Thanksgiving!

Baloons bound for Heaven

We all celebrated Thanksgiving this week.  It was a fun week and a good holiday, but rather odd and interesting at the same time.  Went over to my Moms new house for the holiday.  Stayed in a hotel which was nice, but odd.  Emotions for all of us were right below the surface and we could all cry at the thought of a hat being dropped.  Missing my Dad intensly.  Seems as we are hitting these major landmarks it is just hard.  Last year at Thanksgiving we were all reeling in shock and were at our other parents for Thanksgiving because Christmas was already planned with my folks.  But by Christmas Dad was using a walker and now he has been gone for 7 months.  Seems so hard to beleive.  We sent him Christmas and Thanksgiving baloon notes.  Mom had liked our idea for Dads birthday.  This time there were more of us and more baloons.  We let them go at the park and I am sure they found thier way.  It is just such a hard reality that I cant see him again.  Or until I get to heaven.  I still find myself wanting to call or expecting him to drive up and then reality hits again.  Raw reality and Raw emotions.  But we saw a sign while at my Moms on a church billboard that was so good.  It said - "Get Rich Quick - Count Your BLESSINGS!"  It was so true.  Good reality check.  We really are so very blessed.  I have a family who is loving and supportive.  A Church family who are loving and supportive.  Friends.  A wonderful new place that has lots of work built into it, but lots of potential.  A God who loves me.  A warm house.  Three meals a day.  A car.  And a huge deposit in heaven that while I never would have made that deposit now, he is there and I know it.

New Pictures

 I realized that I have not updated picture for a while. Things have been changing rapidly.  We have sided and put the porches on.  There is not decking down yet, but we are working on that.  We have it there now.  So that is a good start.  All the siding on the sides except for the west is all on and mostly caulked as well.  We have the board and batten look.  It looks really good but it a lot of work for starters.  I have caulked a lot of seams.  But am using the BIG STRETCH caulk.  It is stretchy and interesting to work with, but goes on well.  A bit messy.  But O well.  All plumbing is roughed in.  We passed our electrical inspection on the first go around!  Yeah!  I guess we are pretty good electricians.  The HVAC guys finally got their stuff done and that was nice.  They did a good job and we should have

a nice warm house.  I am excited to have insulation in as well and we should be sheet rocking this week and mudding and taping and texture.  I hope to paint the inside this coming weekend.  The outside should be painted this week sometime and so that

 will look good as well.  I think the whole house will fit more when it is all painted.  We are
 painting it a color called "straw hat".  Kind of matches the dirt colors.  We have been very

blessed to have many people helping us on this big project.  Some with good advice and some with labor.   The other day my Mom told me to be sure to insulate my bathrooms.  This would keep the sounds down from inside and outside them to not feel like you were in a public restroom.  We thought this was great advice and took our extra bits of foam insulation and put them between all the studs around the bathroom.  I am sure we will like the effects of that wisdom for years to come.  We are actually starting to get excited about this house.  We are feeling like there is a light at the end of the tunnel and we will finish.  I am pushing for a pre- Christmas move in.  I am planning to set my tree up over there.  One of our framers, who used to be a custom home builder by trade has offered to take some days off from his company to come help us on our house.  He is a get it done guy and I am sure if we had him for a week, we would get a lot of stuff done! What a blessing!

Pushing . . . Waithing . . . . Pulling . . . .

We decided that we could save a lot of money by pulling our own wires for our house.  While I think having a good electrician, and up to code electricity is a very good thing, lets face it pulling wire is a truly grunt work and at $65/hour I can work a little slower and get the job done.  I am not the one getting paid that wage, my electrician is.  I spent lots of time crawling around under my house knocking out knockouts - what a wonderful invention - and poking wire through holes.  It was fun as the beginning of this year in science we were learning about electricity and current and things like that and now we had the opportunity to really make circuits.  We hope!  Reality will show up tomorrow as we have our electrical inspection.  I even pulled wire today for a wired speakers for our TV.  I kind of laughed though as I was pulling them because we are so not that technologically advanced and it would be a huge leap if we were ever to actually use them!  But, you can only have those studs open one time, you might as well pull the wire. 
School in the mornings and early to mid afternoon arrive to work on the house.  It has been an adventure.  The other day though we had a very efficient and effective contractor show up.  He was needed due to a miscommunication about what was needed as far as holes in the foundation to run ducting through.  So he came out and drilled some.  He showed up in a huge truck with a big core drill.  His drilling leavings looked like core samples of my foundation which is exactly what they were.  It was very fun. 
The plan is still to be in by Christmas.  So to do that I need to get the house painted inside and out. After the sheet rock and insulation is all in.  Cabinets in. Trim up.  Doors in. Flooring in.  Plumbing fixtures and trims all set in place.  Closets up and the closet maid hangers in.  Pantry ready. 

