First Road Trip (and many others)

Tim suggested early in the week that we should take a fun road trip this weekend. I wasn't going to pass that up! So we took a day trip to Cabella's in Owatonna. It was a beautiful day, made great memories, shared lots of laughs, and enjoyed every minute of it! This was also a day of firsts for Becca. Other than it being her first road trip just for the fun of it, we saw and did many other things.
1. We saw and waved at a convoy of Army guys as we passed them!
2. We saw a Momma deer nursing her baby.

3. We saw the Wind farm by Nashua

4. Becca fed the ducks and geese at the park in Owatonna

5. Becca picked out her very first fishing lure!
6. Becca saw all the "pretend" animals at the Cabella's store

7. Becca saw her first turtle up close, as he made friend with her at the aquarium

8. Becca got her first Fishing Hat at Cabella's

9. Becca walked across the foot bridge at the park with Daddy to look for fish


As you can see, it was a fun filled day! Lots of excitement for sure, just enough to let her crash on the way back home....with hat on and all!

Happy Birthday to me!

Today I turn 32. Wowy. I don't feel 32. Well....until I try to walk after sitting for a long time! I look about 82 when that happens!
Thank you to all my family and friends that shows so much love,always giving, never expecting to receive. My husband who has loved me unconditionally for the last 14 years. These 32 years I wouldn't trade for anyone elses.

This weekend was a busy and exhausting one. I was lucky enough to take 1/2 the night off (which meant that I left work at 645) on Friday, so I could go to the Bonfire my sister was having. That was a fun time as always. Mom and Dad brought my Bday gift, which was rubbermaid totes! Yay! More reasons to pack stuff up and get rid of stuff we don't want anymore. Wendy and Xavier gave me a giftcard to Hobby Lobby. That will most definitely go to a good use. Something pretty for sure!

Saturday was Tim's Step-Brother's wedding. It was help out at Steve and Paula's and was beautiful. The weather broke, rain stopped, sun came out and it was perfect! We helped set up and take down, and then headed to the "party" as Becca called it. She was soooo excited to go to the party. Her and Tim danced, which made me cry of course, then we headed home after a long day.

Happy day to Ryan and Angie Brooks!

Sunday and Monday were spent with Tim and I cleaning out the garage, cleaning out the boat to get ready to sell and organizing things to get ready to put the house on the market. It will be later this summer. But we're hoping to get alot of purging and packing done now, so we don't have to do it at the last minute. Great way to spend my mornings, now that I'm working in the nights!

Last week went by in a blur it seems. But that is ok, cause it means we were having fun and lovin life.

Tim and I have gotten motivated to get rid of all the junk in our lives. All the nonsense that doesn't belong and only clutters the house and annoys us both. Which boils down to purge purge purge. Oh, and lots of trips to the dump.

We're cleaning out closets (I have a load of toddler toys and stuff for a family from church that has a 1 year old and another on the way in a couple of months.) I have a baby load for my cousin Katie who has a bundle arriving this fall. I've taken ALLLLLL of Becca's outgrown clothes to girls at work who have a little princess of their own. That feels good. Becca's closet is cleaned out.

Tim and I started making throw away piles over the weekend, ofall the junk that has accumulated in the garage. He and Becca are making a trip to the dump tonight to rid us of that mess. But with cleaning out the garage, comes the next task. Filling it back up with shelves, hooks and organized boxes and totes full of our life's history that we don't need to keep in the house.

Its a big job, but we're hoping to get it done quick. Definitely helps with me being home durring the day, to be able to do a little bit every day. Doesn't seem so daunting that way.

There are projects that need to be done around the house as well, that we're hoping to get finished soon. The back door trim, the trim in the bathroom(yes, bathroom has been without trim for 2 years) and new carpet in the living room. I may even price out carpet for the bedrooms. hmmmmmm...not so sure on that yet.

And while all of this is happening, Becca is more than happy to sit and practice hand writting her numbers and letters if she's not helping hold the door. what more could I ask for? ...Well...ok, I could ask for someone to do it all for me.

Thank God for neighobors...they give me excuses!

I'm in a mood to create and bake lately.
Yesterday we made Rhubarb crisp at Mom's house, thanks to her generous neighbor who offered some fruit from her garden! Gotta love it. I think I'm the only one in the family that REALLLLY likes Rhubarb, and God knows I don't need a whole pan of crisp to myself. But dad doesn't mind it. So I left him a slice, and will be taking the rest to work to share,a fter having a piece or two myself. Yum!

