Terrific Tuesday

Well today was Cliff's second day at work. The first day was spent doing paper work, seriously 8 hours of paper work. He was fit to be tied. This is a very detailed company and I guess that is good. It is amazing that they start their benefits on day one of employment. It is a Canadian company and they do wonders for their employees. It is really very employee friendly. It will be hard work but I think he will be rewarded accordingly.

I am just hanging out. Cleaned the 5th wheel and am going to get dressed and go have lunch with Alecia at 10:45. Later I am going to meet Cliff for lunch and then take my afternoon walk. Later I will get ready to go to Mesquite for a bit. Not sure how long yet as I have to wait and see what the doctors say but hopefully it won't be too long or I will miss Cliff too much. When I'm here I miss every one there and when I'm there I miss every one here. Ain't life a bitch sometimes!

Colorado

Well we are here and all set up. It is very cozy and comfortable. Cliff's Dad has just been so wonderful to help us and Mom gives lots of moral support. We have been running around for a couple days getting all the things we forgot plus a few things Cliff needed for work. I think we are finally set for awhile. It has been really fun but we do miss the kids back home yet we are loving seeing the kids that are here. We got to see Traci and Ryan on Friday for a bit and go to lunch with them and Alecia has been over a couple times and even spent the night. We still have not seen Cheyenne but I am sure we will this week. I am having lunch with Alecia and her girl friend on Tuesday and we also got to go to Alecia's baseball game the other night. It's going to be fun being more involved in their lives than just summers and holidays. Toby will be in Mesquite at the end of the week and I can't wait to see him. He will get to spend a few days and that will be nice. Plus I will get to see all the Mesquite/Las Vegas kids soon so I am having a ball.

Cliff started work today so we will know more about what his schedule will be tonight. He took his test for his CDL permit Friday so that is out of the way. He has about two weeks of school and then he will be out in the field. His brother Brent came over last night and said that they will be working in North Dakota a lot this winter. Burr cold. He said sometimes they are gone for as long as a month. If so, I will just go home where it is warm and wait till he is back in Colorado, and then meet him back here. I will miss him but they say say the money is fantastic up there so I guess we can stand it (HA) I think he is actually really excited about his new job. He was so tired of sitting around doing nothing and to find a really great job in his economy is such a blessing.

Anyway, it will be an interesting winter and spring. I have to leave on Wednesday to go home. I have a doctors appointment on Thursday to see the plastic surgeon about new boobs so I am excited. There is nothing to spark a girls spirits like new perky boobs!

It's A Girl !

We found out today that Teddi is having a girl!! They thought all along that it was a boy and had the name Jaxon picked out for him but then they got a curve ball thrown at them and now we have another Princess on the way.

The picture is of Olivia holding up sonogram pictures of the baby. It's so blurry and small you can barely see it cause I took it with my phone (you would think a Blackberry would take a better picture; or is it me hummmmmmm)but trust me, she was so cute. When they said the baby was a girl Olivia was adamant that it was a boy. She said, "I need a little brother!" Then she asked the technician if she was going to "cut her Mom's tummy off and get the baby out because she needed to be a big sister." She is such a doll.

Of course Donny and Teddi immediately started to try to think of girl names and I finally had to tell them they had some time and didn't have to decide RIGHT THAT MINUTE. They were funny. I think Donnie was just a tiny bit disappointed but he covered well and immediately started to talk about how much fun it was going to be to have two little girls. I said it's great for Grandma & Grandpa cause we already have pink bikes and dolls and a Barbie Car etc so here we go with another little heifer. Love It

Heading For Colorado

My nice spacious kitchen with plenty of storage and even a built in microwave oven. Living in the Lap of Luxury. Even a small dining room for our intimate dinners (HA) Of course I have to have throw pillows and plants, etc Cliff is about ready to kill me with the decorating, but a girl has to have her treasures

Well we finally got everything repaired and ready on the 5th wheel and then got everything loaded and ready to go in the morning. Cliff and his Mom and Dad are leaving about 5am to head that way and then I will go over on Thursday. I have to be back next Wednesday for Dr's but that will give me a few days to help him get set up and buy groceries etc. then I will come home and check on things here and do all my doctor visits. Plus I will get to see all my kids in both places so hurray!!

