Meme Love

What kind of soap is in your bathtub right now? Dove w/patchouli oil
(I don’t recommend it, leaves a nasty oily feel (maybe I should get rid of it?) & Mark, uses bar soap- whatever was on sale.
Do you have any watermelon in your refrigerator? Nope
What would you change about your living room? I actually really like our living room, but new furniture is always nice. The furniture we have now is on its last stop, it’s not going to the next house- maybe a basement.
Are the dishes in your dishwasher clean or dirty? Clean
What is in your fridge? Too much
White or wheat bread? Whole wheat
What is on top of your refrigerator? A Basket of candy from last Halloween! Napkins, & another basket where I hide the lighter, sharpies, and scissors.
What color or design is on your shower curtain? We have glass doors, the boys have a rubber ducky curtain (which they don’t use because they don’t shower just bathe)
How many plants are in your home? We do not have any- no green thumbs here…
Is your bed made right now? Not right now- but it usually is (I have to make it before I can sleep in it…)
Comet or Soft Scrub? Comet
Your closet organized? kinda
Can you describe your flashlight? seriously...this is a weird question.
Do you drink out of glass or plastic most of the time at home? Glass
Do you have iced tea made in a pitcher right now? No- but usually we do, I have to go make some we go through a lot!
If you have a garage, is it cluttered? I guess you could call it a garage…I think it’s an old barn, my kids wondered where the garage doors were when we moved in- but no not a mess
Curtains or blinds? White wood blinds through out
How many pillows do you sleep with? Two
Do you sleep with any lights on at night? Yes, we play musical beds at night.
How often do you vacuum? Every day, sometimes more then once
Standard toothbrush or electric? Electric
What color is your toothbrush? Blue
Do you have a welcome mat on your front porch? Yes
What is in your oven right now? Tea pot, spoon holder (that Mark’s Grandma made)
Is there anything under your bed? I don’t think so
Chore you hate doing the most? Putting the laundry away
What retro items are in your home? We have a buffet that was a wedding gift to Mark’s Great Grandparents…More then retro!
Do you have a separate room that you use as an office? Yes
How many mirrors are in your home? I count six
Do you have any hidden emergency money around your home? No, it’s in the bank
What color are your walls? The kitchen, dinning, & living rooms are white, tan, & brown- our room is a moss green & the office & boys rooms are ocean blue, tan, & white. (I spent a week painting last summer, before we moved in- all the walls were beige. I added at least one wall of color in every room!)
Do you keep any kind of protection weapons in your home? Yes
What does your home smell like right now? Just cleaned, so it smells like pledge, and Clorox
What kind of pickles (if any) in your fridge? dill!
What color is your favorite Bible? My Bible is red/orange
Ever been on your roof? Not at this house, I am not sure I would trust it. I don’t think I ever was on our roof at our old house either.
Do you own a stereo? Yes, a few
How many TVs do you have? 4 that are in use…We have a couple in closets.
How many house phones? 1 not counting cell's
Do you have a housekeeper? Past life, we had a nanny & housekeeper at one time- but I was working fulltime. Now it’s me! I’ll take the chores & kiddos any day!
Do you like solid colors in furniture or prints? Both
Is there a smoke detector in your home? We live in an old house so we put them all over!
What are the items in your house which you’d grab if you only could make one quick trip? Fortunately, we have a safe that we have our wedding pictures in & other valuables- so I think I would grab my kids & run!

Disney Clock

Obviously. still not a great Blogger- but I am still a faithful reader and I love reading my friends blogs!

Tonight it kind of made me laugh when I went to my blog via a link on another friends blog just to check my Disney Cruise clock. It was something like one month, three weeks and some change.

I booked that cruise last October! When I was doing it I could hardly think about it let alone let myself be excited, but now I am starting to look forward to it. Sunday afternoon, Frontier Airlines called about our flights- my first thought was that they had been canceled. When actually they were calling to say that our flight times had been changed there actually better.

Last week was the 4th of July and we had a great weekend! It started on Thursday as we were invited to a friends for a BBQ and fireworks in Erie. At first, when John invited us & said to bring the kiddos cause there would be fireworks that night...We were a little skeptical- especially if you know John... I heard Mark mention several times that Thursday was the 3rd not the 4th...

