Mommy plus Five

Finishing up my living room remodeling project.

2012-02-15T23:47:00.001-07:00

Guest post written by Sarah Wade

It seems like once I finish up some kind of household project, I've already started moving onto the next one. That's been the case lately at least. I've slowly been making over most of the living areas of my household, or everything but the bedrooms, I guess that I should say. I've been working on my living room lately and knew that I needed some more surface areas for storage, so I decided to invest in some end tables.

I took my search online to at least get some inspiration for which kind of end table I should buy. While I was looking at some end tables, I came across some stuff on Roofing and decided that I should make that my next home project. Our roof has looked faded for quite a while now anyway so the timing worked out well.

I also was able to find some really cute end tables from west elm that were exactly what I had imagined for my room. Now I don't have to lean over so far to put my drink down on the coffee table form the couch. I have my new end tables for that!

February 15, 2012

2012-02-15T15:56:00.002-07:00

My 365...

We had a frosting of snow this morning. It is always a nice surprise to wake up to the white stuff even if it is just a little bit.

I am hoping for one more big snow this month or next, as that is usually the case here in Idaho before Spring makes its appearance. The boys would love to get some sledding in before the season is completely over.

Miss Lilly is the only one in this family who is not a fan of snow. But then I don't blame her, her little bitty paws freeze easily.

She quickly found a sunny spot on the lawn to partake in some serious "doggy" yoga. :)

***Doggy Daily***

Dozer's favorite place to snooze is at the foot of the stairs.

I would not mind, but he blends in so nicely with the wood floor and the carpet....

...making it impossible to see him when you are navigating the stairs at night.

"So sorry mama...I will move."

"Thank you Dozer. If you start now, you might be out of the way by nightfall....you fluffy little hunk of love." :)

Music I am listening to today...Dixie Chicks

Random Link of the Day...Yummy!

Until next time..."Sometimes it is the smallest decisions that can change your life forever."

Peace.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Love,

February 14, 2012

2012-02-14T20:23:00.001-07:00

My 365...

Happy Valentine's Day!

Although every single day should be about telling those we share this life with how much we love them, and celebrating our relationships with each other, it is nice to have one day dedicated to reminding us to do just that.

Shortly after midnight I wrote a Valentine's message on my Android tablet and flashed it to the boys in the dark. Thought I would get an early start on things. :)

This morning Blake brought me breakfast in bed, toast, sausage and OJ, complete with a Valentine's Day card that he created himself. Home made is the best kind of greeting!

My Photos of the Day...

I made little bags of raspberry Fig Newtons, and candied hearts for my babies. I have never been one who likes to color in between the lines. ;)

Blake has decided that raspberry Fig Newtons will be our new Valentine's Day tradition.

It is never too early in the day for an "I love you!"

"Happy Valentine's Day mama."

***Doggy Daily***

Music I am listening to today...Alison Krauss & Union Station

Random Link of the Day...Less is More

Until next time..."Happy Valentine's Day...I love you today, tomorrow, and to infinity and beyond!" <3

Peace.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Love,

February 13, 2012

2012-02-13T17:25:00.001-07:00

My 365...

Monday, you are here already? Of all the days of the week, you are always in such a hurry to get here. You need to learn to chill Monday. Take it easy you "type A" day you.

I am feeling particularly fabulous this day. Literally. I was thinking how blessed I am because I can not remember the last time I was in pain.

I have had Rheumatoid Arthritis in my life for 17 years now. RA decided to join me the night after I gave birth to Casey. So rude it was too! Here I was celebrating a precious new baby in my world, and the nasty cruel disease that is RA, decided to ruin the moment. So painful, almost rendering me completely useless. I went from being a healthy thirty-something year old active mom of 4...to a broken woman in the body of a 90 year old grandma. Everything hurt from the tips of my fingers to the tips of my toes.

That is not the case today. I really and truly feel amazing! Other than some crippling in my right hand that frustrates me from time to time, I am a whole person. I can run...if I have to, I can ride a bike, hike, take the stairs with no problem, and do just about anything I want to....including open a brand new jar of pickles! Oh yes, it is the little things in life. :)

So thank you God, for keeping me well, and always keeping me positive in dealing with RA. Thank you doctors for coming up with an effective treatment to manage my disease, and for taking great care of me. Thank you medical science for working so hard to find a cure for RA and all the other diseases out there that put a kink in this thing we call life.

"Thank you!!"

My Photo of the Day...

My bamboo plant is feeling a little blue today. Such a sensitive little plant it is...

***Doggy Daily***

I could not find Miss Lilly this morning. So I called her name and noticed Blake's blanket moving when he was sound asleep. So I pulled back the covers and there was the diva curled up under his arm.

"Just keeping my boy safe mama."

Music I am listening to today...Mindy Gledhill

Random Link of the Day....Take Control

Until next time..."Take the time to celebrate life's triumphs, and give no audience to anything less."

Peace.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Love,

February 12, 2012

2012-02-12T17:43:00.006-07:00

My 365...

Hello Sunday. :)

It is days like to today that remind me why I made the incredibly impulsive decision to move my family from Texas to Idaho over 15 years ago. The sky is a gorgeous clear blue, 48 degrees of cool, and the air so sweet and clean. That is my Idaho.

Growing up in San Antonio Texas, I always swore that I would never leave. San Antonio is a great city. So much history, cultural diversity and a lot to see and do...not to mention the food is amazing! But in San Antonio you have two seasons...Summer, and sort of Summer. The population of San Antonio, over 1,300,000 people. The population of the "entire" state of Idaho, 1,500,000 people.

I flew here to Boise in February of 1996 for business, and the micro second I stepped off the plane I thought "wow" I did not know air could smell so sweet and clean. No humidity at all, and the most remarkable blue skies I had ever seen.

There are four distinct seasons here, Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall, all presenting incredible seasonal colors and climate. Summer heat only lasts 6 to 8 weeks. In a word, the weather is perfect. SO perfect!

I flew back to San Antonio and said..."Family, pack your things we are relocating to Idaho!" And just like that, we were here. Not once did my husband look at me and say, "Veronica, you are out of your mind!" Instead he looked at me and said...."sounds good to me."

As a child it was my dream to live in Washington state. I did not quite make it to Washington, but Idaho is even better. It is not miles and miles of flat potato country like one may think. Idaho is a gem of a state...literally. Mountains, pristine "white water" rivers, canyons, pine forests as far as the eye can see...and the sweetest, cleanest oxygen on the planet.

Other than missing my mom, dad, sisters and their families, moving here to the great Northwest has been the best decision I have ever made.

Idaho, we LOVE it here. <3

My motto has always been, "You have to jump, then build your wings on the way down."

That is the way I have lived my life, and I could not fathom it any other way.

"Here is to flying!"

Family dinner was delicious. Jack baked some chicken with potatoes, celery, onion and carrots, made some yummy steamed buttered asparagus, and garlic bread. :)

My Photos of the Day...

I discovered this beautiful patch of bright yellow flowers growing under the den window in the front of the house. When I first saw them, I thought someone stuck a bouquet of plastic flowers in the ground. They are that perfect.

Casey climbed up on the roof of the house and took these amazing shots of our beautiful foothills...

You can see all of his beautiful pictures HERE. *click*

***Doggy Daily***

Casey also took these pictures of his best friend, Ducati.

Music I am listening to today...Whitney Houston,
Despite all the negative talk regarding her demons and problems, there is NO denying that hers was the most brilliant and memorable voice in the history of music. May she rest in peace. <3

Random Link of the Day...Visit Idaho! I will leave the porch light on. ;)

Until next time...

Peace.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Love,

February 11, 2012

2012-02-11T13:12:00.000-07:00

My 365...

Hello Saturday.

Misty rainy and cold...a perfect day to curl up with a good book and hot steamy cup of Chai.

I stayed up so so late talking with my boys about life, rap music, bullies and stuff. It was great, but mama needs a nap.

Hope your Saturday is going well.

My Photos of the Day...

"Your mother wears army boots!"

Yeah I do. :)

But only on special occasions...or in preparation for the Zombie Apocalypse...

...or when I am eating waffles for breakfast, :)

"Bring on the Zombies mama...I am ready!"

***Doggy Daily***

"Tsk mama...army boots...really?"

"You would NEVER see me in army boots...unless they are created by Louboutin."

"Yes Miss Lilly, we know."

Music I am listening to today...Lenka

Random Link of the Day...Bring on the Zombies! (Season premier tomorrow, I am so excited!!)

Until next time...

Peace.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Love,

For Devynn

2012-02-10T19:06:00.000-07:00

Devynn is a sweet little girl born the same month and year as my Blake.

Devynn was diagnosed with IBD in 2008, and has had to deal with way more than any child should have to.

Please help Devynn reach her goal for donations to find a cure for Chron's and Colitis!

Every little bit is appreciated. <3

Gutsy Walk - Devynn Brooks - Toronto

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Love,

February 10, 2012

2012-02-10T16:40:00.001-07:00

My 365...

It is all about the brothers. :)

Blake has been missing his brother Brandon. He spent a lot of time with Brandon when he lived here, having fun video gaming together.

But no worries...big brother Garrett to the rescue!

Garrett went out and bought a new RC car, and he has been spending a lot of time with Blake. Today he is here with Blake racing the car up and down the street. Blake had a blast! Thank you Garrett. <3

How do you measure the success of a family?

For me, it is witnessing the sons I have raised to adulthood, hold dear their relationship with each other. They are not just brothers who grew up in the same family and are genetically connected. They really "truly" love each other not only as brothers...but also as friends. They would do anything and everything for each other.

My Photos of the Day...

"I spy with my little camera.....

...Blake having an amazing time with his big brother Garrett!"

What a blessing they are to me. :)

***Doggy Daily***

Be afraid....be very very afraid....RAWRrrrr....

"Oh mama, surely you jest? Supra is nothing more than a big drooling baby!"

Music I am listening to today...Mindy Gledhill

Random Link of the Day...Oh...my...goodness...gracious...

Until next time.."Reach out today and tell someone special how much you love them."

Have a great weekend everyone!

Peace.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Love,

Old Man Dozer

2012-02-09T18:57:00.000-07:00

I was so worried about the way Dozer was acting last night. So old and stiff.

Today Garrett brought over a remote control car, and Dozer was back to be his "puppy" old self.

Yay Dozer!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Love,

February 9, 2012

2012-02-09T15:18:00.010-07:00

My 365...

*WARNING*

Random blog is random...

~~~If I get hungry at 1:00AM, and make a fresh tossed green salad for snacking, is that considered healthy?

(NO Veronica that is not healthy. One should never partake in food after 8:00pm daily. Just saying...)

*****

~~~Has your teenager told you he loves you today?

Mine did...and does, every single day. It sounds something like this...

*mumble* *grumble..."love you mom"...grumble* *mumble*

Hey, at least he tells me!

*****

~~~When Brandon was packing to move he found one of Cooper's little onesies that is way too small for him, and a diaper that is too small for him also. I snatched them from Brandon and put them on a teddy bear and named it "Cooper One Sock" the bear.

Then the next day I found one of Cooper's socks and put it on my Cooper "one sock" bear because I miss him so much. :*( Of course I found one of his socks. He only ever wears one!

Is that cute...sad...creepy or all three?

*****

~~~I finally got around to ordering some loose leaf tea from Tea Chai Té in Oregon. I can't wait to try them! I will be sure and give you a full report after I brew my first cup.

I ordered;

Caramel Creme Brulee #21
NW English Breakfast #1
Spiced Vanilla Chai #38
Velvet Oolong #107
Yerba Mate Chai #78

And of course an adorable little snapball tea infuser.

I am SO excited!!! Can you tell?

