Rocco's 3rd Birthday and More!

Whew!

It's been awhile since I have blogged because it's been a busy end of summer and beginning of the new school year for us-- here's a recap!

After our fun whirlwind of a vacation to San Diego, Todd and I realized that school was right around the corner and we needed to squeeze in as many activities as possible before our noses were back to the grindstone.

We did a few home improvement things that took a handful of days-- painted the bathroom, added curtains in each bathroom, and updated two closets to be more functional. I went through Rocco's toys and got rid of some of the trashed ones, which was nice-- it made lots more room for him to play.

We went for a play date at Bully Creek with the kiddos and my mom. The water is the lowest I have ever seen it-- you can really tell the farmers are going to be hurting. Rocco played in the mud and had some impromptu swimming (fell in!) and Ruby hung out with her dad in the baby pack. It was a good outing.

We also had a delicious lobster feed at Papa Gary's house for his birthday. Yummmm!

Then... it was time for school!

I am back at the high school for my 6th year teaching. I'm still teaching three periods of art and three periods of Sophomore English. I have a great group of kids this year and am really looking forward to spending the entire year with them (as opposed to only five months like last school year/bed rest/maternity leave.) Todd is back at the middle school and is in his 7th year of teaching. Man, we feel old when we say that-- can't imagine when we're saying, "We've been teaching for 20+ years..." Anyway, he is teaching computers and health again. He is also the head middle school football coach-- he resigned as assistant high school coach to spend more time with the kids. He loves it and thinks that he has a great group of boys.

We spent a day during Labor Day weekend at Sumpter browsing through the flea market, eating crappy fried food, and panning for gold at the dredge.

Rocco is splitting his time between his much-adored babysitter, Whitney, and his Gramma KimKim. He loves going to "Whitty's" house to play with the other kids and spend time with Whitney, but also loves spending time at home with his baby sis and Gramma. Ruby spends every day at home with Gramma Kim. It is so nice and relieving to have such wonderful babysitters for our kids. Makes leaving every day a little easier!

We had Rocco signed up for preschool this fall, but later changed our minds. He just turned three so he would be the youngest in his class, which made me nervous. I just didn't feel like I wanted to push that with him right now-- and wait until next fall when he has another year of growing up. Plus, I feel pretty good about where he stands as far as development-- he has a great vocabulary and speaks well, plays good with other kids, knows his shapes and colors, can count to ten, can count three items (knows their value), and much more. He's on track.

A miraculous feat happened just shy of his third birthday-- he started pooping in the potty! Yahooooooo!!! We are very happy parents-- who are only changing one child's poopy pants (Ruby's) and no more poopy underwear accidents. So nice.

Ruby has had feats of her own recently-- she is a bonafied crawler now and exploring all areas of the house. She is also pulling herself up and cruising around the furniture and toys. She has three teeth and her hair is growing again. She says "MAMA" and "DADA" and "BU BU BU". She is my cuddler and such a sweet, quiet little thing. We are really enjoying watching her grow up. I can't believe she is nine months today-- before I know it, she will be one.

Rocco wanted a fireman birthday party-- and a fireman party he got! We rented the bounce house again, which is a favorite amongst his friends. Along with cupcakes, pizza, balloons, a firetruck cake that I made, lots of presents, family, and friends, the best part of the party was a visit from two real-life firemen in their big fire truck!!! Rocco was so surprised and excited. It was a hit! Everyone pitched in to help buy Rocco a big outdoor trampoline, too, which he has spent many hours on already. Another great aspect of his birthday was having Todd's parents and both grandmas down to visit.

We are looking forward to fall weather-- it is still very much summer temperatures here. We did have some scary lightning and thunderstorms and flash floods a few days ago, but it was still hot as heck and muggy. I am eagerly awaiting the day when it's just cool enough to get on those jeans, a cute sweater or cardigan, and boots. I hope everyone has a wonderful fall and enjoys some pumpkin flavor treats-- I know I will!!!

