Why I don't have a picture

We had promised the boys that the second we moved in we would take them camping. So this past weekend Scott and I foolishly ignored the weather forecast, packed up the van and headed down to Tinney Flats for an over nighter.

As we drove South I kept looking back at the menacing black clouds following us pretending that they weren't there. While driving up the canyon, Scott wacked his forehead with his hand and declared that he had forgotten to pack the propane.

Strike 1

That is not good news considering that our entire breakfast of bacon, sausage, hashbrowns and pancakes had to be cooked on our campchef stove. Have I mentioned that our entire goal when we camp is to consume as much junk food as we possibly can cram down our throats and not feel the least bit guilty about it? It's true. That is why we camp. We decide that we will just have to make a quick trip to the store in Nephi to pick up some propane after we set up camp.

We continue on to our campsite trying to ignore the rain that is making its way down the windshield. The black storm clouds had caught up with us and decided to take the lead. Once we arrive we find that mother nature had left us a fire pit full of water and a table and bench that are sopping wet as well. After about a 2 minute deliberation Scott and I decide to continue on around Mt. Nebo loop and head on over to Ponderosa campground to see if by some miraculous chance the rain didn't make it over there.

We arrive at Ponderosa and find a relatively dry campsite. But keeping an eye on the sky Scott hurries and starts a fire so we can cook our tinfoil dinners. Another camping tradition of the Kimballs. While Scott is busy with the fire, I find that Chase has leaked through his clothes and needs a change. I rifle through his bag and find a diaper. It then occurs to me that I forgot to pack the wipes.

Strike Two.

I find some old wipes in the glove compartment that are about as dry as a paper towel, but I use them anyways. I then open the back of the van and pull out the pack n play to set up for Chasey. It was at the bottom of the van so I had to move the sleeping bags to get to it. I start counting bags.

"Scott, how many sleeping bags did you pack?" 4. "How many people do we have?" 6.

Strike Three.

As Scott puts the tinfoil dinners on the fire another thought occurred to me. I forgot to pack the ketchup. Wait! How can you eat tinfoil dinners and hashbrowns without ketchup. That is just unheard of and wrong. Wait a minute! I forgot the hashbrowns too!

Strike Four and Five.

The tinfoil dinners are cooking away and mother nature decides to make another appearance. It starts to sprinkle a little bit. Then a little bit more. And a little bit more. We throw the pack n play back in the van and Chasey and I sit in the front seat and watch the rest of the family enjoy the rain. Have I told you how much I love to camp?

Then it starts to pour. And pour and pour. Now everyone gets into the van and we watch our tinfoil dinners desperately try and cook in a fire that is being smothered. Mother Nature must have her way.

After about 15 minutes of downpour Scott dashes out of the van grabs one dinner and races back. He opens it up and miracle of all miracles it was cooked! So for the next ten minutes Scott races out grabs one from the fire, opens it up then gives it to me to cut up and pass back to the boys. We all eat tinfoil dinners, minus the ketchup in our van while the rain is pouring.

I see the humor in this predicament and decide to take a picture of the 3 boys sitting in the back of the van with tinfoil dinners on their laps. I grab my camera bag, pull out my camera, turn it on and see those 3 terrible words.

No memory card.

Strike 6.

Bennett couldn't have said it better. "This is like the worse camping trip ever." I couldn't agree more.

We went home.

The first bung

We knew it wouldn't take long. Two whole days to be exact before our house started to feel more like a home.



Taylor was the first to put a hole in the wall and a decent one at that. He had just wiped the floor with a wet washcloth and then went running into the laundry room to get my cell phone. He slipped, fell and his knee whacked the corner - hard.

Owen has also been busy marking his territory.



See these pots? Just a few days ago they were full of beautiful, plentiful, healthy petunias. Owen decided they looked "melty", ripped them all out and then to top it off, dumped all the potting soil out as well. Do you give me permission to yell at him and stick him in his bedroom for a long time? Good. Because I did that.

Bennett is the only one that has been smart enough to lay low for awhile and let his brothers do the damage. He's thinking.

Our new digs

Maybe when I get rid of all the boxes I will post pix of the inside. For now, all I have is the beautiful front door.




Oh, and in case you didn't get my e-mail here is our new phone and address:

10458 Iverson Lane
Highland, Utah
84003

Phone:

home - 801-216-4371
tiera cell - 801-722-4122
scott cell - 801-979-2862

A moving buddy!

I didn't do this consciously, but in all my packing I managed to get Buzz, Woody, a remote control car (RC) and a dinosaur (Rex) in the same box. The remote control car is right underneath Buzz. The tiger on the right was just lucky enough to join these celebrities. All I am missing is Mr. Potato Head. I looked at this assortment and these words popped right into my head.

