Happy Fourth of July

Another fun filled Fourth of July has come and gone. This year's festivities were enjoyed yet again on the shores of Puget Sound at Aunt Lee and Uncle Terry's lovely home. We left our home that was blanketed in clouds...happy to see blue skies and sunshine at our destination. Isn't this an amazing view? I could sit on their deck all. day. long.
This celebration was extra special because our family has grown recently. Connor's cousin Erik and his wife, Melissa, had a beautiful baby girl on June 4th. That cutie didn't have a shortage of relatives wanting and begging to hold her.

Connor's sister Sarah and her toddling son, Caleb made the trek to spend a fun fourth with the family.

Because the weather was perfection, most everyone spent the whole day on their deck overlooking the bay and the kids down below on the beach.

Connor's sister Shannon and his Aunt Kim

Here's Nick giving me a hearty Fourth of July gesture I guess....

That is Jesse and Nolan next to him. I'm pretty sure they came up from the beach of pyromaniacs just to get some potato chips. :)

My nephews, Ben and Jay all decked out in their patriotic garb.

Connor's uncle Ed and step-dad Joe. Isn't that view to die for? I love their home!!!

Is it a bird? A plane? Doubt it's superman.... more likely a pelican or a wayward bottle rocket.

But don't Lee and Shannon look youthful and happy? :)
(inside joke)

Cousin Erik and his sweet little guy, Reese. He is a talkative little boy these days...I'd take him home in a heartbeat!

Connor's cousin Hannah along with her grandmother Marie. One of the sweetest ladies around.

Any holiday that brings so many family members together is a favorite of mine. (minus the gun powder, fuses, and wayward bottle rockets of course).

Shannon playing a joke on Nick. Something about an interrupting starfish or something... :)

Ahhh... the beach. This is where the "big kids" hung out all. day. long. They lit about a gazillion smoke bombs, firecrackers, bottle rockets, and whatever else makes me age rapidly. It's no surprise I'm not a fan of fireworks, but I know they are responsible and safe kids so I should chill out. They all survived the day and left with giant smiles and all of their fingers...so all is good.

Nick launching a bottle rocket off a fallen log into the bay.

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I really wish I had taken pictures of the "BIG" fireworks that the older cousins and uncles lit at night. It was spectacular! Mortars galore that lit the night sky and filled the view of the bay. One was even called the 10'000 degree sunburn. Seriously powerful and amazing fireworks. Do I dare say I think it may have been the best "show" I've seen in the past 17+ years? Perhaps!

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It was such a perfect day. Thank you Lee and Terry for opening your home to host yet another fun filled family shindig. You guys are amazing and we love you both so much!

The boys had so much fun with their cousins creating more lifelong memories.

It was just perfect.

World Cup Monkey

Yet another Nolanism that made me chuckle....

I was folding laundry when Nolan came up to ask me a very important question....

Nolan- "Mom, I have a question. If a monkey is playing soccer and he kicks the ball, would that be considered a hand ball?"

Oh...yeah... That's my kid! Love him and all of his inquisitive ways...

Proud as a Peacock

It's no secret that I think my boys are top-notch, cream of the crop, and practically perfect in every way but sometimes it's nice to hear other people sing their praises. :)

Nick and Nolan worked really hard all year long in school. They are both enrolled in honors classes and strive to do their very best. They stretched themselves this year by doing some tough assignments, keeping up on classwork, as well as playing sports. They both brought home stellar report cards and I'm so stinkin' proud of them.

Last week, we were invited to an awards assembly for the 7 th graders. Connor was able to crutch his way to the gymnasium to watch Nick receive an award for "Student of the YEAR" in his art class. Nick was born with an amazing gift of artistic ability. My brother, Todd, also possesses this gift. It's almost eerie how closely Nick's art resembles Todd's style. I think Nick was proud of his award and I'm happy his teacher chose him... a little boost in confidence is a good thing at this age.

