Didn't you know? Summer is OVER!

Summer has ended.. officially.. tonight. Our kids go back to school tomorrow and I have had such a hard time wrapping my brain around that fact that I forgot about Kindergarten orientation AND meet the teacher. (I stink as a parent this week)

Anyway, moving on... I decided I better post about our GREAT summer vacation to Newport Beach! It has been a summer tradition for quite some time, but this year, the G-pa and the K-lo pulled out ALL of the stops and rented a beach house for all of us to stay in. It was right on the Boardwalk where we could watch all of the beach traffic go by.
Unfortunately, it was an interstate freeway where people were traveling at 55 mph and we did have ONE incident where this guy(my nephew Carson) Got run over by a very aware and spry biker who managed to bail off his bike as they collided. WHEW! Besides.. who wants to collide with the INCREDIBLE HULK??? (I didn't get any pictures of the carnage.. but everyone was ok)

We had a phenomenal view of the ocean every day and it made me realize why people put up with the prices and traffic of So-Cal... because the weather is HEAVENLY.
I mean, who wouldn't want to walk out the front door to THAT every morning!

We hit the beach every day and had LOTS of entertainment from all of the cousins. G-pa and K-lo even figured out a way to incorporate whipping cream into the fun. The only thing we could figure out is that they had a life long dream of spraying grand kids with whipping cream and letting them run around... Click on it if you want to see the whip cream heads up close!

All of my babies had the best time. As a matter of fact, Jaxon requested just today that we pack up our bags and go to the "cool house on the beach!" A boy after my own heart...


Trust me Jaxon, all I want to do everyday is lay on the beach too....

Some must have/dos for the beach?

Surrey Rides!

The Pageant of the Masters in Laguna Beach!


An Ihome Portable Speaker set that hooks up to ANY ONE'S IPOD. (I bought mine at Costco for $29.99.

A meal at the CRAB COOKER:

And SLEEPING IN THE CLOSET..Just ask Wade. :)

Indecent Exposure

I had an appointment today with the Department of Developmental Disabilities. It was at 1:30 p.m. I forgot until he arrived and I was still in my "house clothes" (pajamas)and hadn't taken a shower yet. I guess that is ONE way to let them know "we need help!" He told me that Jaxon needed to be there. I have never done this before (we are applying for Jaxon so we can get a case worker and have some assistance with all of his MEDICAL BILLS!!!!!!!) so, I wasn't sure what to expect. I mean, was he going to interview Jaxon? Or, did he just want to make sure he was a real person? I don't know.

What I DO know is that Jaxon made one HECK of an impression when he ran in from the pool and said, "HI!!! I'M JAXON!!! I WANT TO SHOW YOU SOMETHING!" And then promptly pulls down his swim trunks exposing...well.....everything. Welp, I guess that I ONE way to prove that he has a disability..

Anyway, I guess part of the problem is Jaxon and his understanding of anatomy. We were talking later as he was getting dressed and I pointed to it (you know what) and said, Jaxon.. What is that? (I am going somewhere with this.. I was going to tell him you don't show THAT to people!) He said... "MY BELLYBUTTON!" Humph.

Hopefully we can get that anatomy straight before he starts school on Monday and flashes his "Belly Button" to a whole class full of Kindergartners.....


Oh, and MANY Thanks to Pip, Mombabe and Gabi for coming to my house tonight. It is sooooooo nice to know that my blogger friends aren't imaginary.... my husband and I have that argument all of the time. :)

CALLING ALL AZ BLOGGERS!

Do you live here? Well, if you do, I am going to have a little bloggerella party. That is right. But you gotta be quick because it is Thursday night, and famous people will be here.. I mean FAMOUS. Let me know and I will get you the dets.

:)

WORST PARENTS EVER!

I am pretty sure we should put our children up for adoption and pack it in. Yep. . . We have failed as parents. Abby lost her third tooth.. We are still on our FIRST child and she lost one of her two front teeth and guess what... The next morning I found a letter from her on the kitchen table addressed to: Dear Mom and Dad: This is what it said:



When I asked Peter what happened to the "Tooth Fairy" he said, "I couldn't find my wallet!" And he knows darn well not to check my wallet because there is NEVER any money in there! The worst part is .... she woke up to tears this morning because WE FORGOT AGAIN!

Peter insists that I lose 25 % of my brain every pregnancy (it doesn't come back) and since this is number 4, you know what that means.. I forgot to remind him, and he forgot to do it.. But, NEVER FEAR! It will be done tonight. I PROMISE!

Can we have a second chance at parenting? PLEASE???

The Joys of Scrapbooking

Marta has been the inspiration for a COUPLE of posts lately... but when I read this one, I had to pop on over to my blog and share with the world one of my FAVORITE things..

MY PUBLISHER...

My Publisher+Years of pictures stuck on my hard drive=Guilt Free, Quick and Easy "Scrapbooking" with no painstaking decisions over what paper to use.

