Life With Lori

March 24th

2011-03-24T08:31:00.001-07:00

I'd like to wish a Happy Birthday to fine young man, Jurnee! I hope you enjoy your day.

Congratulations, Rainbow. Thirteen years ago this day, you became a mother!

I just finished Turbo Jam and Ab Jam with Tyler. He actually came in and got me up this morning, love that boy!

I'm hoping to get a bike and a trailer so I can ride places with the boys this summer.

Have a great day everybody!

Getting Back on Track

2011-03-23T07:58:00.001-07:00

I went up to the middle school this morning and walk/ran for half an hour. I attempted day one of the couch to 5k running plan, but must admit my 60-second running intervals were more like 45-seconds long. I will stay on the each step until I actually accomplish it and will not move until I am really ready. This 9-week program may turn into an 18-week program, but that will be ok.

Tyler and I have been doing kickboxing on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I'll do the running plan with Travis on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Keep us in your prayers, I need all the help and encouragement I can get!

Kitsap Krud

2011-02-10T21:08:00.001-08:00

I just read on facebook that my friend calls it the "Kitsap Krud" because it seems like everybody in Kitsap County is coming down with it. At any rate, I really don't like waking up at 4 a.m. just because my throat is on fire. Yuck! So, the back to exercise is off to a slow start, but will resume as soon as I am over this.

February 8, 2011

2011-02-08T08:50:00.001-08:00

Okay, Rainbow.

You said I should start blogging my exercise as a form of accountability, so here goes: On Monday, Melissa and I went for a walk and then she showed me a bunch of strength training exercise I can do with equipment I already have.

Today:

1 Mile Walk Away the Pounds for Abs

Belly Dance Basic Moves (for the stretches, mostly)

I also did my Bible study already, have the 3-year-old taking his bath, and am energized for the day. Yay!

2010-10-15T19:13:00.000-07:00

I just dropped off the boys. Travis, cousin Josh, and friend Sean to the local corn maze for a youth group outing. Tyler to the church for a sleepover "Jammin in your Jammies" night. Tommy is sitting at the table eating cookies and ice cream and being happy.A friend stopped by earlier with her 2-year-old grandson. The grandson was in the hallway and my friend was in the dining room when 2 loud, rambunctious teenage boys burst through the front door wearing scary masks and carrying plastic weapons. There was a scream, lots of crying, and for the next 1/2 hour we had an inconsolable little boy on our hands. It was an accident, they didn't know he was here, but I think they got message about why I don't like those masks.I made them leave the masks here and not take them to the corn maze like they wanted to. Travis was grumpy about it, but I was somewhat vindicated when we pulled into the parking lot and I could point out all the little kids and baby strollers that were headed for the corn maze. They were all in good moods when I left them.

Wordle

2010-10-09T00:07:00.000-07:00

Ugh!

2010-06-23T21:31:00.001-07:00

Computer glitch.....lost all my e-mails. My inbox, my saved mail, my outbox, everything!!!!

A Yummy Recipe

2010-05-20T22:40:00.000-07:00

CRANBERRY CHICKEN

6 to 8 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
16-ounce can whole-berry cranberry sauce
8-ounce bottle Catalina, French or Russian salad dressing
1 package dry onion soup mix

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray. Place breasts in a single layer in the baking dish. In a medium bowl, combine the cranberries, dressing and soup mix. Blend well. Pour over chicken, making sure each piece is well covered with the cranberry mixture. Bake uncovered for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until the cranberry mixture has formed a glaze on the chicken.

Just living life...

2010-05-06T23:21:00.000-07:00

There is nothing terribly exciting to report, I'm just living life.

School is moving along, I started a new Bible study at the church recently, kids are growing, Jeff is working, nothing drastic is happening. Having nothing to complain about is good.

April 20th

2010-04-20T13:23:00.000-07:00

Turbo Sculpt: 40 minutes

So.......losing 1/2 pound while definately seeing an increase in muscle tone = more fat loss than the scale is showing, right?

Esther Bible Study tonight, watching "One Night With the King" tonight.

Tyler is staring out the window rather than finishing his long division. Sigh....Travis has done with most of his assignments for an hour now. He's procrastinating on writing his book report.

I hope you are all having wonderful, productive weeks.

April 19th

2010-04-19T13:24:00.000-07:00

Cardio Party 2: 45 minutes

It's another warm day. It was 75 in my living room by 7 a.m.

Tyler has just finished up his America collage for his citizenship pin, so he has officially completed everything necessary to earn his Webelos badge. Yay Tyler!

Travis has spent the last 1/2 hour making french fries for everybody. That was a yummy cooking class which we all benefitted from.

Tommy is adorable, as usual.

I hope you all have a great day! We have Cub Scouts tonight!

April 18th

2010-04-18T17:38:00.000-07:00

Punch, Kick, & Jam: 50 minutes

I took Tyler and Tommy to the park after church while Jeff and Travis were out on the bus route. We had a good time.

The weather is beautiful today, it's warm. Reminding me that it is better to do my workout before the temperature starts to rise. We have a nice, peaceful afternoon.

We had steak and shrimp for dinner, at Tyler's request. Travis got to pick earlier in the week and he chose tuna casserole. These boys have such different tastes!

I have a Cub Scout Committee Meeting to go tonight. The boys will probably watch a movie or something while I'm gone.

Have a great week everybody!

April 17th

2010-04-17T16:38:00.000-07:00

No formal workout today, not yet anyway. I'll have to make it up tomorrow. Instead, Tyler and I went and picked up branches for 2 hours with the Cub Scouts. The Cubs worked in conjunction with the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts today and had a clean-up day for our Chartered Organization (the church where we have Scouts). We all had a hotdog lunch afterward.

Charles got to leave the hospital yesterday. I was told Carie was going home yesterday too, but have yet to confirm that. I'm hoping that means things are looking better for all concerned.

Dinner is cooking. I am still really tired. I keep falling asleep, urgh. Hope you are all well.

April 16th

2010-04-16T16:03:00.000-07:00

Cardio Party: 45 minutes
15 minutes of Fat Burning Bellydance...that's a toughy.

Carie is getting the help she needs...they think she may have had a mini-stroke which has caused the recent onset of neurological stuff. She is getting help learning to walk again, yay!

Charles is in better condition than he was a couple days ago, but I'm not sure what that means. I don't have any more details on him than that.

I wanted to go see Carie today, but unfortunately circumstances didn't work out for me to do that. I feel really bad about it too, because nobody has been over to see her since I dropped her off. I know how much I hate being hospitalized, and I imagine she must be very uncomfortable. Her father is going to see her this evening, so that's a good thing.

I talked to Rainbow this morning, that was fun. I hope you enjoy your visit with her, Maureen.

That's all for now. Take good care of yourselves and those you love!

April 15th

2010-04-15T15:00:00.000-07:00

Turbo Scuplt: 40 minutes

I hope to get a cardio workout in later this evening.

Tax Day!!! I am so glad I did my taxes months ago.

No news yet on the folks in the hospital. I'm hoping no news is good news.

Tyler got long division down today, yay! Way to go, Tyler! Also got grocery shopping done, dinner made, and laundry almost done. I've been productive, at least.

April 14th

2010-04-15T08:07:00.000-07:00

No workout.

A friend asked me if I would give her a sister a ride to a doctor's appt. For a variety of reasons there was no one else available to take her, and she really needed to be seen, so of course I took her. Well, from there we were sent to Bremerton Naval Hospital, and from there we were sent to Madigan. This beautiful young woman, facing some pretty serious symptoms of her MS, was more concerned that she was inconveniencing me than she was about getting the help she needs. They admitted her at Madigan, and I felt horrible about leaving her there alone after she was taken to her room.

For those of you who pray, please add Carie to your prayers for her recovery; and please add her family to your prayers for their comfort: that those who are able to will be there for Carie, and that those who are unable to physically be there will realize they have been there for emotional support and for getting her help.

My sister-in-law had the boys while I was gone, and I went to pick them up in the evening. On my way home I got a voicemail from my other sister-in-law (Jeff's sister) saying she needed to talk to me about my mother-in-law and her husband. I didn't call her back until Jeff's brother to pick up Joshua after youth group. I figured he'd want to know what was going on, and I actually ended up giving him the phone. My mother-in-law's husband has been in the hospital since Tuesday. He has pneumonia and congestive heart failure. He's in his 80s, and has been in a nursing home for the last 6 or 7 years. He may not make it through this time.

More prayer requests: Charles recovery, or quick and painless passing...that the Lord's will be done. Marlene needs comfort and strength to get through this trying time. Linda needs strength and patience and possibly help while she helps her mother deal with all of this.

Okay, it's already 8 a.m. I need to start looking at getting today's workout done and getting on with things. I hope you all have a blessed day!

April 13th

2010-04-13T14:41:00.000-07:00

Turbo Sculpt: 40 minutes
Belly Dance Basic Moves: probably about 30 minutes, I'm not sure, I didn't time it.

Melissa, I took your advice and did some belly dance for stretching. It felt good, and it was fun to do.

I think I've finally found the cause of my back pain------Tommy. Yep, my adorable 2-year-old climbing in bed with me is causing my pain. How do I know this? Because the nights he stays in his own room I don't wake up in pain. He crowds me to the edge of the bed and I can't relax and stretch out.

Esther Bible Study tonight, I'm looking forward to it. It's a rather sunny day considering the gray sky, too funny.

Time to get back to my family and my job. Bye!

April 12th

2010-04-12T13:53:00.001-07:00

Cardio Party: 45 minutes

That's all folks, aside from housework, schoolwork, playing, and chasing kids. Have a good day!

There will be Pictures, Eventually

2010-04-12T09:03:00.000-07:00

Let me get my van to the car wash, and get out to snap some other pics and I will post soon.

I haven't done my workout yet. Tyler is hogging the TV, but not for too much longer. I also have my Bible studies to run through, and the floors to do.

The kitchen, dining room, and bathroom are clean. and the laundry is going. That sets me up for a good day. Travis is still sleeping off his weekend, Tommy is sleeping in too. I won't complain. We'll just start school a little later than usual today. I'll have Tyler focusing on his Webelos stuff anyway.

Have a good day!

April 11th

2010-04-11T20:55:00.000-07:00

Sunday, I don't generally do a workout on Sunday but I did this morning. I woke up almost pain free (yay!) with only a twinge in my lower back, and I did the Fit to the Hits: Motown Moves (30 minutes) before I went to church this morning.

I've spent most of the day on my feet, being busy, since church got out. I was almost afraid to sit down to check my e-mail just now because I was afraid I wouldn't want to get back. However, duty gets you moving, and Tommy needed a diaper change so I was up and moving again.

I went out and bought myself two azaleas, bought Tyler a strawberry topsy turvey project, and bought some windowsill greenhouses where I am attempting to start tomatoes and sweet peppers. Jeff put the azaleas in the ground for me this afternoon; Tyler, Tommy, and I planted the strawberries; and Tommy helped me with the vegetable seeds in the mini greenhouses. The goal is to move them to topsy turveys when they have sprouted.

