PARTY!!!!!!!!!!!

There were a few phases of our extra fun wild weekend. I will start at the begining. Sorry for the length..........

Colin and I made our way up to Meeteetse on Thursday night but the real fun started when we arrived in Meeteetse. Maggie and Cody came down to visit and brought Jason the cutest gift, a pair of Crocks. He loves them by the way......there is a small problem with him wanting to play with them all of the time. It turns out they are not just shoes, but excellent toys as well.


The next day, Maggie, Glacier, Jason and I set off on a Jeep adventure. It was up to the ski area for us.

The moose we saw.

Stretching our legs.

The wild bunch.

Please throw another stick......PLEASE!!!!!!!!!

Driving man..........and Maggie helped.

It was a blast despite the moment Jason lost it and threw his hat out while we went down the road. Maggie came to the rescue, puting the jeep into reverse so the hat could be recovered. Thanks for the miraculous rescue and the relaxing day Maggie and Glacier.

I had a chance to visit the Coales as well. The newest member makes them a family of four now. They look great. William is such a good big brother and Scott and Sheena seem to be adjusting incredibly well. I will have pics at the end of the post.

That night we were able to witness and experience a major event. It was the First Every Gary Brew Tasting. For those of you that don't know Gary, he makes beer. It isn't just any beer, but the best beer you can find. He makes a variety of brews as well. So, it was an evening of touring those brews along with eating a lot of very yummy food.

Gary next to his masterpiece collection.

Even the minors had fun.

Karen and Gary................might I say best hosts ever......

Mingling around the food table.

Maggie in her designated seat.

The Warner bros reflecting on the evening.

Oh the fun.

The aftermath.........

It was so good. Thanks for giving us the privilege of being judges (GO CHOCOLATE NUT BROWN!!!)

The next day Jason and I recovered in the morning while the others set out on a record long golfing adventure. They were exhausted and ready for the next phase of the weekend when they finished (The annual Warner BBQ). Glacier was the mascot and the drink of choice was none other than Glacier beer. A nice combo.

Puting on the official wardrobe.

I didn't take many pics that evening because there was just too many good things going on. As always the food was perfect and there was plenty to go around. Glacier was a hit too. He loved going around and being loved up on by everyone and I must say that there wasn't a lack of people.

It was during this party that I became closely acquainted with Karen's humming birds. It is a war zone in that yard. Humming birds dive bombing. It is quite a population. Never in my wildest dreams could I have visualized so many humming birds that don't leave when people are around. Very cool, but a little scary when they buzz you.

I know I keep on repeating myself, but thanks again. It was so much fun and a much needed get away for us. We appreciate everything and can't wait to visit again.........

Before leaving town on Sunday we stopped by at the Coales to visit and so we could get another glimpse at there new little guy, Scott David Coale. YES!!! The paparazzi was making another appearance in the Coale house.

They were busy, but are doing very well. William and Jason had an opportunity to play and as always enjoyed it to the max. You have a wonderful family guys, Congrats!!!!!!!!!!!

Sheena, baby Scott, dad Scott and William.

Good buds playing.

The new mom, looking very good if I do say so myself.

Overall it was a great weekend. Thanks everyone for the company, good food, and we can't leave out the one of a kind beverages. It is nice to be home and back to our regular routine......well.................at least we can try to get back into the swing of things.............

Little chemist

Another experiment: meniscus & OJ

I always talk about how Jason tries new things and is so much fun. If it is seeing what happens when you dump orange juice on a CD case or pouring it into another cup because it tastes better that way........he is just goofy.

Today as I was cleaning my car out I realized that Jason has mastered his chemistry skills. He had somehow combined all of his snack foods with drool which in turn created a substance that even the most seasoned scientists would have difficulties identifying. Not only was it strange looking, but it was near impossible to remove from the seats. It doesn't come off of leather well and it took two runs through the washing machine and one run in with the hose for it to come off of his car seat cover.

Now I have to attempt to get another unknown off of the carpet in the living room. Now, if he could just move his experiments outside..........................

I will see some of you Warners this weekend. We can't wait. Take care for now....................

Chicken!!!!!!

Cheese!!!

As the panic raced though my body all I could think is "Could we just have one boring day?"

I remember a time when I constanty complained about having nothing to do. Well I have to say that is ancient history. If it isn't something with Jason it is something with the house or dogs. I think it is a conspiracy.

