Way Out in Wyoming

Blessings

2009-06-13T09:47:00.004-06:00

We finally blessed Hannah last week. We had lots of people here over the weekend and enjoyed everyone being together. The weather was bad, but Rusty dragged his mom, dad, and nephew, Caden, out on the boat in the pouring rain...only to catch 2 fish. Saturday evening we had a small break in the weather and headed out in the sagebrush to search for mushrooms. We only found a few, but it was worth getting the little boys out of the house and burning some energy. Sunday was chaotic with a 2 hour planned power outage, but we made it to church on time and had a moment to reflect on our little Hannah. She looked so beautiful in her dress, and I felt so blessed to be her mommy. Little Hannah, I love you girl, thank you for being mine!

It's tiring being so loved!!

Late Announcement

2009-03-26T09:45:00.006-06:00

On An Early Arrival.

I'd like to introduce the newest member of the Kaiser Family, Hannah Kaiser! She was born Tuesday March 17th at 1:17pm. She weighed in at a whopping 4lbs 11 oz and measured 17 3/4 inches.

This was an unexpected delivery, but we are grateful she is here, healthy, and growing quickly. We had a longer than hoped for stay at the hospital, but she was finally released on Saturday afternoon. We made the 2 hour drive home from Jackson just in time to get some dinner into us, put Bridger to bed, and start our first night home together. We are so blessed to have her in our family and we all ADORE her. Bridger is adjusting to having a baby around the house, but is really craving mom and dad's attention. Although I am lacking sleep I am thrilled to have a baby around again...aren't they just so beautiful and amazing!!

Little Buddy

2009-01-31T12:03:00.001-07:00

March 25th is growing closer each day, and I am getting more and more excited about seeing my little baby girl. I have all my 0-3 month clothes out and clean, I've bought a nice soft blanket to cuddle her while nursing, I'm ready to get the crib up, I find myself daydreaming about what this little girl will look like, and I am starting to seriously think about names. But in all this excitement, I can't help but feel a little sad about Bridger Boy not being my one and only. I know it will be wonderful to have another little person around to love, teach, and see grow up, but I will miss the special times that Bridger and I have spent together. We've had so much fun together on our many road trips, we've played together for hours and hours, I've spent days (and nights) of my life devoted to him, we've read book after book after book together...and it's hard to imagine it any other way. So here's to my boy, my little Bridger Boy, I love you sweet heart, thank you for all you've given me. We've got quite the adventure ahead of us...and you are going to be a great big brother, I just know it!!

GNO

2009-01-29T12:32:00.003-07:00

So last weekend we had a little Kaiser Girl weekend. We headed down to Salt Lake for a weekend of shopping, eating, and playing games...all without the kiddos. Well, we did have 2 little ones with us, but they both are too little and too cute to not have around. So anyway, we did lots of shopping (thanks Tessa and Steph for putting up with us), ate tons of great food (all I have to say is Rodizio Grill and chocolate cake...yum!!), went bowling (I won with a 103), and hung out as Kaiser girls. We were missing one Kaiser family girl, Janell, who lives in Colorado and is busy teaching, but will hopefully have her and the kiddos around when we all meet up again in June! Well, thanks Laurie for a great time! Here's to being a Kaiser girl!!

Need For Speed

2009-01-22T12:59:00.001-07:00

The weather has been incredible here in Pinedale the past week or so! We are reaching temperatures right now in January, that we didn't see until March of last winter. So, with all the sun and none of the wind we have been enjoying the outdoors. Bridger has been lucky enough to get his dad to take him on the snow machine a few times. It is hilarious to watch Bridger on the snow machine with Rusty...his eyes light up and he wants to go faster and faster and longer and longer. When he comes in from his ride he is talking so fast about his little adventure and his arms are moving around trying to show how fast he is going...what a character. I just love my boys, and I'm so happy they have each other...what a good pair, Rusty and Bridger! I love you guys!

To Sling or Not To Sling

2009-01-21T15:53:00.002-07:00

That is the question. So I'm trying to get ready for this little babe and I only have a couple of items, besides clothing, that I still need to get. The one item that is on the top of my list right now is either a sling or a front pack. I'm not really sure which way to go. So, I pose the question for you...should I purchase a sling or a front pack? Please let me know what you have used, what is good and bad, and what you will continue to use with other kiddos. I have a hard time making decisions about purchases, and feel more comfortable with input from people who have actually used the items. So thanks in advance for your help!!

In Review

2009-01-06T15:15:00.011-07:00

Although Christmas has come and gone, decorations are taken down, and life is back to normal...Bridger is still talking about Christmas. Every day I hear, "Merry Christmas, Mom" or "It's Christmas Eve, Mom" or "Open a present, Mom". So even though we are months away from celebrating the holiday again, I guess I know that Bridger totally understood Christmas this year, eh? So here are a couple of highlights to help me remember my little man on, what I would say, was his favorite day of his life thus far.

Christmas Eve bonfire at the Live Nativity, courtesy of the Noble family.

Opening his Christmas eve PJ's.

Finally noticing his Thomas trains that Santa left.

Enjoying his stocking stuffers.

Too busy looking at Thomas pictures to eat mom's homemade cinnamon rolls.

Falling asleep on the snowy drive to Grandma & Grandpa's, but wouldn't let go of his trains.

So excited for his Thomas movie from Grandma and Grandpa.

Taking TRAX with the Prescott clan to have dinner and see the lights at Temple Square.

All in all, I'd have to say this was a great Christmas for our little family. Hope yours was great too!

Watch Out...Pregnant Woman!

2008-12-24T12:53:00.002-07:00

So I thought I better post a little about this baby that will be showing up towards the end of March. I haven't said much, actually I haven't said anything, but I thought I better document something about this little girl before she actually shows up.

I have to admit...this has been a more difficult pregnancy than Bridger. It was smooth sailing with Bridger...all I needed was some cereal with cold milk and I was happy! But not so much with this one. I haven't been puking my guts out but I just didn't feel good until I hit about 22 weeks. There were some days I just wished I could have puked...and then I would have been great!! I've also been extremely tired...therefore my blogging time has turned into a regular nap time for me...thank you B for still taking naps! And right now I am feeling very big, even though I have 3 more months to get even BIGGER!!! So, all in all, I'm just another pregnant woman out there trying to find something that sounds good to eat while I am really feeling completely sick, wearing terrible maternity clothes (pull up pants...pull down shirt), and chasing around a 2 year old.

But really, we are SO excited to be having a baby!! When this is all over and I am up every few hours nursing a wee little babe, it will all be worth it! I can't wait to meet her and see what she looks like. It will be incredible to hold her little hand and kiss her little cheeks. I can't wait to swaddle her in the softest blankets around and give her all the love ever. It will be so fun to have a girl around to dress in cute clothes, play dolls with, and have some mommy/daughter bonding. Really, we are SO excited!!

Here's a shot of me prego...taken a week or so ago. So, please don't laugh too hard!!

Thanks

2008-12-23T12:40:00.004-07:00

goes out to Rusty today! Rusty has been a sport lately doing lots of jobs around the house for me so I can get my life organized. He's made shelves, put up door stoppers, installed storm doors, etc, etc, etc. I feel like this whole "nesting" thing is coming much earlier than it did with Bridger, but since it's here I better take advantage of the desire to get it together.

Here's a shot of the finish product in our wash room...I even took a before and after shot so you could see how beautiful my new washer and dryer look compared to the oldies. Anyway...thanks big guy for getting so much done for me when there's fish out there waiting to get caught!!

Can I just say, I love doing laundry now!!

Holiday Cheer

2008-12-18T17:04:00.004-07:00

So the holidays are here! There are lots of great things going on this time of year and we've had lots of fun celebrating Christmas so far this month. This week I decided to do a little Cookie Exchange with a few girls from the ward. It was fun to get together, have dinner, and chat without any kiddos. We had a great time, shared lots of good food, and found some great new recipes. I thought I'd share my favorite just in case you wanted to try something new this holiday season! Thanks Heather for introducing these yummy little treats to me...I will definitely be making them again!

Glazed Cranberry Mini-Cakes

1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/3 cup packed light brown sugar

2 Tablespoons milk

1 egg

1 1/4 cups coarsely chopped fresh cranberries

1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour 1 2/3 cup Hershey's Premier White Chips, divided

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease small muffin cups (1 3/4 inches in diameter) or line with paper bake cups.

2. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, egg and vanilla in large bowl until fluffy. Stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; gradually blend into butter mixture. Add milk; stir until blended. Stir in cranberries, walnuts and 2/3 cup white chips (reserve remaining chips for glaze). Fill muffin cups 7/8 full with batter.

3. Bake 15 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes; remove from pans to wire rack. Cool completely. Prepare White Glaze; drizzle over tops of mini-cakes. Refrigerate 10 minutes to set glaze.

White Glaze: Place remaining 1 cup Hershey's Premier White Chips in small microwave-safe bowl; sprinkle 2 tablespoons vegetable oil over chips. Microwave at HIGH (100% power) 30 seconds; stir. If necessary, microwave at HIGH an additional 30 seconds or just until chips are melted when stirred.

Making A Choice

2008-10-31T13:55:00.004-06:00

I am a huge fan of Halloween! I've always loved it...I mean who doesn't enjoy dressing up for a night of fun?! Ok, Rusty doesn't, but I LOVE it!! So I'm trying to pass this love of Halloween down to Bridger boy and one of the ways I am doing this is helping him choose a great costume. Earlier this year he was obsessed with The Incredibles. I really wanted him to be Dash for Halloween, but his love of The Incredibles has faded away. So, why make the kid dress up in something he doesn't care about anymore, right? This month his obsessions have been Sesame Street, Ratatouille, and Thomas the Train. Bridger's sensory overloads helped me easily cross off any Sesame Street character...too much fur and he would have a melt down! My mother-in-law bought a James costume for him at a garage sale, and I thought that would be the ticket. Unfortunately, it was too much for him also. So, in honor of Ratatouille and chef Linguini, Bridger is a little chef for Halloween this year. I have to give a shout out to my mom who made the chef apron by combining 2 different patterns (heck I can barely follow one!!). And the hat just makes the costume...hopefully he'll wear it again tonight! I just love seeing my little man enjoy my favorite holiday.

I hope you guys all have a great Halloween, enjoy the madness for one night!!

Yes, It's Me

2008-10-31T13:40:00.005-06:00

Ok, here I am. After hiding out for more than a month, I guess I better start blogging again. Even Rusty is asking me if I've made a post, so it must be time.

October is one of my favorite months...the weather is usually perfect, the leaves change colors, I get to decorate with lots of orange (my favorite), I celebrate my birthday, and of course top off the month with Halloween!! With Rusty in my life, October has turned into much more than that...it's hunting season too. Along with hunting season and Rusty being out on the mountain a lot, it means I get to travel and spend a good week or so with my family. This is so nice, especially now that I don't get down there all that often. So this month has been filled with nice weather, me turning the BIG 30, visiting my family and friends in UT, adding a new nephew, baby Cage, to the Kaiser family, and now today is Halloween! October is a great month isn't it!!

So you are probably wanting some kind of monumental news, since it's been so long since my last post. Well, I got my hair cut while I was is UT...I chopped it off...and I am really enjoying short hair. Is that not enough? Well, how about that I'm pregnant and having a BABY GIRL at the end of March!!! Yeah! Now that's news for you...was it worth the wait?

Lately

2008-09-23T11:53:00.011-06:00

I've been spending my time doing other things than sitting in front of the computer. It's been nice...refreshing to really enjoy some other things in life than checking email, returning email, blogging, trying to find good deals, etc. So, here's what September has been for me.

Canning salsa and pickling jalapenos and cucumbers.

Thank you Jer and Janell for sharing your bountiful Colorado harvest.

Reading.

Making loaves and loaves and loaves of zucchini bread.

Most of which are now almost gone thanks to the big man, RK.

Grouse hunting with my boys.

Going to the Temple.

More canning...this time tomato juice.

Reading some more.
Great book, especially if you want to know more about WYO and Pinedale in particular.

