Friends and Bees

Last week my friend Margo was in town. She doesn't come into town very often...so I get to see her about once a year. Fortunately, she was able to get together on Monday (my ONLY free day!). Synnove, who remembers her girls, Abby and Norah, was excited to have visitors. And thank goodness Soren is well-adjusted to being the only boy, because that situation seems to happen often.

As usual, Margo and I chatted while the kids played. We had few meltdowns, and only a smidge of whine (pretty good if you ask me). Abby, Margo's oldest, is quite the "pretender" and got the kids together to create a party with snacks and games for Margo and I. We played "toss the plum" and "find the plum" and had a mini scavenger hunt.

Self-portrait

Toeheads =)

Later that day, Adam planned on spraying the massive yellow-jacket hive above our garage. We only discovered it a couple of weeks ago and were shocked at the size!! I wish I would have had my camera out when Adam went on the roof to spray it. Adam didn't want to get stung so he put on a white "Hazmat-type" suit (something he inherited from his old job), two pairs of gloves, and a motorcycle helmet with a full face cover. OH MY GOODNESS it was HILARIOUS! He looked like an under-puffed astronaut. He didn't kill all the bees with the 2 cans of spray so he's gonna have to go up there again. Maybe I'll get a picture next time!!??

Another Week

I realize that I skipped a week in blogging...but the week before last was way too full and complicated to write down, so I'm just gonna skip it altogether. Last week was non-stop as well...


Monday, the kids went to swimming lessons (every day of the week, actually) and afterwards I planned to go just a couple of parking lots over to drop some MK over to my Aunt who works at Park Medical. As I was showering the kids after lessons, I noticed something black stuck in Synnove's hair. I thought it was a piece of fuzz and pulled on it and she said, "ouch!" I tugged a bit more, thinking it was a dark scab that was hanging by a small bit of skin, but upon further investigation, I discovered it had legs! It was a tick! I had never seen a tick before, but knew that if it wasn't removed properly, it could cause infection. So, instead of seeing Aunt Jeanne at Park's, I went to Urgent Care and Park's. Apparently it was still alive, and the doctor removed it without leaving anything behind. Yes, I could have removed it myself...but I just didn't want to risk doing something wrong. I didn't know how long it was there...it could have been there for a couple of days! I had just gotten back from Creation and Adam wouldn't have noticed it because he doesn't "do" hair. The only reason I saw it is because her hair was half up and I could see something black when I sprayed her head in a certain place.

Anyway, we saw Aunt Jeanne after that, then headed home, then came back into town. I had an appointment with a gal in Astoria, and the kids were gonna spend some time with Grandpa while he painted the house. When I got back, the kids were headed to Costco with Weesie and Grandma. We didn't get home till after bedtime.

On Tuesday, after swimming, I headed over to my parent's house to help my dad paint. I stayed there all afternoon and, again, got home after bedtime. That night I opened my camera for the FIRST time since it arrived on the Friday prior. I was SO excited to get my camera...but had NO time to even open the box till Tuesday!

One of the first pictures I took on my new camera on Tues.

On Wednesday, after swimming, I met a gal at the coffee shop for a little MK consult. Then, I went all the way back home to wait for UPS so that I could make a large delivery for a party I had the week prior. Then, I headed back to town to deliver the order, and afterwards, went back to my parent's to help my dad paint again. Dad was on his way out, so the kids and I were there by ourselves. After about 20 minutes my Grandma Barb showed up and we visited while I painted the house on the deck. She left, I finished the part of the house that sits above the deck, we ate dinner, we got home sometime after bedtime.

That night I stayed up passed midnight finishing the invitations for my friend Tonya's bridal shower...they turned out pretty cute.

Thursday we went swimming, did a MK delivery, then headed to Cassie's so that the kids could play. We stayed all afternoon! It was great fun! On the way home, though exhausted, I decided I needed to go to Safeway. Our fridge has been utterly neglected, and has been virtually empty for almost two weeks. That NEVER happens! But, I honestly haven't had the time to go to the store! Anyway, I stopped at Safeway and started to put the kids in the cart. I put Soren in the seat and put Synnove in the basket part. Synnove then decided to whine and throw a fit about not being in the seat. I told her if she continued to whine, then we would have to leave without getting dinner for Daddy. She continued to whine. We left the store. I was too exhausted to care and I don't remember what we even had for dinner...waffles maybe??