It's not much, but there is now a little bit of color outside. I played with bubbles with Tommy and Tyler for awhile, then weeded out the flowerbed by the door where the azaleas are. It was nice spending some time outside, but I am much too private a person to enjoy too much time on display to the world. That's how I feel in our current location, like we are on display to the world. I've had people tell me how they saw Tommy running through the house, or leaning on the couch when they were driving by.

I washed up the dishes, then watched over Travis and Josh while they made dinner for everybody. They did a good job....burgers on the grill, deep-fried potatoes, and mixed veggies. After dinner, I did up the dishes again, and am now feeling very tired.

At least the house is in decent condition for starting the week. The floors need to be cleaned though, but that can wait until tomorrow.

I hope you all have a good week.

April 10th

Fit to the Hits, Motown Moves: 30 minutes
Punch, Kick, & Jam: 50 minutes

April 9th

2010-04-09T11:05:00.000-07:00

Fit to the Hits, Rock Hard Assets: 30 minutes
Fit to the Hits, Motown Moves: 30 minutes
Turbo Jam: 20 minutes

I skipped a formal workout yesterday, but did go for a long walk with Tyler. We flipped the mattress the other day, but I woke up this morning still in pain. I guess it might be time to start thinking about a new mattress. Ours is only about 6 years old though, I guess they aren't made to last.

I didn't want to workout this morning either, but opted for a lower impact option and ended up going longer than normal. It loosened up tight muscles and felt good. The boys came in at separate times and said the different workout was "weird", but I didn't care. It was silly and fun.

NSV: definately seeing more definition and toning, clothes are fitting looser....when will this be reflected on the scale?

Travis is going to a youth group event this weekend. Acquire the Fire...it's supposed to be really neat. A concert and inspiring revival type thing. He is really excited to be going. Josh will be going too, I need to pick him up when he gets out of school this afternoon.

Tyler is having a friend spend the night tonight. I'm thinking we'll order pizza and watch a movie or something.

It still amazes me that a house can fall apart in a short amount of time. I have given my boys nicknames to describe the occasional chaos: Tumultuous Travis, Typhoon Tyler, and Tornado Tommy.

Laundry is calling me. I hope you all have a good day!

April 8th

45 minute walk with Tyler

Wii Fit Age: 20

April 7th

2010-04-07T09:58:00.000-07:00

Cardio Party: 45 minutes
Ab Jam: 10 minutes standing

Wii Fit Age: 29

I'm feeling a bit stiff today. I woke up yesterday with a kink in my neck, woke up today with the neck thing and lower back pain. Ugh! I realize I was supposed to flip my mattress on the 1st of the month, but didn't think I'd be punished if I waited a week.

Actually, I have been sitting on my couch more than usual also....watching Lost. That may be contributing to the stiffness. I may have to watch Lost standing up, sitting on the floor, or from my computer chair. Stupid couch.

It looks like it might rain today. I hope Travis and I can walk before that happens. We are having a party at WOW tonight, with a huge ice cream sundae (in a gutter, of all things). I'm bringing bananas. The lady in charge doesn't think kids will eat bananas with their ice cream, but I think some will (I know Tyler will).

I missed my date with Melissa online the other night, we missed our discussion......I'm hoping we can make it up. I am also hoping to be able to talk to Rainbow again soon. I miss my friends, and am looking forward to seeing them again.

You all have a blessed day!

April 6th

2010-04-06T14:56:00.000-07:00

Turbo Sculpt: 40 minutes
Ab Jam: 20 minutes

Wii Fit Age: I haven't done that yet.

Got off to a slow start today, got school started late, but dinner is over and things are progressing. I have Bible Study tonight, but I didn't get my homework done. I have family drama, which culminated in me telling my grandfather if he didn't like my rules he could leave my house (which he did). Deep breath, let the stress go. Yikes!

Travis and I went for a nice walk, and I was feeling good after that. Now I need to figure out how to get back to feeling good. Maybe my Bible study will help.

I hope you are all doing well.

April 5th

2010-04-05T17:29:00.000-07:00

Cardio Party 2: 45 minutes
Ab Jam: 10 minutes standing

Wii Fit Age: 30

Amanda, Josh, Travis, Tyler, and I went to the drive-in last night to see How To Train Your Dragon and Tooth Fairy. They both were surprisngly funny movies, and we all really enjoyed them. The boys didn't argue or squabble or anything, they were all very good. They laughed and had a good time together. I had to comment on how blessed I felt that I could take 3 boys of such different ages to see family movies and they all really behaved and enjoyed themselves.

Tonight I weigh in for the spring quarter of Kitsap's Biggest Loser. Let's see if it's an incentive to do well!

April 3rd

2010-04-03T20:07:00.000-07:00

Punch, Kick, & Jam: 50 minutes
Cardio Sculpt: 40 minutes

Wii Fit Age: 26

It's been kind of a lazy day today. We had dinner at a weird time, so basically only one meal for lunch/dinner. Snacking on fruits and veggies since then.

The boys, Amanda, and I dyed a couple dozen eggs. They are drying, then we will put smiley faces and glitter on them. I'll try to remember to take some pictures.

We're going to Scott & Amanda's tomorrow for Easter. We're having tostado salads :-) for dinner. Yummy. I'm sending the boys Easter eggs home with Scott & Amanda tonight, they'll hide them while we're at church tomorrow. I just don't see pulling an egg hunt off at our house this year.

Jeff & Scott replaced the sensor things in the mini-van's transmission today, and all looks good! Now to put the window thing back on track and replace the stereo with something more updated. I'm hoping for a CD player with a USB plug for my MP3 player. It may not be the most beautiful van on the road, but it will be comfy and reliable...that's what I really want.

I hope you all have a great Easter! He is risen!

April 2nd

2010-04-02T23:02:00.000-07:00

Cardio Party 2: 45 minutes
Ab Jam: 10 minutes standing

Wii Fit Age: 25

I think that lower body workout yesterday must have really worked, my legs were getting tired during the kicks today. I suppose that's a good sign.

We bought ourselves a used mini-van the other day. We ended up talking the guy down more than 40% from his original asking price. Not a bad deal. It has a few cosmetic issues, and a couple mechanical issues that we are all set to take care of. With some of the money we saved I think we're going to put a CD player/usb connect stereo in it so the kids and I will be able to listen to what we want.

We had intended to buy a different mini-van, one that had built in child seats, but somebody beat us to it. On the way home from buying this one, Tyler was sitting in the back and he discovered that it does indeed have child seats built in. Yay! No need to run out and buy a car seat. The Dodge Stratus I've been driving since Tommy turned 2 has a built in seat and we haven't used a car seat since.

We cancelled the cable yesterday, and now just have broadcast stations, DVDs, and Netflix. I have managed to get myself hooked on Lost now. I had never seen an episode before this week, but Netflix has the series available by season. I started with the pilot, Season 1, Episode 1. Through season 5 is available instantly, so that should keep me occupied with as much as I watch TV.

So what did we do after cancelling the cable? Went out and bought a brand new HDTV of course! It's great, and now we don't need a digital converter box. I just plugged a digital antenna in and it was good to go. I want to get a wireless PC to TV converter so we can use the television as a computer monitor if we so desire (for those couple shows that Netflix doesn't offer but we can watch online). I can already think of a couple good ways I could use that for homeschooling.

The spring quarter of our Kitsap Biggest Loser starts again on Monday. Maybe I'll do better this time around. Wish me luck!

April 1st

2010-04-01T10:05:00.000-07:00

Workout: not sure it matters

Wii Fit Age: 57

Ugh! This is not a good day. I started to do my workout this morning, but just don't have the energy to finish. Maybe I've finally hit my wall....not showing any progress, not seeing anybody else post workouts, not being able to reach my friend to talk. I give up! Maybe tomorrow will be better.

March 31st

2010-03-31T11:42:00.000-07:00

Cardio Party: 45 minutes
Ab Jam: 10 minutes standing

Wii Fit Age: 26

I used the weighted gloves for the Cardio workout this morning, and I felt a difference. There was only one routine that I thought "is that it?".

Tonight, Chuck E. Cheese for a little girl's birthday party. Have a great day!

March 30th

2010-03-30T11:36:00.000-07:00

Turbo Sculpt: 40 minutes
Ab Jam: 20 minutes

Wii Fit Age: 26

I weight exactly the same as I did 3 weeks ago. That would be really frustrating if I didn't know I was making progress, and if I didn't have that article to refer back to when I do get frustrated.

Where's Rainbow? She's not blogging, she's not facebooking, she's not yelling at people to get off their rear-ends. Although she did post pictures recently, those are cool.

I think we may be cancelling our cable TV today, and returning the cable box. We'll keep the interent though, it's important for communication and for Netflix! Yay Netflix!

Have a great day everybody.

March 29th

2010-03-29T10:02:00.000-07:00

Cardio Party 2: 45 minutes
Ab Jam: 10 minutes standing

Wii Fit Age: 26

March 28th

2010-03-28T08:38:00.000-07:00

Cardio Party: 45 minutes
Ab Jam: 10 minutes standing

Wii Fit Age: I don't know, haven't logged onto that yet.

There, the make-up workout for Wednesday is done. I must be getting in better shape, because several times during the workout we'd come to the end of a routine and I'd think "Is that it? We're done?" I guess that's an indication that I should add some light weights to the workout, wear my hand weights.

I woke up this morning thinking I'd play hookey from church and catch up on some housework. By the time I finished my workout I knew I was going to church. I love energy that I get from early morning exercise. It kick starts my day, I'll have to try harder to get it done early in the day from now on.

The final weigh in for the weight-loss contest I entered was yesterday. I officially lost nine pounds, which doesn't sound like much to me. However, my supportive husband said "What do you mean only nine pounds, that's a good number." Thank you, Jeff. I also know for myself (doesn't affect the contest) that this was the wrong time of month to weigh in, and that when I started the strength training the weight loss stopped, but progress continued.

We are on spring break this week, which means the boys will only have to their daily reading and writing, and we'll probably do Easter stuff. We are going to a birthday party on Wednesday for a cute 5-year old girl we know from church, we'll be with friends so that should be a good time.

Well, I should think about getting ready for church. Have a great day!

Egg Hunt at the Church

2010-03-27T14:30:00.000-07:00

Getting Started

Full Basket

Wonder what's in them?

What's over there?

Watching intently.

My Boys

Lunch Time

Finally looked at the camera.

Egg Spoon Race

Tommy & Friend

She had just punched him a few minutes before this.

SOUR!

March 27th

2010-03-27T10:09:00.000-07:00

Punch, Kick & Jam: 50 minutes

Wii Fit Age: 20! Woo Hoo!

Alrighty, my workout is done; I'm showered and dressed; it's time to head out. It looks like it should be a beautiful day. We are off to get Easter baskets out of storage and then to the church for an egg hunt.

Enjoy the day!

March 26th

2010-03-26T18:47:00.000-07:00

Cardio Party 2: 45 minutes
Ab Jam: 20 minutes

Wii Fit Age: 24

It's another beautiful day, and we are on spring break. The boys had a good time playing outside this afternoon, and they even had Tommy with them for a good portion of the time.

Tommy did not take a nap today, and he did run, play, and roll down a hill today. I'm hoping to get him in bed and down for the night by 9:00.

