I have so much to tell you...who are you?

Let me begin with this (bear with me...if I stray too far) I have a best friendv(Melinda). She is amazing. I love her very much. We have had a few occasions to be out in "the middle of nowhere" (a truly beautiful place to be). And, without fail, we have found ourselves in the humbling position to call out to Jesus for help.

The cliffs notes versions of previous occasions (remember your supposed to be bearing with me)

First Mommy and Me camp trip: The pop-up tent would not pop-up. We spent HOURS in the desert "fiddling" with the blasted thing to no avail. FINALLY (truly, we were out of options) we humbly sought out the guidance of the Lord, and He delivered! A sweet man and his equally sweet wife just "happened" to get a flat tire within a stones throw of us...needless to say that sweet man was quite handily able to fix the tent...God is good!

Melinda and Syd trip to McGown Peak: This was a backpacking trip. After a very very late start we found ourselves off trail (the severity of just how "off trail" we were is dependent on who is telling the story, to avoid over-embellishing I will leave it at...we were off trail) after bushwacking for many hours (again the exact amount of hours depends on who your talking to) we again found ourselves crying out for deliverance...and miraculously we were able to find the trail within minutes! (This was also the trip that it rained and rained and rained and rained!)

This weekend: Previously I had taken Porter with me on the Mommy and Me weekend, this time around it was Ollie's turn. We headed out (Melinda and her little one and me and Ollie) for Succor Creek in Oregon. It is a lovely desert canyon known for its thunder eggs and gem hunting! It was a truly lovely time, the weather during the day was great (although the nights were pretty cold). Melinda and I were talking about how through the whole first part of our trip we were notably without disaster, and maybe our streak had been broken. The conversation had barely happened, the last words hardly spoken when disaster HIT! Along the roadside above our campground we saw a little Kia pull around the corner and stop...they parked on the road for quite some time and then VERY slowly the inched their car onto the little "driveway" of our campsite. We assumed that they were going to st-up their camp at the mouth of our little campsite driveway, we watched as the unloaded the back of their Kia, and then went about our business. We were fixing dinner "Chicken and Beans" (a true camp food work of art). The beans has been brought to a boil and turned down to cool...but more about that in a minute.

We had long since forgotten about our new neighbors when we spied a woman, very quickly moving towards us. We looked at the woman for a moment, and then realized that she was frantic! She asked us if we could help her, their car had a flat tire, and more importantly then that her husband had only about an hour of oxygen left...she was quite upset. Melinda and I looked at eachother and assured her that we would do the best that we could. We walked with this woman to their car were her husband was waiting. We soon realized how tragic the situation was when we learned that they had no jack, no tools, and no way to change the tire. And the hour left of oxygen was growing shorter by.the.minute. We got the jack and spare from Melinda's Caravan hoping the lug pattern would fit...it didn't. We wrenched and wrenched on the mechanism that held the tire in place under the Kia (To release the tire from underneath requires a special tool). I think that we must have worked for about 45 minutes before we recognized that we had reached the end of what we could do on our own, we prayed. We joined hands with our new friends, and together the four of us prayed. Often the "what" that you pray for is almost not as important as the act of praying itself (or at least we might think so) but in this instance the "what" WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT! We prayed that the lord would send us a helper, someone with the right tool to fix the problem, we prayed for more minutes of oxygen and we thanked the Lord for bringing us all together. We said "amen." We lifted our heads Melinda and I made eye contact and decided that she would need to load up our new friends (obviously I am withholding their names...you still bearing with me?) and make the 30-45 minute drive into Nyssa to seek medical attention. The gentleman was having more and more difficulty (although he has a smile and laugh that would belie his struggles). Melinda and this sweet couple loaded into the van and headed off down the dirt road for town...I stayed behind with the kids. It was time for dinner...

And now back to the Chicken and Beans...well there wasn't any Chicken and Beans. While our backs were turned my dog Zeke ate them all...every single bean husk and Chicken shard...all gone...every bit...he didn't even share! We had pb&j.

