Only Time Will Tell........

Glenn has started to work on the lower level of our house - and that excites me! For the past 8 months, the basement has been one huge storeroom - anything that we didn't want in the upper levels was stored in the basement, along with all of Glenn's tools and machines!

I haven't sat in our family room furniture for a year now - it's been stored since we moved and I'm missing the recliners! We also have a 9 foot pool table that was here when we bought the place and we're both excited about using it one day! SO when Glenn came home with some 2 x 4's and started working, I was giddy with excitement! Sure, it will take a long time to finish the lower level but the process has begun and I will be updating on it from time to time. Progress takes time, trust me - I know!

Ft. Collins Festivities

I decided this year NOT to give birthday presents to the 3 girls and their spouses - it seems to get harder and harder to come up with something "unique" to give to everybody and usually what they need, they buy!

But I still wanted to do something special to acknowledge an occasion so came up with the idea to give a gift for their anniversaries as a couple - instead of individually for their birthdays - and the one thing that popped into my mind was that we all enjoy most of all, spending time with each other. So our gift to each couple this year is to take them out to dinner wherever they choose and have a nice, quiet (or loud, depending where we go!) dinner! No grandkids allowed!

Jill and Robby were first on the list as their anniversary was July 4th - so we set a date for Glenn and I to spend the weekend in Ft. Collins with them and we headed up after work on Friday!

I've always loved the town of Ft. Collins - it's a beautiful, clean college town with lots of shopping, great coffee places, and loads of trails to walk on!

Robby had to work on Saturday so the 3 of us headed out Sat. morning to hit some garage sales - of course, Glenn ended up buying the most! I guess he didn't feel the basement had ENOUGH stuff in it so decided to contribute some more! (Just kidding!)

Sat. afternoon Jill and I played on the computer - Jill is a part-time Mary Kay consultant and has a great website where you can post a picture of yourself and then apply different makeup and try LOTS of different hairstyles! We had a ball making ourselves look absolutely hideous with some of the hair pieces - yikes!! Now I know why I keep my hair short - long hair JUST doesn't do it for me!!

We headed out for an early dinner when Robby got off work - they had chosen Hibatchi which is a Japanese place that cooks your food in front of you! Glenn and I had never been to a restaurant like that before so thoroughly enjoyed it and the food was fantastic!!

Our plans afterward were to go to a drive-in movie!! Yes, they have one in Ft. Collins!! And we were so excited to go in Robby's truck and then were going to put lawn chairs in the back to sit on - but one side of the screen was showing a movie that Jill and Robby had just seen over the last weekend and the other side of the screen was showing a movie that Glenn and I had just seen for my birthday! DARN!! So we decided to forego the drive-in this time and headed back to play darts in their garage with some of their friends and eat ice cream cake - yum!!

Did I forget to say I had coffee on Saturday AND Sunday? A different place each time - I enjoy comparing the coffees!! We walked through their Farmers Market and while the guys did some driving around, Jill and I went to see "Momma Mia" - wow - we LOVED the movie! We both enjoy musicals and this was one of those light hearted movies where you can just sit back and relax! If you love Abba music, Pierce Bronson (who can't sing worth a darn but is great anyway!) and Meryl Streep, you will LOVE this movie - it's a definite chick flick so don't take your husbands unless they enjoy people breaking into song every 5 minutes!!

Jill made an awesome dip to feed us before we headed home today and also a great chicken salad yesterday - both recipes will definitely make it into my recipe book!

Thanks Jill and Robby for a wonderful weekend! We'll be back soon to install your granite!

Chopped Off Once Again!

What is it about a haircut that makes you feel SO GOOD about yourself and also MUCH LIGHTER???? Last night after work was haircut night and although I've decided to grow my hair a little longer on the top, the back and the sides needed trimmed! But even after getting that little bit trimmed off, I feel better about myself! Guess that's just what a haircut does for a woman!

I'm also wearing one of my new outfits that Jaime and Jessi bought me so I'm feeling rather spiffy today! Even if nobody else notices my haircut and my new clothes, I can still relish in the fact that I look good to ME today!

Summer Fun

Weekends with the grandkids are always fun and this last weekend was no exception! Even though our time was short in Denver this time, we packed a LOT of "kid" time into our 2 days!

I always enjoy walking around Jaime's nice neighborhood and taking a stroll down to Rayna's school where there is a playground. We put the 2 little boys in the wagon while Rayna rides her scooter and off we go!

And this time Jessi took us all to her subdivision "private pool" which is only open to the homeowners in that particular homeowners association - I was amazed how nice the 2 pools were and the beautiful park surrounding it! We happened to go late in the afternoon so it wasn't busy at all and the kids (and the adults) had a great time!

