Pumpkin Patch 2008!!

Yes folks, it's that time of year again!! Time for the 3rd Annual trip to Stoney Ridge Farm!! This year Julie, Nick, and Linda joined the usual suspects- Jaimie, Ethan, Jana, Aaron, Chelsey, Alex, Mathew, and myself, of course. (we missed little Jamie, but she was partying with her gal pals) We were almost a full tractor ride ourselves!! We had a blast running through the box maze, trying out all the photo op places like the growth chart, scarecrow and cowboy, then were on to the animals!! Nick brought quarters, so he and Ethan fed the mini donkey and horse, and the geese/ducks/turkeys. Nick confused a horse for a kitty, and Julie confused a dove with a peacock (made for each other, eh?!) We took turnes riding the tractor carts out to the pumpkin patch, and went immediatly for the corn maze! Nick, Julie, Jana, Mathew and I ended up down a different row than every one else, so once we figured out we were going in circles, we made for the back door!! Nick was VERRA disapointed in our cheating, and had to pout a little. We found 2 wheelbarrow loads of pumpkins and gourds in the Gourd field, and headed back. The pumpkin Jaimie is lugging is the "baby-got-back-botty-licious Lula" (complete with enough butt cheek that there is crack- honest to goodness!!!) I believe it tapped out at 41 pounds!! After the treck to get the pumpkins to the front of the farm, we were ready for a nap, but powered on to Nina'a in Everson for a little lunch.


Jaimie, Ethan and i carved pumpkins on Sunday, and Ethan was all over it!! He kept saying "Remember when we did this last winter..."- it was really cute! He helped clean out his pumpkin, and did most of his own carving! Jaimie and I picked out a green pumpkin too, so we could carve out eyes and hide them under the trailers when we go camping for halloween... but since hers had a soft bottom, she left him in tact for now. Mine is a bloodshoot eye and a squinty eye, though in retrospect I should have done both bloodshoot. Oh well!! My other is bats flying with a partial moon... it was fun!

Fall Is Here!!

For those of you that follow my blog, here are a few pictures Steve and I have taken of this glorious fall season! The one with the mist is the "view out Steve's office window" as he likes to call it, and the other 4 I took from places around Whatcom County. Enjoy!!

Remember that Hotter than Halfax day in August?

I thought these were fun- that hotter than hell day in August? Steve and I hung out at home, missing a river floating day, but in the meantime, consumed almost a 1/2 gallon on vodka, spent the day with our feet in the kiddie/doggie pool, reading books, (yes, Janet Evanovich) and danced on the lawn at sunset to Garth Brooks "Work'n on a full house" (yes, we walked out the isle to that). It was hot out, but great hanging out with my husband and doggies!

Cheers!

So.... Since I was last here...

I would like to announce the beautiful marriage of Paul and Dori MacAbee!!


Paul and Steve have been friends since... well, forever. They are like two peas in a pod, and talk more than I do with my girlfriends on the phone when they are far apart. Paul is the big brother I never had, and some times I think I am the den mother they both need! Paul is such a sweet, kind-hearted, making sure things are ok find of guy. I feel blessed that I am the one that he used to cry on my couch between girlfriends, while Steve was outside having a cigarette and oblivious to Paul's need to share with me. I have been there through jumping cars, almost sinking vessles that shall not be named, guys night, fires and druck driving in the field, flippin' tombstones in the woods, and random parties over the years (Go Yettie, and Paul is the hottest guy in drag I have ever seen!!)! He took me on my first Harley ride, and I'll bet his nipple piercings have never been the same since! ( Sorry!!) I just can't say enough good things- for every dumb-bunny, jackass thing he and Steve have done, here has been something kind-hearted in return- I just love they guy to bits. As for Dori, I can't think of a better person for Paul to fall in love with- she's practically a Doctor for crying out loud!! (she's finished in May- Go Girl!!) We all know Paul and Steve never just hurt them selves- it's a flat out WOUND! ( see Paul's Propane tank incident for perfect reference) But on top of that, she's really great! She's very down to earth, and a good center for Paul's tendancey to be outragious. She's fun, smart, and even though she's from Eneumclaw, she actually likes to hang out here when she's in town! She's a great partner for Cranium and a great resource for when Steve turns blotchy purple on New Year's and Dodson's is the closest thing to a drug store we can get to in our "festive" state (in heels, no less). I think, as she said on their wedding night to Steve and I, that this "is marrying into a great, solid friendship", that she is very right. Steve and I are proud to have her as part of the family. Congrats, and we love you both!!

