Oktoberfest

Lance is in Denver for a week doing embalming labs and the like so I'm home alone with a million things racing through my head. I ask myself, what's a girl to do in a case like this to which my response would be found HERE.

However, this week is Oktoberfest and I have plenty to do to get ready. So, come on down and join me with the festivities and stop by my booth! Here's a little sneak peak at what will be there.

I'm Taking My Chances

When we moved back home from Charleston I was sick seven times within five months which was the pits to say the least. Whether or not you agree with the pro and cons of it, Lance and I got flu shots yesterday. I hope it works because I really don't want a miserable winter again!

Best of Craigslist

Lance found these on Craigslist and we got a kick out of it:

NEED SOMEONE TO HIDE EASTER EGGS IN MY APT WHEN I'M NOT HOME!
Posted April 7, 2009

I need someone to hide Easter eggs in my apt when I am not there! They are small and filled with candy! I would like to find them myself on Sunday! I am willing to pay! Serious inquiries only!

FREE, FREE, FREE!!!
Posted May 21, 2009

Ever want a good quality stump you can rest your feet on, relax on, or even eat your food on? Then we have the best item FOR FREE just for you. Today only come and get your free, newly removed stump. You even get the dirt attached for NO CHARGE. Just can't get any better than this. Please let everyone have a chance for this, serious inquiries only. Have a great day, have fun and keep shopping on Craigslist! (Click HERE for the picture).

GARAGE SALE ETIQUETTE
Posted July 20, 2009

Hello buyers and thank you for coming to our garage sale.

I know our newspaper ad and signs say that we open at 7 am, but if you arrive at 6:00, go ahead and ring the doorbell several times and peer into the windows until we answer. We'll open up early for you.

Feel free to show up with your unleashed dog, and of course, let him poop in the front yard. Our lawn-boy will clean that up later.

For your convenience, we've taken the time to mark everything with a price. But go ahead and keep asking, "How much do you want for this?"

In the mood for a cigarette? Come into the garage and light ion up. Grandpa doesn't mind if you blow the smoke right into his face. He's only on an oxygen tank. It's probably good for him anyway. And just leave the butts on the garage floor or flick them into the yard. We'll take care of those for you too. It's my mistake for not having an ashtray available.

And I know 25 cents is a fairly steep price. So let's haggle for 5 minutes about it. I don't have anything else to do today.

Also, pick up a bunch of items and then tell me what they remind you of. Be sure to tell me about every aspect of your life. Don't leave anything out. I'd love to hear all about you. And when you put the item back, just throw it in a completely different spot, upside down or just all wadded up.

Your McDonald's breakfast is going right through you, isn't it? Of course you can come in and use our bathroom. Be sure to look in the medicine cabinet for any prescription meds you might need. And there's some spray up in the window in case you drop a poop. Hope everything comes out ok!

Wow, you want to buy all of our grandmother's antiques and at our full asking price? Oh, but you don't have any cash with you. Well yes, you can certainly write us a check and then drive off with the merchandise! No worries. I'm sure you're an honest person. Next time, we'll try to be prepared and accept credit and debit cards.

As you leave, be sure to rev up the engine several times, blast the salsa music and then lay a scratch as you drive away. It's loud but oh so cool. Have a great day!

ACTOR NEEDED FOR EMOTIONAL ROLE. ONE DAY HIGH PAY
Posted April 17, 2009

My deceased aunt gave my two kids a cocker spaniel a few months back. The dog has been a terror and become overwhelming for me. I am a single father raising two young children. I cannot face telling the kids that the dog must go. I have found a good home for the dog, and just need someone to transport the dog, and play the villain.

Premise: You will be the dog walker hired by daddy (me) to walk Skittles. I will introduce you to the kids and you will tell them you are going to help Skittles get her exercise when Daddy is too busy to walk her. At that point you will walk Skittles to your car and take her to her new family 20 minutes away from my place. Then return holding just a leash. The story will be that Skittles broke free of the leash and took off. At this point prepare for crying, things to be thrown at you, and possibly cursing. My kids are young and dramatic, they're girls.

Pay will be $500. The job will take roughly 2 hours at best.

