Camping and Summertime Life

 So, I guess I need to explain a bit about this camping trip... we do it every year and --we seem to have a need to "do it better" each time. :) There is about 35 or so people that are officially family~ But we always have people come and join us-- we have foster kids, and people who plan to marry one of our crazy members! We are  a hard working bunch.   Often a small comment, or request for help will involve the whole family.

 Our Uncle Bob... who happens to be a builder... (Bob the builder) had a trailer that was wired incorrectly-- Since we were all able,willing and happy-- the guys tipped the trailer on it's side and proceeded to rewire it ... by taking an extension cord apart!  Yup, we are the Get 'er done type of family! :)
I thought it was funny that almost every guy that was with our group came by during the rewiring to give their opinion, and or supervise!
                                                                             

Here are Shane and two other boys enjoying the sand and rocks by one of the fire pits... These boys were dirty from sun up to sun down... we did make them shower... but you couldn't tell.

 This guy being a daredevil on our new tube is our newest members and he fits right in!  He is in the Air force and  will be deployed in a few weeks... Jerry, the kids and I took him and his wife out on our boat... we squeezed as much fun into that boat ride as we possibly could.  Poor guy ended up with some rub marks on his knuckles and his feet.-- But the smile on his face was well worth the discomfort.

 This is my Aunt Sue,-- all week long we had a jokes going about the nuts... we ate them, we put them on the ground, we kicked them around, we fed the squirrels with them... It was all so much fun !

 This is our kitchen area... we have a master cook... Jason, who will let you help... but only if you follow his instructions. :) If you aren't able to help  prepare or cook then you are provided an opportunity to wash dishes or put away things.
We had some REALLY good food camping...  We had people stop by and ask if we were professional campers... I guess you could say we are wanna be professional campers... but we haven't found someone to pay us...yet! :)

 Jessica and Shane on the tubes out in the water... Shane wanted to slow down and Jessica wanted to speed up... (typical siblings)

Yup... there's some more of the guys workin' on the trailer.   People were driving by looking for a campsite, they would stop and ask what was going on... our.."men" were happy enough to explain just... what they were doing! ?


I am happy to report that there was only a few meltdowns... and not all of them were Shane's! :)

The week ahead~

Sometimes I wish that Friday was a lot closer, but today I am a bit uneasy for Friday--
I am going to have my foot fixed on Friday~Then, on Saturday my husband is taking the kids to our church for his Uncles' funeral--I wish I would go and pay my respects, but I think I will be convalescing at my Aunt's-- I don't think I'll be ready to be out and about yet.
Today, I have plans to go to the library and stock up on some books.Yesterday, my neighbor Jessica played with Shane and my Jessica at a park across from the hospital while I had my SUPER long check in appointment for the surgery. I think the worse part of the appointment is when they told me how much they expected me to pay on Friday.... $2300.00!  I was so shocked.... nope... no one called to tell me this ahead of time.... and yup-- Jerry was very upset-- I text-ed him the amount at work and he immediately went to Human Resources to vent. I hope that today brings new,different answers !

So, we are 8 days into no medication for Shane... Things seems to be going okay-- While we were camping there were a few meltdowns-- but nothing that was really scary. So, I am feeling pretty good about taking him off the meds.
We used a combination of strategies to deal with meltdowns--

• When all the kids were asked to move the wood pile~ Shane got real loud and complained that he "always has to do Everything... " I explained very clearly to Shane that this task was a have-to and that if he didn't start helping that he would have a consequence.  He reluctantly helped out-- I used some cross talk to help him do more-- (Shane look at Mandy, she's a girl and she has three pieces of wood! -- Hey, look at Little Tony he has a whole stack I bet you can do more than him!, let's try !)It also helped that all the parents and family members around were GREAT about heaping the praise on once Shane was following directions!  
• In the evening. Shane was getting very crashy-- he was on super fast speed and we decided that it was time for a break-- so Jerry and I worked together we took Shane to our tent, and told him he could snuggle under his heavy blanket and read, or he could go to sleep- Shane choose to read! He did poke his head out the tent a few times, but it was great to have him decompress somewhere safely and calmly!
• The kids had all planned on learning how to be a Junior Ranger-- when it came time to go and hear the lesson-- Shane... threw a fit... :(   I took Shane off to the side and tried to explain to him, what was going to happen-- but Shane was past the reasoning point -- The decision was made to keep Shane at camp with me...  And although I like Shane to have to follow thru with things, this time avoidance worked for us! ... Shane and I ended up going on a "hike/walk" in the woods...
• We also brought my ipod and that was SUCH a blessing -- I had put They Might Be Giants, Here Comes Science -- on it and for about an hour Shane was happily listening, calm and still! Joy!

