i'm out of control

I know, I know, I am out of control with these postings and I'm sorry but I did want to show what my tummy looks like 2 days after being cut up. Just as an FYI this picture is the better one out of the two. The back stitches are way worse but when I had Joaquin take a picture he showed way too much back fat so this is the one that you get to see. It looks terrible. I'm pretty sure we will be finding a new dermatologist. It's just strange to me that they did a full on surgery without doing a small biopsy first. That was the way they did it back at Kaiser Permanente way back when I worked there and I still talk to people from there and nothing has changed that I'm aware of. The doctor was very nice but I'm a little worried that every time I have check ups he'll want to cut something else out of me. I don't think I want my body scared up like that unless it's absolutely necessary. Am I right or am I right? I'm totally right.






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giddy for fall

(my neighbor has the most beautiful garden in his front yard and this pumpkin is just one of the cool things he has growing in it.)

Fall has finally arrived in the state of Idahow. (as Rachel Wagstaff would pronounce it.) Well at least near my house and I couldn't be more happy about it.

Yesterday I was still in a lot of pain from the dermatology appointment I had on Tuesday so the boys and I stayed inside the entire day. So depressing. I made them watch tv and play on our couch cushions all day long. I felt really bad about it. As soon as Joaquin came home with taco bell for dinner I asked him if he would take us for a drive to get out of the house. I was sort of expecting our drive to be similar to when we would go on drives in salt lake, 10 or 15 minutes and we would be up Heber canyon. Well it isn't quite that way here. There aren't any mountains that are that close. I was kinda bummed but it was still nice to get out of the house and take a drive with the windows rolled down.

There is something magical or whimsical about the fall to me. I don't really know how to explain it but it truly is my most favorite time of the year. Some of my fondest memories take place around the fall. I think it reminds me of spending quality time with family. The weather cools and it gets darker earlier so you're forced to spend more time with your family.

Anywho, Joaquin and I both love the fall. His reasons are a little different than mine. He loves fall for the football and opening of hunting and I'm pretty sure that one day that will be why my boys get excited for the season change too. But until then I will brain wash them to love it for the smells of pumpkin spice and the taste of candy corn.


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just for fun

I got a fun new app on my phone. We've been playing with it for an hour or so.




Frankenstein



Conan O'Brain



And Mad Eye Moody


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yuck

This post really is gross so I'm sorry if anyone has a weak stomach. I had some surgery this morning and I snuck a couple of pictures of what they did. My sister and brother both have had melanoma moles removed so all of us have to have regular mole checks. I went in yesterday and they didn't like the way two moles looked so the dr scheduled me to come in the next day to have them removed. Everything went fine until after they were done and I left the office and I almost blacked out. (Twice) So then I laid down and called Joaquin for help. I was too afraid to drive myself home. I had driven the van because the car was out of gas so he had no way of picking me up so he called Andon to pick me up. Geez- what a wuss I have turned out to be.


Ga-ross!!!


Yes that yellow/red stuff is fat.

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corny fun

We headed on down to one of the local corn mazes today for some good family time fun. It was fun but ridiculously hot. Well hot for the second day of fall anyway. We all had a lot of fun but once we had run around for a couple of hours in the middle of the heat, I was ready to be done. I bought a little groupon so the pass that I got allows me to go back again and again. I hope the kids like it a lot because we'll be spending all month there. :)








The boys got to milk their first fake cow.



We got to go on a tractor/cow/train ride.





We ate 3 bites of a nasty, $5 dollar pile of grease and threw it in the garbage. What a waste.



We got to see the cutest little pigs race. After I saw them, I told Joaquin I wanted one as a pet.



Ev on a big old red tractor.


Big B on a big blue.



This picture was actually taken later in the day. We went to a sports bar to watch the BSU game with the boys and this was basically the face we got to see from Brock a majority of the time. He had thrown a pretty good tantrum and Joaquin was trying to get him to laugh and lighten up. So this was our first try....


and this was our second try. He decided to do it after I showed him the first picture. He wanted to be funny like his dad I guess. Uhh kids.

Fun weekend. Joaquin is a happy camper since BSU won, again.

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where did my feet go mom?

Sometimes I wish I could be 2 again. Life is so fun and carefree. You get to play all day long.



Everett


Brock

Kinda looks like we're at the beach. Don't be fooled, we're not.

settlers park

Today we drove to this amazing park called Settlers Park and it is pretty awesome. I would love it if I were little. I watch my niece Emma while her mom is out of the country and it gets hard for me to keep the boys and her from fighting so we went on a joyride to the park and I must say it did not disappoint. The park is pirate themed and there is a lot for kids to discover.

If anyone wants to visit this super duper cool park, all the way up in meridian, just know its free and you have a place to stay. ;)






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a date with myself

I took myself on a date tonight. Joaquin suggested I go do something for myself. What a wonderful husband right? He sees how hard I've been working with the boys and just out if the blue, he asked if I wanted to take a night off.....yeah right. He just schmoozed up to me because Friday night he wants to go and watch the Boise State football game at the local buffalo wild wings, (since we don't have cable.) and Saturday morning he wants to go fly fishing. So I took him up on the offer.

