New Year Day 2

2013 is under way and I am happy about that and hope who ever may be reading is too.

In big news we had some company for New Year's Eve and the days before and after. Cindy and Kevon came to visit with the kids. As usual we found time to do one of our favorite things while they were here. That is animal watching in and around Jackson, Wyoming. We managed to see bison, moose, elk and big horn sheep. I am showing off one of my favorite animal pictures of the day here.

Isn't he handsome?

Reminded

I was reminded yesterday that I did not post one of my infamous birthday pictures for my youngest daughter on her birthday earlier this month. Since I wished her a happy birthday on her facebook page I thought I had it covered but I guess not. Here she is for her moment of fame with her children on a visit to Arizona last year.

She turned 27 this year and like me this birthday kind of bothered her. I didn't mind turning 30 or 40 or even 50 but for some reason I remember being rather depressed on my 27 th birthday. Maybe it has something to do with being firmly in your late 20's and being forced to accept that in the eyes of the world you are expected to be a competent grownup. You have to spend time worrying about all those adult things like auto insurance, health insurance, caring for kids and hoping for the best in their education, taxes, spouses, home, jobs and on and on and on. You believe that this is drudgery is your life for the next 50 to 60 years or so.

However each stage from wife to mother to grandma, from busy house and jobs to empty nest has its own joys and challenges and it will all be okay. Like I did, Cindy will get over this slight bump and get very comfortable with who she is and how old she is. I am certain of that.

Do you remember an age that really bothered you? Why? I love when my readers share their stories. Tell me yours.

In A Funk and Determined to Get Over It

Click on the card to see the shop on ArtFire it came from.

I had a birthday this week. It was on the 8th and I am now 54 and for the next 6 months a year older than my husband. He likes to remind me of that. It was a nice day spent at home and then out for dinner when Jim got home from work. I don't think any of this has anything to do with the state I am in right now. I am finding it hard to function, I feel irritable and angry and there is no outside source to be causing any of these feelings. I am going to have to fix this from the inside out and I will because I don't like me this way. Maybe it is just me and special days. I remember, now that I think about it, feeling a bit of why bother around Christmas and Easter and Mother's Day this year.

Thinking back on my own birthdays, the ones that I really enjoyed they really had nothing to do with gifts or food. It had to do with spending time with the family. My favorite times are when we are all gathered at the kitchen table playing cards or other games. The radio is on and we finally settle on a station for all age groups, singing along, laughing, talking and relaxing. It gets a little silly when Tammy and Cindy start singing along with Journey. Jimmy and Jason both had great nights beating me at Scrabble which does not happen often. I think I hold the family record for being on phase 1 and having the highest points in the card game Phase 10. I don't like sitting next to Jim when we play cards. He always figures out what I need and never discards anything good to me. But it is all fun and the winners are gracious and the losers had fun too.

Better?

In my previous post you see that it is my daughter's birthday. She also left a comment there about my choice of picture.

In continuing to tease the birthday girl I want to know if she thinks these pictures are any better? Probably not huh?












That just goes to show that just like me she doesn't like to get her picture taken so it is hard to find a nice pretty one in my collections.


So dear Cindy if you don't like the pictures it is your fault.


Happy birthday anyway!

My Youngest

Today my youngest child, now a busy mom with 2 kids of her own, turns 26. Her wedding anniversary is also this month. Being married to a hunter makes her very aware that this is deer season in Utah as well.

I wanted to share this with you so that she could complain to me about having her picture and age made public on my blog.

Happy Birthday Cindy!

AZ to UT to CA to UT to AZ pt. 1

From the 13th to the 23rd of February I got the chance to do some traveling.  I flew from Arizona to Utah to meet up with my daughter. She drove on this trip (and did a great job!) and I got to go along. Her children were also on the trip leaving their dad at home. The first day we went as far as Mesquite where a family member has a house that we could stay. Thank you Grandma Connie!

Continuing on the next day we got to Ventura where my mother and sister live. We managed to get together with some of my nieces and their children for a barbecue. I enjoyed seeing all the kids together.

 

Spending time with my nieces and sister was great too. Kristi is a good cook and the food for our meal was sooo good. No offense to anyone else who contributed food to the meal but Michelle's Brownie Trifle was the hit of the evening for most of us.

 

Besides getting a chance to kick back and relax as you see here Cindy and Michelle took a trip to Hollywood. They had hopes of getting to be on The Price Is Right but with the holiday on Monday the crowds were just too big. The girls did do a bit of site seeing and had a nice lunch with my mom, Kristi and me watching the kids for the day.

 

 

There is a small town close to Ventura named Fillmore. In the center of town you can find a small train museum and winery. Cindy and I took the kids there to check out the trains. Hunter is a huge Thomas the Train fan.

