All Aboard

Sean picked me up from work on Friday afternoon with these in hand below.......

Two train tickets for us to travel down to Vancouver, WA by train and stay the night at a Lodge. This was our very last Friday evening to be alone, just the two of us before Sean deploys to Iraq for a year! It was so sweet for Sean to plan a surprise knowing that Jonathan had a sleep over & that next weekend we have out of town guest coming. So, off we went with a bag in tow to the train station, just less than a mile from our subdivision so we decided to stroll over there.

The Olympia Amtrak Train Station
All Aboard!!!!!
The great thing about riding on the train rather than driving, was that we could both read & relax. It was so, so, nice! Our very first weekend date together consisted of Sean booking us train tickets for a weekend in Seattle! He told me we were going to take the train to Seattle and stay at a dive Motel and venture the City. When actually he booked the absolute nicest Hotel that Seattle has to offer, the Grand Olympic Hotel and we toured the entire city that weekend. Brought back many great memories! He is such a Romantic!!!!
The Vancouver Train Station
Which way shall we go?? I think that riding the train has become one of America's many past times. The Dinner & Mystery Trains here in WA have been shut down due to lack of interest! It's surprising too considering for a short distant trip, it's almost the same price to travel on the train as it is to fill up our gas guzzlers!




Sean passing the time waiting for our return by reading a book
Seannie, Seannie whatcha doin???

And oh my dear Lord, our return train had the strongest, must repulsive MILDEW SMELL EVER!! Now, I'm thinking who cares about these trains, should have drove the car so that I could breath and stop gagging! It was like being in the Oldest Antique Shop & Multiply that smell by a Trillion!!! Sean has something wrong with his snout, he was just laughing at me!!! I rode the entire way with Sean's hat covering my nose ;)

My Boy

There is all this talk about Fall approaching fast and the weather changing. I took this picture of Jonathan early this am and it looks as if he thinks it's Winter ;) He is wearing his Ireland Beanie, his Army Robe, and his Pirate long jammy pants?????? What a Squirrel!!!! Even so, he certainly is a Cute one & only two weeks before my little baby boy starts the 3rd Grade! Wow, how time flies when your running from boy booby traps of snakes, worm desserts, & grease filled hands! Before I know it, I will be at the store buying yet another bigger size of jammy pants and having to beg to take his picture in them. He already told me tonight that "Mom, your not really as cool as you think you are. If you can flare your nostrils as big as mine, than your super cool, come on Mommmmmmmmmm flare them"!!! So, there sits Sean sitting across from Jonathan & I at a table in a Restaurant as Jonathan & I compete for the Biggest Nostril Flare! I of course won, my nose is bigger, and I'm "Super Cool"! Wonder what exactly was running thru Sean's head??? ;) Fun Times!

Lemon Artichoke Chicken

A new Trader Joe's Finally opened up close to us and it opened this weekend. We went this afternoon, along with most of Olympia and got some great deals on flowers. These Hydrangeas were on $3.99 a piece! I also got a BIG Basil plant for only $2.89 and some others below.

I have never seen a Hydrangea like this one with the big full leaves. I loved the Baby Blue colors and can't wait to plant it in my backyard tonight. Washington has several of these amongst the neighborhoods and I just love them.

This Big Vibrant Star Gaze Lily Plant was only $7.99 and it has 5 blooms, with 5 more about to pop! The color is so rich and it smells so good!

So, along with my new flowers, I made a new recipe tonight, Lemon Artichoke Chicken. A lady that is in the book club I attend made this for us one evening at her home when she hosted. It was so delicious that I begged for the recipe. It was so Yummy!!!!

We had sauteed Asparagus and a small green salad to go along with it!


Over the lips, past the gums, watch out tummy, here it comes!! YUM, YUM, YUM!! Thank you Gretchen for the recipe. I believe she told me she got it from the Magazine "Taste of Home"

4 boneless, skinless Chicken Breast halved
1/2 teaspoon salt & pepper
2 tablespoons butter
1 can quartered artichoke hearts, drained
2 tablespoons dry sherry
2 tablespoons grated lemon peel
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sprinkle Chicken on both sides with Salt & Pepper. In frying pan, over medium heat, melt butter, add chicken, turning once, until brown, approx. 4 minutes on each side. Transfer Chicken to a deep Baking Dish and add artichoke hearts. Add sherry, lemon peel, lemon juice, and the remaining melted butter in the frying pan. Stir over medium heat until well blended and hot, 2 to 3 minutes. Add whipping cream, parm. cheese & stir. Pour over chicken and place in the oven for 25 minutes, or until golden brown and sauce bubbly.

