7 Glorious Days in California

They were glorious all except the fact that I was 3000 miles from my three favorite guys, that being said, here's the fun that I had...

The reason for my trip was for my OLDER sister's 40th birthday. It doesn't happen till later this month, but this was the week she had off work, we opted to plan my trip for some time when I could actually hang with her for the most time. For this reason I spent the first three days nights at her house. It was too much fun.

SATURDAY: She and Lancie picked me up and took me straight away to rolled taco & guacamole heaven, El Indio. I made them be quiet while I savored every morsel.

They were great hosts, I had a lot of fun staying with them and then my parents would come down during the days. I loved raiding their pantry for scrumptious morsels, having coffee in the morning while watching TV, my brother in law's hilarious sense of humor, stealing jewelry from my niece, Mallory, picking on her driving and finding out she drives just like me, just hanging out and relaxing.

The highlight of staying with them is their fuzzy little dog. He is the ultimate in dog perfection.

They spoiled me with making sure I didn't spend any money & by feeding me all my favorite foods. Thanks guys.

SUNDAY: Visiting their sweet new church, check them out if you're ever in the area.

MONDAY: Shopping on Memorial Day. Taking a family day drive up and all around San Diego. Seeing all the flags at Rosecrans and visiting the burial site of Lance's Dad. Dinner at China Camp, too yummy.

TUESDAY: Walking the model homes with Auntie Joyce and having Rubio's for lunch.

Visiting with my Grandmother, made her cry when I left and felt so bad that I'm so far away and don't take the time to call her more often.

Dinner and talking for hours with my Mom-in-Law.

WEDNESDAY: Walking with Sara and Gia, dang girls, 4 miles, it was the best. Coffee and painting toenails while watching the today show at Sara's. Seeing her kids and them not being completely mad at me for not bringing the boys. Hugging her mom's neck. A scrumptious late lunch at Bucca De Beppo, so yummers. Shopping, getting lost in Old Navy, iced coffee at just the right time, Clinique bonus days at Nordstrom, and lots of catching up.

Sleeping in my old room, at the best bed & breakfast in the world, my mama & daddy's, if you're ever in the area...well, you're on your own, that's my room. Having my mama's cookin' again. Double yummers.

THURSDAY: Redecorating my niece's room while she was at school. Dinner and a movie all snuggled in the family room with my parents.

FRIDAY: Last meal together at Studio Diner, it's become a tradition, we go there before they drop me off at the airport. It's the only time I remembered to dig my camera out. Sorry, I realize it makes this post a little boring.



I had such a relaxing and fun time, I don't remember when I've laughed so much. It was so good to get home. It's always bittersweet, I'm excited to get home, but don't want to leave those that I love so far away.

I'm Back & I'm Thankful

Tomorrow will be the post listing all the highlights of my trip to CA. Today is just the highlights of my life this past month. :o)

1. Coffee out on the deck this morning with my Sweetie, he's so yummy. We feel like we're cheating that we get to live with such beauty surrounding us. Then Dave came out with his bowl of cheerios and ruined our romantic moment.

2. My health. Two days after getting home from CA I came down with the flu. Lovely. I'm feeling so much better today, I'm so thankful.

3. Sitting with my Sweetie at Dave's baseball game last night. Watching my little pip-squeak play against boys that surely needed to shave and were planning for college. They were no match for Dave's swiftness, they can't catch the Dave.

4. Waking up to find Sweetie still in bed, he didn't wake up early to go work in the office, I love it when that happens.

5. We're taking cookies to Calvin today. He's at camp this week. I'm hoping we get to actually see him. I miss him so much.

6. When I told Dave that I was going to have HIM make the cookies for Calvin today, while I clean house, he got all excited and said, 'Good, then I can put some cockroaches in them.' I was appalled. His dad was cracking up. Ah, life with boys.

7. So on Jay's last trip to CA he took Dave with him and they were gone for Mother's Day, not nice. In two weeks Jay and Calvin will be leaving for Guatemala for a missions trip, they'll be gone for our anniversary. Oh, but don't worry they'll be home in time for Father's Day. Yeah, whatever Buddy. I can't wait to see where he's going for my birthday.

(i just forgot this is suppose to be a thankful list, i'm thankful that my husband is even someone that feels remotely guilty about being gone on such monumental occasions)

8. Being gone for 7 days, leaving Sweetie and the two boys home by themselves, then having the flu for three days when I got home, you can imagine the state of my house. I'm actually excited about cleaning house today. No really, I am. Seriously. I'm not joking. Where is that number for merry maids?

9. I lost five pounds this week. I'm thankful for my flu.

10. I walked out my front door this morning and found that I have grass growing on my welcome mat. It cracks me up every time I think about it, I think I'll leave it like that.

Thanks for letting me take a much needed break. And thanks for not complaining..oh, except for the lovely email I got from Sara telling me that I suck. That wasn't very nice.

Spring Break

I'm going to be taking a break for the rest of this month. We've got a busy month ahead, Jay and Dave being in CA for 7 days, Calvin and I purging the house and having a garage sale, I'll be out of town for 7 days, and trying to get as much schooling done as possible.

I'm feeling the need to spend time on more important things, and hopefully getting myself away from the computer will work.

Blessings to you all and I'll see you in June, hopefully.

