Catching up (12/26-1/20) Whew!

I am going to get you all caught up on what has been going on since 12/26 so hang on. We are going to go quickly.

Christmas Day was a beautiful day so Bruce and I drove down to the condo. Larry Andrews invited us over for dinner . Wow I didn't even have to cook. We went for a walk and you can see that it was gorgeous. Old Glory was flying proudly!

The most handsome man alive!

Our view from the top of the hill. Can you believe we made it all the way to the top and back?

Anyone up for an icy swim?

New Year's Eve, Bruce, Melissa, Amy and I drove up to SD to celebrate Christmas with my family. We missed Mark, Lori and the boys but the rest of us were there.

Kelsey is intently opening a gift.

The dinner table was set and waiting for us.

Mom is telling Dad something REALLY important I'm sure.

Rick recorded the day's events while Val opened a card from Mark and Lori.

The first annual toast by Grandma and her girls!

It was cold and snowy in SD. We had the pleasure of seeing all the blowing snow on Saturday and a true temperature of -15 on Sunday morning when we left. That makes KS look like paradise!

Life went on as usual until January 15 when we went to Topeka to see James and Michael perform in a Drumline Extravaganza. The house rocked!

Michael is in the middle of this picture. His middle school was the only middle school invited to perform. They were as good the high school drumlines.

James is the captain of the Seaman High School drumline. He composed a song that they performed that evening. Do you think we were proud??

That was Thursday. Then came a very cold and snowy Friday morning in Kansas. By 6:00 p.m. we were on a plan to Phoenix for 3 full days of sunshine and friends. Do you think Bruce enjoyed the sun and 79 degree temperatures?

I just couldn't resist this picture. Shirley and Myrna were working hard on dinner. Bruce does whatever Vince does and this was proof.

Sunday morning we got up and drove over to Sunscape for worship services. Do you think LaVon was surprised when I hollered out her name?

LaVon sings in the choir.

Catching up with friends is so much fun. Don and LaVon have dedicated their life to the Lord. What an inspiration they are to Bruce and I. Praise God for people like them.

Aunt Delores and Uncle Roger arrived Sunday about noon. They were tired and thirsty!

Myrna never does what I say. I said "smile Myrna" and she said "NO" . Charles and Myrna toted us back and forth from the airport plus gave us their bed. Thank you!

Vince and Shirley had us over for homemade lemon pie before we left. The lemons were from Charles and Myrna's tree. Shirley out did herself once again. Vince, Shirley and Uncle Roger.

Myrna Drost, cousin Vickie Cartwright and Aunt Delores.

Charles and Bruce. I think Charles looks like Bruce's other brother!

The three musketeers!

We dropped in at Quail Run to surprise our friends there but I forgot the camera. Rats! They continue to have a good time. I wish we had had 3 months to catch up instead of 30 minutes!

We were back in Kansas City by 11:45 last night. This morning it was back to the grindstone and reality. YUCK!

Today has been a great day in American history. I was covered with goose bumps as President Obama was sworn in this morning. I am proud to be an American and I am looking forward to our country digging its way out of this horrible whole we have dug ourselves in to. I pray for the new administration and I pray for this great country of ours.

Christmas 2008

Do you see what the bottom of Bruce's new remote control says? "Control a woman!" Do you think this will work on his woman? I'll let you know. Amy bought Melissa a new coat for our trip to South Dakota! Bruce really likes to shake his gifts. And he was very happy with what he received - his very own Ipod Nano! Melissa and Amy thought they were really funny capturing the way we look at each other through our bifocals. Amy can go places now with her new Tom Tom! Bev likes her cowboy Christmas tree. Bruce and two of "his girls". Dinner was about ready to eat. We had a great Christmas celebration with the girls on Christmas Eve. We had an opportunity to relax and enjoy each other. We reminisced about all the changes that have occurred in our lives in 2008. We started the year working in AZ . Bruce went back to KC the first of February so he could spend time with his mother. He went back to work. He spent a month sleeping on Amy's couch while I was still in AZ. He flew to AZ and retrieved me. We arrived in KC one week before his mother passed away. I went back to work 2 weeks later. The summer flew by quickly. Jasmine died in October. We have enjoyed spending lots of time with the kids. We have enjoyed getting reacquainted with old Kansas City friends. We have enjoyed growing closer to our lake friends. We thank God for the many blessings in our life! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Christmas with Alex and family, 12/21/08

