Friday, December 31, 2010

The End

Today is the final day of 2010...
2010 gets mixed reviews from me...

There certainly was laughter and joy
There are wonderful friends and fun memories
There is love in the family

We have a home
We have love
We have each other

But there is also heartache
Family members that have pulled away
jobs that are lost

Milestones were reached
Josh turned 16 and learned to drive
My baby became a teenager
My husband found out just how tough this job market really is.
I made it to South America and was hired again at CAA

We almost moved to Florida or as I like to call it "a god forsaken sandbar"
But we didn't :)

So today is the first official day that Jeff does not have a job.
He went in yesterday, cleaned out his desk and said his goodbyes...

We really didn't think it would go this way...
There was a year to find a job
and now that year is gone...

Sometimes life just really stinks
there is disappointment
there is frustration
there is anger

Sometimes its really hard to hold onto HOPE.

When
All your efforts
All your planning
All your scheming
Doesn't produce a thing...

So that's all that's left to hold onto HOPE

So out with the old and on with the new...
I'm really hoping 2011 has good things in store!

Frychik

Thursday, December 30, 2010

Pictures



It's been a busy and frankly exhausting few weeks...
I'm running low on enthusiasm for blogging
So today is just a collection of some of my favorite pics from the past two weeks
I hope you enjoy














Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Snow?

Right now, it's snowing outside my window.

I love snow...
I really hope we get tons of snow

But I know we won't.

I'm not gonna write much...
I need to go do my snow dance...

Have a snowy day!

Frychik

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Random Thoughts

1.  Christmas is over - why is it the day after Christmas I want nothing to do with Christmas?  The days before I was tempted by the Christmasy items in the store.  But now that they are 70% off they hold no appeal what so ever.  Christmas is over! Let's move on!

2.  Christmas is over - What?  Already?  All that anticipation?  All that waiting? How did that happen?

3.  I have discovered that nun bowling is really, really fun! I'm sad that this is not my own game.  I want one!







4.  New Years is coming - Who cares?  Never really got into this "holiday" and I'm getting to old to stay up that late!

5.  Next week school starts again - this is good if you are a parent....

6.  The weatherman is saying it might snow tomorrow...the weathermen always break my heart!


7.  Tyler has a new electric guitar, I'm proud of him for saving his $$$ and I'm thankful to friends and family who gave him $$$ for Christmas so he could get it.  I'm not excited about going to sleep to the sound or waking up to it...  Anybody want to donate for a sound proof studio out back?

8.  I am seriously considering spending $200 on a class at the gym.  Yes, it's a weight loss challenge.  I'm competitive, it might be the motivation I need...but $200????

9.  The Thursday before Christmas I became the not so proud owner of a gold fish....I have a hard time choosing wisely during white elephant games....Thankfully 2 min later it was taken from me...




10.  That same evening my son became a pirate....

11.  My husbands GRANDPARENTS came for Christmas...They are amazing! Ty is their youngest Great-grandchild at 13.



12.  In Feb they will celebrate their 71st wedding anniversary!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I can't even fathom that!


13.  Christmas is over....another year in the record books...I hope you had a good one!




Hugs,
Frychik

Monday, December 27, 2010

Mouse

So a few years back I was at a pumpkin patch, Sauvie's Island to be specific,
and we were wandering around looking for the perfect pumpkin...
this requires rolling them over to make sure they are not flat on one side...

It was a gorgeous, sunny day.  There were friends along and we had spread out a bit
in search for the perfect pumpkin to load up on the tractor and take home...

I have spent many a year visiting pumpkin patches...
as you know, I love pumpkins,
But for the very first time in my life when I rolled that pumpkin over I had a horrible surprise...


A nest of mice....
They shot off in all directions
I screamed like I have never screamed before in my life...

Really! Ask anyone who was within a mile of me in the patch they will tell you...
Mice freak the heck out of me...
Don't know why....

The book "When you give a mouse a cookie"  cute mouse
The movie Ratatouille - cute mouse
The mice under the pumpkin - Not Cute!

We have had non stop partying since Thursday around here. 
Cooking and cleaning...
Cooking and cleaning...

I like to make a good impression...
I like people to feel comfortable in my home...
I like them to eat well...

So I was doing A lot of cooking and CLEANING!

On Christmas day we had a house full.  Food all day with friends and family.
We cleaned the kitchen pretty well before bed.  The only food left out was a tray of cookies and fudge
and a pitcher of apple cider...

I'm not sure yet if I'm thankful I left the cider out...
Yes, I think I am...
In fact I may have found a new way to market apple cider...

As we went to bed around midnight Sat night I informed my husband that he was on breakfast duty in the morning...

He rose to the occasion and made pancakes and we had a lovely meal.
The Grandparents packed up, kissed us goodbye and headed down the Gorge...

As soon as the Grandparents pulled out of the driveway my husband turned to me and said
"I have something to tell you that will upset you, but I didn't want to tell you until everyone was gone"
Now, I don't know about you, but I found this statement very unsettling!

