Seizing My Day

I failed!!  I failed my 365 days of photos    = (

somehow I forgot to take a picture last Sunday!!??    really?!

I was sick on Sunday… my worst day with my cold… but still!!

Oh Well!!   I guess it will be my 364 day project now    =)

I can still get an A if I only have minus 1 … right?!

This Week Ashley’s Scavenger Hunt Items were:

Everyday, Life, Blurred, Furry and Capture the Sky

Sunday 51/365

Failed.       = (

Monday    52/365     Capture the Sky

Monday my sister and I toodled?  tootled?  around in Tacoma

mostly browsing in their limited antique shops…

We were a little disappointed…

our wee Capital City has more  shops than Tacoma…

Alas… it was still a fun a sister adventure day!!   =)

even if she didn’t cooperate

when I tried to take her picture!!  ha ha

Tuesday   53/365      Furry

Nana…

eating moist kitty food for Abby’s Science Experiment!

Lucky kitty!

Wednesday      54/365 Life

Plant Life was starting to grow before all this snow hit Washington!  =)

(I know I shared this flower earlier in the week… this is another shot of it!!)

I think it looks a little like a Venus Fly Trap in this picture!!  =)

Snow days are great days for baking too..

AND it  is a great Life shot too… right??

Brownies are an important part of Life!!

moving on…

Thursday   55/365    Blurred

Merlin goes crazy in the Snow!  He LOVES it!!

but he gets cold fast… the poor little guy…

his soft  fur collects the fluffy cold snow fast!!

In this pic he is trying to shake 3 minutes of fun off of his fur!!  =)

Here Merlin  stopped to do the Pointer Dog thing at a squirrel??

He really thinks he is a hound of some kind!!

Poor guy… the snow is up to his belly!!  =)

makes for some cold peeing!!

(sorry!!) Just Real Life!

moving on again…

Friday     56/365

Friday at 12:30 pm we popped an egg into vinegar

we couldn’t resist  after seeing it on Jessica’s blog last week!

They called it the Naked Egg Project… I think?!

The vinegar eats away the hard calcium shell…

leaving behind a soft semi-transparent covering!

Abby already has a science fair project going with the cat

but we figured it would be a great home school Science thing for Sammy

and a back up Science Fair project for her if we need it…

the cat project is not exactly working??!!

anyway… what it boils down to ….is that mommy likes the darn egg!

I want to take cool light pictures with it like Jessica did!!  =)

Saturday   57/365 Everyday

Everyday I try to at least pick up my little Bible companion book!

I hope to read through the New Testament again this year…

I am not off to a good start though!!  *sigh*

This Fabulous little book helps me get in a little bible time each day…

I love my little Daily Strength for Daily Needs book

published in 1884!!

it is a TREASURE !!

I read it year after year…

the words keep speaking to my heart and mind…

though it is a little difficult to read in old style English…  =)

I can not explain it… it is  an amazing little book of Bible verses and

encouraging Quotes  written by Christians before 1884 … =)

I have another copy published in 1992 (over a 100 years later!!)

But I have a thing for old books…

My old copy was gifted to a lady named Fanny on Christmas of 1884!!

Before I close I just want to say for the record…

it is Still Snowing In Washington!!  rare I tell ya!!

We just don’t get snow like this very often!

It is supposed to be raining today… and soccer starts on Tuesday!!

I wonder if the hubby Coach will cancel the first practice if we still have snow!

ha ha!!

Looking forward to seeing all your photos as always!!  =)

Blessings~

Jenn

Here are the links for these fun photography blogs…

and

Hikes to the local hills with our sled in tow

A few Hours of sledding

in the beautiful white powdery snow

That filled our sled on each run down the hill

literally!

after nearly every run down the hill

the mama had to pull off her gloves

and dig Powdery  snow out of boots, pant legs, hoods… faces…  =)

48 hours + 8 inches  also =

Hours of digging

and digging

and digging ….out the center of this huge pile of snow

that I shoveled off the driveway the day before

because I am stupid, nuts, crazy, not smart a fun mom… =)

My offspring were very helpful

or… uh…

Entertaining?

while the mama broke her back dug out the Lodge   =)

I grew up using the shovel…. A LOT

now I have this weird attachment to it…

I can’t explain it…

I really DO like to Dig… really!!

and well…

I just do things like this ….against my better judgment!

