welcome home us. :)

Yeah actually we arrived home at 10:30pm a full week ago....but...it has taken me that long to get back into the swing of things. :) I'm such a slacker...and have to admit that I'm still not fully back into the swing of things although I would love to believe that. Our trip was awesome. The 12 hour drive down and back wasn't even that horrible which is hard to believe. The boys...oh my gosh...were possessed! They were SOOOOO good! For 5 days I didn't have to get after them...I didn't have to threaten their lives...nothing. They got along...were on their best behavior. It was so...weird. But no worries...they are back to their normal selves now and are fighting like cats and dogs again. *sigh* I was kinda hoping that part would last. Picture...Michael, Me, Kristin

So the great part of the trip was that my father and I didn't argue one time. Well..not that I remember anyway!! And...I had absolutely NO feelings of bitterness and resentment. I'm so thankful that I have finally gotten over all my abandonment issues. I realize that I really have the best dad ever. (my stepdad who I have never called my stepdad...just dad). And I love him so much and he has always been there for me. So really...there is no reason to have those issues and feelings right?? Right. So that was really nice for me to realize that at 33 I have finally gotten over it. Gee...I'm quick huh?? :)

It was so great to see them. Alison is the most amazing woman ever. I just adore her. She has always been so accepting of me. She is awesome. And she fell right into the grama role as soon as she saw those boys. It was so fun to watch. And my father....to watch him watch the boys...it made me feel all warm and fuzzy. My sisters kept teasing him...because apparently he always wanted boys. Mathew humored him and played catch in the front yard. He was in heaven!! (both of them...tee hee)

Graduation was great. The whole reason we went down there. However...I feel like such a heel. :( I realized that I didn't get a picture of Michael with her cap/gown and diploma. :( I am the worst sister ever. The weather was not so agreeable. It was cool but the wind was just howling!! Shawn, Greg (Miha's boyfriend) and I ended up standing along the top of the stadium against the brick wall. I got fried and froze and felt like I got hit by a mack truck. Did I mention that I had caught a cold before the trip? Yeah it sucked. So I bailed after Miha received her diploma...which later had horrible guilt (and still do) for doing that. :( bad sister. *sigh* Her party that night was fun...they brought in a band called the Clam Daddy's. The guys were great but they look like a couple of dudes that didn't make the cut for ZZ Top. :) Just so danged proud of her for finishing school. Finally someone in my family graduates from college!

Sunday was a lazy day...we just kinda hung out. I took some photos of Miha and Greg and Greg's family. Greg's family is awesome and we got along really well...they were super fun to chat with. They were laughing...saying that I would come home to Montana and people would see these photos of the family and ask...so where did you get the brown people?? :) That was fun..and really great experience...having seen the photos in print I can see things that I need to do different. But that's part of the learning process right??

Monday was our big day. We went to Denver to have some fun with the boys. The girls and Greg came along. Our first stop was the zoo. It was a blast. The boys loved it and so did I!! Of course Auston had to make some witty comments...one being that when we approached the area of the dumpsters he just shook his head and said...I wish I was in a dumpster right now. Did I tell you all about his dumpster story?? Well I told the girls and Greg and they were totally cracking up. Mathew was being way too cool. I can totally tell that he is almost 10. He is just maturing like crazy...too fast for my liking though!!

After that we went to a Colorado Rockies game! We had amazing seats thanks to my father...Greg and his connections!! The boys had their baseballs autographed by Ian Stewart (who had an awesome game that night!) and Auston got Dinger the mascots signature as well. They just loved it...it's a totally different experience seeing things that close. And one of the guys broke his bat when he hit the ball...which I caught on film. that was pretty cool.

