The Christmas letter

Every year I get a Christmas letter from someone that reminds me of just how ordinary I am and how I didn't do anything really exciting to brag about again this year. In turn I never send out a christmas letters like others but this year I've decided to change my ways and send one out. Here it is.

Dear friends and family;

You will not believe what happened this year, while my husband was busy doing geneology we found out that he is related to the Queen of England. We informed the monarchy at once to claim our royal titles and to be put on the Christmas lists of the family. They quickly responded by sending us a letter, welcoming us into the family and inviting us over for a family get together. We fly out next April. We are so excited as you can imagine.

However, that is not the amazing part of our year. Larry and a friend decided to buy an Idaho lottery ticket on a silly whim. Next thing we knew his friend called and declared they had won 56 million dollars to split between the two of them. So needless to say my husband and I after picking up our check went to an investment banker secured some money for our childrens future (College is paid for. YAY!) And then we procured ourselves two new vehicles. I went for the more sensible car and bought a Jaguar it was hard the Mercedes almost won out, but the Jaguar I think will fit our needs better. Now Larry on the other had went for the splurge and bought a McLaren. Pictures posted below. After those purchases we decided that our home garage did not fit the needs of our new vehicles so we bought a new home. I know we were impulsive but the kids seem to love our new home and don't mind only being seen every couple of days. I hope this letter finds you happy and healthy. We are!

The Benson's

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It's your right and priviledge, so get out and vote. Tuesday, Novemeber 2, 2010.

Some fun facts about voting.

1-Compared to 2000, young voters have more than doubled their turnout in the 2008 primaries and caucuses. For example, in Texas, the number of 18-29 year old voters grew 301%.

2-Research shows that young voters with college experience are much more likely to vote than their non-college counterparts. Although ½ of young Americans ages 18-29 have never enrolled in college, 79% of the young voters on Super Tuesday attended college.

3-Why do we vote on a Tuesday, and in November? Because the harvest was over and the weather wouldn't be bad enough to prevent people from traveling.

4-80% of all votes in America are counted by only two companies: Diebold and ES&S.

Sound off! Did you Vote.

the stupid things I say.

I made a delivery today for my husband to a friend of ours. He came around the corner and said my name and said, "I heard you were looking for me." And I said. Oh yeah, here it comes word vomit. I said, "What you didn't smell me." What! I took a shower before I left, did my hair, put make-up on. And I said that. Really what is it about methat makes me say the stupidest things. I couldn't even believe I had said it I smiled, our friend laughed gave me a hug took the delivery and started talking about something else. Heaven bless nice people who over look my dumb replies.

This is not the first time I've said something stupid. Oh no, it happens on weird bases, like I met one of my husbands clients once and I was looking forward to meeting this man. My sweet husband introduced us, we shook hands and and his client said to me, "It's very nice to meet you." And I said, "I bet it is." Possessed. I'm pretty sure that's what my husbands client thought. Yep he's married to a certified loon. I was so embarrassed that I couldn't even come up with some quick wit to cover my faux pas.

I need help. Please tell me you have said some wonderfully weird and horribly unexplained things at some of the most inopportuned time.

Are you ADDICTED to COMPLAINING?!

I recently talked to a friend of mine who decided to take a challenge of not cmplaining for one day and then turning that day into a week of no complaining. I smiled at the thought I don't really consider myself a complainer (so I thought.) On Tuesday morning I decided to take the challenge of not complaining for one full day. Now my friend told me that when he took this challenge it actually took him five weeks before he accomplished his goal and then it took him seven weeks before he made it a full week without complaining.

Back to me, so on Tuesday, I tried to go a full day without complaining. I made it a whole three hours before I stopped mid sentence and said to my friend. "I'm complaining."

She looked at me surprised and said, "It's okay it just me. I don't care."

I ended up explaining my new challenge I was undertaking. With greater effort I started over and made it another couple of hours before I did it again.

