A tiny bit of political talk..

Many of you know that I am not one who is big in politics and rarely ever have this conversation with anyone other than Roger. However, I do feel compelled to mention the news of the yesterday regarding John McCain. Yesterday, I think he shocked many republicans when he chose his running mate for Vice President... Sarah Palin, Republican governor of Alaska. I think a lot of people felt he might have picked Mitt Romney or another Washington veteran. Sarah Palin is currently the Governor of Alaska and assumed office in 2006. Not only is she the first female Governor of Alaska but she has made history again as the first female Republican Vice Presidential running mate. I think McCain knew after his recent speeches that he had to do something to snag the voters attention. I think choosing Sarah Palin is going to snag all the women who would have voted for Hilary and just might snag some other folks who may have been undecided or reluctant with this years choices. I have seen a few other blogs that mention these and I do think that these are some benefits to Sarah Palin: - A Woman who is a devoted wife - Mother of 5 (her youngest is 5 months and has down syndrome.) - Age of 44 - NRA member - Reformed a corrupt Republican party in Alaska, and removed members of her own party. - Serves as Governor of Alaska with a 90% approval rating - Has visted Iraq more times than Obama, and he is running for President! - She cut her own pay while in office. As mayor, and governor. - A Fiscal conservative who has SPENDING under control. - Wont waste tax payers money, supports drilling in Alaska to help ease the burden on oil prices, and loves her country. We'll just have to see what November brings.

BREAKING NEWS!! Duncan will die....

I just read the most awesome news of the day: Joseph Edward Duncan III has been sentenced to death for the 2005 kidnapping, torture and murder of a northern Idaho boy. It only took the jury three hours before reaching the unanimous verdict. This man has done so many HORRIBLE things to so many people and I'm so thankful to see this verdict. Course, he does have to go to California now to stand trial for murder of another young boy. I'm hoping that he'll come back to Idaho to be executed. If you want to read more on it, check out www.ktvb.com. I caution anyone though so reads about this man, it is the most unhuman and awful story I've ever read.

And it's not a favorite with Rylan...

Today I made Rylan a peanut butter and marshmallow fluff sandwich. I heard about this from Jon & Kate Plus 8 and they swear that their kids go crazy for this stuff. I figured that it sounded ok and well frankly, if she feeds her kids this sandwich it can't be that terrible for them. (If you watch that show, you know how strict she is about food, organic food and healthiness. I think she's a rode model for mothers.) Anyways, I made it and Rylan didn't care for it. I don't know if its the wheat bread that he doesn't like or just overall doesn't like that mixture. Maybe we'll try it again someday. Until then, I have a jar of the fluff... anyone have a recipe that will use it? I hate to waste it.

My latest adventure into the SIMS..

Today I got the latest game for the SIMS 2. It's called Apartment Life. I have to admit that from the first few hours of playing, it's alot harder than any of the other SIMS games and its going to take some time to get the hang of it. Because the SIMS live in apartments and there are several apartments on a lot, you have all of the neighbors there when you are playing. That's never really been there before. Anyways, I'll let you know more later but I wanted to share with you my latest birthday present. =) Thanks!

Mommy's Little Helper

Rylan is such a good little helper. Tonight for the first time, he decided that it's his job to water the flowers and plants. He didn't want me to help him. He's a big boy after all. He just loves when I ask him to help me with these kind of things. The last photo looks strange but he was feeling the cold water on his fingers and face.

The Stars have been revealed!

Dancing with the Stars Season 7 will begin here in a few weeks and the list of stars has been revealed. This looks like no season before with the variety of occupations... I bet it will be interesting!

Lance Bass
PROFESSION:Pop star, astronaut

PARTNER:Lacey Schwimmer

BACKGROUND:Lance Bass was a member of *NSYNC. In 2002 he successfully trained to be a cosmonaut at Russia's Star City and was certified by both the Russian Space Program and NASA.

Brooke Burke
PROFESSION:Actress, host, entrepreneur

PARTNER:Derek Hough

BACKGROUND:A host, actress, entrepreneur and celebrity mom.

