Wonderful friend

My Friend Gennae is in town for the week, they are visiting family, and happily she got to make a little time for me to see her and her little ones~ They are so cute.

So I met them at the park and played with the kids. Tim and I had been outside all day at the dog park and I look very "squinty" and hot!!! (Heat hot, not sexy hot)

I love Gennae, she started off being my babysitter when the boys were little and now she has become one of my very best friends. I think she is wonderful.

This is her little fella Grant, he kept calling me "Cherwe" I love that!! And I played all over the park with him. The little ones didn't give us much of a chance to talk, because they had me up and running all over the park . . . but it was fun! I love little ones, but I forgot how much work they are when they are little. Good thing I had the boys when I was younger and had more energy!!!

And this little Doll is Reagan~ She was scaring me to death because she wanted to play with me and tease me so she would climb up high and then lean out and call me "Cherwe" and my heart would race as I ran to make sure she didn't face plant in the dirt! Very scary stuff! but she is so stinkin' cute!

What a good time we had!

Oh and just so that I don't forget, Tomorrow is free shipping day with ACBailey, click on the blinky and it will take you to my online store and you can shop till you drop!

My totals for the month of June

I don't feel like I was very productive on my pages this month . . . but I guess when I look at my Tally sheet, I was.

Are you ready for my total . . . I manage to do 66 pages!!!

Most of them were for My book when My wonderful niece was here visiting me. (not only did I have to do pages for MY book, but then I had to do copies for everyone Else's books too . . . but the family only got pages of the ones that they were in with Jessie, otherwise I would have never gotten my book done.)

Don't forget that Tomorrow July 1st is free shipping day!!! From ACBailey! Here is the link. http://www.acbaileydesigns.net/?Click=225

So here are a couple of layouts I did this month.

this one is simple, for my dads book, I love the happy ACBailey paper! Here is the link Again . . . just in case you can't live without this paper! http://www.acbaileydesigns.net/?Click=225

I did 3 of this layout, of Alex and Avery . . . I made myself giggle because they hate to have their pictures taken, but for some reason they were doing this "Thumbs up" thing . . . so it seemed funny to me . . . I love funny, goofy layouts

This is for Alex's book, I did one for Tony's book a long time ago, but I did it totally different than this one . . . I like this one better, but I NEVER go back and REDO . . .

Ok, so here are several from My book with Jessie, I am SUPER LAZY this morning and didn't bother to take the layout out of the plastic sleeves in the book, that's why they are kind of goofy looking.

And I used photo corners on this, because I had to re-edit the picture because when it printed Avery's head is part way cut off . . . But I wanted to get the layouts done, with the use of the photo corners I was able to do the layout (A very simple layout) and then when I get the opportunity to get pictures printed again, I will fix the pictures in all 7 of our books.

I love the colors in this one! Colorado is so pretty . . . and we had such a good time!

Me and Aunty sitting waiting for the kids to get out of bird world!

That's all the pictures I took . . . thanks for looking. Remember FREE SHIPPING tomorrow . . . so it's a good time to stock up on papers and glue and all kinds of cool embellishments!

Could have, should have and would have . . .

Well . . . I'm having issues . . .

My younger sister Tiffini called me last week and told me that our Aunt Mimi called her and said that Grandma wasn't doing well. That the priest had been called and "last rights" had been given to her.

WHAT?!?!?!?

I was shocked.

I knew that she had had a stroke or something like that last year, Although no one called to tell me when that happened. I found out later on, again from Tiffini, no one seems to like to tell me anything (That is part of my issue) Well she got out of the Rehab place back in late February this year, and she thought she would get to drive again and keep her Independence. But the family/and doctors told her no more driving. (At least this is the story I got) and after they told her that, she decided she didn't want to live any more. So she has been giving away her things and won't get out of bed, and is having troubles breathing . . . and with the priest being called to her for Last rights . . . I guess it's just a matter of time before she passes.

