A Sad Farewell to Fall!

Fall is my favorite time of year......and YES.....I know I am a month off with the whole Halloween thing!  But admitting that one of my favorite holidays has come to pass also makes me have to admitt that my favorite season is soon to be but a memory! It doesn't seem fair that fall is here for such a short amount of time.  The beginning of school......the excitement of the football season (watching my son play)........the changing of the leaves.....the sunny crisp afternoons with leaves feathering througn the air.....it isn't fair that it has to end.  I suppose if we could have a brilliant winter with feet of snow.....all at once not skiffs scattered randomly........it would make it worth while.  Soon though Thanksgiving will be over......everyone will be caught up in their spending sprees.....and then YES....even sooner than you think even Christmas will be done.  It's sad to me to think that time passes so quickly.......

Soon Cheer season will be in full swing!  And Yes.....since football is over my son will be forced to be surrounded by the angelic faces of cheerleaders of all ages!  To think one day this will be a good thing! :-) We have another busy year...not quite as busy as last....thank heavens.....but we start up full swing in December when we head to Utah.  Four competitions for my little ones team......and five for the older girls.....They get to go to the JAMZ Nationals in February!  We have a Jazz Team Half time.....and several local performances. It is always exciting watching them....not so exciting listening to them complain about how many times their routines get changed right before competition times.....Not so fun listening to them tell me how badly it hurt when they were thrown in the air only to be dropped on the pole floor by their bases.....or kicked in the face by their flyers.........oh the joys of cheer!

So now that you have read my ramblings of a whole lot of random issues, I will say.....I have been querying new agents.....don't ask!  I am excited and proud of what great kids I have.....and great examples they are to one another!  My oldest is going to be a part of the trapped sober conference.....I will tell you more about that later!  I am just proud of them all!  Good choices.....Great Kids!  Wish I could say I was half as good as they were growing up.......

Okay...this is Moose.  (Lori....this is who your little love reminds me of!)  We just got him a new "Baby".  He carries this little lamb around and whines at us......BUT he carries it everywhere! I guess not only that.....he sleeps with it!  He doesn't share either....the other puppies get near his baby and he gets mad!  It is so cute how innoscent he looks.....not that he isn't naughty the rest of the time! 

A venting session...on the lighter side of life!

Twilight at the infamous drive in theater.  I know not everyone has a drive in and not everyone grew up going to them.....But I did.....and my kids have so far been lucky enough to know what a drive in even is.....and not a drive through restaraunt.....we do have a few drive in restaraunts though.  They just aren't as neat! Anyway one of our biggest summer plans every year does consist of going to the drive in movie on a HOT summer night.....eating the nasty consession stand food....which isn't so nasty.  The burgers are my favorite.  Well....this year much to my disgust....and due to a family fued....neither of our towns drive ins opened.  Funny how selfish people are. LOL  I mean seriously!  There are only about 20 something drive in's left in the entire USA and we have two in our town and they just choose to not open for an entire summer.....perhaps that summer will turn into never again and once more a tradition of America will be lost and most likely torn down....then what will my kids do?  The fancy new theaters just aren't the same! (The bathrooms are a lot nicer.....heck a gas station bathroom is a lot nicer....it's just the old fashioned fun of the entire event that I miss!  Summer just wasn't the same.....and won't be again until it is open! 

My Beautiful Tabalouie!

