Call Your Best Friend Today...Don't Wait

If it's been awhile since you've seen that person (or multiple people) or even if you just saw them yesterday or even this morning, pick up that phone and give them a call. Don't think you can just do it later...you may not have later. Tell them how much you love them and how much they make you laugh, smile or how much they mean to you.

A dear friend of my mine and my sister's passed away last night. Unexpectedly. Possibly of heart failure. At the age of 41. She is my sis's next door neighbor, and in the past few years, they have become wonderful friends. Since they spend so much time together, we have become friends as well. They spend just about every weekend together in some way. They walk their kids to school together, keep their back yard gates open in the evenings to hang out on their patios with their families together, shop together and laugh together. Now...Natalie is gone. Forever. However, she will never be forgotten. She has left behind her husband, Dan, of 17 years. In fact, they just celebrated their 17th wedding anniversary this weekend. They also have a daughter who is only 10. Now, without her mother there to see her grow up, go to college, get married, and have kids of her own. The sadness of it all overwhelms me.

My daugher is also 10 and took dance with Natalie's daughter. We have not seen them since November 2007 when we were last in Dallas. I was sooo looking forward to seeing them when we go back for my niece's graduation in June. Natalie is just one of those people that brightens your day. She is sweet, fabulously stylish, and has a great sense of humor. She is the type of person who would drop anything to help a friend in need. I know I would have loved her no matter, but I love her more because of the friend she has been to my sister, my best friend.

I know many would say their spouse is their best friend, and I definitely consider my husband as my best guy friend. However, I think there is such a different and special bond with your girl friends! I am so blessed to have sooo many wonderful girl friends...some since I was a child or teenager, and others I have made in my adult life.

So Nat, know that you will be greatly missed by many! I will always think of you with a smile and a laugh. I will miss dancing together and just being "girls" when we would go see The Impostles play! The "Magnolias" are thinking of you as well. None of us can believe you are gone. Our beautiful, sweet, funny "southern" girl at heart who just happened to grow up in the Northeast! We love you and miss you!

Morgan's Sketch of Jersey

We had a beautiful warm sunny day here the other day so Morgan sat out on the balcony with Jersey soaking up the sun. While enjoying the warmth, she decided to sketch Jersey. She has way more talent than her mother who cannot even draw stick figures. We're hoping she will make use of her talents along the way...just not as a "starving" artist! :-)

Morgan's sketch of Jersey

Meet the new Addition to The K Family

We have a new addition to our clan...Jersey! She is a German Short-haired pointer that we rescued from a local no-kill shelter. We have been considering getting a dog, but we wanted to make sure it would be a good fit for our family. We saw Jersey one morning on the news. About a week later, we went to check her out.

We spent over an hour with her, and she had a wonderful disposition. She got along well with all of us...so, we filled out the application and waited. The adoption process at this shelter is like adopting a child! They checked references, and we had a few hoops to jump through along the way!

A few days later, they called and told us that we had been approved to adopt Jersey. So we picked her up, and she has made herself at home ever since!

She is absolutely the sweetest dog, and we think she approves of her new home!

Jersey & Morgan


Morgan & Jersey
(with her very
scary looking eyes!)


Jersey just hanging out on her bed



"If I close my eyes, they can't see me, right???"



Trying to get away from the camera...


Posing in my focused stance...



Streeeeeetch!



"Ok...are you finished with the pictures, yet?"

Van Halen---still rockin' the house!

Went to see Van Halen last Friday Feb. 1st at the Pepsi Center in Denver with my Sweetie Pie and our friends Chris and Kim. OMG...awesome show! Opened with "Running With The Devil"...closed with "Jump!" Sooo many fabulous songs in between!

Highlights:

1. The people watching: okay...let's just say...not everyone has left the 80s behind! Big hair (guys and girls), fishnets, even saw a girl in a mini skirt and leg warmers! So laughing! Also...there were guys dressed in "costume" as David Lee Roth and Eddie Van Halen circa 1984!

2. I don't get high...but...there were many there who obviously still do...permeating the air. So... it might have entered my nostrils just a bit.

3. The 30 something guy in front of us...priceless! The entire two hours that VH played....he was singing every word at the top of his lungs...playing air guitar and air drums...almost on his date's head! Then...he kept turning around and high-fiving us. Hysterical! Also...most surprising...he was wearing a plaid button down over a turtleneck...was working up such a sweat that he had to remove both and lo and behold....he was soooo cut! I mean mega guns! My friend Kim and I were completely in shock...never would have guessed it.

4. David Lee Roth...had his shirt open or off most of the time. ABS OF STEEL!!! Again...shocking!

5. Wolfie (Wolfgang) Van Halen rocking on stage with his dad! And....he can play the bass guitar very well!

6. The 15 minute guitar solo by EVH....unbelievable! No one can play the guitar like he does! No one!

7. So many great songs..."Ice Cream Man", "You Really Got Me", "Jamie's Crying", "Somebody Get Me A Doctor", "Beautiful Girls", "And The Cradle Will Rock", and of course..."Panama", "I'll Wait", and "Hot For Teacher" and many many others. So many memories from my Jr. High and High School days.

