tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89128777740719814792023-12-12T09:55:28.483-08:00Waisted Dreamsthe ramblings of a hopelessly optimistic romantic as she navigates divorce, weight loss, and falling in loveUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger171125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912877774071981479.post-76791622886666387102015-08-31T15:12:00.001-07:002015-08-31T15:12:14.593-07:00Swimming As My Exercise of ChoiceI want swimming to be my exercise of choice. It's easy on my joints. It can easily be a lifelong exercise option. It feels good. I actually enjoy it. It's total body.<br />
<br />
But I can't. Or rather, I haven't figured it out yet. True to my 40x40 list, I jumped in. I bought a one-month pass and I set out to become a svelte, sculpted mermaid. I'm still more like a whale.<br />
<br />
I lasted a week. I enjoyed it once I was there. But the effort to get there took work. Change clothes, put on swimsuit, take off swimsuit, put clothes on. That's a lot of dressing/undressing for a girl who dresses in the morning, jammies in the evening, dress again in the morning. That's like two whole steps of dressing/undressing.<br />
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Then there was the showering....Shower in the morning, shower before the pool, shower after the pool, shower again in the morning. That's a lot of water wasting during a drought.<br />
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Then there was the weight gain. How can one person cut their calories, swim for 45 minutes, and GAIN weight? Waterlogged? Am I like a sponge soaking up the water so that I weigh more?<br />
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Anyway, I gave it a shot. And I actually plan to give it more of a shot but I need to figure out the way it works best in my schedule. I know I need to do something and truth be told, no matter what I choose, I'll have excuses. It's about cutting the excuses long enough to let something become an enjoyable habit. Wish me luck (and give me tips if you've incorporated swimming into your routine!).Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912877774071981479.post-63275575004670757212015-08-25T12:28:00.002-07:002015-08-25T12:28:19.875-07:00Transition from Mom to GrandmaI'll be a grandma before I turn 40. I need some cool ideas for a name other than grandma - anything but grandma. I'm way cooler than that! Memaw? Granny? Gma? I guess my granddaughter will decide! Leave your ideas in the comments!!<br />
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Marcus and I have always had a strong bond. Sometimes it's felt like me and Marc against the world. For almost 8 years, it was just he and I. Then there was my ex and then there wasn't again. So he's my sidekick. My favorite oldest son. I've done my best and questioned my best and wondered if my best was best enough. I'm still second guessing!<br />
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So this next step is filled with mixed emotions. Happiness and a little sadness. Excitement and a little anxiousness. Pride and worry.<br />
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He's grown up so much in the last 6 months. Working full time at a decent job with decent pay and full benefits. Making tough decisions - like missing a family vacation to work, buying a reliable car instead of the truck he wants, paying his bills instead of going out. All the things we all have to do as we grow up. As a parent, sometimes we get frustrated with our kids and wonder if they'll ever grow up and be responsible and then one day, they do. I know there will be lots more growing up to do but he's off to a great start and I'm proud of the man he's becoming.<br />
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And now today, he begins to move away from home to his first little apartment. It's exciting. I remember my mom helping me. Buying me little things for the kitchen, my first set of towels, giving me her decorations she didn't want anymore - everything to make it feel like home. And now I get to do the same thing. I'm so happy for them.<br />
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But I'm on the verge of tears too. He's my baby and he's leaving. Wow, that went really fast. Wasn't I just changing diapers? Waiting for him to say "momma" for the first time?<br />
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So now I get to be excited about Sunday dinner at my house. My dad did that when I first moved out and I miss it so much. Now I get to make that tradition. I'll make their favorites and spoil that baby. Now baby can come visit grandma instead of living with grandma.<br />
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But now I worry...what if they need me? It's their first child. Do they know what to do? Can I protect them? What if the baby cries and they need an extra set of arms....? what if what if what if. . . by now you should be getting a good idea of the mixed emotions.<br />
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The truth is even with my fears, I realize they're unfounded. I'm just a few short blocks away and they're responsible young adults. They'll have growing pains, I'll get the calls asking what to do about this or that, I'll miss them. But this is what's supposed to happen. He should be moving out. They should want their own place. It's all part of the process and I'm so thankful I raised him like I did. My role is changing a bit and I'm pretty excited about this step. I have a feeling they won't be the only ones with a few growing pains. (Is it acceptable to still ask him to check in? Can I still text him a few times a day telling him I love him? How often is too often to tell him I miss him? How do I make sure I'm not "that" mother-in-law?)<br />
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Oh, and about that bucket list - I threw Jyni a wonderful baby shower. I took pics but deleted them (dummy!!). It turned out wonderful and she was spoiled with cute pink frilly outfits, lots of diapers, and plenty of blankets. If there's one thing this granny can do - it's throw a party!!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912877774071981479.post-3884151297246708002015-08-05T13:57:00.000-07:002015-08-05T13:57:23.075-07:0040x40 - Sun, Sand, and SheltonMark two off my annual bucket list - Visit a Beach - DONE! and See Blake Shelton in concert - DONE!<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2nMHwTnlao0/VcJyYAKyy5I/AAAAAAAADAo/uCoI78qGTzg/s1600/IMG_2967.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2nMHwTnlao0/VcJyYAKyy5I/AAAAAAAADAo/uCoI78qGTzg/s320/IMG_2967.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bullard's Beach Lighthouse</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I thankfully got tickets to the Cape Blanco Music Festival. A large country music festival held each year at Cape Blanco (duh) which is a gorgeous spot on the Oregon Coast. Located near Bandon and Port Orford, the quaint sea towns offer your usual mix of artsy craftsy stores, plenty of wind and sea air, and lighthouses. It's sort of nostalgic. Maybe a little sad the way our coastal towns seem to be in a bit of disrepair but at the same time beautiful. <br />
<br />
I absolutely love the Oregon coast. I can't say that I absolutely LOVE country music. I'm a bit of a rocker myself - Nine Inch Nails, Alice in Chains are more my speed. But I like all music and can appreciate a good country song.<br />
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What makes a good country song, you ask? Well if you ask ME, I'll tell you it's a bit twangy and sounds country. None of this "crossover pop" bs - I like my country to sound like country. Johnny Cash, Hank Williams Senior - those guys knew country!<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-huFJ4o3iw7c/VcJyfC_6eUI/AAAAAAAADBY/7Lu5N_DUe4E/s1600/FullSizeRender.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="188" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-huFJ4o3iw7c/VcJyfC_6eUI/AAAAAAAADBY/7Lu5N_DUe4E/s200/FullSizeRender.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's Blake right there</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
What else? Blake Shelton. I do love me some Blake so this year's festival was perfect for me. He's good looking. He's tall. He can sing.<br />
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We arrived at Bandon late on Friday and headed to the concert. The traffic was insane. It didn't help that some panhandlers parked by the side of the road playing a fiddle asking for handouts. Smart move for them - about 300 cars stopped to give them money. Bad news for us - it took us 2.5 HOURS to go 17 miles and finally arrive. Grrrrr!!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-W1SCSwi7WS4/VcJyXGdaulI/AAAAAAAADAg/qpJrIiljy1Q/s1600/IMG_2904.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-W1SCSwi7WS4/VcJyXGdaulI/AAAAAAAADAg/qpJrIiljy1Q/s200/IMG_2904.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bar</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After the concert, we headed to Bandon to get some grub. Only bad side to a small coastal town. Every single restaurant, grocery store, and convenience store was closed. No fast food. No late night Denny's. Nothing. Then we spotted a bar connected to a closed Chinese restaurant. They happened to serve food (and whiskey - score one for me!). It was one of those "record-screeches-to-a-stop-and-all-the-locals-<br />
stare" kind of dive bars. It was remarkably clean and I'll say the food was fresh and yummy (I was starving!). The bartender was fun and awesome. It ended up being a great time.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5SbojP_OITg/VcJyW32k2JI/AAAAAAAADAc/SHm9WwJ4_xI/s1600/IMG_2903.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5SbojP_OITg/VcJyW32k2JI/AAAAAAAADAc/SHm9WwJ4_xI/s200/IMG_2903.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the whiskey</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I didn't take pictures but I can assure you there are some great places to eat in Bandon. The Minute Cafe for breakfast was nice and tasty and the Chowder House by the water in downtown had delicious crab/shrimp sandwiches and of course, chowder. Over the weekend, we enjoyed more music, fun with friends, plenty of beer,shopping in some quaint little shops and just some downtime. So glad I can mark this off my list.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fair Food!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nM7G5XJMxbc/VcJyZX3vamI/AAAAAAAADBE/7G6ZWay3-1o/s1600/IMG_2991.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nM7G5XJMxbc/VcJyZX3vamI/AAAAAAAADBE/7G6ZWay3-1o/s400/IMG_2991.jpg" width="223" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our view of the stage</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rivGcZuyExg/VcJyXKsXk7I/AAAAAAAADAs/mpIHoNFeOeU/s1600/IMG_2912.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rivGcZuyExg/VcJyXKsXk7I/AAAAAAAADAs/mpIHoNFeOeU/s320/IMG_2912.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tala, Brian, and Rob at the Beer Garden</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XwArrgrLszo/VcJyX3NNiEI/AAAAAAAADBQ/Cb_irXZ3Lw4/s1600/IMG_2949.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XwArrgrLszo/VcJyX3NNiEI/AAAAAAAADBQ/Cb_irXZ3Lw4/s320/IMG_2949.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My selfie stick came in handy </td></tr>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912877774071981479.post-13871139328234548432015-07-20T12:09:00.001-07:002015-07-20T12:09:24.840-07:00Annual Bucket List Part 2Without further adieu, I present part 2 of my annual bucket list:<br />
<ul>
<li>Host a dinner party at home</li>
<li>throw a baby shower</li>
<li>visit the beach</li>
<li>visit a waterfall</li>
<li>do more alcohol and ink artwork</li>
<li>go to a restaurant I've never been to</li>
<li>help Nate make a minecraft video</li>
<li>treat myself to a real spa day</li>
<li>play a new game with the family</li>
<li>go on a hike</li>
<li>make cheese at home</li>
<li>take a photowalk</li>
<li>take a walk every single morning in September</li>
<li>plan my 2016 vacation</li>
<li>take a family photo with five generations</li>
<li>take Nate to a Beavers game</li>
<li>wear a cute hat in public</li>
<li>fix up my patio</li>
<li>wear my doc martens in public on a day that isn't Halloween</li>
<li>do an art project with Nate</li>
<li>throw my favorite things party</li>
<li>go on a zipline </li>
</ul>
There you have it folks....let's get doing! Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912877774071981479.post-6214727658415401612015-07-17T14:59:00.002-07:002015-07-17T14:59:24.744-07:00Announcing my 40 x 40 list (well almost half of it anyway)40 doesn't bother me at all and I think that's why I haven't really thought about it much. Seriously!<br />
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My hair is a little grayer - who cares?<br />
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My hips are a little wider - who cares? (ok maybe I do a little but that's not a 40 thing, it's a french fry thing)<br />
