another one

yet another busy weekend for the books!!

Friday night was the normal groceries & bumming around.

Saturday I met my coffee girl friends at the Des Moines Downtown Farmer's Market YAY! we also met another friend w/her fiance while shopping so it was a major catch up session all the way around! so fun!!  I did some of my normal shopping (lettuce mix, radishes, chevre, & garden plants) in addition to our coffee stop @ Java Joe's as well as making more contacts for the rehearsal dinner I am helping to host in June.  (I am doing the food & keeping it as close to local as possible, Mom is doing the photo display & I am going to ask Grandma if she would do fresh flower arrangements for the tables from her garden) Then I took a nap in prep for the itty bitty visitor we were expecting overnight.  My brother & his fiance were both in a wedding that evening & their day sitter couldn't watch him past 9 so we met her & got the lil man for the evening.  So easy going & fun for 4 months old! We took him with us to some friends' house where we sat on the deck chatting until late into the night (where he slept most of the time) so then when we got home, he was awake & hungry.  after a couple of trial runs in the play pen, he & I decided to snuggle on the couch to catch some zzzz's for the both of us.  3.5 hours was welcome!

After returning him to his parents on Sunday& loading the pickup box 1/2 full of campfire wood, I needed a nap! Then I planted the 4 plants I bought at the farmer's market, sorted thru the camping kitchen tote, unloaded the weight room (where we store everything) & by the time I was done, it appeared that the camping department store had thrown up in the house! a cooler was moved to the deck to air out, the picnic baskets to the dining room to start packing, the kitchen tote & boat bag to the living room where there was more room to check its inventory, the bedding in the hallway, our bags in the bedroom floor & the tent & tarp in the doorway of the weight room. *whew* I very quickly did some serious organizational damage to the house. but every situation gets worse before it gets better, right? After wreaking havoc on the house, I decided I needed a break so I plopped on the couch & started reading the 5 Love Languages & am hooked! He had me nodding along at just the preface! I think this will help any relationship. Later in the evening while I watched Jesse Stone I packed my bag of clothes for the camping weekend & sorted thru the boat bag to be sure it was fully equipped with the towels, sunscreen & water socks we would need on the boat.  I was definitely ready for bed when it rolled around!

What a great weekend! pretty well balanced with naps & activities.  Really looking forward to our long weekend at the lake!

whirlwind

what a whirlwind weekend! but it was so.much.fun!!

Friday night my cousin did french tips on my nails for our pictures we had scheduled for Saturday morning, then I did the normal grocery shopping too.

Saturday morning we had out photos taken.  First time in 15 years.  We went with what felt natural, the local photographer who did both of our senior portraits, engagement & wedding as well. Where else would we go? Love her, love her style & love her openness to suggestions.  (will post as soon as I have images to link to!)  then we did a little gardening, I didn't want plants from the store, I wanted heirloom organic plants from a grower I got to know last year, but Tim was in the mood to help so we did peppers, cukes & corn then took naps.  Saturday evening I had an appointment to shoot engagement photos for some friends of ours getting married in July.   then they took us out to eat as payment & we all went to the Eagle's for a couple of drinks after.

Sunday we slept in! then took Tim's Mom out to lunch @ our favorite local Mexican restaurant! it was a good time & great food.  then home to edit the engagement photos & squeeze a nap in before I headed off to my cousin's graduation reception.  That was a good time too.  I got to see my lil hearts (my nieces & nephews), grandparents, sisters-in-law, aunts, uncles & cousins! OH & almost made myself sick eating cream cheese mints.. oh how I love them!!! mmmmmmmmmm I got home to steaks & baked potatoes on the grill YUMMMMM so much food in one day!! then I got to take the CD of engagement photos to them! EEEEEEEEEEEE! I was too excited to wait.  They seemed pleased.  That's all I can ever hope for.  I keep thanking them for the opportunity to pick up my camera again.  Its been a long lost friend here lately but I am renewed in my attachment to it :)

What a fun whirlwind of friends, family & treasures this weekend was!! How was your weekend??

weekend recap:

Friday night was boring - groceries. 

Saturday was the opening day for the closest big farmer's market & I was in HEAVEN!!! I love the little stands w/different goodies, so much to do, see, smell & buy. *sigh*    I ablsolutely live for farmer's markets in the summer time!  Saturday I bought asparagus, sweet onions, spring garlic, radishes, spinach salad mix & a rawhide bone for Sam.  I did buy & choke down an aweful coffee (its the 2nd stand & 2nd bad one I've had so I think I learned my lesson!)  & spent just over $20! I'd say that's really good for all those fresh goodies!!



