My "I found a nutshell - so I'm putting everything in it"...post

OH HOLY COW - by the time I get to post anything I'll be old and ... well... let's not go there.  So I've decided that I will just post all these pictures and put a caption to them and move on with my out of control life.  But as you look at them - I want you to see HOW BEAUTIFUL - my children are.... seriously folks - the only thing MORE BEAUTIFUL would be my GRANDCHILDREN and they are also in these pictures!!! So pop some popcorn (Theater kind, blast 'o' butter, extra fixins - meaning throw some M&M's in there too) and enjoy my camera's view on life as of late.  (.... not the other camera... just one of the cameras... because I have a stupid camera and then I have this camera, which I like, but I really hate using..... squirrel)  Seriously folks - no time to put these in order - welcome to my world... (this is quite possibly the laziest post I've ever done..... until the next one)

 

I like this smile

 

Brandon - the one and only favorite nephew...

and available for marriage...ok - we'll pay you to take him....

 

3 generations... no wrinkles... more wrinkles. and freaking old wrinkles. 

hate good byes - love brave soldiers... love brave daughters even more...

Shared this good bye with the Tuellers - sending Daniel off on the same deployment.....

Great Grandma and Grandpa meet Emma for the first time... and get extra time with Andy 

Two and a half generations - hi mom... over there - who took this anyway?

4 Generations

My Oldest Son - we are all totally crazy - seriously..

Seriously folks - you cannot get these guys to give you a good picture....

Just in case you missed my mom in the last picture - what a punk rocker mom!

case you missed the last one....I'm not lying here folks...

 

This is a priceless picture to me - 

heck not the two in the back... ok - well -they are precious also...

 

Me daughter loves her Ryan (not my Ryan - her Ryan - but she likes My Ryan also...

Never let Mandy find your camera...I

I'm serious.... these are the ones I DARE post....

I think Emma likes her Great Grandma June....

Um.... could I just get a bowl of cereal and a bandaid please?

 

My son that is isn't my son but is 100% my son - understand? 

The Freedom Riders honor those deploying - Love you Mike, Dr. Love and Daniel!

 

and back to Emma again... LOVE my Mom's face on this one... 

David, Betsy and the boys met up with us at the Rest Home - (thanks you guys!!) 

Ok - and just to pass the time.... Ashley and I did the Little Red Riding Hood Century Ride...  

Dang... she's always beautiful... I think that's a dead fly on my eyebrow....

You know - this quick and sloppy might just be the guilt free way...

Now were are those 4th of July Pictures...... which camera.... hum......
(I love my kids, I love who they married, I love their little spawns of joy....)

Can you just see the fireworks starting?

  SO...............  Karin and Keith (and Murphy) will be joining us for the 4th of July weekend - Mr. Hillary and Keith decided to get the womenfolk a little riled up before the games begin.... after you read this information that has been circulating around the men folk... any one know of a good 'Dog House' they could stay in - because Karin and I and Murphy.... are staying at the Grand America.... xoxox

MEN  ARE JUST HAPPIER PEOPLE


NICKNAMES:

• If Laura, Kate and Sarah go out for lunch, they will call each other Laura, Kate and Sarah.  
• If Mike, Dave and John go out, they will affectionately refer to each other as Fat Boy, Godzilla and Four-eyes.  

  
EATING  OUT:

• When the bill arrives, Mike, Dave and John will each throw in $20, even though it's only for $32.50.  None of them will have anything smaller and none will actually admit they want change  back.  
• When the girls get their bill, out come the pocket  calculators.

  
MONEY:

• A man will pay $2 for a $1 item he needs.  
• A woman will pay $1 for a $2 item that she doesn't need but it's on sale.

  
BATHROOMS:

• A man has six items in his bathroom: toothbrush and toothpaste, shaving cream, razor, a bar of soap, and a towel .  
• The  average number of items in the typical woman's bathroom is 337.  A man would not be able to identify more than 20 of these items.

  
ARGUMENTS:

• A woman has the last word in any argument.  
• Anything a man says after that is the beginning of a new argument.

  
FUTURE:

• A woman worries about the future until she gets a husband.  
• A man never worries about the future until he gets a wife.  

