Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Tagged!

I've been tagged! My friend Aimslee, Aimeslee was here... , thinks something has happened to me. Thanks for worrying about me, but life just gets in the way sometimes! So after checking on my last post 3 times, she tagged me!

Here are the rules for it:
1. Link to the person that tagged you (that's me) and post these rules on your blog before you answer.
2. Share 7 random and/or weird facts about yourself (on your blog, we all want to know them).
3. Tag 7 random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs. (But don't tag me back).
4. Let each person know that they've been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

So here my random and wierd facts -

1 - I am like a walking encyclopedia! I know tons of useless but impressive pieces of trivia! If someone in my family doesn't know how to spell a word, or where they heard a story, or need some info on local wildlife or geological features, they call me. If anyone of my friends ever makes it on to Millionaire, I will be the friend they call!



2 - Speaking of geological, my major in college was geology. In my younger days, my firmest desire was to work for the federal government, manning one of those fire towers in the forest, where I could while away my days reading books! I thought it was so romantic! But even though I am an accountant (long story) now, I still love my rocks! We went to the Grand Canyon, Zions and Bryce Canyon in 2006, and I was in heaven! Surrounded by all my rock formations!



3 - At one time in my life I could hang ten! For those of you not from California, that is surfing! I was born in Idaho, but my family moved to So. Cal. when I was a baby and I lived there for the first 13 years of my life. I grew up in Huntington Beach and practically lived on the beach. Later we moved back to Idaho and somehow I could never equate skiing with surfing! I am not much of a winter sport fan, I simply wait it out for spring, when I can plant things and go camping!



4 - I have never looked my age. Wonderful now, but it wasn't great when I was 19 and 21 and getting ID'ed even though I was legal. When I was 23 we went to a casino in Reno to play the slots. I went to buy a roll of nickels (I really don't like to gamble) and they asked for my ID! I had left it back at the hotel, never dreaming this would happen! My dad finally convinced them that I was really 23 and the mother of 3 kids! I do have fun surprising people now when I tell them my age and that I have 6 grandkids!

5 - I wanted to be a country singer! Really, I did! I was even in a local Wrangler Country Showdown once. My problem? I don't drink (being LDS afterall) and I don't like bars! That is pretty much the standard area to get discovered. I had a few chances along the way, but didn't want to take time away from my family, so I passed them up. But sometimes, when no one is around, I like to belt out a good song! I have settled for singing at family reunions, the local county fair and funerals!

6 - I am an insomniac, thanks to my oldest son, who never came home on time. I would stay up waiting for him. Now he is 28, and doesn't live with me, but I still can't sleep. I go to bed about 1-2 every morning and get up with my 15 yr old at 6:30! I try to catch 30 minutes in the afternoon, but I don't always make it!

7 - I am a Rachel Ray 30 minute meal addict! I love that show! My guilty pleasure is also Law and Order, SVU. I put my family to bed and watch it at 11:00 every night!

So there you go Aimslee! And since everyone I know that has a blog has already been tagged, I will pass on tagging anyone else!

Chris


Happy Anniversary!




On Sunday, October 28th, my husband, Eugene, and I celebrated 30 years of marriage! Quite a feat in today's world! In some ways it feels like we have been together always, and in other ways I can't believe it has been 30 years! Theres alot of water under the bridge and even though if someone had shown me a movie of the last 30 years I would have run away screaming, I wouldn't change any of it! We have wonderful kids and great grandkids! I still get goosebumps when I look at him! Makes me wonder what the next 30 years will be like!

We spent the weekend, going out to eat, going out to eat again and taking a long drive through Yellowstone. This holds special meaning to us, since the week before our wedding, we made the same drive through Yellowstone and on over to Jackson Hole. It really hasn't changed that much, but it was kind of new and different anyways. It made me think about how 30 years was a long time for us, but for Yellowstone, it was just another day, so to speak. Anyways, when we first came into the park, the steam was rising off of the pots and the geisers and it was really amazing to see. And while we did not see any bull elk, we did see a lot of cows and their calves and we did see a lot of buffalo. It doesn't matter how many times I see wildlife, it still fascinates me. So enjoy the pictures we took and give someone you love a hug today!



Enjoy the day!



Chris

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

I Hate Colds!

I have had a long couple of weeks. Extensions were up on tax returns on October 15, which meant that we had people in a frenzy at the last minute to get their tax returns done! So I was really looking forward to today, because it is my day off and I have been working them anyways lately. I had so many plans to work on my scrapsbooks, which I haven't done in a few weeks, and to get ready for the Express the Moment crop that Chelsea and I are going to on Saturday.

So what happened? I woke up with a lousy sore throat and a runny nose! This is like the 3rd cold I have had in the past 2 months! I am so tired of this! Of course I have no energy, of course nothing tastes good, and of course my eyes hurt! I am usually a really healthy person, so I don't know why I am getting so many of these. I eat healthy, take multi-vitamins, and try to take care of myself. I guess it is stress. But how do you get rid of that? That is one I cannot figure out!

