Daddy is Trying to Kill the Kids

I was out of town for work this weekend (as I usually am). Yesterday afternoon I get a phone call while at work from Daddy wanting to know if I got the picture message from him. I hadn't noticed one, so I looked...the caption simply said "guess what I found for the kids". I won't bother trying to post the picture message itself at it's really hard to see, but I was able to cross my eyes just far enough to realize what it was.

"Oh no you didn't."

"Yep."

"Did you already buy it?"

"Yep."

"Oh good lord."

I'll spare you the rest of the exciting conversation about him trying to murder our children & that he also needed to get fruit snacks & dog food.

So I'm sure you're dying to know at this point what method of torture he's planning for my sweet babies?
Behold the death trap awesomeness: http://www.amazon.com/Toy-Story-inch-Jumbo-Ball/dp/B003XXLEII

I'll give you a minute...(*quietly hums*)

See that open spot on the left side there next to Woody? The kids go IN there. I'm not even joking!! My kids are going to kill themselves in this thing! The sad part? I will be laughing until I pee the entire time!

A New Year - A New Challenge - or 4

So I know the big thing to do is to make resolutions at the beginning of the New Year. I never really like to make them, because it's just something to fail at. Again. I'm tired of failure. So no resolutions for me, I think I'm going to go with challenges instead.
Challenge #1: Be healthier. Less "crap" in and on my body.
Challenge #2: Be a better blogger. No really - I don't know why I don't do this more often! I love reading my friends' blogs (even the blogs of total strangers) & it's very therapeutic too!
Challenge #3: Read more. Now that the kids are older & able to entertain themselves (& each other) sooooo much more now, I think I can use that to my advantage!
Challenge #4: MORE PHOTOGRAPHY! I tried one of those 365 photo blogs last year & made it to November (not bad, but still failed). Instead of focusing on one pic a day, I really want to focus on getting BETTER at my photography & I plan on sharing that journey here instead of in a separate blog (for now anyways).


So challenge #3 brings up...well a challenge! LOL! You'll read all about it in my next post. I think it's one I can actually keep up with for a change & I am really excited!

100th Post

I just realized yesterday while I was working on my photo blog, that I am up to my 100th post for this blog! Granted it took me forever to get here, but I'm here nonetheless! Sorry I don't have anything fabulous to post to celebrate! I guess I should be better prepared next time! LOL!

Crash & Burn!

These are a few of my favorite things...

So I should start off by saying I full-on stole this from Courtney, but I thought it was a really cute idea. Plus maybe it will help me get back into the blogging mood!

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens, brown paper packages tied up with strings, these are a few of my favorite things.

My favorite things (in no particular order).
1. Catey's laugh when I tickle her collar bones
2. Wyatt's fascination with his belly button.
3. Wood burning stoves/fireplaces
4. Rubbing noses with my kiddos
5. Mtn. Dew
6. Pin Trading
7. Disneyland
8. The Belagio Fountains
9. Build a Bear
10. Digital Cameras
11. MP3s
12. Mr Potato Head
13. The Little Green Men from Toy Story
14. Christmas socks
15. Hoodies
16. Down Feather Pillows
17. Charm Bracelets
18. Roller Coasters
19. Rottweilers
20. Sunflower Seeds
21. Rum
22. A New Box of Crayola Crayons
23. Flip Flops
24. The Olympic Peninsula
25. Candles/Warmers that smell like baked goods
26. Sketchers
27. Fireworks
28. Those giant dill pickles
29. Bathtubs that I can actually fit in
30. Cotton Candy
31. Red Velvet Cake - or even better, Red Velvet Cheesecake!
32. Draft Horses
33. Mad Libs
34. Pink Breast Cancer Awareness Ribbons
35. Antenna Balls
36. T-Shirts with snarky sayings on them
37. Old Farm Houses
38. REAL Christmas Trees
40. Children's Books
41. True Crime
42. Page-a-day calendars
43. The big wing-back chair in Catey's room
44. Traveling
45. Costumes
46. Beaches
47. Kitchens you can "hang out" in
48. Otters
49. Disney Music
50. Photoshop (or at least once I figure out how to use it)
51. New England Clam Chowder in a bread bowl
52. Jets (as in the flying kind not the football playing kind)
53. French Fries
54. Hydrangeas
55. Pirates
56. White Chocolate Macadamia cookies
57. Sapphires
58. Chickens
59. Fresh picked green beans
60. A nice shiny Camaro! ;)
61. Haunted places
62. Getting those junk catalogs in the mail
63. Wrapping paper
64. NASCAR
65. Word games
66. Fabric (even though I have no clue what to do with it half the time)
67. Board games
68. Parades
69. Carousels & Merry Go Rounds
70. Maps
71. Anything Archaeology related
72. Bears
73. Fruit
74. Pencils
75. Rocks
76. Christmas Lights
77. Pajamas
78. My mom's ham & beans
79. Corn Bread (to go with above ham & beans)
80. Wristwatches
81. Little girls' dress up clothes
82. The Sunday Paper with lots of ads in it (though I hate shopping)
83. Thunder & Lightning
84. Snowglobes
85. Scrapbooks
86. Flavored lip balm/chapstick
87. Fried Zucchini
88. Rearranging the furniture
89. Float tube fishing
90. Hats
91. Old fashioned shoe styles
92. Chuzzle
93. Facebook
94. All things Tiki
95. Yellowstone
96. Musicals
97. Muppets
98. Football
99. Cake Batter Ice Cream from Cold Stone
100. Bubbles

