I can't understand some people!

It just baffles me that people think that:
(1.) if they use foul language and yelling that they will get what they want and
(2.) that it is OK to act that way.

I was taught that no job pays me enough to sit and listen to someone cussing at me. I will hang up on someone if they cuss at me, and I have! If you show respect to the people you are in contact with, they are more likely to respect you and try their best to help you out.

Sorry....JUST HAD TO VENT!

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” Romans 3:23

You try so hard to teach your children right from wrong. You take them to church to ensure they know what the Bible says, and yet, as they turn into teenagers, they begin to rebel. They do things that they know are not right such as sneaking out, drinking, smoking and so on. “Why?” you ask them. The response: “because everyone else is doing it. I just want them to like me.” Frustrating, right?
Peer pressure is extremely difficult to handle as a teenager. Adults have a hard time telling their friends no, but for teenagers, it is worse. So much is changing with them and that is awkward. The only thing they want is to be accepted. Unfortunately, that means they do things they know are wrong. Remember that the Bible says in Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” No one is without sin. You sinned, your parents sinned, and your kids will sin. The important thing is to help them understand what they did was wrong and help them to ask God for forgiveness. Show them that ours is a loving God, who knows our human weaknesses and loved us so much that He made a way for us to escape death and Hell, even before we served Him.

If your teenagers are going through this stage in their lives, pray for them, and help them pray for themselves. Show them in a loving way that what they’re doing is wrong and make sure they understand that you discipline them because you love them and you want to help them. Remind them that their actions will always have consequences good or bad, and you only want the very best for them.

Pray for your child to see the error of his/her ways, and when he/she does, be prepared to pray with him/he for forgiveness. (It’s important to add your child's name where you can, since you are praying a faith prayer over your child.)

Father, I know that what my child did was wrong and I ask your help in showing him/her that. I know that I have to discipline him/her according to your word in Proverbs 13:24. Reach out to my child and show him/her your ways, and help me to be ready to pray with him/her when he/she is ready to receive. Guide me as I go through each day so that I am better prepared to handle the situations that I am faced with concerning my child, in Jesus name. Amen

Memories of Granddaddy

Today would have been my husbands grandfathers 80th birthday. Everyone called him Granddaddy. Sadly, we didn't spend a whole lot of time with him, but earlier in our marriage, we went to the Wyoming Cowboys Football games with him in Laramie. Boy did he love the Pokes! He had season tickets and he loved it when his family went along for the ride!

He had the best laugh! Whenever he laughed, it didn't matter what kind of a mood you were in, you had to laugh with him. It was just contagious! He loved his grandkids and great grandkids dearly.

How Fast Kids Grow Up!

Ok, so just 2 days ago, I was in the hospital holding my newborn baby girl. Yesterday, I was holding my newborn son. OK, so not literally of course. They are 13 and 14 years old!

I remember, not too long ago, taking the day off work on Shai's birthday. We went to the store and bought "A Goofy Movie" I think we watched it about 20 times that day. She was just about able to say the words as it played in the VCR. She was 4 years old and celebrating her 1st birthday. (She is a leap day baby)

It seems like yesterday that my son was at baseball practice. He was struggling getting the ball to hit the bat. As I stood there wondering why he was having such a problem, it dawned on me that he was holding the bat wrong. After practice, I went to his coach and said "He is holding the bat wrong". His coach, of course, said no he's not. I handed his coach the ball and said "Toss it at him". I told Caalab to hold the bat like he does at home. He put his left hand on top of his right faced the other direction. The coach threw the ball, and Caalab hit that ball well over the guys head. You should have seen the look on his face. He came up to me and said "I have never coached a left handed kid before. I am sorry I doubted you".

My daughter is starting High School this week, and my son is in his last year of middle school. I just can't believe they are old enough for all this! I find myself very nervous for Shai. She can't possibly be "big" enough to walk the halls of NCHS. It's such a big school.

Sturgis 2010

Yesterday, we got back home from Sturgis. What a Blast!!! I was nervous about the "hardcore bikers" you always hear about....you know, the ones that are involved in fights, murder, etc...! The people that were there were so friendly. They stopped and talked with us at our campground and were apologetic if they bumped into you. I didn't see a single fight or even an argument!

