PHOTO from 7/12/09--Elk Creek boys weekend

For Joshua's birthday in March, instead of a party, he wanted a "boys weekend" with Zach, Joel, Grandaddy and Todd, at the cabin. Finally, we found a time and it would work. Zach went up withmy dad, Joel and Josh on Saturday morning and they spent the day doing work around the cabin and enjoying the "great outdoors." Todd came up to join them on Sunday and Grandaddy came home in the afternoon. Josh and Zach built a "trap door" as you can see in the photo and worked very hard to do this. Shooting bb guns and just spending time together were additional highlights.

Nick, Chris and myself spent time together and went to lunch at Schlotzskys and ran a couple errands for our trip to Ruidoso the next week. My mom and I went to Megan's baby shower at Sues on Sunday night so the boys went to hang out with Grandaddy while I was there. We then came home and stayed up until 11 so we could watch "The Next Food Network Star" as we are hooked on this show for the past two summers.

Photo from 7/11/09--Day with Grammama

Today, Grammama and I had planned a day to spend together after trying to schedule a "date". I had looked forward to this time for a long time. After we took our pictures together on their front porch, we headed to Pine Creek Clothing, a very nice clothing store on Gaylord Street. Grammama had heard about it and wanted to check it out. I loved how they divided their clothing by color. They also had very fun accessories so I think I will have to go there again when I need something special. Gaylord Street is a very fun place to be. We then went to lunch at Washington Park Grille and we both had chicken salad sandwiches on croissants and sweet potato salad (really good). Afterwards, we went back to watch my 40th b-day video and pictures on a DVD from her 87th birthday picnic. How fortunate I am to be able to do this with my Grammama. I am just smiling as I type this. I love this picture below of her. She's out working with her flowers every day in the summer and it sure shows. We have a lot of fun spending time together and I cherish that.

photo from 7/10/09--Rockies game

We went to the Rockies game vs. Atlanta. Our next door neighbors had 5 tickets and offered them to us and we couldn't pass it up. The weather started out a little cloudy and lightening started. By the end of the 5th inning, we were sure the storm was coming so we headed to our car. They soon called the game for an hour due to the weather. What we didn't know was the worst of the weather was to come. We drove home in the most horrendous rain, wind and low visibility I think I had ever been in. There were huge puddles and we were very grateful to be home.

Before the weather started, we shared nachos and enjoyed the start of the game (which they got scored on right away :( and ended up losing the game was play resumed). I just love being at a baseball game in the summer. The atmosphere at a ball field is like no other sporting event I have gone to. The good news is that I am taking my dad to another game this Friday. Todd won "Club level seats" at work and gave them to me for my b-day and thought that I should take my dad, so, after losing them and finding them again, we are going to head to Coors Field to watch the Rockies play the SF Giants. They (Rockies) are ahead of them by 1/2 game for the wildcard place, so hopefully, we will we gain a bigger lead in this series.

One last thing, I took a picture of the scoreboard/Chris Ianetta, because I always think he looks a little like my Chris :)

PHOTOS FROM 7/9/09-HAPPY BIRTHDAY ZACHY

Here's a few photos of Zach's big day...turning double digits. After swimming first thing in the morning and Nick's tennis practice, we picked up Subway and headed over to GG and GD for lunch. The guy at Subway heard it was his b-day and called him a "Double Digit Midget" :). Zach hung out with GG and GD until dinner time when they came over for dinner along with Granny. His choice for dinner was shrimp and chicken along with sauteed mushrooms/onions, fruit salad and wild rice...a menu I will definitely choose to redo.

After dinner, the Bertelsen's came to join us for dessert: lemon meringue pie and a cake decorated as a rainbow trout. The inside of the cake was "rainbow"...thus really being the rainbow :). Todd was an expert at carving out and decorating the cake like he has done many times through the years for the boys.

His big gift from us and my parents was an IPOD Nano which he had been wanting for a long time. Being a persistent person, I don't think there was a day that he didn't remind me that it was the "only thing that I want" and it had to be either grey or black. He was not disappointed and was very pleased. Since it got it, he has added quite a lot of "tunes" to it and loves it. He also enjoyed and appreciated his other gifts from family.

Although we have offered it many times, Z does not ever want a big birthday party. There is not a bigger "ham" in the world than Zach, but when it comes down to a party for him, he doesn't like the single focus on him and is uncomfortable with it, so he chooses his special day to be just the way he likes it. Can't believe he is already 10 years old. I really don't like how quickly time goes. HAPPY BIRTHDAY...DOUBLE DIGIT MIDGET!

PHOTO FROM 7/8/09

This is just an early morning photo of the boys hanging out in the family room watching TV. It is always nice to have the "hang out mornings" in the summertime.

Home again

(this picture is taken in the back of my grandparents townhome...#57)

WOW! I am going to have to spend a lot of time catching this up with my photos. I definitely have one (or many) I can use for my photo a day since I stopped posting so it will be fun updating this a little at a time. We had a great time in Ruidoso and it brought back a flood of old memories from the summers I spent down there with my family/grandparents. It is a little bittersweet, but it would be sad if I didn't have those feelings. I have decided there is no place in this world that I feel more calm, happy and peaceful. That means it's a good place to be and keep in my heart all year long. Can't wait to go back again. I'm very fortunate I have the memories of the past and the fun times and memories created in the present. I'm also so glad that my kids and Todd find this place pretty special, too.

STILL DOING THIS....

I haven't updated my photos for a while, but am still taking them and will post them when we get back from Ruidoso. I am having so much fun doing this and will love looking back on this next year. If I was up to date on my photos, today, i would probably decide to post the photo of Zach holding his latest toad, Ribbit. Chris also found one hanging out in our back yard, but I'm not sure if he figured out a name he liked yet. I suggested Harold, but he nixed that one pretty quick.

Can't wait to go to my favorite place in the whole world...Ruidoso. So many summers spent there with my family. I still picture it in my mind and the happy times there. Tomorrow night, I will be able to revisit all those special places live and in person. I am quite sure there will be many photos to capture this amazing place and our adventures. I plan to hit the playground and swing on the swings, but if they still have that old, metal slide, I think I'm going to pass. I'm quite sure it would not meet safety standards anymore. Of course, I hope the merry go round is there. We would beg my dad repeatedly to spin us around, and, he did it over and over again. Last time we were there, five years ago, he got to spin my kids around like he did for us.

Sure wish my parents were going with us again. It was so much fun to have them with us last time we went. My mom and I even peeked in Grammama and GrandadDell's townhome and were careful not to set up off the alarm. Still looked very much the same. This time, I won't have my partner in crime and I'm not sure I'll be as daring without her with me :).