Taking The Train to Philmont

 Last Friday(Aug. 7) Tristan and Troop 110 boarded the Amtrak train headed for Cimarron, NM and the Philmont Boy Scout Ranch.  We had him prepared as best as we could.  We got him the nice new hiking boots, new hiking socks($18 a pair, they better be worth it and not give him blisters, lol), hiking backpack with water bladder, camp gear, new moisture wicking hiking clothes, bear bags, rain gear.  Do you think I thought to get him a camera to take along??  No.  No, I didn't think of that very important item to take on a 10 day expedition across the country.  Ugh.  So annoyed with myself.  He took a little trac phone with him but, I am betting the battery didn't last long and the picture quality is going to suck.  Oh well.  Hopefully the memories will stay with him throughout his life.  

 I also forgot to get a good pic of he and Jeremy standing together, him in his uniform.  I was just so flustered at the train station.  I think I was the only parent freaking out about every single thing.  He is my first born.  I worry about every single little thing.  It is because I care so much.  Not because I don't want him to do things or have fun.  I just know there is so much that can (and usually does) go wrong.  But, I bet he is learning and growing so much in these 10 days!  I am so happy that the church provided this for the whole troop.  I know that the train fare, the week in Philmont, food, etc.  was a pretty penny. I each boy was about $1500 for camp/hike fees and train fare.  We had to pay $100 to sign him up, get him a physical, and pay for hike gear which came out to about $600ish.  Oh and he needed money for the train food, bus fare from train station to Philmont Ranch, and money to spend at the base camp trading post.  We sent an extra $125 for all that so hopefully that covered his needs.  Though it is an expensive endeavor, it should be well worth it for the life experience.  Travel was such a BIG part of my life growing up and it taught me a lot of stuff and gave me some street smarts.  We haven't been able to travel as much or as far as I imagined traveling with my own little family but, one day soon....we almost have this figured out, lol!

Okay, so it is really weird to me that this is my little baby, Tristan.  What the heck happened?!?!  For reals.  He will be turning 15 years old in 8 days and he is starting to turn into a young man.  I never realized how strange and confusing it would all be.....FOR ME.  I knew this time was strange and confusing for the adolescent but, who knew that I would have no idea what was happening either, lol?!?!?!  He just looks so grown up. 

The boys were supposed to arrive in their scout shirts but, Jason Skog (leader) had t-shirts for them when they all got to the train station.  Oh, and Tristan knew everything that day.  The heavens parted and the knowledge of all things hiking was bestowed upon his humble being.  *sigh*  It's okay, I knew everything once too.  Smh.  He won't always know everything, right!?!?  Lol! 

On the whole, he was in a pretty good mood and was probably just embarrassed that his mother is an emotional basket case.  Whatever. I am who I am and he is just going to have to deal with that! :)

He was in a good mood despite me freaking out about a lack of camera.  He was just so sure that if he put his trac phone in airplane mode that it would last the whole 10 days for pictures.  I think he is living in La-La-Land but, whatever.  So, they all boarded the train and were off .  They were supposed to arrive by 10am Saturday morning and start their hike into the mountains Saturday afternoon.  We heard that the train broke down in Colorado and they had to bring a new engine in to push them back to Grand Junction.  So they didn't get to Philmont until Sunday morning and left on the hike Sunday afternoon. I hope he is having a blast and it is a positive experience for him and not a miserable one.  Time will tell.  He is supposed to be home Sunday(16th) at 11am.  Unless the train breaks down, which from my experience happens almost every time. (I've ridden the train A LOT.  And every time there has either been a break down or we are late, late, late. You would think they would know how to prevent this by now since trains have been in operation for nearly 200 years now but, whatever.)  I hope he gets home in time for school to start on Monday. 

I have lost my damn mind.

Random Things

Jeremy and I made a decision to only shop at Aldi for food and whatever we can't get there, we get shipped to us on our monthly Amazon shipment.  So far, so good!  I love, love, love, that we get our basic necessities each month delivered right to our front door.  And shopping at Aldi is so much quicker and cheaper than other grocery stores.  And we don't end up spending extra money on those check out aisle purchases or whatever other junk we see at the store and think we need at the time.  The only problem so far is that I have not been in the mood to cook for months now.  Not that I don't cook.  Obviously, I have to with all these people in the house.  But, it has been rather lazy cooking, lol.  Last night was good though. I was in a super crappy mood.  Everyone was on my "Annoying List".  And I hadn't eaten all day except a leftover peanut butter and jelly that someone left on their plate at lunch.....so it was nice and stale.  Lovely.  But, somehow, after losing it and pouting in my bedroom for a bit, I went ahead and made supper.  I hadn't had my own pork chops in a long time so I made those with mashed potatoes and gravy, italian green beans, and a supper yummy watermelon.  It really, really hit the spot.  And everyone else liked AND ate it so that was a bonus!

Me and my fitbit are pretty much besties, lol!  I am seriously obsessed with it.  I wish it would talk instead of me pressing a button.  I get so annoyed if I take a shower and forget to put back on before I leave the bathroom.....oh no, wasted steps, LOL!  I am in a serious competition with myself.

