Cabela's

This weekend my family and I finally went to Cabela's. If you aren't familiar with what Cabela's is, it's a sporting goods store. We've all been wanting go for a long time and we finally made the time to go.

This is what greets you at the very front of the store...pretty cool. Whether they are real or not...we don't know.A closer view...these are some pretty amazing animals and BIG!This one blew my mind. I've always heard about Stellar Seals, especially with all the controversy in Seattle and them eating the salmon...I had no idea how really big these things are! Had no idea...and this picture really doesn't do the size of this beast justice at all...I took a picture of the Wolverine for Ian, since his football team are the Wolverines...now we know what they look like...looks like a badger or something to me...and a nasty looking creature at that.Meet the Polar Bear...he's HUGE! You just have no idea sometimes going to the zoo or watching on TV, how big these animals are in real life. Don't I sound like I live in a concrete jungle!

They had an exhibit, I guess is what you would call it, of African animals or some such things.

I am just mesmerized by this face...I've got nothing.

We saw lots of things we wanted....I wanted some wonderfully smelling candles (I'm addicted to candles), some lovely clothes, cute hats, wonderful food (the buffalo sticks were good), camping gear and gadgets I could always have, oh and a tent that would fit us all and be used well. Just need an acre to set up camp and about $600...donations accepted....

I definitely found many things there to get for myself and other people...now if I could get the money part to align with the wants I'd be good.

I hope everyone had a good Monday...as well as Mondays can be of course.

Super Secret

I will be back tomorrow...I am working on something super secret and I just want to get the tedious part done with all at once.

I hope everyone had a good weekend!!

Goose Egg

So the other day I got a phone call from the school that my kids go to. It was the school nurse notifying me of an owie that Lee acquired while at school. Apparently he tripped while outside and biffed it against a cement/brick pillar (or Lee says the cement playground) and gave himself quite the goose egg. Isn't that the gnarliest looking thing? I think it's the worst one he's gotten yet or that I've seen as of yet.

The nurse did warn me that it got big quick and the bruise was colorful! She wasn't kidding! The nurse said he didn't want to stay, all he wanted was a band aide and could he PLEASE go back outside and play? Love my kids!

I laughed when I got the call from the nurse, cause for most of Ian's Kindergarten year I think I got a call from the school nurse at least once a month or I got a piece of paper sent home. When we signed up Lee for Kindergarten Orientation we stopped by a table and she of course knew who we were long before I figured out who she was...of course...HA! Actually, quite a few people knew who we were and who we were related too...the rest of Ian's brothers don't have a shot in the dark of anonymity.

Lee on the other hand, well his head, is doing much better and it hasn't phased him one bit.

Secret Sister

OK so I'm involved in a mommy group called MOPS. Short for Mother's of Preschoolers....so this year they asked me to be on steering. So I agreed to be a DGL, a discussion group leader. They have asked me several times over the years and I have always said no because I've been pregnant...well I've ran out of reasons...the whole pregnant bit. So I agreed to do it. A nice treat that we get to do is have a Secret Sister. And my secret sister had my gift dropped off at my house. It was a recipe book for 50 easy uses with cake mixes. So I had Frank go through the book and find something he wanted to try. So he picked Black Forest Pudding Cake. So here it is, it was VERY easy! And I LOVE trying new things and then testing them on people, mostly my family.

So it takes 2 cans of cherry pie filling.Then you sprinkle 1 cup of chocolate chips...it called for semi-sweet but I used milk chocolate.Then you sprinkle the cake mix (dry, and yes this was confusing for me, but with some help I figured it out). After I put all this into my pan, I realize that yes, perhaps if the recipe calls for a 9x13 pan, they actually might mean it. WHO KNEW!?! It barely fit as you can and I'm not even done!!So you sprinkle the cake mix with another 1 cup of chocolate chips.Then you evenly spread (kinda hard to do when the pan is too small, it got interesting!) melted butter over the top.Here is a token picture of my handsome helper...I'll have you know how much quieter my house is with 2 less kids, especially the one whose volume control is broken...broken RIGHT the heck OFF! Annnyyyway, that's off on a tangent, back to the task at hand. Isn't he handsome?Here is the final result. It overflowed, but it tastes good. Threw me off a little cause it didn't cook like I was expecting, all cake like. But I read the name of the cake again and it has pudding in it...so it's goopy and runny like pudding is. It does taste very good and everyone likes it, even Frank who does not like cake. And on the scale for easy...this is WAY easy! I was done in a jiff!

