Gorrilla Ball or Basketball wrestling?

I am slacking with the posts! Sorry. This is from our basketball tourney in Brooks a few weeks ago. It was fun and very sad at the same time. We were excited to be in our old stomping grounds and a little stressed about playing our old team.



Here is London with Ashley, one of her good friends here.


It was some crazy competition and a couple really rough games. London had her fingers jammed in one of the games and was in crazy pain but kept playing. We saw her over shaking her hand over and over on the floor and afterwards it was swollen and black and blue. She had to tape it for the championship game between us and Brooks.

The whole team around the table, waiting forever for our lunch ....over an hour wait! It was crazy and we had awful waitresses!!!! Good food in the end.

Announcing the winners at the end. We lost our game to Brooks...what a battle that was. Even though we lost the last game we still won gold as our team had more points! Yippee. It was the first game in the season that went into overtime....Man, it was an intense game!

This was the score of the last game. I have to say, this was one of the hardest things ever, to see your child struggle to play against her best friend and old team members. It was awful. Of course, Dela and family were great. They stayed and cheered for London for all her games. Dela is like a second mom to London. We love her so much. It was so strange how we went from teammate to enemy. Even the some of the girls that were old friends didn't know how to act and treated us like the enemy. I think it is an age thing. They felt like London was a traitor. So the game was very physical and ugly. London guarded a girl that she had a history of dislike with...she is the typical mean girl that ruins everyone else's school life. London guarded her hard like usual but this girl took it personally, as did London, and there was lots of pushing, shoving and almost punching in the face. I was shocked. The worst part was that her mother, who sat behind me, kept screaming for her to punch London in the face. Kill her, make her bleed. Man, let's just say I got lots of crocheting done as I tried to control myself......unfortunately it didn't end very well and both Sean and I said things we regret. Ah.....how I wish I would progress and be more meek.

Waiting for the results

The results...They won gold. I love the looks on their faces!

Victory! They are all really nice girls. London really likes her team

Showing the goods

The games came with a price. Poor Ashley got her shoulder pulled out. We ended up in the ER visiting her....she is still out of the games. 3 weeks later. She is one of our best players. London's finger is as good as new. Basketball is so fun to watch. London really loves it and I am proud of what a good little team player she is. It is a crazy busy season as she has practice every night....Sometimes I feel like she is never here! I will be glad in one way when it is over....except she starts rugby next....Have you seen how violent that game is? I may have to stay home! lol

Here is a bruise count. I can't believe how many bruises this kid gets. It is like wrestling out there some times!

Finger marks....she had several full finger tip prints from people grabbing her arm...which she likes to keep shoved in their backs. She even had a perfect hand print bruise on her chest.

skinned knee's every game!

Hand bruised up the next day.

Inspired to get ORgaNiZed

Well, I have caught the organizing bug and love it! The last couple of days, every time Sean asks where something is I am able to answer him and tell him exactly where. It is a great feeling. Now the key is to put everything back. Take that extra minute.

It all started when I went to visit my very organized Sister-in-Law. She was kind enough to let me look in every closet, kitchen cupboard and nook and cranny to see her organizing ideas. It was AMAZING! She had everything perfect...even color coordinated clothing (this is where she gets a little over the top..lol) As you can see, I didn't go that far. I have another really organized friend, Joanne, but I haven't gone into her closets but her house is never cluttered.


I have decided the key to organizing is containers. I have spent a small fortune, the cost of a small island I am sure, to buy buy buy containers, bins and gadgets to organize, but it really helped.
Then you just find a place and put it there. I de-junked some and got rid of a bit of stuff but unlike Joanne and Kate, I love a bit of clutter and I love my things. I just never know when I might need it for a calling, an object lesson or if someone visits. Sigh... I should get rid of a lot more and maybe in a few months I will get to that point.

I love the way my closet looks. I wish I had the wicker baskets on the top as they are so beautiful, but they are lots more money, so for now I will be happy with these sturdy guys from Walmart.



The biggest project I had is my craft cupboard. It was a disaster...really. I never knew where anything was when I needed it (which was right away) so I dug and then shoved everything back...remember I just moved so this isn't even as bad as it has gotten in the past.

I can hear panicked breathing of my organized friends...Joanne has already started the van and is loading up the kids (who I miss by the way...it would be nice to have you show up xxx) hoping to get at this mess.

