short one for friday....

This is going to be a short post. I woke up with a terrible headache. I will be laying back down when I'm done. Just wanted the computer before Andrew woke up. They are "sleep in" kids so I can go back to bed. It is 6:30. Not sure what is wrong with me this morning. My heart is racing too.

Yesterday Maddie went home. The others got to stay! Andrew baked a cake all by himself and frosted it. He wouldn't let me in the kitchen. It is nummy too, I hear. I haven't had any.... but Papa loved it. Cleaned a bit and really didn't do too much of nothing. Rested mostly.... especially the dogs. Lauren and I went and got milk at the store. We all enjoyed each others company all day. Well... that's about it. Wanted to post to show that I am alive and thankful it is Friday because I get to see Papa this weekend, but sad because it's Friday and Lauren and Andrew have to go home!
Maddie wanted a picture taken with Sandy.

Meanwhile Toby slept. Look at his tongue out. So cute!

Weather To Expect:
You can feel the change outside this morning. Temperatures are in the upper 50s and 60s as you get going on this Friday. High temperatures this afternoon are running in the mid to low 80s around the sound. High of 84, over 10 degrees lower than yesterday.
The 80s will hold through the weekend.
Temperatures drop down into the mid to low 80s Monday and Tuesday with morning clouds and afternoon sun.

I couldn't find a HISTORY picture from July 31 so I looked through the pictures and picked one of my favorite July pictures. I love the clearness, the subjects, the colors. It is a good picture!

hot, hot, hot....

Another wonderful summer day. I am exhausted this morning. Not sure if its the heat or business. Having the kids this week is a blast! I know you are all tired of beach pictures, pictures of my grandkids, or softball pictures.... but that is pretty much our summer! Yesterday after breakfast we went down to the beach. Thought we'd get it in early because I didn't want the dogs to overheat. Oh, and the kids. lol. Sandy is Andrew & Lauren's dog... for those that don't know. She is my second favorite dog in the whole world! Love her so much! She is timid, kind, sweet, happy with the little things, and she smiles when she is happy. All she wants in life is her family, attention and food. She had a pretty hard life we are guessing before Amanda rescued her from the pound. She loves them soooo much! She also loves the beach. She had so much fun down there. She has husky and golden lab in her (we're guessing) so the heat isn't her friend and it got to 103.... but not here. We stayed in the high 80's.... with a bit of a breeze. So the dogs loved it. Here is a picture of Sandy and her kids.... Andrew and Lauren! See how she smiles?


Andrew looking at a baby jellyfish.
Maddie with her "shirley temple" lips. She's so pretty.
Dylan.... without his walking stick. He didn't get too wet. He doesn't do too well in heat, either. Gets a headache and not feeling well.... like his mom. So last night he went home with mom and dad. Maddie, Lauren and Andrew got to come home with me again!Maddie trying to fill a hole she dug in the sand with water. She wasn't successful. I can't figure out boys. Why are they so mean? I gently tried to explain to her that she couldn't fill the hole because it would soak into the sand and Dylan pipes in and basically tells her to give it up. Boys have no tact or sympathy.

Lauren trusts her brother so much!
Maddie, Andrew, Lauren, Dylan, Sandy and Toby!

I love this picture of Lauren.... it looks exactly like she did at 2!
Andrew trying to get the dogs into the water!
Talking with Sandy... he loves her.
Sandy checking into what Maddie is doing.
Andrew and Lauren start cooling Sandy off.
Moses joined us. lol! Dylan loved his stick.... then he left it accidental when we left.
Andrew swimming along the shore keeping cool....
Apparently Toby seems to think he needs rescuing because he went in to help! lol
Andrew thought it was funny.
Beautiful Sandy is happy.
After the beach we took showers and baths. I called my "people" to confirm their dinner reservations (3 bailed on me) and then we packed sandwiches and chips for the game.... and lots of water! It was so hot when we got there! What a temp change after crossing that bridge. The other team never showed up so we went across the field and our team played another group of people who didn't have enough players. They put their team together and played against us. So technically we won because both our games were forfeited without enough players I guess. But the players had fun the 2nd half of the game. Thanks to Jay. He hit the ball and went from 1st to 2nd and got in a "pickle".... he eventually got out barely at 2nd... but it woke most of our team up and they had fun then. Kevon almost got a home run. Amanda got on first every time, Ryan played good, they all did pretty good. It was fun, but hot. Here is Riley spraying Jay with cold water.
Jay throwing his hat down....lol! Rachel and Tara in the picture too.
Kevon high-fiving Amanda for getting on first base again!
Son Kevon gave the ball a good ride!
Son Ryan going up to bat. Both my boys looked so handsome last night!
Our whole team high-fiving at the end.... most of them are my kids and some I've adopted over the years....

