Camping at Kalaloch~2011

This year our family summer "vacation" was a camping trip to Kalaloch.

We went the week of Mazie's birthday for 4 days. It was nice to getaway for a while and enjoy the great out doors and the wonderful Washington RAIN!

Yep, it pretty much rained the whole time we camped...

Kalaloch Beach~Pacific Ocean

We still had a good time with each other and made the best of the situation and the long drive.lol

We did lots of family bike rides in the rain.

 All five of us had a bike to ride and we had so much fun cruising the camp ground and exploring the trails.
Our boys road for so long in the rain the first day they came back drenched... I wish I got a pic of that. Mud on their faces and everything.

Put our feet in the sand.

 When it wasn't raining we would go to the beach and play. Mazie and I flew her Iron Man kite, T and the boys hit some golf balls and played Frisbee. The boys new favorite activity! Oh and I must not forget the log climbing all three of the kids and T could do that for hours. I just followed along and watched....

Played in the sand.

T and his boy Isaiah

 When it was raining we kept dry hanging out in T's parents trailer playing games and watching movies. Or we would sit under the covered picnic table and enjoy the awesome campfires T would make.

Me with my kiddos~ Ry and Mazie

A glimpse of our ocean front property we enjoyed for 4 days.

Camping on the coast in Washington state has its ups and downs, but when you have your wonderful family there for entertainment you seem to forget about the down part of it all... We did end up heading home a day early due to the rain. T thought it would be nice to spend a night at home before we returned back to work the following Monday. Plus we were all tired and so ready to be back home.
 Good times!

This is the STUFF!

My mumsy sent these lyrics to me in an email this morning and I felt it was a must to share it with my blog friends/family. The words make sense and fit with what so many of us are going through and feeling like in life right now. I hope it inspires you as much as it did me.

This is the stuff~

I lost my keys in the great unknown

And call me please 'Cuz I can't find my phone

This is the stuff that drives me crazy

This is the stuff that's getting to me lately

In the middle of my little mess

I forget how big I'm blessed

This is the stuff that gets under my skin

But I gotta trust You know exactly what You're doing

It might not be what I would choose

But this is the stuff You use

45 in a 35

Sirens and fines while I'm running behind

Whoa

This is the stuff that drives me crazy

This is the stuff that's getting to me lately

In the middle of my little mess

I forget how big I'm blessed

This is the stuff that gets under my skin

But I gotta trust You know exactly what You're doing

It might not be what I would choose

But this is the stuff You use

So break me of impatience

Conquer my frustrations

I've got a new appreciation

It's not the end of the world

Oh Oh Oh

This is the stuff that drives me crazy

This is the stuff

Someone save me

In the middle of my little mess

I forget how big I'm blessed

This is the stuff that gets under my skin

And I've gotta trust You know exactly what You're doing

It might not be what I would choose

But this is the stuff You use

Oh Oh Oh Oh

This is the stuff You use

I lost my keys in the great unknown

And call me please 'Cuz I can't find my phone

This is the stuff that drives me crazy

This is the stuff that's getting to me lately

In the middle of my little mess

I forget how big I'm blessed

This is the stuff that gets under my skin

But I gotta trust You know exactly what You're doing

It might not be what I would choose

But this is the stuff You use

45 in a 35

Sirens and fines while I'm running behind

Whoa

This is the stuff that drives me crazy

This is the stuff that's getting to me lately

In the middle of my little mess

I forget how big I'm blessed

This is the stuff that gets under my skin

But I gotta trust You know exactly what You're doing

It might not be what I would choose

But this is the stuff You use

So break me of impatience

Conquer my frustrations

I've got a new appreciation

It's not the end of the world

Oh Oh Oh

This is the stuff that drives me crazy

This is the stuff

Someone save me

In the middle of my little mess

I forget how big I'm blessed

This is the stuff that gets under my skin

And I've gotta trust You know exactly what You're doing

It might not be what I would choose

But this is the stuff You use

Oh Oh Oh Oh

This is the stuff You use

Song/Lyrics By:

Francesca Battistelli
 I strongly advise you click on the lik (her name) to listen to more of her tunes. Enjoy!

My head is spinning...

For the past few months I have been experiencing tons of dizziness...


It all started back in March... I would get dizzy spells here and there. One day in particular was the morning we left for our trip. I woke up with extreme vertigo, it was so bad I was vomiting. I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to travel that day, but of course I did.lol

I ended up going to see one of the best ENT's there is to see if my  Meniere disease was acting up again... He did a few test and informed me I did not have Meniere and that my dizziness/vertigo was migraine induced.

April and May were smooth sailing... I had no dizzy spells and things seemed to be going very well in the health department of my life.

