New

Today was a day of newness.
Nate started his new schedule, so he now has Sunday and Monday off. Right now it feels terribly confusing and I find myself wondering what day it is. I watched my friends kids 1/2 the day, so she took ours for the second 1/2. We went over to the mall and had a late lunch at Brio, the new Tuscan Grille over there. Pretty good! We decided that when the girls start school, Monday will be our date day. I just realized that school starts in 5 weeks! August 6th is the big day. Wow. While we were out, I talked Nate into going into Verizon. I've had my phone for 3 years and haven't been able to let it go. It just fits right in my hand! (Wonder where Sammy gets her fear of change?) But I did it. Here is what we picked out.Now I need to figure out how to use it:) I use my cell phone as our home phone and now that I leave the girls home alone sometimes, we decided to get them one too. Very exciting and grown up! I hope the newness wears off soon so that they don't rack up the minutes. I want them to realize that it isn't their phone, it is for the household, and no they can't take it everywhere with them. Wish me luck.
Sammy has been bugging me for about a week to get her hair cut. I usually make my kids beg me so that they will think about it and are sure they want to do it. Nate needed one as well so he took Sammy in. She decided to get bangs! She grew them out about three years ago. She looks totally different and I feel a little shock every time I glance at her.
I was telling Nate, the way to a woman's heart is through her major appliances. I got a new dryer today! Finally! We found one on Craigslist for $50. Even if it lasts a few years, that is a lot cheaper than having a repairman come out to your house. I have towels in it right now getting all fluffed up!The dryer fit in the back of my car with room to spare!
Lots of big news around here. I do leave a very exciting life, right?

How's it hangin'?

People always told me how hard the first year of marriage would be. So much to adjust to, trying to learn about your spouse. Well, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed being a newlywed. Except for one HUGE issue. Heehee. Every time I would use the restroom, the toilet paper was hanging wrong. So I would take it upon myself to fix the toilet paper so it was hangin correctly. Which is the toilet paper goes over the top of the roll. So I asked Nate to make sure he hangs it that way when he changes the roll. Lo and behold, it turns out he likes it to come from under the roll. What?!? I hate that, when you tug on the tp it comes flying off the roll. It just doesn't work right. What a dilemma. So we came up with a compromise, whoever changes the roll gets to decide how it hangs. And he is always happy to rub it in when he changes it since he knows how much it bugs me:)
*How do YOU like it to hang?*

Week 26

This week I am grateful for Grandparents! I wasn't really close to my dad's parents, but I do have fond memories of going over to their house. They had a big barn full of "treasures" to explore, a horse and chickens. There was a creek to go wading in and you could find golf balls on a good day. They had a twirling laundry line that you could hang on and have your brothers twirl you until you thought you would fly to the next county! Once my grandpa was gone, Nate, the girls and I would go over and take care of the yard work for my grandma and it was a good opportunity for my girls to get to know "Grandma Horsey".
My mom's parents I was pretty close to. My grandpa passed away when I was 7 years old. But I remember sitting on his lap and snuggling. He had those plastic breathing exercise thingys that he would let my play with and I remember that he called oatmeal 'mush' and I thought that was crazy! My grandma was the ultimate. It was always fun to go and visit her. She always knew what candy or cereal you loved and made sure to keep it in the house. She always made you feel special. We had the opportunity to have her live with us during my teenage years, and while I didn't always appreciate it at the time, I am glad we had that chance.
I am so grateful that my kids have fabulous grandparents. What a true blessing for them to get to go and spend the summer with them. When Megan was little, she had both sets of grandparents, plus great grandmas, so I affectionately named them after their pets. We had Grandma Horsey, Grandma and Grandpa Kitty; my parents, and Grandma and Grandpa Puppy; Nate's parents. My grandma was Grandma GG. The GG was for Great Grandma. Nate's grandma doesn't have pets so she was able to keep her name:) and she is Grandma Nelson. My kids truly love their grandparents and love to spend time with them, do activities and learn from them. They are all truly a great blessing in our lives.
And of course, I can't wait to be a grandma myself one day! I hope to be a big part of my grandkids lives. And if my kids move far away, they better have a guest room for me to come and visit!

