Memories of my Mom

When Sara calls lately she has really been wanting to share memories she has of her YaYa. My mom of course loved Sara with all her heart. Even more because Sara was the first grandchild and my mom spent so much time with her. They had a precious relationship and  Sara LOVED her YaYa .

One of the blessings of autistic kids is that they remember everything! And we love to hear the stories of my mom that we have forgotten but Sara remembers . Last week this letter came in the mail for me and Steve 

She wanted me to post on my blog what a good grandma she was, and how she took such good care of her. She also wants all the grandkids to share their favorite stories too! So I am going to be sharing stories from each of them over the year.She was such a precious YaYa and I agree we need to keep her memory and funny stories  alive in all our hearts.
Thank you Sara for asking auntie to do this!

I also got a text this week from Dave that read.....
Gods gift to me today. GEAR foundation right? GERA....I never saw that till today!

Dave named his foundation for the kids the "GEAR"  foundation and it is the exact letters of our moms name,Gera~ Such a sweet serendipity! We love you Momala and thank God for continuing to show  your love to each of us in such sweet unexpected ways. 

Too much fun!

It has been such a fun week away from work! And of course the time goes much too quickly.
Tuesday night I hosted the Bunco girls for dinner so I shopped and cleaned on Monday, then cooked on Tuesday. I made a new recipe for lasagna, my famous lentil soup, bread and salad and lots of munchies and desserts. It was so fun having my "homies" here! We were a few girls short because some were sick or away but it ended up being so cozy and fun just us seven! We never played any games, but we curled up under blankets and watched Dancing with the Stars and laughed about EVERYTHING! I don't know why we found every little thing so funny but we did! And we giggled until late in the night. I was so sad when they all had to leave. 
I love my "village" and they are the sisters of my heart.

Then Wednesday morning we headed out for our little four day get away to the Hoover Dam. {we don't like to say Vegas cause it sounds so trashy, so that's what we nicknamed it } We had three free nights at the Palazzo and it was wonderful! Steve bought me a facial at the ahhhmazing spa there and it was *bliss* Lindsay got one too so we totally felt pampered and relaxed.Still cant quite get the "hang" of most of the ladies walking around naked but we wore our suits, tried to keep our eyes averted, and had a blast! I wanted to use my noodle in the jacuzzi  but thought better of it and behaved like a grown up. I used all the special showers, the aromatherapy saunas, the steam rooms, and felt like a queen! We took our books into the quiet room and lounged on big comfy chairs sipping iced tea for hours .
I think I have a new addiction..... SPAS!
We also walked to " Serendipity" and crossed off one of the items on my bucket list.
To eat a frozen Hot Chocolate at Serendipity!  And I didn't even have to go to New York to do it! My sweet Steve just goes along with it all, but he did ask "isn't it kinda like a ten dollar milkshake? No silly~ It is so much more!

My sweet sis and niece also delivered these to our hotel  sweet  suite !

Along with darling birthday plates and napkins. They are so darn thoughtful and I love how my birthday dragged on for over a week!   Yes those are "Sprinkles" cupcakes and they were so yummy! Thank you guys!
We had such a nice get away...we slept late, took great long walks, relaxed and had so much fun! And now today we are home sweet home

Another sweet surprise was this.....

 

It bloomed on my birthday! I woke up and saw this one perfect rose on my moms memory bush.
Thank you Mom .....I love you too!

I barely remember this girl

When I look at the photos of my wedding 28 years ago today  I can barely remember who that young girl was. I was so young and naive but so in love with the Lord and my husband to be. 
If I could talk to her today there would be so much I would want to tell her. So many truths that I have learned over the 28 years of being a wife and having a family .

~ I would tell her to not be self conscience! Wow what I would give for that darling body now. But I was so nervous about being with Steve.I remember buying four bathing suits for my honeymoon and worrying if any of them would be cute on me. If I looked like that now I would probably wear those bathing suits all day!  I would give her confidence and tell her to be darling

~ I would tell her not to worry! I remember often having a sense of worry if the kids would be all right and if we were good enough parents.I am so glad that someone told me that you cant spoil kids with too much love. So when they cried I never hesitated to jump up in the middle of the night and cuddle them. Those cuddle days go way too fast! But of course this young girl didn't know that!


