finally making time

I have not been very good about posting lately. It's been pretty busy though and this past week has been all off routine. Grace and the boys were gone all weekend so Gene and I spent some good quality time together!

Saturday morning we got up around 9 or so and Gene made a yummy breakfast. I started my period (sorry if you didn't want to know that!) right afte I got up so of course I started cramping and didn't feel so hot. Gene decided after we ate though that he wanted to take Layla out to Devil's Den. I had no intentions of going but he was able to talk me into it. I'm glad I did though, it was alot of fun!! It rained on us on the way there and I was afraid it would rain the whole time but it stopped before we got out there and was pretty the whole time. The rocks were all slick though so we had to be very careful walking!

Layla had an absolute blast and was loving being in the great outdoors. She would have loved it even more if we'd let her off the leash but I'm pretty sure she would have been long gone chasing squirrels!! If you live in Northwest Arkansas and have never visited Devil's Den you definitely should. There are several different park areas, swimming areas, hiking trails, campgrounds, just all kinds of stuff to do and it's so pretty!! This bridge is right in front of what is sometimes a waterfall if there has been enough rain. Obviously, Saturday there wasn't one.

We also came across this awesome bench they had made out of big cedar trees. It was so neat and they built it to where it faces the waterfall. Further down the trail there was a chair built just like it!! We were out there for about an hour or so and then headed back home. We drove the back way the whole way home and just enjoyed the beautiful countryside and the time together to talk. Gene grew up out here and knows everything about everything about the country!!

After we got home Gene grilled some bratwursts and some squash!! We ate and then showered and went in to see Transformers and it was amazing!!! I loved it and I think it was even better than the first one!! Gene was craving some Shake's ice cream after the movie so he pulled through the drive thru and I just had a small concrete and felt like I was going to be sick because I hadn't had that much sugar in a while!

Mom called after we got home so we got to talk to Grace for a little bit and then I went to bed before 10 o'clock which never happens! Sunday I was back to work and Gene took the boys school clothes shopping.

Grace made it home last night around 6 and I was so happy to see her this morning when she woke up!!! Teresa and I went and ran last night and I go back to the doctor on Monday so I'm hoping I can lose another 5 lbs this week!!

I hope everyone had a good weekend!!

Just A Line...or Two

I don't have any pictures to post of my weekend and I don't really like posting without pictures but oh well. I don't really have a lot to share either! Yesterday Grace and I got haircuts and then we went to lunch with Mom at Guido's Pizza after I picked the boys up from their mom's. Tanner (my brother) works at Guido's and I hadn't seen him in a while so we decided to pay him a visit! Grace loves going to Guido's because alot of the employees know her and love playing with her! It was yummy...of course, but I only had 2 small pieces because I've been eating so much better and was proud of myself for the restraint!

Grace went home with Mom to stay the night and the boys and I came home to clean house. I accomplished all that I wanted to and a little bit more. The boys are such great help around the house! We finally finished around 8 pm and then ran in to Subway to have dinner. Gene was at work till 10 so after we ate we went to Gulley Park here in Fayetteville and ran for about 25 minutes. I would have liked to have gone longer but it got dark on us because we got there so late. It was certainly better than nothing and we had already worked out back and abs at home, which ended up being a mistake. I don't know what I was thinking doing that after I'd swept and mopped and that always makes my back hurt...then I decide to pick back to work out last night. Brilliant. My lower back has been killing me all day today! It was worth it though and I know it'll pay off.

This morning I slept in till just before 11, which felt great, because I'd stayed up late last night watching Australia when I should have gone to bed! I paid bills then Corey and I hit the post office and Wal-Mart for groceries. Oh how I HATE buying groceries. I'm seriously always broke after doing it! Prices have just gone up so much and it's depressing. Especially when you're feeding 5 people...two of them being teenage boys!

We finally made it home and got the groceries unloaded. Gene only worked about 5 hours today and after he got home decided to go for a ride on the motorcycle. Mom and Grace came out to the house and we all loaded up to go swimming. We got there a whole lot later than I intended and only stayed about an hour and a half. I was planning to make chicken enchiladas for dinner (at Corey's request) and they take a while so we didn't get long to swim. It was nice though!

