So much fun !

We have been crazy busy but it has been such a BLAST!
We had the best time in Nashville for my nephews wedding. Then it was home for a few days and the Tennessee Krikacs came to see us for a week of post-wedding recovery.
We had way too much fun and my house feels very empty and quiet 
One of my favorite parts of being in Tennessee was hanging out with the kids and my family for five days. We stayed at a beautiful Marriott in Cool Springs. Chad slept in our room and we loved having a slumber party every night.
I have missed that boy so much and he is always so much fun to be around ! And it goes without saying Beckham was a joy the whole trip. The wedding was wonderful and seeing the kids and all the wonderful work at OUR THRIFT STORE was so heart warming as always!
Here are a few pics of the fun...

Martinellis Cider!

Then while they were here we went to the beach, the zoo, church, had massages and great meals. We visited with aunt Mary and saw the kids in San Diego  but this day was one of my favorites. Just hanging out and talking about life

I feel like I did when we were kids....
I could live with them all under the same roof and never tire of their company. We are so like minded and it feels like we belong together. I miss them living here more than anything but am always so thankful for our long visits and that our spouses are close as we all are.
My sis Sandy and I were talking about how overwhelming thankful  we are to have each other as family. We both got teary eyed just thinking about it.
Wishing you all a week filled  with joy and giggles ! The kind of joy that makes you choke up with thankfulness
   

The most magical night !

My sweet hubby pulled out all the stops! He did such a great job putting this party together without me ever knowing a thing. And it was a blast!! I honestly don't remember the last time I had so many people I love gathered together in one place
And that's what made it so special!
I appreciate every single person who came and also my dear friends who helped put it together. My friend Jackie worked her fanny off and her sweet son and daughter in law captured it all on video !  There will never be enough thanks to the Atwoods who hosted at their beautiful home and flew in my brother and sister in law ! It wouldn't have been the same without them and I guess they thought so too, so they secretly flew them here
Steve didn't know they were coming  until he ran by in the morning to drop something off and Dave opened the door! 
My favorite band,great Mexican food, flowers and balloons, a serenade from my sweet hubby, white cake with lots of candles, sweet generous gifts....
But the BEST gift of all  is having these great people as my friends and family  !

Surprise!!

I promise when I get the pictures I will share in detail about my Surprise 50th Birthday party!!
I think it will take me a week just to digest the joy and be able to write about it without crying
Eighty six of my favorite people in the world! Complete with a live band, amazing catered food, margarita machines, beautiful tables adorned with flowers that Ash made, balloons floating in the pool, bartenders making sure everyone was taken care of, all at the beautiful home of our dear friends the Atwoods!
Who FLEW in my brother Dave and sis in law Sandy just for my special day!

My hubby and friends pulled out all the stops and it will be a memory I will cherish forever!
More to come I promise !!
If I can come down off this cloud long enough to pack we are heading to Nashville for my nephews wedding!    
I know you all must be sick of hearing it, but I swear I am the 
luckiest girl in the world!! 

Memory Lane~

My sister in law sent me this today and I smiled remembering our trip to Sea World
Long before kids

Just a young girl on a date with her new hubby { the guy with the very tight jeans}

30 years this month.....
Look at this hunk of man !
I can honestly say I love him thirty times more today !

Bucket List Update!

When I shared my Bucket List  back in October of 2008 one of the items was    
*Visit New York at Christmas time 
Well this December, I am going to do just that
Chloe, Lindsay and I are going for 6 days and I can hardly stand it!
Steve and I were trying to go for our 30th anniversary but with our nephew getting married in Tennessee it was to hard for him to fit in another trip. Being the generous man he is, he quickly said  You girls should go! 

Chloe has been watching the flights and they went down so much we simply had to buy them!
I'm so excited I can hardly sleep
I have never been and my list of things to do has already begun....

Live with Kelly      Serendipity         Dash  
Statue of Liberty   Rockefeller Center  
    Dylans Candy Store       Elf the Musical 
The Rockettes          Central Park  
                     911 Memorial
             Cannolis in Little Italy...

All this fun while wearing mittens, sweaters, scarves and hats! It just doesn't get any better than that! Nothing makes me happier than being bundled up and chilly !
We would love your suggestions of places to see, and things to do ! Please share so we can add them to our list  

And to my sweet Carter, you spoil me rotten with this life of mine! I'm not working, driving around in the cute new car you got me and now you are sending me off for a dream come true!
I keep thinking my summer vacation has to end soon, but you sweetly tell me to enjoy every minute while you work so hard for our family. It doesn't go unnoticed and I promise to make it up to you by spoiling you with love and care all the days of my life....
And I promise we will go somewhere fabulous soon 
Just us two! 

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..

Mommas got a new ride...

Yes this laid off worker who probably has no business getting a new car 
Just got one!! 

My old car was purchased used 12 years ago and I fully intended to drive it another five years!