Catching Up # 4 - The Fire

Coming home from work on the night of August 26th, the closer I got to home, the more I noticed the orange glow in the sky.

Uh oh.

Yep, fire. One of the hills surrounding Emmett was on fire. It apparently started around 7 pm, & I got home around midnight, so it had already burned a good portion of the hill, but it still was going pretty good too thanks to the wind.

During:

After:

Cruise Night

Saturday was also Cruise Night in Emmett. It's the one day a year that everyone gets out their cool cars and cruises up & down the "main drag" of Emmett. Also known as Washington Ave. Everyone breaks out the camping chairs, portable coolers, & finds a nice shady spot to "park it" & watch the cars go by!

Pool Party!

25 Random Things & Some Questions

On facebook there's this note going around where you're supposed to post 25 random things about yourself. The one I did also had some random questions to answer at the end too. I thought it would be fun to post here for those that may not hang out in the facebook world!! :)

1. I enjoy Seasme Street just as much as my kids do - especially Cookie Monster - that blue guy just makes my day!
2. When I was a senior in High School I caught strep throat and could not get rid of it - I dropped from 150 lbs to 95 lbs in 3 months (and I'm 5' 9")! The dress I wore to prom was so big on me I had to be sewn into it by my roommate so that it wouldn't fall off!
3. When I was younger I wanted to be an archaeologist, until my mom found me a book about King Tut at the library, then I was sold on Egyptology!
4. I think Guy Fieiry (sp?) and Paula Deen must be long lost relatives of mine.
5. I'm with Sue - I love the Cheesecake Factory!
6. Two of my best friends in the world are people I never would have even met if it hadn't have been for the internet (and specifically laughingplace).
7. I've never had a broken bone (I just jinxed myself now though)!
8. One of these days I will move to California or Nevada if I have my way!! :P
9. I love love love to travel - I can't wait to take our kids to places I love to go and places I've always wanted to go.
10. My kids are so freaking smart - they amaze me everyday with the things they know.
11. I am anemic (sp?).
12. My favorite board game is Scattergories.
13. I am terrified to let my kids go to school when they're old enough. I have even begged my husband to let me home school them.
14. I have a blog too- horses-say-moo.blogspot.com. Check it out (its not nearly as cool as Ginny's or updated as often but dang my kids sure are cute).
15. I don't know how to do a cartwheel.
16. I'm a sucker for old movies - especially John Wayne, anything Hitchcock, & musicals.
17. I am also a sucker for those big soft pretzels - ohhh and with cheese sauce too!!
18. I pray for the day when I can be a full-time stay at home mom!
19. My son is named after Wyatt Earp - go ahead - pick on him - I dare you! :P
20. I have 2 tattoos and plan on getting more - lots more - damn things are like potato chips.
21. I LOVE NASCAR! It's so bad, I took the day off work so I could be home to watch the Daytona 500! I have more pictures from the NASCAR Cafe in Vegas than I do any other building on the Strip!! The majority of my wardrobe consists of Tony Stewart shirts! I even have a PEZ despenser shaped like a racecar! We briefly considered naming our son after Dale Earnhardt! Oh yeah, I'm bad!
22. I have a new obsession with this website called cakewrecks. Its at cakewrecks.blogspot.com - its the first website I go to when I get on the web because I know I'm going to laugh hysterically or at least get a really good smile from it.
23. I have chickens - I love my chickens - you know those people that become crazy cat ladies? I think I'm going to end up a crazy chicken lady.
24. I got Photoshop for Christmas from my husband and I was so extactic to be able to make those cool digiscrapping things and edit photos and all that stuff - I CANNOT figure it out - it's NOTHING like the Photoshop program on our old computer - I've never felt so defeated.
25. I can't wait for that point where I feel like I've accomplished something with my life.

