SNAKE ON THE LOOSE

I think I'm going to pull all of my hair out and put my fingers through my eyeballs!

The snake has been out of it's cage for over 24 hours now.

I have spent 7 of the last 24 hours looking for the snake.
I have called it almost every swear word (in my mind, of course.)
My basement looks like a tornado has gone through it.
We have turned the house (especially the basement) upside down in search of the snake.
I told Daren if we didn't find it by sundown I'd be going to sleep at a hotel. But now that sundown has happened hours ago, I find myself still in my house obsessed with finding the *#!&@* snake!
I've had friends, neighbors and Tanner's Deacon's Quorum help in our search.
Still no snake.
I missed the first 2 hours of church today in search of the snake.
I've even started saying, "Here Snakey, Snakey. Come out, PLEASE!"
We've set traps with dead mice on plastic in the middle of the basement floor, complete with grocery sacks and a baby monitor to alert us via sound if the snake came to eat the mouse.
Still no snake.
We have prayed several times to find the snake.
I've called animal control - they are closed on Sundays AND they only come out if a human's life is in danger. NOTE TO ANIMAL CONTROL-I'M GOING TO DIE IF I HAVE TO SLEEP IN MY HOUSE WITH A SNAKE HAVING FREE REIGN!
We've done Google searches of how to capture a snake in your house.
They say to put flour on the carpet and doorways so you can see its trail. That's great if you live in an APARTMENT! Just what I want 3 days before Thanksgiving, a house full of flour!
I feel like I'm going insane trying to find this snake.
It is going to haunt me in my dreams.
It's still not too late to get a hotel, right?

To all of you who told me over and over again, "You are NUTS having a snake in your house, etc." You were SO RIGHT! Sure wish I had listened! When I find that snake, he is as good as DEAD!

CHRISTMAS LIGHTS

In the next few days, the Christmas light guy is coming to hang our Christmas lights. This makes me very nervous because my Ute neighbors across the street use the same Christmas light guy. Last year, they were so mad that we had blue and white lights and they had just white lights. I sure hope with Rivalry Week quickly approaching that they don't pull a fast one and I end up with red and white lights on my house.

In the Christmas light spirit, my dad sent me this funny picture about Christmas lights. Maybe if the 'Ute house' ends up like the one of the left, we will have to be like the one of the right.

HEAD OVER HEALS

One thing I love about my husband...he makes the BEST anniversary, birthday, holiday, vacation, etc. plans!

We went to Las Vegas to celebrate our wedding anniversary this week. Daren had some work there so I tagged along and he took me to my FAVORITE restaurant....Morton's. I love that place. They have the BEST steaks. They even printed our name on the menu.
Then he totally surprised me with this beautiful anniversary necklace.

How awesome is Daren? Seriously, I am SO happy to be married to him and I am head over heals in love with him! He is such a great husband and father. I feel so blessed to be married to such a wonderful man.

HOWEVER, our babysitter got sick and all 3 kids got sick while we were gone. I frantically flew home early to tend to my little brood. One is really sick, hopefully sans Swine but that is still yet to be seen, the other is sick but on the mend and the third one was SO tired that I think she just wanted sympathy. Five minutes after the babysitter left she started sobbing. I asked her what is wrong and she said, "I miss... (I think she's going to say I missed you) but she says, "I miss Sydney (the babysitter)! Gee, I wasn't missed much around here! But hopefully everyone will be on the mend soon. I'm just hoping so bad that we are Swine-free around here. Guess we will find out soon.

SURPRISE, SURPRISE

Thanks to our wonderful neighbor Michelle, Daren surprised the girls with tickets to Disney Princess On Ice. He gave them the tickets just hours before it started. They were so excited! We had a wonderful evening. Check out the video when they open their BIG surprise!

THE COUNTDOWN HAS BEGUN

Abby's trip 2 years ago with me to Maryland and Pennsylvania

Every year we have a tradition of taking one child on a trip. Last year Daren took Camille to Los Angeles and to Knott's Berry Farm. Next spring, Daren is taking Tanner to Magic Mountain in Los Angeles. But for now, it is Abby's turn. Later this month, Daren is taking her to Sea World in San Diego. Everyday I wake up to the same question, "Mom, how many more days until Daddy takes me on our trip?"

I know they are going to have a lot of fun and I heard Daren whisper in Abby's ear, "I am going to spoil you dirty rotten!" I can only imagine the amount of sugar, amusement park food, and soda that will be consumed. Not to mention, the souvenirs that will be brought home!

No wonders why everyone wants to go on a trip with Daren!

MAKING US LAUGH

From the time Camille was a baby, she has always said and done the FUNNIEST things. We have laughed and laughed through the years with some of the things that have come out of her mouth. This past week, a few funny things have happened.

1. We were watching her favorite TV show, Challenge on the Food Network when a commercial for Lindor Truffles came on.

The announcer on the commercial said, "Do you dream in chocolate?"
Camille who loves chocolate more than anything exclaimed, "Oh yes I do!"
That's my girl!

2. Recently my friend was watching her. My friend has a baby named Mitch. Camille asked my friend, "Is the baby's name Mitch or Bitch?" I about died of embarrassment when my friend told me this because I have NO IDEA where she heard that word. My friend reassured me that she did not know what she was asking when she was wondering what the baby's name was.

3. Tonight at dinner, I was telling the kids how I wanted so bad to go up the canyon this fall and see all of the beautiful leaves. They all looked at me like I was from Mars because none of them had any desire to go look at the fall foliage.

Camille said, "Yeah the only thing I like to do in the canyon is drink." We all burst out laughing. Tanner had to clarify what exactly Camille likes to drink in the canyon. She said, water of course.

4. Then we had to remind her of when she was a baby/toddler. I had to tape her clothes and PJ's together or she would take all her clothes off and her diaper. She would make a mess with #1 or #2 in her bed if she could get out of her clothes. That is why she would have no bedding and nothing on her walls and the crib would stay in the middle of the room. It was one of the most disgusting things! Our babysitters would think we were nuts because before we would leave, I would tell the babysitter, "PLEASE DO NOT FORGET to tape up Camille's pajamas before she goes to bed!" Now Camille laughs and laughs at those stories. I would go through so much tape when she was a baby. So glad those days are over.

But she is still making us laugh! Even the boys in Tanner's junior high carpool said the other day, "We LOVE Camille! She is SO funny and says the funniest things."

SPUDMAN

Daren's dad brought us several boxes of FRESH IDAHO POTATOES. They are so good. We have way more than we could possibly eat. If anyone wants some, let me know. He is truly our SPUDMAN because he always brings us Idaho potatoes every fall and they are SO yummy!

My kids would appreciate it because I think they are sick of having them every night with dinner.