Thursday, December 31, 2009

{The bitter-sweetness of 2009}



The ways 2009 has changed my life....



~A devastating loss with infinite heartache~

 






~Births that have brought miracles full of joy, love, and healing~



~Re-births, that prove strength, support and family love can persevere~


~Celebrations of the heart's commitments, and the encouragement of loved one's around us~



~The lost and found of an old friend~




~3 guys that continue rock my world~



~And you~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My love to you all on this eve of 2010.
May this be a year of understanding that every minute counts.
In our first........to our last breath.
Live the moment,
make great memories,
and LOVE deeply.
What else matters?

I love you :)


Saturday, December 26, 2009

{Julie and Julia......and Jolie}





~Not sure if it's because I have such a fashionable apron that I wear EVERY day.............
(I know, sometimes I have to ask myself, "who is this person??  this surely isn't the wild child that was going to travel the world, have many lovers, and vowed to never have children to hold her down to a kitchen in the middle of freakin' Utah!!!!" 
Glad that my teenage plans didn't become my path.
Life is good.)



~Or, if it's because I have really started to enjoy absolutely love cooking........
(hence the obvious 10 pound belly explosion...I'm not kidding...seriously, 10.2 pounds since October! OMG!!!!  I'm thankful it's jacket weather...hide, hide, hide fat tire)

~It could also be that I enjoy absolutely love blogging.......

That I devoured......


this movie.
It has cooking, blogging, great acting, and humor throughout.
It's something unexpectedly different and fun.
Just go rent it.....
Randy enjoyed absolutely loved it too :)

Thanks Chelise for recommending it  :)



{what up G-homegirl?}


Grandma on Christmas Day.......
modeling the winter cap Aunt Tracy gave her.
If you don't know g-ma...she is crippled with rheumatoid
arthritis :(  doesn't stop her from living an adventurous life!
With the bill turned to the side, and g-ma posing with her hands up....
Tracy says, "you're throwing gang signs without realizing it!  You give the gang 'crips' a whole new meaning"

If you are not laughing your ass off right now.....
go buy a sense of humor, cuz that shit is funny yo!
BTW....G-ma does have a sense of humor, and thinks it's funny too.  She went right along with the gansta persona. 


This is just a sample of the fun we had on Christmas Day. I am waiting for Aunt Tracy's pictures before I post the story.
Hope you all had a very memorable Christmas with your "homies" too :)

Thursday, December 24, 2009

{the eve before}




Got T.P. from neighbors as a gift ?!?!
That's a first!
They must be aware of the bulk amounts I have to buy from Costco.
It truly is a thoughtful gift in that case.



We had fam-fun night with dad.
Playing Monopoly with 5 different personalities is quite the show.
Dad giving his properties and money away, River trying to buy everyone's property to be a greedy land whore, Jax just ecstatic to roll the dice, Randy quite similar to Riv, and me......well, I'm the quiet winner of course :)




Randy was so excited to give me this custom made faux fur vest. (no need to call P.E.T.A.)
I LOOOOVE IT!!!
Try to look past all of the busy-ness with the shirt underneath.
Imagine it with a tight turtle neck and either my brown or black boots.
Freakin' HOT-to-trot!!!!!
Damn I've trained that man well!



Just throwing in a picture of Riv and his hand drawn Grinch.
He hung it on our sliding door in the kitchen.
I've about pissed myself 28 times thinking it's a 7' intruder watching me cook.



Tucked my boys in bed.....
One still a believer, who leaves cookies and a note, and swears he saw Rudolph blinking in the sky.


The other.......
old enough to have logic and truth......
him wishing it was different.
How sad that magic fades as years grow :(
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I still believe in a good nights sleep.
So, with that being said.....
Merry Christmas to all......
and to all, a good night.

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

{kids these days?!?!}


"mom there are some things I am sooooooo scared of.
~mouses
~sharks
~tornadoes
and the thing i'm the most scared of is:
~swine flu"

What the hell? Really?! Swine flu?
hmmmmm
What happened to the boogieman, dying, and there not being a Santa??
Kids these days!!
{OMG!!! Have you heard?}



Randy and his mistress, Susan Sarandon split!!!!


