I have nothing

(Please note James)

I have nothing to say these days. I don't know what it is, but I just don't have it on the blog lately. I must be getting blind in the monotony that is life. Nothing wrong with that because I'm happy and life is good, just makes for a boring blog the last couple months I guess.

So what else is there to do in a time like this but find a tag and tag yourself so you have something, anything to blog about to get things going again.

I found this tag over at visible voice. She's a crack-up. I guess you just have to make jokes to get through when you live where she does! Well, I've been sneaking on her blog off and on for awhile as per Rhonda's advice. Turns out, she sneaks on me here and there too! COOL! If we all started fessing up, think of the webs we could weave!
Anyway, on to the tag. They are all the same, but different. So read on if you want to see my family pics from Rhonda dispersed throughout your in-blog entertainment.

Your Hair:

LOOOOOONG. The longest it has ever been ever and I love it. I have the occasional dream that I get a huge chop of a haircut and it's cute, but I'm devastated inside in that dream. So I'm not ready to lose the locks yet. The last time I had a chop was 3 years ago at Christmas, right before Brooke's wedding here. I loved it there and I do sometimes miss short blond hair. But if we are keeping score, I get checked out way more when I have long hair, even in the mini van. (c'mon don't pretend you don't notice when you get checked out) and who doesn't love that once in a while?!

Where is your cell phone?

in Derek's pocket

Your Mother:

Good, Great, Grand. I mean where would I start? We live with her, she is a saint (you too dad!)

In the mountains where she belongs! (I make fun of her for how much she goes hiking, mostly cause I'm jealous)

Your Father:

A genuinely good person. If he wasn't my dad and was a guy I knew I would still have the same respect I do for him.

(how can you not respect a __ year old guy who wants to try out his new wakeboard?)

Your Favorite Food:

Seriously, I love all food. I'm not picky. Put something in front of me and I'll most likely eat it. I'm actually trying to remedy that slightly. I don't exactly have that teenage metabolism anymore, dang it. I need boundaries. But I enjoy chocolate and bread in all forms and a good casserole....(please tell me i got a laugh at that)

Your dream from last night:

It wasn't a haircutting dream. I do dream all the time, but I don't remember, I had to share a bed with the sickie James and he is a manic in his sleep too. Kicking me all night.

Your favorite drink:

Derek makes good drinks. I like the margaritas and pina colada's, but lately I want starbucks hot chocolate. (any flavor with will do) There is this dang distance factor in the evening when I'm cold and craving one.

Your Dream/Goal:

I should probably have some of these.

What room are you in:

Kitchen, James is sitting beside me eating an orange. errrrrrr, go to bed!

What is your hobby:

I should really get some more of these, but I'm content right now. I still like to run and workout. Also, I'm doing piano lessons and I crave to be good at it, but I'm not. That's about it.



What is your fear:

I'm not going there. I hate talking about it enough that I don't want to write about. I said it on here at one point in time and I'm just not up for right now.

Where were you last night:

Working.

Something you are not:

I'm not really passionate about anything. Sometimes I wish I was, but that's just not me I've found. I think if I didn't have kids, I would go back to school and either get my degree in nursing or do something interior designish. I would love to be smart enough to work in a real ER. Or to get all the swirlling in my head decorating ideas organized and really find my true style and DO it! But the whole kid thing is workin for me right now.



Muffins:

Just waiting for the bananas to over rippen!

Where did you grow up:

Here. Good ol small town Raymond. Blah boring, but I love it!

The last thing you did:

Swept the kitchen floor

What are you wearing:

Jeans and a black shirt, exciting, I know.

Your TV:

my friend.

Your pet:

no thank you

Your friends:

the BEST!  I have many.  Here are a select few having a hearty laugh while the waiter played photographer.  Apparently I got a real kick out of it.  And how embarrasing that I'm wearing the same shirt as in the fam pics!

Your life:

Not bad. Derek has a good job. We are healthy and happy. I'm really trying to focus on the little things with my kids these days. Just enjoying them. I don't want to waste time feeling guilty about the things I might not be the best at as a mother or in life. It's not fair to me or my family.



Your Mood:

Not a good mood, not a bad. Just here, kinda lame I know.

Missing someone:

Always.

I wasn't going to do it, but ok, I miss Jacklyn all the time. Sometimes I don't, but mostly I do. Is that pathetic? Well if it is I don't think so.

Please don't hate for this picture Jack, I love out lipstick.

Vehicle:

The van is making a weird noise. I still reach for the clutch when I drive it. (the other car is a standard)

Your Favorite Store:

I like stores. I just like going in them, and I'm a SLOW shopper, so I usually go alone or drag the kids to make it even slower and yet less productive at the same time.

Your Favorite Color:

I don't know, Green I guess

When's the last time you laughed:

Oh laughter. It would take too much background and too long to type and then you might not even laugh, so I won't but oh James. If anyone watches SNL I'll tell you the story.



Your best friend:

The one and Only. So hot.



One place you go over and over:

ummmm, crazy?

One person who emails you regularly:

I'm not a regular email kinda gal, but I chat to Susie regularly.

Favorite place to eat:

This is where I am weird. I mean I like most foods, which in return means I don't have a definite place I LOVE to eat. I just like going pretty much anywhere that I don't have to cook.

Where do you want to be in six years:

Wow, 6 years. I would be happy being right where I am right now in life. (minus living at the parents, did you have a small heart attack mom?) Things are good, and I can't complain.

TAG You're IT!

I have loads more pics, but I'll spare you.  I'm so happy with them!

Hope this was all as exciting for you as it was for me!

don't worry, i'm still a slacker mom.

