SPRING CLEANING

We are now in our 3rd trimester. Is it a celebration? I don't know if I would call it that, BUT I am getting a little more excited about having a little boy. Yesterday I went to Turf-for-Tots and there was a little boy that caught my eye. I looked at him and smiled and imagined what having a little boy meant. And then his parents allowed me to take some pictures as I was clutching onto my camera waiting to push a button.

....I am off topic. But, my point is with this baby coming I have to get organized and find space for the baby.I can't just put him in the closet and even if I wanted to, I would have to clean that out.

I have started nesting...or spring cleaning. I think it's a combination of both. All I want to do is clean and organize all of a sudden. Yesterday, I worked on going through the EXPLODING MOUNTAIN of laundry, organizing it, and going through bags that have been sitting around the house.

MY SYSTEM: LABELING BINS BY SIZE AND PLACE ALL CLOTHES IN THE APPROPRIATE BIN. NO MATTER WHAT THE ITEM WAS, IF IT SAID SIZE 2, IT WENT INTO THE SIZE 2 BIN.

After labeling bins by size, I realize:
-I have alot of clothes.
- I have alot of clothes laying around that either aren't in season, or just simply don't fit the kids any longer.
-My kids don't have everything they need. This will help me to shop better and fit it into my budget.
-I also have a ton of clothes to find a new home. Girl clothes all the way up to size 2, and boys size 8-10. Please call me if you want to go through a bin :)


-Shoes have been a problem...the amount of them that I have. I have hung onto shoes that are too torn up OR I only have 1 shoe to the pair! Can you believe that?! It's time to "throw away" and I still find it hard to do this sometimes.

In the end, their closets/drawers will be more organized, the frustration of laying out clothes shouldn't be as hard, and doing laundry won't be such a chore.

TIME FRAME FOR THIS:
I have a family of 3 kids and so far it has taken me 3 days. So if you attempt this task, give yourself the space and time. But remember, I am 30 weeks pregnant, so I am a little slower.

Matties Life

Mattie is almost 3 years old. She is my ball of fire and loves to be silly. She wants to be a big kid and plays with Morgan all the time. She says funny things like"I have a baby in my tummy."
Mattie sings numerous songs like "We will rock you", and "All the single ladies."Now that it's spring, she wants to ride her bike like the big kids and the helmet is fully enforced.
Mattie is a monster and can growl like one even. She isn't afraid of much, except for spiders and mice. She says she is a dog catcher when playing pretend...I see she wants to be the villain.
Mattie is also very adventurous and doesn't let the cold bother her. It's hard to keep her shoes on, so we bought her these "ugg boots" and she loves them. She even calls them "her ugg boots"
This is one of my favorite parts. Bed time. After running all day, she literally crashes. You can't help but watch her when she sleeps. I just wish she would find her way to her own bed and leave mine. (Sometimes it is nice to cuddle with her).

Wouldn't you want to?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARIN

Happy 1st Birthday Marin (she is the baby I watched for a while until I got pregnant.)

ISN'T SHE A DOLL....

1st Birthday parties... always fun. You get to see the first time the baby experienced sugar in bulk. Everyone surrounding the 1 year old, smiling and laughing everytime they get messy. Little does this one year old know, this is the only time moms smile at a little mess. It's one of those times that you as a mom are surprised at how fast your baby has grown.

Attempting her first steps
And a time to show the world that you survived the first year of life.

ENJOY THE PARTY.

Morgan enjoying the sugar high after all the cake...

Mattie seriously just picked her nose and ate her booger in the picture...(hey, it's the truth, I can't lie)

A cousin of Marins loving the party

All the little kids helping Marin eat her cake...Mattie even invited me for a lick off her fingers. come-on'-- dig in :)

Twin Lakes

I'm really tired tonight. After a long fun day, I want to write all about it but I'm just so tired. But I do want to say what a nice day outdoors. Spending time with all 3 kids this week had definitely brought bonding moments. We have went to the park with my neighbor and her daycare kids today, went sledding the other day, froze ourselves to death at Echo Cove, and then tonight saw the moon on a beautiful, clear night.

Here are some pictures from today. They really paint a picture.


I think I am turning into a scrapbooker now. Photoshop is too much fun, what can I say.

SPRING BREAK TAKE 2

We didn't make it out to the Island for spring break, but we are trying to spend time doing fun stuff. Yesterday we woke up to 4-5 inches of snow. What do you do then but to get ready for the day and go sledding. So we did.

Today, I got my new camera lens!! Yeah, yeah! I love it already and had to test it out on misc. items around the house. Which included pictures of the kids playing in the play room, spring flowers I am planting, and the kids having an indoor picnic.

Enjoy the pictures.

Grow flowers, grow!

House Passes Health Care Bill??!!!
Seriously!
....
Wow, this is going to be crazy for Americans!! Can you image what this means?
What is going to happen? There are going to be alot of angry people! So MANY don't agree with it
And there are good reasons.
I know we aren't happy because we have REALLY GOOD INSURANCE.
The job isn't ideal, but we have good benefits.

