Bear Canyon Lake

Every year our family meets up at Bear Canyon Lake on the Rim for our reunion and camp out. We always have so much fun. Dustin and Liz couldn't make it because of her pregnancy and Darbi and Nate weren't able to make it because of her school classes and we missed them terribly. It rained every day and it was so cool and so quiet that if we hadn't been exhausted and stinky, we wouldn't have come home. :)



Here is our part of the campsite. We had to borrow Mom and Dad's tent and it was so big and comfy. We had plenty of room for all six of us. Kevin, Tyson and I shared one half and Troy, Annie and Taylor shared the other half. Tyson didn't sleep well at all, so he earned the nickname "Screamin' Banshee". Tyson ended up sleeping with Kevin and I every night which doesn't make for a good night's rest. (It also doesn't help that our local woodpecker was busy every morning at 5am either)

Here is my Dad. He's our fearless leader on these trips. He also usually keeps us in line when our conversation and jokes get a little too out of hand (which tends to be kind of often). We actually got him to listen to one of my Bon Jovi cd's one day. He says he didn't like it, but I think that one day I'll eventually convert him. ;)

Mom and Macey. Macey did so well on this camp out. She was teething, but she seemed to sleep well and loved being passed around to all the aunts for love and attention.
Erin decided to make her fashion statement during camp. Every time I look at this picture, it reminds me of Minnie Mouse ears from Disneyland. Doesn't she look great?!!!
Tyson and Kevin trying to stay dry and out of the fire. Tyson was fascinated with the fire and loved throwing anything into it. We had to be constantly aware of what he was doing...not only to make sure he didn't fall into the fire, but to monitor what he threw into the fire.
My brother Loran being our entertainment. What a goofball. :)
This is a picture of Bear Canyon Lake. You have to hike into it. At the other end is the spillway and boat launch area and the hike is much easier, but not as pretty. We prefer this area on the lake. The hike is straight down about 1/4 of a mile, but well worth the trip. We dragged the canoe down and spent some time on the lake, but most of the time we adults sat in the shade to relax while the kids played in the water and fished for crawdads. Below is Troy and J.T.

One of the views from where I was sitting. I love this area.
Tyson wanted to play with the fishing pole in the worst way. He wasn't interested in fishing...he wanted to sword fight and got really mad that the kids had the nerve to fish instead.
Hailey, Whitney, Annie, J.T. and Taylor all gathered around Uncle Kevin to start fishing. They were so excited until they actually caught the crawdad, then most of them ran screaming back to their parents.
We only got to stay at the lake for a couple of hours. We had to leave when this storm started to move in and there was a lot of lightning and thunder in the canyon. Kevin and Troy took off in the canoe to get it back across the lake and the rest of us gathered the kids and hiked out. We didn't want to leave so early, but when the rain started right after we got to our cars, we were thankful to be dry.
Karalee and her kids took their dogs Sobe and Dozer for the hike. Jason is back east with his company working on the flooded homes so she was on her own and did very well. KoraLee is taking her turn watching Sobe so she doesn't bother the fishermen.

Annie, Whitney and Hailey taking a break from fishing to have a snack. Camping brings out the appetite in children.
Troy loves to catch crawdads. He loves to eat them too, but they didn't catch enough for a meal and we ended up dumping them out.
Taylor was more interested in playing in the water than catching crawdads.
One of the best things about our family camp out is watching the kids play. These cousins get along so well and are best buds. Sticks are a boy's best friend for a camp toy.
Taylor and J.T. were inseparable. They had fun with their planes from the treasure hunt and sticks and dirt.

Annie found a stump she could climb and loved being "tall".
Karalee brought these sunglasses out for a kid's craft. These are Annie's but Tyson liked them so much that he wore them for quite a while. This was his normal state of cleanliness for the entire camp out. I'm not sure if that's dirt or Oreos on his mouth and shirt.
Taylor modeling his cool glasses.
One of the things we like to do is ride quads on our camps. I wanted to get pictures of Robot Mtn. and Pee Your Pants Hill but since the rules on ATV's changed and since Ranger Bob was watching closely, we didn't get to ride very much. The quads did, however, make a great babysitter. Tyson was rarely off of them.
Kevin did sneak in one last quick ride around the camp before leaving. Tyson is in heaven.