Before windows

 The windows are supposed to go in tomorrow.  How cool is that!  Well actually it will be nice because it is actually fall and the leaves are starting to change and make us think it might cool down here soon. I love my dining room and living room.  This is truly a great room!  Not in size necessarily, but in view.  It is truly incredible.  I cant wait to move in!  We should be putting in windows and doors soon and then hanging siding.  I painted a couple of patches of siding with my paint options.  I am sticking with the one I thought I would like.  It is the best.  Today the shower and the bathtub arrived.  I got 

a mud room deep sink on clearance and found a couple of great deals on doors.  So that was helpful. Now I just gotta come up with hardware for the doors.  Planning tomorrow to begin pulling wire for outlets and stuff.  Should be fun.  The weather is supposed to be beautiful.  The crew today was putting the last boards up as sheeting on the roof of my porch.  My house is looking like a real place.  It has been such fun making it look so nice.  The inside will be a lot of fun as well.  But a lot of work to go until we get to do that!  But good things come to those who wait and who work! 

 

Looks like a HOUSE!

I went over to my new house today - I forgot my camera!  So sorry!  But I had so much fun.  Walking through the house and realizing that it is really happening.  There is a house there when 2 months ago were a few colorful flags in the dirt!  The roof was finished being sheeted, the guys were putting up the porch trusses.  The inside walls are all framed.  There were black plumbing pipes in and now I know where my washer and dryer will be.  My HVAC guy showed up today and figured out his stuff too.  I am planning to meet with the electrician on Friday and we are pulling wire  for outlets and lights this weekend.  I think the siding is going on starting this weekend as well.  Windows go in Friday.    It is fun watching it all come together and look like what I have pictured in my head.  It looks so good!  We painted a small section of the wall today with the wall and door and possible trim color.  I didn't really like the trim.  So might go back to my other option on that.  But that is why we did a small bit of siding that will be covered up!  :) 

Sleeping Bags

When most of us think of sleeping bags, we think of warm, cozy, camping, cloth, nothing really sentimental but hopefully good fun memories.  I am beginning to realize on this 6 month anniversary of my Dad's death, how many things he touched in my life.  I feel like the ripples of the pond that is my life, just keep clashing with life.  Someday maybe it will settle back down again, but will be never the same again.  The shoreline has changed, and I have a new island in my life pond that is the rock that was thrown in of my Dads early - to me - death.  Anyway - back to sleeping bags.  When I was little I remember my Dad and older brother coming home from a camping trip - winter scout camp - where they had both froze!  They did not have good enough sleeping bags and got very cold.  I remember Dad, going out and buying 2 warm sleeping bags. One was huge - the other a warm good quality sleeping bag.  He got teased about the huge one by all of us, simply due to its size, that is, until one of us went camping or hunting or something when it might be cold and we asked to use it.  I don't think any of us ever were cold in it.  Neither was Dad.  He had wanted to not get cold camping!  Fast forward several years. . . . . After being cold once while camping Dad wanted to help others avoid that plan.  I know of several boy scouts and others who he either straight out bought sleeping bags for or gave them some work so they could get a good warm sleeping bag.  Last year at hunting season we were talking about sleeping bags and how it was probably about time to get one for my son, a good warm bag.  We didn't go to Cabelas that day and get one, but we talked about it.  This year as hunting season was rolling around, I realized that  getting a good warm bag for him had not got done last year.  While he has a sleeping bag, if we are ever in a place where we think he might be cold, he has always used my sleeping bag.  It is one Dad bought with me before my first Mongolia trip.  It is a WARM -30 down bag.  I love it.  Never have gotten cold in it.  It just wasn't the same going shopping for a sleeping bag with my son.  I felt like someone was missing on our shopping trip.  I know it sounds silly, but it was how I felt.  Yes, life will go on.  Yes, he has a nice warm bag.  But it was just kind of an odd thing to realize and think about.  Something that ambushes you.  Sleeping bags - Who would have thought! 

