Weekly Recap......

So I know you all are just going "I wonder what Charity did this week?" So I thought I would do my best to put your wondering minds at rest and give a brief (I hope) update.

I worked Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday...... Wednesday I worked a "short" day, 9 1/2 hours, and took the kids to the USU Women's Basketball game to watch Rainee dance with LaShars dance team during half time. I must admit I did this very begrugling because I was tired and the thought of taking 4 kids to the stadium didn't sound very good, but we went. Amazingly it went very well. Rainee danced very good, had big smiles and big arms so we could see her well, and Mason was extremely frigtened of Big Blue (the USU Mascot) that he sat very still in his seat the entire time so he wouldn't "get" him. It was kind of sad because there wasn't a huge attendance at the game Big Blue didn't have many kids to play with so he kept coming over to mess with the boys, but Mason would cry and say "No bear, no" which was also funny because Big Blue is a Bull, but it didn't matter to Mason. While the night went well it was long and we didn't get home until 8:30 which was basically bedtime.

Worked Thursday.....Friday....well thursday night I started to feel ill at 10:00 PM and then spent the entire night throwing up. To spare you the details it sucked. I hate throwing up and did it once an hour from 12 - 6 AM. Well needless to say I couldn't go into work, and this was a big deal because of our season. But I last was sick at 6 AM and I literally laid in bed for 12 hours and finally felt like getting up around 6 PM. And that is a big deal because I don't have a TV in my room. So I just laid there like a bump for 12 hours thinking about how much work I needed to do and seeing how many hymns I could remember and sing. It's amazing how many I actually know. So at about 9:00 PM I was wide awake and feeling normal, so it was then time to go to bed.

Saturday. Woke up and made it to work by 8:30. Work, work, work....both Bowen and colton had basketball games today. Bowen won his game again and he did great, and so did Colton. We are happy Bowen is on a winning team. For the last year he has been on teams that had "fun" but really didn't lean anything. He seems to have found a coach this time who teaches the boys while having fun and it shows. They are right now the "team to beat"

Right after that we went out to Bill and Julie's ranch. Let me just say we really enjoy spending time with them. We also appreciate it very much when we get invited to do activities with them. They are very nice and welcoming and we enjoy it a lot. Today we were invited to come over and go ice skating. Well the duck pond was frozen over. It was the perfect. The sun was shining and it was beautiful. the pond is kind of shaped like a peanut and not to big or not to small. So there was a nice group of people there. Some of Misty's friends, us and the Craws (vickie, lydia, mallorie)and of course Julie and Bill. Let me tell you Uncle Bill is great on his skates and he is the speed deamon to watch out for. Anyways Aunt Vickie put some skates on and I recall hearing her say "it's like riding a bike right, it will come back to you?" and I thought I couldn't wait to see this. So I snapped a picture of Aunt Vickie and Aunt Julie upright on skates just to prove Aunt Vickie really did skate, and I don't think she fell. Scott couldn't find a pair of skates big enough for him "darn his size 13 foot" but he shoveled the frost off almost the entire pond so the kids could skate faster, which they loved. Then I offered a trade of 2 containers of raspberry freezer jam for some fresh fish Bill had just caught, and boy it is nice. We love fish and that is our sunday dinner now. Fresh lake trout from Bear Lake and roasted potatoes. Yum Yum!!!! Well then I had to leave early to go back to work and put in a few more hours (4) and right when I left Josie and Cliff showed up to add to the party.

Thanks so much Bill and Julie for allowing us to enjoy your ranch!!!

Here are some pics of the fun today.

WARNING......WARNING.....

This is my blog, so it is time to put it what it is meant for, and that is for me to unload and feel better. What I am about to say is political and I am upset about it. If you get upset please know that I warned you.

