class of 2023

Are you SERIOUS? Class of...what?

Yes, 2023. I will have been out of high school for TWENTY FOUR YEARS by the time this dude graduates. 

Dawson graduated from Kindergarten and his school was so awesome, they put together a rocking ceremony.  Grammie Tami, Aunt Ash, Carter and Grandma H all came to see him get his little diploma. 

 

 

There were about 100 kids graduating.  This is his class and they are sure a bunch of awesome kids! I went in to volunteer a couple hours a week and got to know every one of them.   I sure will miss them! (Do you spy Dawson? He's under the clock on the top row.)

 

 

His teacher, Mrs. Savoie, is seriously one of my favorite people! It was so fun getting to know her in the last few months.  Dawson absolutely adored her as well, he misses her already.  Thank you for being so wonderful, Mrs. S!

 The Graduate! He's so handsome!

movieline monday

First person to guess the line correctly is the winner. May be from a movie, tv show, etc. Anything on the tube. 

Today's line is...

"Don't worry, Jules. I'll crack your case like an egg. Then we'll make omelets with shallots... and JUSTICE!"

movieline monday

First person to guess the line correctly is the winner.  May be from a movie, tv show, etc.  Anything from the tube.

Today's line is...

"Actually, I've always had a rather extensive vocabulary, not to mention a phenomenal grasp of grammar and a superlative command of syntax. I simply chose not to employ them."

a good quote

"Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around."

-Leo F. Buscaglia



I won! I won! I won!

I entered my name in an online contest...and I won a pair of FREE concert tickets!!!  Ryan wanted to stay home with the kids (whaaaa?) so I took my Dad to the concert and we ROCKED out to Sir Elton.  It was a night to remember! Sorry the pictures are so dark, I forgot my camera {{FOREVER will I regret}}and I only had my phone.

Our seats were so awesome! Even though we were situated BEHIND THE STAGE...I had the PERFECT VIEW of his magical fingers and piano keyboard the entire three hours he performed.  It was so surreal.  I had goosebumps during my most favorite song of his...ROCKETMAN.  Oh man.  What a show!! I could see the piano keys the entire time. 

We honestly weren't THAT far away from him.  My respect for him as a musician grew, he truly is so passionate about his work and he loves what he does.  It was so remarkable!!


The drummer, Nigel Olsson, is 62 years old and has been with EJ since 1969...when EJ first started his career.  Absolutely AMAZING.  They both know how to rock and aren't slowing down anytime soon! Nigel is in the green shirt on the drums.  While EJ is on the piano, it's kinda hard to see him in the pictures...but he's THERE!!!!

He, of course, performed all of his classics.  Then he sang some of his new stuff from his album that came out last year.  Truly, absolutely amazing! It was so loud that my ears are still tender and my left one is still ringing a little! So worth going deaf to see a legend. I want to go again! 

Brenda was right.

 

something's missing

He's got a lisp! He can't bite anything! He's missing two front teeth!

They were so loose and painful, so I wrapped floss around those puppies and YANKED. He was a brave dude and got compensated from the T.F. She sure had to save her pennies. I didn't realize how much it costs per tooth now a days! SHEESH!

Inflation, man. It's a killer.

she's HOW old?

She's NINE!? Am I really that old?

Happy Birthday to my April Fool's Day Girl! Born on April First, she is a wonderful gal is growing up beautifully. She got a few presents from her family party and awaits in great anticipation being able to go on her "Daddy-Daughter Date" with Ryan to go to Sleeping Beauty ballet in a couple weeks. So grown up! Had ice cream for breakfast, a birthday tradition started when she was little...it was a super fun day! Happy Birthday April Fool's Girl!

wanna play?

My kids role-play when they're playing make-believe.
And it seems like it's much more sophistocated than it was in my day.

Why is that?

stresses of being a groupie

Now they've changed the date of their concert to November 1st. Well, I can't go to both! I asked Ryan and he said, "NO!" so I have to pick one.

Grump. Make up your mind! Will you be in Boise 11-1 or 11-11? I wish I could go both concerts, but I can't. I really really really want to make it to the one at the Morrison Center, that would be awesome and smaller. But that also makes the tickets harder to get. Ahhhhhh!

P.S. Happy CELTIC THUNDER DAY! I mean, Happy St. Patty's Day and Happy Birthday to Katie!

11-11-11 is magical

I check the website with anticipation.

Every single week, if not more often.



And then I see it...'Boise, ID'...



Yes, Celtic Thunder is coming to the Morrison Centre on November 11, 2011. IN BOISE FREAKING IDAHO!! I'm on mailing lists, I'm going to be checking daily to see when tickets go on sale. Or should I start camping out now at the box office?



Oh yeah. Harkin. 'Nuff said.

Tá grá agam duit

"Buachaill ón Éirne me 's bhréagfainn cailín deas óg
Ní iarrfainn bó spré léI tá mé fhéin saibhir go leor
'S liom Corcaigh da mhéid é, dhá thaobh a' ghleanna 's Tír Eoghain
'S mura n-athraí mé béasaí 's me n' t-oidhr' ar Chontae Mhaigh Eo..."

