October already!!!!!???

Where did the summer go?? I have been so busy with new responsibilities at work (and some fun) this summer I lost track of time. I have again neglected my blogging duties but as you can see in the below posts... Debbie does a great job at posting and a fantastic job of stirring the pot haha.

NACS LINK

Its that time of year again for NACS. I leave for an entire week and its the longest time that I ever leave Debbie and the kids. I hate leaving for that long. So being in the Convenience store business I get to go to the largest trade show of its kind. NACS has thousands of vendors set up booths and try to sell their product. Since I am over Petroleum Services at Maverik I get to look at anything and everything to do with Fuel Pricing, Dispensing, Price Signs, outside customer service items like Red Box, Air Machines, Pay Phones (yes we still have them), Propane tanks, Car Washes, Garbage Cans, Windshield Wash etc.... Oh yeah I am also in charge of the Automotive items in side the store like Oil, Additives, Air Fresheners etc... Yeah its a good thing I have 2 assistants to keep me organized (they are awesome)

So hear I go again. The only thing my family looks forward to is I bring back enough samples of anything I can cram in my suit case from Candy, drinks, sun glasses, air fresheners, t-shirts... you name it, its there.

So here is to another trip.... I love you Debbie and I will miss you and the kids. I will bring back lots of goodies for you.

ruining the world one Botox shot at a time!

This post is in regards to the comments I received about the Botox blog (below) and my response. If you have not read the post below start with the post below and read the comments and than come back to this post!
I ask if you get offended easily or are my Mom or Mother in Law that you may want to stop reading right now because I am on a soap box.
So getting Botox and people like "me" are what is wrong with American women today.. hmmm.. okkk... where do I start.. I don't know how to so I will just tell you a few things about this arrogant "bitch" I think I was called...

• FIRST I AM NOT THE ONE JUDGING OTHER WOMEN.. I think the obvious comments below is people judging women who don't do EXACTLY what they do.
• I had 3 kids by the time I was 30 years old.
• I had BOTH breast removed due to breast cancer at 27.
• I had a hysterectomy by 33.
• So if you don't have boobs or a uterus does that still make you a woman?
• I have been divorced not ONCE but twice. So really far from a "perfect" life.
• Sometime in my mid 30's I had a couple years I went off my rocker... seriously think complete mental break down and had to redefine myself for a few years.
• the Botox post was NOT about weight.. It was about wrinkles between my eyes!!!
• I have stretch marks, cellulite and am 10lbs heavier than I was in high school.
• I stay at home and cook dinner almost every night and do all the laundry.. Just because I don't work out side of the house does NOT mean I don't work..
• Yes I have lost some weight the last year but I struggle with weight just like most women.
• from my chin to my hips I look like Frankenstein.. I have had things tied, taken off, put back on and all together removed.
• I have chin hairs and toe hair..
• My girls and my step daughters are beautiful women no matter WHAT SIZE THEY ARE, and if they decide to do chin implants, boob implants, and butt implants... good for them if it makes them feel efing better about themselves... GO FOR IT!

I think you get my frustration with your comments (some so bizarre I did not post). So if a little fricken botox and hair dye pisses you off..... YOU CAN KISS MY SIZE 8 ASS!!!

Grow old gracefully...... SCREW THAT!

The fact that I am about ready to admit this.. shows you how big of fan I really am.. I am in LOVE.. I think it's the best invention since sliced bread!!! I will take donations, and you should send your money every 4 to 5 month.... What is this new Love I have found...


BOTOX!!!!... BOTOX!!!!....BOTOX!!!!....


I know, I know, I know.. I am now going to hear all the bull shit that comes when you admit to things like this.. HOWEVER, I am a firm believer if it makes YOU personally feel better than here is to you and do what ever you want (well almost whatever).

