Monday, June 30, 2008

One last gift...

IMG_0681 Landon has been asking us to get Guitar Hero 3 ever since we borrowed it from my nephew. We all really enjoyed the game and wanted to get it, so when we found out that they were coming out with a new Aerosmith version we thought we should go ahead. Since Landon's party was on Sat. and the game didn't come out until Sunday, my parents just gave us half of the money for it and we went and picked it up at Gamestop on Sunday morning. So, it was a gift from them and us...and it has been used nearly non-stop! I played it so long yesterday that last night I had this terrible pain in my shoulder! I woke up this morning and my shoulder was killing me! (I'm not positive this is why my shoulder hurts, but I can't think of any other reason.)

Saturday, June 28, 2008

Good Times

I had to do this page  because it is so hard to get a "REAL" smile out of my nephew Jaron. He has this little fake smile he is always using when posing for a pic, but this one just happens to be real and un-posed because I got him to laugh right before I snapped the shot. I love this picture of him and just had to make a simple page about it. IMG_0612

Slip'n & Slide'n

IMG_0641We celebrated Landon's 7th birthday today although he won't turn 7 until July 10th. It is tough having a summer birthday, especially close to the 4th...there just aren't many people at home! Landon was very happy with the few kids that could make it, and they all had a great time. We (again) had a slip n' slide and water balloon games in the backyard. We also made them snow cones that IMG_0678 they just loved since it was so hot out; it must have been close to 100 degrees out! Landon didn't want a cake this year, just ice cream (he isn't a big cake lover). I got chocolate and vanilla ice cream, tons of sprinkles and some  cupcakes...just cuz' i can't have a birthday party without cake of some sort! LOL! One of his favorite new toys is this skateboard...he's been asking for one for about a year now and he got on it as soon as he had a moment!

Thursday, June 26, 2008

Update on Ginger

Today was Gingers surgery. I had to drop her off this morning before 9am and we picked her up from the vet's office at 6:45 tonight. She did well, but she sure looks awful right now. She just looks out of it, and she isn't moving much...which I guess is pretty normal when you just had surgery. The final bill was hideous, but I do hope that she will feel better now and get back to her normal self soon.

Top 25

Since I missed yesterday's BBC I am going to do it today... here are 25 of my favorite things (my husband, children and family are obvious favorites and won't be included here...) not in any particular order:

  1. vacations (anywhere)
  2. babies
  3. slippers
  4. chocolate
  5. my laptop
  6. theatre
  7. clean sheets
  8. candles
  9. rainy days
  10. pedicure's
  11. reality t.v.
  12. iced tea
  13. reading
  14. my camera
  15. rocking chairs
  16. tulips
  17. our dog
  18. Wii
  19. music
  20. first snow of the season
  21. a full tank of gas
  22. blogging
  23. jeans
  24. new scrap loot
  25. fondue

A little random, but I do love all of these things and plenty more!

Ocean City 6/25/08



The weather finally cooperated with us and we got to make our trip out to Ocean City. The weather was really nice, about 85 degrees or so, but the water was freezing! Landon didn't mind it at all though. He jumped waves, looked for seashells, boogie boarded and played in the sand. Zoe played in it for a bit when we first got there, but after lunch she wouldn't go back in because it was just too cold! We got home around 7pm and we were all anxious to get in the shower and get all that sand off! After we were all clean we sat down and watched The Spiderwick Chronicles (hated it!) and then we all went to bed, exhausted. I hope to make it back out there another day next week, we'll see.

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

28!

 Picture

It just so happens that today is my sisters birthday! She is turning 28 today, and it is her big date night with Lorenzo! I sure hope that they have a good time, and there better be pictures, or I am going to be upset since I can't be there!

So, since this is LaTisha's day I thought I would write a few things about she and I... the photo was taken sometime in 1980...it's a little bit of a fuzzy scan, but the best I could get!

  • I remember when we used to kiss the Jackson 5 poster before going to bed at night.
  • I remember when we shared a room and we would sing each other songs before going to sleep. More often than not I would fall asleep before it was my turn.
  • I remember fighting over who would get to be "Barbara" when we played house...we just thought that was the most glamorous name!
  • I remember when mom used to make us matching outfits, and we were ok with it! (I don't actually remember this, but there are photos for proof!)
  • I remember how much you helped me when Zoe was a baby and I depended on you to help me so much. I will always be grateful that you were there for her.
  • I am so proud to tell people that my sister is a nurse (and a really good one) and that despite some rocky teenage turmoil you have turned out to be a terrific, loving person and I wouldn't want you any other way.

