Groff Stuff

Crazy Husband...Early Bike Ride!

2011-12-17T09:40:00.000-08:00

It's 6:00 a.m. on a Saturday morning and Darrell is getting ready to head out on a 50 mile bike ride...CRAZY!! It's cold and windy and E A R L Y !!

Peanut Butter and jelly Sandwiches to fuel up, and a cup or 2 of coffee. He's ready to hit the road!

The sun is starting to peek over the horizon...

There he is, isn't he cute!?

There he goes...sometimes he does 80+ miles, so this is a "short" ride for him today!

See you in 4 hours or so...I'll be here in the nice warm house!

Wordless Wednesday # 52 ~ Happy Birthday MOM!

2011-12-14T18:51:00.000-08:00

Happy 19th Birthday KYLE!

2011-12-11T07:09:00.000-08:00

We all went to Joe's Crab Shack to eat to celebrate Kyle's 19th birthday! We had such a great time. Our family of 4, plus Diane and Larry, Danae, and Mom and Larry!

Aren't they the BEST!

The Newlyweds...

Kyle, Nathan, and Danae...

Diane had the coolest drink!. It arrives at the table a blue color and you dump in the red stuff and it makes a purple drink!

LOTS of food!

They made Kyle stand up and do the Hula while we sang Happy Birthday! He was a good sport...reluctantly!

Nathan taught Grampy some origami at the table.

Happy Birthday Kyle...I am proud and honored to be your Mama. Have fun at the Social D concert tonight! I LOVE YOU!

Nathan's Christmas Concert

2011-12-10T17:35:00.000-08:00

Nathan had his Choir performance last night and it was FANTASTIC! All of his friends looked so handsome!

Of course, I had to take a feet picture!

Ms. Voss is such a wonderful teacher and is instilling a love of music into these kids! They sing songs from all genres and the kids have a blast! As you can see, she has a lot of boys in her class! You know she's great when these boys choose to be in her class instead of wood shop!

Fa la la la la

Some singing and some dancing!

My BEAUTIFUL boy!!! LOVE him so much! I wish he would stop growing up so fast!

Grampy and Grammy were there to watch, as always Nathan's biggest fans!

Nathan with some of his buddies.

More friends. Nathan is so lucky to have tons of friends, really neat kids! Most of them play baseball with him, so it is great to see them without hats on their heads and dirt on their pants!

It was an awesome night, I love this time of year!

Awesome Alarm Clock

2011-11-01T20:55:00.000-07:00

I know that weird things make me happy, but this is AWESOME!! The alarm clock not only has the capacity to wake to trickling water, crickets chirping and many other "natural" noises, i-pod hook-ups and dual alarms, but (you won't believe this) it shines the time onto the ceiling! In the middle of the night, or early morning, you do not have to lift your head off of the pillow to see the time, just open your eyes slightly and see the time. Oh. My. God...one of my BEST purchases EVER!!

New Employee

2011-10-30T13:35:00.000-07:00

Kyle has his first day as a Best Buy employee today...HOORAY!!

We are proud of him and he looked so handsome when he left this morning!! After training he'll get to wear the "blue shirt"!

My Girls...

2011-10-28T14:31:00.000-07:00

Considering I never birthed any girls, I think God sent me many girls to love at work. These girlies are SO precious to me and I feel like they are part of my family...I pray that I make as big of an impact on them and their Mommy's as they make on me!!

Does it get any better than this???

Hello...

ALL the beads...

Shoes to match.....

Then...everyone leaves and I clean up and THIS is what I find! One of these Princesses decided to give the baby a haircut!! Poor BABY!! Made me laugh...every day is a good day!!

TINA...the dog!

2011-10-26T18:53:00.000-07:00

Larry got a new poodle...he rescued her...she's 4 years old! She's a sweet dog, hopefully her and Tilly will be great friends. They are SOOO spoiled!!

Wordless Wednesday #51 ~ Beautiful BABY!!

2011-10-26T06:41:00.000-07:00

My cousins baby was over for dinner at Mom's house on Sunday...I could eat her up!!

Baseball in the FOG!

2011-10-24T18:04:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning Nathan had a game scheduled for 8 a.m. and we had to have a "fog" delay. I've never heard of such a thing, but it was certainly necessary! These are pictures of the boys warming up on the field...it was cold, wet, and foggy! Nathan is in the middle with the black sweatshirt.

Grammy and Grampy braved the weather!

The Sunday morning Starbucks Club...

Let's go CATS!!

My cute #15!

Down and ready...

Muddy, grassy, gross shoes!

Finally, the sun shone through and it was a beautiful day, but NOT a great game for us!

The huddle...so cute!

Nathan pitched, but not his best game...

STRIKE!

LOVE watching my boys play ball!

Social Distortion!!

2011-10-23T06:55:00.000-07:00

Nathan went to his first "BIG" concert last night...to see Social Distortion, which is Kyle's favorite band. Darrell loves music, so he did not mind taking the boys to the show!!

They looked SO CUTE...I bet the girls there were trying to get their numbers!! They had a great time and arrived home after midnight! I'm so happy that Darrell has passed on his love of music to our boys! What did I do last night? Went to the market and did laundry...party animal!

I know I've neglected my blog for the past couple of months, when life gets busy something has to give and unfortunately...it's usually my blog and my gardening! I'm going to try harder to update on a regular basis...

