From Zero to Ten in a blink of an eye!



I GOT THE JOB! WOW, unbelievable really, it couldn't have come at a better time nothing better than having a little security to make things go a little smoother if and when Ed gets laid off, for once to be prepared in advance Hmmmm gotta be a good sign! I'm working 3 days a week at Dr. Ekvalls Office, what a GREAT group of people, and the benefits that the job offers are amazing, I couldn't ask for a better opportunity to work part-time. Thank You Brenda for thinking of me!



It's been a little bit of an adjustment for everyone, even the dog misses me & I APPRECIATE my Mama for stepping up to help with my kids, another blessing, if you have ever paid that large Daycare bill you appreciate when you have family & friends that will help you out with kidlets! I think I have woke up every work night since I started worried about not being at something that the kids will have going on but from the sounds of it that won't be a problem, I'm working for a real family oriented place! And Hmmmm, running a household, working, coaching sports, I am having a little of dejavu of back in the day when I was a full time working Mom LOL, not that I ever forgot what that felt like!



We went to Silverwood, Thanks to Papa & Grammie taking the family, their treat~! The kids had a blast, their Papa & Grammie are already telling them about next year Hmmmm, SPOILED! We did learn that Saturday is NOT the day to go & especially a Saturday that a company in Spokane decides to pay for all their employees & their families to go adding an extra 500+ people to the park! Eeeekkkk LOL, but all in all a nice time was had by all, I loved pushing the stroller full of stuff & kids around & watching everyone go on rides & play in the water~! Love Love Love watchin my kids~!

If you've ever seen the movie The Story Of Us you will know what I am talking about but even if you haven't you'll laugh, so every night we play High/Low at our house around the dinner table, I ask the kids what their favorite part of the day was and then if anything made them made or sad tonight Hayden: I think you know what my favorite part was Mommy & I say "Riding The Bus for the first time today" Yes he says (earlier he had told me it was like heaven riding on the bus today) Hallee: What was her favorite part today "Grammie" her favorite part was going to Grammie & Papa's house today, Did anything make you mad or sad Hal "Home" she was sad cause she had to come home from Grammie's LOL, Hunter "That makes me sad that she said that Mommy" I had to explain to him about how her lil 2 yr old mind works :) & Hunter's favorite part is always getting to see his family!

The highlight of my day, taking my kids to school even though I wish it was still Summer Vaca, talking on the phone on my lunch hour to a friend that was awesome, then loved hearing that both my boys made it to Grammie's on the bus, then there is the happiness that I don't work for 4 days, sharing a popsicle with Hallee, I could go on and on Lotsa Blessings!

<3 <3 <3 <3

Life Is Good!

Zucchini Bread, Corn On The Cob, Tomatoes, Plums, Cucumbers YUM The Tastes Of Summer Gardens~!


WOW What a busy, emotional roller coaster of a few days! We are facing some job changes here in our household, it seems to be becoming an annual July/August thing for layoffs & job changes. What lies ahead we don't know but what will be will be is how I am trying to look at it, we have survived worse so we shall prevail.

I got the lawn mower back up & running, you know you are under a lil bit of stress when you head out to mow & it won't start, won't even try to turn over & you slowly start to cry & you realize you aren't really crying about the lawn mower, but the lawn mower was the thing that just kinda pushed ya to the edge, you haven't fallin off yet & probably won't fall off but you are teetering on a slippery edge, you pull yourself back together, look up on a wing & a prayer, start taking screws out & pulling it apart checking this and checking that & putting it back together & hoping it will start. A hug from my son & the turn of the key & BLAM it fired up. Thank You for small favors, the future was LOOKING brighter ;)

Stampede has come & gone, I got talked into the Rodeo & the Carnival, the kids had fun at the rodeo, they enjoyed the first 30 minutes of the rodeo & the full view of the suicide race that we had. They got new cowboy hats from Papa & Grammie! The carnival was a blast for them they rode lots of rides, climbed the climbing wall & rode the mechanical bull. I loved watching the kids have such a great time. But it was interesting how sad I found myself getting both nights, even surrounded by lots of people I knew I was lonely going to yet another event with just me & the kids (anyone who knows Ed knows he doesn't go to any event that he doesn't want to go to)!

