Crazy Little Thing Called Life

later gators... :)

We are loading up the van...and then we're off to my brother Phil's house.  I bought some 2-way radios at Costco yesterday.  So hopefully we can talk to each other all the way there.  It's about a 4 hour trip.  Hopefully the border guys are in a good mood, and don't feel like dismantling the van and confiscating my salad.  I realize there are contraband grapes in my salad.  But if they take it, I very well might sit at the border and cry for four days.  Either that or I'll eat the entire thing and THEN cross the border. 
See you Thursday... :)

more favorites...

We had plans to light some smaller fireworks last night...but Luke fell asleep, of all people.  Go figure.  Maybe tonight.  We're playing hooky from church this morning (gasp!).  Today will be a big packing day...plus I need to go to the grocery store. 
Here's more from Boulevard Park on the 4th...

The Alaska Ferry was in at the terminal.  Some time I'd like to go for a sandwich at the ferry terminal.
 
Before we met Tyler & Jenni...we had 7 kids with us.


Isaac found a crab...and he wasn't the least bit shy about showing it to me either.  :)

Fairhaven is such a cool place.  I need to get there more often. 
I'm off to pack... :) 
p.s.  How could I forget???  Happy birthday today to my dear niece Tanna!!  We love you...

some favorites from yesterday...

I finally took a picture of the flags in downtown Lynden:

Then we went into town and met family at Boulevard Park.







We had planned to eat in Fairhaven...but most all of the eating places were closed.  So we ended up at McDonalds. 
Later we went out to my brother Karl's for fireworks...



Enjoy your weekend!  :)     

  

happy 4th of July!

So what are you doing today?
Iz has the day off.  He & Luke are selling fireworks at the Kiwanis stand from 10-2 today.  But then (shhhh) I think they're going out to visit Bargain Betty as well.  Or at least my brother is. 
Are you by any chance heading to Treasury of Memories today?  Because you should.  :)  You get 40% off one thing...patterned paper is 30% off...and this:

is just $10 today.  Don't ask me how at 8:22 in the morning, I have one in my possession.  I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you.  Do you see on the packaging...there on the third line down?  Where is says 'Designed by Elizabeth'?  Anytime the kit says that baby...I snatch it up.  :) 

So I'm going to try and take fireworks pictures tonight.  Wish me luck.


This is one of my favorite July 4 pictures...I think it was 2 years ago when Dave & Colleen were visiting:
  
Have a happy, safe holiday!

her name is Rainbow.

You know, that stray mama cat?  The one I said we were NOT naming.
Belle named her Rainbow because of all her colors...tan, yellow, brown, orange.  Whatever.
I didn't hear her last night...but then, I didn't hear much of anything with all the thunder.  What a storm!  We haven't had thunder & lightning like that in awhile. 
Luke put out cat food & it was gone by this morning.

Speaking of cats...Romeo has found a new spot:

I think he gets into these spots just to taunt Lola...cuz there's no way she could heft her 15 pound butt up there. 
Do you have lots of stuff on your fridge?  There's my calendar.  Do you cross off every day?  I'm a big crosser-offer.  Calendars...lists, you name it.  Crossing off is pure pleasure.  Just ask Carly or Alissa about the to-do list at the store. 
When we got our new fridge I said it wasn't going to have junk all over it. 
Nice to see that lasted.

I'm off to work today.  Enjoy your Thursday... 

random...

It's supposed to be hot again today.  Not super-oven hot, but around 80 I guess.  Which means it will be a Beast day.  Yesterday was too:

Know what stinks?  When you knock over a bag of colored BB's...for not the first or second time...and you have to pick them up all by yourself while your mom takes pictures, and your sisters are hooting & hollering on the Beast.

He did eventually get them picked up and he went on the Beast too.  But he wasn't very happy with me in the mean time.

I think Shelby is going to read her summer away.  She could sit outside all day with a book.  She's reading the 'Left Behind' kid series from our church library. 
Remember the mama cat?  She called and called again last night for her baby. 

