From Collages

Cole got an iTouch for Christmas (don't ask) and has found the camera feature of this amazing electronic device. I was charging it and found 59 photos in his photo folder!!! I deleted most of them but had to share the self portrait ones!  My fav - 2nd row 3rd pix!

I haven't posted a coupon deal in quite sometime and so I didn't want to disappoint! Here is the latest deal!

8 8 oz bottles gatorades (2 are currently being drank!)
2 single serving strawberry milks
1 single serving chocolate milk
5 boxes of sausage
4 bags of frosted flakes cereal
3 pillsbury cinnamon rolls (i love these big ol' fattening things!)
3 boxes of sweet moments brownies (and oh they are sweet when they are warmed up!)
4 bottles of vegtable oil

TOTAL $21.16 that is $.70 an item!

realization

i am not a huge fan of birthdays, just another reminder of how fast my kids are growing up, how many wrinkles i have acquired since the last birthday, and how fast my life is passing by.  with the passing of my uh.. umm... 29th birthday (for the 9th time), i have come to some rather real but frightening realization.  i have become a lot of things i would define as "what i didn't want to be".  i don't clean my house every week, i don't read my kids a book everyday, i don't make dinner every night, i don't go to the gym everyday, i don't tell my family i love them enough... i could go on and on.  i don't do a lot of things that i used to do and used to tell myself i was never not going to not do them. i find my self slacking more and more on things that used to be routine or habit for me. maybe it's an age thing, the wiser you are the older you are?  i am beginning to wonder if all of those things that i rushed to do and stressed over to do were really worth all that effort.  my girlfriend said something to me that really struck a chord with me. she said that she used to hate birthdays and that she would get depressed with each passing one and than someone said something to her that changed her outlook on birthdays.  they told her that you should be grateful for your birthday, it was one more year that heavenly father allowed you to be here. to be with your family, to be with your friends, to just be.  i found this quote by president hinckley that also struck a chord with me:

anyone who imagines that bliss is normal is going to waste a lot of time running around shouting that he’s been robbed. the fact is that most putts don’t drop. most beef is tough. most children grow up to be just ordinary people. most successful marriages require a high degree of mutual toleration.most jobs are more often dull than otherwise…life is like an old-time rail journey – delays, sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders, and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling burst of speed. the trick is to thank the lord for letting you have the ride… gordon b. hinckley

between these 2 profound statements, the realization that i am getting older,  is ok. i need to be ok. i need to just be. i need to be more thankful for the life that heavenly father has let me live and learn to love this life.  and i guess bottom line, love me. they always say change is good, but change is hard.  with another year coming to an end i often reflect on how that year went.  on how i can try and be better and how i can make this coming year better.  this year i am going to try to just be. just be thankful for life as it is. because really, life is good.

SNOW MUCH SNOW!

They say that weather runs its cycle every10 years. Well it has been 10 years since our really big storm! I distinctly remember 10 years ago.  Kyle was 5 months old. We had lived in Boise for just over 2 years and I was still mad about being here. And then the snow came. And it just kept coming. We had about a 4 foot pile along our drive way. All I kept saying was, you said it didn't snow here , you said it wouldn't last. I just cried and cried.  I did stop crying long enough to get Kyle bundled up and take him outside for a little bit!

10 years later and a much different scene has unfolded.  It snowed and it kept snowing.  6 inches in the valley over just a few days.  No tears this time from the momma and 4 kids later we are loving all this snow!Tuesday it hit a stand still which meant - SNOW DAY!  The kids were ecstatic!  Jake played hooky for a bit to play with the kids.  They had so much fun!  They played and played and played until their toes and fingers were frozen! Jake hooked up the sled to the quad and pulled the neighbor kids around and as I sat there filming my kids have so much fun, a flood of emotions overcame me. Tears welled up in my eyes as I distinctly remembered my dad pulling us around on a "snow day"  We had the big black inner tubes (2 of them -HELLO!) hooked to the back of his yellow and black Yamaha motorcycle!  We thought we would die from laughing so hard!  We used to play in the snow for hours.  We had a huge hill by our house that we would walk up about  50 times only for a 10 second ride down.  But we didn't care, we just keep doing it!  Our family used to be big skiers.  My mom and dad would load us up and take us to the ski resort and just let us go all day.  We would ski for a bit, go to lodge, and ski some more. Oh to be young again, to have the world in your hand AND have a snow day!  The snow is still here almost a week later and although it is quite the job to get 4 kids dressed in snow gear, it has been worth every memory they are making.

