Vermont...Seriously it was in August...I think I will finish NOW!

I am going to finish our Vermont trip posts now! I have tons of pictures and I can't post them all. Here are a few (hundred) that I just had to post and some words to go along with them.....
Driving down the railroad track (it used to be a railroad bed a LONG time ago and we still call it that.) We always roll down the windows and now we are almost there...Just minutes away from Camp...
It was chilly the first day-perfect sleeping at Camp weather. Jake actually slept in this. We slept on the Screened in porch. It was heavenly....
One of my favorite pictures ever....
Some of my Favorite People Live in Vermont, Part 4 (for Parts 1-3 go back to Aug. and Sept posts): Aunt Shelia...Where do I begin? As a child I LOVED the sound of her silver bangle bracelets and her fashion sense. She is one of those people that uses their hands to talk and I remember thinking that I wished I could make my hands look that cool. I would watch the way she held her glass and try to do it that way too. Do you know what I mean? She was (and still is) one of those people that you just love to watch because they are cool without trying to be. Aunt Sheila is an amazing person. She tells you what she thinks and laughs while she does it. She works hard and enjoys life while doing it. She always makes time to see us when we are up North. With Aunt Shelia, you feel loved because she listens and cares about what you are saying-you just know it by the way she looks at you. Did I mention how cool she is? Seriously cool. I love her. Always have, always will. This is Jake and Aunt Sheila posing with the bird feeder she brought to Camp for Jake to make. Love this picture...That is so Aunt Sheila-not looking at the camera but looking to see Jake's reaction. It is a classic Aunt Sheila shot. :)
Sm ore's (didn't know that is how you wrote it, but that is what spell check said.) Had them at least a million times. ;)
Some of my Favorite People Live in Vermont, Part 5: Aunt Sandy and Uncle David. My Aunt Sandy has such a great laugh! One of those laughs you just can't help but laugh along with. She is-get ready for this-the person who taught me: when you are sick at night and just can't make it to the bathroom-you should throw up in a pot. At our house, my mom would put a towel on our pillow. At Aunt Sandy's house she gives you a pot to throw up in. Once you puke in a pot you never go back to the towel on the pillow. :) Crazy memory-but I think it explains the kind of relationships we had with our family-present in our lives for everything. I love Aunt Sandy. I love the story about her that she once saw a snake (she hates them just like me) in her yard while she was mowing it and chased it until she ran it over. That is courage people. I would run the other way like my life depended on it! Can you see why some of my favorite people live in VT?! I love the memories I have with my cousins Dwayne and Denise. Having such an awesome extended family is a good thing. Another memory I have of Aunt Sandy is when she married David (he is a great guy-I love his view on politics. He is a smart guy.). I was in my early teens I think. It was in her back yard and she wanted me to be the one to cue the music as she was walking down the aisle. The song was Bryan Adams-Everything I do (I do it for you...), from the Robin Hood movie. I felt so important that she choose me to do it. :) It was so awesome to see you guys and make more memories! I love you!! Hopefully we will get to see my cousin Denise and her growing family (it grew by one new baby girl while we were there), next time we are up!
We went to the dam while we were there and played on the rapids. Jake named one "the soda pop" when he was little, because the bubbles at the end look like soda. We kayaked down and brought a picnic. It was a good day.




