Sunday, August 30, 2009

Another great dog moment!

For those dog lovers out there I feel as if I need to write a disclaimer...no dogs were hurt in the making of this movie lol I know it sounds like it at one point (Deacon got a little fiesty with Dallas)...but they are big dogs and they play hard...maybe even a little harder when a ball is involved!



It may never be easy but it will always be worth it.

Babs

Don't wait for your ship to come in - swim out to it.



We are lucky to live in a lake community. We are even luckier to have "2" dogs that now love to swim.

Over the last few months Dallas has sat on the bank while Deacon enjoyed a dip in the lake. Being the ball hog she is, Dallas was not happy to sit on the sidelines while Deacon retrieved everything from a ball to a pine cone.

I think Hondo was even more unhappy then Dallas... as my dog swam and his sat whining like a baby on the shore. More than one weekend was spent with him trying to think of ways to entice her into the water. She would tiptoe out until it got about to her knees and then run like she had been shot to shake and roll in the grass. Since our family turns EVERYTHING into a competition..it became my dog against his...of course mine was "swimming" away with the best dog title.

A couple of weekends ago we headed down to the lake and Hondo said " I feel it...this is going to be the day!". Imagine our surprise when Dallas jumped in, as if she had been doing it everyday and took the ball right out of Deacons mouth. I have to wonder how many private conversations Hondo and Dallas had...I can just hear him now telling her " You are a swimmer...I just know you are".

We now have 2 dogs to bathe after a lake afternoon...and we have now begun convestations with "My dog swims faster than yours". I take great comfort in the fact that my dog did it first!


It may never be easy but it will always be worth it.
Babs

Bacon Explosion








I bought Hondo a smoker for his birthday. We have smoked chickens, fajitas, brisket and pork chops. Looking for a recipe to test our skills we turned to an online search. While piddling around the house I could hear Hondo talking to himself...ribs, yea maybe....hate to do pork again...guess we could do a beer can chicken....then I hear "oh yea baby"...in this house I know what is coming next...and I know that it's easier to get a hard hat and jump in then it is to argue. So I turned the corner into the office knowing that we were about to embark on another tribe adventure.

You can imagine my surprise when I am told we are going to make a "Bacon Explosion" for dinner. I read the recipe and instantly my arteries harden. I asked him "are you sure?" His response "It's not like we eat this everyday...how bad can it be?" I will tell you how bad...upon further investigation I discover that one 1/2 slice contains 1000 calories...yes 1000 freakin calories!!! Now I LOVE LOVE LOVE bacon. My kids will tell you that they get embarrassed at all you can eat breakfast bars by the amount of bacon I can eat...but even this seemed over the top for this bacon lover.

So off to the store to get the supplies...4 pounds of bacon, 4 pounds of Italian sausage, 2 bottles of BBQ sauce and dry rub. As with every recipe we had to double it to feed this crew on a Sunday (no telling who will drop by).

I figured if I am going to blow my diet... I am going to blow my diet!!!!! I added some homemade Mac and Cheese, corn on the cob with real butter and a couple of loaves of french bread...some chocolate cake to top it off and I have officially gained 10 pounds.

The link to make the Bacon Explosion http://www.bbqaddicts.com/blog/recipes/bacon-explosion/

I made it exactly like the site said and I am proud to admit that it looked just like the pictures. It was amazing, I will have to give Hondo that, but I am dieing if I am lying...you could feel your body shut down bite by bite. Nick actually said that his chest hurt after he ate it. Not to mention that you have to fry bacon to place in the middle of the roll...luckily I bought an extra pound because I ate two pieces for every piece I put inside.

My advice? Try it...just make sure you call and get a prescription for some Lipitor. Did not have high cholesterol before? You do now.

It may never be easy but it will always be worth it.
Babs

Sunday, August 9, 2009

Is nothing sacred?




No, to answer that question, nothing is in this house. We were out by the lake the other day and I sat in a bunch of cement dust. I had it all over my hands and when Hondo walked by I patted him on the bootie and let him pass on by. I know he had to think something was up when Ben and I kept giggleing....in true Hondo form he ignored us and went about playing with the dogs and talking to the family that was feeding the fish. Yes, Yes, Yes I know this is childish...yes I know this is where the children get it...but sometimes nothing feels better than a good giggle with the kids....plus he had a PERFECT impression of my hand on his fannie...I am giggleing as I write this....sorry baby!

We finally let him in on the "secret" before he sat in the car.


