Fun with hats..or is it hatzzz..whatever..

..it's fun.

I use Picasa as my photo editor..and they have this fun add-on {free} called Picnik.

They have some fun things to do when you have a little time to play..and "little time" is what I usually have.

A little warning...this can be soo fun..that time just kinda gets away from you. TeeHee..

They do have a "pay for premium" service, but you can still use a LOT of the free stuff..

Yeah..you can get silly..

And you can get really really silly...

..anyway, give it a try..also they have on-line albums. And if your family had on-line albums with them, you can "share" and when they upload, they can view !

Have a good Tuesday and remember..it's about having fUn!!

Whew.....

Yeppers...it's almost Monday.

And we have had the mostest-funnest-fastest-snowy-est Thanksmas ever..

What..I say that every year?? Well..here's proof...

Uh-huh..these puppers don't get dressed up for just anyone..

Zumba..early Thanksgiving morning...

of course..there was no shortage of great food..

visiting..photos.smiling..resting...texting  ??..

presents..happiness..fun....

Trax ride..Temple Square lights..brrr....cold!

Crafting..silliness..excitement..

Miscselanious..miscellanious..  ...other shots

Photo shoot...

..and now..quiet..cleaned up..folded..left-overs..and complete..and utter..

tHanKfUlneSs...

Thanks-mas is on the way!!**EDITS AT THE END..

For anyone not knowing about Thank-mas...it's a thing with our family that started when the Colorado contingency came to Thanksgiving one year with the grands and we sent the back with all their wrapped  Christmas gifts...and we didn't get to see them open them..nor they see us open ours..

The next year, my sister Gerri & her daughter Lisa representing Arizona came as well..and left with wrapped packages.

We thought.."maybe we should have Christmas while they're all out here..but that seems a little extreme..so "Thanks-mas" was born..

Thanks-mas 09

They arrive at various times on Wednesday..we have the traditional Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday..

Friday anyone who wants to {required of the girls} gets up at 4am and does the Black Friday thing..{usually just to see of we can hit all the freebies}

The guys join us about 9am for a breakfast out..then it's sight-seeing, or more shopping, football games and left-overs.

Thanks-mas 08

Friday night is then like Christmas Eve..last minute wrapping, excitement, card games, watching Christmas movies, hot chocolate drinking..

Thanks-mas 05

Saturday morning is "Thanks-mas" morning..everyone meets in the living room in their jammies to open presents, see all the happiness and make big 'ol wrapping paper messes..

Thanks-mas 04

Sunday they all head back to their respective states..and have their own traditional Christmas with no worries  (and no shipping of presents!)

It's a "win-win" for all, but especially the younger ones..2 Christmases in one year!

This year, a blizzard is forcasted for late Tuesday and the early hours on Wednesday..which could cause hazardous conditions as the storm moves towards our drivers..

We are watching the weather forecasts and we know they will make the right choices as to the travel to our home..

We hope for the best..and would be so sad not to have them..but nothing is worth their safety..even Thanks-mas..

So wish them well and our prayers to all who are traveling this week..

-me

OK, so this is for Arizona branch of my family...{and a "head's up" for the one's coming for Thanks-mas! }

10 pm last night...



and at 5:30 am today....

So.......

Got Gloves??



-me

PS - new ones of the yard after Mr. B made a maze for the pups!



...and more...



{these last two are for my Mother-in-law Evelyn, who is having a great time visiting  the Las Vegas portion of the family, Robert & Colette..and enjoying relatively warm weather..hey.."relatively" ..get it?  They're "realivites" hahahaha

Things that make you go..Aww...Or Wha???..or Hmmm...or maybe even HeeHee

OK, so today driving in to work, on the freeway ramp..at the traffic flow stoplight...I saw a car stopped..

..saw a young woman open her door with her left and and saw a toothbrush on her hand..

then saw a foamy-head lean out and..SPIT.

She was totally brushing her teeth as she was driving and about to enter the fReWaY   !!???

GROSS..in the words of Dr. Phil {with his big 'ol Charlie Brown head}...what does she tell herself to make that alright??

So, here's a blast from the past....

Mr.  B was teasing me this morning {he will not stop kidding me about my eye-make-up and that I said I was doing "smokey  eyes"..}

First, when I complained about my eyes looking bloodshot..he said it was because of all the "smoke" ..haha..yeah..

This morning he had me sit down on a chair..then he sat on my lap..and said to the puppies.."Look, I'm on top of old smokey!"

Again..ha ha ha..gesh..

But that's not the blast..he then said to the pups, "Your  Daddy is a ...fink.."

I hadn't heard FINK in for-ever...

Now that was funny...

And the "awww..." moment?

It's when I heard my shoes on the hardwood floors.

I usually go around the house in my socks with my shoes by the back door..so I don't hear "grown-up" shoes.

When I did..it reminded me of the times I spent visiting my sister, Kathy, when she was working at the bank. I remember in the mornings her getting ready for work..and I had the knowledge that I'd be without her for the 8 hours of workday..and finally hearing the sound of her high heels clocking down the hall..a flurry of "good-byes" and "have a good day" and then..silence.

Flash forward..visiting my daughter April, and hearing her "grown-up" shoes as she readied herself for work..

All that "getting ready flurry" of activity....then complete silence..

Weird, huh?

Oh well.  I never said I was a "deep" thinker...just a "oh-!...flash....-I-remember !! "  kind of thinker....

What a weired post.  I need to stop right now...

no kidding..now.

bye.

-me

Are you still reading?????

OK, see ya..

