For Sentimental Reasons

The cutest little green frog!

2010-08-25T20:30:00.000-07:00

I had some very relaxing time with my kids this afternoon. We tried hide and go seek, but there aren't too many places to hide in a field, but the coolest part was when the kids found the cutest little frog. At one point he was named, but I can't remember what it was now, I'm sure hoppy or greeny or something froggish. It was Josie's first frog experience and her big brother taught her pretty quickly how to be gentle. It was so cute.

This is hiding, lol!

Returning the little green guy to his home.

Pretty much my favorite dinner.

2010-08-24T20:24:00.001-07:00

So after being inspired by last night's dinner at Masa in Tacoma with my lady friends, I needed Mexican food again tonight. My absolute favorite thing to make is salsa (and cupcakes), it's easy like Sunday morning. The recipe is from my parents with slight modifications to fit my needs. So it's my opinion that if you are going to eat salsa then you need to make it. Store bought is typically nasty, watery and full of preservatives, I'm just saying. This recipe is very special to me (not sure why) so if you make this for someone else you need to tell them this is Yvonne's salsa, ha ha! I'm half joking ;)

Depending on how much you want to make you will obviously modify, I recommend starting with less and add to taste.

I prefer Roma tomatoes, 6-7 of them.
1 whole bunch of cilantro (a smaller sized bunch)
1 half white onion (it's worth the tears)
1/2 - 1 whole jalapeno (remove the seeds and core if you are a chicken)
1/2 lime (add as much pulp as you can)
1/2 cup of white vinegar to start, I probably ended up with 1 cup total, we like the juice it makes at the bottom of the bowl. (insert slurping sound here)
Salt & pepa to taste

Wash em, chop em & get eating.

Yes, I have a pink knife, that's how I roll!

Feeling so inspired that the salsa came out perfect and didn't need anything added to it, I decided to make each of us a dang quesa-dilluh. I didn't want to pull out the grill and luckily I remembered how one of my favorite people, Shawn used to make us fried tortillas and margaritas while we "worked" in the garage. So frying it was and it was awesome.

Out & About...

2010-08-22T19:43:00.000-07:00

We had a great day checking out some things we've wanted to visit for a while now. We started with lunch at the Black Diamond Bakery. Homemade it is and yes it was yummy. I had the Gobbler, their version of a turkey & cranberry sandwich, which I'll point out was as big as my head. It is the only thing I will eat with sprouts, just in case you were wondering. :)

After lunch we checked out the giant table and chairs.

Then the antique store next door, that I just feel in love with. Next time I will visit without the short one (Josie), she is just too busy to relax in there and I wasn't up for purchasing anything that she might have broken so our visit was short, but definitely something to come back too. I thought of at least 5 friends that I could shop for in there, are you one of them? LOL!

Up next we were going to head to Mud Mt. Dam, but decided last minute to go to Flaming Geyser State Park instead.

Saw some wild turkeys on the way in.

It was gorgeous and very quiet. Again and again we kept saying how empty the park was because of the shifty weather, more room for us though I suppose. We went straight for the geyser and were saddened to hear that within the last week the geyser has been flooded with water and the park rangers aren't quite sure why. It was more of a gurgle gurgle then a geyser.
So we headed for the trails and went on a very steep hike. Why do I insist on wearing flip flops everywhere I go? One day I will learn.

I just kept stopping and looking around at how green the woods were. We stopped at the bubbling geyser which was doing just about the same thing as the flaming geyser... nothing! We crossed a couple creeks and got are feet wet and did some more exploring.

While heading home we decided to show daddy one of our favorite new parks, Les Gove in Auburn. By this time the batteries in the camera had died so we only got two photos, but we love this park and it's funky play equipment. The highlight of the day was definitely getting outside in the crisp clean air.

Hair today, gone tomorrow!

2010-08-22T19:03:00.000-07:00

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Sandwich Making 101...

2010-08-15T23:48:00.000-07:00

Josie went to make a sandwich this evening. "Okay", I say (as I scratch my head in confusion, not knowing if this was a good or bad idea). So instead of telling her "No, I'll do it", like I normally would, I let her give it a shot. I must say besides the peanut butter on the bread bag she did a really good job. She was really proud of herself too.

