Chocolate day!!

Okay - so it's been a crazy summer so far, and I haven't posted as often as I'd like, but today I have a moment, so I'm posting about one of my favorite things!!  Chocolate!  Today is Chocolate day, so everyone go get your chocolate on!!  There's something for everyone, right?  From white chocolate to incredibly dark chocolate (not for the faint of heart)...  personally, I like the Dove dark chocolate...hmmmm  just melts in your mouth smooth and creamy at the same time.  :)

Just in case you need a laugh today...

I love cruisin.....

That's where we've been for the past week, on a cruise!!  I am so excited to share pictures with you!  Now...just a heads up, I don't take selfi's...and my hubby doesn't like photos either, but he was a great sport this trip and let me take some of him.  I tried to take some of us, but they didn't turn out well...we do have one or two taken on the cruise ship, so I'll try and scan them in.  :)  It could have been a disaster from day one, but we were so blessed - I have to tell you, Heavenly Father was really watching over us.  We stopped at a rest area on the way into Idaho, and the car died.  I mean, it would literally not start!  The battery was stone dead.  We had a road worker stop that had a charger, and he charged it for us and told us where the nearest 24 hour wal mart was...and so we headed directly into Boise to find the Wal Mart and get the battery.  Hubby got to buy new tools because he'd forgotten to bring any with on this trip...which is a first, let me tell you.  He's the prepared in the Scout motto...he's always got tools and stuff should something happen.  Well...for some reason it didn't get brought this time.  Probably because I was the one that packed the car, lol.
So, we made it to our hotel, and the next morning we went and had the battery tested.  It was dead, so he installed the new battery and we were on our way.  No more problems the rest of the trip!!  So, just imagine the different locations we could have been stuck!!  It's enough to give you nightmares.  ;)

We started out driving through Oregon, stopping at the Portland Temple.  It's soooo gorgeous!  We got to do sealings, and it was awesome.  :)  Had dinner in the cafeteria, and just saying, if you get a chance...they have the BEST key lime cheese cake.  :)

Then we drove to Seaside...  which was one of my favorite places in Oregon.

This is from 2014 when we went with my mother-in-law ...but it was the same place we went - this time it was sunny  though.  There was several volleyball tournaments going on and people digging in the sand for clams. We had breakfast at the Shilo Inn which has a restaurant right on the beach, it was wonderful.  We went out onto the beach and found a whole sand dollar!! That's the first time I've ever found one.  :)  

Then we went up to Long Beach, which I vaguely remembered from my mission...we drove out onto the beach and enjoyed that for a moment, and then went on.

We drove up to Kent, which is where hubbies niece lives with her hubby.  It was fun to see her again.  We went with her to the Seattle temple...which I forgot to take a picture of!!!  :(  Dang!  It was way fun.  We did sealings there too...and then went home and got take out for our anniversary...which was Saturday the 25th.  30 years people!!  :)  I love this man.

Anyway -then after a rough night (unfortunately...he slept on an air mattress that went flat in the middle of the night...and that did not good things to his back...) we got up and went to church and came home and had breakfast before loading everything up and having them drop us off at the dock.

We went on the Ruby Princess.  This is the third time we've gone on a cruise, but we realized just today that it's been 10 years since the last time...  so I guess it's been a while, lol.  We've been talking about it forever!!  As you can see it was a gorgeous day...and check in went pretty smooth...we were onboard ship and unpacked by 2:30!  We went out to the main pool area and I watched hubby dance...I danced some, but this dang knee doesn't let me do as much as I'd like.  :(  He's awesome though...ever seen the movie Speed 2?  There's a scene where they're dancing up on deck, and that's basically the same idea.  It was way fun.  We had to laugh...we were getting ready to leave on Sunday and someone said they remembered us dancing on that first day.  He was all embarrassed...I thought it was great.  We're infamous, lol.

Anyway - it was pretty rough seas that night an into the next day.  Hubby was a little on the seasick side...but thankfully it went away and he was able to enjoy.

Our first stop was Ketchikan 

One of it's claim to fame is the street for the women...

  here's a photo of hubby by the street sign...

and then  some more of the fun buildings.    They also had gorgeous stream behind that used to be higher...  One of the locals said they don't get snow anymore...it's too warm.  They get rain ...lots of rain.

We found lots of fun goodies for grandchildren...I'm afraid we bought more for them than for the kids...oh well, that's what you get when you're adult, right?  Mom and dad don't think of you much...lol.  Our granddaughters were happy.

