DO YOU TELL LIES

Do you tell lies? Do you call them fibs or little white lies, or tricking? It really doesn’t matter what we call them, ultimately they are LIES. Lies come in many forms, but they are still LIES. Have you ever thought about the lies (fibs or whatever you want to call them) you tell? Have you ever thought that your children, grandchildren, nieces, cousins, nephews are listening to every word? Do you think people can’t tell when you are lying and when you are telling the truth? Trust me they can. Do you lie to get what you want? Do you lie to keep out of trouble? (That one makes no sense, because you are getting yourself into MORE trouble.) When you lie, it really only hurts YOU. You really are lying to YOURSELF. No one else. You are the only ONE it hurts. People lose trust AND respect for you. Have you ever thought about that? One lie will lead to another because you have to lie to hide that lie, and then you will have to lie to cover up that lie, and so forth, then before you know it, you are really in deep. That is really quite sad. Think about that!

We all know the fictional story of the little boy that when he would tell lies, a feature on his face would grow longer, and longer, and LONGER. How long would our facial feature be? Have you ever thought about that? Walking through life, everyone would know that we were not trustworthy.

Let’s do an exercise. Get a notebook, something to write with and go somewhere quiet where you can sit and think. On a clean sheet of paper, write down the first lie that you have told today, then the second, and continue until you have written down all the lies you have told today. Are you proud of yourself? Did you realize that you had told that many lies? Even one lie is too many.

I know family members that have lost there jobs for telling a “little white lie”. They lost their job. Think about that sentence for a moment. I know people who have walked away from marriages because they were lied to. Think about that sentence! I know people who have quit speaking to family members because they were lied to. Think about that sentence.

Do you lie to your children, then get mad at them when they lie back to you? They really do hear what you say, and see what you do.

Has lying become a way of life? Are you a habitual liar? Almost everything OR everything that comes out of your mouth is a lie? Think about that!

Do you keep secrets from your spouse or significant other? Yes that is a form of lying.

Do you deceive people? Are you dishonest? Yes, these are both forms of lying. Think about that for a moment!

Do you try to justify what you are saying or doing?

Yes, people can tell when you are lying. Does this shock you? It shouldn’t. You are not as clever as you think you are. Think about that sentence! LYING always comes back to bite you. You really don’t get away with it.

I challenge each of you to try the exercise and then try to tell the truth for 1 hour at a time. If you fail, write the lie down, and start again. Become a better person. Be the person you want to be and not the one that tells the lies. EVERYONE is watching you. You may have to apologize for lies you have told. Do it! Start changing your ways now. Its a good time to change.

Telling the truth is so invigorating AND you won’t have to keep track of all the lies.

Road to retirement

I probably should have started my road to retirement long ago, and I kind of did.  After all I have a small 401k from a previous employer, but I really don’t think I have enough money saved.  I’ve decided I want to try and retire early however, my road to retirement is going to be a journey that will take some BIG changes.  I need to get serious NOW.  (I really should have gotten serious a few years ago).  Here are a few of my steps that I need to accomplish in my opinion.  Two important aspects are going to be planning, and discipline.  Because I want to retire early, here is what I need to plan for on my road to retirement.

Health insurance fund- enough money to pay my own premiums until I reach the magic age to get on medicare and a supplement insurance, which I will still need to pay out of my pocket.

Emergency fund- unexpected expenditures.

Travel fund-Because I want/need to go on adventures.

Car fund-insurance, gas, maintenance, tires.

Birthday fund-grandchildren’s birthdays

Christmas fund-enough said

Entertainment fund-

Wow, am I ever going to be able to get on my road for retirement?  I’m beginning to think hard and long what I really need vs want I really want.  Time to put a hard action plan into place.  This is where the planning and discipline will come into play.  I really don’t have a hard time saving money for something I really, really want to do or have.  It didn’t use to be this way, I wanted to play and have fun, take my children on fun adventures so I played and had fun, and took my children on fun adventures.  I’ve told my children I want to retire early, and they all had different reactions.  Shrug of the shoulders, and one “what? you need money, you can’t afford to retire yet”.  Well like I said, I’m working on my road to retirement.

What are some of the things you are doing to prepare for your ” road to retirement”?

Come back often to see how I’m doing.