~ But  mostly I would tell her to LOVE her husband with all her heart always!
When you are young your friends, family and kids sometimes have a way of taking over your time and heart. But I would make her realize that in the end it will be him that is still standing by her side. After the kids are gone , and her parents have passed away it will be him that greets her every morning and comforts her in the night when she is sick. It will be him who is the constant source of unconditional love and a daily joy in her life. He deserves her love and devotion above everyone else! 

But I guess you cant really tell someone those things. They wouldn't understand ! Those things need to be lived to be learned.  So today Steve I thank you for giving me time to grow up and always loving me even when I didn't love you back the way I should have. Its been fun these last few years making up for lost time. Just hanging out with you,traveling and being BEST friends. Having less distractions and plenty of time to put you first! I am so thankful that the  vows we spoke are still being lived out in our lives today .

In good times and in bad...in sickness and in health...for richer and for poorer.
We still promise 
God is so faithful and I am so blessed that you are too!

I feel like shouting "We did it"  The kids are grown and are practically perfect! We are still laughing every day and having tons of fun! And we will be the BEST grandparents ever!!!  It's all such joy!
I love you with all my heart! Happy Anniversary

Bed Bath and Beyond~

I'm thinkin they need to change their name to Bed,Bath and What?  I hate to shop but I'm a sucker for any kind of home store! My absolute favorite being Homegoods. But I also love a trip to Bed Bath and Beyond !  It is so fun to walk in with my 20% off coupon and look around for what I  don't  need. I love the canisters to organize my pantry, all fun new kitchen gadgets, I have a obsession for bowls, and don't even get me started on the linens!
I love them
But I have noticed that the " Beyond" is becoming more and more weird?  In this weeks ad they have  these?

Now I will be the first to admit I've been  tempted to get out the ole duct tape and give  myself a nice lift for a certain outfit.  Sometimes a girls underwire can use a bit more reinforcement.But can you really see yourself "taping  up" on a daily basis? Well if the answer is yes they are on sale!  $ 9.99 for ten lifts.  A buck a lift isn't too bad and with that coupon you get another two dollars off. Heck maybe I will look into it! With menopause hitting me full force I can probably freeze them first and keep myself cool at the same time?

Then there was these...

You just slip these onto your existing button and you can have another inch! So instead of buying pants that fit you can wear the tight ones and  add a button. And they come in all colors! Never mind the huge gaping flap by the top of the  zipper . No thanks, I think I will keep cutting out the waistbands of my size 8 pants and use the maternity spandex. Then I can still say in all honesty that I wear a  size 8 ! But I  hope to God no one ever sees whats going on under my  shirt. 

My other favorite is the Booty Pop!

I can hardly wait to get my hands on these. But the thing is once you wear them do you need to wear them everyday? Do you save the big butt for special occasions? Or do you wear it out to the post office and library? We all have skinny / fat days but do we all have big butt days too? I can just hear the neighbors " Karen looks good today , nope never mind that butt is back, wow that girl can sure fluctuate a few pounds in one day"   Maybe I will wait on that one!

So wish me luck...I am off with my coupon and who knows what I will come back with.
A potato peeler? eyebrow plucker?  Or maybe some new junk in my trunk..... Literally

I am happy about....

*The coolness of the mornings and the chill in the air at night! I LOVE Fall and can feel it inching closer and closer every day! 

*All the fun birthdays and anniversaries this month! So many fun celebrations and reasons to be thankful.
Our precious Lindsay turned 50! We love her sooo much and had such fun being together to celebrate her birthday! She is always doing so much for everyone so its nice to have a chance to spoil her for a change.

*We had the best day at dog beach with Brody and the family last weekend. Travis brought Bentley and they played for hours ! I could sit down there all day watching the pups run in and out of the water having so much fun! Steve was so happy just spending the day with his kids! We all went out to dinner to celebrate Pops birthday and it was perfect!  At the beach we ran into the cutest lifeguard ever ! He even drove me to the "good bathrooms" in his rescue truck. So cute  and I was such a proud momma !

