Flying away

Today Todd is flying to Ohio for the weekend. That's pretty cool. And weird -- weird because I'm strangely calm about it. Weird because he'll be flying 1000 miles away on his own. We leave for the airport in an hour. He is so excited to see Chelsey, to go to prom with her, and to see his Ohio friends and family (the Ladle's) again. He has been counting down the days. And now, here it is. Today. In an hour.

What an awesome day

Picture this... beautiful, sunny, warm, slightly humid day in early May, kids laughing, great friends hanging out, eating good (albeit slightly burned) BBQ... that was my day today and it was fabulous!

I got this email today and liked it...


Pick Your Own Personal Reason

When your friends can't explain why they voted for Democratic national politicians, give them this list. They can then pick a reason .

10. I voted Democrat because I believe oil companies' profits of 4% on a gallon of gas are obscene but the government taxing the same gallon of gas at 15% isn't.

9. I voted Democrat because I believe the government will do a better job of spending the money I earn than I would.

8. I voted Democrat because Freedom of speech is fine as long as nobody is offended by it.

7. I voted Democrat because I'm way too irresponsible to own a gun, and I know that my local police are all I need to protect me from murderers and thieves.

6. I voted Democrat because I believe that people who can't tell us if it will rain on Friday can tell us that the polar ice caps will melt away in ten years if I don't start driving a Prius.

5. I voted Democrat because I'm not concerned about the slaughter of millions of babies through abortion so long as we keep all death row inmates alive.

4. I voted Democrat because I think illegal aliens have a right to free health care, education, and Social Security benefits.

3. I voted Democrat because I believe that business should not be allowed to make profits for themselves. They need to break even and give the rest away to the government for redistribution as the democrats see fit.

2. I voted Democrat because I believe liberal judges need to rewrite the Constitution every few days to suit some fringe kooks who would never get their agendas past the voters.

1. I voted Democrat because my head is so firmly planted up my ass that it is unlikely that I'll ever have another point of view.


I'll keep my Freedom, my God and my Guns...
You keep the Change...

'The will of God will never take you where the Grace of God will not protect you.'

Get Out and vote November 2nd 2010.

Checking in...

Hi, I'm just checking in to say hi, to let you know we are still here in lovely Texas, alive and well, and to apologize for not posting more often. I'll write a real update soon, but am just too busy with kids, work, and school to do much more than just "check in"...

Man, life happens!

"Where does the time go?", "It seems like only yesterday...", "I remember when...", "there aren't enough hours in a day"... I used to roll my eyes and laugh when I heard these phrases, particularly if they were uttered by my "old" mom. (sorry mom, you weren't REALLY old -- I was just really young).

Now I AM my mom, I think, as I hurridly rush around trying to fit in as much as possible in a day only to fall into bed, lay awake for hours wishing my overactive mind would turn off so my exhausted body could sleep only to rise again a few hours later to start it all over again. Compound the overactive mind with a jacked up sleep schedule as I work night shift and have to readjust from nights to days every couple of days. A perfect recipe for insomnia if ever there was one.

And now I've decided to add college back into the mix of "things to do" because I'm not getting any younger and I have plans. First my BSN, then my Masters... then onto becoming a Licensed Nurse Practitioner. There's no time like the present. Might just as well get started, right? I got my acceptance at UT of Arlington today and have registered for my first class: English Composition II: Critical thinking.

I'll let you know how it all turns out. In the meantime, I have a daughter to tuck in, a house to clean, laundry to wash, and dishes to do. And then I'm going to go lay in bed and fall asleep just before the sun comes up.

Hello from Texas

Talk about a whirlwind of craziness the past couple of months!

Our move went smoothly -- we had the best moving team EVER and had virtually no damage to our belongings which is a first. Another first was that we had the same team pack us up, load the truck then come and deliver / unload us. It was good.

So, we got to Texas, lived in a hotel for a week because we had some house stuff to do. Once we closed on the house, we ripped out floors in the entry, office, den, dining room and hallway and installed hardwoods... turned out nice. Glad it's done. That was the first project.