'Tis the Season!

Jake was in charge of the camera, thus the camera got left home. His cell phone doesn't have all that good of a camera (although it should for the price we paid!)  I have tried and tried to rotate this file and I can't. 

 So just tilt your head to the left and watch!

The Christmas season is upon us and to kick start it, we decided to go  downtown to the Christmas tree lightening ceremony.  10 years and we have never been. I often wonder what in the world we have been doing because there are numerous things right here in Boise that we haven't done.  It was freezing cold and snowing and I really did not want to get everyone bundled up for a 10 second event.  I had told my kids that we would go and I was secretly hoping they would forget. Not Kate, that girl doesn't forget much!  With much resistance we loaded up with all of our snow gear and headed downtown.  There were not many people  there so we had a pretty good view. They counted down from 10 and that was it. I looked at Jake and he looked at me and we just busted up laughing.  It really was a 10 second event!  We let the kids wonder around for a bit, make snow angels in the little piles of snow that was  ON THE GROUND!  Yes my child was on the ground in filthy dirty snow making snow angels and loving every minute of it.  We got a bag of kettle corn and danced around to the holiday music.  It was fun and I am glad that we went.  Maybe next year we get there a little earlier and maybe make it a 30 - 40 second event!

Tilt your head again!

Fort Jones

My kids have always liked to set up "forts". Kyle and Kate used to take all the chairs out from under the kitchen table, take their blankets and pillows and make a fort under the table! Kennedy and Cole invented this fort (with a little help from mom!) They were so proud of it, but moms not allowed so I needed to get out!  I love when my kids use their imaginations in their play! Their play, much to my dismay, often includes TV, computer and video games. As much as I try to limit these things, they seem to creep in slowly more and more.  For now I am just happy they are getting along!

Party, Party, Party

As the Beastie Boys sang "You gotta fight.........for your right..............to paaaaaaaaaarty!" And oh party we did ! Phew!  What a week! 2 soccer parties, 3 school parties, 3 halloween parties and how could we forget the pumpkin patch!  I love love love October.  The weather cools down and although I despise wearing a coat over Halloween costumes, it is my favorite time of year. Halloween is my favorite holiday!  We celebrated it to the hilt this year!  Cole's preschool went to the pumpkin patch and Kennedy and I got to tag along. We had a lot of fun on the hay ride out to the pumpkin fields and finding our way through the hay maze. And how we could we pass up the corn box

From Collages

The fam took to the pumpkin patch on a chilly October night as well!  We had a lot of fun finding our pumpkins - even in the dark, riding on the train - 3 or 4 times, the pig races - Kate's pig won!, playing hide and go seek in the "hay palace" and once again, the corn box!!

From Collages

Ky and Kate had their school parties on Friday.  It was fun to see all the creative costume the kids had and see what the teachers came up with! That night was our ward trunk or treat - which I was in charge of!  A little stressful, but it turned out great! I had a ton of help and it all went off without a hitch!

From Collages

Saturday a chilly 42 degrees, we headed to Boo at the Zoo!  It was pretty cold but the kids had fun seeing all the animals and trick or  treating them.  That afternoon we had our "Kids Halloween Party" .  We transformed the garage into party central. We had lots of treats, a few games, and off to the backyard for some more fun. It was a good time with lots of good friends.

From Collages

Sunday our cousins came over for pumpkin waffles-so yummy!  We finished the night off with carmel apples!

From Collages

 A few pounds heavier and less of few hours of sleep, we all survived this party filled week! 

This week - grandpa and grandma are coming - wwwwaaaahhhoooooooooooooooooooo!

bye bye birdie

  My sweet little Kennedy is a girly girl through and through. Exactly like her sister, she loves to play dress up, wear high heels, put lipstick on, you get the point.  For the last 2 agonizing weeks, every morning she has had a complete melt down, crocodile tears and all.  Ask Cole about this, he'll tell ya! She wants to pick out her outfit, which usually is a dress.  Okay before you jump to conclusions and think that I should just let her, let me eliaberate.  She wants either a sundress (that she will not wear a shirt under or a jacket over or tights/leggings) or shorts and a t-shirt.  The child has never worn a pair of socks with a pair of any kind of shoes since she was about 1.  She wants "flips" or her "heels".   I do not know what I am going to do when the snow comes.  It is getting cold here. I am not going to have my child walking around in a sundress when it is 50 degrees outside. I am not ready for the looks or the judgement calls people throw my way.  I have even let her pick a shirt and I pick the pants, or she picks the pants and I pick the shirt. It doesn't matter, sheer hysterics. That is just the morning.  Throughout the day she will go into her room and take 2 or 3 shirts out, maybe put one on. Change her pants and leave a couple on the floor. Pull the bins our her closet and they dump out as she is pulling them out.  Than there is the dress-up bin in the playroom.  Dresses, leotards, tutus, high heels, etc. Again she can change her own clothes. I can't take it anymore. Some days fine, but everyday , no.

