365/120 Scrapbooking Heaven

We decided to sit in the largest of the rooms; we thought it had better natural lighting. There are 295 scrapbookers and we are in 2 rooms upstairs and in 2 smaller rooms down stairs. This is a shot of our set of tables (Lucy has her back to the camera and my chair is  the right of her head)

  Scrapbooking Heaven

This the smaller of the upstairs rooms

This the right side of our room

365/119 We have arrived

We have arrived!  We have arrived!  I have been counted down to this day for nearly 200 days!  

I snapped a picture of Lucy and Jackie, they were waiting for Maria in the parking lot so we all could check into our room.  We were surprised at the line of women waiting to register at the scrapbook room., it did move fairly quickly.  The choice of tables was a bit overwhelming at first but be rearranged a group to fit our needs.  (we already have plans as to where we want to sit next year but that is our little secret)  

Now I'm ready to start scrapbooking!

 

We have arrived

Ta Da! It really Worked

Our Sharp  R520L microwave just stopped working last week.  The light would come on when you opened the door and you could set the timer, when you pushed start you would hear a click and the timer would start counting down but the motor or fan would not run.  If I remember right this is the same thing that happened to the last one we had!  Well after a few days without the microwave we were all lost so Hubby told me to search Lowe's and Home Depot to figure which microwave I wanted.  I could not recall the cubic feet of the one we had so I did a Google search using the brand and model #.  I found the 5th  link very interesting,  it was describing my problem exactly!  I thought this is too good to be true but went about taking the casing off our microwave to see if it had the same switch.  It did!! 

This little switch, Omron D3V-16G-3C25, cost less than $2.00 and solved our problem!  At first I could not find the switch anywhere that sold it without having to buy 100 of them but after more Googling I came across this site. We bought 3 (you never know).  For less than $10 we fixed our microwave and have 2 spares on hand in case it fails again!

I was the first to try it out to heat my water for tea but MJ was standing in line to pop popcorn, she was lost without her lightly snack!

365/118 Heather, I'm missing you already!

My scrapbook stuff is all packed and waiting by the door for my big crop. I know, I know it looks like a lot, and that is why I'm taking the van! I tend to over a pack a bit but I can't help but think that if I don't have "it"  I will surely need "it" and where would I be then, at a 4 day crop with an essential item missing and I can't get the scrapbooking done that I planned on!

I'm a bit sad though, as my dear sister-in-law won't be joining me as planned.  Heather, I miss you already!!   I will be sending you pictures so you know what you are missing;) Enjoy your weekend with Lu and start counting the days 'til the November crop!

Heather, I'm missing you already!

365/117 Musician in the making?

I was tapping away on my pc when I heard banging and singing coming from CJ.  She was singing a song from JD's Ipod, something from Ke$ha I think. JD and her listen to his Ipod on our surround sound, dancing around the living room and singing to top of their lungs, he even pauses it and lets her sing solos.  She loves it and JD is a good sport about her song choices, they tend to be the same song over and over again.

I don't know why she put her finger in her mouth when I took the picture. When I went to give her a smooch for making me smile I did find she had snagged the wax drops for braces off the counter top and was hiding them under her xylophone. So possibly she was pretending to blob one on her teeth as she has seen the brace wearers of our household do. She was not happy that I took them back, the little turkey!

Musician in the making?

365/116 What's in my purse

Last week Stacy Julian challenged us to take a photo of what is in our purse.  I was not going to participate but then I thought it fit right in with my POD project, 10 years from now what my purse contains will be different and it might be fun to record this part of life as well.

