Finally!

Yea! It's here. I made it through the week, I honestly started thinging that the weekend wasn't going to show up. It seems like this week I have been running non-stop. With Ben being out of town, between t-ball games and the open house for the kid's school and yard work, it's been busy. I'm tired and I have my weekend all planed out. it going to look something like this:

Yeah, that is going to be my theme. Anyhting and everything relaxing. I'm taking this weekend easy. The kids are gonna play nicely so that I can take it easy, at least that is my goal. I might cook dinner, I might do laundry, I might do a load of dishes. But you can count on me sleeping in, reading a book or two and taking a few nice, long, hot baths.

My Asset

So today I went for a walk at lunch with my girlfriends here at work. We went and bought some sandwiches and then walked back to where we work to eat them. I was walking behind two of them when I realized that Sir Mix-a-lot's "Baby Got Back" was running through my head. I happened to mention this to the girls and got a chuckle when Tiffany told me that she had just been walking behind me thinking that I had on a great pair of jeans. That prompted a conversation about our assets, you know asset minus et...ha ha. Well just now I had to walk down the hall to ask someone a question and while I was walking down the hall I head a door open but no footsteps following that. I turned around, curious, and saw two heads, leaning out of the door way watching me walk down the hallway. I had to just laugh. I on my way back I stopped and told them that at least they didn't have to be so obvious about it..... But hey, I guess it's a compliment and you can't sweat the small stuf...boys will be boys..... I do have to admitt (honey and parents please stop reading here) when you see a nice tush in a pair of jeans it's hard not to appreciate it...... Anyway, just something funny that I had to share with the world today.

And of course that is my picture up there in the jeans......... :)

Thankful Thursday

There are a few things I'm thankful for.....

I'm thankful for my son encouraging me (begging) to build a garden. It has been something that we share with each other, time spent together, weeds being pulled watering being done, plants and seeds being planted.

I'm thankful for my husband, who makes sure the house is clean, the laundry done, and the dishes done before he leaves town on a business trip just to help me out.

I'm thankful for my beautiful daughter, she can be a peacemaker in our home--when she wants to.

I'm thankful for my bathtub. After a long day it is so nice just to jump in and relax with a book and a nice long soak, the book doesn't even have to be that good just reading material.

I'm thankful for milk. Need I say more. I love milk. And nothing goes better with cookies at the end of the day.

My Amazing Husabnd!

So last night I was just thinking to myself as I was drving home. You know, about everything and nothing at the same time, paying attention to everything besides the road.... And I thought about how Ben and I have been together ever since we met. I haven't known him a day that I haven't been with him. I started thinking about how wierd that was. Usually you know someone for a while as a friend or a friend of a friend before you actually start dating and then get married. Ben and I didn't start that way. I met him at a church dance and as soon as I talked with him and spent time with him that night, I knew. I knew he was going to be mine. I knew all the other girls in the world didn't stand a chance (I'd hurt them if they tried). I knew he was perfect for me. I thought I knew how great he was but he shows me everyday that he's even better than I imagined almost nine years ago. I knew he had no clue what he was in for.


But my main thought yesterday was how many peole can say that they have been together with their spouse since the day they first met? I imagined us at our fiftieth anniversary being able to tell that story, how we were in love since the day we met. It sounds like stuff from fairy tales and it's my story! I get to live my very own fairy tale! Don't get me wrong, not all stories are happy all the way through, but they always work out in the end, and I know ours will too.

So while I'm blubbering on about my marriage, I have a few bits to share.

On Easter, his side of our family was at our house for dinner. Ben was once again, out of town, he does that alot for work. I was doing the dishes before everyone showed up, Ben usually takes care of that but since I was by myself and the lids aren't quite old enough, I was up to me. Well, I was unloading the dishwasher, putting the silverware away when I noticed that I had multiple sets of utencils. I had known there was I mixture, I had bought another set since we had been married, but I found a new way to look at my dishes, all of them really, plates and cups included. I had mixed silverware!!!!! I had been married long enough to have mixed silverware. We weren't a couple just starting out on our journey, we had made it far enough down the road that we had needed to replenish our flatware. I know I'm crazy but that was the thought running through my head that Easter afternoon.


