Day 5 - June 4

Hi from Jackson Hole, WY! Wow is the weather cool here! It was 48 when we drove in yesterday and I think the high is supposed to be 51. We were glad we put on pants and tennis shoes!

I told Erynn the only thing she has seen on the trip is the inside of her eyelids!LOL She has been a great navigator and speed monitor!


It was a beautiful drive up here. I definetely like the Utah, WY, ID area more than the desert of NM,AZ, NV. I love the greens better than the browns.



We drove through Provo Canyon and saw the Bridal Veil Falls.



There were several wild life refuges and we saw these antelope.






This is the snake river. It's huge!

Today we are off to the Grand Teton and Yellowstone!

Day 4 - June 3

Erynn and I got up and walked the strip this morning! We actually slept in until about 8 a.m. and made it down to the strip by 10 a.m. Most of the shops didn't open until 10 a.m. We both found purses that we just had to have. There was even a mall on the strip and we found a cute store called ABC Store - they are a convenience chain from Hawaii. We got some cute stuff in there!LOL We also learned that when you get too warm or need to use the restroom to walk into any of the casinoes. Did I say that sodas were $3 a piece? By 1:30 we had to get the heck out of dodge! We had spent way too much money on food, fun and sodas.

We saw the Las Vegas Speedway-



We hit the road on our way to Utah toward the Grand Tenton's and Yellowstone. We only made it to Cedar City, Utah. We have about 500 miles to make it to the Grand Tenton's. After being in the hot sun all day long I was tired. This town is so pretty and new. I asked Erynn if she would like to move here thinking she would say "no way" but she said "yes, we would be close to Vegas"!

Utah is beautiful. So much greenier.

Day 3- June 2nd

Erynn and I left Holbrook, AZ on our way to the Grand Canyon - which was about a three hour drive. After being on the road just a few minutes we came across Jackrabbit, AZ. Michele C. has photos of when they went through a few years ago so I knew it what it was and so we made a quick stop.

I had to beg Erynn to get out of the car to just take a photo of me! She would not stand by it or get on it for me to take a photo of her! Party pooper!

The Grand Canyon is a sight to see. It's just breathtaking and so hard to catch the true beauty in a photo. It was a little hazy so the colors just aren't as strong in the photos as they were in real life.




The one thing that made me really nervous was there wasn't very much safety railing at all and I know that's so it doesn't mess up the view. I am really glad that Erynn is grown up enough to listen because I heard plenty of parents threatening their young ones to stay on the path. People were climbing all over the side of it! For someone that's afraid of heights it was a little nerve racking for me!

We had this squirrel come up to us on the path begging for food.

He tried like crazy to get us to feed him. He was the fatest squirrel I have ever seen!

The landscape to the Grand Canyon was real surprising for me. I figured it would be dry with brush like what we had been seeing but you go through several national forest to get there and there are pine trees everywhere. Much greenier than what we had been seeing!

We left the Grand Canyon heading to the Hoover Dam. Of what all we had seen the Hoover Dam and Lake Meade are two of my favorites of sights to see. The water at Lake Meade was a beautiful turqouise color that reminds me of the when the warm water comes into the gulf in Florida. To get to the Dam you still have to go through checkpoints since 9/11. There is a lot of construction where it looks like they are doing a new bridge.




As we were leaving the dam we drove down to Lake Meade and it's beautiful. You have the turqouise blue with the red of the rock - just beautiful!


Then Ms. Garmin led us to Treasure Island in Vegas! Wow what a town! We saw the siren show.



Oh I tried my hand at the slots while Erynn used Wifi in the room. I had a blast on the 2cent machine and had won $50 and lost it back to the casino. I walked in and played a $50 and cashed out with $50.50. 50 cent gain!LOL

2nd Day May 31,2008

< Leaving the hotel this was the view we had. I still can't get over how far you can see. On the way to 4 Corners today and Petrified National Forest.
On the way to the four corners we saw Shiprock.
I was told that I would be disappointed in the 4 Corners but honestly the drive was something to see. We went through at town called Cuba, NM that was a really cute town. We did a little shopping at 4 corners - Erynn got a anklet and I got a bracelet with the 4 corner embelm on it. They had baby bracelets made of glass beads and juniper beads that were to keep ghost/evil away from the babies.

