July continues with Family

This month has got to be the worst month for OT at work, which is what I have been doing among all the fun. The next week we had family in town. Adam’s brother came with his wife, two of her nieces and a niece and nephew that belong to another brother. The house was full for a week. They had much planned for their time here. We found places for everyone to sleep at night. Chase somehow made his way to sleeping in the hall. I think he wanted to be near the girls but not with the girls so he planted his spot right in front of the girl’s door in the hallway. I have to say those kids are just amazing. It is fun to just sit back and watch them, watch their individual personalities. Miriam doesn’t eat cow because it is her favorite animal, Malory is such a beautiful young woman. Chase and Abbey are the best brother and sister. I love the comments that come from Chase; he is quick wit and a funny little man. Abbey is so smart and insightful. She is so kind and loving and really loves the dogs.

Saturday we were all able to spend some time together as Nathan invited us to go along with them to the Renaissance Festival. We were barely past the castle gates and Chase wandered into a store to pick up a sword. There were so many fun shops and people dressed in costumes running around; free shows to watch and a parade passed us by with a elephant and all. Abby got her hair braided. The afternoon ended with us all sitting on the grass people surrounding the arena for the jousting event. The King and Queen blessed us with their presence and we peasant sat and watched the show. Nathan talked trash with the Black knight, they yelled back and forth as he would ride by on his horse. The weather began to change and the sky became dark and I turned to Adam as the big drops of rain started to come down. Knowing the extreme weather we have had this summer, the rain would come fast, hard, and hail would be following soon. We decided to bail, the rest of the group wanted to hold out. So Adam and fled for the car. We exited the castle gates and found a huge line for the bus back to the car. We decided to hoof it back to the car, we walked, and our pace increased to a power walk, soon to be a sprint to the car. We reached the car as the hail barreled down on us. Oh was I glad we were in the car and not out in the weather.

On our way back home we both saw the most unusual thing. We saw lighting strike off in the distance on the left side of the road in some trees. Then for a second there was a blue glowing light that followed. We were both amazed at the light; it was not until the light had passed and I was still staring trying to figure out what is was. Adam asked me if I saw it.
About an hour after we got home the crew arrived drenched from the storm. They ordered pizza and stayed in for the night. Adam and I had plans to go to a play. Bye Bye Birdie, which we got ready for and left. It was a great evening going to the play, seeing the kids who performed and seeing the hot boys the girls were telling me about the past few weeks. The kids did a great job and I am so glad we went to see them.

As with all family that comes to town there must be a night at Casa Bonita. Yes, I went once again to enjoy the atmosphere of Casa Bonita. Anyone who goes knows you don’t go for the food. They make you buy the food whether you eat it or not. But what you get to eat unlimited sopapilla. YUM, raise your red flag at the table and a server appears out of now where with baskets of sopapilla. Sopapilla and Bart’s Cave that is my favorite part of Casa Bonita. Adam and I exited early from the night and let the others enjoy the wonders of Casa Bonita until it closed.

The next day our company left and what they left behind were some beautiful Pink flowers on my counter in a vase. THANK YOU>

Who doesn’t like July?

Really, who doesn’t like July? There is so much to do. BBQ’s, farmers markets, family, friends, trips and just things you can only do in the summer time around here. We have been camping once this year, but had a few other trips planned and they have been cancelled. I am not that sad about the cancelling of camping trips as I am not much of a camper. I will post our trip as I have it all ready, just can’t get the pictures up with it just yet. As there is still a big chuck of the summer left there may be another camping trip coming up soon.

Let me begin the month with the celebration of our country’s birthday. Oh this is a fun day for us. We love the 4th of July, we love the food, fun and of course are big fans of the lights in the sky at night. We decided until the last moment to just stay home. I am so glad we did, it was nice to just be us and with friends for the 3 day weekend. Adam and I started our 4th off at the Farmer’s Market in Cherry creek. We walked up and down looking at all the neat stands with the fresh produce, flowers and items that were being sold. It was so busy, and the Arts festival was going on as well a few blocks away. We always eat breakfast at the market. I found my favorite place ever that morning it was the crepe stand. I had the most amazing crepe of brie, ham, apples and Basel. Oh my mouth waters just thinking about it. We picked up a few veggies for the week and also an organic pint of blueberries. (Later we had a taste test and both agreed that the organic was hands down better)

