Motley Crew

I ran into one today. Well, I didn't run into them... just observed them as they wreaked hormonal havoc on a local Safeway. They perused the store, discussing, way too noticeably, I might add, what they were hungry for, why they were hungry for it, why they were madly in love with what they were hungry for, how much they should buy of what they were hungry for and who was going to pay for it. Half of them were on their cells, the other half were interrupting those on their cells. The muffin tops were plentiful and guffaws out numbered the giggles by far.

Out in the parking lot the rest of the crew were still in the process of congregating. A car poured out the baseline of an indiscriminate tune. BOOM WHAPPA WHAPPA BOOM BOOM WHAPPA WHAPPA, it bellowed like the mating call of a bullfrog ... but with rhythm :-p One of them had managed to "snag" another's shoe and the game was afoot *snort* (sorry but I made myself laugh with that one... its late). Anyway, as I observed the rambunctious, crowd of 20-30 youths I remembered back to when I was their age, being too loud, maybe a little obnoxious, defiantly belligerent, and I thought to myself, "Since when did I become old?"

Then I thought there must be at least...



Ten signs that you may be getting OLD:

1. You drive a minivan because you actually like it.
2. You throw a mini celebration when you get carded.
3. You catch yourself saying things your mother or father used to say.
   
4. You have given up on plucking your gray hairs due to baldness.
5. You use your cell phone to make phone calls.
6. You are on the AARP's mailing list.
7. You like prunes.
8. Its hot when its cold and cold when its hot.
9. You look for things that are on your person (glasses on head, keys in hand, remote in lap, shirt on back).
10. The youthful antics of the adolescent annoy you.

I Fold

Just in case there was any question as to why I stay up incredibly late night after night I present to you the following photo as exhibit A. It clearly shows a couch in desperate need of being relieved of the five loads of clean laundry which is not only making the entire living room look cluttered but has also robbed Booger of her usual resting place upon its seat cushions.



Tonight I am armed with the first season of The Office(BBC version) to keep me company. I have found that I enjoy its offbeat humour ("u" is because it is British) and the morbid idiocy of the boss. Actually, he reminds me of my own bumbling inner thought life which seems to spill out whenever I open my mouth. Seriously, the entire show, with its awkward pauses and miss by a mile sarcasm, is me. I am awkward sarcasm manifested. I am The Office.



A shout out to Julie for introducing me to the Americanized series. I think of you every time I watch it. :-D *mwah*



P.S. I am finding that the British can get away with much more during their prime time programming than we Americans can, so if you plan to partake...bewares ;-)

A Little Marli Goes a Long Way

Here she comes...

...here she cries...



...there she goes.

Callerado Edjumacation

My dearest Love has graduated and with honors! Suma cum laude with a Bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice from Colorado Technical University(CTU). In celebration of his great accomplishment and to commemorate ten years of blissful marriage as of April 4th, 2008, we decided to take a trip to Colorado Springs, Colorado to attend his graduation ceremony. Off we embarked on a four day/ three night adventure together, alone, thats right, NO KIDS!!! Grandma and Grandpa were gracious enough to step up to the plate or rather the changing table to watch all four of the kids for us. And in case I haven't said it enough THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. :-)

We left home Friday morning at 5a.m. and reached our destination at 11a.m. Our room was not ready (one with a king size bed) so we decided to go out for lunch and try our luck later.

~~Later~~

The room was still not ready so we accepted a room with two queen beds. This secretly excited My Love and I because we would each have a whole bed to ourselves but, of course, this being our anniversary trip as well, neither of us admitted our excitement. After we settled in and freshened up we set about the business of graduating. There were robe fittings and rehearsals, photo sessions and a tour of the CTU campus. We also did a lot of standing around waiting for someone to tell us to stand around somewhere else. Finally Pomp and Circumstance! Here is My Love accepting his diploma from the President of CTU. I am so proud of him for working so hard to achieve his goal.


I made the hired/professional photographer really angry by snapping this pic below. He kept yelling, "NO FLASHES" but I had already turned mine off :-p He was just bitter because he wasn't gonna make no money offa me. Isn't My Love so dashing in this intellectual get up?



