The Harey Tortoise

Shooting the Moon and a shout out to MCP blog

2011-03-31T10:02:00.002-06:00

I'm kind of a newbie follower to the MCP action blog but have found it quite fun and interesting to visit the last couple of months. I was surprised to learn that there have already been 1000 posts to it! Crazy! Where have I been?

One post that I really enjoyed (along with the numerous tips posted on facebook) was how to "shoot the moon"!

http://www.mcpactions.com/blog/2011/03/21/super-moon-photography-how-to-shoot-the-moon/

I've NEVER taken pictures of the moon, or even really looked at and enjoyed the detail! It was so fun a couple of weeks ago just to sit outside (in the cold!) and enjoy the beauty of the moon. I think I got a couple of decent shots for a first timer too.

Normally I would shoot for all the "recommended" settings. However, I learned by using a tripod, underexposing, and using a greater depth of field, the end results were much better and showed some awesome detail!

Here's a link to one of my favorites that I captured on super moon night!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pixbyleslie/5541706725/

A little vintage

2010-07-22T13:00:00.004-06:00

Before (sooc)....

After...(with boost, vintage, and edge burn actions applied).

I'm sure i'm the LAST to know about these totally awesome things called actions. I've been checking out pioneer woman photography blog here and there and kept reading about actions. You take a photo, pick an action (or two or more), push play, and bingo...photo edits at the touch of a button. I just downloaded a few freebies yesterday when I discovered to my surprise that Matt had downloaded photoshop on my computer. I think these are going to be FUN!

Thou shalt not commit adultery

2010-06-16T08:22:00.002-06:00

I got a new primary calling two weeks ago in church and we are learning about the old testament. Sunday's lesson was the ten commandments. Now I teach the 8 and 9 year olds so I was a little concerned about how to explain the 7th commandment without bringing in a lot of unnecessary information! I thought I had a pretty good explanation so I was feeling pretty good. Needless to say, I didn't even need to explain it because one of the girls in class did it perfectly for me! I however got a good laugh about the class and am still chuckling about it! Here's kind of how it went down....

girl 1 - "What's adultery?"

girl 2 - "It's when mom's and dad's love somebody else that's not their spouse."

girl 1 - "Oh! I've had that commandment memorized forever!"

Later when we got to sharing time the primary president was talking about the Holy Ghost and what invites or causes the Holy Ghost to leave. Girl 1 got a chance to answer...

girl 1 - "The spirit leaves when we commit adultery!"

primary president - "um...yeah...it's not good to break the commandments is it?"

It was pretty much awesome!

As I was preparing my lesson, I found this funny joke...

A children's Sunday school class was learning about the 10 commandments and discussing the commandment to honor your father and mother. One little girl asks, "well is there a commandment that teaches us how to deal with our brothers and sisters?" A boy, the oldest in his family, peeps up, "Yeah, thou shall not kill!".

Haha - what a funny day it was:)

Tucker's 1st Birthday!

2010-05-24T08:37:00.002-06:00

Happy Birthday Tucker! I can't believe he's one. We had a fun day yesterday on his birthday. He did sleep 3 hours of it away but hey, kids need their sleep right? Tuck had a spaghetti dinner and ate a whole cupcake and ice cream (and some of matt's cake too!). This year has gone by amazingly fast. I'm sad to see it go because it's been so awesome to have this sweet little baby in our home! He makes me smile every day and I love him to pieces! Oh yeah - he took his first steps yesterday too!

New Styling Product!

2010-04-16T00:21:00.000-06:00

Tucker discovered a new styling product today! A half a jar of vaseline and your hair will hold any style. It's waterproof so it doesn't even wash out! Awesome!

I was talking to my mom on the phone about ready to wrap up the conversation when I discovered what he discovered! I was laughing so hard I couldn't talk. What a treat it was to try to clean up! We washed his hair half a dozen times. Still soooo greasy. I looked online for "fixes". I'm apparently not the only one with the problem! So if your kiddo ever finds the petroleum jelly....try some cornmeal and corn starch, oil (I just so happened to have some of my massage oil here), and dishsoap. I think the oil (surprisingly) and dishsoap helped the most. Don't even bother with the shampoo!

Look what I found mom!

Had do do some styling!

After several washes....still greasy!

Next up....cornstarch!

I think he's about 95% better. Still a little greasy but hopefully another washing with some dishsoap will take care of the rest!

What a day!

Some recent pix

2010-04-11T23:26:00.000-06:00

Handsome! Grandma was in town last week and bought Tucker a suit. We think if he got a little hat he could go gangster or mafia!

Mmmmm Spaghetti! So cute to watch this little guy slurp up noodles.

Ten Month Pix - Yeah I know that was a little while ago. I wish he would slow down!

Ten Month Pix - Just outside enjoying some nice weather!

Official Google Blog: A different kind of company name

2010-04-01T18:55:00.000-06:00

Official Google Blog: A different kind of company name

We may not be in Kansas but here in Hawaii at the fairways at Mauna Lani resort it's pretty nice. Join us for style and luxury at an affordable vacation rental...and that's no fooling!

Garden Boxes

2010-03-07T07:02:00.000-07:00

The Garden disaster of last summer. Yeah I thought it would be a good idea to plant a garden last summer...so did the weeds. I'd like to think I was busy with a new baby, but probably I was just being lazy and not wanting to pick the weeds! Pretty much I picked a few tomatoes and that's about it.

This year I wanted to try and minimize the weed picking and we decided to make some garden boxes. We are SO NOT expert gardeners but hopefully we can get enough good produce to make these worth it! (AND NO WEEDS!)

Tucker is loving his new play area! Too bad we have to fill them up with dirt. Oh wait! He liked playing in the dirt too!

Playing peek-a-boo!

A nap works wonders!

2010-02-04T21:12:00.000-07:00

Tucker was a super cranky pants a couple mornings ago. I put him down for a nap....too upset to sleep. Got him up to eat....too upset to eat. Put him back in bed....still too upset. Got him back up to read a book....calmed him down enough to eat....then sleep so back to bed he went. When I heard him in his room making noise, walah! This is what I got....one happy boy!

He's been pulling himself up on everything lately btw!

