The day we COULD have been debt free

So...this morning we were all rocking out to the radio while we were doing our Saturday morning chores. Then the DJ guy comes on and says, "Come on over to the Hubble Homes neighborhood! We are giving away a FREE house(valued at $200,000), a new Ford Avenger (valued at $25,000) and $25,000 cash."
I'm thinking to myself..."Whoa...that's the neighborhood right next to ours!"
I told Nate to get dressed and go over there to see whats going on. He decides that I am crazy and that I need to be the one to go over and check it out.
I hopped in the car and went to see what the deal was. There were cars EVERYWHERE! I go up to the radio desk and ask where/how to enter this contest. They tell me that you have had to be"pre-registered" in order to win the house/car/cash combo. Apparently the people who just show up have to be "selected" to be pre-drawn. I pretty much figured I was wasting my time but I filled out the little paper ballot and went on with my day.
I ended up running some errands when Nate calls me on my cell phone. He's like, "THEY CHOSE YOU!!! GET OVER THERE NOW!!!" I was totally freaking out. Honestly...I can't even imagine how AWESOME it would be to win all of those prizes. Nate totally needs a new car and I am just picturing how SWEET it would be to get this house and sell it to pay off all of our student loans.
I was in the "last chance" group and there were only about 40 of us who had a shot at the prizes. In order to win them all you had to roll 6 dice and spell the word, "HUBBLE." The first person to spell HUBBLE automatically wins all the prizes and the game is over. My heart was pounding to say the least......these 6 little dice could honestly change our lives. I opted to roll the dice from the cup instead of from my hands since I always KILL Nate at Yahtzee. There were cameras and people everywhere. You only get 1 single roll so I shook the dice in my cup and let 'em roll.........





AND...........







I only got a H and a B. It was still fun though and it was fun to dream big for a day....especially since I wasn't technically gambling because I didn't have to pay anything to enter the contest. No one ended up winning. I guess the odds are about 1 in 47,000 but man..that would have been REALLY cool.

My job

This morning I asked the boys if they knew what mom and dad did (as in jobs). They both knew right away what Nate was."Dad is a turney!" they both answered with excitement.
Then I asked them...."Well...what does mom do?" They thought about it for a minute and this is what they had to say:
Dallin:"You help baby Landon and you stay home and make us clean our rooms."
Parker: "You take us to Planet Kid and you help me wipe my bum."
I'm pretty sure there are a few other things I do around here but I thought it was a pretty funny job description anyway.

The Last Resort rides again!

My family has been going to Lake Powell as long as I can remember. Its hard to believe that we still go down and stay on the SAME houseboat that I stayed on when I was 4 and my sister was 3!!! I'd say the Last Resort looks pretty good for being as old as it is!

We had a great trip this year. We had all the immediate family (except for the Yamo), plus Clay and Brittany (my brother and sis in law) and Grandma EE of course! Of course...there is no going down to LP without a few hiccups.

Here were a few of the "tense" moments:

1. The temperature the first night we were there got down to about 48 degrees. Not so great when you have an $8.00 sleeping bag.

2. One engine on the houseboat was dead. We hobbled around with one engine the first couple of days but eventually had it fixed.

3. The Malibu died in the middle of the lake. We hit a hard wave and it caused one of the amps to fall off of its mount which in turn killed the boat. (Luckily dad is the handiest guy EVER so he had it up and fixed in a couple of hours!)

4. The last night we were there we experienced wind gusts of 50 mph. Dallin asked Nate if we were going to be okay...then he proceeded to say a prayer so we would all be safe. (so sweet)

The positives always outweigh the negatives though! Thats why we keep coming down year after year!

Highlights of this year would include:

1. Experiencing Lake Powell through Parker's eyes. This was his first year coming down and he pretty much thought the houseboat was the coolest thing ever and he absolutely LOVED playing in the sand and going "fishing" all day long.

2. Just spending quality time with my family and my husband who is always SO busy. It is so nice to just be AWAY from all cell phones, computers, TVs etc.

3. Hanging out with Clay and Brittany. It was so nice to be able to spend some time with them since we hardly ever get to see them.

