Just Having Some Fun

I love this one! So sweet!


At ice skating lessons...she's in the gray and black.
She's doing really well and loves it so far!



One Sunday afternoon she got creative.
She came downstairs in this outfit...
(please excuse DH's shoes and other clutter)


She is wearing my old cowboy hat
and a construction paper mustache.


She then posed like this!



This is by far my favorite...I think the
umbrella was her "rifle"...can you tell she
is an only child and no one was available
to play????

You gotta love it!

Conversation I had with my 9 year-old while she was in the bath the other day.

Daughter: "Mom, I'm taking a bath."

Me (yelling from downstairs): "Okay."

Daughter: "Do you want me to go ahead and bathe?"

Me: "Hmmm...why would I want you to bathe since you're in the tub and all...Oh no, that's not why you're in the bath. You're just in there to get wrinkly old lady fingers and toes, oh and get water all over the floor when you get out."

Me still: "Yes, PLEASE bathe, we all would appreciate it!"

Daughter: "Okay, just checking."

Sheesh!

We've been Elfed!

Click here to check us out! You can do it too!

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree

Okay...we currently live in a much smaller townhouse than our previous house in TX. Therefore, I really don't have room for my big Christmas tree and all my decorations. Here is a picture of the extremely slim tree I purchased last week. I think it was meant to flank your front door or fireplace or something like that...but this year it is our one and only Christmas tree!


Our own "Charlie Brown Christmas Tree"!



Simple wreath on our front door!

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

It snowed here on Saturday, Sunday, and Tuesday, and we're expecting more possibly on Thursday...so here are some pics of the beautiful snow!

This is just outside our front door. Through Sunday, we had about 7 inches of snow. This is the most snow my daughter has ever seen since she has spent the last 6 years in TX. We did get snow on occasion in North Texas, but not like this.

Another picture just outside our front door. It is just beautiful! I hope we get a White Christmas as well!

This is out on our balcony of our townhouse. No view of the mountains today due to the cloud coverage.

First taste of snow...cold and yummy!

Happy B-day, Scott (aka Daddy)

My version of his favorite cake, Cinnamon Chocolate.
I just prefer bundt cakes...it was delicious if I do say
so myself! We had already celebrated in OK during
Thanksgiving, but we had to have our own party on
his actual b-day so we could celebrate his first b-day
in Colorado.



I don't think he looks this old!
Oh, this is their look-a-like smile. Scary!


These two love "The Simpson's", and she just
had to get him this movie for his b-day.
Yes, that is a Colorado Rockie's fleece blanket on
the back of my sofa. Not really my decor colors,
but it is the softest & warmest blanket. Thank you
to my father-in-law for leaving it when my in-laws
were visiting in October. My DH and FIL went to
one of the playoff games, and it got really cold, so
my FIL bought this blanket for the game.

Spa Night

While we were in Texas in November, Morgan wanted to have a "Spa Pajama Party" at my sister, Shelby's, with her kids. Morgan had it all planned out, and Shelby and I just had to execute all the details. They did facials and manicures, and we made cucumber bagel sandwiches and chocolate covered strawberries for the party. Check out some of the party pics below...

Lil, Morgan, Haley (friend), and Wyatt putting
on their cornmeal facial scrub. Yes, we are keeping
this pic for blackmail purposes when Wyatt starts
dating! :-)



This one, too...gotta love the headband.



Now for the banana mush mask for soft & supple
skin! It tastes pretty good, too!



You can't forget the cool slices of cucumber to
get rid of those puffy eyes and under-eye circles!


Ah...relaxation at its best!

Beautiful Mountain Views!

I thought I would finally post some pics of the mountains in Colorado since we've only been here for 5 months! It is really so wonderful to walk out on our balcony and see these majestic views! It actually snowed here a little this morning although it already melted, but all of the ski resorts are getting a lot more snow now! Supposedly we may get some tonight/tomorrow morning.

Clear sunny day in Colorado in November

Overcast, snowy day in the mountains in November
...no snow in the city on this day though!

Turkey, Cinnamon Chocolate Cake & Bloody Mary's, oh my!

