A little bit of everything a whole lot of nothing

Delaney's Focus

2009-07-08T09:55:00.002-04:00

Delaney has loved horses since they were first introduced about two years ago. That would have made her TWO. The fascination has yet to fade. She loves to give Shadow hugs and kisses. She is finally old enough and has hung onto this horse thing long enough to start lessons. Every week, before lessons, we have to walk through the big barn and say hello to every horse that happens to be in their stall. After her lesson we have to stop by and say hello to Shadow and sneak her a couple treats.

I think she's doing amazingly well. She is up there learning the reins, 'steering' the horse, and just having a blast. She's already trotting and practicing her positions which help with balance.

I hope this love affair continues. You can tell by the smile on her face it's something she enjoys. We finish one lesson and she's immediately asking when her next lesson is. I would have her do it every day if I could, just to see that smile. (of course, the mom in me also wishes she could be this focused on other things too!)

Slacker

2009-06-04T18:10:00.002-04:00

I've been such a slacker. When I started this I figured NO problem, I could post everyday just like all those other people. Daily posts of all the drivel and whining that goes on in my life. But well, then life takes over and gets in the way and I don't have as much going on in my mind or in my life to talk about. Still don't - But i thought I should at least tell you.

Delaney had her first riding lesson. She did amazing. Unfortunately she has also had some serious attitude problems. So, we're not sure what to do. Last night - mad that she had to go to bed, she took her brand new glasses and twisted them in half. It comes to my mind now that i should have taken pictures.

Gabriel is doing well, almost done with school. He was playing tag - and had tunnel vision as only a game of tag can give you and ran into another boy who got in his path. I think the other kid is fine. Gabriel has a fat lip, come bleeding and a loose tooth out of the deal. It wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't for the fact it's one of her permanent teeth. So, x-rays at the dentist and soft food for now untl it doesn't hurt so bad. Poor kid.

our life in a nutshell. i'd update you on the hubby and me but it seems we dont' so as much as we would like.

but then i'm reminded we did make it to the mountains a few weekends ago -maybe i'll add some of those pics for some scenery.

Saturday Morning Sludge

2009-04-26T09:31:00.003-04:00

I always like to take a picture of my fish while I can actuall see them. It's that time of year where I drain the water out, catch the fish, haul off the winter sludge, then put the fish back in a much cleaner home. It's not a job for the faint of heart. Sludge, slime, smell and usually something pops out that gives me that short adrenaline rush. It's usually a bullfrog and I don't mind them, they just startle me when I'm in there looking for fish and something jumps out at me.

This year we had no bullfrogs, and I actually missed them. What I did find was this neat lizard. He was living up in the waterfall area - where I found him as I was moving rocks and digging out more sludge.

The kids thought he was cool, so we kept him around in a bucket so they could watch him and so I wouldn't step on him during my cleaning.

The pond is now clean, fish are happy. We also went and got some more fish - from 13 last year to 6 or was it 7 this year. That Grey Heron depleted my pond big time. So, we went to the pet store and spurged. YUP, almost $2.00 on 6 feeder fish. Luckest fish around yesterday.

And hey, can anyone identify this thing?

Mom's Idea of Fun

2009-04-17T21:02:00.003-04:00

Randy and I have been trying to do more things this year. Instead of just saying "we should do this, or we should do that" we are actually following through and doing it. We've talked about hiking - and used to do some BK (before kids) and now that Delaney is almost 5, we thought we'd give it a try. Of course, most would start small and work their way up, not us. We started with a 5 mile hike marked "strenous". It was going to be a beautiful day, and although my throat was bothering me, I took some tylenol and we set out. 1.4 miles to the summit, piece of cake I thought. And well, that part wasn't bad. We made it to the top and enjoyed a picnic and the view - as you can see from the picture of the kids - it was a gorgeous view.

Once we started our trip down, the fun and games were over. We started counting how many steps there were - to keep Gabriel occupied and because we were glad we were going DOWN and not up them. My sore throat was thinking of coming back - but thankfully I had packed more tylenol in my bag. Gabriel and Delaney found walking sticks to help them out along the way also.

Here's my girl, for 5 miles, 4 hours and 1,109 stairs (remember I said we counted them) she held up like a trooper, and in true Delaney fashon on the short, FLAT connector trail, within site of our car, she fell and cut up her poor leg. She makes it through all five miles on rough trail, and that's how she hurts herself. That's my girl.

Stone Mountain was an awesome place to hike and we had a great time. Now that we made it through this one, all those other trails will be a piece of cake. (And as a side note, this hike truly did me in - instead of listening to my body and the sore throat - I just loaded up on tylenol and kept going - on Monday with a temp of 102, I was literally down and out!)

LET'S PLAY SOME HOCKEY

2009-03-27T16:28:00.003-04:00

We had the opportunity to go to a Hurricanes Hockey game last weekend, so after Gabriel's double header soccer games - we packed up and headed out. Thanks to one of B & G's subcontractors we had REALLY good seats - seats we never could have afforded if it was up to us, and we enjoyed them. It was fun to watch Gabriel take everything in and trying to figure it all out.

Here is Cam Ward - Goalie - he did an awesome job and we won - 4-1 that night. We left a little early because between G coughing (allergies) and Delaney saying she didn't feel good- we figured it would be a good idea to hit the road, and it was a 2 1/2 hour drive home. Thankfully the kids fell asleep for the most part of it- if only Delaney hadn't woken up for the last 30 minutes and whined every minute "when are we going to be home" it wouldn't have been so bad!

Here are the monsters, I mean my kids- ready for the game to start.

Me and the monsters before the game.....we had such a good time

There's dad with the kids......

what a difference a few days can make

2009-03-12T19:42:00.003-04:00

These pictures were from Saturday - Delaney's first ever soccer game. She sooooo wasn't into it. Looking back I'm trying to justify her lack of enthusiasm by the fact that later that night she was running a fever and on Monday we found out she had Strep throat. We are hoping she is more enthusiastic this weekend. Oh wait, mom and dad are actually hoping it's rained out. She has a double header plus Gabriel has a game plus I have to take Kavik to the vets. If I end up at a field with Kavik in cleats, please understand.

Here they both are - ready to kick off the soccer season. I didn't get to see Gabriel's game - rushed from her game to his and saw the last two minutes of it and he wasn't playing. AH well, I'd say better luck this week, but again, I am praying for rain - (did i mention i want to go to the new IKEA store?)

Hard to believe this was Monday,March 2. Lots of snow - no power. It was a chilly few hours at home - thankfully I remembered i could warm up water on the gas grill and have instant coffee- and we have a griddle so scrambled eggs could be on the menu.

THe kids out enjoying a spring snowfall in the south. The first time since we've moved here we've had such a late snow - by Friday it was sunny, 70 and a memory.

Mind you it is now the following friday, and it's back to the 30's for us and rain......love this spring weather....