I had asked Gene to put the chicken on to boil before we left the pool and by the time we got home he already had it boiled and all the stuff mixed up! All I had to do was roll the tortillas. They were absolutely delicious and definitely a hit. We had enough mixture for a whole big pan and then a whole small pan. The big pan was all but gone by the time we finished. I showed great restraint once again and had half of what I would have normally eaten!

I got the kitchen cleaned up and the boys and I went to the park again to run. Grace went to ride the 4-wheeler with her papa (Gene's dad) while her Mimi (Gene's mom) walked up and down our road. Gene was exhausted from having to be up earlier this week than normal for work and was asleep when we got home. Stan (Gene's dad) brought Grace home right after we got here and now everyone has had baths and most are asleep. Grace was exhausted and went right to sleep and I'm pretty sure it will be the same story for me!!

Hodge Podge

That's pretty much what this post will be...hodge podge! It'll basically just be an overview of the weekend and I don't have any new pictures to post from the happenings.

Gene had dropped his motorcycle off at the shop last Thursday to have his rear tire replaced and a 10,000 mile service done. He told them before he dropped it off that the only way he would bring it to them was if they could have it done and ready by 9 am Saturday because he was planning on riding to Tulsa. They assured him it would be done. Well, that didn't happen. We showed up right at 9 Saturday morning and there was nobody there. Finally one of the owners showed up a few minutes after us and opened the business. However, Gene's bike had not even been touched yet. They told him it would be done between 2 and 3 that afternoon. So, he didn't get to ride to Tulsa. He was not a happy camper.

After we got back home I sent Mom a text asking if she wanted to meet at the mall and help me spend the rest of my gift certificate to Arty Crafty because I wanted to find some stuff for our bedroom since I'd re-arranged. She, of course, said yes so we planned to meet at noon! The kids ended up going with me and Gene just dropped us off at the mall then went to hang out with Steve until time to get his bike. I was able to find a couple of things for my bedroom, that I'll share at a later date because it's still not done, and it was too big to fit in my car so we loaded it up in Mom's and then the kids and me piled in! I called Gene when we finished at the mall and he was fixing to head down to the shop. So, Mom just took me down there to get my car. Gene ended up having to sit and wait there for almost 3 hours because his bike still was not done. I had run back into the mall and then down to the grocery store and right as I got home he called and asked me to come get him because it wasn't going to be done until the next morning. Oh, he was sooooo mad! They ended up putting a front tire on the rear and were going to have to fix it. The owner wasn't there most of the day Saturday and kept apologizing because he wasn't there watching what they were doing.

He promised Gene that he would be up and at the shop by 8 Sunday morning and Gene told him we'd be there sometime between 9 and 10 to get it. We got up, drove in, got there right at 9 and nobody was there. Shop was all locked up. So...we went back home. Gene tried calling him....straight to voicemail. We were supposed to go riding with Steve and Jennie too. Gene ended up going back up there by himself at 10 just to make sure and so he could say he was there at both times, but still no one was there. Right after he got home Steve called him and they were talking. While he was on the phone the owner tried calling him so he clicked over and he told him that he was now up at the shop and he could come get his bike. It was 10:30 by now.

I went and changed clothes and got ready really quick and Gene got Grace dressed and her stuff together because I was going to drop her off at Mom and Dad's to stay the night with them. The boys had gone to their mom's right after they woke up so we all loaded up and went back, yet again, to the shop. It was...finally done. Gene left for Steve and Jennie's and I headed for Mom and Dad's. I got Grace dropped off and then met everyone else at Steve and Jennie's house. When I got there Jennie met me at the door and told me that after Gene got to their house Steve was doing an inspection of it because he used to work on motorcycles and knows just about all there is to know about them and saw that his saddlebags were all scratched up. Jennie was able to buff and polish some of them out but they still didn't look great. It was seriously one thing after another and Gene called and left another message with the owner, who quickly returned his call. He was very apologetic and told Gene to bring it back up and he would take care of it. It was an absolute mess and I'm so glad that Steve decided to take the day off for us to go ride because it was exactly what Gene needed.

