the day after?

Saturday fun, homestyle.

we had a nice dinner at home, a fun fireworks afternoon. - and fun decorating a few of our personal spaces- front and back of the home.

Happy 4th of July

The rockets in Air- we made a treck north today for a few rockets of our own. I am looking forward to a little evening fun right at home.

we met up with Brother Dave in WY late today and had a nice dinner and great coversation.

we had tremdous rain, it has rained everyday in June I think. our grass is out of control and the we can't find a sunny dry time to mow either! -

I just want to say a prayer of thanks to all those who put thier lives in harms way so that I can live free in a great country. - happy and safe 4th you all.

Love Gives

Love is extravagant in the price it is willing to pay , the time it is willing to give and the hardships it is willing to endure, and the strength it is willing to spend. Love never thinks in terms of “ how little” but always in terms of “ how much.” Love gives, love knows and love lasts.
~ joni eareckson tada

Father's Day

Well it is coming upon us quickly. i sent my Dad a card already- it is a b-b-q card :) because he loves him some meat on the BBQ.

we will be hosting S's dad and step mom for the weekend, and SSD1 will be arriving on saturday for a cullinary delight, He already wowed S's mom and PJ when they were her at the end of May with a fabulous Pork roast and spaetzle ( a german noodle) roasted asperagus and nice apples roasted alongside the pork roast. I think this is the same dinner request for the men folk!

J is " working" and this is a good thing , he is tired and done, sleeping and getting up to do it again every day- according to HH this leaves little time for other ways to get into trouble, a good thing. He has someone picking him up and he is working hard everyday. saving his pennies for a car.

I need to get S something but what? well I will ask him tomorrow or tonight what would make him happy? He is a great Dad to all our children and I am so blessed to have him in my life.

Equiping yourself

Each of us may be sure that if God sends us on stony paths He will provide us with strong shoes, and He will not send us out on any journey for which He does not equip us well.

~Alexander Maclaren

long time no blog

I am having some type of upper arm trouble- right arm, I finally gave in and went to the doc today! he took x-ray and rx'd a bit of pain meds I am hopeful to get some relief in a few days. I treated myself to a few days off the computer and the mouse and all, did some ice and heat and laid low.

we have been having severe weather. yesterday we got hail , I am posting a few photos and upload a you-tube soon. it was pretty loud and hard. Today we had tornadoes touch down in Elbert. We have friends who are at the scout camp ( working) they were safe but did get a bit of very bad weather i am sure very scarey too.

Baby no more

Happy Birthday to you ! J will be 18 tomorrow ! he has had two amazing mile stones in two weeks.

tons of work, exausted from answering questions

will be more blogging friendly another day!

open enrollment is on full tilt at work and we will have company this weekend, along with everyother weekend this month I have had no time for myself. :) ah there is no rest for this wicked girl

For Jimmy - Memory board

EX- J haqving a party for J tomorrow, this is for him. I hope he likes it. Love Mom

TOTALLYT 80's for K8

Happy birthday girl friend from your totally 80's friend QT

J -HE did IT!

S took this last shot of the evening! - but the look is priceless. I cried, he was happy and life moves on.

I can't believe this is my baby - I am so proud he stuck to it . this has been a hard 18 months but he did do it and I am glad he finished.

Lioness- cut the cat

The annual hair cut! - this silly girl LOVES it. Doesn't she look great it makes her feel like living velvet! they call it a clown cut at the groomer but I say it looks more like a lion. They tell us she is the sweetest little cat ever, but she is just a little Handicat to us LOL :-)

Brown Belt Sucess!! wow this girl is good!

HH is thrilled to " move up" to the Black pants she gets to wear now that she is on the way to black belt. - you go girl

Can you see her Teacher in the back making a face? haha - this is a great photo of Hh though.

Hh achieved her Brown Belt May 9th

This is a proud moment for her and Me too! She worked incredably hard to achive this sucess.

Way to go Karate Girl.

