Finally feeling better!

Man, when I get sick, I do it up right!! Seems like I layed in bed forever....at least a week. It all started off with what I thought was the flu....so I was just letting it run it's course right?! Well, when I had no other symptoms I decided to go and get some bloodwork done. My back was killing me, so I suspected a kidney infection. The bloodwork confirmed that theory, so I started on these giant antibiotic pills, and I can finally say that I am starting to feel like myself again...11 days later!! Hooray for being well!!!

So yesterday I finally put out my fall decorations...I still had my freedom/4th of July stuff out!! Terrible,....except that it really just blended in with my folkart stuff, so it didn't look 4th of Julyish! Feels like fall now though!! Tanner went to Meeker Mansion with a friend and pressed some apples, so I need to make cider tonight with the juice....smell the house up good!!! Mmmm,. I really don't like apple cider, but I do love the smell!!

Guess we need to make a time to visit the pumpkin patch and do some carving's...how time flies!!

Where did Sept go?!

Oh ya...school started..we had shopping, back to school nights, academic nights, piano...sports started...( a big YAY on this one )...alot of driving to and from, but sooooo worth it! Soccer is just getting going...we had an intense game last week, and won 1-0, The boys played so good...and they were actually passing and taking shots at the goal...sounds simple...but some days it just doesn't happen!
Tanner loves playing the goalie...and he takes his job very seriously!! Check out this shot I captured of him protecting the goal so WELL...man I think if he did the splits...he'd of had the whole thing covered!! He's good!
Then Jaycee is playing 7th grade volleyball, and she practices everyday! 3 matches...with only 2 left. She really likes it, and is trying to be peppy and competitive...something that doesn't come natural to her! She's so opposite of her Mother!! It's fun to watch....they have 2 teams at Aylen, there were so many kids who wanted to play.
And..Jaycee... ".how dare you ask me to ride home with you Mom...when my team is riding the bus back to Aylen from Edgemont Jr. High.....just meet me at Aylen ." So I won't be asking that question again will I!? It was cute in itself actually that she wanted to ride with her team!

Then Tanner asked if I though he would be able to start learning how to play the piano this year? He said he though he was ready...he wanted to be able to play when he went on his mission! Cute!! He has seen alot of missionaries come to our home and play for us, and he thinks that would be so cool!! He is pretty good about practicing so far....he does have to be reminded where it always just came natural for Jaycee and Shaylin. I'm glad he has the desire to want to learn!!
So we have 7 practices a week between both kids....2 games a week, piano every week and then a day to rest...Sunday...hooray for Sundays! I think I make 20 trips to Aylen a week...and about 10 to Karshner....since we live in the one mile radius...the Puyallup school district cut the bus routes...apparently saving them 10.3 million dollars...well, it's wearing me out this saving money thing! Tanner and I ride bikes to school...just until the rainy season starts up...then that idea is out the door! So till then, I just put on my Taxi tierra and away we go!!! I'm Happy that Fall is here...I love this time of year!! Oh ya, I guess it's time to take my ( Freedom ) 4th of July decorations down and decorate for fall....on the list for tommorrow!!!

Twilight MOMS

All ready to head up North to see what all the fuss is about! Port Angeles and Forks, where the Twilight books are all about! I loved those books!! Were gettin' all ready for the 2nd movie to come out ~ "New Moon"!Margee and I got together to make little journaling books to put all our Twilight treasures in, and our thoughts for the get-away!!This little town of Forks really revolves around this series...it's cute!!

( Me, Margee, Devon, Colleen and Jackie )
We were CRAZY~ we woke up on Saturday at 6 am...( you see, that's the crazy part...MOM's on a little getaway where we CAN sleep in but don't! ha ha )..,and we went down to First Beach to watch the sunrise...it was beautiful trying to peek through the clouds...we had sliced nectarines and even read the scriptures on the beach...then right to treasure collecting!! These ladies are alot of fun!!
We stayed at Suzie's place in Forks...such a cute little house!

We had fun checking out all the sites that were talked about in the book and the places where the filming took place. Nice to be with other Twilight lovers as well!!

And a special thanks to Kev for taking over and helping me take a night off!!

Sand Lake Dunes, Oregon

There is NOTHING like quading along side the water at the Beach!! Full throddle, free like a bird...it's the best!! This was the first time we took the new Motorhome out...Kevin bought it at the auction the first of the summer, and he's been fixin it up all summer! It's sure smooth ridin' and great to stay in!! It's amazing how much just 8 inches wider makes!! So nice!!
So we had alot of choices...ridin at the beach...hill climbin' or doin the trails!! What a great place for the quads...and their owners!!
I was pretty fond of the trails....so many to explore....but watch out for low fallen trees! Yikes!

Jaycee could have stayed on the beach all weekend!!
On the way home...just 15 miles away was the Tillamook Cheese FActory, we couldn't be that close and NOT stop by!!

Tanner wanted to be different and try Pumpkin ice-cream....but he traded it in for the good ole' root beer float ice cream instead!!

Cheese, cheese and more cheese!!

We had a great weekend. Only 4 1/2 hours each way, and we couldn't have picked a better weekend to ride....very nice! We have to get serious now and stay home for a while and get some things done!! Sure glad I married a spontaneous man who likes to travel and see the world!!

Once in a lifetime...

