Blogging Trips...

(Saw this coming at me on the 20 Fwy in West Texas (I think)...took a bit of adrenaline and about 2 minutes to decide what I was seeing...it's being towed...but at first I thought it might be coming at me...as I was going about 80, it didn't take too long to realize I wasn't dashing head-long into an on-coming truck...taking the picture at that speed was something of an adventure...but I won't tell you cuz my mom reads here and she REALLY does not want to know.)

This has been the year of trips...

The first trip was not fun, but a trip nonetheless...that would be the hospital trip back in March. Now that one wasn't too hard to blog. We were in the middle of something big emotionally AND I, personally, was bored most of the time...well maybe not bored...but certainly with not much to do. Besides, I had people emailing me questions all the time and it's much easier to answer questions than come up with something out of nothing when you are stressed...


(Mt. Rainier out the window of my plane. This is one of the about 10 pictures that I took the entire trip...)

Then in June my GramMarie died and I traveled alone to Washington state. That was a trip too. And if I'm to be honest, it was fun...and heart wrenching...and nostalgic ...and too full of emotions, both good and bad to write anything WORTHY of the experience even now. In the midst, I didn't blog because I was busy. SO busy. Cataloging her life...scanning photos...singing songs...chattering with cousins and aunts, uncles, 2nd cousins, Greats of all kinds...remembering...


(The girls in their traveling clothes on our trip to Arizona. This was a rest stop in Texas somewhere. I'm pretty sure it was Texas because by New Mexico all the rest stops had "Beware of Rattlesnake" signs.)

Then there was the trip to Grandma's (my mommy) in July. It was a spur of the moment trip, if a 4 day road trip can be called "spur of the moment". And it was a HOOOT!!! We had a blast. Bubba got to come out and be with us and see some sites and just play in the pool. July in August in Arizona means submerged or air conditioning, there are no exceptions...

I've actually TRIED to blog the Arizona trip a couple of times...but there are just too many pictures AND it's been a little over a month ago and there's this other trip we are on RIGHT NOW...


(this is the first night in our hotel...My best friend (known on this blog as SP) made our shirts...which we have worn all over the place...that green garners us quite a bit of attention.)


That's right. Our third annual GIRLY trip. You know the one. Where my friend and her girls meet me and my girls in a central location in these United States and then come back to my house to explore the sites...

I'm living it, RIGHT NOW, TODAY! But as I'm looking over the pictures...there's just so much stuff. There are songs that we are singing...bugs that we are finding...food we are cooking/baking/eating...giggling that we are doing...

And you know how dumb giggling sounds after the fact? Here, I'll give you an example...In the car yesterday, Monkeyface was having an issue with her seat belt...and I'd just issued my standard GITCHER-BELT-ON-RIGHT-NOW-growly-momma-face when she said in her sweet-little-4yo-trying-to-be-macho voice "Buckle-up Buttercup!" The CAR fell apart, laughing.

Okay...so all that to say...BAH, I'm a terrible trip blogger. AND expect when things get a little dry in our school year for me to pull back some of these trip images COMPLETELY in the wrong order.

There, you've been warned. And I've blogged. HA! Two birds with one stone...


(Here are their faces...is Tibbie, Beanie, Bear, Gabby, Monkey Face, Coco and Topo...quite a crew, I'll tell ya...and yes, we are having a blast!!)

See ya around...

Baptism...

Beanie has been talking about getting baptized for a couple of years now. She was actually scheduled to attend the baptism "party" at our church last year, when our newest little cousin-type-person was born and her momma needed our help and we took off to Colordo.

So when the party came around this year...we were DEFINITELY going...

It was quite a party. For some reason, I didn't GET that there was a pool party to begin it. I should have gotten it. I should have worn my suit or asked Bubba to wear his because the little girls couldn't go in without us and so ended up scampering around in the grass, tackling their Daddy...I think they had fun anyway...actually I think Bubba had MORE fun...



I really took a bunch more pictures...but as ever...other people's children were involved so you don't get to see them...so sorry...

When it came right down to it, Bear decided that she also wanted to be baptized. We'd talked about it a bit before to be sure she knew what it was all about. I'm so thankful they got to share this. I share my baptism date with a best girl friend and it is such a wonderful memory to me.

Here they are waiting their turn by the side of the pool...



Bear ended up going first...here's Miss Bear...



And here is Beanie...



It was a blessed day and a great experience.

Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we ...also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection...Romans 6:3-5

See ya around...

Critiquing my Bedroom...