Our days were rounded out with coffee at Caribou Coffee, a trip to Target where Glenn and I bought a much needed new gas grill, fishing for the guys and shopping for the girls! Both girls bought me new clothes for my belated birthday gift - new capris and shirts to match!

And since we were actually still celebrating Jessi's and my birthdays, Jaime brought home a huge dairy queen ice cream cake that we devoured 2 nights in a row! Yum! Yum!

Here's hoping your summer is filled with PLENTY of fun!

Full Moons and The Number 8

There is a full moon tonight - I'll be waiting impatiently for it to come up over the mountains!

I've always loved full moons - I love watching them slowly come up, peeking over the edge of the mountains and then slowly emerging until the entire moon is full and round. Isn't it amazing how sometimes the moon looks yellow or orange or blue? I'll be sure to check out tonight's moon and see what color it is!

Did you know that sometimes there are 2 full moons in one month? When that happens (which is rare), the second moon is called a "Blue Moon". I remember the year when there were 2 blue moons during the course of that one year - wow - 14 full moons that year!

And it's also an "8" number today, the 18th! 8 is my favorite number (Jessi's too!) and we love days that are "8" days - 8, 18, 28!! So between being an "8" day, a Friday and a full moon day, I think my evening is going to be spectactular!

Landscaping

I'm not much into doing landscaping or gardening - never have been - but I LOVE to look at flowers and gardens and shrubbery. I really enjoy walking through the botanical gardens and beautiful landscaped properties and I admire people that do this type of work!

Here in the mountains, we don't have to worry about lawns - most people just have the "natural" look which consists of pine cones, pine needles, dead wood, shrubs and lots of rocks - I must say, it's VERY easy to take care of!

So Glenn took on the job of landscaping the side of the house, after the rocks were put up on the and he did a great job! He terraced the side and then planted not only the junipers we had bought but dug up some grasses and shrubs from our property and replanted them.

We also have flowers on the covered porch - most of them are in pieces of wood where Glenn has hollowed out the inside and they are very fitting for the log house - we do have one huge pot that was right at the edge of the covered porch filled with flowers - well, until yesterday at least - I came home and walked up the one step to the porch and immediately noticed ALL the flowers were gone, just the lonely plants were sitting there - Glenn informed me the deer had eaten all the blossoms off - needless to say, we moved the pot further back on the porch!

Speaking of deer, when I was out walking this morning, I saw a doe and her 2 twin fawns run across the road in front of me - gosh, they were cute!! I wish I would have had my camera with me! It was indeed a Kodak moment!

Birthday Reflections

I turned 55 yesterday - double nickels, the speed limit......... I don't feel any older - in fact, Glenn told me that I looked younger than last year!! (he must have felt a need to rack up some brownie points or something!)

I always expect to wake up on my birthday with a totally different FEEL about the day since it's MY DAY - but I didn't feel any different - it's just another day - and I'm just another year older. And somehow that instant joy I felt in the morning turned to immediate sadness as I realized, another entire year had passed by!

My day was OK - Glenn fixed me breakfast and we headed over to one of my client's homes to get a pickup load of free wood - not a real exciting way to start the day but it was something that needed to be done. And fresh air and a little exercise is a great way to start the day!

We headed to Colorado Springs early afternoon - we had a shopping list of course - we ALWAYS have an ongoing list of things we can't get in W. Pk or are just too expensive to buy up here. I needed a few things at the Dollar Store so that was our first stop and it just amazes me the amount of things you can buy for $1.00! We carried out 3 bags and the total was only $23.00!

It was on to the movies from there - we saw "Journey To The Center of the Earth", only it wasn't playing in 3D at the theater we were at! And we later decided that a better choice would have been the 3D theater! The movie was good, but it would have been GREAT had we seen it in 3D - there were a lot of places in the movie that would have been amazing to see in 3D - live and learn I guess! After eating a large popcorn and drink, we needed to walk awhile before heading out to dinner so it was on to Target and finally, Home Depot.

I don't think there has been ONE time in the last year and 1/2 that a trip to Co. Springs didn't include Home Depot! There's just ALWAYS something to get there when you're building! And since we're planning on starting on the basement soon, I'm sure Home Depot will become our 2nd home once again!

The plans were to buy a new gas grill - we have been putting it off FOREVER and yesterday seemed to be the perfect day to buy one - well, all that was left were the extremely expensive ones - so now we're back to square one again...........

We ended up at Texas Roadhouse for a wonderful meal - I always get the same thing - the grilled smothered chicken with cheese, onions, and mushrooms on top, loaded baked potato and baked beans - unfortunately, by the time the meal arrives, I have already eaten at least 3 of their YUMMY rolls and I'm so full that most of my meal comes home in a box! Of course Glenn mentioned that it was my birthday and the waiter insisted on bringing me a piece of cake - in a "to go" box of course!

