May all aqaintants be forgot......

My very first memory with the new years song was it playing on the jutebox at Earl's while I was tending bar, we're talking probably 10-13 years old. Usually the cousins would come there so we had a great time drinking soda and eating chips. At midnight while this song played I had to make sure I had my running shoes on to get away from all the dirty ole' men that wanted to lip lock with me. Wardell and Wally K's faces are still embedded in my memory, one new years eve I had to hide out in the parking lot to get away from them. We could keep the bar open all night long, as long as it was closed for one hour, so we would give everyone a couple of beers to last them for an hour. This would be about 5AM and then the next day would start at 6AM..... until who knows when. I remember being there with my dad only, mom worked in town and when she was done she just stayed home to sleep so she could relieve dad in the morning. It used to be quite the ride home with dad, he would get what we called "the heebe geebe's" while driving and that was not good. The heebe geebe's is when he would sneeze uncontrollably while hiccuping and then say heeeeebeeee geeeeebbbbeeeee after every hiccup or sneeze. I'm thinking now that I'm older that I maybe should have drove home but he did a very good job making sure we were safe and had fun. Now my new years eve's are spent at home probably sleeping on the couch before midnight.

This is post 329 so I missed a few though out the year but did pretty well, this actually might be the first new years resolution that I have ever kept for an entire year. Here is a picture of the snowy last couple of days we have been having, those snowplow guys got to be tired.

I think for 2009 I will do Photoshop Tuesday, I will do something cool in Photoshop and show your the SOOC (straight out of camera) and then the Photoshopped version. I need to improve those skills as well so this is my way of working on them. Here is a new vintage look that I experimented with today.

SOOC (taken in black and white mode)

Vintage Photoshop

It's Celebration Time

We have so many reasons to celebrate. Let me give the top 5

#1 - We have winners for the calendars

#2 - You have all talked me into continuing my POTD for 2009

#3 - It's almost a new year

#4 - We have no losers for POTD calendars

and #5 top reason to Celebrate - NO MORE Self Portrait Tuesdays!!!!!!

so let me explain

#1 - Our winners for calendars are (drum roll please) Churchlady, Kelly E, Deb P, Patti, Shannon E, and Wendy B. I have all of your addresses so you will be receiving your calendars in the mail real soon.

#2 - You sure know how to make me blush, thank you all for your kind comments, you really are a great bunch of people to entertain with my bull$hit.

#3 - 2009 is right around the corner.

#4 - Bonus!!! just like my sometimes bonus photos - Since there were 5 names left in the hat and 3 of them were people who already got calendars for Christmas gift I am sending the other 2 calendars as well. So Jules and Natalie yours will be in the mail too. (Natalie I need your new address, please send it to connie.hemmer@gmail.com) John and I really did put every one's name into a hat and pick them out, it was so much fun for me.... he really didn't like it but he's all I got so he had to put up with my annoying excitement and silly games.

#5 - I'll continue with POTD but I can't possibly do SPT anymore, I'll think of something new but I'll still try to at least get a picture of me once a month. (I went through photos to give to Dad and Joanne for Christmas for their digital photo frame and I do have to admit at least there were some of me, and if it wasn't for SPT there wouldn't have been any.)

After work today I was so excited and ready to celebrate these top 5 things I could hardly sit still. I was climbing the walls :)

A bonus photo so you can see the whole celebration outfit.... it's so darn cute!

Jeannie borrowed me these cute shoes, I for sure cannot walk in them so I had to at least use them in a picture. If you find a cute colorful pair of high heels buy them they make great photos. I love this dress it was only like five dollars and and I've actually got lots of wear out of it.

Challenge Photo

My sister Gayle challenged me to taking a photo for my Uncle Rodger. She said he wanted a photo of the memorial wall in the dark, well that's all I need to hear is challenge and I'm up for it. Of course it was very cold and windy tonight but with my frozen toes, fingers and ears I think this photo is just what he wanted and if not, it's okay I kinda like it.

