" Honey!..Have you seen my Big Girl Panties?"

Just thought I would take a moment and check in!
I have been out of commission this week with the stomach flu. It was so horrible that I lost 10lbs in 4 days. I admit I like the weight loss but that was hardly worth it. The only other good thing was that I could snuggle with my kids all day and not worry about getting them sick too :) So I spent 2 days in bed while Vern took the best care of me.He is so awesome,I don't know what I would have done without him <3

Meanwhile..a snow storm happened outside while I was ill. It really was pretty.. but only because Vern didn't have to commute to work so we stayed inside where it was warm and watched it out the window. That's about all I like to do with snow,look at it/watch it fall ...from inside a warm house!

A blog from me would not be complete without a little bragging about my adorable kids!Maxine learned at the beach that she can jump over large objects and climb! So when we returned home we pulled out the doggy stairs we had purchased earlier. Lil Miss Independent Maxi is so proud of herself as she climbs on and off the couch using her stairs! Now she can bug her big brother while he is napping too! Sorry Chipper! ha ha Now his only "safe" spot is on the bed..until she figures that out too ;)
Maxine is a complete fur ball! The hair on her head is finally long enough for a pony tail and she is getting better about letting me do her hair and brush her...which is good because I have to brush her thoroughly every day to avoid knots and tangles and I have to put her hair in a pony tail to be able to see her beautiful face! ha ha I have to mention for Grandma Ellen (the lady we adopted Maxine from and a new dear friend of ours)that Maxine has her Mother's gorgeous eyes! They are round and black with a slight point on the outsides. When we first started looking at Maxine I saw a picture of her Mother and she is an exceptionally pretty Maltese. I knew Maxine was going to be pretty also but I am pleased to say that she looks a lot like her Mother :) One last thing...I ordered the kids some shampoo and conditioner on line and I am anxiously awaiting it in the mail this week. BUT THE SUPER COOL PART?! I not only ordered it online but I ordered it online,in bed,from my cell phone! How cool is that!?!? I will also confess that I spent almost $30 on hair products for my precious dogs! They will be the cleanest,whitest,silkiest,flea free,tangle free and best dressed kids in town! I warned you I was shameless ;) I love my beautiful little family!
No rest for the weary,9 1/2 hour day tomorrow to make up for sick time lost and appointments rescheduling...time to "put on my big girl panties" and "git er done" for the sake of my loyal clients. I am not yet 100% but I am honestly to the point where I am happy to just "feeling like puking" as opposed to "actually puking".
Pray for me :)

"Do We HAVE To Go Home....?"

We're home from the beach :)
Sadly we had to leave our sunny beach paradise and return home once again :( It was a perfect February camping retreat to Sekiu. Cold camper heated with a space heater,double sleeping bag and electric blanket (roughing it I know ha ha),an outhouse with a seat so COLD you want to ring out in song when you sit on it in the morning, a small crust of snow but yet nothing but sun and blue skies...it was beautiful. We walked a few of our favorite beaches for hours and hours.

Dale's Beach,Vista Beach,Slip Point,Sekiu Beach...the sun kept shining and we kept walking. We found a few very large agates,some sea glass and a few shells.

 I collected assorted drift wood  and unique rocks for future yard projects.

 I found 2 wood knots that look like mushrooms and will be so cute in my flower garden! Lloyd was so very kind and let me pick some PERFECT drift wood boards out of his "beach wood salvage" pile so Vern and I can finally complete our vision of barn wood or beach wood shelving for our kitchen! I have been searching all over for something half as good for months on craigslist! The boards are gray and weathered with slight warps,knots and holes..so cool! For now they will dry out and air out in the garage for a few days while we figure out what we want to use to mount them,then we will fill them with our antiques and trinkets....sound cute?

So back to our great weekend...Lloyd fed us a prime rib dinner fit for a king and queen the first night and home made prime rib stew the next,we felt spoiled...and stuffed! We were sad Barb had to work and couldn't join us but she was a trooper and joined us for a few beach walks during the weekend.We returned back to our camp in the evenings and played cards until Vern got tired of losing and Rummy HA HA! RIGHT VERN?! Love you he he
Maxine did great with her new harness and leash and she LOVED the beach!

She would dodge back and forth at the splashing tide while she ran and ran and ran her little heart out exploring every stick and pile of seaweed in her sight! One morning I had her tied up while I searched for drift wood and she began to dig like a little mad woman! It was hilarious,it looked like she was headed for China! She dug a ditch 6 inches deep and 8 inches long,too bad I didn't think to record it! :( Needless to say,both dogs slept the whole way home!

The above picture is Lake Ozette,it was a beautiful way to take the long way home.