Jena and JR have a bouncy house at their house...SO fun!!

Friday was the last day for swimming lessons for that session. Synnove is still in the smallest class (has been to at least 6 or 7 two-week sessions) and will stay there till she puts her face in the water. Soren is in the class above her (has been to 3 two-week sessions) and is starting to learn the basics. I don't think I'll be putting the kids in lessons for the rest of summer. Synnove isn't progressing, and it costs me too much time and money. I think I'll continue Soren's lessons in the fall when Synnove is in school. We'll see.


After lessons I went to the coffee shop to get stamps from Elise for Tonya's bridal shower invitations and mailed them off. Then, I headed back home to meet Tonya and Faith for a playdate. My kids are so blessed to have so many little friends, and I'm so blessed to be friends with all their little friends' mommies!! It makes me almost wonder that if I didn't have kids...would I have as many friends??? Probably not!

Saturday we woke late, made a big breakfast, and got in the car to go to Seattle for the day. Adam's Aunt Chris got married last month, and they were hosting an open house. We don't ever get up to Seattle to see Adam's extended family, so it was a good excuse to go. Adam got to see people he hasn't seen in years, and I got to finally meet some of his extended family (that I hadn't met before). The kids enjoyed running around and playing with Alice and Cash. The drive home was a loooong one. I think we walked through our front door sometime around 12:30 AM.

Chris's husband Ed is a part of a "Mini" club. Here's 3 of the 4 that were parked by our car...

Sunday was meant to be a relaxing "don't have to go anywhere or do anything" kind of day...but it didn't end up that way. After going to church, we drove home to get Synnove fed and changed to go over to Grace's house for the afternoon. Our fridge was still empty and because fair was (is) going to start the next week (this week) I didn't know if a trip to the grocery store was (is) going to happen. SO, I sorta planned to make the trip to Longview to go to WinCo. But, I changed my mind. Sunday was the last day to enter in the fair, and I kinda wanted to enter some photos. I didn't really have any good ones from the year, but I had a couple in mind. I spent the next 2 hours fiddling on the computer and fighting with my printer. I finally gave up and took what I printed to the fairgrounds. Soren decided that splitting wood with daddy was boring, so he came with me.

Of course, when we got to the fairgrounds, I ran into half of my family and and handful of friends and chatted it up a bit. Then, I headed to Fred Meyer to get some semi-expensive groceries. And, of course, I ran into more family and friends. I stayed and the store way longer than planned and didn't get over to pick Synnove up till around 7:00. Once and Grace's house, I ended up chatting with Eddie and Rena (Grace's parents) for over an hour. Yes, over half of my daily existence is TALK!

I ended the week with a massive bowl of Tillamook's "Grandma's Cake Batter" ice cream (the LAST one at the store!!) YUMMY!!

While Mom's Away...

While I was at Creation, Adam stayed home and played with the kids. He had planned a handful of things, including camping out in the field, and going on some hikes. On Friday they went and got some rocks for the house (landscaping? wall-building?) and discovered a field of foxgloves.

On the way back, they stopped at Hunt's Market to pick up some necessary items for dinner. I was so busy last week that I didn't have time to go to the grocery store and left Adam with an empty fridge.

That night they pitched the tent in the field and Adam built a little coffee can cook stove for the kids to heat hot chocolate and roast marshmallows. They were so excited to sleep with Daddy outside...and Charlie. They left the waterproof top off the tent so they could sleep under the stars (sort of).

Soren as he woke up the next morning...drool and all...

That day they did chores around the house, went on another hike (I think) and then headed to the beach in Warrenton after a much needed nap. That night the kids begged Adam to sleep in the tent another night, but he was so tired from the night before that they ended up in the house.

The next morning they headed to church and I made it home 15 minutes after they got back. They were full of fun stories to tell me. I hope one day they realize what a rare and wonderful daddy they have.

Creation Northwest 2010

Last weekend I had the opportunity to attend Creation Northwest with Weesie and the Wilson's. Originally, mom was gonna go, but she very nicely offered me her ticket. I even tired to arrange for Adam to go too, but he really wanted to just stay home and hang out with the kids because he's been so busy lately. So, Elise and I headed up Friday at around 1:00. The Wilson's had been camped there since Tuesday, but Elise and I were only free for the weekend.