With that being said-- I am signing off of blogging for awhile, maybe indefinitely. It's nothing serious-- I just don't have the time with a busy three-year-old and a mobile baby... working full time... upkeeping the household... and Todd coaching. I barely have time to shower every night, let alone write blogs. It makes me sad because I love to write... but... with my full plate, it's the last on the list of priorities, I suppose. Check Facebook for photos! :)

San Diego Visit

After planning, packing, and baby Jillian finally making her arrival, we set off for our great adventure to San Diego. Here's the scoop on our trip:

Day 1: Vale-Boise-Phoenix-San Diego
The car was packed from driver's seat to tailgate with people, bags, snacks, and toys!!! We set off for Boise-- an hour and a half drive from Vale. One melt-down stop in Nampa for Ruby to regroup, and we were back on the road. There is major construction going in at the Boise Airport, so there was a severe lack of parking options. We literally parked a mile from the actual airport entrance. So here we were-- me pushing a double stroller with two kids under the age of three-- and attempting to simultaneously pull two large rolling suitcases. It was impossible. Eventually, I would push the kids about five feet, then go back and grab the luggage. Push the kids... go back and grab the luggage. Todd, on the other hand, was pulling two large suitcases and packing an infant car seat and a forward-facing full-size car seat. You would think that if parking were an issue, the airport would offer a shuttle service to the terminal, right? Wrong. You would think that they would have carts available for guests, right? Wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong. Anyway, we finally get to the main parking garage where we could see a luggage cart available in sight. I stayed with the bags and the kids while Todd tried to find change-- yup, you need exactly $3 in change-- for a cart. He was panhandling, so it was kind of humorous. Needless to say, we were already regretting our decision to make this trip before even getting into the airport! What really griped my butt was that there were probably ten people who walked by and didn't offer any help whatsoever to us. What happened to humanity and the golden rule?

(4 full suitcases, 1 diaper bag, 1 purse, 1 mini-backpack, 2 car seats, 1 double stroller with 2 kids under the age of 3, and zero luggage carts to be found. Hey, at least Rocco is happy! LOL)

Alright, so at this point we are loaded up on the luggage cart and ready to rock and roll. We move rather quickly through Southwest's check in line and make our way to security. For some reason, I am always targeted at security. Apparently, I look like a terrorist. Something about my mom-bob hair style, diaper bag, and that whole pushing my kids in a stroller thing really screams, "I'm carrying a bomb! Watch out! I love Allah!" Sheesh... Okay, so, security was a disaster. Actually, I described it perfectly as a fucking nightmare at the time. Yes, the f-word is essential in this situation, because it helps describe it the best way possible. It sucked. Pretty much everything that could go wrong, went wrong. I was not a happy camper. Todd was not a happy camper. I can't believe we actually got on the flight.

Here's the thing-- the flights went amazingly well. The kids were awesome. Ruby slept on the first flight and Rocco slept on the second flight. I had a woman tell me I was a good mom. What?! Really?! Things were looking up!

(Sleeping boy as we landed in San Diego... happy Daddy and Ruby)

And then... we had the rental car situation. Todd was in charge of finding a rental car for us. He found the cheapest option... through Fox Rental Car Company. Talk about sketchy. There were a few military men riding along with us in the shuttle from the airport to the rental car place who took pity on us and helped us with our luggage and kiddos. They were true gentlemen and we were extremely grateful for their help. We were waiting for over an hour to get the car once we got to the rental place and no one who worked there helped us with luggage, the kids, etc. By this point, I was to the point where I was pretty much so cranky that I was numb to anything-- I had hit my saturation level. Todd, however, was FUMING. He texted his dad, "I hate San Diego!" He fumed the entire way to his sister's house. We were ready for wine.

When we got to Jim and Stephanie's house, we were greeted with hugs, welcomes, and help. There was an instant relief we both felt. We knew we were finally where we needed to be, we could relax, and Rhonda would grab the box of wine. That evening was spent relaxing poolside, watching Rocco splash around, hanging with the family, eating some dinner, and getting settled in. Everyone met sweet, tiny Jillian. It was the perfect ending to such a roller coaster day! I mean, who can be cranky with a new, sweet baby to be greeted?

