Mimi's Corner!

A GREAT BIG THANK YOU TO JENNIFER!!!!

2012-01-28T23:14:00.000-08:00

MY FRIEND JENNIFER over at http://alittlepinkandalittlepretty.blogspot.com/ Sent me these WONDERFUL gifts for Christmas!!!I have been told that blogger friends are Not real friends, well they are indeed the BEST real friends ever. I can always count on them to cheer me up, Pray for me, cheer me on and really just be there for me, isn't that exactly what a true REAL friend does for you????
I LOVE Philosophy products, mostly because they all smell so good and they are made with the most natural ingredients. The boxes also have the best sayings on them, the AMAZING GRACE lotion bottle says this.....
"How you climb up the mountain is just as important as how you get down the mountain. And, so it is with life, which for many of us becomes one big gigantic test followed by one big gigantic lesson. In the end, it all comes down to one word. GRACE, it's how you accept winning and losing, good luck, bad luck, the darkness and the light."
The AMAZING GRACE 3 in 1, meaning it is a bath and shower gel and a shampoo bottle says this.....
"Life is a classroom, we are both student and teacher. Each day is a test, and each day we receive a passing grade in one particular subject: GRACE. Grace is compassion, gratitude, surrender, faith, forgiveness, good manners, reverence and the list goes on and on.
it's something money can't buy and credentials rarely produce. Being the smartest, the prettiest, the most talented, the richest or even the poorest can't help. Being a humble person can, and being a helpful person can guide you through your days with GRACE and GRATITUDE."
My friend JENNIFER is filled with GRACE and she shows it everyday!!
THANK YOU AGAIN JENNIFER, I love you!!!

NEW FAMILY PICS!!!

2012-01-27T20:59:00.000-08:00

While Stacie was home for Christmas, we decided we needed a NEW FAMILY PIC!!!
"Every Memory stored, and Photograph captured".

SAVE THE DATE!!!Our Son is getting married March 31!!!

2012-01-27T20:53:00.000-08:00

We are so excited to have a NEW DAUGHTER in LOVE join our family!!!!

TOY STORY DISNEY ON ICE!!!

2012-01-27T20:23:00.000-08:00

FOR LIAM'S actual BIRTHDAY, we went to see Disney on Ice, TOY STORY!!!!the show was wonderful and even a ONE year old enjoyed it!!!!

MISS C was so excited when Mickey and Minnie came out!!!

OH BARBIE!!!!

HE LOVED IT!!!!

My daughter's good friend Debbie and her son Mr. L came along too!!

A BUZZ lightyear hat came with your Cotton Candy purchase!!

then we walked over to Fridays Front Row for lunch!!!

What a fun first birthday!!!!

OUR Little DUDE is ONE!!!

2012-01-26T21:22:00.000-08:00

MY DAUGHTER always has the BEST BIRTHDAY theme/ideas!!She has Years planned ahead!!I love helping her out any way I can, this year, I did not think I was going to be able to help her, But the last week I began to feel so much better and I had to Hurry and Sew the banners together!!!She made all the rest of the stuff and Or Bought it!!!the party was so fun for everyone!!!And our Little DUDE had so much fun opening up HIS BOY toys!!
It is still hard for me to believe that one year ago, he was born, time sure flies!!!
And we love this little guy so MUCH!!!

UPDATE!!!

2012-01-19T12:40:00.000-08:00

HI to everyone!!!
Well after my doctor visit last week(Monday Jan. 9th) , I actually felt pretty good, then on Wed. I discovered a new swollen lymph node, I called the doctor and he ordered a new Cat Scan. It showed NO Cysts and No Mass. It did show the infection was still there and lots of edema. He put me on a new round of steroids(7 the first day--6 the next day and so on) and a Strong Anti-biotic, the BIG GUN as my RN friend called it. BUT PRAISE GOD, by late Saturday....I felt like a NEW PERSON....all day Friday I ran a fever and the Dr. said that if by Tuesday I was Not Better it would have meant Back in the hospital for me. So I am giving God all the Glory and all the Praise. Thank you everyone for all your prayers and your support. I will be on this antibiotic for another week......so that makes 6 weeks of taking antibiotics....WOW......but it is OK, it is going to be a GREAT NEW YEAR!!!!|
love ya all

Prayers Appreciated......

2012-01-11T16:45:00.000-08:00

Having another CAT SCAN ON Thursday January 12th. Found another issue...........

Being the PATIENT taught me real lessons on being PATIENT

2012-01-03T20:32:00.000-08:00

It all started 6 days before Christmas. I woke up with swollen lymph nodes and I just assumed I was getting "something". What I had is/was a Massive infection...but being a daughter (my Mom was here from Chicago) and we had lots of fun Christmas Outings to do. Being a Mom and a Mimi, I wanted everything cooked, Baked and wrapped as usual, being sick was not going to stop me from getting stuff done!!!!Well so I thought.I did go to the Dr. the second day I was sick, I was given two prescriptions and told to come back after the medicine was done if not better. I finished the medicine on Christmas day and was NOT better. On Monday, my Dr.'s office was closed, so my family insisted I go to the Emergency room, I really did not want to go as I knew it would be crowded and I might catch something even worse then what I had. As soon as I walked in and they saw my swollen neck, I was immediately brought back and an IV was started and a CAT Scan was taken. It was determined the hospital near our house could not take care of what I had so I was taken by ambulance to a hospital in Scottsdale. It was this hospital I remained at for the next six days. Now the only bed available for me was on the orthopedic floor where most of the patients are in there for hip and knee replacements, I clearly was very SICK, but perfectly capable of walking.I realize the three days I was on Heavy pain medication, I needed assistance. But once I was gradually taken off these drugs, being a Prisoner of a TWIN Bed for three days taught me many valuable lessons. I could order anything I wanted to eat.....liquid for several days, but none the less, I would order my meals and Wait for up to an hour or more. If I needed to go to the bathroom, I had to call for assistance. If I wanted to wash my face, comb my hair or brush my teeth, I had to call for assistance. I was in a bed with an alarm attached to it. It was daunting to just LAY there, especially once the antibiotics started working and I felt better. I have a Whole New outlook on Phone calls to Loved ones and people who stop by to visit. I would get so excited when my phone rang or I got an unexpected visitor. MADE MY DAY!!!!I now have empathy on ALL shut ins....elderly and even Prisoners, imagine me not feeling sunshine for six days. Imagine them not feeling rain, sunshine, cold winter wind on their faces for Years. I also have a new realization of how Cruel some people are as well. I never in all my life, could imagine people "laughing" at you and your feelings. This world is filled with some very cruel people and it is sad.
I am now HOME where my Heart is, resting and recovering and taking 3 oral antibiotics for the next 2 weeks. I appreciate ALL my Blogger friends so MUCH. YOU all are more valuable then you will ever know. I so appreciate all your Prayers, Love and Concern. And finally to me.....if I ever forget that Patience is a Virtue, I hope I re-read this post over and over again.
God Bless you all and Happy New Year

MERRY CHRISTMAS to all my Blogger friends!!!

2011-12-24T10:37:00.000-08:00

Thank you everyone for being Patient with me this year....I have been so slow at posting new posts...no excuses..going through some health issues right now...I will talk about it soon. Praying for a Christmas miracle!!!
Hugs and Love to all,
jamie

RAIN on my PARADE??????

2011-12-04T14:26:00.000-08:00

ALL BUNDLED up on this Very COLD Phoenix Night!!!!High today low 50's!!!! I know for you East coast and Mid west folks, that is not that cold, but it is cold for us desert dwellers!!!

Little Princess wanted a light sword!!!

here comes the Parade!!!!!THE APS Electric Light Parade!!!

