Blurb Picture Books Discount Code

My friend told me about a HUGE discount for blurb picture books going on until Aug. 31st, 2010. It's $39.95 off your product total! The discount code is BLOG2010. This information was posted on Leelou Blogs and you can check out the info here. Happy scrapbooking!

Girl's Trip 2010

DISCLOSURE: Documented mostly for my benefit. Contains lots of inside jokes and pointless information. ;)

My good friends, Shayna and her sister Vanna, and I decided we needed to start a new tradition: a GIRL'S TRIP every year! When Vanna and I were 16 and Shayna was 18 we took a week long trip to Utah and Idaho to visit family. It was the BEST trip I can remember in High School. So this time we decided to go to San Francisco. We got a hotel off of priceline and lucked out. It was right smack dab in the middle of downtown San Fran which is sometimes scary. However, our hotel was great. Very nice and we felt special. It was called the Hotel Whitcomb. We got there, checked in and went shopping. We ended our shopping and tried to get some food at the food court in the mall. We took too long to decide what we wanted that all the places ended up closing before we decided. lol. So we went to the food market and took over an hour to try to figure something out there. Oh and figure out what to put on our air popped popcorn later that night in the hotel. We bought some salt but couldn't find butter. We seriously are SO dysfunctional that we took an hour trying to figure it out. We still couldn't find a solution and we still hadn't had dinner and it was 8:30pm.

We began to walk to the hotel in the dark. Shayna was on the phone trying to find a pizza place that would deliver. Vanna and I saw a pizza place just a block off the main street and started walking to it. Seriously, like 20 feet in we realized we had made a huge mistake. It was like we entered a different world. Scary, dirty, swearing, smoking, drug doing, drunk people were EVERYWHERE! Shay was distracted on the phone until she realized where we were and then said in a very loud voice "I'm about to be mugged!" Of course she did it right when a scary guy was walking right past us! AHHHH. So we quickly did an about face and booked it to our hotel. We saw a Burger King right across our hotel and had to get those chocolate pies they sell (we got one almost everyday while in high school). When we crossed the street we realized it was also a little scarier with questionable people all around the outside. Shayna saw a picture on the outside of the store and started walking around the wall. Vanna quickly stated, "I like to be inside, Shay". haha. She was trying to be discreet and that's why she stated it that way. lol. Inside a bum tried to get money from us. *Sigh

We got back to the hotel safe and sound and laughed at our stupidity. Shortly after getting there Shayna comes out of the bathroom and says, "I don't want to alarm anyone, but I just dropped $40 in the toilet!" HAHA. She ended up washing the bills with soap and then stuck them in our AC unit until they dried. lol. We ate pizza and watched 2 hours of "Pride and Prejudice". We watched it for the first time on our teenage trip, so its tradition from now on. ;) The next morning we had breakfast in the fancy hotel restaurant. I think we all got yummy french toast and fruit. It was delicious. We then got trolley passes and hopped the trolley to the Ghiradelli chocolate factory where we got the famous chocolate sodas. Can you say YUMMY?! It was cool to see all the original machinery and read how they made the chocolate. We then walked along Fisherman's Wharf and went to Pier 39 to catch a bay cruise. However, we got there last minute for our cruise and due to our dysfunctional-ism we missed. Although, we blame it on the weird guy taking the money....Anyways, we caught the shorter cruise for later. Glad we did cause it was plenty. They waves were ridiculous for the first part of the cruise out to the Golden Gate bridge. Alcatraz was cool to hear about. Very fun ride.

We packed up and checked out of the hotel after the bay cruise. Drove partway home and stopped in a Target parking lot to finish our last 3 hours of "Pride and Prejudice" on the car dvd player. HaHa. It was so fun! I'm glad we went. Love you girls!!! Oh and thank you Gwynn and mom and dad for watching the kids while I was gone! Even while they were still sick. You are the BEST! ;)'

2010 Girl Trip Quote Book:

Shayna: "I'm about to get mugged!"
Vanna: "I like to be inside Shay."
Nicole: "Where's my water?!"
Shay: "I don't want to alarm anyone, bu I just dropped $40 in the toilet!"
Vanna: "Here's a cute picture of THEM on the cable car"
Vanna: "Oh yeah, that does make sense"

It was SO windy on the bay cruise...but don't we look HOTT?! ;)

YeaH baby, our awesome trolley ride. Vanna and Shay loved hanging out the sides and coming within inches of cars passing by. Carazay!