Outsourcing

I don't usually do this, I consider myself to be an able bodied person, but today I hired someone to do my yard work. I am feeling a little sheepish, but it is so darn hot, I couldn't bear to think about trimming trees and shrubs, weeding, edging and mowing. After George left I was thrilled with the results and considered the money well spent. (BTW, I don't think there is anything wrong with having a gardener, I just have the time to do the yard and I enjoy doing it.)
It made me think of other things I like to hire people to do....
*Wash and vacuum my car. Nate gave my gift certificates for my birthday and I loved it!
*Waxing. Enough said. (I know I would accidentally take off half my eyebrow.)
*Pet issues. The first time I took Sadie to the vet, he offered to show me how to do anal glands. Or he said he would do it for $10. I was happy to pay the $10. I also take her in to get groomed and her claws snipped.
*Cooking. I live for take out!
*Oil changes. Not that I can do this myself, but Nate can.
*Pumping gas. I don't hire this out, I just hope Nate will do it for me! :)
*Getting my hair cut and colored. Except for those few times when I cut my own bangs and then hate myself. I've never colored my own hair, I'm too chicken.

What is it that you like to "outsource"? Be honest!

Reminder

Next time I let my kids have sleep overs, remind me how much I really don't like it! Why do I allow this to happen?!?!? Crabby for sure but I have someone snoring up a storm in the next room that is somewhat giving me a smile :)
***The person snoring is not a member of my family***

Week 25

Daughters. I love love love having my girls back. I love having daughters. I'm sure I would be able to figure it out, but I don't know what I would do with little boys. I am better equipped to help dress dolls, do pony tails, paint toe nails, read lovely stories and pick out clothes at the store. I kind of get it when they are emotional. But sometimes I'm emotional at the same time and that can be tricky. Yesterday Megan and I went to the mall together while Sam was swimming at a friends house. We had a great time getting me some shoes, picking out shower gel and soaps and candles at the great sale at Bath and Body Works and having lunch at Paradise Bakery. Sammy has been busy writing music for the "concert" her and her friend are going to be putting on today. They love to sing and dance and perform in front of others. I was waaaay too shy as a kid to ever do something like that!
I can't express how happy I am to have them home. Last night I was doing two loads of dishes, sweeping up crackers, cereal, sugar, and other snacks, mopping up countless Popsicles off the floor and it just made me smile. I've learned that having a clean and quiet house is nice for a couple of days, but it is highly overrated :)

Happenings and Thoughts

We've been keeping busy since we've been home. Tiffany has been great at planning outings once a week, and now that I have kids, I feel like I can join in. Yesterday we headed in to Phoenix to go to the Stuffing Bear Factory. In my opinion, the animals aren't nearly as cute as Build a Bear, but the experience is a lot more fun. They explained the history of the teddy bear, took us in back and showed us the whole process from picking out the fabric, to cutting them out, sewing and stuffing and cleaning them up to sell. Then the best part, the kids got to make one. Much to our surprise, a few of the little ones were not too fond of the experience. At all. Megan had some money left over from Disney, so she decided to upgrade the standard teddy to a bull. Boy did she turn red when she realized where the stuffing had to go in! I have to admit, after the bear factory, I was really tired! I had great intentions to go to the store, but I took a good long nap instead. All the sun and fun tuckered me out.
This morning we headed over to Melody's house for the weekly swim day. I'm pretty sunburned, so I opted not to expose myself to more sun. Next week for sure. Her pool is completely gorgeous and fun. It's too hot to sit there and watch the kiddos swim. I was mad to find that I had forgotten my camera, but if I took pics every time we swam it would get pretty old. :) We finally headed to the store after swimming. I filled my car to the brim. I don't think I've done a big shopping trip since May, so we were due.
The kids started catching up with friends today. When Sammy's friends had to go, I took her across the street to meet the new family that moved in a couple of weeks ago. They have a daughter Sam's age. When they decided to come to our house, she went to get ready and came out with a full purse and a stuffed dog. Sammy's soul mate for sure!!! She never goes anywhere without a purse. I looked out their window and saw someone had pulled up to my house, so I excused myself. Imagine my delight and surprise when I saw Crazy Mama at my door! WooHoo!!! So exciting for me, since I have worshipped her from afar for many months. She was bringing me my prize that I won on her blog. Sammy was here, but Megan was waaaaay disappointed when she got home and realized she had missed meeting her. We will do lunch!
I went out to water the hibiscus plants today. Even though I told myself not to forget the hose was on, they were watered for about, oh, two hours. They should be good for a while!I realized today that my days of hanging out the laundry will soon be done with. I had just hung up the laundry when we had a burst of rain. Coming into monsoon season I think. You can smell it in the air. Sam and I were riding bikes tonight and we could see the lightning in the distance. I was telling Sammy that we were going into monsoon season and what that means. She informed me that we need to stock up on hot chocolate and sweaters. I think we'll be okay without those items.