I jotted down notes on what we did or saw during our trip, so here is a "snapshot" of the 5 days we were gone:

Day 1 - We got to our campsite about 2:15 p.m. and set up camp. After it was set up, we went for a quick ride into town just to see what we wanted to do during the week. I noticed that the locals rent out their backyards to campers & RV's. A lot of them sit in the front yards all week just watching the bikers drive by. Went back to camp and the guys started cooking dinner. I sat there smelling the food and thinking how great it was going to be to not have to cook for a week!! After dinner, we went to the Buckcherry and ZZ Top concert. ZZ Top was great!!! We got back to the campsite at about 12:45 a.m. Was looking forward to sleeping in a little bit!

Day 2 - Was awakened at 6:45 a.m. by motorcycles reving their engines and crusing around the campground. I was amazed that they had partied all night and had managed to wake up that early in the morning. I was the only one awake for about 2 hours. Travis and Burt took forever to get ready. We finally left the campground about 11:00 and went to the "Full Throttle Saloon". It was so crowded there. They put on different kinds of shows daily. The one we saw was midget wrestling. Travis enjoyed it more then anyone there I think! Later that evening, we went to the concert. It was Bob Dylan and Kid Rock. Kid Rock was ok, but we didn't stay long. We were all pretty tired. We got back to camp at about 10:45 and once again hoped to sleep in!

Day 3 - Well, we got to sleep until 8:00 a.m. We had decided that today would be our "Crusin' Day". We took the "scenic route" to Deadwood. Yep, that means the guys got lost and were relying on their phones for directions!! We finally got there and played penny slots for a while. -----------------------------------> Then we went to Burt's girlfriends room and took showers. We had planned to go see Mt. Rushmore today, but didn't make it there. We had a really good time in Deadwood. We spent the evening at the campsite and caught a fireworks show. It was a really nice night.

Day 4 - We spent the morning at camp, just relaxing. In the afternoon, we went to the "Traveling Wall" It is a replica of the Vietnam Memorial. It was very emotional for me. When I walked up to it, the first thing I saw was this---------------->

My eyes immediately started to tear up. We walked up further and saw flowers and pieces of paper with notes to the soldiers from their friends and family. I was video taping for Travis and I decided to read two of them and I almost cried while reading it. After we looked at the wall for a while, we went into town to see some friends. We didn't stay to long because it was so hot outside. We went to the store and bought some food then went back to camp for some dinner. After dinner, we went to the concert. Tonight was Ozzy Osborne. I didn't see too much of that show because I had "gigantor" standing in front of me. He had to have been 7 feet tall. Travis had a great time though!

Day 5 - We decided to head home a day early. We got our campsite packed up and headed out. We decided to go to Keystone. Ok, so I begged. I wanted some of thier famous taffy! After we got the taffy, we drove by Mt. Rushmore and we were on the road home. I ended up getting a little bit car sick, but felt fine after a while. We pulled into town about 8:00 p.m. and surprised the kids and my parents. It was a great trip, but it was so nice to be home!!

What is in a Word?

She offered to make cookies EVERYTIME we came over, and oh man, were they yummy!!! She loved listening to country music on her record player, and she knew everything there was to know about her favorite singers. She loved to knit. She tried to teach me how to do that, but I was never able to figure it out. Most of all, she was a wonderful woman who loved everybody she knew. She never held a grudge when my cousins or I picked on her. (Oh how I regret that now!) She would turn right around and offer us a cookie and she never said a single hurtful word to us. Never even gave it a second thought.

I bring up this information because of a single word that gets said a lot these days. I will only use it once in this post. That word is "retard(ed)" If you ask a teenager the meaning of that word, chances are, they will say it means someone is dumb. They call their friends or family members that to insult them or to tease them. While they are insulting other people, they are also calling someone with developmental disabilities dumb, but as you have read above, about my aunt, she was capable of doing many things on her own. What if they aren't capable of those things, you might ask. To that, I say that they still deserve respect and love just like anyone else in this world. They are human beings.