So thank you to my secret sister, who ever she is (I'll find out next year before we are done with MOPS).

I hope everyone had a good day!

Mary Mary, Quite Contrary...

How does your garden grow?

Well for as much as I thought I had a green thumb...I think I'm realizing I am not all that! This is hard for me...I know I can't grow or keep alive Aloe Vera...or African Violet plants, but other than that I'm good with everything else.

Until I decided to have a vegetable garden...here I am being tested. Tested beyond my means of mental will power! I am just baffled. I planted beans this year, and they did well. I also planted cucumbers, those died with in days of planting them. I planted Zucchini's the first batched died with in days also, so I bought another seed packet. This is my second go round with the zucchini..and as you can notice I have no zuch's...you have no idea how annoyed I am by this whole situation.

Cause not only did I plant Zucchini's I planted pumpkin and they were doing great until like a month ago and then all the sudden something went wrong. I don't know what. But I gave them some fertilizer and they seem to be having a come back of sorts. Same goes for the Zucchini...they were all but gone but the fertilizer seemed to help. I have blossoms again for both plants. So on the pumpkins right here I do see what could be at least 2 possible pumpkin candidates. So keep your fingers crossed! I had high hopes of getting at least 6 pumpkins, which I don't think I will get. I'm sad about this, such plans I had!So here are my strawberries...I started out with 3 $4 plants. They have now taken over my itty bitty garden. I can't believe how....well LOOK! Three plants were in that blue container, I now I have the long box, a black container, the Terra cotta container, the other blue container to the left, and the rest are just growing on the ground! This is NUTS!Here are the other strawberries that I've just had to let them plant and trail to where ever cause I have run out of available planters. At least the strawberries are doing well. And for some reason I have little frogs living in one container, the original container I planted the strawberry plants in. I have counted or seen 5/6 frogs. Do those guys like strawberry plants or something? I think it's cool and the boys of course really like it.So another flub was sunflowers...this packed was touted as the jumbo or ginormous sunflowers. I thought this was the perfect place to plant them cause when they got big I could tie them or support them with the fence. Yyyyeeeaahhh, these did NOT get big or 'jumbo' as they call it. I have been gypt! These have to be the smallest sunflowers I have ever seen! Good grief!But alas, they are still pretty, not quite what I had in mind, but pretty all the same!See how tall they are? See how many actually made it out of a WHOLE packet? Next year I'm telling you! Next year! So an update on the O'Paulson's. Harriet is no longer MIA, she's now made her web where Seamus had his web. They are playing musical webs. SICKOS!!!

MIA

Seamus O' Paulson and his family are MISSING!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


*SHIVER*

That's it for right now...

Huskies did GREAT yesterday...have recorded the Seahawk game to watch later with the hubby. Go Seahawks! And in case anyone was/is wondering I'm kicking some tail on my Fantasy Football teams!

Seamus O'Paulson

Say hello to my little friend....

Actually he's not so little...please meet Seamus O' Paulson of Enumclaw, formerly of the O' Edgerton's of Marysville. He came to us by way of a toilet flushing...this guy is HUGE and you should meet the little lady he's with...she's not so little! She's as big as he is if not bigger, right now she's MIA and I'd just rather not think about where that might be. And yes I'm twitching as I'm writing this and my scalp is itching with the though...and we'll leave that at that!But wouldn't you know it, there's a mini O' Paulson, this little fella is a smaller version of his parents...and let me tell you these guys are sitting pretty and living in hog town! With the infestation we get every year of Crane flies (annoying bugs) they will get big..fast! *shiver*!
Anyway, this one is guarding the dish on our house, Seamus is guarding my flowers, and his mother is guarding the basketball hoop in the neighbors driveway. Frank named the parents Seamus and Harriet...he's weird!

Anyway, just thought I'd share some local wildlife with everyone! I now have to stop talking about this or my skin will start to crawl!

Night!