I love Thanksgiving! It's probably my favorite holiday next to Christmas. I have a pretty large extended family, and it was always so much fun when I was young spending Thanksgiving either in Arkansas with my granny and all my dad's family or in Louisiana with my Mammaw and Pappaw and all my mom's family. As a child, I was an extremely picky eater, and the meal was not my favorite part of the holiday by any means. It still isn't. I did not even like turkey until my early teens (thanks to my dad's scrumptious smoked turkeys). I only started eating dressing/stuffing and pumpkin pie in my late 20s. Until then, my plate at Thanksgiving consisted of mashed potatoes, corn casserole, ham (if I could talk my mom into making it along with the turkey), and a dinner roll. As a southern girl, I love my starches!!!

Although I'm still pretty picky, my tastes have evolved somewhat. I really do like trying other things. But this year it seems I reverted back to my childhood as I only had turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, stuffed mushrooms and bread on my plate. :-) Yes, I realize I did not get any green veggies! I think the only green veggie available was a green bean casserole, and I just can't bring myself to eat it.

I love being around my family and love the feel of fall in the air which makes this time of year one of my favorite. We spent the holiday in Oklahoma with Scott's family. Scott was born on Thanksgiving, and although his b-day is not always on Thanksgiving, it is his family's tradition to "celebrate" his b-day on Thanksgiving Day since his birth interrupted their Thanksgiving festivities so many years ago. So instead of pumpkin pie for dessert, we had his favorite, Cinnamon Chocolate Cake...along with a spicy Bloody Mary!

Luckily, my brother, his wife, my nephew and niece recently moved back to Oklahoma, and we were able to visit them as well! I wish we would have had more time with everyone! We really miss them and hope to see you all again soon! It was a great visit, and I just wish it lasted longer. I missed being able to see my sister and her family and my parents, and can't wait to see them all soon! I truly am thankful for our family and the wonderful times we share!

I meant to take pics, but forgot, so I will have to wait until my niece, Amanda, or either my sister-in-law Kelly or Kim email some of their pics, please!!!

Now, I guess I need to start decorating for Christmas... :-)

"Slowsky City" VS "Speed Racer-ville"

"Slowsky City" Drivers aka CO Drivers

(not me, yet!)

VS


"Speed Racer-ville" aka TX Drivers
(much more my style)

First, let me say that I don't think either is better or worse. Let's just say they are complete polar opposites. Before moving back to Texas in '02, I did not enjoy driving in the Big D. The fast driving terrified me. I'm a pretty safe driver and have only had 1 ticket in my 20 years of driving. I'm not saying that I haven't deserved more tickets; I've just been fortunate. I also have an internal police radar that I think annoys both my husband and my sister since whenever they are driving I'll say "there's a cop" before anyone else sees one.

My job in TX required a lot of driving all over the metroplex, so I quickly became accustomed to driving fast. You either keep up or get ran over. I understand most non-southerners see southerners as "slow", but get them behind the wheel and fast is the only way to go. You do realize that most NASCAR fans are from the south, right? Most drivers in the Big D drive a minimum of 5 miles over the posted speed limit, typically more. In contrast, most drivers I've been around (obviously more behind them) in Colorado drive the exact posted speed limit or even worse, less than the posted speed limit.

So, on days when I'm busy doing important things (like blogging, reading or shopping), and realize I only have about 10 minutes to get to my daughter's school which is exactly a 10 min. drive, it gets to be a little annoying that I live in "Slowsky City" and no longer in "Speed Racer-ville".

So what can I learn from this?

Lesson #1: I need to leave sooner to get my sweet child so that I'm not the "late mom". 'Luckily, she has never been the last one in her class at school. :-)

Lesson #2: People seem to be just a little more laid back in Colorado. Maybe I should try it more. Question is, can I acclimate????

Girl's Weekend - Starting Now

Since DH is having a boy's weekend in Vegas, Morgan and I are having our own "girl's weekend". She only had a half day of school today, so we had plans to go out to lunch and go shopping, but we decided instead to pick up some lunch and hang out at home for a little while. She wanted to play, and of course, I wanted to play on the computer and listen to the radio trying to win Bon Jovi tickets...I love me some JBJ!

Not wanting to be couch potatoes the rest of the day, we decided that there are a lot of good movies to see, so we think we are going to see the Bee Movie. Although I think going to a movie still counts as being a couch potato just in a public location...except we won't be in our pajamas and I will have makeup on my face.



