Good things still happen

I try to be a good cook. 

Really.

It turns out though; I’m not great at it. I’m not even good at it.

Every day, I head home from work holding onto this grand idea that I’m going to give my family a healthy dose of home cookin’, mainly because it seems like the right thing to do.

But cooking for me turns into vaguely reviewing a recipe, deciding I have ZERO of the ingredients on hand and then realizing going to the store would involve me actually having to locate my car keys, which always seems like more work than it’s really worth. This is the time during my “cooking” experience where I get a false sense of confidence and decide I can make substitutes for every ingredient.

Every. Single. One.

In case you’re wondering, parmesan cheese is not a good replacement for butter. Nor Cream of Chicken soup for milk. I give you full permission to learn from my mistakes.

At this point in my proven process, I’m thinking what kind of world I’ve created where I’m more likely to have fresh Parmesan cheese, a superfluous ingredient over butter. The despondent-failure feeling sets in and I dig out my spare key in order to take my little ones to dinner. I hope trained counselors can help my adult children reconcile this part of their lives one day. For now, they just look at with big eyes and a shrug that implies a well-she-tried attitude.

For those of you who don’t know me in person, this story proves I'm can be hard to take in large doses.  Just ask my kids. Or my co-workers.

Back to my story. Luckily, the North Hi-way Cafe is a short distance from our home.

We consider ourselves regulars much to the dismay of the waiting staff. I don’t think we’ve ever been there without bumping into someone, spilling a drink or cutting off a senior citizen for the last available table. 

But, for now, they still let us in, so we were there last Wednesday. Proving a mom’s got-to-do what a mom’s got-to-do, we were enjoying our dinner while doing homework at the same time. As we started packing up, our waitress approached our table and said a nice couple had paid our bill, including tip.

In other words, we were free to leave after eating without any financial commitment.

On the way home, I wept. I’m not even slightly embarrassed to admit this.

I wish I could spice this story up by telling you I had no money and my kids hadn’t eaten in six days. 

Or at the very least, I had left my wallet at home and was going to have to leave one as my kids overnight as collateral. The one with the runny nose for sure.

But alas, this was not the case. I had come with plenty of money to pay, which is usually much appreciated/expected in the food-service industry in America.

The reason I wept is because there are caring people in this town. While mainstream media tells us the earth is full of hate, murder and evil, it’s was this refreshing act of kindness that refocused my worldview.

I have no idea who or where these people are, but they did more for us than pay a $20 bill. They left an impression with my girls that kindness and compassion are the most viable options for dealing with our fellow human beings. You never know what miracle is waiting for you to participate in and this could be a great time to find out.

While I may never have the opportunity to thank these people in person, you can be sure I am going to pay it forward.

He Keeps Doing It!

A flashbulb memory is a highly-detailed, exceptionally-vivid snapshot of a moment in time where you experienced something with real consequential importance. So vivid, you can recall it with photo-like quality.

I do have a few of these flashbulb memories, both good and bad. I remember exactly how I was during the OJ verdict, 9/11 and the moment my mom left this world for Heaven.

One of my favorite flashbulb memories is the moment I first laid eyes on my husband, almost twelve years ago. I must be getting old because lately I've been feeling extra sentimental which is why this particular event has been on my mind lately.

He was working for his brother at the local DQ so he had this cute little plaid uniform on.

What a sissy.

He rounded the corner and our eyes met. I was there to meet some of my friends who also worked there. They had already warned me about this rebel rouser. In fact, I clearly remember the first words I ever spoke to my husband.

“Do you know it’s illegal to buy cigarettes for underage people?”

Even in my early years, I was a law-abiding citizen. In his early years, he wasn't. When he looked back at me with the biggest, most beautiful hazel eyes I've ever seen, I thought to myself. “Oh hell. This is not going to end well for me.” A little part of me fell in love right then.

That night, Chase and I walked around town and talked about a million different things. When I went back to college the following weekend, I told my roommate I never expected to hear from him again.

But I did which was shocking because he hadn't even asked for my phone number. Since this was a pre-Facebook era, I couldn't imagine how he would contact me, even if he wanted to.

Yes, I am old. When I was dating, Facebook didn't even exist. I can’t tell you how thankful I am to have dodged that bullet.

At 18, I instantly and unavoidably fell in love with someone who may or may not have bought cigarettes for underage people. If the statue of limitations is greater than twelve years for this offense, he definitely did not.

What started that weekend led to the person I am today and the family I have now. For which I will be eternally grateful.

Has every step been easy? Um no. Has every step been worth it? Yes. Absolutely yes. Marriage requires a sacrifice of self which is never fun. Sometimes I apologize when I don’t really mean it down in my core because my man and my kids are worth it. I let go of my “rights” for the greater good of keeping my family unit firmly intact.

Anyway, if you’re still reading, I am really getting to my main point. This month will mark TEN YEARS since Jesus picked my broken husband up from the gutters and freed him from a life-destroying methamphetamine addiction. He has an entire decade of being drug free under his belt and he is more successful today than ANYONE (except for me) could have ever imagined.  

Chase had been a drug user for much of his youth and got into meth, which dug its claws into my man with all that it had. By the grace of God, he made it out and now he

willingly shares his story with anyone who wants to listen. After rehab, he came back an entirely new person and is an awesome husband, father, son and friend. I’m so proud to call him mine.