It is cold in Kansas City AGAIN but it was warm in our hearts today. Bruce, Melissa, Amy and I went to Topeka to celebrate Christmas with Alex and his family. Alex fixed chicken and noodles with all of the trimmings. Oh YUM. He is a great cook and once again we ate way too much. This evening we all went to a Choral Eucharist at Alex and Joy's church, Faith Lutheran Topeka. Bruce and the boys posing for the camera. Aren't they handsome?? Alex played his trumpet during the beautiful Choral Eucharist. Joy sang with the choir and was a cantor as well. I didn't think I should take a picture of her during the service. (This picture was taken during the prelude. Alex, Michael, James, Melissa, Bruce and Amy. Alex's affirmation banner. Joy is quite the package artist. Note how the tag and the package match. I'm impressed. Isn't she pretty? Michael liked his new clothes. Melissa is a Stargate fan. Her collection is now complete. Bruce and Melissa were trying to get warmed up. After Joy figured out that the storm window was up it warmed up in a hurry. It's bed time and tomorrow is another fun day at work.

Saturday, December 20, 2008

BRRRRR It is cold in Kansas City and I don't like it! Today it started out around 20 and by the time we got home for the last time this evening it was 7. Now that is cold but not as cold as it is going to be tomorrow. Thursday was the last Christmas pot luck at work. It was another huge success and we ate way too much again. Friday night had dinner with friends at Il Centro at 51st and Main in Kansas City. It's really a cute little place that is obviously very popular. This morning I finished up the majority of my Christmas shopping. I picked Amy up and we blitzed the mall. Shopping was really good because of all the tremendous bargains. Merry Christmas to me. Amy and I decided we each needed a new coat. They were 70% off and then I got another 10% off because I signed up for a credit card. I am the proud owner of a new red "puff jacket" and a scarf to match. Amy's is brown. That makes three coats she has gotten for herself! Bruce and I spent the afternoon with Glenn and Vickie Youngblood. We went to a warehouse wine sale and then to Garozzos for dinner. We are going to stink tomorrow! The garlic tasted great going down. After church and Sunday school tomorrow will go to Topeka to see Alex and his family.

Pictures from end of Nov - first 1/2 of Dec

The car was off to the dealership for some major repairs. Cell phone cameras are great. Read the last post for the details. (By the way, the car runs great now. Tonight Bruce discovered that when they checked the windshield wipers, they forgot to hook up the hose from for the washers. Hmmm, we didn't get much for our money!! I was fascinated by the way they moved the car around. Remember, it would run but wouldn't propel itself. That blue thing was way easier than pushing it by hand. Bruce went to Dallas and I got flowers again. Hurray for me. They are on the counter at my desk. Chenega Christmas party. I was giving the food table one final going-over. McDoles house to beautiful. I could live here in a minute! Here we are in the kitchen having a good time. Sheila and I were enjoying a few minutes after everyone ate. Bruce and I were two tired puppies! The dessert bar was a VERY popular hangout. This is a picture of the Neil Diamond concert. Notice that everyone is standing up clapping and singing. No pictures were allowed so I used my Sprint phone. Hmmm. The concert was at the Sprint Center and no cell phone pictures were allowed. What is wrong with that picture??

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

It has been almost a month since I've blogged and we have been BUSY. We are both about frazzled.

