Driving to Cliff's work to meet friends for dinner. I got caught in some traffic due to this semi loosing part of its load. Glad I headed out early.
Showing posts with label Friends. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Friends. Show all posts
Friday, December 14, 2012
Thursday, November 29, 2012
365 Day 334
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
365 Day 333
I have the most amazing friends in the world.
Not only do they feed us a fantastic dinner tonight but they sent us home with the fillings for a pot pie.
YUM!
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Happy Halloween!
This year was so much fun!
Again, we drove out to the Delta to hang out with our friends while we trick or treated. It was a school night so it wasn't as practical as staying home, but it's always worth the drive to see them. They fed us dinner (which the kids wolfed down in hopes to start getting candy sooner) and my boys were out of sight before I even got their pictures. I managed to get Bug to stand still for a nanosecond and Liv convinced her to stop once more so I could get them both. That was it. They were gone getting candy.
Last year Bug went to a few doors but mostly only if she was holding Mommy or Daddy's hand. Not the same story this year! She went running up the driveways after he brothers and friend yelling "Waaaaiiiittt! Wait for meeeee!" and then when she made it to the door she'd scamper to the front of the group (or at least in front of tall Gator) and say 'trick or treat'. She even remembered her 'thank you's!
I refused to bring the stroller for her this year, she's getting too old for it. She's not good about walking which is frustrating to me (my fault, I know), yet she managed to do the entire loop (a little over an hour) walking on her own the whole time-no complaints!
When the night started off she didn't want anything to do with her hair, but after we bribed her to wear it for just a few houses with a package of smarties she decided she didn't want it taken off. As the night neared a close one of the kids accidently caught her hair while she was on a porch. She was so upset I had to go get her and put her hair back on. The lady handing out candy came down and waited patiently while we got her back in costume and then gave her two pieces of candy for her efforts. I didn't realize she hadn't gotten her candy yet but I thought it was awfully sweet of the lady to be so patient.
Last year our biggest giggle came from a very large black cat that goes over the walk way (you walk up between it's legs) and it tilts its head from side to side. I don't know why I keep forgetting to take a picture but it looks like this one only standing up and obviously bigger. Last year Bug wouldn't even let us go near the house. This year she charged on towards the door. Until she caught sight of the kitty and then she stopped dead in her tracks. She decided she didn't like it's face and didn't want to walk under it even if she held Daddy's hand and even after her brothers did it just fine.
I noticed there was another smaller path away from the cat coming off the garage and asked her if she still wanted to get candy from that house. I walked with her up to the door (she liked not going under the kitty) and she got her candy but her groove was obviously thrown off She noticed the kitty's butt on our way back towards the driveway and she just kept repeating "Scary face. Mean Kitty. Bad Kitty. I don't like the scary face". Mommy guilt crept in. If she wakes up with nightmares over this I'm going to feel terrible. It took her almost a full year to get over the trains, what was this going to do? Daddy assured her it just made of plastic and not real. We spent another block listening to her carry on that she doesn't like plastic cats and that they are real and scary. Ooops.
Our mini cowboy of the group was not so interested in getting candy. He enjoyed eating it, but didn't care about getting it. He liked the trees, and the lights, and of course the rocks best. Often times he'd hang back with his Daddy while Daddy did some adult trick or treating. That is a good way to make the night enjoyable for all! It's good to know your neighbors so well!
The kids all ended up with full buckets. Gator kept me on my own sugar high of almond joys while Hyde spent the entire night practicing eating and walking at the same time. I'm genuinely surprised he didn't have the worst stomach ache this morning.
Of course I can't post my blurry pictures if I'm not going to post a picture of the handsome cowboy in his chaps! I'm hoping to catch the boys in their costumes later so I have evidence of Gator the Pirate and Hyde the *Inja* (what Bug calls it!).
Again, we drove out to the Delta to hang out with our friends while we trick or treated. It was a school night so it wasn't as practical as staying home, but it's always worth the drive to see them. They fed us dinner (which the kids wolfed down in hopes to start getting candy sooner) and my boys were out of sight before I even got their pictures. I managed to get Bug to stand still for a nanosecond and Liv convinced her to stop once more so I could get them both. That was it. They were gone getting candy.
Last year Bug went to a few doors but mostly only if she was holding Mommy or Daddy's hand. Not the same story this year! She went running up the driveways after he brothers and friend yelling "Waaaaiiiittt! Wait for meeeee!" and then when she made it to the door she'd scamper to the front of the group (or at least in front of tall Gator) and say 'trick or treat'. She even remembered her 'thank you's!I refused to bring the stroller for her this year, she's getting too old for it. She's not good about walking which is frustrating to me (my fault, I know), yet she managed to do the entire loop (a little over an hour) walking on her own the whole time-no complaints!