No, I usually don’t discuss such things on the Internet for everyone to read. But today I am because I want to encourage people out there. It can be done peeps. 

The Fourth of July is THE BEST!

Isn’t the Fourth of July the best? It’s probably my favorite holiday because it means outside family fun. Yay!

This year, we kicked off our holiday with the Chuckars game. We love our hometown minor league baseball team. The Chuckars won which made it even better! At the end of the game, the announcers invited all the kids down to run the bases. The little ones flocked to the field.

Izzy was in a skirt and flip-flops and, yet, easily ran around a few times.

Cam Cam spent her time on the field dancing on the pitcher’s mound.

When I asked her why she didn’t run, she looked at me with her big brown eyes and said, “We were supposed to run?” When I pointed out what the other hundred kids had been doing, she said, “But there was a big dancing stage in the middle.”

I LOVE this sweet spirit who does her own thing. She is a blessing of the highest degree. I also LOVE her sister who never shies away from hard things. What would I do without these two?

The BEST part of the weekend was when my man came home. Since he is currently working in Rock Springs, Wy., he was able to spend the holiday with us even though it wasn’t his typical week home. So wonderful!

On the Fourth, we rolled out of bed and headed to the parade. I have a system for the parade and all activities in general. I arrive at the last possible second and pray everything works out. It typically does! You have to perfect the look to make it work. It’s a combination of smiling with desperate eyes. People in this wonderful town respond very well to this kind of desperation.

This year, we headed to prime-parade watching territory five minutes before the first float went by. Since we looked sweet and hopeless, this kind woman shared her bench with us and got our kids a blanket to sit on. All of this occurred under a perfect shade tree. There was no camping out for several hours or vandalizing someone’s lawn in the name of reserving a spot. It was kismet, I tell you.

After that, we went to visit Chase’s second mom and we had a nice chat with her. My man doesn’t have a lot of childhood pictures of himself and she gave us a whole stack. He’s told me a million times about a particular Halloween where he dressed up as Homer Simpson and she had a picture of it! We are so blessed.

When the day was winding down, Chase pulled out the grill and went to work preparing dinner. He put together a variety of steak and seafood. I am so spoiled. All of the cooking went on while I was sleeping.

But to be fair, I had to take a nap or I wouldn’t have made it to the fireworks. I’m so not a night person.

Since almost 100,000 people head to our local fireworks display, you can imagine the number of vehicles that goes along with it. For a town such as ours, it’s not typically set up for this kind of traffic. So Chase and I decided instead of messing around with our car and parking, we would just walk to the show.

I just googled it. It’s about 2 miles away from our home. The walk there? Not so bad. We made good time and created fun memories. The walk home at 11 p.m. with two tired kids? Not so fun.

For the grand finale to our holiday weekend, Chase took me to see Martina McBride! The concert was a present for my 30^th birthday (which was a painful age to turn by the way). We were so excited and ended up having a wonderful time. Chase isn’t really into country music but he was such a good sport, I was very touched. The girls were supposed to go camping with my dad but I cancelled on him last minute and he left town without them. Then my other plans fell through and my kids were sad about missing out on their camping trip. So my Grandma saved the day and let the kiddos “camp” at her house.  

The concert was open seating on your own lawn chairs. The best kind of concert, in my opinion. When we got there, we looked at each other and saw old people. The music was too loud to sit close and we didn’t want to fight the crowd. As Chase pointed out, ten years ago we would have been right in the mix. Now we sit in the back and complain about the volume.

It’s all down hill from here, baby.

In the end, we had a wonderful time. It was our first date since Chase left for Russia last October and while it became stressful for a time, it was well worth it.  

All in all, this was the best holiday we've had this year! I think everyone would agree, except for our dog Hay Hay. The fireworks made her so jumpy that every time I stopped moving, she pushed her way between my legs. We own the most high-maintenance dog ever. 

Adorbs, Awesomesauce and Amazeballs on his 31st B-Day

Thirty one years ago today, one of the most amazing days to ever be in my life took place. My man, Chasey, came into this world at an impressive eleven pounds. Since I'm so grateful for him, I'm going to continue with my annual tradition of writing the TOP 31 REASONS he's adorbs, awesomesauce and amazeballs.

1. The Great Moose Debate. Last summer, we took our kids and our nephew floating down a river and we were blessed enough to see a bear and two moose. This took a weird turn when the bull moose took a half-hearted charge at us. My plan was to flip the canoe over and use it as a shield since we were in ankle-deep water. His plan was to stand up with his paddle and smack the animal in the face. This has led to year-long ongoing debate on whether it's prudent to fight a moose with a paddle. I hold to a firm no while he is completely convinced this would work.

2. Chase got two speeding tickets this year to the tune of $340.

3. The man loves to fish. He would fish 24/7 if he had nothing else to do. He has an app on his phone called Fish Trophies where he hosts a plethora of selfies with him holding fish and the exact coordinates where he caught each one. He's worse than a highschool girl who just got her first iPhone. The mere fact I'm telling you all of this may be grounds for divorce. 

4. He's passed it on to his children. One night last week, Izzy went to bed saying, "I wish we fished today." To which I replied, "I took you to the movies and bought you a snow cone." Obviously you know where her heart is and it can't be bought with

over-priced sugary items. Ignore my typo and the annoying way my man repeated it in the text message.

