Perfectly Candid.....

Notes From Nephews

2009-11-22T08:52:00.000-08:00

Mark & I got this post card from Mason this week. Nov 2009
For the past couple of years he has come to NM with his Dad to visit us during the craft fair. This year he went to Utah to help Chris and Taunie with their move.
And today...I ran across these notes and pictures from Chris and Josh mailed to me in 1994!
Soooo Cute!!

Athen's Marathon

2009-02-27T08:46:00.000-08:00

This was the end of the 10K. I thought I was going to puke in the Original Olympic Stadium, seriously! I was exhausted!

Ancient Olympic Stadium. It was huge and the entire thing is marble. Absolutely gorgeous!

Oddly Similar, In a good way, of course

2009-01-24T16:44:00.000-08:00

They have the same disposition.

24 Hour Vacation

2009-01-18T21:41:00.001-08:00

First of all, its rare that you see Mark and I kiss. .... should do that more often. I threw that pic in for grins.
On Saturday morning we got up, both worked out and then headed to El Paso.
We went to the mall and spent less than an hour. We each got a pair of shoes and I got two new pair of jeans to go with the awesome boots I found on sale Thursday. More about the awesome boots in a separate blog.
From the mall we went to the movie theater. After the movie we checked into a brand new, Courtyard Marriott (it was free,used reward points), took a short nap and headed to dinner. After a fun dinner we went to the late movie. We went back to the heavenly bed at the Marriott, and read until we fell asleep. We woke up, went to the gym, sat in the hot tub, ate a great breakfast and were at the movie theater by 11:20 a.m. As soon as that movie finished we drove 40 miles to Las Cruces to meet Kristin and Joey at, yes, the movie theater! After a short visit, Kristin and Joey went to a BBQ and Mark and I had a quick dinner and drove home.

We had such a nice 24 hour vacation, we laughed and held hands and thoroughly enjoyed each others company. We used to do more things like this. I wonder how we got away from it?
We've decided that we are going to have a few more outings, just the two of us. Carlsbad Caverns is on the list, the Zuni Cliff dwellings in Silver City, somewhere hiking and definitely another trip to El Paso.
We spend a lot of time alone and we have a great home but there's just something about being away, the undivided attention, just for one day, that serves as a good reminder of why you love the one your with.
I highly recommend it!

he loves to be held like this, lol

2009-01-11T15:48:00.000-08:00

Tastes Changing?

2008-10-24T08:47:00.000-07:00

Thanksgiving at Grandma's will be interesting.

Dad

2008-10-22T09:08:00.000-07:00

Dad getting a trim after cataract surgery. The plastic was to keep hair from getting into his eyes.

Dad was almost like the man on the horse after his surgeries..Arms up, celebrating triumphantly! He is seeing so much more than he had been. After getting the second surgery done, he wanted to read EVERYTHING, just to practice.
We hadn't spent much time together in quite a while and really enjoyed each others company over the past few weeks. Mark has been in Korea and Jeffery is a teenager so it was just he and I most of the time. Nice to be together.

Surprise!

2008-10-22T08:40:00.000-07:00

So, I'm doing dishes and I look out the window and think to my to myself, "is that a watermelon"? I dried my hands and walked outside to the edge of the lawn and YES, it is a watermelon! And YES, it was this big the first time I saw it.
I have thrown a watermelon into the desert instead of the trash, to see if the animals would eat it. I never realized it would grow. I guess we got just enough rain this year.
Dad convinced me to pick it. I don't know if it was quite ready or not but I picked it and cut it open. It tasted just okay and had TONS of seeds. I threw the seeds back out into the desert. Lets see what happens????

CAJFW- Sorry you missed the experience

2008-10-22T07:52:00.001-07:00

CRAZY AUNT JUDY FROM WISCONSIN
She is definitely and "experience", lol! She can remember so many funny stories. And if you ask her a question, she says, "That's a long story." and of course, it is....it doesn't matter what the question is. She is a nut! She NEVER stops talking. We had a great time. She went with me to pick up dad in Hobbs. It made the trip go by really fast!

James and Nanny after dinner. It just hit my how truly lucky I am to still be in Alamogordo. I've have thought so much of leaving after the kids are gone and maybe someday I will but for now I realize how nice it is that when everyone comes back home, we get together at Lily's, Nanny's or my house. I think the kids may want that some day.

We all loaded up in the motor home and took an overnight trip to Albuquerque. Here is Lily, Mel, Dad and James with Robert and his family. We ate at this restaurant that reminded us so much of how we grew up. It was eery...a song came on the juke box and I could feel tears running down my cheeks. When I looked up at Lily, she was also teared up. Happy Memories!

Lily was Elk hunting when Judy arrived. We went to pick Lily up in the mountains and this is Judy, all dressed up for Lily. Acting CRAZY!

What Have I Been Up To?

2008-09-29T14:54:00.000-07:00

I'm out the door on the way to Hobbs for Dad's cataract surgery. Its tomorrow morning, the 30th at 6 a.m.
Well, some good news. We found the leak! We've been through numerous contractors, the guy that originally roofed the house has come out three times to try and find it, two stucco guys, two insurance claims, three ceiling repairs, expensive sealing of the roof and FINALLY, we found a roofer that came out and saw the design of our house and said, "I think its the door. I don't think its sealed properly. " We put water exactly where he said to and water came pouring into the living room! I think we have finally found it this time!

I'm up to seven miles! I ran seven miles on Saturday.

Mark is on his way to Korea and we leave for Greece shortly after his return.

Sorry no pics. I will send those to Jake on the new phone! LOL! sorry.....

I love you guys!

Fisherman

2008-09-08T21:42:00.001-07:00

Virtual Makeovers

2008-09-03T22:45:00.000-07:00

Guess What I'm Going to Be Doing in Greece?

2008-09-02T19:29:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited! I ran a marathon about seven years ago. It was an amazing experience! I hurt my back during the run and the doc has advised against running the streets so I don't get to run like I used to. I'm not going to be able to do the whole marathon, 26.2 miles but I am going to do the 10K. That's only about six miles.
I did (ran/walked) four miles this morning. It took me about 45 minutes. I'd like to do the entire 10k in about 50 minutes so I will have to build up an endurance... Of course, Louise will be joining me as she did the marathon. Mark, Lily's son and Mark, my Mark will also be participating but I'm not sure what distance they will be doing.
Just the thing to give me a little motivation!

