What's New??

This was our hazy sunset tonight.  

The hubby and I taking our walk

Another fantastic view

Walking some more!

Another pretty photo.

At the top and half way point

Heading back to the car!

The hubby and I walked this wilderness area near our home three times this week.  WooHoo!!  It takes us about an hour and it's a workout!  We found out through a friend that it's about 3 miles.  It is a steady incline almost half way through the one hour walk.  As you can see it's really dry out there...we've had so little rain the few years.  It's really pretty when it's green.  We've seen a few bunny rabbits, squirrels, lizards, ants and a few birds.  No snakes yet!  I really don't want to run into any either!  So what's new with you???

**Thanks to our son Dustin for the photos.  He came along with us on our little walk and was quite impressed.  I am impressed with his photography skills.  

Proud to Be An American!

My Dad

My Father-in-law

I just want to say that I am proud to be an American and may God continue to bless the USA because of our founding fathers and many of us today who still believe in God to answer our prayers and make our life worth living.

My tribute today is to all the men currently serving our country~THANK YOU!! and those who have served. THANK YOU! My cousin Maureen's son, Shane is serving in France today, my cousin, Lyle died at a young age serving his country in Vietnam and is name is on the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington and to my dad who served in Korea and Vietnam and my father-in-law, Ray who served in World War II. THANK YOU!!

Thanks to Kat for the great graphic at the top of the post!

Happy 1st Anniversary to Me!

Today is my one year blog anniversary.  

I can't believe that it was one year ago today that I started a daily ritual of blogging(both writing one and reading so many!).  I am so fascinated by blogworld and all of the other technology that exists today.  I was introduced to the blog world by Chela at Williams Family who my daughter, Danielle introduced me to and loves photography as much or more than I do.  We were talking about our new cameras~she had just bought the new Nikon and I chose the Canon 40D.  She said she had a blog for her photography business and I was curious.  After reading her blogs and finding others by trial and error I thought why not try a blog to capture my last few months being 49 on my journey to 50!  Along the way, share my love of photography with family and friends.  Little did I know the joys I would get from doing this.

I knew so little of this blogging world and how BIG it is!  One of the first blogs I found was Christian Women Online and what a blessing that site is.  Check it out here!  I am in a changing time in my life with no children at home full-time and being grandma, my work as a realtor in such a crazy state that I was needing something and found an online bible study through Lelia at Write From the Heart which was exactly what I needed and then started meeting blog friends through comments and finding their sites.  AND then I was hooked!  

I found so many sites:

Kim @ Seasons of My Heart, Carol @ Not Who I Was, Paula @ His Ways are Not our Ways , Cindy@ Consider It All Joy are my bloggy bible study friends who are on this journey called life with struggles and faith like no other who are there to encourage one another with Jesus as the core.  I love these gals.

Judy at Just a Little Something for You encourages me and loves her family like I do.  She has the best gift ideas and simple meal ideas too!

Christie at Wash, Fold, Put Away & Repeat is a wonderful Christian mom and wife, is a wonderful Sunday School teacher and a sweet blog friend who I'd love to meet someday!  

Kat at Just a Beach Kat lives in a tropical paradise and is so active and fun.  I love her cartoons and graphics she finds for her posts.  I met her in Palm Springs this year and what nice people she and George are!  

Nina Diane from Just Enjoying Life was one of the first gals to say "Hi "from out of the blue.  We were both turning 50!  She is a grandma too and loves photography.  She stops by often just to say hi!  Love her!

Then there's Linda at 2nd Cup of Coffee and Debbie at Dishing with Debbie who are very talented writers and can write the craziest posts that I could never ever think about writing.  To be honest girls, sometimes I don't understand what they are writing about and wonder why don't I get it???  That's probably because I have a numbers mind and not a creative writing mind.  So sorry girls but I still love ya!

Carrie at Buzzing's of Queen Bee, Jen at Frugal Fabulous, Denise at The "Cent"sible Sawyer, April @ Delta Kids and Kelly at Kelly's Korner are a couple of the young moms that I enjoy visiting.  They are amazing!

YaYa's Fun House, Love Being a Nonny, Judy at Just a Little Something for You and Diane at Just Enjoying Life, Dawn @ Dawnie's Life If By the Sea, Sue @ The Cotton Patch are all bloggers who I share the joys of being a grandma with.  

Some new blogs that I enjoy are:  A Cup of Joe with A View, Building a Log Cabin, White Spray Paint, Tasker Tales, Living the Life, Cathy at Mille Fleur, Tea Time with Melody and Sharing Life with Lisa.

Of course we all love Rhoda @ Southern Hospitality, Ree @ The Pioneer Woman, The Nester, Kimba @ A Soft Place to Land, The Simple Woman's Day Book and so many more!

I am also thrilled that my real friend Karen started her blog Some Days are Diamonds and my daughter's blog, They Call Me Mason so that I get to really keep up with my friend and my family in this crazy busy life that I lead and sometimes....I wonder where did my week go???  However, I really want to say that my life is better having met all of you in blog world.  I've probably missed a few of my favorite blogs because I can't keep up any more ( I am 50 now you know!) Just know that I am thankful for your friendship and your comments make my day! 

We had fun!

Yeah! Grandma and Grandpa made it to Colorado and spoiled us rotten! We loved it. Grandma will tell you more soon. Have a good day! Dylan and Bella

Off to see Miss Bella....

and Sir Dylan and silly me...their parents.  We fly to Colorado mid day.  I hope to take lots of photos however, I may be busy playing to my hearts content with these two.  Enjoy your children and your grandchildren this weekend!

