Debbie's Favorite Place on Earth 2013

Debbie has been going to Red Fish Lake since she was a kid and figured out she has been there 37 times now in her life and it usually happens right on her birthday on June 29th. I wonder how many birthdays she has spent here?   She introduced me to it 5 years ago.
This is where we hang out in the evenings for happy hour and family fun.
http://www.redfishlake.com/
This is where we stayed this year. Truly an awesome cabin.
http://www.vrbo.com/219199

We brought Sarah a few years ago and now its in her blood too. LOVE this vacation. This year was the best ever so I wish our other kids could have came.  Below are some pics and some brief descriptions. I didn't have any more pics on my cell other wise I would have posted tons more.

Our most favorite thing of the week. I have never done this before so it was super exciting. On the second set of rapids I fell out and went under the boat. Brock, Debbie and Glen saved my bacon. 

Here comes Sarah just tripping along having a great time and fearless laughing the whole way. As you can see from the second pic she had to throw her leg out for balance on that last run hah

Here comes Cass

There goes Cass showing off her scissor kick

Nearly safe and sound after another 20 yards of floating. She did great!

Our back deck at the cabin. Great relaxing time. 

One of the brilliant sun sets off the deck. Cell phone just doesn't do it justice. 

Boston just hanging out watching cartoons while we get ready for the day. 

Hanging out at the Lodge in the evenings is always a great way to end the day with all the family. 

Debbie had a great idea before we left to go up there. She wanted to tag as many vehicles with things like "Larry Dahle Daughter, Son In Law and Grand Son"  or "Larry Dahle Grandson, step grandaughter and great grandson" etc....  by the time she tagged the whole family and some friends there were 20 vehicles running around with Larry Dahle's name. She even wanted to tag the bus that took us on the river trip and say "Larry Dahle's family road the river"  hah... she is always cooking up some ideas

Boston Loves Nanna and Loves Sweets

Out with the old..... in with the new

In 2003 Debbie bought a brand new GMC Yukon. They went everywhere together, play, work, family road trips and who knows what else. When we first got married the GMC was getting a little tired but was still doing well. When she changed her career and went to Home Healthcare Marketing she started just cranking on the miles and some days up to 100 miles a day. Not only did this burn up a LOT of gas it really got tired and needing some work... so this is why I blog about it.....

About a year ago I start talking to Debbie about retiring ol grey and getting something new. She actually came to tears and said "I dont want to talk about it". I kept my eye on car deals and what was out there and a couple of months later I talked to her again and she said "I cant talk about it.. its sad" and finally the story comes out...   she said that this car is the last piece of her old life that she has left. I asked if she wants her old life back haha... she said NO its just a nostalgia thing and just hard to let go of this car that she LOVES. 

So longer story short... several months later and Sarah came to visit to buy herself  a new car after she graduated and she bought a KIA Sportage. Debbie and I have looked at these before and we liked them but after seeing Sarah's we fell in love. Of course we wanted all the bells and whistles so I kept watching and finally....... like angels singing.... one showed up on the showroom floor. 2013 Kia Sportage SX with navigation, sun roof, running boards, turbo charged, LED lighting package, satellite radio, sport wheels, heated and cooled leather and the list goes on... oh and did I say TURBO... holly cow this car has power. 270 horse power to be exact. 

So Debbie is happy and excited and Sam is happy his wife is happy AND we just cut our gas bill in half.. hah

Goodbye

Helllooooo

GRANDPARENTS!?!?!?!?!!? oh yeah!!! proud of it.

Debbie and I had no clue what was about to happen when Cass and Mike got pregnant. We thought "this is going to be so cool" and "we will love him so much"  then he came!!!  Words cant describe how it feels to be a grandparent. It really is a special thing!!!  Debbie keeps saying "I am in LOVE with him!!!" and to see Debbie's eyes light up when she is with him is so awesome. 

We cant want for the rest of the grand babies to show up. We will spoil them ROTTEN then give them back hah. 

Congrats to Cass and Mike on their new baby boy Boston!!  

Toilets!

Yes, I am dedicating a post to toilets. I always say that you can tell a real slob from a dirty toilets. In general toilets are very easy to clean. So here is my two cents, yes on TOILETS!!! So this is my blog dedicated to toilets and in general directed at Men/boys. I had no idea but now that I live with all males, I know how bad it really is.