Spring into Soccer

2009-03-04T18:25:00.002-05:00

I say spring but it surely didn't feel like spring. I had to wake Delaney up this Saturday morning since her practice was at 9 am, doesn't it figure that this was the day she'd pick to sleep in? So, we woke her up, poured breakfast down her throat and BUNDLED her up - as it was only 22 degrees outside. Yes, soccer practice and it was only 22 degress outside. I think she said many times on the way that she didn't want to play soccer anymore, and well, can you blame her? This is a shot of her out on the field, and boy does it say to me "I really don't want to be here right now!"

This was the first time i had ever brought hot cocoa rather than gaterade to a practice. Lucky us, Gabriel's practice was right after Delaney's - so we had three hours of being outside - but hey, it warmed up to a balmy 38 by lunchtime!

Gabriel's new soccer cleats - stylin in green this year

Delaney's feet- she looks so cute in her black and pink cleats...

If I win the lotto

2009-02-25T19:06:00.001-05:00

these are two houses we saw across the lake while on our hike. I thought it was providence when editing that this second house has a "for sale" sign in front of it. I know, Dream on, But i can dream. I think if i win the powerball I can pay for my grandma's healthcare and buy this house yes? actually, i think i want a house in the country - with a horse barn and lots of room to roam. I could probably get a whole lot more land/house if it didn't sit on the shore of Lake Norman. but...it's nice to dream and maybe I'll get this for our weekend get a way house.....

Sounds like a good dream doesn't it????/

Hair today, Gone today

2009-02-14T21:21:00.003-05:00

Well, after it took almost half an hour to un-snarle her hair this morning - i asked Delaney again if she wanted her hair cut - she said yes.....so I'm doing it in reverse mode- this is her hair short with the new red coloring ( I did mine and she wanted her's done to!)

Here she is with her hair color in! she really wanted to have it done just like Mom.....

Here it is - all the hair - we are measuring to make sure we get the 10 inches of hair that locks of love needs...... we cut off 12 inches.....

I can't believe we actually cut her hair off!!!!!! I had to do it before I chickend out...

Gabriel's 7 year Pictures

2009-02-12T17:21:00.005-05:00

I don't remember if i've shared any of these pictures with you. At various times during the year, I decide that my family hasn't been tortured enough with all the picture taking at home, so I haul them off to my favorite "Portrait Innovations" and my favorite photographer there, Emily. She's been taking pictures for us since before Delaney was born. It all depends on the bribery. The time before this - i hit on the PERFECT bribe. Monkey Joe's. Its a big building filled with inflatable slides, etc and the kids love it. So, they behave and smile, they go to Monkey Joe's. I've learned that being a parent is a fine line between what you have learned, and how you can bribe your kids. This is a picture I like of Gabriel- he's getting to be such a big kid (sob). I can hardly believe he's seven.

Then again, don't even get me started on Delaney - she's four. She'll be going to school this year. If only I could win th powerball so I could have a bigger house and afford a Nanny, then i might think about more, but since i don't see that happening, i guess i'll just sob some more when she goes off to school this year. Here they are together - acting like they like each other, at least for this moment. Actually, they aren't too bad. I just hope they continue to get along as they get older. And speaking of getting older, we're off to Cici's pizza night for Gabriel's school. As soon as we get his reading and spelling done that is.

Then and Now

2009-02-11T17:18:00.002-05:00

When I went back through some of my pictures from last year - I came across these- from a hike at Lake Norman State Park on February 3, 2007. Amazing that almost exactly a year later, we're back at the park with nice weather doing another hike. I did remember this hike and picture and looked for that same tree, but couldn't find it, so we settled on this new one we found. Thankfully there was a tree with a couple forks in it, i put my small backpack in and then put my camera on top to take the picture. At least i didn't trip running from the camera to the tree to get in before the timer went off.

We won't go into detail about what I think of myself in this years picture. I'll just focus on the kids. Boy can you tell Gabriel has filled out! From my skinny mini kid last year to skipping pant sizes this year! And Delaney - she's looking less the toddler and more the little girl. I can't believe we'll be signing her up for Kindergarten this spring.

So, I hope you enjoy the comparison - well, except for me, don't go there.

Note to self - baggy sweatshirt and hiding partially behind husband is MUCH more flattering.....

From Snowflakes to NO flakes

2009-02-08T15:01:00.003-05:00

It's hard to believe when its this warm today, that just thee days ago it snowed and the high was only 30. BRRRRR. and now? no coats, could have worn short sleeves and we're going on a hike. This is what i like about winters in North Carolina.

Here are the kids and Dad. And yes, i'm always there with my camera

Gabriel and Delaney had fun on the trampoline after swim lessons on Saturday. What can we say be we need a few more days of weather like this.

On a night when they predicted it would barely give us a flurry

2009-02-04T15:04:00.003-05:00

Well, they predicted that we would be lucky to see even a flurry. So imagine my surprise when Randy called and said " have you looked outside" and YEA it was SNOWING. As you can see from Kavik, they were the BIG FAT flakes that were coming down. So, as quick as you could possibly be when trying to suit up two kids in some sort of fashion to keep them warm, we headd outside (and after i grabbed my camera). The kids loved it and soon meet up with the girls next door for a snowball/tag game.

I just love this picture, one running one way, on running the other - and you can just tell they are having so much fun! I took as many pictures as i could until it got too dark and my camera just couldn't tell what is was supposed to focus on anymore.

Here are the happy kids. It finally snowed enough that they could go out and play, AND it was enough that the wimps down here closed school for the day. It was also COLD enough that the snow was/is still here right now. And well, I enjoyed the impromptu day off thanks to school being closed. (of course, no built in snow days down here, so they'll have to make it up somewhere)

So, may we say, let it snow let it snow let it snow.

Sigh, No Snow, at least at my house

2009-01-25T08:58:00.003-05:00

So, we were all geared up for some snow - some good go out and have some fun in it snow. What we woke up to was barely what we could even call snow. It barely covered the ground - not even good for a snowball. So, we got up - looked out the window first (no sense in taking a shower if we could just go back to bed) and grumbled, then got into our going to work mode. I will tell you now, I should have stayed home. News said roads were okay, but schools still closed (gotta love it). I headed to work, which is 45 minutes away and to the east. Very important to know I work EAST of where I live. Most of my travel is via back roads. First one was okay, within 1/8 of a mile on the second there was a truck flipped over in a field. I could see the fireman by the side of the road, and i could tell he had his hand out - just couldn't see what the hand was doing. (it was dark out) by the time i could see he was saying stop, let's just say the layer of ice on the road prevented me from doing so. I drove the rest of the way hoping I stayed on the road. I will say another animal prayer now - for the poor squirrel that i thought was a leaf blowing into the road, but know I am happy I didnt know it was a squirrel - cuz i would have hit the brakes or swerved, and well, remember the icy road? Poor squirrel. By the time i made it to work, i was truly regretting the drive. the 485 interstate loop was snow covered and treacherous. NO nice roads for me. Most of the snow hit EAST of charlotte, where my jobsite is. Raleigh got even more. Thankfully, this is the south, and while the snow remained on the ground at my jobsite for days, on the trip home, once I got on I-85, there was not a flake to be seen. It had already melted away. At home, my kids were excited to find just a small patch of snow/ice mix left behind in a shady spot.

