Hollywood Doesnt' Even Care If You're Dead

So, I was at the Wally World tonight. Just got back, actually. I don't go during normal person hours because I have yet to find the joy in grocery shopping with three children. I was standing in a very long line so I grabbed a tabloid. I opened it up to the middle and saw a small article at the bottom. It read something like this:
"Batman, the Dark Knight, Heath Ledger's last film (and it has a picutre of him) tromped on Meryl Streep's Mamma Mia 158 million to 28 million opening weekend." And I'm thinking, "What the hell?! Like it's a contest? The man is dead, I dont think he cares." I saw both these films this week. They aren't even in the same venue othere than you eat popcorn when you watch them. And even though he's dead, it's still so monetary. He's the one who made that film what it was. So while Meryl Streep only has her piddly 28 million, and I guess the point that was brought home to me was, she's still around to spend it. And Heath Ledger, well, unfortunately he is not. (Sigh)

Get Use To Those Bars, Kid!!

In a 25 minute time period the other day, my daughter had:
1) Ripped down my front room window curtains.

2) Dumped her macaroni and cheese on my kitchen floor and danced on it.

3) Poured her brothers paint water (green) on my carpet (beige).

4) Smacked her brother twice

5) Climbed on my kitchen table and dumped salt all over the place.

Now,you are thinking, "Where is this girl's mother?"
1) Re-hanging the curtains

2) Wiping up squished macaroni and cheese

3) Cleaning my carpet

4) Hugging the brother

5) Wiping and sweeping up salt.

Below is a picture of what I had to resort too. Confined to her crib with a book because I was going to kill her. My parting words were, "Get use those bars, kid!"

I have this problem . . .

I am obsessed with chips and salsa. I eat it all the time at school. Like, if I had to choose between chips and salsa and say, a really great salad from Wingers with extra balsamic vinegar dressing because it's so good you want to drink it, I just might choose chips and salsa. I have this really yummy recipie for fresh salsa and I thought it sounded good yesterday for our bbq with some friends. I ate the entire bowl. Actually, let me rephrase that. I am currently finishing off the entire bowl. And it's not like I grab a chip while I walk by on my way to change laudry or dust or something. I sit and inhale the bag and bowl. It might be good for me except it's the ENTIRE bowl. It goes along well with the half a chocolate cake I polished off last night. I think I need to get out of my house.

Bear Lake

My friend Kristin invited us up to her parents cabin at Bear Lake this week. It was so great! We swam, ate, played, talked and talked some more. This is the view off the deck of the cabin. It is so peaceful there. So quiet and life moves at a slower pace. I could get use to sitting around in the sun.

All the kids in the lake!

This is Anna (Kristin's litte one) and Duncan having lunch together. They are only two weeks apart. I would say they may hook up later to wed, but they are both fairly bull-headed. So I don't see that really playing out.

Here we are sitting at the lake. She played in the sand for about an hour while I roasted my shoulders in the sun. I love summer!!

Here we are at the pool! I doused her in sunscreen and her hair stood on end. Oh, the hair. We are working on it.

More Marsh Lake with Aunt Vicki, Grammy and Uncle Brock

I was going back through pictures and found a few more that I just love and wanted to share. I love pictures with people in them. More so than just scenic stuff. I love to try and capture a feeling or a moment. I'm in no way a photographer. I wish I was. These are just moments I caught with Lee-lee that were too precious to pass up. These three people (Grammy, Ry's mom, Vicki, Ry's sister, and Brock, Vicki's husband) love my Amy so much. I think you can tell that by the pictures. The one of her and Vicki breaks my heart it's so tender. I am lucky to have so many people who care so much about me and my family. (I know I don't have alot of pictures of Dunc on this trip. He was off playing. I barely saw the kid!)