Maureen, it's so nice to hear I've been able to inspire somebody. This week has been a rough one for me, not being on schedule and not seeing the results I want on the scale. I think I've finally come to the conclusion that I need to work out 6 days a week for my health, regardless of whether or not I lose any more weight (although I feel confident I will lose weight again, I really think this plateau has more to do with starting strength training than anything else).

Melissa, I need you to keep reminding me that the scale is not a great indicator of how I'm really doing. I need to keep looking for those non-scale victories.

Rainbow, keep at it girl! I know you are crazy busy right now, but remember to take that hour or so everyday to take care of you!

Everybody else, have a great weekend!

March 25th

2010-03-25T10:46:00.000-07:00

Turbo Scuplt: 40 minutes

Wii Fit Age: 31

I'll admit it, I missed my workout yesterday. I intend to make it up this weekend. Oh well. I also haven't done my Ab workout yet today, as I'm expecting company this morning.

Another non-scale victory (has to be non-scale, as the scale is not my friend this week, urgh!)When I look down, I can no longer see my gut sticking out past my bustline. Actually, I can't see anything sticking out past my bustline, not even my feet. However, when I lean ever-so-slightly forward to see my feet, I still can't see my gut. Yay! Now, I don't know if this is due to the abdominal workouts, chest workouts, or (most probably) a combination of the two.

I still have a long way to go, but I'm feeling stronger and more energized. Also feeling pretty good that I have stuck with the exercise program for as long as I have, I am halfway through week 7. If only I had started the first week of January, I would be on week 14. Oh well, better late than never, it's never too late to start, etc...

I'd better get back to my life now, have a great day!

March 23rd

2010-03-23T22:40:00.000-07:00

Turbo Sculpt: 40 minutes
Ab Jam: 10 minutes standing

I got sidetracked this morning, and it was much more difficult to be motivated to work out at 4:30 in the afternoon than it is at 6:30 or 7:30 in the morning. Travis kept me encouraged though, he got me going anyway, by joining in for the first 10 minutes or so.

Had a good Bible study tonight. We're working through a Beth Moore study on Esther and it has been very interesting.

Rainbow, sometimes you don't want your 2-year old to talk so much. I've been trying to get Tommy to understand that he isn't allowed to tell me "no" when I tell him to do something. Well, tonight I was tired after getting home from the Bible study. I told him to go throw something away, and he told me "no". I almost let him get away with it, but then he sang..."I told you no-o" in that sing-songy nanny nanny na na style and that little boy got himself marched to the garbage can. I can laugh about it now, but I was stunned at the time.

Have a great rest of the week everybody! Love yourselves!

March 22nd

2010-03-22T13:48:00.000-07:00

Cardio Party 2: 45 minutes
Ab Jam: 10 minutes standing

Wii Fit Age: 20!!! Yeah Baby!

Tonight is the Pinewood Derby. Tyler's car looks great, he just needs to bring it up to weight. He made it pretty much by himself this year, I bought him a Pinewood Derby tool kit, and he traced out his template, cut, sanded, painted, and put the stickers on. Good Job Tyler! I helped a little with some of the cutting, just because it was taking a long time, and Jeff helped him with the wheels. I think he did a great job!

March 21st

2010-03-21T12:30:00.000-07:00

Wii Fit Age: 26

It's my day of rest, from exercise anyway, unless you count the countless trips up and down the multiple flights of stairs at church this morning (I even took some of them 2 at a time). We taught children's church this morning, and the kids were on the verge of out of control! I had to send one kid out of the room for awhile for being completely disrespectful, and later delivered another to his mother because he wouldn't stop arguing. After expressing to the rest of the class that I have no qualms about walking a child through the sanctuary, in front of the entire congregation, and delivering them to their parent they started to pay attention.

I had Egyptian soldiers with swords today, and lovely Egyptian princess helping teach the class. They did a good job of fishing baby Moses out of the river, and I think the kids who paid attention got a pretty good feeling for how things might have happened.

Today is my nephew's, Josh's, 16th birthday. I baked his cake last night, but still need to make the frosting and decorate the cake. I don't know yet what we're doing for dinner. Tonight I have a Cub Scout Committee Meeting. Tyler is going roller skating with his Sunday School class. busy, busy, busy....

March 20th

Punch, Kick, and Jam, 50 minutes
Ab Jam, 10 minutes standing

Wii Fit Age: 27

March 19th

2010-03-19T22:05:00.000-07:00

Cardio Party: 45 minutes
Ab Jam: 10 minutes standing

Wii Fit Age: 22

The boys and I walked down to the playground by the YMCA today. They had a good time for awhile, then Tommy spotted the childcare center (right next to the playground) with all the cool toys for Preschoolers. He just couldn't understand why he wasn't allowed to play with them. He tried to crawl under their walls, tried to open the gate, climb over the gate, and threw a fit every time I carried him back to the playground. We finally had to give up, strap him in the stroller, and head for home. We hadn't made it very far when he declared that he wanted to walk. He ran almost all the way home, uphill! What a very energetic 2-year old. He was ready for a nap not long after we got home, and he put himself down on the couch.

We had a good school day today. The boys are showing progress in their studies, Yay!!! Today we did a fun drawing/writing assignment after they had finished their other work. It was like Yamodo, where you complete a picture that only has a couple squiggles or something, then I made them write a story about their picture. Not bad for two boys who love to make things up but complain about having to write. I'm thinking I might add that in every Friday afternoon, it was fun.

The weather has been beautiful lately. I hope it holds out, we're going to a barbecue tomorrow afternoon. Have a great weekend!

March 18th

2010-03-18T22:28:00.000-07:00

Turbo Sculpt: 40 minutes
Ab Jam: 20 minutes

Wii Fit Age: 22

I took the kids to Illahee State Park this afternoon. They played at the playground for awhile, then we went down to the beach where they threw rocks in the water. Tommy has decided that muddy hands need to be wiped off.....on mommy's legs. We'll have to break that habit real soon.

The boys got their chores and schoolwork done today with very little stalling, so it was good.

We watched Popeye tonight, starring Robin Williams. That was good for a few laughs, and now I'm trying to get them to calm down and go to sleep.

March 17th

Cardio Party: 45 minutes
Ab Jam: 10 minutes standing

Wii Fit Age: 45 (a.m.) 20 (afternoon)

It was a rough morning.

March 16th

2010-03-16T17:07:00.001-07:00

Turbo Sculpt: 40 minutes
Ab Jam: 20 minutes

Wii Fit Age: 22

Retreat

2010-03-15T23:45:00.000-07:00

I had a very good time at the retreat. There were some good speakers, good music, and I had the chance to get to know some of the ladies from church better. I even participated in the worship team rhythm section, playing tamborine, too funny!

Friday evening we went for a swim in a warm pool, it was almost bathtub warm, it was so nice. Saturday afternoon we walked around, shopping; went for a walk on the boardwalk and on the beach.

The focus of the retreat was on refreshing your faith, and I think I've managed to come home with some tools for keeping my faith fresh. I took notes anyway, and learned how other women deal with the challenges they face. Good stuff.

The only complaint I would have for the weekend would be the incredible amount of junk food and salty food on hand, and the amount of sitting we did. That's really not a good combination. Water was not among the offerings for drinks either, although there was a drinking fountain. I came home bloated, and gained two pounds. I'm pretty sure those two pounds are not fat, but water. If I go again, I will take fresh fruit and a supply of water with me.

March 15th

2010-03-15T23:31:00.001-07:00

Cardio Party: 45 minutes
Ab Jam: 10 minutes, standing abs

Walked to Post Office and back w/boys after dinner.

Wii Fit Age: 27

March 14th

Punch, Kick & Jam: 50 minutes

March 12th

2010-03-12T10:14:00.000-08:00

Cardio Party: 45 minutes
Ab Jam: 10 minutes
Belly Dance Stretches: 15 minutes

Wii Fit Age: 33

I decided to throw in some stretches from the Belly Dance Basics DVD, just for fun. I like the way they target muscles that nothing else does, and work other muscles differently. It amazes me how I can get through a half-hour sculpting routine with an 8-pound weight in each hand, but just a few mintues of snake arms or shoulder shimmies can have muscles screaming.

I'm off to the retreat. Have a great weekend everybody, and remember to move your bodies!

Lori

Swam for an hour in the evening.

My Tyler

2010-03-11T22:26:00.000-08:00

He can just be super sweet sometimes. We were driving down the road on our way home from the store this morning and were talking about getting packed and our plans for the weekend.

Tyler is spending the night with friends tonight and going to the Museum of Flight with our Cub Scout Pack tomorrow. On Saturday morning the sports club is having the basketball competitions and awards ceremony. I am leaving tomorrow morning to go to the Dunes Bible Camp for a women's retreat. I told Tyler I'm gonna miss him, and he said he's going to miss me to...then he paused......"I'm going to miss you and then I'm going to come home but you won't be there, that's even worse," is what he said. How sweet is that?

March 11th

2010-03-11T19:41:00.000-08:00

Turbo Sculpt: 40 Minutes
Turbo Jam: 20 Minutes

Wii Fit Age: 26

Today marks 4 weeks since I started exercising in earnest. I am officially 11.5 pounds down, Yay!!!!

I also discovered today that is much harder to get motivated to workout in the afternoon. I really need to be started by 7 a.m. so I can just cruise into the rest of my day after I exercise and shower.

How are you all doing?

Non-Scale Victory!

2010-03-11T08:14:00.000-08:00

That's what Melissa calls them--non-scale victories! Well, I think I had one this morning. Both my pairs of jeans (yes, I only have 2 pair that fit) are in the laundry getting ready for me to wash, dry, and pack for this weekend's retreat. I want to go to the store, and don't really feel like dressing in slacks, etc... There's a pair of jeans in the dresser that are one size down, and I think that maybe I can squeeze into them. I pull them on, button them up, and zip without even the slightest tug of resistance!!! Yay!!! That is a non-scale victory!

Have a Great Day Everyone! Don't Forget to Exercise!

March 10th

2010-03-10T09:35:00.000-08:00

Ab Jam: 20 minutes
Turbo Jam: 20 minutes

Wii Fit Age: 25

The boys and I walked over to the church and back tonight. It was a beautiful day and evening, but cold. We stopped at Albertsons for a snack before heading up Sheridan hill. Pushing a 30 pound child in his stroller up that hill is hard work, but Travis took over (as usual) and made the going much easier. I'm estimating it's about a mile and a half from here to the church, so figure we got approx. 3 miles in.

March 9th

2010-03-09T12:16:00.001-08:00

Turbo Sculpt: 40 minutes
Turbo Jam: 20 minutes

Wii Fit Age: 25

I also went for a 30-min walk with Travis and played in the kids vs. parents basketball game with Tyler. Fun, fun, fun!

Accountability

2010-03-08T18:01:00.000-08:00

Rainbow wants accountability so here it is....we'll see how long this lasts.

Today I did Turbo Jam Cardio Party , and 10 minutes (standing portion) of Ab Jam for a total of 55 minutes formal exercise.

My Wii Fit age today was 20. Weight stayed the same as yesterday.

Hope you are all doing well.

“I Was Here First!”