The last year or so my furrowed brow started getting worse and worse and every time I looked in the mirror I saw a permanent "11" between my eyes.. not to mention watching commercial after commercial with it looking like I am squinting.. So after complaining about it and trying every wrinkle cream you could think of, I bit the bullet and got my first injections of Botox... Notice how I say "first" it is NOT my last.. When I came home from getting my injections Brock called me Madonna the rest of the week!!!

my before picture.. see the "11" between my eyes...my after picture... no 11 and hardly ANY wrinkles... LOVE! Yes the side effects of Botox are true.. Such as you wont be able to move your eyebrows as much, and your expressions are not as EXPRESSIVE.. I can not squint and furrow my brow when I am mad but Brock tells me he still knows when I am mad because I clench my teeth.. The doctor explained it to me as a "pleasant" look so that is what I say to Sam all the time.. "this is my pleasant look!"

So here is to growing old with Botox, hair dye, teeth whitener and nips and tucks as needed!! WOOT WOOT!

*DISCLAIMER.. Sam is NOT a fan that I do this.. but he is getting use to the fact. He tells me all the time I am beautiful without it.. (such a nice guy)!!!

Fall...

I always tell Sam I think I will die in the Fall. I know what you are thinking "that is kind of morbid".. It is not morbid for me at all. Fall gives me the sense of peace and tranquility.. The glow in the sky, the cool nights, the leafs turning colors, football, pumpkins... and the smell of all things peach cooking in my house.. I have a peach crisp in the oven and it just reminded me of how much I LOVE FALL!!!

Ring around Wyoming!!!

Sam and I just spent the last week making a BIG loop around the entire state of Wyoming.
There were parts very pretty, parts VERY ugly, and parts that I never want to go back.. but all in all it was a great trip. I am afraid I am more of a city girl than I want to admit and I don't think I would "thrive" in Wyoming. It surprised me because I am from small town USA but I kinda feel like I am a fish out of water there.

Here are a few highlights of our trip.

• Mineral pools in Thermopolis
• Seeing Jordan's apartment.
• The Big Horn Mountains
• Dinner at Sanfords.
• Seeing some of Sam's friends.
• Going to a U of WY football game.
• Seeing Sarah's house.
• Adult slushies.
• I slept in a car.. (I NEVER DO THIS)
• Car Bingo..

Here are some of the things I have seen enough of to last for a lifetime..

• SAGE BRUSH... SAGE BRUSH.. SAGE BRUSH..
• semi trucks.
• Antelope.
• Run down towns.
• 4-wheel drive trucks.
• liquor stores (1 on every corner)
• 2 lane highways that go FOREVER.

any way you get the basic of the trip. Sam worked and we stopped at EVERY single Maverik between here and there and I read (A GREAT BOOK, The Hunger Games).

It was so much fun to see Jordan and Sarah's lives and have that much windshield time with my husband but let me tell you.. WE ARE GLAD TO BE HOME!!!

Colombia here we come..

Yes as in the Country in between Ecuador and Venezuela. We are headed there for 11 fun filled day in February.

The company Sam works for give incentive trips and we chose to go to Colombia and we are so dam excited. I wanted to share with you some of the fun things we will be doing.. For the first 4 day we will be staying at Tyrona National Park.

I am the most excited about this part of the trip. We stay in little huts in the jungle and hang out on some of the Worlds best beaches and eat till we are fat happy and silly!!

Than for 4 days we will be in Cartegna.

All I can think about when I think Cartegna Colombia is what EVERYONE else thinks of... INDIANA JONES.. We will be staying in the hotel picture above and we will get to visit old town, new town and the walls that surround this once very dangerous city. It has a European feel to it and they say that the city seems like you have been dumped in Spain...

Than we are off to an Island for the last leg of our trip. We will be staying at Punta Faro.

I am sure at the end of this trip we will have a ton of stories and a ton of memories. I AM SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS TRIP I CAN'T STAND IT. I have never been to South America (Sam has been to Brazil) so it will be an entire new experience for me. Sam and I will be able to tell you if it is true that Colombia is a different and SAFE place (we all know the stories in the 80's).

