Ouch! - Day 91

This is just getting crazy! At least Costco has gas for less than some others...and luckily my car takes the less expensive gas, but gee whiz!



Nicholas is smiling, probably because he's not paying for this (plus, I asked him to).



This is my record of how much I spent today. UGH!

Amazing Sunday - Day 90

I saw this on Cute Overload this morning...it is absolutely amazing (and about 8 minutes long).

What Did YOU Do Today? - Day 89

Catie seems to be asking what you did today. We had our Easter dinner at my parents' house with my brother and his family. Catie will be 6 months old next week already. Isn't she a cutie pie?



Then the boys made their own totem pole. We figure once Catie gets a bit older, we can add her to the top for a grandchild stack.

Easy Dinner - Day 88

My hairy faced child (that doesn't sound very nice)...my sweet oldest child wanted to go to the school's musical tonight, Once Upon a Mattress, so we got to have an easy dinner since we were 1.) short on time, and 2.) exhausted from a long week (me anyway).

Another Snick Pic - Day 87

I'm sort of cheating again...I took this photo yesterday after Snickers came in from the torrential rain that preceded the miniscule snow we had. Today I had a workshop after school and I am totally exhausted. I think I'm too old to work 11 hour days. Snickers WANTS to be dried off once he's taken a shower or been outside in the rain. I'm surprised he doesn't have dry skin due the the daily hair dryer treatment. I know, he's weird. I should also dig up the photo of him walking in the creek...

Snow!! - Day 86

After I got home from work, it started snowing big huge flakes. It didn't stick but my dad called me later in the evening and said that he had about 1 inch covering the area. (He lives about 20 mintues away from me.) Click on the photo and you can see lots of big snowflakes!

A New Hiding Place - Day 85

Snickers has found a new place to hide. He rarely sat on our old couches. Now we find him on the new ones all the time. But when the recliner goes down, it makes this great hiding pocket in the back, just right for an adventurous cat.

A View From the Balcony - Day 84

Isn't it nice to have a newly mown lawn? Nicholas did the honors and I love how it looks with the lines outside my door with my tree halfway in bloom. Teenagers are great! Fiance's (that's supposed to be an accent, not an apostrophe!) are great, too. Our garage is well organized and our shed is all cleaned out, thanks to Owen and a bit of help from a couple of teenagers.

Happy Easter - Day 83

Happy Easter everyone!

New Couches - Day 82

Owen and I bought new couches for our family room. Now we can watch tv in comfort. The color is called Loden and is a medium grayish green that doesn't show up well in the photo. The ends of the big couch reclines and the loveseat is basically a double recliner. The only problem is that Matthew's feet hang over the edge...what shall we do?

More Signs of Spring - Day 81

I found some cute little flowers growing in the area where we took out a bushy tree last year. I remember them from when we moved in bunches of years ago, but they had been taken over by the shrub. It was nice to actually see them growing this year.

I Turned Away and... - Day 80

I was taking rain pictures for my blog, turned away, and Nicholas had jumped in the driver's seat...I guess that's what happens when someone is 16!

Do Your Ears Hang Low - Day 79

Do your ears hang low, do they wobble to and fro?
Can you tie them in a knot? Can you tie them in a bow?

Jasper can.

Jasper is my parents' dog. He's pretty cool, even if he didn't tie his own ears up (Matthew did, most likely).

Hawaiian Paper - Day 78

My Hawaiian paper came in the mail this weekend. I can't decide whether to make my guest book using this or Fancy Pants paper. I bought an extra binder so I can make both...I will make them then decide and use the other for something else.

How They've Grown - Day 77

You know how you stop noticing things that are on your walls because you walk by them day after day...these adorable ceramic handprints are one of those. The boys made them in 1996, 12 years ago. So it's time to be noticed again, here with their hands next to them. Nicholas is on the left, Matthew on the right.

Book Group - Day 76

Today's book group meeting was on P.S., I Love You by Cecelia Ahern. I really enjoyed the book, but we heard that it had mixed reviews. Apparently it is VERY different from the movie. Now I can't wait until the movie comes out on DVD so I can see it.

Easter Decorations - Day 75

Here is the start of our Easter decorations. I love the low window ledges in my kitchen nook area. It makes the best place to put seasonal decorations.