Breaking through the wall...

2010-08-08T21:14:00.000-07:00

So to the tune of "Breakin' the Law", I'm singing to myself breakin' the wall, breakin' the wall. My last two hot yoga classes were very hard for me and extremely emotional. I don't mind being emotional especially when it is something that I am passionate about, but it was very hard for me to understand that it was okay to have a "harder class" or to sit a pose or two out, sometimes more. I was beyond dizzy my last class, I spent a lot of time with my hands on my knees and my head right between those knees. I got very familiar with my toes (I so need a pedicure). Even though my body was able, my head was spinning everytime I stood up. I felt like I wasted a class. The instructor assured me afterward that I hadn't wasted a class and that just being in the sauna and doing what I could was great. She also said it has a lot to do with your water intake which even though I try, it's hard for me to remember to keep drinking all day. I'm getting better though.

Anyways, tonight was amazing, I did all the poses with very minor breaks. I stayed focused on myself and I have completely stopped comparing myself to others in the class, if I do drift off and take a peek at the others it's really quick and I'm more impressed with them then angry or jealous, lol. Everyone has to start somewhere and no one in the class is perfect, flexible beyond all means, yes, but not perfect. I've gained so much self respect in the last couple of weeks and I just feel overall healthier and happier. My family is going through a lot right now, but I feel like I can be there for them a little better now and with a healthier perspective. Oh and I'm down 5lbs and that's not too shabby, WOO HOO!!!

Oh my skin!

2010-07-30T00:02:00.000-07:00

How on earth have I not blogged about my skin? I've been using Gaia Skin Care Products for a couple of weeks now and I'm in heaven. I seriously cannot contain myself about how good my skin feels. I think its been 10 years since it has felt like this. Everything is organic and comes from the Northwest (typically WA or OR) and the best part if you didn't catch it when I said "organic" is NO CHEMICALS!!! Between Hog Yoga and good skin, I just don't know what to do with myself. Anyone sick of me talking about myself yet? Eh, that's what blogs are for I suppose! :)

Poor Blog...

2010-07-29T22:54:00.000-07:00

This poor blog, you have been so neglected. Yes, you have been upstaged by Hot Yoga. I have found my soul mate, lol, okay well Ed is my soul mate, but Hot Yoga is a very close second. I know a little while back I was doing Jillian's 30 Day Shred DVD and thought that was going to be it for me, but I blew out my knees pretty quick, everything hurt! However, with Hot Yoga I feel so amazing during and after, I look forward to doing it again as soon as the class is over and all day up until class. I sleep so much better, I've lost 2lbs already, I'm drinking so much more water and my appetite has completely changed without really trying hard. I will admit that the appetite has changed partially because I don't want noise coming out my rear during class if you catch my drift, HA HA HA!

I plan on adding Jillian back in on the days I don't go to Yoga, but that is a sad thought in itself. I never thought I could get used to 105 degrees, most people who know me know I hate the heat and really hate the sun. At tonight's class, the heat didn't really get to me though and I was able to really focus on the poses and stretch even more then the last class.

I'm not one to be a big goal setter because I'm pretty bad about following through, however after seeing photos of Drew Carey 70lbs lighter today and the instructor tonight telling me that most people can easily lose 50lbs if they are serious, I realized my first goal came naturally. I couldn't be more serious about Hot Yoga and it's benefits are endless so why would I ever stop? So here it is, I'm hoping by writing it down that it will help me. 90lbs of me needs to leave, enough said, we all know why everyone needs to lose the weight when they do and what major life changing results it has. My schedule is now based around my classes and hubby is completely supporting that.

I don't intend to turn this into a health blog, but more like updates every couple days on how it's going. I do love to blog about my family and our adventures more then Yoga of course, so don't worry! However, I enjoy reading weight loss blogs and maybe you do to.

So 88lbs to go, wow that seems like so much less then 90lbs, lol. That's why they mark prices at $4.99 and not $5.00 huh?

Wham Bam Weekend Fun!

