What happens up north.....

The girls weekend away- this pic was taken on our balcony where we enjoyed cocktails after a very long hard day of shopping and touring the island!! :-) WOW- I think I look more like my mom as I grow closer to the 4-0!! Can you see the resemblance?

This is the back of the shirts we found and decided were a MUST HAVE after our WILD weekend away! (we even ran into Joe Morelli- are you a Janet Evanovich fan?) The shirts summed up the weekend well for us.......pssst, I'll tell my girls the stories later :-)

Destination - Unknown!

In August I received an invitation to a girls ONLY weekend away- for just my mom, my sil (Barb) (Tim's wife)and my brother Bill's significant other (Bridget) I call her my sil - lover her to pieces just the same!) We were given the departure time and place and approximate return time and place but the destination was left a mystery!! An RSVP was required by the end of 2nd week of Sept!
Barb, Mom and I were able to get away but we missed Bridget dearly! She is a 4th grade teacher- and I know both Kristin and Beth you understand that in Sept and 4th grade means MEAP prep time and just getting back to school...Bridget was not comfy being away and she also had a new principal!! We missed her!!
So here is how our weekend began! ( P.S. This was also youth hunt weekend- which meant I had to do some major planning to make sure everything went along without a hitch....Thank you Dad for taking the younger two boys!! They loved the special time...and the movie.
Here is how my weekend went.

On Friday Sept 22nd we headed to the destination still unknown to all ....but MOM. I knew we were heading NORTH which I had been doing that and a little WEST since I left home on Thursday- soon I would fall into a body of water of some sort, ya think?? Everytime we asked- Mom said watch the signs....then Barb and I started the annoying "Mom, are we almost there?" "How much longer?" and God love my Mom, just like when I was a kid she kept her cool and just suggested that Barb and I try the sign or license plate game...and soon we would notice if the vehicle came to a stop. IT DID! We came to a STOP around 630 PM- do you know where we were?? Can you guess?? Did you peek??

Mackinaw City! The Bridge! Mackinac City! Kewadin Casinos!

Cast Away

The cast has gone away! HOORAY! Jake saw the doctor yesterday and they decided the bone was fused well and they removed the cast....no brace no PT! However, he is sort of painful today so we are hoping it is just the lack of muscle strength that he is feeling and not the signs that maybe they took the cast off too early!
Better scoot off to work...had to post a positive update :-)

1.06.94-9.13.06

Today we made the toughest decision - we put Mandi to rest. Mandi has been a great little lady and she will be sadly missed by us all.
In 4.94 Steve, Koda and I went to the Paka Plaza and saw this adorable little pup in the showcase! Steve fell in love with her right off the bat. He sent me to the counter to find someone while he stood guard at the case....he was telling complete strangers that he was buying this puppy, pointing her out so that EVERYONE knew NOT to ask to buy HIS puppy. Back then I was a little ( ok, A LOT) embarrassed, now I love the memory!
We purchased her and from day one she has been an awesome pup! She was very easy to train, a great friend for the boys and another Mommy to them when I was not close by! No one could get near the backyard fence without her alerting us! She would not allow anyone to open the doors without letting them know she was right there!!
Some more of my favorite memories of her....how she HATED the newspaper...she would snatch it right out of the paperboys' hand if he made the mistake of opening the screen door and if he did not, she would try to jump through the door to get the paper..LITERALLY!
She had just one toy.....although we attempted to buy her many...in her eyes there was only ONE....a yellow rubber ducky that she STOLE from Koda's kiddie pool! She loved that duck....she would play fetch with it for hours! Even after Steve ran it over with the lawnmower and beheaded the duck....she still loved it!! It was only about 3-4 yrs ago that she stopped playing with the rough looking duck. (yes, we attempted to replace the duck, but NOPE there was only ONE yellow duck!!) I will greatly miss the friendship she and I had- the only 2 girls here we were a team! If ever I was sick and down....you could find her right next to my bed or in cases of the flu....waiting outside the bathroom door....she was my mommy too! Mandi will always be a very special pet to us all....the 2 younger boys came after she did....so they never knew of a time without her. WOWSA! This tough- my vision is a little clouded by the tears=
Tonight was pretty quiet around here....we all felt a little lost! In this little bitty house she is missed! Jackson had a pretty good storm with some big thunder and lightning. I was surprised when a HUGE crack of lightning sounded and Jake yelled out! "Hooray, Mandi bowled a strike!" How sweet that Jake and Steve had been earlier discussing that she was in Heaven- when the rain started they said they were tears from Heaven. They are so sweet.
Yes, the boys are already thinking that they need a new puppy soon.
We will see.....Daddy will need time to heal as he is really struggling!!
Thanks for reading and sharing my memories of my dear Mandi!!

busy night

It is the season finale for Big Brother- will Boogie or Erica win??? and the season opener for Dancing with the Stars- love the show!...what shall a girl do? Channel flip- cannot miss either one! I know you all think I need to get a grip or a real life...but it sure feels like an awesome way to settle in after one very busy day of home care and Hospice referrals! Poor people- so sorry they are ill but gosh golly couldn't they space the referrals out? LOL
Update you all on the outcome of my shows! G'night!

