CAN WE DO IT DAVE???

Dusty is now 12 hours into her 17 hour shift!!! Dusty is going to Die! My shift started at 3:00pm with 4 patients that were serious, major, heavy, hard work!! In 4 short hours I thought certainly I would never make it through. One of the busiest shifts I've had in months and months. At 7pm I had to change up patients, get rid of some and pick up some others..... I picked up 1 maybe 2 more, I can't even remember at this point. Kept on getting further and further behind it felt, but managed to stay afloat. Then at 11pm I took report on one more transfer, gave up one that I had, took report on one more transfer and then was told I'd have to give up those and move back out to the front and get new patients. Did I blowwwww.... I know your thinking I did, but instead David and I just kept on laughing. Tried to make the best of a crazy CRAZY shift. It took me until 0100 in the morning to chart some of my 4'oclock in the afternoon assessments from 9 hours earlier when i had arrived on to this glorious shift of mine. It's now 0300 and the mayhem (sp?) is finally resolved. Only 4 1/2 more hours to go and then I can drive home and fall asleep and not get up until the next day! Yeah right:)

MOMMA'S ROCKIN CONVERSE!!!!

AREN'T THEY AWESOME?

My how our chickens have grownnnnn!

Shit! that's right I said it!

On accident tonight I erased 2 days of pictures.  Maybe on a normal, regular day that wouldn't be such a big deal!  But today it's a BIG BIG DEAL!!!!  I was at Cran Hill Ranch yesterday!  The summer camp that Olyvia was at all week and the camp I grew up going to.  It was her first and first time ever going to camp.  I took pictures of her and her counselor and her bunk mates and her riding her horse.  I took pictures of the kids at the beach and of Patty whom I've been friends with for 20 years and who also grew up going to Cran Hill Ranch.  I had pictures at the barn store eating ice cream with our children.  Pictures that would mean absolutely nothing to any of you but would me the world to me!!!!!!  Now all these pictures are gone!   THey can't be replaced b/c who knows when I'll be back.  I haven't been there in 13 years and I've never been there with Patty.  Memories that were etched in film forever, now gone forever!!  I'm sad... YEah right, I know you think I'm silly but Patty will understand:)

continued...

Missing Soccer Saturday's

Today I was looking at photo's of soccer past....  I sure miss watching Spencer play!  I found it amazing to see that Olyvia and Jaden have so many shots in common with Ky.  I'll see the same pose or shot or kick and then 6 years later one of the other kids with the same stance?  It's fun to see the similarities with all 4 of my babies...  On the day to day grind they aren't as noticeable.  So here's to all the lost soccer Saturday's and to all the future one's to come with my upcoming baby dolls:)

OK I'm done, no more for today!

Poor Anya, the merry go round was broke 

  it didn't go round very well!
He swung every time dad swung!  Then yelled "strike"

                                                         even though dad hit it out into the field???

Riverside park, "The Sand Lot" with grown ups:)

Damien/ian You've made the big time, your on Dusty's blog baby!
Phil's back side, I'll do better next time hun!



Watching dad play for the first time in a long, long, long time:)

How crazy is this?

The kids had no idea what either one was doing, they were watching dad.  I happened to look  up and see that they had climbed to the top bleacher and were sitting identically!  I first took the shot from behind  and then said "freeze."  I came around and snapped the one in front!  Amazing to me, they were sitting exactly the same way:)  WOW!   I notice even the little things boys:)

MUST BE A GIRL THING!

 My boys are killin me?  We have not been able to see our kitchen counter in years...  The one right when you come in.  It's covered in papers, mail, bill drawer thingy, picture frames, stuff for the basement when you don't want to walk all the way!  Really, the counter is a mess.  I cleaned the entire thing off, nothing left but a pencil sharpener and some pictures.  NO ONE said anything except the 4 and 5 year old!  Then, last night after bedtime I tore down the border paper in the bathroom.  The kids had picked at it, it was yucky.  I pealed all of it off and painted big green squares instead.  It's at eye level, the squares are BIG, every other one is full of masking tape so I can paint a different color.  NO ONE woke up this morning and said "haaaay, ohhhhh, woooow, ahhhh, what the hell?"  nothing, not a word.  Am I to believe that NO ONE noticed big, huge green squares on the bathroom wall???????  Boys, there killin me!  