~July 9, 1950 - Aug 13, 1989~

She was someones daughter, granddaughter, sister, sister in-law, and MY aunt. I love her and I miss her dearly. My point in this is that when that word is said, it is hurtful, even if it was not directed to them. Please be courteous and speak to people in the way you would want to be spoken to. I can tell you that the "R" word is something you will never hear me say because it is insulting to one of the most wonderful people I have ever had the privilege to know - my aunt Marlyce!

Puppies are so easily entertained!!

Our new puppy is about 4 months old and loves it when the water is turned on. He thinks that he can catch it, and he trys everytime the water is on. It is the funniest thing I think I have seen in a long time from an animal!!!

We're off to Sturgis!

This morning, we are leaving for Sturgis. I am nervous and excited! I have never been to Sturgis before and I have no idea what to expect. Travis has to go for work and they let him take me along if I could snap some pictures for the radio station. We will be gone for the week and during this time, we will be attending several concerts such as ZZ Top, Scorpion, Tesla, The Doobie Brothers, Kid Rock, Motley Crue and more.

Beartrap Festival Day 2

The family went up to the mountain again this morning for day 2 of The Beartrap Summer Festival. This morning was very cold. Thankfully, we had some sweatshirts in the back of the car. We took the dogs with us this time and they did surprisingly well with all the people and other dogs that were there.

Travis was working the festival today, but he made time in between driving Patty Loveless around to hang out with the family! What a great guy I have!!

Caalab had a great time in the inflatable maze they had there. They were doing races to see who could get through it first. The other kids were younger than Caalab, so he let them win more often then not! He's such a nice kid! These are his feet....he was moving to fast to catch the rest of him! ----------------------->

<---------When my most active child and both dogs fall asleep, that means it is about time to head back home. We had a great time this year at Beartrap and I look forward to next years Festival.

Beartrap Summer Festival

Ahhhh.....Beartrap Summer Festival!!! We got up to the mountain around 10:15 this morning. The weather was perfect. There was a slight breeze that cooled us off just enough when it started getting too warm. We decided to go get some food. There were a variety of different kinds of food, but it was quite pricey! We decided on Frito Pies and Philly Cheese Sandwiches.

We went walking around and Shai decided to get a tattoo. NO!!! It wasn't real. It's called a "Henna Tattoo". It is a paste that temporaraly dyes your skin. It is supposed to last for 2-4 weeks. We'll see!! This is just after she got it done ------------------>

<---------This is after it started peeling off and you were able to see the results. They guy said that it will darken a little bit more than this.

Well, we had a pretty good time. I look like a lobster and I am hoping I won't be in too much pain tomorrow since we will be headed back up there again! I suppose I should go buy some sunscreen, huh?!?!?!

Famous People

Thanks to my wonderful husband, and working in hotels, I have been able to meet a lot of famous people during my life. I was trying to remember all of them one time when I was asked, and my mind drew a blank, so I am going to make this list and probably edit it as I remember more.

1. B.B. King

2. Larry the Cable Guy

3. US Senator Al Simpson - WY

4. Finger Eleven

5. Poison

6. Motley Crue

7. Staind

8. The Secret Service

9. US Senator Craig Thomas -WY

10. Texas Tech's Coach - Bobby Knight

Unfortunately, I wasn't allowed to get a picture with the ones I met at the hotel. We were warned that if we did we would be written up or fired.

Stay tuned for more to the list!!!!

Busy Weekend Coming Up

My family and I have a busy weekend coming up!

Starting on Saturday morning and going through Sunday evening, our family will be going to "The Beartrap Festival". It was started in 1994, and is an annual event held on the mountain for a weekend. They have vendors of all kinds. People that make and sell their crafts and clothing, or businesses who go to advertise their products. There is also a concert that will be held. This year, it is Patty Loveless among others. After that, we will head home, load up our car and head to Sturgis for a week (without the kids)

I am mainly just excited to get out of the house and to spend some time with my husband and kids!

I Love the Rain!

This is my kind of weather!!! When the clouds go grey and the lightning and thunder start up! I love the smell of the rain as it falls and how clean everything looks when it's done!

