Spin Cycle--Summers Past

The Spin Cycle this week is summers past.  Pictures were requested.  Truthfully, I don't have access to any picture from when I was growing up.  That was a long time ago and the pictures are still with my mom.  She is not aware that I blog and I'm not going to explain it to her so I can get some pictures.  So let's look through the archives I do have and see what I can find.

A couple years ago, this was the 4th of July.

Our anniversary trip to Rocky Mountain National Park.

Hanging out.

Our honeymoon. 15 years ago.

Summer 2012.

Summer 2008. Clearwater Beach FL.

Enjoying a new umbrella during one of our infrequent rainstorms. Alex is 4.

Goofy Bruiser, he's 2.

Last summer, Torch Lake.

Chillin' on the back deck.

Turbo Photo Bomb.

Again with the goof ball.

Torch Lake.

Torch Lake

Water skiing, Torch Lake

Yep.  Those are all summers past.  I really should look through more old pictures--digital ones at least.  Maybe I'll add a few more.
Go see Gretchen for more summers past.

WWTK--It's the Little Things

We Want to Know time. 

1. What one food could you, from here on out, never eat again and be totally fine with? Liver.  Hands down.  Nothing can be done to it to make it taste good.  It's a texture thing.  Not a huge fan of onions, but they cook OK. 
2. Would you rather be blind or deaf? Deaf. I love to read and if that was taken away from me I would not do well. I don't think Audiobooks would be the same.
3. What little things irk you? Repeated sounds.  The boys are really good at this one.  I'm always telling them once is enough, they don't need to do it over and over and over again.
4. When was the last time you did something purposely and solely for yourself? When I got hot pink (raspberry) colored crocs. They are girly and just for me.
5. Tell us about a time something lived up to your expectations. Our trip to Michigan last summer.  The lake house was wonderful, Torch lake was great, we had a wonderful time. Would go again in a heart beat.

Now you grab the questions and play along.

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

A Little Random and Questions!

So after having gotten through Monday and all it's "fun" I'm ready to take on Tuesday.  Let's get a bit random:

• This summer is speeding by.  It's been really good, but wow, blinking is not a good idea. And now the *Back to school* stuff is showing up in the stores. Not exactly ready for that one yet.
• Turbo is growing up fast.  He's practically wearing shoes I can wear. I'm going to have to attack his socks with a marker so I can tell them from Nick's. Yes, they wear the same socks.  Joe Boxer socks from Kmart.  They last the longest.
• Bruiser's growing too.  He's just about big enough around to wear 5T or 4/5 size pants.  They are all too long for him, but he's almost able to hold the up.  Again, I need to stop blinking.
• We are looking forward to seeing RED 2.  We loved the first RED. Fun and action, what more could you want? We might even go to the theater--the cheap seats this fall anyway.
• Nick re-carpeted the stairs last night.  They look awesome.  Walking down them feels really nice with the new carpet. Thanks to my very handy hubby!

Now, Shawn and Impulsive, who host Talk to You Tuesday have asked some questions this week.  I'm gonna play along for fun:

1. Where is the most inappropriate place you've ever fluffed, passed gas, farted, whatever you call it? Hmm, Probably in class when I was in college. Good thing I have the innocent look down to a science.

2. Have you ever stolen something? Explain... Me, well there could have been a few five finger discounts while I was in college, but I never got caught and it's been years since I was young and stupid.

3. What TV shows are you embarrassed to say you watch? Duck Dynasty is huge at our house.  I love What Not To Wear.  And recently, I have been streaming Sabrina the Teen Aged Witch on my Kindle.

4. What is something quirky that you must do? I twist knots in my hair and to keep myself from doing it while I read, I nibble on sunflower seeds.  Better than munching on chips and crackers.

5. What is the last lie you told? To Bruiser, that putting on his jammies did not mean he had to go to bed.

6. What celebrity makes you think dirty thoughts?  Channing Tatum, and Matt Damon.

7. What is the oddest thing in your purse/wallet right now? I have a roll of plastic baggies for putting dirty diapers in for disposal. 

8. Where is the strangest place you've ever had sex? Umm, we are old married people, but back when we were young and limber, a pull-off in a canyon in a truck. 

9. Do you give money to panhandlers? Why or why not? Nope.  I earned my money and need it for us, they could get a job. I don't need to hand them my money.

10. What is your guilty pleasure? Ice cream after the boys go to bed.  That way I don't have to share.  Selfish I know, but I really like my ice cream. Dark chocolate turtles, hidden object games, Tomb Raider video games, trashy romances, croutons eaten like a snack, stealing time to read.

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.

Why Isn't the Weekend Longer?

