Living the Dream...

Happy Birthday R!

2011-09-12T06:49:00.000-07:00

Our R is 12!
For his birthday he had a few friends over for movies and a sleepover.

The next day we took him to the Space Needle to eat at the Sky City restaurant.
He has been wanting to eat there for years!
We all had a great time and the view was amazing!

Staircase Trailhead!

2011-07-11T13:35:00.001-07:00

We just completed our very first hiking-camping trip; 14 miles total, 1 night out, and completely gorgeous!

Yum!

2011-06-28T20:32:00.000-07:00

J & R really enjoy Lemon Meringue pie, it's R's all time favorite.
Today R and I made one from scratch (crust and everything)! It was fun baking with my son, I sure love that kid!

Growing!

2011-06-27T12:09:00.001-07:00

This year I have been able to devote more time to gardening and the animals.
Right before J came home from deployment I bought him some piglets! He has wanted to raise some pigs for quite sometime. Our good friends and my sis-in-law came over and helped me build a pen for them.
The boys named the piggies Special Edwina & Wendy. They are funny pigs and we have fun raising them. They grow so fast and will be ready for butchering by the end of summer.
We have 9 hens and have 10 chicks, we call The Babies. J made the hen house roof extend over into the pigpen so the pigs have some cover. The chicken pen and the pigpen are both connected to the hen house but the animals are separated.

We have transplanted the raspberries and strawberries, they have really taken off this past year. I have also planted:
Potato
Tomato (from starters)
Snap Pea
Pea
Green Bean
Black Bean
Onion
Carrot
Peppers (from starters)
Pumpkin
Squash

We planted a lot of the beans, tomatoes, and peppers for canning. L loves home canned Green beans and J loves salsa. I just got excited about growing potatoes and it looks like we'll have a lot of those too!
L & I were looking at the pics of the gardens today and it was cool seeing how everything has changed so much!

Here was my Box Garden:

Which has grown to this:
Here is my Backyard Garden: Growing to this:

Here is my Woods Garden: Which has grown:

It will be fun to see how different each garden is from tilling to harvest!

I'm So Excited!

2011-05-28T07:03:00.000-07:00

J is home from his last deployment! We have survived our sea-duty station for the past 5 years and it is so exciting to know that for the next 3 years he doesn't have to go anywhere!

One of Those Awesome Days!

2011-05-09T07:19:00.001-07:00

I had the Best day with my boys at the Zoo over the weekend!
The zoo, about 1.5hrs away, has a new dinosaur exhibit with about 7 robotic large dinosaurs outside. The boys thought it was very cool, especially the one that spit water on you!
We had a great day walking around for over 3hrs seeing tons of animals, having a ridiculously priced lunch, and even splurging on a treat: candy apple for R, giant sucker for L, and a double chocolate muffin for me. Delicious!
We ended our day with dinner at a Family Pancake House. I love how funny R and L are, their goofy faces, smart-alec remarks, smiles, and laughter. I love being their Mom!

11/2006 - 5/2011

2011-05-05T07:21:00.000-07:00

This week I finished my Bachelors in Business Administration HR!

I started college November 2006 with University of Phoenix and earned my AA in Paraprofessional education. I then finished up my BS in business with Kaplan University. Both were completed from home with online courses.

Now what?
Well, this summer I am going to fully enjoy being a stay-at-home Mom to my boys. I hope to find employment this fall when the boys start school again.

The boys are really funny and they say that they are 50-50 about me going to work. They don't like the idea that I might have to be somewhere that is not our home. L says it will be weird if I'm not home because I'm always home. But then they really like the idea of me making money!
I have a wonderful husband who will support me in anything that I do---and always has.

I'm relieved that its done, excited that I don't have weekly assignments anymore, horrified at the idea of paying student loans, nervous about whats in the future. This signals a new chapter in my life.
The past 4 years I have been working towards this goal and now I've accomplished it. This goal was so that I could eventually begin some type of career because the boys won't stay young forever. A part of me is sad that life is evolving because its proof that my job as SAHM to my 'little boys' is changing and will never be the same.

No matter what these degrees bring me I am grateful to Heavenly Father for blessing me with my dream job as a SAHM and for the blessings of an education. I know he will help me as I transition into the new adventures waiting for me and my family.

Springtime 2011

2011-05-02T22:06:00.000-07:00

J's early birthday present:Thor is a Mini Schnauzer and 3.5 months old. Full on feisty and a big hit with the family. Today he got his first real haircut and a collar complete with spikes. L has trained Thor to sit by him while he eats his breakfast.It is super cute and so funny how the puppy will just sit there while L eats. He doesn't even try to snag L's food.

This is L's first year in baseball.He was very nervous for his first game and told me that he hoped he didn't have to go to bat because he was afraid of striking out. Too bad for him he's so good at hitting! He's had 3 games and hits every time he goes to bat. He is having a blast and really enjoys being catcher.

I changed the box garden around and have planted tomatoes and peppers. L and I went flower pot crazy. He is super cute when it comes to gardening, he helped me pick out the different flowers and we planted everything together. I loved it!

That Felt Pretty Cool!

2011-04-24T20:13:00.000-07:00

We have a 1999 Dodge pick-up and the starter had been acting up lateley. Well, it finally happened, Thursday the starter gave up.I couldn't get the truck to start the day I was taking all the trash and recycling in. Aaarrrggghhhh!

A friend of ours took the old starter out and was going to put in a new one for me. I ordered a new one....only ordered a 1996 starter, so embarrassing!
The correct one was ordered and the day it came in our friend and J were unable to fix it. I could either wait til someone could do it or I could. Our friend showed me what I would need to do if I chose to install myself.

Hmm, I thought that I should give it a shot. It was intimidating but I told myself I'm capable enough to be able to fix 1 part on my truck.I have to say that my hands are not as strong as my hubby's. One part took me quite a while to connect. Usually you just have to plug in this cable, but I couldn't get it to click together. I ended up having to use 2 pliers.

I was surprised that it was as easy as it turned out to be. And man was it exciting to be the one to fix my truck! I felt like a kid who learned how to ride their bike or something!

Thank You!

2011-04-09T20:45:00.000-07:00

We ran to Safeway to get a few groceries to hold us over til Monday.
After ringing up the cashier said,
"This has never happened before but a man came through and gave me 40$ and said to pay for the next persons groceries"

What?!
It was such a nice thing for someone to do. We only had 20$ worth of food so whoever went behind us will get 20$ off their grocery bill.

The boys were amazed too.
L asked me if we were ever going to do that for someone.
I told him maybe one day, but we didn't have to wait til we had extra money to leave with a cashier. We can help anyone, we just need to look for opportunities. I reminded them when they hold open a door, pick up something that someone has dropped, give extra help to a teacher, or help out another student at school it is giving and they should do that whenever they can.

I wish I could have said thank you to that person for the money and for the great example and teaching moment for my boys.

Addicted?

2011-04-05T08:24:00.001-07:00

We recently canceled our account with Directv. We realize it isn't a good use of our $ and it doesn't promote activity, its a distraction.

When it was turned off R asked why, I told him to save $ and that we didn't need it. Our teen friend pipped up and said, Yeah, it just makes you sit around a get fat! R and L heard that and then were sold on the idea of canceling. (cracks me up!)

I think I'm the one who was addicted to it. Withdrawals? Sort of, I would usually have the TV on most of the day playing in the background while I did chores and Homework. So for days it felt really weird not having the satellite.
The boys haven't even mentioned it. So I guess canceling was really for my benefit!

We are not a 'No TV' house, we have Netflix and a Blockbuster membership. We just don't spend as much time in front of the TV anymore and that's probably a good thing.

The next step is getting the boys to stop being video game junkies.
Last year we had no electronic gaming allowed during the summer. Loved it! Even the boys admitted it was one of the best summers. We let them have video games after school started.
We have warned them that this summer will be like last year, No video games whatsoever. You can bet they will have withdrawals from it!

It amazes me how me and my family have become so into electronic media. I don't even want to think about how much time we've wasted zoning out to it.

Hello Spring!

2011-03-28T07:31:00.000-07:00

Ahhhhh, I love Spring!

I know its official when all I hear outside is frogs, its such a cool sound!

We have said goodbye to basketball (pics pending) and hello to baseball.

L is playing his first year of baseball; Little League, machine pitch division.

He is excited and nervous, I think he looks stinkin' cute out there!

I am in my last 2 classes of my bachelors degree; in week 4 of my 10 week courses. I'm excited for it to all be finished, but right now there is so much work to get done too.

I received my b-day gift early. My J gets me the greatest gifts. He told me he had a flash of genius and got me a Nook Color!

I love this thing! I read just about anything I can get my hands on but I feel bad buying books since I go through them so quickly. So he got me the Nook, ebooks can be cheaper, and he told me to not feel bad and get the books I want to read.

L and R love it almost as much as I do so I've downloaded some books for them.

Trying New Things

2011-02-19T12:59:00.000-08:00

I love trying out new things and ideas.

I found this cookbook by Jessica Seinfeld at the library this week:The concept is to sneak in vegetables into everyday foods. I want to try some of these recipes to try to help not just the boys to eat better but for J and I as well. The hardest thing looks like the beet puree....I think I'll try a few other veggie puree's in the recipes first and work up from there!

Friday Favorites!

2011-02-18T06:57:00.000-08:00

This Friday kicks of a 4-day weekend for our family! (I LOVE extended weekends, they are the best!)

1. Finals ~ I hate finals, but it is so wonderful when I've finished a class! I have 2 Blessed weeks off before I start my last 2 classes. I have 1 more management class and then a class about the development for school aged children.

