Saying Goodbye

yesterday was the memorial for Great Grandma Georgia. she passed away very suddenly the end of last month. i am really thankful that the family decided to wait and have her memorial, the number of people who attended was wonderful. the church was full and extra chairs needed to be brought in. Georgia touched the lives of many. she had a great sense of humor and a fantastic laugh. Jordan read a poem that she wrote for Georgia at the memorial, we were super impressed with how comfortable she was speaking in front of so many people; she did a great job! i thought i would share her poem here, it is not only a beautiful tribute to a woman we love so much but it is also an amazing view into the heart of our wonderful little girl.

i love how she misspelled angel, and drew heart lips for Georgia...sooooo cute! Paul's folks gave Jordan her Great Grandma's candy dish, it holds very special meaning to her and she has already found the perfect spot for it in her room.

here is Jordan in Great Grandma Georgia's front yardGeorgia has an amazing garden
this is Tyler Jordan's second cousin she was in baby heaven, so were we. Tyler is ADORABLE and a really happy easygoing baby. We want one or two or three please!

it was a beautiful day it was nice to see and meet so many people who loved Georgia as much as we do.

Cooking with Jordan! episode 9 Golden-Crusted Chicken Asparagus Lasagna

Time for another episode of Cooking with Jordan. You can view earlier episodes by clicking on these links Preview, OneDishMexican, GrilledChicken, Cooking(?) with Daddy, TortelliniSoup , TeriyakiChicken, BuffaloChickenBites, ParmesanChickenPastaWithBroccoli, GarbageCasserole and Cheeseburger Pie. The whole point of the cooking lessons for J is to show her some basic easy meals, plan a menu, learn how to follow a recipe and help her become more comfortable in the kitchen...this is not anything totally gourmet or culinary school worthy. On tonight's menu: Golden-Crusted Chicken Asparagus Lasagna. YUM!

Golden-Crusted Chicken Asparagus Lasagna

thaw and drain asparagus. toss in olive oil and lemon pepper cook 9 lasagna noodles
follow directions to make sauce chop up grilled red bell pepper
layer the lasagna chicken mixture, 3 noodles, cheese, repeatcover with last 3 noodles
whip heavy whipping cream til it forms stiff peaks
cover lasagna with cream, some bell peppers and Parmesan cheese
delicious golden crust forms on top of lasagna

9 uncooked lasagna noodles
3 packages (10 ounces each) frozen asparagus cuts, thawed.
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning salt
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 can (14 ounces) chicken broth
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram leaves
3 cups diced cooked chicken
1/2 cup roasted red bell peppers, from 7-ounce jar, drained and chopped
3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup whipping (heavy) cream

1. Heat oven to 350ºF. Grease rectangular baking dish, 13x9x2 inches. Cook and drain noodles as directed on package.
2. Place asparagus in bowl. Toss with oil and lemon pepper seasoning salt.
3. Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in broth, milk and marjoram. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Stir in chicken, 1/4 cup of the bell peppers and 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese. Cook about 2 minutes or until hot.
4. Spread about 1/2 cup of the chicken mixture in baking dish. Top with 3 noodles, 1 1/2 cups chicken mixture, half of the asparagus and 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers, starting with noodles. Top with remaining 3 noodles.
5 .Beat whipping cream in chilled small bowl with electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form. Spread over top of lasagna. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup bell peppers and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Bake uncovered 40 to 45 minutes or until hot in center and top is golden brown. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

we were challenged by my brother Scott to create a dish less than 600 calories and 20 grams of fat that included veggies from a list he provided. i looked back in our Cooking with Jordan! archives to make sure, but i don't think we have ever presented a meal anywhere close to that many calories, perhaps he was not paying attention. I think this lasagna has the highest calorie count at 425 calories per serving 22 grams of fat. i DO think you could lower the calorie count by leaving our the heavy whipping cream...but why? :)

200th Post part six!

