Print your Blog Book! Yipee

Ok, so am I the only one who didn't know this. After posting 4 long bits, I decided that I should probably try to get my background back to a white simple one since I planned to print off all 120 posts to put into a journal since I am so bad at keeping my real journal and well pictures are so much better at telling stories than just words. I am also bad at keeping up with scrapbooking and end up spending a week catching up on a year or two.

Anyways as I was looking on cutestestblogontheblock.blogspot.com for my background, I noticed the book option. Really I can just print it for 25-25 dollars for 20pgs, plus 40cents a page after that, yes for 120 posts that adds up to $57. Sweet. I know what I am putting on my Christmas list. That way I can have from 2008-2011 in one book and say goodbye to scrapbooking for a little bit. No it isn't the same, but at least I won't feel bad for missing a year or two in the scrapbook because I have most or some of the important moments documented here on the blog. YIPEE! If you are like me and want to print it, but don't want to ruin your own printer, Check it out! I'm so excited! Can ya tell?

And yes I have been at the computer most of the day. But I have all three kids in school and I justify it by saying that I take breaks to do things. Things like 2 loads of laundry, vaccum the whole house,, tape countless home videos to dvd, dishes, walk the dog, empty my purse and shake out the loads of cookie crumbs and trash, and actually get dressed with make-up and deoderant (to justify that I do do it daily, but I'm adding it as something to make my list look longer). Since Kowen has started school, I should of had several chapters written in any kind of book, or learned a song on the piano, reviewed sign language or spanish, or well something productive, but not. I spend most of the time cleaning, searching internet for the hope of a wonderful house for sale so we won't have to build one, or coupon and shop. Oh well, one day.

But today I found this blog book idea and am so glad, it will save me so much time and look a lot better than my printed, hole punched, plastic sheet binder idea. I am so glad. Well, I'm off to add to my list of do's so I can justify the long list of not done things. May you find something today that makes you smile too!!!!

Puzzles and TOFW

So Dad decided to do a 500 piece puzzle, maybe more one night and Kilee was going to help. She got to help with the border and gave up. Cliff stayed up til who knows when and had half done.

Then he got off early from school and worked on it some in the afternoon and was done. I on the other hand wouldn't have undertaken such a hard puzzle with mostly gray or white pieces. He definately has more patience with some things than I do. More power to ya!

I was able to attend my first Time Out for Women even. It was fun. Even though I really knew no one and all the ladies kept calling me the youngin and talking about menopause, it was fun. Was glad it was only an hour away in Cinncinnati, technically south in Kentucky but oh well. Not sure I will travel any far distance like others who came from Michigan and Phoenix, and Florida, but glad to have gone and gotten a break. Not counting the time in the hospital with one while others at home with Grandparents and Cliff, or the two days or so Cliff took them to his folks while I threw up at mine pregnant with Kowen, or the 2 days Cliff and I got away last summer after Kilee's baptism, this was my only retreat in almost 12 yrs of marriage and the few days to myself. Wow, I should get out more. But I missed them and Daddy had a cake waiting for me and I got lots of hugs and kisses when I returned. Gosh, less than 24 hrs gone and they act like it was a long time. Oh well. It's good to know I'm loved.

Kowen 5th Birthday!

My Baby is 5 years old. Boy does time really fly by. His hair has grown back some and he is just so cute for a 5 year old, don't ya think. I had his birthday all planned. Seeing Jeni's Mario party ideas, I was all set and ready to do the Mario party. But Kowen didn't want a Mario party, he wanted a Lego party. So it was back to the internet for mom, searching for more invitations, games and ideas. He is a stickler for what he wants.

This is what he got. A lego man, with mario and luigi legos. Those are candles in the lego mans hand if you were wondering. I don't know why Cliff put them there, but I guess he was avoiding stabbing him in the head. I frosted this cake as the guests were arriving. Literally. I froze the cake and didn't bother taking it out before going fishing for 4 hrs and then home. So I was able to avoid too many crumbs mixing with the frosting, but was secretly praying it wouldn't be frozen when it came time to eat it an hour later.

This was his actual bday picture morning. His party was a week or so early bc of conference and other things.

