A Campin' We Did GO!

Thursday night Joey and I joined Grandma and Grandpa for an adventure in the motor home. We traveled to the Kettle Falls campground on Lake Roosevelt. Now as I type and have freshly showered, I can say it was a fun time indeed. Especially the part that I'll be in my own bed tonight!

Some of the memories we loved...catching three fish, jumping off the boat into the cold water, playing at the beaches, climbing the clay hillside, putting worms on momma's tummy-yuck! We also could be found roasting marsh mellows, a few bike rides, a walk through the woods to the playground, playing with neighbor friend, Brandon, the cute pups at the camp hosts' spot, and eating great food. The sun was hot and luckily the nights were somewhat cool!

We were also around many fishermen because this past weekend was the Walleye fishing tourney. Did I mention they get up at 5am and then must plug their boats into generators once fishing is done to recharge their batteries? Luckily they were charged and turned off just before I went postal. I learned quite a few things about a fishing tournament, which was cool. For example, there's a winner each day for the most weight--they get to put in 6 fish. And there's an overall winner. They do not get to all race off at the start, instead they must go one at a time by the number they drew. Then the following day the numbers are reversed. All fish must be alive when weighed in and then they are released. Pretty interesting huh? Even more impressive is that these gentleman all 216 (2 per boat) were out from 6am to 3pm in these HOT weather!

A huge thank you to mom and dad for a great time. It is always nice to get away from the normal chores at home for sure. I just wish there was a magic trick for the unpacking!

Summer...is it here yet?

We are starting to feel some summer vibes. There's a new batch of our lemonade frozen treats ready and it's heating up! Yahoo!

Next week ends my work, YES and the following week we have swim lessons and soccer firing up!

I just couldn't resist taking these shots...bring on SUMMER!

A Good Reminder...Love ya all!

IF I HAD MY LIFE TO LIVE OVER - by Erma Bombeck

(Written after she found out she was dying from cancer).
I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren't there for the day.
I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage.
I would have talked less and listened more.
I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the
carpet was stained, or the sofa faded.
I would have eaten the popcorn in the 'good' living room
and worried much less about the dirt when someone
wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.
I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather
ramble about his youth.
I would have shared more of the responsibility carried
by my husband.
I would never have insisted the car windows
be rolled up on a summer day
because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.
I would have sat on the lawn! With my grass stains.
I would have cried and laughed less while watching
television and more while watching life.
I would never have bought anything just because it
was practical, wouldn't show soil, or wa s guaranteed to last a lifetime.
Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy,
I'd have cherished every moment and realized that
the wonderment growing inside me was the only
chance in life to assist God in a miracle.
When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never
have said, 'Later. Now go get washed up for dinner.'
There would have been more 'I love you's' & more 'I'm sorry's.'

But mostly, given another shot at life,

I would seize every minute...

Look at it and really see it...

Live it and never give it back.

STOP SWEATING THE SMALL STUFF!!!

Don't worry about who doesn't like you, who has more, or who's doing what.
Instead; let's cherish the relationships we have with those who do love us.
Let's think about what God HAS blessed us with, and what we are doing each day to promote ourselves mentally, physically, and emotionally.

I hope you have a blessed day.

Happy Father's Day!

Joey and daddy with their "tools" filling up the new pool.

We are missing our daddy today for sure! Here are some reasons he is so special:

He loves us both so much!

His pancakes are the best!
He's good at reading books and pitching baseballs.
He's fun to wrestle with and tickle.

Miss ya honey. Catch a lot of fish and come home soon.
This parenting gig is much more difficult than I thought and I'm so glad you are a part of my team. I think we're doing pretty good so far! Love you.


Happy Father's Day to all the amazing dads out there.
I'm so fortunate to have such a wonderful dad not only for a role model for my own son but someone my husband looks up to to as well. I love you dad. Thank you for loving me even when I have tested your patience (which I'm sure rarely happened). Thank you for your advice (even when it's not always what I want to hear). And dad, is there anything you can't fix? Thank goodness your so handy to boot. Love you!

Seattle Fun!

Last week I attended the last of my OSPI tech standard workshops...until Fall that is. Our progress has definitely improved as I feel like we have a rough document to now gather feedback on from other educators.

Joey was able to fly over with me late Wednesday and he stayed with my dear friend, Jill and her two sweet kiddos. I attended my OSPI function all day on Thursday and Friday while Joey got in some good play time in with Will. They even snuck a visit into the zoo. Jill took Kate, Will and Joe. I best get her Starbucks gift card in the mail! On Friday night Jill and I took the kids to a local restaurant just a block from Jill's. She and I made the "bad" choice of ordering fish and chips. Who can resist this meal really when you're in Seattle? However, the grease and fat factor did not agree with either of us. Best make note to self on that one! Is this part of getting older?

Saturday we walked to U-village for lattes and lunch and finished up the day with making our own pizzas. It was so nice to see Jill and hold the precious...KATE! She was not feeling her best this visit so I had to hold her A LOT. It was rough. :-) Jill and I made a small dent in catching up on parenting, marriage, work and the good ole' times. I'm already anxious for her next visit to Spokane, which we think may be the last weekend of June, as Jill and I want to throw a huge PURSE Party liquidation sale on Monday, July 14th...so mark your calendar ladies!!

Joey adores Kate also...he made sure to tell Auntie Jill he'd take good care of her.

Meanwhile, back in Spokane....Jill's husband, Sean, drove over to Spokane for the weekend and stayed with Tom. It's very similar to a spouse swap I guess. They filled their time with hunting, boy bonding and a little bit of beverage consumption. It is such a dream to have hubbies that can hang out just as much as Jill and I do. THANK YOU Cunningham's for a fun weekend all around!