Hear I am with my beautiful little girl! So those of you who know this amazing individual will all know that she is my miracle! And besides the obvious reasons, it is because of her miraculous recovery of her hearing! When she was very little we realized that she wasn't hearing the way she should. At the end of her first grade year we finally got her hearing tested. Not because we didn't care....but lets face it the girl read lips so well that we questioned our own thoughts on the matter. Leaving the audiologists office the first visit left me a little sad. Not because she was fitted for hearing aides but because of the challenges that she was going to face for the rest of her life. Lucky for her she is a very head strong determined individual....and just like the rest of our kids she is brilliant. She continued to thrive in school and test as an above average individual with straight A's despite her hearing loss. She worked with specialists in speech and continued to have a high speech descrimination.....which means that though she didn't hear language the way we hear it, she could still understand what was being said to her. We went in and had hear hearing rechecked every six months.....it was devistating eachtime because each time it had worsened........a few years into the loss they began teaching her sign language which was a blessing considering they had projected her loss to be complete at least by the time she was a teenager. When she was in the fifth grade we had taken her in for testing and her loss had progressed to the Severe range.....she was now lossing her hearing quicker than the Doctors thought she would. We then decided to take her to the University hospital to one of the Pacific Northwests Specialists in Cochlear Implants. now I can't say that we were leaning towards that or not, but what we were in the hopes of was finding a doctor that could tell us what had caused this loss and what was causing it to continue. We were kept away from home for almost a week while they ran a battery of tests on this gorgeous angel......she was beginnning to become scared. It was odd we thought she had the loss originally because of a horrible case of scarlet fever when she was a year old. But the doctors had assured us that it couldn't have been the cause only because if that had been the cause it would have been a one time loss....it wouldn't have continues. So here we are with a daughter with a NueroSensory hearing loss with no explanation. Since it is a loss due to damaged and dying nerves....there is no cure. It was something we were going to have to deal with. And then she was devastated to find out that because she was so smart and dealing so well in school she didn't qualify for an implant (which in essence is brain surgery) Thank God she didn't qualify then. Our most frustrating trip to the doctor happened in the spring of her fifth grade year when they said she was now deep into the Severe range and looking at being profoundly deaf by about February of the next year. They had tossed the idea of getting her stronger hearing aides but in the end decided it wouldn't do her any good anyway. We stepped up the sign classes and tried to stay positive. We went to Vegas where the girls all competed in the cheer nationals......and I stuck my head in the sand tempararily. Then the weirdest thing happened......the new school year was upon us and my daughter who never complained about wearing aides was suddenly refusing saying they hurt her head and she didn't need them. So with our friend from the school for the deaf and blind in tow we went back to the doctor.....to talk some sense into my head strong preteen. What we learned that day was that her hearing had come back completely! We took her to the specialist again.....he said....IT"S A MIRACLE. So we have been taking her in for rechecks......we did again today.....her hearing is still perfect! Any change is considered a medical emergency and we are suppose to get her right in.....But it is perfect right now! She is a miracle........Proof that they do happen when you believe........I believe! I have her as a perfect reminder!

JOYS OF REMODELING 2

Well, as you can see it took a little longer than anticipated to get to the bathroom! It isn't finished yet....the trim isn't finished and my light fixtures aren't in it yet. So where the round mirror is I am going to have some sort of chandalier.....and a different light over the square mirror. I will take more pics....I don't know why the pics have the weird color.....but the bathroom is a chocolate brown.......I can't decide if the trim should be white or black....it will be big trim and crown molding! I was so excited that it had gotten done this much that I had to share! So let me know if it is ugly or not!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LITTLE MAN!

So I can't believe that my baby is now 9 years old.  Where has the time gone?  It makes me feel so old! He is such a good boy!  He wanted a "pro skate board" and a ramp....the ramp seems like an accident waiting to happen.....of course so does the board.....BUT he loves them and was so happy!  I love to see the excitement on his face!  This week end we are having a football party....he wants to play tackle ball with his friends.  It should be interesting!  We had to hold off two weeks for the weather and a long weekend....so he is very excited!  Happy birthday baby boy!

BEAR WORLD!!!

So I suppose that a better day could have been chosen for this outing........but.........Bear World has been open for 10 years now and we haven't gone! Not to mention the fact that it is only a 15 minute drive from our house. Sad but true! And I know we saw more wild animals here then we ever have driviing through Yellowstone Park! Don't get me wrong, the buffalo, moose, and elk in Yellowstone are awesome, but it is so amazing seeing a bear so close! Too bad we weren't one of the cars that the bear tried to get into............not that I want my black suburban scarred...........heaven knows it's "Christine" complex is unique on it's own......but wouldn't that have been a memory! So the only thing that would have made the day nicer would have been if we had the 80 degree weather we had had earlier in the week! But it sure beat the football game from the previous day that we went home soaking wet from! So who's complaining?

Cliche'? Seriously isn't this what you see in the old movies and what not? My little bear cubs! Of course I have been told I behave like a mama bear when it comes to my babies!

