December Traditions...

As next week descends, I am feeling more and more "ready".  I got a lot done yesterday with Todd as the fuel.  He was so tired of not having presents under the tree, he just got sick of it and said, "We're doing our Christmas shopping today."  That was that.  So, while the boys were at school, we did some and then, after we picked them up, we did the rest.  I really think one more trip out for a few last minute things and we are done!  I am contemplating getting gift cards for the rest of the presents needed.  People always like those.  They can get what they want.  I don't know, we'll see.

In the meantime, we are looking at the last full week of school before our 14 day break, the preparations for Christmas dinner, and the celebration of our Savior's birth.  I am excited.  Finally.  It seems like there is so much going on, I have to get close to it to enjoy it.  This last year has taught me that it is best for me to live as "in the moment" as I can.  It cuts down on my tendency to "worry" about stuff and it allows me to fully appreciate where I am in any given moment.  It's a good trend for me.  The bad news about it though is that it seems like I can't really ramp up to anything.  I don't know if that's really bad, it just is.  So, now that Christmas is 9 days away, I am beginning to see it come around.  I am, finally, excited for Logan's first Christmas, for Christmas Eve dinner at my house with my family, for all the traditions that mean Christmas for me Hardys.

This past week we were in Las Vegas for the National Finals Rodeo.  It was so awesome!  Thanks to Laurie for getting me those tickets!  I love it so much every single year.  Jeff and Jackson went to Alamo for two days and spent quality time with their "Papa" there.  Logan stayed with Todd and I and went to the rodeo.  He was such a trooper!  Between the rodeo and the Cowboy Christmas trade show, he was way off schedule, shorted several naps, and ridden hard, but he hung in there and even had a GREAT time!

Turns out that he really likes the show, the music, and the rodeo.  He was riveted by the events, danced whenever there was music on, and loves arena food.  It was so fun to have him along.  My parents were our companions as were my friend Andrea and her fiancee' Jason.  They were all so much fun to have along!  I don't celebrate well alone so, the more, the merrier!  I am glad we did it, and after 5 straight years of attendance, I am pretty sure that it is now one of our fully-entrenched December traditions.

Today I am ordering our Honeybaked Ham and our eggnog from Winder Dairy.  My family will be coming for Christmas Eve dinner and I am excited to have them.  I need to prepare!  This week we will be attending tithing settlement, some more choir performances, the temple, and my nephew Jake's birthday party celebration.  Jake turned four last week but we were gone.  We will be going to Salt Lake on the Frontrunner train and will be having dinner and seeing a movie with him.  I can't believe he is four years old!  I remember his birth, I was so blessed to be there!  I sent out our Christmas cards yesterday and so you shall be receiving one soon.  I hope.  So, choir performances, tithing settlement, Honeybaked Ham, Christmas Eve dinner, the NFR, Jake's birthday, Christmas cards, these are all December traditions that we are participating in and we are so glad to have you along.  There are more, I'm just not there yet.  Still in the moment.

On a "farm" note, the chickens are pretty boring.  They are all alive and are surviving the colder weather and the periodical snow we are having here.  The new chickens (Feathers Kaboom-Pellet and Parmesan) are starting to fit in, though one of them keeps dorkily laying eggs outside.  What is that about?  We did inherit a new family member yesterday.  Right after I wrote, printed, and copied my annual Christmas letter too!  Oh well, he'll be on there next year.  His name is Levi and he is a naughty indoor cum outdoor cat.  He has joined our other two mousers Charlotte and Tom.  He is actually their litter mate.  He was peeing in the house and shredding stuff and so his owner asked me if we would add him to our crew.  Todd and I figured that we would be the best home for him, even if he is declawed, because he can be in the garage if he needs to.  Besides, what's one more cat?  I draw the line at three though.  It's three more than I ever said I would have.  But for the mice, I wouldn't have any.  I'm not really a "cat" person.  I hate the mice though.  They better do their job.  That's all I can say about that.  So Levi looks just like Tom only he's not as fat.  He's scared and cute but I'm sure he'll fit in eventually.

That's it folks!  Watch for your Christmas cards and please stay in touch!  We all love you so much!  Have a great week...

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like...

I woke up this morning to see an awful lot of snow falling outside. Dare I get excited? Don't get me wrong, most of you know I'm not a die hard ski bunny (anymore) but once it gets cold, I figure it oughta just snow. My perennials won't grow or bloom, the leaves are off the trees, the horses are all fuzzy, and the dogs bring in dead leaves every time they go outside. It's time to cover that dead and yellowing grass and all of those leaves with beautiful, white, and cozy snow. Besides, I love watching my animals work with the snow. They often enjoy it the way we would, and sometimes they play in it. I love to watch that. My dogs will roll and roll in fresh snow. Especially Daisy. She enjoys it at 100%. The horses will weather it as it falls and then, once it has stopped, they get out and play in it. They run, buck, kick, and rear playing and playing. They like to watch it fly around. They love the crisp air. For now, they are weathering the storm.

It is something I can stand and watch for hours. It may look boring but, to me, it is not. I don't know if that makes me weird. It doesn't really matter to me if it does. It's one thing I love about living where I do with all that I have. Truly something that causes me to reflect on my blessings and to feel grateful. Who knew that the weather would call forth such a reflection? Either way, I am grateful for the weather change and all it brings.

This week has been standardly busy for us Hardys. Jeff and Jackson weathered another week of school with flying colors. They are getting along at school and making good grades. Things seem to be evening out. We attended another choir performance for Jeff on Thursday. They performed at Ogden City's Christmas Village and did 5 songs. He was in the front row and we could see him SO well! I am sorry I didn't bring the camera this time. He did a great job and was so much fun to watch. He is such a performer. Is there anything that kid doesn't do well? I guess sit quietly. He doesn't really sit quietly. I don't think any of us do though, I can't really point fingers. As Jackson tells me, "There are no faults Mom."

Jeff performed tonight at the Joseph Smith Memorial in Salt Lake and at Utah's Hogle Zoo for the Zoo Lights display. We went down to watch him and I took lots of pictures and video of this extravaganza. It was so much fun! For one thing, I think it's awesome that Jeff's choir teacher takes the time to set up such neat performance venues! What an awesome lady! The Joseph Smith Memorial was typically opulent and beautiful and our little choir made the vestibule ring with Christmas cheer. It was fun to see the kids gawking at the decorations as they sang. It also brought such warmth to my heart as I watched the passersby stop to partake of the season in such a beautiful place while they listened to the innocence and joy of these children as they sang. Considering the location, I would say it was a great missionary tool as well. My son Jeff has such a strong testimony. I know it was special to him that he got to sing in such an important place. It was also fun to listen to Jackson shout, "Look, it's the temple!" as we walked by the west windows. Our family still needs to make the time to walk Temple Square this season. It is an important tradition for us, maybe next Monday we will spend our FHE that way.