MICKEY MOUSE!!!!!!

Big Balloons and we do not even have to go to New York City!!!

Phoenix Mayor

Local News Anchors!!

Our famous Sheriff JOE!!

Phoenix Suns Gorilla!!!1

Horses!!!

And Trains!!! About 30 minutes into the Parade, it started POURING RAIN....it had rained on and off all day, we thought the rain was done......NOPE.....we grabbed the kiddos and took off running.....it was freezing cold pouring rain!!!!!OH NO....You can't rain on my parade!!!!!!!It did.....

Cookie Exchange/gift Exchange Party with my High School YA-YA'S!!!

2011-12-04T14:20:00.000-08:00

the Ya-Ya's minus a few!!!

It was so fun to have a festive holiday party at Dawn's wonderfully decorated house, I accidentally deleted all the pics of her amazing home and 2 trees..........

Cheers to Old--I mean friends from way back when!!!!!

Tracy, Mary and Chris!!!!

Time for our gift exchange!!!

it was so fun, and we all left best friends, even though Gifts were stolen and My note reading-- minus glasses that I mis-read as To MY Favorite yaya!!!it said to a Fabulous YAYA!!!
Thanks DAWN for hosting a fabulous Christmas Party!!!!

Thanksgiving Day, so much to be Thankful for!!!

2011-11-29T21:13:00.000-08:00

The table is set...

So happy to have My Mother in Law and Grandmother in Law's dishes, LOVE them so much, but would rather have them here then have their dishes.

Pilgrim Hat Pigs in the blanket, fun appetizer for the kiddos!!!

Pie is in the oven!!!

Turkey is in the oven!!!And ham....

Making her Christmas list!!!

Some one stole the marshmallows!!!

Jesse and I did Most of the cooking...well actually all of the cooking!!!

Will carving OUR turkey not a Restaurant that he has managed for the past 9 years, his first THANKSGIVING at home!!!!!

Watching football!!!!!!

Time for a walk!!!

The best reason ever to go for a walk, to have fun with these 2!!!
Hope your day was filled with family, food and a Grateful heart!!!!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!

2011-11-23T20:56:00.000-08:00

From my little TURKEYS and I, we WISH you a VERY BLESSED DAY!!!!
HUGS and LOVE,
jamie

The Patio is updated!!!

2011-11-13T22:33:00.000-08:00

The best part of living in Arizona is October to May!!!And baby it is time!!!After a long and HOT summer, it is great to be Outside enjoying our beautiful weather!!!!I love being outside with our Grand kids and we love to eat out here sometimes, makes the day feel special!!!

And flowers Grow best in the fall out here!!While all my Mid-West friends and family have Fall leaves....and Snow...we have Sunshine and nice cool days.....perfect 70 degree days!!!!This is WHY I live here!!!!!

Union Pacific's Steam Engine No. 844

2011-11-13T18:05:00.000-08:00

Here comes another Arizona Centennial Signature Event. This time, Arizonans can take a celebratory trip back in time when the historic Union Pacific Steam Locomotive Engine No. 844 traverses the state. The last time this Historic engine was in town, I also Visited it as a School field trip in my Senior year of High School, part of our Countries bicentennial celebration. In between Family Christmas Photo shoots yesterday, we noticed a very Large crowd of people parked and walking about waiting for something to go by on the railroad tracks, knowing it must have been something special, while stopped at a red light I snapped the top picture of it driving by!!!!Miss C was so happy that the train honked it's horn!!!!
Love history and the history this train has seen is quite remarkable!!!

Trick or Treat fun in Mimi's neighborhood!!!

2011-11-01T22:19:00.000-07:00

getting ready to leave, Miss C was so excited!!!

And our Little mermaid and her friend Sebastian were so cute!!!

What a great night out......the weather was perfect.....today it was 89......the High on Saturday is suppose to be possible RAIN and 66!!!!!Oh yeah Fall is Here finally!!!!

Miss C thinks she is one of the big girls!!!So happy they Love her so much!!!

Off and running to another door.....she kept telling her Dad, "it's not full yet".......she got it!!!

Her friend Mr. K

Does she want to go to this house?????She was kind of scared of alot of the houses and did not want to go up to them......so we skipped them!!!

Ok, with this one......

got a full size candy bar from this one...Mimi loved the player piano and the Chandelier!!!

Loved this house...the decorations were awesome!!!

look who came to our house???THE PONY!!!!!2 ponies actually!!!

What a fun night.........and wow was our neighborhood packed...some counts were as many as 1,000 kids!!!!I counted 3 haunted houses and a full blown dance scene at the Nightmare before Christmas house, a D.J. and all!!!I would bet there was over 300 kids dancing on their driveway when we walked up!!!We drove the Rhino over after the kiddos left and we went and sat with the neighbors who live next door to the decorated house and we were there til 10 p.m. and the kids were still out!!!!CRAZY!!!!!

October fun!!!

2011-11-01T22:08:00.000-07:00

We took the kiddos to Art be true Pottery Studio to get some art work made with their cute little hands and feet!!!!

Mr. L thought this was so fun!!!!

And Miss C thought it was pretty neat!!!

Can I help?????ok!!!

the finished plate!!!!I love my Bootiful babies!!!!And I will have this plate to remember these small feet forever!!!

Carving Pumpkins!!!!!

Wow, this is messy, that is exactly what she said!!!

We had pizza delivered and ate on the Halloween Plates!!!!orange Purple and Lime green!!!!

So cute our Pumpkins with their C nose and the L nose!!!

State fair time!!!

2011-10-28T02:26:00.000-07:00

It has been over 20 years probably since I have gone to the State fair!!!So we really wanted to take Miss C to the fair!!!!As we were driving there, she saw the Large Ferris wheel and got so excited she started crying!!!!She loved looking at all the animals...cows, pigs, goats, sheep

And Pony Rides!!!!

As we were walking around deciding what we were going to EAT..MISS C asked if we were going to eat with the Princesses.....so cute!!!!

getting a better look.......hmmmm Do I want to Play this game???/

Let's get a snack now!!!!So many choices.....

We picked this!!!!

Time for that ferris wheel ride!!!

What a view!!!

We had so much fun!!!!I won't wait another 20 years....may be an annual date now.......

Halloween Decor--2011

2011-10-28T02:14:00.000-07:00

Halloween Party and Baby Shower for twins all in one day!!!

2011-10-28T02:09:00.000-07:00

Jessica and her yearly Bring your own pumpkin Party is Always a Huge hit!!!i forgot to get pics of her garage.....she does the entire place up big!!!!this is her front door!!!

Grab a bag and fill it with treats...candy....toys.....pencils.....oh so much, couldn't begin to name it all.

Love her table display and the food was delicious!!!

Looks like Miss C got an oreo cookie!!!But that face couldn't be cuter!!!

Sack race time!!!

Then off to a baby shower for a friend expecting twin boys...this will give her 4 darling boys!!!!

Love her courtyard!!!!!

So cute!!!!love these colors!!!

And her Mom's house is stunning!!!

I did not get a picture of Kelli, but to be pregnant for the 3rd time with twins, she looks Magnificent to say the least......Glowing and Beautiful!!!Here is Miss C and Mr. K...I think Mr. K would have rather been wrestling with his brother and his 3 boy cousins then hugging a girl!!!!!
WOW what a busy day for me....I also did a photo shoot in between these parties!!!!

Pumpkin Patch time!!!

2011-10-28T01:57:00.000-07:00

What a great way to get around!!!!

Cutest lil pumpkin in the patch!!!

I want this one!!!

We met one of my daughter's High School friend's and her daughter there!!!What fun we had!!

The little girls just chatted away!!!