We ate breakfast at the fancy hotel restaurant. YUMM!

The curtains and wallpaper made us feel all uppity uppity. lol.

You think I could take a picture of the hotel room BEFORE we made a mess....

Shay dropped her $40 in the toilet.

Washing it

And then drying it. haha

Shayna, Vanna, and moi

View of San Francisco from the cruise.

Vanna, Shay, & the Golden Gate bridge

Vanna, me & Golden Gate bridge

Alcatraz

California Trip Part 2

After all the previous fun mentioned, Matt went home and the kids and I went and spent some time with my family. However, it didn't begin as I would have hoped. The day before Matt left Lydia got a 103 degree fever. It stayed for 3 days and then she got a horrible rash on the inside of her arms and backs of her legs. We didn't know what it was. I took her to an urgent care. They said it could be strep throat since she had some spots on the back of her throat, which I guess can be accompanied with a rash. They tested for that and we waited. Negative. Could be chicken pox. Tested for that but the results wouldn't come back for 5 days. Went home and took care of her as best as possible. One night she screamed in pain for 4 hours! It was awful! Poor thing. After like 6 or 7 days of this she got sores on her tongue, around her mouth, and huge blisters all over her feet. So I believe she really had hand foot and mouth disease. Then why did she have sores on the insides of her arms and legs you might ask. I think its because she has bad, itchy eczema on the inside of her arms and behind her knees. She always has her hands in her mouth and then itches her eczema. Voila! Hand foot and mouth disease sores in places they wouldn't normally be. Anyways, it took a long time for the sores to go away but they finally did.

A little less than a week after Lydia had her health fiasco, Lukas decided he couldn't be left out. We went to a wedding reception for one of my friends on Sat night. It was outside in high grassy fields. Luke got 2 bug bites on the back of one leg. Within a day one had just swollen and got hard and VERY painful. He couldn't sleep. He kept waking up crying every hour. By Monday night he was acting strange and it had gotten a red dot in the middle of it. I took him to the urgent care. Diagnosis: Staph infection. Got antibiotics and antibiotic cream. Worked magic within a day. Thank goodness. Its funny how this stuff happens AFTER Matt goes home and leaves me alone to deal with it. lol. Luckily, I had lots of family support and the kids are nice and healthy now.

My youngest brother Josh graduated High School one of the last days we were there. I was very impressed with him. He's the youngest of us kids and I've always thought of him as being a little kid. He bore his testimony at seminary graduation and he was just SO grown up! He has the heart of a bear and wouldn't hurt a fly. He was always offering to help with the kids and always very concerned about how everyone felt. I'm VERY proud of him and wish him luck in life!

We had lots of fun playing with family for almost a month. It was so nice. Thank you parents for everything! Love you!

Lukas rocking out.

Is this face HILARIOUS or what?! I wish it were in focus...

My bro Gilbert has always had a special bond with Lukas. Why am I not surprised that he now does with Lydia? If Lydia was crying or upset all I had to do was send Gil to fix it. And it got fixed instantly. lol.

Luke's spider bites that led to a staph infection :(

And Lydia's HORRID hand foot and mouth disease that got in places it shouldn't have! Darn eczema! Oh and this was a couple days after the worst of it was over.....ugh..

Really??

So I've had this really annoying (and very painful at times) "thing" on my right pointer finger since JANUARY! At first Matt and I thought it was a splinter or something and so I tried digging it out many a times. However, nothing ever came out. Sometimes it would be very painful to the touch and other times nada. Gradually it started getting a brownish, reddish dot that looked like a blood blister under the skin. The finger would swell to almost 2 times the size of my left hand one. So on and so on. I even asked my bro-in-law what it could be (he's in podiatry school). He guessed a sliver or a wart. I even made an appointment with the dermatologist to look at it next month.

