The best dog ever!

The best dog ever!

Okay so Rich and I were flipping channels last night and ran across a show that we love to watch but it always gets booted if something else is on. We spent the evening laughing and reminiscing of how much Tyler Labine aka "Sock" reminds us of my brother Brian. His build, his hair, his personality, and the way he speaks. He has us rolling constantly. Here are some pics and a little vid to help you understand. Love ya Bri!

Camping at Indian Henry

The weekend before Memorial day, I had approached Rich and told him I was tired of sitting around on holidays feeling sorry for myself that we didn't have family ordeals to go to. Something I was taught by a wise sister-in-law is that being away from family forces you to create traditions and memories with your own family. This memorial day it had occured to me that just because we didn't have family to do things with didn't mean that I couldn't plan something fun for us to do. We took them camping to Indian Henry about 50 minutes from our home and had an absolute blast as you can see. We had good food, lots of fun, discovery hikes, scenery hikes, bmx bike riding, and lots and lots of smores, oh and we must'nt forget the famous skit featuring Rich, Redden and Austin Turner. Here's some pictures of our fun. I wish my family could have been there, I do miss all the little holiday get togethers and traditions that we always did. Labor day campouts at grandmas, family camping reunion every July, everyone go to grandma's house for the weekend to party, lunch dates with my mom and sisters and aunts etc etc. I miss those the very most. We love you and miss you all!
The beautiful scenery at the top of our hike. Smores Smores and more smores, we didn't even eat lunch one day because no one was hungry



Our Scenery hike. It's so convenient to have a kid old enough to hold the camera still long enought to take a picture. Now we can actually have some of us! What do ya know?!

Enjoying the warm fire after the rain storm
Roasting more marshmallows for smores and more smores!
Dinner at camp
Did I mention we had smores?
My Austin on our scenery hike along the trailhead.

The famous "Caribou County Fair Skit"

Quote of the Day

So about 9 months ago while I was in Utah, my step dad found a dollar store that was going out of business. They were selling everything for super super cheap, if you can imagine. I figured since I had driven to Utah that I could stock up on cleaning supplies and have a year supply of them for about $35. I got laundry detergent, dishwashing soap, dishwasher soap, fabric softener etc. I was ecstatic! Anyway, we've been working our way through the laundry detergent which happens to be powder. Well, the last box of detergent happens to be a cardboard box and anyone whose been to Oregon knows the air is a little moist, which has turned my laundry powder into a big brick. The other day I had asked Rich to start a load of laundry for me while I was doing something else. I walked down the hallway to put something away in the boys room and heard the water to the washing machine running into the tank. In the midst of me walking by and the water running I hear this mumbled underneath Rich's breathe, not for me to hear though...

"Are we really this freaking poor".

(said as more of a statement)

I continued down the hall busting up laughing. Of course we're not poor - The 1 time I ask him to start laundry is the time that I found detergent at the dollar store that hardened into a brick that he was having to break apart with a pencil that was conveniently located in the box. All for a year supply of cleaning products. He loves me!

Enjoying the 90 degree temps

Saturday morning I got up with the kids and started some yard work in the back yard. Rich was sleeping in...it was part of our deal because he took his sister to the airport at 4:45 am Saturday morning. As I was working in the back yard loosing all sorts of energy in the sun, I looked around and realized that we had no water toys for the kids to play with to keep them cool in the summer. So...after waking up dad, we had a fun little outing to get some fun things to cool them down. Here they are. I just have to clarify my heavy breathing for you all. I have terrible spring time allergies and boy can you tell in the videos...I sound terrible breathing into the camera...Darth Vader...here I come. I also should inform you that, just because you don't see me doesn't mean I didn't get attacked. I was jumping on the trampoline with the shooting-bouncing wet ball and got soaked, not to mention that all 3 boys ganged up on me and launched squirt guns on me at the same time. I was dripping taking these videos.