I have the same weird attachment to paint brushes…

and rollers… *insert happy grin* … oh never mind!

In She Goes!!!

Is there room for 2?

A little snug… but they both fit!

hm….

yep… Much more cozy for one!!

(nope I will not build another one… not me!!)

In Washington we do crazy things like this for the littles

because everyone needs a 48 hour Snow Lodge!!

it is a sickness… Snow…

you hate it…yet … You LOVE it… *sigh*

and because I am OUT OF MY MIND

I didn’t stop there…

Sammy and I built up a Battle Fort too

Hey… I am NOT the bad guy??!!

What is Wrong with him?!!

48 hours + 8 inches Also =

Back aches

When Will I EVER learn??   =)

So much work for 48 hours worth of fun!!

It   IS   worth it?    Right?? =)

Today Mr. McFun gets to “play”…

Apparently my body is not as young as my mind!!

I will be spending the weekend with my heating bags!!

What are you up to this weekend??   =)

Blessings~

Jenn

The  (not so smart) Shovel Queen

Western Washington that is…

For those of you who commented on Sunday

that you were jealous of this:

My man mowing the lawn 6 days ago

because the sun was manipulating our lawn into growing.

Apparently grass grows  in 40-50 degree weather…  =)

Be Jealous NO MORE

yesterday we woke to this in Washington State

Every 20 minutes the snow would fall

and then the sun would peek out and melt it some

and then the snow would fall again

and then the sun would peek out and melt it some more

and then more snow would fall…

you get the idea!

When I took the dog out to take care of  business

I found this sweet little 4 inch flower

Yeah… it is  buried under snow today!

Today we woke to 4 more inches than yesterday

that was at 7:30 this morning

when they finally canceled school

roads are slick in Washington when it snows…

we really aren’t babies over here…

Snow on the coast is Wet and slippery!

all that snow/sun yesterday left ice under the wet snow

anyway…

it is 10 am now and we are looking at

6 plus inches of Snow

(and counting… snow has now stopped fallin!)

Yep… from 6 plus inches of grass

to 6 plus inches of snow  =)

I am NOT complaining…

just showing you all

that you forgot to read the part

under the lawn mower picture in Sunday’s blog post …where I said

” MARK  MY WORDS… It WILL snow again!! “ =)

and sure enough  it snowed!!

In less than a week !

ha ha!

speaking of my sweet man

look what he left me in the driveway this morning

on his way to work

or maybe he left it for the kids…

I bet he left it for the kids…

*sigh*   =)

I had to use some funky editing to get it to show up…

the snow had covered it by the time I found it  =)

the humorous thing about all this snow?

in less than 6 days

rain or shine, snow or sleet…

THIS will consume our lives again

apparently they only cancel outdoor soccer for lightening!!??

In case all you soccer savvy folks were wondering

don’t worry… that snowy soccer ball is Merlin’s!

Abby’s soccer ball is safe and dry in the garage!  =)

yikes… soccer in the snow?  really?  they are only 5th graders!

honestly snow usually disappears in less than 2 days around these parts!

Sometimes we are lucky enough to keep it a week.

(did I say lucky… what is wrong with me?)

Occasionally it stays for 2 weeks… but that is rare!!

Alright… I am done… it is time to get out of my PJ’s

and be a good mom and take my littles out in the COLD…brrrr….

what is wrong with children??

why do they want to go outside on days like this?!!

ha ha ha … I kid.

maybe when we come in..

we’ll have the warm brownies I just pulled out of the oven!

I might even have to make a pot roast for dinner…

and creamy mashed potatoes!!

because the best thing about Snow Days…

is Winter comfort food… right?  =)

Blessings~

Jenn  ~

aka The Local Weather Girl

*snicker ~ snicker*

What is YOUR weather like today??!