Yesterday I left the house for all of 10 minutes to run an errand. Being a cheep skate I want to fill every garbage sack to the max before I discard it. So, since the sack was too full to keep in the can I took it out. When I was leaving I put it up high because I know the dogs all so well. You see Moe and Mae are on a diet so they think they are starving. When it comes to finding a quick snack their first choice is always the garbage. If it is remnants from plates or even just the juice that lines a can that used to be filled with veggies. They really aren't picky.

Sunday night we had fried chicken so this particular garbage was.............well.................somewhat leathal for a pup. I am sure you can see where this is going.

So, as I said I put the garbage up high so that the girls couldn't get to it, or so I thought. When Jason and I returned 10 minutes later there was an empty chicken bucket in the livingroom. That was obviously out of place. I began freaking out thinking where did all of the bones go. I put Jason down and ran to the kitchen. There was garbage stretching from one corner of the room to the other. I sifted through the mess to find no chicken bones. The dogs were no where to be found either. Thinking they must be dead somewhere in the house I ran around looking for them (Jason followed screaming "MOE!" over an over again). I wasn't suprised to find Mae hiding in Jason's closet and Moe hiding in our closet. They knew they were in trouble. Even though I was very angry I was still freaking out about the bones. So, who else do you call when you have a question about dogs. Well, if you don't want to pay for the advice you call none other than my mom. She calmed me down and I proceeded to pick up the huge mess the dogs made.

It was a fun time............................ I could have killed the dogs, but they are still breathing. They sure made me freak out, but there was nothing wrong with them. I really think if cats have 9 lives, dogs must have more.

updated pic of our yard.

So, today I am just waiting for some other strange thing to happen. My crew never fails to produce. Until next time..............................

Note: Today is the big day for the Coale family. In fact they should have a new member by now. Congrats guys!!!!!! I will post pics when I get them.

The fun and unexpected

As always Colin, Jason and I had another fun filled weekend. We drove up to the crazy town of Meeteetse on Friday night, ready for a wild weekend. The fun with the cousins started when we got there. Mom and Dad are amazing to take on a full house whenever they get a chance. Jen and I both showed up with our families for the Hogg wedding weekend. The three boys played non-stop. They were so happy to be at the grandparents house that is was difficult to get them to sleep. But, at 11 we finally succeeded.

Jason, Lane and Chance in a rare moment.....sitting still.

The next morning was pretty crazy too. When that many people get up and around in one house, what can you expect? Madness......that is the word for it. Colin, Dave, Dad, and Zack met up for a golf marathon. 18 holes of heat and beer.

Jen, Mom and I headed up to grandpas to visit with the kids. Everyone was tired from the night before, so it was a quick trip (just enough time for Jen to give Grandpa a new hair cut.) The Franks boys went down for a nap and Jason and I headed up to the Coale house for a visit (before the newest Coale makes his appearance.)

Jason, William and Scott discussing the important things before the splashing started.

Our visit started out pretty calm. They boys played in the water and Scott even got in on the fun. It was very hot but so worth it.

Jason was impressed by William's belly flops.

William's impression of a farmer.

Buddies!!!!

Sheena a few days from D-day or might I say B-day.

The boys quickly ran out of gas playing in the hot sun so we made our way inside to wind down an let the boys relax (I mean nap, but that is a bad word in our house so we will stick with relax). Colin showed up just in time for the real excitement. Sheena started to have a few contractions so being the folks we are, we timed them. After trying to get them to stop with no success she called the hospital for some advice. They suggested she come over to be sure everything was ok so we took Wild Bill and Jason. It was the hospital for Scott and Sheena and the wedding for the rest of us.

Jason and William eating fish (cheesy gold fish) and visiting on the way down to Mom and Dads to get ready for the wedding.

It was oh so much fun for us. Jason and William played in the dirt during the wedding. They even had a dirt fight/ giggle fest. It quickly turned ugly when they both ganged up on me. The dust was flying and they wouldn't stop laughing. They threw dirt, patted each other on the back and then pointed and laughed at me. So advanced for two 18 month old children. Though Sheena was still having contractions, they sent her home. They were so happy to have their little man back. It was a blast for us and Jason really loved having someone around that he could communicate with (William is the only one that speaks his language.)

We visited with so many people that we haven't seen in a long time including Zack and Jenny and of course the star of the day Pat and Olivia. The wedding was beautiful. In true fairy tale fashion, Olivia came in on a horse drawn carriage. After the wedding it was time to celebrate. For those of you that haven't attended a wedding in Meeteetse, this means a lot of food and the never to be left out beer.

