Being Thankful...

My list of things that I am Thankful for

(in no particular order)

My furry little four legged friend....Max who

is there for me when I come home wagging his tail!

for Fall/Winter clothes....warm sweaters and scarves...

blue jeans and sweatshirts!

for my DVR....so I can watch what I like when I have time!

for my house that is big enough for my family and friends to be together!

for my car that gets me to where I need to go safely!

for my Quilting....that is very relaxing for me!

for my home that makes me feel cozy and safe!

for the fact that I can put up my Christmas Decorations

now and leave then up until March!

for my heavenly father!

for my two daughters that we can spend time together

just like we have never been apart!

for the most precious gift of my granddaughter "Ella"

for my son-in-law who loves and takes care of my

daughter and grand-daughter!

for lots of wonderful family and friends!

for my Job: Yes I love my job and I am very thankful that I do consider

the people I work with to be family.

for DIET COKE....My one true friend whom I never go a day with out!

for Memories!

for Family Vacations!

for HGTV-NCIS-DWTS!

for Ella's videos and Skype times!

for the emails....tweets....messages all times of the day!

for Red licorice and movie popcorn!

for Target and shopping online!

for Aveda and pampered haircuts!

Everything & Everyone that makes my life, happier, easier, healthier....better!

I do love this picture....

This is priceless....Look-a-like costumes....maybe Mommy and Daddy should get one also! You would make the SLC newspaper!

Who does this look like?

I saw this on another blog.....I laughed because I know someone who has a real beard that looks just like this guy!
(Great knitted hat...pattern available!)

I just feel this way toay!

.... I am hoping for an awesome next fews days....lots of energy to get everything done..... because.....in 2 weeks and I am on my way to New Orleans! So excited to spend one week with my two favorite daughters....

Happy Birthday! Dale

Don't celebrate too much....you may have to start slowing down...you are catching up with the rest of us....

Blocks done ready for applique

You have to use your imagination....the blocks and applique kind of set up!

Happy Birthday Alyssa

Remember......30 is the new 20! You will love the 30's it only gets better!

Fun Fact for Alyssa....

I wonder if some people produce more than others....

Happy Birthday Laurie!

Laurie at three now she is thirty-three on Wednesday.....HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
She is still adorable....love ya so much mom

Floyd County Memorial

I didn't realize that Dick wanted to be on the "Floyd County Memorial" until his last visit. They only had room for 100 names....so I made the contribution for his name to be engraved on it. It is a long process but should be on by November 1st 2010. (My plans are to surprise him next time he visits! So don't tell him...)

Friends... like their Grandmothers?

Laurie is wanting to know the date of Grandma Camp for next year?

Miss my DVR...

I didn't realize that I used this little machine so much. I decide want I will miss and want to see each week...program this little machine....so when I sit down I watch what I want. Staying at someone else's home....I watch what is on at the time. I guess I am spoiled....

Ella....cutest "Little Hawkeye Cheerleader"

Go....Fight....Win! Nana has new pom poms for you!

What was I thinking....

I will be watching 3 dogs and 3 cats and Max for the next 21 days! I decided it would be easier to sleep at the home I am watching then make an extra 4 trips to town. So first night...poor Max didn't get any sleep nor I! He cried and cried he wanted to go home to sleep!

When I got home this morning....he was so happy he ran through the house full speed and then he went to his crate!

But after spending the day with Sophie today (at my house) they have bonded and things will be fine. Had a terrible rain down pour so I left work to let the other 2 dogs in from the rain. They were so happy to see me....and they were soaked!

Max and Sophie.......arent' they adorable!

Susan's Kindergarten Class

A couple of weeks ago I spent time with 7 students from Susan's Class making giant Gingerbread Cookie... I love this every year. (Didn't get a picture of finished product!)
The kids are adorable and so excited to make a BIG Gingerbread cookie! We do all of the steps together and then we all carry the pan to the cooks in the kitchen.
This year a little girl told them to cook it at 750 degrees for 4 hours. Then a little boy said "Don't peek....he will run away! I read the book!
The cooks in the school kitchen giggle and are very serious about the orders they were given.
I had to go back to work....my last words were to the class "You have to let me know how good they tasted!"
This large letter was in my mail on Saturday....the cookies ran away! They wanted to tell me all about it. I love kids!

Adoption Announcement...

These kids are adorable....what an awesome family! Congratulations Shane and Stacie!

Gabe (5) Gavin (3) Sierra (2) Grayson (1)

Marzen Family Adoption celebration...

Welcome to Sierra and Grayson to the Marzen family... From a family of four to six.....T-shirts numbered!

Sierra and Mom...want a little sweetheart!

Grayson and Sierra loved opening gifts...it was so hard for Gavin to not help!

Gabriel and Gavin put Max in a cage at the park....they were all entertained!

The boys immediately ran to play with Max...

Hang on Max....down the slide one more time!

Max was so thirsty after the run around the park...

Shane and Stacie have this awesome family photo grouping in their dining room.

Poor Daisy was sent to her chair more than once this afternoon....

Stand off with Daisy and Max until the smelled each other.....and got to know each other and then did they have fun.....The three boys loved the balloons...Grayson hung in there with the big boys! He just giggled!

Kind of looks like Ella?????

If Max was smaller....

