Happy Halloween!

We are hoping that the skies stay dry for all the little trick-or-treaters going out tonight! Jamie and I will be going out with Kylah, Kallie, TeaLee, Ivie & Logan, so I'll have pictures later. Makena has been invited to a couple of Halloween parties.

Don't eat too much candy!

Things I know

I see that I've been doing quite a few lists lately. Actually, I have several lists in order to get through the day - I must need to be blogging them too.

1. People who are too lazy to use their blinkers shouldn't be driving.
2. Pedestrians shouldn't have the right away UNLESS they can quickly walk across the street like a normal human. (Get out of the way!)
3. Driving while flossing your teeth probably isn't a good idea. (I actually saw this today.)
4. People should have to pass a test in order to reproduce.
5. My Toyota Tundra is better than Jamie's Mercedes E430.
6. Filling out State and Federal forms for payroll taxes sucks.
7. Bleached, bell-bottom pants never came back into style. (I saw this today too.)
8. A cafeteria full of 6th graders can be very loud and make your ears hurt.
9. Recycled rubber flooring costs a lot more money than I thought it would.
10. TiVo is one of the best inventions! (When it's working correctly that is.)

I do list because my momma does lists. Thanks for being organized Lady - love you!

Pumpkins!

We finally got around to carving our pumpkins last night. Makena painted hers again this year - she has been known to gag or freak out a bit when cleaning out the pumpkin so we stopped carving hers a few years ago. Jamie wanted to paint his this year too, but I wouldn't let him because I wanted the seeds.

I was a little disappointed when I went to Fred Meyer last night to find some carving supplies and there wasn't much left. Not that they didn't have it...they had cleared most of the Halloween stuff away to make room for the Christmas stuff. Don't get me wrong, Christmas is my favorite holiday, but can't we get to Halloween first?

Couple more things

1. We did get our pumpkins done last night - I will have pictures later.
2. I woke up an 1 1/2 hours before my alarm clock and couldn't go back to sleep because I knew I had to file payroll taxes today. I don't like doing them and wait until the last minute.
3. Makena wore her new Twilight earrings today.
4. The first 6th Grade Social is today during the last hour of school. (I think I'm more excited than Makena is.) I'll be there to make sure she's having fun tho!
5. I LOVED paying $2.29 for gas yesterday, but DIDN'T love waiting 20+ minutes to get through the line at Costco to get it.
6. It's not as sunny out today as it has been and they say it will be raining by Friday. (Not good for the little trick-or-treaters!)
7. On Sunday (while trying to read through the voter's pamphlet) I took a t.v. break and stumbled across a show about The Duggar Family - the family with 16 children. Well...that was from 2006 - there are now 17 children and Mom is pregnant again! They now have a show on TLC - 17 Kids an Counting. I can't stop watching it! Mostly, because I have NO idea why you would want to have that many children!! (They call it God's blessing...I'm not so sure.)
8. Get your ballots in! Oregon voting is down by 6% from this time in 2004.
9. No, my family did not enjoy the 'new' casserole that I made for dinner last night - just a chicken and green bean one. Makena found the mushrooms that I tried to hide in it - apparently I didn't dice them well enough!
10. You can now recycle CFL bulbs (unbroken ones) at Home Depot - so make sure you don't throw them out! I think you can also do it at Ikea, but I haven't seen where.

"Why I smiled today" - the song 'I'm Yours' by Jason Mraz always makes me smile. It came on first thing this morning in the car.

Couple 'a things

1. I used my treadmill today for the first time in about 6 months. I made sure to oil it before I started! : ) That was the longest 45 minutes...whew! (Just long enough to get in an episode of CSI on my iPod.) My foot was a bit sore, but it hasn't gotten any worse so I'll just keep exercising it and hope for the best.
2. I also did some crunches on my exercise ball...had to put more air in that before I started too.
3. Makena got to change her earrings. She, of course, chose the dangly ones and then we went to Claire's to get more fun ones.
4. My ballot is signed, sealed and delivered.
5. When I do spellcheck on my blog, the same names always come up as spelled wrong: Makena, Dylona, Kylah, Kallie and TeaLee. (huh...wonder why that is??)
6. Even though we ate two entire bags of Halloween candy last week, I refused to buy more while at the store today. Kids will be getting a Capri-Sun when they come to my house...with a little note to recycle it with Terracycle. (Of course!)
7. Makena started an after-school club today - Anime/Manga Drawing. (Again, thanks to everyone that supported her school with donations or magazine subscriptions!) I don't get to pick her up until 4:50pm on Tuesdays now, but she was excited about the club.
8. We are supposed to carve our pumpkins tonight so I should have pictures to add tomorrow. We were going to do it last night, but forgot about them. Makena won't carve hers (something about the guts being gross) but she'll paint it as usual. I'm thinking of carving the recycling symbol on mine...we'll see how that goes.
9. I'm making something 'new' for dinner tonight. Makena & Jamie are always so excited when I say that (not really) and always ask to know everything that's in it.
10. Rose Petal Betty Bath Co. is going to be closing soon. I only started purchasing her items a few months ago and love them, so I'm sad that she will only be doing antiques from now on. (Although, I do love antiques!)