So I was searching online for reviews of the Bee Movie, and found a good one from another blogging mom. You can check out Mrs. Fussypants review of the movie here. She seems to be a level-headed sweet southern mom. A girl after my own heart. Oh, she also makes jewelry and is having a contest on her blog to win some. So click here to check out her bling give-away.

We have more "girl" things planned for the weekend, and I'll post about them once we actually accomplish some of it. :-)

It's A Small World After All (I hope you don't have the song stuck in your head all day!)

After about 16 years, I have recently reconnected with my roommate from my freshman year of college, Sara. (Shout out to Classmates.com). We went to college in Misery (aka Missouri for those of you who haven't lived there), and it just so happens that we are now both living in Colorado with our respective families! She has been here 7 years, and I just moved here in the 7th month of the 7th year of the millennium (I guess numerology is in the air today). It made some sense for her to go to college in Misery as she was born and raised there. On the other hand, I had lived in many other states but never Missouri and graduated H.S. in Louisiana. However, I really did enjoy my college days and the friends I made there. It just happened to be a pretty small college and just reminded me too much of H.S.

Anyway, it's ironic that we are both living here as neither one of us has ever lived in Colorado before (hence it truly is a Small World). Luckily, her workplace is only about 10 minutes from my house, so we met up last week for lunch. It was like we had just seen each other yesterday except now instead of being 19 and carefree, we are in our mid-thirties, mothers, and wives with all of the responsibility that goes with our current stage in life. No complaints because life for me is much better now than then, but seeing her brings back many memories of college days and our youth...many good and some not so good.

So now we are making plans to go Christmas shopping this weekend, get our families together after Thanksgiving, and hopefully make a standing lunch date once a week.

I'm just one of those girls who now truly appreciates her girlfriends, and I hope I show it. I'm terrible with writing letters and sending birthday cards, but I love talking on the phone. This is no surprise to my friends & family, and definitely not to my parents who paid all those long distance bills during my teenage years; however, they did not really complain since I moved quite a bit in high school.

There was a time in my life that my world revolved around the boys I was dating. Thank goodness I have wonderful girlfriends that I've been friends with for years (a few since childhood, Jr. High, H.S. or college) that overlooked my self-centeredness. Cheers to all who stood by me all these years. I love ya!

So I'm so happy to have Sara back in my life and even happier that we live close enough to see each other more often. I wish I could see all of my friends more. However, it's a little more difficult since we are spread all over the U.S. I miss you all!

Thursday Thirteen #2 - 13 Live Concerts I've Attended

1. Billy Idol - Rebel Yell Tour- Summer 1984 - Houston's AstroWorld Ampitheatre - with my friend Kerry and her older brother -this was my first concert when I was 13...what were my parents thinking??? However, I had a great time! You can't forget "White Wedding" and "Dancing With Myself".

2. The LIFE Benefit Concert in LA (Love Is Feeding Everyone) featuring Jefferson Starship (or Airplane...whichever), El DeBarge (um...ok...what can I say), Rick Springfield (Jesse's Girl) and Cheech Marin (Born in East L.A.) - Spring 1986 - with my 'rents, brother, and sister. Okay....I've always thought Rick Springfield was cute so I risked embarrasment of going with the whole family so I could see/hear him.

3. The Cure - Summer 1986 - Houston's AstroWorld Ampitheatre -with my friend Katrina - we won tickets on the radio! "Charlotte Sometimes", "Hanging Garden", & "Close To Me" were some favorites of the day...

4. Randy Travis, Tammy Wynette & The Judds - 1988 (I think) - S'port Hirsch Coliseum - with my friend Wendy and her mom! Did not really know many songs then, but we had a blast! I have always liked country and still do.

5. Poison - Spring 1989 - S'port Hirsch Coliseum (#5, #6, & #13 are throwbacks to my "big hair" rock band faze)

6. Warrant - 1991 (I think...) - Fayetteville, AR - with my brother Derek (Remember the song "Cherry Pie"???)

7. The Cure - Wish - Summer 1992 - Dallas - with my brother Derek & his friends - Some favs: "Pictures of You", "Lovesong", "Friday I'm In Love", "To Wish Impossible Things".

