Birthday Party Fun

I am finally finding time to post the narrative to go with the photos. This has been a very fun, but busy, couple of days. I have already been chastised for the photo above by the ladies in it. Oh well, the worst is over, so I can leave it in. Bubb and I had saved major Costa Vida free meal coupons and so that is where we chose to celebrate Andrew's birthday. The meal was lovely and the company very fine.



Bubby ordered a DQ cake and insisted that the decorator used no gel or white icing. The result was a pecan cluster blizzard filled cake with only caramel and chocolate to adorn it. It was absolutely dewlicious. Andrew posed with the cake just before we cut it up for consumption.



Andrew enjoyed the cake much more than he enjoyed his quesadilla.



Of course even Evelyn got into the act. I am assured that babies are not to eat ice cream before they are 45.7862 weeks old, however, you can see that she wanted it. And she only had a little taste. Certainly a step up from pureed squash.



Even princess like DQ cake.

Buboppy

Andrew's Third Birthday

Today dawned cold and gray, but the weather did not detracted from the significance of the day for Andrew. It is his birthday and he is three! He is very excited, and we are excited that he has survived the terrible twos. His Bubby fixed him a special breakfast of grapes, pancakes, and juice. Here is the plate just before the candle lighting. He was a little anxious about the fire and lighted candles, but eventually "warmed" to the idea.

A nice photo of the big moment. He managed to blow out one of the three, but got some help getting the job done. He didn't eat much breakfast because he has been told that after his birthday it would be Christmas. He couldn't understand why we couldn't start opening presents immediately following the candle extinguishing. Seems logical to me, too.

Of course Evelyn was looking on from her saucer toy. She loves to sit and play and only needs the occasional encouragement to be happy while she is playing. She is very charming in her pink pajamas.

There will be many more birthday festivities today, so stay tuned for further posts.

Buboppy

Blessing Day

Sunday morning we were all excited for the big day. Of course there were lots of primpings and preparations necessary and you see Sarah working on the Ly in this photo. She needs a haircut (which I think has been accomplished by now)but she is still beautiful.

Here are the final results. She bumped one of her front teeth, and Sarah has started to call her Lydia the Gray, in honor of the gray and dying tooth. She has been to see the dentist, but he doesn't seem concerned.

Not to be outdone, here is Evelyn in her Sunday finery. She is not going to suffer bow-envy, as you can see. She is the winner.

Bubby snapped this photo of Leo in his blessing suit in church! Shame on her, but it is the only photo of him on his big day that we have. I guess that excuses the way she obtained it. He looks very charming in white and he was quite cooperative during the blessing.

We had a large, and delicious, luncheon at the Three Fountains Clubhouse. We ate roast beef sandwiches, salads, chips, and desserts. The crowd licked the platter clean, which is always just the way you want things to go. Following the luncheon, Jon and Jolynn, Auntie Nell and Uncle Rol and others gathered at our house. Jon, Roland, and the big boys played iFishing on the iPod Touch. It was fun to watch. Uncle Roland keeps insisting that his kids are getting him an iPod for Christmas. Although he plans on getting one himself, Jon assured his Dad repeatedly that he was not getting one.

The little boys played with Bubby's new Playmobil collection. Of course the little girls played with the doll house. It was a fun time for all ages. I had to leave prematurely in order to do my Sunday responsibilities, but I know the gang had fun.

Buboppy

The Holidays Begin

Well, the gang's all here! Jakey wanted to be the first of the cousins to hold Leo, and so he ran into the house, washed his hands (he is very well trained), and sat for 20 minutes with a smile on his face. Leo seemed perfectly happy to be held. I think he is going to like his cousin Jake.

Of course Babsy has been dying to get her hands on this baby, and she was also very happy to have her first opportunity. He is a very happy and calm little man. Keep his belly full and he is pretty easy going. I imagine he will be ready to move when the time comes. We are all enjoying hanging out with him on his first visit to the Bubb's.

