Grattitude: Great great great grandma didn't get to vote - so TODAY I voted just for you....

 ....... because it must have been difficult voting behind that bear skin attached to the tree and all.....   Did a little votin' today - I never vote straight anything - I like to mix it all up and make my own cup o tea out of the whole mess.  I vote - because women didn't get to for a long time - and I get to every time - so to honor those that didn't get  chance - I vote.  I don't like the 'early voting' - I mean - what's the fun in that?  I love the crisp November air waking up your responsibility gene... and then remembering that you need to return the movie to the library that is over due.... and you look for some new ones.... and then - oh ya - I'm here to VOTE!!  I avoid with all my might - those pollsters standing right in front of the doors - in my way - and NO I don't have an opinion - I HAVE A VOTE TO CAST - so move aside.  Inside - I get my sticker first - I haven't voted yet - and I could just run out the door with my sticker... like those little old ladies would chase me down.  Loved writing my name upside down on the register.  Loved having my name announced like I was royalty, but actually hearing it said wrong made me double check to see if I brought the correct fake ID... you know the one... where is actually says that I weigh a certain amount, but I really don't.  I look at the names on the list... in my mind I'm hearing the debates, the mud slinging, the mud slinging, and the mud slinging.  I don't vote for either one of those people.... I don't like ANY of the judges - so I voted NO for all of them - it's just a popularity vote anyway, they all look the same in those robes so it doesn't matter to me who's wearing them.  I voted for one person because a little old lady said I should, and since she's been around a lot longer than I have - I gave that vote to her.  I did think that I wanted a change - but then again - I remember the LAST person that said we would have a change, and he won, and the only thing that's changed is where he lives now, while other people are losing their homes and also living somewhere else.  So, I voted - I wanted the sticker because at the 'SWEET TOOTH FAIRY' cupcake store if you brought in your sticker... they gave you a free cupcake.  On the way home from my bike ride tonight I passed a cop on a motorcycle with his radar up.... I stopped and asked him if he was trying to catch those people that didn't vote.... He actually smiled and said yes..... and I said, "and if they didn't do you pull out the other gun?  and he actually laughed again..... I love popo's.   I'm really excited that I cast my vote BEFORE my bike ride because I passed the 9 million (it's voting season I can exaggerate if I want) 'VOTE FOR ME BECAUSE MY OPPONENT IS A CRIMINAL!   Had I known, I may have been swayed to vote for this sign, pounded in between the row of signs.... "CALL ME I'LL PUT YOUR CHRISTMAS LIGHTS UP!"  Hey - seriously - it's all location location location.....  So - I love voting - tonight I'm also voting that Bristol Palin gets kicked off of Dancing with the Stars.   I think everyone I voted for today will win because - my vote counts right?   I can't hear you?  Today I'm thankful for the opportunity to vote, and to bring home that coveted sticker to add with the other one I have that simple states:  "Don't blame me I didn't vote for Obama".  Voting - it's a good thing.  PS.... my ballot was incomplete - I couldn't find Spock on it anywhere....  If you haven't already voted - duh - the poles are now closed..... are you still in the Library looking for movies?  BAZINGA!

Borrowing a cup of....

Well, things have been a bit tough going around the farm lately.  Not complaining - just being real.  I went to check out the fridge and it was looking back at me saying - hey - remember when you use to pack me full?  That's when there were a lot more mouths to feed.  There's still enough in there for the empty nesters - it's just that it looked deserted.  I closed the door, and thought for a moment how really full my cup is in life.  That gratitude is such a filler to my soul.  How very blessed I am for so many little things that add up to be enormous things in my life. With Mr. Hillary on the site of another continent, and coming home to absolute quietness (because the birds pout when he's gone and they're very quiet), I thought of the strength of my daughter Ashley - never complaining, just looking to the future, and the joy it will bring.  Looking at my son Matt's cute Mickey and Minnie.... I felt my heart fill with grandma smiles.  As I reached over and felt Mandy's tummy as she is harboring no doubt a beautiful spawn....my soul remembered carrying her.  Today - I remembered Elder Hillary, as he shared with me that he would return home 4 days sooner, meaning a reset on my blog counter at the right....and there's something to be seriously grateful for... even though it's only 4 days, remember, the last time I saw him just about 2 years ago he was just leaving the hospital - and the look on his face cannot be erased from my mind.  For my Savior... there are not enough words of gratitude for his sacrifice for silly old me.  I'm not sure I was worth all of that - but I'm sure glad he still loves me through all of the years of mistakes and stumbles I've made.

