Sister Hall's last dinner with us

These are theSister Missionaries. I adore them! Sister Hall is the one in the middle. She is such an awesome lady! She goes home this Wednesday. We will miss her. The other two are just as great. Sister Adams (in the blue) is so cute. She compared me to her mom. (which is always a compliment) She said I was just like her. I asked her how old her mom was..she said "Oh.. 49...like you...." She aged me 10 years. I tease her about it all the time..Anyway..Godspeed Sister Hall.Well done!

OUCH!!!

These are the latest in Footwear fashion from Italy and France...OUCH! (except I kinda like the red!)

Irish Beef Stew

This recipe serves: 8
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients
3 lbs. beef stew meat, (top round) cut into 2-inch cubes
Salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
Flour for dredging
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 sprigs thyme
1 bay leaf
12 ounces beer, ale or lager
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 cups diced, canned tomatoes, with their juices
4 cups low-sodium beef broth
4 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 large Russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup frozen peas
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Cooking Instructions
1. Season the beef with salt and pepper. Dredge it in flour and shake off the excess.
2. Heat the olive oil in a heavy soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear the meat on all sides. Adjust the heat so that the meat browns well, but does not burn.
3. Add the onions, garlic, thyme and bay leaf and cook 2 minutes more. Add the beer. Stir with a wooden spoon to release any caramelized bits that may be stuck to the bottom of the pan and cook until the beer is almost completely evaporated.
4. Add the Worcestershire sauce, the tomatoes with their juices and the beef broth and bring to a boil. Adjust the heat so that the stew simmers. Cook until the meat is tender, about 1 hour.
5. Add the carrots and potatoes and cook until the vegetables are completely tender, about 15 minutes more. Add the peas and continue cooking until they are warmed through, about 5 minutes.
6. Adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper, remove the thyme sprigs and bay leaf and serve in a deep tureen garnished with parsley

You think you've had a bad day?

The Pitbull Lost
Score: Porcupine 1, Pitbull 0
A pitbull was in his backyard in southern California,
minding his own business....until this procupine
invaded his territory. The brave, but stupid pitbull,
immediately challenged the porcupine!
Bad decision...the porcupine won this short contest.

A vet sedated the dog, and then removed a total
of 1,347 quills. The dog survived, and hopefully
learned a valuable lesson.
Now, tell me you had a bad day!!

If you have a son:

25 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW IF YOU HAVE A SON

1. A king size waterbed holds enough water to fill a 2000 square foot house 4 inches deep.
2. If you spray hair spray on dust bunnies and run over them with roller blades, they can (and probably will) ignite.
3. A 6-year old boy's voice is louder that 200 adults in a crowded restaurant.
4. If you hook a dog leash over a ceiling fan, the motor is not strong enough to rotate a 42 pound boy wearing Batman underwear and a Superman cape. It is strong enough, however, if tied to a paint can, to spread paint on all four walls of a 20 x 20 foot room.
5. You should not throw baseballs up when the ceiling fan is on. When using a ceiling fan as a bat, you have to throw the ball up in the air a few times before you get a hit. A ceiling fan can hit a baseball a long way!
6. The glass in windows (even double-pane) doesn't stop a baseball hit by a ceiling fan.
7. When you hear the toilet flush and the words 'uh oh', it's already too late
8. Brake fluid mixed with Clorox makes smoke, and lots of it.
9. A 6-year old boy can start a fire with a flint rock even though a 35-year old man says they can only do it in the movies.
10. Certain Lego's will pass through the digestive tract of a 4-year old boy.
11. Playdough and microwave should not be used in the same sentence.
12. Super glue is forever!
13. No matter how much Jell-O you put in a swimming pool you still can't walk on water.
14. Pool filters do not like Jell-O
15. VCR's do not eject PB&J sandwiches even though TV commercials show they do.
16. Garbage bags do not make good parachutes.
17. Marbles in gas tanks make lots of noise when driving.
18. You probably DO NOT want to know what that odor is.
19. Always look in the oven before you turn it on; action figures do not like ovens.
20. The fire department in Fallon, NV has a five-minute response time.
21. The spin cycle on the washing machine does not make earthworms dizzy.
22. It will, however, make a Jack Russell Terrier dizzy.
23. Jack Russell Terriers throw up twice their body weight when dizzy.
24. 80% of women will pass this on to almost all of their friends, with or without boys!
25. 90% of men who read this will try mixing Clorox and brake fluid.