Precious E

2008-08-27T19:20:00.000-07:00

Good Sport

2008-08-27T07:40:00.000-07:00

Wii Fitness. This is Mark doing the Dance Off. Isn't he a good sport to let me take pictures?

Drippin' Chicken!

2008-08-23T22:03:00.000-07:00

Guess What!? Our old frig took a dump too! When I went to get something to defrost for dinner I noticed that there was slime juice dripping out of the freezer.
Mark had been in it earlier and said, "Ya know, when I went in for a drink....and stopped mid sentence." Well I had a trash can full of chicken, hamburger, pork chops, shrimp and veggies. I think it happens at least once to every family.
The old frig was at least 20 years old and it came from JC Penney. It held up pretty well, I thought. I was able to find an almost identical one at Lowe's. It was a simple stainless steel "looking" for $450. Not too bad considering we keep it in the laundry room and I just needed something that worked.

100 Posts

2008-08-22T09:18:00.000-07:00

This is post number 100. So I guess I average about fifty posts a year.
The blog has been an awesome way of documenting simple life events and its been great for keeping in touch.
I find myself always carrying a camera. Something I never did before. If I did carry the camera, I would take a picture or two and now everyone knows that each event or photo is a potential blog entry.
Next 100 posts?????
Coming soon...November Greece and Thanksgiving at Mom's in Oklahoma, December another "over 40" birthday and Christmas, January is a new year, 2009, Jeffery graduates in May. Are you planning a trip to NM? Kristin continues as a full time college student. Jeffery college??
Empty nest this year...
Mark and I will continue to travel and we'll do more of it together.

Derya & Alev in Alaska

2008-08-19T10:19:00.000-07:00

You see these signs everywhere...Some say "Give Moose a Brake"

Tubing close to midnight. Derya is the one on the right, airborne.

This is right about midnight.

People fish during lunch. Downtown Anchorage

Views like this everywhere...just driving.
Alev and Derya playing hockey. It was fun to watch. I've never seen hockey before and everyone that spoke to us reminded us just how talented these two are.
More driving...

This is the view from the girls back patio. Right in the center is a glacier. Its difficult to see in this picture because of the clouds.
A river just down the street from their house. We watched this beaver for a long time.
Mark and I played a little golf.
Alev-Athlete of the year. She has made a commitment to the University of Wisconsin. Derya is also considering Wisconsin. Both to play soccer and hockey. It is very likely that Alev will be in the 2012 Olympics!

And flag football. These two are on the go every minute. They don't sleep much especially this time of year when the sun shines almost 24/7. We had a really nice visit.

Quick Drive on a Warm Afternoon

2008-08-04T08:08:00.000-07:00

Mark and I went for a quick drive to the post office. Of course, we took Brewster along for the ride. It was in the evening and it was pretty warm. We had the windows rolled down and the air off. It must've gotten a little warm for Brewster.
He's never done this before, at least we THINK he's never done this before.

Traveling with Jeffery

2008-08-03T10:27:00.000-07:00

This is

how he rolls...

Alright, Mom, quit taking pictures. I'll stay awake...FRILL!

No, seriously.

Ya, right.

Okay. I'll drive.

Rain

2008-08-01T14:16:00.000-07:00

We could see the rain rolling in, happy, enjoying the overcast skies, the coolness, the smell of the rain and watching movies...and then after two days of constant rain the roof started to leak. Water came from the vents and all the lights in the kitchen. We were so upset because we've worked for years looking for this crazy leak. We've sealed the flat roof, patched the stucco and thought we had it all taken care of and yet it still leaks! Once again the ceiling has to be repaired and one wall repainted. Although we are disappointed, it didn't seem all that bad compared to the poor people in Ruidoso. We soon felt blessed after hearing that over 300 people were evacuated from their homes in Ruidoso which is only 45 miles away. Homes and bridges were just washed away and all we had was a leak.

This is Mark covering the upstairs balcony which is where we think the leak originates. Look at it pour!

Happy Birthday Kristin

2008-07-23T15:18:00.001-07:00

Top Rated Movies of Ten Years

2008-07-19T09:52:00.000-07:00

Mark will only watch movies that rate in the 70's on rottentomatoes.com. If I ask him to watch something and it has a low rating, I always regret it.
I was looking at the site and they've given the top rated movies of the past ten years. We're always looking for a decent movie so I wrote them down. I didn't include the number one pick because I had already watched all of those. Here's the list:

98 Truman, Shakespeare in Love
99 The Iron Giant, The Insider
00 Traffic, Best in Show, You Can Count on Me
01 In the Bedroom, Memento
02 Spirited Away, Bowling for Columbine
03 Spellbound, The Fog War, Capturing the Friedmans
04 Sideways, Hero, Maria Full of Grace
05 Murderball, Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were Rabbit, Good Night & Good Luck,
Enron; The Smartest Guy in the Room
06 Pan's Labyrinth, Casino Royal,
07 Once, The Bands Visit

Happy 17th Birthday Jeffery

2008-07-16T15:46:00.001-07:00

This is the wrapped gift. Jeffery's teammates presented him with this club when he won the state championship. Mark and I had a case built for it.

Jeffery has never liked cake and ice cream for his birthday. We always have to come up with something different. One year it was cookies that spelled out Happy Birthday, Jeffery, we've had brownies, we've had strawberry gooey stuff and this year it was waffles. We celebrated first thing in the morning. Of course, the house was decorated, a tradition that Mark loves and a few birthday gifts. Its hard to see him grow so fast. I'm so happy to think of the many happy memories we have shared. And if I'm lucky he'll never leave the house, like Dave's kids!

11 Days with Davy and Family

2008-07-13T09:46:00.000-07:00

Pin trading. I had never seen anything like this. Serious business!

So glad Josh and Awburn came to Utah.