I am sure I will be blogging a few more times about this trip as our countdown STARTS..

Plantar Fasciitis!!

Sam has been hobbling around complaining about his foot hurting most of the summer. It was mostly in the mornings and then... he started to play softball, and NOW he can't walk.

We went to the Doctor and he told Sam he has bone spurs and gave him the name to a podiatrist and told him that he would not "hurt" his foot if he used it, that it would only hurt him. So...

Thursday night rolls around and Sam decides he is going to play softball. So he runs to his short stop position and I could tell after the first ball was hit that Sam was HURTING. So he plays the game limping the entire time and we get in the car and I said to him..

"how is your foot?"

Sam: "Dude, I heard a loud pop and then my entire foot went flush!"

So at this point (note. Sam has now struggled with the foot for MONTHS) he makes an appointment with the podiatrist. I knew it must be really bad if he was willing to go to the Dr. That is just a very novel idea *wink.

So over the next few days he iced it, limped, and stayed pretty much off of it. He goes to the dr. and find out that is Plantar Fasciitis. The "pop" he heard in his foot was his tendon tearing. The Doc said it is your body's way of making more room in your foot when it is as inflamed as Sam's is.

What do you do for Plantar Fasciitis...???

YOU STAY OFF IT... YOU BABY IT... AND if by next week it is not better.. They will put Sam in a Cast... Poor Sam is getting old!!

Lordy Lordy look who's 40!

This weekend Sam and I went to Wendover, Nevada with a bunch of my lifelong friends to celebrate Sally's 40th Birthday. It had been a long time since I spent a lot of time with all these girls and it was great and seemed just like old times. Happy 40th Birthday Sally and here is to 40 more!! What a fun adult weekend! All the girls. We grew up together and O boy the stories we could tell about each other!!
PRINCESS!!!

Happy Birthday cupcakes!

Red cups and cup cakes!

There she is "princess Sally"!!!

Roses and Sunshine!!!

I am not pompous enough to keep a blog and only write about our most "shining" moments. Sam and I have life pretty darn good but right now things are not all "roses and sunshine".

Without going into great detail or getting into a very very deep blog I am just going to say that every struggle our children go through hurts all of us and it is one of the most gut wrenching things a parent can do is simply have to watch their child go through a terrible time. As a parent, and step parent, you feel helpless, frustrated, angry, concerned, and so many other emotions that you cant seem to wrap your head (or heart) around it. WELL THAT IS ABOUT WHERE SAM AND I ARE AT THE LAST FEW WEEKS. However, the one thing I have realized in this struggle is how proud I am of this step family. I think the first thing that can happen to make a step family fall apart is drawing blood lines.. and there is definitely no blood lines drawn here.. So as you go to bed tonight say a little prayer for the Campbell family and especially Josh.

in other news... I stubbed my toe really really bad and tore off my toenail!

War of 2010

Friday Aug 27th, Debbie goes shopping while I wait in the parking lot and make work phone calls trying to catch up on a few things... Debbie said she has a surprise. So we load up and head home... Debbie unloads the treats out of the trunk and heads to the back patio as I head up stairs and get changed out of my work clothes. Debbie yells to us all "come to the back yard and get some treats I have a sweet tooth and a surprise for you"

We all come out and see ice cream, several pies, whip cream, several 2 liter bottles of soda to make floats and a few odds and ends like cup cakes and twinkies all over the table. We were so happy and surprised so we all sat down at the patio table and Debbie gets the big spoon out and dips a large scoop of whip cream and acts like she is putting it on some pie...... then WHAMO she chucks it at Brock right in the chest then she scrambles and hits two more of us with whip cream and a pie before we could even understand what the heck just happened... haha. Then Brock catches on and starts grabbing pies and handfuls of ice cream and we all entered into the largest food fight ever!!!! Josh and I were wimps and ran after we chucked a couple of handfuls but Brock and Debbie trashed each other and chased us around. Just about that time Cassidi came home from work for a quick lunch break all dressed up and poked her head out of the back door and said "WHAT are you guys DOING". Just then Josh grabbed her and carried her outside while Debbie and Brock chucked food and soda all over her as she screamed "I have to go to work I have to go to work... this isn't even my shirt!!!!!" haha oh man I wish I had it on video. The saddest thing of this all is we didn't get even ONE bite of ANYTHING. All weekend we were hungry for pie and ice cream.
So here are a few bad pics of the War of 2010. My wife is one crazy woman... LOVE her don't you? :)

These are our people.

