Memorial Weekend Wedding

We spent Memorial Weekend in Albuquerque for a Wedding. One of hubby's Grandson's was marrying and invited us to share the festivities with them.

This was the view from our hotel room windows. We had a gorgeous view of the mountains to the east of Albuquerque. (A huge thanks to Linda and Bill for our great room!)

This was the Bishop's first wedding. He was a little nervous but did a great job!

Here is the beatiful bride, Jessica and her handsome groom, Ben.

Here are two of the lovely bridesmaids, Alexie and Kaeli, sisters of the groom. And that darling flower girl is Corine, the grooms little cousin.

The rest of the bridal party, the grooms brother A.J., the bestman, the lovely Jessica with the ever stunning Ben, the grooms oldest brother Josh and another brother Matt. (Can you see the flip flops?)

Sunday we all met at hubby's youngest daughter Sandy's house for a BBQ. Look at the handsome devil I found residing there. His name is Max and he and I became close friends.

Sandy's entire family is very talented. In so many ways that it would be hard to list them all. Here is the drum circle they had after dinner. That is Sandy's hubby Marshall to the left, hubby's son Scott in the middle and the very studly Jake the grandson on the right. These guys were amazing!

We all got together for a family picture and here is our practice shot. I actually really like this one. Shows how wiggly we all were.

And here is our official picture.

From the left, backrow: Marshall, Sandy, Scott, Jake, Cindy, Me, Hubby, Linda, Bill, Connie, Scott, Melissa holding Ella and Decker.

From row left circle:Alex, Chelsea in the back and Sarah, Lilly and Rachel in the front.

From row right circle: Sam and Rochelle in the back and Corrine and Henry in the front.

I did not get ONE picture of the Phoenix family. Never had my camera when they were around. They left Sunday morning and we missed them at the BBQ!

Congrats to Ben and Jessica. Thanks for including us in your happy day!

Writers Workshop - Love Letter

I don't mean this post to be a poor pity me post...just want to tell my baby how I was feeling and had Kathy give me the chance!

Writers Workshop once again. This week is easy.

One of Mama Kat's assignment is to post a love letter.

Madie wrote me an amazing letter for Mother's Day. It was nice to hear that she loved me and was glad I was her mom. I have been having some very serious MAJOR issues with Madie. Tough stuff that I thought my kids would never do. Unfortunately, sometimes they do. The letter doesn't make the matter any easier to deal with but it does lessen the pain when I read it because I know, somewhere inside my mixed up, screwed up child, is the little girl who did everything with me and loved me more than anything else. I just hope I can find her before she is lost to me forever.

Dear Madie-

The letter you wrote me on Mother's Day means the world to me. Sometimes mom's feel used and abused and it's always is nice to know that what we do is appreciated and acknowledged.

Right now my heart is breaking for you. I am lost. You are lost. I am trying to find you, trying to find my Madie in this insane world you have entered. I am sad and I am confused.

I had big dreams for my children. The whole white picket fence and yellow gingham curtain thing was going to be mine and I was going to share it with my angelic children.

Life has thrown us some wrenches and we ourselves have thrown in a few screwdrivers and hammers. You just emptied the whole toolbox. We are all now dodging dangerous weapons. This was not how life was going to be.

When you make mistakes and take huge falls in your life, you don't hurt just yourself. You hurt me, your Dad, your Step Dad, Cole and Alex. Right now we are all scared for you.

I remember the day I found out you would be a girl. I cried and felt so blessed. I was to be the mother of a daughter. What could be better? I told my co workers the great news and my friend Mickey gave me a kiss on the cheek, a kiss I was sure you could feel...because she had a daughter and she knew how I felt.

You are not alone in this fight. You have a great support system, but you have to let us help you and not to enable you to continue on. Things are going to get alot worse before they get better. But we are all going to be there for you.

Come back to us Madie, come back to Mommy. I love you more than life itself. I want my Madie back and I will go to the depths of hell to get you back.

I"ll love you forever,

I'll like you for always.

As long as I'm living (and forever more)

Your Mommy I'll be.