(Jillian Marianne Mackris)

Day 2: San Diego & Steve's Birthday
We were all around to celebrate Steve's birthday, which was nice. He said that the best present he could ask for is being around his grandkids, so we delivered! That morning, we went for a short walk to a local park so Rocco could run around and play, but our day was mostly spent relaxing at the house. Rocco swam and swam and swam. He was in love with being in that pool! The girls (Stephanie, Rhonda, and I) made a quick trip to a little clothing store and to grab a birthday cake for Steve. That night, we had dinner, drank wine, sang to Steve, and gorged on birthday cake.

(Lots of fun at the park!)

Day 3: San Diego, Wonderful Balboa Park & Ruby's First Ear Infection
We woke up bright and early on Day 3, ready to take on the world. Okay, mostly, we needed to get a high-energy little boy out to burn off some spunk and sass. I had read about Balboa Park a lot online for one of the best places to take kids, so we decided to spend the morning there. First of all, it is amazingly beautiful. The buildings are gorgeous, as is the landscaping and park-like areas surrounding the buildings. If you go to San Diego, you need to spend time at Balboa Park. I had read about the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center and thought that the hands-on activities would be great for Rocco. It did not disappoint! Rocco had a blast playing in Kid's Town on the fire truck, using the "factory" conveyor belt, and playing with the ball machine.

(Science Center fun!)

It was lunch time after that, so we found a grill and noshed on burgers, fries, sandwiches, and chicken nuggets. After refueling, we found the miniature railroad and hopped aboard. Rocco was excited and nervous. It was a whole new sensation and experience for him-- especially going through the tunnel. Rocco then rode the airplane ride, as well as the carousel with his daddy and Grandpa Steve. We walked back to the entrance of the park to the large fountain that kids can play in with the hopes that our little water boy would want to swim, but he got cold feet and backed out at the last minute. Needless to say, it was the highlight of our trip. Roc fell asleep on the ride home.

(Balboa Park was awesome!)

Ruby had been acting cranky and irritable since the day before we left. She had a runny nose and wasn't sleeping or eating well. We dismissed it as a cold. But when she started pulling on her ear, we thought we should probably take her into see a doctor. We found one close to Jim and Steph's house, loaded Ruby up in the car, and headed out. We got in rather quickly, and the nurses were nice enough. The doctor was old and hard of hearing. Ruby was screaming the entire time, so we were screaming over the top of her to discuss the situation with the doctor. She was miserable, as is, so when Todd had to pin her down onto the exam table so the old saw bones could look in her ear, she really lost it. And so did I. I politely excused myself from the room before I ripped the doctor's face off. Anyway, to make a long story short, he determined that she had an ear infection, called in the meds, and we went back to the house. While Todd was in the pharmacy, I had a melt down. And watched the people in the car in front of me smoke pot. Welcome to California :) Also something I am not used to seeing-- hard alcohol sold in every store, including pharmacies!

Day 4: San Diego, New/Old Friends
Day 4 was spent mostly relaxing. We had plans of having a beach day, but Rocco was perfectly content just swimming away in the pool. And, to be honest, I was perfectly content just hanging out, too. The thing everyone needs to know about Jim and Stephanie's house is that although it is in San Diego, their backyard is heavenly. It is peaceful, quiet, serene, comfortable, private, and beautiful. Every morning, Ruby and I would wake up before anyone else and have coffee by the pool in one of the lush lounge chairs. We'd watch the hummingbirds flitter around the flowers and lemon trees. The weather was absolutely perfect-- not too hot, not too cold. At night, we would watch Rocco night-swim under the stars and drink wine while listening to Jim's playlist of choice. They have worked hard to make their home-- inside and out-- so welcoming, relaxing, beautiful, and serene. They truly treat their guests like royalty when they are there visiting, so it was always nice to know that we were coming home to such a little oasis in the midst of busy San Diego. A girl could get used to it!