The Zoo Lights at Utah's Hogle Zoo were awesome! If you haven't been, you gotta go. They have begun to do it every year from December 1 to December 26th. It truly was magical. I know that sounds cliche, but it was! I told Todd that it was like a "Layla Christmas". Christmas lights and animals, how can it get any better. The new snow added a special magic to the whole scene and I really think it was as good as any Disney theme park. That's saying a lot. We are Disney junkies. Watching Jeff sing there was lots of fun but I know that the choir director set it up mostly to get the kids in for free because they didn't have many people to sing for and they spent an hour walking through the zoo to see the animals and the lights. What a special occasion. I can't wait to see the video I got of the whole thing. I hope it does the place justice. The best part was the segment I think I'll be sending to American's Funniest Home Videos. Jeff kept sticking the end of his electric candle in his mouth instead of singing and it was pretty dang funny. You'll have to watch AFV for him sometime in the next year.

Jackson is getting dang good at all of his letters and their sounds. He says he feels like the letters are "tricking" him sometimes. He tells me that "g" and "c" don't sound like they "should". I just tell him to be patient with the tricky letters, being able to read is a power he will have his whole life. He is hanging in there. He had quite the time at his last wrestling meet this weekend.

He took his first 1st place of the year! For someone who is wrestling for the first time against some kids who are their second year, that is impressive. I would say he's a chip off the old

block and I don't mean me. He pinned the first two boys he wrestled outright and then won on points with his third match. I am so proud of him. Even though his coach wasn't there (Todd) he wrestled better than I've ever seen him. Todd wondered to me if he needed to just stay away next year. I don't think that's the case. I think it was just a good day for Jack.

Jeffrey wrestled his last tournament this past Saturday as well. He wrestled two boys he has already met up against (and beaten) and then a new kid. The new boy was a wrestling progeny. As I watched his family

line up around the mat I saw his brother, who wrestles for Weber High (state champs the last 3 years), and his dad who is an MMA fighter with a wrestling base. Jeff picked that moment to come to me, quite forlorn, and say, "Mom, this kid's been wrestling for 5 years!" I told him not to worry, to work as hard as he could, and to have fun. He gave it his best shot but in the last of his three bouts against this boy, he was pinned. It was his first time being pinned and meant that he finished this tournament with his first 2nd place medal. He was pretty frustrated, considering he's had 1st place medals every other week. I think it is good for him to find out what second place feels like though.

It gives him something to work toward for next year and supports him in learning that he isn't invincible. I say, overall, they both had a successful first season and they have told me that they want to do it again next year. I am happy to provide them with that. I, however, am very excited that this is the end of their sports until this summer when they go back into baseball. Mom needs a "sports" break.

Todd had his first "UTA" Drill Weekend at Hill AFB this past weekend. He was getting "oriented" on being in the military. Ha, ha. It was good fun for all. He was on Cloud 9 all weekend long as he was back in uniform and back in the boys' club. What more can I say? He got all the details of his military record/life organized, added Logan to his records, and reinstated our life insurance. So now we can all die and leave somebody something. You can

make a bid on who gets our life insurance. The will goes to the highest bidder. Good luck. Just kidding. What else can I say about it? It's nice to have that kind of security back in our lives again. I can't really overstate that at all. We have health insurance, we have life insurance, they are with a stable "company". It is (almost) all good. I think with the couple of "big" contracts that are still outstanding with Phoenix Alloys are signed and the guys are delivering on them every week, I will feel "totally" secure (whatever that means). Until then, I am grateful for my blessings, for the abundance we are experiencing every day, and for the continued blessings of the Lord.

We are headed out to Las Vegas this week. We are going down to our annual run at the National Finals Rodeo. Laurie got me tickets for my birthday this year and we are going with my parents and with Andrea and Jason (Andrea's fiancee'). I am really excited! This is the one really special thing I get to do EVERY year with my parents and Todd. It has become a tradition that we all enjoy and it truly is the best damn rodeo you have ever seen! I love rodeo, I love looking at horseflesh, and I LOVE shopping at the Cowboy Christmas trade show that happens at the Las Vegas Convention Center every year. It is Layla heaven. I am so grateful that my family "gets" me such that they support me in this thing that I love. I know they don't all love it, but they support me, and what more can I ask for? Besides, I think my parents and Todd have become quite the rodeo junkies anyway. Todd would say that he has always loved rodeo, and I know that's true, but he's way more invested now that he has surrendered to his roots. Bless him. We will see Laurie while we are there and kiss her face (and the baby Russ' face too!). Jeff and Jack will go with "Papa" to Alamo for a sleepover as Grandpa Rick will be watching them while we rodeo fan. We'll keep the Lolo with us. He needs to go to the NFR since he's free. It's gonna be a nice vacation and I am grateful for our babysitter/petsitter Courtney for taking care of our critters while we're gone.

As far as "The Chicken Letters" are concerned, there just isn't much to share. Our chickens are safely living in captivity now and, it seems, they don't have much drama unless they are roaming around "free range". They've been "cooped up" (ha, ha) since Thanksgiving week and all are healthy, happy, and fatter. We're getting 5 to 8 eggs per day (do you need any?) and they have worked out a semi-humane pecking order. Even our new ladies, Feathers Kaboom-Pellet and Parmesan, are getting along well though they are on the bottom rung. Sorry there just isn't more to tell. I am disappointed though relieved that I don't have more drama. I am sure this spring, when we are letting them range a bit again, there will be more to come. Who knows, maybe something else will happen? I pray they all stay alive and that all our critters stay healthy. We have to knock on wood around here, we have some old horses (25 and 18) and some old dogs (11 and 9). No one needs to head over Rainbow Bridge just yet.

Well, that's it. I will do more Christmas shopping when I get back from Vegas and intend to wrap up (I'm really hitting the puns today) my holiday preparations next week. I am sure we'll have stories to tell about our time down south. I hope this finds you well. If you want a Christmas Card/Letter, email me and I'll get you one. You can always catch me at laylahardy@gmail.com.

