Feel good day

Spring is in the air, the house is semi-clean *L* I was able to vacumn today! *YEAH* Boy, did it need it badly!! It hasn't been vacumned since before my surgery....scary!!

The weather is perfect!! Sunny, 66 degrees with a very slight breeze and my flowers are blooming!! I am a happy camper!



Yes these ARE my flowers, in MY yard, taken TODAY!!! How can you not be happy seeing this when you go outside? Just imagine the smell...ahhhhhhh!!!

And I found some awesome blog stuff out there today while I was blog hopping. You guys have to check these out! Our Best Bites not only do they have incredible recipes, but check out how they died the Easter Eggs....OMG I SO want to try this!!

Oh and another one I wanted to share if you love to do photo effects Be Funky Can we say FUN!!! And so easy it is hard to believe! After saving the pics to your comp you can print them out and scrap or frame them! Here are a couple I did.






These are just a few of the fun effects you can get!

Feelin better and

starting to get a little cabin fever! But I have to admit I am loving the tv time with TLC and HGTV! It drives Jim nuts *L* but I am lovin the house shows! But it also means I am not getting any scrappin done, so someone remind me of that when I complain that I haven't had time to scrap! *wink*

I'm gonna have a pet owner vent now *S* Why do people have pets if they don't want to take care of them? Friday I am in the garage throwing my cleaning rags in the wash...yeah they were starting to smell funky since I hadn't gotten them washed since my last cleaning job....when I hear a crash and an animal crying out in pain. I hobble to the front door to look outside but don't see any vehicles and at first I didn't see any animals either. But then I spotted it, on the other side of our oleanders...a dog, a big dog..looked to be pit bull and it was rolling around in pain. I am not going to spare the details because I want pet owners to THINK! This poor dog was rolling around in pain and whining and trying to get somewhere. I felt so helpless, I knew I couldn't go out and check on it, if it turned on me I knew I wouldn't be able to protect myself and get away since I can't run right now. I get my phone and call animal control and by some grace of God they answer..you usually get an answering machine...and I report to them what just happened. They send someone out to help, but in the meantime I am talking to my neighbor because by this time the poor dog has managed to drag himself to our back yard under a bush. When I mention to the neighbor that I had noticed a couple out by the road looking around, and he recognized them as someone that has just moved into our neighborhood so he went over to get them. I am keeping my eye on the dog, and our neighbor brings back someone with him who says the dog belongs to him, so I direct him to where the dog is now. Luckily the man was finally able to pick up the dog, after a couple attempts, and I am just hoping they took him to the vet.
ok, now I realize things happen and animals do get out without the owners knowing it sometimes, and animals can be pretty creative when finding ways to get out, BUT we live on a busy street and we have had a LOT of problems with neighbors dogs getting out, multiple times. So I just wanted to scream at this guy, because now his poor dog was in incredible pain!

Now on to a rant about the Govenator *L* I admit it I voted for Ahhnald...but he has gotten so far out there that I don't even know what he is thinking! Now we want to pass legislation that you can not own a dark colored vehicle in CA because it takes too much energy to cool them off! When the day comes that the powers that be can tell us what color car to have we have Big Problems!!

And finally....I have a question to ask...mostly from the guys ** even though I seriously doubt that many guys read my blog, but ladies maybe ask your hubbies....I know my hubbies thoughts on the matter and all I can say is Thank God he accepts me as I am...but, a friend of ours just got a boob job...and I mean she is HUGE now!! But guys....wouldn't that take some of the fun out of things? Knowing they are fake, plastic....not your wifes real breasts? Maybe I am weird, I dunno....hey I admit I would love to have mine lifted *L* wouldn't almost all of us women who have had kids like to have them lifted? But to have them ummmmmm up to our chins popping out of our shirts HUGE?? I just don't find that attractive at all. Sad thing is she was a beautiful girl *yes I can say 'girl' because she is younger than my own daughter* before she had the boob job and she wasn't an A cup then, but she also had a tummy tuck....and she was probably all of a size 4 at the very most, before her surgery. And we wonder why our 5 yr olds are so concerned about diets and looking sexy? I'm sorry but it is a sore spot with me. I feel sorry for our little girls who are growing up trying to live up to some body image that most women can't attain. What's wrong with being...*gasp*....average?
*stepping off my soap box*

