Calderberry & Co.

Who let this happen?

2011-05-02T00:49:00.001-06:00

What happened to my baby?

Who said he could grow up?

Has it really been 18 years?

At least they picked a good, no, GREAT speaker!

This past Saturday Kayden Ned Calder received his Associate degree from Utah State University in Roosevelt, UT. We couldn't be prouder of him. Way to go, son!

And you thought my LAST post was gross...

2011-01-30T22:13:00.000-07:00

If you remember, last year was not the most graceful year of my life... I kept saying "this is not my year, things will get better in 2011." Well, knock on wood - no injuries to me so far. And we are, let's see - 30 days into the year. On a roll, right? This last week, "someone" in our family had a little mishap - and I am so happy to pass the bubblewrap on to the new recipient! Before scrolling down, see if you can identify the victim:

I will give you one clue, which you may have already guessed: it is not..... NED! A little too much hair for him! Ha, ha - good thing he doesn't know how to get to this blog!

Guessed yet?

Here is the victim sporting three metal staples - talk about gross! Too mechanical for me!

If you haven't guessed by now, the lucky dog is:

Yup, my BBALL boy, Kayden. Had a game Friday night against Manila and just before half, he went for a basket and got called for a charge. He was a "lil" ticked and started back down the floor when he put his hand up in his hair and his buddy exclaimed "Dude, you are bleeding". The kid had hit him on the top of his head with his elbow. Due to it being a head wound and him having his heart beating pretty good, it bled fast and hard. We went to the locker room and our good friend, Kam J. told me to take hair from both sides of the laceration and braid it as tight as I could. Kayd wanted to fist me, but put up with it. We got a little rubber band, put on the end of it, cleaned him up, and made it back out for the third quarter. NOTE: Do not tick Kayden off... he came back with a vengeance and scored 20 points in the third quarter, then sat out the fourth. Had another game last night and all was good. If you want to see the blood and guts in action, go to Mysportsguys.com, find the Rich vs. Manila boys game, and go to about 58 minutes on the slider/timer bar.

And since this post is on the 30th, I think I will count it for my February post! Happy day!!!

2 posts in less than 24 hours - beat that!

2011-01-11T22:54:00.001-07:00

No comment on this photo - pretty self-explanatory...

i love my family!!!

This One's for YOU, Lar!

2011-01-11T00:05:00.000-07:00

Lar has been bugging me cuz I have not blogged in such a long time (what's a couple of months?) so I promised her the other night I would blog SOMETHING, and never did. So this one is for her - and you, too! I have never tried to download a video so we shall see what happens. But let me say....

W*A*R*N*I*N*G!!!!
This video is not for the faint of heart, so
Proceed at your own risk! And don't say I didn't warn you!!!

So... what do you think of "GUS?" He and his brother "WILD BILL" were gifts for Kamren for Christmas. To me, they are rodents. By definition, they are gerbils. They eat two toilet paper rolls a day - not for food, but they chew it up for extra bedding. They sleep most of the day and LOVE to play at night. I recommend that each of you run right out and buy at least TWO of these furry little creatures for your children... :0) PS: guess I should explain... they are rather shy and don't like to be held so we capture them and put them in the bathtub since it is too slick for them to climb out of. Then Kam climbs in and plays with them to try and get them used to him.

I know, I know, Winner of Worlds Worest Blogger...

2010-11-02T09:49:00.003-06:00

Man, how do you keep up with life? I just seem to get farther and farther behind... Homecoming week was fantabulish! Never had so much fun. Shan has had an awesome vball season, which came to an end this last weekend. They took third which, for Rich, is like kissing your sister. She gets my vote for most improved player of the year - LOVE YA GIRLIE! Got a wicked sprained ankle in the semi-final match, but PT says she will live. Kayd is having an unbelievable fball season - this next weekend is semi finals down at Snow College then the next weekend (Nov. 13) is finals down at Cedar. I expect ALL to be there to cheer us on. Actually, we are trying to move it to a closer venue, but no news yet. Halloween was ok - not my fav holiday. Here's a few pics - enjoy!

Kam and his football team - These two are his favorite "big boys". He knows how to choose his friends wisely!

Kayden running for his life!

Kam and Company for Halloween.

What can I say?

My Little Mario!

Don't be thinkin' it was National NED day... That is Kayds nick name to everyone except us.

Ta da! The finished product(s)!

Tierneys Vball team made it to State for the first time ever! Way to go, Wendover~

Absolutely LOVE this pic. Shani is serving the ball but it looks like Kayden has taken it right out of mid-air. The big TEASE!!

Shani on the homecoming float "A season to remember"

Homecoming royalty at half time.

Kayden stretching it out for a touchdown during homecoming game vs. Layton Christian.

King Kayden talking at homecoming assembly.

Senior day at final home football game. What? Kayd is a senior?

That's my GIRLIE going up for a block against Morgan, the #1 team in the STATE! They beat us 3-1. That's all for now - HAVE A GREAT DAY!!!

What a FUN week this is going to be!!!

2010-10-18T11:45:00.000-06:00

Wow!

2010-10-06T16:54:00.000-06:00

Does this look like early Halloween or what? I know, I should be in heaven, but let me explain... As most of you know, a dear friend passed away about a month ago from a year-long battle with cancer. Her passing really threw our little community for a loop. She was just a little older than me... Last night, another dear friend passed away. Suddenly, without notice, a blood clot took her away. One of the sweetest ladies ever... Father in Heaven called another rose back home to his own garden. I am so happy for her - she was one of those who earned her "Golden Passport to Heaven" a long, long time ago and there is no doubt Heavenly Father greeted her with open arms. But what about poor Howard, her husband? I have just sobbed all day for him... They, too, are just a little older than us. He is the Bishop in the other ward. He did most of Jesses' priesthood ordinances for us. But how do these men carry on? I just don't get it...

So - is it easier to know death is coming, or to have it happen suddenly? Are we living each day like it is our last? Have we earned our "Golden Passport" yet? Should we be doing more? Or less? Are we serving others, or our selves? Do we stop to view the sunrise on the way to the bus stop, or cuss the kids for some dumb, little thing that really doesn't matter in the end... Do we eat the raw cookie dough, or make the kids wait until the cookies are cooked? Do we wave at people who aren't "in our circle" or just hurry on by? Can you tell I have had a rough day? Do you let the new puppy stay in the house when she slides in between your feet or kick her back outside? Do the kids HAVE to finish their vegetables? Are we living for the moment, cuz it just might be the LAST one we, or a loved one, might have. UGH!

Back to the chocolate... I have sat here all day writing the program for our Primary program... Got so frustrated I texted a friend and said "I need chocolate" she replied "where and when" I said "JK- still haven't showered, in pjs, teeth are unbrushed, just sayin..." and she was here in 10 minutes with this buttload of chocolate. Our friend who passed away last night had surgery on her foot the same day Kam had his appx. out. The "chocolate fairy" had bought flowers for the surgery friend, but didn't get time to deliver them up to her house... She said she is never going to miss an opportunity to visit a friend again... Lucky me! So... Just sayin'... Hug every one you see tonight; and tomorrow; and the next day... Cuz you never know when you will lose them...

Too Funny...

2010-09-20T17:36:00.000-06:00

I soooooooo don't have time for this but couldn't resist... Working over-time on a graphic project that was supposed to be done Saturday and I HAVE to finish it tonight. But took a break to start dinner and ran down to the garden to dig up potatoes. I was surprised the zuccini was still going strong. So I decided to share with you, my friends, a picture of my findings:

I know, I know, nothing spectacular... Just a red potato and a zuccini that is a little on the large size but not bad. But to put it all in perspective, let's add one more item for comparison... Say, a baseball!

Now you tell me - is that the biggest honkin' potato you have ever seen? Mom would be so proud! I think you could easily feed a family of 6 off of it. And remember how we used to make cucumber boats out of mom's cucumbers when they got too big and seedy to eat? I'm tellin' ya, if I was to clean this baby out and make a cruiser out of it, it would make the Titanic look minute! Okay, back to work... hope you got a smile out of this post - remember, LIFE IS GOOD!

Whew...

2010-09-15T00:55:00.000-06:00

Little overwhelmed tonight - Don't know why. Must be PMS... Have been working on a graphic project for 50 hours straight and still have at least another day to go. I love doing it, but sitting at the 'puter non-stop gets old in a hurry. Hats off to you transcriptionists! Maybe it has to do with being a mother... I have three kids at home...

Each obviously with their own personalities. And I love each of them for so many different reasons. And am proud of them for their own individual accomplishments. Maybe we are just pushing our selves over the limit. For example: yesterday - kids wake up at 6:15 and the older two are out the door at 6:55 and the little guy at 7:20 a.m. Older kids stay at school for athletics and little guy hops the bus and rides to the high school so he, too, can practice. All three had rather frustrating practices (2,200 double jumps - are you kidding me? You will have to ask her to explain what a double jump is). Then the big guy goes to watch last weeks' game film while the younger two come home - at 7:00 p.m. Now THAT is a long day... Kayd doesn't get home until 8:15 - and did I happen to mention it was his birthday? So dinner didn't even get served until 8:30. Then homework, showers, and off to bed - much too late. Wake up today, and do it all over again... Whew. Only difference, Tuesday is YM YW and Scouts after practice... And the G6 got a flat on the way home last night (vehicle #1 down) so Shan had to take mine to school early to finish double jumps (vehicle #2 gone) and Ned went up to check a job in Bridgerland and threw a tire rod on the truck (vehicle #3 down and out) so that left me with the backhoe, the 4-wheeler, or the alpacas... Good thing I was tied to the 'puter! No wonder the emotions were flyin' high tonight - Had all three with, shall we say, their emotions on their shirt sleeves (and my shoulder)... What is a mother to do? Just blog I guess and wait to see what the next day brings... And last but not least, when I started this blog I glanced at the clock and it was 11:11 - my moms magic time. Hard to cry on your own shoulder...

But, when all is said and done... I wouldn't trade motherhood for anything in the world. Only thing I regret is not having 10 more kids! Jess and Tier - love you, too. Life Is Good...

Now look what followed me home!

2010-09-07T18:16:00.000-06:00

Remember - I do turn 50 this year. So I am due for a mid-life crisis, right? Most people do something crazy like buy a new car, a new boat, etc... Not me - I never have been very "normal", now have I? Apparently, to satisfy my hunger, I must surround myself with animals. Lil Lady, my new golden retriever, is all I could have dreamed of and much more. She is fitting in just fine. But what was I supposed to say when a friend here in town stopped in and said that he had decided to get rid of his...

A L P A C A S !!!

Are they the cutest things or what??? They are both male, and one is about 2 and one is about 3 years old. The previous owner never bothered to name them so here we go: NAME TAMS' ALPACAS! The contest will be open for, lets say... One week. Show the pics to your kids so they can join in the fun, too!

This guy will be exhibit #1

And this one will be exhibit #2.

Yes, I did mention to him that he had a little something hanging from his upper gum, but I think he was using it as a tooth pick maybe...

I will start the fun out with saying #1 is "SALT" and #2 is "PEPPER" - quite original don't you think? Don't delay in getting your names submitted - there is the possibility of quite a grand prize going to the winner! Love ya!!!

Life and Times of the Calders...

2010-08-29T23:49:00.000-06:00

Wow! Where did summer go? This has to have been the quickest summer of our lives... Really shows how much we need to live for the minute and appreciate each new day for what it is - because tomorrow, today will be yesterday! Pretty profound, huh? So I will try and wrap up the last month all in one post:

Newest member of our family: "LADY" Got her this last week in a wonderful little town called Hooper. She is everything we could have dreamed for. Her mom looks a lot like Cheyenne. Let the puppy days begin!

Everyone was excited for school to start - which is a good thing, right? I wondered about Kam making it a full day since he was only 6 days post-surgery, but he was a trooper. Football practice starts on Tuesday and he can work out but just not hit (or get hit?...) for a couple of weeks. He is PSYCHED!

Shani is just my girly-girl. She had a really fun time working at the "Berry Bowl" this summer. It is a new yogurt joint here in town this year. It taught her great people skills and responsibility. Needless to say, she was a life-saver in the raspberries. Hers is a "dumb" job, but hey - somebody has to do it. Her dad has a new appreciation for her since he has had to be the "patch master" the last couple of weeks. Volleyball started this last weekend with a tourney up in Cokeville. She is starting varsity as an opposite. I love this girl!

And then there was Kayden...
Worked all summer at the golf course perfecting not only his game, but his tan. Helped us when he could in the raspberries... Worked hard at conditioning and weight lifting. We will see if it pays off... Played his first football game of the season last Friday at Mt. View, WY. Got a win but had lots of injuries on the team. He is the most "fashion-conscious" boy I have ever seen. School shopping was a hoot with him. Had to make sure his shoes matched his shirt which had to go good with his levis... Kinda like him, too!

