Why I smiled today & yesterday

This counts for "Why I smiled" for today and yesterday! I got it in the "mail" yesterday and it was the first thing I saw again on my desk this morning. Thanks for putting a smile on my face Kylah - Auntie loves you!!

Kylah wrote me a story! It says: There was a horse running through the meadow and he saw a rainbow butterfly. The horse wanted to ask if he would like to be his friend.

Does it get any better than that???

Walden Flowers

I did get to take a few pictures of some of the neighbor's flowers after the rain stopped.

Walden Island 51 & 52

I wish I had been able to sleep in on Saturday, especially since I didn't get over to the lake until after 1am. But, as usual, I was up around 7am. I was able to take a little nap later and be lazy for a while!

gloomy morning on Walden Island

It rained most of the night/early morning on Saturday. Jamie was able to get out and mow the yard after a short sun break. Then he fixed The Monster so we could start digging...I was hoping to read a book in the hammock but that didn't happen. While Jamie dug out around the boat house, I trimmed trees along the pathway and pulled tons of weeds. We can now walk up to the property without tripping or getting hit by branches.

Jamie dug out a couple piles and then we spread it out around the grass

More rain on Saturday night and Sunday morning - Jamie and I slept in and were lazy as long as we could be. Then...yep...more digging. The rain didn't help with the digging at all! A lot of the dirt is in the lake anyways, so it's already mud, but the rain made it all mud. Sloppy, heavy, thick mud...which makes hauling it difficult to say the least!

this is after I scraped off my shoes many trailers full of dirt/mud make for a tired Amber

getting in the first board on the retaining wall!After breaking the first drill bit (on the first board), Jamie had to use a not-so-good one to finish the first set of boards. Once again...we have to do things the hard way. : ) But...we're off to a good start on the retaining wall! We got the remaining boards cut and will finish the wall the next time we are up. Then, more digging...wooo-whooo!

We didn't get home until after 10pm on Sunday. Then it was showers, lots of Ibuprofen and bed! Jamie says "I like the satisfaction of knowing I built it on my own." I say "Not me!"

Tacoma Relay

I left Friday afternoon for a road-trip to the Tacoma Relay. This is where Relay started 25 years ago! What a GREAT event - thanks again for the invite Kathy!! This was the first time I'd ever been to a Relay other than Hillsboro's - I'd love to attend many more!

Kathy driving us up to Tacoma

never knew...???
Yes, Life is Good!

there was a Relay museum

look at this Starting line!!

Dr. Gordy Klatt during the Survivor Lap (notice the clock counting down)

what a cutie! 9 yr old Survivor - GREAT reason to Relay!

I created a Luminaria for the 25th Anniversary at Tacoma

I'm walking laps too!

me, MJ, Tai & Kathy during the Luminaria Ceremony

All Relays are a bit different - this one was BIG! The Tacoma Relay is from 6pm Friday to 6pm Saturday, so we were able to be at the Opening Ceremony and stay for the Luminaria Ceremony. Unlike Hillsboro, Tacoma has quiet time from midnight to 6am. Hillsboro celebrates for the full 24 hours - no quiet time for us! (That is a good thing!) I'm really glad that I was able to attend the Relay For Life of Tacoma and Celebrate 25 Years of Hope!

Oh - another 1st for me was eating from a 'Roach Coach' (Driving Diner, Meals on Wheels or whatever you may call it). I have to say that it wasn't bad, and it was the biggest burrito I've ever seen!

Kathy dropped me off at the Castle Rock exit around 1am, as Jamie was already up at the lake.

Oh How My Garden Grows ~ 09

Things are starting to grow and bloom in my garden...

My cucumbers in the Topsy Turvey are doing well.

Strawberries soon!

My Hostas love this spot!

Couple 'a things

Wow...I've really been a slacker with the blog lately! I've also noticed I haven't done any "Green Things" updates or "Why I smiled today"...tisk, tisk...bad blogger!

