My Happy Feet

My feet are happy. These are the best shoes ever. Chacos. They are usually $95 at REI or any other place that sells these puppies. But last spring, when I was on a date with Stephen, we stopped in at REI, I found this pair...this perfect pair...on sale for $24.95! They were on clearance and I was the lucky girl that they fit. I felt like Cinderella with the glass slipper. They are so comfortable...so perfect...

But alas, they will be my only pair ever. Because they're $100 after taxes! Stephen will never buy me another pair ever. Did I mention ever? The whole, "But they won't match everything I have and I should really have another pair in a different color..." argument won't fly with Stephen. My only chance is to stalk REI for another great "Cinderella Deal." Here's to hoping...

The Redwoods...

As Stephen and I were walking through the Redwoods, we couldn't help but be amazed at the beauty of God's creation. I know, sounds corny. BUT, we were looking at trees that were around at the time of Christ! Even the kids thought it was great fun to run and climb and be in awe of the greatness of these giants. Twerp #3 used the word "awesome" many times this day. (I think it's a throwback to the 80's. I must be doing my job!)

I firmly believe that this is where they should have shot "Land of the Lost." Anyone out there remember that show? (I know, another late 70's early 80's reference.) This would have been the perfect set for those slee-stacks. Grrrrr.

OK. Nothing more needs to be said. Enjoy the pictures...

We're Home...

We just got back from a 10 day trip to Oregon and Washington. It was beautiful. I'll give you a couple of highlights and then post later about the details of our trip.

We were able to visit the house that we bought 5 years ago in Oregon. We've never actually seen the house and have had renters the entire time...Stephen's uncle takes care of the place for us. It was really nice.

It even had a Tee Pee (any way I spell that, it just doesn't look right) in the back yard that was made from the fallen branches on our property. It came complete with a foyer too! The kids loved it and wanted to move in just for the backyard. I must admit, having an acre of land would be fun for the kids to play on.

We visited Smith Rock State Park. It was like a "Mini Grand Canyon." There were lots of rock climbers in the area and the Crooked River ran through the middle of the canyon. It was beautiful. However, Twerp #1 read the sign that warned of Rattlesnakes in the area...kind of freaked him out. We didn't hike off the trail and we didn't hike too far down the canyon. If we had, we would have heard about it from Twerp #2 forEVER.

We went to Whidby Island in Washington where we visited with my brother and his family. Kristen took us up to Coupeville...such a cute seaside town where Twerp #3 proceeded to lose his flip flop when looking over the balcony railing.

So sad...he went the rest of the afternoon with one shoe on and one shoe off. (diddle diddle dumpling, my son John....)

On the land in which my brother lives, there is a HUGE tree swing. We took all 7 (yes, between Aaron and I, we have 7 kids) over to the swing and let them go for it. The swing hung between two tall trees and the went out over a cliff and swung over the road leading to their home. The kids had a blast being brave and all...

They were braver than I...I wouldn't go on that swing if I could eat anything I wanted and not gain a pound! Stephen did it though...twice!

After leaving Aaron and Kristen's, we went to Jedediah Smith Redwood State Park. It was beautiful. I took more pictures than I care to admit...most of them of really big trees and my family. It's good we have a digital camera. Otherwise, we'd have had to mortgage our home just for developing all the pictures I took. Here's a picture of Stephen with the three kids in our campground.

This is one of the "smaller" trees in our campground. I know, I know...everyone has taken a picture just like this when they go to the redwoods. Why break with tradition?!?

And here is my family again. Yes, in a tree. We are in the woods, afterall.

I'll post more on our trip later...in smaller chunks...we had a great time and I would do it again tomorrow if: 1) we had more cash to pay for the gas. 2) if I could get the same spot in the Redwoods again. 3) if we could borrow movies from my friends so the kids didn't have to watch the same ones again. 4) if we didn't have to stay in scary Fresno on the way home.

An Overheard Conversation...

I was sitting by the front door looking out at the new streets that are being put down in our neighborhood. I had just given the kids an apple muffin for breakfast. I had told Twerp #2 that even if she didn't like the chunks of apple in her muffin, she'd better eat it, she wasn't getting anything else for breakfast. So...I walk over to the door and overhear the following:


Twerp #3: "Yeah, you'd better eat that or you won't get anything else to eat!"


