"experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted." -randy pausch

Friday, July 12, 2013

OH thank heaven! {the time i got locked in the 7-11 freezer & dusty baker}

my dad used to own one.
did you know?
san bruno, ca.
we always made mud pies in the dirt out front.
once a year every year we hit up the good ol' 7 to the 11.
man i miss those white complimentary paper cups behind the register.
unlimited slurpees for a hard day's work at the register, 
and stocking processed fructose corn syrup items down each and every glorious aisle.
oh big chew purple bubble gum.
i still crave that sugar filled gum.
and it makes me feel like a reall ball player.
really, it does.
then there was bubble tape.
that was always a good time.
eat it all at once or cut it up with it's little opening and closing gum slicer through the next three days?
tough decisions folks.
TOUGH.
perfect potato chips.
reese's peeeeeeeanut butter cups!
and then sometimes if we were REALLY lucky Dusty Baker would come in 
to buy a coffee or whatever it was that he bought.
i think he was the manager of the giants back then.
anyway, it was the COOLEST thing
b/c he was a famous GIANTS guy to our little kid selves.
magic. 
and we would have him autograph his baseball card for us.
and then i would always brag about it to my friends in utah,
and i'm sure they all thought i was so dumb b/c who in the heck was dusty baker to them anyway???
he was super awesome to me.
#1 little giant's fan.
the lunch break was the best part of working at the store with my dad.
my brother and sister and i would set up shop in the back on plastic crates,
counting down the seconds for the ghetto old microwave to heat up our little individual pizza roll packs.
then we would count them all out, line them up, and see who's pack had the most.
my tongue always ALWAYS got burned b/c i was never patient enough to wait for them to cool down.
nothing's changed.
and then there was that one time when i got locked in the giant cooler in the back all by myself.
that dang heavy door always got stuck!
always!
and so i had to take one entire row of beverages out one by one,
and it took for what felt like forever,
until i could finally worm my way through the empty gatorade chilled section.
it was quite the tight fit,
let me tell you.
of course the manager found me just as my arms were escaping through the glass refrigerated door,
and half of my body was out, hands on the disgusting laminate floor, legs still completely stuck where the gatorade was supposed to be, with the door pushing against half of me,
like some form of downward 7-11 yoga dog.
or whatever.
now THAT'S what i call survival skills folks!!!
survival!
or something.
have mercy.
it was just so cold.
and i didn't even have the over sized cooler coat to put on in there.
and i thought i was just going to DIE and be frozen like an ice cube and lost forever!
hahahahahahahaha...
desperate times called for desperate measures.
i hope that i never have to crawl out through the freezer section of a convenience store ever again.
but i always think about that day every year 
when i take my kids to get their free SEVEN-ELEVEN slurpees. 
we sat up against the wall in the front of the store for everyone to finish 
b/c there AIN'T NO WAY they were getting into my car with their red slurpees. 
not happenin'!
i've turned into my parents.
no shame. 
and it was pouring, 
but it was warm, 
and the rain just smelled so amazing. 
chase drank almost all of mine. 
brennan tried to drink all of max's after he drank all of his.
and then he tried to drink chase's.
chase might be the smallest gibson, but he's the fiercest.
don't mess with a man's slurpee.
ever.
then the rain REALLY started to come down.
we were soaked and drove home with the heater on in july.
it was awesome.
OH THANK HEAVEN FOR 7-11!
:):):)

Thursday, July 11, 2013

reasons why i love chick-fil-A

i told them to make their best "we love chick-fil-A faces."
this is what they gave me.
greatest picture of max of all time.
...
reasons why i love Chick-fil-A

1. chicken always feels healthier than a burger.
it doesn't matter if it's fried.
it's chicken.
not red meat.
it wins every time.
don't argue with me.
these are my reasons.
you lose.
by default.
plus, you have the option to order it not fried.
i never have, but i've heard people do.
like sean.
he tells me he does.
go him.

