Last run

The Q-man had his last run tonight.  This is his take-off in the 1600.  I was running the timing table, so I got an up close photo...and that was it after that...I was in charge of the timing afterall...can't be taking photos and pushing the button at the same time!  I believe he came in 5th in this one.  I was in charge of first place finisher, so I am only sure of the guy who crossed first.

Track night

The CITY track meet.  All four schools in the EC area competed.

Two D1 schools and two D3 schools

The 3200 team

(blurry again)

Nick

now that's what we call DRAFTING...really

The photos are a little out of order....the bottom one is from early on in the race, probably the first two-three laps and then after that the boys in green took over the lead.  Actually, the last four guys in the bottom photo, that is the finish order. Brian, Nick, other kid and Dave.

Nick had a personal best time of 10:45...our school record for a freshman is 10:26....he's working on it (four more races).  The all time school record is 9:55....Brian is working on that one.  That 9:55 record happens to be held by Nick's Uncle Joel.

Running some more

Pix from last week......Here is Nick running the 3200 relay..he normally doesn't run a relay but this was a special meet where everything was scored as part of a relay...including the shot put!  This run happened to be on his birthday.  
Quin preparing for his middle school race. I video taped the whole race so these are the only photos that I have for this one.
Tuesday nights run.  This is pretty much the way the race started and finished only the runner in front was farther ahead at the very end.  Go Brian...he's trying for the school record and he's getting close. Nick is the third runner. Nick is trying to pass the Freshman record in the 3200 too and he is getting close as well.

It's raining men

So, how many guys DOES it take to put 20 bricks back into my sidewalk?

There are MEN EVERYWHERE....literally.  I had 6 pieces of construction equipment parked in my front yard last night when I got home from track. This morning at 6:45am they started showing up and turning them on and tearing apart the ditches to put in our new fiber optic lines for the phone/internet/tv combo.  YAY! and BOOO, because hubby had just gotten home from work and was attempting to sleep.  Anyway, around 8am they ripped through my sidewalk and driveway and were in the process of putting it all back together again when I snapped this picture.  It's not warm enough yet for them to be working without their shirts...and a few of them look like they would be worthy of looking....

We are also in the middle of farming and we have guys all over with tractors and fertilizers and corn and beans and.....well........more men.

Around 3pm today I will have yet another man in my house (besides my hubby) to fix my stove and microwave.  My brand new, less than 5 month old, microwave does everything but heat....this is kinda important, heat I mean.......so the company is "fixing it". Seems to me a new microwave would actually be cheaper...the service guy even said so...but, whatever. So "service guy" is going to fix my new microwave and do a little fixing on my old stove (7 years old).  I have been without a microwave and stove for almost 3 weeks.  I am sitting on a ton of chocolate chips that need to made into cookies!!!  Plus the rhubarb is ready to be plucked and made into Rhubarb Crisp....yum!

Hopefully after today my world will be just down to the three men in my normal life and things will be as usual.

Speaking of the other men in my world.....Quin has been running the mile, 800 and 400 in track an enjoying it.  He hasn't been happy with his times but he has improved his times every single race.  He has another meet tomorrow night.  Nick ran a personal best last Friday beating his own record by 20 seconds!  He is now running the 3200 in under 11 minutes and placing in the top 5 usually.  And last, but not least, hubby is enjoying the new job....just not this morning...lol

The stash

This isn't even all of it, it just didn't fit in one photo.  I got two paper packs too.  One is Flames with checker flag on the back and the other is a floral design with burgundy stripes on the back.

It is really difficult to show just how much stuff I came home with from the FISKARS warehouse sale....but I tried.  Everything was a buck.  $1.  100 cents.

Now, some of this stuff I am thinking to myself, "what am I going to do with 6 of everything I buy"....but then, the retail cost on most of that is WELL over a dollar. I tried to shop with that in mind.  Afterall, alphabets never have enough letters (so I bought two sets....now I have twelve...lol).  I did get things I thought I would most use, like brads (in cute little tins mind you!..I got three different colors...6 of each...what was I thinking??) and the fabric flowers (should have gotten more of those....grrr) and the alphas (should have bought more of the "flame" letters now that I think about it....because 6 packages just won't be enough!) Now the cute brads with designs on top are also giving me fits about the fact that I should have picked up a few more....gotta get over that feeling...I KNOW I have plenty!!

So that is my haul...just thought I would show you.  It fills two grocery bags and cost me $36.  Not bad huh?

Whoops

Ok, it's been a WHILE since I updated here...bad blogger me!

Above photo is a quick snapshot of the line waiting to get into the FISKARS Warehouse sale we went to on Thursday in Wausau, WI.  Lots of fabulous deals on paper, embellies and stickers. Not much for punches and tools.
Quin is running in his very first Mile run in Middle school Track.  He finished 6th...whoohoo!  A great first run.  He is also doing the 800 and a relay.  He is enjoying it.
And here is Nick at his 6th met of the year.  He is doing well and keeping in the top 4 during most races.  As long as he improves his time every race he will be doing fine.

