peeing in the woods...

after three days of camping I am so glad to be home!

THINGS I HATE ABOUT CAMPING:

Peeing in the woods... I have yet to find the perfect combination of pants down far enough, legs spread far enough, to not get pee on my shoes... if this is TMI then you have never had the pleasure of peeing in the woods, or worse in a place where there are no trees to hide your flabby butt...

when you child needs to pee in the woods... Especially when it is 3 minutes after everyone is in bed for the night... GGGRRRR!! combine that with the above statement and you will learn why you need 7 pair of pants and shoes for an overnight camping trip. (at least their butts are cute though)

No showers.... YUCK... I got home and my hair felt like straw... it took three tries to wash the campfire smell out... and my kids looked like little orphans... don't even get me started on the dog... he wallowed in bacon grease and then in dirt, lovely.

Waking up at the Butt crack of dawn.

You have to give me credit though, I am extremely pleasant in spite of all this...

THINGS I LOVE ABOUT CAMPING:

spending time with my kiddos... and all the other people that I LOVE!

acting like a fool and showing off my double chins... (o.k. triple) without a care in the world.

Giggling with my teenager, because I am her ONLY source of entertainment... no ipod, no phone, no computer, NADA! Just crazy old mom... =)

Laughing with my little boy... (forgive my hobo tooth, dentists are expensive)

(this one is my fav...) playing kissy face around the campfire.

finding GIGANTOR horny toads...

seriously have you ever seen one so big?? and yellow?? Look at Dray's face, he is so freaking excited. He is just oozing with adventure and discovery.

Going on a walk to nowhere in particular.

Examining every single rock and stick just in case it is something valuable... We were looking for arrowheads and Mitch actually found 2! it was awesome! Chantel found a buttload of flint and she couldn't have been happier with herself.

Funny Story:

while we were out looking for arrowheads Chantel came running over to me "MOM, MOM" "What, what is the matter?" "Nothing, Look mom, look what I found!" me barely glancing over, "Oh that is nice sweetie" "MOM, do you have any idea what this IS???" "a tennis ball?" "NO mom, *rolling eyes* it is an ANCIENT INDIAN tennis ball."

HAHAHAHA it was freaking hilarious.

and last but certainly not least, ending a wonderfuld day, with a wonderful view of a beautiful sunset. Camping if great, but it is always nice to come home.

25 random things

1~ I have a cussing problem. I blame my aunt Shanna and Grandma Nellie, they curse like a bunch of sailors.
2~ I LOVE to pluck hairs, like eyebrows, I don't know why.
3~ I wanted to be a BRAIN SURGEON when I grew up... YIKES
4~ I am a copy cat and I am not afraid to admit it!
5~ I LOVE the color red.
6~ I am the most disorganized person I know.
7~ One hour into our first date, I knew Mitch and I would get married.
8~ I can't keep fingernail polish on for more than a day, I am a nervous picker I guess.
9~ I am a blogstalker... but not in a bad way... I just need friends people...
10~ my favorite decorating accessories are Clocks
11~ I am a firm believer in asking forgiveness rather than permission... (judge me accordingly)
12~ I love ZUMBA... google it, you will laugh your butt off, and then you will go to ZUMBA and work your butt off, and then you can come back and thank me.
13~ I love Honey bunches of oats...
14~ D.I., yard sales and the dollar store make me a happy camper.
15~ I think that people who give organs to strangers are saints.
16~ I make all my own jewlery.
17~ I love to secretly make people's day... it makes my day!
18~ I am loud.... deal with it, I have no volume button. (I also blame aunt Shanna for this)
19~ cupcakes ROCK! especially mini ones, mmmmmm
20~ Laughter is the best medicine... unless you are having a baby, then go with the epidural =)
21~ my children bring a level of joy to my live that I never knew exsisted.
22~ I have no coordination... unless you count tripping over my own feet while chewing gum... lol
23~ I believe in destiny... there are no accidents.
24~ Every single person who crosses your path has something to teach you.
25~ I need to become more interesting, because this was really HARD!!

officer mom

Do you ever feel like you should be an elite member of some sort of official agency having to do with the upholding of all laws and standards? I swear I feel that way alot lately. I feel like an officer, a preacher, a drill sergent! I am actually getting pretty good at it if I don't say so myself!

and it is all directed towards this little beauty. 13 is a rough age I decided

You do crazy, stupid things just to impress your friends. You think your parents are stupid and that they have never been through such terrible things. You think that if a friend is mean to you it is the absolute end of the world.... You think that every person in the world is out to get you, or that they are talking behind your back, or trying to steal your friends... *SIGH* But I will keep on encouraging, and being the MEAN MOM because if I don't my sweet little angel will end up like this.....

how many years for murder?

EXIBIT A~ AAAWWWW so cute, so sweet, so precious,

EXIBIT B~ OOOOHHHH SO clean, and organized and beautiful

EXIBIT C~ There are no words.

