The Floridas on Friday

Caden was eating dinner last night.He looked at his cup and pointed at Ursula.
"She's on The Florida's mom"
"Yes she is buddy, thats Ursula from the Little Mermaid, we saw her in Florida"
"She big and mean, she come out. In another day and another day Gayles gonna take me to see Ursula on the Floridas!!!!"
Well the boy has big dreams. Apparently Gayle is taking him back to Florida on Friday. I hope he's not too disappointed when she doesn't show up!

Day 7

Someone who has made your life worth living
I've always felt my life was worth living. I do feel since having children its even MORE important for me to live my life in a productive and healthy way. But I wouldn't say they made it.
The person that really did this is my mom. My mom is my favorite person on this planet. Hands down. Kevin knows this, my kids know this (and agree) and even my dogs know this (and agree). My mom is one of the most amazing strong women I know. She makes me proud to be a woman. She's independent and loyal and loving and fun and strong and stubborn and a fighter and everything I hope my daughter becomes some day. My mom believes EVERYTHING is possible and can probably make it happen for you. Her glass is always half full.
As a teenage girl; I had the occasional fights with my mom; who doest. But I never went through the "i hate my mom" or "i'm embarrassed of my mom" stages. I've always been proud of my mom. I've always wanted to be with my mom. If it weren't for my mom; I'd live in some warm destination, where I'd surely miss my family and visit them a lot BUT I'd do it. But I can't go that far from her. Even Duluth was too far for college, I would have loved to go to St. Scholastica, but at the end of the day it was too far from mom.
My mom rocks. She makes my life worth living every day since she gave me life! Thank you mommy!

Mommy's girl

I am a mommys girl through and through. But if you met my mommy, well you'd understand. She's not just the best mom in the world, she's the best aunt, the best sister, the best friend, and hands down the best grandma in the entire world.

My mom is selfless. She puts everyone in front of herself. No matter how hard we try to get her to take care of herself first she wont. Seeing others happy is truly what makes her happiest. She loves children and is a 7 year old at heart.

My mom is also strong and independent. She swore never to marry. Somehow she gave in and did it, but she still is very independent about it. She works hard. She gives everything she does 200% (including nap time).

She used to have things she did for herself. I remember watching her play cribage while camping while drinking peach schnapps. Then thier was the skipbo days. She turned to the diet dew instead of the schnapps. She loved to read historical smut books. Nothing better then the couples tearing thier clothes off on the front of the book.

But life happend, my mom would have give up for her time for the rest of us in a heart beat (impromptu cousin overnights; snow ball dresses needing emergency alterations before the dance; halloween costumes for a whole family in two days; 20lbs of hot beef for tomorrows party; babysitter on call 24/7; the person you call at 3am when you need a ride home, or an ear to listen, or to drunk dial; an opinion on anything under the sun; the one who stayed up talking with my friends all night, while I went to bed--making them feel like the 9th grade boy issue REALLY was important enough to drop everything for). These things on top of raising cam, being a grandma, a full time employee, a farmer and now a full time student. And like I said, she gives it all 200%. She has no time for herself. And it makes me sad. She needs that.

But its hard, becasue WE need her.

Its selfish of us. I know this. We probably take advantage. But if you know her, you understand. You just can't get enough Gayle time.

Things to Remember....

When heading out to the mounains, be sure to take your rescue pack....JUST IN CASE!

Break down in tears for no apparent reason, when someone asks whats wrong just tell them
"Icecream would make me feel better"
Moms may roll their eyes, Grandma's however will make an immediate turn into the nearest icecream store.


"Fresh" Water never tastes just the same....
And really when it comes from Navajo, we shoulda known. After all, the Navajo we know is a "stud" and we tend to not drink anything he gives us!


No matter how many times you try it, the natural springs will still taste like arse, this one however was at least cold!


Really, when you see where a spring comes from, you understand just a little better why it tastes like arse.


At least a "Soda Spring" is carbonated by the carbonate acid and while still tasting arse-ish, is a step towards improvement.....


When headed up Pikes Peak, you may be thinking THIS should be your worst fear, but really you have NO IDEA.....


The reservoirs are beautiful pristine waters. I wanted to strip and go nakee for a swim. However, with a temperature of 50 the water was a TAD frigid! Still beautiful....


When negotiating with a terrorist, er I mean two year old, remember that candy is a good bribe to get them to look at the camera.....


On the way up, this made my knees weak, on the way down, I would have took the picture while hanging over the edge, and still had stronger knees then I did at the top!


By the time we reached the summit, I was sooo cold and weak, and worried over my mom lacking oxygen, that I couldnt bear to walk to the sign for a family picture. This nice family will do just fine!

Notes regarding the summit: Don't assume that at 21 degrees there will be snow or ice to walk on. Nope, be prepared to step in a giant FREEZING cold puddle of water. And to walk through mud? I've never seen such cold mud.

Don't assume you'll be able to look out over the edge. You may be sooo weak from the drives on the roads that are lacking gaurdrails and room for double lanes that you can't even leave the car.

If your with someone who is deathly afraid of heights, on the way up they may start to look green stop in the middle of the road and ask you to drive. They may be soooo freaken scared they wont get out of the car for your "chinese firedrill" but instead, make you do so while they crawl over the counsel. Then lay thier seat back and hide under the blanket until they are safely at ground level again. Or at least not alpine level!

Do be sure to breathe before you get there, because once your there, the oxygen is gone.

The ride down was pretty enjoyable even if you do get pulled over after the brake check. In case you didnt know "hot breaks fail", use low gears.