2010-07-15T10:21:00.001-07:00

I'm finally getting around to blogging about the great time we had with my parents last Sunday. We heard about the low tides from a friend and headed down to Titlow Beach to check it out. First we stopped at Titlow Park and saw the Titlow Swimming Pool, its huge, I couldn't believe it. We read some history of the park and then we were off to the beach. We were there about an hour before the lowest tide, but we still found a couple of cool things. Dad showed Josie & Jared how good he was at skipping rocks, which I had completely forgotten about so that was a nice treat. The beach had been pretty picked over, but we had a nice time and then headed to Camp 6 Logging Museum by Point Defiance.

I've driven by Camp 6 countless times, but didn't think there was anything to see, oops! It was pretty fun and the kids loved it. We took the little train ride and tour and learned quite a bit about how logging was done in "the old days". After checking everything else out there we headed over to Owen Beach and had a relaxing time playing in the water, watching boats and people. It was a very relaxing day indeed!

One dog, two dog, three dog, four!

2010-07-08T18:27:00.001-07:00

We are watching my cousins dogs while they are gone and its been quite the experience. We kept the dogs separated for several days to acclimate them and keep everyone safe. Our purebred greyhound, Kristen has a high prey drive so I've just assumed that we would never be able to do this, but yesterday I tested the water and everyone did great with lots of curiosity. It has been so much easier and more fun because we can all play together (with supervision of course). Josie is loving having little dogs that she can play fetch with and its just different snuggling with little dogs versus our big dogs. Buttercup is a Boston Terrier and does not stop playing until you do, she can go and go and go. Bella is Pug and something else (I forgot) and she likes to harass Buttercup so we've been easily entertained. We were eating dinner last night and there was a little dog party going on underneath the table, Josie found that highly amusing once we assured her that they were playing and not fighting.

We typically have balls laying around because our girls are not that into fetch, Samantha runs from what we toss and Kristen will sometimes play, but it typically just gets her so excited she starts running laps around the yard and everyone has to clear out! There is nothing like watching her run though, I love it. So anyways, yes we always have balls to play with, but these little dogs have destroyed about 10 balls in the past week and tomorrow I will be shopping for something new and less destructible.

I'm also excited at the thought of being able to watch each others dogs when we go on trips, we haven't been anywhere overnight since we adopted our dogs and that is going on a couple years now, "Oh dear!" The only downside would be if we all wanted to go somewhere together and then don't have dog sitters again, lol. Here are a couple videos of the fun we've been having this week. I miss you my sweet cousins! :)

Park Fun!

2010-07-03T19:48:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we took a visit to one of our favorite parks. Ed couldn't help himself on the merry-go-round, the kids were in shock at how cool he was.

Pirate Ships, Sealife & More...

2010-06-28T13:45:00.001-07:00

I'm beyond grateful that my cousins have moved to Washington and so very close to us too. We have been doing so much with them lately and loving it, its pretty cool to not have to say our "Colorado" cousins anymore. Might I add that I'm pretty confident in saying they are loving it out here too!

Sunday we drove out to Burfoot Park in Olympia. It was my favorite weather, overcast and warm. We saw so much including 3 starfish, jellyfish, pirate ships that were shooting canons (fake of course), kayaks, lots of shells, herons and other birds (who enjoy picnic food, argh), just to name a few. We combed the beach for hours and then enjoyed a picnic lunch. The boys proceeded to throw rocks at the hillside (boys will be boys) and turned it into a contest while Josie and Taylor checked out a very cool washed up tree. It was by far one of the best Sundays in a long time.

Dinner Picnic & Play

2010-06-25T13:02:00.000-07:00

We took our cousins down to one of our favorite parks for a picnic and playtime Friday evening. The park is pretty covered in trees so the photos came out kind of dark. We had a lovely time even though it did get a little chilly.

She wore an...

2010-06-21T21:10:00.000-07:00

Itsy bitsy teeny weeny yellow polka dot bikini!!! Josie got a box of clothes from her cousin today in the mail and inside was "the one", the new favorite of Josie's. She had fun modeling it for me today because here in the NW we are faking our summer!

First Swim of the Summer!

