5.08.2010

as promised

some pics of the recent trip to chicago

the view outside our room...17th floor (actually, technically the 16th since there is no '13th' floor)


garden right outside the Chicago Art Museum


I loved how beautiful it was.  The branches all met at the top, connecting the trees.  B E A utiful and peaceful.






buckingham fountain


at the cloud gate....aka....the bean.


on a walk at night, on the way back to our room.

v

beautiful night after a beautiful day.

5.01.2010

proof, truth.

now, I don't post much on politics since I'm not much of a debater, but what I feel, I feel deeply.  It's hard for me to express what I feel in words.  I'm a silent.  But very loyal.  Patriot.  I owe a lot of my patriotism to my Dad having flown with the Air Force in the KC-135 during Vietnam, and deployed out to serve away from us (wife and 7 kids) during the first Gulf War.  His dad, my grandpa served in the Air Force as well, got shot down in WWII and received the purple heart.  While he was in the hospital getting treated for his wounds (shrapnel still inside his body today), his unit was once again sent out on a mission.  They never came back.  He's experienced some difficult emotions and depression knowing that his buddies were gone, and he wasn't there to help.  It's only been recently that he's begun talking about it.)  I have a brother-in-law, brother and sister who were/are in the army/air force and have served overseas multiple times and thankfully have returned safely each time.  I feel a bit of their service has rubbed into my feeling more of what I'm needed to be: a more dedicated voter, proud NRA member and holder of a CCW for Arizona,  supporter of what I feel and know is the right decision and will matter-of-fact let you know I don't agree with something that I feel goes against my standards and beliefs, and know with these changing times (and my frustrations grow), my uber-conservative nature won't deviate much at all. 

Now, I get tons of emails from my dad ranging from all different sectors of society today: the economic crisis here, food shortages, gas prices, housing markets...he knew of and predicted before we were even aware of any 'bubble', political updates and happenings as well as economic climates far away...by the way, do you know the country who has the most Millionaires...actually, now Billionaires?....it sure caught me by surprise!  (They have one of the highest, if not the highest, inflation rates in the world. Their economy is suffering from hyperinflation...or should I say 'zimflation'...hint hint. When you trade their currency to, say for example US Dollar, the currency trading is: 1 US$ ~ 1 Billion Dollars of their currency...and this info is over a year old).  I was visited by a friend who was from this country, and she gave me a 'million dollar bill' from that country.  I proudly gave it to my dad, who had informed me of this craziness over a year before, and now he displays it in his office...proudly, and sadly.  Not a good thing. 

Now, I'm not what most people would call a 'birther', if you know what that means at all, but I'm still down with following the law and giving the public the answer and proof they're looking for.  And come on...it's pathetic!  All I want is the truth.  And you must follow the law if I'm expected to do the same.  David says it's not something he'd be passionate about, but I feel myself getting into my dad's old man demands...give me proof.  Don't make me wait.  I have a right to know and see for myself.

My dad just sent me this cartoon, which isn't even funny, more demented than anything.  But explains a lot of what I feel needs to be brought forth.  No wonder why "Pres O" isn't touching this subject. 


Keith Olberman on MSNBC compared the new Arizona Law to "death panels"  Hu?  It sounds so much like when the Republican's called the New Health Care Plan the save exact 'noun'...and I wouldn't say it's a proper noun.  Not a proper thing at all.

Yes.  This was deep for me.  And I'm not sorry.  Sometimes I just need to say what I've been thinking.  for a LONG while.

now I wouldn't feel so embarrassed if you did my laundry and folded my underwear!  I feel we know each other on a more intimate level!

phew

What a fun trip!  I took more photos than I thought I would.  Working slowly on them.  

I'll post as I edit.

For those of you from the area or who have lived there, you'll love the revisiting.

For those of you who've never been.  Go!

(this my reflection off the very bottom of the Cloud Gate...aka the Chicago 'bean')

Nice to have the kids back and to be home, in MY own bed.  

nothing better than home....and Lou Malnatis!

4.27.2010

having fun.


if anyone knows Cade, they know he loves motorcycles....aka....mikadoo's....  When I saw this sign, I thought of my sweet Cade.  Love you buddy.  I hope you're behavin' yourself!

here is what my current schedule is like:

i get to sleep in. work on edits all day (2 jobs done, 1 big monster to go).  go out with David after he gets back from work...to explore and enjoy!  I have yet to venture out on my own...just been working hard on these jobs!

tomorrow, off to Millennium Park.

it's been fun walking...a few miles a day.  eating some yum grub.  and BURRRRR, it's windy ccc ccccc ccold!  warm 'zona will make you forget your mid-western roots!

whenever I stop to take a pic, David blurts out "squirrel!".  He's gotten used to it...at least the fact that we'll be taking a little longer to get where we're goin!  We'll be walking and talking, and suddenly I'm no longer next to him...I'm like 10 yards behind with a little something in my viewfinder.  sorry babe. :)

more to come.

taken a few hundred pics already...and having mucho fun!

on our palate in the past few days: 


yes. be jealous.

4.24.2010

even 'bean' here?


going to chi town for the week with my squeeze...and no chids in tow.

it's supposed to be rainy, but hopefully i can get some fun shots and some work done with no ankle biters biting at my ankles!

it'll be fun to visit again

hasta

4.19.2010

listen and obey



who didn't listen to aunt kelly and eat all their dinner to get a yummy ice cream cone?

4.16.2010

i ♥ tutorials

i ♥ faces had a wonderful tutorial on how to make an image vintage....in love with it...and learning new channel mixers.


i love the look of a warm sun...makes me feel as if i acutally went outside today.  i need to get some vitamin D.  i'm so pasty white.

when aunt kelly comes to visit

we get to visit dairy queen.

eat your heart out grandpa!

oh, what? you wanted some?!

just try and get it from me.