Spending time with the YW in our ward.

Taking care of Bridger while he had the flu.

Recovering from the flu...yuck!

Now, I'm just cleaning up from this month adventures and catching up since the ol' bug finally left. Hope you all had a good month!

Number 5

2008-09-05T10:15:00.004-06:00

Last weekend we took a road trip to Kemmerer/Logan/Randolph to celebrate Rusty's youngest brother getting married. It was a beautiful day at the Logan temple and Andrew and Stephanie couldn't have been happier! Congrats to the new couple!

This was the last of Paul and Laurie's five children to get married. I'm sure it was a bitter sweet day for them...their baby was getting married and leaving but it was the 5th temple sealing they've attended for their children. Pretty amazing to have all 5 kids make it to the temple. Maybe one day I can grow up and be as amazing as they are!!

It's In The Air

2008-08-29T16:03:00.000-06:00

No, I'm not talking about Fall, even though we woke up yesterday to a low of 27. What I'm talking about is smoke!! The New Fork Fire, about 20 miles north of Pinedale, started a month ago. We had several fire crews here working and with the help of some rainy weather they got the fire pretty well contained. It wasn't ever put out, but it was not threatening any structures and was under control, so they sent the crews home. Well, this weekend it got blazing again and hasn't really stopped since. These new blazes have brought back the hazy horizon and smokey smells each morning.

View from our yard.

Early morning sunrise.

They say the fire probably won't really be completely out until we get snow. Who knows...the way our weather is going right now, it may be in just a few weeks!!!

A Few Days Left

2008-08-26T19:57:00.003-06:00

Summer here in Pinedale is coming to an end. The days are getting cooler and we are waking up to a chilly 37 degrees in the mornings. Since it is still August, we are trying to enjoy every little bit of summer that is left for us. Last week we went to the park with some friends and then headed over the bridge to play a little in the river. Here's a shot of the last bits of summer.

Derby

2008-08-24T20:44:00.006-06:00

This weekend our ward hosted a Mother/Son Fishing Derby. We didn't do much fishing, but we enjoyed the sandy beach and icy water of Willow lake and I have to admit that I really had a great time! Our ward is so diverse, we have SO many young families moving in. I look at these young moms as the "mothers" in our ward. But it was really fun to see the other "mothers" of the ward bring their sons, who are grown, and enjoy a day with their big boys. It made me hope that one day I can do this again with my Bridger, and he can be the big boy taking care of me. It also helped me realize I need to enjoy these days that I have left with him as a little boy, for they only come once.

Just What I Needed

2008-08-15T12:25:00.003-06:00

So I'm not talking about a day out with the girls, or a nice pedicure, or even going out to dinner with Rusty. I'm saying I finally had a good day with Bridger, after several bad, Bad, BAD days with my little man. This week has been one of those weeks that makes me ask myself several questions...whether or not I am a good mom...if I can ever handle more than one child...will I make it through this day...what am I doing wrong...should I go back to work...on and on and on. This morning I can report that Bridger has had no melt downs, there have been no spankings, and no tears shed (by either of us). We did laundry together, made the world's best chocolate chip cookies, read books, changed out toys, read more books, had snack, and went down for nap with little troubles. This is a complete change from earlier this week, let me explain.

Yesterday Bridger wakes up at 5:50am. He is ready to play and wants me out of bed. I lay around until 6:20am when I can longer stand him jumping on me, hitting me, and asking for pancakes. We have breakfast and by 7:10 Bridger is asking to watch a movie. I quickly remind him that it's too early to watch a movie, he can watch one when I get in the shower.

Bridger: NOOOOOOOOO! WATCH A MOVIE!!!!

Me: Bridger, please don't yell, you can watch a movie when I get in the shower, let's read some books.

Bridger: AHHHHHHH!!! (Throwing toys at the wall, hitting himself, screaming/running through the house, hitting the blinds, kicking, etc.)

Me: Bridger, STOP IT!!

Bridger: AHHHHHHH!!! (More running and screaming)

Me: I grab Bridger spank his bum, put him in his bed, and close the door. I go into my room and cry.

Now this isn't my proudest post, but it gives you a glimpse into my 2-year old world. I know we've all been through it, but by Thursday I was wondering if it was ever going to end. I guess there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and maybe one good day out of 5 is going to have to be good enough. So yes, I am a good mother (maybe not compared to some of you super moms), yes, I can handle more than 1 child, yes, I will make it through this day, I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong, but I'll keep trying, and no, I don't want to go back to work. So there you have it, today was just what I needed so I can make it through this roller coaster ride we call MOTHERHOOD.

Finally

2008-08-12T12:40:00.009-06:00

We finally made it camping this summer. We've been so busy with house projects and then the fire that we haven't really been out to enjoy one of our favorite summer activities. We had a great time eating tin foil dinners and banana boats, seeing some wildlife, catching a couple fish, and sitting around the campfire despite the rain.

The best part of the weekend was berry picking. The raspberries were in full bloom and we couldn't resist stopping at every bush we saw to pick some delicious little treats. I was amazed at how many berries there were. Here's a shot of just one of the bushes.

We picked and picked and picked and came home with so many berries I had to freeze some because we couldn't use them all.

We had a great time this weekend and Sunday afternoon we reaped the benefits of all our picking with delicious raspberry shakes!!

Decisions

2008-08-05T21:35:00.002-06:00

So, I need some help. We are looking into making a big purchase...I think only the second in our entire life of being married (next to house and car)...we are thinking about getting a new washer and dryer. OK, so that may not seem like a big purchase to most of you, but the only item in our house that we have bought new is our bed, everything else is a hand-me-down, garage sale, "just get rid of this" kind of item. Yes, we have been married for almost 9 years and are still living off seconds. Anyway back to the subject, I need some help. I don't make decisions well and need some advice on what you are using. Let me know what you like, don't like, couldn't live without, steer clear from, isn't worth it, you know what I mean. Thanks, when the big day comes and I've made my decision, I'll let you know!

Week in Review

2008-08-05T09:35:00.008-06:00

So we all returned home safely and are getting back into the routine of daily life. It's always hard coming back to reality, but wonderful to be in your own space again. Here's our top 5 from our little excursion....

My Top 5

1. Visiting with my mom and having her make me an old favorite...pork chops with bread and gravy.

2. Catching up with old friends...Kim, Pam, Jessie, and DX. Love you ladies!

3. Taking naps while my mom hung out with B. You gotta love grandmas.

4. Observing all the rednecks, including myself, at the Kamas Valley Fiesta Days Demolition Derby...glad to see T-Bone didn't win!!

5. Visiting with my brothers and sister and their families.

Bridger's Top 5

1. Playing with Connor and Kendall...what good cousins!

2. Watching Nick Jr. and Playhouse Disney whenever he wanted...grandma is such a sucker for a little blue eyed boy.

3. Riding a horse at Uncle Dean's house.

4. Playing with Connor and Kendall.

5. Getting more candy than he has ever seen in his entire life while enjoying the parade in Kamas.

Rusty's Top 5

1. Coming home with no blisters on his feet.

2. Coming home with his eyebrows (someone on his crew got their beard singed...yuck).

3. Having a Jamba Juice in Sparks, NV.

4. Spending a night at the Nugget in Reno, even though he didn't even spend a penny to gamble.

5. Coming home with no blisters on his feet

Catch a fish

2008-07-17T21:43:00.006-06:00

That's what B says when he wants to go to a lake and have Rusty catch a fish. Well, we entertained his little wish last Saturday and took the boat out.

Bridger loves everything about fishing; the fishing poles, the tackle, the net, the boat, but the fish...not so much. He was so scared when Rusty caught a fish I was worried he was going to jump out of the boat! I guess he'll learn the slimy little things can't really do much harm.

This little guys is so lucky to have a daddy to take him out and enjoy the outdoors. They are going to have some big adventure together!!

Let's Take A Walk...

2008-07-17T21:40:00.001-06:00

down memory lane.

1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you know me a little or a lot, anything you remember!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. Fun huh?!!

Only You...

2008-07-17T08:30:00.004-06:00

Can Prevent Forest Fires.

But since the state of California is still in a burning mess, Rusty got called out to fight wildfires there. He packed up his fire gear, put on his green pants and yellow shirt, and left yesterday for Redding, California. He will be gone on fire detail for about 2 weeks...so I am heading out for Utah. Family, friends, shopping, and blazing hot temps are in my outlook for the next 2 weeks. I'm excited to have a little fun, but will definitely miss the big guy. Bridger loves his daddy so much and misses him already. Two weeks seems like a long time, hopefully they will go by quickly. Be safe RK...love you!!

Highlights

2008-07-14T16:20:00.010-06:00

Since the 4th of July has come and gone, I just want to share a few of the highlights from our FUN weekend!!

Meeting Elder & Sister Kaiser (Grandma & Grandpa), Aunt Amy, Uncle Casey, and Cousins!!! in Lander, WY for one of the best ice cream/watermelon/fireworks shows I've ever seen...plus it was all free!!!

Loving the ice cream cone Grandma & Grandpa scooped for me.

Having front row seats for an amazing fireworks show...way to go Dr. Bills. If you ever have a chance to make up this way over the 4th, Lander is the place to be. This guy puts on this fireworks show all by himself, and it's better than anywhere I've ever been, even Stadium of Fire.

Spending time with Grandma and Grandpa on their P-day.

Walking on the original Mormon Pioneer Trail.

Catching a horny-toad with my cousin Caden.

Listening to handcart stories in the grass (actually playing with Chase while everyone else listened).

Watching dad catch a fish.

Playing with cousins in an original early 1900's ranch school house.

Taking a trek with the family and enjoying a little snooze in the handcart.

Escaping the relentless mosquitoes at the Willie Center and cooling off at the Lander park.

Listening to Grandma & Grandpa share the pioneer story of Ephraim Hanks and Thisbee Reed. Aren't they so cute in their costumes!?!

We had a wonderful time with the Kaiser's over the 4th. Although we were plagued by mosquitoes, it was an amazing trip to spend together as a family.

Thought

2008-06-30T12:08:00.001-06:00

A few weeks ago while I was going through old papers I found a card with this quote:

CHERISH TODAY

Yesterday is but a dream. Tomorrow, a vision of hope. Look to this day for it is life.

I've thought a lot about this quote. It has been meaningful for me as I have been struggling with several different issues lately. As I've read this quote each day I'm trying to find joy in the things I have right now. So here are a few glimpses into the things I "Cherish Today."

Happy Anniversary

2008-06-28T08:37:00.000-06:00

I want to wish my in-laws, Paul and Laurie Kaiser, and very Happy Anniversary today!! They have been married for 34 years today. These are some of the greatest people you will ever know, I feel so lucky to have them for in-laws. Check out how cool they are on their mission...aren't they just so fun! We will be visiting them on their mission next weekend, and I can't wait to have them share their incredible mission experiences with us. Congratulations to Paul and Laurie, what wonderful lives they lead and what wonderful examples they are to us.

Confession

2008-06-27T21:46:00.004-06:00

So, I have a confession to make. In April when I moved B to his big boy bed, I said that the month of May was going to be potty training time. Well, May has come and gone, and June is about over too, and potty training has not even started. I just need to say it...I am so scared to start potty training. I'm not sure B is ready, so I don't want to start a battle that I may not win. I'm tired of buying diapers, but I'm not sure I'm ready clean up pee all over the house. This little potty chair is not fulfilling it's potty chair destiny so, what do I do...wait or not wait?

WARNING

2008-06-19T13:54:00.003-06:00

The recipe I am about to share is highly addictive. Please do not attempt to make this unless A) you have several people to share it with or B) you are willing to throw caution to the wind and eat it all by yourself. I have chosen option B and eaten more Caramel Popcorn in the last few days than I'd like to admit. Please choose wisely.

Caramel Popcorn

1 1/1 cup unpopped popcorn

1 cup Karo syrup

2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup butter

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 tsp vanilla (if desired)

Pop popcorn into VERY LARGE bowl. Mix Karo syrup, brown sugar and butter in a pot and bring to a boil until all ingredients are melted. Add sweetened condensed milk and boil another 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Pour over popcorn and stir until completely covered. Enjoy!

