What's next???

moving....

2011-11-21T23:24:00.002-05:00

I have moved. Due to some issues, I have a temporary blog set up. See you there!

weekend.

2011-11-06T00:05:00.003-04:00

They still give me goosebumps. Every single time. Just having a good night listening to lots of U2 on the computer. LOVE the original version, but found this cool live version.

Halloween

2011-10-31T12:24:00.004-04:00

(I couldn't get many pictures. After a quick dinner of mummy hot dogs, these guys were ready to scatter and get the night started.)

Today started out with some rain, which concerned me for a minute because I didn't even realize it was supposed to rain at all today. I was hoping it wasn't going to be one of those days where it was cloudy, cold and raining off and on. That isn't good Halloween weather! - BUT rain has moved on, and it is sunny outside. It's a pretty day today. Chilly and fall like, but pretty.

This Halloween has a weirdness to it. Mike is overseas, Megan went to a Halloween party at a friend's house where the girls had pizza and then headed out to the neighborhood to trick or treat. Matthew went with his friend that he went with last year, (and made sure to stop at an old teacher's house who lives on Main Street who gives out cans of soda. Trust me, daily when we pass her house, somebody always says, "She gives out soda on Halloween!" and Trevor ended up going with a friend of his to our old neighborhood in Union. His friend's mom knows somebody out there (in the BIG houses with the full size candy bars!) So it was just me and the house. It feels strange...I love Halloween. I'm usually more into it than I have been this year. (I just pulled out the decorations yesterday!) This year though, with the kids all having plans, I don't need to be the mom walking around with them. Which I kind of miss. Although somebody needs to be here to hand out candy too.

No matter what, it was fun to see the kids all come home with their buckets full of stuff and all the excitement that happens when you dump it all on the floor and start trading. Trevor had a friend who couldn't go out tonight, so he has a huge gallon size freezer bag full of candy for him. (The less around here the better so I don't get into it!)

Wanted to add, because the differences in tastes is interesting:

Favorite candy

Megan: chocolate. She dumped out her bucket at the party she was at and picked through to get all of the chocolate stuff out. Another girl there didn't like chocolate, so they traded chocolate for fruity candy. Her favorites (especially judging by the wrappers thrown back in after eating) peanut butter cups, butterfinger, snickers, twix and hershey's.

Trevor: scored huge with full size candy bars, and is pretty protective of the several snickers ones that he got. He's pretty equal opportunity candy lover, but he really loves anything gummy, fruity and sour.

Matthew: Still is in the habit of picking out anything with peanut butter or peanuts and gives it away. Poor guy. He asked me what a snickers tasted like and I told him the closest I could think of was a milky way, without nuts. I think he's always been afraid of milky way because he ate his first one this year. - AND loved it. He loves twix, kit kat, starburst (no skittles...lol.) and suckers. Plus the one can of soda that he purposely went to the teacher's house to get.

I have been painting today. Nothing like company coming to motivate with something I have been wanting to do anyway. I have been working on the stairwell, which means that the ladder has come out. I noticed it the other day when it was out too....that this ladder is kind of a scrapbook in it's own way. We've had it for a long time. There are remnants of paint from so many places that we have moved to and tried to improve in our own little way. I always like painting. It makes things feel clean and like my own. - Plus I love tan. I know, right? Thrilling color. - But I love tan. There....I own it.

So I notice all these different colors on the ladder. There is a bit of pink and lime green from Megan's old rooms. One pink is from the house on Bosal, and the other with the green is from Spur. Along with other Spur house colors.....red from Trevor's room, Blue from Matthew's room, Orange from the bathroom. Chocolate (the prettiest color I haven't been able to duplicate) from the living room and dining room in the same house. Along with several different shades of tan from several different houses.

You know what though? I love it. In a way, it is the portable version of people charting the growth of their children on a door jamb. I can see the growth of my family in the colors that are left. I'll purposely have to paint a swatch of the new tan to add to it now.

2011-10-28T22:32:00.004-04:00

I wish I could get a picture of how pretty the backyard looked today. At one point the contrasts were so vivid, it was gorgeous. The sky was layered with a pretty red sunset underneath a layer of dark ominous looking clouds, with kind of lighter blue on top of that. - And the trees were bright yellow, orange and red. The grass was such a pretty bright yellow green. Man, hard to describe and get in a photo, but I'll never forget it.

Today was airport day. Never one of my favorite days. Mike is on his way to Johannesburg. Every time I say that in my head, I hear Bono talking about a line in Silver & Gold from Rattle And Hum. Plus I think of U2 playing there.

Megan and Trevor had a halloween dance after school today, and much to my surprise Trevor asked about going. I guess he did go last year, but I hadn't heard him talking about it at all the past couple of weeks, so I figured he wasn't really interested in going. He was meeting some friends, and Megan had her usual group that was going to be there.

Random

2011-10-22T23:01:00.003-04:00

I love this time of year. I have no idea why I have put off decorating for Halloween. I saw this picture with the ghosts online, and just had to post it because it makes me smile.

The leaves are so bright lately. I took a drive down one of my favorite roads the other day and there is a long row of bright red trees. They were so beautiful.

I'm feeling crafty too. I don't know what it is....but for some reason I'm feeling a bit of domestic crafting is something I need to get into. I have a cool idea for a big subway sign that I would like to do for my stairwell. I also came across this dog thing, that I thought would be kind of neat to paint and do my own version for my kitchen. Maybe more along the lines of coffee....instead of maple syrup though. Who knows, in my mind it's only in design stage. Seeing as how I still have to finish painting the rest of my chairs for my dining room set, who knows when I'll actually get to this....but the planning IS fun right?

It is cold tonight, and I plan on putting on some jammie pants, and getting out the horse blanket....and sitting down and watching The Soup.

Happy birthday Matthew!

2011-10-21T23:07:00.003-04:00

I saw these cookies online. They made me think of Matthew....who's birthday is TODAY. Nine years old. Plus, he loves zombies AND according to the updated version of the last date of the zombie apocalypse.....when nothing happened.....the new date was supposedly today. Here I am in Kentucky, without my little zombie killer. (He loves to play some Nazi zombie game on the Xbox.) Once again this dooms day date has come and gone. Whew. We did think it was funny since the last supposed one that the new date was on Matthew's birthday.
*

He is in Phoenix today. I'm not used to not having the kids with me on their birthdays. Aside from when I had surgery on Trevor's birthday last year....I've always had them at home with me. Mike had to go to Phoenix for a funeral, and took Matthew with him since he is usually the one who misses birthdays because of work and being overseas. This was a nice opportunity for them to spend some time together and for Matthew to take a trip.

It sounds like he has had a ton of fun. I couldn't let the day go by without posting a HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my little guy. Pictures soon. I love you buddy!

13.

2011-10-12T22:54:00.002-04:00

For a few years now, both Megan and Trevor's requests for birthday cake have been a bit nontraditional. That's ok. Trevor wanted pumpkin pie, and Megan asked for Paula Deen's Gooey butter pumpkin cake. It's not the prettiest thing in the world, but anybody who had had it knows how good this thing is. Hello? Two sticks of butter? Cream cheese? Powdered sugar? Pumpkin filling and a cake mix? It is goooood. I made two, and we had one on standby that wouldn't come out of the pan....so this is the one that made it for candles and singing. (ha, and I just noticed how similar my photo is to hers on her site. My little pumpkins really do sit on this kitchen island this time of year....they just happened to be there.)

Most of the day I was getting things ready for tonight. Getting patties ready for grilling, blowing the leaves off of the deck so we could eat outside, cleaning, etc. Megan spent a lot of time sitting on the couch, drawing in a new sketchbook. I took a short break to land airplanes on my phone. (A mind numbing game that I am addicted to at the moment!)

At the moment there are several girls upstairs (being pretty quiet....) and so far they are all doing so well. This is a good group of girls that do everything together. No drama. They have all eaten, taken tv breaks, run outside breaks, and more eating breaks. Having a birthday fall during fall break is the best.

Last day of 12

2011-10-11T17:39:00.005-04:00

Did I really just type that out?!? 13? My baby girl turns 13 tomorrow. An official teenager. I can't be the mother of a teenager. In my mind, she's still little Meggie Boom. - Today though, a few pictures of the last hours of 12 years old....

A few weeks ago Mike and I went out to find Megan a new bike. The one that she had (it was actually the one that she had won back in Phoenix, in 4th grade.) was getting too small. This girl is full size adult tall, and the girl's bike was not working out anymore. The brakes were difficult to adjust and it was time for it to be retired.

We started out with a super cute 7 cream, white and dark leather seat and handlebar, cruiser bike. Complete with cool chrome fenders. It was pretty. However, with the hills around here, 3 speeds were not enough. So we ended up taking it back.

We stopped at Dick's where she tried out a few bikes. She loved this one, and decided against the cruiser style. Honestly, with the hills and the few outdoorsy areas you have to ride through here occasionally, this one really is a perfect fit. Now she has the freedom of riding her bike to the library, friend's houses, and to the ice cream place on Main. Hopefully she'll get a lot of riding out of it before the weather starts to get too cold.

Below - We always need to get one photo like this....we like to make fun of the ridiculousness of that pose. - and can you tell that fall is in full swing here? Those leaves are really stressing me out. The driveway has already been cleaned of them already, and these are just from today.

I also think it's funny when I load my pictures onto the computer to find out that the boys have borrowed my camera. Sometimes there are some interesting Lego pictures on there. Below: Clone skateboarding.

Did I scare you?

2011-10-06T22:48:00.005-04:00

lol. That one square just hurts to look at.

Yeah, I have been a bad blogger again. Life gets in the way. When it's just me I always think, "When Mike leaves again for a bit I'll catch up on blogging." Only to not, and then think, "When Mike gets home I'll have extra time to catch up on blogging." It never works out. It seems that every day is in full steam. That's not always a bad thing, but that's the way it goes. Peppered in with some down days where the only thing I wanted to do was take numerous naps on the couch and think about things, wonder how I got here, or go to work, or whatever....

Seasons are already changing around here. My driveway is a mess of leaves that makes it's own little alarm system when you hear somebody or something coming up to the house. I'll hear crunching noises. Sometimes it is a child, sometimes it is a squirrel, and mostly it seems to be deer walking around. There's nothing like having windows open (backing up to a cornfield too) and hearing sticks breaking in the dark. I wave thinking that if it is a person they think I see them. Then I close my blinds! It gets dark fast, sometimes I forget.

A million things I could write about, but every time I think I need to recap I just end up ignoring this project and before I know it another day has passed.

So I'll just jump in with today.

I have two boys. Two super cool, awesome boys. (Yes, I have a great daughter too, but she wasn't around during time the camera was out.)

Matthew and Trevor were out playing Call Of Duty with squirt guns. They hide from each other, but hiding places are starting to lose thier leaves. And let's be honest that if you are hiding up in a tree overlooking the backyard and there is a mom standing beneath it pointing a camera towards the top....your hiding place has been blown. I have to say Matthew's place is pretty creative. He has a branch he can also balance his gun out on.

And there is this one. The camera is not always their friend during this phase of 'tween-dom. But he loves me anyway and lets me get one once in awhile.

garage cleaning down memory lane.

2011-09-04T18:51:00.002-04:00

No, this isn't my garage. Lol. But someday. Yes, someday it will look like that and it will even have the Volkswagen that is in this photo too. That was a total fluke when I was looking for an organized garage photo on the internet for this post. (Not ready to share a picture yet of ours, since it's still a work in progress.) Damn....we have A LOT of crap.

I mean A LOT. A lifetime worth. It doesn't help that we moved from a 3 car garage in Phoenix, then had a basement to store it all in, in the two houses we've lived in before moving into this one. This basement at this house is finished and is actually our bedroom. So everything has to be kept in the garage.

It was hard enough to get all of the stuff we had before into there and then Mike made room for the van about two rotations ago. So I have been able to park in there all summer.

Ugh, but wow. Where do you even start? The two biggest clusters of junk were all of Mike's aviation stuff and my scrapbook stuff. I figured once we both weeded through all of that we'd at least have a plan ahead of us. We bought plastic storage boxes last week, and started sorting.

At least now about a dozen boxes of aviation stuff (textbooks, manuals, charts, uniform stuff and chart cases) are down to about 3 boxes. Not to mention the several boxes worth of weird wires that Mike has collected and saved over the years, have finally been put into one box marked WIRES. You have no idea. This is 20 years in the making. The wires have always been one of those "when are you going to organize this?" things every time we've cleaned out ANY garage we've ever lived with. Thank you Mike! But.....I do admit that there are times when I realize this box of useless (to me) assorted wires has come in handy and saved us a lot of money. It's nice when he's setting up some electronic thing and he says, "Oh, I have that!"

Then my scrapbook stuff. I kept going through it and wishing I had the thousands of dollars that I had spent on the stuff that I was now sorting through. Most of it I am giving to a friend who does a big monthly scrap event at her church. I just don't use it anymore. I've gone digital for the most part. I also kept thinking, "Geeze, I used to have a ROOM just for this stuff. A craft room." I don't miss the room at all....but that just puts in perspective how much of this crap had and still have.

But in between the stacks of paper (some I still saved because it is too awesome to get rid of. I still LOVE pretty paper.) all of the chipboard pieces, rub on letters, Prima flowers, etc....I would find things. Photos that I tucked into places. Little mementos that I picked up here and there. Like finding an In & Out sticker, Mike's first pilot license, photos of my grandparents, our dog Katie, and pictures of my kids when they were babies, or when there was a time before each one was born. It's so strange to look back at a photo of just Mike, me and Megan...and think that Trevor or Matthew weren't here yet.

So, I did get some work done, but I admit both of us would stop every now and then and reminise about something we were holding. There are so many stories to things that we hold on to. Even recipts, or take out menus from places on the west coast. It's all a reminder of how fast life really does go by. Light speed.

While I am thinking about how fast time has gone by and the changes made over the past FOUR decades....(ugh) I meant to post this photo that I had been keeping in a folder in my computer since last year. I planned on saving it to use as a photo for a post about our anniversary. I never posted about it on the actual day (September 1st) but then was kind of mad at myself for not posting it after saving it for so long. Happy anniversary...21 years!! <3

Somehow what we were doing today kind of seemed relative to the photo below. How fast time has gone by....

21 years ago Mike and I were married. We've had our ups, downs, struggles and all that. Lots of good times and traveling to a lot of great places together. Three awesome kids. Everything that comes with life. It has all shaped who we are and made our love for each other unstoppable.

I remember this photo was taken in a photo booth just outside Memorial Colosseum at the AZ State Fair in 1988. (I think I still part my hair on that same side. Maybe time for an update.) and man, how I loved that 80's acid washed denim jacket.

Love you Mike!

Introducing video......

2011-09-01T23:37:00.003-04:00

I love my smart phone. I don't know what I'd do without it. It makes my life so much easier on so many levels, but was originally bought for being able to keep in constant contact with Mike when he's overseas. I can get emails as quickly as a text. Real time. It's nice. It makes our worlds not so far apart.

I also use it for a million other things. Days that I don't want to carry around my big camera, my favorite apps of sticky notes for the store, calorie counter, GPS on my walks, use as an ipod with all my music on it, a GPS for the car to replace my clunky box, among other things and games, and video camera. I need to utilize this much more. As much as I have always loved taking photos of the kids through the years, it always felt like it was an either/or type thing. If I was taking photos, I never took video. Now it's all in one small little thing. I love it.

So once I learn how to edit and post on here, there will more than likely be more video to come.

If you look in the lower right corner, in the grass but near the plant sort of....you can see one of the turtles. All of us were out front enjoying the weather the other day. Piper catches the ball in her mouth. She's running up the hill to our neighbor's house. That's what I love about the location of our house.....their yard is huge. - And super nice for us to look at. ;)

You can hear the kids out playing, birds chirping and the stupid cicadas that make it feel hotter than it really is. I hate those things.

With that, it's getting late and I'm going to bed.

random

2011-08-19T17:46:00.006-04:00

Last night we had an amazing storm. Lots of thunder, lightning and rain. This morning when I was sitting out front with Matthew and waiting for the bus, I was sitting next to this grass plant that we have near the steps of the house. From where I was sitting, the drops left over from the night were catching the sunlight so pretty. I swear, I need to save for a macro lense, because the photo above does not catch what I could actually see. It was so pretty. Hey, but I tried and got a picture just to remember.

It was misty this morning too. Not ugly humid misty, but pretty. There is a very slight hint of fall lately. The mornings and night time can almost be chilly. - This is the view out from the front of my house. Across the street right there is a creek where you can see the darker green bushes and trees. Usually that patch of grass in front of it is kept mowed. It's a pretty view really. The creek runs under the road and comes out into a bigger creek area a few houses down.

So the bus passes our house and goes up that street to the left before it turns around in a culdesac up there and then comes back down to pick up Matthew before leaving the subdivision. I watched Matthew and took some pictures as the camera sat on my lap (so as to not embarrass him with me out obviously taking pictures of him....he's in fourth grade now....not cool to have mom take your picture as you get on the bus.) But I loved how he looked. He has a routine. He always smuggles a few Lego guys in his backpack to take to school. He plays with them as soon as the bus is out of sight....then pulls them out until he sees the bus come back down the hill.

Then when the bus is in sight, he puts them back in and it looks like he's been standing there waiting the whole time.

Happy birthday T!

2011-08-18T22:27:00.005-04:00

11 years old today. I'm speechless. I mean, for real. I don't know how time is going by as fast as it is.

Megan was home sick today (cold) so after getting Trevor ready for school I took him to McDonald's for his favorite hotcakes and sausage breakfast. We drove around a little bit while he ate. (Really, there are buildings in Kentucky....I just noticed how vacant the area looks behind him in this photo. This was taken right behind McDonalds.)

I have said it before, that I think the day the child is born is actually easier than the birthdays. So far we haven't even had a party (planning on one in the next week.) but last night I was actually wrapping two remaining presents in the back of my van because he was still awake in the house, this morning I went to Party City to get a few more things, then the grocery store to pick up a pie. By the time I came home, it was time to pick him up from school. Then Matthew got home, then Trevor had birthday money burning a hole in his wallet so we went to Target, then it was time to start making dinner. We had T bones (Get it? For T's birthday?) and Ceasar salad. That was the dinner he wanted more than anything....well, other than "toast" when I asked him a week ago what he wanted me to make for his birthday dinner and I said, "Something I am capable of making....." Toast was his smarmy answer. haha.

Then dinner clean up, then pie, then go outside and play with new toy...then inside to clean up and get ready for school tomorrow. It's been a busy day. But he's worth it. He's such a good kid.

below: playing with a remote control car, fresh from Target. That little thing is CRAZY fast, and rights itself when it falls over. He loves it. He's still saving the rest of his birthday money for a trip up to Kenwood next week with daddy. He plans on going to the Lego store and a game store.

below: one of his lego kits he got today.

Below: birthday pie. He loves pumpkin pie. There are a few pieces missing though. When he got home from school he couldn't wait for a piece, so we cheated and had a few small pieces out of it.