2010-01-31T13:24:00.001-08:00

Tommy has been in a "My Mommy" phase these last few weeks. Every time Tyler sits with me on the couch, Tommy will try to force his way in the middle, saying, "My Mommy, my mommy!" and pushing his brother away. Of course, we are not trying to encourage this behavior, but sometimes we just have to laugh. Naturally I have tried several times to explain to him that while I am his mommy, I am also his brothers' mother too….he won't have that.

Well, this morning Travis was making himself an egg/English muffin sandwich (thanks again for the egg forms, Melissa); and he wanted me to help him with something. Tommy had just climbed up on me, wanting to see what was cooking. I had to put Tommy down to help Travis, and I told him so. He instantly started with "my Mommy!" to which Travis quickly responded, "She's my Mommy too, and I was here first!"

Doxology

2010-01-11T22:42:00.001-08:00

Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;

Praise Him, all creatures here below;

Praise Him above, ye Heavenly Host;

Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

By Thomas Ken

New Year’s Resolutions

2009-12-29T17:41:00.001-08:00

Some people make them; some people don't….what is your stance on New Year's Resolutions? Do you believe that making a new year resolution means you need to change on January 1^st or bust? Do you believe that a new year resolution means that you will change by the end of the year?

Personally, I make resolutions all the time and try hard to make them work. Timing this year works out for a New Year's Resolution. I'm joining a Biggest Loser contest, and the first weigh-in is January 2^nd. Therefore, I resolve to work hard to lose weight for at least 10 weeks…LOL.

Seriously, it is my intention to give up soda and sports drinks. I need to drink more water. That's my goal for this year. Jeff laughed at me, "first coffee, now Pepsi?" Well, yes. I gave up coffee in 2009, but that wasn't planned, it just happened. Let's not forget that I quit smoking 3 years ago too. Slowly, slowly I am becoming a healthier person. Yay!

So, what are your resolutions???????

Thank You!

2009-12-23T18:13:00.001-08:00

Thank you, Maureen and Mac. You are two very generous people, after you left I was crying again, darn it! J

I can't thank you enough! May God continue to bless you, and may you have a fabulous Christmas and New Year!

It’s Not How You Feel, It’s How You Behave

2009-12-23T00:43:00.001-08:00

When I left the house this afternoon to do some shopping, I knew I didn't feel like being very friendly. However, it was foremost in my mind that our behavior shouldn't be determined by how we feel. Somewhere in the past couple weeks (I'm thinking the pastor said something his sermon) I got the message that worship is not necessarily about how we feel. We may not feel like being obedient, but we must still obey. We may not feel like being friendly, but we must still behave in a Christian manner. We may not feel joyful, but we must still give thanks and praise. I am glad that was in the front of my thoughts, because stores this time of year can be madhouses, and I was able to respond with smiles and "that's alright" when I was cut off in aisles or bumped into by kids, rather than being grumpy.

This morning Jeff took the older 2 boys with him to run some errands. Tyler went out to the car, and then came running back in the house yelling that somebody had stolen his bike. Jeff, Travis, and Tyler all went out to look all around the yard, but the truth was somebody had indeed stolen Tyler's bike. It's 3 days before Christmas, we have nothing under our tree, and the boy's bike is gone.

Tyler bucked up as best he could and went with his Dad and brother. I called Rainbow to cry on her shoulder, figuratively. I also told Rainbow about the incident that took place Sunday morning…when I stayed home from church because of a sore throat. Tommy and I dozed on the couch until about 11, when I woke up suddenly with the thought that I needed to lock the backdoor. I always have the doors locked, even when we're home. Jeff and the older boys hadn't locked it behind them when they left for church, so I went ahead and locked it. Somewhere between 11:30 and noon the doorknob rattled like somebody was opening the door. Tommy ran for the door yelling "Daddy, Daddy" with the intention of opening the door. I knew it wasn't time for Jeff to be back, so swept Tommy up and looked out the window by the door. There was nobody there, no car in the driveway but ours. Whoever had been trying to open the door was gone. Thank you, Lord, for telling me to lock the door. What would've happened if they had walked in and there had been a confrontation? Do they know our routine, and fully expect us to be gone to church? Who were they and what did they want?

After talking to Rainbow, I sat down and sobbed. Part of me feels an enormous amount of grief over the losses we've had this year. It's been a financially and emotionally draining year for us. Materialistically things have been horrible. Emotionally, well, let's say family members have shown their true colors. It's just been rough. I was feeling vulnerable, scared, and like there's no sense of security here. Then I remembered I was told to lock the door, I remembered that God provided this home when we needed it, I remembered that He has provided for us all along and that He has things under control. After having a good cry, I went to the computer where I sent out an e-mail with a prayer request and posted to Facebook my frustrations and request for prayer.

Jeff and the boys came home, we did our chores, and then I took the boys to meet friends at the roller rink. I began to count our blessings, not material blessings, but relationships: Friends from school that I haven't seen in almost 20 years but still bring smiles or tears; friends from church who know they can rely on me if they need me and whom I know I can rely on also; friends from scouts who are becoming friends away from scouts; friends from friends; and family who are truly friends as well. I have enjoyed the company of many people these past couple months who probably don't know how much I really appreciated their time, even though I tried to tell them.

Shari, a friend, was a sponsor for Kitsap Mortgage Team's client appreciation event tonight. They rented Olympic Cinemas and showed The Princess and the Frog in all the theatres. There were goodie bags, door prizes, etc... Travis, Tyler, and I went to that tonight. We had great seats smack dab in the middle of the theatre. Shari's mother-in-law sat with us, and that was nice…a good sense of belonging and sense of past. After all, Carol has known me for 26 years, since her son and my brother were good friends back at Manchester Elementary. She sat next to Travis, and I took a moment to appreciate that he is friends with her grandson….what a wonderful village we have at times.

After the movie I got to spend a few moments with Shari, to thank her for inviting us. I haven't spent any time with her in over a year, and realized today how very much I miss her. The boys went for a short drive and stopped at the grocery store. I asked Tyler if he'd had a good day, and he said "yes" with no hesitation, no sense of loss. I'm not foolish enough to think he's over his bike, but I was relieved to know that he seems to have his priorities in line. As much as we have lost materialistically this year, we have gained in time spent with loved ones. We have learned some life lessons, and we are probably a stronger family unit because of it. It is amazing to me how in one day I can go from grieving my losses to celebrating my blessings. God is truly good.

Merry Christmas Everyone! Remember the meaning of the holiday has nothing to do with what is under the tree, filling the stockings, or cooking in the kitchen—it's all about what's in your heart! God Bless!

Potato Condo

2009-12-15T18:04:00.000-08:00

About.com: http://www.gardenfreshliving.com/2009/06/the-building-of-a-potato-condo.html

Melissa,

I saw this and thought of you, not sure why. I so want to grow my own potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, etc...

Hmmmmm…

2009-12-01T18:18:00.001-08:00

I sat down to blog, because I had something to say………….then I got sidetracked. I have no idea what I thought might be halfway interesting enough to blog about.

Things have been pretty much normal around here. We had a good Thanksgiving with family. The house is clean, school has gone well, and Scouts has been fun. We put up a tree in the living room and a few other decorations around the house, but nothing too exciting this year, we just don't have the room for it.

I think Tyler is coming down with something, he's just not acting quite himself, and he took a nap this evening.

Tommy might be prepping for potty training, for the last 2 days he has pulled his diaper off and peed on the floor. Today I taught him how to use the toilet, and he's been running in there every few minutes to try. He's having fun with it and I'm not pressuring him. I do hope he'll stop peeing on the floor though.

Maybe I'll think of whatever I was going to say. If I do, I'll blog later.

Rough Day

2009-11-19T23:44:00.001-08:00

It really was hard getting these boys going on school day today. They just didn't want to do it and it was irritating me that they weren't the least bit inspired to learn today. Meanwhile, 2-year old Tommy was getting into everything and adding to the frustration. He kept taking their papers, their pencils, climbing on the table, running off with their books, dumping out crayons, putting a little toy shark in the fish tank….he was into everything and it was driving me crazy!!! No, the irony of the situation wasn't lost on me; I was irritated with the oldest 2 for not being inquisitive enough, and frustrated by the little one for being too inquisitive. Isn't there a happy medium?

Tyler struggled for hours learning a new math skill. He just wasn't focusing, and we went over it a dozen different ways with different manipulatives and different strategies. In the end, he finally figured it out. I'm hoping it sticks with him for tomorrow's assignment.

Next week is Thanksgiving, and it looks like we're having the usual company. How we're all going to fit in this tiny little place still has me puzzled, but I'm sure we'll work it out somehow. The first Sunday of Advent is right after Thanksgiving, so I'll have to go dig my Christmas stuff out of storage. The tradition in our home is to decorate the day after Thanksgiving, sometimes starting on Thanksgiving evening if we're in the mood. I still haven't figured out where we're going to put anything.

My poor Scarebear has taken a beating this year by Tommy. I had him in the window for a few weeks, and occasionally on the table, but this last week he has landed on the kitchen counter and stayed there. I've probably left him there because he hasn't been on the floor as much this way. I love autumn, and am not in a hurry to see it go.

Things are going well. I'm enjoying my Wednesday night Bible study group. The scout groups are moving right along, Travis is going bowling on Saturday with his troop. This coming Sunday at church is the congregational Thanksgiving dinner, we're looking forward to that. Also on Sunday, I'm going to see that new Blind Side movie with some ladies from scouts; I'm looking forward to that too.

Have fun everyone!

I have been so busy….

2009-11-05T23:45:00.001-08:00

I have been so busy; I had to come to the conclusion that I had spread myself too thin. I had to make a decision about which activities I was going to continue with, and which is I was going to give up. I gave up my position as nursery coordinator at church. I'm not sure everybody understands why, and I am sure it has caused some controversy, but I had to do what was best for my family and me.

Things got crazy busy with the start of the new school year and new program year. Scouts has kept us especially busy this year, or at least kept me especially busy. There was one stretch where I had something scout related to do every day for 2 weeks straight. Between popcorn sales, regular scout meetings, Boy Scout Committee meetings, Cub Scout Committee meetings, a parents meeting, a merit badge activity, and Boards of Review we managed to fit in youth group on Wednesday and have one Friday off.

We sold popcorn at Fred Meyers for 3 weekends in a row (Sept. 25-Oct. 11), a total of 7 days. The boys did very well, Tyler more than made the goal set for the boys in his pack, and Travis made enough to qualify for the camp scholarship from his troop. They should get their prizes at their respective Christmas parties in December.

We had one weekend off from popcorn (Oct. 16-18), and then went on a camp-out (Oct. 23-25). The Boy Scout troop invited the Webelos from the Cub Scout Pack on a weekend camp-out at Camp Parsons. The Webelos needed to have a parent/guardian attend with them, and as Jeff had to work that left me. So Travis, Tyler, and I packed our gear and went camping. It was actually a whole lot of fun, except for the part where we froze at night. I have decided to purchase fleece sleeping bag liners before the next camp-out.

The day after the camp-out we had a Pack meeting, which means awards. As the advancement chair it is my responsible to see to it that all of the awards are purchased and well organized. It has also fallen on me for the last 2 months to present the awards…yikes! Not really my thing, but I'm doing my best. I spent a bit of time on Tuesday and Wednesday this week creating new report forms for the den leaders to use each month and turn into me, trying to simplify things for everybody.

