Water

It's heavy.

Which is why I only have 1 gallon (128 oz) in each of our 72 hour packs.

Ideally I'd be taking 9 gallons per person.

Which is why I have two huge 70 quart rolling coolers at the bottom of 'The Shelf'. (if you'll notice on the picture on the last post)

I keep rotatable bottles of water in those. The coolers can be rolled away; thrown in the car; dug in the ground and used as a portable fridge.

Bottom line: I must have my water. ( :

Plus, if we take those babies, we'd have plenty to share.

There's so many things I'd love to share with you like... why the backpack, what kind of sleeping bags, how to make the alcohol heater, things on the wishlist... but I have 3 kids which equals 'why I don't blog anymore'. So if you have any specific questions I'd love to answer them. Just lemme know.

I'm working on the Long Term Food Storage now. It's a doozy. Got some great books, though.

Tackled the Emergency Fund (8 months - you can do it!)

Got the water barrels filled (Four 55 gallon drums).

Next is buying a gun.

I love how you don't know if I'm joking or not.

Emergency Preparedness

THE SHELF

Child 72 Hour Kit

Weight: 15 lbs

(Bryson fell over when he put his on - haha)

THE CONTENTS:

ADULT 72 Hour KIT:

Weight: 50 lbs

(ya, a little topsy)

THE CONTENTS:

THE CAR KIT:

Bin #1:

Bin #2:

I can email you a copy of my spreadsheets.

Just lemme know.

HORRENDOUS project.

Enhanced Peace of Mind.

Just that

This is us.

...our life.

It's pretty wonderful. and comical.

It's full of squidgy yummy baby thighs.

and first days of school

(Mrs. Jarman, Bo's Kindergarten teacher)

Bryson thought he was going to school, too... but his school didn't start for another week.
This is how he felt about that...A week later his time finally came...
And James finally decides to walk...

The fun we've been havin'.
I tell ya.

Lyman Family Reunion

I know I should post more than 2 pics but I just don't have the patience for Mr. Blogger.

Never you worry, though, for all the pics will go in my 12x12 blurb book. ( :

"I'm not going to deny the fact that I'm quite FOND of these reunions, that I greatly ESTEEM them, that I LIKE them." (quote adapted from Sense & Sensibility when Elenor is trying to tell of her increasing attraction towards Edward when in fact she is COMPLETELY IN LOVE with him!)

I won't even TRY to hide the fact that just looking over all the pictures I took (134) makes me cry.

I get filled with all sorts of feelings of ... gratitude mostly.

I missed SO MANY PEOPLE that weren't there. How could you miss on a year with SUCH COOL T-SHIRTS? Quite frankly it makes me sick. Kidding.

We're going to make ALL the pics available somewhere. Probably the Angie & Willis Lyman website is my guess.

My favorite parts about this years reunion were (in no particular order):

1. the Program (Cynthia reading from Grandma's Mission journal, Alisa's story about her dream of Aunt Millie, always Morgan and Abs,Grandpa Asael's war stories.
2. the Shirts
3. Aunt Cynthia's house of which I'm completely charmed by.
4. getting a romantic picture with Bryan on a horse.

idn't at cute

A Night with Marcie Lynn McClure

You're jealous!

THIS IS HER!

(with one of her super fans... ME)And that makes me an MLM VIP!

She inspires lots of things... like...

Pancake & Bacon nights in football jerseys with 'Pendelton' on the back of them.

Reference: "Love Me" Which inpsired this handcrafted bookmark that we gave her...I just know she'll treasure it alway!

The details?:

Me, shuttlling down to St. George Friday night so I could be in the car with all my MLM Culties as they road trip back up here (Sandy) Saturday to attend the Royal VIP only Meet N Greet with MLM herself and her splendid husband and her party posse and 19 other fellow MLM enthusiasts.

It was a dream!

My perfect "Aloha" thumb must be showcased... Here we are at the official Meet 'N Greet
I feel like MLM and us, we're kindred spirits now.

We asked her to read a line from her book.

She was too embarassed. HAHA! She cracks me up.Here we are with our spoils.

Must own every book she ever wrote.

That's our philosphy!Here were are with Kevy-poo.

Um, kidding. We don't call him Kevy-poo but his name is Kevin. He is Marcia's husband and her inspiration for all her books. He is a real live McClure man. And we just think that's splendid.

One of the best EVER!!!

The Rooms

The annual, err, quarterly get-together by my USU roomies.

I SO look forward to this EVERYTIME!