My Garden

This is the most recent picture from this morning. It was raining so the pic is through a window. I am so dang excited this year to accomplish something I've been wanting to do for years. Putting in a garden is something I'm trying to do to hopefully encourage my family to eat healthier and save money also by providing to my family things I would normally buy at the grocery store right out of my garden. My deal with the kids is that their snacks in the day will be from the garden, which means no more gold fish or yogos or graham crackers/cookies etc. during the summer. Our garden came up lickity split and looks gorgeous so far. I'm trying something new called square foot gardening. It has less maintenance and helps you continually keep something in each square foot for each season of the year without having to till, because you never step in the planting area. I've also planted a much larger garden at my adoptive parents home who have acreage to do so. At their home I've planted things that I will actually can. Everything at my house is to have on hand. My garden consists of tomatoes, beans, peas, cucumbers, red potatoes, red, yellow, and orange peppers, walla walla onions, green onions, carrots, winter squash (to have throughout the winter to store and eat) summer squash, zuchinni, lettuce, spinach, radishes and stawberries.

Reddens Track Meet

We signed Redden up to participate in the "Little Legs Inivitational Track Tournament" to give him a little exposure to other not so hyped up sports. He chose to do the 400 m, the 4x1 relay and the 2oo m, I think. Below are some pictures of him giving it his all. I think he was a little nervous showing up at a huge stadium to do something he'd never been taught to do, but all in all he was brave and did his very best. We are so proud of him. Redden is in the brown hoodie or green shirt. depending on the pic or video.

Here he is lining up for the relay.

They were having problems with the starter gun, so they were waiting very patiently.
Listening carefully to all instructions.

Thieves on my Hands?

Last week as I was going through my desk, I finally decided that I needed to attack my piles of expired credit cards. I began cutting and cutting and cutting. Now, when I say cutting you should know I don't cut it into 4 pieces or 5 straight pieces. I cut zig zag, diagonal, little ones, big ones trying to make someones potential job of putting them back together to get the number virtually impossible. As my mound of expired debit/credit cards begins to dwindle and my shards pile is growing I see my kids out of the corner of my eyes. I was seriously so shocked and surprised that they were able to do what they were doing.
I'm worried!

To My Mom and My Best Friend

I had a conversation with a friend yesterday about how our mothers made Motherhood look so easy. After having a few of my own, I wanted to tell my dear mother how much she means to me and the difference she has made in my life. So many times recently I have caught myself wishing that I lived closer to my mom:

*for her to rub my temples when I had a headache

*for her to be here and wake up with my suffering children in the middle of the night and sleep with them like when they're infants so I can get some sleep

*to be a little more forgiving to my children

*to give the comforting hug of an unconditional loving mother when it's needed so badly

*to make my husband laugh and feel like he is the best thing in this world

*to lend her listening ear to an ever complaining daughter

*to have the 1 person that you know is always on your side.

My mother isn't perfect, nor is any other mother in this world, but I'm telling you...she got something right. She has lived an interesting life and most definately not an easy one. I admire her strong will and desire to rise when times are hard, to pull through and look at the bright side of things, and trying very hard to not complain about the things that annoy her. I believe that looking on the bright side is one of the many great qualities I received from my mother...(along with the 2 other bad ones we talked about last week mom! haha). She doesn't have all the answers and doesn't claim to, but she will be there to help you reason out and make the best possible decision for you. I hear of lots of people say "I never want to be like my mom". I hope if I can become more of someone it would be more of her. She has set the perfect Christ like example of how I want to be for my kids and my grandkids (heaven forbid). I love you, my husband loves you and my children most definately love you. You mean everything to me and I could not imagine my life without you. Happy Mothers Day Mom...I truly love you and admire you and want you to know...that despite all those teenage years YOU MADE A DIFFERENCE IN MY LIFE!!!

Twilight Preview

Check out this video: Twilight



Add to My Profile | More Videos