1. Kylah went to the movies today, for the first time, with a friend...ahhhh!
2. I'm going to the Tacoma Relay tomorrow (!!!) - it's where Relay started 25 yrs ago! Thanks for letting me catch a ride Kathy!
3. I'm so ready to take pictures at the Tacoma Relay! Nervous about using my new lens tho.
4. Kylah graduates preschool tomorrow (today) and I'm very sad that I'm going to miss it. But, I know my bestest-friend ever will take lots of pictures for me! : )
5. Jamie is going to Kylah's graduation - he's rubbing it in.
6. I was thinking that my photography class started this week - I was sad to find out that it's not until next week.
7. Sometimes showing up at your best friend's house unexpectedly is the best thing ever - especially when she really needs you there.
8. Makena's last day of 6th grade is tomorrow (today) - which now makes her a 7th grader. Oh boy....
9. The new Dave Matthews Band CD is GREAT in case you didn't already know!
10. We ran out of Relay tshirts at our meeting tonight - wouldntchaknowit!?! I just got rid of over 100 extra tshirts from last year (literally on Tuesday) and now am short hundreds of shirts this year. Why was I thinking that the tshirt order would go smoothly??
11. I'm going to do 11 today because it's an odd number and it's really killing me not to do 10. Damn OCD!

Tuesday Market 09!

Tuesday was the opening of the Hillsboro 'Tuesday' Market! I really miss getting to go to the markets on the weekends - we are always at the lake. And, I found the BEST basket for the market at our garage sale last week. Oh...I shoulda had a picture of that too!

view of the street - I didn't make it over to the band for some reason

the Relay For Life of Hillsboro booth - Pat, Casey, Carol & Pook!
isn't she cute?

enjoying some food - she didn't share either

We gave away a ton of prizes, 08 tshirts and information about Relay For Life of Hillsboro. Good times...

My Eight

Kathy tagged me with an Eight list...here are my Eight...

8 Things I'm Looking Forward to

1. Relay For Life of Hillsboro on June 20 & 21 at the Fairplex - and other Relays if I can make it to them!
2. My new photography class to start next week!
3. A trip to Alaska in August!
4. Being at the lake this summer AND not being in a walking boot!
5. Lunch with my sister & grandmother next week!
6. Sunshine for weeks on end!
7. Hopefully getting back to Maryland with Jamie sometime this year.
8. Taking thousands & thousands more pictures!

8 Things I Did Yesterday

1. Did a TON of Relay stuff.
2. Watch a VERY cool storm we had that blew in/out quickly.
3. Had a Relay Committee meeting - that rang long.
4. Stayed up too late, typing up the meeting notes from the Relay meeting & the Newsletter.
5. Did some actual work.
6. Got some things together for our garage sale.
7. Watched a little tv.
8. I know there is probably something else but...???

8 Things I Wish I Could Do

1. Clean the house by wiggling my nose.
2. Make $1 million by growing a money tree in my backyard.
3. Cure Cancer!
4. Visit with my family more often.
5. Make customers pay us.
6. Sleep on a normal schedule.
7. There is something I really, really wish I could do, but I can't say it here.
8. Paint or draw actual pictures.

8 Shows I Watch

1. Dexter
2. Criminal Minds
3. Medium
4. Grey's Anatomy
5. Rachel Ray
6. Bones
7. NCIS
8. Fringe

I'll tag...my sister, Carrie, Renee, Lindsey & Sarah. I'm thinking it's probably supposed to be 8 people, but ummm...I don't really "know" eight other people that blog! : ) I have a lot of blogs that I follow, but they may not want to share their eight with me.

Okay...so, sadly, the only list that was really easy for me was the shows I watch! : ) And...all of those are on DVR for weeks before I usually get to watch them. I think I'm too tired to think of anything else...sign...just not been sleeping well again.