Here's a shot of the movie screen area...I liked the fish mural under it.  I'm thinking it would be fun to paint in my hall bathroom which is a ocean scene thing.  So far it's just the sand and sky, lol.

This is a glacier we could see on the way to Juneau.  It was awesome.  Then in Juneau we didn't go on any of the excursions...we just walked around, 

I didn't know that there was a USS Juneau...it was shot down in the pacific and if I remember right, almost everyone died...10 of whom were actually from Juneau.  They had a memorial right there at the docks.  It was really a neat dock...the benches were comfy and there were water catchers that would flip and ring on a pipe, almost like ringing bells, all up the dock.

This is a shot from the back of the ship...you can see the docks where some cool yachts were tied up, and the Holland American ship that was just above us.  It was about a third larger...maybe than our ship...it was huge.  We got to see bald eagles too!  They were flying around the ships, and then landed on a tree right in front of where the tram rides went.  They just sat there and looked at us.  I couldn't get a decent shot on my phone...they just look like white dots in the trees.  Here's a shot of my hubby looking at them with the binocs though...

They had some fun stores...we were already foot sore though, for some reason, and it was all we could do to walk around the main street area.  We had done the tram ride when we'd come 10 years before, so we weren't interested.  There was the usual amazing flowers again...  I'm trying to decide which ones to paint.

After Juneau was Skagway, and it's pretty much a tourist town maintained by the forest service.  All the main street buildings are restored, and it's like a museum walking through them.  It was fascinating.  They have a train ride up to Canada, and just amazing stuff.  We took a bus ride to a small glass blowing factory, which had amazing stuff...but it was so expensive!! I bought two little glass flowers that you stick in your plant and pour water into.  They're so lovely...  lol

We didn't pay for the tour of the glass blowing though...it was $13 per person...and we were feeling stingy.  I mean, I'd already bought the flower waterers, lol.

We went into one store that was a Christmas store and this kid comes walking up to us and says, you're from Utah, aren't you?  He was from our home town, knew my sister, and it was amazing.  I couldn't believe it.  There were a couple of other cashiers from the state in the t-shirt store.  Many of them like to go work for the summer and come back when school starts.  I wish I'd known about Alaska back then...although I did manage to do that in Jackson Lake and Jacob Lake...  Alaska would have been more fun than Jacob Lake, lol.

We went to this store because the kid had told us about it, and found some great jam for my daughter and her husband.  We almost got one of the fry breads, but we'd already had some ice cream...

We went back to the docks after we were done shopping, and hubby had to pose in front of the Disney ship to give my brother-in-law a bad time.  He keeps saying he needs to take his daughter on a Disney cruise...well, there's one that goes to Alaska!

Some of the scenery was just so gorgeous.  The water was a different color...I''m thinking it was partial glacier water.  Then the mountains in the background...  It was amazing.  One of the people we sat with at dinner told us about going up to the glaciers and climbing around on them and even drinking water from them.  I wasn't sure I'd want to do that, lol.
Anyway - the last stop was Victoria Island.  I was way excited because I've never been to Canada more than the bus ride from the airport to the cruise terminal when we went 10 years ago and started in Vancouver, BC.  They sealed the bus so we didn't need to have passports...it was bizarre.  :)  I tried to get a shot with the dock name behind us, but I guess I don't know how to do this well...get great shots of hubby though!  ;)
We rode a bus into town, and walked around.  It was so much fun.  One store had a large stuffed bear Mountie...so had to take a photo with hubby.  He's so awesome.  :)
Then we went into an Irish store...and it was great stuff, but sooo expensive.  They had some neat calligraphy done with wax seals, and I would have loved to have picked one up, but the cheapest print was $65...so took a picture instead...  I think I might make this a new rule for grandma's house..

Then we went down to a smaller dock...and it was great, they had a farmer's market going, and there were two girls playing what looked like box harps...they were really good, too.

We walked along there and listened to the music and generally enjoyed the whole feel.  It was marvelous.
Then we headed back to the bus, and I spotted some beautiful roses!

I might end up painting some of these...we'll see.  Like I said, I found many items of inspiration up there.  Right behind the roses was a bush that was created of orca.