2. Rockets ~

The boys shot off rockets with J last week, it was so fun! L's 1st launch had his rocket stuck in a tree. Dad came to the rescue and cut it out for him and he was able to relaunch it where it got lost somewhere on the neighbors property. R's did pretty good too and we still have it, so it can be relaunched when we get a new engine pack for it.

3. Blessings ~ Heavenly Father has blessed us so much in so any ways. We just got orders for J's new job. For a long time it looked like we'd be stationed back on the East coast, which is a great place. However, moving would be hard because of our house here, and I didn't want the boys to have to switch schools yet. Finally, when J had to pick, no extending, no more waiting for the next list, a position opened up. With all his hard work he qualified and was accepted! So now we have a few more years here. My heart is full and I am very grateful that Heavenly Father knows our little family so well, I feel very happy indeed.

4. Help ~ I have healed up very well since throwing out my back. However, it made me realize a few things. I hate asking for help, its ridiculous sometimes the way I avoid it. I have report cards from grade school that show my lowest grades are in the section "Asks for help when needs it". I remember even as a kid thinking, "Well that's just stupid, why would they grade me on that?". S, my 'part-time daughter' said, "Bonster, you have the perfect excuse to ask people to do things for you and you still refuse, why?!". After she said that I told her I'd work on it.Some Help I'm thankful for:
J: the time off he took to take care of me, the kids, the house that first week. All the practices and games he took over when it was still to hard to sit for long periods.
M: Taking me to the hospital, cleaning my house, making me a heating pad, helping me ease into working out, driving me around, making me laugh so hard I had to take another pain pill!
S: For helping me do all my grocery shopping; this 14yr old saint has followed me around grocery stores w/the cart, putting all the stuff in it for me, loading and unloading the car all with a smile, I love that kid!
L & R: For loving me extra and doing more chores at home.
Ladies at church: They have substituted teaching my Sunday school and Wolf cub scout classes.

5. To-Do ~ Spring is around the corner and I'm so excited for the changing of season! This weekend we are getting some of our To-Do List done. We have inside and outside work planned. I am most excited for the upgrades to the box garden and mini-makeovers to the boys' bedrooms!

We Love Henry Winkler!

2011-02-17T07:05:00.000-08:00

We have been listening to:

Niagara Falls or Does It?

by Henry Winkler & Lin Oliver

This book is very funny, imaginative, and cute. We all love it! Hank Zipser is a great character that is easy to relate to. I love how Henry Winkler reads this story, he is awesome!
We are looking forward to reading more of these books; I love finding new book series!

Hearts To You!

2011-02-14T14:55:00.000-08:00

Here's to thinking of those you love;

I'm very thankful for so many special people I have in my life,

Happy Valentine's Day!

B&N!

2011-02-07T07:21:00.000-08:00

We are fans of Barnes and Noble here!
A new book is always very exciting :0)

I love it when the boys ask me to take them. It's also a standard for our date nights; J will always take me for a stroll in B&N.

Groupon had a special: 10$ for 20$ at B&N.

So during Saturday's date we got:

Calvin & Hobbes: There's Treasure Everywhere by Bill Watterson
R and I are big fans of these books.

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
I remember my Mom telling me to read this when I was younger and I was not happy. But once I started I was hooked! (I guess I know where R gets his Eye-Rolling-Heavy-Sighing-Mom-You-Have-No-Idea attitude when I tell him to read a certain book!) J says he remembers reading this book and he said we have to make R read it...only R has to wait til J and I are done with it!

Elantris by Brandon Sanderson
J really enjoys this authors work.

Jumper Cable by Piers Anthony
When I was younger I read every Xanth novel I could get my hands on, they were my favorite. I think its cool new stories keep coming out. Every once in a while its nice to revisit the land of Xanth.

Pokemon: The Rise of Darkrai by Ryo Takamisaki
L is a big fan of Pokemon like his big bro. Recently his 2nd grade class has learned about Chinese New Year and a few things about Chinese culture. He thought the direction of their books were amazing. It was funny to see how excited he was when R brought out his Pokemon graphic novel; it reads backwards! He gobbled that book up and so we picked him up this one. Both R and L are sure liking it.

Friday Favorites

2011-02-04T07:06:00.000-08:00

?Where do the weeks go?
Hello Friday!

1. Reading Olympics - The elementary school here does Reading Olympics every year. My boys have always been pretty excited about this. L is all about it this year. He hasn't always been the biggest fan of reading on his own. Each year he gets more confident and enjoys it more. This year I am loving hearing him read to me! Every day he has been reading out loud to me and it makes my heart smile!

2. Brothers - I love my own brother very much (and my awesome sister)! I also love seeing my boys be brothers! It makes the mom in me feel like winning the lottery when seeing them help each other, play together, and just hang out having fun together. They are so different from each other, can drive each other nuts, and can still have great times together.

3. Scrap Booking - I love the idea of scrap booking. I tried it out a few years ago but when started college it fell by the wayside. I kept mementos in a tub in the computer room.
Hurting my back opened a great time to start it back up. It was awesome to walk down memory lane looking through my boys' school papers and pics. I love them so much!
I have all their things out, I have to finish the organizing and then begin the assembling. We'll see how long this takes to get caught up on the past 4 1/2 years!

4. Military Discount -Michael's, the craft store, have a 10% discount for military on Wednesdays. I think its pretty cool when businesses give a discount for military. This week we were able to get a rocket pack for the boys at 45% off, can't wait to shoot them off!

5. Coupons - I love saving $!I had a ton of coupons this week and it was pretty fun seeing how much I saved on our groceries and house goods.

Behind!

2011-01-30T17:06:00.000-08:00

I hate falling behind.
It was difficult keeping up with my schoolwork this week. At first I thought I was going to be OK. Then for a few days it was too painful to sit up so typing became a huge challenge. And with healing comes sleep, and I slept a lot this week!
So I am a bit behind with my homework and I hate that.
This means there is no way I will get an A for the class I am currently taking and that is irritating.

However, I did help my two boys catch up on their school work. L finished up all last weeks and next weeks spelling and math, hooray! And now R is finished with 3 of his 5 book reports for this school term, sweet!

Over the next 2 days I will be working on a PowerPoint presentation, an essay, and some discussion boards. So hopefully by Wednesday I will be all caught up and ready to start the new school week clear headed and on time.

Ouch!

2011-01-28T09:52:00.000-08:00

Monday was going fantastic. I was knocking down my To-Do list left and right, so productive. I was finishing up some chores before having to take L to the dentist when somehow I threw out my back...ouch!
It's ridiculous how much it hurts, I so can't like it.

I really didn't know how bad it was. I was still determined to get L to the dentist. However, after crawling around on the floor unable to actually touch my feet or walk I came to the conclusion that maybe I'd have to reschedule the appointment.

Since R and L were home I didn't cry, but sure wanted to! I called J and my friend Blue. Blue rescued me and took me to the hospital where J was waiting for me. After a shot and some Rx meds I went home.
Since Monday I've been asleep more than I've been awake. It is getting better, I can walk almost normally now.
I told J I feel like I'm aging way too fast. Especially after the Doc told me that I have a bad back and I should wait almost a month before doing any exercises other than walking.

My husband has been fantastic. All week he has taken care of the kids in the morning and getting them off to school before going to work.He even took Tuesday off and stayed home with me. He also has been taking care off all our meals. He's a keeper!
Blue took Wednesday and stayed with me and on Thursday she drove L and me to L's new dental appointment (that field trip was painful)I can't drive yet and it was awesome she's there to help out.
I am very blessed to have the help I need this past week and I am very thankful!

Friday Favorites!

2011-01-21T08:55:00.000-08:00

Hello Friday! I love Friday since it means no strict bedtimes and the kids will be home for the next 2 days.

1. Olive Oil -I had my hair cut at Regis and the hairdresser introduced me to this shampoo. My hair is very fine and this product is excellent!

2. Teacher Email (and great teachers!) - It is so nice to be able to contact each of the boys' teachers through email and every time I do I get a response very quickly. We all know that sometimes it's difficult asking others for help!In grade school this wasn't the case with R, however, it is a different story now that he's in middle school. This week I found out some stress he was experiencing in school in some of his classes. I sent a few emails and by the time R got to school his teachers worked with him and emailed me back. When he got home in the afternoon he was feeling much better, a full 180 from the morning! He's growing so fast. I love being Mom and being able to help him out.

3. The New Bag - For Christmas J got me a very cute coach purseand my friend gave me a Vera Bradley purse,I love them! The NEX had some great sales this week and I bought myself a Vera Bradley church bag.

4. New Snack -I love craisins and now they make chocolate covered ones, yum!

5. Comics - I don't mean comics like Marvel, I mean ones like Garfield, FoxTrot, Zits, and Calvin and Hobbes.I think its cool that the kids like them too, love hearing R or L giggle when they read something funny. Sometimes you just need to read something that makes you laugh! I read these after I have a heavy school week and my brain is textbook tired!

Friday Favorites!

2011-01-14T07:04:00.000-08:00

It's been a while...here are my recent favorites:

1. Sold!J got this car a couple years ago. It had a burned out motor and it sat in our side yard, and sat, and sat. He sold it! Way cool.

2. Noodle Salad: My friend Junebug made this salad for me and I love it.It has sun dried tomatoes, artichokes, carrots, baby spinach, any noodles you want, mozzarella, chicken and some seasoning. You pretty much put in anything you want, super fast and so good.

3. Bones! This show is awesome!

4. Juice: I am trying to cut back on diet sodas. I love this stuffand bonus, I'm the only one in the house who likes it :0)

5. Pokemon: OK, Pokemon is not really my favorite.However, R has been a fan for years, and now L is all about it too. The part that is my favorite is seeing them 'talk shop' and get excited about the characters and games together. They are almost 4 years apart and I love seeing them being friends, not just brothers. Its really cute.