You can't have a camp out without food. For our camps every family is in charge of one or two meals and we all bring snacks to share. We always eat too much but where's the fun in dieting on a campout? Karalee is expounding while eating. This takes talent. Of course Troy was his usual hungry self (times two). We couldn't keep him full. Makes me feel sorry for whoever buys groceries for scout camp.
Another very important element to camping is sleeping and relaxing. I caught Kevin in this pose after he didn't show up to the main camp when he went to "change his shoes".
Whitney and J.T. relaxing on the hammock. It provided much entertainment for the kids and adults.
Dad, Steve and Stephi chillin' by the fire on one of the cooler days. Dad says he wasn't sleeping, but he sure looks like he's counting sheep.

Tyson even took a minute (and only one minute) to relax in his little chair with his sippy cup. After finishing though, he was on the run again.
Because of all the rain there were no campfire restrictions so we made the most of it. Dad and Steve with Troy's help kept it going and we were able to cook on real coals which makes food taste so much better.
Taylor was one of our little pyromaniacs. He cleaned our camp of pinecones and small sticks in his bid to keep our fire going.
Here are the menfolk doing the cooking. How many guys does it take to cook good steaks? 6. And as you can see, Dad didn't even have to flip them to check them...he just had Kevin and Steve lift the grill for him. Talk about the easy way to cook.
Well, that's the end of my pictures. I have about 40 more but I don't think we need to show EVERY aspect of camp life with the bunch of crazies I'm related to. :) We had so much fun and we are looking forward to camping again soon.

Laughing

Yesterday Annie was messing around with this monster truck. It's the kind that if you push down and pull it back it makes the wheels go by themselves and for some strange reason she started the wheels turning and then drove it across her head. Of course, the wheels kept going and tangled up in her hair and stuck there. It was one of the funniest things I've ever seen. I made her hold still so I could get a picture (which as you can see she wasn't happy about...apparently impatience with mother is an inherited trait). We finally got it out, but I've been laughing and she's been glaring at me ever since. Ahhh good times. :)

Camp Geronimo

Troy spent last week at Camp Geronimo in Payson. He had so much fun. He set a goal to earn 4 merit badges and he got them all. Only 2 more merit badges and he can start working on an Eagle Project.

There were lots of things to do...bow and arrows, shooting, swimming, hiking, climbing, etc. and Troy made the most of his time there. For the second year in a row he'll earn the "I did it all" patch which is exciting for him.

I think the highlight of his time this year was the Wilderness Preparedness badge. He got to sleep outside in a shelter he made and said he enjoyed it. (yep...definitely a scout).

Here he is at the church ready and excited to go.
Also a before shot, but he is getting impatient because I'm taking pictures and he wants to go NOW!!! I keep reminding him that it's my job as his mother to drive him crazy...hopefully he'll learn to deal with it. :)
As you can see from this picture he came home extremely tired and still impatient because I wanted to take an "after" picture. (it's too much fun to antagonize him, he he he)
He's glad to be home and in his own bed but he's also looking forward to our family campout this week and Silver Axe next week. I'm so glad that he's having fun and getting these opportunities to learn and grow. Now, my only wish for him would be to learn to have patience with his mother. :)

Happy Birthday Mom!!!!

Today is my Mom's 60th birthday. My sisters and I decided to do something fun for her so we started planning months ago. We had a blast!!! Enjoy the pictures below. :)

These are my sisters Karalee and Stephanie. They are modeling the matching shirts we wore through the day. If you can't read it, it says "Loretta, 60 and Fabulous". There is also a drawing of my mom in a Marilyn Monroe pose. Very cute.

My sister Erin (married to my brother Loran) and my Mom modeling their shirts. Mom laughed a lot when she saw the shirts but she put hers on and was a good sport about it. Many people throughout the day thought they were adorable.

We took my mom to a salon for a deluxe pedicure and manicure. It was so fun to sit and giggle and watch her and the others get their treatments. Below is my Mom and my sister Darbi. She is the artistic one in the family and responsible for making the shirts.

Karalee and Stephi again...they really liked the massage chairs!

My sister Liz (married to my brother Dustin) enjoyed a manicure. Liz is expecting their first child...a girl. (YAY!!!)

Mom enjoyed her manicure as well. She didn't do anything flashy since she and my dad were headed to their Stake Girl's Camp to serve as the cooks and she didn't want to mess it up, but to have it done was very relaxing.