 

Joslyn also know as Posie enjoyed the garden of the winery and kept finding little places for her to hide.

Kayaking for the First Time

While in California I got to spend some time with my sister Kristi. She has taken up kayaking as a hobby and wanted to share it with me. We got together on Sunday afternoon on the 17th along with her friend Kathy and my daughter Cindy who I made the trip with. Kathy is the photographer on this little expedition through the Channel Islands Marina. I want to thank her for making sure we had copies of the pictures before we left to come home.

I am on the left, my daughter is in the middle and my sister Kristi is on the right. Coming from Arizona I was freezing in Utah at Cindy's house and still cold in the 60 degree dampness of being by the ocean. I grew up in Southern California but have been away too long for that to be a day for a short sleeved T-shirt like my sister.

 

 

 

We saw lots of birds along the way. Many of them had been around people enough that if you glided up to them quietly you could get fairly close before they flew away. My daughter kind of made fun of my fascination with the birds but watching them was a good excuse to quit paddling and rest a minute. Sometimes it was hard to tell exactly who was checking out who.

 

Of course if you put four women in boats with paddles some splashing has to happen. Cindy got the worst of that but she also managed to get me once or twice. It didn't really matter because you are going to get wet paddling in a boat so low in the water no matter what.

 

 

We did see some really cool looking boats. This was one that Cindy wanted to make sure we got a picture of for her son.

On the way back to the boat ramp we got together for one more picture on the water. I can see why my sister enjoys this hobby. I had a great time and would love to go again.

First of the Travel Pictures

These pictures are of my daughter Cindy's children. We stayed in a trailer behind their house during our visit to Utah. It was like having our own little apartment. The kids slept in it with us one night so mom and dad could take a short anniversary trip to Wendover. These guys are a lot of fun to be with and I enjoyed every minute with them. Hunter (running in the red plaid shirt) is 4 years old and in preschool. He seems to enjoy school and comes home from it with something new learned every time. Joslyn (aka Posie) is amazing. When we chat on a web cam set up she seems to really know she is communicating with the picture on the screen. For 17 months old I think that is pretty good.

Until Later,
Cozy

Camera Struggles

I really like the pictures I took here when my daughter and her family came for a visit. The kids were outside enjoying a morning rain here in Apache Junction. The picture of Joslyn and her Dad I think is charming. It wasn't posed and they aren't looking at the camera. They are watching Hunter catch raindrops. They are very comfortable together and you can sure tell they are related.

Hunter was having a great time catching raindrops. I am glad the camera caught the splash so you know what he is doing.

I think a lot the process is - first be there with camera and second take a lot of pictures. That way you will be sure to catch some great ones.

I am still struggling with photography so I am not sure I have much in the way of useful tips to share for this carnival. Some days I take pictures and am proud and on other days the shots I have taken all get deleted. I think people are easier than products. After all, for me how many ways can a scarf or headband pose? I want good shots that will sell and I know the best way to get there is to practice, practice, and then practice some more. I guess I should be glad that my practicing doesn't include film developing costs.

I have a lot to learn about photography and will keep trying.I am leaving you with the Etsy Minis of 2 of the photographers I admire the most on Etsy. Clicking on a picture or their name will take you to their shops to experience more of their work.

Royal Flush and Tammy

Sometimes on Saturday mornings Jim and I go to a casino. They are usually quiet on weekend mornings before about 10 a.m. and we like it that way. This morning we went to the Apache Gold Casino in Globe, Arizona. I like to play video poker. This place has machines that you can play on amounts from pennies on up. This morning I was playing nickels and played for several hours before it took the money I had put in it. I knew that it would be time to head for home soon so I put in the last of what I had budgeted for the morning and changed to playing quarters. I figured I was in budget if I lost or possibly a good 4 of a kind and I'd walk out even. I was down to $20 left in the machine when it dealt me four to a royal flush. If you play video poker you have seen a few of these yourself. I figured if it went as usual I may get a pair or if lucky a straight or flush. Anyway from the title of the post you should have figured what happened. I got a $1000 Royal Flush! So cool! I just love it when they have to come pay me! As for the Tammy part of the title - that is my daughter that checks this blog often. She never leaves a comment though. Hi Tammy! These are pictures from Easter a few years ago. Tammy came up with a tropical theme for our Easter meal and it was a lot of fun. Tammy is on the right in the first picture. She is standing between her sister Cindy and her dad, Jim. The picture on the right is of my sons in law. Tammy's husband, Jason, is the guy in the hula skirt. Cindy's husband, Kevon, is the other guy in the baseball cap. I thought Jason might really appreciate the picture.