I vote SARAH!!

Sarah Palin, the Governor of Alaska, is the new Republican VP running mate. She is known as the "Hottest Governor of the Coolest State!"

Voting for her is very natural for me. It feels right. Hearing her speak brings tears of pride to my eyes. Pride in her love of Motherhood/Family and her love for our country. I am thrilled to have her alongside McCain, who I wasn't as excited about. I haven't been very "INTO" this race, since my favorite, Mitt Romney, withdrew from the race. Now, we have the news channels on in every room!

Here are my 8 reasons for Voting for Sarah Palin:

1. We're practically twins, although she's 10 years older. She was raised eating big game, her parents were on the way to hunt Caribou when they got word of her nomination! Her husband is a commercial fisherman and works for the same company as my dad, Alyeska Pipeline Company, (brings the oil from the ground, thru the big pipe, to the Tankers in Valdez)

Sarah loves the outdoors and sports. She's a marathon runner, like I aspire to be. She is beautiful (hey, Damian thinks I am!) and she shares my name. Oh, and she competed in the Miss Alaska Pageant, just as I did (and we both didn't win). These are superficial reasons to vote for someone, so here are some better ones:

2. She is Pro-Life. That is my biggest voting concern. She's a mother of 5, just like me. (Track, 18, Bristol, 17, Willow, 13, Piper, 6, and Trig, 4 months) Her unexpected baby boy was born in April, with Down Syndrome. I'm sure she had the choice to end Trig's life, to make hers easier, but she didn't. She has an 18 year old son that joined the Army last year and will be deployed to Iraq soon, and she is proud of him. She is Patriotic and respects our armed forces. She loves America. These are all very important things to me.

3. She is a life-long NRA member. I believe in the 2nd amendment protecting our right to bear arms and so does she. She thinks education is important. What mother doesn't?

4. She is Pro-Family and supports the sanctity of marriage. Between a man and a woman. I don't doubt that she has gay friends and/or family. Who knows? I certainly do. And I love them. I have strong moral beliefs about what Marriage is, too. That doesn't diminish the respect I have for all of the people on this planet.

6. She is fiscally conservative. She has helped her state fiscally, and Alaskans love her. She has something like an 89% rating in that state . . . some Alaskans at Obama's camp were interviewed and they said they may switch over to vote for Sarah Palin, she is that respected. She has helped that state in a responsible way. She believes in TAX CUTS.

7. She seems to have an excellent Moral Compass. She has a record of standing up for what she feels is right, when she was the Ethics Commissioner of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission she resigned her post in protest over what she perceived as ethics violations by fellow Alaskan Republican leaders. She also held some accountable for unethical behavior and they were punished. She has been known as "Sarah Barracuda", for her leadership style and it was her HS Basketball name, too! McCain says she has INTEGRITY!! I love that.

8. She is smart. Did you see her mention and give honor to Hillary Clinton? We Republicans need someone on our ticket that Hillary-Lovers can identify with. Hopefully, they'll switch to our side, in support of a woman, and vote for Sarah Palin. Geraldine Ferraro was thrilled to hear Sarah Palin thank her for her efforts, too. Geraldine said it's the first time in 24 years that anyone has done that.

I think her nomination is going to shake things up, in a good way and I'll be praying for her success, and that of her family everyday until she WINS!!!

Little Miss turns 8!!

Rachel Elaine Idiart first blessed our lives on August 30, 2000. She was born in Ventura, California.

She was the sweetest, happiest baby and we were so thrilled to improve our family with her glorious presence! Emma adored her and Josh sang for the first time, to her . . .

At 6 months, we knew we couldn't live without her. What a joy she was!

At one year, we knew our lives were better, for having her in them. She was the 9th cutie to wear the dress her Great-Grandma Prince made for her Grandma Elaine in 1954.

Eight is a special year for us, it's the year that our children are baptized. Miss Rachel turns 8 today and we can't wait for her special baptism day, Sept. 13th. She is the most tender little gal . . . and is growing up so fast! We love her very much and are so grateful Heavenly Father sent her to our family!

Mom and Dad's 35th!

Happy Anniversary to my wonderful parents . . . May you have 35 more years together, in this life . . . and a blissful eternity together, in the life to come!!

Gary Levie Goold (21) and Doris Elaine Prince (19)

August 29, 1973

Manti Utah Temple

And now, presenting, the newlyweds,ON THEIR HONEYMOON!

Nothing is safe anymore, now that I can access your Shutterfly account, Mom!

Katrina & A, Birthday Girls

My sweet Katrina was born 6 years ago TODAY. Her best friend A was born 6 years ago, TOMOROW!! This is the first photo I have of them, on their blessing day. They are just a few days old. Katrina is the one with her toes NOT showing!