What Friday was to the graduation, Saturday was to site seeing. Mr. Amazing started out the day by letting me sleep in whilst he went out on the town to shop the CTU gift shop and bring me breakfast in bed. MMMmmmm... nothing better then a Denny's French Slam at 10:30a.m. Just trust me on this one ;-)


Seven Falls, a splendid example of the beauty of God's creation. The falls are actually lit at night and there is a light show arranged to music but only during the summer. (shoot!) We did decide it might be worth it to climb up to the top of the falls to take it all in...
...we were wrong! The first flight was 117 steps +/-. We went up... caught our breath, took in the view...




...then came back down. Whew!!! Were we sore? YES! We weren't about to attempt the second flight to reach the top. But it was a great experience and I highly recommend this attraction. Plus there was a great gift shop at the bottom and the top of the falls.







We met this site on our way to Seven Falls. It is called the Pillars of Samson. I couldn't even get the entire cliff faces in my frame they were so immense and tall. That little black splotch with legs at the bottom center of the photo is My Love standing in the middle of the road that winds between these two giants.


I was so excited that there was a place called Garden of the Gods for us to visit. I couldn't wait to behold the tremendous variety of plants that would be new to my senses. However, much to my surprise, Garden of the Gods is a gathering of rock formations NOT botanical beauties. :-p

It was beautiful nonetheless. Here are my faves, White Rock and the Cathedral Spires.


The Garden of the Gods visitor center was a great place to shop and learn about the surrounding region. They had many taxidermied specimens of local wildlife and even had a short movie presentation about the rock formations. Besides the gift shop the visitor center was a two story museum of sorts. It was very informative and the scenery, although not flora and fauna, was awe inspiring.


That night we ate at Joe's Crab Shack. If you ever find yourself in the Colorado Springs area you must AVOID this place at all cost. Although they gave a rousing and entertaining choreographed presentation of the disco tune Car Wash the service was sub par. The food was edible but I've found the same quality in the freezer section of Safeway. We should have known better than to eat at a landlocked seafood establishment :-p


Since Friday and Saturday were go, go, go, we conscientiously decided to take Sunday a little slower and take time to relax on our vacation. After a private hotel room church service we headed out to enjoy the day and ended up at a flea market. Yippee!!! for me but just yay for My Love. ;-) Lets just say I was very indulged but he did find a treasure of his own which made it worth his while. Tired of walking we decided to see a movie. Drillbit Taylor is not a must see but it felt good to sit in the dark and not think about where we had to get to next.

For dinner we found ourselves at the Famous Steakhouse. It was a charmingly swanky formal sit down without having to dress up kind of place. Everything on the menu was BIG! Not one cut of meat under 16oz! We split a Jumbo shrimp cocktail, Marinated mushrooms and a 22oz prime rib. Soooooooooo delicious! Everything was cooked to perfection with a superb mingling of flavors. We will defiantly be visiting Colorado Springs again even if it is just to eat Famous.

After dinner we went back to the cinema to see Nim's Island. The movie was very cute and I feel good recommending it. It was a sweet close to an even sweeter trip. It had been a long time since My Love and I had spent a significant amount of time alone together with out the distractions four lovely hooligans can bring. We were able to focus our attention solely on each other and hear every word the other had to say... even the unspoken ones.

Happy Campers

July 10th through the 13th was Crossway Fellowship's third annual family camp. We stayed at D.L. Bliss State Park on the Northwest shore of Lake Tahoe.





Despite the stifling haze caused by wildfires throughout California, we set up camp and went about the business of having fun. We had a great time riding bikes,





exploring,




playing in the sand,







( My Kiah is the head on the left :-D )





and swimming.





Marli stayed home with Grandma and Grandpa but we had Flip to fill her shoes. Playing the part of a 20 month old sure does wear a dog down. :-p





There were campfires and s'mores, sandy crevasses and sun kissed cheeks. Our bodies were sore but in a good way and we all slept well :-).