6 loads of laundry,2 long hot showers,2 dog baths and a truck wash later...we're home sweet home :)

My New Droid

Just one more thing before I escape for the weekend..
I got a new smart phone today and a new number. Please send me a message so we can exchange numbers,I lost all of my numbers when my old cell phone died :(
What this means is that I will be slow to reply to any text or voice mails for a few weeks until I master the "touch screen world" of cell phones.  I can now access the internet at all times! It will be nice to check emails,Facebook,Blogger,Twitter etc during my down time away from home. There are very few things this little device can't do that my computer can,I'm impressed :)
The phone is a Valentine's day gift from Vern. I love that he is a generous yet practical man. For the past three years during different holidays I have gotten: a camera,a gun,a power screw driver,a printer and a puppy just to name a few...ha ha I wouldn't trade them for diamonds and flowers any day ;o)

Red

Partial foil,

high lights,

low lights.

Then...

Later in the evening,

1 bottle of 8RC (dark blonde red copper)

semi permanent hair color,

all over from roots to ends.

The result..

I am a BRIGHT RED red head!

And I love it.

:)

In My Happy Place

If you need me this weekend this is where I'll be....on the beach at Sekiu,rock hunting and enjoying one of my favorite places on earth! I am on the left (yes that's a beach bucket I am carrying)and our friend Lloyd is on the right.

See you all next week!

Sharing Something Scentsational

Jessica got me hooked on Scentsy. (this is a link to her Scentsy page,it's safe,I promise :))I'd say I was mad at her for it..but I'm not. Today I added my 3rd warmer to the office. It. Was. Awesome. You start in the kitchen and smell apple butter and cinnamon (my own mix of 2 scents),the hallway and living room share the aroma of "Vanilla Suede" and finally the office is sweet and fragrant from "White Sands". It's fun experiencing the change and blend of aromatherapy and mix and match. If you haven't heard about Scentsy,go check it out! I don't sell it and I am only writing this blog about it because it's that good :) Actually it's so good...my 18 year old Stepson has a warmer and  he loves it! Just today he was over and his friend (who is 17) mentioned how much they liked the "Fresh Cut Grass" I had given him (it was one I didn't care for?). How funny,teenage boys can be so unpredictable :)

Tastes Like...Chicken?

New Mommy lesson of the week.. Puppy Poop 101.
While at Maxine's Vet appointment today I felt obligated to address an issue that was a little embarrassing. Why does she eat her poop and how do I make her stop?!The Vet reassured me it was fairly normal and suggested a product called Forbid. You sprinkle it on their food and it makes their poop too unappealing to eat. Within 5 days the behavior should stop all together The lady at the front desk said it best.."It's hard to understand that it's not unappealing enough in the first place,how much worse could it taste?!" Ha ha good times..
One day while confiding in a friend, I was saying how I didn't understand why Maxi did this,"I watch her like a hawk (most of the time),I take her out often and feed her the best dog food possible?" and my friend exclaimed "Perhaps the food is so good...she's eating it twice!" lol
I am also proud to announce that Maxine is 4.2 pounds! The Vet says we have a happy healthy baby :) She tolerated the thermometer and the shot like a champ!
OK one more funny poopy story...I try not to bathe Maxine too much but it just seems that about every other week she needs one. I was brushing her last night thinking about how I should give her a bath for her Vet appointment in the morning but I just didn't feel up to it. Later on,as I was blogging like a mad woman she came in and used her potty pad . Good girl! She wiggled off in a funny manner and I had a feeling it wasn't  so good. By the time I got around the corner she was scooching her little fanny across the carpet. "Yuck Maxi!" I picked her up to return her to the potty pad only to realize she had been attempting to remove a stubborn tid bit stuck in her fur...and now she had smeared it thoroughly into her hair. YUCK! Gag,gag. SO,at 12:30 last night I stopped my blogging and bathed my daughter.Fishing her poo out of the bath water,cleaning her ears,de-goobering her eyes and snuggling her while I hand dried her in my arms. Then,with the few brain cells I had left at 1 am I finally finished my blog and went to bed. Hello Motherhood :) I guess it can be a bit similar to having real children-Although it's difficult and frustrating at times,the love you recieve in return makes it all worth it.

