Visit to Mexico

Star in Your Own JibJab! It's Free!

Hot Times in Old Town...of Albuquerque

Well, it was the Salsa Festival this weekend in Albuquerque and our friends from Arkansas, the Quirings came for a weekend visit at just the right time. Here are some pics of the fun we had.

This is Shelly, Ryan, Collin and Jessica Quiring...And Melissa, Anna, Jacob and Caleb Flaming. Yours truly is taking the shot.

Kids aren't the only ones that can try on crazy hats, y'know!

We had fun!!

Best buds doing what they do best...eating. Lots of enchiladas (pronounced een-chi-lathas), burritos (prounounced bew-rrrrrr-eeee-toes), and fajitas (pronounced fah-heet-aaahs). Collin loves it when I enunciate these words with a Spanish flair.

Reunion collage

When we went to Nebraska in July for the family reunion, every family got together to take individual family pictures. Well, one of my cousins very creatively put each family's pic together to make one big collage. Isn't this cool? Way to go Jake (cousin)!! Be sure to click on the pic to make it hugigantinormous, and you can see people better.

This weekend my best friend is dragging his family, ok, not literally, but bringing his family out to visit with us. Should be a great time! We're planning on visiting the Int'l Balloon Fiesta museum which is supposed to be really cool! Will try to post some pics next week!

August is here!

I took this picture of the sunrise this morning as Melissa and I drank coffee on the patio. Mmmm...I love this new job!

Trying to be a good Housewife

I am sitting here in this office. I am supposed to be CLEANING it. But every time I come in here I think, "Ok, I could start pulling everything out of here, OR...I could get on Facebook and see how my friends are doing." So, guess what I've been chosing lately??

You see, this office is so pitiful that just thinking about cleaning it makes me want to eat a chocolate bar! Help.

Also, this is the first day in, oh....two and a half years (it seems) that all three of my kids are actually playing together and not killing eachother! So I feel that I have to take advantage of the quietness. It might only last another two seconds.

Can anyone relate?

Photo shoot

Well, it's time for some updated family pics. Last night we went down to the bosque (Spanish: land covered with trees) by the Rio Grande and took some pictures. We got too hot and too hungry to stay very long, so we'll get some more pics soon.

Jacob - Age 9-1/2

Anna Mary - Age 8

Caleb - Age 6

I like this one.

Anniversary

Well, today (July 22) marks 12 years that Melissa and I have been married. In some ways it seems like it couldn't be that long and in others it seems like we've been together forever (in a good way!) Well, here's a then and now photo of us. We've had a special weekend together. Friday night Melissa's folks took the boys to Santa Fe for some camping and Melissa's sister took Anna to play with her cousins in Abq. It's so great to be close to family now! :) Melissa did have to work Friday night, so I was by myself and went to see Wild Hogs by myself at the dollar theatre. I laughed so hard so many times. Melissa was scheduled to work Saturday night too, but when her boss heard from me that we were celebrating our anniversary, she arranged for someone to work her shift! Thanks, God! So, Saturday we woke up all by ourselves and went out for breakfast together. Then we just spent the day running around going to flea markets or whatever we wanted to. Our pastor then gave us a certificate for a free dinner for 2 at Outback, so we had a very nice meal to top off the day. We went to church (work mostly) together and Melissa fixed food for all the volunteers and I did my Sunday work. This afternoon Melissa's folks brought the boys back and spent the rest of the day with us. We enjoyed our time together and watched a hilarious video called Thou Shalt Laugh. It is sooo funny!

Anyway, here is a pic of what we looked like 12 years ago before we got married.