Christmas 2k9

2010-01-05T09:37:00.000-07:00

We spent Christmas and New Year's (and the week between) in Evanston. It was such fun just being with family. Well minus the part about sharing a highly contagious dose of stomach flu. Christmas is all about sharing right? Matt and Tucker didn't get it but everyone else did! 11 of 13! Good thing is was a short one. It's fun watching kids at Christmas. Tucker and Parker probably don't get it yet, but it's still fun to see. We were eating breakfast when I honestly realized that we hadn't even opened our own presents! We all got some pretty good loot, and had some great food and company. Thanks Mom and Dad for everything. Oh, and Evanston can really put on a good fireworks show. I would say better than Boise on the fourth of July...and my mom said it was tame compared to their 4th!

Christmas 2K9

2009-12-15T05:28:00.000-07:00

Merry Christmas everyone! We have truly been blessed this year and hope you all have been as well. If it doesn't seem like it, dig deeper! God's hand is in our lives every day whether we choose to realize it or not. Christmas always seems to come and go so rapidly and we hope you ave been enjoying it.

I thought this would be the last "safe year" for our Christmas tree. Tucker hasn't quite mastered the art of crawling, but that boy can get around! He is never in the same place that you put him down (well...he will sit and be quite mesmerized by Baby Einsteins!) He rolls a lot and rolled right on over the the tree and started playing in it the other day!

Tucker is growing up so fast. He started at just under nine pounds and took off! He was about 21 and a half pounds a couple weeks ago! I should be getting stronger packing him around right! He is such a happy baby and it has been so fun to watch him grow, explore, and experience his new world. We are so blessed to have him in our lives and it's hard to imagine life without him now!

Matt and I are great. Still running, biking (Matt), and trying to keep up with life! Tucker enjoys our runs so much that he sleeps right through most of them!

Speaking of sleeping, Tucker just couldn't wait to see Santa!

We wish you the best this Christmas, New Year, and always.

Love,
Matt ~ Leslie ~ Tucker

Zeitgeist

2009-11-11T20:58:00.000-07:00

I ran the Zeitgeist 1/2 marathon last Saturday. It's been on my to do list for over a year. Being preggo this time last year I didn't do it but thought it would be a good way to get back into it after Tucker's arrival. Call me crazy! I've been a runner basically forever....started track in middle school and have been running ever since. So you would think it would be no big deal to do a 1/2 but it is. I don't know why i've never done them before. I like to run but have never really cared to go much over 8ish miles....those were long days for me. So this summer i started making my 8 milers into 9s then 10s then 11s.... (well I guess I had to start less than 8 after having a baby!) So at the beginning of September I ran a 1/2 at my family reunion...a trial go of sorts. Then last Saturday I did the big daddy. We'll call it that because there are some pretty good hills! I don't know why I wanted to do this one instead of a flat half. Maybe the challenge of it all. I don't love running hills and I didn't especially love it on Saturday, but I loved being able to finish and say "I did that"! When you're out there running it's like "what am I doing" then when you finish it's like "What can I do next?" So the verdict?? I think I'll do it again! Who wants to come? And no...I don't have any marathon plans any time soon! Can't really imagine getting done with a half and thinking "great! 1/2 way done!"

Passing off my Shirt to Matt and Tucker

This guy was a stud! I never even saw him....cuz he was ahead of me!

The big hill!

Ahhh the finish! Those last two miles were tough!

5 Months Old!

2009-10-29T12:54:00.000-06:00

Tucker turned 5 months last week! Time goes by so fast and the days somewhat blur together. He is such a great baby...not that I have anything to compare to. Even still...We really are blessed with this one. In the last month he started rolling over...always from his back to his belly. That's his preferred position! He found his feet and is constantly holding on to them. I'm sure they will soon be in his mouth! He more so squeals with delight than laughs although we can coax some giggles from him (which make me giggle in return). He is sitting up on his own. Still unstable at times but getting very good at it. He was screaming when he wanted attention but that has kind of subsided for the most part. He has been waking up again in the middle of the night but will sometimes go back to sleep if I give him his binki. All in all we love him and are so glad he's part of our family!

A few family pics

2009-08-28T22:45:00.001-06:00

We've been having a great summer with Tucker with all the learning that goes along with being new p's. Once you think you have something down the next day you realize that you don't! What an adventure. We have been on one over night camping trip and are planning a three nighter for a family reunion next weekend. I am also doing my first half marathon! Hopefully all will survive:)

One of my friends/clients took these for us. It was fun to do our first little photo shoot:)

Smiles Swimming and a Little Bit of Puppy Love

2009-07-02T11:24:00.000-06:00

Swimming swimming in the swimming pool
When days are hot and nights are cool in the swimming pool!
Breast stroke side stroke fancy diving too
Oh wouldn't it be nice if we had nothing else to do!
But...

Anybody remember that song from girls camp???

I took Tucker swimming for the first time yesterday in my friend Lisa's pool. He did awesome and didn't cry once. It's actually the first time he's been submerged in water. His cord stub was way slow in falling off so he's not even really been in the tub with much water. It finally came off last week (Matt helped)! So now he has a new hobby...swimming:) And a little bit of Puppy Love. Our friends gave us these adorable slippers! And last but not least...Smiles! Tucker actually started smiling at me before he was four weeks old! And these are genuine (not in his sleep) smiles! It makes me happy:)

One Month Old

2009-06-24T08:29:00.000-06:00

OK so maybe I'm a little camera crazy, but I have at least one picture every day of Tuckers first month. Yeah - sometimes many many more than one. I can't believe that my baby is already a month old. Everyone keeps saying they grow fast. Guess I believe it. He's already changed so much and is getting pretty big to boot! We love having him here though. I don't know why we have been so blessed to get such an easy baby (I won't question it though)! Not that there are not challenges, but seriously...he's wonderful! He even slept from like 11 to 4 last night...woohoo!

We've been on a couple trips so far. Once to McCall and a couple days in Pocatello to meet GG and Papa and see Parker, Mel, Grandma, and Cait. He always amazes me how good he is.

Here's some of my favorites for each day...

A close second...

2009-06-02T11:48:00.000-06:00

Tucker Jackson Howe arrived late Saturday night (the 23rd) at 11:40 p.m. eight days late! Yeah I'm a slacker getting pictures up but it was such a great/crazy/bittersweet first week home that I really didn't get on the computer much at all. Anyone with babies should understand!! My mom came down with Caitlyn in time for the delivery and I was soooo glad to have her here....in spite of the crazy week. She was more help than she realizes! Dad and Rikki came down that night too.

