Today was a day full of activities. We went shopping earlier in the day (i had to see if i could find anything at archivers...i need to spend my gift card...teehehehehe). I did some scrapbooking, went to the book store and bought 3 cook books and we went to dinner (food was good but...well...i was able to get some pictures!!! *sigh*) and then went to the City and County building to look at light. It was an active day. I am trying not to think about this being the only weekend my baby girl will be here...she leaves on Friday!! *sigh* So, we are enjoying her while she is here...and taking lots of pictures. Speaking of pictures I am looking into some yearly challenges and wondering if I will be able to commit to them...365 days picture, a book challenge and the 365 of me... I have a few more days to decide.
I just bought the new Feehman book and i am going to take a hot bubble bath and read...yummy!!!!

Christmas is in the air...we had our potluck at work and there were lots of yummy things....lots of Mexican food!!! It was fun to pig out together. Tonight we are wanting to go look at lights so that should be fun and cold!!! It is starting to snow...lightly. I hope it stays that way. One of the best things about this time of season is the lights.
I think I have figured out my Christmas Eve meal...
* Cornish Hens
* Broccoli with sauce
* stuffing
* salad
* something sweet....

* i am still kicking around a potato...we are going to have baked potatoes on Christmas so I am not in a real potato mood but....my menu looks naked. hmmmmmmmm...i have to give it more thought.

wahoo!!! Baby Girl made it home safe and around! We are soooo excited to see her and soooo excited that she is going to be able to spend the holidays with us. She is not feeling to good so that Mommy kicked in and we bought her some cold/flu medicine. I am hoping with a day of rest and more rest she will feel better. Either way...it does not matter...she is home!!! I am sooo hoping the Christmas spirit will kick in now.
i do have some things to work on before Christmas. 2 big things are the menu's for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. I know...working full time...end of the year reviews....and I am going to cook for both days!!! Wow!!! And that does not include all the other things I have to do....wow!!!
We had our Christmas cookie exchange yesterday and it went well. There were several different types of cookies and we were able to enjoy family and yes...take pictures!!! As you guessed I was happy. teeehehehehehe...
I also received some presents in the mail today from hunny bunny (from Etsy...teeehehehehehe). I am soooo excited. I am soooo on a charm bracelet kick so I know I am gong to love these!!! teeehehehehehe!! Well...off to dermawand my face (don't ask...) and spend some time with baby girl and the family!!!

The last Saturday before Christmas and soooo much to do!! I still have shopping to do, cookies to bake and lots of "last minute things to do". I cannot believe Christmas is coming this fast!! Wow!!!
We are sooooo excited because Gigi comes in on Monday. She will be here for 2 weeks! We are excited!!!
Tomorrow is our Girls Cookie Exchange. I am trying 2 new recipes and am excited to see how they come out (they are from Paula Dean so they should be yummy...teeehehehehe). I will let you know how they turn out later.

I found these questions while visiting blogs...



1.Do you like blue cheese salad dressing? YES! It is one of my favorites.

2. Have you ever smoked? I went through a stage when I was in college when I thought I would smoke. I was "cool" and bought a pack and smoked outside my house (big girl stuff!!! teeehehehehe). It lasted...1 night.

3. Do you own a gun? Me??? NO!!!!

4. What's your favorite drink at Starbucks or other specialty coffee shop? Coffee makes my tummy gurgle (EEWWHHH!!). But I love their cocoa and blueberry scones...yummy!

5 Do you get nervous before doctor appointments. All the time!!! I try to avoid them as much as possible!

6. What do you think of hot dogs? I am into all beef!! They must be all beef!! I get to thinking about where they come from when I am eating other types and it gets real gross in my head!!! NASTY!!!

7. Favorite Christmas song? Mary did you know? Little Drummer Boy. Love them!!

8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? I know this is horrible but...ice cold COKE!!

9. Can you do push ups? Teeeehehehehehehehehehehe!!! Hahahahahahaha!!!! Are you talking about the push up ice creams????

10. What's your favorite piece of jewelry? Wow!!! I am into my charm bracelets right now...but truly I LOVE all my jewelry!! All of it!!!