 While in the 'city' we did some shopping... new shirt for each of us for photos this coming weekend, lunch out at Red Robin w/free drinks *score*, Scheels, Boat shop & Hobby Lobby then HOME. exhausted!   Here is a pic of my free drink, Speckled Lemonade.. YUMMMMMY!!




Sunday we were woken up even earlier than last Sunday but a different neighbor mowing but once I got up & stepped out I could understand why, these storm clouds were rolling in & their ours too yard needed cut before it hit.  Tim did get our front yard done in time but the back is still in sad shape.  You know its a bit tall when Sammy loses a tennis ball in it ;) 

So the rest of the day was housework, DVR clearing, & scrapping! We've gotten a nice routine down that I make a dip or 2 & we snack the day while he smokes a meat on the grill & I make the side.  it always makes leftovers that I turn into something else for Monday night's supper.

Do you have weekend routines?

consistency

oh consistency, why can't we seem to get along these days?  LOL  I go all gung-ho on the blog for a week or 2 & then I go MIA for the next 2... oops.  My apologies!

This past weekend was not as planned but one of those dreamy terrifically balanced between productivity & relaxation.

 Friday night we had planned to go out but decided to just stay home & make due with what was in the fridge & cupboards & thanks to my recent couponing, there was plenty to chose from.  Saturday I had the pleasure of coffee & brunch w/a high school friend. Ab-so-lutely just what the doctor ordered! always a good time. great conversation, relaxation, wonderful coffee, no expectations. From there I met Tim for impromptu lunch out @ our local Mexican restaurant & then I went grocery shopping.  the rest of the day was wonderfully relaxing @ home! We watched a couple of movies-which we have decided we are really hard to please in this department because we are rarely as impressed as the 'reviews'. That said, The Sitter was an updated version of Adventures in Babysitting from our era, in my opinion & the Tooth Fairy 2 that was supposed to be hilarious was cute. Neither of them *I* think are child appropriate DEFINITELY not The Sitter but Tooth Fairy 2 might be OK for the older ones..  Sunday morning we woke to the sound of one of the neighbors mowing.  thinking for sure I had slept in a bit I rolled over to see the clock say only 8:15.  WHAT THE WHAT?! ugh.  Quickly realizing I couldn't fight it,  I attacked the kitchen, dining & living rooms while Tim was mowing the other property & cutting up some chunks of apple wood for smoking our prime rib roast for supper.  I was pretty proud of the amount of work I was able to accomplish w/some serious tunes in such a short amount of time! Isn't that how it always goes tho? things we put off because we dont' have time right now, end up taking next to no time to complete.  So when I was happy with my completion, I rewarded myself w/some scrapping time!   I worked the rest of the day & evening on a 2 page spread about 5 of my cousins.  Seems that scrapping photos of family members has taken on a whole new meaning to me since we lost my brother in December.  I am now a lot more worried about keeping the pages about the photos & less about the decoration, more about the heart felt journaling & message than the clever title & its all in general a lot more important to me now.   (GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA frustrated scream - cannot get a photo of a layout to load & move to this spot)

My favorite parts? brunch out w/a girl friend, our predictable smoked Sunday meal & reserved Sunday Scrapping time.  How was your weekend? tell me your 3 favorite things!

the weekend & a recipe

minus photos as I have no camera battery right now :(  super sad!!

Saturday: Sammy had a checkup @ the vet, then I picked up 30+# of tomatoes @ the local farmer's market, then we spent the day @ the Iowa State Fair!! I love the state fair.  The people watching, the food, the exhibits, the food, the people watching, the exhibits. We even ended up spending much of the night there too, totally unplanned LOL those darn co-workers of Tim's that keep a cup in his hand ;)

Sunday: Tim slept in... hmmmm wonder why ;) but I was up & running ready to do those tomatoes!  I remembered (all too well) the misery I was in after spending 4 hours on my feet cleaning tomatoes last year so I set myself up on the living room floor w/a bowl of scalded+iced tomatoes, a bowl w/a sack in it for the compost & an empty one for the clean pieces, a towel & washcloth.  I watched Knight & Day on blu-ray then Mister Eleven on Netflix stream while I cleaned my tomatoes.  Then they simmered all afternoon w/veggies & seasonings to make seasoned sauce YUMMMM 3 quarts & 2 pints later, TADA! I was even pretty good @ keeping up w/my mess this time  ;)  planning another round each of the next 2 Sundays.

here is the recipe I use:

Seasoned Tomato Sauce
(from the ball blue book of canning)
yield: about 14 pints or 7 quarts

45 # tomatoes
6 cups chopped onions
12 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup olive oil
2 TBS oregano
6 bay leaves
1 TBS black pepper
1 1/2 TBS sugar
1/4 c salt (optional)
2 tsp crushed red pepper (optional)
bottled lemon juice

