HAPPY BIRTHDAY TAYLOR

Happy Birthday Taylor.....You might be 17 years old today. You might be over 6 foot tall. You might be over 200 pounds. But you will always be my baby.
You were the cutest little guy.
Stacy and Mindy and Casey were happy to have a new baby brother.
When you were learning to talk your first word wasn't mom or dad, it was truck.
You would play trucks all....the ....time.
When you were four we were putting in our back yard.
We had ordered a load of top soil.
After the dump truck had dropped the load of dirt in the yard, you and me went out there in our bare feet and stepped in that nice cool dirt.
You thought that I had got that dirt just for you.
You threw your arms around my neck, looked me in the eye and said "you are a good woman!" That was so funny.
So Dad and I got you your own load of dirt for your birthday. It was the best birthday present ever.
You would spend hours and hours in that dirt pile.

We would go to Wilco Farm Store and get a tub of grass seed.

Then all summer you would plow your fields, plant your crop of grass and wait for it to grow.
After it came up you would work your dirt again with your equipment and till up the grass and start over.

You were the best customer at the John Deere store. Instead of Ninja Turtles like Casey had, you had farm equipment. I think you have at least one of everything they make.
We had lots of ballgames to go to for Stacy and Mindy and Casey. You didn't mind. You took your toolbox full of trucks and tractors with you. There was always dirt that needed played in.

Dad took you to an equipment auction when you were about 4 or 5. He said that you climbed on every backhoe, cat and excavator there.You begged him to buy one.
You just had a thing for equipment.
When you were 7 or 8 your favorite thing to do was to have Dad take you to Circle K on Thursday after 4pm. That is when the "truck trader" and the "equipment trader" magazine would come out.
Dad would buy two. One for him and one for you.
Both of you would sit and look at them for hours.
You would have a highlighter pen and you would mark the ones that you thought we needed.
I remember a few times that you would even call the phone number, get the guy on the phone and then hand it to Dad and say, "here Dad, this guy wants to talk to you."

You were good at convincing Dad that we NEEDED that.

You talked Dad into a backhoe when you were 7.

He brought it home and told you to get on it.
He told you to practice digging a hole and then fill it back in. So you did, over and over again.
It was funny to see this little kid running equipment, but you were good at it.
We should have named you "Shadow" because you were always right beside Dad.

What he did, you did.
What he ate, you ate. (except tomatoes and jalepenos)

He would be so proud of you Taylor.
You don't let anyone influence you into how to act or what to wear.
You are who you are.
You could be a model for Carhart clothes and Romoe shoes.

I had to tell you that you should really wear something nicer than a plaid flannel shirt and old romeo shoes to Homecoming Dance with Brandi.
So when we went shopping you got a new shirt, black wranglers and new romeo shoes. No tie for this kid. Like I said you are who you are.
I could tell Taylor stories all day long. But I really just wanted to say happy birthday.
Thanks for being a great kid.

Don't ever change. I love you just the way you are. Love Mom

Memorial Day Weekend

We had a really busy weekend. On Thursday morning Stacy and I and the little ones loaded up and headed south to a funeral. It was a five hour drive with these guys. That is a long time for them to sit and be good. For some reason it looks like Connor is up to something. I think he took Kenzi's Polly Pockets and hid them.
The rest of the crew will be coming on Friday after work.

We got up early Friday morning and we went with Grandpa and Pink Grandma to town. There is a pretty park that has a memorial set up for veterans. We wanted to find my dad's brick with his name on it. They also had 1500 flags on display. It was really cool.

I wanted to get a picture of Great Grandpa and the brats.

First they had to wrestle. Like I said, it had been a long trip and they needed to burn off some stored up energy.


There, just set there and be cute.

We left there and took Uncle Tom a soda where he was stacking logs.

When we got back home we went to Great great Grandma's house. We took her dinner. While her and Kenzi ate, we mowed her lawn and trimmed the edges.

On Saturday we had our "white trash bbq".

Some dressed up.
Some didn't.

This is what Louis looked like when he saw his bride.


"Just kiddin' hunny, you're hot!!"

Grandpa and Pink Grandma were too cute.
Next day we hiked,

looked cute
ate some more,
rode horses and looked at new baby colts.

rode golf carts,

and go carts.


We rode rangers.
We looked at Billi's stinking cute yard.


And we took naps.

Monday we headed home.
We stopped to look a new baby elk at a friends elk ranch. This one was one day old. There was one just an hour old. Too cute.

Then back in the pickup for the trip over the mountian.

We were PLUM TUCKERED OUT!!!




Home is where my heart says Aaahhhhh!!

Fixing up the yard

I was asked a few months ago if I would like to be on the "Garden Tour" for a fundraiser that they do each year in town. At the time I was so excited and honored to be asked.










Of course I said yes. I thought that it would give me motivation to get a lot of things done that I have been putting off.








At first I couldn't quit thinking about things that I wanted to do, flowers that I wanted to plant and the ideas kept popping in my head.









