I am becoming Wii fit

Larry & I were first introduced to Ninetindo Wii in April when we were visiting Eric & Misti. It didn't take long to get hooked. My favorites are bowling and golf! I am working at tennis to get better and have improved. Anyway, we visited Ty & Karen and after playing theirs with them decided it was time to splurge and get one of our own. We also lucked out when Ty found Wii Fit for us and Larry brought them home on the airplane. I have been exercising for 17 days now and while not a pro, I am still going strong. Exercising has never, I repeat never, been something I ever did for any length of time (more than two days!). I have found that balance is really important and something I was lacking and didn't even realize. The Wii asked me if I trip when I walk!!! All I can say is that there is a LOT of room for improvement. Wii Fit will test you and then combine your actual age with the test results and give you your estimated age. I have been fortunate to have my Wii age be less than my actual age except for once when it was a year older. Here is a picture of my Wii age for today. I thought it was pretty awesome that my Wii Fit age is younger than three of our five kids!!! Yippeeeee!! Well, gotta get back to my Wii!

Surprise!!!

This morning while I was on the phone with Candy, Larry asked me to come out to the garage when I was off. (I guess he doesn't realize that we always talk a minimum of an hour.) When I was done I went out to see what he was up to. He said he wanted to organize the garage before it got "hot". Now I'm not really sure what he was thinking ----maybe the heat had already gotten to him ---I don't really know because it was already HOT!!! We spent two hours organizing and the final result was that we were able to get both cars in the garage. Most of our married life we have had two-car garages but rarely were we able to park one car - let alone two - in the garage! I think it's ironic that all those years prior to living in the desert we had to get in and out of our cars in the rain! Now we live in the desert and are more motivated to park in the garage because it's just tooooooooooo hot to park outside.

Our water closet....

I cleared out our guest closet and turned it into a "water closet." (Notice our coats hanging above the cases of water? I should probably put them out in the garage since we rarely need them---and for sure not for several more months!!!!) So the luggage and vacuum cleaner that were formerly in this closet have now taken up permanent residence in the garage. We are looking into getting a water system installed but until then we drink bottled water. Guess we are spoiled after growing up where the water is sweet and easy on the taste buds!!!

Scarlett O'Hara Eat Your Heart Out....

One of my favorite movies of all time is Gone With the Wind. I love it even though it is about 3 1/2 hours long! I remember my mom & I going to the drive-in movie years and years ago so we could watch this movie together. I was married with kids even! Anyway, back to the movie - do you remember the scene where Scarlett took the drapes off the wall and made a fashionable dress so she could go beg Rhett for money? Or maybe you remember Carol Burnett's skit mocking the movie but it was hysterical!!! So this past week I "repurposed" some material I bought when I came to Arizona to visit Larry before I moved here. I needed the material to cover the bare walls in our master bathroom and the difference it made was astounding!!! I love the material!!! So when we moved to our new home I carefully took the material down off the wall, washed, packed, and moved it. The material sat here for a few months until last week when I decided to use it to make a new apron. I was tired of cooking in good clothes only to find I had spilled or splattered on them!! Soooooooooooo here is the result. I even made it reversible so I could have two good sides! When I searched online to find a pattern I didn't see any that would suit my taste so I modified what I found and because I didn't have any bias tape.... and did not want to make my own... this is what I came up with. I even hung a special hook by my refrigerator so it will always be handy to use. Today when I came home from church I used my apron and thus didn't have to change my clothes because we were heading out again to visit a family and then go back to church for a fireside. Let me tell you, I am very happy with my new apron! Go figure. One last thing - the first time I ever sewed anything was in the 7th grade when I made an apron. Guess I am retracing history!!! (Yes, I know I cropped my head out of the picture but the focal point is the apron. Really.)

Memories......

As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember! Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It will be fun to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you. If you don't want to play on your blog, or if you don't have a blog, I'll leave my memory of you in my comments or send you an email. I think this could be a lot of fun. I know it might be hard to think of just one but see what you can come up with. Enjoy!

Monsoon season is here!!!!!!!!!!!

The Weather Service decided that the monsoon
“season” will start on June 15th and end on September 30th, regardless of weather conditions. In years past, the first three consecutive days with average dew points of 55 degrees marked the beginning of the monsoon—typically in early July. And the monsoon ended with the last string of three days with such damp dew points--usually in September. So we have thunderstorms and fantastic lightning shows. In fact, on the way home from the airport the other night I watched lightning all the way. Anyway, after the rain the water stays for a long, long time. This is not really a lake but instead a park near our home. If you enlarge the picture you might be able to see the black picnic table on the far right - it is partially submerged. Some parks here are made to be retention ponds as is the case with our park. Can you imagine the havoc this water would create if it didn't have a place to stand? I'm sure it doesn't sink into the ground - probably just evaporates instead!!! Anyway this park is a favorite of Lady's - remember my earlier blog with her playing in the grass???? Well that area is under this water! And two days later the water was still almost as high!!!!







It seems as if everywhere I went yesterday there was ground water. Here is a picture outside of the post office looking toward a church across the street.





































Just down from the post office a little way I ran into another "puddle" on the way to run more errands! And the one place I thought there would be water - the Santa Rosa Wash - there was a small puddle on each side of the road. When the storms come we can't use the road because of flash floods so I was surprised to see that there was no water to speak of in the wash. The city where we live is ready to start building a bridge over the wash so we won't have to take alternate routes when the storms come. I sure can feel the humidity since I've been home! All I can say is I AM SO THANKFUL FOR AIR CONDITIONERS!!!!!

Grandkids are the best!!!

Here we are - Kirsten & I in sunny Washington (notice my jacket???) We are enjoying our time here visiting with family and friends - some new, some old.
Amy.

Tierra.

Tenajha.

Matthew.
Taleah.
Taunie.
Marty & Serina, Ty & Karen in the back. Middle Janel & Trent, Jacob & Mandi. Front Larry & me.
And Sunday morning this is what I found in the family room. Matthew, Amy, & Kirsten. It's been a busy time for all of us!!!

If I could have any wish...it would be to have my family all together!

Our 4th of July this year was spent with most of our family. We had seven of our grandchildren....Taunie, Tierra, Tenajha (top three) and Matthew, Kirsten, Amy, & Taleah.


And four of our five children - Trent, Serina, Larry, Kathy, Jacob, & Ty
Here's a picture of Great Grandma Gwen with Taunie, Tierra, Tenajha, Matthew, Kirsten, Amy, & Taleah.
I've never added a video but if this works you will see a game GG Gwen planned for the kids - bobbing for apples. They were really good sports and did a great job!!!






Our newly engaged couple flew in to join us for the festivities. Mandi and Jacob were engaged on Mother's Day. We are so very blessed to have Mandi join our family. And I checked with her this evening and she still wants to be a part of the family....even after meeting most of us for the first time!!!!

A Day at the Zoo.......

Most days seem like a trip to the zoo but this one actual was....A trip to the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle provided us with lots of interesting finds....Kirsten wouldn't pose with this guy for the camera until Nana did.

I think she did a better job of posing! So photogenic!

It took a lot of time and patience to get this parakeet to cooperate and dine on the meal Kirsten wanted to provide him. Once the food was gone...he was gone also!

We ended our day with a visit to Grandma Helen's. Helen is not a blood relative but she has been a grandma to Trent from the day we took him home from the hospital!!! They have had a close relationship for many, many years. It was good to visit with her again.