Sunday, July 26, 2009

Blueberry, Peach, and Raspberry picking

Thursday Joe had a day off from work. We had seen a commercial on TV for Lyman's Orchards for blueberry picking. CJ loves blueberries. We asked him if he wanted some and he said please. So we decided we'd like to try to schedule some blueberry picking. So with Joe's day off we gave it a go and invited some friends to come along. So here was our trip blueberry picking. But we also got peaches and raspberries while we were there.

Kaitlyn picking blueberries


Natalie picking blueberries


CJ trying to figure out how to get those blueberries


Kaitlyn and Noah picking blueberries


Natalie and Kaitlyn picking blueberries


Natalie


Checking out the peach trees


Natalie looking for the right peach tree


What mom?


Kaitlyn picking a peach


Oooh, this looks good


I love my peach


Get that one up there


I got it!


Here's another good one!


Hey Hunter look over here


Do you like my ball peach?


This way to the raspberries mom


We have to keep going...


...and going


Wait, there are some over there


No I think they are over here...


Look at all the ones I found right here


I think I like these raspberries


Can I have that one in there?


Mmmm, good


Natalie likes them


Mikayla, Kaitlyn and Kyle looking for some raspberries


Kaitlyn found a bunch


So that was our trip to Lyman Orchards. We've got plenty of blueberries and peaches. I'll probably try making some jam. I'll let you know how that goes.

When we were done picking our fruit we decided to go to the drive in for $16 carload night. CJ had an exhausting day and fell asleep during the first movie. This is how he was sleeping...

Isn't he the sweetest little boy ever?

We had a very fun day jam packed with stuff. Gotta love all the fun summer activities.

Saturday, July 25, 2009

Week in Review: July 19 - July 25, 2009

Here is this weeks Week In Review for July 19 - July 25, 2009

Sunday: A nice lazy Sunday. I got up before everyone and enjoyed a quiet morning. The kids got up and I fed them breakfast. Joe got up and got ready for work. The kids and I just hung around until he came home. I made dinner. Washed some laundry and cleaned up the kitchen. We put CJ to bed and then the girls stayed up watching TV with us. They went to bed and we went to bed a little while later.

Monday: I got up before everyone again. Had a relaxing morning. Fed the kids and then went to swimming. It was the girls first day in their new levels. They did great. After swimming I had to get a prescription and pick up a few things at the grocery store. We did that and came home for lunch and put CJ down for a nap. Then we just hung around the house. I made dinner. A little while after dinner we put CJ to bed and played Yahtzee with the kids. After that they went to bed and I did the swimming laundry. Joe and I stayed up late. I finished up the laundry and went to bed.

Tuesday: Today was Joe's birthday. I let him sleep in. I got up with the kids and got them breakfast. It was a rainy day and pretty chilly. The rain was coming down good and there were threats of thunder so I decided to skip swimming. Instead I cleaned the apartment. After that the kids had lunch and Joe stayed home with CJ while I took the girls to the library. We got a couple of books and then went to pick up a few things at the store. We came home and I had something to eat. Then my landlord's mother came over to talk to me and give me a gift. She didn't stay long thankfully. Joe had to get ready for work. He left for work and CJ got up from his nap. I made dinner. The kids were acting out so they all went to bed early. Joe came home from work and we enjoyed a nice quiet house.

Wednesday: Got up early to bring Joe to work. We dropped him off and then came back home. Had breakfast and got ready for swimming. Brought the girls to the pool and my girlfriend came and dropped off two of her kids for me to watch for a few hours for her. So they ran around the patio of the pool and told me how cute CJ is and then the girls got out of swimming. We went home and I made them all lunch. The girls showered while I was doing that. I fed the kids and they played some games. Then my friend came to pick them up. I talked to her for a few and gave her some clothes for her youngest and sent them on their way. Then I went to pick Joe up from work. His replacement was late so I ended up having to go inside to wait for him. We got him and went to pick up some soda that was on sale. Then we went home. I did some laundry. We had dinner. CJ went to bed and the kids stayed up and watched TV with us. Then we sent them to bed. Joe and I stayed up watching some TV before going to bed.

Thursday: I was up early. Enjoying some peace and quiet. Everyone eventually got up. We had breakfast and got ready for swimming. When swimming was over we came home for lunch and decided to go berry picking. We invited some friends to come along. Everyone showered and then we headed out. Got lots of yummy fruit and had lots of fun. Then we decided to go to the drive in. So we said our goodbyes to our friends and then went to the store to pick up some snacky stuff. Then headed to the drive in. Stopped at a pizza place for some dinner and headed off to the drive in. Watched Ice Age 3 and The Proposal. Enjoyed both movies. Got home very late with some very exhausted children and mom and dad. Everyone went straight to bed.

