THE HAZARDS OF BEING A RUNWAY MODEL

My friend sent this to me... it is funny and sad at the same time:

So, if you are thinking about becoming a runway model - think again. :)

TAGGING ALL MOMMIES

1. What time do you wake up?

I wake up at 6 a.m.

2. On a good night, what time are your kids in bed?

9 p.m.

3. How long have you been a mommy?

Including step mommy status, I have been a mommy for almost 15 years.

4. How old were you when you became a mom?

25

5. What is your favorite chore?

I love to fold bath towels and line them up on color order in my linen closet. SOOOOOOOOOOOO Pretty.

6. What is your favorite meal to cook?

I've gotten pretty good at using my slow cooker and like preparing Sunday meals in it. My favorit meal to cook has to be something really quick and easy. However, the most fun I have with cooking is when I am trying a new recipe or experimenting with new spices or oils. Victor really enjoys my experiments because they usually turn out really good.

7. What meal do you cook most often?

The most common meal is Albondigas, however, Victor's mom makes that!!!! I like when I don't have to cook - giving me time to take care of other things.

8. What are 5 things about being a mom that make you smile?

1. When my children have ah-ha moments - when they figure something out on their own.
2. When my children ask really important questions.
3. When my children accomplish something that was difficult.
4. Watching my children play.
5. Watching my children take care of the animals.

9. If you could take your kids anywhere, where would it be?

I would love to travel with them to see some of the amazing landscape found all over the world.

10. When was the last time you went out without your kids?

Yesterday. Victor and I went to the movies and watched TWILIGHT.

11. What is your most heartbreaking moment as a mom?

Every time one of my children has been hurt. When Allisa had to have stitches when she was almost 18 months. That was the hardest. I was so upset and wanted to cry, but couldn't so that she would stay calm as the doctor stitched the cut next to her eye.

12. When was the last time you told one of your kids I love you?

Every night before they go to bed and every morning before I leave for work.

13. When was the last time you were told I love you?

Victor says it every night to me before we go to sleep. Evan says it many times a day with huge bear hug!

WILD FIRES IN CALIFORNIA

Below is a link to some incredible photos of the recent wildfires in California.

All the pictures are just unbelievable!

There are 35 pictures so it will take a few minutes to view them.

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2008/11/california_wildfires_yet_again.html


The first two pictures were on the front page of the local newspaper. The devastation is unbelievable. There was also a Senior Community Mobile Home Park completely destroyed. Very sad.

FRIDAY NIGHT, DATE NIGHT?

Well, it's Friday night and I am alone in the living room.

Victor and Alex went up to Camp Three Falls for the annual Turkey Shoot and will be back some time tomorrow.

Evan went to an overnight camp out with Bishop Stanton and the rest of his troop. They are working on Merit Badges. I am picking Evan up around 11:30 tomorrow at the church.

The girls are making themselves something to eat. They have spent the day not cleaning their room. They were supposed to get the room clean before I got home so that we could go to the movies. Girl's night out. Obviously that has not happened.

So I am blogging and watching Star Trek re-runs on SciFi.

When I am done blogging I will probably just play computer games until I am tired and then go to bed.

So, while you are contemplating what you are going to do this evening or this weekend take a look at this:

CHRISTMAS is coming!!!!!!!!!!

CAT TRAINING - CAN YOU GO TOO FAR?

I am accustomed to training animals and I have seen some remarkable things. But this is clearly obsessive and I think her time could have been better spent.

I don't think we should be dressing animals like humans or require them to behave like humans. Each creature on this earth shoud be permitted to behave in the manner it's creation intended.

What do you think?

DOG LOVER - HUSKIES ARE THE BEST

I didn't have work today... still had to get up early in the morning to wake up kids and take Moya to the vets.

After the dog was dropped off at 7 a.m. and the kids had jumped on the bus at 7:40 a.m. I promptly went back to bed. I slept until 11 a.m. (haven't been feeling too good).