A Scrapbookers Husbands Revenge

I am home and recovering from the knee surgery. I'm getting around some...which means I can walk around the house, take the dogs out and tonight I walked outside with Jim when he took the trash out. I am down to taking the pain pills every 6 hours instead of every 4...thank goodness because they knock me out! And if you know me you know I do NOT like sitting aorund doing nothing...let alone laying around doing nothing! Because of the pain pills I sleep alot.
The dr said that I will need a partial knee replacement in 4-7 yrs roughly. 4 if I don't lose weight, 7 if I do. So I am going to try my darndest to lose some of this weight. Which right now isn't too hard since the pain pills seem to keep my appetite down.
Thank God for Jim and how well he takes care of me, and my friends for everything they have done for us.
Jim decided to get revenge on me for all the picture taking I do *LOL* So he took pics of me going to the surgery center and during the whole process up until we were home. So then he gets on his comp and makes a scrapbook page for me. *L* He was telling me...'You know I love you, right?' *LOL* So here is his revenge for all my scrapping pages and pics of all the silly...ok and even sometimes embarrassing moments in our lives.

*L* I love this man, and in a way am honored that he made this for me! It did give me a good laugh and will go into my album!

The weekend before my surgery my cousin Michelle from Arizona and my cousin Holly from Kansas (they are sisters) came to visit us. They spent the night with us on Friday night and we had a good time visiting, looking at pics, family videos and laughing. It was SO good to see them. I love having family come to visit!!!
Here we are in our front yard by the infamous tree

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!

What are you doing to celebrate St. Patricks Day? I am sure Jim will speak with his Irish accent...which he can do because he is 100% Irish! *L* Just ask him (or ask Jonnie *L*), he will tell you, Grandpa Jim was in Ireland when St. Patrick chased the snakes out of Ireland, in fact he helped St. Patrick chase the snakes out! Here are some more St. Patrick's Day blarney and fun facts.

Have you seen Diana's blog by chance? Who is this Diana you ask? Well check her out and you will see...she has the cutest handmade jewelry in her Etsy shop! She's giving away some of her designs..but you have to visit her blog to get the details.

Now, on to my vent for the day. AIG...who is with me on this one?? Why is it we keep giving these people bail out money when they are turning around and using it for millions of dollars in bonuses?? You know what we need to do to stimulate the economy, and if anyone in office had half a brain this is what they would do...is to give every legal tax paying adult in the U.S even $100,000 we wouldn't need to be bailing out these company's! They would be getting paid off and there would be no need for a bial out bill. I know us for one...we could pay off the mortgage, the pickup, and any and all bills we have and have them all paid off with money left! Now if we all did that, do you think this country would need any bail out bills? Seriously people..wake up!! Wonder what it would take for me to get a government handout......hmmmmmmm

Proud Grandma moment

I just feel like bragging about my grandkids tonight! Jim and I have some awesome grandkids! So I will start with the oldest *L* Madi....

That girl has more musical talent in her little finger than I have in my entire body! She's loved music as long as I have known her and I hate to admit I admire her talent! I can't read music to save my life but that girl is playing the Clarinet, has won awards and is now taking Oboe lessons! She is a natural and she is only 14. Show me a piece of sheet music and it might as well be chinese!


Then we have Jon. He is definately all boy and he loves to work with his hands already. For only being 8 it is impressive to say the least. He is in a program at school called Destination Imagination and they won 1st place for thier manned & unmanned machines and the performance(he is the one with the bandana thingy tied around his head) they gave at a recent competition. Now they get to go compete at the state level!! He had to call and tell us his exciting news! I am so happy for him!

Then of course we have our resident celebrity Jonnie who is on the billboard in Mississippi

Jenny called last night and she had a meeting at his school yesterday and found out he is being moved to a gifted program!

