The Weedops

Oh Crumpets!!!

2010-11-17T16:13:00.009-07:00

Yes, I know. Yet again I've been gone from the blogging world for far too long. I didn't even log on to see the comment Justine left me until it was almost a month later! lol Sorry Justine; and you're right!

I had an...experience today that made me feel the need to blog. WARNING: This post is rather long. Sorry! :) Here you go:

Today, at Jerrica's preschool, it was International Feast Day! Instead of having a Thanksgiving-style dinner, they asked each family to prepare a dish from their country of origin. At first I hadn't planned on participating, but this morning I started thinking it might be fun.

Being that my family and Marc's family are both originally from England, I only felt it proper to make tea and crumpets! (Well, that and I had all of the ingredients on hand except the tea.) The recipe seemed easy enough so away I went. Since the dough/batter mixture needed to rise for about an hour, I got it all setup by noon and put it in the oven to rise. (I like to turn the oven on for just a minute or two and then turn it off so my stuff has a nice, warm place to rise.) I figured I'd have just enough time to take Jerrica to school, run by the store, and cook up the batter by 2:45 for the party. Pretty ambitious, right?

One of the unique things about crumpets is that, although they're kind of like biscuits, you don't bake them in the oven. Instead, you are suppose to use a griddle and crumpet rings—which are really just fancy cookie cutters—where you pour the batter and grill them up. Well, apparently finding circular, metal cookie cutters is a little more challenging than I thought it was going to be. So after a trip to Walmart and the dollar store, I decided to give up on trying to find the stupid things and figured I'd just make them out of aluminum foil. It was now 1:20.

The panic finally set in as I was driving home and realized that today was early release day for Ally, and I had to go pick her up from school at 1:50. I rushed home, pulled the griddle out to preheat, and started making crumpet rings out of aluminum foil. (By the way, those actually turned out perfectly and ended up working very well!)

My batter still needed to rise one more time after I put the last ingredient in. So I turn the oven on, threw in the last ingredient, tossed a towel over the bowl, popped it in the oven, and ran out the door to get Ally from school.

Yeah. Did you notice one step that was missing back there? Yes, I forgot to turn the oven off.

Luckily the house didn't burn down! By the time I got home, the towel was turning brown and half of the batter had cooked to the side of the bowl, but all was not lost! The center of the batter was still good, so after burning my hands taking the hot bowl out of the oven, I started grilling me some crumpets.

Finally, after some overfilling of the crumpet rings, the use of a frying pan as a lid on my griddle, and cutting each crumpet in half to grill them and make sure that the middle was cooked...I was done!

And not a moment too soon because it was 2:35 which left me about 10 minutes to make the 15 minutes drive to the preschool. I ended up being a few minutes late but let's be honest, when am I not a few minutes late?

Miraculously, the crumpets were a huge success! With the butter and jam that I had provided, they were really pretty good and disappeared by the end of the feast. I even had one lady ask me for my recipe! =O Overall, the feast was really yummy and really fun. :)

So the lesson in all of this? Never...ever...ever make a first attempt at a new recipe unless you have plenty of time to screw up about a billion times! ;)

I forgot to take a picture of the whole platter with the butter and jam and everything,
but here's a picture of one of the crumpets.

Introducing....Mylee May!

2010-07-26T20:45:00.018-06:00

I would like to introduce you to our new puppy...Mylee May Weedop. I've really been missing having an inside dog since we lost Man-Man, so when I found out that a friend of ours had Shih Tzu puppies that were ready to go, we couldn't resist. We got so caught up in the puppy excitement, we ended up getting one for my mom for her birthday too!

Mylee is missing her sister, Bella, but she's getting used to her new home in Colorado. I introduced her and Dante today and she's still alive! haha That's a good sign for sure. Dante didn't show any aggression towards her; they're both a little scared of each other and mildly curious.

Dante was only mildly interested in Mylee; he mostly ignored her.

Marc came home from work and said "Hi" to his two furry friends.

Mylee looking cute as ever!

Here's a better shot of the fancy new shirt I got for Dante. I sewed on a sleeve to protect his bandages.

Oh yeah, and Ally lost a tooth. She even pulled it out herself! *ugh*

She was in a pretty good mood after the whole tooth thing. ;)

Doggie Clothing: Doctor's Orders

2010-07-20T18:22:00.005-06:00

Yep, it just keeps getting better people!

After getting Dante all bandaged up yesterday, it didn't take long before the bandage had worked its way down his leg. So, a couple hours later, I went out and bandaged it again but a little tighter. Well, apparently it was too tight because when I checked on him today, his whole leg was swollen up. I finally gave up and took him to the vet!

The vet says this isn't really an uncommon thing to happen but it's a very long and frustrating process to get it to heal. We weren't sure before if the wound was infected but it turns out that he has an infection that runs pretty deep. He'll be on steroids for 15 days and antibiotics for at least 4 weeks (most likely longer).

Instead of using the dreaded cone, the vet suggested using a long sleeved t-shirt to keep Dante from chewing on the bandages. Not only will he look fashionable but he'll be able to get around easier. :) Hopefully the shirt holds up!

So yeah, now we have another appointment in 2 days, his steroids have to be taken twice a day and his antibiotics have to be taken 3 times a day. This is going to be fuuuuuun. =/

Cone of Shame

2010-07-19T17:21:00.012-06:00

Hey, stop laughing!

As you can see, our poor Dante boy is having to wear the dreaded cone of shame. Don't worry though, nothing majorly bad happened to him. Here's what happened: while we were in the process of moving down to Colorado, Dante was staying at the staff house where Marc stayed. Well, somehow during that time, Dante scraped up his elbows pretty bad. The one elbow healed on its own but unfortunately, the other one didn't. Dante continuously licked it raw until it become a halfdollar-sized, gaping wound that was just begging for infection.

After several attempts at bandaging it, and Dante subsequently ripping the bandages off, we resorted to getting him a cone to keep him from bothering it. He's been a really good sport about the whole thing. He always lays so still when I'm working on him; he lets me shave his fur, clean the wound, spray antiseptic spray, wrap, and tape his leg with very little resistance. What a good boy he is! We're hoping that the wound will heal on its own and won't get infected. I'm going to be checking on it in a week or so and see how it's doing. Hopefully we won't have to take him to the vet!

Dante is still adjusting to life with a cone. He's always bumping into chairs, getting hung up on his kennel, and I don't think he really fits into his doghouse anymore. Despite all of the obvious shortcomings that come along with wearing a cone, Dante still makes it look good. :)

Nightly Visitor

2010-07-17T13:28:00.005-06:00

A few weeks after we moved into our new house, we started getting a nightly visitor. Marc and I were the first ones to meet this pretty kitty, and against my better judgement, I provided her with some food and water. Actually, after some trial and error, I found that the only thing she really likes is milk and maybe a little bit of cheese.

So now, every night at about 8 or 9, we'll hear a very persistent and loud meow at the front door, not unlike Sam-Sam's meow. Speaking of Sam, the girls think that this new kitty (they like to call her "Sweetie") would make a great girlfriend for Sam. She has a very sweet disposition and loves to get pets. Although, I did try rubbing her belly once and she does not like that. ;)

We're not sure who she belongs to, but it has been kind of a fun treat for us to see her each night. It brings a little bit of grandma and papa's house to our new home.

Moved and Settled

2010-07-13T09:53:00.005-06:00

Alright friends and family, here goes my attempt to keep you informed from afar!

Since my last post, (which seems like ages ago) we have sold our house, the girls and I moved in with my parents for a couple of months, Ally finished the 1st grade, we moved to Grand Junction, CO, and now we're all on our own!

The girls have started gymnastics, and after some trial and error, we've ended up in a wonderful gym! Ally seems like a natural; she's already holding a handstand for a few seconds. I can't wait to see where she goes with this; she says she wants to do it until she's a teenager! lol Jerrica has been having fun at gymnastics too! Her coach says that she's very strong. Must be those Weedop legs. ;) I'm so glad to have an activity that gets us out of the house and lets us interact with other people.

School starts at the end of August. Ally will be in 2nd grade and Jerrica will be in pre-school. That means I'll have 3 hours/3 days a week, all to myself. What shall I do?! =/ I have to admit, I'm looking forward to school starting. The girls are with each other every day...all day...every second...all the time. Yeah, they fight a lot. haha It will be great for them to get a break from each other!

We really missed family on the 4th of July! Our 4th turned out very differently than any other one we've had. We ended up going down to a place called Blue Mesa Reservoir; it's about 2 hours southeast of Junction. It was so beautiful there and we had a great time, but it was weird being all by ourselves without family or friends. The girls were obsessed the whole time about being able to go swimming and then when it actually came time to swim, they said the water was too cold and they didn't want to. lol

Over that weekend, we discovered some new Colorado laws. Junction had fireworks stands all over the place. So on the way out of town, instead of stopping to get some fireworks, we just decided we would get some in Gunnison. WEEEEELL, it turns it that many cities and counties in Colorado don't allow "illegal" fireworks. And yeah...they do mean sparklers by that. =/ Ok, so no big deal. We'll just get back to Junction on the 5th and get a few then. Oh no, no, no. You can't sell fireworks after the 4th either. So sadly, we didn't get to set off any fireworks this year, but we will be making up for that little fact next year!

Anyway, I don't want to make this post too long. It's weird though, everyday I feel like I have some pressing thing I need to get done, and everyday I realize I don't. I can't wait for our Lake Powell trip in August and then our trip to Idaho in mid-August. I also can't wait to start making some friends here!

Close to Closing!

2010-03-24T17:34:00.003-06:00

GOOD NEWS!!! Okay, well not necessarily good news for all of you but it's certainly good news for us. After just two weeks on the market, we have accepted an offer on our house. Well really, they accepted our counter-offer but either way it means that our house is basically sold! It really reconfirms my belief that this move to Colorado is meant to be.