Pat and Olivia during the toasts.

By this time I knew I had better bring the camera back to the car otherwise I would forget it so I missed some really awesome photo ops. But, after last time I am not taking any chances. We finished out the evening with a lot of dancing (Jason wouldn't give in). He would dance forever if he was given the chance. In fact he fell asleep dancing. But before he went down he played the drums with Grandpa Shane. By the way...... the band sounded great. It was so nice to see dad playing again. We made an early night of it though since Jason was spent.

We finished off the weekend with Colin playing another 9 holes and packing the next morning. Our house was a welcome sight and another weekend had gone by. Thank you everyone for having us up there and we look forward to a weekend with the Warners. The count down is here only a few more days.

Good luck to Sheena and Scott this week. We can't wait to see little Scott. Take care, he will be here in the morning.

I will have more to post soon. There is never a dull moment in this house...............

Artist in the making

A multi-tasking Jason with my favorite pencil, white (it doesn't show up on the walls).

I know that I said that I was done posting until next week, but this was just too good to keep to myself. Jason is a budding artist. He spends hours coloring. In fact he learned how to say "coloring". He picks up a crayon or colored pencil and says it over and over again. Colin brings home these huge pieces of paper from the map printer so Jason has a lot of room to draw. Every day these pictures get bigger and more colorful. Jason has even gotten to the point that he goes into the spare bedroom/office and grabs some crayons and a roll of paper, takes them to the living room and proceeds to create.

This morning I went to take a shower while he watched his usual cartoons (the ones I don't like). When I came out I heared Jason singing (the only word was coloring). He sounded extra happy. I was thankful that he was happy and not screaming, but I was also quite worried because being that happy could only mean one thing................. he did something very bad. So I ran out of my room and followed the coloring song. As I got closer the walls got more and more colorful. When I finally got to him he was using a crayon to create another masterpiece by Jason. This time it wasn't on one of his abnormally large pieces of paper, but on the living room wall.

There were splashes of color in the hallway too. I didn't think to take a picture of this before I cleaned up. But, take my word for it, this was his best creation yet. So trying to hold in the laughter I cleaned off the walls (crayon comes off easily with a little soap and water.) I did learn a lesson: put all crayons, markers, pencils etc.... away before I leave the room. Have a great weekend everyone............

Girls Day (Jason was there too)

Jason hanging out with his good friend Traci.

Even though I have the opportunity/privilage to hang out with two awsome guys (Colin and Jason) every day.............I need girl time. So, in full girl time fashion, my friend Traci came over to visit and drink mud slides (we are super addicted). Jason was the entertainment for the day. He really puts on a good show when he is flirting. So there was a lot of dancing and even some new words. Traci had him saying Cockadoodledoo and he even said Traci (though it sounded more like Tace). He made up some new moves for us too. I think it was his best show yet. Traci and him get along really well and Jason has once again found someone he thinks is his girlfriend. It is very good entertainment for all. Thanks for the girls day Traci.

We are now prepping for another jaunt up to Meeteetse country for another weekend of wild fun. It will prep us for the big Warner weekend. We even get to see Maggie and Cody then. We are all really excited and can't wait to see everyone. It is going to be a blast. So for now I will go (to the bustling matropolis we call Meeteetse), but this time I will attach my camera to me somehow so that the pictures aren't lost. There should be some good ones of the Franks boys with Jason. Nothing like a weekend with the cousins. Until next week.................

Where are the keys?

I am sure that most people have those days when they feel like they are losing their minds, but in my case this is a very common thing.

The frustration was strong and the tears were welling up in my eyes. I had just lost the camera over the weekend and now the keys were gone. It was one of those moments when a person feels helpless, angry, and sad all at the same time. To top it off we were down to 1 diaper in the house..........................enough said.

Jason on his diaper box telling me how the cow ate the cabbage.

The morning began like any other. I made breakfast, Jason ran around screaming, then at 7:30 he sat down to watch Jo Jo's Circus while I got ready for the day. It is a simple and effective system. After I finished getting ready I was going to pull the car out of the garage and go to the store because our diaper supply was running low. This is not a comfortable situation ever. The thoughts of life without diapers were flashing through my head. It would be much worse than training a puppy. It would leave us with months of clean up. A very frightening picture to say the least.

