Hello World . . . I'm Back

Hello Friends & Family,

I am back in the world of the living I think. I finished up my course work and am going to be doing an externship. I will have my diploma in ten weeks and hopefully have a job to boot. I will also be trying to catch you all up on life at our house.

New Adventures

Hello Blogging World!

I have gone back to school. I was layed off from a couple of jobs this last year, so I am furthering my education to increase my earning potential and job stability. This last year had been crazy and so I have been a negligent blogger. I am working on a diploma program to be a Medical Assistant. I think it should be a great fit for me.

36 . . . Really?

Well I turned 36 this last weekend and I'm not to sure what I think about it. I know I don't have much choice in the matter but I think I have finally come to the conclusion that I'll just say I'm 29 and leave it at that. Sushiboy and Superwoman had a BBQ on Saturday for Sushi and my birthdays which are only a day apart. It was a lot of fun and we stayed up way late playing games and laughing. Family is the best!!!

Big Grizz's family had a birthday dinner for me on Sunday. They put those fun re-lighting candles on my cake and my nephew and nieces had fun blowing them out over and over again with me.

Going Retro

My Aunt posted this picture on here facebook and it totally made me laugh. So I had to share. I am the red headed girl with glasses in the middle row. This picture was taken in 1980. Where does the time go?

Life is Ever Changing

Greetings - - -

Well I have been at my new job for almost a month. It's a good job and I think that I fit in really well here. The drive is a bit longer from home. It always takes a bit to get used to a new situation and I am doing very well. (I sit next to a window which is very nice.) Big Grizz has a new job as well and he started back to college yesterday. We just try and keep it all together and work hard.

I has been a beautiful summer. I got to go to my cousin's wedding with Sushiboy, Superwoman and their kids. The wedding was really neat and I am so glad to see my cousin so happy. She married a great guy. We got to see the Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam on the trip as well. Arizona was very hot and we had all kinds of fun in the pool with the kids. I will try and post some pictures soon.

Life is ever changing and ours is no exception. Our neices and nephews that we love so much are growing and several are already in school. It seems to me that they were just babies a little bit ago. Hope all is well with all of you.

IN AND OUT AND ALL ABOUT...

Hello Friends and Family,

How can it already be the end of July? Where does the time go?

I have been busy to say the least. I got laid off from my work this month and so I am looking for a new job to replace the old one which I will really miss.

Big Grizz and I went camping with friends over the 4th of July holiday. That was a blast. We have to do it more often! We live in such a great and beautiful country. I will post pictures when I get another moment or two.

This weekend I am ditching Big Grizz and going on a road trip with the Sushiboy family. Our cousin is getting married and I am going with them. Big Grizz has to work. Bummer.

Well - Love and Hugs to you all. See ya later.

Elbows

Have you ever noticed how much that you do with your elbows without even realizing it? I have the past couple of weeks. Several years ago I injured my elbow and the bursa swelled up huge. (The bursa is kind of a gel sack that cushions your elbow and helps thing move without bones scraping together.) Well anyway, mine has swollen up again and it really hurts. I went into the doctor and he drained it for me and it was ok for several days but here it goes again. Whine, whine, whine. Anyway, I have found out that I lean on my elbows a lot. I also use them to roll over in bed. They help you scratch your nose, eat and put on makeup. I even use them to hold my purse and hold a drink when eating on the run. Crazy huh?! So if you see me walking around with an ace bandage wrapped around my right elbow, you now know why. If you ask me about it, I will tell you it's an old football injury, just to see your reaction.

And so the lesson for today is: "Don't take your elbows for granted!!! Especially when they work well and don't hurt."

Happy Spring

Hello again - I am so glad it's Spring in the Rockies! There is nothing like the sound of childrens' laughter and birds singing outside my open windows. There is also nothing like a wonderful spring breeze and feeling the sun shine on my skin. April has been one of our rainiest months in a very long time but we have had sunshine as well. I took the picture of the tulips at work. I love the flowers popping up everywhere.

Big Grizz is working on finals right now, like SushiBoy. He will be glad when he's finished up.

Delinquent Blogger

Hello People,

It’s me the delinquent blogger. The last couple of weeks have been an emotional roller coaster for me. So, I chose not to subject you to my mood swings, emotional rants and very crazy and silly random moods. Instead, I’ll just summarize it and sock it to you all at once.

