Dirty, Dirty Bird!

That's what I feel like saying as I look around the cabin! Monday I had it all nice and picked up and then 9 and 7 came home from school and BAM ~ dirty!

Do you ever feel that way. Feel like "I just spent 5 hours cleaning, and it's all undone in 5 minutes!" Coming from a house that was 1500 square feet to one that is just under 1000, I thought it should be easier to keep clean, but sadly untrue. I'm not working anymore, home all the time, but it seems as if my actions make no difference. Should I just let go and figure our home will be in a constant shape of a total hot mess until maybe the boys are in High School? Does it even get any better as they age, or will it only change once they are grown and out of the house? I know once it's gone, I'll probably miss their messes, but it sure is frustrating at the moment. Even my Facebook status reads my frustration as I'm asking Santa, "All I want for Christmas is for my boys to pick up after themselves." Toys, clothes, shoes, books, just junk in general because I have a mini hoarder (7) living amongst me, surrounds me! That, and the never ending pile of laundry! Boys are just dirty, dirty, birds, but I love them anyway.

Thanks for letting me rant. Whew ~ I feel much better!

Starbucks Gift Card Giveaway

Head on over to From High Heels to Sneakers for a chance to win a $30 GC from Starbucks! Yep, you heard right $30! Plus, she's such a fun read!

Tackle it Tuesday

This is my very first time participating in a blog hop! From High Heels to Sneakers started a "Tackle It Tuesday" hop and I'm hoping it will start to motivate me more on getting projects done here at the cabin.

Sunday and Monday I finally put up our Christmas decorations with help from my elves. We still have yet to get our tree, but are hoping to this weekend. I'm think I'm still going to play around with my garland ~ maybe adding some lights. I think it would light up the cabin, and look magical at night!

Garland above our computer now TV hutch. Lights would look so beautiful!

Our fireplace mantel. My hubby's mom made me the wreath many years ago and I just love it!  Yes on adding lights here!

Who doesn't love Santa and snowman buddy!

My boys when 7 was just over 1 year old and 9 was almost 4.  Sorry for the glare ~ my camera is not that fancy. 

I got these rain deer at Goodwill for $1.99 each and then added the bows with ribbon from The Dollar Store. 

A little different angle of the coffee table arrangement. The greens on this are real and smell so good!

Happy Thanksgiving

Wishing you and yours a blessed Thanksgiving! Enjoy your loved ones, yummy eats, and remember to look back on this past year and be thankful for all the wonderful blessings you've received ~ big or small!

Hello Friend

Have you ever discovered a book that you've read before but had forgotten about? You decide, "I think I'll read this puppy again", and then open it, start reading, and feel like you've been reunited with a old friend.

The other day I unpacked a few of our boxes that had many of our hardback books inside. Hubby and I like to keep our hardback books if they were given to us as gifts, or if we really enjoyed it. Normally, we would donate books we've read or take them to a used books store to earn credit. So I pulled out all these book, most my hubby's, since he is the huge reader in our family. I stacked them on the coffee table, because that's what I do, make piles. When he got home I asked him to go through his books and decide if there were any he wanted to donate to make room. He kept the majority of them since they were pretty much his collection of Stephen King novels that he loved as a teenager and young adult. But he pulled out a few of mine and low and behold there it was... my old friend, "My Sergi".

If you have never heard of My Sergi it is a true love story of russian pairs skaters Ekaterina Gordeeva and Sergi Grinkov. Sergi Grinkov died by a fatal heart attack in 1995 during a routine training session, in front of his wife and partner Ekaterina ~ Katia. It is truly a loving tribute to her husband.

As a young teenager and young adult I use to love to watch the two perform. Watching in 1988 when they first won their Olympic Gold Medals, then later in 1994 Olympics', and then various televised competitions and programs. They skated so beautifully, and what girl doesn't love finding out that the two had fallen in love, and eventually married. His death was so very tragic ~ he was 29, a beautifully strong athlete. It was hard for everyone to believe that he died, and of a heart attack. When I saw that Katia had written a book I told my Hubby, at the time he was my boyfriend, that I really wanted it. That year, for Christmas I received it from his folks as a Christmas gift.