The search went on for 3 hours before I called Colin and asked him if he had seen them. I would have called him earlier, but I was trying to save face since I had just lost the camera. He said that he hadn't seen them, so after a phone call I wasn't any closer to finding the lost keys. Jason just followed me around the house giggling and jabbering. Finally I asked him if he had seen the keys. He answered with a high pitched NO!! followed by a giggle. This is how he says yes. So the search expanded.

I began looking in every drawer, cupbord, behind books, inside the dishwaser, and even in the nasty garbage (rotten chicken and dirty diapers......not good). It was horrible and quite stinky at times. You may be wondering why I believe an 18 month old...............well...................he hasn't lied about the keys up to this point. The search continued.

After 4 hours of searching, expressing my pain on the phone to mom, and hearing the biggest nightmare key story in the world, I was done looking. Now it was time to just accept the fact they were gone. I had ripped my house apart and still no keys.

On a side note: I must tell you the story mom told me. Her cousin was about 18 months old in the 40's. At that time cars had bench seats and seatbelts were not in use. So........Her Aunt was driving down the highway with her young son next to her on the seat. Out of no where he reached over pulled the keys out of the ignition and threw them out the window. It was that moment that everyone knew that he would be a baseball player. And it was that moment in the story that I realized how lucky I was. I didn't have to search on the side of the road for my keys. THANK GOD!!!!!!!

Taking the keys into the abyss.

When I had finally come to the conclusion that the keys were gone..............the phone rang. It was Colin. He had such a funny story...................THE KEYS WERE IN HIS POCKET!!!!! So, the drama ended and I have never been so happy to see keys in my life. Jason still had a little room in his last diaper and even though Colin had caused this mess, he also saved the day.

This little tale of pain and suffering will go down in my book in a chapter labelled NOT FUNNY!!!!

Little known tidbits

Amy had a great idea of sharing things about ourselves. So, I figured I would join in on the fun. But when I tried to think of things it was really a lot harder than I thought it would be. This is what I came up with.

1. I cry every time I watch Dumbo. I don't know why, but those Disney movies get to me.

2. When it comes to meeting people, I get nervous and try to cover it up by talking and I usually end up talking way too much. I am sure this is a big surprise to all of you that know me since I talk all of the time anyway (it can get worse). It is just a crutch.

3. I secretly write short stories all of time. They make me laugh. It is silly since I write them myself, but I can't help it. The only person that hears the stories is Jason. Colin doesn't even know that I do this.

4. Even though I love good beer, Keystone Light tastes just fine to me. I do like the occasional stout though. Home brews are always welcome too. But, I mainly stick to Key Light.

5. My favorite color is green, but I also love orange. I don't tell people that because I love to give my dad a hard time about liking orange so much. Green and orange go really well together though.

6. I am starting to like Casper. We are meeting people, we have great neighbors that watch our house when we are gone, and I absolutely love my house. Sorry Colin......

7. I don't give bums money because I feel like they can get jobs. It is a little harsh, I know, but I just don't feel right about it. I have given a family a loaf of bread and a pound of lunch meat one time though. They were in the walmart parking lot begging for money so I gave them food. That is the only time I have given anything to a person begging with a sign.

8. The last is kind of silly but oh so true. I like to watch cartoons. Having Jason has just given me a chance to watch them with a full time excuse. Sure there are some that I don't like, but Spongebob, The Backyardagains, and Mickey Mouse are just great.

I think that is enough for now. You all are probably a little surprised by some of this, but hey what can I do. Have a great week everyone....................

Oh the beauty.....Oh the luck

The wild weekend of fun was fun...............but interesting. It involved a lot of food (good food), visiting, relaxing, and even some golf. Chad met us in Casper and we all made our way up to the city of Meeteetse. I took oh so many pictures................... That evening I went and visited the soon to be mother of two (next week or sooner), Sheena, while Colin and Chad went to scope out the camping spots. After seeing the rain fall at the campground, they opted for down on the river at grandpas house. The fire pit was stocked with wood and it had pretty much everything we wanted. So, grandpas house it was. Sheena, Scott and I visited while the boys played. They were so cute and both growing up so fast. William has a little four wheeler that made for a lot of fun too. I have to say the Coales look very good and appear to be quite ready for their new arrival.



