!

Hello World Travelers!

Hello! All is well here. The girls are doing really good. We went over to Mom's yesterday and the kids all played in the sprinklers. I went and got your little car at your house. You're right...Delly is addicted to it. She doesn't want to get out, even when the battery is charging. Now we are pretty much just taking turns driving. Delly always gets to be the passenger because she just won't get out. Sadie and Avery decided that they weren't best friends anymore when they were going to bed. Of course when they woke up they were friends again. You know how that goes. Well, we are headed to Chucky Cheese today. Mom is picking up Gage and Drey and they are going to meet us there. Were gonna wear the kids out really good today. Hope you guys are having a good time. I will try to post pix later but you know how computer illiterate I am...it takes me awhile. Have fun!

Dobber is back

After spending the winter under our table, our desert tortoise, Dobber, has finally decide to come out of hibernation. He is enjoying being outside again eating weeds (someone's gotta do it) and burying himself when he gets too hot. It's coming up on a year since he wandered into our yard. Why can't all our pets be this low maintenance?

Fine, I guess I'll post

After numerous jabs at me for creating a blog but not posting on it, I guess that I'll go ahead and make everyone happy and make my first post. A few weeks ago Tia and I were painting and we were talking about how technology-deficient I am. She told me I was going to end up like Granny...not wanting to "get involved" with any new-fangled contraptions that are or will be out there in the big wide world. Granny wouldn't even push a button on her microwave because she didn't understand how it worked. In the hopes that I don't end up not wanting to try anything new...I am making an effort to become more computer literate. I refuse to tell how long it took me to figure out how to change the wallpaper on my blog. I won't tell because you really don't want to know...you'll just feel sorry for me and I don't need that. Chances are that this whole blog thing won't last long for me so when you see that I've given up and moved on, feel free to give me some validation that I CAN DO IT! Congratulations.