It's Finally Friday!!! - Day 74

Late Night - Day 73

This is what time I got home from work...late conference night tonight. We started staying late about 10-12 years ago for working parents, so they wouldn't have to take time off work to come see how their children are doing in school. A few years ago I stopped staying the 2 late nights and only stayed one (for fall conferences). After tonight, I think I'm only going to work my regular hours...no more late nights. I have a headache, can hardly see straight, and I'm totally exhausted. The students were there for a half day and will be there tomorrow for a half day (I get the afternoon off, my trade-off for working tonight). Is it worth it? No. I only had 2 parents who needed the late conferencing time, I spent the rest of the time glued to my desk trying to catch up on paperwork, (correcting, recording grades, planning lessons for next week...and I'm still not done). I would've been even later but there is a scheduled dinner break that I didn't take (who wants dinner at 3:30?), so I left once my headache started, 15 minutes "early". Maybe I should've called this post "Grouchy Night"... ;)

And this is what I had the energy to cook for my late dinner. Now I just have to decide which drink I want...decisions are hard...

Another Sign of Spring - Day 72

Here's another sign that spring is coming...I just noticed them this morning, and Lynette posted a challenge today to photograph signs of spring, so here it is! :)

Video Graveyard - Day 71

This is what happens when boys get older and the VHS player gets replaced with a DVD player. There are some good movies in there (and yes, they will still watch some of them) but it's become a hassle to bring down the player to watch them so "someone" booted them out his bedroom into the hallway.

Busy Bee - Day 70

Wow, 70 days of the 2008 have passed already. I took this photo on Saturday. The bees were busily collecting or distributing (or both) pollen on my little plant out front...anyone know the name of it? I can't remember. There were a handful there and this big guy let me take his picture. He got fed up with me and flew away when I tried to get a closer, better shot. He's such a bright orange on his back half.

Nicholas's Birthday Party - Day 69

Nicholas wanted to go to a movie and dinner for his birthday. He invited his girlfriend Heather, Mama and Papa, his dad, and us to join him. We saw Vantage Point (not Drillbit Taylor).

Next, we went to Lieu's, a favorite Chinese restaurant of Nicholas's. He opened presents and even got a free dish of his favorite...chicken fried rice.
Here is Mama Lieu with Nicholas. She always gives the boys hugs when we leave and comments on how tall they are getting.

Shrimp and Egg Quesadilla - Day 68

Matthew and I created this new quesadilla. We started off by scrambling some eggs with shrimp and cheddar cheese. Then it was put in a tortilla that had melted cheddar and some honey mustard sauce (homemade) in it. We wrapped it up and had wonderful, delicious, and fairly healty meal for dinner last night and for lunch again today. Yum!!

Dragonflies - Day 67

I love dragonflies, don't know why, but I do. These two are in my bathroom area.

Grandpa - Day 66

Well, when we got home yesterday, we found out that my grandpa had died. He was my mom's dad and lived with them downstairs in his own apartment-type area for the last 3 years or so. He was 89. This picture is of us at Christmas 2005. We'll miss you, Grandpa.

Nicholas is 16!! - Day 65

Sixteen years ago, I gave birthday to my first 10 lb. child. (Yes, they were both over 10 lbs...my claim to fame.)








Here he is as an adorable 3 year old...the title of my page says You Make My Heart Sing (I didn't photograph the other side).














In this one, Nicholas is 10 and Matthew is 8. What great brotherly love. (Well, at least cooperation when Mom says to pose for the camera!)






And now, here he is today, driving my car, wearing his new jacket, ready to be a responsible (he'd better be) 16 year old. Love you, Nicholas!

Snickers is Now Famous

Snickers is on StuffOnMyCat.com today. He's famous! Depending on when you look at it, you may have to scroll down a ways to see him...they try to put one cat on an hour.

Leaving for School - Day 64

We have been noticing that when the boys leave for school, it's not pitch dark out anymore...yea spring! It will soon be here!

Wonderful World - Day 63

I'm cheating a bit here...I worked late doing report cards (still not finished), had a dentist appointment and now that it's getting late, I'm posting a video that a friend just sent out. I've seen it before but it really makes me smile. Enjoy!

New Lights - Day 62

Owen put up new lights in the garage and now we can actually see out there!

Chevy's - Day 61

In scrapbooking, when we use and idea or copy a layout format, we call it "scraplifting". I suppose in photo-blogging, when you copy someone's photo idea, it should be called "photolifting" or "bloglifting"..or maybe "photobloglifting". I took my camera out at dinner so I would remember to take a picture of my fajitas. When my drink came, it looked pretty good and Lynette had posted a photo like this recently. I did take a picture of my fajitas, but they looked awful with all the charred black stuff around the edge of the plate (although they tasted great!), so I decided to photobloglift...voila'!

I also did my good deed of the day at Chevy's...I had two coupons for getting a 2nd meal for $3.99 that both expired today. I gave my extra one to a younger couple waiting to be seated and they were happy to have it.