I took one shower in Camp the whole week. We swam so much that we just grabbed the soap and scrubbed up! This is me taking my bath for the day. Look my face was kind of tan"ish"!
Jumping in for the 1,000,000,000th time! We totally kept track...All the wood and things on the dock are the treasures we dug up from the bottom.
The traditional towel pose.
This is my view while laying on the dock trying to tan the back of my legs. :) There are a few more shots I took while trying to lay there (my flip flops, the goldfish we were munching on...etc..but just I choose the best one), I have a hard time just laying there so I experimented with my camera....Love the freckles.
Tubing-that's me and Jake on there...I think...We both went and then he went by himself.
Almost time to go-just a couple of days left. Time for a photo op. Jake in his VT t-shirt...
Some of my Favorite People Live in Vermont Part 4: The Smith's:Uncle Dave, Aunt Robin, Big Jake, and Dylan...Last day at Camp and we went to church with out even leaving. I didn't get the camera out so I don't have a picture of Uncle Dave, but I have some words about him. He stopped by the Sunday before we left and we talked. While we talked we laughed, cried, and shared spiritual feelings. It was awesome. That is Uncle Dave in a nut shell. We talked politics: he is a Conservative. It is so much easier to talk politics with someone who is on the same side of the issue as you-or should I say the correct side. :) We talked about spiritual events in our lives that changed who we are as people. Jake listened. After Uncle Dave left Jake said "Uncle Dave is a Mormon." I told him although he believes a lot of what we believe but, he isn't a Mormon. To this Jake said "No I mean he gets it. Some people say they are spiritual but he really gets it Mommy." To which I agree 100%. Thanks for the visit Uncle Dave. We missed my Aunt Robin (she was headed out of town for a trip with her girl friends) but every time we head to Vermont I bring a purse I am willing to trade because I know Robin will have one ready too. :) We share a love for bags and it is a tradition I love. I love Robin too. I remember meeting her for the first time. She came with Uncle Dave to deliver me a b-day gift. It was the coolest shirt ever. Black with a purple design. It was made from that fabric that is supposed to be wrinkley (what is it called?) and it had beads on thread that hung from the corners of the V-neck. It was my favorite-my hippie shirt. Weird the things you remember...I remember thinking how I should probably be just like her when I grew up. I miss you!!! Big Jake is one of my awesome cousins. He was dubbed this after my Jake was born of course and he is probably as cool as my Jake too. He snowboards. Enough said. Little Jake thinks he is pretty cool. Dylan-the baby of the cousins on the Smith side. He is a fisherman (not by trade just for the love of it) and Grampa Smith says if Dylan stands on the dock and throws out a line with an empty hook he would probably pull out a fish. Again, this makes him one of the coolest guy ever to Little Jake. Not to mention Jake caught his first 5 fish with Dylan. Jake even brought up the lucky "bobber" that Dylan gave him last time we were there and he caught another fist with it. :) We missed seeing you guys-we are coming next year so be ready to be idolized by my Jake. :)

I could go on and on, but lets face it, it is the end of October-it is time to finish. We love Vermont and all the memories we have made (over my whole life time) there. Thanks again Grampa Smith for making those memories possible over 50 years ago, by building our Camp on the lake. :)

I accomplished something today...

Republican. (Picture me saying "Period" after that, not just typing it. I am trying not to talk politics because I am...lets say, passionate about it and I have a hard time stopping, so that is all I will say about that...)

This face....

...Makes me so happy. :) I am so glad after days like the one I had today (Picture me being grumpy while telling Jake to do his homework, while also cleaning the kitchen, bathroom, and living room...again...for like the 20th time this week....), my sweet Jake still says good night to me and as I am walking down the hall he calls out: "I love you Mommy!!! I could never live with out you!!...Well, I guess could but it would be really, REALLY hard and I would never want to!"

The Bobcats

Aaron and Jake went to the Bobcats open practice with Norb last night. They had a great time and Jake was even able to get a picture with Coach Larry Brown, who is in the NBA hall of fame. Aaron even got an autograph on his Bobcats t-shirt (the one he got free at the first ever play off game in Charlotte for the Bobcats) from Stephen Jackson (one of their star players, I even know who he is). Jake got a whole sheet of autographs and thought it was great. They had fun and I did too. I was going to got with them and then decided to let it be a guys night. Instead, I got to hang out with one of my amazing friends Betty White and just talk. We laughed, we cried, we had a great time! A guys night and a girls night...I would say it worked out perfectly!

Jake and hall of fame coach Larry Brown. These are Jake's newest glasses-the free ones.
Jake's autograph sheet. The LC stands for "Lady Cat", one of the...dancers, cheerleaders...what exactly do you call them? Jake got a kick out of the fact that he was pretty much as tall as they were! I don't really know who the other autographs are.
Stephen Jackson signed the other side. At least we think it says Stephen Jackson...It was the autograph that looked the most like the one Aaron had on his shirt.

This is how my morning is going...

