Attempting to {365}

January 1:

This is my "what the H-E-double hockey sticks are you thinking attempting this photo a day challenge" look.

I said the same thing last year,

and the year before that.

I believe I can do it this time.

At least for a week or so.

 January 2:

Why I did not take advantage of our 50 degree weather to take down the Christmas lights, 

I do not know.

Oh well.

They will still be there in June March.

 January 3:

I so did not want to go to back to work.

Our principal decided to rearrange the entire school schedule.

Just for fun.

Core classes.  Intervention. PE.  Lunch.  Recess.  All grades.

No biggie, until you go to pick up a student and find out you have to reschedule 

13 of your 38 speech therapy students
because you can't take them out during
core classes, intervention, PE, lunch, or recess.

Just for fun.

 January 4:

I. Love. Greek Yogurt.

Not just because it tastes so darn good

(it really does).

I buy it because

it grosses out my husband every time he looks in the fridge.

Takes his mind off all the disgusting leftovers.

 January 5:

This child is going to be the death of me.

Don't get me started.

She came home just now and I asked her if she offended anyone today

(it would appear her "filter" is clogged as
she might have said something she probably shouldn't have said yesterday).

She said no.

Then she thought about it and said,

"Actually, I probably did."

January 6:

I was at Barnes and Noble today getting my Nook repartitioned 

so I can finally play "Words with Friends"

(now if I only had friends to play it with).

She wandered off to fix it and I wandered off to shop.  

When I returned, another employee called her to see if she was done yet.  

She described me as a "lady with strawberry hair".

Really?

At least she didn't say "lady with grey hair".  

It is much more fitting, though. 

Hosted by Cecily and Lolli

Summer Vacation - Week 12

It's that time of year when dinner happens to consist of whatever is ripe in the garden. It doesn't get any better than this!
We still have the kitten... and she's taken over the whole house. She's the only cat I've found that isn't afraid of water. We can spray her all day when she gets on the counter in the kitchen and she just stands there until she gets bored. She fits right in around here. Wierdo.
The girls have been begging me all summer to buy them some canvas bags to paint. Took me all summer, but I finally did it.
The girl turned 14. I'm a mean mom and I make them decorate their own birthday cake. Actually, they love it and look very much forward to it.
Despite the neglect, and the weeds, the flowers bloomed anyway, and are almost done in fact. I'll be sad to see them go.


Hosted by Cecily and Lolli

Summer Vacation - Week 11

This week has been one of those weeks.

Notice my new header and the awesome pics on the sidebar? Yep, the husband got a remote for my new camera and we headed off to the college to take some family pictures. He also surprised me with a polarized filter, which they told me is what I needed to take these awesome water motion shots. I didn't get much of a chance to try it out, since there was two bridal photo shoots going on at the same time and the mom of one of the brides all but shoved me out of the way so the "professional" could take pictures of this waterfall with the bride in front of it. I wanted to push her back, but decided to be the grown up and walk away. It's been one of those weeks.

Another reason it's been one of those weeks is because of this thing... isn't she the cutest thing EVER?
Yeah, that's what we thought when we almost ran over her in the walmart parking lot... and rescued her and brought her home. The cuteness lasted the first day. Then we discovered the claw marks in the sheers, the claw marks in the shower curtain, the destroyed house plants, the 6 a.m. whining about wanting to be let out to play and eat. Did I mention she wasn't totally weaned from her mama and refuses to eat anything but people food? Did I also mention that the current king of the jungle around here, A.K.A. the calico pig, loathes the new kitten and is beyond determined to end her existence on this planet? The new kitten has all but eliminated kid fights (the Ish packs her around like a Webkinz toy), but now my days are filled with cat fights and my nights are filled with massive amounts of whining from a kitty who doesn't think it's fair to be locked up in the bathroom (thus the destroyed shower curtain) all night long since I can't find it in my heart to stay awake all night and break up their fights. It wouldn't be so bad if Cali (the calico pig) didn't outweigh Toby (the kitten) by about 20 pounds. The kitten doesn't stand a chance. Yep, it's been one of those weeks.
I took my pictures into the county fair and stopped by the new war memorial on the way out. Found dad's name, which took some hunting, only because I was looking through the wrong war list... he's old, but not THAT old. I tell ya, it's been a long week. I went back in later to see how I "faired" (pun intended), and was really disappointed to see mostly 3rd place ribbons on my photos. However, I looked around and noticed there was only about four blues and half a dozen red ribbons through the whole display. They either had a rotten judge or ran out of blue and red ribbons! *sigh*To top it off... they started building the house across the street. I wanted to complain, in fact, I have, quite loudly. To my husband. Ten acres of land and they have to build it right across the street from ME? Actually, the other nine acres or so are being used for their extremely loud motorbikes they like to play on. Lucky us, right? The husband went out to collect the Sunday paper and met the noisy neighbors and as luck would have it... I know him... went to high school with him... nice guy. Now if we could just convince him to shut the dang motorcycles off during our Sunday afternoon naps, we'd be set. Suppose that explains why it's been one of those weeks? I'm sure it didn't help.