Wash tomatoes, drain, remove core, & blossom ends. Cut into quarters; set aside. Saute onions & garlic in olive oil in a large saucepot. Add tomatoes, oregano, bay leaves, black pepper & sugar. Stir in salt and crushed red pepper, if desired. Simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove bay leaves. Puree tomatoes using a food processor or food mill. Strain puree to remove peels & seeds. Cook pulp in a large, uncovered sauce pot over medium-high heat until sauce thickes, stirring to prevent sticking. Reduce volume by one-half. Add 1TBS lemon juice to each hot pint jar, 2TBS to each quart jar. Ladle hot sauce into hot jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Adjust two-piece caps. Process pints 35 minutes, quarts 40 in boiling-water canner.

linking up with the girls over at:

5 on Friday

the end of July?! what?! already?! I can't believe it!!  Summer is almost over :(( I am not ready for it to go yet! I have so much left to do! *Sigh*

Five Summer Favorites:

1. 4th of July- this is my all-time favorite holiday! parade, sunshine, food & family! think we'll add water games for the 'kids' next year.

 2. camping/boating- we've done much better this year than the past 2 in keeping a schedule @ the lake, we've even been able to take a Sunday & go on an off weekend.

3. Friday Fun Days(Thanks Stacey)- getting the childcare kids out & about, learning, exploring & experiencing our small town.
4. Gardening-experimenting, learning & loving the experience.

5. Farmer's Market- whether its the big city one, our local one or a random one I happen upon, I am in love of them! Just can't get enough. the people, the vendors, the produce, the whole experience!

These are all things I have blogged extensively about but still needed te gtt them all together in one list. Next friday, I will shoot for a list of things I haven't blogged about so much!  What are your 5 favorites of Summer??

Plans

Just going to go & post like I haven't been MIA for a week ;)

How was your week?

Mine was off the charts crazy. everyone was bonkers. grouchy, whiney, irritable, short fused, impatient, tired, fussy, sick, you name it, we were THERE this week. I made a couple of tough decisions. Now to live with them.  In the long run, both will be beneficial to my mind, body, as well as spirit.  Both mean less stress. Sometimes letting go is just plain hard. admitting defeat.

What are your plans for the weekend?

I am participating in the Fight For Air Climb for the first (& maybe last time) this Sunday morning. I am equally excited for & scared to death of it. I am over the nightmares I think.  I hope. I am totally giddy about having lunch w/2 girlfriends tomorrow @ the local art gallery. Taking Sammy on a little run in the morning mostly to stay limbered up for the climb & to burn some nervous energy I am certain will be a-plenty. Enjoying some time in the spa tub with some muscle soak bath salts.

For now I am off to fold some fresh warm from the dryer laundry on this snowy March afternoon in the silence of naptime :)

Have nothing but a fabulous weekend all!! Thanks for stopping by. I hope to be back on a more regular-ha I had typed normal- blogging schedule soon!!

Fairgrounds 5k

Today was my last race for twenty-ten.  The Fairgrounds 5k. I was worried b/c I had only run/ran 2x since the last race 2 weeks ago. YIKES. Ended up being No problem! OH yea & the fact that there were hills. hills that put me out of breath when we walk them! double YIKES. Again, No problem :)  well, ok so I walked the big one & thru the campgrounds but they didn't kill me. I did remember to put the new podcast on the mp3 player yet. It was Awesome! kept me going thru the whole first mile, then start the hill, then chicken out on the hill, then pick it back up on the down hill side.  My very unwelcomed visitor was almost gone. It was an absolutely gorgeous day!!  Its been 50s & WINDY here all week so this 70 was muuuuucch better! I am so glad I did invest in a pair of running capri cut pants to wear under my shorts I love them! & only wearing ONE short sleeved shirt was awesome!  Since I couldn't get Tim to pick up my race packet early, I had to do it right before the race. THAT made me nervous, but I was there right after they set up 'shop' so getting it & organized was a breeze! YAY.  I hung out near the only bathroom, near the start line, across from the registration building 1/2 generally people watching & 1/2 watching for other girls I knew were running & ended up finding them right before start time. The Star Spangled Banner, a gun shot & we were offfffffff.  I loved having new music today! And I love it. almost enough to make me want to run tomorrow ;) I did walk a bit, but feel like I made up for it when I ran.  I finished w/a time of 36:36. not my fastest but right in my normal range. (& easy to remember LOL)  the only pic i have is on my phone so that will have to wait until tomorrow.

so much other stuff from the weekend to talk about & no photos :( so it  might just be a boring week of words words words. sorry!!

How was your Weekennd??