Through the reservations it was unbelieveable the conditions they live in. Erynn and I were fascinated with the round houses - we definetely want to find out more about them. They used anything they had to make their barns, corrals. Here they live in very simple conditions but they have the most beautiful view out their back door. Makes you think about whether or not we really need all our gadgets to be happy doesn't it. Erynn said our little modest house makes us look rich to what a lot of them have. I think it was a eye opener for her too.
This is inside the petrified forest in the painted forest.
Erynn wanted this photo for her My Space page!


This is the Blue Mesa in the petrified forest.
Mule deer on the side of the road.


We took a 1 mile hike into the Blue Mesa and going down was easy but coming back up in flip flops was rough! We spent the night in Holbrook, AZ and ate at a little italian restaurant called The Mesa Italian. We drove about 650 miles and will be leaving for the Grand Canyon tomorrow!

Wildlife - We have seen prairie dogs, cows, horses, some goats, lambs, mule deer and lots of crows!

Until tomorrow!

1st day of road trip

Erynn and I left the state of Arkansas at about 6 a.m. with Ms. Garmin in her womanly voice telling us to turn right and off we went!

I knew that today's travels would mostly be boring -we are both in a rush to get to the Grand Canyon and see it so we didn't sight see much through Texas or Oklahoma.

We saw all the windmill/turbin things in Oklahoma. Those things are huge and I kept trying to figure out how I could get one of those in my backyard to use for electricity!

On I40 in Texas is the huge cross you can see for miles and miles but we actually missed the exit for it.

Erynn laughed at me because I stopped and took pictures of "nothingness" in Texas. I have never seen anything like it and New Mexico is looking like Texas except more red clay.


In Amarillo we spray painted the cadillacs and then we were off to New Mexico!




We made it to Moriarty, NM and spent the night. In the morning we'll start the trip to the 4 corner states!

Strawberry Ooey Gooey Butter Cake

This recipe is out of Paula Deen's magazine and is to die for!

18.25 oz pkg strawberry cake mix
1/2 c butter, softened
4 large eggs
8 oz pkg cream cheese, softened
16 oz box confectioners sugar
3/4 c chopped fresh strawberries

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a 13x9 inch baking pan. In a large bowl, combine cake mix, butter and 1 egg. Press mixture into bottom of prepared pan. In a separate large bowl, beat cream cheese and 3 eggs at medium speed with a electric mixer until smooth. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar until combined. Stir in strawberries and spoon mixture over cake mixture. Bake for 35-40 min or until center is set. Cool completely; cut into squares to serve. Garnish with sweetened whipped cream and strawberries. I served with vanilla ice cream.

I made this for my Mom for Mother's Day and my Dad requested that I leave the pan at his house! It's one of the best cakes I've had in a while and that says a lot from me because I'm a chocolate-oholic and this doesn't have chocolate in it.

The other recipe I made this weekend for my scrapbooking ladies was:
Double Chocolate Gooey Butter Cake

Butter, for greasing pan, plus 16 tablespoons (2 sticks) butter, melted
1 (18.25 ounce) package chocolate cake mix
1 egg, plus 2 eggs
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
3 to 4 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 (16-ounce) box powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped nuts
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Lightly grease a 13 by 9-inch baking pan. In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, 1 egg, and 8 tablespoons (1 stick) melted butter, and stir until well blended. Pat mixture into prepared pan and set aside. In a stand mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the remaining 2 eggs, and the cocoa powder. Lower the speed of the mixer, and add the powdered sugar. Continue beating until ingredients are well mixed. Slowly add the remaining 8 tablespoons (1 stick) of melted butter, and the vanilla, continuing to beat the mixture until smooth. Stir in nuts with a rubber spatula. Spread filling over cake mixture in pan.
Bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Be careful not to overcook the cake; the center should still be a little gooey when finished baking. Let cake partially cool on a wire rack before cutting into pieces.