Drop Jake off at school. Come home and eat a bowl of cereal while checking emails. One from Jake's teacher....reminding us it is picture day today...!!!!!!!....He has on his tie dye shirt from his old school and I neglected to send in the picture form...I am about to jump in the shower and head back to school with a better shirt and the picture form before I head to work....Hope the rest of the day doesn't go this way. :)

Update: I didn't get better. I ended up throwing up and feeling like I was going to pass out at work because the cramps and back pain from my period were so bad....Tomorrow has got to be better! :)

Yard Sale (and a quick update of life in general)

Here are the pictures from our impromptu yard sale last weekend....This is Jake dancing by, trying to drum up some business.
The next picture is from Jake's popcorn and kool aid stand. He is wearing his ear muffs (for potting...oh shot what are they called? The little screaming creatures in Harry Potter...if I was doing this post I could tell you right now....what they are called?..Mandrakes!! It just came to me. No I didn't go look it up-the books are in Jake's room and I am not about to wake him up. I am so proud of myself for remembering), scarf, and that is his owl Roger, all from the awesome Harry Potter party the night before. (If you haven't checked out the pictures on "Little Larson's" yet you really need to. They are awesome!)...Funny story about Roger the owl. Jake came home with his owl and said his name was Pecker. I of course said nothing, but then Jake told Daddy. Aaron couldn't stop laughing. I won't go into why, but those of you not as innocent as our sweet 9 year old may have heard that word in a crude context before...We explained it to Jake. He laughed (such a boy!) and promised to never use the word in that connotation (upon threat of hot sauce to the tongue. He wouldn't any way. He still thinks the "s" word is stupid), and renamed his owl Roger. Roger is a much better name for his owl. :)
Look at all these clothes!...I really spread everything out so it looked like we had more to sell than we really did. We had enough to make almost $100 bucks, donate a trunk load to Goodwill and set aside a bunch of clothes for the cousins. Not to mention de-cluttering. There are several things in the picture I couldn't bear to part with...I would have sold them, but I was not giving them away...So, it is not as de-cluttered at it could be...

I still haven't taken an updated family picture yet...Oh-Jake got his 3rd pair of glasses last week (He is on Medicaid right now and it takes a while to get them in. We were lucky it only took a month! That is why we went ahead and bought some for him....It usually takes 8 weeks for them to come in!), and I was going to take a picture of him in them but it hasn't happened yet. I still need to finish our Vermont vacation pictures and of course the pictures from when the guys went to the Panthers (who finally won a game today by the way. I only know this because Aaron told me...I was taking a nap trying to get rid of a pounding headache) game...I will eventually do all that...

This weekend flew by, just like they all do. We had our Primary program today and it was wonderful. I need to post Jake's mini-talk from it. He did great....I will get to that too. We had a pancake breakfast yesterday and practice for the program. We also had the kiddos make the front of the programs by gluing words and pictures that were cut out of the Ensign, Friend, and New Era (church magazines for all ages of the family). They came out so great! Jake had 2 buddies come over after that and play. I made them play outside, while I used the opportunity for some much needed house work. Aaron was of course studying. He pretty much sleeps, works, or studies poor guy... But tomorrow he is taking a break and we are going to watch the Charlotte Bobcats (our NBA team for anyone who doesn't know) practice. It should be a lot of fun. We are hoping to catch a game this season-Jake has never been and they have really great family package deals.

I decided to do an experiment. I stopped taking my Prozac about 3 weeks ago. I was feeling good (apparently because of it!) and thought $30 a month was too much to "waste" for happy pills. What happened you ask? It was like turning off a light in my brain. I went from forgetting things here and there, to forgetting everything important that I had to do. I went from losing weight to gaining some of it back. I went from happy and tired, to grumpy, mean, and tired. I went from functioning happily, to barely functioning at all. It is really amazing how much more irritating people are when I don't take it. :) Oh wait, maybe it's me?! Yep. It's me. Yep-my hormones are still screwed up and making my brain all fuzzy. The worst part for me has been feeling like I have Alzheimer's disease... I asked Jake if he thought I had been grumpier lately (you see I did this without mentioning it to my family. I was convinced they would never notice), and before I could even get the sentence out he answered "YES!". I here ya. Aaron of course felt the same way. I asked why they didn't mention it to me. Aaron's response was "I was to scared to mention it. I didn't want to make you more grouchy." Enough said. I am going to refill it ASAP. Lesson from this: Planners don't work, but Prozac does.

I feel like I am posting mostly "stuff" here recently. Life is busy and I am glad to just be staying on top of it. Plus the "stuff" is our life and I don't want to forget that it happened. Lets face it, in 20 years we will remember the big vacations and birthdays, but the little tiny, everyday things will be forgotten. Sometimes they are the most important moments to remember. Those little things that remind us life is good, we are blessed, and love is all around us if we just let it in.

Brain Declutter: Random thoughts...

**If you need a laugh (and I mean a loud and obnoxious belly laugh) watch The Penguins of Madagascar. It is one of the best cartoons ever-seriously!