So easy to make, and so good in your belly!!

On Sale, or 4sale, Who Cares!

We were supposed to go to Portland today, we ended up in Auburn, WA at Nordstroms Rack. This is Jonathan's favorite store ;) HA! He said this shirt I got was Ugly and did Rock, Paper, Scissors to find out if I could have it!!! Typically I hate shopping, But I LOVE A GOOD DEAL and deals were a blenty today!!! I got three pairs of Borns for $150 total!!

And Sean didn't like this shirt! Sean & Jonathan are So Much Fun to Shop With.......NOT!!!
I loved this baby blue Kenneth Cole Vest, bring on the Cold Weather.

What I do like shopping for is new Running Gear. I really think I run faster when I look "cuter" ;)
Sean said "you already have a lot of running tops that look just like that one"!!! And like a Good Wife, I ignored him and bought it anyway! I knew once we got married he would try to steal ALL my money, so now I'm on a mission to Steal ALL of HIS!!! Conveniently my debit card would not work when I got to the register. So I said "oh honey, may I see your debit card, for some reason mine seems to be acting up" hee, hee, hee!!! Bet he won't question how many pink running tops I have next time!! ;)

Blessing in Disguise

Sean just called me to inform me that I have to attend a Ball with him NEXT THURSDAY!! EEEKKKKSSSS, I hate that kind of stuff and I certainly hate shopping for dresses! Lucky for me I lost 6 1/2 pounds due to the attack of the killer virus and now fit back into a dress I bought a few months ago for a fancy Wedding. Phewwwwwwwww, God knew that the only way I could loose enough weight quick enough to get me into a dress was with the tummy flu! ;)

What is Norovirus??????

Jonathan brought home this "flu like bug" from camp. From the moment our children are toddlers, we are constantly teaching them to share! And, my sweet Jonathan shares EVERYTHING! Jonathan had it, Sean got it, and now the MOM has it! A few nights ago I was experiencing abdominal pain much like I did in Hawaii and thought that was my case of this bug. WRONG!! I woke up last night at 1:00 AM puking my every little guts out!! And without being too graphic, I had to MULTITASK many times last night in the bathroom. And, the verdict is still out as to if Sean will come home from work tonight. I mean, my God, I don't even want to be married to myself after hearing what I sound like. Jonathan told Sean this morning "Mommy sounds like a dying Goat when she throws up"! So, it's 11:00 am now, I haven't thrown up in 2 hours, I had to call in sick to work, I just made my way down to the couch where my Sweet Sean has many burp bowls & towels set out. The remotes are lined up, my cell phone & IPOD are sitting out for me next to my glasses, two blankets, a pillow, a sprite, my book I'm reading, and of course the laptop. Now if only I had the energy to look for my dumb camera, I would take a picture of it all. I'm wishing everyone a HEALTHY DAY!!

What are noroviruses?

Noroviruses are a group of viruses that cause the "stomach flu," or gastroenteritis (GAS-tro-en-ter-I-tis), in people. The term norovirus was recently approved as the official name for this group of viruses. Several other names have been used for noroviruses, including:

• Norwalk-like viruses (NLVs)



• caliciviruses (because they belong to the virus family Caliciviridae)



• small round structured viruses.

Viruses are very different from bacteria and parasites, some of which can cause illnesses similar to norovirus infection. Like all viral infections, noroviruses are not affected by treatment with antibiotics, and cannot grow outside of a person's body.

What are the symptoms of illness caused by noroviruses?

Norovirus infection usually starts suddenly. The infected person often feels very sick with nausea and vomiting and watery non-bloody diarrhea with stomach cramps. Vomiting is more common in children than adults. Sometimes there is a low-grade fever. There may also be chills, headache, muscle aches, and a general sense of tiredness.

Cracker Barrel Knocking!!!