This job is ideal for an actor looking to diversify their role base, or someone who genuinely likes to make children cry. Acting experience is a plus, but not necessary. Please inform me of any prior experience in this kind of situation.

LIGHT HOUSE CLEANING NEEDED
Posted September 23, 2008

Need some light house cleaning. I'm pretty busy and not able to clean my apartment so I need someone to do some light work once a week or so. Here are some pictures to give a general idea. (This one you just have to see the pictures HERE)

BARBERSHOP!!!

Hello, friends, this is Lance. I have come out of blogger obscurity to create a post on an ever important subject. What comes to mind when you think of Fall? Halloween, leaves, and Barbershop! The Twin Falls County Fair was a couple of weeks ago and my quartet, 4th Avenue, had the opportunity to wander around its grounds and sing to random people to entertain and embarrass them. Our repertoire included a tag line we sang outside of the public restrooms ♫Please wash your hands...♪

LtoR: Ben Pratt, TJ Eldredge, Kempton Cox, Lance Cox

We also have coming up our annual Magichords Barbershop show. It is entitled "Irving Berlin Goes Barbershop" and will feature the Twin Falls Magichords Chorus, 4th Avenue Quartet (us), Grandpa's Boys, Arioso from Boise and headlining is our guest quartet McPhly. You can see a video of them here. The show is on Oct. 10, at 7:30p at the CSI auditorium. Tickets are $10 adults and $9 students and seniors.
Below is a video of 4th Avenue. Sorry about the quality, it was taken by a regular picture camera and we were singing in a garage. Also sorry about the lack of movement...it had been a long day:)

Head Start

I've had these autumn crafts for several years but never got around to making them until now. This is what I did on Labor Day besides the Demolition Derby. Fall is just around the corner.....

Define Generosity

I would find myself very selfish if I didn't share this story. After my oral surgery the doctor said I needed to get a mouth guard so I called my dentist and it was $200. There's no way at this point that I can fork out $200 so I'm glad I just called. About a week later was the county fair which my work has a booth in, so one of my coworkers Jeremy called me and said, "There's a booth across from us that does mouth guards (as well as other things, mainly teeth whitening) and their cost is $75, do you want one?" I told him no, that was too much especially with Lance being in school, yada yada. He said, "Well name your price he said he'd do it for any price." I told him the most I could do right now is $25. Jeremy said there's no way that would ever happen and hung up but he called back about 5 minutes later and told me it's a deal, the teeth guy would do it for $25.

I got to the fair and met with the teeth guy, Andrew, who explained to me the procedure and made sure I understood the price was $25. He said that my other coworker, Rodney, who was standing there the whole time during this phone bartering between Andrew, Jeremy, and myself immediately pulled out his wallet and handed Andrew the $25. Andrew donated the remaining $25 so I could have a mouth guard to prevent future oral surgeries.

I immediately started crying because I was so touched and grateful for what they did. When you're a poor college student/family $25 might as well be $2500 and right then the money had nothing to with it, I was so overcome by their generosity and selflessness. I've never witnessed such an act of charity and benevolence before and I owe them a whole lot more than $25!!! Saying thank you is not enough, paying back the $25 is not enough, so I promise that not only will I do those two things but I'll also take $25 and give it in some way to someone else that needs it and hopefully it will mean all the difference in their lives as it has mine.

Expect Nothing and Appreciate Everything

This evening as I returned home from enrichment, I find myself so filled and overcome with gratitude and happiness! Our meeting was about gratitude and we had two extremely wonderful speakers who uplifted and edified us. I'm so glad I went tonight because of all the things I learned and all the things I felt. Our first speaker talked about an accident that her little four year old daughter had and how touched she was that 2 days later, laying in agonizing pain, her daughter was the first one to thank Heavenly Father for the accident and the outcome. Our second speaker gave us her own thought of having three levels of gratitude. #1 is being thankful for everything that people around us do for us. #2 is expressing our gratitude by showing it through thank you cards or baked goods for someone, etc. #3 is showing our gratitude by the way we live our lives. For example, we pay our tithing because we're so thankful for all that we have both spiritually and physically. We take care of our bodies because we're grateful to have them and to be healthy. Of course she said it much more eloquently than that but it just popped and I had one of those "Ahhhh" moments. She also said that after her husband died, her motto would be, "Expect nothing and appreciate everything." I loved that.