P.S. Thanks to Heather for sharing this delicious treat with me!!

Shrooms

2008-06-17T17:21:00.000-06:00

This is one of the times of the year that Rusty lives for...mushroom season. Here in sage brush hills of Pinedale, there is a 2-3 week time frame when wild mushrooms sprout up in bunches and bunches. Now these aren't the wild mushrooms that you may be thinking of...giving you some psychedelic high or killing you dead on the spot...these are mushrooms that are fresh, healthy, and delicious (if you are a mushroom lover).

When I first met Rusty and we went looking for mushrooms the very first time, I remember thinking of the toadstools that would come up in the grass of my front yard growing up. Mom warned me and warned me not to touch or eat those things. They were always fascinating to me, how they would sprout up over night...but nothing I would go searching the yard for. Well, now here I am, married to the MOST OUTDOORSY MAN IN THE WORLD, and I'm walking the hills looking for the special shine of his beloved mushrooms.

Saturday we hit the mushrooms in full bloom, (or whatever you call it) and we hit the jackpot. We probably collected between 50-60 mushrooms and filled 2 grocery bags!! Rusty was thrilled and couldn't wait to get home. We washed, chopped, and sauteed the mushrooms; freezing them for later. Now Rusty can have mushrooms on everything he eats; hamburgers, steaks, pizza, spaghetti, etc, etc.

Now, many of you are going to read this, and think we're crazy, you would never do that!! But when you marry someone like Rusty you learn there is a whole new world out there just waiting for you to discover it, and that's the beauty of life, now isn't it!!

Shout Out

2008-05-21T16:28:00.004-06:00

I need to wish my nephew, Connor, a very Happy Birthday! He turns the big 1-5 today. I just love this kid, and it's crazy to see him growing up. He's one of the cutest kids around and I'm so happy he's my nephew. Bridger really loves playing with big cousins, Connor and Kendall, and they are so good with him. Connor, I love you, I hope you have a great day!

2008-05-20T16:03:00.004-06:00

So, I have a question for all of you TV watchers out there...has Grey's Anatomy been disappointing or what!?!! As most of you know, I LOVE Grey's and was waiting for that stupid writing strike to be over. When it started up again, I couldn't wait for Friday night to watch the latest episode on our computer. Well, I have been nothing but disappointed the last few weeks. I just kept hoping that it would get better, but after last week's episode, I just don't know if it's even worth it anymore. I hate being let down.

Books, Books, Books

2008-05-20T15:48:00.006-06:00

So I had my second Usborne books show today. It went really well and I had a great time!! Lots of nice moms and kiddos showed up from all over the area; Daniel, Cora, Pinedale, Barger and Boulder. We had books to look at, food to eat, and pictures to color. It got a little crazy with kids running, people asking questions, and me trying to use a calculator as mach 10, but it was a good learning experience. I think I am really going to enjoy doing this, not only because I make money, but because it is so wonderful to see other mom's believe in the importance of reading with their children. What better gift to give a kid than the gift of reading?! Thanks to Rusty for helping me out today and being such a good husband and dad and thanks all the good people around here who has been so supportive of my little adventure!!

P.S.
If anyone is still interested in ordering books online check out my eShow.

Cubs

2008-05-19T12:05:00.003-06:00

Okay, this post isn't about the Chicago Cubs, even though that would make my mom and Jessie very happy, but it is a follow up to an earlier post. I only had a few guesses as to what was hiding in the picture that Rusty took the other day, and surprisingly Kristin was kind of right!! What you were all looking at was a mountain lion cub. The little babe was perched on the dead tree, almost dead center of the picture.

Here is a different close up shot. Check out the eyes glowing and the little nose. Isn't it so cute!! Rusty was able to see twin cubs, but no mother. I'm sure the mother was close by, watching her little ones, but Rusty wasn't able to catch a glimpse.

I feel so blessed to live in one of the most beautiful and amazing places around. There is not a day that goes by that I do not see wildlife of some kind; deer, moose, antelope, elk, golden eagles, bald eagles, anything!! Most of you city folks only hear/read about these beautiful creatures that Heavenly Father has created, I get to see the majesty of his creation on a daily basis. What an amazing blessing. Thanks hun for dragging me to WYO, it really is an adventure!

Another one...

2008-05-17T13:55:00.004-06:00

So, what is it...everyone is having babies but me!!! Anyway, congrats to Jeremy and Janell on their new baby boy, Jayton Paul Kaiser. He was 20 1/2 inches and 8 lb. 10 oz....whoa!!! This is a long awaited moment for Jer, he has 4 girls and he finally got his boy! This little boy has so many sisters to love him and as he grows up will have no shortage of "mothers" telling him what to do. What an exciting moment for Jer and Janell as the doctor told them it was a boy, I wish I could have been there to see Jer's face. Janell, you're a good woman, I'm proud of you! Congratulations again...I can't wait for B to meet another little man to get into trouble with!!

Love It!!

2008-05-17T13:54:00.001-06:00

So I found this on the internet today. I was really excited about it because the Barenaked Ladies are great...plus the song made me laugh. I bet this album is great! You can get a free download here, http://www.bnlmusic.com/snacktime/ check it out!!

Here Fishy, Fishy, Fishy...

2008-05-13T12:21:00.003-06:00

I know some of you out there are fish eaters, and maybe even some of you want to try to be fish eaters but don't have any great recipes. Well, since we are fish eaters, and I mean we eat it on a weekly basis, I thought I'd share a great new fish recipe I just tried last week.

1. Heat Oven to 4oo degrees. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. In a bowl combine 2 Tbs. mayonnaise, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper. (I actually doubled this to make it easier for coat the fish.)

2. Cut 1 pound catfish (or any firm white fish...I used halibut) into chunks, and toss with mayo mixture to coat. Dredge in 2 cups crushed crisp rice cereal, and place on baking sheet. Bake 20 minutes.

Bridger usually always eats a little bit of the fish we are eating, but let me tell you he downed this stuff. We gave him ketchup to dip in and he was in heaven...I used tartar sauce, but let me tell you they didn't need to be dipped in anything, they were delicious!

Do You See What I See?

2008-05-12T14:05:00.004-06:00

No, this isn't a post about the beloved Christmas carol...even though it's still so cold here in Pinedale it could be December!! Actually, I want to see if you have as good an eye for wildlife as my hubby, Rusty. He was out in the field the other day and spotted an little critter running around. This is the picture he had me look at first...can you see what he saw?

Take a look and leave a post. I will give the answer in a couple of days, with a better picture of what he saw! Good luck guessing!

That's What Aunts Are For

2008-05-12T13:41:00.005-06:00

I need to give a little shout out to my sister Sharon!! While visiting for Whitt's wedding a couple of weeks ago, she was kind enough to replace Bridger's beloved, but MIA Lightnin' McQueen car. Now a little background on this car...Bridger got this car for his b-day in February. It was one of his cake decorations and probably the most beloved of all his birthday presents. This car has barely left his hands (day or night) since then!! Well, a day or two before we left for Salt Lake, Lightnin' McQueen came missing!!! I searched the entire house and found nothing. I knew it had to be in the house because I saw it in the morning, but by breakfast it was MIA. There were some tears shed, but luckily I found another little toy (Little Miss Sunshine...you know what I'm talking about Michelle) to replace his beloved Lightnin' McQueen. Well, the whole drive to Salt Lake, I thought "Should I buy another car, or just have him find a new favorite toy?" I wasn't sure what would be best, I didn't want to enable this dependence on a toy car, but I felt bad for my little man. Well, after just a quick mention of this ordeal to my sister, she returned from the store with a new Lightnin' McQueen! This was a life saver, keeping B happy during Whitt's wedding and everyday since then! So, thanks again Sharon...look at the grin on this kid's face, he couldn't be any happier! You are a great aunt!!

New Addition...

2008-05-12T13:22:00.005-06:00

I'd like to announce that our little Snow College family has a new addition! Rusty's roommate and one of our greatest friends ever, Yuji Nakayama, had a baby boy named Togo. Yuji also shared news that this sweet little baby was born with Down Syndrome. This seem like such a challenge to me, but as I've struggled with this news I know that no better person could be given this little child. Yuji is the BEST person we have ever known. He was attending college here in the United States and found the gospel. He pursued the discussions and chose to be baptized. This decision was probably one of his happiest moments ever, but also most difficult knowing his family in Japan would not approve. He has been a wonderful example to us of what a true missionary is. He returned to Japan and became completely involved in his branch there. He found a beautiful Japanese girl and was married in the temple. He has had several callings and served through many difficult trials in his life. There is no one better than this guy!! In fact when Bridger was born, I joked that one day Bridger would serve his mission in Japan, under the direction of Mission President Nakayama. We love Yuji and feel blessed that he has been a part of our life. Congrats to one of our favorite people in the world...we love you and hope one day to visit, laugh, and share old memories with you again!!

Snot Bars

2008-05-08T16:18:00.003-06:00

So the name doesn't sound all that enticing, but let me tell you these yummy treats go down as one of my favorites. My roommate Mandy shared this recipe with me and it will always be a favorite in the Kaiser family.

1 cup Karo syrup

1 cup sugar

1 cup peanut butter

7-8 cups Rice Krispy cereal

1 pkg. chocolate chips

Combine Karo syrup and sugar. Heat until sugar dissolves, but DO NOT BOIL!! Stir in peanut butter. Pour over cereal and mix well. Press into a greased 9x13 pan. Melt chocolate chips and spread over cereal. Cool and then cut. Store covered.

These are delicious warm but very messy!!

Once Upon A Time...

2008-05-08T14:58:00.003-06:00

there was a beautiful baby girl. The beautiful baby girl grew up to be a funny, spunky little girl. She got into lots of mischief when she was growing up; locking herself in her daddy's idling truck, touching a HOT wood burning stove, and many other adventures not to name. She grew into a beautiful talented young lady; singing, dancing, volleyball, basketball took up most of her time. Then, she met a nice handsome young man, from a rival school, and they fell in love. As they finished high school they were inseparable. One day, after the rodeo under the fireworks, the young man got down on one knee and asked the beautiful girl to marry him...she was so excited and said YES!! Finally, the magical day came...they were getting married. Family, friends and everyone from Coalville came to witness the event. The nice young man was so excited/nervous to marry his beautiful sweetheart that he said "I do" twice, and everyone laughed!! The beautiful girl and the handsome young man exchanged rings, kissed, and will live happily ever after.

P.S. I love you Whitt and Riley, Congrats!!!

My Baby

2008-04-16T15:01:00.006-06:00

...is no longer a baby. Yesterday afternoon I pulled out the wrench and screwdriver and took down my Bridger boy's crib. Later that night, Rusty brought in the mattress and we set up the "Big Boy Bed". We let Bridger choose what sheets he wanted to put on and then have some time to enjoy his newest "toy".

To my surprise last night went extremely well, he only made it into our bedroom once in the middle of the night. And then slept to his usual early morning hour of 6:30am. Nap time has even gone great. He fell asleep in the car this afternoon, I quickly brought him into bed, he slept a while, woke up, and then I redirected him to his bed, tucked him in, and he is asleep again. Yeah!!

Part of me is excited about this new phase of B's life, but I am sad to see my little boy growing up so quickly. Not knowing when the crib will be used again is a bit depressing for me. Isn't it crazy how we are supposed to grow up, have new experiences, and progress in this life, yet as we look back it's so hard to let go.

Next month: Potty training...wish me luck!