"Why I smiled today" - when I was going to pick up Makena from school, the motorcycle in front of me had a skeleton strapped to the back. It was waving at me! (I got a picture of it on my phone, but then remembered that I canceled the photo service so that I didn't have to pay for it.)

Vote

Don't forget to vote - it's only a few days away! If you have addition questions about voting, you can go to GO VOTE: http://www.govote.org/ and put in your zip code.

Unfortunately, it's not as 'fun' to vote as I thought it would be when I was younger. But, if you want to have any choice (big or small) in making a better world, then you should vote. After reading through the voter's pamphlet, if you aren't totally confused with a terrible headache then you deserve A LOT of credit! (Could you maybe come over and explain some things to me then?) If only the damn measures could be worded/written how they are really meant to be - without trying to trick you into voting for it - it would make things so much easier. And, why make one measure just cancel another one out? But...2 hours on Sunday gave me the time to get my ballot ready. I did do it in pencil tho - just in case!

And...not that I'm telling you how to vote...but I saw these buttons and liked them. I honestly like both candidates running for President (one more than the other) - for different reasons - but am really not impressed with either of their running mates. So...I'm an...

Sunday mornin'

My cat so kindly started patting me on the head about 6am this morning. I tossed a pillow at her and was able to go back to sleep until around 8:30am...when Moxie went in to wake up TeaLee and Makena. (Dont'ya just gotta love your pets??) I made chocolate-chip pancakes, eggs and sausage for everyone to get the day started. It's going to be another sunny day today (one of the few left this year I'm told) and I have a few more things that I want to get done outside. Jamie left to take the insulation (recycled denim from www.ecohaus.com) up to the lake, knowing it is going to be nice out.

Enjoy the sunshine while you can!

Pumpkin Patch

We decided to go back out to Lakeview Farms Pumpkin Patch this year - we hadn't been there in about 3 years or so. I have to admit that I like Fir Point Farms (in Aurora) better now. We look forward to going with everyone to the pumpkin patch. Unfortunately, Jason had to work but Jamie was there to help with all of the pumpkins. (And to play with the kids of course!)

Kylah and TeaLee were first at the face painting station, then we went to take a few pictures. After that, we were off in the boat to ride ponies, play in a hay maze and find pumpkins.

Ivie loved the pony and was NOT happy to stop riding

gotta be quick to get all of them!

Makena found her pumpkin

Kylah & Kallie helping me find a pumpkin

the train ride back

one last ride...Ivie didn't make it very far tho and then wanted back on as they drove away

What's a farm without cute piggies!?!

You can always find the rest of my pictures at http://picasaweb.google.com/amberzpix.

After the pumpkin patch, Jamie, Makena and I went to lunch at Elmer's. After we got home, Jamie was quickly back in bed and ready for a nap. Makena and I decided to go over to Tracie's. Dylona and Nikki had gone over there after the pumpkin patch and I hadn't seen her new house yet. TeaLee came back home with us to spend the night.

Why I smiled today

Well...it started out as a frown. After ordering my non-fat chai latte and Makena's hot chocolate, I couldn't find my wallet. The girl said that she had already made the drinks so if I could just come back later that would be okay. (She may have seen me there before once or twice...??) So, after I picked up Makena, I ran back home and (finally) found my wallet. I went back, gave her more money and asked her to buy the next person's drink and keep the rest. (You're right Lenny, it does make you happier.)

Oh and it's another beautiful Friday!