The Pig Roast was lots of fun, we camped at Sutton's enjoyed the early morning prep, visiting, eating, listening to music, those of us that hung in there worked hard and had a great time! The fam slept in our travel trlr there I came home & slept not that we got much sleep with all the fun we were having, I'm no dummy!! To know Les & Toni Sutton is an honor & those that are lucky enough to have them as friends are blessed! If you didn't come to the roast you definetely missed out!

Monday my house looked like as my friend Lisa said about hers "it looked like a crime had been committed" so I just had to dive in and get it clean.

I had my first job interview in over 8 years yesterday, it was fun, yet stressful. You realize how bad that gap between the last time you worked looks when you update that Ol' Resume after having been a stay at home Mom for so many years but I wouldn't change it for anything. Fitting for the last week of events I got my annual Social Security Statement in the mail, there in black and white is the income you have made and the lack there of in the last few years, I've never measured myself or anyone based on how much they make or don't make. I find it comforting to know that my kids have been blessed with an opportunity that most kids/families don't get and that is to be home with Mom & to be there with my kids LOVE LOVE IT, and I realize how LUCKY I am!

Happy Wednesday Everyone~!

Hayden lost his 2nd tooth! So happy his are falling out on their own, Hunter's teeth like to hold on for months & months & end up having to be pulled! I told Hayden that I would leave his tooth for the Toothfairy since he had fallen asleep on the floor & had to be carried to bed, apparently I got tired too, so this morning I remember the toothfairy was supposed to come so I get the tooth pillow out put the money in it set it out & then I think where is the tooth, he had carted off the bowl with his tooth in it, so I run crazily around the house looking for it, nope not in the house Hmmmm O K think if I was Hayden Hmmm OUTSIDE so I run outside & sure enough on the porch in the bowl was his tooth. Saved By The Bell or just saved by the fact that I know my Son well LOL

Ed had to go & one up me & tear a muscle in his leg, we are quite the combo now all gimped up, Doc says take a couple days off & take it easy on it & it will heal within a few weeks!


I LOVE CHEESE, more than anyone I know that's the reason I can't lose weight LOL, Dill Havarti today for breakfast YUMMY!


We managed to empty, move & refill the kids pool yesterday, despite our aches & pains, now when the sun comes out today, it should heat that water right up & the kids might get in it more! It's going to annoy me that that pool is in the kids swingset area cause it looks out of place, but my OCD will have to be calmed by knowing that they will get more use out of it, I will just move my lawn chair out there to the lil concrete slab in the shade & watch them play from the shade!


The Buzz around town w/ the excitement of Sarah Palin coming to town for a wedding was pretty funny to listen to! I love that lady, I'm a fan but I didn't join the hysteria of running to the Airport LOL~!


I filled two laundry baskets yesterday of stuff to get rid of, I'm thinking a room a day or every other day, it feels so good to get rid of a few things, less is more, we are constantly accumulating more stuff, where does it come from. When we went through the kids toys the other day I told them they had to rotate toys in & out from storage because they have big sets of things that allow them to play harmoniously together like big train track sets & TRex Mtn, & Pirate Ships etc. that take up entire totes, so they rotated out the train track & rotated in TRex Mtn, it's like getting new toys each time!

Last night Ed says "Do you get a lil shock when you turn the shower on" I was like Oh Ya every time I am in there, he says "Why didn't you tell me" I said I didn't really think much about I have such an electric personality that I thought it was just me, he says "I gotta get my meter" a couple minutes later he comes back & says "When you are standing on the rubber mat you get 45 volts" I'm like oh wow really so there is actually electricity getting to the shower Hmmm that's really dangerous too bad that wasted electricity isn't going to the non-working lights in my bathroom, guess we might want to fix that before one of us gets hurt really bad.

Happy Tuesday My Friends! Love Life Enjoy The Roller Coaster Ride!

LIFE IS GOOD! It may not be easy, but it is good & we are lucky!

Thursday night we went to pick up about 8 ton of Hay, Lucky me I got the easy job of just driving the trucks & trailers! Kids ended up stayin the night at Papa & Grammie's which worked out good since they were going there Friday anyways while I went to Wenatchee. Hayden got a treat his Great Grandma made him some noodles, he said it was his lunch, from his little story I gather that he asked her to make them for him. My kids are really lucky to have My Grandparents living so close to My Parents so they can visit when they are there.

Friday I saw a Doctor again to follow up after surgery Hmmm it was interesting to say the least basically a waste of time I know I could have made him blush w/ my quick wit about his questions but I refrained, the rest of the day turned out AWESOME, lunch w/ a Great Friend, A Lil Shopping for school pants for the kids, & just lots of chat time!

