extra extra.....read all about it....

oma came for a visit and was provided a surrogate papa dennis, lol...




blaine as a fearsome pirate for halloween....



blaine being blaine.....

we'll miss you pa....

On Thursday, November 11, Ralph Clark (aka Pa) passed away. He was truly one of a kind and we will miss him greatly! Wish we could have one more evening of poetry, boxing and Boston peanuts. Much Love~

L

another hiatus...

I'm taking another hiatus from blogging for a while. Don't know when I'll be back at this point...hopefully sooner rather than, never. Ta-ta for now!

home theater system...

Yeah, Blaine built this! Please excuse the messy house, but I believe the child is responsible for that, lol. We sat in the back row eating popcorn and watching Finding Nemo. What an imagination!

blessed with odds and ends....

So our heating element went out on our dryer the other day (and before you start worrying that this will be a pity party - it has a good ending :). I was really concerned about how we were going to take care of it, get rid of it, fix it, afford it.....or kill it lol. We decided to fix it ourselves and order the part that the dryer needed. At this point, we were still worried about spending the money but went ahead with the purchase anyway. So this same day (when I really did throw myself a pity party, haha), Michael was offered a short time job doing some construction. And his wages just covered the expense of that part! Isn't life amazing? I felt so so so blessed that the opportunity to take care of ourselves came up!

Now, I'm sure you've noticed the picture with knitting needles and yarn. It was announced at church that we were having our quarterly woman's meeting this Thursday and that several classes would be offered for us to take. Blogging (which I already knew how to do, though not well), Signing for Beginners (which I also knew how to do, and not very well at that either) and Knitting. I've always wanted to knit/crochet, but have very little patience teaching myself anything. So when the opportunity for someone else to teach me came up, I jumped on it...wrestled with it a little bit, then wrapped it up with a bow and tagged on a note; "to Me, from Me". And you know what? I had a fantastic time! Now don't misunderstand me and start thinking I've found that it was my calling in life, I still blew at it....but it was so much fun to learn a new skill. And I'm hoping that one day, I'll be able to make something other than "entry unknown". Like a sweater (um, those are pretty big) a baby cap (that's not uneven) or a potholder (maybe the size of a quarter).

a long time ago....

I was really into Shirley Temple! And truthfully, I still am. Watched a little Captain January this morning and was totally blown away by how amazing she is! Just 5 years old and already a star at that time. She also grew up to be a pretty incredible woman. She served as an ambassador for the United States to Ghana and Czechoslovakia. Pretty neat, no?

um, yeah...i forgot...

layne and blaine....



aaaahhhhhhh.....



he calls booger, papa's cow....*shrugs




yeah, had to post this...it was funny!


Well....surprise, surprise...I forgot to post more pictures of my trip to Oregon. So here they are, late lol.

another first....

So, we took Blaine bowling for the very first time. It...........was.............awesome!!!! His first turn he got a spare and he and I were tied at the end of the game lol. So he might be a natural at it like his daddy :). Hope you all enjoy the video!

sisters.....sisters...

...aren't we gorgeous....



as good as a shot we were going to get with six kids, lol...

Have I used that title before? Eh, I don't care. Keeping in theme though, Amber came to visit from the faraway country of Texas (haha). It was pretty awesome to have the her, Becca and myself together - plus all of our children! Thank you sissy, for sharing yourself and your little ones~ I think we all had a pretty good time (not mentioning the disastrous missed flights :). Love you~

random...

No picture either, sorry. But last night we had such a good time with some friends and we were up pretty late (okay...it was only 9:00, but for those of you that know me....that's my usual bedtime!). So naturally, Blaine got to bed later than normal. Fingers crossed, we were hoping that he would sleep in, so that we in turn could sleep in. I heard him running around his room at about 6:00, so I tiptoed in picked him up and placed him in his bed. I laid down next to him hoping that he would fall back asleep. And he did! Especially after twirling my hair around his fingers. When he was nice and unconscious, I had planned to go back and get some more shut eye myself. But I pulled my hair out of his hands and watched him do the cutest thing! He would raise his hand and stroke imaginary hair, not finding it, he'd put it down again. Then he would raise his hand again and do the same. I probably watched Blaine do it for 10-15 minutes and found it to be one of the sweetest funniest things. There is something special in every day, let's live like it!

ahhhhhhhh, nature......

creepy plastic people sculptures in the woods...ooooooooo.....



the boy and i taking a swing...



i actually captured a butterfly!



handsome boy....



Michael and Blaine at the SVU maze...


Another glorious summer day! Wish they could all be this way. I just about fell asleep in that hammock, as did Michael. All that was missing was a good book and an ice cold glass of lemonade!

missed me?

kitty cat bonding....



cousin bonding....



auntie bonding....




already bonded...and thankful for it :)



So I've just gotten back from a trip to Oregon to see my family (hence the lack of blogging) and I have so much to share! For the life of me, I can't seem to post more than 4 pictures at a time....so this will probably be the first of many entries. Hope you enjoy the photos as much as I did!

i can do this...i can do this....



just plain cute....



there you are!

What a fun little weekend we had! On Friday (which is not really a weekend day, but hey....my blog, my rules) we explored a new park. I love watching Blaine take in something new. He's just so excited and can't wait to see everything! We went back to this same park on Saturday with Beck, Trent and the kids....but, alas!, I forgot the camera! :( A good time was had, anyway. Wish you all could have been there!

good costumes, bad costumes....