A year ago in February my cousin in Spokane was murdered (we still lived in the area) since that time it has been a roller coaster ride for the family with the prosecution and the ongoing legal process. In fall of last year the prosecutor started to decide what to charge Justin Crenshaw with and whether to seek the death penalty or not. Now being the Mormon and Republican that I am I am for the death penalty in cases such as this. It goes with the eye for an eye thing, and that taking another life is an unforgivable sin, and forgiveness can only BEGIN once your life has been taken. So this man, who had a prior record of stabbing someone, who did not die, and was in prison for 18 months, has now murdered 2 innocent people who barely knew him and they have decided to NOT seek the death penalty. Why do you ask? I don't know. The prosecutor has not released his reasoning yet. I know that my family wanted them to seek the death penalty and they did petition the prosecutor for it, but I believe the family of the girl did not. It just blows my mind they wouldn't. How could you not?

He went to that house upset and cut up 2 people with a sword, and then pinned Tanner to the floor with the sword (2 counts of murder) then set teh house on fire (arson) and many many other lesser charges, and they aren't going for the death penalty!!!!! I think Tanner deserves the prosecutor going for the highest punishment possible, but he is not.

Now this brings me to my next point. Yes you can ask for the death penalty, and it's a scary word, but in Washington State no one has been killed via the death penalty since 1994 and they only offer hanging and firing squad, but mostly hanging. So even if they did convict him and give him the sentence of death, chances are he wouldn't ever see that part of his sentencing come to pass. At least if he is condemed to death he doesn't mingle with the general prision people and will serve the rest of his life in somewhat of a solitary state. If he is sentenced to say life without parole, he lives a fairly normal prison life with friends and such (if you can call them that) knowing that is the hardest his life will get, a bed, food and a roof over his head with other human contact.

You can probably tell this has really bothered me, and I am rambling, but I am tired and overworked. I hit 40 hours today and it is only Wednesday.

Well that is what I think, and I am still upset about it (as is my family in Washington) but there is nothing we can do, just let the justice system run its' course and just pray for a trial one of these days (it keeps getting postponed).

Guess What Season It Is.......

And no I don't mean tax season........



That's right folks, basketball season is here. Bowen & Colton are playing Jr. Jazz and they love it. They had their first games yesterday and Bowen won his game 24-6 and he scored 12 points. WAY TO GO BOWEN!!!! and then Colton had his first game and they won 20-16 with Colton making a bunch of points also. He also has the opportunity to show off his NBA moves with some fancy dribbling that shocked and amazed his opponenets. He also has a few steals, he loves stealing the ball. So overall it was a great game.

So since blogger is being dumb and won't do my pictures correctly, here they are in no particular order. Have a nice weekend.







On an interesting point, looking at Colton's picture, it amazes me how much energy these smaller kids put into trying to make the basket. colton puts so much into it, he came home and slept the afternoon away.

Update

So here ends my first week at working 12 hour days. When they told me what January entailed when i started my job I said ok. I knew it would be a lot of work and long hard hours, but there was really no way to put into words how much work or hours until I actually did it. And now I find it hard to explain how much work it is. I will say that please don't take for granted when you get your W-2 in the mail or your 1099, and don't complain when it does not come until the very end of the month. The amount of work to produce those documents is unsurmountable. SERIOUSLY. I would liken it to what Michael is going through in his residency, BUT I have an end to mine. January 31 is my end, but until that time I will give it all I have and then some and I will make it through. Instead of going 1 day at a time, it is more like 1 hour at a time. If I try to look at the big picture in this case then I will go crazy. You are all probably thinking that I am over-exagerrating, but please believe me that it is much worse than what I can put into words, and I would see why the firm would take their employees on a cruise after tax season, or offer any number or "gifts" because these are very dedicated people who do this type of work.

So enough of that. I noticed something different the other day when I was looking at the Logan Temple. I did some research to make sure I was not loosing my mind and found out I was right. What was that you say? Well the temple spires used to be lit up at night with a beautiful green glow.



Well I noticed that it is now lit by a very bright and beautiful white lighting. Now I noticed this and my husband didn't, and neither did my other family, but I tend to pay attention to small things like this. So here is a beautiful picture of the Logan Temple now lit with beautiful white lighting.




Interesting huh?

Well wish me luck this next week, and I will let you know if I am still alive. Just for kicks, Rainee's bday is this next week and because of my schedule Scott is in charge of her birthday party with her friends. We have also postponed out anniversay on 1/24 to February, and Scott graduates from school on 2/2/09, I can be very thankful that it isn't in January or I do not know if I could make it.

HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!!!!!!