"We are not enemies, we are friends...as Americans, we are one"

No matter how you voted today, no matter what you feel tonight, please start your day tomorrow an American citizen. Get behind our new President of the United States of America, and stand proud. We are not enemies, we are not two seperate parties.

We are Americans, we are brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers, cousins, aunts and uncles, lovers, friends, and family. We are proud of our country and our heritage. If your nominee lost you should feel your disappointment tonight, but let it go tomorrow and be one together. Be proud, be supportive, be American!!

We, as a free country, have elected a new President! Lets welcome him and support him, he is OURS!!

Yahoo Obama, Yahoo America, Yahoo Freedom!!

Turtle Babies

Fisher & Truman were little turtles for Halloween this year. Fisher wore his costume every day for about a week before the big night, and wants to wear it to bed every night since! They were both awful cute in their matching suits!

The local mall hosted a trick-or-treat, for a few hours in the evening the children got to go store-front to store-front in the safe, warm indoors to start their holiday in comfort! I loaded the boys up in their wagon and off we went. Truman had his own little bag (for me) but Fisher had his hands in both bags!
As soon as a piece of candy hit his bag, Fisher was working to open it. I was scrambling to check everything before he got his little hands on it! Before he had anything half open though, he was given another piece, would then drop the first and begin work on the new arrival! Truman was content to watch. His little eyes were as busy as Fisher's little hands!
As soon as we got home from the mall Trick-or-treat, Fisher and I walked around the block together, just the two of us, while Truman took a little snooze with Yaya. Uncle David, Hali & Bryar came over later in the evening and the three of them and Christian tagged along with the boys and I in our wagon through the neighborhood on a real door to door Trick-or-Treat. We had so much fun! Almost immediately after leaving the driveway, the wagon ride lolled Truman right to sleep. He missed most of the scenery, but he sure looked comfy! His little costume was very snug and warm and he really enjoyed the ride! David was dressed as Sweeney Todd, Bryar was a little pink daisy, Fisher and Truman were in their turtle costumes, I was G.I. Joe and Christian was a rock star. We made quite a group of characters.

Happy Halloween

4th folder, 4th picture

This is a picture of Truman, taken shortly after he started pushing himself up on his skinny little arms! Jack, Paps' and Yaya's black lab, had just drive-by-licked Truman's face, which explains the "what the crap was that" look that Truman is wearing here! It was too funny!

I was tagged by Katherine to do a 4th folder, 4th picture post. I tag Sarah, Yaya, Amanda, Jerid and Jesse to do the same! Open your fourth pictures folder and select your fourth picture. Then tag four more people! It was fun to indulge in a little random silliness!

Little Pumpkins

!!HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

The whole family... Paps, Yaya, Makayla, Brittney, Christian, David, Hali, Bryar, Fisher, Truman and myself... went to Pack Farms in Farmington, Utah last weekend. The search for our pumpkins was on. We unfortunately missed out on the hayride, we got there a little too early, but we had a blast anyway. Fisher and I ran crazy through the Kidz Hay Maze, then everybody took off through the Pumpkin Patch.

Fisher was so serious as he looked at every single pumpkin he came near, turned them over,

scrutinized every inch, and hefted as many as he could lift. He found three that he approved of, but couldn't chose just one, so we went ahead and brought them all home.

He and Paps found a big green grasshopper, which may have been Fisher's favorite part of the day.

Paps caught it up and put it in Fisher's hand, where it stayed for quite a while. Fisher really like seeing it so closely and feeling it walk on and tickle his hand. When the little guy finally jumped out of Fisher's hand, Paps gave a good and high pitched squeak! That may have been my favorite part of the day!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

Diaper Dilema

Today Papoo was hanging out with the boys, they LOVE him! While I was in the process of changing Truman's diaper, Fisher needed my help "quick mama", so I let Truman relax on his blanket au natural while I ran to Fisher's aide. Paps decided to help out by finishing the diapering for me. It has been a long time since Paps has had any association with diapers... he put Fisher's (the 2 year old) diaper on Truman (the 6 month old)! Later this evening, Fisher and I had just got back from an evening swim. Fisher was lounging in his towel, getting dry & keeping warm, while I was in the bathroom getting into warm & dry clothes. Again, Paps came to help out! He helped fisher into a diaper so that he could get into his jammies... only he put Fisher (the 2 year old) in Truman's (the 6 month old) diaper!! Fisher stood up and began to pull on the manhood area of his diaper and told Paps ( the 40+ year old) "It's Truman's Diaper"!!! HEHEHEHE!!

