The Intruder

It's been about 4 years since we have had an intruder in our home but it's happened again. 

 It's been traumatic!!

 There has been alot of screaming and sleepless nights and 

I'm not sure that the problem is over but for now we are okay. 

I'm a little worried that we havent seen the 

end of these creepy intruders!!

But its so hard to talk about that I just decided to re-post a post about this situation that I put on here several years ago when we had our first intruder.  It pretty much explains the current situation too!

I have a little dog that only barks when someone, that she doesn't know, comes to our house.  Other than that she is pretty quiet.  But a couple of days ago she barked, and barked and barked ALL day.  She was driving me crazy.  After a couple days of this I finally found out why she was acting so upset.  I'm sure that she was trying to tell me that we had an unwanted and uninvited intruder.

I was putting some clothes away in my husband's drawer when I saw the evidence that we had been violated!  After I jumped up and down, screamed and ran around the house yelling, "Ew. . .yuck. . .gross. . .@#*%," I went back into the bedroom to look again to see if I really had seen what I thought I saw.   Yes it was there, proof of an intruder, staring me in the face, as if to say to me, "Ha ha. . .Catch me if you can!!"  Stratigically sitting on my husband's WHITE t-shirt and WHITE socks were several. . .yeah you got it. . . MOUSE droppings!  How disgusting!  How could this happen. . .well I guess it does happen when you live in a place surrounded by grain and potato fields.  Where's the neighborhood cat when you need one?  My dog may be a barker but she's not a hunter!  Anyway all of a sudden the detective, CSI  investigator and "cleanliness" patrol in me kicked in gear.  "I'll show you"  I thought.  Nothing invades my home with out a fight!

  (Okay he wasn't this cute)

Anyway. . . after I got my composure I jumped in my car and ran to get an arsenal of weaponry.  I was gonna take that baby out!!  So after setting up several traps with yummy cheese and peanut butter and putting out lots and lots of DeCon, I sat and waited.  And waited and waited.  
24 hours went by. . . and nothin. . .that little devil was playing games with me.  And then it happened. . . last night when all was calm . . . I was reading a good book and I heard it. . . SNAP!   What a joyous sound.  But I couldn't look so I sent Joe in to check.  VICTORY!  (Ok all of you animal lovers don't write me hate mail) Don't get me wrong. . . I love some mice. . .Mickey and Minnie, Jerry, Fieval, Stuart Little and even the 3 blind mice.  But when they break in and go into places in my house that they shouldn't be. . .they've crossed the line.
Anyway. . .the mystery is solved, the dog has calmed down, the clothes have been washed and we are back to normal.  But the weapons are still in place, protecting our home, just in case he has a relative who comes looking for him.

Update on current situation:

We've captured four........ yes you heard me right........

FOUR. . . 4. . . uno, dos, tres, CUATRO!

Four stinkin MICE!!!

A whole family of mice!!!!!

Maybe I need to get a cat!  I dont want a cat!

Can you feel my pain?

Easy Chicken Parmesan

Ok I'm sharing this again. This is one of my favorite recipes. We LOVE it!!!

It is easy and yummy. I posted it before a couple of years ago but thought

that I would share it again for my newer blogger friends.

Enjoy!

Easy Chicken Parmesan

1 jar (14 oz.) spaghetti sauce (about 1-1/2 cups)

1-1/2 cups KRAFT Finely Shredded Italian* Five Cheese Blend, divided

1/3 cup Italian seasoned dry bread crumbs

6-8 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1-1/2 lb.)

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine, melted

6 cups hot cooked spaghetti

PREHEAT oven to 375°F.

Pour spaghetti sauce into 13x9-inch baking dish; set aside.

MIX 1/2 cup of the cheese and the bread crumbs in separate shallow dish. Dip chicken in butter, then in cheese mixture, turning to evenly coat both sides. Place over spaghetti sauce in baking dish.

BAKE 30 min. or until chicken is cooked through; sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese. Bake an additional 5 min. or until cheese is melted. Serve over spaghetti.

Keep your Sunnyside UP!!!!

We had a great Relief Society activity the other night. We had a Dr come and talk to us about depression and Seasonal Affective Disorder which is very prevalent this time of year.

Do you feel sad or down in the dumps more in the winter?

You may have Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD which is caused from a lack of sunlight.

It has been calculated that January is the most depressing month of the year. Even more specifically, this week, the third week of January, is the most depressing week of the year.

The calculation is based on weather, debt, time since Christmas, time since failing

our New Year's resolutions, as well as low motivation, and that puts the

most depressing day of the year at about the third Monday in January.