So here goes (this is unedited, I just dumped and organized it, though I did removed the empty wrappers and fuzzy balls:): 

• yesterday's shopping list
• coupon I failed to use on last shopping trip
• calculator
• band-aids
• wallet
• 3 pens
• 2 checkbooks
• Tin for change, rubber banded to stay closed
• Clippers, infant & regular
• keys
• Christmas Tic Tacs
• Awesome hand lotion  from Heather-Thank you
• Tide pen
• Benadryl itch relief stick, MJ goes insane when she gets a bug bite
• Travel toothbrush
• Gum, which surprisingly is not empty
• Burt's Bees Shimmer stick
• Cell phone
• Abreve, never know when a cold sore will strike
• Carmex and 2 Chap sticks, one is almost empty
• Advil & Tylnol, depending on the headache one is better that the other
• Ipod
• Round mirror
• slide mirror, just picked it up at the dollar store
• Note book, I do not like to use the memo feature on my phone.

Wow, now what does that say about me:  I like to be prepared for anything and there are things that I could remove but don't think of it until I see it like this,  3 pens, 2 chap sticks and 2 mirrors come to mind.  I don't use the calculator since my phone has a good one that I prefer but it is a good distraction when the girls get fussy in the grocery store so it will stay for now.

365/115 Church with Grandma

Sunday Grandma picked MJ up for church. MJ asked her a few weeks ago if she would mind picking her up and taking and Grandma agreed. This was the second week and MJ just loves spending the time with Grandma. I hope MJ knows how precious the time spent with grandparents one on one can be. I remember fondly the time I spent with my grandma chatting and listening to her tell me stories.

Church with Grandma

This gave me a lump in my throat

365/114 Playing with Grandma's toys

Saturday we popped over to Hubby's mom's house to visit with his sister. The kids love to chat and play with Aunt Carol and the girls love to dig in Grandma's box of toys, most of which Hubby played with when he was a boy.

Playing with Grandma's toys

365/113 Too Cute

Friday Syd was not wanting to take off her tutu (they love wearing these things!) and was putting up a fuss about going to bed. I thought she looked darn cute in her jammies and tutu!

Too Cute

365/112 My Dancing Fairies

Thursday I had an appointment for the van at the local auto place and cringe taking the girls with me when I go there (not kid friendly) so Grammie agreed to watch them. The girls have been wearing the tutus all week on and off.  When it was time to leave for Grammie's they didn't see a need to take them off.  While I loaded up the van they flitted around the yard like little fairies 

 

My Dancing Fairies

365/111 Dusty arrival

Wednesday I was waiting in the van at the end of the driveway when the bus dropped off MJ.  I had to laugh when the doors opened and dust had not settled yet, it reminded me of a smoky stage entrance or something.  This is why I don't wash my van very often, our road is either a dusty bowl or a muddy mess, the perks of living in the country:)

Dusty arrival

365/110 Chair Ride

Tuesday CJ had what our dentist calls a "Chair ride."  It basically was a dry run to see if she would freak out next month for her first dentist visit.  She passed with flying colors! She was so eager that she would not close her mouth until the dentist looked in it!  We all had good chuckle about it, she even got a bag of her own with a new toothbrush, she was so pleased.  I just hope it was not a fluke and next month when it is her turn she does not have fit!

Chair Ride

365/109 She inspired the design

Monday MJ came home from school beaming!  Last year the Friends of the Gladwin Library posed a contest to the Intermediate school kids (3rd, 4th, & 5th Grades) to design a new logo for them.  Well, MJ's design inspired them to create the new logo (which is not the one on their site as of today).  The president of the FOL came to her classroom today and presented her with the certificate, library bag and mug all with the new logo on it.  She posed for a picture with the president which might just show up in the local paper.  MJ admitted to me she does not remember what she drew last year and like most of the children forgot about the contest, but still is very pleased to be rewarded.

She inspired the design

365/108 My new addition

Last Wednesday my HP laptop died, again!  It is an HP Pavilion DV9535nr and it has had 2 motherboard problems in the 2.5 years I've had owned it.  The first one happened last January while it was still under warranty and now just a mere 15 months later it happened again but this time it is out of warranty and will cost $300-$400 to get it fixed!  In researching my problem I found many many people with Pavilion's in the DV9500 series with the same problem,  Hey HP, could this be a situation that could warranty a recall???  They say NO but all the laptop owners would disagree!