Mom made us roast on the bbq and had all of the food and beer we could ever want................... YUMMY!!!! After dinner we made our way out to grandpas to set up camp, start the fire and have some s'mores. It was so good. The beer and Yeager were flowing like a river. There was plenty for all. Jason loved throwing sticks for the dogs and running around exploring. Instead of camping by the fire, Jason went in to town to camp out at grandma and grandpas house. I think all three of them were very happy about that decision. But, he did get to enjoy the fire and the enormous herd of dogs.

The next morning we made our way into town to play a few rounds of golf with dad. Once again I brought my camera to document the weekend. You may be wondering where all of these great pictures are by now.....................well, they are gone. On our golfing excursion the camera was lost..................A very sad moment, since it had some great pics on it. After golfing we enjoyed some pizza and discussed the possibility of finding the camera again (a slim chance in my eyes.) Then the rain came....................and it rained and rained and rained. Colin, Chad and I rushed up to grandpas to get the fire started before the wood was too wet. While we gathered the wood and worked on the fire our chances of finding a functional camera faded. The rain fell so hard.

We were very wet, but the fire was started and the weather soon passed so that we could begin to dry. Mom and Dad came out to visit again and eat some more s'mores. They were just as good the second night. Grandpa was able to come down too. Chad and Jason ran around playing for a lot of the evening. They were having a blast. When Jason got tired Mom and Dad headed to town but grandpa stayed because the company was just that good (HA!HA!) The time flew by and we decided to go ahead and cook some buffalo burgers for a second dinner. Everything seams to taste better on a fire. Grandpa had never had buffalo but I think he is hooked now. Chad is a great cook.

The next morning we were sad to have to move on. But, Chad had to go back to Colorado and we had to go to Cody to visit Colin's family. I am sure we will be getting together again before long. Chad is a lot of fun and it is always a good time when we all are able to visit.

Colin, Jason and I made our way over to Cody and one of our first stops was to Walmart to purchase a new camera. Jason played in Connie and Jay's new back yard while we looked on. He really enjoyed his time playing and as always fell in love with the dogs. When Brian got off of work, play time took on a new level. Jason though Uncle Brian was pretty cool and wanted to play. It was a nice evening. It was quite warm though and their new house doesn't have any sort of cooling system.

A rare sight......Colin and I riding a bike.

Checking out the back yard........There is a lot to see.

Loving on Loafy.

Finishing out the evening playing the piano..............What beautiful music.

The next morning we made our way back to Casper. It was so nice to be home in our own house with the swamp cooler. Jason was really excited to see he toys again too. Now we are just trying to get back into our usual groove. Hopefully next weekend I won't lose the camera and I will be able to post a lot of pics of Pat's wedding. But for now, I will continue to share more chapters in the Chronicles of Jason.............................

Supersized

Eating Cherries is turned into an event.

We all watched the show Super Size Me................but I am talking about a much healthier type of supersize. Crissy had mentioned that even the simple days sound interesting. I have to give the credit to Jason. With him everything is supersized.

If it is the excitement of seeing his first big red balloon or just a simple trip to the grocery store. Bringing home a bike is very exciting (it is a good looking ride.....like Gardenboy pointed out), but for Jason it caused quite the wild time. When we got home, he got on it, squealed and then jumped off and did the worm on the floor (quite the site I must say).

Many of us know how exciting it is to get a new book, but Jason didn't just get a little excited...........he wanted to carry it through the store and cried when the cashier had to scan it. We brought 3 new books home on Sunday (one being quite long) and we have almost memorized them all. Even his love for reading is supersized.

Jason with his new Curious George book.............he loves monkeys.

My favorite supersized moment is when Colin gets home from work. If Jason hears his vehicle he screams DAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! then he runs around the living room, up the hallway, back to the living room.......screaming DAD!!!!!!!! over and over. It is so cute and such a cool thing to witness.

I have mentioned the really wonderful things that are supersized, but it can also go the other way............. big time. You may think I am joking, but I have to say this couldn't be more true. Jason's emotions are supersized to the max.

If he runs out of juice it is the end of the world. He gets to upset that it is difficult to understand what he is trying to say. It begins with a little cry and turns into this huge scream fest. But, the second he gets his juice everything is right with the world.