If you are wondering if you have Seasonal Affective Disorder here is a

good article in LDS Living that talks about causes,

symptoms as well as things you can do to combat SAD.

The Dr that talked to us obviously gave us information about the medical side of recognising and treating depression. But then he focused on the spiritual side of how to be happy and about turning to the Lord for help when we have these "blue" kinds of days in our lives.

He recommended a good book to read about being happy in spite of our trials and difficult things in our lives. He said that he felt like this is one of the best books out there on this subject. So I went right out and bought it. It is really uplifting and I recommend it as well.

It is called "Love Life and See Good Days" by Emily Freeman.

You can find it at any Deseret Book or order it HERE online.

We had a little handout (that was attached to a can of 7-up) with some good advice that I wanted to share with you.

7 UPLIFTING ways to keep your sunny side UP!

1- Wake UP -Decide to have a good day.

"This is the day which the LORD hath made;

we will rejoice and be glad in it." Psalms 118:24

2 - Dress UP -The best way to dress is to put on a smile.

A smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks.

3 - Shush UP -Say nice things and learn to listen.

"Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou

mayest be wise in the latter end." Proverbs 19:20

4 - Stand UP - For what you believe in! Stand for

something or you will fall for anything!

5 - Look UP - To the Lord. "I can do all things through

Christ which strengtheneth me." Phillippians 4:13

6 - Reach UP -For something higher. As Jimminy Cricket sings,"High Hopes," always try to better yourself. Have FAITH!!

7 - Lift UP - Your prayers. Do not worry about anything;

instead PRAY about Everything!

Christmas is almost here!!

My little buddy found a new friend!!!!

He also found some of his presents that his parents had hidden.

Christmas is going to be fun this year for this little guy!!!!

It's going to be fun for me too!!!

Our whole family will be together. That is the best gift ever!!! I'm so excited!!!

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas filled with love, joy and fun!!!

Halloween Finger Food

We took these to a Halloween party and they were the hit of the night!!!

If you can get past the thought of eating severed fingers they are actually pretty tasty!! They are simple to make so give your ghouls and goblins a yummy treat before they head out to fill there bags and bellies with sugary goodness!!

Here's how to make them:

Cut hotdogs in half. Then cut the lines in them to look like the knuckle lines and slice out a section for the finger nail then boil them till cooked through. Then you prop them up in a cupcake pan in ketchup and also use ketchup to glue almond slices on for finger nails. Then we sat the cupcake pan in an electric frying pan with water in it and turned it on to keep the hotdogs warm.

Then we had this little sign sitting next to them to add to the gory fun.

Happy Haunting!!!!

California"s Calling

Off we go..........

I'll put up pictures when we get back next week from our

Halloween trip to sunny California!!!!!!!

Check back in and see what we dress up like for Halloween,

who we see while we are there,

where we go and what we do!!!!

You dont want to miss it!!!

He's the little man that we adore!

I never knew that being a grandma would be so special!!

I just love watching that little guy grow and change and develop his own little personality.

I miss him so much and wish that I could see him more often.

But I have the best son and daughter-in-law that send me pictures all the time of him.

And we do video chat online so I can talk to him too. Technology is amazing.

Its not as good as being there in person but it is the next best thing.

I love to hear each new word that he is learning and watch him play with his cars and Buzz Lightyear. I love hearing the stories of everything he does and says.

It is the highlight of my week!!

I hope that by seeing us and hearing our voices it will keep us in his memory so he doesnt forget us. I think he knows who we are because his face lights up when he sees us.

I am loving this stage in my life. I look forward to more little special spirits coming into our family in the future so I can spoil them and just give them lots of hugs and kisses!

Being a grandparent is the most awesome role ever!!!!

Joe and I LOVE it!!!!!

Today I saw this poem and it expresses just how we feel about our "little buddy". So I thought that I would share it with you and some recent pictures of this special little man that we adore!!!

Grubby little fingers,

Dirty little face;

Racing through life at the speed of light,

There's no one could take his place.

Riding on a stick horse,

With a cowboy hat and a gun;

Accomplishing his mission in life,

To bring mischief, laughter and fun.

There's no one like a grandson,

To bring a grandparent joy;

Snips and snails and puppy dog tails,

All wrapped in a little boy.

A little bit of sunshine,

A blessing from the Lord;

He's got us right where he wants us,

He's the little man we adore.

Allison Chambers Coxsey

©1995 ~ All Rights Reserved

Visiting his brothers grave on Memorial day!! Isnt this just the most precious picture?

He loves his new pool for summer fun!!

That water is hot!!!

Look grandma at my new bike!!!

He loves his helmet and wears it everywhere!!

