I Heart Veggie Mom

That sweet Veggie Mom over at Eat Your Veggies has bestowed a bloggy award upon yours truly!! She really is the best. You should stop on over and read all about her adventures in the new world of Empty Nesters! And try some Poprs!! Don't know what they are? Go check it out and leave her some comment love and she will return the favor.

First of all, here are Rules:
1.The winner puts logo on her/his blog.
2.Link the person you received your award from.
3.Nominate 7 other blogs.
4.Put links of those blogs on yours.
5.Leave a message on the blogs of those you’ve chosen.


This is always a difficult task but there are some mighty fine blogs out there and some truly great bloggers, so with no further delay, here are the nominees:


1- Adiel. Just because she is the very best! Plus I am still missing her and all her shopping and blogging and cheerleading and on and on!

2 - Rhea at who is one of the most creative people I have met. Her pictures are so fun with stuff that I can't do! (Jealous me? Yes.)

3 - Tonya in California who has the most amazing adventures living the the world of oceans and movie stars. (Well, nothing about movie stars but she is by the ocean!)

4 - Emily at The Krazy Kestons who is potty training her baby. It makes me sad that my kids are so old but glad that they are already potty trained!

5 - Suzy who has given me the opportunity to be 3 degrees from Stephanie Meyers. Check that out, I was very excited!

6 - The Mcewens. I love this blog. It is warm and fuzzy and every time I read it I feel better!

7 - Natalie at The Emmer Family. She has the cutest kids I have ever seen and they say the darnedest things!

There you are! All deserving and all great blogs. Go check them out! And thanks again to Veggie Mom!

Happy Birthday Madie Pie!

Happy Birthday Madie! Here she is last year, Sweet 16!

I have only one daughter. I only have two sons, so it's not like I have tons of kids, but only one daughter. I always wanted lots of girls and I am so grateful that I now have only one. Girls are hard so I am glad I got to focus my attention on just this little one.

Anyway, my one beautiful daughter just celebrated her 17th birthday. It feels like just yesterday I found out I was pregnant with her and dragging my sisters into my filthy bedroom to tell them that miraculously I had gotten pregnant. I remember the day of the ultra sound and crying with joy because I was having a girl, going back to work and sharing that with my friends and they cried and hugged and kissed me. I remember the nasty complication I had and what a treat it was to finally deliver her and get rid of my maternity girdle!! (I ceremoniously trashed it when Alex was born!)

Most of all I remember scheduling the C-Section and going to the hospital and waiting for the process to start and how scared I was. It had been six years since the last time I had done this and I wasn't sure I was ready. After those nice drugs I think I was ready to do just about anything. My Doctor delivered her and called her "Pumpkin" and it sort of stuck. She has always been the Pumpkin Pie Girl.

She was boy crazy on that first day and I think she really is getting worse and worse. But she is more crazy for animals. Cats, Dogs, Rats, Hamsters, Mice..anything that she could and can drag home with her and call her own. She still has all her cats, six or seven plus a hamster. (I think the cats ate her last mouse.) Her greatest loves are Llama's and Alpaca's. Don't know how they could ever sleep in her bed like the cats though.

Llama Lover Madie...with a baby Llama and a Llama puppet

She works hard now at a pet store and is great at her job and enjoys it most of the time. She is a Junior in High School and now our (please note the our) goal is a car. Can you just see and all those A's and B's coming???

Here she is just last night letting a Ferret kiss her. Maybe this will keep the boys away!

So Happy Birthday to my wonderful, challenging, beautiful daughter!

Love you tons and tons, baby girl. So glad you are part of my life.

My New Guardian Angel

So, I have transferred to the new branch, spent three days muddling my way through things I don't know and have come up on top. Plus when I left work for the long weekend, I got a hug from my new manager.

These people are such nice folks. Everyone told me that, and I believe them. At least I believe Tonya!

There is also one gentleman who works there that I went to High School with who is threatening me with the dreaded YEARBOOK...I did remind him that he is in it too but he just doesn't care. I'll have to find a way to sabotage his chair or something.

One really nice thing at the new place is every Friday morning the Branch Manager buys breakfast. Yummy!

And here is one more reason that things will be alright at the new job. This bad boy is my new best friend. He jumps up behind me in my chair when creepy people come in the office. And he doesn't really like most men. He's a true ladies man!

