MERRY CHRISTMAS!

DIAMOND RIO

Tequila and Salt

This should probably be taped to your bathroom mirror where one could read it every day. You may not realize it, but it's 100% true.

1. There are at least two people in this world that you would die for.

2.. At least 15 people in this world love you in some way.

3. The only reason anyone would ever hate you is because they want to be just like you.

4. A smile from you can bring happiness to anyone, even if they don't like you.

5. Every night, SOMEONE thinks about you before they go to sleep.

6. You mean the world to someone.

7. You are special and unique.

8. Someone that you don' t even know exists loves you.

9. When you make the biggest mistake ever, something good comes from it.

10. When you think the world has turned its back on you take another look.

11. Always remember the compliments you received. Forget about the rude remarks.

And always remember.... when life hands you Lemons, ask for Tequila and Salt and call me over!

Good friends are like stars...You don't always see them, But you know they are always there.

Happiness keeps You Sweet, Trials keep You Strong, Sorrows keep You Human, Failures keeps You Humble, Success keeps You Glowing, But Only God keeps You Going

I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD SEE THE DAY

When they CLOSED ALL THE SCHOOLS IN WASHINGTON COUNTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yes, my children are home from school today. All the schools in the county have been shut down to to SNOW! I still cannot believe it. The desert!?!?!?! Also a mere 120 miles away in LAS VEGAS! they have shut down the airport as well as 3 major freeways, due to the SNOW! I am just in awe, this sort of thing does not happen here.

Well we are off to play!:-)

WINTER COMES TO THE DESERT

We walked out of Walmart last night to howling wind and fierce rain. By the time we got home (a 30 minute drive), it had turned into snow flurries. Nothing big, but it was flaky, we assumed it would be gone by morning. But by the time we got up this morning, we had snow on the ground. Not much, as you can see in this first picture, you can still see some grass. But the kids LOVED it, they were so excited to go out and build a snow fort and snowman. I gently explained to them that there was not enough snow for such fun. But they said they would do it anyway. So I bundled them up and sent them out. They ended up with a large mound of snow, that they had accumulated from the cars, and every square inch of our front yard, as well as out neighbors. LOL, they had fun, but did not have more than a 3 foot by 6 inch mound to show for it. Oh well, they had a great morning.

Pooh was not too sure about it, he sat bundled up on the sidewalk watching them for about 20 minutes then decided that the snow was too cold and not any fun:-) But he looks so cute all bundled up, I still need to buy him some mittens that fit.

WHAT CUTE BOYS I HAVE!

Well we finally did it, we gave Kaiden his own room back, and put the two little boys in their own room again. Kaiden is MUCH happier with this, but half the time Nic still ends up on Kaiden's bottom bunk. And look how I caught my sweet boys one night. Pooh generally ends up on this Cars couch they have, but this night, they were both cuddled up together on it:-)

A DIFFERENT CHRISTMAS POEM

The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light, I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight. My wife was asleep, her head on my chest, My daughter beside me, angelic in rest. Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white, Transforming the yard to a winter delight.
The sparkling lights in the tree I believe, Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve. My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep, Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep. In perfect contentment, or so it would seem, So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.
The sound wasn't loud, and it wasn't too near, But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear. Perhaps just a cough, I didn't quite know, Then the sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow. My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear, And I crept to the door just to see who was near.
Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night, A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight. A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old, Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold. Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled, Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child.
'What are you doing?' I asked without fear, 'Come in this moment, it's freezing out here! Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve, You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!' For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift, Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts.
To the window that danced with a warm fire's light Then he sighed and he said 'Its really all right, I'm out here by choice. I'm here every night.' 'It's my duty to stand at the front of the line, That separates you from the darkest of times.
No one had to ask or beg or implore me, I'm proud to stand here like my fathers before me. My Gramps died at 'Pearl on a day in December,' Then he sighed, 'That's a Christmas 'Gram always remembers.' My dad stood his watch in the jungles of 'Nam', And now it is my turn and so, here I am.
I've not seen my own son in more than a while, But my wife sends me pictures, he's sure got her smile. Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag, The red, white, and blue... an American flag. I can live through the cold and the being alone, Away from my family, my house and my home.
I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet, I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat. I can carry the weight of killing another, Or lay down my life with my sister and brother.. Who stand at the front against any and all, To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall.'
' So go back inside,' he said, 'harbor no fright, Your family is waiting and I'll be all right.' 'But isn't there something I can do, at the least, 'Give you money,' I asked, 'or prepare you a feast? It seems all too little for all that you've done, For being away from your wife and your son.'
Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret, 'Just tell us you love us, and never forget. To fight for our rights back at home while we're gone, To stand your own watch, no matter how long. For when we come home, either standing or dead, To know you remember we fought and we bled. Is payment enough, and with that we will trust, That we mattered to you as you mattered to us.'

