Time to Confess

OK, so this week Friday is so appreciated.  It has been a very long week. Parts went smoothly, but others were rough. I'm just ready to be done.  And in that vein, let's get to the confessions:

• I missed last week.
• we were field tripping for work.
• It was fun, better than sitting in front of the computer.
• Bugs suck.
• Bugs in my house suck more.
• Especially bugs that bite me.

My arm Wednesday morning.

•  I got the above on Tuesday night when some sort of bug bit me.
• I reacted to it in a not so good way.

My normal arm.

•  Better now.  
• Still not sure what got me though.
• I'm thinking spider, but not too hard as that give me the full body shivers.
• I also got my hair done this week.
• It was time for my annual perm.

From this...

...to this.

•  The poodleness will fade as it relaxes.
• I also might think about color, but not til this fall.
• It's much closer to my natural color of dark blond now.
• CAn't wait to head out camping next week.
• We really need the break.

Join in the confessing fun with Aubrey at High-Heeled Love.

Spin Cycle--The Great Outdoors

The Spin Cycle this week is all bout the great outdoors.  Anyone who's been here recently should know that we here at the Jones house are no stranger to the great outdoors.  We try to get there as often as possible.  In fact, we will be spending four days over the Fourth in the great outdoors.
For those who might not have some of our recent forays into the Great Outdoors, here are some shots of the fantastic playground we have within a half hour to an hour of our house.

We play, summer or winter.

The view is fabulous. The mountains are nice too.

Our Great outdoors.

Marshmallow cooking.

Rocks to scale.

One of our preferred modes of transportation through the Great outdoors.

THe fam enjoying (mostly) the outdoors.

Kicking back at camp.

Streams hold a definite allure for boys.

Throwing rocks in water will always be a favored activity of small boys.

Pretty cute kids.

You can see forever.

The river right in town.

So that is a peek at our outdoors.  We get out to visit it whenever possible.  If you enjoy the great outdoors, spin it up and let Gretchen know.  She'll link you up.

WWTK--Randomish Stuff

Wednesday and half way through the week.  Can I get a Woo Hoo!?
Now on to the questions:

1. What are a few things on your bucket list that you hope to accomplish this year? Well my bucket list is here. Doable this year are the crocheting, and learning about wine. Travel--at least long distance, expensive travel--is not really on the schedule.
2. What would you rather have, a short order cook or a maid? A maid.  I don't mind the cooking, but hate, hate, hate the never ending dishes, laundry and cleaning that comes with a house. I do it because pig stys are not comfortable places to live, but it's not the highlight of my day.
3. Are there any projects you hope to do this summer? We are planning to re-carpet our stairs.  I want to keep my strawberries alive. Enjoy summer to it's fullest.  Yeah, that's our main project this summer.
4. What do you want your next big purchase to be? Probably new chairs for the living room.  Ours are showing their wear, but it will most likely be a new four wheeler and trailer to haul both four wheelers next summer.
5. Why did you start blogging? For the outlet.  I have a hard time connecting with people in my town.  A changing population in a college town has something to do with that. I needed a way to vent frustrations and to feel not so alone in those frustrations.  It's nice to know that there are others like me who can commiserate with the day in and day out of life.  I have made some great friends and I hope to meet more in person as time goes on.

Now you grab the questions and play along.

Link up with Kensie and Scriptor.  They would love to have you join in.

Tuesday Randoms

And we made it through another Monday. This one was better than the last one anyway. And now it's Tuesday and time for the random party!

• This little post right here is my 1000 post.  Not really sure what to feel about that.  Excited some, mostly surprised I have had that much to say. Looking forward to the next 1000. 
• Squirt gun battles have been big at our house.  Bruiser loves to sneak up on his dad.  Turbo loves getting a good ambush in.  Wet fun for all involved.
• The Fourth of July is sneaking up on us. We are taking a long weekend and going camping.  Along a river--splashing and floating on a raft are in our future.  So looking forward to getting out of town. An even bigger bonus is that Fourth of July weekend is not laundry weekend for me. Score!
• Hair cuts for my shaggy boys:

Before

After

•  They totally needed a haircut.  Of course Turbo went for the classic buzz cut. He misses his hair, but is getting used to it being gone.
• Still not much improvement on the potty front with Bruiser. He starts preschool this fall, so maybe that will motivate him to get with it.  Nothing else has.
• Sadly, we still feel like we are on the merry-go-round and it just keeps speeding up.  I really want off the ride. Does it ever slow down?

So that's my random for the week. Go see Stacy for more.

And join up with Shawn and Impulsive for Talk To Us Tuesday. No rules, just fun, link up.