He also got an ipod touch today. Only I feel bad because I am so non electronic, I was able to get it registered but am having a hard time loading some things from the internet on it. Ugh, and usually Trevor is the one who can figure these things out! But.....Mike will be home on Monday if I can't get it worked out through step by step emails tomorrow.

Happy birthday Trevor!

Also, today marks one year uterine free. Yay.

Back to school....

2011-08-11T16:26:00.006-04:00

Today was the first day of school. Kind of weird to start on a Thursday, but the bright side is that the kids all came home today really tired. We can make it another day and then it's already time for a weekend. It's like just getting our feet wet getting back into a new schedule.

Nobody slept well last night. They were all nervous, and even though Megan was the most excited about going back.....I think she still had a hard time getting used to going to bed before midnight.

Trevor - 6th grade this year. He is pretty excited that his homeroom is advanced math, and he has a top locker this year. He wasn't thrilled about returning to school, but it was nice to see him get out of the car and walk up to the door with some confidence this year. He knew exactly where to go and what to expect, so no middle school anxiety like last year. Plus he's just happy that his birthday didn't fall on the first day like has happened many times in the past.

Megan's new shoes. I love Converse. I had to get a photo of them.

Megan doing that heart thing that drives me crazy. She knows it, hence the sarcastic look on her face.

Accessory of the year is a pair of headphones. She had them with her everywhere this summer. Of course before getting into the car to leave for school she had to get in one more song while she could. She also was busy texting friends about where they were going to meet once they got there. I wish I was able to grow up with that kind of technology! This girl is in 8th grade this year. Last year of middle school. Ugh, I'm not too happy about that.

We got to school and I dropped them off. They both walked in together and I'm sure found friends soon after that.

Matthew....wow. Fourth grade this year. The oldest grade in his elementary school. Top dog. As if it didn't hit me hard enough realizing that by the end of this school year, I will have a freshman in high school....I was thinking about how this little guy is going to be in his first year of middle school. I think he is going to love this year because he has one of the greatest teachers. I can't wait to hear about what he thought of her when he gets home.

Below: the "I'm nervous, but I'm too cool to show it" smile.

I drove Matthew to school today even though he's going to be taking the bus. I do enjoy our time together in the car when it's just me and him. He said that he didn't want me to walk in with him, and that he'd be fine finding his classroom. He's trying to be so grown up....and it's breaking my heart!

Last year he also decided that he was going to go by Matt at school. He's still Matthew to me, but even this morning the principal opened the door for him and said, "Good morning Matt!"

2011-08-08T17:09:00.002-04:00

Happy birthday Edge. Yeah, you may not be reading my blog....but we're celebrating with some U2 around here.

Is he really 50? Huh? This man has been a part of my life for a long time. I once got to touch him. *heart!*

I loved this article too. Happy birthday Edge.

Trevor

2011-08-01T16:48:00.005-04:00

I was going to post photos daily as part of my project thingie, but I think I am going to finish the layouts first and then post those. It takes a long time to post a bunch of photos in one post.

I have to mention today. I may be the only one who is amused by this. Trevor. The kid cracks me up. Lately both boys have been trying to outdo each other with "Your mom" jokes. I know, they are childish and dorky...but I love a good timed one. It's all in the timing. You can't just throw out "your mom" all willy nilly.

Megan is at King's Island with a friend today, so I took the boys to Hot Heads for an early dinner. (A version of Chipotle, only it's closer to our house.) On the way there, they were doing their usual back and forth. A couple of times they each got out a your mom joke that made me laugh.

Then I tuned out. Like all parents do. Especially as conversation between them turned into a debate on legos.

Then for some reason, I heard Matthew asking Trevor about Christmas, and why is it his favorite time of year, besides the obvious being because of the presents.....

Trevor answers, totally deadpan: I don't know, the Christmas themed worksheets?

That one was totally deserving of a literal snort from me and snapped me right back into listening to them. That kid is funny. It's his delivery that always gets me too.

Day 2

2011-07-22T21:47:00.006-04:00

Above: That is not my photo, but something I had seen online somewhere and saved on my computer. I came across it again earlier today. I figured I might as well post it with my daily stuff since I love it.

Not a whole heck of a lot going on here, but still trying to keep up with my little project. I took a few photos from today, and will make my pages on them later this week. These are just a few of my favorites from the day.

Last night I promised Megan that she could sleep downstairs with me. The boys went to bed and both fell asleep really fast. Megan and I stayed downstairs and I finished up my laundry (I had to wash a pair of pants I planned on wearing to work this morning, and of course waited until it was too late. So I had to wait up for the washing machine so I could put them in the dryer before going to bed.) She played her DS while I emailed Mike so he could have an email waiting for him when he woke up. There is a five hour time difference, so we usually plan to have an email to each other to wake up to.

I know it may seem odd, and my kids will probably someday need therapy because you never know when I'll show up with a camera....but it was sitting on my desk, and while I was getting ready for work I noticed how Megan was sleeping. She used to sleep exactly like that when she was an infant, and all through being a little girl. As big as she's grown, seeing her face like that reminded me that little girl is still in there. Or is it that the big girl was always there and her expressions haven't changed at all? Which ever it is, it is very familiar to me and I love it when I see these little things that have not changed over the years as my kids have grown. She's also laying with her head on top of Bear Bear. She was given that bear by Mike's dad when she was a baby. I remember when it used to be bigger than she was. She sleeps with him every night, and the poor thing looks like it has been well loved with it's stuffing all smushed down to one end of it, and it's eyes not as shiny as they used to be. I love that she still loves this bear. It's funny how each child has attached themselves to one animal in particular that they can't do without.

A week ago, Piper ran underneath the deck for some odd reason and came back out with a big gash on her back. We've been giving her regular baths to clean the wound which is about the size of an egg, and putting antibiotic medication on it. She got another bath tonight. She's getting smart, and ignores me no matter where I am when I call her for a bath. I do it at different times a day, offer treats or try to trick her in thinking we are going out and I catch her by her collar. How can a dog whose breed loves water, and she used to love her baby pool on the porch, hate water as much as she does now? She's never been traumatized by it....but you wouldn't know that by that sad face. "I reeeally hate this."

It is sweltering. I am not fond of that word, but honestly.....it is just that, in the truest sense of the word. Damn sweltering. We are in the middle of a heat wave, and when I talked to my sister the other day she said something that made me laugh because I had noticed it but hadn't really thought about it....the big red area that has been making the weather on the news lately that covers most of the eastern part of the US? We are right in the middle of it. Usually we have some hot days and our weather changes so fast that we know some relief can happen in a day or two. Not this time. I don't know when this is supposed to end, but it is awful.

I was sending a text yesterday while I was waiting for Piper in the yard. My screen was fogging up while I was trying to swipe the letters with my finger. Today when I opened my car door to walk into Kohl's, my sunglasses fogged up. That is something I'm not used to since I have never had to endure wearing glasses.

The thing is, it LOOKS so nice outside. It looks like it should be nice and happy, and when the sun goes down you should be sitting outside on your deck. Only it is HOT. (Still makes for some pretty sunsets though.)

Success! School shopping

2011-07-22T00:16:00.003-04:00

I'm going to do a project this week that involves taking photos of random things throughout my week. Most people are starting their project on a Monday, but with summer, we really have no idea what day of the week it is anyway. Add to that, we are in a transition from one type of schedule to another when Mike is away....which comes before a big transition of the first week of school. Right now, this is our normal.

Megan had been asking me about a girl day since last week. I figured the day after Mike left would be a good one since I had the day off and knew I'd still be in full blown anxiety weirdness. (It always takes me awhile to level out.) and I figured a day out shopping would be a good thing to keep my mind busy since I didn't have to work. Plus the bonus of a paycheck that fell on this day with the added sweetness of some holiday pay in there too!

The boys stayed home - trust me, they wanted to - a few hours of uninterrupted video game playing? Why not? I did end up bringing them each a little Lego treat for being so good. Megan and I walked around the mall and stopped in a few stores. We found some perfect jeans at Aeropostale, and a few shirts. The man that rang us up noticed that when I put the non fitting jeans back into the display that I put them in folded and sized. He gave me an extra $10 coupon since we were brothers and sisters of retail.

Then we went to another of Megan's favorite stores. Abercrombie. Or AberZOMBIE as Trevor and Matthew call it. . We found a dress, and two shirts that she LOVES. So we have a small amount of things to start the new school year off with in a few weeks. Plus she knows that mom brings home some goodies once in awhile from my job so they are never out of clothing!

Afterwards we went to Panera Bread for lunch. I had a salad and Megan had a bowl of soup and a ceasar salad. It was too hot for something big. This was perfect. We love chick food.

Then we went over to Target and picked up the things I still needed to pick up for Matthew that were on his school supply list. All three kids are shopped for and done. The only thing left is getting fees paid next week and getting new schedules.

We found out Matthew's teacher just the other day. We couldn't have been happier. She's the one we had requested since she was Trevor's teacher in 4th grade. Matthew had had a rough year last year. His teacher should have retired last year. Her heart wasn't in to the class at all. I've since found out from parents from other children that have felt the same way. But we felt like Matthew was a bit lost last year. He would try to be good, be funny, be a part of things. He wanted nothing but to be a part of the classroom and have his teacher proud of him. I feel he fell through the cracks a bit. He came home sad a lot. Mike had gone to bat for him with the principal a number of times. Long story short, we made sure we could have a better year for him this year. It's so hard once you lose a child to feeling like "what is the point?" and they start to not enjoy school to help them find the way back again. Not this early....that shouldn't be happening in 3rd grade. So we are very optimistic. This new one is so sweet. She can be strict, but I already know I like her.

Megan is looking forward to school starting again. Trevor is cautious about it, and Matthew could not care less. I think that will change once he gets back in the swing of things again. Plus he's top dog fourth grader when the school only goes up to 4th! That's pretty cool.

catching up....again.

2011-07-20T10:59:00.012-04:00

It's hot. Plus I'm trying to avoid going upstairs because that means we will be leaving to take Mike to the airport. I didn't think that he'd be able to come home this rotation, so each week that passed was a bonus. - But I really hate departure airport day.

We did have a nice mini vacation that was MUCH needed. It started one night when I said something to Mike about U2. I was bummed that they were going to be in Chicago, but at that time it was scheduled for when Mike was probably going to be gone already. I figured my chances of seeing them on this tour were pretty slim.

He surprised me and found a way for us to go see them in Detroit. Plus a road trip, plus take the kids to Cedar Point. We were all happy! (click on image to enlarge.)

The road trip was one of my favorite parts of the trip. I love road trips. Seeing Detroit was pretty neat. Where we stayed was beautiful. I would have liked to have spent a few days there. However we had one night. Driving through was neat, I love industrial stuff. I loved seeing the car manufacturers. Those places are huge. Hard to describe HUGE.

Where Mustangs are born:

The concert was, of course, awesome. Love.

The next day we headed back towards Ohio and up to San Dusky. We got to the hotel and I kind of wanted to drive over to see the lake, and walk along the waterfront.

We found an area to park and walked out towards the water. We walked around, and the boys jumped all over rocks. We found a park that had things for the kids to play on and get out some road trip energy.

Pretty flowers:

Graffitti that I thought was actually kind of cute. Nom nom nom.

Pretty boats:

These geese were walking across a parking lot, all in a row. You can't tell from this photo. It looked like mom geese and their awkward preteen geese babies following them. They still had baby fuzz on them.

That's about it from here. Off to fold.

Lake Erie/Marlblehead

2011-07-07T23:44:00.012-04:00

(Trying to get caught up on some blogging and some photos. I will be posting these backwards so they will all be in order when all vacation posts are done.)

On our last day we woke up without any real plans. We were going to wake up and take our time getting back home. We decided to take a scenic route, which was so nice and ended up being my favorite part of the whole trip. Aside from U2 of course, this was my favorite time with the entire family.

We passed all sorts of farms, most of which were open for selling produce. It reminded me a lot of what early Chandler looked like, and also reminded me of a story my mom told me when she was out here last summer....about how when her and her mom would travel in Ohio they would stop at a place and buy a tomato or something and eat it along side the road. I saw one sign for a place selling homegrown peaches that said, "Take a peach to the beach." We passed farm after farm, and things that seemed so Americana. It was so nice to not be in a hurry.

I saw a sign that said something about Marblehead lighthouse/state park and we decided we'd drive along and find it. The sign said that it was about 10 miles. We wound through a neat town that I would LOVE to go back and spend more time in. It had the neatest downtown area, with pretty old restored buildings, neat little art stores and antique stores, and local restaurants. We plan on going back and maybe spending a week or so there.

First we stopped at a little place along the side of the road to look at Lake Erie up close. Where we were, you could see Cedar Point across the water in the distance. We were taking pictures of the kids and letting them jump around on the big rocks. There was a woman and her husband sitting in chairs, reading magazines under a tree and enjoying the breeze coming off the water. She asked us if her husband could take a photo of all five of us. It sounded like a good idea, but seeing that he was down in his chair with a magazine I hated to have him move. He wasn't the one who offered, but I know he wouldn't have minded if we said yes. I just thought it was funny that she was the one who offered for him to take the picture. I've done that with Mike before.

After we had been there for about 10 minutes, another car with two older women pulled up and they got out and walked near the big rocks to look at the lake. Mike offered to take their picture together. It looked like a mom and daughter, mom being in her early 80's maybe. Mike started a conversation with them after taking their photo together. They talked about the state of the world, jobs going overseas, and how her husband had spent his whole life working for one of the auto manufacturers. She also told us how she had spent summers over at Cedar Point, long before all the 'scary' coasters. They were so sweet. I wish I could remember their names.

Then the other couple got up to walk around a bit and we started to talk to them. Same kind of small talk, but they were so proud telling us about their retirement home that they built and about their kids, and how they sail on the lake. They were really nice people, and it was really nice to talk to people and make friends. The kids enjoyed us being sidetracked since they probably thought we weren't watching and were throwing rocks into the lake, and watching some bird who kept diving under the water and coming up with fish.

We got back into the car and drove on to the lighthouse. Even though we really weren't in a hurry, we didn't have as much time as I really would have liked to have spent at the lighthouse. The weather was BEAUTIFUL. The park was pretty big, and people were running, playing frisbee, and eating outside. Unfortunately the lighthouse was closed for the day, but I wanted to just sit at the side of the water and love on the breeze. I could have spent hours here.

I have to admit to not realizing the scope of how big the great lakes really are. I knew that they were like oceans, that you couldn't see across them because of their size, but I've never seen one up until now. I definitely want to spend more time near them, and go back often.

The boys LOVED the big rocks. They jumped all over them.

Of course they had to play and try to dodge the water as the waves came up.

Which of course resulted in very wet shoes.

Megan brought her sketch book with her and found a good spot to sit for awhile. She was busy sketching the lighthouse and ships.

With a perfect view like this:

The residence at the lighthouse:

We got back into the van and started to head home. Along the way we spotted a few of the Ohio Bicentennial barns. I love barns, but these are fun to find on road trips.

Forgot to add one....

2011-06-25T15:08:00.002-04:00

Forgot this photo. The kids thought that this was a funny name. I kept hearing giggling next to me when I was reading something else across from where this plane is parked inside. When I got home and was looking for a link about something else, I came across this. Oooo. Maybe it wasn't MY kids giggling. I always find out about these 'haunted' things after I've seen them.

Mother's day (I'm catching up....)

2011-06-22T15:11:00.013-04:00

I had a post started for this the other day, and now it is gone. UGH. So I will try to remember what I had before.

Mike had been asking me what I wanted to do for mother's day. One of my favorite places to go that is relatively close to be able to do in a day, plus constitutes as a road trip, is the Air Force Museum in Dayton. It is such a neat place. The weather was ideal for being able to see things outside too. It really was a perfect day. I was asked by two separate volunteers at the - not busy - museum if I chose the destination for mother's day. I think they were surprised when I said that I actually had. It was really nice since it really wasn't busy.

Below: a photo I found when I loaded the card onto my computer. Matthew had my camera for awhile and was busy taking pictures. He must have taken 100 photos of planes, plus any strange looking mannequins, or some things I simply could not figure out why in the world he would take a picture of them. Apparently it meant something to his little 8 year old mind. This one below made me laugh. Only Matthew would find some random statue and take a picture of it's butt. So I did have to include it in my post here.

We started outdoors and walked around for awhile. I really didn't take too many pictures on this trip because I really was more interested in being a part of the goings on. Plus I was into reading a little more this time. The last time we were here, Matthew was 6. He wore out a little easier, (which meant the "I'm bored, I'm tired, I'm thirsty and all that comes with a smaller child at a place like this.) Plus that meant harder to keep track of. This time he was very into what we were looking at. He would look at something for a long time and read about it. Then look at it some more. I could see his little mind at work.

Also this time around we really concentrated on the WWII stuff. The place is so big, you really cannot see it all in one day. I'd really like to have several days in a row of seeing things.

One thing that was really neat this time around is that Matthew is obsessed with anything about WWII. Especially weapons. He had already known that the museum was home to the Bockscar and was really excited about seeing it. He could tell you all you wanted to know about it and Fat Man before going to the museum. Being able to see him actually looking at this in real life was pretty neat.

I didn't get a photo, but near the plane was a case that had some things from the crew of the plane. One thing in particular was a pair of darkened goggles that had been worn on the flight over Japan. Maybe I think too much when I'm looking at things like that, but I stood there in amazement just thinking of exactly what was witnessed through those very goggles. It's so different than seeing a photo in a history book and feels so humbling.

Below: I don't remember seeing this section at all the last time we were here. I was probably a little odd when I was younger, but I loved Jimmy Stewart. Loved him. I found a display with a story about him during the war, and there was his jacket. I just thought it was SO COOL. It was interesting to read about him, and to looking at the photograph on the left above the jacket....and be able to compare small things like a crease in the leather in the photo to the jacket below.

If you didn't think that my love of Jimmy Stewart was strange....I came around a corner and heard some familiar music. My mom has to know where this is going. A display of Glenn Miller stuff, including one of his trombones. The photo of it below also has a mouthpiece above the one in the instrument. The one above is the one that Jimmy Stewart used in the movie "The Glenn Miller Story" in which he used one of Glenn's trombones. The mouthpiece in the instrument is Glenn's. I still love Glenn Miller. After reading more about him here, I think I love him even more now. It was such an interesting time when he was around, and I always thought what he did with his talents for the troops of that period was neat. It was really nice to see a lot of his memorabilia in a museum instead of lost in a private collection somewhere. Seeing this really touched me, and brought back a lot of my own memories. Honestly Glenn.... (for you mom!) lol.

Below: click on the image to enlarge. This letter was really neat to look at. For historical value, the fact that it still exists, the fact that it was written and signed by GM and mostly that it was typed out on a real typewriter. I kind of laughed trying to explain a 'typewriter' to the kids. Let alone this being the old school type before electric ones. We had a manual typewriter at home when I was a kid, and even though it wasn't as old as the one that typed this letter, I will always remember the sound that it made when you would type with it. - Also, if you read this letter, it is
what became my favorite part of the movie. St. Louis Blues march. I have no idea why those goofy letters come up during that video. Definitely not part of the movie!

