{The Laws}

Pinterest Project #2...

2012-01-28T19:51:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to make a wreath to go above the TV since we moved in...that was almost 2 years ago. There's a hook there and after the Christmas wreath comes down it just sits vacant for the next 11 months. So why not start with a 8 for {B}'s big 4th birthday! The theme this year is *surprise* Cars...shocking, I know! The pin I took this from used a 14inch wreath and I didn't pay attention when I went to Michael's and bought an 18in wreath. It was SUPER easy and went really quick once you got it going.

18inch straw wreath with plastic still on

about 225 balloons (I used three different colors)

about 225 florist greening pins

Pinterest Project #1...

2012-01-25T16:53:00.002-07:00

Like everyone else I'm in {love} with Pinterest. How can you not be? So many fantastic ideas I never would have thought of myself. Not to mention a great place to store everything else I find online. It can also be a HUGE time waster ;) Luckily, I have a lot of down time right now at work so I've got a big chunk of my 8 hour shift to use checking out Pinterest!

I tried my first project on January 10th. I pinned this what seems like a LONG time ago and never got around to ordering the frame. Justin, being the wise man he is, ordered me two for Christmas. They both came broken. One had broken glass, the other had the easel broken off the back. Good news was I didn't need the easel so we kept that one.

The frame came from Wal-mart.

I used some paper from the DCWV Cafe Mediterranean matstack

For "Our Week" I used the Mickey Font Cricut Cartridge

For the days of the week I used the Designers Calendar Cricut Cartridge

I used black vinyl for the words so I didn't have to mess with gluing them down.

Now I just write on with a dry-erase marker what's going on during the week and erase and start again the next week! Will be even more helpful when we've got a foster with their own schedule of visits and appointments as well!

My 2011 Reading List...

2011-12-31T23:59:00.001-07:00

2011 was MUCH busier than 2010. Having two kids for most of the year (instead of just 4 months) made a big difference on my reading time! That and Netflix ;)

1. Sliding into Home by Kendra Wilkinson
2. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
3. Confessions of a Prairie Bitch by Alison Arngrim
4. A Loving Heart by Anita Stansfield
5. Disney, The Mouse Betrayed by Peter and Rochelle Schweizer
6. Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment by James Patterson
7. Maximum Ride: School’s Out Forever by James Patterson
8. Maximum Ride: Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports by James Patterson
9. Maximum Ride: The Final Warning by James Patterson
10. Maximum Ride: Max by James Patterson
11. Maximum Ride: Fang by James Patterson
12. Key Lime Pie by Josi S. Kilpack
13. Maximum Ride: Angel by James Patterson
14. Awakened by P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast
15. Blackberry Crumble by Josi S. Kilpack
16. Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks
17. Tranquil Light by Anita Stansfield
18. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
19. Every Grateful Fancy by Anita Stansfield
20. The Pioneer Woman: Black Heels to Tractor Wheels by Ree Drummond
21. Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua
22. Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella
23. The First Grave on The Right by Darynda Jones
24. The Help by Kathryn Stockett
25. Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman
26. Second Grave on the Left by Darynda Jones

Dinner...

2011-09-08T17:43:00.003-06:00

We needed a new idea for dinner tonight. So I scrolled through my Mmm... board on pinterest to see what I'd pinned that would be relatively easy and quick to feed the kids before we had to take them to Grandma's house at 6. I repinned this beauty from Karen {love her blog too ;) }. Added a little melted butter and Parmesan to the end result and they liked it! {B} helped Justin make it so there was no "wow" from him when his bowl hit the table, but {A} thought it was pretty cool that the noodles were inside the hot dog. In hindsight we would break the noodles in half next time instead of using a whole noodle through the hot dog. {B} ended up asking for his noodles to be cut off.

It's a Done Deal...

2011-07-26T23:45:00.000-06:00

We are now a family of three!!! Want the whole story? Leave your email. Or email me at temporaryhome4kids (at) gmail (dot) com for an invite to our private blog.

It's {almost} Official...

2011-07-20T00:10:00.001-06:00

We got the call today! Adoption day is one week away! Tuesday, July 26th!!!

Check This Out...

2011-06-07T19:31:00.002-06:00

A friend of mine, whom I admire so much, just started this amazing website. If you do or ever have struggled with being healthy you need to check it out..you'll thank me for it later! Click on the picture above, or the badge on the side bar. She posts most often under "confessions."

Sally the Bunny Meets Stella the Bulldog...

2011-04-21T16:55:00.004-06:00

Our 3-year-old got a bunny. For the first few days he insisted on naming her Mater. We compromised and named her Sally instead. He loves to watch her eat and talk to her. For now, she's an inside bunny, but we'll see if it lasts. Last weekend we introduced her to Stella. Stella seemed very interested but thankfully not aggressive. Since then Justin's taken Sally outside to hop around in the grass with Stella, so far so good!

Bountiful Baskets...

2011-01-23T17:14:00.002-07:00

Look what I got for $15! 25lbs of fruits and vegetables. :) That's $50 worth of produce for $15! Can you believe it! Here's what we got:

6 apples

1 pineapple

9 lemons

4 grapefruit

8 pears

8 bananas

1 bunch of asparagus

2 bunches of broccoli

1 green bell pepper

1 head of romaine lettuce

1 mystery lettuce

4 tomatoes

Check out bountifulbaskets.org for more information.

My 2010 Reading List...

2010-12-31T23:59:00.000-07:00

I set out at the beginning of 2010 to see just how many books I could read in 1 year. Lots of slow nights at work, and nights without Justin while he worked helped a lot to accomplish some serious reading! So here it is...my complete 2010 reading list!

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom
Marked by P.C. & Kristin Cast
Betrayed by P.C. & Kristin Cast
Chosen by P.C. & Kristin Cast
Untamed by P.C. & Kristin Cast
Hunted by P.C. & Kristin Cast
Tempted by P.C. & Kristin Cast
The Sound of Rain by Anita Stansfield
The Best of Times by Anita Stansfield
A Distant Thunder by Anita Stansfield
A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park
The Alchemyst by Michael Scott
Winds of Hope by Anita Stansfield
The Magician by Michael Scott
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Shelter from the Storm by Anita Stansfield
The Silence of Snow by Anita Stansfield
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
The Scorceress by Michael Scott
Agent Bishop by Mike McPheters
Burned by P.C. & Kristin Cast
Dear John by Nicholas Sparks
Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead
Here's the Deal: Don't Touch Me by Howie Mandel
The One-Week Job Project by Sean Aiken
Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
Pretties by Scott Westerfeld
Specials by Scott Westerfeld
Extras by Scott Westerfeld
The Color Purple by Alice Walker
Lemon Tart by Josi S. Kilpack
I Didn't Plan to be a Witch by Linda Eyre
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
Heroes Among Us by John Quinones
English Trifle by Josi S. Kilpack
A Far, Far Better Place by Anita Stanfield
Devil's Food Cake by Josi S. Kilpack
Spy Mom by Val Agosta

Stella Loves Patty...

2010-12-18T14:22:00.002-07:00

And Patty loves Stella too!

Open for Business...

2010-12-04T15:56:00.003-07:00

Alright, we took a month off after our last two kids got to go back home in October and we are now officially open for new kids. Just waiting around for the call that could come anytime, night or day. So far with all three placements we've been open for about a month before getting a call. Should we take bets this time?? Maybe a little lottery? Haha!

Just Us...

2010-12-03T00:42:00.002-07:00

It's just us again! Michael moved out in November, and while he didn't spend a lot of time here lately, it's still nice to have our house be just our house again. And now we've got more room for kids! ;)

The Bigger Picture...

2010-11-07T10:30:00.004-07:00

It's a slow day at work...So I thought I'd try to figure out how to upload bigger pictures to blogger...

The Hunger Games...

2010-11-05T16:57:00.003-06:00

Earlier this year, I read The Hunger Games. I loved it. Justin always gives me crap when I get into a book and do nothing but read for 2 days...but then he read it...it 2 days! Then I spent a few months telling my mom she needed to go to the library and get on the waiting list. FINALLY she did. My mom read The Hunger Games, then she gave it to Jen. Sunday, Jen was bringing it back to my mom --after finishing it in 2 days--when Tim started to read it in the car. Now Tim, just like Justin, gives Jen crap for doing nothing but read for 2 days too. That night he read until dinner was ready, and had to be told several times to come to dinner. He picked the book right back up after dinner, while Jen and I got the kids dressed in their costumes. I assume he also read all the way to New Plymouth and back too. When we got back to their house after trick-or-treating, he went right to the couch and started reading again. By Tuesday evening he was finished, and told Jen he wished they had the rest of the books!
You know it's a good book when Justin and Tim can't put it down!

Birthday Shoes...

2010-09-29T16:35:00.002-06:00

Grandma Geri gave me some cold, hard cash to buy new shoes for my birthday, because, lets face it...Girls need LOTS of shoes! So yesterday on my way home from Boise I stopped at Fred Meyer in Meridian to see if their Converse were on sale...THEY WERE! but they didn't have my size in the color I wanted...So on his way to Young Artists, Justin stopped at the Fred Meyer in Nampa...no luck. After a fantastic dinner with great friends (thanks again Barclays!) we stopped at the Fred Meyer on Overland and Jacque and I both scored a pair of converse! (Mine are the black ones!!) A birthday is only better with new shoes!!

