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Thursday, July 31, 2008

Random Majic

Ok, this is SO cool, here are some random words I've written in my blog. This was just... fun & meaningless, but I wanted to share because Lee did & it looks cool. LOL




You can do one to, just go to...   wordle.net & start having fun!

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Favorite movie...

There was a thread on SS a while ago that asked... "What is your favorite, watch it anytime it's on movie". I answered, but honestly didn't think too much about it. I have a few "favorite movies", movies I've seen tons of times, Grease, that was my all time FAVORITE movie EVER growing up, I actually lost count at how many times I had seen it, last count was 253, yep, LOVE it.

Well, I've come to realize (yeah, I think I'm getting old) that I really have to be in the mood to watch that, along with my other "FAVS". BUT, there is 1 movie, that I can honestly say, I will stop what I'm doing & watch, beginning to end (VERY rare for me) absolutely ANYtime it is on. What movie is it you're asking...

COYOTE UGLY

LOVE this movie, like probably more than any other movie LOVE. I think I've watched it 3-4 times within the last month or so. My hubby turned it on one night (HE says there was NOTHING else on, ummm, we have just about every channel available, but hey, I was NOT going to complain). I had the pleasure of watching it with my boys (I do NOT want any flames for that thankyouverymuch), they enjoyed it, (ok, I think that's my wishful thinking, they all said it was "okay at best" & "whatever mom, it was pretty dumb", "It would have been better with better music" WTHeck is THAT comment about?!). ANYWAY, *I* think it's a GREAT movie, that's what was important!

Anyway, back to the whole reason I'm even posting this...

I am exhausted, got up early & have been on the go all day, D has an early baseball game tomorrow so I longed to go to bed early tonight (read: before 11). Well, I got back from "running an errand" (Banana splits from Sonic are really yummy at 10 pm BTW) & Hubby turned the channel to... (drum roll please...)



COYOTE UGLY

Now, remember, I wanted to go to sleep. I even tried to lay down on the couch (99% of the time, he puts something on TV, I lay down & am OUT before the opening credits start up). You know what happened? Well, look at the time of this post... I HAD to watch it. I even came up stairs, got ready for bed & tried to fall asleep watching. NOPE, was NOT gonna happen, this movie gets my blood pumping, my heart racing, I feel like it's ME up on that bar. I was belting it out right along with her. LeAnn Rimes even joined us at the end. LOL. I LOVE this movie, did I tell you that? To me, it's such a feel good movie, it has a great lesson of NOT giving up on your dreams, even when everything is stacked against you. DO NOT GIVE UP! It's such a fun storyline, I don't know, it just always makes me feel good. Ok, & I think Violet is just darling & well, holy cow, "Mr. O'Donnell" isn't bad to look at either IYKWIM!

So... I'm now asking you... what is YOUR "I can watch ANYtime movie"? Tell me about it, why is it your favorite? What is it about it that makes it so "special"?

Monday, July 28, 2008

What color crayon are you?




I am a... Blue Crayon



Your world is colored in calm, understated, deep colors.

You are a loyal person, and the truest friend anyone could hope to find.

On the inside, you tend to be emotional and even a bit moody.

However, you know that people depend on you. So you put on a strong front.



Your color wheel opposite is orange. Orange people may be opinionated, but you feel they lack the depth to truly understand what they're saying.

Friday, July 25, 2008

Princess Pics at the park

So I'm too cheap (read: poor) to take the Princess in for professional shots. Not a huge deal, I have 2 cameras & all the time in the world, (well, okay, not really, but still). I got her all dressed today & since she looked cute, I decided to take her with me to run errands (yeah, I know, I'm shallow, I like to show her off, oh well, such is life). Anyway, on our way downtown, I decided to switch lanes at the last (VERY last) minute & go to the parks & rec office. They have the most beautiful setting next to their offices, I've always wanted to take the kids there for pics, but have never done it. Well, that changed today! I pulled in, parked & we got out & started walking. Princess was WAY more interested in the water than she was in my camera, but I still think I got some cute shots in. Here are a few of my favs from today's photo shoot. Oh, & BTW Brandi, these are for you... this is what her hair USUALLY looks like during the day! LOL





There's another spot I want to try out next, I just have to make the time to go & hope she's in a more cooperative mood.  I also want to go do family pics with another friend & her family, I'll just have to REALLY work on Prince Charming, he HATES pics!  I'll definitely post if we get them done.