After the salon, we gave Mom her left over money and took her to spend it on herself. She decided to buy an Ice Cream cook book, so we went to Barnes and Noble. We almost got kicked out of Barnes and Noble too. It's really their own fault. You should never put the "Relationship" section near the "Cooking" section and the Starbucks/couches. It invites people like us (the immature ones) to walk past the relationship books, grab one that catches our eye and then show the others while making jokes and giggling...loudly. Mom and Erin were looking at her book and the rest of us were gathered around Karalee laughing and giggling over a silly relationship book. We kept laughing harder and harder at this off the wall book and our jokes got louder and louder and people on the couches at Starbucks were giving us the evil eye until Mom dragged us out of there. We got the usual "I can't take you anywhere with me!" talk (she was laughing while she gave it though so I don't think it counted).

After the bookstore, we wandered the strip mall until it was time to join Dad and the husbands and kids at Chili's. Here are Erin and her girls Hailey, Whitney and the baby, Macey. Loran was at a training meeting for work and couldn't make it. You can see half of Darbi...her husband Nate was running late and I was going to get a picture of them when he got there, but didn't get around to it. Sorry Nate. I also didn't get a picture of my Mom and Dad. It came out too dark. Oops.

Stephi and her husband Steve. I don't think Steve really wanted his picture taken, but oh well. :)

Dustin and Liz...very funny Dustin.

Karalee and Jason...so photogenic. :)

The kids...KoraLee and J.T., Karalee and Jason's kids and Annie and Taylor. I'm not sure how we got stuck at the end with the children...could be due to my behavior at Barnes and Noble. :)

Kevin of course. He wouldn't behave and smile for the picture, so I took the first one I could get. Troy is missing from the pictures because he is still at Camp Geronimo, and Tyson was a grouch and wouldn't let me take his.

We had a wonderful dinner at Chili's. They were so accommodating. It's not often you get a party of 21. They made sure that we were well taken care of. Can't wait to go back!

After dinner we headed to the park for cake. It was a little hot, but since the sun was going down, it wasn't too bad. Karalee, our local baker lady, made the cakes and J.T. and Koralee helped decorate them. Very cute (and delicious).

Mom blowing out her candles with the help of many grandchildren. I even got Darbi on film and Nate from the neck down. (sorry again Nate)

Before we all left to go home, we decided to take one more picture of all of us in our shirts. We are in birth order with my Mom in the middle. Me, Stephi, Erin (Loran), Karalee, Darbi, Liz (Dustin). It was such a fun day and we can't wait to do it again. I smell a tradition in the making. :)

Happy Birthday Mom!!! We love you!

You'd think by now...

...I would have learned my lesson and think before I act!!

You see, I had a bottle of Nair just sitting on my shelf and it was time to clean up my eyebrows (can you see where this is going?). I ran out of the wax strips I usually use and was feeling too lazy to pluck. Then I spied my can of Nair. (and as usual, my impending sense of doom meter was not working...I really need to get that checked)

Of course, I checked the precautions and it stated specifically not to use on face or around your eyes. I figured it said that because of the sensitivity of the area. It is not (well, not totally anyway). It's for idiots like me who think they can use it to shape their eyebrows. :0)

Using my steady hand and a couple of Q-tips, I slathered on the Nair both above and below my brow leaving enough for a beautiful shape. I waited my 3 minutes and wiped it off. Hmmmm. They looked a little weird. Maybe after I shower it will be fine. Riiiight.

I climbed out of the shower, dried off quickly and then ran to the mirror. Even worse than before my shower. Apparently the act of scrubbing my face took off a few more of the precious hairs.

The good news is that I still have some eyebrows left. The bad news is that I can't go out into public for a while..at least without doctoring them first.

They are a little "off". My left eyebrow is shorter and skinnier than the right one and the shapes are slightly different. There are also a couple of "bald" spots. I didn't plan on them being almost non-existent. Apparently the Nair does not have to touch the root to take off the hair. Bummer...wish I'd know that before I started.