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My smiles has a few lines around it and my eyes have some crow's feet - who cares?<br />
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I don't run as fast any more - who cares? (ok, you caught me - I've never run, not even at 20)<br />
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I think that's why I wasn't too worried about this year. The only reason I care about 40 is because I really want a fun party with family and friends that I didn't plan. I don't even really care if it's about me - I just want a fun time.<br />
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Let me tell you what I AM struggling with. My son growing up. He got married and is having a baby. I'm super excited about it but it's weird to sort of not have a place right now. Like I worry about what he's doing, when he'll be home, whether or not he's going on my vacation with me - random stuff like that. It's just an adjustment period.<br />
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Anway, I decided I better do this annual bucket list thing that I've done for the past five years. I mean if I did it for 35, 36, 37, 38, and 39, then why not do it for 40.<br />
<br />
So here's the start of my list (thanks to a friend who helped me)<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Ride my bike around the rim at Crater Lake National Park (by the way, they have two vehicle free days this year just for this purpose and <a href="http://www.ridetherim2015.com/free-registration/" target="_blank">registration is free</a>!)</li>
<li>Fly a kite</li>
<li>Read a book from every genre </li>
<li>Learn to make a new dish</li>
<li>Get a grown up coloring book and color the whole thing</li>
<li>Eat a food I've never eaten before</li>
<li>Take a yoga class</li>
<li>make sangria</li>
<li>dye my hair (or at least a part of it) a wild color</li>
<li>Take my own photos and frame them</li>
<li>Apply for a dream job I'm completely unqualified for</li>
<li>Start a makeup club</li>
<li>Incorporate swimming into a exercise routine for a little while</li>
<li>become grandma (this is sort of me cheating..this is going to happen)</li>
<li>Knit a pair of socks</li>
<li>Make three Christmas gifts</li>
<li>See Blake Shelton in concert</li>
<li>Enter at least one item in the fair</li>
</ol>
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Ok readers and friends - I need 22 more! HELP!! remember, cheap, kind of local, and no snakes! Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912877774071981479.post-66159823934272659752015-07-15T15:05:00.002-07:002015-07-15T15:05:37.843-07:00Let's Do It!Today I realized with a start several things:<br />
<ul>
<li>I miss blogging. It was my outlet. It's been too long.</li>
<li>I didn't make a list this year and this is a BIG year. (If you've followed me a while you know I create an annual bucket list. Last year was 39 before 39). </li>
<li>I'm going to be a grandma in September.</li>
<li>I turn 40 in December.</li>
<li>I'm still fatter than I want to be. </li>
</ul>
There you have it folks. So here I am. Here's my list:<br />
<ul>
<li>Start blogging.</li>
<li>Make a list (40 before 40 and I only have 4.5 months to do it - send me your ideas ASAP - must be cheap, somewhat local, and not involve snakes)</li>
<li>I'll totally rock this Grandma thing - no worries there.</li>
<li>Can't stop 40 and truthfully I embrace it. But it leads me to my next thing....</li>
<li>I'm not going to turn 40 at this weight. I've lost 120 but it's time to get rid of the rest and do this. </li>
</ul>
So, first things first.....help me make my list. Read my blog. Cheer me on. Let's do this! Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912877774071981479.post-58844981265882411132015-01-23T17:11:00.002-08:002015-01-23T17:11:50.272-08:00Making My Way Back<div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Cambria; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Wow, have I really not written since October? To say I've been busy would be true. But not any busier than usual. I've just felt like I didn't know what to write. I enjoy blogging but truly, is it fun if no one is reading? I know people who blog as a way to journal. It's true that it serves that purpose but to put your thoughts and ramblings out to the universe, well, there has to be a different purpose. </span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Cambria; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Cambria; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">Since I started this blog, I've been all over the map. I've posted pieces of my divorce. I needed an outlet - one that didn't make my friends pick sides or involve my kids. I've written about my weight loss struggles and my weight loss successes. I shared my moments of self loathing and the moments I've celebrated the way I look. All in all, I think I've shared things for me but also in hopes that maybe someone will read something I've written that resonates. </span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Cambria; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Cambria; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">With that being said, I'm working through what this year's blog focus will be. Let's start at the beginning. If you've read my blog for any length of time, you'll know that in December I post my annual Bucket List. It's x number of things to do before my x birthday. Last year was 39 before 39. I didn't do so well. Here's my list and a recap:</span></span></div>
<ol style="background-color: white; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: red;">Receive my certificate in web design - DONE! Now I decided to finish up my degree in Business Management. </span></li>
<li style="color: #222222; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Try standup paddleboarding - I thought about it more than once. I even almost signed up for a class. But the water was filled with icky algae and it smelled bad and I decided this could wait. </li>
<li style="color: #222222; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Climb <a href="http://www.summitpost.org/mount-mcloughlin/150504" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Mt. McLoughlin</a> - This has been on my list for three years. Maybe climbing Mt. McLoughlin just isn't important to me. </li>
<li style="color: #222222; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: red;">Create a website - Yep, did it. Woo hoo</span></li>
<li style="color: #222222; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Be on stage - Did this too. </span></li>
<li style="color: #222222; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: red;">Sew a skirt or dress with fabric I love - loved the fabric but I'm no seamstress. </span></li>
<li style="color: #222222; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Save $2000 - yeaaaaahhhh right?? Nope. </li>
<li style="color: #222222; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: red;">Visit Cheya - Yep!</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: red;">Cross a finish line - I did do this. The kids and I participated in the Ugly Sweater Run. I walked but my youngest son ran the whole thing!! Way to go!</span></li>
<li style="color: #222222; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Get a tattoo</span></li>
<li style="color: #222222; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: red;">Dance (outside my house, somewhere besides my kitchen)</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: red;">Conquer a fear - I'm not sure if I did this or not. I'm still afraid of snakes which is the big one. But I'm no longer afraid my son won't make it to 18 (c'mon as a mom, you know you've wondered if you're kids will live if they roll their eyes one more time). Let's mark this one done. haha</span></li>
<li style="color: #222222; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Start my memoir - Why did I pick this one? Am I really this important and do I like to write that much? </li>
<li style="color: #222222; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Hike <a href="http://www.craterlakeinstitute.com/planning-visit/activities/trail-stuart-falls.htm" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Stuart Falls trail</a> - I actually did try this one. I ended up at Crater Lake hiking instead. I couldn't find it. Perhaps it's a sign that hiking isn't for me. </li>
<li style="color: #222222; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Be able to hold plank for 2 minutes - hahahahaha, um, no. </li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: red;">Learn to love my body - It started as acceptance but you know what, this body can do things!</span></li>
<li style="color: #222222; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Be able to do 20 proper pushups- hahaha, again, um no. I don't even think I ever actually tried one. </li>
<li style="color: #222222; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: red;">Be a bridesmaid in a beautiful wedding</span></li>
<li style="color: #222222; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: red;">Sleep under the stars</span></li>
<li style="color: #222222; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Complete six passport nights - I cooked a lot but I didn't actually accomplish this. </li>
<li style="color: #222222; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Master three yoga poses (mountain, Warrior 1, and bridge) - Same as with pushups and plank. Didn't even try. </li>
<li style="color: #222222; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Ride my bike to work. Nope. I couldn't pick a day when I wanted to be smelly and look like I'd been run over. </li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: red;">Start a regular weight training regime - Well, sort of. I started it. I did it regularly for a week. It counts - I didn't say how long. </span></li>
<li style="color: #222222; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: red;">go camping - So fun!!</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: red;">take a fashion risk - I actually did a few of these! I did a 30 day closet challenge where I attempted to not wear the same outfit twice in 30 days. I did it. I wore leopard (halfway through the day decided not for me). I wore booties with rolled up jeans (something I thought i'd hate but I loved). I wore cute short skirts with sweater leggings. </span></li>
<li style="color: #222222; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">get my passport - nope</li>
<li style="color: #222222; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: red;">take the kids on a vacation</span></li>
<li style="color: #222222; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Visit <a href="http://www.nps.gov/lavo/index.htm" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Lassen Park</a> - nope but I did go to Burney Falls which is close!!</li>
<li style="color: #222222; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Go to a play in Ashland - nope. </li>
<li style="color: #222222; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: red;">Decorate my bedroom</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: red;">Teach my kids to cook - I did accomplish this. Marcus regularly makes steak and other stuff while Nate has mastered mac and cheese!</span></li>
<li style="color: #222222; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Take a weekend trip without the kids and cut loose - apparently I've forgotten how to cut loose. </li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: red;">Kiss in the rain - Yes, I think. I can't remember exactly. I think it was more of a drizzle. </span></li>
<li style="color: #222222; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Plan and save for Marc's graduation trip - welllllll, this is another story. Let's make it to graduation and then we'll go from there. </li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: red;">Buy a swimsuit and wear it - Done! </span></li>
<li style="color: #222222; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Do something awesome for Marc's 18th bday</span></li>
<li style="color: #222222; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Go to Reno for the <a href="http://crawlreno.com/reno-santa-crawl/" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Santa Pub Crawl</a> in December - nope. again, not sure I remember how to cut loose!</li>
<li style="color: #222222; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: red;">Go to my 20 year class reunion</span></li>
<li style="color: #222222; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;">Go to <a href="http://www.chozugardens.com/" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Chozu Gardens</a> in Ashland - I read some reviews and eh, I think this is coming off. </li>