So, do you like the monsoons? I love them. I think they are fascinating to watch.

Huntington Beach!

We had a few hours to kill after we checked out of the hotel. May as well check out the beach! We drove about half an hour until we found what we were looking for. The weather was magnificent! Not too hot. I have a feeling that when Megan gets older she will be settling near the ocean. She seems to be drawn to it. Nate, Sammy and I were up on the towels when I looked toward the water and saw Megan skipping through the waves. She is in heaven at the beach! The waves were nice and big so we, (I mean, everyone but me) could do some body surfing. We even saw dolphins playing in the waves! Poor Nate was the most meticulous in putting on the sunblock, but it must have washed away in the salt water. He looks like a lobster! And you would think by now that I would know how to put sunblock on myself. I'm all splotchy with sunburn! At least the girls were mostly spared from the sun. We played for about three hours before hitting the road. We wanted to beat the rush hour traffic, but I'm not sure that is possible in the Los Angeles area:) The kids fell asleep almost immediately once we were in the car.
I realized when we got home that the girls hadn't been here for a month! They were thrilled with their clean rooms and their own beds! It is great to have them home.

Disneyland 2008

The best highlight of my trip this last weekend? The reunion of course! It was so wonderful to see my girls! Nate's family took two Super Shuttles to the hotel and Nate and I beat them there by about 20 minutes. Sammy was on the first shuttle. Oh, to hold my little girl again! Next came Megan. She about knocked me off my feet when she saw me and she cried! It's hard to top a moment like that!
We had a fabulous weekend. It's pretty hard not to have a good time at Disneyland. Even if you can't go on the rides, there is enough people watching to keep anyone occupied. The park was practically singing from all the tight tight pants squeaking on all the ladies. How can they stand to walk in the heat all day with their pants painted on? And we saw a lady in a full burka wearing a Goofy hat. If only I had my camera on me at that moment:)Right as I was taking this picture, Mickey Mouse leaned over the balcony to wave at us, (we were the only ones back here) and I waved at him to come down for a picture and he went inside! Snubbed by Mickey!
I think a good day at Disney is a day where you don't need to fast pass because the lines are so short. We did pretty good. We had to fast pass the more popular rides, but I didn't think the crowds were too bad.
Megan was thrilled that she is old enough that we let her go off with her two slightly older cousins. Big kid stuff! Enjoying a cool treat waiting for the Electric Light Parade. My nephew Brett was celebrating his 14th birthday on Sunday, so Nate's parents made reservations at the Blue Bayou restaurant. This is the restaurant you can see as you float by on Pirates of the Caribbean ride. Yummy! Great atmosphere.
What a unique experience to go and have this much fun with 17 people in your group! We had such a great time. Jim and Kristy, thank you soooooo much for this incredible weekend! Love you!

Good times

We've had our fun here.....

Now we are off to here.....
We are all exhausted and happy! Sorry to see it all end. More tomorrow!

Still here

So I did not perish mowing the lawn yesterday. It was a close one, but I only did the front yard:) No one sees the back yard, right? Last night was book club and we had a lot of fun and a good turn out. Alice brought baby Thomas over and let me snuggle up to him. It did this mom's heart a lot of good to smell little kid again! He is a cutie and he looks at Alice with pure love in his eyes. Too precious. Oh yeah, and we actually had a long discussion about the book! It was Push Not the River and all in all I think everyone liked it. I love book club because it is a great girls night out!
My brother texted me last night to check out his blog. He put a "fun" 11 second video clip of me from his wedding in 1990. I was such a bratty 13 year old, but this video is so funny. If you have 11 seconds, check it out here. Hard to believe that 5 short years later it was my turn to be married! Ahhh, you've got to love 1990 memories.
24 hours to go until the Happiest Place on Earth! Megan just told me they have to wake up at 5 in the morning to catch their flight. And I thought, "that sucks" but I just realized that I probably have to get up earlier so we can drive there. Oh well. Not such a hardship for me since I usually sleep the whole time while Nate drives. I hope he will be well rested so he will be in good spirits for Disneyland. :) Check out his blog if you are wondering why. Get ready for a laugh!
So I have to go get ready to go to the doctor, again. I think I am almost done. WooHoo! Then I can go finish up the laundry and pack. I know, fun day right?