My signature "shoe shot"...hope all is well with all of us. Happy Sunday...off to a baseball game!!

Splendor Towels

2011-08-28T07:51:00.000-07:00

Each night our room attendant would make us towel animals to greet us at bedtime. Here are photos of just a few!

Carnival Splendor...

2011-08-27T22:08:00.001-07:00

A few random photos from around the gorgeous ship. Above is Joseph from the Phillipines...he was our head waiter for dinner and he was amazing!

This is Rica...she was the assistant waiter in the fine dining restaurant. Fantastic!!

My boys waiting to use the ping pong table, over looking the ocean!

Dancing in the dining room! Fun...really fun!

We dined with another family from Fullerton...adorable family!

Grammy and Kyle getting ready for the evening!

Darrell and I with the Captain at a "Previous Cruiser" Reception.

Our really messy cabin...notice Darrell napping on the bed in the mirror!

A game of solitaire in the state room!

A look at the ship from Puerta Vallarta!

Getting onto the tender boats on our way to Cabo San Lucas!

Cruising With Grammy!

2011-08-26T22:29:00.000-07:00

We were so excited to have Mom (aka Grammy) on our cruise with us! Kyle and Nathan just adore her and love her SO MUCH!! She plays a huge part in both of their lives and is a best friend to them! The picture above is shortly after arriving on the ship.

On the tender with the Splendor in the background...

Nathan, Mom, and I at "Los Arcos"...gorgeous!

At a restaurant in Cabo San Lucas...

Keeping Nathan in order...

With the boys...getting ready to suit up for Zip-Line!!!

Looks thrilled doesn't she!?!

With the ocean in the background...

With "FISH"...our Pirate!!

Tandem Ocean Kayaking with Kyle...

Lunch with Kyle...

Elegant Night with Kyle...

and Nathan.

Thanks Mom, for going with us to Mexico. We loved having you with us! Thanks for all you do for the boys, and for us! You are truly the most compassionate giving person I know and I admire and cherish you!!

Leaving on a Cruise Ship!

2011-08-25T07:08:00.000-07:00

We had THE BEST time on our cruise...it was just fantastic!!!

The boys were so excited that Grammy traveled with us!! They even got to share a cabin with her!!! HE he he he...

The Carnival Splendor was enormous!! We were among over 4,000 passengers onboard!!

We hit the buffet immediately upon boarding...why not!!?

Grammy got herself the drink of the day!!!

Leaving the Harbor...such a beautiful day!

The absolute loves of my life!

Grammy with some of her favorites...

Our first night in the dining room. We had a perfect table in the aft of the ship, overlooking the water. Several nights we saw dolphins playing in the water...magical!

Panko-crusted shimp...heaven!

Mom with her Creme Brulee...um yummy!!

He thinks he's so funny!! Love this boy... More pictures from our cruise to follow for the next few days!

We went Zip Lining!!!

2011-08-22T17:24:00.000-07:00

Grammy went Zip Lining??!!

AND...I went rock climing?!

YES WE DID!!! And we made MEMORIES!!

For the past 8 days we were on a cruise to Cabo San Lucas and Puerta Vallarta! We had an awesome time...we took a family trip Zip Lining through the Sierra Madre Mountains!! It was exhausting, breath-taking, hot, humid, and the thrill of a lifetime!! The above picture is me flying over the canyons!!

Nathan did so great, he had NO FEAR...he kept up with all of the adults and went MUCH faster than me!!

Nathan repelling down a cliff with ease! I did not try this, I was too scared! Kyle loves this type of adventure and he got a great workout! It was SO hot and HUMID, that we were all soaked with sweat!

Kyle repelling down the cliff...crazy!

The guides all loved Nathan, he was such a trooper to try anything!!

Darrell zip-lining...

Nathan on the suspension bridge over rushing water!

Kyle loving every minute...

Nathan also having a blast!

Rock climbing was scarey and the rock was so hot!

Darrell posing for the camera!

Yes, this is me flying through the air scared out of my mind!

My Mom flying over the creek, she did NOT want to do this, but we talked her into it. I think she ended up having fun!!

Where in the HECK is the Groff Family??!!

2011-08-18T07:48:00.000-07:00

Just a couple of clues...

Vacation!!

2011-08-14T10:43:00.001-07:00

My family is going on vacation and leaving me home...but I'm not worried...Diane and Larry are taking care of me!! I'll miss my boys.
Love, Molly

Kansas #6 ~ Grandma Joy's House In Russell Springs

2011-08-12T22:16:00.000-07:00

This is Grandma Joy...isn't she beautiful!? Every Sunday all of Terri's family has dinner at her house. The town that she lives is so small, I bet there are less that 50 people who live in and around the town. It is a beautiful, serene place that I love and have very fond memories of spending summers with my Dad and Terri and visiting Grandma Joy!

Shayna is Nathan's cousin and an absolute doll! We are hoping she'll come to CA for a visit next summer. They live on a farm, and she can care for farm animals like no other! If you saw her bottom half, she's almost always wearing jeans and boots!

Terri (my step-Mom), Grandma Joy, and myself.

My 2 favorite cowboys riding their bikes!

The kids going to a walk...down to the bridge. Notice Nathan and Eldon in their shorts...the other kids in jeans and boots! City boys!! He he he

We usually have potluck and Joy's house and it is SO DELICIOUS! Always tons of food!!

I was so happy we got to spend time with Grandma Joy!