!!Thank you Papoo!!

Rylan

This is Rylan, Aeden's baby brother, Katie & Austin's newest little man. Isn't he Perfect!?!

See what happens when grownups leave the room...!

First sugar cookies of the holiday season, a Halloween theme. Fisher, my sweet boy, decorated this orange frosted and sprinkled cookie for me while I was at work. Precious, right!?!



My brother David, knowing my love of trees, decorated this fall tree cookie for me, and the spider for himself. Well done, right!?



And then theres my dad, our
beloved Papoo, who tried to do a 3D candy corn on one cookie. When the frosting candy corn collapsed, he tagged the cookie, as seen here. Then, discouraged, he made some boobies to cheer himself up. Nice, right!?!


Happy Halloween!!

**NOTE: I was wrong about a part of this story.... Apparently David made that candy corn cookie, and it was gonna work, stay standing, until Paps smashed it, out of cold buttheadedness. Thats when David tagged it, and Paps just made the boobies cause that what he does!!**

Uncle Jesse's Late Night Idea

Uncle Jesse came to visit last week. His second night here, he was laying in bed, nearly asleep, and suddenly had an idea to paint dinosaurs on Fisher's bedroom wall! Then he went to sleep.


Next day, He got started! That red Brontosaurus is over 4 feet tall and equally long! Unfortunately, Uncle Jesse's trip was over much too soon, and he didn't get to paint all of the dinos. He drew the
remaining few out and I painted them (not nearly as well as he would have done).


The outcome is great though, and Fisher loves his "new friends". Every day before nap and every evening before bed, he "pets them nice" and tells them goodnight. As soon as he wakes up he checks to make sure that they are still there, and when he sees them says "HI new friends!"


THANK YOU GREAT UNCLE JESSE!!

2

Fisher is turning 2!! We had a birth anniversary party for him on Saturday at Paps and Yaya's place. It was a construction zone theme with tonka trucks and dirt everywhere! The boy had a blast! He ate candy rocks and demolished a dump truck pinata, and made out with 25 new cars and trucks! I can't believe that two years have passed already and my baby isn't a baby any more! The time has flown by but every moment has left it's mark on my heart! Thank heaven for this little boy!!

Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha

Remember Marcus from the tv show Last Comic Standing?For my brother's 22nd birthday I went with him, his wife and our dad to watch Marcus perform at a comedy club in Ogden, Utah (2 days after Last Comic Standing season finale where Marcus took 2nd place).

About halfway into the show, in the momentarily quiet room just as Marcus was about to deliver a punchline, the beer I had been drinking surprised us all by showing itself so rudely in the form an extremely loud and throaty belch. I would have been proud of the thing under regular circumstances, and later was indeed quite proud of it, but at the moment as this terribly attractive now famous guy stared at me in open-mouthed shock along with a room of 100+ strangers, and dropped his microphone I was rather uncomfortable! Marcus mollified me a bit though, by reaching out to shake my hand, pulling me on stage and, after an artfully done pause for appreciation, put his arm on my shoulders and said "This made that sound!" Which was followed by welcome laughter, myself included, and I really felt quite good about the whole thing. During the remainder of the show he came to my seat (front row, center stage) and made a few more one-liner jokes about my needing to be taught manners, as well as a joke involving a little bug and my brother's shoe. It was really a wonderful night! Marcus ended the show by answering the audience's questions and then pulled me, along with a few other objects of his joking, onto stage while he sang a little song and bid us all goodnight! It really was the most fun I've had in a long long time!