Evelyn is verging on lumpy, the ultimate stage of babyhood. She tips a little but is starting to play very nicely on her own and is a really sweet little friend. We like her to visit.

Of course we spend a lot of time planning and executing meals. We were preparing a monkey bread for Sunday breakfast and putting a rice salad together for Leo's blessing day in this photo. Everyone gets involved in these activities, as you can see. The holidays are such a fun time for us and we are loving having everyone home.

Buboppy

Home Again

When we woke up Wednesday morning in Kingman, it was snowing. We were back on the road by 7:00 AM and headed toward home. We left the snow behind somewhere along Highway 93, and the dam (or should that be damn?) crossing went very smoothly from the Arizona side. We had planned all along to stop at The Coffee Cup Diner in Boulder City (we saw it on Triple D awhile back). It was a fun spot and their green chili "ranchero" sauce was awesome. I had an omelet with just cheese and sauce. Bubby had a nice breakfast sandwich on sourdough bread and some pancakes. It was a great spot and one worth repeating. Their lunch menu looks good, too.

Our drive home was uneventful. We found a new Mexican market in Las Vegas with awesomely inexpensive produce. Pineapples were 3 lbs. for a dollar!. When we arrived home, this is what we found. It took us awhile to get the driveway cleared because you know I won't drive on it. This load inspired me to find a couple of new shovels this week. The new ones are awesome and will bless us for the rest of the winter.

Once we got home we had to get ready for the arrival of the kids and get our last minute Christmas stuff together. Bubby suggested bath salts for our friend Rhonda, and so together we created this masterpiece. Rhonda is ever so crafty herself and she appreciated the gift, mostly because it was home grown. Now we just have to get ready for the kids.

Buboppy

On the Home Stretch

As soon as my meeting was over (about Noon) we packed up and got out of Tempe. We were chased by a storm all the way to Kingman, but that is where we are tonight. We did a little looking around (this town has really grown over the years) and decided to go to Mr. D'z Route 66 Diner for dinner. Bubby is enthralled with the Route 66 stuff (Kingman is on Route 66), so it was fun to do a little bit of Americana tonight. The food was OK, but not outstanding. We did enjoy our dinner, and we took a few shots to memorialize the event.


The restaurant is really old, but has been recently redecorated. Bubb had a Cobb salad and I had a Chili-size. Bubb said the best part of her meal was the homemade root beer she consumed with her dinner.


So, here we are, outside Mr. D'z, right on old Route 66. Anybody up to trace the entire route, from LA to Chicago? Might be a fun road trip.

We are in the Days Inn again tonight. Different room, same smells. Budget cuts can play havoc with your traveling options.

Buboppy

A Visit with "Greg" and Margaret

After I finished with my business dinner (part of the meeting) at ZTejas, Bubby called Margaret and Craig (Grandpa went to his grave calling him Greg) and we drove out to Mesa to see them. That is Bubby's finger covering the flash, but that is indeed Craig and Margie in their native habitat. It was really fun to see them. While we were there, their traveling hair stylist arrived and cut nearly everyone's hair while we watched.

This is Lolly (Margie's #2 daughter). We both remarked how much like her Mom she is. Of course, Margret is one of our favorite people, so that is a compliment.

Because we were right there, we got to run over to Adrianna's and see the twins. Margie said we had to, because, "they are so danged cute". They were very beautiful, and way too alert for 10:00 PM. This is Lilly, and she was very charming. She looks a lot like her Dad (Doug) and was trying to converse with the Bubb.

When we arrived Layla was sleeping, but not wanting to be excluded, she woke and joined us. We think she looks like her Mom. She was also very alert and fun to talk to. I could tell that things might get pretty wild if both started complaining at the same time. Adrianna says she can't get anything done, but hey, what should she be trying to get done?

Here is the happy family in front of the Christmas tree. As we were leaving, Bubby begged some grapefruit from Doug's trees. He said he didn't know if he could let any go, after all, he only has 10 grapefruit trees! He also gave us a sack of navel oranges. We haven't sampled them yet, but plan to soon. Bubby said the whole experience of seeing and picking citrus from the trees reminds her of growing up in So Cal.