Oxnam Salsa...

2010-09-10T19:31:00.003-06:00

I have been dreaming of this salsa for *so* long! There is nothing like Oxnam Salsa and I finally have the recipe!!! mmm...It's everything I dreamed of, everything I remember, and so easy to make! mmm...Chips and Salsa--here I come!

Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies...

2010-08-22T16:26:00.003-06:00

These cookies are AMAZING! I'm not sure if Justin shares my opinion, but since I'm the one who makes the cookies, I guess I get to decide what recipe we use! My friend Jacque told me about this recipe she found at America's Test Kitchen (love that show!) She even brought me a few cookies that she made...I'm hooked. And, no, that is not a picture of my cookies...the fish tanks create too much humidity in my house in the summer, so my cookies don't raise and look pretty...but they sure do taste good!

1 3/4 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

14 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cups brown sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

1 1/4 cup chocolate chips

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 large (18- by 12-inch) baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk flour and baking soda together in medium bowl, set aside.
Heat 10 tablespoons butter in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until melted, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking, swirling pan constantly until butter is dark golden brown and nutty aroma, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat, and using heatproof spatula, transfer browned butter to large heatproof bowl. Stir remaining 4 tablespoons butter into hot butter until completely melted.
Add both sugars, salt, and vanilla to bowl with butter and whisk until fully incorporated. Add egg and yolk and whisk until mixture is smooth with no sugar lumps remaining, about 30 seconds. Let mixture stand 3 minutes, then whisk for 30 seconds. Repeat process of resting and whisking 2 more times until mixture is thick, smooth, and shiny. Using rubber spatula or wooden spoon, stir in flour mixture until just combined, about 1 minute. Stir in chocolate chips, giving dough final stir to ensure no flour pockets remain.
Divide dough into 16 portions, each about 3 tablespoons (or use #24 cookie scoop). Arrange 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets, 8 dough balls per sheet. (Smaller baking sheets can be used, but will require 3 batches.)
Bake cookies 1 tray at a time until cookies are golden brown and still puffy, and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft, 10 to 14 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking. Transfer baking sheet to wire rack; cool cookies completely before serving.

SPDT--Graduation...

2010-08-19T23:05:00.005-06:00

Stella graduated tonight! I must admit I had my reservations...I wasn't sure if she'd make it to be honest. I haven't had the time to work her like I should have, but she still passed!! And how can you not love that sweet Stella face and awesome graduation cap!

Winner, Winner...

2010-08-13T21:51:00.003-06:00

Stella Hawk - First Place

Vancouver, BC - First Place
So 2 out of 6 wasn't bad! Along with those Mom got 1 first place. Jen got 2 first, 1 second and 1 third. Michael got 2 first place. Kaden got 1 first place and Mason got 1 third place. So all in all, I think we did pretty well!

Fair Time...

2010-08-08T14:57:00.006-06:00

It's that time of year again! Here are the pictures I entered in the fair this year.

Stella Hawk

Vancouver, BC
Faith Marie

Kisses for Candy

Faces of Jacks

Stella loves Maddie

We'll find out Thursday how we did!

Justin's Couponing...

2010-08-03T21:10:00.036-06:00

This is Justin!!!

When we went on our family camp out, Janeen told us how she had been clipping coupons. Amy had already said how good she was doing using coupons, so we figured we would give it a shot. When we got home, Jamie got an email from Janeen that told what she was doing that week with coupons so we could get an idea. Jamie said she was over whelmed by everything involved in getting the "good" deals with coupons, so deferred the job to me.

I decided to start clipping those coupons, but wanted to go easy at first. I must admit, it does take a little time, but I was amazed how much you could save or get for free with just a little time and effort. I am not trying to go crazy, just getting stuff we need with a few stock piles of things here and there because they are free.

Here are my results this far:

12 Boxes Kraft Pasta Salad

4 Boxes of Fruit Gushers/Roll-ups

2 Kikkoman Teryiaki Sauce

Clorox Green Works Cleaner

Nexcare Bandages

Total Retail: $29.45

Coupons: $25.50

Savings: 87%

Gillette Body Wash

Crest Vivid White Toothpaste

Tampax Pearl Tampons

Oral B 2 pack Toothbrush

Total Retail: $14.64
Coupons: $13.00
Savings: 89%

6 Cans Ro-tel Mild Chilies
2 Pop Tart 6 packs
Baby Goldfish
Rhodes Warm and Serve Dinner Rolls
4 Large Avocados

Total Retail: $15.27
Coupons: $ 13.37
Savings: 88%

6 Jars of Prego Pasta Sauce

2 Pepperidge Farm Cookies

6 Hunts Pudding Cup 4 packs

2 Juicy Juice 8 packs

Oscar Meyer Select Hot dogs

2 Chef Boyardee Raviolis

2 Clean and Clear Face Wash

2 Scrubbing Bubbles Toilet Gels

2 Scrubbing Bubbles Toilet Cleaner Refill packs

2 Kerr Large Mouth Jar Lids

Total Retail: $46.93

Coupons: $40.52

Savings: 86%

So in just over a month of couponing, we have gotten over $106 worth of goods for the low low price of $ 13.90!!

SPDT - Week 6...

2010-07-28T21:29:00.005-06:00

Week 6...Stella is now--officially--an off leash dog (with a little bit of a safety line). Our distraction this week, besides 30 other dogs, was a goat. Check out how April stares down the dog as it heels past with it's owner. Apparently most dogs instinctively want to attack goats...who knew!

We practiced some sit-stays and Downs from a distance, then come and finish. We learned not to place Stella and Bella on stays next to each other. Bella came when I called Stella.

Tomorrow's distraction: a donkey.

Grandma's Birthday...

2010-07-20T23:20:00.003-06:00

Saturday we celebrated Grandma Geri's birthday. My mom, Aunt Linda, & cousin Jennifer took her to the Saturday Market in the morning, then they met up with my Uncle Dean for lunch, and finished off the afternoon going through open houses in Boise. They met up at our house for a dinner of kabobs and cake! I found the cake recipe at ourbestbites (love that site)! Seriously...you can't go wrong with the recipes these ladies come up with! We worked off that delicious cake by playing a little Just Dance on the Wii...if you don't have this game yet it is a must!

Here's to MANY more birthdays with Grandma Geri!

Patty's Post...

2010-07-19T14:19:00.001-06:00

Check out my friend Patty's Fabulously Funny post about Stella and her Elizabethan collar here!

Finding Nemo...

2010-07-16T17:41:00.000-06:00

We finally have fish!! (Well, to tell the truth we've HAD fish I just haven't taken any pictures) When Justin started this salt water obsession I told him he could do it, but he could only put fish in his tank from Finding Nemo. :) Have to keep with the Disney theme you know!

Payette River Lucy Belle...

2010-07-13T23:22:00.000-06:00

March 28, 1997 - July 10, 2010

Picture taken 7-4-2010 by Mason

My mom had to put her dog Lucy down on Saturday. She was 13 years old, that translates to 101 in human years. I asked my mom about puppy pictures of Lucy, and it made me stop and think just how long ago 13 years was...they aren't digital!

Lucy started out as an outside hunting dog. After two hind knee replacements and a lot of successful hunts, she retired to an indoor best friend.

When I was in high school I didn't have much patience for Lucy. She drooled and slobbered, a lot. Now that I stop to think about it, that's really the only thing that bothered me. Oh and she'd get kind of stinky sometimes after hunting. ;)

After getting married and getting my own dog, I was able to understand just what my mom loved about her. Lucy was awesome. The vet told my mom more than once that she'd probably never get another Chesapeake like her. You could let her outside (my mom doesn't have a fenced yard) and she never wandered. She was always laying on the front porch waiting for you if you forgot about her.

She had so much tolerance for the kids, especially Faith, and all of the puppies we brought home. Between Tim and I, over the years Lucy had 9 four legged friends.

This last year was hard for Lucy. She was slower getting up and laying down and she had a hard time making it up the stairs on the first try.This winter she got stuck on the ice on the driveway and didn't have the strength in her legs to get herself up. As much as we know it was better for her, it's never easy. And much like Abby, she'll never be able to be replaced.

Unfortunately, my mom won't let Tim and I get her a new dog until her house sells and she moves...something about a fenced back yard. ;) I guess that gives us time do some research and find the best breed for her!

Stella's Cone of Shame..

2010-07-11T15:36:00.003-06:00

Stella is in heat...Something I've avoided with every other dog we've had. The alternative to the doggy diaper and cone is her being stuck outside (too hot) or in her kennel (how mean) all day for a week. This is the better alternative right???

Did I mention she HATES the cone??

Small Town Independence Day...