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Pool Time...

So this is going to be our last "free pool" week so I wanted to make sure we got lots of fun pics. The boys have had so much fun hangin out with their friends in the water.  I can't believe Bonez is growing up.  I think everyday we've been down there, B has met up with friends.  I happened to be out of the pool & in "just the right spot" to be able to take some total candid shots of him & his buddies.




Here are some "just for fun" shots I took yesterday...


Bonez jumping on his "board...



C-Man & his BFF just playing around...


Bubby trying to defy gravity...


& the last one for today, this was the boys' way of "stalling" us going home for the night. I told them to get out of the pool so they figured they could play around in the shower instead. Oh well, at least they were entertaining to watch! I actually got some pretty good shots of them dancing too. LOL (those will be saved for blackmail though).


We've had a BLAST at the pool, thanks again K!

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

More on the weekend...

Now I'll focus on the hockey part of the weekend, seeing as how that's why we were in Portland to begin with.

The kids all did great.  D was asked to skate with another team on their 6u team (we weren't putting a team in that division), he was SO excited!  He was definitely one of the stronger skaters, I think he scored 3 goals playing with them.  They took home the GOLD, so that was pretty exciting.




All of our teams made it into the championships, they all ended up taking 2nd place, but they played GREAT! C-Man played the best he has EVER played. I swear, he looked like a totally different skater out there. He was strong, aggressive, wasn't "choppy" on his skates, he was EXTREMELY confident out there. He was so much fun to watch. Here are just a few of the many pics I ended up with.
Bonez getting ready to go out for the championship game (he's #25)...


C-Man getting his silver medal...


Bubby with both his silver & gold...


This last one is just one of my favs from the weekend. D had just gotten done winning the semi final game & was sitting down next to the Princess, nothing fancy, but I think it's cute.

So, there you have it, an update on our weekend away.  We only have 1 more tourney to go & that one is here.  I love hockey, but am glad it's coming to an end.  Next up... (after baseball is finished of course) is soccer, then football, then basketball, then... you get the idea!  It's never ending around here, but I LOVE it & wouldn't want it any other way.

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Update on the weekend....

We headed over to my sister's house Friday night.  Normally, we stay with my parent's, BUT... with their druggie neighbors & the problems my parent's are dealing with, we felt it would be safer if we weren't there.  We had a total slumber party, there were 16 of us staying with my sis for the wknd.  Can you say... a house full?!  It actually wasn't bad though, the kids all got along & had so much fun.  I'm not going to get into all the details, but I hope Goldfish & I can get our kids together again soon.  


Here are all of the "girl cousins" playing on the new air mattress Goldfish bought. They couldn't wait for her to blow it up, they all thought it was their own private trampoline. (Ages in order from L-R: 2,2,7,3 & 9)



I do have to share this little story, I think it was the hi light of the weekend (well, okay, 1 of them anyway).  We had gotten the kids in the house for the night, my boys were getting ready for bed.  I was in the family room with my nieces & we hear this loud giggling & then big belly laughs.  It took a minute, but we finally realized who & where it was coming from.  My Princess & her 3yo cousin snuck out back.  I kept everyone else quiet so the girls wouldn't know I was "on to them" & snuck out to snap some pics.
It was the FUNNIEST & CUTEST thing I've ever seen. These 2 little girls were sitting in the little play house, backs against the wall (under the family room window) just giggling up a storm.  I have no idea what they were laughing at, but it was hilarious!  None of the pics turned out very good, I was trying to be sneaky & didn't want to take the time to play around with the settings on my camera, so this is as good as it gets.




(Ok, before I get ANY comments of Princess's hair, she had fallen asleep, & dummy me thought she would be out for the night, so I had taken out all of her "pretties").  I hope & pray these 2 girls stay close & always have a good relationship, I want them to always be friends, not just cousins.


