OK. Frankie and I were pretty sure we would never want to discuss politics on our blog. Too messy. Well, Frankie, I must beg your pardon and warn all who read this, it may get a little messy.

Tomorrow is my sweet daughters birthday. And in Utah, caucus meetings will be occurring throughout the state. My husband and I will be attending ours at the local high school, after our little girls birthday party has ended and the friends have gone home.

As I have studied the candidates for my particular party, I was simply overcome with gratitude for the freedom I have to choose for myself who I will vote for. I am blessed to live in this land of liberty with the God given right to choose for myself. I am excited to be a small part of the process, no matter how broken some parts of our complex system may be. I revere the names of the many men and women who sacrificed so much to found this nation. The colors of our flag run so much deeper than fabric and dyes.

This picture was taken by my 15 year old son and his friend on the mountain above our home. It is a breathtaking reminder of why we should all remember the sacrifices of those who came before us. This beautiful land was won through much blood, sweat, sacrifice and tears.

So, tomorrow as I hang crepe paper for my daughters 5th birthday, I will be thanking the Lord for my family, for the privilege of being a mother...and for the gift of liberty...and the men and women who purchased it for you and I at so a high price.

Finding Out Who I Am

Since we started this blog, NBC and Ancestry.com released a new show called "Who Do You Think You Are?". I have watched it these past two weeks and it is a delightful show. Very surprising on prime time network television.

I love family history and have always enjoyed spending time learning about where I come from. But, as anyone who has ever done it will tell you, when the ancestry bug bites you, it is hard to put it down. It can become addictive...but, that just doesn't seem like the right word. Searching out your kindred dead seems like the epitome of what life here is all about. Can something as wonderful as ancestral research be labeled addictive? Yes, it can. But, it can be tempered, as it must when you are not a professional genealogist with hours to spend.

So, last night, I finally followed through on a desire I have had for several years. I drove ten miles to my grandparents home, armed with my laptop with webcam and microphone, and an excitement to know more about them. My grandmother is the one I had intended to interview last night. I hoped to come back in a week or two and talk to my grandfather. But, when grandma and I began talking, suddenly grandpa appeared in his rocking chair across the room. After a while, he began to offer anecdotes of his own. I began turning the laptop back and forth so I could get them both on camera while they were talking.

In all, I recorded two hours of interview. I left, armed with stories from both of them and a new appreciation for the family that I call mine. I am so grateful for the wonderful, imperfect people who are my people. Our stories traveled from England, Ireland, Scotland, Germany and Wales to Dickson, Tennessee and Grampian, Pennsylvania to Germany, Africa and Vietnam. I am so excited to begin making this information available for my family; my children, siblings, parents, cousins, etc.

Culinary Double Header

I really don't like to cook. I love to eat good food...sometimes, it's good for me, sometimes not. Today, I not only cooked, I baked! My sweet daughters birthday required some sort of sugary confection. Cupcakes were her choice.

Somehow, no matter now hard I try, the presence of children and food coloring in the same setting causes my nerves to go haywire. Am I the only one who has had those days? When you have tried, unsuccessfully, to clean red food coloring off of hands, clothes, towels and floors simultaneously? (I can hear my dear Frankie now, reminding me that if I stopped using food coloring, with it's nasty petroleum base, I wouldn't have this problem. Yes. You would be right Frankie dear. One day, I will take the plunge...but not this day. You are a braver woman than I.)

Thankfully, today was not one of those days!! The cupcake bonanza was a hit. Even the dog thought so, which is another subject for another day. We piled them high and deep and admired their white, pink and green frosting flourishes. We carried the shining silver platter through the living room for all to admire (read: Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle and our super seven kiddos).

I decided to capitalize on my baking success and take a crack at cooking spaghetti and meatballs for dinner- also my 3 year old daughters choice. Believe it or not, I pulled it off. And the kitchen is no worse for the war. Or wear. Don't know which I would say at this point....

Who Do I Think I Am?

I am a daughter of God, wife to a warrior poet, mother to four incredible sons and three delightful daughters. I am a woman who loves... The Lord. My ancestors, especially the colorful ones, they remind me to hope and never give up. To snuggle. To dance. To write. To read. To laugh. To eat. To sing (off key). To play in the dirt with seeds and flowers. To watch my chickens. To hike. To run. Bluegrass music. My grandma's southern accent and her southern cooking. My babies, all seven of them. My husband. To curl up with a Greek lexicon on a rainy day. A great movie. Chocolate. The mountains. A great smile. The smell of rain. Animals.

I am a woman who tries to remember to greet every day with a prayer in her heart and great, comfortable shoes on her feet. I am a woman who doesn't smile enough; my children are helping me learn.

I am a woman who fears. I am a woman who hopes. I am a woman who loves to talk and I also love to listen. I am a woman who is broad; in foot, in hip, in mind and in imagination. I am a woman who loves to eat, but not to cook.

I am a sister, who was raised as an only child. I am a daughter, who still longs to be mothered. I am a friend, who feels lonely sometimes. I appreciate a beautiful quilt...I've even made a few. I love playing dress up...when I made princess capes, I made one for myself!

I have many flaws, but I am learning to be gentle with myself. I am a woman who strives to follow God...my rebellious streak gets a mite smaller every day...well, most days :) I am a woman like most...I have beauty, talent, vision and potential that can rock the world...as long as I remember who I am.

So, who do you think you are?