2010-07-07T23:57:00.014-06:00

We decided on the Porcupine Races in Council again this year for the 4th of July. I mean really. What says "Independence Day" more than 20 wild porcupines racing across the football field? Okay...not all at the same time...and not the whole football field. We got to Council a little early so we decided to get some lunch before the parade. They were a little slow with the cooking so we missed most of the parade. Michael was the first one done eating so I sent him with my camera. I got to see the parade for the first time while going through my pictures tonight...Thanks Michael!

There's always some time to kill while they're auctioning off the porcupines before the race. I took this opportunity to practice using the manual mode on my camera...Kara- How'd I do?
Tim and I decided at the last minute to take our dogs, Stella and Sadie. Since we had to take two cars we put Grandma, Michael and Justin in Grandma's car and Mom, Faith, Tim and I took the dogs in mom's car. Needless to say...I have to help my mom wash and vacuum her car this weekend.

Jen had to work and the boys were with they're dad until noon.

Tim's friend Raleigh and part of his family met us up there. Faith doesn't like Raleigh. He has to bribe her with candy for kisses. Luckily his kids did well at the parade and he was able to trick her into two kisses before the races started.

Porcupines only run about 2 mph tops.

The fence this years wasn't escape proof. Unlike past years, there was at least one porcupine that escaped each of the 4 heats. One of the porcupine handlers had to have 28 quills removed from his leg before he could race his porcupine in the final heat.

After the races we went back to my mom's house for dinner and Jen and the boys met us there.

How many people does it take to fix the deck railing? Seriously, Justin and Tim did a great job!

Couldn't resist this...Faith and Mason playing the piano while Kaden helps them out with the pedals.

In keeping with our small town independence day feel we went to Ontario for fireworks. This is the look Faith had on her face when her sparkler got a little too close to her fingers.

But she quickly got over it.

To pass the time waiting for the fireworks to start we had a dog pile on Justin, played Tag, and Duck, Duck, Goose.

I did leave out one thing. Between dinner and the fireworks we went to Tim & Jen's house and tried out "Just Dance." Let's just say I won't be posting those pictures. :)

Middleton Parade...

2010-07-07T23:51:00.002-06:00

Saturday, July 3rd Jacque and I took Kate and Ty to the 4th of July parade in Middleton. Ty had never been to a parade before to get candy and he has no fear of the road or cars. Kate sat back a little and waited for Ty to come back with the candy...then he'd share...isn't that what the picture says?

Kate did get a little of her own candy, but she's not stupid...she knew she wasn't supposed to go as far into the road as Ty would! Thanks friend for inviting me to come along!

SPDT-Week 3...

2010-07-05T18:56:00.003-06:00

Thursday night was Week 3 of Scotch Pines Dog Training for Stella and it was AWFUL! (no pictures...I forgot the camera) I wanted to cry half way through because she was not doing ANYTHING like she was supposed to! We were continuing to work on heeling and the automatic sit. She heeled okay, but her sits were always slow and crooked. I had to correct her almost every time we stopped. At one point during the first hour of class, April (the trainer) looked at me and said "Jamie, I don't know what to tell you." It was THAT bad! I was doing EVERYTHING right...so why wasn't she responding??!! There were two reasons. First, one of the dogs in class that night was in heat...which is a great, but very frustrating, distraction. Add to that the fact that we had 6...yes SIX... intact males in the class created chaos. Second, she needed more praise. I thought I was praising her like crazy...turns out she needs EXCESSIVE and EXCITING praise in order to do what she is asked. This week we're working on Sit-Stays...here's to hoping we see some much needed improvement before Thursday night!

We're Back on the List...

2010-07-01T11:13:00.003-06:00

It's official (well, it's been official for a few weeks) we are back on the Foster Care list!! After moving we had to renew our license and home study, then had to wait for everything to be sent from Region 3 (where we moved from) to Region 4 (where we moved to). We have finally been assigned a licensing worker and are on the after hours list! Now we sit and wait....again.

Law Family Camp-Out...

2010-06-29T21:41:00.021-06:00

Every year the Law's get together for a 5 day camping trip. Some family's go all 5 days and others come up when they can. We went up Tuesday with Jerry & Jeannie, JD & Amy, Josh and Jennetta. This year we camped at Anderson Ranch Reservoir. It was a nice change to have paved roads all the way in, unlike Deadwood.

Jesse & Teagen showed up later that evening. Teagen got a 4-wheeler for his birthday. The "nun-nun's" were the favorite toys all week! The kids loved to go for rides, but were also pleased just to sit on them!

Wednesday Braden fell asleep in Justin's lounge chair. JD went into the camper to help Maddie fall asleep and told Braden he'd be right back. Then JD fell asleep and Braden stayed right where he was put!

Wednesday afternoon Janeen, Brent & Jackson showed up. This is the face Jackson makes when he wants you to smell the flowers.

Stella loved camping! Having such a grassy camping spot worked out well. We had to keep Stella's surgery spot on her belly clean and she couldn't have a bath for a week so we were lucky we weren't camping in dirt.

Thursday Julie, Ron & their gang were the last to arrive. We had a birthday party for all of the June birthdays. Justin made Marshmallow shooters for Teagen, Sarah, and Emma.

We also made and brought some extras for the adults to play with. I didn't think that through very well though. I had to pick up marshmallows all over camp when they were done so that we didn't track smashed marshmallows into the campers (and so Stella wouldn't eat them).

A couple of nights we had some deer show up in camp. (This picture looks so bad because I had to REALLY lighten it up to be able to see the deer). Braden was shooting the deer with his marshmallow shooter...such a cute kid. After they left and we were sitting around the campfire he was calling "come here deer, come here deer!"

Friday morning we caught Braden cleaning Jesse's 4-wheeler with baby wipes.

Maddie and Braden had a love-hate relationship with Stella. They would love on her and let her lick them all up, then they'd get knocked down and be done for a while. I'm so glad they've gotten over being scared!

Jerry and Jesse found a hot springs about 6 miles from camp when they were out riding the 4-wheelers. So Friday we all put on our suits and enjoyed the warm water! I didn't take my camera so click here to see Janeen's pictures! On the way out of the hot springs Braden had a little run-in with a tree branch.

After we got done swimming/soaking we came back to camp and changed clothes. Then Grandpa took all of the grandkids up to the Cafe for french fries. Needless to say I stopped by there again on Saturday before we headed out for some fries for the road!

I just had to throw this one in here because I loved the look on Braden's face! This was right after he gave grandpa a kiss and told him thanks for the french fries.

And no Law Family Camp-Out is complete without the family picture at the end of the week before heading home!

We're Off to See the Wizard...

2010-06-24T17:09:00.000-06:00

Saturday night my mom and I went to Garden Valley to see The Wizard of Oz put on by Starlight Mountain Theatre. Brenda and her daughter Emily rode up with us and we met a bunch of other ladies from the Washington County Courthouse there too. They had planned a potluck dinner with a Wizard of Oz theme. We had:

Auntie Em Cyclone Pork Roast w/ Veggies

Yellow Brick Road Cornbread

Over the Rainbow Jell-O

Ruby Red Slipper & Green Emerald City Salad

Fighting Tree Forest Dutch Apple Crisp

During intermission the cast comes through selling popcorn, candy, sodas and water. They had used something to color the popcorn green.
After seeing Emily's tongue I quit eating popcorn because is was afraid the clear bands on my braces would turn green.

They had some incredibly unique costume ideas for the twister and the munchkins...but you're not supposed to take pictures during the show and the audience is so small it would have be REALLY obvious where the flash came from!

They're also doing Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Thoroughly Modern Millie, The Scarlet Pimpernel and The Foreigner this season. Sounds like we may have to make a few more trips up there!

Stella Had Surgery...

2010-06-22T18:21:00.000-06:00

Stella had her hernia fixed yesterday. When Justin brought her home she was still a little out of it and was content to lay on her back in his arms. She doesn't wiggle or whine, she just lays there cradled like a baby!

Scotch Pines Dog Training...

2010-06-21T14:55:00.006-06:00

It's Stella's turn to go to school! We started dog class on Thursday and I have to admit I was a little nervous. April -the dog trainer-has a list here on her website of "The Intelligence of Dogs." The beagles we have trained are number 72 on the list...Stella...she's number 77. She pulled me into class and after sniffing out the other dogs we got started.

I'm always eager for April to use my dogs as an example! It gives me a head start! April was demonstrating the sneak-away game with Stella. We've been playing sneak-away all week as home work and as of last night she was really catching on.

See how good she is!!

We have to miss week 2 so we'll have an update at week 3.

Yummy Cereal Bars...

2010-06-11T23:31:00.005-06:00

Michael got this awesome recipe from his boss at his last job. And every once in a while...he makes it for us! :)

Mix in a Bowl:

1/2 box Crispix Cereal

1/2 box Golden Grahams Cereal

3/4 cup Shredded Coconut

3/4 cup Sliced Almonds

On Stove, Combine:

1 cup Sugar

1 cup Karo Syrup

3/4 cup Butter

Bring to a rolling boil.

Cook for 2 minutes.

DO NOT STIR!

Pour over dry mix.

Spread evenly on greased cookie sheet.