*****

~~~This morning I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my website when I stumbled upon the memorial video I created for mom's funeral. As it started to play I got an error and I panicked!

"OMG NO!"

Please don't tell me the file is corrupt!

I took a deep breath, tried to remain calm, and hit refresh on my browser....and thank GOD...it played. Needless to say I immediately backed the file up so that it is never to be lost EVER!

If you would like to see it, click *HERE*

I sat at my desk and watched, and for the first time ever, I did not cry. This video always makes me cry. It was great seeing all the old pictures and remembering how awesome my mom was. Hearing her voice at the end...in a word...amazing! No matter what happened in my life...I never stopped loving my mom and dad.

Love you mom...and dad. :)

Blake sat with me through the last half of the video and he did cry. I felt bad for making him cry. Seeing some of the pictures made him very sad, and he started asking me the tough questions.

"What is going to happen when you die mom? Will I see you again?"

"Of course you will son. I will always be waiting for you..."

***Insert Enya Music Here***

"...hopefully up in heaven, sipping on some warm creamy Chai tea, sitting on a heavenly computer surfing the interwebs. You can still email me if you have any questions. I may not be able to answer, but I will be thinking about you."

"Mom..."

"Yes Blake?"

"That is a little creepy."

"Mmmhmmm"

LOL :)

"Mom?"

"Yes Blake?"

"When you die...in a hundred years...I will carry on the blog for you."

"Awww, thank you Blake."

Told you it was going to be a random blog day.

My Photos of the Day...

Introducing "Cooper One Sock" bear.

***Doggy Daily***

My old puppers is getting old. I had to help him up to the sofa last night. :*( He is only 8 human years old, but for a giant breed...that is pretty old. Maybe I will start calling him 'grandpa' Dozer?

Nah...puppers it is.

"Hi mama...thank you for letting me lay on the soft blanket."

Music I am listening to today...Brad Paisley

Random Link of the Day...Te Chai Té

Until next time..."Ya'll come back now, ya hear?"

Peace.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Love,

Photos by Blake

2012-02-08T18:55:00.002-07:00

Blake took some great pictures of Garrett and Kori's dogs today. I posted them to his Blog. :)

The Home School Crew

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Love,

February 8, 2012

2012-02-08T15:36:00.001-07:00

My 365...

Negotiations. That is what my life has become...a series of negotiations.

"Blake it is time for school."

"Just let me finish my snack, and I will log in."

"No honey, you need to log in right now. Eat your snack while you are learning."

"But my hands are sticky, I need to take a shower."

"You can take a shower AFTER you finish your math unit."

"Let me read one page in my literature book, then shower, then math."

"No Blake, math unit, shower, then read."

"What if...."

"Blake....."

"Okay, final offer...shower, math, snack, reading..."

NO! Math two units, read the entire literature chapter, science, spelling...then go outside pick up the dog poop, take the laundry down to the washroom THEN shower. Mommy has spoke...AMEN!

"I hate picking up dog poop! I will load the dishwasher and take out the trash."

"BLAKE!!!"

"Fine......*grumble, grumble, grumble*

Pfft! I mean really!

My Photos of the Day...

Kori gave Blake a cool black Volcom sweatshirt and now that is all he wants to wear.

Here he is "negotiating"...such a stinker!

***Doggy Daily***

"Don't look at me mama...I always obey you the first time."

"teehee..."

Music I am listening to today...A Fine Frenzy

Random Link of Day...Kid Rex

Until next time..."Sometimes you will never know the true value of a moment until it becomes a memory."

Peace.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Love,

February 7, 2012

2012-02-07T16:00:00.003-07:00

My 365...

I am always talking about my sons and how amazing they are...that is because they are amazing...but I have five children. Where is the 5th child that I gave birth to, and why is there never any mention of her?

I do have a 5th child, actually, she is my first child and only daughter.

My first born.

She has graduated from college, married, and living her life in another city. I never mention her because by her choice, she is no longer an active part of our lives. Her father and I were not perfect parents. She has much anger towards us, and as a result, has decided to cut her entire family out of her life.

No, Jack and I were not perfect parents, but we are good parents. We did not insist on the fairytale wedding for our only daughter because at the time that is not what she wanted. I recognize that I should have tried harder to give her that special moment. Perhaps I should not have left it up to her and simply made it so.

We were not invited to her graduation, but since when do proud parents need an invitation to celebrate incredible amazing milestones with their children? We should have been there...invitation or not...because we love her and we are proud of her even if it meant sitting in the back row and watching from a distance.

I know all these things and I have apologized and begged forgiveness for not being perfect. But forgiveness is not up to me.

My only communication with my daughter is through reading her blog. It is the only way I can see what is going on in her life. But that is not the only reason I read it. I read it because I love it. She is an articulate writer, an amazing photographer, and a very talented artist and crafts person. She rocks!

In reading her blog I have discovered that she is expecting her first child. The night I read the news I went running and screaming through the house well after midnight to tell everyone I could. "Wake up, wake up, she is having a baby!!!" I am so very happy for her because I know this is what she has dreamed of and I know she will be an amazing mother. I even called her brother and woke him up to give him the news. He was thrilled for her...we all are.

My message to you my darling girl is this...

I would tell you to sit in a dark room with no noise and no distraction. Close your eyes and breathe deeply, slow and steady. Where all you feel is the beating of your own heart, and the sound of air coming in and out of your body.

Visualize, feel that sweet, innocent, precious life growing inside of you. A life that shares your heart, body and spirit. Whatever you think...your baby feels. When you cry...your baby cries. When you are happy...your baby is happy. When you are angry...your baby is frightened. When you feel hatred and bitterness, your baby feels confused.

My darling daughter, open the door to your heart and soul and release the anger, the bitterness, the sadness and the hate. Feel it leaving your mind, heart, spirit and body. Leave only room for love, hope, happiness and joy so that your precious little one feels only those amazing emotions. Welcome forgiveness into your heart not for me, not for your father...but for you and for your precious child. YOUR precious child.

You are embarking on an incredible journey. You will feel every emotion on the spectrum with a heightened sense of intensity the likes of which you could have never imagined. It is all part of the experience. Just remember why you feel the way you do. It is perfectly normal. You are growing a life inside of you. How amazing and remarkable is that? How amazing and remarkable are you!

I hope you read this, and I hope it gives you comfort. I am praying for you honey. I love you so much and I am so incredibly hopeful for you. You will be an amazing mother because the daughter I know and adore has limitless love, courage and strength.

Let every single minute delicious moment linger. Enjoy this pregnancy and all the wonder that it comes with. Keep a journal...I know you already are because you are the queen of journaling. :) Bond with that precious little baby and you will be an amazing mommy because you ARE amazing.

Take care of you. <3

All my love,
mom

My photo of the day....

A message to you from Blake. :)

***Doggy Daily***

Rockstar and the Diva.

Music I am listening to today...Eva Cassidy

Random Link of the Day...Tree of Life

Until next time..."There is no greater love, than the love of a mother for her child"

Peace.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Love,

A Perfect Day

2012-02-06T23:24:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed a delicious family dinner for Casey's birthday tonight. Garrett made some awesome BBQ chicken, and I steamed some rice and carrots to go with it, and a hot loaf of garlic bread.

The chef at work...and what an amazing chef he is.

Delicious food...

And the best picture ever!!

What a difference 17 years makes. :*) Casey is blessed to have the best big brother in the world!

Brandon even stopped by for a hug and to pick up the rest of his things. I has SO happy to see him. I got to meet his new room mate Alex too, and he is a very nice young man.

I am a happy mama!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Love,

February 6, 2012

2012-02-06T17:13:00.004-07:00

My 365...

Seventeen years ago today I gave birth to the most beautiful baby boy in the world. A full head of light brown hair, huge blue eyes and the longest most luxurious eye lashes I had ever seen. That was and still is my Case Thomas. My pregnancy with Case was the most complicated of all my pregnancies. Bed rest for the last half of the pregnancy. I even managed to fall down some stairs and fracture my ankle before he made his debut into this world. He tried to be born upside down and sunny side up, but the doctor managed to flip him around at the last minute. That was an interesting feeling!

Of all of my children I feel like Casey is the most misunderstood. He comes across loud, hyper and obnoxious at times, but the truth about Casey is that he is introspective, extraordinarily empathetic and wise. If you hurt his feelings or disappoint him in any way...he will walk away from you. Not because he is writing you off...but because he is working it out in his own mind.

Casey is a lover not a hater. If you act like a jerk for no real reason at all, he will not speak to you until you can explain yourself. For as much as he loves everyone, he will not tolerate those who hate.

At times, I am guilty of not being as patient as I should be with Casey because he talks a million words a second. Often his words come out SO fast that it can be difficult to understand what he is trying to say. Which is really ironic because I used to be the same way. My father would get so upset with me, "Slow down Veronica, I can't understand a word you are saying!"

However, if it is something Case is passionate about, he will sit and engage in conversation that is knowledgeable, articulate and quite interesting. He came into my room the other night and proceeded to educate me on the art of war. It was an extremely fascinating conversation, and I was so impressed with his knowledge of history and facts. Casey knows what he is talking about....when he slows down enough to make sense to the human ears that are listening. :)

Happy Birthday my love. Thank you for sharing this planet with us. You are destined for greatness no matter what you decide to do with the rest of your life! You are my shining star. <3

Casey asked for two things for his birthday...a trip to the DMV to get his license, and a trip to the Army recruiting office to learn about enlisting in the military. Oh and one more thing...a new car. ;p

My photo of the day...

Casey then...

Casey now. He has become a man overnight! :*)

***Doggy Daily***

Casey's best friend, Ducati.

Music I am listening to today...Casey's favorite artist..."Happy Birthday" Bob Marley!

Casey's favorite song...

Random Link of the Day...The Color Clock

Until next time..."Life is one big road with lots of signs. So when you riding through the ruts, don't complicate your mind. Flee from hate, mischief and jealousy. Don't bury your thoughts, put your vision to reality. Wake up and live!" ~Bob Marley

Peace.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Love,

Happy Birthday Casey!

2012-02-05T22:14:00.002-07:00

My baby boy is 17 tomorrow!

After the emotional day we had today, I decided to light up a birthday cake a few hours early for my son Case. He did not mind one bit. :)

I love you Casey!

More tomorrow....

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Love,

February 5, 2012

2012-02-05T18:49:00.000-07:00

My 365...

Hello Sunday.

Have you ever tried to breathe when there is a big gaping hole right smack dab in the middle of your chest? That is how I feel today. *sigh*

I have five children, three of which are grown adults. I love them all very much, and each one holds their own separate corner of my heart, each special to me for different reasons. Brandon is my middle child, just as I am a middle child, and for that reason we have a special connection. I see so much of me, in him. He is fiercely stubborn and independent just like I have always been. He has come in and out of my life for the past two years, and our relationship has been strained to the limits and beyond. But he came back. He came back to this family who loves him and brought with him my first grandchild, the latest love of my life. <3

Brandon moved home this past July, with his son Cooper. During that time I have had the pleasure of reconnecting to one of the most amazing humans in my life, and bonding with my grandson. What a pleasure and a privilege that has been. Even though I knew it was a temporary situation until he was able to find a home of his own, I never took the time to prepare myself for the day he would be leaving again.

That day is today. :(