(Big sigh)

I wish that I had better thoughts and memories of her . . . of the family. I'm kind of "odd man out" as far as this side of my family goes. I have always wondered why my Adamson side of the family didn't care about me. Didn't want to know me. . . didn't care that I have tried to be a part of them . . .

I met my biological father 4 times.
~ once when former hubby #1 and the boys and I were traveling back from seeing his family in New Orleans, and we stopped and Met Joe and Grandma Adamson in Houston.
~ Former hubby #1 and the boys and I went to Disney world with Joe
~ Former hubby #2 and I were in San Antonio and he came and had lunch with me at the hotel.
~ and at my younger sisters graduation

I met my grandmother in Houston, and at my younger sisters graduation and at the funeral of Joe. 3 times.

The rest of the family I don't really know either.

And as with Joe, I have the same feelings toward my grandmother, I want to know her, I want to like her . . . But time has run out on both . . . I'll never get the chance to get to know her. I'll never get the chance to find those things about her that others in my family love. And that leaves me feeling hurt and bad.

It's hard to "Be related" to people, who you don't know, and the little bits you do know about them you find them irritating and not people you would really want to have in your life. Now, the optimist I am, I know in my heart of hearts that EVERYONE has something redeeming about them . . . I've just not found what it is about most of my Adamson family.

So I'm battling myself. Wanting to know this side of my family but having been burned when Joe passed away. When Joe Died I went down to Texas to fulfill the promise I made to him 10 years before that. That should he die, that I would go to his funeral. And so, true to my word, I went. Tiffini and I planned the funeral together. I did all the flowers for the funeral (Standing in my Uncle Craig's kitchen alone with my pain- no one was there when I did it, I was alone in this strangers house making flowers for My Biological father who I bairly knew and didn't really like). I did everything I thought I needed to, for not only the family, Joe, and myself, so I wouldn't have any regrets. And people were mean to me.

I won't get in to the depth of the "meanness" and the pain I suffered because of it . . . because it just upsets me even more. And I don't really want to be upset, I just need to get this all off my chest. I did what I promised to do . . . and more. I didn't go there to collect some massive inheritance, I just went there to fulfill my promise to Joe, (Although, he never followed through with any of the promises he made to me~ but that is another thing I'm upset over and dealing with~ potentially more on that later.)

And now with the potential of my Grandmother passing away, I find myself feeling the same things I felt when Joe passed. I am hurt because I will never get the opportunity to really get to know my grandmother, and find things I like about her. I'm never going to hear all the stories of her life . . . (And no one seems to want to tell me the stories~ Tiffini tells me what she knows,) but I want more. I'm the keeper of stories, the keeper of family history, the keeper of the lives that have passed before me, and yet . . . I know no stories of my Adamson family. I have no pictures, except for a couple. I know no family history . . . And I ache for all these things.

So do I put myself through the potential of the family being mean to me again, like they were when Joe passed away, to go and honor a woman who never had time for me. To go and maybe gather some stories and some pictures for a life I have never know, with people I have never known?

My friend Jessica said to me yesterday when we were talking about it. "If you don't go to the funeral, will in 10 years time, you regret not going? If there is any potential of you regretting you didn't go, you have to go, because there is no way to go back later on." Truer words couldn't be said.

So, after much heart ache and pain, and tons of tears (Sorry Tim~ this gem of a man has had to deal with me and my emotions. I'm so blessed to have him!! I love you Tim! you are the best!!!) I have decided to go to my grandmothers funeral when she passes (that is if my family calls me to let me know she has passed.) Because I never want to have regrets. I never want to think to myself that "I could have . . . should have . . . or would have . . . and didn't." That's the selfish part of me. "I" don't want to live that way . . . thinking of all the things that "I" could have, should have, or would have done and didn't. When I, someday leave this life, I want there to be no regrets . . . No thoughts of all the things that might have been, all the potential to build bridges and lives that could have been touched . . . I will have no regrets as far as my Adamson family goes, because "I" will have done everything I could have to build those bridges and touch those lives, whether the family was, or will be receptive to me . . . that is on them. I will have done all I could have.

