June is my Middle Name

Two pretty cousins at another cousins wedding

June is my middle name and I think the month of June is my favorite month of the year. Spring has sprung, the rains have fallen and summer is emerging. The excitement of the summer season is contagious especially when around children.

Some people have other things to do

My grandchildren give me a spurt of excitement to look forward to the future, today and tomorrow and to overlook the frustrations of medical issues and things that might try to hold me down.

June is a big birthday month, family reunion picnics, vacation month and summer activity month with family. We've already celebrated 2 birthdays and a wedding and we have plans for countless yardsale days and fishing trips and even camping trips this summer.

Katie's my neice, her Dad is my brother Jim (Jimbo)

Jack is my brother and he played his own piano music at the reception

The family reunion camping trip is coming up over the 4th of July week and weekend. Since it's up at about 9,800 feet in altitude, I can't go but I have plenty of memories from when I have been up there. When I bemoan my houseboundness during that time, It's time to pull out the pictures from camping trips past.

I'll get a turn when we camp at the resevoir at Pueblo over a weekend later in the summer. It can't quite equal the high altitude solitude, mountains and small mountains streams that I loved to fish for brookies and trout. hiking up the mountain, just hoping to see some wildlife and absorbing the scenery and breathing the thin, crisp, and especially clear mountain air is such a precious gift and I cherished those times I went.

I decided to have a last minute surprise birthday party for my sister Brenda and since she is so good at being frugal and keeping track of prices, I made the party theme "The Price is Right, Right?"

We had a good time and she even won a dishwasher that is 5 STAR worthy. It save on water, electricity, and fits in small places. It is portable and can easily be transfered to new locations when needed. It has almost no upkeep or repair costs and is an energy saver which has won it's label as a 'green' machine. Brenda was thrilled.

She won other easy energy savers too. and if she hadn't won the washing machine above she would have won this one.

See below for some of her gifts and or games.

We did the "Alpine climb",

the "Higher Lower" game and several others. Other contestants also played and won some gifts for Brenda. What a sport she is.

My nephew had a party too and he is a proud 5 yrs old. He was so excited he was beside himself. Just looking at the presents and jumping up and down. Then when he opened the T-ball bat we gave him, the sparkle in his eyes and the bounding up and down with joy reminded me of the old Christmas movie called the "Christmas Story" where the little boy finally got to open up the bb-gun he had been wishing for all year. I loved it.

Ethan's Spiderman AND Batman Cake

Daddy gives Ethan a BIG bite of frosting

Ethan's new muscle shirt he's been begging for

Well, on this note, I think I'll close and beg forgiveness for being too busy to get down to writing to my blogging buddies. I will hopefully sign in to your sites asap.

Thought for the Day: "Please be patient, God isn't finished with me yet!"

News Flash!

Pikes Peak at Sunset

"News Flash!

Life has its bumps and bruises but as long as we keep getting up there is hope for us yet." rjm

I just got out of the hospital for the third time in 6 months. Fortunately I was only in for 9 1/2 days this time. A record considering the length of most of them. I had another infection in my blood and they had a heck of a time figuring out where it came from and aren't actually completely sure now. They also had to give me a few units of blood, after they took half my body weight in blood I thought.

I woke from a late nap on Tuesday evening with a 104.9 degree temp and my husband decided it was time to call a doctor which was smart enough to send us straight to the emergency room. The emergency room doctors looked up my history and were quick and got the mega gun antibiotics going right away even without having the blood cultures back.

I am going to keep this hospital and staff on their toes for a long time it looks like because I always have such weird stuff happen and because I intend to be around for a long time yet.

I will have to catch up on my post and on my blogger friends who have been keeping tabs on me even when I don't respond right away. Thanks again for that.

My sister, Brenda and family are finally here and partially moved in but still working on the rooms. Since I ended up in the hospital, some of the prep work I was going to get done wasn't, so they have picked up the ball and are fixing up the rooms themselves. I guess a pro to that is they'll get what they want and I don't have to do the work, ha.

They have already been a great help around the house too, with cooking and laundry so guess I'll keep them for awhile.

Pikes Peak mid April at Memorial Park

This is a short post as I'm in the middle of hemming some pretty pink curtains for Brenda's daughter's room and I am actually trying to get some of the summer outfits sewed up for all the grandkids like I've been planning.

Our garden is growing well and I have corn up a little (except what the dog chewed down), some watermellon leaves, lettuce and spinich, the greenbean plants are really doing well and the cucumbers are peeking through. My husband has spagetti squash, yellow squash, cucumbers, green bell peppers and lots of tomato plants all doing great. I also have two hot pepper plants in the front yard and some return strawberry plants. I just hope the ants and squirels don't get them first.

Pikes Peak Late Evening
Can you tell, I like taking pictures of Pikes Peak? Ok, more later, but after I get a chance to go visiting again in blog land. Take care and smile, someone else may need it!