I Hope They Call Me On A Mission

2008-04-14T16:46:00.008-06:00

We were blessed this past weekend to spend some time with Rusty's mom and dad, Laurie & Paul, before they leave on their mission. They have been called to serve in the South Dakota, Rapid City Mission, assigned to serve at Six Crossing. This is part of the Mormon Handcart Visitor's Sites and Martin's Cove. They will be serving there for 6 months, helping with visitors centers and pioneer treks. We are so excited for them to share their testimony of the gospel with others while they serve the Lord. They will be the perfect missionaries because they possess the qualities we should all be working on improving in our lives; humility, kindness, obedience, patience, and service. Paul and Laurie are some of the greatest people I've ever known, and I feel blessed to be part of their family. Thank you for your love. Bridger will miss his "Mas" and "Papa" but he will always have their example of service to the Lord and sacrifice for what is most important. Good luck, you will do wonderful!!

SUPERS

2008-04-11T12:19:00.000-06:00

Right now Bridger's new favorite movie is The Incredibles. He got it for Easter and has watched it every single day since then. Yes, that's right, we've seen the Incredibles over 19 times. Dash is his favorite character, probably because Bridger loves to run around constantly. I guess I even see some resemblances between the two; the blond hair, the smile, and active personality.

The movie has really grown on me...it is funny. There are a couple of parts that crack me up every time..."Don't Bernie me.", "No Capes!!!" "That was the best vacation ever!!", and "Leave saving the world to the men? I don't think so, I don't think so."

So what is your kid's favorite movie right now?

Not So Sunny Get Away

2008-04-10T12:47:00.010-06:00

So for the past few weeks I have been waiting and counting down until my trip to Salt Lake. I kept saying, "Once I get to Salt Lake and spend a few days with family and enjoy a little sun and warmer weather, everything will be better." Well, I guess that sun wasn't in the cards for me this trip to Salt Lake, but I still had a great time.

I was able to spend time with my family, celebrate a birthday and Whitt's upcoming wedding. We hit a couple of favorite places to eat, Astro Burger and Italian Village, which always makes me happy!! I was also able to go to two of my favorite semi annual events, the Making Memories warehouse sale and the Sunday Morning Session of General Conference, with my in-laws Paul and Laurie. It was great to go to Conference, feel the spirit, and listen to the words of the prophet. I think my 2 favorite talks that session were Pres. Packer's and Pres. Monson's, take time to read them if you didn't get to listen.

I also had some business that needed to be taken care of while in Utah; Bridger got tubes put in his ears. That ended up being an all day event, and probably something that I should block out of my memory FOREVER!! I guess I need to be happy that I won't be taking him to the doctor anymore for those darn ear infections. Oh, we also attempted having Bridger's 2 year old pictures taken, yeah right!! That kid can't sit still for more the 1/2 a second, so we ended up with only 1 good picture and another that just had to do!

Rusty came to Salt Lake unexpectedly to spend a few days with us. He said he missed us, but I'm sure he just really wanted to hang out with Bridger and spend some time at Cabela's. It was so helpful to have him there to take care of Bridger while I enjoyed the bridal shower and General Conference, thanks hun, you are a super daddy!

Last of all I got to enjoy my mom's new kitchen. Mom had her kitchen remodeled during the month of March. It was fun to see how happy she was with her new cabinets, slate floor, built-in dishwasher, and biggest highlight of the kitchen, lots of electrical outlets!! I helped her unpack a lot of her dishes, pots, pans, and food that had been stored away for a month. It's amazing how many cooking supplies a woman can have, especially when she doesn't even cook!!

Overall, it was a good trip but I was happy to come home. It seems like when I finally make it to Salt Lake I am overbooked with family events, doctor appointments, pictures, and shopping (because there in NONE here) that I am so exhausted and I don't get to see all you good friends that live there too. Sorry, maybe one day I'll come to Salt Lake with nothing on the agenda...probably not, but we can wish for things anyway!!

OBSESSION...on hold

2008-03-27T07:45:00.002-06:00

I consider myself a fairly smart, educated person, but reading isn't my thing. I rarely pick up a book, even though I really know I should read something every now and then. Since Bridger was born my reading has consisted of Parents magazines and the scriptures. So this year I decided that I was going to make myself a better person by reading a book a month. This may not mean much to those of you who are avid readers, but this was a commitment for me. I did great in January, reading 2 books! February was not so hot. I chose a church book, that just couldn't get my attention. I knew that it wasn't good to give up on this goal so quickly, but I just couldn't do it! Well, March rolled around and a couple of friends mentioned a book that they were obsessed with. I asked Mindy if she could pass the book along to me after she was done, I needed something good to get me back on track. She agreed, but gave me one piece of advice...make sure you have everything around your house cleaned up and in order, because everything would be neglected while reading this book. I laughed and took the book home hoping this would pan out better than my previous try.

Well, I started this book and got into a couple of chapters. I had a lot on my plate so I didn't let it control too much of my thoughts and time. Well, after our little trip to Missoula I finished it off. Within hours of finishing it, I loaded Bridger into the car and headed into the Library to get the second installment. Rusty was gone to another conference so I let the second book consume me, reading it in only a couple of days. Last Thursday when I was at story time, I decided, against my better judgement, to see if #3 was on the shelf. Well, lucky for me, but unlucky for Bridger and my household duties, it was there!!! I checked it out thinking I would read it after my upcoming trip to Utah. Well, that didn't really last long. I finished the book yesterday, and haven't even left for my trip to Utah...so much for waiting!

The fourth book in this saga doesn't come out for a little while, so my house will stay clean, Bridger will be fed, and I won't have this obsession hanging over me for a while. We are on the countdown for #4 release and the 1st movie to come out...we are planning a girls weekend to celebrate our obsession by checking out the movie and doing some shopping.

Well, thanks to a couple of friends I have fulfilled my New Year's goal to read a book this month, well actually 3.

Magical Moment

2008-03-20T16:33:00.003-06:00

I think I may have just experienced one of the most special moments with Bridger since he was a little babe. I don't know how to explain it, but it was magical for me. Bridger hadn't taken a nap today (expect for the 7 minutes in the truck on our ride home from town). I really needed him to take a nap so I could work on my talk for church Sunday. He was refusing to take a nap and didn't want to be in his bed. I finally decided that he was just going to have to cry for a little bit while I worked on my talk. He eventually cried himself to sleep. I found a talk online and got it printed just before he started screaming again. I went to check on him and found him very upset, but I'm not sure why. I picked him up and held him while he laid his head on my shoulder and cuddled me. He CUDDLED me!! This may sound insignificant for those of you with cuddly little kiddos, but Bridger isn't the cuddling type, I can rarely get him to even sit on my lap. I sat down in the chair and just let him cuddle me. It lasted for at least 15 minutes. I just sat there thinking, "This is one of Heavenly Father's tender mercies. Through all the screaming, hitting, throwing, and frustration this little boy still loves me, and I love him" It was a miracle. I have been struggling with a TWO year old boy lately, and don't know if I'm making good choices in discipline and everything else that it takes to raise a child. This was my answer, that I'm doing OK and I will make it through. Thank you B for sharing this with me today, I love you so much, you are my little man!!

Tagged Again

2008-03-18T16:26:00.002-06:00

Ok, so as I've said before I'm not the best at this tagging thing, but here we go!!

What was I doing 10 years ago??

I was in between my second and third quarter at Snow College in Ephraim, Utah...and to be more specific, I was probably in Moab with my roommates Monica & Teresa. I love you guys, thanks for all the fun memories!!

5 Things On My To-do List Today

Clean Master bathroom...yeah right!!
Mop kitchen floor...good luck with that!
Watch Preston, a little neighbor boy, while his mom Michelle recovers from a C-section.
Figure out how much $$ we spent in Missoula, being in a city is dangerous for me!!
Make a list of all the little things that need to get done so I don't feel so frazzled.

5 Snacks I Enjoy

Right now, it's just about any Easter candy! Brach's jelly beans, Cadbury Eggs, Peeps, SweetTarts. YUM!!
Girl Scout Cookies...we have a few Thin Mints left and 2 boxes of Samoas.
String Cheese
Ice Cream, you just can't beat Extreme Moose Tracks, it's a little bit of chocolate heaven
Reeses Pieces

3 Bad Habits

Leaving the cupboard doors open for no reason
Picking at my split ends
Procrastinating

What Would You Do If You Were An Instant Billionaire?

Pay off our house, get a good food storage, and travel, travel, travel. I would go anywhere in the world, just to see what's out there!!

Places I've Lived

Pinedale, WY
Rawlins, WY
Laramie, WY
Logan, UT
Wellsville, UT
Ephraim, UT
Midvale, UT

Jobs I've Had

Swirler @ Golden Swirl in Fashion Place Mall
Cashier @ Gibsons Pharmacy
Office Temp
Office girl for USU Technical something or other
Job coach-loved it!!
Substitute Teacher-not my fondest memories
Special Ed aide
Special Ed teacher
Cook, maid, professional laundry cleaner, diaper changer, you name it, I do it!!

5 Things You Don't Know About Me

Check either this post or this post for fun facts about me.

Another Arrival

2008-03-18T16:13:00.005-06:00

Just another update on my growing family. My niece (yes I typed that right, my niece) just had her fourth baby, a BIG boy. My beautiful niece, Brianne, had a 9lb 11oz baby in the wee morn o' St. Patty's Day. They named this half grown boy Gavin Thomas Seamons. Congrats Bri...you are one super mom!!

New Scenery

2008-03-17T15:03:00.004-06:00

I spent last week in Missoula, Montana with Rusty and Bridger. Rusty was there for a wildlife conference, so I decided to tag along. We had a great time shopping, eating out, and just enjoying a change in the scenery. Missoula really is beautiful, but kind of quirky. Here are a few shots of our fun time.

This is a playground in town. Bridger had a blast running through the mazes and going down the slides. Pretty creative huh?!

There is a carousel in the same place as the dragon playground. Rusty and B took a ride on it, but I couldn't get any great shots because the thing was moving so fast!! B really liked it!

I found my new favorite ice cream joint...too bad it's 8 hours away from me! The Big Dipper has homemade ice cream that is delicious. They have some really funky flavors...to please the college/coffee house crowd, but White Mint Oreo can't be beat!!

B learned how to relax and enjoy life on a big bed while in Missoula, check him out, isn't he funny!!

New Arrival

2008-03-15T14:38:00.004-06:00

I'm so excited to announce that Bridger has a new cousin! Justin and Tessa had a beautiful baby girl on Wednesday March 12th. They named her Mylie Ann Kaiser. She is a beauty, isn't she.

Here's a shot of the proud daddy. I can't help but see Rusty in this picture just 2 years ago, in the exact same hospital with our little man...boy how times flies. Jus and Tessa, take time to enjoy your sweet new arrival, I can't wait to meet her in person! Congrats!!

The Special Things In Life

2008-03-03T17:46:00.004-07:00

The other day Bridger had some Cocoa Puffs for breakfast. He gobbled them up quickly because they are chocolate...what can I say, he's a Kaiser! Well, he had some milk left over so I decided to teach him a trick that I loved when I was a kiddo, drinking the leftover CHOCOLATE milk. He had never drank from his bowl before so he thought that was fun, but he was even more excited to find a chocolatey treat when he got his first sip. Isn't life exciting for little kids!!

Unexpected

2008-03-03T17:41:00.004-07:00

I downloaded a bunch of pictures today. To my surprise there were some unexpected snapshots of Rusty. He sure thinks he is funny, but who gets the last laugh now!!!

Love you hun!!

100th Post

2008-02-28T12:40:00.007-07:00

So I finally made it, ONE HUNDRED POSTS!!! Now I know many of you who started blogs after me have long since hit this landmark, but me, I'm a bit slower. But anyway, in honor of this special occasion I thought I'd share a few things about me. I was thinking I'd share 100 "fun facts" about me, but that would be way too long. So instead, you just get 20 interesting tidbits that you probably don't really care to know, but I'm sharing them anyway, here it goes.

1. I'm an Idaho spud at heart...I was born in Boise, ID.

2. I was an aunt when I was 6 months old, I know crazy huh!?!

3. I was a Girl Scout. I started out in a Daisy Troop and made it all the way to Juniors. I still love Girl Scout cookies to this day, and have Samoas and Thin Mints in my pantry right now!