Friday: Another early wake up for me. Slowly everyone got up. Joe decided he wanted to call out of work. He wanted to take the kids swimming at a lake and fishing. So we invited our friends from yesterday and they wanted to join us again. So we had breakfast and packed up all the stuff we were going to need and some lunch. Then we left for swimming lessons. After swimming we went and bought worms and then headed to my friend's house to pick them up. We went to the park. Had lunch, swam, and then split up. My girlfriend, her daughter, Kaitlyn, and I headed into the woods to go Letterboxing and Joe, my girlfriend's significant other, their three boys, CJ, and Natalie went fishing. I was not prepared for what we got ourselves into with the letterboxing. We hiked up the side of a very hilly very rocky very steep mountain which was made worse by the rain the night before. We only found one out of the 6 boxes we were looking for. At least we found that one though. We found our way out of the woods and to the fishermen/girl. Everyone was pretty much ready to go. My friend had to drop off her daughter off with her father and her significant others son off with his mother. But we decided we didn't want the fun to end. So we made plans to go out to dinner. My girlfriend dropped everyone off so they could shower and took the two children to their other parent and we went home to shower. When my friend was ready we met up with them to go out to dinner. We went to Chilis and had more fun. Although, the kids were very tired and it was very late. And then I did have to argue with the manager about something, but I did get my way. We departed and came home and the kids went to bed. Joe and I went to bed shortly after as well. I had another big day planned for Saturday and needed to be up early.

Saturday: Got up at 7 and was afraid if I went back to sleep I wouldn't wake up in time. Another friend was picking me up at 8:30 so we could go to a PTA convention. So I got up and cleaned up the kitchen and threw a load of laundry in the wash. Joe needed his pants washed for work. I got ready to go and before I knew it my friend was there. The whole house was still asleep. I ran to tell Joe I was on my way out and that his pants were in the wash all he had to do was dry them. And left. Had a great time at the convention and was very excited by what I learned. We unfortunately had to leave before it was over though because Joe had to go to work. I got home just in time. I had a few minutes to talk to Joe. He forgot to do the laundry. All he had to do was throw it in the dryer and it was for him, but he left it until it was too late. Luckily he had something to wear. CJ got up from his nap and Joe left. I was stuck with a very crabby little boy. I tried to please him, but nothing was working so I put him to bed because all he was doing was screaming. He fell asleep. I cooked dinner and then woke him up to eat. He was fine for all of 10 minutes before he began screaming again so I changed him and put him to bed. He fussed a little, but eventually fell asleep. I wonder of the lack of napping the past two days was finally catching up to him. I stayed up and worked on some pictures and waited with the girls for Joe to get home. Shortly after Joe came home we sent the girls to bed.

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Swimming Lessons

On Thursday Natalie, Kaitlyn, CJ and I had swimming lessons. Joe came with us and took some pictures and video. The kids are doing so great at swimming. They are having a blast too. CJ is finally enjoying the water. He's very picky about the temperature of the water.



The girls both moved up a level last Friday. So this was them in their new levels. Kaitlyn is now in level 3 and Natalie is in level 5.

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

The Tale of a Birthday Boy


Thirty eight years ago today Joseph William Barnes made his grand entrance into this world. And not without a little excitement either. Five weeks early via emergency c-section because the cord was wrapped around his neck measuring a very tiny 4 pounds 12 ounces. Like father like son I guess. CJ had the same problem with the cord around his neck and needing to be born via c-section.

And here we are thirty eight years later. This is a very important day in both of our lives though. Aside from the fact that Joe was born on this day 11 years ago today he also proposed to me. This was the start of our life together as a couple. And through many ups and downs I'm very happy to say that we are still going strong today.



I'm so grateful that I have Joe in my life and I couldn't imagine life without him. Happy Birthday Joe, I love you more than words can say.

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Week In Review: July 12 - July 18, 2009

Here is this weeks Week In Review for July 12 - July 18, 2009

Sunday: Slept in. Got up and just putted around the house all day. Joe had to go back to work. That was a bummer. I made a nice dinner for when he came home though. We ate and I cleaned up and then we put CJ to bed. The girls stayed up for a little while watching TV with us before going to bed.

Monday: Another day to sleep in. Got up and it was time to get the girls ready for swimming. So we ate breakfast and went off to swimming. Joe took the car to go apply for a job and then came back and picked us up. We came home and the girls showered and we fed everyone lunch. Then CJ went down for a nap. Joe had to work at night so shortly after CJ got up from his nap he took the car to go to work. So me and the kids had another lazy day. I made waffles for dinner. Then I put CJ to bed. The girls stayed up for a little while longer before I sent them to bed. Joe got home really late. I stayed up and waited for him.

Tuesday: Slept in again. Got up and fed everyone breakfast. CJ and I had swimming too today. We got ready for swimming and then left. CJ started crying when we got down to the pool. I thought oh great. He cried for the first five minutes or so, but then was really starting to get into it. I was so happy to see him warming up to it more. We had a quick stop to make after swimming and then came home for lunch and showers. The girls showered while I fed CJ lunch and he fell asleep in his high chair. I had to wake him up to give him his bath. After his bath I put him down for his nap. Then I went and showered. Joe had to work again at night. So again after CJ got up from his nap he went to work. I cooked dinner and cleaned the kitchen up a little. Put CJ to bed and the girls and I stayed up until Joe got home from work. I did the swimming laundry and then they went to bed and Joe and I stayed up watching TV for a little while before going to bed.