It was serious fun though watching the kids play on the rides.....and feed the animals. It was neat to me watching the deer eat out of their hands! CUTE! I loved watching the baby bears play with each other too! It was seriously funny........my oldest princess wouldn't go into the petting zoo because...."Gross....do you know how many germs are in there?" So funny to me.....I grew up running barefoot through the horse pastures.......yes, I know, how unsanitary! But i was never afraid of getting dirty......and my kids when they were done washed their hands and used handsanitizer! I never would have done that as a kid......it is amazing I never ended up with some strange disease!

The Joys of Remodeling!

Hideous! I am well aware of this fact.....hence the remodeling.  Now don't get me wrong.....about ten years ago I adored the way this bathroom looked.  I know....it's a freaking bathroom, but I am a girl.....I spend a lot of time in the bathroom trying to be beautiful for some bizarre reason that I haven't quite determined, yet.  And I have three gorgeous daughters......granted they don't need to try to be beautiful....they just are.....and of course i am certain that my little man would like a relaxing and interesting place to hide from his sisters......there are a lot of reasons we should keep our bathrooms updated.  It is a challenge for this eye sore.  Realistically, this bathroom is in a 1950's track home, it looks like every other house on this dang block......I want a bthroom that someone walks into and says, "Oh...not what I expected."  No.....I am actually leaving it a bathroom......wouldn't that be funny?  If i just got rid of it all together? 

And so the process begins with ripping out the old.....and seeing the sick nasty stuff underneath.  It should be a horror show. 

After the vanity was ripped out and the plumbing unplumed.........out came the floor.  It was ugly anyhow......it is actually embarrassing to think that at one point I truly thought it loooked good.  I suppose there are quite a few fashion issues that were the same way.  Go figure......I think the 80's was a lot like this bathroom floor! LOL

Nasty...................

So........Now all of the ick is taken away and I actually have plumbing back in!  Yeah!  It is hard to imagine life without atleast two bathrooms.  So late on the first night we finished installing the tile floor.  It is beautiful!  It is amazing how picky some people are about how the tiles are actually cut!  And how much water sprays you in the face while cutting the tile with that darn wet saw!  :)

So Next i have to take some pictures of the bathroom with how it looks now!  I just haven't gotten that far.  Of course it would require me walking my lazy booty to the bathroom and taking a pic and coming back out to the PC and downloading them.  BUT......when I do that hopefully you will be suprised.......I traded the tiling for my drywall abilities.........which I encorporated into my bathroom also......and we installed the coolest vanity......and this awesome mirror......I painted this kick booty color......I think you will  be suprised! :)

Juice Box Girl!

Get me a juice box...Juice Box Girl! It's fun watching sporting events with my kids! It is fun laughing and cheering....and quoting ridiculous lines out of silly movies....not that Kicking And Screaming is ridiculous.....I actually believe it will be one of those all time favorites......Favorite line out of that movie? Mine has to be....."Why don't you ease up on your corduroy jacket" Of course......their are so many to choose from. If you haven't watched it I recommend it. We have watched it an infinite amount of times.....I laugh each time.

So My little man's football team is 4 wins and 1 loss. The loss was barely a loss.....and one of the wins was in overtime. I so adore watching his natural talent shine. It was funny the other day at his game he proved to me once again how hard headed he is......he was playing receiver and he and the other kid in that position ran smack into one another....full on.....the sound of their heads knocking sounded like a homerun hit by a baseball bat.......they both flew backwards and landed on their backs......whaling from the other kid was unbearable.....my son....much like his mommy hates to cry in front of people jumped up and brushed off the concered coaches.......I thought his glasses must have broken....but he didnt' even flinch he got right back in the game for the next play.......the other boy went off the field. I was proud of myself.....I didn't run out onto the field and embarrass him. I checked on him at the end of the game. He ended up with a very light black eye. The other kid was taken to the doctor and had his face xrayed....no broken cheek bone but a huge bruise. My tough guys glasses aren't broken....well.....they aren't in the best shape but are good enough for football. He was disappointed the bruising wasn't worse. It was cute my daughter wanted to rush onto the field to make certain he was fine.....and his best little friend kept trying to check on him and my guy just kept turning away from him. TOO TOUGH!