June came around and I was busy as a bee could ever be. The day I did the 12k run was when it started... That afternoon after relaxing and watching a movie with T and Mazie, I decided to go to the store. As I got up and started walking I noticed I was very dizzy... So dizzy I couldn't even walk strait. I was hoping it would just last a few minutes. Nope, I ended up staying home, vomiting and having my 9 year son take care of me while T and Mazie went to the store to get dinner. Gosh my family is amazing when I am under the weather!

That day was just the beginning of a horrid cycle...

By the end of June I was having the dizzy spells more frequently... I finally went to my doctor to see what was causing these. I thought maybe it was my "early" stages of glaucoma that I hadn't been keeping tabs on in over 6 years *oops*. He put me on two different migraine med's and gave me a referral to see a Ophthalmologist. Since part of my dizzy spells had a lot of eye pain involved. Gosh I sound like a hot mess don't I? Getting old sure does have it's ups and downs...

Just this month alone I have had 7 dizzy/vertigo spells... This is occurring even taking the daily med's that were prescribed. I try so hard not to be a hypochondriac worry wart but this is really getting old. I decided to see my doctor again today. After having 4 days strait of pure dizzy head spinning nausea, I need some answers!



This is pretty much how I feel/look nowadays. No joke!

 I didn't really get any though... I do however think my doctor thinks I am a weirdo for admitting that I keep lists "track" of my dizzy spells and have been since they first started occurring. He said it was good that I was doing that, but kept making jokes about it. I guess that is part of the benefit of seeing a doctor that you work for everyday.lol
He did refer me to a headache specialist (Neurologist) and I hope this doctor has some answers or maybe even a cure. For now I just have to deal with it and hope for the best. I will try not to whine about it and try to not let it ruin my the rest of my summer. I wanted to write a post about this to see if there is anyone out there that may have had the same stuff happen to them... and if they might have some answers or advise for this Tall Girl in Heels?

Superhero!

To the world

You may be just another girl

But to me

Baby, you are the world

 

Yes my Mazie Lue turned 5 last Tuesday the 12th of July. Still can't believe my baby is five!

We had many celebrations for a very special birthday...



~Mazie and Mommy at Wild Waves 7/10/11~

Sunday July 10th we took the kids to Wild Waves for a day of fun and a Family birthday Party for Mazie. Our good friends Andrew and Carleen joined us for the celebration. It was Mazie's first visit to the theme park and I am sure not the last. She had a great time, we all did! I think she could of spent the whole day in the wave pool or just hanging out with Andrew... She thinks he is the beez kneez. *giggle*

~Mazie and T waiting to go on Lumber Jack Falls~Wild Waves 2011~

After a LONG day at Wild Waves Theme Park we went to Mazie's family/friends birthday shin dig at good ol' ChuckE.Cheese.

We played games, ate pizza, played more games, opened some wonderful gifts,ate yummy strawberry lemonade cupcakes.... and yes played more games!

~ChuckE., Mazie and Kennedy~ July 10, 2011



My birthday Star!

On July 12th 2006 at 12:45pm my Sweet Mazie Lue was born (via scheduled C-section). She was my little peanut from the start weighing 6lbs 15oz and 18 3/4in long. With a head full of light brown hair with blond highlights. She has been a busy bee ever since she was in the womb. She is a girl who knows what she wants, never a follower and always a leader.

Mazie Lue 7/12/11~Happy 5th Birthday~

On the morning of Mazie's 5th birthday I told her "lets pick out a cute birthday outfit for you to wear today". She said "Okay but nothing GIRLY mom". Yup I got me a tomboy! *wink* For her birthday she got  Fox riding gear for her PW50 Yamaha dirt bike. She loves it and wants to wear her riding jersey everyday. She actually didn't care that it was pink!

This will forever be your song Mazie Lue~

You think you're one of millions but you're one in a million to me

When you wonder if you matter, baby look into my eyes

And tell me, can't you see you're everything to me

That's alright, that's ok

When you don't feel important honey

All I've gotta say is

To the world

You may be just another girl

But to me

Baby, you are the world

NKOTB with my BFF=Good times

Let me introduce my friend Charlyne to my blog friends... Everyone else in the world calls her Char. We both have our own "names" for each other. To her I am Jackson... We have been friends since 1990!

Wow over twenty years... okay I feel old!
Back in 1990 we were in 4th grade (10years old) and were big New Kids On The Block fans. We had the T-shirts, socks, posters anything you name it. I was in love with Joey and Charlyne was in love with Donny. Its fun to look back at old pictures of us in our NKOTB gear. Charlyne had at least three NKOTB VHS movies of their live concerts and tours. Shoot you could still catch us watching those our sophomore year. Hey don't judge, we knew how to have fun and laugh at our selves that is for sure. I do believe that is the last time those videos were watched and most likely the last time a VCR was used.lol


~New Kids are no longer kids, but we can sure pretend~

  A few years ago NKOTB was on tour and came to the Tacoma dome. Charlyne hit me up and really thought it would be fun to go for my birthday since they came in November. We never made it to that show and I always secretly regretted it...

