My political post.

This video message from a soldier is very emotionally impacting and well spoken. He couldn't have said it better. While I am not ecstatic about McCain and wish I had more options, I am horrified by most ideas and opinions of Obama. I usually don't get involved in politics beyond voting but I really love this video. It is exactly what I would say if I had the chance to speak with Obama.

VOTE VOTE VOTE everyone! It is so important. If I can take a grumpy toddler while big and pregnant (with Tot in 2006 - not currently!) to the county records office to vote early because I would be out of town on election day - you can vote too no matter what your difficulties. Please VOTE! I love free speech and my right to vote.

The Bain cowboys!

Howdy! Here are the Bain buckaroos! It has been killing me to wait to blog these photos but I had to wait until after I gave these photos to my mother-in-law as one of her birthday presents. She reads my blog and I didn't want to spoil the surprise. Tracy's parents made the rocking horses and each of Tracy's siblings has one. I LOVE my rocking horse. It is one of my most favorite gifts ever.

We did this photo shoot the first week of August on one of the hottest days of the year! It was only 9:00 am in the morning but so hot in my sister's backyard. She is prego and was sick so I had her sit in a chair with an umbrella and work the camera while I was the propmaster. Tot hated the sun in his eyes and was persnickety. TMac hated the bandanna but did okay. We have been trying to arrange this photo shoot since March and calendars and problems just kept getting in the way so - hooray - it's done and it's super cute!

Yes, I am aware that in some of the photos TMac is wearing pink boots. My sister digitally changed them to brown in most of the photos and the others we printed out sepia colored. We had to borrow my nieces boots because I had been to 6 stores in the weeks before the photo shoot and no luck for boots for TMac. Wal-Mart was driving me crazy because they had sporadic sizes of boots but all too small. If they had had a bigger pair I would have gotten them out of desperation. Yes, I did go to Boot Barn. Their kids boots start at $30 for really ugly ones and go into the $100's and I didn't want to break the bank. We now own great boots for both boys that I got on clearance at Wal-Mart - they finally had some sizes I needed.

The little rocking chair is the one that my Grandpa Mac was rocked in as a baby and the two wooden candy barrels are from the Joseph Smith red brick store in Nauvoo, Illinois. My sister's husband was such a trooper when she and I each wanted to bring one home from our trip two years ago. The airline staff were not amused! My husband would have forbidden the chaos but he wasn't on the trip! The rope was made by TMac in Nauvoo on a hand-turned rope making machine.

I was a little sad to replace the river hug header with this new one but I'll get over it! They are both the cutest photos ever and I'm so blessed to have such gorgeous little boys. I am so glad that I had two boys first that are such great brothers.

Thank you Heather and Mom and Dad Bain for the horse, help and digital work!

Alan Jackson concert here we come!

I am taking birthday boy Tracy ALAN to the Alan Jackson concert tonight and I am so excited. Tracy is looking forward to it as well. This is one of his favorite singers and he listens the heck out of his CD's. Tonight will be a much needed date night. Tracy has been working ridiculously hard and really deserves a night out that isn't a family party (no offense family!). My sister got the tickets for us and tomorrow is Tracy's birthday. I borrowed my Mom's cowboy boots and I've got my outfit picked out. I am realizing now that I need to schedule more date nights and get the kids babysat more often because I'm not exaggerating - Tracy and I have not gone anywhere alone for at least 2 years and maybe longer. Not good! So beware Tracy - I am going to start planning date nights. We are definitely in the married with children phase now. The last time we had the kids babysat was in June by my parents so we could go to our friend Dr. Todd's party but we were still not alone. I feel bad because I would usually email good friends that also like Alan Jackson and country music to see if they wanted to come along but not this time. You can still buy tickets and go if you want! We will wave at you but we need to be alone! I also haven't been to a concert for about 6 years!

This was supposed to be a surprise but Tracy is too smart and I have no poker face. I've had the tickets for weeks but this past Sunday I was outlining our calendar events for the week like I usually do and when I said that Friday night was a special date night without children Tracy said, "Well huh, I was going to look into that George Strait concert." He knows that wrong words or names drive me crazy and that I would want to correct him so when I controlled myself and said nothing he really knew he had me. He asked if I bought tickets to the Alan Jackson concert and I said no which is true. I didn't! My sister did! Anyways, he's a smart man and knows just how to tease me. Besides, there are at least 3 billboards here in our city so I figured once I told him he needed the night off of work and it was a special birthday night out he would put two and two together. It is really hard to surprise Tracy. I really don't know if I've ever truly been able to surprise him - I'll have to think about it.

It should be a really great concert. It didn't occur to me until yesterday which was September 11th that there will surely be a focus tonight on remembrance and the best September 11th song ever - Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning). I'll wear my flag pin!

TMac is looking forward to playing with his favorite non-family member baby sitters but he is not happy that I am going somewhere wearing cowboy boots that he is not invited to!

Did I mention I was excited!?!? I can not wait to eat a dinner that is still hot that doesn't include baby wipes and dance in the aisle with my man. Yee-haw!

Hopefully everything will go as planned tonight and I won't have to quote another country song by Deana Carter - Did I Shave My Legs For This? :) Gotta go prep and primp!

Joy is...

I'm feeling joyful today which is markedly better than the tired and grumpy of the last several days. I'm still tired but what Mom of young kids isn't? I'm always happy no matter what but today I am downright joyful! Here are some reasons why - joy is...

• Having Tracy home more this weekend than has been the norm lately.
• A good session of church yesterday. Tot slept through 2nd and 3rd hour like I like him to. Several things hit home for me and made me renew my goals.
• A crockpot Sunday dinner which also makes awesome leftovers for today - slow cooked beef roast made into homemade stroganoff. Yum!
• Swimming in the pool and relaxing in the hot, bubbly spa instead of making Sunday dinner.
• An invitation to dinner at a good friend's house tonight! Hooray! We can have leftovers for Tuesday night and I don't have to think about dinner until Wednesday!
• Some fun groceries in my kitchen. I hate same old, boring grocery supplies.
• Waking up to no more headache today after a long, 3 day run of constant, severe headache.
• The huge smiles that come from taking TMac to buy a new superhero costume with his own piggy bank savings. Rest assured there will be a separate post about that outing!
• Working on homemade birthday presents for Tracy with his little men.
• Really looking forward to a long overdue date night this Friday night!
• Looking forward to Super Saturday at church this Saturday with my gal pals.
• September - I love the hot days and cooler nights. The holidays are getting closer!
• The anticipation of Halloween and pumpkin patches.
• A fun swim in the pool with TMac just now.
• Time for a quick 15 minute nap since Tot is still napping - see ya!