Today, I am in heaven. Most likely. At this writing, I am at home, and not in Houston/Heaven (see graphic to the left, Mom 2.0 BABY!!!). But I wanted to have something fresh for you on Friday, and I know me well enough to know that with a day of traveling on Thursday, the only way I’d get anything up (shutup) would be to schedule a post for Friday – today *cheesy grin*.
I am sure you are worried. You are probably thinking, “Is she safe? Is she having fun? Does she have enough blankets? Does she have a toothbrush? Are they providing her enough coffee? Is she happy? Did she bring enough glitter spray? Is there an open bar(s)?”
The whole experience drove home the blessing I have in this life-long friendship…
Jen and I discovered Disneyland together…
We pretended to be ballerinas on the soccer field together…
She gave me her hairbrush cleaning job at the local hair salon my 8th grade year when she had to move to Fresno, and she came to my 8th grade graduation… And we braved the large framed glasses together too….
We were roommates in college. 2 years of… oh there is just too much… This is her in our dorm room our first year… She went with a navy/white theme – I was all pastel-crappy. $100 for Who will be the first person to spy the Caboodle? 1992, yo!
There were weddings and babies. During this span there were 10 years we never saw each other… but anytime we got to talk on the phone it was like no time had passed at all…
Finally, we were physically reunited. We braved BlogHer ‘08 together… And for the first time we drank together. She introduced me to Caroline (on the left in the pic below *Hi girl – miss you!*) as “Drunk”… Jen has always been the quick witted one!
So, with the blessing of my little family at home, I stole away in my minivan and drove 800 miles to be with the friend who is more like a sister.
Here is the video of my trip there:
I would never survive solitary confinement. Never.
*sigh*
I’m not sure if I’ll write about our visit or not. There is just something about the time I was able to spend with Jen and her family… It was like going home. My parents were there too. Our families grew up together… and I’m not so sure I could ever express the depth of sadness and also the joy that was shared over the 2 short days I was there. Besides, I think I may just feel like holding that close. That’s a weird thing for a girl like me :) I suppose even I have limits.
I love you Jen. Deeply.
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Keep up on the ridiculous, the insightful, the always digressive…
I’m out, with spotty internet access… until then… know the 16 hours of driving one way alone, and the thought of driving the same distance back… alone… Has not affected my sanity one bit.
This was only 2 hours into it. Of course there’s a story…
Until later… Be well. Be sane. One of us has to be ;)
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I went to Arizona last weekend. My friend Casey turned 40 and she had an 80’s dance party…
But before the party we went on a hike. This is my kind of hiking… wind in your hair…
Open toed shoes… and coffee. I just love hiking with my friends… We are all about safety.
Oh, and let’s not forget about the scorpion suckers for the kids! Again, safety first!
After such extreme physical exertion… and gagging, because my friend’s son ACTUALLY ATE THE SCORPION IN HIS SUCKER…. I needed a prickly pear margarita… #somuch
As if a prickly pear margarita wasn’t enough excitement… I got to see a REAL LIVE….
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Corona chandelier!!!
Wonder of all wonders! I wept.
***In other digressions… today is the last day to enter for a chance to win a $100 Visa gift card courtesy of Tom’s Of Maine! Just visit this post at my review blog to find out how to throw your name into the hat!***
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[Before I launch into whatever I am about to launch into... Take a peek at my new venture - Jenny On The Spot Reviews! All week I am taking a The Crystal Light Water Way Challenge... Each day I will write about my journey toward good hydration. So far (today), all my organs have taken all the water. My poor shrunken dehydrated organs... Anywho, you can read about it by clicking here and there is an opportunity to win a $1000 Visa gift card. Just read through the post to find out how! See ya there and happy hydration!]
Why don’t we put great big “air quotes” around that “online break” part. I think “Chris Farley” demonstrates it best:
Aren’t you curious what I did with all my extra time? Well, I spent a lot of time on my pot business. I still didn’t get email squared away. You may have noticed new posts here, but those were scheduled… I got a lot of laundry done last Monday. Monday only. I made banana snickerdoodles and the ice cream part of ice cream smores. Continue reading ‘What I Did on My Online Break’
Oh dear. This is a long one…. Practically a thesis. Maybe I should change the title to BlogHer 09 Thesis and Whatnot of all Silliness and Ramblings of Great Proportion. Or not.
I was gonna do a “BlogHer – The Friday” post. Meh. Who wants a day-by-day run down? I just want to show you how fabulous life becomes when online babes friends get to meet each other IRL (in. real. life.) At BlogHer, not only did I get to meet people I have grown to admire, adore and, yes… even LOVE. I also MET people at BlogHer who I now admire, adore, and even… LOVE.