We got lost (missed our exit) on the way back but were in bed before the witching hour.

Buboppy

Road Trip

We started our latest road outing and included a stop at you-know-where on Sunset Road. It was great to get out of the snow in Cedar City, but the ride down was wet and sloppy. Our University vehicle looks like it has never been washed.


The worst part of the trip was the drive across Hoover Dam. The dam itself is very interesting and the partially completed bridge across the Colorado is impressive to see, although progress is slow (compare this photo with the ones we posted in late April). The traffic was abysmal. It took us 40 minutes to drive 2 miles across the dam.


We spent the night in Kingman, AZ. We decided to revisit an old haunt and had dinner at Kingman's own Dam Bar. This is a spot we discovered years ago and usually try to visit the infrequent times we are here. The food is not as good as it once was, but we enjoyed our dinner, in fact it was "dam good"!

We stayed in a recently renovated Days Inn that smelled old and musty. Couldn't beat the price though. We rose early and drove south, through Wickenberg, to Tempe, AZ. We even ate our breakfast out of the grocery store in Wickenberg, a favorite pass time from long ago. We found an amazing selection of Mexican groceries at the Basha's where we stopped. We bought huge quantities of the spices we use to make our favorite rub. This store even had the pasilla pepper's all powdered and ready to go.

We made a stop in Surprise, AZ at a brand new Trader Joe's there, and still had time to check in to our motel, located on the ASU campus. I went to my meeting, which started at Noon, and Bubby went in search of lunch. We had to spend most of Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning doing our respective "thing", but Bubb had a nice room in which to hang out. I don't think she minded the down time.

Buboppy

Sam's Blessing Day

Sunday was Sam's blessing day. Bubby was able to spend a little time with the extended family as they all came to participate (of course, I was elsewhere on University Stake business). Here are Sam and his parents. I guess he is a calm and gentle little boy, but my guess is he will ratchet things up a notch when he starts competing with his brothers.

Here is the whole family on their porch. There was a lovely luncheon following the blessing. Good soups with hot rolls to compliment them.

This last shot is Bubb's newest acquisition. The masonry instructor at the SWATC has his students build these as a fund raiser. We have been on the list for a year or so, and they finished the box this last week. It is a vast improvement over our old mailbox, and all of our neighbors want to know how they can get one. We haven't got the bill yet, but we sure like the way it looks.

Buboppy

Sunday Fun

We tried to entertain the kids in a variety of ways, and we even got this group to sit down and watch Diego (Dora's Cousin) for a brief respite. It didn't last long, but it gave us a little break from the action.

Bubby has been hustling bow-making jobs for Babsy, and she went into production to fill the orders while they are here. She is really pretty accomplished at it, and I think Bubb was able to get her a little pocket change for her creations. There will be a whole raft of random female children running around Cedar City with Babsy-created bows after Christmas.

Bubby introduced Katie to "Old Mae" and it was really fun for her. At one point, the adults were playing cards in the dining room, and Bubb, Katie, and Jake were playing "Mae" in the purple room. Katie let out a laugh of such delight that it made us all stop and inquire what was going on. She had stuck Bubb with the "Mae". Granny and Lumpy would be so pleased to see the game playing legacy continuing to another generation.

Of course, "Mae" is also Jake's favorite game, and he was in the thick of things. His game playing skills are improving all the time. He is getting pretty cagey at Old Mae, and can't wait to give her to his Uncle Booty (He's going to win!).

Buboppy

Unfinished Business

I am finally posting the last of the Thanksgiving photos. Now Laur will have something to digest during her web-time. We had so much fun having everybody visit us over the holiday. Of course, Miss Lydia was really taken by the ever huggable Evelyn, and this is one of many of their moments during the weekend. I can't say that Evelyn is enjoying it as much as Ly, but she is tolerating the attention with grace.