And Tuesday was another lazy day...we were so danged tired and exhuasted. The weather just didn't cooperate much...thankfully it was nice during the zoo..but the rest of the time it was cold. And we drove home in a blizzard...not even kidding. kay..that is a short version...but still pretty long. If you read it all...send me your snail mail so I can send you a cookie. :) Now off to work and the whole regular life thing..would be nice to stay on vacation don'tcha think?? I promise I'll be more exciting and witty in the next post. :) have a happy hump day!!

overactive brain syndrome...

is there such a thing? There should be because I certainly have it. Yes it's 2:00am and I'm awake. Granted there are many factors but the main one is that my brain will not shut off. It's common for me. Another quirk. Why must I have so many?? :) So I'll tell ya why my brain won't shut off....this time. Right before bed I listened to a voice message from a call I had missed. It was from a gal with American Prairie Foundation. I had cleaned for them once...before I knew what they stood for and what they were doing here in NE Montana. I have nothing against her as I think she's really nice...but I don't agree with what APF is doing. So I laid in bed for an hour trying to figure out what I would say and hoping that I would get her message machine so I could spout out my well rehearsed script. :) There are a couple conservatories in Malta...they have come in and offered ranchers enough money that they couldn't refuse to sell their land...land that has been in their family for generations. And we aren't talking a little bit of land...we are talking 40,000 acres. Can you blame them? Many ranchers love what they do but it does have a price...it's not the glamorous job that some think it is...it's hard work...with many struggles but it's our way of life. They want to take up land from here all the way to North Dakota...making it a huge wildlife preserve with free range buffalo. So then what? These small towns that are barely surviving will turn into ghost towns as there will be no livelihood left. The people who fund this organization and those like it...are from the city...most from the east coast...they aren't fellow Montanans. I don't understand what people think they are going to eat once they drive out all the farmers and ranchers. Maybe import our beef from China?? *snort* Anyway...so here was my scripted response:
Hi ___, thanks so much for your call. I am currently booked until mid June however I don't think I will be able to clean for American Prairie Foundation. Please know that this has nothing to do with you personally as I think you are really nice! I just don't agree with the goals and ideals of American Prairie Foundation. I don't think I could, in good conscience, make things all tidy for people who don't see the flip side of the pretty picture they have painted for themselves. I have always wanted to visit New York City. To see what it has to offer, the sights and sounds as well as the people who love their city. But I can't imagine ever wanting to take that away from them.
What I will probably end up saying:
Hi ___, thanks so much for your call. I am currently booked until mid June. Sorry about that..have a stellar day!
I'm such a chicken shit. :) I guess that is the best analogy that I could come up with. Can you imagine taking a chunk of the city and preserving it like it was 200 years ago?? And stripping the people in that little chunk of their entire lifestyle. It's really sad and it's something that gets me riled up. WAIT...I have another thing to say. Buffalo were NOMADIC!! That's why in the song it says the buffalo roamed. AND they tore up everything in their path. But these people think they can just fence them in...how is that natural like it was when Lewis and Clark came through? *sigh* AND....the GOOD ranchers PRESERVE the prairie lands!! My dad is awesome with that...he rests his pastures and doesn't run more cows than the land can support. Why would he overgraze them?? Then he won't have them to feed his cattle the next year or the year after that. See...I get riled. Here is a good article to read if you are interested. Oh and before anyone flames me...remember that this is MY BLOG.

Okay...off that subject now. :) So yesterday I woke up with a stuffy nose. I feel like crap. Wouldn't it figure since Friday morning we leave for Colorado! Of course it would make sense tat I would get sick before I leave so I can spend the next 5 days not enjoying myself. Although I am SO excited! I can't wait to see my sisters and my stepmama. :) And I'm really hoping that I can get in a couple photo shoots! My sisters are very outgoing and I have a feeling they would totally play for me so I could capture some neat shots. In fact...I pictured Kristin in my head doing a fun pose...so we'll see if I can pull it off!! I'm excited to take the boys to the zoo and the aquarium...they don't know yet and will be so surprised. Well I hope so anyway!!

AND..have I told ya'll that we are moving again?? :) But it's a good move!! We found a house!! So I'm really excited....to paint and just be able to stay put. Won't that be nice?! It's a split level...4 bedroom and the one bedroom will become my photo studio/scrap space. Woot woot!! They boys will have their rooms in the basement and it has a big rec room and a nice sized laundry room!! I'm SO excited to have my washer and dryer back. It's the little things. :)

Sooo...you probably won't see me for about a week...hope you all have a great one!! :)