• Replace your toilet seat, every year or so. This is something I didn't do when I first became a home owner. Then voila, it hit me... Why try to clean and clean and clean this seat when I can purchase a new one for $22.19 at my local Costco. Also, always replace your toilet seat if you are moving into a new place. I don't know about you but I would prefer not to sit where some other man/boy/women has done their business thousands of time. New toilet seats are a must. Never ever ever look at what has coagulated where the toilet seat screws in, please take this advice.

• NEVER, and I mean NEVER buy a cushioned toilet seat. Think about it... are you done thinking? Cushioned has well cushion!  I don't know about you but I have never really wanted any bodily secretion in any cushion.

• Don't leave blue toilet cleaner on the toilet for any amount of time except IN the bowl. Unless you like your toilet seat with dyed blue streaks down it. Blue toilet cleaner is about as powerful as red kool-aid. It doesn't come out, EVER.

• When cleaning your toilet please please please lift up the lid and clean under the lid and ring that you sit on. Do you know how many toilets I have not been able to even squat close to because of the under side of the "sitting ring". Seriously, it's not hard just clean it every single week. EVERY single week.

• Take that little rag you are cleaning that toilet with and wash around the floor. Ya know where the toilet hits the ground. Wash the bottom of the toilet and the ground. Again, not a difficult thing but one that most men never think of. "O, you mean that this stuff that can house a small child is not suppose to be around the toilet?"

• Wash the top of the tank of your toilet. I know you have playboys, plants, extra toilet paper, the last 4 months of dental picks, and whatever you may keep on your toilet tank but dude, wipe it off.

 

• Look to the right. Those are the best invention since sliced bread. Let me repeat that, BEST INVENTION SINCE SLICED BREAD. Gentleman (I use that word loosely) if you happen to tinkle on the seat pull one of these little wipes out and get rid of it. I guarantee no one wants to ever see ANYTHING (except maybe a stain of blue cleaner, because then at least we know you have cleaned it) on, under, beside, around your toilet seat. I promise!

So there my friends is what I have learned the last 20 plus years of cleaning my very own toilet. Toilets are a big deal to women. I would rather pee outside than on a gross toilet... So get your toilet wands, you Clorox wipes and go tackle that toilet. MAKE ME PROUD!

WANTED...THERAPY!

Debbie:  "Sam, I hate to tell you this but when I put my car into 4 wheel drive I can't back up very far, it just wont go."

Sam: "The transfer case is going out in it, Debbie it is crazy to put any money into that car, lets get rid of it. It is time, go look at new cars."

Debbie: "I don't want a new car. I like this car. How much will it cost to fix a transfer case?"

Sam: "Too much, Debbie... It is time to get a new car, Lets go look at new cars."

Debbie: "I don't want a new car, I want my car"

Sam: "You are going to get stranded on the side of the freeway some day. Go get a new car..."

Debbie big sigh and then the damn of emotions that surround that car flooded out of my mouth...

Debbie: "Sam, I have an emotional attachment to that car, It's the only thing I have left of my old life. I don't even have the same furniture"

Sam: "WTH?, Where did that come from. Well do you want your old life back???"

Debbie: "NO, I don't want my old life back but its like everything in my life is new. I live in a new town, new house, I don't have ANYTHING that was mine before the marriage any longer. I don't even have the same dishes, towels, furniture, ANYTHING."

Sam: "The new cars will be YOURS, It will be YOUR car!!! All yours."

Debbie: "I don't want a new car, I want THAT car, I could sleep in that car if I had to."

Sam: "I promise you that you are never going to half to sleep/live in your car! Are you struggling with independence?"

Debbie: "Yes, it is the ONLY thing I have left of my life BEFORE you"

Sam: "Can we just start to look at new cars????, just look. Maybe you will find something that you love and you will WANT it."

Debbie: "Why can't we just fix the car?"

Sam: "You may need therapy!"

Is a BOY!!!