Speaking of end of the world moments. Here is a supersized one for you. When it is too hot I take Jason to the mall to walk around and run. There aren't many people there during the day and he can look at the puppies at the pet store too (he likes the kittens better). It is just a perfect thing to burn off his mega energy supply. I brought him last week, before it cooled off, and I decided to let him play on the kiddy toys. He wanted to ride the bus, but I didn't have any money. Jason didn't care........he jumped in the drivers seat and started to drive. After about 15 minutes of having the time of his life (The bus never moved, but it made him so happy) it was time to go. I told him we had to go and he replied "NO!" I grabbed him and stood him next to the bus and tried to make the transfer to hold his hand. He screamed "NO" at the top of his lungs again and tried to get back in the bus. I pulled him back and repeated myself saying "we have to go Jason." Instead of just crying and coming with he had a supersized tantrum, right there in the mall. He threw his body back, his head smacked the floor and the screaming started. Taking my moms advice I let him throw his fit and let everyone around watch. After about 15 minutes of this all I could hear was the blood pumping through my body as I scanned the huge crowd that was watching. I kept on looking at Jason and then his audience. Finally, after realizing this wasn't going to end any time soon, I picked him up and walked all of the way through the mall with him under my arm until I got to the exit near my vehicle. You would think that the tantrum would have ended there, but it didn't. Jason is a stubborn child and won't give up easily. That tantrum was supersized, it lasted for over 2 hours. Jason was ready for a nap when it was over and I was partially deaf. Oh the fun of it.



His boo boos are supersized too. Monday when I bought him the trike, he had a huge wreck. You may be wondering how a little one can wreck a trike...................I am telling you it wasn't pretty. He tipped it over, falling into the TV stand and smashing the soft spot behind his ear on the sharp corner. It was bad enough it almost warranted a trip to the emergency room, but he survived and even got up on his trike ride again so he could feel that wind blowing through what little hair he has. So, his wrecks are supersized too.

So, I have to say thanks to Jason. He gives me a lot to write about and gives Colin and I daily adventures to share with you. Have a great weekend everyone. I will have a lot to post on Tuesday when we return from one of our many big trips this month. Since plans change a lot.........it isn't a river trip this weekend, but it has morphed into a camping trip up by Meeteetse. So you Meeteetse Warners and Coales watch out we are coming your way....................

A picture is worth a thousand words....

Many of us have those memories that stand out from our childhood. Some are really good and others we wish we could forget (like getting punished for doing something really bad.) Jason has racked up a lot of the naughty things, but nothing too major...........yet. We do know that day is coming. There have been some wonderful moments though. He has been too young to remember a lot of them, but he just might have made a memory to remember this week.

We bought Jason his first trike. The first thing he did was climb up on it. He started by just pushing himself around with his feet.....not touching the pedals ( I really don't think he even noticed them at first.) Yesterday he decided to attempt to use the pedals. I think he will get the hang of it very soon.

Nice new ride. 0 miles, right off the lot.

Yesterday was Parade Day here in Casper. Travis and Crissy know what I am talking about, but for those of you that have never lived here before here goes..................... Since every other town around the state has set aside holidays to celebrate their town and the people in it, Casper evidently didn't get in to the pool before all of the days were taken. So, they made up their own day........Parade Day. So, Meeteetse has Labor Day with the parade and festivities, Cody has the 4th, and Casper has Parade Day. At first this was quite strange, since businesses around town close for the event (all except the bars of course.) The bank was even closed. So..........Jason and I decided to get in on the action. We parked at a friends house close to downtown and walked a few blocks finding ourselves at the City Park. After setting up camp, we called Colin to come and join us in watching the parade.

Having fun at Jason's first parade.

It started out fun, but Jason was tired and his happiness quickly turned to anger and then to a whole other level. We stuck it out for quite a while, screaming and all.

Ready to make a day of it (at 10:30 in the morning.)

The weather was beautiful. Jason even had to wear a sweatshirt for a while. It hasn't been that cool in over a month. We were watching and having a good time (Jason was tolerating it) when a man came up and stood very close to us. It wasn't like there wasn't enough room for him to leave a little space between us, but that didn't matter to him. After watching him for a while we noticed him paying too much attention to the little girls around. Then a group of very young girls doing cartwheels went by and the man gave a strange look and grabbed a screw driver in his pocked. After seeing him clutch the screw driver and check out every girl under the age of 13 around us we decided to move. It was very creepy and gave us another strange story for the books. After moving we watched a little more before heading for home. Jason loved the marching band, the always popular balloons (he is a big fan of any balloon), and the horses. He even tried to make a horse noise which sounds more like a hack that an old person would make, but he is working on it.