Of course I have to have my cowboy stuff even if it is a travel trailer. We laughed, I had to have a pillow top mattress, topped with an memory foam pad, then topped with a padded mattress pad cover, 500 thread count sheets, and you can't tell but there are 6 pillows stacked on the bed. Cliff just shook his head but a girl has to do what a girl has to do. Plus it just looked so damn cute.

Here she is packed and ready to take us on our next adventure together

Cha Cha sitting at the kitchen table deciding she could live in the 5th wheel after the kids are raised!
Daddy Daddy snoozing in his easy chair

Back From Idaho

We spent the last week in Idaho visiting my Mom and family. We really had a good time and got out of the heat for a few days. Got to go to the theatre every night and really enjoyed all the shows especially "The Scarlett Pimpernel" I love the music from that show; it is one of my very favorites and it was very well done. Hats off to my sister Jan for the costuming it was perfect and that's not easy when you are costuming the French Revolution but she could not have done better. Was nice to visit with Mom and family, don't know when we will get back up there with the Colorado job so we stayed a week and tried to help her a little. I managed to get some book work done and get her ready for her accountant to file their 990 federal return. So, hopefully that will help for a little while. Cliff repaired a few things for her so she was happy.

While we were there she gave me a few things: her beautiful dining room set you see pictured above. The table is made out of 150 year old barn wood and I love it. It looks so good in our house. She also gave us a beautiful log bed, the table cloth that my Uncle Walt gave Mom and Dad when they got married, and Dad's favorite picture, his Charles Russell print. I was so thrilled. Most of it has such special meaning and that's what makes it so precious. So thank you Mom. I promise to take care of it all and treasure it.





We got home and it was hot, hot, hot. It is so nice to be home and see all the kids. Did not get to see Teddi cause they are in California but she said they will try to come up next week. Toby is coming the first week of September so I really hit the jackpot. Then I will be in Colorado later in the month and get to see all my Colorado kids. Lucky girl I am ; talk about being blessed beyond measure!!! And my handsome Clifford to boot. Here he is messing with his new laptop. He loves new gadgets.

Colorado Here We Come

Well, I guess we are headed for Colorado, at least part time. Cliff just got a job with a company called Calfrac out of Grand Junction, Colorado. His schedule, once he is settled in, will be 15 days on and 6 off so we will be able to come home every couple weeks and take care of things here so, it won't be too bad. That's what we are telling ourselves anyway. We both hate it and don't want to go to cold ass Colorado but with that said, we are very thankful to have the option that many people don't have. It is a VERY good job considering the economy; actually making more than he was before and with excellent benefits, once again we are blessed. He starts on August 30th so we have a little time to get ready.

We are going to leave sometime this weekend to go to Idaho and help Mom for a week or so and then back here to get Cliff ready to go. I have to stay here until after Sept 2 for doctors appointments and then I will head to Colorado also. We are going to buy a 5th wheel and park it next to Mom and Dad Cole's house to live in. We don't need another place to take care of and I am not about to waste money on apartment rent when I don't have too. We just need a place big enough for a make up bed so the kids can have a place to stay when they come. So I guess we enter the next phase of our adventure! Cool

Shucking & Jiving

Cliff's Mom and Dad brought us 25 doz ears of corn and a box of peaches from Colorado so we spent the evening freezing corn and peaches. As you can see we had a little mini helper, Princess Gorda Mae Cheese. She thought she was such a big girl helping Alecia and Grandpa shuck the corn. Once Alecia tried to help her and she said "I got dis one". She is so sweet. We had a great time. Charlee and I blanched and cut the corn off the cob, then Cliff's Dad-Cliff filled the bags for us. Cliff's Mom got to sit and listen to our shenanigans since she is blind she couldn't help but she sure cheered us on and laughed at our antics

I made a screaming good chili verde and some Spanish rice with fresh corn on the cob and peach cobbler. There is just no sense in anything being that good. I have mopped the floor twice and we are still finding corn all over. We need to turn some chickens loose in the house and I bet they'd make short work of it. But then I'd have the issue of chicken doodoo all over so maybe not. See I'm not ignernt I can think stuff out!

