Sitka, Alaska 2008 - Preparation Day

Evening of Tuesday, July 22nd:

We packed our bags and gathered all our things to get ready to leave. I had Zach all packed to go to grandma's house. I typed up a letter with our medical cards for my mom just in case she needed to take Zach to the doctor while we were gone, I also gave her sole custody if something were to happen to us while we were gone. Dave told me not to think like that but...WHAT IF??? I am not sure if the letter would have done any good or not but it gave me a little peace of mind. I think that got Dave thinking more and worried about leaving him too. For about a 1/2 hour we hugged him and told him bye. It was really hard to take him to my mom's and we all cried.

Zach was bawling in the car as I backed out of the driveway. He was especially sad to leave Ali. I drove down the street and turned the corner, as I did so I realized that I forgot to get the cash that we had gotten out for him to take so he could do something fun. So I turned around and went back. Dave came out and handed him his money. Well that made him have to say goodbye again to dad and they both had tears as Zach waved bye out the window.

As I was leaving the subdivision my mom called me and told me she was at Wal-Mart with my dad, they were getting truck key copies for his new truck. I told her I would just meet her there.

Zach had me pretty emotional and sad to be leaving him home by himself. I was so torn up inside about the whole thing. I knew he wouldn't be able to handle the vacation. He is just to little for what we were going to be doing. Yet it was stil really hard for me to not take him.

At Wal-Mart, I was only going to get some blueberry cream cheese for him to have on his bagels that he just can't live without lately....so I didn't get a shopping cart. As we passed things he just started to pick them up like he had to have them. He grabbed a blue Gatorade, fruit snacks....transformer/carebear and my little pony (1 box of each) and I got the cream cheese. When I turned around and he was juggling all these things with those red eyes...i just couldn't tell him he had to put them back. So we found a cart to put our loot in.

The automotive section was at the other end of the store and that is where we needed to go to find grandma and grandpa. Guess what? I made the mistake of walking past the toys on the way there. He saw a batman figurine right off and a transformer that turns into a truck. Yes, I let him get those too. I guess that is what happens when you feel guilty. So my little trip in to Wal-Mart cost me $30 instead of the $2.00 that it would have been if I were just getting the cream cheese. By the time I left Zach at my mom's house, he had two new toys, his bagels and fruit snacks. He was so pleased. It was a lot easier to leave him there knowing that he was so happy. My mom always makes lemonade out of lemons too. She makes everyone feel happy, even when you are being left behind for 7 nights without your mom.

When I returned home, I was so grateful that Dave had put Ali to bed. We needed to wake up early and I knew that with what we had coming she was going to be tired and needed her rest. I finished packing a few more things and talked with Dave a bit. I walked in to check on Ali and she was still awake! She said that she was to excited to sleep (just like the Disneyland commercial) LOL! She also said that she had a tummy ache. I think it might have been a little because of nerves and excitement. I gave her some pepto. Dave and I stayed up talking and doing odds and ends until 1:30 am. Ali finally fell asleep, but I am sure it was after midnight.

I had been awake since 3:00 in the morning doing work things and house chores, so I was pooped but just laid in bed talking to Dave until we both fell asleep.

The Big Third Grade!

I can't believe how fast my kids are growing up. My friends told me that once they hit Kindergarten it just flies by...I didn't understand it, but I do now. Alicyn started third grade on Wednesday this week. She missed the first two days of school because we were in Alaska. I tried really hard to get "D" track so that we wouldn't have that problem but my attempts failed. She has Mr. Yates and is so excited to have a male teacher. We were able to go and meet with him on July 18th for a while and get to know him prior to our trip. I thought that would be a good idea because then when she started school two days late she would already know where her class room is and her teacher.

She is so excited to begin a new school year.

This is in the morning just before school yesterday.

Just like Indy - Snakes, Why Did it Have to Be Snakes?

My sister Adrienne gave Zach a wooden snake for his birthday about three years ago. I really hate this thing. It might not look so real in the picture, but when you are not expecting a snake and you move something and it is sitting there it really makes you jump!