The second project was to get the ugly paint colors taken care of. The dining room was a lovely shade of blue, somewhere between royal blue and navy... U-G-L-Y!!! I knocked that out fairly quickly and it's now a subtle shade of silver grey with just the slightest hint of blue. That was the second project.

Marcia and Charlie moved in with us the day after we got into the house and stayed with us till they found a place in South Houston. The house seems too quiet and a bit empty since they've been gone. And we still don't see them enough despite being in the same city.

Project number three was Ken's office. I painted it, hated it, painted it a different color and still hated it. Scott installed custom wainscotting and we painted it white and the wall color I initially hated was much, much better... turned out it just needed to be broken up a little... too much of a good thing and all that.

Puttying walls, replacing light fixtures, changing out doorknobs, cabinet hardware... also little projects we've done along the way.

Project number four was replacing a rotted out back door and door frame. Scott again took this on and I've caulked the door... just need to paint it a couple of times, then apply a bit of silicone caulk and it'll be done.

Madi's room, project number five... painted two shades of lime green with multi-colored stripes. It turned out so cute, but the stripes took longer to do than the entire rest of the painting. We also installed a floor to ceiling mirror in her closet. It's great!

I'm gathering up momentum to get started in Todd's room. It's currently too much of a mess to venture into so once Todd gets it cleaned up (aka decontaminated) I'll start painting. Take a guess as to his color choice... yup, Longhorn orange. Awesome!

I started working at the beginning of December and work full time nights. Kendon is adjusting to work life with a new company and the jury is out on that one for now.
Add to all these projects and life changes a major holiday -- Christmas and New Year's Celebrations, which were great, by the way, and you can imagine life at the Richards.

Lots of stuff done, lots still left to do. But we're making this place our home and it is so great to be back in Texas. I'll have to post some pics in the near future. Until then, hope all is well. We're doing great!

Packing day

Today the packers are here in record numbers... eight, at least! Wow... talk about a bit overwhelming at 0730am... at any rate, they are knocking this place out quickly! It's bittersweet to be doing this again... love that we're moving back to Texas, but sad to leave our new home and the great friends we have here in Ohio. And it's also just a bit unnerving to move only four months after our last move.

Anyway, this will be the last post for awhile -- it'll be a couple of weeks before I see my computer and have access to the internet. It's been fun!

Happy Halloween!

I didn't see much of Todd tonight -- he was working his last shift at King's Island and Madi and I were gone to our "old neighborhood" to trick-or-treat with our old neighbor's and dear friends Connie Langlois and her daughter, Valerie.

And I didn't get any pics during the trick-or-treating festivities, but here are a couple of before and after's of Madison. We walked and walked and walked, just like pioneer children. Unlike pioneer children, though, we collected candy along the way! It was a slightly chilly but otherwise awesome evening and we had a great time.

Here are Todd's "Special" Pics...

These pictures are Todd... they capture the very heart of who he is... jokester, funny, silly, thoughtful, infuriating Todd. Enjoy!



Todd's "Stephen Colbert" pose with Madi along for the ride



Todd's "Captain Morgan" pose



Todd's "The Thinker" pose



Todd's "Oh" pose (stated in girly falsetto)

My super cute kids and a really fun photo shoot

I decided not to partake in the annual "School Photo Op Day" aka. "man-these-are-bad-pictures-and-I-KNOW-I'm-way-cuter-than-that" session offered by the local school. I find those pics are typically not that attractive and rarely do they capture the essence and "sparkle" that are Todd and Madi. So I took the kids to a cheap (aka. reasonably priced) local photographer, recommended by several different friends, and we had a photo shoot. We took TONS of pics and laughed (comedy provided by Todd) the entire time. Todd even had the photographer in stitches. We had a great time and captured the specialness that is my children in nearly every shot. Frankly, some of the pics are more "special" than others and by that I mean "eye rolling funny" Todd -- I will definately have to post his very "special pics". Although I am totally biased, I think these pics are way more fabulous than any school picture I've ever seen. Don't you agree?!

WE.ARE.MOVING.AGAIN!!!

Can you EVEN believe it?

On one hand, it feels a bit overwhelming -- we're still tying up loose ends from our most recent move WAAAAAAAYYYY back in June 2009. We just got here -- back to the Cincinnati area; to a home, friends, and ward we love. The kids are settling into school and making friends. I feel badly for them.