It's been quite sometime since I last read it, and I was debating weather I should hold on to it or donate. I thought "I'll just give it a read" to make my final decision. So that night I started to read it as the boys were watching a movie, and then spent the next day reading, and finished it. I tend to do that if I'm really into a book. I zone out, forget my duties around the house, and just read! Hubby came home yesterday to me curled up in a chair, reading My Sergi. I barley even said hi, and he had even brought me a treat home. He was so considerate, and sat there patiently while I finish the last two chapters with my eye's red from crying, and I really wanted to cry towards the end, but I held it in since hubby was there. Earlier I was crying my heart out since I was home alone ~ didn't matter how pathetic I looked, no one would know. After I finished, I took a deep breath and sighed. Yep ~ it's a keeper. Even though it is terrible sad, it is also so very sweet, and romantic. A definite keeper and if you love romance and memoirs I recommend you grab a copy with a box of tissues.

Thelma & Louise

So another interesting thing looking back on the old photos was seeing pictures of myself before Thelma & Louise. Thelma & Louise is what I lovingly call my boobs after my breast augmentation that I had done in June of 2005. I didn't blog then nor did I even know what blogging was, but it would of been nice to read about others experiences with augmentation, so I thought I would share mine.

My breast size was something that had always bothered me as a young teenager. While my friends and I all started at the same size, 32 A, I stayed there as they moved on. Though I was always very petite in in high school, weighing only 90lbs, the size of my breast made it really hard to find any sort of clothing that would fit correctly on top, especially bikini tops. I was terribly insecure, with my boney body and flat chest. I always thought that eventually my body would catch up to everyone else and I would finally grow into a slim curvy women. Never happened. So I really dreamed about the alternative, someday to get breast implants.

Life went on. I fell in love, and married my hubby. At the time, weeks before my wedding, my best friend from childhood and I were at the mall, and she told me that she was getting augmentation. I was a little surprised because I thought she looked great as she was, but even though her breast were bigger, she too was insecure about their size. "I would do it in a heartbeat if I could afford it" I told her.

A few years after being married I got pregnant with 9, and my body started to change, and I LOVED it! I was gaining weight, my breasts were growing and getting fuller. Then my good ole belly out grew my breasts, but I was still amazed that I, 32A, was wearing a 32C! After I had 9 my breast still stayed big for a short time while I breast feed, and then they shrunk back to normal as well as my body, and then some. After being pregnant with 6, same thing happened. Big full breasts, after breast feeding, not so big full breasts anymore. In fact, now my breast were a -A! The only thing that stuck out were my nipples. All of the breast tissue I had disappeared, though only my hubby knew. I still wore my 32A padded bras, but I was completely flat chested! Talk about insecurities! My breast were not an issue to my hubby, they were only an issue to me.

Two years later after 6's birth we were financially able to really consider the augmentation. I was constantly watching plastic surgery shows. My hubby and I were researching on the internet for surgeons and looking at before an after pictures. Then one of my neighbors had plastic surgery herself. She had gained a considerable amount of weight between her two pregnancies and was able to lose it all and more but it left her with really loose skin and deflated, sagging breasts. She ended up having a complete body lift as well as a breast lift and augmentation. After a few months on the mend, I called her and asked if my hubby and I could come talk to her about her experience and doctor since I wanted augmentation myself. We went down to her house and talked about her surgeries, and about her doctor, which she spoke very highly of. She said her augmentation was nothing compared to her body lift, and then asked if we wanted to see her breasts! A little shocked we both said yes, and by God, she whipped those puppies out! I was amazed! Her breasts looked so natural, and her scarring was barely noticeable, and she had keyhole incision marks. I said "You can't even see the scars!" We both were completely sold, and as my hubby put it, she had totally made his day! Lol!

So we made my consultation appointment. The office staff was so very nice. The doctor was nice as well, but totally business like, which our neighbor warned us ahead of time, because her husband was a lot like my hubby and had a sense of humor, which the doctor did not. When we went to my pre-op appointment to pick the size of the implants, our neighbor had warned us, go a little bigger than your first pick ~ the implant is going under your chest muscle. I wanted to be sure that I picked a size that would look natural on my frame, and did not want to go "Pamela Andersen". I ended up picking an implant that would bring my breasts to a C cup, which the doctor agreed, would look natural, and that really my native breast tissue could not handle any more at that time. I still thought ~ "They look huge!" And really thought I should go a little smaller, but hubby reminded me what our neighbor said, and said "you'll look fine honey."

So the big day came. My mom had the boys, and since my hubby could only take a few days off of work, we arranged that my bestie would fly down from Washington and help take care of me and the boys. I was really nervous and so was my hubby. We waited in the waiting room of the surgery center, watching other patients leave, looking groggy and out of it. When they called for me to go in my hubby looked so nervous and we gave each other a quick hug, kiss, and I love you. Later my hubby told me while he was waiting for me he wanted to run to the back and get me out. He said he thought she's not going to look the same, and is it really worth the risk?