{Things that ROCK my world}


This season's Jockey Boots.......
rock my WORLD!
(Above: Frye black leather boot $388)




Especially when you get a $23 look-a-like from WalMart!
Chachingggg!

I also have a brown pair....
a little different style....
not from WalGag......
a lot more $$$!
I love the both pair equally.
I wear them with everything.....
even with skirts, knee socks and winter tights!
YES!!!  I'm wearing skirts!
Mini of course :)
You can take the girl out of Kearns,
but you'll NEVER take the rocker out of the girl!!!!

Go spend $23, and find out how a cheap pair of black boots, can change your whole fashion statement.
Funk-IT-Up and have fun!

Tuesday, December 22, 2009



{Opposite expectations....
opposite results}


Read the book in 2 1/2 hours......
No way I can see the movie now.
Quite the story.....very disturbing.
Expected something different....ok not really, I knew the premise. 
Just didn't expect such explicit detail of child abuse.
It's haunting me.


Bitchin' the whole way to this movie.
Hate science fiction crap.
3 hours later......
walked out not wanting it to end.
Totally everything and more that you would expect a 5 bazillion dollar movie to be.
Great love story :)


{And in the mornin'....we're havin' waffles!}



Paula and Jay D. have started a family tradition that we look forward to EVERY year!
A Christmas breakfast at their home.
Jay D. makes the best freakin'waffles and sausage,
Paula whips up REAL whipping cream and sliced strawberries.
A delish addition this year was spinach quiche.
YAH! I know!!! These people are kick-ass good!


The boys and Elliott all play so well even though there are years between them.
I love hearing Elliott say, "River!!!  Jax!!!! Come see my bedroom!!!"



Ok.....Seriously!  The breakfast of champions was so generous and loving.....but Paula surprised me with some of her hand made jewels.
Her job is to keep me looking like a true "Fashionable Housewife".
This apron is made from .....wait.....wait....wait....ready????
My OWN clothes that I had given her in a D.I. bag!!!!
I still can't believe how talented she is.
I love my apron!!
I wear it even if I'm not cooking.  Randy and the boys like seeing me in it.  Must be something like a June Cleaver feeling.


She made the boys these metal hang boards with magnets.
They came right home and hung them on the wall.
This is the first paper Riv put on it.....
Such a wonderful quote!
"It's better to die in pursuit of your dreams than to live a life without hope"
Jay D. gave Randy some Christmas brew.....
mmmmm....tasty stuff!


Great looking family eh?
Love you guys!
Thanks again....Merry Christmas!

Monday, December 21, 2009


{Pride and Joy}


~Pride~
In his intelligence
~Pride~
In his morals
~Pride~
In his giving soul
~Pride~
In his sweet demeanor
~Pride~
In the man he will soon be
~Pride~
In my son




Friday, at 9 am, Riv received a
"Principal's Pride Award" for Impressive knowledge of science.
Thank Jahosafat he didn't get his smarts from me!?!?
Because......well, he would be dumb!
Look how I spelled knowledge in my pic collage (above).
I AM AN IDOT!!! stupid!stupid!
MY SON IS NOT!!
His 100% on a science test got him a certificate, and handshake from the head honcho.
Riv scored top 10% of the nation in science last year.
It is one of his strongest subjects.
My little evil scientist...wahhaaahaaaaa!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



~JOY~
In watching my baby's accomplishments/transformations in his short lifetime.  And...he's a damn nice lookin' boy ta boot!
********
From Riv's school, we boogied on down the Banger to Jax's school.
His annual Christmas program was about to start.
AND....my eye faucets wouldn't turn off!
I am a BOOB when it comes to children singing and proving their innocence.
Jax was one of the three kings in the Jesus story.
The other two had some sort of dwarf issue standing next to Jax.
They are all the same age, not the same gene pool!
He did a great job projecting his ONE line, even though he had memorized all the lines in the ENTIRE play!
Check it out here
just a little snippet....
watch all the way thru....
Be prepared to smile :)
Children=love




G-pa and CherRee came to support their homeboy.


We missed Grandma Carol this year.
This was one of the events that she looked forward to attending.
Sometimes with bed head....only cuz it was a little early for her, but she ALWAYS made it!