The response to our ASK ME!! post to help us celebrate our 200th post was awesome and a little overwhelming...i was shocked that y'all asked 145 questions...CRAAAAAZY! Anyway we have been working on getting them all answered and are going to have to make it a weekly segment for a little while (i know, calm down i can already sense your utter excitement). You can get caught up by reading 200th Post part one , 200th Post part two! , 200th Post part three!, 200th Post part four! and 200th Post part five!

Today's Questions are from Dana from Just Talk. Dana asked the MOST questions:

107.Jordan what is your favorite thing to do at school?
“I like Science and PE. I like to see my friends too. Right now I have summer school, the only good thing about that is no homework and a lighter back pack and I can wear flip flops.”
108. what is your favorite thing to do as a family?
Play games after dinner each night, go on picnics and take long road trips.
109. what are your favorite TV shows?
We watch American Gladiators as a family…we love it! Mamarazzi loves reality TV. Big Daddy enjoys the History Channel and J really like Hannah Montana, Baby Story and Jon and Kate plus 8.
110.when did you laugh the hardest?
When you live in this house you laugh a lot. I am not kidding, we spend a LOT of time laughing here.
111. what is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast?
J likes yogurt or breakfast burritos made by Big Daddy. Mamarazzi likes yogurt or fruit or a breakfast bar. Big Daddy likes breakfast burritos or cereal.
112. what kind of car did you first drive?
I had a cute little red Mazda.
113. what time of day were you born?
Hmmmm I need to ask my mom. Not sure.
114. if you decided to add to your family what would you name the boy/girl?
We have a few names picked out. I am scared to share them cuz I don’t want my sisters to steal them…but email me and I will share. I WILL tell you when we have a girl her middle name will be Carlynn a combination of our mom’s names. But that is all I am sharing bloggy wise!
115. when did you know you wanted to marry your husband?
Well I was actually praying about another marriage proposal I had received. Paul and I had dated and remained friends. ANYWAY while I was praying about this other guy Paul’s name kept coming to me, like someone was standing in my room shouting it. I kind of laughed a little, we were best friends…THEN one day I heard the song by REO Speedwagon “Can’t Fight This Feeling” and I KNEW…I was suppose to be with him. So I basically proposed one day. He said “it’s about time you figured that out”. And we got married a few months later. Pretty major cheese huh?! Best decision I ever made. I highly recommend marrying your best friend.
116. Jordan. What is your favorite thing to have in your room?
“I like that I have a lot of places for all of my treasures and special stuff I collect. I like my doorbell too, it's cool. My Daddy rings it all the time, he is funny”
117. Jordan, where is your favorite place to go shopping?
“I like Limited Too and The Gap and Old Navy. I like to go to Claire’s, Libby Lu and The Icing for cool stuff to get cute too.”
118. Paul what do you do on the weekends?
“Spend time with my two favorite girls, doing whatever they want to do. It doesn’t really matter as long as we are all together.”
119. Paul what is your favorite sport to watch on TV and your favorite sports team?
“You might be surprised to know, since I am so manly and everything, that I am actually not a big sports watcher, I don’t even have a favorite team.”
120. as a family is you could go anywhere on your next vacation where would it be?
100% Maui Hawaii. It's our favorite vacation destination ever.
121. when you got married what is the first song you danced to?
We did not dance at our wedding. It was very small and intimate.
122. what is the last movie you saw?
We saw “What Happens in Vegas” on Wednesday….loved it!
123. if you could buy anything in the world what would it be?
IVF. over and over and over again...until our family was complete.
124. Paul if you had your own personal blog what would you call it?
“I do have my own blog, very few people have the link and because of the work I do I keep it separate from our family blog, for safety reasons.”
125. what are your plans for the summer?
J has summer school, Girl’s Camp, Horseback Riding, Fun-n-Fit Camp, visits with Grandparents and lots and lots of swim parties and sleep overs. We do not have any big vacation plans this summer but plan to spend as much time goofing off around the pool as possible.
126. have you ever been to NJ?
Nope…but I would like to someday.
127. vanilla or chocolate ice cream?
CHOCOLATE…always.
128. what makes you mad?
People who make promises to my kid and don’t keep them. People who have babies and have no business being parents.
129. Jordan have you ever been horseback riding?
“ Yes. Horseback riding is one of my favorite things to do. Last summer I learned how to vault horses. This is when you run along side the horse while it it trotting and jump on its back and do poses and tricks. I was scared at first but I really liked it and can’t wait to do it again. I am good at riding horses.”
130. to all of you- have you ever been surprised by something great?
Everyday…life is full of wonderful surprises.
131. to all- how old were you when you learned to ride a bike?
Without training wheels…Mamarazzi 6, Big Daddy 6, Jordan 9.
132. Jordan, what makes you really happy?
“A lot of things make me really happy. It is hard to pick just one thing. I am happy when I get to see my Grandma and Grandpa Machado and they spoil me. I get happy whenever I get to have a party or a sleepover with my friends and Mamarazzi plans cool stuff for us to do, she never tells me no about stuff unless there is a good reason and never makes promises that she doesn't keep. And I am happy whenever my Daddy and me go on our dates or he surprises me with nice things that are special. It also makes me happy to know I can talk about my feelings and they always listen and don't get upset, that is really a special thing. I like when I get to talk to my Aunts on the phone or they text me and I like when my Uncle Scott leaves me comments on our blog, he is funny. And...a lots more stuff I can't think of right now.”
133. Jordan, who is your favorite actress and actor?
“Miley Cyrus”
134. Jordan, what is your favorite song?
“True Friend” by Miley Cyrus
135. Jordan, what do you want to be when you grow up?
“I want to be a baby nurse and help new mom’s learn how to take care of their babies when they are newborn.”
137. what do u love about blogging?
Documenting our lives, reading the archives of our family adventures and connecting with other people.
138. what do you hate about blogging?
Feeling overwhelmed with commenting on sooooo many blogs and fighting the hurt feelings when I comment over and over on blogs I love and never having them comment on mine…I do not know why I let that bother me so much (what a waste of energy). BUT I am cutting WAY back on blog hopping and commenting. I REALLY need to remember WHY I started blogging in the first place and stick to that. Oh and seeing a certain family member view our blog a few times a day every day but NEVER comment. LAME, but whatever.