The doctor drew all over my breasts and I found out that one breast was larger than the other! Really? No breasts at all and one is larger than the other? I was walked to the prep -room, and then my anesthesiologist came in, gave me a little prick, and then I woke up in recovery. I don't remember much on the ride home, only that I was in pain, and wasn't allowed to take anything until after I was home, which was about an hour and a half away. I'm not going to lie, and paint a pretty picture of recovery ~ it was the worst for me! Now that's not to say it'll be the same experience for anyone else ~ everyone is different. I had never experienced this kind of pain ~ worse than my two c-sections. I didn't realize how much I used my upper body for the littlest things like sitting up! I was totally in the first two days of recovery regretting completely that I had the surgery. I had paid extra to have a pain pump medication right into my breast to minimize the pain as well as the pain meds they had given me. Still I felt horrible! The bandages they had wrapped around my breasts and body were so tight I felt I could hardly breathe. I was a complete mess! The next day I had to go in for my post-op check up. I was wearing one of my hubby's button down shirts, didn't even brush my hair, was slumped over while I was walking as my husband guided me, and had to sit in the waiting room, in front of other women who were coming in for a consult. If I saw me that day for my consult, I would of completely walked right out the door! And would you know it ~ as I was waiting to be seen, another girl who had augmentation the same day as me was leaving ~ full make up on in her Juicy Couture track suit, carrying her little dog, all by herself, as if she never even had surgery!!! I was totally out of it and hardly noticed, but my hubby was pissed! Why is she okay and my wife's a reck? Come to find out later, the Physician assistant said that the patient was high on pain meds, and was not following the doctors orders by driving to the appointment, carrying her dog, and she was exercising to boot, all because she felt so good on her pain meds. Big mistake! Hopefully she did not damage any of the work or cause herself to get a breast infection. Finally they took me back to be examined, the doctor asked me if I felt like a truck had run me over, I'm sure I said yes with a small amount of drool running out of the side of my mouth. My hubby was able to get them to loosen my bandages just a little to make it slightly comfortable, but they needed to stay nice it tight as to not allow any bleeding and to help with bruising.

Each day the pain level got better, and better. It was so nice to have my bestie there to take care of me and my boys. She had made me a quilt and it even had two buttons made to look like boobs in celebration of my surgery. She cooked, she cleaned, she even gave me a pedicure! I wished she could of stayed forever! Finally the big day came for the bandages to come off! It was like Christmas! I was so excited and nervous. Are they going to look okay? Did I make a mistake and am I going to look like a freak? They looked fabulous!! There was only a small quarter size bruise at the bottom of one breast, though they were still swollen, they were not humongous, and were not sitting so high up on my chest which is very common after surgery. They still gave me a band to wear above my breast to help push them down even more into the pockets that were made during surgery. Stitches came out without pain and so did my pain pump, which I highly do not recommend. Did not do a thing for me or my neighbor, come to find out. Now all I needed to do was still take it easy ~ no lifting, vacuuming, driving and continue to take care of my incisions as they healed. I felt great and finally had the nice curvy, womanly body I had always dreamed of.

Now over five years later I still love my breasts and so does my hubby and I have enjoyed filling out my clothes properly. Not many people even noticed the change. I looked natural in my new size. I have no regrets, and I know that they are not lifetime devices, and eventually I will have to have surgery again. Now I know what to expect with recovery, and maybe I'll be able to manage my pain better next time. If you are considering augmentation yourself, research it well. Talk to others about their experience and their surgeons. Ask the surgeon your considering lots of questions, and make sure they are fully accredited by the American Board of Plastic Surgeons and belong to American Society of Plastic Surgeons and American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. It's a very personally journey ~ there are many risks, and everyone experience is different.

Really? I'm Getting Old?

Ah ~ A Young 26



I've been making progress on the mud room and unpacked about 5 boxes or so just within the last couple of days and will be working on some more hopefully today if I can get to it after my chores.

