Sunday, July 24, 2011

Summer FUN!






Wow it has been an eventful summer! It is sickening that the end is in site. Lots of fun stuff has happened since I last wrote. I turned 40, Haylee turned 16, we attended a great dance competition, had a surprise party for Haylee and I, the family went on a lovely mountain vacation, and probably things that I can't even remember.
I spent my 40th birthday at the Gaylord Texan resort in Grapevine, Texas. Tim chose not to go to this event. The girls had a dance competition at the Gaylord so the kids and I went. My sister's family joined us there. It was really great. The girls danced the entire time. I got up each morning put on my swim suit, grabbed a muffin and coffee and headed down to the pool. That is my idea of a GOOOOD time. Jake watched TV in the room or he and I spent time together at the resort water park. We celebrated my birthday dinner at the Cheesecake factory. I love the white chocolate raspberry cheescake there, it is simply divine! It was a fun weekend. I wish Tim and the kids could've joined us.
Haylee's birthday rolled around we got up that morning and headed to the DPS. We left disappointed. She did not pass the driving test the first time. I think her nerves got the best of her and she mistook a 4 way stop for a 2 way stop. Just a mistake, no biggie, we went the next day and all was well. I had my first child driver. She has had a ball driving!
The Saturday after Haylee's birthday my sister, Lacy, and Tim gave Haylee and I a surprise birthday party at the Lakeridge pool. It was so sweet!! The decorations were precious; over the hill black for me and pink for Haylee. We snacked on cupcakes (my favorite) and cookies. Lacy went all out! She is so great at making everyone she loves feel special. We are very blessed to have her!
The very next morning we left for our Colorado vacation. Haylee stayed behind. I just hate it that she is getting to the age that she wants to stay with friends, but it is reality and I can appreciate that. Besides what newly 16 year old wants to leave town 2 days after starting to drive? Our vacation took us to the precious Diamond J ranch near Aspen Colorado. It was truly a testament to the amazing beauty that God created for us. I planned 6 days worth of meals and snacks for us which I cooked daily in our sweet cabin. We had pancakes for breakfast a few days, eggs and toast a day or two, and breakfast burritos one day. Tim was actually our fantastic breakfast chef. We had sandwiches for lunch with the exception of our lunch on the Aspen day at the pizza resturaunt. I took ground beef patties for a hamburger steak meal with instant mashed potatoes and jar gravy with mac and cheese. We also used the hb patties for hamburgers. We had fajitas made with John Souls chicken fajita meet available at Sams. We also had hot dogs. I tried to be strategic in my meal planning which is fun for me, I have no clue why.
I read a book and magazines and played solitaire and took naps. We played Skipbo at night. Tim tried to fly fish but the river was moving too fast due to the massive amounts of melting snow. We had a hiking day where we hiked a mile or so up. I thought I was going to die the first 10 minutes but it got better. Then I was scared of bears. I just felt so vulnerable, just us lil ole people in that big ole forest...bear bait. I remembered later after the hike that bears are usually nocturnal. Tim and his kids loved it and were always ahead of us. I guess my off spring and I are just not athleticy, adventurous, outdoorsy types, but we did look good doing it! I don't know that I will hike again, but I'm glad I did it this once. I was really glad that Tim was enjoying himself and I tried not to complain and ruin his fun. The next day was our return to civilization for a day. Aspen...what a cool little place. Neat shops, good food and it is really a place for those a little more fortunate than we. I did overhear a few women discussing a recent trip to the Hamptons. I thought the Hamptons was just a fictional place from Sex and the City. Our final day we had the most awesome horseback ride. I loved my horse, Spike, he did just what I told him to do with the reigns! It was a beautiful ride and I felt much less vulnerable being up on a horse and I did remember that bears are usually nocturnal! I am sure that this enough about our lovely trip! It was a beautiful place and we had a lovely time! Don't get me wrong...it was not all humingbirds and pine trees. It was a 14 hour drive and there were 7 people crammed in an Armada and 3 room cabin naturally there was fussing and fighting, cussing and shootings(with and air soft gun) but it was a family vacation something would be wrong with us if there wasn't!!!!
I have spent the week back doing the never ending post vacation laundry, organizing my closet, I created an organization scheme for our 2 fridges and 1 deep freeze...aaannnddd....PINTEREST! My new addiction! I love Pinterest. I can not begin to tell you how cool it is to find things interesting to you and pinning them on your self-created cyber bulletin boards. I have made all kinds of progress with ideas for my new house. I have also come up with recipe, fashion, and classroom ideas. It is so amazingly fabulous! Try it!!!!
When I was in Wal Mart the other day and say school supplies I was in denial! There is a whole world out here and I am not ready to give it up yet! I hope that I have at least one more cool story to tell before I go back!
Oh yeah...being 40 is not nearly as bad as I thought! I have decided to be 40 and fantastically and fashionable fabulous1