It was really well done.  Then we headed back to the docks and our boat, and got ready to head home.  It was bittersweet...we loved our cruise and didn't want to get on the ship because we knew we'd be getting off it in around 12 hours.  :(   oh well.  We've decided that we're not waiting 10 years to go again, and that we might talk the kids into going.  They all want to...every time we talk about it, they want to all go, so we'll see how well they save their money.
So...there you have it.  Our travelogue of our anniversary trip.
Seattle was crazy...I'm not sure I'd want to live there - and I thought Utah had some crazy freeways!  This place would drive me nuts.  I would live with googlemaps or something directing me...
We stopped in a little town in Idaho on the way home...it was kind of scary after coming off the luxury that is a cruise ship...stark wake up call.  sigh.  The forest was gorgeous though.  I tried to just enjoy every moment, and not think about how long it might be till we return.  Who knows, right?
Well...got home in time for BBQ with family before hubby had to turn in for EARLY morning today.
Excellent life, I tell ya.  I've been SO blessed.
Have a wonderful day.

Happy Anniversary!

I can't believe it's been 30 years.  Look at this face, can you believe it???
We were such babies, lol

It definitely doesn't feel like it's been 30 years.  I have a hard time believing my oldest are turning 29.  sigh.

We've been through a lot over the years...

and 7 kids later...

I wouldn't trade any of them...or anything.

I love this man, and all he does for me...all the support he's given me over the years...from my writing to my painting and all the insanity between...

He's still the best thing that ever happened to me.

The only thing higher in priority is my Savior, Jesus Christ.

And I know my man is a gift from my Lord, so, hey, blessings all around.  :)

This is my favorite photo of him.  Sigh.  He's so handsome.

Well...anyway, thought I'd share why I'm so happy each day, and especially today.

Happy Anniversary my Love.  Here's to another 30!

Do you like fairies?

Today is International Fairy Day or Faerie Day.  My daughter LOVES fairies and dragons and all that...their wedding cake had a topper that was a fairy and dragon.

This was her topper...she loved it.  

This is the one we did for her daughter.  Isn't it cute???

sigh.  So...just had to do  shout out for her...she loves those kind of things.  :)

I did one a long time ago for a book I illustrated...but I can't find it now.  I used to love fantasy books, and read all I could get my hands one...

anyway - hope you have a fairy filled day.  :)

Zootopia!!!

Okay - if you haven't seen this movie yet, I highly recommend it!!  It really is awesome!  and I love the theme song sooo much, that I'm putting it here for your enjoyment... lol



This also coincides with World Music Day...lol.  So, good timing, huh?

It's also World Handshake day...so be a friend and go shakes someone's hand!  It's a dying thing, ya know?  I don't know why...but I still do it.  :)

It's also Peaches and Cream day...for those of you who like them...I'm not a big peaches fan.

Well...I'm going to find something for lunch...and listen to some more Try Anything...
Have a great day!!

My first meme!!

I made my first meme today!!  I so wanted to shout from the roofs how my Heavenly Father has answered so many of my prayers this week, that I felt this was the perfect way to share it...lol.

I'm almost as excited about finally being able to create the memes as I am how my prayers have been answered this week...but ya know.  I'm easily excited, lol.

I also got my nails done....first time in YEARS!!  I'm getting used to them...they're a little too long, I think I'm going to have to file them a bit...  But hey, it's been all about me this week, lol.  :)

Hope you have an awesome day too!

Happy flag day!!

Everyone fly the flag!!

And if you're looking for something to eat special for the day, it's National Strawberry Shortcake day!  :)

this looks like a great way to eat it....but normally I've seen it as a type of biscuit that's sliced and has loads of strawberries with whipped topping.  However you like to eat it...enjoy!!  Here's a recipe you can try...

It's a gorgeous day - hope you enjoy!

So... some thoughts and a rant...

Let's start out on a lighter note...  today has only a couple of things that I care to mention from brownielocks...

Upsy Daisy Day - which made me think of this scene from Notting Hill...  It's not Upsy Daisy, but it's VERY close.  ;)



My daughter says such things all the time, and gets the strangest looks from people.  What can I say?  We don't swear, so we have odd phrases.  My hubby grew up with "Crying tears in the sink!"

It's Jelly Filled Doughnut day...  which is about the best doughnut to eat...though I think the cream filled ones can be good, depending on how good the cream is...  :)

World Oceans Day - I wanted to mention this one because we are going on a cruise!!!  I'm so excited.  I've been on 2, and we were starting to go through withdrawal.  Apparently once you've been on one, you get to itching to go every five to six years.  We've managed to put it off till now, but we've also decided we don't want to wait so long for the next one.  The kids have all informed us that we need to do a family one, so that should be interesting.  Any travel agents out there that want a client?  lol

I'm just excited that in a couple of weeks I'm going to be in 70 degree weather...anythings better than 90's!!  

so... onto my rant.

I have seen a plethora of posts in Facebook and various other spots on the web that are nothing but angry, nasty statements about men who were awesome.  

