Friday's Humor

Sorry men, couldn't resist a little humor from Maxine

Scrumptuliciousness

Hello everyone!!!! Mom informed me that all the girls were putting a recipe book together for 2009. Its a brilliant idea. Pure genius I tell you. Well since I am something of a chef myself, a miniature Gordon Ramsay if you will, I decided to get in on the action. After some deliberation I decided to pull out the big guns with my Totino's Crisp Crust Party Pizza recipe. No you don't have to have a literal party to cook this folks. The party comes to you when you pop it in the oven. Isn't it great? Just preheat your oven to 450 degrees, throw this bad boy in, and cook for 11 minutes. It's simple and affordable. Four for five bucks is a steal of a deal. Also, I have perfected the process so you don't have to dirty a single dish in the kitchen. Just place the pizza directly on the oven rack. When the timer dings just slide it onto the box it was originally packaged in, and eat with your hands. All I can say is I better get on the cover or at least the front page with this recipe. I specialize in "frozen" cooking so if you are interested in other fabulous goodies let me know. Kaedell those ham thingamabobs you made, they looked pretty time consuming and messy. I have a frozen recipe that is pretty much the same dish without the mess and stress - they are called Hot Pockets. Have your people call my people so I can get you pointed in the right direction on this. Anyways try a party pizza today - you won't regret it. Since I've been off groceries they are all I eat and I feel fabulous. Enjoy!

It Was A Bridal Day!

This is my beautiful niece McKall! I can't believe how she's all grown up. Today I got to spend about three hours shooting pictures of her. Wow, did I ever have fun. I'll be posting more photos when I pick out my all of my favorites. Kelson saw this photo and said "Wow, I can't believe this is little McKall, the tom boy who always went deer hunter with us - then he just stood there with his mouth gaping wide. Well, McKall your beautiful inside and out!

Friday Verses Monday

OH SO TRUE!!! YEAH TOMORROW IS FRIDAY!

Applesauce Cookies with secret killer ingrediant sure to make your mouth water!

WARNING! To the right, Kaedell is giving a demonstration on the reaction you will see on any face when individuals discover the cookies are all gone!

Applesauce Cookies

1 Cup Shortening,

2 Eggs,

1 Can Applesauce 15oz,

½ tsp Cloves,

1 tsp Soda,

2 tsp Baking Powder,

2 Cups of Sugar,

4 Cups of Flour,

1 tsp Salt,

1 tsp Cinnamon,

AND THE SECRET KILLER INGREDIENT?

1 bag of Hershey’s Cinnamon Chips! (The recipe said "Optional, but it's no option at my house!)

In large bowl (because you will want to tripple the recipe and make enough so you can eat a dozen yourself!) Add Shortening, Sugar gradually mixing continually. Beat in egg. Sift dry ingredients together and add alternating with the applesauce. While mixing make sure and add dry ingredients first & last. Drop by tsps on cookie sheet & bake @ 350 for 15 minutes. For those of you who have not purchased a "Sil Pat" Cookie sheet liner, get yourself to wherever they are sold and obtain one today. You'll never grease your cookie sheets again with this spectacular European invention! And your cookies turn out perfect everytime. I'd like to thank Amy Kendrick for adding ten pounds to my frame! She gave me the recipe and now I'm addicted! Thanks Amy! Ok, Kadie, there is my first recipe for the month!

Deer In The Headlights

"Can I take your car mom?" Kelson inquired. He needed to pick up a book from Gage for college. "Sure," I answered back. Then a little premonition entered my mind. The thoughts tip toed across my brain. "Why don't you tell him to take Glade's car."

That was a super duper idea and I surely wished I had followed it, because then that nice clump of deer hair would be sticking out of Glade's car instead of mine.

Beware if you are driving in Willard. Kelson was driving conservatively down the highway when two deer jumped out in front of him. He managed to miss them but then suddenly there was a whole herd.

He swerved through four or five of them and thought maybe he was going to come out of the incident unscathed when the last one decided to turn in front of him, wiping out my grill, and doing just enough damage to make the whole thing a big pain in the . . . . you know what . . . . . to get it all fixed! The deer miraculously lived, so beware of deer in the head lights when driving through Willard.