(Heaven)

That evening, I cooked up a big batch of tacos for the gang, and some friends came over for a visit. Todd and Stephanie went to school in Condon with a girl named Tessa. Tessa also went to school at Eastern Oregon University the same time Todd and I attended. Anyway, Tessa and I had been Facebook friends for awhile, but hadn't technically ever met face-to-face. So, it was nice to finally meet her-- as well as her husband of less than a month, Randy. Talk about good people all around-- funny, down-to-earth, positive, and generous. They came with gifts for the kids, a Mexican 7-layer dip, and beer to share. They recently moved to Marietta, which is about an hour away from San Diego, so I foresee many visits between the Mackris family and the Mullinex clan in the future.

Day 5: San Diego-Las Vegas- Boise-Vale
Ugh. Do we have to leave? Boo.

(Rocco getting one last swim in before leaving...)

(Ruby loves her daddy)

(We attempted to get a photo of the grandkids with Steve and Rhonda, but someone was not cooperating!)

Thankfully, the trip home went MUCH smoother than the first day of travelling. Todd and his dad took the rental car back a day early to avoid that whole fiasco. Steve took us to the airport, so he helped us with the bags and kids (a HUGE help!!!) And security went lots better.

I do have one funny security story I have to share. So, we get everyone loaded up to go through the metal detector/conveyor belt thing and I refuse to take my happy kids out of the stroller to go through the human metal detector. The security officer was a real jerk and I gave him the "eat crap and die" look. Anyway, to avoid being cuffed and thrown into airport jail, Todd took care of the stroller situation while I glared at the security guard. As all of our stuff was coming through the conveyor belt, and we struggled to catch it all while juggling two kids, another security guard came up to grab the stroller and give help. Not only did he say with a big smile on his face, "Here, let me help you with that. You have your hands full!" but he also set up the stroller for us. I looked at him, amazed, touched his shoulder and said with all the appreciation in my heart, "Thank you. You give me faith that not all TSA workers are douche lords. Thank you." He laughed-- a lot-- and said, "Douche lord?!?! I have never heard that one! I'm gonna tell my wife about that one!" I think I made his day-- and he made our experience much sweeter, too.

Anyway-- the flights went well. Ruby slept the first flight. Rocco slept the last flight. The annoying girls sitting in front of us from San Diego to Vegas for a bachelorette party were annoying, but nice to our kids. We were able to get a luggage cart when we got back to Boise to get us back to our car, which was still parked a mile away. There were no meltdown pit stops on the way home-- just cruised straight home.

We were happy to be back in the comforts of our own home with sick kiddos, but are looking forward to our next trip to San Diego to visit Jim, Stephanie, and Jillian again. Next time, we are definitely staying longer!

Flying (With Children)

If you really knew me, then you would know how much I hate flying. This irrational fear has only gotten worse as I have gotten older.

The last time we flew was over a year ago-- to Todd's sister's wedding in San Diego. Rocco was a little over a year old. I then realized what was worse than flying with an irrational fear of flying: putting my child on an death trap airplane with the irrational fear of it crashing into smithereens. I silently cried during take off-- big, fat tears rolled down my cheeks. The woman sitting next to me looked at me like I was a crazy person. Rocco said, "It's okay, Mama." He wasn't phased one bit. I guess I was the bigger baby that day than my one-year-old.

To make my anxiety levels even worse is having to endure the judgmental stares from non-parents who are also flying alongside us. "Make that kid shut up!" they silently scream at the backs of our heads. "Can't that kid sit still?" their eyes question as I pull out every toy, book, snack, sippy cup, you name it to try to sidetrack my child and keep him preoccupied.

Sigh.

Believe me, we want our child to sit quietly and peacefully just as much as you do-- if not more. There's a lot of pressure on us-- and our kid. It makes flying incredibly more horrible than it already is. Believe me when I say that it is extremely difficult for someone like me-- who is already terrified while sitting on a plane-- to try to deal with an unhappy child.

In one week from now, we will be loading a plane to San Diego again. This time with two children. Double the carry-ons. Double the luggage. Double the anxiety. Double the judgmental stares...

...and make it a double shot in my pre-flight cocktail.

Shaffer Update!

Hello, Loyal Readers!

