Up In Smoke...

I've been computer-less for over a week now...and it stinks. I'm not techy and besides doing homework, blogging, and on-line shopping I don't know anything about computers. So what happened to my computer? Technically speaking, "It broke." I have no clue but the guy said, "This is bad....hard drive....blah blah blah." I simply needed to know if I would have it back in time to turn in a GIANT project that was due yesterday. No luck, no assignment.

So I re-did the assignment on Nick's computer, very half-assed, but it was an emergency and I turned it in a bit late. Hitting the 'submit' button I knew it wasn't my best work, but I didn't care and was just so glad to get it done.

Anywhoo's, I had some great Easter pic's ready to share on my blog until this giant fiasco happened. Hoping to figure out this computer mess this week. The gigantic lesson I learned from this mess is backup files!!! I had every single master's assignment saved on my hard drive and no where else....so after a major panic attack and several glasses of wine to help calm the nerves I'm fine...as can be.

Ucluelet, B.C.

1,000 miles round trip, two ferry trips, 5 passports, one loaded car top carrier, three traveling DVD players, one car sickness puking incident, and about 5 zillion roadside potty stops...our trip to Ucluelet (pronounced U-Clue-Let) was a major success! We didn't see Jason Priestly, but we did talk with his dad for a long time...super nice guy!!! I told him to pass my love on to his son.

The drive to the furthest west coast tip of Vancouver Island was long and sometimes maddening, however it was well worth it. Our journey was broken up with a great overnight stop in Vancouver and then a super fun ferry ride to Nanimo, Vancouver Island. We then traveled about 180km to Ucluelet.

The weather was outrageous...downpour rain, hail, and sunshine on a rotating schedule. We'd be at the beach and the rain would start...we'd run for the cabin and by the time we got inside the sun was out and it was warm.

We took some awesome walks on the Pacific Rim Trail, saw some amazing wildlife, went to the best aquarium EVER, ate fresh crab/oysters, and learned a lot about this isolated part of the Northwest.

The kid's were awesome and I'm so proud of how well they traveled. It was so fun to spend the week with my mom and I enjoy creating these memories with her and my children.

Dr. Doolittle

Dr. Doolitte


Trying to remember his lines...so cute!

Yes...I remember now!

"Talk to the animals..."

CJ & TJ...Best Friends!!!!

All the 2nd graders in Tanner's school recently put on their spring concert themed, "Dr. Doolittle." Each class had their own Dr. Doolittle who did a short skit with song. Tanner's rendition of Dr. Doolittle was adorable and I was so impressed that he wasn't nervous or anxious about performing on stage. He forgot a few lines, but managed to get through it!

March Madness!!!

I'm not big into college basketball...husband watches enough for the both of us, yet March Madness has hit the Sackman house and I'm not talking about basketball....we've been on the go and it's not over yet! We had a glorious ski trip to Big White, B.C. for some great skiing and relaxing down time with the kid's and friends, followed by celebrating my grandma's 85th birthday in Wenatchee, and then a fun 3rd b-day party for our pal Cannon!

The busy-ness has left my house a mess; piles of laundry (can't tell what's clean and what's dirty), neglected homework, untouched yard work and a husband who has permanently parked his ass in the couch to watch basketball and then text/call buddies to rehash the game they just watched.

The good news is all this running around is helping the rest of the school year FLY by! I can't believe it's almost April and technically the "home stretch" of the school year. So I have 4 days until Spring Break and then it's off to Ucluelet, B.C. for a week of hanging out with the kid's and exploring this new place. I have suitcases to pack, homework to do, and a zillion tiny details to take care of before leave....thank goodness husband is so helpful...oh I crack myself up!

Kidlet's 'hot tubbing' at Big White!

Caesar's with Carla! Yummy!!

Two unhappy tubers!

Big White!

Canny and Sissy

The Sackman Kidlet's

They will sit still for cake and ice cream!!!!

Beau and Cannon

Grandma and I

Cousins the morning after grandma's shin-dig!

Nana Carol and her sister's celebrating grandma's 85th

Big White Bound!