So, I have been losing weight at a pretty steady pace(mostly) but, my main weakness is Brookside Chocolates.  Oh my goodness, I am seriously obsessed.  I had Jeremy go up to Casey's again last night and get me another dang bag of them($5 every time....I need to check and see if Amazon has them....or quit binge eating them, lol) and ate them all.  Dumb.  Whatever.  They are dark chocolate with fruit so they should be good for me, right?!!?

Another thing bothering me.  The Carthage house is consuming me, my time, my thoughts, my money, my everything. I feel like another summer is wasted dealing with that dang house.  And every time we go there, we find something else we need to buy, work on, or fix.  I am SO over it.  I wish a miracle would happen and it would all just be magically done.

On another note....I am all set up to take school pictures now!! I also have a web site complete with a personalized private password for client sessions where they can view and order photos from their packages....and even pay online!  I am pretty excited.  I know I probably won't get in to take any school pictures this year because the schools are already scheduled with whoever they normally go through.  But, I want to give them my information and at least get my foot in the door for future years.

Are You Freaking Kidding Me?!!?

Holy crap.  I got Tristan's schedule in the mail yesterday.  He is signed up for drivers ed the first semester.  I. can't. deal.  For reals.  I can't even.  I don't understand these parents that keep smiling and joking about it like it isn't the freaking weirdest, scariest, most awful thing they have ever heard.  I am petrified.  I have let Tristan drive the Expedition once on the flats. It was fun and lighthearted and he was shocked that I let him do it.  Cedric was in the car with us and wanted to drive too.  What am I going to do when all the boys are teenagers and all of them driving.  BOYS and DRIVING do NOT go together.  At all.  Boys are so dumb with cars at that age.  I have been in too many cars where I totally should have died....all with stupid freaking boys driving who think it is cool to go way too fast and not obey traffic signs or anything.  And then I hear how much I am going to love him driving because then he can take kids places for me or run errands for me......ppssshhhhhh, whatever.  I don't want to put my younger kids in a car with a brand new driver.  Ummm, no thank you.  I don't want him to go to the store for me because like any man, he won't bring the right thing back anyway. And I sure as heck don't need him taking our cars and wrecking or breaking them in some way.  What a shit creek we would be up then.  And getting a kid a car for their 16th birthday is literally the stupidest, most irresponsible thing I can possibly think of to do for a 16 year old on their birthday.  "Happy Birthday, kid.  Here's a new car. Hope you don't die." Ugh.  I hate this.  Freaking hate it. And with the trillion other things on my mind too, it is all just too much.  Why are they all getting older?  Why am I getting older?  Why is all this happening?   

Cute Little Liam Pie

 These are photos we got taken at Sears back when we used to have more time and brain space.  These first few Liam was 6 or 7 months and we still had no idea that his hair was going to be so darn curly and cute because there was no indication of it yet.  

 In just a few months (these are his one year photos.....see how much more time we had?!!?) his hair was a all kinked up and super duper adorable! 

It all seems so long ago and yet, like it as yesterday.  Time goes faster the older you get.  I don't like it, not one bit. 

Randoms from 2005 (Nov. and Dec.)

 These are some pictures from when we lived at our house on Young Street in Nauvoo.  That is a picture of the first time that Jeremy grew his hair out.  And bleached it apparently, lol.  I didn't remember that part.  He didn't get it as long as he did the second time.  And where in the heck did my Cure shirt go!!?? I loved that shirt.  I had it since I was 17.  

 My little Liam pie!  (and Vivi twin,lol!)  It really is striking just how much they look alike.  And I love it. I am just tickled to death that my kids are so freaking adorable.  Pretty sure I have the cutest kids on the whole dang planet.  

 The rest of these pics are of the three boys playing and wrestling in the living room with a bunch of bean bags.  I don't know who was manning the camera but, they got some interesting shots, lol!  If it was me, I don't know if I was heavily medicated or what, bahahaha! 

 I remember having the grand idea to get a bunch of bean bags that the kids could lounge around and play with.  I think I bought like 6 or 7 of them.  And they did play with them, that is for sure.  But, they sure didn't last long.  I think they all broke fairly quickly.  And broken bean bag=huge mess. 

A Day Out With Thomas

 Wow!  This seems so weird looking back to when we were a family of FOUR!!!  Oh my goodness!  This was for Tristan's fourth birthday.  I was about 6 months pregnant with Liam and you can barely even tell!! Ha! Liam was the one that I had just lost a ton of weight when I found out I was pregnant with him.  And he is the one I gained the most weight when pregnant with a whopping 70+ pounds!!! How embarrassing, lol!  But, anyway, we took the boys to Chicago for an event called A Day Out With Thomas.  Both boys were super into Thomas the Tank Engine at the time.  We spent all day at the little Thomas festival and even got to ride on Thomas the Train.  I remember that we bought the boys a GIGANTIC Thomas balloon that cost us like $12 or something ridiculous and it took up the whole dang vehicle we were driving!  We also got to meet Sir Topham Hatt(pictured above). 

 I remember this day being awesome.  I look back on it with fond memories of not being and overwhelmed lunatic! :)  Oh, I thought I was overwhelmed then but, little did I know then, that it could get even  more overwhelming.  Live and Learn.  But, a learning experience that I would never ever change.  

Look at how tiny they are!  I can't believe it.  We were still such new parents even with two kids and one on the way.  I hope the boys look back on things like this with fond memories as I do.