Gosh they are not only handsome and beautiful, but smart too!! *L*

Ok on to the kids... *L*
Jamie called so excited she could hardly stand it. She got a new job!!! She is going to be working in a print shop, finally doing something with computers, like she has wanted for so many years! I'm excited for her and hope this leads to something even bigger for her down the line.
Oh, Jenny also told us to get on our comps because they got a web cam and she sent us live video of the twins. Now we just saw them not even 3 weeks ago? They are changing so fast!!! They are getting chubby little cheeks and Lexi was smiling so big! ahhhhhhh I got all teary eyed watching them! Sammi got a haircut and OMG she looks older and it is so beautiful on her!
Welp, thats about it for tonight. It is almost time for my Grey's to come on *L* so I gotta boogy outta here....I just had to do some bragging :)

Winter vacation..4000 miles and then some!

*warning...following message will be a book!* *L*
To start off, we were able to take our trip after all. Things got real crazy after Jim almost cut his finger off and I didn't have a chance to get online again after I took him to see the surgeon (he didn't have to have surgery, the dr said he wanted to let mother Nature take it's course and that the nail may grow back or it may not..I am leaning towards not...but he said he may need surgery in the future if the finger gives him trouble. Right now it is wait and see.) But he also said take your trip and have fun!! So the next couple days were a whirlwind of getting things ready because we decided to leave on Friday instead of Saturday since he couldn't work and I was off Friday and there was a storm coming. The storm moved in shortly after we left! I am so glad we left when we did, not only because of the storm but because it took us 3 days to drive to Mississippi, instead of the 2 we had originally planned on. We stopped at each state line to get a pic of Harold by the state sign. *L* For those of you who don't know Harold, here is a pic of him at one of the state signs


We stayed in Albequerque the first night, in the same motel we were staying at when Jim proposed to me, and our room was just 1 room down from the room we had then! How cool is that?

Saturday, we made it as far as OK City. We were lucky to stop where we did because as we were watching the weather on the local news we discovered had we gone much further we would have ran into a storm of sleet. Not a good thing, in unfamiliar territory at night!!

Sunday we got up to drive the rest of the way and we were up with the birds....literally! Have you seen the movie The Birds? If not..it is a classic that I loved as a kid and Jim and I just happened to run across it on tv a few days before we left on our trip. Also, if you have seen it then you can so totally relate to what I am about to show you!! This is what we woke up to in Ok City at 5 am. The sound was deafening and talk about FREAKY!!!!! They were EVERYWHERE!! And more flew in. As we were walking into McD's to get a breakfast sandwich I was taking a couple pics and a bird on one of the light poles let out a BIG squack...talk about goosebumps! YIKES!!!!! They were everywhere..on the poles, wires, trees, signs, on the ground and even on one car in the parking lot! If anyone knows why, or if this happens regularly in OK City let me know! *L* I would love to know why there were so many birds!

We finally arrive in Mississippi around 4 pm, exhausted and excited! We went straight to Jenny and John's home to see the kids. OMG can you say PRECIOUS!! the twins were adorable, and the older kids came running out to see us and give us hugs! It was amazing!


Jim's son Ryann, DIL Mariam, Jim's daughter Jenny(mommy) and SIL Johnathon and all the kids loaded up to take us to Memphis on Tuesday after Mariam cooked us all a delicious breakfast. We got to see Graceland (which I really thought would be bigger than it was, but I loved all the written messages from Elvis fans on the wall and sidewalk around Graceland)
Then they took us to Beale Street which was awesome!


Jim spotted a Hooters, and since we LOVE Hooters Wings so much we decided to eat at Hooters on Beale St! Poor Jonnie was so embarrassed. Of course Grandma J had to have the waitresses pose with him so I could take a pic...and all the guys were cheering him on *L* I know what my scrapper buds are going to say *L* but you KNOW this is going to be scrapped....there is a whole story that goes with this.

Sammie crossing her eyes..I don't know how she does it, but it makes my eyes hurt just watching her do it *L* the next 2 pics are just because they make me happy. I thought the old pink van was cute and I loved this clock on Beale St.! I want one in my backyard!




While we were visiting the kids we also got to go to an awards program at Jonnie and Sammie's school.

The Superintendant even mentioned us being there..all the way from California, when he was giving his speech.
Our last day there, Jenny and John asked us if we would watch the kids so they could get out alone and get some couple time. We were more than happy to! And since we had the kids all up in the motel room with us (we were staying at the casino motel that Ryann works in...the Gold Strike...awesome place!!!!), we did a photo shoot with the kids. This is one of my favorites!


