Water Park Fun

My two little water rats...Maddy and Mason

We didn't realize they would be moving from Moses Lake so soon so we bought season passes to the Moses Lake water park...even though they didn't get to use them all summer we got our money's worth and had lots of fun!

Maddy likes to swim in the deep end and Mason prefers the shallow end; however, there is only one of me and two of them so we have to do a lot of compromising!!

These are the slides that Maddy likes to go down!

This is the slide Mason goes down...more because of his size (too short for the tall slides) than anything else

One of their favorite pasttimes at the park is jumping in over and over and over and over...do you get the picture?

The thing is....Mason can't really swim quite well and so I have to stand in front of him and "catch" him so I get splashed over and over and over and over....

And there goes Maddy!

Being a small town both Maddy and Mason usually find someone that they know and can play with. For some reason the people Mason usually knows tend to be cute little girls...my little Romeo!

Water Park Etiquette

To My Fellow Water Park Goers,

Good Afternoon! Those of you who live in Moses Lake and visit the water park in town please do not take offense at what I am about to tell you. However, if any of these "observations" hit close to home, please take the time to deal with your personal situation!

First of all, if you are not specifically between the size of 0 and 6, please, please do not wear a bikini. Bikinis should also not be worn by women who have hairy bellies and those who have had children and have the flabby belly and stretch marks to show. If you think you are skinny enough to wear a bikini, please step in front of a mirror...if any of the above show or you have what is called a "muffin top" you are not eligible this season to be showing off your body.

To be more specific about the size of a woman in a bikini...if you are FAT you should not be in a bikini! Women who are my size (and I am a large woman) should not...let me repeat SHOULD NOT be prancing around in a bikini.

Secondly, if you do wear a bikini please keep in mind that this is a family water park. Consequently, if you do wear a bikini and the top barely covers your nipples? Please don't wear it! I personally don't like to see your over large (and probably fake) boobs flopping around in the water. I really don't want my five year-old nephew to watch you walk around the park either!

Also, if you suffer from nipplitis, that is the disease where your pebbly nipples show through your suit, you might want to consider buying a suit with a built in bra. I know they sell as I own one!

I also need to point out to some of you the life-long rule about white t-shirts. This really should be a no brainer! If you, for some reason, choose not to wear a swimsuit to the water park and instead choose to wear a t-shirt and shorts...please, please wear a colored t-shirt that does not show your Victoria Secret bra underneath. Really! I don't prance in my bra while out in public.

On a side note...if you are the lady who chose to wear her bra as a bikini top today while at the park (yes you, the one who was wearing some stupid yellow bandana on your hair today!) it is NOT a good look. Thank you for later choosing to put a shirt or swimsuit over it later in the day!

I don't mean to make you not enjoy your day at the water park, but I think you might have a bit more fun if everyone in the park isn't staring at you and making fun of you (and really when it comes down to it...blogging about you to the world).

If I was a bit more sneaky, I would have taken pictures of some of you today and shown the world that I am not making this up!

Thank you,
A Concerned Water Park Citizen

The Vanishing Sculptor....Book Review

**The winner is The Blonde Duck.....thanks for entering**

Here's another great book review and book giveaway...this time the book is The Vanishing Sculptor by Donita K. Paul.

Book Summary:

Donita K. Paul's 250,000-plus-selling Dragon Keeper Chronicles series has attracted a wide spectrum of dedicated fans--and they're sure to fall in love with the new characters and adventures in her latest superbly crafted fiction novel for all ages. It's a mind-boggling fantasy that inhabits the same world as the Dragon Keeper Chronicles, but in a different country an an earlier time, where the people know little of Wulder and nothing of Paladin.

In The Vanishing Sculptor, readers will meet Tipper, a young emerlindian who's responsible for the upkeep of her family's estate during her sculptor father's absence. Tipper soon discovers that her actions have unbalanced the whole foundation of her world, and she must act quickly to undo the calamitous threat. But how an she save her father and her world on her own? The task is too huge for one person, so she gathers the help of some unlikely companions--including the nearly five-foot tall parrot Beccaroon-and eventually witnesses the loving care and miraculous resources of Wulder. Through Tipper's breathtaking story, readers will discover the beauty of knowing and serving God.