First let me say that while I have leaned toward the Republican party in the past, I am NOT affiliated with them. I was raised to be an Independent, and if anything I would be a Libertarian, (I think...haven't had time to really look into their whole ideal).  I was somewhat active in my young teenage years...my foster family was big for Nixon (I know...don't hate me!!) and I remember encouraging everyone to vote for him.  

I remember hating Jimmy Carter...and I didn't even drive.  (lest you wonder why I make that statement, we were rationing gas in California during the 70s...and if you had a license plate that ended in odd number, you got gas on certain days.  If you ever watched an old TV cop show - there were several times where people got in fights waiting in line for gas. And the lines for gas went AROUND the corner from the station...  it was ugly.  People complain about the price, but I think that was worse.  And it was only .60 a gallon, by the way...)

by the time Reagan was in office, we were ready for someone who had some brains, and resolve.  He was AWESOME.  Unless you were alive during that time and voted, don't be giving me slack!  He was a legend.  A man that had been a star in Hollywood, was a body builder like Schwarzenegger and had a wife that he LOVED and was faithful to their entire marriage.  Many people criticized her influence on him, but they had a true marriage, and who else do we consult with?  Doesn't matter what office you hold, your spouse is your confidant, etc.  

He was for equality, didn't support segregation.  Here's a quote from the internet about his teenage years..."For the time, Reagan was unusual in his opposition to racial discrimination, and recalled a time in Dixon when the local inn would not allow black people to stay there. Reagan brought them back to his house, where his mother invited them to stay the night and have breakfast the next morning" (okay, wikipedia, but I didn't have a lot of time for research...)

Anyway - I dropped out of the political ring, so to speak, when I started having children.  I voted, but I wasn't actively involved in the process.  The first 10 years of my marriage was consumed with child rearing and surviving.  (What can I say...7 children in  8 years...)

I voted for both Bushes.  I think the father was good, and I still like the second, though he is held for much criticism.  I would like to have seen how any other president would have reacted to 9/11.  I'll never forget the Olympics and how he sat with the athletes and mingled with them, talking on the phone to parents.  He wasn't ashamed of America.  His father wasn't ashamed of America.

We didn't know world scorn until Clinton.

And it hasn't recovered.

It has known a new low.

People say that President Obama brought jobs, insurance and economic stability to the general public.  He only started to topple the things that were set in motion 20 years ago.  I lived through the 80s and 90s.  We were a lower income family, yes, we benefited from government programs, but we never did qualify for food stamps.  We had WIC...it helped us get formula and food for the kids.  I was a stay at home mom.

Shall I repeat that??  

I was a stay at home mom.  I didn't work until our 5th child was a year old and my husband had lost his job and wasn't finding one right away.  

I only worked until he found one and there was promise that he would continue into the next year.

Then I quit.

I didn't work full time before or after that until my youngest was in school.  I did work a couple of part time jobs...in the evenings and on Saturdays when my hubby could watch the kids.  It was a nice break to get out of the house for 2 hours and earn a little income at the same time.

We didn't have cell phones...we didn't really have computers.  I did do a data entry job that was done on our computer, but it died when we moved because it was too far away.  That job was mainly to keep my keyboarding skills up.

The internet wasn't really an option until we moved and it became a necessity for work.  Then it was dial up.  (MAN was that slow - but we thought it was cool)  We paid for it.  There were no government subsidies.  My hubbys job now gave us insurance.  We would probably be considered lower middle income.  We were a family of 9 with one main income.

At a time when most couples were both working.

I did not start working because of necessity.  I started working because that had always been the plan...when our children were old enough to be in school, I would start work part time.  What else was I going to do with my time?  Sit home and eat bon bons?  lol

Anyway - I'm saying that we've been on the lower side of things.  We've been to the point where we wondered where our next meal might come from, and had neighbors and our religious leaders step in to help.  NOT the government.  It never did work for us.

We are possibly now (with both of us working) maybe middle class.  Still on the lower end...  because my husband's employer doesn't value his experience or college degree.

Society in general has shifted.  It used to be about 20 years ago, that having a bachelors degree was a big deal.  It meant there was higher pay, that you were worth more.

Not any more.  Both of us work in education.  To get a better pay scale, you have to have a masters.  Most teachers end up getting a doctorate so that when they retire they can actually LIVE on their retirement.

But that's another rant...lol

What I'm trying to say, is that I'm not blind.  I've been there.    I understand people's frustration with the Republicans.  I see the same issue with the Democrats.  I think both parties need to be revamped, and I think people have forgotten what we really are.  We are NOT a Democracy.  We are a Republic!  Republics have checks and balances so that no ONE person has all the power.  