Now and then I make a good choice, one was marrying Mr. Hillary.  Then again, I made 4 more excellent choices, my beautiful kids, and they returned the favor by marrying wonderful, beautiful spouses... and are bringing in the next generation to love.  Today my cup is full.   I've got a few more up my sleeve - I'll share them with you as I go through this month - as I need to look up somehow - and Gratitude seems to be a good place to start looking up.  Happy November... happy 46 days left for Elder Hillary,  almost 1/2 way for Mandy and Ryan, 2 weeks for Ashley and Mike, and many giggles and grins for Matt, Bethany, Em and Drewski.... I love you all.  What's on your gratitude plate?  

Random Halloween Moments In Time....

Found these random pictures I have posted

to my blog over time.

(Note to visitors.... Plastic noses are always found

in the entry way of our house... along with the Princess Leah wig)

Pretty self explanatory....

we get a little crazy at Halloween.

Hopefully the weather will cooperate (well not so much today)

and we'll be able to drag the cauldron of death to the

front yard and celebrate

National Anti Weight Watchers Day

in full force - I get the Butterfingers.

I asked Mr Hillary what he remembered dressing up

as when he was a little boy.  He mumbled something about

Halloween not even being invented back then yet.

(I actually believe him..... dum dum dum.....)

I was Little Red Riding hood once - yes... the plastic mask o' death.

I remember running to a house, jumping over a ditch and landing

full force into a barbed wire fence that had recently been put up.

(Halloween 3, Scream, and Freddie Kruger in 3-D all in one)

Mom had to wrap me up like a mummy for a couple of days

afterwards....my friends reminded me that Halloween was over.

Little did I know that later on in my life Heath Ledger would play

me in the bloody Batman movie.... minus the nurse outfit...

If you're in the neighborhood... bring your own hot dog stick,

and we'll string up the barbed wire....

Might want to be careful bobbing for apples this year...

I have a cold coming on... snot sure what will be in the pot

along with the apples....

Happy Haunting - on Sunday er - in Utah - Saturday.... 

whomever said Church and State don't mix... never lived here.

  ..... enjoy a good Hocus Pocus night...

Let's play doctor....

...........because if you are a doctor - you can charge this........

Q-tip - $89.00

Cup for peeing in - $12.50

Water to produce pee for $12.50 cup - $15.00

8 inches of tape for taping together the

3 (tiny) holes in my stomach - $45.00

Calling the insurance and telling them that I've never met the

doctor doing the surgery before the ER experience,

of which they charged me for an

OFFICE VISIT 2 days before $200.00

Priceless.....

always read the bill twice

they may charge you for reading it twice

but how would you ever know that

you knew your mystery doctor

before you ever met him

Like I said... next time I'll cut it out myself...

just in case it grows back.

Oh.... and remember to keep your ears

clean so they don't have to use the $89.00 Q-tip.

(it was only one - and I THINK that's what they used it for)

Just for the record - I'm so excited to have

IHC call me and ask me about my experience.....

Everyone should be taken from their room to their

car in a wheelchair with the IV still connected and

the blood pressure cuff still screaming away....