That rock is almost as big as he is.

What a strong little dude!!

Can you see that someone decided to do a little decorating

while mommy was on the phone?

What a good little artist!!!

I didnt do it!!! Billy (the dog) did!!!!

Dont ya just love that little guilty face?

"If I had known how wonderful it would be to

have grandchildren,

I'd have had them first." ~Lois Wyse

Is it worth it to continue?

Ok, as you may have noticed (or maybe you havent noticed) I havent been too good at

keeping up with my blog lately.

For one reason is the fact that I feel like my life is pretty boring and that I have nothing of value to share that anyone would be interested in.

(Are you interested in reading about my boring life?)

Secondly, I dont have alot of extra time and it does take time to enter these posts.

(Is it worth your time to read my boring posts?)

Another reason is I feel like so many people, that I know, have also quit doing

their blogs ~ choosing to keep in touch and

share their life on Facebook and Twitter, etc.

(Is Facebook and Twitter enough or is their still a need for blogs?)

So I'm asking for your help as I make a decision as to whether

I should keep doing a blog or not.

#1 - Does anyone out there in the cyber world have any interest in me, my life and my blog?

#2 - Will it be worth my time and yours if I continue this blog?

#3 - And......what kinds of things are interesting to those of you that do still read blogs?

So it would be really helpful if the 2 or 3 of you that follow my blog

will help me make my decision of how to spend my extra time

and if it is worth it in the end to spend it here in the blogosphere.

I look forward to hearing from you!!!

Easy Chicken Parmesan

This is one of my favorite recipes. We LOVE it!!! It is easy and yummy. I posted it before a couple of years ago but thought that I would share it again for my newer blogger friends.

Enjoy!

Easy Chicken Parmesan

1 jar (14 oz.) spaghetti sauce (about 1-1/2 cups)
1-1/2 cups KRAFT Finely Shredded Italian* Five Cheese Blend, divided
1/3 cup Italian seasoned dry bread crumbs
6-8 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1-1/2 lb.)
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine, melted
6 cups hot cooked spaghetti

PREHEAT oven to 375°F.

Pour spaghetti sauce into 13x9-inch baking dish; set aside.

MIX 1/2 cup of the cheese and the bread crumbs in separate shallow dish. Dip chicken in butter, then in cheese mixture, turning to evenly coat both sides. Place over spaghetti sauce in baking dish.

BAKE 30 min. or until chicken is cooked through; sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese. Bake an additional 5 min. or until cheese is melted. Serve over spaghetti.

This and that.......

Well I havent been very good at blogging lately. So this post is just to catch you up on some things going on at the Gneiting Home in 2011.

The most exciting thing that has happened so far this year is the return of our Russian missionary.

She is home!!!!!

Sister Gneiting (aka Mindy) flew home from Russia and arrived home on Jan 6, 2011.

Her total trip, including layovers, took her about 42 1/2 hours.

We were able to track her flights online through the airlines which was fun. They had a screen that showed her airplane while it was in route and so we watched with excitement as she got closer and closer to home. She flew from Russia over Norway, Iceland, the southern tip of Greenland, across the Atlantic Ocean, Newfoundland and dropped down into New York City, where she had a long layover. Then she flew to SLC where she spent the night and then on home to Idaho.

Rhiana and Amy were able to make it home to see Mindy fly in.

The rest of the family came the next day.

These are the signs we made to welcome her home. As you can see a couple of them are in Russian. We wanted to test her to see if she really had learned and understood Russian. haha.......and we found out the she did!!!!!

Our first glimpse of our Russian missionary!

Such a happy happy reunion!!

Back on American soil!!

All of our family came home to see her and we had a wonderful weekend together. She gave a beautiful report of her mission on Sunday Jan 9, 2011 and we all felt her love of the gospel and the country and people of Russia as she shared her testimony that day.

She is adjusting well but really misses her mission. Especially the friends that she made while she was there. But luckily through Facebook and Skype she is able to keep in touch with them. We are so proud of her and her willingness to serve the Lord and spread the gospel to the great country of Russia!!

Like I said - everyone came home to see Mindy. It was the first time we had all been together for almost 3 years. We had a lot of fun and crammed alot of stuff into a few precious days.

Our daughter Amy was able to go through the temple to receive her endowments that weekend. It was a very special day for her. And it was extra special because our WHOLE family were able to be in the temple with her.

We celebrated Joes birthday which was a few days after they all left. We also celebrated Christmas too!!!! And after Mindys mission report at church we had a luncheon and had several family members and friends come over to visit.

And of coarse we all played and played with the little Trentster. He was so fun and kept us all laughing. It was a great weekend and I'm so grateful for my family and how supportive they are of each other.

