Home Sweet Home!

We got home safely this afternoon from our vacation in Colorado. We had a wonderful time but it's always so nice to get home to your own bed/home isn't it! Vacations are great and I love them, but I'm a creature of habit and enjoy getting back into the swing of things at home, back to normal life.

The bad thing about being back home is the weather. I went for my walk at 9:00 pm tonight and it was still over 90 degrees. It was 106 today, a far cry from the strange weather we experienced in Colorado. It rained at some point almost each and every day that we were there. Seriously, I think somebody needs to tell Colorado that it's almost July already. We had some heavy duty rain/lightening/thunder in both Utah and Colorado, crazy!

I didn't post one single thing while I was away and I barely even got on the computer. The good thing was that I found out that I didn't miss it much. I was happy to realize this because I thought I was severely addicted! While I love blogging and the friendships I've made, I don't want to sacrifice life for a few more comments! This was a good eye opener.

We had a great visit, my parents are fantastic hosts, but it's good to be home. There's nothing like Home Sweet Home!

It's Friday

And I'm nosy...

So here's the question: Are you a water drinker?

I'm trying my best to drink more water these days. I'm not drinking the recommended 8 glasses of water a day but I'm getting there. It's sure hard on the bladder though.

I Need More Time...

I've got a house to straighten up, paperwork to sort through, laundry to do, bills to pay, a dog to wash, and packing to do. All by tomorrow. Help, I need more. Yet here I sit on the computer. Does this sound familiar?!

We leave for vacation tomorrow.

We're heading to Colorado to visit my parents and I'm very excited. This will be the first time that my husband and I and the kids will all be in the same place since last October. The older your kids get, the tougher it gets to coordinate everyone's schedule. The heaven's aligned for us this time though!

We leave tomorrow and will be driving to Colorado (it's easier to take Jake in a car than to hassle with a dog on an airplane!) Courtney leaves from AZ on Saturday. We'll probably arrive Sunday. Brandon arrives from CA to CO on Monday.

We're all leaving on different days too! I don't think my mom will know if we're coming or going...but she can't wait!

One more good thing about visiting Colorado...Hobby Lobby here I come!

This is what summer is all about isn't it!

Blue Monday

Thank you Sally for hosting Blue Monday each week. To join in the fun or to visit other Blue Monday participants, click here.

This past weekend was our monthly camping club weekend. We all went down to the San Diego area and had a wonderful time. The weather looked pretty iffy when we arrived on Friday but we ended up being blessed with beautiful weather after all.

I took lots of pictures so thought I'd show you a few with blue...

Blue sky and water


A fun topiary with blue


A fun, relaxing blue glider


A blue hula hoop


And a beautiful blue summer sky with friends


Happy Blue Monday!

It's Friday

And I'm nosy...

So here's the question: How often do you get your hair cut? I'm getting a haircut today at 9:30. I usually get a good cut about every 8 weeks but my last appointment was only 5 weeks ago. She didn't take enough off and now my hair looks straggly. I don't have good hair. My daughter was the one blessed in that department!

Have a lovely day...

The Marble Game

Over 10 years ago I bought a marble game from Bombay Comapany. Do any of you remember Bombay Company? I loved shopping at Bombay and have quite a few things in my home from there. It was a sad day for me when they went out of business.

The marble game caught my eye so I waited for a good sale to come along so I could buy it. I remember the original price being $50 and I couldn't justify spending $50 on it even though I had been keeping an eye on it for months. I don't know about you, but once I get in my mind that I like something, it's like an obsession with me. I kept going in and checking the price on it and finally it went on sale for $35. To this day I still think it's one of the best $35 I've ever spent. I cannot tell you how many children and teenagers, especially the teenagers, have sat down over the years and played this game, over and over again.

You start out with all of the marbles in place, leaving the center spot free.


One by one, you jump over another marble, removing the marble that you just jumped over, placing the removed marbles in the groove that runs along the outside of the game.



The game didn't come with any instructions but I don't see how you can do any better than having one marble left at the end of the game. I think having only one marble left over is the best you can do. In 10 years of children, teens, and adults taking a shot at this game, which is played solo by the way, this is the best we've been able to do...


So today I gave it a good dusting off, played a quick game, and placed it back where it's sat for the last 10 years...


It's a given, everyone whose been in our house over the last 10 years knows what's on the fireplace, waiting for them to give it another try...the marble game.