Last month, while Ben was once again out of town, I had another warm experience. He was on the tail end of a trip that had started off in Japan, but had left him in Hong Kong. I couldn't call him and was keeping my cell phone in hand all day just waiting for him to call. Well, he call and I asked him if he would pick me up a nice pair of cooking chopsticks...... I use chopsticks all the time, I never eat rice with a fork, and this is something Ben loves to tease me about.......... Well, he just chuckled in reply and said that he had already gotten me a set of chopsticks. How cute is it that he would know that just a simple set of chopsticks would make my day. The next day whe he called I told him that if he had a chance and found a nice Jade bangle that it would be amazing! He started that chuckle again....I asked him if he had already bought one and that I was sorry for ruining the surprise, he told me that no, he hadn't bought any thing yet buthe was on his way to the Jade Market to do just that. Right then I just felt so good that we were so intune with each other. I knew what just a simple laugh of his could mean, and he knew what I wanted before I even wanted it!

I love that we have invested the time and effort into getting to know, love, and appreciate each other. So while I'm at home with two kids it's these thoughts that come to me at the most random moments that make it that much easier to just get through the day. I have a great husband, I know it. I probably don't tell him that enough, but at least the world now knows that I think my husband is one amazing guy and worth every bit of effort that has gone into the past nine years. And that I get to live my fairy tale romance a little bit more each day.

Free Stuff!

Just giving everyone a heads up, Tiburon is giving away a mystery prize!!!! All you have to do is stop in, visit, and leave her a comment. Free Prize! Mystery Prize! I couldn't resist.

It's done, I had an appointment yesterday to perm my hair and I did it! I think I like the curls but I'm not sure on the cut. It might have to go a little shorter. My hubby says no shorter but, he leaves town tomorrow. Who knows what my hair might look like when he gets home....I'll have to get some pictures so I can show everyone.









Sam and I are going to the zoo in a couple days, so I'm sure to have so of me and the kids. Ty has been asking to go to the zoo for a while now and he is excited to go see the Zebras. I have to admit I'm excited to be going to the zoo as well, I'm looking forward to seeing the Giraffes. I'm not sure what animal Madison is most looking forward to seeing, she likes horses, but I'm afraid those might be hard to come by at the zoo. Which animal would you look forward to seeing the most?











I'm also going to send a camera with Ben on his first trip to Hawaii. It will be interesting to see where he visits and what he thinks is memorable on his first trip to Hawaii. I do have to say that I am not happy that my husband is going to Hawaii for his first time and I don't get to share that with him. I'm jealous because he gets to go to my old "home". I lived there when I was a kid and moved here to Washington when I was eight. I have so many fun memories of Hawaii and there were so many places I wanted to go and share with my husband....maybe someday soon..... I'm wondering where he will choose to go, any guesses?

I may not have peed on a bee......

So Sarah inspired me, I loved her story about Jaden and the bee.

I have learned lessons a bit more painful than Jaden's, if you ask me he got off pretty easy. So, here goes, the things I've learned bees really don't like. I guess I should start with the earliest lessons first...then you guys can all see how long it took me to learn, and maybe have some compassion for my poor mom who tried to teach me so many other lessons......

I'm not sure how old I was for the first two, but I was still living in Hawaii so I know I was younger than eight.

Lesson #1-

If you're walking in some ground cover that has little pretty yellow flowers that you know bees love because there are a million of them everywhere. DON'T GO BAREFOOT!!!!!! Now in all fairness, I lived in Hawaii, I went EVERYWHERE barefoot. Even in to the groundcover infested with little honey bees. Let's just say that a bee sting to your foot can hurt for a while, especially when you're just a kid.

Lesson #2-

We have all caught bees and put them in a glass jar with holes poked in the lid just to watch them, right? And I’m sure most of us were pretty cautious when we let them out figuring they might be fairly mad. Well, my bright idea one day....Why worry about using a jar? I also remember thinking, I wonder what it feels like to hold a bee??? Trust me when I say this, catching bees with your bare hands while they are just sitting on a pretty little flower doing their job is NOT a good idea. And let me say that just like alot of other things in life, I pushed this one too far. The first few bees didn't mind so much. Maybe I didn't hold them quite as long or maybe they were just in better moods. Or maybe it was that honey bees are little more patient than their relatives the big black bumble bees. Anyway, After catching a few and letting them I decided to keep on going, until I found the one bumble bee that didn't take to kindly to be contained in the dark cave that is a child's hands holding it prisoner. Yeah, it stung me, it hurt, and I cried.

And I still didn't learn....

