Tonight Was Great

Heather, Abby, and I went to see Sex in the City2. It's always an adventure when the three of us get together. Only the adventure was before we even got in to see the show. Such a deal. We were beginning to wonder if we would get to see the show.

I had Heather go online to order our tickets yesterday because I couldn't find any times available for tickets. (They had to be in red.) When I logged onto Fandango, none were in red. So Heather went to their site while I was on the phone with her.

There were tickets so she requested three and I gave her my credit card number to order them. The girls would pay me later. That way we'd be assured to have tickets. When we got to the theater, our conformation number came up with the tickets being used already. I gave him the last four digits of my credit card with the same result.

OK, we're all getting mighty stressed! You know what happens to girls when they are super stressed, we all were ready to start looking for the best acne treatments available. If it had gone on much longer that's what we'd be doing. Abby called Justin and had him sign online with Heather's ID and found out the tickets were for last night. Heather swore she put in the right date.

Luckily the manager was there and knew we were being honest. She let us go on in to be seated. Bless her heart. We collectively gave a sigh of relief, got our popcorn, nachos, water, and pop and found seats.

I was pretty surprised it wasn't crowded at all. The show was good, especially the part where Samantha was being held to possibly be put in jail in Abdul (sp?). You'll have to see it yourself to find out what happened (especially when Carrie runs into Aiden in that country!). It's time for sleep. Pleasant dreams!

The Day Before Takeoff

No, seriously, we aren't flying, but we are leaving in the a.m. to drive to Avoca to see my family. It is a big deal to me. It's still not known if Steve II and Jadah or Josh and his family are coming. Steve was leaning toward coming with Abby since she won't be staying very long. Josh is driving home from Florida and probably will have had enough driving by the time he gets home.

Steve is outside digging up the flower bed. It's the little square right outside my main door (I call the back door, but Steve feels it is the front door...whatever). We still haven't decided if it will be a flower or vegetable garden. I do have little tomato plants that are about an inch and a half tall now. I wish we had a little tiller and then we could plant the rows the width of the tiller apart. That way it would be easy to weed between the rows.

I really should be out there working along side him. Steve and I both have been trying to figure out how to reduce belly fat. Maybe if I hold my stomach in while attacking the garden area it would help? Who am I kidding, my back won't allow me to work in the garden at all. Sad, but true.

Can't wait till tonight as Heather, Abby, and I are going to see Sex in the City2. Very exciting for the three of us. The last time we went to a movie together was to see Twilight and it was a midnight showing. At least the showing is at 10:15. I don't know why my girls want to go so late unless it is because their kids will be in bed so their hubby's won't have much to do while they are gone except go on to bed. Anyway, catch ya on the flip side!

The Excitement is Rising

I originally planned to go to CB (Council Bluffs) this morning. After realizing I would not be able to be in my whirlpool tub for quite a few days, I decided to wait until Sunday to go. That, also, would make two trips for my hubby to drive instead of three. That will save on gas and his time driving back and forth. My back was hurting at the time I made the decision so it helped me in deciding.

I hate it that I have back problems and it dictates what I can and cannot do. I also cannot just get in my car and drive as the med I'm on really makes me sleepy off and on. I haven't found a way to determine when it will hit me. I just know when it does, I need to go to sleep. I've had it hit me while driving and it was all I could do to make it to the next exit on the Interstate to let Steve take over. This is why Steve doesn't want me to drive to CB on my own. Frustration!

Anyway, we'll be leaving the day after tomorrow for the get together and I am excited. Steve, of course, will be driving. I'm going to the 10:15 pm showing of Sex and the City 2 tomorrow night so I won't be in any shape to drive any of the trip.

Steve has prescription glasses that he uses when he drives, especially at night. They make his eyes feel buggy, though. I told him that maybe the prescription is not right. Maybe he needs to go to a place that sells discount prescription glasses instead of using the ones that make his eyes feel weird. For the time being, he'll have to use the ones he has.