Let Cool.

Enjoy!!!

If you're making them to share (then you're nicer than me!) you can cut them up and put them on a plate or in sandwich bags. If you're just going to eat them yourself rip chunks right off of the cookie sheet or store in one big gallon bag. :)

Stella Likes the Car...

2010-06-08T14:46:00.000-06:00

Stella likes riding in the car. She always wants to be where ever we are and go where ever we go. We were waiting in the car one day for Justin while he was at the dentist and she couldn't sit still! She was all over the place!

Sometimes she goes to Grandma's house for Sunday dinner with us and almost always falls asleep on the way home.

She loves to look out the windows (and leave slobber marks all over the windows--next time you see my car...don't look at the windows!)

Her favorite toy is a green monkey that Michael got her. She chews and chews and chews on the tail until it is covered in slobber. Then if you're lucky she'll leave it on the floor and walk away and you'll step on it in your socks. This is what we call getting monkey tailed!

How can you not love that silly face!

She's 7 months old now and loves to play. Her favorite game is to run around the living room and kitchen when you want to put her away in her kennel so that you'll chase her...and we do...and after a while...we win.

Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary...

2010-06-06T14:30:00.000-06:00

How does your garden grow?

With silver bells, and cockle shells,

And pretty maids all in a row.

This year will be our first attempt at a real garden. We got the railroad ties for free down by the tracks (imagine that!) The fill dirt was free from our friends' subdivision so it was a very inexpensive garden to build.
We did have to add a fence to keep Stella out...I always wanted a white picket fence!

In the garden we planted corn, butter lettuce, romaine lettuce, red onions, peas, squash, artichoke and potatoes.

In the topsy turvy's we planted tomatoes, strawberries, bell peppers, banana peppers, jalapeno peppers, and herbs. And in the garbage can, more potatoes and pickeling cucumbers.

And not pictured: Rhubarb that we transplanted from the other house. It's in front of the garage in the front yard to keep Stella out. We're not sure how well it will survive.

If I can remember we may have to do a garden update each month this summer!

Jackson...

2010-06-04T12:48:00.003-06:00

I can't decide which one I like best:

Look Whoo's One...

2010-06-04T11:36:00.007-06:00

Janeen and Brent came home for Memorial Day weekend so we had Jackson's birthday party while they were here. I found this pattern for owl Christmas ornaments online. We blew up the pattern 300% and cut them out of construction paper.

Janeen made some owl cupcakes that I saw here. (thanks Krystal!)
After dinner we took all of the kids across the street to feed the Swan. This guy is vicious! We made the kids stay up on the asphalt because if you come down in the grass the swan likes to come out of the water after you. The guys who mow the lawn are always batting him away with a stick.

Jackson's got some of the funniest faces. Janeen put together some party favors for all of the kids including noise makers and he wasn't so sure about all of that noise.

Grandma made Jacks his own little owl cake to dig into. This was followed immediately by a bath...which he screamed through, apparently he doesn't like baths at our house!

Birthday Brothers...

2010-05-28T19:56:00.008-06:00

Last night we had a birthday party for Kaden (7) and Mason (6) at their house. After we ate Tim, Michael and the boys were playing crack the egg. You couldn't have paid me enough to get on that trampoline with them! Michael is a pro at making you double bounce!

Faith doesn't always like to come to Justin...so sometimes we trick her...you'd never know it by this happy face though!
We made marshmallow shooters for the boys and decided we couldn't leave Tim and Jen defenseless. In reality we had more fun with them than the boys!

Mason in his Iron Man mask from Kaden

Tim and Jen bought them a Wii...I think Kaden was more excited than Mason.

Happy Birthday Guys!

MarioKart Wii...

2010-05-11T21:36:00.003-06:00

Sunday we had my family over to celebrate Mother's Day with a taco bar and a really yummy mint chocolate cake made by Aunt Linda. Dean and Alberto came down from Sun Valley, but Tim, Jen and their family couldn't make it because Jen wasn't feeling well. After dinner and gifts we played a little MarioKart on the Wii. My mom recently purchased a Wii so Tim and I went in together and got her MarioKart so she could play with her Brother in California. We had to turn ours on so she could try it out before she went home. Jenny, Mom, Linda and Dave were a pretty even match!

Even Grandma Geri got in on the fun!

Justin's Birthday, Part 3...

2010-05-11T21:27:00.003-06:00

and Mother's Day, Part 1! Saturday we had Justin's family over for another birthday party and to celebrate Mother's Day. We had a little BBQ (thanks Michael for grilling) and lots of desserts! What do you do when you don't have candles?? The Laws light matches!

Braden was having a great time with Grandpa...that kid has an awesome belly laugh!
JD and Justin took Maddie and Braden across the street to see the swan. That thing can swim fast! And it's obviously fed often by people because as soon as we got close to the water it was headed our way.

On to Mother's Day...Part 2

Birthday, Birthday, Birthday...

2010-05-06T21:41:00.005-06:00

Sunday we got together for a BBQ and Birthday party for Tim (4-30), Mom (5-1), and Justin (5-4). Faith thought she needed to help everyone open their presents...and it's no surprise that they let her help too! Grandma took care of the cake and Jen and I brought the salads.

Happy Birthday!!

Happy Birthday Justin...

2010-05-04T23:20:00.005-06:00

Happy Birthday Justin...31 reasons why I love you...

You're my best friend.
You have more talent at the piano than anyone I know.
You are always willing to help others.
You have the most fantastic and contagious laugh.
You are so funny!
You are such a patient teacher.
You can cook!
You're always smiling.
You have so much compassion.
Your passion for music
Your love for children.
You're going to be an amazing father someday.
Your love for all things Disney!
You can clean!
You're a hard worker.
Your smile.
You're always willing to take care of me when I'm sick.
You love to travel.
You will try to fix anything yourself...and most of the time succeed!
You're a great brother (I know 6 other people who will agree with me on that!)
You will stop whatever you're doing to help your family or mine.
You always see the good in people.
You are generous.
You're so fun to shop with!
You wear your heart on your sleeve.
You are competitive.
You'll cuddle with me even when you're too hot! :)
You like to drive...or maybe you just don't like to ride with me driving...either way!
You're so handsome.
You sing like an angel...my heart melts every time.
You chose me for eternity.

Thank you Justin, for being you! Here's to many more birthdays!!

Tonight we went out to dinner with our friends Jared and Jacque to Tucano's. We were excited to try it because we had heard so many great things about it. And if you sign up for their birthday club you purchase one dinner and get one free during your birthday month! Who doesn't love free!?
The favorites were the bacon wrapped filet mignon, pork tenderloin, and grilled pineapple with a brown sugar glaze...mmm.

And we had to try the raspberry Brazilian lemonade...so good!

Happy Birthday Justin!

Moving On Up...

2010-05-03T11:07:00.004-06:00

It's official, we are now residents of Star! It feels like we've been moving for a week, and we're still unpacking boxes, but we're finally, officially, all moved out of the house in Middleton! Hopefully I'll get some pictures taken soon, when the boxes get unpacked.

An Afternoon at the Park...

2010-04-27T17:02:00.006-06:00

Sunday, April 18th after my mom and I got home from McCall we had a few hours to kill before dinner at Grandma's so we took Faith to the park for a little bit. She loves the slides but was scared of the swing. She got better once she tried the "big girl" swing. And she insisted she didn't need the "baby" swing anymore.

The bridge was a little big for her so she would stand on one end and hold her ams out saying "help" until I came across to get her.

I was trying really hard to get her to say my name before I'd take her across.

Faith: Help

Me: Say Jamie then I'll take you across

Faith: No

Me: Say Jamie

Faith: No

McCall...

2010-04-20T00:27:00.003-06:00

It's that time again! The Semi-annual trip to McCall to catch up...or at least attempt to...on our scrapbooking! We always have so much fun and this year was no exception. Our group was a lot smaller this time. Just 7 scrapbookers and 1 quilter. I started our trip to Canada from 2009 Friday night when we got up there and it wasn't looking too good when the title page took me 2 hours...but in the end I came out with 34 completed pages. Not only is that a new personal record...but I was able to finish the entire trip! (14 pages for the trip to the Smallville set alone!) I couldn't resist taking a picture of our combined cricut cartridges. Although I'm just now realizing there were two more in my bag that I didn't get out...oops!

Now if I could just bring myself to scrapbook at home between trips to McCall....hmm... Until October!

Emma...

2010-04-15T20:39:00.003-06:00

Emma, like her Aunt Janeen, loves candy...more than any kid I know. If she's sitting in the living room and hears the rustle of a candy bag her ears perk up and she's in the kitchen in seconds to make sure she's not missing out. Shortly after Easter she would ask her mom for some leftover Easter candy. Sometimes Julie would give her some from the Easter Bunny's leftovers, and sometimes she would send her upstairs where she knew Emma's Easter basket was hidden away from the other kids. One day this week one of the neighbor boys came over carrying 4 quarters. He came back downstairs a while later with 4 pieces of candy. Turns out Emma was selling her Easter candy to the neighbor kids for a quarter a piece! And it wasn't the good stuff! We stopped by today after school and I offered Emma twenty cents for a piece of candy...she just smiled, rolled her eyes, and sat down on the couch. I guess there's an age restriction to purchase candy from Emma's Candy Stand.