OK, so you see what I have been up to and why I have been too busy to update.  I can't keep up with all these things!!  Blogger, FaceBook and more!  When do I have time to actually create?  Once in a while, check my crafy blog for that.  SEe, I have three blogs to keep track of, two kids and a job......calgon, take me away..I wouldn't have it any other way.

Life is a blur

Constant running...working...cooking....you name it.

Anyway.  See my boy run.  He is the green blur.  It is difficult to get a good photo inside a building while the subject is running.  It is difficult for me to get one outside for that matter.  I guess I suck at action sports photo taking.  So, my boy finished 4th overall in the mile at Friday's meet in Wisconsin Rapids with a time of 5:20.  Tonight he finished 3rd overall in the 3200 (two mile) with a time of 11:19.  They ran at the U in town tonight thank goodness!  Friday they ran in Wisc Rapids and our drive home was in a blizzard....not fun.  Remember I was debating making the drive last week....well, we went, the whole family.  The drive down was nice...very nice.  Other than that is sucked.  Not to mention we got home at 1am from that meet.  Still, it is nice to have these meets be indoor ones....because the weather is unpredictable to say the least.  Blizzard Friday, sleet/rain today.  I think it will be sunny tomorrow....or not.  Gotta run, sleep is calling.

POST 101

woo.

Actually it is more than that, but since I moved over from one blog to this one, I had to start over.

Well, anyway....life goes on as usual.  Kids go to school, hubby goes to work (the new job) and I am working....and working.  Work is good.  I get to create while working, but there is actual work work to do to.  And hey, I get paid at the end of the day, so that is great!  More goodies for me to buy.

My birthday was this past Monday and we celebrated most of the last weekend because we didn't know how this week was going to go with hubby starting his new job and it being a night shift thing.  But he is still working days until he learns more stuff....yay.  One perk that I have not enjoyed YET is the Nestle' store.  He brought home some goodies after work one day but I need to get signed up to shop in there...mmmmmm, chocolate!  He brought home a bunch of Butterfinger stuff, who knew they made Butterfinger Hot Chocolate? Wild.  So, anyway, that will be on my agenda for next week....getting registered as a "spouse".  I can't wait to see what all is available to purchase (at cheap prices).

The oldest is driving and started track.  They actually have a meet already next Friday, but only a limited amount of kids are being taken (14).....guess who's kid is going....mine!  I haven't decided if I am making the TWO HOUR drive to go see him run for 15 minutes! Maybe I will let the weather decide. Thank goodness the meet is an indoor one.....it was 10 degrees here yesterday.  The morning temp when we woke up was -10.

The high for today is supposed to be almost 50!  Michigan girls prepare for nice weather (at least cross your fingers it gets to you all). 

Well, off to work I go.  I have to meet Miss Annette for breakfast before we head into the "office" for the day....lol

Blogland is missing me?

Probably not.  Since I am busy with the other two blogs that I take care of for the store, my Facebook account and just life in general...there isn't enough time in a day for all my little pet projects.

Today is a "day off" of sorts.  I sit here working on my "work" blog and will soon be stuffing Doggie Bags with all our little leftovers from store projects.  So, a "work at home" day.  My hope is to get some ACTUAL crafting done too....but the sun is shining and the temps are rising (only to about 30, but that is a major heat wave for us).

So, to play catch-up for those who wonder....

Hubby is off this week as well with a little stretch of time between leaving his previous job and starting his new one. Scary times to be making this move, but it was the right move to make due to the economy.

MY oldest is now a driver...that is more scary than the economy!  He's a pretty good driver, but putting him on the road with all of us in the vehicle is still a scary event.

The kids begin their TRACK season next week as well.  We have snow on the ground so that should be interesting!

The evil snuggie is still in my house.  I even packed one of them up and sent it to my BIL (the one who sent them to us)....and he sent it back two weeks later.....a plot to get him back is in the works...

I finally have my Wii FIT and am loving it.  We are really enjoying it a lot.....even when it gives us criticism (which is often!)  I even achieved perfect balance on Saturday after using it for just 29 days.  Not bad.  In other Wii related news....The Redneck Jamboree game is a little disappointing, not as much fun as we thought it might be.  NASCAR kart racing is entertaining (so say the boys anyway) and Chicken Shoot is a good one if you like a target practice, arcade style shooting game.  

Ok, enough for now.  I think my dryer just 'dinged'

Surprise package in the mail

We were not expecting any packages, nor had we ordered anything and forgotten about it.....

Our first clue when we went to open the large puffy shipping bag.  I looked at the "sender" info on the bag and saw that! Who the hell would be sending that to our house.......hmmm.   What was in the baggie.....two sage Snuggies of course.....the devils robe. lol  Not to offend the lovers of the Snuggie...but this a running joke in our household....and now we own two.  I wonder who sent these???

The boys love them.....NOT!

Quin found the perfect use for it!

We'll get you uncle Joel!!