I know that with Tim by my side I will be able to be strong, and deal with the "Family". I know that if anyone is Mean to me like they were when Joe passed away, Tim will be there to pick up my pieces and to probably knock their heads off.

I can do this! I am stronger than I sometimes think I am . . . and I will have no regrets as far as this family is concerned . . . if there are any regrets to be had, they will be on their part . . . not mine. I will have done everything I needed to.

OPA!

Father's day we decided to go to the Greek Festival . . . It was a ton of fun. The inside of the church was beautiful . . . the entire ceiling was filled with and painted religious paintings. I'll only put one photo of that, but if you want to see more just message me and I will add more.

We watched the children dance. It was hot, and they seemed to lack enthusiasm . . .but it was still really cool. They were super cute!

Mom wanted to eat Calamari, but what she didn't know was rather than RINGS of calamari, they gave her the whole little squid . . . that was NOT what she wanted . . . So she really didn't eat much of it. I ate the tentacles (Which are my favorite part) but she just couldn't take that they were "looking" at her while she ate them.

After a failed attempt at eating we opted for drinking . . . so we had to experience OOZO. It's kind of like drinking Vicks formula 44 or Jaggermister~ But it's clear, and tastes like black licorice.

The thing about the oozo, is that it has a kick!! My dad pretending he was mad about us drinking shots of oozo . . . he is funny!

Shooting oozo with Tim!

Can you tell by my face what I think of oozo?

It really warms you up on the inside! And makes your boobs sweat!

As if having one shot of oozo with Tim wasn't enough, then I had to have another shot of oozo with Mom.

This is what she thought of oozo!~

Over all we had a wonderful day! It was a lot of fun to get out and do something we don't normally do . . . I would like to go back again next year, but next time we will skip the calamari! We will probably still have the oozo! Cuz that was kind of fun!

Went through the desert with a Dog with no name,

Ok . . . so that is my LAME attempt at humor with my title. What can I say . . . I'm a goober

Avery got his new puppy on Friday of this past week . . . He had been waiting to get the puppy since he was three days old. The puppy was finally old enough. Looks like we wore the puppy out . . . leaving one family for another is a lot of hard work.

Avery is a really good Doggie daddy!
How can you resist that face!!?!?!?

A stack o' boxers!

Yawning! Isn't that cute!

Jade loves the puppy and wants to play with him all the time. I think the puppy is a little afraid!

Alex came over right away to see the puppy . . .

We have all had a ton of fun playing with the puppy (Which still after 3 days has NO NAME). But Jade has had the most fun! She loves the puppy!

And action shot! I love how their ears are flapping!

The puppy thinks he is big and tough . . . Jade lets him think that!

The puppy is stalking Jade!

The pounce!
After a long day of playing both the puppy and Avery are tired!

Feeling fragmented

I'm not feeling myself . . . I don't know if it's cuz I'm in pain from my "ever so graceful fall" at the dog park and the subsequent pain I'm still in . . . (Shoulder is still giving me a lot of issues~ I have movement in it, but it causes me a lot of pain if I touch it. I can't even have Juliette rest on it when I carry her~ It hurts too much.)

Or if I'm feeling Tim's concern and anxiety over not having a job (Yet again due to the lovely economy, and lay offs). I have a tendency to "absorb" what ever emotions are going on around me.

Don't get me wrong, I'm so happy and excited about Tim being home!!! But he seems not to be too happy about it . . . which makes me be a little aloof. And I know it's not me that he isn't happy to see, but the job situation.

I just wish that he could think about this current layoff as a vacation, and have some fun! I want him to have fun and enjoy the break . . . I know that money is tight, and that it's not an easy thing for him to be off work . . . but . . . (Ok I'm over simplifying~ I just want him to enjoy being with me).