We're only driving to Avoca tomorrow so that's only a 60 mile drive. Well, until the next time we meet, fulfill your dreams!

You Know I Hate This!

After leaving Steve II's house (having ate a wonderful supper with him), we drove to JCPenneys at the Valley West Mall. I absolutely hate trying on clothes so I wait to the very last second to go shopping for something I really need.

We are having a get together Sunday since my sister and her husband and my nephew and his family are all going to be at my niece's home. I direly need a new pair of jeans and some jean shorts. My favorite, and only, pair of jean shorts caught a nail on the picnic table and made a large tear that even when fixed, looked pretty bad. This happened over a year ago, so that shows you how often I shop.

Of course, they didn't have a pair of jeans in the color I really liked. But, the good news is I was able to go down a size in jeans. That's been a long time coming. I ended up with one pair of jeans and one pair of jean shorts and then we practically ran out of the store. (This was after getting it rang up which took forever, by someone who didn't understand English very much, and I wonder if she knew how to operate the cash register.)

Anyway, the fact that I went down a size in jeans encourages me to keep watching what I eat and makes me want to start going to the Y again. If you go to http://www.weightlosswand.com, you will get expert advice on weight loss products, diets and more. I've checked into it and it's great to find a place that actually shows a comparison of different products.

After leaving the mall, Steve said he'd treat me to a McFlurry, which totally defeats my trying to lose weight. I was happy to see they had a little one (snack size?) instead of the regular size which wouldn't be as many calories. We got Steve the regular one and I chose the snack size and we ate them as I drove home. What a day! Hope you had a great day today.

An Invitation For Supper

Steve and I were getting ready to drive in to West Des Moines so I could shop at JCPenneys. I need a new pair of jeans and a pair of jean shorts. Our son, Steve II, called to ask if we wanted to join him for supper (he was grilling a type of sausage).

You know, I'm not Suzy Homemaker. I hate cooking, cleaning, laundry, you name it, I don't like doing it. I thought before I discussed it with Steve II, I have nothing here to make for supper. Am I supposed to do that every day? What a drag. With all the stress in my life, I may just read the pronexin reviews in case I may need it down the line.

I let my son know we were heading to shop, so we wouldn't be able to stay very long after eating with him and Jadah. He didn't mind so we jumped in the car (not literally) and headed his direction. Supper was wonderful. I would say what he grilled were brats, but I'm not very knowledgable in that respect. He also served baked beans and a side salad. Yummy!

We don't see them very often so that was wonderful too. We need to get together more often, even if it's just to watch a DVD or show on television.

A Touch of Alabama

Hello! Sunday we are having a family get together at Wendy's house. My sister, Jackie, and her husband, Randy, are coming in tomorrow from Alabama. Also, my nephew, Mike, and his family are coming. I hope to have pics Sunday to share with you.

My sister, Sue, is setting up everything, with help from her daughter, my niece, Wendy. I can hardly wait. I was planning on going Friday (tomorrow) so I could spend more time with them, but, my back has decided differently. I would be staying at my cousin's house (Nancy) and they don't have a whirlpool tub. With my back the way it is, it would make a big difference. It's like asking for trouble.

Anyway, I am really looking forward to seeing all of them. Hopefully, my whole family will be there, too. I can't wait until my sisters see my grandkids. I am a proud grandma! Josh and Shelley will hopefully be arriving back from Florida in time for the get together. Steve and his family are already back (both families stayed in one of our timeshares near Disney World).

I'm thinking Heather should invest in safety glasses for Christiano (whom she calls Nano) as he tends to fall down a lot and run into things (like our picnic table). He had a few near misses last Sunday when Heather and her kids came out.

He likes to walk off the step near the picnic table and it gives both Heather and I near heart attacks. Once he looked like he was going to jump off the step. Luckily, Heather caught his hand in time. Whew.

You have a great day and I'll be back soon!

