2010 Blessings

2010 has been good to our family of seven. We have been truly blessed this year. We thought it would be fun to count our blessings on this last day of 2010 in no particular order of significance.

#1. No baby. We love our kiddos so much, but we're glad to be done. 2007, 2008, & 2009 were good enough for us.

#2. Randy made quota four out of four quarters. His boss and Vice President were talking him up. He's been noticed!

#3. We gave Sadie to a WONDERFUL family. After we had to give Magnum back, she was so lonely. Now she has 4 kids that aren't afraid of her activity:) She's lucky to have the Muldowney's!

#4. My sister, Danielle married an amazing man. We had the whole Burrell family present.

#5. My brother-in-law, Russ graduated December 17, 2010 from the Master's program. 4.0!

#6. Randy's brother, Dan got a permanent job. We couldn't be happier.

#7. We finished the basement. It's nice to have our house organized.

#8. I started selling Shelf Reliance. We're getting our food storage faster and cheaper than we would have any other way. That makes it SO worth it!

#9. One year ago today we were told that Caden was legally blind in one eye. We were also told that he would never have good vision. Today, he's 20/20 with his corrective lens. We're all astounded at his recovery and progress!

#10. Randy and I celebrated our 10 year anniversary. I know our marriage isn't the only fairy tale marriage, but I do know our marriage is one that people would love to have.

Every love story is beautiful, but ours is my favorite.

We wish all of you a Happy New Year. We hope 2011 is all you hope and more! Now to get ready for our party tonight. 20 adults ringing in the new year with laughter and happiness.

2011 is looking perfect already!

6 months

What a difference 6 months can make!

Christmas Cookies

On the first day of Winter Break, we had our friends over for lunch and Christmas Cookies. Because of my terrible camera skills, these are the only pictures that really turned out. We have so much fun with these guys! You know Dasher, and Dancer, and.... Rudolph!

Sledding BFF's

On the first day of Winter Break, Randy took Caden and his best friend, Brayden, up to Casper Mountain for some snow fun. Randy had gone snowmobiling the previous Saturday, so he was itching to go again. He'll take any opportunity he can get!

This is the friend that saved Caden's life last year (figuratively, not literally.) Now they're inseparable. I love this little guy! We're hoping for many more snow days like this one!!

(p.s. Isn't my man perfect to get so many good pictures!)

Obituary

Keilie Ann Dirks, 7, loving daughter of Randy and Stephanie Dirks, was found smothered in her sleep by her large white polar bear named, "Big Bear." All of her other pets, including,"Gray with White Puppy," "Wolfy," "Brown Bear," and "Peach Puppy" were all witnesses to this gruesome attack. She is survived by her parents and four siblings.

We LOVE you!!!

Christmas 2010

5:00 AM comes earlier than I would like! Merry Christmas!

Caramels

I got this recipe a few years ago and made it for our neighbors this year. I think this will become a Christmas tradition. They are sooooo easy and sooooo good!

Easy Microwave Caramels

1 Cup Butter

2 Cups Sugar

1 Cup Karo Syrup

Microwave in large glass bowl for 5 minutes, stopping at 3 minutes to stir. Slowly add 1 Cup Sweetened Condensed Milk, mix well. Microwave 3 minutes (will boil), stir with clean metal spoon each time. Microwave 3 minutes then stir, cook again 3 minutes, test for texture. When at softball stage, stir in 1 tsp. Vanilla. Pour into greased 9x13 or cookie sheet.

**Make sure to use a clean metal spoon each time stirring!

Merry Christmas to all!!

