Happy Halloween 2010

Here are our Halloween pictures. This is the first year that Cliff an I have not been home for Halloween and it about killed us. We didn't even dress up. Oh brother, adulthood and the responsibility that goes with it really sucks. But as you can see everyone else had lots of fun. Charlee was Rizzo from Grease, Tony was the puppet guy from the Saw movies, Gorda was a little baby witch, and Alecia was "Where's Waldo". Teddi & Donnie were Johnny Cash & June Carter, and Olivia was a pirate and Barbie Musketeer.

"But I'm a Witch"
" Where is Waldo"

Here is our own June Carter

Here is Dean and Olivia. He was a prince and she was a princess. Beautiful


Here is Cheyenne and Trent (her brother) and a friend. Shiner is Vampira!!!

Cancer Schmanser

I have been in Mesquite for a few days having physical therapy and Herceptin treatments. Luckily Toby was in town at the ame time so we all had a late lunch in Vegas and I got to get a picture of all my natural kids ( I claim Cliffs kids too they just weren't there). Tony didn't want to take the picture because Cliff wasn't there to be in it but I told him Cliff would understand,plus I promised I would have Toby photo shop him in!HA It has been a nice few days and I was able to get the lawn work done so it won't be overwhelming when we get back next Wednesday for Cliffs days off. I may be home for a while then if Cliff goes to North Dakota we will jsut have to wait and see what his schedule is.

The Red Mountain Spa in St George sponsored a gift evening for all breast cancer suvivors in our area last night. It was a fruit and cheese buffett with mini hand massage, back and neck massage, relaxation tecniques, henna head tattoos. It was a really nice evening and most fun was reconnecting with some of the women that I was in treatment with that I had kind of lost touch with. I had to post this picture of one of the ladies that got their bald head tattooed. It was really cool. I am not sure if I would have had the nerve to "sport" a head tattoo but it looks really cool. I rode up with my friend Nani Woods and we hadn't talked for awhile so that was really nice. She has really been wonderful to me thru this whole thing. She was diagnosed about 3 months ahead of me so she filled me in on what to expect and it was really helpful. We would have probably never been friends in normal life but in unusual circumstances we became good pals.

Rainy Colorado

Well we have been back in Colorado for a couple days. Cliff had to go to Rock Springs, WY so I am here by my lonesome. He had mixed emotions about going. He was hoping they'd make some money but hated to be gone. I have had time to clean the 5th wheel and mess around. Hopefully he will be home late tomorrow.

When I am bored I get crazy about my hair. I dyed it 3 times today and then had to go to Walmart and get dye for tomorrow. Right now it's a light peachy blond. Hopefully tomorrow it will be a light beige blond guess we will see. I swore to Cliff that I would decide on a hair color soon ; he just laughed cause he knows that's a lie.

I did go for a walk today. I talked to Cliff about some different places to walk and he didn't want me to walk at any of them cause he didn't feel it was safe, so we finally settled on just around the neighborhood. So I go for my walk, and as I was coming back by the street I turn on to go home, I see this guy on the opposite side of the street in his pajama's, dark sun glasses, with a bald head with long hair in the back, I swear he looked like a serial killer.And yes as you would expect he crossed the street and walked straight toward me so I just put my head down and walked faster and he passed me. So when I come back that way to turn on my street, he is standing there with a dog on a leash, I about died. I just walked as fast as I could and when I got past him, I ran all the way home. So much for walking in the neighborhood. Later I thought he was probably harmless and was more scared of the lady with the orange hair than I was of him LOL.

So I am sitting here listening to the rain on the roof, wishing Cliff was here. Alecia is coming over later to spend the night after she goes to the football game. It will be nice to have some company.

Pumpkin Painting 2010

Pumpkin painting 2010 was a hit. We did have to paint inside as it was pouring rain outside but we had fun. Without the sun to dry the paint we had to resort to the blow dryer but it was fun. Donnie painted this "Jack" for Olivia that really turned out good. Cliff and Tony did a good "SAW" character but the batteries ran out in my camera before I got a picture of it. If any one wonders why we don't carve them, it's too hot here this time of year and they rot so fast once they are cut we just paint them then carve the day of Halloween.