Here is another of them, it's been so much fun seeing their relationship blossom, they both are getting old enough to really have a personality & have fun together. Drie "helping" Princess drive the car around the backyard.




Ok, I promise, the boys were all there too, I didn't get as many pics of them, they were all too busy playing, but I did manage to snag a couple of them on the tramp. They are all pretty close in age, (12,10,10,6,& 6) which is really nice, for the most part, they all get along well, there are always some minor bumps, but nothing major.

Sunday, July 20, 2008

Blessed by good friends!

This is going to be pretty short, I've been up since 4:45 & am exhausted, but wanted to share this.  I know how blessed my family is, I also think I take it for granted most of the time.  Well... this "story" is a story that brought that home to me tonight & really was a reminder that I needed.  To say that we've been financially struggling, would be a MAJOR understatement.  With that being said, we've somehow managed to get by, (barely, but we're still here).  Anyway, a few months ago, the wonderful Parks & Rec "catalog" came in the mail, of course, the boys wanted to sign up for any & everything possible.  We agreed on a few things & off I went to sign them up.  Obviously I didn't pay very close attention to registration dates, because once there, I realized I needed to sign C Man up for football RIGHT THEN, not in August like I had thought.  What does that mean?  Well, it meant that he had to choose, a week long basketball camp he was "dying" on attending, or tackle football for the fall season.  It was a tough choice, but he finally decided on football.

Fast forward to last week.  His BFF's mom wanted to sign C-Man & her DS (dear son) up for this camp.   The only "catch" was, we didn't have the $ at this point.  Long story short, I just got home from a weekend of being out of town & there were 2 messages on my phone from her. They are paying for C-Man to go to camp, it's something they really want to do for the boys. I'm sitting her with tears streaming down my face as I'm typing this.  I HATE that we can't afford to send him on our own.  I know this is something that C-Man REALLY wanted to do & I HATED that he wasn't going to be able to go because of us, it was killing me.  I am beyond grateful that they are making this possible for him.  We are SO beyond blessed to have such great friends.

Ok, I'm rambling at this point because I am so emotional, I'm not thinking straight.  Sorry!  I just had to share, we always hear about the bad in the world, I wanted to share something positive for a change.

I hope & pray that one day I'll be in the position to PIF to someone & let them know that there really are still good people out there.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

A day at the lake...

Prince Charming's dad invited us out for a day on the lake to celebrate M's b day.  G'pa, Daddy & C-Man headed out nice & early so they could get some fishing in.

I headed out with the younger 2 kiddos & picked up G'ma around 10.  We made it to the lake, & met the guys at the dock.  They had already set up "camp" for the day, so off we went to the site they had chosen for us.  Once we unloaded all the food & other necessities needed for a fun filled day, we (all but G'ma) headed out for some skiing & tubing fun.



Daddy was the only one that wanted to ski at that point, so when he was done, Bubby decided he wanted to be the first in the tube & he REFUSED to have anyone go with him.  In true "mom fashion", I was beyond freaked!!!  That was my little baby boy back there behind the boat, all by himself surrounded by TONS of water & who knows what else!  Of course, I didn't let HIM know I was a nervous wreck, I was cheering him on louder than anyone.  (Hey, I'm a mom, I HAVE to be his #1 cheerleader)!  He had a BLAST, until...G'pa went over his own wake a few times, poor Bubby, the tube at this time was having "issues" & because it was losing air, it was coming out of it's cover".  Then, add to that the fact that it became a VERY "bouncy" ride, his little face kept hitting the front of the tube, & all he could see were WAVES, everywhere he looked.  He was TERRIFIED, but was too afraid to let go to give us the "QUIT" sign.  The poor thing was trying so hard to hang on, & be brave, but the tears finally came.  It was HEARTBREAKING!  G'pa finally got the hint when I stood up & YELLED at him to STOP THE BOAT!  Daddy pulled Bubs in & we just kept telling him how brave he was & how cool it was & what a great job he did.  He dried the tears & decided that even though it was scary, it was also pretty darn exciting & fun too.
 
 Next up, C-Man, now, at this point, he was a little apprehensive, BUT he was NOT going to be shown up by his 6yo brother!  He jumped in & was ready to go.  He had more fun, he did think G'pa was going WAY too slow though & he let us know it!  He actually stayed in for quite a while & G'pa got to be a little more adventurous with him, that suited C-man to a T.
 
