HAPPY LABOR DAY!!!

A little fun at the duck pond before the game!!! Jake was a little fearful of that big goose! (So was I :) (This was last year's game opener day!)

We love it soooo much! In our defense...we only make our kids go to one game...because it's so stinkin' hot and humid and long for them! They would much rather be at an air-conditioned Mimi's house while we whoooop it up! (And it is soooo much fun for just Brian and me to go!)Thanks Mom...in advance!

Okay...so you don't have to look at my toilet all weekend...I'm gonna just post something real fast! But not before I wish everyone and their families a great Labor Day LONNG weekend! We are getting all geared up for the big game tomorrow night! Okay...so maybe not big...it's against Tennessee Chattanooga...but WHO cares! It's still TIME and I've been waiting since January! I'm getting the chills already...I wish you could all come with me so you wouldn't think I was so crazy...but it 's such an incredible feeling! If it's televised...in Utah...Jennifer P. I'll be the one on the 50 yard line--2nd Row--behind OUR team--- in the red yelling the loudest! Look for me, K!? I wish I was all fancy and could link you to something for OU football but I can't...Just know...I'm in heaven...It's FOOTBALL SEASON!!!! WAAHOOO! AND LISA@VERY BUSY MOM....I KNOW you know what I'm talkin' about! (Hey I think we are goin to the OU/TX game this year!!! Do you go? It's sooo great! I know you aren't a Longhorn...but just wonderin'??) Okay...so have a great weekend everyone! Be safe! And last but NOT least....BOOMER SOONER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Future Son-in-law???

Now...I know what you are thinking..."first eggs...now toilets". (Remember I AM just learning to download...be nice!) This picture was taken because there are TWO things that are sooo great....if you are a mom of only boys. Number 1) The toilet is down (Hurray!) and Number 2) (My personal favorite :) Connor put a brand new roll of toilet paper on!!! Don't you just love that! The other funny part...you can't really see...because I cannot take pictures like Kat, Meg or Emily :( is that he TRIED to make a pretty little point with the paper :) but he didn't crease it hard enough...so only one end stayed. How cute is that?!

Okay...DO NOT get me wrong...Connor is far from perfect...but when you see things like this...you just want to scream, "YAY!!! You really DO love your mother!" So, all my bloggin buddies...any of you with girls...KAT?...LEZEL?....MEG?....LISA?...wanna prearrange a wedding?? He'll be a great catch...it's ONE less thing your beautiful girls will have to train him to do :)

YAY ME!!!

I promise...no more pictures of boiled eggs! I just had to prove I could do it!

Turns out...I'm not SUCH a loser! I CAN peel boiled eggs without cursing!! (Ok...thanks to you guys for all the great tips! I added a little salt and I think the big key was staying under that little filmy membraney thing while peeling!) The biggest part of this post is that...are you ready... I also downloaded the pictures from the camera ALL by myself! So, now I don't have to wait for Brian to get home! Yay Me! If you are a new reader, excuse me while I receive all the bloggy pats on the back from my 5 seasoned readers :) They know how huge this is for me :)

The other huge thing...is that as of last night....I am back to committing myself to work out before getting on the computer...uggghh!! WHYYY do I do this to myself? Well, we all know why...I could literally stay here all day. So, yes, to answer the question you are all thinking...I HAVE worked out and now I'm going to take my little guy to play at the park for a while. He deserves a little special time! So, adios for now friends! Have a great Monday!

Mom of the Year?

Haley and Connor deciding what ingredient to add first!

Connor "gettin down to the knitty gritty! Being ever so precise with the measuring of the sage :)

Oh yea baby---we are cookin' now! Mix it Haley! (pssst...Amanda...you can barely see my WoodWick caramel candle to the right...see it!)

Um, yea, now see why I deserve Mom of the Year??? Okay, really it wasn't that bad. They TRULY thought we'd eat it or at least TRY it...THAT was the funny part!

Okay...so I canNOT leave the battle with the eggs post up all weekend. So, nothing spectacular...but it's something different to look at!