11. Favorite hobby? Photography and Scrapbooking...I also love to read!

12. Do you have A.D.H.D? Hmmmmmmm....

13. What's one trait that you hate about yourself? Just one...teeehehehehe...PERFECTIONIST!!!

14. Middle name? don't laugh....MARIE!!! (I promise!!)

15. Name 3 thoughts right now? Why am I not in a Christmas mood? How are the holidays going to turn out? Do I HAVE to do Christmas stuff today?????

16. Name 3 drinks you regularly drink? Coke, Coke and more Coke (shame on me!)

17. The friend you had the longest? Peggy

18. Current dislike right now? The way our country looks like it is headed...

19. Favorite place to be? Home with my family (all of them!)

20. How did you bring in the new year? Home with my family!!!

21. Do you like to travel? I LOVE it!!!!! LOVE...LOVE...LOVE

22. Name three people who will complete this? Hmmmmmmm...

23. Do you own slippers? Yes...but ask if I use them???

24. What color shirt are you wearing?Maroon kitty nightshirt

25. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets? No...they are slippery and cold....

26. Can you whistle? *sigh* ...not even when i put my lips together and blow...*sigh*

27. Favorite color? Black

28. Would you be a pirate? It sounds like it would be fun (and as long as I was the Captain!!!) AUURRRGGHHH!!!

29. What songs do you sing in the shower? At 4 in the morning the only thing I am doing is going over my daily schedule when I step in the shower!


30. Favorite girl's name? Genesis, Bridgette and Sibonea

31. Favorite boys name? Tyler and Gabrielle

32. What's in your pocket right now? lintballs...I do not carry anything in my pockets...

33. What is the last thing that made you laugh? Reggie...we were at the CedarWood Christmas play and he said something that made me laugh so loud everyone stared!!!

34. Best bed sheets as a child? Hmmmmmmm....

35. Do you love where you live? I love the state!! Colorado is beautiful! I do not like my neighborhood and cannot wait until the day we move....*sigh*

36.How many TVS do you have in your house? 5...1 in the family room, 1 in Boo's room and 3 that are never used.

37. Who is your loudest friend? Do I count???

38. How many pets do you have? 1...our bird (we use to have 4...*sigh*)

39. What is your favorite book? Wow!!! To many to name!!!

40. What is your favorite candy? Anything with chocolate!!! yummy!!

41. Favorite sports team? NY Jets, Denver Broncos, Avalanche

42. What were you doing at 12a.m. last night? Please it was Friday night what do you think I was doing...sleeping...teeehehehehe

43. What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up this morning? Cookies and what I need to buy to make them...

Wow!! The holidays are upon us and I have soooo much to do. I guess I better get my list going again (they really do help to keep my on track). So for this week this is what I hope to accomplish...

* get my team cards delivered (which includes candy canes...)
* plan what I am making for the cookie exchange and Christmas Eve (new plans!!)
* get the house ready for next week!!!
* grocery shopping
* tackle my work to do list...
* start wrapping and checking off things on my Christmas list...
* figure out what I need to finish buying...
* Christmas play on Thursday (CedarWood)
* send off some more Christmas cards (non-work)

Sunday...December 14,2007...11 more days until Christmas!! Wow!! Where has time gone!! It is crazy and ohhh so fast in coming! It snowed last night so maybe it will start feeling more like Christmas...because lately it has not been feeling to Christmasty around here...*sigh*. Part of it is I am missing one of my baby girls and the other is time...it is going to fast! And it is not going to slow down any time soon...we have a few parties and dinners and Gigi comes home next Monday! Wow!!!
Yesterday Boo was in a Christmas parade so I was able to take some pictures (brrrr...it was cold but beautiful in Golden). I will post them later. In the meantime here are a few of Chester (long story...), Grandma and Boo...

Grandma and Chester!

Grandma and Boo and Chester!!!

I was looking at blogs and saw this list...it sounded fun to see how many...
Taken a sick day when you’re not ill

THINGS I HAVE DONE...