Garage Door

I am a creature prone to temper tantrums. I have been known to sweep the game board off of the table when I get super frustrated. I know, I'm a brat. I know, I'm a baby. And you know what? Randy still loves me. He even thinks it's funny sometimes. So, this story had Randy laughing out loud. Who knows, it may even have you laughing. So, it all started at the end of November. I would open our garage, pull my blazer out, and try to close it. It wouldn't. I would get out of my blazer, stalk into the garage, and push the main button. Nothing. I would have to drive away leaving our garage open. I HATE that. Not so much that we're leaving our stuff wide open for thieves, but because it doesn't make the house look pretty! Anyway, this happened over, and over, and over. I would take FIFTEEN minutes trying to get it to work. Nothing. I was late twice. Anyone that knows me, knows that I HATE being late. I am NEVER late unless there's a good reason(ie. cut off limbs, flat tire, engine problems, death, etc.) So, this made me LIVID. After about 3 times of this not working, I had had it. I called Randy in an absolute furious state and YELLED at him to get it fixed, or else. I even hung up on him! Each time, he would come home and close the door right away. I couldn't believe it. I would secretly pray that it wouldn't work for him when we went somewhere together. To no avail. He ALWAYS got it to work. Then... one day... it didn't work for him. One day, he felt the frustration. Randy made a few phone calls and got it all figured out. As he was talking to a garage door installer, his angry eyes got a little softer. His frown lines became a little happier. You want to know why our garage door wasn't opening? The sun! What?, you might be asking. In the winter, the position of the sun in the morning cast just the right shadow over the sensors that it "thought" that there was something blocking it. It wouldn't go down. Whenever Randy was with us in the morning, his car was parked in just the right spot that it would block the sun. That's why it always worked when we were together. By the time Randy got home, the sun had moved in the sky. So, all of those times of stomping, screaming, yanking the emergency cord off of the door, venting, frustration, blood pumping through my veins, hatred swelling in my heart was because of the sun. There is nothing wrong with that stupid opener, the one I was so ready to replace. The reason we didn't know this information was because last winter we had a garage full of stuff while we were finishing the basement. So, from now on we know the sun is kind of our enemy in the winter. I feel somewhat embarrassed with myself. Although, I know that's just one of my weaknesses, something I need to work on. And you know what? Randy still loves me!

Toothless Wonder

Keilie got some fun books from Grandpa & Grandma Burrell that we've been reading each morning. Today's book was all about Junie B. losing her first top tooth. Keilie instantly noticed that Junie B's loose tooth was the same loose tooth she had. The whole book was spent wiggling and wiggling with a little listening, too. We laughed as Junie B. worried about what the tooth fairy does with the teeth. Here at our house, Keilie was worrying about how to get hers out. She took the matter to Randy, asking him if he had any floss. Randy had a better idea. Pliers! I had to take Caden and Shelby to school, so I left the matter in his capable hands. I came home to screams. She had lost her tooth on the same day that Junie B. did. Randy ended up using floss, because Keilie, "Was blinded. Everything went black." Randy noticed she was wavering pretty bad. Yep! She's my daughter- she almost passed out!! Floss was a far less terrifying prospect for her, I guess. Junie B. was the first in Room One to lose her tooth, so she was able to stand up for show-and-tell. Since we all are apart of Keilie's "class" here is her show-and-tell. Congratulations, Keilie. As a side note, she stood there and just let him pull it. She really is a brave little girl!

Babies

Today in the car Shelby asked a very serious questions. One that must have had lots of pondering. "Mommy, Caden's in Boy Scouts and Keilie's going to Girl Scouts, can I go to Baby Scouts?" Shelby refers to herself, Brennon, and Ty as "The babies." She always asks if the "babies" can go into the store, get out of the car, or have something to eat. Growing up, Randy and Steve were always called "the boys." However, this statement is all Shelby.

Cheerios

Today on the way to school, Caden was commenting on how he only gets the burps when he's eaten Cheerios. He continued saying that he didn't even get the burps when he drank soda, just Cheerios. What he said next made me laugh super hard many different times in the day.

"It's a good thing that it's only Cheerios that give me the burps. Because Cheerios smell good." EEEEEWWWWWW! Morbidly funny, huh! Or maybe I have sick sense of humor. Either way, we laughed the whole way to school. Bonding, gotta love it!

Superhero?

With an outfit this cute, you've got to ask, "What's your superpower?"
Any guesses?

Snow

For at least one more winter, this is how I'll enjoy snow. Inside with the babies. Warm!

Look at him look longingly at that door handle- wishing he was just a few inches taller.
What's a good excuse to stay indoors next year? Any ideas? My "baby" excuse is almost up!

Surprise!!!

If you look hard enough, you'll see a surprise hiding in this wreath. Well, you might not be able to see it, but there is something hiding there. A bird! I noticed some bird poop when I took down my fall wreath and wondered if the bird that had left it's present was gone for good. Nope! The other night we were going in through the front door after a fun night out on the town. We were having such a good time, so I sung out in happiness:) Well, little did I know, but that bird was still around. Caden had opened the door ever so slightly, and as I sung out in jubilation, I scared it. It flew in our house a little ways, bonked it's head as it was frantically fleeing, and flew away. We were that close to having a pet bird. Dang it! I guess we can console ourselves with a bird that lives/hides/poops in our wreaths.