2011-01-11T08:56:00.000-08:00

(Pic of R last season)

R is a pretty smart kid. He is logical, rational, and fair. He is academically strong. R is not a sports fan. We have put R in some type of sport since he was 4.

We have found out that he does not like Tae Kwon Do, soccer, or baseball. He is unwilling to try football or wrestling. However, Basketball is his game. This is his 3rd season.

R is also an allergy ridden asthmatic!

Its true that he likes basketball. Every year we still have to 'force' him to sign up though. I told him years ago that our family rule says he has to play at least one sport a year.
You would think I told him he had to do extra homework or hug me in public. I thought his eyes would fall out of their sockets from the excessive rolling and that his dramatic sigh may have been an asthma attack.
Good thing he is pretty obedient. Once the season starts he is glad he is on a team and tells me, "Mom, I'm glad you forced me to play this year!"

It is difficult to see him at games and practices sometimes. He pushes and pushes and really hates using his inhaler. There are times I think he goes too far, but he keeps at it. Last year many times he would cry on the way home after practice from chest pain or headaches. I feel bad for him when he feels so nauseous from the asthma and his medication. I worry when it takes days for him to bounce back from a practice or game.

He rarely, if ever, becomes discouraged from being the slowest at running, or that he didn't get as much play time as other boys on the team.
Last night they had a scrimmage. He worked hard, made some great rebounds and is a good defender. He felt very happy with his performance, "I'm proud of myself tonight Mom" he told me. I can tell he is looking forward to games starting next week and so are we.

We sure love that kid. I love seeing him grow, being R's mom is pretty awesome.

Jordan & Sanderson

2011-01-10T08:34:00.000-08:00

"The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth comes again. ...There are neither beginnings nor endings to the turning of the Wheel of Time. But it was a beginning" (Robert Jordan).

In my Sophomore year of high school a friend of mine told me to read 'The Eye of the World'. I really thought he had said 'The Eye of the Wolf' so couldn't find it so didn't read it.
About 2 years later, right after I got married, my husband J received a signed copy book 8 in the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan. He was very excited and told me I should read them.

I tried, I couldn't do it. Then his cousin, the friend who 1st mentioned 'The Eye of the World' to me, told me that if he at least gets to page 200 in any book he usually can finish it. So I gave 'Eye of the World' another try. My only goal was to hit page 200.

The 200 page marker theory worked for me too, I was not only able to finish the book but to also fall in love with the story. I was hooked and soon J and I were talking about the characters like they were real people. (big book nerds I know!)

He told me that he worried that the series would never be completed the ending would always be a mystery. J started this series when he was 14, he is now 31.
Then one day a fellow college classmate told me that Robert Jordan had passed away. I've never talked to him, met him, or even seen him. But I've devoured his stories. I felt bad for his family and sad that the stories had ended. It was so cool to find out that Robert Jordan and his family prepared for the story to be completed even after his passing.

Hello Brandon Sanderson! He is writing the last 3 novels of The Wheel of Time.
We had never heard of this author before so I bought J one of his other books. Instant hit, he is a great story teller as well.
I also discovered that he wrote a youth age series, 'Alcatraz and the Evil Librarians'. I got the first book for R for Christmas.
I read a lot of what R does, I love being able to talk to him about the books. This series is FUNNY! I love it and hoped R would too. He read book 1, in one day, and book 2, in two days. I think its safe to say that Sanderson is another favorite author in our household.

We are awaiting the last book. Soon I am starting over. I will read the prelude and books 1-13 so when the last book comes out I'll be ready.

A New Year!

2011-01-05T11:51:00.000-08:00

I like that the start of a new year brings the opportunity to create personal goals and grow as an individual. OK, the new year is when we can all think about our imperfections and know that your supposed to make new goals to be better or more accomplished, or awesomer.
I love making new goals, the idea is pleasing. I think that following through with goals is where I have difficulty.

This year I want to:

Finish my Bachelors in HR administration.
Get a job.
Become more organized.
Be more crafty.
Learn more; example-gardening, cooking, sewing, building, crafting, business, writing....etc. etc.
Keep on working on being healthy.
Read a lot of books.

I am pretty confident in some of these goals. Namely my degree and reading lots of books. I'm so ready to graduate and have 2 2/3 classes left. I am addicted to reading. I would like to convince all that I read really important stuff. I don't. I love to read funny things, sarcastic stories, fiction, fantasy, and science fiction. I love reading the stuff my 11 year old reads (but hey, he's reading at a senior in high school level as of last year) I enjoy 'fast reads', and I love big long books and series are my favorite.

Organization is very difficult. I think when anyone has a secret rebellious side it becomes nearly impossible to be very organized for any length of time.

We all know what working on healthy means.

Crafty is as crafty does. Just kidding. I get to be extra invested in crafts since my volunteer work with church and cub scouts gives me the perfect excuse to do so.

I love learning new things. I must be big headed in some context because I get very impatient when something does not come easily or quickly for me. Frustrated as in 'How dare this new thing defy my understanding'! I am thinking on learning more about writing and documentation. I have been writing material that I haven't really wanted to write about for the past 4 years. I have received positive feedback from my instructors for most of my work and have earned high grades for what I've written. I think I don't like it in that I have to write about a specified subject and am getting graded on it. Makes me want to do the opposite.

I am scared about getting a job. I have a great job but it won't pay off my student loans. I work pro bono. I have been giving back to society by raising 2 of its members in such a way that in the future they will contribute so much that we would all be lost without them. :-) I wish I could use their pictures as currency and send that to the bank.
I have not worked in a real establishment since I was a teen. Yikes! However, I am determined to stop freaking myself out and let the job hunt begin.

So a week late: Happy New Year! Here's to all of us becoming awesomer in 2011!

Our Family 2010!

2010-12-12T11:59:00.001-08:00

Our Family: J, B, R (11), L (7)

Our Wonderful Friends!

So Close!

2010-12-03T11:12:00.001-08:00

I just finished 2 more management classes covering concepts in Compensation, Employment, and Staffing.
The finals for these were challenging and I did not like it!
I received 'A's in both classes and my degree GPA is 3.79 so far.

I start a management policy class and Introduction to Chemistry class next week.

The chemistry class is to fill in a small credit deficit. I was able to pick any lower credit class to fill it in. I'm excited for it since I think R will be interested in hearing some of the concepts!

After these 2 classes I have 1 left!

I am so close to the end its crazy!

I am enjoying my week off with J and the boys, they are pretty awesome!

Oh Yeah!

2010-11-23T08:27:00.001-08:00

We don't get a lot of these:
We hit the jackpot yesterday and so now we have a Snow Day!
No school for the boys and even work canceled for J...could it get any better?!

Picture Post!

2010-09-29T13:42:00.000-07:00

Faux Mustaches are one of the coolest inventions!
I love how much fun they have with these, such goofballs!

L finally lost his 1st tooth! It takes FOREVER for my boys to lose their teeth! And once they do it takes forever to grow in their "Man-Tooth"
J built this bench earlier this summer. It is the perfect front porch seat, I love it. On summer nights he'd ask me to come sit with him and have a "5-Minute Date"
He also built me a cubby-shelf above my washer and dryer, so much room!J bought 2 turkey chicks this spring to raise for Holiday dinners this winter. Well, the tom turkey ate a ridiculous amount of food, so instead of waiting for Thanksgiving to butcher him we did it early. Here he is, all 27.5 pounds of him! I can every fall, my new food to try was salsa. I always forget to take pictures of what I do, and I always wish I had! I don't have a lot of storage space for all my jars. I found the perfect spot for me, all the kitchen cupboards are topped like this. I love seeing all the different colors and the foods in the jars up there.

Zoo & Fair 2010!

2010-09-24T18:14:00.001-07:00

Quarters have been The Coolest thing this summer...gotta love quarter machines!

They were trying to get the camels to spit on them...
A fun rainy summer day at the zoo, best weather since all the animals are out playing and hardly anyone is there.
The mighty hunter!

My goodness I love these boys! This is one of my favorite pics!

School!

2010-09-21T06:12:00.000-07:00

The beginning of the month brought the new school year.

R is in 6th grade, his first year of middle school

L is in 2nd grade

This year their schedules are a little different, R leaves and gets home before L. I wasn't sure how this would play out, but I like it. R & I get to hang out early in the morning while L is still asleep. Then I have about an hour of a quiet house before I get to hang out with L before he goes to school. And I know that R likes that hour in the afternoon to unwind before L gets home.

L's teacher 'looped' with the class, that means he got to move up to second grade with the class. L was So Excited! We all think Mr. Ldbg. is one Great teacher!
R made it into honors humanities (language arts & social studies) and got to skip another year of math, so now he's 2 years ahead in math.

I love how well they both do in school, how much fun they have, and all the learning they get to do. But, I always miss them too, the beginning of the school year is Not my favorite!

Summer 2010!

2010-09-20T09:37:00.000-07:00

We've had a wonderful summer filled with fun beach days, trips, family, and friends!

2 Down, 5 To Go!

2010-09-16T19:52:00.000-07:00

I finished up 2 more classes and I received my grades for my finals:

Stress Management: 100/100
Human Resources: 190/200

Overall Class grades are: S.M. 95% and HR 96%

Very happy with those results!
I really enjoyed my stress management class, it was an elective I chose. My HR class wasn't bad, I can say that I really learned a lot.

My new classes that start next week are: Employment & Staffing, and Compensation.

After these 2 I will only have 3 classes left to earn my degree!

Love This Man!