Author Bio:

Donita K. Paul is a retired teacher and author of numerous novellas, short stories, and eight novels, including the best-selling DragonKeeper Chronicles, a series which has sold more than a quarter million books to date. The winner of multiple awards, she lives in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where she spends time mentoring and encouraging young writers. Visit her online at donitakpaul.com.


Now for the giveaway....

Rules:

1. One Entry: Leave me a comment about what you are reading right now.

2. Second Entry: Follow me and leave a comment that you follow (Separate comment from above please)...if you have been following simply leave a comment that you have been following

3. Third Entry: Blog about this giveaway on your blog and leave a separate comment that you did.

Contest is open until Friday, July 3rd, and the winner will be chosen through random.org, announced that night and shipped out as soon as I receive the winner's shipping information.

Good luck and have fun!

Ice Cream Treat

After walking through Costco I convinced my sister to let Dajia share a Chocolate yogurt with me (she has to eat gluten free due to allergies...she can eat some in small portions so this was a treat!)

This is where she was told she can only have one more bite...so she made sure it was a BIG bite!! I think she is looking at her Momma to see if she is going to get away with such a bite....

YEP!!! She got away with it!

Taking pictures of babies is always a fun time and a lesson in patience!!! I had to take quite a few of these in order to get the picture below...

Momma and Elliana!

Costco Run

Dajia going for a ride in my Costco cart! When I opened my wallet to get my Costco card she saw that I had a couple of dollars inside....the whole time we were walking through the store she kept saying, "I want a dollar! I want a dollar!"

Isn't she just cute?

This cutie patootie is Elliana, she is 10 months old and practicing to be a football player! Just kidding...she is just a hefty thing that she looks like a football player! I'm not sure how my average size sister and her average size husband produce such big babies!!!

Don't you just want to grab those checks and squeeze???

Congratulations Josh!

It's official...my nephew Josh graduated from Peninsula High School last Sunday! I don't think I've been to a graduation since I graduated from high school 17 years ago!! Nothing has really changed...

Maddy, Josh and Auntie Rachel!

It was hard finding him after wards in the midst of the 300 students that graduated and the couple thousand of people that came out to watch!

Maddy and her big brother Josh. She gets a bit emotional when she sees Josh as he lives with his mom and only sees her once in awhile. She just loves everyone!

Dad, Ernie, congratulating his son on a job well done!

Josh left for California yesterday with a few high school buddies...going down on the cash they have and HOPING to make it back on that same cash they have. What are the odds that they make it back? LOL!!

Josh is also heading off to college later this summer. He will be attending Washington State University in Pullman, WA and I believe he will be studying Broadcast Journalism or something like that.

Way to go Josh...Great Job on a job well done and finishing strong. I'm proud of you!

Book Reviews for that Guy in Your Life

Here is another book review...actually three book reviews for you! These are books that you might like to buy for that special guy in your life! Remember, Father's Day is this coming Sunday and all these books can be purchased through Random House.

Sir Dalton and the Shadow Heart by Chuck Black:

Sir Dalton, a knight in training, seems to have everything going for him. Young, well-liked, and a natural leader, he has earned the respect and admiration of his fellow knights, and especially the beautiful Lady Brynn.

But something is amiss at the training camp. Their new trainer is popular but lacks the passion to inspire them to true service to the King and the Prince. Besides this, the knights are too busy enjoying a season of good times to be concerned with a disturbing report that many of their fellow Knights have mysteriously vanished.

When Sir Dalton is sent on a mission, he encounters strange attacks, especially when he is alone. As his commitment wanes, the attacks grow in intensity until he is captured by Lord Drox, a massive Shadow Warrior. Bruised and beaten, Dalton refuses to submit to evil and initiates a daring escape with only one of two outcomes–life or death. But what will become of the hundreds of knights he’ll leave behind? In a kingdom of peril, Dalton thinks he is on his own, but two faithful friends have not abandoned him, and neither has a strange old hermit who seems to know much about the Prince. But can Dalton face the evil Shadow Warrior again and survive?

Eyes Wide Open by Jud Wilhite:

I had it all backwards. The main thing was not my love for God, but his love for me. And from that love I respond to God as one deeply flawed, yet loved. I’m not looking to prove my worth. I’m not searching for acceptance. I’m living out of the worth God already declares I have. I’m embracing his view of me and in the process discovering the person he created me to be.