Love to you all!!

Nevada and other stuff...

Oh you're so lucky.  We won't be talking about wrestling in this week's post.  I guess that isn't good for those of you who LIKE to talk about wrestling but for those of you who don't care, GOOD FOR YOU!  There wasn't a meet because of Turkey Day.  We didn't do much in the direction of wrestling at all, so you're safe.  The truth is, this weekend is the last tournament so we're nearly done anyway and I'm looking forward to the break.  I love watching my boys go to town but seriously, it would be good to have a weekend off.  So-to-speak.

Todd got notified that his application for the Reserves has been processed and he is now "in".  The computer hasn't finished putting all the tabs into all the slots yet so he won't get his new ID card until Wednesday or Thursday but that's just the shouting.  It looks like we'll be able to go onto military insurance which is so freakin' awesome I can't even tell you!  I'll give it a shot.  Can you imagine paying $180 per month and not having any other medical costs at all?  I'm serious.  NONE.  No prescriptions, no copays, no deductibles.  NOTHING!  Awesome!  I'm so excited.  We should be covered by mil insurance by the start of next week.  Todd has his first "drill weekend" this weekend (because the processing went faster than we thought) and we're about 90% sure he'll be in Texas for all of March.  It's going very fast.  I couldn't be happier.  Things, all things, having been going so slow for about 2 years now and it's good to have something go fast.  (Well, except my kids' growth, that is really super fast.)  I'm relieved.  Yay Todd!

We had a busy week last week.  We went to Nevada to spend Thanksgiving with Todd's family in Alamo.  It is about an 8 hour drive for us.  That's not too bad because we like road trips.  Unless you're Logan, than you hate road trips.  He is anti-car seat today.  He hates car seats.  Don't give him a gun because he will shoot the car seat.  It wasn't just the end of the week that was crazy though, the first part was as well.

On Monday last week, we had the Roy City Christmas Lighting concert that I told you about.  Then Tuesday night was Bunco night for me.  That made things hectic because we had to get everything ready to go before Tuesday night because I was gone for 4 hours at Bunco (which  I love).  Bunco is a lot of fun in itself, but I actually like the "hanging-out-with-the-girls" part of Bunco more.  I love those girls.  I always have a great time.  Sometimes I laugh so hard I cry and sometimes I just have great conversations with a bunch of really amazing women.  Either way, it is something I am so grateful for and I will continue to attend as long as they will have me!  I hope they will always have me.

So anyway, after Tuesday's getting ready and my going to Bunco (there is more, but it is for the "Chicken Letters" part of this post), Todd and I passed out cold.  We got up ready and raring to go on Wednesday morning, all aboard the Mayflower.  We drove to Alamo via I-15 but had to stop in the Salt Lake area to run some metals around for Phoenix Alloys.  It is the kind of stuff that takes time and is a pain in the neck but is so valuable and important to the company.  So, while we wished we could have just hit the road straight up, we were glad to have metal to run around because it means Todd is working.

When we arrived in Alamo, we were immediately set up to do family pictures.  That's our 2nd round in less than 4 days.  I'm telling you, some of these pics we've had done have GOT to turn out...there have been so many taken!  I'm hoping to have them soon.  I'm anxious to see

 them!

After taking pics with tired, anxious, and excited kids, we retired to dinner and then staggered off to bed.  We weren't the only ones either.  Todd's sister Tawna and her husband Matt (shouts out to you seals!) have four kids and were just as whipped!  Todd's brother Rick and his wife Kristi and his sister Taura and her husband Scott were sports and helped out.  It was a lot of mocus (that is commotion and ruckus all rolled into one word) but we got 'er done!  On Thursday we woke up and had a great breakfast thanks to Todd's dad Rick and settled in for "the big cook".  We played cards, smelled the turkey and watched/listened to the kids tear up Nana's house.  It was a combination of fun and crazy.  Isn't that what family time and the holidays are about?  Once the food was done we fed the kids and fed ourselves and then fed and fed some more.  It was a lot of feeding I tell you.  I ate too much.  Todd filled up his "fat tummy" pants.  Logan was even full and I didn't feed him anymore than I normally do.  I think it was in the air.  We took some very cute pictures of Logan and Tawna's baby Ethan who is 10 weeks younger.  Here they are, working in their baby cubicles.

Logan is in the blue jammies and Ethan is in the green.  Thursday night ended around 10:00 pm for the kids via a movie and around 1:00 am for the adults via cards and food comas.  It was a good Thanksgiving, lots to be grateful for.

On Friday morning we woke up to get ready for a day in Las Vegas.  Alamo is about 90 miles north of Las Vegas and that means that Vegas is the nearest city.  It's really the nearest settlement of any size.  There are a few very small towns about 40 or 50 miles north east but they don't have anymore in the way of amenities than does Alamo so you know Vegas is gonna play a critical role.  Tawna and I woke up early to get our kids showered and dressed so that they would be out of the way of the other adults.  But something went haywire, and there was a mad scramble for showers and hot water and the like.  I don't know why.  Tawna and I thought we had a good plan but I guess all the kids getting up and getting ready spawned some kind of mad dash.  The whole thing was really silly because we didn't even need to leave for Vegas until about 10:30 am.

So here we are, fighting to stay alive in the bathroom as people give you "the look" because you are in there and everyone is working hard to get the showering done before the water goes to ice.  Seriously.  It was like calf roping and showering and hygeine all rolled into one event.  I've never seen anything like it since I moved out of my parents' house.  Even then it wasn't that crazy.

After we were all done "getting ready" there was all this sitting around and wondering what the hurry was.  Todd will want me to emphasize that he wasn't hurrying.  He was the only one in his right mind.  I think Matt was in his right mind too.  To be fair.  So anyway, we're all sitting around and thinking it's gonna be a long time before we leave.  What do we decide?  We decide to take some pics of the kids.  This is because they are all dressed up in the outfits that their "Nana" got for them when she went on an Alaskan cruise earlier this year.  Here are some of what we got...