1. Started your own blog.
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty *it was closed when we went per 911
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Fostered a rescue animal

hmmmm...do you ever get a "feeling" and it overtakes you and makes you feel something? It could be joy, sadness, anger, regret...a feeling. Well, I was working today and saw something (well..someone) and I got "that feeling". I knew...i just knew I was right a few years ago (when my baby girl was in Junior High...but it has nothing to do with her personally) when I had that "feeling" then. I knew....at that moment I knew what I had thought was right. At that moment I became sad...very sad. The sad that makes the sun a little less bright and the work a little more "dark". I went to call hunny bunny but he did not answer. Granted, I could not dwell on it (work has this way of taking over everything!!). However, I was not the same...i was...sad. Well...I am home and I still refuse to 100% process it...but that does not stop the sadness. I guess i could be wrong...but I tell you I am usually 100% on when these "feelings" take over, especially when they are drenched with an overwhelming feeling....*sigh* I hope I am wrong but I am telling you I am not....and I am sad.

Tuesday...time to think about what i want to accomplish this week....

*catch up on laundry....
* fold and put the clean clothes away!!
* pay remainder of bills for this month
* make 4 meals this week
* start planning Thanksgiving weekend (when Gigi comes home)
* send 2-3 cards out this week
* catch up on email
* clean kitchen table
* 2-3 pages in scrapbooking
* start working on my year end reviews....
* exercise 4 times this week
* mid-week service

Boo as "Little Red Riding Hood"

Happy Halloween!

it is Friday...the weekend! wahoo!!

some random thought...
overall it was a good week...the Lord was there and it was wonderful to spend time with him each morning...just us time...i enjoyed it.
i am hoping to get some things done this weekend...time will tell....maybe i will be excited about all the stuff i get done....hmmmmmm....time will tell.
yucko...i need to get upstairs and do some exercise...
work was good...i did not stress a lot and my team is awesome!!!
the Broncos won last night...wahoo!!!
darn...i better watch my personal spending...i am going a little crazy
will we as a country regret the decision the country made on Tuesday?
i am missing my baby girl...
i need to send her a "goody" package
turkey day is coming up and i am not into it or Christmas...i hope i get over it soon...
why is time flying so fast?
i want a laptop for Christmas...a red one...
i wonder if i should go back to college???
*sigh* time to go and exercise...yucko!!!

wow time flies....it is already November 6th! wow!!! I know things go fast but...wow!!! I have been lazy when it comes to scrapbooking. I have been reading (but not to much...it took me a record month to finish 1 book!!! Wow!!!). I would like to say I don't have energy but that is not true. Since I have been exercising I have had more energy...I think part it was I was really into the politics so watching Fox can take up some time....smile! And with Gigi gone some of my happy is gone...*sigh*

Anyway...I am hanging in there (I have been uploading more pictures on Flicker and I ordered some pictures...now if I could just go pick them up at Target and Sam's...*sigh*) I am exercising 3 times a week and that is good. I am cooking more at home (baby steps???)...

Hmmmmmmm....tomorrow is a new day...maybe just maybe "it" will click!!!

Have you voted today????

I was reading one of my favorite sites for some inspiration and found this. Boy, do I wish I would have read this 10 years ago and followes it. Maybe I would not be in the place I am today. I miss my Gigi so much and think about her always. And if there was a way I could have prepared a little more I would have... So I hope this helps you if you are still in the "younger" years. Or...maybe nothing will help and you will be like me...a balling crybaby!!!

Parents, are you ready for an empty nest when your kids fly the coop to college?

Or will you sob and embarrass them at Freshman orientation? Well, the journey to letting go is filled with little steps between the cradle and college. So here’s some advice we found in Newsweek magazine from the book, “Letting Go: A Parent’s Guide to Understanding the College Years.”

• To start, take a deep breath and one step back. Give your child a chance to work things out on their own. Even a crying infant eventually learns to fall asleep without being held.

• Next, help your child learn to negotiate conflicts. Encouraging your toddler to use words instead of grabbing her toy back from another child is the first lesson in the art of conflict resolution.

• Another step on the road to letting go: Help your child stand up for herself. Don’t go to teachers about bad grades, or coaches about bad calls. If your child wants to change things, let her fight her own battles, solve her own problems, and gain confidence.

• Here’s another piece of wisdom from the book Letting Go: Encourage your child to dream big. But help them set achievable goals. Your middle schooler may want to run a marathon, but help her run a 5k first.

• More advice on letting go for parents: Loosen the reins a little at a time. Increase your child’s responsibilities and freedoms a bit more each year.