He is moving to another town, and I am going to miss him SO much. Miss the 2:00am conversations about things that he loves. Miss his funny, intelligent, articulate rants about everything and anything or even nothing at all. Miss watching him grow into the most amazing father I have ever met to his precious son Cooper. What an honor that has been. Miss that sweet little baby Cooper coming to greet me every day and sit on my lap and chill for a while. Oh goodness I am going to miss that. And miss his little dog Raymond who never missed an opportunity to come lay at my feet and protect me from...Miss Lilly. Or to sneak in my room at night to sleep on my bed when Brandon was not watching.

His plan is to start college in the summer and I am very proud of him. He is on the right track, but here I sit crying like a baby. All four of my boys here with me in my room telling me "it is going to be okay mom." I know it is, but what about family dinners? What about moments like this when I have all four boys sitting together with me making me laugh and cry all at the same time? Thank goodness for Kori, she is being so sweet and supportive too.

Life is a series of changes and adjustments. I know this because I have been at it for 50 years and have experienced the highest of highs, and the lowest of lows and have always managed to come out better and stronger, ready for the next moment.

How can it not be okay when I have the most amazing sons in the world? Garrett, the big boss man who "always" takes care of us. Brandon, my nomad who is not afraid of anything, Casey my soldier who stands guard and protects us from harm...and zombies, and Blake, my heart, my smile and the comedic relief this family needs to get through this thing called life. And no matter what, these four boys have always been, and forever shall remain, loyal to each other, loyal to this family, and loving and supportive of me...their mom who loves them more than life itself. I am so incredibly blessed to have them in my life.

Yes I am sad, but Brandon is leaving on the very best of terms. He told me he loves me, and Lord know I love him. I have all the confidence in the greatness that is Brandon, and I know my sweet grand baby Cooper will be safe, loved and have the best life ever, because he has the most awesome father in the world.

My boys are the strong corners of my heart that keep me alive and ticking and happy as any mom can be. And at least I know, with my boys, wherever they may go, and wherever they may land, they will always be close to me. :)

Now pass me a tissue for my nose please...

My Photo of the Day...

Brandon and Blake. Of course I made him pause for a photo. :)

***Doggy Daily***

My little ragamuffin Rayray. I am going to miss him.

Music I am listening to today...Patty Griffin

Random Link of the Day...Very Cool

Until next time...

Peace.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Love,

February 4, 2012

2012-02-04T15:33:00.001-07:00

My 365...

Hello Saturday.

Last night we had an "impromptu" family dinner, and it was very nice. Garrett and Kori were here and I made a great Italian feast. With all four of my boys chowing down, it was a two salad bowl night. I had to double up on the salad and the garlic bread, and there was hardly anything left! My boys can eat.

Cooper sat on my lap during dinner and noticed that grandma had balls in her salad. "Oh, balls!" So I introduced him to the magic that is black olives, and he ate all of them. Little stinker. :)

Today it is quiet. Brandon just left to go look at some houses, and Cooper is spending the day with his other grandmother and aunties. I am sure he is having a fabulous time!

I have two hours or so of work today, then I was planning on working on my old website. I have not touched it in years, and it is in serious need of a major overhaul! Veronica Graphics came into being back in 2004 when I first started dabbling with digital art and graphics.

Back then I used a program called PhotoImpact exclusively, and every element on my page was created pixel by pixel. I got pretty good at creating digital jewels, and had lots fun with it. I have since graduated to Photoshop, and am in the process of learning all the ins and outs of the Photoshop world.

I was also a member of OPR, and did a few photo restorations for hurricane Katrina victims. That was a very rewarding past time that I would like to get involved with again.

Off to work for me!

My Photo of the Day...

Garrett brought me this little bear last night to add to my bear collection. Thank you son. :)

***Doggy Daily***

"Listen here plushy, there are some rules you must abide by if you are to share the kingdom of the Diva!"

Music I am listening to today...The Sundays

Random Link of the Day...Operation Photo Rescue

Until next time..."Worrying is like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do...but doesn't get you anywhere."

Have a great weekend!

Peace.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Love,

February 3, 2012

2012-02-03T16:51:00.004-07:00

My 365...

Guest Blogger

"Hello, how are you today, I am fine okay thank you, you too...my name is.....Cooper One Sock!"

"You can call me Señor Cooper One Sock"

"I am guest blogger for the day and I have much to tell you...about me yes?"

"I am a great Matador! Torro...torro....come to me little torrito!"

"I am the best juggler of balls in the world!"

"I am a race care driver....varooom, varooom, varooooooom!"

"I am a wild beast tamer. I tame you wild beast! Be tame I command you!"

"I am the undefeated 'Peek-a-Boo' champion of the world!"

"I can be anything I want to be and would you like to know why?"

"Because my grandma told me so."

"Okay goodbye...I see you some other time."

***Doggy Daily***

"I am a wild beast." "Rawrrrrrr......"

Music Cooper is listening to today..."Waddle Waddle"

Cooper's Random Link of the Day...Sesame Street

Until next time..."...and he waddled away, waddle waddle...and he waddled away..."

Have a great weekend.

Love,

February 2, 2012

2012-02-02T19:27:00.000-07:00

My 365...

Oh my goodness, do you know what today is? Come on now, take a guess? It is....Ground hog's Day! Woohoo!

What a silly reason for a special day.

It is something else today too. My anniversary. :)

Today makes 27 years married to the same man, we have been together for 28. We did take a six year breather a few years ago, but we remained married. Until death do us part and all that jazz.

He is the best thing that ever happened to me because it is with him that five awesome humans came to be a part of my life. For my children I am eternally thankful.

"Happy Anniversary hubby."

I would not classify ours as the best marriage in the history of time, certainly not the most inspirational love story by any stretch of the imagination...but it works. People age differently. For Jack and I we have aged world's apart. It is important for a married couple to make time for each other. I am guilty of making our children a priority in our life, and that has not been easy for him. I will try to be better with that.

He is good man.

We spent the day on the Boise River today with Blake, Dozer and Miss Lilly. We experienced some amazing scenery, and I even managed to catch a picture of a beautiful bald eagle.

It was a memorable day...here is hoping for at least 28 more years.

Blake took this photo for us to remember the day. Thank you Blake. :)

My photos of the day...I had so much fun with my camera today!

Some geese in flight.

Mama duck.

Daddy duck.

Not a duck. :)

A beautiful bald eagle. I got her just as she flew out of the tree. Stunning bird!

***Doggy Daily***

We borrowed Raymond's harness, so she was sporting two sets of tags.

Music I am listening to today...The Cranberries

Random Link of the Day...I love old photos.

Until next time..."Thank you for a great day."

Peace.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Love,

February 1, 2012

2012-02-01T17:00:00.000-07:00

My 365,

Sweet Cooper kisses, that is how I started my day. My precious grandson always comes in my room and climbs up on my lap to sit a while. He loves to relax in grandma's arms. Today he gave me three sloppy sweet kisses on my cheek. Awww....I melted!

Brandon asked, "Did he just give you kisses?"

Yay grandma! :)

Then he went straight into daddy's arms for some daddy hugs.

Brandon is the sole provider for his son right now. From the moment he wakes up, until the moment he goes to sleep, he is all about Cooper. And he is such an amazing full time daddy too. They make quite the team.

Brandon adores his son, and it is so cute watching him in awe of Cooper's accomplishments...great and small. Cooper is blessed to have Brandon for his father. A daddy who will always put Cooper first before anything in life. Brandon is blessed to have such a sweet smart baby boy like Cooper. Full of curiosity, fun and so much love with sweet sloppy kisses. <3

My photos of the day...

Looks like a baby lives here...

"Good morning sleepy head."

"Safe in daddy's arms."

***Doggy Daily***

Cooper's puppy RayRay. Rayray...always looking out for Cooper too.

Music I am listening to today...Nellie McKay

Random Link of the day...Tree Hotel. I would like a weekend reservation for one please.

Until next time..."The greatest things in life can be unseen. That is why we close our eyes when we laugh, kiss and dream."

Peace.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Love,

Goodbye January!

2012-01-31T19:36:00.000-07:00

It has been a great month, thank you January. Thank you for family time, clarity and discovery. :)

Bring it on February.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Love,

January 31, 2012

2012-01-31T19:12:00.001-07:00

My 365...

Genius on board! Literally...

Today Blake decided he was going to create his own custom map in Minecraft. All original architecture, complete story line with interesting characters, booby traps, mystery, intrigue and just the right mix of nearly impossible challenges. In a word...wow!

This is not an easy task. So much work involved in creating a custom story map in Minecraft, and he is doing it. There are many elements at work, and it is better than any home school lesson I can think up. Math, science, creative writing...all part of doing what he is doing. And the best part of all, it is fun!

I am so impressed with him. Considering he is only 10 years old, he is off to a great start. He also wants to teach himself how to create mods and texture packs for Minecraft, and there is no doubt in my mind that he can.

I was blessed with five incredible, imaginative and creative children. My daughter is a creative genius. She is a writer and an artist. My sons love art, writing and photography. Garrett enjoys painting and sculpture, Brandon can invent interesting story lines and characters, Casey is a genius with all things history, weapons and automobiles, and Blake has the most intense imagination...they all do. There is no limit to what they can do.

Side note...

There is one thought I wanted to add to my post of yesterday. A thought that came to me last night. You will never hear my sons speak badly about their father. Despite his shortcomings, they do love him very much. Sure they have had their moments with him, probably Brandon more than the others, but they love and accept their father for "who" he is. To me that speaks volumes of their character and makes me so proud to be their mom.

I love my babies! :)

My photos of the day...

Blake building his world.

Explaining to mama exactly what he is doing.

"Pretty cool huh?"

"Hey what about me?"

"Grandma, how many 1 year old babies do you know..."

"...who can compose the most epic drumo solo of the century?"

"That would be me. Yeah, you know you love it."

***Doggy Daily***

"Do you know what I think mama?"

"What do you think Miss Lilly?"

"My boy gets his genius from me."

Music I am listening to today...Bruno Mars and Lil Wayne
I LOVE this new video. Amazing!

Random Link of the Day...Minecraft

Until next time..."I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I've ended up where I needed to be." ~Douglas Adams

Peace.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Love,

January 30, 2012

2012-01-30T17:02:00.003-07:00

My 365...

Happy Monday.

Blake and I watched a movie last night, and although it was a great movie, I woke feeling in a bit a funk. My sister recommended the movie to me. She really loved it, and said "all" fathers should sit and watch this movie. The movie is titled Courageous.

It was a good movie in that it makes you think. The cinematography is top notch, the script good. It is very religious, with a great deal of "God" talk. I am not saying that is a bad thing, however it is definitely not everyone's cup of tea when it comes to movies and I respect that.

The movie focuses on the critical role of father in a child's life. Through a series of plot twists and turns, the characters in the movie, the father characters, realize that they need to commit to being the best father they can be for their children, and they sign a contract to do just that.

Awesome!

Here is the problem I had with the movie....

What about mothers? The role of the mothers in this movie was more of support role. I agree, the role of a father in the life of a child is critical, however, some children don't have fathers. Or some have fathers who are not capable of making that level of commitment to their children.

Take my children's father for example. He is a good man. He is a great provider, but he is a terrible father. He is not involved in the lives of our children at a deeper level because quite frankly, he does not know how to be. It is not in his genetic makeup. His mind does not go that deep. Why? To be honest, I wish I knew, but it is what it is.

So where does that leave my children? Forever destined to fail because they did not have the influence of a strong father in their lives? NO. What about me? What about all the moms out there who are 100 percent involved and committed to their children? Are we not just as important in the future character and stability of our children? YES, of course we can be....of course we ARE.

So why the funk?

