Edward Cullen

Nuff' Said

and just because i have not posted about my favorites books in a while, not since teresa admitted defeat! ha ha. we are about a month away from book 4 release and i am counting the days until then. I know where I will be on that day......reading! anyone else that i can get addicted to them? I stopped rereading after twilight, I think it is time to get back into book new moon and eclipse.

I just started Harry Potter with Sydnie, she has really enjoyed it so far. I have spent a fair amount of time explaining that magic is not real and that is total make believe. She totally gets it. She is the solid, the one that knows what is right and wrong. I am not worried that she will delve into the dark side! ha ha. I am glad that she is enjoying it, because I think they are well written, imaginative books. I know that so many "church-going" people are opposed to them, but first you need to read them to know and understand what all the fuss is about and make an informed decision for your family. I read all the Harry Potter books and could not put them down.

Anyway this post has gotten off track...........think vampires and werewolves. Think a great love story. Think mystery and what is up with Bella? I know that all my questions will be answered in the next month!

Love Notes

[ I Love You]

As I was watching the kids bike ride last week, noah brought out the sidewalk chalk and drew me a little note!

Knight in Shining Armor

As I was driving the kids to VBS this morning we were blaring our favorite man.......Tim McGraw. The kids are super bummed cuz they want to go to his concert tonight, but, well cannot afford to go. So I was listening to KUPL and they told the story about last night's concert in Auburn where this burly cowboy was in the front row giving a girl next him a hard time and that Tim saves the day by pulling the guy on stage and kicking him out....even at one point pulls him arm back to take a swing at the guy who is not behaving still! AHHHHHHHH...............then I found the vid online, the one I embedded is not the best one, but you can still see the almost fight.And I love how he just gets right back to business as soon as the guy is gone. But seriously. Doesn't every woman want a man to rescue her? And that hot black tank top and tight jeans..........well, nuff said there. It is only 10am.

Outrigger Island

Yesterday I took Noah to vbs @dayspring and he absolutely loved it! He could not stop talking about it all day long. He especially loved the surfboard pizza's that they had for snack! He was also happy because several of his classmates were there as well. So today the kids woke up and I asked Sydnie if she wanted to go (yesterday she went to a different vbs w/her bf) and of course she told me this morning that she did not want to go! She was tired and wanted to stay home and do nothing. Then I had Noah go ask her to come to vbs with him today, because they would both get a prize for bringing a friend............well that did it, she was super excited about going and getting a prize. As we were walking to Syd's class she turns to me, grabs my hand and says "oh mom, I think this is going to be really fun!"

I know why I have never signed them up for this vbs before (it costs quite a bit of money), but to have them there with their classmates and friends is worth it. Building that sense of community. Plus they go all out at that place! Decorations everywhere and lots of fun and energetic people running around. Cannot wait to hear what they did today.

What started it all..........

This movie is what started it all for me! I remember having this poster in my room and we would sit and pick out who we thought was the cutest and they rotated on a weekly basis. I think it always ponyboy for me! I still have my copy of the book, which I read over and over. A great book which made me love Robert Frost as well. I was much older of course than sydnie is, I was an 8th grader! ha ha. But the love of boys was still there. Of course there were bands that I loved and I remember being totally in love with Jason Bateman back then (Silver Spoons/The Hogan Family and now with Arrested Development). And Kirk Cameron, of course. The Tiger Beat magazine was my favorite and I would sit and stare at the covers and the pix of the boys I liked the best. My peechee was covered with pix of boys that I liked..so that they would be with me all day long. I think by the time I hit high school it was bands on the peechee! ha ha.

I love that this "thing" that girls do..........the feelings that boys invoke and the "who is cuteset" game does not change from generation to generation. Except that now you can google, facebook, myspace, blog, youtube..........anything your heart desires about the boy you think is cute. She claims that she is really not into boys, but all her little friends are and they obsessively talk about them, so I know that she is just embarrased to say anything. A mom from school told me that her son was obsessed with sydnie and he loves being around her. Maybe the boys start liking girls earlier and then it goes away for awhile, because she has always had some little boy that likes her.

Thanks for the walk down memory lane..............now I need to go google joe jonas, I mean get the kids breakfast! haha.

All About.........