I Love You - Angie

Monday, June 23, 2008

Over the Rainbow

IMG_0534 IMG_0540 We have been having a lot of thunderstorms this year. I'm not sure if this is unusual or not, but it seems to me that we are getting more rain this year than we have in a long time. A big storm blew through here tonight and afterwards we had the most beautiful, bright rainbow. It started out pretty dull and washed out, but the second time I looked it was just brilliant! I have discovered though that it is kind of hard to get a really good picture of a rainbow...IMG_0536 I should probably google it and see if I can find any tips on getting good shots. It would probably help if there weren't a thousand houses in the pictures, but that isn't something I can help at the moment! If you look really closely (at the first picture) you can see that this is actually a double rainbow...it was HUGE and just gorgeous!

The kids and I had planned to make a trip to Ocean City today, but after hearing that we were going to be having thunderstorms all day we decided not to go. So instead I thought this would be my chance to check out a scrapbook store that I have been meaning to visit...big mistake! After driving for nearly 45 min. we get to the place and it is a serious hole in the wall. I thought that was ok, you know scrapbook stores are usually small and just packed to the gills...that was true of this place, but the problem was when you walked in you were immediately hit with the VERY strong stench of cigarette smoke. People were actually smoking inside! I couldn't get over it! The store used to be a video/Keno store, but now is the scrap store...but they still have the Keno thing going and horse racing on the T.V. for betting on. It was just kinda crazy to me...but I guess having the Keno and horse racing draws in some extra business?! The smoking was appalling though and I won't be going back.

Those Beautiful Eyes

IMG_0533 I took these pictures awhile ago, for no particular reason other than both kids were right there. Landon was being silly about something and Zoe was drawing at the island with Theresa. So, I got these two pictures but figured I'd delete them, since they weren't meant for anything...but, when I took them off of the camera, I was struck with how beautiful their eyes are...and a page was born!

Sunday, June 22, 2008

It's Official!

Summer is officially here! We really didn't do a whole lot yesterday. I drove my nephew half way to meet up with his mom so he could go home and get ready for camp next week. We had a nice time with him here, and I hope he had a good time too.

IMG_0527We did grill out last night and we had these awesome kabobs, out of one of the new Taste of Home Magazines.  They had to marinate for a couple hours then they only took about 20-30 minutes on the grill. We made a seafood salad with it and it was also very good. Other than that we just hung around the house, the kids played with the kids in the neighborhood and Tony and I caught up on some DVR'd (season finale of Top Chef, I was SO glad Stephanie won, she's been my favorite since the first episode!) shows we have been meaning to watch. Nothing too exciting, but it was relaxing.

Last night I participated in an online auction, with a few people from a Yahoo group. We all contributed scrapbook items (homemade and store bought) and then we all bid on items with points we have. Each person gains points with the bids they get on their items, and then you use those points to bid on new items. It was a ton of fun and the ladies who have thought this out and put it together are terribly clever! I got some great new loot, and I was able to give away a few things as well...I am looking forward to next month!

Friday, June 20, 2008

Smore please!

We made our first smore's of the season tonight! My nephew Jaron has been asking to make them every night since he's been here, so tonight he finally got his chance. IMG_0523My pic's didn't turn out very good, there was just too much going on to focus on getting shots, but I did get one of something orange for the bbc!  It was dusk when I took the photo, and I didn't want to use my flash so this is a little blurry, but you can see the orange flame. Unfortunately, you can also see how rusty our fire pit is! Oh-well, we use it quite a bit and a little rust won't hurt anything! Here are a couple more shot to share from today: IMG_0517 IMG_0518 IMG_0522 IMG_0521

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Ginger


It is oddly appropriate that today's bbc post is supposed to be about animals.

I had to take my dog Ginger to the vet this afternoon because we noticed that she was bleeding a little while urinating. So, I brought her in tonight and we found out that she has a kidney stone. Unfortunatly it looks like she will have to have surgery to remove it. She is only 7 years old, so she is still young and in very good health overall. The surgery is going to be quite expensive; the vet guesstimated somewhere in the $1500-$1800 ball park, not good. We wouldn't feel so overwhelmed by the expense if they would allow us to make payments towards the total.