8. James Taylor - Fall 1994 - OKC - with my friend J.B - "Sweet Baby James", "Something In The Way She Moves", "Country Road", "You've Got a Friend".

9. ZZ Top - mid to late 90's - Tulsa - with my husband Scott - "Cheap Sunglasses", "Velcro Fly", "Sharp Dressed Man", "Legs", and others well-known to fans...

10. Elton John - Peachtree Road Tour - March 2005 - Dallas - with my husband Scott - "Daniel", "Crocodile Rock", "Your Song", "Rocket Man", "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road"

11. U2 - Vertigo Tour - Oct. 2005 - Dallas - with my husband Scott - okay...hands down just about every song they have ever recorded! By far one of my favorite all-time bands! I have listened to them since I was about 13 or 14 (early eighties).

12. Duran Duran - Astronaut Tour - Feb. 2005 - Dallas - with my friend Pam. These boys are just beautiful! Favs: "Rio""Girls on Film", "Hungry Like the Wolf", "My Own Way", "Save a Prayer", "Is There Something I Should Know"....also could go on!

13. Bon Jovi - Have a Nice Day Tour - Jan. 2006 - Dallas - with my friend Dawn. I have loved this band since the release of "Runaway". I loved them with their big hair, and I love them even more with their shorter hair. Favorites: "Runaway", "In & Out of Love", "Wanted Dead or Alive", "I'd Die For You", "I'll Be There For You", "Last Man Standing", "Last Cigarette", "Story of My Life", "Lost Highway", "We Got It Going On", "Make A Memory"...obvisously I could keep going!

These are not all of the concerts I have been to in my lifetime so far, but I could only list 13. I hope some of these take you back for a minute or two today...enjoy!

Wyatt's Last Baseball Game!

Since we were in the Big D for the weekend, we were able to watch Wyatt play in his last game of the season. At this age, they are coach-pitched, but if they don't hit the first 3 pitched balls, then they get to use a tee. I actually got this action shot of him hitting the pitched ball. His mom (my sis), Shelby, was "coaching" 3rd base. She was talking to the runner on 3rd when Wyatt hit this and the ball literally grazed her! Look out major leagues!


Trophy time for Wyatt and the Pirates! This is the only time I will say that I'm a Pirates fan!

Happy Halloween 2007!

Morgan as Maddie Fitzpatrick from the Suite Life of Zack & Cody on The Disney Channel, with her cousins Lily as a Butterfly Fairy, and Wyatt as Spiderman. Face-painting courtesy of their big sis and awesome artist, Piper.

Close-up of sweet Lil!

I'm so sad we did not get a picture of Mary's costume. She was a "Ceiling Fan". She wore a sign that said, "Go Ceilings!" I love her sense of humor!

Morgan and I were able to get away for a few days since she had Fall Break from school. So we took a quick trip to the Big D to visit my sis & her family and my parents. It was such a quick trip, and I wish we would have had a chance to visit more friends. We will hopefully get a chance to visit again soon with more time to see everyone. We miss you all!

We had a great time and can't wait to get back to Texas!

Our 1st Colorado Snow & Morgan's 1st Bronco's Game

It was a banner weekend...

1st, my dear friend since college, Cheryl, came to Denver for the weekend. She was here to attend the Broncos-Steelers game that Sunday night with another girl friend of hers. We stayed at the Hyatt in downtown Saturday to have a girl's night.

2nd, we awoke Sunday morning to our first snow since moving to Colorado! This is a picture of the Denver Convention Center (see the large bear looking in the windows....), and I got Cheryl in the picture taking her own picture of the snow.


By the time we checked out of the hotel at 11 am and headed to see Scott and Morgan, the sun was coming out and it was starting to warm up. By the end of the day, much of the snow had already melted although we had accumulated a few inches that morning.

Sadly, Cheryl was rooting for the Steelers. :-( Luckily, the Broncos won, if just barely! Cheryl, I had such a great time, and it was wonderful to spend some girl time together!

3rd, Morgan got to attend her 1st Bronco's game with her daddy, Scott. It was soooo cold that night since it had snowed earlier in the day. However, my little princess got to attend the game in a suite at Invesco Field. Not a bad way to see your first ever professional football game on a cold night in Denver!



Morgan and Daddy wearing their Bronco's spirit!