So, I have decided in the face of this adversity I should count my blessings. I feel blessed that I have a at least a little of my eyebrows left. I feel blessed that the frames of my glasses help cover up my stupidity. I feel blessed that my hair grows quickly and will soon fill in my spaces. I feel blessed that my eyelashes did not touch the Nair on my eyebrows (something I didn't even consider when I started my adventure) because I would look REALLY weird if I had my strange eyebrows and no upper eyelashes. I feel blessed that Kevin doesn't usually notice these things and I'm probably safe from the heckling I so deserve. :)

The Dog House

I know, I know. I don't post for days and then I do two posts in one day!?!?!?!? I wanted to post the pictures from yesterday and some from today and since they are two totally different subjects I needed two posts. :)

Tyson is in the Dog House after his tricks today. He was ok through Sacrament Meeting even though I had a huge basket of candy bars for the dads that he wanted. He was fairly good for Sunday School too. I'm not sure what happened after that though. Kevin brought him into Relief Society and he was a holy terror. He helped our pianist play some music, he tried to eat a Hymn book, he threw a fit because I wouldn't let him hold my manual, he threw toys that hit a little elderly lady in the head and then he went to that same lady and tried to run her and her motorized wheelchair into the front table using her "go" button. Thank heavens for her "stop" button which she was able to get to rather quickly. It's interesting how fast a person can move when motivated by sheer terror while looking into the face of a seemingly innocent 17 month old child that is about to run you into a table causing both pain and embarrassment.

I took him into the hall for some discipline and he took out my new earring and then hit my glasses off of my face. At that point I went straight into Priesthood and gave him back to Daddy. Three weeks and counting until we get to grace the nursery with his presence.

Once we got home Kevin fixed him a plate of spaghetti for his lunch. Tyson decided it was more fun to throw it than eat it. I came downstairs from changing and this is the sight that greeting my eyes...and keep in mind that I mopped the floor yesterday.
He got it EVERYWHERE!!! It was behind him, in front of him, on the table, chairs, floor, carpet and as you can see, his body didn't escape the mess either.
What you will also notice is that he thinks it's fun...there is no remorse in that face at all. Kevin took a good look at everything, saw my dropped jaw and wide eyes, and quietly suggested that I walk away and let him and the kids clean up that mess. (one more reason to love him)

So, I have decided that Tyson is our Stitch...our Holy Terror...the child that makes us glad he's our last...and etc, and he's only going to learn more things to torture and taunt me with as he gets older. I get to look forward to moments like these for the next 18 years. Suddenly, I'm very tired. :)

Water Babies

It is HOT!!!!! We were having such a nice, mild spring and suddenly the temperature went sky high. The only thing to do is to get wet, so yesterday we set up the Slip n' Slide in the back yard and let the kids play in it (except Troy..he went to the D-backs game with the scouts). They had so much fun running and sliding (and crashing). At one point Taylor had a bloody nose from running into Annie, but he didn't care. He just kept running and sliding while holding a tissue to his nose. :) Here are the three of them at the end where the little pool is set up.
Tyson's diaper got too heavy so he took it off. We decided to just let him run around naked and get wet and he had a blast. He loved playing in the squirting water and running up and down the slide area. (warning...if a naked baby bum offends you, skip to the next picture)
Annie decided that Tyson needed the "real" slip n' slide experience, so she sat him down at the start and pushed him all the way to the end. I was amazed that a naked baby bum could be so perfect for slippery plastic! You can see the water waves coming off of him, but he loved every minute of it.
Kevin finally dressed Tyson to keep his cheeks from getting a sunburn (and I don't mean the cheeks on his face). It didn't stop him though...he, Annie and Taylor just kept running and sliding until they were shivering and ready to come in.
They had so much fun and are looking forward to the next time. Anyone is welcome...come on out and get wet!

A tribute to my Sweetheart (warning..this is long)

Today is our anniversary. It's been 15 wonderful years. It hasn't always been easy, but even with the ups and downs our relationship has been through, we are still best friends and lovers.

Kevin and I met at a Country/Western dance in Snowflake, Arizona. He was sooooo cute in his tight wranglers (yes...wrangler butts drive me nuts!), navy blue shirt and cowboy hat. I loved the way his shirt brought out his beautiful blue eyes even more. I was there with my friend and her boyfriend (can you say fifth wheel?) and hiding in the back against the wall watching them dance. Suddenly Kevin just came up to me, took my hand and led me to the dance floor. I had such a good time that night.

Our single adult group was pretty diverse and spread out since there wasn't enough singles in any one town for a ward. So the kids from Show Low, Pinedale, Clay Springs, Taylor, Snowflake, and Pinetop/Lakeside would all hang out together. We'd rotate each activity to different towns, but the dance lessons were always in Show Low.

My friend Amy and I taught the lessons and soon Kevin started to join us. He would say a few words to me and smile...just enough to set my heart to beating wildly and then usually pick someone else as a partner (and I can tell you that used to make me so mad!) Then, he started showing up at all the dances too. I remember about the third dance he'd been to, we were dancing to a romantic song, and I looked at him and right then, I KNEW that he was going to be mine.