We'll hope for more snow next time.

Wishing for a Snow Day

2009-01-19T15:56:00.002-05:00

I'll admit, I don't necessarily NEED to see snow tomorrow. I saw plenty of it on our Christmas trip to NY. The four hours of driving in white out conditions is still fresh in my mind. SO, while I don't need to see it,I sure wouldn't mind. Since moving to the south, I've come to be one of the people that actually HOPES it snows. Snow of 1 in in Buffalo isn't even really considered accumulation. Snow of an inch here? It's a valid reason to close schools, government and businesses, and send everyone in a rush to the store days in advance to stock up on Milk and bread. (i'm never sure why, since the snow is usually gone in a day and shouldn't you already have that stuff in your house?) So I'm hoping for snow tomorrow. My three day weekend could turn into 4 and I'm not against that at all. To help me with my snow thoughts, I've grabbed some pictures from about this time last year. It was our first, and ONLY snow, and I think it was gone by the afternoon - although tomorrow, if it does snow, should stick around a little while longer since it's only supposed to get to a high of 32. Our first born, Kavik, doesn't care that there is snow on the ground, he just wants you to throw his purple ball (yes, he knows his are purple, we color coded back in the days when Gabriel wanted to imitate his older brother. Gabriel was Yellow, later on Delaney was Pink and Kavik is purple. And yes, this included carrying it around in his mouth - drinking out of the pool, and attempting to lift his leg.)

There are my monsters, all dressed to play in the snow.

Just a cool picture of some cold trees on our street. It's just one of those pictures I really like.

A Small Country Town

2009-01-02T11:00:00.002-05:00

The road to Perry is a long one, at least when you are traveling from North Carolina. We were headed to Mom's and the countryside always amazes me - fields, farms, just very picturesque to me. This is route 39 coming in to Perry. Just in ths picture there are two farms. While Perry does have a bookstore now, and a Subway, and let's remember the chinese restaurant, it's still very small town. (please note it had NONE of these during my childhood there and McDonalds is still in the next town over, and there is no Burger King, or Pizza Hut unless you travel to Geneseo)

I love this picture because you can see some o the patchwork fields in the distance - the hills and valley are just wonderful. While I am glad I live in the south, I don't mind visiting during the snowy winters.....it can be beautiful....

Sledding for the FIRST TIME

2008-12-31T15:04:00.003-05:00

We had the chance on Christmas eve to go sledding in Rochester. It was a great day for it - it had warmed up in the mid 40's. My kind of weather. Randy and I even got in on it. I was just glad I had the camera - so the only shot of us is safely at the bottom of the hill.....

It took Delaney a few trips down with me and a few with Dad before she warmed up to the idea of sledding on her own. She was a trooer though, and had a great time - the only part that was tough was walking back UP the hill.

Gabriel, he was in heaven. I finally had to ask though why he kept making himself wipe out, rather than enjoy the ride down the hill (he'd grab one side and lean so he'd tip over). Well, he's not so dumb. He figured out after one trip down that once there, you had to WALK all the way back up, and the walking was not fun, so he'd tip himself over about halfway down. Being a boy, he got the best of both - sledding and wiping out. Kids, gotta love em.

This is my neice Ashley who just turned 13 on Monday. She had a great time too and I have a great picture of one of her wipe outs that I'll have to post. I"m sure she'll love me for it.

All in all it was a great time. Three of the 5 cars at this hill sledding were from the south. I thought that was funny. I'm glad we did get our days to play in the snow since by Christmas day it was warm and raining again.......

A Winter Wonderland

2008-12-23T15:28:00.002-05:00

I had to put on this picture of Gabriel,it's just a good shot of him having fun out in the snow. it was COLD out there and the snow was deep. The kids didn't care as much as the adults did...

This was our view, or lack of, for four hours of driving - Fredonia to Rochester NY. Of course, it's not normally a 4 hour drive, but well, not being able to see put a big dent in how fast we could go. Shortly after we made it through they closed it down, partially due to the oh, 8 different vehicles that were off the road in less than a quarter of a mile stretch. Now that we live in the south, we just aren't used to this kind of weather and driving -but we made it through, while reciting to ourselves "slow and steady" and "no sudden moves" About 10 miles outside of Rochester we had sun and blue sky.

It took a lot of convincing to get Delaney out in the snow and cold - but she seemed to have fun once we got there. She's getting ready to throw snow at me. THankfully it was not good packing snow so snowballs weren't an option.

The kids out in the snow - boy were we all cold when we got back in.

Toys for Tots is a Success!

2008-12-12T13:00:00.004-05:00

The company I work for is very involved in giving back to the community. They do walks for the American Heart Association - Cancer Association, Habitat for Humanity - Operation Pillowcase and at this time of year it's Toys for Tots. Since my "office" is in Charlotte - any toys we gather here stay here in the Charlotte Region rather than go to Raleigh. Our Raleigh goal this year was 250 toys. Well, we did 135 toys just here in Charlotte and almost two thousand in cash. I am taking it to the local Marines office in just a little bit. Our subs here in Charlotte are so amazing in their help. With only an office of 8 people, well, even at three toys a piece that doesn't amount to a whole lot. So, with the help of other people we work with here in Charlotte, our toy drive was an amazing success. With the economy this year, it's truly amazing. I hope all those kids wake up and have a GREAT time opening gifts this holiday.

My immediate dislike for the Grey Heron

2008-12-11T17:45:00.002-05:00

Okay, so maybe I shouldn't blame them all, I mean, it was just ONE bird, but well, he made me mad. Randy was home with a sick Delaney on Monday and I ended up working late, so it was dark by the time I made it home. In the middle of our a discussion, he goes, OH, there was a PELICAN in your pond today. He went out, scared him away, scooped two fish back into the pond (Randy did, not the pelican) and then came back inside. There was a quick description of the bird and it was decided it was a grey heron, not a pelican - something i've never seen around our lake norman. Herons yes, Pelican's, not so much. Thankfully it was getting dark so said bird left for the night. I was heartbroken. It sounds silly but I am very attached to my fish. Those poor fish, all nice and fat and ready for winter hibernation - and never having a predator near them ever before - they didn't stand a chance. Well, I grabbed the flashlight and went to see if I could get a fish count. I counted 6. My heart went back to normal - sort of. I could deal with half, it was better than none. The next morning as i am leaving to take Gabriel to school, in swoops the bird. I stormed in one door and back out the other to scare it away and told Randy he was not to MOVE from his bird watch point until I got back. As i left, i noticed the oh so lovely bird perched on our roof, scoping out his breakfast. When I got back, we searched for something suitable to put over the pond to protect my beloved fish. We settled on the screen from our gazebo - it was torn at the bottom and bound for the trash can - but it was an instant winner in the keep the heron away from the bird job. So, we draped and secured and watched and waited. A short time later I saw the heron up on our shed - just looking down as if to try and figure out how to get by the new protection. Thankfully he gave up and left. I am hoping he doesn't come back. As a post script - I was out checking on the pond tonight and it looks like I need to go out and scoop one out - one of the big ones that Randy scooped back in from where the bird had dragged it out :o( Poor thing - we tried.

