frustrated!!!

I had this "big plan" to put a digital scrappage to show off the pics Mason & I took tonight (Bobby was gone to softball... and Mason wanted to play photoshoot again! I had to say OK!) BUT as I was ALMOST done - it FROZE, and so everything was lost!! So anyways- here are a few of the pictures- I will have to make them into a page some other day!

Getting anxious to go to a new scrapping place in AUGUST - I know it is a ways away but summer always seems to go by too fast, so I am sure it will be here before we know it. For the rest of the summer, they are offering a special, $50 per person for the entire weekend w/a min. of 5, up to 10. Check it out: http://www.afriendsgetaway.com/ Also, came across a cute website last night "Lemon and Raspberry" which has a cute little ebook called "Better Photography in 3 Steps." If you go to the website, it is on the far right sidebar.

Haven't been able to get to sleep the past week - I think my body is on *summer hours* late nights & late mornings - except work is getting in the way of the "late mornings" thing! Even Mason is wanting summer hours - he was still up bouncing around in his crib at 9 - and on Monday he slept until 10AM!! So did Bobby & I - I can't remember the last time we got to do that!

Over the long weekend we didn't do anything too crazy - just had a lot of quality FAMILY time. Bought Mason a stroller to go behind our bikes, so we spent a lot of time bike riding - Mason loves his new stroller. I would too if I were him!

It is only a 3 day work-week for me - Friday we are off to "The Rock" for Jay & Tracy's wedding! Mason is staying w/"gama" and "gapa" all weekend long! Better try to get some sleep, as my mom would aways say "morning is going to come early!"

something to think about...

The Children's Defense fund has almost completed their 2010 "State of America's Children" report and today I had the chance to get a "sneak peek" at a couple of the areas in the report. Here is something I copy/pasted from a section called "Child Poverty." You can view more of the report Here: The State of America’s Children® 2010 if you are interested.

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"Although the United States is home to 406 billionaires and countless millionaires, a baby is born into poverty every 32 seconds, 2,692 each day. Children are the poorest age group in America— every fifth child is poor. One in 12 children lives in extreme poverty (half or below the annual poverty level of $22,050 for a family of four). More than 5.6 million children are in families living at half the poverty level or less.For a family of four that is $919 a month, $212 a week and $30 a day. Children inextreme poverty increased by 1.6 million between 2000 and 2008."

"The gap between rich and poor in the U.S. is the largest on record. The richest 10 percent of households with children received 38 percent of the nation’s income in 2006, the highest amount in three decades, while the bottom 20 percent received only five percent of the nation’s income."

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Most people would assume that these children living in poverty have parents who don't work, when infact, 70% of those living in poverty DO work.

Here is something else I found interesting - although just over half (51%) of children living in poverty have a parent/parents who have not completed high school, 25.5% of those have some college education/associates degree, 7.5% have completed a bachelor's degree, and another 7.4% have completed a masters degree or above.

Just felt like I needed to share - poverty is becoming more and more abundant even here in our little, cozy, hometowns, yet it is not something that is discussed or understood.

softball

I feel like summer is officially here, we went to our first softball game tonight! The weather was great- a little on the windy side but it was so nice to be outside! Having a hard time "winding down" - it is hard to think about going to bed when it it still light outside- We had to put blankets up over Mason's windows!

Last weekend, we met up with Bobby's sister and her family in Fargo. I was so excited I finally to meet our little niece Lily! She is such a peanut! Mason got these Leap Frog MARACAS from his auntie and cousins- LOVES them. This is the only place I can get Mason to take pictures - in front of the fireplace - otherwise he is running around too much!

Oh - I FINALLY finish my FIRST book of the year! I read "Executive Privilege" - it was a great book, would highly recommend! 1 down, 3 to go!

Excited for the LONG weekend - I have been needing a mini-vacation lately... finally a weekend we have NOTHING planned!

Isn't this picture of Bobby & Mason the cutest?! I love watching them read together! :)

another beautiful day

it has been a gorgeous week! we have been trying to spend a lot of extra time outside the past couple days to make up for all the days we missed when it seemed to rain for 2 weeks straight (I dont think it was actually 2 weeks straight but seemed like it)... Tonight Mason & me went with my friend Amanda & her daugher Macy for an hour and a half walk! OK.... it was about a 30 min walk and then an hour at the Dairy Queen to cool off with some ice cream. Last night we got Mason's sandbox filled by the Jaycees- can't wait for him to play in it. I wonder if his sandbox will be his new favorite outside toy, or if it will continue to be his playhouse...The joys of summertime!