*I am planning a anniversary get away with the hubby! Just knowing I have a weeks vacation on the books makes me sooo happy! We will go away for a few days and the rest will be spent putzing around the house and enjoying being home!  It will be our 28th anniversary! Wow time goes so fast! But lucky me to share my life with my bestest friend !


*This weekend is  the other " Mr and Mr's Carter"  2nd anniversary! We are still so incredibly grateful that the Lord brought Ashlyn into our lives! And we have loved watching these two precious people become one! They are so darn cute to be around and their love is such a joy to see! We love you kids with our whole hearts and wish you the Happiest Anniversary!

*Lastly on a totally random note,  another thing I Love is....These

I have always been a fan of the regular magic erasers and the bathroom ones are MAGIC!  They clean so good ! I just love finding new things to adore! Thank you Linds  for telling me about these.  Get some you wont be disappointed!

I wish you all a great day, filled with love and joy! 
Maybe we wont find 14,000 things to be happy about. But we can certainly always find a few! And for that, I give Thanks
 

Memory Lane~

I was browsing through old photos to do a "Memory Lane"  post and came across these pictures. I started laughing remembering this day! The kids were living in Point Loma in a house everyone just called "Piedmont" There was 6 boys including Travis and Chad.They all surfed and the bathroom had a 1/2 inch of sand in the showers. Travis was finishing up college and he and Chad were back sharing a room. It was such a cool old house in a neighborhood with lots of older homes and original owners. So most of them were seniors and surprisingly loved having the boys on the block. One neighbor told Chad she loved hearing the fun, and sounds of life coming from the house. Chad would go over and take out her barrels on trash day and the boys always had homemade treats around the house that the ladies would send over. So the kids decided to host a BBQ for them and invited us to come too. They put flyers on everyone's doors telling them for come on by for a block party.  I was a bit puzzled " You invited all the neighbors? " Yep...and most were coming. So Steve and I went and helped put out the food and straighten up a bit. The boys had gone shopping and bought all the stuff and before long they all came! Pushing their walkers, carrying dishes to share. Chads 90 year old friend called and asked if he could come get her brownies for her and help her across the street. He went running over!  It was simply precious to watch. I felt so proud of the boys to reach out to their neighbors and most of them stayed for the whole afternoon. They sat on couches on the back porch? {ran out of lawn chairs so they just lifted the couch outside} watched the kids play ping pong, sat around and chatted. It was a really fun day and they all said "thanks for the great time"  when they went home ! Made me realize that it doesn't matter  if everything is perfect for a party. They just bought some burgers, put the open chip bags on the counter and had people over. And I am sure it will be a memory they will have for a very long time. 
I know I will.......

A better mood & better things to share!

Despite my grumbling in the last post it was a great week filled with joys! The kids all came home Friday night and we were off to see our favorite comedian ~ Brian Regan. If you ever have a chance to see him live GO!  We laughed for two straight hours ! Then we laughed some more in the parking lot just rehashing how darn funny he is. I 'almost' peed my pants and had to make a run for the bathroom in fear that I was going to have an accident.He is that funny! Then we had a nice sleepover and breakfast together the next day. Chad had to go to work, and Travlyn were off to visit her family.

Steve and I went to a "surprise" birthday party for  Dennis.
WE LOVE DENNIS and have been friends with him long before he married my best friend. He has the BEST Irish family who are so much fun.Dennis loves peanut butter and games more than anything so we played games and feasted on peanut butter sandwiches,peanut butter cookies, Abba Zabbas and tons of yummy appetizers. It was a Blast! Happy  50th Dennis!

Lastly Chad was nominated for  a incredible award at work and they all attended a dinner in their honor. He was picked as one of five out of over 300 guards. He didn't win but what an honor to be nominated. We are so proud of that boy !  And always humble Chad said that the person who won really deserved it and he was so happy for them. He has the strongest work ethic and is such a joy to be around. Here's a cute photo of him goofing around one day at work. Always the prankster but when needed, he spends his days on jet skis  and paddle boards rescuing people who need help.  { I sure hope you read this quick cause I am going to get a call telling me I am bragging and that I need to take it down }  I cant help myself!
I am such a proud momma!

