While the hubby's away the wifey will play

Russ is gone. Has been for 2 days now. He'll be back on Sunday and in the meantime I'm trying to fill up my days with fun in an effort to avoid the growing feelings of resentment and bitterness that can sometimes come when your husband is away playing (elk hunting) and you are stuck home to take care of three children by yourself. And sleep alone.

Not that I ever harbor feelings of resentment or bitterness towards my husband! Oh no. Except when he's gone hunting. Then maybe I do a little bit, sometimes.

But I'm trying to have a good attitude this time. Because if anyone knows Russ they know what a hard worker and dedicated husband he is and I think he should enjoy his week away without feeling guilty for going. At least that's what I tell myself I think :) 

Anyways, I believe I was talking about fun filled days? Yesterday was one of them. I attend a small weekly prayer group every Monday morning that prays for our churches (church's?) Pastors. My mother-in-law is one of the ladies that attends and afterward I asked her what her plans were for the day. Then I invited myself and Blake along, as long as she went out to eat Thai food with me for lunch. An offer that's hard to refuse right? She was all for it, yeah! 

After lunch, a quick trip into the mall, and a stop at Dairy Queen for my new favorite treat: the mini banana cream pie blizzard without whipped topping (because I'm dieting you see), we decided we had enough time for a quick trip into the Goodwill. A place that's right up there with Walmart in it's suck-you-in-so-you-can't-escape draw. We found some great deals and may or may not have accidentally stayed a little bit too long so that I was late for school pickup and had to call my sister to go grab my kids and send them to the playground until I got there. Again. Just like last Thursday when I went grocery shopping. 

I love you Kelly! Thank you for working at my children's school, it's so convenient of you!

I also love you Teri! Thanks for such a fun day out, I'll pick up your dry-cleaning with you any day. As long as Thai cuisine is involved of course.

And don't think my fun day ended at school pick up. After a lovely nap with Blake and a quick dinner we headed over to my parents to visit their adorable new puppy Bindi, an Australian shepherd/Siberian huskie mix. Blake called her Bambi all evening. And then, when I was ready to head home again to my lonely empty house, guess who called? 

Russell with cell phone reception in the Eastern Oregon mountains is who! I can tell you right now that my master plan of a week of fun is working because I was not pouty and sad and "I miiisssss you honnneeeyyy" on the phone, I was happy and cheerful and "I'm so glad you're having a good time babe! (even though it's without me!)"

The banana bread baking in Mum's oven may have helped too. Oh yes, the banana bread has returned! But I was smart this time and made it at someone else's house. And I only brought half a loaf home with me too, because, I mentioned I'm on a diet right?

Monday confessional

Here's another one from back in the day... 

It's my sophomore year of high school and  I'm 15 years old. My friend Jessie and I are in love with these stick figure t-shirts at the mall, the ones where the stick figures are doing comical things with funny captions below. They were the bomb in 1995 okay? One day I finally have an opportunity to buy one and after telling Jessie that I'm heading to the mall that afternoon she gives me a $20 bill to pick her up one as well, telling me which one she wants.

Fast forward to the mall where I am now shopping with another friend, one who knows nothing about my t-shirt purchasing arrangement. I buy my shirt but somehow forget all about the one for Jessie. Not only do I forget all about it, I discover the $20.00 in my purse and believe I've happened upon a wonderful occurrence, finding money I forgot I had. AND THEN I SPEND IT ON MYSELF.

Now fast forward to the next day at school. Not only am I still completely ignorant of the incredibly air-headed mistake I made, but I wear the clothing item I bought with the "extra" money I found and then show it off to all my friends, including Jessie, telling them about my great money discovery. 

Oh heavens I'm cringing even now just remembering it.

Jessie is incredulous, as I'm well sure you can imagine, and politely asks if I remembered her t-shirt or perhaps did I just spend her money on myself instead. And then I die. Seriously, there are no depths to my mortification.

Oh how I was teased! You better believe I borrowed money from my Dad and fast-tracked it back to the mall pronto to buy Jessie her shirt. Thankfully she had a good sense of humor and was very forgiving, because good gravy I needed it!

I wish I could tell you that was the only time in my life that I've found money in my purse and forgot what it was for and spent it. But that would be a total lie. I'm pretty sure that was the only time it was someone else's money however!

Date night - R & J style

Reason #274 why Russ and I are a great match is that we both love a good date night out. We try to go a couple times a month, and they don't always have to be just the two of us either, double dates/group dates are lots of fun! Hey, if you get to be out without kids and eat without having to cook it's two thumbs up in my book no matter who's involved!

Last night we had a date night scheduled to include: 

Dropping kids off at grandparents @ 5:30 pm, going out to eat in Portland, visiting recent newlyweds Isaac & Noelle (of recent Blake's ringbearer day fame) in their new university apartment, stopping in at Dicks Sporting goods because my husband is a hunting maniac and the store was going to be nearby, and finally catching a late movie.  