(don’t answer that if you live in a sunny state… *sigh*  jk!!)

A few of my weekend visitors commented on my Salmon Dinner…

and I love to share a good thing… so I thought I would give you the recipe!

It is simple and delicious!!  and the leftovers are amazing the day after!!

I am going to try something new… give you the recipe first

and then the step by step pictures!

I love offering pictures b/c I LOVE learning with pictures…

which is one of many reasons why I love Ree’s recipes!!  =)

Salmon Marinated in Maple and Soy

2-3 Tablespoons of Low Sodium Soy (or Gluten Free Soy Sauce)

1/4 cup real, pure Maple Syrup

1 heaping Tablespoon of Garlic

Herbs of  your choice:  Oregano, Basil (fresh is the best by dry works!), Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme… sing it with me now… =)

My favorite is fresh oregano and fresh basil… I only had dry herbs this week!

Wild Caught Salmon …oh yum!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Combine the Maple and Soy sauce in a jar & shake

Marinate the salmon in that for a few hours in the fridge

(or not… if you are in a hurry and forgot that step earlier in the day…oops!)

Make a foil boat for your salmon and place on a baking sheet/pan

I used a ratty old toaster oven pan for my Salmon for 2 meal!

place the Salmon in the foil boat and pour the rest of the sauce on it

add a heaping tablespoon of chopped Garlic

rub the garlic all over the salmon with a fork

(I have had one too many bad garlic gloves this month… so I caved and bought a  jar … moldy garlic cloves will do that to a girl =)  … but honestly I usually use fresh garlic too…  but this post will show that even the jarred, dried and forgetting to marinate ahead of time … still turns out lovely!!)

Sprinkle the whole thing with herbs.

Close up your foil boat.

Bake at 400 degrees  for about 15-20 minutes.

Salmon will flake with a fork when done.

if you like the edges of the salmon to be a little well done…

Open the foil boat at the end and broil for a couple minutes!

Watch it the entire time…. You don’t want to over cook it… =)

Serve with veggies and rice.

or with Salad .. oh yum!

or with Thai stir fried noodles and sauted asparagus!  Double yum!!

That was painful to do without pictures… in case you were wondering!!

ready for the pictures??!!  =)

for a small salmon I used 2-3 tablespoons of soy sauce

and 1/4 cup of Maple syrup

but for a larger salmon double this!!  =)

to 1/4 cup soy sauce and 1/2 cup Maple Syrup!

I like to pour them in an old smuckers jam jar and shake it up!!

then at this point the best thing to do is marinate the salmon

I didn’t do this ahead of time…

and I put the garlic and herbs on my salmon before I poured the sauce on!!

*I must be tired from everyone passing a bad cold around all month?!** =)

Make the foil boat for the Salmon

see how the foil is tall enough on all sides to wrap up the salmon later?!

ok …put that heaping tablespoon of garlic on the salmon

and spread it around with a fork

and pull out your favorite herbs

this is what I had… *sigh*  I love fresh… anyway…

still yummy with dried!!

and notice I have yet to realize I forgot to but the sauce on…

so you see f0lks… it will turn out yummy in any order!

garlic, herbs, sauce

sauce, garlic, herbs,

herbs, garlic sauce..

There … garlic, herbs, sauce … in the foil boat…

ready to close up and bake

please ignore my old toaster oven pan from before marriage!

15 plus years old!!  =)

anyway… you just need a thin pan under the foil boat in case it leaks!

Hubby throws it on the BBQ in the boat … as is…

for half the cookin time I think??   you’d have to ask him!!  =)

after 15-20 minutes open that baby up

it was not quite done yet…

but that is ok… it was nearly done…

I put it under the broiler at this point opened up

to caramelize it a bit… (did I spell that right?)

b/c it wasn’t quite done… I think I left it in for 4-5 minutes…

I like it a little browner than that… but it worked…

while the salmon was baking I stir fried Thai Rice noodles

after they soaked for 15 minutes (as the box directed)

I used more soy and maple for the sauce

and sauteed asparagus for about 3-4 minutes.

