whatever

ninety.

yes...my grandmother celebrated her 90th birthday last weekend.

90?!

i think that is so cool.

the whole family came to a brunch in her honor.

everyone.

she was so happy to see them all...it's been awhile for some of us.  

she even had us introduce ourselves.  

scott said his name was michael jordan...but cracked up before he finished.

we're working on his comedic timing.

i got to catch up with some family i haven't seen since they were kids...now they have kids!

i gave lauren the camera...she was in charge of all the photos.

i think she got everyone in at least one of the pictures.

she is a good photographer and like most good ones...she gravitated towards the cutest model.

not ME...Nolan!

this was my first time meeting Nolan.  

i fell instantly in love and couldn't stop smelling his head.

he is a chunky drooly baby and i desperately wanted to keep him.

brian is Nolan's daddy.

he is my cousin...i see him about once a year...maybe.

i like him.

i miss him. 

and i really wish i could spend lots of time with his beautiful wife julie...she is so sweet!  

we never get enough time to talk.

brian could not have found a better wife.  

he was covered in kisses from the whole family.

grandma opened her gifts & cards.

the 90 sweatshirt was pretty funny.

it had to be a sweatshirt because she's always cold.

at my house she freezes!

happy birthday grandma O.

i love you.

your party was lovely.   (good job mom!)

bb guns, caterpillars and toy soldiers

the pictures from another visit to my parents are very random.

the boys were introduced to the bb gun my mom uses to keep rabbits away.

and they LOVED it.

i didn't know what to think.

they were learning so they were not very safe...i was sure someone would get a bb in their behind.

the target was a pyramid of pop cans.

they got pretty good. 

and finally i could not resist.....i had to try.

i shot it just as craig walked outside...he shouted "That's the way Governor!"

i answered "i can see Russia from my house!"

it was addictive.

as far as i can recall i have only touched one other gun in my life.

when i was a teenager i went into the convenince store in my small town (Wen's One)  

there was a police officer talking to the cashier and i asked "can i hold your gun?!"  giggle giggle giggle

AND HE LET ME!!!

he removed the clip...or the bullets...or whatever it's called first...but STILL!  

why would you give an ADD spazzy teenage girl a gun?!

the monarch caterpillars were all over the milkweed in my dad's butterfly garden. 

they were eating like crazy.

they just eat the whole leaf eventually.  

talby and annie quietly played in the basement (on the new soft carpet)

and i came down to see talby's giant marble tower and this village annie created.

my dad has these big pieces of wood for the kids to use as a flat surface on the floor.

she covered it corner to corner.

army men vs. indians vs. dinosaurs.....of course.

that night my mom made an ice cream dessert which we ate on the deck and stayed until it got dark.

Sorry and checkers were played...i had my laptop out...music was playing...

waffle was frolicking in a fenced yard...annie had fallen asleep on the couch with no dinner...

it was peaceful.

and while i was out here....i might as well take just a few more shots. 

 

you betcha.

is that real?!!!

i forgot to mention (sort of) that i won the Eye Candy Award over at SocialLuxe...

because you voted for me.

THANK YOU.

my award came in the mail this week...since i didn't go to BlogHer to receive it in person.

it's pretty.

sean asked "MOM!!! is that real?!!"

so let's talk about why i didn't go.

i have a few reasons excuses. 

1.  it was in chicago and i am in kansas....

     that is a logical reason...except that i have made that trip

     kansas to chicago every year for 15 years and i love chicago.

2.  it was kind of last minute on a thursday...i have five kids...what could i possibly do with them?

3.  i wasn't signed up for BlogHer...but i was specifically told that it was okay and i didn't need to be.

4.  craig didn't want me to go...technically he never said anything like that but i assumed he didn't.

     surely he couldn't survive here on his own without me...right?!?!

5.  gas is expensive and we already went on a long trip...that part is true.

 

do you see a pattern here?

i was full of excuses.

reality: i was a chicken.

my thoughts were "what if i go all the way there and it's an empty room?"

or "what if i go and they had it wrong and i didn't get an award?"

"what if nobody likes me?"

"what if....what if...what if"

so i stayed here.

and read about it all over blogland.

i was ticked at my scared little self.

i tried to blame craig...but he had nothing to do with it.

the truth is the thought of entering a room full of people alone....terrifies me.

i mentioned it to a friend & she said "why didn't you say something?  i would've loved to have gone!!"

suddenly i remembered i am not alone. 

how did i forget?

why did i think i had to drive all that way alone?  

why did i not think once to ask a friend to come along?

now i was even more ticked...at myself and my fears.

(but i sure do like to be alone)

i still received the award but it wasn't nearly as much fun to open it alone in my kitchen

when i could have gone up on a stage with the other winners.

and i could've made lots of new friends.

i would have had a blast.

maybe next year.

the winners were given a $100 gift certificate to cambria cove.

i chose an ice cream maker and some note cards.

we had homemade ice cream today after school - yum.

and i have never owned $30 note cards...but they are beautiful.

thank you cambria cove.

i love it.

and thanks for voting.

you helped me learn a lesson about myself...even if i didn't like it.  :)

the other winners are here.