Tuesday, July 29, 2008

they're, their, there...

really... i do know the difference...

they're so cute...
their nana took this picture while on the boat going across the river to pirate island..
we loved disneyland, and we can't wait to go back there!!

(and the readers are saying, how many more pictures can there be of their disney vacation? enough already!)
i'm suffering from frazzled brain , mayhaps : )

Monday, July 28, 2008

the first picture...




almost makes me want to be there... almost

their home!

my fisher-boys are home safe and sound!

so far we've heard about:
  • ryan throwing up twice in the car from too much ice cream
  • catching perch, muskies, northern pike and cropies
  • the leeches in the water
  • the huge mosquitos and flies that bite
  • tubing and cliff-diving
  • uncle gil's pancakes
  • celebrating cousin ella's birthday with an elmo pinata
  • watching PG-13 movies
  • and how much fun they had doing all of that stuff with cousins kyle and tyler!

i can't wait to see and post the pictures!

Saturday, July 26, 2008

thanks, Dr Twinning...

check out my morning jacket's "librarian"...

my professor put this up on our blackboard, and i missed a lot of the lyrics but caught the sexiest librarian part...

Sweetest little bookworm. hidden underneath...
Is the sexiest librarian...
Take off those glasses and let your hair down for me.
Take off those glasses and let your hair down for me.

Simple little beauty- heaven in your breath.
The simplest of pleasures- the world at it's best.

i like that image far more than the alternative image burned in people's minds!


lyrics: http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/m/my_morning_jacket/librarian.html

Monday, July 21, 2008

the lights are on, but nobody is home...

jacks and ryan left for their fishing trip in canada a week ago...

... and we've been pretty busy, but i also realized that we aren't as dull as i thought we'd be without the good-time boys around.


thursday: rode my bike to work, and then rode my bike home. but dave went to the chukars' game with curtis and jacquie... jacquie had to drive them home with the windows up because they were going to start yelling (cat-calling) at people on 17th street... very nice.


friday: dave and i rode bikes to weight-watchers and to bubba's for a shared plate of buscuits and gravy. i know there's some sort of disconnect there, but what can i say?! then i immediately went home for a nap... a late morning nap--pretty pathetic. then i worked at home and dave worked on jacquie and curtis' electric problem hit-list. then the four of us went to the cellar for dinner. they have really good green beans... i mean, i had salmon and that was good. but i don't like green beans--unless in tempura--and these were really yummy. i ate all of them.


saturday: dave and his pals went fishing. he's so lucky to have friends who will sacrifice a saturday to cheer him up--since he didn't get to go to canada with the boys for the week of fishing. again, i went to work. maybe i work too much? i like the library gig, it's a fun way to make money : ). we were supposed to go camping too... okay, pick yourself up! get a grip! we planned to drive up to yellowstone and camp at the madison junction campground, then dave could get up early and fish, then we could get to island park for church at the little church in the pines... but one of us didn't call until about an hour before we were leaving for the said campground. so we watched fool's gold and ate a huge bowl of popcorn.


sunday: woke up super early, drove up to island park. went to church... now, i've got to say that reverend ted can give a sermon! best sermon i've heard in a long time. i was weeping at the end. of course, i'm a cryer--but i was truly moved by him and his simple words of Christ's love and grace... boy-oh-boy. after i got control, we cruised up to west yellowstone, and had the best burgers and bloody mary at this place we'd never been too: bullwinkles. i chose it because i love moose and thus love most things about moose--we're going to go to moose, wyoming next weekend. but dave chose to stay for the build your own bloody's. eww... after a delicious lunch, we went into the park. we hiked to harlequin lake... yeah, we had never done it either. but we've made a deal to try to see things that we haven't seen a gazillion times. it was a quiet little lake/pond covered with lilypads... AND THEN WE SAW A SNAKE! what the hell?!! i ran back to the car... dave stubbled on the path as he laughed at me. after that, we tried another path to goose lake but we were so tired, we turned around and went home.


monday: work at the the library, work at home and school... and dave got up at the insane hour of 4 for his day in sun valley...


tuesday: 12 hours at the library. dave went to american falls...


wednesday: back to the library, and dave played the game cube and made a phemonenal quiche. he's an awesome cook... so we had some wine ate our dinner. it was very nice.


today: back to the library... and realizing that with the boys we are busier than without them... but we seem to fill the time up pretty fast. it feels like with the boys are life is in high speed--a blur of activities and fun times. but without them, everything feels so much slower, more relaxed. i'm pretty calm--a huge change from the tyranical mommy. it's an odd feeling, but nice. i was trying to think if we have any friends who don't have kids, and i don't think we do. i wonder if they look at family-people and wonder if we're spinning out of control with keeping up with the kids. or do we family-people look at people who don't have kids and think how relaxing their lives must be. it's a contorted view into another person's life, i suppose.




