Greg.

My husband.

Father of Brooke and Mason.

Really awesome guy!

The kids wrote him a letter.

I loved that.

That’s all I asked for Mother’s Day.  Oh well.  (insert sigh)

We all woke up early.

Got our plan together.

Greg took Brooke to her blessing for Panama at the 8:30 service.

Very touching.

Emotional.

I know because I went to the 11:00 service and got to see for myself.

She is serving Christ in a way that I never did as a young kid.  I am so very proud of her.

While they were at the early service, I took Mason to the Little League fields.

Yes, on Father’s Day.

Because he made the ALL STARS team.

So proud of that kid.

He hustled all season and played his heart out.

And it payed off.

Congrats “May May” –  ”FISH” (as his baseball friends call him).

You did it!

Then Mason and I went to Brooke’s second blessing.

We worshiped.

We clapped for her.

We loved the theme at the end…

Don’t just ALMOST do it.

DO IT!

Good lesson for my kids.

And for me.

We are not big gift givers in our family.

We choose meaningful gifts.  And try to stay cheap.

I know.  I know.

Occasionally we go big for the kids on special occasions/achievements.

But for us parents, it’s about gathering of family.

Time.

Together.

And the occasional round of golf (gift card).

When Greg got home from work (yes, he had to sell some Harley’s to a few lucky dads), he grilled for us.

I hate grilling.

It’s his job.

And it makes him feel manly.

At least that’s what we tell him to get him to do it.

Since I’m on a little diet (a story for another day), this was dinner.

Steaks, salad and garlic bread.

I got the steak and salad…. and two measly breadsticks.

And water!

Oh, I can’t wait to have a nice chilled glass of wine soon!!!

And last but certainly not least…

FRUIT PIZZA.

Nope.  I didn’t get to have any of that either!

But they enjoyed it.

And I enjoyed fitting into my white jeans this weekend… woo hoo.

Fruit Pizza is Greg’s favorite.

And it’s in my cookbook if you are looking for the recipe.

Page 86.

Pillsbury sugar cookie for crust.  Cream cheese frosting.  Yummy fruit on top.  Of course a few extra ingredients to make it over-the-top delicious.

Then on to our usual evening…

Mason and Greg on the couch watching baseball.

Our friends son plays for Oregon State University and we have taped all of the games.  They are in the College World Series and we are watching tonight.  Don’t tell me if they won.  I had to tape it because we have All Star practice tonight.

Brooke went to her room to get in touch with her friends.

And I went for a hot shower, fluffy white robe and watched Next Food Network Star.

Perfect Day.

Even better Evening.

Happy Father’s Day Greg.

You are an amazing dad.  Thank you for all you do for the kids…

… and for me.

I love you.

Happy Monday!

-Tracy

An apple.

That’s what I am eating for my snacks for the next month.

Some days I cut it up.

Some days I eat it whole.

And today I put it on a fancy cake plate.

But, any way you slice it, it tastes the same…

… every day.

Trust me!

I am getting tired of apples.

But I need to get into my white jeans for summer.

So,

Apples it is.

Snack on girl!

Happy Monday.

-Tracy

p.s.  After eating apples for days on end, I’ve found the best apples for snacking.  TARGET.  Yes, Target!  In the produce section.  They come in a bag.  Cute and little.  Perfect size and price!  Just thought I’d let you know.

Busy.

I looked up the word online at www.merriam-webster.com.

I had never looked up that word before.

I know how to spell it.

So there was no need until now.

I was just curious when I said I am “busy” if I truly was using the right word.

busy. (adjective) 1. engaged in action. 2. full of activity. 3. foolishly or intrusively active. 4. full of distracting detail.

Yep.

I have been busy!

I’ve been painting.

Yes, I am about a month or two behind.  So, if you have a request in to me, please understand I am trying my hardest to get to everyone.  And yes, I will try out a new system for next year.   My husband just says “raise your prices”.  NO.  Not yet.

I am also hoping to sell art (and cookbooks) on line next month.  My computer girl has been home being a “mom” her her sick child.  And that is where she needs to be.  I have heard your requests.  I am just waiting until the best-computer-friend-in-the-world is available again.

Brooke turned 16.

She loves her new found freedom.  And the 3rd car we bought from a friend.

I love the fact she can take Mason to baseball, haircuts and birthday parties? As a matter of fact, she took him with her today to meet all of her friends.  He brought his mitt in case anyone shows up at the park.  I love watching them bond.  But I miss them.  They are growing up so fast.

Mason has been playing a lot of baseball.

We had a tournament east of the mountains.  What a blast!  Greg even got 4 days off.  This weekend involved sunshine, rain, hot tub, pool, chili dogs, over 50 families… and lots of fun.