We were pretty much inseperable from then on. He announced his intention to propose in October, then actually proposed in January.

My parents are the kind where the guy has to ask for the bride's hand in marriage, so Kevin mustered up his courage and came to see them. All of my brothers and sisters hid behind the counter in the kitchen to listen (and giggle) and Mom and Dad grilled him thoroughly as well as let him know about all my flaws (I have flaws?!?!?), but in the end, he made it through and we started making plans.

We picked June 4, 1993 to be sealed together for eternity in the Mesa, Arizona Temple. As we knelt across the alter from each other and made our promises I looked into his beautiful blue eyes and I felt his love for me. It was one of the most sacred, special, spiritual moments I've ever experienced.

Here is one of the only pictures I like from that day. (I'm not so photogenic and the others look a little silly).I couldn't afford to get him a gift, so I've decided today to list all of the reasons I love Kevin like I do:

• He's encouraged me to spread my wings. During our marriage we've lived in 7 different cities in 3 different states and that was quite a challenge since I was born and raised in the same house and same ward until I married him. With his help, I've met new people, learned new things, had experiences I never thought I'd have and gained a little bit of self confidence in the process.
• He listens to me gripe and complain with patience. I tend to complain a lot especially when it has to do with changes I can't control (yes I'm a control freak). My biggest complaint is that when we are resurrected, he'll have his hair back. I've always known him bald, and I've seen pictures of him with hair and well...it's better when he's bald. Trust me.
• He puts up with my moods...good, bad, crazy and in between.
• He accepts me unconditionally. I've never been thin and sometimes it bothers me. He doesn't care what my outside looks like, as long as my inside is happy and content.
• He loves me unconditionally. I know this because I'm sure I'm not easy to live with, and yet he's still here. :)
• We compliment each other. He's 8 years older than me but with our personalities it works. We can calm the other down, excite the other if needed and work though our issues with love.
• He gives great foot rubs. I get one almost every Saturday night and have become quite spoiled. ;)
• He's predictable (which is great for a control freak). When I ask him if he wants to do the dishes or get the kids ready for bed he ALWAYS picks getting the kids ready for bed. (duh!)
• There is still a "spark" between us. I love it when he cuddles me close during sacrament meeting, or pinches my rear in the store, or comes up behind me while I'm doing something to chew on my neck and ear. I still get the occasional hickey. We are so blessed to have the passion we feel for each other.
• He's romantic. Not in the normal sense...I hardly ever get flowers or gifts or what-not, but he's always tuned in to me and what I'm feeling or needing. He's always willing to work hard to support our family and is supportive of my decisions which is romantic in it's own special way.
• He's fun to be around. Sometimes I feel like a freak because I don't have "girlfriends" in the sense of going out to lunch and gossiping and such. I have many friends that I love, but Kevin is and always will be my best friend and the one I want to be with constantly.
• He honors his Priesthood. When the kids or myself are sick or troubled, I know he'll be there and ready to give us a blessing. That is such a comfort to me.
• He understands my obsessions...sort of. More like he plays with my obsessions which helps me to be less obsessed with my obsessions (did that make sense?). I have a color scheme that everything goes by. Clothes, crayons, markers, everything. I used to have some colorful cereal bowls and every night I'd put them in their proper order and every morning they'd be out of order. It drove me crazy, but I learned that the order of the bowls wasn't so important. (if he messes with the closet though, I can't be held responsible for my actions). I also learned to buy white bowls. :)
• He's a good father. I love to watch him play with our children. He's been there for 5 pregnancies, 1 miscarriage that almost broke me completely, 4 births, and infertility issues in between. When our last child was born, he swallowed his fear and came into the operating room to be with me because I was so scared. He kept his eyes closed and tried really hard not to pass out and was able to hold my hand and wipe my tears when I needed him.
• Finally (though I could probably think of more if I tried) he's my soul mate. He understands me better than anyone else, knows what makes me tick, what drives me to do the things I do and what my struggles are. He completes me and makes me a better person.

I'm so glad we have each other. Thanks Sweetie for the best 15 years and I look forward to many more years and to eternity with you!

Yay!!!

Summer is FINALLY here!!! Troy and Annie got out of school today and we have the entire summer to ourselves. No rushing to get to bed at night and no rushing to get them out the door on time in the morning. It's going to be nice to just sit back and relax...well, sort of.