It's Friday

And I'm nosy...

So here's the question: Do you have any relatives graduating this month? Whether a loved one is graduating from kindergarten or college, I think graduations are to be celebrated!

My sweet niece Sarah will be graduating from high school tonight. She attends a private, all-girl Catholic school and tickets are limited so we won't be going to the graduation (we completely understand the whole ticket thing!) Sarah will be heading to college in Prescott, AZ this fall.

(It's funny, we only have 2 nieces, Sarah and her sister Allison. Sarah and I share a birthday and then Allie's birthday is the day after my husband's.)

Thrifty Thursday

Thank you Leigh for hosting Thrifty Thursday each week. To join in the fun or to visit other Thrifty Thursday participants, click here. In addition to Leigh, feel free to visit Holly here to see other thrifty finds.

A few weeks ago I was driving downtown and stumbled across a thrift shop that I never knew existed. I was going to pass it by but decided to stop in and take a quick look around. Right off the bat, I spotted something that I have been looking for...a white ceramic soup tureen. I'd like to do a collection of these on top of my china cabinet and this one is perfect. It's in mint condition, not a scratch on it, and it cost me $10. Isn't it pretty!


This is one of those prime examples that "all good things come to those who wait!" I'm learning that if you're patient, eventually, what you're looking for WILL turn up while thrifting!

Have a great Thrifting Thursday!

Awe-Summm!

My friend Nanny passed this onto me recently. Thank you Nanny! It's funny though, Nanny mentioned that she thought I was talented and interesting. These are two adjectives I normally wouldn't have used to descrive myself. It's interesting to see how other people view you vs. how you view yourself isn't it!?! Talented and interesting, I appreciate and like that...I think it's Awe-Summm!


As part of receiving this award, I'm supposed to list 7 awesome things about myself. As wives and mothers, we don't look at ourselves as awesome, we just look at ourselves as everyday women, but you know what, we are awesome, everyone of us.

1. It's awesome that I am a child of God, daughter of the King of Kings! This is something that I'm so thankful for yet I don't take lightly. It's a privilege.

2. I have an awesome family that I get along great with. I have children, parents, sisters, and spouse that I love doing things with. It's a blessing to be able to say that my family are my best friends.

3. It's awesome that I have a job that I love and appreciate. Not many people will have a job in life that they feel they were made to have. It was my calling to become a nurse.

4. I think it's awesome that I'm generally a positive, upbeat person.

5. It's awesome (and I know my family always appreciated it) that I love a clean, organized home, a nicely decorated home. I always have. Even as a child and teenager I wanted things clean and organized. I take pleasure in it and find great joy in my home.

6. I think it's awesome that the older I get, the more outgoing I've become. Getting older is so freeing...it's definitely not all bad.

7. This may sound cliche' but it's true, I think it's awesome that I've made so many wonderful friendships through blogging. Blogging has made me a better person and so have the people that I've met along the way. I had no idea what I was getting into yet now I wouldn't trade it for anything. I also think it's awesome how blogging has forced me to become computer savvy...who knew!

I'm heading out the door soon but I'm supposed to pass on this Awe-Summm award to 7 friends as well. I'll try and update this post soon and pass it on then. In the meantime, I'm off to look at new computers!

We Have A Winner(s)

If you know me, you know I'm a softy and there's no way I could pick just one winner for my 300th post giveaway...1 out of 82, no way Jose! So instead we have not one, not two, but three winners!

I was too tired (too lazy) to get out the camera to capture everything so I'll just have to announce the 3 winners.

So, drum roll please...

Winner #1: Kimberly from Busy Being a Fabulous Mom. Kimberly's name was the first name that my husband picked and I got so excited. Kimberly and her family are RV lovers like us, she also lives in CA, and she's a beautiful christian wife and mother. I can't wait to send Kimberly some of my favorite things!

Although Kimberly is the big winner, I'll be sending out one of my favorite summer items to 2 other special friends also...

Winner #2: Shaila from DaBergs

Winner #3: April from Straight From the Heart

Congratulations ladies! Just email me your info and I'll get these gifts packaged and out in the mail. My email address is listed in my profile.

Thank you all for being followers, friends, and my inspiration daily. You are all so very appreciated!

P.S. The beach was a nice getaway and definitely much COOLER than home. This is a picture I took from our balcony last night. Who can resist a beautiful sunset, the sound of waves crashing on the shore, or the smell of the ocean...not me!