Make a Smilebox scrapbook

We went out with Chris and Dave to watch them shoot targets for awhile this morning. It was 87* at 11am! The kids and Sadie had had enough of the heat so we packed up and headed back to town early. But, before we left I "shot" a few targets of my own! Enjoy the pics..err..shots! :)

*Again, just click the play button..the program will take care of the rest. If you keep clicking the arrow, it will skip pages!

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Like my new toy? I found it online today..super fun! I'll post one in a few minutes of the boys shooting this morning..Enjoy!

P.S. There are 5 pages to the scrapbook, and it will change pages on its own, so don't keep clicking!

So, I've been telling Jaden for the past few weeks that his training wheels were COMING OFF!! That he's WAY too old to have them on and that it needs to stop. He would tell me in response that he was never taking them off, that he liked them, and that he didn't want to bleed. Whatever, I said.

Anyway, tonight Chris was out mowing the lawn and I came outside to find Jaden riding his bike. I said, "OH no, you come up here boy, those are coming OFF." He said, "NOOOOOO!!!" I said, "YEEEESSSSS." So he came in, I ripped those suckers off and we went out to learn to ride.

He was wobbly at first..kept looking at his friends' houses instead of where he was supposed to be going ("Look at Cody's house, J, just look at Cody's house!" I kept saying) His friend Sadie lives down the street and every time we'd pass her house he'd start wiggling around. I said, "J don't think about Sadie, just think about yourself and getting to Cody's house!" He said that he wasn't thinking about Sadie. I asked, "Well, what are you thinking about then?" He said he was thinking about Preslie. I told him, "Well, then think about Preslie up in Heaven right now and how she's looking down on you and is so excited for you to ride your bike!" He said (with a smile and a sigh), "Ok, I can DO THIS!!!" And, within about 2 minutes, he was riding like the wind!! So proud of him. He kept saying, "I'm REALLY doing this! I can't believe I'm doing this!!

Well, anyway, it's been a pretty special night for all of us. The neighbors were all so proud of him, came out to smile and cheer him on and give him encouragement. And at the end of it, he gave his training wheels to one of the neighbors across the street, Diego. He was sad to be done riding for the day, but is so excited that he can ride without training wheels now! He's already planning our family bike ride tomorrow evening. :) I made him come in and take a shower..boy was drenched in sweat!

Have a great night guys, love you :)

As many of you have probably heard on the news, a little girl was killed in a horrible accident over in Swan Falls a few weeks back. The little girl, Preslie, was one of Jaden's very good friends. And, also one of my favorite girls from his class. Chris and I were devastated to hear the news, but just weren't sure how, if at all, we would share the news with Jaden. He's already had a really hard time with losing Tess and my Grampa in this last year, we just weren't sure he could handle anymore. His teacher said that with kids their age sometimes you can get away with not telling them at all, but sometimes it's good to tell them just the very basics of what happened.

At first we thought we'd just not tell him, or wait until school got back in and to see if he asked where she was. But, here we were about 2 weeks into not telling him and I just couldn't handle it. I'm just not good at keeping things from my kids. And, I'd rather him know in a situation where we have control over it than in school. Chris agreed. So we called them downstairs tonight and Chris told them both what had happened. J teared up instantly and buried his head into Chris, saying that she was his best friend and it wasn't fair. Which is about when I started crying. He was trying to be strong, but he's just heartbroken. He's glad she's in heaven with his Tessy and Grampa he says. He just sat there with his head buried into Chris' chest for a good 10 minutes..in shock I think. Poor little guy. He's had so much death in his short life. Breaks my heart. Ash wanted to know the details of how it happened, Chris tried to just minimize it saying that he didn't know all of the details. We really don't think they need to know how it happened. It's just too traumatizing.

Chris and I have both been losing sleep over it. I just can't get her sweet little face out of my mind. She was so smart and such a helper. Always happy, dressed really cute and always had cute hats to wear and hair cutely styled. She was always ready to learn and to help others who were having trouble. She was very confident and stuck up for what was right. She loved talking about Jesus. She didn't take any nonsense from anyone. It seems like I hear her voice all the time. And her little laugh. She had just gotten in her new big girl teeth in the front and she had that big goofy toothy grin all the time. She always ran and skipped everywhere.

Anyway, please keep J in your prayers, and Ash too. She knew her a little bit from their reading buddies program at school. And, most importantly, please pray for her family. She had a great, loving family and spoke of them all the time. She was very proud of her family. I can't imagine the pain they are feeling..losing her right before Father's Day must have added even more sting to it. I prefer not to go into details about how she was killed, but if you are interested, you can find information in these links.