I got up and took a shower and cleaned up a little today. I received a phone call to pick up Moya after her comprehensive exam. Glad to know she is healthy, though she has lost 3 lbs since her last appointment. She could easily gain weight and still be healthy. She is extremely active and that is why she is so slim.

There were a lot of people at the vet hospital and Moya received lots of compliments. She is a beautiful husky. I get a little suspicious of some people when they start asking questions like: "How much did you pay for her?" "Is she a pure husky." As a result I drove home constantly looking in my rear view mirror to make sure that I was not being followed. Aurora had been stolen from the yard when she was 2 years old. We recovered her over a year after.

True husky owners ask questions like: "Do you have other animals?" "How do they get along?" "Has your husky killed any other animals?"

Huskies are known for several things:

They are great runners and will run for several miles without stopping.

They are great sledders and love to pull.

They love to hunt and will remember where they last saw their favorite prey.

They are pack animals and are happiest when they are with their family.

When we take the dogs for a walk - Moya loves to run and has a tendency to pull me. A harness works great and I can keep her close to me without choking her.

When we get to the park or the ball field I let her loose to run and chase.

Moya still likes to hunt the animals in the backyard. Our best hunter was Aurora. She used to track the gophers in the backyard and could scoop them out of the ground and toss them up in the air before she would kill them. She also caught a hawk taking off in flight from the fence. Aurora knew where all the hen houses were in the neighborhood and would take off from the yard for a regular chicken fix.

She was dubbed the "Chicken Killer" by the pound. She was extremely expensive to maintain because of the usual fees when picking her up.

This past Saturday, we dropped Moya off at the groomers. When she was done, we picked her up and allowed her back in the house. She hung out with us the rest of the day Saturday and all day Sunday. When I picked her up from the vets, she couldn't stand being outside while I was inside.

I reported to Victor: "Moya is healthy and the doctor says she is a little thin. She has also begun howling today, expressing her desire to come into the house."

Victor said: "At least she has learned to howl."

Moya never howled before. Fleur used to do all the howling. Her howl was low and mellow. Moya's howl is a higher pitch that drops to a low pitch.

Moya is a good companion and I enjoy spending time with her. She is mellow for a husky and she does not stress me out like Fleur or Sparky. Fleur too high strung and Sparky too strong.

Moya sleeps in my room and her favorite spot is under my bed on my side or right up against the bedroom door. If Victor leaves the room, she jumps up on the bed and lays down on his spot. It's kind of funny. I laugh when Victor returns to the room. He just gives her the look and states "DOWN." and she hops off.

Huskies can live 15 - 16 years or longer. I expect that I will have Moya for a very long time. Victor and I have learned a lot about huskies and they have become our preferred pet. I am pretty sure that we will replace "Sparky" with another husky when he passes away. That may be some time yet. He is currently 9 years old and is very strong and healthy. He could easily live another 10 years.

I can't imagine being without a dog at any time in my life.

Freezer Repair a Success

My freezer is working as it should. The alarm has turned off and my food is frozen.

I guess the aptitude tests in high school were correct. They indicated that I should be an engineer because I can see how things work. I must say that I am quite proud of myself for figuring out the cooling system problem and was able to take the freezer apart and put it back together again.

This feeling will keep me going for a couple more days.

I got the reaction a expected... no response, except for: "That's good. We still need to get the receipt from Lowe's to register the freezer."

Balloon Burst!

The Lawn Mower, The Television and The Freezer

It appears that the Hyde Sisters enjoy getting their hands a little dirty and will do most anything to get things done - because as Dara stated yesterday "It was Jeremy's fault." (Or Victor's).

So to Jennifer's battle with the Lawn mower and Dara's fallen electronic baby sister I give you the 10 month old freezer that took a dump!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

About 4 weeks ago Julian - our Schwan's delivery guy dropped off my pre-order of meals for the next two weeks. I instructed Evan and Aislyn to put the items in the freezer for me. Evan and Aislyn returned to the living room shortly stating that everything was put away.

The next day after work I went out to the garage to pull some items out of the freezer for dinner. To my shock the freezer door had been left open and my food was starting to thaw. I closed the door tight and then gave my children a severe tongue lashing.