Aren't they all adorable?  I think they were definitely done with pictures by the time we got done though.  Check Abby out in that middle pic.  All you can see are her legs.  I don't blame them.  I was done as well.  While this was all going on, we (the adults) were hungry.  Our Thanksgiving dinner-stretched stomachs were growling for MORE and most of us were pretty sure that we wouldn't be able to wait until Vegas.  Todd noted that all the cereal had been decimated by the kids and that we needed a Plan B.  I just suggested that we eat the left over rolls with peanut butter on them.  That idea went over like wild fire in southern California so people descended onto the kitchen and began the mad spreading of peanut butter upon roll after roll.  After a few minutes of chewing and groaning noises, Tawna mentioned that the peanut butter tasted a bit "different".  I said that I thought that it tasted like maybe the peanuts had been seriously roasted before being made into "butter".  There was some general shrugging and then more chewing and groaning until the rolls were gone.  Matt and Taura watched from a distance, not being tempted or hungry for our improvised breakfast.

After we were done eating, I headed to the kitchen to throw my styrofoam away and walked by the peanut butter.  I picked it up wondering what the label was, thinking that maybe the taste could be attributed to a "no name brand" type label or something.  Upon seeing that it was, in fact, "Western Family" peanut butter I decided that maybe that was why it tasted so different.  However, I turned the jar over to look at the expiration date just the same.  It turns out that our particular jar of peanut butter had expired in January of 2007.  Nearly two years ago.  Rick and Lorna (Todd's parents) don't eat peanut butter.  It doesn't agree with them.  So, they hadn't had a reason to check the date.  It didn't affect them.  It did, however, affect 4 out of 6 adults in the home that day.  Todd, Tawna, Scott, and myself were all burping, vurping (those are the little burps that make you throw up in your mouth a little bit), and tasting expired peanut butter for the rest of the day.  Suddenly, a Vegas buffet didn't sound anywhere nearly as good as a Sprite did.  Despite the "after-tasting" that went on all day, as well as the many trips to the bathroom, we survived.  Turns out that expired peanut butter isn't anywhere nearly as dangerous as other expired foodstuffs.  I wouldn't recommend it though, it whacks out your digestive tract for a few days.  Layla is thankful for fresh peanut butter.

After we got to Vegas, we went to the Las Vegas Museum of Natural History.  We all had a great time.  They had lots of neat stuffed specimens, some live sea life, hatching bamboo sharks, and dinosaurs!  It was awesome!  The kids were screaming, yelling, and running all around stuffing their little brains with knowledge.  I don't think I've ever been so fortified in Las Vegas.

If you want to see more pics, and I took a lot of cute ones, check my Facebook out.  After the museum, we caught a movie and braved TGI Fridays on Friday (it wasn't as busy as you would think) and basically had a nice day out.  We got back to Alamo late Friday night and put the kids to bed and commenced playing cards.  We were totally slap happy and it turns out that Tawna snorts when she laughs really hard.  Who am I to throw stones though?  I do the same thing.  The police came to tell us to shut the car door (how's that for tired) because there were three cats inside our car and we finally staggered off to bed at about 2:00 am.

Saturday was our originally planned trek home.  We thought about staying, decided to leave, and then waited so long to go that we ended up staying anyway because traveling through southern Nevada and southern Utah at night is inherently dangerous.  Think, "BIG GAME on the road." when I say this.  Saturday afternoon was a lot of fun with just our little family and Todd's parents.  Rick took us to the C-130 quick strip landing site there in Alamo where we shot up tin cans, water bottles, and shot gun shells with a 22 rifle and revolver.  The boys (and I) were LOVING it.

I have to say, it's been a while since I've shot a gun and I can still hit something.  One out of ten times at least.  The boys did great and learned a lot about gun safety.  That's important, considering that where we live is very rural and there are lots of guns around.  Not my house, but others...

After we were done there, we went further up the dirt road to Box Canyon where Todd spent his childhood bouldering around on huge slabs of sedimentary mudstone.  What an awesome place it is.  We decided to get out of the car (leaving Logan with Nana, of course) and to go bouldering up the canyon to a rock that has been hollowed out by the wind and rain of time.

Believe it or not, this rock is about 200 feet above the desert floor and is pretty intense.  To give you an idea of the height, the car we came in is viewable behind Todd on his left.  It was a nice opportunity for Todd to share some of his childhood with Jeffrey and Jackson as well as to  give them some cool memories of their own!

Saturday night was for card playing, college football watching, and rest.  We had a nice time and went to bed at a decent time (for a change).  We got up early Sunday, showered, packed, and headed home.  It was a lovely day for the drive and Logan was good and tired when we left.  We went through all the areas of southern Nevada that remind Todd of his youth, stopping to document our transition from Nevada to Utah.

We stopped in Cedar City (where Todd and I met and spent our first year of college and the first 4 months of our marriage) to show the boys where their dad played college football and where he broke his back.  

We ate lunch and continued north through horrendous traffic.  I can't believe how bad it was!  By the time we got to Payson, we were actually stopping and starting on I-15.  That is crazy to me!  We got home at about 7:00 pm last night to our home and animals, all lovingly cared for by our wonderful babysitter/pet sitter Courtney!  What will we do when she graduates from high school this year?  I guess hire her brother Logan.  He has a nice name.  So we are home and are catching up.  It is gonna be a busy week ahead, but no rest for the weary.

A short installment into "The Chicken Letters" this week.  I am sure I told you about General Tso's unfortunate gunshot wound.  She is healing nicely and is back to her old self.  It turns out that the wound wasn't as bad as it could have been and she will persevere, purple heart and all.  I wish I could say that the story ended there but it doesn't.  When I went to Bunco on Tuesday night, I was telling my neighbors about the modifications that Todd was putting on the coop so that the chickens weren't ranging anymore (they work great by the way).  I told them that after General Tso was shot, that was the end of it and we were gonna put our chickens in their place.  My chicken affectionate neighbor (aforementioned when referencing mouse bait) put her hands over her face and moaned, "Brad confessed to me last night.  He shot your chicken."  She felt bad.  I told her the General was going to be okay but she said that Brad felt "like a fool" and wanted to make restitution.  It turns out that he had already gone out and purchased two chickens to replace some of our lost flock.  I asked her when he was going to bring them over and she explained that it was "his thing".  Come Wednesday morning, we saw Brad jump into a friend's truck and drive away so we figured he would either be putting the chickens in our coop or that he would be housing them himself until we got back.  Apparently he was so embarrassed that he let his temper get the best of him so that he shot at the General AND that he had run away when Todd yelled at him (he, he) that he didn't really want to face us.  I told my friend to tell him not to worry but again, it was "his thing".  So, I didn't press the issue.

