Getting my memories onto the blog and out of the closet!

We are getting rid of things. Lots of things. Mostly little things. But lots of little things take up a collective massive amount of space.

I have decided to take pictures and post them with their accompanying memories so that I can at least have a reminder of the memory, but I don't have to have so much "stuff" cluttering my closets.This is one of those things.

Jack's sister Jenny moved to CT briefly. Knowing his sister would most likely not stay on the East Coast for long, he wanted to drive up and spend Thanksgiving with her and Stacey. It took us over 16 hours to get there because we drove right into a massive snow storm. It was the trip we coined the phrase "snow whipped" to describe that phenomenon when a truck passes you and suddenly you can see nothing.

When we arrived Jenny had purchased this Bob the Builder sleeping bag for F to use while crashing on her floor. We thought that was so thoughtful and generous. Everytime I see it, I am reminded of that trip.

It was the first Thanksgiving we ate a fried turkey (it was delish, btw).

After Thanksgiving dinner I was very sick and kept trying to hide it in the bathroom. Jenny and Stacey walked by one time and oveheard me barfing in the bathroom. They were afraid something from the T'giving meal had made me sick so we had to spill the beans a little earlier than we had planned...I was PG with baby #2.

I also was reminded on trip that I love toast. Strange memory I know, but we had white bread toasted with butter and boysenberry jam on it and I had not eaten butter nor white bread in decades, and it was the trip that brought good toast back into my life.

Strange the memories we have, eh? Thanks Jenny and Stacey.

Almost missed this gem

I borrowed G's camera for our ladies tubing trip, just in case we had a "run-in" with some water (which ironically, usually doesn't happen when we go tubing). I found this little nugget he had taken as I was looking for the pictures of us on the river in the pouring rain.

Solution to frustration about 1 dog?

Get another?

Lela.

S is crazy about getting his "own" dog (although he wants to name her Cookie 2 which we have all out rejected). While this is NOT our reasoning, we have been talking about Cookie needing a playmate, especially since her #1 play pal will be heading to preschool 5 days a week this year. No decisions have been made, no meeting has been arranged, but we are tossing it around.

How stupid are we?

Ohio I’m leaving, Ohio I’m gone

Britt and John might be moving the NM (gross!) so we had some good times over the weekend of July 4th... just in case.

Started with a tour of the Anthony-Thomas Candy Factory. It was really cool. My kids are totally into Food Network the way other kids are into cartoons. (Don't even get them started on the show "Next Food Network Star" or you will never hear the end of it.) My favorite comment of the day was when G said, "Mom, this is so cool. It's like "Unwrapped" but in real life!"

We proceeded to play a lot of games, swim, hang, eat, bake, cook, eat, and then eat some more. Oh yeah, we went out to lunch too. Tried Pei Wei, the fast food chain byPF Chang's . Delish, btw-so go for it. It's like PF Chang's but you don't feel like a shmuck for taking your kids there.
(turns out I have posture issues)

We also toured the Santa Maria. Turns out, I would not have been a good sailor.
We rounded out the trip with a rousing 3rd of July Celebration that was tons of fun and the show was spectacular. Wouldn't want to fight the crowds every year, but the "big city" shindig was a good time for all.

(lighting snakes all the boys could talk about was the resemblance of the snake to poop)

M and S enjoyed the fireworks laying down.

Hit church on Sunday on our way out of town and stopped for a photo op at the Columbus OH Temple. All in all, a great way to spend a long weekend.