We decided a new PC was the best decision for me and it is not an HP.  Best Buy was having a sale and I got a Toshiba. We bought it last night just before it went off sale. It has a smaller screen, 16", and Windows 7 both will take some time to get used to but I really like this new laptop! After 2 HP's I hope my Toshiba will last me longer.

My new addition

UPDATED!! Boston Marathon

I would like to wish my friend, Anita Webber, good luck, she is racing in the 114th Boston Marathon today.  She is bib # 16639 and you can track her progress with me here.  There was a small blurb in the Midland paper about her here.  You go girl, I will be cheering you from here!!!

Here are her results!!!  3:42:38  Way to go, We are so proud of you! Since my clipping of her results she has been bumped down to 511 place.

The above clip was taken the morning of the 20th, so things are being recalculated and only getting better for Anita.

365/107 Would you like to come in?

Saturday when JD went out to play basketball Syd decided to grab her chair and try to watch him.  She was blocking the door and when JD tried to get back in she thought he was playing with her.  He was trying to talk her into getting down and moving the chair.  He was a good sport about it though. She has been more curious about the door lately, on Tuesday the little turkey locked the door while I was loading the van to go, luckily I had the keys with me!

Would you like to come in?

365/106 Kite flying

Friday Lu stay the night and the kids all went out and flew kites before the little girls went to bed.  They all had a good time running around. CJ got the kit to fly once and she was delighted.  Syd chased the kite tails when they were on the ground and Lu got hers tangles in the lilac bush a couple times.  MJ was a good instructor to CJ, that warms my heart.

Kite flying

365/105 Long Jump

Thursday JD had another track meet. He only ran the 2 mile and the long jump this meet.  He finished 3rd in the 2 mile and 5th in the long jump.  He really loves the long jump, maybe because it is a new thing for him and running is the same thing he does in cross country.  He is better at running but I don't think he give up the long jump

 Long Jump

365/104 The wasps are back

Wednesday it was warm enough for my least favorite part of warm weather, WASPS!  They invade our front and back decks making nests everywhere and are annoying to all every year.  Between the gardener snakes in my flower beds and wasps all over the decks I do not enjoy being outdoors and my flower beds have been taken over by weeds and my deck needs to be re-stained.  What is a girl to do?  

I have heard that Wasps are drawn to treated lumber, maybe I can convince Hubby to go with composite lumber for our next house.....

 The wasps are back

365/103 First track meet

Tuesday JD had his first track meet.  He ran the 1 mile and 2 mile and did the long jump.  He got his team points for placing 4th in the 1 mile and 3rd in the 2 mile but not the long jump.  He will be having meets twice a week and practice every day until school is just about over, that ought to keep him busy:)

First track meet

365/102 Butterflies in Bloom at Dow Gardens 2010

Monday the kids had no school, teacher professional development day, so we headed to Midland to see the Butterflies at Dow Gardens. I did get many shots of the butterflies and the girls (JD was not into the butterflies this time) but this shot was my favorite, it shows me how much they have changed.  I get a shot of them in this same spot every time we go the gardens

Butterflies in Bloom at Dow Gardens 2010

Below is the 2008 shot, they look so young, where does the time go?

365/101 Chalk artist in training

Sunday JD took CJ out to play with the chalk she got in her Easter basket.  He did more of the drawing and she did more sitting and crawling through his drawings.  They were both perfectly happy with the arrangement.

Chalk artist in training

365/100 Squinty eyes

Didn't we buy him glasses to prevent  this?  He is still "getting used to them" so he does not wear them all the time.  I just hope in his haste to wear them all the time he doesn't take them off and lose them somewhere in his room or school locker!