Thanks Dana those were fun. It was especially fun for Big Daddy and J...

I am NOT ready!

so in other news J left for Girl's Camp a preteen and came home a boy crazy, cell phone attached to ear, super texting, teenager...sigh. AND all of the sudden she has decided to stop biting her nails, and asked to have her warts frozen (i know it's suppose to be an old wives tale but do you think it's the frogs?)...do you think she is thinking about holding hands with boys!? Makes THIS mom want to wait even longer to get her goofy teeth fixed can you imagine? I mean she is gorgeous now...just picture her with straight teeth...i am not ready to chase off the boys, at all. OH and one little boy has called for her a few times. Big Daddy was not that pleased...lol.

i know i haven't posted pics from her camera she took to camp...they are like ALL scenic, and blurry...clearly Mamarazzi needs to coach her a little, or let her take a digital camera camping. OH well the memories are what matters and when asked how Girl's Camp was she said, "I had the best time of my life!" All the time on the phone to her new friends and a visit this afternoon from one of them proves it. She really did have an amazing time! I am so glad, but i knew she would.

What WE Have Been UP2

Summer is here. I know i haven't been around as much, commenting and leaving love on your blogs...but i have been 100% soaking up my family. Big Daddy worked a different shift this week, he left home at 5am and got home everyday at 2pm. Perfect since J has been going to summer school and gets home around the same time. Anyway it's been fun, we have basically spent our days lounging in the pool, frogging, playing games, cooking and watching movies as a family. Fun relaxing stuff!!

