And a Camping He Did Go….

September 10, 2009
Posted by tlcinspirations

Labor Day Weekend Camping Trip 2009

My cousin asked us to go camping with them in September and my husband doesn’t “camp”, so the conversation went something like this…

HE SAID: No.

SHE SAID: We’ve never been camping together in 17 years!

HE SAID: We went camping a few years ago with your uncle, remember?

SHE SAID: You rented an RV! That doesn’t count. When have we slept out in a tent in the middle of the wilderness in all the time we’ve been together? We’ve never been on a family camping trip?

HE STARES.

SHE SAID: We need to unplug from society and get back to the land of the living.

HE SAID: What are you talking about?

SHE BLATANTLY USES THE CHILDREN: What about creating a great memory with the kids? They’re getting older…it would be a great experience!

SHE SAID: Pleeeeeaaaaase?!?!?!

HE SAID: {heavy sigh} OK.

SHE SAID: What?! Really?!?

And that’s how our camping trip of 2009 came to be. I ran to the telephone to call and tell everyone I was going camping with my hubby and my kids, who I’ve never been camping with. Oh, happy day! A family camping trip!

We swam, played “kick the can”, cooked great food over the campfire, roasted s’mores every night, went for twilight walks, played card and word games with the kids, told stories (some true, lol), walked around camp in our PJ’s, kicked it on the beach, threw the frisbee around, lounged and chatted over hot coffee.

But, alas, it wasn’t all bliss. My oldest daughter got stung on the inside of her lower lip by a bee that was floating in her soda…and my youngest got a tummy ache and threw up in between those lovely trees in the great outdoors. AND, that last night, I just about froze my whole *ss off (and there is some junk in this trunk)…no joke. Due to the fact that we’re NOT regular campers, we forgot important things like extra blankets and extra warm sleeping clothes (thank goodness for my cousin in her little RV – with heater – who gave my girls a few extras). I was doing jumping jacks in the restroom to stave off hypothermia, while my husband snored himself into tropical dreams. And so, admittedly, I used my puppy as a heater and stuffed him in my sleeping bag. Don’t worry, he was perfectly thrilled with the idea…he was all snuggly while defrosting me. It’s like I forgot that I live in Idaho or something.

Other than that, it was brilliant ~ loved it and will fight for it again next year!

Warmly (now that I’m home),
Rachel

A week in the life of…

August 8, 2009
Posted by tlcinspirations

me. Rachel. First, if you don’t know me, in a few words…

generous. a g r e s s i v e. reflective. NON-photogenic. caffeine-dunked. short-tempered. closet dAnCEr. cheesecake lover. animal guardian. mother. reluctant shopper. neurotic wife. nostalgic. offensive singer. nature freak. gardener. PAtHoloGiCAl ReADeR. spunky cook. worrywart. S A R C A S T I C.

.•*〬·.✽¸.·~•☄.♥ L O V E ♥.•**·._¸☆..•**·.♬

So, this week was interesting. If you don’t already know, I have a new puppy, aptly named Mojo…as Mojo can be either good or bad on many levels. He totally fulfills the name he’s been given. Anyway, THIS week, he managed to get himself peed on by my other dog. Oh yes. And he didn’t even notice. My other dog, Cyrus, lifted his leg and no sooner did he do this than Mojo ran under him, mid-stream. I was horrified at the prospect of having to pick him up and carry him into the house, but a bath was required. What was great is that he was happy as a clam, regardless of his pee-soaked fur, lol. There’s something to learn there.

My Grandma June also visited us this week. We live in Sandpoint, Idaho and she travels by train from Washington. There’s only one train that stops here and they drop her off here at 2:32am and then when we take her home, the train leaves at midnight. Nothing we can do about it ~ it just is what it is. And we don’t mind…it’s worth it!

I love having my Grandma to myself for a few days. She’s an incredible individual! I could talk to her for hours and, in fact, DID! Her stories never cease to mesmerize me. Both of my daughters are transfixed by the “old days” and thoroughly enjoy a good game of Scrabble or Yahtzee with her, even though she tries to sneak by with non-words like “eaze”, lol. Ok, I confess, I tried to use “nudgy”….it could be a word! “Her nudgy sister kept hitting me in the arm.” ~ see? We shopped, laughed, played and talked for 3 days. It was perfect. Thanks, Grandma!

Well, I guess we’ll see what the coming weeks have in store for us. Every day is an adventure, isn’t it? Feel free to share your own experiences here. How else would we get to know you? Blessings. ~ Rachel

One of my Fave Places – right in my own backyard!

July 28, 2009
Posted by tlcinspirations

Twice a week, Sandpoint holds their Farmer’s Market. Saturday is the “big day”, though, when all the crafters and live music join in on the fun. I thoroughly enjoy making a day of it…grabbing the kids and walking over there to peruse through the gorgeous creations scattered through Sandpoint’s Town Square. And, yes, I admit, I almost always end up with some kind of sweet treat in hand

Here are some of the beautiful things found at the Sandpoint Farmer’s Market by local artisans, crafters, growers and other vendors…

I’m hoping you will excuse my less-than-stellar photos for this post, as it was a last minute decision and I did not have my trusty camera with me. Instead, I had to opt for my iPhone…not bad, though, right?

Don’t you just LOVE the colors and textures of something handmade, handspun or freshly grown? Even the smells and flavors are overwhelmingly enticing. If you ever want to get ALL five of your senses going, pay a visit to your local Farmer’s Market! Not only are you usually getting the finest, in terms of product quality, but you’re supporting local artisans and growers. Not to mention, you can usually swing a pretty good deal on products, especially if you buy more than one

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