Eleven days might sound like a long time but time flies when you're having fun.
Some of my favorite moments of the visit...
Watched Jacob play All Star Baseball
A two hour manicure/pedicure with Jen on her birthday
Watching Jeffery play golf in Prescott-even with the "8
Toasted Marshmallows Utah
Hanging out with Awburn
Nose waxing/Ear Coning
Getting to know Becky and Von better
Josh's birthday party for me, the theme, Domino show down
Talking with Dave on our drives and surviving "the storm"
Bowling, swimming, tennis and shopping in Scottsdale
Jeffery for four days, happy and relaxed.

Amazed that we will be driving OVER the dam soon!

WHAT!? I have to CLOSE that double!?

Outside of our little Casita in Scottsdale. Neat place.

Relax, now just relax...

2008-06-23T16:57:00.000-07:00

Relaxation/Breathing Technique...It can be done at any time.
This breathing exercise requires a certain amount of focus that is extremely helpful in keeping our minds free from anxious thought and distractions.

THIS IS NOT COMPLICATED, really.

1. Sit in a comfortable position.
2. Rest the index finger and third finger of your right hand on your forehead.
3. Close your right nostril with your thumb.
4. Inhale slowly and soundlessly through your left nostril.
5. Close your left nostril with your ring finger and simultaneously open your right nostril by removing your thumb.
6. Exhale slowly and soundlessly and as thoroughly as possible through your right nostril.
7. Inhale through your right nostril.
8. Close your right nostril with your thumb and open your left nostril.
9. Exhale through your left nostril.
10. Inhale through your left nostril. And so on and so forth.

You can begin by doing five cycles, gradually increasing the number to ten or even twenty-five.

Erol Graduates From Air Force Academy

2008-06-20T09:32:00.000-07:00

So proud!

Happy to have the family.

REALLY happy to have the WHOLE family.

Met Holly, Vincent and Melia for dinner.

Alev, Derya, Jeffery, Connie & Mark

Visiting Back East

2008-06-20T08:34:00.000-07:00

Mark's Buddies. Mace, the guy on the left, is the friend that introduced Mark and I. They guy in the middle is Gary, Mark's commanding officer during the Kosovo War. Gary just retired from the Air Force. We were there to celebrate the event.

Mark and I spent a really nice week in Maryland. We saw three of Marks seven siblings. This is Patrick's Family.
Pat, Amy, Ryan, Tate, Katlin, Allison, Aiden and Justin

We took pictures with two cameras and one of the cameras broke so we don't have the rest of the visit to Maryland in photos.

Of Course, Jeffery has been playing golf. Lots of golf...

Another Championship!

2008-05-22T10:54:00.000-07:00

This weekend Jeffery, the golfer, and three baseball players teamed up to play in the Gus Macker Basketball tournament. They were hysterical! The crowd roared with laughter as they performed in their matching outfits. Well, they lost their first two matches and went to the toilet bowl (loser's bracket) and WON! They also won the Good Sport Award. I'm so proud!
What a good time. It much less intense than golf.

Proud Uncle

2008-05-18T10:13:00.000-07:00

"Uncle Dave is SO funny!" said, Jeffery and Kristin.
We were saying that we could just imagine Uncle Dave telling the shuttle driver the story of Jeffery's win. We also thought that he would have shared the story with the person standing next to him in the security line, the person sitting next to him at the gate, the person standing next to him in line to get on the plane, the person sitting next to him on the plane, and that was before 7 a.m.
Yes, there was a huge bull snake on hole number seven. It does make for a better story, but....it didn't eat the ball.
Dave was doubting his decision to leave Jenn and the kids on Mother's Day so the win was helpful in relieving some of the guilt. Thanks Jenn for being so understanding.

State Champion!!

2008-05-17T10:11:00.000-07:00

Walking off the green after the winning putt. Could he be any happier? I don't think so!

Class 5A Boys Champion. Jeffery is the first Alamogordo boy to win the State Championship since 1973!!

Waiting for the tee off on the second day. Jeffery was very focused.

SO NERVOUS! Just announced that there would be a three hole play off and if it ended in a tie then it would go to a sudden death playoff. It went three more holes!

Jeffery warming up before the playoff.

We all walked 36 holes with Jeffery during the two day tournament. Here Dave and Mark plopped down in the shade to rest their weary legs.

What an awesome brother! Thank you for sharing one of the most exciting times of our lives. Jeffery has said over and over how great it was to have you there!

Do you see what I see?

2008-05-08T19:07:00.000-07:00

I was cooking dinner and looked out the window. I thought that there was a cord wrapped around the handle of the little red wagon.

I called Juli to tell her about it and she and the Mario's came right over!
TO THE RESCUE!!

They're so brave!

I was screaming from the door and there's my friend, holding the bag!

It turned out to be a bull snake. It went to live in Juli and Mario's bushes. It keeps the mice away....that's what they say....

DISTRICT CHAMPS!

2008-05-06T20:29:00.000-07:00

Individual - 1st Place!

Boys and Girls Scores

Team- District Champs

Kristin & Connie

Joey & Kristin

Awe Nuts!

2008-05-02T11:19:00.000-07:00

Yes, I am puckering, however, my lips are actually about three times their normal size. This pic was taken in Branson. I woke up on the first day of our trip with huge lips and since then this lip thing has happened over and over again. It feels similar to a bug bite and it swells like crazy. I started writing down everything I was eating and when the swelling occurs. The thing that stands out is NUTS! I love nuts and have eaten nuts all my life! I will keep experimenting but I'm pretty sure that's what it is.

Stealth Retirement

2008-04-28T09:10:00.000-07:00

The underside of this Stealth was painted as an American Flag.

The hangar was lit with orange lights, not the best color for photos!

It was so much fun to spend the weekend with great friends!

Tom & Louise

Tripp

And Speedy

Prom

2008-04-22T21:16:00.000-07:00

Jeffery & Dylan ready for Prom

I found my old prom dress (turned into a bar maid's costume for Halloween). We match.
I told Jeffery I could be his date if things didn't work out at the last minute for he and Sarah!

Jeffery & Sarah

Visiting from out of town, Arden, Amy and Louise. The guys wouldn't get in the picture. They felt like the kids were being tortured enough.

The flowers fell apart before the dance started. We had to hot glue them back together.

