Crossword Puzzle Clue (one across, four letters)

What is a shopper's paradise?

Answer: Sale (of course)

A couple days ago as I was working away on paper-work in my tiny little office at work (which happens to be right off the dining room where meals and most of the resident's activities happen). That particular afternoon the activity planned was a crossword puzzle. This was the first clue. Of course the word shoppers caught my attention so I listened on and I just kind of blurted out the answer, quietly I thought. But then I heard the activities director say, I heard someone say the answer, so I peeked my head around out the door and admitted it was me who knew that answer so quickly, haha. I have to say, they were pretty impressed.

The picture above shows my latest bargain. I found these cute rain boots at Macy's for ten bucks! That's right, ten bucks! I had been keeping my eye out for a cute little pair of rain boots for Katie and Joslin. I mean, you have to have cute boots when you go feed and water your pigs! I looked at Target and their boots were 24.99, not too bad I thought but still not on sale, so I kept looking, Then I found my bargain. They were on a rack that was 40% off, there was a sign that they were an additional 50% off, and of course I had a coupon to save an additional 20%. So there you have it, my ten dollar boots so the girls will look cute and stylish as they care for their pigs this spring/summer. Pitiful that this is all I have to blog about. :)

High Rollin in ... Yakima??

Katie and I went to Yakima for a couple days for our annual state basketball trip. It seems for the past five + years Pateros has either sent their girls or boys to state. This year both teams made it. It's an excuse to get out of town!

Most of Katie's friends play basketball but one of her senior buddies didn't so they got together and made shirt to show their support.
We ate a few meals at Mcdonald's. One of Katie's best friends, Joslin, stayed with us after the girls team lost out (it's a double elimination tourney) and the boys were still playing. Joslin had 8 free meals at McDonald's that had to be used by the end of this weekend and only good in Yakima, so we enjoyed some fine dining. It was free so that's always fine to me!

The boys getting ready before they announced the starting line-up. Unfortunately they lost so we had to head home Friday afternoon. But like I said an excuse to get out of town and we need those every now and then in a small town!

P.S. I didn't blog about my last out of town get-away with mom and sister's cuz I had all the same pictures and I was a little slow getting to my blogging, but I had a super fun time too and just wish we could do it a little more often. I wish I lived close to all of you so we could get together whenever we wanted. :(

He's really still alive ...

it's good to have proof every now and then that he's really living and breathing out there somewhere, haha! the first picture is the house where he had to make a little "pit" stop when no other bathroom could be found, second picture is his current companion (he say's he's nice, smart but a little lazy) and apparently they will be together for another six weeks, last picture i have no idea who they are (Brian was telling the truth they don't wear a lot of clothes there!) i was hoping he would send a picture of the gigantic spiders they have, maybe next time.

Here Comes the Sun

we haven't seen the sun here for quite a while, two weeks at least. we have had day after day of what they call an inversion. it basically means gray,cloudy skies, foggy at times, very little variance in the temperature from day to night (it goes from cold to colder), and stagnant air. finally on friday we woke up and saw the sun. everyone at work commented on how much better they felt just from the sun being out. hopefully it will stick around for a while!

Date Night!

Bob and I went to Chelan for the yearly Fire and Ice Festival. Started off with fireworks at the park.

The downtown sidewalks were filled with ice sculptures created by different people or groups, these are a few of my favorites: the sun, the bear, and the penguin.

(notice the apple frozen in the center of this one)

Bob insisted I sit in the ice sculpture chair. It was nice to get out. Sometimes we don't enjoy the things that are going on right in our own town, I know I had not been to this event since I have lived here. What did you do Saturday night?

I was so excited to go out so I would actually have something to blog about. As you can tell our lives haven't been all that exciting ...

my new sunday afternoon pasttime ...

next week I will start my new calling in primary, chorister. i'm not sure how i feel about this quite yet. it was obvious our previous chorister spent hours and hours and hours each week preparing for singing time. i explained to the primary president i don't have that much time, she re-assured me they didn't expect that much but i still don't feel all that relieved. there was not one single sunday in the past two years that i have taught sunbeams that she has just shown up and sang songs, not ONE. so, today i spent hours and hours getting ready for next week. i tried to re-assure myself that some of the stuff i was doing are things that i will be doing each week so i won't have to re-do them each time. this is going to be a challenge to say the least. but i promise i will not be making any life-size statues out of wood, that much i know :) also, no solos.