• Here’s a biggie: Teach your kid to manage time and money. When teenagers are allowed to make choices about the money they’ve saved, the reality of what life really costs sets in. And the kid who understands the consequences of being late, has a big advantage. So set rules, and if they’re broken, dish out consequences.

And finally – even though you’re letting go, remain an anchor. Encourage your child to turn to you in good times and bad. Stay steady even when your child is shaky. And resist the temptation of giving one last lecture. She’s been listening more than you know.

!HAPPY FRIDAY!!! WAHOO!!! My weekend is here...it is suppose to be a very nice one! I hope so especially after the cold and dreary one we had last weekend. Tonight i am alone...boo is at a concert, gigi is in Oklahoma and hunny bunny is at soccer practice. I have been busy though...i watched a few of my soaps (i need to catch up), went shopping (Lane Bryant, Fashion Bug and Icing). I bought some yummy stuff!!! and i was also able to exercise!! Wahoo!! I am hoping to get some scrapbooking done, fold some clothes, put some the wash and read and enjoy a bubble bath....time will tell. Well...Happy Friday!!!

JOY!!! This Sunday our pastor spoke about having joy at work. Of being able to "rise above" things and be happy. Wow!!! Who knew I would need that this week (hmmmmm...could it be GOD???). Wow, it has been a very interesting week and there has been lots of emotional things going on (on top of the regular stuff). I am trying to rise above it and be "better" but boy is ir hard! I never wanted to be a "leader" and "different". I mean yes I want and in some ways "need" (hey i did not make me an administrator...HE did!!)to be a leader...but in no way did I want to be a "light". Hey, that is for my pastor and the leaders in church...for my daughter and her friends...for my hunny bunny...but NOT me!!! *sigh* So today what happened...a time to "shine"??? Well...i don't know, but I do know I wanted to be "better" so I called hunny bunny and told him what was going on and well...hunny bunny being hunny bunny...he "helped" me to take the "high road". Yes, i feel a little better...but once again...who signed me up for this daily??? Not me. Anyway...i am still hurt and a bit confused but I will survive and all in all I did not destroy anyone so that is good. *sigh* I am sure there will be more on this subject later...i am sure of that!!!
Tonight Gigi is suppose to call so we are excited (especially hunny bunny who was not home when she called on Monday night). We sure miss her!!! *sigh*
Tonight is also the last debate....hmmmmmmmmmmm.... *sigh*
Well...i am off to do some things from my weekly list...clothes!!!! *sigh*

Tonight hunny bunny is out doing some volunteer work for the 2008 election. I can't wait to see how it went (smile).

This week I want to accomplish a few things...

*send Gigi her gift package

* send the girls a card

* go through older mail and sort

* do 3-4 loads of clothes

* fold 3-4 loads of clothes

* work on detangling some jewelry

* work on the living room

* make 3-4 meals this week

* start doing my "sit ups"

Manic Monday #137

What is one thing you admire about each of your parents?

****I admire the fact that my mom chose to have me (even though she was very young) and she worked hard for me to have a better life than her. She worked so I could enjoy life and being young and free!!!
****I admire that my dad allowed me to be me in so many ways! He also worked hard so me and mom could have better lives. I never wanted for anything.
****They were both great models to have and their work ethic was incredible! I am who I am at work because of the example they set for me. You worked hard and you always did your best!!


Which parts of your home do you like best?
****I LOVE our family room. It is where we watch tv, visit, listen to music, play games, celebrate holidays...it is the heart of our home and I LOVE it!!!!


Which would you prefer and why? To have every stoplight turn green upon your arrival for the rest of your life or to have one week of the best sex any person ever had?
****Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.....interesting choice...does a week include the weekend????? teeehehehehe...then hands down the week of toe curling, eyes rolling back sex with my hunny bunny!!!!!

