Blessed

This weekend I visited my Grandpa. He is the only grandpa I have ever known. He is 95 and doing OK. As I prepared myself to visit him in his hospital room, I silently prayed that he would remember me and "my" story. Everytime that I can remember seeing him he would tell me the story of how he drove me and my mom home from the hospital when I was born. I rode in the back seat in a baby bed. He tells me how I never even made a "peep" and how proud he was to be driving me home.

When I walked into the hospital room to see grandpa, I said, "Hi Grampa! It's me, Mindy" (heart pounding...please remember, please remember)...and then, "Mind! Ol' Kid! Come here. I want to tell you about the day I drove the prettiest baby home from the hospital" and then he told me the story! Sure...right after that he had to hurry upstairs and get changed because the governer and the reporters were coming to give him his award, but hey...I got my story...maybe one last time.

And that started me thinking about my blessings. My neighbors daughter in law is dying of cancer. She has maybe a couple days left at most. She has 3 babies and is 27 years old. She wont raise her babies. I was sad for her because she is being cheated of her time with them. How can you say goodbye when you just barely got to say hello? But she has to. But I know that she feels blessed to have had them for any time.

I feel blessed for all of my blessings. My trials that ended up being bigger blessings are amazing. My blessings continue everyday. I'm not just talking material blessings, but my health, my kids, my family, my grandparents, my friends...my list goes on...and I am grateful.

Day Light Savings?

Why? Why on earth do we have Day Light Savings time? I am forced, as a mother, to wonder...How many murders are committed the first week of this God-Forsaken time change? How many unnecessary beatings occur all because I, whoops, I mean we, as a state, are deprived of our so precious sleep. How many 12 year olds must be awakened with their mother yelling, "BUB!! I'm not freaking kidding!! You have 10 minutes or Im driving you to school in your underwear!!"

The whole "savings" part is mixed up too. Since my "clock" is off, I lay awake all night spending in my head...not "SAVING". For instance, last night we looked at cars so all night I bought 2 or 3 different cars...in my head...could this possibly be a conspiracy by the government to make us stay out later, eatting out, shopping for cars? Their own little "Secret Boost the Economy and Murder your Children at the Same Time" scheme?

I believe it is!!

The Royal Fools

When I was 12, I was in a band....Me and my sister and Jason Gardner... We went to Bothell Music and pooled our money and bought the sheet music for "Saving All My Love for You" by Her Royal Highness, Miss Whitney Houston. We came home to our house and Jason played the piano in our little music nook. My sister played her rockin' string bass...and I...well, lets just say, I outsang Whit herself. We were going to be so freaking famous! But we couldnt find a gig! 12 years later (hahaha...if you do the math, you will laugh) I have a 12 year old son who is in a band. The Royal Fools. He is the lead singer and guitarist (player guy). He has been dying to get a "gig"...so Mommy aka the Band Manager...suggested the local talent show. Here is their tryout. I am proud of him, and just a little sad that me and the band arent going to get back together. What do you say, Jason? Krista? One last gig that would really be our first??

'Tis the Season

Christmas was great! Santa still knows where we live and the snow blew!! Oh my heck! It was sooo beautiful!!!


Until....


Mr. Wonderful and I went out and spent 2 hours shoveling and snowblowing our driveway. We had lots of fun trying to figure out where to put 2 feet of snow from our driveway without snowblowing it into our neighbors' yard. We finally decided it was going to have to pile up on either side of our driveway..clear out to the road. The problem with this is that the snow plow came by to clear a one car clearance pathway...thus a wicked huge pile of snow in front of our driveway...well, ok maybe a little on the road.

The next thing you know a neighbor down the street got stuck right in front of our house! Imagine our suprise when her not so nice husband began yelling at us! As if it was our fault. We happened to be in the garage...Mr. Wonderful was helping me load a big box into the car to return to the store, when she got stuck. As soon as her husband got there, we immediately asked if we could help...

The response was no...so we continued loading the car.

Big BIG mistake!

Mr. Jerk Face (aka Neighbor) decided he wasnt finished with the yelling as of yet. He decided to tell us that we were terrible neighbors! WHELL! That just doesnt sit right with me!!! I had to start yelling back! The funniest part of the whole thing was Mr. Wonderful yelling about the creepy neighbor jerk face's dog "taking a dump" on our lawn! Hilarious!!!

I spent the rest of the day feeling bad for living up to my rep. as a bad neighbor...so that night after I had cooled down I went outside to take out the garbage (much to Mr. Wonderful's chagrin) and Jerk Face was out there...complaining to my other neighbor about us...I can't leave well enough alone...just ask anyone!!!

I yelled, "Hey, *insert neighbors last name here*, did you pull your panites out of your butt yet?" I'm a good ice breaker...a good example...and a good neighbor!

This was my day today while out doing last minute Christmas shopping...maybe my new perfume?

I've Done It! (and now I'm doomed)

About 5 years I was at a meeting in L.A. and the speaker brought in 2 HUGE boxes of See's Chocolates. I mean, I am a chocolate officianado and I didn't even know they made boxes that big. Well, as the BIG box was passed around the room I happened to choose a Butterscotch Milk Chocolate Square...I was in love! After the meeting I went to the boxes of chocolate and proceeded to "weed out" the rest of the butterscotch squares...for the sake of the others. I was saving everyone from certain weight gain! I'm so good to others!

For pretty much every holiday or special occasion Mr. Wonderful will get me a honkin' box of just butterscotch milk chocolate squares...be still my heart!

Mommy was telling me that she had a recipe for the delectable filling in these little pieces of heaven...called Penuche (pa-NOO-sh). Then when I was reading the Martha Stewart Christmas magazine I found the recipe in there. I, of course, made it and the taste was RIGHT ON...even though the texture was not. With a few tweaks to the recipe...WAHAHAHAHAH (evil scientist laugh) I've Done It!!! I have replicated the See's Butterscotch Milk Chocolate Square filling! and last night I made chocolates!

I can totally compete with Mrs. See now. Oh yea Baby!!!! My toughest critic, Mr. Wonderful, even said they taste EXACTLY like the See-Miser's ( Miser, because she always tries to ruin my holidays with her tempting treats and imminent fatness...like her brothers, Heat and Snow trying to ruin Christmas with their weather! She wins!)

I continued in my chocolate making effort with some Cherry Cordials (the kids dig 'em) and some lemon, RUM (shhhhhhhhhh), mint and orange flavored butter creams....they are all relatively fantastic, but I think I've made it clear where my heart is.

All I have to say is, "Beware, Ye who sit next to my big butt..thanks to my fabulous taste for the good stuff...you'll have even less room than before!"

Have you ever?

Have you ever seen such kissable cheeks?

Have you ever seen a more delicious baby?

A better athlete?

Have you ever seen such a nice boy?

A more loving brother?

Have you ever seen such a chubby little thing?

Such a happy little love?

Bubby turned 12 at the happiest place on earth! We are so proud of him! He has been such a delightful boy and has been such a huge help to me. On Sunday he was ordained a deacon and passed the sacrament for the first time. What a thrill it was to watch him walk up to the stand and get his primary certificate from the bishop and sustain himself. Then to be there when Mr. Wonderful ordained him was beautiful. And watching him pass the sacrament was the best thing ever. Shorty watched him the whole time and kept pointing him out to me! Bub has had a lot of experiences in his short 12 years. Many of which I wish I could change for him, but he faces his challanges with a smile and a willingness to serve that have amazed me.

We love him so!

We are so proud to call him our son.