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
Both of my grandmas - my first name was my grandma's nickname when she was a kid - my middle name is my other grandma's middle name

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?
Its been a few days.

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
If I actually slow down it looks really nice.

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?
bologna

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?
yup!

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON, WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
Maybe!

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM?
Ummmm I am the queen of sarcasm...

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?
Yep - well some of them - they've been damaged pretty bad by the bout of strep throat I had when I was a senior.

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
No!

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?
Lucky Charms.

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
I wear boots mostly which don't require that.

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?
Cake Batter from Cold Stone

14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?
Eyes

15. RED OR PINK?
Pink

16. WHAT IS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?
How much time do you have?

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?
I don't really "miss" anyone - I just wish everyone lived closer - I mean I get to talk to everyone online and stuff but I "miss" hanging out in person!
Oh, and Byron - what the heck happened to Byron??!! I miss that guy something awful!!!

18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO COMPLETE THIS LIST?
sure, why not!

19. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?
red plaid flannel jammies and no shoes

21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
Family Feud on the TV in the other room.

22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?
plum

23. FAVORITE SMELLS?
Pirates of the Caribbean, BABIES, puppy breath, that sulfer smell after fireworks go off

24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
my husband

25. HOW DO YOU KNOW THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU?
I met Ginny through laughingplace.com but she's one of my best friends in the world now.

26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?
NASCAR!!!

27. HAIR COLOR?
naturally or now? :P

28. EYE COLOR?
hazel

29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
All the time.

30. FAVORITE FOODS?
I just like food - anything Italian is especially good!

31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?
I like suspense scary movies but not gory -- Happy endings are good too.

32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?
The Family That Preys (love Tyler Perry movies!)

33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?
black and white

34. SUMMER OR WINTER?
Summer!

35. HUGS OR KISSES?
Hugs - unless we're talking kisses from my kids - then kisses for sure!

37. DESCRIBE YOUR PENCIL CUP.
The one at home is a coffee mug with otters on it - mine at work is a Mickey Mouse pencil cup/post it note holder combo!

38. FAVORITE ARTIST(s)?
This is so vague - what kindof art? The stuff you hang on your wall? Then Weyland (isn't that the guy that paints the whales and stuff - I'm totally going blank!)

39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?
HAHAHAHA You're funny - you think I have time to read a book without pictures!?

40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?
don't have one

41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT?
Nothing, I was working.

42. FAVORITE SOUND(S).
That weird growl/squeal thing that Wyatt does, I'm with Ginny - the sound the turnstyles make at Disneyland - I wish I could find that sound somewhere to put on my cell phone!

43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?
Beatles!!!!!

44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?
Ummm well "home" to me is Indiana so I'd say California.

45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?
I make cute babies!

46 WHERE WERE YOU BORN?
Fort Wayne, Indianal

47. FAVORITE PIECE OF JEWELRY?
A necklace that my mom's best friend gave to me when I got married.

48. HOW DID YOU MEET YOUR SPOUSE/SIGNIFICANT OTHER?
We went to high school together and had a mutual friend - one day she was decorating his locker for his birthday and I said something to her about decorating the wrong locker for my birthday - she told me it was his birthday too and introduced us later that day - we started dating a few months later.

49. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
Honestly a stay at home mom with a fantastic knack for making cookies.

50. WHAT DO YOU WISH YOU COULD BE DOING RIGHT NOW?
I would love to be at Disneyland with my kids!

I voted, but I'm not sure why!?