...Notice the Rockies stadium blanket on the back

of our sofa...the Rockies are going to the World Series!!!



Last, but not least, I had a quiet night at home all by

myself and a glass of wine! :-)

Thursday Thirteen - 13 Places I Most Want to Visit

Thirteen places I most want to visit before I die (in no particular order):

1. Paris, France - first because I've already been to Paris, Arkansas and Paris, Texas, and I don't think they measure up to the history and architecture found in France. Second, because I spent 3 years in high school and 4 semesters in college studying French, but have never gotten the chance to use it as a necessity. I really want to go all over France, but first I must see Paris!

2. Austria - I love the movie "The Sound of Music" and have always wanted to see Austria. Ditto on the history, architecture and fantastic music!

3. Germany - Okay...I understand they have good beer and food! Actually, one of my college French instructors was from Germany, and I would love to see the beautiful country and also the big cities.

4. Italy - again...good food and great wine! Fabulous history and architecture!

5. Greece - the history & architecture, mythology, and the food!

6. England - don't know about the food....yorkshire pudding?? However, again, the history and architecture...my college Humanities professor would be proud!
Oh yeah...can't forget...birtplace of The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, & Eric Clapton!

7. Ireland - U2, Irish pubs, rolling green countryside...this has to be a good country...well, other than the centuries old war raging between the catholics and protestants.

8. Scotland - First of all, I love plaids. Second, men in kilts...that is if they have great legs!

9. Egypt - wow....pyramids, tombs, and hieroglyphics!

10. Africa - amazing cultures and history, breathtaking landscapes, and wild animals!

11. Switzerland - The Alps...enough said!

12. Russia - Czars and Czarinas,and unbelievable history and architecture.

13. Brazil - Blame it on Rio...great cities, great food, and a fascinating jungle!


There are definitely other places I want to go, but these really top my list!

My Husband - What I Like About You...tell me all the things that I want to hear!

One of my new guilty pleasures is reading some fascinating blogs that I have found now that I have a little more free time. I answered a challenge yesterday at http://www.chgochick.com/ to comment on her post and pose a question. The question I asked was "What do you love most about your husband or what is your favorite thing about him?"

This made me realize that I truly take my husband, Scott, for granted much of the time. We met when I was 23 and he was 30. We were married two years later and have now been married over 11 years. I knew that I liked him from the moment I met him, although I did not want to like him because it made my sister "right" since she introduced us. She never really cared for my boyfriend choices before Scott. He was such a great guy from the beginning. We lived 2 hours away from each other, and he came to see me often. He sent me flowers, sweet and funny cards, and called even though he is not a phone talker like I am!

Wow, we were so young (and young-looking)!

Okay...I would have done my hair

and accessories soooo different now!

Anyway, I love that he loves me for who I am (good and not so good). I love that he wants to snuggle (although I'm not a great snuggler, but I love hugs and kisses). I love that he loves me when I look gross and messy.

My favorite thing about him is that he knows what he wants and what he doesn't want. He is strong and tough (not in a meat-head way), more head-strong and determined. He is one of the hardest-working and most honest people I know. He is truly a great husband and father which means more to me than anything. And oh...he looks good in his jeans! :-)

So now...my challenge to any of you is to think about what you love most about your spouse, boyfriend, or girlfriend and let them know how you feel! Priceless!

1st Home Broncos Game!

Thanks to our friends, Chris & Kim, we were able to attend this season's first home Bronco's game at Invesco Field in Denver. The Broncos beat the Raiders in overtime, just barely, so it ended up being a great game! Luckily, we have a teenage girl next door who was happy to "babysit" Morgan while we were at the game. We tailgated before the game enjoying delicious burgers grilled by Chris along with some tasty Bloody Mary's prepared by Kim. They are season ticket holders with fabulous seats in the Platinum Club Level. This is a great way to welcome us to Colorado! So, Chris & Kim...we owe you! The only disappointment was that I did not get to see Rod Smith play as he is injured. Rod and I attended the same small college where he played football (of course) and I was a student athletic trainer.

In the 3 months I have been in Colorado, we have been to a Rockies game (thanks to Scott's job) and a Broncos game. So far, living here has been good!!! Also, it just can't be bad waking up to majestic views of the Rocky Mountains!