For those of you who don't already know, we had to put our cat down a couple months ago because he was old and sick. Our cat, Zeno, was 13 and had a thyroid problem as well as a few other things going on, and we were told that surgery probably wouldn't be a fix all for him. In the end we had to have him put down. It was really sad for all of us, we had him for so long.

Hopefully this surgery for Ginger will be the end to her problems. I hate to think that she is in pain, so I just want to get it over with. I will probably go ahead and make her appointment tomorrow, and we'll just have to figure it out.

10 Pins and 3 Kooks!

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Since the weather here is still being so temperamental and is somewhat cool ( not warm enough for the pool!) we went bowling instead. Bowling sure has gotten expensive! I remember bowling on the weekend with my friends and it was about $1.00 a game. Today, it is $3.75 a game plus $2 something for shoes, per person! We did have a good time though, and we were all ready to quit after 2 games. (Landon was happy to be done after just one game!) Jaron beat us all the first game (117) and he and I tied the second (104). Landon and Zoe were close behind both games though and we all had a pretty good time...which is all that really counts in the end any ways!

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Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Here Batter Batter!

I decided that since the kids and I stayed home pretty much all day today that we should take them to the batting cages tonight, just for the heck of it. So, we headed up there with $19.00 and figured each of them would get $5.00 worth of hits, and when you buy $5.00 in tokens you get one free, so they each received 6. One token = 15 hits. Any who, Tony and I just couldn't stand there and watch, we just had to get in on the action! It was so much fun smacking the hell out of those balls. Jaron, Zoe and I played slow pitch softball, Landon played slow pitch baseball, and Tony played a little here a little there. Zoe has never played before (for real) so she was intimidated and kept saying she couldn't do it, and the helmet didn't fit and she couldn't see...then once we were all having fun, she got into it and enjoyed it. Jaron was non-stop the whole time, just loving it. (When he was younger he played baseball and hated it because they made him wear a cup, so when we got there he said, "Are they going to make us wear a cup?" I told him no, and he was so happy!) LOL! The time flew by and we spent every last dollar we had on us, and then this freak rain storm came through, so we were done in the nick of time really! Landon had his own bats, and he was using his wooden bat, until he cracked it! We couldn't believe that he actually cracked his bat! (I think he was just a tad impressed with himself!) Jaron and Zoe IMG_0469 IMG_0465 IMG_0472

1/2 Way...

We are half way through 2008 already! Where does time go? Seems like time just moves faster and faster the older I get. For the BBC (Big blog challenge) we were supposed to write about what resolutions we made at the beginning of the year and see where we were with them.

Well, I didn't make any resolutions this year, as I haven't in the past several years. In a way, I feel that it just sets me up for failure, so instead I don't make them, I just keep trying to improve myself in whatever ways I can. I need to work on losing some weight and I really need to come up with something that works for me. Tony and I have been walking at night, but it is leisurely, nothing that works up a sweat. Other than that, I just try to do my best whether it be at raising my kids or working through the everyday dilemma's to making sure that our household runs as smoothly as possible!

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Hot to Trot!

My sister LaTisha came up for a visit today. I couldn't believe she actually came! She is a nurse and she works wacky hours, but she still made the trip up to see me and the kids for the day. I took her up the Arundel Mills to look for a dress for her big date with Lorenzo. He wants her to wear a dress (something she NEVER does) and get her hair done so he can take her out for her birthday. He just wants her to have a special day and for everything to be perfect.IMG_0444 So, anyways, we went to the mall and she tried on one dress and it happened to be "the one"! It just looked so cute on her and the price was perfect!  Of course because my sister is a total shoe freak she had to also get a pair of heels to go with her new dress...and that was a little tougher, since she's a little picky, but we did find these cute little shoes...now she is all ready for her big night out! IMG_0438 Jaron decided to spend a few days with us since he is now out of school, so the kids are thrilled about that. Half of the neighborhood is hanging out at our house right now, playing charades and tag and board games...they are all having such a great time!

IMG_0448One other pic to share and it is of Zoe and LaTisha showing off their fancy little dresses...really it is Zoe showing Aunt TT her 8th grade dress and me telling them to let me get a pic, but whatever!  They sure are cute!