Ali and Dave have found this to be quite funny!!! I on the other hand don't find the humor in it unless they are the ones being got.

I have been so tempted to throw this stupid snake in the garbage, just so I am not worried about where it is going to show up next.

To my displeasure over the last week I have found this snake in numerous places. Ali thinks it is really funny to stash it in your bed to try to get you. Dave put it in my purse on Friday morning last week. If we have something to be mailed he will put the mail on top of my purse so I won't forget it. Well I picked up the mail - ready to leave for the day and that stupid snake was in my purse with it's head looking up at me. Yes, he got me!

Friday night Ali put it on Dave's side of the bed and then came in the room as he was about to climb in, she probably would have got him if she didn't have a huge cheesy grin on her face that gave her away.

Then again tonight, Ali put it on Dave's side of the bed in hopes to get him (he is really afraid of snakes), well I pulled the covers down and reveled the snake and I jumped instead of him. After about a week of hiding the snake they stop for awhile until I am wondering where it is and they start all over again a few months later. One of these days I really am going to put it in the trash. You can hear giggling all over the house when mom has been gotten by the snake. I personally think it is funnier if Dave is the one that jumps!

Recipe Tag

I have been tagged by my sister, Adrienne for a new recipe.

This recipe is one of my families favorites. I usually have to make double because they want it again for the next meal. If you don't want the "meat" make the sauce and serve over rice.

Hope you like it as much as we do.

Autumn Pork Chops

Ingredients:

1 tbsp vegetable oil (or EVOO)

4 pork chops (about 1 1/2 pounds)

Sauce:

1 can 10 3/4 oz cream of celery soup

1/2 cup apple juice or water (apple juice tastes better)

1 - 2 tbsp honey

2 tbsp spicy brown mustard

4 cups hot cooked minute rice

Black pepper, coarsely ground

Directions:

In a medium skillet over medium - high heat, heat oil then add pork chops and cook 10 minutes or until browned on both sides. Set chops aside and pour off fat.

Add soup, apple juice, mustard and honey. Heat to a boil and return chops to pan. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook 10 minutes or until chops are no longer pink. Serve over rice and sprinkle with pepper. Add a veggie and your dinner is complete. :)

YUM!

Now I tag you! If you read this - post a recipe on your blog to share.

Rhonda, Tammy, Jaynan, Michelle T, Tricia, Lizz, Steph Y, Andrea, Christy, Hilerie, Cindy, Kristi, Kayleen, Heather, Amanda, Michelle B, Marci ----- ETC.

Zach and His Swords

Zach loves swords, he is always challenging us to a duel of some kind. He can't die though, he is a robot. You just know you are going to lose every time because of some quirky thing he comes up with.

Well about a month and a 1/2 ago he was playing at our neighbor's house, I am not sure how it happened or what he was doing but he threw a sword up in the air and it landed on the neighbors roof. It then slid down into the rain gutter so you couldn't see it. He came home so distraught about losing his sword. We told him we would get it back. Dave and I forgot about it for awhile, but not Zach. He reminded us all the time and we just never got the ladder out to go and get it.

Zach reminded Dave again Sunday morning about his sword. Dave told him that if he saw Aaron at church he would ask him if he could get it down. Ali saw Aaron first and rambled on to him about something lost on his roof...when Aaron saw Dave he asked him what Ali was talking about. Dave reminded him about the sword which Zach had lost while playing with Matthew. Aaron had forgotten about it too. After church Dave went over and retrieved the sword from the rain gutter.

Zach was broken hearted after Dave retrieved it, since it had been in the sun and weather for a month the colored handle was now silver, and the silver blade was turning black as the silver paint is flaking off. He cried for quite some time. He said he didn't want a black ugly sword, as I tried to convince him that a black sword is cool. After a little bit he came up to me and said, "mom, I am really really going to miss this sword, really a lot" and walked over and put it in the garbage can. Then he went and sat on Dave's lap and pouted for a bit.

He is on a quest to find the exact sword at a store now.

Dave and I giggled about it all night. Zach cracks us up.

Here he is hiding behind the couch, wanted to be sad in private.