I love my craft supplies. I never do anything with them...but I love them!.... Are you ready .....TA DA!

Doesn't it look so much better! I love all these containers. I keep opening it and looking at my cupboard. I know.... boring but it makes me so happy!

oooooohhhhhh awwwwwweeeee I never got a good full picture but it is containers from top to bottom

When Dad moved he didn't have room for this anymore so he gave it to me. Well, I am in love. He used it in his laundry room but I decided to make a material cupboard. In our old place it was in several bins that were stored out back and it was such a big deal to get it. So I never bothered to sew too often. Well, now it is in my house and I can get at it when ever. I am soooo happy.

It is hard to make it look organized when it is all fat quarters and then big and little pieces. If you have any hints let me know. I still love it! It is amazing to have it right where I need it.

My kitchen junk drawer.

Under my sink. I love the stuff I found, especially the little hangy thing and the shelf. Both on sale I might add.

Last of all my office drawer.

I still have a long way to go but I am getting it done and it feels great! The pressure off my shoulders already is amazing. Thanks for the inspiration Kate!

Daddy's dancing darling

OK so New Year's Eve was London's first dance!  She finally turned 14.  She has been very excited/nervous about this.  For her birthday we got a Wii dance game and had a dance themed party.  We never did have a friends big birthday party.  Christmas time was too crazy this year.  There is always year 15!  So the big day finally arrived.  Two of her friends came over for the day and took over my bathroom about 3 hours before the dance. Notice the "Mom you are so weird" look on her face?

As my dad would say they were "trying to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear"  Which in this case isn't true! Oh to be young again and have such beautiful skin, hair....everything young and not starting to droop...OK I digress back to London.

I got Holly brushing those toothies so that they sparkle too!  She will just love this picture!

London wore curlers all night and day (the spongy pink ones) to achieve these curls.  She was even brave enough to go shopping in them and have everyone stare at her.  It was so funny!   Here is the after result of all the time spent....boy was it worth it!  How beautiful.  I helped them all do their hair and put on a little bit of make up.  London got a few things of make up for her birthday which she decided to wear to the dance.  It was so fun to hear all the giggles coming from the bathroom and all the plans of who they wanted to dance with.

We found this dress at Sears, regular $160, for around $20.  I forgot all the details now but it was a smoking deal!!  It suited her perfectly.  There was this darling grandma in the change room that wouldn't leave until she modelled all the dresses for her.  She insisted on this one (as did I).  It was so cute she was adorable!
Anyway, the sweetest thing happened when she came out to present herself to Sean, Grandpa and me for pictures.  I looked over and there is Sean in the kitchen with a paper towel dabbing tears.  It was a tender moment.  I am so glad that he loves her so much.  He kept saying she is so beautiful and that she looks 17!  It is hard on us parents to see our babies growing up!

Doing the Charlie's Angels pose!  I think it is so funny that so many  of London's friends are so much shorter than her.  She looks like a giant!  She is wearing flat boots as well.

It was so fun waiting for her to come home and listening to them talk all about who they danced with and everything that happened.  I love being a mom of a teenager! The adventures never end!  The next day she had her first boy girl toboggan party.  It was a fun New Years Day.

Before and After....shaggy to chic

I know you are all wondering if it was me getting the hair cut ....nope it is the other shaggy one!  Blossom is so funny.  She becomes a different dog as her hair gets longer.  She is slower, hotter and cuter.  When she gets a hair cut she becomes a puppy again.  Dancing around and really proud of her hair cut.  She is very self conscience at first so we have to be careful to not tease her.  We need to tell her how pretty she is.  I am NOT joking.  We made fun of her at first and she was sooooo upset.  The only problem with Short hair is she freezes outside and more than once we have to go out and rescue her as she is too cold to walk back in and just holds up her foot and looks at you.  Also it is more crowded in bed as she sleeps in between us under the sheets!  Yup two snorers snugging with me!

Sledding around!

During Christmas holidays we had the family up for some fun!  We got out our calf sled and pulled the kids...and Brigham.  He loved to ride with the kids.  He was so excited to have everyone playing outside in HIS yard.  He thinks he owns it.  Every time Blossom goes outside to pee he blocks her path back into the house and bullies her.  He is a nice dog but a big bully!  He ran after the sled for hours.  He started nipping at everyone so we had to lock him away for part of the day...bad doggie!