You know...after 6 years in a place, things start really looking a little run down. They aren't what you fell in love with when you moved in.

Take my bedroom, for instance...


I mean seriously...When one of my children decorated my bedspread with sharpie marker, I never dreamed I'd be standing here over a year later still just using the under blanket...and what's with the pillow sticking out from under the bed...oh and that blue thing...that's a heating pad from several months ago when Beanie was alternating heat and ice...when did I stop putting this stuff away?



Just look at that night stand...SHOES? Shoes go in the closet...and SURELY I'm not reading all those books...I'm a homeschool mom...I have proof on this VERY blog that there are BOOKSHELVES in this house...and I'm not even going to mention the laundry on the dresser...



This would be Bubba's side...I had to be honest because my mother reads here and even without caption, she would know whose side was whose simply because she lived with me for many years. But the nice thing about Bubba's side, is that you can see the furniture...I guess I really do like my furniture. It was Bubba's pick though. I am not terribly good at choosing furniture for the "pretty"...I'm all about comfort and not above sitting on gold and green velor IF it's comfortable...but I digress.



Yeah, I really do like my furniture...the fluffy pretty part needs some work...but I think the room has good bones.

Still I wish I could do something about the pillows...they are SO lumpy...



See ya around...

In Case Daddy Shaves me Bald...

From 08.2009.Pics

The little girls and I stopped in to Sam Moon on our travels today, I'm looking for a bigger bag (didn't find one). In Sam Moon is this WHOLE wall of hair pieces and wigs and stuff that we looked at.

About 10 minutes later, we were out in the car and Bear said, "Momma, if Daddy accidentally shaves me bald, can we go to Sam Moon and get me a wig?" I said, "Bear, seriously, what are the chances that Daddy is gonna shave you bald." She said, "Just in case!!"

I laughed so hard that I'm afraid I could not confirm.

See ya around...

On the Occasion of my 15th Anniversary...

On a wonderful blog that I've found called Malphi, I discovered a poem that SHOULD have been my acceptance of Bubba's proposal a little over 15 years ago...bless his heart.

Yes, I'll Marry You by Pam Ayres



Yes, I'll marry you, my dear,
And here's the reason why;
So I can push you out of bed
When the baby starts to cry,
And if we hear a knocking
And it's creepy and it's late,
I hand you the torch you see,
And you investigate.



Yes I'll marry you, my dear,
You may not apprehend it,
But when the tumble-drier goes
It's you that has to mend it,
You have to face the neighbour
Should our labrador attack him,
And if a drunkard fondles me
It's you that has to whack him.



Yes, I'll marry you,
You're virile and you're lean,
My house is like a pigsty
You can help to keep it clean.
That sexy little dinner
Which you served by candlelight,
As I do chipolatas,
You can cook it every night!



It's you who has to work the drill
and put up curtain track,
And when I've got PMT it's you who gets the flak,
I do see great advantages,
But none of them for you,
And so before you see the light,
I do, I do, I do!



Happy 15 years, My Love...you've filled me with laughter and joy and love and a million other things that make me who I am and I will ever be grateful.

As for the rest of you...See ya around...

Welcome to the Movie...

Last night, I attended my weekly bible study. When I got home, I received an urgent invitation. It said, "Welcome to the Movie. It is called "The 2 boys that are lost. That are really girls" COME NOW."

Well it sounded like a real adventure to me...so I rushed off, without my camera, to watch the...ehem...movie...

After watching for mere seconds, I realized that this one should really be photographed. They'd worked on this a bit...had a costume change and everything.

So, they had to RE-dress and that would explain the slightly "out-of-character" face on Miss Monkey-Face in this shot...



See these two little girls were orphans...I am unsure as to their parents demise...but make no mistake, they were alone in the world...and there were bad guys (again, not positive who or what bad guys, as there was apparently a casting shortage) so they dressed up as boys to be safer in the world. (Boys, APPARENTLY, wear a LOT of clothing...I mean A LOT...big jackets, scarves and hats...AND one of the "boys" had to be pinned into her coat.)

Well, the "boys" made a grand entrance down the staircase...postured a bit about how sad they really were. (Bear's character was dutifully sad...Monkey Face doesn't really have the concept of "sad-in-character" down quite yet, besides her hat kept falling down and her coat was a little long...AND it was about 80 degrees in the house, so she was MOSTLY hot...and that emotion came through beautifully).

After about 10 seconds of establishing their SADNESS...the music started and the clothes came off...well the stage hand had to come in and un-pin Bear...she was JOYFUL about the removing of the coat...it had apparently been a trial for her.