I got married..I bought a scrapbook to scrapbook our wedding.. I put 10 pictures in it.. it has sat in my closet ever since. :) Several years ago I came across MY PUBLISHER. I am not sure where I heard about it, but I decided to make a baby book for my oldest daughter Abby. I dropped and clicked pictures to my hearts content and made her a hard bound baby book. It wasn't until a few years later that I determined this was going to be the ONLY way to get the 1,000s of pictures I had taken over the last 8 years off my hard drive and on to my coffee table. Not to mention My Publisher Books come with a sleek hard bound cover with a picture window (if you want) and they keep your books FOREVER in case a page gets torn (I buy the 11X13 size for my year books-- and the 8 x 10s for gifts) or in case you lose them in a fire etc. Perfect. You just click the button and re-print. They are PERFECT GIFTS if you keep 'em small, and you can make a book and wait until they run a promotion for 40% or 50% off and then print them ALL! (That is what I do)

My whole family is in on it now, and my mom printed a book of things she *LOVES* featuring all of her grandchildren along with other favorite things and sent it to all of her grandchildren. Perfect. So, enjoy my favorite way to get out of scrapbooking...FOREVER! :)

To see my books go to Mypublisher.com Click on My Bookshelf and enter an order number:

For My MIL's Birthday Gift of the Summer Vacation:
Your book ID # is: R506094
Your password is: 1005643

For Our Second Year of Marriage:
Your book ID # is: M509426
Your password is: 1008689

For My Gift to My MOM for her Birthday:
Your Book ID # is: M273734
Your password is: 753098

My Favorite Year in Pictures (2004:
Your Book ID # is: M239286
Your password is: 716004
(We went to Hawaii and I had a digital camera for the first time!) PS- with my earlier books I scanned pictures and put negatives to disk. The image quality isn't as good with scanning, but it worked well for what I wanted!

Enjoy! Oh, and hey, if you decide to become a MY PUBLISHER FAN... tell them I sent ya..

Lindzstew at hotmail dot com

BLOGIVERSARY ANNOUNCEMENT

Ok, I know I said I was going to do a giveaway, but since I am on Vacation.. I am going to wait until I get back to do my giveaway.. I want it to be good and proper and all... So, instead, I will make an announcement....

Remember when I was doing this and this and this???


Well, I was this:


You might ask, What on EARTH? Who is crazy enough to have a baby while they are MOVING to another STATE, and BUYING a NEW BUSINESS and under EXTREME AMOUNTS OF STRESS????? Well, I guess we are.

Blogiversary

My Blogiversary is coming up! That is right! I started blogging 1 year ago on
July 15th. I can't help but think about how my family (and my blogging) has changed over the past year. Wade has gotten one year older (which we all know that first year of babyhood is PACKED with milestones)... Abby started First Grade, Jaxon ...well, he was Jaxon, and we packed up our life and belongings and moved to Arizona! In the middle of summer! (We crazy)

My blog originally started as a way to keep in touch with my family that lived out of state and keep them up on our family life. I also loved posting recipes (I just haven't been cooking new things lately folks..come on, I just moved) as a matter of fact, I posted SOOOOOO many, I started a different blog just for that! Then I found the "blogging" world and a whole new way of expressing myself emerged. It was at that point that my husband claims my blog became all about ME... yep.. It is.. because I am writing it.. so there. He claims that he is going to start his own "our family blog" but you know.. that will happen when pigs fly, so, until then, I still post from time to time about my cute, adorable FAMILY!

As part of my celebration... I will be doing a GIVEAWAY.. But we will have to wait until the 15th for that. Until then I had a fun time looking over my blog and picking out MY favorite blog posts... Here are my top 10.

**I loved calling out the lurkers and even got some new blog friends out of it!

**I love it when randomness happens around the house and you get to catch it for posterity... I mean, I would have never even THOUGHT of that before blogging....

**Being unable to sleep NEVER happens to me.. but when it did, this is what happened...

**I have a few obsessions and I enjoy blogging about them. Here is my favorite obsession.

**From time to time processing my feelings on-line really helps. On this one, I about had a nervous breakdown. I am glad I could share it with all of you.

**Blogging about Jaxon is just inevitable. Here was an epiphany I had about him.

**I have a house full of artists...really.. Abby is my favorite budding artist and here is why.

**Here is all of my deep dark secrets. Betcha didn't know I am best friends with Justin Timberlake, did ya!

**For those of you who think that miracles no longer happen on earth, I am here to prove you WRONG.

**I LOVE the funny things my kids do and trying to capture those moments. This and this are my favorite on camera and this and this are my favorite videos...

Which are your favs?

OBSESSION RECAPPED

You didn't think I would let the Finale of the Bachelorette go by without a recap.. DID YOU? :)

What can I say.... I wish I had saved it on my tivo, because I would have typed out exactly what Jason said in the limo... Something about Jesse being, "exciting and different" thus causing admiration. Then, once you get that out of your system, you go back to "safe". I don't think Jason was particularly safe. I mean, he showed his wild side.. his adventurous side.. How can anyone not feel totally heartbroken for him. He just, to me, seemed like the better guy to actually MARRY. But, I guess it is hard to see that unless you have BEEN married. Don't cha think? (What was up with the sister in law? She was ALL OVER Jesse... I think SHE wanted to marry him!) I think her actual sister had it more right, and I also think she DID have her mind made up by the time she brought them home (even though she CLAIMS she didn't) Because any time anyone would say anything derogatory about Jesse she wouldn't look at them.. .like she was mad and didn't want to hear what they had to say.

