Prescott Trip

On Saturday we made a day trip to Prescott.  I was reconnecting with some of my stamp friends that live there.  And the boys went along for the day.  Ryan actually somehow talked a friend of his into going with us.  It is a bit of a drive.  I had fun stamping and from the looks of it, they had fun around town.

Lisa, Me and Lynn working away on our projects.

For stamping, we did something called a shoebox swap.  They are so fun.  Each person designs a card and then provides the materials for each person attending to make that same card.  So, we got to make projects from each other.  Too fun!  If you want to see those projects, you will have to visit my stampin' blog - http://www.melzplace.blogspot.com/

Ryan and Shawn chilling out in the backseat with the iPod.

Digging for rocks.

Doug had planned on taking the boys to a movie while I was stamping.  But once they got up there, Ryan didn't want to sit anymore in a theater.  So instead, they went to a park for awhile.  When they were at Lynn's house, the boys spent their time playing with Lynn's adorable dachshunds or digging for rocks in the yard.

After we were done stamping, the four us decided to stop for lunch.  We went to Cracker Barrel.  They have such a fun shopping area and really yummy food.  I was ready to eat.

Scary Halloween glasses

While we were waiting for our table, I had fun checking out all their Halloween goodies.  Aren't these glasses the best?  They also had a silver glittery pair.  Too fun!

Shawn & Ryan playing checkers

After we were seated and had ordered, the boys decided to play checkers at a nearby table.

Now, doesn't that look yummy?  Doug and I split a meal.  They're meals are too big for just one person.  So, we splurged a little and got the chicken fried steak.  It came with three sides, too many to fit on the plate because the third one was in a separate bowl.  Doug was nice enough to let me have Lima beans and okra.  Two of my favorites that I hardly ever get to eat at home - nobody else will eat them with me!  It was so yummy and half was just perfect.

And really who can go to Cracker Barrel without buying something?

I don't know what these are called, but they are one of my mom's favorite treats.  She always gets one whenever we go there together and so I had to get one - or four - while I was there yesterday.  And yes, only three of them made it home.  Yum!

And here's a tease of the cards that I got to stamp.  Fun times!

It was a great Saturday and also very exhausting.  I fell asleep on the couch around 9:00.

It's Been 17 Years

Can you believe it?  Doug & I celebrated 17 years together on Sept. 11.  It has flown by.  We had a pretty relaxing day.   The three of us - Doug, Ryan & I went out to eat at Black Angus where we always split a steak - Prime Rib.  Yum!  Then in the evening we went to a favorite frozen yogurt place - Ocean Blue with some friends, The Anderson's, and my brother.  I took pictures at lunch, but was having a fun time chatting and such for the dessert that I totally forget to even get my camera out.  Sorry about that.

My flowers and card from Doug

Doug, Ryan and I waiting for our lunch.

Even the dogs got an anniversary treat - a nap on the couch with Doug.  He tried to nap while I watched The Bourne Identity.  Really who can sleep through that movie?  So much action!

Pink Floyd at the Planetarium

Last Friday afternoon I got a text from my niece Brittany wondering if we had any plans for that evening.  We love getting together with her and her family.  They are tons of fun and always find fun things to do.  The local Community College was offering a free show at their planetarium that evening.  We decided to go out to dinner first at Sweet Tomatoes.  My mom had given Brittany some coupons that they shared with us.  Ryan loves eating there because they have such a great variety of foods.  He can get whatever he wants.

The show was put on by a student as a part of his final project for a class.  It was really cool.  He set it to the music of Pink Floyd.  It was really neat to see so many constellations, suns, planets and galaxies.

Ben, Baylee and Brittany at the restaurant.

Ryan, me and Doug

Payton

Outside the planetarium there was a nice man with a telescope setup.  It was focused on Jupiter.  Luckily he had a step ladder for us shorties to get a good look.  Totally cool seeing such a distant planet so well.

Ryan looking at Jupiter.

Doug checking it out too.

Ryan & Baylee.  They are so fun together.  For such an age difference, they get along great.  I don't think it hurts any that Baylee thinks Ryan is the funniest thing ever!

I took a couple pictures of the two of them in front of the sign.  After taking a couple, Baylee says to me - next time we should pose like this - and she put her arm around Ryan.  Too cute.  So I had to take another one posing like that.  Ryan played along quite nicely.

Before the show started, the domed ceiling, for the planetarium was glowing blue.  It made everything, especially white glow blue too.  Here is our version of a blue man.

Egg Drop . . . Soup?

At school, Ryan participated in an egg drop.  We did this when I was younger too, but it was a part of our Physics class that I took as a senior in high school.  I tell you the kids today learn things so much earlier than we did.  It's crazy to keep up.  Ryan's in 6th grade this year and will be starting algebra during the year.  Wow.  Anyway, he was in a group with two other students.  They did a lot of planing, testing, retesting and so on.  (I think Mythbusters was a good influence on him for this project.)  At one point he told the others in his group that they needed to do some testing because, and I quote, "science is 90% testing".
Their egg did not break.  Well, that is until another student got excited when their egg also did not break.  He proceeded to do a happy egg didn't break dance and accidentally hit Ryan in the face with his elbow.  Ryan dropped their container and the egg broke. 

