Flower Update!

Back in June I posted about all the flowers Belle and I had planted. July was a bit of a hectic month and I never got around to snapping a few pictures of the flower's progress. Now that August is about over, I remembered and actually took a few pictures of the flowers now. I must say, I love flowers...

Starlight Mountain Theatre

Last night I took Jesika to the Starlight Mountain Theatre for her birthday. We saw Footloose and it was great! We got some snacks and drinks and took our seats. When I was buying our tickets online, I didn't get the general admission ones. I really didnt want a "crappy seat". My mom had told me that there wasn't a bad seat in the place. She was right! The show was sold out. It was so much fun! We are definitely going to go to another show. We thought about taking Tren and Tom with us to one, but as the show went on and the slow songs and "love" songs were being sang, we decided the boys wouldnt be happy with it. It's a good thing for a girls' night out. Next summer we'll do it again!

First Post

Time for a change...

Bellami Bea Bare

I cannot believe it has been 5 years. It was a Tuesday morning, and Shem and I went to the hospital around 7am to be induced to have our baby. Dr Livers broke my water and I remember telling him she would be born before lunch and he didn't believe me. Such a foolish man. Mom, Annie, Shem and I took a few hot laps down the halls of the hospital and I got bored (very impatient actually) with that quick. We went back to the room and I kept feeling like I had to pee, constantly. Finally, in the bathroom while "pee-ing", I had the urge to push and Mom went to get the Dr. It was like he tele-ported StarWars like, into my room. He checked me and said I could push if I wanted to. Honestly, this scared me because it meant business. Suddenly there were several nurses in the room and they were taking my bed apart, putting my feet in the stirrups, and getting trays with surgical tools ready and oh baby, the contractions were coming... Then I hyperventalated and actually breathed through a paper sack until they got me hooked up to the oxygen mask. I was so scared. I felt like I was having an outter body experieance. I was in a whole other world. I remember a few contractions went by and I really didn't push as hard as I could because I was so scared of the potential pain. Then my nurse told me the baby's heart rate was dropping so I had to get her out. So, I finally pushed like I needed to and out she came. 10:59am. Dear, sweet, beautiful, Bellami Bea.





I cannot put into words h0w much this little treasure has changed my life. She makes me laugh and makes me cry. She frustrates me and tests me. She teaches me and makes me young again. She helps me remember the simpler things in life, like finding shapes in clouds, watching the sunset and seeing a shooting star. She is the reason I go to work. I do not know who I would be or where I would be without her in my life.



Belle is turning 5 and this has been a very hard thing for me. I registered her for KINDERGARTEN at Butteview and this nearly killed me. I had to take a few deeps breaths before I could get out of the car and go in to the school. I am dreading the first day of school. I am having a hard time dealing with the fact that she isnt a sweet little toddler anymore. (this must be why women keep having babies) I also am worrying about her being in school. Will she be the class clown because she is such an attention hungry goof ball? I worry she will not pay attention to things and be the last kid on the playground after recess or something. How will she know where to go? She will have no friends and no one to go about this blindly with. When we started talking about her going to school she asked me if she would ever go to the Principals office. ?!?!? No child should be worried about the principals office when they are just starting school. (She knows about the principal because one of her dad's step-children went to their principal and Belle knew that kid had done something naughty.) I know. I know. Everything will be fine and she will do great. Lets just hope I can do great as the mother sending her child to school for the first time. I may need a paper bag...

Nerd Alert!!

I took this picture of Belle a while ago and just came acrossed it. She looks like a true nerd!! I'll keep this picture on hand for bad days to cheer me up.

Fishin'

Tren went fishing after work last night and here is what he caught...



Yes,... this is a SHARK!! He had seen someone (just a random person) catch one the day before and he wanted to try it. So, after work he went out and threw some line in the water. He used chunks of other fish as bait. Can you imagine!? I would have died! I am not going to be frolicking in any of the waters over there, now!!

Flowers

Mother's Day weekend, Belle and I went to Kings and bought some flowers to plant in the backyard. We picked out our "flat" of flowers and then a few other random ones and some filler flowers. We went home and got to work. We had been working out in the yard all day and saved the planting for last. As I was popping each flower out of the plastic I realized we had a TON of flowers to plant. Belle's job was to place each flower in the dirt where she wanted it planted. She did a good job spreading them out and not clumping a bunch of colors together. Then the planting. Belle got tired of this very quickly, which meant I had a lot of planting to do. I had been hunched over for so long, I ended up with a nice sunburn on my back...between the bottom of my shirt and the waist of my pants. Real nice. Finally, all the flowers were planted. All 64 of them! Holy crow, right!? But they looked great.