Relay For Life of Hillsboro 2009

We had our first Relay Kick-off Rally for the 2009 Relay For Life of Hillsboro tonight. Yes, I know it's still 2008, but it's never too early to start FUNdraising!! Especially for something that is so meaningful.

We had a small turnout, but I registered 40 teams tonight - making a total of 46 teams currently registered for the 2009 Relay! What a great night! If you are interested in starting a team for the 2009 Relay go to www.relayforlife.org/hillsboroor - OR - if you are interested in joining my team (Tami's Full-House of Champions) you can do that there as well. Please let me know if you have any questions...and, as always, spread the word! We have grown a lot over the last couple of years, but it's been a good adjustment. Anyone and everyone is welcome!

The American Cancer Society is the largest, private, nonprofit source of funding for cancer research.

Can you name that fish??

I spent the day at Eagle Creek (in the Columbia Gorge) studying salmon and testing the water with Makena's 6th grade science class. What a beautiful day for a field trip in the Columbia Gorge! The sun was out and the leaves are just beginning to turn colors. Unfortunately, the sun wasn't keeping us warm along the river, but it was still beautiful. There are some beautiful hiking trails up there that we will have to visit again soon.

First we learned about the life span and journey of the Coho Salmon. As they are currently spawning, there were a lot of fish to see. It was all very interesting and I learned a lot. The guide then decided to cut open one of the dead salmon that he had found earlier in the morning - making a couple of the girls in my group a little unhappy. Surprisingly, there wasn't any giggling at the mention of the words 'spawning', 'reproduction', 'passing along genes' or 'sperm sack'.

Next we took a little nature hike, and tried to identify trees, shrubs, plants and wildlife. The kids weren't as excited about this part, but 6th grade field trips are so far MUCH better than the ones in grade school! We all went back to the warm bus for lunch and then were off again to study water samples. First we had to collect stirred up water, known as 'scuffing'. See below...

After viewing and recording several different types of water insects, we were off to test the water temperature, oxygen levels and ph levels. All good! This is also when we learned that the water temperature was 44 degrees...same as outside....brrr!

Walden Island - Day 40, 41 & 42

This post may have some "I told you so" or "You were right" in it...but you'll have to figure those out on your own.

We got up to the lake late Friday evening. We're getting pretty good at loading/unloading in the dark. Thankfully our neighbors almost all have lights on at the island. We stopped for a pizza on the way and were eating it in the shed by 9pm. We got our new heater out and going...so far, so good.

On Saturday Jamie had to run to Home Depot for a few items. Apparently on the way back, he also had to run to Target. He picked up some electric blankets and different types of heaters (he wasn't totally sold on our new Eden heater I guess) - the radiator type that I had originally suggested.

While Jamie was gone, I decided to put up my new curtains for upstairs. I first had to find the perfect tree branch to use as a rod. After finally finding the chainsaw and hunting through the yard, I found it. While pulling the small tree out, I realized what a hypocrite I can sometimes be. I'm always telling Jamie how unsafe he is when working with tools & such and here I was cutting down a small tree with a chainsaw in my shorts, tshirt & crocs...with no one else around or even gloves on. (Guess I thought I was Calamity Jane or something.) My little curtain rod worked out great tho - $2.99 for the Ikea twin sheet, $3.99 for the curtain clips, "curtains"...priceless...

A cute little 'Island' BAR sign my mom gave me for Christmas. (They are planning to travel in December so we're getting gifts early.)

The sign isn't actually pointing towards a 'bar', but it's the first thing I see when I walk in.

Our other gift - a bench that can be put with another one to make a picnic table.

We decided to try the two radiator heaters that night instead of the Eden one to see how they worked. I really liked the fact that they were less than half the cost, but I didn't like the fact that they were hot to the touch very quickly. The Eden was on all night and we could still touch it. So...after much thought...I put the two radiator heaters back in the box to be returned. The electric blanket was GREAT tho so we're keeping that!

Sunday was a day to sleep in...cloudy and cold...so I read for a bit before Jamie woke up. Then, I fell back asleep...under the new electric blanket. We did watch a couple more movies this weekend, although nothing really that great. And, Jamie barely beat me at cards. (He only won because he changed rules during the middle of the game.) Once the sun finally came out, Jamie decided to finally get the gutter up on the shed and fit it for the rain barrels.

Another thing I love about the lake - Jamie always cooks breakfast. Low-cholesterol meal: eggs, sausage, hashbrowns & cheese all on a whole-wheat bagel...with a side of links!