About 10 minutes had passed (if your are doing the math we are WELL over the hours worth of oxygen...God is good.) when down that same dirt road I saw that same silver van returning. Obviously they had not gone to Nyssa. I headed back to see what was happening. THE LORD HAD SENT US A HELPER! As Melinda and Company were heading into town Melinda (obviously moved by the Holy Spirit) pulled into a neighboring campsite to see if someone had a tool, or an idea about how to get the tire fixed (while happy to do it the logistics of taking this sweet couple to town, in the hopes of finding medical assistance in Nyssa Oregon, and then getting their flat tire fixed, and then returning to the campsite was fairly complicated). The helper they found in the neighboring campsite was Jim, a fellow Middletonian (We Middletonites are a pretty hardy bunch!), and an employee of a transportation company...and he had a HUGE toolbox in his RV...and he was HAPPY to help...GOD IS SO GOOD! So Jim went right to work, he crawled under the Kia to take a look...I don't know if he even got a tool fully on the tire, or exactly what happened at this point because I wasn't under the car...but that tire fell. That tire fell right on Jim's face...the thud was sickening. Jim crawled out from under that Kia with a bloody nose and a black tire mark across his forehead. At this point I would just like to take a moment to reflect...I had just been under that car...I had just been wrenching with all my strength on that tire mechanism, and so had Melinda. GOD IS SO SO SO GOOD!

Well Jim was fine, a little scratch on his nose and a marvelous disposition (we know he was fine because he came back by our campsite with his lovely wife the next morning). Melinda and I finished changing the tire and our lovely couple went on their way...presumably to the nearest medical facility(his hour's worth of oxygen had now sustained him far beyond that).

So God DOES answer prayers! God makes one hours worth of oxygen last far beyond that! God protects us (anyone up for a broken nose)! AND GOD LOVES US!

Anyone want to camping with me and Melinda...an experience to be remembered is GUARANTEED!

shoulda...woulda...but didn't

I went to Walgreen's today. I got a lot of stuff (8 Nerd's ropes, 3 bags of Hershey chocolate candies, a Gatorade, some hair ties, 3 tiny deodorants (that I use in my backpack during the summer) a bottle of shampoo and a bottle of conditioner, and a can of curly hair mousse) the total retail value of my product is $42.73, but all that I paid is $10.78 plus I still have a $2.00 Register Reward to use sometime in the future.

What fun!

My day...

I went to Target...it was mostly a BUST! All the things that I was there to get were gone, I was able to work that razor deal one time, with much assistance from the not-so-friendly customer service manager...::blech::!

Then I had to go to Wal-Mart. I must say now that my eyes have been opened to the wonders of couponing, I kinda hate going to Wal-Mart. But today I was pleasantly surprised. I was able to get all the things on my list, somethings that weren't but were a smokin'deal...good time were had this evening at wal-mart!

I got a ton of stuff for $17.94 (shoulda been $45.52). I got like ten packs of gum, 4 packs of Kotex, 5 things of axe soap (tiny ones, but they will still clean da' man!). It was "almost" fun this evening at wal-mart!...almost!

The best part of the evening...we ran outta hay. Well not totally but pretty close. Teddy found a guy last night on Craigslist who had hay for sale at a pretty good price...they talked that was all. This afternoon as we were pulling back into our driveway there was a skinny guy sitting on a motorcycle. It was the guy with the HAY! Teddy hadn't given him his phone number, just a brief idea of where we lived. Well the guy drove out to tell us that some other guy was interested in his hay, but since we had spoke with him first he wanted to let us have first go at it. I was amazed at his kindness...it was so old-fashioned and wonderful! And now we gots us some hay!

With all that aside (that fantastic blah blah blah under this post).

Here is what I am looking for at Target, when I get there maybe today:

Fusion Power Razor: $7.99
-$2.00 mfr coupon
$5.99 out of pocket

Gillete Shave Gel: $1.49
-$1.00 Mfr coupon
$0.49 out of pocket

The purchases above qualify for a $5.00 gift card. So my out of pocket will be $6.48 with a $5.00 gift card return (so it is like paying $1.48 for a pretty cool razor and shave gel1)...pretty cool if you ask me! And then Teddy will not have to keep shaving with a pink daisy disposable!


