Mommy wanted to go on a drive after dinner.  It was sunny, and clear, and mommy had cabin fever after be stoved up with cramps.

So we piled in and headed out.

Mommy was driving as daddy was tired.

Mommy wanted to go in the woods.  So we did.  About 7 miles from nowhere the van began over heating.

OOPS!

Daddy jogged 7.5 miles home to get the red van, and rescue us.  The kids and mommy decided to meander down the road and pick flowers.  WE walked 1.5 miles before daddy got back with the red van.

We tried to baby the white van home, but no matter what we did it heated up.

Tomorrow the white van is getting a tow truck for the mile to the shop.

*sigh*

I actually have a few pictures, but my battery's recharging I will share if any are worth anything when its charged.

After three days of intense cramps.  Where I did nothing but sit and stare at a mindless story on the computer, or sleep with the tv "watching" the kids.  I have finally disposed of the cramps.

Buh-bye aunt Flo.

Don't slam the door on your way out!

This weeks photo blog challenge is trees and sky.  I have 22 acres of beautiful outstanding trees.  And I live close to the Hoh Rain Forest.  I had a very hard time narrowing down my contributions. 

So here is a winter tree taken in Idaho. 

One of the many trees on our property.  The big branch leaning out now has a tire swing on it--it was begging for one. 

Alder trees in our pony field.  (took it yesterday)

Looking up the inside of a mostly dead cedar tree. 

Forest nearby our house

A tree at the Hoh rain forest. 

new trees, and dead trees. 

Looking up one of the trees on our property.  Aren't they tall???

Maple tree

Maple tree in the fall. 

IT was a long day yesterday.  Of course I was crampy most of the day which didn't help.   Rob is doing training this week that's a boring required part of work, as well as doing his normal shift.  It gives him overtime, but it means LONG days for both of us.  Me with no adult relief, him from extreme boredom.

Anyhow yesterday was the whole boring doctor thing.  NOthing new to report.  Zeria got 3 shots, and Jeremiah two.  

This will probably be the last time she see's Dr W.  He's male, and she's going to be 10.  Its time to switch her to a female. It was actually his suggestion.  HE says when they hit adolesence its up to them, but they might be more comfy with someone else.  I agreed.   I have a female doctor at the ped's clinic I like, and a Nurse Practitioner that I enjoy.  Zeria has chosen the NP.  Which is fine, its what I go to. 

Anyhow after several boring errands, an hour crammed with 6 kids in a tiny doctors room we were restless, and knew we had a long drive.  So half way home we stopped at the Twin.  This is a beach we used to visit all the time when we lived in Eden Valley, but hadn't stopped there since we moved.  It was a good choice, and made the rest of the drive much more tolerable.

We walked about a 1/4 of a mile to one of the Twin Rivers and Zeria and Sam built a bridge to go across it.  They were rather proud of it.  Jer was just proud of the fact that he got to play at the river.  Jer LOVES rivers.  LOL

I spent the time looking for more driftwood for my furniture.  My hands got full quickly, and the girls hands got full.  So I was looking for the boys, but they were very far ahead of me.  Jer as a result offered to carry it for me.  He was very very serious about it.

And carried it for about 10 feet, before it forming me "It too heaby."

The kids got to learn a little about a new kind of fish.  (to them.)  There was a man at the river smelting.  This is a small fish that is herring size.  It is caught with a net.  He hadn't caught any yet, but the kids thoroughly enjoyed watching him, and chatting with him a bit.

We also had quite a lot of fun watching this guy.  The kids begged me to stay after we were leaving so we could see him go one more time.  We did.  LOL   The waves weren't big, but he got a couple of pretty decent rides.  The twin is quite popular for surfing.

All I can say is BRRRRRRR  I know the temperature in the Pacific.

Its BRRRR!

Kaylin really wants to learn to surf.  She trys on the boogie board in the river all the time.  This was her "surfing" at the beach. 

With the detour we didn't get home until 5, at which point I still had to get the kids dinner.  Cramps and all.

I was so greatful when I could finally plant them in front of the tv and crawl into bed and give into the cramps for a bit. 

Anyhow next Thursday I have two more healthy check-ups.  I've gotten behind on them, and the boys haven't had them in several years.  (the big boys)  I hate doctors, but it seems like a good idea some times. 

Good morning

It's been a lazy kinda weekend.  I'm still feeling rather like crap.  But functioning around it.

