THIEVES IN THE NIGHT

Many of you know we are down to one dog and one cat now. Needless to say the "animal food" around here lasts a much longer time....

NOT LATELY.... I just bought a big bag from Costco and it's all gone...

Hunk and I went into the backyard and the dog food bucket was empty AGAIN. I said "Ok, something is eating this food. There is no way on earth Nestlie ate all of this already."

So Hunk bought another bag and we thought maybe it was possible we misjudged how long we had had the last bag.

Last night I'm getting ready for bed and I head towards my nightstand, which I walk past a big window that points to the back yard. What do I see?

A big ol' Raccoon heading down the back hill towards the back yard. I tell Hunk.

We quietly open the door off of our bedroom and start sneaking to the back yard... I think I could hear the theme song "Secret Agent man.....Secret Agent man" playing in the night....

What do we see???..... TWO big ol' Raccoons with their heads stuck inside the food bucket eating away.

We weren't as stealth as we thought cuz they turned around "Like the thieves in the night that they are" and looked at us like "OH CRUD!" One took off up the hill, the other one looked at us like "I will cut you, oh yes I will".....(Sorry you so have to watch this youtube video that my entire family and anyone who comes to our home has to see upon entry. It's silly but it has gotten ahold of our funny bone and it won't let go. Look up "King Burger" on you tube)

So the 2nd one takes off up the hill to meet up with his little friend a couple minutes later. THEN I start worrying........will they hurt Nestlie. She's old and she doesn't have Buck to help her anymore.

So Mr. Raccoon, as adorable as you are, if you hurt my Nestlie doggie "I WILL CUT YOU".... (Which pretty much means, you are gettin' on my nerves and I won't like you anymore)

I remember one night I was going through chemo and was so weak and it was one of those nights where it was one thing after another, (electricity off & on, medicine, etc) getting no sleep (poor Hunk) and the topper of the evening was a raccoon up in a tree and our dogs going nutso. That is a whole other post, I'll have to share because with the exception of the night it was happening.....(wasn't near as funny then)...it's a pretty funny story.

Have a great day!!

Ciao Bellas~

THE WINNER IS..........

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!! The winner of the $40 CSN gift certificate has been picked!

I'm soooooooo excited! Besides reading all of your comments, which make me smile so big and sometimes bust out laughing.....and then my family wonders what I am doing....this is one of my favorite parts!

I used a Random Number Generator........and drum roll.....

RESULTS:


True Random Number Generator
Min:1 Max: 64

Result: 45

Powered by RANDOM.ORG

The winner is:

Mami2jcn said...
Our summer plans are to hang by the pool a lot and celebrate my daughter's birthday.
mami2jcn at gmail dot com
May 23, 2010 5:13 PM

Congrats Mami2jcn! Please let me know what you decide to purchase!

I will be contacting CSN with your email address and they will send the $40.00 e-certificate over to you.

Thanks to everyone for entering.....Good Luck on the next one!

Ciao Bellas~

BIG GIRL PANTIES~ Some wear them. Some need to wear them. Others just need to pull them up.

Big girl panties. So many things come to mind when I hear or say "Big girl panties".

For instance, when I've said "Pull up your big girl panties" I may have been talking to my daughter when I was potty training her.

OR I may have been(wishing I was) talking to someone who was whining about something that in reality wasn't a big issue, they took wrong or just have to be wronged for attention...and then "Pull up your big girl panties" had a whole new meaning.

I think sometimes it's not what is said but how it is said. Well, not sometimes, almost all the time.

Of course big girl panties could be in reference to the size of my panties, but usually I call them my GRANNY PANTIES.

Why is big girl panties on my mind this morning???....

I haven't done potty training with my rugrats in a long time, though by the 4th child I have to say I was pretty good at it. Our youngest was potty trained shortly after turning a year old.

Sadly I wear big girl panties.......though they have gotten smaller lately....

And though there have been times lately that I've wanted to shout from the rooftops "PULL UP YOUR BIG GIRL PANTIES" I have refrained.

Maybe it's because I wish so much that I didn't have big girl panties......or because I want so much to shout "Pull up your big girl panties" that it is on my mind.

Maybe it's because I refrain from telling someone to pull up their big girl panties that I shove the food in my mouth to keep the words from coming out which in return causes my rear to require big girl panties.

This is a question to ponder.....A question I probably really know the answer to already.

Isn't it funny how when we step back and take a good look at ourselves and our lives we see patterns. Patterns in others around us and patterns in ourselves. Like how I'll be the first to admit, when my stress level goes up so does my food intake. When my stress level sky rockets my food intakes stops all together.....but on that stress ride back down... the food intake sky rockets.

When I eat healthy I feel better and much like my diet, my life feels balanced and in control.

But when I eat these unhealthy foods because I'm stressed or not feeling good about myself it only increases the problem! The unhealthy food makes me feel like crud and then the weight the unhealthy food packs on makes me feel like crud about myself, which can OF COURSE only be fixed by eating more CRUD...right?

WRONG! WRONG! WRONG!..... I'm talking to me here not you.... You probably already know this....and while my brain knows this my mouth hasn't figured it out completely yet.