Remembering Things

Just a little note as I was thinking about my Dad. I remember going for walks with him and holding his hand. I remember him smoking and now I wonder if they were Davidoff cigars? Mom said he smoked cigarettes early in their marriage but now I wonder if that was just a dream I had because he really hated Mom smoking cigarettes.
What I remember the most is him using chewing tobacco. Well, yes, I do remember him having a cigar or two when he fished (I think).

On to remember more recent things. I really am posting this because Heather wanted to see the pic I took of Christiano in Grandpa's shoes (my hubby's). He was having a blast putting them on and we all cracked up watching him try to walk in them. I wish my grandkids could have known my dad. Sadly, he died about five years ago.

I also decided to add a pic taken the day Steve II helped Steve bring the entertainment center to our house. It was also a short amount of time to spend with my granddaughters, Sydney and Jadah, but we had fun!

I Think I've Survived

What a night. Yesterday I felt fine in the morning and afternoon. However, around 4:30 on my stomach started rebelling. How can I put it nicely? I spent a lot of the evening and overnight in the bathroom. The rest of the time I tried to sleep to forget it all. Every time I'd wake up with a splitting headache and my tummy rolling, I'd just want to go to sleep again.

I wasn't able to help Steve at all last night. Normally, I type up his report for his IT class (one a week). I love being able to help that way. But, I felt really bad that I couldn't sit up to type anything for him. He's never asked me to, either, but I love to type and I can help him out that way.

This morning (10:00 am) I woke up with the headache again and a slightly queasy stomach. I knew I needed to eat something, but, everything I normally have for breakfast sounded gross! I finally made a piece of toast (slightly burnt), plain, scraped off the burnt and had two bites of it. It still smelled burnt so I threw it away and went back to bed.

I woke up again at 12:00 pm and got up, took two Tylenol, and got into the tub with an ice pack on my head. Get the picture? Still have a headache from ____! By 1:00 I got out of the tub and dressed. Actually felt slightly better.

I know I need to eat something, but nothing sounds appealing that we have here. I wouldn't mind yogurt, but we're out of it. I wish I was back to 100% but just am not there yet.



I thought I'd post pics of the boys and their families. It was so great to actually have my whole family together. Even though we didn't do anything before or after the pics, just the effort everyone made to have a family pic made meant the world to me.









My kids have those participating games (forgive me for not knowing what they are called, Wii fit or fun?) that you hook up to the television and can play or exercise to your heart's content. I wonder if the xbox 360 can be played on it? It has tons of neat games you can play. I wouldn't mind having one here that they could play on.

My Family Pics

Click on the picture to see it fullsize

After months (years?) of complaining to my kids that we need a family picture. We finally got it scheduled. Twice. Both times problems came up and we had to cancel. The third appointment was set and since we had to do it outside due to the size of our family, we kept an eye on the weather forecast for the scheduled day. Let me tell you, it was enough to give me adult acne.

For three days the weatherman said it would not rain until evening. The day before the event, it was to rain early morning and then again in the evening. We had to schedule it for 4:30 as two people worked on Saturdays.

As we were driving to the park to meet family and the photographer, it started sprinkling on our windshield. I sent a prayer up for the Lord to hold the rain off until the pics were done. This was after having Heather or Abby tell me it was raining where they were. Bummer!

By the time we arrived, the rain had stopped! I was so happy. 40 or more pics later and it was finished. Hooray. Mind you, I didn't expect a whole lot since Steve Michal had to try and get 20 people to all look at him at once, especially kids. I think they turned out pretty good though.




















Here are pics of my oldest and youngest, aren't they and their families beautiful?

They're All Growing Up

We watched Mikayla for a while as Abby was getting off later than the babysitter's hours. She is such a sweetheart. You can't see much of Steve in the 2nd pic but you can see how much Mikayla loves her grandpa, can't you?

I haven't been to the Y for some time now. I've got to get back into it. The last two times (yesterday being the last time), I actually was in the parking lot, but sooooo sleepy I couldn't go inside. Instead, I slept in the car until Steve came out.

What we really need is a hot tub at home. Then we could look for some spa covers. I could do my exercises in the back yard, then get in the hot tub to relax and get all the kinks out.