Night-Night

Randy was laying on the couch for a small nap. All of a sudden he hears Brennon grunting as if he's pulling something super heavy. Ever so gently Brennon places his blankie on daddy. A few minutes later, Randy hears him enter the room again and feels him place something on his legs. He peeked and found this! Randy slept much better after that. Wouldn't you?

BFF's

Kennedy & Shelby. Best Friends Forever!!!

Kimberly & Steph, Kennedy & Shelby, Jonathon & Ty.

And some people don't believe there were friendships made in heaven!

Mommy, Teddy, and Me!

On Saturday, the girls and I went to our Annual Mommy, Teddy, and Me party. This year, Shelby was old enough to go! I will say it was fun, but not as fun as last year. They were missing some of the fun stuff. Here's what they did have...
The Cake Walk. Look at those cupcakes!!!

Christmas Story reading. Shelby was in this picture for about 3 seconds. She was more interested in playing. Naturally!

This was something that they didn't have last year that was kind of fun. They got to make an ornament. Hailey & Kennedy got to make snowmen. Here are ours.

Shelby & Keilie's, respectively. We're glad our best friends were able to join us. It made it that much funner. Hopefully they'll bring back the facepainting!!

Excuses, Excuses!

With Keilie's books and computer showing up at the house, Caden is really laying it on thick that he's the one that asked to be homeschooled last year. He's the one that got us thinking about doing it. He's the one that wants to do it. I told him there was a big difference between wants and needs. He was trying to give me every excuse in the book why he should. Here's his numero uno... "I'd have the best teacher in the world." (said with a HUGE grin) He's a very clever minx, that Caden! So sly, so sneaky! That's why I love him. Among other things, of course. Doesn't this picture make him look so cunning? He's four here. Love it.

Homeschool

This year, Randy and I had to implement a new phrase in our family. "Focus!" We found ourselves saying this more and more. The one who started it all? Keilie. At our first Parent-Teacher conference, Mrs. Galles told us that Keilie was having a hard time staying on track. She would get a look in her eye that told the teacher she wasn't paying attention. She wasn't focusing. She suggested we get her tested for ADHD. I almost laughed. Keilie can sit for more than 5 minutes, she's not out of control- she can't have ADHD. However, I made an appointment for 4 days later, just to make the teacher happy. Although, after reading some of the information about it, I wondered if she might have ADD. They now have it as an "umbrella" diagnosis, although there is more than one type. We went to the Psychologist who told us he was intrigued and wanted to get some tests taken. He put her through some IQ testing and other tests for attention. We found out two weeks ago that her IQ is above that of other 2nd graders around the world. That was exciting news! However, the test for her attention was a little discouraging. Where her score should have been about 100 she only scored 20. These numbers lead the doctor to give us an informal diagnosis of ADHD. He told us that Keilie is holding herself back from learning- and she doesn't even know it. She doesn't know that the rest of us don't have a million things running through our heads at any given moment. We've been talking about homeschooling for a while now. With the numbers, tests, and conversations with Dr. Bell, Randy and I decided to try the homeschool route for the rest of the year. It was a decision that had much prayer, fasting, and nerves. Today was our first day. We are enrolled with K12 and love it so far. I mean, it's only the first day- how can we not?! I'm scared. I'm terrified. I hope this isn't a huge mistake. But!!! If this can be the thing that helps Keilie succeed in life, then how can I not? Being a stay-at-home mom might be the thing that really helps my little Keilie. Caden is green with envy. He was the one that started us even considering it. He wants to SOOOOO bad. Mostly because his best friend at church is homeschooled. I told him that we would try a summer school. He was all for it. I mean, come on, summer school? We'll see what we come up with. For now, one is enough!

Hostess Benefits

There are many things that I love about being an Independent Consultant for Shelf Reliance. *I love getting together with people. *I love seeing the excitement of people starting their food storage. *I love selling stuff that we all need, not want. *I love tasting the different foods, choosing my favorites. *I love seeing people's reaction to the GREAT taste of Thrive! Today, I partook of another benefit of being a consultant. Not only did I make $250 for hosting my own party, but I also got $750 dollars of Thrive Food Storage for only $283. That's right, more than 50% off. You did not read those numbers wrong. Being a hostess for Shelf Reliance is awesome. Being a consultant that hosts my own party is even better. If you are interested in how I got this amazing deal, email me at thrivewyoming@gmail.com.