Well Hello Fall!

you've come on like gang busters in these parts!  I could not believe there was frost on the cars this morning!  I know its October & all but dang, it still seems too early for frost.  I love the change of seasons & know I would never be happy living anywhere there wasn't such a thing.   I am hoping w/the new month, new season & new attitude I will be able to get back to blogging regularly. to start off this roll of hopeful productivity, I will post the weekend recap:

Friday night I had a chiro consult appt w/a new chiro.  So he did xrays, scan & showed me the screen. WOW my spine is jacked up!! even asked when I broke my back... have a fractured vert in my upper back EEK. I LIKE HIM! He is a big fan of prevention & believing that everything is controlled by a vert or 2 :) Might even get him talked into renewing his acupuncture license for Iowa (has it for KS) So I got 4 adjustments on my back, one on my neck & both feet done, from there I came home & took the dogs for a walk while Tim mowed @ the other property, caught up w/neighbors then we went out for Mexican for supper :)


Saturday: got to the fun run way early :)  Glad I did, I was able to burn alot of nervous energy chatting w/a classmate from high school about possibly moving her 4y/o to my child care & generally catching up w/her. Then the race was on. I felt great minus running into the wind on all of the turn-arounds. couldn't believe how let down I felt when I found out @ the take off that it was untimed, then AFTERWARD that it wasn't an actual 5k (so I came home & mapped it). Almost asked 'what's the point?' oh well, its done & I got a t-shirt LOL From there I went to the farmer's market: scored 4 turks turban squash(decoration for now, edible veggie later), lettuce, 4 -1/2 pts pumpkin butter (pumpkin pie in a jar-heavenly), fresh soft pretzels, 2 -1/2 pts wild plum jam, a spagetti squash(wish me luck, its my first), 2 green peppers, & tasted some scrumptious green tomato raspberry jam OMG-hope she makes more! Then dropped off some scrap goods, paid for my boy scout wreath, & headed home starving! Tim was headed home from returning the mower so we went from here to the bank & then grocery shopping. I made a homemade pizza for lunch & cleaned the kitchen upstairs so I could justify going w/Mom to Creston to the scrap store :) Halloween is officially the next book I work on! I have enough supplies for a while (tho I only spent $10)  Then we picked up my shirt @ the YMCA from that run 2 weeks ago & came home to watch Crank 2 & gorge on junk food all night :(

Sunday I slept in :) slowly got around, happy to report NO post-race-soreness this time!! :D watched The back up Plan & a Dexter episode while resisting the urge to be a brat since I was facing some resistance in attending the Farm Crawl. Had it just been resistance w/some free reign, I'd have found someone to go w/me or go it alone, but it was resistance coupled w/some guilt trip for being gone every weekend lately, so I bummed around home all day. Pulled all my plants from the deck, rehoming them to the bathtub, kitchen & bath sinks for nice warm drinks & will find winter homes for them around the house today-some are going to NEW homes as one person really doesn't need 5 pots of the same plant :) Tim mowed this yard & put cheese burger soup on the crockpot YUMM while he worked on his new work truck w/the neighbor we bought it from (LOL) I made cornbread to go w/it & started the laundry for today. We walked the dogs, watched The Losers then I moved the lil tv back to my room & sorted thru piles of scrap supplies while I watched DH & B&S. I am no longer allowed to buy christmas or camping/boating paper for A LONG LONG LONG TIME!!! I have a pizza box full of each! (thanks Jo!)

Over all, a good weekend even if I 'didn't get my way' :) he did promise to go willingly to a pumpkin patch next weekend that's near the shooting range he needs to sight his gun in on. hmmmmm makes total sence to me :P   again, no pictures from the weekend! wow.

Today there is no school or preschool here in town, so we have a nice mix of ages here.  I love that my bigs love to play school, bus & field trip w/the littles & the itty bitties entertain themselves! I just might get to spray paint that wreath I bought a few weeks ago! 

CHECK

something I never thought would be anywhere close to  my bucket list, has been checked off! Hello, I did my first 5k on Saturday & am ready to sign up for another in 2 weeks. :) I finished my first in 34:something. much better than any of my practice runs.  I am pretty happy about that especially since I had to stop & walk twice.  & then the only soreness I had on Sunday was my back & I am blaming the cool/dampness for that as I kept catching myself w/my 'shoulders around my ears' & consiously relaxing my back/shoulders/neck. but obviously I was more tense than not :)

what a crazy rollar coaster weekend!!  6 y/o bday party, Grand parents' anniversary, funeral visitation for a man leaving way too early & a fundraiser for a 5 y/o girl diagnosed w/bcell luekemia. Wow. Glad I had the run to let some of this out of my brain.  I definately used yesterday's outing to release some too.

not a single photo from the entire weekend! Wow.
This week is another busy one. puppy class, dart league, scrap pink prep, scrap pink set up, scrap pink event.  Wishing you & yours a good one!!!