All in all, it was a great birthday although I was sad at not being with the girls and their families - but we'll celebrate soon!

I think it's OK to be a little self-centered on your birthday - after all, it IS your day and it DOES only happen once a year -so I'm giving all of you the OK to put yourself up on that pedastal on your birthday and stay up there until the day is done - you deserve to be SPECIAL on that day!

Dedicated to my "Middle" daughter - 7/13/2008

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JILL! 28 years ago I was in the hospital waiting impatiently for your arrival - and you arrived, a tiny pink bundle of joy! But the most special part of that day was your gift to me - you arrived on my birthday!

And for the last 28 years, we have celebrated our birthdays together - not always ON the day, but at least around the day! You've shared your cake not only with me, but usually with sister Jessi too, and it's always one big, happy party!

28 years old!! That may not sound old to you but it sure makes me feel old!

We also have shared being the "middle" child - not a bad thing at all! And as Jessi and Jaime always say, you and I are ALIKE! We are organized, everything is planned out to the tiniest detail, our houses are spotless, and we like to have things OUR way!

I won't be with you today to celebrate - but I'm looking forward to the last weekend in July when we'll be spending the weekend together! Our plans - I'm sure you'll have them made - must include a trip to that cute little shopping area, one of your wonderful coffee places, a nice walk around one of your many walking paths, and of course drinks on your deck! And I know you'll have a special place picked out for dinner that evening..............

I liked the year when you were 25 and I was 52, those great reversal numbers! We've had a lot of special birthday memories and many, many more to look forward to!

You have grown into a beautiful, loving, caring person and it was indeed a SPECIAL day 28 years ago when you were born - who knows, maybe you'll carry on the tradition and have a little girl someday on OUR birthday - wouldn't that be something!!

Happy Birthday Jill - Enjoy each and every minute of TODAY and know that I'm thinking of you!

Dedicated to my Youngest - July 10, 2008

Happy 27th Birthday Jessi! This blog is dedicated to you, the baby of the family!

Where did 27 years go? Can it actually be that 27 years ago you came into this world? A little darling blue-eyed girl, ready to capture her mom and dad's heart!

I'm wishing I were spending the day with you! And I know exactly what we would do - some of our favorite things! Coffee at Caribou Coffee would be first on the list, just sitting around sipping that wonderful stuff and talking! Then it would be off to the movies - not one, but two - paying one price and then slipping into the theater next door when the first show is done! (Did we really used to do that???) Of course popcorn and drinks are a must, as long as I get to put the salt on! (one of my favorite memories is seeing "A Bug's Life" with Jessi - we got a huge bag of popcorn to split and SHE put the salt on - so much in fact that we couldn't even eat it!)

After the movies, it's off to shop for a little bit and then back to the house to eat and hit the hot tub! A perfect day! For a perfect daughter!

You're all grown up now - with a husband, a toddler and another baby on the way! But you'll always be MY BABY! Happy Birthday!

WORK - WORK - WORK

For the first time in 12 weeks, I went outside after I got home from work and actually did some WORK around the place - it felt GREAT!! I didn't do a lot - just picked up some trash and carried some large boards to another part of the property but it was enough to make me feel USEFUL again around our home!

Our house still looks like a construction site outside - what am I saying, it STILL IS a construction site! The garage is not quite finished, the house is not finished, and the basement has yet to be started! In due time, it will all get done - somehow after you have worked at your job all day, there are only so many hours left at the end!! And we do like to play on weekends!!

After my "outside" time, I retreated to the basement to start rearranging things - everything that belongs in the garage is in the basement, along with everything from our old attic, and also our family room furniture. Plus the washer, dryer, freezer and a pool table!! So there's not a lot of room to move around down there, let alone start the construction process. The main goal this week is to sort once again some of the boxes and move everything possible outside (to be put under tarps) so we can start to finish off the basement. Sounds easy but it actually isn't! Glenn's blind business is ALSO down there and my job last night was to condense as much as I could into the storage room which will NOT be finished off! And I got it done! What a great feeling to acommplish something as little as that!

Tonight will probably find me back down in the basement, trying to make sense of Glenn's numerous (and I mean NUMEROUS) tools and where to put them - I'm sure wherever I put them, we'll never find them when we need them!

The Great Outdoors!

Gosh, is the weekend over already? Why do the weekdays have to drag and yet the weekends just fly by? Always happens it seems! ESPECIALLY on holiday weekends.

It was sure nice to have the 4th fall on a Friday this year! So after work on Thursday, Glenn and I headed out camping - our first time this year! We headed west and drove about 3 1/2 hours to our destination - Saguache! (For those of you that have NO idea how to pronounce that name, it sounds like Sa Watch!) Glenn will be hunting over there in a couple of months so wanted to scout it out! It's a LONG drive though and I TRIED not to think about all the diesel we were using which is close to $5.00 a gallon! But heck, this was a HOLIDAY - you're supposed to spend money, right?