Of Birthdays and Weekends

So this last weekend was very much a weekend, with the added fun of having Nick's Birthday Friday and celebrating it with his family on Saturday.
Friday Nick and I had a field trip for work and then team building which consisted of drinks then dinner that work paid for.  Not a bad way to spend the day.
Saturday, Nick was up early and cooking breakfast on the griddle we got him to go with his two burner stove.  It will be fantastic for camping.  Isn't too bad for making breakfast in the back yard either.

Nick's folks came over Saturday afternoon and we had fried chicken, corn on the cob, and there was chocolate pie for the birthday boy.

They got Nick a wench for the four wheeler.  We spent the rest of Saturday installing it.  The directions that came with it were awful. Thank goodness for Google. I was able to find a decent set of directions that saved us untold headaches. 
It is on and working.  Nick really want to go play in the mountains now.
Sunday brought smoking meat and several squirt gun battles. Summer is definitely here.

It was very hard to face Monday morning.  After a weekend like this one, Mondays should be outlawed.
How was your weekend?  Great, or are you happy to see Monday?

Spin Cycle: Happy Happy

We are supposed to be happy and joyous this week on the Spin Cycle.  This one made me think.  I am generally happy, but identifying things that make me genuinely happy?  Those are harder to identify.

• Bruiser makes me happy.  This morning he decided to wear his Bob the Builder overall shorts.  He sang the chorus to Bob the Builder's song to me.  He was so cute and the hug I got after he sang made me happy.
• Watching my guys hang out and enjoy each other, without tears, screams or hits makes me happy. Turbo came up with the term belly slug for when either of the boys is lying on Nick as he lounges on the couch.  Bruiser makes a better belly slug than Turbo--it's a size thing. This makes me happy.
• Getting time to read makes me happy.  Time is not as plentiful as it used to be, but I enjoy every moment I get.
• Going for drives down bumpy dirt roads just to see where they go makes me happy. 
• It also makes me happy that Turbo is really into the story I am reading out loud in the car.  He is excited about road trips because he gets to hear more of the story.
• Fridays at going home time, I'm happy.  The whole weekend stretches out before me and it always looks so promising. 
• Going camping makes me happy, but coming home from camping and showering--that is heaven. 
• Sleeping in, even if it's only until 8, makes me happy.  I rarely stay asleep that long, and even rarer still do the boys let me sleep that late.
• Getting appreciation from the guys in my house for a dinner they liked and actually ate without much prodding makes me happy.
• Going shopping makes me happy--even thrift store shopping, maybe especially thrift store shopping.  It's new to me and if I can get it for next to nothing all the better.

Those are some things that make me happy.  Things that make me laugh are different. We love stand up comedians--Robin Williams, Bill Cosby, Jeff Foxworthy, Bill Engvall, Larry the Cable Guy, etc. We love to listen to them at the end of long road trips.  By the time we are both leaning toward cranky and laughing helps to ease the tension of a long day on the road.
Nick and Turbo have discovered Duck Dynasty.  Some of it I find a bit guy oriented, but there are times I will laugh at it too.  Big Bang Theory has the ability to make me laugh out loud frequently.  Especially when the humor goes over the kids' heads. 
Bruiser and Turbo make me laugh as well.  Bruiser comes up with things that strike me as funny all the time.  Turbo is developing a sense of humor and is getting better at delivering a line that is intended to make us laugh.  I find such joy in them.
My hubby makes me happy.  After 20 years together, he still finds me attractive, interesting and beautiful.  I find him attractive, interesting and fun to be around.  Good thing, since we are stuck with each other.
What makes you happy?  Spin it up and let Gretchen know and she will link you up with the Spin Cycle.

WWTK--Thrills

 We Want To Know time again.  It is Wednesday--half way through the week! Let's get to the questions:

1. Are you an amusement/theme park kind of person? (Yes or no) Yes. 

2. If yes, where have you gone? If no, what makes you dislike those kinds of places? Nick and I have been to Six Flags Texas in San Antonio, and Disney World (twice). We paln to get down to Six Flags Elitches in Denver when Bruiser is old enough to do some rides.

3. Do you like to go on roller coasters? I like roller coasters if they strap me in well enough. I don't do so well with just the lap bar.  I want the full on harness drop down bars.  I will be the one who rides the roller coasters with Turbo--Nick doesn't like them.

4. Does your answer to #3 directly correlate to how you are about life experiences? I think so.  I can take on challenges, but definitely want the safety net in place.

5. What was the last scary and/or risky thing you did? For me scary was presenting for work.  Don't like it one bit.  As for family--having kids.  Scary, exhilarating, exasperating, ride that I wouldn't miss for anything.

Now you grab the questions and play along.

Link up with Kensie and Scriptor.  They would love to have you join in.

TGIT--Random

Thank Goodness It's Tuesday and not Monday anymore.  Monday sucked. Yesterday was a Monday that really did Monday proud. So glad it's over. And there was nothing in particular that was bad, just general junky Monday stuff.
So on to a brighter Tuesday and the random:

• For all the protests in the world about not being tired, Brusier fell asleep a chair last night.  It was a comfy chair, but he was out, despite loud protestations of NOT TIRED!