Just because DeAnna didn't choose who I wanted her to, I am not one of those people who say, "I AM NEVER GOING TO WATCH THAT STUPID SHOW AGAIN!" Why? Because I expected as much.. it never (Ok, almost never) turns out the way I wanted it to. I guess I just watch it for the ride and the human drama. We all relate to wanting to find "the one" and I think that is what makes it so interesting. To watch someone else go through that process (even though it is not REMOTELY like real life and it is on hyper speed).

There, I have recapped it for you (did I?) Or I guess more or less said my peace...now my stat counter will go back to normal (I was getting all of the googled Bachelorette Spoilers) It was sad to wake up this morning and see it back down to this:It makes my old numbers look soooooooo tiny.. Doesn't it? That is because I got over 1200 hits yesterday. WOW.

Now I am on to ANOTHER summer love... BURN NOTICE. It starts on Thursday night. If you have never watched it, it is on USA and I am sure they are re-playing old episodes until the new season starts. It is a super funny spy show where the lead actor is super easy on the eyes. Ahhhhhhhhhh summer.

Where Have all the Children Gone?

I am ashamed... I am ashamed that I have not posted any pictures of my kids in... months... Lets face it. My life has been consumed with packing and unpacking and generally trying not to kill the children as I endure all of this extreme stress. Needless to say, I haven't had very many "camera ready" moments in the past few weeks.. As I scrolled back, and the most recent picture I have is of Abby is at her fake birthday party. Then, Wade...I haven't even TALKED about him in months.. and I think the last picture I posted of him was here. And Jaxon? Poor Jaxon.. the most neglected of the bunch. I have INDEED posted ABOUT him (ps- the sneaking has worsened)... but, I have no idea where the last picture of him is! Never fear, we are on our way to a family vacation.. where I am certain MANY more pictures will be posted of the bunch.. but, until then, here is a little update on my peeps.

Abby: Our little Abby has been busy starting swimming lessons the day we moved in! YEP!
Crazy I know.. but, I wanted her to get a set of swimming lessons in this summer since we have a pool. Unfortunately, her summer of swimming has been way layed with a "pool accident" I am sure those of you with a pool have see this incident before, or warned about it happening.The redness on the sides is from the constant bandaid covering the 8 stiches..
She also has an EXTREMELY loose front tooth which is dangling from her mouth. No amount of bribery seems to interest her to pull it out, but I can barely stand to look at it because it looks so gross.....(Know any good ways to get that thing out? I'll take 'em!)

Jaxon: Jaxon's sneaking has risen to an all new high, and there has been soooooo many instances of it I can't even keep up with documenting them any more. I am on my way to baby proofing every cupboard in the house.. Latest heists have included a box of Cocoa Pebbles (strictly Peter's, he hides it BEHIND all of the other cereals), a 1/2 loaf of granny bread and a box of Nilla Wafers. Jaxon started swimming lessons after Abby and on Monday will be attending a special speech therapy camp near by our house. I am amazed at the resources that are available to us here. It is a blessing to have so much at our fingertips to help him out.These are pictures of him in my bathtub because he saw my camera on the counter, and because the light is GREAT in there! :)

Wade: Wade is some serious fun and SERIOUSLY LOUD. I guess that is what we get from the youngest of three. He is trying to talk lots and we are loving the words that he is starting to say. Today, I made a pie... Peter's FAVORITE dessert. Wade heard us talking about it and decided to try to ask for it by name. It was so cute, I had to record it... Here is Wade saying PIE (and doing a couple of "other" manly things... ahem)


Next week we are heading for Cali for a Stewart Family trip. It will be nice to hang out on the beach with the fam. I am sure 89 degrees will never have felt SOOOOOOOO good. Until then, my kids will do more of this which makes them feel like this...
Ahhhhhh Summertime.

Bachelorette SPOILERS

Alright, I know there are not MANY of you who are as into this show as I am.. but I found some fun spoilers today when I was waiting for the fireworks to start. (Kid 2 and 3 are in bed already and kid 1 went with a gaggle of girls to see some fireworks... Supposedly, we can see them from our pool, which is where I will be in a few moments.)

ANYWAY you can click here for some FABULOUS Spoilers. If you don't like spoilers don't read em! You never know.. the spoilers might be right!

HAPPY 4th of JULY! See you Monday!

50% off SALE

This cute girl JILL is selling her Lia Sophia for 50% off! (I knew that would get your attention.. here is the catch.. If you order, PLEASE tell her I sent you! She is doing a giveaway.. I am getting the Capri. Happy Shopping! :)

Not only that, but she is a little coupon crazy and she has some great tips! ENJOY! (I love referring bloggers...)

The Bachelorette

I was over at m.writes today and saw she posted about the Bachelorette last night! I was stunned! I thought I was the only reality TV junkie in the WORLD! It is nice to know I have the company of a very talented and what I would call great girl.. (I guess that means that I am not so bad).

I started to post a comment on her blog and it was a page long! So, I guess I need to vent it out a little here....