Marsh Lake 2008

Every year Ryan's entire family, his mom and dad, all six siblings, spouses and children go to Marsh Lake for the family campout. There's something like 45 of us. It's a riot. Ry's parents have done this for 40 some odd years. This is where Ryan proposed to me. I had to gut my first fish to prove my worthiness that year. But it was so worth it. It was a great year and tender as none of us thought Ry's mom would be with us again this year. But she was a great camper even feeling so icky. I love this place. There is a spirit here that I love to feel when I'm there. I can focus, re-group for the next school year and spend time with my brothers and sisters-in-law. I love playing with my nieces and nephews too. And yes, Marsh really is as beautiful as this picture.

This picture has a story. The boy in the picture is my nephew Justin. When Justin was only 2 years old, he walked across this ledge on the mountain and brought me my engagement ring and asked if I'd marry his Uncle Ryan. I still can't believe his mom let him do that. Justin has always been prone to falling over. So, every year we go up to 'our spot' and take a picture. But notice, no Ryan or RyLeigh? There were both home sick from our trip!! We were so sad, but Ry and I felt like I should still go and take Duncan and Lee-lee. I even drove our new motor home up all by myself. It was awesome! (Thanks to Scott, Brock, Steve, Britney, Emma, Justin and Braxton for helping me so much on the trip with everything I needed. I love you guys!)

Here are my camping monkeys! There were so good while we were there. We all missed RyLeigh and Dad though. Marsh Lake just wasn't the same without them.

Here's Dunc and his cousins in our motor home. They are all such good friends and look so cute in this picture. Camping is so hard with little ones, but these memories make it all worth it.

Okay, so Uncle Scott (Ry's brother) tied Amy to the dog chain then Uncle Steve (Ry's brother) put an Oreo just out of reach. Notice, she already has one in each hand, but dangit, if there's one more to be had why not!? A girl after my own heart.

I love this picture. We were just sitting around the campfire one afternoon and she crawled in my lap. She's such a monkey.

Amylee and her Pop

This is Amylee's favorite person on this planet. This is Pop, Ryan's dad. They have been best buddies for awhile now. When we pull into his driveway, Amy starts squealing and we can't get inside fast enough. She runs to his chair in the living room and if he isn't there she freaks out! When this picture was taken, I told her to "go sit by Pop and let me take your picture." She snuggled right up against him. This picture is the most tender thing ever. There is a picture of Grammy and Pop in Lee-lee's bedroom. WE have to say goodnight and sing to Pop every night before we go to bed. Amylee's Pop is an amazing man. He is taking care of Mom who is in her final stages of cancer. I admire him and love him for the example he is to me and my children. If a picture really is worth a thousand words, than this says it all.

4th of July

I love the 4th of July. It's one of my top four holidays. It just makes me happy. I love to be hot and eating a hot dog and sticky from my kids' hands after eating taffy at the parade. The best tradition of all is our family water slide. We use to do this at Mom and Dad Thorne's house, but this year we moved the party to Aunt Vicki's. Uncle Brock turned on the sprinklers and the kids ran for it. Here are my two monkies hitting the slide like the wild children they are. YEA for Independence!!

More New York!

Okay, I promise after this set of pictures I'll be done talking about New York. These are of us at Coney Island. We walked along the beach and collected sea shells. I've never done that with my children before and RyLeigh and I had a blast. I love the ocean. It fills my soul with immense power when I stand and watch the waves roll in. I don't get there nearly enough. Then, we have RyLeigh getting ready to eat her first Nathan's hot dog. (Did you all see the hot dog eating contest on the 4th of July on ESPN? This is where it takes place. At Coney Island! The winner ate 64 hot dogs. Makes me want to vomit just thinking about it!)

Little Ethan

This is my little Ethan. I got to babysit him today and he is so squishy. This is Ryan's sisters little monkey. He mostly cries all the time because of colic, but he's oh so cute. He didn't cry for me today at all. It may be because I'm the favorite Aunt. Truly.

RyLeigh Kaye

This is one of my most favorite pictures of RyLeigh ever. Just wanted to share. We are in Central Park.