Day 2 - 30 Day Challenge

Favorite Movie -

There are a lot of movies that I love, but I think my favorite would have to be The Princess Bride.  The movie is hysterical.  I can't wait until Shea gets a little older so that she can watch it with me.  I just know she'll love it.  It's right up her alley.

Have a great day!!

Day 1 - 30 Day Challenge

My friend Kaylan tagged me to participate in a 30 day challenge from here.  I can't promise that I'm going to do it every day.....come on, we all know how horrible I am about updating my blog.  It sounds fun, so here I go.

Day 1:  Your favorite song.

This is kind of a tough one.  For those that don't know, and if you don't, you should, The Beatles are my all time favorite band..EVER!!!!  I'd have to pick either Let it Be or Daytripper, but there are so many good ones.  Meeting Paul McCartney is on my bucket list after all!!  I did get to see him in concert a few years back.  He was super awesome!!  Lately I'm totally loving Miranda Lambert and Carrie Underwood.  Carrie's coming in concert in December.  It sure would be super cool to see her.

Bass bowling

If you ever get the chance to go bowling at the Bass Pro Shop in Altoona, IA, I highly recommend it.  It is super fun!!!  We went there when my parents were up visiting last month.  The whole bowling alley is like you're underwater.  They even have part of a sunken ship sticking out with a mermaid on the front, which Shea thought was super cool, and it was.  The kids had a total blast.

I guess Shea's not afraid of sharks!!! 

This is our lane...cool, huh!!

                                             Jake showing us all how it's done.......showoff!!
                                    

Okay, I'm not sure why my last pic is wacky....aargh!!!



On a different note, the kids are having their very first babysitter tomorrow (other than family).  Shea couldn't be more excited.  She absolutely LOVES the girl that's going to babysit.  She already wrote out an agenda for what they're going to do while the babysitter's over.

Jake's going to a wedding and I'm going to get a facial.  The wedding is for one of the producers that Jake freelances with.  He's now helping film the wedding and reception, so rather than go and be by myself, I figured some time at the spa was a better way to go.  Actually, I have to give Jake the credit.  He got me a gift certificate to Sahar's in May for our anniversary, but I haven't found the time to go and get pampered.  He figured that was going to be more fun for me than the wedding.....good thinking!!!  They couldn't get me in for a massage to go with it, so while I won't be relaxed, I'll totally be glowing.  Well, that's the idea at least.

Have a fantastic weekend!!!

Let me introduce myself!!!

Hi, my name is Stacey.  I have abandoned my blog.  I'm a blog abandoner.  I promise to get better.  There's no one else here in my blog abandoner support group except me, so I'll be doing all the talking today.
I can't believe it's been THREE months since I've blogged last.  I've done tons that's blogworthy.  I went to Tucson for my 20th high school reunion and my mom's retirement, Drew turned two (yes, I can't believe he's two, and yes, I'm having the itch to have another baby), Shea started 1st grade, my parents came up to visit, got some devestating family news, gained a few pounds, etc. etc. etc
I'll start from the present and work my way backwards.  Yesterday I took the kids to the playground after school for a while.  It was an absolutely beautiful day, and we had to make the most of it.

This week is homecoming week at Van Meter, so all the kids get to have fun dress-up days this week.  Monday was cowboy day.  Tuesday was super hero day.  Today is pink day.  Shea is head to toe pink today, totally decked out!!!  Tomorrow is pajama day, and Friday is spirit day.  You wear your Van Meter colors.  How fun is that.  We never had that growing up, did we????
I'm putting the first coat of paint on a growth chart I'm making for the kids.  I've had all of the supplies since March....yes, March!!  It's so much easier for me to find the time to buy the supplies than to actually get the project done.  This is going to be a fun one.

Have a great day!!!!

Puppy Dog Relays

A couple weeks ago Shea had Puppy Dog Relays at school.  She had a B.L.A.S.T.!!!!!!  The kids get to go around to different events and compete.  I volunteered and helped run the gunny sack station.  It was super hot out that day.  The poor kids were sweating like crazy and had to get into these itchy, hot burlap sacks and race.  They all had a great time.  I got sun burned pretty bad.  It's not like I grew up in hot, sunny Arizona or something where I'm used to needing sunscreen.  Sometimes I'm not too smart.  This first picture is of Shea and her friend Maya doing the gunny sack race.