J is catching frogs by threes lately...talent, my friends, pure talent!

This girl IS The Frog Whisperer...fo' shizzle!

this is where the frogs live...in the roots of this bush.
looking WAY matchy-poo-cutsie for the first day of Summer School.
floating and enjoying watermelon...YUM!
Goofy Daddy=Goofy Kid

so that's what i have been up to...jealous?!

Celebration Time!

School is really challenging for Jordan. It always has been. I knew it was going to be the first order of business once her daddy and i got married, someone needed to advocate for this kid and get her the education she deserved (education is my background so i knew it needed to be me). The first step of course was demanding an evaluation and getting her on an IEP (individual education plan). Once the IEP was in place i knew she needed to change schools, so i went in search of a really good one, one that focused on the individual needs of the child and was willing (and able) to take the extra steps needed to figure out my kid and teach her in a way that she was actually able to learn. Once we found the award winning school we wanted to to go to we sat on the long waiting list to get in. She began at her new school this last Fall. It was a challenge for her. Most award winning and academically recognized schools are filled with high achievers and super students. We weren't sure if Jordan would be able to keep up. So we hired a tutor for her and made sure that we were in constant contact with her teachers. i was so impressed that her teachers would take the time to email us with updates or issues on a regular basis, it was obvious to us that they were willing to go above and beyond for our child. Jordan had a great school year at this very prestigious school and today her report card came.

You should have seen this child's face as she opened the envelop and looked at her report card. She was smiling ear to ear as she laid eyes on A's, B's, C's and one D+. She said, "This is the best report card i have ever had in my whole life." (tis true, most of her school career was filled with only failing grades, all F's and D's yet they pushed her through the system) We asked, "How does it feel?" she answered, "It feels really good. I am really happy. All of my hard work paid off." We asked, "what so we do to celebrate?" (bracing ourselves for "buy a pony") and she thought for a minute and said, "definitely Sushi". yep, REALLY...so we said let's do it and we did. OH and Cold Stone for dessert...because it really was a special occasion!

I cannot express how proud i am of this kid. Jordan has some special needs, she struggles socially at times, she works really hard for her grades and there are days when trying to learn something new is just plain overwhelming. Her efforts this last school year really did pay off. We have NEVER expressed that grades were important, we only ever asked her to do her best...as long as she did that grades did not matter. Well i guess they mattered to her, and the proof is in her awesome report card. YAY Jordan!!

Spicy Red Dragon Roll

mmmm Sushi!!! Cookie Doughn't You Want Some

As Jordan said her prayers tonight she made sure to thank her Heavenly Father for "helping me get good grades" and "for a really fun family celebration to make me feel special for my hard work". Yep, she is a pure joy...we are so thankful for her sweetness in our lives! I would sacrifice anything for this kid...anything!

Cooking with Jordan! episode 8 Cheeseburger Pie

Time for another episode of Cooking with Jordan. You can view earlier episodes by clicking on these links Preview, OneDishMexican, GrilledChicken, Cooking(?) with Daddy, TortelliniSoup , TeriyakiChicken, BuffaloChickenBites, ParmesanChickenPastaWithBroccoli and GarbageCasserole. The whole point of the cooking lessons for J is to show her some basic easy meals, plan a menu, learn how to follow a recipe and help her become more comfortable in the kitchen...this is not anything totally gourmet or culinary school worthy. On tonight's menu: Cheeseburger Pie, super easy, super yummy...your kids will love it!