So I am going to end before I make everyone else sick! If it is possible to pass it through a blog, I would probably do it! I will come back tomorrow when hopefully I feel better.

Stay healthy today!

Chris

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Just because!


We recently got a new kitten, named Ginger. She is the cutest little Siamese, with the bluest eyes. Anyways, my schnauzers Toby and Missy, weren't sure they liked this. They kept trying to chase her away!

Well, one afternoon, Gene crawled into his chair for his Saturday afternoon nap, and the dogs jumped up their usual spots, Missy on his left and Toby on his right. After a minute, Ginger jumped up their too, not wanting to be left out! Missy wasn't sure she liked it, but they all snuggled in for the afternoon siesta. It was one of those Kodak moments! So I grabbed my camera and snapped this picture!

And that's another day at the Scott household Zoo!

Chris


Monday, October 15, 2007

To Honor and Serve


On October 4, 2007 Vincent George Kamka, age 23 and of Idaho Falls, Idaho, was killed in the line of duty in Bayji, Iraq. He was returned to his parents, Chuck & Brenda Kamka, on the next Wednesday and this last Saturday he was buried in the Annis Little Butte cemetery, which sits on the other side of the butte from where I live. Even though I personally did not know the Kamkas, I was drawn to the Menan Lorenzo Highway, which is the main route from Idaho Falls to the Annis Little Butte cemetery. We went down to the corner at about 1:00 to wait for them to arrive. We noticed that up and down the road were flags posted about every 500 feet. We drove down to Menan and Lewisville and saw that each community had done the same thing. And at the church in Menan, the scouts had gathered to get their chance to honor Vince.


At about 1:30 we saw the flash of the sheriff's lights and here they came. At the front of the procession was the POW/MIA bike club, posing as the honor guard for this solemn procession. Following the hearse was at least 100 cars, carrying friends and family of this humble soldier. I was struck with how quiet it was as each car drove past us. A few waved, as if to acknowledge that we were here to share their grief.


We went on up to the top of the butte, to look down on the cemetery, with it's flag lined fence and roads. We quietly watched as the pall bearers bore him to his final resting place and caught wisps of the dedicatory prayer. We listened as someone sang and then as they did the 21 gun salute.








After having seen all these flags as a sign of pride, a sign of support, I don't know if I will ever look at the flag the same again. We have flown our flag in our yard at half staff, in respect for the Kamkas since the funeral. I hope his mom knows that here in Annis, all of us moms have shed a tear for her and that we know that a truly great soldier lies here among us. We will watch over him for you.





Heavenly Father, bless the soldiers in harms way, keep them safe!

Chris

Monday, October 8, 2007

Snow!!!!!?!?!?!?

So I don't know if you heard, but it snowed in Southeastern Idaho on Saturday! Now it may have been 90 degrees everywhere else, and we may have only gotten our first frost about a week ago, and the trees may have still had all their leaves, but heh, this is Idaho, right?


When it started, I didn't think too much of it. Then we had about 3 inches and the branches were starting to sag. My apple trees still have apples on them too, so I began to worry that we might have some branches break.





So out we went to knock off the branches! And suddenly, it really began to snow! Great big, wet flakes!






Then we started to hear trees popping all around us, like gun shots! Branches were falling every few seconds! We watched the trees across the dry bed continually loose branches, minute after minute!


















When the storm was over, the ground was completely littered with branches! The picture below shows this, the yellow under the trees is the branches that broke off! There wasn't a house in Rigby that didn't loose some branches, and even in Rexburg and Idaho Falls, on either side of us! When it was all done, Rigby had the record snowfall of 6 inches!
















Conference!
On a lighter note, the General Conference for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) was held this weekend. It is held in the Conference Center in Salt Lake City, but broadcasted around the world. There are 4 sessions, 2 on Saturday and 2 on Sunday. It is a wonderful chance for us to receive counsel and learn gospel principles from the leaders of our church! We get a chance to be spiritually fed and uplifted!




This time, there were some changes in the leadership. President James E Faust, who was the 2nd counselor in the First Presidency, passed away in August.



James E. Faust



Saturday morning, President Gordon B. Hinckley called and we sustained, Elder Henry B. Eyring to be the new first counselor.



Henry B. Eyring



This in turn left a vacancy in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, which was fille by Quentin L. Cook.




Quentin L. Cook



When I was little, I always thought these leaders looked so old! All of a sudden, they are starting to look younger and younger! It couldn't be that I am getting old!

When President Eyring spoke on Sunday, he talked about being thankful for blessings and trials and even the simple things like the beautiful flowers growing outside your windows. So here it goes for me -

I am thankful that I live in a country where I can choose how I worship my Heavenly Father and that I can even talk about it! I am thankful for the family unit, mine in particular! I am thankful that I have the means to make a written and pictoral history of my family, to hand down through the generations! And I thankful that I can share my thoughts with you on this blog!

So I would like to encourage you to go and find something that you are thankful for today! Embrace the ordinary and love the simple!


Chris