A Mother's Love

There's nothing better than to witness a mother's love for her child.  My daughter's love for her son is so evident in these photographs and when this little one sees his mama~his eyes light up and he has the biggest smile on his face.  An answer to so many prayers was this little one and my daughter celebrated her first Mother's Day!  Thank you Jesus!  Thinking too of Mary and how she must have looked at little Jesus on her first Mother's Day and how he must have looked at her and smiled!  

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day!

This was taken in 1989 when I became a mother for the third time.

What a blessing that day was!

Today, that precious girl by my side is celebrating Mother's Day for the

first time which is a gift from God as she lost a baby prior to

having Mason last year and it was a very dark time for her.

Today we are all so happy for her to be celebrating with me on

this Sunday as we celebrate Mother's Day together.

The precious blonde boy is my son, Dallas who blessed

me with Bella and Dylan. Happy Mother's Day to Selena,

his wife, mother of those precious two and my DIL.

The one in my arms is Dustin who is in college and

just blowing us away with his creative talents. How very blessed I am to be

a mother to these three very special people.

I'm off now to celebrate my day!

Enjoy yours!

Also...Happy Mother's Day to my mom and my MIL who have been such an inspiration in my life and without them, I would not have been the mother I am today. Thank you and love you both!

Miss Bella Here I Come!

My son moved his family to Denver a month ago and took my precious granddaughter Bella with him. I've missed her so much. I don't know what I would have done without iChat~it's like Skype on the Mac computers. I get to see her and Dylan, my son and his wife as we talk through our computers. It's pretty amazing and if you have grandchildren or loved ones and friends who have a computer you should check into it and making talking to them a bit more fun by seeing them too!

Anyway...my big news for this post is that Southwest Airlines was so kind to have some really good special reduced rates for grandma's missing their grandchildren that I am going to see my sweet Bella and precious Dylan next Friday!!! I can't wait! Of course, we are looking forward to celebrating my son's birthday, seeing our daughter-in-law and a little of Colorado! So thank you Southwest and Miss Bella Here I Come! Hey Karen...I know you want to come along! :) Counting down the days....S I X!!!!

Where I Live!

Kelly's Korner is having a Home Tour again.  

Today it's the living room so sit back and enjoy!  Here's where I live!

Welcome to my family room that was repainted last year.  We also

put up the new curtain panels.  I love this room!  It's where we live!

I got the photos loaded in the wrong order and don't want to take

the time to reload them so here's the view

from my hobby/computer room of the family room

which looks into the kitchen.

I don't have much on my table because we have a three year old grand daughter, a one year old grand son and a 6 month old grand son.  They like to put their toys on the table and I will have time to have a pretty table again soon but for now...a few magazines, a candle and some coasters grace the family room table. 

 Love those grandbabies!!

Treasured family photos and my purse usually sits in the blank space on the right.

We built in our TV a few years ago and this TV still has a great picture but a flat screen is in the future.  One day! Until then,  a few toys for the grandchildren and I'm still working on something new above the fireplace and on the mantle.  I've played with a few things and it's still a work in progress.  I'm a slow decorator!  

Another view as you come in from the garage or the front door.  

I do have something on that large wall behind my hubby's recliner.  

He loves to rock in that chair each night!

This a view of the real living room and when you have teenage sons, they sometimes talk you into using your living room for a pool room.  So this last year...it's been a fun room with a beautiful pool table and lots of laughter in it!  For those of you that think....oh I could never do that!  Think about the joy and family time that room brings now and if your room doesn't bring your family joy and your children have a pool table given to them...let them use your living room.  It's worth it!

Another view of the living room furniture!

My seating area!  It's been fun to have this room get used and to see the smiles and laughter that come from it.  I hope you've enjoyed the tour, I enjoyed being your tour guide and this is where I live.  If you're ever in southern California...come on by!  I will make ya'll some sweet tea and we can sit a while or play some pool!  

H A P P Y     M O T H E R ' S    D A Y   

E V E R Y O N E!!!!

What's On Your Wall Wednesday

I'm participating in Barb's What's On Your Wall Wednesday event.  She's the fabulous blogger at Grits and Glamour who has great style and check out her new front porch!  I want to go visit and sit on her front porch with her!  
This is a water color that my son, Dallas painted his senior year in high school that I kept and just recently framed and I love it.  It reminds me of our farm heritage.  My mom grew up on a farm in North Dakota.  This is on my wall in my computer/hobby room that I recently cleaned up.  I posted about it a few posts ago.  

Have a good day ya'll!  I just got back from Texas and have that southern drawl now ya'll!

Show Us Where You Live!

I just found Kelly's Korner and her Show Us Where You Live Friday event. Even though it's Saturday...I thought I'd join in. I've enjoyed viewing everyone else's kitchens and I just repainted mine in September and have photos to share so I am going to link you to an earlier post so you can see my kitchen, Click here! Enjoy!

How I got up there!

Some of you asked how I got up on that long horned steer...well this is how I did it.  You put your two hands on the steers back, bend one leg and the cowboy hoists you up and all of the sudden...there you are, sitting calmly on this very large and very warm animal.  He was so gentle.  The cowboy rode him up and down the street in Ft. Worth at the Stockyards.  Amazing!  Fun times in Texas!