"Wanna play fetch with me mommy?"

I crack myself up sometimes...the fruit is sitting on top of the donut box. We didn't up eating either one (the fruit was probably too heavy).

Jamie put the gutter up...even though he didn't want to.

When the rain barrels are finished (another thing Jamie doesn't want to do) it will work like this.

Mt. St. Helens when we left on Sunday.

Couple 'a things

The poor squirrels on Celebration Ct. - just not the smartest in the neighborhood. I've had this squirrel feeder up for months and have yet to see a squirrel figure out how to get the lid up and eat from it. That is...until Friday! He's been crawling all around (I leave trails of food to it all the time) and he finally did it! I also have corn cobs along the back fence, and they'll sometimes run off with the entire ear of corn! No wasting time waiting for the neighbor cats to find them. (Hey...maybe that does make them smart huh?) Now if only we could train Moxie the difference between the 'neighbor kitty' and the 'tree kitty'.

This is the heater that Jamie bought for the lake...see, a cat can sit on it! Brandi will sit on anything that is off the ground. We haven't tried putting a baby on there yet tho - maybe next weekend. : )

WARNING: Spider photos. These are just two of the GIMANOUS spiders that we've seen in our shed. I haven't read anything about them being poisonous (or I haven't correctly found them online) but I sure as hell don't want them crawling around while I'm there!! Just freaks me out! I'm now on a mission to find some sort of spider control...although I'm not sure it's going to help until we get the flooring on or the walls insulated. (Honey, can we do that soon???)

As far as my doctor appts - I don't have any blood results back from the lab yet. I had to go back in this morning to get more blood sucked out...apparently they didn't get enough the first time.

Banned Books

Banned Books Week was September 27 - October 4 2008 this year. I only knew about this because the library at Makena's school posted a list of banned/challenged books from the last 50 years or so and tried to have many of the books available for the students. Makena and I were talking about the book she chose - Fade by Robert Cormier - as it was banned due to the fact that the boy can make himself invisible and then there are some descriptions of a murder. He actually had a few other books banned in schools as well. She said "I couldn't believe some of the books on the list and why they were banned." She started naming some off and came to 'Are you there God? It's Me, Margaret' by Judy Blume and I said "WHAT?!? I loved that book in middle school!" She proceeds to tell me that because "God" is in the title and the book talks about her starting her period that it was banned in several schools. Now, I realize that this was 20 years ago (or so...cuz I was in middle school) and that not all of these are in the US but, again, "WHAT?!?" I told Makena that if she got the chance to read 'Are you there God? It's Me, Margaret' that she should - that it's a great book! Or, any book by Judy Blume for that matter! And that she could read any book that she wanted as long as she felt comfortable reading it. We both very much enjoy reading, and she has no problem not finishing a book if she doesn't like it. And, I have no problem with her reading to experience different points of views or stories...I think that's what made me an open-minded person. (Unfortunately, I'm not too 'open-minded' to 'close-minded' people, but that's for another blog...)

So I started looking into other banned books and continued to be surprised. Especially since many of these books were made into movies - the Harry Potter series for instance. I went to the American Library Association and found a list of the Top 100 Novels banned and/or challenged in the 20 Century. Some of the other books that I have enjoyed reading, and am glad that they were available for me to read:

• The Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger
• The Color Purple by Alice Walker (great movie too)
• The Lord of the Flies by William Golding (great movie too)
• Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck (cried during the book & movie)
• The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien (great movies)

Some other authors that I suggest that have books banned:

• Maya Angelou
• Mark Twain
• Stephen King
• Shel Silverstein
• Edgar Allen Poe
• Voltaire
• The Freedom Writers

And two that cracked me up:

• 'And Tango Makes Three' by Justin Richardson/Peter Parnell - because two male penguins are caring for an orphaned egg
• 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar' by Eric Carle - because the school was doing a healthy eating campaign and the 'caterpillar' is promoting over-consumption and obesity

There are SO many books out there that I'll never even know about, won't have time to read or have no interest in reading. But, at least I have that option.

"Why I smiled today" - because I have Shel Silverstein (thanks T) on my book shelf and I'm going to read it again; cover to cover.

Early in the morning...