Health Care Bill. Oh boy...

Spring Break

It is spring Break and so far, the weather has been ABSOLUTELY SPRING LIKE. Around Juneau, kids are outside playing again, people are happily walking their dogs, and pleasantville has returned.
We are going out to the Shumways Island today after church for a couple of days for some good family times. No games allowed on this trip. Why were the kids so disappointed about that?? I mean, were going to be shooting guns, fishing, exploring...why would you want to play games?

Hopefully the weather stays the way it has started. I'm excited.

THE FUTURE LOOKS GOOD

I just bought the lens of my dreams. It is the Canon EF 50mm f/1.4. Great for low-light (just like where I live) and gives great bocka (the blur).

Ask a bunch of photographers what their favorite lens is - and you will likely hear the Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM Lens. It is sharp, small, light, inexpensive and with an f1.4 aperture, fast.

The Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM Lens finds a home with many photographers - from pro to casual - for several reasons.

The first reason for the popularity of this Canon lens is image quality.

The Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM Lens is very useful for low-light indoor photography when a flash is not permitted, appropriate or desired. It works very well in a church or gym for example.

The Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM Lens is a good lens and focal length for full-body portraits.

Cant wait until it gets here. With spring on it's way, the colors will come to life!!

A DAY TO REMEMBER

Winter...still. Today is March 15th and the weather for the last 4 days has been gray with a little white and some black. I'm ready to see color again as I haven't left my house much. I'm glad for friends and a day to Remember.

Last week, I got invited to a friends house for a ladies luncheon. I put on makeup and dressed in some cute clothes I bought while shopping down south (yes, I shopped alot in Washington...blew my budget...and had fun. All I can say is...What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas).

It snowed a bunch the day of the Luncheon and I was running late. My job was to bring the veggie tray. So I ran into Safeway, parking in the handicap spot, and when I ran back out to my car, there was a crotchety old lady sitting there waiting for me to return to tell me I shouldn't be parking there. Seriously thou, there was a million other handicap spots open around me! Ok, yes I'm not perfect, I shouldn't have parked there...

As I walked into Brooks (the hostess) house, It was instantly warm and spring like. She had tulips in the window with the backdrop of the snow covered trees.
The visit was so great. The food was so good I even tried to make it again at home (just didn't turn out the same.) I really liked it that everyone brought or made something. The friendship was the best part. Something about getting together vs. visiting on the phone that brings friends closer. I love the feeling of being a person and friends tend to do this for me.
In the end, Brooks even put together parting gifts. It was a surprise because when I got home, it was spring related items in the bag and a bottle of Vitamin D! Oh yeah, Vitamin D baby...she is thinking of me!

Here is Brooks point of view of the event and here is Erins point of View.

Thanks ladies, I'm glad you all feel the same way I do! You don't know it, but I'm ready for round 2.... (ding ding..)

UNDEFEATED

Basketball season has come to an end. The final game left Treys team undefeated...that is pretty impressive to me.
It's like receiving all A's on a report card. Some kids it was easy for, while others it was a struggle with a well earned reward. As a team, they consistently pulled it together to do their best. That is what undefeated means to me.

GOOD JOB HOT HOOPS! You all deserve an A-plus.

(HERE IS AN OUT TAKE-- WITH 2 CHEERLEADERS)

MARILYN ANN (OLSON) THOMAS

I am not able to attend my grandmas funeral, however with that said, I still get to be a part of it. The family asked me to write the obituary and the eulogy. This is an honor to me and even thou I am 1000 miles away, I have learned so much more about my grandma. So, here it is. A little history, along with pictures, my grandma left behind.

Marilyn Ann Thomas, 78, a longtime Pasco resident, passed away at Avalon Rehabilitation Center in Pasco on March 8, 2010.

Marilyn was born on December 25, 1932 in Chappell, Nebraska during the Great Depression.

Her parents were Lilly Ann Olson and Elof Olson. She had 4 brothers and sisters; Jack, Ethel (Olson) Vails, Herbert, and Harland Olson. She was known as the special one because she was the baby, and born on Christmas day.


Her father was a farmer and in search of better farming opportunities. During the farmers’ revolt in August of 1933, they packed up from their home and moved to Pasco, Wa. This is where he bought their first plot of land with no idea what was instore. They were surprised to find Pasco was a desert...not the mountainous pine-tree region they had envisioned. They bought their new homestead, which was so small they hauled it over on the back of a hay truck. For years, they didn't have running water or electricity. But, She grew to love the area and the new surroundings of the rolling hills and Columbia River.
As a young child she spent time learning from her mother how to make everything homemade from food to clothes. In the summer she rode bikes, swam at Volunteer Park, and played hard on the farm with her brothers and sister. There was always a camera present for family photos on their front steps and around the farm, capturing the moments of their lives infront of vehicles.