While at the library today I got complemented on the kids... Jessica was sitting nicely in a chair, and Shane was on  the floor without his sandals-- about 8 books spread out around him happily laying on his tummy reading a book-- about motor cross!  These are the moments that I strive for ! yahooo!

Anyway... it's time to get dinner started !

and yet More camping pictures!

This is Ally and her dog Little bit....

I say  funky? YES!

Tyler.... had his birthday while we were camping... and he also "got" to wear this... a football that was defective and then made into a hat..

Little Becca -- wanted to "milk the cow" while we were at the Tillamook cheese Factory...

This is my mom and her sister when we went for a walk. This is a cabin that Jannet and Jeff and Ally stayed in ... Jessica got to sleep over two nights with her cousin Becca! -- camping and a sleep-over.... Oh, Joy!

Jerry is "resting" on the rocks near the beach while watching a bunch of the kids play in the surf... Jerry had a cold the whole week we were camping but he managed to still enjoy himself!

These are my cousin Elizabeth's boys... and the squirt guns that my cousin Jannet bought for all the kids-- yup people got wet and they even had FUN!

How many people does it take to set up this tent?




Please pardon, the words not matching up with the pictures... I'm not concentrating, I'm just sharing pictures!

It was a LONG week,and now we are home!

Jerry looks like he's dancin' but I think he was just trying to put on his shoes!

Grandma Jeanne got some playtime in with Shane... awwwww

Looks like some late night planning to me?  This is Little Tony, his mom and I are cousins-- Tony is a year younger than Shane but to see the two of them interact you wouldn't really realize that they are a year apart.  Tony is a large, healthy kiddo-- ! Shane had been a bit obnoxious around the campfire and so he was taking a short break with the heavy blanket and abook in the tent, Tony came in to comenserate?  

We are back! Sunburned, with colds, and sand...sand everywhere...a few bug bites,too many marshmellows and  at this moment I can't find my keys! ackkkkkk 

We all had a great time, the meltdowns were not to overwhelming-- and the kids seemed to really have FUN.    
(this is just some of the family... there were about 16 people missing this year)

Pretty sunset !






Speaking of marshmellows...I found my keys under them! yahoooo!

The Day after the last day of school!

So, Jessica needed a new bike~ her old one has worn out tires, thanks to her overzealous brother-- and a flat tire that we have decided not to fix with slime. -- We recently recieved a rebate back from Cricket-- but in the form of a credit card-- we had to use the card at a retailer- we couldn't just deposit the money in our account-- so we used the card to get the bike.  Since Jessica has her own bike, Shane has now decided that he will use his own bike-- Yahoo!  I didn't get to take his picture yesterday, but he had orange,black,and white striped gloves on-(think winter time gloves from the dollar store) - a blue coat and a helment with dragons on it... It was warm outside but he was all covered up--- (clearly he was dressed in true SPD fashion! --)

We also took the time to set up our new tent... which happened to be missing one piece, and the bag had a slice in it. After calling and going to Walmart to find that they did not have another tent just like this--! Jerry decided to buy a 39cent piece of PVC pipe at Jerry's Then after  a drill and a zip tie later we have a nice tent!
It has a door that pretty much closes on it's own...
Plus it's walls are tall and straight, no more hunched over moving around the tent! There is even a little doggy door-- which we have labeled as NOT FOR USE! -- I wonder how long that will last?

Today's baking attempt... a lowsugar Strawberry/Rhubarb Crumble

Looked good, tasted alright...
I like the mix of the strawberries and the Rhubarb --
 but the crumble wasn't enough-- note to self...
 next time double the crumble!



Next week, on Tuesday evening  we will be gone camping-- I do hope you will all miss us...err~ me until we return-- We won't be back till Sunday!

Just weekend stuff...

So, my dear husband is off hunting with his brother for ELK...
I am really praying hard that the guys are able to deal with the weather, and in turn find and bring home two Elk, one for us and one for my brother-in-laws' family.
They are over at the coast range and it's colder, a chance of snow, rain -- and of course wind.-- Jerry is convinced that the more yucky the weather gets the better the hunting--?
A few years ago when he got his ELK, our poor tent came home trashed.... but I figured that all that ELK meat was worth it!

Shane--- told me last night that I was the best mom in the whole planet, even on the planet Mars... awwwww--- I love these moments! Oh, Joy!
And... next week Shane will be in school for the WHOLE DAY just like all the other kids!
There was an Assembly at school on Friday, and Shane survived it without having to leave the gym! This year the staff is being SO respectful to what Shane needs... I am so pleased!
Shane even got a beep-beep for being, kind, responsible and safe while at the Assembly!