I knew that I had 6 months or more to get these things done. Well, that was before the wind storm that took out 17 big fir trees.



That was before one of our employees came to help clean up in the yard after the storm and cut down all the lilac trees, the snowball bush and all the spirea. That was before the poa grass started taking over my yard. But you know what, it will be just fine. I have been busy planting and fertilizing, raking and hoeing. I have been cleaning and rearranging and things are starting to look pretty good. I still have lots to do and the ideas keep popping in my head. The boys might be glad when I get the rocks where I want them. They have made me planter boxes and bean trellis's. They have spread compost and bark and trimmed trees. I have fertilized the yard and now I mow it 3 times a week. (but I love to mow so that's ok) I have added a few different pieces of yard art around the house. But my favorite yard decorations are these:

I will show you more pictures soon. I really should go. The grass needs mowed. Have a great day.

Happy Birthday Daddy

Today , May 15, my Dad turns 75. I know he isn't exactly excited about it. If you could be what ever age you wanted to be, what age would you choose? When I was little I remember thinking that 75 was really old, not any more. I also remember when I was a little girl he told me this. He said that when I was born he was 25 times as old as I was. But when I was 25, he was only twice as old as I was. He said that if we lived long enough that I would catch up with him. Well today he is 75 and I'm still trying to see if that really works. Have a great day Daddy. I love you to the moon and back again.

Boys brains

If you read the 10 things that each of my kids wrote to me for Mothers Day you can see how cool that I think they are. Its easy being a mom when you have cool kids. If you go to Stacy's list and go to number 8, I can explain. Back when the girls were in high school, one of the girls had a nice, handsome boyfriend that broke her heart. He was a jerk and it made me mad. So I was thinking about it one day and decided to write her this letter. This is how it went:

This is a story about boys and girls. You see, all your life you have believed that boys and girls were created the same except for, well you know. But what you didn't know was there is something else different about boys. God gave them two brains instead of just one like us girls. Their second brain is a very small but powerful brain. It is so small that He put it in their.... #$*&$ . They can only use one brain at a time. So, when their big brain (the one in their head) isn't working properly, it's probably because their little brain is. They don't even grow this brain until they are around 13 years old. Then they finially discover this brain and they are always trying to use it. But, you see, the one brain that He gave girls is SO much smarter than either brain that He gave boys, that we don't act so stupid. We use OUR brains to tell us what is right and what is wrong. Sometimes when we fall in love we can get hurt unless we understand this whole brain thing. Some girls don't have very big brains either. They are usually ugly girls. I think God didn't want to waste alot of brains on ugly girls. Those are the girls who usually help the boys when their little brains want to take over for their big brains. So, sometimes us pretty girls with big brains get hurt because ugly girls with little brains do things with our boyfriends when they let their little brains take over. I'm not sure if they know how to controll their little brains sometimes. And I promise you, there will always come a time when you are with a boy that his little brain will start acting up. And when this happens, his other brain has to shut down temporarily. But when he gets his big brain back to work he usually is feeling really bad about what happened and he will try to make it up to you. I hope this helps you understand a little better about boys. They are so cute sometimes but so stupid other times. It usually has something to do with what brain is in charge. Try to be patient with them. Some boys are worth it and some aren't. Don't let any boy mess with your brain. They usually can't even controll their own brains. Love Mom

Happy Mothers Day

I am a visual person. What I mean is that I can understand something much better if I can see it. Oh sure, I can read a book and learn...but if you try to explain something to me it is much better to see what you mean if you show me. I like to steal ideas all the time for my yard and my house by going to garden shows or looking in magazines. Some of the best things I learn are from watching people. With Mothers Day here I think of how blessed I am to have such awesome examples every day, my mom, my mother-in-law, my grandma, aunts, daughters and sister, sister-in-laws and friends. They are all perfect role models for me to copy. My mom has given me nearly 49 years of lessons of how to be a loving mother. She taught me how to treat people, took me to church, gave me advise and showed me that family is the most important thing. My mother-in-law has blessed me with 30 years of unconditional love. She has never judged me or made me feel like I was anything less than wonderful. My Grandma has got to be the greatest Grandma ever. She is 93 years old, lives by herself, goes to church and watches the Mariners every game. She has the cutest sense of humor and unending love for her family. I have lots of aunts that are the kind of people that I want to be like. They also know how important family is. My sister is such a giving person, there isn't anything she wouldn't do for anyone. I feel so lucky to have the sister-in-laws that I have. It is like wining the lottery with each one of them. I AM A LUCKY GIRL. I also have the best friends that a girl could ever want. They are always there for me. We laugh together. We cry together. I don't know what I would do without them. I have two daughters, one that is a mom and one that will be a mom some day. I pray every day that I can be the best example for them. I also pray that my boys will always need their mom. I know that God hears me and I know that He will continue to bless me with the best examples so that I can SEE and BE the mom that I want to be. If you are a mom or have a mom, I hope you are surrounded by love today. Happy Mothers Day!!