 

Image from Pixabay.com

Disneyland Trip 2017

We are a Disney family and go every year.  Our Disneyland Trip for 2017 didn’t disappoint one bit.  This trip was a little different from our normal Disneyland family trips, as it was an adults only trip.  My brother Kelly Summers has wanted to go back to Disneyland for a long time.  The last time he was there was 52 years ago when he was about 12 years old .  That’s right, a LONG time ago.  So we decided the first week of October would be the week.  I told him to just relax, and I would plan the trip.  I actually use Getawaytoday.com to line up the hotel, and the Disneyland tickets.  They just make it simple and everything is paid for when you get to your destination.  Not only did we visit Disneyland, but we also went to the beach and to Old Town San Diego. In Old Town San Diego, there is a Mormon Battalion Museum that is very fun.  Adults and children alike will enjoy this interactive museum. You follow several members of the Mormon Battalion through their journey out west.  As you can see from the pictures we had so much fun.

San Clemente Beach, CA

Mormon Battalion Museum-Old Town San Diego, CA

Disneyland-Anaheim, CA

http://www.getawaytoday.com

http://www.disneyland.com

http://www.springhillsuites.marriott.com

 

 

 

 

 

Vacation Time – West Yellowstone, BearWorld

Vacation time– Road trip to West Yellowstone and BearWorld.  Yes, summertime is here and that means vacations.  Whether you take a long road trip or a short road trip, just getting away is fun.  We just returned from a fun 3 day getaway with my middle child Jared and his wife Kinlee and there cute little family of girls ages 8, 5, 2.  We didn’t go far away, but where we went and what we did was so fun.  We decided months ago, that we would go up to BearWorld just outside of Rexburg, ID.  I have been there with my other 2 sons and their families, and it was time to take Jared and his family.  We rented a large SUV that would hold the 7 of us, and we loaded up on a Thursday morning and away we went.  This trip was about a 2 1/2 hour drive from Jared’s home.  We played several games in the car such as “I’m going on a trip and I’m going to take…?”.  This is a fun game to while away the time in the car and reduce boredom.  We started at the beginning of the alphabet, and each person had a turn to take something with the letter that fell on them as there turn came around.  They really enjoyed it, so we went through the alphabet again, but used “I’m going on a picnic, and I’m going to take…?”.  We really had fun.  I had been to the “Dollar Tree” several days before the trip, and had picked up some car bingo games that came with a marker that could be erased and the game used again.  The girls really enjoyed that also.

In our travels, we went to some BEAUTIFUL falls that were named “Mesa Falls”.  These falls are located just outside of Ashton, ID just past Rexburg, ID.  There are Upper  Mesa Falls and Lower Mesa Falls.  The view and scenery were breathtaking.  It’s a little bit of a hike (not a hard one) to the upper falls, but well worth it.  If you are into camping, there are campgrounds located close to the falls. It is a well paved road and if you follow the road on past the falls, it will eventually take you to Henry’s Fork by Island Park, ID.   Coming down from the falls, in the little town of Ashton, there is a little old fashioned soda fountain, (I can’t remember the name darn it) where we ate dinner.

We also drove to West Yellowstone, and on the way, went exploring for a place called Big Springs.  This is in Island Park, ID.  It’s a little bit off the main highway, but a fun place to explore.  The girls had fun here also.  There is a little pond, where the water bubbles up from underground springs.  No fishing, swimming or wading.  It is so clear, that you can see tadpoles swimming around in the water.  There are also campgrounds located by Big Springs.  In West Yellowstone, there is a fun museum all about Yellowstone and the beginning of visitors there.  They have a couple of fun games for the kids to do as they go through the museum looking for things.  The girls loved this.  It took us a while to find some of the things on the list.

BearWorld was the whole plan for the trip.  I enjoy going to BearWorld.  I think it’s a little expensive, but the girls all had fun.  This is a place where you can drive through a large area where the bears roam around.  As we got close to BearWorld, the youngest granddaughter with us, Berlyn, couldn’t wait to see them.  She just kept saying, “I’m so cited, I’m so cited”.  We had to really slow down to almost a crawl as some of the bears were crossing the road.  They  have a petting zoo (no bears) with goats, deer, chickens, pigs that is fun. There is one goat that knows how to turn the feeder knob with his nose, and pushes the other goats away.

On the way home from the trip, the girls were sad our fun trip was over.  We really did have a fun time, and will probably go back to this little part of our world again.  We stayed at the Marriott Springhill Suites in Rexburg, ID which was really nice, and offered a hot buffet breakfast each morning.

All of the things we did on this trip can be found on the internet.