The next day we went out to water them and all of this one kind we had picked out had shriveled up and died! I was about to rip them out of the ground and march straight to Kings and get my $2.00 back! Instead, I have been giving them TLC and some of them are recovering. The day after:



They all look kinda sad in that pic, but they just had a watering from Belle and she is a bit rough. :) You can tell the orange ones are hurting.

I went and took a new pic today of everyones progress and they are looking fabulous!

Aaarggh Matey!

For the past couple months, my friend Jesika and I have been planning a surprise party for her husband's birthday. He is turning 29 and she has always wanted to do a surprise party for him, so we decided this year was the time to do it. Jesika chose a pirate theme and we went running with it! We made invitations with pirate talk and asked everyone to wear pirate outfits. It was so much fun to plan!

This weekend was the big bash. Jesika and her two girls came over Saturday. The girls played and we sliced cheese, decorated cupcakes and made the cake. We made a little ship cake and then cupcakes. I wasn't sure how many people would show up and how many people the pirate ship would feed, so I made a smaller ship and cupcakes. I think it turned out so cute! I wish I had a boy to make ships for...





The cupcakes had blue frosting and gold coins with a Jolly Roger flag. Very cute, too!

Here is me and Jesika in our pirate costumes.



Tom (bday boy) was very surprised and had no idea we had anything planned. There was dancing and good times all evening. Russ made an appearance and tried on the pirate hat:



Keith and Carmen made it out too!



It was a good time and a party perfectly executed!

What's next?

Bellami

#1. About 2 years ago, Belle and I were in Fred Meyer doing some grocery shopping. We had gone up and down the isles and gathered up everything we needed. We went to the check-out line and the cashier was scanning our items. I looked over to see what Belle was doing, not in the cart, and she had a very suspicious look on her face. I asked her what she was going and she said she wasn't doing anything. Then I look back to the cashier and pay for our groceries. I turn back around while the receipt is printing and see Belle has her hands behind her back. I ask what she has and she tells me "tic-tacs" and I explain we aren't getting them. She proceeds to stuff them in her pocket. I tell her no again, get the receipt from the cashier and turn around to see Belle is making a break for it towards the door, with the tic-tacs rattling in her pocket! H.O.T. F.L.A.S.H!!!! I have to haul after this child with my load of groceries, trying not to draw more attention to us than she already is. Finally she stops and I catch up and tell her that if she steals the tic-tacs, I will have to tell the police and they will come and take her to jail. She looked up and scanned the area (for police) and tells me "I think I'll put them back." Luckily there was a security looking guy at the Washington Mutual that is in Fred Meyer. Whew.

#2 A few months ago, Belle and I went into Walmart. The greeter at the door gave Belle the wonderful Smiley faced sticker and she wore it around on her hand while we are shopping. (she is riding in the cart this time) We get to the cashier and I send our items down and while we are standing there waiting for our turn, Belle has removed her sticker and is placing it on her shirt or the cart or where ever. Then she reaches towards me to give me a hug and tells me she loves me. This is not unusual for Belle. However, this time when she leaned away from me, the smiley sticker was missing, and in action.... on my back! The little sneak had hugged me, just to put the sticker on my back. At least it didn't say "kick me",right? What 4 year old knows how to do these tricks?!

#3 On our trip to Washington a few weeks ago, Belle was into making "signs" with her fingers. She would hold something up with her fingers twisted and curled in these ways and tell me what they meant. This one in particular, meant either " lame " or " I'm bored " :



Belle was out at my mom's being watched and when I went to get her after work, I decided to eat dinner while she cleaned up her toys. She wasn't listening to my mom and was continuing to play, so she was put in time-out on the stairs. My mom went out to check on her or to just walk through the room and Belle flashed her the above sign. My mom comes into the kitchen fighting back laughter and asks me what the sign means. I tell her either " lame " or " I'm bored " and she tells me Belle just flashed her that sign!! Again, what nearly 5 year old child knows and remembers this sort of thing?!

What is next? I'm worried....

New Hair Cut!

I took Belle to get her haircut tonight. She went to Ashley at a salon in Eagle and recommended by Clint. (thank you!) Belle didn't want her hair cut because she is wanting it long. I told her to just tell Ashley she wanted a trim. On the drive over to the salon, Belle kept calling her Chelsea. It was so funny. We got there and Ashley was finishing up on another client and then it was Belle's turn. She watched her and told me she was excited to get her hair cut. During the cutting, Belle just sat there and watched Ashley in the mirror. Ashley was good about asking what Belle wanted and if it was okay to do this or that. It was nice. I have to say that with the little toilet paper wrap and the hair cape on, belle looked a TON like her dad. I haven't seen him in her much lately, but without her neck she looked just like him.



She finished the cut and then did a nice blow dry and Belle left looking fabulous!

Front view:



Side view:



Back view:



I love her new hair cut and she is quite pleased with it too. We'll be going to Chelsea, I mean Ashley again! Im thinking about making a visit to her for myself soon!!