Last Wednesday Tyler's WOW! Church group went on a field trip to a local Bremerton fire station. Friday we carved pumpkins. Saturday was Halloween, so we were busy. Actually, I had Scout leader training that morning from 10:30-3:30. Travis worked the carnival at the church from 4:30-9:30. We took Tyler and Tommy to the carnival for a couple hours, then took them trick-or-treating in a friend's neighborhood. We only hit 5 houses in an hour because we kept running into people we knew and visiting with them. Oh well, it was a fun time.

Sunday we went to church, and then out to dinner at Scott and Amanda's house. Yes, I got them to invite us to dinner for a change. I hinted around about it for a month or two, and then finally was very bold. Amanda asked if she could borrow my tostado bowl maker and I told her we'd be glad to bring it if she'd just tell us what time to be there for dinner. That prompted her to set a date and time. She was obviously very nervous about having the in-laws over for dinner for the first time, and it didn't go off without a hitch, but it did go well. I just figured they have lived out here for 3 or 4 years now, eat dinners at my house 2-4 times each month, and it should be their turn. Anyway, it went well.

On Monday the Cub Scouts had a tour of a fire station in Port Orchard…the theme for the month, I guess. On Monday evening the Cub Scout Committee had a meeting while the Boy Scouts had their regular troop meeting. Tyler got to stay home, because the field trip took the place of a den meeting. The new secretary didn't show up, so I took the minutes and typed them up on Tuesday. On Tuesday the Boy Scouts had Boards of Review, I sat in on a couple of those. On Wednesday we all had our individual church activities. Tonight I went to the Boy Scout Committee meeting; I am the secretary so I took the minutes and will probably type them up tomorrow.

Somewhere in all my spare time we managed to take turns being sick for almost 2 weeks, do schoolwork, try to maintain the house, spend time with Jeff and Tommy, and find time to talk to Rainbow and chat online with Melissa. I realize that I have not blogged at all during this time, but I do hope you understand why.

This coming Monday is Tyler's birthday. We have scouts, so will probably take cookies for him to share with his den. He thinks we're going to have cake and ice cream Sunday evening after church, with just the immediate family. What he doesn't know is that I've arranged for his best buddy to come over on Saturday for a sleep-over. We'll go swimming at the pool in the early afternoon, and come home to a surprise party…cake, ice cream, pizza, balloons, presents…and then we'll do something in the evening (mini-golf, a movie….don't know yet, but we'll do something). I think he'll like that.

I'll post pictures soon. Take care everybody, and good night!

Popcorn!

2009-09-24T23:40:00.001-07:00

Popcorn! Popcorn! Popcorn! Our scout troop and pack are selling popcorn. You'll likely see scouts all around town. This is a great way to support scouting. The popcorn is yummy too! I can tell you how to order online, place an order with one of my boys, or when and where to buy it in person. You also have the option of donating popcorn to our military troops. Give it some thought, and let me know!

Tommy Turns Two!

2009-09-20T17:07:00.000-07:00

Tyler decorated the cake.

I think he did a great job!

They grow up too fast.

Celebrating!

Blowing out the candles.

Last Day of Summer Break

2009-09-08T22:14:00.001-07:00

It has been a busy week, since I last wrote. I collected my boys Friday afternoon, and when we got home we made pizza. On Saturday, Scott and his crew came over. Amanda and I went to Costco, and Jeff tossed some burgers and chicken on the grill in the evening. On Sunday I subbed in the nursery for a missing volunteer, there was only one other child in there besides Tommy. Labor Day weekend had many of our regulars out of town.

Jeff went to work Sunday evening. The boys and I rented a couple movies and threw a frozen casserole in the oven. It wasn't fancy, but it did the trick.

Yesterday Jeff's mom, Scott, Amanda, and Josh were all here. I was totally anti-social and spent most of the time typing up last week's Committee meeting minutes and prepping for the nursery volunteers meeting at the church. I was nervous, but didn't need to be. The idea of running a meeting with a room full of people was intimidating, but when I realized that each of those people is a person I am comfortable with one-on-one it made it a whole lot easier.

This afternoon we went to Lowes to get a mailbox to replace the rusted out mailbox out front (the door fell off a couple weeks ago). Yes, most of our mail goes to our PO Box, but I would like to get the grocery store ads. The mailman said he won't deliver to the old mailbox, it was in sad shape…and it housed a bees nest earlier this year and spiders today.

The boys are looking forward to school starting tomorrow, they even told me so. There's some excitement about the science….we'll see how it goes. To wrap up our last day of summer break we went for a walk this evening. We needed to return the movies we'd rented from Red Box, and I wanted to check the mail. We made it a loop, almost a 3-mile loop. The boys did great. These hills over here are hard to push a stroller up though. I know if we keep at it we will build endurance.

Half-way down the hill as we left our house we ran into a friend who used to go to our church. That was nice, to stop and visit with her. She threw Tommy's baby shower two years ago, and left the church shortly after. It turns out she lives right down the hill from us, small world. She said she thought she'd seen Travis the other day. At the post office we took the time to open a few items of mail before continuing on. We stopped at Red Apple for drinks before finishing our route home. It was a nice walk.

Rainbow, I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to call you back tonight. Tomorrow I have a Cub Scout meeting at 6:00 in Port Orchard. Hopefully I will have time after school but before the meeting to call you. If not, I'll try when I get home from the meeting. Mom, are you reading this? Can you babysit at 5:30?

Good Night Everybody!

Committee Meeting Tonight…

2009-09-03T15:15:00.001-07:00

…and I'm losing another kid. Travis is off to spend a night in Port Orchard with friends. When I get home, it'll be just Tommy and me. I'll drop Travis off on the way to my meeting. In the meantime, I'm busy printing out the information we're going to review tonight, and putting the agenda into a format that is more minutes-friendly for me.

Tyler went to lunch camp with his friend, and will go again tomorrow. I'm interested in hearing his take on it, I've heard all about it from the friend's family.

Jeff just left for work, and Tommy is starting to settle down, headed up to nap time. Maybe some peace and quiet for mom?

Last Week of Summer Break

2009-09-02T18:02:00.001-07:00

I realize that many people around the country have started school already, but I just can't bring myself to start before Labor Day. We've decided to do what SK is doing, and start on the 9^th, the first Wednesday after Labor Day weekend. Tyler has gone to spend the next two nights with a buddy in Port Orchard, and Travis has a friend coming here for the night tonight.

Bremerton schools started today, so I imagine we may get a few odd looks from the neighbors…but that comes with the territory. It struck me today that we are the weird new neighbors. Ah well….I filled out my declaration of intent to homeschool and will mail it tomorrow. It's due by the 15^th.

The family that Tyler is staying with schooled through the summer. I sent a 4^th grade workbook with him, pages marked, so he can participate and not be a distraction while they school. It'll be a good warm-up for him. I need to go to storage this weekend to pull out the parts of our curriculum that aren't here. I did get our science curriculum in the mail on Monday. I'm looking forward to doing it, it looks fun.

Tough Night for Dreams

2009-08-31T22:12:00.001-07:00

Last night I had a series of short dreams set in different locations and with different people: home, church, scouts, shopping, friends' houses, etc… Each dream had a different person telling me what I screw-up I am in different areas of my life. Ugh!

Tommy's fingernail finally fell off today. It had been hanging on by a small section of skin for the last couple days, and every time he bumped it, it hurt him. Now we are in the final stages of healing, seeing if a new nail grows in okay. He has another doctor appt. next Friday, the 11^th.

I finally finished typing committee meeting notes from last month, just in time for this month's meeting on Thursday. This month's agenda isn't even half as long as last month's, so maybe the minutes will be faster.

I had to wade through 300+ e-mails today. I've been on the computer off-and-on all day. Travis had a leader meeting at Scouts tonight, so I took him to that. There's nothing on the calendar for tomorrow. Wednesday Travis has youth group, and Thursday I have a committee meeting.

I'm having trouble connecting with Rainbow on the phone…..call me back when you get the time.

Good Night All and sweet dreams!

Home From Camp

2009-08-30T18:50:00.001-07:00

We are finally home from camp. It was a long 4 days, but most of it was fun. The kids had a great time; there was not much time for relaxing. I have a few pictures to post, but not as many as last year. That means I have been on blogger for a year!

I'm getting ready to switch the laundry over (reboot) and start the second load in the wash. Boy, am I beat. I will try to post more later.

Divine Intervention?

2009-08-24T12:27:00.001-07:00

This won't make sense to a lot of people, but to others, well……

My grandfather has tried to call me several times this week, but I have not actually been available to take the calls. Once he called while I was teaching VBS and my ringer was off, another time he called a when I was in a service dead zone, and yet another time he called when my son was on the phone and didn't tell me the call-waiting was beeping. He left a message, it was something Jeff could deal with, and Jeff called him back. This morning, when my phone rang and I saw it was him, I hesitated to answer. However, I did answer it—only to discover it was my brother calling from my grandfather's phone.

Okay, it probably doesn't mean much of anything at all; but I can't help feeling that I'm being protected. I'm counting my blessings this week.

I know I haven't blogged lately. I've been busy at the church and with my kids this last week. This coming weekend we are going camping with the Scout groups out at Dosewallips. If I find my camera charger, I'll have pics to post next week.

I'll try to find time to read everybody's blogs and catch up soon. In the meantime, Facebook seems to be the place to be. lol

It's Sunday

2009-08-16T09:45:00.000-07:00

We're off to church. Jeff has already left to go drive the bus. I'm teaching children's church this morning. Jeff has to go work this evening. I want to find something for the boys and I to do. Summer is almost over and I feel like we haven't done much.

2009-08-12T12:32:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday

Kim!

Travis Tuesday

2009-08-11T18:34:00.001-07:00

Travis has talked me into taking him to the drive-in tonight. He was disappointed that we didn't go on Sunday, because I wasn't feeling well. He loaded the car with blankets and pillows, changed Tommy, and was as helpful as he could be before he asked me to take him. When I called to get Jeff's opinion, he said he didn't think Tommy would want to sit at the drive-in through two movies, and offered to watch him. What??? Yep, he was on his way home from work with the night off, doesn't want to see those movies, and will stay home with Tommy.

So, what are we going to see? GI Joe and Transformers 2. Definitely Travis night at the movies.

I just placed a couple bids on EBay for the curriculum I want. $150.00 beats $450.00 for the core curriculum, even if it is used. Actually, $150 is my high bid; I'm only at $91.00 right now, and high bidder. I also found the corresponding Science curriculum and have bid on that. Wish us luck! If I can get this curriculum for 1/3 the price I will be ecstatic! I would only have to get the math curriculum to finish it up.

Oh, and that committee meeting, it's tomorrow night, not Thursday. Oops!

Getting ready for the drive-in now, bye!

2009-08-10T22:30:00.001-07:00

I have a horrible sinus thing going on. Travis and Tyler had it last week. Ugh. About 4:00 a.m. I took some Nyquil and crashed on the couch. When Tommy got up he just wanted his momma's attention, but didn't get it. I had to wake Jeff and tell him that I was not able to take care of Tommy. That was a yucky feeling. I went back to bed, and Jeff made pancakes for the boys.