 5. We added two family members this year! After the tragic passing of our original cat, we decided to dip our toes into cat ownership once again. But since my man's "allergic" I just texted him this picture to let him in on the news. I would do a screenshot of the conversation but it went on for too long. The gist of it is that he can't believe we've turned into the crazy cat family. And, trust me, to hold that title in our neighborhood is kind of a big deal.

6. Another phone secret. He's addicted to Candy Crush but won't let it sync with his Facebook account because he doesn't want you all to know. Booyah!

7. Earlier this year, my co-worker announced reading my stuff made him feel better about his own work and yelled at me to not touch his phone in the same day. I told my hubby this story because I knew what his response would be. "What's his number?" he asked, "It sounds like we need to talk." Anything perceived as disrespectful to his wifey is immediately addressed. This does give me an inflated sense of confidence because he always has my back. And he's a pretty big guy.

8. Chase can't sleep when the sheets are tucked in at the bottom. 

9. The Broncos made it to the Super Bowl this year. It was the highlight of his life. Then the game started. 

10. For Chase's 30th birthday, we went to on his dream vacation to Alaska. We used airline miles and points to cover our stay and ended up having the best time. He fished while I walked around in a coat, shivering. IN AUGUST.

1
1. For Father's Day we went to Lagoon. I left Chase alone for 10 minutes to use the restroom. When I came out, both of my girls were holding huge stuffed animals. I asked Chase how much it cost him to "win" these monstrosities.

Chase: $30

Katie: Oh my...

Chase: Each.

At this point, I just passed out. He can't be left alone with a debit card.

12.  I occasionally write for Idaho Falls Magazine in the Mommy Blogger column. One story I ran this year had to do with this post about my man being a house husband. The editor wanted to do a photo shoot with Chase in an apron and a vacuum. He adamantly  refused.

13. The story did prompt people to send him emails like this:

Just in case you can't read it, here's what it says. 

Dear Chase,

I have just finished reading your wife's latest feature in the Idaho Falls Magazine in the Mommy Blogger. WOW! As a husband of two marriages, I feel I am a pretty easy going guy. I have been bra shopping, swimsuit shopping, and informed that I need to want to do the dishes. But I can honestly say that you have raised the bar for the husbands in Idaho Falls. The only thing that you could have done to push this over the top way to let her take a picture of you in a apron, maybe even barefooted. As I read the article I just had flashbacks of Micheal Keaton in Mr. Mom holding the baby up to the hand dryer machine in the bathroom. But on a brighter note Micheal Keaton did get to be Batman and the bad guy in the new Robocop so there is hope for your manhood.

Once again WOW!

Your Friend 

14. After the magazine has been out for several weeks, Chase ran to the grocery store at 7a.m. on a Sunday to pick up some stuff for breakfast. Two whispering elderly ladies kept following him. Finally, he heard they were saying, "Look, it's the house husband." He put down all of his groceries and immediately left. 

15. He swore my to secrecy. Later that same night we were our way to a friends house for a party and he reminded me not to tell anyone he has been recognized as the house husband. I last five minutes and 32 seconds before I spilled the beans and we all laughed and laughed.

16. Our little one hysterically cries every time I drop her off at school. When Chase drops her off, not a peep.

17. He constantly reminds me what it means to be a Christian. When we our neighbors broken down on a busy road in town, I was the priest on the road to Jericho with my nose in the air, avoiding eye contact, thinking I was too busy. Like the good Samaritan, Chase heart was filled with kindness. He stopped and helped them get their van taken care of. I was humbled by his actions.

18. Chase recently rediscovered Stuart from Mad TV. He made me watch a couple skits and was shocked I wasn't rolling on the floor laughing. He said Mad TV is one of the best memories of his youth. Weirdo.

19. We have been cable-free for almost two years. We recently had a conversation where he made a comment he felt like he was more productive without it because now he's more likely to do chores when before he would be catching up on TV. He then followed up with he wanted satellite during the football season. Like that's going to happen after the first comment.

20. This year, the only really good day to host Cambri's fifth birthday party with her little friends is June 28th, which is Chase's birthday. When I asked him if that would be okay, he said he couldn't think of a better way to spend his birthday. Swoon.

21.  I left town for a work trip recently. Two days in, Chase called to let me know there was a mutiny going on. It was passed midnight and no one was even in their pajamas with brushed teeth. He said this experience helped him appreciate me even more.

22. Chasey spent three months in Russia this year. To say it was brutal is almost an understatement.

23. He spent a month in China before leaving for Russia, so he was abroad for FOUR MONTHS.

24. Spending Thanksgiving and Christmas without him was tough. He joined us via Facetime but we are going to make the holidays epic this year to make up for last.

25. When in Russia, he had to shave his beard because he kept being mistaken for a homeless person.

26. Now he's working in Rock Springs which is so much closer. Most weekends, we get to meet in Salt Lake!

27. He told me that he put a hose filled with cold water into the shower of a man who is 30 days away from retirement as a "practical joke." Maybe Wyoming isn't the best place for him.

28. This year Chase told me he thinks knowing Jesus is the true gift and he wants to know him better. We are bible studying it up baby.

29. Ten years ago, my man took his last hit of methamphetamine before Jesus Christ released him from a very powerful addiction. I'm so proud of the person he's become.

30. Chase's interpreter in Russia was a former model. After polling my co-workers, I did come to the conclusion she was beautiful. Stressful.

