Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Hospitals

It seems like these days, more and more people we know are in the hospital. Maybe we're just getting older. I'm not sure.

My sister in law had her gallbladder removed today. She's my husband's older sister. We went to visit her. And it turned into a mini family reunion. My brother in laws and 1 sister in law came shortly after us. It was nice to see my husband and his brother and sister together again. They originally had 13 siblings. Now there's just 3. So we try to be there for one another.

Yesterday we went to visit a good friend. He had surgery too. He's actually been in and out of the hospital for about a year now. When we first met, he was so active. Now, he seems to be struggling a bit.

It's hard to see people suffer like this. To be confined to the hospital or rehab centers. But I'm grateful that their health is improving. That's all we can really ask for. And as we left the hospital this afternoon, my husband told me, "We better get to eating. You know, I don't want to end up here. In a room." So we stopped for a nice quiet dinner.

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Panda Express



Panda Express happens to be one of my favorite places to eat. And both my husband and daughter love it too. It's just a win-win situation when we go.

Tonight, my husband and I decided to go for dinner. The food was extra tasty tonight. It was super fresh. And very good. I think we got there at just the right time. They were preparing for the dinner rush. And it was very good food.

They also gave us a ton of food. Not just a regular plate. Our plates were over flowing. We even got free egg rolls. That never happens! We ended up taking a little over a plate of food home. Yes, there was that much! I still can't believe it. But I will definitely have a good lunch snack to eat all week long.

What are some of your favorite places to eat? And when are the best times to go? I've noticed that some of our favorite restaurants happen to serve better food during the "off" hours. You know, between the "meal rush hours."

Sunday, June 27, 2010

Busy Weekend

This had to be 1 of the busiest weekends we've had in a long while. A graduation party, a wedding, a baby shower, and a post wedding get together. I'm exhausted just thinking about all we managed to pack into 2 days!

Yesterday started with an early breakfast and quick trip to the tire shop. What a day to decide to change our tires. I know. But we did. I went home and made some salads for my niece. Her daughter's graduation party was Saturday evening. And she was making all the food on her own! Italian food. So I offered to make the salads. Unfortunately, we didn't get to go to the party. There was just too much to do.

But we did go to a wedding. Some of our best friends, friends we've had for well over 30 years, had a son that was getting married. Our kids actually grew up together. And the bride is a really good friend to my daughter. So close, at one time we thought the groom's cousin and my daughter would be married. They dated when they were younger. The bride is one of my daughter's best friends. They were all really close growing up. The 4 "Musketeers."

That's where we were. And it was an amazing wedding! Beautiful, full of love, and so elegant. My daughter was the maid of honor. The groom's cousin was the best man. And those dresses, they were breath taking! I also helped with the food. And spent a goo part of my day cooking. Good thing it was an evening wedding!

We were easily out until 2am. That's how good the wedding was. And some of our dearest friends were there. It was just a nice event. It's incredible to see how much all these kids have grown. They're adults. And in many cases, married with children! I still remember going to little league games. Watching these little boys play t-ball! Now they have sons in t-ball. My daughter was just a little younger than them. The only girl! But they all grew up together. The boys took really good care of her both then, and now.

And today. It was just as full! My husband and I barely made it to church. We were so tired. But we did make it, and then to breakfast. And then off to our friends' home. Since my husband and I got married, it's a tradition to have a post-wedding lunch for the bride and groom. Just close family and friends are invited. And the wedding party.

It's more of a lunch to get to talk with everyone. You know, on the day of the wedding, you're pretty busy! But this is a casual event. And the bride and groom get to open all their gifts. We had a wonderful time. Lots of food, good company, and laughter. It was a nice afternoon and evening.

I had been invited to my Goddaughter's baby shower as well. She just had her 2nd baby on Thursday. But the shower was on Sunday evening. And I didn't make it. On the way home, we drove by my niece's home. And we dropped off mine and my daughter's gifts. I felt bad for missing it. But there was just a lot going on this weekend.

