Thursday Top 10....From Mason's Perspective

Today was an eventful day. Mason's official Birthday and he had some glorious ways of celebrating his 4th year on this earth. So, a new twist on my top 10 list...the answers all came from Mason today. Hope you Enjoy!!!

Top 10 Best Things About My Birthday:

10. It's July (I'm guessing he likes it because it is warm)

9. Cha Cha (Happy Birthday Song with Cha, Cha, Cha)

8. I don't know

7. To eat cupcakes (Duh...)

6. You get Jerseys Right???

5.Lunch at Burger King

4. Dairy Queen Dessert..(Kiddie Cone)

3. I'm not giving MoMo away...(we have been telling him when he is 4)

2. Mom makes favorite dinner (meatloaf, mac & cheese)

1....I sleeped late...(all of us did...until 10am!!)

So, now that we have that bit of insight, I know that we will all sleep better!

Happy Birthday Mason! Mom, Dad, and Jaxon love you very much!

Wordless Wednesday

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpoD4H2QruU

Enjoy!

Tuesday Technology Tidbit

Todays Tuesday Technology Tidbit comes from www.mpix.com. If you have not seen the site before, please do yourself a favor and check it out. I have heard about this site in many of the photography books that are out there as well as in the class that I took through Anoka County. I guess it is pretty large in the professional photography arena. I had never ordered anything from them until last week when I got a couple of 5 x 7 prints as well as several 8 x 10's. I am attaching a copy of the 8 x 10 that I got of Jaxon from Fathers Day. I really love how the colors pop. Of course, I put text on the photo at the bottom and that cut off for some reason, when I contacted them they are correcting and re-shipping for free so that was a nice change of pace! Good customer service...

Anywho, this is just a really great quality, they do so many things that it keeps it exciting and fun. I am looking forward to tinkering a little bit more and placing some orders for larger prints soon...(what will I do with them)?

Tarah's Tuesday Technology Tidbit....Toodles =)

The "Naked" Chef

This was too funny to pass up. A while ago I had a craft at my house and we made these really cute chef hats. I placed it in the closet for another time and when I ran across it tonight it was PERFECT because Mason loves to help me cook dinner. We had just come home from swimming and he was changed into clean shorts...but no shirt. That is when I saw him at the stove. I placed the hat on him and this is what he did.....sometimes you just can't make this stuff up. It is days like these I could have 100 of them....wait, take that back I can barely handle two!!

More bloggin later- 

Back to Normal

Ahhh, a nice change of pace for us...nothing to do except what we wanted to! Baseball...OVER, Soccer...OVER, Traveling...OVER...Birthday Party...well you get the point!!!

Today was so nice to just be able to go to church, run errands and do a little shopping! The boys got a brand new basketball hoop (thanks to all who contributed with gift cards)! 

Erik spent most of today putting it together...LOL, I was not any help...this seemed like a dad thing to me! It still has a couple of missing pieces but I think it should be up tomorrow for a few hoops!

All in all a decent and boring day. Something that the Fenns have not had for a little while. Now, I am looking forward to a week of working and having the kids back at school. 

Till tomorrow. Blog on...

Twins Birthday Party

Well, I was on a one day blog-hiatus to get my boys party organized. May I just say that T.C. from the Twins is quite possibly more than human! This bear dealt with 20 fanatic children, played baseball like a pro in a bear suit on a 90 degree Minnesota day....Worth every penny and then some.

We had an awesome day! It was really the most memorable birthday party that we have had for the boys and I am glad because they were both old enough to understand it (and hopefully remember it)!

Thanks to all the family and friends who attended, brought or shipped gifts! The boys were truly spoiled =)

Until tomorrow.....Enjoy!

Make a Smilebox postcard

Laundry Capers

Ever have one of those days where nothing seems to go right?
Mine have been yesterday and today. You name it, it went wrong.

This is a wonderful little rub off that I have on my laundry room wall...(of course, I added the NOT for picture purposes)!
My washer was on the fritz as of last night, along with our TV remote and 2 shelves that fell totally out of the wall. I spent the better part of today on the phone with various help lines...Are you kidding me...they are basically a waste.

Finally I reached an intellectual person named David (Thank the Lord for him)..Here is a neat tidbit, most new front loading washers do not have belts in them. Instead they have a hard drive that needs to be reset.....who would have known!!!

Now I only have about 8 loads of laundry to catch up on...UGHH!

So, needless to say everything ended up fine. Except for my sanity...that went out the window along with the remote!

Word Full Wednesday....

