No internet for me :(

I just wanted to post on here that I currently have no internet service and that is why I haven't been posting. Of course, I still post things in my head they just don't make it to the computer. My DH has very nicely let me use his computer at work when I just HAVE to check my email and such, but for now this blog will see seldom use until sometime in the future (hopefully near...).

A new President

It's official, Barack Hussein Obama is the 44th president of the United States of America. And yes, I'm so upset I'm crying. No surprise to anyone who knows of my crying record to date. :)
I did catch the AMAZING musical number (no, not Aretha Franklin) that was composed by John Williams and featured Yo Yo Ma, along with a violinist, clarinetist, and pianist. It was called "Simple Gifts" and was absolutely beautiful. Can you imagine sitting there as all these stars and famous composers and poets are performing just for you and realizing you have 4 more years of this kind of treatment? THAT would be awesome. Even if you do manage to stumble and mess up the presidential oath, which you would think you would memorize ahead of time to make up for nerves and such. But hey, maybe "technicalities" aren't the priority of this incoming president. Well, I won't go into all that right now as I believe it will unfold itself shortly and over the next four years. Welcome to the presidency, Mr. Obama. Just try not to screw it up too much, ok?
A side note, you know, I was just thinking that if John McCain were black it would have confused a lot of people and they wouldn't have known WHO to vote for. It would have put the election on more of an even ground, I think. Just a thought.

A few of my favorite things

A few of my current favorites:

Hot dogs from a little Mexican place called Morena's. Or maybe it's Moreno's. Anyway, it's on the corner of Horne and Broadway and the hot dogs are Sonoran style, which means awesome! They come with a bun and hot dog, (shocker, I know) and then they add avocado, I ask for no mayo and get mustard on mine, some kind of cream (sour cream, I think), onion, and then a roasted jalapeno on the side. Oh, yeah. Inside you can add salsa and I like to squeeze a little lime on it, too. They are sooooo good and addictive! They are the Thursday special, in case anyone wants to know. :)

My homemade salsa. It's the best we've ever had, except for my friend Molly's husband's green salsa. Anyway, the secret is to use canned tomato with jalapeno. I find them at Fry's, but I'm sure they are other places too. For a batch for us I combine in a blender: 2 cans of the jalapeno tomatoes (slightly drained), about 4 chopped green onions, 2 large crushed garlic cloves, a big handful of cilantro, 1/2 small can diced green chilies, and you can add salt and pepper if you like. I frequently forget to add the salt and pepper, and it's great anyway. So easy! And YUMMY. (I didn't get my camera out fast enough. My family descended on the salsa while I went to get it!)


Belgian chocolate pudding from Trader Joe's. I usually do NOT care for pudding (except for a good rice pudding), but this stuff is beyond heavenly. It is more like frosting than pudding. A little dish of this stuff after a long day (when there are no kids around to beg for some) and you feel like a queen. I want to try having mine in the bathtub full of bubbles and surrounded by candles and a little soft music playing in the background. That's the kind of pudding this is!!
(You can hold the spoon upside down all day and the pudding won't budge! No slippery gloppy stuff, this really holds its own!)

My decision

Well, I have made a difficult decision. I have decided that since I haven't sat down to scrapbook or make a card in MONTHS, and I don't see myself doing it in the near future either, (new baby coming and all) I am going to put my supplies away (gulp) and get rid of my desk. My desk that almost always looks like this: (too cluttered to work on anyway)


Now, when I say put my supplies away, I don't mean far away, just not out on my desk. Maybe in a closet or something. I'll figure that out. But my kids on the other hand have their art work out 24-7. ALL over the kitchen table. So it always looks like this:


Which I don't mind except for the fact that we have to clear the table 3 times a day to eat on it. And clear it again so they can do their homework. (Also note that Dr. D has no paper under his pencil and stencil there. There is a lot of marker and paint on the table now that won't come off, except with a good sanding.) You see where I'm going with this? I'm going to put a table in the spot where my desk is and THAT will be where the kids will do their art. So my table will stay clear (mostly) and they will have a spot to go crazy with crafts.
I'm excited about this decision, actually, because I think it will take some headache out of my life everyday. And anything that does that is worth examination. :)

More family pictures

Here are the good family pictures from the photo shoot we had last month. I am trying to decide between the first three to put up on the wall with our other family pictures. Feel free to leave your opinion in the comment section. :)


This is a good one of everyone, but not my favorite one of me. Do you do that? Choose which picture based on which one YOU look best in?