Joel (s-i-l), Ryan (son), Jay (adopted), Karla & Tara (daughters), Amanda (d-i-l), Kevon (son), Meghan (d-i-l), Rachel (adopted - Karla's best friend) and Jerk (adopted - kevon's best friend aka Jeff). Don't know where Lezli was in this picture.

Got home before papa last night. Had a nice evening with popcorn and chillin'.

Two years ago at this time Papa was in surgery having his bypass.... and his heart got angry and they had to quit before the 2nd. I'm so thankful to God, the doctors and our family and friends that were praying and supporting him during this really hard time. I'm so thankful God didn't take Papa home yet. I adore him.

Hope you all have a good day and stay cooooool! God bless!



Weather Lore

Observe on which day in August the first heavy fog occurs, and expect a hard frost on the same day in October.

If the first week in August is unusually warm, the winter will be white and long.

Weather To Expect:
We made it through the hottest day in Seattle weather history. The high temperature yesterday made it up to 103 degrees, the highest temperature ever recorded since records started back in 1891.
Even though we are seeing temperatures drop a few degrees today, we'll still be hovering around the triple digit mark. Seattle's forecast high at 99 degrees for your Thursday, shattering the daily record high of 94 degrees set back in 1965.
High at 88 on Friday with temperatures around 90 degrees through the weekend.
A stronger marine push brings in much cooler air by the middle of next week, looking to bring temperatures back down into the 70s.

HISTORY PICTURE: 1985.... 24 years ago! Ryan, Jack, Kevon, Tara, Heather, Karla and Kara! (Jack and Kara are my sister's kids)

water fun, toothless and punkin....

Yesterday was fun.... went and picked up the kids in the afternoon and they spent the night! Love it! They found the slip and slide and put it out! They had fun on it.

They also played in the pool. Then all of the sudden.... Lauren lost her tooth! She was so excited she couldn't stop talking about it....
She immediately texted her mom about it.
Maddie wasn't too happy... she hasn't lost a tooth yet. Kevon and Meghan came over.... and Auntie Meghan talked to Maddie about how it is ok she hasn't lost any teeth yet. Since she works for Maddie's dentist.... Maddie actually listened to her! Made her better. Kev and Meghan exchanged vehicles with me.... I got their beautiful vehicle and Meg is using my van today! Don't know if I'll drive it but it is there for me! May have to drive it to the game tonight and exchange cars there.
The neighbor kid, Gregory came over and played. The kids want to go to his big pool but maybe today. His mom said the water was too cold since they just filled it.

Then Andrew and I were messing around with the camera. He is a heavy boy with a bony butt!



I love this picture!!! This is Dylan's "safety patrol" stance.... or "big brother" stance. Take your pick. He is keeping an eye on what is going on with Gregory and his sister. Very protective.


Took these pictures this morning. I was so upset when I got up. Couldn't find punkin when I went to bed and she wasn't here when I got up. And papa didn't see her this morning. So I checked the garage and called off the front deck and back deck. Nothing. Dylan woke up and I told him. He was sitting on the back deck with the dogs and she showed up! We were very relieved to see her. Especially Dylan.


Maddie cared too.... but she was into a bible story here. Now she's out with the dogs. These kids love the animals. Sandy spent the night and Dylan and Maddie love her.
Lauren woke up for a minute while punkin climbed on her legs to sleep. She laughed but she has fallen back to sleep.
Andrew slept on his couch.... but early this morning Maddie was yelling in her sleep (her and Dylan sleeptalk and sleepwalk). Papa said Andrew moved out to the living room couch and so he covered him up. When I got up I had him go sleep in my bed where it was cool and he could sleep in this morning.