Framing . . . Trusses . . . . Sheeting . . . . O My!

We have interior walls now and lots of framing going on.  Things have really been moving in the last few weeks.  Perspective is a funny thing though.  To us the framers seemed like they were flying along, but to them, they are moving slow.  They are house framers who now work for a pole barn company.  But by trade are house framers.  They are having a fun time building our house, but it has been a bit challenging for them to build a pole house.  But they are enjoying the challenge.  We have been enjoying getting to know them and work with them.  The things we are going to do are


getting close now to starting and we are hoping to be pulling electrical wire next weekend.  Should be fun!            Any volunteers??        We are thinking that we will be moved in by Christmas, but we are shooting for Thanksgiving if at all possible.  But we will see how things go.  I have been loving finding ways to save on this house though.  Craigslist has been wonderful.  Found shelving and a kitchen sink - for under $100 instead of over $1,000! Found all sorts of things to save money on during this process.  That has been a project but a fun one.   Every time we are out at our house though we are marveling at how very peaceful it is.  So wonderful  No noise.  A few cows.  Just peacfull!  It has been a welcome balm to our souls.  We  continue to realize how much our lives are affected by our very long spring, but are also knowing that we must continue moving on.  It is hard to realize though that my Dad will never visit this house, and that he would absolutley love hiking over these hills and rocks and all, but never will.  I am finding I get ambushed by those thoughts and feelings sometimes and it is a painful reality, but still real.     

 

 

Ambushed at Hunting season

Last year at hunting season, my Dad was up here hiking all around and visiting, talking about life, the great trip we had to Mongolia last August, about his business and the neat things he could see coming down the line.  Now he is  getting to be in Heaven, and I am missing him here!  It is funny how people are so wrapped up in our lives.  I was thinking who would be coming for hunting season and was ready to have Dad here.  It was one of the "ambushes" that catches you off guard in grief.  I was not even thinking and walked my self right into it.  Of course almost every hunt in my whole life I have been with my Dad, so of course I would automatically put him here.  Last year he was on the floor in my son's room as we had a full house of hunters.  My Dad snored really bad and so my son had put on his shooting ear muffs to sleep in with Grandpa.  My Dad treasured all of us and was a cheerleader to all we did and had going.  He would pick out the how and whys of things and discuss them.  He loved to find what someones dream was and help them get there.  And I miss that!  I will miss our morning hike tomorrow as I go out with my son to hunt.  I will  miss him saying lets just wait here a minute and see what comes up out of this draw.  Pointing out things and just being here.  It will be an  odd year of hunting.  Not because it is too warm.  Not because it is already the end of September, when part of me is still figuring out my new equilibrium. No because my Dad isn't here to laugh and joke, take us up the canyon to see the rocks and put up No Hunting signs.  Simply because there is already a hole in the picture of the hunters.    

Framing

So, I am discovering again what I already knew - framing is MUCH faster than concrete work!  It is so nice to  notice noticeable differences every time I show up.  Very fun!  These guys have been hitting it hard and making progress.  Actually since I took this picture yesterday all these boards have floor on them now.  How does that work!  Well! 

I took them all brownies yesterday. 

Big Boy Playground

My Son is loving this house building project.  There is so many interesting things to see, do, help with and explore.  Today a big load of sand arrived to level the floor in the basement before we put down the radiant floor heat.  He was having so much fun playing in it, building caves, dumping it through the holes in his knees to fill his pants up with it, bulldozing it around and shoveling it from one place to another.  He has found a new "fort" as all boys need forts.  He has his dump trucks and road graders, bulldozers and diggers over there to play with.  He is having a ball.  Yes, we are keeping school a high priority and getting it done, but we are also enjoying long recess time at our new place learning about life.  When we lived in Mongolia, we built / remodeled a house there as well.  K was 2 and half at the time and completely enjoyed the process.  He pounded nails into whatever with his little hammer and drove his trucks and tractors many miles in the sand pit.  He is now getting the experience but is a bit more able to enjoy and remember than just play.  But life lessons are so crucial and important and it is amazing the things you can learn at a playground!