I've been wanting an addition on the back of the house so I can be outside without all the bugs attacking me. We could have the hot tub out there and everyone could enjoy it. Sounds grand, doesn't it?

Taylor's Concert

We were invited to go to Taylor's concert last week and it was excellent, as usual. It was for both orchestra and choir so we had a double treat. Steve and I sat with Josh and Shelley, Carter, and Cambria. That was a treat in itself

What a Blessing

Steve's brother, Joe, moved to a new house a few weeks ago. Steve helped him in the moving process and while he was there, Joe asked him if we would like the entertainment center they weren't moving to the new house. Steve told him he'd talk it over with me.

Actually, he told me it was a stereo cabinet. Since we don't have a stereo set up, I didn't think we'd need it. A few days later, he told me it holds a TV, DVD player, etc. I said, "You mean an entertainment center?" He told me that was probably what it was. I got all excited because he said it was in a nice wood finish.

I bugged him until he finally called Joe and set up a time we could go to the old house in Van Meter to look at it. I was afraid it would already be gone as so much time had passed since he'd asked Steve about it. I couldn't believe how beautiful it was. The one we have is one Josh had given us which serves the purpose but it was nothing like this one.



We finally got it moved to our house and it looks sooooo pretty. We gave the black one to Heather who needed one as theirs was falling apart. Every time I look at it, I just smile. I'm sure you all have beautiful entertainment centers. Until we can afford a new one, this one will be just fine.

Enjoying Heather's Family

Heather brought her kids out today to visit and to let the kids run outdoors. We have a nice swing set, a basketball hoop, and a lot of little tyke toys. They came out fairly early so I decided to enlist Kat to help me make some oatmeal cookies.


First, it took me forever to find an oatmeal cookie recipe. I had bought generic oatmeal, so there was no recipe on the box. After finally finding a recipe, Kat and I started tossing in ingredients. I measured, she poured in, and she stirred. What a champ. I asked Heather a question about the recipe and she said, "Doesn't it have flour in it?" When you look at the ingredients, there is no flour listed. However, when you look at instructions, it tells you to add the flour....what's the deal with that? So we guessed how much flour to put in and went on.

After adding raisins and walnuts, we put them on trays and baked. The cookie dough was fantastic. The baked cookies were ok, but not that great. I'd never use that recipe again. Heather said it needed more sugar. I sprinkled some on top of the cookies ready to bake which made them slightly better. Let's just say it makes me not want to cook for a long time.

Heather did cleanup from the cookie making venture, then started in making homemade pizza from scratch. What a girl. The whole time she was here, she had her hands full with Christian.


Jordan was dropped off at 4:00 (by his Dad, who lives in Adel). After everyone had been there about an hour, Jordan held his arms out and said, "I need a hug, Grandma!" I was totally shocked. Usually that is my line. Thus far no one had exchanged hugs, and usually that is the first thing that happens when Heather's kids get out of the car. They run to me and hug me. Okay, the two girls run to me and hug me, I have to corner Jordan to get a hug. Which is why today was really special.

Supper was wonderful. When handing out paper plate holders, Kat claimed the purple one. I gave Alyce the blue one and she said, "Look, Grandma, it's the same color as my eyes!" And she was right. She is my little 'Blue Eyes', beautiful ones, at that! I sent home leftover pizza and lots of cookies with Heather!!! I saved a couple slices of pizza for Steve and I and a bag of cookies for us. Cleanup is done and Heather sailed off into the blue with her little clan.

Steve's in the living room working on his homework (and going crazy). He's in an IT class and it is really demanding. Brings back the days I went to DMACC. He has to look for work at the same time and has to apply for five jobs a week. We're hoping he will be able to find a job soon. Right now he is working on an Excel spreadsheet with the cost of setting up a computer system.

What a fun day! It took Heather about an hour to get my house childproofed (Nano is into everything), but we were both more relaxed when we were able to go outside with the kids. Hope your day was as great as mine!