FIRST: Poor Jeremy. Ok, I know many people are creeped out by his perfection. His house was a little strangely perfect, but seriously... is that a BAD thing? (Maybe that shows some control freak issues.. but I live with a control freak (oh.. I mean myself) and I don't think it is THAT bad.. :) Ok, maybe it would be bad for DeAnna because SHE IS A CONTROL FREAK!

Now on to: Deanna! I can't BELIEVE she wasn't a WEE bit embarrassed by her rant on TV last night. I mean, "YOU GUYS SHOULD BE PAYING ALL OF YOUR ATTENTION TO ME!" Geesh.. I mean, can't people just hang out? I am with Chris on that one.. I mean, they are just a bunch of "guys" hanging out.. It is just me? Or is she turning into the above aptly named title..?Hmmmmmmm?? Just a weeeeeeeeeee bit??? She was AWFULLY cold hearted to Jeremy and it is not like he scorned her or anything like that! He gave her 100%!!! All the time! Even MORE sometimes! (Ps- let me just throw a little shout out to Chris Harrison. I love that man. He is seriously so funny. The whole mullet segment was so funny I had to rewind it and watch it again. He is great on the fly and the outtakes that they show of the bachelor, the funniest are always of him.)

Jesse... really? For real?? Do you REALLY want to get involved with a guy who is JUST NOW figuring out what he wants to do for a CAREER??? And who "thinks" he can stop "Shredding" for Love? Ugh. Really? Stop me now..

Now.. Jason I can see.. They had fun, he is nice guy, obviously sensitive.. great with his boy.. Ok, I can see it.. But I have heard of a spoiler out there.. and I want to know WHAT IT IS.. because you all know I HATE SURPRISES!!!

Oh, and I almost forgot to mention Graham.. That is because he is not worthy of mentioning. What an emotionally incompetent to commit poop with no upper lip. Seriously. Too strong? Oh, sorry. I guess I just think there are too many of THOSE in the world.. Sorry George. ;)

As Seen On TV

I admit it. I am not afraid to buy something off of an infomercial. That is right. I have done it, and not only that, but I have done it SEVERAL times. You heard me... SEVERAL. You might ask, "What infomercial sucked you in to the point of getting out your wallet?" I'll tell you... Let's start from the beginning:

I think my first purchase from an infomercial was ProActive. It was a few weeks away from my wedding, and stress was showing on my face. I got some proactive with the hopes that those RED BUMPS (zits) would lose their shine and not be so noticeable. I didn't have to use it all the time, as a matter of fact, it dried my face out too much, but I DO think it works and I would highly recommend it to ANYONE with an Acne problem because we all know that would be FAR more painful than not shelling out $30-40 bucks for a new product. As a matter of fact, there have been times when I have wanted to chase down that poor teenager and offer to buy it myself for them...You know?

Next purchase? I think it was Debbie Sievers "Slim in 6"... where with her work out plan and diet you can lose _________ lbs in 6 WEEKS! I have to admit. I LOVE THE WORK OUT. I am a big fan of total body work outs and if you want one that rocks ala "The Firm" with an all in one work out kind of twist, that would be the one. Best yet, you don't have to go to the gym. (However, you do have to wait until your kids are gone to school, bed, or other because if they are anything like my kids they will steal your weights while you are tied up in a pretzel.. thus having to chase them down for the next "arms" segment, OR they will take a flying leap onto your stomach while you are prone for the "Abs" section. Either way, it is best if they are occupied for about 50 minutes. I saw my body shape change (for once) and felt great about it.

Hmmm. I guess I am into work out videos because the next one was HIP HOP ABS. Basically I was looking for a change, because although I love the Slim in 6 work outs.. you can get tired of ANY work out video. The guy in these work outs make me laugh, and although I didn't do it consistently enough to see results, I enjoyed the change. Oh, and they have a "full body" work out too that I was most certainly sore after, so, it must have been working! (I guess I should be a Beachbody Lifetime Member--Or maybe I should get my money back since I wouldn't be caught dead in a bikini...)

Oh, sign me up for Gunthy Renker too because I just bought Cindy Crawford's Meaningful Beauty.. sold by the same company as ProActive... Sheesh.. these people should PAY ME! I am such a sucker! (PS- I like it. My face is super sensitive, so it is great for me)

This leads me to my current purchase of the PediEgg. I don't know about where you live, but in Washington it is against the law for Manicurists to use any sort of "shaver" on your calloused limbs for fear they might make a cut and in then using their unsanitary foot was basins cause Gangrene to set into your wound thus causing you to loose a limb... Seriously. The most they would use is a little scrubber that, lets face it, doesn't do a darn thing except make you THINK they are scrubbing off your callouses. Even with the most EXPENSIVE pedicure, they have barely made a dent in my soles...I have used callous scrappers myself, metal scrappers, I have used just about everything, and now that my feet are in a constant state of undress here in AZ.. I needed a new arsenal to combat my thick as a boot callouses on my feet.