Here is the link to the news story: http://www.idahostatesman.com/newsupdates/story/407153.html

Here is the link to her obituary: http://www.legacy.com/IdahoStatesman/Obituaries.asp?Page=LifeStory&PersonId=111552943

If you speak with Jaden, please do not bring any of this up with him. Rest assured we are talking with him and he is talking with us and Ashley. If he brings it up with you that's one thing, but otherwise, please just let it be..we just ask that you'd be his silent prayer warriors.

Anyway, we just wanted to let you know what's been goin on in our lives as of late..and part of the reason we haven't been as regular with the blogging. It's just hard to think of much else right now. When we go to the school, we can remember her playing there like it was just yesterday..when we see kids laughing, we remember her smile instantly. Seeing Andrew celebrate his birthday, realizing that Preslie's family wouldn't have anymore birthday's with her was really hard on me. We see Jaden play or sleep or laugh or cry or run around and we think of her parents and how excruciating the loss must be. We can't even imagine taking the kids to Swan Falls again..It's so hard to lose someone so young who had so much life to live. But, we are so blessed to have had the time we did with her, and we'll be forever thankful for that.

I know I've said it a million times..but treasure the time you have with those who surround you. You never know when it will be your last moment with them. It can end in an instant. Don't waste time with bitterness and pettiness. Just love them for who they are and appreciate what they bring to your life.

Love you Preslie girl. Have fun showing them how it's done in Heaven. They must have needed you to help the angels bring smiles to those in need..and you're doing a great job. I smile every time I think of you.

Goodnight, love you guys.

My eyes are itching out of my skull. The left more than the right. But, since I yelled at Chris the other night to quit itching b/c it would "only make it worse", I now have to suck it up in silence and sneak an eye rub in when he isn't looking ;) In fact, I have a pic of him itching..let me get it..

Hey, it's HIS LEFT EYE, TOO!! Weird. Weird. WEIRD.

Well, so far in this pay period at work I've gotten extra hours..should help with having next week off (except for cleaning on Friday). Shhh, don't tell anyone, it's a secret. We have plastered on the top of our calendar the words (in huge print): "DON'T TIE US DOWN WITH ENTERTAINING ON OUR VACATION!!!" Somehow we always seem to fill every second with going somewhere or doing something or having people over (not to mention all the crap around the house we usually do..mowing..weeds..washing windows..cleaning things out..) and then by the time vacation is done we have gotten no rest and need another vacation! But, hey, we always have a great time with everyone and all the activities, and I guess that's what vacations are all about. Regardless..this time we WILL relax, damnit!! And, maybe even get a camping trip in with my bro n his loverly wife! AND, maybe we'll get to welcome in our new neice, if DeAnna has the baby!!!!!!!!

Speaking of relaxation stuff..we finished our puzzle last night! WOOHOO! I took a pic of it, will upload it later and share it with ya. It's awesome. The trees were the hardest part, for sure. I've also got all of the squares cut for a quilt I'm making for MYSELF! That's right, I finally get a quilt for myself! I've made them for everyone else but not myself. Typical. Anyway, Gparents Edens gave me a big brown bag filled with super cool sheets the other day. I couldn't use them on my bed b/c they wouldn't fit, but they had cool flowers on them, kind of a 70's/80's style. So, I thought, hey why not make a light summer quilt out of them! Should be really cute.

Andrew's (nephew) bday party was last night..he's so cute. I got some cute pics of Kailey when she wasn't looking. I didn't even recognize her when we walked in. Thought she was someone else's kid. Sadly, she never recognizes me anymore, either..has no clue who I am. But, I'll get over it..maybe. Until then I'll just be the stranger who shows up to birthday parties and takes pictures. I'll take what I can get. Hard to believe that way back when, my name was one of the first words she said.

Well, I better get going. Gotta be to work by noon and still have stuff to do at home. Have a great day people! Love ya

Hope you're all enjoying a nice quiet Thursday morning :)

Yesterday was lil Andrews bday, hope he had a great day. He's such a sweetie. I guess they're over and Dave n Amber's for the rest of the week, so we missed getting to see him on his big day. The kiddos like it when they're at their dads house cuz they get to see them whenever they want!

Speaking of my kids, they aren't here! Mom came and got them yesterday morning..we won't get them back till probably Saturday afternoon. Just in time to go out to Todd & Jess' for a bbq. But, it's quiet around here! No bickering..begging..whining..laughing..story telling..weird!! But, they're having a blast. Yesterday they went and saw Kung Fu Panda and did other stuff I can't remember..then when Dad got home they took them up to Mountain Home to see some new baby goats. Mom mentioned that in the coming days they will be doing tye die and sewing and biking the greenbelt (oh, pllleeease be safe!), building a town out of milk cartons, camping out over in their camper at Jon & DeAnna's having campfires..they'll be very busy!