Here's a video of Ryan demonstrating the egg drop from the top of our stairs.  Sorry, I didn't move the camera quite as fast as the egg was dropping, but you get the idea.

September Calendar Pages

Here I was all excited because I caught up on my entries. WOOHOO!!! Then I looked at the calendar and saw that it was September 5th. That means it's time to change my desktop wallpaper to Septembers Calendar Page - which means it's time to post the calendar pages too! So here they are for September.

I hope that you have enjoyed looking at the pages from over the years to see where we have been and what we have been doing.  It's been a fun journey down memory lane!

2007

2008

2009

2010

There have been many fun times over the years.  Much growth and many new experiences as well.  We have loved sharing with our friends and families over the years.  Thanks for all the great times and we look forward to more in the future.

First NFL Game

All three of us got to experience our first NFL game together.  One of my brothers asked if anyone was interested in going to see the Arizona Cardinals play the Washington Redskins in a preseason game.  Since I grew up in the Washington area and have been a Skins fans since the good old days of Joe Theisman, John Riggins, Darryl Green and Art Monk I thought that sounded like a really fun idea.  And when I heard the great deal on the tickets I was even more excited.  And so was Ryan.  He just recently got into watching and playing football.

Since it was on a school night, we left as soon as Ryan was done with all of his homework.  Well, most of it anyway.  He had one assignment that he would finish up the next morning (and he did with no complaining at all).  We piled in the car with my iPod freshly loaded up with some new songs - Lady GaGa and Train - and off we went. 

Traffic was pretty crazy.  I think at one point we sat for 20 minutes and moved less than a mile.  It reminded me of mornings driving from Virginia to Maryland to work in the summers.  Boy was I glad that I worked at the same office as my brother and he drove us . . . because those long commutes gave me an extra bit of sleep in before I had to try to pretend to be happy to be up for the day.  We had planned on going to eat at a mall next door to the stadium, but did not make it in time to eat first.  We decided to get inside and find our seats knowing that there would be food and drinks inside.  Ryan and I split the most expensive personal pizza ever.  It was just the right size for us though.  We both got two pieces and were full.

The Skins lost the game.  We had a great time.  I was surprised at how many Skins fans were there.  I was afraid that we were going to be the major minority cheering for the Skins, but we were not.  So, that was nice.  There was even a me sized player on the Skins.  One of their receivers was a good head shorter than the other players on the field.  We looked him up in the program - he was a mighty 5' 7".  So, at our end of the row, we cheered for him whenever he was on the field.

It was a sold out game.  The stadium was totally packed.

Doug, Ryan & I. 

Warren, the one looking at the camera, had the great idea to go to the game and organized it.  There were two of my brothers there with parts of their families and a nephew with three of his boys, and then the three of us.

Ryan and I enjoying the game.

I had to save the best for last.  I took this with my cell phone camera.  No special effects whatsoever.  I loved the way this came out.  I'm featuring it on my photo website also.  MelzDezines.

Back in the Saddle Again

Isn't that how that old Roy Rogers song goes?  Well, since I'm totally a city girl, the "saddle" that I am referring to is stamping.  That's right, in July, I became a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator again.  I had done it for over eight years.  And really had a great time being involved with stamping and all the fun times and wonderful people that I met through it.  Well, SU! was offering a special for past demonstrators to sign back up for only $35.  With a little encouragement from my friend - thanks Di - big hugs! - I did it. 

Already I have attended a few classes and held my very first stamp class and garage sale.  It was family that came to the class and we had a great time.  Afterwards we went out for lunch with the rest of our families - hubbies and kids - to one of our favorite places.  La Tolteca.  They have such yummy tamales.

I am having a very fun time and am looking forward to the classes that I am planning - Christmas, Halloween and more Christmas.  Be sure to visit my new stamp blog for everything paper craft related.

Here are some of the highlights so far.

Attending a class at my friend Diana's house.  I took another fun friend with me to the class.  She is a scrapbooker but has never stamped before.  It was very fun!

On my way to a Distressing stamp class.  Learning all about using the new distressing kit.  Great projects.  Afterwards, Diana and I went camera shopping to find her a new one.  A great day!

The components of the Distressing Kit.  I'm telling you, if you are having a stressing day, this kit is so fun to use, you will be all relaxed when you are done.

 A project from the distressing class.

Garage Sale items.

One of my favorite new items in the Winter Mini Catalog.  I loved them when I saw them in the catalog.  And really loved them in person.  I want to figure out way to wear them.  They are so beautiful.