 My solution - bye bye clothes. I took all of her clothes out of her drawers and out of the bins in her closet. I even took all the dresses out of her closet. I know I am mean, like I haven't heard that before.  Oh boy, was she mad. "No my clothes bye bye", delivered in the highest shrek imaginalbe. I just did this today so I am not sure how this will go!

On a lighter and exciting note.Something else of Kennedy's went bye bye- her diapers!  Yeah baby! My baby is P-O-T-T-Y-T-R-A-I-N-E-D.  That's right, uh-huh, for real! She is doing so good. She will go to the bathroom and when she is done she will say "I candy" and I say "o.k." and than she says " I rock"!!  It is so funny!  It is so nice not to have to change a diaper anymore, but with all things there comes a reality.  This one is that my BABY is not a baby anymore, a sad reality for me.  Although, there is the possibility of a new purse, being that I no longer need a "diaper bag" and have freed up that diaper fund! 

We have long had problems with our pantry.  The day she learned to open a door she was in the pantry climbing the shelves and pulling down whatever she could get her little paws on. It got really bad, she would empty boxes of ceral and step all over them or pour sugar all over the floor, etc.  I finally got smart and put a lock on the door.  That helped  A LOT, but everyday the door gets left  unlocked at sometime or the other.  It's like radar - she knows.  She goes into the pantry takes all the snacks out of the snack bin and puts them into the Spider Man lunch box. There are 3 other lunch boxes in there, but she always takes the Spider Man one. And always someone goes in there and comes out hollering "mom, wheres all the snacks?" .  I go in there and sure enough, the snack bin is empty.  Sometimes she has just set the lunch box on the shelf and other times she has taken it somewhere.



Oh the days of a 2 year old!  All of the other ones have been much worse at the 3. I am thinking that I may need some serious therapy after she gets done with me!

One Liners

Maybe he could be a comedian when he grows up.......

He comes out of the laundry room naked, headed up the stairs for a bath. We usually keep our underwear on until we get to the bath.  We are trying to teach privacy in our house!
Me:  Cole, good thing you have such a cute butt
Cole: I know, you wanna touch it.


He is crying because I won't let him wear his Halloween costume (which is brand new and I am a mean mom). Walks up to me and says:

Cole:  Fine, you won't let me wear it. You just ruined my whole day.
And storms out of the room

I always try to write down the funny things my kids say.  Sometimes I am really good about it and sometimes I'd rather forget the comments.  Cole is famous for his comebacks, one liners and over all commentary on situations.  Here are a few of his latest

Me: Cole put your buckles on.
Waiting..............
Me: Cole, put your buckles on.
Waiting.........
Me:  Cole, are your buckles on yet?
Cole:  Mom, your yelling burned my skin off and now I am bleeding and it is getting in my eyeballs.

Granted, yes I did raise my voice, but you have to know that the "buckles" in the car have become a major problem with him.  I am ready to start carrying zip ties and just zip tie him each time he gets in, because he will not keep them on. I have tried everything - beatings, threats, treats, deals, everything.


Me:  Cole,  come on, it is time to go.
Cole:  Where are we going?
Me:  We are going visiting teaching.
Falls to the ground and in his signature whining voice tells me:
Visiting teaching is so hard. I can't take it anymore, it is so boring. Why do you always visiting teach.  Can't you just give them something and leave.


Me:  Cole come on it is time to get ready for preschool.
Cole:  No, I am not going today.
Me:  Come on Cole, we need to hurry.
Cole: NNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!  I am not going.
Me:  Why do you not want to go to school?
Cole:  If you make me go I am going to tell on you.
Me:  Who are you going to tell?
He is yelling by now, Cole:  I don't know but you are going to get in trouble.

I love this little boy, but he is way to clever and quick with his words!