I could have used at least another day this weekend.  It was a full and busy weekend, but I still got my relaxing time in in the form of a couple of naps.  It was nice.
Our weekend started Friday evening with dinner cookout style at a cabin in the mountains. Some college friends were out here visiting and we met up at their parents cabin.  Beef ribs cooked out, good company and only a couple of crashes.

Bruiser met a cinder block after going down a slide.  The cinder block won.

Bruiser had a crash within minute of our arrival.  Cinder block 1, Bruiser 0. Later Turbo was standing on the swing they had set up and the board slipped out of the swing and he slid down the chains and took some skin off his little finger. Not a particularly good night for the Jones boys.
The company was great though and we had a good time.
We had another friend come in to town and she stayed with us along with her son. Her daughter was attending a swim camp at the university. We went to the parade Saturday morning and then headed downtown for more town festival or Jubilee Days fun.

Ride 'em Turbo!

Later we went to the park with the boys--after a nap for me (which I thoroughly enjoyed). Park fun for the boys:

Saturday night came with some fabulous smoked meats from Nick--a chicken, pork shoulder, and some antelope.  All of which were so yummy.  He's getting good at the smoked meats. We also indulged in some Mojitos.  Those went down entirely too easily and tasted way too good.
Sunday was pretty quiet around the Jones house.  After Friday and Saturday, we needed the day to just do nothing.  I finished up the laundry--the towels were mating in the dark and getting dirty.  They totally needed the wash. I napped again.
Bruiser denied firmly that he needed a nap.  We let him rest on the couch and watch Turbo play video games.  When I came up stairs I found this:

Definitely not tired.

The weekend was a good one, but I needed another day before facing Monday. How was your weekend--could you have used another day? 

Friday Confessions

And another week survived.  It was a fun week, mostly.  Well, OK, parts were fun and parts were not so fun.
I confess:

• Fun parts were going to a Jamey Johnson concert for girls night.

Chris Hennessey, opening act.

Jamey Johnson

It was a great concert.

• Having Nick come home.
• Getting time in with my boys and gaming out.
• Having the week go by fairly quickly.
• Not so fun parts were taking Turbo to the orthodontist and finding out he needs braces.
• At least it's not the head gear I needed at that age.
• Nick went to get his teeth cleaned.
• Total numbed up mouth, no talking for like two hours after he came home.
• No fun there.
• I am headed in to the dentist next month.
• Really not looking forward to that one.
• I totally need a weekend to just do nothing.
• Not going to be this weekend though.
• Laundry, friends in town, Nick's brewing beer, my house is screaming to be cleaned
• Yep, busy bee that's me.
• A beach and fruity drinks is looking pretty good right now.
• Especially if the cabana boys are cute ;)

Spin Cycle--Ahhh, Summer

The topic of this week's Spin Cycle is Summer.  Gretchen asks: What does Summer mean to you? Summer school? Summer Solstice? Summer lovin'? Summer squash?
Now, to really think about what summer means to me. Last week there was a question on the WWTK post I wrote about what summer looks like and sounds like at my house.
Summer looks like curtains closed to keep the heat from the sun out during the day, wide open at night.  Twilight lasts forever here and things cool down so nicely, that's when we hang out outside, water the gardens and grass. Let little boys run around with squirt guns.  Dim interiors to keep the house cool, late afternoon slanting sunshine until 8 pm. Twilight until close to 9pm.  Shorts, tank tops, squirt guns, grilling, flip flops, bare feet, it all says summer.

Shouts and yells, laughter and giggles. Spraying water, skipping/running feet.  It's all summer sounds and feelings. The smell of left over sunscreen, bug spray, dinner on the grill.  Summer.
Summer is when we get a bit lax about the schedule, bedtimes happen around dark.  I don't get too many protests over going to sleep when the sun is still up.  This is nice as the sun doesn't set here until 8:30pm most nights.  At least until August.  Meals happen too--but the planning of said meals gets a bit looser. It's way easy to use the grill--the house doesn't heat up and Nick loves cooking on it. And bonus, less dishes!
We go camping in the summer.  We also head to the hills for our bumbling drives down dirt roads. Finding a dirt road that is new to us makes for a great day.

Our mobile cabin in the mountains.  The view is fantastic and changes when we want it too.

 Summer has many things attached to it, but for me it's a lingering sense of freedom.  I think it is a left over from school all those years--summer was free time.  Time to get lost in books, hang out with no demands and no tests.  Then summer jobs, but since mine was as a lifeguard it was fun and sun and no early mornings. This sense of freedom hangs around still--since we have kids, their glee at being free for the summer sort of transfers to us.
Oh, and as to the questions Gretchen poses about summer, we avoided summer school this year--Yay Turbo! Nick's birthday is the summer solstice, so we celebrate. Nick and I have the summer lovin' taken care of ;) and I like summer squash, but the kids look at it with suspicion when it's presented to them.
Go see Gretchen for more summer spins, and maybe spin up your own take on summer.