Invesco Field at Mile High



Pre-game ceremony...singing of our National Anthem.
This is one of my favorite parts of any game in America!


Scott & Chris - This is how grown men act at
a game after a few libations!

Flavor of The Day!

My friend Pam linked me to www.blogthings.com to find out "What's Your Inner Hair Color?". Since it said that my funky inner hair color was white (what's up with that??), I decided I would go with "What Flavor Margarita Are You?" Not sure it's any better, but here it is.... (you can click on the link below to find out what flavor you are!).

You Are a Strawberry Margarita

You're so sweet it's a little overwhelming, and people are a little afraid of corrupting you... It's a little difficult to imagine you with a margarita. And you're truly a different person after you've kicked back a couple!

What Flavor Margarita Are You?

And here is what it says is my "Funky Inner Hair Color....

Your Hair Should Be White

Classy, stylish, and eloquent. You've got a way about you that floors everyone you meet.

What's Your Funky Inner Hair Color?

I Lost It!

I am normally cool-headed (although I may vent often to friends and family about things), but I was pushed over my limit today and completely lost it!

Background information: So we moved to CO in July. As my DH was already in CO, I handled the move and all that goes with it on my own. Not complaining or whining here, just a fact. I "interviewed" moving companies, handled the "viewings" of our house up for sale, getting a few repairs done once we had a contract on the house, and canceled and set up utilities and various services in preparation for the move.

The Story: A few weeks ago after being in CO for over a month, I noticed on a CC statement that we were charged for the "bug" company to spray our home in July. We had service set up for every other month and auto-debited from our CC, and I had told our service tech in May that we would not need further service as we were moving at the end of June. So when I saw this charge, I called the company to get this refunded.

Call #1: I made the 1st call on 8-17, and spoke to a nice woman (we'll call her "Sally") who asked if I had given a 30-day written notice of cancellation. I replied honestly that no I had not given a written notice, but that I had told my service tech that we were moving and canceling service as of June. When I mentioned this to him, he never once said that I would need to give a 30-day written notice. Mind you, I was able to cancel all other services over the phone, so why would I ever think I needed to give written notice to the exterminating company??? Seriously! So, she told me that she would need to ask her boss "Bob" about the refund. Of course, he was out of the office for the rest of the day, and she would have to call me back the next day.

Call #2: Forward to 8/24 when I realized I had not heard from "Sally", I call back. I actually spoke with "Sally" again. I had to remind her who I was by relaying our entire conversation from the week before, then she tells me that "Bob" is gone for the day....AGAIN. So, I asked her to please get with "Bob" the next Monday and please get back with me so we could get this remedied.

Calls #3, 4 & 5: I never received a call back on Monday. I then tried calling the office on Wednesday and Thursday and just got the answering service. So I called again on Friday morning. "Sally" answered my call, and I had to reiterate our previous conversations with her. Once she "remembered" who I was, she then told me that her boss was out. I then asked if "Bob" would be back today? She said "yes". I then asked, "What time do you expect him back?" She replied, "He should be back by 2 pm." "Great! Would you please get with him on this, and please call me back this afternoon?" She agreed, and I went about my day.

Call #6: By 3:30 pm my time (4:30 pm bug co. time), I had not received a call, so I called back and "Sally" answered. She tells me that she was just trying to call me, yeah right! She then tells me that "Al" said they could not refund the $$ as I had not provided the 30-day written notice and that if I had read my service contract it states it there. So I then ask, "who is Al?? You told me you needed to talk to Bob?" She says, "Oh, Al is the Branch Mgr., and Bob is just the "Service Mgr". Ugh!!!

As I disagreed with Al's decision since we had been loyal good-paying customers, I then asked Sally if I could please speak with "Al". She puts me on hold, then comes back to tell me that he would have to call me back. I ask her when I could expect his return call. She doesn't even put me on hold this time so I can actually hear her ask him...she tells me that he will call me back in about an hour. Now, it is already almost 5 pm on a Friday, I seriously doubt he is calling me back today.

So, I then ask "Sally" since I have her on the phone to please confirm that my service is cancelled and that I won't be charged next month for service at a home I don't even own anymore. She then utters these words..."Oh, well, we still haven't received your 30-day written notice of cancellation, so you are still scheduled for service next week and will be charged."