2010-08-12T11:35:00.001-07:00

We sure love J, he is pretty amazing!I'm so thankful for all the hard work he does for us; I love having a family with him, he's a great husband and Dad!

What If?

2010-08-10T08:02:00.000-07:00

This weekend we learned a fun game at a fun potluck. It's called "What If?" It made for lots of giggles and a great time.

R even played it & I was glad he thought some of the Q's about his were funny:

~Q: What if R was a secret 'Twilight' fan?
~A: Then he would fly to Spain, rip off his shirt and sparkling yell out I LOVE YOU BELLA!

~Q: What if R kissed a girl?
~A: Then he'd never wash his lips off!

These were funny, but in the context of the game even more so. It ends up that Q's are read while answers to other Q's are given. So sometimes it works in an outrageously funny way.

R found a way for him, me, and L to play it yesterday and we had some laughs!
My favorite Q's from the kids:

~Q: What if L won a billion dollars?
~A: Then R would be a hobo!

~Q: What if Dad's breath smelled like his feet?
~A: Then even nuclear waste would run away!

Summer Reading!

2010-08-04T13:13:00.001-07:00

Reading rocks! This summer the boys and I have been listening to books on CD in the car:

~N.E.R.D.S.
~Lunch Money
~Diary of a Wimpy Kid #1, #2, #3
~Beazus and Ramona

I've read some 'Monk', some books by Sophie Kinsella (love all of them!), and tried to read Under the Dome by Stephen King (but got too scared and couldn't finish it!)and of course my HW reading (which usually I skim just enough to do my assignments) One book Why 'Zebra's Don't Get Ulcers' was a textbook I actually read cover-to-cover.

R read 'The Red Pyramid', and 'The Ranger's Apprentice'.
L enjoys Dr. Seuss (any & all), R's old Pokemon books, and any book/magazine about animals (any animal!). He is the biggest fan of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books.

J reads the back of his eyelids...haha! (He has a busy schedule!) Actually he read The Lord of the Rings Trilogy and The Hobbit.

A Dozen Years Ago!

2010-08-01T18:35:00.000-07:00

12 years ago I married my J!

This year he got me these:

They arrive in a couple of days and I'm beyond excited! I sure love that J, being married is pretty fantastic!

Triathlon!

2010-07-04T20:12:00.000-07:00

Saturday we participated in a triathlon!
J and I were in groups, we were the 5k runners. R and L got to do the kids triathlon after we were all done.
We all had a bunch of fun...although I've discovered that I definitely need to use my running shoes more!
I'm so glad that our friends invited us to participate. I plan on training for a triathlon that is this September; this time I'll do all three events: swimming, biking, and running. I'm totally excited!

Grades!

2010-06-30T14:07:00.000-07:00

I received my grades today...

~Research & Presentation: (91.30%) A-
~Conflict Resolution & Team Dynamics: (89%) B+
Now my cumulative GPA is 3.72

I've also been invited to, and joined, a sorority!

I wish my grades were a bit higher,but I can't feel too bad. We've had some crazy busy schedules this term resulting in me turning in a few late assignments (a big point reducer!).

My new classes that start next week are:

~Stress--Critical Issues in Management & Prevention
~Human Resource Management

May & June!

2010-06-23T15:12:00.001-07:00

Ball @ the playground
J's b-day cake, Happy # 31!
R's b-day card to J had a math quiz in it :0)
Those boys can rock it!
Fun zoo times for L's #7 b-day
Fish watching @ the zoo
Seal watching @ the zoo
Fun camel rides @ the zoo!

It was a full couple of months...

Movies!

2010-06-20T09:08:00.000-07:00

We've started the summer by seeing 2 great movies:
Toy Story 3 and The Karate Kid
R said that The Karate Kid is his new favorite movie and L had some great giggles during Toy Story 3. Both were pretty good and were fun to go see!

April and May!

2010-05-21T12:16:00.001-07:00

For my birthday (the big 30!) J brought one of my best friends up from UT and I had a party with my other best friends daughter who turned 14, fun weekend!

J and I took our 1st cruise! The cruise was from LA to Mexico, 7 nights of awesomeness! We loved it all, the food, the shows, visiting Cabo, Mazatlan, and Puerto Vallarta. We did some shopping, went on a zip line through the forest, and spent the day at an all exclusive hotel resort.

The end of April and the beginning of May we planted our garden: Peas, beans, blackberries, broccoli, onion, lettuce, carrot, radish, cabbage, corn, tomatoes and squash.

Our little L turned 7, crazy! For his birthday we went to Lost in the 50's. It was fun seeing all th hot rods, and seeing friends & family.

Know Your Rights!

2010-05-18T07:13:00.000-07:00

I have always known that bullies exist and that sooner or later my kids would have to deal with them. I didn't anticipate big problems with this though.
I have come to realize that bullies are very real and they are not always other students.

I strongly encourage all who read this to know their school districts policies on harassment and bullying. Know exactly what your teacher, principal and superintendent are in charge of. Know who works on the school board. Know what they are legally responsible for.
Also note that your state will have a state superintendent who is in charge of your states schools. There also exists an education ombudsman who can help you if you have problems that your school is not addressing.

If there are any problems record everything. Make a note about it. You may need to remember all the things your child told you, any conversations you had with the teacher or any other school staff.

Parent's and students have rights, know them, don't be afraid to fight for them.

March Pics!

2010-03-29T20:35:00.001-07:00

R's team made the championships and placed 2nd, way to go!

No one was injured during this accident...we are still waiting for the insurance to figure out whats going to happen. This happened a few days after we paid it off, luckily we still had it under full-coverage!
The blanket that I made J from his older brothers Levi's and flannel shirts. I gave it to him for Christmas and he took it underway with him. I've never quilted before and I'm so glad it turned out! The backing is a micro-fleece blanket, so soft!

We are still getting eggs daily from our chickens. Our neighbors dog had a 3 chicken feast a few months back and a few weeks ago he brought these babies over, so cute! Not pictured are 2 baby turkeys that J brought home last week, the boys have named them Turkey Sandwich and Fred.

Awesome J rented an excavator and pulled out some stumps, trees, and bushes from the back woods. One stump was ridiculously huge and took forever to get out of the woods!

Cake!

2010-03-12T08:31:00.000-08:00

So I made him a get well/gag cake! Its a giant nose, a 'bloody tissue' made from fondant, with 'Cus Your Nose Blows' written on the board.

It is a white cake, butter cream frosting, and vanilla flavored fondant. I really like the butter cream recipe I found. The fondant recipe is easy to make and tasty, but difficult to manage. So I'm on the search for a different one.

This was a fun cake to make. L wished I made a cake finder to go in the nose cake, and J said the bloody tissue was too realistic for him, totally made me laugh!

A Whole New World!

2010-03-09T07:06:00.000-08:00

It feels like all of a sudden its a whole new world...
It's not really, but there are some changes, the biggest being that J is home from deployment! We love, love, love having him home!

~L no longer tries to get out of going to school in the morning
~The daily email writing and checking is no more
~Some pesky little things in the house like the broken deadbolt lock is fixed
~The potholes in the road are filled
~The boys are back to riding their dirt bikes
~I can call J on his way home from work to have him pick something up like milk
~BBQ time is back
~Movie night is back
~Boys have a real wrestling contender
~Complete family prayer
~Home project planning has begun
~Sitting in the passenger side of the car
~I get a lot more texts and calls on my cell phone
~Family dinner is more than just what the boys want
~Outnumbered no longer... # of adults = # of children
~Just knowing that I don't have to do everything on my own is a big stress relief!

I am very thankful for J and all he does for me and our family. Life is very different when he is away. Home is so complete when he is back and I feel truly blessed!

Weird!

2010-02-27T18:13:00.000-08:00

I guess weird is in the eye of the beholder.

Sweet L got a package of mini donuts today. He gave one to me, one to R, and wanted to save one for his Dad. So I told him to put it in a Ziploc baggie.

I hear him say to himself:
"That's weird"

Curious, I asked him what was weird and he said,
"All Mom's want are Ziplocs!"

So now you know, us Ziploc desiring Moms are weirdos!

Sickos!

2010-02-17T21:03:00.000-08:00

Man, the start of our 2010 has been plagued with sick days! I shudder to think of the doctors visits, missed events, missed school days and all the meds R, L, and I have had to consume.
Now don't get me wrong, it still has been a great year so far, its just every couple of weeks someone has gotten sick. And right now we are in the midst of the 'I don't feel good' days.
We have been coping with lots of tv, movies, and the Wii! L has almost worn out Mario Cart. Both boys have enjoyed watching old Super Mario Bros. cartoons on DVD. I have been reading comics to pass the time, Foxtrot, Calvin and Hobbes, Zits, and Garfield are amusing. R has started reading "Hunger Games" and "Dead Guy Spy".
Here's to a fast recovery!

Boy Wonder!

2010-02-03T15:37:00.001-08:00

Can you say Handsome?!

Honesty!

2010-01-31T21:08:00.000-08:00

Don't you love it when your kids tell you the truth?

L: Mom tomorrow can we have McDonalds for breakfast before the zoo?
Me: Yes, if your good.
L: Oh...wait, like good tomorrow, or, good tonight And tomorrow?
Me: Good tonight and tomorrow!

Groan, roll of the eyes, flop on the couch...

L: But I can't be good that long, its too hard!
Me: Why is it too hard?
L: I might do something bad tonight.
Me: Like what?
L: I might kick R's butt!

I couldn't help it, I just cracked up! I did tell him that he was just going to have to try hard and be good to get his special breakfast. So far he's doing the impossible and has Not kicked his brothers butt!

Pink!