Other things that I am looking for at Target:
McCormick Spices
Betty Crocker Warm Delights (for my Aunty)
Fruit Snacks
Hershey Bliss Candy

I update with the "beta" when it all works out...I am hoping that my out of pocket will be not a lot.

It was a hard book to read. Not because the sentences were difficult, or the words to foreign to decipher, but it was disjointed, scattered...difficult. It made me wonder, as so many things seem to do these days, what am I complaining about? I live a life so outside of the traumatic "sound bites" that are everyday occurrences in the rest of the world (bombings, and hunger, rape and genocide) yet I am often full of dissatisfaction for the way of things. Hmmmm? Curious...

In class last night I was looking out the window (I have to sit in the back by a window, my restlessness demands it!) And in the grass under the window were a bunch of pigeons. They were starkly white...some with a few patches of black like freckles on their very white bodies, but for the most part they were very very white. Not gray, not blue-ish but white. I found it quite curious that outside the window these white birds where happily foraging seeds and worms, while inside the lecture hall we were discussing the fate of a world filled with very dark, black foreign circumstance. I watched those birds until it was too dark to see them, all the while pondering the curiousness, and the coincidence that they were there outside my window. Sound bites from the news played over and over again in my mind, until I couldn't take it anymore. I hated how benign and unimportant words like "suicide bombings" and "roadside bombing" and "genocide" and "terrorism" had begun to sound. Just words. There was no more importance in those words during that lecture then words like "grocery store" "apple" and "coupon." I was sickened.

I found myself getting angry. Angry with the professor, angry with the writer, angry with my parents, and angry with myself. How easily we can talk about things that should be terrible and unspeakable. How easily we cheapen the experience of others, by our ignorant conversation. It was disgusting.

And then I got into my Chevy Malibu and drove to my warm home. Gross.

Now I have no intention of loading my six and seven year old sons into the the car and heading out to places that are dangerous. That would be ridiculous, and irresponsible. BUT, I hope to think more about those "sound bites" as being a reality, instead of simply a sensationalized bits of "fluff."

I am just disgusted.

The proof...the pudding...the rubber and the road...

I am going to see if I can get all the stuff that clogs up my mind out...and if that will help when it is time to turn off the ole' thinker and rest. I am again spending many many nights unable to sleep because of how noisy my brain can be. So on the advice of many people, I am going to see if this helps. If it doesn't...poo!

First things first, Aunty fell and broke her wrist. I am sure that she wouldn't not appreciate me going into a ton of details, needless to say it hurts...and she ain't happy. We spent a loooooooong day at the doctors today. The good news is that she will not require surgery, the bad news is that there ain't much more then time that will help.


After we were done at the doc's we had a few more places to go to. Wal-mart, Walgreens and Albertson's. Between all of these places I got $103.22 worth "stuff" for $40.16. Now crazy couponers would balk and say "that is not that great of a deal," but I got a ton of stuff, for less then half of what it all "retails" I feel pretty okay about it.



With all that being said here is what I wonder:

About Aunty: I hope that when I reach her age (85) I am able to conduct myself with the same grace and elegance that she has. Where does that internal fortitude come from? I look around me, at people that I know and at myself and I must say that I just don't see it in us "youngsters," and it makes me feel a bit sad. Then in a blink my mind begins to sort through the this and that of all the differences between "that" generation of women and "this" one. They had it tough, they worked hard, saved their money, made due with what they had, all in an effort to create a live (and more importantly a future). We us youngsters have it so so so easy in comparison, we drink fancy coffee from insulated cups, we complain about missed calls and poor cell phone reception, and we simply demand that we deserve to "have it our way." Why? I don't know, and I don't know what to do about it, or if there is anything really to be done. I just know that I hope to be as wonderful an "old lady" as my Aunty. And while I have no daughters, I will some day have daughters-in-laws and I would like to learn how to be an example for them.