Blog, Blog, Blog

2008-04-17T19:44:00.000-07:00

I like the idea of blogging....I really enjoy reading everyone else's pages much more than updated my own.

Shari, Thanks for joining the blog. I could try myspace, so many people use it.

Dave, where have you been? Are you boycotting blogs? I haven't seen a comment from you in a long time!

So, here is my update.

Today was a very early morning for me. It started with a 7 a.m. meeting. I'm still on the board of directors for the Chamber of Commerce. My term will end in June. That will not be too soon. I have thoroughly enjoyed it. It keeps me in the know and I see a lot of the people I've known and worked with for years. I just don't want any more formal commitments for a while.

I also helped Lily and Mel with a termite job. That's always fun, seriously, and its good exercise. I get to drill holes into the concrete all the way around the house and after Mel shoots the chemical, Lily and I fill the holes back up with cement. My muscles are already sore!

I got my hair colored after lunch and saw new person. She did a good job. I tried to tell her that my gray was hard to cover and when she was all finished, she said the next time she does my hair she will have to use something much stronger because the gray didn't cover very well. I'm happy with it though. It looks natural. I like it.

We're expecting a lot of company this weekend and I'm really looking forward to that! The Stealth is being retired. We have friends coming from all over, many we haven't seen in years. It will be a sad send off but a fun weekend.

Mark gets home tonight from Vegas. He's so lucky! He got to spend a couple of days with Jenn, Josh, Grace, Mason and Jacob.

Pedicure

2008-04-08T17:53:00.001-07:00

I had my first pedicure of the summer and of course, I thought of you Jen.

2008 Golf Season in Full Swing

2008-04-06T13:37:00.000-07:00

This is Jeffery's shot off the 18th Tee at NMSU.
He won the two day tournament.

College Bound!

2008-02-26T18:44:00.000-08:00

Jeffery got his first official College Recruit Letter today from the New Mexico State Aggies!

Puppy Love or Really Old Dog Love

2008-02-20T20:32:00.001-08:00

I just love this little guy! I was upstairs and Brewster kept barking at me. He does this pretty often when he doesn't feel like walking up the stairs but wants me to come down to play. This day he hadn't been feeling very well and just wanted outside to sit in the sun. I opened the door, he plopped right down on the warm cement and looked at me like, "What? Its a beautiful day! I just want to enjoy the sun for a minute."

I'm sorry Jen. I called Dave to let you guys know that I might not be able to make it. Brewster is just part of the reason, I'm now sure, I'm not going to be able to make it to visit. He's been very sick and just beginning to feel better. I'm still worried about him and want to be sure Nanny won't have a sick dog to care for. I also didn't realize when I booked the trip that it was so close to another trip I have had planned for a couple of months. I feel guilty about being gone from Jeffery and Brewster for so long. I'll have to make it out there soon, just not this weekend. I hope you're as disappointed as I am that I won't get to spend time with you guys and we will have to put off the toes (and nose wax) for another time. Kristin is still coming and is so excited to see everyone. She'll be passing out hugs for me.

Flashback Friday

2008-02-15T15:04:00.000-08:00

Flashback to our 6th Anniversary. Valentines Day was our 10th!
We enjoyed a nice evening at home. I loved being with two of my favorite valentines!
Mark & Jeffery

Flashback Friday

2008-02-08T16:51:00.001-08:00

Senior in High School/Sixth Grader!

Long time-No See

2008-02-07T10:00:00.001-08:00

Looking forward to seeing you again Kat!

GREECE

2008-02-05T17:55:00.001-08:00

We're going to Greece! We're going to Greece!
October....Jen. Think about it!

Juno

2008-02-03T12:30:00.001-08:00

LOVED this movie!
See the review here.

Results of Ear Coning

2008-01-31T18:26:00.001-08:00

Oh Yeah, that's what you think it is! LOL!!
And of course, you know me....I picked around in it, pulled the wax from the sides of the cone, touched the dry powder stuff....

Coning the Ear

2008-01-31T15:54:00.000-08:00

This is how we spent some of our family time on Saturday morning. We coned our ears! One end of the cone is in the ear and the other end is set on fire. Its cleans the ear, similar to irrigation. The best part is when the cone burns down to about three inches, you turn out the fire and cut the cone open and see what was drawn out. I took a picture of that too, in case anyone was interested. Its quite entertaining!

Cookie Factory

2008-01-31T10:11:00.001-08:00

I'm on the Board of Directors for the Alamogordo Chamber of Commerce and this morning I was invited to tour the new cookie factory! It was so interesting. This was the gift basket I received. The Vanilla Wafers and Sandwich Creams were right out of the oven. Each oven is 300 feet long! The place smelled like cookie dough candles, lol! You can only imagine the smell. M-m-m-m. The conveyor belts of cookies reminded me of Lucielle Ball stuffing chocolates in her mouth at the candy factory. We all wore hair nets but they wouldn't let us eat on the processing floor. It just isn't "Good Practice" or some crazy excuse.
I was going to send these to you in Las Vegas but decided that since you can buy this brand CHEAP in Wal-Mart or the Dollar Store it would cost too much to ship...or I could actually save them for you since they have a shelf life of 8 months! (Found that out today.) If you pick up the Marietta Brand, check the label and you'll see "Good 'ol Alamogordo"

The Flu

2008-01-23T17:20:00.000-08:00

The icky flu....I've had it for over a week and just can't seem to kick it. I've had fever, chills, bodyaches, headache and now my nose is running and my ears are hurting.
I went to the doc and all I can do is ride this out.
So, that's it. That's all I've been up to. I'm sure looking forward to feeling well again!

New Tools. Sure did come in handy.

2008-01-18T21:46:00.000-08:00

Nanny gave Mark this great set of tools for Christmas. He was SO glad he had them when he installed the peep hole in Kristin's apartment door. You won't believe this....FREAKY! (and that's putting it mildly)
Okay....Kristin is telling us about this young couple that came her door attempting to sell her magazines. She said they made her very uncomfortable and literally stepped around her and into her apartment, claiming that it was too cold to stand outside. She didn't like them inside and told them she was not interested in purchasing their magazines and would like them to leave. The girl told her that the least she could do was give them a donation. Kristin refused and although they were not happy, they finally left.
Kristin had no idea that I had just seen on the news that the couple fitting the same description, had just murdered an elderly woman in Albuquerque. They were also "selling magazines"! She won't be opening the door for strangers anymore. Period.