4. I love Barbie's. I had tons of Barbie's growing up and loved playing with them everyday. I still have most of them packed away with all their original clothes; Peaches 'n Cream, Day to Night, and Crystal Glamour are some of my favorites. Even today I'm lucky enough to still get a Barbie for Christmas every now and then. I'm still a little girl at heart.

5. I've never broken a bone and only had stitches once. Long story short...I ran into a parked truck while chasing after the ice cream man on my bike. OUCH!

6. I loved 80's hair bands!! You name them, I know them...Def Leppard, Warrant, Poison, Skid Row, Metallica, etc. I still love to hear a good Def Leppard song on the radio, ">

7. My favorite color is orange, although I don't really wear it that often. You'll find me in white, black, and brown most often.

8. I've been to all 29 counties in the state of Utah. I visited all of them with either my mom or friends in 1996 during the Utah state centennial. Thanks everyone, I have some great memories!

9. I lived in Ephraim, Utah for 2 years...and LOVED it. Snow College was some of the best times of my life. I met great friends and found the man I married. What more could you ask for in a little town!!

10. My favorite food group is Dairy. I love just about everything that comes from a cow...ice cream, milk, cottage cheese, yogurt, cheese, whipping cream, you get my point.

11. I like to ice fish, and I have to admit that I am pretty good at it. I mean, I can never out-fish Rusty, but I can come close to beating the best!! Love you RK!

12. Although I never want to live in Salt Lake again, I still love driving down Parley's Summit and coming into the valley. There's just something about coming "home".

13. I LOVE to clean my house. I especially love to clean it when I am nervous or anxious. There is one place in the house that I HATE to clean though, the dreaded bathroom. Yuck!

14. My favorite flower is the daisy...has been since middle school and probably always will be.

15. I'm scared of dogs, at least the big ones. I don't why, but I think it's their teeth.

16. I always complain about my curly hair, but really I know I'm lucky to have it. I am probably the laziest person when it comes to hair, so I guess it's good that I don't have to do anything really, it does it on it's own.

17. My most dreaded calling in the church is a Sunday School teacher...and I finally got called to it! Luckily I'm teaching with Rusty who is an excellent teacher and will help me out a bunch!

18. One of my favorite parts of the day is making a good dinner for my family. It doesn't matter what it is, but I love to have the stove going and all the ingredients out...I know, that's kind of geeky!

19. I love to dress up and I've got a good collection of costumes. My favorite is my pink leisure suit, a must have for any collection.

20. One day I really want to go on a cruise. I don't know where, and I guess it really doesn't matter, all I want to go for is the food. I've heard some dreamy stories about eating all you want whenever you want, yummy!

So there you have it...100 POSTS!!

Messy, Messy

2008-02-27T16:51:00.007-07:00

Last week I had playgroup at my house. We like to have a little activity for the kids so I decided to use a Preschool favorite...playing in shaving cream. It was a hit with the kids and the mom's too. Here are some shots of the happy kiddos.

These are some of the nicest girls here in Pinedale. I'm so lucky to have met good ladies, who have great testimonies, and are wonderful mommies. It's good to know that Bridger will have good friends to grow up with. Thanks Mindy, Heather, and Michelle!!

Like Father Like Son

2008-02-23T17:55:00.008-07:00

Rusty LOVES fishing. He LOVES everything about it; the rods, the reels, the tackle, when a fish bites, the fight, and especially the hook-set. Now this will sound very weird to most of you, but bless his soul, Rusty especially LOVES fishing tackle. In fact, collecting fishing tackle is one of his hobbies. He could sit and go through tackle for hours. Every time we go to Wal-mart, there he is in the Sporting Goods section, looking at tackle. Well, now he is passing this love down to his boy. I don't know if Rusty has really done anything out of the ordinary to encourage this passion, but somehow I think Bridger came hard-wired to LOVE fishing like his daddy.

Friday night Rusty was gathering up his fishing gear for an early morning fishing trip to Fontenelle. I haven't seen Bridger so excited about something for a LONG time. He was thrilled to see the fishing poles and was even more excited when Rusty let him carry them around. He kept running around the house showing me the fishing pole saying, "This!!"

Later Rusty got out the fishing tackle, and just like his dad he couldn't keep his hands off it. When Rusty pulled out his tackle boxes Bridger's eyes were bright as could be!! There was every color and shape of jig in the box. Bridger kept grabbing handfuls at a time and messing up Rusty neat and tidy tackle box. It was so fun to see the two of them share something special.

I guess the saying "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree" is completely true for my boys.

Birthday Bash

2008-02-20T14:29:00.013-07:00

Bridger had a fun little gathering for his birthday. His cousins, Aunt Amy, Uncle Casey, and Grandma Laurie came for the day. We packed in as much fun as we could in the time they were here. The boys watched a little Shrek when they first got here.

Then we headed off for the new Aquatic Center here in Pinedale. They have a great little leisure area that couldn't be better for kids. There is a 3-story water slide, a lazy river run, and lots of little gadgets that dump, spray, and splash water. The boys had a great time!

After a hard afternoon at the swimming pool we came home and had waffles for dinner. Bridger loves breakfast, so this made a great dinner for his special day! Grandma brought her cool Mickey Mouse waffle iron and sprinkles to put on the waffles. The kids were in heaven with their special treats piled high with peanut butter, syrup, and sprinkles. After dinner we enjoyed Bridger's cake. He had no idea that he was supposed to blow out the candles, and was more interested with the Cars toys on his cake than anything else.

Bridger loved all of his presents from family and friends. He was definitely spoiled! I think his favs were the the miniature Cars, animal sounds puzzle, singing Pablo, and the Cars mitt. He was so thrilled with each toy, that it took quite a while to open up his presents.

After family left late that night, Bridger just enjoyed laying on the floor in the middle of the toys and paper. I think he was in heaven at this moment, just thinking about his family and all his new toys...what a lucky boy!

Terrible Two's

2008-02-20T14:24:00.004-07:00

So, we've hit it...the terrible two's. Bridger had his birthday last Friday and starting acting like a 2 year old just in time. I've heard "NO!" more in the past week and a half, than I've ever heard in my life. It seems like nothing can make this kid happy!

Slush

2008-02-14T11:54:00.000-07:00

Isn't slush just about one of the dirtiest, yuckiest things in the world? I mean, think of all the gross things in it; dirt, oil, gas, and who knows what else!! But I have to admit that I am THRILLED to see slush the past few days. January and early February were nasty in Wyoming. There were days that Pinedale didn't get into the double digits, and to make things worse it was -30 at night...whoa!! Then on top of the cold is the wind, it just drifts the snow and makes it near impossible to drive. So, when I saw 32 degrees on the bank's billboard the other day...I was in heaven. I walked through inches of slush into the grocery store with only a long sleeve shirt on, and was HAPPY!! So for all of you out there trudging through the slush today, just remember we are one day closer to spring!!

Calendar

2008-02-13T13:09:00.004-07:00

One of my goals this year is to try and wish my friends and family Happy Birthday. So I'm trying to update my calendar with everyone's birthday's. Please either drop me an email or leave a post with your birthday. That way I can call, email, or drop you a card for you birthday...I mean who wouldn't want to hear from me on their special day!!

Disclaimer: There are no promises here, especially for those of you with birthdays later in the year. :)

life

2008-02-08T10:28:00.000-07:00

isn't life just a funny thing. it seems that my life has been ups and downs for the past few weeks; and most of those ups and downs have been out of my control. it's hard to find the nice peaceful middle ground when the roller coaster you are riding just won't stop. but it's good to know that someone else is really in charge of our ride, and that all the craziness is for my good. there is a plan for me, and although it definitely isn't MY plan it is His plan and it is better than i could ever imagine, IF i can just endure. here are just a couple of things that have gotten me through the past few weeks, and have reminded me that the blessings are always there, you just have to be aware of them.

spending time with my boys

the sunrise that i see each morning from my kitchen table

2 New Favorites

2008-01-25T18:04:00.001-07:00

Over the past year and a half I have shared some of my addictions/favorite things with you, games, food, hobbies, etc. Well, I have 2 more to add to the list.

Rusty just brought a bag of this delicious Kookaburra liquorice home tonight, and I am already hooked! He tried it earlier this week and told me how great it was. It was hard for me to believe...until tonight. We have the red, but there is black liquorice too, and let me tell you we will be trying that soon because I LOVE black liquorice!!

The next addition to my list of favorites is Qwirkle. Amy got this for Christmas from her mother-in-law and we have played it several times...every time I'm in Kemmerer. I guess it's a mix of dominoes and something else...I'm not sure. Whatever it is, it's fun! If you love games like I do, you definitely should give this one a try.

A Good Little Mix

2008-01-25T16:44:00.000-07:00

I think Bridger has his dad's love of food, and his mom's sense of saving. What a funny kid!!

Breakfast...

2008-01-23T13:25:00.000-07:00

is my FAVORITE meal of the day! The other morning I was sitting at the table with Bridger and Rusty eating French Toast, and I thought to myself "There is nothing better than breakfast." I love it all, you name it, I love it; french toast, cereal, pancakes, biscuits & gravy, oatmeal, waffles, cream of wheat, yogurt, crepes, milk toast (a Prescott thing), eggs, hash browns, bacon...my list could just keep going.
I must have gotten this love from my dad (and my mom who cooked for him every morning). Dad always had a hot breakfast. I can remember sitting at the table with him watching him pour precisely the right amount of sugar and milk into his cream of wheat, it was almost science. I can also picture him building his tower of pancakes and fried eggs with jam oozing down the sides.
So, thanks to my dad, I'm going to pass this love of breakfast down to my family. I miss you dad!

Wrapping It Up

2008-01-09T13:34:00.000-07:00

So, I'm finally back and ready to blog again. I have been home from our little holiday travel for over a week, but I am just barely getting back into my routine, which includes blogging. :) Here's a quick update on the holidays for the Kaiser clan.

We spent a few days before Christmas, Christmas Eve, and Christmas morning in Utah with the Prescott family. It was so much fun to spend time with my mom and the rest of my family...it made me realize how much I really miss them. Thanks to Dean, Maddy, and the kids for traveling to Salt Lake so much just to hangout with us...it really meant a lot to me.

Christmas morning was good with Bridger, except that he wasn't interested in anything that Santa had brought him. All he wanted was the 30 year old Disney dominoes that my mom has in her toys drawers.

We then headed to Kemmerer for the Kaiser family celebration. This always includes lots of wrapping paper, tons of food, and games of all sorts. Bridger was thrilled with the gifts Grandma and Grandpa got him, especially his Elmo Pillow Book. I was so excited to open one of my presents and find a crepe maker, thanks Laurie!! We even tricked Rusty with one of his gifts. Now let me explain this...Rusty has this intuition, or gift some may call it, that he can always guess what gifts he is getting for Christmas. Well, me and Laurie went in on this together and tricked him this year...it was really fun to see his face!!

We spent from Christmas through New Year's Day with the Kaiser's. Rusty had a great time hanging out with his brothers, fishing their hearts out...and I had a great time AFTER I had a complete emotional melt down. I guess I had been away from home far too long, was tired, and emotional. Thanks to Amy for helping me out of the rut and having fun with me...and by the way, I am going to win Phase 10 one of these days!!

So, there's my holidays in a quick minute (or two)!! I hope you all had a memorable holiday. Happy New Year to you all, may 2008 be better than 2007 (even if 2007 was great)!!

A Few of My Favorite Things

2007-12-19T22:54:00.001-07:00

There are a few things that I look forward to every Christmas. Some of them include the smell of a real Christmas tree, lots of great food, including my mom's rocky road, pecan logs, and cheese ball, Temple Square, Christmas music, spending time with family, collecting and hanging Christmas cards from friends, taking a drive to see lights, and my list could go on and on.

The one thing I want to share today takes me back to when I was a little girl. I LOVED the Christmas specials on television and I remember the excitement I felt as my mom gave me the newspaper that had the listings of ALL the Christmas TV shows. I would look at it searching to find when "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer", "The Brady Bunch Christmas", "A Charlie Brown Christmas", "Christmas on Sesame Street", "The Christmas Story", and "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" were going to be on. I would wait for those days anticipating how magical those shows were to me.