One of the boxes I unpacked had all of our photo's in it and it was like Christmas here in the cabin! I LOVE looking at photo's and not just my own, but my friends and anyone else who'll share. So my sweet hubby and I spent the afternoon looking back on all our memories. Us when we started dating, hanging out with friends BK ( before kids) and enjoying adult spirits, of our wedding day, and then many of our boys ~ their births, first years, birthdays, and holidays! It was like visiting with an old dear friend and my hubby was so sweet to play along, though I know by the end he was getting a little bored. Thanks for bearing with it babe. But then the sad part started to kick in and has lingered around ~ sad being, man am I getting OLD! Inside I still feel 26, but when I have a chance to really look in the mirror I do not look it. But today I'm going to kick that sad right back! To heck with you! I may look old, but that's because I'm soon to be 38, and I've had some really great and not so great times during those soon to be 38 years. I've made some really great friends through those years and happy to say the ones who are important to me are still with me. I've fallen in love and married my best friend and have made it through the good and the bad, and he still makes me laugh like no other. I've made, carried, and given birth to two beautiful boys who like to push me to the very end of my rope, but also shower me with sweet kindness and love. I've had loved ones die, that cause my heart to break, but then have healed by prayer, and wonderful memories. So with every wrinkle, failing eyesight, sagging skin, and scars I'm now going to wear them with pride because "Heck yeah", I'm growing old and I hope to add some more wrinkles to my collection and keep enjoying life!




The Look of a Life Well Lived So Far

Have You Had Your Coffee Yet?

I'm in need of a cup ~ BADLY!



Hope you have a ghoulishly, frightening, safe Halloween!

Autumn Fun

Yay Me!

Last week I received my very first BLOG AWARD! Kelsey over at Courageous Mother was so very sweet to award my little blog. I have only been blogging for less than a year and I'm terrible at posting daily, but I read all my favorite blogs daily and draw inspiration from each and everyone. You can check my blog roll to see all my fav's, but these fifteen I'm always especially excited to read!

1. A Simple Kind of Life
2. Modestly Styled Modestly Me
3. Nesting Place
4. Second Skin
5. Tater Tots and Jello
6. The Bargain Hunter Extraordinaire
7. The Lettered Cottage
8. The Pleated Poppy
9. What Would a Nerd Wear
10. {Cowboy} Phraseology
11. Thirfty Decor Chick
12. Sawdust and Paper Scraps
13. In the World of Me
14. Clothed Much
15. Farming on Faith

As you can see I'm a gal that loves all kinds of different things, but don't we all.

So my fav fifteen ~ thank you for inspiring me, giving me hope, giving me great outfit idea's, and making me laugh!
Now if you choose, pass on the love to your fav fifteen!

Panic in Seattle

Yesterday was a day of all days for me. My very first trip driving to Seattle all by myself to purchase Boys Scout Uniforms for 9 & 6. What I really wanted to do was go with my hubby, but we kinda waited till the last minute so it was up to me ~ Super Kristie!! Hubby had emailed me directions when he got to work in the morning, and wrote " Just follow these direction and you will be fine my love. And to go home just back track EXACTLY." Seriously he wrote exactly all in caps because he knows what an absolute goofball I am. I always, always get mixed up when going somewhere new all by myself, but I though " I got directions, I can do this!"
So after my shower I got all gussied up, grabbed Fritz (our German Shepherd) who is now my partner in crime, and headed out the door. Uh, hello! Aren't you forgetting something? Dang! I left the directions inside! Figures! Grabbed the directions and off we went!
First stop, get some gas! I don't know about you but I hate to get gas for some reason. I always try to time it perfectly that I will need to get gas when hubby is off work. Isn't that bad! So anyway, following the directions we took off. Now most of the way I was totally familiar with because I had been in the area with hubby over the 11 months that we have been here, and I do try to take a look around. So I felt very confident still thinking " I can totally do this!" But then getting closer to my destination, I was getting closer to Seattle, and closer to traffic, "Yikes" and getting a little bit nervous. Then.... you guessed it, I took the wrong exit. I was suppose to exit off to I-90E heading toward Spokane, and well with all the traffic and my nerves I saw "Spokane" on an exit and took it. OH, MY, GOODNESS!!! I knew immediately that I had totally screwed myself and panic totally set in. I grabbed my phone as I was driving over the West Seattle bridge, no way of turning back, and called hubby. Of course he didn't answer! The nerve! Didn't he know his little, helpless wife was driving to nowhere land and would be needing his help! "Okay, I can still do this!?!" My heart was leaping out of my chest, but I made it across the bridge, took the first right I could and turned around. Back over the bridge I went "back tracking" like hubby suggested. Got back on the I-5 going south now, and realizing that the exit I should be taking is further north on the 5! Soooo, I exited again on the nearest exit I could praying to God that it would be so simple to get back on the 5 north. Thankfully again, I was in an area that hubby and I had been in maybe 6 months ago. Back on 5 north, took the right exit this time "Yippee" and got to the area I needed to go.
It took a while, and another turn around and I found the BSA store. Got some help because the Pack did not give us a list of what to get, paid $180, and out the door I went. "Get me the heck out of here!" "Back track, back track" I was saying over, and over in my head. Uh, no way to get back on the I-90 w any where close by. Here we go again!
I finally made it back to my area, pulled over and got Fritz and I some lunch. Then, because I was so distraught, I had to do a little retail therapy to calm my nerves at the local thrift store.
When I got home, I sent my hubby and lovely, caring, "Thank you so much", email and basically told him "Next time you send your wife to an area she's never driven before, keep your phone close by." "Fritz and I are so frazzled we're taking a nap"! And I did! And you want to know what! After getting to the Cub Scout meeting that evening ~ None of the new kids had their uniforms yet. Figures!