Surprise Getaway

As a surprise for my birthday Lance planned this weekend getaway trip together. He changed the date at least 3 or 4 different times due to schedule conflicts and my oral surgery, but I took a day off work and we drove to....................Hagerman? He told me it was about 45 minutes away so I thought we were going to Burley. What could possibly be in Burley is beyond me, but Hagerman instead?! For all you Charlestonians it would be the equivalent of going to Ravenel or Awendaw, what would possibly be there? So I just put my faith in him and kept my questioning opinions to myself until we reached our destination. Just a few miles past the tiny town is the Billingsley Creek Resort which is a quaint little getaway of a few cabins. We were the only ones staying there for the evening which was nice to have the whole thing to ourselves. This is a picture of our cabin.Back behind the main office is gorgeous landscaping and flowers. There's a creek that runs through it with a little bridge where you can walk across and sit on the swing together. That's exactly what we did all night, sat on the swing and just talked for hours while we marveled at the beautiful scenery. It was so great to be together for the evening and just talk about everything and anything.
Outside to the left of our cabin is a hot tub that is closed in on 3 sides. We were a little hesitant to use it because it was dark and there were a ton of bugs everywhere. As soon as we lifted the cover a huge, ginormous moth about 4 inches in diameter flew straight into the water, thankfully there's a little net thing so we just scooped it out. Now mind you it was really dark and there were dark spots all over on the bottom which we assumed were just rust spots. A little leaf blew down into the water and made me jump and then I see dark little tadpole looking figure swimming quickly straight toward me. I gasped which scared Lance and we both jumped and kinda freaked out. We're not scared of bugs or little creatures but it was completely dark and this thing was swimming straight for me! Since we just scooped out the mutantly huge moth we were still holding the net so we scooped up what ended up as a lizard and sent him on his merry way. We were a little wary to even sit back and relax in the hot tub for the next 20 minutes but it was a nice little adventure!We had such a great time and it was so thoughtful and sweet of Lance to plan it all for me. I loved every minute of it, especially the peaceful scenery and gorgeous little creek. I loved just sitting on the swing and talking for hours until it was too dark to see our way back to the cabin. Thanks Sweetie for the great getaway!

Girls Night with Christine

My sister was in town for a couple of days which unfortunately she arrived the day of my oral surgery but luckily I had a speedy recovery so I didn't miss too much. We had a girls night with my mom and all my sisters in law. We had a scrumptious dinner and painted and decorated these cute little pumpkins. It was such a great night being together and relaxing and talking!

KoLei didn't feel too well that night but we're glad she came anyway.

This is one my finished pumpkins. I love these little googlie eyes in clusters, they're so fun!

Christine made this delicious cake for dessert. It's called Better Than Sex Cake and after she told my mom what it was called, I think my mom wanted to crawl into a hole. So funny!

Recovery

Some of you have been asking how my oral surgery went so here's what went down, or should I say out? We first had a consultation with the doctor because after a few more xrays, he thought there's no way my wisdom tooth should be bothering me. He asked if I was a grinder to which I replied no. He said I bet you are because your tooth is fractured which is what's causing you so much pain. Ah, just what I wanted to hear! So he pulled my back molar...........yes my permanent tooth............I told him while he's at it to yank them all out and give me dentures, Lance didn't like that idea too much. Thankfully he's thinking my wisdom tooth should come down in the exact place of my molar, so we'll see if that happens. Of course they put me out, I was SOOOOO looking forward to that! I think next to marriage being put out by anesthetic is the best thing in the world! But it was nothing like being put out or recovery from wisdom teeth removal. I woke up on my own after about an hour and a half of sleeping at home, eating was uncomfortable for the first 2 days but not bad, and I was back to the work the next day. And weirdest of all I had absolutely zero pain and no need for the pain medication he prescribed me. In a nutshell, it thankfully wasn't bad at all!

The Finished Product

After a few changes to my gratitude journal for our next enrichment, here's how the finished product looks and I like it much better than my original. Same concept, just a little different design.