My Mother passed away 13 years ago on the 24^th of March. I miss her so much around this time of year. (Heck – I miss her all the time, but it’s worse at this time of year.) My Father passed away a little over a year after my Mother. His birthday is the 1^st of April. So a week after the anniversary of my Mom’s passing I get a double wammy with my Father’s birthday rolling around. He would have been 63 this year if he were still here. I am surrounded by a good support system of wonderful people. I have great in-laws and have many wise people to turn to for advise, but I would like to have my parents’ perspective on things that I am dealing with as well. I never asked, or even knew to ask, the questions that are on my mind now. To say the least, sometimes I am a little bitter and lonely without them.

I am so glad that Sushiboy and Superwoman live close by. Sushiboy is the only person left living from my family that I grew up in. We both have great spouses, in-laws and extended family. We are blessed that way, but I still have issues sometimes. Go figure.

The weather this year has been just as polarized as my moods. We had a week of beautiful 60 degree weather in the middle of March and everyone I know had spring fever so bad they could taste it. Since then we have had several storms that brought inches of new snow off and on with nasty cold wind. I want warm Spring weather!!! (Maybe if I pitch a big enough fit I will get my way in another month or so. LOL) Anyway, today was a beautiful day, so maybe spring in the mountains really is here. So long winter and seasonal effected depression.

Guess I’m done with my rant. Something funny tomorrow for sure.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Hello Friends and Neighbors!

Hope your St. Patrick's Day is lucky and fun. It is a lovely spring day today and I started the day out with a bowl of Lucky Charms. Can't go wrong with that.

What Happened to Spring???

Hello Fellow Bloggers,

We had lovely, if a little windy, weather last week. So far this week, we have had snow and cold. Brrrrrr! I know that the weather here is temperamental and that March is the same but I want Spring.

It's Been a While . . .

Hello Everyone!

Big Grizz and I went on a trip this last week and we are so glad to be home. We got to visit with G'ma Nasus and her husband while we were gone & that was a lot of fun. We haven't seen her in a while. We are trying to get back into life right now and it's hard. I am so tired and behind in everything.

I got to see Superwoman and the kids yesterday. I am going to do a Pampered Chef show and she was dropping off some stuff for that. (If anybody wants something please let us know) I was so excited to see them! I got loads of hugs and loves. Kids give the best hugs. Tank is getting so big and he has the cutest smile/grin and giggle.

Well here's some more about me. - - -

Have you ever seen a tornado? Only on TV and in the movies.

Do you think Barack Obama is sexy? No, not really

If you won a million dollars, what would you buy first? A home

What time is it right now? Noon – I’m on lunch break

Do you like men who wear pink shirts and flip-flops?
Sure, why not. Grizz wears flip-flops and I think he has a shirt with pink in it.

How many pairs of shoes do you own? 12, I think.

Do you think you are a hypochondriac? No

Do you own a dictionary? Yes, a couple

Where was the last place you went on vacation? Las Angeles, California

Are you actually fat but in complete denial about it?
I have put on some weight lately but I’m not sure if I’m fat.

What color is your mouse pad? Black with a gel wrist support

Howdy - Here's a Bit More About Me.

Hey Everyone!

I stole this meme from Hoosergirl5 and am dividing it up into several blog entries. Her blog is linked on my blog list. I figured it would be more fun for me that way and I could expound on the answers a bit and have several blog posts out of it.

Do you wear slippers?
Sometimes, especially in the winter. I do not like having cold feet.

How many pictures are in your living room?

4 with more to come – I have been a delinquent decorator.

Do you wear a bra to bed at night? Nope

Do you ever watch Brady Bunch reruns?
Sometimes. PBS has them on and sometimes I stop for a laugh.

Are you allergic to anything?

Cats – if they are near my face or if I don’t wash after petting them.

When was the last time you called in sick?

Last Month but I worked from home that day.

Have you ever been in a car accident? Several

What is your favorite snack food?
Apples with sliced cheese

Do you think you have a big butt?
Bigger than I would like it to be.

Would you like to look like your mom when you are her age?
My Mom has passed away, so no I would like to be alive at 64. But I would love to have my Mother’s features show in my face.

It's Finally Friday - - Time For A Cookie.

Hello Blogging World!

I am so glad it's Friday. Sorry I have been lousy at posting lately. I have been keeping very busy. Nothing really that interesting to post about. Work is crazy and fun as always. Big Grizz is even busier than me. He really likes his classes and they are piling on the homework. Our car is dieing and so we are looking for something newer there. We also got our taxes done and we are going to get a refund. That is a nice thing. It will go to the car issue, I think, and Grizz's school. Just a year left for him.