These are Sam and my peeps.

• The ones that have seen us and we have seen them through many many happy times.
• The ones we tell our problems to and don't have to be "embarrassed" because YES This is happening to us!
• The ones we have cried with because of what they are going through.
• a hell of a lot of beer.
• The ones we don't always agree with but that is okay by ALL of us!
• The ones we help move (that is true friendship), and help us move.
• I am POSITIVE nursing each other through one to many hangovers!
• We have went through deaths.
• and a hell of a lot of beer!
• different hair colors. (now mostly.. HOW ARE WE GOING TO COVER THIS GRAY?)
• some really really good fricken food!
• We have went through weddings.
• Break up's and hook up's.
• fabulous vacations
• everything that has to deal with teenage children..
• New jobs, lost jobs.
• mistakes and miracles!!
• did I mention... a hell of a lot of beer!!!

and I could go on and on.. I love this group of people and know they have Sam and I's back where ever we are. Thanks you guys. WE LOVE YOU!!

Sam and I after a 4 wheeler ride to the waterfalls. I love this picture because Sam and I look like
we have been dusted with dirt, and guess what.. WE HAD!! Our eye's even had dirt in the corners.

The 4 wheelin' group dusted in dirt!!

Makin' memories for a lifetime!

If you read our blog you will know that Brock spent a week at Camp Loll in Wyoming at Scout Camp. He had a great time. I wanted to share some of the pictures his leaders brought back for us. He earned 6 merit badges and did the polar bear.. The polar bear is where you sit in a FREEZING cold water fall for a minute (you will see pictures).

He will remember this camp for the rest of his life! FUN FUN TIMES!

Sarah was here for a few days!! We love to have her come! Pictures say it all ENJOY

Our Puppies!

We are loving these puppies to death.. I will be so so sad when it's time for them to go to their new homes. We are not keeping any of them, Sam says 2 dogs are enough and I have to agree.

Summer..

Reasons I LOVE Utah summers.

• It reminds me why I should NEVER pay the extra money for leather seats in the car.. THEY SUCK AND THEY ARE HOT IN THE SUMMER AND FREEZING IN THE WINTER!
• Sam knows EXACTLY what "I" would do for a klondike bar!
• Rodeo's (we went to a rodeo last weekend at it was a BLAST)
• Carnival food!!! (and people watching.. THE BEST)
• summer camp for kids. (mom gets a week break) and at least a couple kids every year get lost and everyone in Utah watches tv till the poor little dude is found!
• I can use the excuse that its "just to hot" to cook.
• I don't have to pay for lunch money, and I can feed Brock .15 cent corn dogs!!!
• my bedtime is extended till 10:30 instead of 8:45!!
• I get third degree burns on my hands because our front door faces West!
• We get to turn our neighbors into the irrigation police because they water every other day for 12 hours and flood our lawn. (they now don't speak to us)
• mosquito bites.. wait I am quite sure it was not a mosquito but a pterodactyl.. you should see the size of them.
• boob sweat!
• and so so many more!

Our puppies are a week old!!

Wow one week GONE already. We are obviously starting to hold them more and Winnie is getting a little more relaxed with us playing with them. I think she is actually getting sick of them haha. This is so much fun having these around I cant wait until they have their eyes open and they can harass George all day. We will post another update next week and lots more pics as they get older.

Brownie (aka Dirt) and Ebony chillin out. Brownie was the 3rd born and by far the chunkiest. She almost died in my hands and Debbie had to walk away. I had to pull the lifeless body out of her breech and it took forever. A minute or two later she finally took her first breath... scary.

