Lesson Learned

I nearly lost every single photo I've taken for the past two years and it really was my own dumb fault. The mother board and power source of my went out of my computer and after nearly $400.00 paying for the extended super warranty for Dell (the warranty was 3 months out) they found my hard drive also had a glitch. Ugh! So I had to pay for the software warranty to the tune of $247.00 and some change. I could have bought a new camera body I've been eyeing for that! Dell really knows how to get you when you are down. I've determined that I would have paid any price, walked through hell and back for those engagement photos of my daughter and my kiddos on vacation etc. I cried...and cursed and then cried some more. Then put on my big girl panties and called my computer guy. Who saved the day!!! I probably should have just called him in the first place. He would have fixed my computer and Mr. Fix It (who doesn't fix computers by the way) would have only had to sharpen his chain saw chains for the next couple of years. But noooo, I had to call Dell and they had to rake me over the coals in extended warranty prices. But I'm thankful to have my photos back and copied to the external hard-drive that I'm now using religiously and should have been using every day for the past two years. STUPID!!! I know! I have an external hard-drive and never use it. I only think about using it to back up my files. You would think that after my last computer got struck by lightening that I would be very careful. You'd think that right? Nope not me...what were the chances of it happening again. Some sort of power glitch the tech guy said. A freak thing my computer guy said. Yes of course it's going to happen again and it's going to happen to me. The good thing is that if my computer pukes again before 2011 everything is covered! It damn well better be! The bad thing is my computer will die one day later. That's my luck.

Valentine's Day Revisited

What a weekend. The kids have had a 4 day weekend this week. Their Valentine's party at school was on Thursday. Early in the week I couldn't figure out why they were having the parties on Thursday. It just didn't make sense until Wednesday when they brought home the reminder paper that Friday was a teacher in-service day. So we packed everyone up on Friday and went out to breakfast at our favorite amish restaurant and then on to the horse and tack sale they have every friday in Amish country. I try not to go and see the horses that are being auctioned. Mr. Fix It overheard a conversation with one of the auctioneers saying that there were a lot of horses that just kept getting dropped off each week. They have no idea who the owners are...I guess just people who can no longer take care of their animals. Actually it happens a little this time each year when people start running out of hay and can't feed the horses. It's sad the condition that some of these horses come to this place in. So that is why I try and concentrate on the tack they are selling. We actually got 2 kids saddles dirt cheap and now the only thing we need are helmets for Meganne and Braden and we will be ready to hit the trails as soon as it warms up just a wee bit. This will be the first year in 10 years that we can all ride together or I'll stay back and read a book. I've stayed back with the kids for all those years and who knew that the kiddos would actually grow up and want to ride. But they have and now it's my turn to just enjoy the camping on my own if I choose or if I'm so inclined...I'll ride too.

Back to Valentines Day, I baked cupcakes for DS's class and packed up enough conversation hearts for both classes to play conversation heart chopsticks (who can pick up the most conversation hearts in 30 seconds) loads of fun and the kids just love this game. Mine have become pros and Johnathan gave his prize to the second place winner. He's a good boy...when he wants to be. There was just myself and another mom in his class. Meganne's class had eight moms volunteer so I just dropped off the game and headed to Johnathan's room (Braden in tow). Braden was completely overwhelmed by the big kids because they kept telling him he looked EXACTLY like his brother. He was actually very mad about it all weekend long. Here are the cupcakes I baked. Suddenly, I've become very good at baking cupcakes...I've never been interested in baking but I love baking cupcakes (probably because they are easy). The heart toothpicks were so easy too. Just two Martha Stewart heart punched shapes glued back to back on a toothpick. Johnathan made a really cute picture frame during his party and they both got way too much candy. We're still recovering from the sugar coma. Johnathan was definitely hyped up after the party...can you tell from the photos above. Tomorrow they go back to school ~ YEAH!!!~ Actual Valentine's daywas very relaxed here at the Boyd house. Mr. Fix It and I wished each other a Happy Valentine's Day early in the morning and then got busy with our day. Meganne made us both Valentines, and the boys gave me a foot massage without my asking later in the evening. I was surprised by a phone call from Derek who was running all around the county with some of the guys from the Delphian choir. He said "mom, hold on a minute". They sang "Let me call you sweet heart" to me from the car. Singing valentine's are one of the choirs biggest fund raisers each year. They had just stopped at my mom's house to sing to her (all on his own with no prompting from me...gosh I love when my kids are good all on their own) and then the boys sang to me over the phone. They were on their way to a Valentine's wedding to sing. How cool was that???

Seeing Green Today

I'm glad I sweated and slaved in a 200 degree kitchen canning these babies in September. Right now I've got two jars of beans sitting on the counter of my kitchen just waiting to be turned into green bean casserole for dinner tonight. I swear if you want your kids to eat green beans then you've got to have them plant the seeds, water and weed them on hot summer days and then pick them until their tiny little fingers are raw, and sit and snap them for hours....then and only then will your children appreciate and love green beans. Ugh! What a job but oh so yummy! Oh and I'm a little ahead of the game since Valentines day is this week LOL! But I made this St. Patrick's Day card awhile ago and thought it was time to post. The plastic shamrock was from some cupcakes I bought last year :)

My Funny Little Valentine

Sigh! I love this kid so much but he's really not much help when I'm trying to figure out the settings on my camera. Perhaps Meg will be more willing to help me when she gets home from school today. Most likely not.

Knit one, Purl two

She made this scarf all by herself. Actually, we went together and bought the knifty knitter after Christmas with some Christmas cash. I am so proud of her and she of herself. We've made several hats, scarves, and dishcloths since. We've sat knitting together a lot this winter. Even the boys get in on the action...if you can call knitting action LOL! Several visitors to our house can't believe that the boys and even Meganne are sitting knitting. But then what else is there to do indoors besides rip the house apart and that has been done so many times it's lost it's entertainment.

I'm in the mood for LOVE

Simply because you're near me.....La La La. This old song is on my mind today. Probably because I'm packing treat bags for the kiddos at school and working on Valentines boxes today. I need to find those boxes of Valentines I scored for .25 cents after Valentines day last year. Now where did I put those???? Why are boys so hard. I have no idea what to do for my son but Meg's will be easy peasy. For her the frillier the better but what to do about Johnathan...hmmmmm. In honor of the holiday of love I'm posting this. An old layout, yes because scrapping just isn't coming to me these days. This is okay though... I'm still taking photos.

Sad little dude

Poor little guy. He was not happy that I had to go in and dry my camera. He wanted photos of him snowboarding but he had to wait. You can see that my lens is a little fogged up. I actually like the soft look of this ... makes it a little dreamy and the black and white makes it look even a little more sad. It's thawing out around here at them moment and I know I'm not in the majority but I hate when the snow melts. I prefer everything covered in white. I like the snow...probably because I don't have to go out in it very often and when it melts everything is just so gray and brown. I wish we could go right from white to green :).

and then he got over it.

It's a definite sign that I'm getting cabin fever. I've only been out to the grocery store once in the past week and I'm starting to get a little restless. How can I tell? I can tell because I've been going back through some of the photos I took over the summer and they are making me wish it was summer again. Especially these:)