Holly and Kensley

2011-08-11T22:27:00.000-07:00

Kensley and Holly are my neices...and we always have a silly time when we're together!! I love them SO much!!

WE ARE ADORABLE...I wanna squeeze these girls right now!!!

20 Year Anniversary!!

2011-08-10T10:46:00.000-07:00

Dear Darrell,

20 years ago today was one of the best days of my life, it was the day that I became Mrs. Darrell Groff and my life was forever changed! You have been beside me for the past 20 years through so much joy and as I have gone through some challenges; you always encouraged me to do things I thought were not possible. We have had some of the best times and so much laughter! You believed in me when I didn't believe in myself and for that I am so thankful.

Thanks also for giving me 2 beautiful boys and letting me live my lifelong dream of being their Mommy! Thanks for working so hard so that I could stay home with them or work part-time. Thanks for being an awesome Daddy and for loving them so deeply and being there always for the both of them. Thanks for spending ENDLESS hours on the baseball field! They certainly did get an AWESOME Daddy!

I know our next 20 years will be filled with laughter and tears, joys and heartache, and feast and famine, but one things for sure...we will be together! And together, we can do anything! YOU'RE THE BEST AND I AM ONE LUCKY (or blessed) GIRL!

With my WHOLE HEART,
Dana

Wordless Wednesday #50 ~ Eggs for Dinner

2011-08-10T10:35:00.000-07:00

with tomatoes from my garden!

Omar's Exotic Birds

2011-08-09T09:35:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I took Eldon, Holly, and Nathan to visit Omar's Exotic Birds...they loved it. I never knew that birds had such personality!

This was a baby Conure and he was SO sweet!

The colors were gorgeous!!

My favorites were the bright yellow and green...

Holly liked holding the baby...he liked her too!

Nathan was happy just to watch and pet...no holding of birds for him!

Eldon was the bird-whisperer! He held them and talked to them...animals of all shapes and sizes are attracted to him!

Perking up his feathers for us!

Eldon with another bird...he held most of the birds in the store!

Then...to Chik-fil-A. I know, a little weird to eat birds after visiting them...perhaps the kids didn't make the connection!?

We loved having Eldon and Holly spend a couple of days with us!!

20 Years of Marriage!

2011-08-08T17:10:00.000-07:00

Darrell and I went to Palm Springs to celebrate our 20th Anniversary! We had such a relaxing and perfect time, except I could have used another day or so!

Fruit, crackers, and cheese platters waiting for us!

We bumped into Sonny Bono...don't know why Darrell decided to put his hand on Sonny's knee!?!

Barbequed Chicken Quesadilla...really delicious!

Darrell had Fajitas...delish! Can't believe we've been married 20 years!!

Yes, he went for a run in the 100+ degree weather...I slept in!

We stayed at a great little Inn, we were the ONLY ones at the pool. It was magnificent!! No kids were allowed as guests...darn it!!

Sherman's Deli and Bakery...a Palm Springs favorite!

The bar at our Hotel...a flashback from the 80's...weird!

Me and my HONEY!!

Shoe shot...in the elevator before dinner!

At Tommy Bahama, my all-time favorite appetizer! Goat cheese encrusted with macadamia nuts and mango relish. Oh. My. Gosh. I want another one right NOW!!

We had such a great time...I love my husband!

Palm Springs Art Museum

2011-08-08T16:20:00.000-07:00

On our way out of Palm Springs, we stopped at the Art Museum. It was quite beautiful...and somewhat amusing. I don't think either of us fully appreciate contemporary art!! They had telescopes to look at relics...it was cool!A giant paper mache spider.

Not sure what this is...but it's big!

BIG circles...

Andy Warhol Brillo Dress...

Beautiful Picasso..

Koi pond...it was a fun stop!

Kansas #5 ~ Happy Birthday Jessie

2011-08-05T11:56:00.000-07:00

While we were in Kansas, we got to celebrate Jessies birthday! She is our sister-in-law and as sweet and darling as can be! We just loved getting to know her. She was surprised by our little surprise birthday cake!

All the kids helped to sing Hapy Birthday...I think Jessie was happy!

Blowing out the candles!

I put the candles in the cake straight out of the oven and the bottom of the candles melted. All that was left was the wick...so weird!

Here's Aunt Jessie with almost all of her neices and nephews! She is a perfect addition to our family! Happy Birthday Jessie!

Nails, Shopping, and Dinner...a Great Day!!

2011-08-04T21:19:00.000-07:00

Today was a GREAT day...

This is Tracy, she does my nails every few weeks. She is such a sweet, shy lady and I adore her. She has been doing my nails for years, and she does a great job!

Beautiful!

Then, I headed to the Mall ALL BY MYSELF! I had some Pretzel Bitz and walked around...I tried on some clothes, but didn't buy any! At home...my carpet was being cleaned. Oh happy DAY!!

The bookstore in the Mall was closing, so everything was on sale! Yippee! I browsed for a long while and ended up buying a Fashion book. Why? Because I wanted to!

I left the Mall and had about 30 minutes before I needed to pick up Nathan, so I stopped at World Market. I could walk around in there for hours. I spent a lot of time in the chocolate aisle

Finally, I went to dinner with Mom and Auntie Beverly who is visiting from New York!! 2 of my favorite people...could it get ANY better??! I had Shrimp Scampi...delicious and garlicky!

My dinner dates...aren't they beautiful!! Beverly is Moms oldest sister.

