Aberdeen Here I come

Well for those of you who don't know, I grew up in Aberdeen Idaho. I loved growing up there and this weekend I get to go back. We are going over for my 10 year class reunion. Everyone from Aberdeen knows that the weekend when most class reunions are held is the weekend of Aberdeen Days. Lucky for me this is the case for my reunion. There are cute little sidewalk sales and a fantastic, cold pancake breakfast at the park. For this breakfast you stand in line with a couple thousand people (yes that is more than the population of the town) ,while being seranaded to by the Old Time Fiddlers and then when you finally get up there the chamber of commerce and my cousin Heidi's grandpa (he's the Mayor) and grandma serve up pancakes, fried eggs, hashbrowns (courtesy of Simplot, the biggest town employer), sausage and pop. Yup, you read that right good old healthy, yummy soda. The girls who placed in Junior Miss the previous April get to serve the patrons the soda pop. This means that they get to be at the park at 6 in the morning and freeze in the shade in their shorts and hand out pops and sing songs about the sun coming out (at least thats what my friends and I did)! Finally the sun does come out to play and then everyone sits at the park and visits with long, lost friends, relatives and old aquantances for a couple of hours. After eating breakfast where the syrup is cold and the butter won't melt on the pancakes the kids run over to the play area and play on giant slides (at least I remember them as being giant) and try to climb a strange pole that has a big ball at the top that looks like a giant lollypop (it's very difficult unless you are my brothers or an experienced coconut tree climber). Then it is time to round everybody up and stake out a good spot on the parade route. Most people head on over to Main street where they sit in the shade of the drugstore awening or just line the sidewalks. You wait for what seems like forever until finally you here the parade coming. You always hear the parade coming before you see it because it is always lead by a police car and who ever is driving it does funky things with the siren to let everyone here that Aberdeen does actually have a police car with a siren and to signal that the parade has begun. This parade has a variety of wonderful homemade floats made by different business owners in the town. You will also see a few tractors, horses, bikes decorated with crepe paper and possibly some old cars. This is also where you get to see the high school cheerleaders cartwheeling down the road to the tune of whatever the marching band behind them is playing. For some this is the end of Aberdeen days (it usually was for my dad), But not for all. In the afternoon you can head over to the park for an excellent good old fashioned fish fry put on by the scout troop 151! And then you can finish off the night by going over to the high school auditorium to watch a fun melodrama with all of the booing, hissing and hooraying that anyone could ask for.

This is what our family is headed for this weekend. Hannah can hardly believe that we are actually going to eat breakfast at a park. I can't either. It's been a long time since I've been to Aberdeen days and I plan to enjoy every minute of it! I love you Aberdeen! You were a great place to grow up and I have many, many fond memories of that beautiful little town. You will forever hold a special place in my heart and after reading this post, apparently my stomach!

ABC's of ME

A-Attached or Single? Attached
B-Best Friend? Sam
C-Cake or Pie? Ice Cream Cake or Cheese Cake
D-Day of Choice? Saturday
E-Essential Item? baby wipes, Magic Eraser (I'm such a copy cat of my friend Kristen)!
F-Favorite Color? Depends on the day...today probably pink and green on my cute girls or brown and turquoise
G-Gummy bears or worms? Black Forest Gummy Bears
H-Hometown? Aberdeen
I-Favorite Indulgence? A fun book
J-January or July? July
K-Kids? Hannah (4) and Elise (20 months)
L-Life isn't complete without? My family and the Gospel
M-Marriage date? September 2, 2000
N-Number of brothers and sister? 5 brothers, 3 sisters
O-Oranges or apples? oranges
P-Phobias? HEIGHTS
Q-Quote? "Never never never never never never never give up!" Winston Churchill
R-Reason to smile? 2 sweet beautiful girls playing nicely together. an awesome husband
S-Season of choice? Fall (football season, sharpened pencils, school starting...falling leaves)
T-Tag 3 people: Rebecca, Heidi, Carolyn (and anyone else who may want to do it)
U-Unknown facts about me? I love running with somebody but don't like to so much by myself I think I need an IPOD! I used to hate shopping but then after having daughters I started to love it, they are so fun to buy for.
V-Vegetable? I love most vegetables especially asparagus, corn on the cob and broccoli
W-Worst habit? EATING SWEETS!!! I can eat them all day long if I'm not careful.
X-X-ray or ultrasound? ultrasound
Y-Your favorite food? Crab and deep fried mushrooms or stuffed mushrooms
Z-Zodiac sign? Sagittarius

200 Haves and Have Nots

200 Have and Have Nots!!!!!

So I was recently reading a friend's blog and liked this idea so I thought I would copy it and add it to mine...The things listed in bold are what I have done... Still have a ways to go...