Coffee Anyone?

So yesterday I was working on a couple boxes from the good ole mud room and came across the box that had all my grandmothers antique pieces she had given me. I was unwrapping all her tea cups that she had saved of her own mother, my great grandmother Muriel, and then a few newer ones that my grandmother had collected. Back home I had them stored way up high in one my kitchen cabinets, and I thought to myself "Why"? Why had I stored them up so high where I could not easily look at them or even use them? They are all so pretty in their own way, each one different, each one unique. I can just imagine my great grandmother sitting at her kitchen table drinking a cup of tea maybe with a friend or even my grandmother. So I've decided that every morning instead of grabbing my big chunky white mug I'm going to be a lady, and drink my cup o joe from a tea cup!

Free at Last!

YES!!! This last week marked "Back, back, back, to school Week, week, week"!!! The boys started school and the first time in months my hubby and I had sometime alone to have some fun, and well just reconnect as husband and wife. It was WONDERFUL!

So Monday will mark the first time since we moved up to Washington that I will be totally alone. I have such grand plans of what I will do with my time and I sure hope that I stay on track and succeed. I'm going to start exercising at home in the mornings to help lower my cholesterol, and then tackle that good ole mud room once and for all! I already started last week and yesterday we took three large boxes, and one bag of clothes to GW. It felt soooo good! Send some positive juju my way please ~ I will get this done I swear. I will also be tackling the painting of the furniture. I've already picked up some paint to play with and I'm really excited to get this cabin lighted up since fall is right around the corner and things are going to start getting some what dreary here in October.

So with that said I do love my boys to death, but I could also tell that they were completely happy to get back to school, away from one another for 8 hours, and I'm sure away from their lovely mother who was ready for a break. Completely pathetic I know, but remember I was a full time working mom not too long ago and never spent a full summer with my boys. With all the bickering, and fighting between the two, and no matter how frustrated I got in the back of my mind I knew it was a blessing and I would never be able to get those moments back again. I love my lil men!

Windy's Chicken Tortilla Casserole with Jazz

My bestie made this casserole for me and the family right after we got up to Washington last year. Isn't she wonderful! Heck yeah! My hubby and I think it is so yummy and perfect now that Fall is just around the corner! Enjoy!

3 Boneless/skinless chickens breasts
1 Cup of sour cream
1 Can of cream of chicken soup
1 Small can of green diced chili's drained
1 1/2 Cups Shredded cheddar cheese
12 Corn tortilla's

Jazz!
1 Half onion chopped
1 Small can of sliced black olives drained

Preheat oven to 350
Boil chicken breasts till cooked. Cool and cube. Take the corn tortilla's and cut in triangles. In a large bowl combine cut corn tortilla's, sour cream, chicken soup, diced green chili's, onion, olives, 1/2 cup cheese, and cubed chicken breasts. Mix well so the tortilla's are all coated in the creamy mixture. Place mixture in a 9 x13 dish and top with remainder 1 cup of cheese, and cover with tin foil. Bake for 40-45 minutes. Serve with salad.

Uh, Yeah, Didn't Like So Much

Uh, yeah, that Tankini I ordered, well from my title you get my feeling on that subject....

The color really wasn't too bad, but the quality of the suit itself was lacking a bit. The top has "soft cups" which once I tried on were totally noticeable, and I really had ordered the wrong size and should of ordered a size down. Plus it's never a good thing when your hubby tells you that you look like a super hero, though he swears that I looked adorable... Mmmkay. So what I guess I'm saying in this case is cheaper isn't necessarily better.