The buyer's offer is contingent on the closing of their house so as long as everything goes smoothly we will close on April 14th. That's only three weeks away! Plus we have a week long trip planned to Moab next week so we'll definitely be pressed for time. The plan is for me and the girls to stay at my parents' house until Ally's out of school on May 28th. After that we'll be movin' on down to Grand Junction, Colorado. We haven't yet figured out whether we're going to rent or buy in Junction, but we still have some time to figure all that out.

So, if anyone would like to help us pack up and move into storage, the door is open. ;)

We miss you, Man-Man...

2010-02-23T09:31:00.008-07:00

This Sunday, Man-Man left our family forever. He got out of our backyard and was attacked by one of the neighbor's dogs. We found him when we came home and I took him to the vet. Although we are very sad he's gone, I feel some comfort in knowing I was able to be with him for the last few minutes of his life.

When I think of Man-Man, I can't help but remember all of the wonderfully quirky things about him. He was such a blanket baby and always had to sleep with a blanket tucked in his mouth. He always slept with Jerrica at night and she always lovingly shared her blankets with him.

I remember how he used to tease my parents' cats and how, most mornings, he was too lazy to get out of bed before 10. He loved space heaters and his girls, Ally and Jerrica. Whenever we were leaving the house, he always assumed he was coming too and would jump right up in the backseat.

Now that he's gone, we still look for him in all of his normal places and I wish I could hear that collar jingling into the room just one more time. We will never be able to replace such a special dog and we miss him dearly.

We'll never forget you buddy...

I hate writing titles. I never know what to say!

2010-02-19T21:16:00.005-07:00

Marc is home this week! Yay!! He gets to stay until Wednesday and we're so happy to have him around. For the last couple of days I've been really busy with design work which is good and bad at the same time. Hopefully this weekend we'll get some time to have that Valentine's date we didn't get to do.

Jerrica has been sick with a cold for the last week or two but this morning she woke up with a fever and an upset stomach. She slept most of the day today but it seems like her fever is under control now and tonight she has been up and around. I hope she keeps feeling better but I do love how cuddly she is when she's sick. :)

Yesterday and today, I finally got back into the gym after taking a break to get over my cold. This morning, I was heading to Piyo class only to find out it had been cancelled due to illness (imagine that). But lucky me there was still a 9 o'clock class to go to........Cardio Core Crazy. =/ Yep....it's as awful as it sounds but some how I made it through without passing out. Can't wait to get back to calm, soothing Piyo on Monday!

Yep, that's right! I'm back! (for now)

2010-02-17T10:22:00.002-07:00

Okay, okay, okay. So I suck at blogging. I know! Today I shall try to improve my blogging reputation, if even for just one day.

Lately, our family has been up to a lot....and very little at the same time. Marc has been working in Colorado and only getting to come home a couple of days a month to see us. It has been a real challenge in many ways but we're getting by. For this reason, we have made the hard decision to move to Colorado this summer. It's going to be difficult to leave so many friends and family behind but we've decided ultimately, that our family can't be healthy and happy if we're not together. So, if anyone out there would like to buy a house, I know where you could find one. :)

Currently, I'm not employed outside of the home and have been enjoying spending more time with my beautiful girls. My design business has started to pull in some work here and there for me, despite my obvious lack of self-promotion. This is due, in part, to the great design work my dad throws my way every once in a while. I enjoy working with him and I think we make a great team!

The girls are just the same as always but lately Ally has been into video games A LOT. I've been trying to limit her time but I can't help but be somewhat happy that I have a little gamer who will give me a run for my money. =D

Jerrica is just Jerrica. She's growing up so fast and has gone from toddler to little girl in a split second. Since Marc has been in Colorado, she comes to me almost every night and asks if all of the doors and windows are locked. I, of course, tell her yes and then must continue to reassure her that despite my serious lack of physical strength, I have other means of thwarting any bad guys that might come sneaking about. (One is named Dante and the other requires 22 caliber bullets ;)

About a month ago, I signed up at the racquetball club which is now known as Impact Athletic. Since I haven't been going to work or school, I've noticed some rather disturbing changes happening to my body *eek!* so I made the decision to persue the cliche: to get into the best shape of my life. I'm seeing minor improvements but I still feel that I have a long way to go before I can go posing for any fitness magazines. =P And for all of you out there who want to call me (or already have called me) a skinny little bi.....um, person....just know that I see myself naked everyday, and believe me, everyone has somewhere they'd like to see improved.

Alrighty people, there you have it. Lots of words with not one picture. I really need to get out and use my camera more but I just hate this time of year for pictures. Everything is so dead and brown. I can't wait for spring!

At the End of Their Rope

2009-11-12T21:14:00.003-07:00

I've decided I MUST tell a cute little story that happened a couple of days ago. It might be embarrassing for the party involved but they'll never know I told everyone. ;)

There is a really cute couple that lives just up the dirt road from us. They're older and the man is in a wheelchair but somehow his wife still manages to take care of him plus all of the house and yard work. The other day, I was leaving my house to head over to my parent's house when I was met with a big van blocking the road.

The old man in his wheelchair had gone out across the road to get the mail. However, the front wheels of his chair had gotten stuck in the soft soil by the mailboxes and he couldn't move. His wife eventually found out what had happened and came out to help but she was unable to move him herself.

So what did she do you ask? She backed their van up (and I'm not talkin' bout no mini-van), got a rope, and proceeded to hook her husband up to it to pull him out. This is about the point that I drove up.

Being the good samaritan that I am, and the fact that I couldn't get passed anyway, I hopped out of my car to join in the winching. Her plan worked flawlessly and we were all on our merry way in no time. As I was leaving, she told me to let her know if I needed any help while Marc is away. Oh no, no, no sweet lady; you let me know if you need any help! :)

The Drama of a 7 Year Old

2009-11-05T23:19:00.009-07:00

Last night I had a little drama with Ally. (REALLY?!?! Drama with ALLY? Nooooooo.....)

That day during school, she had fallen down at recess and scraped up her hands. No blood, no big deal. Well, apparently it traumatized her enough that she decided she needed to pack a little first aid kit for herself, complete with a squirt bottle, toilet paper, and of course, candy. She put all this in a mini backpack and was determined to take it with her to school the next day for recess. Needless to say, I was against this idea and told her it was a no go. Tears were shed which led to an unhappy bedtime.

Now, Ally got these handy little post it notes on her birthday, compliments of my sister, and she decided to put them to good use. Whilst in bed, she wrote some notes to me expressing her feelings on the matter.

This is what I found on her bed railing later that night when I went to check on the girls:

*Translation: Why couldn't you be nice. To mom. From Ally. ; I can't stand it. I want to take the little backpack mom!

Despite my determination to not allow this backpack to go to school the next, somehow she still snuck it in on me. Why do I even try?

Havin' a Ball!

2009-09-24T09:31:00.010-06:00

Fall is underway and that means soccer too. Ally wanted to play soccer this year because her cousin, Rosanna, plays so we got her signed up. She played her second game this last Saturday and did a great job! She didn't get to score any goals but she was always right after the ball and wasn't afraid to get into the thick of it.

Unfortunately, she ended up getting hurt in the soccer ball "mosh pit" as I like to call it. She fell down in the middle of some serious scuffling and got kicked right in the mouth. I'm surprised her two front teeth didn't fall out because they were already pretty loose. She cried for a little bit but then got right back into the game.

Although I've never played soccer other than in high school PE, I somehow managed to become Ally's coach....or assistant coach....or something! The guy who was originally suppose to coach had some changes at work and hasn't been able to make practices. So I take practices and he's been there for the games. So far, it has been working out and I haven't had anyone tell me I'm doing an awful job....yet.

Jerrica's birthday was also this last Saturday. My baby is 4! When the heck did THAT happen?! Oh right, Saturday. It was a great party, pretty small compared to a lot of our other get togethers but Jerrica still managed to make out like a bandit. She had so much fun opening her presents! She couldn't wait to get to the next one once she tore open the one in front of her. Good times! :)

Marc has been working for the Schenks driving tractor back and forth in the field. I'm glad to see him working again but this is a temporary situation until we can find a more permanent job for him. I just applied for a graphic design job in Twin so I'm hoping that my couch-sitting days are almost over. .... Ok, so really I'm not but I really am looking forward to getting back to designing and making some money wouldn't be too bad either. ;)

Marc's birthday is coming up on the 29th and although he told me not to do anything for him, I'm still not convinced I'm going to listen. ;) My old man is getting close to that big 3-0. Tee hee! It's ok babe, I still think you're just as sexy as the day I met you!

End of Summer Fun

2009-09-15T22:32:00.008-06:00

Last weekend I got to go on a hiking trip with Marc and my dad to Bear Valley Hot Springs. It was a great weekend! The hike wasn't too bad although I am a little more out of shape than I thought I was. The camp ground was amazing! Very little wind, warm temperatures for this time of year, minimal bugs, warm water to wash the dishes in, and did I mention the HOT SPRINGS! So nice. Can't wait to go back!

Tonight, Ally and Jerrica decided they wanted to play in the sprinkler. It was warm enough so I threw their suits on them and let them have fun. They started pretending that their play house was on fire and were putting it out with the sprinkler. hmmm...wonder where they got THAT idea. =/

Dante and Man-Man were having some fun of their own. They were playing tug with a worn out stuffed shark. Of course, for Dante it wasn't as strenuous an activity as it was for Man-Man. Dante would flip the shark around until Man-Man would catch it, but as soon as Man-Man got a grip, there was no shaking him.

Dante, of course, won in the end.

She's a FLU-zee!

2009-09-07T23:59:00.002-06:00

So here I sit; On my couch....with 2 little girls. Ally has been sick with the flu from about 6 o'clock on and it has been a never ending trip to the bathroom. She seems to be calming down a bit now though and has been sleeping for about a half hour. Jerrica on the other hand is still wide awake. Although she isn't sick with the flu, she has had a nasty cold for a while now(which she has graciously passed onto me). Lets hope that the flu doesn't get passed around our family like it has so many others right now!