I made the kids these cupcakes and they had orange ocean Hawaiian Punch that Gabbi called Pumpkin juice. It was so cute. The girls painted a lot with their hands and they thought that was fun ; they are so darn cute

Cliff painted mustaches on Teddi and Oli , I guess they were French painters

Our sweet Olivia having at her pumpkin

Gabrielle took the whole thing very serious and painted her little heart out

Tony making his Saw character. Of course he had to try to scare Gabrielle with it

Here is my sweet Charlee helping Gorda with her project.She wanted to paint a Boise State pumpkin but we ran out of yellow to mix with red to make orange so we will have to get some today so she can finish

Harlee Abigail's Baby Shower

We had Harlee Abigail's baby shower at Teddi & Donnie's house yesterday afternoon and we had a ball. It was a boob themed party as you can see by the photos. It was so funny. All Teddi's friends were there and they were so much fun. Her friend Becky gave her the party and she did a wonderful job/ All the guys had fun cause there was beer and boobs. HA

Teddi's cousin Michelle Jensen made the cake and it was so cute. Harlee's name in the shape of the Harley Davidson insignia/ The cake was white with chocolate and banana filling.

What a crew

Donnie, Teddi, Oli, Kayleen, Donnie Mom and Sister

This is the darling little outfit that Cha got her it was so sweet

Some of the stuff Big Daddy and I got them. Donnie was so funny he was wearing it before the baby gets a chance.

More goodies from Grandma & Grandpa Cole

The happy little couple waiting on baby Harlee.

Our beautiful little granddaughter's Olivia & Gabrielle.

Now here are two boobs

Big Daddy with his dream glasses on

The little princesses

Saturday House Cleaning

I got up early and started cleaning house. Cliff is home for his week off so we are trying to get lots of little things done that were just handing around bugging us. He patched some sheet rock around the doorway thru to the new addition yesterday and had a big mess with sheet rock dust so I got up this morning at 6:00 am (that's right Claiborne about the time you were going to bed) and started mopping and dusting the whole house. I had scrubbed the kitchen and bathrooms yesterday so now it's pretty clean/ Still need to dust the blinds and wash windows but I will do blinds tomorrow and wait on the windows as it is suppose to rain.

It has been cooling off so the weather is nice. We have the yards all done and it looks so nice. We were trying to pick colors to paint the house and I got a lite grey green but Cliff hates it so I guess we are going with Wicker which is a taupe color. It's nice also and probably the better choice. I think we will get to that on his next days off hope the weather is nice.

Going down today for Teddi's baby shower. It should be fun and we get to see Olivia. Also Donnie's family is coming and we will get to meet them so that will be nice. Gabrielle and Tony came over last night to see Grandpa and he was so happy to see his kids. He hugged and kissed the Gorda and just couldn't get enough baby kisses. They are going with us today so more sweetness and light. Lucky grandma and grandpa!!

Alecia's Homecoming Weekend

This is a photo of Alecia and her date for Home Coming at Palisade High School in Grand Junction Co . I am not sure of her friends name but he is a handsome guy and she looks beautiful.

Sunday Morning

I woke up early this morning and made coffee and watched the sun rise. It was a beautiful morning scene. Now I am watching my favorite news magazine show "Sunday Morning". I love this program, it's cerebral without being snotty. I like it.

I got to help Traci with one of her college papers yesterday and I really enjoyed it. Made me realize how much I love writing and with that;

I just got my plac from winning the Best Non Staff Story for Class lll newspapers awarded from the Nevada Press Association for my story on breast cancer, It really felt good to have the story receive recognition. It also felt good that they said " the story was exceptionally well written". Well what do ya know. Maybe I ain't ignerent after all!!

I have been sitting here all morning looking around at the home Cliff and I have created. It is amazingly beautiful and comfortable. Makes me so grateful to have such a good man and wonderful home to share with our families. Tony helped me with the lawns yesterday and they look so nice I also made this little holiday montage. It's an homage to fall.

The real Halloween decorating will start when Cliff gets home on Wednesday. Cliff and Tony will put out the graveyard and other Halloweenie things can't wait. Then on Sunday everyone is coming to paint pumpkins. We do this every year and the kids just love it. Olivia remembers from last year and asked when we were going to do it so Sunday it is.

Had to include a picture of our lawn. It may never be this green again. It is amazing here in the desert to get it this lush and nice. As yo can probably tell I am so happy and content this morning. The only thing marring my good humor is that Cliff is gone working in Co. I hate that he is not here enjoying all this with me. I keep telling myself that men have had to leave home to work for ages. Doesn't help, doesn't help at all damn it.
My fall flowers are blooming and look so pretty. I love this time of year in Nevada. The heat is gone and it is just beautiful day and night.

Wonderful Weekend

Well, I feel good for the first time in weeks. My right arm had been hurting me so bad that I could barely wait until it was evening so I could take a pain pill. I finally went to the doctor and he said I had lymphodema and sent me to the physical therapist on Thursday. She is the cutest little island lady named Lorraine and she whipped me into shape. It took her an hour and a half massaging my arm until she had all the fluid out and it still feels wonderful. She said I did have some scar tissue from the radiation and between that and the voids left under my arm where they took the lymph nodes out it was trapping fluid. She is wonderful and so cute and funny. She did give me some exercises to do and showed me how to massage it myself in the tub and it's helping a lot.