Things changed with Kendon's company and so, we are being relocated. Back to Texas. WE LOVE TEXAS. A lot! So we'll suck it up and take the short term pain for long term gain.

We won't EVER have to deal with the snow, ice and cold because I'm never, ever, ever moving again. We can sell the snow thrower (by the way, anyone looking for a sweet snow thrower??)

We'll be back in a place we loved with people we love. Kinda like Cinci, only warmer. There are miles of bike trails, lots of golf courses, lakes, and awesome TexMex food. (Pappasito's here we come!)

Kendon will be back in the field working with "his people", which he LOVES... Corporate HQ is NOT his favorite thing. That reality hit with this most recent move. This is his second stint at Corporate HQ and frankly, the first time he didn't know any better. After four years at HQ, often working 16 - 20 hour days, he got transferred to a "field" position. We moved to Texas and he worked out of a home office. Even though he was working, he was home. Madi grew up having him around. When he wasn't travelling, he was home and she could walk by his office and wave at him, blow him a kiss, share a quick hug or tell him a story about her day. She has really missed that since we moved back to Cinci. It's been three months and she still asks "Where's dad?"

I'll go back to work, too. And the kids will be back in familiar surroundings. Who knows, depending on where we find a home, we may even be in the same schools and ward as we were before. We're looking forward, anticipating our return to a place we love. We're ready.

House is on the market and it looks great! Anyone out there wanna buy it?

Top Chef Funny

Our family likes to watch "Top Chef". It's features a cooking themed show filled with several talented chefs from all over the place -- one by one they are eliminated based on their culinary creativity (usually a lack therof) or food quality compared with the other chefs. At any rate, during each episode there is a "quick fire challenge" where the chefs have 30 minutes to prepare something, anything with assigned ingredients. They have to think fast, prepare gourmet type food and plate it in an esthetic way all in a very short time. Based on the results of the quick fire, one chef is given "immunity" which means he / she cannot be sent home that episode, no matter the outcome of the rest of the challenges.

I missed the last episode and asked the family to give me an update. Madison proudly explained that Jen had won "COMMUNITY" and would be safe for another episode.

Madison is STILL perfect

Just wanted to throw that out there... it's been two days since her baptism and she is STILL perfect! How awesome that this is such a big deal to her. Mind you, we all (Madi included) realize she'll trip up sometime but that's what the Atonement is all about, right?

We had a nice turn out at her baptism. Our only family members present (besides Ken, Todd and me) were Marcia, Scott, and Charlie Johnson (my sister and her family). Madi was pretty sad that neither of her grandparents could make it, but she had several new friends from her primary class who came, and several local family friends. Our old neighbors and very close friends, Connie and Val Langlois also came. Why that is worth mentioning is because they do not share our religion but understood that this was a big deal to Madison so wanted to be there to share the special event with her.

I talked to Connie after the baptism and she thought it was awesome -- said she cried several different times she was so touched. She is a very spiritual person, thoroughly committed to her religion. We have always had frank open discussions about Mormonism vs. Catholicism. So afterwards, when I asked her what she thought, she told me. She didn't think it was weird. She didn't think we were strange. She thought it was a very spiritual and a thoroughly enjoyable experience. I love that we can talk openly about religion, despite the differences between the two.

Madison is getting baptized!

Yup, it's true. And it's happening tomorrow evening at 6pm. She is so excited. She's been planning it for months -- she has the "perfect" pretty white dress, wants her hair in a french braid so it won't fly around her face and possibly out of the water. I think she's a bit nervous about "not doing it right the first time". But I have tried to reassure her that it doesn't matter if she has to be immersed more than once -- no big deal. To her it is and she is determined to do it "right".

She outlined her program in great detail, including who she wanted to give talks, what songs she wanted to sing, etc. And so, I have been working on programs, writing a talk, editing pics, making cookies and holding my breath just a little. Tomorrow is a big day. A milestone for Madison. I'm excited for her and just a tiny bit sad that she is growing up so fast.

A rather introspective look into the heart of a "top 10" photographer...