To top it all off...Tiramisu and Lemon Sorbet with Berries!! Wow, what a great unexpected day. I am blessed and thankful!

Kansas #4 ~ Hunting for Sharks Teeth

2011-08-01T21:24:00.000-07:00

We were lucky enough to have a day to go Sharks tooth hunting this trip. It was 103 degree, windy, and dusty...but we had fun.

These chalk rocks are layers and layers of old sediment from a million or so years ago, when everything was under water. It is amazing to look at and think what it used to be, unspoiled by buildings and people. The boys had a blast digging and hammering!

Konor and Kutler tried to follow Eldon up the hill...

Aunt Jessie found some interesting rocks.

Fossilized fish bone.

For Eldon, higher is always better. Notice he has two hammers and a screw driver, he was serious about this!

Nathan and Eldon hunted and hunted and dug and dug...

Konor...I know, looks dangerous doesn't it?? Miraculously, no one got hurt!!

Uncle Jarod took the boys on a hike to the top of the Bluffs. They were SO HOT!!

WAY up on the top...

Kutler...such a great kid...I miss him!

Then Jarod had to come back down and get Chase! He wanted to be with the big boys!

Happy Chase with his Daddy!

This is what we found...a couple of fish bones and a seashell impression in a rock...but NO teeth! It was so fun though. The best part...NO SNAKES!!!

Kansas #3 ~ Showing Cows!

2011-07-28T21:34:00.001-07:00

This is Kensley, my darling cowgirl neice who lives in Kansas...way to far away from me!! I just adore and cherish her! Her and her brothers raise and show bucket calves. It is SO much work for these kids. They get the calves as babies and bottle feed them several times a day, then transition them to feed. They must do this early morning to late evening every day of the week...it is amazing to me that they are so dedicated to these calves. Then, they show them at the Fair and auction them off!

Kensley had a lot of competition this year. She had to teach her calf how to walk with a lead. She bathed him and trimmed his hair just so...

She had to get him to stay with his legs in perfect position, and impress the judge by answering really hard questions about cows! I had NO idea of the answers...seriously! She did so great and I was proud to be able to watch and cheer her on!!

Konor is one of her little brothers and one of my favorite Cowboys!! He is in the red shirt talking to the judge! He came into the arena with such confidence and charm, oh, how I want to kiss his dirt-stained cheeks right now!!

He also did great at the show and walked away with a ribbon! My sister and her husband put so much time and energy (and money) into this sport and after the fair, I think they are all exhausted and happy to be done...until next year!! I miss my Kansas family...sure wish they lived closer!!

Wordless Wednesday #49 ~ Kansas #2 ~ How to Break a Horse

2011-07-27T07:36:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite pictures from the trip...love these kids SO MUCH!!

Breaking a horse with love and patience...it worked!

Kansas #1 ~ Trip to Denver International Airport

2011-07-26T21:53:00.001-07:00

Nathan, Eldon, Tanya, Holly, and I arrived at the airport and checked our bags!

A LOT of bags!!

We got the kids McDonald's and waited to load...the kids were so excited, and so was I!

Nathan and Eldon on the plane...they looked so cute!

Holly and Tanya...ready for take-off!

We finally arrived in Denver and rode the moving sidewalk...always fun!

I don't think every airport has a toronado shelter. Made me feel nervous and safe at the same time, luckily there was no need to use the shelter!

We got our suitcases and got on the shuttle bus to the rental car facility. The Denver airport is so confusing!

Holly and I on the bus!

Waiting for the car, a really long line!

Tanya drove the first leg in our snazzy red car.

3 kids in the back seat...yes, they complained...no, we didn't care!

The sky looked cloudy, and we got a few sprinkles, but overall it was a great trip to KANSAS!! We were so happy to arrive. I will post many pictures of our adventures and family in the days to come!

We're off to KANSAS!!

2011-07-15T04:49:00.000-07:00

It's 4 a.m. and we're off to Kansas!! Tanya, Eldon, Holly, Nathan, and I are headed to the airport now and will land in Denver and rent a car...should be to Kansas by afternoon!! HOORAY!!

Wordless Wednesday #48 ~ Molly's Summer Collar

2011-07-13T07:02:00.001-07:00

Pretty bows for Molly!!

Summer Reading

2011-07-12T08:58:00.001-07:00

The summer is the time I read for pleasure. During the school year, i always have too much to do to sit down and read. I went to the bookstore last week and picked up a couple of magazines and Battle Hymn of a Tiger Mother. I have read the first few chapters and it is VERY interesting! Tanya loaned me The Art of Racing in the Rain and I'm about halfway through...makes me think a lot of my little Molly. I hope to finish all of these books before school starts. We'll see how it goes! It's really my first week of summer as I taught summer school the past 2 weeks...

Nathan's Birthday Party ~ BroomBall

2011-07-11T21:52:00.000-07:00

Darrell's workplace has an ice hockey rink on-site...how cool is that?? We took advantage and took some of Nathan's buddies to play broomball for his birthday. Kyle and Darrell were in control the whole time!

As usual, Grammy and Grampy were there to cheer on the boys and help me...what would I do without them!??

Action shots...Eldon is in the blue shirt...

Best buddies...love these boys!!

The whole crew during a time-out/water break. It was freezing in there and they were sweating like pigs!! Most of the boys hadn't played broomball before.

So serious and competitive...and so cute!!

My El-De Buck...