2. fresh flowers at ever table, hanging outside, 
on tables throughout the restaurant.
don't believe me?
smell them.
touch them.
pull them out.
i did.
they're real.
there's water in there.
i know, it genuinely surprised me too.

3. the play place smells fresh.
not scented.
not a puff of automated air freshener.
FRESH.
just normal FRESH.
not like bleach.
FRESH.
like it's clean,
you just know it.
'cause it smells
FRESH:)
go smell it.
you'll see.
and there's a toddler tree.
for the littlest of your chick's.

4. THE BABY CHAIRS ROLL.
i repeat: THE BABY CHAIRS ROLL.
why has no one else thought of this???

5. best lemonade on the planet.
period.
buy it by the gallon.
you won't regret it.
in fact, buy 2 gallons.
i give you permission.
go ahead.

6. cow photo cut out.
every time.
never gets old.

7. there's decor on the walls and in the bathrooms that i would actually like to hang in my home.
it sounds weird.
and makes me sound tacky.
trust me,
you'd like it too.
don't judge.
rod works.
i swear to you.

8. BEST service on the entire planet.
not just for fast food.
but for anywhere.
"oh you have three screaming children with you,
here, let me carry out your tray, get you straws, bring you napkins,
and give your child another bbq sauce b/c he just spilled the first one on the floor,
two cherries on your milkshake, it's my pleasure! i'm genuinely happy to serve you today, 
b/c i am happy to do whatever makes your Chick-fil-A experience a good one, i'm not even bothered,
and i'll use good etiquette and manners the entire time too,
b/c i work at Chick-fil-A and we're just awesome like that here."

{i don't work at Chick-fil-A, no one from Chick-fil-A is telling me to write this, i'm getting nothing from Chick-fil-A for doing this, i'm just saying that's what i think the Chick-fil-A guy was thinking, hypothetically.}
seriously, they're just awesome.
every time i go,
i'm more amazed at how consistently awesome they are at Chick-fil-A.
 eat more chicken.
go to Chick-fil-A.
order it not fried, if that's your fancy.
or fried.
whichever.
the end.

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

"0-90 in 2.5 seconds" -linsey

and then max slapped brennan in the face,
brennan pushed max back,
which slammed her into chase,
who face dunked, fully submerging himself into the rub a dub tub.
all three crying in 2.5 seconds.
wednesday nights are rough.
completely hilariously rough.
all at the same time.

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

alcohol & vinegar {swimmer's ear}

swimmer's ear is brutal.
wish i would have had my wits about me at 2:30am this morning to have figured out it was that.
instead, sean and i gave him tylonel {b/c we have been out of motrin for over a month--i'm in denial that we will need it during the summer months. we shouldn't need it during the summer months. wah!}, 
water with a straw {part of me thought he was just dehydrated with a headache}, 
and we just kept thinking 
"he's going to calm down and go back to sleep any minute. 
any minute now! wait for it...wait for it..."
the poor kid just kept crying inconsolably while we held him and tried to talk him down.
3 hours later he fell asleep for an hour and was back up screaming again. 
at 6am i watched the sun come up through our blackout curtains, and i've got to admit, 
i was wishing it was winter and dark for another two hours.
i envisioned snow falling outside, my heater just getting ready to warm us up,
{surely i was a traitor to summer at that very moment. no shame. july is just too hot once it's over.}
cold air ready to pounce on me from over my heavy down comforter...
at which point he was so exhausted from being up until 10:30pm the night before, 
and then waking up for half of the night, that he finally cried himself back to sleep holding my hand.
and then i fell back asleep to.
the last thing i remember hearing was sean's alarm buzzing him awake to get ready for work.
and right then i just felt tired like i was old.
or at least, i remember thinking, i'm sure not 25 anymore am i.
b/c sleep never felt so good.
1tbls white vinegar
1tbls rubbing alcohol
3 drops in ear, 
lay for 5 minutes, 
cotton ball in ear to sit up, 
remove when you're 5 year finally knocks it out 
{so pretty much 2 seconds after he sits up.}
good as new:) 
like i said,
wish i would have thought of this at 2:30am.
better late than never.
boy i loved cuddling with him while we slept.

