sweetwater lake

seriously, even when he is so dirty he looks like that he could be my little black baby (check out his legs), he is the cutest ever.

we went camping over the weekend to sweetwater, a place just about an hour away. the highlights:

*my camera died after the first picture i took (which turned out blurry). so, i have no pictures. this one came from loren who came with us and who shawn works with.

*ticks were EVERYWHERE...thankfully none embedded.

*those who went: us, the federicos, the mcclurgs, the becerras, and loren & mary. all people shawn works with...19 of us all together--9 kids, 10 adults.

*we rented a canoe & a row boat and went out onto the lake...sweetwater lake. absolutely beautiful (mad that i didn't have batteries for my camera). i was a bit nervous for it my first time in a canoe. shawn, tucker and i went out. next time we will leave tucker at shore. he rocked the boat a little too much, especially when he tried to paddle along.

*shawn's dutch oven cooking was a hit! sprite pork ribs and coke chicken--yummy!

*as the picture indicates above, this was seriously the dirtiest camp ground EVER! a fine, black dust covered everything.

*loren tells great campfire riddles...

*our tent: the super 8

*the federicos tent: the four seasons

we really had a great time. i forgot how much works goes into camping. and cleaning up after. but all in all, we had a great time. and i now have a charged camera battery for my trip to utah!

mamma mia!

 

highlights from my girls' night out (left to right, starting on top row):

*kathy and seanna riding the elevator (complete excitement here)

*cherae freaked me out as she threw her camera in front of my face from the backseat of the car on the way to denver...lovely

*here we have cherae who can eat (and does eat) everything in sight and doesn't gain a lub...not fair!

*the four of us (me, cherae, seanna, kathy) after our delicious meal at the chocolate factory...yummy

*um, the sign (filler picture)

*cherae lost her fancy shoe in the grate on the sidewalk...that's what she gets for being all foo-foo like that

*after the show, in front of the buell theatre

*i drove. and my car broke down just as we were pulling into the city. perfect timing. to make a very long story short, kathy's dear husband saved us. they have triple a, so the towing was free. sears did a free diagnostic test and a few wires were loose was all. mark talked them out of charging us $100. what a guy. thanks mark!

*more posing

*more laughing and goofing off

*nice view for me...i always get the good heads in front of me!

*cherae brought along "bitty" the gps to guide us through the city...even when we were on foot. thanks bitty!

*my dolce de leche cheesecake...i really want the rest of it now!

all in all, we had a great time! and i can't wait to do it again!

follow-up:

i will try to answer the inquiries of all:

i lied. i was never really on so you think you can dance. but i really think i should be.

i am afraid to admit that i was in a michael mclean movie "if you only believe in yourself". it was sort of a concert video and i was on the front row. and i kept making the raining sound when we were suppose to stop. i have the movie. come by, and i will show it to you...maybe.

as for skinny dipping...we once had a hot tub in our backyard.

and as for running away. it really isn't a pleasant story, but i will tell it. it was about four years ago in the middle of my great depression. i couldn't stand it anymore. so i left one night. i was nice and took the crappy white truck (buttercup, for those of you familiar with our vehicles) so shawn could have the family-friendly vehicle because i fully intended on never coming back. i started north on i-15. i only made it as far as slc downtown. i was crying and couldn't see and i was afraid that buttercup wouldn't make it much further (it was a completely unreliable truck). i made my way to a friend's apartment. she wasn't home and i cried in front of her door for over and hour--with a few people walking by and staring and wondering. she finally made it home and calmed me down. after a few hours, she talked me into going home. she saved me. shortly after that, instead of running away, i had a stay in the hospital. a much better solution than running away.

so there you have it. all of it. aren't you glad you asked?

instead of cleaning...

Have or Have Not

I saw this over on leeann's blog and thought i would copy it (anything to get out of cleaning!) This is called "Have or Have Not". Any of the things that I Have Done, are in bold. Let me know if you play along!