The 2 brothers Bokchoi and Shotgun Willie sucking away on Winnie.
Debbie named Willie that because how fast he came out. He was last born and came out like a shotgun. He is also the smallest. Taylor named Bokchoi before they were born because he was the most active...inside and out.

Our first born... Ebony is the calmest thing in the world. Never makes a peep. Debbie is now wondering if she is retarded haha.

George is sniffing his first born Ebony.... I think he is still wondering why the hell we are holding and petting these rats.

There is Brownie relaxing on Debbie's boob again... I know Brownie.. its comfortable there

Fun Weekend!

What a great weekend we had. We have some good friends up in Logan Utah and they invited us up to go camping. We had enough time for one night so we headed up. Now I say headed up but Debbie worked for 4 hours or more shopping, packing, making up the bedding so I get home from work and we headed up lol.... Debbie is so good to me isnt she??? All I did was pack a change of clothes, towel and off we went.
So Friday afternoon Bart and Cheri are already there so Jeff and Michelle get there and unload and we finally are all sitting down next to the fire telling stories. There is nothing like sitting next to a fire in the mountains.... so much fun.
So our friends have all their 4 wheelers unloaded and ready to go so about an hour before dark all of us take off on a ride. I have to tell you... I have not had that much fun in many years.. I felt like kid giggling while I am riding through the woods with Debbie on the back. We now HAVE to get some 4 wheelers... although I was really impressed with the Polaris RZR but we need a camper first hah.
Anyway... after camping a couple of times this year we have decided to get a camper next Spring and do it more often. We need to always go where Cell Phones don't work!!!!

One of the rules we learned is NEVER leave clothes behind on a camping trip. The below picture is Bart wearing Debbie's swim suit she left drying in a tree... haha... Bart is so dang funny

Being a housewife and a Mom!!!

Sometimes it feels like a thankless job.. and quite frankly I have been a TERRIBLE house wife the last 2 weeks. It was like when we got home from vacation I was officially DONE and Brock left for a weeks so I have taken a two week hiatus from COOKING... I did not grocery shop ONCE and I used the excuse that is was too hot to cook because I did not want to heat the house up.. Well I think I will try to do better the next couple weeks..

Make these they will make you and your kids Happy!!

FAT RASCALS!!

Cut a slit lengthwise in all your hot dogs, but don't cut completely through. Spread slit with mustard (or skip this if want). Stuff with a thing finger size piece of cheddar cheese. Wrap each frank with a strip of bacon, spiral fashion and "pin" on with a wood toothpick. When ready to serve, you can cook on sticks over fire, turning as the bacon gets done. Then eat them on hot dogs buns that are partially split and buttered and toasted the same way you are cooking your hot dogs.. These can also be cooked in the oven, over a grill... You can also pre make the fat rascals and cook them later that day!!

Scout Camp

The past week or so has been a little hard on Debbie. Brock joined Scouts this year and she has been planning and packing for Brock for days. Debbie is very protective of her kids... especially Brock! For her to send her boy off into the wilderness for a week with out cell service or contact of any kind for that long is putting her into fetal position on the floor.
All week long we have heard -
"What do you do if you get lost?" the answer is nothing you stay put of course
"and??" blow the whistle you bought me
"Stay with the group Brock"
"Every year a Scout gets lost somewhere you HAVE to be careful"

Thats just a few things of what we all have heard for weeks.