Tyler has gone off to Cle Elum for a few days with friends. That feels weird to me, I miss my boy. Our old neighbor called and invited Ty to come over and play on Saturday, which turned into a sleep-over, which turned into 4 days at the lake in Cle Elum. I talked to him today, he's having fun. Last night they went to a movie, today they made butter at the museum and went swimming at the pool. Tomorrow they're going on a hike in the Petrified Forest, and he's due home on Wednesday.

It's a shame I feel so yucky, or I could take advantage of some quality time with Travis. Maybe tomorrow I'll be feeling better, and we can do something. He likes it when we play board games and go on walks together, so maybe…

Right now I am missing my old neighborhood, missing the walks we used to go on, missing the semi-privacy of our yard, missing the summer the kids could've had: riding bikes with their friends, running through the house, playing tag, impromptu parties. I know that somehow, someway this is all going to work out for the best but I do still miss it all. It was weird seeing the neighborhood from the neighbor's house; it looked different from that perspective.

This week I have a Boy Scout Committee meeting on Thursday evening. Tyler's buddy, Noah, is probably spending the night on Thursday also. On Saturday we are going to an Eagle Court of Honor…it's a big deal in the Scouting world.

My brother-in-law, Scott, got tired of his car leaving him on the side of the road. When I picked them up Friday night, he offered me his car. On Saturday, he and Jeff went and got it. It's a pretty, purple Dodge Stratus. It runs great, when it runs. The problem is it dies for no apparent reason and with no warning. Jeff thinks we can fix it, and when it's free, why not?

Rainbow had an excellent time at the wedding: danced all night in the garage with the band and drank beer from the keg. She said the wedding was a beautiful Christian ceremony.

That's all for now, have a good week everybody.

Keeping Busy

2009-08-03T21:45:00.001-07:00

We have just been keeping ourselves busy. We spent the hot part of Thursday afternoon/evening down at Bremerton Harborside Fountain Park. I decided that hot summer days are rather pleasant when you have a shady spot to sit and water source for cooling off.

Friday, I don't even remember Friday, really. I know that I took Josh, Travis, and Tyler to the hunter safety course in Silverdale that evening. That was interesting. I had asked them what the hours were last week, and was told 6-9 on Friday and 9-3 on Saturday. What they didn't tell me was it was for 3 Fridays. It will all work out just fine.

On Saturday Scott & Amanda came over to hang out. They ordered pizza. I hand-sewed a curtain for the front door window. I also got to talk with Melissa via Skype for awhile, that was fun.

Yesterday was Jeff's family reunion, which we went to as soon as Jeff got home from driving the church bus. On our way home, we stopped at Desiree's house and stayed there for about 4 ½ hours. They invited us for dinner, which was nice. The kids had a good time running around and even Jeff played some badminton. There was a water balloon war, and some time for the mom's to chat.

Today was a lazy day. Nothing planned for tomorrow either. That's okay, as I'm working on catching up laundry and stuff.

Travis was asked to participate in an Eagle Court of Honor, exciting stuff for him. Now, if he'll only get motivated to work on some Merit Badges.

Good Night all!

Tommy Update & Our Escape

2009-07-30T11:14:00.001-07:00

Tommy saw the Dr. this morning, and we have wonderful news: he is expected to heal just fine. They did an ex-ray and saw no sign of a fracture and said that the cut was healing well. The fingernail will probably fall off when the new nail grows in. We need to keep a band-aid on it. He needs to stay on the antibiotics, keep his wound clean, and avoid prolonged time in water. Yay! What a difference from Monday's predictions, praise God!

We ran away to escape the heat yesterday, and it worked. My mom, brother, the kids, and I took off for cooler weather. We didn't find it at our stop in Shelton where the temperature was registering at 109°, but we did pick up some iced drinks there. Further down the road we dropped into the 70°s, and by Aberdeen we had dropped to the upper 60°s. What a relief. From there we took a scenic tour down 101 South to Long Beach, where we picked up snacks and played in the ocean. It was 62° there at about 7:00 p.m. We jumped back in the car and stayed on South 101 until we got into Oregon. That was a fun experience, crossing the Columbia River at the right time of day with just the right amount of fog and mist, it looked like we were driving into nothingness, and it was a little eerie. At the end, the bridge goes up, which reminded me slightly of a roller coaster. Rainbow, I thought of you, and how much you would've hated to be in the vehicle at that point. We didn't stay long in Astoria, pointed ourselves north and east, and headed for I-5 and home. It was a fun adventure, and we really did avoid much of the heat.

Now to deal with today…

Doctor Update

2009-07-29T11:46:00.001-07:00

Tommy has an appointment for 9:15 tomorrow morning, which is supposed to be a good time because the surgeon will be there for a consultation if necessary. We're going out for most of the rest of today.

It’s Hot!

2009-07-29T09:28:00.001-07:00

I realize that people in other parts of the country think we are whining about the heat, but when it gets over 100, it's hot! My house doesn't cool off at all, it stays over 90 through the night, and we just aren't used to this kind of heat, and we don't have air conditioning. I'm looking forward to some high temperatures in the 80s, soon, please.

I took Tyler and his friend over to Illahee State Park yesterday afternoon, to try to beat the heat. My mom brought Tommy and Travis to meet us. The kids had a good time cooling off in the water, but then it was time to get ready to go to Port Orchard. We all rode over in my mom's car (a/c) to drop Ty and his friend off for the night, and then we went to Manchester until sunset, still looking for a cool place to be.

We haven't figured out what we're doing today yet. We're still trying to get an appt. with the doctor for Tommy. They stressed at the emergency room how urgent it is that he see the doctor by today, but the doctor's office keeps saying they'll call us back, and haven't yet. Urgh! On the upside, Tommy ripped his bandage off yesterday and I saw that his finger actually resembles a finger again. I'm trying not to get my hopes up though, they were very skeptical at the ER. He is re-bandaged, and now he needs to be seen by a doctor. Hopefully, he'll get in this morning and they'll say it looks like its healing, and they'll send him home and we can find someplace to go to stay cool.

I truly believe in the power of prayer, so thank you all who have prayed. I'll post any updates.

Prayer Request

2009-07-28T07:50:00.001-07:00

22 month-old Tommy got his finger slammed in a door. At the emergency room they stitched him up, but have said he will more than likely lose the end of his finger (from the top knuckle up). Tommy will see the doctor on Wednesday to see if the finger is healing at all. Please pray for healing. This is the pointer finger on his right hand.

Also, I would appreciate prayer for the young family friend who slammed the door. He is feeling a huge amount of guilt. If Tommy ends up losing the end of his finger this child will feel horrible.

Lastly, please pray for me. It's the next morning, and while I was strong last night, all I want to do right now is cry. My poor baby.

Have a great day, everyone. Try to stay cool.

A Summer Day

2009-07-25T15:25:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was Jeff's birthday. He took the day off work and we all went on a scenic drive around the Hood Canal and up to Lake Cushman. It was a beautiful day for it. We stopped at Dosewallips, where we'll be camping next month; at Lake Cushman; and at Hoodsport. Scott, Amanda, & Josh came over after we got home and we barbecued steak. It was a good day.

Josh stayed over last night. We got the household chores done this morning before it started to heat up outside. While the boys were out playing in the yard, Tyler got his first ever bee sting. Ouch! We got out the baking powder and liberally applied it to the sting, before long it was just a dot on his finger. Then I went to pick up Tara. After we got back, Josh got himself stung. Silly boy, don't chase bees! More baking powder and water, and an Aunt Lori lecture about not making them any madder because I don't want Tommy getting stung.

Then the kids decided they wanted to go swimming. Jeff ran Tara home to get her swim suit while the boys got ready here. Then off to the pool with all of them for a couple hours. It's good for them. Actually, I really like the pool being so close. They are running a summer special on Mon-Fri afternoons, $1 swim for an hour and a half. The timing works well for us, Jeff drops them off on his way to work and they walk home when they're done. Tommy's nap time has been falling about the same time, so I have a little bit of time to catch up on housework or play on the computer, some "me" time.

We're barbecuing again today, burgers. I'm trying to keep the heat outside. I made Jell-O with oranges, and we may have salad. I haven't decided yet.

Webelos Day Camp

2009-07-21T18:57:00.000-07:00

The Sign Coming Into Camp

Their Den Flag

Taking Aim

Drawing a Diagram to Earn a Pin

BB Range

Rules to Follow

Taking Aim

Camp Buddies

Bullseye!

Cooking

On the Rope Bridge, Day 1

Crossing the Rope Bridge, Day 3

Dismount

Folding the U.S. Flag

Flag Ceremony

1^st Aid Kit

Practice

The neighboring fire department gave us all a treat on Thursday and Friday.

The boys loved it!

I took about 500 pictures at camp last week, so I can weed through them and hopefully find good shots of all 12 kids in the den. I'll send some on to the other parents, and then I would like to make a memory book for our Pack. I'm still thinking about how I want to do that.

Silly Quiz on Facebook

2009-07-16T22:54:00.001-07:00

Just for fun, I took this silly quiz on Facebook, "What does your true best friend's name start with." The first question was about favorite colors, and I picked the answer "rainbow." Anyway, after answering the questions it came back and told me that my true best friend's name starts with a "K". Hmmmm….first name or middle name? Kalani Rainbow, or Melissa Kaye, or both!!!! Anyway, silly but cute.

I am surviving day camp. Thank you for all your help this week, Mom. I'll try to post pics this weekend.

Goodnight!

Blue Jackets Game

2009-07-14T22:53:00.000-07:00

Travis and Tyler are on opposite sides of the dancing pictures.

Singing "Take Me Out to the Ball Game"

It looks like everybody had a good time.
Tommy slept through most of it.
The Blue Jackets won!

July 9th

2009-07-13T10:03:00.000-07:00

Tyler wasn't with us because he had spent the night with friends and gone to the movies that morning.

This was a fun day. I miss you guys! Didn't feel like we spent enough time together, but it never does, does it?

Goings on lately: Tyler's new bike was stolen Sunday morning. Tyler was crushed. Scott & Amanda said he can have Josh's old bike, which makes it a little better but doesn't do much about the person who thinks stealing a bike from a little kid is a cool thing to do.

We went to the drive-in Sunday evening. I posted on Facebook that we were going and ended up with 2 other families I know there. That was a lot of fun: 3 families with 3 boys each, all around the same ages. We were there early enough to let all the kids run around and play Frisbee and wear themselves out before the movies started. Another mom (we didn't know her) and her 12-year old son parked near us, and joined us for awhile. Jeff stayed home and watched a movie with Scott; I took Amanda with me and the boys. She had never been to a drive-in before.

This week….I am getting ready for this week. Tonight is a mandatory den guides meeting for Webelos Day Camp. As I am a den guide all 4 days, I need to be there. Simultaneously, the Boy Scout troop is having a family picnic at a different location. Okay. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday Tyler and I will be at camp from about 8 a.m. until about 4 p.m. Friday camp runs from 1:30 p.m. to about 7:30 p.m. I think my mom plans on watching the kids until I home. Right, Mom?

On Tuesday and Thursday the boys still have swimming. On Wednesday Travis has youth group. On Tuesday we are going to the Blue Jackets game also, for a friend's birthday, right after swimming. Does anybody see me being exhausted by the end of the week?

