Merry Christmas

Enjoy a wonderful holiday with your family and friends.

testing

I've been trying to figure out how to post a form on a website for a farm that I'm doing some bookeeping work for. I can't even tell you how frustrated I am right now! I am so not a techie....

http://fs3.formsite.com/marcyh/form306696679/index.html

Stolen Meme

I was blog surfing this weekend and stumbled across this meme on this blog.....http://suzannebalvanz.blogspot.com/ I thought it was cute and a good way to start the week. I'm determined to update my blog more often. I bolded the items I've done.

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea (from the beach)
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris--(in Vegas..hahaha)
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Stole a meme

Christmas Tree Lights

We are about to embark on the annual, "lets see if all the lights work" ritual. Keep your fingers crossed. We already have to replace the outside lights.

Twilight

I've been hearing all the buzz about the teenage Vampire series by Stephenie Meyer. Even though the intended audience was probably teenagers, seems to me that all the hype I hear is coming from adults.

I'm on page 137 of the first book. So far I don't think I'm very impressed. Maybe I've been spoiled by the Anne Rice books I loved when I was in college? (I'm sure there are many out there that don't think THOSE books are worthy) Maybe I'll change my mind as the series unfolds? I normally give a book to page 100. If it hasn't caputured me, I move along to the next one on my pile. I'm going to give this one a little longer. I'll keep you posted.....

The Trip

(read the Big 4-0 post first...thanks!)

We arrive at Dulles half asleep only to find out the ticket counter doesn't open til 4:30...so much for having to be there 2 hours early (Janine, we should have listened to you!). Wait for the counter to open to check our bag and the baggage guy blurts out "so are you going to win a million or lose a million?" VEGAS! I now know where we are going. Keith was a bit annoyed as he was trying to keep it secret as long as possible. I say "what are we doing in Vegas?" Neither of us are huge gamblers so Vegas was not my first thought of possible locations. His answer "to see a show" Okay...there are only like 3,000 shows in Vegas. I spend the next six hours trying to figure out what show we might be seeing. Blue Man Group? Cher? Elton John? Another Cirque show? A musical?? It isn't until we pull up in front of our hotel and I spy the HUGE billboard on the side of the Flamingo....Donny and Marie!!!! Many of you know that I LOVE Donny Osmond. New album comes out it is on my mp3 player or Keith stops on his way home and buys me the CD. I have Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream coat on tape. Best of Donny and Marie on CD. You get the picture. I have tried in the past to see him in concert but it never worked out. The last time he was in this area, about six years ago was on Fathers Day and I just couldn't do that to my husband.

The concert was AMAZING. Keith got us seats about 4 seats away from the stage. We were so close that you could see the sweat fly. Man does Donny Osmond sweat! There was a lady who sat three seats down from me that was the poster girl for Donny groupies.....she was worth some entertainment value on her own. I have to admit that the audience was geared a bit older.....but it was perfect for a just turned 40 year old...I felt so young :-) For two 50 year olds (ok...I don't think Marie is 50 yet..but she has to be close) and Donny being a GRANDFATHER they put on a hell of a show. Very intimate with the audience, lots of the banter that I remember from their tv show. Sang lots of their tunes and did some other songs too. They both have quite the musical range, not just the bubblegum they are famous for. He did sing a few lines of Puppy Love though.... Show lasted just about 2 hours. They both admitted to being out of breath at times and being old. I couldn't dance that way at 20 let alone 5o. Okay Keith don't read this next line....Donny is still HOT! Marie looks great too...I think Keith had his own eye candy to look at ;-)

After the concert we went to the top of the Eiffel Tower in "paris" (amazing views of Vegas) and then had pizza in our room and watched the Election news. When people ask me where I was when Barack Obama was announced as the 44th president I can happily say "at a Donny and Marie concert".

It was the best birthday present ever. The thing that made it the most special was that Keith planned everything on his own and he planned things that he knew would be special for me and we got to share them together. He is a terrible secret keeper, I'm surprised he kept this one! I'm even more surprised that none of my friends that knew didn't tell me either. Some of them are terrible secret keepers too ;-) Yeah...you know who you are.

Oh...and I won $4 playing video poker. I ROCK!!

The Big 4-0

I can't believe how long it has been since I updated my blog. Can you say LAZY?? I always have great posts in my head but they never make it to the keyboard. I also have this hang up that I can't post without a picture. So I never do.