Little dude is riding by himself...well almost

the girls had so much fun!!!

Then they decided to try out the roller coaster...they thought it looked so innocent......

OH NO......look at those faces!!!!

Not so fun.....well not for the little ones......

She said she hated it!!!

But all in all a very fun day!!!!

Maui Day 8

2011-10-28T01:48:00.000-07:00

Getting ready to go meet Aiden and his grandma for Breakfast!!!

What a pretty flower...the plumeria were everywhere!!!

They were so cute together...she was calling the geckos --geekos again.....I believe he was telling her they are geckos!!!

Aiden gave Miss C 2 books!!!!

SAYING good bye.....

Love you Mr. A!!!

MAUI DAY 7--Another Beach Day and a Luau!!!

2011-10-28T01:44:00.000-07:00

Breakfast out at one of the Restaurants in the Hotels on the beach!!!She loved the dolphin!!!

New friend.....

Time for our Luau!!!The Grand Wailea has the best Luau!!!

LOVE THIS PICTURE!!!!

My Great Nephew Lives on Maui and his Grandma's boyfriend is the middle Musician!!!

Great food...and I am not kidding!!!

Time for the Raising of the Pig!!!

What a SUNSET!!!!

Doing the HULA!!!

The show was spectacular!!!

then we decided to take part.....back in the back of course!!!Like way out in the grass!!!!!

I wonder if these guys had a few to many Mai Tais????????They were all free!!!!

Another new friend!!!

So fun!!!!!loved it all!!!

Maui Day 6

2011-10-24T20:58:00.000-07:00

We started our day out at the beach again.Miss C loves making new friends and these twin girls were so much fun for her to play with.

oops, I thought I uploaded the pic of both of them.......there was two and they were identical!!!

drawing her family in the sand!!!!

Little dude playing in the sand again!!!!

Miss C loved her bathroom at our condo, she was so in love with all the geckos outside and to have one in the shower made it so fun!!!!!The rock floor wound it's way from the bathroom shower all the way out the floor and down the steps into the living area!!!!

She called them geek-os!!!!

More geckos!!!

We dropped the boys off for another day of golf and we hit up Wailea Mall once again!!!!

We had lunch at the Grand Wailea and walked around this beautiful resort!!!!

She was instructing the Dolphins to Jump!!!!

And we had one of these nearly everyday!!!

While waiting for the boys to call, we popped into Tommy Bahama's for a cold drink!!!I love the umbrella's!!!

Maui day 5---The drive to HANA!!!

2011-10-23T23:56:00.000-07:00

The road to HANA is famous not for the end result but because of how you get there, it is 52 miles from the start.......there are 52 ONE Lane bridges and over 600 Hairpin turns!!it is a Destination like no other!!!

Stunning views!!!

And Countless Waterfalls!!!Most are not hiking friendly with 2 littles.....but they sure looked iniviting on this warm day!!!Miss C was kind of scared.....

No restaurants so it's best to bring a picnic lunch!!We stopped at a local small sandwich shop in the last town before the drive.

The BLACK sand Beach is awesome!!!

everyone got their toes in the sand!!!

We fell in LOVE with the GIANT Hawaiian Avocados!!!had to stop for some!!!

The local fruit stands are so fresh and so good!!the Banana bread was to die for!!!

Coconut juice oh yummy!!!!

This was taken at our local beach after our long drive, we went down to watch the sunset again!!!

Maui Day 4---Zippity do dah--Zippity Yeah!!!

2011-10-23T23:44:00.000-07:00

I loved that the kitchen had a pass through window, easy to get your breakfast served to you!!Our Son -in-Law is a great cook and made us breakfast every morning!!!

Dude-dude babysat the kiddos while we went Zip-lining, so he took Miss C to ride a horse!!!

Off they go!!!!

She loved it to say the Least!!!!!!!her first time on a BIG horse.

Are we really doing this!!!YES!!!Will is a dare devil and could not wait!!!

I have done this one other time....but we did NOT have to run down a slanted ramp and JUMP OFF......I was scared to death!!!My camera zooms better...so I think Corie got no pics of me participating. That's ok....

off she goes...her and I kept singing Zippity do dah

The canyons were pretty deep!!

The suspension bridge was scarier then zip-lining!!!

We loved it by the 5th and Final FAST ZIP line!!!!

Lunch in the sand at Hula Grill in Lahaina

My favorite drink accessory

even in your milk!!

the fruit platter was amazing!!!

The flowers were stunning...I love the Anthuriums, The flower of Love!!!

The Proteas were pretty too.

We had so much fun everyday!!!!

MAUI day 3

2011-10-23T23:30:00.000-07:00

Decided to drive to the TOP of Haleakala, it is 10,023 feet to the top!!!We passed a sugar mill still being used today...they grow alot of sugar cane on Maui.

You can also Bike down the Volcano, did this in 1990 on our first trip to Maui. It is a BLAST!!!On my top 10 best things I have done list!!!!It is very cold at the top, and since you arrive before Sunset, it is even colder, so you must dress accordingly. We saw this group flying down the mountain!!!

Almost to the top

The view of the Crater.....and it was cold today even at 10 or 11 a.m.and Windy!!!

Quick pic!!

back inside....oh it's much warmer in here!!!

this looks like some kind of laboratory......

The silversword plant, only grows on MAUI at elevations over 6900 feet.....not as many up there as I recall seeing.....they kind of glow.

Having lunch at Monkeypods!!!!So good, wood burning ovens make the best Hawaiian pizzas!!!

Cute place!!

Love the waterfall!!!

Maui day 2

2011-10-23T23:20:00.000-07:00

I liked Waking up before 6 a.m. to see the SUN rise over the Haleakala Volcano!!!Sitting on our Lanai we could see it rise every morning and see it set on the coast right before our eyes!!!

Coffee on the Lanai, nothing better!!!

And watching this cutie eating her cereal!!

The Beaches in Wailea are Stunning!!!!!

Just for fun!!!!!Actually advertising Mommy's new necklace business!!!!!

this little dude Loved the beach.....

Mostly he LOVED eating the sand....seriously, he ate it!!

Told you he ate it!!!

But this face is what Mommy got when she said Do not eat the sand!!!!he said But I didn't!!!

And sweet little Princess loved the Beach too!!!

Dude-dude and daddy buried her.......

And I lay on my towel and looked at this...Palm trees swaying in the breeze!!!!

And peeked up to see this made by Dude-dude and daddy and Little princess, if you want you can live in a SAND CASTLE TOO!!!!

Here today but gone to MAUI!!!!

2011-10-19T15:33:00.000-07:00

Actually we are HOME now!!!We went the first week of Oct. but I have been so busy!!!!So I promise to upload the trip as soon as I can. After getting up at 4 a.m. to catch our 8 a.m. flight and a short layover in Honolulu, we arrived in Maui at 1 p.m. SO awesome we gained 3 hours!!!!After a quick stop at SAFEWAY, we arrived at our HOME away from HOME!!!We loved the place and the Views were stunning!!!The WAILEA area is the MOST beautiful spot on the island if you ask me!!I know it is the driest part and considered the desert part of the island. But we loved it. I wish we would have seen RAIN. in 8 days we did not see one drop of rain!!!
We could not wait to get to the beach for some Sunset pics!!!We spent several evenings at the beach!!!
Stay tuned for more pics!!!

Limousine Scavenger Hunt 2011

2011-09-25T02:58:00.000-07:00

Here is MY group of High School friends, we all chose to wear the exact same dress this year....we are the fabulous flappers......but we like to be called Ya-Ya's!!

We had a lovely dinner and the centerpieces were so Fall like....

time to get in your Limo!!!

Reading over the sheets of instructions....go here......get this........