Saturday morning we slept in until 8 then the phone rang....ended up helpin my Mom & Sis w/ their Yard Sale for a few hours, & anyone who knows my aversion to having or going to Yard Sales knows this was Big for me, but I don't mind helpin when needed no matter the daunting task, came home showered & took a nap w/ Hallee while the Boys played quietly.

Sunday was supposed to be another quiet day spent at Home w/out having to leave, then my Bro called while I was sitting in the yard enjoying a cup of coffee & a good read. He wanted to do some skiing & tubing in Conc, so we ripped the boats up to the lake, I sat on the shore & watched the guys ski & the kids play in the sand & swim, it turned out to be a nice day not too hot, not too cold, I dropped the Kidlets & Warden off at home so they could shower, & took the boat back to My Parents house, they brought my van home from Spokane, she's not back to my house yet, but my Mom Van is back in Oktown YEAH!

I'm feeling better every day recooperating from surgery nicely, bandages are gone, bruises are starting to fade, all is well!

The week ahead is Stampede Week, Luckily I won't be down in the mess of that, gonna make sure I get what few groceries we will need & then away from Eastside we will stay! Looking forward to Sutton's Annual Pig Roast, gonna be a fun time!

Have A Great Week Everyone!

Day~44 Survivor Season


Day 40~Attempt Running Again


Day 39~Ok. Co. Fair


Day 30~First Day Of School for My Boys


Day 19~Papa & Grammie taking kids to Silverwood


Day 12~Pig Roast



Monday Got a calendar out for the kids today so they could mark off the days until their next fun event!

I have all the kids school supplies purchased & since their backpacks & lunch boxes were of such good quality last year, they are able to use them this year, does that make me stingy? Frugal? Or just A FREAKIN GENIOUS? Probably none of the above :) All they need from what I can see, are shoes, & a couple new pair of jeans! They have lots of shirts & it will still be hot for a while so they will probably be wearing shorts or atleast Hayden anyways Hunter he likes to be covered a lil more than the rest of us, he is wearing jeans most days anyways! I remember as a kid always getting new outfits but they were always more appropriate for colder weather since of course it would be fall soon & since they were new we wanted to wear them on the first day of school & from that memory all I remember is being SWEATY HOT, lol!

We rented & watched Diary Of A Wimpy Kid Tues night, the whole family loved it, it was pretty funny! The kids love movie night & popcorn! Frankly so does Mom I LOVE LOVE LOVE Popcorn, it's quite possibly the one food I cannot ever give up, LOL!

It's 3am Wed. morn & I can't sleep, feeling achy rrrrrrr, This To Shall Pass!

Thinking it might help to read I opened the update on the Duggar Family today, 19 Kids & Counting! At first I admired this family for having so many children way back when their show first started, and I have always envied her laundry room with the family closet for sure but I am with some of the other people now & I think that it is getting ridiculous, my sympathy goes out to the older children having so much responsibility for the younger children, I think there is a fine line there. All the kids seem happy but really when your last child is born weighing just over 1lb & you have so many health problems don't you think it's time to count the blessings that you have been given & stop producing Lil Bundles of Joy! Just My Opinion! & it is 3am & I am not feeling well !

Back to bed I think the Tylenol are kickn in!

Wednesday morning the kids decide to go through their toys for a Yard Sale, of course not one that I am having because I don't do Yard Sales, WAY Too much work for me! So I sit down on their floor & start helping them, it's apparent they are hoarders LOL, they picked out a few things but not much of real quality I guess when they don't make very much they will see what I was trying to explain to them. I Love My Kids, they are soooooooooooo Darn Cute!

Pitter Patter Pitter Patter, I hear Lil feet coming, it's Hal she says milk, plug apparently she has lost all her prized possessions in the night her cup & her lips, :) , she's all tucked back into bed! It's Thursday morning another day another $1, thinking we should get Blizzards tonight for the Children's Fundraiser, & I'm pretty sure I'm gonna get a call that we have hay that needs picked up tonight, definetely couldn't have timed that any more perfect, this year all I get to do is drive Hmmm Lucky Me, but I feel bad cause it's not usually my style to just sit & watch probably gonna drive me crazy LOL!

Tomorrow back to the Doctor, I can't wait I got a ton of ?'s!

Happy Thursday Everyone!