Happy 94th Birthday Nana!

Today is my Nana's 94th birthday! I took her out to lunch and
shopping. She is an AMAZING woman! It is hard to believe she is 90 years older than Samantha. Her name is Bertha but she has always gone by Birdie. She has seen a lot in her 94 years and still lives an active lifestyle. She exercises everyday and always looks for the positive things in life. She doesn't let things get her down. She has been through a lot and seen a lot change in her 94 years. Just think about all the things we didn't have 94 years ago... Cars, TV, computers, cell phones, to name a few.
She was the youngest of 4 brothers, one of who passed away when he was only 18, from the flu. She married my Poppie in 1937 and they were married for 64 years. They had a long happy life together. ( He passed away 6 years ago when he was 93) Nana has 2 daughters of her own, 6 grandchildren, and 14 great-grandchildren. She loves to be with her "kids". She has many "famous" sayings of advice but she always says, "just live and be well". That sounds like good advice to me! Happy Birthday Nana! I love you!

Lots of things!

Hi Blog Friends!
I have been away for a week now and I have so many things to report! Here are some pics of Sammie's bday party and then her Disney celebration! The top photo is taken at CHA ( Craft and Hobby trade show) The girl in the middle ( if you don't know) is Teresa Collins who is a scrapbook designer and the girl on the left is Heather, a scrappy friend of mine.
CHA was a great show. There were a lot of make and takes and fun things to do. It was a lot of fun to see the new things coming out in the world of scrapbooking! It was fun hanging out with my peeps, Christine, Jennifer and Heather. We had a lot of laughs.

Christine and I went to the scrapbook expo on Saturday. We had fun walking around and shopping.. There is a lot of "old" product though and after seeing all the new exciting things at CHA, it isn't as enticing. I took a class which I enjoyed and then we went scrappin' at the OASIS afterwards which was good. It is a great place to scrap because it is so roomy and accomodating! Jennifer stopped by to say hello since she was in the area after working at the expo all day.

On a sad/bad note I got into a minor car accident the week before and had to deal with a rental car and then car repairs. It was 100% the other driver's fault so her insurance is paying for everything. My car was damaged badly in the front on the bumper but is now fixed and looks beautiful. The bad news to this whole thing is that my neck has been hurting and I finally realized it might be from the accident rather than I "slept funny" which is what I thought.. I went to the doctor today and she said I have a sprained neck as a result of the impact. It is really sore and should be better in a few weeks. Uggghhh.

On Sunday Brad and Sammie and I went with my Nana out to Temecula to Tom's farms. It was a beautiful day! We had fun. Sammie rode a pony and went to the petting zoo. We walked around there and had lunch. Brad and Sammie went on the train. I have been on it several times before and Nana didn't want to ride so I sent Sammie with Brad so they could have some time together. We had a great time.

Monday my friend Jennifer Bell came out with her daughter Julia and the girls played a bit and then we went to Hullabaloo's Clubhouse. They have open play time on Mondays and Tuesdays. It was a little crowded but the girls had fun. We went to lunch at Chili's afterwards.

Now for 7 random things about me that Jennifer W. tagged me to do:
1. I always print when I am writing. I like my handwriting but I prefer to print.
2. I learned to drive on a stick shift and can drive a stick if I need to. My first 2 cars were stick shift.
3. I am addicted to Webkinz world. I love to play on the website! I am addicted to the computer in general and love to read blogs, surf the net and play on tallyscrapper.
4. I was born in Detroit, Michigan and moved to CA when I was 12. I used to go to Ohio to an amusement park and when right before we moved, and it was going to be my last time there, I rode my favorite rollercoaster 19 times in a row. ( remember, I was only 12 at the time)
5. I name my cars. My first car was "Chuck"the champ , my 2nd car, "Fivel Fierowitz", "Pretzel the Prism", "Cami Camry", "Hi Ho Silver ( another Camry) ," and now "Sammie's car". Yes, I know this is a little over the edge but I have always done it.
6. My brother and I made up our own "language" when we were kids called "Be-Bop". We can still speak it very quickly. We even made up a Spanish version to throw people off if they started to catch on!
7. I am named after my dad's mom Ida. and My middle name is Rae after my mom's grandmother Rae.

There are many many more random things about me but there's a few to get you started.. Now I tag a few people to post on their blogs: Donna Larson, and Heather
I'll be back again soon!

Happy Birthday Sammie

Happy 4th Birthday my little Sam! I can't believe how fast time goes! You were a baby just four years ago and now a little girl! You are so independent and smart and you amaze me every day! I love your charm and personality! You are so observant and appreciative. You are strong willed but it will take you far in life! You have completely changed me as a person and I have never been the same since you arrived! I love you so much Sammie and I love being your mommy!

We had a fun day today! We went to Disneyland for Sammie's birthday. We started our day on the horse drawn street car as usual. We know several of the horses. They have 23 that they rotate on a regular basis! We know 7 of them now. ( Chief, Caleb, Brother, Orve, King, Bert, Ernie) Anyway.. that is one of Samantha's favorite things to do while we are there. She sits in the front and holds the excess reins and helps "drive". Today was special because while we were getting on the car, so was the quartet of singers and so they sang Happy Birthday to her. That was great!