It's been a while since I've been to any kind of concert. I think the last concert I went to was at some punk/rock festival where Nickelback played....sometime back when Adam and I were engaged. I like concerts, but usually don't like the spend the money to go to them. Although, I really enjoyed going to Jesus Northwest back in the 90s. I think I went in 1991 and 1997 (it's last year). ANYway, when Creation was "created" back in 1998 I was kinda bummed because it was clear over at the Gorge, where it's really hot and quite a far drive. I always thought it'd be fun to go, but the opportunity never came around. This year was the first year it was going to be in Enumclaw, WA. Enumclaw is a lot closer than the Gorge, and certainly a lot cooler! The Wilson's go every year, and this year they had two extra tickets...woo hoo!

We went. It was a blast. I wanna go again.

I just took my iPhone as my camera and left Adam the regular camera because I knew he was going to take the kids on many adventures while I was gone. Needless to say, the pictures I took are terrible...but, you get the idea.

Elise, Chris, and I waiting in the "mosh pit" for Toby Mac's concert to start. It was a fun concert! I saw Toby back in 1991 when DC Talk was just starting out. I was even in the same room with the entire band, but was too chicken to get their autographs.

Throughout the days of the festival, youth leaders could go to a sort of "v.i.p." area to talk to the different artists. Doug and Sherry had a couple of leader passes, so Elise and I went with them to see Superchick talk...they were so down to earth and hilarious!
We also went to see the lead singer of Skillet chat with folks...he was funny too. One of the questions somebody asked was "what's it like being on tour with your wife and kids?" He responded..."we're like the Osbournes....but we're saved!" Ha ha! Guess you had to be there...

Below is Superchick

Doug and Sherry waiting for Tenth Avenue North to play...

I put this picture in for Doug...he thought he was being so funny...

And....SKILLET! It was a killer concert...lots of fire, smoke, and fireworks. This is a shot I took from the back as the concert was starting. Elise and I couldn't stand to sit in the back any longer, so we ran up to the pit to rock out with the rest of the panheads.

SO Excited!

A couple of things...

One:
It's been a loooong time coming and I'm finally getting a new dryer! I bought my dryer well-used back in 2001 from a gal that went to my home church. I think I paid like $100 for both the washer and dryer. They weren't a matched set and the washer, thankfully, went out back in 2005. It was an off-brand washer that had to be babysat so that it wouldn't overfill. My dryer has been making a high pitched whine for at least 3 years now, and almost died back when we moved here two years ago...but, for some reason, it decided to work for two more years. In the last couple of weeks the sounds coming from the laundry room have gone from annoying to absolutely unavoidable! I think the rollers are broken. And, instead of fixing it, we opted to get a new one because it often leaves rust marks on clean clothes. No, I'm not getting a fancy one or anything, but the one I just ordered actually has adjustable heat settings!

Two:
I JUST ORDERED MY FANCY CAMERA!!!!! I wasn't planning on getting it until the fall, but for our anniversary last week, Adam told me that I just needed to go buy it. I had already saved almost half of the money needed from my MK business, and the rest would come out of all the spare change I could find between the couch cushions...lol! I did a bunch of research and knew that I would get one of two models...either the Nikon D5000 or the Canon Rebel T1i. Both were very comparable and similar in price. Most everyone that I've talked to about DSLRs who actually have a DSLR have a Nikon (older models or higher models) and like them a lot. So, I thought I was leaning towards the Nikon. It took a while for me to weigh the pros and cons of each camera because each camera excelled in different things. It was a headache...mostly because I know so little about photography! In the end, the Canon stood out for me. Unfortunately, I don't have the extra cash to get the additional lens I want to get...but that will come in time. Thanks for the splurge honey!!! I CAN'T WAIT TILL IT ARRIVES!!!

The Past Week

You know you're life is busy when you have to check your calendar to see what you did the day before. We're having lots of fun in this semi-beautiful weather, and have been taking advantage of every day.

Last Saturday we invited Chris, Tonya, Faith, Elise, and Chris over for a little BBQ. Chris B. ended up not being able to come, but we had fun anyway. As usual, the kids were overjoyed to have a friend to play with. The kids played outside for a while until dinner, then they had a bath together and watched a movie downstairs while the rest of us visited and watched a movie upstairs.

 

On Sunday we all went to church for the first time in a while. No, we haven't been playing hooky...but have been either sick, out of town, or camping for the last two months. We took separate cars to church as I had a baby shower to attend, and Adam and the kids were gonna go island fishing with Dad. The weather wasn't the greatest, but they caught enough sun to put on their swimsuits for a while. However, they didn't manage to catch a keeper.