10 Things We Love About You

For Mother's Day this year...we decided to sneak on to our MOM's BLOG (hehe) & make a blog about her. So...all of My Grandkids Rock's children made a list of 10 Things We Love About Her!



Taylor says he Loves...
1. When she makes breakfast, lunch and dinner.
2. She helps me with everything
3. She cares about everyone
4. When she goes somewhere she asks if you want to go
5. How she keeps everything clean and organized and trys to get us to do the same.
6. How shes not like girly, she likes to do guy stuff too.
7. She knows how to run the backhoe and bobcat.
8. when she does the laundry for me.
9. when she getson the treadmill with me
10. how much she loves everyone.

Casey says he Loves her Because...
1. She has never made herself the priority. She has always made sacrafices to put all the kids first, never missing a game or anything.
2. She won't sugarcoat things just to make you feel better. She looks out for your own good by giving you straight advice.
3. No matter where you eat, if someone asks how you like the food you can always honestly say "Moms is better."
4. She is the epitome of toughness, going through many tough things and never losing touch with her faith.
5. That she keeps the ugly things you make her as a kid in wood shop ans swears she likes them.
6. She always has ways to make family gatherings fun.
7. She invented White Trash Weekend and made it so everyone could do a project while there to make work fun.
8. She is the Best Garage Sale partner and knows all the cool off the path places to go.
9. The countless times she has dropped what she was doing to bring socks or slidding shorts to a baseball bus waiting on one kid.
10. Because there is no other Perfect Counterpart for Dad.

Stacy says she Loves her Because...
1.She knows every fun place to go and every fun thing to do. Estate sales, auctions, plant sales, junk stores, kids days. Everyone loves her for that.
2. When we were in highschool she made the best lunches that all the kids wanted like french dips or she would go to Silverton and bring us burritos from the Taco stand.
3. For four years before every softball game she would bring us bitesized pieces of bbq chicken because we told her Wade Boggs said there was hits in Chicken.
4. She makes the best Sunday dinners. Everyone plans there weekend so that we don't miss dinner at Mom's. Its that good.
5. There is nothing fake about her (except her nails and tan) She doesn't have to put on a show for anyone.
6. Even if I make fun of her for buying another bucket, bench or jar, they all get put to good use. But you might think she is crazy if you knew how many she had.
7. If what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, Mom is the strongest person I know. What she does and what she has done takes a lot of courage and faith.
8. Her analogies are really good and you would know this if you ever read her story about boys having two brains.
9. She loves her family and its obvious. She doesn't even have to say to see it and feel it.
10. She does everything for everyone. How is there ever enough time??? Geeez. I want to be like her.

Mindy says...
1. I love that you are like a Mother Hen & always want your chickies around. (We love being your chickies)
2. I love that as the years go by I realize that I am more & more like you. (I vaccuum @ midnight, can't sleep if the dishes aren't done) But aside from our cleaning OCD, it's our looks too. Come On! We could be sister's! And I loooove that!
3. I love that every sale, cute lil shop or anywhere you go...you always find me a treasure or bring me a prize! Even if I am 25, I still love the prizes.
4. You know how to make anyone feel good. It's about the small things you do that make huge impacts on people.
5. You may throw like a girl, but your the toughest girl I know!! And as we battle through this life together, I'm sure glad your on my team!
6. You are so thoughtful, generous and fun, honest and quite whitty.
7. You're like one of my Girlfriends! When it comes to anything where I need your opinion, you know how to word it just right. Ialways know my Mama's Got My Back!
8. You would write notes in our lunches and on homecoming week, you wrote in sparkles..."Princess" on my sack lunch! That was awesome! Alot of my friends knew you for your sandwhiches.
9. I love that it doesn't take fancy things to make you happy. It's really just about family and the simple things!
10. I love You because you met Dad & Dad met you! And that you fell in Love. Because Love last forever and Families will always stay together!

Louis (Mindy's husband) wanted to do it too...
He says he Loves her...
1. Because you make enough food, not only for Taylor, but me too.
2. Because when you laugh I laugh, when you smile, I smile and when you cry, I cry...I always want to give you a hug. You just have that effect on people and we all love that.
3. Because even though I am just an in-law, you make me feel like your own. I'm never frowning at Pam's.
4. Because you are you and I wouldn't ask for anything more...well, maybe another peice of bacon.
5. Because family is your priority & I always feel like part of the family b/c of you.
6. Because your an inspiration to all of us.
7. Because you raised the greatest kids, friends and family.
8. Because for some reason you understand me...(you might wanna get that checked out)
9. Because you agree with me on Mindy's, well let's just call it a valve adjustment on her rear.
10. Because if I wanted to you would let me call you, Mom. But I still think, "Pamalicious" is way cooler!


Happy Mother's Day Mom!

You are the Best and We all LOVE YOOOOU!!!!