Big Man

I fight it daily with all of my children and I don't know when I will ever come to grips with it, but I am in a constant battle of them growing too fast.  I look at them often and wonder how we got to where we are so quickly.  I was just holding each of them in my arms and now most of them are too big to fit in my arms or don't want my arms around them! 

Kyle mowed our whole lawn by himself, with a push mower.  We have a lot of grass, almost 1/2 acre.  Which doesn't sound like a lot but for a 9 year old!  I was so impressed and he was pretty proud of himself.  Although I am sad to see him big enough to do this, there is a little part of me that is happy to pass this chore on to someone else!!!  Good job, my big man!

"The Wedding"

OK people, get ready to fall off your rocker, chair, stool, whatever it is that you are sitting on. This is the wedding of the century, maybe the wedding of all weddings.  Well, it took the cake for me!  By far the biggest and best I have ever seen or been to!  The movie does it little justice but will give you a small glimpse into the fabulous weekend that Jake and I got to take part in. We had a great time and felt lucky to be able to take part in such a wonderful moment for Melissa and Matt!

Jake has 8 siblings, 2 sisters and 6 brothers.  It is his 1st sister Rebecca whose daughter, Melissa, that got married.  She married a pro golfer who is on the PGA tour right now and his name is Matt Jones!  Yeah all the boys think their cool now because they have some relation to a pro golfer!  How funny that her married name is now Jones!  Just a little note on my dress and to give my friend props...my dress was sleeveless. You would have thought I could find something with sleeves, but trust me there isn't a lot to choose from. Anyhow my amazing and talented friend put sleeves on it for me and it is perfect.  Thank you Heather - you rock!

The Invite:

The wedding was just one of the 3 fabulous days. I do a short recap!  We arrived in Yountsville, California which is just a little north of Napa Valley, California. Napa is know for its wineries, but it some of the most beautiful scenery in the whole state.  Rebecca arranged for us to stay at the Bardessono Resort! Wow!  This place was off the hook!  We arrived in our room to a TV and phone that said "Welcome Jacob and Tessa Jones", fresh water (that I was later informed was triple filtered and came from their property!), and full tour and a tutorial of the room!  Friday night was a cocktail party at the hotel, Saturday was the wedding and Sunday was a brunch. I could keep going forever, but I'll spare you! 

Long story short- AMAZING!

Thank you Rebecca, Ron, Melissa and Matt for making an amazing memory for us as well!

The Colester!

Cole is a different child than the rest of the clan.  He came from a totally different mold. Which is odd in the Jones family because it is a very strong gene pool and most of the cousins look like they all could belong to one set of parents.  I could take 3 of my nieces and nephews all from different parents and no one would know that they aren't mine.  And the weird thing, it doesn't really matter what the "non Jones" spouse looks like, that Jones gene is dominant.  But than there is Cole. He is the only one that looks like he is actually my kid!  He is his own little self and while all of my kids are different, Cole stands out the most in this crowd. He has so many little quirks that are both maddening, funny, and sweet all at the same time.  He is the one child (although Kennedy might surpass him pretty soon) that constantly keeps me on my toes, constantly tries my nerves, constantly wants to be with me, and constantly challenges my every word.  The last couple days he has been especially trying for me and so I decided to try and funnel his energy into something that is an obsession in our family. Music is played in our house a lot. In the car, while we are doing chores, while we play in the backyard.  Cole has taken to a few songs that get played over and over and over. One is "Rock You Like a Hurricane" by the Scorpions (which is usually in the car)and the other is "Beat It" by Michael Jackson.When not blared from the radio, it is from the iPod. Here is a video of him getting his grove on!


 

I am not sure who is funnier, Cole or Kennedy just standing next to him. It is in black and white because Kate was playing with Jake's phone and did something weird to the settings!  He will listen to my iPod for hours and just walk around the house and sing!  It has become one of my "decompressors"  for both of us! 

After a full session of dancing, Cole is worn out and decided to take a nap, behind the couch! This one of kind kid is seriously one the most hilarious kids I know.  Thanks for keeping life interesting and me on my toes! Love ya Coley Boley Guacamoley!

Peaches, Preschool and a Party in the Park!

Peaches !Oh look at these babies! Those are some nice peaches, I like those peaches!  And how yummy there were!  We weighed in at 98 pounds of peaches!  Sounds like a lot, but not when 2-3 peaches are a pound and when I want them to last during the winter!  They were so good we went and got some more!  We will be eating peaches until next year- I hope!  We made some kick butt apple sauce with all of our free apples too!  I know, Crocker is my middle name!!