On a Lighter Note

My in-laws celebrated my birthday the day before (thankfully it wasn't the day of after how sick I was) by fixing me dinner and a delicious ice cream cake. I always ask for corn on the cob because when I was little I grew up on a farm and my birthday always came around the time the corn was fresh and ready to be harvested, so we'd live off the corn for weeks it seemed. I guess it was just my birthday tradition so to speak (at least it was in my mind). So Lance's mom gave me all the corn I wanted and fixed lasagna, garlic bread, and salad for everyone else. They spoiled me with generous gifts that were far too unnecessary (not that I'm ungrateful, I just think they could have spent their money on something more worthy, certainly not me). It was a fantastic early birthday!

The day of, while I was laying on the couch writhing in pain, my parents and sister in law and nieces and nephews came to visit me with lovely cards and gifts. Thank you so much everyone, I'm certainly blessed with the best family and in-laws that anybody could ever ask for! This is the front of the card that my boss (aka my dad) gave me. It's so fitting and absolutely me in every way.

I Turned 24

Here's how my birthday went: I got to work and after a few hours I find that my stomach isn't feeling too hot. I drank a lot of water to try and flush it out and ate a graham cracker. I left work at about 12:30 without telling anybody because my stomach was twisting and turning in complete knots and I was in excruciating, sharp, stabbing sort-of pain. I called the dentist to reschedule my appointment for the afternoon because I really wasn't feeling well. (Now mind you this appointment was no ordinary check up. I've been having some jaw pain so I thought I'd let the dentist figure it out instead of WebMD). The secretary said no, you definitely need to come in and the Dr's last patient just left so the sooner you get here, the sooner he can tell you what's wrong with your jaw. Fine. I was doubled over with nauseous pain so Lance drove me and once I got into the dentist chair I asked him what I'm supposed to do if I need to throw up. At this point I wasn't at all worried about my jaw because my stomach was seriously upside down! He said, you turn that way (pointing to his assistant) and do your thing. Ha! What a comedian! (His lovely assistant then left to get me a bucket).

After he poked and prodded in my mouth a little bit he decided that he needed another Xray. Once he got them he put his finger to his chin and said, "Huh! Well that's a first in my career" and then left to show the other Dr my ever so beautiful Xray. Long story short, the one wisdom tooth that wasn't pulled when I was a junior in high school, has decided to show it's lovely presence by trying to get it's way through another tooth. Yes, I have to have oral surgery next week to remove not just one, but two teeth which will leave me with a huge hole in the back of my mouth. Happy birthday!

Experimenting

When the glass etching turns out, it's a pretty light color and texture that isn't all too easy to see. I wondered to myself what would it look like if I did it on a piece of glass that was dark? So off to the hardware store I went to find some darker glass which I didn't see but alas! I found a gorgeous black granite tile. Here are the results and you definitely have to look at it in the right light to see the letters, but this one was for Lance. My conclusion is this: the granite tile did work to etch on but it's pretty subtle so it depends on the kind of look you want.

I Love FHE

Last night Kempton gave the FHE lesson since most of the family was together. It was a really great lesson and something that I definitely needed to hear. We each had reading assignments and gave a brief story of the ones we were assigned which were about past prophets and how they demonstrated their faith in certain situations. We talked about Abraham and Sarah, Daniel and the lion's den, Joshua and Jericho, etc. etc. We then read Hebrews 11 which also references the same and many other stories of prophets and people demonstrating faith, and were taught even deeper the principle of faith. I was deeply touched by what we read in Lectures on Faith by Joseph Smith:

"We here understand, that the sacred writers say that all these things were done by faith. It was by faith that the worlds were framed. God spake, chaos heard, and worlds came into order by reason of the faith there was in Him. So with man also; he spake by faith in the name of God, and the sun stood still, the moon obeyed, mountains removed, prisons fell, lions' mouths were closed, the human heart lost its enmity, fire its violence, armies their power, the sword its terror, and death its dominion; and all this by reason of the faith which was in him. Had it not been for the faith which was in men, they might have spoken to the sun, the moon, the mountains, prisons, the human heart, fire, armies, the sword, or to death in vain! Faith, then, is the first great governing principle which has power, dominion, and authority over all things; by it they exist, by it they are upheld, by it they are changed, or by it they remain, agreeable to the will of God. Without it there is not power, and without power there could be no creation nor existence!"