 At this point, I decided I wanted to go, BUT seeing as how I'm a big ol chicken, (I KNEW how G'pa would drive if it were just me) I volunteered to take the Princess with me (like how I do that, that way, he HAS to take it easy)!  I jumped in the tube, then Daddy handed her over.  She wasn't sure about this stuff, but we had fun.  G'pa was great (ok, he was literally going about as slow as the boat would go, but that's besides the point) & I think we even got a smile out of her at one point.

After we all had our chance at tubing, we headed back to G'ma & had some lunch & just hung out there for awhile.

UNTIL G'pa & all the boys decided they had to go fishing again. (Oh yeah, can you tell how excited I was about that).  Long story short, they were gone for what seemed like F.O.R.E.V.E.R.  By the time they got back, I was starting to lose it, Princess wanted IN THE BOAT!  I made G'pa take us around the cove for a few so she would be happy.  As SOON as we went back (like seriously I don't think we were gone 5 minutes...) G'pa, G'ma & Daddy decided they were heading back out fishing again.  Let's just say that by the time they made it back 2 hours later, I wasn't in a very good mood (ok, let's be honest here, I was TICKED).  The boys had been wanting to try their hand at skiing & had been told that as soon as they got back, they could go.  Ummm, yeah, well, not after 4 flippin hours of fishing, they couldn't!  Needless to say, by the time they all got back, NONE of us were very happy, so we loaded up the boat with everything & headed back to the cars.  To kind of make up for it, we convinced G'pa to let the boys go tubing on the way back to the dock.  The boys were happy at that point & all ended well that started well.  Great save G'pa!


Princess passed the time by collecting feathers, luckily there were lots of them! We also went "exploring", played in the water a little bit & ate. It was a looooong time to entertain 3 kiddos, but we managed!

All in all, it was a great way to celebrate hubby's b day, we all had fun (& got tons of sun) & got to relax & spend time with family.  We can't wait to do it again (hopefully with not as much fishing though). LOL

TT giveaway...

I found this, (Thanks Traci) so thought I would share. It's a pretty cool giveaway. It would be so cool if someone I "knew" was the one to win. Let me know if it's you!

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

I have come to realize...

1. I've come to realize my boobs are...
not the same as they were before I had my kiddos.

2. I've come to realize my job...
is the most demanding, thankless, difficult, yet rewarding & best job in the world!

3. I've come to realize that when I'm driving...
I get frustrated by stupid people doing stupid things; Like driving slow, not using a turn signal, pulling out in front of me etc.

4. I've come to realize that I need...
to let go of things that have happened in the past & people that have hurt me & or my family.

5.I've come to realize that I have lost...
the great body I used to have.

6. I've come to realize that I hate it when...
I lose it with my kids, esp if it's because I'm "too busy" & don't want to be interrupted.

7. I've come to realize that if I'm drunk...
someone else has taken over my body, well, either that or I took too much Nyquil!

8. I've come to realize that money...
isn't everything & won't guarantee happiness although it would be nice to not stress about paying bills.

9. I've come to realize that certain people....
are very, very toxic & thrive on that.

10. I've come to realize that I'll always be.....
devoted to my family & the Gospel.

12. I've come to realize that my mom..
is one of my best friends & will always be my #1 supporter, no matter what.

13. I've come to realize my cell phone...
is a thing of my past & I'm okay with that

14. I've come to realize that when I woke up this morning...
I was frustrated & irritated that Prince Charming had the stupid TV on & I couldn't fall back to sleep.

15. I've come to realize that last night before I went to sleep...
that we really are blessed & have a great family, both immediate & extended.

16. I've come to realize that right now I am thinking about...
how tired I'm going to be tomorrow when I have to get up & ready for church, (but I know how I'm going to do Princess's hair).

17. I've come to realize that my dad...
is one of my heros & I don't know what I'm going to do when he isn't here anymore.

18. I've come to realize that when I get on the computer...
I get excited hoping that I can "connect" with my friends that live in here!