Then we moved over to the POW camp part of the museum. I stood here for a very long time looking at the things in the case. It's so easy to forget what people have gone through for you to have the life that you are used to now. When I would look at these items and wonder what the person was like that carved a small piece of wood into a box, or made a working clock or stove out of the little bits of metal they would collect from tin cans, etc. The things that they would do to pass the time or survive. It's another humbling part of the museum. I can't find the words to explain how it feels to be looking at something like what they have displayed here.

My favorite in the case was this small journal made out of cigarette package wrappers. I would look at it and wonder about the person the handwriting belonged to. What was his story.

Below: funny carvings. I also loved the box that was made out of scrap tin and woven together.

I thought I had gotten a picture, but there was a small collection of molds made from hand carved wood. They would take tin and pound it into the mold so that they could make wings like the pins they had on their uniforms. The designs were so tiny and intricate. You can actually see one of them in the bottom left of the 2nd photo down from this one.

This is another part that I think is interesting when we go, and I have a photo from the last time we were there. I'd like to find it and compare to the one below to see how it has changed in two years. It appears that there are a lot more cups turned upside down then I remember from before. Here is an article, but obviously outdated since the case has been moved to this museum in Dayton. I hate to think of the amount of people from this era that the world is losing every day.

Below: Apollo 15 Command Module Endeavour.

We really didn't get to spend too much time outside the WWII hangar because we did end up going to see an IMAX movie about space that we had to be at, at a certain time. By the time the movie was over, it was getting close to time for the museum to close. We did get to see this below. Hopefully next time we will be able to spend some more time in some different areas. I would like to go back and see the space stuff. There is so much to see, from so many different eras.

Today we....

2011-06-13T20:27:00.003-04:00

I really don't have any creative titles for my posts anymore. Hey, it's summer. As silly as it seems to blog about everyday, non exciting things.....I spent some time going back to past years on my blog the other day. It's interesting to see what was so 'everyday' back then, compared to now. That is the stuff that is the most fun for me to remember anyway. What a normal day was like for us.

This morning I worked. I was up early to get ready (well, early for what has become a habit of sleeping in until 9 or so.) I had to go in at 8:30. I was up late talking to Mike on IM. It was 4:30 am his time. He couldn't sleep and as I was checking my email I heard the IM chime on my computer. I never expect to hear from him at that time. He wasn't feeling well and had a fever. He couldn't sleep. He was going into the doctor as soon as they opened in the morning. So before I leave for work I get a message from him that he's back from the doctor and he has malaria. He has one more week before he comes home, and he's on bed rest at his hotel all the way in Africa right now. :(

I talked to him after I got off of work. He still wasn't feeling well, but he's armed with a lot of medication.

The weather outside is beautiful today. I decided I was going to look for something to do outside. Especially since I had already worked and didn't care if I got dirty. I started to mow the lawn, but Trevor came out and asked if he could learn how to mow. He took over. At one point when I thought the hill was getting tough for him I asked him if he wanted me to do a little bit for him. With all this confidence in his voice, like he's been mowing lawns forever he says, "Nah....I'm good. I've got it." I have to say, for his first time doing an entire yard, he did a great job.

Then while I was at it, I vacuumed out my car. It's happy now. I'm happy. I like a clean car! I even bought it a new air freshener when Matthew and I went to the store afterwards. (My sister's favorite Kroger. It's not the same without her.)

I had some other photos from yesterday and even a bunch that I want to catch up on from Mother's Day, but blogger is being picky today and only let me post a couple. Even these two took several attempts and a long wait. I hope to get the others on later tonight.

Tonight we are making homemade pizza and then settling down to watch America's Got Talent.

Today we...

2011-06-08T23:29:00.005-04:00

Today we slept in. I love that about summer vacation.

Then we went to the library. It's funny how the kids each have certain things that they look for when we go there. Trevor didn't have much luck this time as most of the books he likes to read are really popular books in a series of some sort. So he usually has to put his name down to have something put on hold for him when it comes back in.

Megan found some books on cartooning and anime, and a how to book on computer graphics.

Matthew found a funny mixture of things. He loves 'comic books' but they aren't flimsy comic books about super heroes like you would think. They are always in a section called "graphic novels" and are stories that are drawn in boxes....like traditional comic books. He found a cool one on Pearl Harbor and then some goofy ones about Lunch Ladies and things like that. He also picked up a few picture books on WW2 and the Lusitania. He is just like a little Mike. He still likes to spend time watching the military channel. Every now and then something will record and I'm like, "WTH? Who did that?" It may have a weird title or something, but it's usually some military thing he has recorded. He even recorded Kelly's Heroes....yeah, with Clint Eastwood and Telly Savalas! He wants to watch it with me, but has watched it already. He can't learn enough about WW2 right now.

Then we stopped at a nursery and bought a few plants, some potting soil and some mulch. I am hoping to get those in the ground in the next few days. I started a bit of a project near the front door in an area that was full of weeds. Photos soon...I promise. I wanted to get the front looking nice before I took any photos.

Then we came home and made some homemade minestrone soup.

And totally random, but these things popped up when I was looking through garden stuff trying to get ideas on some plant placement in my front yard:

If these are not the cutest things...... I swear I want that little one because seeing it sitting in a bowl of water, with little flowers coming out of it's shell....how can that not make you totally happy?

Today we....

2011-06-02T23:13:00.008-04:00

As I was working out in the front yard today, and Trevor was sitting on the steps watching the turtles roam....he said, "We have been out of school for one week today." It is strange, I look forward to the first part of summer vacation. I love having the kids home, and there is so much promise and potential of "what should we do?" But....it feels longer than one week too. Mostly, and this is a good thing so I am not complaining, but the kids have been pretty busy. Lots of social stuff going on and me driving them back and forth to places. I sometimes wonder if my new neighbors wonder why I come and go so much. So one week down, and I think everybody is pretty happy.

Today we went to Rabbit Hash. Oh and how I WISH I had thought of charging my good camera battery. The weather was perfect today, and the lighting was ideal. I did get a few photos with my phone, which is good in a pinch but not really great about photo quality.- But now I have plans to go back (maybe next week) and take some more photos. It is so pretty around there right now. I don't know what it is about the place, it is just cool. There are flowers everywhere. It has become somewhat of a tradition to drive there a few times during the summer. Even in the dead of winter one of us will say, "I wish we could drive to Rabbit Hash. I wonder what it looks like with snow." It's our summer thing.

We did our usual. Picked out some sodas from the store, sat near the river and pet the german shepherd that followed Trevor around the entire time, looked around at the "old things and antiques" and took the long way home through all of the tall trees and farms. It was a nice, simple day.

(Looking at this photo....that line of sun in the grass in the back is the only sun the yard gets during dinner time. All of the rest of the yard is shaded from the big trees around us. The neighbor's tree actually creates a canopy over our entire deck.)

I made chicken enchiladas and we ate out on the deck with both umbrellas up. It makes it feel like a party. :) While we were eating I got a call from Mike in Africa. That was a nice surprise.

Photo thanks to Trevor.
I mentioned the turtles. They were so happy out in the yard today. There are plenty of things for them to eat. One likes to see how far he can make it up the hill before somebody goes out to retrieve him and bring him back. He's always been an escape artist. I don't know where he thinks he is going or even why. He has it pretty darn good at our house. Jet....she's funny. You wouldn't think they have much in the way of personalities, but they do. She likes to stay close. I had to keep stopping my yard work because she likes to climb on my foot and stand there. I move her and she comes back. Or sometimes she'll find a spot in some long grass and hunker down and stick her head in the air. They are pretty cool.

Finally, tonight was so pretty. After dropping Megan off at a friend's house, I took Piper for a walk while the boys played Legos at home. I saw the season's first fireflies. An official sign of summer.

T McD end of the year.

2011-05-23T21:22:00.002-04:00

It's a good thing I got this picture before we left for school. We were supposed to go for an awards ceremony where Trevor was going to get an award for being on the A/B honor roll. We had gotten to the school and about 15 minutes into the principal calling names and listening to applauding, Trevor leans over and says, "Do I hear the tornado siren?" I said no, how could he hear that. Besides, he's a bit sensitive when it comes to tornadoes. He's not good about any sort of natural disaster. For years when we lived in Phoenix he had a huge fear of volcanoes. Of course our first full day in Kentucky after moving here....we spent time down in the basement because of a tornado watch. He still reminds me of that.

I was actually surprised when the principal stopped and said that they just found out there was a tornado watch and that we'd all have to move into the center of the school in the hallways for the next 30 minutes because the watch just was called for Boone County. Some people were able to sneak out, some were corralled and told they couldn't leave. I understand better safe than sorry, but I also had just called home where Matthew and Megan were and told them to go down to my room. (The basement.) I didn't want to stay. We parked close, and we live close. So we got into the car and came home. It was an ugly storm.....about 10 minutes after we got home the sky turned green. That's always weird! Trevor grabbed his turtles and we all hung out in my room. (Which also has the laundry room, so why not do some laundry while waiting it out. lol.)

All is good. We never lost our power (which I heard over 50,000 people without) and I folded some clothes. I feel bad that we missed the ceremony....but I am still so proud of this kid. It doesn't surprise me at all that he is on the honor roll. He loves to read, and loves to learn.

Mike is back to work right now and we are still getting settled. I always have nervous energy for the first couple of weeks, so I should be able to get some things done. I have enjoyed doing some yard work and trying to get some things in the garage put away so I can park my car in there. I promise to post some photos soon.

I can't believe that all three kids will be out of school on Thursday. The end of another year. I am proud of them all, and all the things that they learned this year. Megan and Trevor read like crazy and were both in the highest point clubs for AR. Matthew learned so much....his favorite things to learn about this year were about the Titanic (he brought in a piece of coal that I bought at the Titanic museum years ago.) The Civil War, and WWII. He is a little sponge. A sponge that also likes to sit around and watch the Military Channel. lol.

Out of order, random update...

2011-05-20T22:22:00.003-04:00

I'm not sure where to begin. Sometimes I hate having a blog and feeling like I need to keep up with it, other times I don't know what to say, and other times I'm grateful for it because I like to go back and see things from years that have passed. So this is when I feel somewhat guilty for letting so much time go by between posts.

To wrap up the past month, we moved. Mike was home. We did a lot, but sometimes nothing at all. I feel like we didn't really get a chance to relax as much as I would have liked (I know Mike can really use the rest when he comes home.) But there was and still is so much to do to make this house more "our home" and what makes it more personal for us. There were so many projects. Big ones and small ones. Cleaning, rearranging, unpacking, hanging some pictures or shelves.....and really.....I hope I don't have to do this again. I am tired of moving. I kept thinking in my head that quote from Lethal Weapon where Danny Glover kept saying, "I'm too old for this shit." This isn't fun anymore. Hey, we even had people come in and pack AND move for us.

I love Newport. We went there a couple of times while Mike was home. First...to a restaurant that I have been wanting to go to for awhile. A friend at work kept telling me about Pompilios in Newport. I guess the area has quite an interesting mafia history, prohibition type stuff. Plus I had heard that they had the best alfredo sauce ever. After reading the menu and seeing some photos I noticed that the cast and crew had eaten and filmed inside the restaurant for Rainman. This is about the third time I've stumbled upon something we've been to that was in the movie. I don't remember anything about it, bits and pieces really. I think I may have to find this movie again and see it from another perspective now. See what I recognize. OK.....and yes, that was the best alfredo sauce I've ever had. That photo does not show the size of that manicotti. Yum.

We also saw a movie (Bridesmaids) and walked around the outdoor mall for a bit, and watched the river for a bit. I bought Trevor a book from Barnes & Noble (The second book in some series that he is hooked on and has been waiting for this to come out.)

For Mother's day I wanted to go to the Air Force Museum in Dayton. We had a great time, and I promise to post some photos of that next. They are on a different card.

Below:
Matthew's daily planner for school. I noticed that he had made a little heart around Nigeria where his daddy is. I thought that was cute.

It's still spring, but this marks summer!!

2011-05-06T21:15:00.004-04:00

Thanks to my job, I was able to not only save up for a super cool patio set....but I was able to stack all of my discounts and coupons to get a sweet deal on my entire patio set!! I am definitely a Kohl's success story. Now I joke that I have sold my soul to the company. I will be there forever. Constantly paying off my card. Lol. BUT - after buying pieces at different times and taking them over to the house even before the official move in....and patiently waiting for the weeks of rain to stop.....we finally had our first night out on the deck. Granted, it was still kind of chilly, but we were determined to enjoy the deck for the first time.

I caught the boys out playing with Legos before we started to cook dinner on the grill. I bet they will spend a lot of time out there. They already have even without using the table. There is a patch of woods in our backyard at the top of the hill where they have made a little clear area for a fort. Which consists of a few pieces of wood to sit on, nothing fancy. They go up there and sit for hours. I think they will enjoy this entire yard this summer.

The deck had these tiki torches attached all around it. There are 8 of them. They will be coming off, but Trevor had to play Survivor with one. The garden that you see in the background is actually part of our neighbor's yard. They have a HUGE house, and this garden is BIG. The best is.....I don't have to tend it, but I get to enjoy looking at it through my kitchen window and when I'm outside. The back part of our fence is missing, so that is part of our fence (which will be coming down) so it's kind of hard to describe how the yard looks. The people next to us have a huge yard, which kind of looks like it is part of ours on the side. Again, the best.....not my yard to tend, but it looks like our house sits on a huge piece of property. Win/win!!
Megan and Mike out grilling. Mike was making steaks and Megan was using the burner on the side to saute some mushrooms and onions. That's the other side of our fence. It runs along both sides of the side of the house, but is not in the back. Kind of like parenthesis with our house in between....like this [ ]. So we have a clear view in the back. You would miss out on the wood view otherwise. I promise to get photos soon. - The last storm knocked a couple of panels down.
First official sit down meal. (Love the tire swing!) Behind that fence at the top of the hill is the pasture with the horses.
With buying my patio set when I did, I earned enough Kohl's cash (plus my discounts, coupons and buying on power hours!) I got the fire pit for free. My favorite thing about living here is that (at least in my first neighborhood where people actually sat outside) fire pits were always going, and kids would roam and play while neighbors sat around talking and having a drink together. Even if it stays on my deck, I plan on getting many, many hours with that fire pit. I love summer and fall nights.
Getting sticks ready to roast marshmallows for smores.

Oooo. I love the burnt ones. The boys made a few of those just for me!

That is our first night out doors. I'm sure there will be a lot of photos like this during the summer.

Whew. An update of sorts, and phone photos

2011-05-04T17:04:00.005-04:00

Yesterday Mike and I went to the bank and they were giving away cookies. Get it? 5/3rd bank on May the 3rd? It was delicious too! Such a cool surprise. Cookies, especially frosted ones make me smile!

Well, we have been in this house for one week now. Things have gone by so fast. From the moment Mike came into Kohl's and showed me a picture on his phone of this big deck and the possibility of moving, to him being gone in Africa for another rotation, to coming home again and putting the entire moving process into place....

I have taken a lot of photos on my phone, but not so much with my camera lately. Like I said, the past couple of months have been a complete blur of keeping busy with work, school, daily things, packing, cleaning and preparing and moving.

However....here is a quick recap of the past couple of months.

Megan with brand new highlights. A friend of mine needed to do a highlight towards her grade in cosmetology school. It turned out beautiful!

The boys. Matthew had been complaining about having some stomach aches that made him miss a few days of school. On some days when he would go into school, I would get a call from the nurse that he was in the office and not feeling well. He went from pointing to his stomach to pointing to his heart. After taking him to the doctor, he went to Children's Hospital in Cincinnati for an ultrasound on his heart. He was actually looking forward to seeing his heart, and it was fascinating to watch. He did great for 45 minutes while the ultrasound was done. I can never say enough about that hospital. They are great with children. That is also where I take all three of them for dental appointments, and they are wonderful. - A few days later we got the results that everything was working fine, and his stomach issues are due to acid reflux.

Trevor ended up with a sinus infection that had him in the doctor's office. Which I am sure was cured by the Frosty that we stopped to get on the way home. ;)

A day at work. This was a fun day, and not what I usually do. I was helping the visual girl do a set up of new kitchen stuff. It totally appealed to the OCD in me who loved following the planogram for the display, and then putting stuff on the shelves.

Lap turtle. Sometimes they will sit still and watch tv with me. I'm usually warm, so I'm sure that feels comfy for them. That is Koopa, and Trevor's legs in the background.

Mike and Matthew, just after he got home from Africa. We went out to eat at Cheddars.

Yuck. Snow in April. This has been a pretty cold and wet spring.

Moving!!! Yay! See ya OSM. As happy as I am to not be there anymore, I always do get a bit nostalgic when leaving anywhere. (Then I shut the door behind me and didn't look back. lol.)

Accidentally taking a photo while sitting in my newly purchased patio chairs that I took directly over to the new house before we officially moved in. - But that is my carpet, and part of the stairs. More virtual tour of the house as soon as I get more put away! Promise!

Mom and Kim....figured they would be interested....

2011-04-21T00:46:00.002-04:00

Meant to put this on the bottom of the other post. It's one more story about the house in the photo.

*******************

There is a dilapidated yellow house that sits on US 25 on the northern edge of Walton, Ky. Known as the Abner Gaines house. Many families have moved in, but none stay. It is said the ghost of a Civil War General haunts the house
It was formerly called Gaines Crossroads, and was the post office for many years, previous to the removal of the post office to Walton. The post office took its name from Colonel Gaines.
Colonel Gaines was one of the pioneers of the community, having settled there when the whole surrounding county was one vast wilderness. He acquired a large area of land and, subsequently, became a very wealthy man. The property remained in the Gaines family through four generations.
Colonel Gaines conducted the house as an inn or tavern, and it was also a station of the stagecoach, which ran between Covington and Lexington. It had, frequently, for its guests such men as Henry Clay; Richard M. Johnson, who was afterwards vice-president of the United States; the elder Breckinridge; and many others equally as prominent.
The house is a plain three-story brick front, with extension of frame. It contains 18 rooms and a ballroom, 35 feet in length.
Colonel Gaines had two sons, the elder of whom became famous as a general in the Mexican War. When the Mexican War broke out, John Gaines was made captain of a cavalry company. It proceeded to Mexico overland.
From Kentucky to Mexico, young Gaines rode a favorite horse called Black Sultan. A remarkable incident of his experience in the Mexican War was that after a long imprisonment, he sought and found Black Sultan, road him during the war, and with its close rode the same horse back to his home in Kentucky.
General Gaines served through the war on the staff of General Winfield Scott and went with General Scott’s army to the city of Mexico. He was elected several times to Congress and was appointed Territorial Governor of Oregon by President Zachary Taylor.
At that time, it was a difficult matter to get to the Pacific Coast. General Gaines went by way of New Orleans by steamer. During the voyage, two of his children were stricken with yellow fever. Both died and were buried at sea.
He afterwards returned to Kentucky and settled there at the old homestead. While living there, his wife, when riding in company with several others, was thrown from her horse and instantly killed.