The funk came as a natural reaction to realizing that I am in this alone. Jack has not ever been or will ever be more than a provider for this family and it makes me sad. For a micro second I stop and think "what if" things were different. I know, waste of time. Wondering "what if" does nothing more than steal time from "what is" here and now.

My wedding anniversary is coming up in just a few days. Almost 30 years I have been married to this man. For better or worse. We made it. The truth is, we do the best we can with what we have. Where one parent falls short, the other carries the load.

It does not take only a strong father to raise a child, it takes a strong mother too.

And to my children I say, "I'm sorry." I am sorry life did not provide you with a stronger father. But I will always be strong for you, here for you, and love you until I draw my last breath. Just be patient with me...I am still learning. :)

My photos of the day...

"I love you mommy."

***Doggy Daily*** Cooper found a soft place to lay his head. :) This photo was taken by my son Brandon, Cooper's daddy. :)

Music I am listening to today...Nickel Creek

Random Link of the Day...Courageous

Until next time..."Never take for granted the gift that is your children. Never take lightly your responsibility to be the best mother and father you can be."

Peace.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Love,

January 29, 2012

2012-01-29T21:29:00.002-07:00

My 365...

Family dinner was great. Garrett and Brandon helped me with perspective on Casey today. I needed that. Garrett made everyone laugh...we needed that too. :)

Before dinner, Brandon shared his thoughts with me on the matter, and I was very impressed. Brandon and I have been through a lot together, but he has learned much about life as a result of the choices he has made. And now that he is a new father, he has gained new insight and wisdom that comes with the territory. I am very proud of him.

Garrett is like papa bear to his younger brothers. He genuinely cares about them, and will do everything within his power to always be there for them. I love and appreciate him so much.

When Garrett called me earlier in the day, he could tell by my voice that I was stressed. I told him I was having difficulty with his little brother. He told, "Don't worry mama, I will talk to him."

When he and Kori arrived, Casey and I were in the kitchen trying to "talk it out", and I was ready to take a long walk off of a short bridge! Garrett joined in the conversation in his usual calm way and after just a few minutes, even he was ready to pull his hair out! LOL, Casey got the best of him too.

I am glad to know it is not just "my" inability to communicate with my teenage son. Casey is exhausting!! But we love him...rascal that he is. :)

It is a shame that their father is not more involved with their rearing. He is a great provider, but that is where his involvement ends. The boys have each other, and they really care about each other. And they have me. I may not be the perfect mom who has all the answers, but I love them with all my heart and I would hang the moon for them if I could. At age 50 I am still learning about this parent thing. Blake promised me he will be easy. Okay world, you read it here....Blake is going to be easy! :)

Hope you all had a great weekend, and have a peaceful Monday.

My photos of the day...

Number one son and his girlfriend Kori. <3

Cooper having a conversation with uncle Garrett.

Yummy dinner.

***Doggy Daily***

Cosmic Miss Stella. Garrett made some very cool collars for his dogs Stella and Supra the Great Dane. He walks the dogs at night, and these collars have flashing LED lights on them. They are awesome!

Music I am listening to today...Michelle Branch

Random Link of the Day...The perfect Valentine treat.

Until next time..."I know I am not perfect...but I am working on it."

Peace.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Love,

January 29, 2012

2012-01-29T17:19:00.000-07:00

My 365...

It is so hard to remain calm when your teenager seems to have gone wonky.

Girls...they are part of adolescent male development. However, I would prefer that the girls interacting with my teenager have some semblance of stability. Emotionally bankrupt, giddy to the point of "off the charts" goofy and total and complete lack of common sense and courtesy need not apply.

*sigh*

One day I was sharing a roof with a relatively stable and considerate teenager who loved cars, history and video games. The next moment I am watching my son, who I love with all my heart, become a mindless goofball with a cellphone growing out of the side of his head. And he is not engaging in charming conversation with this young lady, it is non-stop bickering, disrespect and fighting. Like relationships are some sort of sick game.

But no more.

I am going to keep it simple. The cell phone is now being regulated. Starting on Monday, he is to wake on time for classes, and complete his daily plan of schoolwork. Once I have logged in to his school account and confirmed that the daily assignments have been completed successfully, he will get the battery back to his cell phone for one hour and one hour only. If he has not completed his list of assignments, then no phone and deal with the wrath of mom.

Seems simple does it not? I do not believe one needs a master's degree in applied science to figure this out.

It is not like I have not been a parent to a teen before, he is child number 4. It boggles my mind how much the rules change every day. When I was 16, I could not even fathom engaging in the sort of conversations I have overheard him having with his peers. To say it is disturbing would be an understatement. The level of emotional investment in these encounters by young people who should be having fun with life is alarming. They get sucked in completely, dealing with issues that they should not be experiencing at this stage of life.

I think back to my older three children, trying to make sense out of all of this. Looking for clues as to why it was easier, or at least seemed easier? Yes I know, all my children are very different from each other, but there is something else going on here that I am missing. The question is....what is it?

I am a stay at home mom, and this is hard for me. I feel for all the moms and dads out there who have to work outside of their home for 8 plus hours a day. I used to be one of them. It is difficult enough managing the day to day mental health of our children. Having to deal with the outside workforce on top of all the parental trials and tribulations is huge. You have my respect!

And to all the parents of younger children I say...enjoy the little things. I know they can be exhausting and borderline annoying at times...but they are easy compared to this. No matter how strong the foundation we build as parents in the minds of our children, it is still a great big scary world out there. The challenges that our babies will face are enormous and intense.

It is family dinner today. Garrett and Kori are coming for dinner, Brandon and Cooper are here...I am sure family time conversation will be interesting. Hopefully my older boys can give me some clarity in dealing with their younger brother. It would be awesome if they had a father who could be "a father", but sadly that is not the case in this family. The boys have each other, and they have me.

Chicken flautas, Mexican rice and home made beans is what is on the menu. Their favorite. I will update with photos this evening. :)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Love,

January 28, 2012

2012-01-28T17:10:00.003-07:00

My 365...

"Mom?"

"Yes Blake?"

"What did you do with my tooth?"

"What tooth honey?"

"The one that fell out the other day...I left it on your side table."

"Oh dear God!"

"No worries mom, you can just give me 5 dollars."

"What, 5 dollars? When did the price per tooth go up 3 dollars?"

"That is your penalty mom."

"Penalty for what Blake?"

"Improper disposal of DNA."

"Oh really? YOU are a little stinker that is what you are!"

"Yeah...I know mom."

Blakey...gotta love that rascal rabbit. :)

My photos of the day...

In time.

What Blake wanted for dinner tonight...

***Doggy Daily***

"Eeewww, a missing human tooth?"

"That is just disgusting mama."

Music I am listening to today...Natalie Walker

Random Link of the day...The MUTE button. <---brilliant. :)

Until next time..."Holding a grudge is letting someone live 'rent free' in your head."

Peace.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Love,

January 27, 2012

2012-01-27T11:42:00.001-07:00

My 365...

Cooper is back, and that makes grandma happy. He will be here indefinitely this time. Things have taken a bit of a turn for his mother and I am praying that she can work it out.

Life has a way of constantly turning upside for some people...over and over and over again. It does not mean they are bad people, or deserve to have never ending adversity, but I believe that at some point things can change. I sincerely believe in the law of attraction. You get from life what you put out there. It is so important to live a good and honest life so that good and honesty come back to you. Treat people with kindness and respect, and it is kindness and respect that you receive in return.

I understand that growing up is hard. I also understand the pain and sorrow of living a less than perfect childhood. But the past is the past, and today is now. You can not go through life a victim of your yesterdays because you close to the door to your future when you do.

If life is not working out for you, or is not being kind, take the time to figure out why...and fix it. We all have the power to make change in our world. Dig in our heels and build a brighter, stronger and better future for ourselves. If you play the victim...you will always be nothing more than the victim...of life.

Happy Friday world! It is a beautiful day in Idaho today. The sky is crystal clear blue and beautiful and it is a chilly 29 degrees f. The weekend weather looks delightful!

May your day pass with positivity and happiness, and may your weekend be peaceful and relaxing and don't forget to have fun. If you have a heavy heart, reach out with kindness, and kindness will reach back for you.

My photos of the day...

Magical little stress ball...I don't know what I would do without you.

A beautiful clear day.

***Doggy Daily***

"No stress here mama."

Music I am listening to today...Mary Chapin Carpenter

Random Link of the Day...Cheat Sheet

Until next time..."Why walk when you can fly?"

Peace.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Love,

Bye Cooper!

2012-01-26T21:16:00.000-07:00

"Cooper, it is time to go home."

"One last refrigerator adventure before I go."

"Bye grandma, see you next week." :)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Love,

January 26, 2012

2012-01-26T18:07:00.000-07:00

My 365...

So curious, so determined and so intelligent...that is my grandson Cooper.

I never dreamed I could love anyone as much as I love my children, then came Cooper.

Such a joy this sweet little boy.

My photos of the day,

"Oh different computer grandma? That is okay, I will figure this one out in no time!"

***Doggy Daily***

Where you find Casey, there will always be Ducati.

Loyal, loving, smart companion....with just the right mix of ornery! He can be a cheeky little bugga, but we love him.

Music I am listening to today...Callie Moore

I love her music. She is such a talented and creative artist. She and her husband Dave created the video below. Amazing!!

Eleanor Rigby cover by Callie Moore

*click*

Random Link of the Day...About.com Photography

I had the best surprise this week! About.com Photography selected one of my photos as "Photo of the Week!"

Such and honor, thank you About.com! If you are interested in photography, this is a great community to join. Amazing photographers sharing their knowledge and amazing pictures. :)

UPS just arrived with my new power supply so it is back to my HP laptop. Being on the Mac this week has been great. Makes me want to upgrade to a new Mac when it is time for a new computer. Hmmmm....maybe. :)

Until next time..."Becoming a grandmother is wonderful. One moment you are just a mother. The next you are all wise and pre-historic." This quote makes me laugh every time. :)

Peace.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵Ʒ Love,

January 25, 2012

2012-01-25T19:56:00.000-07:00

My 365...

Happy Wednesday! Half-way through the week...thank goodness.

Blake has been working hard all day on the design, and a name, for his Youtube gaming channel. He is discovering the difficulty that can be the creative process. For a 10 year old, mommy is quite impressed thus far. Stay tuned...

Cooper has been here this week, and has not been feeling so well. Poor baby, he got some immunizations on Monday, and they have left him feeling a little under the weather. But Brandon is a good daddy and has been taking very good care of his son.

I was cooking some chicken and dumplings for dinner and little Cooper wanted grandma to hold him. Every time I put him down he would cry, so I would instinctively want to pick him up.

Brandon would say, "Mom, stop spoiling him. He can cry it is not going to hurt him."

This is true, but "grandmothers" and "spoiling" are synonymous. So I would do what every grandmother would do...pick him up.

Besides...grandma can NEVER be the bad guy! :)

Blake and I are going to enjoy a movie night tonight. Just chill and partake in some funny cinema.

My photos of the day...

I hooked my camera up to the Mac to load pictures and discovered that I can control the camera through the computer. It has live preview so you can set the camera on a tripod, aim, focus and shoot all using the computer. So cool! We had a some serious fun with that!

"Hi grandma, what's for dinner?" Cooper discovered the magic that is the refrigerator. :)

*** Doggy Daily***

"Hey Miss Lilly, want to fetch a ball for me?"

