Gone to Camp....

Guess they don't want the long drawn out goodbyes with tears etc. We were only allowed to be at the Gate to Camp Four Echoes...
Here we were allowed to unload, talk with them a few minutes, say our goodbyes and then we were dismissed :) Here she goes.. walking away with another little girl and a counselor (not hers.. think those in front there are hers)

Sooo.. she's at Camp this week.well until Saturday only which. her camp is called Princess Passion! Right up her alley..guess the cabins they are in are the swiss chalet type ones! I hide a few surprises in her bag so when she unpacks she'll have something to oh and ah about! I got a new pink sweatshirt that has Camp Four Echoes on it (hope Ana doesn't read our blog before she goes on Saturday as I have one for her too as a surprise!) Also, a care package from home will be there for Karina.. it has a little bear with a camp tshirt on and some chapstick as well. I also snuck in her monkey Momo into her sleeping bag when I rolled it up for her.. so he's there for some loving as well! I put in some stationary with addressed and stamped envelopes.. eager to see if she uses them in her 3 short days there! I miss her already.. heck I missed her minutes after turning my car around on the road and driving off... but nothing like a reality check from my lovely daughther Ana.. something to the tune of.. Ah mom knock it off.... she'll be fine!! Thanks honey I need that reality check :)

Here are a few photos of the rolling ball I spoke off last blog entry.. It was truly a riot..



I'll leave with a few pictures of the girls on the midpoint of steptoe butte.. check out the amazing scenery BEHIND the girls :)

Sunday...

Hi everyone! Wow what a busy week!! First I spent Sunday through Thursday at a GREAT training called Mentor Academy! Here I learned more about how to mentor new and veteran teachers. As always a little of this training helped me think of ways to improve my own classroom! Especially since I'm changing grade levels next year! In case you missed that announcement.. Lisa is moving to 3rd grade! yeah i'm being demoted and I love it!! :)

I got home on late Thursday night.. I was eager to view Ana's almost finished quilt.. no picutres yet as she still has some tying to do to finish it off...but keep checking back.. it's beautiful!! Karina had a great week at the Art Camp.. her final project..tie dye. Think she learned that more is better in tie dye!

Friday brought us to laundry and packing. Packing to go back to Spokane and packing for Karina.. she goes to Girl Scout Camp on Lake C'dlane on Wednesday.. so since we wouldn't be coming home again before then (in Spokane for Brett's WASA conference until Tuesday) I had to pack her all up. the only thing I can't find is the darn mess kit..so my goal and mission here is to find all that stuff for both girls! :)

Saturday we took Buster to the Kennel in Pullman so he wouldn't have to be kenneled so long if we left him with uncle earl. Then we went to Steptoe Day. missed the parade but we did get to eat some food and meet up with friends of my hubby. He lived in Steptoe from 1st grade through 7th grade, then they moved to Colfax! After we toured the school.. a 4 classroom building (each room is 2 grades).. we drove to the mid point of Steptoe Butte Where we watched the dropping of a ball off the top of the Butte (I don't have my download cord but I do have photos of the ball!)! It's a fund raiser for the little town of Steptoe. They raffle off 600 tickets with the times on them. We missed buying the last ticket that was sold that morning.. what a fun idea.. It was pretty funny.. to see this huge ball dropping and gliding down the hill! There had to be someone who was there to be the "offical ball handler" to keep it going down the butte!

I'm in the hotel enjoying my life of leisure! Had breakfast already.. lunch is in the fridge :) (leftover Alice Spring Chicken from Outback last night)! Brett is golfing.. They've won the tourney the last 2 years (his friends on the other team said they were going to win this year by waiting to see what Brett's team scored and then fill in their score card with one point lower LOL) Brett joked that they weren't going to be allowed any erasers or extra score cards :) competition is tough!

Okay I'm off to finish my last FP for next months newsletter and to upload the ones I got done!! oh and I need to find my sketch I'm doing for tomorrow :)

Enjoy your week! I'll probably check in after we get back on Wednesday to show Miss K at her camp! sniff sniff she's growing up my almost 8 year old!

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to my daddy! I can't call you today because the phone system is all screwed up!! So mom said that the internet was down too but I'm hoping not! Hope you can read this and know that I love you and appreciate all you've done for me!

Happy Father's day to my dear hubby too! He's golfing today, then picking up the kids! I have presents for him when he returns, though I won't be here to give it to him! I made a really cool trading card present for him... Amy Bleser @ SBB had those templates that you use to make these..so I made them yesterday with pictures of the girls (and Buster :) hee hee)..then you slide them into these protective sleeves you buy for trading cards, punch a hole in the top and load on a ring. It's a nice compact little thing! Think I'll make one up for Great Grandma..it's small enough to not take up too much room in her small room, but a good brag book! :) I'll have to take pictures to show you guys!

It's been quiet.. nice to not have to answer to anybody, but by Saturday night I was feeling a bit lonely! and it doesn't help that the darn dog will bark at imaginary noises at the most inappropriate times (like @ 12:30 when I went to bed after Saturday Night Live last night..shivers). I miss my girls, I miss my hubby and I still will miss them for a few more days!

Like I said before, Brett has a full week ahead of him before I return on Thusrday, and then we turn right around and leave again for the Principal's conference. This time, poor Buster will have to go to Uncle Earl's all by himself, since this is the first time we've left him since Windy died in April. Hope he behaves himself :) LOL

Can't wait to see Ana's finished quilt when I get back on Thursday! This time she choose musical notes and such to make her quilt from. Karina gets to make one in August so when we get back from Girl Scout Camp she'll go pick out her fabric. Think I better do a little sewing with her before then.. 5 hours in a day will be a LONG time for her..but I have confidence she'll do it.. after all she's almost 8!

