Independence Day
I haven't posted for a long time, too much going on. I haven't even been making time to scrap much, although I did just fnish 6 layouts (small ones) for son and son's girlfriend of prom. I had such a blast taking those photos, then we had graduation (snif, snif) and job changes and more changes, and you know... life. We went ot Maui in March and snorkeled in Molokini Cove, just loved it so, for our anniversary, I gae hubby scuba diving lessons. Lots of people want to know how do you learn to scuba in the desert? Well, mostly we go to class and they have a salt water pool (heated, thank you very much) there onsite. Then we do one lake dive and three dives in the ocean (San Carlos or Catalina) then we get certified. Personally I am loving it, especially when I will get to do some underwater photography. How cool will that be? The photos I took in Hawaii underwater (those disposable ones) weren't too great. The scuba gear is expensive tho, why oh why can't I find a less expensive hobby? Okay, I am sure you are thinking, scrapping isn't expensive, just paper and such, well let me tell you, I have invested lots of $$ on paper, and furniture to hold the paper, and organizers and drawers and pens and adhesive. Let's just say, by the time I have bought a regulator, bc and wet suit, I will have scratched the surface of the amount I have spent on scrapping supplies... gotta love it. I am off to son's girlfriends parents house for a wonderful bbq and swim party, and to see some fire works! Happy 4th of July, happy independence day!
Thanksgiving
Okay so I won't go into some long and drawn out post about what I am thankful for... the good news is, this year the I'm thankful for list is way longer than the what I am not thankful for list. Perhaps that is due to my growing up a little at a time, or the fact that I have a new job that is exciting and fulfilling, or the fact that the hour I spend going to work each day is with my husband and we have time to talk, to connect a little each day. I am so proud of my son and his "grown up" choices (only two weeks, but who is counting???) I have a mom and sister who love me unconditionally and a great nephew. I have classes and teachers and friends who keep my life exciting and ever changing, I am going to have the opportunity to teach again, boy, that makes me happy! I just try to concentrate on the great stuff and disregard the rest, sometimes that is not so easily done, but, I am a work in progress...Thursday is Thanksgiving, my
favorite holiday. The food, friends, family thing is just the great, I can't be happier than when I am in the kitchen making something yummy, but sharing it with your family is so much more...exciting, rewarding, fun, better, memorable...at least for me. So tomorrow I will be baking and roasting and cleaning and Thursday my family will be all around and I can't wait! Have a happy thanksgiving, kiss your mother and your sister and your children, your spouse and thank God for your blessings.
Happy Birthday Aaron
Today, is the day I have been dreading for months now, although I am so proud of my son, and truly I know he can't be that cute little four year old forever, or the tenacious second grader, or the sixth grader at science camp...somehow it is hard to grasp that he is now a (gasp)
adult... well legally anyway, he will always be my baby :~) We have been through a lot, my child and I from years as just the two of us, to a second marriage and the struggles and baggage that came into our lives with the new man... then cancer with his dad and my bacterial infection, all in the same year, then junior high (which frankly, was a blast) and then high school, his first orchestra concert in a tux (so grown up). How about the first girlfriend and going to the prom?
This year, at the beginning of his senior year, I had to go and sign some papers for golf, (
did I know he was playing kind of thing) and it struck me, this is the last time I will have to/get to do this...I cried all the way back to work.
That was the first in a series of melancholy days, but we made it through, I spend a lot of teary days making the slide show for his birthday party, and working on his graduation album, going thru the years, well, it does something to you. I did manage to not have a meltdown on Sunday...just like I promised.
I had a party for Aaron on Sunday, and his dad, Brian's wife Colleen, Brandon, his grandparents, aunts and uncles, and cousin all came.... we had fun, but I was too busy to take many photos (can you believe that???)... I
will whip out the camera tonight at dinner. My sister, my nephew and I are taking the birthday boy out for pizza and wings later today to celebrate, so that will be fun....
Happy Eighteen Son. I love you more than you know...Mom
Men, Schmen
What is it with men? And seriously, who needs them anyway? I just don't understand. I am just sitting here shaking my head...how can statements like "you are seriously unstable" come right out of their mouth, like the outside temperature is 74? Don't get me wrong, i do have moments, but not today...I had a great day with my sister, out looking at model homes (it's kinda weird, but he was working all day anyway) and then the next thing I know is, "what are you (and I emphasize you) planning on moving? Well, we had kind of talked about it, I want to downsize and move closer to work. He says there is just not way he (and again I emphasize he) is moving. I remind him this is far away, and I was just looking. And then the next thing I know I am unstable, I am the one with the problem, I didn;t know I was having a problem, I was having a great day. Why do we allow them to power to take the rug right out from underneath our world? Why, and what the hell is it with them anyway? Why is it that they get such a kick out of saying such hurtful things?
Wacky Wednesday
Wow, it seems like forever since I have posted. My hubby and I went on a Mexican Riveria cruise last week, and of course there was the packing and the laundry and the trip to the cleaners for things I couldn't wash and iron, more packing...still managed to miss a few things...it's always something. I was supposed to meet up on friday night for crop, with my friends, but I just wasn't organized enough to go, sorry girlies. We drove to LA, and checked into the Westin Long Beach to spend the night before the cruise and park our car...apparently no one told the front desk there was going to be a cruise, and a shuttle, but we got it straightened out. The convention center in long beach has a painting by Wyland on it, a beautiful harbor, and a view of the ocean that was unbelievable!