This was the beginning of many tragic happenings connected with the Gaines house.

A few years after this a traveler named Benjamin Runyan stopped overnight at the tavern. As he failed to appear the next morning, a servant was sent in search of him. Unable to arouse him, he entered the room and found Runyan stiff, cold, and dead. He had shot himself during the night.
In the latter 1840s, the mansion became famous for its lavish style of entertainment. It was frequently the scene of great festivities. During the progress of a ball one night, a tragedy occurred, which is still fresh in the memories of many old citizens.
Two young men, Robert Harrison and William Northcutt, were suitors for the hand of the same young lady. Both were popular in society and of good parentage. The Harrisons were especially prominent, socially, because of their relation to Brekinridges and the Harrison family of which ex-President Harrison is a member.
The father of Robert Harrison was a Presbyterian minister, Rev. Joseph Cabell Harrison. Possessed of wealth, social position, and good looks, although slightly eccentric in manner, Robert Harrison soon became the favored of the two suitors. This so enraged Northcutt that he determined to seek revenge.
Harrison, who was baldheaded, was extremely sensitive upon this point and always wore a wig. During the evening in question, while the guests were dancing, Northcutt approached Harrison, who was dancing with a young lady, snatched off his wig, and threw it upon the floor. Harrison uttered not a word, but quickly turned upon his heel, drew a Spanish dagger, and plunged it to the hilt into the heart of Northcutt, who fell lifeless to the floor. The tragic event brought the ball to a sudden close.
Harrison had the sympathy of all present and of the entire community. Public sentiment was so much in his favor that he was never arrested for the deed.
The memory of the crime, however, seemed to overshadow his life. The slight eccentricity of the matter before-mentioned became, in later life, a distinguishing characteristic.
He never married, abjured women’s society, and became, in fact, almost a recluse. He died, suddenly and alone, some two years since in Covington. In the years that followed, the mansion continued popular as a hostelry. When General Kirby Smith and his staff, among whom was Colonel J. M. Arnold; who is, at present, the freight agent for the Cincinnati Division Queen and Crescent Railway.
In 1869 the house passed into the possession of Jerry R. Glenn, father of D. A. Glenn, the present Commonwealth’s Attorney of the Sixth Judicial District of Kentucky. With the occupancy of the house by Mr. Glenn, there was wont to gather under its hospitable roof; many men past the prime of life; who, having a taste for the chase, had not the leisure to indulge it; and with it the inevitable quiet game of cards after nightfall. Prominent among these was Major John A. Goodson, the father-in-law of Hon. John G. Carlisle.
One evening in March 1869 Major Goodson whiled away the evening hours, as usual, and retired to his room. Presently, the report of a gunshot startled the inmates. Intuitively hastening to the room of Major Goodson, the same in which Ben Runyan had taken his life 40 years before, they found him lying upon the floor dead, shot through the heart. He had evidently placed the gun on the bed, knelt in front of it, and reaching the trigger with his cane, discharged the weapon. The act was attributed to heavy financial losses, incident to oil speculations in southern Kentucky.
With the building of the L&N Railroad and the Cincinnati Southern Railways (CSR) to the front and rear of the mansion, the place was purchased by Robert Cleek and used, thereafter, only as a private residence.
Shortly after this, young Joe Blackburn of Walton, while walking on the track of the Cincinnati Southern watching the passing of an L&N train, failed to hear the warning whistle of an approaching CSR train and was instantly killed in full view of the house.
In the fall of 1877 Parker Mayo (a colored man), who was a prisoner for the alleged assault of a white woman, was taken from the sheriff of the county and hanged to an oak tree 300 yards north of the house. Under this same tree, Charles Smith (also colored) was hanged soon after.
Smith had been alternately employed in the neighborhood by Lucien Stephens and Justice Hudson, and having been discharged by each, set fire to Hudson’s barn, heavily stocked with farm produce, cattle, and horses. While the family was endeavoring to save the stock from the burning barn, Smith robbed the house, ran to Lucien Stephens, fired his barn, and escaped into Indiana. With capture, “Judge Lynch” was the executioner.
In 1863 the tollgate in the immediate vicinity was kept by Hugh Ingram. Some years previous to this, Ingram had been bitten by a mad dog. In mortal dread of hydrophobia, he often threatened suicide. Particularly was this noticeable with the recurrence of the date on which he was bitten.
At one such time, slipping out of the tollhouse at night, unknown to his family, he took his life by hanging himself to the railroad bridge over the Cincinnati Southern, just a few yards distant from the old inn.
In 1892 Miss Elizabeth Rice, the maiden sister of Mrs. Robert Cleek; who, at the time, lived on the place, committed suicide in the yard by pouring coal oil over her clothing and setting fire to it. Her mind was thought to be unbalanced.
Twenty years before this, her father had burned himself to death in the same way.

The property is, at present, owned and occupied by J. C. Byland, a nephew of William Northcutt, who was killed by Robert Harrison.
An historical incident of some interest in connection with the place is that, in September 1876, the great prize fight between Joe Gross and Tom Allen for the world’s championship took place immediately south of and within 1,000 yards of the inn.

be homesteaders out.

The house was first built by a Civil War general named Abner Gaines whom retired to the central stage-coach stop between Lexington and Cincinnati that is Walton.
He owned slaves, as was customary, he had three sons and a wife whom all lived on the plantation with him.
His eldest son loved horses, which, sadly, was his downfall. When he was riding on a summer night, he fell from the horse and was killed instantly when his head made contact with the ground. [Which is strange, but the released medical records confirm it for that time].
Abner buried his eldest on the plantation, but the bones can`t be found on the surrounding acres, so they`re doing a historical dig at the park [where there is a cemetery located that dates back PAST the civil war.]
His wife passed away next from pneumonia, her burial place isn`t released. Abner died of old age, alone in the house. His two sons [middle and youngest] moved off to Cincinnati.
Years later, the house was opened up as a stage coach stop/pub for travelers on the way to Cincinnati or Lexington. Slaves were lynched on the front oak, and you can hear chains rattle on spring nights.
Five men committed suicide in the upper floors of the house, two in the same room.
One was accidental, as he was elderly and had fallen, and supposedly used the gun to lift himself up, then tragically died.
Another woman whom was crushed after finding her husband in an afair, set herself ablaze on the front lawn, screaming and falling to the ground on the stone walk.
Two babies died of TB in the nursery room of the house [which is on the bottom floor, now the drawing room]. You can hear children`s laughter sometimes].
The bridge, about a five minute walk, was used as a suicide hanging spot for one man who was in debt, another wandered onto the tracks drunken and was struck down.
The house was eventually closed until the mid 70`s when it was reopened for an apartment complex when the last of the the Gaines` air sold the plantation to a landowner in Walton.
It was used for apartments three or four times, then homes, and finally, in 2006, the Walton committee decided to turn it into a museum of Waltons proud history.

______________________________________________________________________

They`re currently restoring it, you can see the work little by little if you take US 25 and look right [going towards Richwood], and look left [going towards Walton].

I`ve been inside the house five or six times on tours, spent the night twice, its very invigorating and comforting.
The kitchen is frightening at times if you`re not paying attention.
Slaves shackles still remain on the basement wall.

possible summer project?

2011-04-21T00:34:00.003-04:00

The Gaines Home
	July 26, 1899 Boone County Recorder

	Strange And Supernatural Happenings At The Abner Gaines House Boone County Landmark Carries A Violent, Haunting History Submitter’s Note: This story, while not absolutely accurate in the biographical detail of the Gaines family, is about as accurate as you could possibly expect to find about the history of the house. I have researched some of the events mentioned in the article and have found newspaper articles to corroborate just about every event described by its author. While this article doesn’t go into detail about the haunted aspect of the house, another article refers to the time when a Mr. Cleek owned the house and “a fair-haired child was seen skipping through one of the rooms early in the morning.” It was also said that several headless men were seen there. Several years ago, while an electrician was wiring the house, a ghost appeared at one of the windows. The workman became so frightened that he ran two miles to his home, leaving his car behind. I had intended to submit this article in time for the October “Halloween” issue, but it took three visits in the summer of 2001 to get my camera to take any pictures of the house. I was beginning to wonder if the spirits of the old place weren’t putting a jinx on my camera! Emma Look Scott July 26, 1899 The Boone County Recorder An old inn was erected in 1791 by Colonel Abner Gaines and is situated on the Covington and Lexington Pike road, one mile north of the town of Walton. This house is haunted with tragic memories, which has been the object of so much interest recently, on account of the various happenings there. It was formerly called Gaines Crossroads, and was the post office for many years, previous to the removal of the post office to Walton. The post office took its name from Colonel Gaines. Colonel Gaines was one of the pioneers of the community, having settled there when the whole surrounding county was one vast wilderness. He acquired a large area of land and, subsequently, became a very wealthy man. The property remained in the Gaines family through four generations. Colonel Gaines conducted the house as an inn or tavern, and it was also a station of the stagecoach, which ran between Covington and Lexington. It had, frequently, for its guests such men as Henry Clay; Richard M. Johnson, who was afterwards vice-president of the United States; the elder Breckinridge; and many others equally as prominent. The house is a plain three-story brick front, with extension of frame. It contains 18 rooms and a ballroom, 35 feet in length. Colonel Gaines had two sons, the elder of whom became famous as a general in the Mexican War. When the Mexican War broke out, John Gaines was made captain of a cavalry company. It proceeded to Mexico overland. From Kentucky to Mexico, young Gaines rode a favorite horse called Black Sultan. A remarkable incident of his experience in the Mexican War was that after a long imprisonment, he sought and found Black Sultan, road him during the war, and with its close rode the same horse back to his home in Kentucky. General Gaines served through the war on the staff of General Winfield Scott and went with General Scott’s army to the city of Mexico. He was elected several times to Congress and was appointed Territorial Governor of Oregon by President Zachary Taylor. At that time, it was a difficult matter to get to the Pacific Coast. General Gaines went by way of New Orleans by steamer. During the voyage, two of his children were stricken with yellow fever. Both died and were buried at sea. He afterwards returned to Kentucky and settled there at the old homestead. While living there, his wife, when riding in company with several others, was thrown from her horse and instantly killed. This was the beginning of many tragic happenings connected with the Gaines house. A few years after this a traveler named Benjamin Runyan stopped overnight at the tavern. As he failed to appear the next morning, a servant was sent in search of him. Unable to arouse him, he entered the room and found Runyan stiff, cold, and dead. He had shot himself during the night. In the latter 1840s, the mansion became famous for its lavish style of entertainment. It was frequently the scene of great festivities. During the progress of a ball one night, a tragedy occurred, which is still fresh in the memories of many old citizens. Two young men, Robert Harrison and William Northcutt, were suitors for the hand of the same young lady. Both were popular in society and of good parentage. The Harrisons were especially prominent, socially, because of their relation to Brekinridges and the Harrison family of which ex-President Harrison is a member. The father of Robert Harrison was a Presbyterian minister, Rev. Joseph Cabell Harrison. Possessed of wealth, social position, and good looks, although slightly eccentric in manner, Robert Harrison soon became the favored of the two suitors. This so enraged Northcutt that he determined to seek revenge. Harrison, who was baldheaded, was extremely sensitive upon this point and always wore a wig. During the evening in question, while the guests were dancing, Northcutt approached Harrison, who was dancing with a young lady, snatched off his wig, and threw it upon the floor. Harrison uttered not a word, but quickly turned upon his heel, drew a Spanish dagger, and plunged it to the hilt into the heart of Northcutt, who fell lifeless to the floor. The tragic event brought the ball to a sudden close. Harrison had the sympathy of all present and of the entire community. Public sentiment was so much in his favor that he was never arrested for the deed. The memory of the crime, however, seemed to overshadow his life. The slight eccentricity of the matter before-mentioned became, in later life, a distinguishing characteristic. He never married, abjured women’s society, and became, in fact, almost a recluse. He died, suddenly and alone, some two years since in Covington. In the years that followed, the mansion continued popular as a hostelry. When General Kirby Smith and his staff, among whom was Colonel J. M. Arnold; who is, at present, the freight agent for the Cincinnati Division Queen and Crescent Railway. In 1869 the house passed into the possession of Jerry R. Glenn, father of D. A. Glenn, the present Commonwealth’s Attorney of the Sixth Judicial District of Kentucky. With the occupancy of the house by Mr. Glenn, there was wont to gather under its hospitable roof; many men past the prime of life; who, having a taste for the chase, had not the leisure to indulge it; and with it the inevitable quiet game of cards after nightfall. Prominent among these was Major John A. Goodson, the father-in-law of Hon. John G. Carlisle. One evening in March 1869 Major Goodson whiled away the evening hours, as usual, and retired to his room. Presently, the report of a gunshot startled the inmates. Intuitively hastening to the room of Major Goodson, the same in which Ben Runyan had taken his life 40 years before, they found him lying upon the floor dead, shot through the heart. He had evidently placed the gun on the bed, knelt in front of it, and reaching the trigger with his cane, discharged the weapon. The act was attributed to heavy financial losses, incident to oil speculations in southern Kentucky. With the building of the L&N Railroad and the Cincinnati Southern Railways (CSR) to the front and rear of the mansion, the place was purchased by Robert Cleek and used, thereafter, only as a private residence. Shortly after this, young Joe Blackburn of Walton, while walking on the track of the Cincinnati Southern watching the passing of an L&N train, failed to hear the warning whistle of an approaching CSR train and was instantly killed in full view of the house. In the fall of 1877 Parker Mayo (a colored man), who was a prisoner for the alleged assault of a white woman, was taken from the sheriff of the county and hanged to an oak tree 300 yards north of the house. Under this same tree, Charles Smith (also colored) was hanged soon after. Smith had been alternately employed in the neighborhood by Lucien Stephens and Justice Hudson, and having been discharged by each, set fire to Hudson’s barn, heavily stocked with farm produce, cattle, and horses. While the family was endeavoring to save the stock from the burning barn, Smith robbed the house, ran to Lucien Stephens, fired his barn, and escaped into Indiana. With capture, “Judge Lynch” was the executioner. In 1863 the tollgate in the immediate vicinity was kept by Hugh Ingram. Some years previous to this, Ingram had been bitten by a mad dog. In mortal dread of hydrophobia, he often threatened suicide. Particularly was this noticeable with the recurrence of the date on which he was bitten. At one such time, slipping out of the tollhouse at night, unknown to his family, he took his life by hanging himself to the railroad bridge over the Cincinnati Southern, just a few yards distant from the old inn. In 1892 Miss Elizabeth Rice, the maiden sister of Mrs. Robert Cleek; who, at the time, lived on the place, committed suicide in the yard by pouring coal oil over her clothing and setting fire to it. Her mind was thought to be unbalanced. Twenty years before this, her father had burned himself to death in the same way. The property is, at present, owned and occupied by J. C. Byland, a nephew of William Northcutt, who was killed by Robert Harrison. An historical incident of some interest in connection with the place is that, in September 1876, the great prize fight between Joe Gross and Tom Allen for the world’s championship took place immediately south of and within 1,000 yards of the inn.

Now THAT'S EXCITING!

2011-04-12T00:17:00.002-04:00

I haven't lost interest in my blog....or taking photos....or scrapbooking.....or anything. Life is in one of those ebb and flow type periods where things are keeping my busy with other things. I won't lie, when it gets to the end of the last couple of weeks before Mike gets home from Africa again I start to drag. This time around I'm trying to do the normal stuff, work and also get the other house prepared to move in.

I have also been taking more 'everyday' photos on my phone camera. I remember reading an article awhile ago about how point and shoot cameras will be a thing of the past. People who still enjoy photography will still buy the bigger digital cameras (I still love mine) but they are hard to carry around sometimes. Plus I'll be honest that the weather has been so yucky for awhile now that I don't have much interest to go out and take any photos. That should change soon now that it is starting to warm up and things are growing all over the place!

I realized that I had my camera on the counter top that I had spent some time on today when I cleaned the kitchen. I was curious as to what was on the photo card, but took a quick picture of what I had just accomplished.....making lunches. Wow, do those Doritos look really bright or what? It's funny how each child has a favorite and I know the little details that make each one unique. Megan: ham and cheese, mayo, mustard. Sparkling apple drink (cans are allowed at the middle school/high school but not at Matthew's. Even if it is juice.) Trevor: plain ham. Mustard. Sparkling apple juice. Matthew: salami mommy sandwich, cheese, mayo and mustard. No crust. Favorite yogurt and juice. This was a pretty easy assembly line type lunch making. Sometimes it gets more complicated once I put fruit or vegetables into the mix. They each certainly have their favorites and things they definitely don't like. Lunches are a fun part of being a mom.

- and a photo of Koopa. LOL. I do have to admit that the turtles are so cute when they wake up in the morning. A few minutes after the heat lamp is turned on, if you go back and look you can see their two little heads poking out of the bedding. They stretch their necks in the warmth and slowly come out to bask for awhile. These two make me happy. :)

So sadly those are the only photos I've really taken in awhile. I promise to change that.

Updates soon!

An update for Wendy. Cuz I love her.

2011-03-25T17:11:00.003-04:00

Finally.....the story to go with the photos. Last night I was talking to my mom about this house and posted pictures for her to see. It was after midnight, so I didn't write anything about them. So here it is:

A little over a week ago Mike came into work with a picture on his phone. It was of this house. We weren't really actively looking for anything else yet.....but it is no secret that we absolutely hate the street we are on now. It's really been a downer for the past year. But, with the uncertainty of our future and where exactly we'll end up for good when Mike is able to have a job in the US again, we thought we'd try our best to stick with it. It wasn't going to be easy. But seeing that he found this place....gave me hope!

Long story short, he found this other house. In a much better neighborhood. In the same school district the kids are in so they don't have any major changes. More square footage, each child has their own room again, and it has the best deck off the back....ever! I plan on spending a lot of time out there this summer.

I admit, I'm excited about moving but not so much about the process of it all. We'll have movers, but even once everything is moved in, it always takes so much time to find everything again, find a home for it and then remember where you put it! I think I'm getting too old for this. lol. It's definitely a workout, but hello...I do not want to stay in the current house either! So at least we have a place that will feel like home and we'll figure out the rest after that.

These pictures aren't the greatest as it was a yucky day outside. I drive by all the time when I can and now there are daffodils all over the yard and the trees are actually trying to come back after winter. I think it will be beautiful when the trees fill in.

The yard is huge. I'm sure there will be a ton of fireflies this summer since at the bottom of the hill is a small creek. Behind the house is some land with horses on it. There is plenty of space and existing beds for planting pumpkins, tomatoes and flowers. Plus I plan on using the deck to grow things in containers. I plan on eating outside on the deck all the time, getting a swing and some chairs so we can sit around a fire pit and make smores. I love being outside when it comes to things like that.

So the next week will be full of packing what I can. Otherwise somebody else is coming in to pack. I'm also going over to paint for a few weeks before we officially move in when Mike comes back from Africa.

:)

2011-03-24T23:36:00.003-04:00

2011-03-17T22:25:00.002-04:00

SO weird how only a week ago we had snow. Today....bulbs are coming up all over the place like crazy.