In walks the PediEgg.. One infomercial and I needed to give it a whirl. I got my PediEgg yesterday and you know what? I LOVE IT! My feel feel pretty darn smooth, but not torn to shreds.. so, I feel like I could use it every day! (My feet need it) However, I will tell you there are a few misleading things about this product. First, it boasts a "catching tray" to catch the shavings and not make a big mess..True, it does have a catcher, but unless you are in an inverted position with your feet in the air, the shavings are going to come back out of the grate and fall on the floor while you are using it. So, have a vacuum handy, or put your feet in the air.. either way.

The other thing is ordering on-line.. They will try to get you to upgrade a million times, and I will admit, I upgraded to the "Ulitima" PediEgg, so, since I had never used one before I can't tell you if it was worth the upgrade or not, but I was afraid that their "regular" version wouldn't be tough enough for my second skins...

So, lets hear it.. What infomercials have sucked YOU in? Was it worth it? Lemme tell you.. I was right on my way to buying the "Magic Bullet" until I got my Vitamix.. ahhhhhhhhh.. saved by the Vitamix...

M*I*A*

Don't you love it when you say you are going to post something "tomorrow" and then you realize it is about a week later? Well, that is what moving will do for you. The brain no working . . . . what can I say.

THIS IS WHAT I CAN SAY.. other than decorator prison, (which is a mild form of prison where I lock my mom in my house for three days until she has hung every picture, adorned every shelf, and spruced every corner) our house is almost unpacked. That is what happens when you realize that your in-laws are coming into town and you think you need to get your house looking like you actually have DONE something in the week and a 1/2 that you have been here!!

I pretty much got everything unpacked, but was at the "need to put together furniture" stage.. You know, the stage where you put this and this together so you can actually USE them. Good news though, once the were all put together, (thanks to the father-in-law) they looked better than I anticipated and they were actually comfortable! (that was for you Heidi. She called to see if they were comfortable too!)

So, the house is together (mostly) and since my Mother-in-law is here, I decided to institute a new form of prison called sewers prison (each momma has their own special set of talents which I will abuse, I mean utilize accordingly.) I am ready to get crafty in this here house, and you KNOW how I love CRAFTINESS. Anywho, although I had done my fair share of sewing, she is FAR superior, thus, prison... Don't worry, I am helping. After all, she is helping me put together some chair cushions that I have been meaning to make for oh... I don't know... 2 years!!! I have had the fabric sitting in my closet, but when I was in Pier One on my little Shopping Spree, I found a perfect chair cover to knock off. I will show the results soon. :)

For now, I will show the desert in bloom (like I said I would)
These are outside my master bedroom.


These are hanging on my pool wall.
Aren't they BEAUTIFUL??

Sorry, but the miracle of husband's handiness will have to wait, I guess I didn't upload the picture yet. Just add it to my "to do" list... :)

Things I have learned since moving to the Desert

1- It is hot.
2- Everything else is hot.
3- It is astonishing how much heat you can take.
4- The Desert really can be pretty. (I will show you tomorrow)
5- My husband really can be handy. (I will show you tomorrow)
6- You car doors will be too hot for your kids to touch.
7- Car seat buckles will be SUPER hot, eventhough they are in your car in the "shade".
8- You CAN actually shop too much.
9- The full length mirrors in the master bedroom ARE NOT good for my self-esteem.
10- Church at 8:00 a.m. is really just too early.
11- My Vitamix makes FABULOUS Pina Coladas. (And probably Virgin Maragaritas.. which I will be attempting soon)
12- There IS another use for coconut syrup other than on my pancakes.
13- Kids take good strong naps here because it is so dang hot.
14- It is actually exciting to see how hot it can get.
15- I am officially in love with IKEA and could stay in there for at least 49 hours.
16- The Desert is even better than I thought it would be.

When the Home Handi-woman and OCD Team Up.

On day two of unpacking, some crazy OCD struck and I was convinced that I could NO LONGER unpack until my washer and dryer were hooked up. I asked my husband to hook them up and his response was..."I have never done that, you always do that." Some of you might know that I am the home handi-woman; which means if there is something to be fixed.. I will attempt to fix it. Apparently, I have done this fixing before.. and you would think after 7 moves in 8 years he would have done it ONCE.. but apparently NOT.

I couldn't immediately find the dryer hose although, I DID look in the dryer (which seemed like the most logical place to put it) So, we had to do a Home Depot Run to get one so I could wash clothes because they seemed to be multiplying from children stripping down naked on the spot where-ever they were standing when I said pool time.. which means, they were all over the house. I was convinced that I would not be able to organize the house until these clothes were picked up, cleaned and organized. Hence, the desperate need for a washer and dryer. (OCD strikes once)Exhibit "A"
Exhibit "B"
Exhibit "C"

Husband then went off to do what he does do VERY WELL and that would be take the kids off my hands (thank you honey) so I can unpack without interruptions and in peace... that would be until OCD Strikes again and when OCD strikes, it makes it virtually IMPOSSIBLE to do ANYTHING in a timely manner. (Doesn't it?)

The dryer door now opens facing the garage door. That can't be good, because if the dryer were left open and the garage door swung open, they would collide causing possible damage to both doors... RIGHT? Solution: Change the swing of the door.

Does the home handi-woman wait and ask her husband to do it? NO, because if she should say: "Husband, I would like the door on my dryer to swing the other way." He will give me a crazy look, make up a thousand reasons why he can't, we shouldn't or it won't. Me, on the other hand, will get out the tool box and attempt to do it myself. OCD Strike two.