(duh...)(ya - the bills have arrived)

2 Missionaries, 2 Angels , 1 Temple and convictions of the heart...

So first of all you need to know that there really are angels out there.  Those that come into your children's lives and rescue them and tenderly care for them.  I know this because we have Elizabeth and Jessica in our lives.  Elizabeth is someone that a handsome Missionary met in Texas.... and he was allowed to bring her a message that changed her life, and his.  A year ago Elizabeth joined the church.  Jessica is a friend of Elizabeth's and part of the RS Presidency in her ward.  On the 8th of October, Elder Hillary's sweet Mission President allowed him to attend the temple for Elizabeth's endowment session in the Gila Valley Temple.  Jessica drove her there from El Paso.  There were closer temples to go to - but Elder Hillary was serving in the Gila Valley Temple district - and they made the sacrifices to drive there so he could be there.  Now tell me - who does that for someone?  These two angels.  Their families made sacrifices for them to come - they called the Mission President and arranged it all- and the sweet stories that came from that moment in time will forever be in my heart.  If Elder Hillary could not make it to the temple, we were going to drive there and be with her... but since he was allowed - I made sure that at the same time they were going through the Gila Valley Temple, I was going through the Draper Utah Temple - I had their pictures in my hands the whole time... there were many tears.  But not as many as those freely shed in a beautiful Temple in Arizona on a hot autumn night.  Elder Hillary said.... "Mom - we were sitting in the room waiting for them to come in - the Temple Matron came in and asked my companion and I to come into the hallway - Liz and Jessica were waiting for us there - all we could do was shake hands - wink and wave at each other!"  Liz said, "I know that you are suppose to be emotional in the celestial room at the end of the endowment session - but I was crying before anything even started - when I saw Elder Hillary!"  To bring just one soul.........one soul.... he wasn't kidding... oh the joy.  The pictures tell the story.  Now... at the end - you get to see Elizabeth's humor - I do believe that if he wasn't in a suit - she would have done it.  (check out that handsome missionary man!)  His current companion is Elder Kasat from Chile', the companion serving with him when he met and taught Liz was Elder Carter from Logan, Utah.    Enjoy... I love my Missionary.

 Jessica's and her husband will be going through the temple in less than a year - that will be a sweet day., when their beautiful family will be sealed together.  Liz's husband is a wonderful man that we have also adopted - they are the parents of a beautiful little girl.  The rewards of the Gospel are endless... and priceless.... are any of you interested???  Let me know - I've got great connections.  

Tomatoes, Raspberries and such...oh and the dead.

Lovin' the weather - because I just like a bit 'o rain now and then, making everything smell awesome and earthy.  Not so much the wind - because my screens are old and they rattle.  I also love that I don't feel guilty about not being outside working my earth patches.  The tomatoes are turning red, and the raspberries are just incredible this year.  I personally dream of and actually pray that.... the raspberry thorns slash through the tomatoes...and they die a slow death.   I kinda despise them, except in my chili sauce that will be filling up the house with eye watering yum tomorrow afternoon, during a forcasted rainstorm.  Recovery is actually not a word I deal well with - Appendectomy on Saturday 6 AM... home at 2 PM.... back to work and off meds by Monday 3:45 AM... on the Stairmaster by 5:00 PM..... but don't tell anyone ok?  But when the body wins over the mind for a few hours I find myself enjoying pulling out some projects (ok - so a freakin' whole bunch of projects that I've brought home from my mom's house to do for her) (I remind mom that they are 'sit down' projects which goes over a little better).  Last night I was reading about the Bowen/Hunter side of my father's side of the family.  I always thought that the Hill/Murray side of my Mom's family were totally awesome freakish pioneer stock until I read some stories about my dad's family that would make those Hill boys cry like babies.  We're off the tomatoes now - but I think that the Hunter bunch would be guilty of being the raspberry thorns - tough Scots as they were.... (probably why the Hills and Bowens are buried in separate towns)  In his own words - and most of them left out and misspelled - James Forbes Hunter talked about having to leave his sick wife along the trail to Salt Lake - he had to make a choice of his kids or his wife - they both made the decision to make sure the kids made it.  Mary Susanna NollKemper Hunter died along the Mormon trail.  A picture of her indicates that her husband would not have been able to make any other choice - here eyes tell the story - she would not have let him.  Somewhere inside me I pray that there is a tiny gene of hers still alive and well - actually I hope I had at least 5... one to keep - and 4 to pass on to my kids.  In the middle of the night last night, the circus music started in my head like it always does with those from the other side... NollKemper... Nollkemper... Nollkemper.... in perfect rhythm.  When I opened my eyes - I could feel her all around me, reminding me that I was well known to her before I came to earth.  She taught me things there in heaven, I brought them here to earth, quirks known only to her and I - and I have a boatload of quirks believe me.  Strangely enough...... I'm convinced she hated tomatoes.  I hope it rains for another week.  Nollkemper,  Nollkemper, Nollkemper.....  (then I watched Paul Blart Mall Cop and ate raspberries....)(quirks)