1. Touched an iceberg 2. Slept under the stars 3. Been a part of a hockey fight 4. Changed a baby's diaper 5. Watched a meteor shower 6. Given more than you can afford to charity 7. Swam with wild dolphins 8. Climbed a mountain 9. Held a tarantula 10. Said "I love you" and meant it 11. Bungee jumped 12. Visited Paris 13. Watched a lightning storm at sea 14. Stayed up all night long and watched the sun rise 15. Seen the Northern Lights 16. Gone to a huge sports game 17. Walked the stairs to the top of the Statue of Liberty 18. Grown and eaten your own vegetables 19. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope 20. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment 21. Had a pillow fight 22. Bet on a winning horse 23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill 24. Built a snow fort 25. Held a lamb 26. Gone skinny dipping 27. Taken an ice cold bath 28. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar 29. Seen a total eclipse 30. Ridden a roller coaster 31. Hit a home run 32. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking 33. Adopted an accent for fun 34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors 35. Felt very happy about your life, even for just a moment 36. Loved your job 90% of the time 37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied 38. Watched wild whales 39. Gone rock climbing 40. Gone on a midnight walk on the beach 41. Gone sky diving 42. Visited Ireland 43. Ever bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant 44. Visited India 45. Bench-pressed your own weight 46. Milked a cow 47. Alphabetized your personal files 48. Ever worn a superhero costume 49. Sung karaoke 50. Lounged around in bed all day 51. Gone scuba diving 52. Kissed in the rain 53. Played in the mud 54. Gone to a drive-in theater 55. Done something you should regret, but don't 56. Visited the Great Wall of China 57. Started a business 58. Taken a martial arts class 59. Been in a movie 60. Gone without food for 3 days 61. Made cookies from scratch 62. Won first prize in a costume contest 63. Got flowers for no reason 64. Been in a combat zone 65. Spoken more than one language fluently 66. Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone 67. Bounced a check 68. Read - and understood your credit report 69. Recently bought and played with a favorite childhood toy 70. Found out something significant that your ancestors did 71. Called or written your Congress person 72. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over 73. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge 74. Helped an animal give birth 75. Been fired or laid off from a job 76. Won money 77. Broken a bone 78. Ridden a motorcycle 79. Driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100 mph 80. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon 81. Slept through an entire flight: takeoff, flight, and landing 82. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days 83. Eaten sushi 84. Had your picture in the newspaper 85. Read The Bible cover to cover 86. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about 87. Gotten someone fired for their actions 88. Gone back to school 89. Changed your name 90. Caught a fly in the air with your bare hands 91. Eaten fried green tomatoes 92. Read The Iliad 93. Taught yourself an art from scratch 94. Killed and prepared an animal for eating 95. Apologized to someone years after inflicting the hurt 96. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language 97. Been elected to public office 98. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream 99. Had to put someone you love into hospice care 100. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you 101. Had a booth at a street fair 102. Dyed your hair 103. Been a DJ 104. Rocked a baby to sleep 105. Ever dropped a cat from a high place to see if it really lands on all four 106. Raked your carpet 107. Brought out the best in people 108. Brought out the worst in people 109. Worn a mood ring 110. Ridden a horse 111. Carved an animal from a piece of wood or bar of soap 112. Cooked a dish where four people asked for the recipe 113. Buried a child 114. Gone to a broadway play 115. Been inside the pyramids 116. Shot a basketball into a basket 117. Danced at a disco 118. Played in a band 119. Shot a bird 120. Gone to an arboretum 121. Tutored someone 122. Ridden a train 123. Brought an old fad back into style 124. Eaten caviar 125. Let a salesman talk you into something you didn’t need 126. Ridden a giraffe or elephant 127. Published a book 128. Pieced a quilt 129. Lived in an historic place 130. Acted in a play or performed on a stage 131. Asked for a raise 132. Made a hole-in-one (if miniature golf counts) 133. Gone deep sea fishing 134. Gone roller skating 135. Run a marathon 136. Learned to surf 137. Invented something 138. Flown first class 139. Spent the night in a 5-star luxury suite 140. Flown in a helicopter 141. Visited Africa 142. Sang a solo 143. Gone spelunking 144. Learned how to take a compliment 145. Written a love-story 146. Seen Michelangelo’s David 147. Had your portrait painted 148. Written a fan letter 149. Spent the night in something haunted 150. Owned a St. Bernard or Great Dane 151. Ran away 152. Learned to juggle 153. Been a boss 154. Sat on a jury 155. Lied about your weight 156. Gone on a diet 157. Found an arrowhead or a gold nugget 158. Written a poem 159. Carried your lunch in a lunchbox 160. Gotten food poisoning 161. Gone on a service, humanitarian or religious mission 162. Hiked the grand Canyon 163. Sat on a park bench and fed the ducks 164. Gone to the opera 165. Gotten a letter from someone famous 166. Worn knickers 167. Ridden in a limousine 168. Attended the Olympics 169. Can hula or waltz 170. Read a half dozen Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys books 171. Been stuck in an elevator 172. Had a revelatory dream 173. Thought you might crash in an airplane 174. Had a song dedicated to you on the radio or at a concert 175. Saved someone’s life 176. Eaten raw whale 177. Know how to tat, smock or do needlepoint 178. Laughed till your side hurt 179. Straddled the equator 180. Taken a photograph of something other than people that is worth framing 181. Gone to a Shakespeare Festival 182. Sent a message in a bottle 183. Spent the night in a hostel 184. Been a cashier 185. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt 186. Joined a union 188. Built a campfire 189. Kept a blog 190. Had hives 191. Worn custom made shoes or boots 192. Made a PowerPoint presentation 193. Taken a Hunter’s Safety Course 194. Served at a soup kitchen 195. Conquered the Rubik’s cube 196. Know CPR 197. Ridden in or owned a convertible 198. Found a long lost friend 199. Helped solve a crime 200. Responded to a NJP newsletter.