I know this is short, but I had to let the world know that I'm still alive. Have a marvelous weekend everyone!

What a Monday Morning . . .

Can I just tell you . . . I really don't like Monday mornings and this morning was really bad. To begin with, it's Monday, the weekend's done and over with. I pressed snooze a couple of extra times and that made it so I was running late. I couldn't find my keys this morning, I know I had them yesterday evening when I drove home from church and I also unlocked the door to the house. Yes, I'm an airhead a times and it's dang frustrating. Anyway, after looking for a bit, I borrowed Big Grizz's keys. Well, it snowed last night. Big surprise, I know, it is winter after all. It rained yesterday though and then it froze and snowed on top of the ice. The car doors were all frozen shut. Great - now I'm really running behind and I still have to scrape the car but the scraper is in the car and I can't get in. Well after working on all of the doors I manage to get the front passenger side door open. I'm in! Well I climb in and start the car - so I have hope of heat before I get to work. As I am sliding over I caught my shoe lace on the knob of the cigarette lighter. That was awkward to get undone. I didn't know that my leg could bend that way. Well I got that undone and started the car. Now it's time to get the drivers side door open from the inside where I can put my shoulder into it. Well after 3 good shoves, it breaks the ice seal and opens. As it finally opens, it dumps snow and ice all over my head - so much for a hair do - and all over the rest of me. The worst part is the ice that goes down my shirt. Can you say COLD?! Well the car took me 10 minutes to scrape and then I went back inside to salvage what was left of my hair style, thank goodness it was a ponytail day. By now my jeans are also wet below where my coat covers and I am more than cold. I gathered up my stuff and headed back out to the car. The transmission seems to be having issues lately and it acted up this morning and would not go into gear right off. I spent a few minutes doing the tricks that help it go into gear, and then I was off. While sitting at a long stop light, I thought it would be nice to let my boss know that I'm still alive, so I pulled out my trusty cell phone and dialed him up. Well, my cell phone is out of my prepaid minutes, call won't go through. Super, I'll just get to work. The roads were nasty but I did fine and people seemed to be going slow and paying attention. A nice change from the usual. I made it into work and did not fall on the way in which was a nice bonus. After 2 cups of hot chocolate, I think I can stand to face the rest of the day. Onward and upward! Spring is only around 2 months away.

"Thanks for noticing me." Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh

HAPPY NEW YEAR - Year In Review

YEAR IN REVIEW - - It's a long post but it was thought provoking for me.
I stole this from Uncle Manny's blog.

1) Was 2008 a good year for you?
2008 was excellent! I celebrated my 13 year wedding anniversary with Big Grizz. I became and Aunt 2 more time this year. I have a great job that I love. Big Grizz is able to attend university. We also live close to family, which is a great blessing.

2) What was your favorite moment of the year?
I had several, but the one that stands out right now is my surprise birthday party that my hubby put together.

3) What was your least favorite moment of the year?
Funerals of my grandmother, Uncle and 2 Aunts

4) Where did you begin 2008?
I think that I was at Superwoman and Sushiboy's house.

5) Who were you closest with?
My Husband, Superwoman & Sushiboy

6) Where will you be when 2008 Ends?
I shared the evening with Big Grizz. We went to Sushiboy and Superwoman's home for a fun, but quiet evening of games and visiting.

7) Who will you be with when 2008 ends?
See question 6

8) What did you do in 2008 that you'd never done before?
I kept and posted on a blog.

9) Did you keep you New Year's Resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I am keeping my same New Year's Resolutions from last year because I need to keep working on them. 1. Better organize my time and my home. 2. Keep home clean and get rid of junk and clutter. 3. Exercise and eat better so that I can feel better in general and be more healthy. Kind of generic I know, but they are things that I need to work on.

10) Did anyone close to you give birth?
Yes, my sisters-in-law. Beans had a baby girl in July and Superwoman had a baby boy in December.

11) Did anyone close to you die?
Yes, see question 5.

12) Did you travel outside of the US in 2008? Nope

13) How many different states did you travel to in 2008? 2

14) What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
A baby

15) What date(s) from 2008 will remain etched on your memory, and why?
Not sure what to pick on this one, I'll have to think on this one some more.

16) What is your biggest achievement of the year?
My great job.

17) What was your biggest failure?
Keeping that apartment clean and organized consistently.