Why do dumb things always happen very early in the morning or very late at night? For instance; Moxie 'playing' with the skunk at 10pm a while back. OR...our smoke detector deciding to beep (more like a high-pitched chirp) early this morning?!? Of course it's at the top of our bedroom vaulted ceiling, so Jamie has to get a ladder to reach it. Then he pulls the entire thing off - which it will continue to beep until plugged back in - until I remind him to just take the battery out. Then, of course, Moxie thinks it's time to go outside and Brandi thinks it's time for me to get up and feed her. Jamie decides he's not going back to sleep, until I remind him that it's dark out and I'm tired...he layed back down and was snoring within minutes. : )

We purchased a heater for the shed (it's getting a bit colder up at the lake) and it arrived today. I have been complaining (who me??) about the safety of our little space heater that is up there, so Jamie took it upon himself to find a safer one. It, of course, is much more expensive than the normal ones at Home Depot but he continues to remind me how 'safe' this one is. "Look" he says "It even has a baby and cat sitting on it on the box!" We'll try it out at the lake this weekend and see how things go.

Leaving you with a photo of Kylah & Kallie on the beach in Maui as well as a photo of Kamali'i wahine (that's 'princess' in Hawaiian) Kylah.

"Why I smiled today" - Jamie brought home donuts and there was a yummy apple fritter calling my name!

Green Halloween

Gone are the days when we could make (or receive) caramel apples, rice crispy treats or home-made popcorn balls for Halloween. Makes me miss 'the little things'. Some ideas for a 'Green Halloween':

• Organic juice boxes
• Organic apple sauce snack packs
• Organic fruit leathers
• Small boxes of organic raisins
• Organic Twisted Fruit
• Small packs of dried veggie chips
• Organic granola/breakfast bars
• Small bags of beads (not intended for small children)
• Halloween bandaids
• Spinning tops or trinkets
• Stickers packages
• Pencils made from recycled materials
• Temporary tattoos
• Whistles made from recycled materials
• Worry Dolls

Jamie always tells me that if I don't leave good candy out for the kids, we'll get egged or tp'd. So far so good tho! (Still always cross my fingers!) : )

On another note, it was a sad day for me (Mom) yesterday. I had to replace Makena's smaller, child hangers with bigger, normal hangers. Her clothes just wouldn't stay on the smaller ones anymore - no matter how hard I tried! I know, it may seem weird, but that's just one of the things that reminds me that she is growing up. I know when I bought the little hangers, I wasn't thinking about the day that she wouldn't need them anymore...

Makena's 6th Grade picture

Sunny Tuesday!

Wow...where did the last few days go?? We had a great time in Garibaldi - Makena and I were very lazy! Mom, Rudy, Jamie (Moxie & Packer too) went to cut wood on Saturday so Makena and I hung out at the house. I don't think she ended up getting out of bed until after 8pm! I read a book and relaxed...my usual. Rudy and Jamie went crabbing on Sunday - Gram came over to visit us while we got ready for the Packer VS Seahawks game. Good game - everyone at The Big G was happy! (Sorry your team lost Chad, but I'm sure you had fun at the game!)

Saturday was also my dad's birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD! He said he was working online or on the phone all weekend and that's why the phone was always busy...I think he unplugged it and went fishing! : )

I was trying to catch up on some work yesterday...never did happen, still can't see my desk. Then we had our Girl Scout meeting. The girls have decided to do a children's garden as their Junior Scout Bronze Award project. We will be spending the next few months (15+ hours total) planning and planting a garden, doing other projects and possibly working with gardeners in the area. I took them a while to decide on the project that they wanted to do (we started with 150 ideas) and, in the end, they all wanted to do the garden.

I got to Makena's school to help out with the magazine fundraiser collection this morning at 8:30am - and didn't end up leaving until after 12:30pm! After collecting all of the orders, we had to count up money and verify them with the magazine orders. I think they are going to pass their goal of $5000 and get their after school clubs back! Thanks to everyone that supported Makena!! Apparently there was some miscommunication and the kids actually didn't get prizes for donations made to the school - only magazine orders - and some kids were very unhappy. Makena, on the other hand, said "Oh Well." She did win some yummy candy prizes for the magazine orders that were purchase and she raised the most money in donations - so that made us proud! The lady that was heading up the fundraiser said that next year she would definitely do something for the kids bringing in donations...just that people hadn't given as much as they had this year and she was surprised.