Marky Mark and His Funky Self

So a few days ago I went and dropped some things off at Great Grandma and Great Grandpa's house and there was a surprise of sorts waiting there for us. Well not really, he was there to visit his grandparents and I just happen to call and find out.

Anyway, the gentleman sitting next to me...OK the tall one...in the white shirt, his name is Mark. He is a cousin of Frank's and so by default the poor fella is related to me or I to him. Either way.

After he graduated from high school this young man joined the military...Army division. So since then he's been off doing his thing in Georgia first and then in Texas. For the last, oh I don't know, over a year I believe, he's been in Afghanistan/ Iraq (or both I don't remember) fighting. So it was a real pleasure getting to see him. I haven't seen him in 3 years, I think that is what I figured. He's been here but through different set of events I always missed seeing him. Either the kids were sick or the kids were sick. So I was really excited to finally get to see him! Oh I had butterflies in my tummy on finally getting to see him after so long! I know that sounds silly but it's good to have him back in the country and not overseas. I can't imagine how his parents and sister must feel about having him home and how they must have felt having him gone overseas. I just know that they are all thrilled (as I would be too) to have him back.

Well we didn't get to visit long with him cause he was headed out the door to go to a concert, it was still nice to see him even if it was for a short time. Lee was VERY excited to see Cousin Mark, and he was so funny about it. I told him Cousin Mark was going to be at Great Grandma and Grandpa's and he was so excited cause he's in the Army. The Army is a big deal at our house and Ian and Lee are enthralled with it. So I tell Lee he's home from fighting in a war in a different country and Lee got all big-eyed and was impressed. Then he asked me if Cousin Mark fought with a sword and I said no, with a gun. Lee gets quiet for awhile and then says (tinged with a little awe), he fought with a REAL gun? I chuckled and said yes a real gun. I told Mark all this and he laughed and said well I should have said yes to the sword it would have made for a better story! And then while we were driving to see Mark, Lee got all teary eyed and was worried about something and I asked what was wrong and he said, 'Mom, what if Cousin Mark won't remember who I am?' I looked at Lee through the rear view mirror and said oh I wouldn't worry about that Lee, you are a hard fella to forget, he'll know who you are! No worries Lee!

That kid is so funny! So I am very thankful I was able to see Mark cause I won't get to see him again until Christmas...and that's if no kids are sick...only time will tell! That day was a good day!

Thank you Mark for everything you did and are doing!

Hope everyone has a good day!



PS. Doesn't Sparky look so cute in this picture! It's a really good one of him!

Musings...

• I have fruit flies swarming my house and I don't know why. I have no fruit outside of the fridge.
• I can't wait until the season premiers of several shows: Mentalist, CSI shows, Two and A Half Men...
• Ian had a great game this evening, it wasn't a waste of Frank's time!
• Eli is a personal garbage disposal...that's not good
• I hate money and I hate that we have to have money to just make it
• I'm excited that MOPS is starting up (Mother's of Preschoolers)
• How do you get your kids to clean their rooms and keep them clean?
• I can't wait to see some babies here in the next few weeks
• I don't understand why some people choose to raise their kids the way they do...they aren't doing them any favors.

Well I think that might be it for now. A sad post I know but right now we are still trying to get in the routine of things and I've got several million things going on right now. I can only hope my life will start slowing down...I hope.

Truth or Dare

Truth: I need to lose weight and get myself moving

Dare: How do I dare myself to do that? How do I bet back to this? I haven't found my trigger yet but I'm working on it, cause I'm tired of not looking like that. I want to be back into my nice new, SMALL clothes! Sigh...

I felt the need to be vulnerable...I don't know why but I went with it. This was February of 2008...how long does a person get to use having a baby when that baby is almost 10 months old? I think I'm running out of time for that one...Sparky did a number on my body!

Baby Avery

This is my friend Amber...she just welcomed a new little boy to their family! I got to go visit with her and hold her wonderfully smelling young man! BABY RABIES! OH he smelled like heaven! He is a hefty little guy but that's how I like them! He was 10lbs 14 oz and 20 inches long! He and his mom are recovering just fine, both doing well nursing, tired but well!

Congratulations Amber! It will be fun to see him grow up with his two older brothers! Thanks for letting me come visit and more for sharing your new baby with me!