Losing It: At this point, I literally scream into the phone. I say to her (okay...shouting) while hyperventilating, "You have got to be kidding me! I believe I have made it clear that I want this service cancelled!" I then apologize for screaming at her as I have always worked with customers or clients, and I never wanted to be screamed at. I then tell her she should get Al on the phone now, as I was still angry with the situation. We have been customers of this national company for over 10 years (their local office about 5 years), so I was really upset that they could not handle this a little bit better. I concede that yes, I should read all contracts, but in the midst of moving to another state, I was not concerned about getting my "bug" service contract out to peruse the fine print to find out if I needed to cancel it in writing. Come on!

So "Al" finally gets on the phone to finesse things! He agrees to refund half and confirms that I will not be charged for September. At this point, I am ready to be done with this, so I agree in paying half. But just in case, I'm calling my cc company now to let them know I will be expecting a refund and not to accept any further charges from this company.

Now, I will tell you, I have never had a problem with this co. previously, and I am not asking anyone to boycott them. Our service tech was always nice...we did have a new service tech the last 2 times, but again no problems.

Sadly this confirms the fact that being nice doesn't seem to get you anywhere. I was honest about not giving a written 30-day notice, and I was nice each and every time I talked with "Sally" until I lost it. I could have just lied and said I had "mailed it". It was only when I totally lost it with her that I received any compromise on the company's part.

I Miss My Sis!

I have now been in CO for 2 months, and my sis actually got the chance to visit just a few weeks ago (plus we talk almost daily). However, I am really missing her right now. Luckily, Qwest offers unlimited LD, so my phone bill won't be too bad. Wish we still lived just a few minutes from each other. Sigh!!! Ironic how when we have our best friend just down the road, we seem to take it for granted. You would think I would have learned this lesson long ago with the number of times I have moved in my life and left dear friends behind...but nope. So sis, please hook up that webcam so we can talk over coffee soon and so I can see my nieces and nephew and the Gibster before he is no longer a puppy. :-) BTW, my DH finally realized the other cam was gone. Too funny! Can't wait to see you all soon!

Witty Mom Blog...You have to read!

Okay...I received an email from a friend who sent me the link to this mom's blog. She has six children! Yes, I said six! Okay, my blog name has chaos in the title, but my easy life can't even compare to the daily chaos she faces. I laughed so hard I was crying! How she finds time to do anything, especially write so well, is beyond me! So, check it out:

www.mom2my6pack.blogspot.com

I shared it with my sister who has 4 kids. I thought her house was nuts...nope! She has nothing on this mom of six! Oh, if you have incontinence problems...get your "Depends" before you click on the link above!

Yippee!!! It's the 1st Day of School!

Morgan with her 4th Grade Teacher, Ms. L.











I don't think my daughter is actually jumping for joy as I'm sure she would love summer to last longer. However, as a mom who works from home, I will hopefully have some uninterrupted time to focus on my two sales jobs (100% commission) while she is in school now!

Since we just moved to Colorado, she started at a new school. They actually started on Monday, but she did not start until today since we decided at the last minute to enroll her in a private Christian school. She had a great first day and made some new friends. She really likes her teacher and her new school.

Colorado Bound!

So we have uprooted ourselves from Texas and have planted ourselves in sunny Colorado. Yes, I said sunny and Colorado! I hope I'm not rubbing that in too much! :-) I hope all of you in Texas and Oklahoma are finally getting some relief from the rain. On our moving day, somehow, the rain stayed away until the very last items were being loaded on the moving van. Then came the torrential downpour! Thanks so much to my parents, my sister, and some great friends for all of their help that week! I don't know what I am going to do without you all here with us! The moving van story will be left for a later day, but luckily it all ended up okay in the end! We had a few more days left in TX so I could continue working through month-end and so I could take care of some last minute things and say our goodbyes, then we left for Colorado on Saturday, June 30th. Since my DH was already in Colorado working, Morgan and I headed out on our own. We decided to take the scenic route through Amarillo, TX, Raton, NM and up through Pueblo and Colorado Springs. The first half of the trip was pretty uneventful. We did see signs of some terrible flooding in Wichita Falls, TX. Unbelievable! We drove about 6 hours and stopped in Amarillo for the night. Then on Sunday morning, we met up with our now former neighbors and friends, the Clayton's, for donuts at the Donut Stop in Amarillo. They were there for a family wedding, and it was great to get a chance to see them again!