Next Jona wanted to mop the floor.  The picture shows you all her great job.  Not sure how much got clean between the rubber gloves, so she didn't get wet, the 2 towels (one for the sloppy water, one so her knees didn't hurt).  NOW, if anyone says anything about how clean the floor looks, I might have to slap them:)

Feeling a bit hurt!

To be perfectly honest, I'm feeling kind of sad/hurt at the moment!  I just looked at about 50 pictures of my cousins on vacation!!  Just didn't know that they'd be on vacation right here in Michigan and not even let us know?  I haven't seen them in at least 10 years.  We talk infrequently but I watch the blog loyally!  This isn't the first time they've been here either.  I'd like to say that I get it when she says, "we have so little time, or we want to have alone time with immediate family."  But I don't get it and I don't understand and I'm not going to lie.  Some years that may fly, but year after year of wanting to be up north alone with only your sisters.....   What I can say to that is simple "It speaks volumes and I'm certainly not deaf!"  After missing their wedding and their pregnancy and the birth of their first daughter it would have been fantastic to visit with them.  Apparently the same can't be said for them and yes, I'm feeling hurt......  On the up side, I sure did enjoy their pictures!  To bad I can't post a couple like I was going to do.  That would be like putting up a billboard to announce "Hey, that wasn't nice!"  anyway....night all

Our friends Trace and Melissa and their son Alex/Alec's Hmmm can't remember which way to spell it?  Great picture you guys!! 

Pretty in Blue!

Olyvia has such captivating blue eyes sometimes!!!

Before the party!  They didn't even know that they had all put on blue and green!

Fun night with friends!

My niece Anya that's visiting, Jona, Olyvia, Spencer and me

I love this picture:)
GORGEOUS shot of Anya

What a great time we had on the lake with friends!  Got some great shots of the kids and the sunset was amazing!!  The only think missing from all the shots was my number 3 who was sleeping over at his cousin's house.  I'm sure he was having a great time as he had someone to "game" with all night long:)  You missed greatly from the fun Jaden, but we'll just have to go back again with you!  I love that you and Isaac get along so well and will grow up to be very close!  I hope everyone loves these pictures as much as I do!!!  Oh to decide which ones to blow up??  I wish Ivan would have taken one with just me.  He was busy packing up stuff, most likely irritated that Dusty was taking a million pictures again.....  But man, what great pics they turned out to be:)  Love you all and miss many of you!

Dusty

Rockin his first pair of CONVERSE!

AHHHHHHH! Thanks Patty

So, 2 days ago one of my oldest, dearest and bestest friends in the world called and left me a voicemail.  If genuine and heartfelt words of encouragement were enough to melt the fat away, I'd be an easy size 8 today!!  Thank you so much Patty, It helped me all through out the day.  I didn't erase it and I've listened to it several more times.  I know what you said is correct, lower carbs, less fat, higher protein.  BUT, when all that doesn't work what then.  I've tried this for an entire year and a half.  At times much more aggresively than others of course.....I worked out extra, lifted weights, increased cardio.....  2 weeks ago a friend of mine started South Beach, I've done Atkins so I know it works.  She lost 8 pounds in like 10 days.  I started it, I rode bike and I cheated maybe 3 times with not so bad cheats and the Duster Buster gained 2 lbs.  Yeah me!  Now, I'm still not giving up.  Last night I rode 7 miles, didn't cheat today, (I don't think?) and I"m off to ride my bike! However, if I could just see some progress for my efforts it would surely make me smile a little bit inside.  After this I'll do the pray diet.....  Pray that anything I eat my body will use as fuel and what it doesn't need as fuel it will get rid of:)

PS  Patty, I totally understand your dilemma with the "to many kids and can't get the bike ride in."  Jaden and Jona always want to come!!!  I am only one person, I can't take each of them each time.  If Spencer or Ivan are here my plan is to take Jaden out for the whole 5 miles and then Jona for 5 more.  I clocked it in 3 different directions so that I won't get bored.  Isn't Casey old enough yet to be able to help you out with this?  You could put him in charge and deligate quiet time.  Mandatory quiet time, where people are in a comfy chair and can't get out.  You could take your first trip out with one and then if you can't go twice, you can take a different child out the next day.    Our road stinks too!!  No shoulder at all, I have to take Bailey down the hill to get into the country more!!!  It is so special to have that alone time with them....time that we don't always have here.  Last night on Jaden and I's ride he said "Momma, I love you so much and I love going on your bike ride with you!"  I told him the same thing back and his reply was........ "momma, I love to talk to you and tell you my stories and nobody is interTupting me  always:("  It was so cute but made me realize that our house can be very "chaotic" at it's best!!!