Here it is, almost 10pm, and my husband and I just got home! But it was a weekend fill with lots of love. And so many good people. The celebrations were amazing. And one day, I look forward to my own daughter's wedding. Whenever she decides to tie the knot. (wink, wink. That was a hint.) Until then, it might take until next weekend to recover!

Friday, June 25, 2010

Lullaby Blanket



I've been working on this baby blanket. It's one of my favorite baby blankets to crochet. I've been making it for years! In all kinds of yard. And in so many different colors! It's from Red Heart and it's a free pattern! I originally got it as a free pamphlet from Wal-Mart.

My daughter's best friend is expecting her first baby in October. And my daughter and I have been busy working on gifts. I'm in the middle of one of these blankets. They're super quick to make. 100 squares. I've finished the squares already. And now, I'm putting it together. By the way, the big skeins of Bernat baby are amazing! That's whay I've been using. I've maybe used half a skein!

I'm making it to match something else that I've made. I have never made either project in the colors that I used. And I don't know why. I'll share them later After Hills' baby shower. They're beautiful! I can't wait to finish this blanket. And I really hope that baby Charlotte will enjoy it as well.

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Amazing Friends

Last night, we had some friends invite us over for dinner. They're actually employees of ours. A mother and a daughter. But we've become really good friends. They called and invited us over for dinner. And we just had to go.

They live in this cute little apartment. And it's so warm and inviting. The food was amazing! Both of them are really good cooks. A quick dinner turned into 3 hours of talking. But it was a really good evening.

I would love to do something for them. Maybe invite them out to our cabin. They've been wanting to go. My daughter wants to make them something for their house. They're just amazing people like that. You feel more like family, rather than just a friend.

Not only is their house amazing. But their yard is too! I appreciate someone who takes pride in their yard and works hard at it. They have amazing trees all the way around. And a bunch of tomato plants. There is a really nice patio between their apartment and my friend's son's house. It's just a cozy little place. And it has to be nice to live with your daughter, and have your son right next door.

It was just a nice evening to go out. Have some fun. And enjoy a little bit of life. I'm glad we all got to get together like that. It's nice to have good friends. I know we have some amazing friends in our lives. But sometimes life gets busy, and you go a long time without seeing them. True friends will always be there. Whether time has passed or not.

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

A Little Family Time

On Sunday, we went to the Zoo. It was a lot of fun. There was a big fiesta at the Zoo for Father's Day. And my daughter and I took my husband.

There were so many people around. It was a little ridiculous. So we dropped off my husband near the Zoo and we went to park. It's a good thing we know the area. And we found a relatively close parking. About 2 blocks from the Zoo. We live across the river from the Zoo. So it was a nice to know the area.

Like I said, there were so many people there! I think in the newspaper it said that there were 10,000 people. It was full! And we really didn't do much. It was so incredibly hot out. My husband's leg was still bothering him. So he sat and watched a band perform as our daughter and I went to go look at a few animals. She made it to town this morning and met us at breakfast. It was a good morning.

We didn't see many animals. There were too many people. And it was incredibly hot! The animals were hiding. And in the few cages that there were animals, there were too many people. So we went back to sit down. And the reason we went, for a concert was about to begin. Some friends of ours were playing a mariachi concert. We were very excited.

My daughter had packed a nice lunch for us. Some tuna salad, watermelon, and all the fixings. So we sat and had lunch. Again, it was incredibly hot. So we really enjoyed the watermelon. and the concert, well it was good. We enjoyed the music. Although we didn't really get to see the musicians/our friends. The people just wouldn't sit down. At one point, they stop the concert. It was that bad.

And then the storm started to come. It sprinkled on and off for a while. The wind was incredibly strong. And before we knew it, about 2/3's of the people had left. We enjoyed the end of the concert. We actually got to see a few familiar faces. And just before 6pm, it ended.