Oh Wait!!  Look at this..has NOTHING to do with today's post..but it is ..fUNnY!

hahhahahhahahaha!

**Edited at bottom of post..There are many benefits for having children at a young age..

..like have grand kiddos that you have the energy and mental capabilities to keep up with..

And I am very grateful for that..

..and being able to not only be the Mother of your kids..but to really feel like they are friends..and be able to "play" together.

But there were things I missed..  or miss..as in I still do miss..

Dolls.

I really never played too much with dolls..and doll clothes.  I remember really wanting one of this doll wardrobe cases that have the clothes hanging bar and little plastic hangers..and drawers on the other side..remember?

My very last doll was Pollyanna..and oh how I did love her!

And, oh the scent of a new doll's head!  I love that smell.  I have been known to sniff doll heads in the toy isle of  K-Mart on more than one occasion..much to the chagrin of Mr. B...

So now it's near Christmas time and I have had an actual dream about getting a new doll..a baby doll.

I know, I know..but don't  start gettin' all  physco-bable on me.  I don;t want a baby ....just a doll.  I have seen those stories of those women who somehow think the baby dolls are real and carry on about them

Well, OK, so some people could say I am carrying on right now..but..ah..not so much.  Really. Seriously..I'm not..

It's just that I like baby dolls..and the outfits...and the cute expressions on their faces...

..but I can't justify spending money on one.  Hmm..
Silly, huh?

 I was sort of disappointed when I woke up this morning {not that I was disappointed that I did wake up, just to be clear..thank you Lord...}

But I really don't think I'm the only one..right? 

So, no Barbies...no Bratz...Cabbage Patch? Maybe...

What is it you want from your childhood that you feel you may have missed out on??

hmmmm..

-me

** OK...ewe!  I have been looking at those "life-like" dolls  and the women who think they are real..and have birthday parties with REAL kids for them..and EWE! 

I don't know whether it's sad..or sick..or just too much money and not enough sense....or all 4...

No, I want a soft-cute-not-real-looking-doll..



or an orangutan...

I'm just saying..

-me

A very serious "How To"...

..now, pay attention...

How to use mouthwash...

 Put mouthwash in mouth..

Swish around while looking sooo very bored..

look around...remembering you are not only not in your bathroom..and not in your kitchen..

.. you are in the break room at work..and have no place to...ah...rid your mouth of  the mouthwash...spit..

OK, OK..this is a staged photo showing how to collect the sample for the DNA test.

After having that in my mouth for the time it took to take several  shots, I have a renewed respect for patient photographers.

And dribble bibs.

-me

I ***love** this...

 

Please think about adopting..

-Love, Braxton & Lulu

{we adopted our Mommy and Daddy...Mr. and Mrs. B...and they're working our pretty good... }

-me

If I made a sweater for my fish..

Well..that’d be just silly.  I’d have to find a yarn that was non-shrinkable AND color-fast....or Sushi would look like a sick guppy..

And then the whole head-hole thing..plus those really really short sleeves.

But I do worry about the temperature in his home.

Mr. B was  shocked kind  enough to get me a thermometer when he saw be trying to find the correct water temperature by putting some of the water on my inner wrist like I used to do with the babies’ formula..

And I would swear Sushi’s mouthing the word “brrrr” when he swims up to the glass and looks at me with those big ‘ol fishy-puppy-dog-eyes..

But my fear is that the thermometer-thingy is giving us a false sense of security..it seems to never change.  It’s always on 70 degrees..

I even thought about taking it out and putting it in my morning coffee to see if it would change at all….

But thought twice on that one..{the thermometer..not Sushi..that would be just ..uh..disturbing..}

I decided to put a light over the tank..a bright light..giving off warmth..and brightness  yes..bRIgnTneS..

Maybe too much..uh..artificial sunshine..I think he wants sunglasses now.

Ever see a fish squint? Not a pretty sight..

I know that heat rises..and there are times he is hovering near the rim..but other times, he’s skimmin’ the bottom..

But I have yet do see him do the dreaded “dead-fish-float”..so I am thinking we’re OK for now.

Let’s just hope there’s not a power outage..

..I just don’t know how I’d keep the candle going what with all that water..


gotcha thinkin' huh?

-me

Sometimes, the best way to stay is to start over..

My son and daughter-in-law are 2 very smart young people.  Sometimes, wiser than their ages ...they are making smart decissions...

They have decided to downsize from their big house in a "up and coming" neighborhood  before the economy takes it's toll.  And have chosen to move to a smaller home in an older and more established neighborhood.

Mr. B and I drove out to see the perspective home today and spent a very enjoyable afternoon with them.

They have such great plans on restoring the curb appeal  to it's time period..it was built in 1911..

Neither of them are much for "old fashioned" but rather a clean, minimal almost "arts & crafts" period of look.

....and the inside has been "flipped" to be a beautiful charmer..high ceilings, dark wood polished floors,wood mouldings and lovely colors of paint.. and a new kitchen!

So, a fixed up porch for sitting on sunny days..a cute little fence..great window boxes and shutters, some pretty landscaping and their house will be a home..

This window is part of the garage they plan on replacing...and I 've already put "dibs" in it..

This is an old school house not far from the home..

 We saw an area of the valley we really didn't know was there.

Sometimes, I think we get into such a "go-to-work-come-home-rest-go-back-and-do-it-again" mentality, and except for vacations, don't get to know our own areas all that well.

And we have some really great areas..just look:

That was our Saturday..how ways yours??

-me

ps...I may have taken this vintage photography a bit far...