Blowing a kiss with 3 strangers!!1

Your entire group in Halloween Masks!!!

With the Target Red Ball!!!

2 team members on a Bike!!!

Your team with dog collars and dog leashes........

5 members of your team in 5 different sports attire.....

3 team members in skates!!!

Got to a restaurant serve someone a birthday dessert and sing Happy Birthday!!!

Pick up a Live Lobster

Go to a car wash and "Pretend" to wash your Limo!!

Always our favorite...go to a fire station and get your pic on the firetruck with firemen!!!!

go to a laundry mat and help fold someone's laundry!!!

Pic with your Limo driver!!!Ours was fabulous Brett with 2 T's!!!

And then it was time to dance and wait to see if your Team won!!!!Or Lost!!!Yes, we lost again......
Oh well it is so FUN we do not care if we win or lose!!!the money raised goes to a Great cause, The House of refuge....so it is all good!!!

Keeping a promise---The Dolphin Tale

2011-09-25T02:47:00.000-07:00

We told Miss C weeks ago we were going to see this new Movie the Dolphin Tale......everytime she ould see a sign or a commercial she would scream in delight, so on Wednesday she asked when we were going to see it, I explained to her, you will go to bed, you will wake up, you will go to bed, you will wake up.....well she remembered that!!!So Friday was the day....the night...even though I was soooo tired, we went.

What a great Movie, I cried through several scenes, it is so amazing!!!I know where we are going the next time we are in Florida, the Clearwater Animal Rescue Aquarium, this DOLPHIN is real!!!!
I hope while we are in Hawaii, we spot Dolphins!!!!I told her we will see them..........

NO is a Complete sentence.......learned this at the Women of Faith Conference

2011-09-25T02:41:00.000-07:00

I had to Leave early and drive in some rush hour traffic to attend this event down town. Parking was not as hard as I thought it was going to be.

I snapped this pic in case I forgot Where I parked!!!!you know.....you never know!!!

I love our downtown...I know it's not quite as hip as downtown Chicago..not as scary as downtown Los Angeles, nor as fashionable as New York City, but Phoenix is my home town city.....well sort of!!!I live in the Berbs!!!!!!

I wish I would have gotten a ride on one of the pedi-cabs!!!

The Praise and worship team were perfect for getting everyone in the right mind set for what we were there to do, and that was to be motivated and inspired about being More Christ like.

Patsy Claremont was our first speaker and she was So funny and so real.She is the one who said the quote by Mary Graham, No is a complete sentence, nothing more needs to be said, let someone else be their victim!!!!She also mentioned Proverbs 29 verse 18, and it is says......Fools speak to much and the Wise know when to shut up............

My group of friends....well I know Liz on the end, the rest are my New friends!!!!!

Liz and I. What a great day it was!!!

Happy Birthday to our daughter!!!

2011-09-21T00:10:00.000-07:00

Mommy spent several hours of her birthday at a boutique selling necklaces, but for a good cause. One of her friends is a Cancer survivor and she always hosts a boutique to raise money for Cancer. So the kiddos and I went to breakfast and went and got some balloons. I let Miss C pick out the balloons!!!

Lunch and shopping....what else do you do on your birthday!!!

Dinner with the family...missing is sister Stacie and Dad, he was off to Lake Powell for the week.

Happy Birthday sweet daughter!!!

Enjoying the water fountain show!!

Hanging out and having fun, the evenings are getting so nice out. So for dessert we decided to go to Starbucks for some Pumpkin Coffee!!!

Tom's Shoes---One for One

2011-09-20T00:10:00.000-07:00

Are you a Big AMAZING RACE tv show fan LIKE I am?????If so then you will remember Blake and Paige Mycoskie, season 2 and from the Amazing Race all stars.They are brother and sister, but more then that Blake is a philanthropist. His TOM'S SHOES are a big hit, but not because they are comfortable but because for every pair that is sold, one is given to a child in need. So with our recent purchase of four pair, That makes me REAL Happy knowing that a shoeless child somewhere is getting some shoes!!!!

Corie wore her's home!!!So no picture of her design Tom's!!

Little guy got some good support and some comfort!!

Little princess got some Pink and some Sparkle!!

And Mimi got versatile, comfort and practical cool Shoes!!!

Lunch date with a friend!!

2011-09-19T15:24:00.000-07:00

Friday we met one of my daughter's friend and her daughter for lunch. Corie and Chrissy met in high school and were cheerleaders together!!!Now they are both wives and Mommy's to the sweetest little girls ever!!!

It is so amazing to me, to know young ladies and watch them grow up to be Wonderful wife's and Mothers and better yet to be good friends and good all around Great people!!!Chrissy and her husband are setting great examples to their children and showing them examples of a good Christian Family. Makes me so happy to see this!!!Thanks Chrissy for meeting us and for being who you are!!!

LOOKING BACK....nope fast forward

2011-09-19T15:17:00.000-07:00

THIS was Courtney at her 2nd birthday Party!!!And look at her now!!!!

Where has the last 12 years gone????She is NOW a freshmen in high school and a Varsity Cheerleader for her high school!!!!We have known Courtney since she was about 1 years old!!!!

She has blossomed and grown into a beautiful young woman inside and Out!!!Courtney was also nominated for Freshmen Homecoming Royalty!!!!

LOVE THIS PIC!!!!

Mommy nor I got to hold little guy at all, he is so sweet and just doesn't mind anyone holding him at all, he loves everybody!!!

What a fun night we had with Timon and Cori. yep she is Cori too!!Kind of confused Miss C!!!

Junk food and Junk Mail

2011-09-14T00:10:00.000-07:00

Fruits and Vegetables are a Must on a diet......caramel apple, pumpkin pie, banana bread, carrot cake.....oh the best kind!!!Junk food is the best.....however.....

Junk Mail just clutters the floor!!!Of course this is about one weeks worth, but so annoying!!!
It is like the JUNK that clutters our minds.......toss it away!!!!

Sunday September 11, 2011

2011-09-12T14:36:00.000-07:00

We went to church, this day will play a role in our lives for the rest of our lives.......I remember exactly where I was that day.....of course since we are 3 hours Behind New York and the East Coast, I was asleep. I woke our Son up for school and was in the bathroom. He being who he is, always watched FOX news first thing every morning, so he ran in to tell me to come look...I LOOKED...did not stop looking for days......

But with all things, life does go on.....we SHALL never forget that day. Our lives will never be the same. After church we went our for breakfast with daughter and son-in -law and the kiddos!!!!Our Son in law mentioned something so profound, had me thinking all day, why did Church NOT Say ONE Word about 9-11 or Pray for our Country...kind of bothered by that now. He felt the church missed a Great opportunity to remind people of the evilness that lies out there....so true Will.

So happy these two love each other so much, feel so bad for little dude, he has 4 teeth now, but getting a few more....so he chews on everything!!!!

Another Rainy night and a shopping trip so that means.........

2011-09-12T14:30:00.000-07:00

Her Mommy promised that she could bring her baby and her stroller the next time we went shopping and for being good she could pick out what ever she wanted to wear....so she chose her favorite church dress and Rain boots since she was told it would rain!!!

AND RAIN it did!!I thought the roof of Hobby Lobby was going to CAVE in...I was actually quite scared.
But LOVED every minute of the downpour we got!!2 days in a row of downpours!!!

Octoberfest Bunco!!

2011-09-12T14:26:00.000-07:00

BUNCO is BACK!!!

good thing I went to Germany for now I LOVE this stuff!!

And this Kraut Cake....oh my, to die for!!

RAIN in the desert and this is what happens, we play in it like rain deprived fools!!

SO FUN!!!!

Birthday dinner for my hubby!!!!