CHRISTMAS PICTURES

WE WENT UP TO RED CLIFFS YESTERDAY TO TAKE OUR CHRISTMAS PICUTRES! HERE ARE OUR CHRISTMAS SHOTS AS WELL AS SOME RANDOM PICTURES THAT WERE TAKEN.

THIS ONE IS MY FAVORITE, THE KIDS WERE BEING SO ROUDY I WAS DONE MESSING WITH THEM AND TRYING TO GET THEM TO SIT STILL, LOL. THIS PICTURE SHOWS TRUE TOBIN LIFE! I WAS TRYING SO HARD NOT TO LAUGH, BUT THOM WAS NOT HELPING, HE WAS JUST LAUGHING!

ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS MY TWO FRONT TEETH!

$4,000 IN BRACES SITTING RIGHT THERE:-)

ANOTHER $4,000. ACTUALLY LAST TIME WE WERE AT THE DENTIST IT WAS $4,000 TIMES 5! KAIDEN AND KAYLA'S ARE JUST MOST OBVIOUS AT THIS TIME IN THEIR LIVES

DADDY AND HIS BOYS

MOMMY AND GIRLS

HOW CUTE ARE MY KIDS?!?!?!?!
WE WENT WITH OUR GOOD FRIENDS MELISSA AND LEVI, AND THEIR TWO BEAUTIFUL CHILDREN, ZAYNE AND SKYLUR.

AUGH help me!!!

My cat is in heat, and she is driving us CRAZY!!!! And no, it had honestly never crossed my mind to get her spayed. I mean obviously I would have eventually, but had not thought of it as of yet. And now she is howling and carrying on. She got out last night. And I am not too stressed about it, if she gets pregnant, then we will have babies:-) And then we will get her fixed. Either way immediately after this heat cycle is done we will get her fixed, well not immediately cause if she did get knocked up I am NOT about to abort her babies, we will just deal with it. So how can you help me, you ask? Do you have an unneutered male at your house I could borrow for a couple days to shut my cat up? The last time I have a cat that went into heat that is what we did, we had a friend and his male stayed with us for a week, shut my up. And then we had the most precious babies! My little Ben and Jerry, we ended up keeping both of them and mom. They were the best cats we ever had. Luckily she only had two though so that was an option. And we put an offer in on a house, so babies would not be an issue now either, well at least a few of them, unless she had like 10 or something! But right now we are just trying to deal with her howling. Unless you have a male!

MOVIE REVIEW

Thom and I went to see a movie last night, my parents watched the kids, as it was our 'mock anniversary'. The anniversary of our wedding, but not our legal anniversary. We celebrate our legal anniversary and do the whole anniversary thing (if you really want to know why this happened the way it happened you will have to email me for the answer). But on the anniversary of our big wedding, we try to at least do dinner or a movie or something. Anyhoo, so we went to a movie last night. THE BEST movie!!! We give it two enthusiastic thumbs up! We went to Four Christmases, starring Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon. It was EXTREMELY hilarious! We laughed through the whole movie. I strongly recommend you try to make it to see this movie this holiday season with a good 'family' message. It honestly did touch a heart string also, I teared up at one point. So a good movie for all. Now go see it!!!

http://movies.msn.com/movies/movie/four-christmases/

THANKSGIVING AT THE TOBINS

MELISSA AND LEVI


ME AND MY BABY

GRAMMA, PAPA AND PAPA'S BOY!