Okay, I think I'm going to go bake an apple crisp for Travis to take to the family picnic. Have a good week everybody!

Water Fun

2009-07-02T22:06:00.000-07:00

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then these say a lot. Maureen, the kids had a blast playing at your house today. Kim, it was nice meeting you again. Rainbow, please don't kill me. That was a yummy salad, I want the recipe.

We went to the boys swimming lessons when we left this crazy fun. Travis freaked me out by showing me his newest skill….front flips off the diving board. Yikes!

Lori Bell, Seamstress….

2009-06-29T14:33:00.001-07:00

…or maybe not. It is funny how things tend to snowball, however. The next door neighbor had a small personal crisis the other day. She's a part-time dancer, and she was not pleased to discover that her younger sister had absconded with her costume pants. She needed to have some for Saturday night, so she came down and asked me to help her make some. She had found a pattern on-line, she had the material, and she just needed somebody who knew what they were doing to turn the material and pattern into pants. I guess that was me. It took a couple hours, but I did in fact manage to make her costume pants.

Later that day, I posted on Facebook that I had made the neighbor some pants. The next thing I knew, I had a friend trying to convince me to become her new tailor, well, just for hems. So here I am trying to tell her I'm not experienced and not sure about this and she pops up with "I'll bring you my Goodwill jeans to start on and after you've gained some experience you can work on my good pants." Hmmmm…maybe.

To add to the situation, Rainbow brought me Jurnee's pants to hem the very next day. Yes, this was already planned, but still. Until Saturday I hadn't touched a sewing machine in at least a year, and then it was only for something small.

Today the neighbor told me the other dancers loved her pants. I was glad to hear they were a success.

Scouts tonight. I hope everybody is doing well…visiting family and all. Miss you Melissa!

Just Normal, Everyday Life

2009-06-25T20:43:00.001-07:00

There isn't anything out of the ordinary going on right now. I've been playing around a bit on Facebook, which means I have too much time on my hands.

Tommy has learned how to climb out of his bed. This has been a challenge for the last two days, and I expect it to continue to be a challenge for about the next week. All you mom's out there probably know the drill: 1. Tuck child in for the night. 2. Child gets up and comes out to play. 3. Calmly put child back in bed. 4. Repeat from step 2 several times, until child stays in bed. It's exhausting.

I rented Mamma Mia today. I'm hoping to be able to watch it tonight after the kids go to bed. I am hoping to put the kids back on some sort of schedule in the next few days. Now that things have settled down a bit, they have too much unstructured time on their hands. I know they need free time to run, play, hang with friends, and be kids…but they do need to have some kind of a schedule and things to do to stay busy.

Rainbow and family should be here next week. Yay! We haven't seen them since November 2007. I hope Jurnee decides to come also, but I understand the whole visitation dilemma.

Well, there's not much to report. I posted pictures, as promised. Why is it that my kids never seem to have clean faces? Oh well. Take care everyone.

Catching Up With Those Pictures....

2009-06-25T19:50:00.000-07:00

I know, it's about time I got some of these pictures posted.

Tyler's new bike, you can tell he loves it.

Tyler and I had our day at the zoo yesterday. We went to Point Defiance, and had a good time. It's nice to have some one-on-one time with kids every now and then.

The peacock that freely roams the zoo.

Meerkats

Lemurs

A Happy Tyler

Musk Ox

Puffin

Penguins

Silly Monkey

Tiger

Riding the Carousel

Lunch Time for the Humans

Budgie on a Stick

This was fun.

Point Defiance

So named because with guns on the Tacoma side, and guns on the Gig Harbor side, they would be able to defy the world.

Tacoma Narrows Bridges

Tommy at the park today.

We were playing while Tyler and Travis were in swimming.

The robin that Tommy was fascinated watching.

Happy Father’s Day

2009-06-21T20:55:00.001-07:00

Happy Father's Day to all the Dad's out there.

Beautiful Wedding, Swimming Success

2009-06-20T23:27:00.001-07:00

We went to our friends' wedding this afternoon, and I loved the ceremony. It was simple and classy. It was very religious, but the minister didn't do a full-fledged sermon mid-ceremony. After the bride's father presented the bride, the singer sang "Cinderella" (Steven Curtis Chapman). It was beautiful; they didn't sing the whole song, just the first and last verses, very fitting. After the vows and rings, "From this Moment" (Shania Twain) was sung. It was wonderful.

We didn't get to stay long at the reception, missed the cake and all that, but did stay long enough to have a light lunch. Then we dashed off to the Scout swimming tests. Travis did great, and had a good time with the other Scouts during free time. After the swimming, the Scoutmaster looked over Travis's book and signed off the final requirements for rank, yay!

We brought Tyler's buddy, Noah, home with us again. I had to run him home this evening, but the boys really enjoy each other's company so it's worth it. I did have to tell them no for tomorrow, I don't want to drive back to Port Orchard until I have to on Monday.

I think most of the drama around here is going away, for awhile anyway. Good, I need to be able to relax at home, and to get into some kind of routine around here.

Tomorrow I'm teaching Children's Church. First we're having a church Father's Day breakfast. It should be good, but I need to get some sleep. Good Night!

Melissa!

2009-06-19T21:21:00.001-07:00

June 19, 2009

It was good talking to you last night. Thank you for calling!

June 17, 2009

2009-06-17T23:51:00.001-07:00

Well, there's been a lot going on, and way too much drama lately….no need to go into most of it. I was told tonight that if I feel like I need to say something to a certain female who has been taking unfair financial advantage of a certain party it would be okay with that certain party. Is that a borderline request for me to speak my piece?

Hmmm….it's been almost two weeks since I last blogged. I just checked that. Oops. Where does the time go? I was going to tell you all about the Christian Education committee meeting I attended the other day, which revolved around purchasing a full curriculum for the church nursery. The other day was last Wednesday night…time does fly. Anyway, I'm being all proud of myself. It was my first ever CE meeting, and I was a little nervous. I was on the agenda to present the curriculum I want for the church nursery. The wonderful ladies in the office had printed off my sample curriculum for me so it was ready to go, and I had apparently researched the product enough that I was able to explain what it contained, how we would use it, how much it would cost, and answer the few questions that came up. It was put to a vote, and it was unanimously decided that I should go ahead and order it. Yay! Things are coming together in there. God is good. Oh, and they also approved a nursery budget for next year. This year has been a hassle, not having any direct access to cash.

My mom bought the boys new bikes this weekend. They love them. I have pictures somewhere, but just now I'm not sure where my camera got off to. Jeff is thinking he might like to get a bike now. We'll see.

The boys are signed up for the next session of swimming lessons. Travis was skipped up two levels, because they really put him in a level too easy for him. I knew that, and so did the teacher, but she said they hadn't had the right level for him available to transfer into. Instead she paid extra attention to him and worked him twice as hard as the others. Good. He has a swim test this Saturday for Boy Scouts, which shouldn't be a problem.

This Saturday, we have a wedding to attend at 1:00, and the swim test at 3:00. We were also invited to a birthday party at 1:00 Saturday, but since it is being held at Jeff's ex-wife's house there's no chance we'd go to that. I'm so glad we have plans.

I made the deposit for Travis and me to go to camp next summer (2010). The troop is going to try a different camp, apparently a better camp, and it fills up fast so reservations need to be made more than a year in advance. Wow. I'm breaking ground in our troop, as the first female leader to sign up to go.

I had a long day today, helping my friend with some cleaning and a dump run. She drove her truck, I drove her van. We emptied our full loads and the transfer station, and headed out. Just as she was pulling up to the scales, my friend ran out of gas! Yes, she really did. Some young guys came down and pushed her onto the scales, then pushed her off and she coasted on down the hill and out of sight. I pulled onto the scales, paid, and went off to find her. She had coasted to the bottom of the hill where there was a pull-out. I picked her up and we headed for the gas station, less than a mile away, where she bought a gas can and a gallon of gas. We had no problem starting the truck again, but it wouldn't stay running. Every time she took her foot off the gas the engine would die. Eventually we killed the battery, and I had to maneuver the van into a good position to run the jumper cables. It was a crazy situation, for more than half an hour we would jump the truck, start it, and it would die. She finally called her husband to come take a look at things. Sure enough, he couldn't think of what more we could have tried. We figured we had probably gone through the gallon of gas, so we went after another gallon while he played with vacuum hoses and what-not. We had taken the vehicle he was driving, and at the store I realized I still had their van keys, he couldn't jump the truck at all while we were gone. When we pulled back up next to the truck, we were surprised to find it was running. What????? How????? I loved it when husband very nicely asked wife if she had thought to check the switch for the gas tanks and then informed her she had ½ a tank of gas. Oops. Two tanks? I never would have thought of that, I've never had a vehicle with two tanks. Now I know what else to check for next time.

Tyler has a friend spending the night tonight. They watched a movie and went to bed. We all (my mom, Tommy, Travis, Tyler, Noah, and I) went out to dinner tonight at Red Robin. Yum, yum. Thank you, mom, for watching Tommy for me today. He's sleeping well. They all are. I will be too, very soon.

There are pictures to come soon. Good Night.

Melissa?

2009-06-17T23:02:00.001-07:00

June 17, 2009

Hey Melissa, where are you? I haven't heard from you, you aren't blogging, I miss you!

Family Day

2009-06-07T13:02:00.000-07:00

Saturday, June 6, 2009

We took a little time out for a family day. In the afternoon we went out to Fort Worden. We had a good time. The kids wouldn't let us leave the cemetery until they found the oldest grave there. We knew which one that was by the name, the tombstone didn't have any dates on it. A sign outside the cemetery gave the history though, and named the first person buried there.

After the cemetery we went in search of restrooms, and then found the gift shop. We bought each of the boys something small, and then we bought a card game for the family. Travis picked a gray wolf that looks like one of his dogs on his Nintendo DS game. Tyler chose an eagle keychain, he has a thing for keys, and Tommy got a wind up crab that waves it's arms.

Next it was time to drive down to the beach, where the boys had fun wading, skipping rocks, and playing in the sand. We spent a long time at the beach.

On the way out I made sure to get a picture of the lighthouse.

After the state park, we went home and changed. Then we went out to dinner. We wanted to go to China Sun Buffet, but it was so crowded people were parking out on the street. So we ended up in Silverdale at the Golden Grill. The food was okay, and the red sweet & sour sauce was the best I've had since Soo Hoy, but it just wasn't quite as good as China Sun. Oh well.

We stopped and picked up a movie on the way home. I had Jeff drop Travis, Tyler and I off at Albertsons and then we walked home from there.

Friday, June 5, 2009

2009-06-05T20:39:00.001-07:00

My camera battery has died, and I do not where the charger is since the move. Urgh! No picture of Travis at his Court of Honor last night. I will have it up and running by the next Court of Honor, which isn't until August. He should be moving up at least 1 rank then.

Last night Tyler had a little friend come spend the night. I can call him a little friend, he is Tyler's best friend's younger brother, and he's 6. They seemed to have a good time, staying up playing cars last night, video games this morning, time in the pool, pizza and ice cream, shopping in Silverdale.