  
SUCCESS:

• A successful man is one who makes more money than his wife can spend.  
• A  successful woman is one who can find such a man.  

  
MARRIAGE:

• A woman marries a man expecting he will change, but he doesn't.  
• A man marries a woman expecting that she won't change, but she does.

  
DRESSING UP:

• A woman will dress up to go shopping, water the plants, empty the trash, answer the phone, read a book, and get the mail.  
• A man will dress up for weddings and funerals.

  
NATURAL:

• Men wake up as good-looking as they went to bed.  
• Women somehow deteriorate during the night.

  
OFFSPRING:

• Ah, children.  A woman knows all about her children. She knows about dentist appointments and romances, best friends, favourite foods, secret fears and hopes and dreams.  
• A man is vaguely aware of some short people living in the house. 

Something about a talking Walrus?

Just so I can see them together

I posted this selfishly just for me.

Pretty soon I'll be able to write about it.

Until then...

I love you both so much!

Podular Notations Suggestion

So - I'm someone that really loves spiritual music - ok - when I'm not listening to Radio from Hell on X96, and on the side a little Stained - and Foo Fighters.... And - when you have the Tab Choir - it's pretty hard to beat that - along with the MULTITUDE of LDS musicians that shine their way to the top of the spiritual charts.  But I really found my diamond in the rough - and I want you to listen to this guy sing!  He sings spiritual mostly - his messages are amazing - and he also remakes amazing songs by other musicians.  He is a wonderful American Christian Vocalist from Texas.  I am crazy about his Christmas album - and it's always playing all through December.  So my Podular Notation Suggestion - would be to click on my I-pod here on my blog - if your sound is on it will already start playing - look past the beard and freaky hair - and listen to the first song.  Amazingly sweet.  If you like that one - click across to the song about the Savior - the 3rd or 4th song - enjoy... David Phelps (no he's not a swimmer).

It's Mr Hillary's Birthday

.... but not until 4:00 PM this afternoon - so his mom said.  (He was a big baby - so how could she forget) (kinda still is a big baby - and yes I still love him so remember that as you read on)  So I really don't have to be uber nice to him until then right?  Oh Happy Day husband (just said kind of excited)!

 Let's recap some feelings I have about this.

Usually I have warm fuzzies about peoples' happy days but I'm kind of on a 'path to recovery' with my happy day feelings just with him.  Dec - my 50th' birthday - LIKE IT'S NOT JUST YOUR RUN OF THE MILL BIRTHDAY - oi - I got that out.  So I get the card saying:  Hey - the kids will come for dinner - yeah!  BUT - you can also choose your gift!!!  (Oh - am I a lucky girl or what?)  I have multiple choices on the card and I mull over them - trying to pick just the right one.... and after careful consideration of the immediate gratification I could receive from 4 of them...(they were all very nice and I was feeling very loved and special!!!), I came to the conclusion that I would choose the one where we would wait until a month later when I could have some time off from work (retail + December = no time off) and we would go to Disneyland - just him and I for a day, spend a day at the beach, visit a few family members and head home joyfully fulfilled with memories of a great 1/2 freaking century of living....... awwww... I was so excited - and didn't mind being alone the entire day because I knew that we would have a riot in a month!!!! (:    (what a guy!) (: 

  sigh

 Still haven't seen the day come - still waiting.... still waiting.... still waiting  - it's June   Kindly mentioned it - posted the card on the bathroom mirror - circled the date - cleared the day off at work.... nothing.  Not to be ungrateful - I enjoyed immensely that the kids came over and we had some great laughs which should have been enough - but the bait was set right out there before me in a contractual - birthday card!  RIGHT?  Still waiting.... kinda bitter about that one (betcha couldn't tell eh?).  So.............. today is HIS birthday.... and I enjoyed getting him a wonderful gift with the kids help..... I made Lasagna for his Father's Day/Birthday family dinner.... today I am taking him to a movie and dinner.... and kept all of my promises.  So even though it's birthday wishes day for the old man.... I am not really a nice person today.  I'm pulling out my Junior High Attitude and I am pouting and saying, "Wrong? Why there's nothing wrong dear"  Sometimes it just looks like everything is great - but inside - there was no happy 50th, and no Disneyland as promised.  But if anyone else is having a birthday today - HAPPY BIRTHDAY and may all your WISHES come TRUE!  .... and I'll take a chill pill and get ready for the movie.  (I'll have a real Coke on the rocks today....) (WHY?)  Because I'm 50... any problems with that?  (I love when the evil twin comes out to play) I should have married his sister - her birthday is tomorrow!  HAPPY BIRTHDAY KARIN!!!!! (:  ..... but then - you live right next to Disneyland and you have season passes... and your 50th birthday was spent at Club 90 right inside of Disneyland..... because Keith - kept his promise!!!!  AAAAAHHHHH!!!!!  happy day husband... kinda....