</ol>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Cambria; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">So, I accomplished some. Didn't accomplish others. And I've not decided what to do this year. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Cambria; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Cambria; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">I'll be 40 in December. It feels like I should really do something grand but I can't decide what. So.....leave me a comment and help me decide what I should do in 2015 to celebrate the big 4-0......</span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912877774071981479.post-18413520929207667962014-10-20T13:02:00.001-07:002014-10-20T13:02:19.125-07:0038 x 38 - Create a WebsiteLast Fall, I enrolled at our local community college to earn my certificate in Web Design and Marketing. It's been 20 years since I attended school and I wasn't a shining student. But I'm older and wiser and I've been yearning to actually complete something.<br />
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So off to school I headed. It's been fun. It's been challenging - between working full-time and the kids, it's hard to find time to get my school work done.<br />
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All in all, it's been rewarding. And I've created my first website. It's hosted on our server so it's not "live" per se. . . I am not sure I'm going to actually keep it so I've got to think about that. If you'd like to see it, you can <a href="http://heather.klamathcc.net/" target="_blank">view it here.</a><br />
<br />
I should get my certificate in just a few more months. And with just a couple more terms than that, I could have my degree in Business so I think I'll just continue on.<br />
<br />
Feeling proud! Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912877774071981479.post-75026023098531886402014-09-26T18:05:00.004-07:002014-09-26T18:05:59.345-07:00All Mixed Up and SidewaysI broke the news with you a few weeks ago that I was going to be a grandma and it's been a roller coaster of emotions since.<br />
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At first, I was so upset. Not mad but maybe a bit disappointed. My son is a senior and we've talked often over the years about doing things the "right" way.<br />
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That lasted about two seconds because...well, let's face it...there's not much I can do about it now. So then I quickly moved on to acceptance. Ok, let's make a plan.<br />
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And acceptance led to joy. I mean, c'mon, it's a baby. Marc's. Jyni's. It's family. Flesh and blood.<br />
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Joy led to dreams as I envisioned the things I would knit. The quilts I would make. The clothes I would buy. The toys I'd gift.<br />
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And then the unthinkable...Jyni started to have some troubles. Signs and symptoms I know all too well, intimately. Signs of a miscarriage.<br />
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Bam, bringing back some memories there. I had one heck of a time getting pregnant between my two boys. Actually, I got pregnant just fine. I had a hard time staying pregnant. And my heart broke each time.<br />
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So as I tried to help this young woman through it, I hurt. I know timing was terrible (senior year, 18, young, new relationship) but it doesn't mean it doesn't hurt.<br />
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And man, it's really hard watching Marc go through it. He's upset. He's trying to cheer her. He's just trying. But he hurts.<br />
<br />
So I'm not going to be a grandma in April and Marc and Jyni won't be parents. And I hope they do the things they need to stay young and carefree just a little longer. There's plenty of time for grown up things...arguing over bills, being broke, doctors appointments, who's going to get up for the 2 a.m. feeding, finding babysitters, and arguing over what kind of car they want/need. Say a little prayer for my family please:)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912877774071981479.post-79057814222328540652014-09-19T11:10:00.005-07:002014-09-19T11:10:59.662-07:00Grandma - Say What????I've lost track of the number of times Marc and I have had "the talk." I always figured it would be his dad that had the talk but nope, it was me. We talked STDs. We talked pregnancy. We talked love and marriage and babies and such.<br />
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I scared him. Do you want AIDS?<br />
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I explained. Pregnancy doesn't ruin your life but it sure makes it more difficult.<br />
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I took the high road. It's important to be a good boyfriend and eventually spouse.<br />
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I've shared my own struggles as a "too-young mom" - pregnant at 19, unwed.<br />
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I've been honest, straightforward.<br />
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And now I'm going to be a grandma.<br />
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My son is 18 and a senior in high school. His girlfriend is 18 and graduated in June. By the time he turns 19 and before graduation, he'll be a dad. She'll be a mom. And I'll be a 39 year old grandma.<br />
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<br />
Deep breath.<br />
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I'm not the first person in this situation but boy did I feel alone when he first told me. Of course, my initial thought was "Oh s$**" while my mouth said, "Ok, what's the plan?" Because really at this point, what else can I do? Support and love them.<br />
<br />
And get excited. I always wanted to be a grandma (at like age 60). Instead, I will be a youthful grandma with lots of energy.<br />
<br />
Now my role has changed a bit. Now I find myself reminding him of the responsible decisions. Don't call into work or school. You need to first, graduate and second, get to work. It's weird to guide a boy through pregnancy. It's not about how should he be eating and to keep exercising and to rest often. It's about offering support. Being a good boyfriend. Being there for her. Saving money. Making a plan.<br />
<br />
In essence, I'm helping my son go from being a great man to being a great (basically) husband. And planning a wedding for next summer. Making room for momma to move in and baby eventually. Guiding. Mentoring. Teaching. And trying not to meddle (big surprise, I might be THAT mom).<br />
<br />
So in essence, now that the shock has worn off. I'm thrilled. It's exciting really. It's going to be bumpy and rocky but it'll all be ok.<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912877774071981479.post-36291095984685451062014-09-05T19:31:00.002-07:002014-09-05T19:31:22.240-07:00Back to School<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-n2V87rmUx14/VAh8iA6b8PI/AAAAAAAAC0o/DgGcu3t-wbc/s1600/IMG_3633.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-n2V87rmUx14/VAh8iA6b8PI/AAAAAAAAC0o/DgGcu3t-wbc/s1600/IMG_3633.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marc - first day of Senior Year</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I love fall. Back to school. Football. Leaves changing. Boots. Jeans. Sweaters. Cool, crisp mornings. I love it.<br />
<br />
This year, Marc is a senior. I teared up a little when I realized I was taking his last "first day of school" photo. <br />
Marc has disliked school from day one and it's been a chore to get him to this point. He's so smart. Hates school. I can't wait to watch him march in his cap and gown.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Zmc8NDhWXcg/VAh9q0aWfNI/AAAAAAAAC0w/kNcS6Tlc420/s1600/IMG_3613.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Zmc8NDhWXcg/VAh9q0aWfNI/AAAAAAAAC0w/kNcS6Tlc420/s1600/IMG_3613.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a><br />
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Then there's Nate who absolutely loves school. He's a big 5th grader this year. Couldn't wait to see who was in his class and what his teacher was like.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hJK3LcPN0tM/VApxpwtMCyI/AAAAAAAAC1E/UIwFp0G6ZO0/s1600/IMG_3619.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hJK3LcPN0tM/VApxpwtMCyI/AAAAAAAAC1E/UIwFp0G6ZO0/s1600/IMG_3619.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a><br />
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Of course, Fall means that I'm spending my time with football. Awwwww, love!! While at practice, I've discovered the best hobby - knitting!!! Portable, fun, and functional!! I made a super cute Ducks colors scarf to wear to Nate's games! Go Ducks!!!<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912877774071981479.post-50482561966565714672014-08-29T16:48:00.002-07:002014-08-29T16:48:29.022-07:00A Family Tradition<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rrvRy7lognA/VAEOKH9_fiI/AAAAAAAACyg/PwlaIQFWjs0/s1600/IMG_3464.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rrvRy7lognA/VAEOKH9_fiI/AAAAAAAACyg/PwlaIQFWjs0/s1600/IMG_3464.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a>Sitting around the campfire. Telling stories. Eating together. Walking the woods. Hunting. This is a family tradition. I'm proud of my youngest son for carrying on. He passed his hunter safety class this past weekend.<br />
<br />
He sat through hours of instruction, had to actually demonstrate safe gun handling, and pass a test. Of course, as a family, we've discussed gun and hunting safety often over the years.<br />
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Our community's hunter safety was full so we actually headed to the coast to make it happen. It was a great way to get out of town, celebrate the end of summer, and of course, accomplish his goal.<br />
<br />
The field day (live demonstration) was held in a small town at a community center that had once been a school. The community has turned it into a library/community center. After an hour or so of waiting (bored), one of the organizers let me in on a secret...there was a hiking trail with falls. So I set out to see what I could discover.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--dbGCQ-aEOU/VAEPBShJMEI/AAAAAAAACyo/HlIZkqGUz_Q/s1600/waterfall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--dbGCQ-aEOU/VAEPBShJMEI/AAAAAAAACyo/HlIZkqGUz_Q/s1600/waterfall.jpg" height="320" width="253" /></a></div>
<br />
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-U_eJc8qyeEs/VAEPlKaal2I/AAAAAAAACy8/ZT2FDh05Z0M/s1600/IMG_3473.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-U_eJc8qyeEs/VAEPlKaal2I/AAAAAAAACy8/ZT2FDh05Z0M/s1600/IMG_3473.JPG" height="200" width="200" /></a>Well, lo and behold... it was in fact a waterfall. These used to be a state park but the road caved in this past winter and it's shut down, barricaded. But the nice Sheriff's deputy I ran into said it was fine to park and walk up.<br />
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It was a gorgeous walk. Easy. It's fun to be somewhere different. Here in Klamath we have gorgeous pines, mountains, sagebrush....head to the coast and there's ferns, huge gigantic trees, and thick underbrush. Here in Klamath it's 90 degrees, there it's 58.<br />
<br />
Of course, you saw my post earlier this week so you know I spent some time on the beach and at Shore Acres. On the way home, I surprised Nate with a trip to the Wildlife Safari in Winston, Oregon. My grandparents lived in Roseburg while I was growing up and a trip to the Wildlife Safari was in the cards each year. I was excited to take Nate. You can walk through a certain part and it's sort of like a zoo. And then you can drive through and even feed the animals. It's worth it if you're in the area. The pics aren't great but here are a few:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-j8jYsapHVgs/VAEQYJi2pRI/AAAAAAAACzU/Qox1xt8regU/s1600/IMG_3544.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-j8jYsapHVgs/VAEQYJi2pRI/AAAAAAAACzU/Qox1xt8regU/s1600/IMG_3544.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The boys pose in front of the safari bus</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VL071Dr8GyM/VAEQZp30nNI/AAAAAAAACzY/ZbWK8tPAz3Y/s1600/IMG_3552.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VL071Dr8GyM/VAEQZp30nNI/AAAAAAAACzY/ZbWK8tPAz3Y/s1600/IMG_3552.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">you know when you're taking a photo and it turns out funny???</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nMG_sTprQYg/VAEQayzTBwI/AAAAAAAACzk/GhP54MItFc4/s1600/IMG_3559.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nMG_sTprQYg/VAEQayzTBwI/AAAAAAAACzk/GhP54MItFc4/s1600/IMG_3559.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">a bear in the mud</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BsaXNaFV1eQ/VAEQf-3_1AI/AAAAAAAACz0/quCRP9Vtvqo/s1600/IMG_3561.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BsaXNaFV1eQ/VAEQf-3_1AI/AAAAAAAACz0/quCRP9Vtvqo/s1600/IMG_3561.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the giraffe</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7mhy1v8t414/VAEQfmstzqI/AAAAAAAACzw/8zyoRbTpj6Q/s1600/IMG_3564.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7mhy1v8t414/VAEQfmstzqI/AAAAAAAACzw/8zyoRbTpj6Q/s1600/IMG_3564.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These little guys came right up to the car</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CZfirMsbjbA/VAEQfH67tjI/AAAAAAAACzs/9VXBP1DEzVM/s1600/IMG_3568.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CZfirMsbjbA/VAEQfH67tjI/AAAAAAAACzs/9VXBP1DEzVM/s1600/IMG_3568.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You could buy food to feed them<br /><div style="text-align: left;">