Blogging...Honestly

I'm not too sure I like where I live and I have a hard time settling in here. That is hard on me. It makes me unhappy that my house is not MY home. It's not all bad but the bad/good ratio runs an average of 50/50. What do I dislike you ask? My spoiled roommate who has been enabled and disbled his whole life. I generally like taking care of people but not when I feel taken advantage of. I will not do for those who are not willing to do for themselves. I will also not tolerate mentioned roommates Mother. We clash to say the least. I refuse to accept or enable anyone to live a lazy,unhealthy lifestyle,especially those I live with and care about. She feels the opposite. Her years of guilt over his blindness and meddling mothering have created a monster in her and her son. She has no idea what really goes on around here yet she thinks she knows everything! Ugh. Today was no exception,I ran my mouth like an idiot to my roommate's Mother in an  attempt to help and she got very upset and defensive. Reality check. I live and help care for a man who is legally blind and I am not allowed to suggest possible adjustments to his lifestyle to make him more productive and independent. If I do,it is seen as a selfish unsympathetic slam on his "fragile""limited" abilities. I forgot,I have made this mistake before...a few times. THAT is my bad.She left the salon in a huff and I knew the worst was yet to come...I sent Vern a warning. Once again, my sweet Vern was stuck in the middle of it and again was able to diffuse the emotions of our roommates mother. Vern had to admit in front of his mother and brother about all the little things his brother does to annoy us. All the little things I had brought up in attempt to make her understand,not things I intended for him to hear to his face. My bad again. I feel I put Vern in an awkward situation and I hurt his brother's pride. It all happen face to face and I wasn't even there so Vern was left mediating and defending me. I wouldn't say these things to Del because I want him to think that was he does to contribute around the house IS important so he might attempt to do more. One of my petty complaints was his dish washing skills,he does the dishes (doesn't use a sponge or scrub them) and then we have to rewash them. If he lived alone he would be eating off of moldy dishes. We don't complain because this is one of the only things he does to help. Well...now he knows. Creating a big giant elephant in the room when I got home.No one wishes to discuss any of this again and I assume we will all go on pretending it didn't happen and secretly resenting each other for it. I vow to stop running my mouth about this subject to her ever again. Mostly because I hate the agony it brings my poor boyfriend and secondly because it's unproductive,so why bother. We will stick to talking about the weather.And when I need help caring for or I am concerned about her son,I will seek the help and support of someone else.
It all boils down to where we live. The Catch 22. Living with my boyfriend's disabled brother and attempting to help him have a good quality of life and a nice home. AND...Living in someone else's house, while appreciating it more than they do and trying to have a good quality of life and a nice home. Through all of this one thing is constant...the love between Vern and I. That's what keeps me here,loving Vern is what gives me strength to tolerate days like today when I want to give up and move. I know in his heart he needs to be here taking care of his brother and sharing my life with him means standing beside him and sharing in what is important to him. I just can't be too sure I will be good at it all the time. ha ha I also know that living here and loving Vern means respecting his Mother and keeping the peace.I think with a little more practice I will be a pro at this...I will do it to avoid putting him in more situations like today. I will do it because I love him :)
Wow,that felt good. It felt good to whine to someone and get it off my chest. I wonder if I'll have the courage to post it...a good ol' honest blog. No "Miss Nicey Nice" just "this is what is on my mind today,good or bad. If I sound like an idiot, well,I think I am willing to take that chance".

Confessional

I have a confession to make. I have blog insecurities.

I think and stress too much about what to blog. I follow blogs of people who are crafty or great writers and the bar is set so high. My blog  has no theme,I am not a great writer and in general my life tends to be fairly uneventful (just the way I like it :) ) I stare at a blank screen too long trying to think of something substantial to blog and usually nothing comes to mind. Most of the time I find myself wanting to vent and assuming that no one wants to read a blog that's a downer. So I blog about the stuff that I assume people might want to know..I think I am wrong. I think my blog needs improving and I am trying to figure out how. I figure that if you don't enjoy what you are doing then you probably won't be good at it. If I am not blogging from the heart then it probably won't be any good to read. There are a small handful of good friends actually reading my blog and that is enough for me. So who am I fooling? People that already know me and love me for who I am? I need to put my insecurities aside and blog from the heart.  Stay with me folks,give me some feed back..do you enjoy my blog? Does it need more photos? Am I just too random? ha ha
I'm working on it...I live a life worth reading about,I just have a hard time putting it all into words :)

It's February Already?

February has been a bit brutal around our house...
 I hurt my back and then shortly after,Vern got the flu, so we have been out of commission for a few weeks. You know how it goes,trying to work and get better while keeping the house and meals up when all you really want to do is sleep until the worst is over. Thankfully,the worst is over. Vern is returning back to work tomorrow and I finally have a few days off to catch up. Chipper and Maxine have been great throughout the process,it's fortunate we have 2 dogs that like to nap and snuggle :)
 Maxine is growing fast,I bet she's 4 pounds by now! ha ha We go the Vet  on the 15th to get the last of her puppy shots and vaccinations and then we are headed off to Sekiu the 18th. Yay! Our happy place! It has been calling me,I hope the beach is FULL of agates! The rock tumbler is already ready...Vern got more "polish" for it a few weeks ago so we could return from vacation and start uncovering our treasures immediately! I am also excited because it is Maxine's first time at the beach,I hope she likes it as much as we do :) Now if only I could figure out how to train the dogs to agate hunt...?
;)