(and this looks like a black eye...but it's not!)


continental...just for grandpa!


we miss you kellykins.

4.04.2010

happy easters

to quote a favorite part in a favorite movie...Nacho Libre:

"Your only job is to cook. Do you not realize I have had 

diarrhea since Easters?" 

that right there will always keep me laughing.  it's great to have friends and family laugh and quote the movie with me.  fun times.

So, Saturday the kids got to color their own easter eggs, for the first time.  There weren't any major messes...just cracked shells from 'mr muscle' below rough handling the fragile babies.

they were so proud of their creations.

and excited to find them on Easter morning.




kaylee was sad and trying to get over the fact that she dropped and broke one of her pink eggs.

such a sad moment in her life.


she perked up after I told her the easter bunny was coming that night to leave her a basket of goodies and toys and that he would hide the eggs we made for them to find in our yard.


gosh, I miss the days when I saw her REAL eyes.  Darn you glasses.  I took her glasses off on purpose to get some sweet shots.  She couldn't take it for very long.  She was asking for her glasses after a few minutes...."I can't see mom."

dang glasses.


we're making music....in our school....

since Maricopa School District took their spring break a week earlier than all the other school districts around the area, we were unable to help break an all time record of participating in 'the LARGEST concert in the United States' by having all elementary age children sing the same songs at the same time during school.  We miss out greatly, and will not be able to say, I was part of that!  

Instead, they just held their own 'record breaking' music concert that Maricopa has ever...or WILL EVER have. :)  this will go down in the greatest of greats in maricopa history.

here is kaylee in her cheesy happy grin


this music stuff is for whimps.  cade goes off on his own...wanting to play basketball with his football.  
work it Buddy.  work.  it.


Thomas.  

I asked Kaylee one day..."Who is the cutest boy in your class?"

she replied...."Thomas."

I'd have to agree on that one!  (those barker boys are as sweet as they are cute!)


Thomas looking for his momma....she's just hiding. (;


Christian...Kaylee's other great friend...he's in the blue shirt on the top left corner of the photo.  He's a cute kid...with amazing eyes.  (remember this post ?  this is when I found out that my kids brown eyes weren't all that fun to take photos of...I wanna have some color!)


Jacob.  Kaylee's first kiss...no, actually Jacob's first kiss.  Apparently Kaylee grabbed him on both sides of his face, and pulled his face to hers and planted one on him.  Her teacher reminded her....Kaylee, let's not kiss our friends.  sheesh!

It's all my fault though...I grab my kids faces and kiss them...she's just 'monkey does' what her 'momma monkey does'

you know what though...my first kiss was in Kindergarten.  I didn't want to wash my cheek...ever.

I better let Kaylee know that kissing is for only family...not just anyone you want to come and give a smack.

I might have a serial kisser on my hands!

boys, ye be warned!


my friend Jenna...has cute sweet chids.  Rafe, in the orange is another friend of Kaylee's, but unfortunately, he's the only one from the ward that isn't in Kaylee's class.  Poor kid.  Doesn't know what he's missing....a lot of kisses from aforementioned offender.

just stay where you are Rafe...no need to get set in Kaylee's sites.

dr seuss...birthday parade

early in March we celebrated the birthday of dr seuss by having a school parade.

kayee was so excited...and asked every day..."when is....what's his name?"  I'd reminder her, "Dr. Seuss".  "yeah, when is his birthday?"

Tuesday NEVER seemed to come quick enough!

Here is kaylee in her party gear.  She made her own hat...beautifully painted it of course.

she makes a cute seuss kitty.


Cade was at school too, during the parade.  He had fun watching all the kids march by and all their floats and especially the yummy candy they threw.

us at flag

I posted a while ago about our trip to Flagstaff to see our friends, but never posted any photos of the kiddos.

Kaylee was enjoying making her own 'snow castle'.

we also had a snowball maker...which is on the list to get family this christmas!  that thing was A MAZ ING and so fun!  I could make 5 PERFECT snowballs in 5 seconds, no lie!


Cade really loved riding the kiddie quad.  He also loved being with his friends and asks about Mia quite often.  "can we go to Mia's house?" 


there was snow piled EVERYWHERE!  One house down the road had drifts and snow on it's roof, so ridiculous and amazing.  Haven't seen snow that deep...in...who knows how long.

Apparently Flagstaff has received the most snow this year than any other US city.  wow.

I took the kids on a sled and pulled them through the evergreens in the back yard out to a big field...carrying all 100 pounds of kid weight and every once in a while breaking through the snow to above my knee was enough to tire me out in about 10 minutes.  that was, unfortunately, the shortest sledding trip i've made.  poor kids, you have a whimpy mom.

better luck next time. :)

holy cow, that's a lotta lettuce!

O U T

Cade fresh from the operating room.

ear tubes in place and adenoids no longer in place.

took us over an hour to get him up.  the tables had turned.  i think it takes him an hour to wake ME up in the morning! :)

in dream land...where I wish I was at that same moment too.  lucky.


now, honestly.  who couldn't resist to kiss those cute smooshy lips!?


4.01.2010

the wild one

gave conner a cut a month ago...needs another one again.

I decided to have a little fun with it, since it had gotten so long.


conner 'armstrong' tootin his horn
if you look close, you can see his beard...needs to shave!


big bad 1 year old.

cade is 4


alright, now that you're four, act your age.




he wasn't too excited for his cake this year.


the usual cade cake: chocolate cake, cookies n cream, whipped topping and crushed oreos.

it might come in different forms or have different themes, but it always tastes the same.


a couple months late in posting this, but better than never.  
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