On the way home our 4.5 hour drive turned into the never ending drive until all hours of the night.  We turned around and went over the pass.  It took forever!  But we got to encounter some snow (yes, in spring), a creepy little store that we stopped at for Doritos and to use the bathroom (scarry), and lots of talk about the fun weekend.  Oh, and 3 sleeping kids (2 boys snoring) for the first half…. Greg and I actually talked.

Our Little League season ended this week.  Our team was in the top 3.  Not sure what happened.  Now we are out.  Just watching his friends.  Sad for boys.  It was Mason’s last year of Little League.  Bitter Sweet!

I have not mentioned this on my blog, but I sent in my resume to Alaska Airlines.  They asked me to come in for an interview 3 days later.  Little did I know I would sit with 125 people looking for the same job.  I made it to the final 24.  Then found out it was a full time position (I wanted part time) and my days off would be Tues/Wed (would not get to see my kids sports) and the position would end on Sept. 1.

What??????  I find this out after buying new slacks (one size bigger since my old interview clothes were so old they no longer fit) and spending the one sunny day we had in Seattle inside a hotel just waiting to hear my name called.

Well, they didn’t call my name.

Total blow to ego.

They kept stressing diversity.  Hey, I was one of the only middle aged, short on time, housewife there!  Shouldn’t that be a category on its own????

I even cut my hair!

At least 10″ in the back.

Now that is sacrifice!  I should have brought that up in my interview.  It actually needed to be done though.  And I love my new hair cut.

I was honest in my interview.  I had a one on one with a customer service rep and a human resources rep.  I told them I wanted benefits (since we pay out of our own pocket $850/m0).  And I loved the idea of wearing a uniform (no need to figure out what to wear to work).  And I would get to work with other people (not alone in my studio/small home office with the dishes and laundry staring at me).  And I would be so good at it (sure, I had lots of experience… 14 years ago).  I think it was the first time I noticed that the other people out there competing for jobs are in a whole different generation than I am.  I can learn!!!!!  But it wasn’t in the cards.  Honesty.  It is the best policy.  Even if you don’t get the job!

The good news is that I was hired by The HUB restaurant to do some art for their new Gig Harbor location opening up in July.  See the photo above?  The cute yellow building?  It’s going to be a ultra fun hangout for our town.  Their food is really amazing.  And the service is so friendly.  The kind of place you want to go back to again and again…. at least that’s how we feel about their Tacoma location.  But this one will be better… it’s only 3 minutes from my home… and it has a party deck… woo hoo!

I brushed up on my baking skills and made a cobbler the other night.  My favorite recipe.  If you do not have a cookbook….

Line the bottom of a buttered baking pan with fresh berries (or thawed from freezer).  Sprinkle with a little flour to set.  Then top with a few tablespoons of brown sugar to sweeten.  Pour one box of yellow cake mix (dry… do not mix anything into it) over the sweetened berries.  Drizzle one cube butter over top.  Bake at 375 for about 40 minute or until golden brown.  Serve with ice cream.  It’s even better the second day, room temperature.

Busy.

Yes.

That’s for sure.

But good busy.

And now back to the easel.

I promise!

Happy Tuesday.

-Tracy

This is our first born.

Brooke Camille.

So sweet.  So full of life.  So not ready for her to grow up yet.

But she did!

She turned 16 yesterday.

How did the time fly so fast?

I wasn’t ready.

I got out the tub of photos.

And laughed and cried.

It’s all going so fast.

But that’s okay…

Because she is an amazing person.  She is kind.  She is compassionate.  She is intelligent.  She is full of love.  And my favorite part… she has a giggle that makes you join in the laughter.

I took her to the DOL to get her license.  We sat.  And waited.  And waited.  And waited.

And she got it!

We happened to make a “deal” with a friend over wine one evening.  Hey, isn’t that when the best business deals are made?  Well, it happened to us.  We have friends who have an extra car.  Nobody drives it.  It sits in their garage.  Unless it is sunny.  You see, it is a convertible.  Totally brings back memories of when I was just out of college and I got my first car (a convertible Mustang).  Anyway, they offered to sell it to us.  Dings, dents and all.  The price?  Perfect.  It was exactly how much she saved and how much extra Greg got on one or two of his last checks.  Amazing how God works.  Thanks friends!

We picked it up yesterday.  She drove home behind me… and her brother was with HER.  Me ALONE, looking through my rear view mirror the whole way.

Remember that commercial where the little girl is in the drivers seat and the dad says to be safe?  I think it is an insurance commercial.  The one where she turns into a college student right before her fathers eyes.  Yep, that’s how I felt.

