Spring has sprung and love is in the air! Well...for SOME creatures anyways! As you can see by the photos above (No Dad, the pics do not need to be turned..the kids are laying on their backs on the floor!), our neighbors cat has YET AGAIN had another batch of kittens. NO, we are NOT getting another cat! But Paige and Ben just love going down to play with the baby kitties...and the neighbor likes them to come down and play with them as they feel it makes them much nicer cats when they are ready to leave mama. Roxie (the mama cat) had her largest batch this time..five! Wow!

Now for creatures who aren't feeling the love so much, Morpheus went to the vet today and had his 'attitude adjusted'. Or as Ben told his Kindergarden class today "My cat is going to the vet to have his nuts chopped off"...lovely, just lovely....I wonder if this qualifies him for a special class! hahaha... Since his little visit this morning, Morpheus has just layed around and started to act very much like a man WITHOUT a mission. Sassy is happy too as she no longer has to put up with him jumping on her back at all hours! hahaha.....

Hugs to you all,
Jaye

What a crazy, busy, FUN long weekend we had!! I didn't know you could do so much in just a few short days!

Our weekend actually started on Thursday when my wonderfully glorious friend Sue drove down (up...across...whatever!) from Sechelt B.C. (Canada!) to spend the weekend with our family....let me just say..she REALLY needs a GPS! hahaha...

While the kids were at school on Friday, we went out for lunch (Red Robin) and did some shopping. Friday night we had a bonfire..which was much needed as we had several trees that had fallen during the winter snows we had had and we really needed to burn them before the summer burn ban came into effect. We giggled and laughed and giggled some more. Our travels down 'memory lane' were extensive and I think our kids all learned some new things about their moms! Not sure if that is a good thing or not! :)

Sue tried to escape on Saturday to head to Bellingham to do some shopping at the outlet stores but Mark and I refused to let her leave! We went to my other glorious friend Bobbi's house for a bbq....what food...what fun...what a night!

Sue left on Sunday...I wasn't happy but she DID have to get home at some point in time! I used the day to tape off the laundry room and get it ready for painting...I have done one wall and the other three await my further attention. Once the walls are painted, I can put up the wallpaper border that we found. Once that is all done, I will take pictures and post them.....

Monday found Mark doing alot of things outside. He started to build the brick retaining/garden wall along the front of the house (we worked on the back last year and so this year the front is our mission). He also did a bit more on the fence in the play area that I need for my after school care program I am starting...I know..like I have time to add ANOTHER thing to my already busy life! :)

This coming weekend we are headed up to Whidbey Island to spend a few days with Peggy and Gordon. That is always relaxing as we usually nosh (yes Dad, that IS a word!) on pizza and watch movies....just a nice time laying around and being lazy for a change!

The following weekend Ben has a t-Ball game...Sam has a field trip with his Japanese class into Seattle and Shelby arrives (all in one day! whew!). Not too sure what fun things we are going to do this summer, but we will of course take pics and post them as we do things!

Hope you are all enjoying the lovely weather that seems to be consistent from one coast to the other!

Hugs
Jaye

A quick update for all our family and friends who email and ask.....Only THREE more classes and I will have my degree!!! WHEEEEEEEEEEE.....I am managing to maintain an 'A' average too ( I have a 4.0 GPA)! Like I tell Mark, all this AND brains too! :)

The Legal community will never be the same! hehehe.....

Hugs
Jaye

Yesterday (Sunday) we took the kids to a Mariners Baseball game! Because it was "Little League Weekend" (the top photo shows OUR league- West Central- on the score board!)we were able to go down onto the field before the game and walk all the way around. We were able to see some of the players (San Diego Padres) practicing before the game as well as see the two dugouts (the second up from bottom photo shows Ben in front of the Mariners dugout)! The kids all received free Mariners Wrist Bands as well as Baseball cards.....aside from the five dollar hot dogs, the four dollar bottled water, the eight dollar beer, the fact that the Mariners lost the game and that it was pouring out in Seattle, we actually enjoyed the day! :)

The kids want to go back to another ball game....and perhaps we will, on a sunny day and when the Mariners AREN'T playing! :)

Hugs to you all!
Jaye

So now I am going to bore all of you to death with pictures of all my plants and flowers! I have obviously been successful with the transplanting of my flowering plants from their pots to my tubs as I found new blooms like the one above on all my plants! I can grow pretty much anything outdoors...it's the indoor plants that I massacre...not sure what I do wrong!