Belle made this.
And yes...I fed her again.  Which is really bad, I know.  But it's not like we're thinking of naming her or anything.
I was feeling blue yesterday:

Get it...blue?  :)


So next week, we are going camping up in Canada.  To Salmon Lake, on the Douglas Lake Ranch.  I guess technically it's not camping since we're staying in a cabin with beds, a bathroom with shower & a kitchen.  That's Julie camping.  No phones, no computer, no texting, no Halo...just fun with family, games, campfires & lots and lots of Smores.  Oh, and they have a pool.  :)
So anyhow...I won't be posting for a couple of days next week.  Gasp.  Will you miss me?
Belle & I are off to do some shopping for our trip. 
Enjoy the sun...

    

happy July!

So my story from yesterday has a sad ending.  :(  I had told the kids about the raccoon-cat fight the night before.  The cat meowed all through the night and the next morning too.  Later in the morning, Luke came running to me..."Mom, mom...you have to come...there's a dead kitten in your window well."  :(  The raccoons had killed her baby.  Which makes more sense, really.  No cat would take on a bunch of raccoons...but she was trying to save her baby. 
So I had to bury a kitten yesterday.  Belle named her Strawberry because that's where we buried her...by our strawberries.  The mama cat was back last night, just calling and calling to her baby.  Finally she came right up on our patio, and that's when I broke the rule.  You know, the one about never ever feeding strays? 
I tossed a scoop of dry cat food out there, and she ate like she hadn't eaten in days.  She didn't look super skinny or anything, but she was definitely hungry.  I felt so bad for her...hungry and no baby.  :( 
She was back again this morning calling for her kitten.  So sad.

Ok, on a happier note...do you have plans for the 4th of July?  I've heard it's supposed to rain.  We're meeting family at the park...and then later on we're having fireworks at my brother's house.  Anyone had smashing success taking fireworks pictures?  What's your secret?  I'm bringing a tripod...actually I'm going to borrow my brother's...his is nicer than mine. 

Looks like last year on July 4 we started the remodel of our bedroom/master bathroom.  I think today I'll take the kids and buy some fireworks.  Iz is in Kiwanis...and they have a big stand by the Nuthouse (plug plug).    

smackdown in our back yard.

I don't think I mentioned it before...but a couple of weeks ago, we were having breakfast when I looked out the sliding glass door and saw this big ole mama racoon walking across our patio.  My neighbor saw it again last week, disappearing around the corner of our garage. 
Lovely. 
Last night at 3am Iz & I woke up to the sounds of one huge catfight.  At least that's what it sounded like.  The head of our bed is right up against the window...and whoever was out there was going at it right underneath there. 
I asked Iz what was going on, and he said that maybe the raccoon fell into the hole.  ha ha.  I reached for the 50-pound (in case I need to smack a burgler in the head) Mag flashlight on my nightstand...& gave it to him.  By now...Lola has hoisted herself up into the window sill & is growling and hissing to beat the band. 
Iz turns the flashlight on...and there's mama raccoon...sure enough...sitting on the edge of the hole.  There's also a stray cat trying to fight one of her babies.  You cannot imagine the noise.  The hissing and yowling and yipping.  I thought the raccoons would for sure gang up on and kill that cat.  So now I'm yelling to Iz, "Go save the cat!  Go out there and break it up!" 
But he's a guy.  And he's holding the flashlight and watching the fight like he's paid $30 for pay per view.  So I run outside and I'm yelling "Shoo!  Shoo!"  (Original, I know.)
The cat runs away, I go back inside...and by now the raccoons have decided to leave.  Iz still has the flashlight on them...and we watched as the mama and her 5 (cinco) babies leave the yard.  At one point they stopped right in front of the shed, all grouped together.  It would have made a really cool picture.  :)  And then off they went.
I will for sure be double checking that the sliding glass door gets shut every night.  It's been so hot, you know.  The cat's food is on a mat right in front of the door.  Can't you just see the raccoon family letting itself in through the screen for a nice meal of cat food?  And then, hey...let's just see what's in the rest of the house.
No thanks.

Pictures were fun yesterday.  Even if it was 90 degrees.  I do not do well with the heat.  I woke up yesterday with a heat rash all over me.  It's no better today...in fact it's worse.  Itchier and my hands are swollen.  Lovely.

These are my kids, Jenny's 4 and Terra's 3.  So we were missing Jack, Josie & Olivia. 




 






Did I mention that Shelby's home from camp?? :)  She had a great time. 
happy monday...