**I am starting to think I may throw away my "Fix It and Forget It" cook book. Every recipe I have tried out of it (and I mean every. I date it when I try it and write something about it.) has been gross. Today we literally stopped eating and switched to cereal. Nice waste of food, I know, but it was inedible. Today's flop was Italian pork....don't ever make it.

**Why is it so hard to keep pantries and linen closets organized? The ones in this house are deep so that is my excuse...but if I really think back the only times my pantries or linen closets have been HGTV worthy, have been when our houses have been for sale...

**One of our regular Bi-Lo shoppers (a sweet homeless man) asked me how I managed to always keep that pretty smile on my face. Before I could reply he said my life must have been good to me. It has. It is, even though it is stressful, hectic, and flying by before I can cross off my To Do list. It made me realize (...again...a lesson I have yet to master.) that I always have smiles and kind words for strangers. Sometimes it isn't the same for the people I love the most. Glad they love me any way. :)

**I am so glad it is fall. I love the chill in the air in the morning. I am starting to shift my favorite seasons list. Fall will always be 1st, but I think winter may be 2nd. It was summer...but now I am thinking winter...

**I think everyone should be made to work at a grocery store so they can realize all their bad behaviors. These bad behaviors are common courtesies that don't even cross most peoples minds. You know, doing something rude, but not realizing you even did it because you are so wrapped up in...well you! I look back at my poor shopping manners of the past and cringe. I have reformed. Ever talked on your cell phone while you were checking out? Used to do it on occasion. Never will again. Ever left your shopping cart right at the register because you don't need it any more? The person behind doesn't like that, neither does the cashier who now has to deal with that annoyed person. I hope I never did that, but I may have....Ever changed your mind 2 aisles after you picked up the cookies (chips, ketchup...whatever!) and just laid them on an open spot on the shelf? I am so guilty...I will never do it again, because guess what: you are not the only one doing it. There is stuff left EVERY WHERE. Ever changed your mind about that block of cheese while in line to check out and laid it on the basket of bag candy that is on sale, right before the belt? Happens all the time...I was actually grocery shopping on Friday evening and standing behind a lady (who obviously didn't remember I worked there, I have seen her a million times, but lets face it I look different in real clothes...it may be a compliment that she didn't recognize me...), who asked me to put her cheese, crackers, cream cheese, coffee creamer (etc., there were like 7 things...) back on that basket for her. I told her it would be better if she would just hand them to the cashier so nothing goes bad. She looked at me like it had never crossed her mind. I am telling you 3 days is all it would take for people to notice all the idiotic things they do on a regular basis (and for the most part not to be rude, just because they are in a hurry) at the grocery store. I know that I used to do so many things that I now try not to get annoyed at. I didn't do it to be rude. I did it to save me time. We (cashiers) always like to do as many annoying things to each other as we are checking out. It reminds you to chuckle rather than fume. :) Just 3 days is all it would take...Maybe 2.

**I am not a great writer, but I love it. I have several "books" (I use the term loosely), that I started writing when I was a tween (think Baby Sitter's Club or Sweet Valley Twins). It is obvious that while writing them I had not plot or main idea (sounds familiar doesn't it...), I was just writing. In my adulthood I have realized I really prefer kids books. Not just chapter books, but little kiddo books that rhyme and have awesome illustrations. I LOVE the Berenstein Bears (have been known to turn the TV onto PBS Kids (whatever the all PBS cartoons, all the time is called...not regular PBS...SPROUT! I think that is what it is called...), and watch the cartoon. Seriously, does it get better than an actual tree house (the house is carved into the tree not just up on the branches.), with pink shutters? I also LOVE "Bear Snores On", "Bear Stays Up for Christmas", "Bear Makes A New Friend"...etc. I can't remember who the author is. They are in Jake's room and he is asleep (I started this post earlier and forgot about it...now I am back). Have you read them? You should. I love the pictures and characters. They are amazing! I secretly dream of writing children's books. I am thinking of practicing on my nieces and nephews. I have practiced on Jake and he loves it. I started a book for him that I still need to finish. I read him what I had written and he keeps asking me when I am going to finish it because he can't wait to see what happens. That's a good sign right? Maybe some day I will be brave and do it.

**I can't get over my OCD issue of always leaving one room in our house messy. What is the deal? Our bedroom is still a mess...even without the big yard sale pile...I need to stop blogging and go work on it.