These pictures were before the storm














I heard one report of 73 mph winds and one of 116 mph during this storm, however I don't know that I believe the 116 mph story. Someone also told me there was a funnel cloud spotted somewhere. It rained pretty hard, that was nice! When I left work, it smelled SO clean!
I LOVE thunderstorms!!!

25 things you should know about me

I came up with this list about a year ago. It is not in order of importance!!

1. My husband, Travis, is my best friend
2. I talk to myself....a lot
3. I have a fear of public speaking
4. I am very bashful. If I don't know you, chances are good I won't say a word to you
5. I cry during every teary eyed chick flick...even if I've seen it a hundred times
6. I don't like cake
7. I go to breakfast every other Saturday with my mom and dad
8. I am a legal midget (4' 11") and Travis reminds me of that fact daily
9. I love to listen to Travis play his guitar, and I am so proud of him for teaching himself to play
10. My grandpa passed away on Dec. 12, 2007 and it seemed like years before I stopped crying daily
11. I have 2 tattoos. One is a rose vine on my ankle and the other is a dolphin on my hip
12. I hope to visit New York City, Cancun, The Phillipines, Germany and England in my lifetime
13. I love Starbucks coffee. I would have one everyday if I could get out of bed on time
14. I am NOT a morning person
15. My friend Carina and I have known each other since we were 5 years old.
16. My friend Victoria got me hooked on the show "Sex in the City"
17. I cannot dance. Please don't ask me to make a fool of myself in public
18. WARNING: I am unable to tan. I will wear shorts. Have your sunglasses near by!
19. I was blessed with a wonderful husband and 2 wonderful kids
20. I don't go a single day without talking to my mom, dad or sister. Sometimes all 3 in 1 day
21. I am distantly related to Princess Diana on my moms side.
22. I am distantly related to the 11th prsident of the US, James Knox Polk, on my dads side
23. I try to live my life the way God wants me to. I am so thankful He is in my life!!!
24. I believe that everything happens for a reason
25. My first car was a 1977 Camaro and I hope to have another Camaro someday!

Change of Heart-Memories of Mrs. Ennis

Isn't it strange how drastically your views on people change as you grow up? How you can dislike someone when you are in elementary school, only to be deeply saddened as an adult when you hear that that person has become terminally ill. Hearing sad news such as that is bound to stir up some long lost memories of that person. This post is for Mrs. (Evelyn) Ennis.

One memory that always has stayed in my mind all these years is what I will call the "NESTER" incident! My friend Carina and I, as well as a few other friends, were in a Christmas play about a donkey named Nester. There was a song that we sang that went something like this..."Nester was a donkey who seldom laughed or played..." We were in the lunchroom at school where Mrs. Ennis worked and Carina was trying to sing the song, but the lunchroom was quite loud that day. She plugged her ears so she could hear herself better and ended up screaming "NESTER" at the top of her lungs. The room fell silent and from across the room, walking at full speed toward our table, was Mrs. Ennis! Oh boy!!! We were in for it!

Just explaining that story does it no justice! It was hilarious! Of course we were terrified of the trouble our table (and our friend) was in.

I obviously have grown up since then and I am no longer afraid of Mrs. Ennis. She is a wonderful woman that always had our best interest in mind. She wasn't really ever being mean to us. She was just not allowing us to get in trouble. My mom told me a couple of nights ago that Mrs. Ennis has lung cancer. She is currently in a coma, and is expected to go on to heaven soon. I know that I will see her again someday, and I will remind her of the "NESTER" incident. I am sure we will have a laugh about it!

Fear not....

In church today, Pastor Dan spoke about worry. God doesn't worry about anything. NOTHING at all!!! So, why do we? There are so many places in the Bible that tell us not to worry or fear.
Unfortunately, I didn't write down the verses that he used this morning, but here are a few that I found on my own.

Psalm 91:5-6 5"Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day 6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noon day.
John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let your heart not be troubled, neither let it be afraid
Luke 8:50 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

There are so many more verses that I could put on here, but it would make this post too long. I am so glad that I made it to church today! It was such an awesome service. I know that I worry about things that I shouldn't...finances, my husband, my kids, my job, just to name a few. I pray about these things daily and I need to just relax and trust that God will take care of it. His word says that whatever I ask for in His name, I will have. Praise God!!!!