Tucker weighed in at 8 lbs 13 oz and was 20 in. It was hard to believe that he actually fit in there once he was out and yet he looked so tiny to me that it was hard to believe there was almost nine pounds on him! The delivery was unexpectedly hard (I'll spare all the details) but so worth it. I would do it again to get the sweet little boy that I got!

Here's some highlights from Tucker's first week home if you haven't already seen them on Facebook... You can click on them to see larger images.

I also lost my sweet Grandpa Jackson last week. It was tough not being able to go to the funeral with the rest of the family. I really wanted to take Tucker up to Washington this summer to meet GGJ. I'm glad Grandpa isn't suffering or in pain anymore. These last few months have been kind of rough for him. I hope he is having one big party/reunion with Grandma and all his siblings and friends. I'm glad that this life isn't the end all!

Grandpa last summer...still mowing the lawn at 91! Love that man!

The result is in!!!

2009-05-21T23:23:00.000-06:00

And the winner is.....

Not me! Checked out the robin nest tonight to find 3 little fuzz balls with wide open beaks. Hungry little fellas! Hopefully I'll get some pics tomorrow. The light was too far gone and mama bird was not happy with us being there!

The Race is On!

2009-05-15T16:01:00.000-06:00

Just a couple of spring treats I've found in my back yard this last week. I'm again amazed how fast the flowers (in this case the lilacs) don't seem to last. I guess you have to enjoy them why they are out! They were looking a little brown today:(

I was weed wacking the other day on the side of the house and a robin just started going nuts! She was flying all around and chirping like crazy. I looked up in the pear tree and saw the cause of her dismay....the nest. Apparently she didn't like my company! So instead of being good and leaving her be, what did I do??? Brought out a stool and had a little peak. I couldn't quite get the camera high enough from my little stool to get a full on shot of her three pretty blue eggs. I got a couple of them in the picture though!

I've been checking on it all week to see if there are little babies yet but not so. Apparently some babies like to take their time:) Which brings us to the fact that it's D Day and still no baby for us either. I guess if I were miserable it would be a big deal but since everything has been pretty great..I'm fine with this little guy taking his time to greet the world. It is a little hard to make plans though...sorry Mom!

So the race is on....which baby/babies will arrive first folks? Stay tuned...!

Twilight with cheeseburgers!

2009-05-07T21:40:00.001-06:00

Some people have a lot of times on their hands...other people get to laugh at the products from those people!

Seriously...GOOD!

2009-05-06T21:12:00.000-06:00

This might sound like an odd combination but it is seriously so good. I was introduced to it last spring. No worries it's not like a pickles and peanut butter thing (which sounds disgusting by the way).

Strawberries....dipped in sour cream.....dipped in brown sugar.

If you havent tried it, do it. You wont be sorry...unless of course you don't like strawberries. And if that's the case, maybe you'll change your mind:)

Just a word of advice....go with regular sour cream. I've tried light....not as good! Enjoy and let me know what you think!

You can call me Flower....if you want to!!

2009-04-25T21:09:00.000-06:00

Love love love spring! Well the weather can be unpredictable but oh well. Anyways I have the coolest tulips. I've not much of a green thumb but these pretties just come up every year and I don't have to do anything. I don't even weed (as you can see!!)

First shot of the day...when the sun hits the front flower bed

About an hour later when they open up to enjoy that short lived sun (we have a north facing house)

Glad I got to enjoy these for a few days because they are SOOO short lived. They only last about a week and are pretty much dead and gone now:( Ahh well....maybe I can find something else fun to plant in there....then again my non green thumbs say maybe not. Guess we'll wait and see:)

Some song meets some other song

2009-04-25T21:00:00.000-06:00

I really like how Jon Schmidt blends songs together.

This is a favorite
Pachelbel meets U2

Pachelbel Meets U2 - Jon Schmidt

And his latest! (The cello dude -Steven Sharp Nelson- is AWESOME!!)
Love Story meets Viva La Vida

Who's your role model?

2009-04-02T18:39:00.000-06:00

Try it without looking at the answers......
please don't look down until you do it, you'll love it I promise!

1) Pick your favorite number between 1-9
2) Multiply by 3, then
3) Add 3, then again, Multiply by 3 (I'll wait while you get the
calculator....)
4) You'll get a 2 or 3 digit number....
5) Add the digits together

Now Scroll down ..............

Now with that number see who your ROLE MODEL is from the list below:

1. Einstein

2. Nelson Mandela

3. Abraham Lincoln

4. Helen Keller

5. Bill Gates

6. Gandhi

7. George Clooney

8. Thomas Edison

9. Leslie Howe

10. Warren Buffett

I know....I just have that effect on people....one day you too can be like
me.... :-) Believe it!

P.S.: Stop picking different numbers. I am your idol, just deal with it!!!!

Fun with photo booth!

2009-03-20T17:12:00.000-06:00

You can make fun yet pretty disturbing images with photo booth:)

Create

2009-03-18T19:44:00.001-06:00

Everything takes longer than you think!

2009-03-15T17:38:00.000-06:00

"So I think we'll be done with tiling by mid afternoon."
later that day...
"Oh yeah we'll be done by 7 / 7:30"
later that night (or should I say the next morning)
"Is this considered burning the midnight oil?"

Upon hearing from a few people that tiling is a very easy DIY project and having access to our friends awesome tile saw, we decided to give it a go. It actually is pretty easy and turned out great (so far) but be forewarned....it's very time consuming! We really didn't expect the amount of time it would take to do all the prep work (tearing out the linoleum and subflooring, and puting down backerboard), cutting out a design (which Matt did awesome at!), and laying them all down. We actually thought we would be done with it last weekend but only finished the prep work. So after full day of tiling yesterday, we finally layed the last couple of pieces about midnight! But it looks great and I'm totally glad that we decided to to it. Now we just have to do some grout work! Might be a little late now (after the living room floor, the backerboarding, and tile laying), but I think I might invest in some knee pads for that...or at least find some to borrow! The knees are feeling a little abused today:)

Here's some photo documentation of the project-

The old floor...with a gallon of primer all over it to boot! It actually looks better in this state that it did after the attempted cleanup with acetone:)

After tearing out the old floor...all Matt and Matt Millward (thanks for all your help!)