Good Morning!!

Well, it is now anyway. I started the day roughly @4AM hitting snooze on my alarm clock.  UGH that is tooo early for me when I get up 2x in the night w/Gus... but its the new Me w/this new family.  So I might as well quit resisting & just accept it. might even have to start going to bed before 10PM. that will be new!!!  so I finally gave in & got up @4:30 so I should just change the alarm to that time for tomorrow. I woke w/a headache to start w/. NOT cool on a Monday! :(  but I had breakfast w/some ibuprofen & am feeling MUCH better!! 

I took Sewing 101 yesterday @ Prairieland Herbs (PLH) w/Abby Glann & Sarah Reid.  they are absolutely adorable & incredibly REAL!  I have been having mixed feelings about getting out of my little box of safety, meeting people & exploring new interests makes me nervous!  but I did it & I will continue to!! :) I just can't emphasize how real they are!! We made aprons! weeeeeee I am in love w/aprons.. cobbler aprons that were my great great aunt's, my great gma's, I bought a tie apron @ the fm a couple of yrs ago (or was that just last summer?) & now ones I can make!! wow!!!  how fun! here we are in all of our newly sewing apron glory :)

btw, they were cut from SHEETS! yay! So now I am ready to start tearing things apart & making them into other things :)  loook out!!! nothing is safe ;)  already on my to do list for winter are: curtains for almost every room in the house, dressing up the boring shower curtain upstairs, pillow case dress for myself,  making one or more of my favorite shirts that no longer fits-fit again, a new dust ruffle for our bed, & numerous things for the childcare!! :) they were talking about a skirt making class when we left so SIGN ME UP!! :)

Tell me, what does it take to get you out of your safety box? for me it was learning to be more self reliant, freezer jam class & sewing 101 so far!

OH what a WEEKEND!!!

it was so great! so full!!

Friday nights @ home ROCK! I looove unwinding to grocery shopping, dinner, dog walk & time @ home w/Tim after a busy work filled week on a Friday night! THAT is what its all about!  (even if one of us is glued to the computer & the other the TV, even if one of us is scrapping in a room @ the other end of the house & the other is napping in front of the TV, as long as we are together, unwinding together, in the same house, its all good!)

Saturday.. this Saturday was one of  many to come I think, Tim up & gone b4 we think about moving. altho this week it threw the dogs off so they were wide awake about 4 whole minutes after he was out the door so I was too.  I changed & grabbed their leashes & we walked. LOVING those early morning walks -once I am out there its great .. GETTING there is not so easy.  then I took them home & went out for a run. a run that will never be repeated. it was a sad emotional disgusting degrading run where I walked the last half of it chewing my own a$$ for wussing out. yuck! was greeted home by happy pups YAY! only one more thing to make it ALL better.. a nap w/them on the couch. dreamy!  later on I did my banking, farmer's market shopping WHOOOP!!! I bought 20# of tomatos! GET OUT!! spending the money means I have to do the work! but not on Saturday :)  I also bought.. okra, purple-green beans, habanero/peach jam, a huge canatalope, carrots & broccoli, yellow squash, a pie pumkin, homemade noodles, onions, & registered to win the big bunga basket full of goodies but didn't win. WOWZA!!!!!!!!! 2 cloth bags & 3 plastic NOW that's DREAMY!! :)  then I was on my way around the square to hand out fliers & donation requests for ScrapPink! yehaw! they were actually happy to see me this year. *whew*  after we both got home, we headed to the Iowa State Fair.  Its not Summer w/o the ISF!! We loooooooove it!!  we cruised the fair grounds from 12-5pm eating here & there, sitting but only for a few minutes here & there-it was too hot to sit by stinky strangers-& headed home. a short day but the speed we took, we got it almost all seen/done/visited. 

Sunday I woke up w/some seriously unhappy legs!  they were screaming sore. I assume it was from the morning run in combination w/the speed we hit the ISF for 5 hrs almost straight.  thankfully they loosened up as I had work to do! I set about cleaning those 20# of tomatos.  My family has seed issues so I avoid them when I can to prevent any issues for myself, & neither of us like skins in our sauce so I seeded & peeled all of them.. it took me about 3 hrs but it was nice mindless work that produced a lot of tomato 'meat' & a sack of junk for the new garden! win-win in my book!   then I spent a while simmering it w/the onions, garlic & spices as it wouldn't all fit in my biggest pot so I had to let it simmer down & add more as it went. after pureeing (is that a word??) & cooking down again for 4 hours we were finally ready to can! yikes. I had no idea they weren't exaggerating when they said "we spent all day canning sauce" they were serious! I wasn't anywhere near satisified w/my 5 quarts of sauce last night, I ws even a bit bummed (emotional much??)  but today, after much encouragement via facebook, I am much better about it & proud that THAT was my first canning solo experience :) during all the cooking down parts, I was able to makr 5 movies off my queue on netflix :) whohooooooooooo multitasking!