1. Touched an iceberg
2. Slept under the stars
3. Been a part of a hockey fight
4. Changed a baby's diaper
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Swam with wild dolphins
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a tarantula
10. Said "I love you" and meant it
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Stayed up all night long and watched the sun rise
15. Seen the Northern Lights
16. Gone to a huge sports game
17. Walked the stairs to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
19. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
20. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Bet on a winning horse
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Taken an ice cold bath
28. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Ridden a roller coaster
31. Hit a home run
32. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
33. Adopted an accent for fun
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Felt very happy about your life, even for just a moment
36. Loved your job 90% of the time
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Watched wild whales
39. Gone rock climbing (once, repelling)
40. Gone on a midnight walk on the beach
41. Gone sky diving
42. Visited Ireland
43. Ever bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited India
45. Bench-pressed your own weight
46. Milked a cow
47. Alphabetized your personal files
48. Ever worn a superhero costume
49. Sung karaoke
50. Lounged around in bed all day
51. Gone scuba diving
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Done something you should regret, but don't
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class (i'm a yellow belt)
59. Been in a movie
60. Gone without food for 3 days
61. Made cookies from scratch
62. Won first prize in a costume contest
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Been in a combat zone
65. Spoken more than one language fluently (well, almost)
66. Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone
67. Bounced a check
68. Read - and understood - your credit report
69. Recently bought and played with a favorite childhood toy
70. Found out something significant that your ancestors did
71. Called or written your Congress person
72. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
73. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
74. Helped an animal give birth
75. Been fired or laid off from a job
76. Won money
77. Broken a bone (does your little toe count?)
78. Ridden a motorcycle
79. Driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100 mph
80. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
81. Slept through an entire flight: takeoff, flight, and landing
82. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
83. Eaten sushi
84. Had your picture in the newspaper (sweet 16--thanks mom)
85. Read The Bible cover to cover
86. Changed someones mind about something you care deeply about
87. Gotten someone fired for their actions
88. Gone back to school
89. Changed your name
90. Caught a fly in the air with your bare hands
91. Eaten fried green tomatoes
92. Read The Iliad
93. Taught yourself an art from scratch (is quilting an art)
94. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
95. Apologized to someone years after inflicting the hurt
96. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
97. Been elected to public office
98. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
99. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
100. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
101. Had a booth at a street fair
102. Dyed your hair
103. Been a DJ
104. Rocked a baby to sleep
105. Ever dropped a cat from a high place to see if it really lands on all four
106. Raked your carpet
107. Brought out the best in people
108. Brought out the worst in people
109. Worn a mood ring
110. Ridden a horse
111. Carved an animal from a piece of wood or bar of soap
112. Cooked a dish where four people asked for the recipe
113. Buried a child (I pray I never do.)
114. Gone to a Broadway (or equivalent to your country) play
115. Been inside the pyramids
116. Shot a basketball into a basket
117. Danced at a disco
118. Played in a band
119. Shot a bird
120. Gone to an arboretum
121. Tutored someone
122. Ridden a train (does trax count?)
123. Brought an old fad back into style
124. Eaten caviar
125. Let a salesman talk you into something you didn’t need
126. Ridden a giraffe or elephant
127. Published a book
128. Pieced a quilt
129. Lived in an historic place
130. Acted in a play or performed on a stage
131. Asked for a raise
132. Made a hole-in-one
133. Gone deep sea fishing
134. Gone roller skating
135. Run a marathon
136. Learned to surf
137. Invented something
138. Flown first class
139. Spent the night in a 5-star luxury suite
140. Flown in a helicopter
141. Visited Africa
142. Sang a solo
143. Gone spelunking
144. Learned how to take a compliment
145. Written a love-story
146. Seen Michelangelo’s David
147. Had your portrait painted
148. Written a fan letter
149. Spent the night in something haunted
150. Owned a St. Bernard or Great Dane
151. Ran away
152. Learned to juggle
153. Been a boss
154. Sat on a jury
155. Lied about your weight
156. Gone on a diet
157. Found an arrowhead or a gold nugget
158. Written a poem
159. Carried your lunch in a lunchbox
160. Gotten food poisoning
161. Gone on a service, humanitarian or religious mission
162. Hiked the Grand Canyon
163. Sat on a park bench and fed the ducks
164. Gone to the opera
165. Gotten a letter from someone famous (g. gordon liddy, my first love of talk show radio hosts)
166. Worn knickers (i had a red pair as a kid)
167. Ridden in a limousine
168. Attended the Olympics
169. Can hula or waltz
170. Read a half dozen Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys books
171. Been stuck in an elevator
172. Had a revelatory dream
173. Thought you might crash in an airplane
174. Had a song dedicated to you on the radio or at a concert
175. Saved someone’s life
176. Eaten raw whale
177. Know how to tat, smock or do needlepoint
178. Laughed till your side hurt
179. Straddled the equator
180. Taken a photograph of something other than people that is worth framing
181. Gone to a Shakespeare Festival
182. Sent a message in a bottle
183. Spent the night in a hostel
184. Been a cashier
185. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
186. Joined a union
187. Donated blood or plasma
188. Built a campfire
189. Kept a blog
190. Had hives
191. Worn custom made shoes or boots
192. Made a PowerPoint presentation
193. Taken a Hunter’s Safety Course
194. Served at a soup kitchen
195. Conquered the Rubik’s cube
196. Know CPR
197. Ridden in or owned a convertible
198. Found a long lost friend
199. Helped solve a crime (helped in a drug bust!)
200. Responded to a NJP newsletter