Cheeseburger Pie...YUM!! one onion chopped 1 lb ground beef browned with chopped onion and seasonings
put beef mixture in sprayed glass pie plate
sprinkle with 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
mix 2 eggs, 1/2 cp Bisquick and 1 cp milk with wire whisk oh she is adorable when she is whisking! pour Bisquick mixture over beef in pie plate
bake @400 for 25 min or until knife inserted in center of pie comes out clean
YUMMY!!

we made up 2 Cheeseburger Pies because it's an easy one to double AND because the leftovers are super yummy! This is also a good recipe for hiding veggies (sweet peas, finely chopped broccoli, corn, etc.)

y'all...i am soooo behind on my blog reading. i need to cut back a little, i can't keep up and well...i feel a little guilty. i promise i will stop by, but i cannot promise a comment on EVERY post and also had to stop replying to comments via email for a while. Summer is here, my family deserves my time. I KNOW y'all understand, right?!

To The BEST Daddy EVER!

Jordan most definitely said it best in her Father's Day card to her dad:

Dear Daddy,

Thank you for being the best dad ever!! I love you and you are the coolest dad in the whole world, not like those other dads. Happy Father's Day. I love you.

Love,
Jordan

YES BooBoo you are the BEST dad in the whole world. I love how you get down and play with Jordan, how you joke with her and her friends, it is so fun watching her humor develop to be like yours, and since you are the funniest person i know that is AWESOME! i love how you even know how to shop for girl clothes and don't mind when it takes all day to find just the right outfit. I love that you have never once said that Jordan has too many shoes or accessories. i love that EVERY morning when she emerges from her room dressed and ready to take on the world that you ALWAYS tell her how cute she looks; she loves that! I love that you make her lunch for school everyday, take a bite out of her sandwich and leave her a little snote to make her smile. I love that when you drop her off at school or hang up with her on the phone that you always tell her "i love you" and "remember who you are". I love that she still sits on your lap, snuggles with you on the couch and stops to give you a hug for 'no reason at all'. I love how the two of you write to each other in your "love notes" book every night. I love how you are such a wonderful example of a good, kind, generous, loving, respectful, patient, devoted, Christlike, human being. I love that J is already forming crushes on boys that look like her daddy. I love that she has you for an beautiful example of the husband she should spend her time trying to find, and not settling for anyone less. You are not like other dads, i love that she knows this. So for all that you are and all that you do, i love you and i can't wait to have more babies with you...

dinner at Chili's (daddy's choice) w/ his favorite girls!

giggling about...hmm i don't remember, we laugh a lot, coulda been anything!
for Father's Day Big Daddy got an afternoon of pampering
yep i got him a cute Asian girl to do his feet
i guess 3 pics is enough...camera going back in purse now.
he also got a hair cut...nope no pics, sorry y'all.

200th Post part five!

The response to our ASK ME!! post to help us celebrate our 200th post was awesome and a little overwhelming...i was shocked that y'all asked 145 questions...CRAAAAAZY! Anyway we have been working on getting them all answered and are going to have to make it a weekly segment for a little while (i know, calm down i can already sense your utter excitement). You can get caught up by reading 200th Post part one , 200th Post part two! , 200th Post part three! and 200th Post part four!

Today's Questions are from our contest winner Leslie from Barefooted Bandits.

