4 adults, 6 kids, 7 dogs, 2 cats and some chickens

Ok, so the poor chickens had to be left behind because of our HOA.....and the cats went to a different house for obvious reasons but everyone else is here. One of the 5 biggest fires in Flagstaff's history has displaced 275 homes and burned over 12,000 acres of Forrest. Almost every family has at least one other family living with them since Fathers Day and we are hoping that they get it under control soon.

We are still miles away and safe but hope that the fire fighters are able to save our friends home....in the interim, if you want to see how many loads of laundry can be done in one day, or see how many kids you can shove in a bedroom or see the biggest Mastiff dog you have ever seen in your life, this is the place!

Living the Dream

Sometimes I forget that I live in paradise. Sometimes I forget that I have such a blessed life. Sometimes forget and start to feel sorry for myself because my body won't cooperate. Then.....I wake up and look out my bedroom window,

and suddenly I remember.

Thank you sir, may I have another?

When I open the fridge door, I can almost hear the dogs ears go up in red alert. When I pull out the hot dogs, they come running and sit very nicely just like this.

In our home, turkey dogs are used for treats....to train....to hide medication...and occasionally to reward them for not jumping out of the bath tub. it is the ultimate treat.

Today, I was feeling generous and passed out (evenly sliced) hot dog pieces to my canine buddies just for the heck of it. I go right to left, making everyone sit nicely. If they try to snatch their neighbors piece they get skipped. Mean, yes, but effective.

So, on the third trip through Friday got smart. She decided to sneak around the back of her brother so she would be first in line and get an extra slice. It was so cute that I came very close to giving it to her on creativity points alone. However, I did restrain.

The point of this story? Well it all goes back to my brother Kevin. When my brothers and I were little, our mom's would line us up in a row and distribute Dimeatap to sedate the savages and get us to go to sleep earlier. One by one, the 5 of us would get our dose and move on....except Kevin. He would sneak to the back of the line and go for seconds. I'm pretty sure it worked at least once :)

Happy Birthday Mom

After a LONG 12 hour drive we made it to Oakley. Just in time for the festivities at moms house. Happy 58th ma!

Durango, CO

There were no cheer faces, glitter or screaming girls in Colorado.....but we still had a GREAT time! The weather was perfect, the rivers were raging and we were hanging out with some of our favorite people. Plus it was virtually free because we brought all our own food!

We love the Borrero family....Ethan, Jody, Mason, Tyden and Baby Ethan made the 5 1/2 hour drive through AZ, Utah and into Colorado for the weekend. Uncle Kevin is always a huge hit with the kids and doubles as a jungle gym.

Mason decided to embarrass his dad by telling the restaurant that it was his dads birthday. Not only did they sing and shove whipped cream in his face, but they also let all the kids play an instrument before, during and after the song. We were not the most popular table but we did have the most fun!

Did I mention the scenery? Holy cow! I REALLY would not mind moving here some day.....seriously!