30 Day Picture Challenge: Day 19

Day 19:

A picture and a letter

Dear Mom and Dad,

First of all, Mom, please do not hate me forever for posting a photo of your behind.  Its just really hard to find a great photo of you - you are always busy (and avoiding the camera).  Hmm...I wonder where I got that from?  But I treasure these photos because they are you - loving your grandbabies and cherishing moments with your treasures.

Happy Anniversary.  You two are the best example to me of love and commitment through everything.  Through good times.  Through bad times.  Through times where it sure looked easier to walk out, but commitment and love said otherwise. 

You have shown me what it means to be a family.  That family isn't always always blood, but heart.  That family is always there. 

You have loved us kids when we didn't deserve it, when we didn't want it, when we tried to avoid it.  You let us be ourselves, but always reminded us where we came from. 

And now that you are grandparents, I get to watch a completely different side of you.  Thank you for spoiling my children ( Am I really saying this?).  They know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that they are loved and adored.  Thank you for taking a step back when we have to be tough with them.  I know its hard, but it shows us that you respect us as parents.


When I was little, I could not imagine EVER being friends with my parents.  You were parents, not friends.  Now I understand.  And I love that we can be friends and family together.

I love you both.  Thanks for always being there, for being such great parents.


But please, please stop grabbing each others butts in front of me.  It is still gross.

30 Picture Challenge Day 2

If you missed what my 30 Picture Challenge is, go here.



Day 2:

A picture of you and the person you have been closest with the longest

Obviously, I have been closest to my mom & dad the longest.  They have been, and continue to be, amazing influences on my life.  I am so grateful I can now call them friends.

Happy Mother's Day

I have really great mamas.  Both my mom and my mom-in-love are amazing.  They are the type of women who give, sacrifice, and love, no matter what. 

As much as I never wanted to admit it, I am so much like my mom.  I look like her, I sound like her, I even act like her.  And now, I take it as a compliment when people tell me how similar we are.  Because if, someday, I can be half as amazing as her, I will consider it an accomplishment.

My mom-in-love has been the glue holding our family together.  She is patient, hard-working, forgiving, and kind.  She was a rock when the rest of my world was a hurricane.  And she raised my husband to be the amazing man he is today.

Happy Mother's Day to my mamas!  I love you!

Shout Out To The Mamas

I got this from my mom this morning.  Normally I just delete these, but this one was just too good to pass up.  Enjoy!

 

THE

NEXT SURVIVOR

SERIES

Six married men

will be dropped on an island with one car and

3 kids each for six weeks.

Each kid will play two sports

and take either music or dance classes.

There is no fast food.

Each man must

take care of his 3 kids;

keep his assigned house clean,

correct all homework,

complete science projects,

cook,

do laundry,

and pay a list of 'pretend' bills

with not enough money.

In

addition, each man

will have to budget in money

for groceries each week.

Each man

must remember the birthdays

of all their friends and relatives,

and send cards out on time--no emailing.

Each man must also take each child

to a doctor's appointment,

a dentist appointment

and a haircut appointment.

He must make one unscheduled and

inconvenient visit per child to the Urgent Care.

He must also make cookies or cupcakes

for a social function.

Each man will be responsible for

decorating his own assigned house,

planting flowers outside, and keeping it

presentable at all times.

The men will only have access to television

when the kids are asleep and all chores are done.

The men must shave their legs,

wear makeup daily,

adorn

themselves with jewelry,

wear uncomfortable yet stylish shoes,

keep fingernails polished,

and eyebrows groomed

During one of the six weeks,

the men will have to endure severe

abdominal cramps, back aches, head aches,

have extreme, unexplained mood swings

but never once complain or slow down

from other duties.

They must attend weekly school meetings and

church,

and find time at least once to spend

the afternoon at the park or a similar

setting.

They will need to read a book to the kids

each night and in the morning,

feed them,

dress them,

brush their teeth and

comb their hair

by 7:00 am.

A test

will be given at the end of the six weeks, and each father will be

required to know all of the following information:

each child's

birthday,

height, weight,

shoe size, clothes size,

doctor's name,

the child's weight at birth,

length, time of birth,

and length of labor,

each child's favorite color,

middle name,

favorite snack,

favorite song,

favorite drink,

favorite toy,

biggest fear,

and what they want to be when they grow up.

The kids vote them off the island based on performance.

The last man wins only if...

he still

has enough energy

to be intimate with his spouse

at a moment's

notice.

If the last man does win,

he can play the game over and over and over

again for the next 18-25 years,

eventually earning the right

to be called Mother!