So, when I figure out how to get the pics off my blackjack...I will add them to the blog soon!

It's Snow Much Fun!!!

MoMo spent an evening at our friends house, Four Ts and a G, who actually lived near us in Texas and now only live about 15 minutes away from us in Colorado! It just happended to have snowed...a lot...that weekend. Since she had to finish a really big project on Molly Brown that day, she had not gotten the chance to play in the snow. Mr. G felt bad for our poor deprived child, found some extra snow clothes for her, and sent her out with his 3 T girls for some snow fun!

(I actually "borrowed" these pics from Mrs. T (3 Ts mom and Mr. G's wife...not wife of Mr. T). So Mrs. T...thank you! Because...I love these pics!


Taryn, Morgan, Tobi and Tatum...posing in the snow!

Tobi, Taryn, Morgan and Tatum...preparing for...

SNOWBALL FIGHT!!!!!

Sweet Moments...Sweet Life

Sweet Night: Sweetie, lil bear, and I all went out to dinner last night. At our favorite Colorado Mexican place...best one here and closest to the best we had in Texas.

I tried to stick to eating sensibly...had chicken fajitas...but, of course, was enticed by a mogo margarita...wonder if they meant mojo...or is mogo really just mojo in spanish???? Anyway, with the amount of Respado tequila...I think that's what they meant! It was sooo smooth though...just wonder how many gazillion calories were in that??? Mental note....must get to the gym every day to work off that mogo margarita! :-)

Sweet moment: So, we are having great family conversation and laughter...not alcohol induced. Just fun. Then the meal comes, and my sweetest 9 yr old girl just bows her head in silent prayer...no prodding from us. (Insert my big smile and teardrop). So sweetie and I follow suit. So proud of her...in public...doing what's in her heart no matter what others may think of her. So sweet!

After getting home, and getting lil bear to bed, we head to our room...great...just in time for Without A Trace...love that show. Sweetie pie has other ideas (no...not what you're thinking...although the margarita may have helped if we hadn't been sooo tired)....turns on TV to the History Channel...I get sucked in as well! It was about scientists who theorize that the Bermuda Triangle is actually a magnetized black hole on Earth. Way cool! Bringing out my inner nerd! 10 minutes into the program...you guessed it...Sweetie Pie is asleep. Me...now totally engrossed in this show. :-)

Sweet morning: Once I played a few online games of backgammon, I decided to get to sleep myself. This morning, went to wake lil bear who woke up in the best mood! So sweet and loving and easy. Love those mornings! She's had a lot of homework this week and didn't get the best rest so some of the other mornings have been a little moody. In the car on the way to school she starts asking me about when she was born...I told her she was a week late, and she said, "Well, mom, it was probably just so nice and cozy that I just wanted to stay and sleep." (Insert my big smile and teardrop). Then we laughed about how she was such a little heater (and still is)...she was born with a lot of blonde hair and when she slept she left a sweat circle from her head on her sheets. It was the strangest thing...hence her nickname sometimes "beezer head". Because I didn't know a baby could sweat like that and it reeked!

Sweet day: Sweetie Pie just called a few minutes ago just to tell me he loved me! Love that man!

Cannot ask for a sweeter life!

Some Christmas Memories!

Because I was not as motivated to post to the blog during the holidays...I now have to catch up. Also, my parents were here with us for a week, and I spent time with them instead of blogging...because I'm a good daughter like that! Although, I am a great daughter, I totally stink at getting relative moments caught on camera! So I have absolutely no pictures of my parents while they were visiting us! Sorry Mom and Dad! But...I do have these....



Our "Charlie Brown" Christmas Tree...
Santa brought Morgan some roller blades...
finally...after three consecutive years of the request!
You know...Santa's a little slow sometimes.

Sweetie Pie got a harmonica in his stocking....oh joy!

My two wonderful aunts, Mary & Linda,
sent these to MoMo to keep her warm
during her first winter in Colorado!

Morgan's personal and very pink Christmas Tree!

Trying out the new blades in her new
Justice for Girls outfit...priceless!

Hope you all had a Very Merry Christmas as well
and Happy Hanukkah to my jewish friends!

Sidenote: We had a very White Christmas!! Snowed about 7 inches on Christmas Day and another 7 inches two days later! Beautiful and amazing!

Pictures with Santa...

I don't know how many more of these pictures
I will get...this may be the last year. I hope not. :-)

It is our litle tradition to go see Santa on Christmas
Eve Day...lines seem to be much better!


Morgan...with Santa...looking more like a
young lady every day now. Not my little little
girl anymore.



Morgan, asking Santa for the 3rd year in
a row for Roller Blades...maybe just maybe
this will be the year!

Which One Do I Choose???

Here were the "finalists" for our annual Christmas Card Photo...


This is the one we picked...




I liked this one too....


and this one....but by this time she was
getting a little tired of me making her
do this... :-)

Coffeemate...Do you expect me to just go Cold Turkey????