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</tbody></table>
All in all it was a great trip!<br /><br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912877774071981479.post-68481815797440266242014-08-27T08:36:00.002-07:002014-08-27T08:36:28.651-07:00Camping on the Oregon Coast<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3ywxZ_yb6-Q/U_34PlC8VjI/AAAAAAAACwA/yPkZF7cSnec/s1600/IMG_3470.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3ywxZ_yb6-Q/U_34PlC8VjI/AAAAAAAACwA/yPkZF7cSnec/s1600/IMG_3470.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a>A steep and dramatic cliff overlooking a rocky shoreline. Dangerous waves washing away the rocks. A small<br />
picturesque house and beautiful gardens blooming with roses, dahlias, bamboo, and trees. It's romantic and tragic. . . at least that's the way I've always seen it. My grandparents used to take me to Shore Acres when I was young and I always thought it was hauntingly beautiful. Gorgeous and sad.<br />
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A few years ago, I read A Gathering of Finches which is the story of Shore Acres. It affirmed the gorgeous and sad truth of the park. The woman gives up a marriage and her only child for an affair. Her affair has his own secrets. They discover money can't buy happiness. If you decide to go to Shore Acres, read the book.<br />
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At any rate, the gardens are beautiful.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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We walked through the park and Nate even stopped to smell the roses.<br />
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The house is nestled in the middle. Not huge, not pretentious, just a cute little house. There was a wedding getting ready to happen. White chairs filled the lawn, tuxedo-ed men walked in and out looking nervous, wringing their hands. Photographer was setting up equipment.<br />
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We also spent some time on the beach, going through tide pools. So fun.<br />
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We camped at Bastendorff Park which was a good place to stay. Clean. Well kept. The showers were a bit dated but we had a great spot.<br />
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And who doesn't love a good campfire....<br />
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It was a great way to wrap up a summer!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912877774071981479.post-62411752100720103002014-08-20T07:54:00.001-07:002014-08-20T07:54:31.969-07:00A Klamath Weekend on $20 I nearly always feel that I'm a terrible mom because I can't afford big elaborate vacations. Silly right? I mean, if you as a friend were telling me that, I'd tell you that you were silly and that your kids were lucky. But yet, that's what I do....worry it over and over and over.<br />
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This year, I planned to do the Grand Canyon. Well, it didn't happen. I've worried it over and over. And then I accepted it. My son helped.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pu-NLQ9otHY/U_SyySM3ufI/AAAAAAAACuE/_vSsVNb5vKg/s1600/IMG_2638.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pu-NLQ9otHY/U_SyySM3ufI/AAAAAAAACuE/_vSsVNb5vKg/s1600/IMG_2638.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a>About a month ago, I woke Marc up on a Sunday and said let's go hike. So we grabbed his girlfriend, packed some water and a few snacks and headed to Crater Lake.<br />
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Crater Lake is about 50 miles from where I live. It's in our county and is Oregon's only national park. Millions visit from around the world each year. I've gone in the winter, fall, and summer and it doesn't matter what season, it's breath-taking.<br />
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It was a gorgeous day. The lake as usual was the most brilliant blue. The skies were clear. It was very warm but not too bad. We drove around the lake, pulling over to the viewpoints and gazing down at the water.<br />
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We decided to hike to one of the waterfalls. It was beautiful and I had never been to it before.<br />
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It was there that I heard Marc telling his girlfriend how I always took him to do stuff and how awesome it was. He wasn't complaining that I don't take him on elaborate vacations...he was bragging because we go do so many cool things together. I heard him telling her that I take him to places he's never even heard of.<br />
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Hm, maybe I'm doing something right.<br />
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It helps that we live in an amazing place with lots of natural beauty as well as other things to do. Things like Crater Lake.<br />
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It helps that I work for the Chamber and so get to know some cool little things and know some pretty cool people. So when my niece and nephew came for a visit, I was able to do some pretty cool things on a very small budget.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Hs5_oNW3YYI/U_S0N93EBQI/AAAAAAAACuc/vtT7YfPVFWk/s1600/IMG_3265.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Hs5_oNW3YYI/U_S0N93EBQI/AAAAAAAACuc/vtT7YfPVFWk/s1600/IMG_3265.JPG" height="200" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paige holds a 3day old ostrich</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The kids hold ostrich eggs that weigh<br />between 3 and 4 lbs each</td></tr>
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For example, through the Chamber, I met a woman who runs an ostrich farm. She invited us out to see the babies.<br />
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Really, how many people can say they've done that? (By the way, if you're ever in Klamath, you can do this too. Just check with the Chamber and they'll tell you all the cool stuff).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They're a funny looking bird</td></tr>
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Then we spent a fair amount of time swimming. Our local pool is the Ella Redkey Pool. It's geothermally heated and is an outdoor pool open year round. It's gorgeous with gorgeous grounds and beautiful blue water, and a big blue slide.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The kids swimming at the Ella Redkey</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We got to see a baby ostrich hatch</td></tr>
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Then we went out to Malin to the city park. It's nestled in trees, it's a huge park, and has a great play structure. We drove out there on a Sunday and were thrilled to find they also have a pool and that it was open.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The kids at the Malin pool</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nate dives</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">playing in the park</td></tr>
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The pool was nearly empty so they kids almost had it all to themselves which they loved. The skies were dark and it rained a bit but still, they swam.<br />
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Anyway, long story short. I live in an amazing place filled with fun things to do for a small amount of money. The kids had a great time, we created some memories, and I got to see lots of smiles on their faces.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912877774071981479.post-82524533527745111342014-08-18T07:31:00.004-07:002014-08-18T07:31:52.314-07:0039 x 39 - My 20 Year Class ReunionI really debated about going to my 20 year class reunion. High School wasn't a terrible time for me but it also wasn't great. I had low self-esteem. A terrible boyfriend. Struggled with my parents divorce. And almost worst of all, split my time between two high schools hours apart.<br />
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My freshman year I attended Burns High School. Home of rednecks and cowboys. I wanted to be in a city and instead, mom had moved us to Burns - population 3000-something.<br />
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My sophomore year, we moved to Prineville. Slightly bigger but still full of cowboys and rednecks. I was there my sophomore, junior, and almost my whole Senior year.<br />
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In April of my senior year, a spot of trouble (said with an English accent to make it sound cooler), had me moving back to Burns to graduate.<br />
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So to say I feel disconnected from either school would be an understatement. I am often jealous of the people who have ties with folks they went to high school with. Or the people who had an awesome high school experience. And I've learned that a great high school experience doesn't have anything to do with popularity but it has everything to do with being an active participant. My friends who played sports, were in band or drama club or dance team or mathletes - they have the best memories. Bus trips. Friendships.<br />
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I was the girl who didn't do anything. I was too self-conscious to even participate in the spirit days during our homecoming weeks. I scooted through hoping to not be noticed. I didn't get picked on or anything like that - I just didn't get noticed.<br />
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Ok, so it's been 20 years and I still have no idea how that happened. But I decided to go. I'm glad I did. It was fun even if no one knew who I was. Even though the only photo they had of me was from freshman year when I went to winter formal with Ben Hoffman and I HATE that photo.<br />
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It was fun to hear what everyone had been up to. So mark it off my list, I did it. Here's a couple of photos:<br />
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A "gorgeous" glamour shot from my junior year.<br />
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My senior photo. Great hair!<br />
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Winter formal with Rodney my sophomore year.<br />
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The photo on my name tag was freshman year. </div>
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Here's our group today. </div>
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I had to make a pitstop at the High School for a photo:<br />
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I can say I'm glad I had lost all the weight I have. Look pretty good, right?? I will say I think I've gotten better with age. LOL<br />
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It was fun and worth going to. I think I can skip any future ones. hahaUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912877774071981479.post-27486663231864560312014-05-19T11:26:00.002-07:002014-05-19T11:26:42.403-07:0039 x 39 - Be a Bridesmaid and DanceWhen I added "Be a Bridesmaid" and "Dance somewhere other than my kitchen" to my list of 39 by 39, I kind of cheated. I KNEW those would happen.<br />
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My good friend and cousin Heather had asked me to be in her wedding which just so happened this last weekend.<br />
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Now when I added "Dance somewhere other than my kitchen" I actually had something bigger in mind. I'm embarrassed to admit it but I had secretly hoped to dance in our community's version of "Dancing with Your Stars." I wanted the lessons and I wanted to challenge myself to be on stage. Well...Heather's wedding ended up falling on the same weekend as Dancing with Your Stars so the wedding took priority.<br />
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I still managed to get the dancing in thanks to the reception.<br />
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Heather and Neil have been together 3 or 4 years and tied the knot at Multnomah Falls. They are a beautiful couple. They've been through a lot the last year with a botched surgery that became a nightmare. Neil has remained Heather's knight in shining armor and stood by her through it all. Heather has fought to heal and get to where she is now...with a lot of healing left to do. I think it's fitting that a waterfall would be setting for their wedding. There's something refreshing and renewing about cascading water.<br />