I got some news. I have a part time job! Can you believe it? I went in yesterday morning and worked about 2 hours and took my work home! This is really cool because I get to work from home! I only have to go in there on Mondays and get my check and list of people. I am NOT a telemarketer. I sell NOTHING. I call people that have put their names in a drawing... they win a free dinner for two. Our company "Countywide Fire Safety" (which I checked out with BBB) gives a presentation on fire safety in the home. They sell nothing during the talk.... just educating. It's cool. The dinner this week is at the Crab House in Port Angeles. I make $125 a week if I sign up 10 people. It is fun because most of the people are so excited. Some are skeptical. But I've had no rude people. And it's nice because they put their name in.... I am not drawing anyone at random! So.... I can make $500 a month at home. Praying it works out for me. This work and heat is hard on Papa right now. His hours got bumped up at WalMart so he is working Monday-Friday nights! And his government job they are taking $200 more a month from his check for life insurance because he turned 60! Can't win, can we?


History Picture: 7-29-06 Maddie loves looking at Jared! She doesn't mind mom holding him either!
such a cool looking picture.... nice with all the heat and dryness.

Is it hot enough for you?

Is it hot enough for you? I love it. What are you doing to stay cool?

So I had to explain to my darling husband I don't want to die by fire. Yesterday morning he thought he was plugging in the can opener (or so he says) and he plugged in the waffle iron. There were some hamburger buns sitting on the waffle iron. I didn't notice it until I went to find something to eat about 7 hours later!!!! It was a mess. Papa is determined to get it off. We'll see. If anyone can figure it out, it would be him.


May have found a part time job. I go check it out this morning. Pray for me.

I moved some pictures and a mirror yesterday. Baked some chicken early in the day. Talked to Karla.... she is sick with the flu but feeling a bit better now. Talked to Kevon for some affirmation. That was about it. Oh, and of course my mom. I call her every day.

My feelings were so hurt last week.... and I am having such a hard time getting over this one. I am trying but it is so difficult. I may be overly sensitive.... people accuse me of this all the time.... but I was surprised, hurt and shocked by what this person said. Please pray I can let this go and forgive. I haven't said anything to the person yet. Not sure if I should just let it go. Mom always said "pick your battle... they are not all worth fighting."

I watched the Dog Whisperer and cried like a baby! It was about a dog that was so afraid of everything!!! I felt so sorry for her. She had greyhound in her. Sweet dog called "Baby Girl". Watched the bachelorette finale. I don't know why. I really didn't care who she picked. Just wasted two hours last night. When I went to bed at 11:30.... Steve Pool said it was 83 degrees out still. Unheard of here. Mom said my brothers little chihuahua had a "heat episode" and the vet told him to keep her feet in cool water and keep her out of the sun. Don't forget about your pets!!!! Hope you are finding ways to stay cool. It is pretty nice at my house....7 fans and a breeze from the beach helps and I've been keeping it cool inside. Have a great day.... God bless!

Weather To Expect:We are in the midst of a historic heat wave here in Western Washington. Temperatures are soaring well into the 90s across most areas around the sound today. Seattle is looking at a high temperature of 97 degrees. That would tie the record high for this date.
The hottest temperatures this week will arrive on Wednesday. Seattle is expected to top out around the triple digit mark. 100 degrees is the all time record high at Sea-Tac Airport, and we are expecting to tie that temperature on Wednesday.
Thursday and Friday temperatures hold in the mid to low 90s with plenty of sun.

Here are five unusual ways to use this incredibly versatile plant:

1. Deter bugs in your garden. Plant garlic cloves as a barrier to control aphids. Push a clove into the soil of your houseplants.
2. Oil of cloves provides temporary relief from toothaches. Here's how to make your own.
3. Rub crushed garlic on your skin to repel ticks. Some say it deters mosquitoes, too.
4. Eat foods heavy in garlic to speed the recovery of a cold.
5. Chew garlic for stamina and courage (or so the Greeks and Romans believed).

For an "old stubborn pain in the back," apply garlic and hog's lard to the feet.
–John Wesley (1703–91)

Using Garlic
• Don’t peel garlic cloves before pressing (to save time and make cleaning the garlic press easier).
• Cut off any green on a garlic clove—it’s bitter.
• Store garlic at room temperature and far away from light, in a container with air holes. Don’t refrigerate.
• If you grow your own garlic, snip a few inches of the green tops and add to salads for subtle flavor.
• To roast garlic, place an entire head on a square of foil, drizzle with olive oil, wrap up, and bake at 350°F for 1 hour, until soft. Squeeze softened cloves onto crackers or bread.
• Garlic is delicious on a roast beef sandwich.


Here is my History Photo taken 7-28-04 of Riley, Lauren and Maddie!!!! They were 1.