Yuck

I'm sitting here reading every one's blog instead of mowing the lawn. It needs it, I'm not trying to punish myself. Then they come on the news spouting off with, "dangerous heat conditions today." "Stay inside!" Yuck!!! Perhaps I should put the laptop away and get my crap done. So if you drive by and I'm dead in the driveway, push me into the shade. Yesterday it was hot and humid. Dry heat. Whatever.

Almost there!

So if the girls want to do this next year, I've decided that they can't go for this long again. The first week was fine, I've left them that long before. The second week was HELL. Knowing that I still had a full week in front of me was no fun. This week is exciting because I can count down the days! (And there is only two days to go!) So, next year they can go for two weeks. Maybe.
I didn't talk to either of the girls yesterday. Not that I didn't try. Megan was gallivanting all over the place going to all of her cousins houses. Sammy was tired and wouldn't talk to me. My dad tried and held the phone up to her mouth and she managed to get a "HI!" out, but that is all. Come to find out she then took a two hour nap, plus she slept until 11:00 this morning! A good nights sleep can do wonders!
I got everything off to Goodwill today. I needed to do it before the girls get back, if you know what I mean. I filled my whole car up. I'm in for a fight when they realize what I've done. It will be worth it.
Tomorrow night I am hosting book club. So if you are thinking about not coming, or if you didn't know about it, come on over! It will be fun. 8:00 or whenever you make it here.
My life isn't nearly as exciting as it is when the girls are here. Nate is still doing long hours, but the end is near! His grand opening is this weekend. I'm so happy for him and his crew! They have all worked their tails off.
Two days to go!

Last week

I have had so much fun these last few weeks with Nate. I am so glad that we have had this chance to have together! (It helps knowing that the girls are being loved to death by their grandparents and cousins!) He has had to work a lot of hours the last couple of weeks, but still comes home ready to spend time with me instead of plopping down in the lazy boy. We had fun car shopping, it is so much easier with just the two of us! I got to see my movie. Thanks again honey! Last Monday we went out to the Indian Casino and entered a poker tournament. I was a little nervous, but I did good and lasted about an hour. Nate was still playing so I went and played the nickles; AKA-making noise. Now the casinos don't pay out in money. Now you just get a ticket that you can redeem for money. So playing nickels will now be known as wasting time. Hey, I won 280 nickels! Don't worry, we didn't gamble away our mortgage or grocery money. We just had a lot of fun. It is always fun to do something different.
On Tuesday afternoon we (the Beehives) went to the Church's Humanitarian Center. It was amazing and inspiring! So much gets done in just a few little rooms. We had a great time helping to finish off some baby booties that someone had crocheted. They had a huge garbage bag filled with beautiful baby booties that someone had made. It was so touching. We had fun, I love spending time with the girls, they are all good kids and it is fun to be around them.
Insert boredom here. We've had leisurely bike rides, countless dinners out. More boredom.I've spent quite a lot of time at his work helping them get ready for the big grand opening. Insert sore back and more boredom at home. My favorite part is the conversation. I love that after 13 years and two kids we can still talk and talk and talk. Even about things other than the kids! (But we still do talk about them:]) We have so much fun together, I love that we can communicate silently when something funny is happening or walking by. It has been hard this last week without Megan and Sam but I think all in all it has been a good experience all around. I guess we will see next year when they get to decide if they want to do it again!

Week 24

I am grateful this week that my kids have such a great dad! Nate is such a great guy and we are so lucky to have him in our family! I love seeing his traits in our girls, their good sense of humor, their love of life. Nate is so much fun to have around, and he is a great example to our girls. My greatest wish for them is to find husbands as wonderful as he is. Nate, we love and appreciate all you do for us! Happy Fathers Day!
(And I am very grateful to DVR since Nate worked ALL weekend. We were able to record the US Open and that is a gift all on it's own for Fathers Day!)

Week 23

I have a theory that I shared with my hubby and he agrees with me. I think I know the reason the Wild Wild West was so dangerous and, well, wild. You see, they didn't have central air back then. Everyone was so danged hot that they would kill each other. Imagine having no break from this heat, even at night. You would go and kill someone too, even if they just happened to give you a funny look. This week I am sooooo grateful to have an air conditioner. I love to come in from the hot air outside in to my cool and refreshing home. I like having a cold bedroom to sleep in at night. I am happy to still be somewhat sane as it gets hotter and hotter.