When we got home Mason announce that Brooke would drive him to baseball practice.  He loaded the bat bag in the back seat and hopped into the passenger seat.

WHAT????

Wait a minute.

What about me????

They told me I could come.  Then asked me if I would mind sitting in the back seat.

Priceless.

Hair blowing.  Music on.  Brooke driving.  Mason singing.  Me freaking out.

Perfect evening!

After baseball we went to dinner with family.

And when the dinner was over, the kids asked if they could drive home without us.

Insert tear.

Tear of joy.  Tear of them not needing me anymore.  Tear of being so proud.

The cool thing was that Greg and I, for the first time in a long time, got to ride together with OUR music.

So, that’s what “growing up right before your eyes” really means.

I now get what my parents went through.

And it’s all going to be okay.

Happy birthday girl!

Happy Wednesday.

-Tracy

Yesterday it was our 20 year anniversary.

Wow!

As I sat at the Little League fields, I reflected on the past 20 years.  Greg had to fill in for our coach.  Brooke and I sat in the stands.  Cheering on the 12 year old man-boys (men according the them… after all they use AXE… forever boys to  us moms).

We’ve had some great moments.

From the days of perms, mullets and gold chains TO kids, overextended calendars and not enough time.

It’s all been worth every moment.  Well, okay… truthfully… almost very moment… haha.

I describe my life as a meal…

I’ve had the appetizer (dating, great jobs, the wedding, the birth of our children, first homes, etc.).  Exciting and fun.

I’m in the middle of the dinner course right now… actually it’s a large filling, overpriced buffet that is leaving me tired and very full (sports, teenagers, commitments, many jobs, many caps).

And now I wait.  Dessert is next!  The part where we have raised our kids.  Done what we knew best.  And will one day sit next to the pool with cocktails in hand, waiting for the kids and grandkids to come home for a visit or two… or three.

For now, the filling dinner, I am completely satisfied.

I have accomplished my #1 dream… 1 great family I am proud of.

Good times.

Hard times.

Fun times.

Sad times.

Our times.

Thanks for sticking with me Greg.

I look forward to our future.
xoxo

-Tracy

FYI… As I type this I want you all to know our kids are fighting in the next room.  I can hear them running up and down the hall.  Greg just got home and is yelling for them to STOP!  Yep… GOOD TIMES!

Yesterday.

Cinco de Mayo.

But to me it meant driving all over town for Baseball and Lacrosse… and doing so in the hot hot weather.

Did I mention Greg was away with his buddies at a motocross event?

I started thinking about complaining.  I had to pass up a few fun offers.

Then I looked at the track. Right in front of me.

The #4.

There are 4 of us in our family.

That made me smile.

So…. in honor of #4, I am going to randomly list some fun “4″ facts about me.

4 of my favorite colors….

Turquoise, Grass Green, Bubble Gum Pink, Baby Blue

4 of my favorite foods….

Hot Tamales, Nacho Cheese Doritos, Bacon Swiss Burgers, Watermelon

4 of my favorite music groups/singers….

Kid Rock, Poison, Van Morison, Sheryl Crow

4 of my favorite character traits in people….

Humor, Honesty, Loyalty, Compassion

4 of my favorite drinks….

Crown and Diet, Fresh Squeezed Grapefruit Juice with Diet Tonic and Citron Vodka, Coors Light, Ice Water

4 of my favorite pieces of clothing….

Flip Flops, Jeans, Tank Tops, Cardigans (that one’s for you mom!)

4 pieces of advice my parents gave me that I will never forget….

Love unconditionally, Be grateful, Pay It Forward, Believe In ME

4 things I cannot live without….

God, My family, My friends, Sunshine

4 random things I love having on me….

Pedicures, 2000 Photos On My Phone (my personal photo album), My Tattoos, My Wedding Ring (by the way, these are in random order Greg)

4 things I like the sound of….

Laughter In Our House, Waves On The Beach, Music On The Radio, The Sound Of A Harley Davidson

4 of my favorite places to visit….

Palm Desert, Laguna Beach, Maui, Vaughn Bay, WA

4 places I hope to visit one day….

Paris, NYC, Napa California (wine country), Greece

4 things I’m afraid of….

Snakes, Mean People, Loss Of Loved Ones, Failure

4 things I’d do if I had the courage….

Build A Celebrity Clientelle With My Art, Go On A Cruise (I get sea sick), Running/Jogging (I’m afraid of people seeing me… and not being able to make it back to where I started), Surf (sharks)

4 things I love to watch on TV….

BRAVO Reality Shows, Guy Fierri Cooking Shows, Joel Osteen (church on TV when I can’t go on Sundays), The Voice (I wish I could sing like that)

4 important things I’ve done with my life….