Sa moved to AZ so she's this years outcast.

We always go to the Gateway (because we're just like that).

We have dinner (Thaiphoon this time), shop a little (always Forever 21), and then hit The Juicy Berry Frozen Yogurt Lounge.

And we stay there until they kick us out... which was midnight.

We were gonna turn into pumpkins anyway. Just something you have to deal with when you're a princess.

Grandma Rula

Dearest Rula Fawn,

You have become one of my dearest friends.

And though you approach 90, I hope you live to be a hundred for my own selfish purposes.

For we have lots of movies to watch.

And Rotisserie chickens to buy.

And trips to Price Club (Costco) and Fancy Sams (Fantastic Sams).

Oh Hells Bells!

Love, Marie

Sense & Sensibility

I never knew how wonderful this story was until I saw the new BBC version...

It has so much more to it than is eluded in the 1995 version with Kate Winslet.

"It isn't what we say or think that defines us, but what we do." ... Marianne says in referring to Colonel Brandon's honorable behavior.

And this is how she determines that he is the true romantic.

I agree!

And now I'm determined that I must read this book.

Stories like this inspire me to be more... sensible.
Maybe a little more honorable.
Perhaps a little less of a witch. haha.

Great Grandma Rula and I are on a roll. We've watched "Anne of Green Gables" (of which was divinely wonderfly) and now "Sense and Sensibility". I must say, I'm dead and gone to heaven participating in such activities as these and to share them with Grandma Rula is quite a treat.

In the queue:

"Our Mutual Friend"
"The Inheritance"
"Sabrina" with Audery Hepburn
"The Ultimate Gift"
"An Ideal Husband"
"The Importance of Being Earnest"

Thanks Riki

And I REALLY must get my hands on a copy of "Cranford".

Olive Cheese Bread & Burgundy Mushrooms

Guarantee Mark will DIE when he eats these...
PW's BURGUNDY MUSHROOMS
They cook for 9 hours, folks...

(TIP: do NOT use cheap Ethnic aisle bouillon. It will make them too salty and, in essence, ruin the recipe. DO NOT use too much bouillon.)

PW's Olive Cheese Bread
Guarantee Mark will die AGAIN when he eats this bread...

In Glen Bailey's own words... "UNBELIEVABLE!"

Days of 47 Rodeo

Bryan got to work the Days of 47 Rodeo as a member of the 'Justin Sports Medicine' team.

He's the one in the black shirt.
I mean, he makes pretty good cowboy.
Just sayin'.

Here's Bryson trying to get a piece of the action...Pappa Fred, Bowen and Grandma Jill...
Glen & Kelsey and Miiiiiiiiller Bailey
Yee Haw!

Anne of Green Gables

I must own! (along with "Jane Eyre" and "What's Up Doc" of which I still have not acquired)

I don't think any other movie has given me cause to emote so frequently. (that was the ugliest sentence)

But seriously, heartfelt, tearful emotions almost every scene.

Let's see...

-when Thomas Lyned dies

-when she rejects Gilbert

-when she accepts Gilbert

-when Gilbert's dying

-when Morgan proposes

-when she returns to Avonlea

-when she invites miserable Katherine Brooke back to Avonlea (extremely compelling)

The underlying messages of the story are just... pure bliss.

-Go about doing good despite how wretched people can be.

-The things that make you the happiest are the people you love, your home.

-The power of long term relationships: I love that Marilla would rather have her insufferable neighbor, Rachel Lynd, board with her than see her leave because she'd been her closest neighbor for 40 years.

This is my favorite picture of Anne and Gilbert because they both look so... naturally happy.

(sighing)

There are no words...

...except Mm mm!

A Good Visiting Teacher...

...will make you a frozen margarita... and then ask you if there's anything else you need that month.
( :

Pink Cake

Happy Birthday Jill7 Layers of pinkThe frosting is the key to it's utter yumness. The fuscianess also adds to it's appeal, I believe. I'll be honest. I was not impressed with this creative attempt. The rose and the fuscia pinks don't match. White AND pink frosting equals confusing. I've determined "Confetti Cakes" must be resurrected from my closet for a good study.
I'm determined... as I figure I have at least one excuse every month to attempt a fabulous cake.

Stuff and Projects

New Outfits

Watermelon and white shirts...


The riveting 4th of July Parade...
Creating things...

Sometimes you just get the bug to MAKE STUFF.

I get that bug all the time but I supress it until at such time as when I feel I MUST DO PROJECTS or I will simply expire.

Then I do 10 of them all at once.