2011-09-12T14:22:00.000-07:00

Everyone could make it except Will and Stacie....but it was a fun dinner out!!!He has a BLESSED Lap now doesn't he?????I think the More little in your lap the More Blessed you are!!!!

An I-Pad for me?????YES!!!!He is ready for fun now!!!

Boys hate to get new clothes......

A bite for you dude-dude!!

Little dude loves lemons!!And no frowns either!!

THINK-THANK-no, not thunk but THOUGHTS!!!!

2011-09-07T17:20:00.000-07:00

I THINK that this Group of Guys all work so well together that it is NO wonder they have had such GREAT Years the past two years. And I know for a fact my Hubby Appreciates each and every one of them!!!

I THANK Discount Tire for a wonderful dinner at Flemings and this Great bottle of Vintage 2002 Dom Perignon Champagne!!!!Also Thanks Guys for a RECORD DAY, WOW two back to back record months and now a NEW record Day!!!

I THINK this Group of Ladies who LOVE and Support their husband's and boyfriends are pretty awesome too!!It takes a Great Lady to Make a Successful Man, right ladies?????

I THANK Discount Tire Co. for giving us this Resort stay all Labor Day week-end and not just any ole room, a CASITA!!!!So we brought the family along with us!!!!

I THINK this little Princess is so Self assured and full of self confidence she is afraid of nothing!!!She did this water slide so many times, I was worn out running her up and down those steps!!!By the way...she technically isn't even tall enough to ride this slide!!!!

I THANK GOD everyday for this great husband and our wonderful SON, these two love each other so much and enjoy just hanging out and talking pool-side!!!By the way....Our SON passed the multiple choice section of his Bar Exam in the Top 20%!!!!We are SOOOOO PROUD!!!!

I think my husband at 56(his birthday is today, but we celebrated while at the resort) is So cute!!

I THANK my Son-in-law often for being the kind of Daddy that this little girl needs. He shows her unconditional love every day and Makes her feel special and beautiful as well.

I think this little guy loves his Daddy so much and I know his Daddy is so anxious for him to be his hunting buddy(Mommy and Mimi, not so much)

I THANK my daughter all the time for giving me these two grands!!

I THINK this was my Favorite moment of the entire week-end, Nap time in the hammock with my little dude!!

I THANK Liam for being so lovable!!

I THINK these guys had so much fun all week-end, YES, they ALL got to stay for the weekend too!!

I THANK GOD my hubby did not suffer a heart attack while they were all trying to swim across the pool in one breath!!

I THINK these guys really really do LIKE each other!!!

I THANK goodness no one got hurt doing this!!!

I THINK this is ONE tired little girl!!

I THANK my daughter for having such a fun husband!!!He was dressed!!

I THINK She is so cute!!!

I THINK we are going to have fun at the family concert the Resort had planned!!

I THINK ZOWIE BOWIE are pretty good and they have done QUITE well.

I THANK GOODNESS that Will behaved himself(He knows Chris and Marley--The singers)

I THINK She has a pretty good stomach, wish mine looked like that!!

I THINK Camdyn had fun dancing with her Daddy and all the other kids and their Daddy's!!!

I THANK Scottsdale Princess Resort for such a Fun weekend!!!

I THINK Lunch at Tommy Bahamas was pretty good!

I THINK these kids will be glad this weekend is over!!

I THINK he missed his crib!!!

I THINK this little girl missed a few naps!!!

I THINK I got sunburned!!

THOUGHTS!!!!WOW, so much to be thankful for. Another fun family week-end and Good memories to Last a lifetime!!This is two years in a row we have spent it at this resort, I think we will be back next year too!!

The bedroom is Finished!!

2011-08-30T23:37:00.000-07:00

The best part was when Miss C got here after it was all done and she walked in and said "WOW". I love that she notices things like a redecorated bedroom and that she liked it!!!

I must admit, I was a bit nervous about that color for the walls, but after it was done, I fell in LOVE with it!!!The inspiration for that color was Not these pillows.....

Nor the Globe...but Miss C loved looking at that globe. I have a feeling we will spend Hours looking at that globe!!!

Not the blue in these cool wall hangings....

It was the throw blanket on the bed!!!I fell in LOVE with that throw the minute I saw it at Pier One way back in March!!

I love so many things on this table, the burlap lamp shade with all it's French items on it, the french artist painting some flowers and that photo frame, something about Skeleton Keys calls to me lately!!!

After taking that Bike tour in Europe, I had to have this bicycle and I had to place some cute flowers in the basket!!!!!

3 pics from France, a view of the Marina in Nice, France, a close-up of a building with the French flag and finally a french restaurant with it's chalkboard menu.

Changed up the bathroom too!!

I am loving this new color to my ordinary Gold and burgundy house!!!

Updating bedroom furniture!!!

2011-08-29T23:16:00.000-07:00

I decided if I was going to Survive this "empty nest syndrome" I was going to need to change his bedroom a little bit!!!Well there is no such thing as a little bit with me!!!!I told my hubby that I was going to paint C.J.'s old OAK bedroom furniture black and distress it, he said quote unquote "if you ruin it, I am NOT buying New Bedroom furniture, so if you are smart you will leave it as it is". I said "I won't ruin it". Well I googled how to do this project and got all kinds of ideas. But the simplest one was the path I chose!!!!The worst part was dragging it all to the garage all by myself!!!!And it was HOT outside that week-end!!!!

I bought several cans of Spray LACQUER SANDING SEALER by Deft!!Saved me hours of sanding!!Just spray on, wait, spray on again and then lightly sand!!!That was easy!!

Lightly sanding was easy, but again IT WAS HOT!!!

The many options I got was spray paint or brush on, I chose the brush on route. Brushed black paint on and then I decided to NOT distress it, I liked the way it looked not distressing it, I tried both ways.

Hubby came home........HE SAID quote-unquote YOU DID A GREAT JOB!!!!
THAT was the best part of all!!!!

WHAT DO YOU SAY................

2011-08-27T23:12:00.000-07:00

It is with a very very SAD heart that I must somehow explain to this little girl, that her BELOVED little PONY friend, Pebbles has passed away. I got the saddest note from her owner today. The pony had apparently tried to crawl under the stall and got choked to death. We have decided to just tell her that the PONY now lives at somewhere else. No reason to break a 3 year old's heart, she can deal with heartbreak a little later in life.

SUITE Summer fun!!!

2011-08-24T00:36:00.000-07:00

My hubby won a resort stay a few weeks ago, and our Suite at the Pointe at Tapatio Cliffs was perfect!!!

the waterfall was beautiful!!!Corie and the kids came to play in the pool with us!!!

And since we had not had a chance to celebrate C.j.'s birthday, he and Jesse came to hang out too!!!We went out to Aunt Chilada's --a great Mexican food place connected to the resort for dinner!!!The reason we did not get to celebrate C.j.'s birthday in July was he was so busy studying for the Bar Exam, he did not want to go out even for one night. He is a very good student!!!But he is So glad all his schooling is done!!!

Little guy loved the water!!

And Miss C had so much fun playing all the games with the kids!!

Run, Miss C!!

Squeeze out all the water!!

The Discount Tire team that won the stay, minus one....

Little guy loved hanging out in the cool cabana!!

Dinner was also provided to the winners!!!Ruth Chris Steak House, this was my first time there, and it was AMAZING!!!

Everyone was having so much fun!!

this sweet couple is so much fun!!!

Steve wanted his pic with everyone!!!

My delicious Salad!!!

And who can forget dessert???Did you hear that some restaurants are forbidding you from taking pics of your food?????All of us girls were taking pics and then forwarding them on our phones!!!

