7 Weird things

****as tagged by Earl. (Thanks.)

This took was quite the challenge. For me to recognize things that maybe others thought were weird. I figured out half of them but Jake had to help me with the other half.

1. I like vinegar. Yes plain, just a sip here and there. (A plus is it's a metabolic booster.)
2. I don't like hot water on my face. When I am in the shower, I will turn it to cold to wash my face. I think this has something to do with my claustrophobia.
3. I just downsized from 74 pairs of jeans to 4 (and then I bought 4 more so I am at 8).
4. I refuse to wear coats in the winter.
5. (6 years ago) I fell asleep on the couch. Jake woke me up and then I fell asleep on the toilet and then proceeded to tell Jake, "I needed tin foil. I am out of tin foil!" I woke up once I realized what I said. He was on the floor rolling and laughing. He still teases me about this.
6. My light switch fetish. (overcoming process is working but still in process.)
   
7. I still have friends even though I just realized I am weird.
   

People I tag: Keli, Laura, Lindsey, Bonny, and Betsy.

Dear Betsy,

You know I love you like a sister.... But I really ALSO love your hand-me-downs.
Thanks a million!

Love,

Amy

The view of the "older and wiser".

McKay posted on her blog about her Pine Basin School trip. To see her version click HERE. As a parent, I got the chance to sit out and "people" observe. I loved it. (All the pictures are courtesy of McKay and friends.) Since McKay has been in school, I have never been able to help out with her class. I was either pregnant or nursing. Hurray, times have changed. I went as a the only other girl chaperon.The first thing McKay did on her first "free time" was climb the trees. I like this picture better than I liked her portrait sittings. (Which I did reschedule. They were just too sad.)This was a retired school teacher that taught the nature lessons and distinguishing trees on the hikes. He came up to me at lunch before the hike and asked when did they start letting high school kids come? I thought he was joking, but he wasn't.The gaga pit. This game is very addicting. The kids got the adults in and kicked our butts. Being small has it's advantages. All I can say is the next day I was left with bad posture, a sore back, butt, and ribs and don't forget the skinned up knuckles.. But yes, it was fun.A hike up and past the underwear tree. (very disgusting) Not a good idea to run up the hill after eating dinner. Also for not having run since April maybe that had to contribute with the sore butt.On a serious note, McKay has some really nice friends. Being able to observe all the others, you forget all the drama that can go on in 5Th grade. The make-up, the rumors, the old fashioned "going out" and girlfriends and boyfriends have already started. In fact a couple of girls got "broken up with" up at the camp and there were tears. It makes me appreciate the fact that McKay has friends that are nice and good influences. That morning, I was making hot chocolate. Since the night before, they went heavy on the chocolate, there wasn't a lot left. I did as I was instructed and put 2 1/2 spoonfuls in. I had one after all the girls had theirs, and "yucky", I am surprised that no one said anything. It was just a tad more that watered down hot chocolate. I guess they were all grateful for a little "heat" in the cool morning. That or maybe I looked a little scary with no makeup.

The Aftermath

So after Jake's mean trick, (okay not mean, pretty interesting actually,) there were a few things I wanted to add about the damage done.

1. McKay read the blog and flipped. She doesn't handle stress very well. She came upstairs and asked why we were moving. Then she asked if she would be riding the same bus. I started to explain what dad was doing, but she had bottled it in too far. It took a good half hour to calm her down. Even after I explained the kerksiek.com thing, she still was on edge and couldn't eat her spaghetti.
2. I hate lying. For those of you that called and asked....that is why I passed you off to Jake. Thanks Betsy for not bringing it up because I probably would have spilled it. I was about to tell a couple of you but Jake had made me promise not to squeal. Sorry.
3. Now I sorta like the thought of moving. It's getting too close to winter and that means cold and wind. Texas sounds great right now!!!! (Not joking.)

At the same time, I still love my house. It's my one place that is my "happy" spot. I just couldn't live without color.

AND the winner is....

JacobandAmy.blogspot.com is moving to

www.KERKSIEK.com

Please update any links that you might have with this new address.

(and you thought that I was talking about a new house.)

It was interesting to note that everyone feels that the place they call home is the place that others should call home.

P.S. apologies to Karl..I know he would have to to own the domain.

WE ARE MOVING!

Well it is officially time. I have had my eye on this prime piece of real estate for a few years. Amy and I came into some extra money about a year ago and we knew that this property was a once in a lifetime opportunity so even though it was a little more than we had wanted to pay we had to buy.

For the past year I have been in the planning phase. We feel that the time has come to make the big jump. We have enjoyed it here at this address for the past few years but a change will be good. It will definitely make it easier for most people to visit us. Unfortunately the place is not that developed at the moment but it has great potential. All the same we can't wait to call it "Home". You know us Kerksieks ... we always have great vision. We are really excited.

Stayed tuned ... I will reveal the locale tomorow. Any guesses? I promise that it is good .... more than a few of you will be jealous.

My Priceless Moment

Cost of two movie tickets = $19
Cost of two large drinks = $11

Total Movie Date = PRICY! Where the heck have we been for the last 3 years.

Jake and I couldn't believe how much movie prices have gone up. I guess reality hit when we finally went late last night. It's a shame but we haven't been since the summer of '05 when Axel was with us, and even then we went to a matinee if I remember correctly.

Now the question is......Is it just here or is it that way everywhere else?