Well waiting for the last load of laundry to dry so I can head out of town. Still have gas to get and I hope I put on the new windshield wipers on correctly or else that will be a sight to see on the road! Going to post this and give you a small preview of the trading card thing!! the cover and my two favorite pictures of the girls.. recharging.. I mean sleeping :)

What's that noise I hear?????

Oh wait... it's the LACK of noise I hear!! Can you hear me *sigh* all the way where you guys are at??? The girls are still on their mini vacation with Nana @ Heidi's. Tomorrow they will go to the Children's Symphony! Brett left this afternoon to go to Spokane to meet up with Markie and friends to have a golf weekend.

Brett will meet up with Nana on Sunday, while I drive to Spokane for 4 days of mentor training. Dad will hold down the fort here next week with Ana having quilting class and Karina taking a 2 hour art class every day!

Tomorrow is my last day of teaching 6th grade. It's a little bittersweet, but I'm looking forward to teaching the little ones again and getting back that little extra umph with teaching again! Can you all believe.. year 19 is under my belt!!! Some days it feels like just yesterday!!

Catch ya later gaters!!

Back to work.. blech!

Okay why am i still up @ 11 pm when I have to go to work tomorrow! I was browsing Amy C's blog when I saw that she tagged me.. so I postponed bedtime for a few more minutes to do her tagging :)

1. regular or diet soda: diet coke all the way.. :)

2. salt or pepper: salt and pepper.. mostly pepper

3. hot or cold weather: Cold weather.. love to curl up under a blankie

4. dogs or cats: Dogs allergic to cats !

5. dieting or exercise: neither and it shows around my waist!

6. cooking or doing dishes: cooking

7. sleeping or shopping: sleeping

8. Red Lobster or Outback Steakhouse: Outback steakhouse!

9. classical or hip hop music: Neither. Classic Rock, Folk, Alternative, Blue Grass, even Heavy Rock before hip hop. *exactly what Amy said!*

10. dancing or playing sports: Dancing

11. back rub or foot rub: back rub

12. fruits or vegetables: Fruit..love the summer months with fresh fruit!

13. Grey’s Anatomy or House: Both!

14. coffee or tea: coffee in the morning!

15. curling up with a good book or a night out on the town: Curling up with a good book

16. straight or curly hair: straight!

17. skirts or shorts: Shorts!!

18. burgers/hotdogs or chinese food: Chinese!

19. vacationing in Switzerland or Mexico: Mexico.. umm cabana boy bring me another drink!

20. sports car or SUV: SUV for now :)...

First Holy Communion

It's been a fun filled weekend! We had family roll into town to help celebrate Karina's first Holy Communion at church on Sunday. It was fun to have all the clan here to play and hang out with. The boys went golfing on Saturday, while the girls and LW played at the park with the dogs. I did manage to squeeze in one layout making this weekend when everyone was taking a nap and or trying to get people to sleep :)

My mil is taking the girls for a few days with her to my sil's to play. I on the sad note must return back to work on Tuesday to finish out my last week in 6th grade. I'm feeling really good so there is really no excuse for not going back. Brett only has one week of work after school this year due to the construction at his school. He gets to be chauffer the next week when Ana takes her quilting class and I'm off to Spokane to take a class on a being a mentor for new teachers. Seems like summer vacation has just begun and we're already booked up through the end of June and the first week of July!

Some pictures to share of Karina :)and family

New Week begins.. last week of school

Wow..just WHERE did the school year go??? As we begin this week, it brings to close the end of the year! Karina had her "unbirthday" today. I took in cupcakes to her class where one of her classmates whose birthday is the same day was already enjoying cupcakes..Karina's were to be ingested a bit later before they left for their end of the year picnic! It's been a great year for Karina.. she loves her teacher (Hi Jill!) and has learned so much!

Ana has her end of the year picnic/trip to the waterslides on Wednesday! I hope the weather cooperates because I think that is suppose to be the "coldest" day this week with only temps in the 70's. Which sounds funny to say but after 90plus weather for much of last week and this weekend.. that sounds "cold"! Ana years was pretty good! She's grown so much this year (tall wise and personal wise) I'm still in denial she'll be in Middle School next year!

Karina had sooo much fun this weekend on her campout with her Girl Scout troop! She got to fish (caught many), swim, cook, roast marshmallows! She is really looking forward to her Girl Scout summer camp @ 4 echoes this summer! (Ana gets to go too!)

This weekend promises to be fun and busy as we prepare for Karina's first communion! I have the dress and veil.. just have to meet with Father tomorrow and find some white sandals and tights. Oh and clean house and all that fun stuff! So looking forward to seeing family.. it's always nice to surround your family with more family!

I'll leave you today with 2 layouts I did this weekend :)

Friday!

Okay I can't promise I'll be a total good girl and keep this updated but I'll work on it! I'm home from my surgery and recovering quite well (knock on wood). The girls had a big bridging ceremony for Girl Scouts last night.. Karina bridged up to Jr. Girl Scouts and Ana to Cadettes. Looks like next year I'll be leading a small group of girls that are staying behind in Jr. Girl scouts and adding Karina to that troop :) It will be fun.. I hope! LOL

Some pictures that my friend Amy took last night since I was home recovering on the couch!