Happy Birthday to Jaxon! He has reached the "7" milestone that he has been waiting for!! I myself find these days to be bitter sweet because although I am proud of the character he has, student that he is and athlete he desires to be, I also remember the baby that he was and how many times I wished that he did not need me...the sad fact is that every day he becomes more independent and less of a baby or small boy. The age old adage "the days are long but the years are short" really does resound with me today. Nevertheless, we had a great day doing tons of things that Jaxon wanted to do:

1. School - He had a field trip to Papa John's Pizza and he made his favorite pizza (sausage & pepperoni) don't ask...
2. Pool - We grabbed the pizza and headed to the pool with our neighbors and friends for some afternoon fun.
3. Home - For a little downtime before his 6:30 playoff baseball game!
4. Baseball Game - Which they won!! Means that they play at 10:00am and 3:00pm (right in between birthday party) YIKES!

That is enough chatting for now! You must be exhausted!!!

Technology Tidbit

We are on countdown at our house! Jaxon's birthday is tomorrow and it is a day planned with whatever he wants to do...not sure what we have in store but I know that there will be baseball, pool and school in the mix!

My technology tidbit for today is a great little site called www.rockyou.com ! Check out the slide show that I made and make one yourself! They are fun and free....the 2 best F's if you ask me!!

Short and sweet...until tomorrow, enjoy!

Seeing Double

Check this out!! Ha..I love coming across stuff like this!

Erik's brother Wade is turning 50 in a couple of weeks

so we have our hands on some of the Fenn archives! For those of you who may not be aware Erik is the baby of 5 boys...

yes do you believe it?

I have 2 that are borderline out of control and She had 5!!!

The picture just simply makes me think of Mason when I see Erik. Obviously, he is the little guy in the middle...

Oh, BTW check out the plaid shorts ....Back in style!!

See even styles come back around for men..

even if we wished they hadn't.

Till next blog....

I LOVE YOU BLAIR!!!

July 20th just happens to be my cousin and really great friends birthday!!! Whoo, I am not sure that she wants me broadcasting her exact age but in an effort to show her how much I love her and am grateful that she is in my life.....I am bringing back an old favorite of ours......The Facts of Life! Any of you fans? Do you remember the "Tea for Two" episode where Blair's cousin is crippled in a wheel chair and Blair and her sing that song? Seriously one of the funniest moments that my cousin and I have ever had....well just to let you in on a little insight....we do this a lot. So to commemorate her birthday here is a top 10 list of the funniest moments that we have shared....(It's OK if they are not as funny to you!) Some of them might be an inside joke....or maybe just maybe you will know what I am talking about!!! In no particular order...

10. I LOVE YOU BLAIR.....

9. Silver Bells...

8. Say....Do you have a dollar two ninety eight?

7. Pelvis Pack

6. I'm gonna keep on copying you...cuz its the only thing I gotta do....

5. Oh my gosh...taste this it is disgusting!!!

4.Oh, Brian Boitano has fallen again....Oh...again!

3. Whenever I drink my orange juice, I think of you girl....

2. Blueberry Frozen Yogurt @ Bob's Big Boy....(A lotta B's)

1........Roller Skating in your basement....I was soo hot! =)

Happy Birthday MiMi.....I LOVE YOU BLAIR!

Big MAC attack!

So, today was the day that we broke down and bought a MAC!!! 

I know...I really have no idea what I am doing on it right now but it is hooked up and functional. 

Any new tips from MAC users appreciated! Yeah right there are (4) of us reading this blog! 

Maybe I will spend the better part of the next year figuring it out! 

Tips for a Successful Marriage....Fenn Style

It's actually kind of funny because as of right now I am the last person that should be giving marriage advice!

After my large negative blowup last night I decided that this blog is for me and maybe (big maybe) for anyone else who might find it useful. I need to keep tools like this at my disposal because I am NOT perfect and I am sure that my husband would absolutely agree with me!

So here we go:

The seven deadly habits are:

criticizing, blaming, complaining, nagging, threatening, punishing, & bribing.

The seven caring habits include: supporting, encouraging, listening, accepting, trusting, respecting, & negotiating differences.

Now add on top of that some serious help from the big guy upstairs and I am hoping that I can cut out all of the deadly habits that I possess.....help me!!!!

Dads Do It Differently

I am back from Vegas and I need to be more grateful for all that my husband has done while I have been gone.

Does anyone else have this problem where you seem to only point out the negative things sometimes? How do you break away from it. It is really hard for me to just be nice sometimes. My sarcasm comes in and just ruins the day.