The notes are arranged perfectly. Their voices blend magically. I am touched in my heart in places that words cannot express. The musicians are disgustingly multi-talented. Plus, have I mentioned how adorable the guys look in their KILTS?!

Hubba Hubba, Harkin! Sing to me, Keith!

From Left to Right: Paul, Ryan, Keith, Damien, George

They are so cute with their hair, accents, dimples and smiles!
Since last December, Paul has left. They've added Emmet, which I'll get to see in person this year...


Oh yeah, did I mention that I'm going to their concert in SLC in NOVEMBER?!!!! HECK YES!!!! November 2nd! They're going to the Maverik Centre in West Valley and I'm so there. I am waiting with bated breath. See you then, my Irish loves!
They ARE coming to Boise on November 1st for a couple hours to the Morrison Center! However, tickets were $250 and they only had 50 of them...so I didn't get to go. Although I would have PAID it. Definitely.

Last night, my sister Ashley came over and we watched their new show "Heritage" that was PBS. We tattooed all over (with green glittery ones) and ate gummy bears and sang and danced and SWOONED. It was so much fun! We are so their number one fans. She wore her CT shirt and we drank diet coke from our celtic mugs and just had so much fun. My voice hurts today, but I'm thinking we need an ENCORE performance. What do you think, Ash??

oh no obama

Thanks to my Uncle Craig for sending this to me via email this morning:

I was eating lunch with my daughter and 12 year old grandson when his mom asked him, "What is tomorrow?

He said, "It's President's Day"
She asked, "What does that mean?"

I was waiting for something profound...

He said, "President's Day is when Obama steps out of the White House and if he sees his shadow, we have two more years of unemployment."



Note from the Authoress:
Now I don't care your political affilitation. My blog, my thoughts. I dislike our president and so does Matt Damon. I figure if Jason Bourne can dislike him, so can I. I don't want to hear how it's not Obama's fault for messing up our country, blah blah blah. Yes it is. He's ruining our beautiful country. So please, spare me the comments sticking up for him?
I have to have a certain respect for the president of our country. But OH my. I don't have to like him.

P.S. Yes, I do feel better now.

oh my carterness

I was sick and stayed home from church several weeks ago. I was in the mood to watch a movie, something light, something that if I fell asleep in the middle of; I wouldn't miss much. I found it.

2012.

Carter and I laid in bed lazily while watching the movie while I sneezed and sniffed. And then I heard the line emit from the television set...

"Come on, you stupid [donkeys]!!"

Carter gasped.

He covered his mouth. I paused the movie and was absolutely MORTIFIED. I immediately fell into my pleading apology:

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm SO sorry you heard that word!"

He shook his said and retorted calmly,

"Yeah, we don't say STUPID."

family pictures...finally!

A couple months ago, my friend from high school came and did a photo shoot with a family. She is just incredible! She captured the interest of my kids the whole entire time (no easy feat...) and the pictures turned out just beautifully. You rock, Kristina! It was so fun to chat about the fun old band days. She lives in Rexburg, but travels over to Boise and I was lucky to catch her. She is awesome!! Check out her blog here. Thank you Kristina!

Isn't this cool? This is the SAME TREE that we used to play in as kids...we had pictures taken in it when I was a kid too. Talk about deja vu!

By the end...however the kids were DONE! They were good sports.

well, hello there!

Blogger Friends, forgive me for I have not posted, for it has been, well, a long time since my last posting...

Since my last real post, we've celebrated:

Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's and numerous other daily events.

But I'm SO FAR BEHIND and it's so overwhelming. Rather than put it off any longer (I can't find the little card that was in the camera that held the Halloween photos...don't tell Ryan...I'm telling him I am still looking for it)

2011 HAS BROUGHT US SO FAR:

-I am a klutz. I sneezed (rather HARD, I may add) as I was flying down our hardwood stairs and slipped and fell. Slipped disc in back, E.R. visit, weeks of being down... But now I'm on the MEND!

-I am Primary Chorister. No longer Mia Maid Advisor! I love my girls, they will always have such a special place in my heart. And I DARE you to keep me away from Mutual!

Those are the highlights thus far. I hope that's as wild as it gets.

from carter's perspective

A couple days ago my Mom wanted me to lie down and have a nap.

This particular day, I curled up by Mom and she was falling asleep. I had other ideas in mind, I wanted to play with my Lego's and cars that were under my pillow.

When I was playing with my cars, there was a rogue sucker from the Halloween candy that just happened to find itself under my pillow. I don't know how it got there... I stuck it in my mouth and slurped and slobbered all over. I guess I'm not too fond of cherry flavored suckers because I didn't want it after a couple minutes.

Mom was dozing off next to me and I saw her opened hand next to me. She gets mad at me when I throw things in the carpet, and I didn't want to get into trouble if I got out of bed. So I did the only thing I could think of with my little tiny 3 year old brain:

I took that sucker out of my mouth and PLOPPED it into Mom's opened hand. She didn't wake up either. It dried to her palm and she woke up a few minutes later to me giggling at her.

Good thing I'm so cute.