Couple of things

1. On one of my recent trips to Good Will, I found these cute cubes for only $4.99. At first, I thought they would look good on a wall in the living room with pigs on it (what wouldn't??). But now I'm thinking that I'll put them on a wall in our bathroom that I haven't found anything for yet. A fresh coat of paint...and it'll be a brand new vision...
2. On that same trip to Good Will, I found a cute new shirt and jeans for only $11.99! For 3 times that, I bought Makena a new skirt and pair of shorts at Zumiez. : ) Luckily, she doesn't really care about the name brands...but...she has her own sense of style, and I can't always find it at Good Will or Target.
3. I was wrong in my previous post...the sunburn on my back did start to blister. I just couldn't tell until today, when I could finally touch it. : (
4. I've signed up for another photography class at PCC. Jamie bought me a new lens for my birthday - apparently it's the best portrait lens that Nikon makes - and I can't wait to use it! Sooo...I've decided to take another photography class. I haven't been able to find a class to fit in with my schedule, so I decided to take an online class. It really wasn't my first choice, but it's a class totally structured around portraits, so I'm hopeful! Who's up for posing for pictures??? Class starts on June 17th...just in time for Relay!
5. I am LOVING our Summer weather! I enjoy sunshine and heat...and having them both here in Oregon has been missed by me the last few months. Thank you Mother Nature!!

Walden Island Day 48, 49 & 50

We were supposed to head to the lake around 11:30am on Friday. Jamie had a meeting that ran late and then he had a few errands to run. By the time we headed out, it was almost 4pm!?! Once I get packed and ready to be at the lake, I just want to be there...he puts up with me.

We decided to bring the hammock up to the property, and the first thing I did was stain it so I could use it! After a few other odds/ends, I made dinner. We almost always do "camping food", but now that we have an actual stove & oven we can cook dinners. (BTW - THANK YOU Roger at A-Best Appliance for hooking us up!!!) I decided to go with spaghetti & garlic bread that night.

I got up early on Saturday to get a start on things before it got too hot. It took me over 2 hours, but I was able to cut down the weeds/brush with our new gas-powered weed cutter. (And for those of you that tried to help me start it when up at the lake, we took it back to Home Depot and they couldn't get it started either - so we got a new one. Wheewww!!!) I should have taken a picture of my clothes when I was done...LOTS of thistles, grass chunks and more! I was even picking thistle pieces out of my legs...they had gotten so thick that they went through my pants.

While I was busting my as* in the heat, Jamie was doing important things like hooking up the satellite dish. (I'm just kidding! Well, not about the satellite dish anyways.) I like a good book...Jamie likes his t.v.

the new addition in the loft

Then he hung up some wind chimes for me.

While I took a break, after showering, in the hammock. I actually took a longer break than planned, and finished a book. (Love that!)

After dinner, we played some games. I'm happy to say that I kicked his butt at both Skip Bo and Boggle!! : ) Jamie is too competitive for me to usually play a game with, but I was feeling good. I even had to take a few pictures and call my sister with the news!

the 11 is my last card (of 30) - Jamie has 24 left

I was up early again on Sunday, but to take pictures on the island. I had 3 other dogs tagging along with me, so they scared away most of the birds I was looking for.

my new birdhouse (thanks Dean, I love it!)

Then Jamie and I spent the afternoon cleaning the boat and both wave runners...no fun at all! After being in/out of the lake all summer and then sitting through winter, they were pretty dirty.

It wasn't until we were on our way home that I realized I had gotten a sunburn on my back. I use a lotion, daily, that has SPF 15 in it and I always put sun block SPF 70 on when going outside. Well...I apparently didn't do my lower back very well! When I was bent over, cleaning, my shirt would come up and that's where I have a 3" sunburn. It has now been 3 full days, and I still can't touch or lay on my back...bad, bad, bad! I'm honestly surprised that it didn't blister...it's always something isn't it?!?

After getting unpacked, we headed to Burgerville for the Relay For Life fundraiser. We had dinner with Kathy, Victor, Rachel and kids...and talked to a few other committee members. It's nice to see them outside of Relay! : ) OH - if you'd like a birdhouse let me know. They are a FUNdraiser for Relay For Life of Beaverton - only $10, different styles and built very well! (I had to get two of them...one for the lake, one for home.)

Photos at the Waterfall

I forgot about these pictures that I had taken at one of the waterfalls on the way home from my parent's house on Mother's Day weekend. (I know there is a , or two in there somewhere, but I don't care right now...so many things going on...)

She wasn't really in to "posing" for me, but it was Mother's Day so she stood there.

Then she took a couple of pictures of herself...I love her!