So..good and bad news this week..Good news, I went to my doc's this week, and both of them think that my back thing is a fatty cyst, which confirms what we all thought! PTL. Bad side of that is..it's so big that I will have to go to the hospital and be put out for it to be removed..which will cost around $5000. Well, we never go to the doctor so we keep raising our deductible to save money..eek. Maybe we should have kept it low! I don't even know what it is. But, I'm gonna find out when our new enrollment period is and hopefully lower it b4 I have to get this removed. But, anyway, I have to go see a surgeon to talk about the removal..it's supposed to be pretty painful for a week after you get it done, if it hasn't attached itself to the muscle..if it HAS attached itself then the recovery time is much longer. Um...I don't have a desk job people. I am constantly moving and lifting and scrubbing in my jobs..can't afford to be laid up! Well, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. I know it's connected to or is stressing some nerves b/c I can feel the pain from it..tingling..like the feeling you get when you touch your tongue to a 9V battery..

Well, after I got the $5000 dollar news, I went to get the oil changed in the car and have them scan the SERVICE ENGINE SOON indicator (came on again the night b4, damnit) and they said it's the Catalytic Converter and it needs to be replaced asap. CRAP CRAP CRAP. $1200 is their quote. Call my bro who is happily working and vacationing in Seattle to cry n whine n bitch..he didn't answer..but called back later and told me that that quote is crap..later called again and told me that he found one for $350 online and to take it to Boise Muffler for an honest quote. Then my Mom n Dad called back and said the same..take it to Boise Muffler. So, Mom came and switched cars with me yesterday (when she got the kids!). I now am driving "big green" (their truck) and Dad is taking my car in to BMuffler this morning. This is why it sucks to only have one car people! Dad says, "Well the only problem you'll have driving my Ford is that you WONT have any problems" hahaha funnny ;) For those of you who don't know, my car/truck is a Chevy. Well, anyway, so in one day I got the news that in total I need fixings done that look to cost me around $6200! FANTASTIC. BUT, in good news, my health is great, my family is healthy, the sun is shining, and I am still blessed beyond measure..that no matter how horrible the day has been, I always have my family to come home to who comes running when I open the door to tell me they've missed me and ask me how my day was..all while I'm being tackled by my sweet pup and getting kisses from my honey and hugs from the kids. Kinda melts away the stress of the day, I think. :)

We got to go out & visit with Kristi & Mike & Brooklyn and new little miss Berkley last night. That baby is so precious! Brooklyn was feeling extra lovey last night, too, cuddled with me and tickled me and laughed. She's so cute. You can tell she's not quite sure about this new little baby in her life, but you can also tell that she LOVES her. She kept going over to stroke her hair or give her kisses. She's a good big sissy. Then, after that we went over to Sadie's original owners house to pick up Sadie's pool and to see her sister, Savannah. Stayed and gushed about our babies (the dogs, not the humans) for over an hour..it was great to see them again, and to see Savannah for the first time. She and Sadie have so many of the same mannerisms, it's scary! Yet, they are completely different. Carole also has Pygmy goats. Oh my gosh they are so cute!!!!! I begged Chris to let me have one. He said no. Even more clearly than the "NO" he said to the fruit trees. So, I guess I should drop it. But, it was hilarious when Jaden called later last night to tell us that they saw baby goats and that we need one. LMAO!! Chris just sighed and said "WE DON'T NEED A GOAT DUDE".

Sorry it's taken me awhile to blog..just been so busy and by the time I get home I can't even put a sentence together to blog. But, I still look for new blogs from y'all everyday, so don't quit writing! I'll try to be better, too. And, just like you, I am STILL waiting for Chris to blog about his Wing Off!!!!

Love you guys, have a great day :)

(I can't get the first pic to enlarge on the blog, but the second one will if you double click it)

Well, it was a successful Wing Off 2008! I'll let Chris tell you all about it, I don't want to steal his thunder! But, it was a great time..always good to see my sweetheart having fun and smiling. Ashley ate her heart out. That girl can really put it away! She's growing fast..her legs are hurting her tonight. She can't grow much taller or I'll have to look up at her to yell! haha I guess then I'd know how my Mom felt :)

Our morning started early..Chris got up to get ready and I got up to put my ice cream base into the ice cream maker. The day's been so long I feel like all of this happened yesterday..but anyway, it all went fine..tastes delish. It's Benjamin Franklin's recipe for ice cream, which matches almost exactly to today's gelato recipes. So, basically, I've made a vanilla bean gelato. It's DELISH. I was worried that we might not have enough (the boys in my fam REALLY like ice cream) so I made a base for coconut lime sorbet. Will put that in the ice cream maker in the morning. Yummmmmy!! So, my fam will come over tomorrow evening for ice cream sundaes. Should be a beautiful day out so, a perfect day for ice cream.