This is another good one, I like me in it ok, but from a distance it almost looks like my eyes are closed. They aren't, I just have a squinty smile.


This one is ok, but I don't think all the kids look their best. Especially the little ones with their funny expressions.

And of course, we had to do a silly faces one. Maybe this is the one I should put up. It shows our true selves...

We saw Baby Bean!

OK, so I guess I put the poll up really last minute and only got a couple of votes on it. But it's too late to cast a vote unless you stop reading this RIGHT NOW and vote. OK, ready? Well, we took a look inside at Baby Bean and everything looks great. We even suspected seeing.....boy parts!! It is probably a little brother in there, although it wasn't the BEST view in the world. My doctor said we'll take a look again next month to confirm, but as far as we could tell it's a little boy! We are pretty excited, especially for Dr. Destructo to get a little buddy to "play cars, me?" as he frequently requests. Or "play blocks, me?" Too cute. Anyway, that's the news of the day at our house!!!

For free

I'm clearing out my magazine stash, and want to know if anyone is interested in a bunch of Creating Keepsakes magazines, including two special editions--one is called "Photography for Scrapbookers" and the other is "Better Photos for your scrapbooks". If you want them, leave a comment or give me a call. Thanks! :)

Addition--I also have a stack of all the Stampin' Up catalogs that have come out since I was a demonstrator (a few years worth). They are great idea books for cards, scrapbook layouts, and misc. projects. All for free for whoever wants them. If I don't hear by Friday, I'll take them to Goodwill. Smiles!!

Happy Birthday, Sugar Lips!!!

Today is my darling DH's 36 birthday!!! He is now three years older than me. When I have my birthday he'll only be two years older. haha I dedicate this post to him, wonderful husband and friend that he is and here's hoping he has a fabulous day!
Things I LOOOOOOoooooOOOOVE about my hubby:

* He is a very caring and sensitive man.
* He is almost ALWAYS the first one to say "I'm sorry".
* He looks hot in a suit.
* He looks cute in his silky pants. ;)
* He is a great dad, and his kids love him to death.
* He is super smart, and has a photographic memory which puts mine to shame.
* He is the best teacher I know.
* He has a strong desire to be good and seeks righteous things.
* He read the scriptures EVERY DAY last year! That is quite an accomplishment in my book, and we made the goal together this year.
* He makes me feel beautiful even when I know I look like shrap.
* He tells me he loves me often, and is very affectionate.
* I love those brown eyes and thick brown hair.
* He seeks for "teaching moments" with the kids and takes advantage of them.
* He is very manly. Oh yeah!
* He is patriotic.
* We have loads of fun together.
* He likes to take trips together, and go to museums and such. He's just a lot of fun!
* He compliments my cooking and isn't too picky.
* He is generous and giving.
* He's NOT addicted to sports on TV or in any form, which suits me just fine.
* He likes to play games and we share the same favorite sports, volleyball and racquetball.
* He is protective of me and his family.
* He has great command of the English language and is a very eloquent speaker.
* He has a super sense of humor and likes to share jokes. (he actually remember them!)
* He gets along with people of many cultures.
* He is a bookworm. (this is usually a good thing...)
* We may not be the "put things away and keep it clean all the time" type of family, but when we have chore time, he pitches in and helps out. Especially for the outside stuff.
* He puts up with me, what more can I ask?!?!
* He loves to sing around the piano and listen to me play. He appreciates my and our kids musical talents, even if they aren't the best.
* He always (tries) to be excited about things I make or decorate and such. Even though I know he doesn't really care that much about that stuff, I still like to show him and have him be happy for me. :)

So, I am going to end this now so I can publish it before the day is over even though I could go on and on. No, he isn't perfect, but he is my perfect match and I can't say enough how much I love this guy and...HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!

Gingerbread house building

I am convinced that Gingerbread House Making Kits are a genius invention. They make it so easy and convenient to put together awesome gingerbread creations. They come with the cookies, frosting, and all the decorations needed for a master creation. One of my best friend's mothers gave one to us a few years ago, and since then we have sought these out for the holidays. This year Teeny Bopper opted out so Sweet G got to do one of her own, and the younger girls shared one together.

They had fun and I loved watching them. Another beloved tradition has begun!

Christmas Show

OK, this is way behind in the posting, but our kids had the opportunity to be in Mindy Noble's winter show. She is da bomb (as anyone who knows her would agree)--we all love her to death! A talented and beautiful gal. Anyway...she put together a fantastic show with singing and actions and all that, and all our girls were able to be in it. They had a blast! I have to admit that although they were all great (of course!) the group of little girls stole the show. They were all about 5-6 years old in this group, and soooo adorable!!! I will post a couple of pics and try to get a video clip on here if I can. So, thanks be to Mindy for making it such a learning and fun experience for my kids. And to my kids, GREAT JOB! You were awesome and I love you!!