Chocolate Cadbury Mini Egg Cookies...

2010-04-08T16:17:00.000-06:00

Mmmm...Cadbury mini eggs were REALLY hard to find this Easter. Until we went to Canada...they were ALL OVER! So I picked up a HUGE bag for myself, and one for my friend Jacque. Then our friend Sherri sent me this recipe. What a great way to eat my Cadbury Mini Eggs...wrapped in chocolate cookie!

Home Sweet Home...

2010-04-07T16:05:00.005-06:00

We ran into the BSU plane in Seattle...unfortunately it wasn't headed to Boise, but our flight was full so I had enough time to stop on the ramp and get some pictures. :)

When we got home Monday night Justin and I drove over to my mom's to pick up Stella. She was so happy to see us and she grew so much in a week! Her face is getting wider and she's starting to look more and more like a bulldog and not a puppy!

We had such and awesome time in Vancouver but it's always so good to be home!

A Sunday by the Water...

2010-04-04T19:50:00.013-06:00

Today we spent the afternoon at Deep Cove doing a little walking, a little window shopping, and a little picture taking.

We couldn't stop laughing at the creative signs to pick up after your dogs.

Then a stop off for some real shopping at Lonsdale Quay...right on the water.

Jess tried her first beaver tail...or elephant ear if you're from the states.

Michael and I had some great sushi. The BC rolls were okay...but the California rolls were awesome!

And finally a great overcast picture of Vancouver!

Now for an evening of blobbing and enjoying good company and great leftovers! (blobbing is "being lazy" in New Zealand) ;)

Saturday is a Special Day...

2010-04-04T01:28:00.007-06:00

We went out to the Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge this morning/afternoon. Jess hadn't been to a suspension bridge yet, and Lynn Canyon is free. :) It was pretty muddy because of the rain the last few days so we didn't do any hiking around. Jess was a little afraid of the height of the bridge...and the fact that Justin and Michael thought it was funny to make it swing.

When we decided it was too muddy to hike Michael took the camera and walked down a little ways while we went into the cafe for a drink.
After the Suspension Bridge we browsed the mall where Jess got to see and hold a ferret for the first time. I don't think she'll be buying one anytime soon.

When we got back to Sharon's Michael and Justin went to work mowing the yard before the BBQ--which was amazing! We had so much fantastic food (thanks again Sharon!!) and lots of great company! Loved seeing Franki and Pat again and meeting everyone else and was fun to see Rick on Skype!

Franki made Sharon a yummy birthday cake...mmm. In the Faraci home it is customary to cut cake with one of the many swords. This was pretty cool!

We're so bummed that tomorrow is our last full day here!! Happy Easter everyone!

An Afternoon in Langley...

2010-04-03T00:12:00.002-06:00

Today we spent the afternoon in Langley visiting a family from Michael's mission. They were a lot of fun...and I didn't even think of getting a picture...moron...I know! After our visit we stopped at the Peace Arch that stands between Canada and the US. It was windy, cold, and rainy today so we didn't stay long.

Tomorrow...Easter BBQ at Sharon's...yum!

Science World...

2010-04-01T19:44:00.007-06:00

Today we went out to Science World. We weren't sure what to expect but it was all hands on puzzles, games, you name it.

Michael and I tried out the wheelchair races...I got off the line first, but Michael won.
There was also a pulley system. On one side you could lift 1/6 your weight and on the other you had to lift 1/3 your weight.

There was a scale that weighed you and told you what animal weighs the same as you.

Michael- Giant Beaver

Jamie- Aardvark

Jess- Komodo Dragon

Justin- Giant Panda

Now Michael's making us dinner...yum...steak tacos :)

More Fun at Stanley Park...

2010-04-01T00:21:00.002-06:00

After the Aquarium we took a drive around Stanley Park and back to the Totem Poles. These things are pretty amazing. Click here for some cool information about each Totem Pole.

Aquarium (aka Guys Heaven)...

2010-03-31T23:12:00.008-06:00

Today we spent the afternoon in Stanley Park at the Aquarium. The boys were in HEAVEN! and I had a pretty good time too! ;) They have some great ideas now for what coral they want to get for their tanks. They had a 4-D showing of Planet Earth Shallow Seas. It was very similar to the 4-D movie's you see at Disneyland with the air and water blowing at you. The guys had already watched that segment at home and said it was much better in 4-D.

Sharon made a fantastic pork tenderloin for dinner...I'm going to copy the recipe so you can make it for us mom :) Tomorrow we're thinking maybe Science World.

Hello Vancouver...

2010-03-30T22:04:00.004-06:00

Here we are! After two not-so-fun flights (although they weren't nearly as bad as they could have been) we made it to Vancouver! There was no beverage service on either flight because of the turbulence...and I was so looking forward to finally have Coke products back on our flights!

After riding the Canada Line and the Seabus to North Vancouver we met up with Sharon and Jess at work and then went to get our rental car. A spicy red Dodge Charger. :) Then off to Metrotown for some window shopping ---yes mom, window shopping---while Jess had a job interview. We found some FANTASTIC caramel corn...mmm...eating that now!
Jess brought some lollies from New Zealand with her. The Pineapple Lumps were SO good. A pineapple marshmallow-ey center covered in New Zealand chocolate..mmm. Jess just had one Jaffa left so she cut it in half to share with Justin so he could try it...even though she didn't really want to. ;)

I'm not sure what the plan is for tomorrow yet...but I'm sure it will be full of fun!

Saturday with Faith...

2010-03-30T00:41:00.003-06:00

Saturday we got watch Faith while Tim tried to finish his garden, Jen worked, and my mom went shopping. We spent some time at Jacque's house playing with Kate and Ty outside while Jacque and I got started weeding her garden. Let's just say she was pretty dirty by the time we were done.

She got to show us her skills on the Ukulele at the music store while we ran some errands too. Don't you think grandma should buy Faith this fantastic pink Ukulele?

Sarah's Surgery...

2010-03-27T17:34:00.000-06:00

Sarah fell off the slide in her backyard on Monday and broke her arm! She had to have surgery Wednesday morning to have 3 pins put in. (I should have had Julie scan the x-ray so I could post it!) I remember when I was a kid coming home from the hospital for surgery's and stuff people would always bring get-well gifts...so I had to go out and get Sarah some fun stuff. She was still pretty out of it when we got there but she said it didn't hurt. She gets to go in next week to get a hot pink cast. :)

When Julie was talking to her earlier in the week telling her she would be asleep during the surgery, Sarah said "but I don't sleep during the day." Julie had to explain they would give her some great medicine to help her sleep. :)

Baby Teeth...

2010-03-26T20:02:00.000-06:00

Did you know dogs loose their baby teeth just like people?

Yep, they do.

Stella lost this one last night.

Justin found it on the kitchen floor.

Big Blocks Game...

2010-03-25T17:25:00.002-06:00

Tuesday night we were on the computer waiting for Janeen and making sure everything was working when Timmy came in and asked to play the "big blocks game." With a little help from Emma we found the game he wanted and he was really good...when Justin would let him play. Justin got a little into the "big blocks game" and kind of took over for Timmy. Luckily Timmy was content to sit and watch Justin figure play so there were no tantrums thrown when he didn't get his turn.

I couldn't complete the posts tonight with out a fantastic picture of Maddie. :)

Birthday Cake...

2010-03-25T15:54:00.005-06:00

Tuesday night we had a little combined birthday party for Justin's parents complete with BBQ, presents, and CAKE...lots and lots of CAKE!

We got Justin's parents a web cam so they could see the far-away grand kids. We went over Monday to get it installed and downloaded Skype so we could have Janeen call us Tuesday night for the party. They didn't get to talk long...but I think it will get plenty of use.

Where Did My Puppy Go?...

2010-03-20T17:20:00.006-06:00

I'm not sure what happened...One day my puppy was a puppy...now she's a dog! She's hit the 30lb mark and just keeps growing!

Faith Turns Two!...

2010-03-18T17:05:00.004-06:00

Saturday, March 13 we had a fantastic Dora birthday party for Faith's second birthday. She got all kinds of Dora presents...dolls, a phone, and a new bed set to *hopefully* get her sleeping in her own bed!

And of course her dad couldn't pass up a Dora fishing pole for his girl! I'm not sure who's happier...Tim, that she has a fishing pole...or Faith that her fishing pole has Dora on it!

Whistle Pigs...

2010-03-06T20:49:00.009-07:00

This is not a post for the squeamish or PETA members! Read on at your own risk!

What do you do with a sunny Saturday afternoon? Load up the truck and go shootin'!

Jesse is in town from Idaho Falls and we went out to Sand Hollow for a few hours to shoot whistle pigs. Since our last trip out shooting I had borrowed Tim's gun so I had my own this time! JD and I walked around for a bit and took a shot at a few, but we weren't successful...those lucky buggers!