Is the correct terminology "Its a BOY!" or "Its going to be a BOY!" since he is not born yet? hah

There are some things that happen that just kind of seems to take over our little worlds and injects excitement (among many other emotions lol) and completely changes our paths. A number of weeks ago one of those things happened. Cassidi and Mike are having a BABY!!!!! We are so excited for them and US. We are proud and happy for Mike and Cass to be starting up their lives and building a lil family.
Just a quick story.....  a few months ago we got some living room furniture and have 2 rocker swivel chairs now. After it was delivered and set up, we sat in the chairs and looked at each other and Debbie said "We have the rocking chairs now we just need grand babies" and BOOM... here comes our first one. So we now say "Buy the rockers and they will come"

Oh and the boy's name? As it sits as of last night he will be Boston Michael Barlow. Cute!!!



This first pic was around the first of September



This second pic was Sept 24th when they found out he is a boy. I dont see the tallywhacker in this pic though.

Awkward Family Photo's...

 Okay, It's been awhile and instead of going through tons of what we have been up to blah, blah, blah I am just going to dive right in..

I have to say, I don't think we are TERRIBLE picture takers. We are all pretty photogenic we can smile and poise for a picture, smile.. Well this night was not our best family picture taking moments.. HOWEVER, PLEASE NOTICE SAM... HE IS ALWAYS CAMERA READY.. makes me laugh!!

Sam is all ready, Debbie put down you hand, Brock and Tay, LOOK at the Camera!!!

Sam is again all smiles and looking all GQ... I don't even know what to say about the rest of us!!!

Um what is happening at the bottom of this picture.. Taylor only has one leg, HOWEVER.. Sam knows that a nice hand on his hip will make him look slender and more photogenic.. Good Sam!!

OOOOO, so close. Brock OPEN YOUR EYES.. Looking Good Sammy!!!

Taylor, you look like you just farted, Brock is horrified at the smell and Cassidi is trying to smell it.. I am ready though!!!

Okay, We got it right here.. However we were missing Sam!!!


Here is to a better photo experience next time we try this!!! :-)

Thailand???? I think YES!

"How do you chase your dreams from your front porch?"

Sam and I have heard 1,000 times. How do you dare go there? How do you dare travel? Those people don't like "us", you couldn't pay me to travel to "that" place.

Well, DON'T...

I knew in 1994 when I stepped off a plane to a foreign country for the first time, that I had the travel bug. I knew I would see the World,  it was in my blood... It makes me refreshed, it makes me wonder, it makes me dream big. IT JUST IS IN MY SOUL!!!  I just don't want to see things, I want to experience them, smell, feel, get knee deep, love, laugh, marinate in LIFE and in this beautiful WORLD that God has created. I don't want to stay with 200 miles of my house... I want to travel!

Yes, going to different countries come with danger. I am not that naive. However, you wouldn't find me in downtown Detroit, New York, Miami, or Gary Indiana without some common sense.

The number one killer of people traveling to different countries... Traffic accidents....

So where is this blog going... Sam and I's next big adventure is in February. We are going to Thailand.

So we have heard already!!

• That is where the Tsunami was...
• There are a lot of Earth quakes there...
• The prisons in Thailand are terrible, (that is not part of our itinerary)
• What about the immunizations you have to get?
• Will you get Malaria?
• Do you like Oriental people?
• What about the food?

So we know the dangers, we know how long the flight is, we know it. I am not willing to live my life afraid of the unknown. So if Sam and I are to die  on vacation, know we died doing exactly what we love.

I can't wait!!! For 14 days this winter you will find us on Elephants in the jungle, in the temples of  Bangkok, or on a beach in the Orient.. HOW FRICKEN FABULOUS!!!

but next week you will find us at our Happy Place... REDFISH LAKE, HERE WE COME!!!



Nostalgia

Nostalgia: A sentimental longing for the past, typically for a period or place with happy personal associations!!

I have a handful of friends, some new (within the last 10 years) some that I have known my entire lifetime that I have their back and visa versa.. The obvious calls here are Alison, Sally, Hidee, Cheri, etc.  ya know the ones you have read about over and over in this blog, I love these women and they love me. They know my every mistake, my every pit fall, my every success and have loved me through it all. Next to family they are my rocks.  Some I see weekly, some I see monthly and some I see yearly but they are beloved to me. They are my stepping stones, don't mess with them, and I wont mess with you.

and...