Monday, July 14, 2008

the force is strong in these two

i bet you didn't know that throughout the day at disneyland, there is jedi training for young padawans...

the competition is tough.
there are many younglings who wish to be called upon by master mace windu. in his wisdom, he will only call on the younglings have the force within them.

and wouldn't you know, the force is appearently strong in jacks and ryan! they were chosen for a quick training session...




























the younglings were outfitted in the jedi padawan uniform...













and equipped with weapon of the jedi...













they were trained in the proper use of the lightsaber...














and then...













who should show up? darth vader and his villianous storm-troopers!














but darth vader and the storm troopers were no competition for the padawans, and were sent packing to the death star to battle another day...

j-e-l-l-o

why don't more of us eat jello with such gusto and enjoyment?
this is my friend Beans.
he has a very smart big brother called Sweet Pea.
and i was lucky enough to get to spend time with them this weekend!

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

go fishing or do WHAT?!

given the option of wetting a line or staying at home to fix the leaky sinks or kill the gazillion of ants that took up residency while we were in california, dave usually opts for the fishing. but i had to play the working mother/student card, and begged him to stay home for a few home tasks, annoyingly known as honey-do's.


while i was pleading my case--namely, hiring someone to come and totally clean out the 'fridge and mop all of my hard woods--dave said something about the unfairness of life because he had to choose honey-do's over fishing.


and here comes the point, or what we like to call ryanisms


ryan: (his head looking at me then at dave, and then back to me) you're not talking about honeydew melons are you?


me: no


ryan: (he smirks and looks at dave) you're her honey and she's got stuff to for you to do, huh?


dave: yeah, stuff that interferes with my fishin'


ryan: (nodding his head knowingly) i was wondering about that "honey-do" thing for a long time, and now it makes sense




he's so pensive about things like that. he's our thinker, and jackson is our do-er... aren't we blessed?

Monday, July 7, 2008

as jimmy said...

"don't try to describe the ocean, if you've never seen it... "

and we checked out a couple of new beaches this trip!
huntington beach - 2008

ryan is ready to move to california

the water was perfect for an afternoon of body surfing!

we were so tired from the long night of driving, we didn't get to investigate all that huntington beach has to offer... i guess we'll just have to make another trip! we did get to go to trader joe's, which i always enjoy!


laguna beach - 2008


then after disney and nana and papa left, we headed down the PCH to laguna beach


jackson after he found the "huge-est crab ever!"


it was agreed that the tide pools are better in la jolla, but we'd never seen as big of crabs down there are we did in laguna... and the gelato was awesome!

did i mention that this was the best trip ever?


jimmy buffet, manana 1978

Sunday, July 6, 2008

the year of a million dreams...

we're all suffering disney/california-withdrawals because we had just the most perfect time in california, it was easily the best vacation we have ever had!

since there is so much to share, this is all coming in installments with the pictures. okay? so first, nana and i went to disneyland with the grand idea that we would all get a new pair of classic mickey ears and have our picture taken while wearing the said ears... oh the best laid plans!
















the unraveling of plans began with papa (shocker!) first refusing to get a new set, then the boys didn't want what i wanted them to get (another big shocker!) and you'll all be so proud of me: i let it go and let them get exactly what they wanted. this is a big step for me, being a control freak and all.. and after looking back, the ears they chose fit their personalities right now! ryan, of course, chose the beach themed "relax in paradise" ears.



















and captain jacks went for the pirate inspired ears. he loved the pirates of the caribbean ride... he was a bit apprehensive at the onset, and then he really got into the whole thing. he was even singing the "yo ho hos" by the end. and that's how he was on everything-- a bit cautious, but willing to try anything! but then again, that's how he lives his life.


and i, of course, loved that there were several johnny depp/jack sparrow pirates added to the ride!




here we are--the whole family all wet from the big grizzly water ride at california adventure... see the grizzly-shaped rock behind us--it's kind of in the trees? hence the name, or so ryan explained--he's so smart.

but he loved everything about this park... he loved that there was mountainous places and beach/boardwalk parts. and there were a lot less people than at disney... not that i'm complaining because there weren't really too many people. the lines were either fast-pass or less than 20 minutes. i mean, it's disneyland, of course you're going to have to wait! people need to understand that and then they can really enjoy the happiest place on earth. we were able to ride every ride we wanted! sorry, i got up on a soapbox there, didn't i?!



and then here's our nana and papa, we wore them out i'm afraid! we were often at the park before breakfast and then way past dark. much spoiling happened, and that's why they are the nana and papa, right?! and we all learned a little something about them this trip... papa can't say "no" to the boys, and went on some rides he wasn't too crazy about. and speaking of rides that he wasn't crazy about... nana loves roller coasters! she went with david on as many as they could go on. i'm not sure if she was still talking about splash mountain, or why her mouth is open here, but's the only picture i have of them. we're so glad they were able to come with us. disneyland just wouldn't have been the same without them for me. thanks, guys!!