New Toy!

Want to see what I'm stoked about!? My new purchase yesterday...drum roll please.....


An olive oil sprayer! ( my husband really thought I was cheesy that I was so excited but loves that it's all about the little things for me.) it can also be used for vinegars and lemon juice.

I have been wanting one for a long time. So when I discovered there was a 20% off coupon for bed bath and beyond at my disposal, I snatched this baby up for $8.

I love the convenience of Pam but avoid it because of all the extra "stuff" and chemicals in the can. Now I can use the olive oil I already buy, put it in my sprayer, and voila! My very own "Pam," but now healthier for clean eating! Love it!!!

Wardrobe Essential Shoes!

Do you ever feel lost with your wardrobe? I love fashion and trendy clothing, but I feel like my taste is changing as I get older. I feel more comfortable in classy clothing. I was trying to figure out what I truly needed in my closet for classic basics and I didn't know where to start. So I did some research and found this amazing book : The Style Checklist: The Ultimate Wardrobe Essentials for You (Lloyd Boston). You should definitely follow its advise.

One of the things I've been looking for is nude heels. It is so hard for me as a pasty gal to find the right nude color. They're always too tan next to my flesh until yesterday! I found (Thanks Jess) a beautiful pair of nude heels ( Antonio Melani) that look good on my feet. I think. Where did I find these shoes? Goodwill.

If you don't know this about me, one of my favorite past times is going to garage sales and thrift shops. It's so exciting to see what I can find, clean up, or redo. (Thanks Jennifer and Jessica for being my partners in crime). We spent pretty much the entire day at garage sales and then at Goodwill. We found some great stuff. Always love a good deal!

Friday

At first this was my exciting Friday night plans:

Myself. Sitting on the couch in a comfy sweatshirt. Until...Prince Charming stepped in and decided to keep me company.

Isn't my date handsome? :) I heart him.

Touchy Subject

Was anyone else annoyed by the VP debate the other night? I was. For a few reasons, but I won't get into that.

Politics! There. I said it. It's almost Halloween so I figured it's appropriate to scare you! For some, it's about the equivalent of saying, "Boo!" It's a scary topic that they would rather run away from. Everyone hates politics right? Ok, not everyone. But it seems that so many people are so uncomfortable about disagreeing with someone else's political views that many would rather never talk about it. And many still hate the whole "political world" so much that they don't even care to research and learn about the Constitution and the foundation of our great country. I don't like arguments on heated issues either but I feel it is my duty to this country to educate myself and be active in my support of those candidates and leaders who are pursuing the protection of correct principles and rights.

Here are some sources that have molded my views on a few specifics.

"Assume, for example, that we were farmers, and that we received a letter from the government telling us that we were going to get a thousand dollars this year for plowed up acreage. But rather than the normal method of collection, we were to take this letter and collect $69.71 from Bill Brown, at such and such an address, and $82.47 from Henry Jones, $59.80 from a Bill Smith, and so on down the line; that these men would make up our farm subsidy. “Neither you nor I, nor would 99 percent of the farmers, walk up and ring a man’s doorbell, hold out a hand and say, ‘Give me what you’ve earned even though I have not.’ We simply wouldn’t do it because we would be facing directly the violation of a moral law, ‘Thou shalt not steal.’ In short, we would be held accountable for our actions.” (James R. Evans, “The Glorious Quest")


“With all these blessings, what more is necessary to make us a happy and prosperous people? Still one thing more, fellow citizens – a wise and frugal government, which shall restrain men from injuring one another, which shall leave them otherwise free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it had earned.” (Thomas Jefferson, Works 8:3)

“England was killed by an idea: the idea that the weak, indolent and profligate must be supported by the strong, industrious, and frugal – to the degree that tax-consumers will have a living standard comparable to that of taxpayers; the idea that government exists for the purpose of plundering those who work to give the product of their labor to those who do not work. The economic and social cannibalism produced by this communist-socialist idea will destroy any society which adopts it and clings to it as a basic principle – ANY society.” (Dan Smoot, Former FBI agent, 1968).