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Multnomah Falls plunges 620 feet in two major steps. It's the highest waterfall in Oregon and the second highest in the nation. I wish I'd had the time to take a photo of the falls because it is GORGEOUS but alas, I was super busy with some bridesmaid duties.<br />
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First order of business, hair! I got pampered. Didn't have to do a thing except show up. My part would come later when makeup and false lashes were my duties du jour:)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vG0R8s4sHjY/U3pKSxXzcWI/AAAAAAAACe8/uvCKyOQYqfk/s1600/IMG_1629.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vG0R8s4sHjY/U3pKSxXzcWI/AAAAAAAACe8/uvCKyOQYqfk/s1600/IMG_1629.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me without makeup. SCARY!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OLbEFRj4Ilk/U3pKS8gtF2I/AAAAAAAACfA/XI3l4bGNe1I/s1600/IMG_1632.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OLbEFRj4Ilk/U3pKS8gtF2I/AAAAAAAACfA/XI3l4bGNe1I/s1600/IMG_1632.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brides sans makeup...still beautiful</td></tr>
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I did everyone's makeup. It's sort of my passion. I had ideas of taking photos of my steps but alas, no time for that. I stuck on false lashes on girls, fixed peoples blush, and then made myself presentable. Then used a few moments to take a couple selfies.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2CQ70Trdgxc/U3pKsCTFfxI/AAAAAAAACfM/nNn8tGW9K5s/s1600/IMG_1651.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2CQ70Trdgxc/U3pKsCTFfxI/AAAAAAAACfM/nNn8tGW9K5s/s1600/IMG_1651.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and bridesmaid Bethani</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z-_sYYAL20Q/U3pKsGv1vrI/AAAAAAAACfQ/_lSn86VhGKg/s1600/IMG_1689.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z-_sYYAL20Q/U3pKsGv1vrI/AAAAAAAACfQ/_lSn86VhGKg/s1600/IMG_1689.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and the GORGEOUS bride</td></tr>
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Bethani and I drank a bit too much champagne hahaha and my pictures began to digress into fish lips, duck face, and other silly selfies while we waited for the walk down the aisle.<br />
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In the meantime, my other duty was to arrange flower petals down the aisle in a swirly sort of pattern. I think I did pretty good considering the windy day.<br />
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Of course there was the usual, find the rings. Find out if we're ready yet. Walk, find the groom, come back up, lace up the brides' corset dress, help her with her boots on, reassure her that she's beautiful and everything will be perfect. Lots of reassuring.<br />
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I wish I had photos of the ceremony but I think carrying your cell phone down the aisle snapping photos is frowned upon so you get more selfies. haha<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A28xnUkxGuc/U3pMD9H7-bI/AAAAAAAACfs/HMz5UlN1Eog/s1600/IMG_1743.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A28xnUkxGuc/U3pMD9H7-bI/AAAAAAAACfs/HMz5UlN1Eog/s1600/IMG_1743.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trying to break into the second bottle of champagne. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After the ceremony, waiting for our turn for the photographer.<br />
We tried to get a photo of the falls behind us. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bethani and I and the waterfall</td></tr>
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I danced a few dances and headed back to the hotel. It was a great time. Congrats Neil and Heather! My wedding duties are finished!! :)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912877774071981479.post-57148546515149215552014-05-12T10:35:00.002-07:002014-05-12T10:35:15.602-07:00On Being MomFrom a very early age, I remember wanting to be a mom. I had my baby dolls and I'd dress them, swaddle them in blankets, and tuck them into bed. I'd take them for a stroll in a baby carriage. I named them. It was always names I thought I'd name my kids...Chelsea, Heaven, Xavier. I just knew I'd be a great mom.<br />
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Now that I'm a mom, I doubt every single day whether or not I'm a great mom. I get wrapped up in all the things moms feel guilty about. I should have stayed home instead of worked. Did I teach you the right life skills? Did I nourish your creativity? Did I instill confidence? Did I read you enough bedtime stories? Did I play enough cars and trucks?<br />
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The one thing I NEVER doubt is that I have amazing sons. Strong and masculine yet sensitive enough to not be jerks. Kind-hearted. Intelligent. Responsible. Funny. Capable. My world. When I look at them, I feel like I did something right. The phrase "my pride and joy" makes sense. Being mom to Marc and Nate is the best thing I've ever been.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mqiQJSdggOg/U3EEqjH4GMI/AAAAAAAACcw/pS29-dIYeR0/s1600/IMG_1525.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mqiQJSdggOg/U3EEqjH4GMI/AAAAAAAACcw/pS29-dIYeR0/s1600/IMG_1525.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and Nate headed out for ride #1</td></tr>
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They spoiled me rotten this Mother's Day. It was darn near the perfect day. I woke to breakfast, a pedicure and a manicure, gifts. I relaxed watching tv, read a book, and went on three bike rides (I got a new bike so we had to break it in). Then dinner (crab-stuffed, bacon-wrapped shrimp and a yummy salad). Then some cuddle time. Lots of smiles and time together.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_Bov8QC35KM/U3EEsdYuRWI/AAAAAAAACdE/Sy6wz0fAph4/s1600/IMG_1533.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_Bov8QC35KM/U3EEsdYuRWI/AAAAAAAACdE/Sy6wz0fAph4/s1600/IMG_1533.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and my boys!!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WekExbFYU10/U3EEqs6VaLI/AAAAAAAACdM/YwB_iiYGpIU/s1600/IMG_1514.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WekExbFYU10/U3EEqs6VaLI/AAAAAAAACdM/YwB_iiYGpIU/s1600/IMG_1514.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a>We also celebrated prom #2 this weekend. Marc's girlfriend goes to a different high school so off they went to dance the night away.<br />
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This time, I decided to attempt to make her corsage. I think it turned out great. <a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FhXDwG00cH8/U3EEqvwa0oI/AAAAAAAACc0/NuRZjPC4Hfc/s1600/IMG_1516.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FhXDwG00cH8/U3EEqvwa0oI/AAAAAAAACc0/NuRZjPC4Hfc/s1600/IMG_1516.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZZZ6XLVJBz8/U3EErtPr9GI/AAAAAAAACc8/8vt77torKPc/s1600/IMG_1527.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZZZ6XLVJBz8/U3EErtPr9GI/AAAAAAAACc8/8vt77torKPc/s1600/IMG_1527.jpg" height="320" width="253" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and my little sis with my mom and dad</td></tr>
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Of course, what would Mother's Day be without a few words about my own momma. She's loving, kind, thoughtful, and always there for me. She taught me to cook, laugh, clean house, and take care of myself. She taught me how to be a good person and a great mom. She taught me what it means to love your kids unconditionally. She taught me to forgive. She's taught me to be nice to everyone I meet and how to be respectful even around those people you dislike. She's taught me generosity and to do for others. My mom has the best laugh and a smile that can warm a room. She makes friends in the grocery store and knows everyone. She taught me the best things in life can't be bought. I love her! I hope some day my boys say the same things about me. </div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912877774071981479.post-62463611846819437972014-05-06T14:12:00.003-07:002014-05-06T14:12:43.337-07:00Stop the Boat!<i><span style="color: #a64d79;"><b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, san-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">There's no earthly way of knowing </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, san-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, san-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">Which direction we are going. </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, san-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, san-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">There's no knowing where we're rowing </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, san-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, san-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">Or which way the river's flowing. </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, san-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, san-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">Is it raining? </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, san-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, san-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">Is it snowing? </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, san-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, san-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">Is a hurricane a blowing? </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, san-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;" /><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, san-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, san-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">Not a speck of light is showing </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, san-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, san-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">so the danger must be growing. </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, san-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, san-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">Are the fires of hell a glowing? </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, san-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, san-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">Is the grisly reaper mowing? </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, san-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, san-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">Yes! The danger must be growing </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, san-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, san-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">For the rowers keep on rowing. </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, san-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, san-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">And they're certainly not showing </span><br style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, san-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, san-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">any signs that they are slowing!</span></b></span></i><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, san-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, san-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">To say I've been busy is an understatement. Truthfully, I don't know that I'm any busier or slower than the next gal but man, I feel run down but also energized. Weird. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, san-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">So I thought a quick check-in was in order. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, san-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">First, weight loss - c'mon you knew I'd start there. I've lost 100 lbs! 100 lbs! That's like a small deer. Or a Great Dane. Or an adult goat. It's a lot of damn weight. You can read a little bit about how I celebrated <a href="http://fitwithheatherkf.blogspot.com/2014/04/7-minutes-and-98-lbs.html" target="_blank">here on my weight loss blog</a>. I'm purposely not posting a comparison photo - I have something big in mind;) </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, san-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;">Second, Marc. Oh my delightful wonderful 18 year old. Two proms. That's what. Two? Yes, two. Ok, really thankfully he's a boy and so I didn't have to do much. Except rent two tuxes, remind him the girl needs a corsage, make him get his hair cut, remind him the importance of shower and cologne, make sure he has something nicer to drive than his geo, hound him all day that he better stop by for photos....yeah, easy! But look at how handsome this young man looks and how beautiful his date is. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marc and Jyni</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jyni, Marc, Jenni, (can't remember his name, how sad), Haley, and Alec</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They're so handsome!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, san-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 16px;">If you know me, you should not be surprised I love me some prom. I wish there was prom for adults. I LOVE LOVE LOVE an opportunity to dress up. Formal gowns? Yes please. Makeup? uh, duh! Hair? Oh yes! I don't have girls though so again, read my role of a prom parent above. However! I did get a chance to do hair and makeup for prom. My great friend (and author!!) Chrystal was dealing cards at prom. I did her hair and makeup. I'm a genius but really it's easy when you have such a beautiful natural canvas. <a href="http://chrystalvaughan.blogspot.com/2014/05/prom-agenot-17.html" target="_blank">You can see the photos here</a>. Chrystal pointed out that I could go to prom as a chaperone...Marc would hate me. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, san-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 16px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, san-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 16px;">School. Of course, there's school. So far I'm stuck in a database class. It's like being stuck in hell. The only bright spot is that it's about to be over. The database part anyway. Now I get to move on to video...watch for my video debut in the next few weeks. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, san-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 16px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, san-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 16px;">And lastly, the wedding. It's coming up quick. I've got my bridesmaid dress (remember, sunbeam yellow). I've got a great tan going on. Yikes, and I'm not even the bride. I'm looking forward to it. Photos soon!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, san-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 16px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, san-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 16px;">Oh and speaking of that wedding, there's something else big coming that weekend. Marc's bio dad. My first husband. It's been well over 10 years since we saw him and he's meeting us in Portland. I'm excited for Marc. He and Roy (bio dad) are both so excited it's cute. Really. Cute. Yeah, that. I'm on the fence. On one hand of course I'm excited for Marc and Roy. I'm also a little "mama bear" and he better not screw up. And of course, there's a weird part of me that just wants to make sure I look fantastic that weekend - eat your heart out. haha. So yeah, a little busy around here. Happy days!!</span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912877774071981479.post-71433075696435817992014-04-28T13:47:00.001-07:002014-04-28T13:47:27.579-07:00Victoria's (errr, I mean Heather's) Secret As you know, I'm a bridesmaid (and I'm sort of proud of this). Anyway, this past weekend me and the co-bridesmaid threw a bridal shower. The bride really wanted a lingerie-themed shower so we of course decided to pull our inspiration from Victoria's Secret. We had a great time!<br />
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Here's a few photos.<br />
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First of course, the invitations. I made these on the computer. I think they turned out cute.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-snGFGrZVrdA/U165ber4U8I/AAAAAAAACZc/gZT9xBBPj5k/s1600/Invitation_Page_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-snGFGrZVrdA/U165ber4U8I/AAAAAAAACZc/gZT9xBBPj5k/s1600/Invitation_Page_1.jpg" height="400" width="253" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Invitations</td></tr>
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We included a little tag that gave her sizes. We also asked each person to bring a pair of new panties that "describe" the guest's personality. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ugW2OvejbFk/U166xdaffeI/AAAAAAAACZk/JGyM9dT9bwA/s1600/Invitation_Page_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ugW2OvejbFk/U166xdaffeI/AAAAAAAACZk/JGyM9dT9bwA/s1600/Invitation_Page_2.jpg" height="320" width="304" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Invitation inserts</td></tr>
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The panty game was quite funny. We had guests "drop their panties" by the door:</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UyDg9lBDLIc/U167AjyhQnI/AAAAAAAACZs/YQhGEwxB-nU/s1600/IMG_1395.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UyDg9lBDLIc/U167AjyhQnI/AAAAAAAACZs/YQhGEwxB-nU/s1600/IMG_1395.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The panty basket</td></tr>
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Then we hung them on a "clothesline" - it was funny to see everyone's "personality." Maybe a little embarassing. . . but oh well, what would a bridal shower be without a stupid little game. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BqW0uHBDHkk/U167f-UDnxI/AAAAAAAACZ0/7C7-iMcI4RA/s1600/IMG_1372.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BqW0uHBDHkk/U167f-UDnxI/AAAAAAAACZ0/7C7-iMcI4RA/s1600/IMG_1372.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our clothesline</td></tr>
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Everyone had a little "panty" nametag with black lace or polka dots and made up a "racy" nickname to wear. </div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rcdpfw1WqMI/U1671Kq1ZFI/AAAAAAAACZ8/Z6rTXLhqTLE/s1600/IMG_1398.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rcdpfw1WqMI/U1671Kq1ZFI/AAAAAAAACZ8/Z6rTXLhqTLE/s1600/IMG_1398.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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Of course, sticking with the theme, we needed cookies. We made matching little sets of bras and panties. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Jj12MOgWSj4/U168CzMCAdI/AAAAAAAACaE/yeENzPj6fDo/s1600/IMG_1397.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Jj12MOgWSj4/U168CzMCAdI/AAAAAAAACaE/yeENzPj6fDo/s1600/IMG_1397.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cookies!</td></tr>
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And served lunch. We had quiche, bacon, potatoes, shrimp cocktail, croissants, bagels with smoked salmon cream cheese, and fruit with dip. Yummy!!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-amvt5a5uwug/U168SaIlXvI/AAAAAAAACaM/87Bzyv-lELU/s1600/IMG_1394.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-amvt5a5uwug/U168SaIlXvI/AAAAAAAACaM/87Bzyv-lELU/s1600/IMG_1394.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A view from part of the brunch line</td></tr>
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Oh and what would a party be without mimosas? We created a mimosa bar, three different juices, champagne and fruit as a garnish. And of course a cake...a lace-up corset cake. </div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LORcY79oLzo/U169x_UDNHI/AAAAAAAACaU/_eWnz4Iccxg/s1600/IMG_1401.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LORcY79oLzo/U169x_UDNHI/AAAAAAAACaU/_eWnz4Iccxg/s1600/IMG_1401.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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It was a great time. The bride felt pampered (as it should be) and we had lots of giggles (lots of champagne helped that along). </div>
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After the shower, it was time to do some makeup. I did Heather's makeup for some photos, complete with fake lashes etc. I can't show you the final in any photos but here's a preview. </div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1MgL8NcSxRA/U16-Ktlo4yI/AAAAAAAACak/9oqJ1YoB2Us/s1600/IMG_1391.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1MgL8NcSxRA/U16-Ktlo4yI/AAAAAAAACak/9oqJ1YoB2Us/s1600/IMG_1391.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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I should be a makeup artist! :) </div>
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Top off the day with some good ole' line dancing lessons (no photos from that) and it's a day! On to the wedding......</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912877774071981479.post-14223528151889454932014-04-18T10:17:00.001-07:002014-04-18T10:19:00.705-07:0039 by 39 - Do Something Awesome for Marc's Birthday & Get a Tattoo<b>Big surprise!!!</b><br />
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My now-adult son and I disagree on what is awesome when it comes to birthday celebrations! I know, I'm as shocked as you are.<br />
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Leading up to his birthday, I've been overcome with mixed emotions. Happiness. Pride. Sadness. Irritation (c'mon you mean your teen doesn't irritate you??). You name it - I've felt it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wQxcW_LIxOA/U1Fceo0a0NI/AAAAAAAACXk/-QKfmwSeYsc/s1600/IMG_5930.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wQxcW_LIxOA/U1Fceo0a0NI/AAAAAAAACXk/-QKfmwSeYsc/s1600/IMG_5930.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">at left: one week; at right: 18</td></tr>
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Of course it's led to some reflection and it's interesting how twisted your emotions get:<br />
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How the heck did those 18 years just fly by?<br />
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You can't leave yet - stay home.<br />
Ok, you're 18, get out. (he's not graduating yet so he's stuck with me but there's days lol)<br />
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I'm proud of the young man I've raised.<br />
Did I do enough? I mean, he still doesn't do his own laundry.<br />
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I'm not old enough to have an adult son. I mean, it feels like I just graduated high school myself.<br />
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Needless to say overall I'm really excited and proud but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little sad.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pW8SV0BxxPk/U1FcZiimBQI/AAAAAAAACXQ/YMT_e-RZnCI/s1600/IMG_6372.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pW8SV0BxxPk/U1FcZiimBQI/AAAAAAAACXQ/YMT_e-RZnCI/s1600/IMG_6372.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and Marc this week</td></tr>
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So I've been thinking of ways to celebrate the milestone. Pinterest had my convinced I should fill his room with helium balloons carrying pictures of him that represented every year of his life. (except I have no time and I scrapbooked them and they're put away and I'm too busy to pull them out). And that I should have made a quilt using all the baby clothes and tshirts I've saved over the years (except I didn't save them because I'm not a hoarder). And that I should give him a wonderful journal I've kept over the years in which I'd written down every cute thing he's ever said or did (except that those memories are mixed in with the rest of my journal and I'm not ready to give that to either boy yet). And of course that I should give him some awesome gift like a car (except I'm broke) or an heirloom like grandpa's watch (except that he's sort of irresponsible with tangible things right now so I think that's best for when he's a little older).<br />
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Suffice it to say, I was feeling like a failure for not doing something fantastic and nostalgic and memorable.<br />
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Then I was reminded he's an 18 year old boy who wants to hang with friends and he isn't on Pinterest so he doesn't know what he's missing:)<br />
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So here's what I did instead. I booked his tattoo appointment for his first tattoo. And guess what???<br />
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Marc and I finally agreed on what is awesome for your 18th birthday!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bxRB2VrW090/U1FcYX3yoEI/AAAAAAAACW8/W9M-BZTH7gA/s1600/IMG_1221.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bxRB2VrW090/U1FcYX3yoEI/AAAAAAAACW8/W9M-BZTH7gA/s1600/IMG_1221.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stenciled on, it's about to get real!!</td></tr>
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Adam (tattoo artist extraordinaire) doesn't look too happy at my photo snapping habit. Adam's really cool though and was fun to visit with while Marc got inked.<br />
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Side note: Marc must have asked about 400 times if it was going to hurt. He asked if anyone had passed out...the look on his face was priceless when Adam said dozens have passed out but only one has ever died. LMAO!!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YeTk7aHrEoQ/U1FcYbeJUiI/AAAAAAAACW0/6r3TJcyRqHg/s1600/IMG_1228.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YeTk7aHrEoQ/U1FcYbeJUiI/AAAAAAAACW0/6r3TJcyRqHg/s1600/IMG_1228.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No turning back now!</td></tr>