Being on vacation is wonderful...packing for vacation...not so wonderful. I just wrapped up packing for our ski trip, we leave tomorrow AM, and at this point I'm ready to plop on the couch, sip some wine, and take a vacation from my vacation packing!!!! This evening our house reminded me of the scene from "Home Alone" when Kevin's family is running around like mad trying to pack for France. Chaos.

One of the major downfalls of being the mom/wife is that vacation packing always seems to fall on the shoulders of the mom. Husband threw the car top carrier on my car, hauled the ski's out of our (neat) storage room, and threw like 3 articles of clothing into a reusable shopping bag. Oh, how nice life would be. In the meantime I have packed all three bags for the kid's, packed my own stuff, grocery shopped, made lasagna to take up, rounded up our traveling DVD players/toys/board games, AND managed to be done in time to watch the Real Housewives of OC Reunion.

Granted I'm sure someone will be without socks, goggles, a ski helmet, or a swim suit.... no matter how organized or prepared I attempt to be, it always seems I leave something behind!!!

Anywhoo's...off to B.C. in the morning for a much needed relaxing ski trip with the kid's and some great friends. It has been snowing all day and Big White has about 6cm of fresh powder....it's going to be good!!!!

Side bar....this is our first vacation without a pack-n-play, diaper bag, or traveling high chair!!!! Hoot Hoot!!!!

365...Nice Try!

I really admire people who are doing the 365 Project...I have pictures on my memory card from Thanksgiving and Christmas!!!! Needless to say I'm not the best at downloading or sharing my pic's and regardless of how hard I try there is nothing that really motivates me to 'manage' my pictures.

Maybe it is the looming question of what to do with my pictures once I've ordered them. Every few months I place a gigantic order from Shutterfly only to neatly store the packages of pictures in a Xerox box in our storage room. I suppose this is an improvement from the method I learned growing up...my mom had (correction has) brown Safeway bags of pictures. No rhyme or reason, just hundreds of pictures thrown into several brown grocery bags.

Anywhoo's....until I figure out what to do with my pictures...and 'scrapping' isn't an option, I'll keep sharing them on my blog. Beau and Finley man-handling poor Parker!
Can someone please tell me how to erase a picture????

Cannon and Parker

We played, "Pass Parker" until everyone had a turn.

Coley is so maternal and holds Parker so well!!!!

Sissy's Hula dress from Hawaii

Thanks Nana and G'Pa...I'm an official Diva!

Beautiful Girl!!!

A Sick Day...

I spent today at home with a sick Beau-B. and Finny who have had gross coughs and fevers on and off for a few days. Of course it started out with just Finny having a small cough and has quickly turned into both kidlet's being disgustingly sick. Husband had to work today, so I zipped into school early this morning to whip together some awesome lesson plans for my sub. before returning home for an exciting day of whining, sleeping, laundry, coughing, and of course....Indy.

The only..and I mean ONLY movie Beau wants to watch these days is Indiana Jones. Sigh. I suppose the good news is there are 4 Indy movies to rotate through. At this point I'd prefer not to watch an Indy movie again...in my lifetime, however if I had to pick I prefer Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Sean Connery and Harrison Ford...perfect. However, Beau prefers to watch Raiders of the Lost Ark....over...and over..and over again. So we snuggled on the couch this morning and coughed and sneezed our way through Harrison Ford and Karen Allen searching for the Ark of the Covenant.

They both have slept a lot and I took advantage of my time to do laundry..and more laundry...and more laundry. I sometimes wonder if other families have as much laundry as we do? The sickness part stinks and I'm hopeful they will feel better soon, but it hasn't been a horrible day at home. I'm on a break in between master's classes so I didn't have to do any homework today or post any discussion board comments. Yeah!

Finny sleeping...poor girl! You know your child is sick when they ask to go to sleep!
Bugsy...dreaming of adventures with Indiana Jones.

Accidentally posted same pic. 2x...can't figure out how to erase it!

The pile of laundry about 1/4 of the original size...making progress!

Poor sick kiddo!

Binkies and Silkies were a MUST today!