3 weekends ago our lives changed soooo much! We left Gigi in Oklahoma!!! It is amazing because I did not think I would get through the first few days let alone a few weeks! We miss her soooo much and there are times one of us will get real quiet and you know...a "moment" is occurring. Daddy has been having lots of them lately (especially when he comes from soccer practice). So many things have changed with her leaving (whoever said things remain the same is crazy!!!). The house is more quiet, the couch is empty and her laughter is missed! I will look at pictures and get sad (i tried to scrapbook and it has been almost impossible...i start to cry). I did not touch any of it last week...maybe i will try something small this weekend...hmmmmmm.
Other changes include not knowing how much to cook! This week I cooked less but I still had leftovers!!! I am not sure if we are eating less??? Speaking of eating...I started exercising the first week she left and have cut down on sweets...i don't want to say I am on a diet because those are always doomed for destruction on my world! Anyway...with her gone I feel I can have "timeframes" to help me...my goal is to be a little more healthy by the time she comes home for Thanksgiving...we will see. At this point I am not weighing myself...but my jeans are not as tight!!! good sign (i think).
i know i have not been blogging lately...I tend to "veg" when I come home. Soooo...i am going to try to become more "alive". And would you not know it...the weekend I want to try it is gloomy and ugly outside!!! It is a "lazy" day....wow!!! hmmmmm...
work...auuughhhh!!! what a week....it was fun at times and very hectic at other times. and meetings....wow!!! who knew one could have so many meetings in one day let alone one week!!
i have so much to catch up on and i am hoping to do this...soon. In the meantime i am off to see what i can push myself to do today and this weekend (wish me luck!).

wow!!! this is the 4th day without seeing my baby girl and i hate it. I hate not knowing how she is doing. I hate not knowing if she is happy. I hate not knowing how her surroundings are. Is she happy? sad? having a great time? lonely? hating where she is? loving where she is? missing us? missing her home? spending wonderdul time with God? counting the days before we see her? I HATE NOT KNOWING!!!! I do know she will be camping this weekend. I soooo hope she has fun!
i am doing ok. i just wish it was Novemeber and we were on our way to the airport. *sigh*

so much going on...
feeling so many feelings...
how do you turn it off...
so you don't feel...
at least for a day...
an hour...
a few minutes...
does it seem cold to want that...
but then isn't cold a feeling...
and would i regret it...
not feeling...
at least for a few minutes...
so much going on...

Lot's going on these last few weeks. My Grandmother passed away. My baby may be leaving us for 10 months. WOW!!! Life is being life right now and I am feeling it.....

NEVER FORGET

I have been watching a few movies lately and 2 of the most recent have been...



OK...this was a cute and funny "chick flick". Boo and I watched it and it was extra cute because we just came back from Vegas! If you are in the mood for something cute and "Chickie" I would recommend this one!

Wow!!! This one is hilarious!!! We laughed from the start (if you see this at the movies do not stop to get pop if you are running late...you so want to see the begenning!) to the end! There were a few parts where I though all 4 of us were going to pee our pants!! I recommend this one but do not bring youngsters...the language is very "adult".

Today is Tuesday and after a nice four day weekend I get to go back to work...fun!!! I relaxed so much I did not accomplish anything this weekend (and I LOVED IT!!). Soooo that means I must make up for my laziness and will try to by (hopefully) getting some things done....

* write my cousin Robert
* wash 4-6 loads (still have clothes from vacation!!)
* get some grocery shopping done
* pay bills (yucko!!)
* clean family room and living room
* get my pictures picked up from Sam's
* dowload some pictures from vacation
* start on the "fishing" projects
* get my boss' thank you card done and signed and his gift wrapped and delivered (from team)
* look at possible date to do garage sale (ouch!!)
* finish teams midyear appraisals
* Grandparents Day on the 15nth....hmmmmmmmm

lots to do....let's see what i can accomplish this week....

Are You An Optimist or Pessimist?

You Are a Realist

You don't see the glass as half empty or half full. You see what's exactly in the glass. You never try to make a bad situation seem better than it is... But you also never sabotage any good things you have going on. You are brutally honest in your assessments of situations - and this always seems to help you cope.

Are You An Optimist or Pessimist?

some pictures from this summer....

Boo turns 21 at TI in Vegas.

Boo in Vegas.

Boo gets to ride the Pirates ride after a 3 year wait!!!!

Some of my incredible family on the 4th of July

Gigi and girls bowling on her 18nth birthday.

Gigi...our happy graduate!!

HARRY!!!!!

Me and hunny bunny and the USA Ladies game (they went on to win gold in the 2008 Olympics!)

I was speaking to my hunny bunny about this summer and wow!!!...it has been a busy summer....

* Gigi graduated (this started the summer off). We celebrated with her and her friends on graduation day and then spent the next few weekends attending graduation parties. We ended with her party.