About groceries/food and shopping: AHHHHHH!!!!!!

Phew..that sucked!

I am a novice. A newbie...a beginner! I have taken up the arduous hobby of "couponing" and I must be honest when I say that not only is it fun, and rewarding, but it also can really SUCK!

I have scored some great deals...and my freebie closet (which right now is FULL of toilet paper...we like us some toilet paper!)is pretty full, and my sundry items are well stocked. Last night the fam. and I went into town to do a little coupon shopping...it was meant as a tutorial of sorts for Teddy. He bailed. After all was said and done I got the wrong noodles, I got charged for my free eggs, and walked away easter-candyless (which was the MAIN reason to go shopping). But I did learn a valuable lesson...leave Teddy home! If anyone is interested here is what I did get right (please note these are the highlights...):

Scott TP regularly $2.15...I got it for $0.15/a package
Lysol wipes (with two lil' boys who CAN NOT seem to pee INSIDE the toilet) reg. 3.29...I got them for 2/$2.00 (plus I was supposed to get free eggs...but alas I got charged for them).
I also got some quaker rice snack-y things for free and some sour cream for nada...
Oh and Ziploc bags for $0.89/a box!

All in all I bought $67.56 worth of "stuff" for $31.89.

(another reason not to bring Tedly...stuff ended up in the cart that I didn't even know was there...Popsicle's anyone?)

While the shopping experience was less then FANTASTIC...we all had a good night! Teddy built me a trellis for some climbing plants that I don't have yet...but I WILL get them...oh yes I will!

I am going ShOpPiNg!

The boys Ted and I are going shopping. This will be Teddy's first time "couponing" I am interested to see how he takes to it...I had to bribe him with Mexican Food first...I will pop back in with the "how it went" update after I have seen "how it went!"

Changing direction...

Isn't it all an adventure really? I am a mother, a wife, a sister, a daughter, a niece, a cousin and a friend and a student...isn't everyday an adventure? I am thinking about changing directions with this here blog...mostly cause I need a place to put things...the crazy in my head and the adventures of everyday life. First things first...I need to figure out how to bring the "cute!" Buttons, links and pictures are a tiny bit intimidating to me...but I will get there.



There is a bit of cute for the time being!

Mama's Rockin' Rock shoes...

It was so amazingly beautiful today that we thought it nearly criminal to stay shut up for ANOTHER day in the house. After the tiniest bit of conversation Dad and I decided to take the boys and the dog and head to Swan Falls for a little bouldering. We left the house and headed towards Kuna...we made a little pit stop at the world's finest eatery...Los Betos. For a little rolled tacos/quesedilla/shredded beef burrito FIESTA! We ate our lunch and then hit the road. A short time later we were heading down the windy road to Swan Falls dam. We pulled the car over and parked, and let the fun ensue! We tackled some little rocks...trapsed across some talus (I know not the best idea...but hey we made it!) and then took on some BIG boulders. Ollie as always "spidermonkeyed" his way up whatever he attempted. Porter got a little wonky a time or two (don't trip though they both ALWAYS had a mama or papa right close). Dad nearly ran up even the biggest boulders (He has quite a r-e-a-c-h!) and Mom picked her way right lady-like along behind her family! And Zeke...well I think he shoulda been a mountain lion!

All in all it was a great day!

The Quick and Dirty:

Where: Swan Falls Dam, Kuna Idaho

Who: All of us...even the dog!

Pro's: The sun was shining...the temperature in the car read 50 degrees. It was a beautiful day! Another BIG pro was that Porter was able to do it! I nearly peed my pants a couple of times...but P-money was V I C T O R I O U S!

Con's: I can't think of any...we had a great time!

What did I learn?: My baby boys...are turning into big kids!

Would I do it again?: yeppers!

Swan Falls-Bouldering

"Indian make small fire to keep warm-white man build BIG fire and burn his butt"

To celebrate our anniversary (which seems to be a week long EXTRAVAGANZA) Ted and I headed to the hills for a little snow camping, the boys headed to Aunty's for a little soda/candy sleepover!