Yummy dinner!

The best part about this salmon is the leftovers the next day…

break the leftover salmon into little bits

and add a tablespoon of mayo and a little extra sauce if you like

mix it up and refrigerate it over night

The next day for lunch toast some bread, a bagel, english muffin…

what ever carb your heart desires

I used to use the above choices…

I reluctantly used Gluten Free Bread …

anyway… toast it.. and then spread the cold salmon on it…

I have a fresh piece of foil on my ratty old pan again…

once you spread the salmon

add some fresh paremsan

and broil it for a minute or two (Watch it closely!!)

Oh yum…

Enjoy!!

I am not sure if I like day one… Salmon dinner….

or day 2 …left over broiled Salmon sandwiches best??!

either way… You can not go wrong with the Maple Soy Marinade…

it is amazingly delicious!!  =)

Also wonderful on Beef and Chicken!!  =)

and when my low sodium soy sauce runs out…

I will buy Gluten Free Soy sauce (I hear I can find that)

and I won’t be cheating… a little!!  =)

That’s all folks!

My little boy has a fever today… only 101.4.. not too high…

he just woke from a nap… time to snuggle and read !!  =)

and here I go again… NO PROOF READING… just going to publish!!

Hope you enjoy this recipe one day!

Let me know if you do!

Blessings!

Jenn~

Sunday Scavenger Hunt :

Chocolate, Canned Food, Music, Stack and Numbers.

and of course my photos for days 44 – 50 of 365!

Sunday    44/365      Stack

We picked up Girl Scout Cookies on Sunday

and we stacked them up for our annual picture

of Abby with ALL the cookies she sold…

we make personalized Thank You cards out of the picture!

It is a huge hit with her customers!!  =)

Monday  45/365

Valentines day dinner for my man!

Salmon marinated in soy sauce, maple syrup & garlic… served with Thai rice noodles (same sauce) and asparagus with Parmesan!    um… I cheated on my gluten free diet a tiny bit with the soy… I need to buy GF soy sauce!!  =)

the best part about this meal… is the salmon on day 2 with mayo on toasted bread.. I used gf bread… broiled for a few minutes to warm it up… YUM!

Tuesday        46/365       Music

Abby had a chorus concert Tuesday night ~ 5th graders, middle schools and high school ~ all together ~ she wasn’t feeling very well that night ~ poor monkey ~ It was an hour and a half and the 5th graders only sang 2 songs!!   that um… Harry Potter look alike in the back ground was in the boys choir… I think he knows he looks like Harry and played it up a bit…  =) After the concert… It was fun to hear many other people say …”he looks like Harry Potter”… made me feel less alone for thinking the same thing!!  What do you think??  (I was very sly taking this picture of him behind Abby… sorry about the quality of this one)

Wednesday       47/365     Chocolate (box)  *wink*

Charlie was featured in the Whitman’s chocolate factory this year!

My children LOVE Charlie!!  So I sneaked 2 of these into my cart when I had Sammy with me… only come to find out after sneaking and buying them… I only bought one Charlie box… the front box had the dog… the one behind it had a kitty!!  oops!  … which Abby loves… whew…. I thought she would be sad Sammy got Charlie and she didn’t… but she knows… it really isn’t Charlie anyway… I am sure y’all wanted to hear that story!

For the record:  I am sure Whitman’s don’t even know who Charlie is!! =)

my real chocolate pics didn’t turn out… so you get the box… I am fighting a nasty cold/sinus something this week… not so into photography this week… *sigh*

Thursday       48/365     Numbers

Merlin stole Sammy’s favorite ruler off his desk this week… Sammy uses it as a number line for math!    It took me a long time to get it out of his mouth…Sammy was not impressed that half way through the battle I stopped to grab my camera and regain myself from laughing so hard!!   We had to cave and offer treats to get it out of his mouth… Apparently Merlin really wanted to have it!!