* Gigi turned 18!

* Boo turned 21!

* We went to South Dakota for the 4th and spent a great weekend with family. It was a fun road trip and we were able to see "fireflies".

* Aunt Ether Mae came to town for training and we had a yummy dinner with her and Grandma and Grandpa Burgess.

* Boo went on her first trip solo!!! To Vegas and California!

* Gigi started driving (my heart is still recovering from the last "drive").

* Hunny bunny and I celebrated our 22nd anniversary.

* We took Boo to Las Vegas for her 21st birthday.

* We went on our first vacation without Gigi (she opted to stay home...*sighy*).

* We enjoyed Disneyland and Californialand. Fun Stuff!!!

* 2008 Summer Olympics!

* I went fishing for the 1st time with my team at work (Harry rocked!!!).

There was so much more but these were a few of our highlights!! Wow!!! The summer of 2008 was very eventful!!!!

Wow...another year has passed...i remember a time when i loved birthdays and could not wait to grow one more year older (*sigh*). I remember when i wanted so much to be 18...independent, able to drink 3.2 beer, vote, be an "adult"! Then I wanted to be 21...why, i can't remember why but i wanted it soooo bad! 30? Not not really. 40...PLEASE!!!! I stopped counting around 27 and I think that is where the magic of birthdays stopped. It is kind of sad. I know it is a personal thing. I know it is all in my head...i know. I know. But the truth is I am not ready to celebrate these years (i am changing...i really am...i read MORE now!!! teeehehehehehe...). I admire those who do celebrate their years! I think they are incredible women...the embrace their age and the love it!!! *sighy* One of these days I want to be there...i only hope it is not when i am 80 (???). I think age is "taboo" to me. I feel like discussing age is admitting to being "old"...but the truth is what is "old"? I truely believe age is in the mind...but there are days when my body does not agree. *sigh* ANYWAY...
another year older and another year wiser (??). The truth is I do feel wiser and with 2 incredible daughters wisdom is a blessing! So I am thankful for the wisdom that comes with (gasp...i am going to say it...)...age!!!! (teeehehehehe...maybe there is hope for me!!)

Why Are The Elephant & Donkey Political Symbols?
ReportingAlan Gionet DENVER (CBS4) ―

The elephant has been described as patient, wise and an animal with a terrific memory and the donkey is known to be reliable, strong and well ... stubborn.

Neither animal seems to be on the receiving end of constant praise however, so it makes you wonder why they are the symbols of our biggest political parties?

Basically, it wasn't their choice.

It was back in the 1800s when the two parties, trying to define themselves, were defined often times in political cartoons. The cartoons were a powerful source of criticism and humor in the press. Famous cartoonist Thomas Nast seized on the animals as identities for both in the 1870s.

But the donkey had already been linked to the Democrats.

"It actually came out during President (Andrew) Jackson's administration in the 1830s and stood for his stubbornness in part in not wanting to charter a national bank," said Susan Sterett, a political science professor at the University of Denver. "Donkeys stood for that very effectively, kicking down the idea of a national bank."

President Jackson as head of the Democratic Party embraced the idea and didn't mind at all.

Move forward about 30 years to 1874. Cartoonist Thomas Nast's work was popular around the country for its biting sarcasm and creative candor.

"There was a hoax in New York City about a bunch of animals escaping from the zoo and running all over Central Park and Thomas Nast used that hoax," Sterett said.

That's when Nast picked the elephant and the donkey and put them in a cartoon together. It showed the elephant running away from a donkey dressed in a lion's skin which was a reference to fears for Republicans from Democrats at the time.

Republicans began to embrace their image. Today the elephant is their official symbol.

The donkey has never been declared the Democratic Party's symbol but it's been used widely over the years by the party.

And there's one other interesting piece of trivia in Colorado.

Supporters of pack-burro racing claim it's Colorado's only indigenous sport. It was started in Fairplay in 1949 to give the town's "Gold Rush Days" event another attraction.

BRAVO!!!!!!!!