In Eyes Wide Open, Jud Wilhite invites you to discover the real you. Not the you who pretends to be perfect to satisfy everyone’s expectations. Not the you who always feels guilty before God. Not the you who secretly feels God forgives everyone else but only tolerates you. Not the you who looks in the mirror and sees a failure. The real you, loved and forgiven by God, living out of your identity in Christ.

A travel guide through real spirituality from one incomplete person to another, Eyes Wide Open is a book of stories about following God in the messes of life, about broken pasts and our lifelong need for grace. It is a book about seeing ourselves and God with new eyes–eyes wide open to a God of love.

The Disappearance of God by Dr. R. Albert Mohler:

More faulty information about God swirls around us today than ever before. No wonder so many followers of Christ are unsure of what they really believe in the face of the new spiritual openness attempting to alter unchanging truth.

For centuries the church has taught and guarded the core Christian beliefs that make up the essential foundations of the faith. But in our postmodern age, sloppy teaching and outright lies create rampant confusion, and many Christians are free-falling for "feel-good" theology.

We need to know the truth to save ourselves from errors that will derail our faith.

As biblical scholar, author, and president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Dr. Albert Mohler, writes, "The entire structure of Christian truth is now under attack." With wit and wisdom he tackles the most important aspects of these modern issues:

Is God changing His mind about sin?
Why is hell off limits for many pastors?
What's good or bad about the "dangerous" emergent movement?
Have Christians stopped seeing God as God?
Is the social justice movement misguided?
Could the role of beauty be critical to our theology?
Is liberal faith any less destructive than atheism?
Are churches pandering to their members to survive?

In the age-old battle to preserve the foundations of faith, it's up to a new generation to confront and disarm the contemporary shams and fight for the truth. Dr. Mohler provides the scriptural answers to show you how.

SisterChicks in Wooden Shoes...Book Giveaway

**We have a WINNER....random.org chose #7 as the winner of this book. #7 is Shinta vio Neyst from the Faroe Islands**

Ok...so I am going to be honest with all of my blogging friends, I did not read this book. I started to read it and then got busy getting ready to go out of town for a week or so and wasn't able to get back to it. In fact, I haven't read one word from any books since Friday and I usually read a book every day or so....

I did start the book and from the first few chapters that I've read I can tell you that I like the writing style and the development of the characters, and I think you will too. The book is called Sisterchicks in Wooden Shoes and can be purchased online from Random House for $13.99.


About the Book

When a mammogram result comes back abnormal, midlife mama Summer Finley makes a snap decision to relegate fear to the back burner and fulfill a lifelong dream. Summer heads for Holland where she meets up with tulips, wooden shoes, and her best friend, Noelle.

Pen pals since fourth grade, Summer and Noelle have never met face-to-face. Through decades of heart-level correspondence, they have sustained a deep friendship. A week of adventure helps both women trade anxiety for a renewed and deeper trust in God. When Summer confides in Noelle about the abnormal medical report, Noelle finds the freedom to share a long-held heartache, and both women discover they needed each other more than they realized.

About the Author

Robin Jones Gunn is the best-selling and award-winning author of over seventy books, including the Glenbrooke, Christy Miller, Sierra Jensen, Katie Weldon, and Christy and Todd: The College Years teen series. The Sisterchicks® series has sold more than 300,000 units, bringing her total sales to more than 3.5 million books worldwide. A Christy Award winner, Robin is a popular speaker, both at home and abroad, and is frequently interviewed on radio and on television. www.robingunn.com

www.sisterchicks.com

WIN A COPY HERE

Would you like to win a copy of this book? Well, you are in luck as I have a copy to giveaway to one lucky winner. This contest is open to anyone, and I will ship internationally!

Rules:

1. One Entry: Leave me a comment about your best friend and something that you would like to do together! (My BFF is Susana and we love to travel together!)

2. Second Entry: Follow me and leave a comment that you follow (Separate comment from above please)...if you have been following simply leave a comment that you have been following (hint, hint...this is how my winner won last time!)

3. Third Entry: Blog about this giveaway on your blog and leave a separate comment that you did.

Contest is open until Wednesday June 17th and the winner will be chosen through random.org, announced that night and shipped out as soon as I receive the winner's shipping information.