in my pretty garden...

the flowers are nodding...



there seems to be an overabundance of lilac bushes around town. i love it.



we even have one in our backyard. i love it.




we planted some lilacs in our backyard of our house on pine street. we got starts from a friend. they seemed to take forever to get going but by about the third year we had a few blooms. i wish i could see them now. instead, i will enjoy the ones here.

i just hope it doesn't snow tonight...love these mountain springtimes.

while i'm waiting for shawn to get home...

3 joys:

*coca-cola
*my own bed (with no children in it)
*sleeping in

3 fears:

*forgetting to pick-up my kids
*peeping-toms (except i always leave my blinds open at night)
*someone living in my basement without my knowledge

3 goals:

*being happy
*exercising daily
*limiting my coke intake

3 obsessions:

*clean sheets--at least for me
*taking my contacts out at night
*clean toilets (mostly because of a certain boy or two in my home)

3 surprising facts

*i have a bike, and sometimes i ride it
*i have friends here in colorado
*i was on "so you think you can dance"


still waiting...

4 places i go over & over:

*costco
*the school
*costco
*costco (really, there's not much else here)

4 people who email me regularly:

*my mom
*glenn beck
*real simple
*kraft kitchens

4 of my favorite places to eat:

*morelia's
*cafe rio
*pazzo's (in eagle)
*costco

4 places i'd rather be right now:

*utah
*disneyland
*new york city
*cruise

4 people i talk to on a regular basis:

*shawn
*dad
*maryann
*my kids

4 tv shows i'd (& i do) watch over & over:

*monk
*psych
*wheel of fortune
*jeopardy

eight is great!

 

so i know i am a bit delayed in this post, but better late than never is my motto these days.

anna turned eight on may 4th. she got baptized on may 24th. i can hardly believe it. time sure does fly. i am so blessed to be her mother. she is smart, funny, beautiful, and just an all around great girl. she keeps us busy. she loves to ride her bike, especially riding with her dad on all the trails around town. she loves hannah montana (see the sunglasses in the above pictures). she is a great student...too smart for me. she is (mostly) nice to her brother. she loves adventure. she has a creative little mind. happy birthday, miss anna b.