Playing in the mud!

Had to get a belly shot in there since the little guy was part of the projcet...except for the closet where we didn't exactly fit so well:)

Finishing up just after midnight after working ourselves out to the garage!

Did you seriously just say that? (part 2)

2009-03-02T21:24:00.000-07:00

Background Info -

Matt and I are measuring furniture and a spot for a hood to go over the oven.

Matt: "I want to measure your belly."

Me: "OK I guess."

Matt: "Hey you're wider than the oven!"

What a charmer! Good thing I thought it was funny:D

Gonna get worse before it gets better!!

2009-02-16T21:30:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I honestly wonder what possesed me to want to "fix up" the kitchen! I'm not so sure if this project will ever get done. It all started with me wanting a pantry..... Let's not talk about how that led us into the living room (which is actually starting to look pretty good by now) and other parts of the house!! Maybe the secret is 'don't start' haha! There is still a LONG way to go. Ahhh someday!

A perfectly functional kitchen!

Um...wow! This is pretty embarrassing!

I've been meaning to post this picture of my Dad's "mess" that he was all worried about when he moved our outlet.

I guess we failed to communicate that this mess was in the works!

Did you seriously just say that?!?

2009-02-15T21:30:00.000-07:00

Heres a few of the more interesting things people have said to me since I've been pregnant...

-Old instructor/co-worker: "Was it planned?"

-Co-worker: "I can't wait for you to get a Buddah belly so I can rub it and make a wish!"

-Girl at Office Depot: "Holy cow! Is there a baby in there?"

-Guy on the treadmill one over from me: "Got company?"

-Client: "That just kicks all the selfishness right out of ya!"

I love the things some people say!!

Seven Things

2009-02-13T08:00:00.000-07:00

Apparently I've been tagged to list seven things people might not know about me and have seven other bloggers do the same.

1. I like the smell of dirt. Potting soil straight from the bag and right after it rains are the best!

2. I love bananas. Unless we are out, it's usually the first thing I eat when I get up and sometimes I'll eat up to three in a day. Usually I have to go to the store like two or three times a week just for bananas (Matt likes them too!).

3. Mowing the lawn is my favorite outside chore. I like to watch the progress and the difference between the short and long grass. It always looks so much better when it's done. So I'm pretty much the designated lawn mower in the fam. I'm not sure if Matt has even used our new lawn mower yet (not a complaint). It should look pretty interesting this spring if I'm out mowing the lawn 8 mo. preggo. Haha - I'm sure Matt will help me out then:)

4. I'm a procrastinator. My latest moment was probably paying bills in bed on my phone the same day they were due:)

5. I have quite a disliking for cats. Yeah I know I have a picture on my blog of me holding a cute little kitten, but kittens grow up to be cats. Cats that some of your co-workers might like to let in your office....and that might poop under your table.....and you might not know about it until after your client is laying face down with their head right over the poop...and they might never call to reschedule with you ever again. And then you might have nightmares about certain cats that hang around your office! YIKES! I'm pretty vocal about the "incidence" and the cat coming to visit now.

6. I would much rather go hiking in the mountains than be laying on the beach. At this point in my life I hate sunbathing! No worries though....Hawaii is still PLENTY fun!

7. I'm a bit of a craigs list shopper lately. Recently I've scored a nice sectional, baby furniture, and an air compressor. Call me cheap but I think I'm getting more bang for my buck!

I'm tagging

Caitlyn
Heather Y.
Heather K.
Carolyn
Aunt Chandra
Tammie
Sara

Pay it Forward:)

2009-02-10T15:24:00.000-07:00

What a fun game Sara!!

So, here's how it works-the first 3 people to leave a comment on this post will receive, at some point during the year, a handmade gift from me. What it will be and when it will arrive is a total surprise! The catch is that you must participate as well. Before you leave your comment, write up a pay it forward post on your blog to keep the fun going (or be lazy and copy and past like I did haha!!). Then come back, let me know you're going to play and sit back and anticipate the arrival or your gift! Please submit in an e-mail or on the comment, your address, if I don't have it already (howelie@yahoo.con) :) Remember that only the first 3 comments will receive a gift from me, so be quick!

Probably I'm the last to know!!

2009-01-28T22:06:00.000-07:00

We have been doing ALOT of painting lately. Between home and at my office....good colorful fun. Actually it starts to get a little old after awhile. I swear I go to home depot at least once a day and am on like a first name base with the guy at the paint counter! Not really but he probably thinks I'm nuts spending so much time picking out colors and painting supplies. Maybe I should get a part time job there so I can get an employee discount or something:)

Anyways after...."oooh oooh learning the hard way!" here's a few tips I picked up along the way.

-Spend the extra couple of bucks to get the nicer gadgets...i.e. paint brushes, power rollers, etc! Well worth the extra $$ (probably because you go back and end up buying them anyway)

-Corner tools and edgers are awesome! Instead of making due with a paint brush...cut right to the chase!

-Laugh! Especially when say a gallon of primer falls off the counter and busts open on the kitchen floor! (good thing it's in the works to replace that one...and good thing it wasn't already replaced!!)

-And my personal favorite...which everyone probably already knows, but if you don't this is awesome!! When you're finished for the day but not finished with the project, wrap your rollers and other tools in plastic wrap/plastic grocery bags so they are air tight. No need to clean them out for the day. Unwrap next time and keep truckin'...beautiful!

My Dad is AWESOME!