Always and forever,

Mom

Wordful Wednesday - Family

My Step Grandmother passed away on the 14th of May. She was 90 and had lived a full, happy life. She was a sweet lady and took such good care of my Grandpa and made him so happy. We traveled to Kemmerer, Wyoming to attend services for her and as always visited with my amazing family.

These are my cousins from Morgan, Utah. Actually, these are only the girls. From the left in the back is Linda in front of her is Georgene, Kimberly, Jennifer, Uncle Morris, Tiffany and Janeal. (Please forgive me if I spelled your names wrong!)

Here is my favorite Aunt Marsha (she paid me to say that!) whose name I suddenly forgot during the viewing. Must be my demitia kicking in again. On her left is my sister Kristin and her hubby Mark.

And here are my totally awesome, amazing Aunts. You all should be jealous that your aunts aren't as wonderul as mine! From the left is Merla, Jeanene, Brenda, Marsha and Diana. Missing is my Aunt Bonnie who lives in California. My Dad had all these sisters all to himself!

And finally, here is the rest of my family. The two sisters missing from last weeks picture. You can see who got the tall genes in the family and it definatley wasn't me! Again, from the left, Kristin, Marrla, my Step Mom Betty, Stephanie and Me.

The service was very nice and afterwards there was Ice Cream and Donuts!

Here is what Alex did for the 2 1/2 hours back home. I think this is his best side.

Check out other Wordful Wednesdays over at Angies!

The Boys In The Band

Friday we attended Alex's last Junior High School concert. (Please excuse these dark pictures.)





He has decided not to continue on with the High School Band, so this really was his last concert.


The program was great and the trumpets did an especially good job.




So thanks to his teacher who taught him to read music and play an instrument so he could tell me in church that when I sing I am sharp. (And he doesn't mean smart!)


These are two of the other trumpet players. These two boys are so cute and so much fun! I will miss them along with Alex being a musician.



We stopped by Arby's afterwards for a our last band supper. And hasn't Alex taken over the surly teenager role so well!



Alex you did a great job in your three year career in band. I'm proud of you!

Say No To Crack!

Last night I picked up Madie to take her to the Mall to get another phone. Her 5th phone. Yes, folks, that’s right 5 phones. She actually blamed this phone breaking on Alex. (Mom always knows Madie, remember that!)

We ran to the grocery store first to get some much needed liquid refreshment and were pulling back onto the main road when a motorcycle pulled by us.

I had my glasses on, Madie did not.

I gasped.

Really.Truly.Gasped!

I have heard the jokes, seen the pictures and read Nikki’s I Wish Wednesday post, but I have never been bumper to tire with what we saw.

Madie looked up and lets out a squeal and with an ear piercing voice says, “Oh For Gross!”

For it really was……Gross.

We had motorcycle Butt Crack right in front of us.

We slowed way down. Nothing makes you want to obey the law like a hairy, exposed, butt crack.

I suggest Janice and Liz and Karen stay at home. Do not venture close to Harmon’s. You may see more than you really want.

You have been warned!

Worldful Wednesday

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Writers Workshop

This week one of Mama Kat's assignment was to write a poem to your Mom. I am not much of a poet so I thought I would share a poem my oldest son wrote to me for Mother's Day when he was about 13 years old.

This is the Fat Cat Striper-Viper

THE BEST MOM IN THE WORLD

You have a fat cat named Viper,

You even changed my stinky diaper.

You're there for me when I am sad,

You're there for me when I was bad.

All and all, you're the best Mom in the world.

And mean the world to me.

You were there for me when I felt blue,

And on this special day I want to tell you,

I Love You!

Thanks for the great poem (10 years ago when I got it I cried!) I love you too Cole!

Wordful Wednesday In Court

Don't have much time to post...have to show up for Jury Duty tomorrow morning. 8:30 SHARP. Don't be late! And don't bring your kids, your guns or your knives. But bring something to do. In other words I may be sitting around a lot tomorrow.


For Wordful Wednesday here is a shot of downtown Salt Lake.. which is where I will be.


See that building right in the middle down toward the bottom of the picture? That will be where I will spend the day. Visiting the Third District Court. I'm hoping it's just part of the day. Maybe I should take my gun. (If I had a gun!)

See other Wordful Wednesday entries at Angie's.