Well, yesterday we're playing at the park for FHE and I decide to pick at it again. this is Gross sorry. Well pus or something starts coming out by the ton. Never happened before. Then a 1/4 INCH sliver of GLASS or plastic or something comes out! It was SO LONG! I couldn't believe that that was in there!!! Seriously, I've picked at the dumb thing so many times. Even with a needle and nothing ever looked like it was in there. Matt and I were laughing, like REALLY?! was that really in there for 7 months people?!!! lol guess so. Its still kind of painful so I'm not sure its all out. Hopefully it is and my dumb finger woes are all over. ;)

California Trip 2010 - Part 1

I'm SO far behind at documenting our past couple months of travels and fun so this might take me a while to catch up. We went to CA to visit both families for almost a month. It took us 5 days of trying to hop 6 different MAC flights (free military flights) to finally buying last minute commercial flights before we got to CA, but all in all it was a good experience. (I can say that now ;) ). We went and visited great-Grandma Dee (Matt's mom's mom) and had a fun time. It was the first time she met Lydia and she's 18 months! Lydia's name came from Dee's ancestor, Lydia Knight. We had a sweet time together.

Then we had a little accident at Grandma Gwynn's house. Matt was pushing Lukas really hard on the backyard swing and he fell off backwards and hit the back of his head on a large flower pot and then biffed his face smack dab into the deck. The amazing thing is that he didn't really get seriously hurt even though all odds were against him. The swing sits half over the stairs and deck and half over the grass which is like 3 feet below. Luke barely missed the wooden railing when he fell and the metal outdoor deck set. The pot he hit was also VERY soft, made of like styrafoam, and so that probably saved him from being hurt more seriously. He got a little scrape on his nose and mouth, a swollen lip and nose, and a bump on the back of his head. We are VERY grateful for the Lord's tender mercies. (Just a note, Luke didn't ride the swing for a while and then when he did he went slow).

We then headed to a beautiful, relaxing beach house with Matt's family. It was so wonderful to all be together again. Very fun to watch the cousins go crazy together! Lots of time was spent on the simply beautiful beach, playing in the water, shopping, picking strawberries, eating, and playing games. We always go to the O'Neill Surf shop's memorial day sale and get some good bargains. Last year Matt got a full body wet suit for himself as well as other things. Lukas' cousin Zoe was getting a 1/2 wet suit this year and guess who wanted one for himself? That's right, Lukas. So we caved and got him one too since he looked too darn CUTE! ;) We had lots of fun!

Great-Grandma Dee, Lukas, and Lydia

He really wanted to climb this tree but couldn't. Good thing for dad's, huh? (Can you see Lydia's head and hands at the bottom trying to climb up just like her brother. lol.

Owies from the swing fall.

Can you believe he fell off of this swing. Backwards! See the pot that's tipped over on the right. Yep, that's the one he hit. Super close to everything that could have done some real, scary damage...

And the blessed pot that saved him.

The beach house we stayed in is the one to the left of the yellow one.
Right on the beach. So nice.
Living room
Kitchen. And sweet cousin Hadley.

At first, Lukas was scared to get in the water. But as soon as he did it he LOVED it!

Eatin, always eatin'. ;)

Newest cousin Amara at 9 months. So cute!

So sweet. Mom and son.

My favorite picture E.V.E.R

I love this cheesin' pic of Lyd
Bros zippin' up the wet suits

Matt, his younger bro Brett & older bro Jeremy

Aren't my wet suittin' boys adorable?!

Luke had a BLAST playing with his cousin Zoe!

So funny with his band aid. He picked his scab from when he fell off the swing and blood went everywhere. He was shocked and screamed. Band aids have magical powers to make everything better.

Kids after picking strawberries. From left to right: Hadley, Jonas, Malachi (all 3 bros), Lukas, Zoe. It was near impossible to keep them from eating all 20 lbs of strawberries we picked!! And yes, we ate all 20 + lbs in 2 days. ;) They were the best! Oh, and only $1.45 a lb. Heaven. Thanks Janelle for finding the place.