While it is apparent that Dads do things differently, it is NOT wrong and I have to keep telling myself that men and women take care of children differently.

I am open to feedback and comments on this one because I could really use some new tips to help me keep it at the forefront of my mind....

PS...Thanks to MiMi for allowing me to steal a magazine cover for free just like she did.....

Erik deserves to be on the cover of this mag after 4 days with the boys!!! =)

Create Fake Magazine Covers with your own picture at MagMyPic.com

Click here to rate this magazine

Wordless Wednesday

Tarah's Tuesday Technology Tidbit

Are you kidding me? If you are looking at this picture you have to realize that this is just DIRTY.

As most of my close knit community is aware that I work for AMD....(aka the Tri-cycle..)

Now, to put this into perspective, I am going to list off a couple of other rivalries that are as hard core as this little ad is....

5. Rosie O'Donnell vs. Donald Trump

4. Bill Gates (Microsoft) vs. Steve Jobbs (Apple)

3. Obama vs. McCain

2. Sampras vs. Agassi

1. Starbucks vs. Dunkin Donuts

So, in an effort to put this into a perspective that everyone can understand,

THE GLOVES ARE OFF!

I am tired of a larger marketing company placing messaging and sound bytes all over the advertising forum..nothing left unturned...Internet, television and radio. Mostly subliminal.

(PS, I had my TV on over night the other night and I woke up to the sound of the intel ruckus at about 3:30 am.)

Now, I have the power to teach retail and anyone else who asks or just happens on this blog to know the TRUTH.

Stay tuned because every Tuesday on my blog will be Technology Tuesday!

Fenn Family First

I began reading this book last week, Yes I know....maybe I am dusting the cover still...(it has been on the shelf awhile.)

Many people have told me that this book is perfect for families and ours is not an exception. Does anyone else feel like there just has to be more? I love my husband and my children however, I know that both Erik and I are on the same page when we say that we do not just want our children to grow up to be "Happy"...what is that?

I want my children to be fulfilled, honest, caring and giving men that we are proud to place into society (and not just because they have great parents...HA).

I'm just getting started on chapter 4 and it is very insightful! I just know that there is a great way to make the Fenn Family First!

Thanks Dr Phil and the other for reminding me that this one was on the shelf....

What Happens in Vegas Stays in Vegas.....

I am leaving for a business trip tomorrow morning to Vegas.....of course I am going to miss the kids and the hubby......Here is the picture of Jaxon when I asked him what he thought...he said

"Thumbs up for Mom", "Thumbs down for me!"

I thought that was pretty cute!

For me it has been a day of packing and getting ready...since we all know how inconvenient it is to fly these days I have to pack very strategically!

Hope everyone has a great week. I will try to blog once or twice while away!

"Elm"er Fenns

Today was another georgeous Summer Day in Minnesota!

A bunch of my girlfriends decided to go to Elm Creek Park Reserve.

For me, it was last minute because my grandmother and grandfather were scheduled to be in town however my grandmother broke her ankle and is in the hospital in Brainerd so this change our entire plans for Friday and Saturday!

No worries, she is doing well but a big hic-cup in the vacation none the less.

Here are a couple of shots that were taken today.

I have copy-righted the 2 pictures (HA HA). If you don't get that joke....just read the blog below it.

I had a lot of comments on that one.......=)

Now my new goal is to "Steal" an idea per day...so watch your ideas ladies =)

Where did that "tickle tickle" come from?

Anyhow. We had a great time today...it was worth the $6.00! Gotta love deals like this....

10 Sign's You Need a Mom-Over......

Today I saw something that I honestly see way too much of....Mom Pants!!!

You know the ones that I am talking about....so in an effort to get all of us girls on the Fashion Forward page here is a top 10 along with sweet little site that I found to help us out...

(of course it means we have to shop...BUMMER!)

10. Your dressy outfit is a "Nike Running" suit.

9. You roll out of bed and are dressed for the day.....hmmm I have been there before!

8. Your dressy shoes are Sketchers.

7. Your swimsuit looks more like a gown

6. You buy your clothing at the same place you buy your Toilet Paper.... =)

5. You wipe your hands on your clothing instead of drying them....(I've done that for years)

4. Your bra is as supportive as a piece of scotch tape.

3. Your handbag is a eco-friendly bag from Target

2. Your requirements for a quality piece are wrinkle resistant!

1. Your jeans are touching the "girls" and they are not the trendy high waisted brand!

Here is the great news...I found this site today on another blog:

http://www.shopittome.com/

You can select which brand names you mostly purchase and it send you an email when they are on sale and in your size......even does it for kids clothes....GOTTA LOVE IT!