Well I sure wish you all a great week, filled with love and joy! And more reasons to smile !
Love and giggles....Karen~

You know by now I try hard to be up beat and happy!
I try to blog about all the really good things in our life and live with a grateful heart.
BUT everyone has bad days
And this is how I felt on Thursday afternoon.....
Like sitting all alone on a beach with this sign stuck in the sand
'LEAVE ME ALONE'
We have a new promotion at work and they want us to wear "chefs hats" to promote our cookware?
Really???
I have done the Hawaiian days, the country western days, the football jerseys and happy heart week. But a hat?  So of course you get the comments all day
Nice hat...whats with the hat.....why are you you guys wearing hats.....
And by the end of the day you want to scream!
I felt like I was working at Hot Dog on a Stick for goodness sakes.
But I smiled and  kept an upbeat heart
UNTIL 
Some man scumbag was walking past me and I said " Thank you, have a good day" and he screamed across the front end.
"You get paid 10 bucks an hour to say Thank you"
My front end girl looked at me like what the heck?
So I walked right by him and said  
"I get 20 bucks an hour and next time I will completely ignore you"  {and I said it with the total disdain he deserved} 
Yes, not polite....yes it might have started a fight...yes my boss wouldn't love it....
But a person can only take so much. I told Steve I don't ever think I can ever get used to a stranger yelling at me! And he sweetly said "don't ever allow it"
So it felt good to dish some back. But I put my big girl panties on, stuck that stupid hat back on my head, and let it slide. But you can bet if I ever wait on him again I will squish his bread,  maybe break a few eggs and certainly never, ever say 'Thank You' 
Thankfully soon after my sweet customer Ruth who comes in everyday stopped by and brought a smile to my face. She always gives me a big hug and a smile.....

How cute is she? And so interesting too. She was a military nurse in the war and was married for over 60 years!  Sooo precious and she reminds me that most people are good.  

The week had LOTS of fun too! So as soon as I recover from my sour mood I will share the good stuff!
I wish you all lots of good stuff too!

Here's Holly!

When Karen asked me to do a "guest blog," my fingers froze immediately!  What in the world do I have to blog about that anyone would be interested in?  How could I possibly step into the shoes of my favorite blogger for even an iota?  As I was pondering, an all too familiar "craving" came over me.  It was that 3:00 urge for a splurge! (of sugar that is)
And then I knew
I knew it was time to confess the sins and secrets of this "sugar mama!"

I'm not sure exactly when our friendship began.  All I know, is that my friend Sugar has been a lifer. The kind of friend that will always pick you up.  Sugar is there when you need her (yes, she's a her) and even when you don't.  She hangs around though, just in case, and it's usually in the vicinity of my thighs. 

Before I was married, I played many a trick on my then boyfriend, Mike.  I always made sure I was the one to serve the dessert.  Privately in the kitchen of course.  He was never the wiser when his dessert was missing the gooey, cream cheese topping, the cinnamon streusel, or a few bites from the middle. Had I no shame?  When we would go to Swenson's Ice Cream Parlor, he always said "hold the whip creme."  Well, you know I had them hold it long enough just to put it on mine instead. Why wasn't I trying to impress this boy?  I still play the same tricks on him.  I'll  have to tell him!  Maybe next time.

I could go on and on with my tricks and deceptions.  I'll just divulge a few:   Did you know you can eat half of a 9 x 13 pan of rice krispie treats, and no one will ever know?  Just put the remainder into a smaller pan and gently pat.  Everyone will be amazed at your will power when you "pass" on dessert that night.  

I don't do this anymore, really I don't, but I use to go through the Christmas stockings before anyone else was up!  Only my mom knew that I had wiped clean the cherry life savers out of all the socks.  I'm still so ashamed!

This one's pathetic.  I use to call the local donut hut on Saturday mornings to have them "hold" any remaining maple bars.  I'm pretty sure I pulled up like I was holdin' up the joint...bag over my head and all.  (I don't do this anymore, only once or twice.)

And my sweet friend Laura, who was half the size of me, used to run into the store and buy me Reese's on our lunch hour.  I convinced her that it would look better if the skinnier one went in to clear the shelf. 