Good Times ... christmas eve, christmas day, day after

david and tiffany opening their gifts: shoes, clothes, pj's, robes, perfume, etc (picture below) (picture above) david, tiffany, and chip - their dog came along too

it's official, here's the ring on the finger :)

no one was forgotten, not even the dogs. maddy loves her "squeaker toys" she has the squeaker ripped out in no time though

katie got some new boots to keep her feet warm

kyle got an eskimo coat to keep him warm walking around campus, he says it get's 20 below

bob got some new sunglasses

katie is super thrilled with her camera, she has been wanting one for a while now

santa left kyle a stash of gift cards to various fast food places, he said they will get used quick at byu-i

pj time. i didn't do too good on the pj's this year. Kyle's were a little snug and luckily i had a back-up for katie because her's didn't fit at all, whoops. everything else was a success though

everytime we go to Costco we want to get the big chocolate cake, but we know it will only be Bob and I eating it so we dont. this was a perfect excuse to get it so we could share ...

eat up, there's plenty!

Kurt supervising the food before the feast began

all in all a great christmas...

I have a question

why are my pictures downloading opposite of what I want??? I don't remember this being a problem until just recently, but I choose the pictures I want to add to my post, I start from with the first picture I want in that order and then keep adding but now they show up on the post with the last picture firt. Obviously I could start with the last picture when I add them but I don't remember having to do it that way before ... this might not even make sense but if anyone has an answer please explain.

Sweet 16

a few friends help celebrate
her car ... now I really won't be able to sleep at night!

some cash from the grandparents - always puts a smile on your face to have cash :)

Kyle took Katie up to get her real license in the morning, he was soooo excited to get up at 7:45am

the goody table before

a few birthday pictures ...

finally snow!

The snow started falling yesterday. The first snow of the season, it's always sort of exciting and it makes it feel like Christmas but it get's old fast! I took this picture today. One down side to all of this was that Kyle of course was headed home for the break. I was worried sick but he made it safely to Spokane Friday night and was home in Pateros before noon today. He actually said the worst stretch was between Bridgeport and Brewster and then again coming into Pateros. Next week we have bitter cold temperatures to look forward to ...

a dog's life ...

This is how I found Mia sleeping this morning. Sometimes it wouldn't be so bad to be a dog!

just barely!

well, she did it. just barely with a 82%. Bob and Katie thought it would be funny to text me after the driving test and tell me that she had to come back again next week. of course she does, not to re-take the test but to get her picture and her REAL license. I was in a CPR class but as soon as I was out I called, haha they are soooo funny. It was a big day for me because I re-signed from my job at home health. Not completely, but as a full-time employee. I accepted a position at a nursing home in Brewster, Harmony House, as the resident care coordinator and part-time treatment nurse. My hours at my new job are M,T,W and every other Sunday (for four hours and I can go in after church). So I would LOVE to completely call it quits there but I need more than three days a week so I can work per diem on Thursdays or Fridays or both at home health but also have the flexability to not ... I love that.

awards night for fall sports

Tonight was the fall sports award program. Katie told us we didn't need to bother coming because she wouldn't be getting any awards. We went anyway. I like hearing what the coaches say about all the kids, it's not just about the awards. Katie was pleasantly surprised when she received the Most Improved award for the volleyball team. It's always fun to have a pleasant surprise!

p.s. tomorrow is the big day (for katie and mom)

one step closer ...

Katie passed her written test last Friday with a score of 87%. She is now that much closer to having a real license! She will attempt to pass the driving test on Tuesday, should she fail she will have to wait a week and then try again. So, stay tuned ...

happy start to the holidays

I wish I still had little ones that were excited about decorating the tree!
we got her hooked! read it in one day, saw the movie twice, bought a poster and t-shirt

a little outing up Snow Canyon to take some pictures ...

ahhhh, beatutiful downtown Las Vegas - jk - but it looks kind of cool at night (we spent a total of $5.50 on the slot machines)

ya we all rode the roller coaster, this was before