2010-01-31T21:01:00.000-08:00

I love the Funhouse album by Pink
One of my favorite songs on it is 'Glitter in the Air'
Pink performed this at tonight's Grammy's
I think she did a pretty cool performance!

Grades!

2010-01-31T11:21:00.000-08:00

I finished up business law and social science-interdisciplinary approach to the 1960's last week.
I received my grade rather quickly from the social science class: 100% A+
I have done this one other time in my college career, it feels pretty good to pass a class without any deductions!
It took awhile for my other professor to finish up all her grading.
For Business Law I received: A-

I was a little apprehensive about my business class, for so long it looked as though I wouldn't break my B I had in there. I write well, however, I have some difficulties taking tests. There were weekly tests and the final was one giant test. I pulled through and am very happy with my A-!

So now my quarter GPA is: 3.85
I have earned 56 cumulative credits and my cumulative GPA is: 3.76
I am very happy with these numbers!

I have treated myself to a break. I am taking just over 2 months off from school. This is helping me tremendously while J is out on deployment.

Movies!

2010-01-24T20:37:00.000-08:00

When J is deployed I try to stay on track with normal life. I also love to do fun things with the boys. J says he wants us to have fun while he's away so we won't get too sad (he's an awesome man!) I also tell the boys we have to have fun and do cool things so we have great interesting things to tell Daddy when he gets back!

One thing I do more when J is away than when he's home is take the boys to the movies. The boys seem to enjoy this activity almost as much as I do :-)
We have seen The Spy Next Door and The Tooth Fairy.
Both had some very funny parts, and while watching we stuffed ourselves with popcorn, candy, and soda.
Each boy had their favorites from the movies that they think their Dad will like when he gets home. I have to say that they both do very well with deployments. I love how understanding and loving they are and that they can be open minded during these times. I love my family!

January!

2010-01-22T14:22:00.000-08:00

January is flying by! This month has been full of a few sickies, playtime, baseball practice, homework, rain, and projects!
I have been terrible about taking pics, but here is a few I managed to get. The boys playing with Christmas clay and making a SpongeBob underwater replica, L playing spy/ninja outside and keeping us safe from bad guys, and my first attempt at making a 'fancy' cake for my best friend for her birthday.

Christmas 2009!

2009-12-29T10:27:00.000-08:00

The boys made Christmas cookies for Santa, they were delicious! L had a great idea to add sprinkles before baking, tasty!

Christmas was great fun this year. J had duty on Christmas Eve (left 5am on the 24th and got home about 10am on the 25th) so the boys and I saw Alvin and The Chipmunks the Squequil Then had Taco Bell for lunch and got the house ready for Christmas and fell asleep watching 'The Santa Clause' while waiting for Santa.

Fun gifts this year were:

R's gifts: PJ's, Archery set, Cirque Du Freak books, 'The Name of This Book is Secret', DS games Pokemon and Drawn 2 Life, Bendaroo's, school accordion-file, legos, and clothes, movies Aliens in the Attic and Harry Potter 6.

L's gifts: PJ's, McD's credit card, DS game Drawn 2 Life, clothes, bendaroos, clay, legos, bacugon, BB gun, Wii game Raging Rabbits, 2 footballs.

Bonster's gifts:

Glee 2 CD, clothes, wireless printer, 'And Another Thing' by Eoin Colfer, lotion, travel scrabble.

JRod's gifts:

Memory quilt, smoked salmon, complete series of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Seahawks towel.

Everyone loved their presents and the boys got what they asked for from Santa, all the little fun gifts and candy in the stockings were a hit and were fun to play with while waiting for J to get home to open the rest of the gifts.

My favorite reaction was when R opened his archery set and says, "I'm literally speechless!" Then L opens his BB gun and says, "R I'm speechless too! Am I old enough for this thing?"

We had a great dinner with some great friends to end off the evening.

Date Night!

2009-12-27T18:44:00.000-08:00

Our best friends watched the boys so J and I could go on a date before he headed out on his next deployment.
We headed to see Avatar in RealD at 6:30pm. We got in 20min early but the only seats left inside were the 1st two rows! So we traded our tickets for the next showing and got there early enough to get good seats. It was crazy out there, it was like Black Friday for going out!
Avatar was a good movie, it was a great night, and I can't wait for J to get back and go on more dates just like this one.

I Found it!

2009-12-21T08:38:00.000-08:00

I've learned to check pockets when doing laundry.

The boys' pockets have been great hide-a-ways for tissue, markers, pens, gum, candy, wrappers, toys, rocks, homework...but this morning I found something completely unexpected.

L's rain jacket has been in the laundry room the past week and I finally got around to washing it this morning.
I'm not always diligent at checking pockets, but I'm glad I checked his this morning.

I found a chicken egg in his pocket!

Have no idea how long its been in there, so glad it hadn't broke, and that I didn't throw it in the wash, don't think it would have held up in the spin cycle!

It's Beginning to Taste...

2009-12-16T10:47:00.000-08:00

A Lot Like Christmas!

I only make these for Christmas:

Mexican Wedding Cakes a.k.a. Russian Tea Cakes

2 C. Flour
1 C. Powder Sugar
1/4 tsp. Salt
1 C. Butter
1 T. Vanilla
1 C. Finely Chopped almonds (optional)
Extra Powder Sugar

Heat oven 325. Mix together Flour, 1 C. powder sugar, and salt. Using a fork cut in butter until coarse crumbs. Add vanilla, and nuts (if using). Knead by hand til smooth dough. Roll into tsp. size balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 12-15 minutes, Do Not Brown. Roll in powder sugar twice.

My kids could eat these til they pop! I remember my Mom and my Grandma making these for the holiday's, I love them...and the cookies :0)

Learning!

2009-12-14T07:18:00.001-08:00

Here are the boys doing some homework, they look so cute studying together!

This weekend R wanted to learn how to make a PowerPoint presentation. So I showed him where it was on the computer and all the ideas came flooding out of him. His topic was Pokemon, it has 11 slides, and each slide has music! He made it for his best friend who is also into Pokemon. It is a Christmas surprise, he wrote his friend a Christmas card that says her gift is on her Mom's computer. We emailed the presentation to her Mom and she is saving it til Christmas for us. Way Cool!

When I was in 5th grade I had a super nice teacher who had fun ways to help us practice our spelling words. One of them was shaving cream. Spray some foam cream on the table and you can draw anything in it, lasts a nice long time and it wipes up clean. I let the boys try this out. L especially loved it! (He smells pretty good by the time he's done!)

What's on Your List?

2009-12-09T06:53:00.000-08:00

R and L mailed their Santa letters yesterday.

Do you know the #1 item on a Christmas wish list is for a 6yr old?

Well....its a:

Big Mac!

So Funny!

2009-12-09T06:29:00.000-08:00

When ever this comes on tv J and I just crack up!

A note...

2009-12-03T19:24:00.000-08:00

I didn't actually mean to post this video. It's hard to watch...
I had to make a PowerPoint presentation on the similarities and differences of the Iraq war and the Vietnam war. I was trying to attach a video to one of my slides which was discussing the role of media on wars.
I could't get it to do it. I was trying to go around utube by putting it on here and then copying it to my computer to paste it in, but it didn't work. I had thought I deleted this, but I didn't. I do have to say that I'm thankful for those who serve our country.

Friday Favorites!

2009-11-20T07:17:00.001-08:00

1. Sew! This week I have learned how to make quilt blocks. I've always wanted to sew them before, but was always intimidated by it. There is a family quilt being made and everyone had to contribute, so I made 6. I found 'Quilt Blocks' by JoAnn's. They had precut fabric and step by step instructions. J and I used the precut fabric as templates for our material and then I sewed them up. It worked! I was so surprised and pretty happy...maybe sewing isn't so bad.

2. Books on CD! I love children's books on cd. In the car we are listening to Geronimo Stilton books 1-3. L has been listening to Junie B. Jones books 1-8 at night in his room. Other favorites are the Laura Ingalls Wilder books on CD.

3. Dry Erase! We have a white board that L uses everyday. He draws pictures and writes notes all the time. He was having a bad day so I surprised him with a dry erase marker pack that had 8 different colors, he was so happy!

4. Quarters! The boys Love little quarter machines. I think I could get them to do anything with the promise of quarters for the quarter machine! Last night I took them to our local pizza place because they have video and toy machines. The car race was a hit and the favorite toy was 'Mystic Stones'. Its colored rocks with a paper showing where the rocks were found on the earth and a 'special' power each rock has.

5. Star Trek!
J bought our 1st Blue ray movie, it was the new Star Trek. We both liked it and thought it was a pretty good movie. Blue ray is pretty cool too!

A Day Late...But Still My Favorite!

2009-11-07T14:06:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was a busy day with volunteering in R's class and running errands, followed by dinner and a movie with some great friends!

So here's my Friday Favorites:

1. Word Wall Window!I took L's High Frequency words and created a Word Wall Window for him. We created a game to play with it. You roll a dice and the number you roll is the number of words you read out loud.

2. Harvest Helpers!This year I grew black and pinto beans. I dried them in their pods to harvest them. I actually hung them in the computer room (which totally thrilled J), it'll be nice to have them in jars now. The boys are helping me shell all the beans, what great helpers!

3. 4.0!I received my official term grades, both 96%! That means I officially have a 4.0 for the term, hooray! I wish I had a 4.0 for everything but I don't, I have a cumulative GPA of 3.74 and 44 credits with Kaplan University.

4. Light!J put up a motion light where our new sidewalk is, love it!

5. V!I watched the pilot on ABC last week and like it. So I read the new paperback that's out and liked it. I found the Second Generation V book yesterday at the library, I'm hoping its just as entertaining.

Results!