When the night started off she didn't want anything to do with her hair, but after we bribed her to wear it for just a few houses with a package of smarties she decided she didn't want it taken off. As the night neared a close one of the kids accidently caught her hair while she was on a porch. She was so upset I had to go get her and put her hair back on. The lady handing out candy came down and waited patiently while we got her back in costume and then gave her two pieces of candy for her efforts. I didn't realize she hadn't gotten her candy yet but I thought it was awfully sweet of the lady to be so patient.
Last year our biggest giggle came from a very large black cat that goes over the walk way (you walk up between it's legs) and it tilts its head from side to side. I don't know why I keep forgetting to take a picture but it looks like this one only standing up and obviously bigger. Last year Bug wouldn't even let us go near the house. This year she charged on towards the door. Until she caught sight of the kitty and then she stopped dead in her tracks. She decided she didn't like it's face and didn't want to walk under it even if she held Daddy's hand and even after her brothers did it just fine.I noticed there was another smaller path away from the cat coming off the garage and asked her if she still wanted to get candy from that house. I walked with her up to the door (she liked not going under the kitty) and she got her candy but her groove was obviously thrown off She noticed the kitty's butt on our way back towards the driveway and she just kept repeating "Scary face. Mean Kitty. Bad Kitty. I don't like the scary face". Mommy guilt crept in. If she wakes up with nightmares over this I'm going to feel terrible. It took her almost a full year to get over the trains, what was this going to do? Daddy assured her it just made of plastic and not real. We spent another block listening to her carry on that she doesn't like plastic cats and that they are real and scary. Ooops.
Our mini cowboy of the group was not so interested in getting candy. He enjoyed eating it, but didn't care about getting it. He liked the trees, and the lights, and of course the rocks best. Often times he'd hang back with his Daddy while Daddy did some adult trick or treating. That is a good way to make the night enjoyable for all! It's good to know your neighbors so well!
The kids all ended up with full buckets. Gator kept me on my own sugar high of almond joys while Hyde spent the entire night practicing eating and walking at the same time. I'm genuinely surprised he didn't have the worst stomach ache this morning.Of course I can't post my blurry pictures if I'm not going to post a picture of the handsome cowboy in his chaps! I'm hoping to catch the boys in their costumes later so I have evidence of Gator the Pirate and Hyde the *Inja* (what Bug calls it!).
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
365 Day 305
This is before Bug was wearing her wig but it's got two of my favorite people so it's my favorite of the bunch!
Saturday, October 13, 2012
365 Day 287
We spent the night at the cabin to help put in a septic lid and when we finished the task at hand we got to explore the nearby lake. The boys all had a grand time fishing for minnows but Bug was more interested in throwing rocks into the water-her favorite activity! Everyone was happy playing in the mountains plus we got to see a full moon before sunset.
I'm sorry for the big panties and stretched out pants but one day you'll giggle too. Maybe.
I'm sorry for the big panties and stretched out pants but one day you'll giggle too. Maybe.
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Monday, August 27, 2012
Cross Country Day 1
I'm not sure if I'm really ready for today to begin and yet at the same time I've been ready for months. It's bittersweet knowing that I get to spend a solid week with a genuine best friend and yet at the end of this we'll no longer even be in the same time zone.
I'm afraid of how much I'll miss my kids but since I know I've left them before (with Cliff by my side) I'm sure I'll survive again. I do expect it to be different without Cliff with me though and I've never really left him for this long without easy electronic communication either. Damn me and my lack of data plans....
The day started out almost as early as we planned but there was a small delay after the cat got miserably car sick driving to my house. We loaded up on trash bags and paper towels and crossed our fingers that it wouldn't be a non-stop issue. It's much easier at a house then it is on the side of the road.
The plan was to stop in Reno to visits her family, but the timing was off so it didn't work out. We drove on until we reached Lovelock. The town has it's own catch phrase- Don't let love pass you by- on signs all over the town. Weird.
I didn't see (or wasn't paying attention) a 'welcome to Nevada' sign but when we noticed the Utah sign we just about parked on the freeway (very empty freeway) to take a picture. Hilarious.
All of Nevada was desert and rocks and Utah was no different. When I looked on the map the salt lake flats seemed huge. We stopped at the first rest stop (the better view was on the other side of the freeway) to take pictures before we got sick of the endless white. It was a very simple stop with a 2 story shade structure (nice for pictures of the other side of the road), a foot wash (for what?!), and a broken pet corral (the thought was nice).