Maybe I could jog with him .....and look like this!

Keep Crystal in your prayers....

My amazing sister-in-law is giving one of her kidneys to a friend of hers Thursday in St. Mary's Hospital in Rochester MN. Please keep her in your prayers...

This photo was taken this weekend in Missouri (over 100 degrees) with her son's dog Raz!

She says "I'm ready.... I've had one of the best summer's this 2010. I've got to make memories with the people God gave me to love and who love me. I've leaned it's not where we go but who we have to go "to" that counts. We have some wonderful people on our family who will always be there for us. Happiness is only happiness when it's shared....

She is pretty awesome!!!!!

Viva Las Vegas....in Cedar Falls....

Holly, JoAnn and me

on the Hawkeye bus! We left from the Senior Center Parking lot!

During the 2nd Act... the fire alarm when off and we had to evacuate the building, we saw smoke coming from the stage as we were leaving...

It wasn't smoke....it was a haze! The Haze Machine was blowing toward the fan and then the fire alarm was set off....after 20 minutes we continued the show.
Can you see the haze!

The "Bartender" who was the narrator came out and said that the Cedar Falls Fire Department wasn't aware of how hot their show was.....

The show was amazing.....it was a story by the "Bartender" who was at the "Frontier Casino" that would be closing and the new Trump Tower would be going up.

They had music through the years....from Elvis-Frank Sinatra-Sonny & Cher-Donny and Marie-Penn and Teller-to the Show girls....it was not professional....just normal people that love to sing and dance!

A 6 year old and 8 year came on the bus to thank us for coming and that they did it for us!

They were adorable...

Finished the afternoon at Bishops.....and Chocolate Silk Pie! JoAnn, (new Friend) Samantha, Holly and Diane

Just watched this movie!

I just watched this movie...I know it was from 2007....but I don't get out much! Laurie had given me the soundtrack and loved that. Seeing Ireland makes me want to go! But I was so sad watching this movie...I was thinking why in the world would you want to drive your widow crazy sending her letters....but the end finally made me feel better.....but I was glued to the TV to figure it out. The guys weren't to bad to look at also.....

I got it! Love it!

My hair stylist gave me her old "Coach" purse!

In March she told me she had gotten this cool purse. She showed me and I told her I loved it! She had told me yesterday that she had just gotten another "Coach" purse. So I asked her about her old one....she said it was in her closet and she wouldn't ever use it again. "Do you want it?" of course I said "Yes"!

The oven was started and it works!

I had some ripe bananas and decided to make Banana Bread Muffins.....instead of just throwing them away! I don't know what got into me...I haven't bake something in months....or else I was craving something homemade really really bad! Now my freezer is full of breakfast on the way to work...and I found out that my oven does work!

RAGBRAI 2010...July 28th

I am hosting 6 people overnight when Ragbrai comes thru Charles City...they come from Clear Lake so it is going to be a short ride for them only 52 miles. Charles City is planning alot of things....the route is almost going right by my house. The last time I hosted a family of 5 and sometime during the night....15 guys from Iowa State ended up on the floor of my living room and dining room. I was surprised waking up to having to walk over sleeping bodies. But in about 15 minutes after they woke up they picked up moved the furniture back and were gone!

Houseboat Vacation?????

Dick called me today and wondered if the family should rent houseboats and go up river for a week? Cost may be $1,000 to $2,000 per boat! I am a little nervous but what do you others think about it! Need some others ideas....need reservations for next year now!

Busy on the 4th of July ....Sewing!

Since it poured rain all day .... I was busy inside!
This is from the class that I took a couple of weeks ago...this is ready to send to be quilted and binding needs to be done! It was a new technique I learned! (The white is the batting and it will be smaller....still in production!) This will look great as a table topper on my deck or even kitchen....

This table runner was made for a Birthday gift....Red, White and Blue for a 4th of July Birthday! I think she will love it!

Benefits of being the DD

I got to drive this BMW5x....it was amazing! I loved it! I only got to drive it from downtown to my house and parked it! I asked if I could trade my Ford Taurus for a couple of months...didn't happen!

Delta sold Mason City connection...

Both Mason City and Rochester MN

Delta sold Mesaba Airlines to Pinnacle Airlines Corp. for $62 million....wow!
It says it will continue to operate Delta flights through the next 7 to 12 years.

I just started to like flying out of Mason City!

Update on the Neighborhood Watch

The "Middle School" Neighborhood watch meeting last night....was very interesting! I actually learn something new about the neighborhood every meeting I get to. Last night one of the members volunteered to teach any woman that wanted to learn some self-defense!

Probably not a bad idea....

I just an not used to having "neighbors" stop over....tonight I got back in the house @ 9:45. Several neighbors stopped over to visit me! :)


They must think that I am a people person! or a lonely old lady with a dog! Several members are so proud of the badges that we have for ID and they wear them proud on the outside of their clothes....with a bright blue lanyard! I think I will wear mine under my shirt and blend into the un-noticed group!

Several of the group are going to purchase cameras...so I am thinking as I walk Max around the block...I need to not look stupid
1) put on Make-up
2) put on nice clothes
3) comb my hair
4) brush my teeth

Not do the 6:00 AM...
sweatshirt over PJ's...
pull hood up over hair...
sunglasses over no makeup!

If I am going to be photographed!