Recipe Challenge-Ham & Cheese Calzones

Mom, Desi, Emy, Caroline, & Missy-I am inviting each of you to do my Recipe Challenge. I got this brilliant idea as I was making a new recipe for dinner last week. If each of us post a new recipe each month then at the end of the year we will have a total of 72 recipe's. Eventually we can create a "Crowther Family Cookbook." I am always looking for something fast and easy for dinner or a new treat to try out. You can post whatever you want-a salad, dessert, main dish, etc. All you have to do is one a month. I thought it would be kind of fun. Eventually, we will have enough to make a book. Here is my first recipe for the month. I tried it last week and they were really yummy and my kids loved them. This recipe comes from Kraft foods-super easy and fast!
1 can (13.8oz.)refrigerated pizza crust
16 slices of Ham
1 cup Colby & Monterey Jack Cheese
1/4C. Ranch Dressing
1 tomato cut into 8 thin slices.
Heat oven to 400. Unroll pizza dough on lightly floured surface. Pat out dough to form 16X12in. rectangle and cut into quarters.
Top dough with ham to within 1/2in. of sides. Mix cheese and dressing; spread on ham. Top with tomatoes. Fold each rectangle in half; seal edges with fork. Put on greased baking sheet and bake 16-18 min. or until golden brown.

Great Idea

I thought this was a great idea! Even if you've already chosen to have children without a test run on the cat, and you're a nursing mom, I think you should get a cat and wake your husband to feed it every time you nurse. That way he'll truly appreciate those two am feedings! By the way, make sure he takes 20 minutes to dish up that food. Isn't it nice to do things together?

New Member of the Family

Meet Sassy or as I call her "Sas"! No not Deserey - although she can be a little sassy herself! I was referring to the cat!

Kaedell couldn't stand me crying over Turbo's death any longer. Unbeknown's to me, she spent an entire Saturday looking for me a cat. Petco and Petsmart align themselves with animal shelters in their local areas to place cats in good homes. Kadie went to every Petco and Petsmart in Ogden. After traveling round the countryside, she made one last stop at the Petco in Harrisville. That's where she found Sas. I've never adopted an animal. I'm usually taking the strays in off the street with out any help from a shelter. When Kadie called me though I thought it was the least I could do in honor of Turbo - you know give some cat with a death sentence on it's head a home. I drove right in, took one look at how pretty she was, and that's the end of that story. Now we are no longer catless! This cat is hilarious and nothing like Turbo.

Turbo was a big fat lovable cat that never made a single peep. Gage said he was the perfect cat because we never had to take care of him short of cleaning out the litter box. It's true, we never had to feed Turbo - We'd just filled up the large cat food bin we store in the garage and when Turbo was hungry he'd climb in it and eat. One time he even got locked in there. We found him a day later and luckily he hadn't lost any weight, he was a little thirsty though. We never had to do anything with Turbo. If we didn't clean out the litter box he'd just poop right next to it. This cat was 100 percent self-sufficient! Sas, on the other hand I'm learning, has been spoiled. She snubbed her nose at my dried Walmart Meow mix cat food and didn't eat for two days because she thought sooner or later I was going to bring on the expensive canned entrees. There is no "Gormet" cat anything at my house. If you're a cat and you live with me then you can just be thankful someone pets you, feeds you and allows you to breath! I knew she was spoiled the minute I was standing in the kitchen, popped open a can of tuna, looked down, and found her at my feet. I told her "Listen honey, you are a cat, your life is virtually worthless around here and if you don't eat that cheap crap I bought for you sitting out in the garage - you are going to be lying next to Turbo in the garden! I saved your life, so you are going to have to learn to love that food or it's back to the gas chamber!" After two days she consigned her self to the dry cat food, but every time I pop a can she comes a runnen, (Pavlov's Dog)! The minute I brought Sas home she took up residency on a shelf in my laundry room, so I stuck her litter box and food in there and now if someone forgets we have a cat and shuts the closet doors, she's totally self-sufficient like Turbo was. People kept doing this to her for a week. I'd walk out in the laundry room and the doors would be shut. I'd have to remind people, "Hey, gomers, we have a cat now and she doesn't want to live in 'closet prison'!"