Here they are, hanging out while their mommies work out, in the church gym. They are just 2 weeks old.

This page from Katrina's scrapbook cracks me up. She lived to eat . . . even if that meant eating her friend. The girls are 7 months old and Katrina couldn't crawl, but she could worm her way around, obviously!

A good friend gave us these cute beach outfits when the girls were born. We have consistently bought them matching clothes for birthdays, first day of kindergarten and other fun times. A just gave Katrina another matching outfit at her birthday party last weekend!

I love these photos: the cute matching clothes, the posturing that shows what close friends these two girls are and their sweet little faces that show they enjoy each other so much. I can almost hear their little giggles. What a blessing A has been to Katrina. They have been best friends since the day they were born.

Miss August(s)

My two beautiful baby girls have birthdays this week. We'll be camping when they ACTUALLY have birthday's, so we had their parties early. Katrina will turn 6 and Rachel, 8.

They are wonderful blessings in our lives and we couldn't be prouder of the fine young women they are growing up to be.

This "binkies/baba" picture with Rachel rubbing Katrina's ear says it all: They are good friends that enjoy doing things together. How they've grown! Oh, it also "says" that their mother dressed them like gypsies.

I love my sweet little angels! They are still just as sweet as the day they wore their Scottish National Costumes. (It was Christmas time, I think?!)

Just to redeem myself, for the way I've always dressed them in hand-me downs, I am taking them to THE MALL to each get one outfit for school. They are so excited. We are going to JUSTICE, which apparently is where Hannah Montana shops or something. So there you go.

I took Emma to get a pair of purple sparkly jeans for her first day of Kindergarten, a LONG time ago, at the mall. Someone complimented her on them. When they asked where she got them, she replied, "Good Will . . . in the MALL!!" To her, all clothes came from Good Will, it was just a matter of which location. So obviously, we've moved up in the world. The two little girls get a WHOLE OUTFIT from the Mall!

Book Questions

I read this children's book last week and I can't say I'm a big fan of Lois Lowry. I know she's won a ton of awards for her writing, but I don't love her books, in fact, I think some of them are downright weird.

I just checked out her blog and she doesn't seem weird, personally . . . she mentioned 2 of my favorite books (Stand Tall, Molly Lou Mellon, and Blueberries for Sal) in recent posts, so she can't be all weird?!

The Willloughbys was morbid and even though I enjoyed it A LITTLE, I didn't think it was pleasant for children. I thought it was a rude/mocking about some great classics that I love (Little Women, Secret Garden, Little Princess & Anne of Green Gables, to name a few of my FAVORITES!!)

It reminded me a little of "Lemony Snicket's: A Series of Unfortunate Events." Those were books I also enjoyed, but my children hated them and I don't recommend to kids. If you haven't read them, watch the creepy, funny video below and you'll get the gist.

I just don't understand why kids would want to read books where unpleasant things happen to the characters. Or books where children are mistreated and unloved. I enjoy them because they're sarcastic, tongue-in-cheek and quirky (much like my own sense of humor), but I think they're frightening and disturbing for kids. I think adults can understand that kind of humor and not get worried, but children cannot.

I wonder if these are bestsellers because children, as a whole, are desensitized to all things sweet and innocent. Or if these type of books speak out to children that REALLY are suffering similar fates? Maybe these kinds of books are some that abused children can relate well to? I just don't get it. Why are these books so popular?

What do you think?

Abby and Me

I made a really good friend my Junior Year in High School, Abby G. She was a Senior and we were on the school newspaper together. As the photographers, we spent a lot of time laughing our heads off, in the darkroom. We abused our darkroom privileges and took/developed tons of photos of ourselves. This is one of those. Abby, probably the quietest, most unassuming girl in school was voted Prom Queen and she and I had fun joking about that. She was lots of fun and a true friend. I've often thought of her, over the past 17 years because we didn't stay in touch.


I visited my hometown, Valdez, Alaska, last month and we ran into each other. Abby is working there for the summer, taking a break from her real life in Seattle. If there is one person that hasn't aged in 17 years, it's her. She is still as beautiful as she was then and just as sweet and fun. It was great to see her!

Rachel's Swim Party!

The chocolate fountain that worked wonders at Katrina's party was a success at Rachel's too! She had an outdoor POOL party and it was a blast! The clean up was easy, first the dog licked up any spilled chocolate and then, the whole deck got the hose. I think I'll do ALL my kids birthday parties here! Thanks Joanna and Brian (and Nicky, the dog!!)


She had 6 friends, 1 cousin, 1 sister and 3 babysitters attend and the weather and water were FINE! The babysitters were great as Olympic Judges, ribbon/flower presenters and all around help! Thanks girls!

We bought a plain "beach" cake and Josh, Rachel and Daddy decorated it with Polly Pockets. All the Polly's surfed the cake, while the handsome lifeguard sipped his drink.

