Flashback Friday- Sisters

For happy times shared through the years,
for the loyalty, love, the laughter and tears.
For the special things only you can do,
for all these things, I thank you!

Time and space may separate us,
but heartstrings know no end.
I'm proud to call you my sister, happier still to call you my friend.
Author Unknown
Picture: Me, Connie & Carrie 1999

Losing our Cool!

So we are doing great. Why is my title "losing our cool", you ask? Well we have to monitor our computer use due to the fact that our fan that cools the computer (um, very important), has broken and if you are anything like us, you know that half of my day revolves around the computer; blogging, email, printing out preschool papers or just connecting with the outside world!

We looked at laptops this weekend. Ugh! I really don't care how much Gig my harddrive has or this one has this much more Ram than the other one! I just want something I can plop myself in front of and have it do what I want it to! Jesse has concerns if he will be able to finally get World of Warcraft (another thing I can see both of us getting addicted to!). Part of me feels guilty that we have become so dependent on our computer! Besides, I really don't want to continue putting off our remodeling projects for goofy stuff that keeps breaking down! Our goal is to have the basement done before next April (baby due), which is very ambitious since it would include digging two egress windows and a lot of sheet rock! Anyway, I must monitor my computer use and start backing up all of my preschool and pictures!

Jelly Belly Bliss

So normally we don't get Jelly Belly beans, but we were at Shopko last night (yes, that is what we do with our Friday nights) and there was a small display of Jelly Bellys. Colton being unusually cooperative at 9:00 while Jesse and I were browsing random things, I thought he earned a little treat. It took me back quite a ways since I have had some Jelly Bellys and the excrutiating decisions of colors, flavors and the exact combinations that will delight the senses. While checking out their website for a pic to add to my blog, I found out that they were the favorite candy of Ronald Reagan (and were a staple in the Oval Office and Air Force One), he had even inspired Blueberry flavor so he could have red, white and blue at his inaugural party! Funny! They were the first jellybeans in space in 1983 when they were a presidential surprise for the the spaceshuttle Challenger and 1st female in space, Sally Ride! Just a little fun weekend info for you! Yummy!

Check, Check, 1,2,3

Sorry I don't know if anybody else is having problems viewing my blog, but I am. So this is a test to see what's up with my blog.

Naps are God's gift to Moms (and Dads)

I truly believe that naptime is a gift from God. He has instilled in our children the need for rest halfway through the day and I believe that this is the reason many parents don't go insane! I love my child and my daycare kids but it is so nice to be able to have a little time for me to clean (ha!), blog, do devotionals, paint toenails, nap!, etc. God in his infinite wisdom said "Here, you tired, weary-laden parent, this is my gift to you; naptime! This is totally my opinion and if your child doesn't take naps, that is absolutely your decision and that's cool. But I will make them lay down for 2 hours everyday until they go to kindergarten! I am blessed with a child that desperately NEEDS naps or he just gets absolutely irrational at about 6:00. It is a time for refreshing for both of us and it makes me a better mom! Welp, that's really all I wanted to say, selfish little me and my coveted naptime!!!

Prayers go up, Blessings come down

As many of you know we've been trying to expand our family and we've had an answer to our prayers. God has blessed us with a baby! It's still pretty early and we have our first appointment on the 19th. We should be able to hear the heartbeat, so about 10-12 weeks along. We're praying that everything goes well and the baby will be safe. I know it's not good luck to announce anything too early, but this is what's going on in our lives and I wanted to share the good news!



In the meantime we are still battling the flu bug, but on Saturday afternoon we got a little cabin fever and cured it with a game of mini-golf. It was a really fun time and was really nice to get out of the stuffy house! We didn't keep score and but we celebrated with a piece of laffy taffy!

Where'd the week go?

So sorry to all of you blog ladies! I have no idea where an entire week went! Within this past week each of my daycare kids have thrown up (thankfully at their own homes! *guilty grin*) Except that our family is exhibiting the same signs as them (Jesse took two sick days), so I have a sneaking feeling that this weekend is going to be filled with videos, blankets and barf buckets! (is that too much info?). Anyway, just wanted to apologize for the slacker that I have been!