I fell fast and hard for some of these people…
In no order of importance, but probably in order of how this pics loaded from my iPhone into iPhoto, or however they landed on my desktop as I stalked the BlogHer pics on the Flickr…
Chris, Kim (3 Giraffes) and Sizzle Says… gettin’ texty with it whilst we wait for our ride to the Sheraton in Downtown Chicago.
I want to be up-front… I was given an opportunity to take all five members of my family to the Seattle Storm vs. Detroit Shock WNBA game on July 15th. We were treated to complimentary tickets, food, and even passes for autographs by a couple of the players - Sue Bird and Ashley Walker!
My kids crack me up. My kids also make me cry. I am in a constant state of overwhelm when it comes to my offspring… the greatest of joys and the deepest of frustrations.
Our outing to a local corn maze on Saturday was an extended time of joy for me as a mom. I watched my kids work together to make it through the corn maze. We laughed. We wandered, and the only sense of urgency was toward the end when the girls needed to pee. But we made it. Praise! Be! *raises hand to Heaven*. A pee accident would have totally ruined everything.
See? Joy to desperation in one flex of an not-completely-trained 3-year-old bladder… I am thrilled there was no accident. I can’t even express how truly, deeply happy that makes me. If you had asked me 20 years ago, “Jenny, what do you think would be one of the highlights of your 30’s?” I NEVER would have guessed that having an accident-free outing with my family would be at the top of the list. Never. Neh. Vah. People – it COMPLETELY eclipses things like world travel and world domination. Just pee-pee on the potty for the youngest. That’s me life goal.
Here we are, having a wonderful time as a family…
It’s a sickness. I love rules.
Look! The maze is the the shape of an Orca whale!
Family meeting: What’s the game plan, folks?
We made it! Joel was so impressed by our corn maze skillz!
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Local folks – looking for a fun outing for your family? Head on over to Sunrise Hill Farm in Kingston. Of course, there is a FANTASTIC corn maze, but, BUT… there is also a tricycle area for the little ones, a mini hay-bale maze, a pumpkin patch, and on Saturday nights they show a movie when it’s dark enough! They have a couple of bon-fires going and the snack stand has something for everyone… It feels like a great-big cozy outdoor living room. It was the most wonderful place to wander… They are open Wednesday through Sunday until Halloween. Seattle-area people… it is worth the ferry trip. Totally.
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I believe this was our 6th annual trip to “Family Camp”. We are blessed to be part of a wonderful group of families who heads to Whidbey Island for a weekend of… well, camping! The kids run wild, as do the parents. The bees are always a bother, the dirt is always on our feet… one can hear birds and laughter and the boys howling their battle cries. It is an event our family looks forward to every year, and will be one of those things that will be a pivotal part of our family memories. Would you like to take a peek into what it’s like?
The first morning we woke up to the aftermath of a raccoon invasion. They were especially fond of the muffins, and hot cocoa packets.
I joined the CSI Club and they sent me a finger printing kit. Look what I found!
After we my husband cleaned up the raccoon disaster-area, my husband took the older two kids to the beach with some of their buddies… A little while later, Lucy asked, “Mama? Will you cake me to uh beach?” *blink, blink* We made the long trek to the beach, hand in hand.
Yay! The beach, and the swarm of children on “Splash Rock”.
Whew! I needed a rest. This is me, sitting on driftwood…. Does this driftwood make my butt look big?
No wait, does this two-table-long spread of late-night dessert make my butt look big???
Ahhh… a few moments at the bunkers.
And more kickin’ back on the seating around the ampitheather-thingy at the bunkers…
Speaking Writing of “kickin’ back”, I’m beat! I’m going to bed!
Peace.
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I took this picture in December. We were driving home from a wonderful Christmas in Colorado with family. On the way back we passed through Snowville, Utah. Of course… I HAD to take a picture of the Snowville sign… as we drove snowly slowly through the snow storm through Snowville… Say that 5 times fast. I dare you.
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Keep up-to-date on the insane, the insightful, and the whatever…
Today, I am in heaven. Most likely. At this writing, I am at home, and not in Houston/Heaven (see graphic to the left, Mom 2.0 BABY!!!). But I wanted to have something fresh for you on Friday, and I know me well enough to know that with a day of traveling on Thursday, the only way I’d get anything up (shutup) would be to schedule a post for Friday – today *cheesy grin*.
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