As for me, I used to think of these birds as magestic, even pretty, now, well, if it wasn't for the fact that someone mentioned a very large fine, I'd be tempted to at least do in one of them.

On the flip side - Gabriel will be happy to get a large group of new feeder fish for his tank. We go and "save" some feeder fish - put them in his tank until they get some size on them - and then they go out into our pond - helps keep our population steady as some of my fish have started to age, and well, now we have this. And Gabriel will be happy - his orange and white one made it.

Birthday Boy

2008-12-07T19:37:00.002-05:00

This is Gabriel and his friend from School, Justin. It just helps me to know there are goofy kids our there just like Gabriel, and he's not really as weird as i think sometimes.

ah, the love of a sister, sometimes it can strangle you - oh yea, that's just her doing that.

Madyson- Gabriel's girlfriend from J Bear, Grace and Delaney at the bowling party.

Here's the soon to be birthday boy. Hard to believe he'll be 7 in two weeks. He had a great time at his bowling party. There were 11 kids- and they all had a great time. Thank you to everyone for being there. I hope you enjoyed it.

WHY WHY WHY

2008-12-05T20:13:00.002-05:00

My question for today is why. It's directed at my brother. He can't answer right now, he's in the hospital. And even if he could, I truly doubt he would answer me truthfully. Why is it necessary for you to do drugs to get through life? Was time in the county jail not enough? Do you want to do hard time? Do you want your family to worry constantly? So much that they can't help but get tired and not want to have to worry anymore? My brother almost died today. From what I hear, he did his very best. I am hoping my Grandpa sent him back after a stern talking to. (Please Gramp tell me you did.) Thank Goodness his girlfriend decided to take a second look at him this morning after it clicked in her head that he hadn't moved all night. And I mean he hadn't moved at all - so much so that he had pretty much stopped breathing. Everybody has their faults, but for right now, I'm thankful that she did go back for a second look as in a few more minutes - that second look wouldn't have mattered. They say he was blue when they were working on him in the hospital. I don't understand the pull or hold that drugs have over a person. I'm glad I don't know, but then, I wish I had some idea so I could try and help. Then again, we've all tried, he doesn't seem to want to help himself. I posted pictures taken from last Christmas to remind me of my happy brother. I was such a remarkable turn around from the Christmas before when the best word to describe him was ZOMBIE. I'll keep looking at the picture. Trying to remember the old Scott and hoping he can come back to stay soon.

A day of Food and Fun

2008-12-01T20:01:00.003-05:00

I had to do it - my pride and joy on Thanksgiving Day - I was the proud mom of a twenty pound maple basted turkey. and it was so good, and moist and did I mention good? I should have also taken pictures of my next favorite - the quadruple chocolate cake I made. Thinking of it now reminds me there is still some left in the fridge. Anyone Hungry?

There's my girl - up on Michelle's horse Bo, all on her own. She loves horses.

The Crew. Grace Gabriel Delaney and Austin. They grown so fast. Austin is almost 10, Gabriel 7, Grace a few monthes behind Gabriel and Delaney at 4. Austin was less than impressed that Aunt Kim still wanted a picture of all the kids.....little does he know he could be 30 and I'll still sit them all down for a picture.......

Night Ya'll- I'm off for some chocolate cake.

Flarp In A Can

2008-11-27T20:41:00.002-05:00

I feel I should be posting about all the things I'm thankful for - but well, thanks to a birthday party last week and a bingo prize - well, my kids seem to be very thankful and happy to have FLARP.

Yes, you read correctly, it's FLARP. Its marketed as a noisey silly putty, but for the kids in all of us, it's fart in a can. (sorry if i offend, but well, that is truly what it is) and my kids are delighted with it - over the moon, they think its absolutely hysterical. it's actually a crowd pleaser. I could just hear someone let it rip in the living room and .Oma (randy's mom) just asked if we needed to check Gabriel's pants. See, it's something the whole family can get involved with!

Gabriel has even introduced us to some new terminology that I think will catch on - Busted a grumpy. so next time you smell something, just ask "hey, who busted the grumpy?" and see what looks you get.

I hope to post more seasonal thankful items later. Right now I have to go air out my living room -

What are those things?

2008-11-22T20:31:00.005-05:00

Anyone out there remember what these are called?

You'd never in a million years guess that I have more than just a few pictures stored on my computer. Actually, I wonder if there is an exact number of pictures stored - a program that can figure it out for me. I've had this laptop for just a year now, and well, when someone like me can take 456 pictures in 2 hours at the barn, well, they start to add up. Randy keeps talking about getting me an external hard drive to free up some space. Hmmm, I think he's trying to tell me something. Our old desktop died last October, I think from picture overload. THe great thing is they got our data off and saved it onto two discs. I had some time to myself and transferred just a small portion of them before thinking better of it (or being threatened but hey, who remembers those sort of threats, I mean things).

I clicked on that PHOTOS FROM OLD COMPUTER file and found these. It's getting to be Thanksgiving and we'll be here, with my family up there, so these help me, or make me more homesick. This pic of my mom and the kids was taken, wow, a year exactly before my Grampa (aka Goonbody) passed away. Sigh, now I'm sad and homesick. We were visiting and it was COLD. (I know, surprise, cold in NY in June). and we hadn't packed any warm clothes, no jackets, no long sleeves, NOTHING. Yes, the kids have on long sleeves, but only after we hit every store we could think of (in Perry, there's nothing to choose from - Wal-Mart in the next town over, nothing, Letchworth gift shops, nothing - finally hit the Thrift shop and found two slightly two big shirts for the kids).

Anyone recognize it? One of my favorite places to visit. Letchworth State Park and the Trestle Bridge. I was very upset to find they actually FENCED off the tracks so you can't go out on the bridge. I have so very cool pictures of me on the bridge with a train going by. Not to mention, how in the world do I get to MY spot now? My spot is on the OTHER side of the bridge, down underneath the trestle. Let's hope that fence rusts away before someone has to scatter my ashes down there (dumping me off the top is not an option)

Middle falls, another favorite spot. Such a beautful place to have almost in our backyard while growing up.

I guess it's time to go rejoin the family and get everyone ready for bed. Cheers.

All that Hair

2008-11-17T20:17:00.003-05:00

This is my girl - she has such a pretty smile and such pretty hair, when it's down for anyone to see. I always have it up, pony tails, braids, you name it, otherwise it becomes a snarled mess. It hangs down her back all the way to her butt. I've tried to talk her into a hair cut but it hasn't worked yet. (notice those pretty bangs???)

