Brrrrr....that's COLD!!

Well, since I can't EVEN begin to catch up a whole DANG YEAR (Where does the time go???) I will start with today...and try to catch up a bit at a time! *grin* Actually...MAYBE there are a couple pertinent parts I should mention!! In November last year, Steven retired from the Army after 23 years...we moved back to our hometown (which we joined the military to get out of--go figure!), bought a house...and a bunch of other stuff in between *grin*

Anyways...today! Have I mentioned that I have a WILD and CRAZY son? This is the child who laid in a snowbank in shorts just to have a picture taken for me...loves totally scary roller coasters and so on...so WHY WOULDN'T he want to take the "Polar Bear Plunge"??? Have I mentioned we live in IDAHO???

Here he is chillin' with the Fat Cats mascot preswim
(Fat Cats is the local theater/bowling alley)

Normally they get 50+ people for the plunge--but had to move the date when there was NO SNOW *grin* so they didn't have as many as normal. Either that or people got smarter? (Well, except Stevie as you can tell!)

This is the kids getting ready to jump...it was only about 35 degrees outside...BRRRRR!

And he's OFF...that first step off is a killer! BRRRRR!!!

He made it across the pool without turning blue or icicles forming off his nose! (Notice all the paparazi!)

They had to make it across the pool and then run to the family members holding towels and coats!!

So...to recap:

Spending the morning at a cold outdoor event: $0

Freezing butt off in a cold pool: $0

Sitting in a hot tub with cute girls afterwards: Priceless!

What a kid!

Yes...I took my kids to a Peep Show!

Okay...well maybe it was a PEEPS show! But WOW was it fun!! It was SO worth it driving through a flash flood and tornado warnings! The whole art show was made of those marshmallow peeps that I love so much!

We came away from it DETERMINED that next year in Idaho we will be hosting our own Peeps show for all our friends and family! So...get out your thinking caps...buy your peeps on sale and get creative! We can't wait! We spent the whole way home plotting and planning what we want to make *grin* Our problem is not coming up with the ideas...it's trying to decide what we want to make the most!

Stevie's Video Project

Stevie has been taking a video class and this is the first project! Enjoy...bad acting and all *grin*

Cue the Death March Music...

R.I.P poor computer...your end came WAY too soon...but just AFTER the warranty ran out I see! Unfortunately the "take-it-apart-put-it-back-together" master surgeon failed this time...I guess the laptop was just beyond even his magic!

Sadly, our laptop did not believe in resurrection...even after it's lifesaving part was transplanted...the damage was just too great! We thought we might have been able to revive it when the power flashed on and it started to boot up, but the matrix-looking screen of symbols and numbers--plus the louds sirens gave us the firm belief that it was not working!

So...if you have to have a computer die, I guess right as the Black Friday sales come out is a good time to have it happen! A new computer has been ordered and should be here sometime this week!! (Much to the happy yelling and screaming of the two younger hoodlums who are forced to share a computer for school until it arrives--oh wait--the yelling and screaming is BECAUSE THEY ARE FORCED to share the computer for school until it arrives--that's right--they don't know how to share because they are teenagers *grin*) I will be a MUCH happier mom when it gets here! (At least until the next thing breaks!)

Should I Worry?

Steven has this uncanny ability to take a broken something apart and when he puts it back together...it works! It has been a great help many times...a fixed toy or fan...but this time he may have met his match! Last week his laptop quit working!!! We need it for homeschool--well, I guess NEED is not the word--it makes homeschool MUCH easier having 3 computers. One for each kid and then the desktop for me to use makes a MUCH happier mom!

Anyways...he decided to take it apart and look at it. I was over working at my desk with my back to him...when I turned around...THIS is what I found:

Now...being the good wife...I should have complete confidence right? I have never seen so many parts and screws in one place...it's a giant jigsaw without the picture to go by! I have to admit...I am a little nervous about whether it will work when the part gets here this week...and maybe even a little more nervous if he can even get it back together the way it started! We'll have to see...maybe it will go together easy...or maybe it will have parts left over {grin} More news to follow on the saga of the broken computer!

PS...I know I have been totally remiss in writing about the antics of the Zoo Crew...I will try to be better! We are just having so much MAKING the memories lately, there is not much time to WRITE about them!