"Uhmmm no, divas do not fetch dear."

"Okay then, we can just hang out together."

"Boys....so annoying. Hanging out? Really! I have no time for this..."

Music I am listening to today...Katie Melua

Random Link of the Day...Annie Leibovitz

Until next time..."Every time a door closes, another opens somewhere else. I think, it's, like, an air pressure thing." ~Allyson

Peace.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵Ʒ Love,

January 24, 2012

2012-01-24T16:49:00.004-07:00

My 365...

There I was last night, working late, enjoying a nice quiet evening of productivity...(playing Terraria with Blake...shhhh), when all of a sudden the display on my HP notebook screen started to flicker. Brought to mind the railroad scene from the movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

"Oh my gawd...I am being contacted by the alien mother ship!"

I can just see the headlines now..."Fifty year old grandmother in Idaho abducted by aliens!"

Then a message appeared in the lower right corner of my screen...(with a spaceship icon) that read, "HP Power smart warning, AC output adapter is too low for this computer."

Huh?

Several Google searches later I surmised that my power supply brick died a miserable death. Poof...just like that. *sigh*

I called HP support and spoke to a delightful man named Sam who confirmed my fears...the brick is dead. May it rest in peace. :*(

Of course my warranty just expired a week ago!! >:o{ So I had to place an order for a replacement power adapter. It arrives on Friday...if the delivery goes as scheduled.

So what is mama to do?

I have to work, I have to home school, I have to blog, I have to "photo a day", I have to communicate with the world!!

Apple to the rescue!

Enter trusty four year old Mac Mini. I purchased this Mac Mini when I worked for Apple years ago. I brought it upstairs, powered it on, and it literally purrs like a kitten. The little beast runs beautifully! Like brand new. Gotta love a Mac. :)

So life goes on without too seriously of a technology hiccup. Although with five computers in this house, I don't think it would have been too much of a disaster.

My Photo of the Day...

***Doggy Daily***

"Take me to your leader. Oh wait...I AM the leader!"

Music I am listening to today...Allison Krauss & Union Station

Random Link of the Day...An Apple a Day keeps the Technology Blues Away!

Until next time..."Haters only hate, the people they can't have or the people they can't be."

Peace.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵Ʒ Love,

January 23, 2012

2012-01-23T17:46:00.002-07:00

My 365...

Hello Monday. Ordinarily full of doom and gloom that you are. No one wants to say goodbye to the weekend to greet you, yet here you are. On schedule...and on time. Phooey on you.

I woke today feeling particularly doom and gloom'ish, although I am not altogether certain as to why? Have you ever had one of those days where you just feel like poo? And I am not referring to Winnie the Pooh. Today I did wake feeling that way. A major "blah" sort of feeling where every cell in your body does a collective *sigh*, and no matter what you do you can't shake it.

Maybe it is because I was forced to abandon the amazing dream I was having in order to start the day? No....

No matter what the cause, there is always a cure.

His name is Blake!

Blake always knows how to make mama feel better. His contagious smile...his sharp wit...his BANANA PHONE! That and some seriously rocking 80's music. (We love listening to seriously rocking 80's music.)

Thank you Blakey. You know how to make mama feel better.

***Update!***

Congratulations to my nephew Ian who received a phone call today from the office of Kay Bailey Hutchinson nominating him for West Point! And congratulations to my big sister Cathy for raising such an amazing son. ♥

My photos of the day...

Dinner by Blake. :)

***Doggy Daily***

"Mama, I am sincerely sorry you are feeling some distress today. However, banana phones? They are beneath me. Have a nice day."

Music I am listening to today...Journey <---not the same without Steve Perry. :*(

Random Link of the Day...SOPA

Until next time..."Feeling down? Answer the banana phone...happiness is on the way!"

Peace.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Love,

January 22, 2012

2012-01-22T17:36:00.007-07:00

My 365...

They say a family who plays together...stays together. It is true you know.

Several months ago, the boys and I started playing two new games together, Terraria and Minecraft. One evening they asked me if I could install the games on daddy's computer? My first reaction was "Daddy does not play computer games other than Yahtzee and Tetris, he won't play these."

Boy was I wrong!

Jack loves playing Terraria, and plays it whenever he has a free moment.

He is on a mini-vacation of sorts. He was off all weekend, his first weekend off in YEARS! Then he works Monday, and is off again on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. The boys are thrilled to have him home so much. I have to admit...I am too.

They have been playing together since Friday night, and having a great time as well. It makes me smile. :)

Blake is making plans for the coming week for us since daddy will be home. We are going to the aquarium one day (we have season passes), and if the weather holds out, a hike on Camel's Back, and a walk down the river.

We are a gaming family. It is not unusual for all of us, Brandon and Garrett included, to be plugged into each of our computers and networking a game together. It makes for some serious fun around here!

I do love my family. <3

Blake just finished his XBox game, and we are trying to decide which game to play next. He challenged me to a game of "Rock, Paper, Scissors" to decide.

That never works....every time Blake and I play "Rock, Paper, Scissors", we pick the same thing! It is impossible to outsmart each other.

Photos of the day....

Blake partaking in some XBox action.

Daddy explaining his Terraria strategy to me. He takes it very seriously! *grin*

Casey enjoying Terraria as well. Note...he does not stray far from his cell phone.

***Doggy Daily***

Brandon has been away for the weekend, so Rayray has been my constant companion. My shadow. :)

"Hey what about me?"

Yes Ducati, you like to be my shadow too from time to time.

Music I am listening to today...Peter Bradley Adams

Random Link of the Day. Great family game.

Until next time..."Always forgive your enemies. Nothing annoys them more." :)

Have a great Monday!

Peace.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Love,

January 21, 2012

2012-01-21T21:04:00.002-07:00

My 365...

Hello Saturday. Peaceful, quiet Saturday. :)

Hope your day is going well.

My photos of the day...

My sweet Blake.

The valley is dry, but still lots of snow in the mountains. Hopefully it will creep down here again next week.

A beautiful sunset.

For dinner I made some grilled chicken, Spanish rice and fresh lentils. As you can see, carrots are my favorite thing. I put them in everything!

***Doggy Daily***

Curly and Mo...aka, Dozer and Rayray

Music I am listening to today...The Weepies

Random Link of the Day...Bogus Basin

Until next time..."There is no love without forgiveness, and their is no forgiveness...without love."

Peace.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Love,

January 20, 2012

2012-01-20T18:50:00.004-07:00

My 365...

*drip* *drip* *drip* *drip* *drip* *drip*

My aching head! That is all I heard last night, but it sounded more like someone "slapping the bass" in a rock band. So loud and so obnoxious!

Initially I thought either Casey had his music playing too loudly downstairs, or our neighbor was having a wild party. When I realized it was neither of those two possibilities, I had Jack investigate the noise only to discover it is rain dripping off the gutter and hitting the roof of the small aluminum shed on the side of the house.

What?

Really?

Oh my gawd what a horrible noise! So bad that I am going to have to move my bed away from the exterior wall until I can resolve this issue. Hmmm...maybe I will take a bulldozer and knock the shed down...we are not using it anyway.

I know, I know...if that is the worst of my problems, then life is good.

***Update***

Garrett and Kori just stopped by, and my hero Garrett went outside and lifted the shed and moved it. Yay, no more drip!

Cooper has been here all week, and we have really enjoyed him. This little baby is a joy. :)

My photo of the day...

Sweet Cooper faces.

***Doggy Daily***

"Hmmm...I wonder if I can order Louboutin Fifi Volcano in my size? Fabulous!

Music I am listening to today...Bibio

Random Link of the Day...Ami Vitale Photagraphy

Until next time..."Dear God, I want to take a minute, not to ask you for anything, but simply to say thank you for all I have."

Have a great weekend!

Peace.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Love,

January 19, 2012

2012-01-19T12:24:00.001-07:00

My 365...

Would you like to know a great way to greet the day? Cooper hugs. I was up rather early this morning, and when grandson Cooper came into my room, he came right over to grandma's chair, climbed up in my lap, and rested his head on my shoulder. So sweet. Then he was off to adventure the morning!

Yesterday was a good day in the mama "V" house. Not only was the weather perfect and full of fun snow, but Jack was off from work and put in some much needed and much missed "daddy" duty.

After almost 26 years of being a daddy, he sometimes forgets to place life on hold for those magical father and son times. More often than not we feel like we are living under the same roof as Oscar the Grouch. There are days where the most we get out of Jack is a *grumble* here and a *grumble* there.

It was not always that way....

Jack used to be a very much "hands on" father. Always doing something with the kids, always involved in their day to day existence. When I started my business years ago, I spent much of the first several years traveling and he was the "stay at home" dad and was wonderful at it. Down to baking cookies for the class.

The new him usually brings out the worst in me out of shear and utter frustration. However, the other day I pulled him aside and reminded him that he is needed by his boys. They miss the fun he used to be. I think it worked because yesterday he was all about Casey and Blake, and he had a great time with them. He used some wood and the recycle bin to make a sledding run, and worked in his always "meticulous" way to make it perfect and fun. Later he and Blake walked to the store rather than drive because it would be more of an adventure in the snow.

I would say Jack had a successful daddy day yesterday. So much so that Blake told me before he went to sleep last night....

"I have the coolest dad in the world."

I have not heard that in a long time. It was music to my ears. :) Here is hoping and praying that Jack never forgets the honor of being a dad, and how blessed we are to have the privilege of parenting such amazing boys.

My photos of the day...

The snow was wonderful yesterday. The rain today...not so much.

RIP little snowman.

Daddy time...(Click on image for full size)

***Doggy Daily***

"I for one do not miss that snow! It made it very difficult for a diva to answer her nature call."

Music I am listening to today...Counting Crows

Random Link of the Day...Under Water Photography

Until next time..."Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass, it is about dancing in the rain."

Peace.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Love,

January 18, 2012

2012-01-18T13:18:00.006-07:00

My 365...

Winter Wonderland. Finally....some snow!

It has been snowing all day, and should continue through the week. We hope it does anyway. This is why we moved to the Great Northwest from Texas...seasons! And snow. :)

My photos of the day...

Cooper watching the snow from the window. :)

***Doggy Daily***

Music I am listening to today...Jennifer Knapp

Random Link of the Day...Take Action!

My Tumblr

Until next time..."~~The USA stands for~~ FREEDOM ~~not censorship~~!"

Peace.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Love,

Never say never.

2012-01-17T21:33:00.001-07:00

Contribution by Stevie Kirby

There are a few things in life that I said I’d never do. I’d never take dancing lessons, I’d never get involved in politics and I’d never, ever, open my own business. Then again, there is that pesky little saying, “never say never”. Those three little words have continuously haunted me over the past few years. It all began with my wife asking for dancing lessons for our anniversary. Then came the 2008 Presidential elections. Now I am in the final stages of opening my own business.

To say it has been a little stressful would be an understatement. I secured a personal loan from the bank, located a building and began moving in all of my equipment. As much as I dreaded getting everything moved in and hooked up, it was surprisingly easy. Thanks to Wildblue my cash registers and office computers are up and running. With the grand opening set for less than two weeks from today, this new venture is shaping up to be quite the adventure. And for all of you out there saying that you’ll never do something, “never say never”.

Cooper

2012-01-17T18:40:00.005-07:00

"Don't mind me grandma, I am just checking my Facebook."

Uncle Blake showing Cooper "Gummy Bear" on Youtube.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Love,

January 17, 2012

2012-01-17T16:58:00.000-07:00

My 365...

I was sitting here just now trying to decide what is remarkable about Tuesday? And the short answer is...nothing.

Hello Tuesday...your nothingness is surely welcomed here today. :)

Blake is sitting across the room from me studying his science.

"Ugh mom...this is SO much reading!"

"Well at least it is interesting reading Blake."

"Mom, if at some point in my life I want to know something about the planets or the solar system, all I have to do is Google it."