There were fireworks in Erie- and John lives just off the golf course so we had a good spot & the boys loved it. Actually, they loved the whole night playing Guitar Hero with friends, and jumping off John's new bed- Sorry. We didn't leave till 11:00pm and the second the kids were in their car seats they were out. Thank you, Brother John for a great start to the 4th!

4th of July morning we had breakfast together- I made a quiche that we use to make at the

Bed & Breakfast I worked at in college- Leeann, I still have the egg puff recipe memorized.

That afternoon we went to my aunt's house in Loveland they have a beautiful property on the west side, and have the annual family 4th of July BBQ. As always, the food & company was great! On the way home I suggested that we stop at a stand and get the boys some fireworks, so we did. I was thinking a few tanks & sparklers. Mark stepped up and bought $60 worth of stuff for them. On the way home, I told Mark that I was just going to get a few small things for them, and Mark said I was so boring...He also said that the kids should remember their 4th of July's as fun and that their Dad always got them cool stuff. He is awesome at making things fun and extra special for them.

Mark and I have always said that one of our jobs as parents was to give our kids as many experiences as we could- Thankfully, they have their Dad to make them more exciting!

Yeah it's Summer!

YMCA Splash Park, Sunday June 1st

Memorial Day Weekend- Boulder Creek Festival

Blane threw the training wheels away!

Mark had a few days off so we decided to get a cabin at the YMCA in Estes- we had fun exploring the mountains, doing crafts, eatting dessert before dinner, dinners at 9:00pm on the deck, and watching Blane ride his Woody Bike. Blane read the Bible every night- really he sat there for at least 10 minutes each night reading it...future preacher?

We got Blane a Woody Balance Bike a few days before we went to the YMCA in Estes- he had a blast going down the hills! When we got home he was able to throw his training wheels away!

Blane & Bryce

up date

I have been a very naughty Blogger- and I still am...BUT I will add some pictures to update the Grandparents, Friends, and Relatives- that might still visit my Blog, that is "if" they have any faith in me...

Pictures

April- Mark and I went to the Cordillera Resort and Spa, in Vail CO with his company. We did a lot of spa-ing, relaxing, good friends & good food!

We are on a snowcat that we rode to the top of Vail mountain for dinner at Beano's Cabin- Amazing!

My Mom Said There Would be Paybacks....

As you know I have two boys,

or three if you count Mark

and I often do... Nonetheless,

this Blog is dedicated to Blane and Bryce. The two boys that make me think

about my childhood- I wonder if I am somehow being repaid... times two!

Last week they managed to put their first hole in a wall at our house- as Blane describes it

" Dads chair went through the wall and we pulled it out" we being Blane and Bryce and Dad's chair being his new leather Lazy Boy. I had been in the kitchen adjacent to the living room writing a simple grocery list, so I thought they were somewhat being supervised at least I could hear them- and as any mom knows when you cant hear them that is when the discovery is about to take place...

I called my best friend Kelly- who has three teenage boys, enough said. Kelly was supportive and offered to take the boys if I really needed her to - when I made that request I wasn't thinking for a few hours but rather a few days...instead I took her advice and went to Mcguckins to buy a patch kit, and spray texture. The spray texture was a good tip - but after my first go around my wall looked like it had chicken pox.

All in all the wall is fixed and even Mark says you cant see where the hole was... so I have one hole down and many years to raise these boys- I think I will keep one of those patch kits on hand.

Honorable Mentions- from last week...

1) Bryce vacuums the cat food and entire bowl of water with my vacuum

2) Bryce moisturized the walls, the door, and his body

3) Bryce dumps an entire large box of Gold Fish Crackers on the table following the clean up of the Apple chips on the same coffee table within five minutes

4) Used the kitchen tile for a coloring book- YA! for the Magic Eraser

5)Bryce wipes Blane's butt after a BM- wipes his body too

I know my Mom is just beside herself as she reads this -and that is not because she is staying with my boys for two nights next week (which we are so very grateful for) but rather that she just had girls...

Easter Egg Hunt at the YMCA

Happy 4th Birthday Blane!

Blane turned 4 February 25th ! His Birthday fell on a Monday this year-which is not too exciting. But it can be alright- especially for Blane he has a knack for extended his Birthday- if you ask my Mom I did too.