In the meantime, here is a picture of me and Colton almost exactly 3 years ago! This was our little family picture taken for Christmas cards (which reminds me it's that time again for Christmas card pictures!) Eventhough we were going through a rough spot, God was watching over and taking care of us!

Flashback Friday

This is my sister Connie and I on a kayaking trip on the Blackfoot River in 2002. She could see what was ahead of me before I could. We really got close when we moved to a small town north of Sioux City, IA right before highschool. There were many trials that we went through, but the stuff that I remember more are the simple memories. Like when we would hide in eachothers' room and scare the crap out of the other, or making up words to songs on our long trip to school(45-60 minutes each way), and the long nights of staying up late playing double solitare and talking about what was going on in our highschool lives! She knows me like very few on this planet do and always thinks of others feelings above her own. She is amazing and loving, and her support has got me through some of my toughest times! Love you so much Connie!

CellPhone Fiasco

So for everyone that has tried to call me in the past month, sorry I couldn't let you know what was going on by changing my voicemail, like, Jackie, Jess K, AmyT.... But my cellphone was lost somewhere between here and Oregon City, OR where we stayed on our way home from N.Cal. Well we tracked it down by the calls the other person was making (yes, they were roaming) and it pointed to the maid that cleaned our room. So there was an investigation and I didn't want to let them know we were on to them. *mission impossible music playing in the background* Well, the hotel has been extremely cooperative and are paying for a new phone and all the charges the lady incurred! The charges only came to about $40, but my phone would've been a minimum of $140 to replace with the cheapest phone available. (Get insurance on your phone...it is worth it!) Here is my plug for the Rivershore Hotel and Kathy, the manager, whom I will thank personally when we stay there next time we travel that way! This entire resolution was such a blessing from God, because we had already chalked it up to our own foolishness and she did not have to take the financial responsiblity for the ladys theft. In the meantime, all of my phone numbers that are in that phone are completely lost, so to save me calling 411 or looking on the internet for everyone I know, if you could shoot me an email to cortneyatchley@gmail.com
Thanks! Looks like Jesse's not the only investigator in the family!

Ten on Tuesday(monday because tommorrow I just won't have time!)

1. What do you get when you cross a 4 year old and a roll of green crepe paper:


Colton's version of the Incredible Hulk (with a green sword)

2. Frosted Flakes turn into concrete if you don't rinse out the bowl immediately after eating.

3. No matter how many times you ask or make them go, if try to go somewhere with a van full of kids, someone will have to "go" as soon as you pull out of the driveway!

4. I will no longer buy my son white underwear...use your imagination.


5. Making meatloaf is fun no matter how old you are!

6. I wish SpongeBob was educational because it is just way too funny. In the meantime we have Little Einsteins!

7. A couple of nickels can go a long way at the Big Springs Fish Hatchery.






8. No matter how many times I look through Colton's baby book, I still cry!

9. Special treat for myself: Fun new socks.



10. Good friends may come and go, but the time spent together is priceless.


Bonus:
Amber's lil' sister up on stage with Apologetix at the DownPour Festival!

School Transitions

Hello all! Just a quick note today because I have two extra little ones! As the school year starts, though Colton doesn't start til next year, my two that I am watching/teaching are. :( Sad. But that also means that I get new little ones and God provides! Today I am watching 4 year old and 3 year old brothers of a recently single dad who is starting college full time next week. If you all know my story, of my ex and I, it is eerily the same, except that the mom has removed herself from the picture. Prayers are needed! Anyway on a lighter note, I get the priviledge of watching and teaching these two cuties! I will also start watching another 4 year old boy on a half-day basis. Yup, you heard it, add it up...4 boys! I pray they don't call a mutiny and Jesse will find me tied up with them dancing around me like Lord of the Flies!!! Hee Hee!

Also my sister, Connie, found out yesterday that they are having a boy!!! (Due in January) With all the talk of babies, Colton has informed me that he wants to grow small so that he can fit in my belly and crawl out again! Funny! (Just so I didn't pique your curiosity, we're not preggo yet!) :( Soon hopefully!

