Life taken to away.....

We all dread that late night phone call....you all know something is just not right! the kind of call that startles you out of a deep sleep! The kind that makes you heart feel like it is going to jump out of your chest.....

Well this past Saturday we got that call. My husbands cousin was in a tragic accident. She was killed instantly late Saturday afternoon when she feel off her snowmobile and having another sled land on top of her. All of this happening while the love of her life, her husband watching 2 sleds back. The only comfort is that she died instantly...the Lord did not allow her to suffer. She was 33 years old and leave behind her husband and her 3 daughters. Her girls, age 12, 9, and 7 (side note....the 7 year old had her birthday on Sunday) will grow up with out their mother. As I type this the tear well up again....the thought of their mother never seeing the first school dance, the softball tournaments, the prom, marriage and babies, breaks my heart!
I have begun to slow down and listen to my girls on the "silly" stuff that they talk about, and that I normally filter out! I add extra hugs when ever I can, I even make sure I tell my husband, parents and close loved ones that I LOVE THEM!

You can never let life get too busy to forget the real reason we are put on this earth! I rely a lot on my faith and believe that God has a plan for this family. We head out tomorrow to go to Iowa for the visitation and funeral. We have to support our loved ones in this time of loss. Please send prayers and good vibes towards this family...they have a long road of recovery ahead of them.

Inner Bad Ass Released....or so I think!

Bumper sticker at tattoo shop! That says it all!

Getting a tattoo is a funny thing....You talk about it, you plan it and then you talk about some more! That's what it was like for me for the past 15 years! When I turned 30 I promised my self that I would do it before I turned 35 and then at 35, I made that promise to myself for 40! So this year is not my 40th but 39th! I was not going to back out again.....so here is how this all went down!

Research and research that is my forte! I read up on everything about tattoos that I could find. I researched shops and artists. My head was spinning! So when our 18 year old babysitter went and got her foot tattooed and showed it to me, that sealed the deal! I knew the essentials....The design, The where, and The who! Now all I needed was to set it up!

On the day of going in to get our estimate and bring our drawings (I forgot to mention that hubby has always wanted a tattoo also, and we decided to do together!) I felt like I was going on an illegal drug purchase. I was nervous, that my hands were sweating and I kept looking behind me as if I was being followed! So hubby and I arrive at the shop and go in! We are greeted by these tattoo covered, pierced up guys! We ask for the artist that we knew we wanted to do the work. Speaking with him our confidence rises, rises so much that we make an appointment....THE VERY NEXT DAY!

The night before the tattoo....hubby did not sleep a wink! He is quite the drama king and dislikes pain and needles very much! Good thing he had to work before we went in for our appointment because I think he would have driven me nuts! So the plan was for me to go first.....that was the plan until hubby gets in the car and is sweating badly! I tell him that he does NOT have to do this! He says....NO I WANT TO! Then he adds that he wants to go first!

With hubby all ready to go, seeing him sitting in the chair, I wonder when he is really going to back out! So I walk outside for a bit, thinking that if I am not there I won't have any influence on him! After 15 minutes, I come back in to the shop to find him laughing and totally relaxed! Phew....then I wonder if they even started? Yep, the outline was started! Hubby Survived! No flinching, whining or tears! So now I had to anxiously wait my turn!

Hubby about 1 hour into tattoo....still calm!
His finished tattoo!

Waiting and waiting....I am not usually the patient type without a drink in my hand, so it was awesome when a few friends showed up to keep us company! We chatted with the piercing guy, even exchanged a wonder pets ring tone, watched people get piercings and found a crazy women's bathroom that definitely needs a woman's touch! The 2 and half hours for hubby's tattoo flew by!

Crazy womens bathroom....dont they know that yes, girls go to the bathroom together, but not like this?!

With his tattoo looking awesome, I was excited to get mine done! Wait did I say excited? Yep! All my nervous energy had been released! Getting all set up, Alec the artist starts on mine......no real pain! Just the feeling like a deep itch that you can't reach. My "little" tattoo, like my husband calls it, took about 20 minutes! I was all done, and ready for another!

My tattoo represents my heart with a keyhole....the 3 little hearts represent my husband and girls who all have the keys to my heart! Their colors in their hearts are their birthstone colors! Hubby's tattoo is truly releasing his inner bad ass! For those who know my hubby, he is a quiet shy type! This was a representation of his dark side!

So would I do another? Yep!

Whatever!

We have all been fully warned of the the newborn that keeps you awake all night, and then the progression of the the "terrible" two's! But that is when pretty much all the parenting advise stops! We never hear beyond those toddler years, except maybe the first few years in school. I think I have figured out why....TEENAGERS! Nobody wants to utter that word! I think parenthood was a complete set up! I battled the nightly wakings, the terrible 2's and even the early school years, but I am ready to pack it in as a parent of a teenager! Teenage daughter, yet at that!