No matter how scary something was on the way up, its MUCH better on the way down.

And just because WE happend to see two rescue vehicles and accidents, does not mean its a daily occurance (or so they say). Turns out the woman working the gate has only seen one other trip this year, lucky us for witnessing two!

We were very happy to leave! Very very happy!


Mom didnt get the point of the picture was to show the ginormous rock.


Remember, zoom out is good too!

Camping

We had a blast camping.

We stayed up late and partied and ate chocolate at all hours of the night. We even played with Grandma's black berry and called daddy nightly and cuddled with him over the phone.

We went on lots of wagon rides and stroller rides and played with our friends.

We played on the beach, drank lots of lake water, and got some sun.

We went out to the island...

We spent some time on the boat....

It was TONS of fun!

Taboo Tattoos

Its funny how stereo types work. You don't mean to have them, you may not want to have them, but they exist. There are many out there and you know them. Well, in my family, tattoos are taboo. They go with a very negative stereo type. Yet, I've never picked up on it. I've ignored it and worse yet, I've gotten one.

When I was 20, I got a tattoo on my lower back. Be it rebellion against my mother who had decided she would have a baby (and ruin 20 years of me being an only child) or against my highschool sweet heart who I had at last ended my relationship with or be it just a way for me to say, its my body and I will decorate it as I like. So for 6 years I have had that tattoo, some call it a tramp stamp, which I allow, because I know I am not a tramp. I enjoy the art work on my back, but I rarely see it. It marks a time in my life where I was free and happy and I like knowing it is there.

Now I am at a new time, where I am a mother, a wife and have created friendships that mean the world to me. I needed to mark this experience, so I have gotten tattoo number two. A pixie. She represents soo much in my life. My daughter, my girl friends, and much much more. My husband, Mr. Type A personality, wears a suit and tie to work, nice quiet boy, who is anti-everything people seem to stick that tattoo stereotype....he got one too. So judge away, or don't. But we are happy with our new found art. Some day, when we are 80 and wrinkled, will we regret it? I doubt it, because we will be too busy wishing we still had control over our bladders.

For mom.....

What are they doing?!?!

Here is how we found it.....that post with orange thing sticking out



Here it is without the post in the picture.....


Here is what it looks like if its shut, but it wont stay shut now....


What the hell are the bastards doing? Other than making me feel not safe? Last year they attempted to brake into the other side where the battery was....they didnt get anything. I hope they didn't this time either!

ETA: Mom, daddy said that this was "tied shut" when he sold it to you. Its the hot water heater and noone would try to steal it unless they were stupid. But that doesn't explain the post. So yeah, he said its probably fine and not to worry. Love you!

I not eeeeeping!

So my daughter tends to say random things, by accident I think. Once she said "Gamma, I ove oooo" after Grandma had told her she loved her. But that had to be an accident, I know she can say things that MEAN something, like when she will tell the dogs to "gooo otty oggs, gooo ottty".

Usually I write her comments off as flukes, but today, I'm not so sure, I think she KNEW what she was talking about, heres what happend:

She's supposed to take a nap. I lay her down and leave, 10 minutes later, she's still playing, I can here her, but I hope ignoring her will work (as it usually does). All of a sudden we hear her yelling "Mom.......Moooooom........" We kinda laugh. Then all of a sudden "Mooooooom, I not eeping! Mom, Mom, I not eeping!" She kept saying it. We laughed soooooo hard. It was as if she thought I really MUST NOT KNOW this, and I was simply not coming to get her by mistake. So this afternoon after her second nap (that was way to short) I asked her "why aren't you sleeping" likeI always do (obviously where she learned it) and she yelled at me "I not EEPING!". How funny. I think she knows what she means! What do you think?

Green Eggs and Ham

The most interesting thing happened to me today. I was coloring easter eggs with my mom, my brother and Izze. We were using FRESH eggs from my aunts farm, from real chickens that we have met. They of course come out all sorts of interesting shades of brown, some are speckaled some are plain and some are GREEN. Did you know this? Did you know eggs are really green. I seriously thought Dr. Seuss pulled that story straight out of his ass! I did not know green eggs were a real thing! So, thats the most interesting thing that happened today: I learned about green eggs. I was sooo vastly impressed by my green egg that I took a Sharpie and wrote my name right on it, no dye involved! My perfect egg! I also got to dye brown eggs for the first time. At first I was frumpy about this. "Mommy they wont color RIGHT". She insisted I try. So I did, and those eggs had the deepest, most vibrant color I've ever seen an easter egg achieve! Can I get a wooooo hoooo for that?!

Note to self....green eggs DO exist and ALWAYS color BROWN Easter eggs instead of white!

GG

I love my mom. She is turning out to be one of the best Grandmas in the world. She could get away with murder and make it look cute. Today she stayed home with Izze since she is still running a bit of a fever. How nice that she uses her sick time so I don't have to. However, I called home and she didn't answer. At the end of the day, I snuck home a little early and they were not here! I called her on her cell phone and she tried to tell me that she was at my house. LIAR- YOU NEVER HAVE YOUR CELL PHONE ANYWHERE BUT THE CAR! I say try again. She is a bad liar, she told me Izze needed to get out and have some fun, so she took her to Target. 'She loved it' mom says. Too funny. Izze is gonna love her GG and her undermining ways. But somehow my mom can do this and get away with it. Kevin laughs, I laugh, we all blow it off. Oh how fun to be a grandma, when you can break all the rules, have all the fun, and get away with murder!