Kim Kardashian
PROFESSION:Actress, model and reality television star

PARTNER:Mark Ballas

BACKGROUND:Actress, model and reality television star

Jeff Ross
PROFESSION:Comedian

PARTNER:Edyta Sliwinska

BACKGROUND:Comedian Jeffrey Ross a.k.a. the "Roastmaster General"

Cody Linley
PROFESSION:Actor

PARTNER:Julianne Hough

BACKGROUND:Cody Linley will be the youngest contestant ever to compete on Dancing with the Stars. He is best known for his role as "Jake Ryan" on the wildly popular Disney Channel series Hannah Montana.

Cloris Leachman
PROFESSION:Actress

PARTNER:Corky Ballas

BACKGROUND: Actress most commonly known for the TV series Phyllis and The Mary Tyler Moore Show.

Susan Lucci
PROFESSION:Actress and entrepreneur

PARTNER:Tony Dovolani

BACKGROUND:As the most famous face in daytime television history, Lucci has held audiences spellbound for years as the sexy, sassy, beautiful "woman you love to hate," Erica Kane on All My Children.

Rocco DiSpirito
PROFESSION:Celebrity chef, author and reality TV star

PARTNER:Karina Smirnoff

Ted McGinley
PROFESSION:Actor

PARTNER:Inna Brayer

BACKGROUND:Ted McGinley's extensive television credits include Married with Children, Hope & Faith, Happy Days, recurring roles on the critically-acclaimed series The West Wing, Sports Night, Charlie Lawrence, Dynasty, and The Love Boat.

Misty May-Treanor
PROFESSION:Olympic gold medalist

PARTNER:Maksim Chmerkovskiy

BACKGROUND:Beach Volleyball champion

Toni Braxton
PROFESSION:R&B star and Broadway actress

PARTNER:Alec Mazo

Maurice Greene
PROFESSION:Olympic gold medalist

PARTNER:Cheryl Burke

BACKGROUND:The winner of two gold medals, in the 100m sprint and the 4x100m relay at the 2000 Sydney Summer Olympics, track star Maurice Greene was dubbed the "World's Fastest Man" during his career.

Warren Sapp
PROFESSION:Former Defensive Lineman

PARTNER:Kym Johnson

BACKGROUND:Recently retired defensive tackle and Superbowl Champion Warren Sapp played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Oakland Raiders during his 13 year career.

This season should be an interesting one. I've decided not to pre-select who I think will win, who I like, etc this time around.

Update on Fire/Storm

Today, Mayor Bieter declared that area a disaster after seeing the horrific results from last nights fire/storm. He's trying to get as much help for these people because many of them have absolutely nothing left after the fire destroyed their homes. I'm also very sad to hear that they confirmed that the remains found are those of Mary Ryder, the BSU professor. I've been sitting here reading all the memories that students have posted about this professor that everyone loved. It's such a sad story. I got these photos and information from www.ktvb.com. Check it out if you want to see more...

Boise's "Perfect Storm" has left devastating results...

August 25, 2008 is a day that many here in Boise will not forget because of a "Perfect storm" that caused the worst fire in at least 20 years. Weather conditions worsened and winds up to 50mph ripped through town. This caused a small sagebrush fire to turn into what some firefighters are saying is the worst fire they have seen in their careers of up to 20 years. The fire has destroyed 10 homes and severely damages 9 others. Most of these homes were located on Sweetwater Drive out near Amity and Holcomb Roads in Southeast Boise. Some people are saying that "homes were just blowing up" and sadly enough, there was not much that firefighters could do at that point. They attempted to make several fire lines to prevent any further homes from catching on fire and they do have the fire under control at this hour. Many families are set up at the local schools and churches for the night. One woman is reported missing... a linguistics instructor at Boise State University, Mary Ryder. The news reports that remains have been found in one of the burned homes but does not confirm it is it the body of the missing woman or that of another. My sympathy and prayers go out to those who are affected by this terrible incident. I may or may not know anyone involved but I pray for all of them. Here's some of the devastating photos taken today:

All photos from www.ktvb.com and www.idahostatesman.com

Flashback Friday: Flashback to 08-22-1980

I decided to go ahead and post a couple of photos this time because today is my 28th birthday. I don't know why but I feel this year more than others before... Some people may not like their birthdays and some want to hide that they are getting older. I don't see the reason why I should hide it or be upset about it. So I'm looking forward to this next year as a 28 yr old and hope that it will be great!!
May I also say that my adorable husband and son gave me such a wonderful gift. I'll attach a photo of the card they made me and framed. If you really know me, you'll know why this is so cute and so perfect for me... I'll post more birthday details later on...