"Leaving aside, for a moment, the question of the divine origin of rights, it is obvious that a government is nothing more or less than a relatively small group of citizens who have been hired, in a sense, by the rest of us to perform certain functions and discharge certain responsibilities which have been authorized. It stands to reason that the government itself has no innate power or privilege to do anything. Its only source of authority and power is from the people who have created it. This is made clear in the Preamble to the Constitution of the United States, which reads: "WE THE PEOPLE... do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."
Suppose pioneer "A" wants another horse for his wagon, He doesn't have the money to buy one, but since pioneer "B" has an extra horse, he decides that he is entitled to share in his neighbor's good fortune, Is he entitled to take his neitake his neighbor's horse? Obviously not! If his neighbor wishes to give it or lend it, that is another question. But so long as pioneer "B" wishes to keep his property, pioneer "A" has no just claim to it.
If "A" has no proper power to take "B's" property, can he delegate any such power to the sheriff? No. Even if everyone in the community desires that "B" give his extra horse to "A", they have no right individually or collectively to force him to do it. They cannot delegate a power they themselves do not have."
A category of government activity which, today, not only requires the closest scrutiny, but which also poses a grave danger to our continued freedom, is the activity NOT within the proper sphere of government. No one has the authority to grant such powers, as welfare programs, schemes for re-distributing the wealth, and activities which coerce people into acting in accordance with a prescribed code of social planning. There is one simple test. Do I as an individual have a right to use force upon my neighbor to accomplish this goal? If I do have such a right, then I may delegate that power to my government to exercise on my behalf. If I do not have that right as an individual, then I cannot delegate it to government, and I cannot ask my government to perform the act for me.
To be sure, there are times when this principle of the proper role of government is most annoying and inconvenient. If I could only FORCE the ignorant to provided for themselves, or the selfish to be generous with their wealth! But if we permit government to manufacture its own authority out of thin air, and to create self-proclaimed powers not delegated to it by the people, then the creature exceeds the creator and becomes master. Beyond that point, where shall the line be drawn? Who is to say "this far, but no farther?" What clear PRINCIPLE will stay the hand of government from reaching farther and yet farther into our daily lives? We shouldn't forget the wise words of President Grover Cleveland that "... though the people support the Government the Government should not support the people." (P.P.N.S., p.345) We should also remember, as Frederic Bastiat reminded us, that "Nothing can enter the public treasury for the benefit of one citizen or one class unless other citizens and other classes have been forced to send it in." (THE LAW, p. 30; P.P.N.S., p. 350)

 The previous excerpt is from a MUST read: The Proper Role of Government by Ezra Taft Benson, Former Secretary of Agriculture. The Eisenhower Administration. I believe his literature on politics and government is timely and dead-on. I have the greatest respect for his works.

An Apple a Day...

Keeps the doctor away? What will 10 apples a day do for me?! Cause that was probably my consumption yesterday. I love honey crisp apples. I kind of have a thing for them. They're so delicious but I hate paying $2.99/lb for them. So what did I do? Buy them in bulk- 40 lb box- .81/lb. I've put quite a dent in them since Saturday...

I am drying lots. Good thing this baby has 10 trays! Thanks Grandma Cooper for loaning it to me.

 I did a batch yesterday which almost filled up 2 canisters this size...and this is all that's left. Can you say, "addicting?"

Big Sister

Keshlyn loves to help her little brother. I got them out of the bathtub and put a diaper on Ky. Kesh did the rest...

Apparently this is the latest thing little boys are wearing to bed...according to 3 year olds.

When I removed the leg warmers and socks she scolded, "mom! Where's ky's
accessories!?"

Personal Attachment

Do you ever have a moment where you realize how grateful you are for something specific? Even something easily overlooked?