When things settle down for you and everyone adjusts, I'd love to get together again!

Labor Day

There is a gentleman in town whose house I look forward to passing by on Veterans Day, Labor Day, Memorial Day, and 4Th of July! And this is why...he pays such a wonderful tribute on these holidays! I want to know the story behind why he does this, I bet it's a good one! I know this is late but I finally remembered to bring my camera with me and took one while I drove by. I always get goosebumps when I see this!

Baby Noah

I don't have pictures but I want to say congrats to my good friend Shelly and her family for their newest little member to their family. His name is Noah Joseph and he's a cutie! He was born at 8pm tonight. He is 8lbs 110z and 20 inches long. I can't wait to meet this baby that was a long awaited child for this family!

Congrats Tim and Shelly!!!

Can't Breath!

OK the much anticipated review of seeing Bill Engval....the results are in. HYSTERICAL! A must see, even if you don't laugh you do get to watch a very handsome man walk around on stage! I have to say that where we stayed was alright but the Quinault Casino in or by Ocean Shores was much better. At that casino you felt like you lasted on a machine longer with your money. I felt like I lost my money too quick at Little Creek, not that I was expecting to keep it but I would and do like to last longer than 5 minutes. And at the Quinault the rooms were WAY nicer than Little Creek...and for the same price. But either way we had a good time! I can't remember the last time I laughed so hard or when my stomach hurt so much! I couldn't breath through most of it and I walked out with a slight headache cause I laughed so hard and couldn't get enough oxygen to my pretty little head. But I cured that headache with a Blue Hawaiian drink...YUMMY!

This is our room...Here is Frank...I'll give you one guess at what he's doing..sides sitting there holding a beer in his hand.Another part of our room...This is the view from our hotel window...boring! Couldn't even peep on someone if I wanted too!So if you guessed football is what Frank was watching you would be correct! The Huskies debuted on the night of Bill Engval...do I have timing or what? So we were up in the hotel room watching football...Which was fine cause I fell asleep and took a mini nap...See I just woke up!And he's still watching football and drinking beer...That picture on the wall behind him looks lopsided doesn't it?Me all dolled up for Beeeiiilll! And yes he and I are close...oh SO close.Me and my bestie Nikki! She graciously sat next to me even though there was a potential I would be one of 'THOSE' people you hear in the back ground laughing loudly....and I was...like we knew I would be. Actually that leads me to a funny story about seeing Bill.

Alrighty, ready to hear it? Okay, so we are in the second row from the stage...close enough to make eye contact. So he comes on and starts doing his thing and feeling the crowd out to see just what we think might be funny. DUH!?! Everything that comes out of that mans mouth is funny. Anyway, he starts going on something about him and his wife and how she focuses on him now that their kids are out of the house. He talks about that and how she wants to go do things, like the Renaissance Fair...and I tell you I could just see in my head where this was leading to so I guffawed quite loudly and he looked STRAIGHT at me and said oh you been to one too? STRAIGHT AT ME! I kid you not!!!! After that I couldn't stop laughing at anything that man said or did! Then I started laughing so hard I was crying...oh I'm sure I was a sight to see. I became Frank's worst nightmare! I was singled out! And it was being filmed but I don't know if it was for like video purposes or for the people way in the back and they could see it on the big screens. So that my claim to fame..or sorts.

I will tell you Frank had things planned though before we got to the show. He just KNEW that I would embarrass him...and I did. (Thankfully he still loves me!). But he told me that when we went to the show (seating arrangement) it was going to be him, then Nikki, then her husband, and THEN me. He wanted to be as far from me as possible! His love knows no boundaries! And then when we got there I was informed that I was limited to one alcoholic drink (Jack and lemonade) until after the show. I guess he didn't want me to be drunk and be even louder than what I had the potential to be. HA! that backfired on him big time ;) Kidding! He was only joking but it was funny!

I had so much fun at my first comedy show, I can see this turning into an addiction. I love to laugh and I had so much fun going with my husband and my bestie and her husband! She and I have made plans to go see Jeff Dunham in November! I can't wait to see him either...that man is funny also...well that doesn't make much sense does it. It wouldn't be a comedy tour if he weren't funny....DUH!?! Here's your sign!!!