But it died, darn it  YIPEE

Big time engine work was going to be needed and it's simply not practical to put money into a 99 Ford Explorer

So my sweet hubby sent me off to pick out a car that I wanted !  He didn't want to drive it , didn't want to know how much it was, he just said  
"you deserve it, so go get one"

 {Yes this is the kind of man I was lucky enough to marry }  

I love the Ford Edge and have many friends who are huge fans of the Jeeps
But we knew at the end of the day we were going to buy a Toyota !
Our  friends own the "Toyota of Temecula" dealership and you simply cant beat the sales and service you get when you buy a car from them! Travis drove here a few months ago to get his new Highlander and Chad and I both bought our last cars there. I would say no matter where you live, it's worth the drive for all the extras they make sure you get spoiled with!
So I drove in with my old Ford and a couple hours later drove home in this!

Venza

It is so sporty and fun and it smells divine ! They hooked up my blue tooth for hands free calls and it has XM radio and plays Pandora right from my phone.
I haven't had a new car in over 20 years and I truly appreciate every single thing about it!
The dash feels like a cockpit and I feel a little Judy Jetson driving such a fancy car
I NEVER want to come across as braggy but truly just want everyone to know how thankful I am !
And promise me if you are in the market for a new car....
Try Toyota of Temecula Valley  first!
You will be glad you did !

Underwater....

My new favorite place to be....

I always loved swimming when I was a little girl and suddenly found the exact same joy now when I am in the water
The freedom and sense of peace I have while I'm swimming is one of the BEST feelings in the world
I have a few kidney stones { which is another depressing story } and sometimes when the pain gets bad it feels so good to float and it helps my back totally relax.

So my sweet friend Casey allowed me to borrow her community pool key and off I went to float one afternoon and I have been back at least five days a week ever since. It has been hot and nothing beats that feeling of diving under that cool, clear water. There is hardly anyone there and it is right by my house!  Plus its gorgeous....

snapped this last week with my camera phone...

But the bad news is

I have become one of those old ladies who takes her paddle board and does laps like I'm at the Del Bocca Vista retirement home. I even shower there to get the chlorine out of my hair so my 'tint' will last longer? Last week I left there with my floppy hat, big Jackie O sunglasses, wet hair and sundress and stopped by Henry's on my way home for chicken...
And I didn't even care??

Chad swims laps everyday and he kindly offered me a pair of his goggles but I have to draw the line somewhere
Although....
It would be nice to see under water 
I am one step away from a flowered bathing cap with a strap
But I LOVE it !
And I feel anonymous and I know I am burning calories like crazy plus I sleep like a baby!
So if you ever want to join me for a swim..........Call me
If I'm not at the pool I am probably playing rummy at the senior center with my new best friends

And its only been a month since my "forced retirement" 
Lord help me ...

Celebrations!

We had two really fun celebrations this last week !
Travis turned 28 and Ashlyns little sister Lia got married to a darling boy Chris! 

Travis wanted to spend most of his birthday at the beach after a early morning golf game!
So we all met up there and had such a great time with the kids and the baby 

Happy Birthday sweet baby of mine!

Proud Uncle Chad

After the beach we went to Coronado for dinner at a great Italian restaurant and it was such a beautiful night so we ate outside with a view of the harbor.Travis has been telling Steve for so long about a guitar player at the "Hotel Del Coronado" so we went there after and sat in the bar and listened to him play
The guy is amazing!! If you ever have a chance to be there on the weekend night GO!
It was awesome...
And Beckham was such a  good boy the whole night long. Even with us keeping him up way past his bedtime he never gets grumpy. He has the sweetest  disposition 

Then we traveled to Ventura this last weekend for the wedding

 It was so beautiful and meaningful !

LOVE these two~

Travis and Ashlyn were both in the wedding and Beckham was the Jr ring bearer
The cuteness factor was off the charts !  

They looked so cute ! Travis being silly and Ashlyn finding him funny! 
It was a beautiful venue and my talented daughter in law did all the flowers and tablescapes !
She amazes me~

It was a precious wedding and we had so much fun celebrating the sweet couple! 

My sweet boys tuckered out

We also had a fun  4th of July with my brother and his family....

Lindsay and I did a 5k { yes, crazy I know  } and then we had a BBQ and slumber party ! We played cards and hung out a bit with the neighbors at a block party
We also took Cooper to the dog wash and gave him a bath!  He is so darn cute and he and Brody are
BEST FRIENDS ! 

Life is sweet....We are so blessed....
And I am one very thankful girl!

Aww "shucks"

Of corn that is 
We love corn on the cob ! 
I have so many memories of eating corn on the cob with my parents. My daddy LOVED corn and he would always bring home big bags of it and we would sit on the porch with a grocery sack and shuck it
And we were allowed to use the whole stick of butter to "roll" it in   
Once my mom and aunts Mary and Kay ate so much they had a belly ache for days
They said it was so good they just kept eating more. I think Mary ate four ears!
I do come from a long line of Nebraska Cornhuskers so maybe it's in our blood
So when I saw this video, I LOVED it and couldn't wait to try it out.
The corn turns out perfect!!
I don't think I will ever cook it any other way ....
Go get some corn, cook it, roll it and thank me later ...
Happy summer!

 Don't you agree this guy is just the cutest?