After walking like what seemed for hours we were ready to head back to our car and head home. I was so tired, not sure why but decided I needed a nap. So we did what anyone who has nothing to do on a Saturday afternoon does. We took a power nap. Later that afternoon, we headed to our friends the Webster’s to their BBQ. Even though the rain came down, it did not dampen the party. It was in full force when we arrived. The kids had blankets all over the floor, covering every inch and they were there working on a craft that had been planned for them. There we were able to talk with people we had not seen in a while and others we see all the time. It was good to be able to enjoy the time with other families in the area. After the BBQ we headed to the GVR Park where we met our other friends. We arrived before them and out of the blue Adam recognizes someone. Of course he does. It never fails where ever we go, it does not matter where in the world we are. Adam recognizes someone.

Our group arrives and we decide to go closer to the music. We found a spot, pulled out the cards and played crazy eight until it got too dark to see them. We laughed and ate and just plain enjoyed ourselves. We ran into a few other people we knew and they stopped and talked with us. It was fun to be near the lake, with live music and playing cards. As they played the last song, the anticipation grew for the fireworks to begin. As it was cold outside Adam and I cuddles under the blanket and watched the wonderful show above. There is magic in the air when you watch a firework show. For only 20mins people will gawk and remark together over the lights in the sky. Together with ooh and awe. It was a great show and we completely loved the finale. Then with everything we have in us, we all rush to get out stuff up and out and deal with all the traffic to go home. I have to say, we have been pretty lucky where we have parked the past few years, we were out of there in five minutes once we were in the car.

We head back to our neighborhood where we saw another show. I am completely amazed with all the stuff our neighbors can get their hands on. Adam was right there lighting his stuff off and making noise in the streets up until Midnight.

The month is only beginning even though we are close to the end.

The mind of Ethan.....gotta to love it!

I miss both my sister’s kids. Being that they live far away, I wonder if they will forget us as they get older. I wonder if they will remember the fun stuff we have done together. I wonder what they will remember about us as they get older.
I just love the mind of my nephew Ethan. My sister emailed this over to me today, it made my whole day.

“This will do your heart good. Ethan has his best friend, Leo over tonight for a sleepover. Leo says to me "Miss Chris, you're a really nice mom & you're a really cool mom." I say thank you.

Then Ethan pipes up . . . wait for it . . . . wait for it . . . you know it's coming . . .
Ethan says and I quote

"You think that now, but that's because you haven't met my Aunt Nikki. She's awesome & really, super nice. She's so nice that she makes you PANCAKES??? with Strawberries AND blueberries?" Leo says "wow!" & Ethan continues to rub it in "yeah! & she never gets mad or makes you go to bed or anything like that, & my Uncle Adam is a Starcraft genius! Going to their house is like going on vacation. She's SO nice!"

Leo was very impressed.”

Pretty Colorado Skies

I decided to take a few pictures of the pretty Colorado Skies on my way to the grocery store. I thought they looked pretty cool! I used to be into photography in my younger years. I think I've just gotten a little lazy over the years.

-- Adam

Front Yard (side actually) bunny :-)

This morning while getting ready to leave for work I saw a little bunny rabbit! Cute, you say? Well, yes it was cute. However after I took the picture and turned around he was gone? I think he slid underneath the fence to go after our garden? Probably after the lettuce and yummy fruits that we're growing :-)

It is nice to have wildlife flora and fauna here though.

(It might be a little like "Where's Waldo" trying to see the bunny, as he blends in nicely with the rocks).




*Where's the bunny? See the top of rocks, where the house meets the gravel about 1/2 way? Look really hard and you'll see him.

Friends make Life better!

What would I do without friends this week. It was a busy week, but a social week with that. I will be the first to admit, I am coming out of my hermit stage. I am blossoming once again like the roses in my garden. I am finding who I am again and wanting to have that energy and peace in my life. I have found the fire in me this week to move forward, set goals and enjoy the summer. I still wake up taking it one day at a time, but I seem to get through each day. I am amazed with each day that passes.