Let's hope September is as fun as August has been.

And Then...

2010-08-23T23:29:00.000-06:00

Talking to Lar on the phone tonite and she cussed me for not updating on Kams condition so I better get on it!!! Mondays appointment confirmed appendix troubles so Tuesday it was surgically removed and we came home Wednesday around noon. He was a real trooper through all of it. Dr. Anderson (what a fun guy!) was suspicious of some other condition (Meckles Div something or other - check with the translady) besides the stone in the appendix would just continue to cause problems and part of it was enlarged so WHAM BAM THANK YOU MAME and it was out. I am totally convinced his episode in Boise last summer was the same thing so hopefully this will solve a lot of questions - and he can eat all the red licorice he wants! The first couple of days were a little rough - then he snapped right out of it and felt great. Went to church sunday and did fine so went to school today. Yeah right - an elementary student missing the first day of school??? Not happenin'. And again he did great. He sure has been through a lot for a little guy! I was a mean mommy and took videos of him coming out of the anesthesia and they are HILARIOUS!!! But I havent figured out how to get them from my phone to the blog so stay tuned for that, too!

Messin around BEFORE surgery - listening to tunes with his buddy, Blackie.

AFTER surgery... Not quite so chipper... But Blackie is still hangin' in there.

Walkin' the halls...

Tryin' to catch a lil shut eye... Glad SOMEONE did!

Is it just me, or do you think they got a little wild with the iodine? Hope they don't charge by the ounce!

Thanks for experiencing this experience with us... And thanks for all the phone calls, visits, texts, etc. They all meant a lot to Kam and me, too!

Todays vocabulary word is...

2010-08-11T22:18:00.000-06:00

I N T U S S U S C E P T I O N: "...When one part of the bowel folds "inside-out". One part of the bowel encompasses another part like a telescope. Solved by applying one mega-sized barium enema to the "affected area". Does not make an 11-year old very happy...

Before...

After !

Amazing what a little pain medicine can do for a kid!!! Threw up a few times during the night and then started screaming randomly when pain would come. Called doc and went to clinic and diagnosed it as appendicitis. Went to LRH and after an ultrasound, they decided it was that lovely word intussusception. Option was to try enema and see if the pressure of it would unfold the inside-out area. As uncomfortable as it was, it worked. Chance it will happen again in the next few days and if so, they operate and remove the bad part of the intestine. BUT... that is not all. Although the appendix was only slightly enlarged, there is a round, hard thing in it. Like a stone I guess. So have to go see a specialist on Monday to decide what direction to go with that one... Stay tuned!!! (Never a dull moment, is there mothers...)

And may I please give one great big THANKS to Trish Wallentine and her kids for filling in at the raspberry stand... That's what friends are for!

the BUBBLE WRAP Lady

2010-07-24T00:01:00.000-06:00

Okay, go grab an ice cold lemonade, pull up a chair, and let's chat... Once again, it has been a while since I have posted... I guess my life is just B O R I N G! Oh, I could only wish...

I have never been afraid of birthdays - they are, after all, just numbers, right? And the opposite of having a birthday (NOT having a birthday) is not in my plans yet so forward and onward! Until this year... This one will be my big 50. Yup, 50 years old/young. And things just aren't looking up... Don't get me wrong - I love life and we have had a ton of fun, but I have also had my share of "downs" - literally. Let's see...

In January, I got hit in the head with a full-court pass at a basketball game at Rich High School. Knocked me out cold and left me with a concussion. Sorry, no photos.

Next, on Feb 27, I headed out the door to Jill and Brandons wedding and slipped on the ice and hit my head on the driveway, resulting in stitches:

Twice since then, I have tripped going in our front door carrying groceries. Luckily, no photos of that, either!

On May 9, I lost my best friend and dog, Cheyenne. She got infection all over inside of her and the vet said she was too weak to survive. We have had her since about 2001. I have had lots of dogs in my life but never one like her. I will get another golden retriever, but it will take some time.

This was her on a Easter morning participating in our traditional family Easter Egg Hunt. (The egg is in her mouth)

This is her and her only litter of puppies playing on the beach here at Bear Lake.

She had a deep love for raspberries - and Shani had a deep love for her.

This is my last photo of her, taken a day and a half before she went to live with Grandma Eck...

All summer I have looked forward to going with Shani and the RHS Volleyball team to a camp in St. George. We don't get away much in the summer, so this was to be the "big vacation" for Kam and I. We loaded up at 5:30 am on Monday and headed out - Me, Shan, Kam and two other volleyball players. My good buddy, Trish followed us in her car with her troops. We hit Provo about 8:30 am and to make a way too long story, short...

I was coming down University Ave and right where those highlighted lines are, a guy pulling a little utility trailer decides to turn left. Please note - not a turning lane! Anyway, there was no room to swerve right due to morning rush hour traffic and ...

This was the result... Luckily, so luckily, no injuries. Except to the car and my ego. And, yes... I got the ticket for following too close, to the tune of $120.00. So Trish loaded up the girls in her car and continued to Dixie while Kam and I had the joy of finding a rental car. We then joined them a while later in a very HOT place known as St. George. I tried to make the best of it, but was a little on the depressed side most of the time... On Thursday we headed home, Trish picked us up in Provo after we dropped off the rental car, and took us to SLC to hook up with Kayd and Ned.

Ned was not impressed with the garage it was at in Provo, so he had Wolfords go down and get it and fix it. I was hoping it would be totaled but no such luck... Just $10,000+ in damages. Thank goodness for a $250 deductable.

So go ahead, say... What else could happen?

Went for a little bike ride this morning...

Ryan and Kirk must be SO proud of me! Three stitches to the elbow, xrays were unconclusive for a fracture, little road rash... and a very bruised ego again! And no, I am not confessing as to what caused this little incident...

So the Calders held a family council and decided the only thing there was to do for me is to double-wrap me in bubble wrap and not let me out of the house... Remember the show about the Kid who lived in a Bubble... could be me! Can't hardly wait to see what I can rack up in the next 4 months before my birthday... Should I even get out of bed in the morning? :0(

I should have known...

2010-06-30T13:09:00.001-06:00

Ned told Shani she could not "hang with the gang" tonite unless she washed all of the windows - inside and out. She was moving right along, but then hollered and ask if I could help her out for a minute. Seems she couldn't reach the top of one of the front windows... The rest is the story is pretty obvious:

I think next time I will ask more questions before answering her plea for help!

Babes are growing so fast & Fathers Day

2010-06-20T21:15:00.006-06:00

New pic to show how quick these little ducks are growing up! Tomorrow we are going to teach them how to swim... Stay tuned for more updates. They are 2 weeks old today.

This was when they were 5 days old.

HAPPY FATHERS DAY!

We went up to Sunrise Campground after church to celebrate Fathers Day. Grandpa and Gaye and Nolan and Melissa joined us for tinfoil dinners, fruit salad and cake. Tried new strawberry marshmellows for s'mores but didn't exactly like the results... Original marshmellows are hard to beat!

Bob (Grandpa) turned 92 last week and still is going strong. I love that man!

Sunrise Campground

Ned and the kids...

Bob and Gaye, Ned, Kayd and Shani

Kamren and... ME!

(And just for the record, that is NED doing donkey ears on Shani, not me)

Robert Calder - Dad, Grandpa, and one AWESOME man!

My New Babies...

2010-06-11T10:30:00.000-06:00

Aren't they cute??? Sunday night we hatched out 12 baby Mandarin ducks. Monday morning I kicked mamma duck out of the nest box, gave her 3 babies, and I stole the other 9. Only had one fatality and the rest are looking really good. She ran off in the grass with her 3 and I haven't seen them since. These little guys are living in the shop with a heat lamp and lovin' life (I hope...). Building a new pen/waterfall for them - it will be safer and more accessable for viewing.

This picture shows just how tiny they are compared to my hand. In a couple of weeks, bring your kids by to watch them and maybe even hold one!

This is what they look like full grown - the pretty colored one is the male.

Me and Rachel Ray...

2010-06-10T14:33:00.000-06:00

So I signed up for this thing called Bountiful Baskets... every week they deliver fresh fruits and veggies to a designated site for $15 bucks. Last saturday was the first delivery here in GC. It consisted of corn on the cob, potatoes, apples, nectarines, romaine lettace, honey dew, berries (I think black or blueberries) tomatoes, red peppers, grapes (I think that was all) and this very strange things called bok choy. So everyone ran home to look it up on the internet. Turns out it is a cabbagy kinda thing used mostly for stirfry. So I made some one night and it was so-so. Today I decided to give it another go and... Rachel Ray would have been so proud it would have brought tears to her eyes:

First, I used everything I could find in the fridge:
broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, red peppers, tomatoes, sugar peas, and last but not least, the bok choy:

I cut the end off, then chopped up the rest. My family isn't much for Chinese food, so I don't stir fry much so, right or wrong, I just put some Canola oil in the frying pan, stirred it up and threw the lid on.
Next, I cut up some turkey (from the post below - thank you, Ned) and threw it in:

Next, I made a sauce consisting of soy sauce, sugar, corn starch, lemon juice, pineapple juice and boullion. Added some pineapple tidbits, threw it all together, cooked for about 5 more minutes and taaa daaa:

One more thing, NO! I don't hire out... :o}

The Ol' Ladys' Still Got It!!!

2010-06-04T13:18:00.000-06:00

Went to "Watch" Kayden play softball last night - a rec league over in Laketown. He was helping out the senior team since they were short of players... They ask if I could help if they didn't get a 10th player so what was I suppose to say? Alas and alack, the 10th showed up. So bottom of the 1sst inning the opposing team hollered and ask if I would hit for them since they only had 9. Once again, what was I supposed to say? Now the composition of our senior team has 2 with mission calls, 1 with papers in, etc. The composition of the other team? Well, the team name is "2 be 'ers" but let me tell ya, they seem to have used the apostrophe in jest... But we had a great time. I went 1 for 3 - not bad for a almost 50 year old~~~

Now this is great - Neds dad turns 92 years old next week. Still healthy as the day he was born. So what do you buy a 92 year old guy? It is typically a bird house, or a horse figurine, or a wind vane, etc. Last Sunday we were down for our weekly visit and Jess and Tierney were with us. I don't even remember how it came up but Tier was sitting next to him on the couch. Next thing we know, she has headphones hooked up on him and he was rockin' out to Jim Reeves on her Iphone! It was hilarious! I didn't know if we would ever stop laughing. Then she put on a little Patsy Cline - another hit! Just to make sure he could hear it, she tried a little Black Eyed Peas next and he shook his head and said, Oh HECK no! Can you guess what his birthday present is? You got it - an Ipod and a Ihome so he can rock out when ever he wants to. So we have been recording on the Ipod nano all day - I love it. Reminds me of the rides to and from Stockton, CA and Seattle/Olympia, WA with mom and dad, listening to Jim Reeves, Eddie Arnold, and Sons of the Pioneers. Funny thing, I can sing almost every song by memory~

What next???

2010-05-20T22:48:00.001-06:00

Call me crazy - but I have a few issues with "natural" things vs. "store-bought" things... For example:
1. I cannot eat a "real" egg - one that is a different color than white and excuse me, but comes from the back end of a chicken. I can only eat store-bought eggs.

2. To think of eating "real" fish turns my stomach in-side-out. But don't ever challenge me at an all-you-can-eat shrimp place 'cuz I will eat you under the table!

3. "Real" water - gross! I would rather die of thirst. Put a little Crystal Light in it... I can get my 64 oz. in by noon.

4. So now what I am I supposed to do? I absolutely love turkey on Thanksgiving day (could it have something to do with my birth date?) - you know, the good ol' Norbest/Butterball guys? The kind you buy at the grocery store? Guess what my loving husband showed up with yesterday:

What is a woman to do? And he was so proud of it... showing me what a "big beard" it had. (Didn't know turkeys had beards...) And begging me to come take pictures...

Girls just wanna have fun...!

2010-05-19T08:06:00.001-06:00

I have a 16 year old daughter who is growing up W AY too fast! Imagine how thrilled I was when she and her best friend came home from school yesterday and asked if they could go out and play in the rain... Thank goodness for the child who is still lurking inside her!

(click to enlarge)

Sweet memories....

2010-05-18T20:11:00.000-06:00

Sunday was our Stake Conference down (up) in Paris. It was our turn to have the broadcast version of conference and I couldn't believe how many people were in attendance compared to our usual crowd. The speakers were Sister Barbara Thompson of the general Relief Society, Elder Dallin H. Oaks and I am sorry but one other that I cannot remember his name. Then, President Monson talked. It was a great meeting, except... all the speakers kept commenting on how great it was to be speaking to the saints of Idaho - hard for a Utahn to be mistaken for an Idaho spud!