2009-11-04T13:51:00.001-08:00

I received my grades for my last 2 classes...A's!
I got a 96% in both classes!

In 1 week I start my next 2 classes, they are:

~Business Law
~Social Science (Studying the 1960's)

I'm curious to see how they are. I just got my Business Law text book last night and am waiting on the social one. I'm a bit over 1/2 way done. After these classes I'll have 8 more.

Bookworm!

2009-11-03T14:43:00.001-08:00

We found out last week that R is reading at a high school level. Hooray for R!

This does pose a difficulty for us since he is just a 10yr old boy. We still want him to be challenged and find interesting books to read.
The reading level he is at has books that may contain inappropriate material for him. So we were asking ourselves how to keep him supplied with interesting books that he can read without making him grow up too fast?
Today I stopped in at our towns library and presented the librarian with my dilemma of R's age and level. She was So Helpful! We found a few books in the juvenile section and the adult section. We skipped the teen section since it is mainly stories of teenage angst and R doesn't need that!

She sent me home with:

My Side of the Mountain Trilogy by Jean Craighead George
The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas
The Magickers by Emily Drake
Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke
Exile's Honor by Mercedes Lackey

She said to come back with what he liked and didn't like and she'll help me find more books for him. He reads so fast and zips right through books, I'm hoping these books will be the interesting and fun for him.

Halloween!

2009-11-01T08:51:00.000-08:00

Friday L got to dress up for his classroom. He was all lined up to be a skeleton for Halloween, however, he wanted to be a vampire/dracula for his class. He had a great time!Friday night was the church trunk-o-treat party. We painted R's face for his Werewolf costume. I was Bella...all night I was hanging with a werewolf and a vampire! :-)
Saturday L had a soccer game, he made a goal, played some great defense, and they won! His coach treated them with Halloween goodie bags and cupcakes!
J has been working on the front sidewalk, deck, and he spent the day finishing my front steps, I love them!Next on the list is our flowerbed.

We had a 'pumpkin' pizza before we headed out.
We met up with some friends and went trick-or-treating. R wore his mask to his Werewolf and L wore his bone suit.

We hit 2 different neighborhoods, the boys scored some great candy and we even got to walk through a block party. There was a screen put up with Micheal Jackson's Thriller playing and a group of 'zombies' group dancing to it! So fun!

Friday Favorites!

2009-10-30T10:27:00.001-07:00

1. Elliptical! J got me this elliptical yesterday and this morning I had my 1st workout on it....Love it!

2. Snacks! My favorite snack this week is Granny Smith apples with Peanut butter. My boys love it too, Yum!

3. A to Z Learning! I registered with this website and every few months they send an email with a window of opportunity to print off free items from reading to vocabulary. You get to choose the subject and the level. I've been able to print from R and for L.

4. New School! In the past few days of L going to his new school he has just blossomed! I am astounded at the changed in him! He, overnight, has confidence in reading and he is enjoying schoolwork. It's all he talks about and all he wants to do. School has clicked for him and he is already reading at least 2 levels higher than he was last week! Go L!

5. Time Off! This week I finished my finals and I have a 2 week school break. I don't have my grades back yet, but I'm feeling positive. I'm loving my time off!

Boys!

2009-10-28T14:40:00.000-07:00

Today was a first for both boys!

We decided to put L in a different elementary school. He is a great kid and loves to learn. However, we felt that he had better opportunities at this new school. He was very excited to start his new class this morning! We met with his new teacher and she seems very capable in giving L what we believe he deserves.

For R...he got his left arm put in a cast! He had his x-rays redone, the crack is doing OK, but it still needs to heal. So he has this cast for 4 weeks and if x-rays show its healed the cast comes off. Then in 6 months he'll have another x-ray to see if his growth plate is still growing like it should. He picked red and finds it much more comfortable than his splint.

My Name...

2009-10-26T09:20:00.000-07:00

Last year R got me a bracelet with a 'M' charm on it for Christmas. It was 'M' for Mom. Yesterday R was looking at my bracelet and says, "Man, I should have gotten a 'B' bracelet for your name, it would have made more sense."Oh No!
Somewhere in the past year R grew up enough to think of me having a real name, I'm not only Mom....that stinks. Why do they have to grow up so fast?!

Friday Favorites!

2009-10-23T06:30:00.000-07:00

Hello Friday!

1. Carving!

Last night J helped the boys carve their pumpkins, they had a gourd time!

2. Pot Rack!J put this up at the end of summer and I love it!

3. Muffins! This week I've been making those little muffins by Betty, you know, the ones you just add water or milk. They boys have enjoyed them before school every morning. Today its whole grain blueberry.

4. Accomplishments!L can now cook his own eggs! He is very proud of this and loves to do it!

5.Scholastic!Yesterday we got our scholastic book order in! We received 8 new books, happy reading here we come!

L's Field Trip!

2009-10-22T15:44:00.000-07:00

Today L's class had a field trip to the farm. He was SO excited! At the farm he got to see chickens, some green houses and veggies, a few animals, go through a corn maze, and get a pumpkin.
It was pretty funny because I could tell he was looking around and thinking that we had a lot of this stuff at home and whats the big deal?! We had a big garden, corn, we have chickens and a ton of little pumpkins:-) But he had fun, and for lunch they ate at a park and got to play on the playground which he thought was just great!

Pumpkin Time!

2009-10-21T07:28:00.000-07:00

For Scouts R, L, and I got to go to the pumpkin patch last night. They had fun goofing off with their friends, playing in the hay maze, and getting their pumpkin. The only downer was that its getting late in the season so lots of the pumpkins left in the patch were starting to 'turn'. I heard R say, "Oh Yuck! I touched that one and my finger poked right into it!" I couldn't help laughing!

Books!

2009-10-20T14:30:00.001-07:00

Don't you just love a good book?! I thought we should start keeping note of the books we've been reading since we go through them so fast.

This week I've discovered:

J got the boys the Roald Dahl book pack this weekend:
R is flying through them, and right now L and I are reading The Fantastic Mr. Fox.

This week L has a field trip so this morning we started reading:

And J is reading:

Are You Ready...

2009-10-19T18:05:00.001-07:00

For some Football!?!

The Secret plan!

The Set-up!

The Hike!
A star player!

Kudos to the mascot!

Pics!

2009-10-17T17:48:00.001-07:00

A few things:

~We have had a ton of rain and yesterday R fell on a slippery sidewalk at school and received a small crack in his wrist. He is doing great, just annoyed with his splint and sling!

He couldn't stop laughing while I tried to take his pic....You gotta love teamwork! Here they are playing rockband, R is using his good hand to push the buttons while L is strumming!

~This week J gave L a Faux-hawk, it totally fits his personality and he looks pretty cool!

~Today J got me a new camera, hooray!!!

~Here are some of our pumpkins, I've cooked one and there are a few decorating our piano:

~Here is our front deck J built, it still needs some stairs but those will come after J finishes the sidewalk!

Friday Favorites!

2009-10-16T06:39:00.001-07:00

It's been a long time since I've done a post like this! But I like doing it because it helps remind me of happy stuff in my life.

1. Volunteering! This year both boys are in school full-time. Yes, I cried like a baby the first few days, it totally sucked! But now that its been a while, I'm in the groove and I'm diggin it! I get to do most of my errands, chores, and homework while everyone is gone. The bonus is I can volunteer in their classes. I told their teachers I can go on every field trip and I've devoted every Friday to their school. I go help out L's class in the morning, and then R's class in the afternoon. I think they both like it too which makes me really happy!

2. Mums! Safeway had these HUGE mum plants for sale. I really wanted them but didn't buy them until I found out they are perennials. I have a hard time buying plants that are non-vegetable and annual since they die out. They now adorn our new front deck and I love seeing them when we drive up to the house!

3. The Middle! The new show on ABC is my new favorite sitcom to watch, it just makes me laugh!

4. Brown Eggs! Right now we get 6 - 8 brown eggs a day, they've slowed a bit, it used to be 7 - 9 a day. Needless to say, we have a lot of eggs! I send the boys out every day to get eggs from the little chicken house J built. I love seeing them walk in with their loot!

5. Crafts!< I love doing crafts in the fall season. Fall seems the time when you Have to do crafts, I don't get nearly as excited other times during the year. We got to make 2 crafts this month at church and it was fun hanging out with the ladies being crafty!

Boy Wonder!

2009-10-15T09:57:00.001-07:00

I just have to give a shout out to our Boy Wonder R!
He is one awesome 10 year old and we sure love him!
Right now he is a busy 5th grader. He is a great student and does really well in school. He gets to skip 5th grade math and do 6th grade math this year and next year in middle school start pre-algebra.
He wasn't too pleased at first. He was pretty angry that school was making him 'skip out' on a whole year of math! It's one of his favorite subjects and instead of him seeing this as a good thing he felt a little cheated! That and he was a little nervous since he has to go to a different class for math. He's all for it now and he is being challenged which we really like. He gets to do his homework online which is pretty cool.
R is also our Tuba player! 3 mornings a week he catches the early bus to the middle school for band practice. Last week he got to play with the middle and high schoolers during the high school football game half time. He loved it! It was so fun to see him out there! Right now we have piano lessons on hold for a few months.
He is in Webelos scouts and thinks it's great. In July he got to go to Webelos day camp and had a blast. He was recognized for being most improved for archery. He says so far its the best scout program!
R is one fun kid, he adds so much to this family. He is smart, caring, a great son, a tremendous big brother, and one rockin kid!

It's Not Too Early!

2009-10-13T12:01:00.000-07:00

L already has his mind on his loot for Christmas this year.
The other night L tells J he would like Legos for Christmas.
J told him that he should write Santa later.
L informs J that Santa doesn't always get the right stuff.
So with Santa being a bit unreliable we are L's back-up!

