Wedding Crahsers

I attended a very nice outdoor wedding recently. It was a ton of fun and I took this photo. It's like these guests are the wedding crashers... oh.. here comes the ushers and the bride and groom...quick hide... did they see us? ... uh.oh...if they spot us we'll have to make a run for it. Darn and I wanted cake too! When we're finished hiding we can have drinks. BTW... the real story is that it was extremely sunny... they had no sunscreen and later they were drinking because they were totally burnt!

Random

I never did get the bulbs to grow that Nicole sent to me. However, they make cute vases for flowers out of the yard! Just random... guess I better start taking some updated pictures. Maybe next week at the TIE conference I can get some good shots.

Abbey

This is one tuckered out cat! This is what happens when you don't talk to your cat about catnip and they spend the day chasing the elusive squirrel. Isn't she sweet?.... that is until she wakes up and terrorizes the house!

Love this Pic!

I took this picture from Carla's post. I happen to think it's a pretty nice picture. I'm not sure what type of plant it is that I'm using as reggae hair but it was a fun day at the Flower Bin.

A Little Bit of Heaven

I love our back porch! It is a place where we read, work on the computer, eat meals, drum, and meet with friends. Somehow it is one of those places where the stress just melts away and you are in a space that you can relax and feel at home. Breathe and be thankful for those things in life that are comforting!

Again

The squirrel (from myspace blog) has taught Abbey to enjoy life on the roof. She now spends a little bit each day lounging on the roof and watching the yard below. Today she was upset that no one was at the back door to let her in so she got on the roof and came to the bedroom window to ask in from the screen. Smart cat!

Eggs

I'm not sure if I have posted this picture before or not. Sorry if I have... but I love this picture. It sort of speaks volumes for all the great breakfasts we have ever had. Sometimes that can be the best meal of the day!

Lap Dog

Lucy so much wants to be a lap dog just like the pug and the kittens. When I would sit down, Lucy would find a way to try and sit on my lap. In this picture she kept scooting back until she actually was able to get her haunches in my lap. As you can tell, everyone else was thinking..."hey there's no more room!" or.."What the hell?" It's funny how the little dog thinks he's big and the big dog thinks she's little.

Sweet

Recently when I was visiting in Nashville I snapped this picture. Jerry (the cat) is trying hard to be able to cuddle with Lucy (the dog). Of course Lucy is doing her best to ignore the cat and will even get up and move so Jerry can have the spot. Lucy just hasn't figured it out yet that Jerry wants to snuggle with her. Jerry seems to be looking at Lucy trying to figure the whole scenario out.... "hey, if I sit here long enough she will either let me snuggle or move so I can play with her!"

Beautiful endings/ New beginnings

This sunset was the first thing that greeted us when we arrived back in Colorado from the Memorial Week in DC. It seemed so appropriate. Endings and Good-byes are painful but can be beautiful too. It was a shared feeling that the family experienced, even though we all experienced it in different ways. Some of us reached out for each other and others didn't. Whatever way we chose to feel this defining moment for our family was OK. The Colorado sunset welcomed us home and reminded us that with each sunset comes a new dawn.. a new beginning... a new way of life. It's part of the cycle.

Mango Mike's

Thank you Connie! The last night in DC Connie suggested that we go to Mango Mike's. We thought ... what the hell... it's a new experience.. let's try it. We were a little worried when we found the place and they were smoking the meat in the parking lot but still braved the Tiki/Banana Bar anyhow. It was wonderful! The meals weren't fantastic but the group was a ton of fun and we had a great time. It was a perfect way to end the week before everyone started flying back to their respective parts of the country. We sort of pretended we were back at the wedding in Turks and we ordered drinks in coconut shells and parrot glasses. The mystery of the missing camera from Connie's graduation was solved (by accident) and we reminisced about family times. A terrific ending to a long week!

White House

The last day we were in DC we decided to explore the city after getting most of the relatives to the airport. I have no idea what was actually going on in the city and at the airport but security was high and secret service guys were sprinkled liberally around the airport and downtown. It was sort of like being in a Men In Black movie (I did see tons of pugs on this trip!). Anyhow, after walking for hours we ended up at the White House. As kid I used to go for tours there and walk around. Nowdays it is barricaded and there are guards hidden. Things got a little tense when I climbed on the fence to take a picture since I wasn't tall enough to get one through the fence otherwise. No one said a word to me but the guys on the roof popped up and the guard behind us moved closer. At least I was socially aware enough to realize I was creating tension...imagine if I was totally unaware. Oops!

Fireworks

Fireworks over the river! Could the day of the burial get any better? Not only did we get the Blackhawk helicopter but we ended up with fireworks too! Monika's boyfriend met us (with Monika of course)at Chadwicks for dinner and then we strolled along the river at night. We ended up with the a gorgeous display of fireworks to finish off the evening (and not the family kind!). Steve was nice enough and patient enough to get me a terrific picture since I was having difficulty timing the shot. (So who has the pictures of Nicole and Monika and the life buoy?)

King Street

During the evenings in DC we tended to go down to the waterfront along King Street in Alexandria. It's an area in Old Town that has tons of restaurants, shops, people, tours, and a huge fountain. Of course we met at the fountain as a meeting place. The tour guides were all dressed in colonial garb so it was colorful as you were walking along. One night Carla and Susie were stopped by a radio/TV show reporter that wanted their views on guns possession. Talk about an earful! Let's just say I will never try and steal Carla's TV! At the end of the evening we would walk along the water's edge avoiding the romantic couples and look at the lights reflecting on the water. Great way to end some hectic days.

The Crew

Here's the picture of the family crew that attended the burial in Arlington. It was nice to see relatives to share in this event. It made it easier to have people around that cared tremendously for Pop. Pop's burial is a defining moment in our lives as he is the last of his generation in our immediate family.

Arlington National Cemetery

Last Wednesday the family buried Pop at Arlington National Cemetery. It was supposed to rain and instead we had clear blue skies and sunshine which Pop would have enjoyed! A Blackhawk helicopter flew overhead in the middle of the ceremony which was significant for us as it also happened at Mom's funeral. I was impressed that the Women of Arlington had a representative there to talk to us and give us a card. It was to signify the family involvement of the military life. Even though Pop did not make it to his 93rd birthday, he did make it to sunny days, warmth, and he was surrounded by love and family.