Camping...sort of

For the past three days, I've been at scout camp with Kit Kat and his cub scout den. I don't think I fully understood what I was getting myself into when I signed up to go as a parent. Now that I have put in my time, this will be my first and last scout camping trip. 

Our camp spot just happened to be the furthest from everything...1/4 mile up a vertical hill. No joke. It was miserable. Furthest from the bathrooms, furthest from the cars, furthest from all scout activites yet closest to the wetlands full of mosquitos. It was anything but awesome. Still, we managed to have (somewhat) of a good time!

The boys had a blast when it came to activities! They got to shoot archery, BB guns, go panning for gold, make gumball machines from wooden kits, go horseback riding, practice roping, do pioneering, learn about nature and camp skills like making apple cobbler over a camp fire. Two days packed full of events! They enjoyed the nightly campfire, the daily flag ceremonies, taking turns being waiters in the dining hall and even attending a flag retirement ceremony. They even enjoyed morning chores...feeding the horses, taking out the garbage, washing dishes and sweeping the dining hall. I think their favorite part was the Western Show on the last day put on by all the camp leaders. All in all, it was a fun couple of days and it will be a campout that they never forget!!

Gilbert Ranch at Butte Creek - main street at camp

Tents at our camp spot

M&M's turns 4!!

Happy Birthday to my baby boy M&Ms! I cannot believe that it's been 4 years already...four short years since I was blessed with the most imaginative, funny, happy, outgoing, active, smiley, sweet little boy!!

Today was full of excitement and fun as we hosted his birthday at the water park (one of his favorite places to go) with all his friends! The sun took its sweet time coming out, but when it arrived, it was a beautiful day!

After party time, we had another celebration with family at nana and papas house. Daddy made his favorite dinner, spaghetti, followed by cake, ice cream, and presents! By the time we got home, the poor birthday was tuckered out!

Happy Birthday, buddy! Mommy loves you so very much!

No place like home

Home sweet home. I have missed you! Warm, comfy pillow top bed...I can't wait to cuddle with you tonight! Hopefully the kiddos will sleep good tonight in their own beds so that I can sleep in! (fingers crossed please!)

Happy Weekend!!

Annoyed...

Disclaimer: needing to vent...not your typical warm and fuzzy post

A family vacation is supposed to be a place where adults and children alike can have fun, be themselves and create wonderful memories together. This is a family vacation I was looking forward to...a possible "tradition" with memories like my husband had growing up. It's been 5 days and so far, I am not impressed.

The lake is beautiful, the food is good, the condo is nice, the weather is perfect and I am so happy that there are several different pools and areas for my boys to swim. Best part is that I get to spend time with my hubby and kids! Everything else, not so much.

First things first, my kids are great kids. Yes the boys have their arguments and they fight but in all, they rarely act out in public. My daughter is 10 months old...she's your typical baby, but very easy going and usually always happy! I love my kids and they deserve to be treated with respect. Period.

That being said, my poor kids have had a rough couple of days. "Stop yelling, no running, don't fight, leave me alone, don't do that, come here, don't touch that, you're driving me crazy, eat your food, clean up your mess, don't get your toys out, get out of the kitchen, don't tattle, etc." I'm sick of it. They are kids. Let them play, let them run, let them eat junk if they want, let them use their imagination, pick up your crap if you don't want them to touch it, leave if they are bothering you, and next time, don't plan a "family vacation" if you don't want my kids around. Afterall, they ARE family.

Secondly, I am human. I have feelings too. I may make a mistake, we all do, but I don't need you to jump down my throat about it. I may not eat everything you do, but that doesn't mean that there is "something wrong with me", it means that we are different; if you can't accept that, I feel sorry for you. I also don't need you judging how much I eat because I have lost 14lbs WITHOUT your help. I have been a mother for 9.5 years, don't tell me how to parent my children. Better yet, don't tell me or my children what to do. I am not your nanny. When I ask you a question, I don't need your condescending remarks; I am not an idiot. I'm sorry that you feel the need to talk to me like a child, but I won't be sorry if I call you out in front of everyone. I am 27 yrs old and I can hold my own. I have a college degree, a stable AWESOME job and more than enough friends; I don't need you. I own my car, I have a house, I have the best husband and family ever. In other words, YES, I am better than you.

I am sorry you feel that my kids, myself and my hubby are an inconvenience to you and your vacation. We don't need your approval or entertainment; we ROCK all by ourselves! Next time you want a "family vacation", don't invite me. MY family will take our own vacation and it will be the BEST vacation ever!

Beautiful sunset on this crummy day... can still make me smile!

The perfect storm

For those of you who don't know me well, I am a wuss. I hate storms. I become like a child (or even worse, like a dog) and I pull the covers up over my head or I go hide in a room without any windows. My heart starts racing, my palms get sweaty and I get tense. I cannot even tell you why I am so terrified, because I don't even know! But I have ALWAYS been that way. Terrified.

So here I am, it's 2:30 in the morning, my boys are sleeping on the floor, the baby is next to me in her pack-n-play, and my hubby is snoring. I'm not sleeping and my mind is wandering. I'm lying here listening to the sound of the rain. It sounds like an overflowing downspout outside my window...hitting the pavement with such force. I turn my body to adjust my pillow, and *BOOM* I hear a loud clap of thunder (and nearly peed myself). Within a blink of an eye, there was a bright powerful bolt of lightning lighting up the bedroom. I froze. I was terrified. Silent.

My body became tense and my heart started to race. I reached for the covers but couldn't find them. Then it strikes again...flash.boom boom.flash flash.boom...and I became frozen. This went on for a good 30-45 min. I just laid there, terrified. Everyone was sleeping, leaving me to witness the whole storm by myself.

After a few minutes, something changed. It all became sort of...peaceful. My mind began to clear, my body started to relax and I felt myself slipping into a place I've never been before. I didn't feel afraid. I wasn't frozen. I watched it, listened to it and felt it as it rolled through. The lightning was like a strobe light, flashing and flashing throughout the bedroom. The thunder sounded like a bass, bumping and booming in rhythm. My worries disappeared. My terror was gone. For right now and here in time, it's just me and the perfect storm.

Below is a picture of a storm over Lake Chelan courtesy of golakechelan.com

Hellllloooo Vacation!

Hello Sunshine!
Hello pool!
Hello lake!
Helllllloooo Vacation!!

Beautiful Lake Chelan, it's so nice to finally meet you! Where have you been my whole life??? I'm in love with you! It's fact.

Crystal clear pools, beautiful blue lake water, hot and sunny skies, and a nice COLD air conditioned condo. Add in a glass of wine and relaxing on the patio with my feet up....Perfection.

CHEERS to 9 wonderful days!

MIA

Sooooo, you might be wondering, what happened to my blog. I realize it's been a month and a half since an entry was posted...all I can say is that I am sorry. I had all my blog posts saved because I wanted to add pictures that I couldn't get to off my iPhone (since I rarely EVER get to use our computer) and by the time I got to the computer, I accidentally deleted them. :/ Epic fail.

Fast forward. I'm moving on...

(I will post all previous posts at a later time.)