Simply Polished

In preparation for the trip to Vegas next week, I went to get a pedi/mani. I typically just get clear polish on my fingers as: 1) I don't like polish on my fingers to begin with; 2) it peels/chips off to easily/quickly; and, 3) being in the health care field, I'm not supposed to.

But, I'm going to Vegas, so I felt I had to do something different! I ask for a simple little flower on each thumb to match the medium-sized flower on my big toes. Simple, fun, different for me.

I'm home snacking on the popcorn from the movie we saw last night (EEK! Did I confess that?), and I noticed that the simple little flower matches the color of the popcorn. I figured that was unique enough to blog about, so I got my daughter's simple Coolpix point-and-show camera.

Voila!

Laser Lights

(Wordless Wednesday)

I'm On Strike!

There will be no dinner tonight! I know it's summer. I know the kids are out of school. I know I have over-indulged teenage mutants. And, I know I asked them to clean up after themselves before I get home from work! I say that everyday, "clean up your mess by the time I get home."

Well, let me tell ya'...this sink ain't clean! Some folks would have a flat out heart attack if they came home to this! I was flabbergasted, but I refuse to clean up THIS mess. And, since Marisa is out driving with her dad and Tony is across the pond with a friend, it won't be done anytime soon. So there....no dinner tonight, I'm on strike!

Just keepin' it real (real gross, that it)...

The Perfect Weekend

My friends and I have been going to a mountain 'home-away-from-home' for 2 years now. We love the opportunity to scrapbook, relax, eat, enjoy the cool mountain air, chat, have a fantastic massage, meet new friends, and play with Eddie!

Eddie is the cutest little girl. And, talk about personality! This one has a bunch! She rules the roost in these parts and she knows it.

We absolutely love sitting on the deck in the late afternoon, soaking up the last of the day's sun, with the cool mountian air, and simply enjoying each others company. No drama involved, just nice folks coming together for a relaxing weekend! Attitudes checked at the highway.

I was lucky enough to celebrate one of my birthdays here a couple of years ago. Returning every 6 months is a gift! Each visit presents with fresh experiences and encounters, and wraps up with both pleasant and revived memories. Our hosts have become good friends. Yes, we did scrapbook!

During this summer sojourn, we enjoyed sitting outside by the fire pit, roasting marshmallows, reminiscing about how we met, various vacations, and sharing anecdotes about our families. Next visit...October. Wanna join us?

Happy Birthday, Mom!

We love you, Mom, and we miss you so much.
Today would have been your 78th birthday!

Happy Birthday, Ruth Benge McDowell!

Dinner

One of the best ways to unwind after a long day at work is to meet up with friends for dinner, drinks, and dessert. (And, it doesn't hurt to have Jimmy Buffett playing in the background!)
That's what I got to do tonight.

We made the salsa and margs first, of course!

Cheeseburgers made simple!

And, dessert was fantastic! These little gems hit the spot!

Hops & Vines

Our backyard plants are taking over! We planted 3 hops plants, one for each post and trellis, at the end of the season last year. Come this Spring we didn't think they were going to revive from the cold weather. However, when we returned from our Texas vacation, we were surprised!

This view is from the back door.

This view is from the fence line.
(Please disregard the unkept porch! It's been too hot to clean up.)

And speaking of fence line, here are our grape vines.
They are also way out of control!

KC strikes again!
This time she ate my Morning Glories.
Hope the 'buzz' was worth it!

Best Place To Live

Broomfield makes list of best places to live! City lands at No. 19 in Money magazine's annual ranking. Click for the Broomfield Enterprise's article.

Teen Invasion

Seems like we are constantly in the kitchen fixing food for the kids and their friends. We finally wised up! THEY got to prep their OWN meal tonight. I put THEM to work. They had to watch the grill, cut lettuce, slice tomatoes, core strawberries, and dish their own potato salad. I know they had fun, maybe too much fun!

Heather did a great job coring the strawberries.
Tony and Derrick couldn't wait until everything was finished before they started making their plates.

All Marisa had to do was prep the lettuce for the hamburgers.
Derrick sliced the tomatoes.

Pretty good for the FIRST time they made their own meal.
Now Danny and I have expectations!

The Office

I love my job. I am a hospice social worker. I love visiting with folks, talking with them about their lives and families. I love learning about life during WWII, life on the farm, life before 'advanced technology', life when times were simple. I visit folks in nursing homes, assisted living senior communities, and board & care homes. Sometimes I am fortunate enough to make field co-visits with our chaplins and nurses. So much can be learned! My routine social work visits are with men and women between the ages of 75 and 101! Truly, they are living history vessels! Rewards abound with this job.