This is the older kids group during the opening song, "Hall out the holly".

This is the little girls doing a western version of "All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth". My favorite number!!



Blondie was a "heat miser" and Sweet G was a "snow miser" in one of the songs. They both played their parts wonderfully.

I read it, and it tagged me.

YOU HAVE TO DO IT! ha-ha!
Copy and paste the quiz to your blog and then fill in your own answers!
It's fun!

Five names you go by:
1) Salzarita
2) Mom
3) Mommy
4) Salsa
5) Gertrude (if you get this, you better post on your blog! You know who you are!)

Three things you are wearing right now:
1) big, comfy, (ugly) gauchos
2) big, comfy, (ugly AND dirty from my attic) shirt
3) underwears

Two things you want very badly at the moment:
1) a clean house that is organized and clutter-free
2) to know if baby bean is a boy or a girl

Three people who may fill this out: (here's hoping!)
1) C
2) Rhonda
3) Melinda

Two things you did last night:
1) read a book
2) go to bed

Two things you ate today:
1) Picky Palate's BBQ chicken salad (a family favorite)
2) homemade salsa (oh baby, it was good!)

People you last talked to on the phone:
1) my father-in-law
2) a telemarketer/debt collector (that was FUN)

Two things you are going to do (or already did) today:
1) made dinner
2) took a boat load of stuff to Goodwill

Two of the longest road trips:
1) Mesa to Houston
2) Mesa to Utah

Three of your favorite beverages:
1) Water (my favorite of all drinks)
2) peach kool-aid/Hi C (very hard if not impossible to find anymore. Sad, very sad.)
3) a good tea

Bye bye, garland!

I realize I have been slllloooooowwww at posting lately. We have been so busy trying to get ready for the holidays. I can hardly begin to describe how blessed we've been. The Lord has blessed us through those around us more than I can say. I just want to thank whoever has dropped off money, food, misc. items, gifts, etc. anonymously to us. Our Christmas would have been LAME without you. And I don't just mean having nothing. I mean the happy tears that we would have missed, just by knowing we were loved and someone was thinking of us. The excitement and thrill of hearing the doorbell ring at night and opening the door to a bounty of goodies. The great example to my family which has made us resolve that when we are in a better financial position we are going to listen to the Spirit to know what family could use OUR help. Thank you, thank you whoever you are. We love you!!

So, today we took all the decorations down. It was time. A new year, a breath of fresh air by cleaning up the Christmas stuff. But I have to mention the saddest thing I put away. My garland. Like the song from the Forgotten Carols, "I cry the day that I take the tree down", well for me it's, "I cry the day that I take the garland down". haha After being inspired by the Nester, I took three of the plain garlands that I have had for several years and combined them into one big garland. Then attached it to my mantle with those removable plastic hooks, and stuck all manner of Christmas lovliness into it. I cut apart a few sprays of sparkly things, and branchy things, and found some beaded fruit and gold twigs at the thrift store for like 50 cents (a whole bag full!) and stuck those in, too. The result was the most beautiful garland I've ever had in my home, and cost me almost nothing.


The pictures don't do it much justice, as usual for my pictures. I packed it away, painfully, but happily looking forward to putting it up again next year. (FYI, to complete my mantle "look", I found these GORGEOUS glasses at the thrift store-$4 for both- and then just put our Christmas cards up there. I loved it!)

We were able to go to Mexico to spend time with my in-laws and see my new little niece, who is so cuddly and adorable!! It was worth the trip to see and hold her.

Well, and the singing and piano playing that my SIL and I HAVE to do, especially at Christmastime. That is one of my favorite things in the world. I have another new neice in Utah that I would love to see as well!! Her pictures are super cute.

The kids were able to go with another group that was down there to make some food deliveries to some very impoverished families. My older girls were very impressed with the poor conditions they saw. Large families who literally live in cardboard boxes for a home. Children who have to stay home alone all day while their family goes out trying to find food. They were touched, to say the least, and feeling rich (in a good way) and grateful by the time they got back.

Well, I still have more to post about... like the show my kids were in, sitting on Santa's lap, gingerbread houses, baby pictures, family pictures, etc. But those things will have to wait for another day. Happy New Year to one and all!!!!