For weeks now, Sammie has been talking about riding Splash Mountain. She is just a little short for the ride. (About 1 /2 inch.) I have been telling her to eat all the healthy foods she can and that's how she can grow. Well, she has been eating and eating and she keeps saying she wants to grow so she can ride Splash Mountain. Almost every day she asks me if she is tall enough. Well today she woke up and asked again. I said I wasn't sure but we'd see. She asked me again and again to go on Splash Mountain and so we walked over there. I told her that it was a safety issue if they told her no and not to get upset. She agreed. Well, today she got to ride Splash Mountain and wow, was she HAPPY! She absolutely LOVED the ride. The kid is FEARLESS! Now here is the sad part. We went on a few more rides and then went back again to ride it and a different ride attendant was at the front of the line. They measured her and said, I'm sorry, you are not tall enough. Well how do you explain to a 4 year old that an hour ago, you were tall enough and now you are not tall enough anymore??? I guess the first lady let her "squeak" by and this lady was the "tough" one. Well, Sammie burst into tears right there and cried and cried. She clenched the rope and wouldn't leave the line. I felt so bad for her. She said, "Why?" " Why can't I go on it?" I had to say, you are not tall enough, NOW. ( you just were but not now) Anyway.. I'm sure it was a judgement error from the first girl and Sammie finally got over it after a long meltdown, but it was tough. At least she got to ride it once! I told her to keep eating the healthy foods and hopefully next time she will grow that 1/2 inch we need.

We also celebrated her birthday at Disneyland in the Plaza Gardens. They have a special Disney birthday party. We met "Patrick Edward Cake" who is also known as Pat E. Cake. He came out and sang to all the birthday kids and they served small cakes and punch to all of us. Each person got to decorate their own cake and then Mickey and Minnie came to visit and take pictures.

We rode a few more rides and then headed for home. As soon as we got in the car and I was leaving the parking lot, I said to Sammie, "you were a good girl today, did you have fun?" and there was no answer. I turned around and she was out cold! I guess that's the sign of a wonderful birthday when you fall asleep instantly! She had a blast! We came home and she opened some gifts from Brad and I and then went to bed. I still can't believe she is 4 years old. Happy Birthday Samela!

Scrappy Stuff!

I went scrappin' by myself on Sunday. I just wanted a little quiet time and I made these pages. I really like how they all turned out. Sammie has been sick so we stayed home all weekend. I can always find things to do in the house to keep me busy, although, I'd much rather go running around!!! I have been sticking to my goals of not buying scrappy supplies ( I think I have spent $8.00 since Jan. 1st which is a HUGE change for me!) I am trying to use what I have already which is enough to open my own store!! I have also been walking for 30 minutes on my treadmill like I promised! I think it helps to post it publicly on my blog so you all hold me accountable!! tee hee hee!

Mickey Hugs

 

 

 

 

Sammie and I went to Disneyland all day yesterday. We had a great time! The park wasn't very crowded which is exactly how we like it! We went on so many rides and got to spend some time with Mickey Mouse who isn't out very often. We also rode the horse drawn street car ( a must every time!) Sammie sat up front and got to help "drive" the horses. When we finished I grabbed her for a photo and the horse, King, saw her and turned his head towards her for a great picture!
Her favorite ride is the Matterhorn. We also rode Snow White, Autopia, Pinocchio, Pirates, Winnie the Pooh, the rockets in Tomorrowland, Small World, saw the parade and went to the Tiki Room too! She fell asleep in the stroller on the walk to the tram to go home. I had to snap a pic because she was being sooo cranky right before she fell asleep so I found it amusing! tee hee hee

On Sunday we went to the park. We walked around, visited the ducks, played with a soccer ball and she played on the playground. She had a great time. I am amazed at how well she can run and kick a ball. She is really coordinated. I guess I will join the ranks of "soccer mom" someday!

Today Sammie went to school and I helped in her classroom. It is fun for me to get to know the kids in her class and I also get my "little kid fix" because I really miss teaching Kindergarten! I really enjoy all the fun art projects and music that I did with younger children.

I have been a good girl and have been keeping up with my New Year's goals. I have been exercising on my treadmill at home, watching what I am eating and have not been spending my paycheck on scrappy supplies! (not really my paycheck but I spent a lot of money on scrappy stuff in the past) I am really focused on using what I have and not buying more except for the occasional adhesive. I do have a gift certificate to the Scrappin' Table from Brad. I am saving it until I get that "buy scrappy supplies" urge. I should put it in a glass case with a hammer and hang it on the wall like a fire extinguisher!

I am having lunch tomorrow with my Nana (who is going to be 94 next month) and my brother, Jeff. I don't get to see him very often because he works 2 jobs and goes to school full time. He is a very busy guy but is finally almost done with college (he's on the 20 year plan) and will graduate in June with a degree in Communications/Journalism. I am so proud of him. He has had this goal for a long time and is finally completing it. He is a brilliant writer and speaker and he will be very successful at whatever he does. He is 2 years younger than me. I wish we lived closer so we could see each other more often. We were always so close growing up and now that we are both working and have families, it is tough to keep in touch. Not to mention the fact he lives in Ladera Ranch which is a little far away.

