Oh....St. Patty's Day....what more do I need to say!!  Except that I looked terrible...but I still had a pretty fun time!!

I've noticed I do this whole .... "ramble ramble".... "ramble ramble".... thing alot... I even annoy myself doing it...but I'm probably not gonna change.... it's kind of how I talk too!!  : )

Going to back track just a bit.  We recently took a trip to Maui.  We had beautiful weather and really didn't do too much of anything but lay around.  Which is actually a bit different for us because we usually take some sort of "excursion".  This year the only thing  we did was go deep-sea fishing, which we almost always do whenever we are something where that is an option.  This was I believe our 5th trip to Hawaii and although it is one of my favorite places....it's just too darn expensive...I mean crazy expensive in my book.  We also took one day and just drove around...watched some surfers and that's about it!  Our deep sea fishing, however, was like no other fishing we had done before.  It was a little different this year....that's for sure!!!

Just a pic of what I looked at most of the time! : )

 Brent heading out to sea to go fishing...it's still dark out!! 

And yes...a very up close pic of a coast guard helicopter.... there were several....hench the "different" deep sea fishing experience...all I can say however is that I was glad we were on our boat and not the other boat that was out there.  We headed out at 5:30am (Brent wanted to leave at 2:30am...I vetoed that idea and glad I did!!)  So anyway, we head out and one of the captains of the boat comes down and says that we are going to do things a little different today...we are going to speed out to our fishing site and then put our lines in...instead of trolling all the way out.  Well...fine with us...what do we care!  So they take off.... hammer down you would say!  We are headed just off the coast of Lanai...actually a place we have fished before ... I think where I caught a striped marlin (yes..the only fish I've gotten).  Anyway, a few minutes later he comes back down and says "hey...I want to level with you... a buddy of ours ... the captain of another fishing boat.... has gone overboard and we are going to go out and look for him...I'm so sorry... but we will put lines out while we are looking but we wanted you to know"....yeah really....talk about a surreal moment... cause I'm pretty sure NO ONE was too interested in fishing at that moment.  So we go out....drive around for 3 hours looking.... while watching the helicopters search as well...just feeling sick and terrible and hoping for a miracle.  Well...after the 3 hours they get word that the helicopter had found him... yes...unfortunately not alive.  He was only like 46 with 2 little kids.  It just made me sad...I even cried...behind the sunglasses of course!  So then... the crew took us fishing...just wasn't the same!  And I was just ready to go home.... well... especially since I started throwing up...over and over and over again... for like 4 hours!  I heard one guy say "I bet if we gave them more money they would take us out longer"... I looked at my husband and told him that if he gave them money I swear I would kill him... I was so sick I don't think I was joking!  : )  Well... maybe...just trying to get my point across!!   

Anyway, interesting trip anyway...never did hear what happened to him exactly...they weren't even sure when he went off the boat...it was dark...he was up top by himself... don't know if it was a heart attack... slipped (which seems hard to believe) or what!  Anyway...sad is all I can say! 

Here's a picture of Steve Lambert...the fishing captain!  So sad...may he rest in peace!

On a brighter note.....

This is Raegan's prize winning Valentines Day box....she wanted to win SOOO bad and thank goodness she did!!!  She is a cute little robot don't ya think!!??  Her back opens up (like it's the battery compartment) so that the kids could put their valentines in!

A Friday night with just me and 4 kids!!!  I'm not sure who had more fun...them or me!!  And yes...I am a bad parent who drives their kids around town letting them cover people's houses with toliet paper!!!  They were so stinking funny!!! 

Skiing!!

The kids quite enjoy snow skiing...I myself just this year finally got to where I feel like I almost know what I'm doing... big step for me!!!  I took a lesson this year.... made all the difference in the world.  Plus...the weather was nice and warm...dare I say...I was hot!  Now THAT made all the difference in the world... because I HATE to be cold. 

 Brock....where are you going???  Brock is a maniac on the ski's and goes on the "big" hills with his dad!! 

Me and my Rae....very very tired....It was a long day.... and dark outside...we were ready to go....if only we knew where those boys were!!???!!!

Miss Raegan

Dad and Brock taking a little break.... not long though!

I made Brock wear a helmet...that child is crazy and goes FAST....he definately needed a helmet!  He's not as smart and cautious as his big sister!

Here is a link to someone's blog talking about Todd Harmeyer.  Todd was yet another tragic death of one of my sister's husbands best friends.  I feel so bad for him...to basically lose yet another brother.  It's amazing how one person can mean so much to so many.  Just shows you that you don't have to conquer the world to "be" the world to so many.  I wonder if he had any idea the impact he had on this one small town.  I don't know the woman who wrote the blog but I just loved the title of her post.  "Beardstown's George Bailey"...I never really thought about it before but it is so very appropriate.  Rest in peace Todd...you lasted far longer than you were "suppose" to.... and glad that your pain is over... but you will be greatly missed by so many.
  http://wolfpak-cubbie.blogspot.com/2012/01/beardstowns-george-bailey.html#comment-form

Well...we actually did survive Thanksgiving...no one got sick...so I guess the dinner went fine.  Now we are preparing to just get through Christmas!  Love Christmas!!!  Of course... first I need to make it through tomorrow night...that's when my house will be filled with 9....yes 9 girls...ages 9 and 10 for a birthday sleepover for Raegan!!!!  I'm still not exactly sure what on earth I'm going to do with them all yet!  I sure hope I make it!!!  It's just one night .... right??  Plus... Cooper and Brock will be here for most of the action too!  Although... I think maybe Brock might find his way over to the Cooper household for the night... cause I don't even think Brock can handle that many girls!  So far... I do know they plan on dressing up Brent as a girl...make up ... wig... dress... so can't wait for that to happen!!!  That is SOOOO not Brent...that's what makes it so great!  Anyway....have tons to get done today...I'm so never prepared!!!