Please....makers of CoffeeMate....why oh why do you tease us during the holidays with scrumptious flavors that are only available for a month???? Do you really think we can just quit cold turkey??? I can see flavors like egg nog or even pumpkin spice being "seasonal", but peppermint mocha...everyone needs peppermint fresh breath, and chocolate....do I really need to explain that one! Please...bring it back all year long....I bought extra that I thought would last me at least until the Super Bowl, but alas, I think I only have enough to last me 2 more days! I'm already stressing about it. I just don't think I can go back to French Vanilla. It's good, but Peppermint Mocha....yum, yum, yum! As I have said before, I just like a little coffee with my cream! Huge emphasis on the cream!!!!

Season 7 of AI...Oh, boy...

Okay, let me just say, I am soooo happy that American Idol is back on. First of all, because of the sucky writer's strike, almost any and all of the good shows are in reruns already. Secondly, and most importantly, I love watching the "auditions" for AI. Love, Love Love!!! I even got off the phone with a very close friend last night in order to watch the entire 2 hours of it while it was actually on....couldn't even wait to TIVO it! This is one show that my husband, my daughter and I can all watch together and laugh hysterically!!! If you don't watch American Idol...you have to watch the auditions...priceless!

So with a glass of wine in hand, the viewing began! The 1st city for auditions was Philadelphia. Let's just say there are some great people in Philly. It is the home of Philly Cream Cheese...so can't be too bad of a place...my thighs may not agree, but oh my tummy loves it! Why is it that thousands of people go to audition for this show, when maybe 1% can actually sing. I mean really sing. Seriously, I cannot sing. However, I have known this from a very young age. I did not need anyone to tell me this....I can hear myself sing (in the shower and alone in my car). In fact, I really don't have any musical talent whatsoever. This is not devastating to me. I luckily am good at numbers and with people, so I am able to make a living. I was also basically kicked out of band in the 7th grade...fortunately for me (and the band) we moved out of state 3 months into my 7th grade year, and I didn't have to actually be "kicked" out. Let's just say my band director let me know that if I didn't do band at my new school that I would be fine. Thanks mom for making me take band...real self-confidence booster! :-) I also took Choir my senior year of H.S. and lip-synched my entire way through it. Darn the State of Louisiana that required so many "fine arts" classes in order to graduate as a Board of Regents Scholar. I think my choir teacher felt sorry for me, and also wanted to save his hearing, because I know he knew I was lip-synching. I still got an "A" in his class though! :-) So I can't sing or play an instrument. Again, not life threatening here. My mother, brother and sister can all play the piano and other instruments. I, on the other hand, take after my musically-challenged father. He's good with numbers and people too. Thanks dad! :-)

Anyway, why is it that some of these people think they can sing?? What's worse is they have family members and friends at the audition with them waiting outside the doors just "knowing" that this person is "deserving" of getting a "ticket" to Hollywood. We all have friends and family here....don't you think the last thing they would let you do is go on TV and try to sing when you cannot??? Then, when Simon says "no" or "that was the worst thing I have ever heard", they cuss Simon who is just telling them what obviously no one close to them has the guts to say.

I understand that some of these people need their "15 minutes of fame", or they think if they are soooo bad, they'll get a recording contract like William Hung because they are just that bad. I sooo don't need to publicly humiliate myself...at least not on purpose. I think I do that enough on my own by accident.

So, go check out the 2nd night of "auditions" tonight on Fox...you won't be sorry. Priceless! It really is a good show, and most of the time the judges aren't unrealistic or overly mean. It's a tough business...if you're going to put yourself out there, you need to be ready to hear the criticism. There is obviously some true talent that makes it by being on this show by winning or just getting their start such as Carrie Underwood, Chris Daughtry, Jennifer Hudson, etc.

Night Out to see Jack Ingram

Jack Ingram is a country musician that I actually went to Jr. High and High School with in Texas. He has been playing clubs and other venues throughout Texas since the early 90s, but has just hit it big on the national country scene in the last few years. He was a fixture at Adair's in Dallas and has played Billy Bob's in Fort Worth many times. Also, if you like the movie "Hope Floats", he and his band are the featured band at the barn dance. He just finished a tour opening for Dierks Bentley and earlier this year with Brad Paisley. Not bad for a preppy boy from a suburb of Houston.

Anyway, he was playing a gig at The Grizzly Rose in Denver this weekend, and Scott & I decided to have a date night and go see Jack perform. We met up with one of Scott's employees and her husband. Jack played for about two hours to a packed crowd.



Jack Ingram performing at the Grizzly Rose - 1/5/08


Jack performing one of his biggest hits, "Love You"
(a "country" version of the Hinder hit)


Jack Ingram singing "Barbie Dolls"...good song!





Jack and me after the show...even after almost 20 years
he actually remembered me. So strange that he has "fans"
now! He was our STUCO president and class president, so
not so surprising, I guess...he has always been well-liked.

Check out his webpage and his latest hits at http://www.jackingram.net/