Vacation Highlights

Here are some highlights from our Northern California trip! We had a great time and really got to spend some quality time with family!

Thanks LB for www.slide.com :)

New use for treadmills!

If you are getting bored with your treadmill workout, check this out! Ha!
You tube: Here it goes again

Why I like capris/gauchos

Sorry everyone, I'm still in vacation mode and yes I still have a partially full suitcase. Eventually the clothes will cycle through being worn, then washed, then into the closet, so really I am saving time by not putting them away. Um...even I'm not buying that logic! Anyway I am in the process of getting the pics uploaded, which really means I haven't done that yet either! So here's a blog that really has nothing to do with anything.

Why I like capris/gauchos:
1. I only have to shave up to my knees.
2. They look cute with flip flops or sassy shoes
3. I can change the look of an outfit from casual to sassy in the change of shoes (see #2)
4. I can pretend that it is still summer eventhough it's getting chilly at night!
5. I feel somewhat trendy (please don't let leggings come back into style)
6. I can relate to a pair of pants that really doesn't have an identity- are shorts, are they pants, they really don't know!!!
Yes, I do realize that my blog wasn't very clever, but I think I am funny!*chuckle at myself*

Vacation Blog

Sorry it has been so long since I have blogged! Vacation has been great! We are in Northern California (not hot, sunny beaches-think chilly, cloudy redwoods and cold beaches)! It has been very refreshing to get away from home. I have been taking care of Jesse's grandma while his parents took a much-needed getaway for 5 days. His grandma suffered a stroke almost a year ago and loss control of her left side and speech. (Picture from summer 2005, Helena, Montana a month before her stroke). We celebrated her 79th birthday August 1. Prayers are always welcome!

Anyway, Jesse and I got to sneak away by ourselves to Trinidad for a walk on the pier, fresh fish & chips and clam chowder! Jesse also fixed a delicious crab dinner with a crab scrabmbled eggs the next morning with the leftovers! Yummy! We also spent an afternoon on the beach "agate hunting" and burying eachother in the chilly sand(pictures when I get them uploaded). Today we are going to the beach again to do surf fishing and play in the sand again! Being from the midwest I really haven't experienced much of the "ocean stuff". More to post as soon as I can!

Self-discipline!?!

The Setting: Storytime at the library. Colton is sitting next to me due to the previous behavior of crawling all over another child and talking really loud.

Colton: I'm gonna tell Jesse and he will give you a spanking!
Me: No me and Jesse are a team and he does not give me spankings. You better stop right now or you will lose your cowboy boots. (yes, the coveted ones)
Colton: *tongue out at me with angry eyes*
Me: (without a word pull off cowboy boots and stuff into library bag)
Colton: Grrrrr! *Angry eyes and squeezes my arm*
Me: Alright that's it. Time to go.

*Me carrying Colton (I wouldn't dare put his boots on him to let him walk) crying, kicking and screaming all the way to the car*

In the car:
Colton(now seeing the error of his ways): But am I going to get a spanking?
Me: I don't know. Do you think you need a spanking?
Colton: Well, I like spankings.
Me: You do? Then how many do you want?
Colton: Lots of spankings.
Me: OK, I can give you lots of spankings. If that is what you like.
Colton: Yeah, I like lots of spankings.
Me: OK
(long pause)
Colton: Um, I mean I don't like them, I was just kidding.
Me: Oh no, if you really like them, I think I should give you a lot.
Colton(starting to tear up again): No, mom, I don't need any, I will make good choices.
Me: I'll have to think about it. When you behave like that, I get very frustrated and I don't like it. The other kids are trying to listen to the story and they can't hear if you are doing that.
Colton: But I will make good choices now, mom. I really don't need any spankings.

Ok, so I love it that I have a fun, creative, silly little boy, but sometimes this kid...ugg! Just to let you know I showed a little mercy and opted not to spank him, due to the facts that he is recovering from a cold and didn't get very good sleep last night. Lunch time and nap time soon followed after we got home! If any one has any good advice, I'm up for it! This only child business is ridiculous! This kid needs a little competition and sacrifice!!! (Kudos to anyone that decided to have only one child, I am not judging you in any way, I just believe that you learn a lot with a sibling!) Vacation...starting Thursday...clean clothes or not I am ready for it!!!!