Monday, June 16, 2008

Sunrise/Sunset

Both of these pictures were taken last year on our cruise. IMG_7643Tony, my husband, got up super early in order to get the first shot...and I think it is a really beautiful photo. The second photo was also taken by my husband, who rushed out of dinner in order to get it before it IMG_7650went all the way down. We kept saying we wanted  to get a sunset photo, but we were so busy doing things on the ship we kept forgetting. Finally, Tony remembered and he caught this gorgeous sunset just in the nick of time. It sure makes me wish we were there now...

Sunday, June 15, 2008

Father's Day

Father's Day at our house is much like Mother's Day at our house...not too different than any other day! The kids did make Tony cards and we also found this really neat kiosk in the mall that was called Looxis, where they took a picture of the kids and then etched their image inside a piece of glass. (Click the link to see an example.) It turned out pretty neat, and he plans to take it to work. Here is what our looks like, it was really hard to get a good pic...so this is just the idea: IMG_0428 

It says Happy Father's Day 2008...I figured it was just a neat little trinket.

And I feel like a big dummy because my parents came up to visit yesterday and I didn't get a picture of my dad and I! I will have to make sure that the next time he and I are together we get a picture together. We didn't do much while they were here, but mom and I did go look for fabric for her to make curtains in their office area, and then we pretty much just hung out here talking the day away while the kids played. Landon had his make-up All-Star game at 8pm, so we all went and sat in the rain and watched him play. IMG_0417 He did wonderful, and it was fun to watch. It was especially nice that so many of us were there rooting him on...it made him feel special. While Landon was playing baseball, Jaron and Zoe were off to the side kicking a soccer ball back and forth to each other...that is until Zoe twisted her ankle! She really hurt it, and is still limping around today. I couldn't believe she hurt herself again, and it hasn't even been a week since she got the cast off of her arm. I am hoping that it will be better tomorrow and we won't need to go to the doctor's office again. She already seems to be doing better getting around though...keep your fingers crossed!

Here's a nice pic of Tony and the kids from today...we are all just hanging out at home, doing a bunch of nothing...

DSC02079

Dad and Tony-

I just want you both to know how special you are, and we all are very lucky to have you in our lives. Happy Fathers Day.

Saturday, June 14, 2008

Free Friday Flik!

One of the local parks around here, along with a local television station, hosted a free Friday flik (movie). There were tons of games for the kids (all free), a huge park area and even an area for kids to ride their skateboards. There was pizza, popcorn, hotdog's, and other treats for sale but we brought a picnic with us and the weather was just perfect for an evening spent outside. The movie that they were playing was Surf's Up, and because we chose to sit really far back, we couldn't hear it that well. I don't know if it was due to where we were sitting that we couldn't hear or just that all the kids around us were still running around and playing, either way I have no idea what the movie was about, and we ended up leaving about 30 minutes into it. The kids had a good time although it was much more geared for Landon's age group. Zoe was a good sport about it and enjoyed herself any ways. I hope that we will be able to get to another one of these, and we will make sure to sit closer up next time so we can hear the movie! IMG_0402 IMG_0387

Thursday, June 12, 2008

Me, me, me!

Today's blog is all about me...so, I like the list I did the other day, and am going to do that again! (It's just so much easier!)
  • I am 31 years old, and my birthday is on Oct. 7th. I was born in Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas and I grew up in a military family. I was the first of 3 children.
  • I love many forms of art; going to the theatre is one of my favorite things to do...I am just so moved by great acting/singing/dancing. Scrapbooking, I guess, has become my way of "expressing" art. I don't really do anything else arty.
  • I have two children, one daughter and one son. I have been married for 8 years and we dated for 4 years before that. I met my husband through an old boyfriend...
  • As a teenager the last thing I wanted to do was become a sahm. I thought I would be a lot of things, but not that, and here I am, still home after nearly 7 years. I want to go back to work, but I am scared about what that will mean not only for me, but for my family. I also don't know what I want to do, so that doesn't help.
  • I was a big pain in the a$$ in high school, but now I am pretty mellow, I think! I am hoping that my kids won't be anything like I was, and I think my daughter is way too smart to act like I did, and my son is just to young yet for me to know. I will keep my eye on them just to make sure though!
  • I graduated high school in Augsburg, Germany and before that I lived in Berlin. I miss Germany sometimes and wish I could go back and visit although I know it just wouldn't be the same.
IMG_0347 Ok, that's enough! Here is a photo of my husband and I from last night. We went out to dinner to celebrate our 8th anniversary. We went to a restaurant called Pazo in Baltimore. It is quickly becoming one of my favorite places to go because the food is just so good. We both feel like we could pretty much order anything on the menu and love it, it's just that good!