TWO OF THE COOKS

WE ALL TOOK OUR TURN IN THE KITCHEN THIS YEAR:-) (OR FRONT PORCH IN LEVI'S CASE, LOL)

THE BOYS SHOOTIN THE SHIT

KAIDEN PLANTED HIMSELF IN FRONT OF THE TV TO WATCH FOOTBALL ALL DAY IN TYPICAL MALE FASHION

RYLIE ENJOYED THE HALF TIEM ENTERTAINMENT

THE KID TABLE

AND IN THE END WE TRIED TO GET A PICTURE OF ALL 9 KIDS, IT DID NOT WORK WELL:-) (FROM L TO R~GARRETT, WILL, ZAYNE, KAYLA, KAIDEN, ELI, RYLIE,SKYLUR)

IN TYPICAL WILL AND SKYLUR FASHION, LOL:-)

TO MY BEAUTIFUL CHILDREN THAT I AM SOOO THANKFUL FOR!!!!

Paul Harvey Writes:

We tried so hard to make things better for our kids that we made them worse. For my grandchildren, I'd like better. I'd really like for them to know about hand me down clothes and homemade ice cream and leftover meat loaf sandwiches. I really would.

I hope you learn humility by being humiliated, and that you learn honesty by being cheated. I hope you learn to make your own bed and mow the lawn and wash the car. And I really hope nobody gives you a brand new car when you are sixteen.

It will be good if at least one time you can see puppies born and your old dog put to sleep.

I hope you get a black eye fighting for something you believe in.


I hope you have to share a bedroom with your younger brother/sister. And it's all right if you have to draw a line down the middle of the room,but when he wants to crawl under the covers with you because he's scared, I hope you let him.

When you want to see a movie and your little brother/sister wants to tag along, I hope you'll let him/her. I hope you have to walk uphill to school with your friends and that you live in a town where you can do it safely.

On rainy days when you have to catch a ride, I hope you don't ask your driver to drop you two blocks away so you won't be seen riding with someone as uncool as your Mom.

If you want a slingshot, I hope your Dad teaches you how to make one instead of buying one. I hope you learn to dig in the dirt and read books.

When you learn to use computers, I hope you also learn to add and subtract in your head.

I hope you get teased by your friends when you have your first crush on a boygirl, and when you talk back to your mother that you learn what ivory soap tastes like.

May you skin your knee climbing a mountain, burn your hand on a stove and stick your tongue on a frozen flagpole.

I don't care if you try a beer once, but I hope you don't like it.. And if a friend offers you dope or a joint, I hope you realize he is not your friend.

I sure hope you make time to sit on a porch with your Grandma/Grandpa and go fishing with your Uncle.

May you feel sorrow at a funeral and joy during the holidays.

I hope your mother punishes you when you throw a baseball through your neighbor's window and that she hugs you and kisses you at Hannukah/Christmas time when you give her a plaster mold of your hand.
These things I wish for you - tough times and disappointment, hard work and happiness. To me, it's the only way to appreciate life.
Written with a pen. Sealed with a kiss. I'm here for you. And if I die before you do, I'll go to heaven and wait for you.

PLEASE HELP SUPPORT ME!

FOR ALL YOUR CANDLE AND HOLIDAY NEEDS. PLEASE SUPPORT MY NEW ENDEAVOR:-)

http://www.scentsy.com/18739

YOU CAN CALL ME, OR PLACE YOUR ORDER DIRECTLY THROUGH THIS WEBSITE.

THANKS SO MUCH!!!!!

VERY IMPORTANT PLEASE READ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am sure most of you have a daughter, a granddaughter, a niece, a friend ora friend's daughter......this might be worth checking out.PASS THIS ON EVEN IF YOU DON'T USE IT!!Recently this past week, my cousin Nicole Dishuk (age 31....new grad student with a doctoral degree about to start her new career as a Doctor...) was flown into a nearby hospital, because she passed out.They found a blood clot in her neck, and immediately took her by helicopter to the ER to operate. By the time they removed the right half of her skull to relieve the pressure on her brain the clot had spread to her brain causing severe damage. Since last Wednesday night, she was battling. They induced her into a coma to stop the blood flow.They operated 3 times. Finally, they said there was nothing left that they could do. They found multiple clots in the left side of her brain, the swelling wouldn't stop, and she was on the life support. She died at 4:30 yesterday. She leaves behind her husband, a 2 yr old Randon and a 4 yr old Justin. The CAUSE of DEATH they found was a birth control she was taking that allows you to only have your period 3 X's a year. They said it interrupts life's menstrual cycle, and although it is FDA approved......it shouldn't be. I ask you to boycott this product and deal with your periods once a month, so you can live the rest of the months that your life has in store for you.Please send this to every woman you know - you may save someone's life. Remember you have a cycle for a reason.