Anyway, we were up on the balcony (tradition) and I was watching this little girl who was totally out of control (about 4 years old). She was sitting in the middle of the middle row and kept crossing over this elderly couple to get out in the aisle and run around. Then an older sibling would scoot past them to go round her up. I could tell they were getting pretty agitated. The next time I looked back at them my heart jumped up in my throat and tears came to my eyes. The elderly lady grabbed her, sat her down next to her, and proceeded to make what? THE SAME THING MY MOM USED TO MAKE DURING CHURCH! Can you guess what it was?

First, you take a hankie and fold it in half to form a triangle. Then you roll the two long corners in until they meet each other. Now the next part is the trick! You fold the bottom upper corner backwards to the straight edge, push the babies around a little bit, and presto! You have twins in a swing!

The little girl was mezmerized! And I just wanted to cry... She never moved the rest of the meeting. So those who remember mom making these for us, go ahead and shed a tear. For those who have never tried, pull out a hankie and see if you can follow my crazy directions! Have fun!

Off To The Races!!!

2010-05-06T22:26:00.001-06:00

Tonight Kamren Ty competed in his FINAL cub scout derby... For three years now, we have competed annually in the Pinewood Derby, the Sailboat Regatta, and the Space Derby. He always does super in the heats, then loses in the finals. His name is "2-place Kamren". But, tonight was going to be different... We could just feel it... He lost the first heat, but kicked hiney on the next two - putting him in first place for the finals.

In anticipation of finally winning, he turned to his pit crew for help:

And finally, they were off!

Note the excitement on everyone's face - Bishop on your left, best friends mom behind the starting gate, den mother on your right... It was obviously the race of all races! That is his space ship you can see in front of the Bishop - out in front, of course!

Even Brother and Sister Schiess (Cub master and mistress) could hardly contain themselves! That is his ship whizzing by the treasure box - uncontested!!!

And then, suddenly... from out of nowhere -

Came the dreaded BLACK SHIP!!! And beat us!!!!

Poor Kamren Ty! He fell to the floor in anguish... Second place, AGAIN!

The pain was more than he could take... He covered his face in shame as Brother Schiess announced, "Kamren, here is ANOTHER red ribbon to add to your collection of red ribbons at home." Oh, the joy of cub scouts!

All I can say is....

THANK GOODNESS HE IS ALMOST AN 11-YEAR OLD SCOUT!!!

the PROM!!!

2010-04-14T23:55:00.000-06:00

Okay - so I have come under some pretty strong criticism for not posting pics from the prom yet... SHEEZZZZ!!! Give a woman a break! I only took 767 pictures that day/night! I will post my favs here, but if you can't stand not seeing the whole 700+ pictures, go to my school website to view them: picasaweb.google.com/calderberry .

Jill came over and did Shanis hair and make-up:

Here she is building the base for the rest of the doo... Ned called it a foundation...

I didnt get a real good pic of the completed doo, but this is close. There were frernch braids all around it and where she found the bright pink bailing twine, I will never know... but it matched the dress perfectly.

Then she put the big barrel curls all over - she used 276 bobby pins (trust me - I'm the one who had to take them out). Next came the eye lashes!

Ta da!!! The finished product:

Not that I am the mom or anything, but I think she is just plain BEAUTIFUL!

Are you ready for the "FINISHED PRODUCT"?

Here they are at the prom... by the "light of the Silvery Moon"

Here she is with her "jail-bait" friends (under-age).

More of her and her buddies...

Now, for those of you who don't realize just how "small" a "small" school is... Here is a picture of our Junior Class:

Our Senior Class:

And our sophomore class:

Enough for tonight... Tomorrow I will hilite Kayd and his date! Stay tuned!!!

Preparing for PROM

2010-04-06T23:34:00.000-06:00

So as I mentioned earlier, we told Shani if she got asked to the Jr. Prom, she could go even though she won't be 16 until 5 days after the prom. We decided if we haven't taught her right from wrong yet, those last 5 days aren't going to make a difference... Her date is Bradley Holmes, a senior from Randolph, and Kaydens' best friend. They are all taking the ACT test the morning of prom, so luckily they won't be doing the all-day-long date thing. Thursday they are going to go to E-town bowling and out to dinner, then Saturday to the dance. The prom is still pretty traditional here - it is held in the high school gym, the jr class does a floor show, the senior class dances with their parents, and the whole bloomin' town comes out to watch. Last year was the first time I went and it was really fun. Anyway, Shan is my only girl, so I have to document the whole thing so future generations can admire/laugh all they want to!

THE QUESTION: One day in Mr. Kays' English class, there was a noise in one of the closets. He ask Shani to open the door and see what it was. She got up and went half way to it and said "No, I don't want to." So this other girl said "Here, I'll do it." And Mr. Kay promptly said "Sit down, Alex - Shani, go get it!" So she opens the door and there is an alarm clock and a note saying, "Don't be alarmed, but will you go to prom with me" Then there was a tshirt and on front it said "Will you go to Prom with me" and then on the back it had lots of different guys' names. So she went and washed the tshirt and all the names washed out except for his (Bradley) and Chuck Norris (his hero!).

THE ANSWER: That night we got on Ebay and found an action toy of Chuch Norris and she hurried and ordered it. Then she put him on a poster that read: "Not even CHUCK NORRIS could keep me from going to Prom with you". Is that cute, or what?

THE DRESS: We have a neighbor, Toni Post, who is an excellent seamstress, so I ask her to make Shanis' dress. Shan had found what she wanted on the internet and it was ONLY $399 so we gave Toni a picture of it and she "created" her own pattern. It turned out... simply beautiful. I took the camcorder to JoAnnes, videoed all the different colors of material, and brought them home to my much-to-busy-to-go-to-town daughter. I was afraid the employees would laugh at me but they said people do that all of the time. So she chose a very, very bright pink. None of the pics do the color justice - hopefully the night of the prom it will show its' true colors.

First, Toni made a "fake" pattern to make sure it was going to fit - that's how precise she is. Next, she made the top and had us come try it on. It has all these gathers in it.

And now tonight, ta da! It is finished. I couldn't get her to try it on (too busy) tonight but trust me... I will get plenty of pics that night.

THE NECKLACE: Last week we went to town and got a new necklace:

THE TIARA: Jilly Jill is going to do her hair and make-up Saturday afternoon, so we also bought a tiara for her hair: (Do you remember I was always going to name my first girl Tiara?)

THE NAILS: Got new nails, with the third finger being painted the same color as the dress with a white flower on it:

THE SHOES: Lastly, new shoes! I told her they are too tall, but how do you change the mind of an almost 16 year old? I think she will now be taller than Brad...

So, the count-down begins... Stay tuned for Saturday night!

New Header...

2010-04-03T19:35:00.006-06:00

Hello - Me again! Seems like once-a-month posts are the best I can get in... And this could be a long one, so don't stop til you get to the B of M reading chart. After watching conference all day, I had cabin fever so I decided to go out for some fresh air. I took my blankie, my beach chair, and found a spot of dry sidewalk and sat down pretending it was nice weather... But these white things kept falling on me! Enough already!!! So I went and got some spray paint and decided to graffiti my own yard. So consider this our Easter greeting to each of you.

I said I would feature Shani next, so here goes: She just got her braces off last week. I think she had them on for about 12 months. Purpose was to close some gaps she had, namely the one between her two front teeth. I think they did a pretty good job.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Now she gets retainers on top and bottom 24/7 for about 8 weeks, then hopefully only at night. Kayden has great teeth, but Kam is going to need some major work I am afraid.

Shani had a really fun basketball season. She worked super hard and was able to make it on the Varsity team as the 7th player as just a sophomore. She also started every JV game. We are so proud of her. There was only one set-back to the season; her coach only believed in playing 6 deep!!! Kind of a family joke around here but she kept a positive attitude all season. At the state play-offs, she only got about 2 minutes total of playing time, but scored twice - so we figure she was tournament leader for number of points scored per minutes played! Next year this girl is gonna S H I N E !!!

Notice she is two away from the coach... 7th player, again.

Yup, second from the coach, again...

She wasn't ever afraid to shoot the ball, especially from 3-point range. Her high point game was 17!

Her passing had to be the most-mproved part of her game this year. She had "billions" of assists.

But the best part of her game is her defense. She loves to steal the ball and harrass the opposing team. Her nickname is "SKEETER" because she zips around like a mosquito and is a royal PAIN and a real nusiance.

I have often wondered over the past 16 years WHY I had Kayden and Shani so close together. There are only 18 months between them. They fight CONSTANTLY and find true pleasure in torturing each other. Then, just when I am ready to pull my hair out, I catch them like this:

This was taken in-between conference sessions today. They are all reading stuff on facebook. Maybe they do like each other after all!

But my favorite part of these two's relationship is this: Shani turns 16 on the 15th of this month. Our school Junior Prom is on the 10th. We told her if she got ask, she could go. So who ask her? Kaydens best friend. Who are they doubling with? Kayden and his date. In my personal and humble opinion, circumstances couldn't be better for a first date. And speaking of... I am going to document all of her prom stuff. Give me a day or two to get it together and then enjoy the experience right along with us!

Book of Mormon Chart

2010-02-28T23:05:00.003-07:00

Last week at church our Bishop challenged us to read the Book of Mormon by June 29th and then we are going to have some kind of big party. I went on line to find some charts and got some really fun ideas. Then I decided I wanted to personalize it so... don't act too surprised at this... but I really had fun creating this.

He can color in the mosaic tile after he reads each chapter. He is such a determined little guy - give him a challenge and he is all over it. That is 4.1 pages a day but I have no doubt he will make it. And since his birthday is the 28th of June, he chose that day instead of the 29th. Way to go, Kamren Ty!

Oh my - now I am going to become obsessed with this - this mornings creation:

Here are some random pictures from the last couple of weeks. I am ready for spring, but ya gotta admit - there is something magical about winter landscapes... Enjoy!

GOIN' INCOGNITO!

2010-02-27T22:11:00.000-07:00

So you know how wild church is here at Bear Lake in the summer... You never know what to expect from the visitors... Shorts, levis, flip flops, cell phones, sun glasses... etc. I have now decided to join in with their casual attire and will look like this for church tomorrow:

I kinda like the casual, cool look here...

And it sure beats this one:

My Jilly Jill neice got married this morning and I was supposed to meet the fam at the Temple at 9:00... Instead, I became a victim of domestic violence/spouse abuse. JK! Long story short, slipped on ice in driveway and was the receipiant of three stitches courtesy of Doc DJ. I told him he should take up quilting in his spare time - such nice even stitches. Luckily, NO concussion this time; but I am starting to wonder just how accident prone I am OR if it is old age starting to set in. Oh please, not that. So I missed the Temple but made the ceremony and lunch... What a day! Maybe if I put lots of crooked, blue eyeshadow on the other eye, no one will notice at church...

Hope your day was better than mine!

KAMREN TY!!!

2010-02-02T12:39:00.000-07:00

Since I am so far behind in blogging, I am going to hi-lite each kid and then get on to the present. KAM gets to be first:

Last week was the pinewood derby. He decided he wanted to shape his car like a pencil and name it "E"racer. It looked pretty good, but we soon found out looks aren't everything, but we had fun!

This should be no surprise - Kam has been playing Little Rebel Basketball. He absolutely loves it. And he has been a real trooper, having to miss 3 out of 6 games while supporting his big brother and sister at their games on conflicting Saturdays. But they are undefeated and having a blast.

And yes, he made this shot!

Now this one may be a shocker... And no, his father is not a big fan. But Kamren is also taking a hip-hop dance class currently. He loves to shake his bootie and his friends' sister teaches it, so the two of them and one more boy are in the class. The review is the first of May so I will make sure everyone gets an invite!

Lastly, and he said no photos of this one... He is in on the couch and has thrown up three times so far this morning (***UPDATE*** four times) - the joys of motherhood~~~

School is going well for him (when he is there!?!)- his favorite subject is history and he is reading on a 6.6 grade level right now. He reads non-stop and loves it. His latest series are Warriors, Rangers Apprentice, and Percy Jackson and the Olympians. He has over 250 AR points already. Tomorrow night is our Ward Ski Nite and Coach Lundgren is going to teach him how to board - if he gets feeling better.

I love ya, pal!

I'm B A C K !!!

2010-02-01T18:06:00.001-07:00

Ry guy helped me get some snow shoes for Christmas and today I decided to break them out...

What a workout! I thought I would just try them out for kicks and pretty soon found myself "going around the block"... Remember the size of my block? I thought I was going to die before I got back home.

A friend who is majorly into snow shoeing said REAL snow shoers don't walk on groomed trails - they make their own trails. Guess what? I am happy to just be a wanna-be-snow-shoer and follow in some one elses tracks! Happy Trackin'!

P.S. - But it couldn't have been a more beautiful day to get out and enjoy the snow - we got over a foot of new snow this weekend and today was GORGEOUS!