Preschool!  Cole was so very happy to be starting school with his best bud Owen!  And I am equally as happy that he is starting school with Teacher Summers. Ginger Summers has been a fabulous influence on our family. She is so loving and so kind and really wants to be a preschool teacher!  Kate did amazing in her class and I am hoping that she can work her magic on Cole!

Party in the Park!  Oh yeah!  The Spirit of Boise is back and we are very excited about it!  It is a huge hot air balloon festival at one of Boise's beautiful downtown parks.  You wake up super early (for us!) and head down to the park and watch the balloons inflate and take off in the morning  sky!  You can get really close and even get in a basket of one of the balloons if you want!  We have been going since we moved to Boise - except for the few years it was gone! This year we drug my sister and her family to the morning and to the night glow! The night glow is super cool! The balloons are already inflated and they burn their flame to make them "glow".  We brought popcorn and soda, chilled on a blanket and watched all the people! 

Farmer for a day

Okay maybe for an hour. Okay maybe not a farmer, just a picker!!  Last year I ventured into freezing fruit and juicing and all sorts of food storage stuff.  It was a pretty big step for me and in turned out fabulous!  So this year we are going bigger and better.  I only got one box of peaches last year - about 10 pounds. I was hoping they would last me all winter, you know have a little fresh fruit over the winter.  No way, 3 weeks - gone.  So we are doing 10 times that this year, well okay maybe not 10 times but at least 5 times.  Today my friend took my sister Ashlie and I out to the church orchards. 

We took our kids with us and had a good ol' time pickin peaches!  It was so fun and there were a lot of peaches! We went to pay for them and saw this lady with some apples and we asked where those were. She said they were down the hill and that they were FREE!  Oh yeah my price point for apples.  So we went and picked some apples.  I am so excited I can't wait for some peach pie and applesauce, not together though!

The end...........

Roaring Springs - for 3 lovely months every (almost) Wednesday  was water Wednesday for us at Roaring Springs water park. Grandma provided season passes for us for Christmas and those were the most used present of the year.  We have so much fun at the water park. With or without friends we would go, go, go!  Cole's favorite is the wave pool, Kennedy's fav is the dolphin slide in the kid area,

Kate's fav is the family ride, Kyle's fav is the wave pool and my fav is in a chair watching my kids! This picture was our last day at the water park.  Along with school starting, the water park closing and summer coming to end, is the sad realization that another season has past and my kids are that much older.

We had a fabulous summer and did so many things and I really got to enjoy being with my kiddos!  I am not a mom who likes back to school and the routine and all the busyness it brings.  But this picture along with all the other ones will keep me warm in the winter with lots of memories and the anticipation of next summer!

While you were out...........

I am catching up on my blogging and not necessarily in order!  While we were enjoying our "successful" camping trip. A really bad wind storm came up!  It usually always blows hard at the sand dunes so I didn't think anything of it.  Until I got home and found my shed literally in pieces. Boise experienced 60 - 70 mph winds that night. Keep in mind 74 mph is hurricane force winds!  Well I guess I know what we will be doing next weekend!

Last weekend of freedom

WEISER SAND DUNES

In our last ditch effort  to stretch out  the last few days of  summer before school started, we planned just a "few" activities.  Friday we  finished up our school shopping and than loaded up the trailer and 4 wheelers for our camping trip.  Saturday we headed out to Weiser sand dunes. We set up camp and the minute the 4 wheelers were unloaded, the kids were off and running.  My sister and her family joined us and it was so much fun.  Coley came walking over the sand dune, helmet drooped, shoulders hunched over and wailing that his quad was stuck.  Really it just ran out of gas!

We did a little fishing and swimming in the lake.

 

We roasted hot dogs and marshmallows over the fire.  Endured a wind storm that blew our chairs into the fire and lit them on fire! - that was exciting!  It was a very successful camping trip - is that even possible?

Fair Time

The Western Idaho Fair

came to town and true to tradition I made Jake go on Family Night. He hates the fair, I love the fair.  Well I love the fair food - as if there is any other reason to go to the fair- duh?  My sisters family came with us.  My kids were in heaven, their cousins AND the fair. WOW!  We made our stops at all the FFA animals, the petting zoo and the fabulous dinosaur exhibit.  Than off to the kids' favorite part - the rides!  They rode so many rides, they forgot how many they had gone on at the end of the night. We had so much fun and got to see some of Idaho's finest residence!  Gotta love those carnies!