Yup, hair is flying and this assures me that I will have many tangles and snarls to remove when all is said and done.

she can be just so cute can't she? this is her christmas dress - it came with a matching dress for a doll to wear, and yes, the doll was in some pictures also? Look closely, do her bangs look any different? no? good! the day after we took pictures at the barn, my lovely girl got a hold of scissors and took a chunk out of the bottom layer of her bangs. THankfully it was the bottom layer and you could 'brush' the longer upper hairs over it. Of course, you can't tell that I also used some extra hair color of mine to give her some red highlight streaks down the back. (thanks mom!)

I can't help it, she really is a good looking girl. (minus her attitude, but lets just focus on those good looks for right now>)

A Lot of Red Dirt and Big Machines

2008-11-13T20:10:00.003-05:00

So today (and most of this week) was a quiet day on site - it rained overnight and was looking like rain, most of the morning. After lunch, it finally made good, and the site guys packed it in and went home. Then I went out on site to play.

Too bad Gabriel wasn't with me today - he could have climbed all over these bad boys.

We call this our redneck security.

What used to be a nice GREEN field is now very red, and muddy.

Just another day in Paradise

2008-11-12T18:56:00.002-05:00

These are more pictures fom the barn on saturday. We spent a good hour just hanging out and talking out in the horse pasture. Of course, the kids had more fun climbing and jumping off of the horse jumps than sitting and talking. I lost track of how many times we told them to watch out for horse pies (doesn't have the same ring to it as cow pies or cow patties).

This is where I show how THANKFUL i am that Shadow is a GENTLE WONDERFUL horse. Do you see Delaney's fingers? I didn't think so, that's because they are up IN Shadow's mouth along with the apple or carrot she was feeding her. In the almost two years we've been seeing Shadow we have been so lucky that she is so careful, she seems to know it's the kids and to be gentle, even when they are up on her back. We haven't lost a finger yet....

I put the caption "PURE JOY" on this one, as that's just how it comes across. She's a happy camper. Nice day, pictures are over, she's out with horses and she can run, jump and just be Delaney.

I just had to take a picture of Quinn biting the fence and oh what a picture. This is one that makes me laugh out loud. the TEETH. Gotta love those horses.

2008-11-09T11:41:00.003-05:00

So yesterday was our day to take pictures for the upcoming holiday. We dressed, we posed, and 456 pictures later (and the first time i've filled my memory card) we were tired and ready to head home. So, if you want to see the other 452, let me know. I've loaded about 156 onto snapfish. I figured that was enough to make some eyes glaze over.

Not a bad family photo - and yes, Susan and Shadow are an integral part - if Kavik had ever met a horse before we might have tried him out also - maybe next time.

Susan was bribing Shadow with a carrot while my hubby took pics - I think I make him nervous as he was just clicking away. am impressed though. Susan dropped the carrot and was laughing about it and I said, I KNOW you dropped it, it's on my neck. (see it there on the left side?) thankfully she got it before Shadow tried to get it! (there's a pic of that too!)

The kids - just chilling out in the pasture.

Now let me tell you the best, or worst part of the story. We get home, and have an hour before we meet for dinner. I put the memory card in, hit transfer and away we go. A long while later (well, there were 456 pictures) picasa "is not responding" so I wait and wait and wait and then get desperate, it says 291 pictures done so far and I'm thinking, well, it's not 456 but i can live with 291. It closes, I open it again and there are THREE, yes three not great pictures of Shadow. No family, no Susan, no kids, nothing. I click out, back in, open and yup, still three. At this point i'm not sure if i want to scream or cry. I vote to slam my hands onto the desk as hard as possible. It doesn't work, the pictures are still not there. Put memory card back in camera - and there are no images. (see, i forget to delete so I have it set up to delele after it transfers, not so smart at this point in time). Randy tries searching, and comes up with nothing. I call Susan with frustration in my voice and we talk about doing it again on Sunday (which we did not feel like doing, while it was a good time, who wants to do all those pictures again? and some were not replaceable) I got back on the computer, hit a couple more buttons and the file was there. THe most beautiful file -with all 456 pictures. I was afraid to close it. Afraid to blink for fear it would disappear. Thankfully, none of the above happened and the pictures were saved in a place easy to find. note to self, change setting so pictures do NOT automatically delete. It took a long time for the panic that I felt to competely go away.

Anyone Out there??

2008-11-07T12:03:00.003-05:00

Okay, so I just learned I should add pictures and then type, unless i want all my writing at the bottom! Random picture number 1, love my hair don't you? College Graduation Pic, friends Mike Rivera and Kelli Cavo

Random picture of a horse smiling at me!

My Goonbodies. I love them and miss my Gramp a lot. Hang in there Gram.

The last random thought for the day - Going back to highschool here - love the hats don't you? My friend Dave Howden, whom I would LOVE to get back in touch with and my friend Ray. ah, those good ole high school days. makes me want to go home and find my journal (and many more bad pictures.)

Do you ever wonder if you are truly just talking (okay, typing) to yourself? Well, I am wondering that, so I'll just have to ask- is there anyone out there who is reading this? Do you ever want to post a comment? My favorite blog that I follow is Confessions of a Pioneer Woman, and while granted I am no where near as witty or have half as much energy as she has, she can have HUNDREDs of comments within an hour of posting. I know, jealousy isn't pretty, but boy, am I jealous that people READ and COMMENT on her blog. Maybe I just need to include more pictures of my dog and cowboy butts, maybe that will grab some attention (you'll have to go to her blog to understand.)

I figure, just for fun, I'll attach some Random pictures to this post, so even if you don't read, maybe you can look at some pretty pictures.....

Safety First

2008-11-04T20:38:00.003-05:00

Election Day is also a Teacher Work day - so no school for Gabriel means he gets to go to work with Mom. He was a great kid during the day - very quiet - you would have never known there was a six year old, excuse me, six and a half year old, wait, six and three quarter year old, in the office with us (kids are so picky about age- gotta get it exactly right). Towards the end of the day we went out on site in one of the Mules (turbo golf cart for a construction site) and checked out the earth movers, excavators, bull dozers and skid pans do their thing. Gabriel had a good time watching all that red earth move from one spot to another......

Family Resemblance?

2008-11-03T19:46:00.004-05:00

Is it just me or is there a family resemblance?

The amazing Transformation

2008-11-01T21:19:00.002-04:00

Well, after getting off to a slow start thanks to slow traffic - We all made it home to start getting ready for Halloween. Almost immediately upon seeing the costume SHE PICKED OUT, Delaney started telling me she didn't want to be Tinkerbell. I persevered, and got her into the outfit, and as you can see, she was NOT to happy about it all. Thank goodness for hand-me-down outfits from big brother. The transformation into happy race car driver was almost instantaneous! All were happy and we were out the door. We met up with Purple boy and Hannah Montana and we were off (I'll have to compare Hannah to her famous dad Billy Ray later.) We went to a Halloween Carnival up in Statesville, where the kids could get candy, ride rides and have all sorts of fun! And well, she was a cute Tinkerbell but I think she handled being a race car driver too!