Of course I have to play with them in Photoshop... and make it more like art than a photo.

Ring in the new year with presents....

I made a few desk calendars for family with POTD's and I have some left to send to you if you leave me a comment. I will draw 6 winners from the people that comment to this post, believe me this was a very ohhh'd and ahhhhh'd gift so don't waste any time.... comment right now. Just click your mouse on the word comment at the bottom of this post and answer this question for me.

Should I start a POTD for 2009 or are you sick of me and can't wait for the end?

I'm really struggling if I can interest myself in another 365 days let alone my faithful readers so now's your chance to either talk me into giving it another try or hanging it up. Be honest I trust you and respect your opinions..... and then you may even win a awesome (if I do say so myself) prize. This contest is open until Tuesday at 3PM, I'll post the winning comments on Tuesday evening and you can e-mail me your contact information at that time (DO NOT include your contact information in your comment) Good Luck and here's a sneak peak at the 2009 calendar.

For those family members and friends that may have gotten this as a gift from me if you want another one go ahead and comment, the more the merrier.

Ornaments

We burned the brush pile out at the shack tonight, it was a really warm night and the fire was huge. I didn't take my camera out, I still kinda baby it. The kids had a great time exploring the night in the woods with their cat eye lights on their hats. Lynn and Jesse brought their puppy Maggie and she had so much fun with those kids, she had to wear off some of that built up energy tonight.

I used my ornament wreath as our table centerpiece this year. This picture is in celebration of the completely finished painted dining room. Now only 4 more rooms to finish.

Frosty Morning

I love frosty mornings.

And a bonus photo just to see the frosty crystals up close.

Merry Christmas

I've been waiting to post this picture and now I don't have to wait anymore. I have an 11x14 to hang on my wall and it is absolutely beautiful. Elly's serious look makes this photo stunning.

We spent our Christmas day at Gayle's (Whoville) with all the Emmerichs, it's a houseful that's for sure. All the gifts are opened, all the who-beast and who-pudding eaten and all the drinks drank.

Christmas Eve

We have been blessed.

Merry Christmas to all of you and may your families be safe during this holiday season.

Two words....

that John loves.....Jeep and Snow. He has so much fun with his Jeep in the snow and finally talked me into going for a ride around the woods with him. We started out going sideways down the road and spinning around every corner possible, then we go thru the woods that has gotten lots of snow and he's hoping we don't get stuck... yeah walking home is not in my schedule today so he better not get stuck. It's a good thing he can travel on the back roads since this Jeep has never been on a salted road. We get home and then he conveniently forgot to get something at the shack so he has to go back again....

Little Blue Bear

Our little boy went shopping with Shan and I today. He was such a good boy, you never heard a sound out of him except when he coo'ed at the ladies that stopped to talk to him, he's already a flirt. We had to take his hat off since he wiggled inside his snowsuit until the hat was down over his eyes and then he wiggled more trying to see. We used his "Jeep" stroller in the mall today and that was the best thing ever, he is like traveling in total comfort with that set of wheels. A must have for all mom's and babies!!

It was 13 below zero this morning when we left the house, the roads were good or so I thought..... we came across 10 cars and trucks in the ditches all in about 2 miles of each other. I'm thinking it was black ice since none of the cars had impact with each other, they were just scattered throughout both side of the roadway. The high today was 3 above and during that time it felt like a heat wave. He's our little blue teddy bear as he looked all day today, he is such a content baby. Shan is a lucky mom but I'm thinking she's gonna have a rough time going back to work in a few weeks... she's spoiled getting all this alone time with Garrett however, I think Kelly, his daycare provider, will be picking up when mom isn't there.

Our Christmas Tree

I haven't talked about our Christmas tree much, that's because it's not decorated yet. Yep, that's right, it's not decorated and it won't be. I went to hang an ornament on it Friday and all the needles fell off that branch. It is so yellow and dry that if I put any ornaments onto it we will have a a trunk with stick branches. So for this year it's just lights, thank goodness I got those on right away. You walk by it and it sounds like it's raining, the floor is covered in needles. We'll keep it up until Christmas night and then that sucker is out the door. Adam said he only likes the lights anyway so he's fine with our tree this year and it saves tons of un-decorating time after the holidays. Next year we won't be buying from that house again!!