Back in July, Connor had a little friend over after Zoo Camp. They wanted to "play in the kitchen" so badly and I actually let them...can't believe it, but I did. I generally don't like messes...especially in the kitchen but I'm learning to ease up! (Thanks to a lot of you guys!) So I had some spices that were soooo out of date that I just let them mix and measure and stir to their little hearts content! They had THE best time. Here are some pictures of that day I so fondly remember...because I was taking deep breaths and telling myself it'll all be okay and clean in no time! (For all of you who know me soo well and know that I have NO computer skills...I had been looking for these pictures since July on the computer...it was one of my first attempts to transfer them from the camera to the computer ALL by my lonesome. Welp...hubby just found them last night under My Documents somewhere. Sigh. Last night I actually WROTE down the little tutorial...mainly because I don't think he'll show me again :) ....so, we'll see how I do!) Hope you all have a great weekend with your families! Hey...tell me if you would...do you get all stressed out when the kids "mess up" the kitchen when you are trying to cook??

AEEHHHHEEHHH $%#%$%%!!!!!!

*****UPDATED*****

I know everyone is frantically checking back to see the pictures of my battle with the hardboiled eggs (hee hee)...and as promised,(thanks to Brian giving me yet another lesson on uploading pictures...thanks sweetie...I don't know why you keep me around!)here it is! Enjoy! (And Kat...thanks again! I really was gonna email you and have you talk me through this...but Brian wasn't as late as I had expected YEAH!) There were more eggs that made it through the massacre...but these were the worst. These will definitely make it into a salad...as my kiddoes will look at them and turn their little pug noses up in refusal because they are not perfectly smoothe. (I'm kidding... a little!) Here's to hoping that no one has another run-in with hard boiled eggs like I did...but if you do...read the comment section...there are A TON of good tips (I'll be trying for sure!) and thanks everyone once again for coming to my rescue!



Okay...seriously ya'll. I'm telling you...complete hysteria here in The Amy kitchen. I'm about to say realllly bad words all because I'm trying to peel stinkin hardboiled eggs! I did take pictures...but you know me...Brian does all the downloading of the pics from the camera to the computer, SOOO...big loser that I am...you will have to wait until he gets home (and he has a meeting after work, dang!) to see the picture of the battle of the hardboiled eggs! So does anyone have any tips for peeling hardboiled eggs without having to go to Confession afterwards?? Okay, I feel better knowing there's help on the way. But, seriously! I'm just sayin'!

The Great Outdoors

See...here's our angry snake...ewwww

These deer were technically in the FRONT yard...at about midnight one night...way cool...there were actually 3 of them!

Here's our coyote (I feed) in his winter coat! I have since stopped feeding him since I saw When Animals Strike. YIKES!

Here are two of our cousins...Steven and Jennifer whom Connor just adore. When they come we spend ALOT of time fishin, huh Uncle Scott? It's way fun! Uncle Scott...you should see how much that grass has filled in...

This snake was actually just at our driveway and Brian and Connor brought it up to show it was almost Connor's size!

A sweet little doe. Man, you can't make a peep when trying to take pictures of them!

Our mean little hummingbirds! These things really have an attitude. One in particular will sit on the post (for a minute...because they are very busy little critters!) and just dare others to come around!

So, my bloggy friend, Kat, (I hope I can call you my friend!) from Sunshine and Lemonade wants to know what kind of critters we have in our backyard! Her's by the way is gorgeous...just gorgeous I tell ya...you must check it out! Since we live on 30 acres...we do see a lot of wild life. Last Summer, we were playing outside and we heard a "gobble, gobble, gobble!" Yes, you are right...a turkey, but the thing was she sounded like she was in trouble. And she was. There was a good-sized bobcat trying to get her little ones. So she was gobbling up a storm and making all kinds of rukus (sp?) to get his attention. What a mom! The little ones were able to fly (I honestly didn't know turkeys flew!) high enough into a tree and so did she. I guess the bobcat gave up because I didn't see him after he went off into the woods. About ten minutes later...everyone came down from the tree and appeared to all be okay.