I ran a couple of errands before 9:20pm and then I pulled up to the Majestic movie theater, where I then bought one ticket to see The Help. At first I was feeling a little apprehensive about being there alone but I got over it soon enough. I sorta felt Beyonce/Destiny's child-ish. You know, "All the women who are independent throw your hands up at me." :)

Anyway, all in all it was a great feel good movie, Joaquin said he and the boys had a fun night together too. So I told him I should probably take myself out more often.

(Just as a side note, Joaquin really is an awesome husband! And I think I make him a pretty good wife.)

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an old kimball

I purchased an old kimball piano off craigslist. I have no idea how old but I know they no longer make these pianos and I know the company first started making pianos in the late 1800's. What I do know about this piano is that it's in tune and that I love it. Joaquin and his brother now know how heavy this sucker is. The boys know they love to pound on it. I'm hoping this was a good investment for our family. (I don't play but I'm planning on taking lessons soon.)


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banana nut and chocolate chip bread

Today I entertained the boys, went to winco, picked up my niece from kindergarten, baked 5 loaves of banana bread, (with one 5 year old and one 2 1/2 year old) cooked dinner, went to Costco and marshalls after Joaquin got off of work and now I am going to watch the premier of parenthood on hulu even though I know I should be going to bed.


This shows only 4 loaves because the family seemed to really like the bread.

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example of bad parenting

Don't feel too bad when watching this video because as soon as we tried putting him to bed, he sprang right up. This was sort of like a power nap, he just needed a quick 15 minute rest.

the bechtell's

These are the amazing people I was lucky enough to hang out with this past weekend. Becky Boatwright is a best friend of mine from high school. She got married to Kelly Bechtell who Joaquin, myself and the boys adore and now that we live in Boise, it only takes them 7 hours to drive to see us from Portland. We had so much fun seeing them and we might be making some half way, meet in the middle trips now that we live so close. We miss you Bechtell's.

Twinkle, twinkle little star.

River float.

Bronco Nation! (Kelly is apparently holding up his hands in an "O" for Oregon State.)

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cesarini's

Here is a picture of our entire Cesarini family. I love this picture! One of the main reasons for the family reunion was to get one big picture of all of our family since it's been a few years since we have all had one together. If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times, I love my family so much! I had a little bit of a hard time coming home and being back in reality but I got back into the swing of things within a couple of days. Now I get to look forward to the Ficker's next big family trip which will be over Thanksgiving. We're planning on going down to Disneyland and spending the holiday with Joaquin's Dad, Step Mom for the holiday. Grandpa Rich won tickets to go to Disneyland and is giving them to us so we can all go. I am beyond excited to go! The boys will still be free at this time because they are still under the age of 2. They will turn 3 on December 2nd.

cesarini's family reunion in bear lake, ut

While waiting to go into the Minnetonka cave, Brock decided to kill a bug with his shoe and show me. Boys will be boys I guess.

Inside the cave there were 444 steps one way to get to the end of the cave. It was a really good work out to climb those stairs while holding a child.

Minnetonka cave
This was the very end of the cave and to show us how dark the cave is, they shut off all of the lights. It was pitch black in there. You can't see a thing and it just so happens that I seem to have a child who is very afraid of the dark. Even though I was holding him, he started to cry, and yell my name and say over and over, "Dark n' near". Translation: It's dark in here. :(

Nickie is really happy to be in the cave.

Sleeping beauty. Jorja.

A day at the beach.

Bear Lake fun.

Aunt Kris.

Sweet baby Paige. Only 9 months old.

Joaja and her crazy hair.

Butte National Monument in WY.

More Fossils.

Back to Utah.

My sweet little niece Bethany.

Pinata time.

One of the only pic's of the cabin I got.

Beautiful Julianna.

This picture is out of order. This was when we went to the fossil museum.

Our Bear Lake Family reunion was so very much fun. We all were very happy with the cabin we rented this year and all felt like there was so much room that we could have done it for another week. (Well maybe not all of us felt that way, but I know I did.) It's always nice to be around all of the family so the boys can get to know their Grandparents, Aunts and Uncles and cousins. The boys LOVE their cousins! They both tend to go to Anthony the most. Everett was especially attached to Anth, Brock is usually okay hanging out with anyone who will pay attention to him.

If I am ever in charge of planning one of these trips again, I will do somethings different. For example, we checked in on Monday after 2pm. That was much too late to be checking in. That whole day was almost a waste. But we did make up for it on the other days by spending much time at the private beach, exploring the Minnetonka cave and one of all of the Cesarini's favorite past times, EATING! Of course my family always plans on feeding an entire village when we get together even thought there were only 23 of us there. No complaints on my end though. My waist line is a little mad at me for over indulging though.

It really was such a blast to be with all of the family. I feel truly honored to have the family that I have! I can't say enough good things about them. If it were up to me, I would buy a huge plot of land, build houses for 7 different families so we could all live near one another. Too bad we're broke. I really am looking forward to our next family vacation. I'm not sure if we'll be doing this every year or once every other year but I'm hoping someone steps up to the plate and plans next year. (Hint, hint, nudge, nudge!)