At one point Jim told the kids to give him some attitude and boy did he get 'tude. I loved these shots. Sammie is such a ham! If that girl doesn't grow up to be an actress I will be surprised!

When we were done with the photo shoot, I noticed Sammie watching Alex with this look of pure love on her face, so I had to grab my camera and capture the moment. It was breathtaking!


When we arrived at Jenny's she had asked Jim if he would bless the babies. He was finally able to get it approved on our last night there, what a special moment. With many tears, it was time for us to leave and head out for Ark. As we were leaving town I was able to get a pic of the billboard that Jonnie is on.


From there it was on to Arkansas to see grandkids Madi and Gavin. My how they have grown since we last saw them almost 2 years ago!

Gavin is a HUGE Cars fan, so when Papa Jim gave him the Cars cars he had brought for him, Gavin was beside himself!

We were only able to stay in Ark 1 night because we had to get to KS for my parent's 50th anniversary party.

While we were on the road we saw this van...so I am asking my blogger friends for some help again, if you know the story behind this van and trailer I would love to hear it!


Since the last week before we left was so busy I still hadn't finished mom and dad's sign in book for the party, so I worked on it on the road. *L* My scrapper buds will be proud of me!

I didn't get a pic of the photo board to post because I didn't get that finished until we got to my parents house. I had to stop in Salina, KS at a JoAnn's to buy supplies! *L*

When we got to KS and my parents house, my daughter Jamie and her kids, Jon and Kayden were there from Colorado and they were all excited to see us as well! Of course the first morning Kayden had to come in and give us hugs and get tickled by Papa Jim.


Rise and shine and time to get to the church to decorate for the anniversary party that was set for later in the day.
This is the best pic you are going to get of the photo board I made, no that is not me *L* I wish I was that slim...that is a friend of my mom's who was helping us set up.

Finally some pics from the anniversary party. I had my camera set up to get pics of the family, and then I forgot to get 1 pic that I wanted so badly. A pic of the 4 generations of women...my mom, me, my daughter and grandaughter. I am so sad I forgot to get that pic. So for all who don't know them, there are pics of my parents, Jim and I, me and two of my cousins, Tina and Cally, one of me and my kids(I have no idea what that look is on my face for...someone said something to me just as Jim snapped the pic *L*), the whole family and the great grandkids...and last but not least my neice JJ who is pregnant with future great-grandbaby! *L*


We may not get to see the grandkids very often, but when we do we always come away with some very special memories of our time together. This time was no exception. Jon told Jim that we were his favorite grandparents of all his grandparents. Ahhhhhhhhhhhh and then on their last day there, they had to leave a day before we did, Jim was giving Kayden a bunch of kisses (she loves when he kiosses her all over her face *L*) Jon told us that he was laughing about Kayden getting all those kisses but he was crying inside because he was going to leave and wouldn't be able to see us again for a long time. How precious is that? Gosh makes me tear up all over again thinking about it.
We had a wonderful time visiting family and I was able to reconnect with my sons, something I have prayed for for so long. There were tears as we left this leg of our trip as well. How we wish they were all closer!



Finally it was time for our final leg of the trip...Utah, to see Shaun, Brit and Patrick.


Patrick is at such a fun age! He's babbling and pulling himself up to walk around things. Before we know it he will be walking on his own!
I love this pic of Britney playing with him and this pic of Patrick sitting between Shaun's legs.



Once again I need my fellow bloggers help! *L* While in Utah we went to the Draper Temple open house. First off it was amazingly gorgeous! And HUGE!! WOW!! But on the way I saw this tree all wrapped up in different colors..can someone tell me why?? *L*


Finally in true form, it wouldn't be a trip to Utah for us without some rain or snow. We got both this time! *L* A light rain one day and then the morning we were leaving we woke up to snow! The weather forecaster said it would only dip down to the Salt Lake Valley....but what he didn't know is we were in Utah!! So of course it had to snow!! We hit snow off and on all the way to Beaver, where of course we had to stop to get cheese curds *L* here is what it looked like as we were leaving Payson


Time for me to call it a night! This post has taken me 2 hours...probably about as long as it will take you to read it *L* if you read the whole thing, bless your heart!