31. Chase is my biggest fan and I can't even express how much he means to me. He always believes in me and our girls.He works hard to keep us all taken care of and I can't imagine my life without him. Happy Birthday!

The Time We Had a Cat For a Day

Who wants to hear the Burke Family cat story?

This shelter photo is the only one I have of our family cat. You should start sensing the tragic outcome of this narrative by that fact alone. 

The girls and I decided to get a cat but our chosen pet couldn’t come home until the beginning of June. Then, because one is definitely not enough, we thought we should get a cat for our cat to play with. That’s the kind of family we are.

Wonderful, I know. We headed to the shelter where they have a plethora of cats ready to go.

Is Chase allergic to cats? Yes. Did we give that a second thought? Sure.

Did we give it a third thought? Heck to the no. He’s allergic to dogs as well and that doesn’t stop him from shamelessly rolling our family dog, Hay Hay, all over himself. You should see those two hug each other, it’s almost bizarre.

Hives be darned, Hay Hay is worth it.

We applied this logic to our family cat. She/they will be such a blessing to our family; it will override any “allergies.”

Side note: I’ve seen my hubby handle many a cat with no health repercussions. I think his allergy (I use the term loosely) comes from not wanting his dog to take a back burner when he’s on the road.

We headed to the shelter and picked out a super cute cat. We were second on the waiting list for that cat and the first family ended up taking her home.

Heartbreak #1.

So picked out another cat and waited the required seven-day waiting period. We even visited her everyday after school. It just so happened our seven days expired on the exact day we were leaving town for the long weekend. Obviously not optimal. But my husband’s step-mother volunteered to babysit her so we moved forward with the plan.

We picked up the cat, Dottie, which we renamed to Buttons. Within an hour, my little Cam Cam said, “Mom, this cat’s really changed me. I’ve never been this happy!”

I tell you this to let you know the level of attachment my kids had with this cat in the matter of minutes. She was (sob) a very loved cat.

There were a few problems. It turned out the cat was much younger than it should have been to be away from her mother. By day two of our long weekend, we were getting frantic calls and text messages letting us know our cat wasn’t doing too well. She had been a very normal kitten at first with a lot of energy. But she stopped eating and started expelling waste in a way only sick people understand.

When we got back into town, I took her straight to the emergency vet. She immediately tested positive for feline distemper which, in a one pound cat, is almost assuredly a death sentence. It’s passed through cat-to-cat contact and our little kitty hadn’t been immunized for it because she was much too young. She spent too long in the shelter without a home. The vet offered to IV her but, even with the treatment, only gave our one-pound three ounce kitty a 1% chance of survival. She was too little and the virus was too severe. According to the vet, the humane option was to put her to sleep.

Heartbreak #2.

Mind you, it was ten o’clock at night and I had my kids with me because Chase was out of town. The vet tried to sugar coat it around the kids but it was very obvious this kitty was going to a new home in a separate dimension. Isabelle was crying. Cambri was crying. I was crying. We had only had the cat for three days but we were so in love.

While we were waiting for our test results to come back, we took turns praying for our little Buttons and hoping for the best. When it didn’t work the way we thought it should, Cambri looked at me and said, “We prayed for Buttons and God didn’t listen.” And Isabelle said, “I wish we could go back in time and never adopt her.”

Now peeps, when God gives you a teachable moment, you are called to use it. So I reminded my little ones of what He tells us in Isaiah 55:8.

"My thoughts are not your thoughts, and my ways are not your ways," declares the LORD.

I reminded them this world is not about our comfort but maybe God called us to Buttons because he wanted HER to feel loved before He called her home. This world is not all about us which is a painful lesson for most people to learn. Yes, I know Buttons was a cat but she was made by an all-loving God. This little kitty was an orphan who found her home. Please understand, I don’t think salvation and cats go together. But in the context of teaching little ones life lessons, Buttons was a wonderful example.

So we said goodbye to our little kitten and they whisked her away. Sadly, we can’t have another cat in our home for 30 days which throws a wrench in our plans for our first kitty. I also had to tell my mother-in-law the bad news and she was just as attached as we were.

Then I had to pay the vet $251 which was like a separate blow. Total, I had $356 into a cat that we owned for less than three days and both of my kids were traumatized in a way they both woke up with swollen eyes. Isn't life grand?

Thankfully, God IS grand. All the time.

Being the Motherless Mother

I am a motherless mother and it’s a painful title to hold. If you fall into this category as well, we share a sacred sisterhood. My heart weeps for you and your pain, especially during the month of May.

I weep because I have these two little girls I’m supposed to raise with only memories to reference. If I have a question or need a mother’s perspective, I’m on my own. I oft pick up the phone and feel like there’s no one to call who will care the same way about situations like my mom would.

Being someone’s daughter represents things I never realized when my mom was still alive. Loved. Esteemed. Celebrated. I felt all of those things in my mom’s presence and now there’s a hole Grand-Canyon-sized deep.

The funny thing about time is that it doesn't stop moving, no matter the grief, pity, despair in your own life. Every year means more birthdays, anniversaries, babies, school accomplishments and jobs we will never celebrate together. More steps in the road that we can’t walk together on this Earth.

I know my little ones will never remember her. Which feels like someone took a butcher knife to my heart. She loved them so and they will never know it in a person-to-person way.

Sorrow is better than laughter; it may sadden your face, but it sharpens your understanding. Ecclesiastes 7:3.

