Insta-weekend-confessional

It's basically a mish-mash today. A little InstaFriday, a little weekend recap, and a little Monday confessional, because why not?

(Or maybe because I got a wee bit lazy about blogging by the end of last week and feel like I should make up for it now?)

First up, Instafriday: recapping last week as captured by the cell phone cam. 

A new book from the "science fair!" (aka school book fair) from Daddy - #1 sucker to smiling little boys requests :)

Miley says good morning!

Russ came home from work early for a dentist appointment and brought me Starbucks. Possibly because he's the best husband ever, possibly because he knows I'm about at breaking point over the sheep in my flower beds!

But still, Oreo is just the cutest! 

The surprise I found in my fridge one afternoon. Blake's explanation? It needed to "get cold".

(I don't get it either.)

And now for the weekend recap: 

Friday night was date night to see Oblivion with some of our best friends: Tim and Cara, and Erik & Tricia, aka Russ's brother and sister and their spouses. Between us three couples we have 12 kids, reason enough to ditch them all for a night out!

First we went to The Ram for dessert and I'd like to introduce you to something you need to try: colossal sizzling bread pudding. FANTASTIC.

Saturday morning my most amazing and wonderful mother-in-law came over to help me move a bunch of plants out of flower beds we are getting rid of for the new porch and deck, and into different spots in my yard. Yay for an accomplished morning of yard work and gabbing!  

Saturday night was date night #2, celebrating our friend Janin's 40th at a catered outdoor dinner and bonfire. (Holding sweet baby Reagan!)

Me & Reagan, Cara, Kelly, Nicole (Reagan's mama), and the birthday girl.

Sunday afternoon was a BBQ at my Dad's for my brother's birthday (look, the mountain man beard is gone!)

Jay and Christine

The Wilson kids. LOVE THESE TWO!

Oh man was it a good weekend of friends, family, and FOOD.

Friday's date night is what leads to my Monday confessional:

After the movie finished we all followed Russ out into the parking lot because we'd driven up together and he had dropped us off at the door to the theater when we arrived. It took us a while to realize we were wandering a bit (lots to discuss after seeing that film!) and Russ admitted he couldn't quite remember where he'd parked. This led to quite a bit of teasing from all of us, myself included. In fact, I was still laughing when I said "I STILL can't see your car, babe!" after he'd announced he'd finally spotted it and we'd changed course, and it was then that everyone pointed out I had just walked straight past it while they'd all stopped to get in. 

At least Russ knew what he was looking for, I'd forgotten which car we'd come in and wasn't even looking for the right one! 

Quite the team we are, Russ and I.

Happy Monday, everyone!

Awkward and Awesome Thursday

Awkward:
- spotting a friend load her groceries into her car as you pull into the store parking lot and slowing down as you drive by to give her a friendly honk-honk and a wave, except your honk gives your friend a near heart-attack and makes her almost drop her groceries and then hold her chest as she takes deep breaths. So sorry, friend!
- making the HUGE mistake of mentioning the very routine "sac check" that will be happening at your 10-year-old son's upcoming well-child doctor visit and sending him into a full blown panic attack including tears, an upset stomach, and trouble sleeping at night. Rookie mom move, sigh.
- Our penchant for starting major house projects on a whim. Yesterday morning the outside of our house was intact. Today we have no siding or walls on our front porch.

Awesome:
- our plans for a new front porch and wrap-around deck! Please Jesus, help us finish this one quickly!
- finding white chocolate Lindor truffles in the bulk candy bins at Winco. Because they should definitely be bought in bulk ;)
- Blake's brand new baby lamb, born this morning. How cool is this coloring?!

Blake has very appropriately named her Oreo :)
- this guy getting his cast off!

 It called for a celebratory 7-layer-bar treat from a nearby cafe. For me :) Cooper picked peanut butter cookies.
- beautiful, sunny, mid-seventies weather all week long. Helloooo picnic in the park with friends!
- TWO date nights planned for the weekend: a movie date to see Oblivion Friday night and then a no-kids birthday party for our friend's 40th on Saturday. C'mon, weekend!!

Dear family

Dear Russell - thank you for taking my car through the car wash yesterday and picking me up a Starbucks gift card while you were at it. I shall keep you forever.

Dear Kendall - thank you for mixing Cooper warm honey and cinnamon for his throat before school the last couple of mornings because it helps him to not cough. You are sweeter than that honey. 

Dear Cooper - thank you for setting your morning alarm half an hour early all on your own to get up and finish your homework while the rest of us still slept. God bless you. 

Dear Blake - thank you for letting me lay in bed and cuddle with you last night for 20 minutes while I pretended you were still three and not an almost-kindergartner. I especially liked how you played with my hair and gave me my own teddy bear to hold :)

Dear God - thank you for my precious family and that there is always something to be thankful for.

A few things about this picture

1. That's one cute husband.
2. And one adorable lamb.
3. The grass is mowed in the background. Hallelujah. Four sheep and two lambs are just not cutting it, folks. (And I guess I mean literally!)
4. The grass is mowed because husband taught daughter how to use the riding mower. Hallelujah and amen.
5. There's a step ladder in the background because daughter sprayed grass ALL OVER our huge living room bay window and I spent a good portion of Saturday afternoon washing it off.
6. All our fruit trees are in blossom right now and I love them. And thankfully I can see them again now that I have a sparkling living room window!
7. This picture was taken approximately half an hour after we were supposed to be at a couple's game night on Saturday.
8. Yet here we were in the driveway, because our sheep wouldn't go in their pen where they must be shut in each night to keep them safe, because husband cleaned it out and put new straw down and one step in was all it took for the sheep to collectively decide, "Something is different here! ABORT PEN ENTRY. REPEAT, ABORT PEN ENTRY!!!"
9. After 20 minutes of completely ineffective herding, I decided to wait it out in the car and Russ decided to catch the lambs so their mamas would follow them (and him) into the pen. Thus, the dirt on husband's elbow. The lambs are getting darned fast and it took a few failed grabs and a couple of falls before catching this little guy. I'll tell you what, it's a miracle I didn't pee my pants from laughing so hard because it was hilarious.
10. What you will not see in this picture: tulips. The sheep ate them all. Which is why having sheep in my yard is NOT hilarious. Not at ALL. (But I still love the lambs ;)  

InstaFriday

Well in case you were wondering, this is where I was this morning. 