Stella came with us too. We were anxious to see how she would do around the louder guns while the guys were shooting the target. They didn't phase her at all! You'd think she was a hunting dog!
JD and Josh fired a few rounds with JD and Jesse's handguns.
Michael caught this guy right in front of the truck. He had just refilled my clip, turned around and there he was!
I think we'll wait another month or so before going out again...maybe when it's a little bit warmer...for longer...watch out!

Sushi Saturday...

2010-02-25T15:43:00.003-07:00

Last Saturday (February 20th) a bunch of girls from work got together at Fujiyama's for Sushi. When Sherri first suggested Sushi I was a little scared...but I was determined to try it. I ordered the lunch box which came with rice, egg rolls, California rolls and teriyaki salmon. I have to admit, I liked it...and I would eat it again! Thanks Sherri for the great suggestion that got a few of us out of our "comfort zones"!

Who's up for Sushi this Saturday??

Faith's First Plane Ride...

2010-02-16T11:06:00.008-07:00

This weekend my mom and I took Faith for her first plane ride. She, of course, didn't have any idea what was going on! We were headed to Medford, OR to introduce Faith to her Great Grandpa (my mom's dad) and have lunch with Betty and Cecial (my Dad's Godparents). Faith was a fantastic traveler. The flight to Portland was pretty full so she had to sit on mom's lap and she didn't sleep at all. From Portland to Medford the flight was only about a quarter full so we put her in her car seat and she slept for the 45 minute flight.

We had lunch at the Black Bear Diner. It was pretty tasty and Faith ate a ton of french fries. It was so good to see Betty and Cecial. No matter how many years it is between visits...they never change!
By the end of lunch Faith had warmed up to them enough to give kisses goodbye.

The rest of the day we spent just hanging out with Grandpa Bob and Grandma Connie. Faith chased around her balloon she got at lunch.

While Faith is pretty easy going and doesn't require a whole lot to entertain her, I thought she might be getting kind of tired of taking the toys out of her back pack and putting them back in again. So I found a video clip on youtube on my phone of Dora the Explorer...She watched it over and over shouting "Dora!" "Boots!" "Dora!" Boots!" Hooray for Blackberry's!

Sunday morning we had some orange rolls for breakfast and then headed back to the airport for our flight home. Faith, again, got to sit in her car seat on the Medford to Portland flight...and slept. Then sat on our laps from Portland to Boise. The trip was pretty quick. We left Boise Saturday morning at 7:05 am and were back to Boise Sunday afternoon at 2:05 pm. Now we're getting started planning a day with the boys. They were pretty bummed that Faith got to go on a plane without them. We're thinking the Seattle Children's Museum...Anyone been there?

Girls Night Out...

2010-02-02T23:51:00.002-07:00

Saturday Justin, Michael and I had planned on going snowboarding. Thursday rolled around and my rear was still hurting from the trip up the mountain two weeks ago...so Jacque and I decided to send Jared with the guys, get a sitter for her kids and hit the town! While the boys were boarding we hit the mall and had a fantastic dinner at Cheesecake Factory. We rounded out the evening with an old classic, Two Weeks Notice, one Jacque was appalled I hadn't seen, but I realized I really had already seen it about half way through! Here's to hoping we can get away with nights like this more often!!

Missing Her...

2010-01-25T15:45:00.003-07:00

Okay....I know this is an awful picture of Abby, but I was cleaning my memory card today and came across this picture. It was the last one taken of Abby on October 13th, just 4 days before she died. None of us remember taking the picture. She obviously turned away from the back door right as the picture was taken...I should just delete it, I mean you can't even see her face...but I can't....and I don't have to right??

I can't believe it's already been three months. I never added this part in her original post, but the Monday before, on October 12th, we had given Lexie to a new home with a friend from work who has 3 little boys with lots of energy to play with Lex (and her new name is Lucy!). My thought was that I was going to start working from home and wanted Abby to hang out with me in my office, but Lexie was too wound up...she never would have sit still for that long, and I didn't think it was fair to leave her outside and only bring Abby in. Little did I know we would only have Abby for 5 more days after that. So here we are with Stella, three months later...while not a replacement...a fantastic companion and so very lovable.

Abby would have liked her!

Stella's Skateboard...

2010-01-22T15:40:00.002-07:00

It's true! We've introduced Stella to the skateboard!! Although she hasn't quite got the hang of it yet she still plays with it and will ride on it for a second if you push her. We're just waiting for the weather to warm up so we can take her outside and show her how it's done! (well, so Michael can show her how it's done...you don't want to see me or Justin skateboard!)

Busy Weekend...

2010-01-18T23:25:00.002-07:00

It feels like all we've done around here since Christmas is work. We fixed that this weekend! Friday night Michael, Josh, Justin and I went up to Bogus to try out our new-to-us snowboards we bought ourselves for Christmas. Now remember, we only went once last year and that was a first for both of us! We had a pretty successful evening. Justin and Michael stuck together and Josh got stuck coaching me. (poor Josh!) Josh and I got 4 runs in before we took a break at the lodge for some fries (and I only rolled down end-over-end twice!) After our snack we sent Josh out to board with the big boys and Michael stuck with us on the smaller stuff. We put in another three runs and called it a night.

Saturday afternoon I had lunch planned with the girls from work, after this week we were almost all officially Home Agents so it's nice to get together and catch up. You miss a lot of gossip working from home!

I met the boys at the bottom of the hill after lunch and we headed up for day 2. We were much better Saturday than Friday and even ventured up the Morning Star lift for some serious boarding for our last run. Michael's headed to Reno this weekend so we'll get two weeks for our muscles to recover before heading up again.

Sunday the guys hung around the house and worked with Stella on her skateboarding...(more on that when she gets good!) I went to New Plymouth for the evening and got some scrapbooking done with my mom, Julie and Rene (thanks guys!!). We really don't get together often enough and I don't think any of us had unpacked our stuff from McCall except Julie! It's pretty sad that the event I finished scrapbooking was a trip to San Jose in 2006...wow...talk about needed to catch up!

Here's to a slow week and a speedy recovery from our first boarding trip of the season!

Last Christmas 2009 Post...

2010-01-18T17:08:00.011-07:00

Here it is--Finally--the last Christmas post! We had dinner and Christmas as the "Newman Family" on Saturday, December 26th. We had yummy sandwiches from Gandolfo's for dinner and spent the evening eating candy and opening presents!

We love Stockings!

Every year my mom mentions getting rid of stockings and every year we, as kids, win and there are stockings! Although she did get rid of the dog stockings last year and refuses to re-instate them!
Gangsta Faith

We love Grandma Geri! She is so fun, and does so much for us!

It took Tim and Jen and minute to realize the fruit went with the dehydrator. ;)

Faith and the boys had to help everyone open almost every present. It made it hard to get decent pictures sometimes.

Bring on the wifi games with Neen!!

Faith and Mason trying out Sadie's new box.

Grandma Geri got each of the boys hand made toy boxes. They were at my mom's house wrapped by the tree for weeks before Christmas and every time they came in the went over and touched them and looked at them trying to imagine what those big boxes were. Mason was sure it was a motorcycle...suprisingly...he was not disappointed in the toy box!

Thanks so much to our families for another fantastic Christmas Season!

Christmas Dinner...

2010-01-08T23:24:00.006-07:00

After spending our morning and most of our afternoon with Justin's family we headed to Nyssa for dinner with my family. My cousin Chris and his family were down from north Idaho and it was fun to watch the kids play and get to know each other again.

Faith and Brycen

Grandma Geri's Great Grandkids

Mason, Ashton, Kaden

Brycen, Faith

Who would have thought that Tim and Chris we be the only ones of us cousins with kids?!

Check out this wink! I REALLY wish I could take credit for teaching her this!
The kids had a blast opening all of their gifts...what's better than 3 transformers and a baby!

One more installment of Christmas to come! Stay tuned!

Christmas Morning...

2010-01-08T21:50:00.004-07:00

We spent Christmas morning this year with the laws. It was fun to have all of the law kids (minus Julie) there for Christmas morning to open presents and have breakfast together. I'm a little bummed that I don't have more pictures. I charged my camera battery the night before, and then left it plugged in when we left that morning. Thankfully, Michael dropped it off and had some breakfast with us on his way to meet up with his family! (thanks Michael!)

JD trying to fix Teagen's toy

Braden and Maddie both love the table and chairs Maddie got from Grandma and Grandpa
Grandpa with his "Street Sweeper--Keepin' it Clean!"

Sarah is Jacks' favorite cousin. Guess I need to make a couple more trips to Idaho Falls so next visit he'll love his Aunt Jamie best!

Christmas Eve...

2010-01-08T21:37:00.005-07:00

Since Michael had plans with his family being in town all day Christmas Day we had our little "home" Christmas on Christmas Eve. Justin and I bought each other snowboards for Christmas this year so we just exchanged gifts with Michael. Michael thought it was necessary to completely tape up our boxes so there was no chance of us sneaking a peak before Christmas...okay...it may have been necessary. ;) He did a great job with bags and stomp pads for our boards.