Pumpkin Head

2008-10-30T19:47:00.004-04:00

We decided to paint pumpkins this year instead of carve. I figured this was a way to actually get the kids involved. Every year for the past six years, we buy pumpkins, then Mom and Dad end up scooping out pumpkin guts and carving while the kid(s) lose interest and leave for better things to do. It was perfect timing that I decided to make sure we had paint for the pumpkins right after dinner on my birthday. I go digging up in Gabriel's closet - since that's where we store items we don't want the kids to have free access to. It didn't dawn on me until it FELL on me that the gift bag perched percariously up there on the same shelf as the paint, was my birthday present. Good thing for me that it was the soft blanket Delaney wanted to get me. I just had to laugh, and admit the whole situation to Randy. The second bag did not fall, and I was good and didn't peak. Needless to say he may need to find a new hiding spot for any Christmas presents. Back to the pumpkins - the kids had a good time painting, and mom too. Delaney, in Delaney fashion had paint EVERYWHERE. I made sure to sit on the other side of the table which stops me from trying to make her pumpkin in anyway more perfect than she could do herself. (it's the compulsive obsessive in me). Go ahead and see if you can guess who painted which pumpkin. I hope you enjoy the pics. I hope to get some good pictures of the pirate and tinkerbell tomorrow.

Shout out to my friend Jon

2008-10-27T08:22:00.000-04:00

Happy Birthday Jon! I hope it's a good one!

Patterson Farms

2008-10-26T20:42:00.001-04:00

We did our annual trip to Patterson Farms for a pumpkin. They added a couple activities this year that the kids loved- duck races and tomato sling shots! I wish the cow milking had worked a little better, poor things were worn out I guess and out of "milk". This country girl just had to laugh. I wish that I had pictures of myself riding the tractors - unloading hay, feeding the chickens, pigs, cows, etc. Half the time I think the kids are going "yea right mom, you're making this stuff up!" you know, having to bring eggs back to the house in this frilly basket my mom made just to embarass me, running out to the milk house in the middle of dinner to get more milk....being excited to get thermal socks for christmas so my feet didn't freeze while I was out doing chores.... - stop - i know half of you are rolling your eyes at this but it's the TRUTH!

Just some fun Pictures

2008-10-25T20:08:00.001-04:00

Fall into the Weekend

2008-10-25T20:02:00.001-04:00

Teach me to let Randy take a picture when I haven't looked in the mirror since before I left the house at 8 am (so i've been swimming and steam cleaning carpets since then - neither of which is good for any sort of hair style!) It was another beautiful day here, so we turned the TV off and went outside.

My Grandma is an Angel

2008-10-21T20:38:00.000-04:00

My Grandma is an angel
It must be true.
Her wings of GOLD
Hidden from view.

The twinkle in her eyes,
Let’s her humor be known.
Her loving Hug
Tells us we are never alone.

She has the patience of a Saint
You would have to say
To put up with all the antics
Along the way.

An Angel she is
An Angel she will be
Her Wings of gold open
For all to see.

This poem is for my Gram. I have created a scrapbook page to send to her - I will try and see if I can scan it in and post it

A Wonderful Fall Weekend

2008-10-20T12:19:00.000-04:00

We had a terrific weekend. Delaney's eye doctor appointment on Friday was quick and painless (despite the rain and cold). We had swim lessons on Saturday morning - followed by a trip to the library and then some painting at Meg Art (my newest addiction) and Sunday we had a great time with Shadow at the barn and then home to do some much needed yardwork. The kids enjoyed some much needed outdoor time - bikes, swings, trampoline, and Kavik joined in the fun. I got some great pictures of the kids - and of Susan and Shadow. I hope you enjoy.

Uploading the pictures of Kavik running after his ball reminded me of our color coding system. I don't know if they say dogs are color blind - but Kavik knows his colors thats for sure. His ball is purple. He will have no other color. When Gabriel (and Delaney) were younger - they also had colors. Gabriel's was yellow, Delaney was Pink. We had to do this to ease our own parenting ideals when Gabriel began copying his favorite older brother - this included drinking out of the pool, and carrying a ball around in his mouth (so we went to petsmart and bought him his own, yellow ball), and yes, once lifting his leg. When Delaney got to a certain age - she too wanted her own, so out came the pink. I was always amazed that Kavik would never grab the wrong ball - he always went for purple. Now if only the two legged kids would have been so good. I don't know if i'm happy or sad that they have gotten old enough that this has all fallen to the wayside - well, except the fact that Gabriel was on all fours and barking like a dog while we were at the barn yesterday - maybe we're not completely done with that Phase....better go find his yellow ball.

Yellow and Green Dots

2008-10-16T10:00:00.000-04:00

I have become obsessed with Green Dots, and Yellow ones too. I am determined that all should be green. This obsession comes from the new equipment at my local Curves. It's called the Curves Smart Program. You get a computer chip that tracks your work out at each machine. At the end - it downloads in and tells you where you are performing and your peak "green" dots and where you are doing okay, but need to work harder "yellow" dots (and they put the dots on the part of your body so you know what's what). I have been determined in my effort in the last few weeks , especially the GLUTTEALS! i had green all over except there (okay, and my back). On monday I wait for my summary to come up and YES, I have a green dot on my.....but then all other have turned yellow. FOILED. Last night I tried it again, and at the end, yes, vindication, only one yellow dot remained - ONE. So when I start rambling about seeing yellow dots, you at least know where it comes from.

Smart Kid

2008-10-15T09:48:00.000-04:00

So, at least for the time being,I ask how did I end up with a smart kid? All along I thought it was Delaney who was switched at the hospital (how can you blame me when she claims she likes broccoli more than chocolate and has proved that fact on many an occassion - shunning the molten lava chocolate cake for more broccoli or fries with ranch.). We had our first Parent Teacher Conference with Gabriel's First Grade teacher. (although I'm a little leery as she says she has never seen this child act goofy, when as a parent I plead for him to act normal once in a while). She states he does NOT run into walls at school, nor does he bang anything he can find against his head and think it's funny. She DOES claim that he follows directions to a T and is never a problem (again, is this MY child?) In the first 8 weeks of school he has been tested and knows all he's supposed to know by the end of the year and can read at half way through second grade level. He also aces every pre-spelling test which gives him the challenge words - which he still aces, and almost aces the bonus words (last week included spider and decoration, this week one of the words is ghost). So, the kid in me thinks cool, no more school for the rest of the year, I mean HECK he already knows the stuff. he he. The parent in me is wondering how to keep him learning without overdoing it too much, but so he doesn't become one of those problem kids that causes problems because he is bored. I will admit I'm proud of him - at the same time I'm shaking that head trying to figure out why he thinks running into doors is funny.