4. Playing the "1st annual Red Rock challenge." Nate and I made up this ridiculous game where teams of 2 have to go head to head in all of these funny competitions. We had a rock skipping, oreo eating, cannon balling, gum sculpting, bubble blowing contest...just to name a few. Heres a pic of Clay and EE right after the starring contest.

5. Dallin riding on the tube! (Of course...Grandma had to pay him $1.00 to bribe him to do it) He did have fun though!

6. Our traditional "Hawaiian night." We all dress up and decorate the houseboat. We listen to a little Luau music and eat Teryaki chicken and rice for dinner. This year we even had Nate provide a little entertainement!

7. Of course...nothing beats the warm and flat water!

We had such a fabulous time! We Looking forward to next year. Lets hope the old houseboat doesn't sink by then! haha! O yeah...and a HUGE thanks goes to my AMAZING sister in law for watching Landon for us. Thanks Ash!

Lake Powell

Well...we are back from our action packed Lake Powell vacation!! It is always a TON of work but it is SO worth it! Even though we are back from Powell..we aren't actually home quite yet. The boys and I are still playing down in UT for a couple of days. I'll have pictures and stories when I get home in a few days!

We're expecting!

Well......sort of! We have some cute little birds who have decided to make a nest in our hanging flowers. I checked the nest a few days ago and there were 3 little eggs but today I looked and there were 5!

I should probably forewarn that mother bird....she'll proabably have all boys since that seems to be the trend in the Starnes home!

Cabela's

There are a few places in the world where I feel totally and completely OUT of my element. For example....if you were to ask me to walk on into the "Hot Topic" store in the mall or ask me to go out to "Hooter's" for lunch...I would probably feel just a bit uncomfortable.

Another store where I feel this way would have to be Cabela's. It is a hard thing to admit coming from the girl who was raised in good old Idaho. Why do I feel this way? Well lets see:

Reason #1:I have never even HELD a gun

Reason #2: I tried fishing once and my pole was dragged into the lake on my very first cast

Reason #3: Camping for me can only consist of one maybe two nights tops and I have to have an airbed, a fan going, and the car HAS to be parked right outside of the tent in case I get too cold

Reason #4: I accidentally killed my brother's hamster (his name was MC Hamster) when I was little and after that traumatizing experience I vowed never to harm another animal as long as I lived

Even though I feel this way about Cabela's I decided to take the boys over there to see the fish and the animals. They absolutely LOVED it! And guess what?? I did find something that I was very interested in...the homemade fudge in the back of the store! YUMM!

Weekend Warriors!!

Wow...what a weekend! We started off Saturday morning with Nate going for a long bike ride. (He's really getting into road biking as of late) He has already lost about 16 pounds in the last month because of if. (O yeah...and he said it was okay if I posted that!) I'm so proud of him!

After he got home we packed up the family and headed over to Veteran's Park for the annual Great Strides CF Walk. (Cystic Fibrosis) What a FUN family experience. A friend who serves in Young Women's with me has 2 boys who suffer from CF. What a trial they have been dealt. The boys take over 25 pills a day and have to get hooked up to this machine every day for an hour and a half that shakes their chests to loosen up the mucus that accumulates. We met up with many friends in our ward who were there volunteering and supporting the walk. We had so much fun! There were games for the kids, music provided by all of these elderly people from the local retirement home (absolutely HILARIOUS), a raffle and more. We walked for 2 miles along the greenbelt with kids in tow...it was such a great time!

This last picture is of the old person band. The oldest member was 97 years old! I think I will book them for Nate's 30th birthday coming up this August....haha. Just kidding hon!

After the walk we raced home and cleaned up the house to get ready for my mom's birthday! We met over at Louie's for dinner and then came over to our house for games and cake and ice cream. Nat and Robby and Grandma came too and we had fun playing the name game (good game idea Kristina...thank you!). So...Happy Birthday again Mom! I am so lucky to have you in my life! I couldn't raise these 3 boys without you!

We were all pretty tired by the end of the day and had a hard time getting up Sunday morning. Church comes all too early at 8:30AM!