2009-01-09T20:05:00.000-07:00

We've been doing some home remodeling...or pretending like we are anyway. We cut the enterance to the kitchen in half and put a pantry on the kitchen side. In all the works were some electrical modifications....i.e. moving outlets and switches etc. We sort of forgot to move one of them that was on our living room side before we put the sheetrock up. So it had been that way for a few weeks. Yeah we can be kind of SLOW on some projects (especially intimidating ones that we know nothing about!). So my dad and Rory stoped on their way through to Moses Lake this week and they asked what they could do to help. I said we needed to move the light switch to the end of the wall and within like an hour or two DONE! And this was not just ANY light switch. It turned on the living rrom light if and only if the switch all the way across the dining room was off....and if you wanted them both on at the same time, well you had to have one of the dining room switches off the other on and the living room on. Who wired up this place anyway? So I guess it's a pretty simple three way switch...if you are an electrician that is! So he got it all fixed up! The living room turns on by it self now! How exciting for us! You would think being the daughter of an electrician, I would know all of this...but no! You know what they say about dentist's kids? They always have the worst teeth! I would like to say that I know enough not to stick my finger in an electric socket...but upon examining an outlet that we wired up the other night...I electricuted myself! How did it feel might you ask? It was well...shocking! Not that bad really...just a little zap! But needless to say, I did learn a little about this whole electric business...at least not to put myself between the hot and neutral wires:)

Dad sporting his Intermountain Electric hat!

Oh Boy!

2008-12-26T15:15:00.001-07:00

We found out Tuesday that we're having a boy! I was thinking for awhile it might be a girl so I was a little surprised. I'm excited though! All my friends tell me their little guys are a lot of fun. This one is kind of naughty though...he was totally flipping us off in the ultrasound! I guess we need to teach him how to use his fingers...or maybe he already knows!

Hope you all had a Merry Christmas. We are spending some time in Wyoming. It's a crazy blizzard outside!! Hopefully we'll be able to get back sometime! Good thing there isn't any hurry. Travel safe if you are on the roads!

2 weeks to vote ya'll!

2008-12-09T21:29:00.000-07:00

So it's down to two weeks till we find out if we are having a boy or girl. Get your votes in now (poll on the right)! Stay tuned for the results!

Thanksgiving Fun

2008-12-03T10:16:00.000-07:00

We spent Thanksgiving weekend in E-town this year. The whole family was there so it was great....and crowded....but not nearly as much as after Rory spoke in church and my mom had a little gathering of sorts at their place. Little as in over 70 people cramed into a few rooms. We did the traditional stuff like turkey dinner and family photos and such (accompanied by our new moose friend!). Matt and I taught the gang how to play pirates dice and all the gals went out to a movie one night. Our fart machine wasn't nearly as funny this year since everyone already knew about it, but still fun to play some jokes on Rory. Fun times!

It's always fun to play with food!

.....and do a cheesy pose by the finished product!

Grandpa and Parker

The fab fam photo! (couldn't convince Papa and Grandma to join in :( )

Look at the moose! (Yeah Mom was freaking out!)

The newest addition to the family!! haha! Couldn't convince mom to go strike a pose with it!

We sorta match!

The Jackson 5 haha:)

Rory's new ride!

Delightfulness

2008-11-15T21:58:00.000-07:00

Here's a few delights (somewhat random) I've been enjoying over the past few weeks....

1. Rory's home! It was so exciting to go meet him at the airport and spend a few days with him and the family.

2. Bodyworlds - While in Salt Lake Mel and I got to go to the bodyworlds exhibit. Absoultly fantastic. It's simply amazing what is under our skin and what you can do with a dead body. I know it sounds yuck, but some of the bodies were strangly beautiful.

3. Fall running - Just in the last two weeks or so most of the leaves here in Boise have come down. I've so enjoyed the last month and a half of delightful colors and leaves crunching under my feet. No this isn't me (i wish!) but running along the greenbelt in all the trees and colors makes me feel like I could go forever....until I'm done and then well...I'm glad to be done!

4. Peanut butter and honey sandwiches - Cold school lunches rediscovered. My friend mentioned them a few weeks ago and I've made several since then. Great snack at work! **Tip from a peanut butter lover....natural peanut butter is the way to go. Once you finish up a jar of that stuff, Jif does NOT taste like peanut butter:) Adams is my favorite (stir it and put it in the fridge and it won't seperate).

5. Ono Hawaiian Cafe - We decided to try this place out with some friends a couple of weeks ago. So yummy! It so made me want to go back to Hawaii! So before we picked a place for dinner, we thought we should make a rule that we couldn't go out to eat at the same place twice until we had tried every place in Boise (which would take FOREVER by the way). Anyhow....after eating here, that rule went right out the window! If ever you can...try it. You'll love it!

6. Thanksgiving time - It's an awesome time to realize how very blessed I am. I wish I were more practiced in the art of gratitude and always realizing that I have everything I need and more. Reflecting on everyting I have is great. Try it sometime...It's a delight!

7. Lauging so hard it hurts! - I can think of a few times over the last few weeks....dinner at Ono's, being with my silly sisters, etc. Hey did you know that splenda has fiber now?!?! Forget crunches and ab workouts. Just have a good laugh!

8. Being crafty - Normally I'm not so much a crafty person...unless I'm with people that are doing crafts (I know, I'f you can't beat em join em!) So I've been making some cool stuff at Friday Madness (aka Super Saturday on friday night). Photo cubes, wire star ornaments, block letters. Sorry no pics. Don't want to spoil any Christmas presents (which might mean that some of them might actually look decent enough to give away!) Oh- and I've made some cool paper box lights....all by myself....which I will probably post some pics at a later time!

and.....

9. Last but certainly not least!!

Yes that's right:) Simply delightful. Oh and the part about not being sick a lick, and the part about seeing pictures of little white blobs that don't look like like little white blobs to me!, and the part about enjoying still enjoying #3 while being #9, and the part about just thinking about what life is going to be like come May....etc.

All Delightful!

Happy Black November!

2008-11-03T07:07:00.000-07:00

Black November

A Turkey's Lament

When I was a young turkey, new to the coop, My big brother Mike took me out on the stoop,

Then he sat me down, and he spoke real slow, And he told me there was something that I had to know;

His look and his tone I will always remember, When he told me of the horrors of ..... Black November;

"Come about August, now listen to me, Each day you'll be thick, where once you were thin, And you'll grow a big rubbery thing under your chin.

"And then one morning, when you're warm in your bed, In'll burst the farmer's wife, and hack off your head;

"Then she'll pluck out all your feathers so you're bald'n pink, And scoop out all your insides and leave ya lyin' in the sink,

"And then comes the worst part" he said not bluffing, "She'll spread your cheeks and pack your rear with stuffing".

