Monday, October 31, 2011

Imposter

Or Sharpies Halloween Costume


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Sunday, October 30, 2011

Halloween at Grandma's












Costumes were limited. Dinner was great. Cookies were delicious!

CEM and Larissa were actresses.

And CEM was queen of the world.


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Saturday, October 29, 2011

Happy 6 mo anniversary Will and Kate

And yesterday history was made: British government voted that their first born (girl or boy) will be successor to the throne.


Here comes another super baby


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The toppings not chosen






An unfriendly pop in the mouth

I pick Heath bars. REM picks the chocolate buttons.

Neither pick the odd fruit

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Friday, October 28, 2011

Top 5 pics sent to me week ending 10/28

1. From Ruth: sick little girl wanted Aunt Laura to know
2. From Joe: Young girls; )
3. From dad: dual shower possibilities
4. From Karie: birthday amusement
5. From Martha/kt : my favorite organizer
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Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Reno highlights

Reno is a great city. Either I get easily entertained on my own or their humor is great too.
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Sunday, October 23, 2011

Sunday Games

Chargers lost
Cardinals lost
Colts losing

Patriots a bye

Hmmmmm
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Saturday, October 22, 2011

I love CEM






Best soccer pic yet, and she introduced us to the humor in Ripleys Believe it or Not.

His name is Doug, oh dear.

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Friday, October 21, 2011

Top 5 pics sent to me week ending 10/21

From Sara: world Walmart serving now
From Ruth: if you can pick yourself up to go to ER you can get shoes
From Amy: super turtle cake
From Kim: don't fall
From Kim: girls hanging out
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Thursday, October 20, 2011

Blog material

Whenever I travel I realize how much blog material there is at airports. I was making this declaration when I looked up at saw this sign.

I wonder what Reno will bring tomorrow
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Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Dell WISE West












Women in Search of Excellence (WISE) at Dell's newest building in Silicon Valley.

Met Michael Dell, Karen Quintos (Chief Marketing Officer/Dells highest ranking female), and had Dell cupcakes.

Now that's a day!

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Tuesday, October 18, 2011

really

Closed? I'm shocked
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Monday, October 17, 2011

Top 5 pics sent to me week ending 10/14

From Alice: 22 weeks old!
From not sure: not sure
From Richard: Baby Logan arrived
From Diane: Hawaii truckers hat
From Kim: Halloween porch
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Sunday, October 16, 2011

Home Again, Home Again

Anxious to get home and sad to leave we hugged our new friends. I think CEM said it best "we will never forget JAMAICA (and we loved the chicken)"

I sat in one row in front of my kids on the plane ride from Charlotte to Phoenix (they changed seats because I guess they hadn't got enough of each other :)

I listened to their giggles, their funny stories and felt blessed beyond belief.

"There is nothing that salt water cant cure: tears, sweat, ocean water"

Upon landing:

MJM "It's so hot here"
CEM "I am so glad to be in America"
REM "I am so glad to live in a first world country"
ME "Do you realize it is 922"
Tarzan "Jiggity jog"

Saturday, October 15, 2011

ASRT Scanner Oct/Nov Issue



15 minutes of Fame :)

Lazy Reflective Day

Saturday 10/15/11

Rain, hurricane? No just rain woke me up at 6 am.  

Our plan for a day in the ocean was thwarted by the weather.  Not to be held back REM, CEM and I went for a 3 mile walk in the rain to take pictures at the Smurf Cafe.  We took lot of pictures of dead frogs and the girl were serenaded by three local boys (Celine Dion of all songs). While walking a strong stence (rosemary? ganga?) gave REM and I an immediate magnificent headache and nauseated all three of us. 

Walking home a beautiful "black/white woman" (a local who uses bleaching cream) asked us if we wanted a ride.  We opted to continue our walk to enjoy the surroundings.

We finished the walk on the beach to rinse the road dirt off our feet in the ocean water. The nausea hadnt gone away so we all laid down for naps (MJM now up with energy was slightly annoyed). I started and finished (ok this is where the two Andreas congratulate me) a 450 page book. It was called One Day (written well but annoyed me beyond belief on page 385. This is why I dont invest that much time in books :().

After 2 doses of advil and 2 doses of execedrin I started feeling better. Ammon and his extended family came over for our goodbye dinner. Dinner, canasta and packing up I should have been exhausted. Instead I laid in bed for 2 hours writting this journal of our events for the kids. Around 130 am I realized it was from the caffeine in the execedrin and got up to write it all down.

My dear children - I love you and loved this adventure.

Friday, October 14, 2011

Oasis

Friday 10/14/11

I dreamt about being on vacation and Connie Eberhart remodeling the mammo department while I was gone, CEM dreamt about not getting the right homework assignment done, MJM and Tarzan claim no dreams and REM dreamt that she couldn't get rid of her hand of cards during canasta. Yes are brains are relaxed.

Lots of sunscreen was lathered and then Ammon drove us to YS Falls. We took a small detour before going there to see the Bamboo Road. I am afraid to say the pictures of thi experience are not great because it really started to rain and we couldn't get out of the van. But the view will always be ether in our minds. 3 miles of bamboo canopy that the slave owners planted so that the worker wouldn't stop transporting the sugar cane. The bamboo is arched towards each other and without knowing the history looked magnificent. Knowing the history hurt our hearts.

We arrived at the Falls. 96% of rain And the water condition was "medium brown". Arriving here was bittersweet. I am so happy we waited for MJM but I know my mom would have found great peace in the water falls and my dad would have spent the afternoon in the mineral spring water. CEM was given the task to prepare the poster for her grandparents (which they are going to love!)

Pictures and some videos will be posted soon of this spectacular place. I am finding it difficult to even try to explain this truly hidden oasis in the middle of nowhere. We all zip lined over the falls (the third line was 1000 feet long) and watched the crashing water from above. All threes girls bravely conquered this and anxiously took of their gear for the next task of hiking the falls. Tarzan found a great host, a Falls employee named Rashain, to take us to the rope swing (ok this I where we were thankful that grandpa wasn't with us because he would have had a heart attack or put an end to this exploration), Tarzan first follow by the girls in age order (this was planned this way, it just happened). Rashain captured the funniest home video of me on the rope/and then not. RO RO RO just thinking about it.

Rashain, who has worked there for 7year and knows the water better than anyone then took us on the most incredible journey through the Falls. We got some awesome pictures and great memories. We then "dilly dabbed" (a-great new phrase we learned from a UK traveler in her "scivvies") in the spring water before leaving. We weren't able to do the tubing due to the medium brown condition, but didn't feel like we missed anything.

We headed for food and stopped at the "tasty restaurant". Tarzan ordered lobster, MJM ordered red pea soup with chicken feet, and the rest of us got chicken and chips. While KFC it was not it came out pretty good. Poor MJM with her first meal in days (down at let 5 pounds) enjoyed the firt couple bites before the texture of the dumplings in her mouth and the sight of the cut up chicken feet. What a trouper ;)

When we returned home the trouper got a wild card canasta and CEM killed a bug with her bare hands at dinner (as I am writing this I realized have not discussed the bugs or the goats. CEM has been the mosquito magnet and we have experienced more bugs then can even be mentioned. The goats roam free - lawn mowers we think). I can't describe the elation another has when her youngest daughter just squishes the bug rather than scream (before MJM got ill, she took a photo of one on her pillow before bravely killing).

Amazing day.......

Oasis Pics