Christmas Eve 2009

Merry Christmas from our house to yours.
Jeff, Suzanne, Vicky and Fred
Tulo, Rocco and Mattie

Shortest Day of the Year 2009

Today we celebrate the first day of winter. The days will be a little longer from now until the summer solstice (my favorite day of the year). Old man winter has arrived screaming....wicked commute today as the roads were icy, snowy, and I saw about 5 wrecks in 10 minutes. Very S C A R Y!

Downtown Boise

Christmas Buckeyes

I have Christmas memories of making a few sweet treats, cutting out sugar cookies on the kitchen table when I was about 4 years old at our Williams Street house, making chocolate swedish tea cakes, and my favorite treat, Buckeyes. Buckeyes are special peanut butter balls that look like a real Buckeye nut, from a Buckeye tree, that grows in Ohio. I made Buckeyes this year at Suzanne's request, and shared them with a few special people.

Here's the recipe Amy!

The Original Buckeye Recipe

1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 t. vanilla extract
4 cups powdered sugar

4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 T. shortening

1. Mix together peanut butter, vanilla, butter and powdered sugar. The dough will look dry. Roll into one large ball, and refrigerate dough about 30 minutes.
2. Roll into 1 inch balls, and place on a waxed paper-lined cookie sheet.
3. Press a toothpick into the top of each ball, and chill in freezer until firm, about 30 minutes.
4. Melt chocolate chips and shortening in microwave until melted. Stir frequently.
5. Dip frozen peanut butter balls in chocolate, holding onto the toothpick. Leave a small amount of peanut butter showing at the top to make them look like Buckeyes. Put back on the cookie sheet and refrigerate until serving.

Case Christmas Party 2009

I have great friends. I am very blessed to have 2 amazing women in my life. Mary Jo and Darla. The Case Christmas party is fabulous and I love seeing everyone. Great food, great friends, and good cheer.

Mountain Home Holiday Light Parade

Mountain Home Chamber of Commerce hosted a Holiday Night Light Parade on Dec 4th. I decorated the Bronco van with lights, wreaths, and tinsel and put her in the lineup with the other floats. Marcus and his friend waved and tossed out candy to the kids along the route, and we had great fun! But, burr, it was zero degrees!

Merry Christmas friends and family, and love and peace to you in 2010.

Christmas Bunco

Love our special Christmas Bunco that Toni hosts each year! We laugh, exchange ornmanets, and eat and drink until we are all very merry!

Merry Christmas Bunco Babes!
Front..Rose, Dawn, Dawn, Lisa, Sandy
Kris..going solo in the middle
Back...Vicky, Bonnie, Dorene, Toni, Tammy, Fran, Toni

St. Luke's Christmas Social

I invited the gals I work with to a holiday social in the Bronco Zone at the Stueckle Sky Center to kick off the week before Christmas. We were so excited to see the city lights of downtown Boise, the blue turf, BUT the fog rolled in and we had no view.

Front: Joanne, Marilyn, Cheryl, Cathy, Sarah, Carol
Back: Melissa, Vicky, Terry, Becky

Tulo is waiting for Santa!

Tulo's first Christmas. Next Christmas, Tulo will be a dog once more. Dogs are well, dogs, when a new baby takes over the house.

" Clink*Clink " ornament!

This is my ornament for our Bunco ornament exchange...

and this was my inspiration ornament. I think the inspiration ornament wins the trophy. Simple as pie, take a margarita glass, fill it with glittery snow, and pop the prettiest ornament you have in the 'rita glass.

Boise State is headed to the Fiesta Bowl!

2009 WAC Champs---Boise State University! BSU is playing TCU January 4, 2010 in the Fiesta Bowl. Phoenix here we come! A few days in the sun plus hitting all the Fiesta Bowl activities. Parade, pep rally and kick off is at 6 pm MDT. Go Broncos!
Kellen Moore, the best Quarterback in the Nation!

Buster, the Best Mascot in Nation!


Tostito's Fiesta Bowl ~ better be ready for Bronco Nation!


Kirby Moore post game after BSU won the 2009 WAC championship game - we all jumped on the field for the trophy presentation.

Shop with a Cop and the BSU vs. Idaho game

As we were headed out of town to the Boise State vs. Idaho game, we stopped at Sunset C for a Red Bull and Coffee (no, we really didn't need any more hype). The Citizens on Patrol (COPS) and volunteers were collecting donations for our local youngsters to go shopping with a cop before Christmas. We made our donation, and COPS wanted a team picture with the Bronco Van.

Nice work and thanks to the volunteers - I think they made a couple hundred bucks in a few hours for the Mountain Home kids.

My family - the two girls and the two guys


Doug, Kim and Andy ~ always room for orange and blue Jello!


Horizon Airline's Boise State University airplane. The plane did a fly over before the Boise State vs. Idaho game Nov 14 09. Beautiful plane. This is the plane that the Univ. of Idaho AD would not board on the flight from northern Idaho to Boise for the big in-state rivalry game. Funny thing was the BSU Horizon plane didn't make national news UNTIL the U of I athletic director refused to get on the plane which was to take him to Boise. He drove to Spokane and jumped on another flight.