Monday, July 8, 2013

the upstairs hall at 10:01pm

10:01pm
your kids still up too?
summer bed times.
there are none.
until we crack after a week of having none,
and all kids go to bed at 7pm.
and we look at each other and wonder why haven't we been putting them to bed this early all along?
'cause then we wouldn't be hanging chase upside down
in the upstairs hall 
at 10:01pm 
smooshing his cheeks.
that's why:)
i love this family.

baby you're a firework {cheese stuffed bacon wrapped hot dogs & grilled corn}

THE 4TH OF JULY:
where you are hungry at 9am 
when you eat breakfast,
and then you never feel hungry again 
for 
the 
rest 
of 
the 
day.
i give you...
the 4th of july
at the
FAMILY YARD:)
when brody's friend saw these he said, 
and i quote,
"i volunteer as tribute!!!"
my sentiments exactly:)

cheese stuffed
bacon wrapped
hot dogs
{totally labor intensive, TOTALLY worth it.}
1. cut hot dogs, but not all the way through.
2. stuff with shredded cheese {i used colby jack}.
3. grill bacon and wrap hot dog, using toothpicks to secure for baking {you can use precooked bacon, but cooking it fresh is soooo much more amazing}.
4. place cheese stuffed, bacon wrapped hot dogs on PAM sprayed foiled cookie sheet in a 450* oven for about 10 min 
or until the hot dogs look cooked.
5. toast buns in a pan: spread mayo on the insides of the buns before toasting to give them the most DEEEELICIOUS taste and pretty toasted look you have ever experienced on a bun.
6. carefully remove toothpicks, no big deal if the bacon breaks, just put it back in place on the bun.
7. serve/INHALE immediately!
YOU HAD ME AT HELLLLLLLOOOOOOO:)
ABOVE:
the scene of the crime. 
where troy smoked his ribs all day 
and made the best french fries i have ever fancied 
in
my
entire
life.
salty, crispy, golden brown.
no other fries will ever compare.
i knew the corn was done b/c it started popping on the grill inside of it's shucks.
i may never boil corn ever again.
it was my favorite thing of the day.
sweet, grilled, mayonnaise, Parmesan, chili lickin' good.

GRILLED CORN ON THE COB
1. soak corn in water {i didn't and it was fine, but andrea said that would keep the shucks from burning better next time}.
2. turn after 15 minutes.
3. turn again after 15 minutes.
4. continue until you start to hear the corn popping.
5. then you know they're done:)

iccccceeeeee creeeeeaaaaammmm.
be there first.
for the creamiest cones.
i put chocolate at the bottom this year.
hello hello hello.
and then troy made french fries 
off of the back of his meat smoker 
where he was smoking the ribs, 
so we dipped them in ice cream.
the fries.
not the ribs.
the ribs didn't even need bbq sauce they were so amazing. 
summer time,
when the livin's eeeeeeaaaaaasssssyyyyy.
in the coolest of teenage boy voices i overheard johnny say,
"brennan, can you go in the pool with that, you're splashing me."
i died laughing.
all of that hot water was getting to his head, and i just couldn't stop laughing at how he said it.
you had to be there.
not boogers.
mustache.
just when you thought troy didn't have 
anything else up his sleeves.
i liked the blue the best.
but i don't really like cotton candy anyway.
everyone else liked the green.
except max who favored pink.
typical:)
round number 500 of swimming for the day,
where you no longer care about swim diapers, suits, or sunscreen.
just throw them naked in to wash off the cotton candy 
and snow cone debris.
my favorite time of the night.
{the end.}
it took us three days to recover.
...
and last but not least...
HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY 
to my mom today!
one year older and wiser too!
happy birthday,
TO
YOU!