We didn't know what we were going to call her for the first day, but then she revealed her name to us quite remarkably. The grandkids came over one day just after we brought her home and they were all petting her when she got a little nervous with all of them plucking at her so, and immediately she grabbed hold of Corbin's hand with her teeth and wouldn't let him go. She literally held on to his hand quite forcefully and for sometime mind you. I'm sure it seemed like hours to Corbin. You should have seen the look on his face and heard him wail! With Corbin screaming at the top of his lungs, the grandkids removed their hands in lightening speed with no intentions of ever touching the cat again. Meanwhile Corbin just sat there making a lot of noise while his hand was locked in the "Jaws" from hell! I smacked the cat on the head promptly (I'm totally into cat abuse) which triggered a "let go" response and I told her if she ever did that again I'd dismember her! She learned her lesson that day and has warmed up to all of us very nicely, kids included, but we named her "Sassy" after that incident. She's in for a rude awakening come spring. That's when I'll introduce her to her new outdoor living quarters and the neighbor dogs. She loves Winston, so I'm hoping they all get along. She's a pretty funny cat with major attitude in her tail. I hope she can survive the Crowther family as long as Turbo did. He was a great cat and she's got some big kitty paws to fill!

{Meet Baylee Anne Crowther}

Well I haven't posted for awhile, but here are a few updates of the baby! Gage and I are so excited to introduce Baylee Anne Crowther. We are too excited to meet her and to have her in our lives.

Every Time we go to the doctor it is still a little surreal to me and Gage. I can't believe there is really a baby in my belly, but I love to see Gage! He is going to be the cutest dad, I can't wait to see them together. He gets so excited every time we go.

Well this last time we went to the doctor we found out what we were having, it was so much fun to get to find out we were having a girl. After we got out of our appointment, Gage text messaged everyone in his phone to tell them he was having a girl. It is so much fun to see how excited he is to have this little precious baby in our lives. Well, we will keep you updated on the baby. We hope you enjoy the pictures of our little Peanut!

Who Gets The Front Seat?

I don't know about you, but when I was a kid we always fought over who got the front seat. The tradition continued with my own children. I can't count the days I had to listen to the ramblings of irate children ruminating over who got the front seat. "I dubs the front seat" was a continual statement made every time we scrambled out the front door. Then the arguments would begin, "That's not fair! You had it last time." And on and on and on. Now at my house age takes seniority. Today I'd like you to meet Bella - she's the dog in the front seat. Too bad for you Corbin! She belongs to Kadie and Kyle. A couple of years ago Kyle surprised Kadie with a puppy for Christmas and as you can see Bella is not a puppy anymore and she has decided where she is going to ride for the rest of her life! They'll be no dubbsing at Kaedell's house! Kadie takes after her mother and she loves animals! When she was a kid she used to collect all kinds of cats --- live one's! Her and Breyn used to drag home any stray cat they could find. Kadie used to own a cat a couple of years back. His name was "Thomas." Then she got Bella and the cat packed up it's insults and moved next door to the Harpers. The Harpers have chickens and Thomas decided he'd rather be part of that brood, after all, he could foresee future benefits! Hence Kadie is cat-less and Bella rules the roost at Kadie's house. Since Bella has grown, she loves to come and visit me, especially if there is thunder and lightening in the atmosphere. One night I was driving up my long and winding street when I noticed a dog running down the road. I was a good two miles from my home and when I saw the dog, I thought "Wow, there are two Bella's in the world! Then I drove right on past and didn't think another thing about it. I finished my errands and after arriving home I got a panicked phone call from Kadie. "Mom, have you seen Bella. That was one of the first times Bella ran away from Thunder and lightening. Now she knows her way to my house, she knows right where I live and if she gets out and a storm sets in, I'll open the back door and there she'll be. She loves to go to Janet's (Kyle's mom) house too. Bella just loves her grandmas! Well, I have to laugh every time she jumps in Kadie's car to go home. I think it's pretty funny Kadie's kids lost their front seat privileges to a dog!