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

So grateful

Today's blog is to write a letter about who/what we are grateful for. I'm not so good at writing letters, so I will just make a list! Cheating? I don't think so...

  • My husband and children. The older I get the more I realize just how important these three people are to me. We share so much. We know how to make each other laugh, how to make each other mad, we know each others quirks and what makes us each special and unique and our strengths and weaknesses. We spend so much time together that sometimes we make each other crazy, but  most of the time we are happy to be around each other.
  • My parents are terribly special to me, and again the older I get the more I realize how much I need them. I am really glad that they live closer to us and we see them much more often now. I know it wasn't a move that they wanted to make, but I am certainly reaping the benefits of having them closer.
  • My sister and brother. Of course we don't spend all that much time together right now, but as they get settled with their new jobs and life, hopefully they will come visit me every once in awhile. Both of them are very different people, but both are special and will always have a special place in my heart.
  • My little dog, Ginger. I am grateful for her because she is just a sweet dog. She is always happy to see me and no matter what, and she is just so easy to please. Just a little treat or walk and she is happy as can be. I wish everything was that simple sometimes.
  • I am grateful for my mother-in-law, who I know I can depend on and she will always help us, no matter what. She is always more than happy to watch the kids for us, or help with a project, or whatever. She is just happy to be able to help us, and we are very grateful (and lucky) to have her.
  • I am grateful that we live in a nice house, that my car is still running, that my air conditioner works, that we are all healthy, that I have a great tree in the front yard that gives me shade on my porch, that I get to scrapbook, for all my friends (past and present), for iced tea, summer vacation and chocolate. I could go on and on, but you get the idea!

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Book Review

I like books that are about real people and the struggles that they have faced, or at least books that could be real. I am not too interested in Fantasy or Sci-Fi, but I have read and really enjoyed all of the Harry Potter Books and well as a couple odd one's here and there.

My current book is Tweak by Nic Sheff. I haven't finished it yet, but I only started reading it 2 days ago...that should be an indication of how good it is! My mom gave me this book, we trade books all the time. I suppose she likes reading the same, crazy stuff I read! This book is all about Nic (author and subject!) and his struggles with crystal meth and heroine addicition, and then his struggle to get out of the mess he's made. His book is very well written, fast paced and keeps me wondering what the hell he's going to do next. My link will take you to the book on Amazon, but you could probably find this at your library.

I just noticed that Nic Sheff's dad, David Sheff also wrote a book about his son's drug addiction...guess I will have to read that one next!

Monday, June 9, 2008

8 wonderful years

Today was a super busy day. When I first woke up this morning, Tony had left me a flower on his pillow, and a little note saying Happy Anniversary. I saw the flower was from our garden outside and after thinking how nice it was, I thought how it was probably full of bugs! So I put it on my nightstand and went back to sleep. LOL! First day of the kids break so I can do that! Woo hoo!IMG_0298

The kids and I had tons of errands to run today, and then Landon had to get a haircut. As we got home from all our running around, Tony showed up from work (3 hours early) with flowers (store bought this time!) and a card. I had nothing to give in return because we were supposed to go out on Saturday to celebrate. So, I felt pretty guilty about that, and I really should have guessed he would do that, since it has happened that way before!

I had Zoe take the above picture of the two of us because I am trying to get a few more pic's  of JUST us together.

IMG_0281Zoe got her cast off today, and her arm looks perfect again. She said it is a little sore, but that is to be expected after being in a cast and not moving it for 3 weeks. Now we can go to the pool, and we will probably go to Six Flags one day this week so we can hit the water park! Hooray!

This evening Landon's baseball team celebrated with an end of the season pizza party. Landon had so much fun playing with the kids and this year's coach was great! He just really knew how to talk to the kids and he was very good at keeping them interested and happy. They gave out the trophies and each child also got a ball signed by each of the (6) coaches. This team was truly a group effort, and it was great fun. IMG_0317 I don't want to post a photo of Landon getting the trophy as his coach is in every shot and I don't have his permission to post his photo online...but here is his trophy and ball!

Photo of the Day

Today we were to post a photo of water. I took this picture the last time the kids and I went out to the park. We were there feeding the ducks and I got this great shot of Zoe. It isn't perfect, and is a little blurry, but I still really like the pic. I'm sure I will be scrapping this one sometime soon. DSC01866

Sunday, June 8, 2008

We Love Ikea!