Well, since we don't have television this year I haven't been able to share this special Christmas memory with Bridger boy. I was really sad about that so I dug through the Christmas selection of DVD and VHS at the public library and found a couple of favorites to check out. I put them on for B to watch as I was busy making Christmas cards and treats. I didn't pay much attention to them because I was busy doing my thing, but I had to stop for my all-time favorite scene from a Christmas movie. I've always loved when Linus quotes this section of scripture, but this year I loved it even more, he reminded me of my Bridger boy carrying around his blanket, that darn blanket. I hope you enjoy...Merry Christmas!!

The Nightmare Before Christmas

2007-12-17T16:18:00.001-07:00

This weekend we ventured out and made gingerbread cookies. Many of you have been posting about gingerbread houses, but I just wasn't ready to make that commitment yet, so we did the next best thing. Like I said earlier, Bridger hasn't been thrilled about participating in my household duties, but I was able to get him up to the counter to try and roll out his own piece of dough. He thought it was cool for about a minute then left, then returned for a couple minutes, then left, repeat.

After the cookies were baked we tried to do a little decorating but Bridger just threw the sprinkles from one side of the kitchen to the other. Me and Rusty gave decorating a shot, but really our gingerbread men ended up looking like some kind of scaryHalloween creatures.

So, this may not turn into the holiday tradition I was hoping for, but at least I gave it a shot.

Trout, Trout, Trout

2007-12-17T16:15:00.000-07:00

That is the name of Bridger's new favorite book, "Trout, Trout, Trout (A Fish Chant)" We were given this book by some friends last Christmas, but Bridger has only recently taken to the book. It seems like he could read it over and over and over every day. It's been really fun because he has caught onto some of the words and can fill in when I am reading to him. He has also learned a few new words, including the most important, trout.

Since Bridger has been infatuated with this book, Rusty really wanted to take him out fishing Saturday. Now as much as I say I love ice fishing, Saturday wasn't one of those days. It was freezing (barely 15 degrees) and I didn't want to be out in the cold, and I especially didn't want my little babe out there either. But I reluctantly loaded up the truck and headed for Dollar Lake with my boys. After a beautiful drive in the forest (and 3 poopy diapers) we got there and got bundled up for our trek out to the lake.

Luckily, the fish were biting and we were able to catch something right off for Bridger boy to see. He was excited to see the "trout" as well as the "water" and enjoyed saying "bye bye" to each fish we caught as we threw them back in the hole. He settled into the camp chair as we continued to fish and eventually he looked like this. What a good boy, he definitely has his father's blood in him...he's a true outdoorsman!!

What a Difference

2007-12-14T12:54:00.000-07:00

Since Thanksgiving I've been really thinking about the difference between little boys and little girls. My niece, Noell, is only 7 1/2 weeks older than Bridger but is completely different in everything! (As noted from the picture above.)

While we were visiting over Thanksgiving Noell wanted to do everything her mom did. If Janell was cooking, Noell had to be on a chair at the counter helping, if Janell was unloading the dishwasher, Noell was on a chair putting the silverware in the drawer, you get my point. After noticing this I have tried to expose Bridger to a little bit more of what I do around the house each day, laundry, baking, cleaning, etc. and today was the LAST STRAW!! I had him up on a chair trying to put the silverware in the drawer and as I handed him each utensil I was lucky if it even landed in the drawer, usually it ended up on the counter or floor. He has no interest at all in doing these things, he'd rather be carrying around a ball, pulling ornaments off my Christmas tree, running up and down the hall, or tearing books off his shelf. What the heck!! It's amazing what a little chromosome will do, isn't it?

Here's to you mother's of boys, my best wishes to all of us, I can't wait until the teenage years when Noell will be the one giving Janell grief and I can sit back and just remember the difference in little boys and girls!!

P.S. Happy Birthday Noell!! You are the big TWO!!

Today is...

2007-12-13T12:58:00.000-07:00

a GREAT day!! Although it is only 16 degrees outside right now, Bridger threw up twice last night, and I didn't sleep all that well, I am having a GREAT day!! It's one o'clock in the afternoon and I've done 2 loads of laundry, exercised, showered, and most importantly spent some great mommy time with Bridger boy reading books and playing in shaving cream!! Now this may not sound like quite the accomplishment to you supermoms, but for me this is something. Yeah...I love days like this! I hope you all have a great day too!

Is This Right?

2007-12-11T13:25:00.000-07:00

Santa Claus visited the Sublette Co. Library last week. I didn't have my camera with me when I was there Thursday so we decided to make the visit on Friday, when I had a camera and most importantly, when dad could help contain the screaming. So we headed into the library and I was planning on the typical screaming fit Bridger has when I drop him off at nursery or when grandma wants to hold him. But this is what I got, take a look.

Is this normal? Is Bridger OK? Should I be worried that something is wrong with the kid? He'll go to Santa Claus, but won't go to his grandma...I think I should be worried!! Ho ho ho, Merry Christmas!!

Before and After

2007-12-07T13:18:00.001-07:00

Don't you just love those before and after shots? It doesn't matter if it is someone who has lost weight, a makeover, prego pics, or whatever I just love that something changes into an amazing end product! Here are our before and after shots.

The land and the house!!

Unpacking and unpacked!!

I thought it was about time that you all finally get to see our new abode. You are all welcome to a visit here in Pinedale. We'd love your company!!

Tis' the Season...

2007-12-07T12:35:00.000-07:00

So I thought I should finally make some sort of holiday post. My nativities are up, the house is decorated, the tree is up, lights are on the house, presents are wrapped, and there are even delicious chocolate chip cookies made, but I haven't felt like making a post lately, am I a Scrooge or what?!

Last Saturday we had the hunt for the perfect Christmas tree. We loaded up the truck and headed to the Bridger-Teton National Forest. After driving to the forest and up and down the snow covered road, we decided to take a short hike to find THE ONE. To my dismay the hike was unsuccessful, we couldn't find anything good enough for my liking.

So we hopped in the truck again to make another drive, just in case we missed one. Well, I don't know how to explain it, but somehow while Rusty was driving he saw an amazing tree out of the corner of his eye. It was about 50 yards away, a lone pine tree in a bunch of Aspens, just waiting for someone to find it and fulfill it's Christmas tree dream. So we hiked up the hill, took a good look at it, and Rusty cut the masterpiece down. Here it is....

Bridger had a great time! He was in awe of all the trees and loved the snow.

So the story doesn't end as magical as it sounds. We put the tree up on Saturday night and wanted to decorate it on Sunday evening. Well, our plans quickly changed when Sunday morning we walked into the front room to find the tree laying on our loveseat and water all over my new carpet!! Oops! Needless to say, the tree spent Sunday and Monday on our porch until Rusty could fix our tree stand. But after all that, here is it, our PERFECT Christmas tree.

Six Things I Betcha Didn't Know...

2007-12-03T12:52:00.000-07:00

OK, so I LOVE games. I've LOVED games since I was a little kid, but this game...maybe not so much!! I love to read posts from when other's have gotten tagged, but when it's me, it's a different story. I don't know if it's the fact that I feel like I have to make a post or if it's just because I don't really like to talk about myself all that much. Whatever it is, here I go.

1. The first thing you ought to know is that I am THE MOST indecisive person in the world. I just can't make a decision on anything...buying new clothes, ordering at a restaurant, choosing what movie to watch, decorating my house, the list could go on. This problem of mine is so bad that even Bridger has felt the effects of it. To make a long story short, Bridger was not a Bridger when he left the hospital in Laramie...he was a Logan. Two hours after coming home from the hospital I called and talked with the nurse who discharged us and asked if I could change my babies name...oops!! I know, it's crazy!!

2. I DO NOT have a green thumb. I am horrible at keeping plants alive, I just can't do it. I don't know what it is but they seem to always die on me. I've killed it all, herbs, tomato plants, house plants, everything! It was so bad when we first got married that Rusty gave me 3 cactus for our anniversary one year...ouch!! And to make matters worse, I've even killed them. :)

3. I love to ice fish! This may sound crazy, and in fact the girls from SV3 will probably remember me saying, "Don't ever let me go fishing with Rusty again." But here I am, a self-proclaimed ice fisher-woman. When people think of ice fishing they probably think of some backcountry Minnesota man out on the ice with his fishing rod, buddies, and beer. But that's not ice fishing for me, it's more like relaxing in the warm sun and just waiting to catch the "big one" next!! Most of all I think I love it so much because it's the one thing that me and Rusty REALLY love doing together.

4. Now, I've really debated whether or not I should share this one. But since this is supposed to be things that you may not know about me or things that make you laugh, I thought I would go ahead and do it because this will probably fit into both of those categories...I have royal blood running through my veins. This is no joke I was Hillcrest High School's Junior Prom Queen as well as Miss Midvale 1st attendant. Enough said, go ahead and laugh, it's OK, I laugh too when I think about it. Who would have ever thought someone with royal blood would be out ice fishing and shooting turkeys!!

5. I like to clean my house. You may not know this because my house is usually a bit cluttered, but I like a clean orderly house. It's kind of a compulsive/crazy thing...when my life is crazy or I am stressed the first thing I want to do is clean my house, especially my kitchen. I know, it sounds a lot like Monica Gellar, but I'm the first to admit that I have a problem.

6. I'm not really sure what to put here. I know this is supposed to be 6 things about me, but I really can't decide what crazy thing to share. So, that's it, you only get 5, but let me tell you #4 should count as 2 on my list!!! Hope you enjoyed!!

Guess who's next...Michelle, Brianne, DX (just because you haven't posted in over a month!!), Monica, and Kari. I'm only choosing 5 because I only said 5 crazy/funny/weird things about myself. Have fun!!

Already Over??

2007-11-30T14:45:00.000-07:00

So, since today is the last day of November, I thought I better make at least one post about our Thanksgiving holiday. Colorado was cold, but it was nice to visit with family and do a little "Day After" shopping with the girls! Our feast was great especially the pies, bravo Janell!!

Here's a shot of my guy carving the bird!!

After traveling so far I was happy to be home and have Bridger back on schedule...too bad we ended up with the flu all week long!! Hopefully next week we'll be back to normal. Happy Thanksgiving!!

A New Twist...

2007-11-20T13:34:00.000-07:00

...on an old favorite. So, I must admit that one of my favorite meals as a child, teenager, and now as an adult is Ramen Noodles. Ok, I know they are probably not the most healthy, but boy you just can't beat good ol' fashioned Chicken flavor Ramen, can you??!

Well, when I worked at the Developmental Preschool in Laramie, Doreen, the best cook ever, made a ramen noodle lunch for the kids. As a teacher, I was lucky enough to be able to eat her lunches because we were "modeling" good eating skills to the preschool kids. Within a month of working there I knew to check the lunch menu each week, anticipating the next time she would serve "Oriental Beef Noodle Toss". I loved this meal so much that I had to get her recipe before I left Laramie. I made it the other night and had to share a family favorite with you all.

Hopefully you'll enjoy it as much as I do!!

Oriental Noodle Toss

1 lb. Hamburger
2 packages Oriental Ramen Noodles
2 cups water
2 cups frozen veggies(any mix you like)

Brown the hamburger and drain any fat. Season burger with 1 seasoning packet. Set aside. Combine water, vegetables, noodles, and 1 seasoning packet. Bring to a boil and simmer 3 minutes or until noodles are tender. Add burger to the skillet, heat through, and viola!! A heavenly little dinner that your kids, and maybe even you and you hubby will love!!

Full of Thanks

2007-11-19T14:40:00.000-07:00

As this week is Thanksgiving, I've been reflecting on things I'm grateful for. Here's my list of a few blessings I am thankful to have in my life.

1. My Boys...
I'm thankful for Rusty and Bridger because they bring such joy and adventure to my life. If I didn't have them, my life would be just like any other average life, but because of them I have memories unlike any other. Thanks men, we have lots of living left to do!!