Kyle playing goalie!

After the game, watching the zamboni. Hot and sweaty...ewwww!

Grammy made delicious cucakes...Nathans request...chocolate with chocolate!

All of the boys...and Holly!! Happy Birthday Nathan...nice face and crossed eyes! Goofball...I love you!!

Nathan's Birthday Dinner!

2011-07-09T14:28:00.000-07:00

We all went to Corky's for Nathan's birthday dinner...they have his favorite chicken strips! We sat on the patio and it was a beautiful night! Grammy brought balloons...always makes a party happier with balloons!

This card was perfect...13 does rock! Right?? It's hard to say that my baby is a teenager, hopefully that attitude will not get too bad!

He wanted a "nice" watch and a "sports" watch for his birthday. He got the "nice" watch from Grammy and the "sports" watch from us. He was a happy camper!

Silly faces...

A Giant cookie and Happy Birthday song...we are having a broomball party for him tonight...I think it will be fun! Happy Birthday Nathan...you are 13...and YOU ROCK!!

Happy 13th Birthday NATHAN

2011-07-08T09:12:00.000-07:00

Dear Nathan~
13 years ago I gave birth to a 10 pound beautiful baby boy...and that was YOU! I fell in love with you even before I saw your gorgeous blue eyes and thick head of brown hair! You were perfect with all of your fingers and toes and are the most magnificent addition to our family. I could not imagine our lives without YOU...you make us a whole family and I adore you!
You have turned into a compassionate and tender boy. You are everyone's friend and always help the underdogs. You are very athletic and competed once again in All-Star baseball and hit 3 homeruns this year. All of your teachers tell me you are the "ideal" student and you got excellent grades in your first year of middle school. Your Daddy and I are so proud of you and are excited to see what the next year brings for you!
With all my LOVE,
Mom

4th of July CELEBRATION

2011-07-07T15:04:00.000-07:00

On the 4th of July, we had some of our family here for burgers and dogs...My cousin Monique from Arizona was here with her kids...Chelsea came over...

And my cousins Diane and Larry joined us. The kids TOTALLY outnumbered the adults, but they are all big enough to take care of themselves, which is great and relaxing for ME!! We had a great time, even though we ran out of burgers...who knew all the kids would choose burgers and not dogs!?!

After dinner they swam again and then played games. This particular game, they have to put names of celebrities on each others foreheads and then they have to guess the name on their own heads! They were cracking each other up! They had a blast!

Shawn and Kyle are 6 months apart and they both just graduated. He is such a great kid...and cute too!!

Chelsea and Kyle...having fun!

Shawn and Jenna...

Nathan, the youngest in the crowd...but held his own!! Thanks guys...for a fun time! Go U>S>A!!

Wordless Wednesday #47 ~ Summer Mornings...

2011-07-06T07:30:00.000-07:00

The aftermath from the night before...

Happy 4th of July

2011-07-04T11:04:00.001-07:00

This year I am feeling very thankful for such a supportive and cute husband! He always believes in me, even if I don't believe in myself!

I am also feeling thankful for those Mommy's who have kids fighting for our freedom overseas!! What a sacrifice to make for our safety and the safety of our country!

These boys make my life shine and I love them so much...

They'll never know what I'd do to protect them...I do everything in my power to keep them safe, warm, fed, and happy! That's a lot of pressure for a Mommy...even when your "babies" are 12 and 18 years old!!

Kyle taught Nathan how to dive...I LOVE watching my boys interact and learn from each other. Thanks for this beautiful day, we have family coming over later to celebrate with us!!

Kyle's Graduation Party ~ Part 3

2011-07-03T21:46:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we had a Graduation Open House her for Kyle...all the people who love him so much were here for him! Above are friends from his Preschool and Kindergarten days...wow, that's friendship! I did a REALLY bad job of taking pictures at the party, because I was busy talking to all of our friends! I think we had about 50 people here over the course of the afternoon.

This is our ADORABLE niece Riley...she loves Molly...

Our cousins Diane and Larry...they are SO GOOD to my kids, and even though they claim they don't like kids too much, they love my kids and visa versa.

Some of our neighbors who have been like second Moms to Kyle over the past 8 years since we moved into our house. SO LUCKY to have them nearby!A few of our party guests...Kelly, Elaine, Don, Doug, Grammy, and Linda. All of these people are so cherished as part of our lives...

Kristin, my BFF since 5th grade and Ellen (whom I lovingly call Mom) always here for me!

I made some posters of Kyle's school days and graduation.

Kyle with Darrell and I and Grammy. It was a proud Mommy moment for me...love my boys SO MUCH!!

Tanya, Kristin, and all of us!

Kristin and I with Nolan and Genevieve, her kids are SO CUTE!!

Holly helping me clean up after the party! Nathan was at his All-Star baseball game so he didn't get to attend most of the party, it fell at the SAME exact time which was a huge bummer!

We are so blessed to have such supportive friends and family to celebrate these huge achievements with us!

A Few Reasons that I LOVE My Job!

2011-07-01T17:31:00.000-07:00

This year I am teaching summer school, and i LOVE it! At work I get lots and lots of hugs, and smiles...

I get to look at beautiful artwork all day long...

and artist dressed up in very fancy clothes!!

Mostly, I get to be a part of these lives...and that makes my life better...much, much better!!