Weekly Update: I'm Sick! = (

Yes it's true. I am sick. This has been such a strange weekend. When I was at work Saturday morning around 5am, I noticed that my throat had a slight tickle. It didn't really hurt but I knew something was brewing. So as the morning when on and I came home, I knew I was getting a sore throat. I was praying it had something to do with my allergies. I went to bed and woke up at 10am with a killer sore throat and couldn't talk. I had to ask Roger to go to Walgreens and get me some of that sore throat spray. (Still thinking I was going to kick this with simple medicine. HA!) I went back to sleep and didn't get up until 4:30ish. I decided a long hot shower might do me some good and I really did feel a bit better. So I proceeded to get ready and leave for work. I got there and lasted about 1 hour. I felt these overwhelming body aches all over and I had started to lose my voice. In my job with all the phones, you can't lose your voice and work. It would be insane. So everyone was nice enough to tell me it was fine for me to go home. I'm sure they didn't want whatever this was and I certainly wouldn't wish it on anyone. So I came home rested on the sofa for a bit and then went to bed. I woke up about 3:00am and knew I had a fever. I was SO HOT and then suddenly SO COLD. I don't think I've ever had a fever that high before. Of Course, I couldn't find the thermometer- I was pretty sure it was in Rylan's room but I wasn't going to disturb him and take my germs into his room. So I just dealt with it... covers on, covers off for 2 hours. I kept telling Roger that we might have to call Mom and see if she can watch Rylan while he takes me to the emergency room. Roger was able to get me some Nyquil which made me sleep for a few hours. It also really helped with my sore throat. Finally I took another dose and slept til noon. I was starving as I hadn't eaten anything since earlier the day before so Roger made me some Chicken Noodle Soup. He took my temperature right before that and it said 102 degrees. I knew we were going to the emergency room then but I wanted to try to eat my soup first. We arranged for Mom to watch Rylan. I ate like 3 bites of soup and couldn't do it. I suddenly felt terrible. I don't think I could have told you what day it was, what time it was or anything. I just laid down and said "I feel worse." Roger took my temperature and it was 104.8! I got my shoes on, he took Rylans to moms which Thank goodness she's just down the road a few houses and then rushed me to the Emergency Room. They did tests and determined that I had strep throat. (By the way, I hate that strep test! It gags me every time) I got an IV with fluids because I was dehydrated and then they gave me a steroid medicine that they said would get rid of the swelling in my throat within 6 hours. I felt some relief before we had even left the hospital. I have antibiotics to take for the next few days and I won't be contagious after this afternoon. I'm very happy to know that Rylan can't get strep throat. The doctor said it's impossible for toddlers under 2 to get strep. I can't remember why but I was sure glad to hear that. I just hope Roger doesn't get it. So I've been home sleeping it off and just relaxing. I do feel a bit better today. Still tired, no energy, but tired of laying in bed so I'm downstairs blogging about my lovely adventures with Strep Throat. Apparently, Strep is really going around right now so just watch yourselves. If you feel weird, get in right away to be checked. Don't let it get as bad as I did. I'm very thankful that I earn paid sick time at my job. Other than that, not much going on here. I've got three days off now to rest, get better and be ready for my long week coming up.