We see deer all the time...we even have a deer feeder...but we do not hunt them...no siree! Of course squirrels and opposums and rabbits and tons of birds. On a visit to our pond this past Summer...we saw something slither across the grass and up into the tree. Of course...Brian wanted a picture...so we threw some limbs at it (please don't call the humane society...we were very careful not to actually HIT it...we just wanted to make it a little angry so it would stick out from the branch for a good picture!) I'm glad we did...because now I get to post it! The other little pesky creature we haD was an armadillo. I'm sorry to report that Brian did have to shoot it..and it was maimed...so then he had to kill it with an axe I know...sad. It was doing some incredible damage to our flower beds though. I do feel really bad for it...and so did Brian. He is an animal lover ...we all are, but...the flowerbeds were a ton of work...and money! I hope he was an old armadillo and a wife and babies weren't waiting for him back home :( We learn much about the circle of life out here! We do love it and to the best of our ability we respect it! (We even take the mice down the road...I know they probably come right back...but hey, we try!)

Oh yea, our turkey was back this year and she had NINE little babies. What are they called? Hens or just baby turkies? Anyway, she was nesting a while in the back yard but moved some place where I guess she thought to be safer? We are building a new house further into the acres so I'm sure she doesn't feel as safe anymore. We only saw them one time but it sure was cute! I hope they are all okay :) Circle of life and all, right? Here are some pictures over the past couple of years. I gotta run...today was Connor's first day of FIRST grade! Yippee! I made him a little angel food cake to celebrate...yum! Thanks again Kat for such a great post!

********UPDATE********

I just picked Connor up from his first day and I asked him..."So, how was your day buddy?" Connor replies, "It wasn't just great mommy...it was FANTASTIC!" I very happy Mommy and a very happy Connor today :) Hope your children are all enjoying their schools too!

A Wee Bit of Water Fun

(Connor DID have a shirt on...it got soaked...imagine that...and he said "it was holding him back" ????)

You probably can't see...but Jake has one eye closed for better aim...and I'm saying to him..."You SUUUURRRE you want to get Mommy??"

(What? you don't think navy blue damask goes in the entry? Rest assured...their home is on the front porch....I just didn't want them soaked :)

Brian sure doesn't look as wet as the rest of us huh? Although it does appear someone pelted him pretty good on the leg there!

Sooo, I'm PRIT-TY sure this is not the evening we had planned...but I can't imagine anything more fun!

It had been drizzly all day here. Which was not a problem for two boys. We enjoyed the rain... alot! It wasn't until Brian got home that things really got started! The boys wanted to wash the golf cart ( which by the way...needed it desperately!) But some how...it turned in to water gun fights in the rain :) Notice I was armed with the best artillery of all...the hose. UNTIL...the cheap thing got kinked up and totally wouldn't hand out the ammunition at much needed times :) ahh well. It was all good. Of course, afterwards...was a little flyin fun! Towels + Boy+ stained concrete = ONE TERRIFIED MOMMY! It too was all good. Anyway...my whole point of this post was this...Connor really needed to be in bed because we have been trying to re-in-state the back to school bedtime routine...(he starts Wednesday!) by 8:00 this evening. It didn't happen...but he couldn't stop talking about how much fun that was! I'm also pritty sure that my doctor wouldn't approve of my cast getting soaked either :o...ah well! It's all good :)

(Uncle Scott...if you are lurking...Connor said, "it would've been better if Steven and Jennifer could've been there!" Ahhhh :)

Bummer :(

Ohhhhh...here are the cushions...piled up nicely on the chair...that I'm sure someone was sitting on the tip top being a king or something. Sorry everyone...this pic was supposed to be AFTER the next one...so read on and you'll understand! Ya know...it's your daily dose of Staci...isn't she cute.... at least she's TRYIN' to blog! Some day I'll read about how to actually post pictures in a correct order!!!