Four-wheelers and Fun in the Sun!

This past weekend we traveled down to Helena to visit my dad and step-mom. Saturday we played around on the ATV-my dad's new toy, and Sunday we went boating on Holter Lake through the Gates of the Mountains. If you have never taken the 45 minute drive from Great Falls to experience this natural beauty, than you have missed out! They have a tour boat that is a very reasonable price (if you don't have a father that lives in Helena and will give you a personal tour!) and also goes into detail about various rock formations, indian paintings, and a tribute to the smoke jumpers of the fatal Mann Gulch fire. I have been on the tour boat for the past three summers with visiting family and have enjoyed it every time! If you are in the area and are looking for "Montana" stuff to do, add this to your list right below Glacier National Park! It is a lot closer and can be done on a day trip, though I would recommend staying in Helena, for it is also a treasure trove of history and entertainment! Here are some more photos of us, for more check out the links on the sidebar! =o)

Mosquito Boy

I am really sick and tired of mosquitoes! Last night I had to apply Benadryl-Itch Relief to 54 bites on Colton! During the day he is ok, but they attack him when he is sleeping. I have tried everything to include putting bug-spray (deet-free) on him before bed, but some how he wakes up with more every morning! Finally I found a mosquito canopy to put over his bed! Hopefully that alleviates the problem, at least throught this mosquito season!

"I'll punch em' in the nose"

Sassy Shoe Thursday- The Spongy Flip-Flops

Well, I just couldn't take a nap with this looming over my head! These are my spongy flip-flops that I got a couple of years ago at an end-of-the-season clearance (about $10). They aren't my favorite, but they are probably my most-worn (turning your attention to the deep toe imprints). They are made out of a spongy/foamy type material and though the picture makes them look pretty nice, truly they have turned from a light blue to kind of a dingy gray. And just for fun, I thought my flip-flops and I would step into a Van Gogh painting! (Landscape Near Auvers)

If you can't say something nice...

So, if you are looking at the time stamp on this, there is nothing wrong with your computer. It really is 4:30 a.m. (at least when I started this) on Thursday morning! Colton has gotten up 3 times-water, a bug (dreaming, I think) and inevitably from the water, to pee. Well, he has gotten into this nasty little habit of doing this, at this time and on the third time, I usually give in and let him crawl up into bed! Not tonight...breaking the habit...um, the only problem is that now I am wide awake! Grrrrrrr!

Anyway, there has been a verse in my head. A while back I was trying to memorize this for when I had a stinky little attitude (just read "One of those days", and "Attitude Adjustment"), and it just kind of slipped away. So I guess God is trying to tell me something by bringing this into my heart again lately. So the verse is Proverbs 18:21, What you say can mean life or death. Those who speak with care will be rewarded. NCV At the time (a month or so ago), I really had a crummy attitude and was allowing situations to determine my mood (and what I said reflected). Another version(NIV) is The tongue has the power of life and death. Those who love it will eat its fruit. When I read my Bible that night this little nugget of wisdom was waiting for me. Anyway, what I say and my attitude reflect in the people around me. I have the choice to encourage or discourage, have patience or impatience, to speak "life" or speak "death" in the people around me. And when I choose to speak life, encourage and have patience, I will reap in the benefits around me. Others will encourage me, have patience with me and my whole environment will be adjusted. Bad things will still happen, it's just my choice how I will react.

Jess K and I are meeting at the gym every afternoon and this is the perfect example. I don't "enjoy" working out and in the midst of my huffing, puffing and sweating, I am not an 80's aerobics instructor that has a plastic smile and the energy to fuel a small village. I want to whine and be grumpy and be sitting in a cozy chair eating whatever I want. Unfortunately I reap the benefits of that, but that is a whole other blog! Just her being there encourages me to be there, have fun and laugh, and get some much needed girl time! She is so awesome!

I didn't plan on writing a book this morning(ugh!), but I just wanted to share what has been on my heart for the past couple days. (And if I am not taking a nap later, I will try to participate in Sassy Shoe Thursday!)