10 on Tuesday

1. I just realized that I passed my blog anniversary... 12 days ago. It's been three years now, how crazy. I don't really have any profound thoughts about it, just that I like to blog and that's why I keep on doing it!

2. Blake threw up yesterday - without warning - in the backseat of the car. In times like these I like to call Russ at work and tell him how lucky he is to NOT be home cleaning puke out of a seat belt, booster seat, floor and door, which helps make up for all the times he comes home to find me in the middle of an afternoon nap.

3. Kendall and I are in the middle of her bedroom makeover that I have been somewhat attempting to photograph along the way so I can do a fun before/after post when it's all finished. I say "somewhat" because I keep forgetting to take before pictures. Including pictures of her room before we took everything out to paint, pictures of her old wall color, and today, pictures of her dresser before we took the hardware off to refinish it. I did remember once we had the dresser outside ready to sand, and asked Kendall to go grab my camera for me. She took a couple of shots but I decided *I* needed to do it and asked her to move the mirror she had leaned in front of the dresser to the side.

And then this happened.

and Kendall burst into her ugly cry.

4. I don't think I was cut out to be a DIY project blogger.

5. my cousin Dylan is being deployed to Bahrain next month as part of the Marine Reserves and we had a big family BBQ send-off for him this past weekend. Go Marines! (You better believe I immediately googled everything there is to know about Bahrain the second we came back home, including studying a picture map of the naval base he'll be stationed on. I can now tell you all SORTS of useful information about the island nation. Like, it's hot there!)

6. Cooper had decided he MUST run a lemonade stand before summer is over and will not let the idea go. I've been dragging my feet like crazy because we live out in the sticks so we have to find somewhere to do it and then I have to supervise, and frankly it all just sounds like effort to me, but I can't say no because who doesn't love an entrepreneur? The big day is happening this week. I'm still working on my attitude.

7. Lemonade stands aside, I'm one of those obnoxious people that thinks almost everything even slightly entertaining is REALLY FUN and then almost gets offended if other people don't think the same thing is as fun as I do. ("What?! You didn't love that movie/place/activity/game/book/trip/grocery shopping adventure... what's wrong with you?!!")

Recently I've discovered Kendall is the same way and I love that we have this in common! Yes darling, please tell me every single minute detail of your awesome church kids camp that you loved every second of and thought was the MOST FUN EVER. It took her an hour. I ate it all up. (And then Russ thanked me afterwards because Kendall lost him seven minutes in.)

8. My candy crush addiction continues. You know it's bad when your children ask what level you're now on and then roll their eyes at you because you've reached level 200. Shoot, even I'm rolling my eyes at myself.

9. As I type this post (possibly in the wee hours of the night) deer are crunching apples from our fruit trees QUITE loudly right outside our open bedroom window. Kinda cool, mostly freaky sounding. I'm definitely going to close the window now.

10. Good night! (Actually, good morning :)

Sunriver (Yes I'm still talking about it)

Hey did I mention last week that we went on a vacation to Sunriver? ;) I mean before I dropped off the face of the earth? 

(Blogcation. It's a thing.)

Well I'm back with pictures. OH YES. A LOT. 

^^Is Emily not the cutest?!!^^

^^Sure, we may look relaxed. In truth we just biked a mile and a half uphill to Fort Rock Park and we can't walk^^

(Please excuse Blake's sad "I don't want to go home" face... it's what I was doing on the inside...)

And thus concludes another year of vacationing with our favorite friends in Central Oregon!

Until next year, Sunriver!

Checking In...

It's been rough, but we are surviving Sunriver ;)

Be back soon...ish.

InstaFriday

Late night blogging from Sunriver (land of most excellent vacations) so I'm gonna keep this short!

Rockin' my third day hair while driving kids (and dogs) around. I'm the queen of the summer messy bun!

Summer nights are the best for meeting friends at the track to walk/run/ok mostly walk.

Currently at 28 miles this month.

I'm a sucker for anything with the words BBQ and PULLED and these little sliders from C'est La Vie were as delicious as they look. 

Family game night! Made even better by peanut butter and chocolate chip crescent rolls warm from the oven.

New braces! Looking happy because the pain hasn't hit yet!

My Mom's Notes girls! Shay, Joni, Tricia, Amy, Cassi, and Kourtney. Missing Jana & Cristy (and myself).

Between the 9 of us we have 26 kids, and one on the way! We meet once a month and it's my favorite.

Vacation hoy! We hit the road today with these three cuties in the back seat.

Russell and I pounded coffee in solidarity before taking off... four hours in a car with three kids? We can do this!

And we made it just fine :) Happy weekend!

Awkward and awesome!