So where have I been? Working, enjoying Mike being home, playing with kids, cleaning, and enjoying some warmer weather.

Just didn't want anybody thinking I had abandoned my blog. More updates and photos coming. Most of my photos I have taken lately are on my phone since I've left my camera at home and been part of the things going on. Once I figure out how to load them, I will.

Happy SPRING. Finally.

2011-02-25T18:59:00.004-05:00

I downloaded a few photos tonight and realized that today....the 25th....is the first day that I have taken any photos in February. That has to be a first in many, many years. It has been cold and I have not been in much of a mood to go out and take pictures because of it. Today though...is a BIG day. (These pictures were taken in such horrible light, I wish that pretty hair could stay until tomorrow. Plus I was lucky to get 5 seconds of her standing still before she was ready to go!)

Snowball dance! Megan has been talking about this since last year, when we moved here and she was still new to the school. We didn't really know about it and she didn't go. So a year later, this is all she could talk about since the date was set.

A good friend of mine from Kohl's is also going to cosmetology school. She is one of the sweetest girls ever. I asked her if she'd mind doing megan's hair for the dance since I am so hair challenged. Let's face it, if I were to do her hair, it would be in a ponytail, or ironed flat. Jessica made her look like a princess. She brought a bag full of all sorts of professional goodies to our house.

Pretty much the second she was done getting dressed, she was so excited to be dropped off at the dance. I think she was one of the first few there. She's meeting a group of her friends and then afterwards is going to a restaurant in town with a few of them and parents. (I don't know if I was invited....lol....I figured I'd let her have her night.)

It seems like so long ago since we were shopping for this dress. It was actually when my mom was here visiting. Megan was so excited, and has had it hanging on the back of her door since then. Every now and then she'd try it on, or she'd just stare at it. I think she looks beautiful. :)

The dance is appropriately named, since this morning we had more snow. Ugh. Last week was beautiful and in the 60s. Sunny and perfect outdoor weather. I had all these great plans to go for walks and start running again as soon as Mike got home. This week we have returned to cold temps, rain and snow. Luckily, I had bought a pretty jacket/shrug thingie that she can wear over this dress so she doesn't freeze.

What we're watching......

2011-02-11T08:54:00.007-05:00

TV shows come and go. Some define the moments in our lives. This week is a TV week!

A current favorite that we can't miss is Police Women of Cincinnati. Those girls are tough. Plus it's cool to see the overhead shots of the city. OK, but really.....you can't judge an entire city on these shows. Cincinnati is not as horrible as you'd think simply by watching. Much like last year when they did Policewomen of Maricopa County. What they show isn't the Phoenix that I know.

- But I LOVE the architecture of Cincinnati. Sadly, so much of the old buildings are in the worst areas. The kids make fun of me because when they show some of these run down buildings these women are chasing some drug dealer into, I always say, "Oh look at how beautiful that building is!" You can see all the old moulding, the details in ironwork, the lead glass and pretty tiles from back when they were probably mansions, now divided into several apartments and multi meth head units. Sometimes you just have to overlook the crack pipes and prostitutes and appreciate the history. lol.

I should mention how the other night I was going to set the new season of Survivor on season pass on the DVR.

When I was scrolling on the guide, I noticed that Blue's Clues was on Nick. I don't know what made me do it, but I hit select and it popped on. I wanted a peek at what used to consume so much time in our lives years ago. I haven't' seen Blue or Steve in ages! Matthew and Trevor heard it and came out from where they were playing......like moths to a flame. They sat on the couch next to me and we watched the last 15 minutes together.

I told both of them how much they used to love this show. (Even though of course now they are too cool, and were mocking how simple Blue's Clues really is.) I told them stories about how during this time in their lives we had several Handy Dandy Notebooks, striped shirts because they looked like Steve's, and how many late nights we'd watch a Blue's Clues video because when we were up sick with asthma, a 20 minute episode is about how long a breathing treatment took. We'd sit there at 2 in the morning.....with a tube in a mouth and that loud machine buzzing away.

It was fun to go back in time a little bit.

For the past ten years, twice a year, our lives revolved around SURVIVOR. Once again, welcome back Jeff. You are like family.

THEN........

Phil from the Amazing Race, he's back too.

Not only is Survivor starting a new season, but the BEST is when both Survivor AND The Amazing Race are on at the same time!! (Can you feel my excitement!?!?!) I love it when their seasons overlap and twice in a week we have 'our shows.' The shows where we all look forward to some serious couch time. We take our competition and favorite teams on these as seriously as some people take football.

It is Friday, which also means that it is SOUP night. Another weekly television tradition. :)

warm winter food

2011-02-04T22:01:00.004-05:00

Image taken from web...from the recipe I made. I really need to charge my camera battery.

Trust me....this does not happen often. I have been in the mood to cook. Mike made a big batch of chili and some chicken tortilla soup before he left, and I froze it in single portions so that I could easily heat up a bowl when I wanted to warm up and eat something yummy.

All of that is long gone. I always felt so good sitting down and heating up a quick lunch and sitting down on the couch and watching something on tv. A chance to relax and think about Mike, and me eating something he left for me. Makes for a warm tummy and heart. :)

Earlier this week I took the kids to the library to pick up a book that Trevor had on hold. I picked up a couple of issues of Cooking Light (a magazine I always liked, but did a lot of reading through when I was in the hospital last year.) There was one issue that I was reading and didn't get a chance to write anything down from it. It was one that I checked out at the library.

I leave the magazine in my car for when I am waiting for Megan and Trevor to get out of school. I will sit there and flip through it, and read what sounds good. Usually I mark these pages and show them to Mike and tell him "this sounds good." Then he'll make it. (I'm spoiled, I know.) But right now, believe it or not, I have been in the mood to cook. Big batches of stuff.

I was already quite proud of myself this past week after making chicken in a crock pot. We had some for dinner, then i used the left overs to shred and make street tacos with. I loved how easy it was to warm up a corn tortilla and put in some already cooked chicken. Then I'd cut up a bit of avocado, some cilantro, onion, lemon and hot sauce. Yum.

I still had some chicken left over and actually found in my pantry most of the things needed to make posole. It clicked. For a brief moment I felt INSPIRED. I can do this. I had a recipe in one of the Cooking Light issues that I had dogeared too.

It smells pretty good if I do say so myself. I realize this isn't a fancy recipe, but it's baby steps for me because I actually enjoyed making it. I can cook, I just don't enjoy it. - I am making a big pot to eat over the weekend, and maybe into next week....when even MORE snow is coming.

I'm about done with snow. It's not cute anymore. At least until next year when I'll be happy to see it come around again.

2011-02-02T09:52:00.004-05:00

Sitting out the storm today. Really there isn't much going on outside other than it is cold, and this morning very windy. Yesterday our driveway was covered in ice, but the road to school was fine. My house is clean, kids are in school and I am off today, so I figured I would do a little scrapping.

I'm sitting here with a space heater aimed at my feet (and sharing with Piper, who is in her usual spot underneath the desk) and a hot McDonalds coffee. Which I found out because of a leftover Dove Bliss chocolate heart, that if you leave that in your mouth while you take a sip of coffee... tastes like pure heaven.

I also just realized that today is an 'anniversary' of sorts. We have been in this house for a year. It has been a long year. lol. But the good thing is, that means one year is behind me and things are changing.....I'm looking forward to seeing where I am at one year from today!

2011-01-31T23:11:00.003-05:00

Image taken from the web.
Why is it when a huge winter storm is on the way people rush to the store to buy eggs, milk and bread? Because we all eat french toast apparently.

Another storm is on the way. This one is supposed to be ugly with a lot of ice. I am stocked up on groceries and cleaning products. The last I heard the brunt of this one is supposed to be a bit further north than where we are. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it stays that way. I'd really like for the kids to have a full week of school. At the rate they are going, they will be staying all the way into October!

I am ancy about spring. Maybe it's the retail world and seeing the new colors, shorts and bathing suits....across from the winter coats. lol.

Brrrr.

2011-01-21T22:51:00.002-05:00

Nothing like getting into your car after work and seeing that it is 5 degrees outside.

I am so confused as to what day of the week it is too. The kids have had the past two days off of school due to snow. We got eight inches of it yesterday. - This is also during the same week that they had Monday off due to the holiday. A two day school week is not too shabby!

Megan went over to a friend's house today to go sledding. I actually had to drop her off at the end of the driveway because the house is on a hill and there is no way anything but a 4WD could make it up the slippery driveway. The boys and I stayed inside all day and watched shows on the Food Network and Travel Channel. We like to watch food shows together. Trevor always gets inspired by whatever we watch. I think the boy is going to grow up to be a good cook like his daddy. :)

Feeling nostalgic.

2011-01-17T18:45:00.003-05:00

Image above taken from the web.

Well.....my scrapping and writing has slowed down quite a bit over the past year. It's not that I don't enjoy it anymore, and really I don't consider myself to be a good writer at all....in fact I know that my sentence structure or punctuation is not going to pass any English class rules....and I have even been known to start a sentence with BUT (which I realize is not proper, and I do always pause before using it.....but.....I write on my blog like I would speak, casually.) I have to remember this is for me.

It's more just to jot things down as I think about them. My picture taking even slows down this time of year. Not sure why, other than maybe like some others have suggested it is that December is such a photo full month. Not to mention that it is usually cold out in January. lol.

So, back to the writing. I feel like so much has happened over the past year and I've let it slip by. I found a place for some daily journaling prompts. Some I like, some I don't. Some just don't pertain to me at all. Some I stop and think, "Wow. I really do want to remember some of that stuff but don't really think I want to devote an entire scrapbook page to it."

So, this is something that I hope to continue through this new year. When I don't have much else going on to blog about, I may just write down a few things that come to my mind from the list of prompts.

One I chose from this past week was:

Think of the place that you consider to be home, even if you don't live there anymore. Why is that place "home"? What events/people make it home?

This answer may change, in fact as time goes by here, I hope that this will be a different answer. As of now, the place that I still consider "home" is Arizona. Even though I was born in Florida, spent some time in Southern California as a child, and currently live in Kentucky.

I did the most of my growing up in Phoenix, Arizona. My family is still there, I went to school there, met Mike there, got married there, had children there. I lived there for a few decades and had been around to see so many changes.

The cotton and corn fields that I used to ride my horse through are now six lanes of paved road that run through one of the busiest areas of Chandler. I have seen street names change from Indian names to the more politically correct versions, seen local stores come and go, can recognize the smell of a monsoon storm or never take for granted the bit of cool air and the amazing smell of the orange groves in the spring. I understand the good fortune of finding a parking space under a small palo verde tree even if it only gives the illusion of a cooler temperature and often times is a farther walk than finding a close parking spot near the door of a store. - Or driving with pot holders. Or that brief moment when you have been frozen to death in a restaurant with great air conditioning in August and you sit inside your 150 degree car before your a/c starts....and it actually feels GOOD.
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Just the sound of cicadas can make it instantly feel 10 degrees hotter. Burning the bottoms of your feet on the sand at Big Surf. Riding a bike miles to the store. (The hills here aren't conducive to casual bike riding!)
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Never understanding the idea of a 'snow day.' Being able to play outside in 60 degree weather with new toys on Christmas day. A quick getaway to San Diego. Saguaro cactus, in ground pools and real Mexican food.
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The energy of downtown Phoenix during a game, the history of Mill Avenue, the sound of small aircraft and being a part of that sound and seeing the area from the air. A city big enough for U2 to visit many times, multiple Targets and movie theaters, Peter Piper Pizza and anything ending in -ertos. Like Filabertos!
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I love my new home in Kentucky, and as we plant roots here I know that things will change. I can list a thousand things I already love about here. Ironically I did always want to live in Kentucky when I was a horse loving girl. I think it is strange that someday my kids without a second thought will consider this 'home' as they live and learn more about the area, go to school here and grow up here. It is hard for me to shake that in my heart....Arizona is still "home."

Snow day number two

2011-01-12T20:42:00.003-05:00

above: Trevor heading up the hill.

Another snow day! This time at least the school made the announcement the night before. For some reason our district is always the last in the county to announce if the school is going to be closed.

At least this time instead of getting the call in the early morning, the school had made the calls the night before. We took advantage of that and stayed up kind of late, and slept in today. Mike made breakfast, then shoveled the driveway again. He did this yesterday, but even by yesterday afternoon you couldn't tell that he had spent all that time out there clearing it. It snowed all day and night.

After digging ourselves out, we went to the hill.

above: Trevor after doing quite an awesome flip sort of dismount. Luckily no broken bones.
above: Matthew, who really was having a great time but looking at this photo...he looks somewhat scared.
above: Megan, who wins for sliding the farthest.

above: The van. I still am in love with the van. It did kill me to have snowy, wet feet in it. I have to remind myself that it is only water and nothing a trip to the car wash with a high power hose won't clean out of floor mats. I do have my rubber winter mats in the front for now. But isn't it pretty in the snow? :)
above: there's a car under there. Somewhere.

As nice as having two days off midweek has been...I am sure the kids will be going to school tomorrow. The snowplows have been busy and you can hear them everywhere. The roads where we live have been clear all day. The rural roads getting cleared are the ones that dictate whether or not there will be school tomorrow.....so we'll see!

Mike made the best rueben sandwiches and greek salad for dinner tonight and we'll all sit down to watch Modern Family in a bit. We were all pretty productive in finishing up a bit more laundry and completely going through all of the bedrooms upstairs. Clean feels so good!

Not much going on....little details of today.

2011-01-11T20:30:00.005-05:00

Snow day. :)

This is one of the best ones. I am off from work until Friday, Mike is still home, the kids are all home, we are stocked up on things to eat, movies to watch and no place we really need to be. These are the best!

Laundry is getting done, house is clean. :)

I just went outside to take some trash out (really I just wanted to stand in the snow and watch it come down.) and the street looks so pretty right now. Those who have been here know that is a rare thing....lol....but the snow has covered everything including the street and everything is untouched. For once I can say that it really looks beautiful.

Right now I am baking some cream cheese filled cinnamon breadsticks that are making the house smell wonderful.

By the looks of the weather....tomorrow will be another day off from school.

A collective sigh......

2011-01-06T20:13:00.003-05:00

Dang. Who is happy that the holidays are over? ME ME ME!

They were nice. There were nice surprises, nice memories and all that, but it was a whirlwind. Somebody I work with said exactly what I felt. That we had been putting out Christmas decorations in September at work (I actually had missed the overnight of putting up Christmas trees and all of the holiday decoration displays since I was still recovering from surgery at the time, so I remember exactly when those went up....then came back to work with Christmas trees all over.)
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However....we had been looking and dealing with Christmas for so many months, and trying to get through the season with the whole retail madness.....that by the time it was all over......it felt like we missed it. I mean really....Valentine's Day stuff is already out so that whole Christmas thing was a blur.

Ours was nice though. Mike ended up being home for it, which for a week or so we didn't think was going to happen. He is doing a contract job ferrying a new airplane overseas in his off month from his regular job when he is supposed to be off and home for a month.
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We were bummed about the possibility of him missing Christmas, but a financial boost was hard to say no to.
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Long story....and this IS the internet.....but he was home for the holidays! Nice. :)

I am putting together a Daily December book to remember all of the details from the last month.
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So.....
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Thank you to the above mentioned job, we have a new car. All mine. A 2004 Mazda MPV. This came about with a trip to Indianapolis to take a look at one that was found with everything that I could have asked for. The best is....it is clean. Oh, so clean! It looks brand spanking new inside and out. It was privately owned, so we got an amazing deal on it. I enjoyed the road trip back to Kentucky in it the other night.
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2011. I am happy to see it and hope everybody has a happy and healthy one! It is already looking up here. :)

snow messages and low batteries.

2010-12-22T11:00:00.004-05:00

This was a message I found in the snow when I opened the blinds to the back deck the other morning. :)

Mike called me from New York this morning. I had my cell phone laying on the bed after I talked to him. I went about some morning stuff, took a shower and sat on the bed for a minute. I hear my phone make a noise. I look at it and the screen is telling me "battery low." I laughed for a second and said, "I know the feeling." My battery is low too. Working this season has been a little rough. I keep thinking that it will be over soon, and that I am grateful it's only a temporary thing. Seriously, staying open until midnight.....and people STILL come to the door 10 minutes after you have locked the doors.

Only a few more days until Christmas. I think I am done with shopping, but have really dropped the ball on getting things out in the mail. I really have not had time. I know this sounds awful and like an excuse, but I work, I come home and sleep, I try to do important errands in the few hours in between getting the kids to school and returning to work again. My good intentions of picking out Christmas cards at the beginning of December fell through. They still need attention. I hope to get to those later today while I am sitting on the couch with Mike and catching up on some missed TV. (I haven't even watched the reunion show from Survivor this past week! I KNOW! ME! I live for Survivor.)

Christmas spirit.

OK, I forgot to mention that last night as I was working on the register that I am grateful for a job at a place that I am allowed to say "Merry Christmas" to people. It's a small thing really. I remember the first times I had somebody say it to me here I always stumbled on what to say in return. I think over the past several years (and maybe some of it is geography, and it was more confusing on the West coast compared to here) I never knew how to react to a simple gesture from somebody wishing me a Merry Christmas. I never thought of it as somebody pushing religious beliefs on me, but rather a nice wish for a special season. And Season's Greetings never gave me that warm fuzzy feeling as much as something I grew up used to....Merry Christmas.

Also, I can't say that it is necessarily in the spirit of Christmas because really Kentucky people are a certain type of people. They like to talk. They like to be polite (for the most part) and like to be helpful and courteous to others. It's definitely something I have noticed since being here and having spent so much of my life in Phoenix. There is a different vibe here. I can tell you only TWO stories of somebody being an all out jerk to me. But when I have been stuck for one reason or another, there are always people willing to go above and beyond.

He won't see this....but I am thankful for Tim. I went to take some papers to the kids' school that Trevor forgot to take with him earlier. Returning to my car, it wouldn't start. Ugh. Battery issue. Ironically after posting about my phone battery this morning too. I think a theme for the day is to recharge ALL batteries around here. Phone, car, body and mind.

Anyway....after calling Mike in a frantic freak out while he is sitting in a terminal at JFK, (sorry Mike. lol) I go back into the school office. The secretary calls somebody she knows, and a man with a huge work truck comes to the school. He's a local guy that everybody except me must know. He is like the Walton go to guy. He pops out with a toolbox and looks at the car. Fixes a loose cable on my battery and the car starts. Christmas miracle. He was so nice. He only drove out to help me after the secretary had called. Thank you Tim!
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While this was going on, Megan made a new friend. We overheard a mom and her daughter in the office at the school. This girl just moved here from the district we used to live in. She went to the same middle school Megan did, and heard that she was in the 7th grade. This girl looked just like Megan did this time last year when we moved down here....nervously waiting in the lobby of the school and trying to peek into the hallways. We broke the ice by saying that she'll like the principal at this school much better than her old one. The girl seemed a bit more relieved that somebody was talking to her.