These guys......they are all syd is into right now. She loves them. I just bought her the people special edition mag with them in it. She has been staring at it all afternoon. haha. noah got their cd last september as a gift for being in his aunt's wedding. He loved their music and loves to pretend that he is a rock star, but now it is all about his sister's love of the boys. She has watched Camp Rock about 5 times since it debuted and she has them playing on her ipod non-stop. She also asked to go on youtube today and check out some of their stuff. Totally cracks me up. Today I finally asked her which one she thought was cuter..........she totally did not want to tell me, but she finally admited that she thought that Nick was cute. I guess that Zach is out of the picture for awhile....at least until october! Of course the begging to get cable has started again. She is dying to get the Disney channel so she can watch the Jonas Brothers. I know where we will be august 12th.............running to target to buy the new cd!!!!

Priceless

Coconut Shrimp Appetizer: $9.95
2 Henry's Rootbeers: $6.00
2 Cesear Salads: $15.90
Stuffed Salmon Entree: $28.95
Macadamia Halibut Entree: $28.95
Triple Berry Cobbler: $7.95
Mocha Creme Brulee: $6.75

Dinner @ Jakes: Free

An evening alone with my husband, in portland, walking thru the Pearl District: Priceless

A seriously perfect evening out. Amazing food. Amazing conversations. Amazing to be able to get dressed up and not have a little hand wipe food all over you! We had a great time remembering all the good times we used to have in pdx. walking around on 23rd. when we left the pearl was just becoming what it is today! but to visit it now....wow. i would live there in a heartbeat. i love that everyone was riding bikes. saw the cutest little pizza delivery bike with this "wooden wagon" behind for carrying the pizza's. After thad and i were married we would go to a new restaurant every month. something different and new. I miss those days.

It was a great evening out. It has been quite awhile since I have been to Jake's. Perfect food everytime. Obviously the best part was being able to go and order anything we wanted and not worrying about the cost: It was a free meal on his company!!! The creme brulee was to die for! I would go there everyday and just order the creme brulee, my all time favorite desert! Not a regular on the menu, but they "let" me have some! (wink wink) literally on the receipt is says "Rj says it's okay".

It was nice to be alone with my husband, pretending to be grown ups. ha ha. Just the two of us. Having conversations about family and life. Good memories.

Just Show Up

To start the summer season I decided to read a nice, light book....Sisterchicks in Gondola's. These are books that you could get thru in one day if you did not have kids running around you all day long, demanding your attention. I have read all the preceding books and have always walked away with some truth or insight that God put in there just for me! This time the book was dealing with new seasons in our lives and sometimes we just get a little lost and don't know how to deal with that new season. The main character finally realizes that all she needs to do is "just show up" to the new season and God will provide the rest! Sometimes I forget that. But yet I see the blessings when I look back and see that His master plan was there all along, I just had to show up!

I have journaled before about leaving awana and stepping up to the plate at my kids' school. I had no idea why, just that I was suppose to. I have seen many blessings from that. I have made contact with many women who do not know the love of Jesus Christ. I pray that my life speaks to them, that He uses me to reach these women. Not just to get them to come to upward or awana. But really uses me. My good friend reminded me the other day that one woman who is in my life is there for a reason....maybe for me to set an example, maybe to just watch, maybe to impact her life for the rest of eternity. After we talked, I had a completely different perspective on my relationship with her. It is good to be reminded and always keep in mind that I just need to show up with the right attitude and heart.........then I can take flight in His plan.

Laundry Update

The oxiclean combo worked out okay. I only have about 5 pieces that have crayon left on them, but that does not count all the white socks (which were not worth it). I think that just spraying on the oxiclean did more than rewashing them in all the other ingredients.

Thank Goodness for Oxiclean

Yesterday in between the workouts, the swimming, the park and a barbeque with friends.......I did a load of kid laundry. Nothing new, nothing interesting. Until I took them out of the laundry machine and went to put them in the dryer.

As I took the first shirt out I saw some weird colors in weird places on the shirt. I took out a few more and realized that "something" was in the wash and it had ruined every, single piece of clothing in that load!!! I finally realized that it was crayons tucked away in a short pocket that had went thru the load and melted. So I rewashed it all in hot the second time, then picked out the clothes that really needed more love (aka oxi clean). I spayed them with oxiclean, ran them in hot with more oxiclean, vinegar and laundry soap (i got the recipe from google). I can hear the water right now, hopefully cleaning out the wax! If not it only ruined about 1/3 of the load! So much for mommy looking thru the pockets of clothes........not something I do very often I must admit!

Of course I am not mommy enough to take pix of this little happening. Just thought I would blog about it, for no reason really, just for fun. and I thought that when I look back in the years to come this will be one of those stories that I tell the kids with fondness and laughter (someday, not right now...to much anger at ruined clothes). ha ha.