I'll fast forward through a bunch. Thanksgiving was at our apartment with friends and family. The Saturday after Thanksgiving Bruce and I went to the condo at the lake for a couple of really fun days. We did some shopping and had dinner with Mike and Donna David and their family. Mike and Donna purchased the Lake House Inn which is the local motel. Donna quit her job at St. Lukes and they are both living at the condo full time and loving it.

We did something every night the first week of December but I can't remember what. Friday December 5 was the first Christmas party of the year. We were invited to the home of Jim and Lisa Watkins. There were lots of old friends there so we did a lot of eating, drinking and talking.

The next night was my sorority Christmas party at Les and Barb Frans. I prepared three food items to take. Bruce and I were on our way to Costco in the Envoy when we heard a horrible noise from the rear end of the car. We had just gotten it out of the shop where we had the rear end serviced. The engine ran fine but the drive train was not engaged so there was no moving it. We called the tow service and a flat bed picked us up. The car spent the next week in the shop getting all the gears, the differential and something else replace - at the expense of the dealership!! Hurray for us. When the tech put the car back together after doing the original work, he either forgot a clip or didn't have it on right and the gears were all sheared off. We have a friend that is a mechanic at the dealership and somehow the dealership decided to do the right thing and admit to their wrongdoing. The car runs great now! Monday, December 8, we drove to Menlo, IA for Bruce's uncle Bernard's funeral. We left home about 7:00 a.m. for a 11:00 funeral. After the luncheon, we drove straight to Topeka, KS where our daughter-in-law was performing with the Shawnee County Choral group. It was an awesome performance. Joy was a soloist and did a great job. We were home and in bed by about 11:00 p.m. TIRED!

We had our first real snow and ice storm on Tuesday, December 9. That was not fun. I was supposed to go to a Pampered Chef party but it was canceled so we went to "taco Tuesday" with a bunch of friends at a restaurant down the road a little bit. Bruce left for a meeting in Dallas December 10-12. Wednesday night I went to a "girl group" Christmas party. Thursday night I did all the food shopping for Bruce's work Christmas party. That reminded me of some of the Quail Run shopping trips. Friday night Bruce got home at 6:00 and by 6:30 we were on our way to another Christmas party. Saturday morning we cleaned the apartment, Bruce did errands, and I did the rest of the shopping for his work Christmas party. Greg and Janet Nieto arrived from NE a little after noon. We had lunch and Janet and I ran out for one last shopping trip for the party. By 3:30 Bruce and I were at the home of Dana and Sheila McDole where the party was being held. You see, we can't have the party here because there just isn't enough room. Sheila and I prepared all the food and people started arriving about 6:30. A great time was had by all! I have pictures but I can't get the blogger to work right so will post them later. We had everything cleaned up and we dropped into bed about 12:30 a.m. Sunday morning we were all off to 8:00 church. After church Bruce and Greg took naps and Janet and I went shopping. Sunday evening we did nothing! Monday we worked and Monday night the four of us went to the Neil Diamond concert. It was FANTASTIC!! We bought our tickets from friends of Greg and Janet's. The belong to the Founder's Club at the Sprint Center so we got VIP parking, VIP entrance, VIP seating and access to the Founder's Club. WOW. Were we out of our league. We had food, drinks and our own private bathrooms. We were UPTOWN. We were on our feet dancing, clapping and singing for the entire two hours. If you ever get a chance to see Neil Diamond - do it! It snowed and iced here again and I skipped my Christmas party tonight. Instead I took a 1 1/2 hour nap and loved it.

Saturday, November 22, 2008 (part 2)

I promised pictures and here they are. Read the post just prior to this and you will know what we are up to! Is this a happy face or what? Bruce was not happy to see the camera.

Bruce, Melissa and I waited for Ryan, Tara and Amy at Baja 600. Bruce looks a little happier now. Amy, Ryan, Tara and Melissa at Baja 600.

After lunch Bruce and I went to Amy's apartment while the kids went shopping. We were waiting for the deliver of Amy's new bedroom set. We love it. Here is Bruce hooking up the tv.