Brian and Stacy sent goodies from Memphis Tennessee and it was so much fun to follow directions in the process of opening these goodies. Stacy, you are so creative, and so very sweet!

As we opened the package, Stacy had the gifts individually wrapped with #'s indicating what to open first.
#1.......$75 Bucks at Bed, Bath, and Beyond! Wow, Super Generous & Lovin it!!

Seannie opened gift #2
Stacy and Brian picked this up during there trip to Disneyland before the Wedding and intended to give these to us to wear while we were there. She says we have to wear them now that were home, I'm going to hide the card so that Jonathan doesn't make us!! ;) But, I will add them to my scrapbook!

Best of all, the 3rd gift was full of goodies from my very favorite Cracker Barrel!!! Cracker Barrel is one of the many things I miss about living in the Midwest/South and the Blueberry Pancakes are to die for! And they drench them with a delicious Blueberry syrup!! It's so, so, Tasty!!!


Not all of the Cracker Barrel yummies made it. One exploded in the box. I did lick my fingers so that it didn't all go to waste ;)
My favorite thing about this gift was the card!!!!! So many of us with our fast paced lives tend to email, text, or send e-cards! I just love making cards and sending them to loved ones and I TRULY ENJOYED reading this hand written note from Stacy!! Thank you so very much, this gift was so very much appreciated and enjoyed!!! It's so nice to receive things in the mail that you can enjoy!! I made Sean home made buttermilk biscuits for breakfast for his birthday, I'm going to set my alarm a few minutes early tomorrow morning in hopes that he is feeling better and make him more to enjoy with the apple butter!!!

Spreading

Good news, Jonathan feels much better! Bad News, the germ has spread to Sean, and he is not feeling so hot! It's amazing the things we will do when we don't feel well. I was laying on the couch reading a book when I heard Sean go into the restroom yet again and he came out with this towel. He laid it next to him on the couch and then sat up and placed it over his head. I should not have taken his picture and I know what comes around goes around, but I just could not resist. I struggle with my health, and Sean is always so kind and loving to me when I'm feeling under the weather, and this is how I repay the favor. Shame, Shame, Shame on me ;) But, I never look this cute! And, in the midst of feeling horrible, I can never find good in it. Sean finds something positive in every negative situation. I told him I hope he felt better soon and his reply was "at least it only last a couple of days and not 10"!!

Last night I was in this situation and didn't want to leave the couch to go to bed. Something about the couch is more comforting when I'm sick. Sean got up to get something from upstairs and I thought he was going up to bed. He returned with a blanket and pillow for me and one for him and rather than him sleeping on the other couch, he laid on the floor right next to me and held my hand!!!!!!! Now, how sweet is that! I don't deserve such kindness, but I will gladly reciprocate..........

Happy Birthday Sean!!!!

Happy 30th Birthday Sean!!! Today is Sean's Birthday, Happy, Happy Birthday to you Seannie!! I will post all about your day, later when were done enjoying it!!!! I took this picture of Sean last year on his Birthday on our trip to Lake Tahoe to Rock Climb with Joan and Jim. Joan and Jim own a Beautiful home that over looks the Lake, it was a wonderful trip!! We all had a Wonderful Vacation that week for his Birthday. We climbed, hiked, boated on the Lake, had great dinners with Joan & Lani, helped Joan with a little rearranging. It was just Wonderful.
Sean and I stayed in Joan & Jim's Tahoe home and Jim and Joan were at their other home in Reno. We had to leave a day earlier than planned because Jonathan was sick. We called to tell Joan goodbye and she insisted that we meet her at the grocery store at the bottom of the hill on our way out to say goodbye. When we got there, she gave us a bottle of wine, and embraced Sean in a huge hug and said "you just don't know when your last goodbye will be" and wiped away many tears! I had never seen Joan cry before. That was Sean's last birthday to spend with his Mom, Joan was diagnosed with Leukemia 4 months later. Jonathan and I are working diligently to make this day special for Sean! WE LOVE YOU & HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!
Joan & Sean, August 13th, 2008! The two of them taking a break from climbing.
Joan & Sean, August 14th, 2008 smiling big as they both succeeded at climbing both their climbs! BOTH AMAZING CLIMBERS, Joan taught Sean well!!! I wish Joan were here to join us in the celebration again this yr, we love and miss you!