So today I was on a mad hunt AGAIN to find the perfect one piece. Man I was on the computer FOREVER looking. The suits were either too grandma for my taste or way too sexy. Some of the sexy ones really gave me a giggle.... but finally I found a website, 6pm.com, that had some designer suits discounted. Now I was still on the search for a Bandeau one piece, since hubby really like that style. I found a gray one made by Juicy Couture that I thought would be perfect, plus it was marked down 70% off which still left it at $48.00. The site allowed me to email it to my hubby and I gave him a call to get his opinion. He gave it a go, so I now have it on order! Yay me! So again, I'm hoping that it fits, I can already tell it will cover my post babiness, and lets hope it looks a little sexy, and less like a super hero!

I Had a Little Shaun White and Didn't Even Know It!

Yesterday 6 bangs were so in his eyes that I decided to give him a little trim. Boy did I botch it up! I had even trimmed his bangs dry since his hair is curly and knew when wet it would shrink. He still looks cute in my eyes even though it looks a little Lloyd Christmas.

Later on in the day the boys were playing down by the river and there were a group of tubers going by. Seriously ~ as soon as we hit warm, sunny weather, the tubers have been non stop floating down the river. One guys shout "Hey little Shaun White ~ You're a little Shaun White!" It never even occurred to me ~ but wadda ya think? Lol! He may resemble Mr. White with the curls and red hair, but he will always be my lil pickle!

On a Search for the Perfect? One Piece

So I finally got up the courage the other day to tell my hubby that I didn't feel comfortable wearing bikini's anymore... I'm 37, and had two pregnancies with two over 8 pound babies in my small 5' 1" frame. Can we say stretch marks ALL over the tummy. I love my hubby for still loving my post baby body and still wanting me to wear a two piece swimsuit, but I'm sure that no one else wants to look at those marks, and I never want to be one of those women that people look at and say "She really shouldn't be wearing that!" So the key for me was to find a swimsuit that was inexpensive, cute, and a little sexy. I searched at Victoria's Secret, and they did have some very stylish suits, but too expensive. We were going to Satan's Playground (Wal-Mart) that day and hubby suggested we take a look there. Nothing in the Juniors, and in the Women's only the most ugliest, grandma swimsuits were left, plus nothing small enough to fit me. My guess was I was looking too late in the season at the store, and my best luck would still be to search on-line. So that's what I did! I found a great website, Shopstyle.com, that pulls items from other websites. So many one-pieces, but so little money. Hubby found the style he really liked (Bandeau) in a beautiful suit by Marc Jacobs, but $170! Never gonna happen!


Marc by Marc Jacobs

So we limited the search to just Bandeau and I continued looking as hubby got ready for bed. A lot of the suits from Newport News were really in my price range ($39 and below) so I headed over to the site to look in more detail. What I found was a Bandeau Tankini at $15 dollars a piece (my kind of price) a little similar to the style hubby liked (because of the belt). I called him over to take a quick look before he slumbered off, and he gave it a go. I think the color is kind of different (Peridot and Dark Peacock) hopefully in person it won't look like I wearing baby poop on top. So here I wait patiently for it's arrival.... that it fits, covers all my post babiness, and still looks a little sexy.


Newport News Tankini

Hi ~ It's Me

It's been over a month since my last post and I thought I ought to get back on the wagon again......

The last month has been pretty dark for me, but the sunshine is starting to come through and I feel like I might be able to breathe again. I hope that I will be feeling renewed here shortly, like the signs of Spring, and can final tackle the things that I have been wanting to do in the cabin, like finish unpacking.....yikes, and paint some furniture. And as a dear friend suggested maybe making those things to do a family affair!

So, I hope that you stick around as I get back on my feet, and I pray that life has been treating you all well my friends.

9 ~ Soon to be a 4th Grader

First Day of School


And Today ~ Last Day of 3rd Grade

I'm so very proud of 9! Lots of changes this year, and though he liked goofing off in the classroom, he has earned Honor Roll for Excellence in High Grades! Today is a short last day ~ only 2 hours of school. I think that both 9 and 6 deserve a special treat ~ ICE CREAM! Yay US!

My Little 6 is Growing Up

First day of school


Last day today

Today is the last day of Kindergarten for 6! I can't believe how much he has changed in 10 months! I too, wish that my littlest guy would stay little sometimes forever.

A Stranger Among Us ~ Continued

More like "strangers"!!

Yes ~ You read it correctly!

Hubby got home and was able to move out the mattresses out of the closet while I stood there holding the flashlight. Tucked back in the corner of the closet was our little friend. He was not very big, and I could hardly imagine something so small could smell so bad! I moved the little bugger with the dust pan trying to some how scoop it up and hubby came to the rescue with a bag a took the smelly guy away. I proceeded to spray almost a whole can of Lysol to disinfect, and help eliminate the smell ~ it was SO rank!I was proud of my man ~ he was able to hold his breath, not gag, and take care of business. "You rock babe!"