2. My Family...
I'm thankful for a mom who takes care of me, even though I'm out of the house and far away. I often get small packages with things my mom thinks would be helpful for "her little girl". I love you mom!

I'm thankful for my brothers, sisters, nieces, and nephews. I know that when I go home and see my family that I will always be accepted, no matter what. I love going home because I always find true happiness with my fam. Thanks guys!!

I'm thankful for the Kaisers. This family is a truly GREAT bunch. They have taken me in and treated me like gold since day 1. We have lots of great memories and fun times together, thank you.

3. My Religion
I'm thankful to have a Heavenly Father who loves me and has given his Son for me. I'm thankful for the priesthood, the temple, the Book of Mormon, prayer, repentance, Visiting Teaching, the Holy Ghost, and everything else about the Gospel. I wouldn't be the person I am today without the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. What a blessing.

4. The Small Things...
I'm thankful for the small things in my life too. Like the beautiful sunrises I see each morning out my window, my dishwasher, reading books with my little boy, eating ice cream with Rusty, taking a drive to see the beautiful world we live in. These are just a few of the simple things in my life that I love each day.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, enjoy your great Thanksgiving dinner, and take a second to remember how blessed we are.

Looks Can Be Deceiving

2007-11-19T13:55:00.000-07:00

Today sure looked like a nice day out. So after lunch I got Bridger ready for a little outside time to get his energy out. Well, I quickly realized that today was not the day to be outside...take a look.

After his slide fell over 3 times and his ball went rolling 50 feet down the way, I decided to come inside. Ohhhh, life in WYO.

Just One of the Guys

2007-11-16T13:55:00.000-07:00

Last week while hunting I came to a happy, yet sad, conclusion...my Bridger Boy is no longer my baby. Bridger wouldn't leave his dad's side, and if he did it was to hang out with Grandpa or Uncle Roo. He wanted to sit on their lap, follow them around camp, go look at deer with them, just be one of the guys.

I've always told Rusty that once Bridger turned 2 he could do as he wanted, until then I just wanted Bridger to be MY baby. Well, I guess Bridger is on dad's side and decided he needed to be one of the guys a little bit earlier than mom had planned!

A Long Lost Addiction

2007-11-15T13:23:00.000-07:00

Ok, so last week when we stayed in Aladdin for the night, we turned on the television and to my surprise Grey's Anatomy was on!! We have not had television since July, and I forgot how much I loved this show!! Last year Grey's was MY televsion show, the show I lived for, couldn't stop thinking about, cried over...it was an addiction!! So, in honor of me, the person without television, please watch a little bit of Grey's tonight. Thanks, I'll be thinking of you!!

No Bakes

2007-11-13T13:41:00.000-07:00

Last night I was desperate for something sweet. We were out of everything, no ice cream, no cookies, no brownies, no eggs to make cookies or brownies. So in my desperation I decided to make some no bake cookies. I consider myself someone who loves to cook and bake, but these so called no bake cookies are my nemesis. I have tried to make these over the past several years, and to my dismay they never set up right! What the heck...that shouldn't happen, you don't even bake them!! Anyway, I set out to find a new and improved recipe. I frantically searched the internet trying to find a good recipe with some tips on helping them set up. Luckily I found a recipe and it worked!! Yeah, my sweet tooth was curbed and I conquered the no bake cookie fear; two birds with one shot! These things were so good I didn't even get a picture of one!

TURKEY LURKEY

2007-11-13T12:40:00.000-07:00

OK, Justin, this is for you!!

If you're not interested in hunting stories or pictures go ahead and skip this post...sorry. This weekend we made a state-wide road trip to Aladdin, Wyoming for some deer and turkey hunting. It was a LONG DRIVE, 10 hours, filled with Rusty quoting lines from "Jeremiah Johnson" and "The Cowboys". Now, I love Rusty, but you can only take so much when it comes to Robert Redford and John Wayne impressions!! The only compensation for all the movie lines was the beautiful scenery we saw along the way.

The town of Aladdin is like something out of a book. It's population is 15, FIFTEEN!!! The only buildings there are a Post Office/Bar/General Store (all in one building) and a small motel. Inside the store it was like "Little House on the Prairie", it had everything you needed, even candy in big ol' barrels, (I could just see Half Pint asking Pa for some candy). It was fun to take a look inside and we bought Bridger a "wooden nickel" for a little souvenir.

Now, my expectations for this hunt were not too high considering my last 2 turkey hunts and the disappointments I had with them. Some people may say that turkeys are dumb, but I would have to disagree. These birds are pretty smart and won't let you get near them. Hunting these little guys is more difficult than you could imagine. To make a long story short, me and Rusty hid in the trees while his little brother Andrew pushed the turkeys right to us. It was amazing, almost like a cartoon, with the turkeys running down the hill, their heads bobbing up and down!! They came right to us, I stood up, aimed the shotgun, and with one shot I got my turkey!! It was amazing, sort of a miracle. I was so happy and Rusty was so proud of me!

Now, hunting really isn't my thing; I got my Hunter's Safety a couple of years ago because Rusty really wanted me to. Even though I go bird hunting reluctantly with Rusty every year, I always have fun and find myself growing a bit as I do something out of my comfort zone. Thanks for all you do hun, I love ya!

Girls, Girls, Girls

2007-11-05T15:14:00.000-07:00

I just got back yesterday after spending a weekend trip with the Kaiser girls. The Kaiser girls are spread out; from Laurie & Amy who live in Kemmerer, Tessa who is in Laramie, Janell who lives Ft. Morgan, Colorado, and me in Pinedale. So we decided to meet in Ft. Collins Colorado for a weekend of fun and shopping!

We started the weekend off with a pedicure. It was nice to just hang out with the girls and chat about life while the technician rubbed all my cares away...as well as some calluses. :)

Then we hit the town with a little shopping and a great dinner at The Melting Pot. None of us had ever been there, but we decided to splurge and have a little fun! Boy it was an experience and I couldn't stop smiling all night! Thanks to the girls for putting up with me and my excitement!

We ended the night in our great hotel room just hanging out in our matching pajamas, courtesy of Laurie.

The weekend was great and well-needed. This was the first time I have left Bridger over night. It was a bit sad at first, and I will admit there were a few tears shed, but I definitely needed to relax and have some "Anne time". Thanks girls for a great time, I love you all and think of you as my sisters!!

A Pirate Says Arrrr!!

2007-11-01T14:21:00.000-06:00

Earlier this summer I found a great lion costume and bought it for Bridger for Halloween. Well as Halloween got closer I realized that Bridger wasn't really interested in lions, but he was very interested in pirates. It all started with the Backyardigans Pirate Adventure that we have on DVD. It was a favorite DVD that Bridger watched religiously while living in the camper trailer. Then he kept finding pirate things all over the place: a pirate balloon at the scrapbook expo, our Pirates of the Caribbean DVD, pirate costumes at the store...you get my drift. So, I quickly changed my mind and decided that Bridger would be happier as a pirate for Halloween. Here are some shots of me and my scurvy little pirate!!

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

2007-10-31T12:33:00.000-06:00

For any of you who really know me, you know that holidays don't get any better than Halloween for me. I just love everything about it...candy, dressing up, carving pumpkins...you name it, I love it. So last night in all of our moving/unpacking madness we brought in the pumpkins and had a little carving party. I was a little worried about how Bridger would do, considering 1-he doesn't like to sit in one place for more than 30 seconds 2-he can't stand it when his hands get dirty 3-he hasn't seemed all that interested in the pumpkins that have been on our front porch for the past 2 weeks. But I guess he's a chip off the ol' shoulder and he took to carving pumpkins like he was a true artist. Here are some shots of our pumpkin fest!

Look at those eyebrows, now he means business!!

Rusty looks hauntingly similar to his mean jack o' lantern.

Me and my little skeleton boy.

Just a minute

2007-09-19T13:44:00.000-06:00

Well, I'm visiting the Kaiser's this week and have found just a minute to make a post. I'm going to give a quick Kaiser summer report. It has been crazy, fun, stressful, and everything else, but as I am looking back I'm happy to survived it!!

July ended with a bang! I was able to spend the last 10 days of the month with my mom in Salt Lake. July 24th is our "Annual Turk and Utahna Frantz Reunion" so I was able to visit with my brothers and sisters and their families. It was great to see them all, as well as my cousins and their families. I will admit that it gets a little crazy with all of them, but it is definitely worth it. Thanks to Rex who provided the cotton candy for the event...I think this will definitely have to become a regular treat at the event!!!

Early August was filled with days in Pinedale. Most of my days were spent at the trailer and at the beautiful Pinedale Library. Life in the camper trailer has not been as bad as expected. I think the only thing that I would really wish for out of trailer life is more than 3 minutes of hot water for a shower. Bridger, on the other hand, couldn't ask for anything more. He gets to run around outside as much as he wants and when he is inside he plays with toys or watches "Shrek 2" and "The Backyardigans". We have meet some really nice people, some really weird people, and a couple scary people while being camp host at the Warren Bridger Campsite. All in all it has been a great experience and a little bit inside of me is sad to leave that place. :)

Towards the end of August Rusty was called up for a 10-day wildfire duty with the Elko, Nevada Hot Shots crew. He and the Elko crew were called to the Castle Rock fire just north of Sun Valley Idaho. Rusty had a good time and learned a lot as he was "thrown to the wolves" on his very first wildfire. Rusty was helicoptered up the mountain where he stayed for a few days looking for hot spots and doing other crazy fire stuff. He said it was amazing to see those Hot Shots at work...they were animals packing chainsaws, gas, and other equipment up the mountain on their backs!!! After it was all said and done, Rusty came home with some fierce blisters and great connections for another fire duty next year.

September came and so has the cool weather. The temperature swings in Pinedale are just unreal...we go from high 20's at night to mid 70's in the day. It really has been beautiful and I have actually liked the cool off. Bridger and I are meeting some nice people at Storytime and playgroup, so that is helping with the loneliness. With the cold weather we have been getting really serious with house stuff. Our home arrived September 4th in Pinedale and things have been moving along since then. The house is now on it's foundation and electricity is ran to the house. Our septic system should be done soon as well as our garage/outbuilding. This means that we may be able to close on the house and MOVE IN some time the second week of October!!! All this is tentative, but I am very hopeful.

Thanks to the Kaiser's and my mom for being wonderful and patient with me and Bridger as we have been wanderers since July. Although our families have been great and taken care of us since July, I still can't wait for our own place. Hopefully soon I will be blogging from home, until then enjoy!!

What A Glorious Day!!

2007-07-16T10:52:00.001-06:00

This morning the movers showed up around 8:30am ready to move us out. Let me tell you, this is a miracle. I think we have moved 4 times in the last three years and we had to pack, load, and unload everything. This time...the movers are doing it for us, YEAH!!! We spent the weekend getting everything ready for them and now they are doing all the work. I thought while I still had time I would make one last post while here in Rawlins. As we are leaving here I am a little sad to leave these memories...this is where Bridger learned to crawl and walk. We've met lots of nice people at church and have learned to be self reliant since our families are so far away. We've also had some fun even though we are in the middle of nowhere! But I am excited to start somewhere new. Meet new people and make new memories. Pinedale is going to be a beautiful place to raise our family. I can't wait until we are out of this transition period and we can start our regular life again!!

They're Coming to America...

2007-07-09T22:17:00.000-06:00

We had a great 4th of July this year!! We spent it here in Rawlins with another(and probably our last) trip to Seminoe. This time there was only a little bit of fishing and lots of playing on the beach! We found this little beach next to a gigantic sand dune. No one else was there and the water was nice and clean. Me and Rusty were brave enough to get into the cold water but Bridger wouldn't even get close to it.

We ended the night with a BBQ at home. Rusty grilled up some mean burgers with Pepperjack cheese and I made homemade fries and fry sauce. We ate dinner and relaxed, waiting to watch the fireworks from our front yard. It was a wonderful day and a great memory of our last 4th of July in Rawlins.

Ups and Downs

2007-07-09T18:15:00.000-06:00

Today has been one crazy day!! I've probably felt just about every emotion you can...both good and bad.