The drive back into the camping spot was pretty rough and rocky but we found a nice place and got camp set up right as the sun was setting! Glenn asked me if I wanted a campfire but it was so late, I said no and we headed to bed to read a little bit............ I should have told him I wanted the campfire!

I only have one problem with camping - the darkness! I am so claustophobic that if I can't see some type of light, I have panic attacks! And unfortunately, the moon was just a sliver. I always take the flashlight to bed with me and keep it right by my pillow in case I wake up during the night and have an attack - but usually it's only when I first turn out the light. The feeling is horrible - I immediately think I can't breathe - so back on goes the flashlight - I talk myself back into turning it off and try it for a minute, only to turn that darn light back on again! I despise being like this, but just can't seem to get over it! If I can just relax long enough without the flashlight on, I usually can see the stars. And that was the case Thursday night - the stars WERE out and after I saw them, I was fine.

The next 2 nights were fine because there were nice glowing embers from our campfire to see. So one out of three wasn't bad! I have found too that putting a towel under the mattress on the side where I sleep, does lift my head up a little more off the pillow. I think another problem is since we usually camp in the mountains where it's quite cool at night, we are always covered up with at least one sleeping bag, if not two - and the weight of the covers doesn't help matters any - I feel ENGULFED I guess! Anyway, once I get asleep, I am usually fine!

We stayed 2 nights at our first campsite - it was a nice place, kind of in a meadow with the trees right behind us - only problem is because it was a pasture with cows in it, there were FLIES!!! And mosquitos! I'm sure I looked real cute sitting in the sun reading a book with a fly swatter going 90 mph in front of my face! Afternoons were usually cool with some rain and we took advantage of that to even take naps, although we both slept in too! Funny how tired the fresh air makes you!

So what did I do for 3 days? I read 3 1/2 books!! I had really intended to do some of my Swedish weaving but it never left the carrier - I was having too much fun reading! We ate some great meals and snacked the days away! Glenn got to do his scouting and we just did a lot of relaxing! Marshmellows by the campfire is always fun too and Jessi will be VERY surprised to hear that Glenn beat me both nights in Scrabble and Upwords! (I have to let him win once in a while so he'll continue to play with me!

Saturday about noon the flies and I were having a battle - it was time to move on to the next spot! We headed back towards Poncha Springs on a road we had never been on before - ended up in a beautiful place where our camping spot was right in the pines and aspens and the ground was covered with pine needles and dead firewood - my type of place! No mosquitos - No flies! We should have came there a day earlier!

Glenn practiced shooting his bow and I just continued to read to my hearts content! I always bring my boom box too and am surprised at the stations I can pick up! Good food, good music, great books and romantic campfires! It was a great time! And I'm already counting the days till we can go again!

July

I love the month of July - I was always partial to red, white and blue colors so I love decorating for the 4th of July (yes, I DECORATE my table!) (and every other holiday during the year too). And July is not only my birthday but Jill's and Jessi's too, along with a host of other family and friends!

July is when summer has FINALLY reached the mountains - the wildflowers are starting to bloom, the days are warm (notice I said warm, not hot!) and the nights are cool, the sun doesn't set till after 9:00, the hummingbirds are out, and you can FINALLY plant flowers in your outside pots!

The afternoons are becoming typical mountain days - sunshine in the mornings with clouds rolling in for the afternoon - lots of thunder and lightning and some rain showers (although we're hoping for MORE rain!) And then by late afternoon, the sun is back out and the evenings are sensational!

Glenn and I are leaving after work today to go camping for 3 nights - our first camping trip of the season! To say I'm excited is an understatement! We both love camping in the mountains! We're heading west today with our first night around the Gunnison area and then moving over to the Saguache area - that is where Glenn will hunt in Sept! So he will take his bow and rifle for target practice and will spend his days scouting. I'll take my 3 books and my Swedish weaving. And both of us stay happy! I do hope to do a little bit of walking too but still must be very careful on any uneven ground!

We have started back walking in the mornings now - and that makes me happy! As soon as it gets light enough in the spring to walk in the mornings, I'm out there walking my 2 miles! So it's been a tough spring for me with the broken leg, not being able to do my walking! Glenn and I have started out very slowly - in fact, the first couple of days, our driveway is all I could manage! But we're gradually increasing our treks in the morning and I'm hoping in another month's time that I'll be back to my full 2 miles!

Happy Anniversary wishes go out to Jill and Robby who were married on the 4th, 5 years ago! You can bet their wedding was done in red, white and blue and I had a ball scrapbooking that wedding! Enjoy your holiday weekend - Happy 4th of July!