I have discovered over the past year or so that there is nothing I enjoy more than making a cup of coffee and walking outside in the spring and summer to look at all the new blossoms and growth in the garden. My mom used to do this when I was a kid and I thought she was nuts..after all...sleeping in had so much more appeal that peering at plants...

Maybe its getting older that brings this sort of enjoyment..and I don't mean aging as in 'numerical age'. I think it has more to do with coming into yourself as an adult...fine tuning your likes and dislikes...weeding out the things that are not so important and just waste your time and making time for things that truly bring you inner peace...

Whatever it is, I like nothing more than putting the kids on the bus in the morning and coming home and doing a walkthrough of my garden....it's quiet (2 1/2 acres of forest!), peaceful...and soothing....

Who knows..maybe I'll try to grow something indoors this coming fall! hehehe....

Don't bet on it!

Hugs
Jaye

I hope all of the mothers out there had a relaxing and enjoyable Mothers Day (as well as all the single Dads that I know)! My day started at 7:20 when Paige and Ben brought me breakfast in bed (yogurt, strawberries and banana bread) and cards! Sam celebrated Mothers Day by sleeping in! :)

After a nice breakfast, we went to church where all the moms received roses! As you can see by the above pictures, flowers and plants were the theme of my day! I also received from my lovely family, four of the flowering plants shown in the top picture, and two of the flowering 'trees' in the next picture....I planted one in each tub that lines our sidewalk leading onto/off of the back patio. It is going to be heavenly come this summer when we sit out on the patio with the tiki torches and listen to the sounds of the forest around us!

I also received and planted all the plants I needed for my rockwall/retaining wall garden that runs the length of the back patio......

Turning into a true haven indeed! The only thing left to do out the back patio is to build a gazebo. Yes, we had one last year, but believe it or not, we had so much snow this year that it caved in the roof of our gazebo and bent the metal rods that held it up. We have decided to go more 'heavy duty' and build an actual wooden gazebo. We will use it all the time as Mark loves to grill year round and it will add a lovely accent to the house for when we go to sell it in a few years in anticipation of our move to Wisconsin!

On that note....all of you reading this who live in WI can start looking for jobs for Mark and I! He has a degree in IT so will want a computer related job (keep in mind that Mark has clearance from the Gov't so can really work anywhere!) and I want to work in a law office or the prosecuting atty's office (Legal Sciences degree!). Make sure it pays well and has good benefits! :)

Hugs
Mark, Jaye and Gang

It's been awhile since I've 'blogged'. So much going on these days that a few moments to sit and gather my thoughts and then corale them all long enough to post is just not on my to do list lately it seems....

This coming summer is turning out to be a summer of visitors! Of course, Shelby will be here for nine weeks...but then, she isn't a 'visitor' as this is her home! Dad will be here for two weeks the end of June begining of July....and my brother and his son will be here sometime in August! Always nice to have people you not only love but actually LIKE coming to your home for a stay!

Sam is doing really well with his driving. I think Mark and I came back looking a little shell shocked the first few drives, but now that Sam has stopped hugging the ditch on the right and almost scraping the van each time he passes something, we are coming back quite alright!

On a side note, I am always amazed at just how kids develop their likes and dislikes. I was thinking about my two younger ones yesterday and their very eclectic tastes in movies. Having a mother who LOVES dry British humour (That would be ME for all you trying to follow this thread!), it is quite funny to see that their two favorite movies, out of all the movies they could like, are "Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy" and "The Pink Panther" (the Inspector Clouseau ones, NOT the cartoon ones!). Quite advanced senses of humour for an 8 year old and a 5 year old! I am doing my job well! hehehehe....

Have a good week all,
Hugs,
Mark,Jaye and Gang

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

I know this is a Christmas video, but I just learned how to post video to the blog so deal with it!

Hugs
Mark,Jaye and Gang

It's a big day at our house!! Sam is now an official driver! In WA state we have 'graduated licenses' and Sam is at the first stage. He can drive with another licensed, of age adult (no kids) for the next six months. After that, he gets a license that is valid for a year and has certain other restrictions (no driving with minors without an adult in the car, no night driving without an adult etc etc) and then he gets his 'real' license and can drive like the rest of us. Ok..I have seen some of you drive, so lets hope he doesn't learn THOSE tricks! DAD!! :)

Hugs,
Mark,Jaye and Gang