Well...school is back in force (started on the 19th). The kids are in 10th, 6th and 2nd grades. Jim is taking a year off college to work full-time and pay off some debt (and because he got NO financial aid this school year). It pretty much stinks that the poor kid has been living on his own for 4 yrs (since he was 19) and yet the gov't is still using OUR income to determine his financial aid eligibility (what a crock). Anyway...Steph should be graduating again from Virginia Tech with her masters degree next May 2010...so that will be nice!
Uhhhh, what else??? Well...Nolan's going back to Durango tonight, yuck...he's been gone so much and I'm sick of it!!! The freakin' VP shouldn't have to be supervising jobs on sight...that's rediculous! But...between him and Tim...there's just too much work that's too spread out and just not enough supers to manage it all. Oh well...whatcha gonna do?
I'm having a major allergy attack (uhhhh, I hate this time of year cause the weeds are outta control and I'm just one, big ITCH, literally, LOL)...I'll keep poppin' the Claritin and Benedryl, LOL...til this season passes, LOL!
I guess Clay got tickets to the Rockies game this Friday, so we're all going (Me, Nolan, Tim and Clay)...no doubt a trip to the Diamond Cabaret will be in order, LOL! I'd rather go dancing, but I'm afraid the guys vote will override mine, LOL!!
Got to have lunch with Dad, Mike and Kenny Saturday at the golf course. That was fun! Dad was a hoot as usual!
I've got a lot to get done this week...so I better get to bed at a decent hour, LOL!!!
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Friday, August 14, 2009
Paige's Teddy Bear Tea Party...
Well...we finally got Paige's birthday party done (better late than never, lol)...and it turned out so sweet! We started the party with everyone decorating their white lace placemats. After everyone had finished their placemat...we had lunch which consisted of tuna sandwiches, ham & cheese sandwiches and turkey & swiss sandwiches...chicken salad with croissants...fresh fruit salad with yogurt dip...a vegi tray and ranch dip! After lunch...Paige opened up her presents. She got some cute stuff. A new purse (with accessories)...a High school musical toy...a tinkerbell village...and Michelle sent her the cute little pig that Paige had painted when she took the girls to the paint your pottery place. After gifts...we had a few games of "Hot Teddy Bear" (kinda like hot potato, but with a bear instead)...the bear gets passed around and when the music stops, the one holding the bear is out! It was fun and the girls were all good sports!
After the game, we did sweets and tea! I made apple/cinnamon herbal tea and we had pink and white cupcakes, doughnut holes and oatmeal cookies! All the girls decided to take their tea with milk and 2 sugar cubes (the English way, LOL)...and I acted as resident "butler", LOL!! We also had a teady bear contest...and each bear (stuffed animal) won something and they each got to pick a prize from the prize basket!
After tea...it was time for the main project. I found these really neat "magic" mugs at Bed, Bath and Beyond. They were plain white mugs that came with special markers to decorate the mug however you wanted. After decorating, you simply rubbed the mug with tissue paper and that "set" it! It was very cute!! I think Paige was really delighted and thrilled! It was a lot of work, but so worth it to see her beaming smile from ear to ear!!!
Check out the party pics below:
After the game, we did sweets and tea! I made apple/cinnamon herbal tea and we had pink and white cupcakes, doughnut holes and oatmeal cookies! All the girls decided to take their tea with milk and 2 sugar cubes (the English way, LOL)...and I acted as resident "butler", LOL!! We also had a teady bear contest...and each bear (stuffed animal) won something and they each got to pick a prize from the prize basket!
After tea...it was time for the main project. I found these really neat "magic" mugs at Bed, Bath and Beyond. They were plain white mugs that came with special markers to decorate the mug however you wanted. After decorating, you simply rubbed the mug with tissue paper and that "set" it! It was very cute!! I think Paige was really delighted and thrilled! It was a lot of work, but so worth it to see her beaming smile from ear to ear!!!
Check out the party pics below:
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
It's official now...
My son...my pride & joy...my first born...my brown eyed boy...is engaged to be married (hopefully in the fall of 2010). He planned it all out while Steph was vacationing with her family at the beach. So on August 25, 2009...she said YES!!! I am so lucky to have such a wonderful daughter-in-law! Steph is one of the most genuine people I've ever known and I'm so proud of her and it just warms my heart how much she loves my boy!! I will post updates as I hear them!!
Saturday, August 1, 2009
A very LAZY day today...