18) Did you suffer any illness or injury?
Nothing to serious. I had a couple of chest colds that were not fun.

19) What was the best thing that you bought?
G.I. Joe and Transformer t-shirts for Grizz. We also purchased a couple of fun electronic devises this year.

20) Whose behavior merited celebration?
Big Grizz and Sushiboy for working so hard on school and work.

21) Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Anyone that hurt or brought unnecessary sadness to my family.

22) Where did most of your money go?
Food and Bills

23) What did you get really, really, really excited about?
The births of my niece and nephew

24) What song will always remind you of 2008?
"I Saw God Today" by George Strait

25) Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? Happier
ii. thinner or fatter? I have put on a few pounds this year.
iii. richer or poorer? I have a better job this year and Grizz is back in school, so both. We are very rich with blessing though.

26) What do you wish you had more of?
Closet space in our apartment and more room in the bath/laundry room.

27) What do you wish you had done less of?
Worrying and Wasting time.

28) How did you spend Christmas?
I spent Christmas with my Husband and my Family.

29) Did you fall in love in 2008? Yes

30) If yes, with who?
I fell in love again with my great husband.

31) If yes, do they know? Yes

32) Are you still in love with them? Yes

33) Do you regret it? Nope

34) Did you breakup with anyone in 2008? No

35) How many one-night stands?
what a tacky question - none

36) How many people did you sleep with in 2008?
even more tacky question. Just my hubby.

37) Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
I don't really hate anyone. I don't like that actions of some people, but that's just life.

38) Did you make any new friends in 2008? Yes, a whole bunch

39) Who are your favorite new friends?
My co-workers

40) What was your favorite month of 2008? May

41) Did you miss anybody in the past year?
I had a lot of fun looking up old friends that I missed and starting to get reacquainted. I really missed my folks and grandparents this past year.

42) Did you do anything you are ashamed of this year?
Of course I've made mistakes, but I've learned from them and so I won't spell them out here.

43) What was the worst lie someone told you in 2008?
I usually don't catch people in lies. The one that hurt the worst was when someone told me I was doing good and I found out later that they really thought I was doing a lousy job.

44) Did you treat someone badly in 2008?
I'm sure that I was thoughtless at one time or another, but I try to never treat anyone badly.

45) Did somebody treat you badly in 2008?
Probably, but I'd rather not remember.

46) What was your proudest moment of 2008?
When we were going around the table on Thanksgiving telling what we were thankful for and my niece Sis said she was thankful for me.

47) What was your most embarrassing moment of 2008?
Not sure - I've blocked the memories. I'm sure that I opened my mouth without engaging my brain.

48) What was your greatest musical discovery?
Yahoo online radio

49) What did you want and get?
A cell phone

50) What did you want and not get?
A new car - I can dream.

51) What was you favorite new film of this year?
Kung Fu Panda

52) What was your favorite TV program?
Criminal Minds and Numbers

53) What was your favorite record from 2008?
The latest George Strait Album called "Troubadour".

54) How many concerts did you see in 2008?
3 - I got to go to the Kurt Bestor concert with Grandma S and one of my aunts. I also got to go to a couple of Big Grizz's younger brother's concerts.

55) Did you have a favorite concert in 2008?
Loved them all.

56) Did you drink a lot of alcohol in 2008? None

57) Did you do a lot of drugs in 2008? None

58) What did you do on your birthday and how old were you?
34 and my husband arranged a Surprise Party/Dinner get-together for me at Chile's. It was wonderful and a dang lot of fun!

59) What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
There are several goals I would have liked to have done better on.

60) How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
It was fun to try a couple of new things but I pretty much stick to the basics. Nothing to wild.

61) What kept you sane?
I love a good book and a fun computer game.

62) Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
I don't know. They all seem to disappoint me.

63) How much money did you spend in 2008? All of it.

64) Tell us a valuable lesson you learned in 2008:
It's easier to clean up a little mess than a big mess.

65) What are your plans for 2009?
Work hard and reward myself well.

66) Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:

"That's the story of my life
Right there in black and white

And if looks like we were scared to death
Like a couple kids just trying to save each other
You should have seen it in color

A picture's worth a thousand words
But you can't see what those shades of gray keep covered
You should have seen it in color."

"YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN IT IN COLOR" by Jamey Johnson

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

I did not get the decorations for Christmas up this year like I meant to do. Time just flew and then it was to late. Dave got a small and fun sparkly tree so we were not entirely without decorations and we had the wrapped presents as well. We had a wonderful Christmas holiday though and we are looking forward to a very quiet New Year.