!

TAGGED

Well...let's enjoy this game. Tagged from hundreds of miles away.......Go figure!
A-Attached or Single- Attached
B-Best Friend-Jules
C-Cake or Pie-Definitely Cake
D-Day of theweek-Saturday
E-Essential Item-toothbrush.....
F-Favorite Color- Green
G-Gummi Bears or Gummi Worms- Sour gummi worms
H-Hometown- Blackfoot, ID
I-Indulgence-Tanning
J-January or July- I love the warmth of July but snow me in in Jan and iwould be thrilled
K-Kids-4 amazing miracles
L-Life is Incomplete Without-My Family...All of Them
M-Marriage Date-July 11, 1997
N-Number of Siblings- 1 Awesome big brother
O-Oranges or Apples-Apples...candied
P-Phobias or Fears-Spiders and heights......and.....being alone
Q-Quote-Say Nothing Do Nothing Be Nothing
R-Reason to Smile-My family
S-Season-Fall
T-Tag 3-Jules.....Christine.....(don't have anyone else to tag)
U-Unknown Fact-I have trust issues...DITTO......Me Too......
V-Vacation Destination-I want to go to Sicily or to Ireland.......or i'd settle for Michigan.
W-Worst Habit-A mouth like a sailor......I am able to hide it well.....sometimes.
X-X-Rays or Ultrasound-X-rays
Y-Your Favorite Food-chicken Angelo.......
Z-Zodiac Sign-Pisces

Family Fun Night

Family fun night has been a tradition at our school for as long as I can remember......and it is okay on the fun meter.  Granted it is no trip to Disney World, but the kids think it is fun!  This year my little man was able to dunk his favorite teacher.......so she has been his teacher going on 2 years now.....it is a spectrum class...he loves it, Her.  I wasn't able to go but Jules took an awesomly priceless picture!

FOOTBALL!!!

So if I haven't mentioned it before....I LOVE football!  But besides just loving football....I love to watch my little man playing football!  A naturally talented athlete......he is good at everything he tries.....it isn't even a challenge.  I am so proud of him!  Even having three older sisters hasn't slowed him down....or damaged him.  I mean he isn't a girly boy! Not that it's a bad thing.....I mean his sisters haven't de-boyed him.  I know that isn't a word!  I have to admit baseball is my favorite sport, it always has been, but when your son is the Quarterback of his team.....it is awesome to watch.  Don't get me wrong.....I love watching him be the left handed pitcher also!  My little guy is such a stud!

I need to clarify something.........I love watching all of my kids.....my middle daughter played little league with the boys forever.....she was a pitcher also.....but a righty.  She also played tackle football and was a running back and a linebacker.  She was awesome and it was so cool watching the boys when they realized she was indeed a girl.  My son looks up to her so much because, well, she is tough as hell!  My other girls are just as awesome to watch in cheer......that is a dang tough sport.....actually now competitive cheer is the most dangerous........so between football and cheer.....lets see if we can come out with no injuries.........because in either sport I can't run out onto the field or the floor to baby any of them!

First Week Of School and Football!!!

This is the look I recieved as I tried to take first day of school photos of my all too beautiful high school student.  Though I did let her know that I would take pictures of her and all of her friends together with their cars if she didn't cooperate.  She knows I'd do it!  i can't believe she is so old already....boy time flies!

This is my amazing junior high student....beautiful and still up for those first day photos!  Of course they are still all up for the hugs and kisses good bye at the school in front of all their friends......they are such sweethearts!

So now we move down to the elementary darlings!  Except that she doesn't look like she is a fifth grader......I can't believe she is that old.......just as beautiful as her older sisters!  And sassy to boot!

My handsome baby!  Poor little guy has three older sisters.  OUCH!  Good thing he is so tough....and a mama's boy!  Good combination!

I was sad sending them back to school!  I adore having the house bustling with the chaos of children.....the more the better....bring on the friends!  I am just glad that Jules and I aren't mixed up in the PTO.  I loved being the president and organizing, writing grants, and fundraising......but it was a nightmare at the same time.  Good thing I had Julie as the VP so that we could laugh through the meetings.  Remind me never to do that again!