Two days later I noticed that the alarm light was on - indicating that either the door was still open or that the temperature of the freezer was not at freezing point.

I examined the door and it was shut. I opened the door and the interior was not as cool as it should be...

So after several attempts to remedy the situation ourselves we contacted Lowe's to let them know that the inferior freezer they sold us last December destroyed about $500 worth of meat and frozen food and that our freezer was still under warranty and that someone better come out and take care of the situation.

The repair man came out and looked at the freezer and then explained to my mother-in-law that he could not perform any repairs because the label on the inside of the freezer provided a date of September 2007. He stated that it had been over a year since we purchased the freezer and unless we could provide a copy of the receipt showing that we had purchased it in December and not September we were out of luck.

The label states: Manufactured September 2007

This man is an idiot.

So Victor contacted Lowe's again asking them to help us secure a copy of the receipt which seems to have mysteriously disappeared from the warranty drawer - where the rest of the freezer paperwork is located.

Upon examining my bank statement I was able to provide the date of actual purchase to Lowe's so that they can provide a receipt.

In the meantime, we moved everything we could out of the freezer...

Today, I went out to the garage and checked the freezer to see if it decided to work - magically you know. If Lucy could enter a wardrobe and discover a frozen forest I should be able to discover a frozen country.

Well, I discovered something I hadn't noticed before. All the items on the bottom half of the freezer were still frozen. Strange...

I moved the shelves to see if anything was obstructing the air flow and discovered an iceberg. I began removing all the ice that I could see and discovered a vent on the bottom of the freezer. I removed all the ice from there. I checked the air flow at the top and still could not feel any cool air. I began removing shelves from the freezer. At one point I leaned against the back of the freezer and it was cooooooolllllllllllllldddddddddddddddd!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How odd. I noticed that there was a sealed panel screwed to the back of the freezer. I went to the kitchen and dug a phillips screwdriver out of the drawer. I unscrewed 15 screws; removed the seals and slipped the panel off - WOW!!!!!!!!!!! Another iceberg. This one had incased the cooling unit and had blocked the fan that draws the cool air up to the top and ultimately cools the whole freezer unit.

An hour and one half later the whole freezer has been de-iced with a spatula and a hair dryer. It is sparkling white and I have cold air blasting out at me!!!!!!!!!!!! Yeah! Eat your heart out you lousy repair man.

When Victor gets home the conversation will go something like: "Hey guess what I did today." "You have to come and check this out." "Hey the freezer magically works again." Aren't you proud of me?"

I have checked the freezer about a dozen times. It is colder than it was this morning. It will probably take a day before I decide that it is actually working. The alarm light is still on - so I think the repairman still needs to come out. We just won't tell him what I did... :)

IS THIS REAL? WHAT DO YOU THINK?

"If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they
went," humorist Will Rogers once said.

James Thurber observed: "If I have any beliefs about immorality, it
is that certain dogs I have known will go to Heaven, and very, very, few
persons."

Okay! Dad is the big winner. These Church Signs are a fake. Check out the attached and you will soon discover the origin of these photos. You will notice that I inadvertantly deleted one of the pics

http://www.snopes.com/photos/signs/dogheaven.asp

We had fun with this one at work!

TO BLOG OR NOT TO BLOG...

That is the question?

I have nothing to say any more... What I had planned out for the next several days has been disgarded because my ideas were already blogged by another (i missed this because I was too busy to even check my e-mails for a whole month).

So, any way... unless someone has some amazing ideas for blogs, this one will probably be the last one for a longgggggggggggggggg time..........................

:)

SHARE A HUG TODAY

I don't have a blog today... just a hug for my family.

LESSON #2 - PICKUP IN THE RAIN

One night, at 11:30 p.m., an older African American woman was standing on the side of an Alabama highway trying to endure a lashing rainstorm. Her car had broken down and she desperately needed a ride.
Soaking wet, she decided to flag down the next car. A young white man stopped to help her, generally unheard of in those conflict-filled 60s. The man took her to safety, helped her get assistance and put her into a taxicab.

