I "heart" Archery...

What a fun day! We went to an archery shoot. It was just a fun, marked yardage shoot, no hiking or walking, all the targets are in a row and everyone shoots and rotates in each lane until you have made the round to all 30 targets. It's a good warm up shoot for us to start the season.

The teenager still wasn't feeling great, he has been sick and got better enough to go play golf on Friday and then said he was too sore to go with us to the archery shoot. So we left him behind, and then he called a few hours later and had some miraculous recovery and was going golfing. Wait? What? I have the sneaking suspicion we are beginning to be ditched! It's okay, he would have probably drank all our soda and eaten all the sandwiches we packed for lunch anyway.We met some friends of our family and shot on the same lane with them.

We killed a few beasts! (this was a good grouping of arrows for 6 people)

The sun was shining, a perfect day to be outside!

I really had so much fun! We didn't shoot much last year and I have really missed it.

I look forward to it, and it motivates me to get in better shape so I can hike the courses (most of them are in the mountains and you have to hike up and down hills to go from target to target... great work out for me).

Them my strong silent mysterious man finally started to get his shots honed in (after missing two targets completely... ah hem... I didn't miss any today... yipee!!!) he thought it would be fun to start competing against me.

He is so competitive! (nice shot sweetie)

But this girls got focus too!

I can match that kill!

It was all just friendly competition, he still ended up beating me 241 to 234 with 330 total possible. It was such a fun day! I have to say I missed the teenager being with us, it is always such an awesome family sport to do together.

But a good time was had by all!

Home cooked vs. eating out...

I was reading my sil's post how they had ordered take out food on Presidents Day and what a treat it was for their family. Apparently they never eat out (not too surprising, she is a GREAT cook and they are raising 6 kids and eating out is sooo expensive). First of all I was really jealous, we never get chinese food because my strong silent mysterious man doesn't eat it, but I was excited for them. But it really got me looking back at myself...

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I am not the cook, I struggle with what to cook, new recipes, and picky eaters, I am also not a perfect house keeper, so cleaning the kitchen with piles of pots and pans and dishes waits until I am in the mood (I try and stay on top of it... I'm just not perfect at it daily yet), which is why I love crockpot cooking.

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So eating out to me is awesome! We love to eat out. I love that it doesn't make a mess in my kitchen. But I felt bad after reading her post thinking my family doesn't get the home cooked meals that they should. I knew I was lacking on making desserts and treats for them (partly because they don't eat them and then I feel like they can't go to waste and I DON'T need them anymore). But when I read one Mom hadn't eaten out since October... I thought wow! We really are on the way far end of the spectrum than I thought we were. And when I do get in sync and make meals at home, most of them are super quick and easy throw together. Or sometimes we have grab your own... and it ends up being chips and cheese, or cereal or something really unhealthy thrown in the microwave.

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We go through our budget often and keep in check the expense of eating out, and then cut way back, and then get lazy and find ourselves eating out more and more, then get a check on it, and this goes in cycles. Most of the time we are pretty good. But if we were better, I could really make the paycheck stretch that much farther! And I feel like that is part of my job, I want to be really good at it!

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I was trying to decide what was causing us to fall into the cycle each time, and I think it is lack of planning. I have been reading up on food storage and shopping for sales to build your storage etc. And it seems the key is to plan menus (and sticking to it). I am not very good at this. At one time I did start a dry erase calendar in my pantry and start writing meals down on each day what we really like to eat (because I will make something really good and forget to ever make it again). Then I figured once I had like 30 meals written down, I would be okay to just pick a meal each night and I would have enough to chose from that it wouldn't feel like we were eating the same things over and over again. But then I never got it filled up and lost interest. I could finish that, every once in a while I do look at it when I just can't think of what to make for dinner and find something we love.

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I get overwhelmed with trying to learn to coupon shop (I find they would have me buying things just because they are a good deal, not because we need that item). And planning meals around sale items, oh it just boggles my mind. I also think you have to KNOW your prices! I can only keep a few prices in my head, it's sad but I know what a good price for chili is... and cheese (big staple items in our house, and I only buy it on super good sales and stock up)... but most foods I don't know what is a good price, I really have to study. But I also hate dragging notebooks to the grocery store. I am sure if I can do it with chili, I can do it with everything else... it has just taken me a long time to get this far. One of my very favorite gifts ever, is a recipe book my sil made me years ago... it's full of tried and true recipes and has basic meals regular people would eat. I use it all the time, and it has been a life saver! I keep adding recipes that I try and we love. Most of the really good sites online for coupon shopping and saving money are from those Utah girls and most of that doesn't apply unless you are living in that area. I still find some good tips, but get frustrated too.

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But I will not give up, I know it is a matter of learning and practicing what I learn.

I am very inspired by women who know their stuff and never buy things at regular price and have organized food storage, and make home cooked meals month after month, and always have cookies and cupcakes for family treats. I am so much better than I was when I was first married and didn't really know how to cook meals. But I still have a long way to go to make it a month without eating out. I feel like I will forever be mastering this art, and would love any tips and suggestions on how to do it better!

What world record can you break while you are sick?

The teenager has been sick with a horrible cough for the past 5 days. When he wasn't getting any better, I finally took him in to the Doc... and while we were waiting, he looks over at me and says "Mom, can you die from tuberculosis"? I thought he was joking when I looked up and saw the seriousness in his eyes. I guess I shouldn't have been teasing him so bad all week and nicknaming him tuberculosis... ooops. Well he was coughing all over me and everything he touched! YUK!