Anyway...I had the big birthday on Monday. 4-0. Forty. Or as it says on a piece of Flair a friend sent me on Facebook, I'm Thirty Ten. I like that! Next year I'll be Thirty Eleven.

Keith turned 40 in June. He said he didn't want a big deal made over his birthday, so being the good wife that I am, I listened. We thought maybe we would go somewhere to celebrate his birthday, our anniversary in August and my birthday in November. His birthday pretty much came and went without much fuss. Okay, without ANY fuss.

Fast forward a few months and he informs me I need to take off work the first week of November. Huh? He has a bunch of things lined up for my birthday. A BUNCH of things?? that wasn't the plan. Not to worry he tells me...something we both like, something I like, something he likes. Ummm...okay. I'm starting to feel a bit guilty....

About a month ago my oldest blows it and tells me we are going to the Steelers/Redskins game on my birthday (monday night football). This is an awesome present. Monday night football..on my birthday. I've never been to a professional game. This is the STEELERS! A friend I used to work with has connections and gets us awesome seats, club level passes and passes to get ON THE SIDELINES for pregame warmups. Close enough to the players to see their nose hairs (well not that close but almost). Way cool. That would be present enough. Keith also tells me that we are going somewhere the day before the game and then flying somewhere the morning after.

Day before the big football game arrives and we get in the car to go somewhere. That somewhere turns out to be the National Harbor in Md (not to be confused with the Inner Harbor) for a showing of Cirque de Soleils KOOZA performance. Amazing show. (if you go make sure you have $10 in cash for parking...if you don't get there close to show time so you hold up the line and they get frustrated with you and let you in for free). Show is followed by dinner at McCormick and Schmicks....YUM!

While we are away some of my wonderful friends trash my house with 40th bday decorations. TP in the tree the works. You can see the damage in my slideshow. Too bad my mil didn't hear them and call the cops ;-) All I can say is paybacks are a bitch.........

Birthday comes and we leave for the football game around 2:30 We ride with our friends, Mike and Janine and tailgate for a little while...Janine even had a cake for me. Steelers look like crap for the greater part of the first half of the game. They manage to get their acts together and kick the Skins butts. We get back to Ashburn around midnight and crash at Mike and Janines for a few hours since we have to be at the airport at FOUR am.

The rest of the trip deserves its own post......

Marcy

Thanks Amy and Friends

Hey Amy and all.

Thanks for all the birthday wishes I found on my blog. I have to say being 40 isn't that terrible....

And we are off.....

Tim to first grade...all day.

Josh to middle school.....I'm not talking about that.

Me to work. I'll be home in time to pick up Tim at the school path.

I was counting the days til school started. Now I would have liked a few more vacation days.

We are all ready......

I think.

Fantasy Football

Josh has been bitten by the fantasy football bug! One of his friends set up a league for them to play on ESPNzone.com . Just what this group of super competitive boys needs. Their draft was on Sunday. It was quiet amusing to watch him read SI (why does that magazine have to have Viagra ads????....oh wait, never mind) and compile his list of best picks. Frankly, he didn't pick anyone I would have picked. That might be a good thing though. I played in a league last year and came in dead LAST. Dad of course had to get in the action and make suggestions. Josh kept getting mad at him and saying he wanted to do it himself.

Should be interesting to see how he does. I'll keep you posted.

Gettysburg

In my never ending quest to give the boys some fun summer experiences we went to Gettysburg, PA this weekend. Even though it is only an 1.5 hours away, we splurged on a hotel room and stayed Saturday night.

What I learned....

Tim hates looking at empty battlefields as much as he hates looking at dead president's houses. Unless he can climb over cannons and rocks.

You really have to have a great imagination to listen to a tour on cd and "see" it on the battlefield. I always knew josh had a good imagination....now I know my husband does too!

Your oldest child will get over the fact that you wouldn't let him buy a confederate flag tshirt.

Said oldest child does know that the south "lost" the war. Had to make sure had he did have Virginia History. Virginia was in the south, a confederate state. Hard for the Yankee Mom to grasp.

Don't tell Tim there is a pool in the hotel room. He will ask every 10 seconds if it is time to swim.

A gallbladder attack feels like you are having a heart attack.

Don't assume your 10.75 year old will not want to make a bear at the boyd's bear factory. $90.00 we had two bears.