Well, the rest of his words were too grim to repeat, I sat on the stoop like a winged piece of meat,

And decided on the spot that to avoid being cooked, I'd have to lay low and remain overlooked;

I began a new diet of nuts and granola, High-roughage salads, juice and diet cola,

And as they ate pastries, chocolates and crepes, I stayed in my room doing Jane Fonda tapes,

I maintained my weight of two pounds and a half, And tried not to notice when the bigger birds laughed;

But 'twas I who was laughing, under my breath, As they chomped and they chewed, ever closer to death;

And sure enough when Black November rolled around, I was the last turkey left in the entire compound;

So now I'm a pet in the farmer's wife's lap; I haven't a worry, so I eat and I nap,

She held me today, while sewing and humming, And smiled at me and said "Christmas is coming........"

Funny Haha - some of my halloween faves:)

2008-10-30T19:46:00.000-06:00

Meet Hoo:)

2008-10-19T18:00:00.000-06:00

I finally got this picture from Matt's phone. When we went to Wyoming a couple of weeks ago, we spent the night at my parent's. They were so privledged to be the babysitters of this cute little thing. (It was good my Dad wasn't home or Hoo wouldn't have had a home! He LOVES cats! haha!) My grandparents were leaving to go out of town for the weekend and brought Hoo over. She (???) was abandoned by her mom and my Grandpa is such a softy and couldn't not feed her. I guess she is quite large in this picture compared to what she was but she was the smallest thing ever! And quite a wild little thing. She would meow like crazy when we but her in her "house" (cardboard box)....which had to be replaced with a larger deeper one because she figured out how to "magic out" of the box! Thus how she got the name Hoo.....short for Houdini:) Since I have not seen her for several weeks now, I'm sure she's a regular sized cat by now! Which is sad because I'm not so into cats...but kittens - ah how cute! Maybe Caitlyn should let us know how she's doing and how big she is by now....hint hint!!

I love brown!

2008-10-11T23:13:00.000-06:00

And yellow...and orange....and red....and pretty fall colors.....and pretty quilts in these colors too!! And you do to:) Maybe you just don't know it yet. Go check it out. And no Carolyn...you aren't going to get it because I am - haha :P

Usually autumn follows summer...right?

2008-10-11T23:00:00.000-06:00

What a wintery weekend! We got snow here in Boise...Crazy! Yeah - i'm sure most of you have already seen it (Labor Day in Wyoming!!) but it really doesn't snow here this early. A new record I believe. The weather guy said that it was going to freeze the other day, so I got busy pulling everything out of the garden. I'm a little overwhelmed with what to do with it all...and how many very large cucumbers I found out there! I'm not sure what to do with them all (suggestions???). I did try my hand at some jalapeno jelly today....but that only uses up so many....and as I picked over 50 of them off of two plants...!! It was my first try at canning ANYTHING (lame I know) so I hope the jars seal sometime:) So here's to hoping that it warms up again....I love fall! For now I guess I'll go turn my heat up!

"Mr. Howe tear down this wall!"

2008-09-21T19:20:00.000-06:00

It's been as Melanie likes to call it "Extreme Yard Makeover"! We decided to replace the railroad tie retaining wall with brick/stone. I think it turned out well. It was a much more involved project than we both expected, from tearing out the old railroad ties, hauling them to the dump, digging out the yard to fit the bricks, leveling the first row, and desiging corners. I was a little sorry we decided to start it once there was no returing. I'm glad we persisted though because it looks sooo much better. Matt finished it up for the most part yesterday. What a CHAMP!! I ran a race and had some clients to see and he worked in the rain all day yesterday (For which I am forever greatful)! I wish I had some pictures of the rain yesterday because it way crazy how much came down.

Here's some before, during, and after shots!

Before

The point of no return!

The almost end result!

Since I didn't get a photo of my hard working guy out in the rain - here's some from the race (St. Lukes Women's Fitness Celebration 5K)...we looked a bit like drowned rats by the end!

Good Eats!

2008-09-09T17:41:00.000-06:00

Thought I'd share a new recipe I've tried and an old favorite!

First the new....

Big overgrown zucchini (you know the ones all your neighbors try to give you) are great for this!

Zucchini Crisp

4 C. Zucchini peeled, seeded, and chopped
1/3 C fresh lemon juice
1/2 C. + 2 T. white sugar
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1 C. Flour
1 C. Oatmeal
1/2 C. Brown Sugar
6 T. Butter
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375. Coat 9x9 baking dish with cooking spray.
Place zucchini and lemon juice in a medium saucepan. Cook, covered over med. low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 15 min. or until tender. Stir in white sugar, 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, and nutmeg. Simmer one min. longer. Remove from heat and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl combine flour, oatmeal, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Cut in the butter until mixture resembles course crumbs.
Place zucchini in prepared dish and sprinkle crumbs on top.
Bake in pre-heated oven for 30-40 min or until golden and bubbly.

Enjoy! Tastes great with ice cream, or whipped cream with carmel and cinnamon sprinkled on top. Don't forget that it isn't really apples! (I had Matt try it before I told him what it was and he totally thought it apples...very surprised to learn it was zucchini!)

Here's a link to the old favorite!

Baja Fish Tacos

Guess what's for dinner tonight??

Carpenter Family Reunion

2008-09-04T21:50:00.001-06:00

We spent last weekend in Robertson, Wyoming for a family reunion (points to anyone who knows where that is let alone has ever heard of it!) It was in the middle of a cow pasture (don't worry, besides the cow patties everwhere, it doesn't look much like a cow pasture). The weather was great until Sunday night when it rained all night and we even ran into some snow going home the next day. It was pretty fun to see everyone. As this is an annual event, it's like Christmas in that you realize that a whole year has gone by...CRAZY!

We had a bit of bad luck going to and from. We were stuck in stop and go traffic on the interstate for a brush fire on the way down and some crazy accident (some girl thought it would be a good idea to get onto the wrong side of the interstate...unfortunatly the semis didn't think it was such a great idea) on the way back. Both times we were within like 30 miles of Boise. Not fun!

A few pix from the weekend...

No reunion is complete without Papa's homemade root beer. The wasps and bees particularly like it too!

Traditional "Saw dust dig". You never know what you'll find in the sawdust. Money and candy are among the most popular. When I was a kid, I used to think I made SO much money diging in the dust. I'm sure it was less than a buck or two. Usually you get about as much sawdust in your bag and shoes as you do anything else...of course this year I got a handfull down my pants. Thanks Dad! (That stuff itches like no other....and you can't just shake it out!) If ever you participate in such an event...watch your back!