VETERANS DAY

KNOW THIS, A SOLDIER DOES NOT FIGHT BECAUSE HE HATES WHAT IS IN FRONT OF HIM AS MUCH AS HE FIGHTS BECAUSE HE LOVES WHAT IS BEHIND HIM!

In the words of the great Walt Whitman,

"The moon gives you light,

And the bugles and the drums give you music,

And my heart, O my soldiers, my veterans,

My heart gives you love."

GOD BLESS OUR VETERANS AND GOD BLESS AMERICA!

1/2 BOY, 1/2 MAN

The average age of the military man is 19 years. He is a short haired, tight-muscled kid who, under normal circumstances is considered by society as half man, half boy. Not yet dry behind the ears, not old enough to buy a beer, but old enough to die for his country. He never really cared much for work and he would rather wax his own car than wash his father's, but he has never collected unemployment either. He's a recent High School graduate; he was probably an average student , pursued some form of sport activities, drives a ten year old jalopy, and has a steady girlfriend that either broke up with him when he left, or swears to be waiting when he returns from half a world away. He listens to rock and roll or hip-hop or rap or jazz or swing and a 155mm howitzer. He is 10 or 15 pounds lighter now than when he was at home because he is working or fighting from before dawn to well after dusk. He has trouble spelling, thus letter writing is a pain for him, but he can field strip a rifle in 30 seconds and reassemble it in less time in the dark.
He can recite to you the nomenclature of a machine gun or grenade launcher and use either one effectively if he must. He digs foxholes and latrines and can apply first aid like a professional. He can march until he is told to stop, or stop until he is told to march. He obeys orders instantly and without hesitation, but he is not without spirit or individual dignity. He is self-sufficient. He has two sets of fatigues: he washes one and wears the other. He keeps his canteens full and his feet dry. He sometimes forgets to brush his teeth, but never to clean his rifle. He can cook his own meals, mend his own clothes, and fix his own hurts.If you're thirsty, he'll share his water with you; if you are hungry, his food. He'll even split his ammunition with you in the midst of battle when you run low. He has learned to use his hands like weapons and weapons like they were his hands. He can save your life - or take it, because that is his job. He will often do twice the work of a civilian, draw half the pay, and still find ironic humor in it all. He has seen more suffering and death than he should have in his short lifetime. He has wept in public and in private, for friends who have fallen in combat and is unashamed. He feels every note of the National Anthem vibrate through his body while at rigid attention, while tempering the burning desire to 'square-away ' those around him who haven't bothered to stand, remove their hat, or even stop talking. In an odd twist, day in and day out, far from home, he defends their right to be disrespectful. Just as did his Father, Grandfather, and Great- grandfather, he is paying the price for our freedom. Beardless or not, he is not a boy. He is the American Fighting Man that has kept this country free for over 200 years. He has asked nothing in return, except our friendship and understanding. Remember him, always, for he has earned our respect and admiration with his blood. And now we even have women over there in danger, doing their part in this tradition of going to War when our nation calls us to do so. As you go to bed tonight, remember this shot. . . A short lull, a little shade and a picture of loved ones in their helmets. A Prayer wheel for our military... please don't break it Please send this on after a short prayer. Prayer Wheel 'Lord, hold our troops in your loving hands. Protect them as they protect us. Bless them and their families for the selfless acts they perform for us in our time of need. Amen.' When you receive this, please stop for a moment and say a prayer for our troops in Afghanistan , sailors on ships, and airmen in the air, and for those in Iraq , Afghanistan and all foreign countries. There is nothing attached... This can be very powerful... Of all the gifts you could give a U.S. Airman, Soldier, Coastguardsman, Marine, or Sailor, prayer is the very best one.

I QUIT!