Good luck and have fun!

Peddling Birth Control Pills

Ugh, how frustrating!

I take birth control....for female reasons, not to prevent pregnancy (yeah, cause you have to have sex to prevent pregnancy and I ain't!!). So I am going out of town tomorrow and plan on being away for over a week and thought I'd refill my birth control today so just in case I decide to not come home in time I would have a continuance of my pills. However, Rite Aid informed that I was not able to refill these yet as the refill falls within some time frame or other.

Seriously! Do they think I'm refilling them earlier in order to sell them on the black market? Do you think that the drug dealers out there have secret stashes of the little pill that makes Aunt Flo visit on a regular, consistent time frame?

Do they not realize that anyone over the age of 12 can simply go to Planned Parenthood (not that I am advocate of Planned Parenthood....and please don't flame me for saying that....I just don't believe in everything they do...my blog...my opinion so shush!) or some other clinic like that and get them for FREE? Do they not realize that every medical clinic in America gets BC pills to pass out to patients?

Hello? Really?

And if it is a medical billing issue then I think that they can work around that seeing as how I am going out of town and cannot refill. What do those individuals who work as missionaries or overseas do when they aren't anywhere near an Americanized pharmacy that can refill their prescription?

Ugh...just irritated!

Happy National Donut Day

It is good to learn something new...and today I learned that there is a National Donut Day...who knew! Here are a few interesting tidbits...

* Started in 1938 by the Chicago Salvation Army; goal was to raise money for charity and honor those Salvation Army volunteers who baked donuts for soldiers in WWI.

*American infantrymen, who had a fondness for yummy donuts, were called Doughboys!

*It is celebrated every year on the first Friday in June (psst...that is TODAY!)

*One of the more recognizable donut stores is Krispy Kreme...who opened its first store in Winston-Salem in 1937 (heck when I moved to Georgia in 1998 I had never even heard of Krispy Kreme; they hadn't quite made their way to the NW yet!)

*Krispy Kreme is giving free donuts away today...that isn't news you say! But I heard they were giving you the donut of your choice...not just their glazed donuts!!! That is news!

Just curious...do you spell it donut or doughnut? Hmmm.......

Enjoy!

Love you Auntie

I was cleaning out my text messages on my phone and came across this cutie patootie!! This is my niece Dajia and the love message she sent me when they were in Hawaii back in February!!

I love this girl!

I call her on the phone and always here, "Hi Auntie Rachel...I love you!!" Last week I was talking to my sister while Dajia was taking a bath and then I hear, "Are you talking to Auntie Rachel? I wanna talk!!" Sorry that my phone battery died baby!

Amish Love

What’s all the hubbub about Amish fiction? Major media outlets like Time and ABC Nightline are covering it, and authors like Cindy Woodsmall are making the New York Times bestseller list regularly. What makes these books so interesting?

Check out the recent ABC Nightline piece here about Cindy and her titles When the Heart Cries, When the Morning Comes, and When the Soul Mends. It’s an intriguing look at Amish culture and the time Cindy has spent with Amish friends.

And don’t forget that Cindy’s new book The Hope of Refuge hits store shelves August 11, and is available for preorder now.

Book Giveaway!

**The Winner is....#31 who is Jenny from Jenny and the Princess Peonies...CONGRATULATIONS!!**

As I stated a few posts back I joined up with WaterBrook Multnomah publishing to review books...and GIVE them away!!!

The book that I read between yesterday and today...yes, I read it in less than a day...it was that good...is called The Night Watchman by Mark Mynheir. I'm not usually one who appreciates crime/murder mystery books; however, this book was fantastic! It moved quickly, had some surprise twists and turns and throughout the book still had God as the underlying theme!


This book is about an Orlando detective, Ray Quinn, who is forced to resign due to a shooting that left him barely alive and his partner dead. As he is working as a night watchman at a condo complex there is a murder-suicide involving a pastor and a dancer/stripper girl. The pastor is accused of murdering the girl and killing himself; however, the sister doesn't believe that her brother would commit murder or suicide.

The sister comes to Ray for help proving her brother's innocence, however, Ray doesn't want to get involved with it. Yet something keeps dragging him into the case until he is in too deep to get out! Investigating the case with the pastor leads to investigating high standing community officials, a strip club owner, a cop gone bad and the murder of his partner.