The trip ended with a church service on the beach where we were challenged to reflect the beauty of Christ as the waters of Lake Tahoe reflect the beauty of God's creation.

O Lord my God, When I in awesome wonder,
Consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made;
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.

When through the woods, and forest glades I wander,
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees.
When I look down, from lofty mountain grandeur
And see the brook, and feel the gentle breeze.

And when I think, that God, His Son not sparing;
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;
That on the Cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin.

When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation,
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart.
Then I shall bow, in humble adoration,
And then proclaim: "My God, how great Thou art!"

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

words & music by Carl G. Boberg and R.J. Hughes

Remembories

Memories. Like regrets, I've had a few.

~indulging a dear friend~ ;-)

1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember. You can leave one about the kids or My Love, too.

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's very funny and heartwarming to see the responses.

A Bitter Tweet Tale

This afternoon I went out to my little "Mom sanctuary" only to find a most treacherous site. A female Western Tanager had somehow fallen into the frog pond and was unable to escape. Had I only went out to water ten minutes earlier then I may have been able to save her. As I scooped her sodden body from the water her feet clenched my finger, but not for long. She gasped a few times and then she was gone. I held her for a few moments, smoothed the wet, ruffled feathers of her face then set her down gently on the banister. Thoughts of a nest of eggs or chicks filled my mind, not only of the present but of the future. Goodbye, lovely friend.

Flip the Beautiful

No, I'm not suggesting that you commit random acts of violence towards the physically blessed. I am referring to my beautiful Boarder Collie Flip. She went on a desperately needed trip to the doggie salon today and she came back looking...

*with vibrato*

FAAAAAAA ~ bu ~ luuuuuuuusss!!!

Her first instinct upon exiting the car was to roll around in the grass to rid herself of all fluff and foof. Didn't work... the pretty pink bows held fast ..... well, at least for the remainder of the hour :-p LOL!




Flip, too cool for school... not including obedience training. Besides the run of the mill sit, stay, down, come, she will also shake, play dead, roll over, speak, show that she's a yellow belly, crawl, dance, balance items on her nose, and her most important trick... "gitthedeergogitit!!!".





After a long day of pampering and a torturous photo session Flip begged to be left to her own devices and spent the rest of the evening sleeping and twitching her way through dog dreams where she catches every deer, cats are her doting slaves, and there is no such thing as doggie perfume.

Here Gato, Gato, Gato...

I have no idea why, but in our home all things kitty are referred to as gato. I know it is the Spanish word for cat, however, neither My Love nor I speak Spanish. Despite that, we have always called our kitties gatos. All our kids call kitties gatos, and I have a hunch that our grandkids will also call kitties gatos.....




.....currently owning us are our dos gatos; Booger (no eye rolling Debbie), and Daphne,

*singing in my best Rosemary Clooney/Vera-Ellen voice*

Sisters, sisters, never were there such devoted sisters...

ok... I'll stop :-p

sister gatos we adopted about five years ago. You have met Booger before so lets start with Daphne aka Daffers.

She is a little bit of a loner. Skittish around guests and kids she only allows My Love and me to really pet her. She spends most days curled up on our bed. She loves laundry day and welcomes warm loads of clothes dumped upon her. Daphne is a chin gato.




Booger, Boogs, or Boogboog, on the other hand, is the most tolerant gato I have ever met. She is usually sleeping somewhere in the living room and has been, poked, pinched, pulled, jabbed, yanked, pushed, grabbed, thrown, dropped, dressed, bitten, and sat upon. Yet she endures, with her squinty, gato grimace and unfortunate name ;-) Her favorite thing is to be taken up into a pair of capable arms, propped on a shoulder, and skritched till she drools.

For the Birds

This is my sanctuary. A place where kids are NOT allowed! Well, for the most part *sigh*.



It is my own private fuchsiarama. My Loves idea (thanks *mwah*). A place safe from rats with hooves (deer), and, with the help of a nearly sound proof sliding glass door, safe from kids as well.