Marc is home now and went to bed early so he can get up and drive cattle truck tomorrow. Earlier today he went to the store for a few things we needed and ended up coming back with doughnuts. So despite the fact that I really just want to slouch down and go to sleep, I REALLY want a doughnut. It feels like the forbidden treat until my little Jer Bear decides to conk out. hmmm....actually it's getting rather quiet in here. I gotta go!! :)

What, pray tell, are you doing, Mr. Mantis?

2009-09-06T17:40:00.008-06:00

Today while Jerrica and I were mowing the lawn we found a praying mantis. It was scurrying up one of our rocks when we went past on the lawn mower. I was a little surprised because I don't see many praying mantises, esp. in our yard. Jerrica thought it was pretty neat, so while she was sitting there watching it I decided to go and get my camera.

They are such freaky looking creatures! When I was taking a really close up pictures, Dante barked and the mantis turned its head to look at him. It made my skin crawl a little bit!

Speaking of Dante, did I mention that he decided to try to ride on the lawnmower with me? He actually wouldn't get off so I decided to just go with it. However, as soon as I started the blade, he freaked out and jumped off. Yep, the big mean dog will take on any K-9 in the area but the lawn mower is where he draws the line.

Gone to the Dogs

2009-09-05T22:30:00.008-06:00

My day started out with me finding out that I needed to take Dante to the vet...again. Ok, let's rewind. Honestly the day started out with me rolling out of bed at about 10:30, getting Jerrica breakfast, trying to fix my wireless router, watching some Glenn Beck, taking a shower, giving Jerrica a bath, and THEN finding out about Dante. :)

We've been keeping Dante in the backyard lately since he has been running off and getting in so many fights. He still has many battle wounds and it turned out that one of them got infected. His paw was poofing up like a balloon and he couldn't even walk on it. Luckily, I have an awesome vet, and Dr. Wally Ward agreed to let me bring him in.

Since it was a Saturday, there wasn't anyone else in the office but me and Wally so I had to assist with the procedure. If you know me very well at all, I don't do so well around blood, guts, and gigantic scissors being shoved through paws. Now it's not like I had to actually drain the wound myself, but I did have to stay upright the whole time and hold Dante in place. I don't know what it is about that kind of stuff. It doesn't make me actually want to gag and throw up but my body just can't handle it and ends up shutting down.

I managed to make it through everything at the vets office but I had to pull the car over on the way to my parent's house. I then had to lay down in my car on the side of the road, then again in front of the house, THEN on my parents' couch. I started feeling much better after my mommy gave me a PB & J sandwich and some water. Thanks mom!

After that whole ordeal, my mom, Jerrica, and I headed to American Falls to attend a wedding reception for my friends Emily and Roderick. It was so great to see them again, esp. Emily since she decided to up and leave us Idahoans several years back for sunny California!

This evening Jerrica and I have just been hanging out. Ally decided to spend the night at her cousin's house last night and tonight so it has been a little quiet around here. Plus, Marc is off on another Jeeping expedition. It's nice some times to have a little peace and quiet but it can get lonely. I'm looking forward to getting everyone back home AND for our hiking trip next weekend. Yeah baby!

Float like a butterfly, sting like a WASP!

2009-09-02T08:51:00.005-06:00

The other day Marc decided he really didn't want to mow the lawn so I offered to do it myself. I haven't mowed the lawn since we moved in to this house but I used to mow it at our house on Park Ave. all the time.

As most of you know, I had a little incident when I was preparing the lawn for mowing. The grass around the water spicket was really long and as I was stepping in it to unhook the hoses, a wasp must have flown up my pant leg. At first I just felt a little pinch on my butt. No big deal; but while I was trying to check it out, I felt a BIG pinch!

I started jumping around and I asking Marc if he saw anything down my pants. Then I couldn't take it any more and I just ripped my pants down while I was standing on my deck. lol As I did that, a stinking wasp flew out of my pants! Needless to say I was in pain and I was bleeding, swelling, and jumping around like a crazy person. After a little TLC with an ice cold rag, I finally sucked it up and went out to mow the lawn.

And that's how I got stung on the ASS by a wasp.

Oh, and can I just say, our weed whacker is WAY too big for me and I'm still sore from trying to lug it around the yard and hoist it up into position. I need a woman's weed whacker! :)

Things around here have been a little different since Ally has gone to school. She's loving 1st grade and thinks that school lunch is a really neat. She also discovered school breakfast yesterday morning so now she tells me that I don't need to feed her breakfast any more. lol She also is loving riding the bus, although I slept through my alarm this morning so we missed the bus today. Yes mom, I did get her to school on time. =P

Jerrica doesn't seem to be too sad about Ally being gone but she really acts differently than normal. Last year when Ally was in school, Jerrica would just play quietly in her room. Now, most mornings, she is like a little tornado. She gets into everything, jumps off of everything, and wants me to read every single books she has to her. I don't mind that last one too much. :)

Well, I think it's time for my morning nap. ;) Yes, Marc and I are still "retired" but we should be remedying that soon. I'm hoping to stay in retirement but we'll see what happens. Ta-ta for now!

Home, Sweet Home!

2009-08-06T23:53:00.003-06:00

I have finally found the motivation to get the pictures done on my house. We're so happy to be home! So without further ado:

Dante vs. Mean Black Dog (a.k.a Sam)

2009-07-23T23:28:00.008-06:00

Our good boy, Dante, got in a little scuffle yesterday morning while I was on a walk with the girls. Marc has been driving cattle truck this week, and instead of driving all the way back to Oakley at night, he has just been parking the truck by some railroad tracks near our house and then using my car to shuttle back and forth. So, yesterday morning I got up, got Jerrica in the stroller and then headed to go get the car. Dante decided he wanted to go with us so we put a leash on him and off we went.

Not far from our house there's a black lab mix running around. He has chased me before on my bike so when we were passing his house, I was sure to keep an eye out. Of course, the dog came running at us and Dante warned him with a growl. The dog's owner was outside calling for him but he wouldn't come to her. Well, one thing lead to another and the dog attacked Dante who then kicked the dog's ass.

It was really scary cause we couldn't get the dogs to stop fighting but finally Dante got away and we all went home. He has a gnarly cut on his ear and a bite wound on his one paw, but other than that, my big mean dog is no worse for the wear. I bandaged him up so his cuts wouldn't get infected. He was such a good boy and just laid there and let me work.

The dog's owner came over later to apologize and gave the girls some stuff to make homemade necklaces. Apparently her dog didn't fair so well, but we both figured he deserved it. I'm just thankful that the girls and I didn't get hurt and that Dante did his job in protecting us. What a good boy!

New Look—New Chapter

2009-07-22T01:07:00.005-06:00

I felt inspired to design something tonight so I decided to give the blog a good ol' face lift. Many things have been changing around the Weedop household. First off, as most of you know, I chopped my hair off. It's a little more work to do in the mornings now, but I'm loving my new look.

We've been told that we can move back into our house this week; probably on Thursday. I'm so excited about the idea of getting back home! There are quite a few little odds and ends left to do like, oh say, install new front/garage doors but I've learned that it apparently takes 8 months to get those sorts of things in, so it's totally understandable. ~=\

Either way, it's going to be a busy week with moving back in and with Marc hauling cattle all week. He's been getting up at 5 in the a.m. and not getting home until 8:30 p.m. Then it's off to bed. He's gonna be getting out of a lot of the unpacking but I think he'd rather be doing that then driving all day. But hey, gotta pay those bills!

The year is moving right along, I even went and bought school supplies for Ally today! Aren't I on top of things? :) We hope to see you all at our "Welcome Back" BBQ on August 1!

Hi-ho, hi-ho, it's off to work we go!

2009-06-13T22:41:00.002-06:00

Okay, I'm very tired and REALLY need to use the ladies room so I'm going to keep this short.

Went to Ally's t-ball game an hour early this morning. *woops*
Moved a bunch of stuff into storage with my mom. (Thanks mom!)
Marc helped install a new drain field here at the house and then trimmed the giganto bushes at the head of the driveway.
Had an AWESOME dinner of potatoes, hamburger, sour cream, cheese, and the oh-so-awesome SALT. :)

It was a very full, productive, and tiring day. Time for bed.

IT'S A RAININ'.......water. sigh

2009-06-13T00:15:00.003-06:00

Do you realize that the 10-day forecast has been thunder storms or showers for probably about 2 weeks? I feel like I'm living in Seattle! I'm hoping, for Ally's sake, that it will be a nice day for her t-ball game tomorrow morning. Last week it got cancelled but it's our turn for treats so I hope the weather holds out!

Tonight Marc and I went to Twin for a 4x4 club meeting. The group we Jeep with is called the Snake River Canyon Krawlers. I was relieved that they didn't give me too bad of a time about not having the video done. I think I might have cried! Now I have a whole month to get it done. But before I get going on that project again, we will be moving out of the house we've been staying in. Our goal is to be out before we go camping for father's day weekend. If you'd like to help, you're more than welcome! :)

PC Induced Frustration!

2009-06-11T23:56:00.003-06:00

Well today was one of the most frustrating days I've had in a long time. As you know, I've been having some....challenges with my computer lately. Well, today, after I moved my entire Moab project onto my external hard drive, it decided to take a dump on me. Without going into all the techie mumbo-jumbo, it freakin' sucks and there's no way I'm getting that video done by tomorrow now. I have to send my drive back to get a replacement and I'm not thrilled to say the least. I just hope I'll be able to restore all of my files from the drive.

Marc started working on our front deck today. It was kinda built half-ass to begin with so he's adding some railing and an extra step off the front. Should turn out pretty nice!

Okay, I'm off to watch a movie with my hubbie! We've become quite the night owls lately. =P

Lights. Camera. Action!