At this point, you’re probably wondering what this huge introduction is all about. I promise it’s not a pity party. I want you to know I choose j

oy this Mother’s Day. I’m so thankful for the women in my life whom I’ve met through church, work, family and life in general who continue to speak truth and encouragement into my existence. It means so much more to me than you could have ever known because I don’t get it from my mom anymore. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Something funny happened to me this Mother’s Day. I consider it to be a glimpse of Heaven here on Earth and, for me, it speaks of the hope we all have in Jesus. When my oldest daughter was just a couple of months old, my mom was at my house helping putting her room together. We had just barely moved into our home and we were unpacking décor items I had picked up during my pregnancy. She turned to me and said, “You are such a good mom.” Since I had only been a mom for a short time, I was unsure of myself and that statement built me up in ways I could never express here.

Flash forward to this Mother’s Day. I was getting my girls ready for dance and trying to keep everything going, when my husband looked at me and out of nowhere said, “You are such a good mom.” And I completely lost it, much to my husband’s confusion. But the way he said it instantly brought me back seven years earlier and I was overcome with emotion. This moment was a reminder of God’s goodness in my life. I’m having a hard time explaining it with words because it was a supernatural feeling. Just take my word for it. It made an impact.

My mom and I used to have a movie club that met once a month in a very official way. We made a point to go to the theater and see a movie, just the two of us. I would type out our “club” name but it’s elementary and embarrassing. But I miss it and I miss her. I’ve kept the club going and pick movies I know the two of us would have seen together. It’s a bittersweet tradition I carry on because it reminds me of what used to be.

I bring this up because as much as this memory means to me I know, without a doubt, it won’t hold a candle to what will be again one day.

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. Colossians 3:1-2. 

Why I have to quit bible study

My husband, Chase, is on the road for work at least three weeks out of the month, so I refer to myself as "Pseudo Single." It's a new martial status I'm hoping catches on. I'll let you know.

I feel like it describes a great deal of women in Idaho Falls so it’s a title we can all share. We are in the parenting trenches by ourselves a great deal of the time because our men are committed to taking care of their families. There are a lot worse things out there. Plus it helps us realize the single parents in our community deserve a big hug. Every. Single. Day. This is really just an extra long introduction to the story I’m about to share. I wanted you to have all the background information. 

On Thursday nights, I go to a ladies Bible study at my church. It is one night a week where I take the mom hat off for a couple of hours. But since my husband isn’t around to help with the kiddos most weeks, I’ve had to outsource the job. By outsourcing, I mean, I drop the kids off at my dad’s house because his services are reasonably priced. By reasonably priced, I mean they’re free. My kids love it because, most of the time, it means pancakes for dinner. The times they don’t love it means my dad served “Chuck’s Surprise” which is just a soupy mixture of everything in the fridge that’s past the expiration date. I only wish I was kidding. 

Last week, I dropped them off like normal and went about my night. When I arrived to pick them up, no one was home. Mildly concerned because it was a school night, I picked up the cell phone and started to investigate.

Chuck: Hello

Katie: Hey, I’m at your house and I appear to be the only one.

Chuck: Oh, we’re in Fort Hall.

Katie: What the what?

Chuck: Not at the casino. Driving around the back country.

Katie: Oh phew. That doesn’t sound crazy or anything.

Chuck: I’m responding to a free listing I saw on Craigslist.

Katie: That sounds reasonable and prudent. Hey did you ever figure out how to use the email app on the new smartphone?

Chuck: I think so.

Katie: Sweet. I’m going to send you a few articles about how MURDERS BAIT PEOPLE THROUGH FREE CRAIGSLIST ADS.

By this point, I was starting to question whether or not I was overpaying my babysitter. I understand the concept of “beggars can’t be choosers” but something about my kids driving around the country at nine o’clock at night so my dad could check out a “free” horse seemed to suggest that his reasoning skills may be a little suspect.

The last time I bought something off Craiglist, I called and begged my brother-in-law to drive out to Firth with me just in case the person selling the children’s desk had dishonorable intentions. When the seller opened the doors and turned out to be a beautiful nine-month pregnant women, my brother-in-law rolled his eyes at me and got back in the truck. Maybe the problem lies in me, I’m not sure. I’m going to work on trusting more.

Back to my story. I spent the next hour pacing around my house. I was ready to jump in my car and go get them when my dad pulled into my driveway with my kids and his new horse in tow. It appears this Craigslist man wasn’t a serial killer just someone who no longer wanted his horse. My kids had to be dragged out of bed and force fed before school the next morning but appeared no worse for the wear.

This situation turned out okay but it begs the question if whether free babysitting is worth the price. I guess I’ll have to ponder on it for a few years. Then, hopefully, they’ll be old enough to watch themselves. Until then, here’s hoping it all goes well. 

The Cutest Brace Face You’ve Ever Seen!

Oh my goodness. My little one is not so little anymore. In fact, she’s so big that her mouth full of grown-up teeth required some extra care. This morning, my seven-year-old was fitted with a mouth full of metal.

When I was young, they waited until I was fifteen and then slapped these beasts on my teeth. These days, they start much younger. But unfortunately, that only means you end up wearing them twice. Izzy will wear this set for a year and then a couple years later, have to wear them again for a year. Which also means we get to pay for them twice. Gulp.