These little cousins sure take a liking to Matt everytime that we are there. It's fun to see them each year and yet kind of sad to see them all grow up!

My family is in charge next year....we'll have to see what fun we can come up with:)

Spokane to Sandpoint

2008-08-24T16:22:00.000-06:00

Idaho Spuddy Buddies!

Last weekend was the Spokane to Sandpoint relay. We finally got a team of 12. Well...there were 12.....then 11....then 10....then 11.....then 10...... I think if came together like two days before. The weather was super hot! Upper 90s for running is not really my thing so I'm amazed that we all survived it! It took our team 29 and a half hours to complete the 185 mile course. The scenery was stunning in places. Quite enjoyable. We were able to get a house on the lake in Coeur d'Alene and it was so nice to have a place to relax for a few hours during the race....not that I was able to sleep any. I think I was a little more sleep deprived for this race than for RenoTaho. I was in van 2 for this race and it seems that van 2 never gets as much sleep. We tried to nab a few hours on an elementary school gym floor but that SO didn't work. There was probably a hundred people spread out over the floor, 15 people snoring, and cell phone and watch beepers going off like crazy! It was nice to get some sleep Saturday night after it was all over.

Between legs 24 and 25, our team got to ride the tremors rollercoaster at Silverwood as part of the course at about 1:00 in the morning. It was fast and freaky. It's a woody so it felt like we were going to fly off the tracks at any moment. CRAZY! (if any of you have ever been on it you'd probably have to agree!) THE coolest wood rollercoaster I have EVER been on! Hopefully I'll get to go again sometime:)

This is the last relay for us this summer. OK we only did two...but it is quite a big deal to coordinate 12 people. They are definitely an adventure and a great way to see new country for sure!

Check out some of the pics from the race here!

or go to http://www.flickr.com/pixbyleslie

After the relay we headed over to Moses Lake for some fun family time. My Grandpa J lives there and it was really great to see him and aunts, uncles, and cousins! My gramps is the funniest 91 year old EVER! I love that guy...even if he can't remember my name Ha ha! (all he needs to know is Sally...right dear cousins and sisters??)

L: Grandpa and Parker (Mel's little boy)...he LOVED him! R: A whole bunch of Sallys!!

We are headed to a family reunion next weekend and I'm excited to see all my sisters and fam again! I wish Rory was going to be there. I can't believe that he only has 2 months left in Canada! I'm sooo excited to see him!

It could happen to you!

2008-08-11T22:39:00.000-06:00

Watch out where you go running...or walking....or biking....or....

Runner Needed!!!

2008-08-10T18:26:00.000-06:00

We are looking for another runner for the Spokane to Sandpoint relay this weekend (yeah short notice but stuff happens). It's going to be fun...so if you or anyone you know is interested let me know. The entry fee is paid and it would be only $65 for lodging for 3 nights.

The website is www.spokanetosandpoint.com. Check it out!

pictograms or pictoglyphs??

2008-08-10T17:55:00.000-06:00

In primary today, I had my kids make a big pictoglyph (or is it pictogram?)of the Nephi/Lehi in prison story...(Helaman 5) I've always heard pictoglyphs and Matt is thinking pictogram...google image search comes up with more relevant info for pictoglyphs than pictogram. So which is it?

Anyways...I didn't think it would turn out so well but the kids did a great job.

Here's their work of art!

The Payette part 2

2008-08-03T17:26:00.000-06:00

Saturday found us back on the Payette...this time for some white water rafting. We did the South Fork (with rapids Bronco Billy, Staircase, Giant Slalom (my favorite) ,etc.). Matt and I went with a co-worker and a friend of his (who had never made it down that section of the river without the raft dumping them all in the river...like 4 times). So we were all wondering if it would be our fate to fall in the rapids! Well the boat stayed upright but the trip wasn't without falling in! We did the trip with Idaho Whitewater Unlimited this time (we have gone with Cascade before) and the guides were great. They were pretty funny and let us do all kinds of fun things in the river that we didn't get to do before (I guess once you sign your life away on the waiver...). About the falling in part. I was playing a game of "trust" with one of the girls we went with. This is where you lock the "T" grip of your paddles together while standing on the sides of the raft and leaning back as far as you can. This is kind of ow you play...

I'm not sure if you can get away with it without someone falling in! Anyways she fell in the first time and we both fell in the second. Matt played it first with the guide and he fell in...which pretty much made me not want to play because I hate being cold but I was talked into it! I was surprised at how it didn't seem so cold....until I got back in the raft and started shivering a few minutes later...pretty much for the rest of the trip...which is apparently a good thing because it's bad news if you stop shivering;)

Matt and his buddy also got to jump off a cliff and "ride the bull" through some rapids. It was pretty fun to watch!

Here we are in all our glory:)

Starlight Mountain Theatre

2008-07-27T18:38:00.000-06:00

I've received a few recommendations over the past few weeks to go see a show at the Starlight Mountain Theatre. So, a little spur of the moment, I got a couple of tickets for Matt and I to go watch Oklahoma. It was great! OK - maybe not Idaho Shakesphere Festival caliber - but really good nonetheless. The theatre is about an hour from Boise up in Garden Valley. It is an open air theatre and is pretty amazing how quickly that Mountain air can cool down. So...if anyone is looking for something to do one evening...I would recommend it. Nice drive...nice fresh air....fun actors...what's not to like. (Oh - the popcorn was good too!)

After the show we set out looking for a campsite. Yeah right!...Friday night at 11:00...like you're going to find one! But after a couple of tries we did! And it was the only one left! We were thinking we were all lucky (which we were) and as we were setting up our tent, a whiff from the privy let up know WHY it was the only spot left! We stayed anyway. It wasn't really THAT bad (until the sun hit it in the morning!). Ahh the results of poor planning! We were able to ride our bikes up to silver creek lookout the next day. Lots of climbing and the smoke (from California) kind of ruined the view...but it's always fun to get to the top of something! And the soak in the cool Payette was quite refreshing afterword!