There are definitely twists and turns that I wasn't expecting and the characters are greatly written and drawn out so that you can fully experience who they are. Anyone who appreciates a good mystery will definitely enjoy this book!

Author Bio:

A detective with the Criminal Investigations Unit in Central Florida, Mark Mynheir investigates violent crimes and writes riveting Christian Fiction. Mark has worked on narcotics units, SWAT teams, and in a myriad of high-risk situations. His four novels offer a realistic glimpse into the gritty world of law enforcement and the rarely seen raw emotions behind the badge. Mark lives in Florida with his wife and three children.

You can buy this book online from Random House for only $13.99...great deal

OR

You can win this book! That's right, I have an extra copy to give away to one lucky winner and you have three different ways to gather entries to win!

1. Leave me a comment why you want to read this book

2. Follow me (if you already follow me, then please leave a comment stating that you follow!)

3. Blog about this giveaway and link back to me

Please leave separate comments for each opportunity to enter....I will use random.org to choose a winner on June 2, 2009 at 6:00 pm (or a time thereabouts).

Benefit #1 of NOT having a job....

So there are a few benefits to not working anymore...

No longer do I have to wear these heavy, hot work boots to work anymore...they are now SHOVED into the closet and I don't anticipate them coming out anytime soon!

Instead?

Yep, these are my favorite flip-flops and they are now out permanently for the rest of the SUMMER. I say Summer because here in Eastern WA Spring seems to have been skipped right over in favor of hot, hot, hot summer!

Scrap Page...Fishin'

I have been wanting to do this page FOREVER...I have been searching and searching for the perfect fish to grace the front of my page!! Finally I found one...YES, using the Cricut!

This is a tri-fold page protector...it splits the image on the front and then you open it up and get a full 12 x 12 in the middle and 6 x 12 on each side!
Sorry, not the greatest picture!

This was done with my Dad and that middle picture in mind. He was 25 years old when the picture was taken and it was of his first big Steelhead that he caught. I remember this picture hanging in our house all of my growing up.

You might not be able to tell...but my Dad was handsome! (He still is!)

The side pictures are of my Dad and sister Shannon...she was more of a fisher women than I was...I merely went out to visit with my Dad.

Here's a bit of a close-up...I used stickers to list the details of the catch along the sides and a few rub-ons about fishin'

Scrap Pages....the ZOO

You saw some of my pictures from the Zoo a few posts ago...those are the pictures that I used to scrap throughout part of the weekend!

I used my favorite new tool....the Cricut and the Zooballoo cartridge. I love it because I was able to make all the animals and all the words huge since I only had a few pictures for each animal that we visited! This is one of my favorite pages.

The letters on here are HUGE!!!

Even though there isn't much on here it was a perfect page! This was Mason and his Leopard mask that he bought from the gift store!

Giraffes...Giraffes...Giraffes!

This page was all about Mason as he waited and waited and waited for us to get to the Lion at the Zoo!

Elephants...well, really we only saw one Elephant!

And the Hippos!

I have to buy this cartridge now so I can finish up the rest of my zoo pictures!

Scrap Weekend

A few weekends ago I had the opportunity to go on a scrapbook retreat with a few friends from Puyallup. We went to this great scrapbook retreat called the Keepsake Cottage in Kent. Ladies...listen up...if you scrap you need to schedule a retreat here. I'm bad in that I didn't take any photos of the house...sorry!

Anyways...Katie, the owner, built an actually cottage on her property and created a scrapbook retreat center. It has something like 8 rooms with two beds each, two bathrooms, a full kitchen and an enormous scrap area!

Late night scrapping. I actually stayed up until almost 4am one night with Holly! I haven't stayed up that late in forever...I'm realizing that I am not a teenager anymore! LOL...

Amazing what a small world we live in...this is Cara!

Cara and I actually knew each other back in college when we both attended Northwest College. She is now good friends with my friends Jen and Holly...and now we've gotten to reconnect!

Jen (sitting down) was our hostess for the weekend. Meaning she recruited all the attendees, worked with Katie and such! Jen is a friend from my Puyallup Foursquare days...and I'm glad to call her friend!

Wendy is standing behind her. We sat next to each other all weekend and she made me a bit jealous...she was scrapping a vacation in the sun and made me want a vacation!

