Mr. JW! Come on DOWN!!!

This past weekend we celebrated Father's Day with John's family and we also celebrated John's dad's bday, which was last week! It was great fun! John's dad is really the only father figure I have had in my life for a long time. And he is the best! My parents divorced when I was three and my father and I have had a strained relationship, and that's putting it mildly. It was nice to have John's dad there to give us advice, support and a good kick in the pants when needed! Every girl needs a good strong father figure to look up to and admire - and he is mine!


Here are some picks from this weekend.

I made his favorite, Boston Creme pie. Or I should say I tried. I messed it up big time - the great family that they are - ate it anyway! I will have to make it up to them...and make it from scratch!






Even the dogs, Emma and Maxi got into the party mood!

little baby birdies! ahhhhhhhh!


My hanging baskets looked beautiful for about one week before birds invaded. I have been trying to get rid of them for a month. We have tried garlic, foil, plastic snakes and even more absurd things. But today...I found out why the birds wouldn't leave.

There are three little babies...and the mom is pretty protective. Now I am not completely heartless - so I am willing to sacrifice my hanging basket this year!

Time to vent.....
(feel free to ignore this blog)

UGHHHHHHHHHHHH! DOUBLE UGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! My life is completely crazy right now and instead of burdening my husband with all my worries....I am going to put it out in blog world. I have heard that writing it down can make you feel better and I haven't really vented in awhile - so here it goes.

I am sick of the rain! We have hired a painter to paint our house (some rooms inside and the whole exterior) and he finished up with the interior last week due to impending rain. And now this week is going to go by and my house is still not painted. UGHHHH! Typically I love the rain and the wonders it does for yard/garden - but not right now! I am just frustrated!!! Rain rain go away- Come again some other day, err week, err month!

Which leads to my next frustration - we are moving out of our house for two weeks. We are having some floors put in and two bathrooms completely gutted. So not only do I have to pack my whole family up (not bad just labor intensive) - but I have to pack up the rooms the workers will be in. And of course - they are the main rooms of the house! The kitchen, pantry, family room, guest bathroom and master bathroom. UGHHHH! I hate packing and moving things. They are moving the large furniture - but I prefer to move some things myself - you never know how delicate they are going to be. So that is on my list of to-dos.

Then during our upheaval - I am helping run a Toastmaster Conference at the Cornhusker for hundreds of people from all over the country and Canada. And now we are getting down to the wire and people's true colors are coming out. I love the planning part and working with the hotel - I DON'T like dealing with people who think they know everything and treat me like a child because they have known me so long. My mother is a Toastmaster and I have been around the organization since I was 11. I joined when I was 18 and everybody still treats me like a kid. It probably doesn't help that my mom and I work so closely together- so you get that mother/daughter vibe - but I am 27 for goodness sakes! I CAN MAKE A DECISION OR TWO! UGHHHHHHHHHHHH! And you want to hear something silly- some of the people involved (I won't mention names as a courtesy) are acting like the clicks did in highschool. "Well- I would rather not introduce that person - how about so and so" or "can 'so and so' and I do this together" or "can I be seated with so and so at the baquet" UGHHHHHHH! grow up people! Not only do I have to deal with all that but I also have to deal with people who had their egos damaged when they weren't asked to be on the Conference Committee. And now they are giving a crap-ton of unsolicited advice and comments and since Toastmasters is a communications organization - they have no problem expressing their disapproval on certain things. And believe me - the good, bad and ugly are being expressed.

I thought immaturity was a phase- guess I was wrong! And even though I am a very opinionated and forthright person - I have to hold my tongue and practically grin and bare it. Because that would be the mature thing to do and I will be danged if I give them a reason to judge me.

As if all that wasn't bad enough - its summer! And I am trying to be a good mom and take the kids to the zoo, swimming, to the museum, to the parks and everything else you should be doing on summer vacation. I am just running out of gas and sanity! I can not wait until June 23rd at 11:00pm- because the worst will be over and it should be uphill from there.

Unless of course...the contractors call and extend the completion date - but knock on wood that won't happen!!!

ok- i am done!

Finally, we are getting somewhere!


Our yard is finally taking shape - and it has only taken three years!!! My grandma is a SUPER planter with the greenest thumb around! Her yard is always so beautiful! My mom - not even a faint lime green thumb! She's lucky to keep the grass green! And me- well I am somewhere in the middle. But I do take great pride in my yard and flowers.