Frustration

2009-11-09T16:47:00.002-07:00

I am getting a little frustrated here folks...

We're going to STATE!

2009-11-09T10:05:00.004-07:00

Yipee Yahooooie!!! Our REBELS played an awesome game down at Snow College against Altamont on Saturday and whooped 'em 35-7. This Saturday at 2:00 pm we play for CHaMPioNsHIp at Alta High School in SLC against the Duchesne Eagles!!!

Kayden got this sweet interception on about the 40 yard line and ran it back to about the 3. But... some striped animal dropped his yellow snot-rag and called it back... Can you say BUMMER!

Here he is running it back...

And here is his proud Mama Bear! And before anyone FREAKS out, no - the purse is not mine! I was holding it for Shani.

And here is a weird one for you, the following blog was posted last week, but for some reason, it said "three weeks ago" so I doubt many of you read it. Just a heads up in case you want to read on...

The Problem With Getting Behind...

2009-11-01T16:28:00.010-07:00

Is that how do you decide what to go back and blog about? I guess there is a lesson to be learned here... So I will just randomly add some fun stuff and then try (ya right) to keep more on top of things! So don't get bored and keep on scrollin'!

Oh Me! Oh My! What is a Mother to do?

SHOUT IT OUT! (Good, aren't I? No, I am NOT available for hire)

This weekend was volleyball state championships down at UVU. We didn't bring home the gold, but I think learned a lot of good lessons. We took third place, losing to Panguitch.

Shani is becoming quite the blocker - seems to be her speciality. She dresses Varsity (and did get to play a bit at state!), starts JV at opposite (what ever that means) but her fav is when they get to have sophomore games.

She and her sophomore team have not lost a match since like 8th grade. They cannot wait to all be seniors and play together.

The fam gave me the "golden opportunity" to make a video about Dad to play at the mortuary and viewing. I have played around and made some pretty mickey mouse ones, but this was a first for actually going techno. After scanning like 300 photos in, I had to narrow it down to 130. Then add music. Of course, nothing goes quite right when the pressure is on - and this project was no different. When I got ready to save, it wouldn't let me load it anywhere. It was THERE, but would not cooperate. This required starting over, in a new program (and I had started in Photoshop, supposedly the best) because it would not copy. Long story short - I started one afternoon on this, worked through the night, and finally got a working copy about 3:00 pm the next day. Talk about a labor of love! Did I mention Cindy had sent me all the music we wanted on it, but it would not load either, so I had to go to Itunes and buy them... Anyone lookin' for a rousing rendition of Tumblin Tumbleweeds? Anyway, it was finally complete - with 4 up-side-down pictures to boot! Such is life...

People often wonder why I take so many pictures... This is one place where it paid off. I was able to go back through my files, find fun scenery pics, then add the text for the video.

Dad passed away at 12:30 am or close to that. I got back to Logan around 4:00 am if I remember right. Decided to go sit at the temple for a while before heading over the hill. This pic was taken that night/morning.

I was also given the opportunity to design the cover of the program. I used his guitar, a harmonica, and an Ace of Hearts playing card - three of the things that he loved to do. I don't know why they didn't put his name and dates, etc. on front - screwy if you ask me.

During one of our volleyball trips, we stayed in the lovely town of Vernal. Kam and I took the quick opportunity to tour the Museum of Natural History. Which species do you think HE evolved from?

Next stop on this volleyball trip was Manila - and we had to go through Flaming Gorge to get there. What was our Father in Heaven thinkin'? This place was absolutely gorgeous. Can't believe we have never visited this awesome scenic area. Definately on the list to go camping next summer.

Aren't they cute? This was after hiking back out.

Kayd has had a great football season. Our record is 9-0 and I think we are the only undefeated team left in the state. This week we play semi-finals at Snow College and then the next weekend will be Finals at ALTA against most likely Duchesne, whom we have already beat once, 35 - 8.

He is JV quarterback, and back-up quarterback on Varsity.

Defensively he plays (I think) Cornerback (Or maybe safety... :o)

Sometimes he punts...

He is also a receiver on offense.

Sometimes he leads the band...

And he loves to tackle!

Scoring is an all-time favorite..

But best of all is the celebration which means we have won another game. Stay tuned for final results!

Wow - Where does time go?

2009-10-12T08:34:00.008-06:00

Got a couple of new posts here (don't die of shock) so keep on scrolling! Had a great week last week - went something like this...

Bishop called and told me he had got some last-minute tickets for General Conference and did I want them. I was all over it. Amazingly enough, he had five of them...Let me count, 1,2,3,4 and 5 - yup thats how many in our family -for the Sunday afternoon session. So we loaded up and off we went. I have been to conference like twice in my short life time and none of the rest have been at all. I always told the kids we would get to one while President Hinckley was pres but it never happened. So we were quite excited. And none of us had been in the new Conference Center so that was awesome, too. We loved the experience - and the time together. :0)

Tuesday, Oct. 6 was moms birthday. Me and the sissies always try to do something together to celebrate her life. I told them that this time I wanted to go "Temple Hopping!" So after a hectic start, we made it to the Oquirrh Temple and did a session there.

Oquirrh Temple

Then we went to the Salt Lake Temple and ate lunch and did a live session there. Wow - talk about the ancient to the modern! I had never been to either Temple so it was another red-letter day for me. (What did I do to deserve two in one week???)

He deserved it, I swear~!

Reflections

Then we went and hung out with Dad for awhile before coming home. He seems to be doing a little better - on the rebound I guess.

Thanks Lar and Cindy for a memorable event!

When Life Gives You...

2009-10-02T20:19:00.004-06:00

TOMATOES...

You make SALSA!

When life gives you RASPBERRIES. . .

You make leather!

And Chocolate-covered raspberries!

And Raspberry Peach Jam!

When you drive through Brigham City...

You buy peaches and make peach jam (Jesses' favorite)!

And when life gives you potatoes... I guess you just eat them! We have an AWESOME crop of potatoes - this bucket full is from a single plant. Yes, I fed them steroids... The rest of the harvest included putting up tons of Lillywhite corn (freezer bags) zuccini (shredded, in 2 cup bags) beans and peas (blanched and put in 2 cup bags). Mom would be so proud... Oh yeah, did I forget to mention we froze a "few" raspberries?

Lotoja 2009

2009-09-14T22:56:00.005-06:00

Lil bro Kirk rode in his who-knows-how-many LOTOJA this last weekend. He won the race in 2002 and 2006 - what a guy.

The race is ONLY 206 miles, meandering around Utah, Idaho and Wyoming and has around 1,500 entrants.

Nephew Ryan Ottley did one heck of a job, too, and finished in first place in his division. Wow - how many years until he gets an outright race title?

Are You Ready for some F O O T B A L L ? ! ?

2009-09-10T16:36:00.003-06:00

My BABY boy is old enough to play football this year! He told me yesterday when he woke up that this could be the best day of his life!!! What a kid. They played at N. Summit and lost like 6 - 12. He was totally awesome on defense (outside linebacker) and only got the ball once on offense (running back) but got a couple of yards. That's my boy!!!

Look Who Came To Play at Our House!!!

2009-08-30T20:50:00.006-06:00

It's Baby Mack Attack!

His mom and dad ask him who he wanted to play with and he said "my FAVorite Aunt Tam!"

So they loaded him and Mr. Snopolopogas up and headed over the mountain.

And of course, before their taillights had disappeared after dropping him off, I had the camera out... Surprise, surprise...

He was a perfect gentleman the whole time.

Come back soon, buddy!

2009-08-30T20:50:00.001-06:00

TJ Taunting Kamren

2009-07-28T23:50:00.004-06:00

So after the red licorice affair, I told Kam he could not eat any red licorice for a month so I could decide if that was the culprit or not. Thanks to cousin Tara, she told us to just eat "brown" licorice - and you can figure out the rest! This weekend was the annual Cousin Campout and EVERYONE brought red licorice!

Poor kid... :0)

What Next?!?!?

2009-07-20T21:31:00.005-06:00

Don't start reading this unless you have a few minutes to read AND unless you don't mind my being "blunt" - in other words, read on at your own risk! I will try to condense it as much as possible... Last weekend we went to Boise, ID to a volleyball tournament/camp with Shani and the high school girls. Planned to go to McCall, ID afterwards for a couple of days to CHILL and visit our good friends, Lisa and Nate Hunt and kids. Ned stayed home to be the "responsible one". Friday we went to lunch and Kamren said he didn't feel very good and kept "visiting" the restroom. By the time we were ready to leave, he wanted to go back to the motel to sleep it off. We were short a coach so I was coaching Shanis' team so I just dropped he and Kayd off and hurried back to the gym. The team had two games back to back so I didnt check my phone for about 90 minutes. When I did, Kam was on it like 4 times crying and begging me to come back. I called him and ask what was up and he said he was pooping and throwing up blood and couldn't get Kayd to wake up (typical teenager). How fun! Zoom, zoom back to the motel. When I got in, he was throwing up again. It wasn't blood, just pinkish stuff. So I ask him if he could poop for me and he said he would try but that it felt like a knife was cutting him every time he did. He pooped out three balls just like jello and bright, bright red. Now I am really starting to panic. We got Mr. Teenager to wake up and thank goodness for GPS - headed for the nearest hospital. Went to ER and got checked in to a room about 5:00 p.m. After 5,000 questions about insurance, etc. this gal walks in and says she is training to be an EMT and could she practice by asking us a few questions.. Patiently, I said yes. So she asks all the typical what hurts, what happened, what have you eaten, blah, blah, blah. Then she leaves and a guy comes in and says he will try not to ask the same questions, but he needs to know a few things. Yup, same questions, and yup, patiently we answered them. Kam kept falling asleep and was white as a ghost. Enter, person #3... Same questions, different order... But he did at least offer him a warm blanket. Finally around 6:30, the "real" doctor saundered in. You got it, she had to start over with all the same questions, and once again, patiently I answered them. So she started poking and proding, and then politely explained that she needed to examine him "internally" and told him what she was going to do... Poor kid looked at me like, "What the HECK?" I did my best and told him since "THAT" was where the blood was coming from, she had to check things out. You should have seen his face when she used her "pinky" and checked things out! So she pulls her finger back out and there is blood stuff on her glove. She looked at it and very methodically said, "hum..." Yes, I am still being patient. So she says we better get some blood tests so we can find out what is going on, and leaves. Soon a guy comes in and says he is here to do a strept test.... I said, "Excuse me, it is the other end that has problems, not his throat". He says the doc ordered it and besides, "the highway leads from the top to the bottom, so you never know". Funny, why didn't I think of that??? So about 8:00 they show up to draw blood, the same time the doc comes back in. She about flipped because they were just getting around to drawing it. (Me, too!) So she cames back a while later tells me she wants a CT scan. Now I am getting nervous again.. and the patience is wearing thin. I have Ned on the phone or texting every other minute wanting answers. Both mine and Kayds phones are running out of battery. But, on the bright side, Kam is beginning to feel better and get his sense of humor back. Ends up his white count is elevated, and he has pain on his right side. So I ask if she was looking for appendix problems, and she says, no - liver. Yikes, more panic setting in. So another 30 minutes goes by and she comes in and ANNOUNCES that the GI doc wants to try a different kind of test, called a Meckle Scan, where they inject nuclear stuff and then take pictures for a solid hour, in which he can't move. Ok, really losing sense of humor now... Meanwhile, I have friends coming to give him a blessing which I know will never find us... This technician was really cool and friendly. So they put him on this table and practically smoosh him with all this equipment. Luckily, he could talk while it was going and I could sit next to him and hold his hand. Talk about a long hour... before it was over, he and Kayden were singing Hannah Montana songs from her new show... HELP ME, PLEASE!!! Purpose of this test was to see if things were leaking out in to his system or something. All I could think of was $$$. So it ends and he says sorry, the scan is all negative. He is bleeding, but we don't know from where. Back up to the room. By this time he has to go potty. I kept asking them all along if they wanted a stool sample, and they would say no, not yet. Silly me - why go to the source? Let's do billions of $$$ worth of tests first... So I said "If by chance he poops, would any one like to see it". They all look at each other like "not me" but finally get us a hat in case he does. Amazing - he did poop. It was not bright red and jelloy like at the motel, but it was definately red. So they scoop it up and run a test on it and say, "nope, that's not blood". I say, excuse me - look at it. They say no, the test says it is not, so it is not. Okay - glad they explained that one to me! So my friends show up and give him a blessing, chat a little while, then leave. Enter - the infamous Doc. She smiles and says that the imaging was negative, the bloody poop was negative, and that she guessed that after all... "IT WAS THE PACKAGE OF RED LICORICE HE ATE THAT MORNING". I not so patiently looked at her and asked her to explain the high white blood cell count - she said must just be a small infection in his body somewhere. I ask what about her "finger sweep" and she said he must have just had a little fissure or something that was bleeding. And the throwing up? Belly ache from the licorice. The poop in the toilet at the motel? She didnt see it so doesnt know what to think about it. The tenderness in his abdomen? Didnt even ask her cuz I was OUT OF PATIENCE!!!