On the last day of school, Nolan proudly handed me his report card. He had a wonderful year. He grew by leaps and bounds in his writing abilities and at the helm of his class was a teacher I wish could follow him through each and every year of his school life. Mrs. R is amazing. She's smart, fun, caring, and a wonderful example to her students. She wrote Nolan a comment on his report card that I thought was very nice. It went beyond the usual "pleasure to have in class" comment. Here's what she said... "What a wonderful honor to have been Nolan's teacher this year. I look forward to hearing about all Nolan's future accomplishments and successes as he continues through his schooling and beyond. Nolan is capable of greatness, and I predict college scholarships and opportunities for leadership in his bright future." Whoa. What a comment! That would make any mom and dad blush with pride, no? :)

Way to go guys! Keep up the great work! Your hard work is paying off and will continue to do so.

But, luckily, Summer has finally arrived and you can put the hardwork on the back burner... time to relax and have some fun. You deserve it!

Making Lemonade out of Lemons

Sometimes life throws you lemons.

Like for instance...

A particular U2 concert that you have been dying to see gets cancelled. (Sorry about your back Bono, get better real soon so I can perch myself in the stadium and watch you with glee.)

or...

You booked an awesome hotel room for said concert date. An awesome NONREFUNDABLE hotel room.

or...

Your husband injures himself by taking a nasty, nasty fall and needs crutches to get around for several weeks.

What do you do about all this???

You take the kids to grandma's house for the night (Thanks Grandma!), put the crutches and hubby in the car, drive to the big city to take advantage of the awesome hotel room regardless of concert being cancelled, throw open the curtains and stare at the amazing sights from sixteen floors up, enjoy being cooped up in the ultra mod-four star opulence with your very best friend, find yourself laughing at a shoebox full of vintage pictures of your hubby from his youth (Thanks Grandma!), venture out into the city to enjoy a delicious dinner and potent cocktails, retreat to room 1654 to relax and sleep the night away knowing that even though life deals you small blows, you and your hubs will make the most of it and be happy no matter what!

Food For Thought

Just a little Nolanism I'd like to remember....

Nolan-"Madre, did you know that something yummy plus something yummy equals greatness?" (Spoken as he is dipping part of his candy necklace into some muffin batter, then popping it into his mouth.)

Me- "Well, I guess that makes sense."

Nolan- "Except if it's bacon plus sugar, that would just be gross."

Little Miss Muffet Sat on Her Tuffet...

What the heck is a tuffet anyway?



Oh well, doesn't matter... This story doesn't include anyone by the name of Muffet and it certainly doesn't have any tuffets.

But it is true. And to some people it is rather funny.

It all happened yesterday at my sister-in-law's house... We gathered to celebrate the 13th birthday of my niece, Jessica. (Which by the way I cannot believe she is a teenager already!) When we arrived she was excited to show us the birthday present she received from her parents, a creepy crawly TARANTULA! We gathered in her bedroom and peered through the clear plastic tank wall that separated us from the reddish-brown, hairy, and all together creepy new joy of Jesse's life. It didn't move and we were told that was because it was a little out of sorts and nervous. Much like I was feeling while gazing upon it's eight creepy legs.

We decided to give it a break, and go downstairs to enjoy a delicious salmon dinner in honor of Jesse's big day. Shortly after eating, the adults were sitting around visiting. Next thing we heard was Nicholas squeal from the top of his lungs "JESSE...Your spider's cage is on the floor and the spider is missing!" We all were hoping this was Nick's idea of a cruel joke. Um... No... People... This. Was. NO. Joke.

Shannon, Connor, Nick, Jesse, and I carefully entered Jesse's room certain that her cat, Molly, had swiped at the small cage unintentionally setting the freakin' TARANTULA free. We were looking (very carefully) in all the nook and crannies. We checked the dark corners behind her desk and behind her bed. We found her cat, Molly, hiding in the corner. There was a giant stuffed bear next to Molly. Nick and Shannon peered over the bear about to pick it up when I said... "Be sure to shake it out before you lift it up, just in case the spider is stuck on it." Shannon agreed and began gently shaking the cute stuffed animal... then I heard her say "Oh... Don't make a move, Nick!" Next thing I knew, Nick bounced about 3 feet in the air and looked like he was about to wet his pants. The spider fell off the bear and onto his head! OMG!!