Meet Baxter. Isn't he the cutest thing? Plus he's kinda of named after me. He almost makes up for missing Adiel, almost but not quite! (Adiel, you could use him as protection against Mr. Quest!)

Crocodile Tears

This is a warning to the citizens of the Salt Lake Valley. Today there will be crying. Great.Big.Crocodile.Tears. Beware of flooding.

I have been with the Corporation I work for 4 ½ years. During the first 3 years I changed jobs every 3 months…or so it seemed. I worked for the Corporate Office until it moved to Minnesota. I then worked for the Regional Office until it moved to Phoenix and I have been at this branch for 18 months. At first I hated being here. Some of the employees thought I was a spy sent from Corporate to tell all their dirty secrets…sorry, no spy and no secrets (well, none that I would tell).

I did hear how to use the F word in many new and enlightening ways. On the job training. Gotta love it.

So, now, someone….up the ladder…is making moves again.

Today is my last day here. I am leaving….SOB….Adiel. I am leaving the VV brothers, the Hale boys, Steve with the bulging wallet plus all the guys who work so hard everyday to keep the customers happy.

I am leaving my family, my home away from home.

How did I allow myself to get so attached that it is tearing my heart out to leave?

EASY.

There is lots of love here. (no, all you people with dirty minds…a good kind of love!!)

But I am only going about 12 blocks away. Not moving to Africa. I still get to see all my homies. Just not everyday, every hour, not with every ding of Adiel’s computer.

Thanks to all my great co-workers. I will miss you…now let’s go out to lunch!!!

Here I am with the boys waiting for lunch. And look Brett is even here!

And here we are all at lunch. Yummy food. Just before we are interrupted by a work emergency that sends everyone scattering to take of the problem. We did have a short, nice time!

And here is one final picture of me and Adiel...the true Adiel!!

My FAVORITE Brother, Jack

My apologizes to those who read and commented on my first Favorite Brother post. I didn't really mean to post it, my fat fingers just started hitting buttons...but thanks for your comments!

Some of you may have seen the comment my brother Jack left me on my Good Morning Jerk post, so in retaliation here is a little bit about Jack.

I come from a large family. I have 6 sisters and 5 brothers. Which include two sets of twins. Jack is one half of one of the sets of twins. Thankfully, we didn't all live together all the time. During the summers there would be 10 kids in a 1,000 square foot house. We were sleeping three to a bedroom. Very cozy.

I am sure the picture above was taken of him the night I took him to see Jaws. (Not really but I am sure this is the face he had through the whole thing!) I thought I was being a nice big sister. He ended sleeping in my bed and keeping me up all night! My mother said I deserved no sleep for taking such little kids to see a scary movie. I think he and Jill were 6. What was I thinking??

Oh, look what a cute picture of the "other" set of twins in the family. Shelly and Kelly with Jack's adoring FAVORITE big sister Marrdy. How cute is she??

Now back to Jack.

Jack has always been fearless. I remember him doing things when he was little that would have sent me screaming and crying to hide in my closet. Once he even shot a neighbor kid with his BB Gun. Not that the kid didn't deserve it but hey, you just can't go around shooting people.

Wow, another picture of that totally awesome FAVORITE sister and Jack at Grandma's house. Jack is probably three and I am fifteen. Are you guys just diggin' those pants. You are all jealous. Especially Adiel. She has never seen such a fashion statement!

Jack was born when I was 12. My mother was in the hospital the last two months of her pregnancy because Jack was a twin. He has a sister who my parents named Jill. Yes folks, I have a brother and sister named Jack and Jill. Can I even describe how embarrassing that is for a 12 year old? I wanted to name them something cool like Link and Lulu. Now those names don't fit. Jack fits very nicely!

I love this picture of Jack and Jill together. Don't they both look like they are saying, "What the *%@*'s going on!" Maybe it's just the cool deer in the headlights look. Jack has always been cool. He is also that smartest of all the siblings. Plus he is a computer geek but doesn't look like one. We (the sisters) even bought him a pocket protector when he graduated from college. Should we be hurt that he never uses it?

Here are Jack and Jill (he doesn't have many pictures alone when he was younger but that's OK because Jill is mighty cute!) with their cousin Michelle in Idaho. How about those green pants? What was my mother thinking. But aren't they cute as buttons?

I do need to add that Jack never beat me up as a kid like my 3 brothers who were closer to my age. I think (in my twisted mental thinking) that he was really scared of me and knew I would whoop his butt if he tried!