So at creative escape this year...Heidi Swapp talked about these once in a lifetime experiences...so the morning after I arrived home and I really wanted to sleep in all day.....(Just kiddin'! Maybe just 1/2 the day!) Kevin said that he and Len Mead and Tanner were going to fish the Puyallup at 5 am! Now mind you...Kevin has gone before with not much luck! But I thought to myself.....you have lived in Puyallup 11 1/2 years now, and YOU have never had this experience...and it is huge!!! (hence all the men lined up in the river....all up and down stream!!!) When Kevin invited me to go along....I think he though that I had lost my mind when I said...sure...I'd like to go!! So Tanner and I waited ( we didn't have wader's to go in ) And before too long, they both had their limit!! Kev said there were so many fish that they were hitting him in the leg as they swam on by! Not a bad day's catch I'd have to say!!

This is the big Daddy that Kev caught! They caught Silver and Pink Salmon. These guys get crazy...they yell FISH ON when they get on on their line so the other guys won't cast off their line....I wasn't too crazy about when they had to whack the fish on the head so they would stop flopping all around. Tanner warned me when that was about to happen :=<

Kevin said Tan...do you want to hold the big guy? Just then the fish started to squirm and just about got out of Kevin's grip...LOOK at Tan's face...he is cracking up!!

And Tanner finally stuck his hand in and had a good grip...but not for too long...he says~ "Dad...hurry take him...he's thinking of biting me!" Funny kid...can't wait till he get's waders and can really get in the action! It really was interesting watching how this all works...we have cars lined up for miles and miles on river road...fishermen just lined up in the river. Pretty amazing stuff here, and they take it pretty seriously!! So...now I can say I've done that one!! Even if I did want to go just for the photo's!! ha ha

School starts Once again~

And I still can't believe that Jaycee started Jr. High! She was really nervous, especially when she got to school and saw all the kids EVERYWHERE! But then she found her friends and she was just fine she says! When I picked her up, she said "it wasn't as bad as I expected" So that's a good thing! She got her hair cut yesterday...and she really likes this length! Her hair grows so fast! I think she is going to love 7th grade...and Jr. High. She signed up for volleyball which starts next week, that should be fun to watch! And Tanner has the best teachers this year...Mrs. Heinz and Mre Oehling...I love these teachers!! It's going to be a great year!! NO busses this year, so Tanner and I will be riding our bikes. He is beside himself...they aren't suppose to ride till 4th grade, so we are parking his bike across the street from the school, (at the Morrell's house) and he will walk across in the cross walk to school so I will go with him in the morning to see that he gets to school, and meet up with him after school...should be great excercise for us both!!
I suspect our lives are about to get pretty busy with soccer, volleyball, both kids in piano, young womens, cub scouts and LIFE!! I love it though...glad the kids like to be involved!! Sure beats video games!!

~Creative Escape~

So you are asking....what is creative escape?....well let me tell you!! It's an escape from it all..~

A place to release your creative inhibitions with other people in the world who have this same passion in common! We arrived on Thursday morining...after checking in to the resort, we headed down to the technique boutique, and trunk show. All the instructors had table displays of a sampling of their creations, and talk about inspiration!!! WOW!! Classes started bright and early at 8 am Fri morning...4 classes a day with a break for lunch...then sit down dinners in the evening!

Saturday night's dinner started off with DESSERT FIRST...that's Heidi Swapp's idea~ love it!

We all got these little purses on the sides of our dishes and were told NOT to open them till all 500 + guests had theirs.....so we patiently (well most of us!) waited, then all opened them up at once to reveal the contents. All but one had beads in them...and one lucky winner's had a bracelet in theirs which meant they had an all expense paid trip to Creative Escape next year!

We were SO hungry for some real food Thursday night...so we ate by the poolside...a juicy hamburger and some fries!!! Mmmm, it tasted so good...this is me standing with Trina and Trisha. Kole is sleeping in his stroller...as usual...being an Angel!!

I couldn't wait to swim...it was too dang hot to lay out...but still beautiful to look at!

We had the best time!!!! Talk about HOT!! It peaked at 113 the final day of our classes...luckily, we were in freezing air-conditioned rooms learning all sorts of cool techniques!! I did take a dip in the pool and felt the jets in the hot tub at 10 pm....it was very relaxing!! See, I didn't dare venture off too much on my own, because I kept getting lost getting back up to our room!!! Don't laugh!! I have NO sense of direction!!

Heidi's class was wonderful and she is the sweetest lady!! SO down to earth!! It's all about the aprons here!! Trina and I made these the week before we left!!

This is TIM HOLTZ~I do have to say that his class was the BEST!! He is sooooo talented!! This is Trina, Tim, Trisha and ME! (guess I need a name that starts with a t huh?)

Okay...this is seriously the tallest cactus I have ever standed next to!! Look at the boards holding it up....so tall!

Then here is a nice size one at the Shereton where we stayed...
I love them!

Well then...Trina and I found an empty pot and decided to fill it with ~ US!!

This is my New BEST friend ...the Glue Glider Pro...sticky tape for scrappin!!! With a handle!
Kole came with us...and he was an ANGEL!!! I got to bundle him up after his bath in our bathroom sink...such a dream baby!!

Our last night there was quite a memorable experience!!

They had some lamps that each of the teachers had made for IKEA. They sold raffle tickets and winners were chosen. Then Tim and Heidi's were auctioned off to raise money for leukemia and lymphoma society. Of course this charity is close to my heart...because of my dear friend Lisa who lost her life to cancer at such a young age. The live auction was INTENSE...with Heidi's lamp selling for $8,900 and Tim's went for $29,000....very emotional...but a neat spirit, with ALL the money raised going to the charity!!

Heidi's was beautiful pink of course with bling and jewels to boot...with a hidden message inside when it lit up...very pretty lamp!

Tim was pretty emotional as the bids increased VERY rapidly...started at $500 then immediately went to $5,000...then to $10,000 and up from there...there wasn't a dry in the house!!We learned so much...and made some new friends...that's the fun part too!!

Now back to reality!!