Take care and I hope everyone had a good weekend and I want to give a shout out to a friend of mine who had her 3rd boy...10lbs 14oz! You GO girl! Congrats Amber!

Super Hero's

Today was Dru's birthday party with Frank's family. I think he had a great time and was so excited for every little thing, from the cake to the soda this kid was on cloud nine! He just couldn't believe that it was all for him and that people were here for him. He was just wide eyed and thankful the whole time.

I love this outfit on Dru, he's your local wall crawler here to fight the bad guys that are constantly in our house doing naughty things! You just wouldn't believe the chaos those naughty bad guys can cause! Oma and Grandpa Jolly did great buying this gift for him...he loves it!What a handsome smile! I LOVE it! This was a cute cake! And just so you know DO NOT eat the red frosting...it's horrible! And I only remembered that after I ate it...do not eat Safeway's red frosting!!!!I hope you wished for something great Dru! He couldn't stand the wait, so he blew the candle out while we were still singing...He got one of those punching bags that pop back up when you hit them...Take THAT bad guy!Hmmmm...what tool to put in my belt next???? Eli has figured out how to open cupboard doors, much to my annoyance and frustration! Dru also got one of those things called a Hopper...you get the idea.
I think Dru had a good time and got many great things...he still has several things left to open...he's not seen it all. If he just keep his bigger brothers from destroying his new things he'll be golden...but I'm not holding my breath on that one!

Kindergarten Rocks!

So here I am finally getting around to putting something out for Lee and his first day/s of Kindergarten. I say day/s cause he went on the first day of school but only for orientation and then 2 days later he officially started school. As a matter of fact I get to drop off money for him to go to all day Kindergarten...sheesh! Sometimes kids will bleed you dry! And I just love the people who say they are going to wait and have kids until they can afford them...HA! Just an FYI people that will NEVER happen!

Lee had a rough night the night before school, wondering about the what ifs'...what if someone hurts me? What if I don't know where I'm going? I don't remember my teachers name...those things. So I called the Great Grandparents and asked them if they would be ever so kind and come and stay with Dru and Eli while I followed the bus (that Ian and Lee ride) to the school and meet Lee there and walk with him to his classroom. So they graciously said they would come and off we all went that morning. I met Lee at his classroom and we got him all settled in. I will be very honest with you I didn't think I would have a hard time with Lee going to school cause I'd been through this already with Ian. I was WRONG! W-R-O-N-G ! I was crying on the way to the school, pulled myself together enough to get Lee going and then cried on the way home sobbing to Frank and my friend Nikki!

Just so you know, there is now way he's old enough to be in school already! But apparently they tell me he is.

His teacher is a woman I have high hopes in...Ian's first two years have not gone well but I hold out hope for both Lee and Ian and their teachers this year. But Lee's teacher called me on the first day and let me know that Lee had a wonderful time and did really well. He had a rough go of it on the first part getting involved, but they found a book about lizards and that was the end of that. After that book he decided he might like this and started interacting. His teacher said the only thing he was kinda sad about was that he'd not seen his brother yet. So his teacher said it's OK, the last recess we all play together and you will see him then. Lee got really excited and that made his day. I think so far he's really liking Kindergarten.

Here is his first day of school outfit...all the sudden he's picking out things with skater guys on it...don't know where that comes from...Nikki.... :)The AWESOME backpack that Oma and Grandpa Jolly got him...things could not be better than that! They also got him a matching lunch box...which he loves!And of course the new shoes his Grandma and Grandpa Paulson got him...they do make him run faster and jump higher Oma. Oh and the shoes are just like his buddy Isaac's shoes...which make them even cooler!My two scholars! I think Ian was just as excited as Lee was for Lee's first day of school. In line at the bus stop...you know I took the picture but they aren't even looking at me...weird boys.I love that Lee has to hike his legs up to get on the bus...those steps I've always thought were up high. As you can tell by the look on his face he at this point is not so sure about this whole situation. But at his table he had 2 other buddies that he knew from Vacation Bible School, so he had familiar faces. He looks so terrified!
Check out the brand spanking new crayons in his school box! I love brand new crayons!!!!