She seemed to be in a big hurry, but wrote down his address and thanked him. Seven days went by and a knock came on the man's door. To his surprise, a giant console color TV was delivered to his home. A special note was attached. It read:

'Thank you so much for assisting me on the highway the other night. The rain drenched not only my clothes, but also my spirits. Then you came along. Because of you, I was able to make it to my dying husband's bedside just before he passed away. God bless you for helping me and unselfishly serving others.'

Sincerely, Mrs. Nat King Cole.

In the book of Luke, chapter 10 we can read the parable of the good Samaritan. For most of us this is just a story of a man who had compassion on another who was in serious need of medical assistance. Most of us don't have these kinds opportunities. And many of us are afraid to help those who are in need (the begger on the street).

I propose that there is more to this parable. It teaches about being a good neighbor. It addresses the desireable attributes of compassion; kindness; charity and the welfare of others. As a member of the church we have opportunities all the time to practice these Christ-like attributes. We also have daily opportunities within our homes to show Christ-like love for one another.

Several years ago I had a conversation with Dad after expressing my concern for those who are less fortunate and I asked the specific question: "Am I wrong in not providing for those who beg on the street?" These are some things that I gleaned from our converation:

1) Pay a generous fast offering.


This is a simple way to help those in our ward family who may not be able to provide for themselves temporarily. I know that each one of us has had such times and has sought for help from the Bishop. What a blessing.


2) Participate in the Humanitarian efforts/opportunities that are found in each stake.


There are so many things that we can do. They don't have to be huge, like making a quilt. They can be small - like assembling hygiene kits at a stake relief society service project.


3) Serve.


Be willing to service. Do whatever is asked of you. President Dieter F Uchtdorf gave a wonderful talk: "Lift where You Stand". Read it.


4) If you forget how to be a good neighbor; or how to be a good sister or brother; or don't know what you should do - turn to the scriptures.

My favorite scripture that reminds me of what I should do is found in Mosiah, when King Benjamin is speaking to the people of Zarahemla. An Ancient General Conference. I would read this too...


5) When moved by the spirit we should act as the spirit directs.

This past year, we had a sister move into the area who lives out of her motor home. She is a humble woman with little or no means. One evening the Bishop called and spoke to Victor and asked if he would get some gas and take it to her so that she could drive to the church to meet with him. He also asked if we could provide something for her to eat.

Victor asked me to join him in his tasks. We bought the gas and drove to where she was parked. Prior to this trip I knew nothing of her circumstances; all I knew was that she was new in the ward. As Victor poured the gas into her tank I was overwhelmed with such compassion that I can not describe. It took every ounce of energy to contain the emotions that continued to push to the surface.

After visiting with her for a short time we returned home and began preparing for mutual. At one point I just stood in my kitchen and wept. I offered a short prayer asking Heavenly Father what I should do. I stood there in the silence of my kitchen and waited for an answer. 10 minutes before I had to leave to meet the young women at the church, I had filled a wicker basket to capacity with food; toiletries and a warm blanket. Placed a plastic container with warm shepard's pie on top and a note to the Bishop itemizing the items in the basket.

I do not believe that this sister is aware that the items given to her that night by the Bishop had been provided by me. What I know for a certainty is that I see this sister in a completely different way and I truly love her as one of my sisters.

"And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God." - Mosiah 2:17

AN ODE TO DAVE

I have a really good friend at work who sent me this cute little ditty that made me laugh so hard that I had to share it with my family.

I have called this An Ode to Dave because I feel a little like him when I lament over the weight loss expected by my doctor and the amount of work and effort required. So to my brother Dave, do not feel alone in your pursuit of a thinner you it will come.

The Importance of Walking

Walking can add minutes to your life.
This enables you at 85 years old
to spend an additional 5 months in a nursing
home at $7000 per month.

My mother-in-law started walking

five miles a day when she was 80.

Now she's 81 years old and we don't know where the hell she is.

I like long walks,

especially when they are taken

by people who annoy me.

I have to walk early in the morning,

before my brain figures out what I'm doing.