We were incredibly blessed this Christmas. We spent the whole weekend with family and friends. On Tuesday, while I was at work, UPS dropped off a large box filled with Christmas presents and fun holiday food items for Big Grizz and I. The return address had been cut off so we have no idea who our Secret Santa is. Thank you to the very generous mystery people out there. You helped make our Christmas extra special. I had Christmas Eve off from work and so Big Grizz and I worked on the last of our presents in the morning and I made a big fruit salad for Christmas Eve dinner. We spent the evening with Big Grizz's family. We had a wonderful dinner and we exchanged gifts. We also had a white elephant present game, which is always funny and a bit crazy. On the Saturday before Christmas, we has a party for Grandma S's family. It was a lot of fun and I will put a picture in of me playing "Pin the Carrot Nose on the Snowman".

Christmas day was a snowy one. Grizz and I slept in a bit and then we went over to Grizz's folks place again. Superwoman & Sushiboy and their family were there to visit as well. We exchanged gifts and had a nice visit. After that we went to visit Grandma S and other family. We then went back to Grizz's folks and watched old home movies that we had transferred to DVD. It was a wonderful day. I gave Big Grizz a GI Joe Shirt and a season of Animated Batman for Christmas gifts.

The day after Christmas was the party for my extended family held at my Aunt and Uncle's home. We were invited to come and join in the fun with their 7 sons and their families and the Sushiboy family. My Cousin #1 and his family were not able to make it. We missed them. It was quite the crowd with the rest of us though and a good deal of fun. We are a crazy bunch when we get together and this year there were 4 babies under 3 months old. We all got a chance to hold at least 1 of them. Little Tank was born on the 2nd of December and Cousin #4 in line and his wife had a baby boy that week as well. Cousin #2 in line, who is my age, and his wife had twins - a boy and a girl - on the 25th of October. We got a funny picture with Tank and the twins. Their shirts all say "Silent Night, Yeah Right!" The girl twin is really mad and crying in the picture. We did a white elephant gift game at this party as well. It is always so funny to see what people come up with.

Pictures of Family

Superwoman & Sushiboy had family pictures taken with their kids and they also had little Tank’s 2 week pictures taken. I could not help myself, I just had to post a couple of them. Enjoy!

It Looks Like Winter Finally Found Us

We got six inches of snow yesterday and now another storm is pounding on us. I bet the skiers will be excited, because up until this point we have had a pretty mild winter/fall. I am not one that loves the snow, but it is pretty when you're inside watching it and it provides much needed water for us in the summer. I love the changing seasons and the wonder of living in the mountains though. Here's a pix of the snow we had yesterday by lunch.

I am so excited to spend Christmas this year with all of my family! I even have paid time off and paid vacation days - - how cool is that? Big Grizz and I are very blessed to live within an hour of most of our immidiate family. Grizz just finished finals and is doing free-lance work over the holiday and I am busy working. We are doing good. Best Wishes to everyone!

My Christmas List meme

Here's my Christmas List meme - just copy this blog and paste it into yours (changing the answers of course). We may learn something new about each other - try not to be a SCROOGE!!!

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Paper usually but bags can be fun too.
2. Real tree or Artificial? Artificial – less mess and it doesn’t make me sneeze

3. When do you put up the tree? When the living room is clean – Sometime this week I hope.
4. When do you take the tree down? Sometime in the middle of January

5. Do you like eggnog? Nope

6. Favorite gift received as a child? Quilt that my Mother made for me.

7. Hardest person to buy for? No one
8. Easiest person to buy for? Big Grizz & Shushiboy
9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes, white ceramic
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Both
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? stale pistachios that had gone bad
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Charlie Brown Christmas

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Summer time – when I see the perfect gift for someone
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas Present? Yes – mainly white elephants
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Oranges
16. Lights on the tree? Absolutely
17. Favorite Christmas song? Oh Little Town of Bethlehem, Oh, Holy Night, and Mary, Did you know?
18. Do you travel or stay home at Christmas? Home Sweet Home
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixon, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen & Rudolph
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Star.
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Both – we have traditions with both.
22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Selfishness
23. What theme or color are you using? Red and green
24. Favorite for Christmas dinner. Mashed potatoes
25. What do you want for Christmas this year? To be with family

Borrowed from Uncle Manny’s friend Tavia’s Blog.