This cake was a huge hit too and only a few bites came home with me but if I had to choose between them I think I would go with the strawberry - shuuush - don't tell anyone!

How life has changed

Many of you know Daisy and this is my last photo with her. I haven't seen Daisy since January at my parent's house. They think she has babies and is taking care of them so maybe we'll meet again. In January, my Dad told me he thought she was living underneath one of their buildings toward the back of their property and so I went out at dusk time and called and called Daisy really thinking that she wouldn't come. I heard some scurrying behind me and I turned and there was Daisy running as fast as she could to me. I honestly was nervous wondering if I should put my hands down to her or not so I decided I would bend down and put my hands out and see if she would come to me. Daisy was in my arms before I could get completely down. She let me hold her in my arms and pet her belly (holding like a baby) and she gave me kisses and then she was on my shoulder and off we went to the house to get her a treat. My mom took this photo and said she wasn't sure who was smiling bigger me or Daisy. All I know is this little creature wiggled her way into my heart more so than any pet I have ever had. We have truly been blessed to share some time with her.


Graduation for my Associates happened at the end of April. It took a little over three years but I accomplished it. So I have the first summer off in three years! ROAD TRIP! Erynn and I are hitting the road at the end of May for a little bit over two weeks going everywhere out west and back. We have never done a long trip like this together before but we have the gps and are ready to roll! Check back because we are going to try to keep a running journal of our travels.

TV Giveaway!

5 Minutes for Mom is Giving One of You a 37″ Flat-Panel LCD HDTV!!!
Yes, you read that correctly - even though I can hardly believe it myself - we are giving away an Insignia® 37″ Flat-Panel LCD HDTV!!! This incredible prize is valued at $799.99 and is courtesy of Best Buy.

I know! How exciting is that?!? (I just wish I could enter to win it!)

So do you want to know more about your future TV? Well, this is one fabulous prize…

The ultra slim, lightweight Insignia® 37″ Flat-Panel LCD HDTV (Model: NS-LCD37) features 1366×768 Resolution, with 16:9 widescreen ratio for cinema-quality viewing. You will be enjoying picture perfect quality from every angle and not missing any details with its built in high definition capabilities.

The TV measures 5″ deep and will look fantastic either in an entertainment center or mounted on a wall (with optional mounting kit, not included.)

Along with a ton of other features - you can read all about them over at Best Buy - this model is equipped with a V-Chip for parent control and is Energy Star compliant.

And - for extra fun - your new TV can double as a PC monitor so that you can download and watch HD movies.

Okay - so you want it of course. We all do! How can you get it? Well, as I promised, one of you is going to win it for free just be entering here!

Here is how to enter:

First - leave a comment here at this post by Friday, August 17th, 2007 at 12:00am Eastern. We will announce the winner Friday morning, August, 17th. Please only comment once - any duplicate entries will be deleted.
Second - on your blog, link to this contest so that your readers can have a chance to win too. You gotta let your readers know about this! And also please link to Best Buy to thank them for sponsoring this great contest. If you are not a blogger, no worries, you obviously can’t link. But please tell your friends about the contest. I am sure they will thank you!
This contest is open to both Canadian and US shipping addresses!!! YEAH!
GOOD LUCK!!!
(Remember someone has to win - and it might very well be YOU!)

Life in general

I am the worst for feeling guilty for making a purchase for myself. I will go out and spend $100 on a pair of running shoes for my daughter but feel guilty if I spend that much on me. What is it with us mom's? I housesit for my boss about twice a year and I usually use that money as mad money for Erynn and I to do whatever we want. This time I bought a "used" not even "new" Cricut machine for my scrapbooking hobby. For those of you that don't know what it is it's a machine that cuts out fonts (like whole words at a time) and shapes. I'm going to sell my other two sizzix fonts since I never use them to maybe buy a new font for my new machine. My new toy will be in Wednesday - oh tomorrow. I can't wait to play with it.