We got Michael a whole bunch of random stuff, including a transformer. :) (yep...it transforms into a Scion XB)
Santa, aka me, got each of the guys a nerf gun. Justin succeeded in breaking his within 5 minutes...off to Target to exchange! Bring on the nerf fights!

Thank you Justin and Michael!

An Evening with Christ and Santa...

2010-01-08T00:18:00.006-07:00

Every year Justin's family gets together at his grandparents house with all of the Aunts, Uncles and Cousins for a dinner of finger foods and an evening complete with the Nativity acted out by grandkids/great grandkids and a visit from Santa.

Jacks and Grandpa Jerry

Much to Netta's dismay Emma was cast as the Donkey this year in the Nativity.
Our Angel, Madison

Justin trying to convince Braden that Santa is exciting.

Braden trying to tell himself to be excited when he's really terrified!

Braden - 1 Justin - 0...maybe next year!

As always it was so fun to get together with all of Justin's cousins and their families to catch up and celebrate this wonderful holiday.

Even Puppies Love Tub Time...

2010-01-07T23:49:00.004-07:00

Okay, so maybe they don't love it, but she certainly didn't hate it. This is how far behind I am. Stella had her first bath at home on December 23rd...just in time for Christmas!

Christmas coming soon...maybe tomorrow!

Family Picture Time...

2009-12-22T15:54:00.004-07:00

A few weekends ago we took some family pictures in the back yard at my mom's house. They turned out pretty well for only taking 15 minutes or so! (Thanks Michael for taking the Family Pic!)

Jen started talking about getting a family picture of their family before Thanksgiving, but the weekends weren't working out to get it done. When she thought all hope was lost for a picture in her Christmas cards we found a weekend!
Jen and Tim were having a hard time thinking of something for Grandma Geri for Christmas so we took these pictures for her. (don't worry...she doesn't have a computer, let alone access to the internet!) Although I didn't think I would be able to figure out photoshop in time to put something like this together for her so she bought a 3-window frame.

A big thank you to Kara for helping with photoshop on this one with our mini email lessons!

Say Hello to Stella...

2009-12-14T22:00:00.000-07:00

Here she is--Stella, our English Bulldog puppy--

After Tim brought home Sadie on Thanksgiving I couldn't wait any longer, we started the search for a puppy. It only took two and half weeks (we picked her up yesterday)

She's so tiny next to Lucy!

Faith loves puppies...all puppies...she walked around the dining room kissing each dog, even Lucy.

How can you not love these wrinkles!

Justin and Tim and their puppies! Sadie is 12 weeks, Stella is 6 weeks.

Happy Early Birthday...

2009-12-14T21:42:00.005-07:00

Sunday we had an early birthday party for Jen. Her Birthday isn't until next weekend but this weekend was her turn with the boys. We ordered pizza unwrapped presents and ate cake! What more do you need?

The boys always have to help their mama unwrap presents!
We were a few candles short...and she still missed one ;)

Happy Birthday Jen!

We Love Portland...

2009-12-14T20:23:00.004-07:00

What do we love about Portland? The one hour flight to get there. The MAX that takes you anywhere you want to go for one low price. The Biggest Christmas Craft Bazaar with over 1500 vendors. IKEA. All together with a fantastic friend...

and my awesome mom!
We flew over Saturday morning (December 5th) and spent the day walking and shopping through the Expo Center. We even finished with some Christmas presents (and a few things for ourselves!) After the Christmas Craft Bazaar we took the MAX to IKEA. My mom and Jacque hadn't ever been, so we had fun looking at EVERYTHING. When we got done at IKEA we weren't looking forward to taking the MAX back to the airport to call the hotel for our shuttle so we took a chance and called to see if the shuttle would pick us up at IKEA. Not only did they do that, but he stoped at a frozen yogurt shop for us so we could get some dessert! We will definitely stay there again! Sunday morning we got up and had probably the best continental breakfast I have ever had with great waffles. We got to the airport in time for the 1150am flight home...the only problem...I was the only one who made the flight. So we stayed together and sought alternate routes home. We took a 2p flight to Spokane and had a few hours to kill there. (by the way, there is nothing to do in the Horizon terminal in Spokane!) We spent our free time in Spokane eating pizza and playing 10,000 Aces. Finally getting home at 9p. It was a great weekend!

Can't wait until next year!

Thanksgiving...

2009-11-30T13:07:00.010-07:00

Our first dinner of the day was at Justin's Grandparent's house. We had fun playing with the kids until dinner was ready. Timmy was showing off how he could go down the slide on his belly.

Sarah told Justin to back up or she was going to kick him. He said it was hard to stand that close and not flinch...and when her feet were coming right at him...it definitely felt closer than it was! :)

It's always hard to sneak a shot of Jerry! Too bad I missed the fantastic face he was making just moments before!

When we got to my mom's house for dinner number two we had to check out Tim's new puppy Sadie. Faith liked her a lot! The boys didn't get to see Sadie until they came home from their dad's house on Sunday.

I have finally discovered how to get a picture of Justin and Michael...pretend you're taking a picture of Faith!

Thanks everyone for sharing Thanksgiving with us! What a great day!

Mans Best Friend...

2009-11-26T21:03:00.000-07:00

I never realized just how much a dog becomes a part of your family until we had Abby. Not just a part of our little family (Justin & I) but our whole family, my mom, Tim, Josh, Janeen, everyone. Tuesday afternoon my mom called to let me know my brother, Tim, had lost two of his dogs, Gus & Cooper. They had been out hunting and were both hit by a train, sitting on the tracks side by side, refusing to move. I was a little glad I was standing in the middle of Sephora at JCPenny when she called or I might have lost it. I just couldn't help but think how helpless Tim must have felt as he called to them, begging them to come. It made me think how helpless I felt after finding Abby and knowing no one had been here to help her. Its amazing how these guys have nestled themselves so deep in our hearts that we mourn for them just like we would a person. The unconditional love they bring to us is unlike any other relationship. So today I am grateful for Mans Best Friend. (As un-traditional as that sounds for Thanksgiving!) For my best friend, Abby. For Mason's best friend, Gus. For Tim's best friend, Cooper. And for the ones we still get to love- My mom's best friend, Lucy. Kaden & Jen's best friend, Daisy. Maddie & Braden's best friend, Doc. The Law's best friend, Buck. And Tim's new best friend, Sadie.

McCall...

2009-11-23T17:15:00.000-07:00

Last Weekend (November 13-15) my mom and I spent the weekend in McCall scrapbooking with some of our friends. As always, it was a lot of fun and we got a lot done! Mom finished 18 pages and I finished 37 pages!

the Lunch Bunch...

2009-11-18T20:01:00.003-07:00

(lame title, I know, it's the best I could do!) With the new shift bid that started in October we had some changes at work with some of us working from home and some switching from night shifts to day shifts. This could only mean one thing....LUNCH DATE!! Saturday, November 7th we all got together to celebrate DeVonna's birthday and have some fantastic food and laughs at Red Robin. I forgot to take a picture while everyone was there, so here's a couple of who was left by the time I remembered I had my camera!

Sherri, Marci, Caroline, MaryLou

Stacey, DeVonna, Me, Char
Thank you everyone for coming! I'm looking forward to next month and OLIVE GARDEN! Yum!

Halloween...

2009-11-18T19:03:00.007-07:00

We spent Halloween at my mom's house, had dinner with the kids and took some fun Halloween pictures before they went trick-or-treating. Faith was a little pink lady bug, Mason was a "scary guy with no face" (that's what he called it!) and Kaden was Batman! We had left our pumpkins in the garage all week so we brought them with us to my mom's so they could be out on Halloween! The beagle and bulldog pumpkins Justin and Michael carved while we were watching the BSU game that afternoon.

Faith got into some candy before they even got started

I love this picture of Mason's totally disgusted face...apparently he didn't like one of the candies mom put in his bag!

Pumpkins...

2009-10-28T22:37:00.007-06:00

Saturday we held our annual pumpkin carving night with the Barclays. I love that once they're kids are in bed we can do whatever we want and turn the movie up as high as we can and they still sleep through it! Halloween movie of choice this year--Hocus Pocus--Can't beat a classic!! the mess:

Michael won best pumpkin for 2009...and he should because, well it was pretty cool, and took the longest.
and in no particular order:
Pluto (Jamie)
Ursela (Justin)
BSU (Michael)
Jack-O-Lantern (Jared)
Cinderella (Jacque)

Happy Halloween!!

Abby Moo...

2009-10-18T11:56:00.011-06:00

Yesterday we lost our 4-year-old Beagle, Abby. We left her out back, like we always did, while we went to town. Abby layed down on the back deck and the tags on her collar got stuck between the boards. She twisted herself up trying to get out and strangled herself. Knowing we may not be in our house much longer, we decided to take her up to Justin's parents house to rest in peace. This is quite possibly one of the hardest things I've ever done. I was telling Justin yesterday that I always thought people who cried over their pets were dumb...well count me as one of them now! I was really looking forward to working from home and having her here with me all the time. Since we don't have kids, loosing Abby was like loosing a child for us. Thank you, everyone for your thoughts, prayers and messages. We know this had to happen for a reason, we're just waiting to find out why.