2010-06-18T17:14:00.000-07:00

Josie asks if she can swim even when its raining or snowing, she just loves it! Finally last weekend we were able to tell her yes she could go swimming. She was very excited to try out her new goggles and her new bathing suit that was a fabulous hand-me-down from her very princessy cousin, Taylor. She had a blast and can not wait for warm weather again. Which I assume must be coming soon since its the middle of June, lol! :)

First Big Kid Bike Ride!

2010-06-15T16:53:00.000-07:00

Josie jumped on her buddy, Riley's bike this Tuesday at playgroup and I was watching her, but didn't really realize it, but she was riding the bike all by herself for the first time. She did a fantastic job and had no fear. It was like she had been doing it forever. I was very proud of her. Even when she ran into a bush and tipped over she stayed calm and got right back on the bike! YAY, Josie! Now we are on the hunt for her first big kid bike! Thank goodness I had my camera on me! :)

Found my camera!

2010-06-10T19:22:00.000-07:00

I have been on the lookout for my camera for days now and finally found it. I took the pictures that I needed to take and proceeded to download them to the computer. What I found were not photos that I had taken, but Josie had. I just had to post them, it's really cute to see her perspective and what she deems worthy of a snapshot! Enjoy them, I sure did!

Bedding

That's a dog's behind if you were wondering!

Cheezits box, wish I knew where those went too!

Momma, can we paint?

2010-06-03T16:34:00.000-07:00

I've been hearing this for about two weeks now. Finally there was a break from the rain today so we hit the park and then headed home to do some much needed painting. I'm working on a swing for my moms club end of the year luncheon raffle basket. The theme of the luncheon is "Life is Sweet" and it seemed only fitting to write just that on the swing. It may need some touch ups from the real artist of the family, my hubby, but I think it is coming along nicely. We have boards that my dad already cut and drilled holes for the ropes, they just need to be prettied up. Josie used I think every color on her swing. It quickly got cold as the clouds rolled in, surprise! It was fun while it lasted though.

WOAH... 14?

2010-05-26T19:59:00.000-07:00

It took a couple days to set in, but its official, we have a 14 year old! We had a great evening at dinner. Jared wanted to go to Red Robin, he's such an easy date. We hadn't been in a long time so it was extra yummy. He had a cake shaped like a cheeseburger which Josie helped add I believe 17 candles. He loved his presents, he got lot's of money from his grandparents and effects pedals for his electric guitar, music books, clothes and a few other goodies. His love for music makes it really easy to shop for him. :) Happy Birthday, Jared!

I'm loving life!

2010-05-21T22:01:00.001-07:00

I've always loved my life, but I'm really loving it right now. Working out again for the first time in so long feels so good. So good in fact I cry after my workout. I love the high afterward and I love being sore the next day and I love my power walks with one of my closest friends. I've decided it's easier to workout everyday then to eat perfectly, I'm surrounded by too much fun involving food. So yes, I ate that donut today and it was killer! :)

Coffee (hot cocoa) with my girl!

2010-05-12T14:38:00.000-07:00

We had a few errands to run today, but afterward we stopped and had a little visit with each other. Even being together all day I sometimes forget to just stop what I'm doing and ask her how her day is going. We watched people out the window, talked about yesterday and what we were going to do the rest of the day over coffee and cocoa. She loves to do grown up stuff so this was a very big deal to her. She was on her best behavior.

When it was time to go home we walked to the car talking about how its almost time to pull her swimming pool out and find her swimsuits. As I buckled my seat belt Josie said "Step on it, Momma". I had to ask her to repeat what she said because I was shocked. Sure enough she said it again. Too cute!

Music!!!

2010-05-09T22:06:00.000-07:00

I think Josie is as into music now as I am, I know Jared loves it, but that has been obvious to us for years, he plays trumpet, tuba, acoustic and electric guitar and can quickly figure out a song off the radio within a short period of time. This is one of those things that warms me from the inside. I adore music, a good song can change your whole day. I always think about what song would give the best feel for the moment like I'm in a movie or something. We listen to music pretty much all day either on the computer, in the car or on the stereo at home. We haven't done a lot of children's music, its so plain and generic to us and honestly I'm not up for listening to Winnie the Pooh soundtracks (no offense). Of course we sing the classics like Twinkle, Twinkle and ABC's, but even as a baby it was Norah Jones that put Josie to sleep every time by track 3. Her nighttime music has changed to Jewel's Lullaby album, there is no exceptions for this one. It's so good, its almost hypnotizing and very soothing.