Playing Bonco and having ladies night out

I LOVE playing Bonco and having ladies night out.  After working all day in a very stressful job where I communicate with people all day long, I like to relax with some fun ladies and play Bonco.  Mostly the night consists of talking and laughing.   I love each of my Bonco buddies as if they were my own sisters.  We laugh together, cry together, give advice, take advice, plan weddings, and just enjoy each other’s company.  Sometimes we even add new rules and mix things up.

If you don’t know what Bonco is, it is a game of chance.  Yes, a game of chance.  3 dice, a score card, and a tally sheet and the fun begins. 4 people to a table.  Picture a card table with someone sitting on each side.  The person right across from you is your partner and you start rolling the dice.

Each month we rotate who’s going to host the event and we enter one of our homes for food, fun, and GREAT company.  We’ve had marriages, grandchildren, we’ve listened to travel diaries, shared recipes, deaths of loved ones, surgeries, sitting in a hot tub,building new houses, reviewing books we have just read, BUT best of all, it’s the cheapest therapy you will ever find.  Some nights we have laughed so hard, that our cheeks hurt.  Some nights we have cried with each other.  But all in all we enjoy each others company.

Each one of these friends is a VERY SPECIAL FRIEND.  Each one has  different talents, lifestyle, ideas, recipes, family life, work life, and yet we all become one on Bonco night.  No one tries to outdo anyone else.  We are all on the same level playing field.

The best part is, at the end of the night after hugs all around we all go home rejuvenated to start fresh the next day, to strive to become a better person.

This is a shoutout to my Bonco buddies.  Love each and every one of you.

Stay tuned for some really good recipes from the bonco buddies.

Just unplug for a little while

Just unplug for a little while.  I have decided to turn my cell phone off for a few hours everyday, not just an hour at a time, but a few hours all at one time.  I have watch many people lately, and have decided that they are obsessed/addicted to there cell phones. We didn’t used to have cell phones, and got along just fine.  Here is a little unscientific test that I have come up with.

Do you ever let your phone fully charge to 100% or do you unplug as soon as you have a couple of bars only to use the power up and need to charge again?

Are you on your phone constantly?  (i.e., text msg, social media, etc.)

Do you take your phone to bed with you?

Do you take your phone to the dinner table with you?

Do you take your phone to the bathroom with you? (I have had conversations with people that are using the bathroom and talking on the phone.  GROSS)

When it dings do you hurray and look to see who is texting you?

Is your phone more important than what your children/family are doing/saying?

If so, you may just be obsessed/addicted to it.  Can you put it down for a few hours everyday and just ignore it?  Sometimes, I think that I’ll put a box by the front door for everyone that comes to visit to put their cell phones in when they walk through the door and then they can get them out of the box when they are ready to leave.

My thought process tells me that when you go to visit someone, that you should visit with them and give them your total attention.  My grandchildren LOVE total attention time.  I LOVE giving it to them.

I’m not opposed to cell phones as I have one myself, but I just think we are spending too much time on them.  What if we went for a walk, learned a new craft, read a book, finished an unfinished project just something other than being on the phone/social media etc.  Let’s actually spend quality time with our children/grandchildren playing games, making crafts, reading stories or just listening to what our families have to say.

 

Who’s with me on this quest?  Try it, you might like it.

 

 

 

Who are your parents?

My 4 year old grandson has been asking me lately, ” who are your parents?”  When I explain to him who they are and that they have both died, his response is “why”?

I have a wonderful book that my brother Kelly gave me for Christmas a couple of years ago that a cousin had put together about my grandparents.  Nyxon had seen the book, and started asking me a lot of questions about my parents and my grandma and grandpa.  I was showing him in this fun book the pictures of my grandmother, grandfather, my mother and my father.  He had so many questions about them and where they are.  I have explained to him many times that my grandma and grandpa and my mother and father have died and that I’m an orphan. He then proceeded to ask me what an orphan is which I proceeded to explain to him.  He has asked me about being an orphan many times , and we have had some fun discussions.  Now you would think that a 4 year old wouldn’t be bothered by such a topic, but this sweet boy has so many questions.  So our last conversation about me being an orphan and not having a mom or dad was kind of funny.

Nyxon:  “Who’s going to be your mommy and daddy”?

Me:  “Well, I’m big now and have my own family that I am a mommy too.”

Nyxon:  “Well, you can have my mommy and daddy for your parents, and Grandma Shauna can be your grandma (this is his grandma on his moms side) then you will have some and you won’t be an orphan.”

Children have a simple solution to everything.  In his simple yet hard working mind, he figured it all out.  He hasn’t asked any questions lately, so he may just think he has solved my “problem”.

