08.24.2011 Duuuuuuuuuude!

Has it really been ALL MONTH LONG that i haven't blogged?

My heavens! I am FIRED!

Oh there is SO much that has happened. I am one exhausted momma.

The end is in sight.....the appraiser will be here Monday the 29th (YAY) so obviously the house needs to be completely finished by then. It's "crunch time" as they say. Bring it on.

Also, school starts Sept 6th -- right after fair week. So yay for FAIR. And double yay for school starting. This mommy needs a break from 4+ kids 24/7. I have a newfound appreciation for childcare givers. They are SAINTS. I could NEVER do that job fulltime...and hoping to NEVER have to do it again. My kids will be in camp next summer if it kills me. Oh yes they will.

Enough of that. They are growing like weeds and it is exciting to see. It has been a FUN summer for them despite one often cranky momma. HEHEHE.

SO i am off to finish sealing some tiles and helping Sis clean her room so we can get the Baseboard Trim done in there. 2 rooms left upstairs and 2/3 of the downstairs still to go. We can do it!! I like the home stretch......to think....it will all be done, the kids will be in school, the horse will start more training, the barn will get built - exciting things on the Horizon!!!

I will try to get some pics up tonite or tomorrow. Love to all!!

07.30.2011 THIS, THAT, and the HUNT

The homestead and horsies are all well. Blackie is fattening up quite nicely. Luna (the piglet) is constantly trying to eat momma's food thus is porking up quite nicely as well. The kids both got some new (new to them at least but actually used) boots and 2 new straw hats. They are the cutest lil' cowboy/cowgirl on the block!

I started walking our "square" which is just over 3 1/2 miles. Day one no problem. Day two slight soreness in quads. Day 3 soreness but liveable. 4 hours later on day three i can barely walk the stairs. This momma definately needs some excercise. It felt great! And the soreness besides my overall non-fit level was really because i was interval training it...walking, then jogging, then walking, then RUNNING. The kids drug their sleepy butts out of bed this morning to come again. It's becoming a fun family thing - even the dogs are loving it - though they are 11 and 12 and waaay tired after we are done!

I am also busy online this weekend "hunting" for a swimming pool. Not an expensive, nor a plastic kiddie pool. More of an intermediate 4' hight 15-18' wide pool that we can enjoy for a couple more months then take down and store. Like this one...



The kids (including the 2 extra) need something to do!! They have gotten into more mischief than i thought was possible. Oh the stories i could tell.....

-painting with BBQ sauce on paper in Daddy's office (and ooops some of the floor!)
-using drywall mud to fully coat their bicycles
-Turning off the main gas line to the house (thankfully that was Kaden @ his own house)
-Peeing off the side of the horse trailer in full view of bystanders (the boys....simply because they CAN)
-Mud slide parties on the playset in back
-Water pitcher fights on the trampoline

There are so many stories it is almost too incredible to believe. I really shoud chronicle all their adventures. It would make for some fun stories to retell later.

Mischief makers them kids!

But it is all in fun so i guess that is what summer is all about, right?

Well we are in the home stretch now. Our home loan is approved and we just have some old things to take care of and an appraisal in a week or so. I HOPE we can be finished by then!!

One last bit...Erick will be home either Monday night or Tuesday depending on his drive. YAY!! So excited to have my boy back. Just the perfect timing too **wink**

07.26.2011 ALWAYS ...

We are getting sooooooo close to having the downstairs bathroom tile finished so we will have one more shower in this house. (We are supposed to have EVERYTHING done by this weekend but that is a HUGE stretch)

We had finished the flooring, threw in those lovely vanities (against my better judgment as i mentioned in this post, and put in a toilet.

It was a 12 foot long "powder room" LOL.

We've been moving ahead at lightning speed (...that is OH SO FUNNY - sarcasm at it's finest) adn after many torturous days.....what was once THIS -



And the back wall with the built in shampoo shelf =)



Has become THIS.....



Which as you can tell is slightly unfinished. He was supposed to be grouting today, thus by Wednesday it would be useable. But ran into a problem...
In his quest to speed up the process - he actually put an entire row of regular tile where the now empty area is. Said area being empty because he had to scrape out each tile that was laid to do it correctly.

More delay.



Big deal you say?

Well, kinda. Cuz that was supposed to have the paver border go all the way around. Also, the grout lines are a bit big for a shower....but i can deal with that.

Bigger problem is i ran all the way to Missoula last night (very cranky from the previously mentioned "diet", starting of my period -sorry if TMI- and it being like 1000 degrees) because we didn't have enough of those pieces (thank you Home Depot math genius).

I got there and there were NO MORE!

Seriously?

Seriously.

So we did a transfer from another store and they should be in on Weds. Installed on Thursday, then ready for grout on Friday.

It's times like these where i take a deep breath and remember my new custom sign i just hung up .....



Because i should be giving thanks for so many things.
-For the fact that the bathroom is that close to be finished
-that my car which was broken beyond repair is somehow still managing (just barely) to getting me where i need to go
-that i had enough of the 6x6 tile to return to pay for the missing pieces with $10 back!
-that i could load up all kinds of stuff from our year and a half long remodel project to return at Lowe's to buy other items we need to finish our house
-and that i happened by Walmart at 10:30 at night to pick up dog food and found a color photo printer on sale for $28.00. SERIOUSLY! A nice one.
-And finally, that i have a roof over my head that is only possible by the grace of God and we are OH SO CLOSE to having it and all our financial woes finished!

So remember, "There is ALWAYS, always, always something to be thankful for!

07.23.2011 It's that time again....

Ya - just an update on me. I have started my favorite diet again. (South Beach).

It is lovely.

Except that part where it forces me no sugar, therefore breaking my addiction.

I miss fruit.

It is summer and i have some lovely white Ranier cherries in the fridge.

Bye bye fat. Hello healthy.

I am at my HEAVIEST WEIGHT EVER. E.V.E.R! I think even with my pregnancies i barely weighed this much. Something had to give.

So if i am a little cranky....blame it on the diet!

And the lack of sugar. Waaaaah! LOL

07.24.2011 Weekend fun at the Arena

We have an arena just a few miles from our house. This Sunday my friend and neighbor (and keeper of the horses) Alisia and I loaded up 2 of hers and 1 of mine and headed over for some time in the saddle.

Alisia shows her horse "Bambie" in Reigning - so the horse needs extra practice.

Her other horse "Lucy" just needs alot of time put on her...as she is stubborn and tends not to "mind" her rider!



This is Lucy. This is Alisia's daughter Alexa who has to ride Lucy bareback bcuz Lexi is so small (light) that the horse can't even feel her in the saddle. But that girl has on some spurs, and strangely the horse definately minds her with those spurs on. Doesn't she look itty bitty compared to that horse?!

Then we took "Blackie" the new momma horse we have so Danielle could get used to her.



A little later DeRell dropped Bubba off. He's never really riden before. Just sat on a horse. So we led him around on her so he could get used to it before we start with his lessons.



It was a long, HOT, fun day. Thankfully the day ended with baths for all the horses and a little cool down for the kids and mommies via a hose. All and all a fun end to the weekend!