I thought I'd save money getting the "unadorned" cake and decorating it ourselves. Too bad all the beach Polly Pocket sets cost $30. This was the most expensive cake I've ever bought! BROTHER. Sometimes I just get carried away and don't think. It's a good thing Damian doesn't read this blog.

Rachel is so excited to turn 8! We've set her baptism date for Sept. 13th and she can't wait! It's GREAT to be EIGHT! And it's great to be Rachel, she is the cutest little button I know, in third grade!

Here is the "hired" help. OK, they worked for free and they were greatly appreciated! Thanks Alli, Emma and Hillary. You girls should really go into a party planning business together. Breanna was a huge help, too. She didn't get in the water, but managed all affairs on deck for me.

This is my favorite shot of the day. I love the look on Rachel's face and the concentration on her friend's faces!

I found someone MORE tan than Miss Rachel! These two were always giggling and having so much fun together, in the pool. I'm so grateful that Rachel has so many nice friends.

We had the RACHEL IDIART BIRTHDAY OLYMPICS and Rachel won the first GOLD MEDAL (Biggest Splash!)

We made Gold Medals out of Rolos, Silver Medals out of Peppermint Patties and Bronze out of a Reese's PB Cup. We played the National Anthem and had the girls stand on stools of varied heights. It looks like Rachel isn't too sure where her heart is!

My niece, Rachel's bosom BFF, looks down with pride, at her Gold Medal. She won it at the next competition!

The Winners of the Smallest Splash!

Rachel's long-time friend, JoJo was a true Olympian. Her family has a pool and she is a GREAT swimmer. She won the Gold Medal for Longest Jump. Then, for quite a few other races I would whisper, "JoJo, you won this race, too, but I'm letting another girl win the Gold, OK?" She was a good sport and I was very proud of her. What a cutie!

Darian hosted the party at her pool for Rachel and she basically was the best at everything, too . . . but she only took the Gold in Strongest Lungs (held her breath about 3x longer than everyone else!)

I tried to disqualify her relay team, so she and Jordan wouldn't get another Gold, but they were too smart for that. They must watch the real Olympics and kept filing protests. I told them their turns were bad, that they didn't touch the wall in the proper way, etc. etc. Finally, Darian's mom told her that their kick board was a faster model, so it was unfair that they won. They bought that, poor kids. They knew their form and execution was perfect and couldn't be swayed by false accusations.

What a shame that the RACHEL IDIART BIRTHDAY OLYMPICS were rigged.

OK, this particular competition wasn't rigged. . . these girls had the most creative dives/jumps and beat everyone, hands down. One did a Kamakazi, another did a front flip. They were so funny, all the girls were cheering and laughing at their crazy moves!

These are the relay teams . . . but now you know, the team on the right (Silver Medals) actually won. Again, due to a "speedy quick" kick board, they were DEMOTED. That advanced the three girls in the center to a Gold Medal. They were happy about that. The little shrimps on the left won the Bronze and those tasted the best, so they didn't mind a bit. Those Gold Medal Rolo's aren't actually that good. I mean, who, besides Emma Idiart even likes Caramel?

Happy Birthday Party to Miss Rachel, the sweetest little 8 year old, I know. We love you, honey.

Katrina's Late-Nighter Party!

Quick trip around Katrina's Birthday party . . . Let's start with the spread: A chocolate fountain complete with the rules: One Healthy fruit snack for each tasty treat dipped in it! Also, a bubbly Pink Lemonade fountain that pulsated cool colors and made the floor very sticky!

Now, the guests: 4 friends, 2 sisters, 1 cousin, and 2 babysitters. Katrina is obviously happy!

Here are Katrina's favorite BIG girls, Her babysitter Hillary, Emma (her sister) and Emma's best buddy, Alli. I think as the cousins use Emma as a babysitter and Hillary starts being too busy with High School, Alli will be our new babysitter. She is so nice and the girls (and Ben) all adore her. (the blue tape was something they put on, when hanging streamers, then forgot to take off!)

Now, onto the gifts! Katrina was thrilled with all her nice presents, this is the one she took with her to her Uncle's house (he hosted a sleepover for all 12 cousins, so the parents could have time alone this weekend, while HIS wife was out of town) And here I sit, blogging in a quiet house. I'd better hurry up, before Damian starts to resent my computer/best friend.

Katrina's best friend, A gives Katrina a matching outfit every year. The girls have made plans to wear their clothes on the second day of school. They are in the same class again this year and can't wait! I am posting about the two of them on Katrina's REAL birthday (the 28th) so be prepared for more matching clothes (and cute faces!)