So football started for my little man too......and cheer starts up full load next week.  What a hectic life!  Gotta love it all!

Disturbing

So I was reading this week end....after I built my beautiful new patio furniture.  Anyway....reading the latest book in this series I adore.....and was sick over the fact that book two in my series....written months ago.....has A LOT of the same ideas.......and not just little ideas HUGE......so it was frustrating needless to say.  Ho Hum........So there you have it!  Once my books have made it through the publishing process I will look as though I need to get my ideas from someone else.  BLAH............

So I had to add how much nicer it feels when you just say things that you truly feel like and need to say rather than keeping them to yourself.......not saying it.  I think it is better even if it isn't nice.....politically correct.....even if it hurts feelings.......I suppose if it is taken personally.....it should have been.

My beautifil children started school today!  So now there is officially a high schooler, a Junior high student, and two elementary kids.......fun! I love being a mommy.  It's very rewarding above all else.  So I get to go pick them up from school in about 45 minutes....at least the younger kids......I can't wait to hear all about it.

Happy Birthday Grandpa

So Sunday was my Grandfather's birthday!  He is the coolest old Irish guy you could ever be luck enough to meet.  Howard Fitzpatrick turned a wonderful 88 years old....though he claims no one should live past 85.  I think it is just because he misses the love of his life.....also one of the greatest individuals anyone would have been blessed to meet.  I am so thankful that my kids have been lucky enough to have my grandpa in their lives.....Great Grandpa......how fun.  He has such wonderful stories to tell....and we all love to listen.  One of my favorite things he says....."Tell them who you are."  And though his name always has carried a lot of weight.....mine just has never been as impressive....though telling someone who my grandpa is has gotten me a long way.  From growing up a poor Irishman in the depression....in nowhere Idaho.....he created quite the legacy.  He proved an old principle wrong by making his name in banking legends.........He is such an amazing hero for so many different reasons in my life.......and he fills such a huge part of my heart!  I love this old guy!

THOUGHT

Silly….I was thinking. (Which could also be frightening.) But what is a thought? Obviously….it is thinking…which is also reflection on an idea…..consideration…….contemplation……which leads to rationalization…..calculation…..introspection…….. “Dreams till their effects be tried.” ~Shakespeare Another quote I appreciate….. “Feelings gone to seed.” ~ Jack Burroughs.
Intellect…..imagination…..assumption…….so day dreaming about an assumption can the out come be trusted. We all come up with the answers to the questions we contemplate in our minds and not knowing if our conclusions are true or not…..we assume that they are. Is that our imagination running a muck?
It is human nature to over think an idea…..without investigating the answers first. I mean we think we know the end answer before it is proven and a lot of the time don’t go forward to find that end result to be true or not. It that a cowardice in that human nature? Or “To know what is right and not do it?” ~Confucius Is that it? We know the right answer and yet hide from it because it is right? Because we don’t want to know the answer? Because trusting ourselves is too intimidating?
You can’t tell me that the average person spends so much time dreaming………wanting ……..desiring………idea’s…………and never truly want the answer? They don’t just want to sit back and wonder? Wait? Contemplate? Too scared to know? Scared not to know? What a circle the idea of an idea is?
Or is it that in the human nature it is more normal to dream……..to aspire for something unattainable……and never actually….truly…..want it in the end. Is the idea of wanting to figure something out greater than the idea of actually obtaining the truths. Is that what makes the idea of something so fascinating? Is it better to idolize something…..the idea of something……..? Is the air of fascination gone once a thought is no longer a thought? Is that what grows old?
I wonder………..I wonder if a never ending circle of questions has a logical answer? I wonder if a daydream is something that you always want to remain a dream………..if the truth behind it is nothing more than over rated reality?
What do you think? Think I need to stop thinking so much? Except that I have been writing on my third book now until I have almost over thought everything…….and yet nothing……….

This One Is For My Mom and Dad

So my mom and dad went to see my brother and his family in Minnesota. They drove....which sounds like a long way from Idaho.....and it is. The drive, described by my mom, sounds beautiful, with lots of historical sites along the way. I think it would be a fun trip anyway.....driving a cute little BMW convertable......looking cool.