Lesson #3-

Now I'm about 10, it's Halloween and I'm wearing my Cheerleading uniform for my lil. bro's football team. I was at my neighbor's house and we knew where there was an underground hornet nest. Well, we thought it would be fun to kick a little dirt in the hole, and yes once again, I pushed my luck..... I didn't just kick dirt in once then stand back and watch the show. I did it a few times, so did the other kids. Very shortly I ended up with a hornet up my sweatshirt, and one went up my skirt and got my leg.(wait, is it actually possible to fly up a cheer skirt, I mean there isn't much skirt there...)


Personally, I think those hornets remember me. Same house, a few years later we were pulling some small logs out of the woods and over to a great fire when once again, we found those darn hornets. This time I got stung on my scalp. Not that I was doing anything on purpose to the bees, that's why this is just an aside rather than a lesson.

Lesson #4-

Last Summer---Yes that means I was 25 and still hadn't learned the lesson that started so many years ago... I was at a softball tournament for my husband and it was a hot, sunny day. I was hanging out on the grass trying to not go crazy with the kids running in different directions and not listening to anything I had to say. Well, there was clover growing in this grass and just in case you didn't already know, bees love clover! Once again, I was barefoot...some people say old habits die hard but on this one I think it's one that never dies, I just keep lugging it along with me. Well, as I was strolling through the grass barefoot I didn't think to look where I was putting these big 'ol feet of mine, and yes I once again stepped on a bee. Obviously I didn't learn too much from lesson #1. This time the bee got me right in the arch of my foot. OUCH!!!! Trust me, that is a very tender spot!

So there it is. I used to think I had a pretty decent learning curve, looking back I'm totally rethinking that one. Or maybe I'm just stubborn. Who knows.... I do know that I really don't like being stung by a bee. I think it sorta goesback to that whole not liking shots thing....

To Perm or not to Perm

So, I've had perms in the past, and I love them. And I'm completely bored with my hair right now. I am a color junkie but I haven't done that in ages, and the result of that is I have discovered that I have a natural color, who knew? I decided that I was just going to grow it our until I figured what to do with it. I've been talking about a perm for a year now and still haven't done it. I think it's time to "Just do it" or move on. So here is my dilema, to do it or not to do it. It doesn't seem like a huge deal but right now my hair is easy. It's straight (and plain), I wash it and run out the door. I blowdry it if I want to. It's not frizzy, it's not wavy it's just straight. I take that back, it's not just straight, it's fine as well, so when it gets long, like it is, it gets stringy. Fun. We have a holiday weekend coming up at work so it's the perfect opportunity to perm my hair saturday and then be able to wash it before I go back to work on tuesday. I guess I'm just afraid to pull the trigger, 'cause you know, perms are permanent.....What do you think?

By the way, I really loved to look up top but figured this one is the look I would be more likely to come out of the salon with.

Hamster Anyone?

No really. Does anyone want my hamster? He's an adorable blueberry dwarf hamster, who loves to eat in his running wheel during the day and run, in the same wheel, at three o'clock in the morning that is now squeaky and confetti filled. He also takes every advantage to get out of his cage and go for a field trip in my house. Last night he finally surfaced after two days off and about (Yes, that is his second escapade for those keeping track). Oh yeah, did I mention he bites? And then there's the fact that he doesn't clean his own cage, what is up with that? So, just let me know if you're interested..... At this point I'm not even sure if my son would miss him, the first time Maxie got out of his cage Ty was sad, this time, not sure he even cared. Do I hear any takers???????

Maybe that owl outside my house might like to keep him company........(Not that I could actually do that, but at three in the morning it sounds like a great idea!)

I hate shots!

I hate shots, I always have. When I was a kid I had to be held down, by two adults. You do the math on that one..... My theory has always been, you can take as much blood as you want, but PLEASE no shots. So what started this rant? Yesterday, I had to go get an injection, it's become a monthly task for me and you would think that after two babies and eight surgeries that I would get used to shots but let me assure you that is not the case. I always get slightly nervous before a shot. My mom used the cure all of ice cream after the doctor's appointment, actually I insisted on it through out my vaccination years. Well, yesterday I knew that I had to take myself in to that bad little room where they keep all the hypodermics. I had to hand over my right hip and wait for the prick. It burned, even more than the last time, and then it was done. It took all of 10-15 seconds. And I'm still feeling the lasting effects. The night of my injection I get nauseous. That lasts all through the next day. Also at night, my hip gets this really tender spot. THEN, and here is what started all this...my belt sits right on the spot where they gave me that darn shot!!!!!!! This is just wrong. First, I have to go and take myself to the doctor, then I get a shot and now I'm feeling sick to my tummy AND my belt is hurting me. It's just not fair.