It never fails to amaze me that we all struggle, no matter how much we have accomplished, no matter how many lives we have touched, no matter who we are or what we do. I "borrowed" this clip from a friends blog because it really made me think. Not just about photography, but about life and about the things that matter. Zack Arias is a "top 10" photographer located in Atlanta and his work is pretty darn A.M.A.Z.I.N.G!

A lot left to do

It is summer, obviously. We have moved from one State to another and gotten mostly unpacked and organized (by "unpacked and organized" I mean that we've unpacked enough boxes to find enough of our stuff to function well enough to ignore the remaining boxes). I look around the house at the furniture that is sitting exactly where the movers put it and I shake my head knowing I still have a lot to do.

Add the "a lot left to do" items to the rest of my to do list and it's verges on overwhelming. I know I'm no different than anyone else -- we're all busy, but when I write it down, there really just aren't enough hours in the day. Here's a partial list: (I'm not going to write down the obvious -- get up, shower, brush teeth, make bed, etc. things but those are also being done)

1. I'm really trying to spend a lot of QUALITY time with the kids -- at the parks, the pool, walking, rollerblading, biking, playdates, etc. Quality time means not bossing, cussing, or yelling at said children... that's hard sometimes cause these awesome kids of mine just need to be yelled at and bossed around. And I have to cuss now and then so I can add money to the cuss jar -- Madi knows that is her ticket to Disney World...

2. Then we have grocery shopping (you know, the thing I hate nearly as much as ironing -- no Peapod Grocery delivery here!) Its bad enough doing this alone, but add two kids and our shopping experience sounds something like "hey mom, let's get this", "aw, mom, you never let us get...", "will you buy me _________ (insert anything and everything here", and I could go on but I digress.

3. Before I shop, I have to make my weekly menu. I have realized quite recently (this morning in the shower, actually) that I really need to include all three meals of the day to feel completely on top of the food experience in the Richards household. To date, I've only been including dinner. So I'll be tweaking the menu-writing task just a bit to include all three daily meals. This process involves flipping through recipes, balancing the food groups and organizing the "meals of the week" so we don't have chicken two days in a row. I actually like this part of the process. It helps me stay organized, helps me focus on what I need to get at the store since I only buy what I need to make the menu items each week, and it save me bucks since I'm cooking and not buying pre-packaged prepared food or other items we don't need.

4. Cleaning: bathrooms, floors, carpets, dishes, laundry, sticky finger marks off the walls, doors, light switches MADI (read *yell* since my sweet princess is the sticky fingered wall toucher in our home. Did I say that sticky messes really, REALLY get to me?)

5. Bill paying, letter writing, claims filing, etc -- all the fun and wonderful things we get to do just by virtue of the fact that we are adults who own a home. Add to the "normal" things, the other moving-related things I've been doing this past month and this takes it up a notch. The weeks following the move have been filled with service people installing this or fixing that. I'm still waiting for the plumber who is coming "today" (since it's 6pm on Friday, I've reconciled that he's not really coming today) to install the battery backup for the sump pump... don't want the basement to flood now, do we? And other fun service-related things like that.

Now I know there are many more things than these few that fill the day and frankly, I could go on writing and writing and writing.... but there's not time. I'm going to post this and get back to my "to do" list. Au revoir!

It's been a LONG time

I just wanted to stop in, write a little update, then get back to all the fun stuff I've been doing the past few weeks: unpacking, organizing, cleaning, swimming, filing claims forms, updating work documents, job hunting, and doing all the other fun things associated with a move. I'm thrilled to be back in Ohio. The kids are doing well and having fun with old friends and new ones. Kendon is slowly getting used to life back in Corporate office (as opposed to life in a home office).

We're doing well. We're getting settled. And we're ready for company... well, maybe in a few weeks, we'll be ready for company.

MY father, the pineapple

I want to give a shout out to my dad, one of the meanest, crustiest, but most loving guys I know. My dad is like a pineapple -- tough and a little prickly on the outside; soft, sweet, and "golden" on the inside. OK, now, no eye rolling here... I'm serious! Harlan = pineapple.

Think about it. He has kind of a tough, gruff exterior -- to some, he's unapproachable and kind of scary. But get to know him, and you'll see a very different kind of person. It's those who really know him, who get a glimpse of the "real" guy, who have no doubt that he's a softie -- not in a pushover kind of way or anything, but in a way that affirms that if you are in trouble or need something, he'll be there for you no matter what. He's got a heart of gold. His TRUE friends -- and they know who they are -- know the goodness and kindness of that man.

So I'm going to backtrack a little -- like back to high school. My dad was the crankiest, toughest, meanest dad around. He had a super-spy network comparable to none. He always knew where we were, who we were with, how many times we'd cruised main and with whom we cruised. He knew if we were holding hands with a boy or cutting class and tanning on the football field with friends. It was uncanny! And a little spooky. People (and by people, I mean my friends / boyfriends) feared him. I remember thinking on more than one occasion that he was just unhappy and out to make the rest of us equally so. But then I caught a glimpse of the "gold" one evening, one of many I was grounded, when dad spent the evening hanging out with me playing on the piano / organ and talking with me. Frankly, at the time, I'd have much rather been with my friends and didn't think hanging out with dad was a good alternative, but in hindsight, that time was a gift to me. He could have been doing anything, but he spent his evening with me. And then when a brother called to see if he could move the party to our house, dad agreed and told me I could join in on the fun.

I didn't really understand my dad when I lived at home but I was a teenager then and like many teenagers, I may have been a bit narcissistic (I said I MAY have been a BIT narcissistic, just a little, the other kids were WAAAAAYYY worse). I knew dad was tough -- when he said be home at 10pm, he meant it. I learned that lesson the hard way, more than once -- 5 minutes late meant "you are grounded young lady" and I just thought that was tough, tight, unfair, whatever. He said what he meant and he meant what he said -- we knew the rules and knew that breaking them had consequences. Now that I'm an adult with my own teen, I understand the need for structure and rules and I understand from where he was coming. It wasn't from a place of meanness or anger or "I'm out to ruin your life", but a place of love and concern and maybe even fear.

I knew he was a hard working man who felt it was important to provide for his family (extended and friends included). And I knew that babies and animals adored him (well, except for skunks and muskrats) and he adored them (again, not the skunks and muskrats). He was very passionate about his interests and wanted to get us involved in the things he enjoyed. He was always determined and driven with goals. He loved to tell jokes and had a quirky, quick sense of humor. Those things were obvious albeit not always appreciated or acknowledged. HELLO! I said I was a teenager at the time!

It wasn't until I had my own kids that I really started to understand the parent who was my dad. He always loved me. He was my dad. He didn't have a choice -- he had to love me. But just how much, I couldn't even have guessed until I had my own kids. As a parent, I began to experience the weight of responsibility and fear associated with parenting all mixed together with immeasurable love and pride and happiness. It's a bit overwhelming at times, I must say.

You have this child and suddenly a piece of your heart is walking around. They're talking, growing up and all you want to do is provide, teach, shelter, protect and help that little person who is part of you grow up happy and successful. So much of life is out of my control. And it's scary, almost paralyzing sometimes, especially when you see that little person -- your little heart -- making silly choices or dangerous decisions.

My dad made it through life with six kids -- six TEENS! We all survived and so did my dad. He's a good man. He's a funny man. He's a loving, kind man. I've always considered myself a good judge of character and for what it's worth, I'll tell you, my dad is a pineapple through and through. I love you dad. Happy Father's Day!

Dear Government of the United States of America...

**This letter was sent to Glenn Beck by an American woman from Arizona named Janet Contreras -- just a concerned Patriot like so many of us -- and he read it on the air yesterday, and will read it to the TV audience tonight. This woman has summed up my fears and concerns related to government in general. She rocks! And I'm planning on forwarding this letter to everyone I know, so get ready, it's coming your way.

Janet Says:

I'm a home grown American citizen, 53, registered Democrat all my life. Before the last presidential election I registered as a Republican because I no longer felt the Democratic Party represents my views or works to pursue issues important to me. Now I no longer feel the Republican Party represents my views or works to pursue issues important to me. The fact is I no longer feel any political party or representative in Washington represents my views or works to pursue the issues important to me. There must be someone. Please tell me who you are. Please stand up and tell me that you are there and that you're willing to fight for our Constitution as it was written. Please stand up now. You might ask yourself what my views and issues are that I would horribly feel so disenfranchised by both major political parties. What kind of nut job am I? Will you please tell me?

Well, these are briefly my views and issues for which I seek representation:

One, illegal immigration. I want you to stop coddling illegal immigrants and secure our borders. Close the underground tunnels. Stop the violence and the trafficking in drugs and people. No amnesty, not again. Been there, done that, no resolution. P.S., I'm not a racist. This isn't to be confused with legal immigration.

Two, the TARP bill, I want it repealed and I want no further funding supplied to it. We told you no, but you did it anyway. I want the remaining unfunded 95% repealed. Freeze, repeal.

Three: Czars, I want the circumvention of our checks and balances stopped immediately. Fire the czars. No more czars. Government officials answer to the process, not to the president. Stop trampling on our Constitution and honor it.

Four, cap and trade. The debate on global warming is not over. There is more to say.

Five, universal healthcare. I will not be rushed into another expensive decision. Don't you dare try to pass this in the middle of the night and then go on break. Slow down!

Six, growing government control. I want states rights and sovereignty fully restored. I want less government in my life, not more. Shrink it down. Mind your own business. You have enough to take care of with your real obligations. Why don't you start there.

Seven, ACORN. I do not want ACORN and its affiliates in charge of our 2010 census. I want them investigated. I also do not want mandatory escrow fees contributed to them every time on every real estate deal that closes. Stop the funding to ACORN and its affiliates pending impartial audits and investigations. I do not trust them with taking the census over with our taxpayer money. I don't trust them with our taxpayer money. Face up to the allegations against them and get it resolved before taxpayers get any more involved with them. If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, hello. Stop protecting your political buddies. You work for us, the people. Investigate.

Eight, redistribution of wealth. No, no, no. I work for my money. It is mine. I have always worked for people with more money than I have because they gave me jobs. That is the only redistribution of wealth that I will support. I never got a job from a poor person. Why do you want me to hate my employers? Why? What do you have against shareholders making a profit?

Nine, charitable contributions. Although I never got a job from a poor person, I have helped many in need. Charity belongs in our local communities, where we know our needs best and can use our local talent and our local resources. Butt out, please. We want to do it ourselves.

Ten, corporate bailouts. Knock it off. Sink or swim like the rest of us. If there are hard times ahead, we'll be better off just getting into it and letting the strong survive. Quick and painful. Have you ever ripped off a Band-Aid? We will pull together. Great things happen in America under great hardship. Give us the chance to innovate. We cannot disappoint you more than you have disappointed us.

Eleven, transparency and accountability. How about it? No, really, how about it? Let's have it. Let's say we give the buzzwords a rest and have some straight honest talk. Please try. Please stop manipulating and trying to appease me with clever wording. I am not the idiot you obviously take me for. Stop sneaking around and meeting in back rooms making deals with your friends. It will only be a prelude to your criminal investigation. Stop hiding things from me.

Twelve, unprecedented quick spending. Stop it now.

Take a breath. Listen to the people. Let's just slow down and get some input from some nonpoliticians on the subject. Stop making everything an emergency. Stop speed reading our bills into law. I am not an activist. I am not a community organizer. Nor am I a terrorist, a militant or a violent person. I am a parent and a grandparent. I work. I'm busy. I'm busy. I am busy, and I am tired. I thought we elected competent people to take care of the business of government so that we could work, raise our families, pay our bills, have a little recreation, complain about taxes, endure our hardships, pursue our personal goals, cut our lawn, wash our cars on the weekends and be responsible contributing members of society and teach our children to be the same all while living in the home of the free and land of the brave.

I entrusted you with upholding the Constitution. I believed in the checks and balances to keep from getting far off course. What happened? You are very far off course. Do you really think I find humor in the hiring of a speed reader to unintelligently ramble all through a bill that you signed into law without knowing what it contained? I do not. It is a mockery of the responsibility I have entrusted to you. It is a slap in the face. I am not laughing at your arrogance. Why is it that I feel as if you would not trust me to make a single decision about my own life and how I would live it but you should expect that I should trust you with the debt that you have laid on all of us and our children. We did not want the TARP bill. We said no. We would repeal it if we could. I am sure that we still cannot. There is such urgency and recklessness in all of the recent spending.

From my perspective, it seems that all of you have gone insane. I also know that I am far from alone in these feelings. Do you honestly feel that your current pursuits have merit to patriotic Americans? We want it to stop. We want to put the brakes on everything that is being rushed by us and forced upon us. We want our voice back. You have forced us to put our lives on hold to straighten out the mess that you are making. We will have to give up our vacations, our time spent with our children, any relaxation time we may have had and money we cannot afford to spend on you to bring our concerns to Washington. Our president often knows all the right buzzword is unsustainable. Well, no kidding. How many tens of thousands of dollars did the focus group cost to come up with that word? We don't want your overpriced words. Stop treating us like we're morons.

We want all of you to stop focusing on your reelection and do the job we want done, not the job you want done or the job your party wants done. You work for us and at this rate I guarantee you not for long because we are coming. We will be heard and we will be represented. You think we're so busy with our lives that we will never come for you? We are the formerly silent majority, all of us who quietly work , pay taxes, obey the law, vote, save money, keep our noses to the grindstone and we are now looking up at you. You have awakened us, the patriotic spirit so strong and so powerful that it had been sleeping too long. You have pushed us too far. Our numbers are great. They may surprise you. For every one of us who will be there, there will be hundreds more that could not come. Unlike you, we have their trust. We will represent them honestly, rest assured. They will be at the polls on voting day to usher you out of office. We have cancelled vacations. We will use our last few dollars saved. We will find the representation among us and a grassroots campaign will flourish. We didn't ask for this fight. But the gloves are coming off. We do not come in violence, but we are angry. You will represent us or you will be replaced with someone who will. There are candidates among us when he will rise like a Phoenix from the ashes that you have made of our constitution.

Democrat, Republican, independent, libertarian. Understand this. We don't care. Political parties are meaningless to us. Patriotic Americans are willing to do right by us and our Constitution and that is all that matters to us now. We are going to fire all of you who abuse power and seek more. It is not your power. It is ours and we want it back. We entrusted you with it and you abused it. You are dishonorable. You are dishonest. As Americans we are ashamed of you. You have brought shame to us. If you are not representing the wants and needs of your constituency loudly and consistently, in spite of the objections of your party, you will be fired. Did you hear? We no longer care about your political parties. You need to be loyal to us, not to them. Because we will get you fired and they will not save you. If you do or can represent me, my issues, my views, please stand up. Make your identity known. You need to make some noise about it. Speak up. I need to know who you are. If you do not speak up, you will be herded out with the rest of the sheep and we will replace the whole damn congress if need be one by one. We are coming. Are we coming for you? Who do you represent? What do you represent? Listen. Because we are coming. We the people are coming.

Treasure the moments...

Kendon and I were talking last night about our kids -- the challenges, the funny things... just stuff in general. And for whatever reason, I started thinking about how important it is to make time for the little moments... time is fleeting.

Madi asks every night for me to snuggle her when I kiss her goodnight. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. She loves me to snuggle beside her and tickle her face and sing her the songs I used to when she was a baby. I don't know why, but that's what she loves. And then she makes fun of my singing. And we laugh... a lot.

Todd still likes for me to tuck him in -- literally. He'll lay on his bed with the covers by his feet and wait for me to cover him, kiss him goodnight and sit on the end of his bed and talk with him. We have an easy, open communication and I find that bedtime is Todd's favorite time to talk, tell me a funny story, share concerns, whatever... stall tactic, maybe (more like definately). Good opportunity for bonding, teaching, sharing -- most definately.

Those moments mean a lot to Todd and Madi and they mean a lot to me. So I'm going to make more time to "snuggle". And I'm going to make more time to "tuck in". It may be stalling, but it helps me build a strong relationship with my kids. And those few moments spent before bed tell them without words that I love and treasure them. They won't always want me to "snuggle" or "tuck in" so I'm going to do it now, while I can and enjoy these fleeting treasured moments with my kids.