Wordless Wednesday #46 ~ Summer Sleepovers

2011-06-29T06:34:00.000-07:00

Wall-to-Wall boys! Cute, sweet, respectful BOYS! SUMMER IS THE BEST!!

Nathan's All-Star Team ~ 2011

2011-06-27T11:31:00.000-07:00

Nathan was chosen for the All-Star Team again this year, and he is very happy about that! It is such a great group of kids and parents...and SO FUN to watch! Wow, these boys are awesome baseball players!

Here's Nathan playing 3rd base, I think that is his best position. He can really fire the ball over to first base!

Running the bases!

Now...he made it home!! Hooray Nathan!

Getting the out! His team won their first 2 games and have a 3rd game on Wednesday. Can't wait!!

Kyle's Graduation Part 2

2011-06-26T13:24:00.001-07:00

After the Graduation ceremony, we went to Captain Jack's in Sunset Beach for dinner. It's the restaurant we go to for REALLY SPECIAL occassions. My Mom and Larry joined us! Grammy and Grampy gave Kyle a very beautiful watch for a gift, he is a very loved boy!

Kyle has Prime Rib and Lobster with Baked Potato...

I had Shrimp Scampi and it was so delicious. Wish I could have a bit right now!

Darrell and Nathan at dinner...

My baby and me!!

3 Generations...

Look out World...Here I come!!!

*Sorry Larry, I didn't get a picture of you!

Kyle GRADUATED!!! Part 1

2011-06-24T07:23:00.001-07:00

Dear Kyle~
I cannot believe you graduated from High School today! My heart was so full of love and pride I thought it would burst!! Becoming a Mommy has always been my lifelong dream and you have made my "job" a complete JOY!! I am proud of the man you've become and the relationship that we have, I feel like you are one of my best friends, yet we have such mutual respect for each other. It seems like the past 18 years have flown by, and we have been able to spend so much time together. I am excited to see what the next chapter holds for you. You are such a kind, charismatic, compassionate person that I know life will give you many rewards. Thank you for being such a HUGE blessing in my life. I love you more than you'll ever know and ALWAYS will! Remember to just "be Kyle Groff" and you will be successful. Take the road less traveled and enjoy yourself. I love you and cherish you with my whole heart!
Love,
Mama

Kyle with his biggest fans...his Grammy and Grampy! Always there for him...always!!

523 kids graduated with Kyle...it was the first graduating class for his high school. The ceremony was perfect!

The President of the Board of Trustees!

HOORAY KYLE!!!! Whooot whooot...

Hugging the Principal...he and Kyle has a special relationship...

Grammy and my boys...love runneth over!

The celebration is not over and will post more pictures tomorrow.

Almost Summertime!

2011-06-12T20:26:00.000-07:00

On Friday night, we went to our favorite seaside restaurant and ate outside looking at the boats! It was a beautiful night and we had a blast! Nathan and I played paper football and I hit the guys sitting behind Nathan...ooops!!

Me and my Honey!

On Saturday, we went out for Sushi...Darrell's favorite...NOT my favorite...

raw fish, not for me, but thanks.

Teriyaki chicken and rice is more my speed!

Ya...that's my stud-muffin!

Season Over...

2011-05-28T08:26:00.001-07:00

Coach Jim was Nathan's manager again this year...Darrell and Kyle were the coaches! Even though the boys did not win a bunch of games, they had a great time and learned so much! We had our end of the season party at Coach Jim's house last night. Chad, on the left, is Jim's son...he and Nathan have been friends since they were 3 years old in preschool.

Jim said the sweetest things about all of the boys. He's such a great coach and helps the kids become better people and better teammates! Nathan thrives on his teams.

Nathan and Chad...baseball buddies!

Coach Kyle...

Swimming before dinner...always a good way to start summer!

Bye Bye Baseball

2011-05-27T21:59:00.001-07:00

Kyle had his final High School Varsity Baseball Banquet last night...it was bittersweet for me. I am so proud of him and the person he's become, but also a little sad that he's closing this chapter of his life. The banquet was beautiful! We all got photos of us with our players...ours is front and left.

The boys clean up real good! Kyle is sitting at the far end...in the vest.

Here is Coach Wooten giving Kyle his award...he always has really sweet things to say about him...always makes me cry!

One parent framed poster-sized photos of the boys, they are beautiful and will hang in our bonus room!

Kyle has spent countless hours on the baseball field and has made many great friends and awesome memories! These past 3 years of baseball have been memorable for all of us!

Darrell Finished the TRIATHALON!

2011-05-23T07:24:00.000-07:00

Darrell participated in his first ever TRIATHALON...and he did awesome!! I was so proud of him...

We were at the finishe line to congratulate him...the event was at Lake Mission Viejo and it was a dreary day, perfect for a hard workout! He was 1.5 miles...

Then biked 26 miles on difficult terrain. He ended by running a 10K...it really is unbelieveable that a person can endure that kind of physical exercise!

Here he is beginning the swim...can you see him...he's the one in the purple cap!

His friend Steve was there also. He is one of Kyle's baseball coaches from long ago...

We are so proud of you Love...

PROM 2011

2011-05-22T09:14:00.000-07:00

Last night Kyle and Chelsea went to their Senior Prom. They looked so beautiful!! They exchanged flowers...

They looked SO GREAT! I was a very proud Mama!

Not sure how these girls wear these high heels! I mean REALLY HIGH!

They got home VERY late, but I heard they had a great time!

Me and my BABY! LOVE THIS BOY SO MUCH!!