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So once we got home and he found out he didn't have tuberculosis, boredom had finally set in! And this is what he was doing with his spare time (This and trying to breath, yuk... bronchitis stinks).

Trying to beat the Guinness Book of world records for the most golf balls held in one hand. You have to hold all of them for like 10 seconds or something and take them out one at a time without them all falling, and count them out one at a time.

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He had been practicing for hours trying to beat 18... when his Dad came home from work and did 19 on his first few tries. (I have it on video, but it took way too long to download and it's kind of boring to watch)

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Then finally, the teenager mastered 20! Only to find out the record is really 22! Good lesson in getting the facts right... not necessarily a strong hold for the teenager since he is sure he knows it ALL!

I finally got the Valentines Day lollipop video loaded....

I should be on top of the world...

I should be on top of the world... really, I should be!!!

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I am so blessed, and I am so thankful for all of the blessings I have been given.

I am!!!

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But I am just not on top of my game the past few days.

I don't know if it is winter blues, or just laziness, or burnt out (not sure what I would be burnt out from).

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But I am so not motivated!!

I always refer to it as falling in a hole.

I really hate being in the hole. I try to pretend I don't know how I got down here, but I think I really do know. I have learned that nobody can throw down a rope or send down a ladder; but that I have to find my own way out of the hole.

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About 8 years ago I was going through some really hard times. I had just joined the LDS church, and I was being faced with many struggles and trials that were tearing at my family. Everything I tried to make things better, just wasn't working. I just kept doing the same things over and over, and the results were always the same.

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I was told this story, and I have never forgotten it.

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One day a lady was walking down the street, she falls in a hole. She doesn't know how she got there, or how she will get out. Eventually she finds her way out.

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The next day the lady is walking down the street, she falls in a hole. She remembers this hole, but still doesn't know how she got down here, or how she will ever get out. Eventually she finds her way out.

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The next day the lady is walking down the street, she falls in a hole. She realized how she got down there, but doesn't know how she will ever get out. Eventually she finds her way out.

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The next day the lady is walking down the street, she falls in a hole. She knows how she got down there this time, but doesn't know how she will ever get out. Eventually she finds her way out.

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The next day the lady is walking down the street, she falls in a hole. She knows exactly how she got there. And knows just how to get out this time.

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The next day the lady walks down a different street!

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My brother used to tease me, that I was hard headed and was down in the hole decorating and putting up curtains!

SPT ~ The first thing that attracted me to you was...

SPT ~ The first thing that attracted me to you was...

Your voice!

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We hadn't met yet, you were living in Seattle, I was living in Sacramento... we both worked for my fathers trucking company. We would dispatch trucks hauling freight between the two locations. We had so many conversations on the phone... all business. And one day I asked my sister who worked with you... all about you. I knew some of your family, you sounded pretty cute, and I knew I really liked your work ethics, but most of all, your voice... I loved hearing your voice. It was deep and very distinctive. I always knew it was you on the other end of the line, and it always made me smile.

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So one day, I wanted to know more about you, and I just got really brave, mustered up ALL my courage and asked if I could call you at home sometime? Your immediate answer, "NO, (my heart sunk to the bottom of my toes) but if you give me your number, I will call you" (... and he has standards, AHHHHH!!!... I think I was hooked right then).

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Every phone call over the next month and a half we grew closer and closer, we talked about anything and everything, I knew everything I needed to know about you, and I was head over heals, until we finally met face to face at the airport (back when you could meet me at the gate), and we hugged for the 1st time June 7th 1991. It was my big brothers birthday, and I flew home to surprise him. I will never ever forget the 1st hug, I leaped into your arms and you caught me and hugged me back and we blocked the whole isle. It was like I knew you all my life.

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Yep, you had me at hello!

Valentines Day Part II...

My Strong Silent Mysterious Man was so thoughtful for Valentines Day this year... the crab Thursday, dinner out Friday, and Saturday a Dinner Dance at the church with the live band.

And he took this self photo, and danced with me! Just over the top, and so sweet!!

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I have so many really cute pictures, but can only post a few. I didn't get permission from everyone, and I am hearing some really creepy things on the news happening with sharing sites. I might just go private with my blog after some of the things I have heard. It makes me sad. But I would never ever want to put anyone in jeapordy of internet fraud.

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But here are some of the highlights from the Dinner Dance Saturday Night.

First it was for our Stake and there was a huge turn out... like 450 people. That has to be a record here. We had a host couple at each table and they would cook the main dish and then assignments were given to everyone they invited to their table. There were some single tables, and even a table from our little branch out in the country... they drive like 1.5 hours to come to events at our stake center.

The theme was to dress in your favorite decade... of course my strong silent mysterious man said he was dressing in what ever decade made levis and t-shirts popular. He was already being so good, I couldn't expect everything to be perfect could I?

My bff and her hubby... they were our hosts (trying to be all serious in their photo... afterall nobody smiled in the 30's photographs).

Sonny and Cher... or Billy Ray Cirus look alike... loved the bell bottoms.

These jackets were too cute!
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And then a couple of my blogger friends... thanks for letting me post your photo's!
Such a fun night!