19. I've come to realize that today...
my "little" boy is growing up & as exciting as that is for him, I have mixed emotions about it.

20. I've come to realize that tonight...
I could talk about little girl hairstyles for hours & not get bored!

21. I've come to realize that tomorrow I will...
be tired, but "rejuvenated" after going to church.

22. I've come to realize that I really want to...
be financially secure.

23.I've come to realize that the person who is most likely to repost is....
Goldfish, she always takes these & does them. Don't let me down now!

24. I've come to realize that life...
is really just a test, a stepping stone to what I really want. I hope & pray I pass the test.

25. I've come to realize that this weekend...
was wonderful & I have an incredible family.

26. I've realized the best music to listen to when I am upset ...
needs to come from either a musical,( Grease, Hairspray etc) or Primary hymns. I know, big difference, but they both do the job.

27. I've come to realize that friends...
come and go, but the ones that stick around are like gold. My good friends are really like a lifeline to me.

28. I've come to realize that this year..
has been really difficult for us, but we are stronger & closer than ever because of it.

Thanks Brandi, this really made me think, it was fun & thought provoking at the same time.

Monday, July 14, 2008

Bonez...



1. Is very athletic.

2. Is the most responsible child I've ever met. Yes, seriously!

3. Loves his iguana Izzi.

4. Is a HUGE Laker fan!

5. Is enjoying his newfound freedom & hanging out with his friends.

6. Is an official Boy Scout & a Deacon. He's growing up too fast!

7. Is a math whiz.

8. Is a great artist & loves to draw.

9. Plays the drums & is learning the guitar.

10. Is the PICKIEST eater EVER!

11. Is a Daddy's boy!

Sunday, July 13, 2008

C-Man...



1. Loves to explore the outdoors.

2. Is quick witted.

3. Is sensitive.

4. Absolutely adores his sister.

5. Is extremely bright.

6. Loves video games.

7. Is very laid back.

8. Enjoys going on bike rides.

9. Has the most beautiful eyes, they're BIG & are the exact same color as his hair.

10. Is very stubborn.

11. Is MY boy!




Saturday, July 12, 2008

Bubby...



1. Is a natural athlete.

2. Is SO ready for first grade at the "new" school.

3. Is LOUD & lots of fun, he's ALWAYS on the go.

4. Is reading!

5. Is a math whiz.

6. Loves his sister.

7. Still likes to cuddle.

8. Doesn't realize he isn't as big as his brothers.

9. Is adventurous & fearless.

10. Loves music & is always singing & playing either the guitar, the drums, or if need be, the air guitar.

11. Will always be my "baby boy" no matter how old he gets!



Friday, July 11, 2008

The Princess...



1. Is a MAJOR girlie girl. She loves having "pretties" in her hair & having her nails done.

2. Is a DRAMA QUEEN.

3. Loves music & is always singing & dancing.

4. Loves to carry around one of her many babies.

5. Loves to play outside, esp with her brothers.

6. Is really starting to talk a lot.

7. Loves to play "tag" with her brothers, it's one of her favorite things to do with them.

8. Adores her brothers.

9. Is not shy, but won't talk to you if she doesn't know you & you want her to talk to you.

10. Loves to go bye bye - doesn't matter where, she just wants to go.

11. Is our little Princess... & knows it!


Thursday, July 10, 2008

Baseball Time...

Today was Bubby's 1st game.  HOLY COW, I realized today, that I probably shouldn't go to his games anymore.  (Im not a bad mom, of course I really won't miss any).  YIKES, it was SO frustrating to watch.  Some of these kids were beyond clueless, like seriously someone is going to get hurt, clueless out there.  I'm talking NO idea what the heck is going on.  I learned today that I am one of "those" mom's, I'm VERY competitive.  No, I didn't say anything while we were there, I laughed right along with everyone else, but inside, UGH, I was SCREAMING!!!  It was all I could do to keep quiet!!!   There were a few (VERY few) that knew what they were doing, the rest... well...  I know, I know, you gotta start somewhere.  I get that, really, I do.  But seriously, can't they put them all on 1 team & let the others just PLAY?!  Okay, no, I don't think that's the answer, I KNOW the only way they are going to learn is to be out there with everyone else.  It's good that they are all mixed together, that way everyone can learn  & have fun.  Blah blah blah, whatever.  It's still frustrating as heck to watch though.  I'll continue to go & support Bubby, I'll keep my mouth quiet when once again, someone watches the ball go right past them as they stand there, or even move out of the way so the ball doesn't accidently roll into their glove, or when someone doesn't run to the next base, or, or, or...  I'll go, like all the other good mom's out there & cheer loud so Bubby knows we're there for him.  I'll continue to take snacks for the team when I'm given the sign up sheet.