We are a naturally busy family with scouts, daycare, piano lessons and callings as well as family stuff going on, so it's not totally relaxing. But, without the confines of getting ready, going to, and coming from school, it makes it less hectic.

Troy has big plans for the summer. He goes to Camp Geronimo the last week of June, gets home on a Saturday, goes camping with the family on the Rim the following Wednesday, gets home on a Saturday and the leaves for Silver-Axe on Mt. Graham on Monday and gets home the following Saturday. He then has one week to relax before starting school again. On his off time, he's working on his remaining merit badges and will hopefully pick his Eagle project soon. He's nervous about all the coming and going, but is excited for these opportunities.

Annie and Taylor are looking forward to watching movies, swimming and playing with their friends. They are both already excited for school to start which Troy thinks is crazy.

Tyson is having a tough time. He loves to be outside, but he doesn't like it when it's hot. Swimming is fun for him, but we can't spend all day every day at the pool, so right now we are having an interesting time keeping him entertained. I'm excited to take him camping and letting him have his run of the mountains.

As for Kevin and I, we are going to hang on and enjoy the ride. :)

What?!?!?!?!?!?!?

I'ts been almost two months since the perm incident and my hair hasn't calmed down one bit. It does look pretty good most of the time thanks to mousse (lots of it) and clippies that keep the fluff down and I've gotten used to it. I've even considered getting another perm when (and if) my hair ever loses it's curl. I may change my thought process though.

The other day, when the boys were sick I didn't have time to mousse my hair, so it was just loose and kind of fluffy. It was really windy that day and I ran a trash bag out to the garbage can. When I came back in Kevin took one look at me and said, "Honey..with your hair like that you look like Sammy Hagar." (for you young 'uns out there..he used to be the lead singer for Van Halen, one of Kevin's favorite groups) I've attached his picture so you could see the MAN that I have now been compared to.
In all honesty, my hair did look like that and probably even wilder, but WHO CARES? What woman out there would want to be told by her husband that she looks like a MALE rock star?

I have decided I'm going to have to punish him.....let's see, death? dismemberment? cleaning the toilets? I know!!! I'll just let his hair grow out, tie him up and perm it for him. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA (this is my evil side laughing now) Then, I'll dye it orange and rent him out for birthday parties as a clown. Ahhhh...sweet thoughts to put me to sleep tonight. :)

Purple Nail Polish

Ok, I'm finally ready to talk about purple nail polish. I was pretty mad for a while, but after cleaning up after the kids and their stomach flu and then battling my own flu this week, I've decided that I'm too tired to be mad any more. ;)

Tyson loves to throw things. Anything and everything. Plates, bowls, trucks, toys, shoes, etc. We were upstairs in my bathroom and Tyson was getting stuff out of the cupboards and drawers. As usual he examined each item and then threw it. I was indisposed at the time and I could hear him in my basket of nail polish. He's thrown these before and they never break so I wasn't worried.

Suddenly, I hear a bang and breaking glass and I just knew it was bad. Sure enough, I look out and Tyson is standing by the tub, pointing and saying "uh-oh" and in the tub was a broken bottle of nail polish. It was fairly new and almost full and one of my favorite colors...purple chrome. He had thrown it into the tub and as luck would have it, it hit the metal drain plug and shattered. This lovely color was splashed all over the sides of the tub, gathering around the drain, and there were splatters everywhere. Of course, I did the rational thing and screamed. Loudly.

I must have scared Tyson because he started to cry. Taylor came running into the room and I started yelling at him...get me some towels, get me some wipes, get me something!!! I was wiping as fast as I could, but it wasn't enough. Some of the polish had dried and it looked awful. This paint does NOT match my decor and it's everywhere. (although later, my mom mentioned that I should have just splattered more into the tub and then changed my paint job to match the tub...any excuse to redecorate right?) So, I got the polish remover and started wiping. It took me 45 minutes and half a bottle of remover, but I got most of it up. There is still a purple tinge in the bottom where the non-slip grooves are but hopefully they'll wear off in time.

As for Tyson...he got a hug and I withdrew my threat to give him to grandma and I have cleaned out all the breakables from the bathroom and hid them. Now all he can throw is combs.

I think I'm looking forward to the day when I can unbaby proof my house and not have to climb a ladder to paint my nails.

Finally...an update!!!