Got Married (still married…. 20 years next week!), Had 2 kids, Graduated From College, Applied to and worked for companies I loved (and the jobs I didn’t love, I left immediately…. no wasting of our time)

4 recipes I pass on frequently….

Monster Cookies, 1999 New Years Eve Shrimp Dip, Onion Toasties, Ohlson Beach Raspberry Cobbler (all in my cookbook)

4 recipes my kids and husband request most….

Tracy’s Tasty Meat Loaf (recipe came from the family I was a nanny for in Los Angeles in the 80′s), Tovey Taco Dip, Man Dip, Cheerio Cookie Bars

4 pieces of jewelry that I love….

My wedding ring (Greg gave to me on Thanksgiving 1992,  The outside band was my grandmas), My Gold Medallioin That Was My Grandma Dorothy’s (all 13 grandkids names and birthdates are engraved on it), My turquoise cross (Greg bought me on our 10th Anniversary in Las Vegas… I got him a beer bottle opener with a lady in a bikini on it… that said Las Vegas… still own it), My 2 Tiffany rings (little silver bands with my kids birthstones in them) that I got on the birth of each of my children.

4 quotes I love….

“All you need is 20 seconds of insane courage.  Just literally 20 seconds of just embarrassing bravery and I promise something great will come of it.” -From movie We Bought A Zoo

“Family is the we of me.” -unknown

“For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” -Matthew 6:21

“As long as you’re going to think anyway, think big.” -Donald Trump

4 reasons I am still writing this blog….

It’s A Story For Me To Leave Behind One Day, It’s Fun To Reflect On Old Posts, It Connects Me To Others I Might Not Have Otherwise Known, It’s Cheaper Than Therapy.

Happy Monday.

-Tracy

I had to come up with an idea for an auction.

I found this ball at Justice last year.

And made the painting.

I think this is a great message to us girls!

Happy Friday.

-Tracy

She did it.

She grew up.

She was signed to SMG (Seattle Models Guild) right before we went on our vacation.  Her photo is up on their website and she is ready to roll.

She played varsity lacrosse and ended their final game last night with 2 goals.  And they made it to the playoffs.

She is half way done raising her money to go on her Panama mission trip this summer.  See photo below.  With every donation of $10 or more, you get this free bracelet.  We made them.  I ruined all of my fingernails doing so.  haha

Thank you to everyone that has supported her so far.  It’s hard for a 15 year (almost 16) old to earn $1,450.00 on her own.  We were only allowed to help pay the first $200.00 deposit.

She is God’s gift to us!

Happy Thursday.

-Tracy

I can’t wait to see what happens tomorrow!

It’s good to be home… although I miss the sunshine!

Happy Sunday.

-Tracy

I got my old faithful computer back.

Although I have to buy a new one soon.  I will never again be without a computer for 2 weeks.

I just downloaded my emails…. 1,505 emails!

I am not lying.

I thought it said 700 and something.

Then I hit send/receive.

Good thing a lot of those were facebook posts, baseball and lacrosse messages that were from games/practices we’ve already had, advertisements that didn’t get sent to spam, etc.

But there were a whole lot of ART questions.

One slight problem.

I leave for California in 14 hours.

Sooooooo……..

I will have to get back to you when I return.  After the 20th. 

Please know this is a vacation that is well deserved. 

Time for the kids to be with the grandparents.

Time for me to read a book or two, swim some laps, catch some rays, make Crown and Diet slushies, and just relax.

Why?

Because I’ve been busy.

I’ve gone to a wedding, taught an art class, helped my daughter with fund raising for her Panama mission trip, went with Brooke to sign her papers in Seattle (she is officially signed by SMG for modeling), sat through countless late night baseball games (they start at 5pm and 7:30pm and end as late at 9:50pm), watched one baseball tournament (after getting rained and hailed on they canceled the final day), cheered on 2 lacrosse games each week, drove to 5 lacrosse practices each week, did I mention baseball is also 6 days a week (two teams), got the family to the BubbleGum Wall in Seattle (from my bucket list… check!), bought tulips, painted for a real estate agent for housewarming gifts… and last night got to go to a Seattle Mariner’s baseball game (thanks for friends that had Diamond Club seats…. 4th row… on tv!!!!).

And I have some big decisions to make when I get home regarding business.  Do I paint more?  Do I take this part time job that sounds oh so much fun?  What do I do?  How can I still be a mom?  How do people do it all?

With that said…

If you have tried contacting me in the past two weeks, I will get back to you after the 20th.  I promise!

Until then…

Enjoy some random photos of my life in the past few weeks that I have not been able to post.

Happy Sunday.

Blessings to you and your families!

-Tracy