Friday         49/365       Canned Food

Abby is working on a Science project:  Which treat does our cat like best?

Wet cat food, tuna, moist pounce or dry pounce?  she needed pictures for her Science data board… Canned Cat Food!  I was too tired and worn out from this dang cold to try very hard this week… simple is good… =)

Saturday       50/365

Mr. Mc Efficent managed to sneak in a lawn mowing today… In FEBRUARY!  It isn’t the first time this has happened in Washington!!  Last year we had a couple glorious weeks of lovely weather in February!!  So I have seen this happen twice in my life now… crazy!!

The grass was wet from yesterday’s rain… but he set the mower high and managed to get it cut shorter.. which is great b/c it is growing already!  =)  Don’t be too jealous if you are still under snow… it is still pretty cold here… and we will have LOTS more rain and maybe even snow before Spring really arrives!!  =)  It Always snows here in April or May… Always… sometimes just a dusting… sometimes a 24 hour snow… but it always snows in spring… mark my words!!

We even had a bee visit today… I hope Merlin is not allergic to bees… b/c I think he will try to eat them this summer… I just have this feeling…

if you look closely you might see the dog slobber on the window!~

No Merlin!  don’t eat bees!!  bad dog!

I do however encourage him to eat spiders… is that  bad?  =)   he ate one off the wall for me this week… I hate spiders!!  ew… and he ate it alive… eeeeew!!  but I didn’t have to kill it… good dog Merlin???  =)

Tomorrow the forecast is rain… no matter… I am stuck inside with my nasty cold & sore throat… at least I won’t feel bad missing out on Sun… right?!!  =)

Have a great week folks!

Until Next Time!

Jenn~

(I am publishing this without editing, proof reading or any other such measures… hope y’all don’t mind… it is that kind of cold… I wouldn’t catch anything if I did try anyway!!  ha ha!)   =)

and

I am not one to believe in fortunes or horoscopes

not that there is anything wrong with believing in them

I just don’t.

Tuesday I bought myself and Sammy a meal at Panda Express

and this was our fortune:

There is  some Truth in that!!

(for anyone of course ..not just the one who opens the cookie!)

The Word  Courage keeps sneaking into my world lately.

Through a sermon at church,  a teaching moment with my daughter,  on a blog post I read,  in a silly fortune cookie….on my little daily calendar

of course courageous in love

is very different than the kind of courage I am talking about today!

being courageous in love

is not limited to a spouse… or boyfriend…

I would love to revisit that topic one day…

The whole courage things is a huge subject I could go on about.  =)

Courage.

I tend to lean on the not so courageous side of life.

My point today is …

I love art

but I am fearful to put my art out there.

Over the years I have “hidden” my art and photography behind kids.

I was creative as a nanny, a childcare provider, a teachers assistant…

a mommy.  It worked for me. Hiding behind the kid thing.

using my art for kids is easier.

Long story short… I am chicken.  Chicken to pursue my dreams.

Chicken to be judged.  Chicken to be criticized.

Chicken to put myself out there.  Chicken to put my ART out there!

and then I met blogging!!   =)

I have been hanging around in the blog world for a little over a year now…

I find it to be a very inspirational place…  ya know?

Seeing others pursue art ….among other things…

things that I enjoy and love… it is encouraging!!

You all put yourselves out here.  All the time!

Many of you inspire me to step outside of my comfort zone

in SO many ways!  SO so many ways!

What am I afraid of anyway?  =)

As bloggers I think y’all must have had at least ONE moment

where you had to find the courage to put your words, your art, your

cooking, your fears, your photographs, your heart out here…

yes?  no?  =)

Courage has been knocking at my back door for years now…

it is so much easier to pretend you don’t hear the knocking.

ya know?

Recently Courage is  knocking on my FRONT door

I think it is time to answer the door.

Would you like a peek at something I LOVE to do…

but I am terrified to “put out here” …

just a peek remember!!

ha ha…

I kid.

oops… lost the color…

Fear I tell ya.  Crippling!!  =)

Here was my inspiration….