After the parade we made our way home. Our friend Traci came over to visit and have a few drinks. Sorry I didn't take a pic.........I will get one next time she is over. When Jason woke up from his nap he flirted. Even though he pulled out his best moves she still had to go home. He was very sad, but I am sure she will be over again. He won her heart. I hope all of you had a great Parade Day too............even if you didn't know it was a special day. Have a wonderful rest of the week.

Finishing out a perfect weekend!!!

Feeding time!!!

Oh the fun, it never stops around here. Even when we have lazy days there are things that need to be done. The regular cleaning, laundry, and the ever so intense feeding the dogs. You might be questioning my use of intense, but to fully understand you must know one little fact about that job...........it is one of Jason's chores. I know he is only 18 months old, but he wants to be able to help so we have given him a few chores around the house. He feeds the dogs, washes the cabinets and the table, and helps pick up his toys. On occasion he helps fold clothes, but I really don't think we can count that since his idea of folding is holding the piece of clothing above his head, grunting a few times, then puting it down in a pile while nodding. We will say it is a chore, just to humor the little man.

Playing with Cream.

After the chores were finished it was time for hair cuts. Sorry no pics there, but take my word for it..........it was similar to a marathon. I cut both Jason and Colins hair and then we went out to get mine chopped. It went rather quickly as marathons do and then we were back at the house to play. Jason enjoyed some time chasing the neighbor's cat Cream around before we made our way next door to enjoy some games and steak. Jason had a chance to watch movies with Brandon and we partied on............and on. Who ever knew that pictionary could be so challenging. Might I add the women kicked butt up one side and down the other............Ok, we lost one game.

Jason and Brandon watching movies.

With all of the relaxation, we even had time to fit in a walk with the dogs. I have to say that it was short lived due to the weather. Everything was going well. We were chugging along just fine when suddenly a big wind came up pushing me just enough for me to have to catch my balance with one of my feet. Little did I know that this would include a pile of cactus. Since there cactus is as thick as grass in a lawn.......I should have thought it was a possibility, but of course I didn't think before I stepped. Needless to say, that cactus is quite healthy and can really give a stab (through shoes.) After I passed Jason off and got the cactus pulled, the wind increased and a storm appeared to be rolling in.


Walking...............just before the cactus incident.

We weren't lucky enough to see moisture with the first round of wind and lightening that we witnessed on our walk, but it did come. After a month with no moisture we were wondering if we could even remember what rain looked like or felt like. Nature reminded us in a big way.........

The storm 3 minutes in.............

There were flood warnings all around our area.......even in town. Our yard wasfinally watered well and we have found a little relief in our drought. It was a lot of rain, near an inch in about 40 minutes. What a beautiful way to end a perfect weekend.

Good fun and food!

Though I said earlier that we weren't doing anything for the 4th, we couldn't help ourselves. Like my parents we love the improvised parties. Our friend Dan came over with his kids to watch the fireworks. It was a blast, literally. Jason loves Brady and Maddie so much. The dogs couldn't get enough of them either.

He loved watching Brady hit himself in the head with the ball.

Maddie with Mae.

Brady and Jason.

Friday was Colin's day off so we had big plans. Since we love food so much.......it was a day for cooking. Colin baked two batches of cookies, one was white chocolate macadamia nut and the other was oatmeal butterscotch. Both were wonderful...............so much that there are few left.

Leaving the rocks behind for one day to become a baker.

Taking a break from cooking.

Then it was time for me to make dinner. I get tired of the same old stuff all of the time, so I went to none other than the Food Network for some spice. In this house we truly love all food, but some stand out above the others. There is GARLIC (the biggest and best around here), Spinach (it just tastes good despite the wives tales), Cheese (its all good), and of course pasta (it needs no introduction). Keeping all of these ingredients in mind I found the perfect dish. It is spinach goat cheese pene with garlic. It isn't for the hater of garlic since it will make you smell like it for days (it is a very good thing Colin has a long weekend otherwise the people in the office would think he stinks..........they still might). This turned out to be a very simple, refreshing, tasty, and stinky dish. It was so good that it was difficult to stop eating.

Jason and I finishing dinner.

The finished product, Jason couldn't keep his hands off.

The cooking was exhausting for Jason. By the time dinner was done he was tired and didn't even help clean up after we ate. Naughty Boy!!!! He was over done and very dirty. So, to finish off the day he had to clean up and get ready for bed.

Getting cleaned up at the end of the day.

Now we can use the rest of the weekend to eat leftovers and relax. I hope you all enjoy the rest of yours.........................