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Is this thing still on???


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PICTURES FOR DAD

DAD,

HERE ARE SOME PICTURES OF THE KIDS. I HOPE YOU ENJOY THEM!!

That'll Be All: Let's win one together!!!!

That'll Be All: Let's win one together!!!!

Let's win one together!!!!

www.madsencycles.com

More like IN YOUR FACEbook

WHAT THE HECK is up with Facebook?? Why all the name calling?
When did "Facebook" go bush?

I was doing my usual perusal of the internet this morning, enjoying
my Stephan's Gourmet Hot Cocoa of the Belgian Dark Chocolate variety, feeling OK
about myself when I came across this personal attack. I promptly phoned 'GUY' and asked him if he had, in fact, called me
"an IDIOT".
"Of course not. You are a genius. One of the smartest thinking people I know! I really respect your opinion and listen to what you say with baited breath."
or something to that effect. You can ask him for his exact words.

"Did you even TAKE the IQ test?" I inquired
"NO, I don't even know HOW to take the test" he stated emphatically with a touch
of self mockery.

After I hung up the phone I was trying to figure out why facebook would do this to a person. Why would they spend all that time and money to bring you
closer to those that you care enough about to have, at the very least, an online form of communication with
JUST to rip it apart with false accusations and mud slinging?

Is this what Britney Spears feels like?.

Another thought occurred to me...Are we the virtual equivalent of Fighting Cocks?
Are they pitting us against each other to see who has the stronger ego?
Are they BETTING on us? Is this LEGAL?

Further down on the page...the page that I was on to 'Send some love back' to one of my friends (how ironic is that)... I saw this fun little diddy winking at me:

WHO'S IN CHARGE HERE?

SOWING THE SEEDS OF LOVE

I DID IT!!!

I have to admit that I have not had much success with plant
seeds and making them grow and prosper
(except that silly faith lesson with a pumpkin seed),
but somehow, SOMEWAY the plant gods took pity on me and
let me have just a little sweet taste of success.

My niece L~ gave me a window greenhouse for my birthday this year
and when I opened it I was so happy to see that it came
with some seed packets of some of my favorite herbs.

I love cooking with herbs, or tossing them into my salad greens WHAT HAVE YOU...
I love them so much that they have become the center point to my flower pots.
I like to mix the herbs with the flowers, it makes for a handsome pot.

I have some herbs that will come back year after year as long as I remember to leave them in the pots and not pull them out with the dead things, such as Oregano, Chives and Thyme. My Rosemary plant was so small last year that we ended up gobbling it up before it could grow into a mature plant (my bad).








ANYHOO, back to my story....so I was excited to see that in my window greenhouse I had Basil seeds and Italian Parsley seeds and Oregano seeds.
I promptly planted the basil and parsley since I had oregano growing outside already.

I watered the seeds, put the greenhouse into the sun and waited. And waited, and waited, and waited some more feeling like I was doomed to a life of plant starts from the nursery. Until one day...

POP

I couldn't believe my eyes. Maybe my luck had changed. Out of 6 tiny little pots, three of them were showing signs of plant life. Yummy, YUMMY plant life. Now I just had to wait figure out exactly which of the two kind of herbs they were.

I showed my 'success' to anyone who passed through my threshold. "Come see the new additions to the family" I would say proudly.

After a week or two I realized that my precious newbies were going to grow up to be basil.

Ahhhhh basil.

How I love to shred thee into a salad, or pulse you into a pesto like no other, steep your tender leaves into a simple syrup in which to make lemonade.
The countless things I can do with you to enhance my culinary life
excite me so.

I was so successful with that first planting that after I transplanted the sweet baby basil into it's adolescent home I started a whole new batch of seeds to grow.



Success graced me once again.
I now have basil in two different stages of life in one holding area. Kind of like preschool and 8th grade all in one class. I'm not sure how the preschoolers of the basil world will survive, but I am willing to sacrifice them for the good of the more established basil 8th grader.

It's getting to be that time of year for me to start introducing the basil to the outside world. Gently at first, building up to that time when I leave it outside the comforts of it's first home to face what the world has to offer.
Some good, some bad.

The feeling this evokes reminds me of readying my firstborn child for his emergence into the cold, harsh world. Except that I want to eat my basil and I DON'T want to eat my firstborn. At least not
right now, he's kind of stinky.

I have given some of my baby basil to LO and Daredevil Mom. I am anxious to hear how their experience is with the new additions to their households.

Here is my basil as it was today.






Doesn't it look gooooood.