When you live out in the country you try to pack a lot in when you make it in to the big City.

But this is what happened:

We left half an hour late and then I was dragged to Bi-Mart before dropping off the kids so someone (Russell) could "take two minutes" to return something which of course took at least ten. By the time we left the grandparents to begin our date we were already an hour behind our original schedule. No worries, we're not really stick-to-the-plan kind of people anyway so we decided to visit the newlyweds first, then go eat and watch a movie, skipping the sporting store altogether (oh bummer. Or not.)

And then this happened:

We enjoyed our visit with Isaac and Nollie so much that we stayed "longer than we had anticipated" and then roped them into the rest of our evening plans, dragging them with us to eat at what was now 9:00 pm, even though they'd already had dinner. Then we drove 1/4 of the way back home to get to the theater with the latest show time possible, enjoyed ourselves a fun movie (don't listen to the boys, just ask me and Nolls :), before driving back up into Portland to take the newlyweds home and then turning back around and coming home ourselves. AT TWO O'CLOCK AM. 

AND WE LOVED IT!

I'll tell you why:

When you've known and loved two great kids since they were just little, and watched them grow into wonderful young adults, making great decisions along the way, and then they get married and you get to go out and enjoy an evening together as peers, it gives you a very satisfied feeling! We're proud of them in a we-had-nothing-to-do-with-it-but-got-to-watch-it kind of way.

PLUS: after passing the same locations 4 times in one night I now feel secure that I know how to get to at least one more place up in Portland! Always an accomplishment for this directionally-challenged mama.

Yeah for Red Robin steak fries!

and this one just makes me laugh :)

Dear I & N (IN!),

thank you so much for being great hosts,

skipping your sporting event,

and hanging out with us a-whole-decade older folks.
You guys are fun!

And don't worry, we won't tell anyone about how we LAUGHED OUR HEADS OFF at you both strapping yourselves in on opposite sides of our car's backseat instead of next to each other because you're still getting used to this whole newlywed business. It will be our little secret :)

Love, R & J

Something's not quite right...

Have you ever had one of those days? You know, when things just aren't "fitting together" the way they're supposed to, when nothing seems to be going right? 

Blake feels your pain. 
 

"It's okay little buddy, Mommy will help you. 

Wait a sec, these are Cooper's... where did you get them?!!"

Please Jesus not the dirty laundry...

Actually, I feel your pain. 

What I Wore Wednesday - camp edition

I'm missing a few pics but here is my camping edition of What I Wore Wednesday, started by Lindsey over at The Pleated Poppy. After doing this weekly for, hmmm, 8 weeks now? I would like to report that it has helped me immensely with my goal of not wearing sweats and pj's every day that I'm home (which is often). Yay for WIWW!

Thursday: packing for camp

blue tank: Old Navy

pink cami: Diviine Modestee

cuffed jeans: Old Navy

flops: Nike from Fred Meyers

Friday: off to Foster Lake for a glorious 4 days at family camp

pink tank: Aeropostale

white cami: Diviine Modestee

skirt: Target

flops: Fred Meyers

Saturday: bike riding on my sweet vintage Schwinn cruiser

tank: Old Navy

tankini swim suit:  Macy's several years ago

capris: Union Bay from Fred Meyers 

(bought fresh out of high school, oh, 13 YEARS AGO!)

flops: Fred Meyers

Monday: Gotta love sweats.

tee: Old Navy

white cami: it's the Diviine Modestee one again

baggy sweats: my fave and from the Goodwill

Tuesday: back home and back to school! (for my 2 oldest children)

top: Maurices

cami: yep, same one. Don't worry I do wash it! Plus, I have 2 white ones!

jeans: Gap from Goodwill

suede flats: Goodwill

earrings: Forever 21, bracelet: Bass outlet

A word about my camis that you see in Every.Single.WIWW post. So I have a large chest alright? And any cami with a built in shelf bra is useless to me, the shelf inside is never tall enough so it pulls the whole thing down. Giving me serious cleavage issues. Which I am opposed to. Because I have a large modesty streak in me. And don't care for the floozy look. (No offense if your tastes differ).

Several years ago, when layering was just beginning to come in style (hallelujah), I saw an ad, in a scrapbooking magazine of all places, for Diviine Modestee.com and thought I'd check it out, even though it had a seriously weirdly spelled name. I then bought a billion cami's (ok, about 10 over several months), loved them, and to this day continue to wear them with EVERYTHING. 

Since then I've discovered Shade Clothing, Mod Bod, and DownEast Basics (my fave), which are much better clothing sites in my opinion, but I still love my Diviine cami's because they are straight across the top and the straps are widely placed. AND over the years they have held up beautifully. I'm hooked.

Gotta love them Mormon entrepreneurs and their modesty :)