We were able to take rainbow cupcakes and goodie bags to his class and donate a Dora chutes and ladders game that they can use for counting and some books they can read in class. It sure was interesting to watch the kids have to put their hands on their heads when they were ready and quiet. Kowen is doing well and in the group that is already reading small books. Go Kowen. And they said you should wait a yr before Kindergarten. You showed those psychiatrists that they didn't know what you could really do if given the chance.

I was so glad that the cucakes turned out well. However it took so long to do the 6 or 7 different layers of colors, I don't think I will do so many again, they will have to settle for a 2 or 3 color tye dye cupcake instead. Happy 5th Kowen!

Beards and Fireworks

So the housing office threw a kids fishing tournament. We ran out and bought 2 of the cheapest fishing poles that come with all the necessary equipment we could get away with and got up early and set out for a wonderful day of fishing. Too bad it didn't turn out that way. One of the reasons you don't buy cheap poles is bc with kids who don't know how to throw a fishing pole and release it, sure tangle it up alot when it never worked right in the first place, but you couldn't exchange it in time before tournament, but gladly did after all the hassle. Another reason it wasn't so good was bc we didn't catch a single thing, but it wasn't just us, most everyone didn't catch anything. One family caught 2 in the 4hrs of time and they of course won both age groups for largest fish. There were two other fish caught during that time and one tree branch. Yes I said branch. We hear screaming and yelling from the girls and their mom just beyond Kilee and wanted a big fish too. However as they continued to walk backwards and backwards up the hill, instead of realing it in, we all soon laughed as a tree brach of good size emerged. They were lucky enough to win a prize too, just bc there were no other fish caught. And everyone needed that one laugh. Well we ended the morning on a bad note, but then ran off to Kowen's bday party and I frosted the cake as the guests arrived, but I'll post that next.

All pretend smiles, but at least we weren't putting worms on the hooks, just hot dogs and cheese. She had more fun playing with the stray dog that came around and ate her hot dog. She was sad after the owners finally came after about an hour later. Oh well. Momma wasn't keeping it anyways.

Kandon got initiated into scouts and I send dad up with him so I could capture a picture of his beard. Not many times in an Air Force career can you sneek in not shaving for a while. Oh well, of all the people to get on to him, it was the AF Dentist who told him to shave. Oh well, another dream shattered. He claims he was going for the mullet look, ha not likely.

Wanna Kiss mom, I promise not to smear it all over you. No thanks, but I'll snap a pic bc you are so cute.

My hairy boys at a Lonestar Concert at the AF ?(Airplane show). It was fun, not the part where I lost Kowen after he left the bathroom area instead of waiting for mom and mom had to run around and finally ask an AF man if upon his high tower chair could he see a long haired boy in a red shirt. Of course he knew just the right one to look for and told me his partner had just taken him over to the lost and found station. So I chased him down before he was able to put his name and pic all over the big screen and I feel like a worse parent. Oh well, at least he was safe. We enjoyed lots of expensive not so good food and loved the fireworks and hearing dad sing songs along with the band. We danced, despite everyone looking at us as we looked crazy and were among the few dancing. Then walked all the way across the street, and down back home with kids whining their feet hurt, carry me.. but no mom took off running and we ducked behind other homes and around corners and Kilee and I won. Yep we beat the boys home. It kinda helped that they didn't see us coming for most of the run, which means we were far behind to start with, but we squeezed the win in anyways.

And here is another pic of Dad with a beard. One of the few he will ever have. Just when I was getting use to the look. Its like a different man. But I like the smoother feeling man too.

Catching Up!

Okay so I haven't posted much and I have time, so here it goes. I actually tried posting last week and typed it all up then tried to add pics without saving and it froze. Of course, I should have saved first and remembered to add pics first but I didn't. Anyways.

Catching up! Over the summer we moved to Ohio and the kids enjoyed the pool, alot, but not as much as Hawaii bc of the oceans, diving boards, and slides at the pool.

Dad entertained them with diving lessons and even little Kowen could impress the bigger kids bc he could swim all the way to the bottom and touch the grate, many times. Of course mom was not liking it bc of her crazy notion that his little fingers might get stuck and he would drown, but I had to just let it go. As for mom diving in and touching it, only once, bc her ears hurt really bad afterwards, yes that was my excuse and I'm sticking to it.