Thankful on a Thursday

1. That allergy season is just for a short time, Sweetie won't be miserable too much longer.

2. Driving downtown today to the dentist's office and seeing all the spring colors.

3. Lovin' on my boys today. I've been Grumpy Mommy for a couple days this week.


(this picture doesn't have anything to do with this post, just thought it was a really good one of Sweetie and Thing Two, and I'm pretty thankful for Sweetie.)

4. Finally answered ALL my emails this morning.

5. Had money to cover payroll, that's always something to be thankful for.

6. Yesterday I spent a chunk of the day reading THIS blog. I looked at it as if I was reading a really good book. She's funny, encouraging, funny, inspirational, funny and a whole lot funny. She's does the sweetest thing on Monday's where she encourages us to pray for our kids. Go check her out.

7. Didn't have so many heart palpitations in the last 24 hours. PTL! It's either acid reflux, a lovely early start on peri-menopause, stress, or too much sugar and caffeine. We're still waiting on the results.


(this didn't have anything to do with this post either, but I thought it was such a cute picture, and I am always thankful for this little guy and his dog.)

8. The scriptures that I've been clinging to this week.

9. My pretty pedicure I got yesterday. Thanks Sweetie. I used to get them all the time, though I hate the procedure, I love the way my toes feel afterward. I've been doing it myself for months now, trying to save money, I'd forgotten the agony of getting it done, but also forgot the joy in my toes when it's all finished.


(ah, the pretty toes. please don't be scared at how long my toes are, Sweetie can't really look at them, they freak him out a bit)

10. Snugglin' on the couch with my boys, the dog and my Sweetie tonight.

Hope you're finding things to be thankful for. It's such a blessing. Thank you Crayola Lady for turning me onto being thankful. You were right, it always works!


(this picture didn't have anything to do with this post either, but it's the only one of Calvin that I've gotten lately. He was trying to sleep, I was trying to get him out of bed. He loves his sleep. And his Mama loves him.)


(this picture REALLY doesn't have anything to do with this post, but I hadn't gotten a picture of Sweetie and I lately, this was the best one. I think it's a really great shot of the seatbelt. I know, I have quite the gift with photography, try not to be jealous.)

Gas

So, yesterday I went to the doctor because I've been having heart palpitations for about a month now. I've tried cutting out caffeine, sugar, stress (yeah, that one was easy), over exerting myself (I'm sure you've noted my love of the nap)...anything I could think of. But still had them. Mostly at night but sometimes I'd feel it throughout the day.

They did an EKG and listened and probed and all seemed to be fine. I'll be doing one of those lovely Holter Monitors sometime this week, whenever I can get ahold of the cardiologist. This is so fun.

But this morning while talking it over with a sweet friend, we decided it could very well be acid reflux. Huh. So then I had to tell Sweetie about our 'light bulb moment'. And he just laughs.

Sweetie: 'What do I always say?'
Me: 'Yeah, whatever, it's gas.'

Yep, people that's his answer for everything. Since Calvin was first born and had those lovely fits of rage around dinner time, Jay was sure it was just gas, he needed to poop. Sure enough, gas, constipation. Dave gets some sort of fever, Jay would ask...'when was the last time the kid pooped?' Sure enough, the kid just needed to poop. Any kind of ailment the kids would have, his answer was to go sit on the pot.

Me on the other hand, the boys felt something weird, I'd tell them to go drink a glass of water. My answer for everything that ails you is, you're not getting enough water. An avid water drinker myself, I think it's why I enjoy such immense health. Yeah right, now I'm thinking maybe I just need to poop. Lovely.

For those that can't believe I just talked about poop on my blog, just think how my mother feels right now. She's sure she raised me with better manners. Sorry Mama, it's all Jay's fault, he's completely ruined me.

An Apology

After throwing my husband under the bus, as he calls it, I have been asked to post an embarrassing post about myself. But, alas, there won’t be any pictures because, I hold the camera, I control the blog, and I’m not that stupid.

Just imagine, if you will, knit pajama pants tucked into Jay’s socks, that by morning time looks a lot like MC Hammer pants. Long sleeved tshirt with thumbs tucked in the wrists. Bright pink earplugs. Turquoise sleep mask over my eyes, night bite guard, hair knotted on top of my head like a sumo wrestler.

I'm a vision, it's a wonder he can sleep.

So apparently I offended my husband by posting and saying such rude things about him. But then I looked pretty good after the very nice comments that were said about him. And don’t worry I made it all better with him; waffles, eggs & a cup of hot coffee…like putty in my hands, he was.

Yes, I'm very aware that I'm lucky he married me.

Winston

Now being our only dog, Winston is getting the special treatment.

I’ve been paying much more loving attention to him. After crying and snuggling with him on Monday, we found out that it had been WAY too long since he’d had a bath. I scrubbed him down really good, gave him his doggy massage, brushed his coat and sprayed a little cologne on him. (he now smells like Real Sexy by Victoria’s Secret) I then cut him a new kerchief to wear around his neck.

So yesterday when Miss Lynne came over for our walk together I decided to take the Winston with us. He did really good on the leash. I was praising him and asked Lynne if she thought he looked handsome in his kerchief???

"Well," she says, "I wasn’t going to say anything, but since you asked, I think he looks kinda gay.”

"GAY?!!!! What the heck do you mean by gay??? Winston doesn’t look gay. YOUR dog looks gay!!!"

At which point we both looked down at her dog........she has a rottweiler.

Yeah, Winston looked a little gay.


This is our boy, Winston in his Gay kerchief.


ah, such a cutie-patootie.