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And the final product. An elk with R.I.P. Mason. Marc lost his best friend Mason a few years ago in a terrible accident. He's wanted this tattoo ever since. He originally wanted big graffiti letters that said RIP Mason but I helped guide him to an idea he loved even more. He and Mason shared a love of hunting.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EkH6UNc-dWk/U1FcYR_SXLI/AAAAAAAACW4/t78xm84jVZE/s1600/IMG_1231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EkH6UNc-dWk/U1FcYR_SXLI/AAAAAAAACW4/t78xm84jVZE/s1600/IMG_1231.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">first ink!</td></tr>
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And because we had an hour left in the scheduled time, Adam agreed to give me a bonus tattoo. I've always wanted the boys' zodiac signs. And now there they are. On my wrist. I love it!<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-U3skKkF8nRQ/U1FcZadNuiI/AAAAAAAACXI/hcYC2GKa_tI/s1600/IMG_1246.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-U3skKkF8nRQ/U1FcZadNuiI/AAAAAAAACXI/hcYC2GKa_tI/s1600/IMG_1246.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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After tattooing, I cooked dinner for a crazy bunch of kids that I love. Tri-tip, potato salad, garlic bread, and Marc's favorite strawberry dessert. The kids were nice enough to let me take their photo before dinner!</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-y1pOSwS7Xmw/U1FcZD1kkhI/AAAAAAAACXY/9JJRi90rii8/s1600/IMG_1235.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-y1pOSwS7Xmw/U1FcZD1kkhI/AAAAAAAACXY/9JJRi90rii8/s1600/IMG_1235.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Happy birthday Marc!!</div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912877774071981479.post-16110650981412786082014-04-16T10:27:00.002-07:002014-04-16T10:27:26.822-07:0039 by 39 - Be a BridesmaidAdding "Be a Bridesmaid" to my annual bucket list was sort of like cheating. I knew it would happen - my great friend and cousin Heather had already asked me to be in her May ceremony. It was a win/win - I get to wear a beautiful dress and walk down an aisle without any commitment whatsoever! Yay me.<br />
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To say, I'm not a wedding person might be an understatement. I know girls that have waited their lives to have the wedding of their dreams - I might have been like that if I weren't so lousy at relationships. Even still...I watch the money poured into weddings and think, "Damn, that would have been one heck of a vacation." And of course, I don't have a lot of faith in forever, yadda yadda.<br />
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But ok, Heather wants a wedding and being a wonderful friend (at least in my opinion haha), I said yes. Besides, she swore she wasn't too demanding. In fact, I could pick any color dress I wanted as long as it was within her "sunset color" parameter.<br />
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First duty....the dress! Hers and mine. My "rule" was that I wouldn't wear yellow.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wWCybGtOmy8/U066h_n06rI/AAAAAAAACVg/P9PFoGzKmEo/s1600/IMG_0416.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wWCybGtOmy8/U066h_n06rI/AAAAAAAACVg/P9PFoGzKmEo/s1600/IMG_0416.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">David Bridal's "Hue chart" </td></tr>
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Well, guess what...I'm wearing that Sunbeam Yellow color above. I want to say I hate yellow but it wasn't bad and I think with a little tan and a little darker hair color it's going to be fine. <div>
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I'll of course post dress pics after the wedding. </div>
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Of course, the BIG deal was her dress. I'm not posting a photo because it's bad luck. But while she tried on dresses, Bethani and I messed around. Here's me attempting to show Bethani a duck face (fail) and a veil.<br /><div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-J404w4DsEJs/U066hzoaL6I/AAAAAAAACVk/SzID0LGtY9g/s1600/IMG_0427.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-J404w4DsEJs/U066hzoaL6I/AAAAAAAACVk/SzID0LGtY9g/s1600/IMG_0427.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">duck face??</td></tr>
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Then it was cake tasting. My experience with wedding cakes is "icky" but these were delicious. A fantastic bakery at a grocery store of all places. I wanted to eat more! The banana cake with chocolate frosting was DELICIOUS! </div>
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<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vXOMqiEqw80/U066hxrujWI/AAAAAAAACVo/-Tw0CB7-2SQ/s1600/IMG_0389.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vXOMqiEqw80/U066hxrujWI/AAAAAAAACVo/-Tw0CB7-2SQ/s1600/IMG_0389.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">wedding cake!</td></tr>
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Then comes another fun part - a Bridal Shower. This is the only part I'm envious of. We've decided to throw a lingerie party - Victoria's Secret themed. Would it be poor etiquette to throw myself a lingerie party where I ask all guests to bring me something to fill my dresser with silk and lace? Ok, that's what I thought.<br />
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So I made really cute little invitations on the computer and sent them out. I've created a delicious menu for the brunch and we'll host a fabulous mimosa bar. We're playing a fun game (bring a NEW pair of panties that represent your personality and we'll make Heather guess who they belong to).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h8fFjvSlQeA/U066kyBPYMI/AAAAAAAACWc/jZYalT_wBZQ/s1600/IMG_1118.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h8fFjvSlQeA/U066kyBPYMI/AAAAAAAACWc/jZYalT_wBZQ/s1600/IMG_1118.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">bridal shower</td></tr>
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Then the crafty part came. We put together centerpiece arrangement using mason jars, wood, candles, and flowers. Here's a couple of examples:</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9YTHg2XDnXo/U066is4wHcI/AAAAAAAACV8/qHig_G8AHxQ/s1600/IMG_1195.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9YTHg2XDnXo/U066is4wHcI/AAAAAAAACV8/qHig_G8AHxQ/s1600/IMG_1195.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Centerpiece version 1 </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-502uQc-Eom4/U066i9t1_VI/AAAAAAAACV4/b13LM9mVTBA/s1600/IMG_1196.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-502uQc-Eom4/U066i9t1_VI/AAAAAAAACV4/b13LM9mVTBA/s1600/IMG_1196.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Centerpiece version 2 (and Heather's legs lol)</td></tr>
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Then I hand painted a sign for her daughter to carry down the aisle. It drives me crazy that it's not perfect but Heather said it's what she wanted so ok.....<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G8eYlsChekE/U066jlRAUYI/AAAAAAAACWE/0Hths3iyZQI/s1600/IMG_1200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G8eYlsChekE/U066jlRAUYI/AAAAAAAACWE/0Hths3iyZQI/s1600/IMG_1200.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here she comes</td></tr>
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Then the sign for the "program" - again, driving me crazy that it's not perfect but Heather loves "shabby chic" so she's loving it.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iq_yxS2FQeM/U066j9LRIyI/AAAAAAAACWM/h4Z7G2zioKw/s1600/IMG_1201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iq_yxS2FQeM/U066j9LRIyI/AAAAAAAACWM/h4Z7G2zioKw/s1600/IMG_1201.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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And then yarn art....can you tell Heather has spent a little time on Pinterest? This took forever. But I was able to pound out some frustrations on all those dang nails!<br />
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For now, my duties are done. I'll be busy over the next few weeks and I'll post more photos later. Are you a wedding person?</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912877774071981479.post-68451774488146452512014-04-07T11:05:00.000-07:002014-04-07T11:05:12.522-07:0039 x 39 - Sew a Skirt<div>
I sewed a skirt. And it's actually something I think I'll wear. More about that in a minute.....</div>
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To say life's been busy would be an understatement. Between school, kids, work, and my other work (on the board at the Home Builders Association), I feel like I've been running running running. Rather than bore you with a bunch of words, let me tell you in photos:<div>
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Marc bought a new car. It's ugly but it beats the gas mileage in his ford truck. Good job kid!</div>
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I took a few minutes to make my feet pretty (or at least prettier-ish) in hopes that it would spring some sandal weather. This would never have happened if not for my beautiful friend Chrystal. Lately we've been carving out hour blocks to catch up. Amazing how much we need our girlfriends. I almost cancelled this day but instead, we kept our appointment. We painted our toes, I put makeup on her, and fixed her hair. Girly, fun.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bfojxr5Df8M/U0Lmf6HnCJI/AAAAAAAACTI/gNLpU-qoNWE/s1600/IMG_1057.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bfojxr5Df8M/U0Lmf6HnCJI/AAAAAAAACTI/gNLpU-qoNWE/s1600/IMG_1057.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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The Home Show! I'm on the board for the Klamath Basin Home Builders Association. This weekend was our annual Home and Garden Show. Nate came along and helped me out. Here I am taking a quick break.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qcsIwuDGYiQ/U0LmgafaANI/AAAAAAAACTQ/F6dNjH2Z4P0/s1600/IMG_1080.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qcsIwuDGYiQ/U0LmgafaANI/AAAAAAAACTQ/F6dNjH2Z4P0/s1600/IMG_1080.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
Speaking of Nate, we've been spending a lot of quality time together. Cuddles, conversations, hanging out. . . I love this kid.<br />
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And finally to that skirt. . . here's the finished product. Not too shabby (I'll post another pic when I've got a different shirt on lol). </div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l0IHUa8_TcE/U0LmgnQ8FsI/AAAAAAAACTg/SLYlDJJDJys/s1600/IMG_1115.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l0IHUa8_TcE/U0LmgnQ8FsI/AAAAAAAACTg/SLYlDJJDJys/s1600/IMG_1115.jpg" height="320" width="234" /></a></div>
It was really fun to take a piece of fabric, a piece of elastic and come up with something I could wear.<br />
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I've blogged before about my mom's sewing. I HATED it when she made my clothes growing up. I've had an aversion ever since. But then I started thinking...it could be sort of one of a kind. Maybe I'd save a little. And well, honestly, I could say I've done it.<br />
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I don't know how to read a pattern so I scoured <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/sunnydaze17/" target="_blank">pinterest </a>for an easy tutorial. I stumbled across this <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/65161525833347695/" target="_blank">simple skirt</a> that says it takes 15 minutes. I would post all the directions but go to her blog. . .she does a great job explaining and I couldn't begin to improve on what she wrote. It took me about an hour (I'm a beginning beginner).<br />
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It really was super easy and has given me confidence to want to try something else. I'm thinking a maxi skirt is next.<br />
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The skirt is cute enough I'd wear it. It is a little too big. Apparently I added more than a half inch or inch to my hems.<br />
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Got any easy ideas for me to try next?<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912877774071981479.post-14062913611650809162014-03-28T12:05:00.001-07:002014-03-28T12:05:44.680-07:00Burney Falls - 129 ft. WaterfallFor years, I've wanted to take a trip to McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park in California. A friend had told me about the gorgeous waterfalls and the opportunities to hike. This weekend for Spring Break, the weather was nice and so we loaded up to make the short trek. The Park is approximately 140 miles from Klamath Falls (perfect for a day trip). We packed a lunch and headed out in the morning. <div>