Moving In day was fun for the boys bc they got to make a fort with the paper that was used to wrap the outside of some items. Yes I said some, this is only one of many piles. Can you say wasteful packing by movers. Oh well, at least almost nothing got ruined in the move. And as far as we know everything made it, but we have alot of junk and half is in storage right now. So how do we know. Anyways the boys enjoyed running and jumping off the couch that was positioned to the left of the above pic and landing in the pile of paper. Thank goodness it was alot. Short lived bc movers took it for room to unload more stuff. That was 14 wood crates. Yep that was a lot of crates, but in our defense, the surfboard counted as one and a long table as another, so technically we only had 12, oh and a motorcycle as one, so 11. But bc most was toys, it seems like a whole lot, and it is. Oh well, I tried to purge, but not so well I guess.They even crawled in some and hid, mom decided to stay outside and watch them just in case the movers forgot they were there. They were very nice men who actually kinda played a little by talking to them and pretending to give them missions and bullets. How kind of them.Fall has set in and the kids were able to see the leaves fall off the trees. For Kandon's good deed for scouts, he raked the neighbors yard that was covered in leaves. Oh fun. Not. But glad he did it cheerfully. He also took this pic for one of his scout photography lessons.

Here is Kandon's I, Freddy book report mobile. It is hard to see, but if you look back at other photos, you will see long hair to his shoulders and over his eyes. We finally gave in and realized we weren't in Hawaii anymore and he needed to get a hair cut. This is the outcome. I like it since it has grown out some lately, but that is just me.

Kowen got a haircut months ago and boy am I glad it grew in. It is a crazy story. Cliff took Kowen for a haircut. I sent a picture, yes a picture so he could show the lady that I didn't want all his long beautiful blonde hair cut off. I love the surfer look on him. Oh it was a sad day for all. I mean Cliff showed the lady the picture and said just trim up his eyes and around the ears, keep it long. He didn't want me mad at him. hahaha So the lady says she can do it and Cliff sits down. He watches her cut his bangs, alright. Everything is going well, then she pulls out the shears and starts using them. Cliff is now thinking ok, she knows what she is doing I guess and watches as alot of hair falls to the floor. And all of a sudden she is shaving it around his ears high and tight. What the heck. He gets up and talks to her about how in the heck is that anything like the picture. Whatever, we can't glue it back on, so just fix the uneven mess of a haircut so we can go. She then proceeds to hack away at his already perfectly cut long bangs and this is the result. Cliff then is so upset with her bc not only is this not anything like the picture, but it isn't even a presentable haircut, and not I'm not talking about this picture above. He says he isn't going to pay for this haircut bc it isn't something you can wear in public. It really wasn't folks. So she says she is done and won't cut anymore to fix it bc she can't please him. Well if you can't do a haircut like a picture. Tell the person you can't and they need to wait for another stylist. duhhhhh. Finally Cliff walked over to a man stylist who was being quiet, showed the picture, asked if that looked anything like the cut he got (of course not, he has no hair left), then asked if that was a haircut anyone should have to go out in public with, (of course not), Then the man kindly said he could make it better, presentable I guess you should say, and this is how it turned out after the man saved the day. Of course I was shocked and horrified, but I held it together bc I could see Cliff was upset, Kowen liked it, and I couldn't glue it back on of course. Oh well. I knew he couldn't come back like the pic anyways bc after he left I realized he was headed to the military barber shop. What 1 haircut do they know how to do? High and tight. Oh well. Hopefully I will remember this when a year passes and we finally give in to another haircut.

Yes, we played, Pretty, Pretty, Princess game and I think Kandon won. And yes I sure do miss their long hair. I don't know what it is. Love me that long hair. I hate it when Cliff cuts it high and tight. Oh well If they are happy, I can endure it til it grows out again..hahha

This is the stray dog we found and kept for one day and then took to the baseball park and gave it away. We sent emails to people in subdivision and looked online. Then despite the begging, pleading, negotiating, crying, and whining. We gave her away to someone who said she would maybe help out at a nursing home. Adios Dog. Although you were more behaved than our own dog.

Celebrated Kandon's 8th bday with a cookie. That is what you do when you don't have another party since you had one in Hawaii and you have no pans to cook one. Oh well. There was so much sugar on that thing, they each had one, but only took a few bites and I threw them away after being in the fridge a few days. It was the thought that counted.