Straight from Toy Story

Okay, first item today:

uh, oh, yeah--
has everyone picked
a moving buddy?

- What?
- Moving buddy?
You can't be serious.

Well, I didn't know we were
supposed to have one already.

- Do we have to hold hands?
- Oh, yeah. You guys think
this is a big joke.

We've only got one week left
before the move. I don't want
any toys left behind.

A moving buddy.
If you don't have one,
get one!


I will return when I am up and running in our new digs.

And we have a winner!

The other day I was perusing The Pioneer Woman and came across this recipe for Chicken Tikka Masala. I love Indian Food, but I have never attempted to make it myself. I even have a cookbook that I have never cracked open. It all seems so mysterious and...and different. But I read the recipe, looked at her pictures and thought I can make that. And so I did. I even had to go to a special store to pick up the mysterious ingredient but it was so worth it! Now I won't go as far as saying it was as good as Bombay House, but it was SOOO good! If you like Indian food, or if you are in the mood to try something different make this recipe.

Anyone who likes Indian food also knows that you can't eat it without Naan (bread). Since I had already put in enough time on the chicken I opted for an easier recipe. I cooked tortillas that you buy at Costco, brushed some butter on top and then sprinkled them with some garlic powder. It worked great!

I knew I would like it, but I also knew for certain that my boys would not touch it with a ten foot pole. It had tomatoes, green thingies, yellow rice and peas! All things they moan and groan and complain about when they spot them in my casseroles. Gross! But I served it to them, explained how to eat it and then crossed my fingers that I wouldn't have to send them all to time out for whining. But to my absolute astonishment every single one of them tried it without complaining and liked it.. a lot!



Taylor said that it was very good. "Not like pizza good, but good." How can I ever compete with pizza? He did decide to eat it like pizza though.

Bennett said that it was the best meal ever and he has requested leftovers for lunch!

I am so excited! I will definitely add this to my list of meals!

One of those days

The last few days have been rough. I guess you could say Friday was the last straw. It seems like the past little while there has been a lot more bickering, fighting and whining around here. That, combined with the fact that Scott has been busy every evening this week, has left me with very few breaks from the kids. It is a bad combination.

It started with Taylor getting upset about Bennett and Owen going into his room. The please was added as a nice after thought don't you think?


Followed by Bennett getting upset about Taylor going into his room. He was nice enough to add threats to his sign with a lovely picture as well.


And then this. The very, very last straw. Nesquik dumped out from head to toe.


I cleaned up the mess, called up my babysitter and told her I would pay her a million dollars to come watch my kids.

She agreed and I left for a few hours with Chasey not knowing exactly what I was going to do. Just that it would involve only 1 child and hopefully less whining and crying.

I roamed around, went to visit my new nephew and eventually ended up with this delightful turkey, bacon and avocado sandwich from Kneaders. Doesn't food always help when you need a break?



My lesson here is that I need to do this more often before I get to the last straw.

What I found in my house today

I don't consider myself overly squeamish when it comes to small uninvited guests that sneak into my house. I have seen a mouse or two, some wasps and the standard variety of bugs that everyone finds. But today I found something different. Something that I have never seen before.


This




Look closely if you dare. Actually it looks kind of gross to me. It's a snake skin.

Since we live right next to the water, we have many garden snakes in our yard. In fact we have a few that live right under our porch who enjoy sunning themselves on my steps from time to time. I'm o.k. with that. I don't love snakes, but I'm not deathly afraid of them either.

But when I find evidence of them in my house. That is a whole other ballgame.

This is what goes through my head for the next 2 hours.
Please don't tell me I have a snake living in my house.
How long has this been here?
Am I going to find the owner of this skin?
And if so is he going to be alive or dead?
How did he get in?
How did he get out?
Did he actually leave or has he set up camp somewhere?
Did the boys bring him?

I asked Taylor if he knew anything about it. He didn't.
Owen is known for telling the truth about half the time so his answer was worthless.
That leaves Bennett who is at a friend's house.

I go back over to the place where I found the skin. I look carefully. I find another piece a few feet away. And another down the vent. What if it is living in the vent? I don't like this one bit.

Finally Bennett comes home and I ask him if he knows anything about this snake skin. Yes he does know something about it. Yes it was Abby down the street who brought it into the house. Abby is Owen's other younger girlfriend also known as "french fry." He likes to keep his options open, that kid does.

I remember her coming into the house, but for the life of me I can't remember her bringing in snake skin. This is just preparation for me. I can see it all now. One day instead of one of my boy's girlfriends just bringing in snake skin they will be wearing it. Good grief.