Sarah broke out the Holiday dresses for her girls. They were resplendent in their finery. The skirts had little sparkly dots on them and we have been finding them around the house ever since. I can tell that Sarah enjoys playing dollies with her little girls, and they are quite cooperative, so they must like it, too.

Evelyn was not to be outdone in the dress department, and she had a lovely, trendy, sweater ensemble that made her even more squeezable.

This was the best of the dozen or so attempts to get a photo of the whole grand-gang. We couldn't get Lydia to put her hands down, but we love this shot anyway. It might become my desktop wallpaper very soon, since it is the most recent shot of the gang we have.

Buboppy

Friday Fun

On Friday morning we made an escape and tackled a few chores. The sky started out gloomy and overcast, but by 10:00 AM, the sun was out and things were warming up. We shut off the water to the sprinklers, cleaned out the boat lockers, covered the boat, and parked it on the new slab. It was really easy, much easier than the last time I parked it on the gravel for the winter. Of course we paid nearly $2 K so it would be easier.

While Daniel and I were working on my list, Bubby tackled a couple of gardening projects including redistributing the landscaping blocks and replacing them with some of the concrete curbing that was displaced by the new slab. She did a nice job, and tried to keep Andrew out of our hair while we did our thing. We celebrated successful chores by heading to the Cow for drinks, fries, onion rings, a milkshake (Rosalyn), a root beer float (Andrew), and a hamburger (Andrew). It was almost as much fun as going there in the summer. After the Cow, it was nap time.

We celebrated the end of nap time by going to Canyon Park. Andrew wanted to play on the swings, and Bubby wanted to walk the canyon trail in the late afternoon sunshine. Everyone got their wish. Andrew was having fun being pushed in the swing by his Dad.



Evelyn even got a chance to sit in the swings, all though the breeze was a little cooler than she would have liked.



I got a picture of Andrew "rock climbing" (the plastic rock pile had handles so he could really climb it). He also loved the slide and the other toys.



Andrew was a little intimidated by the length of this slide, so he opted to go down with his Daddy. Daniel says he is showing far more caution these days which, in his case, is a really healthy thing. Bubby even went for a slide, although we decided the lower portion of the slide was not designed for adult buns. Both Daniel and Bubby got stuck. It is a good thing that Poppy didn't try.



This last photo shows Andrew, soon to be three years old, climbing a rather challenging apparatus at the park. I was a little nervous, but he loved it and went up and down several times (with hovering adults around to be sure he didn't fall).

It was a great day, and now it is nearing bedtime. I think we took the edge off today, with all of our outside activities. Let's hope everyone sleeps very well. I am sure Bubby and I will.

Poppy

Finally Here

The long planned for Thanksgiving holiday has finally arrived. Sarah and Aaron blew through on their way to St. George on Tuesday night around 9:30. They had to stay with Grandpa Gary and Grandma Marsha because Beany had a dental appointment with Uncle Rex Wednesday morning. Daniel and Family arrived on Wednesday around 12:30 PM.

We have worked hard to keep this holiday low key, as you can see from our Thanksgiving spread above (turkey sands, mac and cheese, Holiday dip, and Dixie Salad). It was a wonderful dinner and we didn't spend all day in the kitchen cooking it. The only drawback was the weather. It started raining on Wednesday morning and didn't quit until Friday morning. We were all feeling some extreme cabin fever by Friday morning.



On of the things we did to pass the time was build with Bubby's new set of Mega Blocks. Andrew makes all the decisions (who gets what color, how high they can build, etc.) but it doesn't matter much because all we are trying to do is occupy his time. We had a fun time playing inside, and of course Bubby is the favored playmate.



We have had a lot of quality time with Miss Evelyn. She is the polar opposite of her brother at this stage of her life. She is generally happy, plays by herself, chortling in her high pitched voice, and is just shy of being "lumpy" (the ultimate stage of babyhood). We are hoping that by Christmas she will be full-on lumpy, and we can set her on the floor and let her entertain herself.

Lots of fun at our house.

Buboppy