Happy 28th First Date Anniversary to me....

Many of you know that I have been looking at buying a new camera for quite some time. I've looked it up online, read everything there is to read about it, cussed my ESO XTi out many times, wrote down all the pros and cons for replacement with all pointing to BUY IT, but I have what we call "buyers anxiety". During hunting season when we went shopping and I touched it for the first time, yep I held the 50D in my hands and fired away a few hundred shots of people in the store. I fell in love, with a camera that it. I couldn't get this camera out of my mind so I talked to John last weekend about it, thinking he would bring sense to my non-sense. Nope he says "go buy it today".... what???? husbands are suppose to talk sense into our heads about large purchases not encourage us. I stood my ground and didn't go buy it, he can't talk me into buying it I won't do it!! No matter how nice he is and how much he wants me to have it I won't do it, no sir-e, I'm not buying a new camera.

So today since I didn't go down South for my nephews wedding (bad weather) John and I decided to take back a few items to a couple of stores before the snow hits here. I thought that I could control myself in the store that I had to take an item back to but I just needed to touch it again, it was like calling my name....seriously I heard it. So I take another hundred photos and reviewed the previous photos that I had taken a month ago.... they seriously were still on there. The sales guys says "can I help you with something?", I ask a few questions about the camera, he brags it up, of course. I look at John and say "what do you think?".... "buy it or you have to shut up about it". What???? that is what I told him when he considered buying or not buying the Jeep, he can't use that crap on me, I won't let that threat make me do something I don't want to do! So I bought it!!!!! Seriously I don't think I could have shut up about it. The sales guy gets the camera out of the locked cabinet and carries it with him. Then the sales guy tries to talk me into a camera bag, extra battery and lens filter all of which I already have but I go to look to see what they have, but the sales guy leaves my camera sitting on the counter... I stood there like a pointer dog just pointing my nose at the box "Ummmm sir you can go get them I'll just stand here and watch the box"... he grabs the box and walks over to the bags and since my BUYERS ANXIETY is in full force I knock over 2 stacks of camera bags, yep not just one but 2 stacks.... I can't think.... the sales guy is talking and trying to sell me things and I can't focus or comprehend what he is saying. I tell the guy... "the camera is all I can handle today". For some reason he stops his sales pitching... I must have been white as a ghost. The Canon 50D is mine with a image stabilizing (28-135) lens. I walk out of the store with very, very weak knees but my heart is so freaking happy I can hardly breath.

Here is MY new camera, I still can't believe it!!

It is our 28th Anniversary to our first date, that's an okay reason for a present, right? Here is the first picture with the new dream machine. It was just faintly snowing but you sure can see it with the 15.1mega pixels.

Now here's the test One of these pictures is taken with the new camera and the other with the old camera, same settings, same distance, and no photo shopping on either one. Can you guess which one is which?

I am very, very happy with my purchase, I think I might of even wet my pants (just kidding) but why do I feel so guilty? My old camera has taken 16,755, pictures for the last 4 years. it still is a very good camera. My film SLR was about 4 years before that one with hundreds of rolls of film ran through it and the 35mm before that.

Christmas Concert

We're back to going to Christmas concerts again. We've been attending them for 21 years and now they started all over again. I love the concerts it's the parking and traffic jams before and after that are frustrating.

Those first years of grade school concerts are so cute, they aren't just singing they have the actions to go with that bring tears to Grandma's eyes. Elly was so darn cute up there as they are singing.... "he sees you when your sleeping....."

They all do look like they are asleep, there's not one eye open. I love all the different outfits these little ones come with, the excitement they have to sing their songs and they can't wait to go home early with mom..... or grandma and grandpa in El's case.