Paula and Elliott were part of the cheering/crying/singing section.
They are always encouraging the boys with support.
The boys have come to expect that the Draper's will be there.
See what you've started Paula???
They love you....
and the little man.....
and the big man.



Cookies were all that the kiddos had on their mind for the after party.
I didn't need no stinkin' cookie to taste the sweetness of my day!



one last thing......
Just wanted Chelise to see that stage narcolepsy doesn't only happen at her kids' school......
We have narco and self induced "blank stare" at ours.

Friday, December 18, 2009


{Stop groping me, I have to cook}

I received an LDS ward cookbook from the Jackmans.
It was dedicated to my Aunt Janin.
I wanted to scan and post her dedication page, and well......it's just too hard emotionally.
Maybe another time.




Janin's cookbook got me thinking about the other Mormon cookbooks I have in my cupboard.
I was the lucky one to receive my Grandma Jorgenson's books.
They were loved and used by all family members when helping at Grandma's.
I got a craving for the cookies that me and my cousins used to make weekly.....
NO BAKE COOKIES.
Ya know, the ones with a butt load of sugar, butter, chocolate, oatmeal, and coconut?!?! And, you don't bake them? duh?
Who doesn't love these pile of calories that resemble poop on wax paper???
Everything about them take me back to my childhood.
Makes me miss my grandparents and their home.
Grandma loved me.
I knew it to be true.

Ok....getting sappy and off subject....
Anywho!!!! The main point I was getting at, is......
LOOK at this cookbook cover!!!!!!
Printed in 1978.
No....really look at the cover.
Who thought of this one?
A man loving his wife from behind.....
The wife turning her head away as if she was saying, "oh no....I just couldn't..."
And the hilarious title of the book,
KISSIN' WEARS OUT....
COOKIN DON'T
What does that mean?
What are they trying to tell Mormon housewives?
That your husband will probably get sick of you someday, but by-darned it, he will never get sick of yer cookin!?!?!
Ah....the good ol' days!

(I love my grandma's faded handwriting on the cover...."biscuits 83".  I assumed that 83 meant the page number.  Nope. All pies on page 83.  Still don't know what it means.  Do you dad?)


Thursday, December 17, 2009

{making my hair feel loved}


These are a few pretties that I've made.
Some have old earrings, peacock feathers, and  small adornments.
Others are very simple with a flower on a clip.
The top right was a beaded pin I found....it's now one of my favs!
Top left was an old, heavy, I think sterling silver earring.  I love the blue jewel in the middle.
I want to get some turquoise and purples too.
Of course, there are many adventurous hair styles that will work with these when my hair is down too.
These are so much fun for me to make...but even MORE exciting to wear!
They make me feel like I've stepped up my outfit or hair style a couple notches.
Today I wore the poinsettia along with jeans and a hoodie while running errands.
Totally spiced up a typical sloppy outfit.
I received so many compliments and inquiries while shopping.
(yes, a lot were from the older ladies, but apparently they had good taste!)
What would you think if you saw someone wearing these?
{The cast of Christmas past}


Christmas 2004
Twas the year I received my first digital camera.
The one I continue to love and use to this day.
I'm not sure why I only took 3 pictures that year, considering the overwhelming excitement of my new Cannon Elph!
Boy how times have changed!!!!!
5 years later........
Thousands of pics (I've made you all pose for) and a blog (I've made you all read).....
Lil' Elph is my right hand man!


I remember these days like they have passed in minutes....not years.

~The toys that the boys had wished for,
~The sound of Jax screaming....because he liked to kill me slowly, but also because he too got a camera.
~River, with a train obsession.....I mean OB-SESS-ION, received a full motorized train and track. (one of many throughout the years). 
Hogwart's Express. 
Harry Potter was the IN thing.
 But still just wanted Thomas the Tank Engine.
~Taking Jax to emergency on Christmas Eve because his little bones fractured while wrestling on the floor with Randy the night before.