- I am trying to catch up a bit but have had a few projects to complete. My May is getting away with lots to do and see and complete.

Hh in Concert and compitition

Normal Days

Normal Day, let me be aware of the treasure you are.

Let me learn from you, love you, bless you before you depart.

Let me not pass you by in quest of some rare and perfect tomorrow.

just one more

Susan Branch- items from the dot com

I e-mailed S that I wanted this scrapbooking kit - from www.susanbranch.com and he bought it for me, what i wanted to shoe you was how sweetly it was packaged! - they sent it to me with love, there were stickers and

Tissue wrap and extra goodies- like two calendars - it was so very nicely done.

Isn't this nice. even the outer package had stickers and sweet sentiments.

I am alive and well!

sorry I haven't posted, this is an extreme time of the year for me. We are getting ready for open enrollment at CU ! and that involves alot of computer time for work and then I just want to vege at home.

But on Friday the 17th S and I celebrated 10 years of married life! He is the best pal and friend , and a great husband and a wonderful dad to the kids. I would make this decision again and again no doubts or regrets.

Friends and Family

Life is fortified by many friendships. To love, and be loved, is the greatest happiness in existence~~ Sydney Smith

Aunty's lovely hands and fun nails

a few more pictures

at the hotel we saw these lovely trees- Hh's new favorite and U.B.'s too. Palms will be forever in Hh's mind when thinking of lovely San Diego

Hh took this photo- well composed in the evening light - of a sun on the patio at A.S and U.B's beautiful home.

The view from the patio- look at the golf hole and link, and lake. ( water feature) so stunning.

A little Lemon anyone? there was a Lime close by too. right in the patio garden.

Love love love it. We had a blast.

Same stuff different day?!?

Back in Colorado Springs- benefits office today. Trip down to my folks last night yielded a bit of fluffy snow- what happened to spring? in the last two weeks we have had several large winter storms. It makes this trip less than pleasant.

I was glad to have had a few days off and did fun things and serious things ; while taking a VaCa... dealing with taxes, forms and other assorted items that need care. The only thing I didn't get to do yet is work on a trip album documenting our Fun in San Diego- will get that sooner than later I hope.

well just a little snippet updating my day. Be Well and Happy.

we went in the water!

The hot tub was warm

The ocean was COLD!

But we had a blast on spring break.

the fearless foursome

photos from sunny SD - Cali

my camera was acting up at the zoo- I don't remember what this was

the flamingoes were very beautiful

the giraffes had babies - these were from the tour bus

photos from sunny SD - Cali

I wish I could have taken some of these plants back with us, the ivy grows everywhere!!!

It grows up the sides of these huge palm trees- Hh loved the palms, I have a " few" pictures of them

This was yesterday before we left.

She loved her time in the sun and had a blast of fun. She didn't want to go home!

Day number 3 will be as great as day1,2,!!

we are planning the world famous san diego zoo today, more photos and discriptions to follow once we are home.

yesterday we went to Horton Plaza a four story shopping mall, very cool. we found lots of things to try and buy. We went into juicy couture - wow they were proud of their clothes. we could not afford anything in that store. but we saw some cute fashions and we just choise a better alternative at a better price point and recreated some of the looks we saw.

We are so enjoying being with aunt Sunny - we have a lot in common and have a great time discovering all the things we love... her albums are so wonderful. the photos she has are great, things I have never seen before and people I love and remember as well as great young shots of those same people. The albums are such a treasure. It is fun to see my Dad and her as young kids and even as babies. They were both so good looking. But I have to say that even now niether of them look their age either!

well off to get ready for our day of fun in the sun.

in sunny San Diego

we arrived in sunny SD on friday night, and have had a fantastic time so far!
we took the old town trolly tour and went swiming in the ocean at la Jolla yesterday - it was freezing cold! but we stayed in and had a blast.
we swam in the hotel pool and sat in the spa and have been living the life of the princesses we are. We could adjust to this life in a heartbeat. My aunty is fab and her hubby is awesome. They make the darn cutest couple we have been with in a long time.
will post up some photos when we have more time and get home.

kicking it

this was last saturday's activity, these are the, boards, and the kid who broke some ( 3 of 4 she tried) and a shot of her ankle after a failed attempt.