Good Taste

My husband has always laughed at me when we go shopping together.  We don't usually go shopping to much together as I am not a big shopper.  But, he always teases me about my good taste, I can go into any type - it seems - of store and if we are looking for a particular item I can pick out the most expensive or at least one of the most expensive without ever looking at the price!  Then I usually am shocked at how much it costs.  I have found that this extends into even plumbing fixtures.  I kid you not!  I went in to a plumbing store the other day and looking through a catalogue picked out the fixtures for my house.  Mind you, there were no prices in this book, as this is not a retail store.  I just picked out the ones I wanted him to give me a bid on.  O my!  I never knew that they made sinks  stainless steel, ordinary looking kitchen sinks for over a $1000!  Yes, I am serious!  REALLY!  I was shocked.  I mean really, you wash dishes and potatoes in this!  Honestly!  I guess it gave a new meaning to taking everything but the kitchen sink.  If I payed that much for a sink, I would take it with me!  Light packer that I am not withstanding!

School , , , House , , , Business , , , Life . . .

Seems all of life is so interconnected.  I feel that I wear lots of hats each day.  Wife, Mom, Teacher, Nurse to little oweys, Sister, Secretary, Librarian, Book keeper, Mom, Daughter,  Contractor, Swim Instructor, Maid,Aunt, Mom, Grand Daughter, Student, Party planner, Director, Counselor, Taxi Driver, Veterinarian, Board Member, Mom  . . . Need I go on ?

Pouring Concrete

Downstairs bedroom

Don't get my wrong, I love all my jobs.  I would not trade any of them.  Sometimes my head hurts from changing so many hats in one day!  I love being a mom!  I love schooling and learning so many new things as we go through life.  I just wish someone would level out that learning curve a bit on some of the new responsibilities.  I am pretty sure it is not curving back on itself, but sometimes it feels that way.  School this year is so far going SO well!  WE are having so much fun and learning so many new things.  It is incredible the amount of stuff I never knew or only knew until that test that has since escaped my brain . . . or is that what all these new gray hairs are from is??  LOL!  But seriously we are totally enjoying ourselves!  We are in the days of American expansion across the continent, slavery, mountain men, right before the gold rush, and the underground railroad.  Exciting and sad times in our history.  But so important.  We are also learning about electricity, and currents and light bulbs with small D cell batteries.  Hmm . . . I wonder if we could do our electricity for our house. . . . .

Moving on . . .  Our foundation is almost done!  Yeah!  3 weeks late!  But, concrete is slow!  I am thinking that the next step of framing and putting up the exterior is going to go so fast.  I would bet 10 days or so and that will be done.  So we are excited abut that!   Maybe we will get moved by Christmas . . . I am not holding my breath though!  I am having fun looking for good deals on fixtures and that sort of stuff for this house though!  That is the fun part. 

We are doing better with life in general.  I think starting school and getting a little more routine has been good.  Vacation is wonderful and we got to see and do a lot this summer, but, life must go on.  There are still lots of times per week that I get "ambushed" by something that has me ready to call Dad and chat about whatever, or however important or not the item is it is always the kicked by a mule feeling in your gut, that, OW, I cant just make that phone call any more.  Sometimes that just makes me cry.  And that is OK.  Even though I don't really like to cry, I do, and that is OK.

Foundations . . . . . . and waiting

I have been waiting on the concrete guy for my foundation for the last month.  I had been hoping to have my foundation for my birthday.  But no dice.  So now am waiting . . .  and waiting . . . and waiting.  It is finally getting poured tomorrow!  At least the footings are starting and then walls on Friday is the plan.  Decking around the floors etc. start on Monday.  So now I think the pace is going to considerably pick up.  Especially as I am supposed to be in there for Thanksgiving dinner the pace must pick up.  I think this will be an interesting process.  Will see how it goes!  One thing surprised us was the amount of dirt making a huge pile that came out of the hole.  Now what do we do with it?  So I guess it is added to the "to-do" list.  Now we need to find where to put a bunch of dirt.  We were also quite thrilled as we did not find any large car size boulders in the spot we wanted to put our house.  As there are a bunch up on the hill it was a distinct possibility.  I guess waiting is not a bad thing and things that you get as soon as you want them are usually not as satisfying as the things you wait for and work on and build and dream about.  So we are excited to finally be starting this process!