We made a trip out to Ikea this morning to look for a desk for Zoe's room...she had stuff sitting in the middle of the floor for nearly 2 weeks since we got rid of the last one, so it was time. I had no idea what I wanted but ended up finding a really nice, plain black wood desk; and since she needed some drawers we got a set of matching drawers for underneath...

We also found a desk lamp for $3.99 and some dry erase boards for above the desk. She just had to have the wipe boards so we got two, and then one for Landon's room because he just HAD to have one too! I still feel like there is something missing, but I just don't what it is...but I see in the pic that I need to hide those cords! Surprised

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Great Summer Memories

When I was a kid we went on all different kinds of vacations and mini trips. Because we were military we were able to go a lot of places that we probably wouldn't have if we weren't military.

Of all the trips we took though, I think some of my fondest memories are of visiting where my parents grew up (in Oklahoma)  and seeing all of our extended relatives. My mom is 1 of 15 so our family on her side is quite large, while my dad's side is small with him only having one brother. I loved visiting my cousins and grandparents houses. They all lived close together and were able to see each other pretty often, and we were only able to visit every few years or so, but they always made me feel loved and special...no matter how long it had been since the last time they saw us, and it is still the same when we go to visit now.

We made the drive from Maryland to Oklahoma a few years ago,    ( it took 3, 8 hour, days each way) and even though the drive was LONG it was really nice to see all of my cousins and aunts and uncles again! It had been so many years since the last time I had seen them, but they welcomed us all and it was as though we had never left!

Saturday, June 7, 2008

A,E,I,O,U?

On the way to the movies today, somehow we got on the subject of birthdays and anniversaries. For some reason Zoe mentioned that her friends grandparents were about to celebrate their 50th and that they were going to get married again. I said " you mean renew their vows" and she said, yeah that's what it's called. Landon's little brain was working hard to figure this all out and he said "you mean like say a, e, i, o, u?" LOL! I thought that was just hilarious!

Anyway's, we went to see The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. It was pretty good, the scenery in the movie was amazing and the acting was pretty decent (especially since the kids are so young!) , but the first one was (in my opinion) much better. This one was darker and had a lot of fighting in it, just not my kind of thing. The kids liked it, but even Zoe said she liked the first one better, and lord knows we never agree on anything! Going to the movies is such an expensive event these days that we hardly ever go. I think we spent nearly $60.00 for 4 tickets, 2 sodas, 1 popcorn and one candy for each of the kids. I suppose we won't be going back for awhile...

Summer Menu

During the summer months my husband does a lot of grilling. we like to grill ribs, steaks, hamburgers, shrimp etc..we like to pair it up with a baked potato and some corn on the cob or a salad.my husband and I are always trying out new recipes, and this is one we came across recently (2000, taste of home) and we both really liked it. It makes a lot, so it would be great for a get together with friends.

Summer Spaghetti Salad

1 pkg. (16 oz) thin spaghetti, halved

3 medium tomato's, diced

3 small zucchini, diced

1 large cucumber, halved, seeded and diced

1 medium green pepper, diced

1 medium sweet red pepper, diced

1 bottle (8oz.) Italian salad dressing

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1-1/2 tsp. sesame seeds

1-1/2 tsp. poppy seeds

1/2 tsp. paprika

1/4 tsp. celery seed

1/8 tsp. garlic powder

Cook spaghetti according to package directions; drain and rinse in cold water. Place in a large bowl; add tomatoes, zucchini, cucumber, and peppers. Combine remaining ingredients; pour over salad and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Yield: 16 servings

IMG_0258for desert,how about some strawberry shortcake?  I took this photo for the June photohunt, doesn't it look tasty?

Friday, June 6, 2008

Dream Vacations

There is no way that I can choose only one place for a dream vacation. There are so many places that I would like to travel, near and far. We plan on visiting Disney World within the next couple years, I would like to go next year, but we probably won't be able to afford it until 2010. I'd like to be able to fly down the next time we go because 16 hours is a LONG drive when you've got 2 kids in the car. And gas...I can't even imagine what it will be in 2 years!

I would love to go on another cruise someday also. We went on one last summer and it was just fabulous! From beginning to end it was just amazing.

I would also like to travel across the U.S. in an RV. My retired neighbors are just about to do that, and they are going for 3 years! Can you imagine the things you could do/see in 3 years time? If that were me, I would make sure to hit all 50 states -well, maybe not Alaska and Hawaii by RV!?!