Jack really is my favorite brother and I can say that because I know that he will be the only brother reading this. His most recent life altering experience is getting married to his high school sweetheart, Kristin. She is perfect person for him and they are so cute together. She even gets his sense of humor. Plus she came with three of the cutest boys in the world. Here is a picture of them at their wedding last year.

From the left side there is Kepler, Roan, Jack, Bronwen (the only daughter), Kristin, Cade, Tal and Jonathan.

So now you have met Jack and his family. Next time he leaves a smart alec comment on my blog, you will all understand and have great sympathy for me!

Adieu To Edward and Bella

The end has come. Edward and Bella have left me alone to dwell in the real world. But I am happy.

I finished Breaking Dawn last night. I turned the last page and breathed a sigh of relief. Now I have to get back to reality and not dream that it was me flying through the forest with Edward. I will miss them and their friends and family.

I didn't want to start reading this series. I didn't want to be part of the nameless masses who were swooning over Edward. Now, I am glad I did. I do so love happy endings.

I read a spoiler before I finished Breaking Dawn and I did not like the ending the author spoke about. I resisted the urge to read the last page to find out how things really ended. It wouldn't have made any difference, the last page gives nothing away.

So until November, good bye to Edward, Bella, Jacob and the gang. I will miss you.

My hubby is happy I am done reading. When I told him last night that I had finished the book he said, "Does that mean I don't have to play second fiddle to a book anymore?" I told him it meant he wouldn't be loosing me to a vampire anymore. We both smiled.

Mama Mia Plus 8 Boys and 2 Girls

Alex was sick for several days last week and by Friday he was a little stir crazy. Poor kid! Friday afternoon hubby asked if I would like to get Alex out of the house and catch a movie. I checked with Alex and he said yes he felt well enough to go but he also wanted to go out to eat.

Decision made we were off to the theater to pick a show since I am lame and couldn't pull the dumb thing up on the Internet. I am sure that it was the computers fault and not mine! We decided to see Mama Mia. I am a sucker for musicals and both Alex and hubby thought it would be a great idea. Yea, I win!! We had about 90 minutes before the show so off we went to get some food.

We stopped at a cute little Italian Restaurant right by the theater. Alex and I ordered 4 Cheese Ravioli and hubby had Fish and Chips. (I didn't understand this choice but I had a taste and it was delish!!)

The waitress brought our food and held out a plate and said, "Ravioli?" Hubby said, "4 Cheese Ravioli?" And I grabbed it from her hands. (I was hungry!) She set Alex's down in front of him and he says, "How come there are five?" I laughed and told him it was four cheese meaning four different cheese and not four the count of four. And some people say the teenage brain is still forming...go figure. Just eat Al and don't analyze the food!

So we were off to see the movie. I fell in love with it at the first song, and the second and the third. I loved this movie!!! Of course I was a teenager in the 70's and loved ABBA then loved the A-Teens with my daughter. The only kind of creepy part was Pierce Bronson singing and wearing spandex. When this comes out on video I will be the first in line to buy it, I loved it that much!




Mama Mia, here I go again. My, my how can I resist you?

Really how can anyone resist this??





Saturday we got invited to a BBQ at hubby's oldest daughters with her family.

What fun!!

We sat around and talk and ate and ate and finally took pictures.


Here is the latest addition. Little Emelia. Isn't she too cute for words? She has cheeks that are just begging to be pinched or kissed. I think she likes the kissing better than the pinching.

And here is the most recent little boy, Zander. He is so darling. All smiles!

Here is the rest of the family. The eldest grandchild Jason, his wife Angie and their 5 boys!

And here is Misty, her hubby Matt with Madison, Thomas and baby Emelia. (Sorry, Misty, if I spelled that wrong.)

And here is the baby of the family, Amber with her hubby Doug and boys Cameron and Weston.

And finally here is my baby trying to not have his picture taken. What a brat!

We had a great time and I love watching all those little boys play and Madison in there to trying to instill some order.



This is good...on Sunday we went to my (FAVORITE) brother Jack's house to pick up a belated birthday present for Alex from my mom. I think she doesn't know for sure how old he is because she had bought him a blinking light shirt from Cars. Isn't he so cute here wearing it? My sweet sister in law Kristen made the comment that it was very nice of Grandma to remember his birthday. I was just laughing! I need to be more like Kristen! My nephew's, Nick and Cody have birthdays coming up. They better be ready for their blinky shirts too!