Uhhhhhh...those late nights are putting a cramp in my household ambitions! We hadn't planned on going out last night, but I had to meet Marylu and Tricia for a few drinks at the Cock & Bull pub downtown. It was actually not too bad...Tricia was a really nice gal and Marylu was in very good spirits. Nolan dropped me off (cause I didn't want to worry about parking or having to walk to my car in the dark) so...then he picked me up around 8:30 pm and we headed back home. When we got back, Jack and Kevin wanted to go to the Tumbleweed...but both Taylor and Chase were at friends' houses and we had no babysitter. I guess Kevin's gf (aka: common law wife) got pissed at him and took the boys and headed up to Denver. Anyway...we discussed taking the boat out to the lake and having a few drinks, but the external lights weren't working. So...it ended up that Jack took me and Kevin and dropped us off at the TW for about an hour. I really didn't want to go as I knew it was going to be a somber night with what happened to Becky's little boy. It was business as usually for the average person there, but for the regulars that know Becky, etc...there was a lot of tears.
So while I visited with the regs, Kevin hooked up with this gal that he met last weekend (Andrea). We played some darts (while waiting for Jack to pick us up)...and then Andrea ended up coming back to Jack's house with us...oh boy!
After we got back to Jack's...everyone was hungry so ran home and grabbed the stuff to make steak and eggs. Kevin grilled the steaks and I made fried eggs and hashbrowns...it was actually really yummy (at 3 in the morning, LOL)...
After Jack went to bed, Kevin and Andrea came back to our house to listen to some tunes. We listened to a few songs then Nolan and I went to bed and left K & A in the living room. Not sure "exactly" what went on, but from the "sounds" of it...they had a good time. Andrea's a nice gal. Recently divorced with 4 kids...I think she's like 29 or so...but very nice. It makes me feel bad though for Kevin's gf/wife Michelle...she's a sweet gal and I really hate to see her be treated like crap. Last weekend when we all went to the Tumbleweed, Kevin ignored Michelle all night and hung out with that girl...then they had a huge fight after we left the TW. I really like Michelle and I don't like that I even know this kind of information. It's not my place to tell her, but it does make me feel bad. I know she has to know what goes on with Kevin, but it's like she's in denial. She probably doesn't even know that there are decent guys out there that would treat her so much better. It's so reminiscent of my dating Fred (the guy I dated before I met Nolan)...he treated me pretty crappy...but it wasn't til I met Nolan that I even realized how bad it was.
Anyway...no drinks this week. I've gotta get some sleep and get everything ready for Paige's party next weekend.
So while I visited with the regs, Kevin hooked up with this gal that he met last weekend (Andrea). We played some darts (while waiting for Jack to pick us up)...and then Andrea ended up coming back to Jack's house with us...oh boy!
After we got back to Jack's...everyone was hungry so ran home and grabbed the stuff to make steak and eggs. Kevin grilled the steaks and I made fried eggs and hashbrowns...it was actually really yummy (at 3 in the morning, LOL)...
After Jack went to bed, Kevin and Andrea came back to our house to listen to some tunes. We listened to a few songs then Nolan and I went to bed and left K & A in the living room. Not sure "exactly" what went on, but from the "sounds" of it...they had a good time. Andrea's a nice gal. Recently divorced with 4 kids...I think she's like 29 or so...but very nice. It makes me feel bad though for Kevin's gf/wife Michelle...she's a sweet gal and I really hate to see her be treated like crap. Last weekend when we all went to the Tumbleweed, Kevin ignored Michelle all night and hung out with that girl...then they had a huge fight after we left the TW. I really like Michelle and I don't like that I even know this kind of information. It's not my place to tell her, but it does make me feel bad. I know she has to know what goes on with Kevin, but it's like she's in denial. She probably doesn't even know that there are decent guys out there that would treat her so much better. It's so reminiscent of my dating Fred (the guy I dated before I met Nolan)...he treated me pretty crappy...but it wasn't til I met Nolan that I even realized how bad it was.
Anyway...no drinks this week. I've gotta get some sleep and get everything ready for Paige's party next weekend.
Lunch with Samila...
Okay...what can I say??? I absolutely love Pete's new girlfriend, Samila (pronounced: saw-Meelah)! She is Persian (aka: Iranian), but has been in the USA for nearly 30 yrs. She has a 28 yr. old daughter who lives in Florida. Samila owns her own Boutique in Seattle. She sells formal wear (mainly for Proms and such). She is very beautiful, intellegent, witty and just fun to be around.
Me and Samila:
Pete and Samila:
So after Pete's dinner party last weekend, she said she wanted to get together sometime during the week. She called me Monday and we decided to have lunch together on Tuesday. So I went to pick her up at Pete's house and she invited me in for tea...Persian tea! Of course I couldn't turn that down.
I learned some new and interesting things while having my Persian tea! First, on the stove she had the samovar.