EXIBIT D~ 5 garbage bags full of toys

I could kill her!! little turd! I leave for work at 3:30 (the room is spotless) I get home at 9:30, and the room looks like this. 5 garbage bags full of toys and some not so hollow threats later, the room is again spotless, and no matter what it will NEVER look so messy again, because I threw nearly all her toys away. It was that or kill her, and even though I think they would let me off for temporary insanity, (because I nearly lost my mind when I saw this) (oh and I have pms)(I am a ticking time bomb people)I don't think I really want to kill her... *glances at the above picture* welllll maybe..... *glances at first picture* fine I won't kill her, she is pretty cute, but GGGRRR!

Just the two of us...

Because Brittany AND Drayden are in school all day this year, Chantel and I have had lots of spare time together... Today we decided that it would be fun to go have a picnic in the park. I fried up some chicken and zucchini for me, and Chantel whipped herself up a peanut butter and honey sandwich and a can of green beans. (my crazy child is in LOVE with green beans) We packed up the blanket and off to the park we went. After eating lunch we took turns playing with the camera... a day to look back on and smile =)

bottles of LOVE...

As far back as I can remember my mom has collected mason jars. A permanent childhood memory is that of coming home from school and being welcomed by the light twinkling through the glass of the mason jars that lined every window sill. 9 years ago I (the baby of the family) graduated from high school. My mom got remarried and it was time to pack up the mason jars and move on. The jars graced a shelf in my mom's house until just recently when my step-dad passed away.


My mom decided that it would be easier to start brand new, as she would be moving into a one bedroom apartment. She wanted everything gone... sorted out between the siblings. There was alot of things, alot of stuff, but the bottles were not things or stuff, to me they mean love, and childhood and mommy, and all of the warm and comfortable feelings of home.

I made it out with about 10 jars. I love to look at them, each one is different, and beautiful in it's own right. Just like people, many are old and very unique, but they all have a story to tell, if we are just willing to listen. Thanks for the memories mommy. and most of all thanks for the LOVE.

I don't get it mom.......

"I don't get it mom, why is $20 a good deal for shoes and stupid decorator junk, but it isn't a good deal for a Lego Star Wars set??"
~Drayden

I could make that!

I am so cheap... I mean painfully cheap sometimes. I see things in the store and instead of just buying it and making life easier, I have to go try and make it first, sometimes it works, sometimes not, but I have to try. Brittany has been on a kick of "Nightmare before Christmas" she loves Jack Skellington. Well a little statue of him is like $50. That is a little much in my opinion. But of course Brittany is a teenager and she MUST have certain things. So I decided I would give it a shot. I made the entire thing (the mountain, Jack and Zero the dog) out of Polymer clay. it was fun, but I don't know if I would do it again, lots of work. We put it in a shadow box and it is hanging on Brittany's wall, I am sure it is not as cool as the $50 thing, but this only cost about $5 so Brittany will just have to be o.k. with it! Being cheap isn't always such a bad thing, it encourages creativity, and it puts me $45 closer to my sweet camera! =)

Happy Birthday Mipper!

How I got so lucky, I will never know. Mitch, you are my best friend, you are so sweet, and you are always making me laugh. I hope you have a great birthday, and I hope you stick around for at least another 37 years.... lol! I love you more than anything, and I am so glad you are mine. I am so thankful that you finally got brave enough to ask me out... I love you forever! HAPPY BIRTHDAY OLD MAN!!

div>

Material Girl

Have you ever wanted something REALLY bad? But it feels like your hands are tied and you just can't ever quite get your hands on it?? Well That is me right now when it comes to THIS...

I want one of these SOOOOO bad. But alas, there are bills to be paid, and school is starting, and sob, sob, sob... I will just have to wait. Mark my words though... I WILL get my hands on one of these babies... someday. I am not usually so obsessed when it comes to material things, but since I have become a blog stalker, I realize that I am missing out. Everyone has such great pictures, and well, quite frankly, I am a little jealous. I will join you someday fellow bloggers, in the happy land of great pictures...

I think I can, I think I can =)

growing up in the sticks

We spent the weekend in my hometown... ORDERVILLE. population about 500. My husband laughs at the silly things us hicks do, but to me it is just like a warm blanket... it feels like home. Things like signs that say WHOA... instead of stop,



like getting three scoops of icecream, even though you know it is going to melt before you finish the first one!

Sitting in the tire swing untill your legs fall asleep is a perfectly constructive way to spend you time.

The entire town attends the prom, and church on Sundays. Grandma lives just up the street, and there is always someone to visit with. BBQ's are a daily thing, and the county fair is in the high school parking lot.

I would go hiking every day, no matter how hot it was.
The entire town attends the prom, and church on Sundays. I love that a parade in Orderville consists of anyone and everyone decorating anything with wheels. Cars, trucks, bikes, wagons, all you need is a bag of candy and you are IN! When you graduate from Highschool you get to paint your graduation year as big and as bright as you want right on the mountain. There are no stoplights, and you are about 100 miles from anywhere. I love to look back to childhood, where I didn't have a care in the world, except what time to be home for dinner. Keep your past close, and remember that little child that still lies within.

The writings' on the wall

What better way to show love than to etch it into sandstone?? lets hope God doesn't mind us writing on his walls =)