Monday night we were greeted with a container full of chewy chocolate brownies, a bribe actually. Well it worked we are packing up and going camping tonight. Then another person stopped in that night, who always has a welcoming smile on his face and full of life in his heart. He picked up an item that I wanted out of the house for a while and I am glad to pass the cupboard on to him. This week was full phone tag and conversations with loss friends. Another night while I was sitting on my new comfy couches the door bell rang and there was my walking buddy ready to go. It was all I needed to see the friendly face and the little push to get my butt off the comfy couch and put on my walking shoes to head out the door with her and her stroller. I felt rejuvenated when I got back and happy for the talk we had. The next night was a fun night out, no cooking, just good friends and Chili’s. I love this couple. They are so much fun. Ephraim has a smile that just lights up any room. He smiles and immediately you are put to ease. His wife Kaile has the kindest heart, one of those kindred spirits. Rachael their daughter is one of the cutest girls I have ever met. Every time I see her, I am amazed how beautiful she is. I love her eyes! I think about all the people that I know in my life, those who I wave at passing because we are so busy and don’t stop, those that we have short moments with and shed a tear when we talk about our trials, those who take the moment to share an idea in hopes it will help you. Those who just show up out of the blue and bring you cheer.

This post is to remember all the friends, the ones we miss who live far away, to those we see with a smile each week at church, to those we get together with, and to those who we just keep missing because of life’s busy schedules.

Friends are what make life better!

What’s New you say? My Loft

This was a good week, we were busy but I felt like I was coming back. I have been really depressed since the miscarriage and the failed adoption. I keep asking myself why I let it get to me. Reality is, it was a great loss in our lives. Something we have spent years working towards, something that runs deep in our hearts to have a belief that one day we will be parents. One day we will have the sticky fingers throughout the house. I feel more like me when I am able to be creative, when I have a project that I can think through and execute and do it well when the final results are in. One of my passions is decorating. I love it, I love to vision what I can do with a space, I ponder, I run scenarios through my mind, but once I get the idea I plunge full throttle to execute it.

That is what I did with our loft. I had the idea, I shared it with Adam and then I just did it. He was hesitant all the way. More because he kept thinking about “what is this going to cost” Adam, Adam you know me. I am a bargain shopper at heart. I will do what I can with a shoe string. So with that I decided the Big Red Couch was out of there and I was looking to open the space and make it more comfortable for both of us. The end result was that. Last weekend I convinced Adam to go furniture shopping with me. Oh it was like pulling teeth, but he decided that if he was going to sit on it, he better have a say with it. I found a few outlet places that I had on my list and we heading out that Saturday morning on a mission to find the new seating . I had the idea in my mind and measurements in hand to find what I was looking for.

The first store, I just could not find what I was looking for. I found something that could work, but it was just not quite right. The second store I found what I wanted but the price was not right. Then to our surprise the third store we found was not on our list and was right next door and we decided to go see what it was. We walk in and it is a warehouse full of furniture that hotels were getting rid of. It was loaded then when I looked at the price, I was sticker shocked. Are you kidding me, you can get a full sized Armoire for $35? Did we need one, could we use it if we got it? The thought of getting it just because of the price where going through my mind, but reality set in. I am de-junking not adding to my space. Walk away and look for what you are here for. We found a side table for the living room, we found some pillows for the couch, and we found the awesome mirror that I was not even looking for, but had to have for my living room. I love that mirror. After discussion with Adam, he tells me he likes mirrors in the house, so there was no need to use my power of persuasion on him. We got the mirror. Yeah!

Then I found something that was interesting. I started to think, my mind was running in overdrive. I wonder if these to couches put together would do what I wanted for the loft. I grabbed Adam and asked if we could go move the one couch from across the room and put it up against the other? He decided he would help me, not sure what my mind was thinking. But as we put the idea together, we looked at the price he was eager to push the idea forward and purchase the 2 couches for $114. Yikes. So with all our bargain shopping we furnished our house with some amazing items for under $200. WOW!

I think overall my new loft space turned out just as I had imagined in my mind. Open, comfortable and cozy! Perfect for two love bird, two precious pups and a bowl of popcorn with a good shoot em up movie.

Vanessa is a Survivor!

Vanessa this is for you a Breast Cancer Survivor.

My friend Vanessa was diagnosed with breast cancer Dec 07. It was a battle she won. I just want to tell her how proud I am of her. She kept a smile, she had the strength to endure and her faith grew even stronger. Recently Vanessa had surgery to heal the damage that the cancer had done to her breast. Today was her first day back and I wanted to celebrate her new Breasts!

Here’s to you Vanessa!

Nice weekend, a little reuniting.

