ThroWiN' iN the ToWEL...

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

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)

tHanKfuL tHIngs

Day #2: Today I am thankful for my kids. I think I will spotlight each one of them so I can take up more days! Let's start with Jesse. Ned and I married when Jess was 7. What a blessing he has been. I loved raising him, helping him at school, and introducing him to the gospel. He was the easiest kid to raise - never disrespectful, always courteous, had very good friends, and just plain easy going. He served a very honorable mission, came home and worked hard on his school work, and found a perfect mate in Tierney. This is his last year of school and then he will teach/coach/counsel at a jr/high school. Love ya Jesse Meyer!!!

Thankful Things...

Man - if I don't get going, it will be Thanksgiving and I won't have proclaimed my thankfulness for ANYTHING. Got a few minutes before I have to get ready for church so I will get started.
1. On day 1, I must admit that I am SOOOOOOOO thankful for... M&M's! I know, pretty sad, but that is right up there at the top of my list. It is my comfort food, my main food staple, my binge food, my best friend, and yes, the downfall of every diet I have ever attempted (and there have been plenty). I like them all, but favs have to be: just regular ones, mint ones, peanut butter ones, and the almond ones around Christmas time. Did I leave any out? Yes, it is an obsession, but at least when I "go out" I will go out happy and with chocolate on my breath! (Yes, that is scrapbook paper in the background... :)

Poor Loser?

Yup, that's me. I just walked by the TV and told Obama to shush up cuz I was already tired of hearing him. What's this world coming to? No, don't answer that...

Halloween - Calder Style

As you can tell, Halloween is not my favorite holiday but I do try to participate to make it fun for my kids. Kam is the only one still "into" it so we went to the school carnival together a couple of weeks ago. Then on Halloween, Kayd had a football game and then we traveled to Orem where our Volleyball team was in state play-offs so luckily, we avoided the dress-up stuff that night. Halloween candy is over-rated anyway... All you need are M&M's and life is good. Our "bigger" tradition is carving our pumpkins - we always have fun with that. (and count it as our one FHE for the year!) So Happy Haunting and BRING ON THE TURKEY! PS - can you tell whose pumpkin is whose?

It's All in the ShOeS!

Bring on the Basketball Season! Kayden and Shani both loved their fall sports but are more than ready to get on the bball court. We ordered their new shoes last week and both of them are very happy with what they got. EastBay lets you personalize your item free of charge so Kayd decided to put "a" name on his. At RHS there is Kayden, a Caden, 2 Kalon's, 2 Hayden's, a Cameron, a Kamryn, and a Jade. So needless to say, the coaches are always looking for nicknames to keep the guys straight. This last summer they started calling Kayden "NED" and it really stuck. So he chose to put that on his shoes. I'm not sure if he or his father is more proud!