No don't get me wrong....I love my daughter with all my heart. I think that I will love her more when we are completely out of the "whatever, you don't know anything, and I hate you!" phase in her life right now! We have hit hormone island, so along with the pimples, and body changes we also get to enjoy her mood swings! I am not sure if I am in complete denial, (and I am not about to verify with my Mother) but I don't think I was this up and down as a teenager! I admit, that I have used the line "you don't anything" to my parents, but as a parent now, that is the most horrific words that can be said to you! I love that I am made out to be the bad guy, when reminding her to brush her teeth, or wash her face! I feel like I am asking her to wash her face in acid! On the other end of the teenage spectrum can be the most loving, understanding daughter....okay so I may be exaggerating a bit, but she can be pleasant and even receptive to communication that does not involve asking for money!

So I think people don't talk about the teenager years, because it's easy to think of battles with an adorable little 2 year old that shouts "No!" Then with a pimply moody teen! I think if I was told about this, I might have changed my mind! All kidding aside.... we all have been teenagers or have even parented a teen and survived! I have a long road ahead of me, but I am prepared! Or so I think!

Happy February!

Kenzie and her Friend Amanda at school on Valentine's Day!





Life has been busy in the Dean house again! Back into the swing of things and never really finding time for me! So I decided to take time to update you.

Had a great weekend "date" night for Valentines last weekend! Went to Outback and the Casino!

Finished getting Madison's cookie order for girl scouts. Phew she sold 102 boxes!

I volunteered at Kenzie's school for her Valentine's day party. Even though she avoided me completely. Hahahah

Was mortified when I seen Kenzie's Martin Luther King....I have a dream project! Her dream for her family was for us to get along! Wow...the teachers must think we fight all the time!

Nice....I can only imagine what the teachers think!

Off to the Dermatologist today for hubby for a mysterious rash that he got on vacation! He swears he thinks he has flesh eating bacteria!

Planning on FINALLY getting my tattoo!! Yes, I have been saying this for years, but I have a place all picked out, just need to go in and get it planned! Pics will be posted when done!

Excited for a trip to Vegas with Brother in law and Sister in law! Finally a trip with no kids!

I will try and post again tomorrow! Happy February!

You wanna put what? Where?

So I am a woman who is excited to have a night alone with the hubby! So he plans a night out and has the kids staying the night with Grandma and Grandpa! Excitedly I tell my co-workers about the thrill of a night alone with my man.

The girls, mind you are young pups, ask me if I intend to wax up for the weekend? Wax up what? I ask. Your "love lair" they respond! OH MY GOD! NO!!!!!! I have never thought of full hair removal from that area.....the thought of the pain and swelling is not worth it! Let alone the re-growth itch and possible infections. With all of this running through my head, because I would never say that out loud! I ask the girls if they do it? They both respond "Yes!" Intrigued a little bit, I ask if they go some where or do they do it themselves. One gal tells me that she goes to a place to have it done, and they other states she does her own. Either way, I ca not even imagine. I have a hard time going to the OB/GYN for my yearly's! Let alone someone else seeing my privates!

So for the next few days they keep bugging me to go in to a place and get a wax. They tell me that hubby will love it and it will add to the mystery and spice up the bedroom! Yeah....not gonna happen. I can barely bring myself to get my tattoo, so I really think that a Brazilian wax is not gonna happen ever!

Look no further!

Yes....I am one of those! I HATE.....HATE looking all over for the damn remote! They are created small to cause havoc in my life!

It seems that everytime I want to watch the TV or change the channel that elusive remote disappears!

I actually found the best thing in my life right now! The best $9.99 i have ever spent at Walgreens!

Drum roll.............................................

THE COLOSSAL REMOTE! I am in heaven!

Tit for Tat

By comparison: My husband and his brother are pretty much identical, aside from height, color of hair, and occupations. Both brothers were raised by their father and have been blessed with the "Terry Flare" as me and my sister in law Trish call their tantrums! So after almost 13 years of not seeing each other (due to travel issues) the BOYS were reunited!

We planned the reunion for the week after we got back from our vacation. Mother nature did not play nice. She blasted the mid-west (South Dakota) with a freaking blizzard! This delayed their departure by about 12 hours and led them on a journey from South Dakota to North Dakota and in to Minnesota! Arriving at 1:30 am, the reunion began! It was awesome to see all of them and the cousins could not wait to see each other again. (We traveled to SD this summer to see Trisha and the kids while Jason is stationed in South Korea)

The morning brought us coffee and talking! It was amazing to see how much the boys were still alike! In fact the pretty much both act like they are 12, except they have children of their own. The best part is seeing them both interacting with their teenage daughters! The teasing and playful picking on the girls had us all laughing. After a night of a few cocktails, I brought up the subject to my mother in law, who was visiting us as well. I asked the boys mother if she breastfed the boys. She told us no, she never did! Then I had my AH HA moment!

My husband has been a boob man for as long as I have known him! He could just hold my breast in his hand for comfort if I would let him! The constant grabbing, caressing, touch and tweaking, now had an answer! He was deprived as a child from being breastfed, therefore his desire to touch boobies is his mother's fault. During my AH HA moment, I see Trisha's eye's gleaming as she too tells us that Jason is a boob man also! So again, my theory is correct....no breastfeeding leads to a boob man! Now, I could be wrong, but 2 out of 2 in the same family are pretty good odds! So again I thanked my Mother in Law for the wonderful deprivation she has given her boys, we all laugh! That is until my breasts are being fondled again, and then I am curing my Mother in Law.