Meet Auto...

2009-10-03T14:53:00.000-06:00

He's the newest addition to our zoo. (pretty soon I'm going to start charging admission!) He will be prettier in a few more months after he grows the rest of his feathers back. He was a rescue bird and had been plucking his feathers due to stress. This picture was a month or so after we got him and he's already made a huge improvement on picking at his feathers. I'll have to start posting more often you can see what a pretty bird he's growing up to be!

A Happy Birthday...

2009-10-02T16:45:00.004-06:00

I took my birthday off from work and spent the day with Justin. He had the day all planned out, but with two different plans. So he made me choose 1 or 2 all day long, and whatever he had assigned to that number, that's what we did. It was kind of like those Choose Your Own Adventure books we read in grade school...you remember those right??!! We went out to lunch (Olive Garden) and to a movie (UP in 3D) and to Coldstone for some ice cream. Then had dinner at my mom's house with the whole family. And what did I pick for my birthday dinner you ask? HOT WINGS!! YUM!!

Mason helped me open all of my presents. I have been telling Justin all summer that I want a pink 22 for my birthday...but we had already discussed that I wouldn't be getting it. So, even knowing that was the case, I got a little excited to open the last present...which was an empty gun case to go with my gun cleaning kit and ear muffs, so that I have everything I need when he DOES get me my pink 22 someday...SOON!!
Thank you everyone for another WONDERFUL birthday!

I know Labor Day was a month ago...

2009-10-02T16:33:00.005-06:00

Yeah...I'm that far behind...but it's really not very far behind at all considering we really haven't done much to blog about this month. Michael's parents came up over Labor Day so we got to spend some time with them and his, newly adopted, little brother and sister. We met them one morning at the school to play at the playground and took Abby and Lexie with us so they could run around a little. But they weren't very interested in running, or fetching the ball...here's how it worked...I threw the ball, and then walked them to the ball because they were too busy sniffing around to chase after it...Beagles!

Thomas and Angel had a great time pulling them around on their leashes...and since the dogs are supposed to be trained not to pull on a leash and watch the person on the other end of the leash, we let them yank away at those leashes!

4-0...

2009-09-26T23:43:00.000-06:00

Today started off with one seemingly easy task...hook the TV up to the antenna...sounds easy enough right? Well, not so much! We turned our cable off a few months ago and hadn't gotten around to hooking up the antenna to the TV (yes, that means no TV for months!!! Hard for you to believe I lived through that,I know!). So we decided we should hook the TV up so we could watch the BSU game tonight. Michael was volunteered to put on his coveralls and crawl under the house (Thanks Michael!) They found the right cable at the crawl space for the TV, then the search was on for the antenna cable. After a trip to Radio Shack the right cable was constructed and we had all of the channels except the one showing the game...PERFECT! So Michael climbed up above the garage to adjust the antenna...with no improvement on channel 7. After a second trip to Radio Shack to purchase some "retro" rabbit ears we were successful in recieiving channel 7! Of course, now the rest of the channels aren't clear but that's a task for another day! Thanks Jacque and kiddos for coming over to enjoy the game with us. Now off to Merritt's for a scone and milkshakes!! :)

Let' Get Cooking...

2009-09-14T00:43:00.000-06:00

Anyone in town interested in starting a freezer meal group??

Let me know!

Love Your Guts...

2009-09-06T14:55:00.004-06:00

7 years...HOLY COW. Sometimes it feels like we've been married forever...and others, like today, it feels like just yesterday. We've done so much in 7 years, from buying a house, moving out of that house, then moving back into it...to 3 trips to Disney World, 2 to Disneyland, and 1 Disney Cruise (it must be time for another trip!) Thank you, Justin, for 7 wonderful years! I couldn't have picked a better best friend!

I Love You!

Rick, Chinatown & the Spirit of Alaska...

2009-08-24T20:52:00.000-06:00

Thursday, before our flight left, Rick drove us through Vancouver took us down to Chinatown.

Can you find the turtle?

They filmed a scene from an episode of Smallville...RIGHT HERE!

We stopped at a Chinese restaurant of course for lunch. You had to mark on this little card what you wanted. Justin picked pot stickers, Michael picked dumplings, I got wontons, and Rick (who forgot his glasses and couldn't read the menu) marks some random item. That random item was delivered to our table last, and as the waitress sets in on the table, she laughs. She knew that NO ONE orders this! (I wish I could remember exactly what it was called!!) Here's what it looked like:

It wiggled, kind of like Jell-O and that black goo flowed from the center when we broke it open.

We each tried it, but Justin's expression was the only one film-worthy...yep it tasted just like that! A hint of a peanut butter and the texture of sand...weird!

While waiting in Seattle for our connection we took a walk down the C concourse and found this at the end...our newest fancy painted livery...The Spirit of Alaska Statehood. Just some cool background on this guy. The images on the plane were designed by a 16 year old from Sitka, Alaska as part of the "Paint the Plane" contest put on by Alaska Airlines that was open to all school children in kindergarten through 12th grade in the state of Alaska for the state's 50th anniversary. Click here to see a picture of the entire plane.

Thanks again, Sharon and Rick for an AWESOME five days, and we can't wait for you guys to come down here!

Chester, Charlie, Ice & Elvis...

2009-08-24T20:16:00.000-06:00

Wednesday we slept in a little, took our time getting ready and did a little more browsing/sight seeing in Gastown while we waited for Sharon to get off work at 4. When she got home we rushed out to Langley where we met up with Tony and he led us out to Dana's place to meet some more celebrities. Sharon and the guys kept this a surprise the ENTIRE week! They wouldn't tell me what we were doing Wednesday night until we got there and walked out to meet Chester and Charlie. It was a GREAT surprise and SO much fun!

This is Chester...He's AMAZING! Yes there was a hot wire fence between us, however, that hot wire fence was NOT ON! Yep, we're standing less than twelve inches from a real live bear! Dana is an amazing animal trainer who trains different types of animals for the movies. Chester and Charlie have appeared in A Bear Named Winnie (when they were cubs) and most recently in Borat (which I wasn't going to watch but might have to get from redbox just to fast forward and see these guys do their thing!)

This is Charlie's mean bear face...yep he portrays a mean bear REALLY well.

We got to feed Charlie some cookies...he likes his Chips Ahoy!

Yep...I got bear slobber on my hand!

Then we met Ice....Ice is a wolf/Husky hybrid. He can turn from vicious dog to sweet puppy in one command. Sharon, of course, is FEARLESS! The rest of us didn't get this close!

Meet Elvis. How many of you can say you've been locked in a cage with a raccoon? Oh, yeah just Justin, Michael, Sharon and I!

After leaving Dana's we stopped back at Tony's where he showed us what his famous dogs could do. It was crazy watching this dog, Bobbi, attack (from the safety of the second story deck of course) ;) The loony guy in the attack suit is Dean. Needless to say we were all a little too sane to jump into that suit...especially after seeing the bruises those teeth left!

Tom, Emmanuelle, and the Temple...

2009-08-24T00:24:00.000-06:00

Tuesday Sharon took off from work and took us to the set of SMALLVILLE!!!! Where we got to go on a fantastic tour of the set, with our gracious tour guide Pat (thanks again!) and got to meet Tom Welling. We also got to watch some actuall filming with Alison Mack (who plays Chloe) and meet and talk with her (bummer, no pictures!) Sharon did not disappoint in the Smallville department!

After checking out the Smallville set we headed over to an "on location" shoot to meet another actor, Emmanuelle Vaugier, who played Dr. Helen Bryce on Smallville and has also stared in Two and a Half Men, and CSI: New York.
She was REALLY nice!
On our way back to North Vancouver we took a detour to check out the newest Canadian Temple, which is currently under construction.

Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge, Gastown and the Vancouver Canadians...

2009-08-24T00:15:00.001-06:00

We got into Vancouver on Sunday afternoon. Sharon picked us up at the airport (our first time meeting face to face!) then we headed over the bridge to North Vancouver. After a few errands we went back to her place where we met her husband, Rick, and relaxed for the rest of the afternoon on the patio. Friends of Sharon and Rick, Pat and Franki, joined us for dinner and Pat just happens work for SMALLVILLE!

Monday we started out with a short drive up the the Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge. Followed by a 20 minute hike to Twin Falls and back up the steps to where we started.

After lunch we took the Seabus over to Gastown for a little browsing/shopping.

The steam powered clock in Gastown

After Sharon got off work we met Franki at the Vancouver Canadians minor league baseball game where they were playing Tri-Cities (from Eugene, OR).

Me, Sharon, Franki

Justin, Michael

They had something going on between each inning while the guys in the field were warming up. At one point these four guys came out to sweep the infield and started dancing to Vanilla Ice...this just might have been the best part of the Game!

We left the game at the bottom of the eighth inning with Tri-Cities leading 10-1. :) We headed back to North Vancouver and up the hill aways to park and take this picture...cool right?