Well I have finally transferred all my pictures from my camera to my computer and I'm now ready to update our recent happenings. I've tried 3 different times to get all the pictures in the right order and it didn't work, so you'll just have to go along for the ride. :)

Easter was so much fun. We went to Mom and Dad's house and hunted eggs and cooked out and really enjoyed each other's company. I feel so blessed that all of my family is in the area and that we get along so well. It's nice having your best friends around you.

Here is Annie in her hunt for eggs:


The weather here has been truly beautiful. We haven't hit triple digits yet so we've been taking advantage of the nice days and had lots of outside time. I took my birthday money and purchased a bike seat so that I could take Tyson for rides. He loves it and Kevin and Troy have gotten to where they like to go with him too. Here's my little mushroom head ready to go.

Troy was part of the school science fair this year. He took 3rd place!! We are so excited and proud of him. He did a "french fry challenge". He believes that McDonald's has the best fries (even now though he knows they didn't win). So we got the fam to be the guinea pigs and did a blind taste test of McDonald's, Burger King, Sonic, and Jack in the Box. Jack took the prize with McDonald's coming in 2nd, Burger King 3rd and Sonic a distant last. Thanks to all of you who were willing to consume so many calories for science (and come on...admit it...you enjoyed it).
Thanks to google images as well for the great pictures of the logos and fries. :)
Ok...we are out of order. This is Tyson enjoying Easter with Dad's help. He had more fun throwing the eggs than putting them in the basket, but fun is fun right?
Taylor enjoying his time looking for eggs too.
Tyson lately has been a little bit (ok a lot really) of a stinker. (ask me later about the purple nail polish in the tub...or maybe I'll write about it, but not till I've calmed down and gotten the polish remover smell out of my nose) His new thing is the vacuum. If the closet gets opened, he takes it out. If we try to vacuum the floor, he steals it from us. If we try to put it away, he throws a full on temper tantrum. I'm hoping this love of vacuuming is a permanent thing...my own built in butler, but I'm guessing by the age of 5 he'll roll his eyes when I ask him to do it for me.

We wanted proof for his scrapbook so we made sure to get pictures showing two different sets of jammies...not just a one time occurance. ha ha ha

Here we are going back to the day we rode bikes outside. Kevin came home and we were talking when we heard a strange noise. We looked down and Tyson had somehow gotten Kevin's lunchbox open and was either throwing stuff out of it, or eating what he was finding. There was even a couple of empty soda cans that he tried to drink out of. What a treasure chest for a 15 month old!

Same day, but out of order still...Taylor and Annie having lots of fun riding and skating and showing off. What a couple of hams!

That about does it for catching up. We aren't really looking forward to the hot temperatures of summer, but the kids only have 3 1/2 weeks of school left, Taylor will be done with preschool in 2 weeks and then we'll have the summer for some fun and hopefully it will be a little less busy.

Our garden is doing well...we have lots of tomatoes and squash and peas but our pepper plants died. Oh well. Not bad for our first year of trying it out here.

Now that I'm out of books (at least until I borrow more) I am hoping to keep things more up to date. Have a great day!

Outsmarted (sigh)

Ok..I know it's been a while since I last posted but I've been reading lots and lots of books and thoroughly enjoying myself. I have lots of pictures that I need to get off of my camera and I hope to do that sometime this week. In the meantime, I thought I'd share an interesting conversation I had with Taylor today.

Taylor has been sick these last couple of days and I asked him to go upstairs and lay down on my bed to take a nap.

Taylor: "Mom, I'm not tired"

Me: "Take a nap anyway"

Taylor: "I'll try"

Me (quoting Yoda...I know..it's pretty sad that I use Star Wars as a mothering tool but what can I say?): "There is no try...only do or do not"

At this point, I leave the room. Now fast forward about an hour and a half.

Taylor (after coming downstairs): "Ok Mom...I'm up"

Me: "I don't think you took a nap"

Taylor (with a roll of his eyes and a sigh): "Mom, you gave me a choice...do or do not...I chose do not"

At this point I was at a loss for words. The kid had me dead to rights and there was not a darn thing I could do about it. So, I've had to accept that I have been outsmarted by a 5 year old kid in preschool and it hurts. Sigh. :)

(and as a side note...we have changed Yoda's wise words to "There is no try...only do, d*&%$t.)

Ahhhh....books

I just realized that I haven't posted anything for a while. There is a very good reason for this....books.

I put an ad on our church blog to borrow books since I've read every book I have at least 7 times and the response was huge!! I am enjoying all the books I have to read now and I have found several new authors that I like. Poor Kevin and the kids don't have my full attention at all, but I am in heaven.