Weekly Update

This week is flying by! I'm not getting as much done as I'd like and I'm so not ready to go back to work tomorrow. LOL!!!! Anyways, it's been fun because any time that I get to spend with my husband and my son is always fun and special. We took Rylan out to Costco and stopped for a quick bite to eat on the way. We went to Wingers. They opened a new one over by the Costco in Nampa. I really wasn't impressed. The food was ok but they were short handed on the lunch rush so the service was pretty terrible. We were taking pictures of Rylan trying his best to color everything on the page and I think towards the end he was getting tired of the camera. This is what I got:

Also, take a look at my watermelons! I wish the one would hurry and get big enough to eat. I'm dying to try it!

Also, here's one of Rylan trying to read to Grandma while we were in the kitchen. Kinda cute how he sat down on the floor and really thought it was reading every word.

08-08-08 is here! Let the festivities begin!

08-08-08 is here! The Olympic Games started today in Beijing, China. I haven't had the opportunity to watch any of them yet but hopefully before they are over, I'll get to catch a few...

Naptime

If anyone was to ask me what my favorite time of day is... I'd have to say naptime. Usually anywhere between 1pm and 4pm.. Its usually a couple of hours of just quiet. I usually nap too because of my lack of sleep at night. I think even the dogs look forward to naptime. Rylan is a pretty good sleeper. He'll usually lay down for 2 hours. I also find that this is a great time to get misc. things done around the house that I can't do when he is awake like mopping the floors, working online, etc. I also find that the time in the middle of the night when I am awake and everyone else is sleeping is usually very productive. Anyways, I never realized how important these times are...

Pics!

Rylan playing with his blocks.

Here's some pics of my watermelon plant last night... it's really growing fast!

Don't cha just love...

The Smell of a Clean Baby! Man, I do. Plus knowing that he's going to sleep better after a nice bath gives me alot of peace of mind. (This is Rylan's way of washing his face).

All Time Favorite Snack Recipes

PUPPY CHOW (This is one of my favs!!!)

INGREDIENTS
9 cups crispy rice cereal squares
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
DIRECTIONS
In a saucepan over low heat, melt the chocolate; add peanut butter and mix until smooth.
Remove from heat, add cereal and stir until coated.
Pour powdered sugar into large plastic bag, add coated cereal and shake until well coated. Store in airtight container.

POPCORN SNACK MIX

INGREDIENTS
3 quarts popped popcorn
4 cups Cheerios® cereal
4 cups Corn or Rice Chex® cereal
2 cups salted peanuts
1 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup corn syrup
1/4 cup butter or margarine
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
DIRECTIONS
In a large greased roasting pan, combine popcorn, cereal and peanuts. In a large saucepan, combine brown sugar, corn syrup and butter; bring to a rolling boil. Boil for 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat; quickly stir in vanilla and baking soda until mixture is light and foamy. Immediately pour over popcorn mixture; mix well. Bake, uncovered, at 250 degrees F for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Cool completely.

POPCORN BALLS

INGREDIENTS

5 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 1/2 cups unpopped popcorn
1/4 cup butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
DIRECTIONS
Add 1 tablespoon of the oil to a 4 quart saucepan, and heat over high heat. When oil is hot, add 1/2 cup of popping corn. Keep pan moving constantly. When corn stops popping, remove from heat. Place popped corn in oven to keep warm. Repeat until all corn has been popped. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan with a candy thermometer inserted, combine butter, sugar, and corn syrup. Stir well and bring to boiling over medium heat. Stir in condensed milk; simmer, stirring constantly, until thermometer reads 238 degrees F (114 degrees C). Stir in vanilla.
Pour caramel over popped corn and stir to coat. Butter hands lightly; shape popcorn into balls about 3 1/2 inches in diameter.

Rylan's such a good helper!

Rylan is such a good helper. We look over tonight to find him holding the broom and trying to sweep the floor. It was so cute. Guess he figured he'd help out since Mommy and Daddy were doing chores.

Tag You're it: Summertime Favorites!

So here's another tag but I think it's quite fun. On your blog, you need to list atleast 5 Summertime favorites with photos! It can be anything that you want to put down as long as it reminds you of summer.... Have fun with it!

Here's mine:

• Strawberry Lemonade


• BBQ's


• Corn on the Cob


• Watermelon


• Water Parks and Swimming Pools
  
• Rootbeer Floats

• Fireworks