Hello!

2009-10-11T18:29:00.000-07:00
Wow...its been almost 4 months since I made a post!
It has been a busy summer and I lost my camera.....
So I will post in the near future some of our happenings, unfortunately without lots of pictures, but that OK.

Today I want to show you this:

It's my new car! J bought it for me yesterday and I love it!
It's an 06 Honda Accord, the kids love their spaces in the back with their own cup holders, I love the heated seats, and we all dig the sun roof! J sure knows how to show a girl he cares :-)

Right now we are living it up doing:
J - Still our Navy man, completing a bunch of home projects and getting everything ready for winter.
B - Still full-time student at Kaplan University. Volunteering in the boys classes, working on seed preservating and cooking.
R - Playing Trombone in band, is now a Webelo scout, and is working hard in his advanced math class.
L - Kickin it up in soccer, loving 1st grade and working on his reading, and is our official chicken wrangler!

We are all doing well, loving the Fall season and enjoying being busy and spending time together.

Updates!

2009-06-17T19:10:00.001-07:00
L had a very fun night last week, the Reading Restaurant! R and I got to go be served some very delicious books in L's class by none other but L himself! He was a Great reader and were were stuffed, but we couldn't say no to a cookie and lemonade for dessert!

On Friday L was awarded the rising star 'Citizenship Award'! Every teacher picks 1 boy and 1 girl from their class who represents:
A positive attitude
Being Responsible
Showing Respect for yourself and others
Giving your best effort
and Year Long good citizenship
Way to L!

R has decided to participate in our local library reading program and the Barnes and Nobles reading program. It's been just a few days and he's on his 3rd book. Currently he has started the 39 Clues series, and the Lost Years of Merlin series.
What a great kid that R is!

My garden has continued to grow, I'm Amazed! And I even ate some strawberries while I was weeding this afternoon, how cool is that?! Everything is taking off, including the weeds :0) I'm totally loving it!
I even grew some pinto beans straight out of a bag of beans meant for cooking and they are all growing. I did the same for a few Lima beans out of a dry 15 bean soup mix, they are growing too! Its all just so exciting to me.
The problems I'm having this year, besides knowing when to stop adding on to the garden, is our dog who keeps running through everything, slugs, and sweet Innocent looking little birds who try to eat the little seedlings. But despite all that, its all taking off.

Here are my snap peas, we had a very windy night a bit back and my wooden tepee fell over and they became a snarly mess, but so far they seem to be OK, and they even have little flowers on them!
This is my container garden experiment with an Eggplant. I've never grown eggplant or grown anything in a reusable shopping bag, we'll see how it goes!
These are my regular peas, they seem to be pretty happy in this web of yarn!
I can't really remember all the types of squash I've planted here, but they sure are growing!

Too Fun! (and more plants!)

2009-06-08T16:49:00.000-07:00

J got the boys dirt bikes a few weeks back. They have so much fun on these things its awesome! They get a bit more daring every time...I'm just waiting for L to figure out that his bike actually has more than 1 gear, but we won't be telling him any time soon! I love hearing them zip around the property, we tell them they can ride anytime they want and they have learned how to get all geared up and start them on their own, too fun!

Here are my boxes, I tried growing lettuce and spinach in them but it wasn't working, I had bad dirt in them, so I swapped out the dirt and put in these perennials, they are just about to bloom pretty pink flowers.

We used to greet all our visitors with a nice weedy entrance by the driveway...Not anymore! I got some dirt and perennials and made a new flowerbed. This is 1/2 way done, I have more dirt and plants to put in. I love it, its so much nicer than before!

Here are my 3 new blackberry bushes, I have high hopes for these guys!

Now, its just a fact, I have a mental disability when it comes to sewing. But for some reason I keep returning to it, I am determined to be able to say that I have some skill in this area. I'm happy to say that I made this curtain! The fabric says, "All things grow with love" once I saw it I wanted it. As I was working on it R asked me if I like sewing, I told him No, he looked at me like I was a crazy person for working so hard on something I don't even like. I Like the idea of sewing, I just don't like the process, or the poor graveyard of fabrics after many of my attempts at being crafty. :-)

Learning

2009-06-05T15:15:00.000-07:00

I just received my grades from my last 2 classes.
~Business Math I earned a 'B'
~Intro. to Business I earned an 'A'

There used to be a time when the world would almost end if I ever got less than an 'A' for an assignment, let alone a class. However, since I've started my Bachelors degree I have learned to let go.
I don't need to be perfect in school. I still work hard at it, but I have also learned that I can give my homework its proper place in my life. I don't put as much time into it as I used to, I try to keep my life a little more balanced. I still learn a lot, still earn decent grades, but I no longer put as much extra stress on my dear family about my school. I try not to get so down if I don't get that grade I wanted, I try to finish up homework at times that is most convenient for my guys. And there are times I will walk away from that pile of homework so I can go hang with my gang.

Such a Blessing!

2009-06-03T14:55:00.000-07:00
This year I have officially caught the gardening bug!!!
Last year J built me a square foot garden after I saw a show about it on BYU TV.
I was amazed at how easy it was to grow veggies and how much I loved it.

This year I am concentrating more time and energy on gardening. I am trying new ideas, new seeds, new ways to weed and fertilize.

I'm enjoying it so much. It is a great blessing to have this land and be able to work with it and do more than just clearing it out; we get to cultivate it and grow with it.

I hope that my efforts prove fruitful, however, if they don't I still am enjoying the journey!

My square foot garden has grown, I've added on with traditional rows and mounds.

Our 1st year here I got 2 Cherry and 2 Apple trees. Last year I got 1 tiny apple, this year I'm getting what looks like at least 2 cherries! Hooray, enough to top 2 sundaes!

J planted these shrubs to boarder the lawn and driveway, they are so cute!

Our Strawberries from last year moved from their small container to this one. They are doing great, J even cut down a tree and it fell on them and they haven't died!

L and I planted some Carnation seeds in these little pots.

Here are White Onion bulbs.

Some Tomatoes.

Snap Peas, we Love these!

This is our mixed leaf lettuce.

Here are some Green Peas and a Hybrid Corn.

Idaho Potatoes!

Green Beans I hope to Can this fall.

Squash, pumpkins, and cantaloupes.

My new raspberry patch.

This is a new garden patch on a different part of our property, planted Black Beans, Sugar Pumpkins, and Red Potatoes.

These are my new Blackberry bushes, they will be planted with my Raspberries.

This is my little container garden, I am teaching an Enrichment class about it so thought I'd give it a go! Here are Watermelons, Zucchini, Spinach, and Cilantro.

L's Celebration!

2009-05-11T06:25:00.000-07:00
Our funny L is turning 6 this week and so we celebrated it on Saturday.

I asked L what he wanted to do for his birthday and he said he wanted to have tiger cake at the zoo and that was it! So I made a tiger cake and we went to the zoo, just our little family.

It was very busy there but we still had a good time. We gave L a zoo map and told him he was the leader and we went where he wanted to go. It was beautiful and sunny, the boys played and played, then when they were all done we went out to the parking lot and had a birthday celebration of tiger cake and presents in the bed of the truck. It was a lovely time, and I loved seeing L so happy and having so much fun with his big bro, his Dad, and me.

We sure love that L, he is pure wonderfulness!

Love Those Boys!

2009-05-09T07:29:00.000-07:00
Last night L and R were watching a movie in my room, this is how I found them:

A bit of Panic!

2009-05-04T20:14:00.000-07:00

I'm taking some of my first business management classes right now. In one of them we had a unit on identity theft and credit fraud...nasty stuff!
A few weeks after learning about his stuff I'm out and about using my debit card and when I get home there is an automated call about an issue with J's and my account.

Ooh, that doesn't sound good. And since J is the primary name on the account he has to call back. Well, my card is still working and there are no suspicious purchases on our account. So I tell him he can do it after his duty at work is over and he's at home (the next day).

The next day I try to buy dinner with a friend of mine after a meeting when my card won't process...panic!
Shoot, I've been the victim of ID theft! I try not to think of the damage that potentially could have happened and all the crazy steps I'll have to go through to solve my problem.
I get home and tell J all about it. He calls in the morning and the code is expired it says. Hmmm, that is weird and my dread worsens.

So I call the bank and I'm told there doesn't look to be anything wrong with the account, I'm trying to understand what is going on, and getting nowhere. Is my credit life over, is there someone running around town acting like me buying stuff that I'll never see?!

Then the lady says, "What are the four expiration numbers on the card please?". I tell her its the 4th month of this year, and she politely tells me, "Well, its now the 5th month..."
Oh....my debit card has expired! She asks me if I have a new one in the mail. Uh.....maybe, probably....I forget. And a quick look shows me, yup, its right there in our mail pile and I just forgot about it!

I thank her for being so nice about it all and hang up feeling utterly relieved and totally like an airhead! At least I wasn't a victim of ID or credit theft, just my procrastination!

Point of View!

2009-04-24T10:43:00.000-07:00

L and I were watching Bambi this morning. The part was on where Bambi is in the meadow with his Mom came on. Faline, the little girl deer, is giggling and teasing Bambi and I say, "She's silly huh?"
L says, "No, she's just distracting him!" And yes he said it with a bit of disgust in his voice, like how dare that girl deer be like that.
Oh, that L, he makes me laugh!

Update!

2009-04-22T17:54:00.000-07:00
We've had busy full days now that Spring has arrived!
I had a combined birthday dinner/Easter dinner with some friends of ours, it was a wonderful day. I got beautiful Orchids, my favorite candies, a new backpack with a water pouch, flowers, pics on my wall from my best friends ever, and homemade ice cream cake!