Sister's Grandkid-os

My sister DiAnn is a grandma 5 times, here is her tribe. What a noisy boy clan they are, I'm not used to the running, jumping, trucks everywhere, yelling, wrestling, fighting.... all boy stuff, but they sure are cute. Here are the first 3 boys.

This little girls gonna have to be a tom-boy to keep up with her brother and those other three cousins.

And the whole clan.... monsters I'm telling you just monsters. :)

Shut the door!!

So we are finally putting the Christmas tree in the house and since the tree is out in the other garage and John needed help but I was making cinnamon rolls (so my hands were all full of flour and dough) I opened the door and left it open while John went to the garage and got the tree and then he went to set it up with the door still open. That is the longest run-on sentence ever typed!! Try to say it out loud without taking a break.... it's hard. When people get my voicemail at work and the first thing they say is "Geeze Connie take a breath, you say that entire message in one breath and fast". I don't even realize it anymore, I have to update it everyday with the current date and what I'm doing for the day that I can do it without even thinking..... Anyway back to the real reason for this post.

While John and I are straightening the tree, dirty hands and all, I hear breathing behind me, I ignore it since it's just us in the house. All of a sudden I see something out of the corner of my eye. OMG this is what got in the house because we left the door open.

I used to read the kids a story "Shut the Door". This reminds me of that story, I'll have to go dig that out and read it to Elly.

It's got its chin leaning on my chair like it's going to stay awhile. We didn't quite know what to do or how to get him out of the house but thank goodness John is a hunter and has had experience with wrestling a deer with nothing other than his bare hands (that's a long and funny hunting story). Here's John after a long fight, he wasn't about to let this one get away.

After it was all over and we were both safe I realized.... it must have been Rudolph lost a few days early so I let him stay until Elly and Garrett get a chance to see him.

Hummm in case your not sure this is all no true ;) This is John 9 pointer that he got last year during rifle season and it's finally back from the taxidermist. He's like a kid with a new toy or a new mom and her baby... lots of phone calls are made to say he's here, people come over to see him, we have to take him with in the truck wherever we go... Seriously he is a nice deer as long as his permanent home is at the hunting shack!!

Christmas Time

My earliest memories of Christmas as a family was when we would get to go to my Grandma and Grandpa Emmerich's farm house. All the cousins would be there, the house was so packed that you had to squeeze into the living room to even see Great Grandma Dodge. Grandma and Grandpa eventually moved into town, an even smaller house but the extended family continued to grow. I remember Grandma Emmerich sitting next to the stove in the livingroom and letting everyone come to see her vs fighting the crowd. The mom's and dad's must have decided the party needed more space so a couple years it was at the tavern (we owned it, just so you don't think we're a bunch of bar flies). The cousins were all there and we had a blast, Grandma had her sons bring her lazy boy chair there so she could sit in comfort while she watched us play.

I don't remember when it happened but we stopped having Christmas with the cousins. It was Christmas with just our family, I wasn't really sure why this happened, nor was I happy about it. Our family was growing too big for all the jumping around. With 11 children and then spouses and the grandchildren I'm sure Mom just had to put her foot down and insist that Christmas was meant to be at home as a family.

The year mom died we had to have a practice run for Christmas to see if we could do it. We had everyone there for Thanksgiving with us girls all cooking in her kitchen. It worked, we were set for Christmas just like we have done for so many years.... not that easy but we got through it and continued to have Christmas there until Dad sold the house. Now what, our hearts are again broken and there's no practice run. Dad had us at his and Joanne's apartment and it was fine, but crowded. Dad then moved away so going to his house was not possible.... again "now what do we do". We weren't ready to give up our Christmas together so we had to figure it out. Gayle stepped up to the challenge for Christmas dinner for all of us, she calls it Whoville since we just wanted a place to be together and it didn't matter if we had roast beast, boxes or bows. We just needed each other and a place for our memories to continue.

I now understand, Christmas is meant to be together and it's important to a Mom. I am willing to share my kids with their new families but I need some time with all of them in the house at the same time.