Well...I'm supposed to be making dinner, so I should get off of the computer. I just received some VERY cute pictures of Kylah and Kallie - the Flaherty's are in Hawaii and emailed some pictures of them having fun on the beach. (oh thanks!!) : ) We did get sunshine today (actually the last few days) so I hope everyone got to enjoy it. I know I did!

"Why I smiled today" - I was the one to actually scratch off the tickets that Makena had won for selling magazines. It was like a kids lottery - they were just scratching away saying "What did I win??"

Why I smiled today

Jamie was talking to me on the phone late last night - I just wanted to go to sleep, but he kept on talking. : ) About 5 minutes after we hung up, he called me back...he was calling from the driveway. He had decided to fly out last night rather than this morning and surprised me. He is getting some last minute work done this morning, Makena is listening to a new CD on her iTunes and I'm supposed to be packing for us to leave. Guess I'll go do that now then...

Have a great weekend!

Oregonians in the rain

Why is it that people slow w-a-y down when it starts raining in Oregon? I know you need to slow down, but 35 in a 55?? Seriously?? It's not like we've never seen rain! And...it's not like it goes days without raining here!! Maybe it was just that kind of day...

Renee called me about noon to see if I could take her to the airport - she decided on a last minute trip to visit family. We left about 1:30pm. Traffic was just okay on the way in (sorry about the guard rail thing Renee, but you told me to change lanes : ) ) but then was horrible on the way back! First I ran in to Ikea to get some curtains (honestly, it took me 10 minutes...record time!) Then, it took me over an hour to get down I-84, and then everything else was backed way up. I still haven't heard anything about an accident so I'm just thinking it was because of the rain. About 3:00pm my stomach started growling (a pattern I think) and then at 3:30pm my gas light started dinging (perfect!). Makena had saved my day by finding the iPod connector for the truck yesterday, so I tried to just listen to that and c-a-l-m down with all of the stupidity around me.

I rolled into Costco a little after 4:00pm for gas and then ran in for some necessities (like Mirror Pond and chocolate muffins) before heading back home. I think I even got a sun break in there somewhere. When I pulled in the driveway, there were two huge boxes right in front of the door (thanks for giving me room to get inside delivery guy...obviously not my DHL guy Brian!) so another good reason that I cleaned out the garage yesterday.

I've finally finished up the work that was stacked on my desk for today (as well as a very cold Mirror Pond), played with Moxie for a bit and I'm now ready for another stir-fry and bed. I pick Makena up in the morning and Jamie gets home too - then we're off to spend the weekend at my parent's. I'm ready for them to be home again. Hopefully the drive isn't so bad tomorrow. : )

"Why I smiled today" - thank goodness for Halloween candy! Gotta love Twix and ReeseStix! Now, lets just see how many I can eat before I get a stomach ache...

Oh my achin' body!

I could definitely tell that I haven't worked my body very much these last few months! I got out to do yardwork by noon yesterday, but had to start off in the garage. We were expecting some equipment in and after looking at the garage, I knew it wasn't going to fit. (Jamie 'forgot' to mention to me that the delivery was coming before he left for Arizona. I know...so unlike him to forget something!) It's amazing how much crap you can fit in a two-car garage! It took me over an hour before I could finally see the floor. Of course, my recycling bin and garbage can are already full again.

Then I moved outside...bringing in all of my yard stuff before the rain and cold got to it. Of course they have to go in the garage, so it was really good that I had started with that project. Then I mowed, cleaned Moxie's yard, did some weeding and then had some shrubs/grasses to clip. The delivery came, Rick stopped by, I threw the ball for Moxie a couple of times and then I was finally done. (That's also about the same time that I realized I was starving!) I looked at the clock...almost 4pm...no wonder I was hungry! I took a shower and was off to Fred's for some fresh, organic veggies. (We haven't had a delivery from Organics to You in a while.) When it's just me at home for dinner, I like to make things that my family won't eat...yellow onions, zucchini, mushrooms, yellow & red peppers, asparagus and chicken...the good stuff! (Okay, they will eat the asparagus & chicken.)

After a couple of beers and some tv, I was ready for bed and a book. I woke up at 7:30 this morning and all I wanted was some Ibuprofen! (You don't even realize you have muscles in places sometimes!?) Thankfully I have the good stuff prescribed for my foot...although it didn't take away all of the pain...but that just shows me that I need to get my lazy butt back up again!