Paying for braces is not for the faint of heart. When I wrote the check today, I almost had to sit down and grab a paper bag. After I said a silent prayer, it turns out that I’m grateful for being able to write that check because it means that I can afford it. It also helped me put my parents in perspective. I am so grateful that my parents sacrificed so I could wear braces back in the day. I wish my mom was alive so I could tell her.

The thing about sacrifice is that it isn’t as painful when it’s for your kids. For them, it’s kind of worth it. For example, when a sick little one wakes me up in the middle of the night, I pop up and am filled with compassion. I will always sacrifice sleep for their well being. When my husband’s dog wakes me, I’m scream bad words at her in my head and contemplate how it would feel to drop her off at the shelter.

Just in case you were wondering, I would never do that. An animal is a life-long commitment. At 2 a.m., I sometimes wonder how it would feel.

But I’m way off track. Here I am talking about the dumb dog when I should be talking about braces. Izzy has been going to the orthodontist since she was five because her front tooth grew out instead of down. The poor thing can’t even smile around it. The doctor said we could wait for a couple more years but because it sticks out to far, it is much more likely to be chipped and that can be expensive and painful. Plus, the kids at school notice these kinds of things and hadn’t always been as compassionate as you would hope.

So out came the checkbook and on went the braces.

Izzy has known this day was coming for a couple of weeks. Let me tell you peeps, the dramatics have been through the roof. I call it the wounded bird routine. Basically it’s a term for a child who is so addicted to attention that she will stop at nothing to draw it in. Even pulling out the fake drama card in order to gain sympathy.

This drives me crazy.

It drives her crazy when I tell her to knock off the wounded bird routine. But as a mother, I can’t bear having a child who acts this way. ALL THE TIME.

When I went to get her from school, she was hiding under her desk. Soaking up all the attention from her classmates in the room.

I think this can only get worse as she gets older but here’s to hoping for the best. 

Shake, Cam Cam, Shake!

Can I just say that I love the Duggars? I think they are an awesome family and do such a great job raising kids. I hope they have 20 more because the world needs more Duggars. My favorite thing about them is that they teach their kids to the love the Lord first, other second and themselves last. This is such an important thing for kids' today to grasp.  

A few months back, I was reading their second book when something in particular caught my attention. The family highlights Matthew 7:12 as a reason for overcoming shyness.

Do for others what you want them to do for you: this is the meaning of the Law of Moses and of the teachings of the prophets. -Matthew 7:12 (GNT)

What the what? I mean I assume this verse is on the heart of many Christians for A LOT of reasons but overcoming shyness? But it makes so much sense to me now. It can come across as rude or disrespectful when a child hides behind his or her parents, avoids eye contact or won’t speak when spoken to. And would you want someone to be rude to you?

Those of you who know Cam Cam know this is something that she struggles with. Mainly because her sister is so overboard that she doesn’t need to be but partly because she is naturally more reserved. So, BAM, this became a new thing for Cambri and I to work on.

The Duggars encourage you to teach your child to make eye contact and to practice introductions through roll play. So we have been doing that! The problem is, we very rarely meet someone new in our little bubble of the world. But the girls’ teachers to do home visits before school starts and even though I already knew Cam’s new teacher, they had never been formally introduced.

So the day of the visit, Cam and I practiced like crazy. We shook hands, introduced ourselves, made good eye contact and we were both confident that this was going to go well.

Regular readers can probably see where I am going with this. It didn’t go so well.

First of all, Cam rushed the door like a groupie and immediately grabbed her teacher’s right hand with her left hand instead of doing the standard cross over. This gave her teacher the impression that were holding hands instead of shaking hands.

Then Cambri started saying her name but she did so with her “concentrating” look which closely resembles a scowl.

So it was like, “I’m Tambri” followed up with a mean stare down.

Then her teacher was like, “I thought your name was Cambri” which is what Cam thought she said because she doesn’t know her C’s sound like T’s. So that threw her off.

So Cambri started violently moving Mrs. P’s hand up and down, saying, “No, I said Tambri Burke.” Remember they are facing each other, both using the hand on the same side.

Ov vey.

At this point, I was thinking I should jump in because we were started down the road of failure.

Katie: She’s wants to shake your hand and introduce herself.

At this point, the startled look on the teachers face started to relax. Yes, Cam was still rapidly moving their hands up and down but at least Mrs. P. knew what was going on.

Cambri then looked over to me and said, “Now what?”

Katie: Say nice to meet you.

Cambri [turns to look at teacher]: Say nice to meet you. Now you say nice to meet you too.

Katie: No Cam Cam. You don’t tell people what to say next.

Cam: You always do.

Katie: That’s because we are roll playing. This is real-life, in-the-trenches experience.

Cam: Well, she’s not saying it.

Katie: That’s because we haven’t stopped talking.

Cam: Oh. [1 second pause] She’s still not saying it.

At this point, I scooped up my four-year-old and called the experiment off because accusing a guest in your home of not introducing herself correctly especially when you haven’t given her the opportunity to do so seems more rude than a timid kid. But that’s just me.

 Don’t worry peeps, I haven’t given up. Not in the slightest. Sometimes a parenting fail is what you need to become EVEN MORE motivated. Wish me luck?

The {adult} Burkes do ALASKA!

Well peeps. I have been to Alaska. And it was AMAZING.

It’s kind of a random story but I’ll start at the beginning. My man turned 30 this year and I wanted to do something fun for him but it had to be realistic.