Take pictures of above child making his bear, and wearing a yellow builder hat, for bribing down the road.

Don't ask your men folk to help you pick out a yankee candle...they each had to have their own flavor. And none of them smell like flowers.

Don't tell your wife that your coworkers EXPENSIVE camera equipment that you borrowed isn't working.

We really need to take advantage of all the historical places so close to home.

Bull Run or Harper's Ferry anyone??

Happy Anniversary

Keith and I celebrate 18 years of marriage today.

Happy Annivesary to us!

our Staycation Day

We aren't going away this summer. Between all of Josh/Keith's scout stuff and the price of gas we didn't really have the time or the funds.

I felt like we needed to do something with the boys. Saturday we spent the day in Charlottsville touring Monticello, Michies Tavern and Ash Lawn Highlands. Josh had a nice time as he has recently studied this time period in school. Tim on the other hand was pretty bored. Too many dead presidents he said.

This weekend we are headed to Gettysburg, PA for Saturday and Sunday. I'm sure that won't be much interest to him either. Hard to plan vacations when they are 5 grades apart in school. Especially when it isn't Nick Hotel (kid aspires to the expensive vacations!) He really wants to go fishing so if we can squeeze that in before summer is over he will be happy.

I can only imagine what is "What I did on vacation" picture will look like ;-)

And so it begins...

Football practice starts tonight. Every. Stinking. Night. 5 days a week. Until School Starts.

6-8pm.

Summer is over.

29 days til school starts.

So that is why they call it Friendship Bread

A friend of mine gave me a "starter" to bake Amish frienship bread. The whole concept is a bit gross., a baggie of milk, flour and sugar sits on your counter for 10 days until you bake it. Every day you have to smush the bag and on day 5 you add more flour, milk and sugar. Each bag ends up yielding enough to make 2 loafs of bread and have 4 more starters to give away to your friends.

I thought the name of the bread came from the fact that you were sharing it with your friends. However afer going thru our first round of baking I learned the true origin. You have to borrow things from your friends to bake the bread!

The first time it was baking day...the phones started to ring. "Can I borrow an egg?" "I need another loaf pan." "Do you have any more cinnamon?" "I only need 1/4 cup of sugar" "What size box of pudding am I supposed to buy" "Anyone want a starter?"

As the month as gone on the requests continue...."I'm going out of town for a few days, can you smush my bags?" "I'm on vacation for a week, can you leave me a new starter on my counter?"

I just ate a piece from my last batch for breakfast..thanks to all my friends for the contributions!

Anyone want a starter??

Day Camp

Last week was Cub Scout Day Camp. Not usually a big deal, send your son off for a week of fun and enjoy the quiet time, right? In this house not so much. Day camp is a family affair.



My husband is the director of our local daycamp. The volunteer director. No pay other than the feeling of doing something good for the boys. I can't even begin, nor do I want to ,tally the hours he puts into this camp every year. Every year it gets harder to find parents to help. A lot take the position above. Hubby recruited friends (Mike, Julie, Dee he wouldn't have made it without you guys last week) that don't even have cubscouts this year to work day camp. Where are all the parents WITH cubs?? WE don't even have a cub scout. My oldest crossed over to Boy Scouts and my youngest isn't old enough for Cubs yet. Did I mention that I also worked at camp all week? Oldest worked too...he did get to earn service hours for boyscouts, so that is a good thing. And our 19 year old nephew, jobless for the summer, came from PA to help for camp. We all worked....in the 90+ degree heat.

We weren't the only ones feeling the pain. Seems like the same parents are the ones involved every year. Without those dedicated parents running stations and walking with the boys all week camp wouldn't be successful.



I think for the most part the boys that participated had a wonderful time. The parents all seemed happy as well. Except for a handful that nitpicked things all week. When you have busted your tail for months before hand it tends to be the nitpicky comments that stand out in your mind, not that positive comments.



Our nephew told Hubby that when he was little he thought camps "just popped up" overnite, now he knows (and appreciates!) all the work that happens behind the scenes.



So to my wonderful husband, who worked so hard to put together a camp for 150 boys for a week.... Good Job Babe. I'm proud of all your hard work and your dedication to our family. Even though the boys didn't participate in camp, they sure saw a wonderful role model in you. I'm sure the boys that did get to participate are very thankful for all your work as well.

Job??