I might have posted this before, but I'm going to post it again...this video is pretty clear about what each part of a government is...

I'm not saying that this is the end all and be all of my view on the government...and I'm not saying that people shouldn't have their right to express themselves.  I am just putting my right to express myself out there.  

My main point? 

If we as a people don't start to work together to build our country back up, then it won't matter who is at the helm.  

We will be doomed.   

No one seems to care that families are falling apart, the very fabric of society that was standard for almost 200 years...is being ripped at the very seam.  Everyone likes to forget that this country was founded by men of faith.

Faith in God.  Not an angry God who condemns the innocent or demands perfection.  A loving God who wants us to be free. 

The United States was founded on freedom OF religion. That means that everyone has the right to believe whatever they want to believe -- but cannot force others to bend to their beliefs.

The current mode of society is tossing that in the garbage. According to what I keep reading, God has no place in education, in the marketplace, or in government. The very discussion of God offends (supposedly) everyone, and heaven forbid we offend anyone.  

My right to believe in God is more important than your sensibilities.  He still loves you, even if you don't love or believe in Him. 

However, if there is no place for God, then there is no place for belief.  Faith.  Morality.  All of these affect our society in general.   

Every individual needs to take up the cause of freedom and liberty and get the right person elected.  I don't know what that person looks like right now, but I know it's not either of the two that are being touted as the nominees.  

We need help.

And I don't think the majority of the populace are going to look for it.

Are you?

Welcome to Summer Vacation! And it's hot...

Okay - for the past several years, the first 'official' day of summer vacation has been cloudy, rainy, cold or all of the above.  :(  I like it, but you know, kids don't generally.  This year, we're sitting here on June 6th and it's 90.  No kidding.  I hear that California is really HOT, and of course New Mexico and Arizona are always hot, lol.

But anyway - we actually got our AC cleaned up and ready to use just in time...but we don't like to run it if we can avoid it because it's so expensive.  Last year we didn't need to turn it on until the middle of July.  It was awesome.  ;)

This year we've already turned it on.  Good grief.  Oh well...that's what summers for, right?  wearing as little as you can and sitting in front of a fan...  sigh.

So...a couple of things for the day...

D-Day - Hopefully everyone knows the significance of this day.  There was this awesome clip I saw on facebook the other day, about an 11 yr old who went to Normandy and stood in salute for 1 1/2.  What a tribute...

Here is a video documentary about that day...and my father.  He was there that day...the stories are amazing.



Drive-in Movie Day - everyone remembers how much fun drive-in movies are, right?  My kids are telling me that we need to go this summer...sigh.  It's not quite as fun when you don't have a real comfy seat...

YoYo Day - Yoyos!!  I never could get the hang of them...

and last...
National Applesauce Cake day - Yummy stuff!  If it weren't 90 degrees, I would make one.  I wonder how well it would go in a crock pot...

Anyway - have a great day.  Never forget...

Happy Day! Last day of school....

And there was much rejoicing, lol   By teachers and students...parent's probably not so much, right?  I don't know, I usually cheered the end of school so we could ALL sleep in.  :)

Well...in celebration of the last day of school, and the beginning of summer...today is Doughnut Day or Donut Day (which ever you like, lol)  So, go get a dozen doughnuts and spread the happiness!!  personally, I've gotten to where the store doughnuts are too sweet and too greasy, so I'll probably go home and bake some.  Yum!! 

So, if April Showers bring May flowers...what is June??

Shouldn't there be a little rhyme for June?  It seems to be the month everyone thinks of school getting out...summer starting...no big holidays, right?  Well, there is D Day, but I'm not sure anyone thinks of it as something to remember.  Just in case you didn't know...it's June 6th.

but for today...there are just a couple of things I wanted to share from Brownielocks...

National Bubba Day - Bubba day celebrates your brother...or anyone in your family that you've called bubba...or I think it could also celebrate Forest's friend that he shrimped for...lol.  I think it's kind of fun...do you have a 'bubba'?

National Rotisserie Chicken Day - I know many that love Sam's Club rotisserie chicken, so todays the day...go get and enjoy.

Yell "Fudge" at the Cobras in North America Day - really?  What's this all about?  Has anyone heard of this before?  Apparently yelling "Fudge" at cobras will make them gag and slither away...  This is even printed in a copy of Boys Life from 1993, lol.  So it has to be true, right?

Well, have a great day, and remember, you can't ever be too cautious about snakes, so you might want to run around yelling "Fudge" at all the bushes and places where a cobra might be...