So Far

it is that time of year again, the time when every mother cringes with anticipation

when does the fighting start? When does the i'm bored start?

As I write this post my kids are having their first official knock down drag out fight! Not too bad. They waited for the third day, which lulled me into thinking that we would be okay. The first day off of school it was pretty much do as you please. lots of computer, wii and nintendo ds. Yesterday morning we all were headed out the door to go to the gym, when I realized that my keys were locked in the car....no workout for me. So yesterday consisted of three bike rides. one to the school park, one to visit friends in the neighborhood and one to the neighborhood park. Not a bad day at all. I even got to take a nap.

Now we come to the real reason my sanity will be taking a nose dive this summer.......my kids are absolutely exhausted and they refuse to sleep in!! They have been up till 10pm for a couple of nights in a row, except for last night. I even shut their doors so they would not be woke up by the light, but as soon as they hear thad in the shower (5:50am) they are up and ready to go!!!! Which makes it really hard for them to stay up late in the summer, but if they are going to be cranky and fight all day then forget it. I loved staying up late in the summer, riding bikes and playing outside until the light faded! So except for drugging them I am not really sure what to do! any suggestions anyone? I try to run them ragged, hoping they will sleep in, which they don't and it only makes them more tired. I really want them to experience the fun and not have to go to bed at 8:30! But I cannot deal with cranky, unhappy children for 3 months!

The Season

it's a bird....it's a plane...it's a bored tball player!

These pictures pretty much sum up the tball season for us. I know that he loved playing ball, but he is definately not babe ruth. He loves getting the uniform on and being out on the field. He loved to play catcher this year, because it actually engaged him. He was pretty bored out in the outfield, not a lot to do. By the end of the season he was falling down out in the field, not paying attention and messing with the other team when they slid into 2nd. This series of pictures is from his last game....do you think he looks like he is ready for the season to end? ha ha.

the first taste of addiction

hello caffeine are you in there?

the sweet taste of a cinnamon dolche latte!

yesterday was a jam packed day, running at full speed and ended with my son's last t-ball game of the season. it was a "little bit cold" out at the ball field tonight, so i stopped at starbucks and got a coffee to take out to the field. it was so nice to have a hot drink in my hand, but before I knew it my daughter had swiped my drink and was begging me for a taste??? I told her that she could try it, but she would probably not like it. I was so confident of this fact, because she had tried coffee drinks before and did not like them. Let me tell you that sydnie's friend was there and she gets to drink decaff coffee drinks whenever she wants and has been telling syd how good they are! So as sydnie went to take her first drink, i fully expected her to spit it out. Instead I saw the look of pure happiness and a sweet smile and heard the words that every mother of an 8 year old who just drank coffee for the first time dreads:

I love it mom, it is so good! can I drink coffee all the time now?

UUUMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!! WHAT??????? Now I am in a pickle. I see the venti quad shots coming very soon. she will have her own starbucks card. she will start calling corporate headquarters the mothership. she will have her own collection of starbucks mugs. she will be a starbucks addict.....oh no.......what have i created?

So much for mother of the year award.

Is this june?

okay i hate to be downer on a rainy, windy, cold june morning...............but what is up with this weather! it is suppose to be summer.......popsicles, swimming, bike riding, sprinklers, and general fun. i hope the rest of the summer is not like this, cuz it is gross out there. okay that is all i had to say. no more ranting. it is the last day of school and we are off for our traditional last day of school breakfast, just the kids and I.

Life saver

In the early spring I was given a gift card to Bath and Body Works as a thank u for being the "Upward Wife". It was super nice to get something for me and I could not wait to spend it. I went in that fateful day thinking I would buy some soaps...........but came out a changed woman. I looked around, "what to buy just for me?" I really wanted some type of "face" system that would help with my old woman skin! ha ha. but seriously, I had noticed quite a change in my skin in the last year and I was not really happy that it was getting blotchy and red!

So as I was looking at this stuff, the woman beside me tells me all about her experience, what she uses and how much.......and that she is in her 40's. I looked at this woman and was awestruck at how beautiful her skin was.......not a blemish, no blotchiness, no red spots........wow! She did not even have make up on! I was sold. I started with the cleanser and also purchased the moisturizer. At the time that I bought it they were having a special on their Skin Regenerator that took it down from $150 to $30!! Of course they had run out and did not know when they would get it back in, so they gave me a little sample bottle. Within a week, my skin was shaped up and ready to be seen with no makeup! Something I had not done in some time. I finally was able to buy the regenerator for the special price...........and I will have to make it last! Next on my list is the eye de-puff gel, for those special mornings!