I love that he asks lots of questions.  I love that he thinks things through.  I love that he tries to find a solution so nothing is missing or out of place.  I hope he always uses his mind to find solutions to problems along his way.

I love playing games with my grandchildren

I LOVE playing games with my grandchildren.  Sometimes it’s a challenge for everyone to play the same games, but we manage.  My 8 yr old granddaughter Ady loves, loves, loves to play games, and is really good at understanding the rules. I spent a weekend not long ago tending 3 of my granddaughters while there parents had a weekend away.  I took a new game  up to their house with me, and taught them how to play it.  We played Blokus, Headbandz and a game about the states.  Ady’s pretty good with games, and enjoys beating me.  We played the Headbandz game until we had exhausted ALL the game cards.  A couple of weeks later, they came down to my house to stay for a couple of hours, and I got some of my games out.  We played Yahtzee, Rack-o (one of my grandsons Nyxon calls it Morocco), Connect 4 and Race to the Treasure.  Even the 4 & 5 year olds like to play some of these games.  I treasure every minute I spend with my grandchildren, and like to listen to what they have to say. l I have learned that Ady has to be singing a song while she concentrates on playing games.  I don’t even think she knows she is singing, but her perfect little voice is so cute to listen too.  I have learned that Lainie plays for a few minutes, then is off doing something else.  I have learned that Nyxon likes to shuffle the Rack-O cards his way (they end up every which way) and that is OK.  He also plays by his rules.  However, they are learning.  They are learning rules, they are learning how to take turns, and they are learning how important relationships are. They are learning in life you don’t always win, or always get your way.  These are all good life lessons that will help them throughout their life.  I will always have time to play games, read books, or just plain talk to my grandchildren about whatever it is they need to talk about.

Chicken mexi casserole Sunday dinner

Today for Sunday dinner I made my moms chicken mexi casserole.  I love making my moms recipes as it makes me feel connected to her.  I have made this recipe several times as it is an easy one to make on Saturday, put in the refrigerator over night, and then cook it on Sunday 1 1/2 before you eat.  It’s yummy and very easy to make and my family have enjoyed it.  I love recipes that save me time. I have included the recipe here.

Erma’s Chicken Mexi Casserole

1 pkg corn tortillas (10 count) torn into pieces.

1 can Cream of Mushroom soup

1 can Cream of Chicken soup

1 C milk

1 C salsa (whatever kind you like)

2 C. cooked chicken (you can also use turkey)

3 C. grated cheddar cheese (I like to use the jack, cheddar mixed)

In a large glass bowl, combine soups, milk, salsa, mix together.  Spray a 9 x 13 glass baking dish with non stick cooking spray, layer 1/2 the corn tortillas over the bottom, 1/2 the turkey,  and half the soup milk mixture and 1/2 the grated cheese.  Repeat layering process.  Bake at 325 degrees for 1 1/2 hours.  Let cool slightly, then serve.  Enjoy.

This is really good served with a tossed salad, and ranch rolls, french bread, or sourdough bread.

 

 

We took the Christmas tree down

Today was the day we took the Christmas tree down.  Yes, I know it’s February 4, 2017, but I just wasn’t ready to take the Christmas tree down.  There is a song written by Michael McLean for his famous Christmas program “The Forgotten Carols” that says, “I cry the day I take the tree down.  I want the season to last all year long”.  That is exactly how I feel.  I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the Christmas season and everything it stands for.  I love the decorations, the lights, the children faces, the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ, shopping for presents everything about it I LOVE.

I knew in my heart it was time we took the Christmas tree down when my 4 yr old grandson Nyxon said to me a couple of weeks ago, “grandma I can still see your Christmas tree.  Christmas is over and you need to take it down”  I responded with a smile on my face, “no, I’m not ready to take it down yet”.  Nixon replied, “you have to take it down as Christmas is over”.  To which I once again replied, “no, I’m not taking it down.”  Nyxon promptly said,”My mommy took my Christmas tree down so you have to take yours down.”  Once again I responded, “no i’m not taking it down yet”.  Won’t he be a surprised little boy next time he comes over to play and sees the Christmas tree gone from in front of the window.  Another reason it was time we took down the Christmas tree was because some of the younger grandchildren were taking the ornaments off, and a couple of my grandchildren’s ornaments that they each have, broke and had to be glued back together.

So today has been a quiet day.  No more Christmas tree lights to plug in.  Next year come the first week of November you can bet that my Christmas tree will be up and the lights will be plugged in every night and during the day when I’m home.  I LOVE Christmas.