(well...... it IS my blog... I know right?)

Dadd-i-o

Happy Father's Day Dad!  You are still on this earth - although your memories of me have faded long ago.  My memories of you are fresh, and vibrant, and alive.  As I sat by your bed a couple of days ago - I looked into those beautiful eyes and I remembered your amazing spirit.  Something always stirs in them when I talk to you and call you by your name - and remind you for the millionth time that I'm Nicole, your daughter, knowing fully well that inside, your spirit knows that but your mind cannot put that piece of the puzzle together anymore.  I have tried to do all that you asked of me in my life.  I have continued to tell your stories to my children.  I have honored your name.  I have danced in the dark on your toes to music from my imagination.  I have cared for mom, and her home. I have planted seeds in the earth and one by one said, I love you dad, I love you dad, I love you dad as I planted them.  You are today, and always will be alive inside of me as long as I am alive.  You stood for things in life that are rarely found in this world of ours now.  Quiet reserve, tender service, a belief in the earth and mother nature and in the signs she gave you to live day to day.  A respecter of animals and the beauty and purpose they bring to everyone.  God has not forgotten you dad.  He's just reminding me that there is more to learn from your gentle heart, that keeps ticking, and ticking and ticking.  Your mind still reminds it to do that.  Today I honor you.  I pray that you know that your grandchildren have had a great dad.  That your great grandchildren have a great dad, and your legacy will live on and on as long as I possibly have the strength and power to do so.  I love you!  Always save the last dance for mom - but I lay claim to the second to the last dance ok...

To the Dad in my world - Fred Bowen

To the Dad in my children's world - Del

To his father - Ed Hillary - on the other side of this world,

along with Mike's dad.

To Ryan's and Bethany's dad's, Randy, and Mark

To Andy and Emma's dad, Matt

To the future dad's in our family somday:  Mike, Ryan and Ryan

Hope you know that you are all loved.

Oddly Enough....

When He's Home:  Dinner, on time, several courses
When He's Gone:  Pancakes at 10 PM
Home:  Sleep in my bed until I twitch so much I go to the other room so he can sleep
Gone:  Sprawl out on the King Size Bed - and snore and twitch all I want.
Home:  Park the 4-Runner exactly behind the Motorcycles
Gone:  Park sideways in the driveway just because I can.
Home:  We take his route on the bike course
Gone:  Ride amuck.... amuck amuck amuck
Home: Frozen feet next to his to get them warm
Gone:  Just frozen feet
Home:  All quiet on the Western front - at about 9:00 PM (because we're exhausted)
Gone:  Did you know that Jimmy Fallon is on at 3:00 AM?
Home:  Lord of the Rings, Gladiator, and Avitar....
Gone:  Every single chick flick I own, and microwave popcorn, and chocolate milk
Home:  Quietly tiptoe in the shower at 3:00 AM for work
Gone:  Sing rock and roll at 3:00 AM in the shower.
Home:  Pour a glass of milk.
Gone:  Drink it right out of the milk carton, and say - AHHHH loudly afterwards.
Home:  YEAH!  U of U made the Pack 10!
Gone:  Yea... BYU will still show them who's boss... (How 'bout those Aggies?)

Did I mention that my true love and I are total opposites?

Don't get me wrong folks - I miss him when he travels.....

.... and I seriously really love him - deeming us... yes...

The Odd Couple