Anyhoo..then Dave came and got Chris and they were off..then the kids and I were doin stuff around the house b4 it was time to go Father's Day shopping. We were gonna take Sadie with us but then Chris called and said that he needed a table b/c Dave couldn't share his..well, we don't have one. So, Father's Day shopping had to be postponed, and I rushed out (no more taking the dog now b/c she can't fit in the back with a table and lawn chairs) got a table and took it down to my sweet hubby so he wouldn't have to serve his wings from dishes laying on the effing ground. Bullcrap. But, I cooled off.. I just really wanted him to have a nice stress free, relaxing, fun day. Not having to deal with crap (which, by the way, was already shot to poo b/c of his morning with shirts and work). BUT, anyway..we hung out for a few hours and then were off to try to get some shopping done quickly and then get back to the house to let Sadie out. And, we did! We even beat Chris home!!! We had time to wrap stuff and get stuff together for tomorrow. The kids were finishing up just as he got home so it was perfect :)

I helped my man bring his stuff in..made some snacks for "dinner" and sat around watching tv for awhile..oh yeah and I uploaded today's pics somewhere in there. Then Chris came out and took the other couch, I changed it to RV (movie) and we both passed the hell out for about an hour and a half I think. We were so exhausted. We didn't get to bed till 1:40am this morning .. so we needed a nap! The downside to the nap is that we didn't wake up till nearly 7:45..umm that should make trying to sleep tonight interesting!!

Well, now the kiddies are getting ready for bed. We'll make a big breakfast for Daddy in the morning. He's requested to just relax, so that's what we'll do..until he changes his mind ;)

Hope you all have a wonderful Father's Day! And, Happy Father's Day to all the Daddies!! I've been blessed with a wonderful Father and friend. And my Kids have been blessed with the same. AND, I have wonderful Fathers in Law to call Dad, too!

Love you guys :)

I know, I know, you've been waiting for me, right? :)

Well, I aim to please..usually.

Finally feeling like somewhat of a human today instead of a huge snot bag pinata being beaten into a gooey pulp. Thank GOD!!! I'm back to the normal itchy throat and massive sinus headache instead. Hey, I'll take what I can get. Any improvement is good improvement.

Went out with Jess tonight after work. Met at Baja Fresh for a quick bite and then onto get Father's Day stuff..and a few things for ourselves ;) MOre her than me. As usual. Everytime I go out with someone, they get everything and I spend next to nothing. But, I did get some air fresheners for the house that were on a super good sale. Got them at Bath & Body Works. Because my sinuses are all effed up I can't smell, so Jess had to be my personal sniffer. She felt sick when we left. LOL!! Poor gal.

Now I'm home and ready to collapse, after I eat some chocolate that is ;)

Hope you've all had a great day.

Love you

I'll tell you about those beauties in a sec (double click on the pic for optimal viewing)..first, though, I have to share:

Allergies are goin gang busters. I made it up to early morning, Sunday June 8th, without more than a random sneeze. I took a Zyrtec...my allergies laughed at it and pissed on it. Or that's what it seemed like they did. Continued today..post nasal drip (my personal FAVE grr), gland hurts b/c of the post-nas-drip, itchy throat. Runny/stuffy nose filled with itching and irritation. The common areas of the subdivision all being mowed didn't help in the least. I wanted to run over the guy with the weed whacker that seemed to REALLLLY like my sidewalk..he must have come back 4 times to make sure it was done right. Then again, I was out there bending over planting flowers, surely my buttcrack showing..maybe that had something to do with it. Hey, whatever I can do to help men less fortunate than mine... LOL I digress...so anyway, on the way to work the farmers were out spraying their crops..oh sweet Jesus save me. I love the country, but for some reason it detests me.

Got to work looking like hell..Corinne just stared at me. I said, "What?" She said, "Oh nothing...did you..go camping?" LOL Then her dad came in and told me I looked like I was in pain and asked what was wrong with me. Eh deb de deb de dab de shove off, ya hea'? (that's my porky pig imitation) Corinne later told me she gave Donny (her hubby) some Reishi drops on Saturday and it helped his..I said, something to the effect of HAND IT OVER AND NO ONE GETS HURT..chugged it. It did take the edge off..hopefully it will help even more in the next few days as it builds up in my system. Plus, maybe it will keep me from having to take any medication which I am always up for.

OK, onto better things..like the pictures you saw at the top o' the blog. The first one shows you something miraculous. A dwarf fruit tree!! I've begged Chris since we were dating to let me have a fruit tree one day. He always replied with a kind and loving and gentle, "NO. I hate those things..always had to pick up the fruit when I was a kid off of my Mom's trees." To which I said, "So? Why do I have to pay for that??" To which he replied with something like, "Oh, you're right sweet perfect wonderful angelic honey, I love you, get whatever you want..you're the best. And, while we're at it, we'll buy you a farm and some cute lil animals to go with it. Come here and give big Daddy a hug." Oh, wait..that's not what he said. He said, "NO" and then would give me "the look". Well, yesterday when faced with a whole family pleading with him to please let Mommy get the dwarf apple tree, he gave in :) May have had something to do with it being cheaper than the other tree I wanted by quite a large margin. But, we don't think of those things.