We cleared out. My daughter carry our 3 chairs, cooler, and a small cooler bag. I felt bad for her. But she insisted. We came back and picked up my husband and headed to Dairy Queen for a little ice cream treat. It was so yummy! And I'm pretty sure, no positive, that my husband enjoyed his day.

Then yesterday, we were invited to the casino. Our son's girlfriend invited us to meet them for dinner. My daughter, husband, and I left a little earlier than the 2 of them. We wanted to go look around. We had never been there before. Even though, I'm pretty sure it's the closest casino to us.

We did the usual things. Signed up for the player's club, looked around, and found some good machines. We played for about an hour before our son and his girlfriend got there. She also happens to be one of our employees. And is really one of those people you enjoy being around.

We went to dinner. The food was very good. And the company was even better. We sat and talked about many things. Remembering good people. Laughing and joking. It was a nice evening. Then we headed back out to gamble. My husband went back to the machine where he had been winning before dinner. And I went back to mine. Side by side. But it was so cold. So I moved to sit behind him.

Before I knew it, my husband had my daughter playing a machine! My machine. :) She was enjoying herself. And every time she went for change for us, she would tell us about these "I Dream of Jeannie" machines. She really wanted to try them. But we never left our machines. By the end of the night, we had all won a little. I had around $20, my daughter the same, and my husband had about $15. We went to go cash out. And there were those machines. I remember, I had $23. Because I gave them each $1 and we sat to play.

My husband really did good. He must have won $25 in about 10 minutes. Even our daughter won another $21. We decided to leave with our winnings. And our free tote bags. But it was a lot of fun. We got home sometime after 11pm. But we had a good time. We lost our son and his girlfriend during the evening. It turns out, our son had won almost $400. And put it all back into the machines! But honestly, we had a great time. And that's all that counts!

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Father's Day

Working Dad,

I hope you have a great day. Today is your day. I'm glad that our little girl is coming home today. You don't know that. It's a surprise. I think it will make your day more special.

When I think about it, both our daughter and I are so lucky. We have you in our lives. A strong, caring, and loving man. We've always had a great time as a family. And that is because of you. I'm very glad that God sent us into each other's paths in life.

We don't always say it, but I really do love you. And you make my day so much brighter. The time and care that you've given our daughter over the years, it's really amazing. I'm glad that you're in our lives. And I hope that we're able to give you all the love you give us.

Love,
Crafty Mom

Friday, June 18, 2010

Essential Jacket



I seen this pattern this morning. And I really like it. It's from Lion Brand and it's a free pattern. Always good news in my book!

The jacket is just a nice piece. And I really would like to make it. I know it's not a good item for the weather right now. It's been between 94-100 degrees for weeks. But I think it would be a nice item for Fall. I just need to go get some yarn. I'm thinking of making a green one and a brown one. Yes, I really like this pattern!

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Road Trip Part 3

Our only night at the cabin was fun. We had a nice dinner. Tacos and all the fixings. The food just tastes better there. Believe me. It's like a little piece of heaven. My mom also came over to visit. My parents live across the dirt road from us. It was a short visit. But it was nice to catch up. For most of the evening, my husband, my daughter, and I just sat and talked. We also listened to music. One of our favorite things to do there. The oldies are amazing! And my daughter and I were crocheting.

I have to say, that was some of the best sleep I've had in a long while. And the breakfast the next morning was amazing. My daughter and I also cooked a few things to leave with my parents. I know my dad really enjoys my tortillas and chili. And we made some desserts. Before we left, we sat and talked with my parents for a few hours.

On our way, we stopped at a casino. Honestly, we don't gamble a lot. This is really out of the ordinary for us. But it's summertime. And we're traveling a lot more. This casino also gives you $10 to gamble with for every visit. My husband and I gambled for a while. We were doing pretty well. But we got hungry. And we all decided to go for dinner.

This casino has some of the best food. And I'm glad that we stopped. We had a really nice dinner. It was BBQ night. The food was amazing! Even if we had to wait for it. And wait we did. There were so many people there. But like I said, it was well worth the wait!