Here's a little update on my family:
The last major milestone I blogged about was our trip to Condon in June. This summer has gone all too quickly for us, so we have now put the pedal to the metal on some goals we wanted to achieve before school started back up again.

Around The House
Todd and I have been doing some random DIY projects around the house (painting and constructing Ruby's bed and redecorating her room, constructing Rocco's bunk beds, new bathroom storage cabinet, etc.)-- the most notable being the refurbished China hutch. I didn't take a "before" photo-- as I am always too anxious to get started. But I did take some "during" photos and an "after photo". Before the paint job, the hutch was a medium Oak wood with brushed gold hardware (can you say ICK?) I painted the whole thing black and distressed it. I looked at Home Depot for new hardware, but, to my dismay, the original hardware had odd measurements, so I was forced to make do with what I had. I debated spraying it silver or matte black. I decided with the matte black so it would blend into the furniture more-- I really hated the hardware as it was. Now, I love it. It looks completely different in black! Originally, there were glass panels with gold panes in the upper doors. To give it a rustic look, I decided not to put in the glass, but to add screen instead. I am thrilled with the result:

Solar Energy

Todd and I were accepted into a solar pilot program and it pays us 28.5 cents per every watt of solar energy we produce. There are a handful of guys installing the approximate 30 foot solar panel (28 panels total) right now. I don't know much about it-- I am super skeptical! So, if you have more questions, call Todd! :) All I know is that is supposedly going to save us money. And is a big deal. I guess?

Fourth of July

It was fairly laid back this year-- as we have little Miss Ruby-- and the heat was out of control (over 100 degrees ever day!) So, we stayed inside or in the shade as much as possible. We did go to the park one day to check out the vendors after Lion's breakfast. Rocco slid down the giant inflatable slide and went on the swings. We also made sure to watch the parade. We met up with our friend and Rocco's babysitter and her two boys. It was a blast!

Barton/Adams Wedding
Recently, a family friend got married. She looked stunning and the groom was glowing. They were such a happy, cute couple. I wish them the best!

Boise Zoo
We took Rocco and Ruby to the zoo about a week ago. They were excellent! Rocco was thrilled to see all of the animals-- the monkeys are his favorite! But he hated the new animatronic dinosaurs. They scared him. He always looks forward to the giraffe slide (as tall as a real giraffe) and hand feeding the goats. Ruby did not make a sound the entire time we were at the zoo-- just took it all in. And ended up falling asleep right before we left. It was definitely the highlight of summer vacation so far!

Grandma Mary's 82nd Birthday
We all got together to celebrate Mother Mary's birthday recently. She is a young 82 and looks great! I love that I get to live close to my family and spend time with them-- especially birthdays. Birthdays are my favorite!

Rocco & Ruby

Rocco is growing like a weed and is not slowing down at all. He has had a great summer playing outside, going to the park, doing a week of swim lessons, and going on miscellaneous adventures. He is still infatuated with anything and everything dealing with fire trucks and fire fighting. He is also into Wreck it Ralph and Transformers. And he is super interested in construction stuff, too. We sure do have fun with him!

Ruby is also growing like a weed. She rolls around with ease, but has no desire to crawl yet. She loves sticking her toes in her mouth, eating baby food, making "smack/kiss" noises with her mouth, banging toys with her hands, splashing around during bath time, and smiling at people. She is a quiet little girl and loves to take it all in. It will be fun to watch her grow up.

The Rest of the Family

My mom is still enjoying retirement. So much that I am worried she is going to quit her babysitting job in the fall (not really!) She has been busy quilting and volunteering for lots of charities around the valley. The most notable is her work with the Boys and Girl's Club of the Treasure Valley. She has always been such an advocate for kids. My dad is busy, busy, busy-- farming away. Looking out my back door, I can see that they are swathing hay as I type. His crops look good this year. Todd's folks are doing well. Todd's dad was appointed county judge in January so he has been busy taking classes, going to trainings, attending meetings, and learning the ropes of his new job. Todd's mom stays busy at the bank and is always working on something around their house. They recently remodeled their kitchen and added a shop to their house. We were there when they were pouring cement-- something Rocco loved watching-- and we were able to get the kids' names in the wet cement. Jason and Lora are busy with Jaxon-- he is also growing like a weed and is so cute. Lora will be going to Jason Aldean at the end of the month-- her birthday gift from the family. Todd's sister, Stephanie, and her husband, Jim, are expecting a little girl ANY TIME! Her name is Jillian Marianne. We are eagerly awaiting news of her arrival! Everyone else not mentioned is good-- happy and healthy.