A guy brought his Llama decked out in Bronco gear. Llamas love Broncos - hope that doesn't mess nature up.


Beer Pong on a Bronco Board


And one more Bronco Beer Pong table


NO. 6 BOISE STATE WINS GOVERNOR'S CUP WITH DOMINATING 63-25 WIN OVER IDAHO!

Get out your bread supplies

I found a delicious bread recipe that is so SIMPLE even I can make it. Using lecithin and yeast, I had dinner on the table in 90 minutes on Sunday afternoon. Try it, your family will love it! Let me know if you want the recipe. This recipe mades 4 batches, next time I'll cut the recipe in half!

Southwest Chicken Braid, Italian Bread, Strawberry/Cream Cheese Braid

BSU vs. UC Davis Victory!

October 30, 2009...Victory over UC Davis.

Vicky, Suzanne and Rose - bronco nation at it's best!

H1N1 Desktop

Some of us use the new Windows 7 operating system, this is MY new operating system and what I have on my desk top at work...4 hand sanitizers. I've had my shot so hopefully I am out of the woods.

Check out the sweet card on my desk for those of you who haven't heard the happy news yet.

Only in Mountain Home...at Wal Mart

would you see this license plate, along with a skulll and feather hood ornament!

Dancing with the Stars Gala Preimere Night

Rose and I are DWTS groupies...we call and text every week with our expert opinions and critiques of the couples. Rose hosted a premiere night at her home so we all watched the opening night together. Bonnie, Lisa, Tammy, Dawn, Rose and I are all DWTS wanna-bees. Don't forget to vote - our "puppy love" favorite is Donny Osmond!

Women's Fitness Celebration 2009

Time to Celebrate and Enjoy the Good Times! Rose, Suzanne and I had a great morning - walked fast, ate some good food in the park, and strolled through the Saturday Market and bought a few fun things.


Met an old friend on the course, Suzanne Holl. She is a walking chick for sure! Was great to see her again!

Air Force Appreciation Day 2009

A very local and very favorite event in Mountain Home is Air Force Appreciation Day. Every year our town says "thank you" to the those that serve in the U.S. Air Force with a HUGE parade, free BBQ, and lots of fun and games in Carl Miller Park.

I remember my first parade in 1970 ~ rode in the back of an American Legion float with Debbie Rist and jr. high friends. Then spent the high school years marching with the MHHS drill team and cheerleaders. As an adult I spent many AFAD days with civic groups raising money at various fund raising booths and had some great times. Now I love to walk around and say hi friends, eat a chorizo, maybe even splurge on a funnel cake, and then walk 1 block back to my house!

One of the fire trucks with a couple of family men on board.

Carl Miller Park on Air Force Appreciation Day

Suzanne Rescues a Dog!

Suzanne has been swimming and training for the upcoming Alcatraz Invitational Swim aka Shark Fest in San Francisco. She swims in a local pond (yuk, pond water), and a few Saturdays ago, she came across a little pup stranded on a dock. She pulled the little guy from the dock and searched for an owner but had no luck. After several days of posting a "lost dog" ad and checking with the humane society, no one claimed this little puppy.

Lucky little dog now lives with Suzanne, Jeff, Grif, Rem and Mattie and his name is Tulo. Sure looks like a Manchester Terrier. And, Tulo as many of you know, is a baseball player with the Colorado Rockies.

Puppy Tulo weighs 7 lbs 6 oz. Newborn size. Come on guys, he is a puppy and not a baby. I asked for grandkids and I got a grand-puppy! Tulo is adorable and has already had a sleep-over at our place.

Broncos Ditch the Ducks!

The blue turf is ready. The players throw down the hammer. Biggest game in BSU history. The stadium is packed and the game is sold out! Boise State Broncos vs. the Oregon Ducks. The Broncos cruise to a 19-8 victory over the Ducks and Boise erupts into a victory celebration! Sep 3 2009

I LOVE IT!

Color theme of the game - Orange, Blue and White (looks good on ESPN)


The Broncos take the field - the energy is electrifying!



Mountain Homers - Dawn, Brandie, Denise, Vicky, and Janet


Me and my Bronco Buddy Rose


Bud Light had a great idea - market their beer cans in collegiate colors. I guess they figured it would allow fans to show their school spirit. Here are two cans in the Boise State and Oregon colors BEFORE the stores pulled the cans stating it promotes underage drinking. Helloooo - youngsters are going to drink beer no matter what colors are on the cans!

Boise Curb Cup ~ August 2009

What a great idea - incredible free entertainment - the first Annual "Boise Curb Cup". Kind of like "Boise's Got Talent" in the streets of downtown Boise. I would guess there were over 100 acts from belly dancers to rock bands to an almost naked pair of singers with their guitars. Big shout to the Mark Rivers, a creative genius who also brought us, yes, BoDo.



Highland BagPipers - Love the bagpipes, don't you?


Only at Moon's Kitchen would I wait 35 minutes for a chocolate shake on a 100' degree day. Yum!

Suzanne and Jeff's Slideshow is now live for viewing!

A perfect day, a beautiful bride, and a very handsome groom. A mother's wish is for her daughter to marry a man who will love and honor her all the days of her life. My wish has come true. Suzanne and Jeff were married August 15, 2009