The little quad zips around just fine in the snow!  The kids are so good at driving the quads now.

Teija is holding a kitty.  EJ's kids love the animals and pack them around all day long.  So the kitten yet to be named got a ride too! So what should I name our pure black kitten?

EJ Drove the quad around forever.  Poor guy froze to death!  More fun...they are doing the roller coaster arms.

I love having family over.  It is so fun for the kids to have lots of things to do outside.  I am not a big fan of the cold so I mostly watched from inside.

Grandpa Jack brought over a truck hood so the boys were getting it ready to go for a spin.

There they are on the truck hood.  I never got a really good picture as they were in the back field most of the time.  It sounded fun!

Hannah and Tejia both had a Christmas wish for their two front teeth!  So we had them singing that all afternoon.

Hot Chocolate and treats were needed after all the cold fun!

This is my youngest newest nephew Zeke!  He had a little nap on our bed.  He is such a darling little boy.  He was to little this year for any sledding but next year.....watch out!

Another far away shot of the truck hood.

A Holly Jolly Christmas!

Here is all of London's loot from Santa...No... she didn't get dog biscuits, she shared her chair with Brigham. 

Here is Blossom not impressed with her first present... the Christmas collar...Santa is so mean to puppies!  She is so funny. This year when we got out her stocking she was so excited.  It squeaks so she is able to play with it.  Well, she remembered that she gets treats in it.  She wouldn't ever come upstairs.  She would sit downstairs with it everyday.  Up until this point she never spent time downstairs.  Every time she went outside to pee she would run down to check if this was the big day yet.  It was so cute.  When she saw Santa come and fill it she had to be carried upstairs to bed.  Then she sat on the bed looking out.  We had to lock her in so she wouldn't go downstairs early!

Here is Big Momma's stocking filled by her honey...it was full of beautiful perfumes, lots of yummy stuff and an awesome cookbook etc...

Here is Grandpa's Stocking and the cats stocking both filled with care.  All our animals have stockings and get special breakfasts Christmas morning.  I really miss now that we don't have horses. We used to go out and give them apples, carrots and oats...it was such a fun tradition.  The one year when we were having mouse problems I even went around and sprung all the traps because I didn't have the heart for them to die on Christmas day.  I set them again that night....Sean thinks I am crazy for that one!


Blossom and London playing with her stocking.  We love the animal stockings so much that every year London opens them before she does her own.

London and her father have a gift for guessing gifts...they are gift mediums.  I hate it.  They just touch it and know, so there is no shaking of presents or holding them at all allowed in the house. I remember for London's birthday when she was about 4, as soon as she saw the box she was so excited as it was a Poochi!  We got her this awesome belt buckle that was Yoda so Sean had fun wrapping it crazy so she wouldn't know what it was...hee hee.  It was hard to get into.

  I got Sean a jack from Costco that was so heavy we had to have help everywhere getting it in.  Luckily we had our carpenter at home and I begged him to bring it in the house.  Then I wrapped the lid and pushed with my legs to get it under the tree.

All the treasures unwrapped!  Yup, we are all spoiled rotten.

Both Grandpa and Blossom were worn out.  No wonder they are best buddies.  They are both checking their eyelids for holes!  We really love having Grandpa for Christmas.  London conned him to coming over early. He was there by 7:30...what a great sport.

We started a new tradition this year that was so fun.  I got a pickle decoration and you hide the pickle and the first one to find it on the tree gets the last present to open ( something special). Next year it will be a really good gift. This year I forgot until Christmas Eve so I stole some candy from Sean's stocking and wrapped it.  It turned out so fun!  I hid it really hard.  We all got little flashlights in our stocking so Grandpa used it right away and then everyone took it out.  Sean finally found the pickle after 5 minutes when I finally gave them hot and cold tips as Christmas breakfast was awaiting!  So now next year Sean hides it and buys the gift to give.  It will be a goodie when he does it.

still looking!


Modeling her snuggie knockoff from Costco.

There is room for two!  As long as it is only a DOG!!!!  NO BOYS LONDON!

*  OK Tammi this is a special note for you...you think you have snow, girlfriend....just you wait until one of my next posts.  Wimp!