I am keeping busy with homelife, work, occasional scrapbooking and playing on the computer! I am not much of a TV person. I have a few shows I HAVE to watch ( Desparate Housewives and Grey's Anatomy) but I'd rather surf the net or play Webkinz! (this is my newest obsession!) I love Webkinz world. Brad and I fight over who is going to play all the daily games! :0) (I usually win) I am going to get him a Webkin for Valentine's day so he can open his own account! It really is so much fun! Sammie learned how to navigate on the computer by playing it. Now she knows how to play some of the games on the website.

I guess that's all for now. Thanks for visiting my blog! Leave a comment so I know you were here!

Hello January 2008!

Hello blog readers!
I am here to say hi and keep up with my goal of posting more than twice a month and as you can see, it is already January 8th! I had a busy, but fun winter break. It always goes so fast and I always want more time but don't we all???

We went to the movies a few times. The Main Place mall has $1.75 movies all the time and they are $1.00 on Tuesdays. We saw Mr. Megorium's Wonder Emporium which I thought would be cute but it was a little slow and Sammie lost interest so we left about 45 minutes into it and just walked around the mall. On Sunday we went to see Alvin and the Chipmunks. That was a cute movie and Sammie really enjoyed it. I remember the chipmunks when I was a kid. It has been around for a long time! Not too much to report today.

I did get to the gym and took a mommy and me exercise class with Sammie. It was a lot of fun but they only have it once a month. They set up stations of jump ropes, balls, bean bags, and hula hoops and we rotated around every few minutes. In between rotations we would stop and do a dance, like the Macarena, the chicken dance, YMCA, etc. I would like to do that every month in addition to going on the treadmill a few times a week. Well, that's all for now, I'll be back again soon. I have to go to work the rest of the week. Boo hoo!

Woosh!

Well "woosh" is for two reasons. One is that this month just flew by and it is now going to be January and I am finally updating my blog! (Some blog reading friends of mine have asked me to update!) The second reason is this photo of Sammie bungee jumping high in the air!

My parents were in town my birthday weekend and we were supposed to go to Knott's but it was super crowded so instead we went to Tom's farms in Corona. It is a great place to have a family day. There are kiddie rides, ponies, a petting zoo, train, food places and bungee jumping!!! All the kids doing it were like 7-8 years old and then went 3 year old Sammie flying high into the air while I held my breath praying!! It was soooooo scary but she LOVED it! The kid is fearless which is good but scary for me!!
We celebrated my "21st" birthday (wishful thinking) at Disneyland which was fun! The weather wasn't great and it even rained for a bit but it wasn't crowded at the park and we got on so many rides again and again. We watched the Christmas parade and the fireworks over the castle. I love to see the holiday decorations.

We celebrated Xmas eve at Brad's parents' house. We ate dinner and exchanged gifts. This year we took turns opening presents for the first time! I have been asking for years that we do that because I never get to see what anyone gets. It took a long time but it was fun! I hope this will be a new tradition! This is the first year that Sammie "got" the idea of Santa, etc. She talked all about it and said she wanted a pony. We told her Santa doesn't deliver live animals because it is too tough for the reindeer. She had her own ideas of what to leave out for him and it was not the traditional "milk and cookies" but an apple. It was all her idea to leave something for him anyway. It was very cute. So I guess that will be our treat for Santa. A nice healthy apple. ( He cut it in slices and ate it)
She tiptoed downstairs on xmas morning, then came and woke us up to tell us that Santa came. Sammie and I had matching jammies this year which was fun. We opened presents and spent the day playing with new toys, etc. I took her to see the Disney Princess Wishes show on ice. Brad didn't want to go to such a "girlie" show. It was a great show actually and he probably would have enjoyed it! We had a nice time. It was very "Disney" with lots of fancy costumes, famous songs and fireworks at the end!!
The next morning Sammie and I went to Vegas to visit my parents. The drive was miserable! It took us 7 hours and it usually takes 4. There were an expected 300,000 people heading to Vegas for New Year's. We had a nice time. It was nice to see my parents. They really miss Sammie and she just adores my mom. The weather was very cold and windy so we stayed indoors mostly. We drove back yesterday so I could be home for a party at The Red Bee. It was nice to have dinner and play some games with the "bee gang".
I am off work for another week which I need to catch up on things at home! I have so much to do!
So, I wish you all a Happy, Healthy New Year!
Here are a few of my goals:
1. Stop spending so much money
2. Lose weight and exercise more ( more than twice a year LOL)
3. Organize my house
4. Lots of scrapbooking and MUCH less scrappy shopping! (this is HUGE for me)
5. More blogging than 2 times a month!
6. To follow my advice in my last post and NJY TDAY~

There is that enough?? I hope I can accomplish even one of those!! I figure if I write them on my blog, everyone will know and I will be more accountable! What are your goals??