Squinty eyes

365/99 I was right

It is Michigan and with all the warm weather lately it was feeling like spring  but Mother Nature likes to play jokes on us.  It is not surprising here in Michigan to have snow in early April but it does seem odd after so many days of 70 and 80's.  The little bit of snow we did get was gone before noon and MJ and JD still worn shorts and capri pants to school.

 I was right

365/98 No Naps Soon

I took this photo to record my hard won fight for CJ to nap this afternoon. The closer she gets to 3 the less she likes to nap. If I remember this was about the age JD decided he no longer need naps as well. Today it took 2 hours and at least 10 visits by me to fix this or check on that before she fell asleep. I'm so glad she does not climb out. I do not look forward to her moving to a toddler bed, she will never stay in the darn thing.

No Naps Soon

365/97 Why I want to move

Every time it rains our road turns into a muddy mess. The county will be by once the rain stops to make it right again but I still don't like it. I so want to move to a paved road. Okay enough fussing, bottom line; a paved road is one of our top wants when we start looking for a new address. We just need to sell this house, the 3/4 finished house in the back and the property to make it happen. Anyone interested?

Why I want to move

365/96 Just like big Sis

Syd loves to play with my phone, that little dice game comes in handy to occupy her when she is fussy in public. She shakes my phone and puts up to her face to feel the diced roll around. CJ used to do the same thing, now she likes to watch the dice. It's a high tech distraction toy.

Just like big Sis

365/95 Got a sweet tooth?

My mom loves to spoil the Grandkids. The haul of candy my kids get from her at the holidays (Halloween, Christmas and Easter) is astounding. We joked with her that we had to throw Christmas candy away to make room the Easter candy the kids would be bringing home. This picture is just what the little girls got in their buckets and it is a Tupperware large That's a bowl and we have ate a bit out of it since Saturday! This should last us a few months before the dregs of what left will need to be tossed. We love you mom but the kids don't need this much candy because what they don't/can't eat I do and is goes to my thighs.

Got a sweet tooth?

365/94 Happy Easter

To celebrate Easter, we went to brunch with Hubby's mom and brother Luther at The Riverwalk this morning. It was a very nice meal and the kids seemed to enjoy it. We came home and promptly took a short, dessert-induced, nap. Hubby spent some time working from home this afternoon and then we all went for a walk in town. For entertainment, MJ spent some time flying a kite. Here's a shot of her untangling her kite while she was singing to herself.

365/93 Easter at Mom's

Saturday we all went to my moms for Easter lunch, egg coloring and a sprinkled on egg hunt. I thought I would post both last years and this years shot of the kids, beside the fact that this year they were not all looking at me, so much has changed. For one Syd was in the photo and we did not squeeze them all on the couch but they all had grown so much in one year. Enjoy your Easter everyone.

2009

Easter at Mom's

365/92 Spring is here

What can say, it is 82 degrees on April 2 in Michigan!! Spring is here! I think we still had snow last year at this time.
We enjoyed the warm temps and took a nice long walk through town. I hope this does not mean it will be a hot summer.

Spring is here

365/91 Kiddie pool

Thursday we spent the morning at the water park before heading home. I ran down and got a quick shot of the kiddie section that we most of time at. It was right before they opened so no one was running around. If you want to see what is going on at the park right now they have Web cam. I did not know of the camera until my brother called last night to tell me he seen us.

Kiddie Pool

365/90 Mini-Vacation

Wednesday we headed up north to Avalanche Bay for water park fun. We had to chance to share spring break with some friends of ours and what kid does not like a water park? We packed up to spend one night and 2 days getting wet and sprayed with water (usually by an unknown person from above us). I got one shot of the kids before they hit the park the first night, they were too excited to pose for anymore. Syd was the only reluctant one once we got in the park, the rest of the kids were like fish and did want to leave. Syd did warm up the second day to getting in the kiddie pool. All in all we had a great time, thanks for inviting us along.

Mini-Vacation