growing Up!

I have been married for 12 1/2 years. And not once in those 12 1/2 years have I ever had a bed set that actually fit my bed. My family tells me that I am the master of making do. It's not that I don't want my house to look cute and organized. I just severely lack the Time, money, and taste to do it properly.

So for the last 12 1/2 years I have been using the "single" size comforter I picked out as a 16 year old when re-modeling my room ( that was 17 years ago ). To cover my queen size bed. I would simply lay it horizontally across the bed and then fold the sheets back to line up and give the illusion that the blanket was long enough. Such nonsense, I know!
Well, yesterday I took a step into the adult world and purchased a bed set. I had a limited budget of $50. What can you possibly get for $50? How about a 7 piece bed set. Thanks to a Macy's One Day Sale, and a $10 off coupon. Is it the perfect bed set for me? NO, it would of been fun to get something slightly more funky, and slightly less traditional. But it fits, looks 10 times better and was in my budget. Originally $ 240, Macy's had it on sale for $57.99. My coupon brought it down to $ 47.99 and I was on my way home.

Some how I feel so grown up.

The Mark of a TRUE Fan!

How do you decide if someone is a true fan of a particular team, or just a poser? Well I'd say if over half his wardrobe is decked out in Florida Gator graphics, that's a pretty clear sign.

The count so far:

3 orange gator t-shirts
4 white gator t-shirts
6 blue gator t-shirts
2 blue gator polo shirts
1 thermal gator long sleeve shirt
1 hooded pull over shirt
2 hooded pull over sweat shirts
2 pairs of shorts
1 water proof jacket
1 baseball cap

Also pictured here:
2 FATHEAD 4 foot square wall vinyl art, featuring a Gator helmet on one, and the gator head on another.

Not featured in the pic but cluttering space in my house:
1 Gator flag 3 by 5 feet
magnets
pull overs purchased for the children
gator Pj's again for the kids
4 shirts for ME
and a plethora of blue and orange clothing, that do not have the gator head on them, but never the less are the correct color and are stuffed in his drawer.


No one could ever say that Chet doesn't support the things that he loves. And that includes the kids and I. We certainly are blessed.

He's 8

WOW! he's 8. Peyton is 8. Fully accountable and a handsome devil. When did that happen?

Peyton we have thoroughly enjoyed our 8 years with you. You are a kind, thoughtful, compassionate, peacekeeper. We love you so much. I'm sure the next 8 years will fly by just as fast, and then I will have to hand over the car keys. YIKES! let's not rush things.

Footloose, Footloose, kick off your dancing shoes

Every year, several times a year, the local high schools put on dance clinics. Alyssa loves to shake her booty for a day and hang out with friends. BONUS! the kids get to perform the dance they learned at the varsity foot ball game that night.

We like to hit up the Westview High clinic. They do better dances, serve better food, and give out cuter T-shirts.

Alyssa favorite part, getting dolled up for the performance.

It's hard to see, but our little dance diva is standing up and dancing the 3rd from the left.

Alyssa is blessed to have friends that not only do the clinics with her. But she also has friends who come later just to watch the performance and be supportive. Aren't they the sweetest grouping of gorgeous girls?

First day of school

FALL

Oh how we love the fall! " I wish I could send you a bouquet of freshly sharpened pencils", Tom Hanks writes to meg Ryan in YOU'VE GOT MAIL. That is exactly how I feel. Only if someone sent me a bouquet of sharpened pencils, I would throw them into a baggie and send them off with the kids in their school supplies. Save money where you can right?

Our school year started out with ease. The kids had been anticipated it for some time and were anxious to get back. I on the other hand could of used a few more weeks of sleeping in and making lunch at 1:00 in the afternoon. I was so not ready to start the year, in fact I never even bought the kids one stitch of new clothing to proudly display on the first day of school. I think they still looked pretty darn cute , don't you?

The long walk to building and developing new brain function begins!



Peyton took a double take to make sure he was in fact sitting at the right table. Yes son! you read correctly, you are here to stay.

Alyssa got to choose her seat this year. The sign of advancing in age and responsibility. We did however manage to get her to turn around and say good bye to her much distraught baby brother. Then we sneakily snapped this shot.

Then back home with little monkey to a quiet house, Thomas the train, and possibly potty training.

I wish they all could be California days

I wish they all could be California "Days"

Well the sun was shining back in late July

So in the van we crammed and to the beach we fly

We hunt for crabs and starfish under sand and foot.

Then we stop to get an ice cream down in Tilamook.

I wish they all could be California "days"

Sun keep shining

Sun keep shining

Sun keep shining

Sun keep shining

Not for the squimish

10 Years! Some how with 3 children, I have managed to make it a whole decade without having to go the emergency room. My lovely reign of peace ended on Wednesday afternoon.

Of course it would be my youngest that would catapult me into the world of hospitals, casts, and inevitable medical bills. It was what we now call, THE LETHAL SNACK.

Poor Camden was sitting on a stool at the counter eating his afternoon snack of grapes and cheese crackers. He decided he needed a bit more leverage to reach his juice cup. He started to stand up, but instead went tumbling down trying to catch his fall with his right arm.

You see what's coming here don't you. SNAP! followed by mom noticing a very distinct difference in the look of his arm, a rush to pile the kids into the van, and a nerve racking drive through rush hour traffic to the emergency room.

diagnosis: RIGHT SUPRACONDYLAR HUMERUS FRACTURE


essentially, he broke his elbow, which an ER worker kindly told me was one of the most painful breaks you can have. I guess when you break the tip of your humerus bone off and all the other bones below it follow that break to the opposite side of you arm, YES! that probably does hurt.

Camden needed a Pediatric Orthopedic Surgeon to fix him. So he was transported by ambulance from St.Vincents to Doernbecher Childrens hospital. There we spent the night in this lovely room.

He was brought in for surgery the following morning at 7:30 for his Closed reduction and Percutaneous pinning, followed by a long arm cast placement. In english, they twisted and pulled his bones back into place and then pinned them together, then put a cast on.

camden hasn't slept in a crib in a year, but he was content to stay in one now.

Post surgery snooze. We were released about 5 hours later and carefully made our way home. much to our surprise Camden was very much himself. Singing Thomas the train songs and pointing out every bridge and car. He wants to be out walking and playing and it has taken many snacks and movies and a great deal of convincing to get him to sit still for a while and just heal.