Does the Spirit Work in you?

There are no pictures to go along with this post, only what you can see with your heart. Many of you will look at the length, roll your eyes and move on. Tisk, Tisk, Tisk, too bad for you! A few of you will read this with your heart and you will laugh, then you will cry and feel motivated to live closer to the work God needs us to be doing here on earth. (Sorry for some reason my minama template does not support paragraphs ((it really bugs me.)) Obviously Blogger has not read "William Strunk and E.B. White's "Elements of Style" either that or I don't know what I"m doing.) So back to the story. Beth Moore is not a Mormon but she is a devout witness for Christ and for His important work. Tonight I got to listen to Kenneth Cope sing beautiful music. He shared this story and then sang a song that sent water spewing from my eyes everywhere! After the concert I went up and ask him for a copy of the story and he gladly gave me his. I should have had him sign it. His music and Beth Moore's story inspired me to think more on listening to God and what he has in mind for me. I know I've had many a day when someone touched my life because they had a 'Hairbrush Moment' and Ohhhhhh . . . . I'm so glad they were in tune. Read on!

The Story "A Lesson with a Hairbrush" by BETH MOORE (Yes it is TRUE!) She writes,

waiting to board the plane, I had the Bible on my lap and was very intent upon what I was doing. I'd had a marvelous morning with the Lord. I say that because I want to tell you it is a scary thing to have the Spirit of God really working in you. You could end up doing some things you never would have done otherwise. Life in the Spirit can be dangerous for a thousand reasons not the least of which is your ego...

I tried to keep from staring but he was such a strange sight. Humped over in a wheelchair, he was skin and bones, dressed in clothes that obviously fit when he was at least twenty pounds heavier. His knees protruded from his trousers, and his shoulders looked like the coat hanger was still in his shirt. His hands looked like tangled masses of veins and bones. The strangest part of him was his hair and nails. Stringy grey hair hung well over his shoulders and down part of his back. His fingernails were long. Clean, but strangely out of place on an old man.

I looked down at my Bible as fast as I could, discomfort burning my face. As I tried to imagine what his story might have been, I found myself wondering if I'd just had a Howard Hughes sighting. Then, I remembered reading somewhere that he was dead. So this man in the airport...an impersonator maybe? Was a camera on us somewhere?....

There I sat trying to concentrate on the Word to keep from being concerned about a thin slice of humanity served on a wheelchair only a few seats from me. All the while my heart was growing more and more overwhelmed with a feeling for him. Let's admit it. Curiosity is a heap more comfortable than true concern, and suddenly I was awash with aching emotion for this bizarre-looking old man.

I had walked with God long enough to see the handwriting on the wall. I've learned that when I begin to feel what God feels, something so contrary to my natural feelings, something dramatic is bound to happen. And it may be embarrassing. I immediately began to resist because I could feel God working on my spirit and I started arguing with God in my mind. "Oh no, God please no." I looked up at the ceiling as if I could stare straight through it into heaven and said, "Don't make me witness to this man. Not right here and now. Please. I'll do anything. Put me on the same plane, but don't make me get up here and witness to this man in front of this gawking audience. Please, Lord!"

There I sat in the blue vinyl chair begging His Highness, "Please don't make me witness to this man. Not now. I'll do it on the plane." Then I heard it..."I don't want you to witness to him. I want you to brush his hair."

The words were so clear, my heart leapt into my throat, and my thoughts spun like a top. Do I witness to the man or brush his hair? No brainer. I looked straight back up at the ceiling and said, "God, as I live and breathe, I want you to know I am ready to witness to this man. I'm on this Lord. I'm your girl! You've never seen a woman witness to a man faster in your life. What difference does it make if his hair is a mess if he is not redeemed? I am on him. I am going to witness to this man."

Again as clearly as I've ever heard an audible word, God seemed to write this statement across the wall of my mind. "That is not what I said, Beth. I don't want you to witness to him. I want you to go brush his hair."