2009-06-11T00:21:00.005-06:00

I don't think I can take anymore bad, early 90s movies! Marc doesn't seem to think that having the remote control involves any sort of responsibility for decent television watching. I did learn one thing though. Apparently, according to Freejack, now that it's the year 2009, we should be able to time travel and wear freakin' AWESOME helmets everywhere we go. We're screwin' it up big time people!

Most of my day was spent on my computer editing video from our jeeping trip to Moab. I promised the 4x4 club that I'd have it done by Friday but my ill-equipped laptop is making that chore difficult. Currently I'm clearing my hard drive off for the third time this week to make more room for my video. I know, I know. Most of you are zoning out by now. I'll move on. :)

Since Shastina's girls are in Burley for a couple of days, my mom and I decided to swap kids so the big girls are at my house and the little girls are with my mom. I suspect my morning will be a little easier than mom's. ;) It's great that the girls get to spend time together though. Tomorrow will be another day of playing for the girls, and another day of video editing for me.

BTW, Marc likes it when I mention his doings on the blog so here goes: Marc spend the better portion of the day rewiring several light switches at our log house. The electrician wanted 400 bucks to do it himself but my husband, being the genius he is, decided he'd just get it done himself. So now my laundry room has the doorway in a WAY better location AND I can actually reach the light switch. Sweet! Thanks babe!

Sofa Fun

2009-06-09T22:31:00.007-06:00

As I wait for my turn at the microwave I'll go ahead and fill you in on the day. Today I went to Twin Falls with my mom and Jerrica (Ally had to stay in Burley for baseball pictures). We went to Twin so I could find a few things: a couch, an oversized chair, an ottoman, a patio set, and hardware for my kitchen cabinets. Although I'm totally pooped, I feel that it was a pretty successful day. We haven't decided if we're going to make a trip to Boise or not, but I have the 2 top contestants for number one sofa. Feel free to vote for your favorite!

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Marc and I have decided on a nice patio set that has 4 chairs and a firepit/table for the center. It'll be nice for our lovely Idaho nights! I'm also going to get a little bistro set so the girls will have an easier time eating outside.

Oh and just a little btw that we got today. The house we've been living in has been sold so it looks like we're going to be moving into our camp trailer within the next 2 or 3 weeks. Should be a fun "little camping trip" before we get to move back into our house.

Following Suit

2009-06-08T23:05:00.004-06:00

Okay, I'm going to follow Shastina's example and try not to be so hung up on posting every entry with pictures. As you can tell from my previous entry, once we got home from Moab, I lost a little momentum on the whole picture thing. Do not fear! Once I get the video done, I'll post parts of it up here for your viewing pleasure.

Today we did a lot of running around for house stuff. We officially have picked out our carpet, linoleum, paint, kitchen cabinets, counter tops, doors, light fixtures, and a new thong for Marc. Okay, okay! Just kidding on that last one! But basically we've picked out everything but the kitchen sink....literally. =P

We're still looking at at least 6 weeks before we get to move back in and we are more eager than ever. With the heat and moisture from spring, our lovely neighborhood feedlot has begun to smell even worse than normal and the flies are LOVING EVERY MINUTE OF IT. We...unfortunately....are not.

Tomorrow I'm going to Twin with my mom to look at furniture. I'm gonna need to get a good night's sleep before that little shopping torture spree.

BTW, Ally has started t-ball so despite what I said about pictures, I've posted some pics from her first game. So cute! :)

Memorial Weekend in Moab (MWM) - Day 1

2009-05-23T07:25:00.004-06:00

I meant to get this post done last night but the internet here is not very great and I couldn't get connected. =/

Quick little description of our trip: We're Jeeping in Moab with the Jeep club from Twin (Snake River Canyon Crawlers). We'll be here for 4 wonderful days.

Yesterday was a pretty good day! No one got hurt and we only rolled one vehicle. ;) We went on a trail called Hell's Revenge which is a medium intensity trail. Most of the obstacles can be bypassed so it makes it great for most levels of wheelers. The weather has been a little funky with rain...then sun...then rain again, but it makes for some great clouds!

Back to that little rolling bit; it was more like just a tip (see picture below). Rob is one of the head dudes from the club and he's is one crazy SOB. He has what some might call a Suzuki Samuri but about the only parts left of the orginal vehicle are the side panels. He went up an obstacle called "Esclator" but failed to elevate above the challenge. I large pool of water in the obstacle made it virtually impossible to defeat, but Rob only experience some minor comsetic damage to his Sami.

We're all having a great time and plan to wheel Pritchett Canyon today. Marc has been very pleased with his Jeep; he's been able to complete any obstacle he has attempted. And despite the sheer drops offs on some parts of the trail, I've been feeling very comfortable and safe in our Jeep. :) Enjoy the picture below and stay tuned for more to come!

ER, Graduation, and Sun Valley—oh my!

2009-05-17T18:36:00.007-06:00

Wow, we've had a jam packed weekend here in Weedop-ville. It all started Friday night with a phone call. I was in a meeting at work and I received an "emergency call" from Marc. Ally had woken up from her nap screaming and crying that her stomach hurt. She had a fever of 102 and the pain was on her right side. Our first thought was her appendix. Not wanting to mess around with something so dangerous, we all headed to the emergency room (including my mom and aunt who were getting ready to head to Twin Falls at the time).

Once we got to the hospital, the waiting game began. We got there at about 4:30 and I needed to be in Twin to lineup for graduation at 6 (ceremony at 7). It looked pretty unlikely. I resigned myself to the fact that I would probably be waiting for my daughter to get out of surgery while my graduation ceremony marched on without me.

After some testing, which including drawing blood :( , the doctor determined that it was a UTI (urinary tract infection). With a few antibiotics and ibuprofen, she'd be up and running again in 1-2 days. So, after one more shot, Ally was discharged and we were free to go. The clock read 6:30 and Marc and I thought we would take a shot at getting to my ceremony. After checking with Ally, who was convinced she wanted to spend the night at grandma's house for the weekend, we decided to hit the road for graduation and then Sun Valley.

We made it to graduation a half hour late. I was worried that they wouldn't let me walk but my friend had saved my seat (how grade school! lol) and they ushered me in between speeches. Graduation went great and our friend, Logan, helped us celebrate. The only unfortunate thing was that my family couldn't be there. My parents were especially disappointed but I know that they are proud of me. Maybe I'll have to get all garbed out again so we can take pictures! =P

In the interest of keeping this post as short as possible, I'm going to try to summarize the rest of the weekend. We got in a slight fender bender after dinner which left a nice little crack in my back bumper, then we headed to Sun Valley for some R&R. We celebrated my graduation and Logan's birthday at his grandparents' condo, and we even got to go ice skating! And believe me, all those fancy moves that the pros do, aren't as easy as they look. I'm still sore from my little encounter with the ice. :(

I have to share the cutest thing that Ally said while we were away. We had waffled back and forth about whether or not we should still go to Sun Valley. Ally told us it was just fine with her that we go and have our "alone time." She told my mom later that she was glad that we went because if we hadn't, we would be sad. :*) That little girl has one big heart and she's feeling much better now.

One thing's for sure—this is one weekend I will never forget!

Ally's Kindergarten Program

2009-05-08T23:38:00.008-06:00

My baby is growing up! Ally had her kindergarten program yesterday at her school. I skipped class so I could go watch my Ally Bugs sing her little heart out. It was "Dress Your Best" day at school so Ally and Jerrica wore the matching dresses that Grandma Chenise bought for them. They looked so cute!

My parents also came to watch Ally perform and my dad video taped. Marc couldn't come because he was driving cattle truck. I'm sure he'll enjoy the video once dad gets it all setup.

It turns out that Ally is quite the little talker and often gets in trouble at school. She's a good girl but just doesn't know when to shut up....I mean be quiet. :) You would think that positioning her between two boys during the program would solve that problem but she was still just as talkative as ever (to the boy on the left). Marc wants to know this boys name and ssn just for future reference. ;)

After they got done singing, we all went to Ally's classroom and Ally showed Jerrica around. Jerrica can't wait to go to school like her big sister. It won't be too long before we'll all go to Ally's high school graduation. *sniffle* Until then I enjoy these little precious moments when I get them!

Do you know Mario?

2009-05-06T09:17:00.004-06:00

Ok, here's another final project. For my Web Design class, I had to research a topic of my choice and create an entire Web site for it. I, of course, chose a topic that involved playing video games. Hey! It's research man! :)

Here's the site if you'd like to check it out: http://students.csitech.net/lweedop/mario/

P.S. The search box doesn't work; it's just for looks.

The City by the Bay

2009-05-02T18:19:00.004-06:00

So it's coming to the end of the school year and I have been working on finishing up all of my final projects. One of those projects is for my Cultural Field Trip class that went to San Francisco. I decided to make a slideshow from the trip and I just finished it today. Hope you enjoy!

What the hell was I thinking?!

2009-04-30T00:38:00.003-06:00

As I sit here on my couch.....I mean, the couch that doesn't belong to me in the house that doesn't belong to me....I realize that I'm an idiot. This last weekend, instead of getting ahead on my homework, housework, or any other sort of work, I sat on my butt. The whole weekend. The week before I was stressed out of my mind. But oh no, not this weekend. It was 100% nothingness.

You see, we got a new TV. And when you combine a new TV with 3 months of free movie channels, you have a recipe for LAZINESS! Now, I'm behind on everything and I realize that I'm an idiot because now I don't even get to complain that I'm stressed. I did this to my self and I will deal with the consequences.

So if you see me in passing or we bump into each other out and about, SLAP ME IN THE BACK OF THE HEAD AND SAY "WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?!?!"

Bump that last post DOWN!

2009-04-18T21:29:00.004-06:00

Wow, I really don't have time to blog but I'm so sick of looking at that stupid cell phone entry. If only a had a smart phone like Marc has now, I could actually do decent mobile blog entries. Alas, I did get my new phone with the full keypad but if I can't post pics in my blog from my phone, I'm not doing it!