A storm blew in as we were leaving Scouts last night. The younger boys were a little worried, but they were okay. I'm just glad it cooled off a little. I get tired of the heat after awhile.

Travis did a cliché good turn today. An older lady was coming up from the retirement home across the street with her walker; she had left her glasses at the doctor's office on the corner. She asked Travis to run over and get them for her. I had been in the house up to that point, and came out just in time to see him looking in the door at the office, so I called him home. As soon as he explained what he was doing I left him to it. When he handed the lady her glasses, she told him she almost didn't ask him to help her because of his appearance…long hair, basketball shorts, hoodie jacket, and baseball cap on backward. I'm glad she asked him anyway.

Rainbow, I'm waiting for you to call back. Melissa, I hope we catch up this weekend. I'll try to be more interesting next time.

Beautiful Weather

2009-06-02T22:23:00.000-07:00

Sunday afternoon we had fun in the sun and in the pool. The neighbor girl came down, and after pool time the kids all played Play Station for awhile.

Joshua messing around.

Tyler having fun.

Everybody hanging out.

Monday night is Scout night for us. Travis had a regular patrol meeting, Tyler had the raingutter regatta. I think they all had a good time.

It was my first meeting since stepping down as a den leader. I told Rainbow it was going to be nice to not have to do anything for a change, and she said they would put me to work anyway. Well.....as soon as I got there the Committee Chair from the Boy Scout Troop asked me to sit in on a couple Boards of Review after the regular meetings (8:00). Okay, not a problem. Then the Committee Chair for the Cub Scout Pack put me in charge of awards for the regatta. I managed to pass that task off to Desiree, who quickly delegated to 3 other people. That worked well, as I was chasing Tommy around.

At the beginning of the meeting, the CubMaster asked Desiree and I if we would mind taking charge of our dens for a few minutes. He was immediately informed that I no longer have a den, which was the source for many comments and a few jokes. It was also a good segue into introducing the new Webelos I leader to some parents.

Tyler and Friend waiting to race their boats.

Tyler and another friend racing.

Tyler won this race. Looking at this pic, he's on the left.

It was near 90 here today, and just beautiful! The kids spent a bit of time in the pool. I made them get out around 2:00 to eat dinner and get ready to go to their friends' house, though. Jeff dropped them off in Port Orchard on his way to work, and I picked them up about 5 to take them to swimming. When we got home from swimming, they went back in the pool, of course!

The 13-year old neighbor girl came back down as soon as we took the cover off the pool. They seem to be striking up a friendship. I closed the pool down at 9:00 and put Tommy to bed. She went home to change, then came back and hung out watching TV and stuff with the boys. Okay.

Chalene Extreme arrived today. It came in a nice box to keep all the books, DVDs, and resistance bands together. I'm excited to start it, and a little nervous. I want to get a weight-loss bible study/curriculum to do at the same time I do Chalene Extreme, and am hoping to start next week. I know that any changes I make have to be life changes and attitude changes. I want to keep the weight off when I lose it this time, not put it right back on. It has to matter.

Well, that's enough for now. Have a good week everybody!

Sunday

2009-05-31T23:23:00.001-07:00

Looking back over my posts for the last week I can see it looks like Travis has been the focus, and I guess that's okay from time to time.

Saturday I spent several hours over at the church in the nursery. There was a memorial service for a man who was loved and respected by many, many people. The sanctuary was packed, and they even had to put extra chairs in the balcony. I only caught part of the service on the speaker box, because we had 11 little ones in the nursery, but what I heard was powerfully emotional. Nathan Alexander was a good man.

I found it interesting to see so many faces I recognized from when I was a kid, and to see the offspring of people I went to youth group with. I know that most of them didn't recognize me, and I'm okay with that.

Today Jeff and I taught Children's church. We ran out of time. We actually ran over-time but managed to close with a meaningful prayer and dismiss before too many parents were standing there waiting for kids. We weren't even the last ones to pick up our nursery child, so we were doing alright.

After church Tyler went with Jeff on the bus run, Travis went to a friend's house, and I brought Tommy home for his nap. My step-daughter called to chat for a bit, and then Scott & Amanda came over with Josh.

Tyler, Josh, and the neighbor girl played in the pool for a long time, then played the PlayStation. Jeff and Scott helped grandpa put up a shade house tent thing. Eventually, after the kids were done in the pool, Jeff went in and then so did Amanda, then Tommy.

Grandpa asked, again, if this was a taste of how things were going to be. I said "yeah" and he started to shake his head and ask if his house would survive us...so I kind of cut him off. I reminded him that he is always telling people about the many parties they used to throw, and how they hosted youth group meetings and adult bible studies and other activities. His response was something about those parties being "within reason". I don't think having one couple and their one child over for the afternoon is unreasonable. I think he's going to have to compromise and adapt. I also think he may start to see why I want to set up a living room in the basement for us to entertain in.

We went to the churches softball game this evening, and grandpa opted to stay home. He probably wanted to soak up some peace and quiet. We met up with Travis at the game and all the kids quietly went to bed when we got home.

Mom, I got some pictures of the kids in the pool, like you asked me to, but my camera is out in the car so you'll have to wait until tomorrow.

Travis

2009-05-31T23:07:00.000-07:00

This is Travis before I dropped him off for Big Splash......

.

and this is Travis after he came home from Big Splash........

He had a good time and got to spend some time getting to know other kids in the youth group better. I have to say that makes me nervous, he's only 12 after all. Most of the other kids are 15 and older, and they don't realize he's younger. One of them was stunned to find out how young Travis is last week. Yikes!

Travis's New Bedding

2009-05-28T20:19:00.000-07:00

So, today I decided to try to make Travis a little more comfortable in his room. Apparently it worked, because I overheard him refer to it as his "real" bed. I laughed and asked him it it wasn't real before changing the bedding, he said the fluffy pink blanket was not him. I guess that means the blue and green works for him.

I still need to buy the lime green sheets, haven't done that yet. I'm also considering lime green sheers to cover his closet area, and a dark blue valance for over the window. He did get a cool new hamper today to help him keep things picked up in there.

Much better than pink.

Keeps the pens and pencils corralled.

Not bad for a 20-minute craft project.

Our Day at the Zoo

2009-05-27T22:46:00.000-07:00

Tree Kangaroo

Travis & Friend

He was disappointed the lion was sleeping.

Gotta Love this Kid.

Feeding the Wild Animal.

Travis thought the sloth bear was ugly and mean looking.

I thought he was kind of cute.

Leaping Lemurs.

I love this picture of the elephant's twisted trunk.

We've been busy.

2009-05-27T22:39:00.000-07:00

Poor Jeff called me Friday night and asked me to pick him up at work. He came home and went bed, not to emerge until Monday afternoon when he went back to work. Yikes! He did not feel well.

We roasted sausages and made s'mores and Desiree's house on Saturday. The boys had fun. Travis started the fire in no time with his new magnesium and flint. Go Travis!

Sunday at church was weird...nobody was there and many of those who were there were wandering the halls instead of being in the sanctuary. I only had Tommy in the nursery, and would've gone home if it wasn't for the 5 middle school kids that were hanging out.

Monday we barbecue and worked on emptying out Travis's closet. Thank you, Mom. Tuesday Grandpa and Travis finished the closet and put up a rod to hang his clothes on. Major improvement.

Today I took Travis to the Woodland Park Zoo to make up for his train trip that was postponed. Now Tyler thinks I should take him in a couple weeks to make up for coming home early from Mom & Me Camp. Hmm....think you can babysit again in two weeks, Mom?

Rainbow, I'm sorry I haven't called you back. Melissa, it was nice talking to you tonight. I'm going to post some pics and hit the hay.

Good Night.

It’s About Me

2009-05-27T22:32:00.001-07:00

Cut and pasted from http://renlim73.blogspot.com/2009/05/its-about-me.html

1. First thing you wash in the shower? My Face
2. What color is your favorite hoodie? Gray
3. Would you kiss the last person you kissed again? Yes
4. Do you plan outfits? If I have somewhere special to go.
5. How are you feeling RIGHT now? A little tired. It's been a long day.
6. What's the closest thing to you that's red? A crayon.
7. Tell me about the last dream you remember having?
I dreamed I would like my hair short if I was skinnier.
8. Did you meet anybody new today? Yes
9. What are you craving right now? Nothing.
10. Do you floss? Yes
11. What comes to mind when I say cabbage? Soup
12. Are you emotional? I can be.
13. Have you ever counted to 1,000? Yes
14. Do you bite into your ice cream or just lick it? Bite.
15. Do you like your hair? I'd like it better longer or apparently if I was skinnier (see #7).
16. Do you like yourself? Sometimes
17. Would you go out to eat with George W. Bush? Yes
18. What are you listening to right now? Criminal Minds on TV
19. Are your parents strict? No
20. Would you go sky diving? Probably not, but I've watched friends do it.
21. Do you like cottage cheese? Yes.
22. Have you ever met a celebrity? Yes.
23. Do you rent movies often? No.
24. Is there anything sparkly in the room you're in? Yes, many things.
25. How many countries have you visited? Hmmm…not sure. Canada, Cuba, England, Scotland, France, Germany, Mom….help me out here.
26. Have you made a prank phone call? Yes.
27. Ever been on a train? I think so.
28. Brown or white eggs? Doesn't matter. Fresh is best.
29. Do you have a cell phone? Yes.
30. Do you use Chapstick? Not often.
31. Do you own a gun? I don't.
32. Who are you going to be with tonight? My kids.
33. Are you too forgiving? Depends.
34. Ever been in love? Yes.
35. Ever have cream puffs? Yes.
36. Last time you cried? Last week, out of frustration.
37. What was the last question you asked? What kind of tent Kim has.
38. Favorite time of the year? Summer/Winter…different reasons.
39. Do you have any tattoos? No.
40. Are you sarcastic? Sometimes.
I try not to be.
41. Have you ever seen The Butterfly Effect? No.
42. Have you ever walked into a wall? Who hasn't?
43. Favorite color? Purple
44. Have you ever slapped someone? Yep.
45. Is your hair curly? Not at all.
46. What was the last CD you bought? Craig Morgan, Little Bit of Life
47. Do looks matter? First impressions do.
48. Could you ever forgive a cheater? Yes, Trusting again would be hard, would take a lot.
49. Is your phone bill sky high? No
50. Do you like your life right now? Yes.
51. Do you sleep with the TV on? I set the sleep timer to turn the TV off.
52. Can you handle the truth? Usually.
53. Do you hate or dislike more than 3 people? Have an intense disliking for….yes, more than 3. Hate? No.
54. How often do you talk on the phone? Very often.
55. The last person you held hands with? Tyler.
56. What are you wearing? Denim capris and a cotton top.
57. What are your favorite top 3 animals? Tigers, lions, and kittens.
58. Where was your default picture taken? In Washington State.
59. Can you hula hoop? Not well.
60. Do you have a job? Yes.
61. What was the most recent thing you bought? Lunch for Travis and me at the zoo.
62. Have you ever crawled through a window? More than once.

2009-05-27T22:08:00.000-07:00

The pool in the backyard Grandpa bought the other day.

Tommy.

Always on the go.

Goofing Off.

Clocking the cars. There are too many speeders!

Checking the Tires.