Down Time

In the time since I posted pictures bragging of my scrapbook area, I then lost access to my laptop which carries the software for my Cricut and most of the pictures I use for blogging. My power cord ceased to provide power to my laptop so I ordered another one and waited patiently for it to get here. Then I updated my laptop and antivirus and lost access to my Internet! But now I'm up and running again!

So after a hot, melting summer, we have experienced a little bit of a reprieve from the heat. And that means my boys actually got off their behinds and went outside...and I didn't even have to tell them!

So here is what they did. Shoot their BB Guns and hit a racquetball!

They interacted with each other and I didn't even have to tell them!

They played together without any nudging from their mother!

Anyway, we've been really busy here! I got a new job! And so far I love it!! WooHoo!!! So the hours are great and aside from me being totally swamped in learning all the new stuff for my new job, we've had track meets, early morning practices, meetings at school and all the normal stuff that comes along when summer ends and school begins. Plus I'm sick and so was Ryan. Already! Pretty much all the same things you guys are doing also.

We are also getting ready for a trip back to the Big City! I'm excited to see my family again but am trying my best to see friends too. I want to make sure we all get to at least say hi to our friends and family we left behind.

I can't promise I'll post before then, but I will certainly post when we get back!

Remember to take the time to enjoy the beauty around you!

Catching Up

Wow! I was reading over some of my past blogs and realized the bad thing about blogging is you have things in writing that never go away. Accountability. So here's a catch up blog. There have been lots of going on's around here. Days go by before I even think about blogging until family members call and demand that you update the blog. "We need more Tarver Tales!!!" "Get off your lazy bum and update us with your fascinating lives". Just kidding on that last one.

So here is our "everything" room. It's also called the computer room, Brittany's room, my scrapbook room, and the lizard's room as well as the storage room with the fake fireplace. It's pretty much the...well.... Everything room. As humiliating as it is for me to post this, please remember this image towards the end of this post. Thank you very much!


It was so crowded in here for awhile that my daughter opted to just sleep on the couch. You see, when we moved up here, we knew she would be going off to college within 2 months so we didn't see much point in getting it all fixed up for Brittany just so she could abandon....uh...I mean experience her new adventures as a college student. So we pretty much just left it all junky. Besides, there was sooo much chaos going on here anyway (just read my older posts for proof) that I hardly had time to organize this room. And yes. Okay. I am a procrastinator. Are ya happy now???

Then we had school start. I know. He's wide-eyed and bushy tailed. Ready to go to school. He's a 7th grader this year. He's in cross country and band.

Here's Ryan my 8th grader ready for his first day in a small town school. He's still working on getting used to it. He is in band this year as well as Ag. The Ag part was a pure accident and he is actually liking it.

Good grief!! Here's my garbage disposal 10th grader. He is why I'm working. Not really. But they sure do eat alot of food. I don't know where he puts it all. Brandon is in Wrestling and will be in the band 2nd semester. We had a few...uh...scheduling issues from his missing some credits due to moving up here the middle of his freshman year.

And I was also reading how I promised to post on Brittany getting her license. As momentous as it seemed at the time, now she's in college so that totally out weighs it. Let's just say it took us a little longer than we thought it would. But she is driving now and her mother has stopped sleeping nights. I doze when I get a chance but a child driving is one of the most scariest things that happens.

See? She got her license. Notice the change of clothes. She is a good driver...just inexperienced.

So here is her dorm. She's on the 6th floor.

Here is the waiting room. It's very nicely decorated. We waited here while her Residence Assistant came down to meet us.

Here we are waiting. Patiently. After a 2 hour drive.

So here is her dorm room. She is right by the door and is lucky enough to get a window. And yes. Our whole family went. It was a huge ordeal! We are so proud of her. Her poor roommate is an only child and I hesitate to think of the damage we caused her while we tore into that room like a tornado.

It comes with a mini fridge and microwave which was nice. We hit the nearest Walmart to stock her up!

Brittany and her roomie seemed to hit it off. They have been texting each other all summer so they pretty much knew each other by the time they actually met face to face.

Here's Brittany's bed all set up. It was getting late and we still had a 2 hour trip home so after we celebrated Ryan's birthday at Chili's and stocked up Britt's room, we headed home. I'll spare you the sob story of me leaving my first born baby and only daughter.

Now...do you remember this?

After a little bit of work and packing it started to look like this. I know these pictures are out of order because Brittany was actually enjoying her freedom from prison....uh...I mean from home by now but we are packing her for her move here.

And little by little, it transformed. I decided that a way for me to feel better about leaving one of my children at a school 2 hours away was to create a little space for me to spend time doing something I love.

And even though we still have a few things to find a place for, I now have a room in which to blog and scrap book in peace. Well...not really. I share it with my boys when they are on the computer. And I share it also with the lizard and computers and all the stuff Brittany left behind but didn't know what to do with. But!!!

It's good enough for now!

And that is all that matters.

Ryan Is 14

Wow! Time flies ya know? I'm talking about the last time I blogged as well as my children and how fast they are growing up. Bear with me please. It's been an emotional week. We dropped my daughter off at college (more on this later) AND my middle boy is 14!!! 14!!!!