Open the instructions: Take door off hinge.. (Don't bother to read the rest of the instructions at this point because it seems simple enough and you see the holes on the other side of the door and you will just turn the thing upside down and VOILA. Fixed.. Done. Home Handi-woman is AMAZING.) Not quite so fast.

Swing the door shut and BANG. Door bounces back open. Apparently, that little straight part of the door needs to be right side down.. Capiche? Yeah, look at the instructions further and it turns out, you have to unassemble the ENTIRE DOOR... and turn it all around thus spending the entire time you were supposed to be unpacking to turning the door around.. while sweet un-handy honey was distracting the disturbing minions...


PS- The dryer hose WAS IN THE DRYER.


THE END. Let us all hope that OCD doesn't come back soon.

Retail HEAVEN

Many of you know, I recently moved to RETAIL HEAVEN. I can get to 1,000s of stores (all kinds) within a 5-10 minute drive. I am stunned (truly) with all of the stores that I have access to. Some are so close (Target) I can drive in opposite directions for equal distances (less than 5 miles) and find whatever I want that is missing from the other store.

FOR EXAMPLE:

Today, I went to the beloved TARGET.... and bought 2 of these, One of these,
and one of these
BECAUSE THEY WERE ALL 50% OFF!

The funny thing is... when I went to a different Target tonight to get the matching foot stool (which they had) They weren't on SALE! Not even for a discount! I couldn't believe it! So, if you have been wanting to buy some patio furniture, but didn't want the bill.. Check your local (or not so local) Target, because it MIGHT be 50% OFF! If it is... RUN, because, it will sell out FAST!

Luckily, my retail Karma didn't wear off because later I went to Pier One to buy these for my laundry room: I saw them in their latest catalog and fell in love... Guess what. They used to be $199, and now they are on clearance, yep, clearance for $119. Yippee! I love it when my dreams come true for almost 1/2 price!
They also had this cute little thing for $20. Perfect for the front door, and you KNOW how I love something on the front door!


I also bought a FABULOUS, INCREDIBLE WALL PLAQUE, that I can't find a picture of on-line.. so, you will have to wait until I hang it to take a look. (I'll post a pic) Hopefully I have made your shopping a little easier.. ENJOY!

I promise to post about our "adjustments" tomorrow!

THE HIGHLIGHTS

I know you are all DYING for an update on our move.. (right?) Well, we are still in SLC and have just been chillin' as much as we can before the explosion of boxes, paper and me. Some of the highlights so far?

1- There is a BRAND NEW play land in Pocatello, ID at the SECOND Pocatello off ramp. EVEN BETTER, the play land is at Article Circle.. FINALLY, someplace other than McDonald's! It is a perfect dinner stop if you leave between 8 and 9 in the morning from Spokane to SLC. Just thought all of you Spokane Summer travelers should know!Order a Lime Ricky.. for sure.

2-I went to Tai Pan the morning after we got here. Did you know the place opens at 8:30 a.m.? YUP. And if you go at 8:30 a.m. you will have the store to YOURSELF. (So, you don't have to shower before you go, because no-one will see you.)
Now, before you go calling me a nutjob Amy, it was at my mother-in-laws request that we go because she had to hop a plane at 12:00. Of course, I was happy to oblige. I didn't take pictures because although I had FOUND my camera.. I had NOT found the charger yet.. Oh, so, I can tell you I didn't spent too much because technically, I don't even have a house right now, but I DID get my Mother-in-law to drop some SERIOUS $$$, so, I felt as though I spent vicariously through her, and, it was wonderful. (Don't you worry. I did make a FEW purchases!)

3-I found my charger for my camera

4-We took the kids to Kung Fu Panda. I have to admit, I enjoyed it. Is is no Disney/Pixar movie, but still entertaining and funny and the graphixs WERE amazing. If you have an issue with violence (there is LOTS-o-KUNG FU), don't go see it. Jaxon covered his eyes in 1/2 the movie because even though the kid would take someone down to the ground and pound on them for NO REASON he still doesn't like to see other people get whooped. Go figure.

5-We went to paradise bakery today and I had THE WONDERFUL Chicken and Artichoke Panini.. Awesome. If you have never had it, GET ONE.

6-I met a BLOGGER TODAY! Aberjaber met me at Sugar House park. Bless her heart, it is no where near her house, but she took pity on my tired self and drove here to see me! BETTER YET, she brought me CUPCAKES from Dough Boys and Flour Girls in American Fork. They were FAB (Thank you Aberjaber!- Her name must remain anonymous to protect the innocent) I took pictures of them and her, and I would LOVE to show them to you, but now that I found my camera and my charger, I can't find my Camera upload cords..

Ahhhhhhhhh, I love moving and total Chaos. Don't you?

IT IS FINISHED (mostly)

Well, the house is packed... See? (This is where I would post a nice picture of my cute house completely empty, but clean-- IF I could find the camera.)