Later that evening I could still smell the decaying aroma. Did another spray down and closed the door in hopes that the smell would magically disappear.....

The next morning the smell still lingered. I decided to search the internet for solutions. It stated it would take a few hours for the smell to go away after the mouse was removed (Hello! We are on the second day here!), and to speed up the process place a bowl of un~brewed coffee grounds, which I did immediately and closed the door. I felt like I was going crazy, because even with the closet door shut, I could not get the smell out of my nose. All day long, I could smell the nastiness! Hubby couldn't smell it, 9 said he could smell it off and on, but seriously, was my mind playing tricks on me?!? Was I scarred for life, by witnessing and smelling my first decaying mouse?!? How could something so little continue to stink up the cabin!

Friday I was out of the house really early to meet my bestie for a girls day in Port Townsend ~ beach combing, and pub burgers. While bestie and I were at the gas station getting gas before making our way hubby called.

"Hey babe."
"Hey ~ I found the other mouse."
"You did!!"
"Yeah ~ it's raining and I went to look for my rain jacket in the closet and the smell was even worse than before. There was a mouse that had built a nest on the shelve in the corner."
"Oh God!" (various sounds coming out of my mouth ~ gasping, gagging, closing my eyes)
"Yeah ~ it built a nest out of that jacket (I forgot to mention in my original post that a sweater jacket my grandmother had made that was hanging in the closet and looked like the collar had been chewed or eaten up) and the nest was the size of half a volley ball. The mouse was about five times bigger than the mouse we found below. I think that must have been a baby."
"Oh God!" (Again ~ I made various sounds, closing my eyes, covering my mouth with my hand, while my bestie looked at me wondering what was going on. I hadn't even had the chance yet to tell her of our discovery a few days before, but she caught on REALLY quick)
"I didn't examine it really well, but it was pretty bloated, moving, (gasp, gag,) and there were lumps in the nest."
"So there must have been more babies?"(gag)
"Probably, but I wasn't about to pull the nest apart".
"Oh God!"
"Just wanted to let you know that it's all taken care of and the smell is all gone. I vacuumed up all the droppings on the shelve and sprayed the shelve down really well to disinfect it. 6 and I are now heading out to get some breakfast." (brave man)
"Okay babe ~ you rock! I'm so glad you found it ~ I thought I was losing my mind!"
"You guys have fun!"
"I love you"
"I love you too!"


So needless to say, we will be placing Decon in the mud room and in the kitchen in case any more visitors decide to make our house their house to. I cannot forget that I live in a rural area, on five acres of land, and that Spring apparently around here is the time that all the field mice like to come inside. I certainly DO NOT want to go through that again, but I have a feeling it will not be that last time. Too bad life is not like a Disney movie where all the little creatures are cute, clean, and help you by cleaning your house, making you an outfit, or cooking you up a fabulous meal....

A Stranger Among Us

I can't even describe what I have been feeling all day! In my hall closet something lies..... rotting..... waiting.....

For that last two weeks here at the cabin we've been trying to catch a mouse ~ I pray to God it is only one (please lord, please). We've put out traps ~ starting with peanut butter, which the little, vile, creature ate, and then cheese, which was never touched. Nothing happened ~ no new droppings (gag) ~ nothing, poof, and he was gone! 6 had mentioned that he heard some squeaking sounds from the hall closet ~ I thought it was his imagination, because why would the mouse go in there? No chance to find any food in there...... but last night 9 opened the hall door, and said "Mom I think the mouse was in the closet.... and I think it's dead". Hubby was already asleep in bed, and I was NOT going to check it out in the middle of the night. NO WAY!! I decided to check it out this morning ~ opened the door, and yep it's dead ~ or least it smells like it's dead! ( gag, nasty, disgusting, my skin is creeped out all over) I immediately shut the door and called my hubby at work, all the while gasping for fresh air.