Erynn is leaving Sunday to spend about 11 days with her dad. She is handling it better than she usually does. They are staying in Arkansas and she still has her training for cross country and her dad will get to go to her school orientation and pick up schedules for the 8th grade. It's going to feel very weird at my house after this weekend. I'm taking Friday off to spend the day with her at my parent's pool soaking in the sun and I'm sure we'll eat lunch somewhere. Then Friday night I start my weekend crop. I have packed everything but the kitchen sink. It's going to look like I'm moving in. I can't decide what to take so I'm taking as much as I can!LOL

Please keep Erynn in your thoughts and prayers that she has a good visit with her dad and get's whatever she needs from him. She craves attention from him.

Busyness of Life

Let's see if I can catch everyone up. I purchased a new car in May. A little Honda Civic. It feels great not having to worry about break downs or how I'm going to pay for repairs since this car has warranty. It's funny the things that you worry about as a single parent and money always seems to be one of them right along with "Am I screwing up my child?". I always tease Erynn that I can just see her in her 20's laying on the psychologist's couch saying, "It all started when my mom....". She laughs and tells me she knows I'm doing the best I can.

We still have Daisy. Daisy is still such a joy in our lives. She is spending the days outside in our back yard. She has a dog crate that she hides in under the breezeway or she hides under the lawn mower. She is still just as sweet and gentle as she can be. I'm wondering if this will change. I can't keep her fastened up - it just seems so inhumane. I tell Erynn that there is a big chance she will get ran over but I figure in the wild she has just as big of a chance of that happening too. In the evening she comes inside and puts herself in puppy's dog crate for the night. We let her wonder around the house some when we are home. She love's puppy's bed in the living room and playing with the dog toys. So far she hasn't climbed any furniture yet.

I have been painting again!LOL. Here are pictures of my kitchen and living room that I have been busy painting the last two weeks. I am so glad to have them done. I was starting to get worried about how dark the paint was but it really makes the house seem warm and inviting. I actually spent time in my living room which I never do. I still am in "awe" over it. I can't believe it's my house.

Erynn and I picked out paint for the scrapbook room. Two shades of pink but this will not happen until Christmas break. I was going to do a chair rail but Dad and I were talking about it and we decided to do stripes. He got so excited and wanted to start measuring walls and figuring it out. I had to remind him I wasn't going to do it tell Christmas break!LOL Evidently he's always wanted to do stripes. The scrapbook room will be the last room that needs to be painted decorated other than pictures to put on the walls in my bedroom and the canvas Erynn and I want to do for the living room.


This is one of the chalkboards that I sprayed onto my door in the kitchen. I have two doors (one for the laundry room and one for the pantry)and I decided to make chalkboards on them. I bought the chef stamp from Stampin up and used staz on white ink to stamp him on the spray on chalkboard. Then I painted him in with acrylic paints and stamped "Menu" on one and "list" on the other one. I have wood trim that I need to primer and paint the same color as my trim work. I'll liquid nail that up with some hot glue to hold it in place until it dries since the doors are hollow wood doors. ***Hint*** If you use this spray on chalkboard be sure to tape - I mean tape all the papers around the place you are going to spray it at. Tape, tape and tape. The overspray has a way to sneak in everywhere. The first door I did I ended up having to sand around the chalkboard and repaint the door! YUCK! The second one was fine since I taped, taped, and double taped paper around where I was going to spray.

Daisy the raccoon

At the end of March, our local animal shelter had baby raccoons that they needed foster parents for to bottlefeed to be released back into the wild. So I come home carting this little female raccoon that we named Daisy. Of course since she is a baby the first night all she did was cry every time I tried to hold her - as babies normally do when I try to hold them. My daughter was just in awe of her as I was. Do you know that baby raccoon are not born with their mask or the stripes on their tails? That's how you can tell how old they are. Daisy's ears were just starting to open when we got her.

Oh the noises that a raccoon makes. Daisy can purr like a cat when she is happy. She tells you about it when she's upset, a little squeal noise. She also chatters when she's excited. My mom has her brother and they at first would chatter back and forth with each other but they have been separated enough now that they are not sure of each other.