This stuff right here makes me happy! It makes me cry at how expensive it is, but I cherish the little dab I put on my face everyday.
This stuff is so yummy! I cannot wait to wash my face with this stuff and it is not that expensive!

This stuff really does add a brightness to a lackluster complexion! I love it. It is moderately priced, but it should last about 6-9 months!

this one

she makes me laugh so hard. she has an amazing heart and spirit. she is so mature. she is a total rock star. she loves her new flip flops with guitars on them. she loves her new tank top with guitars on it. she wore them both to school yesterday. she looked like a rock star. she loves to ride her bike at top speed. she likes to ride one handed. she loves to read. she has a book club with her teacher, who can finish a book the fastest. she wants to read harry potter this summer. she is an amazing artist. she is a little mother. she is looking forward to summer break, but dreading not seeing her friends everyday. she is a hard worker. she loves to work out on the wii fit. she is totally into yoga right now. she is just the coolest little kid. she is going to be a third grader. she is looking forward to school already. she has grown so much this year. she has lost her little girlness and is now a girl. she rocks my world. she has a tender heart and a spirit of giving to others. she is amazing.

The First Grader

Well it's over. the first official year of school! He is now a first grader, who by the way looks absolutely terrified in this photo. it was the best shot i could get....ha ha. his phobia of the flash still exists and i am lucky if i get a shot with his eyes open.

last night was so much fun. they sang songs to us and then they got to walk across the stage when their name was called and they received the magic first grade wand tap on the head! I love that the teacher asks each child what their career aspirations are and then reads them to the crowd of teary eyed parents. Noah's - to be a daddy! ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. but then he told me later that he really wanted to be a teacher or the principal (so that he could own the school)! ha ha.

afterwards we headed to DQ for some celebratory ice cream and gifts! a nerf dart tag gun and indiana jones legos! what more could a boy want. Congratulations little one! you did it.

the end

ended the day at the rainforest cafe................and an earthquake brownie desert! very tired kids, very tired parents and a four hour drive ahead! but it was an amazing day. the kids are still talking about it and they have showed everyone their pennies! we totally splurged with the brownie, but it was awesome! it was a great way to end the day.

The Space Needle

The view from the top was amazing. noah was a little freaked out by the height, sydnie loved the view and i closed my eyes on the elevator ride up. a great time to just enjoy the family and build memories. the kids loved the squish a penny with a space needle on it. i was taking some pix of the kids in front of the music experience building and thad saw the reflection of the space needle and told me about it. i love those shots! still more to come............................

The Game

what a cool stadium. i wish it had started to rain to see the roof close up.

he was very excited to see a professional team play, although he watched sydnie play her ds for most of it.

i wish that i had a wide angle lens for this shot

they have a cool little museum inside the stadium. gould clan & jay buhner

he caught a ball at the game (wink wink)

this amazing baseball bat glass work when you walk in the stadium. sydnie wanted a pix of it.

look i was actually there too. finally a shot with me and the kids

not the best shot of the family, but i loved the angle and the sign in the background

The game was so much fun. the kids were excited to be there, but the game did not hold their attention for too long. the experience was great overall. we took off about 8:45am, made a few stops along the way, kids took a small nap before we hit seattle and then we had our sack lunches in the car. Once we got to the stadium, the kids were super excited and asked a bunch of questions and just had that look of awe on their faces. We had great seats, they were not box seats, but they were right behind home plate about 30 rows up. No fly balls came our way. We ended up leaving the game at the end of the 7th inning and going on to more adventures.........

most importantly

the mothership was calling me home! Starbucks! I made Thad drive me by so I could snap this pix. I had not seen this building before, so it was fun. The kids loved it too. It has been several years since I have been in seattle. I used to love to come up and hang out downtown. I love this city.

The thing that struck me as funny: you are driving along the freeway you see the signs that call out food at the next stop and on almost every sign there was a starbucks logo! The closer you got to seattle the more frequently we saw them. Is that technically food? Now we love our coffee here in the northwest, but oregon is not to the point of having a coffee house loaded on our freeway signs. it just struck me as funny and cute, because believe me after 8 hours in the car, I was dying for some coffee! more stories and pictures to come of our road trip yesterday.

Off

we are off to seattle today for a mariner's game. someone at thad's work gave us free box seats! i cannot believe we are going to spend that much on gas to go see a game, but we have wanted to take the kids for quite awhile now. should be fun. they are giving away free backpacks today to all kids! after the game we are going to head to rainforest cafe for a little dinner then drive back home.