Saturday, July 28, 2007

trading spaces

I'm sure most of you heard about the explosion in Dallas this week. We happened to go by the place where the gas company once stood. Here are the pictures.


Can you believe the distruction? I was amazed.

Conrad and I got to go on a date this afternoon. Thank you, Anita and Paul for taking the children so we could enjoy each other's company. We went to see "Sweet Charity". It was a cute musical starring Paige Davis. Know that name but can't figure out why? She used to be the host of Trading Spaces on TLC. She is great on stage! Bigger than life.

My darling husband allowed me to wait outside the stage door for her, on the hopes that I could get a picture with her. Hmmmm....here's the stage door...



And...here I am with her! She's teensy weensy in real life! But what a nice person she seemed to be.
All in all, a very nice day. Except now I have one major headache and I'm now going to bed.

Friday, July 27, 2007

Eden's first birthday

Remember awhile back (more than a year - I know it's a stretch for some of you) when I asked for prayers for Eden, a future great-nephew of ours who was found to have a tumor on his lung pressing on his heart in utero? Here are pictures of him after he was born - remember these? (click on the colored word)

Well, little Eden Jude Urias is now 1 year old and we celebrated today!



This is Conrad with our gift. He wrapped it himself. I wonder what it is?
Here's the birthday boy, himself!
Awww, look! This is what we got him! It's a ball! Who knew?
They had this huge duck pinata (unfilled) and here he is atop said duck.

He got a penguin from the movie "Happy Feet" and it danced. Anna liked it, see?

What a great party. Thanks, Rachel and Noe for a great celebration and for such a sweet little boy. Happy Birthday, Eden!

Thursday, July 26, 2007

Anna Montana

I am sorry there haven't been many blogs lateley. At night, when I usually do the blog, I have been doing something else, I've been crawling into bed and...reading Harry Potter. I am very engrossed in this book, I can't wait to go to bed every night to read it. Of course, I read a few pages and my eyes get really heavy like I'm under some "sleeping curse" or something. But, in my world - right now- it's all about Mr. Potter and his adventures.



However, I have these two things to share with you:



I have been wanting to take a picture of Anna with the two binkies in her mouth. You know, sometimes it's just a "two binkie" day. She finally put them back in her mouth when I had my camera close at hand. Unfortunately, she was on her potty at the time. They can't all be perfect pictures.

By the way, we are not encouraging, nor discouraging potty training, she just takes her diaper off and sits down. Sometimes something comes out, sometimes it doesn't. But, she's getting the idea and she is proud when she "gets the job done" on the potty.

This is "Anna Montana". For those of you without preteens...Her actual name is Hannah Montana and her daddy is Billy Ray Cyrus and she has a TV show on Disney Channel (could be why you don't know about this, right?) and she's pop star but living as a "regular person" thanks to a wig and - I'm thinking - not the brightest people on the planet. Anyway, she sings and Sadie and Madeline love to watch her so Anna gets a dose quite often. Well, now Anna sings the songs and dances to them as evidenced in this video.

Saturday, July 21, 2007

Anna's first haircut

Yesterday, before we spent all day at school, I had, HAD, to get Anna's hair cut. I could not stand it in her face any longer. I didn't want to do it, but she wouldn't keep it up when I put it up so off come the locks.
Her first sit down in a "haircuttin' chair". I don't think she's real sure of what's going on. She ended up just having to sit in my lap because she didn't want even the cape on her. Nope, not going to do it.
This is her afterward. Can you tell a difference? I'll get better pics soon. I only had my phone with me. But you can see her face now.

Now, if I may make a suggestion? GO SEE HAIRSPRAY!!!! What a great "feel good" show.

Sunday, July 15, 2007

Pics from the garage sale

Ok, I can tell from my photos that my lens is in need of cleaning in the worst way. But, you get the "picture" from these images.
This is the garage sale when we first opened up. Before the torrential downpour that required us to squish everything into a space about the size of Mom's car (the blue one in the driveway).
This is some of Sadie's Brownie troop (1621). They had a lemonade stand on Saturday to raise money for the hospital fund of the sister of one of the Brownies. She was in an auto accident about a month and a half ago. She is slowly but surely coming out of her coma, please pray for Kaitlyn Wade. These wonderful girls raised $2500 for her. Aren't they great?
Conrad took the girls to shoot off this rocket on Saturday. The called me so I could hear the fuse and explosion. No boom. Just a little fizzle, but apparently, it went way up because Conrad was saying "oops, it's drifting into the trees".
At the end of the day, Conrad took the girls for a spin on the electric wheelchair - all 3 of them. After he got finished, I raced him on the scooter. I won!