(where is the line with inspiration and your own art??  yikes… fear!)

Abby loves owls right now  … =)

I am such a chicken to show MY art to others

bock, bock, bock…

na na na na na na na… na na na na na na na

(tune to the chicken dance..)

OK… OK… here is my rough draft on paper

courage.  (just sayin)

Abby loved it!      Kids always love my art.

I am comfortable showing it to them!  ha ha!

I let Abby  pick a background color

and then I went to town on the canvas

(bock)

(bock)

the colors changed a bit … I am blending them myself

and I changed the feathers on the tummy this time…

I think I liked the first one better??

Abby loves them both  =)

My art is Kid art.

Kids are generally thrilled with my art…

Its you grown ups I am chicken to share it with!!  *sigh*

I think I will paint a CHICKEN next.

JUST for humor sake.   =)

To remind me to choose Courage.

Not fear      (fear…  Chicken… ha ha… never mind… )

Courage.

I want to play with art… make wall art… make gifts…

maybe even sell it one day?!

Dreams take Courage!!

Some of these blank canvases are old… old old old!

and there are more in my garage ….somewhere?!!

FEAR.

A few of you wonderful talented creative  bloggers

you share your art

it is beautiful and fun

you are enjoying your artistic side !!

You inspire me…

Becky at Farmgirl Paints

and

Courtney Walsh  at Domestic Blunders

YOU  have nudged me…

with your words…

and the art you share on your blogs

you inspire and encourage me..  =)

So many of you wonderful blog friends encourage and inspire

with photography, cooking, being more courageous in love (see its there), being more intentional with my life… I could go on and on…

I love that part about blogging!!

Becky and Courtney… your blogs especially have inspired me to pick up my paint brushes and to be brave about it!!    =)

my hubby will thank y’all later…

I think he is tired of me spending money on canvases (for years)

and brushes

and paint

and NOT using them!!  ha ha

I think it is High Time to color my world

and finally use those canvases!!

I am sure there will be disasters along the way

but that is part of the game

right?   =)

The End.

not really… it just came out… felt right to say it.  =)  I do that.

Finding the courage to post my art is just the beginning.

All because of a silly little fortune.

I kid!  =)

Courage.

It goes deeper than my art.

Art is where I am spreading my wings in right now.  =)

Until Next time~

Jenn

What area of your life are you trying to find courage with??

The sun was shining

After a powerful service at church

I needed to be outside in God’s creation!!

I persuaded my little family to go downtown

to walk the doggy and spend time together

while spring was teasing us a bit more

in the chilly but sunny weather

look what we found… hints of Spring!

pictures are compliments of my virgin mobile smart phone =)

best Christmas present evah!!

I know I have shown you around Olympia before…

bear with me… I try to shake it up a bit!! =)

we puttered around Capital Lake

b/c that is THE place to walk in Olympia when the sun shines

or when the sun doesn’t shine

or in the rain

or snow

its the only place to walk in Olympia, OK!  =)

Merlin loves it… there are always a million other dogs to sniff there!

one day I should sit on a bench and take pictures

of them…. those… the other ones…  the people and their dogs =)

Abby LOVES seeing so many different breeds of dogs in less than one hour!

ha ha ha!!  I Love that animal loving child of mine!!

After we walked around the lake…

we went across the street to the funky water fountain

that comes up from the ground…

The Fountain is Packed with people on really warm spring or summer days

my little monkeys are not real big on water splashing or crowds

and well… the mass chaos is too much for my little man with low vision…

when it is packed that is…

but on a chilly yet sunny day in winter (yep… it IS  still winter!)

the fountain is all ours baby!!  =)

the water is so hard to capture

especially when you don’t have a fancy camera

my little phone did ok

I was standing in the center of the fountain for that last shot…

hard to explain!

flying water!!  =)

the LCD screen on my phone was useless on a sunny day!!

so I just pointed and prayed for one to turn out!  ha ha!

