RAIN!!

(Our house in Washington)


(View from the master bedroom of Mt. Rainier)

I woke up this morning to the sound of the pouring rain and it put a huge smile on my face. I have been missing Washington lately and looking through photos of our time there. I the miss the ferry rides and the excitement we all felt pulling out of port. I miss Gig Harbor and the great museums and Pirate Days.

Driving the family into Seattle to explore all the city has to offer. I miss my cute house in Black Diamond and the boys school. I miss my friends, neighbors, and Good Will. I miss the gloomy skies, the brilliant colors of spring, the rain, and the trees the beautiful vast and expansive forest. I miss looking out my bedroom window and gazing on Mt. Rainier. What a great time, what a great place.

I love the rain.


(A Seattle neighborhood park)


(Us sight seeings)

Boxes Boxes and More Boxes

Here I go again packing our life away getting ready for our big move back to So Cal, feeling like I'm drowning in a sea of beige boxes! I am starting to get excited about our move as I receive occasional pictures of the home we are moving into and all the improvements being made. We will miss this fabulous neighborhood and all of our amazing neighbors.

Our family will especially miss our neighbors and dear friends the Wilson's.I must admit their friendship has been the best part of our Washington experience. I'm in awe of my friend Danielle and aspire to be a mom like her.I swear I have yet to hear her say "I don't know how to do/make that." She's my definition of a TRUE stay at home mom. I feel like a lazy fraud next to her but I'm happy to say she's rubbing off on me.

Our kids have become great friends and will miss each other very much but I know that our friendship with the Wilson's will not end when the moving vans roll away.We hope to spend as much time with them as we can before we go,if we can see them at all over all these darn boxes!!

I DID IT!!!

Okay so yesterday Kristie came over and we ventured out in the "rain" to my second newest addiction and favorite store here in Washington, The Dollar Store!!

(The Dollar Store is my second newest addiction and favorite store because my first newest addiction and favorite store is The Good Will Store,)

Anyway, Kristie needed some supplies to make more of her shabby chic book wreath creations. So we went to The Dollar Store. Also Kristie had said she would teach me how to create my very own book wreath so I needed to buy my own supplies.

The day prior I had stopped by The Good Will Store to see for myself what all the buzz was about. Well let me tell you the buzz was spot on!!

The store was clean, the merchandise hot, and the prices mind boggling. I found and purchased 2 Twilight books for $1.99 a piece. You wanna feel like a millionaire? Shop at The Good Will Store.

Anyway, before I get carried away about The Good Will Store, I shared with you that specific information to give you this information.

I made my very own book wreath, from you guessed it, my NON-gently used Twilight books. I made a Twilight book wreath!!

It was fun.
It looks fabulous.
I burned the *B-E-E-P* out of my finger.

I can't wait to go to the store and buy more glue for my glue gun to make another Twilight book wreath.

I DID IT!!! I made a craft all on my own. I did it, and I must say I did it well.

Our Day In Seattle 4

Seattle,the home of the creative spirit.

Our Day In Seattle 3

I simply love it here.

Our Day In Seattle 2

The wall of gum!

Our Day In Seattle

The amazing farmers market of Pike's Place.

What Time Is It?

It has been almost 2 weeks since we have moved to Washington state and my body still hasn't adjusted to the difference in daylight. In Temecula when the clock strikes 8PM it is dark outside. Here in the Black Diamond/ Maple Valley area it is VERY sunny at 8PM and quite a ways from dark.

The locals say in the summertime the sun doesn't set until after 10PM. Making gauging ones time here a little tricky. The outside scenery stays the same giving you no real noticeable progression of time.

The brightness of the morning looks the same as the brightness of the afternoon. Making the day feel longer yet time pass quickly. I hope I get used to this daylight difference soon. I'm tired of being so sleepy.

Garage Sale!!

Today is going to be an exciting day for me. Our entire housing development is having a garage sale. A few neighbors put things out yesterday & I was able to acquire 2 new treasures. A non-motorized push lawn mower for $3 dollars, which I love & a child's well used red rocking chair for $10 dollars.