**Melissa, you requested a post about my dependencies. I am going to do it soon. Maybe it will be like therapy. :)

**We have bathrooms in the back of Bi-Lo for employees. One for men and one for women. Well, the women's was being cleaned the other day so I went into the men's. They are just single bathrooms so it's not like any one else was in there. Theirs is wayyyyy better. The women's has the bag of soap that used to be inside the pump that makes it foamy, but it broke. The men's has soap, foamy hand sanitizer, and hand sanitizer wipes! I haven't used the women's since! Yes, the toilet seat is usually up in the men's room, but that is okay because I never sit down. I squat in public restrooms. It is perfect...

**One more thing...I am back on the Biggest Loser wagon. I walked/ran 2 (pitiful, I know) miles today. Jake and I are having a competition to see who can run a mile with out stopping first. Lets see, who is going to win? The fat girl who stopped exercising about a month (...okay maybe 2...Or maybe I never got back into a good routine since coming back from vacation...in August...) ago and has a fear for it (it, being running). Just realized that today. OR the 9 year old. That is all I have to say. HE IS NINE. Jake is going to win. But I am going act like I don't know that and think positive. :) I am not going to post my weight, my loss, any of it. I am going to take a picture of myself now, an then in a month in the same thing, to see if you can see the change. I may weigh myself every day. I may not weigh myself for a month. It will be my secret. I am going to focus on what matters. Eating right, and exercising. I scale will have to play nice if I do (I mean REALLY do it)...right?...Now instead of going to bed, like I really want to do. I am going to stop blogging and go work on my room...I wonder which room will become a mess when it is all picked up?

Okay...it's 11:33 and I am still not in bed...So, here are three more random thoughts before I really clean my room and then go to bed...

**I finally watched "Letters To Juliet". Have you seen it? It was predictable but cute. I like a cute chick flick. Rent it. But only from Red Box so it will only be a dollar. It is definitely worth a dollar to see. Tell me what you think of her fiance...Why was she engaged to him any way?

**Am I the only person who feels the need to drink (not alcohol, I don't drink that stuff...I am addicted to Dr. Pepper, I can only imagine if I actually drank the hard stuff!) right before going to bed? I do it almost every night and have to get up to pee in the middle of almost every night. Why do I do this?

**What was the third thing?...Can't remember but it did just make me think of something else. Well, 2 something elses (yes I know that isn't a word). I some times wonder if I have ADD...and do you remember the book from the early 90's "Simple Abundance"? You are supposed to read a page everyday and it helps you have comfort and joy and you find your true self? Remember that one? I think I am going actually read it in 2011. I have made it through the middle of January several times (and then other days here and there, but they didn't make sence because I didn't know what I missed that the author kept referencing) ...Kind of like making it through the middle of 1st Nephi (in the Book of Mormon for those of you who aren't LDS)...I am going to read at least a page of that book every day in 2011 too. I have a feeling I will get more out of the Book of Mormon :) ...but I have heard some time later in the spring (in Simple Abundance) you are supposed to make yourself a treat box or something. That could be interesting too....Which reminds me!..I am also supposed to be reading the Book of Mormon along with all the other Primary leaders in the Stake before Jan. 1st...I am on chapter 11 of Nephi...I need to step it up people. Actually right now I need to go to bed...so I better go fold the clean clothes that are laying all over it so I can. That was a gift from Aaron. He said "I did some laundry to day!" To which I said "Really?". His response was "Yeah. You didn't see it on the bed?" Thanks Aaron :)

**One more thing...I had a dream the other night (I have strange dreams every night) that we lived in a house with a HUGE glass wall, which by the way would NEVER happen(I am a "close the blinds before it gets dark and people can see in" kind of girl) and that we had like 6 dogs of all different sizes (one was of course Emily...but Daisy wasn't there...what does that say about me? I am a bad dog mommy if my 1st dog baby doesn't even make my dreams). I told Jake about it and his response was "Did I have to scoop all their poop?". Strangely that never came up in my dream...So, I think my dream is telling me since I would never have a huge glass wall in my house, I probably don't need 6 dogs...I probably don't even need one (sigh). I want one SO bad, but wants don't really happen too much when your husband goes back to school. It is a great way to put things in perspective and humble your self a little (or a lot, which ever you need. Mine was probably more on the "a lot" side). I am doing the mature thing and deciding a Christmas dog just isn't going to happen. Maybe my birthday would work...Growing up is so hard. :) Good night. How much clothes did he wash any way...I wonder if I could just push them to one side...Just kidding...kind of. :)