"How, long have you been holding onto this information? Since Friday?"   "No", he said "just the last 15 min" 
"OK, what is it?' I asked.  " I found a mouse in the apple cider pitcher this morning"

What??????????????????

Gross, gross, gross

My husband had wisely disposed of it before telling me.

I had poured the apple cider from the original jug into a lovely pitcher yesterday, apparently the mouse had climbed up and over and then found himself a drowning victim in the sticky sweet liquid.

I literally felt a gag rising in my throat...
and then, when my only plan had been to collapse on the couch and watch Karate Kid, I found myself ripping my kitchen apart...



I had to know where the mouse got in and whether or not there were more....

Tyler walked through at one point and looked at me and said "I'm not even gonna ask why"  and I said we found a mouse in the pitcher of apple cider!  and then he said "well, you weren't the one to find it our I would have heard you scream"

Thankfully, I wasn't the one to find it.  And thankfully we didn't find more.

We took drastic measures, we cleaned and searched and sealed everything we could find. 

I was tempted to leave another pitcher out last night...
but I just couldn't bring myself to do it...

So in my version of the story "If you give a mouse a cookie"  be sure to give him some apple cider along with it....
However, if you are in need of a mouse trap I have a lovely pitcher, and I know where you can buy some
apple cider, just give me a call.

Frychik

Friday, December 24, 2010

Christmas Eve-II

I took so much pleasure in waking my sleep heads up this morning...

We woke them up an hour later than they would have woken us...

Josh still stated "it's so early" 

Oh, please...




I hope this Christmas is a Merry one for you and your loved ones! 

Frychik

Christmas Eve!

We are surprising the kids in a minute
We have decided to have Christmas this morning...

They aren't expecting it...
Usually they wake us up earlier than we want to get up...
This morning we get revenge :)

More later...

Merry Christmas!

Frychik

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Ski Day

So about 2 weeks ago some friends suggested we go skiing
on Wed, December 22...
Turns out everyone was available on that date..
We had no idea what the weather would be...
It worked out!

In these parts we ski on volcanoes...
To those of you who live here in the NW that's no big deal
but I found while living in the South this was something that was
very impressive to those who don't live near volcanoes...

I like anything that makes me feel adventurous...

Yesterday we went up to our friendly dormant/but could wake up at any minute, volcano and spent the day skiing with friends


There were 10 adults and I lost count of how many kids...


It was a gorgeous day!

I was worried about the trees, they looked cold...
Don't they look cold?


I named this picture sugar...

Sometimes I name my pictures...



But the snow and the blue sky and those amazing cold trees were so beautiful!
It was a good day!

I hope your day was a good one as well



P.S. It's Dec 23 are you ready?  It's coming ready or not!

Frychik

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

A White Wedding

This weekend some beautiful people had a beautiful wedding...
There last name is White now...
Get it White Wedding :)
After the vows, and the kiss the walked out to Billy Idol's song...
Love it!

It was so fun!
Especially because our sons are friends...


Which means these goofy boys got all dressed up and looked sharp!


Yes, ladies we are all that!

However, I did have the most handsome man in the room at my side!


 The bride was gorgeous!  And she seemed VERY happy!


Yes, that would be my son dancing with Alix and Jacob...
He's very popular on the dance floor :)


Ty was thrilled to have a reason to wear a tie...(insert sarcastic tone)
He was completely annoyed with me when I told him that yes, he had to tuck in his shirt
And leave it tucked in all night...


I'm wearing heels in this picture!  I'm surrounded by tall men and I love it!

Thankfully there are no pictures of Jeff and I dancing...
I hope...

I'm so happy for our friends! 

Let's hear it for True Love!

Frychik

Monday, December 20, 2010

Weekend Update

Busy weekend.  Naturally, it being the weekend before Christmas...

Jeff and I spent Saturday together celebrating our 22nd Anniversary
Thank you Judy and Lisa for taking on our teenage boys

We stopped at Starbucks on our way out...
the friendly barrista asked what we were doing today...
We said "its our 22nd anniversary!"
"WOW" she said...
"WOW" said the guy standing next to us...

Yes, WOW :)


We spent the day exploring...
My favorite type of day...
No real agenda...

We discovered some beauty


We stopped and had lunch here

Bonneville Hot Springs...
Lovely place!  Thanks for the recommendation Don!

Then we drove across the Bridge of the Gods...
I love living in a place where the bridges have cool names!




And then we kept going...
We wanted more snow...




And we found it in Parkdale...

It was a great day...
Full of laughter and shared memories...

Then we had some Thai food and went to a terrible movie...(How do you know? name of the movie)
We didn't know it was going to be terrible...
but it was!

Didn't matter...
We still had an awesome day!

I'm so very blessed to have married my best friend!

Looking forward to the next 22 years!

Frychik