More Editing

Spending another night editing, I have the blurred photos deleted and now it's time to play with a few of them. Here is a couple pictures of Clara, she is a very talented young lady. This summer I seen her in a softball uniform and damn she is the cutest ball player ever. She may have talent on the dance floor but the ball diamond is a close second.

A little vintage look on this one.

Cookie Baking

So today we baked cookies with everyone here. Our favorite cookie in this family is my famous cut-outs. I used to make them for every holiday when the kids were little but now it's mostly just for Christmas. Elly gets so excited to cut them out and after about a dozen she's done. Next comes frosting them, this year El did so much better keeping the frosting fingers out of her mouth. She stuck with the frosting until they were all done, Grandpa thought she got a little carried away with the sprinkles, there's about a 1/2 inch of sprinkles striped down the center. Look at her face, she got that cute grin that gets her out of any trouble that she's in. The cookies on the table are only about half of them, lets just say it's a good thing we all help. Jesse decided him and Adam would start a production line and each person got a different job. The first person blobs on the frosting, next person smooths it out, next person decorates and then the last person puts it on the tray. Lynn and Sarah quit that production line as soon as the first blob was dropped.

For Christmas morning we have fresh baked (store bought frozen) cinnamon rolls so since Lynn and Shannon will not be waking up on Christmas morning in this house (first time... sniff, sniff) I decided to make cinnamon rolls for Christmas morning in their own homes and they could help. I found a homemade cinnamon roll recipe and just had to try them. These rolls are better than the frozen any day. I wasn't sure how to freeze the rolls before baking so we baked them all, the girls will either eat them all now or freeze them baked. I'll have to experiment with the freezing before next year.

Amici Benvenuti

Which means Welcome in Italian. (Goes with my Tuscan, Italian Theme just in case your wondering, I don't speak Italian excect for Wine, Lasagna, Spagetti and Pizza) My niece Shawna sells Uppercase Living and I finally decided on my first purchase. If your like me and just love this stuff, give her a call the book is jammed packed full of fun stuff for your house.

Your getting another sneak peak of my painted walls... your also seeing the blue painters tape that is still up, you gotta love progress.

Christmas Lights

Tonight we planned a date with Elly to take her to the Christmas light in a nearby town. They have transformed the zoo into a brilliant light show that is so worth the drive there. El hasn't ever been there so she was so excited to go. I picked her up from school and then we had to wait for it to get dark, that was the longest wait ever, then we had to wait for Adam to get off work since he wanted to join us, I think he came along for the steak supper at Applebees!! The zoo can either be a walk through or drive around, since it was bitter cold we decided to drive around first. El wanted to walk in the worst way, Grandpa and Adam told her no it was too cold. Me of course can't ever tell her no so I said when we get done driving around I'll walk through with you. She was so excited that Grandma and her were gonna walk on the lit paths. The drive only took like 7 minutes and when we drove back to the front so El and I could walk she says "Grandma, I'm tired do we HAVE to walk around?" It's amazing how she can be so excited one minute and sleeping within seconds. I told her no if she didn't want to we didn't have to. She said "good, I'm just gonna close my eyes for a minute" that was it she was out like a light. School just wears her out. We all enjoyed the lights and tried to guess the amount of extension cords they had to use. I took a couple pictures but without being able to stop the truck, due to cars behind us, this is what I got. Of course I photoshopped it into something I kinda really like.

More Dance Photos

Still going through dance photos... more of my favorites.

Walking Path

Do not go to where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.

I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Clause

One of my favorite things for winter are my smartwool socks. I bought 2 new pair this year and they are knee highs, I love them!! I did this type of picture a few years ago for Christmas (naked shower scene).... don't go getting all grossed out it was just my naked feet and legs with a towel dropped on the floor..... honest it's not as bad as it sounds.... John was totally dressed.... honest I had clothes on the top that you couldn't see......really it's still displayed in my bathroom for everyone to see..... even little kids have seen it..... now I'm embarrassed.....anyway..... so I thought I would try it again with my fun socks and the fire in the background. It reminds me of the song "I saw Mommy kissing Santa Clause".