Back in February when I heard they were planning another tour for this Summer I thought "perfect timing!"
Charlyne's 30th birthday was back in May and I got us tickets to the concert. Yes ladies we are going to see New Kids On The Block tonight at the T-dome. I am super duper excited for our date. We even special ordered Tee shirts to have just like the good ol' days. Char's is Black and mine is Fuchsia... Yeah we are still dorks fun like that. I should really say WE STILL GOT IT LIKE THAT! *wink*
The Back Street Boys will be there as well... We weren't big fans of theirs since we were pretty much in high school when they were popular... But we will still watch and I am sure sing along to their songs.lol



Charlyne and I June 2009~ We are always asked if we are sisters~



 We have been through so much together from Girl Scouts, to Jr. High, High School, love, marriage, babies, motherhood and now we are embracing our thirties together.


Tonight is going to be a legendary girls night... We are meeting right after work, going to do a little bit of shopping, I'm taking her out to The Rock for eats and drinks (she has never been can you believe it?) and then we are off to the concert to turn into 11 year old screaming little pre teens again. Ahhh can't you just hear/see it now?
Its so special to have such a long time friendship with someone who knows you so well.
Thank you Charlyne for being such a great friend for so many years!
I love you!
NKOTB and BSB here we come....

A glimpse of our holiday weekend

Tales of the three day holiday weekend....

I started it off on Friday with a dizzy spell migraine... I have been having them for the past month and recently every day the past week. T had to pick me up from work early Friday afternoon. I was so dizzy I couldn't drive!
It was a gorgeous sunny day too and I spent most of it either indoors at work or in bed sleeping. Not the way I planned on starting my weekend at all.

Saturday we woke up bright and early to and set off on a road trip to Seaside Oregon. After we grabbed breakfast I noticed a headache coming on so I took my medication that was prescribed. I am now taking a daily dose of it twice a day for these dizzy spells. Ugh!
Anyway Seaside was great; we met up at Isaiah’s grandparent’s house. They live pretty much right on the beach. They treated us to a really nice fancy lunch at a beach front restaurant. After that T, Isaiah, his grandma and I all went for a walk on the beach and went to some candy shops. As T was in heaven with all the choices of salt water taffy I of course had one of my dizzy spells…

A veiw from the resturant we had lunch in Beautiful Seaside Oregon~ July 2, 2011

 Shortly after that T and I said I our goodbyes and headed home (3 hour drive). Isaiah stayed in Seaside to spend some time with his grandparents and will be back this Friday. Isaiah’s grandparents (Jana’s parents) are wonderful people; we were very blessed and lucky to get to spend time with them in Seaside. They are so welcoming and always make us feel part of the family. Shoot, T and I were about to stay the week there too.lol

T, Isaiah and Me on our beach walk with Kathy/Grandma.

 Good times for sure and T and I can’t wait to go back for another visit.

A view of the Space needle from the boat on Lake Union.

Sunday we went out on our friend Andrew’s boat… At first it was just T, Andrew and me…. I and the guys went up to Lake Washington to launch the boat… We went to Ivar’s for some lunch, had a few beers and waited for Carleen (Andrew’s main squeeze) to get off work to join us. As soon as she arrived we headed to Lake Union… It’s such a lovely boat ride to go on and the weather was perfect. We had all done the same boat ride almost 4 years ago, around the time T and I first started “dating” and it was my 2nd time meeting Andrew and Carleen. Brought back some good memories that’s for sure!

After our day on the boat us girls took a little trip to the super mall, while the guys went to get their fishing and crabbing license’s, so they could go catch some crab for our 4th of July feast we planned to have the next day.

The Guys (Andrew and T) on the new boat.... I swear  these two would live on a it if they could.

 4th of July~


T was up at 6AM to go crabbing with the guys… I got up to get busy in my kitchen; I made around 64 Cake Pop’s, Chocolate and Red Velvet. If you have ever made Cake Pop’s then you will understand they are time consuming, messy and scrumptiously yummy and totally worth it! I also made a yummy huge chicken Asian salad.

The rest of our day was spent at Andrew and Carleen’s house with our friends and two of our kids, playing Frisbee games, lighting fireworks, talking, laughing, and eating lots of good food, cold beers and more laughs.

Ryder and Mazie enjoying the 4th of July festivities at Andrew and Carleens.

Good times all around and I think my medication is starting to work because I have not had a dizzy spell since Sunday. Yippie!

Thank you for reading a glimpse of our holiday weekend.

How was your Fourth of July weekend?