Going on a trip!

We are going to see Aunty! Hh And I can't wait for a " girls weekend" -
Sunny weather will be on opur agenda, maybe some beach and ocean time, and lots of other fun things. Plus spending time with our family we don't get to see nearly enough.

They are predicting " bad weather here tomorrow" as in Snow- so we are hoping it will all be gone as we wing our way to San Diego on Friday afternoon.

Suggestions for must see places will be taken right here in the Comment section if you want to leave them.

Life with Boys - you can't make this stuff up!

Thursday evening we made our 15th trip to the Emergency room! My Son J - the emergency room baby had another Bike crash ( not his first) -

These pictures are from today and as you can see he put alot of stitches on that " pretty Face" - 16 more than the 21 he already has in him from prior stuff. and he tore the skin off of both palms and messed up the top of the middle finger on the left hand.

He was a Lucky boy- nothing broken, though he had a concussion- and then had x-rays and a CT scan, because he passed out at the site of the incedent and on the way to the hospital. But in the end he made out o.k. will have to watch all that face stuff though.

paid day off for your anniversary

Karl- a guest blogger at Chief Happiness officer blog- is writing about giving employees time off with pay on their company anniversay. in his coments another blogger says they would celebrate the creation date of the company ( anniversay) with thier employees doing something all together- another good idea if the business is small and couldn't afford to give individual days off.

here is my coment :

I think these are both fantastic ideas, I work for a Public institution, but highly agree with the annual celebration idea, I value my leave and personal time and would be motivated by recieving additional one day perk every year.
As for the company anniversary_ I think that is a great idea to celebrate with your employees the sucess of another year in business.

Truth or Dare?

You Are Truth

You are communicative, talkative, and honest to a fault. You love telling others about yourself, but not as much as you like hearing about them. You connect easily with strangers. You're very open, and you can find common ground with people. You love to gossip and tell secrets. Telling all is how you get close to people.

Are You Truth or Dare?

friends

here at work Happy - an interesting article about making friends at work.

I have been mostly fluff lately

I have a lot on my mind. but put off dealing with some of it. I am still on the Colorado Springs rotation- to UCCS- for work, and that takes a toll on my self. The novelty has worn off, nights away from my hubby and family- wear and tear on a body and my mom van is slowly going down hill too. I was hoping that the job would be filled and relief was in sight at the middle of last month. But it is the bureaucratic wheels that turn slowly.

I am thankful for a good job with benefits. Great teammates and co-workers, my loving family and old and new friends. I have alot going for me for sure. A little girls only trip coming up soon. ( end of the month)

I need to get busy with a few things, send in licence plate registration, taxes and some more bills. None of them any fun !

Thats my story and I am sticking to it.

Adventure!

Because of our routines
we often forget that life
is an ongoing adventure

Maya Angelou

Super hero- supper?

create your own super hero here- thanks to Aimee Friend of Kathryn for the inspiration!

pantone - color forcast

Here is the Fall looks and colors

from the pantone web site, this is a pretty cool report and has some advise from designers about what to get this year.

and color advise like this from WNTW's Clinton Kelly

Colors that flatter you never
go out of style. Just choose
wisely. Have a lot of Pink in
your skin? Beware of bright
Cherry Reds which might
make it even Pinker. Instead,
try shades of Burgundy or
Maroon that are easier to wear.
Yellow undertones? Avoid
Mustard Yellows which may
make you look sallow. Gold
or even Lemon Yellows might
be more flattering to your
complexion. And if your skin
is losing some of its natural
luster, bright jewel tones are
the best way to bring your
look back to life.”
Clinton Kelly
Co-host, TLC’s “What Not to Wear”

my favorite color this year is of course : Pantone 18-3520 Purple Heart! I hope I can add some to my fall wardrobe.