Just in case you were wondering,
the other herb was Italian Parsley but it decided not to make an appearance.

I'll just chalk that one up to shy seeds.

SATURDAY IS A SPECIAL DAY.....

THREE KIDS...

THREE BATHROOMS

I THINK THIS WORKED OUT PERFECTLY!!!

HEY SPORTS FANZZZZZZ

In honor of our NIE DAY AUCTION
My hubby and I are auctioning off
2 fabulous package deals for all you
baseball fanz.


Package A.

*8 front row tickets (located between homeplate and the third base dugout) to one of the last 4 regular season games of your choice
(check the September schedule for what night has the events you want, ie: Tuesday night bingo or Friday night fireworks)

• 2 VIP parking passes, each includes a $2.00 off food coupon
  
• A red Orem Owlz flop hat (with our logo on the back) for every ticket
• Possibly more to come

Package B.

*8 front row tickets (located between homeplate and the third base dugout) to one of the last 4 regular season games of your choice
(check the September schedule for what night has the events you want, ie: Tuesday night bingo or Friday night fireworks)

• 2 VIP parking passes, each includes a $2.00 off food coupon
  
• A red Orem Owlz flop hat (with our logo on the back) for every ticket
• Possibly more to come

*FIRST COME FIRST SERVE ON WHICH NIGHT YOU WISH TO CHOOSE
**EACH NIGHT HAS A DIFFERENT PROMOTION (IE: TUESDAY NIGHT BINGO NIGHT) PLEASE CHECK THE SCHEDULE TO DETERMINE WHICH NIGHT YOU WOULD LIKE TO ATTEND


Just Start the bidding in the comments box and specify which package you are bidding on.






CLICK ON THE BUTTON ABOVE TO CHECK OUT OTHER AUCTIONS BEING OFFERED

NIE NEEDS US!!!!

If you don't know about NIE just look HERE for the details and updates.

LINE UPON LINE

After warning my son time and time again
not to take a long, hot shower on Sunday mornings,
I told him this morning:

"I better not have a cold shower today or your butt's on the line"

he responded back to me (with an impish grin, mind you):

"My butt already has a line."






Boys

OH BABY!

I NEED HELP.
I thought I could just stop whenever I wanted to,
the problem is...I DON'T want to*.

Is it bad to huff Vick's Baby Rub?




It just smells soooooo goooooooood!




*I really can stop whenever I want to!

MY DEAR CONSTITUENTS

I promise, in my term, to represent our good county to the best of my ability.
I promise not to raise taxes, lower budgets or cut funding.
I promise to increase awareness of things that are warming.
I promise to change my shirt if I spill something on it.
I promise to not have spinach in my teeth when I'm around others, I'll save that for private time.
I promise to give my full attention to any issues that I am asked to review, address, or in any way acknowledge.

Yes, it's true. I was chosen to be the Utah County representative to attend the re-dedication of the Utah State Capitol. They announced my name on the news and everything. I got the news about a month ago and I have to say I'm pretty darn excited. They told me that they chose 1 person from each county to be the representative for that area. There will be 9 of us there with this same responsibility. I get to bring a date and go hobnob amongst the Utah Elite. Maybe, just maybe I'll be able to bend some pretty important ears my way and discuss very important things with them. I feel so grown up. Do you think they know much about HI-5?

Feels so gooooooood

I got all of my Christmas shopping done today.

Every bit.

Every morsel.

Every Polly.

Every Pocket.

Now if I could just finish decorating my house.....

MY OBSESSION

I have a new obsession

I think that I couldn't get through a day without *this

or even *this

or *this

or *this

Can you blame me?


* Some content may be unsuitable for minors

Size DOES matter!

What's so wrong with wanting 10 inches??



Sometimes more IS more.

I can tell you this...it's hard to find but when you do, BOY OH BOY are you satisfied.

I found
this one
and I can tell it can get pretty darn HOT.


I'll definitely be back for more.


You can keep your technique, I'll take the 10 inches.

HEAVEN ON EARTH

Click HERE if you want to check out our digs on the trip. And YES!! it WAS that beautiful!


More to come

FAILURE TO LAUNCH

Today was finally the glorious day that my family and I were to wake up to a brand new day in Utah and lay down our weary heads in Maui. We were so excited to try to tie up those last minute details that always seem to come up when going on an extended vacation. We were beside ourselves when the time came to back out of the driveway and drive down the street knowing that we were not to see our beloved home for a fortnight. We couldn't believe our luck as we pulled onto good ole I-15 leading us on the pathway towards the SLC International Airport. We could hardly contain ourselves as we pulled up to the curb in front of the good men and women that wear the badge of SKY CAP, without whom our luggage would just never know where to go or what to do. Our luggage was swiftly tagged and about to depart from our presence when out of nowhere we were hit with the news that sends chills down the spines of fun lovers and business people alike.....