Jeremiah and Zeria have healthy checkups at the doctor this afternoon.  Rob has a double shift today.  He has to do training in the morning, and do his normal shift in the afternoon.  By the payday on the 10th things will be totally back financially, and we are learning to be good again. 

I will be gone all afternoon of course as the doctors are a hour fifteen away.  My mom has found me a rocking chair for my sunroom.  I asked her to look.  I have one that was my grandma's.  Its not necessarily super old, just a nice chair.  I wanted another to match it.  She found one, so I will pick that up as well, and then my sunroom will have two chairs for Rob and I to sit on. 

The kids are watching Scooby while I wake up.  I don't like waking up.

Good morning.  I started yesterday morning by rescuing a robin from our sunroom.  He got confused as to where the outside was.  So I caught him, let each of the kids pet him and then let him fly away.  He was very grateful to be released.  ZOOOOM he went.  LOL

After I was thoroughly awake I went outside to help Kaylin build a stick crib.  I brought home this book about stick furniture for her--and she fell in love with the crib.  So what could be done, but to make it.

We tried first with the driftwood she collected, but it was a pain in the butt, and I didn't have small enough nails.

We needed a couple other things, so Kaylin and I ran to Forks to get nails, a handsaw and batterys.  It was a quick run and I even stuck to my list.  *shocking*

We got back at lunch time ate lunch, and then went out to continue said project.  We had gotten about half done when Rob discovered that he needed spikes to finish his project.  So we all loaded up and went to Neah Bay.  We decided of course we had to stop at a beach on the way.

I collected enough wood for a second driftwood chair.  (to be built this afternoon I hope) and just enjoyed each other for awhile.  AFter picking up the spikes, and a largish snack we headed back home.

The kids went inside and ate while I continued to finish Kaylin's crib.

The nailing tended to be a bit hard on her.  But she loved the weaving for the bassinet.

We learned a lot about stick furniture, and both thoroughly enjoyed the project.  We both want to make more.  Its free--except for $5 spent on nails, and a good way to bond.  She's my quiet undemanding child, so it was fun to do something with her.

Of course when Zeria saw the finished crib she wanted to build one.  She tried on her own, but rapidly got frustrated, so I helped her get about half done before I collapsed of exhaustion.  We will finish it this afternoon or tomorrow. 

There's the finished crib.  Kaylin as you can tell is very very proud of it.  Its not fancy, but it looks pretty close to the original--which is rather shocking ROFL. 

Was a fun day yesterday.  We spent several hours in the morning at the beach.  We walked over a mile.  Rob went back and picked up the van and brought it to where we ended up.  This gave us the ability to explore a long ways without getting wiped.   Sorry we were having so much fun I didn't take many pictures, and none up to snuff.

In the afternoon we went to the river.  Rob fixed the path so its now easy to get up and down without killing oneself.   And the kids and I played in the river where he was fixing it.  This isn't where we normally play as its rather shallow.  But it had a nice rapid for kids to ride.  So I thought I'd try.

My kids thought it was absolutely hysterical that I was doing it.  Kaylin in particular laughed, and laughed.  Especially when I got hung up in the exact same place she had.  I kept telling her to steer.  Its not as easy as it looks.  And since I'm rather large.  I kept hanging up on the bottom too.  Ah well, it cooled me off, and kept my children amused.  *snicker*

When Rob had finished the trail we headed down to the bridge.  Most of us were already nice and wet and weren't much into swimming so we sunbathed.  Samuel actually fell asleep for awhile.  About 2:30 we headed back to the house to warm up, and get dry clothes on.  We had dinner, and then went back outside to experiment.  I'd been looking all over at varying kinds of funky furniture this last week.  So at the beach we collected enough wood to make ourselves this chair.  Its not quite done.  WE have some more sticks for the back.  But I need some finishing nails, as our nails are a bit big and were splitting the wood.  We think its quite chique.  *giggles*   Amazingly enough its quite sturdy, and I even sat on it for a bit last night.

We don't have money to buy "good" lawn furniture, but hey its a one of a kind giggle furniture.   

I need to take a side shot, because the arm rests are rather cool, and you can't see them in this picture.  The back boards will go on that cross piece, but you can see the basic gist of it.  And its sits flat, I'm not sure why it looks so crooked in the picture.

Anyhow we learned a ton while making it.  And we have full intentions of making another one, which will be much better as we can use what we've learned.