Let's cover the Party Games! Alli brought her nail stamps and all the girls had manicures/pedicures. The girls with the Manicures had a sugar/baby oil rub, then a soak in milk/lemon juice. The girls with the Pedicures soaked in a bubble bath solution. I think the Pedis got gyped, but I didn't tell them.

Here is Katrina's cousin, with her beautiful Manicure.

The girls came, with sleeping bags in tow. They had a pillow fight, played a life size board game, and giggled a lot. We partied until 9pm!! That is a late nighter FOR SURE! So good night!

Cutie Girls!

My Sister-in-Law, Tea will become a mother of 4, in seven days! You can't even tell she's pregnant, can you? She is one Hot Momma!

Tea and her hubby, JusTea have two beautiful daughters, Rachel's bosom BFF (in blue) and Pie (in green.) Tea may be having another girl, we don't know?! I'm hoping for a second boy, but the Lord knows best.
When Tea suggested we do the second photo all smooshed together, crazy-like . . . some of the girls really took her "crazy" advice to heart. Bosom BFF is completely cross-eyed! Pie and Rachel (in black, on the right) are just so attractive! The tall girl in the back is Miss Emma, pre-teen extraordinaire!

I bought these matching dresses at Wal-Mart for $5 each. Now, I wish I would've bought the whole rack. They are the cutest, most easy-to-wash dresses and the girls love them. I wish they had my size!!

I registered Emma for Middle School this week. She is almost as tall as me and her feet have even outgrown mine. It's really hard to believe she's so old and grown up!

Future Plans for my Children

I have big dreams for my kids. We already have a lawyer in the family and I'm not a huge fan of going to the doctor, so the choice for the kids to go to Medical School is out. When I think of my beautiful, smart, talented kids I really want what's best for them.

And what's best for me . . . let's face it.

These are the ARTISTIC aspirations I have for my kids:

I want Josh to be an artist, so I will always have beautiful art to adorn my home.

I may have to downsize my house, or he might need to start painting on larger canvases, but we can work on that minor detail!


When Josh painted his first masterpiece last week, he asked if he could put it on my entry table. I told him I needed a poppy painting there, so he surprised me and whipped one out at his art lesson this week! I asked his teacher if she actually did most of this one for him and this was her repy:

"Josh is a really talented artist! I told Damian he may need to re-think the whole Josh becoming a lawyer and taking over the family business thing! He really caught on to painting. He did it all, Sarah! I didn’t even touch his canvas once. I’m actually pretty careful about that. I want the students to do it ALL by themselves—builds their confidence if they know the teacher didn’t paint it. I just explained to him how to do it, and then I would actually LEAVE the studio (I didn’t want to ‘hover’ and make him nervous), and I’d come back when he was done with that step! He really got it too. I could tell it all made sense to him. He rarely asked any questions, but would just nod his head, and then proceed to do it, without a hesitation. I think he especially liked painting with a palette knife. And that’s something no teacher or art class will ever teach him. There just aren’t a lot of artists who paint with a palette knife."

I really love this one. It is bold, beautiful and fun to look at. It makes me smile every time I walk by to go upstairs (probably 47 times a day!)

We may have to support him for awhile, while he's a "struggling artist" but I'm sure he'll be a success. He's only nine years old, if he really buckles down and gets serious about this by next week, he could be famous by 19 . . .

I want Rachel to be a chef and cook me lovely things to eat. I will go to her restaurant everyday and eat her wonderful food. She made dinner last week, "Tuna Schooners" and "Puppy Dog Salad" and it was delicious. I'm hoping she makes a habit while she's seven, of practicing her craft every night. I will sit back, put my feet up and sacrifice my strong desire to cook. I'll eat "Puppy Dog Salad" daily, if she just promises to cook every night.

This is Josh's painting of grapes in a vineyard. They don't match what I'm talking about, but I wanted to share them!

OK, so back to my dreams for the children. I want Emma to be a hairdresser and keep my hair looking young and beautiful forever. I would support her in this career move DAILY: I'd take a shower and run by her salon each morning and have her fix me up. She could do my nails and makeup, too.

If she went to massage therapy school, too, that would be an added bonus. I would give her BIG TIPS!!

OK, on that note, maybe Ben CAN be a doctor. A plastic surgeon, specifically. That will help me out, too! I guess one doctor might be nice to have around.

I aspire for Katrina to be a mother to my grandchildren. I really hope each of my kids has a few babies, but I want Katrina to have at least 10, and let me live next door to her. She is the sweetest, most natural mother in the world.

And on a less selfish note. If my darling Katrina needed a break from all those babies, I would run over to devote some "Granny Childcare", while she came over and cleaned my whole house. What a wonderful escape for her, and for me.

Or at least, for me.

Do any of you have totally selfish future plans for your children, or am I the only self-centered, "It's all about ME" Kinda Mom out there?

Don't answer that. I'm not ready for the truth, yet.