We finally got on the bikes and our first stop was Rogers and we ate lunch at Texas Land & Cattle at the Promenade. It was yummy!!! None of us had eaten there before but we were all impressed! After lunch we headed out Hwy 94 West and went to the Beaver Dam lookout. It was so pretty and there were tons of people out swimming and boating. I was jealous of that...I would loved to have been in the water! We hung out there for just a little bit then we drove on over to Eureka Springs and sat downtown for a while, ate snow cones, and just people watched. It's usually really packed on the weekends but it wasn't as busy as I expected it to be. We loaded back up and headed back to Fayetteville. There was a benefit BBQ dinner for the blind that night that we were invited to so we got there about 6 and hung out for about an hour but Gene and I were worn out so we came home, took showers, and settled in to watch Gran Torino. It was such a good movie! I had not seen it before but I'm definitely glad I got it for Gene for Father's Day because it's one I could totally watch again!

Overall, it was a really great 4 day weekend for me! Although we had the little situation with the motorcycle the good still outweighed the bad and I was able to just relax and spend some great time with both friends and family!! I did go back to work last night and I was soooo not ready for that! It was really slow though, especially for a Monday, so it wasn't too bad and now it's already almost my weekend again!! Gotta love that! I'm hoping to take the kids swimming again on Thursday because the boys are going to be with their mom Thursday and Friday night but then back hom for the 4th. I, of course, will have to work the 4th but about the time I get home is when they usually start the fireworks at my house. We live up on the top of a mountain and it's a dead end so we always get together with some of our neighbors and shoot off a ton of fireworks up here!

I guess that's about it for now, I need to get off of here and get the boys upstairs so we can workout before I go to work! Have a great week!

Soaking Up Some Sun!!

The past few summers I have only gone swimming about 3 times. Sad I know, but I don't know anybody with a pool and there was no way I was taking my kids to the Springdale Aquatic Center because it's always so so crowded and I knew it wouldn't be much fun. So, early this week I remembered that Prairie Grove has an aquatic park also that was supposed to be much better than Springdale's. Gene told me he and the boys used to go all the time a few years ago so I decided that yesterday I would take the kids. However, I needed a swimsuit, so we made an Old Navy run Thursday and I was able to find one that I like. The best part is it was on sale so I got a $40 swimsuit for $10!! Can't beat that! I also found Grace a little cover-up and I found me one at Wal-Mart. The pool doesn't open until noon so the plan was for me to be done with my errands yesterday morning in time to be at the pool by noon. Well, that didn't work out so well, which was ok because I'm sure it was really crowded then.

We ended up not getting there until right at 2 and there were quite a few people there but not real bad, and we were able to find some chairs under a pavillion by the kiddy pool so it was shady. We all got coated with sunscreen and took off for the water! I bought Grace some floaties but they didn't work very well so we ended up taking them off and one of us just held her. The best part about their pool was that the big main one starts out like a beach where it's just super shallow and you can just sit in it then it gradually slopes to the deep end, which is still only 5 ft, so Corey and I hung out a lot up there while Colt and Grace walked and swam back and forth. It was perfect for her because there was a huge area where Grace could walk and play without having to be held. She absolutely loved it!

Colt got all of his hair cut off yesterday! He got it cut while they were in Florida last week but the girl who did it didn't do a very good job so yesterday he went with me to get my eyebrows done and Salwa fixed it for him! He wanted it short enough to spike on top and his hair hasn't been this short since Gene and I first got together almost 4 years ago. He actually was really pleased with it and I think it looks great!

Corey thinks he's a stud muffin in his sunglasses!! While he and I were sitting in the water this little boy came up to us and asked Corey what his name was. Instead of answering he just looked at me so I told him his name was Corey! The kid floated off to a group of girls who then started giggling and looking over at us! As if that wasn't funny enough, about an hour later the same kid came back up to us and asked how old he was. I just started laughing and Corey, without skipping a beat, said "I'm 18." What?! I just looked at him and started laughing even harder!! The kid apparently believed him because he toddled off and told the girls! The whole rest of the day the girls kept walking back and forth in and out of the water past us trying to get Corey's attention. It didn't work. He wasn't interested, but it was just too funny!