I think I do things pretty much the same living with my parents. I try not to get in their way too much. I clean up after the lot of us most of the time, just like if we had our own place. (own place...sigh) And so my routine may involve a little nap here and there.

Last week I was reading the kids some books on the couch. The next thing I knew I woke up to THIS!


Falling asleep in the afternoon while reading is no surprise for me even when I thought I wasn't tired when I sat down. When I woke I thought I must have been sleeping for an hour with the mess. The kids had got into the games cupboard as you can see. I jumped up (for fear of the time and my mom or Derek would be home any second) and looked at the time and realized I could not have been asleep for more 5 minutes or so. 5 MINUTES! Not bad kids, not bad. I let them keep playing with all the stuff for over an hour. They weren't wrecking anything, so I decided why not. And I made supper. Derek did see the mess (and helped me with the looooong process of cleaning up) but my mom didn't, phew. I guess she'll see it now.

We are really liking living here. I'm so glad my parents are happy to have us here for a while until we figure out what is next for us. The kids really like being around the grandparents, and being here whenever anyone else in the fam is here for a visit. My parents are gone to their condo in Arizona right now for 2 weeks, so we are really partying it up here...really.


On Monday we decided to go in the hot tub for fhe. We don't take the kids in very often, and I don't know why. They LOVE it! It's like a mini swimming pool. I decided to snap a few pics

This picture cracks me up, clearly she was getting some coaching from Derek for this pose.

Let's all get a good laugh at Derek's face in this picture

Maniac

On a final note, that has nothing to do with me being a slacker mom or a fun hot tub mom, tomorrow is Remembrance Day. Neither of my grandpa's served in the war for various reasons and I'm not quite sure I remember exactly why. Mom Dad, remind me? Both of Dereks' grandpa's served in the war. Derek's sister Mindy wrote about this on her blog. She wrote some good things and has good pictures.

The one thing I have heard grandpa Hicken say is how when he was over in the the war in the army, he and a friend saw all the planes and thought it would be so cool to be doing that. So they asked if they could change to the air force and they did. He flew on over 20 missions (or more maybe?) and they were all successful.
When I was 14 or 15 my family went to France. While we were there we went to a couple places that were affected by the war. I remember rows and rows of crosses, and I remember a little tiny village that was still there in ruins. If I remember right the small place got attacked and pretty much everyone was killed. There was a tiny cemetery filled. Almost incomprehensible.
Derek loves learning about the history of all these things. (he would love to teach social studies) Me, I haven't been as into it. But I do have a deep respect for all those that served in the the war and are serving right now. We are so blessed to be in a country where we are free. It doesn't matter all the politics of the war when it comes down to the people who are serving and putting their life at risk. When you hear stories about what happened in the war, you can't help but be affected by them. My mom usually always took us to the cenotaph in Raymond for the ceremony on Remembrance Day growing up. I sometimes thought it was annoying to do on our day off school, but I understand now.

do people still care?

I'm not too late with the Halloween post, right? I've kinda been working a little bit more in the evenings this week because so many of the nurses are off sick and they are so so so short and it is ridiculously busy there. Every once and a while I'm nice and work extra, but not often! Speaking of...I refuse to bring up my day of waiting in line last week for the H1N1 shot, terrible experience all around. But I will report that the clinic for 5 and under in Raymond today was a success. I walked in, and there were 3 of the 7 or 8 nurses just waiting for me to choose which one would be graced to give my screaming kids a nice needle.



Anyway, Halloween was really an event this year as usual. My kids had the countdown on. I don't know the source, but I heard Halloween was 2nd only to Christmas in it's celebration. Ummm, no. I'm not a complete Halloween Grinch, (ya might as well have fun with the kids by now right) but all the sugar and treats, no good. I have zero self control this time of year, not that I have any during the rest of the year either.

We did manage to have the token pumpkin carving fhe of course. Except I totally forgot to take a picture of the finished products, they were good too. I drew on a face of the pumkin, other than that Derek did it all the rest with the kids, I'm still a little grinch. And for that, I cut off his head in the picture, oops! I think they carved 3 or 4?



Ryan and Sarabeth had a party the weekend before with kids and the whole deal. (See picture of the whole fam jazzed up above.) So fun of course. You really can't go wrong with a dance party in the basement with the lights out and glow sticks, it's the best part every year! The kids had so much and so did everyone else. Then Britt had a couples dress up party at her house the day before Halloween. Everyone dressed up and it was fun to hang out. So by the true and real Halloween I was dressed up out. Alli was bummed that we didn't dress up with her to go trick or treating, then she got over it when she remembered you get candy when you go, so who cares who is dressed up!


I could not get the kids to look at the camera. The street was already a buzz with children receiving candy for nothing! There was no looking at me.

After the kids were settled into a nice sugar high, I took off to Lethbridge to meet up with my good ol friend Melissa. She was up for a few days from Las Vegas visiting her fam. We went with Shelly out to eat, and let me tell you, nobody is out at restaurants on Halloween, but the staff really dress it up! We had fun talking and laughing our faces off.



Another successful Halloween done and done!


Also, here's a look at dresser uppers from the party.

The winner of the night. Peter Pan and Wendy (a preggo wendy, hehe)

Zombies

The tie for 2nd. I'm bummed you can't see in the picture, but this just happens to be a preggo nun! (I totally messed up taking a picture of Rebecca the photographer, dang it!)

The other 2nd place. Princess Laya and the guy with her...!
The ol angel and devil
Julie and Jeff, the farmer hillbillies

Ok, Tara's husband ditched on the dress up, so she posed with Jill

The other angel and devil who showed up late and TOTALLY showed us up! (seriously I was a little scared of Matt)
We needed a little H1N1 to spread
Ok, I lied. I missed one couple. The killer bee's were there with their clever non copout costume..right Marisa?!