And this is my good friend Holly! Like Jen we are friends from Puyallup Foursquare. We started out going to the same small group something like 8 years ago or so and have remained friends ever since! She has two cuties that she was scrapping all weekend...Josie and Ben. It was nice to sit across from her and be able to visit all weekend and catch up with one another!

Praise the Lord

In all things I will PRAISE the Lord!

Why am I praising the Lord?

I lost my job today!

Most of you are probably wondering, how can she praise the Lord when she just lost her job?

It is because I serve a GREAT and MIGHTY God who has everything under control!!

Wicked

(yes, I took this picture from the Internet)

Happy early birthday to me!!!

I know, I know my birthday isn't until September...

however, I have been waiting MONTHS for Wicked tickets to go on sale in Seattle. Last Monday they went on pre-sale and I am going!!!

YEAH!!

I've read the book...which I highly recommend and I've heard great things about the play...I am super, super, super excited!!!

So, Happy Birthday Rachel!!! Even better? I am seeing Wicked just a few days after my actual birthday! Whoo--hoo!!!

Upcoming Giveaways

I recently had the opportunity to join the Christian portion of Multnomah Printing. They are looking for bloggers who are willing to read books and publish posts about the books. Even better they give me an extra book to giveaway here on my blog. I have 3-4 book reviews coming up over the next few months with a giveaway for each...so stay tuned for further information.

Apologies

I haven't been blogging per my usual....normally, you see me on her at least once a week and it has been a couple of weeks in between posts...please accept my apologies.

I've been facing a lot of DRAMA and CRAP at work right now that has been a bit overwhelming. However, I'm not going to vent, rant, rave or say anything negative on here because God called me on the carpet the other day for my attitude, my words and overall disposition. Instead I am simply going to pray and watch my tongue. Please pray for me....if you know me personally you will know that I am quick to say things and a lot of times it is very caustic because I am just a very blunt and honest person. Don't get me wrong...it is ok to be blunt and honest with people (hello....some people need that!) but sometimes I don't have a lot tact and say whatever.

I will tell you this...my job is temporary. Either I will be laid off within the next month or so, possibly fired (don't ask) or I will be quitting.

I've also been worrying about what I am going to do next year for a teaching position. I KNOW BEYOND A SHADOW OF A DOUBT that God has control over my life, my work, my finances, my relationships...really, my EVERYTHING. But it gets depressing when I see all the layoffs going on in education because of budget cuts and me a new teacher. However, God doesn't see all this crap, He sees the end of the tunnel. I'm praying for clear vision and direction for next year. There are a couple of jobs open that I've heard about and I am pursuing those and just praying for the right open door!

I really do love you all that come and read about my life. I'm glad that I have family, real-life friends and all my bloggy friends that come by and shower me with bloggy love!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

I will trust in the Lord with all my Heart and lean not on my own understanding but in ALL THINGS trust in the Lord with all my heart, soul and strength

Maddy

Maddy...one of the loves of my life!

Mason took this picture...not too bad

Maddy on the same ride that Mason went on; however, after watching her two or three times I had to tell her she couldn't ride it anymore...it was in the toddler section and she was just a bit too big for it!

"But it's fun"

Auntie and Maddy!

Say cheese!!!

Isn't she beautiful? Not only is she a beautiful girl she is beautiful inside as well....sensitive, caring and very loving. She is always hugging and kissing on me too...just too sweet!

Mason

Last Saturday I took the kids to Chuck E Cheese...we had to drive over an hour to get there...and we ended up staying for about four hours...all in all we had fun!

Mason is flying high on some toddler ride that takes you up in a circle off the ground...a bit strange for Chuck E Cheese, but he liked it!

Enjoying a big ol' sucker!

He gets his love of sweets from his Dad...who seems to have candy all the time~

I love this picture! He is so fun to watch when he is laughing...I love this boy...

My sweaty little man...worked up quite the sweat running around playing on the tubes and slides and spending all his coins. I totally love Chuck E Cheese because it is one of the safest kids places you can go to...you can see the majority of the restaurant from any seat...the security getting out is good (they check each child with the parent...they stamp your hands with a number!)

He also gets irritated at me for taking so many pictures and thus the annoying faces he always gives me...those are my favorites too!

Party like a ROCK STAR!!!