Height. I have a question...

2008-01-15T08:03:00.001-08:00

The question I have is about Sedillo boys. At what age did you get "tall". The reason I ask is I'm wondering if Jeffery will grow to be much taller than he is now. When he was younger the doctor said based on some information and his growth chart, he would likely be more than six foot. Well a few days ago when he went to the doctor another doc said he would probably only grow about another two inches. So, I want to know, what do you think?

Madi & Jamison

2008-01-13T13:37:00.001-08:00

Madi went flying with her Papa. This is one of the planes he flies.

Jamison is looking healthy and VERY handsome!

Happy New Year

2008-01-12T19:37:00.001-08:00

Lily had a huge spread for New Years Day. When isn't a huge spread when Aunt Lil is involved? Yummy! Erica (Bobby's daughter) insisted that we take a group photo and I'm glad she did. This year for both Christmas and New Year's Day we got together with Aunts, Uncles and cousins we don't see as often as we would like. We had great food and played games for hours. James and Melinda and the boys had already left by the time we got around to taking the picture. It was really great to see Erica and her new baby, born on November 20 and Lil (very tall) Bobby and his family. Aunt Mary, Uncle Ben and Diane and her family too.....We decided we should at least have game night more often.

Birthday Month

2007-12-29T14:14:00.000-08:00

What does every girl in a small town need? A POLICE SCANNER, of course!

Crap! Its a scanner! I can't ask questions and they don't repeat themselves. They talk in codes! It's has been fun. I compare it to the police logs in the newspaper the following day. LOL!

Thanksgiving in Oklahoma

2007-11-27T19:47:00.001-08:00

The weather turned cold while we were visiting. Can you believe Grandma found all of us something warm to wear?

Halloween Wedding in Hawaii

2007-11-01T20:41:00.000-07:00

Hedi and Bluto Wedding

Halloween Reception

Quick hello from Hawaii, the big island.

2007-11-01T20:22:00.000-07:00

Night Dive with the manta rays. I was glad they were not sting rays. If any one would have told me I would have jumped out of a boat into the ocean in the middle of the night and enjoyed myself I would have said... not me! It was amazing, hope the underwater photos come out. There were at least 15 of them swimming within inches of us.

Before the dive.

Kiss from Patty/Betty

2007-10-24T19:53:00.001-07:00

This is a kiss (huge, face print, lol) from Patty Betty.
She left this on the window at the entry of my house.

Redskins Fan

2007-10-24T19:45:00.000-07:00

There was a package delivered while Mark was on his last trip. He was so excited to open it when he got home. This was one of the items. Mark is SO proud! Poor guy, surrounded by Dallas fans!

OH THE PRESSURE

2007-10-18T14:31:00.000-07:00

Oh my goodness! The pressure to keep the blog updated! I'm just not as creative as some of the bloggers I know!

I'm thoroughly enjoying my day to day life, more than I can ever remember. It just seems silly to write about it but I will give you a quick update.

I'm making a concerted effort to live a more healthy life. I start everyday with a three mile walk and fit in weights and pilates at least three times a week. Mark and I are eating more whole foods and very little of anything processed. We've cut out most sugar and have learned to love dark chocolate! I've been taking fish oil and other vitamins. I haven't had a soda since the end of July and off all medications. I don't think I've lost much weight but my clothes are fitting a little better and I feel great! I hope that eventually the new habits will result in weight loss.

The weather has been beautiful so I've spent a lot of time outside, reading. I finished a few really good books and have four more that I can't wait to get to.

Jeffery and Kristin are doing great. Jeffery is back in the swing of things now that school is back in session and still plays golf everyday. Kristin is taking a full load and doing great at State. She came over on Tuesday just to have dinner with me and watch a movie.

Aunt Rose from Tennessee was here. She and her friend Fran stayed at my house and everyone gathered here for dinner in the evenings. We saw all the sights Ruidoso, Cloudcroft, White Sands and Holloman. Lily and Mel took them to Las Cruces and Albuquerque for the Balloon Festival. It was a fun week!

I'm picking up Patty/Betty tomorrow at the airport. She's surprising everyone. I'm the only one that knows she's coming in. We'll meet Kristin for lunch and the mall in El Paso.

Jeffery just asked if we could watch a movie together. WOW! Got to go!

OH! Mark and I are going to Hawaii at the end of the month. (Wish I could take Dave and Jenn for Dave's 40th birthday but.....)

Just want you to know that I'm alive and doing very well!

Dragon's Breath

2007-09-26T17:44:00.001-07:00

Last Saturday I was sound asleep and thought I was dreaming. I was hearing a strange sound. I couldn't figure out where it was coming from. I raced around the house and nothing....I finally stepped out on the balcony, in a daze, and saw hot air balloons everywhere. I'm pretty sure the people in the balloons got a kick out of seeing me staggering around with my hair sticking up and realizing, I should have a camera. This could be cool for the blog!

SO Happy Louise is back in the Southwest!

2007-09-17T17:13:00.000-07:00

Kathy, Connie & Louise

Sunset on the drive from Alamogordo to Tucson

More Sunset

The New House

And the new pool. Just can't wait until its finished!

Our Last Trip of the Summer

2007-09-09T20:59:00.001-07:00

Museum of Natural History

National Monument

Jeffery and Grandpa Bob

Barbara, Mark's Mom, Mark and I. We're waiting to have dinner in Annapolis, Maryland

Barbara picked flowers from her garden for my bedroom.

The Hope Diamond.

And of course, we went to an Orioles game!

After and Before

2007-09-09T20:19:00.001-07:00

This window project took months to complete. It took several months to get the furniture and its been quite some time since its been finished.... I just forgot to show the results. The pics don't do the room or the furniture justice.

