The next step in my journey...

My biggest defining moment was when I was sexually assaulted back in college. I have posted about this several times. I do this not for your benifit..sorry..I do it for my healing journey. For some reason, when I share my story, I feel better. Thats just how I am.

The next part of my journey has begun. Last fall at the RAINN Day at Dixie College I was asked to write my story. Today I was contacted to tell me that my story will be published in a booklet for Victims of Dating Violence. It will be released at a press conference for the public and media. I have been asked to come and participate at it and to answer questions to the press.

I am very excited, thrilled, happy, scared to death, terrified, and amazed to be part of this. I know that it will be a great step in my healing journey. The inside of me feels like great big dragons are flying around in my tummy...enough that it makes me want to puke! In the same thought I am elated and frantic. But mostly content that I have made it this far.

Thank you everyone for all of your love and support with this journey. It is not possible to heal from this without all of you. Thanks everyone!

Christmas in Idaho!! part 3...Sleigh Ride

While we were in Idaho we were DELIGHTED to have a sleigh ride. The horses were beautiful and they even had santa bells on them. We jingled all the way! It was just like out of a story book. It was overcast, slightly snowing, not to cold, and we loved it!! We laughed, sang, Luke tumbled off and we all had a wonderful time.


Big thanks to the Miller family who graciously gave us the ride. I grew up with the Millers and their son was in my first primary class that I taught, he was even was one of the servers at my wedding reception (he is now married! He and his wife were there to help his dad on the sleigh ride....yep...feeling old).


My kids still talk about the sleigh ride. It is a memory they will always treasure.

Cooking lessons with James

James LOVES to cook. LOVES it! He is always asking to cook. He is always willing to help me in the kitchen and on Sunday I used that to my advantage. I egg rolls and fried rice. Since I am annoyingly frugal, we now make our own and I love them! I took this opportunity for James to learn how to make the egg rolls-so that I could do other things and still have egg rolls!! Such an evil plan.

James diced all of the cabbage and onions, shredded the carrots, and we had some sausage so he cooked that up for it too. I did add the seasoning but that's ok.


James cooked it all up!



I rolled up three. Then he declared that he could do it so let him! So I did. And he did better then me. Seriously, you can't tell which ones I did (and I've been making them for years.)

Wow James your hair is actually combed!!! Everyone remember this day, I don't know when this will happen again.

The egg-rolls were fantastic! I look forward to James making them again!

Soap in the Microwave

James was on a science experiment kick today that involved the microwave. First he started exploding marshmallows in it and then moved to soap.





Quickly adding "clean the microwave" to my to do list.


My house now smells like IVORY soap...a lot.

Christmas in Idaho!! part 2....SNOW!!!

When we arrived at Grandma and Grandpa's house the kids were in HEAVEN!! It was dark already, but they wanted to go play in the snow right when we opened the doors. Since all of their snow clothes were still packed, we convinced the boys to wait until morning.


The view outside the kitchen window. Check out all of those footprints! The snow was well played with.

Well, as soon as they could, James, Luke and Ben started playing almost nonstop in the snow. They build snow caves, tunnels, went sledding with their Uncle Ray, and then with the largest smiles on their face, they would come inside and drink hot chocolate next to the fire. They were in heaven! Especially after the next post you will understand their snowy happiness. :-)



The view out of the kitchen window. I love the snow slopping off of the roof. I don't see that much anymore living in the desert.



The Teton Mountains in the horizon...one of my favorite views of Idaho.



Luke with his snow cave.



James BEGGED his Uncle Dustin to bury him in the snow. He LOVED it! He also said he was quite warm.



James and Tommy shoveling snow just for fun.-weird kids!


And it was cold!! This was in the middle of the day, I took this picture right after my dad said "Oh it feels good! Such a nice day!" (The following week it was about 0* in the middle of the week. )

Christmas in Idaho!! part 1..Air Force Museum

This, for Christmas, year we parted from tradition and ventured up to my homeland of Idaho. To get there, it is a lovely 10 hour drive. The week before we left, the weather has been on the wet side, so we were nervous about the drive. Thankfully, it dried out the day we left. However, it left in its path, a blanket of fog everywhere! It was so thick that at times we were driving pretty slow.

Halfway to Idaho we stopped at the Air Force Museum. (We briefly stopped last time but it closed soon after we had arrived.)


In the van we were listening to a story called A Distant Prayer by Jerry Borrowman and Joseph Banks. It is the true story of Joseph Banks in World War II. It is a life changing story that I highly recommend. In it, Joseph Bank's aircraft is shot up. The detail in the book was so interesting, that the boys really wanted to see a B-17.


Well, the Air Force museum had it! (James was/is obsessed with that bright orange hat...he wears it A LOT) It was really interesting to place the plane into the story. It made the story more real to me.




The boys loved being at the museum! We were there almost two hours looking at all of the planes etc. At the end we all were able to get a smashed penny with an airplane embossed on it--we love getting those!

Adventures in rug making.

This year, for my sisters and moms I made rugs. Yep! Rugs. I know it sounds kinda drab but I was so excited to make them. I saw them being made at our local Peach Days last fall and I really wanted one for myself. So, in order to justify myself purchasing a loom, I decided to make one for my sisters and moms. Little did I know what I was getting myself into!!!


The loom itself would be fairly simple to make. It was made of 1x4s then there were nails 1" apart. Cory could have easily made one, but it was nice to just be able to pick it up all done.




The rugs were much more labor intensive then I had planned. Its a good thing I am pretty much anti-social. :-D I worked on them for about 4 hours a day and I would finish after about a week. I used 3 sheets for the "weft"-that's the fabric that goes left to right. And about 5 yars of fabric for the "warp." We would roll the warp into a giant ball. (Which instantly became a toy.) My boys and hubby were my official fabric rippers and I would scour the DI for sheets and large pieces of fabric to use. The process is called "twining." This website I referred to many times. It has great visuals. I also used the book Twined Rag Rugs from the library.



I loved making the rugs! I ended up making six rugs in two months. It was insanity! However, I did get to watch A Christmas Carol (my FAVORITE Christmas show!!) multiple times. I hope everyone who received one loves them like I do.

If anyone would like to learn how to twine...come on over!




Now to make one for me!!