New update. I will be going to Shreveport to take care of Mumsey after all. I am so grateful to our niece Hannah and her Mom, Anita (my sister-in-law), for agreeing to take care of the girls in my absence. I know the girls will have fun and be well taken care of.

Hang on, Mumsey! I'm on my way!

Saturday, July 14, 2007

update

There are no pictures tonight because I am bone tired.

We had a garage sale today and while I have absolutely adorable pictures of everyone in my family doing cute things, you'll have to wait to see them until tomorrow.

Let me just say this about garage sales (Mumsey, hide your eyes, I'm about to get profane) they SUCK! Anytime you can eat your profits as fast as you can make them, you're in the wrong business. For the amount of work, totally not worth it. It was fun visiting with Karen, my friend who also had stuff to get rid of. But really, donating to charity or just plain throwing away is a great idea.

Now as an update on my dear Mumsey, she is coming home on Monday. Yep, you read that right, Monday. I am hoping to go over to take care of her in her first days home but it's not looking good for that right now. The amount of dispair and guilt and just plain "I want to take care of my Mumsey" I am feeling right now is overwhelming. And on top of all this tiredness? You can just imagine how lovely I am to be around right now.

Anyway, I am happy, happy for my mom, she's finally coming home! Yay Mumsey!

And if you're wondering why this is in different type? I can't find the thing you use to change the font, it just disappeared. And if I don't have the energy to go out in the garage to fetch my camera? I certainly don't have it to venture into cyberspace to find the "fontchanger".

Tuesday, July 10, 2007

A bird in the hand...

Conrad called me this afternoon. He came home before I did and when I answered he said "Can you tell me why there is a bird in the house?" I said "What did you say?" He repeated his question and I, of course, thought "well, the cats drug it in" and said that to him. He said "Well, this one is flying around". I was incredulous. A bird flying around a house with 3 cats in it? Unheard of. I thought it wouldn't be flying around for long.

Then I asked the obvious question "You are going to take a picture of this aren't you? If ever there was a blog-worthy thing, this is it". This picture is courtesy of him.


He said when he got home, Rosie was sitting up on the fish tank with the bird and when he saw Conrad acted like he was embarrassed to be seen with the bird and quickly got down, bird unharmed.


The first time the bird flew, it scared me to death. I was hoping I had caught it on video, me screaming like a little girl, but alas, I had not.
My husband, St. Francis, somehow managed to coax the bird...you'll see.

I know it seems hard to believe, but it is true. And, I truly have NO idea how this bird came to be in our house. None of the doors have been open an inordinate amount of time, and it wasn't harmed enough for the cats to have dragged it in but for lack of any other reason, I'm going with the cats. It obviously happened while we were away as I KNOW there was NO bird in the house when I left. I know that beyond a reasonable doubt.


Chirp, chirp!


Sunday, July 08, 2007

Miscellany from vacation

The vacation is over. We made it back all in one day. Friday we left Colorado Springs probably around 9:45 or so and we got home about 10:20 pm. That makes for a very long day for drivers and passengers, especially the ones who are less than two. But, we're home and all in one piece. Except Mumsey who is still up in Colorado Springs. She is on the rehab floor now and working hard to get to come home. Go Mom!

So, I came home and finally got my pics into the computer well, these anyway (I have two cards and I've only put one in at this point). And these are some pictures that you may not have seen before (I don't think you have) and I thought were good but for whatever reason didn't make it the first go around.
This is Wendy - my cousin-sista. I love her. She's so kind and she planned such a wonderful itenerary for us while we were up there. And she's staying and visiting with my Mumsey everyday since we had to come home. We always have fun when we get together.
This is Aaron and the big girls. Love this picture.
I love this picture of the bridge. If I didn't put it on here before, I don't have any good explanation for not. If I did, enjoy it again.
I know this one didn't make it, Aaron left on Thursday and by the time I could blog, they turned off the electricity in base housing until midnight. So, needless to say no blog the last night there.
And once again, the "Little Scrivner Players" presented a show. This year the little ones had to write, produce and stage their own production as we adults were otherwise occupied with helping Mumsey. This year's production was a version of "Sharkboy and Lavagirl" that you've never seen before.
How sweet is this picture?
This is the stretcher going up the chapel steps to retrieve Mumsey. Can you imagine being carried down all those steps on a stretcher?
This is all the kids dancing with the Indian. I didn't even see that it was our kids dancing with him before.
Sadie in her tye-dye.
Sadie and Austin in front of one of the waterfalls.