Samovar:
Pete's isn't exactly like this (his heats on the stove)...anyway, the hot water is in the samovar...then the teapot sits atop it. The tea is very strong...so it's served in a clear cup with about a third of the cup filled with the tea...then the hot water is added until the desired color is achieved.
The persian tea is not served with sugar, but rather with the nabat (nuh-Bot)...which is a crystalized sugar cube which you keep in your mouth (like hard candy) and then as you sip the tea, you get little tastes of sweet with each drink...very interesting!
the nabat:
Anyway...we ended up having a very deep, spiritual conversation and so instead of going out to lunch...we just had leftovers...Salmon, rice, squash, cucumber salad...all prepared Persian and very delicious!
Samila will have to go back to Seattle tomorrow (sunday) and I think then Pete's going out there for a visit later on this month. So...not sure when we'll see her again, but it's so much fun to talk with her and I love her accent.
Me and Samila:
Pete and Samila:
So after Pete's dinner party last weekend, she said she wanted to get together sometime during the week. She called me Monday and we decided to have lunch together on Tuesday. So I went to pick her up at Pete's house and she invited me in for tea...Persian tea! Of course I couldn't turn that down.
I learned some new and interesting things while having my Persian tea! First, on the stove she had the samovar.
Samovar:
Pete's isn't exactly like this (his heats on the stove)...anyway, the hot water is in the samovar...then the teapot sits atop it. The tea is very strong...so it's served in a clear cup with about a third of the cup filled with the tea...then the hot water is added until the desired color is achieved.
The persian tea is not served with sugar, but rather with the nabat (nuh-Bot)...which is a crystalized sugar cube which you keep in your mouth (like hard candy) and then as you sip the tea, you get little tastes of sweet with each drink...very interesting!
the nabat:
Anyway...we ended up having a very deep, spiritual conversation and so instead of going out to lunch...we just had leftovers...Salmon, rice, squash, cucumber salad...all prepared Persian and very delicious!
Samila will have to go back to Seattle tomorrow (sunday) and I think then Pete's going out there for a visit later on this month. So...not sure when we'll see her again, but it's so much fun to talk with her and I love her accent.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Paige's 8th Birthday!! 7-23-09
Well...it's hard to believe that my little Paigey-Pie is 8 years old already...OMG, it just seems like it was yesterday that I was pg with her.
She was actually due on July 24th...and the day before, I got up and went about my day as usual. In fact, early that afternoon, I had the carpets cleaned. While the carpets were being cleaned, I took Taylor and Chase over to Tammi's house to swim with Krystal and her kids. When I got there, they weren't there (she had to run a quick errand and didn't have a cell phone)...so I waited for about 15 minutes, but when she didn't come back...I had to leave because I knew that the carpet guys were gonna be done soon and I needed to get back home to write them a check. So...we loaded back up and started the 20 min. drive back home. During the drive, I noticed that I had had at least 3 or 4 contractions (about 5 min. apart)...so after I got home, I called Nolan and said that maybe we should run up to the hospital and have them check me. So...Nolan came home and got me...and I think Krystal ended up coming out to stay with Chase and Taylor (Jimmy was 15 at the time)...
Anyway...we got to the hospital between 4 and 4:30...and I was admitted (at 4-5 cm)...I still was not having any painful contractions...they were regular, but they didn't hurt. My sil, Kathie, met us at the hospital, cause she wanted to be there for the birth (she had been at Chase's birth too)...and my sister was on her way from Boulder (about a 3 hour drive). My doctor, Dr. Tonsing (who was not my regular doctor was filling in cause my reg. doctor was no longer doing OB), came in and immediately wanted to break my water. Ummmm...no! Cause then I'll have this kid in 20 min. with no pain meds and after my experiece with Chase's delivery...uhhhh no thank you. So she called down to anesthesia...they came and got the required blood work and around 5:30, Dr. Wonderful came and placed my very first epidural! It was nice, but you have to realize that at this point, I was not in any pain...I just didn't want to go thru another excruiating l&d like Chase's was. By 6 pm, my contractions had slowed a bit, so they started some pitocin. At this point, the nurse was having me roll from side to side after each contraction. All the while, we were visiting with sil and her dd stopped by as she was in the hospital visiting a friend who just had a baby the day before...so she and her own baby (who was about 5 months old) were there too.
All of a sudden...when I had rolled from side to back...I felt what I thought was like a gas bubble. When the nurse checked me...she started screaming not to move or push or anything. She's calling down to the nurse's station to see if my doctor is still there and thankfully, she was. Doctor comes running in and in 2 seconds the bed's broke down and we're ready to go. All the while, I'm thinking...wow...this is easy...if I'd only known this 4 kids ago, we might have ended up with 10 kids, LOL!!