One week to go!

So I spent Wednesday feeling miserable and moped around so I decided enough was enough. Who needs that, right? On Thursday I had a follow-up appointment with my doctor. I got good news! I won't go into it now. I will keep that for later:) (No I'm not pregnant.) I dropped in on my friend Samantha and visited for a while. I haven't seen her since before our trip so we had a good visit. Wanted to treat myself so I went in and had my hair cut. My luck was holding and it was a slow day at the salon, so I got some extra treats! My hair cut ended up taking 2 hours and now I have long and straight hair. That is my favorite part of getting my hair done, the blow out.
In one week I will see my precious little girls! They better not have changed while they've been gone. ONE WEEK! I guess they are doing just fine...they didn't even call me yesterday! Nate called up there and talked to them, they are doing great at his mom's house. I didn't call because Sammy wants to come home when she hears my voice. But that is as long as I can go, I have to call today! :)
We are going to try and take in a Diamondbacks game this weekend. Try to fit all our dates in!

The root of the problem...

So we had to know that Sammy wasn't really mad that I didn't ask permission about the car, right? Maybe. I think I have it. She isn't so mad about the car, as she is upset about the fact that things are changing at home without her. This is a kid that doesn't like to get new clothes or shoes because she doesn't like change. Plus, when I talked to her it finally came out that she misses me. And wants to come home. Can I just try to explain the pain my heart felt last night as my little girl was crying for me from 800 miles away and I couldn't hold her or make it right? I've been doing good with this whole arrangement only because my kids have been doing good with it. Now that the homesickness is setting in, I'm feeling miserable. Last night I literally was sick to my stomach with a headache because I missed them so bad. So today I will keep myself busy so that I don't think about it too much.
On a much much much sadder note, a gal that I grew up with, that is living in my mom's neighborhood, had a baby a month ago, her first girl after three boys. Her baby passed away this morning. I can't imagine. My heart goes out to her. It makes me want to hold my little girls all the more. So wherever you are, go hug someone you love today.

Mad Sammy

Have you ever heard of Flat Stanley? We have Mad Sammy in our house. Boy is this kid MAD at me! She found out yesterday about the new car and she isn't as excited as I am. I was talking on the phone to both girls at once when I realized Sam was no longer on the line. So I talked with Megan for a minute, then asked her to go grab Sam for me. Megan came back and informed me that Sam is mad and me and won't speak to me. Okaaaay. So I ask my mom to get her on the phone, and my mom informs me that she is mad and won't speak to me. She has it in her mind that I promised her that I would never get a new car, and I broke that promise. Okay, I will let her cool off. I call my mom's house later that day and Sam answers the phone. When she hears my voice, the kid hangs up on me! I call back a few times and finally get to talk to Megan.
This morning I thought I would try again. Talk to Megan for a minute, talk to my mom, ask to talk to Sam. She gets on the phone, shouts SORRY! and then gets off again. Thanks for trying grandma :) I get her back on the phone and she informs me that I didn't have her permission to get a new car. Excuse me, little lady? I don't believe I need your permission. So, when she is ready, hopefully she will call me. Knowing her, I won't talk to her until Disneyland. :(
On a happier note...her are some pics of the car! I love it!


The car is green, I'm sorry Everglade, but in the sun it looks silver
See the white truck in the background? The guy in it was shouting at me as I was taking pictures, telling me the car was pretty and I made a good choice. Thanks.
I like that the back opens like a door and has the tire on the outside. The tire out there gives me a lot more cargo space. I like the door because on my Trailblazer the thingy was getting worn out so it wouldn't raise all the way and I am so tall that I kept hitting my head on it.
I'm excited to have an air conditioner that doesn't take 10 minutes to finally kind of cool off. And now we don't have to fix all the stuff on the other car.

Planting flowers with Grandpa

I took these pictures while we were up in Salt Lake. I find it all the more precious knowing Sammy and Grandpa's background. A few years ago, Sammy was none too pleased with her grandpa. He likes to tease his grand kids, but Sammy really didn't like it. I'm not kidding, she went at least a year and a half, perhaps even two years without speaking to him or acknowledging him. She would walk by him like he didn't exist. Then he came to visit just over a year ago by himself and she warmed right up to him.

