HARD WORK

I can't say I work this hard too often! Nicholas is working VERY hard on earning his Eagle Scout Award. He has to do a LARGE service project to accomplish this. He chose to do a service project for ACTS in Prince William County. He has to tear down the existing condemned swing set and put up a new one; removing all landscaping timbers and adding new.

My job was to do "hedge trimming" Lotsa weeds and vines! Jenny, Monica, Ally and I trimmed and trimmed and trimmed. Chick-fil-A donated lunch; which was a NICE break! :o)

Today was DAY 1. Here are a few photos I snapped; as I am the "paparazzi" as Nick likes to call me. He will appreciate the excessive photo taking one day!

Condemned Swing set (above)

beginning of the new swing set! & new landscaping timbers!

Pool Pals

Cameron, Ally, Scout and I hung out at the pool the other day. Our days are dwindling down now... and the nights are getting chilly; which in turn means the pool water is not quite as comfortable as it had been. Allyson says "get a heater for this pool!" I snapped a few cute pics. Scout LOVES the water... and is adorable on the raft!

August 30, 2009 - 25 Year Reunion

I debated to go or not; Steve was out of town... and who wants to go to a reunion alone!!! So.. my fun friend Coleen offered to go with me! The reunion was casual; at the Waters Edge Bar & Grill in Woodbridge.

I didn't take a camera... but someone else snapped this photo. (they obviously need a higher mega-pixel camera)

We had a great time; reminiscing with old friends. My two best friends in high school were both there; so it was definitely worth the trip! (Lynn & Lisa)

Coleen actually knew three people at MY reunion.. that was the funny thing. One girl brought her Senior Yearbook; and it was kind of fun to see how much people had changed. We all decided that the girls looked better than the boys! ha! It was fun to catch up again.

I've got a brand new pair of roller skates....

Ally's birthday and Christmas all come together in one month... so unfortunately she is deprived the rest of the year of gifts (yeah right).

She has been asking for a pair of roller blades for a few weeks; and Steve has said "you have to wait until your bday or Christmas". Night after night... she would shop the net... looking for just the right pair, and snuggle next to me to try to convince me to take her to get them.

I finally came up with a plan. Sell some of YOUR stuff on Craigs List; and if you earn the money... you can go buy your own skates! So... she traded in her Barbie Bike and .. is hopefully trading in her Disney Kitchen (the lady hasn't picked it up yet!).. and she now is the PROUD owner of a brand new pair of roller blades.

A quiet day at home

After the big weekend in the BIG Apple; I decided I needed a day at home to chill. So... I woke up late... I cleaned (..a little), laid around, and then hung out at the pool with the hubby, Ally and Scout. I still am not feeling 100%; I have a sinus HEADACHE!

We bought a baby pool for Scout so that he would get used to the water and be able to get in and out with no problem. Allyson likes it as much as Scout. Steve said we could have saved several thousand dollars and bought just a baby pool! Steve took advantage of teaching Scout to retrieve a duck in the "baby pond".

Having a Blast

Shopping Shopping Shopping! I ♥ NY!!! I do love to be here; yet I don't think I would ever want to LIVE here. I would miss my "country" life. I keep thinking of the song "signs, signs"... Boy... there are alot of rules here... and noone follows them!

Today was {Intimacy} the bra place Oprah claims will "fit you just right!". Jenny and I had a great time and came out with goodies! After that... we headed to Tiffany's, American Girl, Juicy Couture, NBA, the Diamond District; Magnolias Bakery, and back to the Hotel!

Check out the cupcakes in the picture below. Magnolias bakery is the bakery that the gals go to on Sex in the City! The cupcakes are DELISH!

Tonight is Wicked! I can't wait; 8:00! More later!

8-13-09 .. New York is where I'd rather stay!

New York is where I'd rather stay.

I get allergic smelling hay.

I just adore a penthouse view.

Dah-ling I love you but give me Park Avenue.

For my 43rd Birthday.. my girlfriend Jenny gave me an all expense paid trip to NY to see Wicked! We are here for 2 nights, and so far we are having a blast.

We arrived this afternoon around 2:00. I drove. Yikes.. That was the scariest part. All was good... the Maryland house..the DELMAR border, the NJ turnpike, the Lincoln tunnel... and then... there it was.. around the corner 42nd street. I noticed 2 signs. One said "No Honking - $350 fine". The other sign said "$350 fine + 2 points for blocking the pedestrian box". The cars in front of me started to move... I scooted up... I wasn't all the way out of the box... I was stuck... the light was red... the cars weren't moving... but.. wait.. the car behind me came too. Here comes the policeman.. he pulled over the car behind me! Thank God!