Operation Lazy F Camp

Last Sunday we dropped Jonathan off at his very first overnight 1 week camp, over 100 miles away!!! It has been a very LONGGGGG week for Mom. The only communication between parents and campers was the good ol pen and paper writing system. So as a prepared Mother I sent Jonathan with pre-stamped, pre-addressed envelopes, and pen and paper and specific instructions to write me every night! NOT ONE SINGLE LETTER ALL WEEK!!! The nerve of this child to disobey me ;) I can't tell you all the horrible thoughts that crossed my mind all week. I'm SO HAPPY HE IS HOME!!!!!

The Lazy F Camp is a location of a variety of summer camps, Jonathan went here on a very special camp designated for children that currently have a parent/parents deployed in Iraq or Afghanistan. Jonathan's Dad is currently serving in Afghanistan and Jonathan was proud to represent him!


And, here he goes..........All smiles and ready to camp the nights away.
Entertaining as always..................


Hiking up to his Cabin

Arranging his Bunk


Looking out at the Creek


And sent home with the "NORO" Virus!! 7 Campers, 1 Counselor, and two additional sent off to the ER with the Noro Virus. Jonathan woke up with it this morning and was picked up at 11 am this morning! Poor Baby feels just awful and has been sleeping in this spot all day! I just hate that he feels so terrible, BUT I'M SO HAPPY HE IS HOME!!!! It's one thing to have your young children away with Grandparents, it's a different story when they go off to camp! I stuck around camp last Sunday when we dropped him off longer than I was supposed to following Jonathan around. He finally came up to me and said "Mom, your starting to embarrass me, you can go home now"! WHAT??? REALLY?? At 8 yrs of age I'm already embarrassing him!!! Just wait J man until the girls start barking up your tree, I will show you embarrassed!! ;)

Happy Anniversary to Us........

Today is Sean and Mines 1 Month Wedding Anniversary and I came home to some super duper, neato burrito, don't you look good in that tuxedo, surprise prizes!!!!!! Above are more fabulous chocolate syrup, cappuccino, and french vanilla coffee disk to go in our new coffee machine that we have been enjoying every single morning since the Noah's blessed us with this treat of the century!!!!! I just love this coffee machine, EVERYONE SHOULD INDULGE IN THIS GREAT NECESSITY!!
A week ago at Target I mentioned to Sean that an under the counter CD player would be good for me because I have yet to master how to use the TV/DVD/Stereo System!! I am a TECHO Retard and there are times that Sean and Jonathan are both not home to help me with this task, which in turn forces me to have to sing out loud, which in turn amounts to a homeowners association fine for disturbing the neighborhood....HA ;)
And............Misti sent us this adorable box filled with a huge variety of the coffee disk to try out all of the flavors to find our favorites.....THEY ARE ALL OUR FAVORITES!!! And, they even make a milk creamer disk!!!! I just can't express enough how cool this gadget is, and I don't particular care much for gadgets, but this one fills my belly!!!!
AND.....one fine fellow to celebrate with!!

AND....an obnoxious wife.... ;) Happy Anniversary to Us!!!!!!

Two Finks and a Hass

Genn, this is for you. I keep meaning to send this photo your way and keep forgetting, so here you be! I'm not sure as to who took it, I think maybe the photographer?? I don't know, but I just love it!!!!!!!! I just love how David is poking between you and Glenda and embracing you both!!

Wine, Dine, Bargain of Mine ;)

We took a scenic stroll today after Church thru the Snoqualmie Pass in search of a particular bottle of wine. We left our neck of the woods with rainy weather and temperatures in the 60's, to enjoy 80 degrees and sunshine just 2 1/2 hours away. We stopped at this great little shop full of bargains and left with a few more things than just a bottle of wine.
We found two bottles of wine, a bag of peaches, a bushels of grapes, and.................
This great new piece that I intend to re-do when my schedule prevails the time and add it to our guest room. I plan to sand it down, paint it antique white, sand again, and add some vintage hardware. There are two great things about this piece, first, it's in great condition, and second, it was such a steal!!!! I just love a bargain!!

It's quite heavy too, and these two guys loaded it up for me.
And, my very finest treasure of all!!! I can't show you the receipt on this one, my balance is well overdue ;)