After dessert, and watching some sports on their TVs, and we decided to head home. It was almost 8:30pm. By the time we got back, it was late. Nearly 10pm. And my daughter was getting ready to leave. She had to get back to her life. But we really had a nice weekend. And I enjoyed it. I'm pretty sure we all did.

It was much more than the road trip, the shopping, gambling, or even the food. It was about time with our family. Now that our daughter is grown, lives far away, and is on her own...it really is hard to find time to spend together. I'm glad that she still makes time for us. I still can't believe my little girl is all grown up. But she is. So I really appreciate these times together. When we can just be a family again.

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Road Trip Part 2

Here's the 2nd part to our road trip...

We decided to head south for dinner. Not far from the church. My daughter and I had wanted to stop at some antique shops we had seen. But we were definitely a little too late. Almost everything had closed. It was already after 6pm. So we just kept driving.

And we ended up at the Casino. We had been there once. For my husband's birthday in 2009. And we had really enjoyed it. So we decided to have dinner there. We pulled up near the doors. So my husband wouldn't have to walk so far. And we seen another lady fall going into the casino. It was not a good day for people walking.

We decided to have dinner first. It was a really good decision. We were so hungry. And the dinner rush hadn't yet begun. The food was really good. And we had an enjoyable evening. Our family likes to eat slow and watch everyone around us. Our waiter also made it enjoyable. He didn't rush us or anything. And after dessert, we all felt like we needed to be rolled out of there.

We headed downstairs. My daughter and husband went in search of an elevator, I went looking for some machines. We did end up getting a little lost. But eventually, we found each other and some good machines. My daughter kept getting us change and drinks. She doesn't like to gamble. But we had a great night.

We did end up losing all of our money. But it really wasn't that bad. About $25 in 3 hours or so. But it was a lot of fun! My husband played a Mayan Adventures machine. And he kept saying that the princess looked like me, and the prince looked like my brother. I do have to agree.

At almost 12:30am, we decided to leave. My husband went to the front door, and we went to go get the van. We had parked clear on the other side of the casino. My daughter and I were laughing so hard. And I can't for the world of me, remember why. But we had a nice time.

It took forever to get to our car. But we made it. And we found my husband waiting outside. It was cold in the casino. And it was a nice night out. My husband enjoyed another nice nap as we continued south. I know that's why he wanted to buy this van. It's a conversion van. Has very comfortable seats, and a TV with a VCR and DVD player. I usually drive. And he relaxes.

It was so dark out. My daughter was navigating for me. And eventually, we made it to our capital city. Really, it's not that far. But it was so hard for me to see at night. But we got a room. My husband got settled in. And our daughter brought us our bags. It was about 2 or 3am before we settled in for the night.

The next morning, my daughter went to get us some breakfast. And we got ready. I really like staying at the Comfort Inn. One less thing for us to have to worry about. They have a nice continental breakfast. Free newspapers included. My husband and I still managed to head downstairs for some cereal. And my daughter loaded the van for us.

By 9am, we were headed southwest. We had planned on meeting our son at our cabin. But 2 things came up. A good friend of ours is a secretary at an elementary school. She found herself with 6 field trips and no transportation. For that morning. I drove, my husband slept, and our daughter worked out the details of the trips. She called the school, our employees, and her brother. And everything was worked out. Except our son's truck, had broken down. So he was fixing it.

Instead, my husband, my daughter and I headed west. We did have to stop for some groceries though. We stopped in a small town about an hour west of our cabin. To pick up the essentials. We were only going to be there for a day. So we didn't need much. But the place was so full of people! Probably because it was a Friday.

But we shopped. We got some things I needed at the cabin. And we bought groceries for sandwiches, tacos for dinner, and some breakfast food. By the time we got to the cabin, we were hungry and tired. My daughter made us some really good sandwiches, avocado and all the fixings. We had lunch. And one by one, we all fell asleep.

Stay tuned for more...