Turns out if you stay on I-80 there really isn't that much of the salt flats to see. It was beautiful to see the land sparkle in the sunlight and as we drove down the road you could see random frames still stuck in the ground on the side of the road from where photographers went for the trendy shots. My favorite part, besides the sparkle, was the warning signs posted every so many miles: "Drowsy Drivers. Next Exit 15 Miles. No Fatigued Driving". It's hard to imagine with such wide open spaces that the death rate is high enough to warrant such a sign.
When we reached Salt Lake City, Juliana suggested that we go check out the Mormon Temple (yes, we know we never could of gone inside). Neither of us were real set on it and we almost kept driving but I had a headache so we chose to stop, find the temple, and fill up on gas.
Utah is so bleak and desert like to me. Some people may like the look of the rocks but I'm a tree and water girl. I was not a fan. For as ugly as the state was, the Salt Lake City town center was beautiful! Trees, flowers, amazing architecture. I loved it. The whole town was like a giant Mormon square though. Mormon convention centers, Mormon church libraries a block long, Mormon history Museum; and all of the buildings were insanely huge. At the center of all of it was their temple (stunning) surrounded by what appeared to be beautiful gardens and then a large concrete wall. We would of loved to stop and walk around for 15 minutes, but with pets in the car in the unforgiving Utah heat it wasn't an option. We circled the temple and then headed for the gas station.
Turns out the one thing I needed (tylenol) is not sold in Utah. In fact, when I asked if there was another store nearby I could try the two people in the station went on a mini tangent about how terrible Tylenol is, how there is a recall on it because it has so much rat poison in it so all of Utah has removed it from the shelves, and how in my pregnant state I shouldn't be taking it. Advil is safer. Hmmm. Okay crazies, I'll try again in another state.
Heading up the mountains of Utah was too much for the loaded car to bear and it struggled to make speed. I wasn't sure if I should laugh or cry when an oversized truckers kept passing us easily. When we finally made it down hill there was a little too much celebration in achieving normal California speeds and within only a couple miles of our triumph local highway patrol pulled us over. Somehow when mentioning that it would really suck to get a ticket on the first day of our trip across the country the officer decided to let her go with a written warning. Yes, a paper warning. I didn't even know they did those!
On our last stretch to Wyoming, we passed the cutest little town (it looked like a small Tahoe ski or mining town). The hotel was comfortable enough but after sitting all day we wanted to move a little so we walked across the street for a beer. Turns out Rock Springs closes early and we had to walk back to the other side of the freeway to find an open liquor store (po-dunk gas station). As a bonus, they had milk (pregnant lady loves herself some milk!) and wifi! Who knew? A gas station with wifi.
Are you paying attention Sacramento? If this little town can have it why can't we????
After all that walking Juliana didn't even want a beer anymore, but I enjoyed my milk and the sights of a far off lightning storm as we walked back to the hotel and got a few hours of sleep before heading out in the morning.
I'm afraid of how much I'll miss my kids but since I know I've left them before (with Cliff by my side) I'm sure I'll survive again. I do expect it to be different without Cliff with me though and I've never really left him for this long without easy electronic communication either. Damn me and my lack of data plans....
The day started out almost as early as we planned but there was a small delay after the cat got miserably car sick driving to my house. We loaded up on trash bags and paper towels and crossed our fingers that it wouldn't be a non-stop issue. It's much easier at a house then it is on the side of the road.
The plan was to stop in Reno to visits her family, but the timing was off so it didn't work out. We drove on until we reached Lovelock. The town has it's own catch phrase- Don't let love pass you by- on signs all over the town. Weird.
 |
| Standing at the top level of the rest stop. I wish the sparkle was visible in this picture. |
All of Nevada was desert and rocks and Utah was no different. When I looked on the map the salt lake flats seemed huge. We stopped at the first rest stop (the better view was on the other side of the freeway) to take pictures before we got sick of the endless white. It was a very simple stop with a 2 story shade structure (nice for pictures of the other side of the road), a foot wash (for what?!), and a broken pet corral (the thought was nice).
Turns out if you stay on I-80 there really isn't that much of the salt flats to see. It was beautiful to see the land sparkle in the sunlight and as we drove down the road you could see random frames still stuck in the ground on the side of the road from where photographers went for the trendy shots. My favorite part, besides the sparkle, was the warning signs posted every so many miles: "Drowsy Drivers. Next Exit 15 Miles. No Fatigued Driving". It's hard to imagine with such wide open spaces that the death rate is high enough to warrant such a sign.