She enjoyed going to the Moore Mansion every Christmas and Easter for an annual party. This is where they would reunite with other local farmers and receive homemade mittens as gifts.What an exciting event this was for her.

She attended Longfellow School between 1938-1947. She was an active member of the Girl Scouts and surrounded herself with friends and laughter. She grew and got involved with extracurricular activities like reading, cooking, tennis, basketball and baseball. As a teenager, she was outgoing and adventurous. She hauled her camera with her, posing for pictures on cars, or frolicking in the park with friends.

She attended Pasco High School between 1948-1950. During her high school year, she had the honors of playing baseball on the All American Girls Baseball Team traveling all over the Midwest competing . Before she got a chance to graduate, she met Billy Thomas and got married on December 25, 1950. She worked at for many years at Tri-City Auto Auction and as a cook at Franklin County Jail.

Marilyn had 3 children; Rhonda (Frimodt) Debra (Lloyd), and Daniel Thomas. As a homemaker she created the most beautiful gardens, cooked homemade meals from scratch, and sewed all the children’s clothes. She had the ability to turn any piece of food into a gourmet meal and with a touch of her love; the garden grew in abundance every year. She enjoyed taking pictures watching PBS, reading the newspaper, country music, talk radio, and the Tri-City history as it continued to change.

Marilyn cared for others that were misfortunate or the underdog, was a non-judgmental person, and very kind hearted. She always had a determined spirit, and was stubborn in her ways, but always positive. You could always talk about life struggles with her, as she had a heart of gold and a good understanding. She loved it when visitors would stop by and could chat about whatever was on their minds. Her smile and laugh was a recipe for happiness.

Marilyn struggled with diabetes in her old age. In January 2010, Marilyn unexpectedly had a few mild strokes, and lost some of her memory. In February, she had a larger stroke and fell, breaking her arm and sending her to the hospital. There they found she had lung cancer and within weeks, the effects had taken over her whole body.

My grandma just passed on. I love you grandma.

Being a Lloyd

I am a Lloyd and it is the funnest thing ever. Getting together with other Lloyds is full of laughter and funny moments. My family is borderline ADHD and I'm so glad for that. There is never a dull moment.
On this trip, there was My mom, Jason, his fiance, and Karrie.

My hometown visit to the Tri-Cities started out with a greeting from Jason (my oldest brother). He is one that can turn any phrase into a song and bust out in dance in the middle of the street. Sometimes you would get embarrassed, but after years of it, you just learn to go with the flow.

Then there is Karrie (My oldest sister). She has this laugh that has a snort in-between every breath. You can't help but laugh every-time you hear it, which makes her laugh very contagious.

Then My mom, the captain of the ship. She always puts Jason in his place and comes up with these funny come backs. My mom doesn't get embarrassed very easily and can flip the embarrassment around. It's great...

So then there is me. I have always been the quiet one and completely overshadowed by my family. But I pick up things here and there and use them when the time is needed. I am good at reminding people of the "inside joke." Like with pictures....and stories like TONY ROMAS.

TONY ROMAS

The funniest part of my trip would have to be going to Tony Romas. This was a very nice bbq restaurant in Uptown Richland, The mood was such that the lights were dim and I felt I should place my napkin in my lap. It was "All you can eat Ribs" night. To take advantage of the opportunity, my mom and Jason ordered it up.

It really didn't matter what kind of restaurant it was, because before you knew it, the Lloyd reunion started. Jason and my mom were in competition to see who could eat the most ribs. My mom, so delicately started on her food with her napkin around her neck.
Jasons approach was: devour like a beast, tearing into the meat. They both finished the first rack and moved on to the second...still with smiles on their faces.

Jason would flaunt his bones like they were a trophy. The ribs were still going down good with his strategy...and mom was still hanging in there...plucking away, cleaning the bones. By this point, they were joking around and we were laughing so hard, the old people at the table next to us thought we had too much to drink or something. I thought they were going to kick us out...but we all cheered as they conquered the 2nd rack.

The third rack of ribs came and you could see their eyes full as the last rack landed on the plate. They took a big sigh, looked at there rack like there was no way it was going down...but neither one was going to loose. There was no turning back. The race was still on...but inching and crawling toward the finish line.

Jason swallowed each bite in pain as he tried to coax mom into quitting. He would say words like "swallow the gristle" just to get to her mind...it didn't work. He even tried putting half eaten ribs in the bone pile..he was going down and everyone could tell.

Mom kept her cool, and would give Jason this look like she wasn't struggling at all. Telling him to step-it-up or step-it-out. Soon, the table became quiet from the roaring laughter, and the competition became serious. Was anyone going to order another rack of ribs??

They both called the competition and it came to an end. But as we all know in the Lloyd family, mom always wins and mom's always right. Jason lost and walked out with his face covered in barbeque sauce and hanging his head in shame.

Can't wait till the next reunion