FINALLY.

I finally got a computer. Thank goodness we didn't have to buy one. The computer we're using now is courtesy of my little brother Clay who is on his mission. Thanks Clay, you're a lifesaver and you don't even know it. I am going to be back dating a BUNCH of posts (for record keeping). I've got things to post about clear back from February. Ugh! So, if you'd like to find out what we've been up to...just keep scrolling!

I know. I know.

I know I have been severely been neglecting my blog. But I have a wonderful excuse. My computer decided to go and get sick. It was running super slow, so my dad looked at it and said it had about 1.37 MILLION viruses on it. Ugh! We tried to fix it, and now it doesn't work at all. Lovely. Anyway, I'm at my sisters for the rest of the week babysitting my nephews while her and her husband are relaxing on a beach in Maui. ahhhhh, one day it will be our turn. :) Anyway, I'm taking advantage and using her computer. I have a ton of things I need to catch up on and no pictures here, but I do have one thing to share....

THIS IS WHERE WE SPENT OUR WEEKEND

THIS IS WHO WE SPENT IT WITH

AND THIS IS WHY

Clayton and I have been lake junkies lately. We took the boat out 4 times last week. We've been wake boarding and tubing like crazy, apparently a little too rough. During the middle of the week, Clayton was complaining that his shoulder was bothering him. He took some pain killers and didn't think much of it. Then we woke up Saturday morning, and he could barely move it. Now, Clayton is a pretty tough cookie so I can tell when something is really bothering him. As the day went on, it got worse and worse. That night, we were supposed to go to a dinner theatre with Clayton's family, and we ended up in Urgent Care instead. ALL NIGHT LONG. Man, I think they have a game they play where they just see how long people will wait for mediocre care. 5 hours later, we walked out with some HIGH DOSE pain killers, anti-inflammatories, muscle relaxers, a sling, and a diagnosis of a "strained shoulder". Clayton's doing ok, its still bothering him but he'll tough it out. I have to say, all those prescriptions make my husband an extra funny man. He is so out of it! His eyes are half-mass all day long, he keeps switching his words around, and he falls asleep mid-sentence. It's been interesting to say the least.

"You don't do what's popular, you do what's right."

This is Glenn Beck. I will never again miss another episode of his show. Up until a couple of months ago, I had never heard of him. But I started watching him as I was looking through the channels and he captivated my attention for an entire hour. Now, I am the first to say that most things having to do with politics are way over my head. It's not that I don't care about my country, I just don't believe anything anyone says anymore. All the wasted promises and the lack of common sense makes me frustrated (to say the least).
Glenn Beck has a way of explaining things that makes sense to the average person like me. Watching his show, I go through a variety of emotions. Frustration. Amazement. Anger. Outrage. Amusement. But one thing is for sure, he gives me hope that things can be different. Things can be better.
When it comes to government, BOTH sides have made some serious mistakes. And I believe the root of all the problems is that God is being forced out. If you don't have some sort of moral standard involved when leading a country, things fall apart. If there is any question in regards to that--look at where we are RIGHT NOW. I just wonder how bad things have to get before people start to realize what they've done. It's a scary thought.
Glenn Beck talks about 12 Values and 9 Principles that our country is missing:

12 Values

Honesty
Reverence
Hope
Thrift
Humility
Charity
Sincerity
Moderation
Hard Work
Courage
Personal Responsibility
Friendship

9 Principles

1. America is good.

2. I believe in God and He is the Center of my Life.

3. I must always try to be a more honest person than I was yesterday.
4. The family is sacred. My spouse and I are the ultimate authority, not the government.

5. If you break the law you pay the penalty. Justice is blind and no one is above it.

6. I have a right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, but there is no guarantee of equal results.

7. I work hard for what I have and I will share it with who I want to. Government cannot force me to be charitable.

8. It is not un-American for me to disagree with authority or to share my personal opinion.

9. The government works for me. I do not answer to them, they answer to me.

If we all lived by these Principles and Values, this world would be a completely different place.

No Money and a Good Time.

This past weekend, we had Clayton's cousins come and stay with us. Zack (17), Zane (15), and Asya (13). We had so much fun with them. We love hanging out with kids because Clayton and I are free to be our goofy selves. One night, we took them bowling. And HOLY COW, when the heck did bowling get so expensive? When I was younger, I remember taking 5 bucks and I was good to go. Not anymore. It cost us 50 DOLLARS just to bowl one game. I was shocked! We did have a good time though. And thank goodness they made the bowling alleys smoke free because now you can bowl without getting a headache. After we were done bowling, we were out of money and out of ideas. How would we entertain 3 teenagers with no money? Then, as we were driving home, Clayton all of a sudden did a U-Turn and said he had a plan. He pulled up to this random side street in Gilbert. I was puzzled until I saw water come shooting out of the ground. It was one of those water fountain things that you can play in. We all jumped out of the car and ran straight for it. We had so much fun! Much better than the bowling. I guess in order to have a good time, you don't always have to have money (thank goodness)...just a good imagination! Good one babe. It was a blast.

I only have two words for you Jason.

SCUM

BAG

Yardwork, Yardwork, and MORE Yardwork.

Have you ever seen so many weeds in your life? When we moved into our house, it was obvious that the yardwork had not been done in quite a while. Two days after we moved in, we got a letter from the HOA saying we had 15 days to get the weeds out or we would be fined. WELCOME TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD, right? Lucky for me, I've inherited my mom's weird love for picking weeds. I just get into the zone and I can't stop until it's done.

Next came a more labor intensive day. Luckily I had my dad to help me. Sorry to all of you who have Sage in your yards, but I absolutely detest the stuff. For some reason, it's very popular and I see it in almost every yard in my neighborhood, but I think it's hideous. My first order of business (aside from picking the weeds) was to rip out those ugly monstrosities. We had 4 in all, just in the front yard. I was so happy to see them GONE. We also spent the day raking up all the leaves from our big trees. It was a lot of work, but after we were all done, it looked great.

Dad and Me.

For My Mama.

My mom. What can I say about my mom except that I love her? She's the most amazing person I've ever met. (Who else could rock a mullet the way she did?) She sets the tone for our entire family. She makes everyone feel lucky to know her, and she makes me feel especially lucky that I get to be her daughter. Why this special post for my mom you might ask?? Because.....

IT'S HER BIRTHDAY!!

Happy birthday mom. You're one of my favorite people in the whole world.

Now, I was thinking and thinking...what can I get my mom for her birthday? What could I do that she would absolutely LOVE? What would mean more to her than anything I could afford to buy her? And then it hit me! Much to my dismay, my mom loves loves loves to hear me sing. Ok mom, this is for you. Happy Birthday. I love you.

No one can say it better than a child. I found this letter that I wrote to my mom when I was in grade school, and everything in it still holds true. Mom, I'm still glad you're you.