Here he is out in the field, waiting patiently for some action...

Ok, enough about that... I dont' want to brag or anything, but... hey wait, it's MY blog, I can brag all I want!  Bubs did GREAT!  Yep, he was one of the few that knew what was going on.  Either he's a natural athlete, or he really paid attention all those years I drug him to watch Daddy play.  Ok, honestly, it's a little of both I think.  He played GREAT though, whatever the reason. He got up to bat twice, & hit both times.  His 2nd hit though was AWESOME!  He smacked that ball so hard & so far, too bad the kid on first didn't know he was supposed to run.  D thought it was pretty cool to cross home plate & score for his team.  All in all, it was fine.  He had fun & played amazingly well.  Hopefully next week Daddy will be able to watch & cheer him on too. The more the merrier, right?!


Up to bat...


On his way to 3rd...

Till next time...

Pool Time

Ok, so we have some great friends that "left" us their pool key while they are out of town. We took advantage of it today & had a BLAST! The kids & I stayed down there for about 2 1/2 hours just playing in the water. There wasn't anyone else there at first, then a few came to play. I finally gathered the kids & left when it started getting crowded. I don't enjoy it if there are too many people. Sorry, but I don't like to feel crowded in the water.
Anyway, here are a few of the shots that turned out. (I didn't take many because I was too busy IN the water playing with the kids).

C-Man jumping in the water...

Bubby, The Princess & I...


I really wanted to go back tomorrow, but I'm so fried right now that I'm not sure if my skin can handle any more sun. We'll be out on the boat all day Friday, so I may stick close to home tomorrow. BUT, I will definitely be heading back next week.

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Peek-A-Boo

Ok, I just have to share because this was so funny. While we were in the backyard, Princess found the perfect "hiding place", cracked us up. She has figured out that she is the perfect size to fit into the BBQ "storage shelf thingy", you know, where the propane tank sits?! Yep, she climbs right in & sits there, she closes the door & says "BYE". We were laughing so hard, & boy did she get mad when I made her get out to go in the house. I got some darling pics, I can't wait to scrap those.




Ahhh, the joys of summer!

I honestly don't think I've been to bed before 12:30 or 1 since school got out. I also don't think my kids have been to bed before 10 or so. I LOVE being able to sleep in in the mornings. I love not having to be somewhere every day. I love not having a schedule, just hanging out & having fun with family & friends.
Princess blowing bubbles...

Today we had somewhere to be, Bubs had baseball practice/pictures. The rest of the day was wide open, gotta love that! I told the kids that we would head to the park after practice, (after Bubby got to play in the sprinklers of course). His baseball coach turns on the sprinklers at the end of each practice & the kids all beg their parent's to let them run around & cool off. I think they look forward to this more than practice lol!

Anyway, a friend & her DS headed that way too. I let the kids hang out for about an hour, they had a BLAST. I got some great shots of them playing, gotta love the candids!
Boys just playing around...

Bubby...

C-Man jumping off the slide...

What a nice big brother...

Princess getting ready to slide down the curly slide...

After the park, we came back home & hung out in the backyard for a bit. Then when it got to be just too hot, we headed in the nice cool house & just hung out.

Anyway, we're missing Bonez, but are trying to stay busy so we don't get too bummed that he isn't here. I sure hope he's having fun. I can't wait to hear all about everything he got to do.

Ok, I'm outta here, I have a major headache, & this isn't helping. I'm going to go finish my book & then try to get some sleep. Oh, come on, I don't know who I think I'm kidding, I'll be up for another couple of hours... at least!!!

Gotta love summertime!