I joined a health club last year,
spent about 400 bucks.
Haven't lost a pound.
Apparently you have to go there.

Every time I hear the dirty word 'exercise',

I wash my mouth out with chocolate.

I do have flabby thighs,

but fortunately my stomach covers them.

The advantage of exercising every day
is so when you die, they'll say,
'Well, she looks good doesn't she.'

If you are going to try cross-country skiing,

start with a small country.

I know I got a lot of exercise
the last few years,......
just getting over the hill.


We all get heavier as we get older,

because there's a lot more information in our heads.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Every time I start thinking too much
about how I look,
I just find a Happy Hour place; (my living room watching Farscape with my husband)
and by the time I leave,
I look just fine!! (MOUNTAIN DEW - SUPER NOVA IS THE BOMB!!!!!!!!)

First Important Lesson - Cleaning Lady

This past week my friend, Elizabeth Dille, sent me an e-mail with a subject header:

This will make you think about the way we treat people.

This e-mail contained several Lessons and after reading each one of them I thought it would be great to share them with my family as individual blog entries.

FIRST IMPORTANT LESSON - Cleaning Lady

"During my second month of college, our professor gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student and had breezed through the questions until I read the last one: 'What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?'

Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the cleaning woman several times. She was tall, dark-haired and in her 50's, but how would I know her name?

I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank. Just before class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward our quiz grade.

'Absolutely,' said the professor. 'In your careers, you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say 'hello.'

I've never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her name was Dorothy."

I have worked at Harbor Freight Tools for 4 1/2 years in the payroll department and work with about 200 managers and am responsible for over 2000 employees. I know about 10% of the store managers by name and location. I am certain that if I wanted to, I could know all 200 store managers by name and location. I am also certain that each one of them knows me. It is a matter of wanting to and actually caring about others.

In the past 4 1/2 years I have come to know one of our employees well enough to know that he knows each person in the office by name. This is actually amazing. Brian spent a better part of his adult life using various drugs including crystal meth. Due to the duration of the drug abuse and the quantities, Brian is a lot like a mentally handicapped person. Despite his weakness, he always says hello to each person that he sees and attempts to communicate. He is thoughtful and caring.

If we all were a little more thoughtful, a little more out-going and a little more caring we would know the cleaning lady's name or the name of the old man that lives two doors down. Do we know the name of each child in our neighborhood? Do we acknowledge each person that we see with a smile and a warm greeting? Do we try to get to know the single sister in our ward or the investigator trying to learn more about Christ?

I have wondered why some people join the church and realized it was because someone said hello; invited them to sit with them; included them in conversation with already established friends. Do we leave our comfort zones and reach out to others? Fellowshipping is extremely important for the investigator or a convert. The Holy Ghost testifies of the truthfullness of the gospel to the spirit. Our fellowshipping testifies of the the truthfullness of the gospel to the heart.

When Victor was investigating the church I knew that he could not be pushed or forced into joining the church. Bishop Ramirez and Brother Frankenburg were the great facilitators in Victor's conversion. Their sincere friendship and fellowship towards him opened the doors to his conversion. The patience of the ward members and the missionaries allowed the spirit to reach Victor's heart because he did not feel pressured. I am grateful for the sound counsel of our Father in Heaven found in Doctrine and Covenants section 121 verses 41 and 42:

"No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by vitue of the priesthood, only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned; By kindness, and pure knowledge, which shall greatly enlarge the soul without hypocrisy, and without guile--"

Because I have seen the power of friendship on the soul and eternal salvation I have determined to extend my personality to others, especially those who are seeking truth and light. I have made a new friend who is currently investigating the church and knows that she will commit to baptism, but will not do so if she feels pressured. I know that she knows the church is true. I also know that she wants to feel a part of the ward family and that she belongs. She is a good friend and I know that she will find great joy as a member of the church.

I hope that each one of us can find the time in our lives to extend our friendship to those around us. What a wonderful way to express our gratitude for the gospel and the tender mercies we receive from day to day from a loving Heavenly Father.