ALL OF THIS ACTIVITY & not a single photo taken! can.you.believe. it??? I will, however, share photos soon of my gorgeous jars of Seasoned Tomato Sauce & we are returning to the fair Friday night so there will be photos from that visit.  I am considering doing pickles tonight since there is a slim chance we will be busy this weekend, so maybe some photos from that too...

so tell me, how was your weekend? did you get alot crossed off your list?

Monday Miscellany

We had a great relaxing weekend! it was the first in years that we camped & boated alone. We forgot how quiet it is w/o the crowd. Don't get me wrong, we love our crowd but think we may be taking more quiet weekends after this. We even returned early enough to have everything unloaded, unpacked & laundry started by noon!!  It sure was a nice change from not getting everything unloaded for a week or more(sometimes the totes stay in the truck until the next camping weekend).  I was so laid back this weekend, I only took a few pictures b4 my camera battery died. THAT is odd too. I did get some on my phone but I haven't checked their quality on the computer yet.



I think my forehead must stick out further than the rest of my face & head.. its an odd feeling but its the only answer I can come up w/to explain the 3x this weekend I bashed it on something painful.  One was one of the poles that holds the bimini top up on the boat, another was a picnic basket when unloading the truck @ the campsite, the third was a cooler lid when unloading @home.  Seriously? but luckily there is no bruise :)

Tim starts some nasty long weeks this week. They were told Friday that they have 65-80 hr weeks ahead until the 2 24-unit projects are finished. UGH. in the August heat?! seriously, nice timing guys! :(  but so thankful for employment!!  just wish they weren't pushed into rush jobs. NOTHING is done well when rushed.  My to do list is growing w/expected quiet time in the evenings... I have flower beds to weed, plants to plant, totes to unpack/organize for our next trip next month, carpets to clean, ground to prep for next year's veggies & of course dogs to tend :) Making the best of it. I have a pretty strong belief that if he's working, I should be too. even if what I am doing is closer to fun than work, I need to be busy.  This will also free up my Saturday morning for donation requesting for Scrap Pink.

Speaking of ScrapPink.. the paid registrations are coming in daily! YAY!!! a variety of shirts are getting ordered too. FUN STUFF!!

ok I think I have rambled enough! time to fix some Monday Morning Breakfast :)  Have a Great Day!!!

A girl's weekend & my mouth

sorta. :)  Friday night was a group of us going to see Eclipse @ our local lil theater. SO FUN!!! Great Movie! cannot wait for Nov' 11 for Breaking Dawn to start!! :)  I haven't done a girls' movie night. EVER. definately something we agreed, we want to do more often!! After the movie we hit 2 bars.. coulda done w/o that part but it was still time w/the girls.

Saturday was an all day crop! I was afraid I'd not get my groove back after a 3 month hiatus but OH MAMA!! I pumped out all 11 pages of our 2004 4th of July!!! All between 10 & 5! GET OUT! I had to leave an hour early b/c I was out of pictures. That NEVER happens to me! lol  I had a great time catching up w/Steph, we haven't hungout since the PTCO crop in March & visiting w/some other girls I've not had the chance to get to know. we got a terrific binder & I won 3 door prizes!!! Over all, it was a GREAT TIME!!!

Sunday I was lazy! L.A.Z.Y. I hadn't eaten anything worthy in a couple of days & my energy level was an all time low. I didn't even care!!! I watched Burn Notice on the dvr :) then napped, then we watched The Bounty Hunter after Tim mowed the Ayers Property. GREAT MOVIE! I laughed so hard!!  OH & we watched the Christopher Titus stand up routine 'love is evol' Saturday night LOOOOVED IT!! but I loved his sitcom shows too.

on a good note- I did make myself get on the treadmill last night to get c25k w5d2 done! I was so close to blowing it off, putting it off until tonight, then doing day 3 on Wed, but that would put my 'training' off of my original schedule & I just hated that thought.  I am already fearful of not making the whole 5k in running/jogging mode, and having to walk the majority is so not in my 'plan'.  I have gotten so many others talked into joining me, that now I feel I have to be at my best (for the time) since they will be there. Maybe I should have kept my mouth shut & done the first one alone. hmmm a lil late now.  Tho I am pretty sure I know how.  The Keeping my mouth shut part.  When I get excited about something -scrapping, running, c25k, sisterhood, drinking water, child development studies, camping, boating, canning, eating whole foods, bulk shopping, etsy, farmer's markets, etc- I share all that I know to anyone who will listen. :)