Shannon quickly scooped up the hairy beast and was holding it in her palm, I thought I was gonna pass out. But she was laughing. Laughing a little too much for what had just transpired. And so was Jesse...

We had been duped! It was a dead spider. It was a tarantula...but it was just a exoskeleton of a once living tarantula. Picture a spider after it had been to the taxidermy if you will... Looks totally real. (Yeah...He's not moving because he's nervous...yada, yada, yada...) They had planned this whole scenario before we even got to their house that evening! Shannon had secretly staged this whole scene shortly after dinner was over and had sneakily held the spider in her hand the whole time we were searching the room for the missing arachnid. Nick was peeved!! But we were all laughing in the end. Nick was not the original target, he just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time...that's what he gets for trying to help out his cousin. :)

Ok, it was pretty dang funny. We will laugh about this for many years to come, I'm sure. I bet Jesse will never forget the day she turned thirteen (and neither will Nick).

Money Well Spent

Overstock.com is my friend. We've been friends for about 10 years now, long before any advertisements were spread across the country... It was my little secret for quite awhile.

My friend has provided me with a new duvet cover that I am swooning over right this minute.

This beauty was a mere $39. NO TAX. $1 shipping.

Need I say more.

Nothing makes me happier than a good deal, except for a good deal that makes my bedroom look a gazillion times better than before!

A Happy Mother's Day for me...U2?

These handsome young men call me "mom" so, therefore, I am the lucky lady who gets to spend Mother's day being pampered and spoiled by these handsome young men.
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Each and every year Connor and the boys treat me like a queen on Mother's Day.

This year was no different.

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I woke up and was treated to a wonderful homemade breakfast of french toast with fresh strawberries and bacon. YUM. I tried to set the table, and was instantly shut down... they didn't want me to lift a finger.
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Then Nicholas handed me a gift bag where inside I found this treasure...

He made this ceramic box in art class. I can't wait to store my favorite jewelry inside this box of cuteness.



Nolan presented this wonderful sketching he made in school. He did such a wonderful job, I love homemade gifts from my boys.

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Then Connor started to clear the table of dirty dishes... He took my plate and voila--- I found these beauties!


Uh---yeah---I scored BIG TIME! I am a HUGE u2 fan and have wanted to go to one of their concerts ever since I can remember. We own every CD they have ever produced and now we get to see them perform live! SWEET!
I seriously have these guys fooled. They showered me with gifts, made breakfast, and cleaned the house. I'm sooo not worthy!
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Then we hopped in the car and drove in the sunshine all the way to Connor's aunt Lee's home on the Puget Sound. The boys LOVE spending time at her place... The beach beckons them, the tree fort inspires them, and the delicious food is endless.


(Nolan and his cousin, Madison, playing on the beach)

While the kids had the time of their lives on the property, I enjoyed soaking up the sun on the patio surrounded by Connor's fantastic family. We all sat around chatting away between bites of her scrumptious lunch. Not a bad way to spend Mother's day!

(Connor and his cousin Erik... This is how Erik hugs everyone. I seriously thought my shoulder was going to pop out of it's socket upon greeting Erik today. :))

Here's just a glimpse of what life was like today. It was good.

It was nice to spend the day with some of the best moms I know. I hope every mother out there had a fabulous Mother's Day.... You all deserve it!

"No Dawgs, Go Cougars!"

We are big WSU fans at this house.

Mostly in part because Connor attended that university way back when...

Nick and Nolan have taken the WSU support to a whole new level.

Each year at their elementary school there is a "spirit day" where the students are asked to wear either UW or WSU garb and whomever has the most wins a prize each year.

I think Nick won twice over the years...

They both despise UW.

I feel like I've created a couple of monsters, really.

And yesterday, I was fearing for our safety over this dilemma. :)

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You see, Nolan's class had a field trip to UW to visit the science and engineering departments. The university was having a fair of sorts that spotlighted what wonderful things the students in these departments are capable of. Really cool stuff! Everything from earthquake simulators to robots that could pour you a glass of lemonade.