So the wild and crazy grandparents went knee boarding. I was shocked to see pictures of them on my sister in laws blog! But I was so pleased to see them having fun and enjoying themselves! Well deserved!

Computer Nightmares

So how many times can someone's children destroy the hard drive of one computer.....or completely mess up ones settings? In this house it is an infinite ordeal......seriously! SO a few months ago my hard drive crashes.....and not a little, the entire thing. So I fix it.....no I am far from a PC smarty pants.....just a nerdy mom. LOL I stick in some disk praying that it fixes it not wanting to go and buy a new PC for my animals to destroy.....anyhow....it worked. Things were fine until a week ago when they down load one hideous virus after the next.....so I do the whole disk thing again. Then yesterday I have to download all these fixlet things because of something else that is wrong......to then get on this morning and have things not work again and have to restore my settings just to log on to my blog. I thought the schools were teaching the kids more about computers these days? Just kidding....but seriously I wonder about what my children are thinking.

Fun Swimming On a Hot Idaho Day

My little Princess and her Birthday cake! Now I just need to find the picture with her in the sambrarro at dinner. She was a little embarrassed! But it was her choice to go for fried ice cream!

So my little Nat turned a whopping 10 years old, can you believe it? She didn't want to have a birthday party with all of her little friends.....too much girl drama......Go figure? So she wanted to go swimming as a family instead. Since work has been crazy we decided to stay close and we headed down to Down-at-a- Hotsprings.

We had a lot of fun. The three younger kids went down the water slides a million times. I don't think I could have gone up the stairs that many times. Sam, well, she read and hung out in the shade. SHe was afraid she might get some sun on her skin. She doesn't want skin cancer. All in all it was a fabulous day! Wish more of them could be this relaxing! Good Pick Nat....Happy Birthday!

Does This Look Safe?

So I was wondering if this looked safe to anyone? What is it that runs through kids heads as they are attempting fun and new games? So we had the lawn mowed and one of the tramps was left on the hill in the back and the kids are playing??? Mountain climber? They did this both last night and are doing it as we speak. I know.....I am the mom who has seen this attempt at a broken appendage......or stitches....and what do I do? Take a picture of course. I have thought back to my attempt at jumping off the barn roof when I was little......you know....to fly. Or driving the motorcycle into the side of the house.....the little 80 with training wheels. Was I as crazy as these kids? Do I stifle them enough that I don't allow them to be that crazy? We've had one broken bone in our house......besides my foot this year....but that is another story. ;-) Angelo broke his arm just before kindergarten when he tripped over a branch while we were camping.......after all I had told him hanging on a limb over the river was dangerous.....who would have known? I have tried so hard to let kids be monkeys when I have seen these attempts....some days it is hard to look the other direction.

A little about my book?

So I have had this idea for ever....just never had sat down and put it on paper....or should I say screen?

Anyhow, my manuscript is a story about a young girl who sets out on an amazing adventure by herself. Abandoned...or so she thinks...by her father when she was little and then recently, and mysteriously, abandoned by her mom she sets out to find her grandma whom she thought was dead...but turns out she isn't. She is living in the old family home on a small island off the Upper Pennisula of Michigan. She discovers a gift that was bestowed upon her at birth, one that has been handed down through the centuries by her ancestors....though she secretly wonders if it wasn't a gift...rather a curse. She meets this gorgeous young man who is there to protect her. This young man's family had been bound to hers through time as their protectors. She also finds out that there is another family that has followed hers through out time in order to take control of the gift that she is responsible for.

SO let me know if anyone reads this and wants to know more. I write BIG well.....little not so well. My agent and I are working on that. :-)

Well, my kids think I am a giant nerd! I suppose blogging isn't for old people like me! I suppose I need a life. Have one.....Love it.....Think I will talk about it! Or Blog about it!

My second book is done! And I was contacted by my first publisher today! I am so excited, can't hardly stand it! I think I will just play it cool and hold tight for a week or so.

So do people actually read blogs? Just curious. Or is this a sort of public diary.....writing private things down in hopes someone will sneak a peak? Maybe that is a question like how many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie pop? The world may never know!

MY Family Rocks!