Steve and Dori at the reception having a "moment"

Steve and Dale boogying down!

Just us...

Relay for Life 2008

Thanks to Chelsey and AG Edwards/Wachovia, we had a Relay for Life Team for 2008! I have participated on the outskirts of the event before, making luminaries for people to purchase at the event and the like, but this was my first year actually being a part of it. Let me tell you, it is amazing. I think that even if I didn't have people in my life that this cause strikes home for, I still would have been blown away at the enormosity of it all. I decorated a luminary for In Celebration of Steve and one For the Fight of Rita, and one for In Memory of Linda Tiersma (for Beach's sister).


It was amazing to see all the decorated luninaria in the daylight, but it was breath taking to see all of them lit at night- 4 full street blocks worth!! I was (much to Steve's delight) able to light his and Rita's luminaries. Rita even came down for a while to hang out! She and I did a lap to check out all the festivities and show her the one I made for her. She is doing fantastic and looks great! She's ready to start her maintenance chemo- I am lucky to still have her with us!


I figure I walked close to 5 hours, and Richard thinks 3 times around the block is a mile... no wonder I was tired! The Luminary Ceremony was something else- once all of the luminaria were lit, we did a lap of silence, then gathered at one corner for about 20 min of speeches, then started to walk again. It was really emotional and amazing to be a part of! They started reading off all of the names on each luminary- they went in 10 min spurts, with a song or 3 in between- they started at 11:00 pm-ish and ended around 4:30 am!! Jaimie and I slept in her tent with ear plugs in and could still hear the names! It would wake us up every time they switched between names and songs.

I woke up at 6am to walk another hour, and it was uplifting. At the start of the relay, the chairwoman explained the significance of starting at 6 pm and going until 2 pm the next day. It is symbolic of a cancer patent's journey: twilight is when you find out you have cancer, then as you start to deal with it and treatment, you go into your darkest hours. Dawn breaks and you are coming out of treatment as a survivor, or getting ready to leave your worn out earthly body and live free in heaven... it gives me goose bumps just to type it and remember those parts of the journey I have lived through myself. It's just so true, and so amazing to be able to apply that to a larger cause than my husband and mother-in-law, and to have been a part of all of it. What an amazing experience!! Jaimie, Becki, Chels and I were joking that this year we were novices- next year will rock!! Each hour had a theme- poker, P.J's, disco, etc,. and sometimes we went in the other direction around the block. We will SO be prepared next year! Cody and Clint manned the wachovia guess how many pens in the jar table- and did fantastic with the ladies- until we'd show up again, so we had to distance that!
Go Team- CANCER SUCKS!!

Tulip Fields!

Chelsey had this great idea to take a Girl's Day and check out the Tulip Festival down in Mt. Vernon- so off we went! Chels, Becki, Beaner, Julie and I went, and it was beautiful! First we got stuck in a round about somewhere near La Connor, then we drove right past what I think will later bloom into iris fields. The first Tulip field we stopped at was all reds and pinks- very pretty! We were rained, hailed on and wind blown in a matter of minutes, so back to the truck we ran! Then we drove (thanks to Beaner's navigating skills) to the official Tulip Festival fields.

Luckily the weather held off and was nice for the long walk around the field. One end of the rows had the names of each type of tulip, and the other end had the mud and tractor ferrying the Gucci stiletto heal wearing, Coach purse carrying, dressed to the 9's Asian tourists that we just gaped at (it's a TULIP FIELD FOR CRIPES SAKE!!!), carrying their purchases in about 5 bags each... stupid tour buses from Canada!! We read about the faeries that live in the tulips (that's why you can't pick them in the fields) and Julie posed for a picture as a fairy. After we tromped all over, wandered through the vendor booths, admiring art and flowers named after Chels's mom, Becki and Beaner bought a few bunches of Tulips, we headed for FOOD!!