Then yesterday my gentleman neighbor, who just happened to put his house up on the market, offered to take a pile of brush to the dump for us, as he was going already. How sweet! So this morning, Becca and I have made some fresh Chocolate Chip cookies to share with him, as a thank-you!

As soon as our laundry load is out and folded, Becca and I are going to make a trip to Hobby Lobby, to fulfill our urge to create! Maybe a paint-able plate or container to do some artwork on, and put our cookies in for Rich. Hmmm...

Why didn't I think to do a 2nd shift sooner? We went to the garden center and picked up plants for the patio and deck, enjoyed the swing set, and a couple walks up and down the block. We made banana bread, watercolor painting outside, went to the library for story hour, rented some movies for Becca, enjoyed lunch out one day, spent some time with Grandma Deb on Friday morning so that I could go to some garage sales. I hit the mother load on Friday at garage sales. Here is the list of things I found and only spent $25!

~ mini trampoline (exercise kind for Becca's gymnastics jumps)
~ leotard
~ warm up suit
~ shorts/tank top outfit
~ old school tupperware container and 7 stencils (letters, numbers, shapes, animals, signs, vehicles)
~ Alphabet floor puzzle
~ english/spanish word cards
~ 4 brand new color books
~ 3 story books
~ Awesome Cartoon Stories of the bible DVD
~ Beauty shop play set (hairdryer, curling iron, mirror, makeup set, brush)
~ kidz bop music cd

The best part about it, is that without any prompting, Becca was sooo appreciative and said " Ohhhh thank you Momma! " and gave me the biggest hug! She was so happy with all my findings! The floor puzzle, stencils and word cards will come in very handy as we "play school" during our days together. I've bought several Pre-K workbooks, for us to keep up on her development now since she's not in daycare. I bought a 3 ring binder and some clear plastic report sleeves, that I tore the pages out of the work book, and put them in the sleeves. This way, she can use a dry erase marker to do her work, and we can wipe it off and do it over and over and over. She LOVES this. In fact, getting her to put it away is difficult! Hey...that is a good thing I guess!

Sunday I was woke up my Becca jumping up on the bed with beautiful colored picture for me for Mother's Day. She gave me a kiss...then said, " its time to wake up...its mornin...look outside and see!" We played for a bit before meeting my sister and Xavier and my parents at The OP for lunch. YUM! Their pizza is definitely a once in a while treat...especially now that I've lost 15 pounds, and want to keep losing!
We then enjoyed the sun at Wendy's house, and a lite dessert that mom made, as Wendy received some Curb Appeal!

Here's to all the Moms out there, those that are, those that have them, those that want to be one!

Recap

Last night at our first Bonfire of the year, I realized that I hadn't shared two happenings of the week.

The first being Becca's test results came back for her thyroid. Her TSH was high, 6.53, outside for the norm. So, we're going to wait 8 more weeks, then do another blood test to see if her body has self regulated. If not, we'll go back to meds. Still praying for lower results.

And now the other memorable happening of the week. This one will be going down in the scrapbooks. Here are some pics to help tell the story:

Tim had put Becca to bed at her normal time, and at Becca's request, allowed Auggie to sleep with her. As it happened, Becca sang, read stories and played in her room for awhile before getting quiet. This is all normal. This happens everynight.
But then Tim heard her bedroom door open and Auggie ran downstairs in a cloud of POWDER!


Tim went to the stairs, to find Becca at the top, and without even asking her anything, Becca says " Daddy...I don't know who made the mess in my room! "


This was not just plain ol' sweet smelling Baby Powder...instead, this was Gold Bond Medicated powder! The whole house smelled like a nursing home. And this wasn't just a little bottle, this was the economy size! And now it lay empty on Becca's floor. You can see it here.

Come to find out, through the pictures, that she had found a gallon of paint in her closet, that she used to reach the top of the dresser. This only after she emptied a drawer of clean clothes to pile up to try to reach the powder.

Last night, when telling the story to our friends at the fire, and explaining that she was giving Auggie a powder bath..she corrected us.. and said " Nooooooooooo...I was TRYING to give him a bath, but he kept running away from me! "
Hence the powder EVERYWHERE!

The Ross Sisters....Jill and Wendy, you must watch

Jill...Wendy... we need to practice this performance piece for the next family reunion @ Aunt Lynda's! She's the only one with that much room! You have to watch it...if you must, fast forward to the 1 minute mark!