WWTK--Summer, Advice, Quotes

We Want to Know time again!
Just some random stuff to learn about me.

1. Show us in pictures how your summer is going so far:

2. What is one thing you are never to busy for? A hug from my boys--any of the three, big or little.
3. What were you doing 30 minutes ago? Showering after my run.
4. What is the best advice you have ever received? Don't get so caught up in the small stuff you miss the big picture. Stop and smell the roses--or look at the bugs, the leaves, and check out this rock Mom!
5. Share some of your favorite quotes: The average pencil is seven inches long, with just a half-inch eraser - in case you thought optimism was dead." ~Robert Brault. Various movie quotes float around our house and Big Bang Theory quotes fall from our mouths all the time. We have developed a saying about how our lives go and when things start going wrong--It always works out--usually for the better. This has saved our sanity so very many times.

Now you grab the questions and play along.

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

 

Random Time

And now for a regularly scheduled Tuesday.  Time to get all random.

• Monday nights are never fun.  Better than Monday mornings, but done all by myself?  Yeah, they seem a bit hectic. We managed though.
• There are currently two stuffed animals lost in the camper--most likely rolled up in sleeping bags.  They will be rescued when Nick gets back. I need his help opening up the camper to retrieve said sleeping bags.
• We have been getting just enough rain the last few days to make it so we don't have to water as often.  This will help the water bill. And the plants grow better with rain water.
• Turbo goes to the orthodontist today.  Kind of nervous about that trip, but we knew it was coming.
• The nights are too short, the days are too long.  I think we need more vacation. Or scheduled naps for the grown ups.
• I need some good chocolate. Or maybe ice cream.
• I still have a ton of mountain dirt to get out of the car.  It ran shuttle to the bottom of the river run for the raft trips this weekend.  Lots of dirt tracked in.  The water has dried out, but the dirt stayed.  At least I have good floor mats.
• I ran a mile and a half yesterday morning.  (And it felt almost good, but you tell anyone and I'll deny it to my dying breath). It didn't feel like I was trudging.  And 1.5 miles.  Last year when I started this, I could barely go a half mile. So, go me.

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.

Happy Weekend

We had a wonderful weekend. There was lots of good food, good times and sunshine. Even the rainstorm couldn't keep us down for too long.
We escaped Wednesday evening and headed up the mountain.  When we got to our campsite--we found we got the better one just a bit further up the road.  Shade in the morning and shade in the afternoon.  River right there, convenient for kid to play in and for floating the river.

Launch of the first float.

Take out for the first float.

Dam building.

Getting bigger

Quite the impressive dam.

Supervising the building is tough work.

Good food.

My goofball.

Chilling and relaxing.

Captain Cool.

It was a much needed break, not necessarily everyone's Fourth of July, but it how we like to do it.
What did you do?

WWTK--Summertime!

We Want To Know time again.  Happy day before The Fourth--the last work day of the week for me.  Long weekend here I come--as soon as going home time hits.  Now to watch the day crawl by.
Let's do something to pass the time shall we--answer questions!

1.) Now that it is officially summer, what season is your favorite and why? I like fall.  Ours are usually nice and not too hot and not too cold.  We do get snow, but it tends not to last. The kids go back to school, routines are reestablished, and things aren't so crazy for us.

2.) What does summer look like in your house? Sound like? Curtains closed to keep the heat from the sun out during the day, wide open at night.  Twilight lasts forever here and things cool down so nicely that's when we hang out outside, water the gardens and grass. Let little boys run around with squirt guns.  Shouts and yells, laughter and giggles. Spraying water, skipping/running feet.  It's all summer sounds and feelings. The smell of left over sunscreen, bug spray, dinner on the grill.  Summer.

3.) Recount a summer memory from your childhood.  We had a nice hill in front of our house that was grass covered.  I remember rolling down it as a kid during the seemingly endless twilight that we get here due to the mountains that hide the sun long before it goes down. After the heat of the day, evenings in the summer are my favorite.

4.) Do you have fourth of July plans? (If not in the U.S. what are you doing this weekend?) We are escaping and heading to the mountains for four days of camping and playing in the river and hanging with friends.  I expect us to come home filthy, tired and sunkissed (if I wield the sunscreen enough).

5.) Does it get super hot where you are in the summer and how do you deal with it? We usually don't get much above 80-90 degrees here. We have had more days like that, but normal temps are in the 70-80s. The nice thing is it cools off into the 50s at night.  Open the windows and it cools things down.  Without that we would melt.  We also have a basement that stays cooler and we retreat to it when it gets hot.

Now you grab the questions and play along.

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