Hopefully, I can work through this pile o' books and return to my normal activities..and then again maybe I'll stay lost in the world of mystery, suspense and romance a few days longer. :)

You know you're a Redneck if.....

Ok...I was getting really tired of my hair. I'm in the process of growing it out and it's too short to pull back and too long to look presentable. I was struggling with it every day and finally resorted to putting it back in little clippies which didn't look that great. So, I decided it was time to curl it or cut it. Do you have an impending sense of doom yet? You should...my life would be a little less funny today if my impending sense of doom meter had been working that day.

It took me all of 3 minutes to decide it was time to perm my hair. Growing up, I got a perm every 4 months and loved them. My hair always looked good then, so why not now? When I was arguing this out in my head, it made sense.

So, I called my mom and made arrangements for her to perform this beauty enhancing aid to my poor, straight, dilapitated hair and she readily agreed...what a wonderful mother!

Saturday dawned bright and early and I found myself in Sally Beauty Supply looking for just the right perm. I picked one, paid for it and happily headed to my mom's house. After arranging the curlers, the wrappers, the water bottle, and the comb, I reached for the box. Excitedly I opened this great treasure to read the instructions. Halfway down, I notice that this particular perm calls for a hair dryer...you know..the kind that the little old ladies (no offense meant) sit under in the beauty shop? Hmmmm...we don't have a dryer. I was going to give up (and looking back maybe I should have taken this as a sign) but my dad, being just as good as any McGyver decided that he could take care of this little problem.

With Annie and Taylor's help, my mom rolled my hair around all the little curlers and then squeezed on the curling solution. Then came my dad. He had taken my mom's hair dryer, rigged it to a stand and was holding that in one hand and a garbage bag and a rubber band in the other. Can you figure out what happens next? Yup...you guessed it. They placed the open end of the bag over my curlers and used twist ties to keep it in place. Then carefully positioning my head and the dryer, they poked a hole in the other end of the bag, placed it over the hair dryer, put the rubber band there to hold the bag down and turned it on. Jeff Foxworthy would have been proud!

It's hard to describe what happens when air enters the trash bag you are wearing on your head. Thankfully, so we didn't forget about this...my dad took some lovely pictures. Just promise not to laugh too hard.
And a side view...I look like one of those big headed aliens.
Finally, my 20 minutes was up...thank goodness too because I was rapidly losing my dignity. We put on the neutrilizer, waited 5 more minutes and then took out the curlers. I did my part my rinsing my hair and then I wrapped it in a towel.

My mom, being the thorough person she is, came over to style it for me. I can't describe the feeling that comes over you when your stylist (who is your mother) is working with your freshly permed hair and giggling. At this time I'm thinking that maybe it didn't come out exactly like I thought it would.

I reached back and felt the tight curls and she asked me what it felt like. I responded that it felt like the fur on a french poodle, and she respoded that it kind of looked like that too. Bless her heart...she was trying really hard not to lose it and laugh uncontrollably. Annie and Taylor who had been helping up to this point had suddenly disappeared and Dad found things to do in another room.

I retired to the bathroom to take a good look and well...she's right. When Kevin and Troy came back to pick us up, Troy took one look at me and asked if I had made it that curly on purpose. I think he was trying to feel me out...if I said yes, he'd compliment me...if I said no, he had unspoken permission to laugh.

Kevin, being the wonderful husband he is kind of kept his eyes focused above my head and told me I looked "cute". In knew he was lying, but he did it to save my feelings, so I'll forgive him for it.

I would share a picture, but I refuse to have one taken. When I brushed it the other night, it looked like an afro...standing up at least 4 inches from the top of my head.

So, what to do while I wait for it to relax? I thought about a paper bag, but my hair is so high that when I put it on, it only came to my nose, so that isn't an option. I've thought about going for the sypathy card and explaining that I had an unfortunate incident with something electrical, but I'm not sure that would fly either. I guess I'm just going to have to live with it.

In the meantime, I'm avoiding public places lest I be mocked by teenagers, have young children run away in a terrified panic or have a bird land in my "nest".

I did learn a few things: 1) Make sure you think about getting a perm for longer than 3 minutes. 2) Make sure you read the instructions to know if you have everything you need. 3) Make sure you give your husband, parents and children their pre-written lines as to what to say to you once your curlers come out. 4) Make sure to get your sense of impending doom meters checked regularly by a licensed technician.