Perfection Photographed

My sister, Sarah, set up a photo session for the boys in her backyard in Portland. Its 

funny to see how these two get on together! Fisher wasn't too interested in holding Truman for very long, but Truman rolled with his brother's punches pretty well. Surprisingly the baby was easier to photograph than the toddler! The pictures turned out better than any proffessional and costly session could have 

produced, and these are only a few!Thank You Aunt Sarah!!

a black bean production

The heroes and I supped with my sister and her family earlier this week at a great little spot in southeast portland called Laughing Planet. As well as an organically creative menu and price perfection this family friendly eatery houses dinosaurs of all sizes, an eclectic music selection and a sweet sweet atmospheric comfort! Fisher, the oldest of my little heroes, ordered his all time favorite meal: whole black beans and fresh tortilla chips. After being served he proceeded to devour every last bite ( i tried it, it was delicious ) and some how managed to produce the stuff from his pores! There was no where near enough food for him to paint his face and his mohawk the way that he did, even if he hadn't cleaned his plate. Through some magic possessed only by little boys, Fisher's face, hands and hair produced black bean juice!

some other words

"Whenever I find myself growing grim about the mouth; whenever it is a damp, drizzly November in my soul; whenever I find myself involuntarily pausing before coffin warehouses, and bringing up the rear of every funeral I meet; and especially whenever my hypos get such an upper hand of me, that it requires a strong moral principle to prevent me from deliberately stepping into the street, and methodically knocking people's hats off -- then, I account it high time to get to sea as soon as I can."

~Herman Melville

Moby Dick, or The Whale Pg. 3

some words of my fellow man

I sit beside the fire and think

of all that I have seen,

Of meadow flowers and butterflies

in summers that have been;

Of yellow leaves and gossamer

in autumns that there were,

With morning mist and silver sun

and wind upon my hair.

I sit beside the fire and think

of how the world will be

When winter comes without a spring

that I shall ever see.

For still there are so many things

that I have never seen:

In every wood in every spring

there is a different green.

I sit beside the fire and think

of people long ago,

and people who will see a world

that I shall never know.

But all the while I sit and think

of times there were before,

I listen for returning feet

and voices at the door.

~J.R.R. Tolkein

LOTR Trilogy Pg. 272

Truman

Attention World!! He's Here at Last!
Truman Arrived, Gorgeous and Healthy and Pink and Perfect!
He Got Here Right on Time to a World Waiting Impatiently!! His Brother is so Proud and Took Ownership Immediately! Being the Most Blessed Mom Alive, I Couldn't be Happier! Truman is a Strong Baby-Man and our World is Lucky to Have Him!

So Penseroso

Come, megrims, mollygrubs and collywobbles!

Come, gloom that limps and misery that hobbles!

Come also, most exquisite meloncholiage,

As dank and decadent as November foliage!

I crave to shudder in your moist embrace,

To feel your oystery fingers on my face.

This is my hour of sadness and soulfulness,

and cursed be he who dissipates my dolefulness.

I do not desire to be cheered,

I desire to retire, I am thinking of growing a beard.

A sorrowful beard with a mournful, dolorous hue in it,

with ashes and glue in it.

I want to be drunk with despair,

I want to caress my care.

I do not wish to be blithe,

I wish to recoil and writhe.

I will revel in cosmic woe,

and I want my woe to show.

This is the morbid moment,

this is the ebony hour.

Aroint thee, sweetness and light!

I want to be dark and sour!

Away with the bird that twitters!

All that glitters is jitters!

Roses, roses are gray,

Violets cry Boo! and frighten me.

Sugar is stimulating,

and people conspire to brighten me.

Go hence, people, go hence!

Go sit on a picket fence!

Go gargle with mineral oil,

Go out and develop a boil!

Melancholy is what I brag and boast of,

Melancholy I plan to make the most of.

You beaming optimists shall not destroy it,

But while I am at it, I intend to enjoy it.

Go, people, stuff your mouths with soap,

and remember, please, that when I mope, I mope!

~Ogden Nash

Self

Born in Wyoming to a family of travelers I have a natural fondness for the road which rambles, always eager to find where it can take me. Like my body, my mind and soul are constantly wandering. I have been doubly blessed with two bright and whole hearted little boys, who rule my world! With dreams far larger than life, and intents of the best nature for my little family of three, I am still exploring any untrod paths my feet can carry me along. I love and respect the aged wisdom of trees, the wholesome nutrition of the earth, the unmeasured strength of natural waters, the serenity of music and the life of imagination. I am a dreamer, a thinker and a lover of all things earthly and strong. I do what I can to conquer weakness, and to share wisdom gained through experiences. I live for my children, my brothers and sisters, and my unconventional parents. I travel the world through the books I read, any and all books that I can get my hands on, and I strongly believe in the recirculation of all books and writings of my fellow man, for knowledge is nothing if not shared.