So there you have it...the weekend in a nutshell:)

A week out of the heat:)

2008-07-15T20:25:00.000-06:00

Here's a few highlights in pictures from our Cruise in the inside passage of Alaska. We left from Seattle and visited Juneau, Skagway, Tracy Arm Fjord, Ketchikan, and Victoria B.C. It was a great time and highly recommend to those who want to see great mountain/ocean scenery and wildlife (although I didn't spot a bear which I'm kind of bummed about) Oh - and the night shows and food (of course!) were all really great too!

Also - here is a video of our "wave pool" on one of the more interesting days on the cruise. The ocean was just a little choppy - let's just say the sanitization crew was out in full force on that day. I'm not one to get car sick or sea sick so it was actually kind of fun trying to get around.

So there you have it...a great way to get out of the heat! Luckily we have a cold front moving in. It should cool it down to all of 90 degrees haha!

Happy Birthday Caitlyn....yesterday!

2008-07-01T19:57:00.000-06:00

My baby sis is now a teenager! Yikes! At least my parents have been there done that before! Right?

So some things I love about Caitlyn....

She ALWAYS answers the phone (even after one ring)....no phone screening there!

She is fun to tease...don't know if she enjoyes it so much but still fun.

She has the cutest freckles on her cheeks EVER! Look out when her sweet 16th rolls around boys!

She runs in track....what's not to love about THAT?

She has a sweet spirit and strives to do right when everyone else around her isn't (Never change girlie!)

I'm greatful to have Caitlyn as my little sis. I wish I got to see her more often! Love Ya!

I wonder why they call it Fanny Bridge??

2008-06-19T07:08:00.001-06:00

What you see when you drive across....

What you see when you show YOUR fanny!

The bridge was right outside of Taho City. The trout were huge. There were little "candy machines" with fish food so we fed them. It was so funny to see them jump out of the water to get the food. Wish I had a fishing pole..... :)

So the race was a good time. Yeah..... 178 miles a good time?? But it really was a fun experience. Especially running in the dark as I don't make a habit of doing that often. We all did pretty well for our individual projected times. Not too competitive as a team but it's the fun and challange of it that counts. Now some of us are planning on doing Spokane to Sandpoint relay. I'm not sure if it is a first time event. I can't seem to find out any information on last years event. So who knows...maybe we'll be making history!

At the finish! Go CMARS!

Viva Reno?

2008-04-25T08:18:00.000-06:00

OK so it's not Las Vegas, but we are going to Reno in early june to do this race!

http://www.renotahoeodyssey.com/

I'm pretty excited. A run/walk group that I do massage therapy for needed some more team members so Matt and I are going to run with them. We have a team of 12 and each run 3 legs for a total of 168ish miles. I have legs 5, 17, and 29. I'm pretty sure leg 17 is going to be in the dark...um nightblindness......think good thoughts for me ;) I've never been to Reno/Taho so it will be pretty fun. I think we may take a few extra days and go check out San Fran, the redwoods, or yosemite. Should be a good time.

Mostly Better

2008-04-02T21:58:00.000-06:00

So most of my "injuries" seem to be quite better. The one that still is getting me is the one inside my head. I've only been out on a short little ride once and on the rollers twice since my accident. I'm like totally scared to get back to riding. Especially by myself! The weather throughout most of March didn't help any, but still. Accidents kind of mess you up I think! So I took my bike into a nice little bike shop down in Eagle (Reeds) today for a tune up and some re-taping of my handle bars (they felt the burn from the road too!). So with any luck, it will motivate me to get out of this rut. The weather sounds like it might be decent this weekend. Time will tell:)
Till Later-

A Little Tumble -

2008-02-28T22:20:00.000-07:00

So I don't even know how it happend or what took me down. I remember thinking "I'm going down! I don't think I can stop this!" Then I was flipping and tumbling while still "attatched" to my bike. All I have to say is that helmets work! So wear one! I think I may have hit one of those lovely patches of sand that plague the shoulders of the road this time of year. We had a lot of "sanding" during the winter. It snowed and got icy quite often. Anyways I lived to tell the tell...bumps, bruises, raspberries (which looks quite nice on my chin, i must say) and all. I think if you are going to crash, winter/early spring is a good time to do it. At least it was a little cold so I had some extra gear on for protection. I would really have been a mess! Till later:)

Winter Camping! brrr

2008-02-13T21:42:00.000-07:00

A few weekends ago we went winter camping up by Garden Valley. It was my first trip so I didn't really know what to expect. What does one do when camping in the winter?? Well most of the time was consumed trying to stay warm! Fun, I know! Actually we made some tasty gumbo with cornbread and the next morning our friends made some eggs in plastic baggies (they boiled them in water). We did some XC skiing the next morning at Whoop em up (between Lowman and Idaho City). All in all - a fun time and I didn't get too awful cold!

The Harey Tortoise

Shooting the Moon and a shout out to MCP blog

A little vintage

Thou shalt not commit adultery

Tucker's 1st Birthday!

New Styling Product!

Some recent pix

Official Google Blog: A different kind of company name

Garden Boxes

A nap works wonders!

Christmas 2k9

Christmas 2K9

Zeitgeist

5 Months Old!

A few family pics

Smiles Swimming and a Little Bit of Puppy Love

One Month Old

A close second...

The result is in!!!

The Race is On!

Twilight with cheeseburgers!

Seriously...GOOD!

You can call me Flower....if you want to!!

Some song meets some other song

Who's your role model?

Fun with photo booth!

Create

Everything takes longer than you think!

Did you seriously just say that? (part 2)

Gonna get worse before it gets better!!

Did you seriously just say that?!?

Seven Things

Pay it Forward:)

Probably I'm the last to know!!

My Dad is AWESOME!

Oh Boy!

2 weeks to vote ya'll!

Thanksgiving Fun

Delightfulness

Happy Black November!

Funny Haha - some of my halloween faves:)

Meet Hoo:)

I love brown!

Usually autumn follows summer...right?

"Mr. Howe tear down this wall!"

Good Eats!

Carpenter Family Reunion

Spokane to Sandpoint

It could happen to you!

Runner Needed!!!

pictograms or pictoglyphs??

The Payette part 2

Starlight Mountain Theatre

A week out of the heat:)

Happy Birthday Caitlyn....yesterday!

I wonder why they call it Fanny Bridge??

Viva Reno?

Mostly Better

A Little Tumble -

Winter Camping! *brrr*

Winter Camping! brrr