sola gracia

Well, we went on our final trip of the season, hopefully. This Labor Day weekend we traveled with Grandma and Grandpa Swenson and the kids to the Tetons for a wedding. We decided that since we have a mini-van now, we could carpool with the folks and camp out as well. Hehe. Joe got a topper for the van and loaded it with camping gear, and also maxed out the back of the van. So, we barely fit. The little ones were so fantastic on the 8 hour trip, and I was especially glad to have two other adults to help regulate them. We caught the amazing 50% off sale at the Patagonia store in Dillon. Which consisted mostly of chasing the little ones around the store between the masses of athletically inclined people.
Our time camping was pleasant enough, though the site we stayed at was not as open and spacious as our first adventure in camping this year. They did have showers and a pool for the kids to play in. So, another family adventure successfully completed!

Ron Paul is perhaps the only candidate for President that I have heard that truly makes sense. Here is some facts about the candidate.

*He has never voted to raise taxes.
*He has never voted for an unbalanced budget.
*He has never voted for a federal restriction on gun ownership.
*He has never voted to raise congressional pay.
*He has never taken a government paid junket.
*He has never voted to increase the power of the executive branch.
*He voted against the Patriot Act.
*He votes against regulating the Internet.
*He voted against the Iraq war.
*He voted against NAFTA and CAFTA.
*He votes against the United Nations.
*He votes against the welfare state.
*He votes against reinstating a military draft.
*He votes for conservative principles.
*He votes to cut government spending.
*He votes to lower healthcare costs.
*He votes to end the war on drugs.
*He votes to preserve civil liberties.
*He votes to secure our borders with real immigration reform.
*He votes to eliminate tax funded abortions & to overturn Roe v Wade.
*He votes to protect religious freedom.

(All from http://www.ronpaulforpresident2008.com/pages/about.html)

Ugh…just some tips for anyone who is thinking of going camping…
Bring a foam mat to put under your sleeping bag, cuz no matter how young you are, that ground is pretty hard on your back.
Also, bring extra blankets or else invest in a super insulated sleeping bag that will withstand arctic winds because it’s never as warm as the weather report says it’s going to be.
Then, be prepared for lots and lots of rain….because, it will rain.
Pull ups, for absolutely everyone, because no one likes getting stepped on in the middle of the night for the girl with the tiny bladder.
More hot chocolate!
Finally, a laptop or portable dvd player and Disney movies for those nights (and they will come) when the kids just won’t go to sleep! Ahh, camping in the technological world!
Let’s see, did I miss anything? Oh! Your Visa card, because businesses are too cheap to take AmEx.
Thank you, and happy camping!

Every few years the forest nights are literally fired up with lightning storms. The dry earth doesn’t stand a chance and the forest fires start spreading. The valley was literally socked in from both sides with smoke this year.

Let It Die – Feist

Been listening to some good tunes lately and I’m trying to put together another summer list of music. Wow, first post for me in 9 months. yikers

If you’re like me you dread those words, “what’s for dinner?”. Ugh. For the longest time, I have been disinterested if not loathed the process of making dinner. Mostly this dislike has stemmed from the fact that I was never really taught how to cook dinner, though my husband says that’s a cop-out.
Well, now we have cable t.v. OH NO! Yes, and I’ve become addicted to the Food Network’s cooking shows. The surprising thing is that I’ve actually become excited about cooking dinner! For some reason, watching someone cook it up makes me think “oh! I could do that!”. Plus, there’s such great new recipes that my family loves. So, here’s my favorite new comfort soup from Rachael Ray’s 30-minute meals. Hope you like it as much as I do!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_33632,00.html

~Kelly