What we did during the fire...enjoyed each others company.

Fire on the hill

Deja Vu

As all of you remember 4 years ago the cedar fire ripped through our neighboring community Scripps Ranch where my parents lived and where I resided for a few years before I got married. Well in four days it will be the anniversary of those fires and I am sitting exactly where I was four years ago, my moms work here in Miramar. This morning we spent glued to the tv watching the devastation that fires bring to our lives. We sat there thinking that we were out of danger, how could it possibly touch our lives once again? Realization set in when I got a sobering phone call from Sage telling me that the parents of our best friends Kim & Nicky lost their beautiful home in Highland Valley. They lost everything. And in some ways I feel like Kim & Nicky lost also, childhood or teen memories good and bad. I love you Kim and Nicky, we are praying for you and your Dad and Dena. When Garon and I received that news we started packing, pictures, papers, handy-cam videos, everything that meant one iota to us. Thank god Wyatt was napping because we were able to get it done quite quickly. Gabrielle on the other hand was very scared and wanted to take everything that had memories for her even if it meant bringing her rock collection, our words to her were bring anything that is not replaceable. Let's just say she has alot of irreplaceable stuff. So we packed everything up and set it by the front door just in case. Just in case we woke up in the middle of the night with our neighborhood on fire we could grab and run. Grab and go? WTF! I hate this, I hate this! I hate that people are devastated by this, I hate that people are getting hurt or will get hurt. I have been on the internet looking at houses and jobs in far away places. Places that won't have fires that take away homes and lives. So here I sit, after being sent away by my husband to safer ground, with two kids and two dogs. Four years ago I sat at this computer pregnant with Wyatt and little old Baby (RIP), in my lap.

Lot's of time on my hands?

This week was pretty much non-eventful which I hate to say was wonderful. The week went fast and nothing bad, scary or expensive happened. I have been doing a lot of snooping around other blogs and the one I found most interesting this week was www.lauragallagher.com/blog/ you can find it through my "ordinary mom" link. On one of her previous posts she talks about SMART Habit Saturday. Saving Money, Associations, Resources and Time, I really never knew there were people out there that actually think this stuff up and not get paid for it, well maybe she does get paid for it, but it sound very interesting and makes making new good habits easy. I am always up for self improvement, so I am definitely going to give it a try. I want to try to make my bed every morning, clean off my counter top every night and walk my dogs three nights a week, I used her suggestions because as all of you know I am pretty perfect already. I will let you know how it goes, if it isn't going so well you won't hear one word.Did I tell you I want to start scrapbooking for the kids. When will I find all this time?

Julian

Julian is where we go every year to have breakfast, pick apples and pick pumpkins for Halloween. This year it was a little sad because due to the frost the apple orchards were closed, dang that frost. Other than that our day was pretty much perfect. We went shopping on Main Street, love the little shops that already have Christmas decorations. Then it was pumpkin time! Which was really fun until Wyatt decided to poop his pants, pee-eew! Oh yea, I almost forgot, we had to stop and get a apple pie of course. We love Julian!

Julian

Rainy Day

I love rainy days. Especially when I get to make cookies with my chillins. Saturday was perfect day to get out the Halloween cookie cutters and roll out the dough. Actually this was Wyatts idea, his exact words "Mama I want to make cookies, want to roll them and eat 'em" and that was exactly what he did.

Growing up?

So is this how life goes when you are raising a pre-teen daughter? One minute she is wearing ruffles and pigtails and the next minute she is sneaking clothes out of the house. This morning I noticed the outfit Gabrielle had set out consisted of a tank top and an old pair of jean shorts, ok not so bad but didn't I just go out and spend almost an entire paycheck on new school clothes? Nordstrom, Abercrombie, etc. Yea, she's spoiled. So I mentioned to her the nice new shorts I had recently purchased for her, and with a little argument from her she agreed to wear the new ones. Well, Gabrielle goes to my moms every morning and on this particular morning she took her clothes with her to get dressed. I saw her grab her "new" shorts and a belt and "Goodbye mom, luv ya" off she went. As she was walking to the car after school I noticed those dingy, tad bit too small jean shorts on her. When I asked her when put them on, I was thinking she was going to say the other shorts bothered her but she said "I put them on at Nanas" WHAT? "Gabrielle you hid them from me and purposely took the ones I wanted you to wear so I wouldn't get mad?" You know what the kid said! "Yes" She totally admitted lying and being deceitful to me. I never remember doing something like this to my mom, I was perfect, I was! What am I in for?

Is it the weekend yet?

Our weekends have been so great lately that it is all I can think about. The one coming up means Julian for apple and pumpkin pickin. We were going to wait till October 20th but Garon swears that it will be crazy that weekend, oh well I am ready anyway. Fall here we come!

Gabrielle made "Playground Patrol" I am so proud of her, I asked her what it meant and she said she gets to help with the kinders at lunch assisting them with opening their milk and throwing away their trash, how cute. It seems like just yesterday when Gabrielle was a kinder. Time fly's so fast now a'days. Wyatt is doing great at preschool I think he is the most popular with the girls, he came home the other day and wanted to kiss just about everything even the front door. I wonder who is teaching him these things?
So, Marissa what is the date? You know I am ready! Oh yea, you can now comment on my blog, cause you know I really want to know what you have to say.
I am off to get dinner done, tonight it is Braised Apple and Sauerkraut Pork Chops and Mashed Potatoes, yummy!

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I Love My Freinds!

Last night Sage, Jer, Travis and Marissa came over for dinner and we had a great time. I woke up this morning and immediately wanted to blog. Sage I expect you to do the same. Girls, why didn't we get the camera out? At least we could have taken pics of our beautiful pizzas we made. I want to start a tradition to get together once a month at each others house, want to? Maybe if we set time aside to do it on the calendar we will actually do it. The kid's were out of control but at least they were good for a few laughs. Wyatt woke up bright and early at 6am, good thing Garon is a morning person. It took Gabrielle till 9:30 to come around, she's my good one. Did I mention, I LOVE MY FRIENDS!

Wyatt's 1st Day

Wyatt started preschool on October 1st. He was so excited to be going to a big boy school that actually has bikes and a real playground. He woke up early, got dressed, brushed his teeth got his hair combed and grabbed his Pirates of the Caribbean lunch sak. He was ready to go. When mom and sissy dropped him off he gave a quick kiss and went on his way. Our baby is growing up.