My Loyalty to Girlfriends (the shop that is)

Can I just say how much I LOVE {squeal!} Scrappin' Girlfriends?!?!?!
I went in there yesterday to get some ideas on a gratitude journal that I'm making as a handout for our next enrichment meeting. Michelle was more than helpful and was running all over the shop showing me different ideas, colors, shapes, and purposes that I might be able to use.

[Gasp!] What??? You have never been there?!

Well seriously, get over there now because trust me, you don't want to miss out on all their fabulous crafts and besides that, they're having a sale that ends Friday. Check them out on the link below under creativity and hurry before the sale ends!

Now this isn't quite the finished product but rather my trial run at the gratitude journal. I don't quite like how this one turned out. I don't know what it is but something is just amiss (besides the typo on the quote). I'm going today to get the rest of the supplies so when I'm finished I'll have to post a picture. And might I add, with the chip board front and back plus the embellishments, the grand total is

drum roll please.................

The total is $1. But with the consensus of the scrapping girls from last night(our mini RS class), I'll be making them a little bit different than this one and a little cheaper to about 50 cents!

From the 1940's

Accentuate the positive;
Eliminate the negative.
Latch on to the affirmative;
Don't mess with Mr. In-Between.

Magnify Your Heritage

This past weekend was Craft Day with my family and my Grandma was in charge. I was really looking forward to it for a number of reasons other than the obvious of making a cute craft. However, my Grandma wanted us to learn about her mother in law, my Great Grandma Charlet whom I never knew. I was really grateful for this because I never knew her and as I become older and hopefully wiser in my years, I'm absolutely intrigued by family history and family stories. I love to learn about it because #1 its a part of who I am and #2 its a part of the legacy that I'll pass on to my children and grandchildren.

Grandma Charlet was a woman of spirituality, integrity, hard work ethic, etc. Among the two things she lived for besides her family of seven children and a wonderful husband whom she married at age 17, were that of quilting and her flower beds. Each of her grandchildren in attendance that day (my aunts and mom) were all to bring the tea towel that Grandma Charlet made for them and display for us all to see. She did beautiful embroidery and sewing!

I'm so grateful to have a family heritage that is honorable and one that I aspire to contribute to. I'm thankful for those who are now living that preserve the memories and possessions they carry that once belonged to my ancestors. I'm so happy and eager to learn about family history and to pass it on to my posterity. I love it. I treasure it. It is who I am.

My great grandma Charlet with her son, my grandpa Don Watson who was in high school during this photograph.

State of Mind

I've had a very overwhelming week and although I can't pinpoint exactly what has made it so, especially since nothing out of the ordinary has taken place, I feel..........................I don't know exactly.......................................extremely blah and strung out. I'm exhausted and completely drained. I have no energy and I feel like I need a heavy dose of Tawni's workouts as a swift kick in the behind and a fierce slap to my face. (Seriously Tawni, I miss your aerobics class SO much!)

However, I can relate and am so drawn to this quote by Abraham Lincoln. I feel like it's the only thing giving me hope right now: "I have been drawn many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go."

Words of Encouragement

There is no one perfect way to be a good mother. Each situation is unique. Each mother has different challenges, different skills and abilities, and certainly different children. The choice is different and unique for each mother and each family. Many are able to be “full-time moms,” at least during the most formative years of their children’s lives, and many others would like to be. Some may have to work part-or full-time; some may work at home; some may divide their lives into periods of home and family and work. What matters is that a mother loves her children deeply and, in keeping with the devotion she has for God and her husband, prioritizes them above all else.....
.....We need to remember that the full commitment of motherhood and of putting children first can be difficult. Through my own four-generation experience in our family, and through discussions with mothers of young children throughout the Church, I know something of a mother’s emotions that accompany her commitment to be at home with young children. There are moments of great joy and incredible fulfillment, but there are also moments of a sense of inadequacy, monotony, and frustration. Mothers may feel they receive little or no appreciation for the choice they have made. Sometimes even husbands seem to have no idea of the demands upon their wives.....
.....The first question: What can you do, as a young mother, to reduce the pressure and enjoy your family more? Second, don’t over schedule yourselves or your children. Third, even as you try to cut out the extra commitments, sisters, find some time for yourself to cultivate your gifts and interests. Fourth, pray, study, and teach the gospel.....
.....Let us remember that “the family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children” I pray that God will continually bless the women of the Church to find joy and happiness in their sacred roles as daughters of God.
- M. Russell Ballard

Announcements

My brother Adam is engaged to Lynnette, we love her to death, she's SO awesome! Unfortunately I don't have a picture of the happy pair.