5 Question Challenge

2007-08-28T20:11:00.000-07:00

1. If you could have lunch with one person from high school and catch up on each others lives... who would it be?
I had a great friend in Yuma Arizona, Cindy Sooy. Her Dad was in the Marines and we moved away from Yuma at the same time. As a matter of fact, her family drove me back to NM. She visited me again once, shortly after Kristin was born and although we hear from each other once a year, around Christmas time, I haven't seen her since. She had two boys and one is a cancer survivor. Just thinking of her now makes me miss her.....I owe her a visit.

2. If someone handed you a gift card worth 10,000 dollars what store would you want it to be for and what would you buy?
I would like a card from Lowe's Home Improvement. I would buy paint, tile, home improvement stuff....

3. What's a current trend or fad you just don't get?

Flat bill hats, baggy pants and huge shirts. Yuck!

4. You're having a dinner party and you can invite 3 famous people dead or alive... who would you invite?

I'm not really sure, Oprah, Elvis and Jennifer Aniston?
I would much prefer having dinner with my whole family, Uncle Fred, Aunt Gene, Kimberly and especially with my grandma. She would have loved Mark and would absolutely adore all of the grandkids she's never met. It would be so much fun to have a dinner together, the way we used to, back in the day.

5. Where's the best place you've been on vacation... and what made it the best?
My favorite place, so far, has been Puerta Vallarta. The weather has been perfect, the food was great and it was very relaxing.

Reason for the Game Room and Wii

2007-08-02T22:30:00.001-07:00

This is the reason we put in the game room.

We've got two playing ping pong, two playing the Wii, two spectators and two more coming in the door. What more could a mother ask for? I was accused of being paparazzi, but who cares if you know where your teenagers are?

Love to hear the music and laughs coming from down the hall....

Happy Memories

2007-07-31T13:01:00.001-07:00

I came across a stack of things that I've saved for years. When I look at each piece, I have a special memory of the days when the kids were younger and so was I.
Jeffery used to love to wear the hat with the propellers, and nothing else. I have numerous pictures of Jeffery in that hat, completely naked.
The Mickey Mouse is a sock/rattle. He would sit in his bouncy and kick his feet and when he saw me coming, especially after work, his feet would go 100 miles an hour. He was so excited to see me!
The card in the middle was a note from Kristin dated November 7, 1995. She just wanted me to know that "I am the very best ever!"
Notes from the kids written on perfectly cut pieces paper towels. That's what what they could find in the junk drawer in the kitchen, a sharpie and scissors.
A card from my best friend that says we're family...
A note from my Dad and if you know my dad, you know why I saved it.

The Last Few Days of Jacob's Visit

2007-07-31T11:33:00.000-07:00

International Space Hall of Fame
Museum of Space History

Ping Pong King!

White Sands. It looks like snow but its miles and miles of white sandy beach with no water!

Dig in it.....

Slide Down it

And here's the plane that he jetted off in, back to Las Vegas....I watched it disappear into the clouds and had a huge lump in my throat. I really enjoyed our special time together, Jacob. Thanks for coming to visit the Land of Enchantment!

Fun Days

2007-07-27T09:51:00.000-07:00

Practicing to play in a tournament with Dad on Friday!

The Otter's at the Zoo

Jacob's favorite

This turtle has been in the zoo for over 50 years!

Brewster's awake!

All that was left from our batch of rice crispy treats!

We had to try to work them off!

Jacob in New Mexico

2007-07-25T22:36:00.000-07:00

Jacob says that he's having a great time so far! He's been so much fun to have around. This trip was going to be all about Jacob and he's had to do some things that were not exactly what he wanted to do but I've not heard one single complaint! He's met all kinds of extended family, visited a sick relative, helped out a new mom by giving her a break from her older two kids, helped Kristin move, went to a Rotary meeting and waited two hours while I got my hair done.

So, here are a few things he's enjoyed doing this week....Swimming at aunt Lily and Uncle Mel's house, movies, bowling, kicking everyone's butt at Wii Sports, Golfing, Ping Pong, and get this, Thrift Store Shopping. Dave taught him this. The book below was his first find and he would like to visit every thrift store in Alamogordo! I was worried about what to feed him but I suspect he will have gained some weight by the time he leaves. He's been eating constantly and enjoyed every bit of what ever I come up with for him. He's been very polite and does exactly what I ask him to do. He's picking up after himself and taking a shower and brushing his teeth too!

Tomorrow we don't have to work around anything, so its "Jacob's Day" and he is so excited. There are several things to get done before he leaves and he just can't decide what to do so we'll let you know how our week progresses.
1. Space Hall of Fame
2. IMax Theater (Walk on Mars, Dolphins and Flight Around the World)
3. The Zoo
4. White Sands
5. Thrift Store Shopping
6. Four Wheeling with Aunt Lily and Uncle Mel
7. Hang out with Aunt Nanny

He has occupied every bit of my time. I've been too tired to get on the computer. He's asleep now so that's where I'm going!

Cousins, Jacob and Jamison

Boxing lessons for his grandpa and aunt

Third or fourth stop while helping Kristin move. This is a funny story.....

Mom would be so jealous! Cracker Barrel!

Bowling, his Aunt was giving lessons this time!

Getting a little trim while he waited for me to get my hair done.

Thrift store find #1.

Sedillo Boys Visit

2007-07-25T22:09:00.001-07:00

Jeffery, Connie Davy, David & Jason

Davy, Sarah (Valerie's), David, Valerie, Jason, Jamison (Jason's), Connie & Madison (Jason's)

Connie, Kristin (Connie's) & Valerie

Becky, Nanny & Jamison

Uncle Tony

Jason & YoYo

YoYo felt so bad that he beat Dad at pool.

Madison

Jason & Jamison

What Will Wii Do?

2007-07-19T21:53:00.000-07:00

This was the ride home from the airport. Its hard to believe that anyone was smiling, except for the fact that we were together. We picked up the boys at the airport and went on a mission to find a "Wii". I had just recently heard that this game was really fun and could be enjoyed by the whole family. Well, it turns out that both Jacob and Jeffery had tried the game only once but on the same day. Well, they both LOVED it! Apparently, everyone that tries this thing loves it! We went to at least 10 different stores, in three different cities and had no luck getting a Wii. Davy called Joshua and asked if he would look in Las Vegas and FedEX me one. Well, Josh couldn't get one either. Everyone we spoke to said that this was the hottest thing out there right now and best of luck getting one. Jacob and I could not be discouraged! When we got to Alamogordo, we made a last attempt at the only two stores we have, WalMart and KMart... Can you believe that someone on the waiting list didn't show up and they sold us a Wii!
It's already been a hit in this household. Jacob is showing us a thing or two and we all feel like it was worth every effort! AND I don't have to play 3000 games of ping pong during Jacob's visit!