It happened today. The movers came in at 8:00 a.m. and left at 6:30. (Big job I guess) It was all packed up and ready to go... (mostly) except for the stuff under my bed... which I completely forgot was there which consisted of a scrabble game (I have to hide it from the husband, or he will want to play and CREAM me...and I hate that) a breakfast tray (OH! That is why I haven't had breakfast in bed!) and a few contraband toys that I was hiding from Jaxon. (I guess I couldn't think of a better place to hide them)

Better than that of course was the remnants of sneakings past that surfaced as soon as furniture started to move. I think we unearth 6 ... yes, I counted right, 6 apple cores...(why throw them in the garbage when you can throw them under the couch, behind the armoire, or behind the bookcase?) A candy bar wrapper, a few empty sandwich bags (I have NO IDEA what was in those!) And an empty chips bag.. I guess I will have to be a little more vigilant in searching for "treasure".

So, after a weekend of packing/partying/packing/packing/packing and cleaning.. I am off on to a 12 hour drive to Utah. Just what I wanted after such a weekend. Feel sorry for me yet? If I wasn't so tired, I would feel sorry for me too....:)

Blessed to Be ALIVE

Let's break it down... shall we?

My house used to look like THIS:


Now it looks like THIS:

Thanks in LARGE part to Heidi, Kara, Amy, Lindsay, Holly, Whitney(she swears she is going to start a blog any day now, Karen, Lori and Emily.
These are the ladies in my hood. Yes, I am privileged enough to live just a stones throw away from ALL of these girls, even if it is just for a few more days. I talked them into going to a swanky restaurant for my final soiree... and they agreed! We talked we laughed, we talked some more.. we laughed.. But we sure as heck didn't take any pictures, and I blame Lindsay (not me) because she is the only one who had a camera.

Either way, afterward these ladies took pity on a single mother of three (Peter has been in AZ over a week now) and came over until 11:00p.m. to help me pack. They were a whirling dervish of activity and rather than tell them what they should and shouldn't pack, I just let them at it. They were amazing, and although I just really wanted to be in bed at like 9:00, I was thrilled with everything they accomplished. Even though I didn't have a bowl to eat cereal in this morning. (That is ok girls, I managed)

Let me tell you though, I love them. Yes, that brings tears to my eyes to say it. And even though I am thrilled as I have ever been about our move to AZ for various reasons, I am torn in two to have to leave my hood. I love you girls. And I am so grateful for the blogging world that will keep us together. Thank you for your years of love and endless service. I will never forget how it felt to live among sisters and saints. THANK YOU. (Ok, now that I am crying, I will move on)I will miss you. Tremendously.


So, today, more packing and ONE more party.. Abby's Fake Birthday. It went pretty well. Pizza: Check, Cake from Walmart: Check (remember, we are doing easy here) Party Favors: Check. Everything went pretty well EXCEPT FOR: 1 wandering partier, (NOT SHOWN HERE... we were still looking).
little shy on cake and pizza,
and Abby's Strep Infection.... in her ARM. Great, just one more thing to go on this crazy weekend. The pen mark was drawn by the Dr. who drew a circle around the infection to track how big it gets... Yeah, so, I have been a little busy, and didn't notice that Abby's arm was about to fall off until she was in her swimming suit! Okay???After packing most of the morning, getting pizza, babysitter, and party ready..THEN Party.. what would be a crazy day be WITHOUT a trip to the Urgent Care. Honestly, I just don't know. I survived.. I am blessed... and now, I have assumed the "position" (Prone in my bed with my laptop on my head (I mean lap) And this is how I want to be... Shhhhhhhhhhhh....

When a Plan Comes Together

I love it when a plan comes together. My sweet little Abby wanted a birthday party this year. I knew the chances of us having a birthday party with friends just one month after moving to AZ would be slim... I mean, school is out, and she probably will just be getting to know people!

In the midst of all of the chaos, I decided to let her have an early birthday/going away party. Don't worry, I made it easy. We are going to the "Y" to go swimming (it is FAR too cold to swim outside here--unless you think 58 degrees is warm). We are coming back to the packed house after for Pizza and Cake on paper... easy enough.

I AM pretty proud of myself for the party favors... I was returning some items to Michaels, and low and behold they had these little cuties right at the check out counter for $1 each...
A little journal with pen, some cutie pie stickers AND a little piece of jewelry.. just what every girly girl needs..

Wrap them up in cute little bags with a little ribbon and voila. Party favors.
Done.

Oh, and you like the color of those bags do ya?? Well, last night I went to get my toes done before our foray into AZ, and I found a color called... SEXY.Little orange, little pink, little red... Lotta BOLD, it took a while to grow on me... but now I think it is definitely.. SEXY!

Sneaking Update

A few days ago I posted this about my sneaker son...

PROGRESS! Today when I woke up.. he was up.. lights on... pantry door open... I looked around.. No Jaxon...

Get Wade.

Jaxon appears from where else? The living room.. this time he says,

"Hey Mom. I took the marshmallows and was eating them in my room.(hiding place)"

Me: Oh really? Well, were are they now?

Jaxon: "I'll go get them"

Me: Thinking the worst.. he will bring back an empty bag.

Jaxon: "Here they are!"