Awkward:
- Daughter needs braces. Daughter gets separators in back teeth in preparation. Separator falls out so daughter tries to jam it back in place and pushes it down too far. Gum eats separator. Dr. has to perform minor surgery to remove it and reassures daughter, "don't worry, do you know how many times I've had this happen during my practice? ...NEVER. This is the very first time!"
- Waking up (on a semi-regular basis) to find your arms raised straight up in the air towards the ceiling, one arm gently stroking the inside of the other from your wrist to your elbow with the tips of your fingers because it tickles. IN YOUR SLEEP. What the heck, arms?!!
- Waking up to find yourself in the middle of the above sleep escapade at women's retreat, in a room with three other women. Because that's not incredibly strange looking or anything...
- Getting caught by the kids eating secretly hoarded New Zealand white chocolate that you don't want to share so you quickly stuff it down the side of your chair while they try to guess what that white square they thought they saw was... "was it those white cheez-it crackers?" Well it did look kinda like that so you answer, "that would be an excellent guess!" because you couldn't have thought of a better one yourself!

Awesome:
- Sunriver vacay. It's happening tomorrow!!!
- Oregon without rain for weeks and weeks. It's a summer miracle!
- Husband's latest summer project with the kids: building a treestand/fort down at the river for the kids to play in/him to bow hunt from. Every afternoon he comes home, packs up the kids and tools, and goes down to the river for 2 or 3 hours, leaving this mama all to herself!
- Early rising children who know the TV has to go off when mama gets up in the morning so they stay as quiet as church mice with the volume down low to make it last as long as possible... could I even have it any better?!
- Did I mention Sunriver? Tomooooorrrooooow!

Pinterest party: mason jar lantern edition

So last night was another pinterest party night hosted by my friends Cindy & Shay and as usual off I went fully planning to take lots of pictures, only to discover I'd not just forgot my camera (again... that's zero for four now), but I hadn't even grabbed my cell phone!

Mum and her iphone to the rescue.

Here was our night's inspiration:

(both pics from pinterest, source unknown)

All you need to make the lanterns is a jar and two pieces of wire; one to put around the rim and one to make the handle.

<< Tracy, Linda, Holli, Joni, Shay, Nancy, Jana, & Jennifer >>

To color the jars you put a couple drops of food coloring in mod podge and then coat the inside of the jar.

The mod podge dries clear with just a hint of the color added (super cool, right?).

I decided to skip the color and just make the lanterns. 

And by "make" I mean I handed the jars and wire one at a time to my mother-in-law, who turned out to be quite handy with the pliers!

<< Shiree, Linley, Helen, Mum, Kelly, & Teri >>

Add sand, rocks and a votive candle and you're done! 

These are going to hang off my back porch and I think they're darling. 

Pinterest night success!

Past pinterest parties:

pinterest potluck

painted pumpkins

fringe scarves

Monday Confessional

What happens when I go to the rodeo on the Fourth of July:

I decide I NEEEED some cowboy boots of my own and promptly purchase a pair of perfectly worn in buckeroos off of ebay.

You know, to wear with cute summer dresses and of course when we go back to the rodeo. IN A YEAR.

(Am I a poser if I don't even listen to country music? I feel like I am...)

InstaFriday

Holy cow I have a motherload of instagram shots to share today! I keep thinking our summer is going nice and slow until I look at the pictures I've taken of all our summer shenanigans... sure makes it look a lot more full!

Nothing like Oregon berries... this was all made into delicious freezer jam - my fave.

I completed the #56milesinjune challenge, and promptly started the July challenge of 50 miles!

I need motivation to workout and for some reason this does it for me. 

More swimming at Grandma's

Love my summer buddy!

Field of flags tribute in our small town over the Fourth of July

Our smoothie maker is out again and we are making good use of it!

My favorite coffee drive-thru, especially on $2 Tuesday!

Picking new paint for this cute girl's room

And the room makeover begins! 

(How to learn to let go of your perfectionism: let an almost 12 year old help paint. Yiiiikes.)

This one's always dirty

Kendall got contacts! She looooves them so far. Next week? Braces!

After discovering we had a flat tire when we came out of the eye center, we decided to celebrate (the new contacts, not the flat tire) with some froyo conveniently located across the street while waiting for roadside assistance :)

where I'm at so far this month... not great progress but I'm gonna keep trudging along!

We were blessed with a whole bucket of fresh picked blueberries this week!

My freezer is now full and so are our bellies :) Mmmmm, blueberries!

When forts take over your kitchen...

Last night: left for grocery shopping with Mum at 4 pm. This pic was taken at 10:30 pm. We are the world's slowest shoppers!

Also, I blame Target. 

Have a great weekend!