Dave & Jacob Arrive!

2007-07-19T21:36:00.000-07:00

A successful first airplane ride! I asked Jacob, "Did they do anything special for you?" Jacob replied, Yes, delayed the flight! (Such humor, this guy!)

Huge surprise for Dave, Dad was able to meet him at the airport!

2007-07-19T01:41:00.000-07:00

Carla's Fours... the Challenge....

4 jobs I have held:
1. Cashier
2. Waitress
3. Teller
4. VP Marketing

4 movies I can watch over and over:
1. Happy Gilmore
2. Break up
3. Meet Joe Black
4. Scar Face (that's bad, huh)

4 places I have lived:
1. Alamogordo, NM
2. Mission Viejo, CA
3. Yuma Arizona
4. 11 different homes in Alamogordo

4 TV shows I enjoy: (only 4 ha... Jen and I that's our thing!)
1. Greys Anatomy
2. Sopranos
3. CSI
4. Forensic Files

4 places I have been on vacation: (Only 4, hum...)
1. Puerta Vallarta
2. Hawaii
3. Florida
4. Las Vegas

4 of my favorite dishes/restaurants:
1. Moo Goo Gai Pan- Taiwan Kitchen
2. Tomato Basil Pizza- Farley's
3. Fajita Quesa Dias- Chilis
4. Red Cheese Enchiladas- Margos

4 websites I visit daily:
1. My Yahoo
2. My Bank
3. Jen, Jamie, Jodie's Blogs
4. .mac

4 places I would rather be right now:
1. happy to be home right now
2. any beach would be nice but with my family
3. in perfect shape
4. in bed, it 3 a.m. at the moment

4 people that I think will do this challenge: (silly question for me..the only bloggers I know)
1. Jamie
2. Jodie
3. Connie
4. Jen

Braces Came Off Today..Happy 16th Birthday!

2007-07-18T18:14:00.001-07:00

4th of July

2007-07-06T15:01:00.000-07:00

Guess who found the toys? Yes, the sunglasses were from the toy box.

Do you remember Pajama Mama?

Aunt Lil: Is this how I smile for the camera Connie?

Does Uncle Mel look completely nekked?

Well, he wasn't! But I don't think he wanted that chest hair to catch fire!

Mmmm....You know how we are? Chile with everything!

Yup! My man rubbing my feet! And Brewster just waits to be pet.

All tuckered out!

Happy Birthday Jen...yesterday

2007-07-02T11:09:00.000-07:00

The other pics I have of Jen getting her brows waxed are much funnier but I thought she might kill me if I posted them. In this photo I think she was checking to see if there was any skin left on the lid. And below were at Dancing with the Stars because we like that kinda stuff!

Happy Birthday. Thank you for becoming such a good friend. I admire your many talents, your many strength, your humor and ability to hang in there with my brother and his crazy family. He says you're the best thing that's ever come into his life and I agree! I love you and the time we spend together.

Mattie Faith - Juli's fourth Grandchild

2007-07-02T10:25:00.000-07:00

I had the honor of watching a new life come into this world. July 1, 2007, Ms. Mattie Faith was born to Erica and Matt. Once Erica's labor started it was all of about an hour before Mattie appeared! She weighed 5 lbs 14 onces and was 19 inches long.

Missin' Vegas

2007-06-27T22:03:00.000-07:00

Grace and Uncle Mark sharing some ice cream pie...

Some for you, some for me....

mmmm...this is good!

Uncle Mark ate all the ice cream.....

Jacob at swim practice.

Jacob practicing his diving technique.
I had some cute video of Mason learning how to put his head underwater and Grace doing the bunny hop (which really should have audio to get the full effect) but couldn't get them downloaded from my camera.

Vincent and Holly

2007-06-18T15:20:00.000-07:00

I warned them... They would be posted! Vincent might look mean but he's a sweet as they come. Dave, he said its been a long time since he's seen you. The blog was great because I could show some of Jen's awesome photos. You may not be able to tell from this picture but Holly is a tiny little thing. She weighs all of about 90 pounds. She's very soft spoken and always smiling. They live in the Denver area and we get to see them at least a few times a year. They have a beautiful daughter, Malia and I didn't have the camera when I was around her.

Puerta Vallarta Vacation

2007-06-15T15:05:00.001-07:00

Pictured with us is the bellman from our hotel, his wife and little girl. They took us on a tour of some nearby cities. We even got to see their house. This was Mark's Birthday dinner. He had flaun for dessert instead of birthday cake. He loves cake. He doesn't like flaun. He ate it. I think I still owe him a birthday cake!

This was my favorite place during the vacation.

Okay, maybe this was...Mark rubbing my feet!

We had a balcony that went all the way around our room. This was the view from the left side. One of three huge pools at our hotel. The rest of the balcony overlooked the ocean.

The living area of our our two bedroom, three bath room. The owner of the hotel had the room just below us. It was and awesome place to be for a week!

Dave...He Cares, Even If He Says He Doesn't!

2007-05-23T21:29:00.000-07:00

Remember, he's at a big business meeting in California...

Text Message: 9:10 p.m.

Dave: Who won American Idol?
Connie: Don't know haven't watched yet.
Dave: Let me know
Connie: K

10:12 p.m.
Dave: Winner?
Connie: Still watching...

10:52 p.m.
Dave: WHO WON?
Connie: Few more minutes.....I'll fast forward to the end

10:57 p.m.
Connie: Jordan!

11:02 p.m.
Connie: Well? What do you think? What are you doing?

(He used me! He got what he wanted and didn't text me back!)

A Week on the Beach!