I knew this day would come...it probably should have come a few years ago, but I really wanted to get the boys both in school all day. It seems as though I'll be back in the working world in a week or two. Only part time...15-20 hours a week. Literally right up the street from me. I could walk if I wanted to. With gas so expensive that is a huge perk!

I don't wanna work.... I haven't really had a boss in SEVEN years. Our family needs the cash and it isn't fair for me NOT to work now. I wish I could have waited until October...but this location and part time stuff was too nice to pass up.

I should know more tomorrow. Having an orientation.

Anyone want to watch my kids on Tues and Thursday? hahaha..this is going to be tricky until school starts.

PSA: Hotdogs

One 8 pack does not make 4 11 year old boys happy.

Thank you.

June 10th?

Can it really be a month since I posted? Today is July 10th, where does the time go? I was hoping that the summer would go by quickly so school could start and my kids wouldn't be so bored. Whoa...now I'm thinking summer could slow down a bit, I'm not ready for September.

Maybe my life is too boring...I need something to post about.

Tim telling me he is going to flick me in my boobie....hmmmmm there is a topic

Tim telling me he is so bored he feels like he turned to stone....

Tim refusing to sleep in past 7:30am

Tim needing to be entertained 24 hours a day

Tim crying everytime Josh leaves with one of his friends (which 11 year old boys do all the time)

Okay...now I remember why I want it to be September.

54 days til school starts ;-)

Play me a song

Tim started taking piano lessons in March. Josh has been studying piano for the last three years, and like everything else, Tim couldn't wait until he could play too. He had his first recital on Sunday June 1st. His recital piece was "Lost my Partner" We asked him later if he was nervous and he said "Piece of cake...it was a piece of cake"

Okay, Kelly, I'm going to try and upload that video now....keep your fingers crossed.

Excuse the video quality, it was a camera phone.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDz-9AzXhh8

okay...i'm pretty sure that is not what you told me to do Kelly....but there it is on youtube..

Mom, is our house going to blow apart?

Holy cow, how do you answer a question like that? Tim is deathly afraid of storms. He freaks out at the first sign of a storm cloud. When he was younger he would run for cover if the wind picked up over 5mph. We spent most of one spring in the house watching the wind blow.

Yesterday was the kindergarten assembly. Finished at 2:00pm. We were allowed to take our children home after the assembly. I normally would just let him come home as normal, because after all, I still had another 30 minutes of quiet time. Yesterday I decided to sign Tim out and we came home early (along with his little buddy Wyatt whose Mom was doing PTO stuff at school) Good thing, because 30 minutes later we were in the dark, in our basement under a tornado warning having the following conversation:

Tim: "Can't you tell how scared I am...can you hear how my voice sounds...I'm really scared. Isn't it sad that I'm almost 7 and I'm so afraid of storms."

Me: "It is okay to be afraid". (cause I'm pretty afraid myself right now and I'm almost 40!)

Tim: "Mom, is our house going to blow apart"

Me: "No, I'm pretty sure it won't blow apart" (I hope cause this place is put together with spit and a prayer)

Tim: "Can you promise me 100% that it won't?"

Me: "Ummm....well, no I can't." (do I lie?? I couldn't promise him 100%)

Tim "what will we do if it does"

Me: "We will build a new house"

Tim: "But were will we sleep tonight?"

Me: At Wyatts house, right Wyatt? We can sleep at your house? (say yes Wyatt, say yes!)

Tim: "Good...and we can play Wii there too"

A bed and a wii....all is fine in his world. Whew...

Happily our house did not blow apart. And I didn't even tell a lie.

BTW--this picture has nothing to do with the storm. But I was determined to post a picture today :-) The video will have to wait until tomorrow.

Why can't I get this to post with my paragraph breaks????

What is wrong with me?

I've been thinking about entering blogger land since January. I stalk a handful of blogs and you all make it look so easy. Let me tell you, this Blogger thingy is intimidating. (please tell me there is spell check) I JUST DON'T GET IT. I am not dumb. At least I don't think I am. Maybe I should get my 10 year old to help me. I could ask my husband, but then I won't be able to vent about him here ;-)

See...I just accidentally (where is that spell check??) saved a draft and it took me a few minutes to get this opened back up.


Trying to upload a video....keeping my fingers crossed this worked. Nope....taking too long and I'm impatient. That will be my goal for tomorrow a photo upload.

Okay...I'm hitting the button. I'll play around more later.....