Holes in the floor of Heaven

Tomorrow is my Dad's Birthday.  How do you celebrate it when he had recently died.  You have to acknowledge it.  But celebrate?  With tears?  How do you send a card?  We sent a card written on a helium balloon to heaven for Grandpa.  Not quite the same as calling and saying Hi.  But it seemed like a good idea.  My son thought it was a great idea and loved the idea.  Was thrilled to send a card.  So then was wondering if Grandpa would be able to get it and if he would send one back to us.  Happy Birthday Dad.

Words of Wisdom

I love word art on walls.  I have been thinking through decorating my house - even though the foundation forms are just getting done this week!!  But anyway I am planning ahead.  :)  I found lots of interesting statements and words of wisdom as I was looking and thought I would post them here for comment.

A boy is truth with dirt on its face, beauty with a cut on its finger, wisdom with bubblegum in its hair and the Hope of the future with a frog in its pocket. - Alan Beck

A little boy is the only thing God can use to make a man.

The most important work you will ever do will be within the walls of your own home - Harold B. Lee

You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time but you can never fool your Mom.

The fondest memories are made when gathered around the table.

If you find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn't lead anywhere. -Frank A. Clark

In this home... We do second chances. We do grace. We do real. We do mistakes. We do I'm sorry. We do loud really well. We do hugs. We do family. We do prayers. We do faith. We do love.

Give the pupils something to do, not something to learn; and the doing is of such a nature as to demand thinking; learning naturally results. - John Dewey

Family is not letting petty differences get in the way of anything. It is about being true to yourself. It is about experiencing new adventures by entering the realm of others.

What a child doesn't receive he can seldom later give. - P.D. James

The world is but a canvas to the imagination. –Thoreau

Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up. - Thomas Edison

Bear in mind that the wonderful things you learn in your schools are the work of many generations. All this is put in your hands as your inheritance in order that you may receive, honor it, add to it, and one day faithfully hand it on to your children.  -Albert Einstein

He who never made a mistake never made a discovery. -Samuel Smiles

Do not worry about your difficulties in Mathematics. I can assure you mine are still greater. Albert Einstein

You miss 100% of the shots you don't take. - Wayne Gretzky

If you think education is expensive - try ignorance. - Derek Bok

I do not understand the mystery of grace--only that it meets us where we are, but does not leave us where it found us. -Anne LaMott

The art of teaching is the art of assisting in discovery.

May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds. -Edward Abbey

To invent you need a good imagination and a pile of junk. Thomas Edison

I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work. - Thomas Edison

Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their sleeves, some turn up noses, and some don't turn up at all. -Sam Ewing

Never let the fear of striking out get in your way. - Babe Ruth

It's not that I'm so smart, it's just that I stay with problems longer. -Albert Einstein

The only person who cannot be helped is that person who blames others. -Carl Rogers

The most effective kind of education is that a child should play amongst lovely things. -Plato

We're glad to have you as our guest, And hope you have a good night's rest. Tomorrow you again may roam, But while you're here just feel at home.

Education is what you get from reading the fine print. Experience is what you get from not reading the fine print.

Pay attention and you will learn something new every day of your life.

Once in the midst of a seemingly endless winter, I discovered within myself an invincible spring.

The happiest people don't have the best of everything, they just make the Most of everything.

Trees are not known by their leaves, nor even by their blossoms, but by their fruits. -Eleanor of Aquitaine

Expressing anger is a form of public littering. Willard Gaylin

Mistakes are the portals of discovery. - James Joyce

I always prefer to believe the best of everybody - it saves so much trouble. -Rudyard Kipling

A person is only as big as the dream they dare to live.

The man who has no imagination has no wings.-Muhammad Ali

No one would ever have crossed the ocean if he could have gotten off the ship in the storm. -Charles Kettering

Live life in such a way that you can leave life with a shout of glory.

House update

I have had a long spring as you know if you read very far in this blog.  We had been planning to start building a house in February and life started imploding.  So house project took a very far back burner.  Almost totally out of the kitchen really.  Family came first and as we had a house that is very adequate to live in we have stayed there and commuted to take care of cows, irrigation, etc.  We think our brains are kind of starting to work now and so we are going to try to push this house project idea along again.  I got a building permit last week!  Yeah!  The road up to my house sight is almost done.  Should finish tomorrow.  I hope to meet with the contractor out there tomorrow or Friday to put new flags in the ground for our corners of the house.My husband pushed the old house out of the way, but did not light it on fire as it is SO dry everywhere.  My son and I moved some of the boards that we wanted to use to make something with or decorate with for our new house.  Maybe some trim or something.  Very neat looking.  Rattlesnake under that pile of boards.  Snake shot in a 9mm works really well.  I did put up our road address numbers at our entrance gate.  How cool is that!!  We also have the pond finished now and it looks really good.  Has been tried and tested by little boys and given two thumbs up of approval.    Now I just need to find some fish.  So I think things will be starting up with this project and get going here shortly.  Should be a fun next adventure!