I looked up at God and quipped, "I don't have a hairbrush. It's in my suitcase on the plane. How am I suppose to brush his hair without a hairbrush?"

God was so insistent that I almost involuntarily began to walk toward him as these thoughts came to me from God's word: "I will thoroughly finish you unto all good works." (2 Tim 3:7) I stumbled over to the wheelchair thinking I could use one myself. Even as I retell this story my pulse quickens and I feel those same butterflies.

I knelt down in front of the man, and asked as demurely as possible, "Sir, may I have the pleasure of brushing your hair?"

He looked back at me and said, "What did you say?"

"May I have the pleasure of brushing your hair?"

To which he responded in volume ten, "Little lady, if you expect me to hear you, you're going to have to talk louder than that.

At this point, I took a deep breath and blurted out, "SIR, MAY I HAVE THE PLEASURE OF BRUSHING YOUR HAIR?" At which point every eye in the place darted right at me. I was the only thing in the room looking more peculiar than old Mr. Longlocks. Face crimson and forehead breaking out in a sweat.

I watched him look up at me with absolute shock on his face, and say, "If you really want to." Are you kidding? Of course I didn't want to. But God didn't seem interested in my personal preference right about then. He pressed on my heart until I could utter the words, "Yes, sir, I would be pleased. But I have one little problem. I don't have a hairbrush."

"I have one in my bag," he responded.

I went around to the back of that wheelchair, and I got on my hands and knees and unzipped the stranger's old carry-on hardly believing what I was doing. I stood up and started brushing the old man's hair.

It was perfectly clean, but it was tangled and matted. I don't do many things well, but I must admit I've had notable experience untangling knotted hair mothering two little girls. Like I'd done with either Amanda or Melissa in such a condition, I began brushing at the very bottom of the strands, remembering to take my time not to pull.

A miraculous thing happened to me as I started brushing that old man's hair.... Everybody else in the room disappeared. There was no one alive for those moments except that old man and me. I brushed and brushed and I brushed until every tangle was out of that hair. I know this sounds so strange but I've never felt that kind of love for another soul in my entire life. I believe with all my heart, I—for that few minutes—felt a portion of the very love of God. That He had overtaken my heart for a little while like someone renting a room and making Himself at home for a short while. The emotions were so strong and so pure that I knew they had to be God's.

His hair was finally as soft and smooth as an infant's. I slipped the brush back in the bag, went around the chair to face him. I got back down on my knees, put my hands on his knees, and said, "Sir, do you know my Jesus?"

He said, "Yes, I do." Well, that figures.

He explained, "I've known Him since I married my bride. She wouldn't marry me until I got to know the Savior." He said "You see, the problem is, I haven't seen my bride in months. I've had open-heart surgery, and she's been too ill to come see me. I was sitting here thinking to myself what a mess I must be for my
bride."

Only God knows how often He allows us to be part of a divine moment when we're completely unaware of the significance. This, on the other hand, was one of those rare encounters when I knew God had intervened in details only He could have known. It was a God moment, and I'll never forget it.

Our time came to board, and we were not on the same plane. I was deeply ashamed of how I'd acted earlier and would have been so proud to have accompanied him on that aircraft.

I still had a few minutes, and as I gathered my things to board, the airline hostess returned from the corridor, tears streaming down her cheeks. She said, "That old man's sitting on the plane, sobbing. Why did you do that? What made you do that?"

I said, "Do you know Jesus? He can be the bossiest thing!" And we got to share.

I learned something about God that day. He knows if you're exhausted because you're hungry, you're serving in the wrong place or it is time to move on but you feel too responsible to budge. He knows if you're hurting or feeling rejected. He knows if you're sick or drowning under a wave of temptation. Or He knows if you just need your hair brushed. He sees you as an individual. Tell Him your need!

I got on my own flight, sobs choking my throat, wondering how many opportunities just like that one had I missed along the way...all because I didn't want people to think I was strange. God didn't send me to that old man. He sent that old man to me.