I have still been loving and playing around with my ipod touch that Bobby got me for Mother's Day. I downloaded a Kindle app to try to help me meet my New Years Resolution (remember those?!) of reading 4 books. So far I am 0 for 4, maybe I should've planned ONE book... anyways- trying to find a free book to downlaod but the only ones available are OLD ones -- like Edgar Allan Poe books and *classics* I know I should probably WANT to read those books, but I don't! (And I dont want to pay for one because realistically, I probably won't read it.)

Instead, I am going to watch some Tivo'd shows with bobby and enjoy a nice cold diet cream soda- thanks to my husband for picking me up a 12 pack!!! :)

good morning sunshine

It was so wonderful this morning to wake up and actually see the sun rather than rain clouds! bobby is off to drill for the day, so me & mason are attempting to tackle some of the things on our to do list. With the weather being so beautiful it is so hard to do any inside work - which is probably what needs to be done the most! Mason hasn't been able to play in his new playhouse since the day we got it!!! After getting our to-dos done, I think we might head over to the big park- the across town. maybe we will even walk there!

last weekend went to a beautiful wedding in Fargo, and then my sister-in-law Tangi made us a WONDERFUL mother's day FEAST on Sunday at their home. After, we drove to Grand Forks and met my side of the family at Texas Roadhouse for even more food- thanks for dinner, mom & dad! Went home and I got an ipod touch - something I have wanted SOOO bad for so long! It was such a suprise too- thanks so much Mason! (and Bobby too!!)

I have had the worst cold/allergies/sore throat/constant headache this entire week. It is starting to make me crabby! Nothing seems to be helping, I feel miserable. I think I might go take a nap....

no pictures to post

I had not taken a single picture all week, until tonight, when I took one on my phone. I think that is definately a first since Mason has been born!

Recap of this week -- went out for family night Tuesday (out to eat & some shopping), Thursday night was the Mother-Daughter Banquet @ church that I was the chair person (only person) for - it is such a sigh of relief it is done! Just a lot of stress/anxiety if everything was going to go as planned... I did everything from lining up entertainment/speaker to making and making copies of the programs to figuring out and buying the door prizes, so there was a lot of things that could've gone wrong!

Tomorrow morning we are off for a wedding in Fargo - my sister is watching Mason overnight - it is his first overnight with his auntie Katie! Then on Sunday we are going from Fargo to Jamestown to meet our new little niece Lily Paige. I am so excited to meet her!!! Have been looking online at all the different girl clothes... so many cute ones, it's probably a good thing we hade a boy first!

Next week I have 2 candle parties (!) and Girls Night Out to look forward to! Hopefully that makes the work week go by fast!!!

tubes

We are hanging pretty low this weekend... Mason got tubes put in his ears yesterday... he is doing GREAT but we just didn't want to do anything too crazy this weekend. He was doing great when I came home last night - laughing and running around just like usual but Bobby said that he cried for quite a while when he came out of anestesia. My friend Amanda was his nurse during his surgery so I know he was well taken care of!

I hope this video works... it is Mason & Jefferson "playing" (aka: Mason hitting poor Jefferson with the stick end of a cat toy). It was hilarious to watch - both Mason & Jefferson were having a blast!! I wish I would've been able to record it sooner before Jefferson went up on the couch (which is usually his sign that he is starting to get annoyed!). Speaking of cats found out Thursday that Mason has a slight allergy to them... On the bright side, cats are the only thing he is allergic to! The doctor didnt think we needed to get rid of poor Jefferson since the allergy is so slight but we are trying to find a good home for Jefferson.... Mason is absolutely LOVING his new PLAYHOUSE! My friend Paula hooked us up with this playhouse from one of her friends whose little girl has outgrown it and even came with me to pick it up and put it together. Mason loves popping his head out of each of the 3 windows and then runs in and out and in and out, shutting the door each time. It is sure to bring us all MANY HOURS of entertainment! Thanks Paula!

This is Mason's new favorite inside toy - the broom. Since it is out after EVERY meal it is no wonder why! Need to find him one his own size so he can sweep next to me. He is so observant it boggles my mind sometimes!

Tomorrow we have church, then are having a family BBQ @ our house with my parents & grandparents. Hope the weather is nicer tomorrow as today was so cold & rainy.