New Years Resolutions

Resolutions are as follows:

1. Stop swearing or at least take it to the minimum
2.Learn how to install a sprinkler system
3. Regain some of my flexibility
4. Teach Ella her colors, body parts, animals, etc.
5. Eat less sugar
6. Finish one of my many literary geniuses
7. Be nicer
8. Go to all my church meetings
9. Loose the pounds I gained at Christmas (blaaaaahhhh. Months of hard work, only to be sabotaged by pie. Oh how I love pie!)

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

The wreckage of the day!!! Ella was spoiled rotten and got too many toys! I don't know where they are all going to go!

Christmas morning. Brent had to work so Ella and I spent it with my mom, dad and brother. We got up at 5:30! We are still big kids!

Ella's dollie from Grandma. She was giving it loves.

We played white elephant bingo Christmas Eve night. It was so fun!! Jordan and I won the most, we have the gambling gene in our blood!! Ella thinks she is playing too!

Family picture!!! We had to wait for the timer. You would be surprised how impatient children get in 10 seconds!! Everyone looks oh so beautiful and handsome!!

Merry Christmas everyone!!!!

This Stuff

Every year for Christmas, when my dad worked for Nevada Power, his friend Art would bring him a big Ziploc bag full of this stuff. I don't know when it started but it has been a long time tradition!! We loved it so much and anticipated its arrival every Christmas Holiday. We never knew what it was named. One day my sister and I deemed it "Art Shaner's Magic Potion". And that has been its title ever since!! I begged my dad to get the recipe one summer, when Christmas was too far away to wait for the delicious goodness. A few days later he brought it home. It was hand written with no title. I always laugh when I picture: 2 men, dressed in Dickie's work clothes, steel toed boots and hard hats, exchanging recipes at break time!! I LOVE this stuff!! I can't just have a taste and walk away. I can't just have one taste. I have to eat half the bowl and have someone physically remove it from my sight or I eat until I am sick. I think it's the Karo syrup that addicts me.

Does anyone know the real name of this stuff?

Only 6 Days.....

My mom's birthday was yesterday. She turned.....yeah right like I was going to tell!! She really is very young. WAY younger than my friends moms. We all ate too much and the kids went crazy. I don't know what I would do with out her!!

I asked Ella what she wanted Santa Clause to bring her. (Not by any means expecting an answer) She held up one of the books she was looking at and shouted, "BOOKS!" So Santa might have to make one last shopping trip this year!

I LOVE CHRISTMAS and I am so excited it is almost here. The only draw back with Christmas coming, is then it is over. Always a sad day!! The 26th of December has got to be the worst day of the year. We have had our tree up since 2 weeks before Thanksgiving and the decorations went up on Black Friday. I had a cookie day last Saturday. I baked over 100 cookies, made peanut butter fudge, and toffee. I had never made toffee. It isn't too hard, but very stressful!! I think of it as moody candy. It has to be the exact temperature or it goes bad! Ella loves the tree. She loves Christmas lights. We think blue is her favorite color, because she always points to all the blue lights and happily chatters to them.

Ella Update

I realized I haven't given an Ella update since she turned a year old. Yesterday she was 17 months. I can't believe she is that old already! She is 50% for height and 10% for weight.
These pictures were taken by my friend Esther. She did an amazing job. These are only 3 of the dozens of good pictures she took. But I thought I would spare you 100 pictures of my baby!! The above picture is her evil face....frightening I know! (If you want GOOD, inexpensive pictures call Esther Jones)

Ella has the fine and gross motor skills, and the responsive, social development of a 22 month old child. She is doing really well in those departments.

She loves: Grandma, Grandpa, and Uncle Jordan

Black kitty (her little stuffed toy)

Anything edible!! She loves to eat!! Anything!!

Playing outside

Walks

Birds

Jara

Kitties

Books

What she is afraid of:

Dogs

The Train

Jack

Strangers

Wind Shield Wipers

Things she can't do: I know as you read above some of you were thinking, oh how lovely, she's advanced in some areas. And the other half were thinking, great another bragging mama. Good news!! Ella's not perfect!! She doesn't speak. She says kitty and daddy and that is about it. Sometimes I think she might be saying something else, but I think it is my hopeful imagination!! She also has a hard time sitting still. She's not hyper active, she just likes to be MOVING!!

I'm up on my soap box....be prepared....

WARNING: Ranting and Raving is about to ensure…continue at your own risk.

I have always been of the opinion, that every one is entitled to their opinion. I usually shrug if it is a topic I don’t agree with and keep mouth shut. If I am truly passionate about said topic, I will put in my two cents, BUT really, people can think what they want.

HOWEVER, I have came across several blogs (as I’m happily blog stalking) and Facebook account of people cursing, criticizing, and nothing short of verbal abuse of police officers. Recently I came across a girl’s personal blog that claimed that ALL cops were (and I quote) “dicks”. (I would like to verify, her words, not mine.)
And this my friends really pissed me off.
LET ME TELL YOU WHY!!! (back me up on this Laura)
MY husband is a COP, and a damn good one if I say so myself. And he has to put up with ignorant people All. Day. Long. These people don’t know why they have to go to jail, when they beat their wife, and/or girlfriend, and/or prostitute. These people can’t understand why they have such a big ticket to pay when their car isn’t insured, and they have suspended plates, and they blew through a school bus with red lights flashing and the stop signs out.
So let me say this….IF YOU DON’T WANT TO GO TO JAIL AND YOU DON’T WANT A TICKET, DON’T BREAK THE LAW.
It is NOT a secret that speeding is against the law. It is NOT a secret that mouthing off to a police officer is going to get you into to trouble. HELLO! Why would you try to argue with a cop about a ticket. Is there anybody out there who has been able to convince a cop (or any authority figure) that they are wrong and you are right?
I realize that there is good and bad officers everywhere. Just as there are good and bad doctors, and good and bad teachers. But is it necessary to solemnly swear every one is the same to the next?
Before you criticize a police officer; think for a moment, what it is like to put up with idiots (like you may be acting) all day long……Thank you.