2007-05-22T22:25:00.001-07:00

Mark and I will be in Puerto Vallarta for a whole week!
I'M SO EXCITED!!

Congratulations Robert!

2007-05-14T14:34:00.000-07:00

Robert and his wife Liz

Robert's two daughters. Crystal and Amber in the middle.

Robert's grandchildren Robin, Angel and Destiny

Dylan and A J

Second in State

2007-05-14T13:57:00.000-07:00

The boys came in second place. They were runner up to an Albuquerque School. The Albuquerque kids knew the course very well because it was their home course and that's always an advantage. It was so exciting to watch Jeffery under so much pressure. He birdied the last hole, with a 20 foot putt, in front of a couple of hundred people and the crowd roared! It was an awesome finish!

Having Land Is Nice, Until You Have To Clean It

2007-05-14T13:27:00.000-07:00

The weather was perfect for working outside. I thought I would clean up the rose garden and trim the palm trees. Well, one thing lead to another and by the time I finished I had at least three trailer loads like the one you see above. I did this all with non-motorized equipment, good old fashioned hand tools. I thought that since I'm not working and I don't have any little ones at home, I'd make myself useful around the house and this would be really good exercise. Well, I was right, however, I have been too tired, in the evening, to get on the computer. OH MY GOSH! I will probably hire this out next year and go to the gym!

Jamison Sedillo

2007-05-04T16:16:00.000-07:00

This is Jason's youngest.

Okay Dave, Here's Mark. He Made The Blog!

2007-05-03T17:03:00.000-07:00

Sunning....Must tan both sides evenly.
Aren't you glad you didn't get both sides of the tub pic?

Scattergories......

2007-05-02T21:57:00.000-07:00

More like Google Search Game..

You have to use your first initial for every category,
and you can't use your own name for the boy/girl name.

Got it?

GO! SCATTERGORIES...it's harder than it looks!

Your Name: Connie
1. Famous Singer/Band: Carrie Underwood
2. 4 letter word: cool
3. Color: coral
4. Street: crescent drive
5. Gifts/Presents: candy
6. Vehicle: cadillac
7. Things in a Souvenir Shop: crosses
8. Boy Name: Chris
9. Girl Name: Cindy
10. Movie Title: Cinderella Man
11. Drink: cactus juice
12. Occupation: car sales
13. Flower: Crisanthamum
14. Celebrity: Celene Dion
15. Magazine: Cozmo
16. U.S. City: Carrizozo
17. Pro Sports Teams: Cardinals
18. Fruit: cranberry
19. Reason for Being Late for Work: can't wake up on time
20. Something You Throw Away: cans
21. Things You Shout: Crap!
22. Cartoon Character: Cartman
23. Song: Crash Here Tonight, Toby Keith
24. TV Show: Crossing Jordan
25. Store: Chadwicks

Kristin's Feeling Much Better!

2007-05-02T21:33:00.000-07:00

Kristin met us in Albuquerque. We had fun hanging out in the hotel, eating great food, shopping and playing golf. Couldn't ask for a better weekend.

Jeffery's First Truck

2007-05-02T21:17:00.000-07:00

Poor Kristin....

2007-04-26T11:17:00.000-07:00

Kristin spent the weekend with us and woke up on Sunday morning with back pain and said it hurt when she went to the restroom. She started to drink lots of water and cranberry juice but by Wednesday she was in such severe pain, could barely walk and was expressing more blood than urine. Turns out she had a really bad urinary tract infection. Needless to say, she spent some time in the emergency room, got a shot and lots of medication. She had to go to class today but was spending the rest of her time in bed. Poor baby.

Match Play

2007-04-26T11:02:00.000-07:00

Jeffery and I are driving to Albuquerque this afternoon. He qualified for a match play tournament which is different than school golf. He'll play 36 holes on Friday! If he wins on Friday he continues to play on Saturday.

He doesn't want me to follow him around during this tournament like I do for school golf because he'll be playing with "old guys, he says, you know, 25 and 30 year olds." He doesn't want to look like a little boy who's Momma has to take care of him.

Mark worked in Albuquerque this week so he'll already be there. We've decided that we'll take our clubs and play a little golf too, at a different course, of course. I haven't even touched my clubs in a long time. I hope the bag is still in style!

30 April is District Tournament and State Tournament is next week. I'll keep you posted.

Chalk Art

2007-04-24T19:02:00.000-07:00

This is Juli's granddaughter Abry. Isn't she just too cute!

Construction

2007-04-23T18:24:00.000-07:00

We're closing up two awkwardly positioned windows in my bedroom and replacing them with one window placed horizontally in the center of the room. I'm a little nervous about the change but they leaked anyway...We had to do something!

Silly Wabits!!

2007-04-23T17:43:00.000-07:00

Beginning in the spring when you look into our backyard you may see a bunny or two. As the weather improves will see four or five. When the grass gets lush and green you can barely see the grass cause there are so many DANG BUNNIES EATING UP OUR YARD!

It Must Be This Blog....

2007-04-21T10:54:00.000-07:00

Last night I had a dream. I couldn't tell you exactly what it was all about but someone was getting married. Jen, Dave, Jamie, Jodie, Becky, Von, Jen's cousins, couldn't tell you who, Carla and Chuckie and everyone's kids were there. Rolling green hills, kids playing, beautiful dresses, I guess you could say picture perfect. I think this all stems from Dave accusing me of going to the Dark Side because I have a Blog Header and because I've looked at so many posts that include family photos...How strange is that?

Who's Going Home?

2007-04-18T20:41:00.000-07:00

Well, we may not have the kind of shopping that you have in Las Vegas but we do get to watch American Idol two hours before it airs in Vegas! I have to admit that its been so much fun to tease Jennifer and Jacob!
I get my paybacks though....Mark is in Las Vegas enjoying my family while I sit home alone watching American Idol....it all evens out.

Ruidoso, Alto Lakes

2007-04-16T19:24:00.000-07:00

Can you believe this place is only 40 miles away from Alamogordo! The course is quite challenging. Jeffery continues to do well especially considering it was freezing cold and windy. Uncle Mel really enjoyed seeing herds of deer. It was funny to watch them standing right in front of the tee box, chomping away and never moving while balls screech past them.