As much as I love to take an occasional respite here, it is for the birds. Little winged wonders that flit about, gracing me with their presence while enjoying the bounty which I have set out for them. The fountain, lovingly dubbed "the frog pond" attracts all sorts of visitors who are longing for a cool drink. Mr. Grey Squirrel patters down his tree every morning to take a sip and to say a hardy, "top of the mornin' t'ya" to a lively pair of bullfrogs that were rescued from a local pet store as tadpoles. Here a male Western Tanager contemplates a bath while a female Lesser Goldfinch patiently waits her turn.




Visitors may also enjoy a sip of water or a bath in a smaller, less intimidating oasis. Nonetheless, they approach with caution lest the cement frog attempt to eat them.





The Pine Siskins and Lesser Goldfinches are constantly vying for a prime position at the thistle feeders. The funny thing is that there is plenty to go around and always an empty perch. They are never happy to sit in peace and sup together, causing me to believe that their despise for each other runs as deep as the Capulets' and Montagues' (LOL-I have no idea if I spelled those names right ... and I'm too tired to look it up :-p)




To the untrained eye this santuary I have created for the birds may look like some seeds dumped into a variety of dollar store vessels then scattered about a rickety deck. However, I know that it is a veritable bird bed and breakfast, a hot spot for the fowl, if you will. They come to eat, to refresh, to frolic, to delight. So, it turns out that my little, semi-kidless, bird friendly back porch is not actually for the birds..... it is for the mom.


Bird visitor honorable mentions:

Stellar's Jay
Chestnut Chickadee
Mountain Chickadee
Mourning Dove
White-Breasted Nuthatch
Red-Breasted Nuthatch
Black Headed Grossbeak
Dark-eyed Junco
Brewer's Blackbird
Anna's Hummingbird
Rufus Hummingbird
Hairy Woodpecker
Western Scrubjay
Oak Titmouse
House Finch

And so, the ~MONTH OF DAD~ has come to a close

June...

...the month I declared the "MONTH OF DAD". Which in essence meant that Dad (the father of my children) would have the month of his dreams. Every Saturday was his to do with what he saw fit. No taking on all the kids for the sake of Mommy's sanity... just go and work in the yard, golf, play, sweat, watch sports, or wander aimlessly around the hardware store for hours dreaming up projects. What ever his loving heart desired. PLUS- Every evening a twenty minute message and a free pass to not do any housework...including dishes.

Why, you ask?

That is a great question and in order to answer correctly I must shamelessly blather on about My Love for a moment.

My Love is a man among men. Smart, funny, intelligent, ambitious, sensitive, a great lover, my best friend, and waaaaaaaay too sexy for his shirt. Okay, maybe that was TMI, but I don't know any other man that is more deserving of a month than My Love. Honestly, Father's Day is a great holiday, but one day just isn't enough time to honor all that My Love does for his family. If I say, the kids need a tree house, the next day he comes home from work with the lumber in his truck. If I say, "I'm having a rough day," he sends me out ---kidless--- to get a Venti Mocha Frapaccino, blended twice, no whip. If I say, "My feet hurt", I'm sure to get a foot rub that same night. If I say, "I need some new plants", he says, "No, you'll kill them, but you may get fake ones" .........

.....so he has limits. Its just one of his many enduring qualities.

My Love never ceases to amaze me. Not only did he go back to school to earn his Bachelors degree in Criminal Justice, but he graduated with honors! Not only is he good with his hands, but he can build anything he puts his mind to. Not only is he a Mr. Fix-it, but he repairs things I didn't know were broken. As a father he is patient, fun, loving and kind and at the same time he is sure his kids are properly disciplined. As a husband he always makes me feel like the most beautiful, faultless woman in the world when, honestly, nothing could be further from the truth.

And you know what... he still took on all the kids for the sake of my sanity, he still wanted to spend time with me above anything else, he still helped with the house work, he still gave me foot rubs when I needed them and, yes, he even did the dishes. He truly is Mr. Amazing!

So instead of one day in the month of June, I decided to make June the "MONTH OF DAD".

BTW My Love, I still owe you your hour long massage finale and a night of bowling :-)

*mwah*