I caught a few decent shots to give you the idea…

but I did not manage to capture the whole fountain!  oops!

it is a huge round circle

and the water shoots up in a pattern…

from holes in the ground…

It is So COOL!

I love how entertaining the little things in life can be  =)

anyway…

across the other side of the street

from the fountain in the ground

is our tiny little water front pier

really small… not super exciting… yet still lovely!!

our little pier is currently under major construction

so you can’t really walk the whole pier right now (um… all 2 blocks of it!?)

but it is still gorgeous… even on a slightly cloudy day…

God’s creation never ever fails to fill me up!!  =)

what you can’t see super well in that darkish picture…

is the Olympic Mountains off in the distance beyond the sound waters…

here is a pic I took a couple days before

from just down the street in the grocery store parking lot!

I also took a picture of The Bridge from that same spot

I love the 4th Avenue Bridge

it was built the year of the huge earth quake that shook Olympia

and Seattle …(Seattle had WAY more damage actually!)

The earth quake was the very week my mom passed away…

I drove INTO the earthquake zone 12 hours after it happened…

to be with my mama in her last days…

anyway… the old 4th Ave bridge was damaged…

so they built this one..

isn’t she a lovely little bridge?  =)

the Puget Sound kinda meets Capital lake somewhere under that bridge …

I think.   =)

anyway… it is near the lake

and the fountain

and the pier

Small town Olympia is… =)

chatty today aren’t I?!

just because it is Valentines Day

I’ll also share The Kissing Statue with y’all today!!

Artist: Richard S. Beyer 1990

Ain’t that just the sweetest thing??  =)

it is on the pier we were on before I got distracted

with the mountains and the bridge!

sometimes you catch people posing next to the statue

and kissing each other…

(now you want to come here with your man

and kiss him by that statue … don’t you?!)

You will never catch my shy guy doing that in public

with me of course…  or anyone else… oh never mind!!

so shy and private my man is….  unlike his wife…  never mind!  =)

It is 10:15 pm..

so it is still Valentines Day on the West Coast…

we had a quiet night in… hubby is snoozing on the couch just now…

I cooked a delish Salmon dinner w/asparagus  & Thai Rice Noodles….YUM!

and we played the Wii as a family tonight…

how romantic!!

anyway… that is how we roll.  Family Love!!  =)

Maybe we will  go on a date this coming weekend?

when the crowds are at home… sneaky we are… =)

Hope you spent your day enjoying simple things in life with a loved one!!

Blessings~

Jenn

What do you love about your home town??  =)

Sunday  Sunday

Ashley’s Photo Scavengerhunt

and the 365 day challenge

Links are at the bottom of my post if you are interested in joining the fun!

Sunday   37/365

Last weekend I stitched this little bag for Abby

It is the first bag I’ve sewn… not sure I will sew another!!  ha ha…

Monday        38/365

Merlin was exhausted after a trip to the dog park

he fell asleep right in the middle of chewing up his box

he chews boxes every single day…

my floors are always messy with chewed cardboard pieces

it is better than having chewed shoes … right?

Tuesday        39/365 Shadows

love the tall shadows …wagging tail and all..

this was a cell phone pic!!

Wednesday             40/365

do you all know you can check the weather through your Wii

anywhere on the globe!

you spin the globe around and click on the continent you want…

then zoom in on the country, state, city…

Sammy had so much fun playing with the Weather via the Wii…

it will be a fantastic geography tool!

you can even get a 5 day forecast

Thursday          41/365 Warmth

Thursday  morning this lovely little rainbow appeared

the Warm sun was shining on the beginning of a light rain…

*another cell phone pic*

Friday        42/365 Repetition

Sammy really wanted one of these cool keys… so I let him pick out one

he bought the key to happiness!    =)

Saturday          43/365 White    & Strong

WHITE tags…

Abby needed new pants

she requires:

slimmer than slim

thinner than thin

skinnier than skinny

The GAP  is the only store that sells SLIM jeans WITH an adjustable waist!!

(God bless the Gap!)

b/c just slim is never slim enough for that girl of mine!!