They went with a bunch of the baseball boys...they looked so handsome, I hardly recognize them without their hats and uniforms!!

Chelsea looked gorgeous!

We took pictures at a beautiful park overlooking the ocean. It was bittersweet for me, my baby is almost done with high school...sniff sniff!!

Wordless Wednesday #45 ~ Ducklings in the Pool!

2011-04-27T15:55:00.001-07:00

Soooooo cute!!

Easter

2011-04-26T19:48:00.000-07:00

We had a terrific Easter this year! My cousin Monique came out from Arizona with 2 of her kids...we loved having them here to celebrate with us! Here are Shawn, Jenna, Nathan, and Kyle before church.

Our family...love these guys SO MUCH!

Jenna, Shawn, and Kyle...Shawn and Kyle will both graduate this year!

Then, we went to the Meacham Ranch. The trees were in bloom and it was gorgeous out there!

The kids had an Easter Egg hunt...On your mark...get set...

GO!!!

We had some delicious food and lots of family and fun! I can't believe my babies are this grown up...makes me want to cry!

Happy Easter to all of YOU...

Darrell's New Office

2011-04-08T08:22:00.000-07:00

Several months ago, Darrell got a new job...much closer to home! He was in charge of the construction project to build his new office and it's finished! It looks great and if you look out the window in the background, you can see the OCEAN!!

He is so busy at work, but enjoying his new job and the short commute! He even sold his Hybrid and got a different car!

Nathan left a drawing for him on his White Board! We're proud of you Love...

Spring Break

2011-04-07T18:28:00.000-07:00

We started out our Spring Break on Sunday for breakfast at the beach! It was a beautiful sunny day and the breakfast was delicious...Darrell and Nathan had fun, even though the looks on their faces would prove otherwise! We ate at a new pancake restaurant called Stacks...

Then, we headed to San Clemente to check out the beach. The waves were huge and the undertow was nasty, swimming and wading were not allowed. BUT, the surfers were in full force. I don't think I have ever seen such big waves!

Nathan tried his hand at the photos...

On Monday we met Darrell for lunch. Nathan was intently listening to his Daddy...deep in conversation!

I think I need some make-up...or a tan!

After lunch, I dragged Nathan to a couple of thrift stores as I am looking for a new coffee table. He does NOT enjoy it...in fact he said that thrift stores "smell like poop and I feel like I need to shower when I leave!" His exact words

Wednesday we hit Target, Best Buy, and a couple of other errands! Nathan had a couple of friends over to swim, but they chickened out because it was too cold!

Today, we went to visit Betty who just got out of the hospital. The boys played catch in the street!

Darrell is training for his next half-marathon...

AND...I got to spend some time sprucing up the flowers! Tomorrow we are headed to San Diego...it's been a fun, relaxing week!

Gastric Bypass Surgery

2011-03-26T18:11:00.001-07:00

The above photo was taken on February 1, 2011 right before I went in for Gastric Bypass surgery. That was 53 days ago...and I am feeling great! It was a long, hard road to get here. I took classes for several months and underwent numerous lab tests and procedures. For 3 weeks after surgery I was on a complete liquid diet and then for 3 weeks I was on pureed foods. NOW...I am on a "regular" modified diet including tons of protein and mostly bland foods. I am NOT hungry at all and my energy is slowly coming back.

So far I have lost 40 pounds. This is not the greatest picture, but can you tell a difference?? I feel really great.

Medical Leave

2011-03-07T20:07:00.000-08:00

I was out on "Medical Leave" from my classroom for 5 weeks...this is what I returned to today...a desk piled as high as it could go. I missed my families and am happy to be back to work and in a routine!

A Very Special Meeting...

2011-02-06T19:24:00.001-08:00

Matt and Emily had their beautiful baby girl this week, and I am in love with her!! She is so gorgeous and I didn't want to put her down today.
May I introduce you to my newest "neice"...Sara Penny.

Wordless Wednesday #44 ~ Nathan Self-Photo

2011-01-19T07:31:00.000-08:00

When looking through my camera...sometimes I come across things like THIS!! Love him...so much!!

Kyle and Chelsea and Cheesecake Factory

2011-01-18T21:30:00.001-08:00

Kyle and Chelsea went to Cheesecake Factory. Chelsea invited Kyle to the Winter Formal dance...I guess that's what the kids do these days...God, I'm soooo old!

Aren't they cute??

My Boy is Home!!

2011-01-13T20:42:00.001-08:00

Every day when Kyle gets home Molly goes crazy trying go get out the door to meet him!! He usually gets home late after baseball practice...he loves his puppy...and she loves him!!

"White Out" Game

2011-01-10T19:13:00.000-08:00

Kyle and Chelsea went to the "White Out" basketball game the other night. They wore all white...why? I have NO IDEA!! I guess all of the kids on their side wore white to make a statement.

Even the nail polish...gross!

The white dog was camoflauged into Kyles shirt...can you see her?

Spoiled dog!!

Look What I Got Today!!

2011-01-07T21:40:00.000-08:00

Our front office manager delivered this to my classroom today...

This card was attached...

What a lucky girl I am...

GORGEOUS~~Thank You Love!!

7:00 a.m. on a School Day

2011-01-06T07:30:00.000-08:00

Kyle= dressed and waiting to leave for school. Alarm set on his phone for 5 minutes, the last possible second he can leave for school and be on time.