Remember: Mothers with boys work from SON up to SON down!

it's a Dog Day afternoon

Here's our puppy....Isn't he getting so big?

Here's Bear enjoying the outside..without Scout attacking him!

Lesson Learned!

A lesson that should be taught in all schools!

Back in September of 2005, on the first day of school, Martha Cothren, a social studies school teacher at Robinson High School in Little Rock , did something not to be forgotten.

On the first day of school, with the permission of the school superintendent, the principal and the building supervisor, she removed all of the desks out of her classroom.

When the first period kids entered the room they discovered that there were no desks.

Looking around, confused, they asked,"Ms. Cothren, where're our desks?"

She replied, "You can't have a desk until you tell me what you have done to earn the right to sit at a desk."

They thought, "Well, maybe it's our grades."

"No," she said.

Maybe it's our behavior."

She told them, "No, it's not even your behavior.

And so, they came and went, the first period, second period, third period.

Still no desks in the classroom.

By early afternoon television news crews had started gathering in Ms. Cothren's classroom to report about this crazy teacher who had taken all the desks out of her room.

The final period of the day came and as the puzzled students found seats on the floor of the deskless classroom.

Martha Cothren said, "Throughout the day no one has been able to tell me just what he/she has done to earn the right to sit at the desks that are ordinarily found in this classroom.

Now I am going to tell you."

At this point, Martha Cothren went over to the door of her classroom and opened it.

Twenty-seven (27) U.S. Veterans, all in uniforms, walked into that classroom, each one carrying a school desk.

The Vets began placing the school desks in rows,

and then they would walk over and stand alongside the wall.

By the time the last soldier had set the final desk in place those kids started to understand, perhaps for the first time in their lives, just how the right to sit at those desks had been earned.

Martha said, "You didn't earn the right to sit at these desks. These heroes did it for you.

They placed the desks here for you.

Now, it's up to you to sit in them.

It is your responsibility to learn,

to be good students,

to be good citizens.

They paid the price so that you could have the freedom to get an education.

Don't ever forget it."

By the way, this is a true story... .

If you can read this, thank a teacher. If you read it in English, thank a soldier.

The weekly update

Hi to all! It's Sunday and we all know what that means..The weekly update from the Caufields! We've had a wonderful weekend! I was so glad to for last week to be over! Friday night I got to go over to Pam's! Seriously, Pam is so AWESOME!!! She and Courtney bought Dance Dance Revolution (from here on referred to as DDR) I was invited over to play. Courtney (from here on referred to as Jiggy Jiggy or JJ) has some of her friends over so we watched them for awhile. When they went outside, we took center stage. Even Casey got in on the act! It was fun..Pam is on her way to Soul Train! (Casey is an honorary River Dancer) The kids came back in so we listened to them sing songs from High School Musical. Because I have a 6 year old BOY, I have yet to actually watch High School Musical! (one of these days I'll send Macen and Grant to the club and I'll pop in the DVD) I got to hear stories of Pam and Casey's family. It was so great. I had the best time. Casey really needs to write a book!
Saturday, we took the dogs to the dog park in town. Grant ran them so much that they tried to hide the tennis balls so he wouldn't throw them anymore! We then went on a walk around the little pond and Macen decided he wants to learn how to fish. I'll keep you updated on that!
Daylight Savings came a little too early for my liking. I had an early church meeting and when the alarm went off I thought I was going to die! I swear I had just gone to bed! Church was wonderful, and the primary sang Happy Birthday to Macen! He thought that was awesome!
The rest of today has been wonderful.(Chan and Steve, as you can see the Nebraska sweatshirt you gave Macen is his favorite!) My house is a mess . I decided that it was more important to play with my family. (Don't worry Mom, I'll clean it tomorrow)The EC Best carnival is this Thursday so check back on Friday for more pictures! Thanks again for checking out my blog. I hope you enjoy it! Make sure you check out the thought for the week, and take the poll...Have a wonderful week!

GREAT DAY!

I WANT YOU......TO HAVE A GREAT DAY!!!!

Hi all...It's a beautiful day here in Fallon! I think spring is finally here! (I love spring) Here's a belated Happy Birthday to Dodge! We went to his party on Wednesday night! For those of you who don't read my blog very much, he's our local hero..2 tours to Iraq since I've been here!