It was now 10:45 - we had spent over 5 hours in an ER to find out my son had eaten too much licorice. Can't wait to see the bill... And no, I am not buying her answers. We will go to local docs and see what they think. Stay Tuned!!!

So to make a long story short (ha, ha, ha) we went to Lisas' saturday night, had dinner and went to the beach, Kam and I got up and went to church with them, then we came back home. Kam is feeling fine, but I am still going to get other opinions.

Calder Family Work Out...

2009-07-14T23:22:00.006-06:00

And just what does YOUR family do at night to stay in shape?

Bench press...

Curls (with dumbbell! :0)

And then we just sit around enjoying each others company!

Any volunteers?

2009-07-14T23:11:00.002-06:00

Wouldn't you know it... We are headed to Boise for a volleyball camp for the weekend and my peas are going to be ready to pick! Any one want to volunteer to pick them for me? Now, I know if I was asking for raspberry aide, you all would be knocking my door down... So buck up and help now with the leafy green stuff if you want the plump, red, juicy stuff in a couple of weeks! What do you think of my garden? You are first gazing at the peas; next come the steroidal potatoes; followed by the green beans. Then the squashy stuff is beginning to ramble and the corn, as usual is slow as can be. I think I just plant it to humor myself... Wouldn't my mamma be proud! :=}

2009-07-11T23:28:00.010-06:00

Today was day camp for our cub scouts at Camp Hunt. It was a really good camp - as far as scout camps go. :0) But the closing ceremony was totally awesome. The Scout Council had received a flag which had earned the honor to be retired. It came from Iraq and had been involved in a roadside bombing, in which 5 soldiers were killed. During the ceremony, the flag was unfolded and displayed for all to view. You could even see burn marks on it from the attack. Then the audience said the Pledge of Allegience and three gun shots were fired. At this point, the flag was very respectfully lowered into the fire as a scout played Taps. Wow - you could have heard a pin drop. It was a very moving moment for the boys - one they won't forget for a long, long time.

They also had a blast doing everything from shooting bb guns to swimming and canoeing, to identifying different animal skins.

Shooting bb guns

Learning to stamp leather

Roping a steer

Trying to light a fire

Our happy, happy (but tired) pack!

Name That Foot!

2009-07-10T22:28:00.002-06:00

This photo was taken at Danis' surprise birthday party. I am tempted to turn it in to DFS for child neglect... To protect the innocent, I have included three pair of feet - can you tell whose each of them are? Poor child in the middle - looks to me like dad was in charge! Love ya!!!

Three Dog Night

2009-07-08T00:04:00.011-06:00

I have been trying to figure out how to get my video to upload and am BASICALLY giving up for now. The band could all be dead before I get it to work. So... due to some "family connections" my kids and I have been honored to help out at the annual Cruise In in Logan on the 4th of July weekend the last couple of years. Last year the band was STYX and this year was THREE DOG NIGHT. We help at the entrance to the concert and then get to sit around and listen to the band the rest of the night. This time my BIL got me a press pass so I could take photos "up-close-and-personal". Rules were first two songs, then press had to leave. So after the first two songs I went to leave and just happened to spot some empty seats on the front row... I told my assistant (Kamren) that we would sit there for just a minute. Long story short, we stayed there the entire concert. And yes, I took a couple more pictures as they were playing (counter on my camera says 353, but then, who's counting?) Kam has asked me 3-4 times how bands come up with their names so tonight we went to the TDN website and sure enough, it had the explanation. In Australia, the aboriginies used to cuddle up with a dog on cold nights to keep warm. So on REALLY cold nights, they would snuggle up with three dogs! Thus, the name of THREE DOG NIGHT. And for those of you who are too young to remember this band, their three most popular songs are/were "Joy to the World" (Jeremiah was a bullfrog...) "Black and White" and "Shambala". Hope you enjoy the photos!

America the Beautiful

2009-07-05T01:02:00.003-06:00

Happy 4th of July Everyone!

BirTHdAy BoY!!!

2009-07-03T23:21:00.003-06:00

Guess who had a birthday this week? KAMREN TY!!! Big 10 years old now.

Got a ripstik for his birthday - took a little getting used to...

And soon he was a "natural!"

And what would a birthday be without Grandpa Calders' traditional $20 dollar bill? And what does he always say? "At least I know you will like it and that it is the right size!"

Got a book from Jess and Tier about Labron James - which was, of course, a hit!!!

And last, but not least, his buddy gave him a golf set that he had grown out of... that was super, super cool...

So, Kam - hope it was a great day. The kids always get to pick out their birthday dinner and Kam chose ham and fake potatoes. His choice of cake was chocolate with chocolate frosting... And all was good. Love ya, mom*

Walk down Memory Lane

2009-06-26T21:46:00.003-06:00

This is from an email my SIL sent me. Most of you aren't old enough to relate to these memories, but those of you who are will enjoy the walk down memory lane. Thanks Gaye for the forward!

How Many Of These Do You Remember?
All the girls had ugly gym uniforms?

It took five minutes for the TV to warm up?

Nearly everyone's Mom was at home when the kids got home from school?

Nobody owned a purebred dog?

When a quarter was a decent allowance?

You'd reach into a muddy gutter for a penny?

Your Mom wore nylons that came in two pieces?

All your male teachers wore neckties and female teachers had their hair done every day and wore high heels?

You got your windshield cleaned, oil checked, and gas pumped, without asking, all for free, every time? And you didn't pay for air? And, you got trading stamps to boot?

Laundry detergent had free glasses, dishes or towels hidden inside the box?

It was considered a great privilege to be taken out to dinner at a real restaurant with your parents?

They threatened to keep kids back a grade if they failed. . . and they did it!

When a 57 Chevy was everyone's dream car...to cruise, peel out, lay rubber or watch submarine races, and people went steady?

No one ever asked where the car keys were because they were always in the car, in the ignition, and the doors were never locked?

Lying on your back in the grass with your friends? and saying things like, 'That cloud looks like a... '?

Playing baseball with no adults to help kids with the rules of the game?

Spinning around, getting dizzy, and falling down was cause for giggles?

Stuff from the store came without safety caps and hermetic seals because no one had yet tried to poison a perfect stranger?

And with all our progress, don't you just wish, just once, you could slip back in time and savor the slower pace, and share it with the children of today.

When being sent to the principal's office was nothing compared to the fate that awaited the student at home?

Basically we were in fear for our lives, but it wasn't because of drive-by shootings, drugs, gangs, etc. Our parents and grandparents were a much bigger threat! But we survived because their love was greater than the threat.

Buying nearly everything out of the Sears Roebuck and Monkey Ward catalogs.

....as well as summers filled with bike rides, baseball games, Hula Hoops, bowling and visits to the pool, and eating Kool-Aid powder with sugar.

If you can remember most or all of these, Then You Have Lived!!!!!!!

Candy cigarettes.

Wax Coke-shaped bottles with colored sugar water inside.

Soda pop machines that dispensed glass bottles.

Coffee shops with Table Side Jukeboxes.

Blackjack, Clove and Teaberry chewing gum.

Home milk delivery in glass bottles with cardboard stoppers.

Newsreels before the movie.

P.F. Fliers.

Telephone numbers with a word prefix...(Raymond 4-601). Party lines.

Peashooters.

Howdy Dowdy.

Hi-Fi's & 45 RPM records.

78 RPM records!

Green Stamps.

Mimeograph paper.

The Fort Apache Play Set.

Do You Remember a Time When:

Decisions were made by going 'eeny-meeny-miney-moe'?

Mistakes were corrected by simply exclaiming, 'Do Over!'?

'Race issue' meant arguing about who ran the fastest?

Catching The Fireflies Could Happily Occupy An Entire Evening?

It wasn't odd to have two or three 'Best Friends'?

The worst thing you could catch from the opposite sex was 'cooties'?

Having a Weapon in School meant being caught with a Slingshot?

Saturday morning cartoons weren't 30-minute commercials for action figures?

'Oly-oly-oxen-free' made perfect sense?

War was a card game?

Baseball cards in the spokes transformed any bike into a motorcycle?

Taking drugs meant orange - flavored chewable aspirin?

Water balloons were the ultimate weapon?

Didn't that feel good, just to go back and say, 'Yeah, I remember that'?

Alzheimer's

2009-06-25T13:00:00.004-06:00

I have this bad habit at home of sitting my cell phone down and then not being able to find it when I need it. So someone has to speed dial me and we all stand around listening for it. Last night, I "did it again" so Ned dialed my number. Kam and I could hear it, but it was really faint and we couldn't locate it. Ned dialed it again and we narrowed it down to the kitchen. Kam and I looked at each other and giggled, then proceeded to open the fridge...

Yup, there it sat. We went to Cafe Sabor for dinner (my reward for finishing the ride) and brought home the leftovers. When walking in from the truck, I conveniently sat the phone on the box... the rest is history! At least I didn't have to worry about it over-heating!

"Psycho" Chicks! :0)

2009-06-24T22:47:00.008-06:00

Is this logo awesome or what? A local construction company sponsored all 14 of us and bought us these shirts. Don't know where they got the decal - but I love it. So, as I said, I finished the ride. Always knew I "wanted" to, but questioned if I could due to my training schedule, which included all of 2 rides before today. But I was pumped and all went well. I was guessing between 5-6 hours so I was thrilled with my time. I can's believe how close the three top "guessers" were. Brittney was third, Eki was second (a.k.a. the famous rider of them all, Jon Kirk) and the winning guess by none other than Jen was closest at 4:10. Congrats girlfriend!

Enjoy the following pics - don't laugh at my rolls - I think (hope, hope, hope) I finally have the incentive to cut back on the M&M's, and most important...
Find something YOU want to achieve and go for it. Skies the limit... thanks for all the support.

This was take-off at 7:00 am this morning. There were 14 riders, and 12 finished. Ages ranged from about 18 to 54.

This is a few of us at the end. Three riders, a mom and two sisters (Pauline Williamson, Brittney Lundgren and Makala Williamson) finished in 3:14. Way to go you guys!

And for all you nay sayers who said to ditch the beach cruiser (it was Aunt Gayes) this gal rode hers the entire way and... Kicked my bucket!!! Way to go, Livingston!

Me, being oh so cheerful, at about mile 30. We couldn't have picked a more beautiful day. Notice the lake in the background is gorgeous...

Me, about 7 miles from finish. About where we play during cousin campout.

Worest two things of all? My BOTTOM, and my knees. They may never be the same... I think I will climb Mt. St. Helens next!

WICKED!!!

2009-06-24T15:36:00.002-06:00

The ride is over... I finished, I conquered, I am happy. One problem though... I need to have "Eki' step forward and reveal their identity before I can disclose my time and the winner of a scrappy page. Will the real EKI please step forward?

Cyclin Chicks Betting Site

2009-06-23T00:36:00.003-06:00

So after you have read the next post, come back and tell me
1. Do you think I will make it all the way around (52 miles)?
2. And if I do, how long do you think it will take me? Closest one to my actual time will win something wonderful like... a scrapbook page! But vote soon - remember the ride is in two short days~

Cyclin' Chicks!

2009-06-22T23:51:00.007-06:00

Oh, my... What has my competitiveness got me into this time? Some psycho person over here decided to organize an all-female bike ride around the lake. Like a dummy, I signed up. Yes, I have gone on long bike rides before - two to Jackson Hole before LoToJa was even thought of, but that was a day or two ago. Now I am pushing 50 years of age and 20 pounds heavier... And as for training - I am definately a fair-weather rider, so I probably don't have to tell you how many miles I have put in in the last three weeks. So, yes, I am basically wingin' it. But - I am excited as heck about it. Something I can say I have accomplished this summer. Ned doesn't think I can do it, and that just gives me more reason to get after it. Following is a list of every thing I have gathered for the voyage. If I have left anything out, let me know SOON - the ride is this Wednesday, June 24th.

So I figure I better have a bike...

And some really good, high power energy snacks (a.k.a. comfort food)

And you know me, wouldn't think of leaving the camera behind! I must document this momentous occasion.

An Ipod to listen to... This could be the longest __ hours of my life!

Cell phone is mandatory - in case I need a ride home!

Little head set in case I get really bored and want to call one of you to pass the time of day... And riding while holding a cellular device could be detrimental to my health!

Shades - wouldn't leave home without them.

Bandanas - yes there are two of them. One to wear around my head to absorb the masses of sweat that will be running off my not-so-intelligent head. And the second one... to wipe what ever else needs wiping! You know, snotty nose, bugs out of eyes, etc.

Helmet and gloves - goes with the territory.