"Hi." (opening up the kitchen window)
"Hi honey."
"Babe, I think I found the mouse ~ it's in the hall closet, and it's dead." (fear in my voice)
"Did you get it out?"
"I can't do it ~ you're going to have to do it. I'm so freaked out!" (still fear in my voice)
"But it's dead! Are you afraid that the dead mouse will jump out at you?"
"I know, but the air mattress is in there, and it's heavy, and I'm really afraid there might be some creepy crawlies in there too.!" (panic in my voice is rising ~ I am SO afraid of spiders..... so very, very afraid)
"So you're going to make me, with my weak stomach, go in there to get it out?" (hubby has such a weak stomach for fowl smells ~ he has thrown up more than once while changing 6's poopie diapers, cat litter duties while I was pregnant, and a woman at his work has such bad breath that he has to leave the room or he will literally gag)
"Babe I'll help you anyway I can ~ I just can't, won't touch the mattress....."
With a chuckle " That's fine.... I'll do it when I get home".
"I love you."
"I love you too."
"Bye."

Praise the Lord!

I wonder if he'd be willing to pick up pizza for dinner on his way home?

To be continued......

Just Hopping Along

Hello friends! Did you miss me? Not much has been going on here at the cabin, just a little cleaning, a little selling, and a little bit of raining. The river is the biggest it has been since our arrival last October. It is beautiful and scary at the same time. 9 and 6 our home two extra days with me because of Memorial Day. Pray for me that I make it through, as I will be needing all the help I can get! Boys never do anything small, or quiet for that matter, as any of you with more than one boy will shout AMEN as you read this right now! Good thing my hubby took me to get some vitamins this week, and I'm all stocked up with some St. Johns Wart (which helps to promote a positive mood) and Dong Quai (female Ginseng) ~ oh and a multi vitamin along with some calcium. Whew! So this is the start of my third day taking my self help vita's and I must say I do already feel a little different, a little more peaceful, with a touch of a little more patience. I'm counting down to when 9 will comment about my change ~ let's see if he'll even take notice. Since he's a lot like me ~ I say yes!
Now to introduce you to two new members of our family ~ Mr. Toad and Leap! We've had these little guys for over a month now, and they are still ALIVE! Our neighbor caught these two little tree frogs while she was mowing her property and set them aside for 9 and 6. Hubby and I were able to find a aquarium at good ole Goodwill, and it was so fun to watch all my men collect moss, rocks, and tree clippings for the little frogs. It's crazy fun too to watch them gobble up live crickets when they are fed. We did have a Salamander (Sammy) as well, but decided to let him go last week, as his coloring didn't look too well, and 6 was so sad, but he didn't want Sammy to die. They both helped hubby let him go under a nice dark spot under a log with lots of ants all about.

Playing Catch Up

So yesterday was kind of a crazy day here at the cabin. Hubby came home early as he was feeling poorly and we also had a terrible wind storm going on outside. The aftermath left tons of debris all over the place including the deck and loss of power for 13 hours so today I am playing catch up with my daily chores. Dishes, laundry, vacuuming, and just plain tiding up. Whew ~ I'm already tired and I've only done two loads of laundry and the never ending "hand" washing of the dishes! Aw ~ yes I miss my old dish washer in Cali. The smell of Advance Cascade ~ can I get a Oh yeah! ~Sigh~
As I posted before ~ I am so proud of myself last week for unpacking 5 boxes! YES! All of it was clothing, but still patting myself on my back. My goal for this week is another 5. I can't wait for my yard sale pile to grow to bring in some much needed extra cash, and some of the clothing I posted last week I posted on Ebay as well with some starting bids as low as 99cents so check it out. I've posted other pieces that were not included last week. My store name is j3000tt ~ not sure if you can look up by store name because I new to Ebay. Hope the start of your week is treating you well my friends!

Shop My Closet: $5 Buys

Whew! I finally got some boxes unpacked from the mud room and need to make some room in my very small closet here in the cabin. Maybe make a few dollars to help the old budget too! Lol! All pictured items are $5 with $5 dollar shipping US only. If you see something you like please email me at jhoneycutt16@msn.com. I will accept Paypal and personal check (will ship once check has cleared). Keep checking back as I will need to purge more! Want more detailed pic's of the items just let me know! Also any feed back from you on how to post description actually under the pic's would help me ~ still new to blogging and haven't quite figured that out as you can see. Tee hee!

1. S ~ Red Line Demin Shirt GW find NWT Nordstrom Rack
2. PM ~ Apt 9 petite Black/Cream Blouse
3. PS ~ Daisy Fuentes petite Brown/Burgundy Blouse ( Missing Satin Belt but can be worn with or without )
4. XS/S ~ AT Loft Sweater
5. XS ~ Mossimo Target Grey/Red/Burgundy Blouse
6. 4P ~ Hillard & Hanson petite Jacket (There is piling all over jacket)
7. S ~ Mossimo Target Black/Grey Jacket