Anyway, brought my new baby home and planted her right away in front of my living room window. Partly so I can watch it grow and see beauty outside of my window and partly so I can spy on, and beat the tar out of the kids who try to steal my apples. Sounds like a good thing to me!

So, the first pic is of my baby. The second pic is of my baby with her new family. She has joined one other weird tree/bush type thing, lots of other bushes and my big oak (probably) tree. I think she will be very happy in her new home. Today I planted pretty flowers all along the side of the house. If you look close you can see them. They are baby pink and then the other ones are mostly green but have tiny little purple flowers. But, in other news, the pansies and stuff that I planted last year in the normal flower bed have gone INSANE! All of those that you see have come back from last year..I didn't plant even ONE new one! AND, they have multiplied in mass quantities! I'm so in love. Now, quit looking closely at the picture or you'll also see all the weeds that I'm too lazy to pull. Stop it, I said!

Well, I'm itching way too much to continue this. Have a good night. I'm gonna go take a melon baller to my throat and scoop out everything I can get my hands on.

Oh yeah, and the dentist went well..nothing like the crackheads at Aspen Dental.

I have that hanging on my wall..the saying that is. It's in a black frame, but I cut it out of this pic. Anyway, I'm chanting it to myself! LOL I told Chris..you could take the sentence one of two ways..1. Thank God, I only have to deal with one thing at a time, how wonderful. Or, 2. Crap, you mean this sludge I'm walking through has to be gone through only one moment at a time??? I'm gonna go for meaning #1. ;) Although, I can see the importance in both.

We've decided to scrap the fence. The kids need clothes for school..and too many other things. We enjoy our neighbors and like that the neighborhood kids can come and go as they please..so we're in no rush. We can use that money towards better things. The fence will come in time. Maybe when we have enough cash to complete the other side, too..the other side IS done, but we want to move it out. Always different ideas swirling around in this head of mine..the "curse" of being a remodelers daughter, I suppose! :) I won't even start with all the other ideas I have..you'd think I was crazy. Well, maybe you already do, but let's move on..

Had fun last night at our make shift camping night with my bro & his wifey..we ate wings (well they did, I had turkey dogs), had a beer margarita and then I made peanut butter chocolate chip cookies (decided not to deal with making s'mores)..Ash and Laura were in the thick of a Bust A Move game off..they had lots of laughs and fun. UncaMatt & J played electronic Battleship..Matt kicked J's buttocks if I remember correctly. Then the kiddos played some computer games while us adults went up and had a little Rockband time..Ash came up and played a little later on..J helped me clap and cheer and stuff when he came up. Then we sent the kiddos to bed downstairs and we all laid around chatting till around 1 I think and then hit the sack. Hey, camping in town isn't so bad! LOL Then got up this morning..watched some cartoons, made the normal weekend breakfast (usually we do that on Saturday, but we were busy yesterday morning), then Matt n Laura left us all to ourselves..back to life in the real world!

We're gonna take the kids out and do their school shopping today. I told Chris if we don't do it now then something will come up and the money will be gone. So, we'll just get everything a little too big and call it good! Keeping receipts and tags on the clothes of course so that we can return them if need be. With the way these kiddos grow you just never know what will happen from day to day! They could be 4 feet taller in the next 24 hours! Anyhoo..I'm not a girl who enjoys shopping, so it will be tedious and probably make me want to jump off a cliff, but maybe not. Hopefully we can find what we need, not get taken up the tailpipe and be done rather quickly. I know, wishful thinking! ;) But, thanks to my Momma, I'm a bargain hunter and you can bet your bottom dollar I will find a good deal!

Yesterday's craft faire was so fun..Mom & I had a great time. It was just what I needed..fresh air and good, easy conversation. Always fun to chat it up with the town ladies and look around..having no plans to buy anything. Now, THAT'S what I like! Mind you, I do NOT like window shopping..I just like going out and looking at stuff like that..stuff that inspires me..lights a fire in my imagination..THAT, I love :)

Better go get ready..have a wonderful Sunday. Relax! Do something you enjoy. You're loved :)

Added a buncha new songs to the playlist..took out the ones that weren't working. I think I had 9 that had gone ass up. Hate it when that happens. Was ok, needed some more soul satisfying music on there anyway. Now that I have that, I can't stop listening!

Gramma called the other day and told Chris that I could "have the day off" from cleaning yesterday b/c uncle Tim was gonna be in town..and something about carpets getting cleaned next week so no need to reschedule. I just love it when I get "days off" with no pay. My favorite. Especially after my phone bill came in $200 over and I have a fence to pay for and school clothes to buy and braces to get for Ash, and and and and and and...which is another reason I needed new songs on my playlist. Get my head back around the fact that it's not about ME, but about Him. And, He has it all in control, I just need to "let" Him have it.