A few minutes later.. 46th Street.. our Hotel.. but where is the parking.. across the street! Found it. They took the car (keys too); we grabbed our suitcases and off we went to the hotel. WHO knows where my car is and who is driving it this week.

Next we went to the 1/2 price ticket booth to see if we could get tickets to any good shows. Our "wish" was "9 to 5 the Musical".. they had tickets! YEAH. So excited. The show was GREAT! We both loved it. A great choice! Allison Janney from West Wing was one of the main characters!

Tomorrow we are off to "Intimacy" (Oprahs bra place) to get new bras (good bras that fit!).

More later!

8-10-2009 - Birthday and New Ears....

43 years ago... I was born. WOW... it just doesn't seem like I have been around THAT long. I remember when my parents were in their 40's and I thought that was SOO old... and ... look at me now!

My Birthday came and went; I celebrated with friends and family; and had a great time. Steven bought me a new camera (Nikon D90) which is JUST what I wanted! I LOVE this camera.

33 years ago... today I got my ears pierced. I was 10 years old and my Mom took me to the Springfield Mall to get them pierced. It was such a big event; I remember it well.

Allyson asked tonight if she could get her ears pierced while we were out at the mall; and I took advantage of the request (as she has been scared prior to this). So... here are the photos. I was very UN-prepared and had to use my cell phone for the pictures. Ugh... a scrapbookers NIGHTMARE. Ally picked the cutest little pink flowered white gold earrings. She looks FABULOUS!

7-11-09 - Face to Face

Billy Joel and Elton John - Face to Face tour 2009 - Washington Nationals Stadium. Two great entertainers dueling on their pianos. Billy Joel was on his game and proved that he IS the Piano man. Elton John... also a musical genius (as Brenda puts it) brought back many songs I hadn't sang to in years. Lynn, Brenda and I metro'd up and had a great evening!

7-10-09 So much to say...

My girlfriend Jenny told me that she missed my blog. I am not quite sure that it entertains many; but for her... she was missing my posts. So... I AM BACK!!! and.. i will TRY HARD to bore all of you equally! :o)

Our newest news is our baby SCOUT. He is a little yellow lab that we have acquired from Ni River Retrievers. Our close friends, Margaret & Don Poitras have a wonderful dog Belle and our new little Scout is a distant cousin twice removed of Belle. Here is his big DEBUT!!

5-28-09 - Water Logged!

Today was my last full day with Autumn, she gets picked up tomorrow afternoon, I have been a mess all day. She is in LOVE with our pool, so I took her out there for her "last" swim. I bawled on the side of the pool while she floated effortlessly through the water. She is amazing in the water, her webbed toes are so cool! I ❤ this doggie, and wish that things could be different.

5-27-09 - I will miss this!!!

As many of you know... Steve and I have been struggling with our new Golden Retriever. We have had her for 8 months, and she has been the humor of many of my posts. Unfortunately we are going to let her go to a better suited home for her needs. Autumn is a Field Golden Retriever, a special line of goldens that is bred to hunt.

When we talked about getting a Golden Retriever... Steve chose the breeder from Wisconsin. He enjoys hunting and thought we could get the "all-in-one" dog. Unfortunately, Autumn has proven to not be the case. Autumn is considered a "working dog", she is dominant to me and the kids, she can be aggressive at times, and she has been snapping and biting at the kids and the neighbor kids. After obedience school and speaking to experts... we believe that she is the alpha dog from her litter.. and since we don't have a "job" for her to do... she is bored here... she constantly paces in the house and is just not suited for us.

Someone is Steve's office, that has other Goldens (and no children) is going to take her on Friday. My heart is aching right now.. but I know this is the best decision we can make; and that she will be happier. She will be in more of a "dog pack" situation. I will miss this girl.... and will try to remember the good times we had with her. XOXO

5-26-09 Cutest Baby on the Block

My niece and her husband posted the most ADORABLE picture of the new baby Tyler... I thought I would share it with you. I can't wait to go see him again. Hopefully this weekend.

5-24-09 Wedding Day

Congrats to Donald & Stephanie. My girlfriend Coleen's son got married this past weekend. Sharon and I traveled to Virginia Beach for a long Memorial Day weekend and had a fabulous time. The weather was great; we caught a few rays (I applied my suntan lotion properly this time)...we had FUN! I love a beach wedding!

9 May 2009

I was so excited to see Katie, Brad & the baby that I forgot my camera. I did take a pic on my cell that turned out pretty good. Ally skipped school today to go visit the baby Tyler. She couldn't wait to hold him! I can't wait for Kate to settle in so that I can go visit AGAIN! Mama and baby are doing wonderful! XOXO Tyler!!!

5-7-09 Baby Tyler has Arrived!