When we got home last night we found that we have two new members.  It looks like they are a couple of older Rhode Island Red hens who are missing a few feathers.  I thought that our chickens had removed their feathers during some hazing but it turns out that they came that way.  I hope that they are either molting or were living with a nasty rooster and that their feathers will grow in as they find our home to be a healthy and safe environment.  The other chickens seem to be accepting them alright and I am sure we can take good care of them.  I hope they don't have parasites.  If they do, we'll take it on.  Either way, we have two new layers.  I am happy about that and I'm always happy to put animals who have been in a rough environment into a better one (mine).  I think they will eventually thrive here.  They seem very scared and are having a rough time feeling comfortable.  With patience and lots of care, I am sure they will soon feel at home.  We have decided to name one Feathers Kaboom (ironic, considering the feather issue) but haven't quite decided on the other one's name.  We will, as I am sure you know, keep you posted.  Here they are, rough looking and all...

Feathers Kaboom is the one missing feathers on her head (smaller comb) and the other one's wing feathers are looking weird.  I wish they would stop being so scared!  

Other than that, Terri, our dog-injured chicken, is back in with the flock and has secured her spot with her old girls.  Look at her tail feathers growing back in!  She is doing well and I'm sure she'll be all the better for her trails.  

Aren't we all?  So, the chicken drama this week ends up being "good" drama.  That is, provided the "new" chickens aren't missing feathers due to parasites.  I'm crossing my fingers that the weather is too cold for parasites.

Well, that's it!  A lot, I know.  I'm okay with it.  If you aren't, don't read, just look at the pics.  I am happy to say we are attending my nephew Roman's birthday party, planning to decorate for Christmas, instituting a new work out regimen, and watching Logan continue to grow in his mobility (he pulls up solidly now, no more capital N) this week.  I hope to see some of you around this week.  Either way, much love to you and we'll post to you next week, watch for updates!  Happy December!

And the holidays commence...

Hey Everybody.  What a week it has been since our last update.  I am not sure where to start, but maybe the best place is with the best news.  Todd got a call last week from a Major Paladino with the 419th reserve unit at Hill AFB here in Layton and he wanted to meet with Todd ASAP.  He was very excited to meet Todd and, it seems, he got ahold of Todd's resume and reserve application from a recruiter that Todd was working with about a year ago when he was on the hunt for a full time Air Force Reserves job.  Of course Todd isn't available for full time employment anymore but Major Paladino wasn't looking for a full time troop anyway.  It turns out that he has been on the look out for an officer to come in and work as his Operations Officer which, in Air Force speak, is the second in command!  What an honor!  

I'm not fully versed in the way the reserves work.  We all know that reservists are supposed to work 1 weekend a month and 2 weeks per year and that they are to stand ready should our full time active duty troops need some help.  It turns out that some reservists work "part time", some just do "drill weekend", and some work "full time".  It looks like Todd will be working on drill weekends as well as some hours part time when the Major needs his help with things around the squadron.  The squadron is 178 people strong and is a maintenance unit that works on F-16s.  As most of you know, Todd worked on A-10s when he was an enlisted troop and already has a maintenance patch.  However, his officer training was in logistics so he'll need to go to Texas and Shepard AFB some time in the near future for four weeks of maintenance officer training so that he has all the right credentials.  Other than that, he is (and I quote) "exactly what [Major Paladino] needs."  We are very excited.  Not only will this be of financial support (major tithing blessing here) but it will also be good for Todd's psyche and his soul.  If you know Todd well at all, you know that he loved serving in the military and has been feeling it's absence since he separated in mid-2006.  We are all very excited about this.  He should be fully processed into the reserves by December 15th.  He will be meeting with the other officers and the group commander on December 6th for drill weekend so that everyone can become acquainted.  Between that and his duck hunting escapades the past few days, he is in heaven.

Jeffrey and Jackson are excited that there are only two school days this week and that one of them is a "short" day, meaning that they only attend for part of the day.  From what I can tell, they are partying for most of their time at school.  I am Jackson's room mother and I know he is in for a great time because we have scads of "indian" food for his party.  Of course it's not Indian food as in food from India.  They will be eating popcorn, craisins, corn nuts, raisins, beef jerky, and other foods the Native American tribes would have enjoyed.  He is quite excited, especially about the popcorn.  Jeff said that his class was having a potluck but I have no idea what they are doing because we didn't send anything as a contribution (we weren't asked).  We'll see what he has to say after school today.

They are still wrestling and had a really good meet last Friday at Weber High School. They are both getting better and better with every week.  I am so impressed with how strong, coordinated, and intense they are.  Neither of them likes to lose and so they rarely do.  As I've said before, it discomforts me how much emotion goes into this whole thing and I rarely see a bout go without crying or extreme upset, either on the part of my boy or the one he is wrestling.  

I know Jeffrey is incredibly frustrating for many of the boys he wrestles because he can't be pinned and they are 2 and 3 years into this whole thing and are used to being able to pin their opponent.

Jeffrey wrestled three of the toughest kids he has faced yet and ended up in a three-way tie for first place.  We are very proud of his accomplishment!  

Jackson got pretty frustrated this last time around because the boy he was wrestling couldn't pin him and nearly refused to finish the bout.  His opponent started crying and wailing and his frustration just confused and upset Jackson so much that he didn't want to go on.  

Todd and I spent some time with him and he bucked up and finished the bout but didn't want to continue to wrestle.  He kept telling me that his Dad "Didn't know what he was talking about with wrestling."  and that "None of the stuff he told him to do would work." and that "He wasn't good enough to keep going."  I was quite surprised because the whole problem with the previous bout was that he was SO good that the boy he was wrestling wasn't able to beat him.  I am starting to think he's like his mom a little bit.  He was feeling and projecting the other boy's feelings and it was really getting him down.  We talked and I explained that if he didn't keep going and keep practicing that he wouldn't ever be good.  I told him that lots of times we aren't good at things right away, we have to work to be good.  After a few minutes of "thumb therapy" in my arms, Jackson decided to finish the meet.  He did a great job and ended up finishing second in the bracket.  I was so proud of him!  

That's two places he's jumped in one week!  What a stalwart little guy!