I was sad not to be able to see Uncle Tim..but maybe that's the way they/he wanted it. I almost stopped by anyway. I've always loved him..we've had some great laughs and tears..oh well, what will be, will be. He knows I love him..whether I get to see him again, or not, doesn't change that! I hear he's getting married. I hope he is able to find even a fraction of the happiness with his new bride as he shared with Aunt Kathy. I imagine it's a hard thing to share new love with the family you've shared for so many years, who still mourns the loss of their daughter/Aunt/Sister. But, I truly wish him only the best. He deserves happiness and fulfillment, just like the rest of us.

I made 4 dentist appointments, my yearly exam appt, J's immunization appt, my dermatologist appt which will ultimately result in another visit as will my dentist appt, and as will A's dentist appt b/c she will then have to go into the ortho. I'm switching everything to Kuna..so this also means filling out mounds of paperwork..Hey, now I'm as bad as Frank with his DMV paperwork!! I'm trying not to be anxious about my dermatologist appt..where I hope to find out about this growth on my back. I really, really, really hope they say it's just a cyst and they can take care of it. And, I'm nervous about my dentists' appt now, too, since last time I went they (different dentists office) tried to kill me! I've had cavities this whole time b/c I just can't make myself go back. Last time resulted in cardiologist appointments, bubble studies, echo's ..whatever else they could throw at me..and thankfully a "healthy heart" diet..which allowed me to finally be able to hate red meat AND not have to eat it!! yay :) I always knew I shouldn't eat that slop. Unfortunately, it also meant cutting down on dairy..and I do enjoy cheese, A LOT. Oh well..I feel much better with this lifestyle anyway. So, it's an anxious time for me..but I know it will all turn out as it should. Oh, to top all of this off, on my way to get Jenny (spending the night w/ Ash) after a visit to the hospital (visiting Kristi, she had her baby yesterday!!), I'm gushing over how beautiful tiny Berkley is to Chris (on the phone) and he says, "Hon, I didn't even want to tell you, but Sadie's been throwing up all day." Instantly I flash back to Tess and think that Sadie must be dying, too. He assures me she's not, that she's a dog and dogs get sick all the time and are just fine and don't die..saying all the right things, of course, but my hearts not following. All I can think is my baby is dying. I get home, she's fine..but everything that she normally does (like lay around doing nothing) now seems like she's doing it b/c she's too weak to move (not true) and I"m waiting for her to start seizing and die. All night I have nightmares of Ash coming up and telling Chris that she can't get Sadie to move (never happened of course). She hasn't eaten..not even a treat..dry heaved last night, has had a little water on and off so that's good. She's still peeing and pooing so that's good..still chases her ball..but, I still worry. She just has to be ok.

Chris is off to go to the dentist in a few minutes..he'll bring back my first mountain of paperwork to fill out.

Mom's on her way out here. We're gonna take the kiddos over to the Wild Ivy craft fair thingy (unless Chris gets back b4 she gets here) they have stuff for the kids, too, serving serving hot dogs and have a jump house. But, I'm hoping Chris gets home first so I don't have to browse and watch kiddos..plus I don't want Sadie to be left alone.

Later, Matt n Laura are coming over for our make shift camping trip..we're thinkin about setting up the tent in the house..they're spending the night..we'll still do s'mores..or maybe we'll all just sit and watch my dog die. Oh, how did that get out on paper? Sorry..I meant sit around and be lazy. *sigh*

My stomach has been upset since yesterday morning..probably stress. Keep feeling like I'm gonna puke but haven't..thank God.

Well, the bright shiny spot of the week has definitely been that little Berkley Nipp has entered the world, she is beautiful and precious..perfect angel. I keep saying it, but it just keeps being true! Was so excited to see her finally arrive. We wait sooo long for these little babies and then all of the sudden, there they are! The promise of a new life, new opportunities, new dreams...what a huge blessing she is in a very tiny package.

Oh, and J made us breakfast in bed yesterday. He's such a precious boy. As you probably all know I have had morning sickness since I was pregnant with J. It's just never gone away for some reason..so I don't do much in the mornings but try to be still and breathe slowly. So to be woken up with the scent of cereal (which I hate btw) was almost too much to bear/bare/huh? But, you can't turn down your son..he worked so hard, it's the first time he'd done it for us. So, I prayed the serenity prayer (LOL! OK, I didn't) and went down and ate as much as I could w/o vomiting..thanked him and told him how great he was and then was off to clean all day and then work..and then you know the rest.. I had to break it to him last night, after he mentioned that he was going to do breakfast again on Saturday (today), that he needed to save things like that for special occasions or just as an every once in awhile thing b/c it's SO special, we can't do that everyday..he totally understood, hopefully. So now he REALLY thinks he did something fantastic since it's not an EVERYDAY thing! Phew! I didn't want him to feel like he did something that we didn't like, so it was good he took it well. I remember the first time Ash brought us cereal..there were 2 or 3 pieces of cereal in the bowl and then about 3 cups of milk. Since Chris and I both hate milk it was a bad, bad, BAD day..LOL..but, she never felt like doing it again so we just lucked out! J on the other hand had a lot of cereal in the bowl and just a dash of milk b/c he knew I didn't drink milk..he hasn't notice I don't eat cereal either. My kids are sweet lil bugs, that's for sure. I love those babies.