Excuse Me Nurse Betty...

 

Well, it's kinda like this....

Not feeling oh so hot on Thursday night - thinking I must have snarfed down the taco I ate... going through the night thinking - could I just die and get it over with.... at 1:20 am I'm walking around the block trying to get whatever is blocking the lower half of my body.... at 2:00 wake up Mr. Hillary and remind him that I'm dying yet again... walking some more.... going into work (what was I thinking)... picking up a few groceries in case I do die, Mr Hillary will have cereal..... sleeping it off for a few hours.... Stupidity sets in as I buckle over and still straddle the Harley for a 2 hour ride around the Provo/Park City loop - oh my it was beautiful though... getting home to sleep it off yet again... deciding that I've found enough change in the laundry bags, between the coushions of the couch, and under all of the beds to afford InstaCare... getting totally chewed out by a doctor (that I've known for many years and why she's at this particular InstaCare I'll never know)... who screams at me that she cannot do tests like this at 8:30 at night.... so I get up off of the table to leave and she won't let me (like I was going to sit there and take that)... reminds me that my bacterial levels should be 2-3 and mine was at 11... trip to IHC in Murray for a CT scan... (remind me to look behind all of your couches and laundry bags to pay for this nightmare)... drink the drink of death, CT at midnight... results show FREAKIN APPENDICITIS and that it has to be removed,  asap - and then finding out that the doctors are are war with each other and I have to wait until 6 am but can't sleep because they think I'm like preggo of something and have to check if I'm dilated or something, no cokes or food or anything - just late night TV.... 6 am - surgery, THESE PEOPLE HAVE NO SENSE OF HUMOR!!!!!, I remind them that I have not shaved my legs - they say - that's not what we're shaving and then they say - oh - you already have (Must have been out of my mind), BOOM - I'm gone and awake and they have stripped me of my dignity and my appendix, and they send me home on some great drugs, which is why I can write this whole blog entry without any periods, and have learned the following lessons.

1.  Conference is so much better on drugs  - because it will take drugs for me to get over the texting talk.  Holy Cow people - leave us some joy!

2.  Water skiing at 8 months is a cake walk after this.

3.  Always wear clean underwear.... or ... wear underwear.

4.  If you are going to have an extended visit to the hospital - pack your own cooler of drinks.

5.  Remind the nurse that discharges you to take out the IV before you are wheeled down the hall.  (what a dork this lady was - seriously - she was El Stupido!  (Where was Laurie Canfield when I needed her?)

6.  Love your Relief Society President everyday girls - mine called and asked if she could bring sweets and clean my undies.  I love you MK xoxox

7.  As hot as my husband looked last night - Narcotics make him look like a rock star.

8.  Someone tell my mom that I did not have another baby.  She's so confused at 81....

9.  Ashley can cook - she can buy beautiful flowers and she can be convincing holding a gun telling the stupid discharge nurse that YES my mom WILL need painkillers before she leaves...

10.  Texting after above mentioned narcotics - is hysterical.

Well - up and at 'em and back to work tomorrow

(you think I'm kidding)

(we have couches at work with money in them somewhere I just know!)

Back sale to be announced for funding of

above mentioned events....