Morgan and the Clayton girls at The Donut Stop in Amarillo




Only in Texas would you see something like this!



Morgan and I then made a "Griswold" pit stop at the Cadillac Ranch just outside of Amarillo. It was pretty cool! She and I got to spray paint with our fabulous artistic ability on some of these old Cadillacs with their back ends standing up out of the ground. You can check out some information online at:

http://www.libertysoftware.be/cml/cadillacranch/crmain.htm.



The cadillacs at Cadillac Ranch...

Morgan spraypainting on one of the cadillac's at Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo


We then made our way through the beautiful rolling countryside between Amarillo and Raton, NM. There are not many places to stop in between, but if you have the chance to take this route, it is well worth it! I don't know that I would want to drive this way during the winter though! Just before we made it to Raton, we stopped for another "Griswold" photo op at a highway marker stating that we were entering the Rocky Mountains. A rainstorm was starting in the mountains and the scene was so picturesque! This was also when we heard a strange sound coming from the Jeep when we pulled off the highway onto this parking area. Since we were literally in the middle of nowhere, we drove on to a gas station in Raton to check out the noise. A sweet older man and his wife asked if I was having car problems, and the man offered to take a look. It sounded like my power steering so we checked the fluid, and it was full with no apparent leaks. By process of elimination, we determined it was most likely the power steering pump going out. Ironic how things start going amiss once the warranty expires! Mind you, I had just replaced the AC clutch and all four tires earlier in the week. We have also kept up on the service so I was a bit miffed. Unfortunately, I decided to verbally assault my vehicle with an obscenity in front of this man. A few minutes later, he handed me his business card and told me to call him if I had any trouble. Mind you, he and his wife were heading back in the opposite direction to east Texas. I looked down at his business card, and lo and behold, he is a baptist minister! :-) I think that was a sign from God that I needed to keep things in perspective and God would get me through this. So, on faith and many prayers, we headed north through Pueblo and Colorado Springs with my power steering still working, but not sure how long it would last. The drive was a bit curvy in some areas, and as I slowed down to take the curves, my jeep sounded like it was going to freeze up on me! Needless to say, I was a bit tense! However, when I was driving at regular highway speed and straight, it was okay. We ended up making it to Denver, and as we parked parallel at Scott's apartment (the only parking available), my power steering pump went completely out! :-) I was actually able to drive it the next day directly to the Jeep service to have it repaired. They called me later in the day as they were looking over everything and proceeded to let me know that I also had a crack in my radiator! Ugh! Now with all of this fixed; hopefully, we will get some relief from car repairs.

All three of us stayed in Scott's sparsely furnished one-bedroom apartment for the next few days until our moving van showed up on Friday, July 6th. We are now living in a townhouse only slightly more than half the size of our house in Texas. Things really are bigger in Texas! So I am still trying to get completely unpacked and find a place for things, even though we already have quite a bit of our belongings in storage!

It is absolutely beautiful here! We are enjoying the warm summer days and cool nights. We sit on our balcony every night and enjoy our great view of the mountains. I am looking forward to the seasons changing, snow, and hopefully learning how to ski! However, I don't even own a winter coat...yet! I guess I get to go shopping! ;)

Princess Tea Party

Aunt Shel invited Meme, Morgan and I to the Princess Tea Party at her club for a pre-Mother's Day 'Mother-Daughter" treat! We had such a good time! Finger sandwiches, english tea and sweets! Plus...Cinderella, Snow White, and Sleeping Beauty were there to visit with all the girls! The girls had a scavenger hunt and won prizes, then the princesses read their respective fairy tales to the girls.

Princess Lil and Princess Morgan on the way to the Princess Tea Party!

Notice the all black ensemble...hoping this is just a one-time faze, and not a precursor to her teenage years!

I love this picture...Lil looks so excited.
Too funny! Check out the pointed toe!

Wy is on the side of this pic...he was having a

Dad's day while the girls went to the Tea Party.

MoMo and Lil at the party!

Aunt Shel and Lil...wow, look at the bling on Lil!

MoMo, MeMe and Lil at the Tea Party!