Then I randomly got an email from a coworker saying he and his wife had purchased an Alaska trip at a benefit auction but they were going to be unable to use it due to some unforeseen housing expenses.

Seriously. On the SAME day I started thinking about Chase’s birthday, a week stay at a resort IN ALASKA just fell into my lap. Between that and some free frequent flyer miles, this trip was meant to be.

Since Chase and I had never been on a trip with just the two of us that didn't involve someone working, my dad volunteered to take the week off and keep the kiddos. Everything fell into place. 

Alaska, while not my first choice, has been my husband’s dream for as long as I’ve known him. So after getting the okay from my boss, I bundled up a box full of little Alaska goodies and mailed it to my man for his birthday.

And he was beside himself with joy and excitement. In fact, earlier in the day Chase had made his coworker promise that if he ever hit the jackpot, he would take him to Alaska. I hope you’re all glad to see how resourceful Chase is.

The trip started out at 5:30 a.m. on Sunday morning, where we flew out of Idaho Falls into Salt Lake and then to Anchorage.

I’m going to take this opportunity to remind you that the FIRST TIME my husband EVER flew commercial airlines was with me holding his hand. This was approximately seven years ago when Izzy was about six weeks old and the three of us went to Denver.

My how times do change. When we arrived at the airport, he proceeded to tell me great little gems, like “You’ll have to take off your shoes for security” and “They’ll want to see your ID.”

The first reaction that went through my head was one of sarcasm and overall unpleasantness. Something to the effect of “REALLY?? YOU DON’T SAY?” I’m so human peeps. It was five in the morning and I taught my husband how to fly.

Luckily, the Lord pressed Ephesians 5:22 into my heart at that moment and I was able to thank Chasey for the reminder. Wowza, that was close.

Chase and I travel very differently. My husband has platinum status with Delta, so he doesn't wait in line and boards the plane very first. I always have to wait in line but I take extra pride in being the last one on the aircraft. I literally wait in my seat in the terminal until I hear the FINAL boarding call. I can’t stand the thought of breathing recycled air for one more minute than I absolutely have to. Plus, when we landed in Salt Lake, we had an hour and a half before our next flight, yet my husband was running through the airport like a cheetah.

Katie: What the what?

Chase: We need to get to the gate.

Katie: Call me crazy, but I have zero desire to break a sweat in a place where I can’t go outside.

Chase: This conversation is slowing us down.

Katie: For what? The next moon landing?

Chase: Why do you question everything?

Katie: I think I was born that way.

At that point, he wanted to leave me. But he’s too nice for that. He slowed down and even let me WAIT IN LINE for a Jamba Juice.

Once we arrived in Anchorage, we had to put on our jackets. In August. Are you seeing why this was not me living the dream? But I was IN ALASKA. So it was amazeballs.

Then we caught a bus to Seward, Alaska and ate a fresh salmon dinner. And since this is a very honest blog, I have to admit that Chase once again started grating on my nerves by lecturing me on overextending the kiddos during the school year. And I thought to myself, “We’re spending a week in nature alone? Underwhelming yay.” But thank goodness the rest of the week was a great reminder on what a beautiful person I picked to marry almost nine years ago.

Chase fished during the day and we hung out at night. My dear friend Megan came and spent a couple of days with me. I haven’t seen her since before she became a mom almost two years ago. It was so fun to see what an amazing parent she is. I can’t even begin to express the blessings that pour from surrounding yourself with good moms. When she moved to Alaska to be a teacher, she experienced some things with kids who don’t have the best home life and those experiences drive her to be the best mom she can be. I was so impressed. Let’s all hug our kids extra hard today.

Chase salmon and halibut fished. And then he fished some more. I have a freezer full of fresh Alaskan fish. So that is awesome. You couldn't have wiped the smile off his face if you tried. Even after he limited out for the day, there were other types of fish to be caught so he just got to keep going.

Here’s a fun little intermission story. When Chase went to buy his fishing license, he had to pull out his driver’s license to get the number. This is logical. Yet even after he finished with his ID number, he kept referencing his ID. Since I obviously wasn't buying a license, I had nothing else to do except watch him and I couldn't figure out what he was doing.

Katie: You already filled out your license number.

Chase: I know

Katie: Then what are you looking at?

Chase: My height, weight and eye color.

Katie: [Stunned silence]….You don’t know your eye color? Or anything else?

Chase: I want it to be official.

Oh M Ba Gee Gee I love him. I can’t figure him out all the time. But I love him.

Besides fishing, we went on a wildlife cruise that was included in our trip, hiked a glacier and walked around town. It was a great vacation filled with good company. But at night, we would lay in bed and scroll through pictures of our kids. They were greatly missed and the number one reason we were ready to go home at the end of the week. 

If you ever have the chance to go, you should. The mountains touch the clouds in a way that you will never see in the lower 48. 

Alaska is AMAZING. I'm a fan. 

30 reasons why my husband is freakin’ awesome

1. Some of you may know that this a regular feature on this blog around June 28th. You can read some earlier editions here and here. But I know what you’re thinking. Last year I didn’t do one. That’s because I was so angry at my husband that I went to bed on the eve of his birthday thinking I should fill his truck up with diesel gas. He doesn’t drive a diesel.

2. Last night, on the phone, I said, “Unlike last year, aren’t you glad that you don’t have to spend your birthday knowing that I’m angry with you?” He replied with. “You were mad at me last year? On my birthday?” Sigh. I could tell you exactly what went down, word for word and obviously he hasn’t given it a second thought.