Hmmm...could not think of a smart "mommy" comeback for that one.

My photo of the day...

"Where did you come from?" Somehow these two ornaments escaped the Christmas decorations box.

***Doggy Daily***

"Don't look at me mama...it is not like I like balls or anything else in the spherical realm of things."

Music I am listening to today...Eva Cassidy (RIP)

Random link of the day...Go Gather

Until next time..."Talent hits a target no one else can hit. Genius hits a target no one else can see."

Peace.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Love,

January 16, 2012

2012-01-16T12:08:00.003-07:00

My 365...

Good Monday morning world! :)

The boys woke up all excited because they "thought" there was snow outside. Once we opened the door to check, we realized it was not snow...but a "Mother Nature" tease...of snow.

Blake still managed to make mama a snow angel in the driveway. Now I know this is going to be a good week, because the snow angel in the driveway told me so. Thank you Blake.

This has been a very dry winter thus far. Usually by now we have had a few days of good snowfall, but it seems to be skipping the Boise valley this year. The ski resort up the mountain has not even opened for the season, and is refunding season pass holders. Not that I ski...but that is terrible!

I am praying the season is just off to a really late start. Maybe the snow is waiting for February.

My photos of the day...
Wake up sleepy head. :)

"I can still make this fun."

Snow Angel.

***Doggy Daily***

"This may not be snow mama...but it is still very cold on my bumpus."

Music I am listening to today...U2

Random Link of the Day...Digital Photography School

Until next time..."He who can suppress a moment's anger, may prevent a day of sorrow."

Peace.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Love,

January 15, 2012

2012-01-15T19:51:00.001-07:00

My 365...

Another weekend almost over, and another successful weekend of fun. I love it when it turns out that way.

Cooper arrived today, and will be here through Thursday. He is so happy here, and we are happy to have him with us. :)

My photos of the day...

My Minecraft teacher.

Blake, the Minecraft genius! He is going to start making some Minecraft and Terraria videos for his Youtube channel. That will be awesome. :)

"Yes grandma I am here, and ready...for world domination!"

"Or a lollipop."

The lollipop photo above, and the three photos below were taken by my son Brandon...Cooper's daddy. He has a great eye for photos. :)

***Doggy Daily***

"Attention mama'razzi!"

"There will be no....I repeat NO...photos of the Diva today."

Music I am listening to today...Mumford and Sons

Random Link of the Day...Cool Desktop Wallpaper

Until next time..."Don't make me release the flying monkeys!"

Have a great Monday!

Peace.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Love,

Minecraft

2012-01-15T00:55:00.007-07:00

It is official, Blake has me addicted to Minecraft. It is like the Sims...but better.

My first attempt at a domicile. (Click image to view)

It is a bit like 3-D legos.

Great...the world's first 50 year old Minecraft'er. :P

Blake added a working roller coaster to the top of his house.

And a giant waterslide.

He is so awesome! We are just having too much fun Blake and I. :)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Love,

January 14, 2012

2012-01-14T18:19:00.001-07:00

My 365...

The Blake weekend has commenced, and mama is already ready for a nap. :)

He wanted me to play Minecraft with him last night, so we did. We started after my work day ended about 10:30pm, then we "Minecrafted" into the wee hours of the morning. Once we started, we were having entirely too much fun to stop. Blake is absolutely brilliant at this simple little game, as is Casey.

We started the game by building a shelter to protect us from zombies and skeletons. This is a 3-D block game, so I am thinking a little square box with enough room for both of us to hide out until the sun comes out in the game and the monsters die. Right? Wrong! Blake started giving me orders to gather wood and cobblestone, then he proceeded to build an amazing four story home that would impress Frank Lloyd Wright.

He created wood planks from the trees I cut down, burned the sand I gathered and created glass panes and our house included a downstairs indoor hot tub swimming pool complete with waterfall, and an even lower level the leads into the caves, all out of blocks. It was amazing, and so much fun. Casey joined us later in the game from downstairs. I created a server on my computer and Blake and Casey could join me from their computers and we all played together.

It was a fun SIX hours of gaming.

Where is Blake right now? Talking a nap...

Tonight the plan is the game Terraria. Now with that game even mama can construct quite the architectural marvels! I have gotten pretty good at battling enemies too. Wall of flesh....piece of cake! :)

My Photos of the Day...

Garrett and Kori stopped by to visit last night, and Garrett brought his latest canvas creations. An amazing way to use all the crayons in the box. I LOVE these!

Casey :)

Blake's Minecraft World

***Doggy Daily***

Music I am listening to today...Sarah Mclachlan

Random Link of the Day...Color My World

Until next time..."Life lives, life dies, life laughs, life cries, life gives up, life tries...life looks different in everyone's eyes"

Peace.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Love,

January 13, 2012

2012-01-13T19:59:00.001-07:00

My 365...

Happy Friday!

Blake has a list of "must do's" for the weekend. Hopefully mama can keep up with him. :)

My photo of the day...

"Baby puppy!"

***Doggy Daily***

"Miss Lilly..."

"Yes mama?"

"You better not let Blake catch you with his sock monkey!"
"Sock monkey? I don't see a sock monkey?"

Music I am listening to today...Hayley Westenra

Random Link of the Day...Waterfalls

Until next time..."Have an amazing weekend!"

Peace.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Love,

Surprise Grandma!

2012-01-12T19:09:00.000-07:00

Cooper is here! I was not expecting to see him until next week, and here he is. Yay!

Oh, what is this grandma? Adobe Flash Professional? I want to learn!" :)

So precious. :)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Love,

January 12, 2012

2012-01-12T17:25:00.001-07:00

My 365...

"Text me and we can talk about it."

Last night Blake was being a particularly extreme stinker pants while I was trying to work. Jumping on the bed, "giving mama a headache"....stinker pants. It is his unwinding release of boundless energy time, and it can be a bit much for mama. Just a wee bit.

In the midst of the crazy that was Blake, Case came in my room and wanted to talk about his current state of being. School, girls, feelings etc. And I did a terrible thing...I let my frustrated mood dictate my conversation with Casey. Bad mama.

So he went downstairs obviously disappointed with me, and the next thing that happened was my cell phone started beeping at me. Text...after text...after text....from Casey, telling me how he is feeling about life. An "in my face", one hundred percent uninterrupted communication of all the important things in his life that he wanted to talk to me about. Wow.

*sniff* :*(

He had so much to say to me, and I blew him off because I was feeling a tad overwhelmed. Really? What a jerk I am! His texts made me pause and listen. It was the kick in the pants I needed. "Pay attention mama!!"

He came back upstairs, and we engaged in a wonderful conversation. One that he most certainly deserved. My undivided attention and respect for a son who should always have that and more. He is an amazing young man, and no matter how crazy my day becomes, I need to remember to divide my time fairly, and give Case the audience he needs to discuss all the things that are important in "his" world.

I still see Casey as my sweet little boy, not as the growing mature teenager that he is becoming. In a sense, my children will always be "my babies", but I have to realize that they do eventually grow up, and I need to adjust "me" to better serve them as a mom.

What a blessing! I have a teenage boy who cares enough to talk about everything in his life with me...his mom. :)

To Casey I say, "I am sorry son. You are awesome, I love you, and I am so proud of you."

To Blake I say, "Stop jumping on the damn bed you silly rascal monkey you!"

My photos of the day...

My Casey.

***Doggy Daily***

"Hey Dozer...wanna play?"

"I am teasing the boys..."

"tease..tease..tease..."

"...you can't catch me!"

"...then she is off!"

Little bitch. :)

Music I am listening to today...Sara Bareilles

Random Link of the Day...JPG Your World in Pictures

Until next time..."Life is about using the whole box of crayons."

Peace.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Love,

January 11, 2012

2012-01-11T18:40:00.004-07:00

My 365...

"What were you thinking Veronica? Home school? Really?"

There are days where I think I must have taken a very long walk off of an incredibly short bridge and fallen on my head. But thankfully, there are the good days too. :)

My photos of the day...

A day in the life of a home-school student.

Mathematics.

History.

Reading.

Spelling.

"Mom, that will be $5.00 for my picture posing."
Otherwise known as...economics. :)

*** Doggy Daily ***

A day in the life of a "diva" dog. Miss Lilly :)

"One day I will rule the kingdom...the doggy kingdom."

Some Filter Play...

Music I am listening to today...A Fine Frenzy

Random Link of the Day...Bokeh

Until next time..."Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons...for you are crunchy and good with ketchup."

Peace.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Love,

January 10, 2012

2012-01-10T18:46:00.004-07:00

My 365...

We had a very minute "tease" of snow this morning. Just enough to give me hope for more. By this afternoon, the only evidence of any snow was on the patches of ground that are hidden from any sun. Sad.

It has been a very dry winter thus far. I really hope we are just off to a late start.

I took some pictures on the edge of the bench this evening, just down the street from our house. Even the foothills are dry. There is barely any snow up at the ski basin either!

My photos of the day...

Snow, snow, where have you gone?

These hills should have some snow by now...Boise valley.

West Boise.

Downtown Boise, Table Rock.

I had fun experimenting with different exposures too. Despite no snow, it was a beautiful day here today.

***Doggy Daily***

Exit stage right...diva was in no mood for photos today. :P

I was taking a picture of Miss Lilly...

When a strange visitor arrived.....silly Garrett in a creepy mask.

...Miss Lilly was not amused.

Music I am listening to today...Missy Higgins

Random Link of the Day...Fantastic HDR Images

Until next time..."Feeling blessed today. I have a one year old grandson!" :)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Love,

Happy Birthday Cooper!

2012-01-10T00:10:00.000-07:00

Happy First Birthday to Cooper!

My grandson is one today. That means my son has been a daddy for one entire year!! I am so proud of him and "Happy Birthday" baby Cooper, grandma loves you. <3

Some pictures I took I took tonight...

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Love,

January 9, 2011

2012-01-09T17:26:00.000-07:00

My 365...

Blake is the "hugging'est" person I have ever met . At least a dozen times a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year he is asking..."Mom, can I have a hug?"

Sometimes I ask..."I just gave you a hug son, why do you need another one?"

His answer..."just because."

So I stop whatever it is I am doing to give Blake his hug and I realize...I needed it more than he did, and all feels right with the world. :)

Garrett and Kori stopped by to visit, and Garrett brought me a new lens for my camera. I love the 18-55mm that my camera came with, but the auto-focus takes forever! Even longer than the auto-focus on the 75-300mm lens I have. Manual focus works fine, but my old eyes need all the help they can get. This new lens (28-80mm) focus is very fast. Yay! Thank you son. :)

My photos of the day...

Gorgeous blue skies in my world today...

Random...

My new lens.

***Doggy Daily***

Music I am listening to today...Nickel Creek.

Random Link of the Day...Stickers .

Until next time..."When the clouds grow dark...and times are hard, smile, you have a family who loves you."

Peace and hugs. :)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Love,

January 8, 2012

2012-01-08T19:39:00.004-07:00

My 365...

Do you know how you know you have raised your children right? When you enjoy their company. And I do. Such delightful people my boys. <3

We had a nice Sunday dinner together, all of us plus Kori.

Then Blake asked his big brother Garrett to give him a new hair style. Garrett and a pair of cutting shears equals epic hair style every time. Last time it was Blake's amazing Mohawk...this time he made him a star...or two!

Again I say...it is only hair, it will grow. :)

My photos of the day...

Blake loves it!

Garrett providing a little post meal entertainment, and playing with my camera while he was at it. (Crazy son of mine!) Children, do not try this at home! Garrett said he was giving Blake a "science" lesson. Oye!

The boys...

My sweet grandson Cooper. I have decided that he should not call me "grandma", but instead call me "camera."

Grandma always has a camera in his sweet little face.

Silly grandma!

*** Doggy Daily ***

Stella and Miss Lilly getting some attention from Kori.

Music I am listening to today...Kim Taylor

Random Link of the Day...Shake

Until next time..."If you do not tell the truth about yourself, you cannot tell it of other people."

Have a great Monday!

Peace.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Love,

My weekend just got a whole lot better...

2012-01-07T18:11:00.000-07:00

Cooper is here!