I am absolutely in love with this picture of the kids!! We have very few pictures of all of them together and I was able to get them all to cooperate long enough yesterday to get a couple and this one was the best one! I'll be framing it!

Isn't Grace's swimsuit adorable?! One of my friends from work bought Grace a giftcard to Gymboree for her birthday and when I went to use it they had just put out the summer stuff and I found this swimsuit. Too cute and she just had to have it! Every hour on the hour the lifeguards blow a whistle and everyone has to get out of the water for a 5 minute break, which is a good thing, because it was easy to get Grace out of the water to get more sunscreen on her. Of course as soon as she saw everyone else getting back in the water she'd look up at me and say "I wanna go schwimmin 'gen!" It was quite the struggle getting her out of it when it was time to leave!

I love this one of me and Grace too because of the black and white! I think I'll frame it too! We really did have a blast at the pool and even though it was over 90 degrees outside it was the perfect weather because while you were in the water it was awesome and then when we were out it was good because being wet kept us cool plus the shade was cool!! Mom was going to go with us but couldn't bring herself to get out in the heat. I told her it was perfect though and she's decided next time she'll be joining us!! I'm hoping maybe next week again!

doggy baths & trampoline tricks

Last week Gene decided that it was time for Aros (K9) to get a bath! Oh boy. He is not a fan of bathtime...at all! He's got so much hair though and sheds so bad Gene thought the bath would help some with it.

He had to tie the long leash to this tree to tie him up to and while he was bathing him Colt and Grace searched for frogs. They kept finding little bitty ones and Grace just thought that was the neatest thing!

Note the muzzle on his mouth...I told you he doesn't like baths! If he didn't have that thing on the hose would be no more! He actually did really good and stood still the whole time just whimpering. I felt bad for him but he sure smelt better afterwards! I dread having to ride in Gene's patrol car because it smells so bad of dog, but I suppose it's a little hard to avoid when he rides in there 5 days of the week and you can't exactly bathe him everday!

Oh so much better! Once he was off the leash he took off shaking out through the yard and playing with Layla.

Once Aros was back up it was Layla's turn. She looks so small after seeing Aros there! She didn't have to have the muzzle and she did really well too by just standing still the whole time.

She's such a good dog, but she stays outside when nobody is home and during warm weather she'd rather be outside than in. The bad part is that when she gets hot she runs to the pond next door and takes a little dip. Yuck! She always comes home so nasty after doing that then chasing squirrels all over the place! She was much better after her bath too!

Ok, switching gears to a little trampoline time! Grace absolutely LOVES to jump on the trampoline and would stay out there all day long if we would let her. Especially now that we have an outdoor stereo system and can listen to music she really loves it!

She now has a new "trick!" It basically consists of her landing on her bottom with her feet in front of her...as illustrated in the above picture!

A definite good thing about her jumping so much is that it wears her plum out so she usually goes to bed early!! However, last night was not so great. She was still up when I got home from work, which never happens because she is usually in bed by 9 but last night she was. She did NOT want to go to sleep. I took her back upstairs to bed after I changed and got ready for bed and was up there for an hour waiting for her to go to sleep. Finally she gave it up and I went to bed a little after midnight, only to be woken up a litte after 3 to Grace yelling for me. Fabulous. I went up there and sat rocking her for a few minutes then tucked her back in and she was back out within about 5 minutes. Whew. I went back to bed....and woke up again at 6:15 to her yelling for me again! Gene was already up getting ready for work though so he went and got her and put her in bed with me and she was back asleep by the time he left for work. We didn't wake up that time till 9:15. Thank goodness! I'm still a wee bit tired though just because my sleep was all broken. I don't know what the deal was, but hopefully tonight is better! It's my Wednesday at work and the boys will be home tonight from their mom's, where they've been since last Wednesday!! Yay! Of course then they leave on Thursday to go on vacation with my in-laws and will be gone for 2 stinking weeks. I don't know what I'm gonna do without them. I'm already ready for them to be back home!!