It was a lovely sunny afternoon spent amongst the old growth trees and beautiful deep red brick buildings. It's a gorgeous campus and I was glad Nolan would get a chance to check it out.

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But he was more interested in trash talking with the locals.

He insisted on wearing his WSU shirt (he even brought an extra one along for one of his buddies). Once on campus, the craziness began. First they hung onto a statue of a husky and posed for a photo-op all the while looking as if they were about to take that husky DOWN. (A different mom took the picture, otherwise I would have posted the proof right here.)

Then at a few of the exhibits, Nolan felt it necessary to pipe up "Cougs Rule!" One of the students even said... "Oh, you are not even serious about saying that here are you? We quickly scurried to a different exhibit.

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I told Nolan that he should watch what he says...that one day he may be a student walking this campus. He said if that day ever comes, he'll still proudly wear his crimson and grey.

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I have a feeling, Nolan will be attending WSU in the future.

Don't say it enough...

Thanks Connor!

Thanks for asking me out a million moons ago...

Thanks for winning a bet that brought you to my house...

Thanks for wanting to spend all eternity with moi...

Thanks for having such a handsome smile...

Thanks for opening my eyes to how beautiful this world really is...

Thanks for being so witty...

Thanks for keeping me in stitches just about every day...

Thanks for making it possible for me to stay home most days with our boys...

Thanks for being so gosh darned smart...

Thanks for being my sidekick in the backyard as we garden the hours away...

Thanks for being so supportive of me and whatever ventures I choose to do...

Thanks for making our family so much fun...

Thanks for showing our boys what a happy home consists of...

Thanks for teaching the boys how to be safe...

Thanks for always making me feel loved and attractive...

Thanks for taking time to show you care...

Thanks for not minding my endless need to re-decorate...

Thanks for not bolting when I get a little crazy...

Thanks for cooking up the best bacon ever cooked...

Thanks for having amazing taste in music...

Thanks for making me proud every single day...

Thanks for loving me from the top of my head to my ankles... :)

Thanks for not making fun of me when I sing...

Thanks for joining me in parenting the best two kids ever...

Thanks for rubbing my feet after a long days work, even when they stink...

Thanks for taking such good care of yourself...

Thanks for being so good at fixing things around the house...

Thanks for laughing at my kookiness...

Thanks for sharing a love of travel...

Thanks for loving my family as if they were your own...

Thanks for this ongoing and exciting journey...

Thanks for being my best friend...

Thanks for being YOU!

I love you.

Who's turning the big 35 today???

Who????

Who was afraid of backyard tent sleepovers and always ended up inside the house before dawn?

Who cracked me up every time we'd get in an elevator growing up?

Who danced ballet beautifully for fifteen years?

Who always accompanied me to Dairy Queen via bicycle to sit in "our" booth?

Who is the definition of funny?

Who comes up with the best dang nicknames for her loved ones?

Who can cook up anything and make it taste like the most heavenly morsel on earth?

Who likes to think she is "so much younger" than me?

Who is a rock star mother?

Who dresses in a way that Stacy and Clinton would be proud of? Always stylish & cute?

Who's home is so welcoming you instantly feel cozy and happy upon walking inside?

Who talks like an Armenian taxi driver? Farg! (Connor's contribution)

Who has a new finned friend named Frieda?

Who cliff jumped into the Sea of Cortez several times?

Who has an amazing gift for writing?

Who looks smokin' hot after working hard at living a healthier lifestyle?

Who am I happy to call my dearest friend and have for 32 years?

This Chicka!!

Happy Birthday Karen!

I love you!!

My First Sister...

Today is a special day!

It's this lovely lady's birthday.....

(They are both lovely, but I'm talking about the one with the sunglasses on top of her head.)

I'll never forget the day I found out my oldest brother was going to get married. I would finally have a sister! Happy for Scott, and happy for me!!



Little did I know how wonderful she would turn out to be. She is a perfect match for my brother. They compliment each other like peanut butter to jelly.

As a mom, Shelly can't be beat. Her kids are number one and they know it. She's a fantastic role model, loving mother, and an awesome soccer coach to boot!