It may never be easy but it will always be worth it.
Babs

I am 48 years old. That is 9 degrees Celsius.

Middle age is the time when a man is always thinking that in a week or two he will feel as good as ever. ~Don Marquis



The 3 amigos waiting for birthday cake.





We celebrated a birthday with the tribe this month. Hondo turned 48....and looks pretty darn good for his age if I so say myself.

Presents, family, a cake (yes that is homeade carrot cake with homemade frosting) and chicken smoked over mesquite....I think he would tell you that in his eyes it was as close to perfection as you can get.

Maam called to wish him a Happy Birthday...but unfortunately she called on the wrong date...apparently she wrote it in the calendar wrong. This caused more than a little laugh...we actually rolled, hooted and fell out of our chair. In the first part of May I too made the same mistake. In writing down dates from one calendar to another I placed a birthday on the wrong day. Unfortunately that birthday was my mothers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was in the middle of my May meltdown...what ever ...you don't get your own mothers birthday wrong!!!!!!!!! Sigh...I did...and I could not apologize enough...I was horrified. Hondo now thinks there is an insanity gene running through the Farmer/Foley women.....I have told him it sure does and I am proud of it.


It may never be easy but it will always be worth it.
Babs

Happy Anniversary!

My wake up call the morning of my anniversary.......why should this morning be any different? I can not imagine my life any other way !






It is hard to believe that I have only been married a year...it is hard to believe that I have BEEN married a whole year. I began to talk to Tom in December 2001...we went on out first date early 2002...and the rest is Caplinger history. Never one to follow the rules we did things our way...making them work for our family...and making memories as we went along.

So here we are one year later...celebrating the words that united this family. Yes I insisted that we write our own vows...not knowing how difficult they would be and that I would not finish mine until an hour before the wedding. I think Erin and Taylor were the only ones I told...until today :)..I still remember Erin sitting with me the morning of the wedding as we got our nails done...I had just come clean about not having vows because I had SOOOOO much I wanted to say...she just looked at me and said "are you SH**ING me? write the words off a cereal box but just write something, no way I am telling Tom or Mom that you don't have them!" She also kept everyone entertained as I snuck downstairs and put to paper what had been thinking about all month.

Tom:
Shannon, today I take you to be my wife. I promise to you, to work together to create a good marriage, one in which the little things are the big things. I promise to never be to old to hold your hand, to remember to say I love you at least once a day and to never go to sleep angry. I promise not to look for perfection but to cultivate flexibility, patience and understanding and a sense of humor. I promise to love you without reservation. Because of you I laugh, I smile and I dare to dream again. I look forward with great joy to spend the rest of my life with you, caring for you, nurturing you, being there for you in all life has for us, and I vow to grow old by your side as your love and best friend as long as we both shall live.
EIA IHO NO KA MALUHIA O NA LANI ME OUKOU A PAU (The peace and serenity of the heavens be with you all) And so it is....AMEN and ALOHA!


Shannon:
I have dreamed my whole life of having someone as wonderful as you to love me. I give myself to you and I promise to treasure for all of my days the love we celebrate today. I take you as my friend, beside me and apart from me, in laughter and in tears, in conflict and tranquility, asking that you be no other than yourself, loving what I know of you, trusting what I do not know yet, in all the ways that life may find us. From this day forward you shall not walk alone....my heart will be your shelter.


It may never be easy but it will always be worth it.
Babs

Give me an M...Give me an C



Allie front and center

Allie attended her first cheer leading camp this summer. From the time she started Kindergarten all we have heard about is how she was going to be a cheerleader in middle school.

This summer all her little girl dreams came true as she was picked for the middle school cheer team and attended her first camp....no smile was bigger...no voice louder...as she showed us, during parent day, what she had learned....and no parent smiled bigger or was prouder than the two of us sitting up in the bleachers.

It is hard to believe what this family has been through over the last 7 years...and how happy these kids are...

Of course it would not be a Caplinger event if we did not embarrass the kids in some way right? During the entire performance Hondo danced to the music...made wolf noises for the mascot...and gave them the "M" when they yelled give me an "M". Not sure who is going to sit with him during the games but it won't be me!

It may never be easy but it will always be worth it.
Babs

Thursday, August 6, 2009

I hate budget cuts!

I am alive...barely...have not read email or Facebook since Friday....will get caught up this weekend....work is the pits with all the budget cuts but just proud to have a job!

It may never be easy but it will always be worth it.
Babs