Good news is: Jaxon probably only ate about a 1 cup of the mini-marshmallows

Good news is: He is on his way to school on the bus right now and will have to deal with his sugar high there. :)

Bad news: I really don't see any. I mean, I need to clean out that pantry of food anyway.. we are leaving Monday, so really, he is just helping with the packing. :)

ON YESTERDAYS POST:
Thanks to all of you who visited. I actually went OVER 50 hits (91 page loads) so, thank you. I still feel loved eventhough not all of you commented. I do think it is hilarious that you came back today to see if I called you out as a cheater... truthfully, I just ran out of steam. . . .so, sorry to those that wanted to be called out, but weren't.

STOP RIGHT HERE!

Alright people, you know I love you.. YOU KNOW IT! But the truth of the matter is.. I don't know you.. My readership has doubled.. (you KNOW I am obsessed with Statcounter)

I am up close to 50 visitors a day now (a mere pittance for most of you bloggers out there) But to be honest, I get only a wee fraction of commentors. I gotta know.. WHO ARE YOU, and HOW DID YOU FIND ME??? (and why don't you comment.. just wonderin')

Now, don't get me wrong... don't be scared. This is exciting! It is like meeting someone at a ward function for the first time! Just say HI! Even if it is the first time you are visiting! I want to visit you too! But, I can't, if I don't know who you are..

I don't have one of those crazy code thingys on my blog.. so just do it quick. I promise it won't hurt... THRILL me.. Give me 50 comments.. Just do it. Even a "Hi" is ok.. You don't have to be clever. I promise! Anything will do.

Just consider it a favor to someone who is moving to a new land next Monday. Maybe I am just feeling a little insecure... and, I want to know that even though I am moving to a place where I know no-one, and no-one knows me.. I still have a "world" of friends out there ready to support me.. :)

Love,

Lindsey

Boca Raton, FL: Cheater
Rochester, NY: Cheater
Irvine, CA: Cheater
Eugene, Or: Cheater (I probably even know you, since I used to live there! You even have me on your reader and you STILL didn't comment!!!)
Orem, UT: Cheater
Richmond, VA: Cheater

HAHA! This is so fun to call you all out! (Even though I don't know your names, or who you are.. but I do have your IP address...so.. watch out!

Ft. Wayne, Indiana: Cheater
Ephrata, WA: Cheater
Spokane, WA: Cheater
New York, NY: Cheater
Gilbert, AZ: Cheater
Omaha, NB: Cheater
Leesville, LA: Cheater
Salt Lake City, UT: Cheater
Reston, VA: Cheater

Now you cheaters are just making me feel bad! I don't get a comment, even if I BEG for one??? :)

Jahn, I KNOW YOU checked my blog.. you just wanted to be called a cheater on purpose!
And tell your friend in
BILLINGS, MT: They are a cheater too!

ANOTHER cheater from SLC, UT: Who knew people from there were cheaters?
ANOTHER cheater from Spokane, WA: I KNEW people from here are cheaters...

For those of you keeping track.. That is 19 cheaters, and 13 commenters.

MOM and DAD! You guys are cheaters!! Learn how to post a comment!!! :)
Ohhhhhh Brisbane, Australia: Cheater: But if I knew you, I would come and visit you.
Las Vegas, NV: Cheater: I know, you were just googling for cupcakes... Understandable.
and a couple more Spokane Cheaters for Good Measure.

The Trouble With Jaxon

When we visit other people's houses (Mainly in-laws and parents for holidays or parties) Jaxon carefully browses 'round the room and tries to find an abandon drink (or 5)...It doesn't matter whose drink it is... if it is sitting there, unattended, he chugs it. Even if you ARE tending to you drink, Jaxon will hang around casually until you looked away and then try to grab your drink and get a few swigs in before you noticed.

Jaxon just has a penchant for "sneaking" I guess. It drives me totally batty and unfortunately, it happens mostly when he gets up at 5:30 a.m. FORTUNATELY he doesn't to that EVERY day, but on the days he does, I will most certainly wake up to 5 granola bar wrappers that were gently snipped open by a pair of scissors... see a few discarded juice boxes and on occasion.... the box of cookies that was left on the counter from the night before will be...suddenly...empty. You would think I would learn and put them away at night, but since he doesn't wake up that early EVERY morning... I guess I like to roll the dice.

Not too long ago, I found this: A brand new bag of chocolate chips.. in a corner...behind the living room table with the necessary items to open the bag and partake. I had actually found the bag earlier on the counter with a little snip in it and I thought maybe I had brought it home from the store that way. I slipped it into a zip lock bag (shown above) and put it in the pantry... Went out to do some yard work and found the stash as pictured... luckily.. I had caught him early into the procedure and I don't think he had eaten too many.

Today I took the kids to stake conference by myself (SINGLE MOTHER FOR THE LAST WEEK UNTIL THE MOVERS COME NEXT MONDAY). About mid-way through the conference, Jaxon said he needed to go Poop (his words).... great. My lovely assistant Abby took him out and they came back. A few minutes later, the same announcement was made. Abby again, took him out, they returned. The request was made SEVERAL more times, but only granted one more time.. and I thought most certainly this was becoming just a way to pass the time for Jaxon during the Conference until I came home and found this:It WAS a bag full a grapes... a BRAND NEW bag full of grapes. Enough said.