Star Wars......so GOOD




Flash Gordon......good movie, BAD costumes



Equilibrium......GOOD costumes



Eragon.....good book, bad movie.....BAD costumes


I really get into movie costumes. Does anyone else? Sometimes....so terrific....others.......well, not so terrific. Here's my list~

Now Star Wars seemed a little extreme and out there when the series first came out. But really, you can't compare it to anything that's been done before because this exists outside of our galaxy. You know what I'm saying? I really love Han Solo's costume especially. It really captures his renegade personality. The star fighters jumpsuits are really cool too.

Flash Gordon was a pretty fun and silly movie. I don't think it was meant to be serious either. Having said that, their costumes really were over the top. They looked like they were put together real quick. And not well. Like every single piece was stitched together from the cheap and leftover cloth bins.

Equilibrium was totally underrated as a movie. However, that's neither here nor there. Let's talk about the wardrobe. Clean and simple lines...well done. Believable, I'd say. You can really feel the mood they're trying to convey.

When you read a book you like and it gets made into a movie, you'll almost always be disappointed! Eragon is no exception. And you know what? I can't even tell you what was so bad about it. It just was. The costumes started to annoy early on. A farm boy wearing perfectly pristine clothing? Yeah, that's what I thought too.

the wonderful....

We've had no tv for going on 3 weeks now. At first I was devastated (naturally). I mean, how was I supposed to get my Mentalist fix? Or my Community.....my 30 Rock?!? *sob. Thank goodness for a great library! We've been able to check out some really awesome movies, new and old, that are appropriate for the whole family and..........this is the best part........it's FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! Well, not really free if you return them late which I of course (*cough), have never done.
Short story long, we watched The Wizard of Oz today and we both loved it! So far it's been a really positive experience...and if you have any suggestions for great old movies, leave your picks here!

lisa's life truths.....

It is an unwritten rule that I must cry during each and every episode of Little House on the Prairie. Even the happy ones.

It is impossible to watch an action movie and not picture myself in that role. Even in my imagination, I'm much more clumsy. But of course, I have fabulous hair.

There is no time, day or night, that I do not want a slim-jim and a Dr Pepper. There is no time, day or night, that I will not procure these items for myself.

Every time I enter a library, I sigh because I just love the smell of books! The same is true of Barnes and Noble.

I get a twinge of jealousy every time I see someone rocking a great hat. My hat collection is never worn outside of the house because I'm afraid people will laugh at me if I do.

Do you have any life truths?

having fun outside...

laundry helper....



my only flower...the next morning all of the petals were blown away :(...


Summer is almost here and it is soooo pleasant just to be outside! I also look forward to this time of year to hang my laundry out to dry, hehe. It doesn't sound like fun, but it is.....I promise!!

*warning* tons of pictures ahead....

Wow, what a day! Our little family took the short drive out to Boxerwood where we enjoyed the scenery and each other's company immensely. And there's something about being in nature that makes me KNOW that God exists and loves me. Don't be jealous...He loves you too :).

things i wonder about....

....if i'll ever get tired of watching blaine sleep.
....if'll i'll ever be dedicated enough to do the following;
..write a novel
..learn another language
..get my degree (in what, you ask? i don't honestly know :)

....if i'll ever want to exercise.
....if i'll make someone else's life better because i've been a good friend.
....if my dream of living as the amish will come true.
....and if (i know, i know...a direct contradiction to my previous "if") i'll ever learn how to ride a motorcycle.

Here are some excerpts from my current read that I found amusing...

Odd Hours- Odd Thomas, self-narration; When I peered under the table, I noted an eight-inch-diameter drain with a slotted grille. Considering that Magic Beach had no history of floods, I supposed that this design feature facilitated the hosing-out of the room after unfortunate accidents.
This is one of those sobering circumstances in which my overheated imagination, if I were not careful, could cause a portion of my cerebellum to melt down, and set my hair on fire. I counseled myself that I remained in the United States, which was not Cuba Venezuela, or even Mordor.


Again, an Odd Thomas self-narration; Taped to the walls were charming drawings executed by children of various ages, all featuring a smiling bearded man in white robes, who I assumed, because of his halo, must be Jesus. The Son of God, inadequately but earnestly rendered, was engaged in all manner of tasks that I did not recall being recounted in Scripture.
Jesus with hands upraised, transforming a rain of bombs into flowers. Jesus smiling but shaking his finger at a pregnant woman about to drink a bottle of beer. Jesus saving a stranded polar bear from an ice floe. Jesus turning a flamethrower on stacks of crates labeled CIGARETTES.

putting 2 and 2 together...

..all by himself! He hasn't been able to build a car, motorcycle or airplane yet but he'll get there some day soon. I love watching him put his imagination to work~

workshop fun....

This past Saturday, I had the extreme good fortune to attend a writer's workshop. That would have been a lot of fun in and of itself. But two authors that I really love and respect put on this workshop....amazing! If you haven't read it yet, Fablehaven is a really neat series definitely worth digging into. It's classified as a young adult novel but is a good read for any age. Brandon Mull was very funny and kind (I got him to sign my book, hehe). And if you are any kind of science fiction fan at all, you will probably have read Ender's Game. Wonderful novel (as well as series). I felt so blessed to have been able to participate in such an event. What a lucky girl am I!!

ps... i don't know why one picture is bigger than the other...my post looks top-heavy, lol.

easter sunday....

Happy belated Easter everyone!

glam, glam, glam!

Have you ever been watching a movie and see an outfit that just speaks to you? I wanted to highlight some of my absolute favorite looks. Please enjoy and feel free to share you own cherished ensembles!

PS I realize that 3/4 of these pictures are of Audrey Hepburn...believe me, it makes sense. The pictures are from the following movies; Sabrina, National Treasure and Funny Face.