I hope it doesnt take us another 3 years to get together again!!

A little food for thought........

Adult Truths

Someone sent this to me and I got a good laugh from it so I thought that I would share. It is amazing how many of these things I found myself nodding in agreement too.

Hope this brings you a little sunshine if you are experiencing the January doldrums like I am.

1. I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die.

2. Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.

3. I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.

4. There is great need for a sarcasm font.

5. How in the world are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?

6. Was learning cursive really necessary?

7. Map Quest really needs to start their directions on #5 - I'm pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.

8. Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.

9. I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.

10. Bad decisions make good stories.

11. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you know that you just aren't going to do anything productive for the rest of the day.

12. Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after Blue Ray? I don't want to have to restart my collection...again.

13. I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten-page technical report that I swear I did not make any changes to.

14. I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.

15. I think the freezer deserves a light as well.

16. I wish Google Maps had an "Avoid Ghetto" routing option.

17. I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.

18. How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod and smile because you still didn't hear or understand a word they said?

19. I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars team up to prevent a jerk from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers and sisters!

20. Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty, and you can wear them forever.

21. Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.

22. Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket, finding their cell phone, and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey - but I'd bet everyone can find and push the snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time, every time.

Enjoy life!!!

Sister Gneiting is almost home!! 11 days!!!! YAY!

Here's some pictures of Mindy enjoying the Siberian Winter.

This is her zone in Novosibirsk and the picture they sent to all of their parents in a Christmas card!

Modeling some of her winter wear!

Not sure if they are dancing or doing Karate. But it looks like she is having fun as usual.

Playing dress up?

Sister Gneiting with Russian members.

Mindy's time is winding down. She will arrive home on Jan 6. I cant believe that it is time for her to come home. It really has gone by very fast. It has been a joy to have a missionary again, from our family, serving the Lord. It really has brought such a sweet spirit into our home. Her emails have been a weekly gift that we have looked forward to and enjoyed and we will truly miss those emails.

I am having mixed feelings about her time being almost done. I am so excited to see her again of course but I know how much she has absolutely loved her mission and my heart feels sad for her that this wonderful experience is almost over for her. I know that she has met some wonderful people in the past 18 months and I know that she will have a hard time saying goodbye to her fellow missionaries, but especially to the wonderful people of Russia. And of coarse it has been wonderful to see her testimony and faith grow over the past 18 months.

We look forward with anticipation to feeling of her spirit when she gets home and of coarse

to get to hear her speak Russian.

No more wrapping woes!!

I remember when my kids were little I would procrastinate wrapping the Christmas presents and then I would be up all night on Christmas Eve trying to get everything wrapped.

It drove me nuts and sometimes ruined my holidays.

Does this sound familiar to you?

Well if any of you do the same thing I have found the solution to the problem. I saw this on my friends blog and this could change your life!!!! (well maybe just a little!)

This would save alot of time and alot of headaches and you could actually enjoy the holidays.

No more "wrapping woes"!!!

To see what I'm talking about go HERE!!

Merry Christmas and you can thank me later for helping to

make your Christmas more enjoyable!!

Holiday Eating Tips!

I posted this valuable information last year and thought that it was important enough to share again.

I hope this will help everyone enjoy a guilt free holiday.

1. Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Holiday spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door, where they're serving fudge.

2. Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly. It's rare.. You cannot find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It's not as if you're going to turn into an eggnog-oholic or something. It's a treat. Enjoy it!

3. If something comes with gravy, use it. That's the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat.

4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they're made with skim milk or whole milk. If it's skim, pass. Why bother? It's like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission.

5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Holiday party is to eat other people's food for free. Lots of it. Hello?

6. STOP! Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year's! You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you'll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.

7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Holiday cookies, position yourself near them and don't budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention. They're like a beautiful pair of shoes. If you leave them behind, you're never going to see them again.

8. Same for pies. Apple, Pumpkin, Mincemeat. Have a slice of each! Or if you don't like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labor Day??

9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it's loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost. I mean, have some standards.

10. One final tip: If you don't feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven't been paying attention. Re-read tips; start over, but hurry, January is just around the corner.

Remember this motto to live by:"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming:

"WOO HOO what a ride!"

Enjoy your holiday munching!!!

A light Unto All: A Christmas Gift

Here is the Christmas story told through missionaries from 25 countries. This is a must-see video clip that will move you; it will move anyone who believes in Jesus Christ and wants to feel the spirit of the season. Share this one as much as possible.

If you want to add it to your blog you can go HERE.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

(Make sure to pause my music below first.)