Rawr!

A few weeks ago, my mom gave my daughters a wonderful present. Instead of Easter baskets this year, we took a girls' day to Albuquerque. The Walking With Dinosaurs Arena show has been making their US tour, and one of the stops was in Albuquerque. We weren't sure how the girls would do, but decided to try it anyways.

We left the house at 7 AM, made the mandatory Bloomfield Durango Joe's pit stop for breakfast and coffee, and hit the road.

We got to Albuquerque and the arena right before show time. They were excited, but nervous too. We had been watching the videos on Yo*Tube to prepare the girls for the giant dinosaurs they would see, but you never can predict what they will do.

Well, when the first part showed a little scavenger dino eating a baby dino, I figured we were in for it. The girls all started crying over the poor baby. Madison, who was attached to my body from the moment we walked into the arena, sat on my lap with her face buried into my chest. Katrina got better after the mean, baby-eating dino left, and Violet found the whole thing amusing.

They all got more brave as the show progressed, except Madi. As long as she didn't have to look at the dinos, she was ok. They had projection screens up showing live feeds of the action on the arena floor, and Madi found watching that much safer than looking at the actual dino.

Cameras were not allowed during the performance (not that anyone besides me actually obeyed that rule), but I did take this really cute pic of Grandma and her girls during intermission.

The second half of the show was much better for the girls. Madi gathered enough courage to turn around and actually look at the dinos, Katrina was enthralled by them, and Violet just laughed. Apparently, nothing fazes that one!

Since I am a good rule-follower and didn't take photos during the show, here is a video from Y*oTube of what we saw:

It really was incredible. The details and realism made it worth it to me. Near the end, they introduced the T-Rex. Honestly, this was the part that worried me the most. I mean, really? How else do you introduce perhaps the most terrifying predator in history?

The creators of this show did an excellent job. They had the ankli-something-o-saurus and the triceratops on the floor, talking about the incredible body armor both animals had. Then then narrator asked, "Just what predator would be able to get past these awesome creatures?"

Cue dramatic lighting, intense music (which terrified Madi) and the silhouette of the T-Rex against the projection screens. Then the screens opened, and out came...

... the baby. Yes, they had a baby T-Rex. And when the baby got sassy with the other dinos, they cornered poor baby. And when the baby started to cry, the narrator said,...

..." The one thing that has remained true throughout all of time. Never mess with Mama!"

And out came Mama! She saved her baby by scaring off the big mean vegetarians (always a plus with my little carnivores) and protected her little one by roaring at the crowd. And then the baby would jump up next to Mama and try to roar just like her. I never thought that a dino roar would be cute, but that one sure was!

Now, you would think, given her reaction to the other dinos, that Madi would be screaming & terrified of Mama. Nope. Not a bit. Because she was a mama dino, Madi loved her. She talked to her. She cheered for her. I know, I don't understand it either. But it made it fun.

After the show, we had lunch, bought Easter dresses at the mall (thanks Mom), and headed home. My little dinos were pooped.

But everyone they have talked to since then has heard about the Mama Dinosaur that said, "You meanies stop pickin on my baby!" Because that is what a Mama Dinosaur says, according to a 2, 3, and 6 year old.

Parades, Fireworks, and Birthday Cakes!

WARNING: LOTS AND LOTS OF PICTURES!!!!

I love the 4th of July! It is, I think, the only holiday where you get to spend the entire day as a family, just having fun. You don't have to worry or stress about all the other stuff that goes along with the other holidays. And, it's my mom's birthday. Double bonus!

Every year, we do the same thing for the 4th. I know, I know. Boring to you. But so fun for us!

We got the girls up and dressed in their special shirts and had breakfast before leaving the house. Daddy also bought the girls new sunglasses, so we had to try them out.












After breakfast, we loaded up the minivan and headed to Bayfield. It's a little town outside of Durango, and filled with patriotic spirit. Every year they have a pet parade, parade, town fair, and fireworks show. We got to Bayfield by 8:15. The parade didn't start till 10 - but we had to make sure we got our good spots!

Kate (our friends' Mark & Jill's daughter) and Madison entertained themselves quite well waiting for the parade. I walked down the street and bought homemade strawberry & rhubarb jam from one of the church's women's groups. Yum!







We always sit in front of the Pine River Valley Times office, the local newspaper. This year, they gave all the kids free cookies! Oh happy day! This is, from left to right, Celine (Jerome's sister), Katrina, our niece Vanessa, and Madi.







Apparently, Madison took the parade very seriously this year.