Nana & Papa Hendriksen came out on that Friday and we had a great weekend. Saturday we went to the Children's Museum and the Old Spaghetti Factory for lunch. Sunday was the day we choose to celebrate Blane's Birthday.

Sunday morning wasn't unlike most mornings at our house, as the boys were up by 5:45am and therefore by 7:00am Mark had made and frosted Blane's cake. I got fired from the Birthday cake gig after Bryce's Birthday. I am not even sure we took pictures of that catastrophe.

Nana Sue and Papa Larry came to Boulder that evening and we went to Chuck e Cheese's the boys had a blast, and as I write this it strikes me...Chuck e Cheese is a little like childbirth, I cant really remember how crazy it was.

Valentines Day

I decided to start a Blog about a week ago & it has taken me that long to Blog- There were a lot of choices that had to be made first- it took time. I had to choose one of seven layout choices, colors: pastel or dark that counts for two, and the pictures- huge decision. My husband called this afternoon & I told him I had down loaded pictures from the camera to the computer and then onto this Blog. Now that may seem simple- but it was actually two accomplishments: first we have had this camera for about two years and I have never downloaded a single picture to the computer and second I got the pictures on my Blog. I am not embarrassed to admit this- I am proud that I have a husband who has always taken care of the camera to computer deal.

Valentines Day
I have been wanting to Blog about Valentines Day -since- well Valentines Day & here it is February 17th and I have made it! I only gave Mark a small amount of anxiety. I think he would call me somewhat of a procrastinator- but- umm...I'll talk about that later.

Valentines Day, February 14th 2008
The boys and I started our day of sharing our love, and kindness early. Promptly after breakfast we made cupcakes- white cake with pink frosting and red sprinkles. I always love baking with Blane & Bryce- my favorite moment that morning was watching the boys lick the beaters and anywhere else the batter had fallen. We successfully completed a total of twenty cupcakes, I mention this only because my dear Bryce decided that syrup would be a yummy frosting for a couple of the cupcakes- and I have to admit that Marks thrifty ways almost got the best of me as I had a glimmer of a thought to wash them off and frost them anyway.

While the cupcakes were baking and then cooling we sat down at the table -some of us on top of it- to make cards for Daddy. I cut out hearts and the boys glued them to their cards and colored their pictures.

At 11:00am we went to the nursing home -all dressed in red sweaters -just a few blocks from our house, where the boys passed out Valentines to our "friends" that they had made the night before. Blane picked out Thomas the Train because he said, "the old men would like them."

The Activities Director escorted us to a room where about thirty "friends" were sitting, sleeping, and drinking coffee. I felt proud as I watched Blane walk around the room table to table with the director, as he handed out his Thomas cards and wished our "friends" a Happy Valentines Day.

Blane emptied his little red basket and as we were leaving he said good bye to two "friends" in the hallway, one who had earlier tried to hand him back the card he was trying to give to her- as we walked by he said to a man "I don't have one for you." My heart sank. At that moment I realized what this outing was truly about- it was not about the cards- but about sharing a smile- a moment. And that now it was my job as a mom to teach my sons that giving is not about the gift or the card but about the thought -the smile -the kindness.

After the nursing home we went to the funeral home- wow- that seems uncanny to write. But not to our family- a family that lives at a cemetery. The boys took their cupcakes and cards to Dads office. Again the boys passed out their cards- this time along with a cupcake. They had made a special card for Uncle Mike; of course it was black and gold- GO CU. He was not there so they sat it on his desk along with a sweet snack.

After lunch we ventured to Whole Foods because I wanted to make a nice dinner, and where else do you go when you don't know what to make. As we walked in we admired the beautiful flowers displayed for sale throughout the store, as I went to grab a bouquet of tulips I thought "well maybe just maybe Daddy will get Mommy some."

I decided on the bone less leg of lamb. Mark has mentioned several times that he would like to try it -and something lovingly in me said "surprise him and just do it". I have always been a little hesitant- because I wasn’t sure I knew how to make it- sure it was my main entree for a final in a culinary class at UNLV but that was ten years ago.

Dinner was amazing! The lamb was delicious, accompanied by a mushroom coos coos, baby green salad with vinaigrette, and a crunchy french loaf bread. Mark paired the meal perfectly with a bottle of wine- and the table was just stunning dressed in a red tablecloth kissed with two dozen red tulips. Thank You Mark.