Spent the day yesterday in Vegas with my daughters and Oli and Tony. We had a fun day; had lunch looked for baby things for Teddi and shopped for Tony a Halloween Costume. Dean came and met us and took Olivia and when he came she had a fit and cried and cried telling him "Daddy, I miss my Grandma and I love her more than all the stinky fishes in the sea and all the stars in the sky." It about broke my heart. Dean said I could take her some weekend to come stay with me my sweet Angel. A lot of it was that she was just tired but let's face it , I am an awesome Grandma (ha), We stopped by a cup cake bakery and I got her a Halloween cupcake so maybe she would feel better,

I was a fool and wore platform 6 inch heels (some people never learn) and my feet were killing me by the time Tony and I got home (Cha was at a eye doctor convention in Vegas so she stayed in town). I made us a pepperoni pizza for dinner (Papa Murphy yum) and then we just chilled out. Me watching re-runs of Two and a Half Men and him playing video games. Got a good nights sleep and then got up this morning and painted some test patches on the side of the house to try to decide what color to paint it. Now I have to wait for Cliff to look at them and see if he even lies either one at all. They are two shades of a very pale grey green. I like it, but we will see what he thinks. I am just ready for a change from brown/beige.

Tony and I have spent an hour trying to get the lawn mower and weed eater started and have no luck yet. I guess we will have to keep trying. I did get the kitchen rugs washed They are like mini carpets and can't be put in the washer so I had to scrub them down in the drive way and rinse them and hang them on the fence like a Hillbilly. Oh well if the corn cob pipe fits ya just have to smoke it!

Clear & Sunny

Well we woke up to clear sky's and sun shine today but they say it might rain this afternoon. High today 75 yeeha. It is so beautiful.

Went to the doctor yesterday for treatment and to have them look at my right arm and chest. All of a sudden I have all the feeling back after surgery a year ago. It has been numb that long and now the feeling is back and it is sore, sore , sore. It feels like all the skin and muscle on the right side of my chest and underarm has shrunk and is now too small for the area it covers. When I move it burns like a pulled muscle. Very annoying. Anyway the doctor seems to think I have lymphodema in that arm and is sending me to physical therapy. I guess we will see; it seems like more than that but I guess that is fears reaction.

I finally had to break down and go to the store and buy a razor to shave my legs. I forgot and left mine in Colorado, I did the same thing the last time I came home and had hairy legs for two weeks. I couldn't stand it this time so I bought a new razor for here, And by the way when did razors start to cost $10 and then you have to buy the disposable heads. I call bullshit! Of course, I shouldn't complain if I was in Grand Junction it would have been $20 everything over there is so damn expensive. I keep thinking I should buy nonperishable groceries here and haul them over there it is that much more expensive. Crazy you would think it would be cheaper cause they grow so much food there but it is 2 to3 times more than Mesquite. Ah home sweet home.

I got to see my little cheese monster and Tony last night made them pepperoni pizza and got two kisses. Gordy walked in the door and looked around and said "Where's Daddy?" Meaning Cliff, it was pretty funny then she proceeded to take her pizza outside, ride her bike around tormenting Digger but giving him a bit every once in a while. She's a PIP. I think Tony is going to spend the weekend with me while Cha is at her conference.

My Hot Big Daddy

Charlee Ann was always sending us these poses of her with her lips pursed like a Calendar Girl

and we would tease her and thought it was so funny so Cliff sent me this picture of him in full "Oil Field Gear" with his Calendar Girl lips. That is why I like him sooooooooooooooooo much cause he is just so damn funny. Not hard on the eyes either huh girls

Home Sweet Home

I left Colorado this morning when my darlin went to work (4 a m mountain time) and got home about 11. It was a nice drive and I saw this wonderful rainbow. It was only sprinkling in Richfield then started to rain a little in Cedar, was raining pretty good in St George and now it is coming down in sheets here. In fact the satellite and the land line phone is out. If this keeps up I may have to try to swim back to Colorado. (HA) I came home cause I have two doctors appointments this week and by then Cliff should be home on his days off. We will see with this company anything is likely to happen. He still hasn't gone thru drivers training to finish getting his CDL and that has to happen pretty soon as they will be going to North Dakota around the first of November. Guess we will see;

My cousin Mark is in the hospital he had two massive strokes and is only in his late 30's so sad. They did brain surgery late yesterday and relieved some pressure from his brain but the out look is not bright. We are all praying for Mark & Kim and the kids. This, like Lulabell's death is a hard one. Just keep praying and remember what Aunt Gean said on her death bed, " I've lived my whole life and now I find out that LOVE is the only thing that matters." Amen!