I hope that everyone got to enjoy some of the sun on Tuesday and Wednesday...and I hope it makes it's way back again soon!

Can you tell Fall is near?

It's officially Fall at our house - Jamie turned the heat on this week. (He'll still walk around in shorts and a tshirt of course.) He did sneak by and turn it down yesterday as the sun was out all day and I had some windows open...but then Makena was freezing this morning. Jamie left for Arizona at 5:30am this morning and Makena will be at her dad's for the next couple of days, so I'll be okay with warm clothes and blankets until Friday. : )

It looks like it's going to be a nice day again today (I was SO not ready for all that rain the last few days!) so I'm hoping to get out in the yard for a while. I need to bring in all of the 'summer time' planters and such, mow and do some weeding. I'd also like to get my rain barrels finished so that Jamie can get the connected to the gutters. And sadly, yes, my foot is bothering me again. I've decided that I'm just going to push through it this time and relax as often as I can to try to keep the pain down. I know it's going to be a long healing process, so I'm just going to have to deal with it. I just can't go to the doctor anymore or get anymore tests done...it's just more frustrating for me.

On Friday we are off to Garibaldi for the weekend. Makena doesn't have school and Jamie will be home around noon, so we'll get a full weekend in. It will be nice to visit with my mom (and Rudy too) as we haven't been there in a while. They are talking about cutting wood tho, so I may have to hide in bed that day. : )

I finally finished the 4th book in the Twilight series - Makena is rereading it and is already on the 3rd book! We both enjoyed it very much and can't wait for the movie to come out next month. Well...I can't wait...Makena is a little leery about seeing vampires on the big screen. She is quite the fan tho - she's purchased Twilight earrings and a matching necklace and has some shirts on order. (Yes, she is still spending her birthday money. I told you she was quite the 'shopper' now!)

Enjoy the sunshine if you can!

"Why I smiled today" - when Jamie left at 5:30am, I spread out sideways across our bed with all (8) pillows and fell right back to sleep.

The Green Stuff

Did you know??

• Installing CFLs can save you up to $12 per year in electricity costs per bulb.
• Installing a toilet tank bank can save you up to $29 per year on your water bill.
• Cutting showers from 8 minutes to 5 minutes, can save you up to $65 per year on your water bill and $236 per year on your electricity bill.

Plastic Roundup time again!

Saturday Oct 11, 2008 9 am - 2 pm
Hosted by Intel
Ronler Acres 2501 NW 229th Ave., Hillsboro

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Your Plastics! Go to www.masterrecycler.org/plastic-recycling/sort-of-plastics.php to see a list of materials that will be accepted at this Plastic Roundup. Bring those hard to recycle plastics, Master Recyclers will collect it, and Agri-Plas Inc., a recycler located in Brooks, Oregon, will recycle the plastic into new products. Master Recyclers sponsored eight similar plastic roundup events and reused and recycled over 90 tons of plastic with the help of almost 8,800 community residents who participated.

When it rains...it pours!

Boy did we get some rain this weekend or what?!? We left for the lake late Friday afternoon and weren't rained on too badly until later in the evening. I couldn't even sleep that night as it was so loud. Oh well...I was lazy all day Saturday to make up for it! : )

I had a few things to clean up and arrange in the shed when we first got there - Jamie and Chad were the last two there so it was quite a mess! Especially when there isn't much room to begin with. I always try to vacuum up the bugs that hadn't survived from our last visit, as well as find all the spiders that I can so that Jamie can get rid of them for me. BOY did we find a big one! I took photos (I'll be kind and not share) so that I could check up on some of them later...may be good for us to know whats out there. And let me tell you...there is A LOT out there! : ( I don't mind the snakes or other bugs...eesshhhh...but I can't stand the spiders!!

On Saturday we watched a couple of movies and then Jamie went out to drive The Monster around a bit. It poured off/on but he was digging away. After watching Jamie almost tip the thing over a couple of times (see below) I couldn't watch him any longer. I went inside and read for a while - keeping myself by the windows so that I could see him 'just in case.'

I put on all the switch and outlet plates inside and got everything ready for the blinds that I had purchased for the front door. See our new fridge too - it's the Coca-Cola cooler - we really like having one there now!

By Sunday afternoon, Jamie had all of the overgrown grass/bushes down and was leveling out the ground. He also did some more work on the dock system - making everything secure.