Jeff is also very into choir these days.  He's finally old enough to sing in the choir (3rd grade is the youngest grade that can sing in the choir) and he and his elementary school choir sang at the Christmas lighting ceremonies for Roy City last night.  He was such an animated singer and had so much fun.  That, of course, made him lots of fun to watch and I just couldn't get enough of him!  Too bad that they only sang 3 songs and then were finished.  I am looking forward to watching him sing at the Joseph Smith Memorial, Hogle Zoo, and the Newgate Mall this season.  It will be so much fun to see him growing himself in this way and I am so glad he likes it so much!

Logan is going to prove me wrong.  Isn't that what kids are good for anyway?  It looks like he may crawl after all.  He's been doing that thing where he gets up on his hands and knees and rocks back and forth.  "Motor revving" I like to call it.  Once he figures out how to move his hands forward, and then his legs, he'll be off and then I'll be frenzied!  I'm looking forward to it, just because I think he'll be a much happier baby when he can move himself around.  He's a pretty jovial guy anyway, but never underestimate the power of mobility.  He has figured out how to clap since last week and he's been waving for about a month and a half now.  I'm thinking that as his coordination in hand gestures improves, his communication will improve.  I hope Jeff doesn't teach him how to swear with his hands.  We did some family pictures with my parents and Denise's family last weekend and he was so funny the whole time.  He was irritated when we had him pose sitting but when we stood him up, he was a total camera ham.  I took him to get some pictures done at a studio the day before and he was a ham the whole entire time.  So maybe he wasn't frustrated by the sitting.  Maybe he just didn't enjoy sharing the spotlight.  Who knows?  Either way, I should have some dang cute pictures to post next time.  He is a photogenic baby and loves to perform, so we shall see how they go over...

Utah won this past week.  Need I say more?  I probably should state that they won 48-24 and that is pretty dang awesome.  I love the Utes.  It looks like they are up for a BCS bowl now and we are just (impatiently) waiting until December 7th to find out who and where we play.  We may go to the game if it is the Fiesta Bowl in Phoenix but any other bowl is too far away for us to be able to justify going.  We are super excited and are proud of our team.  You'll be able to tell when you get our Christmas cards and I'm not letting any more out of the bag.

We are headed to Alamo for Thanksgiving with the Hardys this week.  We will be leaving Wednesday and coming home Sunday.  I'm excited to spend time with all of them and to let our kids play together.  I'm hoping that we spend lots of time telling stories, playing cards, and enjoying one another.  That is what the holidays are about for me and I am sure hoping we can do lots of it this week.  I will be sure to take lots of pictures so I can post them next time.

The most recent installment of "The Chicken Letters" is jam-packed with drama.  I don't have much story to tell, just some incidents to relay.  Our adventure chicken "Kung Pow" was at it again this week.  Unfortunately, she has met her demise.  I am sad.  I love Kung Pow.  Such spirit, in a creature that epitomizes fear (i.e. the term "chicken"), is rare.  Due to her ranging and her "adventure chicken" ways, Kung Pow is pecking and scratching and laying her green eggs in haystacks on high.  She always did push the envelope and I'm afraid that she pushed it into my neighbors garage where she may have sampled mouse bait.  I don't know this for sure but I found her dead, after she acted strangely for two days, in her coop.  No wounds, no feather loss.  I am pretty sure that the mouse bait got her because my neighbor (who is sweet and bears NO chicken malice) told me she was afraid that it may have happened.  Then to find a seemingly healthy Kung Pow dead two days later is too much coincidence.  RIP Kung Pow Adventure Chicken.  You are missed.  That is not all my chicken drama this week.  It seems we have a double dose.  Yesterday Todd was out "chicken herding" because the little rangers found themselves at the neighbors again.  Not wanting them to meet the same fate as Kung Pow and, wanting to respect our neighbors' landscaping, we are trying to keep them in the yard.  As he was chicken herding, her heard a loud "pop!" and saw General Tso fly up in the air and cackle as if she had been shot.  He shouted out reflexively and then ran around the building he was in front of but didn't see anyone around.  Thinking he must have mis-heard, he drove the chickens home and came inside.  Later that day I couldn't find the General anywhere.  I was concerned, considering the story Todd had told me, so I started looking in all of the chicken "hiding places" we have.  I found her under the horse trailer looking miserable.  I chased her out only to chase her under the coop.  After getting her to come out of there I caught her and found a small spot of blood on her leg where it joins her body.  She is limping badly as well and it does seem that General Tso deserves a purple heart.  She has been shot.  We are thinking a high powered BB Gun or Pellet gun probably got her.  Due to this recent string of events, we have decided that it does not serve our chickens (or, obviously our neighbors) to "free range".  It seems that they are more trouble for everyone than anyone had thought they would be.  Todd and I are building a completely enclosed yard for them and will have it done before we head south for the holiday.  I am hoping that it will end the sadder chicken drama and that, after this, we will only have flock drama that is more like a soap opera than a war on chickens.  I'm tired of losing chickens.  While the General is okay and I think she'll make it after a few days' convalescence, I don't want to lose anymore.  I love the General and Kung Pow was very close to my heart.  I would rather we keep them penned and keep them period than that we continue to let them range and lose them.  I don't know how I'll ever get up the gumption to kill and eat them in a few year.  Todd says that as long as they are producing eggs, they are safe so I will pray that their production goes on forever...or until I am tired of them.  Here is a picture of General Tso...send good thoughts her way, she needs them!

Well, that's it!  We are off to Nevada to bulk up our waistlines!  I am so grateful for so much this season.  As Thanksgiving is about what we are grateful for, I will list here something from each of us that represents what we are grateful for this year.  Todd is grateful for family and for new opportunities.  Layla is grateful for healthy family and tithing blessings.  Jeffrey is grateful for his friends and family.  Jackson is grateful for "Indian Day" at school.  Logan is grateful for the Johnny Jump Up and for the fact that his Mommy will still nurse him.

May you consider all that you are grateful for this season and enjoy the friends, family, and rest that comes upon you.  Remember, we are so grateful for each of you and wish a very Happy Thanksgiving to you!

Cheers!

November isn't just for Thanksgiving

I find that November is a busy month.  I'm not talking about what people are used to with November busy-ness, I'm talking about extra busy-ness.  You know, the kind you don't regularly take into account when you're thinking about Thanksgiving, Christmas shopping, and raking leaves.  There is all this extra stuff to do in November that I don't think about.  It's biting me in the butt so far.  Don't get me wrong.  A lot of the stuff, I love to do and to be a part of.  It's the extra stuff combined with the regular stuff that tempts me to feel overwhelmed.