Another day...another geocache to find!

Once again the geocaching crew of "litefoot13", "camflash", "lilpiglet", "joecool" and "mugglemom" (otherwise known as "weatherstonzoocrew") decided to spend ANOTHER night geocaching (YES...we are addicted!) As soon as Steven got home from work and changed clothes...we were OFF! (Only to then get stuck in traffic for 30 minutes--silly us--we left at rush hour!)


One of the things I love about geocaching is finding all the historical sites and little places you would never explore on your own! Our first cache led us to a historical marker about Elkridge and in reading the description of the cache, it gave the story of why it was called Elkridge. Little things you never knew! The OLD tractor was cool to look at too!

There were a couple "muggles" (non-geocachers) sitting on a bench right behind the tractor--so here we are--trying to look inconspicuous searching all over this tractor for a small "something". I kept taking pictures and commenting on "how interesting" it was. As I was looking at how old the tractor was, I noticed the light switch and wondered what they used it for...when the "light went off" and I realized it was our cache! The box was magnetic and inside was our log to sign! Very creative!

We found the cutest little old historic town while driving to our next cache! I can't wait to go back and explore it--there were little stores and restaurants and SO MUCH HISTORY!! Cool! Which makes up for ANOTHER guard rail cache! I guess we are getting to be old pros at the caching--because we laugh about how many guard rails and light posts caches there are--C'mon people...use some creativity! But we made the quick cache-and-dash so that was fun!

Another cache...another piece of history! This cabin was built in 1790! The cache was a small pill bottle under the front steps. One of the things we love about caching is that people walk past these every day and don't notice them! A cache could be hidden anywhere!

STARVATION...we FINALLY found supper and drinks for everyone...after a couple of wrong turns while following the GPS (we can find a film canister in the woods...but not a pizza place in a shopping plaza???) and then more problems finding a place to picnic...we got to EAT! Yummy! Pizza, sodas and for dessert...sugar cookies with patriotic sprinkles (which we then ended having a sprinkle fight with after dinner...*sigh*...will the mother ever grow up and not start these things??)

After supper...we decided to hit a couple more caches even though darkness was looming. We follow the GPS directions through a housing area and start going around the traffic circle...again...and again...and again. We are laughing that the guy on the bike probably is wondering by this time...until we see him start looking behind reflectors and in the trees. What? Another geocacher! We work together for a bit until he starts laughing and offers to trade the location of the cache for a wet wipe so his sticky hands don't stick to his bike levers. The cache is hidden down a hole concealed as a grate on the ground--you lift the grate up and there is the big container! Clever!

Off to one more cache...that's how it always goes...one more...then one more...then one more! This one is behind a bunch of businesses...we search under the picnic table, the electrical boxes (all those suspicious looking things that the security guard on the camera is probably laughing at us for) and finally UNDER the stairs, steven comes up with the cache! Another find for ZooCrew!

We have decided it is easier to cache at night with a real flashlight, however, instead of the lights on our cellphones! Kimmy is trying to convince me to buy the big floodlight at walmart--but she is going to have to be happy with the flashlight I bought for the kids to take to camp *grin* (The big flashlight would REALLY call attention to ourselves afterall! Explain that one when the cops come!)

On the way home, the kids were playing with the fireworks glasses. Stevie had picked up a cool spinning flashlight thingy as swag (stuff-we-all-get) at one of the caches (you can pick up an item if you leave an item) and wanted to see how it looked with the glasses. Of course the kids were oooohing and aaaaahing over the car lights and street lights...so dad had to try it out. (now kids...don't try this at home *grin*) I think next time we will ask the driver to please refrain from all vision-impairing activities!

On the way home, we made one last stop to drop a travel bug we had picked up at a cache called a "travel bug hotel". A travel bug is a trackable item that you log the number listed on it on a website and can see where all it goes. It's an honor system--but geocachers are pretty cool people! We have picked up several bugs...and sent them on their way elsewhere. Right now our own family travel bug has left Maryland and is in Ohio! It is a lot of fun to watch where it goes! As soon as I get some more ordered, we'll have to send some more out...who knows where they will end up!