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On the way, we pass the Veteran's Living Memorial Sculpture Garden. I've been here before but decided to take the boys through. Being 10- and 17-year old boys, I wasn't sure they'd find it interesting. I was pleased when they both took an interest and insisted on walking around to each monument. The memorial features large metal, welded humanoid type sculptures. It's sort of remote with Mt. Shasta looming in the background. It's awe-inspiring, moving, and worth the stop!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aLpdZNimnlY/UzXEasggJkI/AAAAAAAACQs/a4oIQdQah9s/s1600/IMG_0985.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aLpdZNimnlY/UzXEasggJkI/AAAAAAAACQs/a4oIQdQah9s/s1600/IMG_0985.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A tribute outside the POW/MIA sculpture</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5qt0qL27Ezw/UzXEaWLn0pI/AAAAAAAACQ0/8KD_iyaOZyE/s1600/IMG_0986.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5qt0qL27Ezw/UzXEaWLn0pI/AAAAAAAACQ0/8KD_iyaOZyE/s1600/IMG_0986.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This sculpture is title "Coming Home"</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xk_0MhcWIc8/UzXEan044cI/AAAAAAAACQw/zv43BnQecC4/s1600/IMG_0987.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xk_0MhcWIc8/UzXEan044cI/AAAAAAAACQw/zv43BnQecC4/s1600/IMG_0987.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The entrance of the memorial</td></tr>
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Continuing on, you come to the silly little town of Weed, California. They've embraced the "Weed" name and you can buy shirts that say I love Weed, Weed makes me happy, etc. We didn't explore but we did buy a souvenier. </div>
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Traveling on down the road, listening to some rap and rock from my days (Tone Loc, Dr. Dre, Guns N Roses), we rocked out. The kids began to get hungry. My plan was to wait until we got to the falls but we saw a turnoff for a "vista" and pulled over. It was worth it - we found bonus falls that I didn't even know existed. </div>
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We turned into the <a href="http://www.fs.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsinternet/!ut/p/c4/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP0os3gDfxMDT8MwRydLA1cj72BTJw8jAwjQL8h2VAQAzHJMsQ!!?ss=110514&ttype=recarea&recid=6588&actid=70&navtype=BROWSEBYSUBJECT&position=BROWSEBYSUBJECT&navid=110400000000000&pnavid=110000000000000&cid=null&pname=McCloud+Area+-+Lower+Falls+Picnic+Area" target="_blank">Lower Falls Picnic Area</a>. It was well-maintained, nice roads, and clean bathrooms/picnic tables. We ate our lunches and walked down to the falls (a very easy, very short walk). </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OT1Cq47spas/UzXFtyPs5TI/AAAAAAAACRQ/qxB6adOchBA/s1600/IMG_0820.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OT1Cq47spas/UzXFtyPs5TI/AAAAAAAACRQ/qxB6adOchBA/s1600/IMG_0820.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marc stands near the falls</td></tr>
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The rocks to climb over have been worn smooth and holes have been created from the water.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NmA1rw6ZkDc/UzXFt5i4R0I/AAAAAAAACRU/XxXU1HyonBc/s1600/IMG_0822.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NmA1rw6ZkDc/UzXFt5i4R0I/AAAAAAAACRU/XxXU1HyonBc/s1600/IMG_0822.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the holes was big enough for Marc to stand in.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6nTdAfskyUQ/UzXFt62uObI/AAAAAAAACRM/fK33bjlG2CM/s1600/IMG_0832.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6nTdAfskyUQ/UzXFt62uObI/AAAAAAAACRM/fK33bjlG2CM/s1600/IMG_0832.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Love them!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iwTdJWD5hK0/UzXFuV37UJI/AAAAAAAACRc/lUGqSdq7XdE/s1600/IMG_0834.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iwTdJWD5hK0/UzXFuV37UJI/AAAAAAAACRc/lUGqSdq7XdE/s1600/IMG_0834.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nate found a relaxing rock</td></tr>
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After the short hike and our bellies full, we headed out to Burney. According to the website, the centerpiece of the <a href="http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=455" target="_blank">Memorial State Park</a> is the falls themselves. The falls drop 129 feet. The weather was drop dead gorgeous, I even took off the jacket and hiked in my tank top. We took the Falls loop trail to begin with. It's a 1.4 mile hike. Pretty easy. Some uphill but not enough to complain about. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KNFpz12kfwo/UzXGi27MTkI/AAAAAAAACRs/dgnvhoSIpJ0/s1600/IMG_0969.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KNFpz12kfwo/UzXGi27MTkI/AAAAAAAACRs/dgnvhoSIpJ0/s1600/IMG_0969.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The boys pose at the entrance</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e8ll2O_wyco/UzXGlUJdZ1I/AAAAAAAACSU/Hu5IPk39hqQ/s1600/IMG_0975.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e8ll2O_wyco/UzXGlUJdZ1I/AAAAAAAACSU/Hu5IPk39hqQ/s1600/IMG_0975.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Falls! GORGEOUS!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-edlliEWGWLs/UzXGi3BjT1I/AAAAAAAACRw/waduQBdnQeE/s1600/IMG_0974.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-edlliEWGWLs/UzXGi3BjT1I/AAAAAAAACRw/waduQBdnQeE/s1600/IMG_0974.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marc posing for the camera</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Pin0wsDndKQ/UzXGjUwWPhI/AAAAAAAACR4/WySx8G1_-fo/s1600/IMG_0976.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Pin0wsDndKQ/UzXGjUwWPhI/AAAAAAAACR4/WySx8G1_-fo/s1600/IMG_0976.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He asked for this photo - pretty sure it was to send to a girl</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-I5DZ1vpYq4o/UzXGj20q-_I/AAAAAAAACSA/JPpSJ3bgPKc/s1600/IMG_0977.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-I5DZ1vpYq4o/UzXGj20q-_I/AAAAAAAACSA/JPpSJ3bgPKc/s1600/IMG_0977.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">squirrels everywhere. </td></tr>
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After hiking and playing, we began the trek back home. On the way down, I'd seen a sign for historical McCloud. I took the exit while the boys slept and drove through a cute little town that I want to revisit. Victorian looking homes, quaint shops -nothing to interest the boys but it'll be on my list. How can you resist neat architecture against bright blue skies and quiet streets with no cars?<br />
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The boys slept (they take after me) as we trekked back to Klamath. Driving through a short little detour to view Mt. Shasta City added another "next time" destination to my list. I'm excited to drive down and explore this seemingly "hippy-dippy" new-age-y town that boasts psychics, stores with crystals that heal, and the best drinking water anywhere! I suggest making the drive to Burney Falls - it's worth it! </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912877774071981479.post-45003670743745018912014-03-26T11:04:00.000-07:002014-03-26T11:04:40.048-07:00Took a Deep Breath and I'm BackIt's easy to get so focused on the negative that we forget all the positive. For example, I beat myself up a lot for the things I think I've done "wrong" - you want examples?<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>divorced....twice</li>
<li>my oldest son's rocky relationship with his dad</li>
<li>my oldest son's absent bio dad</li>
<li>the fact I don't have a lot of money and sometimes have to tell my kids no</li>
</ul>
<div>
We'll just stop there. </div>
<br />
<br />
As my regular readers will know, life threw me a curveball when Roy (aka bio dad, aka first husband) appeared after more than a decade's hiatus. I retreated, took many many many deep breaths, prayed, and allowed myself to feel every stupid emotion that came with it. And I'm coming out on the other end feeling pretty good about me.<br />
<br />
Here's my realizations:<br />
<br />
My divorces weren't all my fault - it takes two. My life would be very different had I stayed married and not in a good way.<br />
<br />
Marc's relationship with his dad is not my fault. As a matter of fact, I've encouraged him to try. I've tried to give his dad some help. I've done what I can and will continue as appropriate.<br />
<br />
Roy giving Marc up for adoption was a good thing, the right thing, and Roy had more than enough opportunities to be in his life.<br />
<br />
It's okay for kids to hear no to requests for money and material things once in a while.<br />
<br />
I'm not the same person I was 18 years ago when Roy and I married and I'm thankful for that!<br />
<br />
Oh I could go on and on but I won't. I will say it's very weird to reconnect after more than a decade with someone you were intimate with. On one hand, your head knows they'll have changed (for better or worse) but with a decade's absence, you still think of them the way they were x number of years ago. It's surreal. It's also interesting the way memories have changed. I remember something he's forgotten and vice versa.<br />
<br />
Anyway, enough of that. Life's good!<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912877774071981479.post-1309851495365073412014-03-10T12:03:00.003-07:002014-03-10T12:03:48.869-07:00Retreat and FocusI'm a dyed in the wool people pleaser. I will work my behind off to make everyone around me happy and then I'll crash, retreat, recuperate, and refocus. It's my modus operandi.<br />
<br />
I'm working hard to change it. I want to make people happy...I've come to understand that it might be one of my gifts. It might be my purpose. It brings me joy.<br />
<br />
But I need to learn when to draw the line. Need to identify when enough is enough. And I need to learn when it's okay to have a voice rather than keeping my mouth shut. I need to rid myself of the guilt that comes from making a decision for me.<br />
<br />
To my friends, you've probably noticed a retreat for a time being. It's only temporary while I focus and evaluate. If you've known me very long, you'll know this too shall pass.<br />
<br />
It's a cycle:<br />
<br />
I think I'm superwoman. I believe I'm the woman that can make myself happy and make all of you happy at the same time. I think I have superhero abilities that will allow me to juggle it all and prove it can be done. I work at it, plug away at it, and succeed. . . for a while.<br />
<br />
I thrive under the pressure of everyone expecting something from me. Work, school, kids, friends, family, loved ones. . .<br />
<br />
And pretty soon there's a conflict. Too many people, too many things, and it's too much. I feel overwhelmed so I try harder.<br />
<br />
And then I "fail" at something. Maybe I forget the kiddo has a science expirement due and we do it at the last minute and I don't think it's worthy. Or I forget a birthday. A deadline at work. Or I stay up late doing homework because I didn't plan accordingly.<br />
<br />
And pretty soon, I'm lost inside my head, trying to figure out how to make it all work. I start getting irritated and I know it's not your fault...it's mine...so I keep my mouth shut because I'm not ready to make decisions yet or say how I feel.<br />
<br />I'm waiting until my mind has worked through all the emotions before I speak. If I speak now, I might yell and ask what's in it for me? I might make you mad. I might say no to something that's important to me. I'm working through it all and evaluating . . . evaluating. . . evaluating.<br />
<br />
And then I start communicating. I start sharing. I focus on the things important to me. I'll give those things my attention, my energy, my heart and soul....<br />
<br />
Unfortunately for some of you, it might be frustrating. It's just me.<br />
<br />
Right now, I'm feeling overwhelmed and trying to get a handle on everything so I can go back to feeling like me.<br />
<br />
Between trying to complete school (it's important to me for so many many reasons);<br />
keep my oldest son out of trouble and on track to graduate (he's such a good kid but so much like me),<br />
spend quality time with my youngest son and give him the attention he needs,<br />
watch my oldest son to make sure he's okay with the emergence of bio-dad,<br />
make major changes at work and make them successful,<br />
deal with some crazy emotions myself from the emergency of the ex,<br />
stay on track with my diet,<br />
focus on some health things,<br />
deal with my crazy emotions over my son turning 18,<br />
fix my finances,<br />
make a difference,<br />
be a friend,<br />
be a lover,<br />
be me,<br />
stay sane,<br />
conquer the world (okay, just kidding). . .<br />
<br />
I'm overwhelmed.<br />
<br />Ok, back to work. . .<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0