We might as well call you..."T-bone"

So we're at the Smith's, right? And Rachel and Steph ran off to dinner. Steph wants to marry the Cheesecake Factory, so that's where they headed. Mike and I were left to eat old Halloween candy and popcorn. That is until...wait for it...wait for it... Mike went to the garage and came back with... two massive T-bone steaks! They are the size of my ego. Mike is working some magic on the grill as I type. That is unless he burns them because he's trying to watch them while feed Preston and watch the Pink Panther cartoon. So here's the plan. We will eat better food than they do, and then when they get back, we'll make them feel just guilty enough that we get to eat the leftovers. Is it a perfect plan? No...and I think that's what I like about it. I'll let you know how it turns out.

Yummy Cute

So This Is Progress

Brett said to just "leave it alone" but I just can't help myself.
Today we finally have not-a-white-man president. I like white men. I married one. However, I do understand a need for diversity for the sake of unity. So it's not so much for myself I am excited as I am for Marie.

I didn't vote for Obama. I will say, however, that there were plenty of Obama bumper stickers next to Yes on 8 stickers. Who am I to disturb that?

This is how progress goes though, I think. You get a little of what you need, but not all of it. I got "my Black President" but I didn't get my "perfect President." Granted, I will never get a perfect President, but at least someone close to "my way" of thinking. But still, this is progress.

In other news, how are your Resolutions coming? Mine are just fine.
I would like to announce I have read "Leadership and Self Deception" and if you can read, you need to read it too. In the book, though, it tells you not to find other people you "think" need to read it, but hey- its a good book. Read it.

That is all. Also, Joe you still owe me $5.23.

Oh Ma Baby

Alabama is fun. Marie and I enjoyed the zoo last week with the other families that are here.

Alabama is a lot more fun the second time around. Still not much to do, but Brett enjoys his work days and we like just hanging out. Which is good lately because...

Marie is sick this weekend.

Oh my little baby.

Of course we don't want her to be sick, but the plus side is that she enjoys being inside the house more. She will just lie in her bed and whisper to herself.

No Georgia this weekend. Just lots of nose-wiping and playing Burger Time.

http://www.addictinggames.com/burgertime

The above version seems to be alot easier than the one on our "Vii." That's right we have a Vii and not a Wii. It has six Wii-like games and 111 old arcade games on it. I asked the guy selling it if it was going to break or if it had a warranty, and he laughed and said, "No, just a silly game" in his best Pakistani accent.... or his only Pakistani accent. And in my best Idaho/Valley Girl accent I said, "Ah whatever" and proceeded to buy it.

We have made it outside a little bit though. Maxwell has a great set up for little kids and young families.

She is already good at making friends.

She is big enough for this swing, I promise.

Who is that guy?

In other news, Cassie & John (my brother in law) said I could make their cake. Now if she changes her mind at any point I will not feel bad. I'm a busy mom and I have plenty of things I can do- however, if things really work out that I can make her cake, I'm pretty stoked.

This was my first cake that I had to bake and decorate. (The very first cake was my brothers and I just decorated most of it). Maybe you can tell this cake is leaning. I felt so bad! But it didn't tip and the bride seemed to like it!

I can't wait for Cassie to tell me what kind of cake she wants. I've been doing some research for her....

If she wants to "geek out" I guess I can make it happen....

But something like this would be fun.

But if it turns out she wants a life sized sculpture of a black lady... I can do that.

Rhode Island Roadhouse

Some friends asked if we wanted to go out to dinner with them. Rachel said we would if 1) they pick the place because we can't handle that type of pressure, and 2) if I was back from raquetball in time. Heroically, I returned right before the buzzer sounded. I was sweaty, with red spotches all over my face so I hurried and jumped in the shower. The shower was too short and didn't take, Costanza style. But whatever, I can handle a red face and occasional beads of sweat.

So we met up with them and asked where they wanted to go. They said Texas Roadhouse. I checked the date to see if it was either mine or Rachel's birthday. It wasn't, but we said would go anyway.

Rachel got the pulled pork. Big mistake. Maybe it tasted fine and all, but unless your a gerbil it's not going to fill you up. It's called, at least hide all that white space on the plate with a giant leaf or some celery or something. So the teaching point from this post is to get steak or ribs (possibly chicken).

The last thing Rachel said to me before we fell asleep last night was, "I can't believe I went to Texas Roadhouse and got pulled pork, plus the bread they brought was...." Then I fell asleep.

A Post About Halloween

I'll never forget my first Christmas in Emmett. No snow and warm enough that there were flies buzzing around. There was a thin layer of snow this year though, but things have changed. Jesse has his own family and so do I. But I'm glad I got to show Marie her cool uncles. Marcus is home from Peru and he always makes things fun. He's just so darn cool. And I hate just saying that because no one can really know how cool he is just by me saying that, but he is. Take my word for it. We like having him home.

My mother decorated this perfect tree and Marie loved it! Martha Stewart, eat your heart out!

My mother also painted this picture of "Tucker Barn."
It's a barn in Moscow off of the Pullman Highway. For those of you who don't know it's the first place Brett and I went after we decided we were going to "be together for reals and probably get married someday." Or at least, I decided that.
(Side note: John is engaged. Hopefully you didn't hear it here first, hopefully you heard it first on facebook. )
I will take close up pictures and post them so everyone can see how crazy talented my mom is. This is the first piece she has ever considered "finished" which is funny because she's painted so many amazing things like scenery for church functions, random works of art, and paintings of people. So I'm pretty lucky. Brett loves this more than anything I could have thought of. I can't wait to put it up in my living room! I hope she will do portraits of all the places we have lived. Hmmm... speaking of my living room. I hope I haven't gotten robbed since I've been gone.



The scene at the cabin. No void of snow here.

Being cute with Grandma Millburn





As promised. Who is this cool guy? A Ronald prodigy I suppose. I've noticed that Ron teases Matt the most out of all his sons. Matt is definitely the one I laugh the most with (note: not "at"). So I always thought Ron teased him because he could take a joke, but now I wonder if it's because Ron is most like Matt. I don't know, but that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

crimson tide

We made it to Alabama. Cross-country driving, Chevy Chase style. We were racing cross country with the Smiths. I think we won. We had pit-stops in Albuquerque and Little Rock, and boring scenery in New Mexico. At least mix in some cacti like Arizona does.

Marie has been eating a lot. I think she has just hit the stage where all she'll do is eat. I think it coincided with us finally giving her food. Crazy how that works. In this picture she's showing off her handlebar-applesauce moustache.

Most embarrassing Mormon? Harry Reid or Julie from Real World? Talk amongst yourselves.