Here's a nice picture of my beautiful girls that I took on Easter. We had a lot of fun coloring Easter eggs, eating, and having a hunt in my parents' yard. The day before, Jerrica got to be a flower girl in a friend's wedding. She was so adorable! Ally also got to dress up and be a "helper."

We just got back from a short trip to Utah to see our new niece, Eden. I was a little disappointed because I have a cold and I was trying not to breath on her but I just really wanted to snuggle and kiss her! She's so cute! Reminds me of my girls when they were babies.

The house is still coming along. We now have an actual roof and we have a nearly completed cedar, privacy fence. *yay* Leroy can't finish it until the outside of the house has been caulked and stained. It's looking like still about two months away from move in day which makes me nervous because the house we're living in is now up for sale. Now, I have to try to keep the house clean for when the realtor wants to show it, but the thing is...there's no where to put stuff! Arg! I just have to keep telling myself that it's only a little longer before we have our own house back.

We picked out all of our light fixtures, a new ceiling fan, appliances, and new doors. That leaves flooring through-out, cabinets, paint color, stain color, furniture, a sink, and a faucet. This doesn't sound like much but if you know how I am when I have to pick things out, you'd understand what an accomplishment I've already made with my initial choices!

Ok, I must move on to my next project. I have three weeks of school left which leaves me slammed with end of semester projects. Add on the other projects I have going on, plus the normal hub-bub of a little thing called LIFE, and my brain's about two shakes away from frappe!

Blogging from my cell!

2009-04-08T22:01:00.004-06:00



Ok, so i just found out that you can blog from your cell phone! Of course this is not nearly as easy as doing it on the computer, but it's really cool if you have some down time away from home. I'm looking forward to getting my new phone that will have a full keyboard. It'll make this a lot easier!

Alltel has no control over, and is not responsible for, the content or use of this picture or the accompanying personal message.

Bloggers note: Ok, obviously I'm having some techinal difficulties with the whole "blog from phone" thing! When I post a picture it keeps adding all this extra garbage. Bleh! Always has to be difficult. Looks like text only phone blogs until I can figure this thing out.

Family's back together again!

2009-03-22T12:53:00.005-06:00

Well, the last two days it has been really nice here in Idaho, and then I wake up this morning and it's snowing outside. WTF?! Marc is back from Texas now, for good, and he says he's actually kinda glad it's snowing because he has hardly seen any snow this winter. I was ready to pounce over the table at him!

This last week was spring break and I got to go on a trip to San Francisco with a group from CSI. It was a cultural field trip cause we hicks from Idaho need some class! ;-P We saw many, many exhibits and shows including the play Wicked (which was, of course, WICKED!) and the Andy Warhol exhibit (freakin' weird dude) as well as many others. It was a blast but my feet and legs were KILLING me after the trip. Lots of walking in the big city! If you'd like to see more pics from the trip, check out my Facebook page.

Our family is once again whole and we're loving it! It'll be complete once we're back in our house. We now officially have a roof!! Yep, it's comin' along. We have also started another built along with the house. Well, really it's Marc's build. He has most of the parts for his new Jeep and the transformation has begun. If you'd like to keep up on the build, he has a thread at Planet4x4 (http://www.planet4x4.net/forums/showthread.php?p=102893#post102893).

Last night the whole family (Weedops, Blackstons, Ellis, and Julie) all got together for a Birthday/Wii party! We were celebrating my dad's and Julie's birthdays. They're both 84 now. WEIRD! =P We played Mario Kart and then busted out the American Idol and had a great ol' time. Next time, Marc wants a poker party! Brace yourselves though, my birthday party will consist of either Pit, or Spoons, or both! CAN'T WAIT!

Ok well, I must either go do housework or homework, neither one sounds like much fun! Ta ta for now!

Diaper Cake

2009-03-06T23:48:00.003-07:00

Thanks to the help of my sister, I was able to make a 5-tier diaper cake (that's right, count 'em, 5!) for my sister-in-law's baby shower. The baby shower is in Utah tomorrow and I'm really excited to see how Erin likes it.

I couldn't pass up the opportunity to test out my camera to document this lovely occasion. I may have used a little Photoshop too. :) Now I have to get my butt in gear to get some things ready for tomorrow. If I don't give Man-man a bath tonight, mom is going to kill me! Later!

Ally's New Do!

2009-03-01T16:48:00.004-07:00

Some of you have seen the new Ally but I figured I would make it official. About a week ago, Ally got her hair cut so she could look more like her cousin, Rosanna. She asked if her hair could be brown too but I think that's pushing it a little too far!

She loves it and I think she looks stinkin' cute! Plus, her hair is much easier to do now which is a nice added bonus.

One Log at a Time

2009-03-01T16:11:00.007-07:00

It's been 58 days since our lovely mishap. There's been some great progress on our house and we're really happy with how fast it seems to be coming along. It did take a while for the work to get going but once it started, it flew. We're still being told 6 months before we can move in but we're hoping for sooner (of course).

Marc is still down south, but he's now in Louisiana instead of Texas. He keeps complaining to me about the heat and humidty and I just roll my eyes as I crank up the heat in my car! It's looking like the girls and I will be heading down for the summer. My parents are none to happy about it but Marc is thrilled!

Six things that make me happy

2009-02-15T16:08:00.002-07:00

I told mom, as soon as Julie got tagged, that we were gonna have to think of something because we weren't too far behind. So thank you my sister, I will do my best!

1) The trend seems to be family first so I'll stick with that. I've only realized recently how valuable family can be. They're always there for you, whether you want them to be or not, but they always forgive, and they're the best thing in the world.

2) Summer!!! Just like Shastina, I am SO sick of freezing. Though it looks like I'm still not going to have a nice green yard this summer, I'm looking at the potential of staying w/ Marc in Texas this season. There's no shortage of heat there! And I'll be chillin' on the beach while y'all are floating around in mom's backyard. :)

3) No chores or homework. There is nothing better than being able to sit down and relax with zero guilt. These moments are too few and too far between but when they do appear, they are blissful! It's even better when you come home to a clean house because a thoughtful spouse wanted you to be able to relax. That's the best!!!

4) Our friends. Although a lot of our friends live out of the area, it's great when we're able to get together with them. Most of you know that Marc and I are happiest when we have a houseful of family and friends (and a little booze). Can't wait until life gets back to normal and we can have our get-togethers more often.

5) Video games. I know. I'm a dork; but there's nothing better than getting to play the game you haven't had time for in over 6 months! Or playing a fun Wii game with family and friends. By the way, whens the next Wii party Julie? I'll bring the booze this time!

6) My house. Not the house I'm in right now but my OWN house. It's very cliche but it's true that you never know what you have until it's gone. I miss coming home to MY things, and MY room, and MY garage...in the winter....with the wind blowing.... :( OH! And MY dishwasher!!! Ok, wait, right now my house doesn't make me happy. Actually it makes me kinda sad; but in about 6 months it'll make me happy again (knock on wood)!

Ok Mom, you're the most likely target now. But who ya gonna get next?

Blue Screen of Death and Pancakes

2009-02-08T10:29:00.003-07:00

Friday night I finally decided to take the plunge and reformat my trusty laptop (only after some encouragement from my dad). My computer was chalk full of pictures and school work and it was starting to become really sluggish. So I bought a 500 gig external hard drive and my dad helped me—ok, so he really just did it himself—move everything off and get things cleared up.

Now, for the last two days, I've been trying to reinstall all of my programs. Everything goes fine and dandy until I try to install my Adobe Master Suite (Photoshop and such). After waiting an hour for it to install, I get the "blue screen of death." I've now done this 5 times and have had no success. Oh it's not such a big deal. I just have homework that is due tomorrow and I can't do it because my program won't work.

So I have now decided to stop messing with this stupid problem and go make some pancakes. Screw homework—pancakes solve everything.

Cheer Camp for Ally

2009-01-30T23:05:00.003-07:00

Ally recently participated in a cheer camp with the BHS (Burley High School) cheerleaders. She loves to perform but is not too fond of the practice bit so I figured this one day of practice and one day of performance was just about perfect for her!

She was so cute with her pom-pom and hair bow. Obvisouly, it looked more like a jumbled mess of little girls hopping around in green than a choreographed dance, but it was still stinkin cute.

On the sidelines, Jerrica was being her own brand of cute which made the experience all the more entertaining!

Armadillo in Texas!

2009-01-30T21:53:00.006-07:00

Life has been keeping me pretty busy. After the fire we spent a lot of time getting situated and shopping. I've never been much of a shopper but man, I thought I might have a little more fun than this. It just gets annoying when you find you have no salt, or a lighter, or even any ibuprofen! But we're moving along, school has started for me, and it's back to the grind of work, school, and homework.

Last week, Marc and I flew down to Texas. The original intent for the trip was to get our truck and camp trailer and drive it back to Idaho. The work had never really solidified there and we figured we might as well cut our losses and move on. A few days before the trip, a slight turn of events changed our minds. Marc decided to break off from Weedop Excavation and found himself, like many Americans, with no job. Then the phone call came. Work in Texas starts Monday!

Whether it be a blessing or not, we'll take it. So our mission to bring our things home became a mini-vacation (though I probably wouldn't have picked a freshly hurricane-stricken area to vacation in).

We had fun traveling together and our first full day in Texas was spent with Marc showing me around the areas he had been working. The power of the storm really solidifies when you see the disaster first hand, and this is even after several months worth of work had been done. That same day I saw my very first armadillo! We had been looking on the sides of the road for turtles and alligators, since Marc had seen them frequently before. We had no luck with those but I was absolutely thrilled to see this other rolly-polly creature.

It surprised me how mellow he was, just hopping along (yes, he had more of a hop-walk), and I was actually able to get within 15 to 20 feet of him. After a minute he looked at me and stared for a few seconds, and then, as if he was more annoyed than afraid, he meandered off into the bushes. My dad joked that the armadillo is like the roadkill of Texas but it was still exciting for me!