Grandma is happy! :)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Love,

January 7, 2012

2012-01-07T14:58:00.005-07:00

My 365...

It is such a beautiful day outside, crystal clear blue skies and 40 degrees. A perfect day for a nice long walk with the dogs and the boys but where am I...sitting here.

I had gotten into such a nice walking/hiking daily routine before we moved and it felt great. Since moving to the new house, the temperatures have been at or below freezing, and I have not had to the desire to walk out the front door and turn into an instant Popsicle. When the temperature would become more acceptable, it would be misty or raining outside. Yuck!

So what is my excuse today? No clue...lets get MOVING! I feel an adventure calling...

My photos of the day...

It was freezing and breezy, but we had a great time my Blake and I. We took a nice long walk with Dozer. Lots of clothing layers required, but the sun was shining and the air crisp and clean. :)

I love the new Halti. Dozer walks like a gentlemen. It feels more like a 1 pound kitten on the end of the lead instead of a one ton puppy!

***Doggy Daily***

Music I am listening to today...Pink

Random Link of the Day...The Pioneer Woman

Until next time..."Put one foot in front of the other...and soon you'll be walking out the door!"

Peace.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Love,

January 6, 2012

2012-01-06T20:02:00.000-07:00

My 365...

Hello Friday, good to see you.

Raising a girl through the "teen" years was easy...predictable. At the time I thought it was the hardest thing in the world, and thanked God daily for blessing me with one daughter and four sons. Girls are persnickety, emotional and can be downright annoying. I say that lovingly of course. :) And I should know, I used to be one...a persnickety teenage girl!

Son number one entered the "teen" years, and I can not recall one single moment that brought me a *gasp* and at least a couple hundred new gray hairs. He was, and still is, an adrenaline junky. He loves doing crazy things like skiing off the roof of the house, and driving an ATV off the side of a mountain. But he was, and still is, easy on my heart and on my mind. He is a great son.

Son number two survived teen years, but "I" barely did. He met someone that dramatically changed the direction of his life, and that has caused him much hardship. So much I wish I could have done differently with him. I should have been harder. I should not have left so many choices up to him. I have learned my lesson...and I hope he has learned his. All in all though he is an amazing person, and I love him and am very proud of "who" he has become. But I would be would not be lying if I say "I wish things could be different" for him. I do.

This brings me to son number three. Of all my children, son number three has had a difficult journey due to emotional challenges and learning setbacks. I have always worried about him, still do, but he is so much stronger than anyone realizes. Even me. Son number three has a lot to say, and has a very real grasp on life and what he believes and wants out of life. But he is still a teenager. I am now on the 'teenage" journey for son number three and thank God for seat belts. This is going to be a bumpy ride!

Blake, son number four, told me this evening that I did not have to worry about him. He said, "I am going to make life really easy for you mom." There you have it world, it is on record now so it must be true! :)

It is funny, you hear all the jokes about the daddy sitting on the porch with his shotgun locked and loaded to keep all the male suitors away from their precious daughters. I have news for you girlies, this mama has her shotgun locked and loaded so you better watch yourself around my boys! *grin*

My photos of the day...

Son number three. So much wisdom in those beautiful baby blues...so much mischief there too.

***Doggy Daily***

Music I am listening to today...Fleetwood Mac

Random Link of the day...Great Iconic Photos from History

Until next time..."I myself am made entirely of flaws...stitched together with good intentions."

Have a great weekend world.

Peace.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Love,

January 5, 2011

2012-01-05T17:19:00.005-07:00

My 365...

School is under way. And the boys, complained, moaned and groaned every step of the way.

Getting back into the swing of things is never easy the first few days. That is okay, mama is ready. :)

My photos of the day...

A little math...

...a little language.

***Doggy Daily***

"A little Miss Lilly."

Music I am listening to today...Dave Matthews
I love this song.

Random Link of the Day...Jay Patel Photography

Until next time..."Too much of a good thing...is wonderful."

Peace.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Love,

Time for New Glasses

2012-01-05T17:15:00.000-07:00

It is definitely time for new glasses!

I have been trying to get in to the ophthalmologist for the last month, and when it comes to my appointment time, I end up canceling for one reason or another. But no more! I am finding that my reading glasses are too strong now, and half the time I walk around blind rather than wear eye glasses at all. Or even worse, walk around the house trying to figure out where I might have left my eye glasses only to discover they were on the top of my head the entire time.

No more excuses. I am calling to set an appointment tomorrow and have got to get in to have my eyes checked before I do go blind!

I do wish there were a way to do it all online. I did find one site, WarbyParker frames, that has some really adorable choices for eye glasses, and at a great price too. At least I can do a little "pre-shopping" for the style I want before I go in for my eye check-up.

And no more "progressive" lenses for me either. This time I think I will get a regular pair of glasses for everyday, and a cute second pair for reading and computer work. Much better then straining my neck trying to see through blasted bi-focals. I honestly do not know how anyone can stand those.

So here is to better vision in 2012! Cheers.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Love,

January 4, 2012

2012-01-04T15:43:00.000-07:00

My 365...

The word of the day is "ouch." Yesterday, I spent hours playing a video game with Brandon and Blake. We had so much fun, but this morning my hands are reminding me of my RA. Damn RA....grrrr. So definitely a day or two or three of rest for my fingers. They are really mad at me!

On a lighter note...."The new schoolbooks are here...the new schoolbooks are here!" For Blake anyway. UPS delivered his second semester goodies yesterday, and classes start tomorrow. I am SO excited about this semester, and I have no clue why? Blake looks at me like I have two heads...but I can't wait to start tomorrow. Thank you K12.

Casey has a history class this afternoon, then starts full swing tomorrow as well. His UPS delivery is scheduled for next week. He however is not as excited for new school supplies as mama is either.

Speaking of Casey, he is enjoying his new cell phone. Thank goodness for unlimited texting! I am enjoying it too. Casey is on the bottom floor of the house, I am on the top floor. This afternoon I am sitting at my desk and I can hear he has his music playing entirely too loud. Do I have to walk all the way downstairs to tell him to turn it down? No, I can text him! Technology...isn't it grand...

My photo of the day...

Books!

***Doggy Daily***

Little RayRay enjoying some "rays" from the sun this afternoon.

I still think his name should be Bob Marley with that fur. :)

Music I am listening to today...Hem

Random Link of the Day...Amazing Photography

Until next time..."I am not telling you it is going to be easy, I am telling you it is going to be worth it."

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Love,

Bye bye grandma!

2012-01-03T20:53:00.001-07:00

My Cooper is going home tonight. I am going to miss him. :*(

"See you next week Cooper!" <3

He has gotten so good and navigating the stairs! :)

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Love,

January 3, 2011

2012-01-03T18:36:00.000-07:00

My 365...

Now that the Christmas tree has been taken down and put away, my living room looks so huge. I am a minimalist at heart, so I think I will enjoy the "clutter free" in my favorite room.

My photos of the day...

Blake and Miss Lilly enjoying the floor space as well. :)

*** Doggy Daily ***

One more day of leisure before we start up the second half of the year with home schooling.

So until Thursday...we be chilling!

Music I am listening to today...Matisyahu

Random Link of the Day...You know you love me. <3

Until Next time..."One tiny step in the right direction is a whole lot better than not moving at all."

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Love,

January 2, 2012

2012-01-02T14:36:00.001-07:00

My 365...

"Hello, grandma's phone, how may I assist you today?"

"Who? Veronica? Sorry I don't know anyone by that name."

"Sheesh, I keep getting calls for someone named Veronica. What am I, 411?"

"I really like bananas...and Rayray...and the duck song...and playing with my toes..."

"Well you don't have to be rude! Besides, we don't work on Monday. Call back next year."

"Yes...I am still here. Oh, what does this do?"

*click* "That was fun!"

My photos of the day...

My grandson. :)

My handsome son. :)

*** Doggy Daily ***

"I can see clearly now...a little."

"That may be so, but you still can't get away from me!"

Music I am listening to today...Keith Urban

Random Link of the Day...Fly with angels Kristian Anderson. And to the Anderson family, I am so sorry for your loss. :*(

How the light gets in.

Until next time..."Live well for those you love."

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Love,

New Year's Day Shenanigans. :)

2012-01-02T02:39:00.000-07:00

I had the most delightful New Year's Day ever! Garrett and Kori stopped by for a surprise visit, and Garrett brought all his photo studio equipment so we could have some creative photo fun.

While he was setting up, he let me play with his external flash on my new camera. I love it!

Everything looks so much better when you bounce the flash off the ceiling.

As soon as Garrett set up the white backdrop, Dozer moved right in.

Cooper even came down to play a while before bed.

And here are the fun photos that Garrett, Kori and Blake made for me. Hilarity ensued! Blake found an old coat and some funny hats and showed every bit of his bright crazy personality. Kori, beautiful as ever, had so much fun with him.

It was silly, hilarious fun! And definitely our new New Year's Day tradition!

Blake, just like his brother Garrett, is so creative and funny. And Garrett and Kori always know how to make us laugh and have fun.

Definitely a bright start to the year!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Love,

January 1, 2012

2012-01-01T18:59:00.003-07:00

My 365...

I can hear him playing just outside my door, waiting for grandma to get up. When I do, and open the door, he greets me with so much excitement. Then the journey of the day begins.

We play, we read, we sing, we discover magic together. He loves Norah Jones by the way. :)

Every minute little thing about Cooper makes my heart smile. Second by micro second he is learning something new. You can see it in his eyes.

Then he walks over to my computer and I know what he is thinking...

"Where is my duck grandma?"

"Never mind I can find it..."

"Let me try the mouse..."

"Whoa! There he is!!"

~~* Dancing to my Duck Song! *~~

"waddle waddle"

So precious. He is just so darn precious! :)

"Don't worry blog, mama still follows me with the camera too."

You bet I do!

*** Doggy Daily ***

Cooper playing with his puppy Rayray.

Music I am listening to today...and Cooper too...Norah Jones.

Random Link of the Day...DIY Flash Diffuser.

I HATE flash photography. The problem with photographing animals or children, they don't stand still long enough not to use a flash. Last night, son Garrett fixed that for me. He made me a nifty cigarette Packet Flash Diffuser, and it works!

Here is Miss Lilly with the standard Canon internal flash....hate it.

My nifty flash diffuser.

Ah ha! Much better picture. :)

Thank you so much son! You can also use a white film canister to fit over your internal flash, coffee filters work too, and here is another cool idea. This will work until I can invest in a nice external flash.

My son Garrett is an amazing photographer. Here is a beautiful photo of his girlfriend Kori he just took...

Beautiful! His site...Ghost Lab Inc.

Until next time..."Did you know photons have mass? I did not even know they were Catholic." :P

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Love,

Happy New Year!

2011-12-31T23:13:00.003-07:00

"Has the ball dropped mom?"

Blake tried so hard to stay awake, but to no avail...he is sound asleep.

We had a perfect New Year's evening.

My dinner was perfect! Chicken flautas and home made salsa.

Daddy, Casey and Blake. <3

Garrett, Kori and Stella joined us. We missed Supra...but that would have been doggy over load. Next time Supra.

Brandon and Cooper were here too!

After dinner we went down to the den to enjoy some video games. Not the X-Box, or Playstation...Blake wanted some good old-fashioned N64.

We discovered tonight that Kori is a "Zelda" expert, so she helped Blake play a little Zelda on our Nintendo 64. That was fun. (Thank you Kori.)

Casey and Ducati.

While they played video games, Garrett gave me some lessons on how to use my camera, and even some great pointers on navigating Photoshop Lightroom too. (Thank you son.)

If tonight was any indication of 2012...it is going to be an awesome year!

Dozer thinks so too. :)

I am so thankful for my amazing family. <3

"Happy New Years everyone!" May you all have a happy, healthy and prosperous 2012.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Love,

Goodbye December! Goodbye 2011!