Everyone In Life Needs A True Friend!

Today I stumbled upon this video on You Tube. I loved it! After I watched it I thought of the Quote by Cummings "A friend is one who knows us, but loves us anyway."

Fun In The Snow!

It's time to go tubing. The snow is calling us.
Eden is ready for her first tubing experience. She is wondering however,
if being able to see is a priority when one ascends down a mountain on a flying object.

"Hey grandma!"
("I love it! My tube matches my outfit!")

Half way up the tubing hill grandpa needs a rest. Hummmm????
Eden's ok with it (she not in a hurry to risk her little life.)

"We are Kings of the giant mountain! ----- Give us the tubes!
We will lead the way!"

Sorry boys, we are trying this little blue P.O.S. out first.
Translation (perfectly oblong sled - gutter minds!)
Hahhahaha! Weeeeeeeeeeee!

Hey we've been here five minutes. Hurry take our picture before Eden
gets fed up with the whole thing!

Hahahaha, now the blue boat is ours.
(Hey ya big fatties, you barely fit!)
Seth is grimacing "Steer Goose Steer, I'm too young to die!"
"Don't worry brotha! I've got these little strings under control!"

Finally Glade makes it up the hill!
What is he saying?
I said, "Is this the biggest tube we have?"

Corbin sighs, "Dad, I'm sick of waiting for my turn!"

Then with out warning someone put Eden in the blue boat!
"I'm sorry baby!
I tried to save you!"

Hold it ----- group shot!

"First we build a jump Seth and then I'll fly into the air like a speeding bullet!"

Come on Corbin boy, lets show Goose how real men tube!

Resting again?

Ore the hills we go ------- Laughing all the way!

"I can't look! Who gave me these big clam mittens?"

"Now this is the way to go uphill Corbin!"

Cold Kisses!

Time to go home! Casualties "0".

That was a fun snow day fam!
From left to right. Kadie, Corbin on top of Kyle, Goose, Kate, Desi, Aubs, and Mom.
Seth is manning the camera - Thanks Seth - now my big black but is in one picture!

Resolution: Umbrell Updates :-)

Ok, I was talking to my mom about the darling photos of our kids with Turbo and she said she was surprized I left no comment. My excuse was "you know my life, its crazy right now with a baby. I don't have much time for computer stuff." Well after hanging up I realized what a lame excuse that was. True, my time is limited, but I decided that updating all of you on our life, as well as complimenting you on yours was a resolution worth setting and accomplishing. So therefore, I resolve to post at least 2 updates a month:-) I know mom, you are probably laughing since you update us sometimes 2 times a day but this is a start-I want to be successful.
Update number one-Our ward finally split, and Craig has been called to the Bishopric. Serving as a family takes more time but we love the rewards of such service, our whole family benefits. I think an angel joined us on the bench when Craig left to sit on the stand-our kids were so good. I hope that angel joins us every week.
Well to get this much it has taken me a half hour and a couple of scoldings to the kids, hopefully I'll get faster as I stick with my goal. I love you all! Have a great Day!

Loosing Weight is no sprint ... It's a Marathon.

Just because I'm posting an article on loosing weight, doesn't mean I'm trying to loose weight. I reserve the right to be fat! Ok, so maybe Glade and I should diet a bit. Here are some good ideas I found on weight watchers, (now if I could only follow them!)~~~~~~

"Making small changes one at a time is a great strategy," agrees psychologist Howard Rankin, PhD, a author of "The TOPS Way to Weight Loss" (Hay House, 2005). "It's not overwhelming, and it results in a slower, steadier weight loss." Think of it this way, maybe cutting the cream out of your coffee seems like a small feat to you. But once you've got that down you can add another small feat, then another.

So, we asked people just like you—on WeightWatchers.com Message Boards and in meetings rooms—what small steps they've taken in order to make their way toward their weight goals. Here's what they had to say:

… About Small Eating Changes

~~~1. Water, water, water, water. (Your skin will look great, too!)

~~~2. Order half portions at restaurants, or share a full portion with somebody. Or ask for a "to-go" container when you order your food, and pack up half the portion before you even start eating.

~~~3. Cut back on butter and mayo.