Mi Nina Loca

Had to post this picture of Gabrielle at the park. Now that's concentration my friends!!!

Daddy's Day Off

Had to post this picture of Olivia and Teddi in Disneyland. Teddi said that Oli was so happy, she cried. Disneyland is all decorated for Halloween and that is Oli's favorite holiday so she is in heaven. Teddi said it was one of the best days of her life. Now that's a good day. They took Kayleen also so I bet they are having a ball.

Well poor Cliff finally has a day off. He has worked 34 hrs in the past two days. I think they are trying to kill him. I really wonder about this company. I really don't see how he does it. I did notice when he put his pants on this morning that he is losing weight and he had none to lose. Maybe I should go to work for this company (HA) Sad thing is he is not making any money to speak of and that is rally pissing him off. Hopefully it will straighten out soon. I know they love him and the bosses always pick him but all that bravo is no substitute for money and they ill figure that out about him real soon!

We went and picked up Cheyenne this morning after much Mama Drama from her mother but now we are having a nice day. Went to breakfast at Starvin' Arvin's a local breakfast place. The food looks like it should be good and everyone else seems to like it , but all I have to say is "It ain't like Mama fixed it". No we are watching the Nascar race in Kansas and Cheyenne is making a a burrito out of herself wrapping up in blankets and making a fort!

I am leaving tomorrow to o home. I have a doctors appointment on Tuesday. I hate to leave Cliff here to fend for himself working all those hours but have little choice. I am going to try to get thee house painted around the windows and doors so all he has to do is spray the rest when he gets home. He got all the caulking one last time we were home so we would be ready to go before winter. Maybe I can get my fantastic grandson to help me!!

October Already

It is October and I can barely believe it. It seems this year has just flown by. We are in Colorado for Cliff's two weeks on, just started last Wednesday. He is kind of frustrated with the job. He doesn't mind the work but the hours are off the charts. He left for work at 3:30 am yesterday and got home at 8:30pm. They only got one frac done so that's one $90.00 bonus and the rest is just hourly and pays nothing. This is not a man who is afraid of hard work (he says most of the time spent is not hard or work just mismanaged wasted time which is worse). With that said he would rather work the long hours in the field than waste time in the yard which is what he is doing today. He knows there is no chance of making bonuses and they just waste time doing nothing so he is really hated going today. Maybe he will get home at a decent hour tonight that's the only up side. If so maybe we will go to dinner or something for our anniversary. It is the 7th but I will be in Mesquite for doctors appointments by then so we will have to do something before then. Can't believe it's been 4 years and going stronger than ever! That's a record for me usually by now I am SICK of them and wondering how to make a hasty exit. Not this time just loving that man.

Last night I made dinner for Cliff's folks, his brother Les and Les's fiance Linda (whom I like a lot) and our Alecia. Cliff got home after we had eaten but I made him fresh pasta so he was good. I made spaghetti, homemade french bread and strawberry-peach short cake. It was really good and we were all fat and happy. It was really nice to visit with everyone and even though Cliff was real tired, he sat and talked awhile. Afterwords, I helped Alecia with her vocabulary words and then we came over to the 5th wheel , made out the pull down bed for sissy, and crashed. Cliff and I heardd, her get up and shower, but neither one of us heard her leave. She must have been quiet as a mouse cause it's a 5th wheel for heavens sake-close quarters.

Teddi & Donnie are taking Olivia and Kayleen to Disneyland this weekend and I wish I was there to see Olivia's face. She is so expressive I bet it will be a real hoot to see her see Mickey and the gang. I'm sure they will take a lot of pictures so hopefully I can post one. Gabby called yesterday and started reciting her ABC's it was so cute. God, thank you for these beautiful children and grand children they are such a joy to me. I think they are all just so special and wonderful. Tony's dodge ball team the Bunkerville Chiuauas won their game yesterday and he was so funny about it. That kid is sooooooooooooooooooo funny.

On a more serious note, we just found out that Mom has a condition called hemochromatosis. It's a big word for too much iron in your blood. It is a genetic condition so all the family members could be affected. If left untreated can cause joint pain, diabetes, liver damage, thyroid problems, so all the men over 16 need to be tested and all the women over 50 that means me. The cure is to have a pint of blood taken every couple weeks for a year and then maintenance of 4 times a year forever. Fun huh. Oh well we have been through worse.