Today, I had a little tender mercy. A friend who now lives in Spokane, WA came into town in Overton and decided to come visit me. She wanted to see how I was doing and expressed she had been worried about me and how I was managing since the move. We don't speak weekly or often even due to crazy lives so far apart but I do adore her. I wish we had the opportunity to visit more often. I'm so thankful for her thoughtfulness and the time she took out of her day to check in on me. It meant the world to me. Thanks, Jenae!

Her small service today made me realize how grateful I am for those who have had a personal attachment to me by feelings of affection: friends.

There are different kinds of friends. Some may use the term loosely to anyone he/she may be friendly with. I consider these acquaintances. I'm grateful for those as well. But a friend, to me , is someone who over the years in some way or another has reached out to me, cared about me individually, thought about me and acted upon it, checked in with me, uplifted me, and/or influenced me for the better. I, of course, try to do the same. It's definitely a 2 way street.

Friends are funny things sometimes. When you're younger, you can't live without them. When you're married, your best friend is now your husband. And many women and men do away with friends altogether. Both my husband and I still find friends very valuable. I still desire to keep, make, and maintain girlfriends because there's only so much my husband wants to hear about new fun crafts I'm going to try from pinterest or my latest makeup discovery! :)

Now that I'm in Logandale I've truly been missing my handful of good friends from Vegas who have always been there. It takes time to be a good friend and to forget yourself and think about someone else. It takes time and effort to try and make someone else's day. A thoughtful phone call or card can sometimes mean everything to someone. I admit at times I find myself needing to do better as well. I do try to be a good friend to others. I find that the effort results in a meaningful and fulfilling friendship. So, here's to all of you who have influenced me, made me laugh, dropped in to say hi, gotten to know me and cared about me individually: I love you for it. I thank you. I'm forever indebted to you. I look forward to serving you more fully in the future.

In honor of friendship- here are a few pictures below. If I went back to the beginning of my memory, I would have MANY more pictures to post of friends that have been dear to me. But for now, I only have pics from the years of married life on my new computer.

My very best friend,

Thanks for loving me unconditionally and supporting me no matter what!

My Mumsie,

Thank you for all the support, laughs, and love any friend could ever hope for. A mother is the ultimate friend. You have always, without fail, believed in me. I love you so much.

 Mamaw Shirley,

Thanks for your wonderful example and guidance.

Mamaw 'Nita, 

Thanks for the wonderful friendship in my younger years. You helped some of my dreams come true.

Bobby, Dukes, Megs, Jake, Jill,

Thanks for some great memories on the lake! I will cherish them forever.

Jones-e-o,

Thanks for being there for me at all times..even if you did wear the same stinky ol' hat forever! :)

 Jill, & Laura,

Thanks for the long nights of fun, laughter, and support. Together we grew.

Jillian,

Our friendship has continued to grow over the years. I never needed a sister because I have you. You are a special person in my life that I can never ever forget! Thank you for caring about me even though we are so far apart. It goes to show that true friendship can last no matter the bumps in the road and the distance between us. 

Mander Bananer,

Thanks for letting me be me without any apologies. You get me. You always make me laugh. 

Allie-A,

Thanks for being a big sister to me. You always have the best advice.

Erin, Kira, Holly, 

Thanks for some good times and laughs. Laughter is one of my favorite past-times.

 Sweet Megs,

Thanks for all the times you stopped by because you felt inspired. Thanks for the wonderful card from some time ago that contained a clipping from a magazine with a quote that is still pinned on my bulletin board. It counseled me to just try my best and realize that's all I can do. Thanks for all of the encouraging conversations and for letting me be quirky, opinionated, crazy me!

Jennifer,

Thanks for being real. A real person and a real friend. Someone who is honest and caring and so non-judgmental. You are selfless and willing to be a listening ear anytime I need. Thanks for being my crafty friend and for passing on some of your wisdom. Thanks for making me laugh. "bahamas!" And thanks for agreeing to be a Junk Gypsy with me once our kids are older...if they ever get older. :)