Moms dinner night!

I have the best kind of friends, the kind that come over, bring yummy things to share, and then make themselves at home on my couches!

I have so much joy in seeing people happily doing nothing while talking and laughing under my roof!
My bunco girls have come over for this kind of fun and last week my moms dinner night friends did
We decided to make our dinner at someones home instead of a restaurant so we could chat more easily and not feel rushed.  It was wonderful!  We sipped Sangria, ate outside and laughed and talked for hours.
This is the group who all have boys the same age and we have been friends since the boys started kindergarten
It's so refreshing to be with people who accept you for who you are, don't care about the 10 20 pounds you've gained or if your house is perfect
We just love being together and getting caught up with life!
What a blessing !!! 
Come again soon girls and next time just wear your Jammies!

Where we grew up!

I was looking through old photos on my computer and found this one of the house we grew up in . It's a recent photo without the big tree out front ,and the paint is different but its still my childhood home

4482 W 133rd Street 

It always felt so big with a really long hallway! Looking back it wasn't but it sure felt like it then
So many childhood memories are tied to this old house...

My dad would drive up and honk his horn and we would all come flying out to see him

I remember my mom called the TV station and  Hobo Kelly told me where my birthday present was. She said "Happy Birthday Karen your gift is in the hamper"  And by golly it was

Our dog Zorba laid out on the grass and watched over us 

We had the VERY best neighbors and to this day I remember every single name 

Saturdays always meant donuts

We would ride our bikes through the alley to Thriftys for ice cream cones

Or to Food King for a "large white sliced" loaf of bread from the bakery  

The sweet man at "Toffels"  shoes let us kids come in and pick our shoes and my dad would settle up with him later

We loved records and would save our money for "45's" and run to Melody Music to buy them

My YaYa would come to help my mom clean and the house would smell like bleach and pine sol

We would beg to eat dinner on TV trays and watch Startrek, but were never allowed to watch  "Laugh In" because it was too racy

Our sweet Annie lived next door and she was the cuddliest, kindest lady who always had treats for us and plenty of love to give!

Adeline lived five houses down and she would hem and mend our clothes. She had the most immaculate yard and made Pazelles every year at Christmas

My mom insisted I have my own room with a yellow canopy bed and pretty furniture
I would spend hours in there reading Beverly Cleary books with my feet up on the walls
And I begged for a phone jack but it was never in the family budget so we all shared the yellow kitchen phone whose cord was stretched to the max  because we all wanted a bit of privacy

The can opener was mounted on the cabinet and every time our cat heard the clank she would come running!!

There was always a bowl of nuts with a nut cracker on the counter

The back bathroom had pink and green tile and towels all over the floor! My mom did more laundry than anyone I know and she never complained

But mostly there was so much love and joy in that house! We always had tons of kids over and lots of freedom to be young and adventurous .Sometimes I can close my eyes and still remember the smells and the sounds of laughter

I hope someday my boys will look back on their years in our house and have the same warm feeling! 
I think we may have been a little more poor than I thought economically but we sure never knew it. We had everything we ever needed! 
And that is the sign of GREAT parenting 

Joyful images from a happy week !

A few of my favorite moments this week.....
My friend Jodie had a BBQ / Chili cook-off party and it was such fun! For me one of the highlights was seeing Miss Kendal! Just like seeing Missy Franklin in the Olympics restores your faith in young people, so does this sweet girl. She is just the most loving, well mannered, faithful, life loving  girl ever! I remember when she was born and cant help but feel so proud of who she has become

This little guy just gets cuter and cuter! I got to see Beckham for a while this week and I loved every second of it. He now "sings" and his little voice is so high and cute! He has the chubbiest thighs and they are what remind me most of Travis when he was a baby!
He is all smiles and has the sweetest disposition. 

I love a vase that Ashlyn uses at her house and have been on the hunt for one.It's actually a mint julep cup but I just love the simple beading and the silver color. So sweet Ash came home from her errands with one for me! So as soon as I got home I picked  roses from my moms bush and put it on my table. I LOVE it and I love her for being so thoughtful ~  

I met Thia Mary for lunch this week! We chatted for a few hours and I always leave smiling.
She has so many awesome pictures of stars that were candid shots from my uncle Nick. This one of Marilyn Monroe Dave loved , so he made Mary a canvas oil print and it is beautiful!
She was so thrilled to get it

Lastly I love this photo! I have not worn my original wedding ring for years. One night when my kidneys stopped working  and I couldn't pee Steve had to cut it off my finger. And he had to do it right that second!  So he used wire cutters and it looked pretty bad. We put it away and I have been wearing a newer,more stylish platinum set that he bought me.
But for some reason with our 30th anniversary coming up  I got sentimental and wanted my old rings back. So we got it fixed and picked it up on Saturday. I cried right there at the jewelers!
I flashed back to when we went to John Crandall jewelers at the Del Amo mall and picked it out together! They took a Polaroid picture of us and had it on their wall.Even after the kids were born I would stop by with them in the stroller and see it up there. I once lost the diamond out of the middle at work and spent hours digging through the broom trash and actually found it! So this ring and I go way back.
I love having it back on my finger where it belongs. Its not big, its not fancy but its sweet and
I love it!

All these pictures were taken with Instagram, my favorite app ever! It is so fun to take and share pictures with the people in your life. If you haven't tried it do so
If you have Instagram find me! I would love to see the photos of joy that make up your life
Wishing you all a wonderful week filled with love and giggles and snap shots of fun! 

The good, the bad and the ugly

That pretty much sums up my last weeks
The good...
The hubby and I took off for a fun play day in our new car. We had so much fun chatting and being together in the car with no distractions . We went out to Palm Springs and had lunch and did a little shopping. We also visited with my aunt Sylvia for a few hours. She was a RIOT!
She is so gorgeous and is 89 years old today! We met up a beautiful hotel and after about two hours she said " I probably should go park my car" So of course I asked her where it was?
She said " oh I always just pull up to the valet curb and tell the people I will be right back I'm just picking up some people"
She doesn't like people driving her Mercedes and she says it takes too long to get her car when she is ready to go?
Now that is Greek 

Thia Sylvia~

But she is so darling ,spry and totally with it. I have interviewed all the Greeks for a blog/book I am writing and she never wanted to sit down and answer any questions. But little did she know I am half way done after Saturday  

The bad...
It was one of the worst weeks I have ever had as far as pain goes. I knew I had two stones and the problem with them is that you never know when it will move. Saturday I was cleaning berries from the farmers market getting ready to go to some friends for dinner and cards. And within 10 seconds I was on the floor in agony. Thankfully my Dr lets me keep pain meds on hand so there is no waiting in a crowded ER for a Dr to see me.I can get some relief within 20 minutes.
 I was miserable for a day and half. Poor Steve just kept bringing me meds and water and looking at me helplessly.Well one finally passed on Tuesday night but for some reason I was not feeling any relief. So I went to see Dr McDreamy to find out why. He thought maybe it had scraped on the way out and that was the source of the pain or it was from the other one. So he sent me for a Xray to see what was wrong and that night I passed the other one

So here is the ugly....

Two horrid jagged rocks!
If only they were pearls...or diamonds...
I am on such a search to find out WHY I keep getting these nasty buggers
If you have any advice, I am listening
I keep thinking about people who live in chronic pain and I truly pray for them whoever they are. That kind of pain is  
drop you to your knees God awful

But for today I am thankful for so much! I always have to end on a high note looking at my blessings rather than the bummers
And you simply cant stay discouraged long with this little guy in your life!
Happy 5 months Beckham Paul !  

YaYa loves this boy with her whole heart and then some..