Even though Ryan is not technically my "middle child" he is my middle child. I have four kids and he's the third but he's the middle boy so that makes him my middle child. He acts like a middle child that's for sure! And I love it! I love everything about this boy. He's so different from each of his siblings (as they all are) and he is the carbon copy of his father!

You can't tell by this picture but he is my monotone child. He doesn't get too riled up. He takes things slow and cautious and he doesn't get excited about too many things. He's quiet too. He can sneak up on you like no body's business and scare the tar right out of ya! Thinks that's the funniest thing too!

Goodness just look at that face!!! When he was in elementary school the teachers told me that girls fought over who was going to sit next to him. He used to pull their chairs out and hold the doors open (hope he's still doing that) and they just flocked to him! Can you blame them?? He's the only one of my kids got my light complexion, freckles and blue eyes.

When he was a baby, he loved for me to rub his head and arms. This was the only way I could usually get him to fall asleep. This still relaxes him.

Man I love this boy! He has stolen my heart...

And I don't think I'll ever get it back.

Snakes

It's been really hot around here lately. Hotter than where we moved from which I found very odd but apparently even though it's hotter, summer is much shorter. Because of the heat, we have seen these guys around our house.
Pretty sure that is a Garter snake which is mostly harmless to humans. This one was found on the stairs leading down the storm shelter. That may be a problem. Not sure if I can get myself down there during a storm knowing there may be a pit of snakes waiting to eat us (think Indian Jones). I may have to think about that: death by tornado or death by pit of snakes.

Well, these guys are harmless and we've been seeing them in the flower gardens which REALLY makes me rethink the whole "I want to plant a beautiful flower garden" thing because what if I find a snake and it's NOT a garter snake? sigh...


They eat bugs and amphibians which is a plus because you all know the problem I seem to be having with bugs! This snake is a bit larger than the ones we've been seeing around the house. All I have to say is I really can't wait for those stinkin' cats to be great outdoor hunters!!! And woe to the snake that ever makes it into the house! Actually...woe to ME if a snake ever makes it into the house!

Now This Is What I Call Fun

Once a year my Mother In Law and my two Sister In Laws and I get together and for 3 days we go to a scrapbook retreat. This means no cooking because our meals are prepared for us. No laundry, no cleaning, no kids bugging us about how hungry or bored they are, no husbands and no guilt for scrapping 3 days straight!!! Fun times!

On a side note, please forgive me for the pictures...I went to a scrapbook retreat and knew I would be blogging and...FORGOT MY CAMERA!! Yes...I left it behind. So these are my crappy phone pictures.

It's a time of bonding, fun and laughing! It's something we all four look forward to all year!



Here is a paper doll Dana made. Can you tell who it's supposed to be? I'll let you guess...but it's pretty obvious if you look at the shirt...

Here's my mom in law. Why yes...that is a camera in her hands. She didn't leave hers behind while she was walking out the door and decided she better go potty before she leaves on a 4 and half hour drive. Sorry I said potty...

Here is the entrance to the scrap room. Can we take a moment of silence please?

Thank you. This is where the creative juices really start flowing and if you can't find any of your own, you can just walk around and share someone else's! This is a great place to learn new techniques and get fresh ideas. It's also a great way to learn how to use things like Design Studio and Cricut.

This is my area and a page I was working on. Notice how neat and tidy it is??? Well it's just because I had very little creativity so I didn't have much out.

My sister in law, Josie worked on putting a scrapbook of her poems together and paired them with some photos her daughter took. It turned out absolutely beautiful! They are both very talented.

Dana brought her Cricut and showed us how to use the Design Studio. She spent alot of her time cutting things out for us. Her son is currently going to Basic Training so she encouraged us to make him some cards. I think she got one from most everyone in the room...even the other group of ladies we had just met! It was great to see the support strangers were so willing to give to our country's troops in training!

As you can tell we have a great time...and she will KILL me for posting this on my blog but I just had to! Like I said earlier...fun times!!!

They always end way too soon!

New Beginnings: Kids, Crops, Cats

Well my girl got her license. Finally. It's a trade off. There's the relief of not having to run everybody around because there is another driving who is usually willing and looking for any excuse to take her car for a spin. But there's also the fear that never leaves knowing your child is on the road and anything can happen. Especially when said child has your other children as passengers in her car...sigh.



There's no denying it. My girl's done gone and growed up.

Lord help us.

Off she goes. She had orientation at her college this weekend and due to some unfortunate circumstances and against my better judgement she went alone and drove the 2 hour trip by herself. Aside from me being a basket case I'd say it went well. It was a growing experience and although I definitely felt the separating of the cord, I was really proud of her and her growing independence.

The next item on the list is this tractor again. Now please bear with me. I had to show the coolness and total awesomeness of this machine! It's scary!

Huge and scary. It's spiky and...scary!

It left the ground looking like this. It tore it up! All the wheat is gone and it is resting before they plant more this fall.

Just look at those spikes!!! It folds up sorta like a transformer.

Folding....

Folding...and done! Now it drives down the road to it's next destination.

By the way...

You remember our two kittens we got to hunt mice and bugs?

Yeah...well...their training is going well thanks for asking!

Yes...they are the mighty mouse and spider hunters. NOT!!!

Don't forget to take time to watch the clouds wherever you may be.