11 years and counting

I have said before that my husband is not big on "dates".  Just because Valentines Day falls on a Wednesday doesn't mean you have to actually celebrate it on that day. And I have said before how I am the opposite. If Valentines Day is on Wednesday than yes you have to celebrate it on that day. Well he won this battle, I gave up about a year ago, maybe longer I can't remember. Trying to block it out.  Saturday was our 11 year anniversary and we spent it with our kids camping.  Partly circumstantial - it was the last weekend before school starts and partly accidental, we had gone to California the week before and spent a few days alone.
So it was not that big of deal that "Saturday" was the actual "date" of our anniversary. See I am learning to let go of the little things (Ashlie).  Anyhow I got to thinking that it is kinda a big deal!  11 years is a long time to be married to someone and not kill them. Believe me it goes both ways, shocking I know, right?! So in honor our 11 years (and 3 day) anniversary I have 11 things I remember about our wedding day. 

1.  The whole week prior had been record lows in Sacramento, perfect! 

Wrong!  103 degrees the day of wedding

2. Jake and his brother were in 3 piece tuxedos - sweating there guts out!

3. We have no pictures without sweat pouring down both of our faces

4. I was hungry - hadn't eaten all day. On the way to the wedding,

went through Taco Bell drive through - Bean Burrito - what was I thinking!

5. While going through the drive through, I was so hot I was in the back seat, dress pulled up

and  had the air vent blowing cold air!

6.  Jake kept our wedding night a secret - we stayed in a B&B in downtown Sac

7. I can't remember what we had to eat!

8. I said "I do" before it was time to say it - pretty anxious I guess!

9. Jake couldn't get my ring on because it was so hot and my fingers were swollen

10. All my friends and family were there to support us

11. Thinking over and over "Oh my gosh, I am marrying Jake Jones"

(we have known each other since 6th grade)

Good thing I married Jake Jones!  Things haven't always been easy and we have had our share of trials but we have a great life and are happy to have each other!  Love ya Jakey!

Powder Sugar

Urine

Lunch Meat

Dannon Drinkable Yougurt

Mayo

What do all these things have in common?

THEY HAVE ALL BEEN ON MY FLOOR TODAY!  And they all have happened in less than 2 hours.  So why am I blogging it?  Partly to get myself away from the CHILD that spilled them and partly to try and find some humor in it. I clean and clean and clean and than clean some more and there is always something more to clean.  There ought to be a rule that after so many spills a magic fairy comes and cleans up the mess for you. I need to be thankful that I have children to clean up after but today I am not feeling it!

The grass is always greener

  For those of you who have known me for a long time, know how much I hate my hair, I have struggled and fought and fought and struggled with it pretty much since I can remember. I have tried every hair product, every technique, every chemical, every concoction known to any hairdresser, friend, relative or mankind for that matter.  Most people tell me I am so lucky and they would kill for my hair.  When was the last time you saw any model ( besides the late 80's early 90's -the one and only time my hair will ever  be in style), one TV host, one movie star, that has natural curly hair like mine.  Here let me answer that for you,  Z E R O!  The frizz, the body, the frizz, the curl, the frizz, the frizz, the frizz, it's the death of me.  About 5 yrs ago,  I was able to find, through a friend, a hair dresser that had natural curly hair.  She has helped me find some product and a cut and  how to deal with this mess of hair.  She has been a god send and for once in my life I actually started liking my hair. Until now! 

The old saying of the grass is always greener on the other side has often been explored in my life and most of the time I come back to the conclusion of actually no, the grass ISN'T always greener on the other side. Oh wait....shut the front door! On this hill, the grass IS greener on the other side. So green it has been a life changing experience.  So much I am blogging about it.  Enter Brazilian Blowout!  No this has nothing to do with my bikini line.  It is a super charge condition treatment that works almost like a straightner, but with NO chemicals.  This is a picture of my hair, when it was wet so really all you see is the curl, which I have come to be okay with.

OK so now, are you ready........ the second picture is my hair (not a mannequin as Kate asked) after the "Brazilian Blowout". This is JUST blown dry with fingers. No pulling it start with a paddle brush and blow drying the heck out of it, no flat iron, no smoothing cream - noda! 

Can you believe it?  30 years and I finally have flat straight hair!  I know most of you are rolling your eyes but seriously, this hill is greener on the other side for this chick!  THE CHICK WITH STRAIGHT HAIR!  I'm just saying............