I can't wait to see what the rest of the neighbors are selling today. My new friend & neighbor Danielle,told me she purchased a gas self propelled lawnmower at last years annual garage sale for $5 dollars. I hope to have her luck today with a gas mower also. It would be a treat for me to have both kinds of mowers but I prefer my non-motorized one. It gave me the most amazing workout ever!!

I hope fate smiles upon me today & I am able to find a neighbor trying to unload some ceramic roosters & or chickens, be forewarned you will never hear the end of it if I do. Oh do I dare to dream that I could be so lucky as to find some ceramic rooster & chickens being displayed along with every other used & broken trinket. Just sitting there on folding tables waiting for me to discover their beauty. As a bitter husband with better things to do sits on a lawn chair in the driveway begging me to take these items so he can go back inside.

Do I dream it... Do I dream it... Yes I do... I most certainly do!!
I will post pictures & gloat later. Until then I wish you a happy & glorious weekend.

Sleepless In Seattle

I can't sleep.
I'm really tired.
My body & my mind are not on the same page.
I really want new curtains for the family room.
I really wish my hubby would help me hang the curtains I have,
This weekend is our anniversary.
We will have been married 13 years.
Or is it 12?
I have the perfect gift for him.
I'm pretty sure he's gonna buy it himself & screw me outta a gift.
It was a really awesome gift.
Why does he always do that?
He is so difficult to shop for.
I hope he gets me a puppy!
That would be so romantic.
An iPhone 3GS and/or iPhone 4 that would be romantic also.
An iPad would be equally as romantic.
A girl can dream can't she?
Well except for me, cause I can't sleep.

Let It Go!

So I love Washington state, I think we can all agree I have established that fact. Now I hope to discover that I equally love the medical professionals practicing in the state. I need to find a doctor so I can regain control of my O.C.D.

I am not accustom to my children playing around the neighborhood with groups of children riding thier bikes without constant supervision. Or walking 2 & 1/2 blocks up the road to the school bus stop.

I am battling my anxitey internally & losing the battle. I don't want to raise my children to be fearful just aware. So the cycle of controlling my surroundings because I can't control life begins.

On a scale of 1-10 I am about a 3. I know it's me struggling with accepting my boys are growing up. Sometimes I just need a little help letting go. Since we are so new to the area I haven't found a home church yet.

My heart is still very much in Temecula at Rancho Community Church with our amazing pastors & worship team.

I miss my church & carne asada nachos that being said I sure do love Washington!

I Don't Hate It Yet *wink*wink*

Well it is 70* & very sunny here in Washington. We have experienced some rain, off & on but nothing serious. It's been more of a mist & sometimes even a light sprinkle but nothing to severe...yet.

The locals here LOVE to tell us that once we experiance a winter here we won't like Washington as much as we do now. It's as if they are desperate for us to reply to their "How you liking Washington so far?" question with, "We hate it!! My children & I are miserable!!"

They don't like to hear that we love the city we live in or that we have wanted to relocate our family to Washington state for a little over 2 years now. That our neighbors are amazing & that my kids are attending schools we have always wanted them to have the opportunity to attend.

I'm excited about my life & eager to explore Washington with my family. Maybe in a few months I'll post how much I hate it here. *wink*wink*

WHAT A VIEW

Some of you may or may not remember that I love Washington State. It is such a beautiful state and I would love nothing more than to relocate my family from So.Cal to Washington and raise my boys there. Many people have asked me "Why Washington?" and I have always answered the same.

Washington State is the perfect place to raise my boys because it fits all of their personalities. For my outdoor boys who have a connection with nature one only needs to look around at the picturesque scenery to understand. In Washington nature is not pushed out and away to make room for the suburbs,the suburbs are built around nature.

For my inside computer boy, Washington is host to Microsoft,Google,Nintendo etc... It is also home to a great University. All thing that excite my computer tech boy. Washington just feels right to me. This morning my dear friend Kristie who's blog I follow. *Cali Girl With A Washington Heart* sent me some photos so that I could see the beauty she and her family were experiencing. She and her family relocated from So.Cal to Washington last year and Washington has been experiencing just a bit of a snow storm. *Wink*wink*

Here are some pics of the view from her home









This is a pic of my view *sarcasm*