If I had $2.2 million...

This afternoon I went with my dad to a job he's just finishing up on. My dad owns Bitsmart Computer Center. they specialize in home electronics... stuff like whole home networking and automation.. Sound, lighting, theaters... this stuff is hard to complrehend until you actually see it.

Anyway. Here is the house.. The home owners spend $20,000 on the boulders in the landscaping... not on the landscaping.. just to have big rocks place all around the house..

The home owners have moved in, so to protect their privacy I did not take any other pictures of the exterior or interior of the house, with the exception of the theater room. This house is amazing.


My sister Jill was the interior designer for the theater room. She did an amazing job. My pictures really do not do justice... And there is a lot you can't see, or that has not been installed yet.. for example there is a automatic curtain that will open and close over the screen that cost about $5000...



The lights are about 3 feet long.

Theater seating for nine..


The good looking Alex..



Pretty cool huh?

Wish my theater room looked like that...

Maybe some day... when I've got $2.2 million to spend on a house.

Two weeks.

There is nothing in the world like a visit from your very best friend.

Mine happens to be amazing. She's been my bestie for 5 years.. FIVE.. I know. and she lives all the way over in AUSTRALIA. I mean... cool right?? but SOOOOO not cool....

This is the first time we've met in person.

We decided instead of her flying directly to Boise that it would be fun if she flew into Seattle and drove over and met her there and then we could road trip back to Boise.

Her flight got into Seattle at 3 pm... I didn't want to spend the night in Seattle... alone... all by myself... That would have made me WAY too sad... so I got up at 2:15 in the morning... after going to bed at about midnight, and headed off on the 8 hour drive.


It was a GREAT drive. Zero traffic... I was in Kennewick, WA by 8:00 am... Seattle by like 10:30am.. Best drive ever. I think from now on ever road trip I take is going to start at like 3 am. The only scary bit was stopping at rest stops when everything was so dark and quiet. that gave me a bit of the "yeah, I don't have to go that bad... I've only had 3 cans of Pepsi Max.." willies.


So the pictures of her straight off the plane... yeah on my cell phone.. don't have the card reader to download them so I'll have to post them later.

The following day, after we had a little bit of sleep we went shopping. Isn't she GORGEOUS? Seriously... My Ali bestie is so beautiful.

After the outlet mall shopping.. we headed to Pikes Market. Right as they were closing. :(


Ali's lovely "mum" was with us. She's a doll. I think she was buying some Chocolate Pasta.. but I'm not sure.

Sushi at Pikes Market for dinner. It was fantastic.


And um yeah.. when we got back from shopping that evening.. we needed a hotel trolley to bring all the shopping bags back to the room.

The next morning we took Delsie, Ali's lovely mum, to the Airport to catch her flight to Kalispell, Montana. Then Ali and I started off on our way to Boise.

We stopped in North Fork, Washington and had a look at the Waterfalls. Um yeah.. can't remember the name of the falls.. and I am too lazy to look it up right now.. but it was beautiful.



And then I don't even remember where we were, but we decided to stop for dinner at this Mexican restaurant. Anyway. that's enough about that.

We don't know either, so don't ask.

After one day at home we were back in the car for another short road trip to Cascade, Idaho for Brave Girls Practice Camp.



SO AMAZING.

Can I just tell you how cool it was to be in a quite secluded cabin, with only one scary woodcutter guy roaming around the forest...


Getting crafty with some of my favorite people... who also happen to be SO dang talented, and funny, and enjoyable to be around?? AB'SOUL'UTELY AMAZING.



This picture of Kathy and Melody makes me laugh everytime. I can't remember exactly what they were saying but I think it was something like...

"I said get away from my danged salad!"

or maybe..

"Catwomen? I'll show you cat women"

or was it..

"Put the fricken feta down!"

Yeah okay, so maybe not. Kathy is so sweet and kind and sensitive and just amazing. Her and Melody really have a beautiful sisterhood and freindship... this is how it really was.. all the time...

And like this..


Amazing hostesess. The company was incredible. The food was too die for.

The entire experience was...

Refreshing
Rejuvinating
Relaxing
Renovation for my battered soul.



It was BRAVE. Very Brave... This Brave Girls Camp. Lots of crying going on and all that business. Good crying. Soulful, deep, brave crying. The kind that makes you feel like you've had a good nights sleep and can start fresh when it's over. It's my favorite kind of crying because it brings with it hope, and strength, and fuel.


Ali and I in our wings shirts... which as it turns out are actually pajamas. Whatever.. I'm still wearing mine.

Our projects... You don't get to see inside. Maybe someday. It's a brave girls thing.


This next picture is pretty symbolic.

I didn't have any... and I've been needing some for a long time so I could correct some things that were occurring in my life, that should have never been allowed. I had started on my own.. But I really found some balls at brave girls camp. Literally.

And they were HEEEEEEEEAVY.

I'm going to grow some muscle hauling these babies around.

And I'm going to be a little bit tough.

And I'm going to stand up for myself.

And I'm going to demand things for myself... things that I didn't think I could expect before... let alone demand.

They are mine. Cause I'm tough, and I have big heavy balls. Just so you know...



On the way back to Boise we stopped at Banks... for some ice cream. and tater tots. and nachos.... and more pictrures.


No one was out Kayaking. Bummer.


A few days later and its on to more shopping... Ali's kind of shopping. Scrapbook supplies... Archivers.


((We were there for hours... no joke.))

Completely bummed. I have a big empty spot on my camera where I clearly became a bit preoccupied with life and forgot to take pictures. There was so much I missed. Most important... Ali dancing on stage... Ali's 31st birthday. (I know! what a crappy friend!) Dinner at PF Changs... hot tubbing at the hotel... Hopefully Ali will have loads more pictures on her camera...



Then packing up to leave this morning. :( I know Ali was very excited to see her fabulous Matty... the magnificent husband man... and their beautiful children. She missed them... and I know they missed her!



I am sad. I miss my very best friend already.

Two weeks is WAY to short.

Next year... it's my turn to go visit her.

In Australia.

I need a passport.

And I need to figure out how to say "bugger" properly.

The First Day of School 2009

YAY! It's the happiest day of the year.

Love my kids...

But I love them even better when they are in school all day. :)

There are no fewer than 35 children who get on the bus at my kids bus stop.. and that does not include the kids who meet at the same bus stop but attend a different elementary school.




Free at last, free at last. Thank God almighty, I'm free at last.

No tears from this heartless mom.

Eagle Island State Park

A few weeks ago the kids and I went to Eagle Island State Park.

It was a beautiful day, and the park was pretty empty.

As soon as I wanted to take Aaron's pictures he took off into the water and got in right up to his chin. He loved it. He makes me nervous because he does not know how to swim...



When I turned back towards our blanket, I see this.

What?

I snuck over there.. but they came out. Then Noah and Jennica inform me it's their Chicken Tunnel.

Yes,

Chicken. Tunnel.



Where they eat their fried chicken. ((I make GREAT fried chicken by the way.. just so you know.))


Then, Noah, who is 9 years old.. askes me to tie the blanket around his neck for him... what?

He's a little old.. and has been out of the super hero cape stage for a while..

He tells me he's a chicken hero.


Then they all have to be Chicken Heros.

My own little roost of Chicken Heros...



I have such silly kids.