My weight loss has been going EXCELLENT. I've been feeling better than ever and then I step off of the cliff. I free fall into a bowl full of junk food. I Waller around in it complaining about how I keep eating junk and I need to get back on track.......and then I eat more junk.

So what I'm really trying to tell myself is "PULL UP YOUR BIG GIRL PANTIES, PUT DOWN THE CHEESE AND PICK UP THE APPLE!"

The end.

Do you ever have the same pattern?

Tami Wilson Photography- My Little Sister

Many of you have seen the photos that my sister has taken from time to time. I have used some from our trip to the beach and some that she has taken here at our home when she comes out to visit.

Well, she has been nominated on Parents Connect website as one of Denver, CO's best photographer.

I'm so excited for her and so proud of her. If you live in Colorado and are looking for some great photo's of your children or family to be taken, Tami is who you need. When I went to visit last year I went with her on one of her sessions. I was blown away at the lengths she goes to in order to capture the perfect photo. She was drenched in sweat when it was over because of all the running she was doing. She would lay on the ground to get "that perfect angle" shot, climb trees in the park. And she has really has the ability to get that "natural look" of a photo. Her best shots are the candid shots, instead of just having the children pose for the photo. She also helped the families before hand with outfit planning and special items that they may want to incorporate in their photos.

When we got back home she went into her office and began editing the photos. The amount of time she puts in to this photos was amazing. She treated each photo as if it was one she was editing for her own walls.

If she wasn't my sister I would still be very impressed but since she is I'm just so proud!

It will only take a moment and would be much appreciate if you would go here and vote for my little Sis.

And if you are in Colorado....near Denver area.... You should give her a call!

If you are here in California near me......she will be coming out and doing Senior pictures, so let me know if you are interested!

She rocks! =)

Ciao Bellas~

CSN STORES FREE GIVEAWAY!!!!

Momma is stepping up on her Soapbox. Setting up her speakers and speaker stands and turning on her mic. Tap, Tap, Tap....is this thing on????

Why? All because CSN Stores has been kind enough to sponsor a giveaway for you!

Woop! Woop!

They said I have been selected as a "CSN Preferred Blogger" so they are now my new BFF. Yep, all it takes is a compliment.........well, that and offering me some free items to share with you!

Ok, so here is the dealio.....They have 200+ stores online and you get to go choose something from ANY OF THE STORES....The winner will receive a gift certificate (via email) for $40 to go towards (or completely pay for) any item you choose. Keep a watch out because I've noticed that many of the items on their sites have FREE SHIPPING.... Which I love!

Here are a few of their sites I've looked at and liked:

Toys and Games online

CSN Baby

Cookware

OKAY.......so here is all you have to do to enter......

EASY PEASY LEMON SQUEEZY........

Post a comment telling me what your plans are for the summer.

Told you it was easy!

But if you want to.............

You can get EXTRA ENTRIES in the following ways:

1 extra entry If you follow my blog saying "I follow your blog"

1 extra entry If you follow me on twitter saying "I follow you on twitter"

2 extra entries If you post a link on twitter telling others about my giveaway.

2 extra entries if you post about my giveaway on your blog and leave me the link.

I will close out the giveaway on Wednesday May 26th at midnight Pacific Standard Time. And I will announce the winner on Thursday May 27th!......

This is so much fun! I can't wait to see who wins and what you choose!

Have fun!!!

Ciao Bellas~

WHICH WAY IS UP??

I've been so busy lately that I keep wondering which way is up? I'm dizzy.....

I've always been able to juggle many things going on in my life but lately my plate is overflowing and I'm having a hard time keeping up. I keep saying "after this week, it will slow down"... I'm thinking after the next two weeks it will slow down..

So much has been going on with the rugrats and with work and with our home life. OH and my weight loss is still going strong. Some days it has gone well due to stress and others just because of the choices I'm making on what goes in my mouth.

Then there have been days where what is going in my mouth is NOT what I should be eating..... Like the cake at the baby shower and then having cake the very next day for Mother's Day. And the banana nut muffins I made (with yummy batter my cousin sent home with me to bake)..... I didn't have to eat THAT many muffins..... But I dusted myself off and I'm back at it.

Did I mention today is Hunk's birthday? Did I also mention I will NOT be having any cake tonight? Did I WHISPER that I will be providing PIE tonight?

I MAY OR MAY NOT be eating some of the provided pie..... It's tough.....I don't want to be RUDE by not joining in on the festivities...... But I just really don't like sweets....

HA HA...... OKAY so I could pass up cake without a MAJOR issue about it.....but to be honest.....

Pie.....

Pie......

Pie......

Let me count the ways.....

Oh how I love thee.......Pie.....

That is a TOUGH ONE TO PASS UP FOR ME...

sigh...........

Sorry, I'm finding it hard to concentrate after talking about the pie....

Ok, I'm back....

I miss you all and I will be posting a giveaway. I STILL haven't done it and I've been asked again about it so I'm going to find the time to get it up on here.

So check back its-a-comin'! And I can't wait for one of you to win!

Have a fantastic Tuesday!!

Miss you! Hope you are all good! Fill me in!

Ciao Bellas~