OH, speaking of the sisterhood, there is a new challenge going on!!  Down & Dirty in 30!!  This is my first team challenge @ the 'hood & I have to admit I am more than a bit intimidated! Plus, I heard the word SHRED *gulp* I am not sure I am ready to shred while doing the c25k program. I might have to bow out of the shred & do my 10 minute target sessions from  netflix to keep from killing myself in the next 30 days, yet not let my team down.

so there you have my past weekend & plans for the week.. its now taken me 3 times of sitting to get it all typed up .. ah Monday!  some are cranky, some are tired & some are just unhappy about the rain that's coming down out side preventing us from BEING out there. time to get the play dough out!! :)   I think I'll bake some banana muffins too.  Hope you have a GREAT week!!!

GLORIOUS FRIDAY!!!

BIG HUGE GIANT HUGS!!! SO HAPPY TO HAVE FRIDAY HERE! I am exhausted from this week!! the full moon really reaked havok on my restful sleep! boo!! go away full moon :)

Yesterday, we went to a city park (w/restrooms that leave alot to be desired) & played for 2 solid hours w/100 photos to show for it!!! :) we then ate our picnic lunch an hour early & went to a smaller city park until someone had an accident & then headed for home. nap time for all!!! well, all of them anyway, I just enjoyed the silence :)

today we are walking to the train depot & then coming back for some sprinkler play!!! :) YAY!!!!!  we had such a blast yday that I wish we could do it every day. 

this weekend @ home will be a busy one!! tonight- w5d2 run, Eclipse w/the girls, tomorrow-banking, farmer's market, scrapping 8am-6pm, dinner & movies w/Tim, Sunday- we have a milelong list of options! hopefully sleeping past 7 starts that list :)  Whats on your weekend agenda??

true confessions tuesday

Funny how everytime I considered doing or eating or NOT doing something, I thought, "I will have to remember this for Tuesday" LOL but now I am @ a loss so I will just wing it w/another list-sick of reading my blog in list form yet? please tell me when you do & I will start forming real live sentences again :) listing is just much easier & quicker & this summer my blogging time is shorter than in the winter.

ANYWAY: back to the subject @ hand: confessions...

• mcdonalds stop on the way home from the lake Sunday= caramel iced coffee,  french fries & crispy ranch chicken wrap
• Friday's unexpected supper out= bloody mary (YUMM & totally worth it!), questionable salad bar, grilled chicken baked potato topped w/only grilled onions
• Saturday breakfast (after run)=bacon, scrambled egg w/onion & peppers on brown sugar & cinn toast & chocolate milk
• Saturday on the lake snack=1/2 bag of sweet & salty honey something or other chex mix (extremely addicting)
• Sunday @ home=3 lil debbie oatmeal cream pies that didn't get eaten while camping
• Monday morning=leftover iced coffee for boost
• other than my weekend, my eating habits are back on a healthy track!
• I have a friend that gave me a work out to do on my non running days. BUT I AM AFRAID OF IT.
• I might have to dip into the iced tea this afternoon for a spash of caffeine :(
• I am going to try the new work out this evening -after the caffeine
• I am selfishly wanting to see another drop in weight tomorrow even tho my pattern is 2-3 weeks of maintain, then a drop
• I was frustrated I couldn't get back into ALL of last summer's clothes even tho I am slowly getting into some
• almost even threw a temper tantrum
• then chewed myself out for not being happy enough @ getting to pull 2 pr of shorts out of the bag

ok.. there you have it... give me your confessions!! :)

a weekend report:

it may have started out rough:



we threw stuff together like we weren't planning to go

we left later than usual

we went to a different lake than our normal

we didn't have the whole crew

we got POURED on most of Friday evening

we had to go to town @9 for supper

& dumped a ton of money on a meal we weren't planning to

we (I) misinterpreted the coverage of the rainfly & had a wet air mattress when we got back

we lived thru some nasty winds thru the night

but turned out fabulous:

• I did my w4d2 run Saturday morning around the camp ground
• we were joined by 2 families Saturday
• and 1 on Sunday
• we had gorgeous weather both days
• tried 2 new recipes in Hupp & Lauren's new dutch oven
• no one sick
• no one  got hurt
• the water was amazing
• sammy swam (in his lifejacket of course) & boated like a champ
• we were home @ a decent time Sunday
• everything was unloaded & unpacked b4 8pm Sunday

Happy Hump Day!!!