Hosted by Cecily and ???

Summer Vacation - Week 10

To make a long story short...

I got up at 5:45 a.m. On a Thursday. Forget the reason why, I was too busy taking pictures as proof that life exists at that time of the morning! My kids left on a Pioneer Handcart Trek. Check it out here and here.
We took the Ish with us on a road trip... first stop was American Falls...
Then Gooding...
Despite her nest with every amenity she needed for travelling... she sucked at it...
Then it was off to the hotel... the Hilton Garden Inn in Twin Falls
We went for a walk down by the river to check out the fire in the canyon...
Then went for a swim with the awesome husband and his golfer tan...
Then out to dinner and bed... then another swim in the morning while dad worked...
Read more about our road trip here...

Then it was home, with a quick stop at the golf course...
Where we watched the Blue Angels fly over in their practice for the air show the next day...
The next day, my dryer bit the dust, so we went and bought the matching one to the washer we bought a few months ago.
And picked the older kids up from their trek...
And then the next day, we took the girl for her first round of golf (she looks upset because she really sucked at driving the cart and got chewed out for it, if I recall)...
And even let the Ish drive a bit... and take charge of dad's distance/range finder thingie - whatever that thing is called....
All while watching the Blue Angels fly over again...
Monday, the girl tried to break her neck swinging on the "george of the jungle" tree at grandma's house...
And the Ish gave her dad some awfully wierd looks...
Tuesday, I cleaned off my beading desk so I could finally do some beading...
And the awesome husband took my camera for a walk and spied this fabulous sunset...
Which reminds me... I finally decided which pictures to enter in the county fair next week... I think...
And I made four more skirts - well, one was just a remodeled pioneer skirt... and one I didn't take a picture of because I forgot I made it (for me)...
By the way, I do have a son, too. However, he's is usually either working at the golf course or busy holding down his computer chair after purchasing the new "Starcraft" (with his own hard earned money for a change). He needs more hobbies before he gets saddle sores on his backside from all this sitting around. I still surprised to this day that he moved long enough to go on the trek with the rest of the kids in the ward. HA!

How is your summer going?

Hosted by Cecily and Caitlin

Photostory Friday - Week 9

It's been another jam packed busy week at the Awesome house... with no end in sight. It makes the time go by quickly. Too quickly. Before we know it, school is going to start again and I'll be wondering whatever happened to summer! It will be nice to look back and see all the things we did, though.

This week was filled with....

"GREAT" nieces...

Quilting at moms house...
Ishee's prayer charts...
Lots and lots of netflix movies...
Chilling with neighbors...
Bullying ants...
Wondering if this ant bully will be shrunk any time soon...
Popping brackets off teeth... again... and getting them glued back on... again...
Sewing pioneer skirts for the handcart trek...
Debating whether or not to enter photo's into the county fair...
Taking self portraits...
Packing kids for the trek and wondering what exactly "electronical" devices are...
Watching Brother G. give some pointers to the pathetic little soccer team we support... the team that has made one goal all season, and that one was probably on accident...
Hanging with my buddy "M"...
Realizing why my father in law goes to the soccer games... someone has to hold up the umbrella and entertain the soccer kids...
And making yet another skirt for the girl... just one more to go (for me!)....

Next week we'll have mini-vacay pictures the awesome husband is taking the Ish and I on while the other two are off on their Pioneer Handcart Trek - and hopefully pictures of the Trek, too... assuming my kids don't lose the camera they are being trusted with - and who knows what else.

Ahhhhh.... life is good!

Hosted by Cecily and Lolli