Also, Lance's brother Kempton is engaged to Bonnie, we also love her to death and so glad she'll be part of the family!

Our Backyard

Lance and I went on a double date with his brother and fiance. After dinner we went down the canyon and saw a little, and by little I mean narrow, falls. This one you can take a little stroll down and behind the falls, it's so pretty!

This is the view from inside the canyon. The Perrine bridge is about 450 feet tall and is open year round for any avid bungee jumpers, hang gliders, or dare devils.

The falls is so long we had to get it in two shots.This is from behind the falls looking into the canyon.

I Didn't Forget

Remember a few months ago I blogged about a family craft day in UT and I promised I would get you all some pictures? I haven't forgotten, I've just been so BUSY I haven't have time. But since I have a few minutes I thought I'd post them really quick.

This one is too cute and I love the fork easel. We got them at the DI, a dozen for $1 and with the tile and vinyl the cost is about $1-3 (depending on how much your vinyl is).

My aunt made this for a December craft day where we usually do a little craft swap game. Everybody fell in love with it and request that we make it for a regular craft day so we did. It has 8 different interchangeable plexi glass plates for the seasons and/or time of year.

Super Saturday

Since I'm on the enrichment board I was able to help put together the Super Saturday for our ward. It was definitely a lot of work but worth it and so much fun! Below are some crafts that we did and thank you to everyone that came to craft and visit!

We made flower hair clips of all shapes, sizes, and colors.

We made children's bracelets and a few pairs of earrings not posted.We did glass etching and since I didn't do a dish myself, I'm posting this picture. This is just a 4x4" glass tile with a flower although all the other ladies did their names and different designs onto 9x13" pans. HUGE hint: if you know someone that has a Cricut, use it! It saves you from having to cut everything out by hand, not to mention addition time and money. One thing that we found was that it didn't work on older dishes, older meaning about 20 years.

This is a place mat coloring caddy. Just put together two place mats and stitch. Pretty simple.

This is a 12x12 tile, love the font.

There were a few other crafts we did not pictured. One was a family home evening board with hanging name tags. Another was a craft board with a cute quote but since I didn't make any, I didn't get any pictures.

Celebration

Last day of the summer semester, Huzzah!!!!! And you better believe we're going to celebrate......for 2 weeks at least until Lance's program starts. Then it's back to the books and lets face it, at times I might as well be single. I'm so proud of him though, he's done an amazing job and has fantastic grades!

We Either Live in Hope or We Live in Despair

"Hope is like the sun, which, as we journey towards it, casts the shadow of our burden behind us....Hope sweetens the memory of experiences well loved. It tempers our troubles to our growth and our strength. It befriends us in dark hours, excites us in bright ones. It lends promise to the future and purpose to the past. It turns discouragement to determination.”
-Samuel Smiles

Yellowstone National Park

My family and extended family on my dad's side all went to Yellowstone this week. We try to have a family vacation once a year and it was a pleasant surprise to have all my cousins, aunts, and uncles from Arizona join us. I really missed Lance all week, he's still in school for the semester and was preparing for finals so he wasn't able to go. But I had a great time anyway!

Ever wonder why it's called Yellowstone? The views are so breath taking!

Although we didn't see any bears in the park other than at Bear World, we had a little visitor over night that left evidence all over camp

Eating the dutch oven greaseLeft over trail mix he left behind

Old Faithful still remains faithful

There are tons of these geysers, hot springs, and mud pots all over the park

The whole clan

My girlsPlaying games while waiting for the dutch oven dinner to finish cooking

Most of my nieces and nephews

We went to Bear World which is right before Rexburg. They had all kinds of sweet rides for kids - small and big alike. Oh yeah, they had animals there too.

Notice the empty bear face where Lance would have been