Then comes the weekend to pack the bags. After shopping for every detail that is needed from the Scout list (and a few other things for him) they start putting things out on the floor. Now I have packed for a week long camping trip before and a lot of us have gone to camp as a kid. I say this with all the love in my heart.... I have never seen a mom with so much detail in packing lol
There is a Monday wallet for the trip, a sealed envelope with lunch money for the trip back on Saturday so he would not spend it, then a wallet hidden somewhere in the 100 pound gym bag that the clothes are in for his spending money during the week.
EVERYTHING gets labeled and stacked appropriately for time lines. Cass helped with this labeling project.
We finally get to packing and while she was packing his clothes she went over the week several times, looked at the weather, pulled out the clothes again and said.... "ok Brock I need more room". She said she had 3 hoodies and 1 jacket..... I said "I think you can take away one hoodie for room... haha" making fun of her (it a loving manor though). She starts packing his out fits for each day in order all with matching colors and color coordination then gets to the last stack and says... "Brock we need more shirts!" I said "didn't you just put a stack of shirts in there????" She said " those were his jammy shirts that match his jammy pants" hahahaha.... ok at this time I broke loose in laughter. Don't get me wrong I love my wife dearly and support her always and during this whole time I was right along with her getting him everything he needs. But matching jammy outfits for Scout Camp?? hahaha my hell that is awesome.

The night before Brock left I told him a couple of times.... Brock... you really need to be thankful and appreciative of what your mom has done for you. Not many moms take care of their kids to the extent that Debbie does. I hope some day Brock will realize this but in the mean time.... he had a smile on his face and was the most excited I have ever seen him. He will have a great time with a life time of memories to think of.... I remember my camps as a kid and I am WAY old heh.

Debbie I love you and how you take care of your family! I have so many stories to tell about you :)

Debbie's sad' look as she is packing her boy away

Brock got a new hat for camping and big enough to put the mosquito net on

Packed and ready

the puppies are here!!

Sam and I are proud Grand parents to 4 of the cutest puppies EVER.. They are like a little melting pot of colors and personalities!!
This is kinda how our evening went... We knew that this was not going to be a fun delivery because Winnie is so tiny and we were warned.. NOT TO LEAVE her at all during labor.

Sam and I had to go to a Maverik thing at 2 in the afternoon in Salt Lake and it was obvious that something was "up" with Winnie.. So we put Cassidi on baby alert and we were home by 4 and there was no puppies.

At 8:53 p.m. The first little puppy was born.. Winnie did not take her out of her bag so we had to get her out.. We just used our fingernails to get the baby out of its bag.. The puppy came out and took a big breath and I said to Sam... THE PUPPY IS BLACK???? Yep the first puppy born is all black.. Jet Black.. and it is a girl.. We have named her Ebony!!

At 9:39 the next puppy was born.. and this puppy was breach.. We had to take it out of it's bag also and this puppy is white and brown spotted.... and is spunky.. I mean spunky... we are callin HIM, BOK CHOY... at 12:48 a.m. the third puppy was born and it was frankly TERRIBLE.. the puppy came breach and was to big to come out.. So Sam had to pull and pull and pull and the puppy was stuck in there.. So we pulled and pulled and everything was out but the head... I was sure the puppy was dead.. So when it was born we hurried and cut the umbilical cord (with thread) and Sam sat with that puppy and coaxed and coaxed it to take a breath!!! I thought it was dead and I left.. but Sam rubbed it and rubbed it and let Winnie lick HER and lick HER and Sam said to me.. Did you hear that?????? It took a big gasp of air... This puppy is all Brown.. we have been calling her brownie or dirt.....


and then 4 HOURS later
the last puppy was born... YES 4 hours.. at 4:22 a.m. a little Brown and White and Black spotted BOY was born.. We call him Willy because he came out just like a bullet so his name is officially... WILLY...

We love them and are excited to post more pictures as soon as we can!!

and we are back.

We had a great trip to Redfish. No falls, no life flight, no head injuries..

Sam and I were going to walk down to the plae of the accident but NOONE in the family wanted to go down there. We did see the place from the boat and we all said.. "look there it is.." BUT we never made the walk to the rocks.. So I think maybe we made giant leaps in our minds..

Here is a "Cassidi and crew" slide show of the trip. Sam and I forgot a camera and Cassidi was trying to be in EVERY SINGLE picture.. I think maybe we got a couple without her in it but she did a pretty good job...