OK, this being my first presidential election that I voted in, I had no idea how the whole process "worked". Here's what I think I learned though...at least this is how I feel anyways...it's really actually isn't important whether or not I vote, because I didn't technically get to pick the president anyways - whoever these "Electoral Vote" people are who decided who decided the winner, not me and the MILLIONS of other people who voted. Now don't get me wrong, I totally agree with the choice they made, however, I really don't feel like my vote even matters because they announced that Obama was president before Idaho (and a lot of other states) had even reported all their numbers in. Does my vote only matter when the electoral vote people are tied or something? I do know that for the local and state races my actual vote counts, but still, I was really excited to vote for president and I feel totally let down, even though the candidate I picked won.

Maybe someone can explain it to me because I feel like I waisted my time voting yesterday when originally I was so freaking excited.

HEY YOU! GO VOTE!!!

I'm not going to lecture you about WHO you should vote for, just get out there and do it!!

My Blog List Disappeared! :(

I have no idea what happened, I'm sure it was probably while I was messing around trying to fix the background and header that I have now that my bloglist disappeared the other day! I hope I have everyone back on there that was there before. If you're reading this and you're missing, please let me know as I'm pretty sure there might be some that I couldn't remember with my 2kidsrunningamok brain.... :)

Help Rolling Dog Ranch win $10,000!!!

I don't normally beg people to vote for things because very rarely do they actually help out anyone. THIS one is important though! Care2.com is running a contest for America's favorite animal shelter & the winner will receive $10,000!!! Now you all are adults and I'm sure some of you may have a shelter in mind already, and I will not stop you from voting for whoever you want to, but if you don't have one in mind, will you PLEASE take a moment and vote for Rolling Dog Ranch Animal Sanctuary in Ovando, MT.
If you go to the Ranch's site, please take a moment and read the story about Bridger and Madison, two blind horses at the sanctuary. It's a story you usually never hear about or only read in books. The reason I specifically mention these two is because Radar (renamed Bridger after she got to the Ranch) was taken to the sanctuary by my mom who volunteers at the shelter here. See, in 2005 the Idaho Humane Society seized almost 90 horses from a lady who lives just a few miles from me. This woman had previously had animals seized from her but because of the lack of any animal cruelty laws here at the time, she was able to start hoarding again (let's not get me started)! These poor horses were in HORRIBLE condition, some blind, most starving, living in unthinkable conditions. Luckily the lady was convicted of animal neglect because the laws had thankfully changed. Anyways, back to the real reason I'm bringing this up is because the wonderful folks at Rolling Dog took Radar (the name we gave her at the shelter) in with open arms. My mom took her up there and she lives a wonderful life with her new family (and apparently long lost sweetie from another life if you read the story on the website).
So, if you have a minute and don't have a shelter in mind for the contest, please vote for Steve and Alayne and they're fantastic furry family at Rolling Dog!

Changed the background

So, this is like the 4 millionth time I've changed the background on this thing in a week but I just haven't found one I really really like - until now! This great website skincorner.com has a few different Pooh skins and both of my kiddos LOVE Pooh so I figured it was pretty fitting to have it as the theme for the page - even though it doesn't really match the title - but that's ok! I've never been a matchy matchy type of person anyways!

Just a quick note for no reason

This blogging stuff is hard work!! LOL!!
I'm still working on some pictures to put on here and I still haven't figured out how to link to other people's blogs.
I was hoping to do something kindof fun like "flashback fridays" that monkey memories does too, I just haven't decided what yet. Maybe I'll post fun pictures of all my different animals - a new one every week or something. Not sure yet but I'll come up with something I'm sure!

I should have more stuff coming in the next couple of days. I've been trying to use flickr and I kindof don't like it as well as some of the other photo sites I've used before - but I'm trying - it's taking me like 3 times as long to edit from it so I think from now on I'll just edit the photos BEFORE I download them to flickr.

Anyways that's all for now - Bug and Dude are going to spend a couple of hours at grandma's house tonight - Bug loves going to Grandma's house - anytime I talk to mom on the phone Bug wants to know if she's going over there! Dude likes that Grandma feeds him and feeds him and feeds him!! HAHAHAHA!!