It seems like every November I get some Sha-nasty cold.  I should automatically budget in about 4 days for sickness every November.  Now, my "training" tells me that to do that would be to "create the space" for myself to get sick.  However, history shows me that I get a cold every November and that about 2 out of three years it just kicks my butt.  This is the case this past week.  I am still quite yucky today but I feel like I'm on the climb out.  I actually fed animals this morning.  That's a bonus.  Especially to Todd.  So, back to my point, this past week I have been quite sick.  Still a Mom, still a wife, still a sister, a daughter, a friend, and sick.  While I did a lot of things that were fun and that I loved this past week, it's been rough and I have to wonder, did I get anything done to prepare for the "regular" November stuff?  The answer is NO.  I still have no idea what Christmas is going to look like.  I don't know what we're getting the kids, what Santa will be contributing, what family will be getting.  I am up in the night.  Thanksgiving is going to be in Alamo this year.  We have planned our travel days (loosely) but not securely and I don't know what we are responsible for, if anything.  I also haven't budgeted (ack!) for it. So...maybe I'm using the "extra busy-ness" to avoid the "planned busy-ness"?  Now, that's an idea.

Anywho...this week was busy, sick, and GREAT.  We had a rough Monday because we hit the ground skidding for some reason (sick) but the days after that only got better.  Did I tell you we were sick?  Alright, I'll leave it alone.  Todd and Jeff had pack meeting this week and Jeff earned his Geology belt loop.  He is amassing quite a collection of belt loops for his uniform. What a haul he is getting!  

He is on track to earn his Wolf badge at pack meeting in December or January which is right on time, considering that he'll be moving into Bears when he turns 9 at the end of December. He is enjoying scouts as Todd is enjoying being the Cub Master.  I have fun being the Bear Den Leader because even though Jeff has been in Wolves, I have been working with the Wolf Den to get some of my Bears their Wolf badges before they move on to Webelos.  I have been able to work closely with Jeff and we'll have even more fun when he's a Bear.  Todd likes that I'm the Bear Den Leader.  It means he's my boss about yet another thing.  The Lord loves to remind me of my place. :-)

Todd has been sick, as has Logan this past week, though I think they went through the worst of it last weekend.  They are both feeling much better and seem to be nearly through the forest.  I am jealous.  I am even more jealous of Jeff, he hasn't been sick at all!  Todd's been stalwart throughout.  This week has been busy for him:  Pack Meeting, a trip to Roosevelt, a couple of big deals with work, and wrestling to oversee.  I also threw the kids in his lap twice when I took my dear friend Andrea out for her birthday and when I attended a monthly "Girls' Nite Out" this past week.  Lots of Hamburger Helper at our house.  He's a champ.  I honestly couldn't have picked a better dad for my kids.  He is awesome and so supportive!  He starts school again this week and will be that much closer to his Master's degree.  Six more classes (including this one) and he's there!  I'm so proud of him!   He's also got more going on with Phoenix Alloys and, as always, wrestling.

Jeff and Jackson both got their report cards and I met with their teachers this week.  It turns out that they are smart.  I know, it's a shocker.  Jeff's scores on his CORE test for last year was a 4.  That is the highest score possible.  As we tracked the individual test scores down the page, there were mostly 100% marks with a few mid-90%s and 1 88%.  He obviously grasped 2nd grade very well.  He is doing fairly well this year.

I guess the method for testing reading has changed this year and he has been struggling to get used to it.  His teacher says that is true for all of the kids in her class.  I have a hard time believing that is the actual truth.  I asked her how a 3rd grader who reads at a 6th grade level and is one of the two best readers in her class can be getting an 85% in reading and she told me that bit about the testing.  I think she has realized that the way she was teaching it wasn't really working.  She did say that they are "getting it now" and that she "expects all of their 

scores to be better from now on" so I guess I won't press her too hard, unless that isn't true.  His first test of the second term was a 90% so I guess we'll go with that.  I am watching though.  He is doing A work in math and spelling though he has struggled a bit in citizenship.  Jeff was swinging on bathroom doors and getting "physical" at recess earlier in the term and I know that has affected his grade.  We have a new system in place that should help him remember how to behave though.  I am praying he is growing out of this because if he isn't, his life is going to change drastically for him.  He is such a smart boy, he knows better than to act out.  I expect him to behave as well as he can think.  Is that really too much to ask?  I'm thinking he needs more responsibility...

Jackson's report card showed what we already know, that he is bright and eager to learn.  He is still working on knowing which sounds go with which letters.  Sometimes I worry that he isn't "already there".  Then I remember that he turned 5 two days before he started Kindergarten.  He is young and busy and just hasn't had the pre-school I wished he would have.  I have truly seen what value that has to offer a child the year before Kindergarten.  I will be sure to get the rest of my brood into pre-school before they go into Kindergarten.  

Whatever it takes.  Mrs. Cragun (Jackson's teacher) told me that he is so great for her class.  He is friendly with everyone and gets along at all times.  He is a wiggle-worm but works hard to do better and that he is always smiling and happy.  She says that he is a major sunshine in her room every day.  I know how she feels.  I feel the same way about him in our family.  I have told Jackson, nearly every day since we had him 5 years ago, "Thank you so much for coming to our family." and I have meant it.  He is a such a blessing.

Logan, aka "Crazy Larry", is cutting another tooth.  It's his right second incisor on the top and it is KILLING HIM!  Just ask him.  He has had quite the week this week as he's been coming out of his first cold (no croup), is getting proficient at getting around (even though it isn't crawling), and that darned tooth!  

Logan isn't going to crawl.  I don't think he is.  I think he's just going to lay on his belly and do "The Worm" to get where he's going.  That's really what he does.  He does that 80's breakdancing move "The Worm".  Seriously.  I'm not too worried about it because I'm pretty sure he won't still be doing it when it's time for him to start Kindergarten.  If he is still doing it then, it mostly likely won't be his primary mode of transportation.  I call Logan "Crazy Larry" this week because of two things.  