Katie & Brad (my niece and her hubby) were blessed with a Beautiful Baby Boy today. He looks absolutely adorable in the picture.. I am going to see him in PERSON tomorrow! Can't wait! He was born this evening at 5:05.

They sent a cell phone picture; so it is a little fuzzy...

4-28-09 - Puppy & Petunias

It's been a while since I blogged, so I thought I would blog about my LOVE for flowers. I love to shop for flowers each year to adorn the flower beds and pool area. I wished that ALL of the flowers were perennials, it is sad that some of my favorites only last one season.

Some many flowers to choose... I picked Petunias, marigolds, two Hibiscus trees and... a couple of them... I don't even know the names of!

Once I returned home.. I started to hang my hanging baskets. I had (HAD) 5 of them. I grabbed three, went to the front porch, hung them. I went back, grabbed 2 more... went to the front porch.. hung one and turned around... Autumn (puppy) had the other hanging plant dangling in her mouth by the hanger portion. It was swinging left and right. I try to convince her to drop it..... that made her run... down three steps... through the yard.... Oh... Yeh... plant on one side of the yard... dirt everywhere.. God, I wish that there was a dog catcher roaming around today... she would have been RIGHT on his truck!

Spring Break 2009!!

We arrived safely in Nags Head, NC yesterday! Sharon, Coleen, Joey, Cameron, Nick, Ally and I are having fun... even though the weather is NOT quite as warm as it should be, it is quite windy and a bit chilly. I think it should get a bit warmer mid-week. The Outer Banks is our favorite place to go for Spring Break. It isn't too far to travel; we have fun, hot tub, play games, hang on the beach, watch TV, laugh, have cocktail hour and just hang out with friends! The kids are having a great time; fishing on the beach; diggin' in the sand, video games and watchin' movies! Here are some pix!

4-10-09 So many Colors!!

Tonight we colored Eggs for Easter! Allyson couldn't wait to get started! Dad set it all up for her while we packed her bags upstairs to go away for Spring Break. We are leaving for the beach on Sunday! Can't Wait!

Cameron is 17, but is never to old to dye Easter Eggs! They are always a work of art, and this year he made some originals! Nicholas made a turtle egg; and personalized eggs for his doggies!

4-10-09 On your mark, get set, HUNT !!

Today was the Easter Egg Hunt in Mrs. Hensen's 3rd Grade class. Each child was to grab 15 filled eggs (some grabbed more... and had to return a few). Trying to find places to HIDE the eggs was tough; because the contrast between grass and BRIGHT eggs was huge. They loved it, we had a party in the class afterwards (sugar, sugar, sugar). One boy (Nolan) asked me if I was going to pay his dental bill this month! Ha Ha

The Baby Shower!!!

I threw a Baby Shower for my niece Katie last weekend! She has my middle name... (Katie Allyson), so I thought it was my duty, lol!!! Thank Goodness for my Mom and sisters; they helped with the baking; and everything was great.

The shower started at 1:00, and was a big success. We had 28 people, we played games; ate; played more games... and of course watched Kate open up some wonderful presents! Things have changed so much since my last shower (1999)!

I made a diaper cake for the centerpiece; and I really enjoyed making it! Each diaper is wound up with a rubberband; and layered into tiers. Ribbon and baby things tie on the edges, and wa-la.. you have a diaper cake.

My Mom crocheted the most beautiful blankie for baby Tyler. These are the gifts that mean so much. Mom made blankies for all of my babies; and I will keep them FOREVER.

My Sister Sally (Kate's Mom), had a few outfits for the new little guy; and she had a clever way of presenting them! Look at this! She pinned the outfits to a clothesline! ADORABLE and clever!

Cameron's girlfriend, Jordan made the cake for me. She wants to be a chef (when she grows up!). Kate looks so pretty pregnant! She is due on May 24th! I can't wait!

Play Day

It has been a long time since I blogged... no excuses... I have been a busy girl! There was a full week with a headache (wah wah wah), several Dr.'s appt's., and just plain ol' busy life! But.. I do promise to be a bit better about blogging!

When we put the pool in a few years ago; we scooted the swing set to the side; and never moved it back. Allyson has been fussing about it for some time; and Steve finally got a some help and moved it a week or so ago. Everyone is happy; as you can see in the pix below!

3-20-09 - Reporting Live from.... Fredericksburg

Kelly and I are "on location" tonight at the "Preserve your Journey" crop at the Salem Baptist Church in Fredericksburg. There are 100 women in this room buzzing around (with scissors) scrapbooking their memories!

It didn't take long to set up all of our kits and items for sale; and we are well underway of vending at a successful event! We have sold many of our kits, supplies and best of all,... we are meeting great people and expanding our vast email list!