~~~4. Limit fried foods to once or twice per week.

~~~5. Use less or no sugar in your coffee or tea.

~~~6. Replace ground beef with meatless products or ground turkey.

~~~7. Try at least one new food every week. If you're bored with what you're eating, you're more likely to give up.

~~~8. Eat fresh, raw veggies with sandwiches instead of chips.

~~~9. Measure your portions until you're sure you know what a cup, a half-cup, and a tablespoon look like. This will help you practice portion control, an essential key to weight-loss success.

~~~10. Try not to drink high-calorie beverages.

~~~11. Dip your fork in a side of salad dressing before each bite instead of pouring it directly on your salad. You'll find that you are satisfied with much less than you usually put on.

~~~12. Find healthy alternatives to all your favorite foods.

~~~13. If you don't really love it, don't eat it.

~~~14. Never eat out of a bag or box. Take out a measured/counted quantity of food and put it in a bowl. This way, you know exactly how much you're having.

~~~16. Read food labels. Check serving sizes.

~~~17. Add vegetables to everything.

~~~18. Plan meals in advance; use that information to make out a complete shopping list.

~~~19. Give food to guests to take home.

~~~20. Write down everything you eat and drink, without fail.

~~~21. Plan ahead for special occasions by accounting for higher-calorie foods before you eat them.

… About Small Exercise Changes

~~~1. Take the stairs every single time they're an option. No more elevators or escalators.

~~~2. Make exercise a priority, not an inconvenience.

~~~3. Park far from your destination so you're forced to walk. This works at the supermarket, the mall, wherever. (This also helps you waste less time looking for a parking space!)

~~~4. View tiring chores (shoveling snow, cleaning the house, weeding the garden, taking the garbage out, grocery shopping) as a chance to get in some activity.

~~~5. Take the grocery cart back to the store when you're done loading your bags into your car.