The next day Marc had to work most of the day which was a great thing and somewhat of a disappointment all at the same time. The day after that, I flew back home (or rather my psuedo-home). He's been working everyday since I left. Hopefully the work keeps up but it would be nice if he could get a day off here and there. Such a hard workin' man. :)

I really miss Marc. It kinda sucks to sit in a big, empty, strange house (well, not quite empty, but you know what I mean) without him. A lot of our friends, a couple of which happen to be police officers, said that they'd help keep an eye on things so I suppose that makes me feel better. Either way it gives me more time to blog, as you can probably tell by the length of this post.

Below you'll find more pictures of Texas. The last one is of a snake that Marc encountered today. It's called a Water Moccasin and they're extremely venomous. This five-foot long SOB chased Marc to his truck where he then grabbed a shovel and killed it. I'm so glad my husband is working in Texas. =/

SERIOUSLY! I HATE this Blogger text editor. It is SOOOOOOO unpredictable and annoying! Sorry about the messed up pictures but I just don't feel like spending 20 minutes trying to fix them.

Goodness Gracious—Great balls of fire!

2009-01-03T21:24:00.008-07:00

As requested by my dearest Aunt Julie, I have titled this post with this somewhat humorous, yet kind of depressing, title. As most of you know, our family experienced our very first (and God willing, our very last) house fire last night just before midnight. Yes, we're all fine (including the dogs) and yes, we did have insurance. Though we can't deny the many blessings we have experienced, as this disaster could have been much more disastrous, it still doesn't change the feelings of frustration, irritation, and weariness that we are now facing.

Just before everything went down last night, the kids were tucked in bed, I was in my room reading a book, and my brother-in-law Ty was in the guest room trying to fall asleep. We're very lucky that Marc was still up watching TV at this point. While he was sitting there relaxing, he heard a loud 'pop' sound in the garage. Thinking it was a dog terrorizing our stuff (which happens more often than we'd like) he went to the door to investigate. As he flung the door open, he was met with a face full of flames that seemed to be coming mostly from my car. Without a second thought as to whether or not he still had eyebrows, he slammed the door and bolted down the hallway.

I had heard the door slam but thought nothing of it until I heard the loud thumping racing up the hallway. I couldn't imagine why he had let Dante, our very large German Shepard, into the house! Turns out, it wasn't Dante and as soon as I saw the look on his face and he told me to get the kids and get out of the house, I was up and racing just like him. And yet somehow I remembered to put on shoes. Weird.

Long story short, I grabbed the girls with Ty's help and I got them over to the neighbor's house. You always wonder how you might react in an emergency situation and I can tell you that this so-called "super human strength" was FAR from what I experienced. It was all I could do to lug both the girls and several blankets the few feet to Leroy's house.

By the time I got back to the house, Marc and Ty were pulling whatever belongings they could get before it was to dangerous to go back inside. It didn't take long.

I forgot to mention that as we were getting the kids out, Marc somehow managed to find both cell phones so that Ty could call 911, get both dogs out of the house and the pen, and close all of the bedroom doors. As you can tell, Marc is much better at this emergency thing than I am.

So the fire department finally got there after what seemed like an eternity, with my parents trailing not too far behind. I had been in a bit of hysterics while sitting inside my neighbor's warm house but they were soon trying to call me down. Then, the weirdest thing actually did the trick. In all of the rush to get laptops and things that were close to the door out, all of us had forgotten about my brand new camera that was stashed away in one of the back bedrooms. Marc was still outside with the fire fighters, but as soon as he remembered the Christmas present he had gotten me, he was determined that it was not one of the items we would need to later replace.

He stormed over to the bedroom window and with one swift punch, broke the window out and hopped in to make the retrieval. The fire fighter were stongly "recommending" that he stop and get his butt out, but, as we all know, Marc is not an easy force to stop once set in motion. As soon as he had what he was looking for, he jumped back out and ran over to give it to me. When I saw his thoughtfulness, and the fact that I now had something to put my mind to, I was much more calm and in control.

Anyway, the fire fighters did what they had come to do and got the fire out. After some investigating on our part, we decided it was time to head to my parent's house to get cleaned up and get some sleep. It was about 3 a.m.

Ok, it's about time I wrapped this up. I apologize for the length of this post. I've been reading A LOT lately and it seems that writing must come easier after I've been reading a lot. Very weird.

A few short answers: we're staying with my parents for the next day or two (or three), and Monday we're getting together with our insurance agent and the restoration people to find out more details about what we need to do from here. The damage is a total loss in the garage, including both my beautiful Dodge Charger and Marc's very built Jeep Wrangler. The living room area is going to need some very extensive repairs, and it may be any where from 6 to 8 months before we get to move back in. There is also smoke damage throught-out. We don't know the exact cause of the fire, but we suspect it was something gone haywire in my car. We will probably being staying at Marc's late grandma's house for the duration.

Thanks to everyone for their support so far. We feel very luck to be surrounded by such great family and friends. Before we know it, this will all be behind us; and I have to admit it will be kind of fun to get a bunch of new stuff—even under these circumstances.

P.S. I have more pictures on my Facebook account if you'd like to have a closer look.

Snow Day, Hurray!

2008-10-12T19:40:00.012-06:00

Ok, so it really sucks to shovel snow but I suppose it's worth it afterwards when you get to go out and play. We built a fancy snowman today, isn't he cute? It was really funny to see the green grass after we rolled the snow up the hill. I've never seen grass-stained snow until today.

The girls had a blast helping build 'Shrek' (Ally picked the name) and the dogs also loved playing in the white stuff, Dante more so than Man-Man.

Below I have a few of the photos from the day and also a little video of the dogs and kids playing. It's kinda cute.

I hope everyone's having a lovely snow day! :)

Halloween Carnival

2008-10-12T16:08:00.004-06:00

Hey again! "So soon already?" you may be wondering, but really this is just a valiant effort in avoiding homework. :)

Below you'll find Ally's beautiful Halloween Carnival poster. She had to make this for school and it will be judged on Wednesday. There will be a winner out of each class and one out of the whole school. I helped her with the layout and making sure she did all of her letters right and I think she did beautifully on the rest! She makes these wonderfully intricate scary-faces which freak me out some times, but it's perfect for this poster. Wish her luck!

85º and Sunny....in Texas!

2008-10-11T22:35:00.006-06:00

Today is the 11th of October and it snowed today. It didn't just snow. It was like God conjured up this gigantic snowball and threw it right at Burley, ID. SPLAT!!! And it's still snowing. We've had several wrecks and MANY power outages. The leafs are still on the branches—some of them even green—and this makes them very heavy when the snow piles up. Thus, busted power lines. Marc couldn't have picked a better time to take off, even though he really didn't pick the time. Now, I understand I haven't updated in a very long time, and I'm sorry! With school, and my new job (that's right, I got a job), it's been a little busy for me.

Marc left on Wednesday to go down to Texas. He's going to be working there, helping to clean up the mess leftover from hurricane Ike. We don't really know how long he'll be down there but it could be a year or more. It's going to be really hard (it already is) but the money's good so I suppose it's worth it. He made it to Houston today and now he and his younger brother, Ty, are just waiting to get assigned somewhere. For now, they'll be driving the trucks to haul the debri away, but when an equipment operator position comes open, hopefully they'll get to jump into that.

I started my new job at the Weekly News Journal a couple of weeks ago. It's a new local newspaper and I've been working on all of the page layout. Our first issue comes out this Thursday and I'm really stressed about it. There's still so much to be done! I suppose I have no choice but to get it done in time so I will continue to work my very hardest. =)

So back to the snow, its been crazy today! I had to drive the Jeep around and it's a darn good thing too because I would have gotten stuck in my driveway if I would have been in my car. It's about knee deep in parts of the driveway. Since Marc wasn't here, I had to go outside about 3 different times and trump through the snow taking care of the dogs and the stupid faucets. The snow was waist deep at the back faucet. Not cool! I was having a very bad night but I've calmed down now. These are things I'll just have to get used to now.

I'll try to stay a little more current with this thing now. After all, what do I have to do in the evenings now but be on my computer?

Suddenly I See!

2008-09-14T21:11:00.003-06:00

This weekend we went on a little family camping trip.

I decided to put together a little video to show everyone how much fun we had.

Hope you enjoy it!

Ketchup!....I Mean Catch Up!!

2008-08-28T19:50:00.006-06:00

Alright, alright, I give in! It's funny how fast time passes but when I look back on this blog it's not long before I'm back in June. Weird! So let me tell you about a few of the things that have been going on in our lives. A few weeks back we went down to Utah to visit our friends, John and Britney. They're moving to Las Vegas soon....actually, they might already be there. Either way, we wanted to see them before they moved down. We went boating, played the Wii, went to Hogle Zoo, and had an all around great time! The pictures you see on here are from that trip. By the way, we're not sunburned in the pictures. The boat has a red canopy that casts a red hue. Completely freaks you out when you've been out in the sun all day though! :)

Since then Marc has been busy with work (finally!) and I've been busy with Avon and getting ready for school. School is completely underway now and I'm enjoying getting out of the house and driving to Twin! This semester I have HTML, Copy Editing, Page Layout & Design, Advanced Photoshop, and Intro to Mac. Most everyone thinks my classes sound boring (with the exception of my dad) but I'm really looking forward to all of them! I should be graduating next semester. *woo-hoo!*

Tomorrow we're leaving to go camping but I'm sitting on my couch vegging because I don't feel well at all! I've got a cold that is just knocking me on my butt. My dad has the same thing and I tried to act tough when I was at their house earlier because my dad is a bit of a...oh shall we say...baby? (sorry dad!) But when I got home? I crashed just like him! Jerrica and Ally are coming down with the same thing so I hope it doesn't interfere with our camping/Jeeping trip. And hopefully Marc doesn't get it so he can take care of us. :)

So hopefully here in a few days I'll have another post showing how our camping trip went. I think I'll post some video this time of the good ol' Ace of Spades in action! (That's Marc's Jeep btw.) It'll have to be with my photo camera though because my camcorder took a dump. :( <---Christmas gift idea!!! :))) Ta-ta for now!