I've learned a lot from Shelly and her parenting skills.

She makes the best spaghetti sauce known to mankind.

She's smart, got great decorating sense, and her home is always impeccably clean.

She's a lot of fun to be around and has turned out to be a perfect vacation companion over the years!

I wish I lived closer to her because I know we'd be even better friends without the miles between us. I don't tell her enough how wonderful I think she is and I thank my lucky stars she's part of our family.



Happy Birthday Shelly!

I know you already had four sisters...thanks for always making me feel like your fifth!

Have a spectacular day!!

WE LOVE YOU!

On the Auction Block...

One of my very favorites parts of volunteering at Nolan's school is being an art docent in his classroom. I've done it for a five years now and I'm finally at ease being up in front of the class. It was torture for me in the first year or so... Public speaking is NOT a favorite. But I've been fortunate to be able to have the same group of kids for three years straight. If you ask me, his class is worthy of winning an award for being practically perfect in every way. Love them!

Each month I go into their classroom to teach them about a preassigned artist and painting that was chosen by the head mucky-muck art docent leaders. I give a little spiel about the artist's life and then we discuss the painting we are learning about for about 5 to 10 minutes. Then the real fun begins! I have to come up with an art project that somehow ties into the artist/artwork or style of art. We roll up our sleeves and get to work painting, drawing, using chalk, making collages, or whatever medium I've got on the docket for that day's art lesson. Don't worry, I had to go to a couple of classes at the local community college before they unleashed me in the classroom. I have little to no artistic ability, but I do love kids and I like to have fun so it's all good.

This month our school is holding an on-line auction to raise money to buy much needed things for the students. I'm not sure what this year's goal is, but in year's past we've raised $25,000 to buys new playground equipment, library books, etc....

The PTA asked the art docents to create something from each class that could be auctioned off at the auction. I always panic a little when this time of year rolls around. What to make??? What could we possibly create that someone would want to buy with their hard earned moola?

I went to the number one source. The Internet! I stumbled across an art lesson that looked pretty cool so I gave it a go.....

Basically, I chopped up a perfectly good 16x20 poster of Vincent Van Gogh's "Starry Night" into 24 blocks. Gave one piece to each student in the class along with a matching black piece of paper. They were instructed to copy their portion of the poster onto the black paper exactly using oil pastels (very bright, creamy crayons). Then I would assemble the black paper back together to recreate our version of "Starry Night" and frame it! Genius, No? It turned out to be a pretty cool mosaic version of the original. I love it and I hope someone else will love it enough to pay a pretty penny!

My little Air Jordan

Another basketball season has come to a close. I loved watching Nolan play basketball for a number of reasons. First, it was fast paced and exciting to watch him race around the court having so much fun. And Second, it was indoors...warm and DRY.

I swear I did not sign Nolan up for a bowling league...this was taken at their end of season banquet!

Their team name was "The Heat", which Nolan was never very fond of. His vote was for "The Swishers" with "The Slam Dunking Hobos" as a distant second.
His team was comprised of nine boys of all shapes and sizes, they were a great group of kids and a lot of fun to watch.Nolan's basketball skills really improved over the past year. Last year, he used to be a little gun shy of trying to make a basket and would rather pass the ball to a teammate. But now he's more confident in himself and was taking shots whenever he could.

See what I mean? Not shy. He clearly wanted possession of that ball!

His team worked well together, constantly passing and making great plays!

When Nolan wasn't at basketball practice or at a game, you could find him in our driveway trying to improve his accuracy. I found myself out there with him shootin' some hoops constantly amazed at his ability to dribble around me like I was standing still and making shots I thought I was blocking... Basketball is not my forte.

I hope he continues to play in the future, but for now... it's time to try on the baseball cleats and get ready for the sunflower seeds and cold days in the dugout. :)

Who Says Today's Kids Lack Imagination?

Well whomever it was obviously did not meet my children.

Take a gander at what I saw outside my front window this afternoon...

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Nothing says fun like a carboard box duct taped to a skateboard.
Priceless...
And so were the expressions on my neighbor's faces.

It just makes me happy!