When we reached Salt Lake City, Juliana suggested that we go check out the Mormon Temple (yes, we know we never could of gone inside). Neither of us were real set on it and we almost kept driving but I had a headache so we chose to stop, find the temple, and fill up on gas. Utah is so bleak and desert like to me. Some people may like the look of the rocks but I'm a tree and water girl. I was not a fan. For as ugly as the state was, the Salt Lake City town center was beautiful! Trees, flowers, amazing architecture. I loved it. The whole town was like a giant Mormon square though. Mormon convention centers, Mormon church libraries a block long, Mormon history Museum; and all of the buildings were insanely huge. At the center of all of it was their temple (stunning) surrounded by what appeared to be beautiful gardens and then a large concrete wall. We would of loved to stop and walk around for 15 minutes, but with pets in the car in the unforgiving Utah heat it wasn't an option. We circled the temple and then headed for the gas station.
Turns out the one thing I needed (tylenol) is not sold in Utah. In fact, when I asked if there was another store nearby I could try the two people in the station went on a mini tangent about how terrible Tylenol is, how there is a recall on it because it has so much rat poison in it so all of Utah has removed it from the shelves, and how in my pregnant state I shouldn't be taking it. Advil is safer. Hmmm. Okay crazies, I'll try again in another state.
 |
| See the reflection of those pretty blue lights? |
On our last stretch to Wyoming, we passed the cutest little town (it looked like a small Tahoe ski or mining town). The hotel was comfortable enough but after sitting all day we wanted to move a little so we walked across the street for a beer. Turns out Rock Springs closes early and we had to walk back to the other side of the freeway to find an open liquor store (po-dunk gas station). As a bonus, they had milk (pregnant lady loves herself some milk!) and wifi! Who knew? A gas station with wifi.
Are you paying attention Sacramento? If this little town can have it why can't we????
After all that walking Juliana didn't even want a beer anymore, but I enjoyed my milk and the sights of a far off lightning storm as we walked back to the hotel and got a few hours of sleep before heading out in the morning.
Saturday, August 4, 2012
365 Day 217
10+ years in 2 and a half hours.
Catching up was great! It's funny how much people can change, and yet how you still remember why you were friends in the first place.
Sunday, July 29, 2012
365 Day 211
Last day in Monterey! We decided to check out the Mirror Maze (the kids museum was closed for another hour!) and I was surprised with just how fun it was! Us adults actually enjoyed the mirror maze portion and the kids had a blast with the laser maze. They gave you these 3D glasses to wear (I think the kids wore them) but most us adults couldn't handle the vertigo/seasickness type effects they caused.
Saturday, July 28, 2012
365 Day 210
Friday, July 27, 2012
365 Day 209
Not only do we have the best friends in the world, but these best friends planned and went on a last minute vacation with us, and found a great place to stay where the let us use their trailer for the weekend! With kids in tow, this was an awesome way to travel!
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
365 Day 178
He actually surprised me.
Well actually, they all did.
I was going to spend my day just cleaning the house but my good friend invited me to hang out. With a good excuse to get the kids together to play, I couldn't pass it up.
What started as a few hours turned into many when Cliff told me he had to work late. My friend was making spaghetti and invited me and the kids to stay. Turns out Cliff planned the whole thing and brought Buca over to their house for dinner as a surprise (she really did make spaghetti so I wouldn't get wise). Buca gave me the over sized card with our Antipasto salad and Penne Cardinale. My friends were in on it too and had picked me up this perfect coffee cup and card beforehand. I love my friends and family!
They made today truly special.
Oh, and the best part was the homemade peanut butter cheesecake they made me!
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
365 Day 171
Zelda's for pizza followed by a slice of heaven at Rick's Diner with the best company in the world.
Another last minute 5 star day!
Sunday, June 17, 2012
365 Day 169
Another awesome night with friends filled with coconut, pineapples, and the cutest baby ever!
Sunday, June 10, 2012
365 Day 162
My favorite addiction: Fresh blueberries from Isleton! Just wish I lived closer and could get these delicious treats more than once a week. Friday, June 8, 2012
365 Day 160
A little while back our good friend Amy gave us a large supply of play-dough toys. We've pulled out a few pieces here and there but we were out of play-dough at home and I didn't realize there was some in her bags. Today, I made a few batches of the stuff and the kids went crazy playing with it all. Little E spent literally hours making the hair grow and cutting it on the play-dough barber shop.Wednesday, June 6, 2012
365 Day 158
Sunday, June 3, 2012
365 Day 155
He loves her purple jeep and being the excellent big sister that she is, she's happy to take him for a drive across the lawn and keep him safe! Cutest. Thing. Ever.
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