Violet didn't really care much for the parade. Once she was shot with a water cannon, she was pretty much grumpy for the rest of the time.







After the parade we walked down to the fair. I find it entertaining that Celine, age 15, and Vanessa, age 8, are the same height.







Madison insisted upon walking with Papa, which I didn't mind because it made a cute picture. He is a Shriner, and every year they ride their little trucks, the Tin Lizzies, in the parade. This year, they all lined up in front of Mom DURING THE PARADE, stopped, and sang her Happy Birthday in front of everyone. She acted embarrassed, but I think she secretly enjoyed it.







While at the fair we bought a whole herd of snow cones for some very hot and tired girls...







then went back to my folks house for some ribs...






...and brownie cupcakes.




















The granddaughters "helped" Grandma open her presents...






Then we headed to the high school to watch the fireworks. But what fireworks display would be complete without a trip to the bathroom...






...glowsticks...






... and a little snack?

"Goldfish? What Goldfish?"

Hope you and yours had a safe and fun 4th of July. God bless America!

Soaking At Altitude

The Saturday we went camping, while Dad was in his boring meeting, the rest of us cool people headed to Ouray for the day. If you've never been there, Ouray is this tiny mountain town nestled at the base of some huge mountains in southwest Colorado. It is a really cool little town.

One of the neatest parts it the hot springs. They have turned their hot springs pool into a family-friendly park. You can spend literally hours there because they have the pools (hot, warm, and cool), soaking and splashing zones, two water slides, a deep section, a ton of floaty toys to rent, plenty of grass to lay out on, a regular playground, and a cafe.

Once we got everyone in swim suits and covered in sunscreen, it was time to dive in! Vanessa was too scared to go down the slide, until she realized that her little cousins (Katrina and Madi) were going to go. Not one to be outdone, she gave the slide a try and loved it. We actually had a hard time getting her off of it when it was time for lunch!

Grandma (of course) bought tubes for the big girls

and a pony for Princess Madison.

Violet got her own special tube, complete with seat and head rest. She thought she was hot stuff, let me tell you. She just floated and floated. We probably could have left her there and I don't think she would have cared.

Jerome was very brave, being the only male in the group. He also was very patient, as the big girls all wanted him to go down the slide with them.

My mom, who is absolutely a fish, got to help her granddaughters get more comfortable in the water. Here she is with our flotilla. We did invade a few neighboring countries with this flotilla, just so you know.

But Madison did have the realization that swimsuits do sometimes cause wedgies.

Happy Birthday Mom

I personally think my mom has the coolest birthday in the world. Every year, there is a parade, barbeques, fireworks. I'll admit, I'm slightly jealous. My birthday is on Memorial Day. And while I absolutely, firmly believe in the importance of said holiday, do you know what people do on Memorial Day? Or, more importantly, what my family did on Memorial Day? We drove my grandparents around the greater Western Colorado/Eastern Utah area and put flowers on relatives' graves. Fun. Yeah, not really. Mom's birthday holiday is much, much cooler. Although sometimes we did go to Lake Powell. That was fun.

But I digress...

When she was little, growing up in Phoenix, her dad told her that the fireworks were for her. And she believed him. Personally, I still think the fireworks should be for her. She is an amazing woman, worthy of praise. She has been through more in her life that I think anyone should have to go through. She raised two daughters, a stepson, and a stepdaughter to the best of her ability. She has walked through marriage, divorce, remarriage, blended families, births, deaths, sorrow, joy, and everything in between with more grace and courage than anyone else I have seen.

Mom is the most loyal person I know. She is fiercely protective of her family. She has always kept her home immaculate, something I aspire to daily because of her example. She taught me how to work hard, how to put family first, how to sacrifice yourself for the good of others.

She loves all her kids and grandkids passionately, but is willing to step back and allow us to make our own decisions. That is hard to do. She showers her grandchildren with unconditional love and admiration, but disciplines them when they get out of line. She is full of grace, hope, and love.

She is adventurous, fun-loving. My mom is by far the most beautiful woman I know. I consider it an honor that God granted her as my mother. She is an amazing woman.

Today, while the country pauses for a day to reflect on each person's freedoms, to honor our nation, I will honor my mom. You are simply amazing. I am blessed to be your daughter, and your friend. You have and will continue to teach me so much. Happy Birthday Mom, I love you!

P.S. - We both know the fireworks are still just for you!

P.P.S. - Please forgive me for posting your beautiful picture. I couldn't resist. You're too beautiful. And note, I did pick a far-away shot so you couldn't complain about how everyone could see every little imperfection. Because you don't have any. You're that beautiful.