Mom's big weekend out

Ahhhhhhhhhhh.....I had a great weekend! I went on a Relief Society retreat. It was amazing! There was no one at the campground other than us the first night and it was so quiet. No kids, no husbands, just girls having fun! Occasionally I had to just wander off with my book to sit in the sun and read where all I could hear were the birds seemingly all around me. A group of us wandered down to the lake where I had to go off the rope swing a few times and swim about for a bit. The water was pretty chilly but the abundance of sun shine more than made up for that. A few of us girls stayed up late by the fire, and later inside, just talking. The next day we went for a walk after breakfast, then planted some plants the group had brought up as a service project. Then it was time for the all important lake once again. I did have to go off the rope swing again and swim some more, really, who could resist? Then I lounged on the dock just talking with other women. Something I NEVER get to do, at least not in a child-free, work-free fun environment. Once I wandered up refreshed and slightly red from the lake it was time for a speaker. Kelly Taylor is local to Kitsap County and had spoken at the recent Youth Conference. She gave us an amazing and inspiring talk on how just reading your scriptures everyday can change you life. I sat there listening to her right up in front next to her and felt so strongly that she was in a place I knew I wanted to be, as a mom and also spiritually since the two should really go hand in hand. And there she was, handing me the map on how to get there. It felt so good to be there right listening to her speak.

Later that day I got to see Brittany's pop-in-law since he was another speaker we had. I swear he has the best job ever. Well, first he's a retired Electrical Engineer, which I have seriously been contemplating starting night classes for....and here's the really great job. He's a sealer in the Temple. That truly has to be as good as it gets right there. Getting to be the person who seals a family together for time and Eternity? Being there with the families, feeling the love, joy, and peace you know everyone is sharing. I can't imagine anything beating that out as best job known to man.

Being girls, of course we stayed up late again. This night there was a father/son outing going on at the campground. That meant that there were boys running around being boys just like you would expect if there mom's weren't there...I guess the campground had to balance things out--women with out kids, fathers and sons without mothers--I thought it was sort of ironic. Well, the boys were running around making noise and playing with airsoft pistols. There were a few women bugged by it but I thought it was great, I knew I wasn't responsible for a single kid out there and I loved it!

The next morning I went home to an empty house and started working on my garden. It was sunny and I plugged my Ipod into my house's sound system, opened the windows and turned up the volume. I worked/played in the garden while catching some sun as well. It was a great weekend, with sun, quiet, and relaxation it's exactly what I needed........I think something like that should happen at least once a month!

It makes it all worth it

Today I am taking off work early to go on a camp out with the Relief Society(Women 18 and older from church). Well last night while I was packing my clothes, because I do everything last minute, Ben and I were explaining to the kids that mommy was going to be gone a couple days. This doesn't happen to often, usually Ben is the one leaving and I'm staying home. Ty wasn't all that okay with me going. He wanted to know why couldn't come with me and truly wanted either him to come too or me stay at home. I explained that it was something for mommy to go do with other mommies and that no kids were coming. Once he accepted that, it came down to how deos he take advantage of the time he does have with mommy. Luckily for me, all he wanted was cuddle time! I love my boy. It's times like that when you wonder if with all the running around for sports and groceries, and the rest of life, if your kids are really enjoying spending that time with you. Well, they are. Its the times when I know they are going to miss me and really do want me around that help fortify me for when they aren't being quite so calm or sweet, or even nice. I love my kids!

Just for the record, Madison also wanted to get some cuddle time in. :)

Bedtime Trick!!!

Yea! My toolbar magically reappeared! I'm so EXCITED!

So, I discovered this last week how to get your significant other to snuggle with you while you sleep. I've been trying to figure out how to get more snuggle time for a while now. So here it is--Just take the blanket of your bed! It's it that easy. I had to wash my down comforter and so it was off my bed for a couple nights. It has been chilly up here in Washington for the past little bit and those couple nights were no exception. Ben also turns down the furnace at night. I bundled myself up in fleece pants and a sweatshirt and climbed into bed. I've been exhausted lately so I went right to sleep. It got really cold the first night and I woke up a couple times because I was cold, the nice surprise was that each time I woke up, Ben was right there snuggled up next to me! It was great!