When we were leaving the parking lot the girl and her mom got into their car and the girl waved at Megan. They waved at each other and when the mom accidentally set off the alarm on her car both girls laughed and waved again. Megan said she'd look for her when they go back to school so she'll feel comfortable knowing somebody right away. That's one thing I love about Megan....she is compassionate. Such a good girl. (With a really messy room right now. hint hint....)

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I think I need to go visit my friend June at the Richwood Mcdonalds and get a soda to kick start this day off.

I know tonight is one of those nights where I will finally feel like I can breathe. Everybody will be under one roof and things are beginning to level out. :) and yes....get those cards in the mail!!!

Snow day!! - and dorky the snow dog.

2010-12-16T10:41:00.003-05:00

Well we knew it was coming. It was so strange after yesterday being a nice day with sun and bright blue sky to think that the next day would be so....not. It doesn't bum me out though because I really like the changes in weather as often as it happens here. - and I still kind of like the snow.
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Everybody was talking about this big storm coming. It was supposed to get ugly. Lots of snow and ice. 100% chance. There was no getting around it or 'hoping'...it was going to happen. Of course the stores were crazy. Even work last night.....I guess people trying to finish up Christmas shopping early if we get stuck for a few days before Christmas and people couldn't get out easily.
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I ended up at the register more than my department last night simply because it was so busy. Everybody would plop down their purchases saying the same thing, "Almost done....shopping before the storm gets here....etc." On top of toys, housewares and stuff....there's always the people who find themselves without winter gear. Like me...who has come home almost every night from work with gloves, hats, earmuffs, snow pants.....etc. Every day is like Christmas coming home from work lately. lol.
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Teachers at the schools yesterday were already talking as if there wasn't school the next day. The bus driver even said to Matthew, "See you on Friday!"
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Of course they couldn't make it easy and announce it last night before bed, making it a frenzy of the kids putting jammies on inside out, flushing ice down the toilet and sleeping with spoons under their pillows. Then the phone rang at 5:00 this morning. Even when you expect it, being woken up by a ringing phone from sleep scares you. I picked it up and heard that school was closed. Then went back to bed, got all warm.....and the phone rang again. Telling me school was closed again. Ugh.
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I have to go in for a few hours today so I went out to shovel the driveway. Plus if we are expecting more snow tonight, at least I will have gotten 5 inches of the stuff ahead of the game. This is Piper's favorite thing.
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As much as I threaten to send her away to my parent's house in Phoenix this time of year (more because of us having to wait while she sniffs and plays when she is let out in the morning) I think this dog looks forward to this time of year. She sits in Megan's room and stares out the window when it snows. She just sits there still and watches it.
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She goes nuts when somebody has the shovel. That is when it is time for serious play. She'll hear that door open and she bolts out the door and plows her face through new snow and leaps like a deer.

She will stand near you, crouch or circle you while you shovel. She'll even bite at the snow you are trying to scoop up. She LOVES when you fling a shovel full on her.

snow day...continued.

2010-12-16T10:37:00.003-05:00

Just in case you thought this was animal abuse....she is definitely asking for more. ;)

I loooove this picture.

again...again...again....

Finally I threw a snowball at the bush and she spent a long time looking for it. That is about the only way to get rid of her for enough time to actually do productive shoveling.

Snow day.....day 13

2010-12-13T21:00:00.002-05:00

The kids had a snow day today. The first one of the season. We'll see how many we end up with since this is supposedly going to be a very cold and snowy winter.

We have done gingerbread houses every year, but I have gotten smart and started buying them early and hiding them until we had a day off from school. They are a good snow day craft. In the past I have bought one big house that all three work on, but this year I was excited to find a kit that had five small houses in it. Each one got to pick out a house and have one of their own. It works out perfect because they each have their own style. Matthew is very meticulous about his house. Trevor.....not so much. His kind of looks like somebody shot at it with a paintball gun by the time he was done with it. The way the red frosting came out of the bag and on to the roof I thought looked like he was trying to build Chilis.

Megan went with very simple decor this year and glued the sides and roof together, frosted the top and lined chocolate chips along the roof.

The boys both went out and played for a long time today. There is a small hill at the end of the road where they spent most of the afternoon with a couple of friends. Luckily friends who have extra sleds. (I think they are getting sleds for Christmas this year since I keep seeing them at Kroger and make a mental note that we need a couple.)

No snow day planned for tomorrow....and after two whole days off I go into work for a few hours.

2010-12-12T23:56:00.002-05:00

I'm not doing such a good job with my Daily December project like I had hoped. I do have stories to write down, but in a way that is the point of my blog too. A place to keep these stories. I'll have to go back and put it all together sometime after Christmas.

So....

Lots of snow today. I had the day off (on a weekend day!) which is totally strange right now. I am not complaining one bit.....and believe it or not I have tomorrow off too. Thankfully....because tonight while we were watching the finale of The Amazing Race the kids were anxiously watching the crawl at the bottom of the screen waiting to see the name of their school. Sure enough....school is closed for tomorrow. So our big plans are to sleep in a bit, do some work around the house and then decorate some small gingerbread houses that I bought earlier to work on. It's perfect for a day where we will be stuck inside.

We have milk, bread, chocolate and driveway heat.

Today the boys went to the park with a friend and went sledding. Just in time too as I had brought home some new hard core waterproof gloves for all the kids from work the night before.

I still love watching snow. I stood outside in my coat and watched it fall for a little bit. It's so quiet. I never get tired of that weird quiet. It's so pretty.

Day 8...Christmas mail and turtles!

2010-12-08T13:51:00.002-05:00

There seems to be a theme... since yesterday had photos with turtles too. Turtles are pretty much the thing around here having a boy who has been obsessed with them for as long as I can remember. I've always like them too. Also.... I LOVE boxes. I love containers of all kinds. I love to put boxes inside of boxes. I can't get enough of them. Add my love for boxes with a love for turtles and you get the ultimate: Turtle box.

This is a great time of year to check the mail. It's not always junk mail or bills, and you instantly recognize a handwritten address on a different shaped envelope from the rest in your box. Christmas cards. I love them. They are always fun to get and they get taped on the backside of our front door every year for display.

Christmas packages are the best! I remember the excitement when I was a kid and knowing that my grandma had sent a huge cardboard box FULL of wrapped presents that we'd be allowed to open on Christmas Eve. But they were the presents that were allowed to sit under the tree until Christmas. They were the ones that you were allowed to sit near the tree for weeks - and shake, and guess what was in them. The suspense killed me each year.

I just got back from the store and noticed a small box on my porch. The item inside was not wrapped....so in my opinion that means I don't have to wait until Christmas right? I opened it and did a girlie high pitch squeal! Such cuteness contained in a little box!

That is a little bit of leftover snow on the deck off the back of the house in the background...(and a very dry hand that needs some lotion!)
My mom and dad recently went to Hawaii (twice this year...once for a first time there vacation, the next to celebrate Thanksgiving the Hawaiian way.) This was one of the little treasures that they found over there. I know my mom and how she includes little notes or something. There has never been a gift or anything that didn't include some sort of 'thing' or dollar bill or something in a pocket. I opened it and saw two little bags of sand from Hawaii. Which is so cool, and goes with my 'sand, dirt and rock' collection from other areas around the world.

Blue sky today and remnants of snow left on the ground. Work tonight....and surprisingly not getting tired of the Christmas music that the store plays. Survivor tonight, snuggling on the couch with the kids.....and a day off tomorrow to start some Christmas shopping. Including A TREE.

Day 7.

2010-12-07T15:09:00.003-05:00

Not really Christmassy....but definitely a sign of the season. When it is cold outside, and the sun is out, we like to sit by the glass door and feel the warmth. It's a good time to get the tortoises out too. They had a little bathtub soak and then some time in the sun. Kind of a spa day for torts.
I think Jet must know without a doubt that she belongs to Trevor. She loves him as much as a tortoise can show affection I suppose. When he is in the room she finds him and burrows into him. I guess he is warm. She stays for a long time. Koopa comes and goes. He has places to go and potato sacks to climb.

There is still some snow on the ground, and I took the kids to school during flurries this morning, but the sun is out. A nice break from the gray skies for the past couple of days. It's still pretty to see things covered in snow.

I swear the turtles did this on their own. I was laughing at how long they stayed there looking at the pillow. I imagine they sound something like this:

"What does that say?"
"I don't know I can't read."

Cute little Jet monster enjoying the sun.

I have actually kept up with my daily December, but not so much in photos each day. I have done some writing that will go into my little album of the month. Just so you don't think I'm a slacker. ;)

Daily....day 4

2010-11-26T00:41:00.004-05:00

Snow! Real snow. The accumulating kind. The kind that makes it's own type of snow emergency.... not the type you can't be on the roads in.....but the type that causes a huge indoor frenzy trying to find all of the stuff that you packed away since last year so you can get out and play in it. Part of the stuff is in the basement, part in closets, and part because I was able to plan better this year and get some things on clearance over the summer just waiting for a day like today. Only I didn't find it fast enough. So out the boys run without scarves or gloves.

Last night was the BIG Walton Christmas parade on Main. I was grumpy at work before needing to take Megan to meet up with her friends at one of the churches so they could line up for the parade. It was cold yesterday, and honestly after working all day I didn't want to be out in the cold, but instead sitting on my couch with a Friday night snack and watching The Soup. I was hoping they would move the Christmas parade to a Halloween/Christmas parade next year. Doing outdoor things at night when it is cold still frightens me a little.

Megan was in a group of people from her school walking dogs for the animal shelter. So Megan walked Piper in the parade.

Trevor opted for staying home while Matthew and I were dropping Megan off. Because of the main street being closed, we had to park somewhat farther away and walk to the meeting point. It ended up not being bad temperature wise because all of the businesses on Main had fire pits outside where you could stand near them and warm up. Also, many businesses had free food and hot chocolate. It really was a neat thing to go to, and maybe next year we'll be better prepared. It's always funny when you start to know people where you live too. I know many from the kids' schools, from work, and people that I recognize as frequent shoppers from work. It made this seem like a big block party.

Matthew and I walked back towards the car but stopped in many places along the way to have a bowl of chili and cornbread, or soup, smores that the fire department was making (they had quite the bonfire going with several of the guys roasting marshmallows for fast smore making.) Hot chocolate, cider.... lots of stuff. There were a lot of horses, and a lot of things decorated with Christmas lights. It actually was pretty festive. Next year we'll stay longer.

Megan had a good time walking in the parade. Actually by the time Matthew and I had wound our way through all of the food and fire pits, we met Megan at the end of the route. It worked out perfectly. She went home with a couple of friends and ended up spending the night.

(I'll add those photos soon. For day 2 and 3.) Or do them all in one catch up post.

One more photo of T. Matthew had run off to play with Lego men in the snow at this point.

daily december....day 1.

2010-11-26T00:41:00.003-05:00

I'm going to give it a try. Nothing like going from one extreme of feeling like you have nothing to blog about....to a project of taking at least one photo a day during the month of December. BUT it is the 1st of the month and I'm pretty proud that I remembered to start it on time this year.
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Things have been going along as usual. Work, Mike has left and is back in Africa for the time being. He will be home before Christmas. The kids are good and doing well, happy and content in school. Health is good and I have to be reminded about the whole surgery thing not long ago. That has to be a good sign right? Feeling better than ever. Also trying to make my way through my first year of retail at Christmastime.
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Matthew stayed home with me today after a horrible night of asthma. So far being here, when one of the boys has an attack it doesn't seem to linger as long as it used to when we lived in Phoenix. It used to always mark the beginning of a long, sick week. He needed the extra sleep that he got this morning, and he's doing much better now.
*
So today I took him out for lunch, and to go for a drive to see some SNOW. It has been snowing all day. Only about 1/2 inch has stuck, but I love driving through it when the roads are still in good shape. Photos never show how much it is snowing though, which is a bummer. We were excited to watch big, huge flakes hitting the windshield.

My favorite: Richwood Road. This road never gets boring.

We had to stop to see these two. They must not be used to people stopping as much as the horses we used to visit all the time in Triple Crown. These two came cantering up to us.

Matthew getting out to say hello.

I'll be leaving to pick up Trevor in a few, and then back to the school to pick Megan up. She is staying after for a cooking club that she is in at school. She was so excited when the papers came home for it. They get to use the kitchen classroom in the high school. I am looking forward to hearing about what they made today.

Matthew's glasses

2010-11-18T20:54:00.002-05:00

He looks so cute I want to smush him.

Not long ago Matthew was complaining about reading and how it seemed like he was reading the same line over and over. It was time for an eye exam anyway. Long story short.....he needed glasses.

We picked up his new glasses today, and he was so excited! Apparently now it is cool to have glasses....so he'll be cool tomorrow with his new look. He was not only excited about getting to wear them, but was so worried that he wouldn't get a case to keep them in at night so he can take care of them. He piped up and asked the lady at the store if he could please have a box to put them in. He picked out a cool blue Sketchers case to put his cool dark blue glasses in. He seems very particular about taking care of them so far.

I just think he looks adorable. More photos soon!

Still here....

2010-11-08T13:31:00.002-05:00

I'm still here. I haven't been the best blogger for a long time. It's not that I have lost interest....but life has been crazy, and busy, and different, and I'm tired. I'm probably in a bit of a funk when it comes to taking pictures too. I don't always have to be going somewhere to want to take them, but let's face it....right now we are BORING. Even the everyday stuff that I love so much. Life is going by fast lately, and as much as that should be a reminder for taking more photos, I haven't been.
*
I have loved having Mike home for the past month. We've been catching up on things we've wanted to get done around the house, spending time together and as a family, and having company. Both my mom and Mike's parents have been out for a visit.
*
Our birthday season is over for another year. October is always a blur with all of our birthdays. Halloween....etc. I was at work for Halloween this year and Mike and my mom took the kids out. Well, Megan and Trevor....and some of Megan's friends. Matthew opted for trick or treating with a neighbor friend of his.
*
I wasn't into Halloween much this year. I never got out any decorations. I'm usually much more excited about it. I'm not really into where we are living at the moment, and I'm sure that had something to do with it. It doesn't feel like home, and knowing that we will be moving out of it makes it that much harder to try to turn it into one. Plus again....just tired. Matthew did bring up a haunted house and a big bendy tree that I have (which was my mom and Mike's favorite since they kept getting snagged on the branches of the tree as they walked by the table that Matthew had last left it on. It kind of made me laugh as each time they would grumble how much they hated that tree.) The only reason those got brought up from the basement is that Matthew wanted to use them to play with his Lego guys.
*
We did carve some small pumpkins. I don't know....for me Halloween lost some of it's magic this year. It's just been a very stressful year and I'm sure we will be back to normal next year.
*
It has been getting cold already, and last week we had a chance of flurries. I think I am ready for snow. I still get a bit giddy when the first snow happens. Snowflakes are cool.
*
That's about it from here. Not much of an update, and I hope to get back to a normal blogging routine again soon.
*
Photo above taken at Steak and Shake. For as long as we have been here and eaten there (thanks to kids eat free on weekends!) Matthew finishes his meal and goes to sit at the counter to watch the guys making hamburgers. It keeps him entertained for a long time.

Below: layout with some random photos taken over the summer.

Party of five.

2010-10-22T21:51:00.003-04:00

We have a magnet on our refrigerator that has all these different faces on it, and you are supposed to move a small black frame onto how you are feeling for that day. I forget about it most of the time, or leave it in between emotions. But last night I officially moved it to HAPPY.
^
I had gotten a quick IM from Mike yesterday that he was shutting down his computer and would call me when he got to New York in the morning. He flew all night from Lagos to NY. I went to bed and felt good knowing he'd be home the next day.
*
This morning we got up and the kids went to school. I heard from Mike early that he had a long story but was able to make it on the flight and would be home. I watched flightaware and tracked his flight from NY to DC, then on to Cincinnati.
&
I left for the airport and waited for about 20 minutes before the screens said that his flight had landed! I was so excited!! I waited at the top of the escalator waiting for everybody to make their way up from the gates. It's funny because the way you look down, all you can see is feet for several steps before you see the whole person come out. I noticed that I always recognize Mike's feet and his gait how he walks. Sure enough... I spotted his feet. :) That is 20 years of marriage.
k
That escalator ride up from the bottom floor to the waiting area is painfully long when you are waiting for somebody! I stood there trying not to jump out of my shoes, like a little girl! Finally he made it up, stepped to the side and I got a kiss. Then we went over to wait for his luggage.
*
He's home.
*
The kids were so excited to see him after they got out from school. I know he was so tired from the time difference and traveling for so many hours. After awhile we ended up taking a quick nap on the couch while we waited for Matthew to come home. Matthew never comes in the house quietly after a day of school. Usually he opens the door and says something to make sure everybody knows he's home. - I heard him come through the door, loud as usual, and woke up. It startled me at first to realize that I had my head on Mike's lap. The first few days are always so strange. It always feels like a dream.
*
So of course we're getting used to the time difference again....which means he stays up as late as he possibly can. Tonight he made it to 9:00, 2:00 a.m. in Africa. Even going into our room it still feels strange to see him asleep on the bed.
*
I'm glad this year he gets to be home during the fall. He missed it the past two years. It is such a pretty season around here. I can't wait for him to see some of it. The last things we had done together were enjoying the motorcycle rides during the summer and then my surgery. It finally feels like life is normal.
*
I'm posting a couple of layouts from the two birthdays this month. The one of Matthew has a white background, which always posts weird. I'll be working on another one of his birthday with his presents and his big shopping trip that he has been patiently waiting to take with Mike to the Lego store tomorrow.

Happy birthday Matthew!!!

2010-10-21T19:31:00.002-04:00

I LOVE this boy!!

He had eight candles on his cake....but he wanted one more wish. Hey, that is ok with me. Can you have enough wishes on your birthday?

I think Matthew had a good day today. He was so excited to wake up and have presents on the table. Before school he got: a lego set, several Star Wars figures (I saved R2 for his cake as a surprise.) a cool camo dog tag necklace and some Star Wars jammies.

I took cookies and birthday plates into his school....which he had picked out the day before at the store. He came home with a bunch of cookies and told me that he hadn't eaten one. I asked him why not and he said, "My teacher said that they had peanuts in them."

"Um, no...why would I send you to school with birthday treats for your class and you not be able to have one? Let alone, why would I buy anything with peanuts??"

Apparently they were a little freaked out that the label said that these may have been baked on equipment that had come in contact with peanuts. Ugh, a label that is on EVERYTHING. I am glad they were cautious with his allergy, but really??? Would I send in cookies that he wouldn't be able to eat on his birthday? Oh well....

Today may be the official birthday, but we'll be celebrating tomorrow. TOMORROW Mike comes home, and we'll go out to dinner. - and we'll make sure he gets an extra piece of cake to make up for the missing cookie.

And thus concludes the birthday season......lol.

These little feet....

2010-10-20T15:05:00.002-04:00

are going to be EIGHT years old tomorrow.

The weird thing is, I remember when Trevor turned eight here in Kentucky. It really doesn't seem like we've been here that long. - Matthew just cannot be turning eight. Sorry Matthew, but you are still the baby and forever in my mind as four or five years old. I just can't get used to eight.

