Saturday Fun!

Karen from Some Days Are Diamonds are real life friends.  We've known each other since we sat in our son's kindergarten orientation together over 19 years ago.  Both of our sons became best friends during their elementary and junior high days.  We don't see each other that often since I moved 8 years ago.  Thanks to blogging we are catching up again and now she joined facebook too.  So it was fun last weekend when she came out my way to check out an antique store in town.  We ate at the Mission Inn for lunch.  It's absolutely a beautiful place to visit and to learn about Riverside's rich history.  It's an old hotel built to look like the missions of California.  At Christmas it is decorated with over a million lights and is something to see.  Enjoy our day together and enjoy a little tour of the Mission Inn.

We went here after lunch.  This is across the street from the Mission Inn.

We actually went here first.  This is the store Karen wanted to check out first.

She found something she liked!

Old lace!
Thought of my mom when I saw these.  She loves hearts!
I love a fleur de lis!
A little bit of Paris!
Vintage clothing...this mannequin scared me as I came around the corner.

Karen wanted this old journal.  It was $140.  Beautiful!
I have a dresser just like this from Dwight's grandmother that was refinished.  It's gorgeous.  Had to check out the price to see what mine might be worth.  Not bad!
This was a beautiful door.  I wish I had a place to put it!
Karen has a friend looking for an old bike to put in her garden.  This was $125.  
Another cute piece.  Our prices out here are so high compared to what we see from you girls in the midwest.  Karen is on a trip right now hoping to find some bargains to share with all of us.
The Mission Inn entry.
This chair was custom made for President Taft when he came to visit.  All of the Presidents since Roosevelt have stayed at the Mission Inn.  President Nixon was married here.  Obama is next??
My turn...Karen liked this chair because it makes you look skinny.  :)
Just a few photos of the courtyard which is so pretty architecturally and with all the flowers.


The patio outside the chapel.


Just some pillows we saw.  I liked both of them.

Cute salt and pepper shakers.
We thought of Rhoda at Southern Hospitality when we saw this...she loves bunnies!
Karen likes soup tourines.

A pretty hat stand.

A postcard from 1909.  
Beautiful perfume bottles.
I thought this was pretty.
I love daisies and tea cups.

Karen is hoping to find one of these this summer on her travels.
Pretty colored glass.
An interesting chair.
Thought my husband and son would get a kick out of this!
Did you know they made pink mixers way back when???
Karen's mom had these same canisters in her kitchen.  A sign that she was there watching over us.  Karen's mom was a sweet lady and we both miss her.  A fun day, lots of catching up...we talked non-stop at lunch and all the browsing through the antique stores brought back childhood memories of days gone by and so much history that we love to explore.  Thanks Karen for a fun day and for lunch.  Next time it's on me!

P.S.  It was hot that day too!! 

I've found....

Yes....I've broke down and joined another online time consuming addiction.  I've had a busy summer so far and I had gotten quite a few invitations to join facebook or fb that I thought I'd see what it's all about.  Well...it's fun!  You can find people or just chat with a few friends you want to talk with and share with at your leisure.  You can upload photos or NOT.  You can add links like your blog or NOT.  It's been fun and I don't have to think about a blog topic when my life is kinda boring and not too exciting and besides...creative writing has ALWAYS been hard for me.  I write from my heart and experience.  So...I will be back and forth...but if you're on facebook look me up through my email.  It could be fun!

It was Glorious!!

I got to spend my 4th of July weekend with Bella and Dylan and their parents.  Dustin and Kayla came along too.  What a fun, family weekend we had....starting with an old fashioned BBQ in the middle of a rain storm!!  Yes, that's my son from Deadliest Catch fame BBQing our burgers on his porch!

Then Miss Bella had to show grandma her princess dress and a few ballerina moves!

The best part was getting to touch those two precious grandbabies onces again.  Little Dylan came right up to each of us and sat on our laps and just smiled.  He was so happy to see ALL of us!

Miss Bella got to spend the night in the motel with us....doesn't she look cute in her Cracker Barrel dress??
Then it was off to the Rockies game for the 4th...BUT of course we got rained on first.  They had a thunderstorm every afternoon while we were there.  

I love that smile!!!

It was such a beautiful day that we took a walk to the park where we had a little family fun.  The guys played basketball and chicken on the low balance beam.  Lots of laughing and fun!







Then it was onto bowling!  Dallas loves to bowl...it's family fun!  Can you tell these two are brothers???




Dallas teaching his kiddos to bowl!  


Dylan got his first lesson and enjoyed it!  Clapping for himself as the ball rolled down the alley!


We had to see a little more of Colorado so we headed to the mountains near the Red Rocks and went for a hike.  It was a gorgeous day with gorgeous surroundings and views.



The remnants of the Walker home high up on the mountain.
Views of the Red Rocks!

Love those clouds and the blue skies!
What a great place for a photo!  
Here all of us are at a place where the people of Colorado were going to build a home for President's to vacation in.  It was never completed.  Gorgeous views and lots of lady bugs...I had never seen so many and they bite!!!
Look at all the lady bugs on this rock and they were flying all around us too.  
My DIL, Selena and I enjoying the view of the Red Rocks.
Bella wanted to show me how she can swim with her floating swim suit or her babing suit as she calls it!

Dylan likes the water too but can't yet float on his own.

It all came to an end too soon but what a great 4th of July we all had!  Thanks Dallas and Selena for your hospitality!  We sure enjoyed seeing you and can't wait to come back again!