Looking Foward...

I am getting a much-needed and much-deserved 90 minute massage on Wednesday. Enough said!

I am also taking a CPR/First Aide class next week. It's the only "real" class I am taking this summer. I took some online classes and am proud to say that I am officially all the way across the payscale! Yahoo for me!

Todd and I will be celebrating our 4th wedding anniversary on the 25th. We are going to a restaurant in Boise called Barbacoa. There have been several people who have recommended it to us and it looks neat, so we thought we would try it!

We will be taking the kids to San Diego to visit Stephanie, Jim, and Jillian at the end of this month. We're hoping for a play day at the beach, a trip to Lush, and a possible visit to Sea World. With the HOT weather here, we are looking forward to the mild temperatures in San Diego. Mostly, it will be good to see family and meet my niece. Hopefully, we will be there for at least part of the time Todd's parents will be down there-- I think they are going to be there for a couple of weeks.

Todd has had the summer off of football commitments as he stepped down from assistant coaching high school football to head coaching middle school football. He is looking forward to switching gears this fall and being able to spend more time with his family.

Work starts August 19 for us with two inservice days before kids come. So that means that we have just about a month of summer break left. Yikes!

September is a big month for us-- my dad, Todd, and Rocco all have birthdays. Rocco will have his birthday on September 7th-- bounce house again for him and his friends! Todd is turning 30 on September 18th. Homecoming will be the end of September and that is a super busy but fun time for me. A fellow teacher and I are in charge of all of the festivities and it is a BIG deal where we are from. Then, in October, Rocco and Ruby will host their annual Pumpkin Patch Party. Fall is my favorite time of year, so I am looking forward to it.

I hope everyone enjoys the rest of their summer-- we are going to enjoy it while it lasts!

10 Year Reunion Recap

I came. I saw. I was home by 8:30 p.m. that night.

To say the reunion was bad is too harsh... but to say it was good is an overstatement. Here's the scoop, from my perspective:

The positives:

-A great turn-out! There were more people there than I anticipated and a lot of people came from afar, which was awesome. We had two classmates come all the way from Hawaii, among other places. Out of a class of 65, I believe we had 25 classmates, which seems pretty legit for a 10 year reunion. Plus, most brought a "plus 1" so we had quite the group.

-Good location: we had more than enough room to mingle, which was great. And there was alcohol, which, in my situation, was a necessity in this situation.

-The people: with the exception of a couple people, everyone appeared to be genuinely happy to be there, were nice to everyone, and friendly. I didn't see a lot of cattiness, awkwardness, or weirdness, which was a pleasant surprise.

(Pre-Party shots. Mandatory for the 10 year reunion. You never know what to expect!)

The negatives:

-Lack of time: there was not enough time to really have a conversation with anyone. I know that I tried to catch every person and at least spend a couple minutes with each person. But there's not a lot of details you can get into in two short minutes. I wish we would have either had more time that night together or had another activity the day after.

-Lack of activities: we had a three hour block for drinks, dinner, and mingling-- adults only. That's it. It seems like a lot of time, but it wasn't near enough. I am definitely hosting a family BBQ at my house with the next reunion to try to give people more opportunity to catch up and meet each other's kids.
-No teachers invited. A lot of classmates actually mentioned wanting to see specific teachers.
-No school tour. Classmates who have not been here since high school wanted to walk the hallways again.
-No awards, no year books passed around to look and laugh at, no speeches or guest speakers, etc. It was a "fend for yourself" and make your own fun during the three-hour block period. I brought 10 year goals we each wrote as seniors in high school that a wonderful teacher saved for us and passed them around, which were a hit. I think we would have had more fun with more things like that at the dinner.