I went out today and got some things for tomorrow. He wanted a chocolate cake, so I got all of the makings for it. Plus birthday paper plates for his classroom tomorrow to share cookies with his classmates, PLUS a few surprises. A lego set, some star wars guys and a dog tag necklace. (He's very into military stuff and was wanting one a long time ago, but i was never able to find one.) Today I stumbled upon one and knew that it was meant to be. I think he'll be surprised.

ALSO!
*

Mike comes home on Friday!!!!! I can't contain my excitement! I am giddy! The best part is that he'll be home in the afternoon, so I will be able to pick him up from the airport before the kids get home so we can enjoy a lunch together. Then we'll have a family dinner to celebrate all of the October birthdays.

He's going to be surprised by the weather here. He's been in Africa and has told me about how hot it has been. It is so beautiful here with the fall. I'm glad this year he gets to be home while the leaves are actually falling and we can drive around and look at the pretty trees.

Also, my mom is coming back out for a visit! I am looking forward to having some time without post surgery stuff. Honestly....I was on so many medications that I don't remember a heck of a lot from her last trip here.

It's Survivor night. :)

TRAVEL SAFE!! I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE YOU AT THE AIRPORT!! I LOVE YOU!!!

Happy birthday #12!!!

2010-10-12T15:16:00.004-04:00

Today is Megan's 12th birthday! I actually even had the day off without having to request it, which was so nice.
*
Last night we started by making her birthday cake...an ooey gooey butter pumpkin. It is one of her favorites and it was hard to not get into it after it cooked because the house smelled so good.

Today she went to school and said that a ton of people said happy birthday to her, and in chorus they sang to her. I picked her up an hour early for fun.

I spent the day looking for a stablemate to go on her cake. I went to Target, but no luck. They always have them! So I drove over to Midway Tack and found one. It was perfect.
*
When she got home from school I had the table decorated for her to see as soon as she walked in. I found these cool paper balls at Target a long time ago (I think they were summer decorations) but they looked festive and happy! She knew exactly what the wrapped box was on the table. When I was little I could spot a Breyer box no matter how it was wrapped!
*
We got her Rachel Alexandra (horse that won the derby) and a gift bag full of baby goldfish crackers so she won't run out. Story behind the goldfish: She loves them. She can eat the regular ones, but prefers to bite the heads off of the little baby ones. She will come home from school and eat a bowl of them whenever she can. For some reason, Kroger has been out of them for about a month. Each time we'd walk by to check....the baby goldfish part of the shelf was empty. Boo.
*
I made a point to stop at a differnt store today and found them. So I bought 5 bags. That ought to keep her in baby goldfish for a bit. I think she was actually pretty surprised.
*
I love the look on her face when she found out what horse it was.

Last week during Fall break, one of her friends had invited her to go to Lexington for the World Equestrian Games. She had some money saved up, and her friend gave her some money to pick out a horse to bring home. Her and Celeste spent an hour walking around the Breyer Barn looking at all the models and talking in collector geek talk about Trads, Special Runs, etc. It makes me laugh, because I still understand it myself.
*
She came home with Espirit (The official special mold made for the WEG, and says Kentucky 2010 on it's belly.) and one of the treasure hunt horses for the year. This photo reminds me so much of my photos from when I was a kid. There was always a table top full of new horses.

She has been saving her birthday money and wants to spend a day at the mall shopping, so I plan on taking her within the week. :)

12 continued...

2010-10-12T15:10:00.004-04:00

below: stablemate on a cake. Originally a tradition started by my mom....thanks mom! It's still going strong. Below: weirdo.

below: *sigh* 12 years old. I don't understand, I did not look like that at 12 years old. She is looking way too big.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Megan. I love you!
*

Little side note: that gerber daisy in the pot? That is from the flowers that my sister brought home from the store one night when she was out helping me after my surgery. The original two blossoms have since gone, but it keeps popping out new flowers. It has been a very happy plant out on the porch. :)

Right now.

2010-10-11T15:20:00.005-04:00

My girl. Who will be 12 years old tomorrow.

It has been a lot of the same here. Work, housework, same old stuff. Last week was fall break for the kids. October is birthday month..... Megan's is tomorrow and then Matthew's is next week. Also....Mike comes home from Africa!! Honestly this past month has gone by relatively quick. Which I am glad....I am ready to have him back home.

It's been awhile since I did one of these. I have read ones from years past and think it's interesting to see the changes. This one will probably seem pretty severe since it's no secret that I am not a happy camper where we are right now. Which is why I hope to look back on this post in awhile and laugh, and think, "Whew. Glad that part is OVER."

Right now:

outside my window: I can't see out my window because the blinds are shut, but I'd probably guess that the grass is still dead due to the drought and my neighbor is probably outside smoking.

I am thinking: I am kind of overwhelmed today. It's my first day off in days and I know i have a lot i need to get done. I'm not motivated at the moment. Lol. I'm also thinking about Mike.

I am thankful for: Africa.

I am wearing: jeans, pink tshirt, my black sketchers i always wear to work and a ponytail.

I am creating: not much.

I am going: to start another load of laundry and to pick up a pizza in a bit that I promised Trevor we'd have during fall break. (Donato's - his favorite.)

I am reading: nothing. Reading makes me sleepy.

I am hoping: for good things to come! I can feel it.

I am hearing: U2 on my computer. One. I love that song.

Around the house: laundry in separated piles near the laundry room floor waiting their turn, clean folded laundry on my bed waiting to be put away. Megan and Trevor are home from school, and Matthew should be home in about 30 minutes. Legos littering the floor. (That never changes, and they hurt.)

One of my favorite things: New season of Survivor, Amazing Race, Hell's Kitchen and Modern Family. My Keurig.

A few plans for the following week: Final follow up appointment to the doctor after surgery, getting my hair colored, work, CELEBRATE MEGAN'S 12th birthday.

Something that made me laugh: A line Megan told me...."If you believe in reincarnation, would your headstone say BRB instead of RIP?"

I love you Mike!

Bithday number *0. lol.

2010-10-04T12:35:00.005-04:00

Yeah, that was a pretty awesome hair day.

Matthew took this picture the other day while I was helping kids get ready for school in the bathroom. It's the only one I have right now....it was taken the day before my birthday. So technically I'm still only 39 in that one!

Megan wants to carry on with the tradition of getting a photo of me on my birthday like I do with them, but I had to work yesterday (after getting to sleep in!) and today I work again....but it is freezing cold outside and not too pleasant to go out for any pictures. We are planning on tomorrow. (crossing fingers for a bit warmer and sunnier day, even though we desperately NEED the rain right now.)

My birthday was nice. Matthew woke me up early to make breakfast for me. Cereal and toast. He wanted to be up earlier than I did, so after I ate I went back to bed for awhile. Then I got up and started to get ready for work. Most might think working on your birthday would be a bummer, but it was only a short shift that got me out of the house for awhile (and away from the urge to clean at the house) I enjoy my job enough that it doesn't feel like a chore anyway. (Ask me that again after the Christmas season. Where right now the unofficial store motto in the break room is "There is NO CRYING in retail." Said after feeling like you have been beaten up and want to go hide in a fitting room in a fetal position.)

Thanks to facebook, most of the people I work with knew it was my birthday too, so I was greeted with lots of well wishes too. I have my eye on some things that I might go back and buy too. Only i wanted to go in on a day when i had time to try things on and not work all day cleaning up fitting rooms and then have to be in one again. lol.

I heard from my dad who sang a solo on my voicemail, my mom and sister who are in Florida right now, so I heard from them as well.....along with a huge group sing later that day that consisted of both of them, plus my aunt and uncles, cousins too. It cracked me up to hear them all. Plus they did a dang good job on speaker phone!

I even heard from Mike, all the way from Africa. It was so strange. His internet had been out all day so i hadn't heard from him before i left for work. It made me a little sad, but i knew he'd be trying like crazy to get in touch with me for my birthday. So i know it wasn't his fault. I figured i would hear from him before the end of my day. But then in the middle of work i hear a page over the store intercom that I had a call on line one. I thought for sure it would be the usual...another store calling to find out if we had something in a certain size. Instead it was Mike. So there I am standing behind a bunch of shirts, my eyes watering because of being happy, relieved and also a little stunned. lol. It was such a surprise! Farthest thing in the world that i would have expected. He said a quick happy birthday and told me that he'd wait up until i got home from work so that we could talk on instant message. We got to talk for a long time after that, which was so nice.

After work the kids and I went to Culver's for dinner. It was a really nice day. Thank you!! :)

Which here it is....October. The month of birthdays. My sister's is next week....then Megan's....then Matthew's! October always goes by so fast because of all there is to look forward to! This year we also cap off October with a visit from my mom and Mike coming home!

Counting down the days until the 22nd!! I can't wait!! I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!

Awww.....

2010-09-29T22:22:00.002-04:00

Apparently she missed the memo that she is a water dog. She was not too happy about this bath. On another note....she smells like oatmeal. :)

still bored in kentucky....

2010-09-25T14:28:00.002-04:00

In no particular order....yes, I even scrapped about our sweet little turtle visitor. I still think of him when I drive by the corner where he was let go. I hope he/she is still happy and healthy.

These are a few of the pages I've worked on lately. I've actually had them done for awhile (except the last one) but hadn't posted them yet.

I work tonight. It has been good to get back to work for short amounts of time. It keeps my mind occupied and makes things feel like they are somewhat back to normal. I am starting to feel better, even though there are days I feel really good and others where I feel like I am totally exhausted.

My sister reminds me all the time that it is probably due to the fact that even long before I had my surgery I wasn't feeling 100% anyway. Which is true. I was sick for a long time and didn't know it. Right now I am sure my 80 - 90% feeling better is much better than what I was before this all started.

Today I am missing Mike. A lot.

Dead ass bored in Kentucky....

2010-09-24T13:55:00.002-04:00

What on earth is she doing?

I was looking for a date on a photo earlier today and came across this folder from a day that we went to the park back in March. These photos made me laugh. I remember this day...

Trevor was upset that he was spun off the merry go round thing and had walked off to sit. Megan was in one of her "I'm an annoying big sister and bigger than you" moods and was going to poke at Trevor until he either laughed or snapped. So she was trying to be inconspicuous and use camouflage of a dead tree branch. Brilliant. Nobody knew that big stick was moving!!

Not much going on today. Trevor came home from an overnight field trip, Megan is bummed it's Friday (she likes school more than home apparently!) and Matthew isn't home yet.

Tonight is taco and tostada night.

Happy weekend!

Wednesday. Want to know what you're playing for?

2010-09-22T13:46:00.004-04:00

I love Survivor. I mean....I LOOOOVE Survivor. I watched the first season when I was pregnant with Trevor and I remember hoping that the hospital timing wouldn't interfere with the next Thursday's episode. Thankfully, it did not and I remember spending the last few weeks of that season with my little boy Trevor on my shoulder sleeping while I heard Jeff snuff out somebody else's torch and say, "The tribe has spoken."

Now Trevor is 10, and sure enough we still watch this together. Jeff....how we've missed you. Welcome back. A new season. We can breathe again.

(Cool Jeff Probst trivia here....when we lived in Scottsdale his parents lived about a mile away from us. That's my six degrees of separation story....survivor edition.)

I'm trying to get Lisa to want to watch. The girl has no clue what she is missing.

The only thing is, Survivor has moved to Wednesday. I'm not sure how I feel about that. I mean, it's nice to not have to wait another day in the week for it, but it has been a Thursday staple for so long! It is going to take some getting used to. But for now.... I am giddy that when I get home from work tonight, I have it to watch.

post #777 and Copenhagen

2010-09-18T11:55:00.003-04:00

I want to be sitting at the restaurant on the right.... eating outside, watching people and things go by. Mike is in Copenhagen right now, and took this photo. It looks like such a cool city.

Well....there have been so many times I have sat down and started a post, only to save it in drafts and not publish it. Things have just been the same around here...not that it's a bad thing, just that it gets boring blogging about nothing at times. Or the opposite of there being so much that it stressed me out figuring out how to get it all down.

Each time I would sit down and try to write something I'd feel pressure of trying to recap what has been going on. Just for myself really, because I do like to go back to read old posts every now and then when I'm feeling nostalgic or wondering what I was doing four years, five years, or even a year ago at the time. It's interesting just to see how much life has changed. It's no secret that we've been struggling a little since Mike's furlough, so my ideas about where I'd be at a certain point in my life aren't matching up with where we really are. So sometimes I do go back just as a reminder. A reminder that what I'm doing right now won't necessarily be what I'll be doing a year, four or five from NOW.

So I figure instead of feeling the pressure to tell my story about the whole hospitalization stuff, Mike's work stuff....etc....I'm just going to start from today. Whew....There's been some big changes and adjustments and it wears me out thinking of how to get it down in writing. On a little side note, this makes post number 777 of my blog. That's kind of cool.

I start work again tomorrow! I am really excited about it. It will be nice to get out and be in the world again. I missed a huge overnight Christmas set so it sounds like when I go back the store will be in Christmas mode. What happened to Halloween and why does Christmas keep bumping it out earlier and earlier each year? haha. Pumpkins, cute ghosts and reindeer....I can't get used to that.

The weather here is wonderful. Leaves are already falling. I'm enjoying having my windows open again.

2010-09-02T10:23:00.003-04:00

above: photo taken at the general store in Rabbit Hash, Kentucky. Really....nothing to do with my post other than I can't stand posting without some sort of visual at the top! But hey, the dog was sweet and maybe it does have to do with life right now since I seem to be doing an awful lot of resting...

Yesterday marked two occasions. First was our 20th Anniversary. Which is hard to believe because it doesn't feel like it's been that long but at the same I feel like we've been together our entire life! I'm a lucky girl to be married to my best friend.

Second was two week pre-op. I had an appointment to see my doctor earlier in the week and everything is healing fine. I am feeling better, but still have moments where I am sore and honestly the one thing that bothers me the most is every now and then there is a sharp pain that I almost feel like I have to do lamaze breathing to get through. It's normal, but uncomfortable none the less. Just a mark in the process of getting all of this healed and moving forward with finally feeling better all the way around.

I found a message board with people who had the same procedure done on or near the same date as me, and I read every body's updates. I seem to be in line with what everybody else is feeling too. Good news.

I feel so scattered. Which I hate. I'm limited to what I can do and it is making me crazy that I actually have the time off of work to where on a normal day I should be able to get quite a bit done! I even miss work. When my sister was out here helping out, we were talking about this crazy genetic work ethic that we seem to have. I actually enjoy it.... I mean, I'm a dork who doesn't really complain when I have to be there! So at least if I can't be feeling useful here at the house, I'd like to be feeling useful somewhere else! Only a couple more weeks though, and I can get back to routine.

Another huge life change coming up. Honestly, I feel like for the past couple of years I have been a pinball that keeps spastically going back and forth, hitting the bumpers inside the machine. The ones at the top where you don't know when the ball finally starts to roll downward for you to hit it back up again? That's me. lol. I don't see it as necessarily a bad thing, but still I'd really like to just have a set of plans in motion that I can breathe a bit for awhile, dig in and move forward. More on that later....this is the internet....and all that.

Which brings me back to scattered again. See? I feel very scattered right now. Good. But scattered!

I could get used to this.

2010-08-30T11:00:00.003-04:00

(There is a white strip of paper up along the top of this layout, above the scallop. Not sure where my shadow went for posting this on my blog. Hmmm.)

Anyway.... first day of kids in school, Mike at work, and no company here. It is so quiet and strange. I got the finger wave from Mike before he left today to remind me not to do things I'm not supposed to do. No lifting, laundry, driving etc. So here I am finishing up a page I had started a few months ago. Plus I hope to write out some thank you notes and send some emails today. Big day planned! I may sneak and wipe off the counter....shhhh.....

I am feeling better, but still sore. Obviously not as bad as (almost) a couple of weeks ago, but I can certainly feel my muscles in my stomach more than before. I'm sure they are thinking, "What the heck?"

My long list of daily medication is finally down too. I am grateful for that.

That's about it from here today! Love to all.

another one....

2010-08-29T19:33:00.003-04:00

This kid. This kid is TEN.

Poor guy.... his birthday fell on my date for surgery this year. We ended up having several "mini celebrations" so I'm sure he still ended up pretty happy.

Weird, I still remember doing Megan's ten year layout and it seems like it wasn't that long ago!

K out!

healing....and some scrapbooking.

2010-08-26T09:33:00.002-04:00

Still trying to heal from surgery. I can't believe it has been a week since the actual date....I'm still not at a week since being released from the hospital. Geeze, I almost can't even remember when that was since the week has been a blur. Mostly because of sleeping.

I am tired of the drugs! I feel like I am losing my mind and not 'all here.' I don't like that feeling at all. The dreams I am having because of pain medication wear me out by the next morning. For example last night I spent all night walking around a hot parking lot in Phoenix, looking for my old Mustang that I apparently drove and forgot where I parked. Only I was dizzy and for some reason didn't have any shoes and had to hop from car shadow to car shadow to not burn my feet. So I walked, and walked. I would try to call Mike on my cell phone, only to not remember the phone number. Just stupid dreams like that. Anesthesia and pain medication do a number on me. I wake up tired. Luckily, I can sleep during the day too right now!

My mom came out last week, scheduled to be here on Monday.... the day before I was admitted to the hospital. Unfortunately, the doctor had a different plan. Monday morning as I was enjoying knowing that was a day of peace and quiet and maybe some scrapping (I'm using any resting time to try and catch up a little.) I got a phone call that they wanted me to go to the hospital for some blood work. Before I got back into the house after the draw, I was called back and told to go immediately to the hospital to be admitted. My hemoglobin was critically low again. Yay.

So much for some scrapping rest and being here when my mom got into town. Mike got me to the hospital and checked in. My own room this time, thank goodness. My mom made it to Kentucky that night and her and Mike came by the hospital to see me. :)

Tuesday was spent having another long day of having another transfusion and a lot of tests done. Mostly making sure that my levels were up enough to be able to go into surgery. They went up... but apparently not enough since they were actually postponing my surgery until they knew they had back up units of blood for me. Long story short.... because most of you already know the story anyway..... surgery went well. A few days in the hospital and then I got to go home. Where I basically slept. And slept.... and slept.

My mom was a huge help with getting the kids to school, picking them up, helping around the house and everything (thanks mom!) and then my sister came when she left. I felt bad that most of the week with my mom I had spent away in the hospital or sleeping. My sister got here and helped out a lot this week too. I was having a hard time letting other people do the things I am used to doing. Vacuuming, cleaning up after dinner, laundry etc. I am grateful for the help though!! (Thank you too Kim!)

So basically the cliff notes version of this whole thing from over a month ago until now is that I had a very angry uterus that was trying to make me bleed to death. Along with a lesson in taking hints from myself instead of thinking that I am just tired. The thing is, I felt tired but not like it was much more than just being totally stressed out because of things going on in our lives right now. I couldn't hear the whisper, but listened when I started to hear the yelling that I needed to go. Take care of yourself. Big lesson. Besides the usual eat healthy fruits and vegetables and get exercise. And eat a lot of iron! LOL, because the goth look is not a pretty one when you are losing blood.