I also have those friends that hold nostalgia for me, the ones I love and want the best for them, you don't need a shovel to figure out our past but you need a back hoe and a forensic scientist to go through our history together. When I see them something draws me to them, something longs for them to be in my life, something deep routed... but also something or something"S" have happened in the past that makes me hold back and make me withdrawal and be very careful what I say or do around them because I know that it is not held as "dearly" as I hold them. I know what I tell them will some way, some how, make its way back to the beauty salon chair and that is not where I want my biggest failures and biggest fears to be displayed.

So when do you draw a line in the sand, when do you say.. "What the hell?" well let me tell you when Debbie Campbell, says "What the hell"...:-)

I ran into an old "friend" this weekend, the same old friend that holds all that nostalgia, the one that holds so many great memories and also the one that I hold back with, the one I am very careful with, the one I have learned better with. So the evening started the same as it usually does... she starts with everyone we know in common and completely TRASHES them, she moves from one person to the next, she goes on and on and I agree with some of it, I listen to other and then... . THEN... she hits something or someone WAY TO CLOSE to me and I bristle... There are boundaries I have, close knitted boundaries of people I love, people I cherish, people I believe...and she crosses it.. and I buckle.. I told her several times.. "QUIT...I am not having this conversation".... she continues... I say
"THIS NEEDS TO STOP".... she continues with the bad mouthing and then I looks at my husband and say, "WE HAVE TO GO." so we leave... dinner, drinks and everything and just walk out the door.

So the moral of the story... "I am not into bashing everyone, everything and everybody". I know better to judge to rapidly... I don't have spiders in my closet, I don't even have skeletons, I have something much much bigger. I know how it is to be "judged", I know how it feels to be the brunt of every ones gossip, I know, I have been there and DONE that.. So don't sit with me and start on someone I hold in my "inner circle". Wont fly with me.

So this weekend, would I go back and handle things differently? ABSOLUTELY

Would I tell her more deeply how she was hurting me? OH YES

but on the other hand does it matter to people like this????? and my answer to that question is... NOT AT ALL...
so I walked away from a life long friend,  associate, that has never had my back doesn't  and probably will  never have any ones back. I didn't lose my composure, I didn't holler, scream, or pitch a fit. I just made a educated decision that I was DONE with all of this.
Parts of me hurt, because I have so much history, but for the last 10 years every single time I have not heald my dealt hand very very closely, she has buried me. So I am moving on... feeling good about the friendships I have, new and old.

So my husband said to me when I was telling him how I felt. You have boundaries, you have a line, it was crossed and you stood up for what you believed. So I move on, I am sure I will be the conversation at EVERY table she is at the next few years but this is my chance to say...

"GO FOR IT"...

For once in my life, I am that sure of who I am, who my friends are, and who my family is...

Beautiful Daughter Number 4 Graduates!!

 Time doesn't seem to slow down for anything and kids keep growing up. Taylor graduated recently and actually finished high school early. As we were sitting and the faculty was going through stories, awards and scholarships we hear Taylor's name called with a few people, she goes up and accepts one with the others. We go through a few more announcements and then they say "we have one final scholarship to give out.... TAYLOR HAWES please come up!"  She was awarded a $12,000 dollar scholarship  to any school of her choice!!!!!  We are so happy and proud of you Taylor nice job and congratulations!  We love you!

My funny wife... I always have to post her pics :)

A year of emotions!

Mike and the kids watching for fish. LOVE THIS PICTURE. Cassidi is on the far right.

A year ago May 6th my brother, Mike Dahle, passed away. If you want to read about some of the "stuff" that was dealt all of us that last few weeks you can read this blog, I am not going into all of that now. It was a long journey and a very difficult one. The last year has brought so many emotions... learning, coping, grieving, crying, anger and about every emotion you could think of. So now a year has passed, I have been to his grave twice in the last year. Once on Memorial Day last year and I was super surprised how easy  unemotional it was. I put flowers on his grave, didn't shed a tear and walked away with a pretty calm feeling. Second visit to his grave was last August, it was not so easy, in fact it was terrible. I spent about 20 seconds there and cried so hard I couldn't breath. I couldn't shake it, it haunted me and it haunted Sam even more. He watched the melt down of the century.

So where am I going with this. Do I even know?? Ummmm!!!, not really.