Go back up and read that Tag…

Slim, Skinny, Adjustable waist, Slim in the hip and thigh… PERFECT!!

and we did NOT pay full price either!!  cha ching!!

We got those babies 30% off… and One pair FREE!!

Love it!!

what can I say… I love love love a good deal!

Strong

I had a strong desire for cupcakes lately

Today I finally broke down and made Gluten Free cupcakes

to get rid of that STRONG desire …

They were ok… I think I need to keep looking for a better GF Cupcake recipe!!  =)

Hope y’all have a lovely week!

Blessings~

Jenn

and

Every Single Time the cat comes down the stairs

or she comes into the house from outside

Merlin chases her, tackles her, barks at her  or lovingly nips at her

ALL ~  DAY ~  LONG ~  Every ~ Single ~ Day.

for 528 days

He is relentless!!  He Really wants Nana to play with him!

(he really is Exhausting but that is not my point …ha ha)

Yesterday a RARE thing occurred

A very very RARE thing occurred while we were eating dinner

Nana just walked down the stairs and parked herself by my feet

Look at the tension in the cats face   (bawhahahaha)

what was she thinking??

Merlin just watched her for about 2-3 minutes

but the suspense was KILLING him

he couldn’t handle the suspense he walked over her and  around her

Barking and wagging his tail the whole time ~  for about 30 seconds

it was hysterical because

SHE DIDN’T MOVE !!

MERLIN couldn’t believe she didn’t move!

(sorry about the out of focus blur)  =)

he was not quite sure what to do… why wasn’t she running?

what should I do?  Maybe GRAB her tail with my paws?

Maybe that will make her run, right?

maybe if I nibble her tail ~  just a teeny tiny bit

She will run  and then we can play

Hello!!

Kitty, what is Wrong with you?

OH… hey…. now is my chance

maybe she will let me get in a good sniff…

oops… she moved her head

I should bite her tail?

I am not supposed to bite her tail

I want to bite her tail

I am not supposed to bite her tail

I want to bite her tail

what to do ~ what to do

Bite the tail!!

Hey… she didn’t move!

Maybe I can get in a good sniff!!

Look at Nana’s ears   and   her  face

she was Sooooooo Mad!

and then she looked at me

like

Really? Why are you letting him do this to me?!

After 528 days ~ what on earth does she think   I can do to help her?

bawhahahaha

I mean…  Poor kitty.

but Nana… that really was Self Inflicted Torture!   You knew better!

528 days is plenty of time to learn how to deal with that beast!

Speaking of self inflicted torture…

What was I thinking buying pets for my children?

they are so exhausting!  =)

Oh anyway… at least they are entertaining too!

Hope your day does not involve any self inflicted torture!

I think I need to get out.   out with Sammy.   and THAT dog

and enjoy our 40 degree Sunny weather.   while it lasts.

We’ll call it P.E. time.  =)

Saturday is supposed to bring Rain.   Lots and Lots of Rain!

FABULOUS!

ta ta for now~

Jenn

My hubby is full of surprises this year

First I discovered he was a Poster Boy at work

You can go back and read about that HERE if you like =)

And Then….

Recently the wonderful little church we started attending just this Fall

had a wee little talent show

now we are still a little shy there

I mean we have only been attending since Fall

we are going to a Life Group (bible study) …

slowly developing friendships   =)

anyway…

I am guessing people there have figured out we are silly …

well or they have figured out Mr. McFunny is silly… I think?

So…….. back to the talent show

NO ONE in my family wanted to participate in it

Until the morning of the talent show… Apparently!~

Mr. McFunny **unknown to me** signed up to perform that night!

and guess what?

Someone filmed it!!!    snicker snicker snicker!!

without further ado …

Mr. McFunny in action at our church’s Talent show a couple weeks ago!

That is My Cowboy ladies!!
no chaps
no hat
no wranglers
But he sure can make Me laugh!! =)

well… ok … he can make just about anyone laugh!!

I love that about my man!!

Have a lovely Wednesday folks!!

Blessings~

Jenn