Just a little upper endoscopy procedure to start of the the day. Mmmm. Chocolate pudding :)

But let's review the rest of the week, shall we?

Last Saturday: putting together my Project Life album at Scrap Around the Clock. 

LOOOVE this event. 

Monday: Field trip with Cooper to the End of the Oregon Trail Museum in Oregon City. 

Where I forgot to pack and bring our sack lunches along as we were instructed, and then discovered I had no memory card in my camera. You know, one of those really awesome Mom-moment days.

Thankfully I had my cell phone camera so didn't miss the candle making ;)

Or this keeper. (Yes, Cooper bought a raccoon tail hat. And made his candle into a snazzy mustache.)

Cooper had to miss school half of Wednesday and all of Thursday due to a loud hacking cough, which meant another child to corral while out grocery shopping yesterday. Sadly, any benefit of having a bigger helper along was pretty much negated by that pesky cast! Still, When Cooper told me in the Target makeup aisle that I was prettier than all of the models on the display pictures, I was kinda glad he was along ;)

As you can see, Miley's cunning plan to assimilate herself into the flock is starting to work. Next step: jumping and frolicking with the lambs! (Although it looks like Hazel in the background may not be fooled.)

When Mom forgets to check children's pants pockets before doing laundry, even small bibles can suffer. OOPS.

I received this picture of my sister and I in the mail today, inside a thank you card from a friend whose wedding we attended last December. Forgot all about that fun photo booth!

Have an excellent weekend!

Your Monday morning updates

We have three new sheep in the fold: Hazel and Sugar (Kendall and Blake's new ewes), and a brand new baby lamb born last night to Hazel! Sugar is also pregnant so when she lambs we'll be up to seven sheep total. Yikes.

Left to right: Millie the lamb, Shadow, Rusty, Sugar (black), and still pregnant Hazel (white).

Hazel's baby this morning, not even 12 hours old

Here's their pen/stable/shed/whatever you call it. Complete with light and radio that are both turned on at night to keep coyotes away.

In non-sheep related news, I spent the weekend here:

SCRAP AROUND THE CLOCK!

Running the registration table

The pink brigade: Karyn, Kelly, Linley, Annie, myself, and Gaylen

What I worked on... my project life album for 2012

Total blast of a weekend. We had 52 ladies attend this year and we are already planning our fall scrap in October!

And in non-sheep, non-scrapbooking news, my mother left this morning to finish her dream, walking the entire Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). Last summer she hiked 1,450 miles from Sierra City, California to the end of the trail just over the Canadian border. This morning she is on her way to San Diego to start at the Mexico border and hike the 1,200 miles back to Sierra City. Her goal is to complete the trip by the end of June.

Headed to the airport with her backpack. Dad is mailing her resupplies to stops along the way.

I'm 15% waaaaahhhh, and 85% Go Mum!

(Not really. She has my full support. And demands to never leave for longer than two weeks the rest of her life. I've made it very clear.)

We had a farewell BBQ for her yesterday and celebrated with banoffee pie, which is my new favorite dessert in the whole wide world. 

And that was the weekend! Happy Monday, folks :)

InstaFriday

I sure appreciate everyone's sympathy yesterday. Thanks. We are feeling much better and are adding a few more girls to our flock, tonight! Here's what else has been going on this past week...

Watching the sheep get sheared last Friday and keeping warm in the cutest hat on earth.

The cutest ever cake at a baby shower I went to last Saturday. 

Handmade by the hostess. She's got mad skills I tell ya!

Blake's "basketball" ensemble he came up with all on his own. 

Public announcement: He didn't get his fashion sense from me!

At the happiest place on earth (for a Mom)... Target! :) A little shopping date with the sister.

Cooper's still-broken arm. He got a new cast on Wednesday... and thank goodness because ten-year-old boys' casts don't smell good for long! 

Yesterday morning after we all finished our cry-fest over our sheep we decided to go out to breakfast to drown our sorrows in pancake syrup.

Oh and we took these three along, letting them skip school for the morning. 

It was a great pick-me-up for all of us!

 AND THEN... my friend Jana took me to lunch here! 

Two meals out in one day = a near perfect day for me ;)

What a good friend :) We also hit up a thrift store and the mall. Nothing like retail therapy!

In the meantime Russ worked on a new closure for our sheep pen with the help of this mini-farmer. 

We are now good to go!

Have a happy weekend :)

Coyotes

It is one of the harsh realities of country living that the threat of predators to livestock is a real danger.

We woke this morning to the heart-breaking discovery that we'd had a coyote attack during the night. Ginger and her baby and Mabel, our pregnant ewe, were all killed.

I'm sure you can imagine how hard this was to not only find, but to tell our children.

Sadly, it is not an uncommon occurrence around here, we were in fact warned that it could happen. We are working on some things around here today to make sure it doesn't happen again.

In the mean time, it makes me glad that I have these pictures from two days ago to remember them.

In loving memory of:

 Ginger

Ginger's baby (we hadn't picked a name for her yet)

and Mabel