Water bottle - could be a womans' best friend before the day is over...

And last, but not least by any means, spandex! Who cares what they look like on the outside...

It's the cushion on the INSIDE that really matters!

So wish me luck, and look forward to a post about the actual ride - if I live to blog about it! :0)

Just Horsin' Around...

2009-06-14T20:37:00.003-06:00

Some good friends of ours, Elder Mel and Sister Ellen Maynes, are serving a six-month mission at Martins Cove. The day before they left, Ellen asked me if I would take pictures and email them to her of the soon-to-arrive new colts they were "expecting". The last one (total of 3) finally arrived so we went out this afternoon to photograph them. What do you think she will think of these?

"Oh, boy am I tired!"

"I got an itch and I just can't reach it!"

"Lovin' It"

"Whizzer"

Kamrens Evil Twin

2009-06-12T22:03:00.005-06:00

Kam went to the USU bball camp this week. Had a blast and I will blog more on it later, but just had to share this little ditty with you. When they split the kids into age groups, I noticed this kid who looked a whole lot like Kamren. There were 52 in his group and they split them into groups of 10 to go with each coach. Somehow, they both ended up on the same team. Kam lost count of how many kids asked him if they were twins. What do you think?

Is this Kamren?

Or is this Kamren?

Is the one in the back Kamren?

Is Kamren in front or back on this one?

And is he the first or second one here?

The one on the left, or the one on the right?

When the camp ended, I could resist no longer and ask him if I could take a picture of them smiling together. He just gave me one of those whatever kind of looks and I snapped away...

And just in case you really can't tell, Kamren is the one on the right!

Don't ya just love photoshop...

2009-06-03T00:14:00.004-06:00

Sister Cindy sent me some fun photos last night and I decided I wanted to play around with them...

I started with this one...

Then decided I wanted to add myself, so I took this one...

Flipped the image, and cut myself out and added me to the original picture.

I was so proud of myself! So I hurried and sent it to Cindy to show off. She said she felt left out so I took this picture:

Flipped it again, and cut her out. Added it to the edited pictue and ta dum! Presto, we now have Sister Cindy, Grandma Atkinson, my Mom and Me all in one picture!

Final Family Pics for a while...

2009-05-31T21:49:00.009-06:00

In case you haven't noticed, I am bored of posting old family pics so tonite will be the final one. And as I promised, I have saved the best for last... ME! In scrapbooking, they always say you need to scrap about yourself, too, but that is so hard for me to do... But I will give it a shot. Nothing means more to me than heritage, and I am so proud of mine. Grandma Atkinson was the greatest ever. My two favorite - nope, scrap that, there will be more than two... Anyway, my favorite memories of her include catching penny bugs in the front ditch; catching frogs out back; playing checkers on the floor in the family room; her asking me to learn to fly a "whirly bird" (helicopter) so she could get back and forth to Cache Valley quicker and easier; and playing the game where you throw the ball over the roof to each other - like "Annie I Over" or something like that. What an awesome lady.

And thanks to Grandma, I got the absolute, without a doubt, greatest mother in the world. A few memories of mom include, getting caught in a rain storm while picking raspberries and sitting under the bushes trying to keep dry and laughing our guts out; her laugh-it was kind of a silent laugh-no sound to it, and how her eyes always watered when we laughed so hard; all the dogs we always had; her polyester pants-don't think she ever owned a pair of levis; how supportive she was of mine, and the rest of yours, athletic endeavors, up until the week before she died, she was still watching me play softball at the ballpark; her love to travel; how she always kept the car on "empty" (according to dad); her monotone singing voice-that she was never afraid to use at church singing hymns; how hard she worked to make Christmas "just right"; and a trait that I have definately picked up from her: how to fall asleep as soon as the car engine starts... I could go on for hours... But just the fact that she let me, be me.

So- do you dig the wringlets? Pretty dang cute, huh?

And how about this letter? You guys can all have your 4.0's and Honor Society's and so forth - but NONE of you can compete with this fine letter from Principle Jensen - eat your hearts out! No wonder I went in to the field of Law Enforcement! P.S. Make sure and click on the letter so you can read it!

Next, a picture of the Motely Crew... Ha, ha, ha! Check out my gut! Can you believe it? Oh what I would give for a magic pill that would make me that skinny again...

And lastly, me and my sunshine girl. Hopefully she will be as proud of her heritage as I am of mine. The end.

Calders and Spandex...

2009-05-24T15:25:00.006-06:00

The Calder family is proud to say that our children are fairly proficient at most sports...Basketball, football, volleyball, recreational softball, golf, frisbee, bowling... you get the picture. Never in our wildest dreams did we ever think they would give it all up for the sport of... TRACK & FIELD! But both of them qualified for State and helped to bring home a first-ever 1st place for the boys and the girls got 2nd. Hip, hip, horray!

Shani ran both the 800 and 1600, and qualified in the 1600.

Kayd tried the high jump, long jump and javelin, and qualified in both the jav and the long jump.

And we can't leave out the little guy-this is him whoopin' on his class mates at his field day this last week.

If the truth were known, I think Kayd and Shan both joined the team for the social aspect and the sunshine... but both ended up thinkin' the sport was kinda cool and I bet we'll see both of them in spandex again next year!

*** ~~~ *** ~~~ *** ~~~ *** ~~~ *** ~~~ *** ~~~ *** ~~~ *** ~~~ *** ~~~

Kamrens school put on a singing/dancing program this last week. It was totally awesome. Each class sang a couple of songs and did a couple of dances, then there were songs/dances that the whole school did together. The kids had a blast. The theme was "Dancing with the NRE Stars" and the songs were like "Tie A Yellow Ribbon", "Blue Suade Shoes", "Singin' In the Rain", "Raindrops Keep Fallin", etc.

Kamren and Reesha cuttin' it up - he kept telling me they were the best dancers in his class!

He really did have fun doing it - just wouldn't think of smiling! He told me he was too busy concentrating.

And you know me - had to take advantage of a fun photo op!

And just for the record, I sewed 6 of the black skirts!

Look what followed us home!!!

2009-05-17T21:25:00.002-06:00

We are pleased to introduce LEWIS, the newest member of Ol' McNedleys Farm!

More Silly Family Pics Featuring...

2009-05-13T21:59:00.003-06:00

Amy, Santa and Kirk - Dec. 7, 1974 I see Joeys' eyes in this one.

Kirk - 11 years old.

"The Three Traveling Tutu's"

Amys attempt at being a cowgirl - check out the boots!

This one brought back lots of memories - the family skating rink! Picture was taken in February of 19 _ _. Let's see who can fill in the year.

Last for tonight, Amy modeling her Little Red Riding Hood sweater. (Sorry Lar :0) )

RE: Ashleys blog...What is it about a cupcake?

2009-05-03T20:55:00.011-06:00

I don't know Ash, but check this guy out... See any resemblance?

And I think this lil gal kinda likes her cupcake, too!

Round 3 - Here we go!

2009-05-03T19:06:00.003-06:00

Be Patient - so I missed a day or two... Don't ya hate it when life gets in the way of life...? And don't worry - I plan on posting pics of myself, too - just saving the "Best for Last!"

Who could this tall, skinny, handsome guy be? On the back of this one, Mom wrote ____ and ____ in the corn patch Aug. 15 - '76

And how 'bout this birthday girl? I erased the name off the cake in case any of you are playing "name that relative" with your kids. Don't ya just love the wallpaper? Here's a clue - back of pic says May '61...

Same wall paper, but who is the cute little smiley baby? Back of picture says 6 months.

And last, but not least...I have submitted this one to David Letterman for "Stupid Family Tricks" - bet they win!

ANd Now... Round 2 of Family Pics!

2009-04-28T23:15:00.019-06:00

I know you are all waiting on pins and needles to see who gets to be featured next... And the winners are: Those who responded with comments last night! Kristina and Keri, you are off the hook since I don't have early childhood pics of you two. And this also doesn't mean you shouldn't comment so I won't pick on you tomorrow night! I will come up with a new method to my madness for tomorrrow nights' entry. So here are the lucky winners! Recognize them all?

And to think she didn't turn out to be the hairdresser of the family!

Bug is thinking "What is this booby girls problem?" And Booby girl is bawling because the stupid bow that is stuck in her hair was NOT one of the sticky kinds but rather, one that had the little pointy end on it! I would have bawled, too!

All I can say for this girly is thank goodness you ARE the hairdresser of the family and not the balerina!

What is going through her mind? "I just soiled my panties" or maybe "I can't remember the sign for...".

What was Lar thinking? That is one mop of hair! Must have been going for the Pippy Long Stocking look..."The sun will come up, tomorrow..."

And speaking of crazy mothers... Isn't this how Joan Benet Ramsey started out?

And I don't know if this is supposed to be a Halloween costume or just the way she looked every night when she went to bed...

Last, but not least... This one was just too cute to pass up. Her little girl looks just like her!

Oh My GOSH!

2009-04-27T21:14:00.008-06:00

Okay - Laurie (my old(est) sister) has been given the assignment to write a history of our mom for a up-and-coming family reunion. Being the great delegator that she is, she ask me to go through my boxes of pictures and try to find stuff that would work for this history. Well, I struck out on things about mom, but boy, did I score on finding old pictures of our family. I haven't laughed this hard in a long, long, time. I hope you, too, will get as big a kick out of them as I have. I downloaded about 30 of them so I will load a few of them each night. WARNING: empty your bladder before attempting to look at these most awesome family treasures.

Okay - we always knew he had issues trying to figure out his identity, but this was REALLY pushing the issue. My kids all thought this one was Laurie.
Can't you just see Mom laughing til she cried while taking these pictures?

Can you guess who this one is, catching a few zzz's after a rough day of rodeoing?

Here he is a few years later - cheesing it up!

Life Is Good...

2009-04-25T00:33:00.003-06:00

I am so far behind in posting but I just can't seem to catch up. Haven't blogged about Kaydens first prom, the track meets (Calders' were NOT meant to wear spandex), Mountain Crest baseball, Jordys baptism dress photo shoot, Easter... the list goes on and on! So out of frustration tonight, I will post the one thing that brought me peace and contentment today:

Gotta Love It, Baby!

Husband for Sale - CHEAP!

2009-04-20T21:59:00.002-06:00

Okay - any and all male readers may now stop reading this post. Sometimes a woman needs to vent and this just might get ugly. So go back to the couch or refrigerator or what ever else you were doing.

Ladies - Let me explain the setting... All winter XXX (name has been changed to protect the not-so-innocent) kept saying that he wanted to put in a wood floor in our entry way and down the hallway. A few weeks ago I told him if he was going to do it, he better get on it or it would be spring and he wouldn't have time to. So we went to town, made the purchase, came home and got right after it. Things went "fairly" smooth... Too many chiefs and not enough indians, but we made it. Of course, being a woman, I couldn't let a perfect opportunity pass me by so I opted to paint the walls in the corresponding area. I wanted something just a little funky so I decided to go with something faux. I went to Bennets in Logan and THE nicest lady told me faux was out, except for a technique called "frotage". (I still have the video if any one wants to borrow it). In a nutshell, you paint a base coat, then mix a darker color with some glaze and apply it in sections. While still wet, you take brown paper like you mail packages in, crumple it up, spread it back out, hold it against the wall, and smooth it out with a wallpaper brush, then remove the paper. It gives it kind of a crackled appearance. I forgot to mention that last year I painted one of the entry way walls a darkish brown and wanted to leave it, so had to match the faux walls to it and the new wood floor. So, went with some really light colors - a creamy color for the base and then a yellowish cream for the glazed color. To put it politely, the process was a pain in the BOTTOM! The hallway has not 1, not 2, but 5, yes count them, 5 doors in it that I had to mask off, paint around, etc. And I could only do it when Shani was available because it was definately a two-person job, and XXX did NOT have the patience to help me! So it took almost a week to get it done. Upon completion, you guessed it - I was not happy with it. The technique was awesome, and the walls looked great - but it was like the brown wall, the floor and the new walls were all competing against each other or something. XXX said that he thought it was okay and to just hurry up and get it finished... (Imagine me rolling my eyes at this point). So back to the store I went, with photos for show-and tell, seeking more advice. She (the NICEST lady) said she couldn't help me without seeing something more concrete so back home I went, painted a board with the base color, let it dry, frotaged the darker color, let it dry, and painted the brown of the "other" wall on the back, found a piece of leftover flooring, and trucked back over the hill. I know this is getting long, but hang in there - I am almost done. Take a potty break and hurry back! The NICEST lady helped me pick out a THIRD NEW color, which was in-between the dark brown and the frotaged stuff, another gallon of glaze, and yup, a new technique. This time I was to apply the "new" color with a cotton rag (50/50 works, too :) ), in a wiping motion, kind of like the KARATE KID when he was doing the "Wax On, Wax Off" thingy. Kind of like ragging it, but not really. So I have worked on that for the last four days. I REALLY like it - kind of has a leather-like appearance to it. But very labor-intensive, too. So today I was about 3/4 the way done, when I stopped to go change the laundry. While I was walking down the hallway, XXX, who was at the command center in a horizontal position (aka the couch), hollered and said "I liked it better the other way..." I stopped and contemplated which method of murder would be the easiest to administer and clean up after... But kept my wits about me and continued to the utility room, choosing to use the technique of "selective hearing" and just pretend like I didn't hear him. After I had prepared and cleaned up lunch, changed the laundry again, and began to paint once more, XXXs' phone rang and he announced that he was going to go check out the fish that his buddy had just caught. As he saundered out the door, he turned around and said "I really liked the other color better" and he was gone. Now you know why he is for sale. Any takers? Let me know soon because by morning (and a night on the couch!)I will most likely have found a reason or two to keep him. Thanks for letting me vent. And by the way, I just went back and timed this and it only took you approximately 5 minutes and 24 seconds to read through it all, and hopefully you smiled once or twice. Now, I bid you farewell, XXX is snoring in the room next door and I need to do the dinner dishes, change the laundry again, and continue painting!

