Hey all! We're back from our little trip! It was a blast and we're so glad we went. I haven't got the pics uploaded yet, so be expecting a post later...

But in other news.... I'm blogging about an awesome giveaway because I want to win SO bad.

SavvyMode is giving away 4 pairs. YES, you heard it right folks, FOUR PAIRS of shoes! There are two styles, and if you win you get to pick the color of your choice.

But since I didn't manage to find my sanity for long enough to take a picture of the event I'm about to describe, you'll have to deal with words.... and it's worth reading. TRUST ME. Let me begin.


It's a lovely 7:30 in the am. I am bouncing with joy because I woke up before my kids, managed to shower, and talk on the phone with my mom all while they are sleeping in their little beds. (This NEVER happens.) I am enjoying the peaceful quiet of my house and head to the living room to clean up the blankets/pillow/dishes left over from movie watching last night. Dishes go to the sink. Pillows return to their homes. Blanket #1 is neatly folded and tucked away. Then comes Blanket #2. The horrible, no good, rotten blanket that looked too good to just put away. So I wrapped myself up in it and was preparing to plop down on the couch with a good book.

Then I looked down...

(I have no idea why. Maybe God needed a good laugh??? I'm fairly certain he's got a great sense of humor and was laughing hysterically.)

ANYWAY...

Then I looked down... and there on that blanket that was snuggled up around ME was the most gigantic spider in the history of the world. (Okay, maybe just the Doan household, but seriously we're talking Godzilla on 8 legs here.) I screamed like the stupid girl that get's trapped upstairs in a horror movie. I flung the blanket off me. I screamed more. The spider scurried to the corner. I'm jumping around with the heebie-jeebies trying to figure out what to do. I don't kill spiders... Jake kills spiders. I don't even like to kill flies. (It's the whole business of cleaning up their squashed guts...but more on that later.)

(I should probably note that my screaming woke up Ashelyn and so at this point she's been crying in her crib the WHOLE time this is happening. Gideon is just watching me from the safety of the hall wondering, "What the heck happened to Mommy?")

Instinctively, I grab a flip-flop. I'm set to strike and then suddenly realize this spider could eat through this wimpy flip flop in an attempt to get to me. This WON'T do. The next biggest thing I could find within my reach was a library book. I still can't muster up the courage to just give the thing a good whack... so I hurl this book across my living room . Obviously I was incapable of rational thought, because once you hurl something in close proximity of Monster-Spider, a missed shot requires you to go fetch it.

Realizing my book-hurling isn't going to cut it, I puff up my chest and bravely march the 6 feet to the corner and decide, maybe I can just drop the book on the spider?! That way, my hand isn't ACTUALLY close to it. I try this about 3 times. Carefully dragging the book back into my reach with my foot after each failed attempt.

"This is it," I say, and I finally render the death blow. This is when it gets really difficult. You know spiders, when they die their legs curl all up and it's disgusting and horrible. The WORST.

Now, back to the whole hating to clean up squashed dead things business. I decided that my bravery for the day was completely spent, so I took my ottoman, shoved it over to the corner to cover up dead Godzilla. (Don't judge me! At least now my kids can't get to it.)

Jake is going to have to deal with him later.

***No library books were harmed during this incident.***

SEE!!! I also like to call it "Diet Killer"
Then I remembered the other one hates cheese.... Maybe go with classic spaghetti??? I dunno, I might just make her suffer (really???) through it! Who hates cheese anyway?

-Saturday we're going to Omaha!!! We're soooo excited to go on a little family trip. We got a great deal on a hotel from my friend Stacey and pretty much our only plan is to go to the zoo and see the aquarium.

Gideon is VERY excited about the Monkeys.
Jake is excited to see the fish.

-In other news... I am NOT pregnant. I had a crazy dream that I was (and it didn't help that I was super emotional/tired, so I freaked myself out). My Mom had a crazy dream that I was. My mother in law has been wishing I was since Ashelyn was a month old. :o) Just thought I'd clarify that so far... no prego. But there will definitely be more adorable Doan babies in the future.

-Since I am bound to my house by the whole no-car business I really have NO excuse to put off the laundry any longer... so I'm off to do that. Happy Thursday all!

.... If you are going to eat ridiculous amounts of puppy chow, it is probably a good idea NOT to be wearing black pants....

Just saying.

Apparently Summer heard my complaints. The seasonal heavens shined down and gifted us with two beautiful days in a row. While Jacob spent the day working... *grrrrr...* The kids and I (and Annie, my amazing niece, who we are really gonna miss around here) spent the day at my parents house lounging around in the hammock. Enjoying the shade. Watching a bullfrog. Airplane Hunting. Eating popsicles. You know... the good stuff.

Gideon spent the day finding the best boy-like tasks he could manage and telling me "I wookin' mommy." He wooks (and plays. and laughs) hard. He quickly recognizes the whooshing sounds of airplanes flying overhead and drops whatever he's doing to leap up in a victory dance to shout, "A plane! Mommy, a plane, a plane!!" It's the best.

Ashelyn is ever the independent one. She did not want me on the hammock with her. She didn't want me to help her off the hammock. She wasn't happy when I fetched her out of the flower beds. She just wanted to do as she pleased. This little girl is going to give us a run for our money.

Dear Summer,
You and I aren't friends any more. What is this business of being so obscenely humid that I walk out my front door and am drenched in sweat before I reach the car? Let's not even talk about how I'm feeling by the time I get 2 babies buckled into car seats....
I'm ready for fall now. Thanks,

Me

Jake just called me to tell me he won tickets for me to an acoustic sit down with Jack's Mannequin. I don't know if you're all familiar with the wonder that is Andrew McMahon but I am SOOOO excited. Here's a little goodness:


In other news... Hubby can't get off work to go with me so I have a FREE ticket. Maren, wanna take a trip out to Missouri before Monday??? Suzanne, you gonna be around? I'd really like to take someone who loves them as much as I do.

Hello again. I'm happy to see that I'm not the only one taking a vacation from blog-land. And I must say, it's been much needed and FANTASTIC.

I've been majorly bummed since my camera bit the dust, but luckily my phone takes pretty decent pictures. (Also, I've taken the liberty of swiping a few from family or friends that have been at the same places.)

First up: Independence Day! We had such a great weekend. We kicked back, up in good ol' Kidder, MO, at my sil Sarah's house. It was probably one of the mellowest and most enjoyable holidays we've had in a long time. It was one of those no plan, go with the flow type of weekends and it was a blast! Thanks for having us Galbraiths!