Erynn the other day put just a little bit of warm water in the bathtub for daisy to play in. She gave her a little cat ball and Daisy would go get it and then bring it to the side of the tub for Erynn. It was too funny. Daisy chattered the whole time.

We have been keeping her in my daughter's bathroom in a dog crate. Erynn made her a long box out of small boxes taped together and Daisy loves to hide in there. It's funny in the morning to walk in there because we always call her name "Daisy", "Daisy" and when she sees that bottle she comes barrelling out. After Daisy finishes her bottle she has to give you lovings. She puts her little feet on your face like she is holding your face and then washes you like a cat washes. Lately she has been getting upset with us when we go to put her up.

Have I told you how soft her little feet are? They are like the finest leather. She loves for me to rub them for her. She has 5 little fingers that are jointed. Her little feet are so amazing!

Now, every time I see a raccoon hit on the road I think that could be Daisy some day. It's a very neat time but a very sad time for us because I know she is wild and we will have to let her go.

2 things my mom always told me to do

Dixie on SBA is really challenging us to blog this week. I have just had my head stuck in World Civilization up to the 1600's this past eight weeks. So it's good to finally think of something else.

When I started junior high my mom always told me to take as many business courses as I could. She said the more I learned the more I would be worth to a business. I took all the typing and business classes I could when I was in junior high and high school. I worked my senior year with a local attorney's office part time while going to school through a work program.

After I got married my mom also told me to always work so that no matter what I would be able to take care of myself. I have basically never not worked. I think the longest I have gone without a job is two weeks since I was eighteen. My ex husband was military and we moved about every three years. I always had a job within two weeks of us moving. I am the type of person that I don't know what to do if I'm not working. I end up cleaning baseboards, etc. I need other human interaction.

I am so thankful for my mother's wisdom. So many women find themselves in the divorce world with several children and no work skills and well it's scary enough being out there with work skills. I am also thankful for my parent's help and encouragement while I go back to college. I started college at the age of 34 with just one class a term at night. I now have 7 classes left to finish my associates in liberal arts so that I can transfer it to one of our 4 yr colleges for Business Management/Accounting degree.

I really want to be a nurse but currently that will have to wait. My daughter is a teenager and well she needs me right now during these tough teenage years. I always tell her that when she starts college I'll start nursing school.

I love to learn new things and the challenge of learning them. I just have to learn not to beat myself up so much over a "B" because 20 yrs from now nobody is going to know whether or not I made straight "A's".

2 Very embarrassing moments in my life....

Hoppy from SBA is trying to get us all the update our blogs. I just haven't been very organized lately and well it's about it drive me crazy. I just can't seem to catch up. I finish both classes tonight and then I have a 1 1/2 weeks off before they start again. Do you think I will get anything done during that week - no I will probably be a slug until right toward the end and try to kill myself to get everything done and then I'll be tired again. LOL Story of my life!

One of the most embarrassing moments of my life has to been when I was about 20. I had a dress on and was in a dress shop to go tan. When I came out of the tanning bed my full skirt was stuck in the back of my panty house and luckily the lady told me. There was a man in there waiting to tan and I'm sure he saw my underwear!LOL Thankfully this was way before the time of butt floss and when I was much younger!

The second one has to deal with a dress again and my darling daughter. I had on this long blue jean dress with a full skirt on and I was waiting in line at Best Buy to have my computer repaired. At the time Erynn was probably around the age of 3 and she was twirling around my legs while I was in line. I had a whole line of people behind me and suddenly I feel air and then my skirt goes back down. My darling daughter had just flashed everyone behind me with a view of my butt. I never turned around I just picked her up and held her the rest of the time. Talk about mortified!LOL

Oh I forgot about the start of my bad luck with dresses. It started when I was in kindergarten wearing a dress my mom had made for me. It was pink and I loved the material. It was so cute. The dress had a high waist on it. At recess I sat down on the swing to swing and the whole front part of the wasit came undone. The teacher on duty sent me to the office and they pinned my dress back together again. My mom never made me another piece of clothing after that!LOL

So see this is why I never wear full skirts or dresses anymore. Way too many embarrassing things happen to me in a dress.