Turtle Watch

2008-10-11T15:43:00.000-04:00

Well October 5th came and went with no activity at the turtle spot, so today I decided to dig a little and see what i could find. I found all five eggs- two were already split open with lots of bug activity - another i opened and it looked like a turtle had formed - but it was already very yucky, and then the remaining two just looked like they had gross yolks in them. So, we are sorry to say our turtle watch is over and no turtles. We are hoping mama turtle comes back next year and we plan to dig them up and incubate them in a rubbermaid container or something to see if we have better luck. I was so hoping to see baby turtles.

Horse Sense!

2008-10-06T19:49:00.000-04:00

Part of our weekend activity was visiting Shadow - our horse friend we hadn't seen in a while. Susan is so nice to let us ride. Or rather, let the kids ride. We do have a side bet going that she gets a steak dinner if she ever gets Randy up in the saddle! Shadow was nice and shiney from her bath the day before - and she was more than ready for her treats at the end. She loves carrots.

Fall Sports

2008-10-04T20:23:00.000-04:00

Another beautiful day for a soccer game. The kids did great and Gabriel got a goal! He was funny, after stopping another kick - (he was goalie this time) he told us that #50 could kick hard and it hit his middle finger and pinkie and it hurt-ed. His team did a great job considering no practice last week or this week.

We also had our first swim lessons today. What a complete turn around from lessons in the spring when Gabriel wouldn't even put his face in the water. Now you can't keep him ABOVE water. Delaney joined in swim lessons this time - her first time. So we hope she'll soon be swimming with brother. They both enjoy the pool and this way each has time to swim/play while the other is in class- Gabriel has class at 9, and Delaney's class is 10.

As a note- we've started Christmas want lists. Our k ids have a different view on life, that's for sure. Gabriel wants a hot tub (it has 46 jets mom!)and an RV (one of those real nice tour bus camper types) and Delaney just told Randy she wants a Zamboni.

Nice View

2008-10-03T08:19:00.000-04:00

So, my job is located on a jobsite. I move from place to place around Charlotte depending on what we are building. Our current site was an old Driving Range - turning into a Medical Facility - we have a job trailer and are going to be adding two more - in order to get the area ready - the site guys have been working and I'm thinking I need a hard hat, safety vest and glasses just sitting at my desk. One of the things they had to do was pull down a fairly big tree - that was oh, 18 inches from our trailer, three feet from my office. I moved to a different corner while they were doing that. It's interesting to work while the whole trailer is shaking as the bulldozers go back and forth. You can't say at times like this that my job is dull that's for sure. The arial shows our site- our trailer is up in the left corner.

It's Someone's Birthday

2008-10-01T08:20:00.000-04:00

Okay, I just want to wish Lisa (LeBlanc) Suggs a very Happy Birthday. I hope you have a great day! Best wishes, and hope you can sit down and relax at least for a minute on your day.

It's hard to believe the picture I attached is from two years ago! Seems like just yesterday we were having lunch at Hawleys in Perry. It was the first time together in almost 20 years! We can't let that happen again (the time in between, not lunch together!)

Painting Pottery

2008-09-26T18:30:00.000-04:00

We'll try this again - the program crashed before I saved my typing the first time.

It's been another gloomy day in North Carolina. Thanks to the gas crisis here and all my bosses being on a company trip to Destin Florida (part of the trip includes designing and building a boat and rowing it 150 feet - our Raleigh team is "Escape from Alcatraz" complete with orange jumpsuits and handcuffs.) I got to have today off. After a few quiet hours at home - I picked up Gabriel and Delaney and we headed to Meg Art. I am proud of myself, since the compulsive obsessive anal-retentive part of me ( i like to call it CORD for short) demands perfection, it's hard to sit back while Delaney slathers color after color onto the item. (one of the reasons I can't do playdoh with kids - I can't mix colors, drives me crazy). But, while on the inside I was cringing, I let her slather away, and figured we'd love it no matter what. I admit the trip to Meg Art was part of my strategic plan since Randy has been away on a business trip - keep myself and the kids occupied.

Well, let's hope the post saves this time. I hope all is well out there. Feel free to leave a comment - or follow my blog so I know I'm not just talking to myself - of course, I do that too.

No baby turtles yet on the turtle watch. 90 days is october 5th, so it's coming up fast. I hope they do hatch.

The pictures have nothing to do with today - and were taken back in May - the baby horse Walter that we fell in love with and his mom Gorgeous, and the kids with Shadow and Delaney with Roxy. They love the horses.

Nightmare Manor

2008-09-23T14:16:00.000-04:00

I thought I would share the link to my sister's haunted house website.

www.nightmaremanor.com

it's in Rochester, and starts up this weekend. She's always loved halloween and this is their third or fourth year doing it on a grand scale. Look for Tammy and Mark and I think Amanda is in those pictures also. If your in town or around, check it out!

We survived Camping

2008-09-21T19:50:00.000-04:00

Just a few minutes into packing, began to realize why we hadn't yet tried it - it's the preparation. Maybe if we had been going for more than one night it would have been easier to justify all the preparation in my mind. But, it was just for a night and we didn't even have to do half as much as if we had gone on our own, but dad and nancy had the camper and most of the groceries, water, milk, etc. We got to the campground and set up in record time - partly due to the fact that Delaney and I had a Princess birthday party to attend in Statesville. We got back in time to join the boys for some fishing. After dinner was the camping favorite - SMORES! Delaney of course, didn't even eat a whole one. Gabriel, had three. YUM. Randy and I didn't sleep well, the people next to us were loud, and then there was a baby crying a couple times during the night- the trips to the bathroom, and then Delaney asking "how many minutes until we get up" that did me in. Packing up wasn't half as much fun going home as it was going to the campground (not saying much since I wasn't impressed with packing up to get there at all) but we managed it and are now faced with "when are we going camping again?" from Gabriel. We're thinking a nice cabin in the mountains next time.

Time to wrap up, hit the sack and NOT have my coffee tomorrow morning thanks to bloodwork. Needless to say, Randy just needs to duck and cover tomorrow morning :o)

Lazy 5 Afternoon

2008-09-20T09:23:00.000-04:00

It was a perfect afternoon for Lazy 5. Not to hot, a nice breeze, no humidity, hardly anybody there. We arrived a little after three and were suprised that there was a fair amount of cars in the parking lot -nothing like a weekend but still, people around. We walked around, saw the lemurs, pheasants, goats and chickens, then piled in for a ride through. Delaney was very good at pointing out all the messy things that the animals had left behind, and then staying as far away from most of the animals as possible - except the pigs. Delaney is the feeder of every potbelly pig, and there are a lot of them. My poor truck has slobber from half a dozen varieties of animal - the worst being the bison who drooled all over the tailgate, but not to lessen the mountain sheep who wanted to climb up in with us. We had a great time, and by the time we finished the drive, and arrived back in the parking lot, we had the place to ourselves. The kids checked out the playground and finished up the bucket of food. We hope they have the aviary, chicken coop and Kangaroos ready in the spring, they still weren't done with the exhibits. (oh, and the lemurs are getting a bigger home too!) Kids and grandparents had a good time.