Oh, and by the way...you have to check out this great blog....she is the inspiration behind the list today.....wink wink (I love to copy great ideas!)

lastylistmom@wordpress.com

Miami Ink

So, it might be a strange 10yr anniversary gift and I recognize that not everyone will approve but Erik and I both decided that it was something that we wanted to do while we were in Miami.

Although, Miami Ink was unavailable (believe me, I tried), we found a really great shop on South Beach and we both took the plunge! Erik commemorated his "Shattuck" hockey days and I got something fun on my foot...

(the picture was taken right after it was done so the ink is still a little smudgy).

May I just say that this is my 2nd and final tattoo, however my 1st did not hurt.....the cherries however, almost hurt worse than child birth...and I am NOT kidding! The tattoo artist said that most women cry and scream so I am proud that I was just able to use my Lamaze breathing techniques...(good thing since they never came in handy for labor)!

Well...here is to your sleazy tattoo friend who had to inform both of her children that it is NOT OK to get a tattoo until you are married and your spouse agrees with it!

Suckers

Today is kind of a gross day outside. Really humid and getting ready for a storm...we all know how that is! Anyhow, in an effort to still do something fun with the kids, I found these suckers that they got at our little friends birthday party so....we pulled them out and did a little photo shoot. I got a couple good ones...what else can I ask for...they are boys, they do NOT sit pretty and by no means do they ever stay clean!!! Ahh....An OCD's moms worst nightmare!

I'm pretty proud of these, if I do say so myself. =)

This will be my last blog for the day and I am caught up...just in time for the Bachelorette...c'mon Jason........See ya!

Boat Trip

Last week we took a boat trip on Lake Minnetonka with Erik's Mom and Dad and his Brother Wade. We met up with Wade's girlfriend Claudia and we ate Dinner and had a very stressful meal with small children...(you all know what I am talking about).

It was a beautiful night for a boat ride and I even got a really great shot of the sunset.....Here are a couple of pictures that I took...Enjoy!

Playing Catch Up.....

Now I am getting back into the blogging spirit!! I have a lot to catch up on. We have been busy doing lots of family fun stuff! Here are a couple of pictures to get up to speed on 4th of July activities around the Fenn House! A cake that we made to celebrate!! It was cute and fun....
Jaxon wanted to sell items at the Fireworks and we have been teaching him about money. He started out really slow, once he made his 1st sale (thanks to his brother yelling for him) he was on a role!!! Way to go Jaxon...our tiny Biznazz man!
Mason waiting patiently for the fireworks to begin...Too bad there were crazy people and we could hardly see anyways!

My copy cat photo for the 4th of July...Thanks MiMi for the idea!

More to come later!!!

It's Shaving Men....

Check out these adorable pics I got the other day of the "BOYS" trying to be like Dad...They did not even know that I was taking pictures of them...that is my favorite!!!

They have pretend razors that we use when it is bath time and sometimes dad puts shaving cream on for fun....well, Jaxon said that he felt a little scruffy so he went to grab his gear and apparently Mason followed....

Just thought this one was too cute to pass up.

Blog-nesia

OK, so most of you that check out my blog have been expressing some concerns that I was stolen or hijacked since I have not been bloggin much in the past couple of weeks. I am finally taking some much needed bloggin time and downloading all of my pictures...please say a prayer for my computer because it is smoking and on overload from all the pictures =).

This picture was at our Anniversary dinner at a Restaurant called Porcao. It is a Brazilian steak house where you literally have to hand them a STOP card to get them to quit bringing you food....=) Quite possibly my favorite place on earth! A gorgeous view of the water, and my hubby of 10 years!

We took a really great cruise called the "Thriller" it took us around all of Miami in a boat and we stopped at some sights that most people would not normally get to see like...P Diddy, Puff Daddy, Sean Combs...ahh whatever he is called these days! Pretty nice pad......I guess =)

This was a really interesting story....Erik and I watch CSI Miami but we did not seriously think they existed like this...well they do! We were in South Beach and 8 cops pull up to this hotel along with an ambulance and a fire truck....we had no idea what happened till the next morning but it turns out that some model jumped out of her 9th floor hotel room as a suicide. Absolutely horrible however, I took a moment to photograph the CSI unit...am I a tourist or what?

This is a long blog so I will stop for this evening, just check back, I could do this trip for days on end!