~~~6. If you take public transportation, get off one stop early.

~~~7. Work out with a friend.

Check out this Article By: Melissa Sperl

Thanks Jabba!

Gavin tells me shoveling snow is absolutely the worst movement you can do with your back.

Therefore, always try to get someone else to shovel your snow!

Notice who opted to shovel the snow with the 4-wheeler.

It's a good thing Jabba came and saved us that day because the snow weighed a thousand pounds a scoop, I swear!

For those of you who are wondering who Jabba is .........

Chad to the rescue!

Chad is now wondering if he's made a mistake moving two miles away from his brother.

Well, these two are inseparable, not only brothers but the best of friends .......ever ........ in the whole entire wondrous wide world! If Glade had a choice between spending time with me or a chance to spend time with his brother, well, he'd say, "Oh honey, I much rather be with you!" Then he'd be in a state of depression for a week. Some nights, when it gets really late and I think, "Wow, Glade's really had a hard day at work." I find out, it's not so, he's just been over to Chad's forrrrrrevvvvvverrrrrrrr. Well, I must admit Chad 'is' the brother I never had, and I too love him so much, I named my fifth child after him, "Corbin Chad." So I just want to say Thanks Jabba, for being the best brother and out law ever, and for always coming over and helping us!

Ode To A Cat

In Memory of "Turbo" "The King of CATS!"

Here Kitty, Kitty, Kitty!

There are few things in life more heartwarming than to be welcomed by a cat. ~Tay Hohoff

There is something about the presence of a cat... that seems to take the bite out of being alone. ~Louis J. Camuti

A cat can be trusted to purr when he is pleased, which is more than can be said for human beings. ~William Ralph Inge

What greater gift than the love of a cat? ~Charles Dickens

A meow massages the heart. ~Stuart McMillan

Cats never strike a pose that isn't photogenic. ~Lillian Jackson Braun
and One cat just leads to another. ~Ernest Hemingway

I love cats because I love my home and after a while they become its visible soul. ~Jean Cocteau

When you're used to hearing purring and suddenly it's gone, it's hard to silence the blaring sound of sadness. ~Missy Altijd

We're going to miss you Turbo! Especially me! Who will keep me company when I'm sitting on the ground hoeing the flower beds. My lap will be sadly empty! No cat has been loved more!
Rest easy next to Goliath and don't torment him too much!

"Come Turbo, Let me bury you in the leaves."

I'm an intense lover of animals! It's the farm in me seeping out the cracks of my being. When you grow up on a farm, you can have all the animals you want; it's an unspoken law! Maybe that's why I love animals so much. My father was the greatest in respects to bringing home unwanted creatures, I could have brought home a stray elephant and he wouldn't have cared, just so long as it got along with all the other animals. Luckily I was satisfied with cows, horses, rabbits, sheep, chickens, dogs and last but not least, cats. It's hard to say what the most endeared animal on a farm is, but cats have to rank right up there at the top. Cats and farms go together like bread and butter. It's impossible to have a farm and not own a million cats. That's because when somebody doesn't want their cat anymore they just get in their car, drive until they find a farm, open the door, kick the cat out, and drive away. Everyone knows farms are just "Cat Orphanages." It doesn't matter, nobody cares, a dairy farm needs an endless supply of cats to keep the mice away. There are however, strict cat labor laws on a farm; a cat must earn his keep, there is no such a thing as free milk! Perhaps having all of these cats around on the farm while growing up is precisely what has led me to always own a cat. Over the course of my life, I have never 'not' owned a cat, well, that is until yesterday. I am so sad to say, my cat died yesterday. Desi came home from school at three o'clock and found Turbo (the best cat in the whole universe) dead on the landing inside my garage. He jumped down from his bed and just laid down and died. The shock of finding him like that and having him gone has crushed my very heart. It's bad enough missing Goliath but now to have Turbo gone as well is more than I can take. Turbo was every bit as much a cat as Goliath was a dog! I can honestly say I have not owned two finer animals! Seth said Goliath was probably lonely and Turbo him home, well, they were best friends. My kids all say they don't ever remember life without Turbo. Somewhere back in 1995 Gavin knowing he could bring home anything and his mother would let him keep it, brought us home a kitten. Our very best cat named "Crash" had gotten hit by a car. It seemed to be his lot in life. When we brought Crash home for the first time it was because he ran out in front of my car on Pleasant view drive and had a little tug a war with my wheels and somehow managed to survive. Being so small and so new to life, I nearly died to think I ran over a kitten! When I took his little crumpled body to the front door of his owners home, they wouldn't take him, (for rude) so I brought him home, nursed him back to health, and we named him "Crash." Then we kept him for a decade and he died. The second time he decided to run under the wheel of a car, he didn't fair as well as the first, hence, Gavin decided after he was gone we needed another cat. The funny part was, you could hardly tell Crash and Turbo apart. I think they were two cats with one soul. Maybe cat's really do have nine lives. I hope so! There's nothing I'd like more than to see Turbo strolling up my sidewalk tonight, wanting to come in out of the cold. Turbo and Crash looking identical is maybe the reason I don't remember much about the day Gavin brought Turbo home and bequeathed him his name. Turbo was like the sheets on my bed. He was just always there and you didn't really notice him until you got right up next to him. That's when the warm and snugly feelings would seep all through ya, just like when you go to bed at night and your hands and feet can't resist the feel of the soft cotton fibers. Turbo was just the same, as soon as he rubbed up against your leg, it just gave a person the urge to reach down and pet him. He was oh so soft, and so inviting. He could reduce my stress by just coming near. For Christmas I felt bad about his life in the cold and lonely garage, so I bought him a nice cushy bed, oh ...... how he loved it. Every time I went out in the garage he was right there curled up in it and he would lift his head to greet me. I don't know what I'll do with out his cats prints all over the hood of my car. And who will love me so unconditionally as he did? I can't stand it. I'm down to one animal, "Winston" and some fish. My soul is in serious mourning! In the spring, could someone please give me a cat that looks just like Turbo? Please, I'll pay you for it! Turbo, we miss you, I miss you! I loved you! I loved every thing about you, paw prints and all!