" The first leg of your flight plans have been canceled" the poor skycap squeaked out.

".................." I blankly stared at this sky cap.

"Ummmm...let me go in and find out what's going on for you. I'll be right back."

I could tell that my silence was a little unnerving to him. I tried to say SOMETHING, ANYTHING to ease his sorrow at my seemingly failed flight plans but nothing would come out of my shocked mouth.

"Why don't you come inside with me and talk to the ticket agent to see what can be done for you today, OKAY?????" he calmly suggested.

"Uh....Okay." I stated with authority.

As it turned out my flight from SLC to LA was canceled due to mechanical problems in the aircraft. I guessed I could let that one fly. However we then had to deal with the problem of actually getting us from point A to point C. It seems the other passengers on this particular flight were already re-booked onto other flights which made our traveling group of 5 harder to accommodate.

"I could put you through Phoenix that connects into LAX and from there you could TRY to catch your LA to Maui flight."

"UHHHH.....No, I don't think that would do. You see I have 3 small children that I am traveling with and I just don't think I could TRY to do that." I explained

"I see..I see." He typed with the speed of angels to try this way and that way to somehow get us to LA on time for our Maui flight. I suggested a game plan that actually sounded better to me.

"I can get you on a non-stop flight to Honolulu tomorrow afternoon and then you can take a puddle jumper over to Maui. It will give you time to make your flight and maybe you could take in a little airport sight seeing as well."

We have a winner folks. What was once a massive inconvenience turned out to be a better plan, in my eyes at least, then the original flight itinerary. Non-stop out of SLC to Honolulu was acceptable.

As we were leaving airport grounds we were trying to think of things that we could do that would help us not feel so bad about not leaving for paradise this day. And we all thought what better cure is there for a day like today than a pedicure.















































Now who could possibly say that they have prettier toes then my darling little lady #3???

HOW MUCH IS THAT DOGGIE IN THE WINDOW?

fg

<
Does anyone want a 2 month old baby Chihuaua that has just a hint of poodle in it?? I like to call it a poohuaua. They are the most cuddley puppies I have ever been around...Just take a look.





































Just look how happy child #3 is around them.....Your kids can be that happy too.




Status:

Blond one : for sale

Black one : for sale

Curly blond one : negotiable, willing to time share.

Guest post by child #2

this is a picture of a tower that I made

WE'VE GOT SPIRIT YES WE DO, WE'VE GOT SPIRIT HOW 'BOUT YOUUUUUUUU

To increase the pleasure of starting yet another school year I promised my little ones to a proper, mall purchased pedicure. Yes, I know you are all thinking "But, doesn't she have a boy?"....Well, yes I do and he LOVES them, but that's not why I'm here telling you this great story......As an added treat for the little ones I told them that they could each bring along a friend. Needless to say that my kiddo's promptly got on the horn and invited a couple of LO'S kids to come along. If any of you know Lo's kids you know how much fun they are to be around and how inventive and persistant #3 is, so this next statement will not come as a surprise to any of you.......

My daughter #2 and Lo's #3 were waiting together almost patiently for me to finish primping. I guess I just wasn't primping fast enough for their liking BECAUSE I ended up having this conversation with them.....

My #2 comes into my bedroom with this stricken look on her face and says to me in a most urgent manner ...
"#3 said that we need to be in the car right now".
I look at #2 and said ...
"I'll just be a little bit longer"
#2 once again with heightened urgency stated...
"But #3 said that the spirit TOOOOLD her that we need to be in the car RIGHT NOW!"

A little bit weary of the query that I had to make to Lo's #3 child ( a cheeky child, only sometimes, I might add) I searched her out and asked.....

"#3, #2 just said that you think we need to be in the car????"
"YES!! The spirit is telling me that we need to be in the car and that you are taking too long to get ready"

WOW, was I humbled or what. How could I possibly feel good about myself if I didn't heed to the warnings of the spirit that inhabits the body of a first grader. My vanity was going to curse us all if I didn't act, and act fast.

After a little discussion about just exactly how much longer I was going to take (and a quick phone call to her parents to share the news) we were off on our way to the mall, spirit and all.

We had a grand time and all was well. And best of all we were able to start the new school year off on the right foot (pun intended). #3 is quite the spirited child!