So if all of you will think good thoughts for My Tim . . . in finding and getting a job soon! And being able to enjoy the time he has here with me, and hopefully finding a job in the Denver Metro Area . . . and just relaxing and taking the time to refresh himself so he can take on the next challenges in life, I would appreciate it.

Just call me grace . . . . UGH!

Tim and I got delayed yesterday because we had to go look for Beth's kids. She thought we had them with us . . . but we didn't, we didn't even have our own kids . . . why would we want someone Else's!?

So we didn't end up at the mountains, so we took the dogs to this wonderful dog park. The dogs run and we hold hands and talk! Its a good time!

But . . . yesterday our Boxer, Jade, (this is an old picture, but one of my favorites of Jade) was running and we were starting to walk towards the car, we sill had about a 1/2 mile to go, and Jade came to check in with me, which she does all the time before she goes off to explore some more. It had just started to sprinkle, but it was still really nice, I'm a wash and wear kind of girl so I love to wander in the rain.


Jade, stepped in front of me and then ran between my legs (That is not how she usually checks in). I started to fall and then corrected myself, but still momentum got me and I ended up on the ground. Totally bloodied up my arm, and my knee. And tweeked my wrist and elbow, and ankle and neck . . . (I'm already in pain because of all neck back and arm pain I have because of the car accidents) and the arm that got hurt yesterday is the one I've had 5 surgeries on. Fingers are swollen, and pieces and parts of me hurt. UGH!


I have been taking Perocet, but I have a wedding appointment today at 1030 so I don't think I can take one and do a wedding consult, but I don't know how I will be able to do a wedding consult without pain meds. I am the only one in my store who does wedding consults, Mom totally sucks at it! She doesn't take the time. She doesn't have the desire to know all the details, plus she is still pricing things like its 1985 . . . great deal for the brides but it sucks if you are trying to stay in business!


So just call me grace.

Aftermath of the tornado

I went over to the Mall yesterday that was hit by the tornado . . . They had the main part of the mall closed off so no one could go down "Main Street" I guess a lot of windows had blown out!

This is a photo of where the movie theater is, I guess there is a bunch of roof damage.
Here is a photo of one of the windows that were blown out . . . I guess it's the same thing all up and down Main Street.

Here is a pile of all the stuff they have had to take out of the mall, that was destroyed. There is a big awning that is just all twisted. Pretty crazy stuff!

My favorite store in the mall is Michaels, cuz I can buy craft supplies . . . It is closed down, and the stores on both sides of it are closed too. There was more damage to the TJ Max than the other stores, It looked to me as though part of the side of the building was off. And all the stores had letters from the signs missing.

As I was driving home, there was this one house, where part of the roof was missing and all the windows were blown out . . . it was the only house that was like that in that neighborhood. Which is, for me, Why tornadoes are so scary . . . they can hit one house and then jump over all the rest to come down and take out other things . . . The is no rhyme or reason to a tornado . . .

I'm just glad that everyone was safe, and no one to my knowledge was hurt or killed in the tornado. Thank God!

"We're not in Kansas any more Toto"

And neither are the tornados!!!!!!

Yesterday was pretty wild.

The funnel was getting lower, and bigger (As seen below) It really got scary when the funnel got wide at the bottom.

The photo below is the makings of a second tornado . . . it was very scary . . .

Avery said that the hail and the mud looked like Hot chocolate with Marshmellows in it . . .

Some of the hail was so big that it would hit the ground and break in to smaller pieces, but when it would hit it would sound like a huge piece of glass breaking. There was so much hail in such a short period of time that it overflowed the gutters!

In typical fashion of my children, they ran out to SAVE THE CARS! (Silly boys!)

A shopping mall about 3 miles from my house has a lot of damage to it, so I'm hoping to get to drive by there today to see what really happened. Planning on taking my camera (As though anyone could pry it out of my hands! ) So if I get any good pictures of the mall, I'll post them later.

As far as I know, no one was hurt in this tornado . . . THANK GOD!