The original plan was to backpack/snowshoe into Blue Lake near Cascade I-da-ho. That never came to be, as we turned onto the road to head up the mountain toward Blue Lake, we were stopped by a dead bolt and gate and a dauting sign, "Road closed to ALL public use." After a quick stop in at Trinity Pines to ask "yo' whats the dealio'" we where advised to find another location for our winter adventure, lest we be shot by the local rancher! Opting to forgoe the bullet-dodging we headed over to Horsethief Resevoir.

We arrived at Horsetheif and looked for a place to park the car, opting for a wide spot in the road (which will later prove to be not the best choice) we unloaded our gear. The gear list:

1. Syd's pack weighing in at about 20 pounds-loaded with gear and clothes
2. Ted's pack weighing in at a whole lot more then Syd's-loaded with gear and clothes
3. A sled loaded with firewood, a shovel, and the food bag!
4. 2 bottles of water
5. A pair each snowshoes and trekking poles
6. I reserve the right to add to or take away from this list as I remember things...

We strapped on our snowshoes found a trail with a simple gate (a pole and some wire) and no "no trespassing sign" and headed off. We hiked in a mile or so, found a spot to make camp. We dumped our gear, made camp and ate. What did we eat? The food list:

1. 6 packages of Chicken Flavored Top Ramen (a delicasy in some parts of the world!)
2. 6 Packages of Maple and Brown Sugar oatmeal
3. 6 Frozen microwave burritos wrapped in tin foil (we are sooo high class)
4. a bag of trail mix
5. JERKY!
6. Coffee (were you expecting anything else?)

(We didn't come close to eating all of this food. And while the menu isn't gourmet it works for us...we're simple folk!)

After we dined we headed out of camp sans the gear, and had a great hike. We snowshoed about 4 miles or so and found ourselves back at camp. Teddy made a fire (a BIG fire, hence the title) and I made some dinner...top ramen and burritos, yum!

It had started to snow before we even left the car and snowed the whole day! By the time we were off to bed there was at least an inch of new snow, on top of the two foot that was already on the ground.

It was soon dark, so Ted and I climbed into the hammock. Yes we shared the same hammock, no we did not get cold (due to the sleeping bag liners we made at home, and the boiling water we put in water bottles at the foot of our bags), yes it was UNCOMFORTABLE, and no we did not sleep well! However, when Teddy is in the hammock alone he sleeps like a million bucks! But with all the sleeping bags, boot bags, windproof/waterproof pants and TWO bodies there just wasn't enough room to get comfy, BUT we were sure warm! Temperatures over night dipped to around 10-12 degrees.

In the morning we got up made breakfast...and COFFEE!! We broke camp and headed out. As we approached our car the BRIGHT orange sticker on the drivers side window caught our attention. The Sheriff had but a warning sticker on our car, we had exactly 48 hours to move it or they were going to tow it! Which begs the question, what if we had had some kind of back woods emergency...and fought or way back to the car broken, bloody and bruised to find our car had been towed...at our expense? I'm just saying!

Figuring we were still within our 48 hour time frame we loaded the gear into the car (now a whole lot less since we had no more firewood) and hiked down to the lake. We scrambled down the embankment on to the frozen lake (this is not an endorsement for this kind of behavior...you can make GOOD choices!) We walked around on the lake, peering into the ice fishing holes, and the lake, and the clouds, and the trees, it was fun!

So the cliffs notes:

Where: Horsetheif Reservior, Cascade ID

Who: Ma and Pa

Pro's: We did it! We spent the whole night, in butt-freezing cold and still liked eachother. Plus, anytime spent on an adventure (with your spouse especially) is SO amazing!

Con's: Boiling snow for hours...not all that fun! Two people sleeping in the same hammock, not easy...but warm! And here's the biggie-We really missed the boys!

What did I learn: How to start a fire with a cotton ball and vaseline. How to warm my sleeping bag with a water bottle. And that I can hack it in the butt-freezing cold, with the right layers, and my husband!

Would I do it again?: Yeppers!

Snow Camping at Horsetheif