Anyways, I've been digging the names that Josie has given to her favorite songs. These are her daily requests. Some of my favorites too might I add. Once you hear the songs you can easily see why she calls them what she does, I think what gets me though is that fact that she's asking to hear them. :)

The Aha Song - Why Do You Let Me Stay Here by She & Him
The Shock You Song - Electric Feel by MGMT
The Strawberry Song - Bruises by Chairlift
Ahhwoo - She Wolf by Shakira
Birdie Song - Three Little Birds by Bob Marley

Oh gosh, I almost forgot the best part, I got an early birthday/mother's day gift today from my hubby, an Ipod. We've had some fun with that today!

She's so funny!

2010-05-09T21:29:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to write the funny stuff down lately. Here are a few:

Josie assumes that everyone is talking to her lately. Tonight I asked the dog if she wanted to go outside because she was whining and Josie says "No, it's cold and dark out there".

We told her about the new puppies that my parents got and asked her if she wanted to hug em and squeeze em and love em and she responded without missing a beat: "I'm gonna squeeze em and hurt em", in a deep raspy voice. Although not a pleasant thought, her interpretation of what we said was really funny.

She has been referring to herself as Sweetie for at least the last 6 months. A few weeks ago this changed into Sweetie the Horse. However, the past week she is now insisting that she is Sweetie the Robot Horse. I think all this stems from us looking at photos and saying that's me or that's you when you were a baby. She likes to say, "Momma that's me when I was a horse". She has an awesome imagination, its always a challenge to decide whether or not to correct her.

It's the memories not the photos right?

2010-05-05T17:42:00.001-07:00

Josie and I went with some of our favorite friends today to see Seasame Street Live. Some of the other kids in our party won a coloring contest so we all got to meet before the show for a Meet & Greet. We didn't know which characters would be coming to see us until they came out. I know for the kids its a big deal to see these guys in person, but even I was taken back. It's probably because I grew up with Seasame Street as well so I suppose its still a part of me. So out walked Abbie Cadabbie & Cookie Monster, pretty darn cool! The kids got their photos taken with them if they wanted to. Josie was not up for it, I think it was a little much for her. We got a group shot that did not turn out very well, hence the title of this post and you can see from the photo that Josie wasn't getting any closer then she had to, infact a friend dragged her over last minute to make it in the photo.

After Abbie & Cookie left we headed to our seats. While walking to our seats we see all merchandise. For me, I could easily walk away from pretty much everything accept the Elmo wand that spins and lights up. I wanted Josie to have a momento from the show and this was lots of fun, it was also something to threaten with later if she wouldn't stay in her seat (MWAH HA HA).

The show begins and I realize I am WAY to excited for this show. I loved everything from the backdrops to the lighting and I especially appreciated the authenticity of the characters voices and costumes. I can be a bit of a snob for stuff like that. They did some really neat stuff with black backdrops and neon painted puppets, I would post a photo, but they turned out completely black. Anways, it kept making me think of Ke$ha's appearance on SNL a few weeks back, I wonder who stole it from who? (ha ha ha)

So the most important part was how Josie like the show right? She loved it! Towards the end of the show they sang Hot, Hot, Hot and boy did she shake her hips. I see belly dancing in her future for sure. She was on her best behavior too. We would definitely go again infact I'm tempted to go to one of the shows up north too. I highly recommend going! We have a very fun day and as always, when you are in good company anything is fun! We are so lucky to have the friends we do!

Sentimental beyond a doubt!

2010-05-03T14:58:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we went to visit my parents. The grandkids have a special spot under the tv where all the toys are. They love the whole process of opening the doors and pulling out the toys. I love the fact that they are the same toys I played with, not the same brands, but the same exact toys with a few newer ones throw in. I love the simplicity and familiarity of my parents house. I like the comfort of knowing where everything is and that they've always been there. Anyways, here is Josie playing with some Old School toys, which I still think are the best, they withstand the test of time, even though they are now considered choking hazards!