-Not enough food! I talked to quite a few people that were starving and wanted more food. My husband was one of them :)

-Group photo: we had several people missing from the photo, which sucks, because people are still being "left out" 10 years later.

(Top: Keely Koda Davison, Darci Camp, Lacie Norton Jenkins, Kacie Recla Shaffer, Neaomy Lovelady, Nicki Sappe, Rachel McPheeters Dees, Clayton Dauwalder, Ashley Robertson, Jacob Torrey, Cody Bates, Matt Johnson. Bottom: Logan Keller, Eric Saunders, Mike Larcade, Ryan Hicks, Mike Dentinger, Kyle Barton, Chance Skerjanec.)

The best part of the night was being able to see faces I hadn't seen in a long time. Getting a hug and spending a few moments with everyone was awesome. I will forever be happy that I went to the reunion if for nothing else but for those moments. I learned that one of my classmates served overseas and is now flying helicopters-- it's a good thing I save his life back in high school (No joke. I really did save his life.) Another classmate is having some adventures in the medicinal marijuana growing, harvesting, and selling business. We have teachers, truck drivers, an onion sales rep, a BLM fire fighter, and more. Some classmates already have established careers and some are plugging away at school. One classmate was passionate about her studies in physical therapy while a couple others talked hair color because they are both in cosmetology school-- it's actually pretty scientific stuff! I learned how couples met-- one couple at a party (I thought I heard the husband say, "I threw up on her at a party" when he actually said, "I met her through a party" so that was funny.) Another couple met online. We have a set of classmates that went to school together since middle school and are now married with four beautiful kiddos. There were classmates who recently had babies and some who recently became engaged. Classmates who overcame addiction. Classmates who stayed here... and some who are bonafied gypsies. And one classmate who is an MMA fighter! We are an eclectic group!!!

(Top: Matt Johnson. Middle: Logan Keller, Keely Koda Davison, Rachel McPheeters Dees, Nicki Sappe, Kacie Recla Shaffer, Darci Camp, Clayton Dauwalder, Ashley Robertson, Jacob Torrey, Cody Bates. Bottom: Mike Jenkins, Eric Saunders, Ryan Hicks, Kyle Wilson, Mike Dentinger, Kyle Barton, Chance Skerjanec. Missing: Lacie Norton Jenkins, Neaomy Lovelady, Francis Dyas, Jess Tolman, Luke Braniff, Amanda Johnson, Kelli Dixon Miller, Josh Hathaway, Evan Haley, Chelsie Bishop Bates, Mike Larcade, Fitzpatrick Kennedy)

Despite the negatives, I am really happy I went. I was on the fence for a long time. Even that day I contemplated faking sick. But I went, and I'm glad I did. I am glad that even for a few moments, I got to see everyone-- that far outweighs the negatives. The classmates are talking about having a 15 year reunion, and I hope it happens. Since we have one under our belts, we now know that we need more time together and more fun stuff to do as a group. Here's to the class of 2003! I hope all of my classmates stay happy, healthy, and safe until I see them again. PS: We're old farts.

("Shit, I'm old! Give me a drink!")

Mr. Yuk

When I was 4 my mom and I stopped into one of those middle of the mall hallway safety fairs. The people taught me all about poison control, but the only aspect I remember well is getting those neon green Mr. Yuk stickers. I was told to put the sticker on anything that was "yucky"...

Later, we went to a restaurant called Noodles. I ordered the children's lasagna. I loved my mom's lasagna. But this lasagna, when delivered, was... different. It had spinach in the middle. YUCK! Without saying anything, I reached into my mom's purse, grabbed out the sheet of stickers, placed one carefully on the top of the lasagna, and called the waitress over.

"This is YUCKY!" I said and sent it with her to the kitchen.

It was one of my earliest memories of being a ball-buster.

I can't help it. It's as much a part of me as the freckles on my face.