Rusty left at 7:30 this morning to start his new job in Pinedale. I was very sad to see him go but excited for him to start his dream job. I also felt anxiety as I realized that this move is coming, and it's coming quick!!

About an hour later I got a phone call from Rusty saying, "I think the car is breaking down." AHHHH! Rusty ended up calling about 15 minutes later stranded on the side of the Interstate about 1 mile from Rock Springs. Of course, I panicked and didn't know what to do. I ended up spending the next half hour frantically trying to find someone to tow Rusty into town and a repair shop to get the car fixed.

During all this I took one of the Young Women from church to the Camp Director's house so she could head to camp today. I felt sad saying goodbye to the girls because I wanted to go to camp so badly but couldn't with Rusty's new job and the move.

Whittney, my niece, called this morning to share some exciting news...she's getting married!! I was so excited for her!! She is marrying a great guy, Riley, and they will be so happy together!! I can't wait until April 19th to see her so beautiful and walking down the aisle!! Congratulations you guys, I love you!

During lunch Bridger threw an enormous fit...over who knows what!! Today he has turned into a little monster; screaming to get his way and head butting whatever is in front of him!! My frustration level hit the roof when all he was doing was screaming because he wanted a cup (without a lid) full of water, not to drink but to carry around the house!!

After lunch Rusty called to let me know he got the car fixed and told me how much they charged us...oh no!! Stress hit as I tried to figure out where to get the $$.

After running around town and finishing up errands I decided to have some fun with little Bridger boy!! This weekend we got a swimming pool from Rusty's brother and his wife so I decided to fill it up and let Bridger enjoy the sun. I was so happy to see Bridger enjoying himself in the water. At first he didn't even want to stand in the pool but after about five minutes he was acting wild and crazy as usual, splashing, laughing, and loving everything about his little life.

Dinner is now over and I have to spend the evening by myself. Rusty is in Pinedale and I am here in Rawlins. There are some nights when Rusty is home and we don't even do anything, but I guess it's the thought that he is home. I can't wait until Friday when he'll be home again so we can be together as a family again.

For Some May Push, and Some May Pull

2007-07-03T16:01:00.000-06:00

Since we are leaving Rawlins in 2 weeks I decided we better get in gear and hit all the hot spots we haven't made it to in the past 16 months. The first on our checklist was Martin's Cove. We hopped in the ol' Saturn and headed north. It was a warm day here in Wyoming so we left late in the afternoon. We took a quick tour of the Visitor's Center and then checked out a handcart. We loaded our water, backpack, books, camera, and Bridger into the handcart and headed for the trail.

Bridger was a great traveler. He just hung out in the cart and read his books. About a half mile up the trail Rusty told me to hop in with Bridger to see what it was like with more weight in the cart. It was kind of fun to get a ride from Rusty but it sure was loud.

We made it to the cove where the rescuers took the stranded and weary saints. It was beautiful that night, all green with grasses and trees, but as I thought about what it would have been like that early November day I couldn't imagine the pain, hunger, and sorrow those people felt.

This simple road trip gave me a new perspective on life. I have been so wrapped up in selling our house, figuring out what to store for 3 months, what to keep with us for 3 months, and dreaming about the new house we will be moving into, that I've forgotten I'm lucky enough to even have these blessings. Those pioneer women didn't have a choice of what to take; they took a change of clothes, a mending kit, the Book of Mormon, and a plate with utensils and that's about it!! They didn't know where they were going and they most certainly didn't have a house ready for them when they got to the end of their trip. This humbling experience changed my state of mind and will stay with me forever...I am thankful to have so many blessings in my life.

Row, Row, Row Your Boat

2007-07-03T10:38:00.000-06:00

We took Bridger out on the boat this weekend. This was his first time on the boat since he began walking, so we weren't sure how it would go. We packed up the truck, loaded the boat and headed to Seminoe Reservoir. I was excited to be out on the boat again, but a bit nervous about how Bridger would react to wearing a lifevest...and my instincts were right.

Bridger seemed to think it was ok until he wanted to walk around the boat, then he realized he couldn't walk or bend over with this humongous jacket on. I don't think he liked the roar of the engine either. As we were driving across the lake there was lots of screaming and crying. We were about ready to turn around go home but then he seemed to settle down (crackers, his sippy cup, and a rock seemed to help).

We drifted the boat in a little cove and me and Rusty traded off casting for fish and watching Bridger. Of course, Rusty caught couple walleye, but I was left with nothing! So it turned out nice and Bridger ended up having a great time.

An Old Favorite

2007-06-30T11:24:00.000-06:00

Today I was thinking about a favorite cake my mom and grandma used to make. It's Grandma Shorty's Oatmeal Cake with this delicious brown sugar frosting!! I decided rather than just daydream about it, I better go ahead and make it. So I pulled out my kitchen aid (which by the way was my Grandma Shorty's) and grabbed all the ingredients! It was simple to make and even more delicious than I remembered. My camera batteries died last night so I couldn't get a picture, but here is the recipe.

CAKE

Mix 1 cup oatmeal with 1 1/2 cups boiling water. Set aside and let cool.
Mix together
1 cup sugar 1 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cup flour 1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup oil 2 eggs
Blend oatmeal mixture into other ingredients. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes. Cover with topping when cooled.

TOPPING

Bring to a boil
1 cup brown sugar
1 cube butter/marg
2 1/2 Tbl. canned milk or cream
Stir in
1 cup coconut flakes
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Enjoy!!

Happiness is...

2007-06-28T21:33:00.000-06:00

For me, it's good deals at a garage sale.

This past weekend me, Rusty and Bridger went garage saleing. Now, you can call it cheap, stingy, frugal, or whatever you may, but I LOVE going to garage sales!! And this weekend made me so happy!! I found a piece of furniture that will be passed down through all my kids, an old school desk!! When we pulled up to the house I immediately saw the desk. While we were still sitting in the car I said, "Oh Rusty, look at that desk, isn't it so cute?" I got out and took a look at it, then quickly passed through the rest of the stuff only to head right back to the desk. Maybe it's because I think old stuff is cool or maybe it's because I'm a teacher at heart, but it was love at first sight!! Rusty knew it and told me to go ahead and get it. We brought it home, cleaned it up, and put it in Bridger's room. It definitely needs a coat of paint (that's a project for another day and another time) but for now it will do!

For Bridger it's the Backyardigans.

The grocery store here in town is closing it's video rental area. They are trying to get rid of all their DVDs and have them marked down quite a bit. I've been holding out but yesterday at the store I couldn't help but buy Bridger 2 Backyardigans DVDs. He loves that cartoon and since we've downgraded our cable, he hasn't seen it for about a month. When I showed him the cases he would not let go of them, luckily the lady didn't need them for checkout or he would have had a meltdown! When we got home I stuck it in the DVD player and the smile that brightened his face was priceless.

For Rusty it's catching a fish.

Unfortunately for Rusty he didn't catch a fish this weekend. We hopped in the truck Saturday night to fish for the evening. Things quickly went downhill from there. We missed our turn off, then decided to try a new pond instead, couldn't find that pond so we headed for the original hole, and when we finally got there it was so infested with a new insect hatch that me and Bridger were miserable and the Rusty couldn't get the fish to bite!! So instead of true happiness for Rusty he had to settle for a boat cooler from the garage sales.

One Fine Day

2007-06-27T16:48:00.000-06:00

While in Kemmerer for our 2nd annual Scrapbook marathon we took a quick break for the kids to enjoy the nice weather at the park. The kids loved their picnic and the chance to get out and run around. I couldn't help but get shots of everyone because all the grandkids are so cute!!

Bridger loves all of his cousins and gets so excited when he sees their pictures on the fridge. He is so lucky to have Morgan, Makell, Brookie, Caden, Colby, Noell, and Chase to have fun and gt into trouble with!!

For Sale

2007-06-22T15:06:00.000-06:00

Our house has been up on the market for about 2 1/2 weeks now. We have it listed with the lady who helped us find it 15 months ago when we moved here. She is a funny lady, originally from Poland. She still has a thick accent and is EXTREMELY dramatic. I love to talk with her on the phone; she always ends the conversation with "Well, alright my dear." It just cracks me up!! We are hopeful that we can find a buyer soon, if not the government will buy it from us (I guess there are some perks working for the government!). As soon as we sell this we will have the equity we need to begin the construction for our home in Boulder. This is quite the process!! I was hoping that I would only be homeless through August but since things seems to be moving slower than we anticipated it will definitely be into September, but let's hope not October!! I will keep you all updated!

A New Addiction

2007-06-19T12:12:00.000-06:00

Ok, so I need to share my new addiction with all of you. In the past I have had other addictions similar to this one, but I've been able to phase out of them gradually. In the past they have been Sudoku, Tetris, Nertz, Scrabble, Clue, Mancala, and Chinese Checkers. Now, I've found a new game that I LOVE!!! Blokus. So I know some of you are probably not game people, but I am. I love games especially ones where you have to think and really figure things out. This game could be compared to Tetris, but not quite the same. It's so addicting that after playing it at a YW activity I had to borrow it to show Rusty. The good thing about this game is that I've beat Rusty every time!!! This is not the case in most of my other addictions such as Scrabble, Mancala, and Chinese Checkers; he is so smart and thinks so fast that he beats me every time. So anyway, there was my confession! If you click on the link you can see a demo and even play online. Now I'm warning you that it may become addicting, that's why I've avoided the website, but I want you all to have a chance to see how fun it is. Enjoy!!

Duck, Duck, Dog

2007-06-19T12:00:00.000-06:00

There was a great little park/walking path right across the street from our hotel in Idaho Falls. There were tons of ducks and geese so we thought Bridger would enjoy seeing the birds and feeding them a little bread. We were sure he would love the birds, we'll we thought wrong.

After trying to get him to even notice the ducks and quit eating the bread, we found him barking and following a dog down the walking path. He really didn't seem interested in the birds, he just wanted to follow everyone who had a dog with them. I sure was disappointed but Bridger was as happy as could be!! Boy, sometimes I just wonder what is going on in those little minds!!

A Brand New Man

2007-06-19T11:46:00.000-06:00

Bridger is 16 months old this month and over the past 2 weeks Bridger boy has grown up so much. It is hard to believe that it can happen so quickly. Me and Rusty have noticed that he looks more like a little boy and is definitely acting more like a little boy. His vocabulary has started to take off; some of his favorite words are mom, dad, snack, Shrek, ball, walk, no, up, hi, and Bridger. It just cracks us up when he uses words!!

He totally understands what he should and shouldn't do too, but that doesn't mean he is an angel. He loves my Willow Tree figures and thinks he can carry them around. When I tell him to go put them back he usually does, and then he smiles like he is such a good boy for putting away things he shouldn't even be playing with in the first place!! What a character!

Bridger loves to be outside!! He stands at the sliding glass door and says "walk", which in "Bridger " language means outside. And once he is outside he can always find a great rock to hold in his hand. What is the deal with rocks anyway, it is such a boy thing isn't it?!

So right now rather than cry and be sad that Bridger isn't my baby anymore, I am trying to take the advice of my good friend Tristie, enjoy and live in each moment-for it will soon be gone!!

Beach Bums

2007-06-09T11:59:00.000-06:00

On our road trip we made a quick pit stop in Rock Springs to visit our good friends Jerry & Camber May. This was an exciting stop for us because we haven't seen the May family since March '06. They are on yet another adventure...going through Dental school in Ft. Lauder dale, FL. These guys are the kind of friends that you just love!! They live life flying by the seat of their pants, and enjoying every minute of it. They've spent a summer working in Alaska, another summer in Hawaii (which by the way when Jerry left Logan he didn't have a job or a place to live!), and now they are in Florida. What a life!!
It was great to see them, as well as their little guy Dallin and baby girl Preslie. We haven't ever met Preslie so it was fun to have another addition to the group. It's crazy how life moves so quickly...but when you have friends like these guys it doesn't matter how long you've been away, you can always feel like it was just yesterday.