Final conclusion:

Cost of our overnight anniversary alone time date = PRICELESS

mckay

McKay is my oldest. She has taught me almost as much as I have taught her. I was very young, 19 almost 20, when I had her. She changed my world for the better. When she was born, I realized what a sweet spirit she was and that was when I decided where I wanted my life to go. The whole concept of knowing that you are in charge of raising a child and responsible for teaching them to choose the right can make one realize how important the church is. Anyway back to McKay.....

McKay is very independent. This can be a plus and a negative. Especially when we have the same personalities. McKay is also exceptionally smart. She knows what she wants and strives to achieve for it. Her goal this year is to memorize all of the capitals and countries of the world and be able to label the country. I have no doubt that she will conquer this. However, when it came to having her pictures taken, we had a clash of her putting her book down to have her pictures taken. She has a very deep love of reading. For me and having all four kids there and the oldest not wanting to cooperate made it a little stressful. So the first handful of pictures show her frustration and emotions. Although #3 and #4 were my favorites.

One, two, three, FOUR

Cruz has waited so long for this day. For the past year (not kidding) anytime he saw something in the store that he wanted or just looked cool, he would turn to me and say, "Mom, get that for my birthday?" I would usually nod my head and say we'll talk about it when your birthday is closer. Such a sweet, happy, little guy. He has had a tough time the past three weeks after Kirsten's birthday. Finally the day came! Today he is four. To me, it feels like he should be older.

For the last couple of weeks he had longed for an "i-pod" (mp3 player) like his sisters. In his words, "an ipod with bigger earphones that I can listen to." When I set out the presents this morning, he went right over to the one from us and said, yep, it's an ipod. (Too smart for his own good.)

Happy Birthday Cruz!

Wheelin' and Dealin'

Sometimes I wonder who I really married. With all the deals and trades that Jake is coming across, I'm starting to wonder if I really married a gypsy. Either that or Jake should start his own blog.....maybe called -Wheelin' and Dealin'-. Here is our next item.

At the end of May, a neighbor, I will add that we get along great with, needed some fill dirt. Not even topsoil, he just wanted some rocky fill dirt for a couple things around his house. And of course, when Jake went down there somehow these were mentioned, or seen, or who knows. I don't have all the details yet. So, he had a bunch of these playgrounds left over from a shipment. Of course you know what happens now. After four loads of fill dirt, and a total cost to us of $15 in fuel, we walked away with a playground of a value over $700. Then the guy told us to take extra slides and swings and whatever we wanted.

So 3 slides later, a treehouse, a rock wall, and with one swingset built and another that will follow later on. The kids now have a new playground. This is one trade that I actually was happy from the start. I have to admit some of the others have been a little iffy.

I didn't even think that Jake would have time to build a playset this summer. I honestly thought it would sit with the rest of the other stuff. He surprised me and the kids by only taking two days and having it completed. Wow! Maybe, just maybe, Kirsten will have to rethink and come up with a new name for him.

7 years today....

Last year was six and numbers. This year, for seven, is pictures.

When Jake was out of town for 6 weeks, I started going thru pictures and finding just ones that had me and him in them and nobody else. I noticed when we first started dating that there were many. As the years have gone by I was lucky to find one for some of the years. In search of more, I even scanned some in that other people have taken. After all was said and done and every picture of us is in this video it's just a few seconds longer than four minutes. (This does not include all the numerous wedding and engagement pictures. Only one of those from each are included. Also if there were numerous photos of the same picture, only one was included. I have many underwater shots from South Padres last year thanks to Nate.) So I have concluded that the next seven years, I will have to do better.

So let me take you back in time to low megapixel cameras. I think you will be able to notice every time we got a better camera. Let me take you back to when we were young and basically kids. How did we ever think we could raise our own kids that young? As I have watched this (over and over) It's amazing how much change has gone by. Actually, I lied. I don't think Jake has changed that much. I changed my hair plenty of times. Most of all, it's amazing how much we have learned and loved. (You might want to turn the music off to the right.)

Price is Right

As Kirsten has put it best, the "crappy man" has done it again. While delivering a load of dirt, a lady was selling her tractor lawnmower. ****I stand corrected.**** Jake just informed me that it was sitting in her yard and he asked her what she wanted for it. That sounds more like my husband. Finding one's junk to be his treasures. The good thing about this one is that it runs. After charging the battery it fired right up. So that's a plus. It also has a deck with a blade that will cut the weeds. That also works. Double bonus.
Most importantly, the kids love to drive it. Since the smaller fourwheelers are a little more powerful for Cruz, he can't ride them by himself. He loves this. Put it in first high gear and it's perfect. The older kids of course can go a little faster.Now after all is said and done. Can you guess what Jake paid for this? I will mention that it is in actual dollars and not trade.

It's a fiesta, baby!

Okay it's just fiestaware. Like I've said a hundred times before, this is one of my most favorite things about my house....my cupboards and what are in them.Every September, It's like I'm a little kid waiting for Christmas to come. Fiestaware comes out with it's new color. It's something I look forward too. This year was Ivory. I was hesitant on buying it, I even think I told Betsy I wasn't going to buy it this year and maybe find a different color. But then, when I saw them at Dillards yesterday.....I changed my mind. Ivory actually looked okay.
Jake started this trend when he bought me nine settings for Christmas in 2003. I would have to add, this has probably been one of my favorite gifts of all time. Since then I've added five colors. I want to keep this tradition going although what do you do when you have 25 plates, bowls, cups, and so on? I guess I will worry about that when we come to it. Jake told me I have until I can't fit anymore plates in the cupboard. But.....
As you can see, with 14 plates, it's only a little past half full.