(I don't have a head injury too...this picture just shows how sad I am to be wearing my cast for FOUR more weeks! This picture was taken back in January...our x-mas tree was still up...I know this b/c of the furniture arrangement!--like you really care about that :) Connor had gotten a medical kit and was wrapping everybody's body parts up! Jennifer P.--notice NO cushions on my couch either...in fact...wonder where they are period ?? Who knows!)

Okay, seriously ya'll...I am such a loser at this bloggin thing. I get so wrapped up in commenting and reading that I kinda forget about my own blog :O No, I really don't forget...I just need to figure out how to actually do it and do it well!! Anyway, I know, once again you are tired of the last post...so here is a feeble attempt to put something up that's new.

Went to my doctor today to have a little looksie at my wrist...oh yea...did ya'll forget?? Well...in case you did...yes I DO still have my cast on...and the BUMMER part is...looks like I'll have it on for another FOUR weeks! Yessiree...that 's FOUR more weeks. Turns out, that the fracture was, according to my doc, "a fracture that a 70 year old woman would have." HUH? I'm only 36. Anyhow, he requested a bone density test and I am in the moderate risk category of another fracture. I know...I should've listened to my grandmother and drank my milk. Ugghh. Oh well, I guess it's better to find all this out now than when I'm 50. So everyone...take your 1000mg of calcium daily in divided doses and 400 IU vitamin D and regular weight bearing exercise, so you won't be osteopenic like mwa (or however you spell that would for me)!

U-S-A...U-S-A !!!! I'm chanting because I love our swim team :)

Copy Cattin' Again

Okay...so I think I'm just gonna steal everyone's ideas for posts...is that okay everyone??? Jennifer P. from Peterson's Go Public has a fun post up. If you've never been there...you should go...in fact, go now...'cause she's awesome and such a great writer...and such a cute family and a cutie herself...and well, we could all go on and on about how great she is but then I wouldn't get anything done :) But don't stay in her archives alllll day, come back here and leave me one of your favorite memories from reading my blog. Does that make sense? You don't have to have known me for a long time or anything....just comment on one of your favorite posts or two or three or whatever strikes your fancy! Thanks Jennifer for a fun idea!

STACI NEEDS.....

(Again...like most pics... no corelation with the post...I just happen to like this one of Connor and me from back in 2004! He's at his Mimi's (Thanks Mom!) having the time of his life...I was just missin on him that's all!

Ok Kat...I'm totally stealing your idea from your blog, k? Did you see that I finally added you to my favorite blogs?? It's not that you haven't been one of my fav's...it's just I kinda forgot how Brian showed me how to do it :( Remember, computer dummy here! So, today, I'm one child less...and what a difference that makes in getting things done! Anyway, I played around and I did it! Woot Woot! So, now back to stealing your idea...

So, here's what you do...google (insert your name here) needs...and see what comes up! Kinda funny! Here's what mine were ( didn't do 13 of them...but oh well..:

STACI NEEDS...

1) A name....okay, so...maybe a blog name...for real, instead of always posting under Brian and Staci!!!

2) Mascara---AND I DO! That is sooo funny!

3) To pay attention to what is going on in the industry! (Maybe the blog industry??? I so need to get with it and just learn how to do this bloggin' stuff!)

4) To email Nicole---Too funny! I just saw my cousin whom I haven't seen in almost 4 years (at the Journey concert a couple of weeks ago!) So, guess I need to get her email!

5) To go up and stop hiding behind the whole, "I'm black and I'm a girl so poop." Um, whatever????

6) A photo to post. Okay, alright already! I know...my last post was up for sooo long and not even a picture with it :(

7) To change her picture....yea, we've established THAT one!

8) Some counseling...yep, probably so!

9) Parties in France---um, okay...always up for a party! Does anyone have a great sitter that would stay here with my boys while I do this??

10) More air time...does this mean...on tv or just breathing....cause I do need to just breathe some times :)

So, that's ten! That was fun Kat! Thanks again...everyone stop by Sunshine and Lemonade because her blog is way cooler than mine :) Now, I guess I better find a picture to post with this :)

Truthfully...maybe I'm just a little cheesey and sappy...but I truly have ALL I need!