I would also like to go to Europe with my family. I lived in Germany for 5 years and I would just love to take my husband over there to show him where I lived. I know most of the American areas are closed down (at least where I lived) but there is so much to do and see in Berlin alone! I sure hope we'll be able to do that sometime!

I would also like to visit Ireland, China, Australia, Africa and the list goes on and on...I think that every city/state/country has something wonderful to offer and I would like to see as much of it as possible!

Thursday, June 5, 2008

Madonna ft. Justin Timberlake - 4 Minutes

Well, I wouldn't exactly call this my "theme" song, but I really like it! I can remember LOVING Madonna when I was a little kid, songs like Lucky Star and Crazy For You, and I really like this song now too! I like Justin Timberlake's music too, so this song is twice as good! ;)

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Someone/Something I Love

Today we are supposed to link something or someone that we love, and I thought of a few:

Being that Tony and I are about to celebrate our 8th wedding anniversary, he definitely qualifies as someone I love. I love my kids and family too, but they aren't bloggers and have no page that I can link them up with! LOL!

Something else I love is scrapbooking and I spend way too much time on Scrapbook.com! It isn't all bad though because I find lots of great ideas there as well as challenges (such as this one) that keep me creating new pages.

Another thing I Love: Ugly Betty! I can't get enough of this show and I can't wait till it starts back up!

One more: Wii I just love this thing! We have so many fun games for it and we play it every day. My personal favorites (right now) are Wii Fit and Mario Kart. I've been playing them like crazy!

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Ahhh...now that's refreshing!

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This photo was taken last summer on our cruise. We were spending the day in Santo Domingo, just relaxing at the beach and playing in the water. Tony and I just loved the gorgeous green water and the temperature was just right. Hot outside and cool in the water. This picture is not only "refreshing" in the water sense, but it is also "refreshing" my memory as to what a wonderful time we had!

Monday, June 2, 2008

Published!

I am so happy to announce that one of my layouts was chosen for the June issue of Scrapbooking.com Magazine! Back in April, on a whim, I decided to answer a pub call and I was stunned when Jami Peterson e-mailed me and wanted to include my page in the issue! This was the first pub call I had ever sent something to, so it was a big surprise to me...and I never told anyone for fear that Jaime would change her mind! Anyway's, if you click the link above you will see the little article I wrote as well as the page I made! ;)

Hot! Hot! Hot!

For the month of June I am going to try to blog daily using The BIG Blog Challenge as a guideline. So, to get things started we are to blog about something "HOT" and what that word means to us.

When I think of hot, I think of summer, vacation, road trips, bathing suits (eww!), catching fireflies, sandals, bbqing, eating outside on the patio, and lazy days by the pool. It hasn't gotten too hot here yet, but it is slowly creeping up. We are looking at a high of about 78 today, so not quite pool weather, but getting there.

A few days ago I got some new rocking chairs for my front porch and Tony and I have been sitting out there in the evening. It's nice and cool up front where there is shade and we can keep an eye on the kids at the park at the same time.

We are such nerds though, cuz' we sit out there playing our DS's! I've been playing Crosswords and he's playing some old game from the 80's called Impossible Mission. I also started a new book called The Friday Night Knitting Club and so far it is pretty good! It would be ok with me if it stayed in the 70's here all summer, but the kids would be disappointed if they didn't get to play in the pool.

Sunday, June 1, 2008

Arlington Echo

Because I didn't go on the Arlington Echo school field trip I am only going to do a short blog about it. For all of you who don't know what it is, it is a school sponsored field trip where the kids are invited to spend a day and night at a local park. They learn all about nature and have an incredible time. At night, they make smores, sing songs and then go on a hike. And, to top it all off they all stay in cabins with their classmates! I am sure you can imagine the fun that is! Tony went with Landon on the trip and the only complaint they had was that it was hot in their cabin at night.

One of Landon's favorite parts of the trip was when he got to be a bell-hop. For each meal there are kids chosen to serve the others, and he had breakfast duty. IMG_0217 I remember when Zoe went years ago and the only thing she cared about was getting a chance to be the bell-hop...it is a coveted position! I just want to share this photo of Landon when he was the "beekeeper", it is just too cute! IMG_0227

April Fools Pranks

The two little kids made me laugh yesterday morning.  I was upstairs getting things ready for school when I heard them talking about how ...