On Monday Synnove had Grace over to play in the afternoon and then Adam and the kids went to Grandma and Grandpa's for dinner. I had to stay home because I had an appointment with a gal at our house. I had arranged for the kids to stay the night at Grandma and Grandpa's because I had a dentist appointment the next day and would have brought the kids over the next morning anyway. Adam came home with flowers that evening...thanks honey :)

Tuesday was Adam and I's 8th wedding anniversary. I opted to skip my MK meeting so I could spend some time at home. After my dentist appointment I stopped at the store to get some stuff for dinner and then picked up the kids. They had spent the morning picking berries, fixing the sprinkler system, and going to DQ (go figure). That night Adam and I mowed the lawn, split wood, and stacked it. Nothing like quality outdoor family time on our anniversary!

Wednesday I had planned a playdate with Jenna and JR. I was really looking forward to visiting with Cassie and letting the kids play! That morning Soren woke up not feeling good. I passed it off as morning hunger/gas (he's been having issues with that lately). He's not much of a breakfast eater, so when he willingly ate some Wheat Thins I figured he was fine. He threw them up 20 minutes later. I cancelled our playdate and we watched TV and movies on the couch all day. It was a beautiful day too! Synnove was bummed that her buddy was sick, but found things to do on her own. Soren got sicker as the day progressed and was throwing up green by midnight. He was such a trooper though...I don't think he complained once, and only cried when he accidentally hit his lip with his heavy tractor toy. He slept on the couch that night and woke with an appetite on Thursday morning. Thank you Jesus!

Yesterday we got our driveway sealed. There was much debate between Adam and I on whether or not we should pay to have it done. We have a fairly large driveway (roughly 4500-5000 square feet) and it is (was) covered in moss. We decided that it was going to be a fairly large undertaking for us to try to do it on our own, and much more headache than the savings would be worth. With all their big machines and expertise, the driveway was cleaned and sealed in 3 1/2 hours. It looks beautiful!

Adam came home fairly early last night so that I could race to Gearhart for a little MK party. He spent the evening with the kids going on a hike in search for treasures. The came home with a handful of elk teeth. I made it home in time to find Adam splitting more wood and the kids climbing trees. Even after being sick the day before, Soren was back to his old self.

And, tonight, Adam and I are going on a date for our anniversary! The kids don't know it yet, but Fi Fi is coming over to babysit. I love that when Adam and I decide we need a night out, the kids are happy to see us go so that they can play with one of their favorite cousins ;)

4th of July Camping

A week before we were set to leave for our annual 4th of July camping trip the kids and I caught a nasty head cold. I was determined to get better because I didn't want to be sick for two trips in a row. Synnove's cold lasted just a few days, while Soren and I continued to cough and blow our noses. Even Adam caught the cold just 2 days before our trip! We didn't let it get us down though. The weather was less than desirable, but was tolerable. Of course, the sun came out on Monday evening...just as we were packing to leave....and today its 95 degrees outside!!

Anyway, we still had a good crowd and still had a great time. Lots of folks went on lots of rides and spent several hours creating new trails with machetes and chainsaws. Synnove and Soren were the only kids there, but they enjoyed playing with Fi Fi and making their own fun. Soren even did some riding on the little 4-wheeler by himself! Dad was working, so he was only there for a few hours here and there...we missed him. However, we still managed to get a hot shower every night!

On Sunday Chris and Adam went to Chinook and bought quite a few fireworks. Here the kids are playing with whipper snappers, snakes, and smoke bombs...

Auntie Alice had hip surgery only a week and a half before the trip, and wasn't planning on coming camping...but she was there for the entire trip even though they had a wedding to attend on Saturday!! And, she was quite chipper! So glad she came :)
Chris W., Tonya, Sarah, and I...getting ready to watch a movie...

We watched a movie every night. On Sunday we watched a movie early so that we could light off fireworks later. It stayed light out till late and we were all up passed midnight every night.

Fi Fi and Soren with a giant sparkler

Here's a shot of all the roman candles I picked up from the field Monday afternoon...and that's just the roman candles...

Adam took the kids on a few rides up in the woods to hike and explore, and took the kids down to the creek a couple of times to find cool rocks and to make a dam...