I Owe You Everything

Thank you for all the good times,

and all the hard times,

the tears and laughs.

Your better than

toast in bed,

I love the bitter and the sweet.

You complete Me.

You bewitch me body and soul.

Happy Anniversary!

OXOXO

Top Ten Thurs.

Ten Things on the Calendar 

Orchestra

Violin....Dillon

Dance 

Voice Lessons......Sydney

Swimming....Sierra

Pool Party...all

Skate City Party...all

Scouts..boys

Activity Days...Sierra

Anniversary...

Ahh, just the two adults in this busy schedule!

The two most beautiful words

Summer Afternoon-Summer Afternoon;

to me those have always been the two most

beautiful word in the English language.

Henry James

Cupcakes 101

Sydney also wanted some kitchen time.
She chose strawberry Cupcakes from her favorite
Strawberry Shortcake Cookbook she bought from a
yard sale this summer.
We had them during our last outdoor movie on the porch.
They were a hit. The  fourteen year old neighbor boys couldn't believe Sydney had made them.
Surprise!

Cake Decorating 101

Sierra and I spent some alone time in the kitchen.

Everyone else had play dates.

We decided to get out the cake decorating tips , bags and color.

She had a great time being creative.

It was hard to keep the wolves (kids) away from it.

Everyone finally had some as reward for great behavior!

Yum. Good Job Betty. I mean Sierra.

My cakes aren't even this moist.

Top Ten Thurs.

1. I love that Ben is back on Breakfast Duty!
2. The sound of Classical Music blaring through out the house without my daughters switching it to some hip hop sounds.
3. Feeding the baby squirrels. Did I just really write that. Okay, they yawn and stretch. Make the cutest little sounds. ok I know its silly. They are doing great though.
4. I love bedtime being 8:00.
5. Going for a bike ride with Easton. He says " I'm a good leader. Dad taught me to go slow and wait for everyone behind me. I am wait for you really good".
6. Pineapple Coconut juice over crushed ice.
7. Hunting for changing color in the trees.
8. Finally putting our wedding photos on a disc. I will post some in the near future.
9. Relieved that everyone likes their place at school.
10. Wishing Sydney would stop crying herself to sleep at night. She misses sucking her thumb. It was time and the orthodontist put in a scary appliance to help her stop. I might give her Benadyrl tonight. Tonight is the third night.

Duty of the Student

It is the duty of the student

Without exception to be prudent.

If smarter than the teacher, tact

Demands that he conceal the fact.

Edward Anthony

Hurray, the kids went back to school today!

Wait....that means I have to be productive.

Top Ten Thurs.

10 Things you may not know about me...

I'm a dental hygienist with a current license.

I loathe intolerance.

I have a thing for nice cars.

I have a piece of chocolate every day.

I love dogs. They just get me.

Having a clean castle is important to me.

I prefer baking to cooking.

I would love to be an inter designer or stage homes for sale.

Music is a huge part of my life. I want a grand piano some day.

Fall is my favorite season.

The Impossible is often the Untried. Jim Goodwin

 We are trying the impossible. While Sierra was outside playing in our yard she found three orphaned baby squirrels. One was dead and the other two have survived five days now. If you know Sierra, then you know that her parents had a hard time saying no to her about keeping them. She volunteers her time at the animal shelter and wants to be a surgical vet when she is all grown up. She keeps salamanders and snakes in her room. While changing her sheets once I found a pile of rollie polly bugs under her pillow. It was where they were safe she told me later. We had a baby starling bird last summer that she hand fed worms to for four days before it died. While we were camping on the beach she set a trap with food to bate a squirrel. She got it after hours of trying. It bit her. She let it go. We took her to the urgent care for shots. So now we have two baby squirrels. She sets her alarm to feed them every two hours. Her dedication is amazing. We will attempt the impossible and see how far things get.

Top Ten Thurs.

1. My new Dyson Vacuum. My old Dyson I will send in for repairs happily to Illinois. Our household could use two vacuums!
2. Preparing for the Bake Sale. Sierra has put together a sale for Saturday. She is focused her location next to the pool. Her hope is to drain every kid of all  their cash with her homemade brownies, cookies and muffins. The posters are ready...now bring the hungry kids! 
3. On Demand Movies...we watched Soul Surfer today while it rained outside.
4. I Love My Nanny Meg. She is the best thing for me and my kids once a week. She took them to lunch yesterday and bowling. She is worth every penny. I got to go to lunch with Ben at Red Lobster followed by a massage from Liz...my other favorite person. It was a great day. 
5. School Supplies. I love new markers, crayons and paper clips. 
6. Good old fashioned Books. You know the ones you turn pages in. I still won't read one from my ipad. Call me old fashioned I don't mind. Almost finished with Eric Larson's  In the Garden of  Beasts. Good historical read.
7. Hoping for a weekend with Ben. Our 19th Anniversary is in just three weeks. It has been a great ride.
8. Needing Nothing. Feeling Content with everything and everyone is a great feeling.
9. Praying that Sierra and I will survive Middle School. The real world is a scary and mean place sometimes.
10. Loving Ben. He shows his love in fabulous ways. He left a love note taped to my mirror today. He surprised me with a pineapple smoothie last night. I am one lucky girl and I realize that every day.
11. 
    

I.miss.my.garden.

This is our first year without

a big garden and I miss it terribly!

Lemonade????

Life gave us Lemons

So we made Lemonade.

Lots of Lemonade!

Sydney set up and took down this project all by herself

She waited for customers and was very persuasive.

She also was very kind and patient with her little brother!

Celebrating Utah's Birthday

 July 24th Parade in Dinosaurland

 Grandma and Anna

 Sierra Nicole

Sydney and Dillon in the Parade with Grandpa and his

Farmall Tracker.

Yes, Sydney loved the attention.

Sensational Summer Vacation

We had so much fun in Carpinteria this year.

Easton was absolutely fearless..that made it hard on my heart.

He would disappear under a wave and I would wait...wait..wait..

finally I wrapped a buggy board to his wrist.

Sierra set a trap at the beach for a squirrel.

She was bitten and had to go to the urgent care for a shot.

She is no longer allowed to trap squirrels.

Sydney and her cousin Garty were stuck together like glue.

They are both loud and  dramatic...it was exhausting to just watch at times.

Ian spent all his hours  with a buggy board or bike.

Dillon spent much more time in the water this year. He loves his cousins.

Anna had an amazing collection of shells and crabs. She also made sure we hit the candy store a few times.

Ben always says we never stay long enough . He loves the sunset and sunrise at the beach.

I love the laughter and smiles. I love saying "yes" for 10 straight days.

Yes to up late, sleep overs, candy, bike rides, toys, movies, marsh mellows.