First, his hair.  It's is CRAZY.  I took the other three boys to get their hair cut and was tempted to cut his but I just couldn't get myself to do it.  I LOVE baby hair.  Even crazy baby hair.  So it has stayed and it is crazy.  The second reason is the wobbling.  He won't crawl but, if there is a person or other solid object around, Logan is all about pulling up.  He pulls up on anyone or anything that will let him.  However, he isn't real solid and can't always get his legs over by the thing he has pulled up on.  So sometimes he just stands like he's making a lowercase "N" and whines until someone rescues him.  We are all good at rescuing him so he doesn't stand there for long.  When he does get straight up, he wobbles all around.  Too much motion in the ocean.  Too much swivel in his hips.  With his hair waving all around him on top and his hips shuckin' and jivin' down low...he's Crazy Larry.  That's all there is to it.

In addition to Logan's antics, Jeff and Jackson had another wrestling meet this weekend.  It was at Layton High School and was absolutely ridiculous.  Logan and I chose out after 2 and a half hours of uncontrolled chaos (I was promised controlled chaos), Logan throwing up on my pants, me having a fever, and still no wrestling for either of my boys.  It was very poorly organized.  I just couldn't do it anymore.  I am sad I missed their matches but I was too overstimulated and wiped out.  Too sick!  My mom and dad got to watch and they took some great pics. 

I will post them on my Facebook site if you want to see more of them.  The good news is that they both had great success.  Jeff won first place in his bracket and Jackson won fourth.  For a couple of dudes wrestling seasoned veterans in their first year, I'd say that's dang good.  They have both been wearing their medals for three days straight.  Taking them off only to sleep and to shower.  Todd and I had the fight of our lives today when Jackson insisted on wearing his to school.  Needless to say, the medal sits on his dresser now as he is at school but it won't be there for long.  I predict that it will be back around Jackson's neck at 3:25 pm.

We went to Johnson's Mill in Midway on Saturday afternoon to celebrate Jen's birthday with Jeff, Jen, my mom and dad, and Jen's family.  It was a lot of fun and she is 30 years old now!  I know she loves that I am publishing that.  She is so happy to be 30.  What can you say?  I am older so I HAVE to rub it in.

Jeffrey and Jackson spent a great deal of time wrestling with Jen's brothers Justin and Nate.  They were relentless and all I can say is "Thank you Justin and Nate for wearing them out."  They were asleep before we left the Heber Valley on Saturday night.  I am glad to see how much my bro still loves his sweet wife.  I would go so far as to say he loves her more now than he ever has.  I love that he went all out for her birthday and that he did his best to celebrate it in a way that made the day special to her so that she felt special.  I think that the best thing I could wish for them is a stable and happy marriage.  As they prepare to bring their first child into the world in May, I know that baby will be part of an already happy family.  That brings me great joy.  I am happy for Jeff and Jen, they deserve this happiness they are finding. I hope that neither Justin nor Nate has lasting bruises from Saturday.  If they do, I guess that's what they get for doing "the leg grab" and playing "bucking bronco" with two of the most energetic boys the world has ever seen!

While I know this is long and, let's be honest it probably will be every week;  I need to make an installment into "The Chicken Letters".  Todd and I noticed on Friday afternoon that our healthy Buff Orpington hen "Gertie" was missing.  We looked and looked everywhere and found everyone else but just couldn't find her.  She was MISSING!  Oh no!  There were no feathers, no carnage, so what had happened?  Todd assured me that she was just too far out ranging for me to see and that she would show up to roost at sunset.  However, when sunset came, there was no Gertie.  I was sad.  I love Gertie.  Heck, I love them all but Gertie clucks the loudest when she lays an egg and it is so darn cute!  Todd told me that she would show up Saturday, not to worry.  Well, as you know, Saturday was crazy so when she wasn't out there in the morning with the others, we couldn't stay to look for her.  We just decided to have faith that she would find her way home.  We spent all day and all evening gone and then, when we got home at 11:30 pm Saturday, we checked and still no Gertie.  I was getting sad.  To make matters worse, when I counted the chickens in the coop, we were missing yet another mature hen, our "Adventure Chicken" "Kung Pow" was gone!  Terror!  Kung Pow is an awesome chicken.  If she could bungee jump, base jump, and sky dive, she totally would.  I was just heartbroken. Two chickens in two days!  I was starting to get paranoid.  Is someone "whacking" our chickens one at a time?  Is someone picking them off?  What did we do to deserve this?  I went to bed sad and lonely for Gertie and Kung Pow.  I couldn't help but think, "Who would be buying the farm tomorrow?" so-to-speak.  The next day, we checked off and on all day.  No Gertie.  No Kung Pow.  Where were they?  I had about given up on them and Todd was outside feeding everyone and putting everyone away for the night while I fixed dinner when he burst through the door and yelled, "I found 'em!"  I was so excited!  "Both of them?"  I yelled.  "Yeah!  C'mon, come see!"  So I ran outside with Logan attached at the hip and a jacket for both of us and there they were, drinking water like no tomorrow.  They looked okay.  They were a little slow and weak but they were okay.  When I asked Todd where they were he told me that when he moved the last bale of hay in the row he had been feeding from he saw a head and when he looked closer, he saw it was Gertie.  Stuck in the haystack.  He reached in and pulled her out and set her by the food to eat.  When he came back around to look back further in the haystack, Kung Pow came flying out.  Yay!  Our chickens are back home to roost!  (Say nothing of the fact that they never left.)  I don't really know what to say except that chickens are the dumbest animals I have ever seen and if your chickens ever go missing, check the haystack.  Besides having our whole flock home now, there is one more funny piece.  In the haystack, where Gertie had been for nearly 3 days and where Kung Pow had been for about 24 hours, there were 4 eggs.  3 brown (Gertie) and 1 green (Kung Pow).  How awesome are they?  Stuck, hungry, thirsty, but still laying their little hearts out.  I love 'em.  Here is a picture of Gertie and one of Kung Pow.  Gertie is the orange chicken and Kung Pow is brown.  This gives you an idea of what I am dealing with every day in my "Chicken Letters".  I told you it was daily drama.  The horses don't ever do this stuff.

This week we gear up for the Holy War.  I hate to say it (well, not really) but BYU is going DOWN!  It's inevitable.  I plan to have friends and family over to watch the game and I am sure this will be the clincher for our beloved Utes.  They will walk away with the Mountain West Conference title.  Until then, I will enjoy a few more wrestling practices, Scout Den Meeting, lunch with a friend or two, volunteering in Jackie's class, date night with Todd, and Logan, Logan, Logan.  Oh, and some chicken drama.  Always chicken drama.  I hope it's not bad this week.  I will keep you posted!  See you next week.