The party was awesome but I didn't get a chance to talk to him much! Pam, Courtney, and I were playing Dance Revolution! Okay..Pam and I tried to play Dance Revolution..we ended up being back ground dancers! Courtney, on the other hand, totally kicks butt! Like I said, we had a great time, and I didn't even mind missing American Idol! Well, it's Friday and I'm off to the school store! I hope you all have a GREAT DAY..just like the dog said!

The Future

"In my quiet moments, I think of the future with all of its wonderful possibilities and with all of its terrible temptations.
I wonder what will happen to you in the next 10 years.
Where will you be? What will you be doing?
That will depend on the choices you make, some of which may seem unimportant at the time but which will have tremendous consequences."

(Gordon B. Hinckley)

Happy Birthday Daddy

Here he is..The main man, big daddy, the alpha male! This is my dad! He's 69 years old today! He looks much younger don't you think? He's quite the amazing man. He's taken the family on so many adventures! My favorite trip he took us on was to Boston. (I believe it was the year he ran the marathon. ) We got to go to all the historic sights. I think I got my love of history from him! I love you dad! Happy Happy Birthday!!

A penny

My mom sent me this thought the other day. It stayed on my mind for awhile, and then I got busy doing other things. Yesterday, I was having an off day. I had so many things going on I thought I would go crazy. As I was getting dressed I looked down, and there on my side of the bed was a shiny penny. My moms thought rushed back in my mind and I realized how very true it was. I won't tell you that my day stopped being crazy, but I realized that I always have someone to lean on.....Have a seat and read this thought..I think you'll realize that there are "Penny's from Heaven"


You always hear the usual stories of pennies on the sidewalk being good luck, gifts from angels, etc. This is the first time I've ever heard this twist on the story. Gives you something to think about.

Several years ago, a friend of mine and her husband were invited to spend the weekend at the husband's employer's home. My friend, Arlene, was nervous about the weekend. The boss was very wealthy, with a fine home on the waterway, and cars costing more than her house.

The first day and evening went well, and Arlene was delighted to have this rare glimpse into how the very wealthy live. The husband's employer was quite generous as a host and took them to the finest restaurants. Arlene knew she would never have the opportunity to indulge in this kind of extravagance again, so was enjoying herself immensely.

As the three of them were about to enter an exclusive restaurant that evening, the boss was walking slightly ahead of Arlene and her husband. He stopped suddenly, looking down on the pavement for a long, silent moment. Arlene wondered if she was supposed to pass him. There was nothing on the ground except a single darkened penny that someone had dropped and a few cigarette butts. Still silent, the man reached down and picked up the penny. He held it up and smiled, then put it in his pocket as if he had found a great treasure. How absurd! What need did this man have for a single penny? Why would he even take the time to stop and pick it up?

Throughout dinner, the entire scene nagged at her. Finally, she could stand it no longer. She casually mentioned that her daughter once had a coin collection, and asked if the penny he had found had been of some value. A smile crept across the man's face as he reached into his pocket for the penny and held it out for her to see. She had seen many pennies before! What was the point of this? 'Look at it.' He said. 'Read what it says.' She read the words ' United States of America ' 'No, not that. Read further.' 'One cent?' 'No, keep reading.' 'In God we Trust?' 'Yes!'

'And?' 'And if I trust in God, then the name of God is holy, even on a coin.

Whenever I find a coin I see that inscription. It is written on every single United States coin, but we never seem to notice it! God drops a message right in front of me telling me to trust Him? Who am I to pass it by? When I see a coin, I pray. I stop to see if my trust IS in God at that moment. I pick the coin up as a response to God - that I do trust in Him. For a short time, at least, I cherish it as if it were gold. I think it is God's way of starting a conversation with me.

Lucky for me, God is patient and pennies are plentiful!

When I was out shopping today, I found a penny on the sidewalk. I stopped and picked it up, and realized that I had been worrying and fretting in my mind about things I cannot change. I read the words, 'In God We Trust,' and had to laugh. Yes, God, I get the message. It seems that I have been finding an inordinate number of pennies in the last few months, but then, pennies are plentiful! And, God is patient..

I Believe

A Birth Certificate shows that we were born
A Death Certificate shows that we died
Pictures show that we lived!
Have a seat . . . Relax . . . And read this slowly.