Jake was able to be there for a while to take pics of Shea at the other events......you know, before he got pulled away for something really important.  He just HAD to leave to go fishing.  Anywho, Shea's no longer a Kindergartener.  She's now in 1st grade, and she'll let you know it every chance she gets.            

Today was supposed to be her last T-ball game, but it got rained out.  We got lots and lots of rain.  She's been having a blast in T-ball.  Oh, to be six again and play T-ball, play Puppy Dog Relays and listen to Justin Beiber.  Have I mentioned Justin Beiber yet....what?????  I haven't??????  I'm so sorry.  Let me talk about him as much as Shea does just to make you all sick of him too.  Here's the scoop:  Shea has a super cool busdriver.  If someone brings a CD, she lets them listen to it on the bus.  They usually just listen to a country station, but one day she comes home singing a song about when she was 13, she had her first love.....totally rocking out like anyone would to good ol' JB.  Her cousin made her a JB CD, and that's all she wants to listen to now.  I somehow always find a reason not to pop him in.  Is this how my mom felt listening to Wham when I was younger????  I know it could be worse, but come on, the girl's only six.  She should still only be interested in listening to our Disney soundtracks.  Next thing you know she'll be jammin' to Slipknot.  Until then, she's still my super sweet JB fan.

Hope everyone has a great rest of the weekend!!!

           

Anniversary

Jake and I celebrated our 12th wedding anniversary earlier this month.  Well, I can't really say that we celebrated.  Jake was down and totally out with his back and Shea was on her death bed with strep.  It wasn't a real festive day in the Rhodes household.  Drew and I had fun though.
My father-on-law just couldn't stand it that we weren't going to be doing anything for our anniversary, so he came over that night with flowers and a cake.  Check it out.

Did you notice how the genius spelled *anivesary*......nice!!!  We got a good laugh out of that one.  For those of you that don't know, Jake's name is really Chris.....it's a long story. There's no interesting witness protection program story or anything.  He's not in hiding.

Shea is finally having her first t-ball game tonight against Adel....YAY!!!  Her first game got rained out.  Her second game was supposed to be this past Saturday but got rescheduled to tonight.  She is so stinkin' excited.  It should be fun.

Oh, yeah, I finally bought clay so Shea and I can get going on my pottery wheel.  Shea is so excited.  Maybe we'll be able to find some time to get started on that this weekend..

Hope everyone's having a great day!!

Mother's Day and my madness

I've finally kicked myself in the butt and gotten over my pity party.  I'm really back this time.  I've been overwhelmed, overworked and super stressed.....totally not fun.  I'm super sorry to all of you that I've blown off lately through messages and FB.  Honestly, I wouldn't have been all that much fun to talk to.  It's all been in my head, so the kids haven't been suffering from my craziness....well, no more than usual.

Have I ever mentioned that I have the best kids in the world!!!!  They spoiled me on Mother's Day, just like every mother should be.  I hope you all had a fantastic Mother's Day!!

Here's a picture of something Shea did at school for me for Mother's Day.  I hope you can read it.  It's pretty funny.

So, apparently I'm really old, really tall and super skinny.  Jake and Shea made me these flowers.  Who knew that Jake had a crafty bone in his body.                                                                                     

Then they got me another apple tree.  Pretty sweet day, huh!!!  Well, yeah, until later when we were at my in-laws' house and Drew had a little, okay big, accident and hurt his face.  My poor little guy biffed it on their deck....OUCH!!!!  Nothing a little snuggling with Mommy couldn't fix.  This picture actually looks good.  He  looked like he got his butt whooped in a boxing match for  few days.                                                                                                                                                                                                

            

                                                                   

He's now into accessorizing his outfits himself.  Sweet getup, huh!!!!!  He's got the baby monitor that's his phone.  He keeps talking into it to Daddy, but Jake never seems to talk back to him.                                    

Hope you all are having a great week so far.