2010 Hot Chocolate Winner

Casper 5th Ward Relief Society 2010 Hot Chocolate Champion

That's my new title! I won a contest last night and thought I would share the winning recipe:)

So, curl up next to a fire with your sweetie and this hot chocolate and you're sure to win over his heart(again)... and tastebuds!

Creamy hot white chocolate
Yield: 8 Servings

6 cups half-and-half, divided
1-1/3 cups white baking chips
2 cinnamon sticks (3 inches)
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Dash ground nutmeg
3 teaspoons vanilla extract

In a large saucepan, combine 1/2 cup cream, chips, cinnamon sticks, cinnamon and nutmeg. Cook and stir over low heat until chips are melted. Stir in remaining cream; heat through. Discard cinnamon sticks. Stir in Vanilla.

Gag!!

Right now there is only one thing that bugs me about Brennon. Whenever he gags, even just a little bit, he throws up. Something doesn't taste perfect to him, throw up. Some texture not to his liking, throw up. Today was no exception! After the normal hysteria of dirty clothes and tears, I walked into the kitchen to see the damage on the floor. I asked Brennon to help me clean it up. I was taking his clothes to our laundry chute and came back to a towel draped over the mess. I said, "Brennon, I asked you to help me clean it up." He looked at me, looked at the floor, and then back to me and said, "I don't see the mess!" Shelby walked in at that moment, looked at the towel and proclaimed, "It looks so good in here, Brennon!" I just had to laugh. And then gag as I cleaned it up!

Darwin & Jackie Dirks Family

The Darwin & Jackie Dirks Family. Established 1970.

All because two people fell in love!

(Back L to R: Stephanie, Randy, Karen, Daniel, Stephen, Natalie, Sherry, Ryan)

Jackie & Darwin Dirks

The Randy & Stephanie Dirks Family. Established 2000.

Come What May~ And LOVE It!

Ty's Thanksgiving

Every year my parents host a Pie Night the night before Thanksgiving. This year we were able to make it, and no one was more excited than Ty:) He LOVED it.

I had placed him on a counter to keep him from off the floor. He ended up finding one of my sister's bowl and finishing it off. Oreo pie- who doesn't love it?
He had to get every last morsel. Licking the bowl is the best way!!

It was Thanksgiving weekend 2009 that Brennon started to really walk. We were really hoping Ty would do the same. He cried most of the Utah trip, so we didn't have much hope. Hey, he was getting four molars, what do you expect? He's been happy ever since we got home and is now taking steps. He's not 100%, but he at least has the guts to try. It wasn't Thanksgiving weekend, but pretty darn close. I'm going to miss crawling babies, but can't wait for this new phase!

Naptime

Brennon has been so stubborn lately. Today he DID NOT want to take a nap, although I knew he was super tired. This is how I found him after I had put him in bed three times already. Stubborn little cutesie! And no, he did not roll down the stairs:) Also, if you're wondering where his clothes are... he knows how to undress now. The boy would go without clothes all the time. I guess all his insulation makes him impervious to the cold!

Ring Bearer and Flower Girl

Ring Bearer
Flower Girl

Because Brennon and Payton are only a week apart, Danielle had them be her ring bearer(although, we ended up forgetting to give him the pillow) and flower girl. They looked so cute and somewhat stole the show. Until Danielle walked in, of course:) With the promise of candy if they came to me, they were eager to get the show on the road. However, they got a little lost when they had to make a slight turn down the ramp:) Not to worry, things worked out perfect- even if there was a little confusion and laughter!

Marital Bliss

There were many reasons for our trip down to Utah, but this was the most important! My little sister, Danielle, married the love of her life on Saturday. Doesn't she look so gorgeous!!!

Diva!

Congratulations Danielle and Blake. We couldn't be happier. Welcome to our crazy, fun, outgoing, and wonderful family, Blake:) There's never a dull moment at the Burrell's house. Can I get a B-U-Double R-E-Double L?

Daddy-Daughter Dance

There are many great dad's in the world, but my dad is my favorite.

"I loved her first."

Burrell Family Fun

The Wayne and Rachelle Burrell Family. Established July 1980.

We may not have it all together, but together we have it all!

Ashlee, Stephanie, Brooke, and Danielle.

I love my sisters so much. They're what made my trip so much fun!