A Beautiful Friday

2008-09-19T08:40:00.001-04:00

It's a beautiful friday in the south. low humidity, low temps, just wonderful. I am headed out from work early to grab the kids and grandparents and head out to Lazy 5 Ranch up in Mooresville. They've added some new stuff - kangaroo's, walk thru aviary, chicken coop. All sorts of fun for the kids! And, all sorts of pictures for me to share I'm sure! My dad and Nancy have been here 5 days now and I haven't taken a picture yet, so it's time. Tomorrow we are off to the state park for a night of camping - the tent is set up in our yard to verify this fact. We had to make sure A) we could find the tent, B) we could put the tent up C) we would all FIT in the tent. It seems it will work for us. And if all else fails, we pile in the camper with Dad and Nancy. We hope to do some fishing and biking while we are up there, so the kids will be in HEAVEN and exhausted by the time we are done I'm sure.

I checked on the turtle eggs yesterday and no dirt movement yet. we'll hope they don't appear then disappear this weekend while we are busy!

Cheers Ya'll.

Gloomy Wednesday

2008-09-17T10:11:00.000-04:00

It's a gloomy Wednesday and while I continue to remind myself that we need rain (drought conditions), it doesn't really help the fact that I would prefer to see the sun. My dad and stepmother arrived late Sunday, and I haven't gotten my camera out yet. They jumped right into Grandparent duties, picking Gabriel up from school and then going to get Delaney early also. They were tested their first time out also - Delaney didn't make it to the restroom in time. The good news is they were in Wal-Mart - so a trip to the clothing section eased that situation. They picked them up yesterday and plan to today also. A person could get used to this- not having to pick up kids, rush home, work on dinner....just go home! (Nancy has been helping with dinner, she made a yummy sweet potato dish last night to go with my crockpot chicken.) I hope to get us to Lazy 5 on Friday - Nancy hasnt' been there and we want to see the new exhibits that they have opened (Kangaroos, chicken coop, aviary).

On the turtle watch, I dodges some raindrops last night to fill my bird feeders and check the status of the "nest" and I didn't notice any movement in the dirt.

It's good I decided to write this - while outside last night - I turned the hose on for my pond- i had moved the waterfall hose and it was leaking outside of the pond - so it lost water - so I turned on the water, and hey, just remembered that fact 17 hours later. AHH Usually our well filter gets clogged and we wake up without water when I do this (YES, i have done this more than once). Thankfully Dad and Nancy are at home and Dad is going to go turn it off......SHEESH.

SCORE!!!!!!

2008-09-13T18:54:00.001-04:00

Gabriel had his first soccer game on Friday. Nothing like a soccer game under lights. (with humidity thick enough to slice with a knife and little gnats flying all around) The kids did Great. I think they scored 5 goals in the first quarter. Gabriel had fun, although it's fun/aggravating to see that your child takes the coach quite literally when he puts him at defensive center and well, Gabriel didn't move much from that spot, even when the ball was coming right at him! We had another soccer game today. What was the league thinking? 8pm game Friday - we got home - in bed at 10 - then up at 7 to head to another game in Statesville at 9:30. We are all tired and ready for bed tonight. Not to mention, it was HOT out, at 10, after all the rain and cold weather this week, we were not expecting 90 and pure sun. Thankfully our neighbor had given us use of their pool today while they were out of town. Did I mention it's been rainy and COLD all week? Well, the water was also COLD. Not that it stopped the kids of course. Now I have to deal with Gabriel asking why we don't have a pool like that........

I am hoping for a quiet Sunday.

My dad and Nancy arrive from Colorado sometime tomorrow - so we'll have pictures to post of them.

No baby turtles as of yet.

It's 7 and i'm signing off in hopes of an early bedtime.

Turtle Watch

2008-09-12T09:21:00.000-04:00

Well, we are officially on Turtle Watch. Back around the Fourth of July, an Eastern Box Turtle (or so we think) dug a hole and was laying eggs when I discovered her in our backyard. She finished, covered them back up and moseyed on her way. We have protected the area, and after looking up information on turtle eggs, we estimated 70-90 days, so that puts us from September 15th - October 5th for baby turtles. I've never had this opportunity - so i hope we at least get to see a baby turtle or two. They are only a foot or so away from my Goldfish pond and shrubs for cover.

It's also finally Friday and is as gloomy as it has been all week. Gabriel is supposed to have a soccer game at 8 pm tonight, which i hope they cancel, since he also has a game at 9 am tomorrow. Who does the scheduling for 6 year olds anyway? by the time we get home tonight it will be at least 10 and then we have to get up and be in Statesville (20 minutes away) by 8:30. This will make for a very tired and grumpy Gabriel. So, even though I'm tired of the GLOOM, I will pray for rain for one more day, and hope one of two games is cancelled.

Delaney is FOUR

2008-09-10T10:17:00.001-04:00

Delaney had her 4 year well check up today. she is 39 3/4 inches tall and weighs 39.75 pounds. We couldn't do that again if we tried. Of course she's healthy - but following her brothers mantra, she remained silent when in the presence of Dr. James. My normal goofy chatterbox was suddenly silent. Poor girl also got 5 vaccines! OUCH. even with small needles I have to say OUCH. She was brave, and even with a few tears, did well. Of course the tears stopped with a visit to the treasure box on the way out. So, we'll cross our fingers and hope I don't receive a call during the day saying the vaccines did her in. (Pictures of Now, and of course Then)

a weekend of fun

2008-09-09T12:06:00.001-04:00

well, Randy finally bought a mountain bike this weekend. Gabriel was very excited, and had dad trying it out saturday night. On our second trip through the neighborhood, we noticed the police cars at the corner house. Two police cars. As we walked by a third pulled up, and then later, a fourth. Neighbors were out at the picnic table that live across the street, so we stopped by to get the news. I guess we have possible thieves in our neighborhood. Other cars pulled up and we could only assume it was people called to identify stolen items. I haven't found out any full details, and that house has been quiet since. I also learned this weekend that shoes up on a phone/electric wire signifies drug dealing. who knew?

On sunday we went to a park that has a mountain bike trail and paved trails. Delaney and i chose the paved trail, and we did over a mile. For her, it was a major work out i'm sure. For me it was exercise and a lesson in patience, since i had to slow way down in order for her to keep up. As a reward, both kids got to have time at the playground. Randy said Gabriel did well on the trail and only crashed twice. Both boys were covered in sweat by the time they were done, i think as novices, the beginner trail was a learning experience. No pictures on this one since we were in two different places and i was on a bike myself.

Another Friday

2008-09-05T14:47:00.000-04:00

its friday and i'm at work, with time ahead of me until I get to go home, so I thought I'd try this - those that know me from the good ole days remember my journal - i think it lives on in infamy, and yes I still have it, so i thought i'd try this - see if it helps me remember all the daily minutia along with the great things my kids do and say that I can never seem to recall a week or even a day later. So, it may be boring, but it's mine.