I'm gonna go check on my pup..have a great Saturday everyone. Love on someone..you never know when it may be your last moment..irritations are temporary, loss is forever.

CAMPING?.....probably no

Well much to our collective chagrin, its looking more and more like camping will be off this weekend. The weather in town is only looking to be decent (60's alternating between partly sunny and mostly cloudy), however the weather in the mountains sucks goat ass. Even IF we avoid the snow and rain that is being forecast, its gonna be colder than a....well its gonna be cold. So camping will most likely be postponed, though we are still holding out hope.

In the event that our expedition is canceled however, we do have a back up plan. Since we already have tons of snacks, food and drinks we're thinking of just having a grill-a-thon here this weekend. Matt and Laura will come over and possibly Dave and Amber. We're also going to use the opportunity to test out our chicken wing recipes in preparation for the Wing-Off the weekend of June 14th. So even though I'd love to go camping, a weekend filled with BBQ, hot wings, beer (or soda if you prefer), good company, and of course RockBand, is also a fine substitute.

In other news, I have discovered a unique gem of a movie that I MUST see. One of my clan mates started a forum thread about the cheesiest fight scenes from a movie that we can find. Everyone started submitting clips from all kinds of God awfully cheesy movies....most are low grade kung-fu flicks like The Last Dragon, Gymkata, or anything with Cynthia Rothrock. The clips were good for a laugh and brought back some memories of films long forgotten (and in most cases rightfully so) and sadly I had seen many of them. But one clip shone above the rest like a bright beacon of cheese. It was a montage of scenes so over the top and ridiculously outlandish that anyone in their right mind would dismiss it immediately. I however am not in my right mind. I had also never seen this movie before. After speaking to my brother about it we hunted it down and actually found the name of this masterpiece. It is called "Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky". The plot: A young man with superhuman strength is incarcerated at a prison run by corrupt officials and seeks to use his martial arts to clean up the system. I know, rad huh? And with reviewer quotes like "Ludicrously excessive Hong Kong classic" how can you go wrong?

So now Dave and I are on a quest to see this amazing cinematic triumph. We have each added it to our movie queues and will have a viewing party whenever one of us receives it first. Its an older movie (90's) but apparently for its time it was pretty brutal and makes liberal use of cut aways to stand in dummies and lots of red dye. From the clips I saw I would agree, but the scenes are so blatantly fake that they are laughable. Should be a good time. Anyone who wants to get in on this feel free to join us.

And on that note, I am out.

Oh one quick word of advice....if you are thinking of watching the new E! "reality" show Living Lohan.....DON'T! Horrible show and the last thing we need is more of this crap on T.V. (yes, I know I just got done talking about wanting to see one of the cheesiest movies ever...its irony folks). Anyway, if you wanted to watch this show about the Lohan Clan minus the most famous of the brood, I'll save you the trouble and tell you it's lame. Its cookie cutter format about people we don't even know or care about that somehow got their own show cuz older sis is semi-famous. Save it dudes. Keep on flipping right past this one....maybe you can land on quality broadcasts of true winners like Shot at Love with Tila Tequila. Sad.

Wow, I'm tired. I'm out of my routine since the kiddos are out of school. I have no reason to be tired today. I slept in till around 9..that's right, I did it. Then did nothing until it was time to go have lunch with Mom at noon..then I went to the bank, and to work for 3 busy hours. Why on earth would that make me tired?? Who knows.

Anyway, we had delish eats for dinner..salad, whole wheat 3 cheese raviolis and garlic bread w/o the garlic b/c we are out. DELISH!!

Now I'm sitting here trying to imagine my evening without my pounding headache. But, I can't. Imagination doesn't work well with all the noise in my head. It could be worse, I could have pink eye like Aldo! Eeek. Feel better!

Invited myself over to Dave n Ambers later..I want to see her paint. And, I suppose I should drop off the CD's from Aunt Judy to Dave..Lord knows he'll never get over here for them. He's very busy he says.

I better get to go camping this weekend. Stupid weather.

Love you!

OK if you can make it through this video without the fugly cry, you are in need of serious therapy! It KILLED me!! What a precious memory & experience for a father and a son..and the parallels between the story & us and our Savior are beyond vivid. Enjoy!