But wait, there is more.

Not more STORY, mind you...more dancing. For some reason, not explained in the script, there was this stage hand...she stepped in for the dancing...as the tallest, she, of course, lead all dancing...and she did have one line, "Where have you been all my life?" that accompanied a merry spin.

I laughed RIGHT OUT LOUD. They were so surprised, they actually slowed down. Apparently the time line switched a bit and these were no longer the LITTLE girls but old enough to have found SOMETHING in the stage hand...or the stage hand found something in them. It was a very confusing plot line, I'll give you that. So I decided to just sit back and watch them.

OH, were they having a good time...





There was even dipping...



When the music ended, they even, SORTA, bowed...



It was truly an enchanting production...

I found out later that there HAD been another "boy" originally cast, but as the third boy needed to help out with the costuming of the younger "boys", timing became problematic...by the time the third "boy" had his costume on, the smallest, first "boy" dressed was suffering from heat stroke and had to be given copious amounts of water prior to the opening curtain.

One other piece of trivia from "The 2 Boys that are lost. That are really girls." The names of the original 3 boys were "Aidan, Ethan and Troy" and in the end the remaining boys were "Aidan and Troy", but their girl names were (ready?) "Buttercup and Star". I was informed LOUDLY that "Buttercup and Star" were INDEED not horse names.

I see.



See ya around...

P.S. After proof-reading this, it is NO wonder that one of the favorite words of my youngest is "apparently". Obviously, I need to get out my thesaurus and change that up a bit.

Shoes Tripled...

See, I told ya we were alive.

Yesterday, we decided that it was time for Beanie to have some new tennies. The heel lift that she wears in her left shoe makes her outgrow shoes much faster than ever before.

So after lunch, I took Beanie and Bear shopping. Monkey Face went home with Daddy. After trying on shoe after shoe...and agonizing over the increasing ugliness of the choices, we came across those little pink Converse. I thought those would work, and I have always thought they were cute. And I know we are no longer IN the 80's but y'know, retro is cool.

So I went in search of bigger Converse. Well, of course, NOWADAYS, the girl Converse are low top (at least in this store). We tried them on, hoping against hope...Boy, were they cute...but to no avail. Bean's heel-lift is a 12mm which pretty much puts her right out of the top of most shoes and this was no different.

So before I allowed tragedy to reign...I thought..."Hey, maybe there will be something in the boys section...I mean c'mon, Converse are Converse, RIGHT?" So off we trudge with Beanie making those, "Don-wanna-wear-boy-shoes" faces. Come to discover, old mom is right, Converse ARE Converse...and black is cool.

Back to our trying on spot...I stuffed the heel lift in there...and then I sat cross-legged on the floor dealing with the unlacing and re-lacing that comes with a new set of Converse on a kid who can't bend her legs.

You should have see her face when she stood up. Positively beaming. And then she cantered about the store..."Mom, MOM, my heel lift doesn't slide in these...I don't feel like I'm going to fall...Mom, I LOVE these"..."yes, dear, now come over here and shhh, people are staring"...No, I didn't really say that...I thought it a teeny bit, and then got over myself.

Anyway, one look and Bear wanted those EXACT same shoes. Never mind that she NEEDS sandals...no, she was having the same shoes as Beanie. I caved. I am a child of the 80s who never got my very own pair of Converse...I borrowed a pair from my friend...it wasn't the same and frankly, it makes me weak in these situations.

So then came the next difficult portion...finding a 13, wait, no a 12, oh wait, you look like a duck, maybe an 11...in black. There was a black one with flames that BOTH of the girls decided was too boyish...I'd have had them...flames are cool. Anyway, in time the proper sized black all-stars were procured.

Of course, they couldn't have matching shoes and leave Monkey-Face out. My kids are considerate that way. And determined. "Mom, just think of how she would feel...oh, Mom, pa-lease, look at how cute these pink ones are...C'mon Mom, you know she loves pink...Plllleeeeeeesssssseee!!" So what happened? I don't know why you ask...you can see the picture right there...I melted...just like a marshmallow in the microwave. Just sad.

They tried to talk me into getting a matching pair myself. They were so cute, searching up and down for just the right shoes for mom, while I, dutifully searched for the new pair of sandals I actually needed...and they found some pink ones. But I was strong. Number one they were low tops...not my favorite...AND they weren't the plaid ones...if they had been I'd have been lost.

So for awhile, you'll be able to recognize me around town...I'll be the one with the herd of Converse traipsing behind me.

See ya around...