I'm sure the Bunco girls could attest, they've witnessed me throwing back a few!  Hot tamales and whatever else is in the candy dishes.  And the ole' "could I take some leftovers home for the kids?"  Not true. 

Whew!  All of these confessions have got me missin' that ole' girl...it must be time for a visit! 

May everything in life be sweet and delicious!

*Karen' s thoughts~

I told you she was witty, 

I told you she should blog, 

& I told you she was my kindred spirit! 

My family will die laughing at this because they KNOW my love affair with candy! Holly you are so darn fun and as someone who has witnessed you plow through a candy dish with shrapnel flying I know these stories are as true as true! The funny thing is she not only "chews" the normal candy but the hard candy too! There once was a bowl of lemon heads and let me just say Holly won that round ! Last week at our crab boil she ate FOUR ice cream drumsticks! She kept looking around the table asking if anyone wanted another but her eyes were pleading " please say no "  All 12 of us could share a memory of Holly and a candy bowl! 

Holly ~ I  LOVE that you shared a piece of your life with us and can hardly wait until you send me another story to post! I hope you all leave a comment so she knows how much we loved her stopping by.....

A Crab Boil Bunco

We had a good ole Crab Boil!
I should have had this item on my bucket list but I didn't know how important it is for everyone to experience one....But now I do!
And it's something I think you all should do too! I am so excited to recreate one for my own family.Tuesday Paula hosted  Bunco at her house,but she is in the middle of a kitchen remodel so she  decided to keep it simple with no plates or silverware and eat outside on picnic tables. So she covered the table with a new tablecloth, made a big pot of grub and we ate outside with our hands. And it was soooo fun! She served this amazing meal with a loaf of hot french bread that we chunked off and shared. Yep, you just grabbed a tator or piece of corn and if you wanted to roll it into the butter...roll away. I couldn't decide if I felt like a pirate or like I was living in this house in New England enjoying the daily catch...     

We had the nicest night sitting outside chatting and laughing as we always do with this amazing group of friends ! To finish the night with 'hands only' eating we each had a Drumstick for dessert! Perfect....

*Some exciting news!  Be looking soon for a guest post from our bunco babe *Holly* She is one of the funniest girls I have EVER met!

She is a regular visitor to my blog and I have tried forever to get her to have one of her own. I know I would read it EVERY single day!  But she has agreed to do a guest post on mine really soon. Trust me you will love her as much as we all do!
How about you? Anybody else want to treat us to a guest post? I think it would be so fun to have you all share at least one fun story! A great way to break into blogging without the pressure of having your very own.  
Just let me know when you are ready for your debut ! 

Wishing you Love and Giggles~  

Blessings....

Its been a Joyful week with some really special blessings !
Starting with this precious girl having a very successful foot surgery! 

She was so brave and is already up & around with a little help from mom and dad.They were anticipating a much more difficult recovery with Sara having to be in a wheelchair because she really couldn't manage crutches. BUT, she is doing GREAT! She can limp along and get where she needs to go around her house. We have talked every day and she is her usual silly Sara!
We are so thankful for her amazing doctor! Dave said the Dr prayed with her before she went under. Hows that for Gods perfect timing!Thank you Lord for our precious pumpkin and that her foot will be sooo much better now!

Steve called me last week from work saying Travis had invited him to a Padre game and he was going to go.I was so excited for him because Travs company seats are ahhhhmazing! {Steve is above the ! and Travis is above the U } 

And we all know Steve LOVES nothing more than time with his boys! It was so cute to watch them on TV and I even took a shot with my camera. Steve said it was one of the best five hours of his life! Just hangin out with his boys, eating great FREE food and drinks and cheering for the home team. He also got to see Chad and buy him and his friends a round of beers soda because they were sitting in Steve's company seats at the same game!  How lucky am I to have married a man who's biggest joys are... US

I also had a super fun day with the Greeks!   Our cousins Bill and Cecile are here from the Netherlands and Thia Teresa invited us up for lunch. It was so great to see them and spend the afternoon with my family.
Thankfully we went to Souplantation because it is more 'self serve'  Lets face it no one can work the waitress quite like the Greeks. Even my own sweet mom would run them ragged. Like Dave says you just want to give them 20 bucks up front and tell them it will be the hardest hour of their life. But they are so darn sweet and funny that you overlook the crazy. But we did lasso the waitress long enough to take a "picture" of us.....{this is so classic us it kills me}


Since I was in Orange County I made a day of it hanging out with Kenny Lindsay and Chloe. I love that I have a niece who makes me "heart" signs at red lights and who loves her crazy auntie!