My family is going to dinner on Sunday, the 1 year anniversary of his death. Not to be sad but to reminisce about life and just all be together. My Mom wanted us to all go to the grave together. At first I thought that was a WONDERFUL idea. We could all go there and be happy and talk about him and take pictures, etc. etc. etc... However, I know that is something I cannot do. I can't go with my kids, husband, Mom and try to keep composed of the Anniversary of something that has hurt so bad. I don't want to be strong for my Mom or not let it bother me because my kids will be there or see Sam's heart breaking because I am sad.

So, what is a girl to do???

Maybe not the best idea I have ever had I am taking tomorrow afternoon off. To drive to Idaho, ALONE, and to go to his grave and try to get some kind of handle on this emotion. Spend some alone time and just get a grip on everything.

I am usually an open book!!! I am not a private person, but during Mike's death and the weeks following I liked my privacy, I liked ALONE, I didn't answer phones, have friends come over, I dealt with it by withdrawing and doing exactly what had to be done to get through that time. So that is what I am doing tomorrow. I am going to go into my own little world, with Mike, take some flowers and memories and reflect on the last year, and cope.

Doesn't that sound like a hell of a good time!!! Wish me luck!

Once in awhile!!!

Those awesome teenage years are not my favorite time in a child's life to be their Mom.

Go ahead and judge me, I will wait...

Anyway, once in a while those awkward, back talking, know it all, friend loving, zit faced, opposite sex crazy, teenagers melt your heart.
Brock got his braces off last week. Sounds like the start of a simple story. We go to the orthodontist he gets his braces off. While at the orthodontist office the orthodontist ask me
"what kind of things are Brock into?".
I said to him "I don't know he is kinda the typical teenage boy!"
so we go about our appointment and its time for Brock to design his retainer.



*side note...retainers have came along way. Now-a-days you can get, pink, purple, blue, sparkled, checkered, orange, or all of the above. On top of that you can get any logo, picture, anything you can imagine put on your retainer.

back to heart melting story.. So Brock brings me over the "idea" poster of what you can get. There are Superman Logo's, Football Team Logo's, College Logo's, Cool designs, you name it they have it. The rest of the story is where my heart started to melt.

Brock hands the orthodontist back the poster of designs and says to the orthodontist.

"I want my retainer to be all white with the Breast Cancer pink ribbon."

The orthodontist looked at Brock, all the assistants looked at him and the room went quiet.

I said to Brock "You don't have to do that!"

he said "No, that's what I want!".

Brock goes back to get his final xrays done and I go to the waiting room and Brock's orthodontist comes into the waiting room and says to me.

"That was a first for us, brought a tear to every one's eye. We didn't even know what to say to him except, COOL!! My assitant looked at me and with tears in her eyes mouthed the words WOW to me!"

At that point the orthodontist said he assumed I had breast cancer and asked me some questions about it and he started walking away and said.

"That is an impressive young man, nothing like a typical teenager."

So a simple thing like a retainer reminded me how much these teenagers have their mamma's back, how much I still am on their mind, and that they actually do love me.

Our first cruise and first time in the Eastern Caribbean

We LOVE to take one vacation every year just for us. An all inclusive resort in Mexico South of Cancun is usually our favorite place to put our ass in the sand. This year our good friends were all booking a cruise to celebrate Linda Palmers 70th birthday so we joined them. Now Debbie and I have been all over the place but have never gone on a cruise... on purpose. We HATE to be hurded and ran by some one elses schedule, wait in line, rush rush rush... hurry and get back to the boat etc... you get the picture. We decided to give it a shot and you know... we really had a good time. Its still not our favorite thing to do but it was a great way to see several different places in one trip... it was kind of like camping... you have all of your things in the room and every day you get to go to a different place but always come back to the same room with all of your stuff there with out having to unpack and repack. We have so many fun pictures and memories. Here are just a few memories and notes to share with you. I have SO much fun with my wife in anything we do... love that woman :)

We spent 3 days in Miami right on the Miami beach! We had so much fun and I have never seen so many topless women in all my life. I had no idea it was legal in the US. Hate days like that hah

First stop was in Half Moon Cay. Absoolutely beautiful.

US Virgin islands..... one of our most favorite places on Earth! LOVE St John and will go back just to spend a week on that island...

The scenery on Grand Turk is just amazing isnt it?? :)

LP's birthday party at dinner

Isnt she just BEAUTIFUL?!

After the trip on our last leg home :) She is still beautiful