The group

Limo ride........not provided and Phil and Stephanie and us never got the memo????Oh well, it was a very fun night!!!And to think we have another resort stay coming up very soon!!And this time for the entire Labor Day week-end!!!!

Miniature Ponies and a Miniature BABY!!!

2011-08-24T00:20:00.000-07:00

Princess is the Mommy pony, Pebbles or as Miss C calls her Pimples, is the new baby!!!We are so lucky to live with in walking distance, if we wanted to walk to lots of farms. This farm is owned by the lady who owned the miniature at my Ho-Ho-Hoe-down Holiday party, she emailed me that princess was about to give birth and if we wanted to come by and see the baby after she arrived!!!Of Course I said YES!!!!Pebbles was born the next day!!!!She can walk, run and she even showed us her bucking skills!!!!

Miss C was in Heaven, she was so excited she could hardly stand it!!!

She chased after that little baby.....

Is this not the cutest thing??????momma was so full of milk, it was dripping out of her!!

My little photographer in training, she had to get some pics of her own!!!

Getting low to get the BEST SHOT!!!

Toni has chickens, turkeys, peacocks, goats, dogs, cats and 12 miniature ponies!!!

She was all smiles and could not wait to get back to Mimi's house to tell Dude-dude all about the new baby!!!

It's more fun to talk with someone who doesn't use difficult words, but rather short words like" What about lunch!!!

2011-08-19T00:01:00.000-07:00

Donna and I always cross town together to go to our Dr. Appointment's, makes that long drive alot more fun!!!
The three of us pictured here have been friends for over thirty years!!!!And we love getting together for the occasional lunch date. Donna and I live somewhat near each other, but seven years ago, we both moved across town from Coni. So we make a point of getting together at least three or four times a year. Having best friends is a Woman's life saver, I know Not all women get the opportunity to have a great friend for life. I understand things change and make the relationship different, so when you find one who remains loyal and true and honest, KEEP Them close!!! Thanks girls for always being there for me!!!

Little "dude" and his surgery

2011-08-13T15:41:00.000-07:00

Phoenix Children's hospital is the BEST place to take your child if sick or needs surgery. Friday this is where we were bright and early, we drove out of the driveway as the Sun was coming up. This was Miss C's first sunrise and she was thrilled to see this. She asked so many questions, I told her we would make a planet system soon and I could explain how the sun goes to bed and wakes up, she is so inquisitive to everything!!!

Little guy was hungry, but other then that, he had no idea why he was UP so early.

he was so playful and cute.

he did not seem to mind a pink/purple gown at all, he just had fun playing and flirting with the nurses.

Mommy and Daddy was most sad about handing their baby over to strangers. He had to have an IV and an Epidural, but all of this was done luckily after he was put under anesthesia.

So sleepy and still numb, he was so good, slept most of the way home.

He was a little spoiled with toys. His Grammy got him Eeyore and we got him Tigger. Miss C wanted Dumbo!!Mr. L is doing very well, the hardest part is keeping him still, he wants to crawl everywhere now, so we pretty much just hold him. It will take about a week to heal.
THANK YOU for all your Prayers, my blogger buddies are just the Best!!

SEE-DONA!!!

2011-08-08T14:03:00.000-07:00

2 weeks ago, we were once again treated to a fabulous week-end in Sedona, Az!!!!My husband's employer sends the Manager's and their wives to a fabulous resort in this truly spectacular place for a fun weekend. We went hiking to find Oak Creek!!!

And find it we did!!!

It was cold, but felt soo good on this warm July day!!!

The water even has a red/orange glow to it!!Matches those glorious red rocks!!

Then we visited a winery near by. Here we are with our good friends Scott and Donna and Ty and Carrie.

Off to dinner!!!!

More great friends Steve and Nancy.

This restaurant was fabulous!!!Mediterranean Cuisine!!!!loved it!!!

Breakfast at the resort. These two guys have been around each other for nearly 31 years!!!So many of the Managers and wives have been our friends for that long!!!It is truly a Great Company to work for!!

We decided to stay an extra night, so we got to enjoy some POOL time before heading out to visit new friends.

Enjoying the rockers!!!

Then we drove Up north to Munds park to visit our new friends at their cabin. Kevin and Brenda were the friends we met on our cruise.

Taking a walk....is it a hike if you are in the Pines?????Before it poured down rain!!!!

We stayed all afternoon at their place and then decided to go have Pizza for dinner before we headed back to Sedona, we stayed here til 9 p.m. talking!!!

Oh darn, time to go back to that heat!! (Mary, this is that top and shoes I was talking about)

Once back in town we met up to say HI to our Son, he has been holed up in his apartment for 7 weeks studying for his BAR Exam.

I am confident he will do FINE!!!Or did just fine!!

Then we met these cuties at the Surgeon's office, Little guy will be having surgery this week.

Off to play before dinner!!!Fountains are so inviting!!!

A stop at the Book store!!!So fun to get away, but More fun to come home!!!

LODGED in our Memory!!

2011-08-08T13:37:00.000-07:00

The Greer Lodge burned down this summer, not from the wildfire, but an electrical fire. We all nearly cried when we pulled up and saw this. So very sad.

That famous fireplace......

I know they will re-build this landmark.

This pic was taken last summer when we were up there having lunch and hanging out on their patio enjoying this magnificent piece of earth.

The VIEW last summer....then the WALLOW WILDFIRE swept through this area and now it looks like this.....See Below......at the bottom(did not want to ruin this post with to many sad pics)

Us last year, there was 5 of us last year...

This was this year.....

Having lunch here at this charming place!!

HAIL and Rain and 56 glorious degrees!!!!IN AUGUST!!!

This Lovely Cabin Mansion(Pool and all) belongs to George Strait--allegedly!!!!

My favorite thing of all, sit on Dawn's porch, sipping coffee, hot chocolate or wine and rock in the chairs!!!

CHATTING away!!!!girls trips are So fun!!!

Hiking!!!

This year we had 7 girls!!!So much fun!!!

All 7 of us Below!!!!What a Great time we had!!!

It came very close to destroying the entire town of Greer, Az.

I hope if the trees don't all grow back in my life, that they do in my kids lifetime. It is so beautiful, yet a sign of how senseless one little campfire left unattended can cause such loss.

Salzburg gives us so many fun things to look for

2011-08-01T12:04:00.000-07:00

We started our day out on the Public bus, but we passed by the Mozartsteg Foot Bridge where the children and Maria came skipping off of it then paused for a few minutes to look over at the river.

Our first stop to get off the bus was at the Frohnburg Palace(this is where the Glass Gazebo was) I wanted to go back and skip around the gazebo, but we were told we had about a 1 mile walk down the tree lined Hellbrunner Allee. It was a very nice walk as most of the roadway was shaded. Here is Stacie and Dad walking down the Allee singing "I have Confidence".Ok, not really!!

I was though!!!!Only I am walking the wrong direction, had to walk the wrong way to get a pic, I was so excited to get there, I was a little ahead of them!!!

Hubby wanted to stop and get a pic in this field with the Untersberg Mountain in the background. That is the mountaintop where they shot the Ariel views.

Loved the fields of flowers!!

There's the fortress again.

We walked by this Palace and I had to get a pic, I am thinking I want to Paint the outside of our house a Gold color now!!!!

OH YEAH!!!!WE ARE HERE!!!!!!It looks exactly as it did in the movie!!!You cannot go inside as it is an Art School now and the No Trespassing sign was right in front of the round green hedge.

There is a door bell on the pillar.....I do believe that is the bell she rang in the movie only in the movie it looks like she is at the door.....The big Gate was Opened!!

I pretended to ring the bell!!

Oh I could have stood here all day!!!

