Could you just....

So last night after dinner I ask the boys if they want a snack. Aragorn happily shouts YES!! And promptly requests cookies. I tell him we have some in the cupboard. His reply?

"Could you just bake us some? "

Wait…..what?

Itsy Bitsy Spider

Horse and buggy.....

Throughout my day I think of a lot of things. They range from extremely important to "really? why is that even in my head?" A lot of times, I can answer these things easily and move on. What are we having for dinner tonight? Who's birthday is coming up next? What should we do this weekend? But there are some things I cannot answer at all. And that bugs me. Most of the time they are things I have no control over. The devestation in Haiti, the current issues with our country. One of those most recent things is the recent diagnosis of my sister. I have done some research (as reliable as the internet can be) and I am disturbed by the lack of support metastic breast cancer receives. I realize it is not a top killer of women (Heart Disease holds that honor, followed by Breast Cancer, Osteoporosis and Depression) but it is still a HUGE issue. Cancer is one of those things that if you personally have not been affected by it (meaning if YOU have not had it) odds are, someone close to you has.

My sister and I have never been close, this is no secret. I do not know her favorite color, or her favorite food. I do not know what school she went to, or what she wanted to be when she grew up. I don't know what she likes to do in her spare time, or if she even has spare time. But I do know this, the ties that hold sisters together, although sometimes strained, are unbreakable. There has never been a day that has gone by that I have not thought about my sister. Even before her diagnosis, I always wished we could be closer. There is always time I tell myself. No matter what is happening, I try to let her know I am thinking of her and love her. It is too difficult for me to call her right now, I fear the sound of her voice may send me into uncontrollable crying. But I try to stop time when she signs online. I want for nothing else at that moment then to talk to her and get to know her. To let her know that I am here if she needs me. My immediate reaction to her diagnosis was unfairness, I barley know her, how can this be happening?. But then I realize, that it's life, and it's the way it is. I have to remind myself that most of the time no one chooses the path they take, more often than not the path has been decided. I like to think, the mode of transportation is what you choose. Do you Wisk through life like a bat out of hell in your new Corvette GT convertible never really seeing what you have? Just wanting to make it to the end. Or do you take the ride using the horse and buggy route, enjoying the scenery as it passes?

I am rethinking my mode. And I have decided. I want the buggy, and a REALLY old horse. Life is too short to go to fast. I hope you rethink yours too.

The kid's got skills......

Another picture taken by Aragorn....on my camera phone........

Go Rouge.....

You have to get under what God has put over you so that you can get over what he has put under you.

Had a wonderful service today, Pastor Ryan spoke about Courageous living. He spoke of Caleb and Joshua and how it's amazing how 2 people can see the exact same situation, and react to it differently. This is part two of his series MAN UP. As always, Gena rocked the room, getting into her more rock side for the final song, LOVED it!!

Don't forget You can visit the edge church at

http://www.edgecommunity.net/

Or visit Pastor Heller's blog

http://www.ryanheller.org/

Date night at the rodeo

For the last couple of years i have gotten Eric tickets to the rodeo at the stock show. It's held every year here at the stock show complex. They have the animals being sold/auctioned vendor's, food, and a petting zoo for the kids. Eric loves the rodeo, it lets him go home to Kansas (if only for a few hours). I love to watch him, he is a kid again every time we go, letting go of the normally reserved person, and letting the excited kid shine through. We went to dinner before this time (last year we ate at the stock show). For Christmas this year we we got a gift certificate to Rioja a restaurant here in downtown Denver. It was amazing!! A total 5 star adventure. We started with a cocktail at the bar, toasting Eric's birthday and a fun night out. When we were seated we enjoyed different types of bread, i chose the lavender infused sourdough. Eric and i each picked an appetizer, he chose Real bacon, I got hand made mozzarella. For dinner Eric chose seared sea scallops while i had the spaghettini. I passed on desert, but the restaurant as a gift to Eric gave him the house specialty. Hazelnut Tortamisu. It was a wonderful experience. After dinner we headed to the stock show. It's always so much fun to get a drink and walk around. Just look at the exhibits and talk. At the rodeo, we got to see the usual Barrel racing, team roping, bareback riding and bull riding. We also got to see one of the broncing bucks retired last night after her 26th year. It was very cool. All in all we had a very good date night.

Sugar covered mint leaves-Better than chocolate

Eric's dessert-Hazelnut tortimasu

My dinner- spaghettini

Eric's dinner-Seared Scallops

My appetizer-Hand made mozzarella

Eric's appetizer-Fresh bacon

i loved the salt and pepper

Space....the final.........

Amber has achieved the goal of every writer. She is getting published. She has given those of us with dreams of seeing our name on the cover hope. Her story will be in Pill Hill Press' upcoming anthology The Four Horseman: An Anthology of Conquest, War, Famine, and Death. Scheduled for release June 2010. As an amateur writer myself I have nothing but complete admiration for her (and just a teensy bit of jealousy). I can only hope this is the beginning for her and soon A.R. Norris will be the author of the next big thing!! Be sure to check out her blog

http://sci-fiadventures.blogspot.com/