A day at home

Being busy makes me happy. I like being on the go and taking the boys lots of different places. We love going to parks, playing with friends, going to museums the zoo....etc. Today I decided we would have a low key day where we just hung out in our PJs until noon and cleaned the house and attacked the mountain of laundry I have been looking at for the past 4 days.
Being at home all day is VERY hard for me. Its obviously hard for Parker as well. The kid is driving me NUTS!
All within the course of 3 hours he managed to:

Pull out EVERY single blanket/towel/sheet in the linen closet (TWICE mind you)
Pour a whole canister of oatmeal on the kitchen floor
Find some scissors and cut HOLES in the sides of Landon's pack and play
Pee in the garbage can in his bathroom

I am going to kill this kid. We are NOT staying home all day tomorrow.

Memorial Day

Landon's middle name is Cooper...he is named after my Great-Grandpa Clive Cooper Johnson. My G-Grandpa was an amazing man. Not only was he a great husband and father but he was very, VERY proud to be an American. He was injured while serving our country and he earned a purple heart becuase of it. He was also very involved with the Department of Veteran Affairs throughout his entire life. I always knew that Memorial Day was an important day to him. Grandma and Grandpa Johnson were ALWAYS out visiting graves on Memorial Day. I can't help but think about him on all patriotic holidays (Memorial, 4th of July, 24th of July, Veteran's Day...etc.) I love him and miss him but am so grateful for the example he has set for our entire family and for the appreciation he instilled in us for those who serve and have served.

Memorial Day Sonnet
by Garrison Keillor
We’re here to honor those who went to war
Who did not wish to die, but did die, grievously,
In eighteen sixty-one and in two-thousand four
Though they were peaceable as you or me.
Young and innocent, they knew nothing of horror—
Singers and athletes, and all in all well-bred.
Their sergeants, mercifully, made them into warriors,
And at the end, they were moving straight ahead.
As we look at these headstones, row on row on row,
Let us see them as they were, laughing and joking,
On that bright irreverent morning long ago.
And once more, let our hearts be broken.
God have mercy on them for their heroic gift.
May we live the good lives they would have lived.

TTA- One word

Answer the following with only one word.
1. Where is your cell phone? ....................purse
2. Your significant other?.......................work
3. Your hair?....................................appointment
4. Your mother? .................................fun
5. Your father?..................................humble
6. Your favorite thing?..........................ring
7. Your dream last night?........................exhausting
8. Your favorite drink...........................Dr. Pepper
9. Your dream/goal?..............................order
10. The room you're in?..........................office
11. Your children?.....................................crazy
12. Your fear?...................................economy
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years...........here
14. Where were you last night?...................running
15. What you're not?.............................fit
16. Muffins......................................Costco
17. One of your wish list items?.................Expedition
18. Where you grew up?...........................Sandy
19. What you read last........................surprising
20. What are you wearing?........................jeans
21. Your TV?.....................................basketball
22. Your pets?...................................fish
23. Your computer? ..............................outlet
24. Your life?...................................great
25. Your mood?...................................upbeat
26. Missing someone?.............................brother
27. Your car?....................................dirty
28. Something you're not wearing?................earrings
29. Favorite Store?..............................Target
30. Your summer?.................................busy
31. Like someone?................................duh
32. Your favorite color?.........................brown
33. Last time you laughed........................today
34. Last time you cried?.........................April

Our evening up at the lake

The last few days it has FINALLY felt like summer around here! (Of course...its supposed to dip back into the 70's later this week.) We took advantage of the wonderful weather this weekend and headed up to the lake. The temp outside was 90 but the water temp is still only 63. You can see the shocked expressions of Nate and Jason in the pictures as they were sliding into the water! Brrr! We went in the evening to avoid the crowds. We also wanted to try out the new lights on the tower. We'll be partying late into the evening at Lake Powell now! Dallin had a blast...Parker cried because he was scared...Landon was just confused...Nate sprained his knee wakeboarding...and I just enjoyed the boat ride!

Roaring Springs....here we come!

Nothing quite compares to living in CA next to the ocean and enjoying the beach all summer long.... BUT,if you live in Idaho, you still need a way to cool off! After much deliberation Nate gave me the okay go buy Roaring Springs passes this year! I am so excited! There aren't too many things to do around here when the temperature goes up into the 90's so now I know where I'll be spending the HOT summer days! Thank you my dear....you are the BEST!