After a conversation with a locale about where we catch the bus, funny thing is I asked him if we walk a couple of Blocks!!!He said"Ma am what is a Block!!"I have got to learn the metric system before I go back to Europe in March!!!!This is the Birthplace of Mozart.

Oh my goodness, imagine our surprise, of ALL the little souvenir stores near there, we walked into this one and found this sight!!!!

I wanted to stand beside them and join their happy little faces!!

Then we stopped for lunch. I LOVE all the outside cafe's. Most do charge you an occupancy fee!!

Then we walked over to the Pferdeschwemme(the horse Bath) right across the street is the Felsenreitschule Riding School, this was once a big quarry where they got the stone to build the Cathedral, but in 1693 the Archbishop had a riding arena constructed there. It was later integrated into the Festival Hall and is still used to stage performances. It was here that the Von Trapp family performed in the Salzburg Music Festival and the festival is still held each year. This is also the place the family planned their escape from. You can only get inside the Hall by guided tour and we missed the last one of the day by a mere 15 minutes, I begged to get inside.....but the answer was no.

The big fountain with the horse statue.

This is the Large Dome Cathedral.

This large fountain is located in Residenzplatz Square, this is where Maria is seen confidently singing through out town 'I have Confidence" and she splashed some water up to show this!!!The Palace residence is where The Prince Archbishop once lived. In the movie the Nazi flag was seen draped across the building with the German Soldiers marching by.

I had to tip toe to reach the water to splash some!!!

Remember the arch way???And the Horse drawn Carriages that Maria and the children rode in????

This is St. Peter's Monastery, you will see below why we came here.

We walked up this sidewalk....

Stacie spotted this "hidden Mickey" very fast.........she is a true Disney employee!!!!Always looking for hidden Mickeys!!It was on some one's gravestone.....what it means we could not figure out. But we loved it.

The steeple.

The cemetery, this is where the Von Trapp family hid in the cemetery, not at the Abbey.

I find it quite interesting to walk around in cemetery's. Glad Stacie likes this too as we have done this on several vacations.

See the Large rock on the side of the mountain???

Inside the Monastery.

There goes a Monk up the stairs.

And this is the outside of the Horse arena, now the Music hall......I wanted in so bad!!Look at the horses on the doors below. Well this ends our walking/public bus tour of Salzburg, we did go to a grocery store from here but I did not take any pics in there, I wished I had because we were quite entertained in there. So many things to look at. Dinner that night was quite interesting......for me.....COKE, that I poured in a glass of ice back at the hotel, Lays potato chips, Austrian Chocolate, maybe a few bites of cheese and olives!!

The Movie that made Salzburg Famous--The Sound of Music

2011-07-30T18:51:00.000-07:00

This tour was another "pinch me and tell me that I really am here" moment. The Sound of Music movie has been a top 5 movie of mine since....well since it came out in 1965. I was in the 5th grade when I saw the movie for the first time.

And I am so thrilled that my daughters are BIG FANS as well, and now our little Granddaughter loves it too. I loved this colorful bus!!!

Our first stop was here at the Schloss Leopoldskron Palace. This Palace was built in 1736...can you even believe that????In 1918 the co-founder of the Salzburg Music Festival purchased it. Prior to that it was home to the original owner the Prince-Archbishop and the King of Baveria.The palace was used for the terrace scenes at the rear of the Captain's Villa overlooking the lake. This is also the spot where Maria and the children stood up in the boat causing it to tip over and poor little Gretl nearly drowned during filming.

So happy it was a bright sunny day as the reflection in the lake is stunning. The House, the mountains, the clouds all look so perfect in the pic. Stacie and I just stood there in disbelief!!!!

So happy my hubby came along and by the end of the tour, I think I caught him singing along!!!

Our next stop was at the Glass Gazebo. This is where Rolf and Liesl sang "Sixteen going on Seventeen" and Maria and the Captain sang "Something Good". It is obviously locked for security reasons, but we all( the girls anyway) had a good time skipping about the outside perimeter!!Some people thought it looked smaller then the movie, it was the exact size I expected. This day is already very Good in my book!!!

Stacie did skip, I just promised not to take pics of her skipping!!!

Since the Nonnberg Abby is still an active abbey, you are not allowed inside. These pics were taken from our tour bus. The Red Onion Dome is still considered an architectural jewel.

They sold snacks on the bus and Stacie and I had Almdudler, it is a popular Austrian Soda, it is grape and apple juice carbonated. Another popular soda in Germany we tried was a Spezi, which is Coca Cola and Orange fanta soda mixed together. It really was good, you just have to get used to it being served cool at best.

We loved seeing the movie on the bus and singing along to the songs!!

Caught ya!!!!!So fun!!!

The corporate offices for Red Bull are located in a beautiful community outside of Salzburg.

A beautiful Overlook we stopped at near Fuschl am See, I can just imagine Maria singing and twirling on those magnificent mountain tops.

A May Day, Maypole. Maypole dancing is a folk dance from Europe mostly. The history of the Maypole and the dance is quite interesting, I will leave it at that and let you google it for the history of the maypole!!!

A Castle we passed. Again, all over Europe you quite possible will pass several castles and or palaces each day.

We are nearing our destination of Mondsee, Austria.

The picturesque market square, this town is simply amazing, loved the colorful buildings.

The Parish Church of Mondsee was used for the inside shots of the wedding scenes, in real life Captain Von Trapp and Maria were married in the Nonnberg Abbey. The Abbey church was not large enough for filming so the Mondsee Parish was chosen for obvious reasons, large enough and it is very beautiful with it's romantic touches throughout.

See what I mean???Simply stunning

Ok, time to sit down and have a little snack and a drink and people watch!!!

I chose this berry topped muffin.

Hubby picked a danish.

loved all the crowns!!

After our bus tour ended, we decided to walk to a few sights close by!!!The first was Mirabell Palace and gardens.These steps were where the children sang Do-Re-Mi. Probably one of the most famous scenes in the movie, remember Maria and the children used the steps as notes on a musical scale, jumping from one step to the next as if they were actual notes!!I loved the scene where Maria is rubbing her head. I had to do it!!!

Let's see is she standing on Fa or Sew?????

I believe I am standing on TEA!!

If Sound of Music sights had not been filmed here I still would have visited this garden, it is so beautiful.

The Pegasus Fountain is where Maria and the children Marched around it. For some strange reason my Grand daughter is obsessed with Unicorns(she found one at Church in class) and has loved them ever since. So she loves looking at this picture!!

The Ivy Covered arch-way is a long rose and ivy covered arbor, the children had fun dancing and running races while exploring the gardens while singing Do-Re-Mi

Then we headed over to the Zwerglgarten(Dwarf) garden. This is the dwarf the kids patted on the head as they skipped along singing. There was once 28 of these little statues, but over time they were sold off, but the city has since gotten several of them back for it's cultural heritage.

The Central Fountain of Mirabel Garden is where the children were filmed circling around it. There are 4 large sculptures represent Fire, Water, Earth and Air. There is one behind me, but cannot tell which one it is.

These 2 large sculptures at the entrance to the garden are known as the fist fighters, the children all imitated them as they ran by singing.

From the garden we walked over to the Salzburg Marionette theater. They still do performances here.

Remember the scene when the children performed a Marionette play for their Father??????The lonely Goatherd was the play the children put on.

Salzburg is also the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, so classical music is heard all over this marvelous city.

This was his home later on in life.

After all that, we were ready for dinner and asking around the popular place to go was a Church!!!!So off we went, the city is divided in half by this river. But it is a beautiful walking city.

The large Fortress on top of the hill is called Hohensalzburg Fortress .You also see the large Dome Cathedral.

This is the Franciscan Church.