She has had fun this month helping him plant flowers in his beautiful yard and I would wager that he has enjoyed the company!

I bet it is nice for grandpa to have someone go get the flowers and kneel down and put them in the hole.









That lovely Utah grass feels so good under our feet!

Our Weekend

So, I haven't posted for quite a few days. I have been a working woman. That's right. At Nate's work they needed some extra help to do an inventory, and hey, I'm not busy right? Plus I get to make some cash-o-la. So most of the day on Friday (I worked a whole 8 hours!!) and half the day on Saturday I was working. It was nice when that was all done because then Nate could relax. The guy worked 80 hours last week. It will be so nice this week to actually see him!

After our hard work :) on Saturday, we were free to enjoy each others company! And boy did we. We had such a lovely weekend together. We ran some errands on Saturday and we thought we could go do some car shopping. Nate started mentioning getting a new car while we were on our trip, but I have to admit, I didn't take him too seriously. We know we want to stay in an SUV, but we would like to get something more gas efficient. We went and drove the RAV4, the CRV from Honda and the Nissan Rogue. Buying a car is such a big decision, and you have to admit, it is no fun. This is what we decided on.


What do you think? The Toyota RAV4. They are a lot roomier than you would think. I was resistant to the RAV at first, but it won me over. (I really liked the Rogue) It is pretty anti-climatic to go drive all the cars, do the paperwork and then drive home in your old car:). We still had the tow bar on the front of my car from our trip, so Nate had to get it pulled off. He will bring the new car home tonight. Fun huh!
Nate is such a sweetie. I know he loves me, but I think he took his love to a new level this weekend. He took me to the chick flick that I have been dying to see. For one thing, Nate HATES to go to the movies. We never go. This was his suggestion since he knew I wanted to go really bad. We walked into the theater and I realized he was the only guy in the whole theater! Then about 4 other guys and their wives showed up. I loved the movie BTW.
We realized that while we do enjoy talking about the children we are happy to find that we still have a lot to talk about other than the children. It feels like we are dating again. I miss my girls soooooo much, but I am so glad they are having fun and enjoying their family members. Knowing that makes this whole thing tolerable. I dream about them at night and I can't wait to see them again.

How was your day????

My day was fine. I cleaned, did the dishes, laundry. I played WebKinz with Megan. I went in and was able to help Nate at work. Lets see...I was pulled over for a DUI. Yes, you read it right. Nate and I both had our cars and we were heading to dinner when I was pulled over for swerving. Now I am able to admit when I am doing something wrong, but I'm pretty sure I wasn't driving like a drunk person. I was quick to tell him that I hadn't been drinking. He asked me if I was eating or texting, maybe talking on my phone. Nope, none of those. Thank Heaven I didn't have to get out and walk a straight line. And just in case you are wondering, NO, I was not drunk. I don't even drink! How embarrassing. Nate didn't even see me get pulled over, so I was a little sheepish when I met up with him at Olive Garden. He thinks it is pretty darn hilarious. We get seated and the waitress asks how we are doing and Nate tells her that I just got pulled over for drunk driving. Thanks honey. I'm pretty sure this one will take a long time to live down.

My day....

Pack Rat: a person who collects or hoards especially unneeded items
Could also be known as.....










I just spent about 5 hours cleaning her room. No, I'm not kidding. This kid has more itty bitty things than I could have imagined. I was wondering where all by baggies had gone. She had taken the box and was shoving stuff in the bags and putting them in drawers. No rhyme or reason. I think I found our year supply of pretzels. I don't know where all the stuff comes from. I swear, I don't buy any of it. I think it is all the trinkets from holidays, birthday parties, etc. But it looks good! With all the GRRRR's and ARGHHH's coming from yours truly, it sounded like a pack of pirates were in her room. I labeled drawers and boxes so she knows for sure what goes where. It is a nice thought at least. I wonder how long it will last? I will post pics so she can she it at grandma's house:) I really should have taken before pics, but I was waaaay too embarrassed. You couldn't even walk in the room!
















I just shined up my hardwood floors. Don't they look great?





No puddles from the bathroom to the bedrooms, no sweaty toe prints to ruin the shine. No shoes strewn down the hall...... Sad huh.