92. what kind of camera do you use?
Kodak EasyShare C875…it’s OK for a starter camera. We did not know ANYTHING about digital cameras when we bought it.
93. do you like to fly?
Love it…since flying usually means we are going on vacation. Jordan looooves to fly and especially loved the 5 hour flight to Hawaii a couple of summers ago…
94. What is your favorite kind of candle? Scent?
I love Candles by Illumination. My favorite scent is pineapple cilantro…fabulous!
95. would you rather go to Disneyworld or Disneyland?
Disneyland…I have never been to Disneyworld. Until recently I never had a desire to go to Disneyworld…there has always been a small part of me that was afraid to find out that it was better than Disneyland, I could never allow anything to taint that fact that Disneyland is my VERY favorite place on earth. I saw a show on the travel channel a few months ago about Disneyworld. I think I might like to check it out someday, after all NOTHING could be better than Disneyland…just different, right?
96. Cruise or a beach house?
All inclusive cruise, please.
97. Jordan what is your favorite hairstyle?
“I like to wear a headband and have it down a lot. But I like when it get’s rocked out too, it depends on where I am going.”
98. today I saw a mom, dad and girl Jordan’s age getting pedicures. Have the three of you ever done this together?
I have gone with J to get a pedi/mani and I have gone with Paul to get pedis but the three of us have never gone together…we should.
99. what are your favorite colors to paint your fingernails?
Mamarazzi likes clear or french for fingernails. J likes pink, light frosty pink.
100. what are your favorite colors to paint your toenails?
Mamarazzi likes pink…all shades. J usually picks out bright colors for her toes, pink, blue, purple.
101. do you like flowers on your toes?
J likes butterflies. Mamarazzi will get a rhinestone now and then.
102. do you get fake nails or are you all natural?
We are ALL natural girlies (though I did get acrylic for 12 yrs and only stopped last summer)
103. Jordan if you could have a pet monkey or a pony, which would you choose?
“Pony, for sure. My BFF Emma would pick a monkey, she is crazy for monkeys”
104. how many ear piercings do you have, whether or not you still use them?
Just one in each ear. J has tried getting hers pierced twice and they got infected and closed up both times. She has plans to try again this summer, now that she is older.
105. how many rings do you typically wear?
I wear my wedding and engagement rings and a little cuff ring on the top knuckle of my right hand ring finger
106. Jordan how many pairs of shoes do you have?
“23 but 9 pairs are flip flops and Mamarazzi says they don’t count as shoes, I am not sure why.”

i STILL have lots and lots of questions to answer. i will make another post soon. It really has been fun answering these as a family.

this post was brought to you by the awesomeness of Blogger's "Scheduled" feature. Don't you just love that?! It looks like i am blogging when i am really not! cool!!

Mini Make Over

Longtime readers of our blog know that J has basically taken over 3 rooms in our house her Bedroom , game room and her Bathroom. All of those rooms are decorated to her wishes and i was happy to accommodate, even when her request was a major challenge (monkey bathroom). Anyway, the one room in our house that has remained totally untouched is the master bedroom. Today i decided to do something nice for ME...just a little mini make over nothing huge, but it makes me very happy! (the pics do not show off its cuteness...so come visit ok?)

before pics

the slider leads out to the back patio and pool

white white white everywhere! tooooo much white!

we covered the window totally to block out all light, we get plenty with the slider and never open that window anyway. i decided to take the curtains wall to wall and ceiling to floor.

i fell in love with the quilt as soon as i saw it and it was a really great deal!

i am gonna paint too, i am thinking a nice buttery tan, when i find the energy to do it. For now the curtained wall and cute quilt and shams makes a huge difference. YAY ME!! OH and Big Daddy really likes it too...he is so easy like that!

Girl's Camp update!!

i received this picture mail via cell phone today. it's not a fabulous pic but you can most def see my darling daughter is having a splashing good time at camp, today is beach day there. we also got word that the fires are WAY south of them and that the winds are blowing south so they are totally fine and not in any danger whatsoever. thanks again for all the email and calls asking if she is OK...she is 100% fine and having a great time. oh how i hope she is taking lots and lots of pics! i can't wait to hear all about her adventure. she will be home on Saturday!

A Couple of MeMe's

First of all thanks for all the email about the fires in the Santa Cruz mountains. We checked into it and J is NOT in an evacuation area. They do have a plan should they need to evacuate but for now it's all about fun fun fun. Prayers are VERY much appreciated.

so i have been tagged for a few MeMe's and it is 3am and i am not sleeping soooo i decided now would be a good time to play along...weeeeeeeeeee.