Here is the story, first:

"A son asked his father, 'Dad, will you take part in a marathon with me?'

The father who, despite having a heart condition, says 'Yes'. They went on to
complete the marathon together. Father and son went on to join other marathons,
the father always saying 'Yes' to his son's request of going through the race together.
One day, the son asked his father, 'Dad, let's join the Ironman together.'

To which, his father said 'Yes' .

For those who didn't know, Ironman is the toughest triathlon ever.
The race encompasses three endurance events of a 2.4 mile (3.86 kilometer)
ocean swim, followed by a 112 mile (180.2 kilometer) bike ride, and ending with a 26.2 mile
(42.195 kilometer) marathon along the coast of the Big Island .

The father and son completed the Iron Man and the link below shows a video. It's amazing."


http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=8cf08faca5dd9ea45513

(you will need to copy the link and paste it into your browser)

Have yall ever noticed that kids like to bicker? A LOT? I don't think my brother and I ever bickered. We just flat out fought. I would rather my kids fought than bickered..at least real emotions would be involved instead of pettiness. Oh well..I'm sure if they actually did fight then I'd be pissed, too. So, really, I'd just really like it if they got along for more than an hour at a time. But, I suppose that will come in time :) I can't imagine fighting or even bickering with my bro (Matt) now, so I know all things are possible! I don't think Jon and I ever bickered or fought..we've always been pretty good at just telling it like it is and getting over it..then again, he is 10 years younger than me so that makes a big difference. Matt and I were only 2 years apart so our hormones were both raging at around the same time! LOL Crazy kids. My poor mother. I tell her I'm sorry a lot these days, when I see my kids do or say something to me that I could see myself saying to my Mom as a kid all I can think is..my poor sweet darling mother. LOL!!

Anyhoo..it was a quick day at work today. Lots of laughs..lots of orders..lots of fun. It wasn't till I was leaving work that I thought, dang, I'm worn out!

Ooh George Michael just came on..he makes my heart smile.

Our fence will go in at the end of the week. We'll be camping, but our next door neighbor said to never fear, that she'd be out there the whole time telling them if something wasn't perfectly even. LOL..I can trust her, their house is perfect. Anyway, it will be nice to come home to a fenced yard. My sweet Sadie pup will enjoy it, too.

Well, I guess that's all for today. We're gonna take the kiddos and the pup on a walk after dinner (we're getting a late start on dinner tonight)..maybe I'll take my camera with me and take some pics. It's beautiful out there.

Have a beautiful evening my loves!

Has anyone noticed that I am absolutely crazy head over heels in love with our pup, Sadie? I just can't get enough of that sweetie. She's so precious!!

Ok, enough..I know.

Today we have done nothing. Absolutely NOTHING. I got up this morning around..hmm..4am..couldn't sleep..effing "restless leg syndrome"..stumbled out to the couch as not to bother my super gorgeous and tanned faced honey from his peaceful slumber..and contemplated sawing my legs off with a dull fingernail file..just to teach them a lesson. But, I didn't. I had to get up to close the blinds..tripped over a few things, like the couch, stepped on a paper that made WAY too much noise..worrying I was gonna wake up the kids who were again sleeping downstairs. But, I didn't. I finally passed out. Woke up every once in awhile just to be reminded that my legs were still assholes. Then around 8 I gave up, turned on the TV and blankly stared at it for an hour, or so. Then got had a super cool allergy attack. Then decided to get up and make the kiddos waffles. Amber gave me the best recipe for them last year, if you want it, let me know!

After breakfast I came in, checked all of my things on the computer and then went back to bed :) My honey came in, tucked me in, gave me a kiss on my forehead and left me to snooze. Because, sometimes I just need to snooze. And, I did just that..for a good 2 hours or so..give or take moments when I had to wake up to see what was happening on FoodTV. I like to sleep to FoodTV. Paula Deen was on, soothing me to sleep with her voice. I love you Paula Deen. I feel like she's the best friend I've never met. Crazy about her.

ANyway, after I forced myself out of bed I went and took a shower and then went out to the gameroom where Chris told me that my broheim had called and invited us over for dinner (fish tacos..and turkey burgers for those of us who don't appreciate fish tacos (me) ) Sweet! Now I don't even have to make dinner! Well, let's face it, I would have only been reheating dinner from the night b4. So, we're leisurely getting ready to leave for their house. Should be fun :) And, Sadie will enjoy playing with her cousins. Hopefully she doesn't slap Molly too much. For some reason she REALLY likes to slap her, but not any other dog. Hmm Well, girls will be girls I suppose.

Tomorrow another work week begins and that sort of makes me wanna cry b/c this weekend has been so glorious. But, at the end of the week, we get to leave for camping. And THAT makes all my gray skies turn back to a loverly clear blue :) WOOHOO!!!!

Well, have a great rest of your weekend. Love you guys!!