Stayin' Busy

What does a girl do when she finds herself without kiddos? She gets those projects done that have been put off long enough. Yesterday wasn't too exciting, just a lot of laundry. I did go get my car washed and ended up getting a full detail for $55! It looks a gazillion times better. Now I don't have 48 gallons of spilled soda in the carpets.
Been busy today. I woke up and got the yard done. Man, it is hot even at 8:30 in the morning. Ran some errands. I went to Joanns and got some fabric to make the girls some blankets for their dolls. I remember why I don't sew very much anymore. It is so expensive! But I love picking out fabric. I couldn't help myself, I had to stop in and stock up on this...

They have their signature fragrances on for $3!!! Only through tomorrow, so hurry in and stock up. She had the nerve to put a coupon in my bag, "So I can come back soon!" Yeah, like I need more of the stuff.
Sammy called today, she was upset because Megan told her she was going to sell her to a petting zoo. Don't kids know that if that were possible, they would ALL be living in a petting zoo? Plus, Megan was giving her the mean face.
I spent the afternoon de-junking; I mean cleaning Megan's room. I have to admit, she had me fooled. I thought the kid was neat and tidy. I found about 20 pieces of clothes shoved in the back of her closet. She didn't "feel like" hanging them up at the time. GRRRRRRR! But it looks and smells fabulous. I got everything washed and sparkly. And no one can mess it up for 3 weeks!

I'm almost done de-junking our room. I cleaned out the closet and my nightstand. I'll finish it tomorrow. I think I may tackle Sam's room tomorrow. Boy am I dreading it. That girl has more crap than anyone I know. I mean "special stuff".
I know I'll be in trouble in a few days when my projects run out. It feels good to get it all done. Fills the void! Now I must go and cook our dinner for two!

Week 22

This may seem silly...if you have ever lived in Utah, but now you don't, then you feel my pain. I am grateful for Lynn Wilson bean, cheese and green chile burritos! Manna from Heaven! Every teenager in Utah survived on these going through high school. Imagine my horror when I realized that they don't sell them here in Arizona. So when Nate and I were there last week, we bought 30 of them:) When my dad flew down last year, he brought 20 in his carry on. It is serious business. It is pretty much all Nate and I have eaten for the last two days. So we will continue eating until we have to wrestle for the last one. I think I can take him....

Week 21

I'm quite late, thought I should catch up on my blessings. I am thankful for the upbringing that I had from two great parents. Nate and I like to poke fun at everyone we saw in Vegas, (I mean, who wouldn't?) but one of the girls I saw stuck out in my mind. She was quite young, all dressed up in her showgirl, feathery thing, and she looked a bit bewildered. When I see the billboards and "employees" of Vegas, I often wonder what it is that lead them down that road. Where does your life make that drastic turn and you suddenly find yourself in certain situations? I find it hard to fathom that some people enjoy it, it would be such a hard life. Not just in Vegas, but anywhere. I'm blessed that I wasn't exposed to the hardships that so many young people have to face. I am so grateful that I was taught by goodly parents and that I had great examples in my life, not only from family, but from my church leaders and great friends. I am truly blessed to have grown up the way I did.

Viva Las Vegas!

Nate and I decided to drive through Vegas on our way home. His cousin Kari and her hubby Rainier live there, so we were able to grab some dinner with them! I don't know how long it has been since we've seen each other, at least three years! We had a great time catching up and eating prime rib. Is there any better place to grab a prime rib dinner than Vegas? Now, I don't mean to brag, but I can pound the prime rib. I didn't order the little one. Oh no. This is what our waiter brought out to me! We couldn't stop laughing!
I didn't quite finish it, much to the delight of my dog. It was sooo good. They had a cut on the menu that cost twice as much as mine did. Can you imagine???
After dinner we thought we would check out the light show on Fremont Street. Now, if you like people watching, this is the place to go. We saw a guy with his Come to Jesus signs preaching against alcohol, drugs, gambling and homosexuality. Ten feet away we saw two women making out. We saw a couple racing around to the garbage cans and picking out the cigarette butts and keeping them for later. Many many many people with a glazed look in their eye. The light show was fun, it was done to the music of Queen. We didn't stay out too late. Gettin' old I guess! We got home on Sunday, unloaded everything and spent 2 1/2 hours cleaning the inside and outside of the RV. We had a great trip. Now it is great to be in my own house, with my own shower that has a hot water tank bigger than 6 gallons. Hopefully it won't hit me tomorrow that my girls aren't here. Megan and I have been logging on and playing WebKinz together. :) Tomorrow will consist of laundry and cleaning. Jealous?