This is me getting on the boat, and having a sail away (okay so I am totally hearing styx in my head right now, overiding what is playing on the ipod) cocktail. We played shuffle board, and listened to the calypso band as we left the harbor.
Picturesque... Every night we had an animal made out of the towels on our bed, my favorite was the dog wearing my fossil sunglasses, too cute. The food was unbelievable and I had such a great time relaxing with my husband. Ask him how he likes Tom Jones...
laughing
Our first stop was Cabo San Lucas we didn't have an organized excursion, we just walked the town and took in the sights (and took loads and loads of photos). It was
soooo humid, now I know what people are talking about when they say it's a dry heat...my camera lense fogged up in less than a second. We were accosted by street vendors, ate some great food, stood in the rain, took more photos. I ordered prints from mpix yesterday...$71.00, but we didn't buy any off of the ship, so I figured we actually saved money. There's
always a way to justify spending dollars at mpix. I had just placed a big order the week before we left, I got to accompany my son to a golf match and took oh, 150 photos or so, still trying to put into practice what Allison Tyler Jones teaches. I got a couple of really, and I do mean really excellent photos!
Our trip in Mazatlan to the "pottery factory", that part was disappointing but, the tour ended in the town where they shot the movie
Treasure of the Sierra Madre and my hubby loves Humphrey Bogart (make sure you pronounce that like boogert), all in good fun! Still hot and humid, but the scenery and the 400 year old churches and watching someone make adobe bricks by hand, well, just a little out of the ordinary...our tour guide was a hoot too, she had a very thick accent and told silly jokes, but lots of colorful commentary and background information, it was great.
Puerto Villarta was unbelievable, and my favorite, we spent the day riding horseback in the rainforest, wow! Jerry told us how to ride (didn't have the heart to tell him we already knew) and was our tour guide. He had lots more local stories and we learned about big, I mean big red spiders, fire-ant trees, and how baby green parrots come into the world, after their mother lays the egg (in a termite nest). It was great, I hated to leave. But I am looking forward to another adventure soon. Perhaps a scrapbooking cruise?? (they did have classes on board ship, but I was always off the boat when they were being taught, might have learned something.) You just never know. I am hoping for Hawaii next year, and I promised my son a cruise for graduation! Better get a passport...until next time!
Finally Friday (again!)
This photo is of my friend, Margie Romney Aslett, (sorry margie if I spelled it wrong) she taught the "Let's Get Cheeky", class at my lss last week...isn't she a doll? And fun!!! She works for Making Memories, and designed the whole Let's Get Cheeky line for them! Oh my goodness, what a week! Besides recovering from Creative Escape (if you haven't read all the posts and blogs, look here) www.creativeescapeaz.com...this was the first week I carpooled with my hubby to work. Can you say
TIRED , he likes to leave .... yes leave the house at 5:30
a.m. , I am not a morning person, really I am not.... so I got up at the crack of dawn, and went to work everyday this week. Then two nights we had a chiro appt so I was home late, late, late. Seriously, I am thinking of moving closer to work....I am waiting for some software, so I was able to go in later today (gee I still have energy tonight) and make a short day of it... still have 39.5 hours, wow!! It will be nice to have two days off... the CKC convention is in town, so I will be downtown tomorrow... helping Shelby at the embellish it booth, hope to see you there! (but not at 5:30 a.m.)
Until next time...
Tomorrow Creative Escape starts!!! I have been working practically non-stop on this since April, and
and now it is here...wow! I will see some old friends, meet some new ones and share my passion for everything scrapping with 600 other people,
(mostly women)! I will get to see some of the generous souls who donated to this event, and see the looks on people's faces when they see all of the goodies they are getting! Wow!
How great is my weekend going to be? Plus,I am taking a class tonight at my lss with Margie Romney-Aslett,
seriously, I just don't think things could be better this week! Sunday I will take some much needed rest, or perhaps go cropping with a friend...If you've never taken one of Margies classes, by all means, do so, she rocks! Tonight we are
getting cheeky!!Oh, and Paula, I have your plaque, you know the one you told me to guard with my life, I will have it with me tomorrow!
Last night I went shopping for some more career clothing, wow, expensive! I think I got a few good deals. I am liking dressing
up for work, it's nice to be back in a corporate environment. I need to find a way to condense the time it takes me to get ready though, I am thinking the cleaners could wash and iron my pants, and then I am not wasting my time doing so in the morning, next week I start carpooling with my hubby and he is an early bird
I am not!! I am thinking if I shower and dry my hair at night, and then do the beauty routine in the morning, makeup on the way to the office, it might be alright...I might survive the first few weeks, getting used to the early days, the good news about going in early, is leaving early, and missing out on the killer traffic, we don't have the same taste in music,
(come one, who is radiohead anyway?), so the rule is, he who drives, gets to choose, good thing I have an ipod...
Until next time...