I have noticed since I'm trying to do this is; most conversations actually begin with a complaint of some sort. I think as a society we are addicted to the process of telling people are gripes and thrive when we get support and people agree with our complaints. The problem I can see is we don't talk about positive things 90 percent of our day is spent on complaints and negative thoughts and only 10 percent on the positive.

So take the challenge and see how you do and let me know how long it takes you to go a full twenty-four hours without a complaint. Good luck. I'll let you know when I accomplish my own goal.

If something went wrong and you were asked to evacuate your house in ten minutes of less. What would you take?

I've been pondering this very thought all day since we had a fire in my area and 1600 homes were evacuated and some of the residents got less then five minutes to leave. First, I would get my family and animals out, which retrieving my animals may take me more than five minutes in itself. (I have two dogs, two bunnies and a turtle. The last three roam free in my backyard so it would be a game of hide and seek for me to find them.) However, if I had more time I would take my legal documents and my 72 hours kits (which by the way I will be updating since this happened and making sure they have fresh food.) And why I am rounding up kids and animals, kits and documents I'm sure my sweet and helpful husband would be taking apart his computer reassuring it the whole time that everything will be all right. His computer is infact his life, and you may think I'm making fun, but I'm not. We own our own company and my husband is a graphic artist and his computer is the very thing we make a living on. So really that piece of modern technology is coming with us. I'm sure at the cost of some other precious things, but none the less you can't rebuild if you don't have a job and a way to make money.

So have you thought about it? What would you grab if you had ten minutes or less. Would it be sentimental or pratical?

The constitution had a birthday.

The constitution had a birthday it was September 17th. It most likely passed without you or I giving it much of a thought or for some even knowing it happened at all. I work in a school and I was surprised that for the most part this is not even mentioned. The very documents that makes us a country and we should hold dear is not celebrated. In school we celebrate Dr. Suess and don't get me wrong I'm all over this. But hey, should we really ignore a document that gave us rights and makes this a great place to live and gives us the freedoms other's are jealous of.

These very words we're prayed over before they put them on paper and where would we be without them?

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

I'm feel so lucky to be an American and I'm am grateful to live in a country that gives us writes to believe what we may and vote for who we may.

Rumbi Island's Voodoo chicken salad

I love the Rumbi Island's Voo Doo salad and I wanted to know if I could remake it for my family. (I found this recipe on line, the chef at Rumbi's gave the recipe out on Good Things Utah a few years ago.) It's really quick and easy, if you have all the ingredients to the dressing.
For the salad you need: lettuce mix, feta cheese, tomatoes, (I used canned but you can by and cut fresh) tortilla chips, chicken and the dressing.
For the dressing you need: dijon mustard, lime juice, chili paste, crushed red pepper, lite mayo, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, white sugar, minced garlic, and pureed ginger.
To make the dressing you combine all dressing ingredients in a bowl, except for the ginger. Mix with your hand mixer for about 2 minutes. Using a whisk, stir in the ginger until blended.

Enjoy here is the recipe.

Lettuce
Feta Cheese
Diced Tomatoes
Crushed Tortilla Chips or Homemade Strips
Voodoo dressing
Cooked chicken (diced, shredded, etc.)
For the dressing: (you may want to cut this recipe in half if you don't want tons of leftovers)
1/4 cup Dijon Mustard
1/4 cup Lime Juice
1/4 cup Chili Paste (found in the asian food section)
2 TBS. Crushed Red Pepper
3/4 cups Lit Mayonnaise
1 1/2 cups Sesame Oil
1 cup Rice Wine Vinegar
1/2 cup Soy Sauce
1 1/2 cups White Sugar
1/4 cup Minced Garlic
1/3 cup Pureed Ginger (found in the produce aisle)
Directions: Mix all of the dressing ingredients, except the ginger, in a bowl with a hand mixer for a couple minutes. Add the ginger and stir with a whisk until well blended. Top your salad with the chicken, tortillas, feta cheese, tomatoes, and the dressing.
My family loved it. I hope yours will too.