Apparently we are just not dog people anymore. Maddie is going to the pound tomorrow when I get off work. Being older she is VERY mellow, which I love! Personality wise, we LOVE her. She is a great dog. Very sweet, she is not the watch dog that we want, but it is okay, Cause I think if someone were going to break in or look around our house to break in, you see a Rott, and you are not going to do it. So I thought she was going to work out great. BUT, she is having hip problems, and we can not afford that. So I was just thinking that, well we can make her as comfortable as we can in her last year or so, no problem. But then the problems began! She is old, and she does not have control of her 'bodily functions' and she was 'going' all over my house! I took her out this morning when we got up, and she peed. I came inside took a shower and began to get ready for church. Thom comes in and says that she peed in the living room, and I said I JUST took her out. He said well, she did. So I continued to get ready and get the kids ready. And Thom yells for me, I walk out into the living room, and am OVERWHELMED with the smell of poop. She had diarrhea and peed all over the toy room. OMG, it was SO overwhelming! SO we were late for church today while we cleaned the toy room, so within the span of an hour and a half, she peed in the house twice and had diarrhea, which diarrhea is fine, she is nervous, and new food, all that, but the POINT is she did it in the house. Also while cleaning the toy room we found a dry spot where she had peed yesterday. And most dogs will cower knowing they did wrong, but she is in total oblivion to it. She is getting old, and does not have control over it anymore, and I think she is becoming senile. I feel SO bad for her, but I cannot keep her in the condition she is in. But my heart is breaking for her. She is so sweet:( But I WILL NOT be using the pounds exchange policy, I am DONE with dogs!

ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST!

That is right, as predicted, Addie is no more. She was an EXCELLENT watch dog, very sweet with the kids, listened, I felt good about her. But she had one bad habit, and we tried to break her of it, we tried to compensate for it. And NOTHING would work, and today was the final straw, she had to go. She WANTED/NEEDED to go outside. When the front door would open she would plow down everyone in her path to get outside then she would run, RUN! And keep running, I swear she was like Forest Gump, she just felt like running. So we ran with her every day, we walked her every day, we played ball with her every day. Nothing worked! AND, she could get out of the door herself, we have the lever handles, and she would pull it down, put her paw out and RUN. So we kept all the doors locked at all times, we only went in and out of the garage. Cause we really wanted to keep her, she was so good in the other areas that we wanted. But this morning she got out, (Thom had left for work and forgotten to lock the front door behind him), she plowed down all my kids on the front walk(who had gone out the garage), then RAN. On her way back, Kaiden grabbed her, and was walking her home. But my neighbor was out walking her three big dogs. Addie saw them, went running, dragging Kaiden along in the process (scrapped up his whole side up and down the ENTIRE thing), and attacked my neighbors three dogs. I finally got her dragged away from my neighbor (who by the way is REALLY upset with me), and threw her in the car, took her back to the pound. So I washed my hands of her. I am sad, cause she was everything we were looking for in a dog, but it just did not work out. The pound does not do refund, but you can exchange. So Rylie, FELL IN LOVE with this dog. So we brought home a Rottweiler, she is 8 years old. She is VERY mellow and calm. I do not think she will be the watch dog I wanted but maybe the looks of her will scare people away? Hopefully. I am not posting pictures right now, cause well, lets make sure this one works. I am telling you I have commitment issues with animals. But we do still have Belle. And she is a sweet thing. We love her, and we are in it for the long haul with her (well all but Thom, but I am bigger than him, LOL) The new dogs name is Maddie (short for Madison?), which Ry loves so I think we are going to keep it the same.

I NEEDED THIS TODAY, THOUGHT YOU MIGHT ALSO :-)

THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE EMAILS, AND GOD MADE SURE I GOT IT AGAIN TODAY WHEN I NEEDED IT :-) SO I THOUGHT I WOULD SHARE.


Ever have one of those days, when something seemed a bit 'off' but you just couldn't put your finger on it...

Or it seemed like all the people around you just wanted to buttheads...



Or just get into some kind of weird tug of war?


Sometimes you just need to take a fresh new look. And get a different perspective on things.



Remember to try your best to show kindness to others...



(sometimes looking at things from their perspective might help...)
So, when life gets you down...


Remember to just keep going, and keep your head above water...


And you'll get by with a little help from your friends!