This restaurant/Beer Garden was once home to a Monastery.

Alot of touches of it's old inhabitants remain!!

The place was packed!!!

We had ribs, a baked potato, cole slaw, pretzels and olives!!

That is the name of the place!!

Walking back to our hotel, what a lovely city at Sunset.We stopped and got some gelato for our walk back!Tomorrow we are going to ride the public bus and do some more sight seeing!!!!

Alpine slide---Gondola Ride

2011-07-27T01:28:00.000-07:00

We each took several turns racing down the mountain on a little sled --called a LUGE. This was SO fun!!!!

I easily snapped pics while going up!!!

Off I go!!!

I survived run #1, do you watch Amazing race????Remember they did this and each team had to complete the run in a certain amount of time, Doubt I qualified this run!!!!

Believe it or not, you are going very fast if you are not pulling back on the brake!!here is Chuck and Stacie on run #1.

Big Red rode with Stacie!!

Run #2, this is so fun!!!I think I may have qualified this time!!!

NO hands!!!!He was flying down this hill!!!

Now let's go ALL the way to the top.

What a View!!

From the top, hang gliders jump off, NO way would I do this!!!

So happy we got to spend a week with Stacie, it was so fun and such great memories were made.

The Alps are absolutely gorgeous!!

Good bye Mountain Tops!!

WOW, again PINCH me!!!!

The drive through this part of Germany is done on the Romantic Strabe......that is an understatement.

Back on the Autobahn......

how fast can I drive.....FAST --NO Speed limit fast!!!

Cars whiz by...and fast!!!

Not a bad word, Means Exit!!!

The Romantic Soul of Bavaria is in Fussen, Germany!!!

2011-07-27T00:55:00.000-07:00

While we were where reality meets the dream, we stayed here at the Euro Park Hotel, no air conditioning, none needed, open your windows and there in front of you were the Majestic Mountains and the Lech River floating by.

We took off on foot to go see the town.

What a lovely walk it was.

We ate dinner here at this charming Italian Restaurant complete with it's own Beer Garden.

I love OLIVES!!!!!We ate them nearly everyday!!!

The town of Fussen is like a fairytale city, so charming with it's cobblestone streets, frescoes on almost every building and the friendliest people around.

LOVED IT!!!!

Big Red loved every European City we took him.

Oh my goodness, DO you remember Woolworth's????I certainly do!!!My Grandma would take us there on Saturday's after we had spent the night there, each of us grandkids got a turn at spending the night and going into town for lunch and shopping, she was always fair and always remembered whose turn it was to spend the night. I loved those special times when it was just me and them. My Grandparents were the Best, always putting us first.

The Apotheke is a Pharmacy or drug store.

This is a partial view of The Benedictine Monastery of St. Mang and the Fussen High Palace.

To get the car out of the parking garage, we were instructed to pull the chain and the gate would open, I now have lived the experience of having to PULL someone's chain to get out!!!!

It opened!!

Imagine living in this magical place and driving by these magnificent Castles every single day?????

BEACH DAY or Beach DAYS!!!!

2011-07-25T23:39:00.000-07:00

What a Great Beach day!!!Warm, sunny and a great place to have lunch!!!My next door neighbor was the Manager of this Fine eating establishment for several years, and since she stays in the Newport/Laguna Beach area for the summer, we decided to try it out!!!

I loved the tin ceilings and all the old pictures on the walls.

My Salad was so good and so flavorful. I thought it was one of the BEST chicken salads ever.

Lunch and a View of the ocean, nothing beats that.

This place is indeed Sophistication by the Sea!!

Could hardly wait to get my toes in the sand and the cool Pacific Ocean.

Little One loves it......

But is visible afraid of it......

OH NO.... the wave took her down, she was terrified, and Crying. I felt so bad and scooped her up As quickly as I could.

For the rest of the day... we made sandcastles!!

Little guy loved just hanging out. So cute in his new swim wear!!

Found a Sprinkles Cupcake near by!!!

Now off to dinner...sorry our Son could not come with, it's his Birthday and He is HOME--his Home ALONE studying...his lock down(BAR EXAM SCHOOL is almost done at this point) He stayed home and studied on his birthday...we have seen him twice in eight weeks, it soon will be over he says and then the Party came come!!!!So we had a great meal in his honor. The place even has his initials in it's name. Claim Jumper!!!

I love spending fun week-ends with these littles!!

Beach day #2 I have a picture of this little girls Mommy, aunt and uncle on this same bench!!!Some 25 years ago!!!

Day 2 sunny warm day---well 78, so cool for us desert rats!!!But packed beach day!!!

She walked on the pier.....did not want nothing to do with the beach!!So we left and went shopping!!

What an awesome shopping complex, right across the street from the beach!!!See it in the background????

Really????We spotted Williams and Sonoma, Ann Taylor , this place was definitely unique, a pillow made out of burlap was $200.00!!!!

We found the cutest bakery/coffee place though, loved this large Regal chair!!!

Loved the cupcakes!!!

I had 4 scheduled Beach photo shoots and it was nearly time so we headed out to the beach again....she preferred to sit here.....

or maybe this far back.......

even this cute little guy could not get her to go much farther....

this little guy loved it!!!

Always keeping an eye on the water!!!

Off to Huntington Beach for dinner at Duke's!!!We love Dukes!!!Duke's in Malibu, Duke's in Waikiki.

It was cold, so she wore her Princess towel to dinner!!

I had not been to Huntington Beach in Years, I was pleasantly surprised at how awesome it is now. Duke's right on the beach!!

So fun, we hate to go home and face that heat!!!But getting away sure makes tolerating the long hot summers much easier.

Dissyland--I mean Disneyland!!!

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A couple weeks ago, my hubby was away on a trip to Lake Tahoe and I said to our daughter, "let's GET OUT of this Heat and go to the Beach". So off we went. But if we are near Disneyland or Dissyland as the Grand daughter calls it, we must go!!!For a Summer July day, the place was really not that crowded. And it was a cool 75 degrees!!!

Found a shady spot to sit down and take a pic and wait for the parade to start!!!

We are ALL ears for what you say!!!

The Snow Queen, let's go talk to her!!!She hates apples!!

We love all the Disney Parades and this one was Fabulous!!!

And this little girl loves horses and carousels!!

THIS place although quite visible is really somewhat covert or clandestine, although nothing about it is bad in any way shape or form, we are after all in DISNEYLAND!!!THIS is CLUB 33. Walt Disney wanted a private club of sorts at Disneyland for the guests who might require some privacy or a place to have a fine meal where others can not see you. THIS is it, the wait list to get in this private club is CLOSED and could take over 20 years. YOU must be invited by a member and the cost of your meal is that of a 1 day ticket, so around $75.00. While we were posing for this pic, someone came up and rang the bell to be admitted. The procedure just to Get in is quite secretive in itself. You must say the name of the word of the day.

Here is the box with the bell to ring and speak in to. So amazing!!!!

Oops, I meant to post the pic of the flying Dumbo, he flies at night along with tinkerbell and it was so AWESOME!!!

Miss C loved seeing Tinkerbell and Dumbo fly!!

This pics are a bit out of order, we did park hop but we started in California Adventure. This is the New Ariel ride and the Animatronics are outstanding.

Her hair floats!!

Cars 2 came out a few weeks ago and it is a big hit!!!

Meeting Chip and Dale and even little dude loves it!!!

"hi mommy", mommy was busy feeding brother so Mimi and Miss C rode this one.

Getting Goofy to sign my book!!

Meeting Mickey!!!

Lunch with Ariel and her Princess friends

Learning the new Princess Pose!!!We had so much fun and the older she gets the MORE fun it is!!!