Here's a video from our Hogle Zoo trip. This monkey was totally checking Jerrica out. It was so cute!

Tom Selleck IS the Red Baron!

2008-08-11T21:26:00.004-06:00

Ok so I haven't posted in forever and Marc keeps getting on my case about it. Maybe he should try making an entry on our blog. You know, it IS called the WEEDOPS! ;) Love ya babe! I've been meaning to update for a while but I've got some cute new pics I want to put on and I just never seem to feel like getting them on here. Some time in the near future I will.

Brief update (cause I wanna eat pizza and watch TV dang it!): Family is doing great. Ally starts Kindergarten in about a week and a half. She is very excited! Marc's work is starting to pick up for the fall so we'll be seeing less of him....not saying it's a good thing....just saying...

OK then! Um, lets see...school starts up for me in 2 weeks and I'm excited to get at it. This summer was so long for me that it drove me to become an AVON lady. That's right! So if you need Avon supplies I'm your gal. :)

Alright then, my timer for the pizza is ticking down and I've got about 30 seconds. So good evening, and good luck! (or is it good night? I dunno, if I had more time I'd Google it but I don't so you know what I mean!)

*I added the above picture because Julie didn't understand the title for this post. Do you get it now Julie? P.S. We ate a Red Baron pizza that night :)*

Curls—Straight Away!

2008-07-19T23:16:00.009-06:00

So, we all know that Jerrica has super curly hair. Well, yesterday I decided to take a straightening-iron to it and see what would happen!

She looked super cute but it just wasn't her. Plus, it started to curl back up right away no matter how much hair spray I used. :) Looks like Jerrica was just ment to be one cute curly girl!

Jeeping in Jarbidge

2008-07-07T09:55:00.011-06:00

Usually on the 4th of July my whole family gets together at my sister's house for water fun and fireworks. This year, we decided to deviate from the norm and go camping (much to the dismay of my family, sorry guys!). Marc got an invite from a 4x4 club in Twin Falls to join them in Jarbidge,NV for the 4th. Ok, so most of you know there's a big difference between men and women. For example, Marc agrees to go on this trip, no questions asked. Marc gets home and tells me we're going on this trip. I ask a multitude of questions: Who's going? What's this Jarbridge place like? When is everyone going down? And Marc's answer: I don't know, I don't know, I don't know. Needless to say, we didn't know what to expect or if we were even gonna have any fun.

So Wednesday we worked all day to get packed up and left on Thursday. As we were heading down through the stinking desert, and getting closer and closer to Jarbidge we became a little discouraged. This does not look like a place I want to stay for 4 days. Suddenly we round a sharp bend (which had a sign that said "Watch for Ice"; it was 100 degrees outside hehe) and we dropped down into a canyon. Now this is what I'm talking about! GREEN!! TREES!!! WATER!!! Just like that, we perked up and knew we were going to have a great time.

An hour later we were in Jarbidge.......and then we were out of Jarbidge. Woops, need to turn around! I don't know if you've ever been to Jarbidge but lets just say we felt like we were in Deliverance. Before long, we found a very nice campsite (after asking a local, ok they're not so bad after all) and got everything set up. Soon after, most everyone from the 4x4 club was there. The next day we headed out on the trail and for the next few days we Jeeped around the mountains having a good 'ol time. We only almost rolled a couple of vehicles and nobody was injured the entire trip. Everyone we went with was really cool and the whole group got along very well. Not only did we have a blast but the girls met some new friends and had a great time as well. The trip was a huge success and we will def. be returning to Jarbidge again.

Here are some pictures from the trip:

The Flu Blues

2008-06-28T23:43:00.004-06:00

Well, my little Ally Bugs had to go to the hospital today. Not to worry, she's going to be ok, but she's a pretty sick puppy. She had been throwing up since Thursday evening, and hadn't been able to keep down anything she ate or drank at all yesterday (Friday). So, today (Saturday), I decided to take her to the Dr. to make sure that she was ok. "Luckily", the Evening Medical Clinic has free checkups on Saturday mornings, so I thought I was gonna score a free visit and cheap drugs. Much to my dismay, the doctor was very concerned for her and suggested we take her to the ER and have her hooked up to an IV. This was at 9:30.

We headed over to the ER, and after a little wait, we were able to get into a room. The nurse checked her vitals and then got started with an IV. They needed to draw some blood, but they were going to try to poke her only once to get it all done. WELL...three tries later they finally were able to get her hooked up properly. I felt so bad for her I wanted to cry. And she did cry. Poor girl! But she did get 2 stuffed animals out of the deal (I'm sure I'll see that on my bill later).

Finally—4 and half hours after our day had started, and a bag and a half of fluids later—we were able to take my sick baby home. Her labs came back fine and they believe she just has a nasty flu. She hasn't thrown up since this morning but she's still very sleepy and uncomfortable. Hopefully by tomorrow she'll be feeling much better!

A Week in the Life

2008-06-20T09:49:00.009-06:00

Ok, a lot has happened since my last post so let me get y'all filled in. First, on Father's day (Sunday) we, of course, had a little get together. Marc and my bro-in-law, Rob, went golfing so my sister and I decided to hang out at my parents house so the kids could go swimming. It was kinda funny because my mom was at work and my dad was at his Sunday meetings so it was just us, ruling the house like the good ol' days!...well, plus 4 kids. =) The girls had a blast, especially when we hooked up the hose to the slide.

After everyone got back, we had a BBQ with my grandma, aunt, and Marc's family. It was just lovely, but everyone pooped out early. I guess the day was just that good!

The next day (Monday), we were invited to go golfing with a few friends. Since I'm no Tiger Woods, I decided to just drive the cart. So away we went, the girls drove the carts and the guys golfed. Don't they all look so pretty?! It's like they went to golf finishing school. Of course I think this school only taught them how to look cute, not actually how to golf. =)

Moving on! The next day was Tuesday. I was having a nice relaxing day at home and then Marc decided to go Jeeping with his cousin Nate. I thought this sounded like a great time, so we decided to pack the kids up and head out. We plowed up Mt. Harrison and got to the top where we found lots of fun rocks and ruts to play in. We were doin just fine until we got into this rut where the Jeep (according to Nate) looked really cool! So, of course, I needed to get a picture. This meant I had to find a way to crawl out of the Jeep while it was tipping at a very awkward angle. Well, my door happened to be on the upside so I tried to push the door open and then jump out quickly. This would have been a great plan if (A) I would have moved faster and (B) the door wouldn't have come slamming back down. As you might have guessed, I didn't make it out in time and my fingers got slammed in the door. They didn't just get slammed in the door though, my middle finger was actually still in the door when the door was shut. Do you understand? IT WAS SHUT IN THE DOOR!!! Marc had to open the door for me to get my hand free. Erg, I'm getting sick just thinking about it. Ok, ok, I know it was just mere phalanges, but come on, it was a bit tramatic for me. So with the track record I have, I of course couldn't prevent myself from passing out. (I'm a wuss I know). After Dr.Marc—that's his new name =) —got me all patched up (notice the beautiful tape job in the pic) they threw me in the Jeep and we headed home. Now I'm having to spend my days at home with my injury, just trying to cope *sniffle,sniffle*.

So that has been my week!

5 Years and Still Counting

2008-06-17T08:58:00.011-06:00

Well, it's official; Marc and I have been married for 5 years. It hasn't always been easy—actually, it has been down right hard at times—but gosh darn it, I love the man! =) He fits my fancy, he tickles my pickle, he is the cheese to my macaroni. With out him....who would give me money? ;-P

Marc asked me this year if I would rather take a trip for our anniversary, or if I would rather have a new digital SLR camera. After much consideration (ok, ok, I played it up a bit), I totally decided on the camera! So when I actually decide which one I want, I'll be using a new fabulous camera to harass my family with.

So instead of taking a big fancy trip, we decided to hop in the Jeep with the dog and spend the day together. About a month ago, I bought a new wedding ring for Marc. I wanted to get him something he liked better than the one he had, and also wanted to show him I'm committed to another 55 years. So, while we were Jeeping along, I had this ring stuffed away in my purse, waiting for the right opportunity to present it to him. That's when the air hose to his air tank blew. Ah-ha, the moment I had been waiting for! As Marc was making the repair, I was "playing with the dog". What I actually did though, was jog ahead on the trail a ways, and place the ring (all wrapped up) on a rock. When I got back to the Jeep, Marc had never known I was gone.

With the air hose fixed (my husband is so amazing), we got back in the Jeep and headed down the trail. When Marc saw the box sitting on the rock, he didn't quite know what to think. At first he thought it was a bomb or something. Then he thought he had ruined someone else's surprise engagement. Finally, only after he unwrapped everything and I dropped some HUGE hints, he understood that was in fact for him. He says he loves the ring and that I got him SO good!

After we got done Jeeping and cleaned up, we went to dinner at the Sage Mountain Grill in Albion. It was very nice and our food (for the most part) was excellent. Later we went to Hollywood and rented a few flicks. For the rest of the night we just cuddled up on the couch and watched our movie. It was very relaxing and we were able to enjoy each other with few distractions. All in all, I think this was one of our best anniversaries!

Burn, Baby, Burn!

2008-06-08T23:19:00.007-06:00

A couple of weekends ago, Marc and I headed up to Boise to visit Manny and Chelsea. We figured Chelsea needed our help to ring in her birthday so we rushed up after work and met them at Texas Roadhouse for dinner. Turns out, she didn't need any help at all! :) There was 16 of us all together, and even though we all didn't get to sit together* it was a blast!

*For more info on this lovely experience, please visit Manuel and Chelsea Vega's blog in which she has explained in better detail than I ever could.

