So Anyway...

Putting the 'remember' back in Memorial Day.

Looking at all these pics brings so much more meaning to the day.

Thanks to my brother, my dad, Jack's family members and all those that have served.

Trevor's one true wish is to join someday....he's watching Band of Brothers as I type this.

Love

Playing around with Photoshop this morning and got this image from the pic below.

And the totally sad thing is that I have totally forgotten how to make photos smaller in typepad without them getting all distorted and crap.  So I'm stuck with these huge-o pics. 

Whatevs....I'm liking this pic of us.

Today is Memorial day and I'm gearing up for grilling burgers with my sister and Vince.  Wine, corn on the cob, toothpick caprese salads, grilled new potato skewers will round out the menu.  Firecracker popsicles for dessert - FANCY! 

Since Gail doesn't have the boys, I'm hoping there won't be 12 kids running around here all afternoon. Here is JUST Jenna's usual posse:

Throw in the boys with a couple friends, and it can be pretty much BEDLAM around here!  

And I wouldn't want it any other way....(did I just say that out loud?) 
 

In Honor of the 100 degree temps today...

...I bring to the table:

THE DAY WE TAUGHT JENNA TO SKI! 

In the snow! 

Brrrrr!!!! (Actually it was about 50 degrees and we barely had to wear our jackets, but watch me digress!)

So this year was a record snow-falling year hear in the AZ and Snowbowl up in Flagstaff ran these Friday specials where you could ski for $10 and rent equipment for $10.

WE ARE IN cuz that is ridonkulously cheap.  And we are cheap. And kinda broke right now.

We started out with all the kids, and after about 1 minute, Jake =out.

He didn't even make it to picture stage...

Then after about 5 minutes, Trevor = out.

Here he is right before he scooched over to where Jake was playing, removed his skis and pronounced "I'm done."

Than after about 15 minutes, Jenna wanted = out, and I said OH NO YOU DON'T and I made her keep skiing.  Then after another 15 minutes Jenna was = OMG THIS IS SO FUN!!!  WOOHOO!!!  WATCH ME SKIIIIIII!

 First lift ride to the BIG hill.

Coming down the mountain.

The family that skis together.... 

Meanwhile, Jake kept himself entertained. 

SEE JAKE?  SNOW = FUN!!!
 
 
 
  

Deal or No Deal

Jake is obsessed with Deal or No Deal and has been for about the last 9 months or so.  He has the WII game that he plays with Kathy next door.  He has the board version that I got him for Christmas.  Most days at 3:29 we run into my room where we lay on the bed together and turn the TV to channel 15, awaiting Howie Mandel's arrival into our lives.

It's always the same.  "What number do you pick, Mom?" 

"Ummm....seven".... (or whatever I'm feeling is my lucky number at the time)

"What number do you pick, Jake"

And then Patricia and Tamika drop the ball and a number is chosen and the contestant comes down. 

We watch for our numbers to see what they hold. 

We try to guess what the bankers offer will be.  We are pretty good, and Jake soon realized how to average out the numbers and figure out how to get close to what the banker offered.

Then Jake started making up his own Deal or No Deal games.  It started on a camping trip in the RV.  He made the game out of a game of cards, setting them up like cases, writing bank offers on a whiteboard, using a cell phone to mimic getting the bank offers.

OH, the incarnations of Deal or No Deal we've seen in this house. 

OH, the money I've won (and lost) playing Deal or No Deal. 

It's been thrilling each and every time....

But BY FAR my favorite incarnation of the game is this one.

That little gray lego on the flat table in front of Howie actually opens and closes on a red button.

Here's the banker's quarters - it's up above the contestants.

 
 
 The crystals are different amounts of money.  The machine guns protect the money.  You know, from all those evil contestants.  Jake has actually revised this and the banker has since been enclosed in a red clear-brick room.  He's trying to figure out how to make it light up.  We've been to  every hobby store in the area looking for little red electric lights....

I need to get a picture of him WITH his creation and send it to Lego.  They put kid's creations in their monthly magazine and I think Jake could be a contenda!!!!
 

Miss Me

When I was getting my hair done today at the salon there were some super cute shoes in the boutique window - they were the "Miss Me" brand, which I hear also has some super cute jeans, and probably some super cute shirts, skirts, jewelry and hair flowers....

ANYWAY, thought this would be an appropriate title to return to blogging.  Because I 'miss me" and miss blogging, and miss recording lifes' wonderful moments. 

And my little family is growin' up WAY. TOO. FAST.  And it's about time I got my butt in gear and started writing it all down again. 

For me.

For them.

For US.

So the goal is this:  Post A TON this summer.  And remember this: (taken from Tara Whitney's blog this morning, and by the way in a total fluke-y tangent, we are both doing a family pic a month for the year of 2010....great minds think alike, yes they do)

Normal day, let me be aware of the treasure you are…Let me not pass you by in quest of some rare and perfect Tomorrow. One day I shall dig my nails into the earth, or bury my face in my pillow, or stretch myself taut, or raise my hands to the sky and want, more than all the world, your return. – Mary Jean Iron