YAY WEDNESDAY!!!!!!

the past 2 days have been light kid days! Monday meant I got some extra laundry & cleaning done while they played or napped.  Tuesday meant I was able to work on editing all crop forms over from the spring PTCO crop to the fall Scrap Pink crop! & to be sure that no one is wondering what I did w/the kids during all of this time, they did eat their regularly scheduled meals & snacks, played w/play dough, danced to 3 music cds, & did yoga! :)   today I will have about 8 kids & a helper so hopefully the weather will stay dry so we can WALK!!! PLEAAAAAAAAAAAAASE let it stay dry for this morning at least!! tomorrow we are hoping to visit the county fair grounds & then field trip Friday is to the animal shelter!  our summer is definitely busy!

Yesterday I went the farmer's market & spent the most I have spent this year.  I spent $17. I got a pound of roma tomatoes & 3 big ones, a green pepper, a dozen ears of peaches & cream, a splurge of a plate of snickerdoodle cookies & 2 really long skinny burp less cucumbers.  it sure didn't feel like much but those tomatoes really add up :)

the running & eating right combined to the water consistency intake has been good to me!! I am finally seeing a drop on weigh in day (usually my drop is over the weekend then Monday morning I gain it all back & it stays thru the week). I am giddy that I am down 10 since April 1!!  tonight is running night & I actually look fwd to it!

WOW it took a while to get this weekend figured out!! our normal lake is 1 foot under emergency flood level so we  checked into a different lake, going online we finally figured out that they only had one reservable campsite left near a boat ramp. SOOOO after a semi-conference call(I called Lauren who was in the same room as Hupp who was on the phone w/Nick)  & decided to go back to ole reliable & if we can boat -great- & if not we will find other ways to amuse ourselves :) trails, playgrounds, water park, water play on closed boat ramps, shopping, sounds pretty relaxing to me!!! Now we just need to get thru the week!!! OH & find some dry firewood to take LOL

back in the scrap room last night! WOW that felt good!! I even thought about finishing the project from April that's been laying unfinished. but I was too busy settling the weekend plans  to focus.  Maybe tonight after running, supper, & loading wood.

busy couple of days.

I love busy days! they really make me appreciate the quiet ones :) 

yesterday for child care we:

• went to story hour @ the library
• painted red & blue on coloring pages of the american flag-original I know!
• went for a mile walk
• made & ate applesauce oatmeal muffins
• played outside
• ate 3 pop ice a piece!! if anyone knows how to easily make these @home PLEASE let me know!

after work I:

• took the dogs on their .5 miler
• did week 1 day 2 of the c25k program
• found -THANKS JO!- & put on my mp3 player, the podcast that tells me when to switch pace so I can take it outside!
• cleaned the upstairs kitchen
• did laundry-4 loads
• started thinking about the pasta salads I will make for family dinners this weekend
• finished decorating for the 4th --hmmm nice & last minute :)

Today for childcare we:

• went to a mini carnival a provider had in her yard for us-FUN
• sent a sickie home w/a fever :(
• had leftovers/crazy lunch
• picked up the toyroom
• will be closed @ 4 today-- unplanned-who doesn't like an unplanned early day out???

2 parties, 2 family dinners, a parade, a house to pick up, & 2 yards to mow. looks like it might be a busy weekend too :)  This is my favorite holiday! How do you plan to spend your 4th of July weekend?

a blessed weekend to you & yours from me & mine!

Hump Day=Helper Day :)

I am looking fwd to having that second set of hands, eyes & ears today!
I am looking fwd to getting to go for a walk-if the stroller isn't too wet from the rain overnight.
I am looking fwd to going thru the camping things tonight to get ready for the weekend.
I am looking fwd to trying my hand @ juicing berries for jam.
I am looking fwd to the Craft Day @ East Lake Park on Friday.
I am looking fwd to the weekend @ the lake.

I didn't even think about getting on the scale today.
I just totally forgot. Definately not intentional. but thankful I did not sure I could handle weighing in today the way I feel.
I had a good training last night on getting more fruits & veggies in the KIDS' diets. perfect timing for my life!
I think I am doing a good job of juggling the summer school, swim lessons, alternating parent visits,  along w/all of our childcare activities so far but we are only a month into summer vacation.
I am sick of the rain! hoping for a puddle stomping walk this morning!!

how about some father's day pics..

Sammy's first outing w/my family.

the boys 'haulin hay'.

 Mattie 'leading' Lady.
            Deep convers- ations.
old toys made new from a garage sale.
     cups w/name plates! loooove

croquet anyone??
mmmmmm chicken & shrimp on the fire!

Great night w/family!!!