Soccer

Things just get too crazy around here! I haven't even posted one picture of Dallin or Parker playing soccer and the season is over this Saturday. So...here are a couple:

Dallin played for the "Tiger sharks." He had a great season and even scored a few goals! Nate helped out as an assistant coach.

Parker played for the "tots" program so he didn't really have a game. They mostly just did some fun drills and knocked over cones. He thought it was pretty darn cool nonetheless!

The POOL issue

Its quite amazing to me that I have gone as long as I have without blogging about the major "issue" that has been bothering me for months. Today they actually started digging so I guess I will just go ahead a vent a little becuase its time to move on.

To make a long story short.......we picked out lot out over a year ago for a particular reason. We wanted to watch our boys play at the park from our front porch. I fell in love with the view from our house and so that is why I INSISTED that this was going to be the home for us.

When we chose our lot we knew that a swimming pool was going to be going in the neighborhood but we were told over and OVER again that the pool would be on the OTHER side of the park. When the sales people told us this and when we SAW the picture of the pool on the other side of the neighborhood on the lot sales sheet we never once questioned it.

After we built our house...paid a higher price for the lot mind you...and moved in....we found out the pool was going to be going right IN FRONT of our house.

Nate and I were both furious. (As were MANY of our immediate neighbors) We had been misled from the get go. Nate did a lot of research and we thought about filing a law suit. Lets be honest though...we just don't have the money to fund a big law suit....and we still run the chance of losing and then owing thousands in attorney fees.

Nate has made peace with everything but I am still mad. People can be so sneaky and dishonest and it just infuriates me.

So...today they broke ground and I guess I have to get used to the idea. I am trying to think positively about the whole situation so here are some good reasons a pool will be going in 20 feet from my house:

1. We are told our home value will increase...maybe it will increase enough to cover the amount we have already lost from the recession.

2. The pool will be close enough to "feel" like it is in our front yard but I won't have to be the one cleaning it and taking care of it.

3. It will be our own "personal" pool. I am envisioning putting the boys to bed and bringing over the monitor since we are only a few feet away.

4. We won't even need to bring over towels because we can just run home and hop right into the shower since we live so close.

5. Pools in Boise are only open for about 3 months so I won't have to worry about increased noise and traffic the other 9 months of the year.

6. I guess we could save a little money on water through the summer. I could just take the boys across the street to bathe every day. (haha)

Honestly...there are some positives to the situation...it just wasn't what I signed up for and it takes me a little longer to get over things then my husband. I'm working on it though......

80's Prom night

So Saturday night was the big PROM night! We had 10 couples deck out in their radical DI and Goodwill outfits. We have such fun friends! I just LOVE it! I wore this ugly black dress with the sleeves that go from under the armpit to about halfway down my dress. I was referred to as the "flying squirrel" all night. I wore some lovely smurf blue tights and a blue belt. I also found some high heeled jelly shoes at Savers. Nate had some white pleated pants and a peach IZOD shirt and the lovely grey blazer with the arms rolled up. The best part of his outfit was his authentic Varnet sunglasses with the chums. (My moms old pair!) Most of the guys grew mustaches for the dance as well. Nate opted not to...he figured the bosses at work wouldn't be too thrilled about it. Anyway..the whole evening was so much FUN!! There were 3 REAL proms going on in Boise on that night and so it was so absolutely HILARIOUS watching the high school kids expressions when they saw us! We ate at Asiago's (yummy!) for dinner and we were the topic of many conversations going on throughout the restaurant to say the least!

After dinner we walked over to the Big Easy for the dance. As soon as we walked up to the doors people started cheering and clapping for us! Mind you...most people take this prom seriously and rent tuxes and wear fancy dresses. We took prom pictures (stay tuned for those) and danced the night away! We were busting out the running man, roger rabbit, and sprinkler moves! One of the girls in our group (Jen....the one in the bright blue dress) was asked to come up on stage and dance for us!

After the dance we went to the store to get some Red Bull and then we went over to the Jen and Jason's for the "after party." We played games and slow danced. Nate burned about 3 hours worth of 80's music so we listed to it the whole night. A bodacious night was had by all!