So I gave a couple good pushes and there SHE was (we didn't know the sex of any of the kids before they were born). Nolan cut the cord and the rest is history!! Even Nolan said, " Uh Uh Plllthhhhh...that's it??"...I said what more do you want?? LOL Guess he was just used to the other births with lots of pain, screaming, etc...I have to admit, it was really nice to just push and enjoy the birth experience instead of being in excruiating pain!
So...our little Paige Marlena was born on July 23, 2001 @ 7:01 pm. She weighed 8 lbs...5 oz...21" long!!
Here's some more of sweet little Paige...
Lunch with Courtney at DCs on "B" Street:
Birthday dinner in Durango (Mom, Dad, Paige, Chase, Tim and Brian):
Holiday and Spring dance recitals:
After riding the Steel eel at Sea World San Antonio:
In Corpus Christi:
Paige in Arkansas last Oct. 2008:
She was actually due on July 24th...and the day before, I got up and went about my day as usual. In fact, early that afternoon, I had the carpets cleaned. While the carpets were being cleaned, I took Taylor and Chase over to Tammi's house to swim with Krystal and her kids. When I got there, they weren't there (she had to run a quick errand and didn't have a cell phone)...so I waited for about 15 minutes, but when she didn't come back...I had to leave because I knew that the carpet guys were gonna be done soon and I needed to get back home to write them a check. So...we loaded back up and started the 20 min. drive back home. During the drive, I noticed that I had had at least 3 or 4 contractions (about 5 min. apart)...so after I got home, I called Nolan and said that maybe we should run up to the hospital and have them check me. So...Nolan came home and got me...and I think Krystal ended up coming out to stay with Chase and Taylor (Jimmy was 15 at the time)...
Anyway...we got to the hospital between 4 and 4:30...and I was admitted (at 4-5 cm)...I still was not having any painful contractions...they were regular, but they didn't hurt. My sil, Kathie, met us at the hospital, cause she wanted to be there for the birth (she had been at Chase's birth too)...and my sister was on her way from Boulder (about a 3 hour drive). My doctor, Dr. Tonsing (who was not my regular doctor was filling in cause my reg. doctor was no longer doing OB), came in and immediately wanted to break my water. Ummmm...no! Cause then I'll have this kid in 20 min. with no pain meds and after my experiece with Chase's delivery...uhhhh no thank you. So she called down to anesthesia...they came and got the required blood work and around 5:30, Dr. Wonderful came and placed my very first epidural! It was nice, but you have to realize that at this point, I was not in any pain...I just didn't want to go thru another excruiating l&d like Chase's was. By 6 pm, my contractions had slowed a bit, so they started some pitocin. At this point, the nurse was having me roll from side to side after each contraction. All the while, we were visiting with sil and her dd stopped by as she was in the hospital visiting a friend who just had a baby the day before...so she and her own baby (who was about 5 months old) were there too.
All of a sudden...when I had rolled from side to back...I felt what I thought was like a gas bubble. When the nurse checked me...she started screaming not to move or push or anything. She's calling down to the nurse's station to see if my doctor is still there and thankfully, she was. Doctor comes running in and in 2 seconds the bed's broke down and we're ready to go. All the while, I'm thinking...wow...this is easy...if I'd only known this 4 kids ago, we might have ended up with 10 kids, LOL!!
So I gave a couple good pushes and there SHE was (we didn't know the sex of any of the kids before they were born). Nolan cut the cord and the rest is history!! Even Nolan said, " Uh Uh Plllthhhhh...that's it??"...I said what more do you want?? LOL Guess he was just used to the other births with lots of pain, screaming, etc...I have to admit, it was really nice to just push and enjoy the birth experience instead of being in excruiating pain!
So...our little Paige Marlena was born on July 23, 2001 @ 7:01 pm. She weighed 8 lbs...5 oz...21" long!!
Here's some more of sweet little Paige...
Lunch with Courtney at DCs on "B" Street:
Birthday dinner in Durango (Mom, Dad, Paige, Chase, Tim and Brian):
Holiday and Spring dance recitals:
After riding the Steel eel at Sea World San Antonio:
In Corpus Christi:
Paige in Arkansas last Oct. 2008:
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Good Times, Great Friends...
Well...I decided to put together a video montage (video photo album) of sorts. Over the last several years, we've had some fun times and I'm always taking a ton of pics. Since I'm always taking pictures of other people they rarely get to see all the photos and I kept getting requests to "see the photos"...so I thought instead of emailing everyone with just a list of pics...I'd put them together in a video album (for "funner" viewing). I obviously couldn't put every event, every photo or the video would be like an hour long...so I put in the highlights (it's about 8 minutes long)! Anyway...here's the video:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)