We are home now sitting in our recliners like a couple lumps of coal!

Saturday, November 22, 2008

This week flew by totally undetected. Bruce was in Indianapolis for a meeting with his new company. The highlight of my week was dinner with Shirley and Ike on Thursday. Shirley is a friend from work and Ike is her son. Ike lives in a group home and is involved in a program run by Bethesda Lutheran Homes from Appleton, WI. I had the priviledge of meeting a wonderful group of people. The caregivers are nothing short of angels sent by God. They have a capacity for loving and caring for people that I have never encountered. One of the ladies was actually chosen as employee of the year and just returned from a week long event in Milwaukee where she was honored for her service. I can't properly describe how these individuals touched my heart but I know they are nothing short of wonderful. Last night we were joined for dinner by our nephew Ryan and his friend Tara from Chicago. Tara is just a doll and fit in like we had known her forever. Bruce waited at the airport and brought them home with him. Melissa and Amy helped me prepare dinner and the six of us had a great time. Of course we ate too much but oh well. We sampled a few bottles of wine from PRP. YUM. Ryan got a big kick out of the Meister's Cuvee. (My maiden name and is name is Meester.) Today we are meeting them on the Plaza for lunch at Baja. I'll get pictures! I have to mention our friend Chad Nieto. He is now a full fledged member of the Capitol Police force and is assigned to the Senate building. Greg, Janet and Lindsay were where for the ceremony. Greg actually got to pin Chad's badge on him. We are so proud of Chad. I'm just full of warm fuzzy feelings and I'm loving life. Bruce and I are just blessed beyond belief.

Friday, November 14, 2008

Wahoo. We survived another week of work! Bruce earned his keep this week. With the change to the new company, everything that could go wrong, did go wrong and he got to figure out how to fix it. He's really good at fixing. One thing we know for sure is that next week will be better! Bruce is going to Indianapolis to meet with his new bosses and to get trained on how to do things their way. This is the first time ever that I will stay home all alone - no kids and no Jazzie Girl. Melissa is going to Ft. Worth so I warned Amy that she is in charge of me! Bruce is such a wonderful husband that he sent me flowers to thank me for "putting up" with him during the last several weeks. It was an easy task but I sure appreciated the flowers anyway. Aren't they pretty? They smell GREAT too!

We got to spend a couple hours with our 15-month old friend Kyra after work today. We had some new toys to share with her plus some yummy new things to eat so we (well, ok me) were excited about the visit. We played with the new toys. We played chase. We played peek-a-boo. We played in front of the mirror. We ate lots of good dinner and then we took a nap. When her mommy got here she just knew we needed a picture so she dug the camera out of the closet and captured the moment.

Her mommy wasn't real excited about a 6:30 p.m. nap but oh well. Kyra gets to do whatever she wants when she comes to our house!! You will notice that EVERYthing is piled on the island because she can reach lots of things. She is such a joy. I talked her mommy into letting her come back Monday evening for a little while too. Hmmm. What can I buy her this weekend. Isn't my new rocker recliner nice. It's great for baby rocking. Bruce has one that matches but she hasn't warmed up to him enough to try out his rocker yet. After Kyra left Bruce and I met Shirley and Ike up at Spin Pizza for some dinner. Shirley is an amazing woman and we love spending time with her. Ike is Shirley's 25 year old son that we haven't seen in a long time. Shirley helped Bruce do all kinds of things to his computer so now it is running like a champ. I told you she was an amazing woman! Darryle is at the lake this weekend so we didn't get to see him.