It is garden time and this year, I wanted bigger and better than ever! I put in more strawberries, onions, spinach, various lettuce, cute-cumbers, 3 kinds of pumpkin, 2 kinds of squash, zucchini, 2 kinds of peas,3 kinds of beans, carrots, peppers, corn, potatoes, raspberries, and some herbs. I've also planted some flower seeds here and there.

J has a list of things he wants to get done before his schedule gets too hectic and he has been working hard! He has built the coolest chicken house, both sides of the roof lifts up and there are little boxes for nests inside. The little house and enclosed cages are completely portable, they are not all attached to each other, but all have openings that fit together. This way we have been moving them around and next month they are being placed on the back of the property. He has been clearing, rototilling, and burning as well. There is more grass seed to be put down and even more clearing that he plans on doing.

R is all done with basketball, he had a fabulous season! He learned so much, grew so much, and had so much fun! He is still working on the piano and his Bear cub scouts, he is rockin the 4th grade too! L is doing so well in school, he is turning into a book hound big time! He is our busy little boy who is always full of new ideas, funny faces, and goofy antics!
I have been slaving away over my school work, just teasing! It must just be harder for me to do school work when the weather is so nice. I'd much rather be outside than inside studying! I have really been enjoying gardening, hanging with friends and my little family. I did get some Spring cleaning done and this is my favorite outcome: I got this idea from a friend of mine. I love how it looks up ontop of my cupboards with pics of the boys instead of as a place for storage!

I have to say, Spring Rocks!

The Best Hike Ever!

2009-04-13T09:25:00.000-07:00
Saturday 9 of us along with 2 dogs went to Mt. Walker for some hiking. It was awesome! The weather was perfect, the view was amazing, and it was just so fun all being together! The hike up was 10-20% grade and 2 miles going a total of 2000 feet up. At the top we had a picnic checked out the two view points there and then we took the road down which was 4 miles.
A and R having a great time up the mountain!
J and serious R!
L's a little pooped at this point, too bad it's not even 1/2way yet!
Boys going up the mountain!
My 2 best friends ever!
M, me, J, and J at the top!
All the kiddo's and the 2 pooches!
Best Friends, I love these ladies!

My New Nephew!

2009-03-13T17:55:00.000-07:00

10.1 oz. of Beautiful Boy! Way to go sis!

School Daze!

2009-03-13T09:19:00.000-07:00

I'm done with my 1st 2 classes with Kaplan University:
Statistics and Current Trends in Fitness and Exercise.
Statistics was the hardest class I have ever taken, it was a roller coaster of a class I had A's, B's, C's and even an F on my projects! But overall I received a B for the class. That B couldn't be sweeter! For my other class I got an A.

My next 2 classes start on Wednesday they are:
Intro to Business and Business Math. I changed my degree from psychology to business in Human Resources so I can actually use my BS right away and take my Masters at a more leisurely pace later on. I'm excited for my new classes and just hope they are not as mind warping as statistics was!

Spring!

2009-03-02T07:43:00.000-08:00

I love Spring!
I love that it's March already!

A lot has been happening, the days fly by some happenings are:

~J had 3 awesome weeks off, it was just the best ever having him home
~R and I took a 5 day trip to Utah w/our 2 friends to visit the coolest lady ever
~We now own Mario Cart and all 4 of us are hopelessly addicted to it
~We have 10 baby chicks, currently sitting in a Rubbermaid tub in the kitchen
~I've planned my garden, purchased the seeds, planted the strawberry roots, and onion bulbs
~I also worked on my flower bed, I planted 29 primroses, and 25 gladiolus bulbs
~I'm ending (surviving) week 8 of my two 10-week classes, I have no idea yet of what my next 2 classes will be
~R has 4 games left for this basketball season, he is just amazing out on the court
~The boys got taller and we had to buy them both longer pants
~Both boys participated in a reading challenge at school and read hundreds of minutes
~We finally got the piano tuned and its a whole new world when R practices

I have pictures on my camera (not sure what they are) one of these days I'll get them uploaded and posted! As of now...the days are full and wonderful and I'm just loving Spring!

That's How I Know!

2009-02-22T00:56:00.001-08:00

J loves me!!!

Well, its 1am on a Saturday night and he just got done helping me with a huge chunk of my statistics homework which consisted of sampling distributions and estimations. We worked on it for days...OK, hours, but it felt like days! I really needed his help, I was stuck and completely confused, along with grumpy, stressed, and irrational. He was so patient and helpful and just seemed to know what exactly to do! What a keeper, I sure love that J!

A visit, Where the wild things are, Urban legend...

2009-01-29T08:45:00.000-08:00
My Mom is on a business trip not too far from us this week and yesterday we got to hang out!
We did a little shopping and then ate at a fun restaurant called 'The Rain Forest Cafe'.
The boys LOVED that place! It was a real jungle in there with gorilla animaltronics and desert was a volcano! Brownie w/ice cream, whipped cream and a sparkler on top!

Mom captured a rare moment in the jungle...Now everyone will know that the 4 of us really do exist, we are NOT an urban legend, we really are a family and now I have documentation as proof! She got a family picture of me, J, and the boys all together!

For a few lame reasons there are very few pics of the 4 of us all posed together. Some day I'll have a family portrait of us, you know the kind, where its just about perfect and we all match and it's framed and on my wall. But that's not this pose, not that picture. However, it is all 4 of us and being all together feels pretty perfect!

So, here we are:

A Couple of Freaks!

2009-01-20T08:56:00.000-08:00

The other day J and I were hangin' out when he looks over and says, "We're a couple of Freaks Bonster..." I say oh-yeah?! He says, "Yeah, think about it, we're still married and we actually like each other!"

That was just the funniest, and most romantic thing ever; he still knows how to sweet talk me!

Friday Favorites!

2009-01-16T09:38:00.000-08:00
It's been a long time since I've done a Friday Favorites! Well, I think it's because I was out of school, then the holidays...Now life has become more structured again, it was like I had a summer break during the winter!

Anyway, here's this weeks favorites:

1. Basketball: R is in basketball and he is rockin' it! We have introduced him to Tae Kwan Do and he hated it. Next was soccer, he REALLY hated it! The past 2 yrs he was in baseball. He did pretty good, but he got so bored, but I can't blame him, baseball puts me to sleep like golf does. I told him this was the last year I'd make him try a sport.
*side note- We told R he had to try at least one sport a year and that he had to try scouts for a few years, to see what he likes and to learn new skills. We told him piano is not an option he HAS to learn that :-) however, this was the last year we were making him play a sport, after this year it was entirely up to him*
Anyway, basketball was the very last sport and he wasn't that enthused. Well, I'm glad I introduced him to it! He is LOVING it! For the last practice he was actually ready 2 hours before it started! So funny! He told me this was his sport and he wants to play every year. It's so fun to see him play, and its so fun to see him find things that he likes. I just love that boy!

2. Belgium waffle maker - I got a cheep 10$ Belgium waffle maker at Walmart and it was the best investment ever! J has been making up big batches of batter and making homemade 'eggo' waffles for the boys and freezing them. R loves it because he can make his own breakfast in the morning. I love it for the same reason!

3. My college Fitness class - I'm in 'Current Trends in Exercise and Fitness' I was wondering how it would work; I thought it would be all about workout techniques. Well, its so much more than that. It is the perfect combination of psychology and fitness for me! This weeks syllabus focuses on Behavior Change. When I told J about it he said, "Hey that's perfect for us!" The 2 of us are focusing on our health lately. I completed a project that was actually a Personal Contract. I'm using this to help me set very specific goals in relation to my fitness and diet levels. This idea can actually be incorporated into any behavior changes a person would want to make. Sometimes I sure love going to school!

4. Chocolate Health - I have always had a hard time taking vitamins. Well, I've found these chocolate chews that are vitamins and I love them!

5. Microsoft Outlook - I've never used this feature before. But I somehow set it up on my laptop! I really like it since I've been using the calendar feature, I have become so organized with it. I've even added a 'summary' to each day for my journal of the days happenings, that's huge for me!

Rock It!

2009-01-11T21:29:00.000-08:00

I have a new friend and his name is Mr. Bones!
J just got me this gorgeous new guitar. I found it on Craigslist from some teen that lost interest in it for a deal.
SO that means the new thing I will be learning this year is how to make some pleasing sounds on this thing!
I told J that I needed a boys name for it and since it has white on it I said "Mr. Bones". Then later I said, "OK I'm gonna practice on my new guitar some more" Then R said, "Uh, don't you mean Mr. Bones!" So the name stuck.

It's That Time Again!

2009-01-10T16:40:00.000-08:00

Here I go...I'm a full time college student again!
I have enrolled with Kaplan University and this week I have started my BS in Psychology with a minor in Child Development.

My first 2 classes are:
~Statistics
~Current Trends in Exercise and Fitness

I have to admit that Statistics does make me pretty nervous...it's a crazy class to start with after my nice break! But it will be good to get it out of the way. I'm liking my Fitness class, but as I was printing my syllabus out I have noticed that it will be more work that I first anticipated, but that's OK!

It feels good to be back in class and I look forward to learning from my new college!

A Fun Day!

2009-01-08T07:34:00.001-08:00
Our good friends 'Blue' and 'Diggit', JRod, his sis M, and I went to the city for a Fun day out!

We rode a ferry in, walked thru Pike Place market, then a very short visit at the Science Center before making our reservation at Sky City Restaurant at the Space Needle. It was a blast! We had a 3 course brunch while enjoying the 360* view from the Needle.
I really enjoyed hanging out with such good friends, and especially spending the day w/my JRod!