Jessica had a great day at school also, although she did complain in the evening about her tummy... I think she has gas... LOL, so... in my best mommy voice... hehehe I prescribed a warm bath... (with Epsom salts) that seemed to help-- This morning she says she's "just exhausted" so I am letting her hang out on my bed watching cartoons.-- Maybe later she can help me with the laundry... :) (Sometimes she really likes to help)

There is a Holiday and Craft fair this weekend at the Fairgrounds and I'd love to take Jessica with me and go, but I don't have anywhere for Shane to go -
(I know better than to try and take him with me ...)-
so unless the guys get home SUPER early...( I highly doubt it...) Then.... I won't be going to the fairgrounds... darn it... but then.. think of all the money I won't be spending.

Well, it's time to switch the laundry to the dryer.... Have a great day !

Rain,pain, and the week to come!

When Danni suggested that she take Jessica and I backpacking, I said yes, because I thought that Danni would not take her only sister in law,(me) and her only niece (Jessica) hiking to ...hurt them.

Danni is super organized, she had Jessica and I bring our clothing choices over to her house to get her... approval or disapproval... Danni does not allow cotton material for hiking... I have almost a whole closet full of cotton clothing... I looked for clothing that wasn't cotton and I found a few pieces-- Thank God for St Vinny's and Goodwill's!

When we packed our clothing, Danni loaned me two pair of socks, one was wool--- I didn't want to wear them...but I did.

The forecasters all said that there was only.. a 30% chance of rain....

They were WRONG .... it rained as we hiked in, it rained while we set up,it rained while we made dinner,it rained while we were in our tents blowing up the air mattresses, then while we slept, it rained.

In the morning we awoke to find that it had also froze the rain drops on the tents!~

It was so very nice to see the sunshine later that day!--

that is why there is the picture of me with sunglasses, soaking up the sun.

(please view this picture with your best airbrushing in mind...) Thanks!

We met many different groups of hikers --some older....some younger---but I was very proud to be apart of the group of 4 ladies who stuck it out... since Jessica and I were new to hiking, we could of whined and said let's leave NOW... but neither Jessica nor I were willing to admit defeat!

I am very sore, Jessica says she is very sore, being out in nature when the sun was shining down on the pretty water and the sky was the PERFECT shade of blue... ahhhh-- it was worth it!

One of the ladies from our church who is a healthy, happy hiker, happened to be available to come with us, which was fun-- she told stories about China, and her travels and experiences there--.

I can't say that I already have my next hiking trip planned-- because I am still working thru the pain of this one... but it was kinda fun...

When I got home my husband had done some work in the kitchen,(cleaning) he even made cookies! Shane had the privilege to play video games almost the whole weekend.

While the cat is away... the mice will play?

This week is another busy week for us~ tomorrow is curriculum night at the kids' school -- Jerry's birthday is on Wes. and Shane's birthday is on Thursday. On Sat. Jerry "gets" to watch a girl from his work...fight in a cage fight-- (WHAT?) -- and then on Sunday I get to help my dear friend Patty celebrate her birthday--

I wonder if October will be less busy?

Saving money and do-overs

There are times when I am very proud of the fact that we try to save money at our house -

• by using dial-up



• and not having cable



• by eating out only sparingly



• by driving cars, that need an upgrade or two

and then there are times that I want to stamp my foot and -- have a hisssy fit!

I like to think I am a pioneer woman...

Like Barbara talks about at Therextras ha...ha...

but I'm not .... unless you consider~ that being the third wife of a husband who has confessed to eating a...Nutria! (In the crock pot....!){Jerry told me about this ...after we were married-- it might of been a deal breaker, had I known before we got married!} :}

We went camping and I was the one who asked..ummm(demanded,with a smile) to use the cot to sleep on-- Jerry and the kids, they slept on different foam pieces and sleeping bags that were on the floor of the tent.

Just yesterday, Jessica and I got to go to a silly and stupid movie-- it was free and so we stayed to see the whole thing... we should of skipped it... (Mr Bean's vacation) Jessica has swollen cheeks, so I treated her to what she thinks is her very first Orange Julius-- Then we were off to Walmart to find some rinse for her mouth. We came home with some rinse and a package of a frozen fruit mix, strawberries,peaches.pineapple,and red grapes-- and then a with a large container of Vanilla blended yogurt.---I am so GLAD I have a blender that works well-

- It was very frustrating to me that the driver side, power window on the KIA would not work-- but Jessica's window-- it worked... lucky Jessica... sad, poor warm me... wah, wah, ... When Jerry replaced the engine after the old one died-- for lack of oil-- he "accidentally" hit the A/C line and all that cool air disappeared-- so~ no cool air for me.