You all know Jax,....especially in those days before shock therapy (just kidding, although the thought crossed my mind)
.....he was very dramatic and loud!
When he started freaking out about his arm, we chalked it up to one of his "going postal" moments.  He did a lot of crying wolf.
The next morning, I noticed that not only was he still whining, but he wasn't using that arm at all.
"Ohhhhh shit!  I think I should take him in." I say to Randy.
Now, both of us feeling like the biggest piece of crap parents ever!!
1~Randy being the breaker of the arm
2~Me making my kid suffer ALL night.
Yep, we were parents of the year alright. Thank God that year was almost over!
"Merry Christmas kid...here's a broken arm....courtesy of your fabulous parents!"


The doctor put on a make-shift cast to get us through the Christmas Holiday.
Jax was proud of it.....sometimes used it against us as a weapon....but ya know, we all survived.

Isn't it something to look back and wonder how we did it.....and know that through the love, loss and pain, we can survive.
These are the moments of our lives.  We must live them for the memories, as time takes us under it's control.

Time....my best friend the enemy.


Wednesday, December 16, 2009

{Finding humor in a bad economy}


Every year I look forward to Dave's Christmas card.
Because every year, I get his Wendover cash out tickets.
They are tickets that are too minimal for him to take his time to walk to the kiosk.
I could tell that the economy just isn't what it used to be.......
In past years, I have received as many as 10 tix, adding up to a good $2-$2.50
We are down to 3 tix adding up to 35 cents!

I love this gift of tix because of the humor and thought that goes into it. Makes me laugh and feel special.....all at the same time :)
Doesn't get better then that!

(Dave is my favorite NY Italian co-worker/friend...we have great conversations, that have the "F" word multiple times in every sentence....
When with a New Yorker, talk like an New Yorker!!!!  At least that's my F*#*in' motto!)

{Claar-bear}




Happy belated Birthday
(26 years old yesterday)

Because Emily couldn't find her cord to scan old pics......
means that I should do it for her :)

Love you!
{Uncle Gene-o}



~Happy Birthday big guy!!!!~
My gift to you is to never show your "Boffo" picture on my blog, youtube, billboard, or holiday cards again :)
We love you!!!
Have a great day.

Tuesday, December 15, 2009


{Miss Kitty hates Dr. McStinky}


Miss Kitty's annual girl check at her vet-a-cologist, ended in her being muzzled, fondled, and shot.
Have you ever seen a sadder pic in your life??
It's all her own fault.  She saw the doctor and decided that he wouldn't be touching her anywhere that wasn't going to be a good experience for her!
Yes, our sweet lady-like Miss Kitty,
tried to bite the doctor's head off!
Literally, his whole head.
Everyone on staff is in a frenzy.
Stat! the assistant come rushing in this muzzle and gave it to me to put on M.K.
As I'm slipping it over her nose, the doctor says,
"now Miss Kitty, you are not the one in charge here."
I gave him a look that said,
No shit smarty pants?!?!  She's a DOG!
And, how bout ya lay off now!
This 'just a dog' is on Prozac....she doesn't need this kind of stress right now. 
After a series of 5 shots, ear checks, heart listen, and a thorough rub - top to bottom,  we were able to let her snout out of the chute.
Doc said she is showing signs of aging....I reminded him that she IS almost 70!!  He gave me a box anti-inflammatories, and said she shouldn't gain anymore weight.  Her boobies are dragging the floor.  The Snuggie should help support those a bit.  A girl can't help if she comes from bad genetics. 
Poor thing.
She went and took a good poo and it was all better :)

BTW: The smell of a vet's office is on the top of the list of making me want to freakin' dry heave, and go home and shower!!!! Animals stink!  uuuck!



{Celebrate good times....
COME ON!}


Saturday eve, we met the Draper's at the "Wild Grape Bistro" in SLC.
After an appetizer plate of cheeses and meats, we were served our dinners.
Great service and presentation.
Food tasted eh.....alright.


It was fabulous to be out with good friends enjoying an adult evening, with adult food, adult talk......


AND of course.....adult beverages!!!



With only moments to spare, we headed up the hill to the Pioneer Theater.
We had tickets  for "A Christmas Story" waiting at the box office.
Snuggled into our seats, the show started.
They followed the script right to the movie.
Wonderful children actors.....they did a great job casting.
Laugh! laugh! laugh!
Good stuff man!
Go see it if you can.....kids will love it too.


It was a great way to kick off the 12 days of Christmas!