Wednesday: Had to get up early to bring Joe to work. Got all the kids up and brought him in. Then came home and hung around the house until it was time for swimming. The kids had breakfast and then got dressed and we left. Went to swimming and then came home. I fed CJ while the girls took a shower and made their lunch. Then I started doing my workout again. Put CJ down for a nap when that was done and then went to shower. Got out and got dressed. Waited until it was almost 3:00 and woke CJ up to go pick Joe up from work. We went to the grocery store and did some shopping and came home and put all the food away. I washed dishes and made dinner. We had picked up a couple of movies. So we put CJ to bed and let the girls watch their movie and Joe and I went into our room to watch a little TV together. Then when the girls movie was over we sent them to bed and Joe and I watched our movie. I was falling asleep during it so after finishing up the laundry we went to bed.

Thursday: Another early morning to bring Joe to work. Came home ate and got ready for swimming. CJ and I were going in again. I thought it was sunny, but by the time we got to the pool the rain clouds came in. It drizzled on us during swimming, but CJ LOVED it. Oh this is what I imagined swimming was going to be like with him. I'm so glad he's finally starting to enjoy it. We then came home and I fed CJ while the girls showered and prepared their lunch. They ate while I worked out. Then I gave CJ a bath and put him down for a nap. Then I showered too and again waited until it was time to pick Joe up from work. We picked up some pediasure while we were there and stopped to get some gas too. Then came home and hung around trying to figure out what to have for dinner. Subs was the decision because it was getting muggy in the house. So we ate dinner. Played with the kids and then put CJ to bed. Let the girls stay up a little while longer and watch some TV. Then sent them to bed. Joe fell asleep on the couch while I was playing on the computer. Then I realized I forgot to do the swimming laundry so I went and did that and then went to bed.

Friday: Got up early on a day when I didn't have to. CJ was awake though and Joe wasn't budging so I had no choice. So I got up with him. The girls got up shortly after that and I gave everyone breakfast. Joe finally crawled out of bed. I got the girls ready for swimming and Joe stayed home with CJ. We went to the last day of swimming for this session. Both girls moved up a level. I was shocked. Then we headed over to the indoor pool to sign them up again. I somehow managed to get Kaitlyn the last spot in her new level for the time we wanted. Chatted with two of my PTA officers for a few that were also there and then went home. CJ was sleeping so I had to send the girls straight into the shower. Made them lunch. When they got out of the shower I had to go into their room to try to get them clothes without waking CJ. But that didn't work so well. CJ woke up and Joe was in a mood so we got into a fight and I went to hide out in my room. Joe came in and apologized finally for treating me so poorly. He had to go to work. So he left and CJ was cranky and getting into everything so I put him in his crib to rest a little more. Then I washed dishes and cooked dinner. By that time CJ was awake. So the kids and I ate. I put CJ to bed and let the girls stay up and watch some special on Disney with Hannah Montana, the Suite Life, and Wizards of Waverly Point I think it's called. That got cut a little short though because Joe had set the channel to change to VH1 for the Live and Loud concert we saw with Def Leppard and Poison. So the girls and I watched that and enjoyed it. Joe came home shortly after that. We sent the girls to bed. Joe ate dinner and we stayed up watching TV for a little while and then went to bed.

Saturday: I was up before the whole house. Everyone managed to sleep in but me. So I played around on the computer. Everyone slept pretty late. When they did finally get up I fed them breakfast. Then we just hung around the house for a little while. Joe gave the kids lunch and started getting the fishing gear together. He took the girls fishing and I put CJ down for a nap. I had a peaceful house for a couple of hours. When they came home we figured out dinner. Ate and then got CJ ready for bed. Once he was in bed Joe and the kids and I played a few games of Sorry. Then we sent the girls to bed and watched some TV.

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Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Quassy Quarter Night

So there's an amusement park here that has Friday night quarter night. All ride tickets are just a quarter as well as soda and cotton candy. Hot dogs are fifty cents. It's a small park, but it's still lots of fun. They've been doing this since I was a kid. Although, back then hot dogs were also a quarter and they had snow cones for a quarter too. I miss the snow cones. So this past Friday while Joe was on vacation we drove down and picked up his two nephews and brought them here for the evening. We had lots of fun. Hot dogs, cotton candy, soda, and amusement park rides; what more could a kid ask for?

Natalie waiting in line with me for food


William waiting in line with me for food


CJ chillaxing


CJ eating some hot dog


Natalie and William


Kaitlyn and Josh


Natalie and Kaitlyn


William and Josh


Riding the Himalaya



CJ



CJ Riding Dino


Waiting in line



CJ on the carosel


Kaitlyn on the carosel


Natalie on the carosel


Josh on the carosel


William on the carosel


We are going back here in August for Saturday carload night! Only $20 to get in. Can't get a better price than that!