The next day, we went to the Boise Burn game. Previously I never heard of the Boise Burn and had no idea what it even was. Seems that it's an arena football team and...it's the coolest thing ever! (As you can tell from the picture, we don't get out much.) They played at the Qwest arena and our seats where much closer than I expected. The field is half the size of a regular football field but the players played like the pros.

After the game, Marc & I, Manny & Chelsea, and Jasper& Gretchen, all headed downtown and hung out for the rest of the night. It was an awesome weekend! Below is a video from the Boise Burn game. Forgive the quality, I was just messing around with my photo camera.

Oh Happy Day

2008-06-08T22:48:00.004-06:00

Aaaaah, the good life; kickin' back with the breeze in your hair and a classic novel. Yep, I think she's got it all folks. ;)

Well, we haven't been having the best weather in Burley lately. It's almost the middle of June and it's still freezing cold! Ok, well it's not actually freezing, but it might as well be. We've had rain and wind for the last few weeks and I have to tell ya...I'm ready for summer! Last I checked it should be here right about now.

We were lucky enough, about a week ago, to have a day of moderate sunshine. So the girls and I took advantage. We went on a little "tour of the property" via the 4-wheeler, and then took advantage of the new deck for lunch. After which, Ally sat down for a good read and Jerrica decided to harass Man-man (as she has become accustom to). All-in-all it was a nice little afternoon....until the rain showed up, and then it was back inside again.

I hope, with my next post, you will see us in bathing attire, splashing away in a glistening pool of crisp cool water and basking in the wonderful rays of the sun! Until then, I bid you adieu from indoors, surrounded by the futile pool toys and haunted by the whiteness of my own legs. Farewell.

Everybody Dance Now!

2008-05-24T12:01:00.005-06:00

Ok, I know that I'm 24 now, but I've always wanted to take dance. Sooo, I've been taking an adult jazz dance class so that I can fulfill my "childhood dreams". =P Here are the videos from our recital last Saturday. Hope you enjoy a good laugh!

____

Man Oh Man!

2008-05-19T00:52:00.004-06:00

Wow, two posts in one night. You can really tell I'm outta school now, huh? ;) Anyway, I took these pictures of Man-man today and thought they were absolutely adorable. I better keep my favorite shoes put up though. What a chewin dog!

Which marker smells best to you?

2008-05-19T00:34:00.010-06:00

Tonight, Marc was helping Ally with her homework. It was so cute, I couldn't resist taking some pictures. Ally was getting upset that the flash was blinding her. *OOPS!* While Ally was coloring, Marc was going through all of the markers and deciding which ones smelled the best, and then he would consult with Ally. Come on, does it get any better than this?

Message in a Bottle...

2008-05-15T22:24:00.002-06:00

So, I've been wanting to get more involved in our church (First Baptist) but I haven't really known where to begin. I knew that I wasn't ready for a huge commitment, but with my schedule freeing up, I've been feeling lead to help in some way. So, when VBS (Vacation Bible School) came along, I knew it was the perfect opportunity to get my feet wet!

I met with a lady at the church to pick up my information packet tonight...

uuuuuh.....................................

I don't remember VBS being like this!!! I remember playing with glue, and jumping around, and feeling completely submerged in the activities! NOW, it's my role to make other kids feel that way and I'm a bit overwhelmed. I've got papers, and cutouts, and posters, and folders coming outta my ears! Luckily I volunteered to be the kindergarten teacher so if I don't know what I'm doing when we start, they probably won't even notice. (Plus I have my little security blanket; Ally)

All my fears aside, I AM excited to experience all the things that are in-store for me. The thought of sweet little 5 and 6 y/o's turning mutinous and over taking the classroom has crossed my mind a time or two, but I know that—Lord willing—I will come out of this not only alive, but with a stronger tie with the members of our church, and with God.

Swirl, Tap, and Buff!__________________________

2008-05-14T00:09:00.003-06:00

So, I officially bought the most expensive makeup I have ever aspired to own today. Marc had been struggling for weeks, trying to decide what to get me for mother's day. Finally—the day before mother's day—he broke down and asked me what I wanted. Well, I've heard such splendid things about Bare Minerals, I decided that I'd give 'er a swirl......tap and buff. :)

Of course, in the modern age we live in today, you would think that ordering items off the Internet would be pretty speedy. Well, you won't see my face glowing with powdered gold for 1–2 weeks. I guess it's not too bad compared to the old 4–6 weeks but still! I want to swirl, tap and buff now!

Porfolio-olio-o________________________________

2008-05-08T22:48:00.005-06:00

So this website should be named "bragger" not "blogger" because that's what I'm about to do! :) What's the point of working hard if you can't share it w/ others, right? This is a project I did for one of my classes at CSI. It shows some of the work I've been doing through-out the last few semesters. I hope you enjoy!

Man-man!

2008-05-08T22:37:00.002-06:00

Announcing the arrival of Man-man as the new addition to our family!

We're sad that we don't have Cosmo any more but Man-man is a good reminder of how fun he was. We're such softies when it comes to Bostons. :)

Monkeys and Hippos Are Both Mammals___________________________

2008-04-20T00:22:00.013-06:00

Wow, it has been a while. Ok summary of what you've missed: I had a birthday, Marc has worked A LOT, and the girls have...well, had it easy! Whenever Ally wants something and I say no, she says "Please, make me be spoiled!" I don't think that she gets that it's a bad thing!

Anyway, school will be over in 2 weeks (not counting finals week) and I'm already registered for Fall. Talk about anti-climatic! Marc's probably wishing that I was already done so he could throw me on the trencher for days at a time but alas, my studies have prevailed. I'm gonna have to think of a new excuse pretty soon though. I'm really looking forward to summer, once Marc's work load drops off a little bit, and we can spend some quality time in the great outdoors. CAN'T WAIT!

So I must tell you about my 24th birthday. I received a lovely surprise party from my loving, and oh-so-studly husband! At first there was a bit of whispering about a secret party, then Marc said that they had decided for it to not be a secret and the partys was going to be on Sunday. THEN, I get pulled out of the house on Saturday to help my dad w/ a "project" and when I get home, my house was filled with people, presents, and CAKE! :) One of the best birthdays I've ever had! We even got to play the game Pit (thanks babe!).

We broke the Jeep out for the first time this season a few weeks ago. Got 'er broke in real good as you can see. (dang! I'm talking like Marc again!) This week we acquired a deck and a semi-completed shop. (yay for summer parties!) Tonight was UFC night. George St. Pierre won the title and all was right in the universe again. Next weekend will be a fun ol' time at the Blackston's house to help Rob welcome in his birthday. One year closer to 30 buddy! (it's not here yet, right?)

Hopefully this has been somewhat of an explanation why I've slacked on the blog for so long. I'm still waiting for some more friends and family to start up a blog of their own. Come on guys!

Ode to Spring___________________________________

2008-03-24T23:38:00.012-06:00

Well school is up and running again and I'm still on my couch messing w/ the computer. So not a lot has changed since last week! We did get to have an Easter celebration yesterday which was really awesome. Let me chronicle that for ya:

We woke up Easter morning to find that Easter eggs had rained from the sky..... inside our house.... magically.... Ok, so that's from a 5 y/o's perspective.

In order for the girls to find their Easter baskets, I hid eggs around the house. Each egg had a picture of the next location that the girls would find another egg. So round and around we went until we ended up on the couch (Ooo, sort like where I am now) to discover the Easter baskets. The baskets were stuffed full....ok, we'll say moderately filled....w/ a game, sidewalk chalk, and an umbrella for each. So now, apparently it's raining eggs all the time because those girls are constantly walking around w/ their umbrellas.

The day before, Marc had the ingenious idea of going 4-wheeling. So, yes. We skipped church and rounded up the wheelers along with Marc's dad (Brent) and my parents. The weather was beautiful (for Idaho in March), and we had such a blast. We rode near Minidoka Lake until we reached a sandy area where we ate lunch and played around for a bit. Of course, some people like to be a bit more dangerous than other (as you can see from the pictures below) but luckily no one was hurt! It was the first time my dad had gone 4-wheeling with us and we were all glad he went. Hopefully this will be a common occurrence for this summer. :) Oh, and Julie: I'm sorry we haven't taken you yet! I'm the worst niece ever. Ok, well, not the worst. In fact, I'm one of the best (and when I say that I really mean THE best :) You WILL get to go this summer. I promise you. I'm just looking forward to your screams of terror...er, I mean delight!

After we got done wheeling, we got cleaned up and had dinner and an Easter egg hunt at my parent's house. My sister and her kids (Rosanna and Layla) were there as well and the girls had a great time playing together. Overall, it was a lovely, fun-filled day. I hope everyone else had a wonderful Easter and was able to enjoy a beautiful spring day.

In the beginning...

2008-03-18T12:41:00.001-06:00

So I found out about this new blogging website from Chelsea (Vega) and I thought I would give it a try. It might only stay current up until next week when school starts back up again but somethin's better than nothin, right? Oh and mom, since you now know what 'blogging' means, you have to start one too. In fact, everyone I know should!!! But you'll soon see how many people actually listen to me. :)

*Bloggers Retraction: Ok, so mom says that she has known what a blog was for a long time. I still don't buy it but I must humor her because she watches my childern. Love ya mom! :)

BTW, this blog will be the perfect opportunity for me to post random pictures. So don't be frightened, sit back, relax, and enjoy!

So....

you wanna here about my day?

Marc's at work, the kids are on the computer, and I've been on my couch pretty much all morning updating my facebook account. I've put a bunch of pictures from our recent vacation to Mexico/California/Vegas on there. If you don't have have an account to look at it, you should! It's open to everyone now and is A LOT better than my space.

Ok so now that I've advertised two websites, I think my first blog entry is coming to an end. Oh, but before I go, I must show you my latest project. This is an item we will be trying to sell via a commercial in my digital media class. I know you want some!

Ok, bye bye now! Stay tuned!