Monday and Tuesday, November 10 and 11

Wine! Wine! Wine!! Monday night was the wine dinner at Joe D's. It was raining outside and it was COLD. For two cents I would have stayed home but I didn't want to welch out on my reservation. My friend Diane and I declared ourselves ready and Bruce drove us back to the Center to meet our van and the rest of our group. Seven of us piled in the van and off we went. About 30 minutes later we arrived at Joe D's in Brookside. We arrived to find out that the wine dinner was just for our group of 10. We started off with an introduction of the wine we were about to enjoy. A representative from D'Arenberg winery talked a few minutes about Australian wines and introduced our wine somalia. We started with a nice glass of champagne. Well ok, we started with a few glasses of nice champagne. It seems that the other end of the table wasn't wild about the wine so my end of the table had to drink everything. Our first course of food was a scallop on a bed of finely chopped seafood in a yummy creme sauce. The second wine was a light and fruity white wine that I REALLY liked. The food for that course was a jambalaya croquet with a piece of really nice meat that I thought was pheasant. NOT! I was chowing down when the waiter announced that we were eating rabbit. I thought I would throw up on the table. So much for that. I had to drink more wine. Then we had a buttery Chardonnay that I didn't like so I traded Diane for her fruity wine and she drank my Chardonnay. Unfortunately I can't remember what we ate with that wine. Shiraz was next and again I loved it with the veal and potatoes. Dessert consisted of a very delicate cup of chocolate custard and and another cup that had some kind of a creme in it along with a very dark red wine. We were instructed to put 1/2 of the chocolate custard on the creme and then chug the rest of the chocolate and chase it with the wine. During all of this food and wine we were busy talking, laughing and getting to know each other. (This was the first time Diane and I had gone out with this group.) Diane and I decided that our end of the table had the most fun. I could give you a better description of the food and wine but I forgot my menu on the table. (Imagine that). Our wonderful driver was waiting outside for us and he drove us safely back to Olathe. Bruce (the best husband ever) was waiting to drive us home. Diane spent the night because she lives 30 miles south of Olathe and it was too late to drive home (the wine had nothing to do with it!!) Tuesday morning we got up early, exercised and went out for breakfast. Diane went home and Bruce and I went Christmas shopping. We enjoyed our day together. We met my sorority sisters and their husbands for tacos about 5:30. Three of us gals went to see Secret Life of Bees. What a movie! We had a very full 27 hours.

Weekend of November 7-9, 2008

Another weekend has come and gone. For those of you that are keeping track, we have LESS and 22 months to work!! YAHOO. Friday night Bruce worked until 8:00. I had the pleasure of spending the weekend with my 15-month old friend. We were really having a good time and her mother decided to return! I told Mommy that she needs to plan to stay away awhile longer next time. Saturday Bruce and I explored Kansas City. The Sears outlet store was a real disappointment. The City Market, however, was great. We came away with all kinds of fresh produce and some yummy bread. Next stop was Planters where we gathered bulk tea leaves and spices. I had remembered hearing about a gourmet chocolatier so I googled Kansas City chocolatier and found Christopher Elbow Chocolates. What a treat. Every chocolate is handmade and hand painted. We bought a box as a gift and had it shipped to a lady that has really helped Bruce with his job. The two of us split a cup of liquid peppermint chocolate. It was SINFUL! We also enjoyed a couple pieces of the candy. Next on the agenda was JC Penney's outlet where we scored some toys for Kyra and a couple pair of slacks for me. Saturday evening we had dinner with old friends from church. Sunday morning worship service was especially wonderful because all kinds of original members of the church were there including Greg and Janet Nieto. After a delicious brunch at First Watch we went to the apartment to look at Greg and Janet's house plans. (BTW, the basement is being dug as I write.) Amy called and said she was bored so she came over for the afternoon. The three of us went to Sam's and bought two new lazy boy chairs for the apartment and a slip cover for the couch. The pink chairs are going to Bev's house and the couch looks like brand new. We are pleased with the outcome. Melissa joined us for tater tot casserole. After dinner, Melissa and I exercised while Bruce and Amy watched. Hmmm, what is wrong with that picture. Today everyone is back to work but it is kind of a Monday/Friday since tomorrow is Veteran's Day! Thank you to all of the veterans that have served our country!