We decided on a new Brewery in Burlington, where they have paddles of beer! Yes, paddles- for about $5, you can choose 4 or 5 different beers to sample, at about 4 oz. each. They come to you on a spanking-like paddle! Chels has pictures, I'll have to get them and post them. The food was good, even though Chels and I didn't get pickles, but our waitress left a lot to be desired. Oh well, less tip for her!! It was a great afternoon and fun had by all!

It's Easter!

Easter 2008 was great!
With Jackie's work schedule and every one's other commitments, this year, we decided to Easter egg hunt and luncheon on Saturday instead of Easter Sunday. (Good thing too, since the weather was heinous on Sunday!) We stuffed eggs, hid them, and started making bunny bun sandwiches, PB&J egg-shaped sandwiches, veggie trays, fruit, and other munchies. Jaimie called as I was getting food ready to see what I was up to, so Mom and I invited her and Ethan to come play too! We had all the little cousins over (except Holli, whom we missed terribly) and had the best time!! Moriah made delicious punch, there were plenty of treats, and the little girls played in the dress up clothes. After a little lunch, we braved the chilly breeze and weak sun to go hunt for Eater eggs! Riley told mom she thought I was the Easter Bunny, and looked at mom like she was nuts when mom said I was her little baby, not the Easter Bunny! Then we all trooped inside to see what goodies we had found! There were a lot of cool girlie things like sparkly necklaces, bracelets, and rings, pretty clips and barrettes, lip gloss (or lip polish as Ethan called it) and nail polish, in addition to candies. We tried to make it less about chocolate than usual, but we love a good peanut butter egg, so what can we say? Ethan had a blast painting his and Julie's face, and Julie panicked a little when it was hard to wash away all the color off her face! All the girls had a great time, and we were glad to have a party that was also over by 2pm! Mom, Jaimie, Chris, Jackie and I stayed around and played cards, while Julie tried to nap and Ethan buzzed around checking every one out, and smothering Julie on the couch. It was a lot of fun, and ended with a nice game of Speed Solitaire (or the slap 'em game) and a hot cuppa tea (Chris joined in with a Man Mug).
Happy Easter!!

It's Official!

Yes, it's official- Jackie is now a true member of the Lynwood Police Department!! The whole family, Chris, Cathy, Marilyn and Barry made the trip to the Everett Naval Base to witness Jackie's big day! We got to see a video the cadetts put together, see where they trained, and her classroom (yes, there was only one!). Dad was so excited to be THE ONE to pin her badge on her in the graduation ceremony- he kept it in his pocket all day and would rub it when he didn't know were were watching! Mom stood up at the front with Dad, and I got to be the photographer! It was fun to walk in front of all the cadetts standing at attention, and get right in Jackie's line of sight! She wasn't supposed to smile, so I hammed it up and she'd just roll her eyes heavenward. We even got to watch her take her oath to the Lynwood department and be sworn in with 5 other cadetts. We're all very proud of her, and Jess is now in custody for... whatever Jackie wants! Look out world! Yay Jackie!!

Christmas Cookie Day!!

It's Christmas Cookie Day at Mom's 2007!! This year we thought about our approach a little better, and made less cookies... I think we baked for ever last year!! Mom made sugar cookies and gingerbread house pieces, Aunt Karen and Leann made chocolate covered pretzles with yummie bits on them, Aunt Anne made her famous peanut butter bon bons, I made puppy treats with Kim, and Aunt Betty made a beatuful Star Tree out of sugar cookies! (I'm sad I don't have a picture of that one, but I think mom does!) The little girls (Kim, Holli, Shaina, Maddie, Riley and Sidney) had a blast decorating sugar cookies in all sorts of christmas shapes. They also found the dress up box and put on a parade of costumes! Mom and Aunt Anne glued the gingerbread houses together with royal icing, and we went to town on them! I helped Julie made a Rudolph the gumdrop reindeer, and Riley helped Aunt/Grandma Betty make a beautiful house to take home! Another successful Cookie Day and another year of memories!