Today Cliff is leaving for Colorado to interview for a job today. I am pretty sure he will get it because 3 of his brothers work for this company and they are all recommending him. It's working for a oil company out of Canada called Calfrac. It is a good job but very physical. I worry about him cause he has a hernia but all three of this brothers have them so I guess he'll survive. He just needs to have surgery and get it repaired before it gets much worse. Anyway, if he gets the job, we will get a 5th wheel and park it next to his Mom and Dad's house in Co and stay there 15 days then he is off for 6 days and we can come home and take care of our place here.

I will be back and forth with doctors etc but ya do what ya have to do in this economy. It's pretty plain that the commercial plumbing trade is over in this area for at least the next five years so oil's where it's at today, so that's where we will have to go. It's that or overseas and

Cliff 's not crazy about flying ( I think it's the not smoking part that he really detests) . Cliff is hating every minute of this. He said "I worked so damn hard to get out of Colorado" I told him we will just have one foot across the state line and no more.HA

Happiness

I had to post these pictures of Gabrielle. The neighbors dogs got out and they were the cutest most friendly dogs I have ever seen. There were two that looked just a like. Charlee Ann thought they were Goldendoodles. Anyway Gabbi went crazy for them. It was the cutest thing, She just hauled them around and loved them. They never got nervous or even nipped at her. It was so funny. She just melted she loved them so much.
Here she is taking one for a walk by it's tail. She was just in love with these dogs
This poor puppy was as big as she was but a very good sport about being carried around by his neck. So cute. Wish all that any of us had to worry about was loving a dog this much!!

Smiling

I found this card and the caption was " Hope you're keeping your spirits up!" I loved it so I sent it to my friend Nani cause I knew she would appreciate it. She had her breast reconstruction not too long ago and has a great sense of humor so I know she'd get a laugh out of it.

I have an appointment on September 2 with the plastic surgeon to schedule my reconstruction surgery. Looking forward to having two boobs again. We will have to have a special retirement ceremony for the boobus as we retire her from active service! I don't know what the proper retirement gift is for a old boobus ; a boobus that has served her country well and has made my chest (at least the right side of it) swell with pride when I look down and see her standing at attention. So here's to you boobus (I am saluting now).

We are having a pretty quiet weekend. Just hanging out doing yard work and finishing up a few finish details in the house. Cliff's parents will be here next week and are bringing Alecia so we are excited to see her and visit with the folks. Then at the end of the week they will take Alecia and Cheyenne back to Co to get ready to go to school and i think we are headed back to Idaho to help Mom for a few days and visit with Toby. So that will wind up our summer and I am looking forward to fall. Either it has been a hot summer or I am just getting old, hummmmm wonder which it is?

Summer Fun

Last weekend Teddi and Donnie had to go to California to take Kaylene home so I asked if Queen Olivia could come and stay the weekend with us. We had so much fun. We had our share of dramas but over all it was a blast. The girls built a club house, had a picnic, made cup cakes and decorated them, went swimming in the little pool as well as the Big Pool (City Rec Center), had a sleep over, and generally ran Cliff, Charlee and me ragged. What sweet babies they are , I love them so much. Here is Duchess Cheyenne , Queen Olivia, and Princess Gabbi, in all their bathing beauty glory!

Here are Queen Olivia and Duchess Cheyenne playing in their club house and eating cup cakes freshly baked and decorated.

We laughed over this picture cause it looks like Oli is driving the convertible in the parade and Gabrielle is the beauty queen lounging on the front of the car. It is especially funny because many years ago in the Dixie Round Up parade in St George, the Indian reservation's "princess" rode on the front of a car this way, only it was a rusted out old Ford that would barely run and was smoking all through the parade. Too funny

Me and my baby girls all wet from swimming. I can't wait for the next one boy or girl! Queen Olivia calls him baby Jax so maybe she has the inside scoop!!

The Queen lounging on the side of the pool

The Princess getting ready to ride around the yard in the Barbie car. She was so funny. She hit the gas in reverse and about scared herself to death. She drove for a minute and then her little foot got tired from trying to push on the gas (she is not quite big enough) so Queen Olivia took over and it was a wild ride from there on. I felt bad for Duchess Cheyenne , she is just too big for the car this year and it broke her heart. She use to be the designated driver but she has just grown too much.

It was a wonderful time. When Olivia saw Gabrielle for the first time she said ( in the most dramatic , animated voice), "Oh, Gouda, I lost you, but now that I have found you again, I will never let you go!" Amen sister