We went to a nice dinner just us girls and then to reflexology for a great massage.  I got home at ten and was still smiling. I can hardly wait until Ashlyn is home with a munchkin and she can join us on those days! Those darn jobs some people have are stealing away some of  my fun!

So for all the blessings I say " Thank you"
And to a family who loves so unconditionally I say...
                                                                       I love you more!

Congragulations!

Last Saturday was a joyous occasion as Kaitlin and Anthony got married!  They are so hip and darling and perfect for each other!

Kaitlin is such a special part of our family. She and Trav have gone to school together since kindergarten. Long before I knew her I would see her cute little face with the pretty hair at school activities and thought she was just so darn adorable! When we moved to our new house she lived just two doors down and we got to know and love the whole family. In high school  they became really good friends. During her senior year her folks sold their house faster than expected and she moved in with us to finish up the school year. It was so fun to have her here and we only grew to love her more ! She always sends me Mothers Day cards and lovingly calls me " Mom 2" and I love that she loves our family ! No one was more excited for Travis and Ashlyns wedding  than Kaitlin!  She is always so supportive and kind hearted.

Well last week she married the love of her life! A man who will NEVER be boring to share a life with! Anthony  is a  hoot!  He is a one man party and has a love for life that is unparalleled.Plus he has the cutest British accent and says words like, brilliant,lovely and mum !  But mostly he adores his new wife!
Their wedding was precious and sweet just like them. 

We love you both so much and wish you a lifetime of love and joy!
Remember to ALWAYS dance! 

Is the wacky in our genes?

I  often wonder " Am I  pre-destined to be this wacky? I love my family more than anything but in all honesty I could fill up my whole blog with our daily life bloopers! Not to mention our weird little habits. I can try to fight it, but its is clearly  in my genes and something I unknowingly passed onto my kids.And since I committed to sharing it all if I was going to blog, here's a few recent stories that should make you feel so much better about your own  life 

Uncle Pete called to ask if I would send him some pics of Kory and Sara while they were here on vacation. He heard I got some great pictures but couldn't see them  because he doesn't have a "My Face" 

That same week while driving with my aunt Mary she was admiring my new phone and asked if it was a "Blueberry?? "

Just today I talked Steve into getting a pedicure with me! I love groomed feet and convinced him how relaxing it is. So he agreed and on our way { being dead serious} he says "I'm so glad I am wearing my red shirt because the Chinese love red? 

Even our Silly Sara gets in the mix. I always end our conversations with " Who loves you Sara?" and she says "You do auntie"
So today I said " who loves you more than anything, up to Jesus and back again?
And she replied..........  " Everyone"
{Can I have just a bit of that confidence} 

I also caught myself this week asking a new acquaintance at least fifty questions.And when I realized how badly I was drilling them I simply said "I'm so sorry, I'm Greek"  I mean really?? Who does that? I once made fun of my mom and her sisters for coming out of restaurants knowing the waitress's whole life story and cholesterol level and now  I am the same dang way!

Also my family also has a serious issue with napkins.
Really its a problem....
And I thought it was just me,Steve and Dave but I took Trav to grab a bite and I looked down at this plate and had to grab my camera!   We can use up to fifty napkins at a single meal and think nothing of it. {notice the stack to the left just waiting . I only ate a couple of his fries and still used a few of my own}
Who does this ?
We do    

This was Daves pile at Panera and he hadn't even finished!



I also found out we all share a love for " Wipe Out" But we only really LOVE the first 15 minutes while the people get trashed.  There is nothing funnier than seeing people fall, trip, and embarrass themselves! Its not right and I apologize but this one had me in tears watching!

So there's a glimpse into the everyday musings of the crazies...
But the good thing is we can all relate to each other !

How about you ?? What makes you wacky ???

Please share...I would love another good laugh