SuperCoolMom over @ Think Happy Thawts tagged me for this one:

The Rules:
~Link the person(s) who tagged you
~Mention the rules on your blog
~Tell about 6 unspectacular quirks of yours
~Tag 6 following bloggers by linking them
~Leave a comment on each of the tagged blogger’s blogs letting them know they’ve been tagged

OK so SIX Quirks of mine:
1. it is REALLY important to me that my dining table is always clear of any junk. Unfortunately it is the first stop for anyone coming into the house through the garage and ends up being a dumping ground for keys, hats, wallets and anything else my husband carries on his person on any given day. i have provided him with a few alternative spots to dump his junk but he often forgets and clutters my table anyway. I do still love him...but, dude, come on, right?
2. i take pictures of EVERYTHING...if you read my blog you already know this. however you might be shocked to know i don't post half of the pics i actually take. YES i have 100% earned the name Mamarazzi.
3. i don't sleep. i TRY to sleep, but often sleep never comes...until my body finally poops out and i get sick from lack of sleep...even then i usually need to medicate in order to get good deep sleep.
4. i think i have mentioned this before but i need to say "the garage door is closed" before leaving the driveway. if someone is with me i will tell them "when i ask if the garage door is closed, the answer is yes". and even after doing both of these things i have been known to drive around the block to double check...so annoying.
5. i tend to go through phases food wise. like i will get on a pickle kick for about 6 weeks and then swear off pickles for months.
6. i don't pump my own gas...like ever. i CAN do it and i have (like less than a dozen times in my life) but if someone will do it for me i will totally let them and i have been known to ask total strangers (women even) to do it for me. Luckily Big Daddy makes sure my tank is always full...brown chicken, brown cow. oh i crack myself up!

i am not sure who to tag. SOOOO if you wanna play, play and let me know you did it, OK?!

Girl's Camp...the drop off.

Well we drove Jordan over the the Santa Cruz mountains for a WEEK of Girls Camp. The drive was HORRIBLE. Just the winding unpaved bumpy roads, the girls didn't care and the scenery was amazingly gorgeous but Mamarazzi got WAY sick. I have never thrown up more in my entire life (another FAB use for Ziplock baggies). Once we got there i was a hot mess and did not take very many pictures. We left the house at 8am and did not get home until after 9pm...it was just a REALLY bad day for me and today was not much better. Turns out i got a touch of the flu, no fun my friends.

Jordan, Sammy and Cheyenne gathered at the church to

caravan over to the Santa Cruz mountains!

Sammy J and Cheyenne (C ended up riding in another car)

all of the girls in our group (there are about 100 girls attending)Big Daddy setting up J and Sammy's tent
a peek of their digs for the week

a broader view

Jordan approved
Sammy approved

CUTE campers!

my adorable camper girl
Jordan was fine to see us go earlier than we had planned and was excited about the promises of a SUPER fun filled week...she is SO ready for Girl's Camp!!!

ANYWAY i had big plans for the day yesterday since we were over in my old stomping grounds and all. I was kind of able to get it together after a little while and we met up with my folks and my sister in law Melinda for dinner. It was nice to catch up with them. We also stopped in for a really quick visit with my Aunt, Uncle and Cousin Shannon (holla!) and her man. I haven't seen them in YEARS so it was fun to see them and introduce them to Big Daddy. AND i went by my childhood home in Gilroy and it is for sale so we walked around and peeked through all of the windows. I am amazed that my folks raised 5 kids in that house...it just looks soooo small now. While walking around i stopped and reminisced over all of our names scratched into the cement in various places, in total 5, around the house. So that was kinda cool, i took pics but they did not turn out well enough to post them.

So my kid less week has not started out to well...lots of sleep and aches and junk. I slept most of the day and plan on going to bed early. Big Daddy has the next couple of days off so we plan on catching a movie, going on a picnic, and just enjoying our time together...no major plans. OH and i am gonna shop for stuff to do a mini redo on our bedroom, the one room in the house that has gone untouched. Usually when J is away for a long period of time i do something big for her, like redo one of her rooms...but this time i think i will treat myself to something nice. I don't think she will mind.