2011-12-31T15:12:00.001-07:00

My 365...

Goodbye December, thank you for the memories!

Another 365 complete. I am so proud of myself. A photo a day for an entire year. Completing year number 2 makes me very thankful that I stuck with it. All the memories...saved forever!

Thank you 2011 for all the lessons, laughs, tears, happiness. Hello 2012...we are looking forward to more of the same!

My year in photos...

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Love,

December 31, 2011

2011-12-31T14:43:00.003-07:00

Happy New Year's Eve!

What a year this has been. So many great memories created.

...Loving that the good memories far outnumbered the not so good.

...Turning 50 and loving every second of it.

...Welcoming my first grandchild into my life.

...Welcoming his father, my son number 2, back into my life.

...Realizing that the advantage of age and more time on this planet does indeed bring wisdom.

...Letting go really is a good thing.

...Adventuring with the boys and the dogs is an awesome way to end the day.

...Tea is much better than coffee.

...Life without canine companions is no life at all.

...If you are going to start something, be sure to finish it.

...It is possible to take a photo a day for 365 days straight...this post 1527 makes day number 743 and not one photo missed! (yay me)

My New Year's resolution...same as always. Find joy in the small things, see the silver lining in all things, remember to breathe, life is amazing if you let it be. :)

My photos of the day...

Adventures on a sunny day with my boys. :)
"Peek-a-boo grandma."

Ready to run.

Re-discovering an old toy.

Cool!

What is next?

"Can you teach my how to ride uncle Blake?"

"This is fun."

Sitting in the warm sun.

"I see you grandma!"

"I am gonna get you grandma!"

Casey testing out his new decks.

"Boys?" Is it Happy New Year, or Happy Halloween? :)

*** Doggy Daily ***

Music I am listening to today...Deuter

Random Link of the Day...New Years Eve Time Square - Live!

Until next time..."Have a safe and Happy New Year!"

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Love,

December 30, 2011

2011-12-30T16:18:00.003-07:00

My 365...

Is it really Friday? Part of me is happy that it is, and part of me is very sad that the holidays are almost over. I really don't want to take the Christmas tree down. I will miss the colorful lights...they make everything look cheerful.

I am planning a yummy New Year's dinner of Mexican food. Rice, beans, chicken flautas, home made salsa and queso dip with tortilla chips. The boys will be here, Kori too, and it will be a perfect way to welcome in the New Year with my awesome family.

My photos of the day...

"Hey uncle Blake, what ya doing?"

Watching grandma make pancakes for breakfast.

"Yummy" pancakes. :)

"Hey grandma, we want to come downstairs too!"

*** Doggy Daily ***

Music I am listening to today...Doug Smith

Random Link of the Day...Social Wallpaper

Until next time..."Life is just better...with a chocolate mustache."

Have a great weekend!

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Love,

December 29, 2011

2011-12-29T18:57:00.002-07:00

My 365...

It has been great having Brandon home. I have not been sleeping well this week, and am so tired when I wake up. For the past two days, Brandon has made lunch for the boys and taken care of things for me. Thank you son. :)

Cooper has been here all week too. I love having him here. Last night I got down on the floor and played with him before bed time. He is such a smart little guy, and mimics everything he sees and hears. He is at the fun age where he is learning words and it is amazing to witness first hand. He is so precious. Brandon is an amazing father too and you can see his love for his son. He adores Cooper and it shows.

Blake and I are missing our daily hikes. Between the weather being so cold, and being in a new area of town, we have not been out adventuring with the dogs yet. We are close to parks and the edge of the bench which has amazing views, so I am sure the walk will be fun once we take that first step. We are both ready to get walking!

My photos of the day...

Another gloomy day in the City of Trees.

Playtime with uncle Blake.

Feeding daddy some reindeer poop candy.

***Doggy Daily***

Adventures of Miss Lilly and the little human.

Music I am listening to today...Ludovico Einaudi

Random Link of the Day...Focus Me

Until next time..."Never take your time with your children for granted, for you will barely blink...and they will be grown."

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Love,

December 28, 2011

2011-12-28T16:57:00.000-07:00

My 365...

Today would have been a perfect day for snow, but for the first time in weeks the temperature decided to go above freezing. It has been a day of misty drizzle instead of floating snowflakes.

A perfect day to snuggle up and read a book, and I have done just that. I am reading The Hunger Games, and so far it is really good.

In this last week of 2011, I have much to be thankful for. My sons have brought me love, and have made me very proud to be their mom. In a world full of evil, judgemental and hateful people, they are sincere, honest, accepting, and above all, tolerant, and that makes my heart sing. <3

The most important lesson we should teach our children is tolerance....

My photos of the day...

Enjoying some cartoons on his favorite squishy recliner, and a snuggle with Miss Lilly.

*** Doggy Daily ***

It is a pretty lazy day for Dozer too. :)

Music I am listening to today...Solomon Keal

Random Link of the Day...It Gets Better

Until next time..."Judge lest thy be judged."

It is a sad day when you realize someone you know has completely lost their moral compass. Until you realize that they never possessed the intellect to have one in the first place. I hope you are able to find it before the entire world sees your true self.

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Love,

December 27, 2011

2011-12-27T15:00:00.005-07:00

My 365...

Hello Tuesday.

I have a confession to make. Something that I am ashamed to admit. I really, "really" like the TV show Gossip Girl. There I said it! Garrett's girl friend Kori told me about it several weeks ago, and as of last night I am on the 5th show of season five! Yes, I have been through almost 5 full seasons of the silly show in 5 weeks. "It is all your fault Kori!" (Just kidding, I love you honey. <3)

It is ridiculously entertaining, however, as a mother I can not condone such horrendous teen behavior! Oh Hollywood...shame on you. I suppose only in Manhattan can a 16 year old belly up to the bar and order a martini. Lovely.

I will admit, I have thoroughly enjoyed the characters and story line. There, I said it. Now I can move forward. *snicker*

Speaking of teenage angst, Casey thinks he is in love. *sigh* Sixteen and in love, remember those days? He is free to be in love as long as it is on Facebook, telephone and text messaging only. Thank God and T-Mobile for unlimited texting. And thank God for geography as this young lady lives a few hours from here. In all seriousness though, I told him school first, career goals second, love third, dating at 40. Thankfully he agrees to that order of things...up until the dating at 40. Okay, okay...25. :P

My photos of the day...

A light dusting of snow this morning.

An afternoon with my grandson Cooper...

Hanging around with daddy.

I can help you grandma...

Oh, sock monkey!

And an afternoon conversation about life and love with son number 3. :)

I had a surprise visit from Garrett and Kori tonight. They brought me a nice set of drinking glasses. I love them! I really needed some new glasses. When you live in a house full of boys, drinking glasses have a very short life span.

***Doggy Daily***

"Don't worry Ducati, your boy will always love you the more than any silly girl."

Music I am listening to today...Jim Brickman

Random Link of the Day...Holiday Wassail

Until next time..."Always remember that you are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think."

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Love,

December 26, 2011

2011-12-26T15:58:00.005-07:00

My 365...

Happy Monday, happy first day post Christmas, happy "relaxing" day. :)

That is my plan this week, plenty of much deserved rest. The boys are looking forward to a week break from home school as well. Work is really busy, but I am thinking I may call a vacation week for myself. I am the boss, so I can do that. Sounds good!

The weather is bitter cold outside. The high today is 38 degrees, and we get into the 20's at night. I love it, but it does mean we are stuck indoors.

Blake, Casey and I will enjoy some computer games, Netflix movies and a whole lot of nothing. Sounds perfect to me. :)

My photos of the day...

My sweet, silly, amazing son...

We are enjoying a game of Minecraft this evening. It is astonishing to me how creative he is when we play these games. He is amazing.

And sleepyhead is here for the week. Yay, grandma time! <3

*** Doggy Daily ***

Sitting in wait. Miss Lilly is watching the back door carefully so she can plan her rush for the kitchen. She knows when the door opens, the boy dogs will be charging so she has to be ready...

Silly Miss Lilly...goddess of cunning and stealth. lol :)

Music I am listening to today...

Random Link of the Day...*click*

Until next time..."I hear you are talking behind my back...go ahead and kiss my butt while you are back there." *grin*

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Love,

December 25, 2011

2011-12-25T16:32:00.005-07:00

My 365...

I love my boys...they are as crazy as mama is.

We had Christmas in our normal fashion...completely "our" tradition...a fabulous free-for-all.

It was almost 7pm last night, and Blake decided to open "only one" present. That is how it starts.

"Only one", turns into a gift opening extravaganza! Takes about two seconds and we are done. lol

The boys stayed up until 2:00am playing with new stuff, and requested some hot cocoa. I went down to the kitchen to make some for them and they were getting louder and LOUDER, so mama had to separate them so the rest of the world could get a little sleep.

Casey went downstairs to his computer, and Blake up to his to play some computer games. That lasted until approximately 4:00am. I begged them both to try a little sleep, but no...they were not quite ready for that.

Finally at 7:00am, Blake said he was hungry so we went down to the kitchen so I could make some eggs and hash browns. Casey was still awake so I made some for him as well. By then, Blake and I were deliriously silly, so I started a game of "I bet I can make you yawn!"

Mommy: *Yawn*

Blake: "Mom, stop that!" *Yawn*

Mommy: "Okay, I will stop....."*yawn*

Blake: MOM!!

He started chasing me around the kitchen and we were both laughing so hard. We look over to see Jack coming up the stairs looking less then entertained.

Mommy: "What's wrong honey?"

Jack: "The downstairs toilet just over-flowed on to my feet...grumble...grumble...grumble..."

Blake and I looked at each other and started laughing hysterically! Jack was not amused. LOL!

We had our breakfast then went upstairs to try to settle down. Keyword here "try", but by then we were way too hyper and silly for sleep.

Casey came upstairs showing me that he could get FM radio on his new cell phone. He was listening to some 70's and 80's rock classics and he said, "Mom, do you know this song?" I recognized it immediately and started singing along. Casey looked at me and said, "My God mom, you are so old!" LOL, he is always amused that he can listen to old songs and I start singing along.

Finally sometime after 8:00am I was able to settle down and try to sleep a little.

A few hours later I hear the dogs all barking like mad. The "I am about to eat a stranger" bark that will blow the roof off the house.

I am thinking Santa came back or something!

Then I hear, "Frank, come here Frank!" Who the hell is Frank? I look outside to see Jack and Blake chasing some strange dog around the back yard. The neighbors had a visitor canine named Frank who managed to jump the fence and found himself trapped in our yard. Dozer, Ducati, Ray and Lilly went nuts!

Damn you Frank. ;P

Casey fell asleep about noon, followed by Blake at 1:30pm.

Now the ham is ready...the boys are asleep...and I need to get this Christmas dinner going.

Cooper's mommy decided that Cooper would spend the night with her last night. Which is great, because a baby should be with his mommy. Brandon was up at 7:00am so he could walk over to their house and watch his son open presents. He walked over there in 20 degree weather that awesome son of mine. He is such a great daddy.

Garrett and Supra should be here soon. Kori went home to Sun Valley for Christmas. "We miss you Kori! Merry Christmas honey I love you!!

I need to get dinner finished so we can enjoy a nice Christmas dinner...my boys and I. Jack's got a fire going in the downstairs den, and my boys and I are going to enjoy an amazing evening together. I love them so much!

What a great Christmas this had been! Crazy silly but memorable and fun. Hope yours has been wonderful as well!

Merry Christmas!!

My photos of the day...

Delicious Christmas dinner. Jack made a great ham, and I made all the fixings.

My favorite Brussels sprouts!

Brandon got home just as I was serving dinner and Garrett and Supra were driving up. Perfect timing!

Brandon was pretty tired from his long day, but enjoyed a visit with Garrett. :)

After dinner we went down to the den to visit for a while and just enjoyed each others company. It was wonderful. :)

*** Doggy Daily ***

"Oh boy, is that ham I smell?"

Supra and Blake enjoying a little horsing around after Christmas dinner. He loves wrestling with Supra the wonder dog. :)

Music I am listening to today...

Random Link of the Day...Merry Christmas!

Until next time..."Happy Birthday Jesus."

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Love,