Only 3 more SPT's..... yeah!! If I do the POTD in 2009 I certainly won't make a stupid rule about having a self portrait day.... you guys know enough about me already that I'm sure you didn't want to know. Especially after the naked shower scene....

Color Sneak Peek

I'm starting to get some of the walls painted and things put back together, long ways to go yet but it's getting there. Most of my walls match now or harmonize very well, I love them. There are still studs where the columns will go so the sneak peek isn't going to include the fun colors. When I look at this picture I noticed these wine labels look similar to the colors I'm using.... I must be doing something right and have I mentioned that I love it.

Editing and Learning

I'm up to my eyeballs in photos of the Nutcracker but for me that's just not enough, I have to learn new Photoshopping skills to what I think some of them should look.

Since the Nutcracker is a very old play some of the photos would look cool in a vintage look, don't you think? So here's my take on Vintage Nutcracker. Colors are muted and photo looks old.....

Since I had to have my ISO so high because the only light were the stage lights and the movement was so fast I have some noise in the photos. Using the vintage look makes this noise look like I put it there on purpose. When I first started taking pictures I was using my external flash and the AV guy asked me if my colors were as bright with the flash vs. without a flash. I said I didn't think I could get my shutter speed that fast to not use a flash. He was satisfied but I wasn't, I kept experimenting until I took most of the photos without a flash.... yeah I did it, and he's right the colors were more vibrant without flash.

Nutcracker Ballet

I took pictures at the Nutcracker Ballet today, this picture sums up those poor girls (and one boy), they had to be very tired after 6 hours of twirling on their toes. I took 1,746 pictures. Now comes the hard part, editing them!! About 100 of them will be deleted due to blur from them moving so fast, by the end of my time there I could shoot in continuous frames and if you view them on the computer fast enough you can watch them spin around.

Photoshop today

No time today to take a picture but I did photoshop this one so that counts right? You can see with this picture how much El loves her little brother, we'll see once he starts pulling her hair and taking her toys.... oh wait she doesn't play with toys... okay when he takes away her #2 pencil, that won't go over very well with her.

Candlelight

There's something about candlelight that warms up a room and with our cold weather today I needed all the help I could get. The picture of El behind it looks like she's standing right there

Dad's birdhouse

Snow is starting to cover the garden, with the cold weather, we may not see the ground again for awhile. My dad made this birdhouse many, many years ago. It's sat in the same spot for years, it's even housed a bluebird's family one summer. I had to paint the "Bait Shop" sign for the front of all his houses. Mom gave everyone a handmade house for Christmas, she was known for giving everyone the same gift. Once someone opened theirs we all knew what we got, the son-in-laws would tease so bad about who should open their gift first. Everyone got gloves, socks or ice scrapers. Mom bought in bulk, she really liked it when dad made items to give us!!

I have to tell you a story about a family Christmas, we have many and I'll try to get some of them into the blog.

I have to go back and give you some history first - So my dad had heart trouble long before my mom got sick. He had a heart attack, I don't really remember how bad it was, when it was or how it happened but it scared all of us. I still remember where I was at work and the phone conversation I had with mom, she never called me at work and to hear her voice I knew it wasn't good. He was fine but mom worried about him and dad let her. He was kinda hard to shake of sickness so he pouted until mom had enough and stopped babying him.

Back to the story.... on Christmas Day we always went to Mom and Dad's for dinner and the guys always snuck off with dad to open the bar after dinner was done and gifts were opened... this year dad wasn't going to open the bar since he was still recovering, the guys were so upset, that was tradition ever since they came into this family, and the wives didn't get mad at them since they were with dad. As creative as our guys are and as determined as they were to sneak out without us knowing they all slowly ventured outside sneaking a coat from mom and dad's closet right next to the door. So here they are sitting at Sport's Page enjoying their drink and John puts his hand into the pocket of the jacket he was wearing.... pulls out a prescription bottle with Dad's nitro pills in. He panicked and tried to get the rest of the guys to go back, they didn't fall for it. One beer lead to another and another as they usually do but John was ready to go, he could only think of dad back at home with the girls and kids, getting a chest pain and needing his nitro, going to his coat as he's grasping his chest and there's no coat, no pills.... he was never so happy to leave a bar than that day. Don't worry dad was fine and still is and John learned to check the pockets before taking someones coat as he sneaks out the door.