This week I have been up to my ears in politics...it has been a very interesting week and both my family and myself have been immersed in FOX and the Democratic Convention. Fun Stuff. And there is no better way to watch it then with a DVR!!! Pause, rewind, forward...love it. Tonight is the last night and we are very interested in how it goes. I know Denver has loved the business and media coverage, which is always good for a community. We went down there earlier this week and there is lots of hype!! I have learned some interesting things this week and was shocked that I was able to sit through both Clinton speeches as well as Bidens....hmmmmmmm.
I returned to work last night after my vacation and wow!!! Catching up with emails took at least 1.5 hours (and I still have a few I have to deal with). I found out some other things and well...it was not a good day! It was so bad i developed a migraine!!! yucko!!! I hate those. You want to take your eye out and let it rest and you can't. YUCKO!!!! I did get some good news...I was able to get the shift I wanted so in less than a month I will be back on days!!! Wow! How will I handle this!!
Well...off for more...teeehehehehehehe

wow!!! what a week! we made it safely back from vacation and I am being 100% lazy the last 2 days i have off! loving it!!! I have also been catching up on the 2008 Olympics I missed and the Democratic Convention (which started last night). It is going on in my home city! We went downtown yesterday (not out of choice...my daughter needed books and the only place to check was...you guessed it...downtown!). We did not go into the center of all the activity, but the part we did see was very very very busy!!! Vacation was fun and hot (WOW!!! over 100 everyday we were in Vegas and the high 90's in Calaifornia!!). Boo loved her 21st birthday! Fun stuff!!! we have lots of pictures (between both of us we have tons and tons of pictures...it took her over an hour to download all of them!). More on our vacation later.
One of the things I was sad about was not being able to watch all of the Olympics. We saw a few things when we were gone but most of the track was lost and one of my favorites...synchronized swimming was not watched at all (sighy). I did get to see the water polo, volleyball (mens) and rythmic gymnastics. And the ending ceremonies...wow!! It was a great show. Now we have to wait 4 more years...and who knows maybe we will see some of it in person...hmmmmmm???? London...we plan to visit there and what better time? hmmmmmmmm?? Over all we did pretty good inthe medal standings (2nd behind China)...

Medal standing
Gold...........36
Silver.........38
Bronze.......38

Great Job America!!!!

wow!! more Olympics! I am so loving these 2008 Olympics. I am not sure why..maybe because they are from China and Ann just came from there...hmmmmm, not sure why but I am loving them. We are catching up with the events from last night (Hoff is getting ready to swim...).
Well, my team is having a pot luck tonight so i had to make enchiladas (long story of why i am making them when i started out bringing pop...). I love enchiladas!! Yummy...but they are a pain (a huge pain!!) to cook!! and add hot weather!! *SIGHY* The good thing is they are done and I can relax for a few hours (2 more nights until vacation!!...wahoo!!).



The Olympic rings

"These five rings -- blue, yellow, black, green and red -- represent the five parts of the world now encompassed by Olympism and ready to compete against each other. Moreover, the six colours (including the white background) thus combined represent those of all nations, without exception. The blue and yellow of Sweden, the blue and white of Greece, the French, English, American, German, Belgian, Italian and Hungarian tricolours, the yellow and red of Spain are side by side with the new Brazilian and Australian flags, the old Japan and the new China. It is a true international emblem."

Coubertin (Selected Writings II, p. 460, 1913).

As an image of Olympism, Coubertin thought the rings had deep significance: that of the union between men. He multiplied the image to create a total of five rings. He designed and commissioned the Olympic flag to mark the 20th anniversary of the IOC's founding, on 23rd June 1914 in Paris. Coubertin never said nor wrote that he saw a link between the colours of the rings and the continents. For him, the five rings represented the union of the five continents, but the colours were merely those that appeared in all the different national flags at the time.

-- The results of a survey carried out in six countries (Australia, Germany, India, Japan, Great Britain and the USA) in 1995 showed that 92% of those questioned correctly identified the Olympic rings, which made them the most-recognised symbol. They were followed by the McDonald's and Shell emblems (88%), Mercedes (74%) and the United Nations (36%). (SRI Sponsorship Research International).

-- 86% of those questioned associated the Olympic rings with the world's greatest sports event: the Olympic Games. (SRI Sponsorship Research International, 1995).