Twerp #2: "You're not my dad, you know. You can't tell me what to do."


Twerp #3: "I'm you dad. I am you know. I'm a dad if I want to be."


Twerp #2: "No. You're not. If you're a dad, then why do you go to bed at night instead of staying up to watch TV and the Olympics. If you're a dad, then why do you need a babysitter when you go out. If you're a dad, then why do you have to hold Mom's hand when you cross the street. See, you're not a dad."


Twerp #3: "Yes, I am a dad. I'm just a dad that needs lots of sleep and likes to be safe when crossing the street. I'm a safe and not tired dad."


Hmmmm...looks like Twerp #3 might just turn out to be a defense lawyer. I've got many years of this type of arguing up ahead of me. Hopefuly, he just doesn't argue with me all the time...

The 5 year mark.

Why do cars have a typical 60 month - 5 year - lease? I figured it out this morning. I was getting ready to get the tires rotated...got my sick kid in the car, the other two in the car and was heading out the garage door. I realized that my remote wasn't working. Hmmmm. So I used the key and opened the car that way. But then, the doors wouldn't open when I pressed the unlock button. Hmmmm. Not good before a trip, I'm thinking.

Then...the car wouldn't start. Dead battery. I called AAA and they sent out a guy to jump the battery. He did a diagnostic on the battery and I only had 2% life left in the battery. Go figure. We pay off the van 12 days ago...just got the pink slip...and the battery dies. In the deepest part of my heart I believe that Toyota times their battery to die just after you pay off the car. I really do believe that. When I got the tires rotated, the guy said that this would be the last rotation for the front two tires...they're going to need to be replaced.

Twerp #1 asked me when do we know it's time to get a new car. I told him that a battery and two new tires are still cheaper than one car payment, so it's a good idea to get the car fixed. It always seems like he's asking me questions like that...just when smoke is coming out of my ears due to frustration. Gotta love him for it.

The 5 year mark is a curse. For me and everyone I know. My sister just got a new car. I put it on my calendar to check in on her 5 years from two weeks ago (what kind of dating system is that!) and ask her what she now has to fix. I bet it'll be something not too expensive but annoying all the same.

Where did summer go?

Summer is flying by. In May, when my bible study ends, MOPS ends, we have to start chipping in for the teachers gifts...when all that stuff happens, I have really good intentions. I (in my pre-kids anal self) start to make a calendar of fun thing that we'll do together as a family. I make a chore chart (since I'll have all sorts of help around the house) and join up at the reading club at the library. I promise myself that I will take the kids to the beach/lake at least once a week. After all, we do live in Southern California, right?

But then Summer comes and my plans fly right out the window. I'm sitting here this morning wondering how I'm going to get the house cleaned, our clothes washed and packed and ready to go on our family vacation on Thursday. We have people coming to stay at our house and watch Darby...so the house can't look like our dirty clothes blew up all over. That, and the bathrooms need to be cleaned also. We're going to be gone for a week and a half and driving all over the West coast. I still need to get the tires checked, a wedding gift bought, borrow never seen movies for the kids on our drive...so many things to do.

What have we done this summer? We've played games at home. We have played in the sprinklers and gotten our wood floor slippery beyond hope. We have visited friends and seen friends move away. We have taken late night walks around the neighborhood and swam at friends pools. We (meaning me) have taken a weekend away from the family and hung out with friends (a MOPS retreat). We have spent hot afternoons in the Costco cooler trying to find the "right" bag of lettuce. We have watched movies and had our teeth cleaned at the dentist. We have read books, gone camping and washed a lot of laundry.

We have had a good summer. I realized that when we get back from our trip, we'll have two more weeks at home and then school starts up again. I need to get my priorities in order and spend those last two weeks doing FUN things with the kids. I still want to start teaching my girl to read...maybe we'll start that this summer in the car on the way to Washington. I haven't gotten too many things on my list done this summer, but we have had a great time. It's gone by quickly. Next summer, I'm not making a list of things to do...I'm just going to do what I want...