It seems as if this characteristic is either regarded highly (usually by my friends) or loathed (usually by my foes.) People usually either love me or despise me. I can see both sides of the coin. You always know where you stand with me, and I always tell you what I genuinely think when you ask for my opinion. This can be very refreshing and show those around me that I am open, honest, genuine, and trust-worthy. If I give you a compliment, you know I mean it. You always know that whatever comes out of my mouth is the honest to God truth. Or, it can be seen as rude, bitchy, judgmental, and overly blunt. Sometimes I say things people don't want to hear. I always warn them...

I was once told that being nice to someone I have an issue with is not fake, it's being polite. I beg to differ. Being nice to someone I have an issue with goes against every fiber of my being. Being neutral to someone I have an issue with seems to be the nicest I can get. And by neutral I mean ignoring them and trying not to be around them as much as possible.

However... I am working on it. Really.

Since becoming a mother, I have found that I am much better at governing myself and my words before speaking or reacting. I haven't mastered this skill quite yet, but I'm actively working on it.

Here's a recent example:

Someone asked me what I thought about a certain someone. In my mind I thought, "I hate him. He gives me bad vibes. He's stupid, ignorant, unmotivated, lazy, arrogant yet super insecure, and white-trashy. He thinks he's charming, but I see right through the act. He is BAD NEWS."

I may have thought that in my head, but this is what I said: "He's a douche."

So, see... I'm working on it.

I do think that the world would function better, however, if we all carried around a set of Mr. Yuk stickers in our belongings to place upon people and situations as a warning for all who follow our paths in life. They would be spared the lecture from us, we would be spared of the title of "ball-buster", and all the yucky stuff could just be avoided with one little neon green sticker.

Condon Trip-- June 2013

Family Vacation #2 was supposed to be much grander than it actually was-- we were supposed to make a Tour de Oregon trip, stopping in La Grande, Boardman, Condon, Vancouver, Lincoln City, and Bend before coming back to Vale.

That didn't happen. That's way too much of a trip for the kids-- and for us-- right now.

Instead, we made the first leg of the trip-- stopping in LG, Boardman, and Condon before coming back home. It might have been a much shorter trip than we initially anticipated, but it was a great little getaway and we got to visit with some people we adore.

On our way to Boardman, we stopped at Riverside Park (have I mentioned how much I absolutely LOVE this park?!?!) to meet up with Katie, Madi, and Braiden. The kids played, the adults chased them and talked occasionally, and we all feasted on some gourmet McD's. I was happily surprised to run into an old college classmate and dance team member and her kids. We then hit the road to get to Boardman to visit the Lantis family.

The visit with Zack, Emerald, Makaila, Riley, and Chase was great! The kids played, the adults caught up, and ate some yummy Traeger BBQ'd chicken and steak. Zack took the boys to the fire department-- Rocco was so excited to put on real firefighter gear! Emerald later took me for a quick tour of the town. We stayed one night in Boardman before heading to Condon.

Our visit to Condon was very nice. It is always good to see Steve and Rhonda (Todd's parents). We also saw some other good friends, whom we miss a lot-- The Barnett Family, The Farrars, Uncle Stan and Aunt Terri, and Grandma Dorothy. We also had a visit from K'Lynn and her little beautiful girl, Kennedy, as well as Aunt Betty Lou and cousin Zoey. We mostly stuck around the house-- Rocco played naked outside the majority of the weekend-- but we did make a trip into town for the Elk's breakfast and to take Rocco to the elementary school to play. The kids were super well-behaved and traveled excellently. We couldn't have asked for much more than that!

Our next trip is supposed to be a visit to San Diego to see Todd's sister, brother-in-law, and their new baby. But there are some scheduling conflicts that might delay the trip until a later date. If that's the case, we might take our own family vacation elsewhere (lesson learned: always buy the refundable plane tickets!) like San Francisco, Vancouver to see the Dearborn clan, or Seattle to visit Uncle Gil. Heck, we might get a wild hair and go somewhere totally unexpected! Who knows?!

All I know is that so far this has been a great summer-- and will continue to be a great summer. Whenever I am with my family, I am happy! It's icing on the cake when I get to visit people who love us in return and are grateful for our company!

Here are some of the best photos from our trip: