This is a SHOUT OUT to some of the many "girlies" in my life. First is wild woman, cousin Tenesa. Many people are not aware that Riley's actual name is
Baby Tenesa. Just ask Ten.
Then are my wonderful chums from High School. (LtoR: me, Amy Dansie Straley, Krishanda Tripp Eldridge, Dr. Valaine Palmer, DVM, Sherri Hurren Barzee, Natalie Woodward Murdock, Lisa Winward McKenzie). There are others (Sheri B, Amber P, Rachel T, Kimberly M, etc.) but they just weren't in this embarrassing picture. I'm SOOO grateful for my friends in high school. They kept me on the strait and narrow.
My first year roommates that instilled in me a love for "roomies" and the beginning of FUN college years. (L to R, top to bottom: Betty, me, Megan, Janae, Heidi, and Loriann).
My completely CRAZY, health-nut roomies that inspire me still to this day. (LtoR: Caroline "loves-to-make-absolutely-delicious-food", me, Jodi "if-it-doesn't-kill-you-it'll-make-you-stronger (she actually said that to me as we were running the 5K that day), Holly "just-ran-a-marathon-a-month-ago-and-her-baby-is-Riley's-age" and Loriann "fast food bandit"!) Kayla was on the student council and was gone often, but she was like a marathon swimmer. Anyway, that year I felt the healthiest in my life!
My 3rd year roomies who were an absolute riot. Here are Laura and Tammy and me forming a pyramid. We also had Allison and Kim and Carol. Oh we would do weird things like minature golfing, steal alfalfa from a hay field for a college presentation we had to give, and learn new words like "Dag" from Laura.
My final year with roommates where we lived in a hole in the ground. This is our "Rave" (hairspray) party, aka our "Thank you for the Country Music Award" party. And THIS is the woman Evan fell in love with. I mean, can you blame him?
Other "girlies" include my sister-in-laws (Sara, Kalene, Amber), other cousins, my friends out here in Nevada (and they live too close for me to post pics of them :), my friends from Malta that I never really ever got pics of, my friends I did student-teaching with (BAT ASH...) and so many others. I've had some fun ones over the years....
But the ones I'm closest to are my sisters and my mom! They came out for New Year's Eve, kind of unexpectedly, and we had some fun times. We laughed so hard my abs hurt, pulled each other on the 4-wheeler, watched "Little Women"-our sister show, gave each other foot massages, etc. We had a BLAST.
Heart you!
She does to everyone else, too. I called the nurse hotline and she thinks she has "carotenemia"; basically, Riley likes her orange veggies. And she has a surplus of betacarotene.
Heart you!
When we got home we found the rest of Santa's loot that he had left at our house. And Buzzy and I got matching 4-wheeler helmets! Wahoo! Santa really does love me and doesn't want me to get hurt while I'm riding my 4-wheeler. :)
Hy's snow shovel. He told Poppa he could scoop snow with his new shovel. And grain. And poop.
Diva-licious in her new winter hat. Apparently she wasn't diva enough in her brother's old hand-me-down BLUE stocking hat. We're grateful for grandmas, aunts, and neighbors to help us in this area.
Hyrum also got two sleeping bags (his grandmas think alike). And a barn. And a John Deere harvest set. And some clothes. And the list goes on.
Riley got her very own pig. And she tries to eat it, too. (Please refer to the Lamb chops post).
..and Hyrum has decided to be Santa Claus (with a little John Wayne). He said, "Ho, Ho, Ho, Merry Tismas" and then added a "Hyah, Hyah" and whacked his reins on his reindeer's rump, just like McClintock.
A photo of the responsible adults...
Check out that smile! This is what it's all about.
Lamb chops.
Lamb chops. (we start 'em out young)
Lamb chops. And I had to wipe the drool off of both of their chins.