And just in case you didn't get any fireworks or are like me and can never have enough...here is the finale of the fireworks at the Air Force Academy. Enjoy!

Wednesday, July 04, 2007

Vacation day six I think

First of all, let me start by wishing you and yours a very happy 4th of July. I feel like this is one of my most patriotic 4ths I've ever spent.
I'm in one of the most American places, the Air Force Academy, doing one of the most American of things, being a tourist and helping the American tourist economy and being a daughter to an infirm mother.
Here is your patriotic picture of the day. Please pay proper respect.
OK, on to more pressing matters...what we did today. Helping that tourist economy, that's what we're about.
Well, I see I made a mistake. Not the first one nor will it be the last. Anyway, the picture above and below are of Wendy and her little ones and then with Auntie B. and Uncle Howard. One of them was supposed to be of my little family but you know what we look like and there's plenty more pics of us on here.
This is the whole gang in front of the "water clock" at Royal Gorge Bridge. How about those shirts? Those are the product of our hard work last night.
One of the first things we did today was ride the incline railway at the gorge. I was VERY scared to do it but it ended up not a big deal at all. You start at the top of the gorge and go down to the bottom by the river where there are rafters going by and rafting white waters. Very cool. This pic if of the incline we went down. Impressed?

Cheesy family picture in front of the Royal Gorge sign.
One of the bravest things I did today (well the bravest today) was go across the bridge itself. Very windy and the bridge moves. Not my cup o' tea but I did it nonetheless. Here Sadie and I are in front of the Lousisana state flag (in honor of Nonnie, still in the hospital).

And here we are in front of the Texas flag. Yeehaw! That's as close to the rail as I got the whole time and it's only because it was only about a 10 ft. drop from there.
These are the cables holding the bridge up. Amazing, huh?
This is the actual bridge. Can you believe I walked across that thing?
Even braver are my husband and Sadie. They went across the wide open expanse of the gorge in this tram. Not me, no how, no way, not for nuthin'.
Then we rode this train. It was a nice little ride with a conductor who could not be understood. I include this video to prove my point. Enjoy!


Update on my mom: They are probably going to move her to the rehab floor tomorrow. She slept most of the day and I'm going to stay with her again tonight. I'll have more of an update tomorrow, I think.

Tuesday, July 03, 2007

Vacation day 4 part deux and day 5

Vacation Day 4 Part Deux:
Mumsey, generous to a fault, insisted we all still go to the Flying W Ranch as planned. We all went, except Auntie B. who stayed with Mumsey because she'd already been to the ranch.
This is everyone in front of the wagon.
They feed you, at the Flying W Ranch, things that the old west cowboys would eat. Beef, beans, biscuits, applesauce, spice cake, potatoes. It was great. They serve you on these metal plates and you drink from metal cups. Very authentic.
After we ate, they put on a show. It was during this show that I found out Mumsey would be having surgery within the hour. She made it through the surgery and they put 2 rods in her leg and her leg had 4 bone pieces wandering around. The surgeon said it was one of the worst femur breaks he had seen. Go Mom! Be the best!
Anna got a little tired during the show.
Now, for vacation day 5...
Everyone but me went to the Seven Falls. Looks like they had fun. Here's the pictures, which I can't tell you what they are so you use your imagination and then tomorrow, I'll tell you what they really were. (I'll tell you, today, what I think they are)
Let's see...this is all the kids except Anna so they must have tied her to a tree and that's what they are all looking at.

This is the tree after Anna got through with it.

Well...obviously gravity does not work here.
Mr. Flying Eagle scout performs a anti-gravity ritual.
Everyone clowning around.
Now, as I write this we are tye-dying t-shirts red, white and blue for tomorrow. We go to the Royal Gorge Bridge and we're all going to match to an extent. We'll all be patriotic anyway.
Sadie's picture of all her cousins (and sisters).

Now an update on my mom...She sat up today on her own. She actually got up by herself (the therapists helped move her left leg (the one she broke) but she moved everything else. Then, they helped her get out of bed and sit in a chair. She's looking better and not as groggy and breathing better. I think she's going to be a great recoverer.

They're planning on moving her to a rehab floor on Thurs. I'll keep you posted.