Cheyenne Had a Friend Over...

2009-04-17T18:36:00.004-06:00

Last weekend was our Jr/Sr prom here at Rich High. In all of the preparation, anticipation, and excitement, Cheyenne was feeling a little left out so I told her she could have a friend over. His name is Moose and he lives in Roy.

This is a picture of them playing in the kennel.

Moose has came over to play before. This is what happened the last time they had a play date:

From what I "saw", there is a REALLY good chance we should get the same results around the 15th of June. Yup, I'm gonna be a grandma!

Guess Who Turned Fiftweenie Today?

2009-04-15T23:13:00.008-06:00

That's right - my baby girl turned 15. I will be the first to admit it was a very boring birthday. What do you expect on a school day? She had track and volleyball after school, then waited for me while I went to a concurrent meeting for Kayden. Meanwhile, Kayd and Ned went to Smithfield to a ball game... We came home and had Papa Murphys pizza, she ate a couple of bites of Ben & Jerrys cake mix ice cream and we called it a night... Yippee Skippee... She has a track meet in Logan on Saturday so we will take her out to dinner after that.

Isn't she beautiful?

And what's a birthday without a little Ben & Jerrys to celebrate with?

Last, but not least... I gave her a Willow Figurine of a mom and daughter embracing. Hope she knows how special she is to me and will always remember our fun relationship when she looks at it. Happy BIrthday, Girlie!

Jackie and her ELK

2009-04-15T00:35:00.002-06:00

On March 1st, Mike and Heather invited me and the gang to go to Heathers' Grandma Hanceys to watch her feed the elk. It was a TOTALLY AWESOME experience and I got some really cool photos. She is one classy lady. Thanks guys for inviting us!

EnOUgH is eNOuGH!

2009-03-31T23:31:00.003-06:00

Okay - I like to think of myself as a pretty easy-going, kick-back, go-with-the-flow kinda gal... But I have about had a belly-full of this infamous snow our State is famous for! And it is not even April Fools Day yet! Speaking of... I can tell you this now since it is too late for you to warn him: Kayd and I have an on-going battle on April Fools to see who can get who the best. I wanted to get a good, early start so Shan and I put an alarm clock under his bed and set it to go off at 2:56 a.m.! Is that awesome or what? It will take him ETERNITY to find it and get to it. I am sitting here giggling just thinking about it! Tee hee!!! This is by far my favorite holiday of the year! Back to the snow... We got dumped on! And I don't think the storm has hardly even hit yet - kids are hoping for a snowday tomorrow. And I was hoping to get to Logan... Wish me luck!

My Basket Ball Boy...

2009-03-28T23:11:00.005-06:00

As of 3:45 this afternoon, I can say that the Calder Basketball Season has officially came to an end. Started with Shani back in November, then Kayd, and today was Kamrens last game. Wow - what a ride. But I wouldn't trade one minute of it. Tonight I am going to highlight Kaydens season... Last year as a freshman he worked really, really hard and this year that blood, sweat and tears paid off - he earned a starting position on the varsity team. For the first half of the season, he played a couple of quarters of JV ball each game, and then would rest up for the Varsity game. By mid-season, he was straight varsity. Both teams did extremely well, with the Varsity team being region co-champions with Duchesne. Hopes were high for the State Championship games, but we ended up with a fourth place finish. Kayd came a long ways in his maturity and game skills as the games went on, and with lots of hard work this summer, next season should be even sweeter. Here are a few of the highlights for him this season:

Rich 65, South Summit 55
Kayden Calder led the Rebels with 16 points as Rich recorded a double-digit win over the Wildcats.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rich (2-1, 8-5) 18 26 25 15 - 84
Tabiona (1-2, 9-6) 15 22 22 12 - 71

SCORING SUMMARY

Rich -- C. Cornia 9, Cornelison 17, Thomson 2, Andersen 30, Calder 22, Holmes 4. Totals -- 25 27-33 84. 3-pointers -- Andersen 3, Calder 2, C. Cornia, Cornelison
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rich (5-1, 13-5) 22 11 23 19 - 75
Altamont (0-6, 4-13) 21 9 21 12 - 63

SCORING SUMMARY

Rich -- C. Cornia 10, J. Cornia 9, Cornelison 3, Thomson 2, Andersen 31, Calder 17, Holmes 3. Totals -- 31 10-21 75. 3-pointers -- Calder 2, J. Cornia.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rich 59, Manila 47
Jade Cornia and Kayden Calder combined for 34 points and five 3-pointers for the Rebels.

TEAMS (REGION, OVERALL) FINAL
Manila (2-6, 11-9) 8 12 11 16 - 47
Rich (7-1, 16-5) 13 20 13 13 - 59
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rich 79, Panguitch 70
Rich jumped out to a 27-10 lead early and held on late to post a win over Panguitch in what was a highly-anticipated matchup of No. 2 seeds in the nightcap of the opening round of the 1A tournament. Kayden Calder led Rich on offense with 23 points, while Caden Andersen and Bradley Holmes each added 12. Panguitch's Trac Norris paced all scorers with 24 points.

The Rebels, behind sophomore guard Kayden Calder, jumped out to a 27-10 lead midway through the second quarter and then made enough plays down the stretch to post a huge 79-70 win Wednesday night.

"We just jumped on them," Calder said of Rich's fast start. "That's what we try to do — jump out and don't look back."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I think the highlight of the season was his being named to the Deseret News All-State Honorable Mention Team as a sophomore. There were only 4 sophomores in the whole state who made all-state rankings. He scored a total of 251 points this season for an average of 9.65 per game.

I love you Kayd and can't wait to see your progress next season!

2009-03-26T21:52:00.003-06:00

All About Me According to Kamren Ty:

Fun stuff - Am I too old to play? I tag... YOU!
Kamren's Answers!
1. What is something mom always says to you? I Love You
2. What makes mom happy? Everything
3. What makes mom sad? Us fighting
4. How does your mom make you laugh? She talks weird when she sleeps
5. What was your mom like as a child? I have no idea
6. How old is your mom? 48
7. How tall is your mom? 5'6"
8. What is her favorite thing to watch on TV? ER
9. What does your mom do when you're not around? Works on paper work
10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for? Scrapbooking
11. What is your mom really good at? Taking pictures
12. What is your mom not very good at? Modern video games
13. What does your mom do for her job? Takes pictures
14. What is your mom's favorite food? m&ms
15. What makes you proud of your mom? Her fighting skills
16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be? SpongeBob
17. What do you and your mom do together? Play basketball
18. How are you and your mom the same? Short
19. How are you and your mom different? Age
20. How do you know your mom loves you? She says it enough
21. What does your mom like most about your dad? Takes as much time as he can to go places with her.
22. Where is your mom's favorite place to go? Yellowstone National Park

2009-03-21T00:43:00.000-06:00

Some of my favs of Jilly Jill! Happy Birthday - Love YA!

2009-03-21T00:41:00.000-06:00

Happy Birthday, Jilly Jill!

House hunting...

2009-02-23T22:48:00.003-07:00

So in case you haven't caught on yet, we spent the week in Richfield for the 1A girls state bball tournament, at which Rich won their second straight state championship. But that is a whole other blog, when I have more time. Point being, before Shani graduates from high school, we will have traveled to Richfield 15 times for various tournaments for she and Kayden. And now they are considering adding state volleyball and wrestling, so the number will only go up. So at $70-$90 a night for motel rooms, we are getting a little ticked at putting out so much $$$ and getting nothing in return. So Kam and I went looking for a house to buy... Doesn't need to be big, just a fix-me-upper kind of place. Yard doesn't need to consist of much since we won't be there that often to keep it up. We narrowed it down to two and put offers on both. Will take which ever one gets back to us first. But, just for fun, you can tell us which one you would prefer - because you know... guests are always welcome. Maybe we could even hold the CCC there! Anyway, let us know which you like. :o)

For some reason, Kam the Camera Man couldn't get all of this house in one shot, so he had to post two of it...

New hat, but which size?

2009-02-23T00:07:00.005-07:00

After the rodeo, Kam and I went looking for him a new hat. The pretty orange one only came in three sizes; small, medium, and large. Can you guess which one we got?

small

medium

large

Bronco Ridin'

2009-02-22T23:59:00.003-07:00

Kamren and I apparently had a little too much time on our hands this last week, so we entered a rodeo in Richfield, UT. Only problem was, the judges did not give us a score. We both lasted the full amount of time without getting bucked off. Can you help us out here? Vote for either he or I. Thanks!

!

Happy Valentines Day!

2009-02-12T23:40:00.002-07:00

How sweet is this? Somebody scored big today! Is this a great holiday or what?

This is for the DUKIES!!!

2009-02-11T23:38:00.010-07:00

I feel really bad that there are little girls crying themselves to sleep tonight because their "die-hard-daddys" make them cheer for Duke Basketball... Eliza, Tess, it's okay. When you reach the age of basketball-accountability, you can make your own choice as to who to cheer for. Enough said... :0)

#5 Lawson was the MVP and #5 Kamren is my MVP!

This is how the boys dressed for school this morning.

.

Here are the kids after the game... Don't look that excited, do they? Just another win over Duke, what's new?

And JD - it was well worth the .40 - in fact, I will be more than happy to reimburse you and even add a dime, to make it an even fifty cents!

Can't let Cheyenne out-do me!

2009-02-05T11:39:00.002-07:00

Another "gorgeous" view of the Antartica I call home...

Oh Baby, It's COLD Outside!

2009-02-04T09:20:00.003-07:00

As most of you know, I go walking 4-5 times a week with a couple of friends after we load the kids on the school bus. I try and take Cheyenne with me at least once a week. Today was her day and boy, was it COLD! And foggy! And wet! You can see that she got frosted up just a little bit. Can't imagine why - it was a balmy 14 degrees!

This is what things looked like down by my father-in-laws. My own version of a Thomas Kinkade picture! Hope you are warm wherever you are!

aRE yOU rEADY FOR sOME FooTBaLl?

2009-02-02T10:17:00.002-07:00

We had a blast at our Superbowl Bash! How 'bout you?

Here Kitty, Kitty...

2009-01-27T19:27:00.001-07:00

Come here little kitty...

GOTCHA!

Need A Little Help Here...

2009-01-25T19:51:00.003-07:00

To all you Betty Crocker wanna-be's out there, I have a burning question... I will start out admitting that I did not pay attention in Mrs. Brodero's 7th grade cooking class, and I am still paying for my mistake. Cooking never has been and never will be a favorite pass time of mine. Enough said. So I was thumbing through the recipe book tonite trying to decide what to make with chicken for dinner. Came across this recipe and was doing fine until... The fourth ingredient threw me for a loop. Never in all my days have I seen a recipe that called for: 1/2 cup water shredded.

How in the world do you shred water???? This is killing me and my family is shriveling up due to starvation so please reply as quickly as possible!

The Big Freezzzzzzzzzzze!

2009-01-22T23:56:00.003-07:00

It has been really foggy this week, but I took advantage of it and scored on some photos. Ice crystals are the coolest thing ever. But I was definately ready for the change of weather we got tonight! :o)

Basketball, Anyone?

2009-01-22T23:37:00.004-07:00

Kayden had a great bball game tonight against Evanston. They won 72-64 and he had 34 points.

Annual Christmas Party

2008-12-29T17:08:00.001-07:00

What is Mr. Monkey up To?

2008-12-28T23:49:00.003-07:00

Mr. Monkey looks like he is trying to hide something...

SURPRISE!!!