Here is a pic of the side of our house leading to the patio and back yard. All the plantings are coming in great and the asian lillies are AMAZING! (I have a hanger for the hose but haven't put it up because the painters are supposed to be over to paint the house.)



This weekend I should be able to take a pic of the wild flower garden. It has salvia, daisies, blackeyed susans, yarrow and a little flower that resembles a purple corn flower. John's parents had wild flowers everywhere at their home in GI and we had them as the back drop in our wedding- so they have a special meaning to us. They are starting to bloom- so we'll see!

He came...He tried...He died!!!!!


Trevor (my little brother) decided he wanted to take our own little burger challenge. A 3 POUND burger with bun and toppings! It took 45 minutes to cook and whole loaf of Italian bread.

Well- he started out confident ... and we were all set to cheer him on....

The burger was great! It cook evenly and stayed together... the challenge was on....


Oh NO! Here comes the hesitation...Don't start questioning it!... Get in the ZONE! You can do it!



Well- he tried! 18 minutes into the challenge...HE QUIT! So close! He ate about 2/3 of it! I told him he could rest and try to finish it...but no!

It was fun and added a bit spice to the day! Nice effort, Trevor!

FIVE GENERATIONS!


Last weekend the girls and I went back to GI to help my mom with yard work...and while we were there we stopped in to see my great grandma - the girls' great-great grandma, Corinne Hoskins. Corynn is named after her and John's grandma - both matriarchs of the families. But I had to keep with "ynn" in the girls' names so its spelled different.

Here's a pic from that visit- she is such a hoot! She is 95 and spunky as ever!

Crazy girl!!!!!

Emma, our Australian Shepherd, is such a silly dog. Here are a few fun pictures from the last week.

This is a pic of Emma chilling in her kennel - silly girl!


And here is Trevor and Emma watching tv...I think she's spoiled...just a little!

Cleaning House!!!!!


Last week and earlier this week we had painters in our house...and I had to move a bunch of stuff so they could paint. I soon decided that it was high time for a garage sale! So this weekend I will be selling my wares and what doesn't sell goes straight to Cedars and Goodwill. NOTHING is making its way back in the house.

It will feel so good to get this stuff out of the house and actually have room in closets. My hall linen closet actually has TWO WHOLE shelves that are empty....SHOCKER! I have recently come to the thought that stuff is just stuff...and I don't need it all! I think I inherited the "its on sale so I have to buy it" gene. Because if its on sale or in the dollar isle at Target...I buy it. Even if I don' t need it...because some day I may need it. Or I stand there and think how or where I can use it because its such a great deal. CRAZINESS!

On the up side...my living room and family look FABULOUS with their new paint!!! I love being in the front room- so warm and cozy. I was in there playing the piano the other night amidst the chaos of the room- it was kind of funny. Having to crawl my way over things to make it to the piano- but it all goes outside tomorrow night...then it won't be such an adventure trying to get the piano. Once the room is cleared out and the window treatments are up- I will take a picture and post it!

We are meeting with the contractor today about finalizing tile choices and a few other things and then our floors and bathrooms will be overhauled. SO EXCITING!!!

It will be so nice to have our house in order and just the way we want it! Can't wait!

A weekend with Family


Memorial Day weekend was spent out at Davey with John's family. And it was a great weekend. The only thing to that could have made it better was more sunshine and lake weather. But we made do!

We headed out on Friday after school. John and his dad went and bought the kids a new trampoline for the acreage - one of the big square ones from Sam's Club. Which was eerily reminiscent of Memorial Day weekend a few years ago- when john's dad bought the kids a play fort. Which was super awesome and they love it... but it took FOREVER to get that thing put together. All weekend and then a few more. Even so... it was worth it and the kids love it.

But back to the trampoline... I saw them pull up with those two HUGE boxes and thought - oh no! here we go again! Well- it rained Friday night and most of Saturday morning so we didn't get to it until early afternoon. The instructions were quite intimidating- but I guess we lucked out because I am just soooooo smart! (lol family joke!)



It only took us four and half hours and one fight to get it finished. But we finished it.... and the kids LOVED it!

We also had ample wii time due to the rain... and we all had a ton fun! John's parents both played and the cousins and john's brother and wife...it was a good time. I think we have some new wii converts!!! Especially my mother in law...she is pretty good too!

My house is completely torn up due to painters and contractors...so I am going insane! Next week should be a little better and I will able to blog more. I miss it...