**********************************
I Believe ..... That just because two people argue,
it doesn't mean they don't love each other.
And just because they don't argue,
it doesn't mean they do love each other.

I Believe... That we don't have to change friends
if we understand that friends change.

I Believe .... That no matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.

I Believe.... That true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance. Same goes for true love.

I Believe .... That you can do something in an instant that will give you heartache for life.

I Believe ..... That it's taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.

I Believe..... That you should always leave loved ones with loving words.
It may be the last time you see them .

I Believe .... That you can keep going long after you think you can't.

I Believe ..... That we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.

I Believe .... That either you control your attitude or it controls you.

I Believe ..... That heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.

I Believe.... That money is a lousy way of keeping score.

I Believe..... That my best friend and I can do anything or nothing and have the best time.

I Believe..... That sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down, will be the ones to help you get back up.

I Believe....... That sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry,
but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.

I believe..... That maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had
and what you've learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated.

I Believe..... That it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others.
Sometimes you have to learn to forgive yourself.

I Believe...... That no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn't stop for your grief.

I Believe...... That our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become.

I Believe ....... That you shouldn't be so eager to find out a secret.
It could change your life Forever.

I Believe ...... Two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different.

I Believe....... That your life can be changed in a matter of hours by people who don't even know you.

I Believe...... That even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you - you will find the strength to help.

I Believe...... That credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.

I Believe .... That the people you care about most in life are taken from you too soon.

I Believe.... The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything they have.

Happy Happy Birthday Big Man

Macen is 6 today! I remember the day he was born like it was yesterday! I am so grateful he is in my life! Happy Birthday Stinky Face!

Weekly update!

Hi everyone! My little boy had his first "real" birthday party this weekend! What a great time. First off, a BIG thanks to my parents, Nan and Geran for helping out soooooo much! It was great having them here! My parents got here Friday. They had a very long ride, and I am sure that they were exhausted, but what troopers they were! They were so cute with Macen. Macen and my dad played light sabers and my mom played a little bit of everything with him. Macen loved being the center of attention!
On Saturday, Nan and Geran came over and totally helped out! Macen LOVES Nan and Geran. Geran really is like an older brother to Macen! (They act like brothers..in good and bad ways!) Grant and I rented out the base movie theater for the party. Nan and my mom helped carpool all the kids over to the base. While I waited for other kids and picked up the pizza, Nan entertained a dozen 5 and 6 year olds....I will owe her for years! We watched "Veggie Tales" (well, the adults watched...the kids and I danced in the aisle) We got back to our house, had cake, cracked open a pinata, opened gifts, and played at the park. We all were tired by the time the parents came to pick up the kids! After the party, we all checked out Macen's gifts. Check out the pictures below. My mom and Geran were so funny! We laughed so hard! By the end of the day we all couldn't wait to sleep!
My parents left this morning. I can't tell you enough how wonderful it was to have them here. I truly was blessed with an amazing family! I don't think anyone could have better parents than mine!
This week will not be as crazy, and we still have Macen's real birthday on Monday. I hope you all have a fun and safe week. Enjoy the blog, but check back for more pictures!

The Dart Game!

My mom and Geran started the dart game as soon as the last guest left! I wish you could have all been here!

Here's Geran looking so tough in his protective gear!

Here's my mom trying to get her protective gear on!

Opening the gifts

Macen got some pretty incredible gifts. This is a dart tag game....(Geran and my mom had a blast with this one)

Macen got the light saber that he has wanted for months!

This is a nerf rocket! It is AWESOME!

The party is still going strong!

Macen was getting a little tired by the end of the day!

Here's Trenton!

Here's little Vanna

The Pinata

The "Darth Vader" pinata!

Going after the prizes!

What? NO CANDY?

What a GREAT party

Here are some of the kids! (and a few adults) posing for me. They look like they're all related..having the same nose and all!

What little crack-ups!

What beautiful girls!

Macen's Birthday Party

Here's the cake. We WERE going to do a Star Wars themed cake, but I couldn't find any store that could do it. Instead we did a Spider-man cake. Pretty cool huh?

Does it look like a party in here or what?

The gifts kept coming!

Grandma and Grandpa Wadley are here!!

My mom and dad got here Friday evening! Here's my mom and Macen playing baseball!!

Macen challenged my dad to a light saber war...I'm not sure who won!