Well, here are the three cherubs ready for school...each year that "seriously, hurry up" look on their faces gets more pronounced. I just LoVe to torture them!

They have seemingly settled in well to their new surroundings...this week will be better I hope...more familiar with the new faces, more comfortable with the new routine....each week should get easier. It's hard to watch them be the new kids on the block...wish I could take the brunt of that for them, but I can't, so I will just try and be supportive and encouraging...ya know, that thing Mom's are supposed to do. Oh, and pray harder that they fit in well and make some lasting friendships.

As excited as I was for them to start school again, I am seriously dreading the 6 am wakeup call every morning...I was so tired last night I turned out my light at 9:45! Didn't take long for me to pass out in a fit of exhaustion!! I also thought having a quiet house would be great....but I actually miss the company (most of the time)!! Eating lunch alone for the first time in 13 years hasn't been as great as I thought it would be....its WAY to quiet!!

I know in time that I will get used to it, and actually, the days have gone REALLY fast, but in my heart, I miss my guys...they have been my life for the past 13 years and I enjoyed having them around...fights and all.

OK, enough sensitive subjects...I am going to cry now.

All I can hope is that they miss me a little during the day, and that I have made some sort of difference in their lives so far.

And, just so I have something to aim for in the little time that I have with them now each day, here is my Mom checklist:

Don't worry, I know this is ALOT to live up to each day, so I will shoot for at least a 50% success rate here...don't want to disappoint myself or add to my "mother's guilt"!! After this long, I know how much I am capable of.

But, I encourage you all to look at this list and give it a shot...our kids are worth it don't you think?!?!?!

"Belly" Laugh...

Just had to post this...funniest thing I have seen in a long time, and made me LAUGH OUT LOUD!! I needed that today.

I have always been in awe of those women who can have those LOVELY maternity photos taken...oh how I wish my pregnant belly would have been naked belly photo worthy...it was NOT.

Enjoy the laugh...will be back tomorrow to share how I feel about being alone in my house all day now that all of my kids are in school . . . ALL DAY.

Loon Lake!

We took a little tripsey DDDDOOOOOOWWWWWWNNNNN the Oregon Coast, to beautiful Loon Lake...lets just say the trip was a LITTLE farther down than I thought! It became a joke after awhile, to see just HOW much further we had to go...I was trying to judge in 1/4 inches on our Oregon map! The boys somehow lost their sense of humor after we left Florence.



It was a rainy trip down 101..and I have forgotten just how much of a cow trail that road becomes once you leave Newport. I seriously thought we were going to topple over the cliff a few times...EEEK!


Beautiful drive though, even in the rain.


We finally arrived though...and Loon Lake looked promising...

Just kidding...this was the next day...we arrived to a temperature of just 55 degrees...after we had left a HOT 90 degree day back home in the valley!

I was a little nervous when we got up the next day, thinking this was going to be a camping trip filled with games and visiting inside the tent, but by 11 am or so, the skys parted and the day was beautiful...so much so that my skin will never be the same...OUCH.

The kids swam, and swam and swam...


Travis swam until he was numb with blue lips...
We roasted marshmallows, read, got really sandy and dirty, played with frogs and the kids fished...I STILL cannot tear worms apart to bait the hook...blech. I know, I am a wimp.
All in all, great little vacay...not sure we will go back unless we take the travel trailer for some noise protection though...apparently Loon Lake is a GREAT place to party into the WEE hours of the morning...and a tent provides NO sound barrier...oh, to be young again!

Great reminder...

Do you operate from a need to BE RIGHT or a commitment to DO RIGHT?

If you need to BE RIGHT you will naturally try to manipulate others to get in line with your way of thinking and turn most people away.

If your motivating objective is a desire to DO RIGHT then you will attract friends and followers by your example.

As the old saying goes, "People don't care how much you know till they know how much you care," but the first few verses of 1 Cor. 13 says it best.

Your motivation will have a profound affect on your ability to demonstrate a selfless, giving love towards others.

How could I FORGET!?!??!

How could I possibly forget to blog about my little dude turning 6?!??!

Say it isn't so.

The event came and went, and I forgot to tell you all about it. Wow. I am a little scatterbrained! Actually, I think I am already trying to ignore the fact that his birthdays come every year. Where has six years gone? It took FOREVER for Jared to get to age 6, now here Travis is 6 already and I feel like it missed something.


Sigh.


He, of course, is thrilled to pieces to be 6. He said night before last that "life is SSSOOOOO much better at age 6"....LOVE that kid and his words sometimes. Cracks me up.

He got Legos, books, LOTS of money, a Camelback water pack and more cars.

He has inherited the Horton "smirk" as I like to call it...that no teeth thing, but when he lets a full on smile go, WATCH OUT. The cuteness factor goes through the roof.
Well, OK, you turned six Mr. That's alright with me I guess. You will always be my baby, and you can't HIDE from me!!! AAAAHHHHHHAAAAAA!! Go on, grow up. I can't wait to watch.

xoxoxoxo

Mommy

I am LOVIN' this....

Clothes on the line on a HOT summer day...nothing better! I am really enjoying this perk of living here in the new house. Things come off a little crunchy, but once you move around in them awhile, they loosen up...I do, however, leave personals and bath towels to the conventional dryer...we don't like the crunchy EVERYWHERE if you get my drift. Saves on our energy bill too.

Now, if we could just get some sun EVERYDAY...overcast weather does nothing to dry your clothes!!

The BIG 13

Well, its official. We have a teenager...we just cannot say that too loud...he doesn't care for that word. :) I don't want him to grow up either!

Words and numbers aside...he is growing up into a great young man, and we are super proud of him.

He is getting a little hard to buy for these days, so we tried to get creative...and, we did buy him some things that he "needs", which fits Jared to a "T"! Always practical that kid is.

He did, however, really enjoy the tent we got him...and it should be fun to watch him set up his own space next time we go camping. We will plan to add to his camping collection, so that when he flys out of the nest, he will have a great start...lets just hope he doesn't need to use it for housing purposes. Tee Hee.

And, what is a holiday without some new Hardy Boys books to add to the collection??!?!?!

Happy Birthday first born...I can't believe that you are growing up so fast. Regardless of the growing pains that you are experiencing and that our relationship occasionally experiences, you mean the world to me and I am so proud of you. You are one of my greatest accomplishments. Thanks for making me smile everyday big guy. You are the bomb.