I thought that I would come home and post this funny short little video that I took of Shane... --Thanks to dial-up,blogger, and/or forces that choose to work against me... I was un-able... grrrr--It is such a funny little video, we were in the truck on the way home from camping and the Beyonce song about single ladies came on-- Well, just as I started to record, Shane put his finger in his nose... and then was "dancin" in his car seat-- This is soooo funny... but grrrrr...I can't get it to upload... grrrrr

I also tried again to upload the Mr Kracker video -- from our camping trip--here on blogger and even on Facebook... No luck... grrrr...

I also have an issue I want to blog about-(because I want your opinions...)- but I don't want the people involved to read about themselves... there is a SLIM chance that they may read this...so how to blog about it... (my version of FREE therapy..) without them reading it? changing their names wouldn't be enough...

I am about ready to stand on the street corner and beg... for the ability to share some funny stuff with ...ya 'all.. did I use that phrase correctly?

People standing on the street corner are ALL over the place here in our hometown-- I want to help-- really I do-- but begging on the street corner just seems like a bad idea... Some of the people get rather insistent that your help is required -- It's frustrating to explain to the kids that we don't have any to give--and yet still show that we care.

Last night Jerry ...finally went back to work-{yahoooooo}- because of the camping trip he ended up taking 6 nights off-- most of those nights were while we were camping, but having him home after we were done camping-- really put a wrench in my plans... I love my hubby... but sometimes he gets in my way.... grrrr... He kept saying he wanted to go Bear hunting, which made Jessica want to go {but I wouldn't let her-- I do believe she is a bit young...} and Shane to be mad that Daddy wasn't playing video games with him. I just wanted to do some dishes and upload some things...

Last night I convinced the kids that watching Mary Poppins would be great fun... and it was -- once I convinced Shane that he would enjoy the movie. (he liked the beginning, the middle and the end, but not the name...)

I really enjoyed hearing the kids try to say... supercalifragilisticexpialidocious~ Later today I think I am going to see if I can "teach" them how to spell it -- and see if they can pronounce it better!

Can I get a a do-over?

A bloggy,and Facebook friend of mine is having a spinal tap... her name is Bethany, and she blogs at And God Laughs... could you say a prayer for her... or leave her a comment she could use some support.

******edited to add.. I took Jessica's blood presure this am....
the Dr wants her to be below 116/77--- and I am very happy to report that she was 91/74 !
*******our neighbor just knocked REALLY loudly on the door-(poor Jerry trying to sleep) - and gave Miss Jessica a few pairs of shoes... awwww... we are blessed !
even if she didn't need any more shoes!

This week's stuff~

Well, we are back from camping...Marina the betta fish is home--- my sunburn is getting better--the kids are mostly clean... and the laundry and dishes-- Well, I'll work on them all day today.
Today is my sister-in-law Sara's birthday-- I do hope she has a great day with her family in Ca.
My other sister-in-law Danni went hiking on the Pacific Trail and is due back late this evening...
While we were camping my cousin Serena out walked me while we were camping--- she recently ran a half marathon !!! --- and Serena's sister Jenn... went running with her sister each morning when we were camping. I do believe that "someone" is trying to tell me to get fit...?
Alrighty then,... I got the message !

I have the all the school supplies for the kids purchased and packed in their backpacks- now I either need to get sewing or find some money so that they can have some new larger,and longer clothes! The kids seem to grow SO fast...

I found a blood pressure machine for Jessica last night ... at Walmart... and it was only about $40.00 ~ Now, I have to pick up her perscription and then set 2 mornings to check her blood pressure.

I took my memory card to Walmart and I can't wait to get my pictures back there are some funny ones that didn't upload to the computer... (I plan on taking a picture of the pictures-- and maybe I can post them on here...)
I need to figure out why some pictures get uploaded and some don't... I can't wait to read the owners manual... Oh, Joy!

Stupid blogger or computer... I just tried to upload some more pictures from camping... but instead I got kicked off line... AGH!!!!

Time to shower and clean up...
Say Prayers for Bethany.. she has medical issues.

Mr Cracker

This is a short but funny video of fun times with "cousin Jeff White" while camping at Waldport KOA... Who would of thought that a grahmn craker could be so funny?

There are more pictures and a few more video's but---since we have dial-up it they may or may not get uploaded....

All in all it was a great time, some people couldn't come, some only came for a short time-

I came home with sunburned shoulders,neck and face. It was fun, but ~I am tired.

Edited to say... where did my video go?Huh? I have no idea! Sorry...