3. The child that looks most like my husband got all of his genes. You need an example? Last week I looked out the back window to see her jumping on the tramp in her underwear. I sent her out fully clothed but she decided her cute outfit was too cumbersome. So she stripped and gave all the golfers completing hole two a free show. I said, “Cam Cam what are you doing?” as I frantically tried to collect her clothes. She said, “I wanted to see what it feels like to jump naked.” Not that my husband has ever done this act specifically. But this train of thought has his name written all over it.

4. Whenever I see a child behaving oddly in public (see #4) I oft think to myself, “What’s their home life like to produce this kind of behavior?” Now I know people are thinking this about us. But I have no reasonable explanation other than my husband’s kids’ are spunky.

5. My hubby and I recently went to a grocery store together in Utah. As we were walking out, he said, “Do you want to check out the magazine rack?” I am in the magazine industry but I still thought the request odd. When we got there, he flipped into The Flash mode and next thing I know, he had rearranged the entire newsstand so that certain magazines were in front of the competition. It happened so fast that I barely had time to pick up my jaw. I came to find out that this is a regular hobby for him. I said, “I don’t think you’re supposed to do that.” He said, “I picked up a couple to look at and then didn’t remember where I got them. So I just put them back.”

6. Chase and I got married when we were 21. Looking at our wedding pictures is the equivalent of scrolling through a baby book for most people.

7. Though Chase and I have been married for eight years, a lot of casual acquaintances have no idea that I’m married. No, I don’t act in a way that leads them to believe this. It’s just a byproduct of being married to a man who lives on the road three or four weeks out of the month. I know this because I have gotten invitations that go like this, "Well it's for couples but you can still come Katie." Ummm thanks. 

8. Chasey is determined not to shave his beard for an entire year. I hope his next wife finds this attractive.

9. Strangers keep encouraging him to let the beard grow. Ironically nobody who knows him in real life likes it.

10. Last time we went to a local coffee shop, my hubby ordered a quad shot at 8 p.m. He informed me that he does it all the time but that fact didn’t stop him from waking me up at 2 a.m. to ask me why his heart was racing.

11. I texted Chasey a picture of Cambri playing in the dirt while she was in the outfield at her tee-ball game. He said, “Make her stand and play!” Two days later he texted me a pic of her playing in the dirt during the game. He wasn’t so hard when he was the present parent, that’s for sure.

12. His biggest pet peeve is when I “get an idea stuck in my head.” It’s almost a shame that he didn’t marry a fence post.

13. My biggest pet peeve is when people respond to a text message with “k.” He does it all the time.
    
14. Chasey and I are gearing up to add another baby to our family. When I told him that I got my hands on some natural fertility aid so that I could hopefully end up with two or three more babies with just one pregnancy, he called ME crazy. What the what? I call it logical.

15. When the hubby’s home, he lets the dog sleep in the bed with us. Sigh.

16. When he first arrives home, the dog gets the most enthusiastic greeting. Double sigh.

17. I had to hack into his Facebook account and unlike the Idaho Falls Animal Shelter page. It was putting too many ideas into his head. I’ve said it before and I have a bad feeling I’ll be saying it again; we would have an animal rescue where no creature would ever leave if it were up to my husband.

18. He converted me to Duck Dynasty this year. And now we’re all happy happy happy.

19. We decided for sure that we are retiring on a houseboat. I’m going to be writing this list 40 years from now on the open water.

20. If our friend Paula isn’t remarried (though I’m sure she will be), she will be joining us on the boat. We love her that much!

21. Recently, I revealed a story to my husband about the last week my mom was alive. The condensed version is that she showed up at my office and I was short with her. Because I was too “busy.” There is a lot more to it than this but needless to say, it’s a painful (life-changing) memory. After going through all the details, Chase rejected my story as impossible. At first, I was super annoyed and accused him of not listening. But the Lord laid a different interpretation on my heart. I’m married to someone who only believes the best in me (even when evidence points to the contrary) and that’s not a bad thing.

22. Chase quit Rockstar this year!

23. For Chase’s birthday last year (it was after the big day so I wasn’t grouchy anymore) I had a Boise State cake made for him. He said it was the first time in his entire life he remembers having his own cake. I guess the NINE I made for every birthday since I’d known him didn’t register.

24. There is a problem with his short term memory.

25. I only use #24 to my advantage a maximum of 10 times per year. Well maybe 20. Okay 50 but that’s it. "Chase you just went fishing last weekend!" "I did?" "Yup." "Ok, I'll stay home and mow the lawn." That's how it's done peeps. 

26. My hubby has big muscles and he’s willing to show them to anyone who feigns interest.

27. He DOES know how to switch out the toilet paper roll when it’s empty. Who woulda thunk?

28. We cancelled cable last year and it HASN’T killed him. The constant complaining is messing with my psyche but he’s still a kickin’.

29. He works harder than any other person I know for which I can’t even begin to tell him how much it means to me.

30. The best thing about my hubby is that he’s not scared of anything. In fact, just this week he told a co-worker about how Jesus changed his life and because of this simple act, there is another warrior for Christ in this world. It may have been easier for him to stay quiet but he didn’t. By the time the night was over, I was crying, Chase was crying and the blessed new believer (Chase’s co-worker) was crying. Our God is good peeps.