Off to lay down for awhile. Love to all! Thank you so much for the thoughts and prayers!!!

Back to school!

2010-08-10T08:49:00.008-04:00

This is what happens when you don't blog for a bit....there end up being too many little updates and things that you don't want to forget. Your little "update" turns into a monster.

So really - everybody who reads my blog knows about my little hospital stay last week so I can pass telling about that. I'm feeling 100% better....and go back for some more tests this week. The end result should be surgery to put the whole thing to rest. Soon. More on that when I know more.

Summer vacation. Wow. Even I was surprised at how fast that went this year. Especially considering we didn't feel as busy as we did last summer. I mean, we did things... but maybe it was because of me working this summer that it seemed different. I was home....yet not always home like in the past. The kids did great. They made it possible for me to be able to go to work and not always have to worry about them.

We had Breyerfest, King's Island, swimming, lazy days of hanging out in underwear and playing video games (Trevor, lol.) all day on the computer updating facebook status (Megan) and then not seeing one from the time the sun came up until the sun went down because he was playing with friends all day. (Matthew)

As of today....

MY KIDS ARE IN SCHOOL.

Last week we went to middle school open house where we picked up Megan and Trevor's schedules and locker numbers. Trevor had stressed about that locker situation all summer long. We got his schedule and went to find his locker. He has a great location at the end of a hallway so he's smack in the middle. There is no way he can NOT find it. He practiced his combination several times and it was easy. One less thing for him to worry about.

I can't believe he is in middle school today. He had that look of fear as we were driving to the school, but I know right now as I'm typing this he already has a couple of hours behind him. I'm sure some of the worries have already been figured out and I kept reminding him that every 5th grader I've talked to going through the register line at Kohl's the past month is feeling the exact same way he is. Excited, feeling grown up and scared as heck.

I think that his day will go by quickly since this is his first time changing classes.

Mike drove, and I was able to get a quick photo as Megan and Trevor were walking into the school. I popped the camera up super quick over the door of the car to avoid any 'momarrazzi' embarrassment. BUT I am so glad to have this photo. Megan promised that she'd show Trevor the ropes of his new school. I'm glad he didn't have to face it alone.

Megan seemed very calm today. I think she was more upset that she had to get up early. It helps that she's not new or starting mid year. She already knows people and knows her way around. I hope she has a lot of friends that she likes in her classes, and gets to meet some new ones that have moved in during the summer. She looks SO big. 7th grade....I totally remember 7th grade.

Matthew. He was wanting us to drive him to his school in the morning like I did last year. Which I really did enjoy, but his school is quite a distance from the house. It's about a 45 minute round trip. When we got back from taking Megan and Trevor to school, two of Matthew's best friends were already out on the street waiting for the bus. He decided to ride the bus with them. I think he'll be a regular bus rider after today seeing how happy they all looked sticking peace sign fingers out the window on their way out of the street.

It's a little odd to know that he's the only one in elementary school now. The big 3rd grade.

(He's such a skinny, tall and gangly looking thing right now! He had to have grown four inches over the summer.)

Breyerfest 2010

2010-07-27T19:49:00.006-04:00

Ever since I was little and collected Breyer horses and found out that there was a place where other people like me got together to live model horses and real horses together.... I knew I had to make it out to Kentucky. Then I move here, less than an hour away from the Kentucky Horse Park and it still took me a couple of years to get there.

This year I was really excited to be able to make that trek with my little girl who collects Breyer horses and loves the real ones like I do/did. It was a good day for a road trip...just for the girls.... on day one. Megan was planning on going with two friends for the entire weekend, but the two couldn't make it on Friday so it was just Megan and I. Which worked out great.

It was exciting pulling up to the park. Even before you get near the exit ramp off of the interstate, you are passing it. Rolling hills with miles and miles of white fences and all kinds of different barns scattered around. It is horse heaven. It is also neat to have just traveled through some of the most expensive thoroughbred farms in the world. Some of them are tree lined with the biggest old trees, and have huge ornate gates and flags, and barns nicer than homes.

Megan and I went in and the first thing we did was walk through all of the vendors. Many had the newer horses still in boxes but some had tables with open horses that I remember from my childhood. I would smile when i'd see a horse I can remember exactly when I got it for a certain holiday or birthday. Like seeing the original Lady Phase box! It sent me right back to being (probably 8) to Easter when I woke up and saw the box. We went to the river in AZ with my cousins and I remember taking that horse with me. She was always one of my favorites! Seeing stuff like that was cool.

Megan found a horse that she had been wanting and bought it. Then we went into the covered arena and watched a little bit of the show that was going on all day. There were different things going on all day, including horses that Breyer has made models of. That was strange, seeing a horse you've "known" in miniature and seeing the real thing in the arena. Little girls everywhere would gasp...like they had just seen Bono out there. haha.

One model that Megan has, that has been one of my favorites for a long time O'leary's Irish Diamond was there. We watched him in the arena and then later went to visit him in the stable. Where while I was petting him he decided to sneeze green hay snot all over me. I guess that keeps him still one of my favorites....model and in real life because we have a story about him that made us laugh.

below: O'leary's Irish Diamond in his stall.

below: O'leary's Irish Diamond warming up before the indoor arena.

Then we went to stand in line to get our celebration model. Each year when you buy your three day pass, you get a model that has something to do with the theme of the year, and it is only available through Breyerfest. This year was All Glory.

below: All Glory tacked up and ready to go before the show. He is a standardbred with a tail that drags on the ground it is so long. It's always tied up when he's not at a show. He is gorgeous.

We did a little more shopping and took all of our bags out to the car to get our lunch that was in a cooler in the trunk and to smell that new Breyer smell. (My family knows what I'm talking about...it's the smell of childhood!)

It was hot. If hell is half as hot then I promise to be a good girl from this day on out. It was somewhat miserable when you were out in the sun, but the occasional breeze would dry you off and you pretty much had to time things between watching the show, shopping or going inside the air conditioned museums.

Megan and I enjoyed our lunch under a big tree enjoying the breeze, loving the fact that our cooler kept things cold even after hours in the car - sub sandwiches, cold grapes and soda. We had a good long chance to cool down before we went back into the park.

We started to head back home a little after 8:30 , and Megan was thrilled with the days purchases. She's been saving for this for a long time. On Friday she still had some money left to finish up her shopping on Saturday and Sunday. I think she ended up pretty much buying a horse each day and came home with four all together. (I'll add a photo of all of them together later.)

Saturday morning Mike and the other girls left early for an overnight stay and two more days of horse stuff.

2010-07-27T19:19:00.002-04:00

I wouldn't mind a job here. Or coming back in another life as a horse who gets to live here. LOL.

There are miles upon miles of fences and scenery like this. There are also life size bronze statues scattered all over, like foals playing and a cool one of a horse and rider during an endurance race jumping over the creek like this. Someday I am going back just to get photos of all of the statues that I can find. Some are obvious but some you have to look for.

Breyerfest continued

2010-07-27T18:39:00.004-04:00

This is Isadora Cruce - one of the horses that Megan loved. She is so sweet and gentle. I got to see her on Friday too.below: Isadora Cruce once again on day three. (Megan visited her all three days.) This photo makes me laugh since the horse's mouth is open, it looks like it's smiling This is the horse that she bought the model of in the photos further below. It is kind of neat that you can buy a model of horses that you have 'met.'

That is Megan's 'humidity hair' btw....it was hot and humid.

Megan on a pony! She also got to sit on a shire. One extreme to another!

there is an area under some trees that have these huge chairs. Matthew recognized the girls sitting in one of them from this picture, when he went for a field trip.

leaving with the last day's goods....

summer nights

2010-07-14T22:47:00.002-04:00

I had a day off today and we got a lot done. I needed it to catch up a little bit and it was nice to spend an uninterrupted day with the kids. After dinner tonight Mike and I went out on a ride. The past several times we have gone out after dinner we have turned onto this road where we always catch the sun going down. It is gorgeous, and this picture does absolutely no justice. It's always a huge bright orange/red sunset where you can look directly at the sun. It's so pretty setting over the tobacco field here.

At night we've been trying to kill our box of sparklers and fireworks. They are dirt cheap after the 4th.

I love this picture of Matthew....that's him in that blur.

Trevor:

one word.

2010-07-06T21:07:00.001-04:00

That's my girl.

summer...continued.....

2010-07-05T19:21:00.003-04:00

Well hello beautiful!

This horse was spotted on one of our after dinner rides, which has been my favorite part of this summer so far. Right after dinner.... going out along the farm roads, enjoying the pretty scenery, sunsets and fireflies. The canopy of trees, the cool spots over the creeks that make you shiver from cold, and the smell of endless fields of fresh baled bluegrass hay.

There is a quote I heard once...something that if John Denver wrote that West Virginia was almost heaven....that has to mean that Kentucky IS heaven. Seriously, the nights we've had lately make me believe that!

- of course I also love the stereotypical Kentucky jokes and quotes too. ;) Let's just say that some people perpetuate the stereotype. haha.

Not much going on here. The 4th has come and gone. I was thinking about last year and how it had rained ALL day and spoiled plans for sitting out on the lawn watching the fireworks, and how we were trying to light sparklers in the garage but it was so misty outside nothing wanted to light.

This year we didn't have any plans. I worked for part of the day but got home while it was still light out. We decided not to go to any scheduled fireworks shows or events and kept it low key. Pretty much just watching the fireworks that the neighbors had.

Believe it or not we are already getting in back to school mode. Trevor will be going to an orientation for middle school soon, and we're already buying some new clothes and shoes to get ready. (Loving the employee discount! LOL!) I'm just surprised at how much different this summer seems than last year. Life is crazy!

is this what 11 is really supposed to look like?

2010-06-21T22:12:00.002-04:00

Because dang it, I don't think she looks like she's 11 at all. My little girl is getting so big. I wish for a little more time and being able to go back to her little days for awhile. That is part of why I love to scrapbook or blog. It all goes by entirely too fast.

....

One thing has remained a constant..... the girl loves to have her picture taken. So I'm not playing favorites here and not having photos of the boys....this was a way to kill some time today. The boys were busy doing their own thing today. - and yes, that is a wardrobe change....something that she loves to do depending on her mood throughout the day. lol.

....

Below: don't you wish you could still swing like that and not feel dizzy and like you were going to puke afterwards?

Another perfect Kentucky summer night. We had rain today so the woods were wet and cool. Fireflies were out like crazy.

A lot going on here these days....

2010-06-18T16:37:00.007-04:00

Well, maybe not A LOT by old school standards, but for the pace of life things have gone around here for the past couple of months of constant working, working, working and forgetting what day of the week it is....a lot is going on here these days. - I had yesterday off, which was nice....and I took the kids to the pool. We all came home very tan and tired.

******
Yesterday was Mike's birthday! 40! Celebrating to be done this weekend.

And speaking of Mike, this morning he went for a run and found this:

I was sleeping in, and he came in and said, "Look!" I opened one eye and thought for sure we had left one of our torties downstairs all night without taking it up to the aquarium when everybody went to bed. I sleepily asked if we did. He said, "No! Look at him!"

OMGOSH, that isn't one of ours! Mike said that he was out in the road by our house and he picked him up. We will be releasing him in a safer place later tonight. I'm sure he came from the creek behind our house but I think we might relocate him to the park a little further down the road. Less traffic.

This is the second wild turtle sighting this week. Megan and I had to stop the car the other day to let a snapping turtle cross the road. I don't remember where I heard it or if I'm making it up at this point, but I consider having a turtle cross your path as lucky. So having two in one week in our lives has to mean something right? Lots of good luck?

After some internet searching, he is a Eastern Box Turtle. He's beautiful. His shell is such a pretty pattern, and I am in love with this little guy. He has such a personality....I'm surprised he's not more afraid of people. He doesn't bring his head in his shell when you pick him up. In fact, he stretches it out pretty far and tolerates being petted on his head and legs. I wish we could keep him. We sure have enjoyed our time with him today though.

And now.... time to get ready for a night of work. Power Hours....Kohl's....where you can expect great things.....and a busy night in the fitting rooms.

Summer so far.....

2010-06-13T10:47:00.004-04:00

Summer vacation has been good to us so far. We've only had a couple of days of unbearable heat....but as usual there have been some gorgeous days to outnumber the yucky ones. To have our windows open in June still amazes me.

...............

Night time is awesome. Sunset especially. My favorite thing to do this year is to go out after dinner and drive down some of the back roads to see the fireflies that are out like crazy. I wish there was a way to capture them with a camera....with the windows down, the pockets of cold air when you go under the huge trees that cover the roads, and the fireflies. Summer can be so pretty. I think I actually get excited about the beginnings of every season here. They all have their own special thing about them.

Near my home: The Abner Gaines home. Federal Style mansion built in 1790. Built by Abner Gaines who was the owner of the first stage line between Lexington and Cincinnati. The house was used as an inn and a stagecoach stop. It has three stairways and six fireplaces with carved mantels. (A bit of trivia.) I pass this house on the Dixie Highway in between my old house and where I live now.

A lot of rain has brought a lot of pretty wildflowers.

Waiting for a train to pass...

My pot of baby basil on my deck. I also have cilantro and lettuce for the torties.

Last day of school...2010.

2010-06-02T17:00:00.004-04:00

This year has been....odd. We started out in a different school district, and ended in another one. Somehow the two seem like entirely different years. Stuff from the other school is such a distant memory. I remember being sad when I signed all the papers to transfer but as we moved and got used to new things this part of our year has flown by.

Matthew will be in third grade next year. He had a GREAT year in his new school. He had a great teacher who made all the difference. It's strange to think that next year when he goes back, he'll be my only one at the elementary school.

Trevor's year....wow. He had a great year too. ANOTHER amazing teacher who made such a difference in the way his year went. She was so amazed at how smart he was when he transferred that she got him into gifted programs right away. This time more than just advanced math. She loved him, and he loved her. We always got good reports about T.

below: last day of school for the classroom awards....

Trevor receiving an award for the A honor roll.

Next year he'll be at the middle school with Megan. I didn't tear up until the principal was talking about how much fun they'll have in the new school and how it's hard to believe that these kids will be entering 5th grade and how quickly it seemed since they were just kindergartners. *Gulp* that hit my mommy heart. Middle school. It sounds so....grown up. Technically I still go by the 'middle school' years the way it was defined in Phoenix, being 7th and 8th grade. So somewhere in my heart I think that they'd still be elementary kids for another couple of years. It is my coping mechanism. haha.

...........

Trevor went on a trip to the middle school last week to get a tour. He's extremely excited! He said the only thing he is nervous about is the locker situation. He's already worried he won't be able to find it the first week of school and that he'll forget his combination. That's normal. I told him they are all feeling the same way and that it's to be expected the first week to not be able to remember which locker is yours. Before he knows it, it will all be easy. (I didn't tell him that as an adult...from this day forward he'll probably have that weird reoccurring nightmare that you forget your locker combination, even decades after having to deal with lockers!) I didn't want to scare him!

...........

Megan had a great start to her summer vacation right after school. She was invited to go up to King's Island with some friends right after school got out. I didn't get to see her until late. My baby girl will be in 7th grade next year! It will be nice to have her show Trevor the ropes to help him ease into it next year, and nice to have them both at the same school.

So now I have done my favorite part of the last day of school...purged all the papers from backpacks, thrown away the lunch menu from the front of my refrigerator and and thrown away the yucky lunchboxes that could barely stand one more trip into the washing machine for the year!

Summer vacation has officially begun!

Finally! The Great American Ballpark or bust!

2010-06-01T14:54:00.003-04:00

Finally... a blog update and a much anticipated event. It has been a long time since I have sat down to blog anything! Guess where the kids went this past weekend? background: cool new skyscraper being built.)

below: Believe it or not...that is a smile. A huge smile. It's hard to tell with the missing front teeth.

Mike surprised the kids with a Reds game. The weather was perfect, blue sky, enough cloud cover at times to cool things down a bit and a ticket package that included free hats and skateboard decks. They got there hours early to make sure they got one before they ran out. There were a lot of activities to keep them busy until the game started.

more....

2010-06-01T14:50:00.003-04:00

There is an area where kids can run the bases and they are timed to see how fast they can do it. Looking at these photos, I really don't know how those skinny boy legs on both of them keep them up.

loading...loading...loading....

2010-06-01T14:44:00.001-04:00

checking out the scenery before the game starts...

continued...

2010-06-01T14:28:00.003-04:00

Getting to the seats early, so it doesn't look like many people are actually there. - If you aren't entirely into baseball... or the game gets long.... the best seats are actually at the top where you can watch the river traffic going by. Here is a big coal barge being pushed up the river. The bridge on the right hand side is the John Roebling bridge. (Built before, and by the same man as the Brooklyn Bridge...if it looks somewhat familiar.) It is getting some work done on it so there are huge tarps on it right now. It's such a beautiful bridge and fun to drive across since you can see through the roadway.

In the far background is Northern Kentucky.

Mother's day.

2010-05-09T17:50:00.004-04:00

Happy Mother's day!

I was surprised and looked at the schedule at work a million times....yes, I am off today! I'm not sure how that happened. I'm used to working on the weekends right now. However....I won't look a gift horse in the mouth....I have enjoyed today being home with the fam.

Mike made an awesome dinner. Grilled chicken, stuffed shells with amazing cream sauce, and a huge salad with homemade avacado dressing. I have been on the floor moaning from eating too much. It was hard to stop since everything was soooo good!

I hoped to get a photo of me and the kids today, but the only one who would sit still long enough was Trevor. So there is me and T on mother's day. The other two have been inside with me all day, but are out being social on the street right now.

Below: Matthew on the back deck. Finally, the trees have all filled in and this is my green view from the back of my house. I love the trees.

This weekend has gone by quickly, and I'm sure the next several weeks will too. Then it will be the end of another school year and time for summer vacation. Which I am having a hard time imagining right now since it is kind of chilly outside. Brrr. Oh and since having an early dinner another part of today that I am looking forward to is having some sort of snack while we all snuggle on the couch watching the Amazing Race finale! Go Jet and Cord!!

Happy weekend.

Happy early weekend!

2010-05-07T15:09:00.003-04:00

It's a happy day when one of the kids asks me to take their picture! We took Piper along for a couple. I'm not sure which one of the two with the dog I like better.... I like the composition of the last one the best, but I love the horizontal of the middle photo. Piper was obviously more focused on something outside the picture in the middle one. Oh well... I still love that Megan's awesome polka dot skirt is in both photos.

And no matter how many photos I take of Megan, I'm always a little shocked when they load and I see them on the computer screen how big and grown up the girl looks.

It is windy today! - The kids are all home for the weekend and two of them are already outside playing.

2010-05-06T15:51:00.002-04:00

Karla has a new kit in the shop! 20% off today too! I am really loving this one!!

Not much going on here today. Enjoying the windows open with the nice breeze and pretty blue sky!