Love to all of you, I'm outa here to ride!!!!!

That weekend is over, now it might settle down a bit.....YEAH RIGHT!

Janet I love this picture, Ivan thinks it's cheezy??

Thoughts?

Smores are so sticky:(

But so yummy!!!

Shameka aka NuNu and my sister n law Shalimar

Jona and Shawn 

My niece looking like her Momma

My clearance party cups!!  I love them:) .74 cents each

I love it, Ivan doesn't:(

My girls:)  Yup, I had her not my sister, she's mine all mine:)

Love it!

Anya, Olyvia, Norah, Jona, Isaac, Shawn and Jaden at the parade.

City boy meets Country!  Tryin to pose all rapper like 

while holding a baby chicken!! LOLOLOL

Aariona and Olyvia forgot that we do have paved roads in the country:)

NuNu lookin all purdy!!

Hi all,

     Hope everyone had a fantastic 4th of July!  We certainly had a fun and busy one! Lots of house guests and running around.  The kids and Shalimar did a fantastic job helping Ivan and I get ready for company...by kids I mean Spencer, Olyvia, Jaden, Jona, Anja, Shameka, Aariona, and Shawn.  Did I forget any?  I had all of them sleeping here for the Holiday, how many was that again....13, Yikes!  We fed them, housed them, bathed them, fed them again, did parades and BBQ's and fireworks and bon'fires and fed them and put them to bed and then woke up and started all over again AND we all lived to tell about it:)  I haven't had 2 teenage girls in my life in many many years....well, never to be more exact!!  I will be neeeeeding another bathroom soon and another BIG dose of patience to come along for that ride!!!!!!  My sister and brother in law came with their 3 kids and Chris' cousin came with 3 kids of her own....  The party was much much smaller this year but turned out to be just as much fun!  A couple of friends stopped by for eats and fireworks and WOW!!! was the firework show a good one this year.  You missed a good one Heather and Bill and Aunt Linda and Uncle Jack!  

I'm doing not so well on South Beach!  I did take my 5 mile bike ride tonight, but I had some slip ups on food!  I don't know if I'm just not devoted enough, if my will power is shot, or if I just don't give a damn anymore!!!  But this diet stinks....Weight watchers had a lot more food choices, but I didn't loose anything!!  Lots and lots of pictures, hope you all enjoy!!  To those of you that are far away, and you know who you are....... I MISS YOU AND WANT TO HEAR FROM SOME OF YOU!!!!!  Love the bloggin Reilin!!

night night for now Dusty

AND OH THE JOY!

So, I went for a 6 mile bike ride last night.  The first of many more in the next 2 months.  I've completed 48 hours of The South Beach diet and only cheated thrice times.  Which is an absolute miracle b/c 2 nights I did the night shift and for those of you who don't already know....Working the night shift messes up your everything and by 2'oclock I'm starving for something GOOD, not crunchy celery or dry salad:)

On the return home I mentioned to the girls that we needed to check the chickens and make sure Dad put them in the house  before he left.  We don't want to loose any more.  They got sad again and said "momma, pray quick that we still find the lost one."  At this point I don't want to find the "lost" one cuz it might be a pile of feathers:(  But the good  mommy that I am we all 3 prayed at the top of the hill "Dear God, please let us get home and find our lost chick, thank you and amen!"  Simple, sweet, direct and to the point.  The girls ran back to the barn and I stood there in front of it.  I saw 1 lonely chick chick sitting on the lawn mower....I asked the girls how many they counted?  They said 12, I asked "are you sure?"  I didn't want to count this one as the missing if 1 more had escaped:)  They said there was 12 in the pen so that meant that missing number 13 was not missing any more!  We had looked for it at least 2-3 hours with no sign.  Lesson:  When chicken goes missing they have not always been eaten by family cat or dog Dad........  in fact, when chicken goes missing don't bother looking for missing chicken, take a bike ride instead:)