2008-12-28T23:43:00.002-07:00

Annual Christmas Party

2008-12-28T23:36:00.003-07:00

Last sunday we had our traditional Christmas party. We have had the same Santa and Mrs. Claus for as long as I can remember. Must be proof that they are the REAL jolly 'ol folks! They bring one gift for each UNMARRIED child and they all get a chance to sit on his/her knee and whisper what they are dreaming of getting for Christmas. This has to be my all-time favorite tradition. I hope (hint, hint) that our family never lets this tradition slip away. As siblings, let's make it easy on our offspring and all sign up now for the same resthome! Course, Santa and Mrs. Claus will have to sign up at the same place, too...

Christmas Eve PJs

2008-12-28T23:30:00.004-07:00

Another great tradition is opening pajamas and slippers on Christmas Eve. My kids still look forward to this year after year. And I have to make sure they are REAL comfy since you know they will be worn for at least 48 hours straight!

The Forgotten Carols

2008-11-29T23:31:00.006-07:00

To those who are familiar with The Forgotten Carols, you will totally relate to this post; to those who haven't seen it, plan now to attend next year. The kids and I went to the Forgotten Carols last night at USU. That is the third year we have gone together and the 4th time for me. And I think each year it means more and more to me. The kids have been looking forward to it as much as I have. Still haven't got Ned to go with us but we all think next year will be the magic year... They were having "technical issues" and were trying to deal with them so Michael McLean came out and entertained us ad-lib while they were working on it. That was pretty fun. Our seats were on the second row on the aise, towards stage right so we were right in front of where most of the dialog between John and Connie Lou take place. That was awsome, too. You know how it ends, everyone all LINKED up together - and you know how there is hardly a dry eye in the audience... I looked to my side and there were my three "angels" all linked up. I really lost it then. There is nothing like the love of a mother for her kids. And seeing them all linked up was - unexplainable. But I know that you have all experienced the same thing at one time or another. What a way to start off the holiday season. Remember - if you haven't seen the show, decide NOW to make it part of your holiday celebrations next year. Wow...

Oops!

2008-11-29T09:20:00.004-07:00

Thinkin' of starting up my own catering business - what do ya think? Actually, Thanksgiving dinner went pretty well, thanks to allrecipe.com. We had luscious slush punch, yummy sweet potato casserole, creamy cranberry salad, autumn squash casserole, superb cranberry sauce with apples and pears, moist poultry dressing, and of course, turkey, potatoes and gravy, and rolls. The only thing that really went south on us was the Thanksgiving Sweet Potatoes... Everyone was getting sat at the table, I showed Shan how to turn the oven to broil, put the yams in, and told Kam to not let them burn... I went to the bathroom, combed my hair (a prerequisite before T-day dinner) and walked back into the kitchen just as everyone started "sniffing". I ran to the oven but alas, and alak... as you can see, it was too late. Ned grabbed them before they were fully engulfed and chucked them out on the lawn. Cheyenne wouldn't even look at them. Kam was pretty disappointed - they were the thing he was most looking forward to, but life will go on. Think I will try them again for Christmas... :)

So I'm A Turkey...

2008-11-27T22:26:00.003-07:00

Big thank you to everyone who helped to make this a special birthday for me. You know how as grown ups (is that what we are?) some times bdays just come and go like any other day, and sometimes they are pretty a-okay? Well this one was one of the better ones. Our original plans were to go to Aunt Gayes for turkey dinner, but then Ned decided we should just stay home. I could have KILLED him... First, I hate to cook and second, it was my bday. But he had his mind made up. Thanks to the internet, I pulled together a few recipes and it really didn't turn out too bad. Shan was EXTREMELY helpful and I think we made some pretty good memories. I'll post about the dinner another time... Anyway, Ned (pick on Ned-post :) ) is never very good about gifts but last week he told me he was so proud of himself because he already had my gift bought. So today he presented me with the most AWESOME gift. He had a friend here in town re-finish my mom's cedar chest. It has been down in his dad's barn for about 15 years. I started to strip it down a long time ago but quickly found out I had no idea what I was doing, so quit. Is that cool or what? It means a ton to me... And then I got LOTS of cards, phone calls, texts, and blogs - thanks so much to all of you. It really was a feel-good kind of day. Hope everyone had a great day, too, even if it wasn't your turkey birthday!

PS: All of you bloggers... next time you decide to blog about me, could I screen the pics you post of me??? :0)

I'm Losin' it...

2008-11-26T16:59:00.003-07:00

Ned and Shani don't think I dare post this, but what the heck... Most mornings I go walking with friends after we load the kids on the bus. My attire on cold mornings consists of thermals with sweatpants over the top. After I get back home, I take the sweats off and get a few tasks done while cooling down, just wearing the thermals. Monday is laundry day so I sat down to separate the loads, then went about my daily business. About 1:00 pm I was talking to Dad on the phone and my cell messed up so I went outside to get Neds' phone so I could call him back. He and his worker, Brandon, are putting in a barbed wire fence to the south of our house so we can run more cows. I had to walk about 75 yards to get to where they were, then rode back to the house with them, just standing on the running board. Then they went to the shop and I walked to the house. While walking, I looked down and noticed I was still sporting my thermals... baggy butt and all. I guess Brandon asked Ned if I always walked around in my thermals and he really didn't know what to say... Oh well, it's my house, right? Happy Thanksgiving!

ATTENTION! New Blog Site!!!

2008-11-26T00:00:00.004-07:00

Hey everyone! I think I have figured out how to link to a new blog I set up. It is called Calderberry Crafts and the location is: http://calderberrycrafts.blogspot.com/. Hop on over and check it out! Then don't forget to add it to favorites or link it or whatever.

Life Lessons...

2008-11-22T20:59:00.002-07:00

Don't ya just hate it when you have to learn lessons the hard way... For example: We have had a long week that threw lots of food for thought our way; a good friend passed away, another good friend gave us quite a medical scare but dodged the bullet, another friend was diagnosed with terminal cancer and has about a year to live, and goodness, what about Cliff Anderson? So we have been pretty humble. Our RS goes to the temple together once a month and this last Thursday was the day. I always convince myself I don't have time to go, etc. But early in the week I decided I would go no matter what. I do not attend near as often as I should so it gets to be a pretty big occasion when I do go. So I was psyched all week. You just know how special the session will be, how wonderful you will feel when you come out, and the peaceful feeling you get inside. I even washed and ironed my clothes, which is REALLY out of the ordinary! I talked to RS pres Wed. night and planned out rides, etc. I told her I could take some sisters over, but that I had shopping to do afterwards so they would have to ride home with others. Ended up a good friend rode with me and we had a great conversation. She is moving to PA in Jan and so it was good to chat one on one. We got to the temple, entered, and started filing through. "Thank you, sister!" "Thank you, brother!" And then it was my turn. "Oh, sister... Could you step aside please?" WWWHHHAAATTT? Panic set in. He assisted the rest of the line and then turned to me and said, "Let's try this again." and scanned my card. He then looked at me and apologized saying, "I'm sorry, sister. It seems your recommend has expired." And he tried scanning it a third time. No luck. We looked at it and sure enough, it expired in October. The life just leaked out of me. How could this be? I was SOOOO ready for this. OR SO I THOUGHT... I'm trying not to ramble, really! So the rest of my group went on in and there I stood... I gathered myself together and returned to my car. I had to sit at the entrance to the parking lot and wait for four or five cars to enter before I could exit... I went to the bottom of the hill, parked, and proceeded to bawl my eyes out. I was not bitter, just hurt. I kinda had a vision or ah-ha moment or whatever you want to call it... I thought I was so ready to go to the temple. But because I did not pay attention to the little things, I was denied access. It made me think of the final days when we get to the pearly gates and Father in Heaven will look at us and say, "Enter, sister - well done" to some and to others He will look and say "Oh, I'm sorry, you go the other way." And that will be it. Either we make it or we don't. What a wake up call! I am not going to get to the final point and be told, "Oh, sorry - you go the other way" while the rest of "YOU" are invited in to the Celestial Kingdom. What will keep us from entering? Just a little thing? Like an expired card? Or... Failing to be of service to our neighbors or ANYONE in need? Speaking unkindly to family members? Judging others? Sabbath day activities? Tithing? Gossip? Not listening to promptings we might receive? AAUUGGHH... So all we can do is...the best we can. Live each day as if it is our last and determine in our hearts that we will NOT BE FOUND TO BE EXPIRED in our final day. The end!

ThroWiN' iN the ToWEL...

2008-11-16T22:47:00.005-07:00

Yup - you got it. I can't keep up with the "thankful thing a day thingy" so I will give one last hurrah and call it good. Today, and everyday, I am thankful for family. Not just my crazy crew, but my extended family. I love you guys, that's all there is to it. From our two "unborn" members all the way through my *@&&{?**}?! father - I love you. We had an awesome day today, celebrating Phil Bobs homecoming from a mission in S. Carolina. Almost everyone was there, but about 12 out of 72. Ned knows that I want to be the last one to leave, kicking and screaming the whole way. But if you don't have family, what do ya have? How empty and sad life would be without families. I felt so "secure" in church just lookin around at everyone and thinking about our relationships. Yesterday at James's Dads' funeral, the twins talked about memories of their grandpa and it got Ned and I wondering what our kids/family will remember us for... kind of humbling. Hopefully part of it will be these family get-togethers. Anyway, in case I haven't told ya lately, I LOVE YA! And I hope and pray everyday that when we get to that final feast, that there will be no empty chairs at our family table. Here are some fun pics from the day:

ThanKfUl ThiNgS

2008-11-11T23:15:00.003-07:00

Day #3: Today I will spare you the joy/pain of a picture and just verbalize... Today (which is really the llth) I am thankful for DEMORAL! Hope I spelled that right for all you family med/transcrpit people. Yes, DEMORAL. Yesterday I had the distinct pleasure of experiencing a COLONOSCOPY. Talk about invading a persons' privacy! The actual proceedure must not have been too bad since I slept through the whole thing... (thanx to my buddy, demoral). But the two days prior were pure he_ _. The stuff you have to drink to "cleanse" the system was simply aweful. In fact, a friend sent me an email today and in it the guy describes the taste as "a cross between goat spit and urinal cleanser, with just a hint of lemon". And he was right on! And let me tell you how effective this little drink is... No use wasting time, KABOOM! And this drink thing had to happen not just once, but twice. But the worest part of all was being on a liquid diet for 40 hours. I was about suicidal. And this family of mine was anything but sympathetic. As they were eating and snacking, they would say, "whatcha wanna drink now, mom?" Anyway, it is all over and I am "clean as a whistle". My email address is tec@cut.net if any of you would like to request copies of the photos of the proceedure. :0)

Calderberry & Co.

Who let this happen?

And you thought my LAST post was gross...

2 posts in less than 24 hours - beat that!

This One's for YOU, Lar!

I know, I know, Winner of Worlds Worest Blogger...

What a F*U*N week this is going to be!!!

Wow!

Too Funny...

Whew...

Now look what followed me home!

Life and Times of the Calders...

And Then...

Todays vocabulary word is...

the BUBBLE WRAP Lady

I should have known...

Babes are growing so fast & Fathers Day

My New Babies...

Me and Rachel Ray...

The Ol' Ladys' Still Got It!!!

What next???

Girls just wanna have fun...!

Sweet memories....

Off To The Races!!!

the PROM!!!

Preparing for PROM

New Header...

Book of Mormon Chart

GOIN' INCOGNITO!

KAMREN TY!!!

I'm B A C K !!!

Frustration

We're going to STATE!

The Problem With Getting Behind...

Wow - Where does time go?

When Life Gives You...

Lotoja 2009

Are You Ready for some F O O T B A L L ? ! ?

Look Who Came To Play at Our House!!!

TJ Taunting Kamren

What Next?!?!?

Calder Family Work Out...

Any volunteers?

Name That Foot!

Three Dog Night

America the Beautiful

BirTHdAy BoY!!!

Walk down Memory Lane

Alzheimer's

"Psycho" Chicks! :0)

WICKED!!!

Cyclin Chicks Betting Site

Cyclin' Chicks!

Just Horsin' Around...

Kamrens Evil Twin

Don't ya just love photoshop...

Final Family Pics for a while...

Calders and Spandex...

Look what followed us home!!!

More Silly Family Pics Featuring...

RE: Ashleys blog...What is it about a cupcake?

Round 3 - Here we go!

ANd Now... Round 2 of Family Pics!

Oh My GOSH!

Life Is Good...

Husband for Sale - CHEAP!

Cheyenne Had a Friend Over...

Guess Who Turned Fiftweenie Today?

Jackie and her ELK

EnOUgH is eNOuGH!

My Basket Ball Boy...

House hunting...

New hat, but which size?

Bronco Ridin'

Happy Valentines Day!

This is for the DUKIES!!!

Can't let Cheyenne out-do me!

Oh Baby, It's COLD Outside!

aRE yOU rEADY FOR sOME FooTBaLl?

Here Kitty, Kitty...

What a FUN week this is going to be!!!