Medal Count

Gold..........10
Silver.........8
Bronze.......11

wahoo!!! Olympics update...i just finished watching last nights show and wow!! don't you just love gymnastics!! wahoo!!! and do not forget swimming...Phelps is on fire...do you think he is part dolphin???? I am so glad the Americans won the bronze in gymnastics! To think they lost there 2 stars and were still able to medal!! That just shows you how much you can attain if you commit yourself and believe!!! Congrats!!

We were watching the show last night and my hunny bunny made a comment about the theme music. He was mentioning how we have been hearing the same music for years and years and you know what..he was right. I had not thought about it my the Olympic music has not changed for eons!!! And the weird thing is I like the music and there is something about the music that is encouraging and makes you believe in dreams!!! Good stuff!!! I hope my girls will be sitting with their families one day and smile as they remember us watching the 2008 Olympics and hearing the "Olympic" music. Good times!

Pierre de Coubertin

Birth of a vocation

Pierre Frédy, Baron de Coubertin, was born in Paris in 1863. His family originated in Normandy where he spent many of his summers in the family Château de Mirville, near Le Havre.
He refused the military career planned for him by his family, as well as renouncing a promising political career. By the age of 24 he had already decided the aim of his life: he would help bring back the noble spirit of France by reforming its old-fashioned and unimaginative education system.
Coubertin, whose father was an artist and mother a musician, was raised in cultivated and aristocratic surroundings. He had always been deeply interested in questions of education. For him, education was the key to the future of society, and he sought the means to make France rise once more after its defeat in the war in 1870.

Sport for moral energy

Coubertin was a very active sportsman and practiced the sports of boxing, fencing, horse-riding and rowing. He was convinced that sport was the springboard for moral energy and he defended his idea with rare tenacity.
It was this conviction that led him to announce at the age of 31 that he wanted to revive the Olympic Games.
He made this announcement in a meeting at the Union of French Societies of Athletic Sports (USFSA), for which he was Secretary General. No one really believed him and his statement was greeted with little enthusiasm.

Revival of the Games

Coubertin, however, was not discouraged and on 23 June, 1894 he founded the International Olympic Committee in a ceremony held at the University of Sorbonne in Paris. Demetrius Vikelas from Greece became the first president of the IOC.
Two years later, in 1896, the first Olympic Games of the modern era were held in Athens. On that occasion Coubertin was elected the second president of the IOC and he remained president until 1925. Due to the 1st World War, Coubertin requested permission to establish the headquarters of the IOC in Lausanne, Switzerland, which was a neutral country.
On 10 April, 1915 the acts ensuring the establishment of the international administrative centre and archives of the modern Olympic movement were signed in the Town Hall of Lausanne.
In 1922, the IOC headquarters and the Museum collections were moved to the Villa Mon Repos in Lausanne and stayed there for the next 46 years.

Defining Olympism

Pierre de Coubertin also wanted to be seen as a pedagogue. All of his projects, including the Games, had the same aim in mind: to make men.
His definition of Olympism had four principles that were far from a simple sports competition:
To be a religion i.e. to "adhere to an ideal of a higher life, to strive for perfection"; to represent an elite "whose origins are completely egalitarian" and at the same time "chivalry" with its moral qualities; to create a truce "a four-yearly festival of the springtime of mankind"; and to glorify beauty by the "involvement of the philosophic arts in the Games".
It is clear that the concept of the Olympic Games is far from a simple sports competition.

The unfinished symphony

Pierre de Coubertin withdrew from the IOC and the Olympic Movement in 1925 to devote himself to his pedagogical work, which he termed his "unfinished symphony".
At the age of 69, in 1931, he published his "Olympic Memoirs" in which he emphasized the intellectual and philosophical nature of his enterprise and his wish to "place the role of the IOC, right from the start, very much above that of a simple sports association".
Pierre de Coubertin suddenly died of a heart attack on 2 September, 1937, in a park in Geneva, and thus his "symphony" remained unfinished.
The city of Lausanne had decided to award him honorary citizenship of the city, but he died just prior to the ceremony.
In accordance with Pierre de Coubertin's last wishes, he was buried in Lausanne and his heart was placed inside a stele erected to his memory at Olympia.

Synchronized Diving (one of Boo's favs)

Lin Yue and Huo Liang (it looks like you are seeing a double image but in reality they are 2 different people!...amazing!!)

Medal Update...

Gold............7

Silver..........7

Bronze........8