Nope, not tired at all.

•  Nick's class has been going well.  The students are learning and enjoying his material.  However, Nick took them on a field trip on Thursday, had a tussel with a rock and the rock won.

Just a sprain, but looks worse.

•  Turbo has started saving his summer earnings.  He's working for Papa and for Grandma doing yard work so he can learn how to work, make some money and do something productive this summer.  You know, except another level on Halo or build another useless thing on Minecraft.
• Hopefully today, Grandma gets Turbo to the library too.  It's time he got a library card and found the graphic novel section.  Kid needs to read. And I'm not wildly picky as long as he's reading.
• We are taking Turbo to the orthodontist next month.  Not looking forward to that one.
• Both boys need haircuts.  Turbo wants a buzz cut, but would like to grow it out.  I said not until he's older--and more likely to take care of it himself. So a buzz cut it will be for the summer.

And that covers my random this week. Go see Stacy for more.

And join up with Shawn and Impulsive for Talk To Us Tuesday. No rules, just fun, link up.

Some Mondays

So after a pretty decent weekend overall, Monday reared it's ugly head.
First the weekend.  Friday night a friend of Nick's came over and we ended up enjoying the deck and have a few too many TABs.  We did settle on what we are doing for my birthday this summer.  Nick's friend S floats rivers--he has a cataraft and goes and does multiple day floats. He invited us to go float Dinosaur National Monument on the Green River over my birthday. I think it's a great way to spend my 40th birthday.
We stayed up far too late (2:00 am!!!) and I was up way too early on Saturday, but kids will do that to you. I got laundry sorted and the grocery run taken care of before Nick got up.  Once he was moving again, we got the smoker set up and lit and got the chickens rubbed and ready.  They turned out fantastic.

Yummy goodness.

We had friends over for dinner and it was a good time. However, Tabs did not flow as freely for Nick and I and we were early to bed too.
Sunday Nick took the boys for a four wheeler ride around town and then we hung out at home doing what ever Nick wanted to do. Much lounging ensued.  We did have Nick's folks over to grill steaks and corn. Next time I have to get more corn.  Both boys ate an entire ear each.

I conquered the laundry and got vacuuming done.  Successful weekend all around.  It would ahve been even better if Monday had not followed.
It's been a typical, manic sort of Monday what with getting kids ready, myself ready, trying to stay awake after an abysmal night's sleep, and trying not to get snappy (not much success there), dealing with Bruiser tears at daycare drop off, coordinating transport for Nick and I, making sure Nick get doctor appointments made.  Umm, can I resign from Monday?

I Confess

Well hallelujah, it's Friday! This has been the longest week. But now it's Friday and going home time is coming soon.  On to the confessions:

• The beyotchie Mosquitoes are here.  
• Time to start sporting the lovely Eu de Bug Spray scent whenever we set foot out the door.
• I neglected to don mine the other evening when going out for a moment and now have a bright red itchy bump on my leg.
• Damn mosquitoes.
• Laundry weekend.
• Stupid laundry elves have no sense of direction.
• And they took the dish fairies with them.
• After this week, it's definitely a rum and coke sort of weekend.
• Tasty TABS coming up!
• Shh, don't tell anyone, but this morning's run almost felt good.
• Looking forward to playing with the smoker this weekend.
• Smoking Chickens and having friends over.
• Nick still hasn't decided exactly what he wants to do for Father's Day.
• We will come up with something.
• He had a good week teaching.
• But he did Jones himself.
• He sprained a finger yesterday on the field trip.
• Going home time can't come soon enough.
• I'm so ready for the weekend, even if I have to battle the laundry.

Join in the confessing fun with Aubrey at High-Heeled Love.

Spin Cycle--Just Relax

Relaxing is the topic of the Spin Cycle this week.  Relaxing has been on our mind recently.  The ride we are on seems to be quite frenetic at the moment. Has been since January. I really just want off the ride.  Or at least for it to slow down some.
So how do we relax?  Let me show you:

Enjoy views like this.

Throwing rocks in a lake is good.

Four wheeling takes a lot of stress off.

Again the views.

Splashing at the lake is a perfect relaxer.

Taking road trips with these guys--fun and mostly relaxing.

Any chance to stick our toes in the sand is good.

Family road trip!

The view (and the kid is pretty cute too)

Launching a rocket works.

Camping of course.

Can't forget the toasted marshmallows.

There will be more short trips this summer.  No really big trip, but that's OK, several small trips can be just as relaxing.  It's not a beach with sand, sun and surf along with cute cabana boys bringing me drinks while I read trashy novels.  That of course would be ideal. Maybe one day when small boys are more grown up.
Go see Gretchen for more Relaxing Spins.