Teamwork

It has been interesting, sometimes painfully so, working through the ramifications of my Dad's death.  It has been a learning curve that is painfully steep, I sometimes feel like I have been emotionally thrown at a brick wall and that is the curve I am supposed to climb.  As my siblings and I work together in a totally different capacity it has been revealing of all of us how we think and work.  All of us are very competent people.  All of us bring different backgrounds, experiences, jobs, thoughts, ideas and strengths and weaknesses to the table.  As we sort through things and jobs, life, memories, time, and events it is intriguing to watch how much different we are and yet at the core our beliefs and values are the same.  We all value and deeply love our families.  We all have a deep faith in God and a Hope in Him as well.  These are the core values that are the same in each of us.  But as a team we have many strengths and some differences in how we live out those values.  How our past and our experiences impact our worldview is an observation we don't always think about but is interesting to watch and experience.  After living overseas and in a culture I didn't always understand I find that I extend a lot of grace.  I give people totally the benefit of the doubt.  Especially if they are people I love and trust.  People I know have my best interest in mind.  If I don't understand why someone says something I try to look at the comment or action from their perspective and understand it.  If I still don't understand then I go to them and ask.  I want and seek to understand their perspective.  I think this comes from so many times not really understanding why someone did or said something that to me did not make sense coming from a different culture.  Culture is always an interesting study, even in your own there are differences and similarities, understandings and misunderstandings, words taken wrong and right.  Love and truth spoken and demonstrated though are always the knots that tie us together as a family as a unit and as a team.

Mine tour tears

Last fall my Dad was working on setting up a tour of a gold mine for any interested parties.  All of us thought it would be interesting and were on the list.  As Dad was a geologist and loved to talk about rocks and gold and deposits and all it was always educational to go out with him as you were bound to learn something.  We all made it to the tour and around.  It was interesting and fun but with a stick you with a knife type of poignancy that we were all there and Dad wasn't.  He would have loved it.  Would have found it so interesting.  Would have understood all that the other geologist had to say about the rocks and formations and ore and waste.  I kept wanting him to raise his hand and make a comment or ask a question or get us all to have a photo op with one of the HUGE 340 ton dump trucks, but he wasn't there.  It is weird.  And hard. And it is interesting those things that kind of blind side you and make your eyes water up.

Mutton Bustin'

Our town is very proud of their Oregon Trail heritage and every 4th of July they have a  rodeo and a park full of vendors which Makes for a fun event. This year we only made it to one of the rodeos but had a fun time. It was SO hot this year! As pre rodeo events they have some fun local flavor events including a kids mutton busting event. Kids under 65 pounds can  ride a sheep and try to ride for 6 seconds. While sheep don't really buck much they do have a BuMpY rUn. Kase has ridden a sheep 4 times and has really enjoyed it.  Last year he placed second. No trophy! All the kids who participate get little medals. But the winner each night gets a foot tall trophy. He really wanted a trophy and as by next year he will have gained those last 3 pounds separating him from not being able to participate this was his last chance. He rode a wool falling off ewe to the buzzer. Score of 69. He was pretty stoked about his Basque style ride. Backwards with his little chin bouncing and his bike helmet securely on his head.  As he was only third out of the chutes he then had to wait and watch as several other kids made their rodeo debut. Some in grand style and some in dusty style. No one was hurt and everyone had fun. No one had a higher score.
The announcer called him and the rodeo queen presented him with his trophy. He was SO excited! What a fun memory!

Cancer cells

This prayer means so much so please say the prayer for everyone and pass it on.

 A cancer cell is a strange cell.
 You can go along for years in remission
 and then one day it pops its head up again.
  If you ever have it you will never be free of it.
 Pray for the day there will be a permanent cure.

Dear God,
 I pray that You will guide someone to find a cure for cancer in 2012
 In Jesus Name, Amen

 In memory of anyone you know who has been struck down by cancer or is  still living with it.  And all the lives affected by it.