Layers

Fall/Winter weather is all about dressing in layers. I am a cold person in the summer time and in the winter it's 24/7 shivering. I can't wait for hot flashes, just to shake the ice from my chilly bones!! This last weekend I bought a new fun scarf that will match just about everything, I added it to my many other scarfs that I had to have.

As we were shopping there were so many girls with scarfs on and they were all tied in a fun big knot. You may already know how to tie this big fun knot but I didn't. We're in the store that I am going to buy this scarf at and I am staring at these girls and trying to tie my big fun knot with no luck. Starla says "what are you doing". I told her and she says "oh that's easy".... she tries to tie it on my neck, on her neck and on Gayle's neck but no such luck.... Now Gayle says "You guys this is sooooo easy" hummmmmm I give her the scarf and she walks right over to a girl wearing one and ask her how she does it, comes back over by us and ties it on my neck. Smart ass sister!! But I don't care now I know how and if she wouldn't of asked I think I'd still be trying to figure it out.

Dress in layers.... it's warm and it's in style!! Us girls are all about style, right?

For those of you that don't know how to tie a fun big knot - below and the instructions, if you already knew please don't tell me.

The most sought-after knot is also one of the most universal. Here’s how to tie a scarf in a Parisian knot: Take the scarf in both hands and fold it over lengthwise; drape it around your neck; insert the loose ends through the loop hanging in front of you and pull them through. Now go buy yourself a scarf or two or three or four.... and have fun with them.

1 month old

Garrett is 1 month old today. Shannon brought the kids over for Garrett's 1 month. She didn't have any ideas so of course it's my job to think of something to do besides the usual. Well this picture cracks me up, I guess I need to get a bigger truck.

Always room for two

If you hold Garrett you better make sure you have room for two because someone else will be there shortly. Grandpa got to talk to Garrett and spell words for El to write on her paper. El was a book nut before school and now with her learning to spell and read words that is all she does. Garrett is starting to talk back, he tries so hard to coo and then once in awhile something comes out and scares him, it's so cute and he is growing like a weed.

Here is Grandpa after a long 9 days of hunting, but his lap is still built for two.

Pajama Wine

Today Starla, Gayle and I went shopping again, it's our annual shopping trip that we used to do with the girls. Kristi, Lynn and Shannon would come along with us and we would have a really good time entertaining them. We would see a movie, eat lunch, shop, laugh, and just enjoy our time together.

There are a few highlights from those years that we will never forget, like the year Lynn whined about wanting a Charlotte Hornets Jacket and I wouldn't buy her one (really I did but it was a present so I couldn't tell her). Going to see "The First Wives Club" and those darn girls giggled through the whole movie because the actresses reminded them of us. Starla was Diane Keaton, Gayle was Bette Midler and I was Goldie Hawn and their story lines even matched our personalities. The lost child in the town that shut down all the restaurants so we couldn't find a place to eat. Purposely parking in the very back of the parking lot due to all the harassment about having to walk so far. Having the only spot in the truck without a package was one cup holder.

The first year without the girls was tough on all of us, it was a good thing Kristi and Lynn moved away the same year and Shannon had a baby so none of them were able to go without the others and we either had to stop the tradition or continue on without them.... well that year we filled that truck more than ever and there were only 3 of us. We sure do miss them but there is never a dull moment.

We have outgrown the movie but this year we stopped at the winery on the way home. A new tradition has started!! The winery has a new wine and it's name is "Pajama Red" with a name like that you have to know it's good. I snatched up a few bottles before closing their doors for the season.