One day a week I have to go to 'the office'. We meet as an interdisciplinary team on a weekly basis: the medical director, clinical manager, other social workers, nurses, chaplins, the pharmacist, CNAs, and bereavement counselors. The work becomes clinical, regulated, formal, yet necessary.

The drive into the office is not pretty.

No mountain views, only industry and factories, a sign of the times.

The Office
(only once a week)

You Snooze, Your Laundry Doesn't Get Done

Rule for laundry at our house is simple...bring your basket to the laundry room and I will do it. I thought this was simple. Tony brings his basket down every Friday. Danny brings our basket down when I ask him to. Marisa, well, you'll see.

I hang the shirts to dry. Our dog likes to tear up the backyard, so I don't have a clothes line this year. I have to use the shower rods instead. As you can see, Danny and I had just a few items together.

My son, on the other hand, changes clothes often! Multiple times a day in fact!
This amount is since we returned from our trip to Texas. He's like his Uncle Jase this way.

Marisa............

Happy Birthday, Grandma!

Danny's mom, Cilia, is celebrating her birthday today.

Wishing you a happy birthday!

Thanks for all you do!
Love,

Danny, Angie, Marisa, and Tony

Prayers Please

...for two families close to our hearts.

The first is for a family whose father was in a car accident. He is in the hospital and has had two surgeries to remove bits of his skull to help relieve pressure from a swollen brain. They have 2 small children.

The second is for a family who lost their son on Independence Day due to a senseless act. The boy was 21-years-old. Marisa went to school with his sister since the 4th grade. I can only imagine the pain this family is going through. His funeral service is Friday.

I can't stop thinking about how the mothers in these two families are feeling, to have such tragedy invade their home and their life. Their lives have changed forever.

Theresa, please add these families to Mary's Prayer Garden.

For The Birds

Each year we have the same issue...the swallows build a mud nest above our front door. This year was no different. The birds swoop down on visitors and they also make a horrible mess!

Top left hand corner

Close up

We do knock it down when the 'build' is in it's early stages, but these swift little birds can rebuild practically overnight. And once we left for vacation, they went to town! Now that there are eggs in it, we will wait until the babies leave the nest before taking it down.

Travel Day

This is always the hardest part of our visits home...the good-byes and the drive back to CO. We made it back to Colorado in 12 hours (stopped to eat breakfast in Amarillo). First thing we do when we get home is unload the car. The kids unpacked their own stuff this time! They cleaned up and took off to hang out with their friends. Danny and I went to the car wash and the grocery store. Now it's back to a routine...at least for a couple of weeks! I have a girls trip planned to Bailey, CO.

Ruh-Roh! Six Flags

Happy actual birthday to my baby bro! We made our annual visit to Six Flags. Spent the entire day there, open to close. Danny and Tony decided to attend the Warped Tour in Dallas instead.

Marisa and Jase with Scooby-Doo.

Jaron and Marisa feeding the turtles.

Symbolic photo. Those with teenage daughters will understand.

Jase and the boys. Jaron...driving.

My Garza girl on a rock. My Garza fam will appreciate this one!

Six Flags concert. This is Mitchel Musso, Oliver from Hannah Montana.

Another pose.

It rained. It was a frog strangler.
That's Texan for a gully washer.

It was a wonderful day! Sad to see it end. Tomorrow....BBQ and fireworks!

The Birthday Weekend

For as long as I can remember, we celebrate our birthday's around an entire weekend. My lucky brother gets to celebrate his birthday around the 4th of July! Since our kids were born, we have celebrated together. Today we hit Dave & Buster's.

Jase and his boys

My fam! Marisa won enough tickets to earn this Scooby-Doo.
Tony won an ashtray that he is planning on using as a bowl (okay, whatever!)

Love pics of the cousins together.

After D&B's, we went to Rally House. I love looking at cook books.
Ended up purchasing lots of Dallas Cowboy and Texas Longhorn paraphernalia.

Yea...couldn't resist.

Shipley's Donuts

Now that the family reunion is over and Hurricane Alex is a tropical storm, it's time to visit our regular summer haunts. Shipley's Donuts. A must every time we come home! Not a fancy upscale place. The kids get the same thing every time....their own bag of donut holes.