My little baby brother was in town for his friends wedding, and lucky me I got to spend some time with him. Saturday we had a few hours together and we were able to convince him to join face book. We got his profile up and with a picture. Later that evening we went to a friend of ours Graduation BBQ. Her son had graduated high school Class of 09. It was a lot of fun. I have to say I had the best meat ever at this BBQ. Carolina you are the best cook. And the tamales don’t get me started. I am so excited I get to learn how to make them with her at Christmas. So it looks like Christmas will be chocolates and Tamales!

Sunday I went to church with Spencer and my mom. It was stake conference and I have to say the talks were really good. There was one in particular that really stood out to me. It was about being aware and reaching out and helping when someone is in need. The speaker told a story about a young man who was swimming in a river, and there were some teen age girls who were sunbathing along the river. They were listening to music and chatting and just being young girls. The boy called out “where’s the shore.” The girls heard him and just giggled not responding. Then a few minuets later the boy called out a little louder “where’s the shore?” The girls still didn’t respond, they were shock he was still there and why was he saying that to them. They didn’t respond. Then out of panic the boy yells “where’s the shore?” This time the girls got up and realized something was wrong. One girl fled to get some help while the other girls swam out to get him. But it was too late he had drowned. Later in the biopsy that was performed on this young man, they found out he was blind. I really thought about this story, and how many times do I hear someone call out for help, but I ignore and give no response? I just continue to go about what I am doing and think they will be fine. How often to I pay attention to the cries of help around me. How often do I listen to the promptings of a cry in need? It makes me think about being more aware and helpful to those around me.

After church we went back to my parent’s house where we enjoyed a great lunch together. My mom had made ribs and we all filled our plates with yummy food and ate dinner up in my parent’s bedroom to be able to eat together as a family with Dad. My dad had knee surgery and is laid up in bed for a while. He looks pretty good considering he is on oxygen and had an ice pack machine attached to his knee. I was not able to get a good gross picture of his knee this time, but I will get it. It is swollen, and gross. In the middle of the afternoon, my brother and I headed to my house so I could get a few thing done before the gathering that evening. So we rode together to my place. I have to say I really miss my brother he only moved away 9 months ago but it feels a lot longer than that. He is fun to be around and just makes me laugh. With his help I was able to finish the cookies that I was taking special to a friend. He had the idea of using the butterscotch instead of the chocolate chips. I think he was right on. Thanks Spence!

That evening Adam, Spencer, my parents and some friends were able to get together for dinner. We ate and talked for hours. It was funny how all the girls ended up around the dinning room table chatting and all the boys ended up in my dad’s room chatting. It was just a nice day to be able to enjoy with family and friends.

Learning to Laugh @ yourself

Laughing at yourself
I recently heard a wise person say that "when we are tempted to groan [out at life's challenges] we should consider laughter instead. It will brighten the day of people around us too." Later that day I was in the kitchen routinely getting out some food. As I reached for the cottage cheese, it slipped from my grip and fell on the kitchen floor splattering it all over (actually only about 1/2 of it spilled out).

At this point our two little dogs, who are perfect little "food scroungers" and are always on hand when we're in the kitchen, seize the opportunity for some free food and begin cleaning up for us before I could even reach down to pick up the mess :-) At this point the whole thing struck me as incredibly funny and I started laughing :-) I commented to Nikki about how great it is to have two little instant 'cleaner-uppers' for just such an occasion.

A few minutes later Nikki started preparing to cook something in the oven. I continued on preparing some food and after a few minutes of hearing the microwave oven going, Nikki turns to me and asks: "What are you cooking in the microwave? (for 17 minutes?)"

I turned back to her, and said: "I'm not cooking anything, it must be you". She looks through the glass with a curious expression on her face and decides to open the door to peer in and see what's inside. She opens it and with a surprised expression says: "There's nothing in here!" Then Nikki realizes: "Oh, I meant to set the microwave KITCHEN timer, instead of the COOKING timer!" The microwave was just whirring away while counting down from 18 minutes on the timer. At this point we both laughed at ourselves. I said, "see you can laugh at yourself and so can I" :-)

We both had a good laugh and smiled at each other.

So, the next time your spill milk, or crack something by dropping it or something else like that, try to laugh at yourself, you'll certainly feel much better afterwords and you'll probably put a smile on the face of someone else too. :-) :-)