Whp Needs Sleep?

Their is a song by the "Bare Naked Ladies" that goes "Who needs sleep? No you're never gonna get it, Who needs Sleep? Tell me what's that for, Who needs sleep? No you're never gonna get it. Their's folks who've been awake since the second world war..." Well I have an answer to you Bare Naked Ladies...I Need SLEEP! Lately my girls haven't been sleeping well. Last night it was Hannah. She came to my room and stood in the doorway until I come out. Then she told me that she needed to go potty. I told her to go. She wanted me to go with her. I went with her and then made her go back upstairs to bed, she wants to know when we are going to the zoo. Then at 6 o'clock this morning in rolls Hannah once again saying "It's time to go to the zoo!" I then tell her it is not and to get back in bed. She proceeds to her room where she doesn't sleep. She comes back an hour later and says "It's time to go to the zoo!" Are you sensing a pattern here? I tell her it isn't and to go back to bed. Then next thing I here is Elise growling at Hannah for waking her up. This means I have to get up too...I get up and Hannah says, "It's time to go to the zoo!" And I say "You got up way to early we aren't going to the zoo right now."

Well this is just one fine example of how the week has gone. The night before it was Elise in the middle of the night and then Elise again at 6 in the morning. I think she might be teething because she was crying quite a bit and she is usually a great sleeper. Hannah was up that night too as well as the night before that.

It's funny because before Hannah was born not getting sleep is what I was the most worried about. I guess those worries were founded! I love my girls and I would never trade them. They are my sweeties and have such special little spirits. I must admit however, that I would love to find a way to get Hannah to go potty in the night without waking me. I would love it even more if she would stay in bed and just sleep. Any suggestions? What have you other mothers done to help your kids sleep through the night? What worked, what didn't, and what was just plain laughable? I would love to hear that I'm not the only one up at 3 a.m. So to all you members of the 3 a.m. club this is a shout out to you to speak up!

Six Flags Magic Mountain - Tatsu

Six Flags Magic Mountain - Tatsu
Originally uploaded by stuạrt

This is a picture of Tatsu that isn't on a brochure! What do you think? Would you go on it? How do you feel about rollercoasters?

Magic Mountain and Super Girls!

In April Sam and I went to Six Flags Magic Mountain. We left the girls with Sam's parents and had a wonderful time on some of the Worlds largest roller coasters in the world. Unfortunately, we didn't take our camera into the park with us because we were afraid that we would lose it on the huge rides. So here are the two (yup, that's right two) pictures that we took on our trip. I'm pointing to my favorite ride that we went on. It's called Tatsu and it was amazing. If you want to take a "ride" search it on youtube and you can experience it through someone else's eyes!

We brought back these super girl shirts for the girls and they both love them. Hannah has even worn her cute little cape to the library! Hannah and Elise will always be my Super Girls!

Hannah and the sprites!

Hannah had mixed emotions with the move because she was afraid she wouldn't get to see her friends anymore. She spent a lot of time with them before we moved. Lucky for us we didn't move too far so she still gets to see them at preschool and we will still be able to have them over although with gas at $4 a gallon probably not as often as would like. Here are some cute pictures of Hannah with Emma and Cole and with Addison, her fellow Sleeping Beauty.