A new week...

Hope everyone has a great Monday.
Weekend was very busy, as always!! Koda and Steve got some practice shooting in with both guns so Koda could decide which he prefers for his first big hunt!! (*youth deer hunt) He now has a 30/30 rifle w/scope, and a 410 shotgun and an awesome bow! (all gifts!! best way to get them!)
Got more painting finished......and I went clothes shopping for ME! YEAH, but of course I came home with something for everyone else too!! LOL
Off for a busy week....have a great week everyone.

Feels like Fall

I think it is beginning to feel and smell like fall. Even my garden is showing signs of fall.

My pumpkin vines took over the yard but have only produced tiny little 'gumpys'. (Jake's term for Pumpkins when he was little..gumpys = pumpkins!)
Most of my marigolds are now hidden beneath my pumpkin vines- UGH!
We spent today cleaning up doing some fall -like cleaning and Steve is still working on painting the house. I made a yummy dinner (pork chops, corn on the cob and fresh green beans w/bacon! YUM!) Now it is time for me to start the dreaded laundry!
Happy weekend to you all.

TGIF

Oh I am so ready to sleep in tomorrow!! I feel worn out and dazed! Steve had a rough time waking me up this morning, much like the kids- I would wake up, lay back down and go back to sleep! LOL

Weekend plans....Hoping to house hunt a little, Koda is going out to practice shooting a few times at a gun range ( do not know anyone that we can target shoot on their property down here.) so they go to a shooting range. Dakoda is going out for the youth hunt this year! Hoping he can bag a BIG ONE in a couple of weeks! He got a rifle and shotgun for his 14th birthday! (Grandpa and Bill (cousin!) ) He is hunting the youth hunt up north and then will go with Dad here during the norm! season! He is very excited! He wants to hunt squirrel too because he wants to stalk his prey! Too funny!

All three boys are loving school now. Yesterday was a great day for all three. YES!!

Better get off to work...thing I need a Pumpkin Spice Cappuchino !!
Happy Friday to all!

school update

HOORAY! The younger boys made it on the bus in the morning and afternoon - AND made it to our house without walking a mile...LOL
Dakoda is adjusting to J High and seems to be liking it more. :>) BIG HOORAY!

WOW! Remember this is info released from my 5th grader!!
Steven had an interesting first day in science. He changes classes and so he met a new teacher too. The teacher was loading a presentation from his pc to be shown on the overhead....the presentation came on...and it was naked people and a title of PORN. The teacher explained it must be a virus...he shut off and re booted and he said INFACT, there is a virus! Ya think? Oh my - now Steve and I are a little shocked BUT also laughed hysterically about it behind closed doors when we imagined what this teacher must have thought and/or felt. Steven said the whole class gasped then started busting out laughing! Hello....5th graders= naked people- hilarious!! Hmm, what else does this new school have to offer??LOL
Hoping for a repeat day! ( minus the PORN!) LOL

back to school

Well we started on an awesome foot yesterday!! Everyone was up and ready in plenty of time...then it began! LOL (Jake and Steve are riding a bus for the first time this year....yes, 5th and 6th graders!!) We were standing at the bus stop and the bus rolled right past us....literally rolled....I could have thrown the boys on she was rolling slow enough...just never came to a stop!! LOL So I drove them and dropped them off....that was cool.
Dakoda started Jackson High- all was ok until he went to all of his classes and found no one he knew! Now he is bummed. ( told him to put on his big girl panties and deal with it.) I will help him if he really needs to get out of a class.....he is an algebra class with 10th graders that are repeating the class and he is UNimpressed!! :-) We had a great chat last night and he started today with a better attitude. (cross your fingers for me)
Oh I almost forgot ...... Jake and Steve rode the bus home yesterday afternoon.....LOL. The bus again rolled past their stop and our house....and they got off when the bus stopped next....which was up by Beth and Kyle's. Luckily, Jake has a built in GPS/ compass in his head and remembers directions when we go places - so they walked home from up there. I explained to them I was proud of them for handling the situation the way they did BUT told them that it is the bus drivers job to get them HOME! Go up and tell her that she missed your spot and she will HAVE to go back! LOL Jake said "no way! I would have been on that bus forever!!" LOL
All in all I , like you all, am so glad school has started! I was able to get dishes done, laundry changed over and the house picked up after my kids were gone and yet before I needed to leave!! ( the bus picks up at 635 AM and Koda gets a ride at 710 AM) LOve it.
Today so far went great! The bus STOPPED today and Koda left with a better frame of mind!!
Can't wait to get caught up on blogs!!
**Is it Novemeer yet??**