Molly= Eating her daily dental cleaning bone. She loves this, and reminds me about it if I forget!

Nathan= Dressed and ready for school. I leave an hour before his carpool picks him up, so he watches TV until she arrives! Notice the snack he is having...he DID eat breakfast already.

I am out the door for work!

Wordless Wednesday #43 ~ 90% Off Sale!

2011-01-05T16:54:00.000-08:00

Retail $61.00
Paid $6. 10

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

2011-01-04T17:49:00.000-08:00

A couple of nights ago I took some not-so-pretty bananas and made these muffins. They were the BEST banana muffins ever!

Here the recipe:

Mash 3-4 bananas and add:

3 TB oil

1 tsp. vanilla

1 egg

1/3 cup sugar

Mix all ingredients together and add:

2 cups of Bisquick

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Pour into 12 cupcake papers. Bake for 15 minutes at 400 . Make them now...you will thank me!

Ducks Hockey

2011-01-03T16:00:00.000-08:00

Kyle and Ryan (our neighbor who feels like family) love hockey. They go to as many games as possible!

This is Ryan's girlfriend Kenzie! For Christmas, Kenzie got tickets to the hockey game for Kyle, Ryan, herself, and Ryan's sister Kristen. They had a great time at the game!

GO DUCKS!! By the way...I forgot to ask if they won?!

Happy New Year 2011

2011-01-02T15:58:00.000-08:00

Once again we spent New Year's Weekend in Lake Cuyamaca, one of my favorite places. Where? It's a very small mountain town near Julian in the mountains outside of San Diego. It is gorgeous, tranquil, and there is NO T.V...and cell phone reception is bad. Basically, it's away from everyone and great way to start the year.We were sad that Kyle wasn't with us this year. He went skiing with Chelsea's family in Mammoth. They had fun, but we missed him so much!!

Darrell spent some time on the computer...but not too much...

We cooked food and went to eat at the restaurants in Julian. This is Chicken Fajitas! They were delicious! Why does everything taste better when you cook in someone else's kitchen?

The scenery is beautiful. It is such a quiet town...They did have snow the week before. Little did we know that the snow had melted the day before and turned into ICE ON THE DRIVEWAY! Oops!

This is a picture of the driveway AFTER the towtruck pulled us back up. It didn't look like it was "slicker than snot" ice that was almost 2 inches thick. We started down and slid just a few feet...not a great start to our weekend!

A picture of the Lake. The air was so crisp and clean.

We always see a lot of wildlife there. They have tons of wild turkeys who are NOT afraid of people. We also saw many deer, but didn't get a photo...bummer!

Nathan got a cap gun at one of the tourist shops in Julian! I think he went through 200 rounds of caps. I hope they're gone now!

Many of you know that Nathan is fascinated with fire, he loved starting the wood stove and kept the fire going all night. The cabin was near 80 degrees at one point!! Sheesh...

We played Blokus, it was so fun. We got the game last Christmas, but had not played before. I think it'll become a favorite.

Sooooo serious...

So NOT serious...and guess who won? The NOT serious one!!

Always have to play a game of Jenga....we built a very tall tower...

and Darrell knocked it over! Here's praying for a great 2011 for all of us.

Merry Christmas!!!

2010-12-25T10:15:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!!

KYLE TURNS 18 YEARS OLD!!!

2010-12-21T21:03:00.000-08:00

SURPRISE!!! We had a surprise party for Kyle at our house. I think he really WAS surprised when he came in the front door!

His Auntie made him a beautiful banner for all of his friends to sign.

This is a photo of some of his friends waiting for him to come in the door. He has such a great group of friends, and I am lucky that they hang out over here a lot of the time, so I know most of them! He has a diverse group of friends, because he chose to go to two different high schools.

Just came in the door...his friends all rushed to him and it was a giant group hug!!

We hired a DJ and it worked out GREAT! We moved all of the furniture of the front room and into the neighbors garage, the kids danced the night away!

We had Mexican food catered by one of the Mommy's in my program. We had beef burritos, chicken taquitos, bean and cheese burritos, beans, rice, fruit and salad. They didn't touch the fruit or salad??

They food was set up in the garage with tables and chairs...after eating, the adults hung out in the garage. The house was SO loud!!

Kyle and Chelsea! So cute...she was my "partner in crime" and helped me to plan the party and execute it perfectly! Thanks Chelsea!!

The "birthday cake" was 6 dozen Krispy Kreme donuts stacked up on pedestal plates. It looked so cute and the kids thought I was a genius!!

Kyle and Christian...the 2 cutest boys on the baseball team!!

18 candles...blow!!!

BLOOooooooooooooooooow!

What is a party without a pinata?? Cracked me up how excited the 18-year-olds were about the pinata!

I think the party was a huge success! No one got hurt and nothing was broken. The police were not called and everyone was gone by midnight!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY KYLE!!! I love you so much!!

Happy Birthday MOM...60 Years Young!!

2010-12-06T17:14:00.000-08:00

Even though I promised that I would not have a party for my Mom, I couldn't help myself! We had a small surprise luncheon for her closest friends and family. I think she had a great time...I hope so!

Some work friends from 20+ years ago, a new work friend, and Emily...my cousin who is such a dear!

We had pasta prepared by Sabatinos...it was delicious...and salad...and garlic bread...

The birthday girl, her great neighbor, her "Forever Friend" Linda Mac, and my 2 BFF's Kelly and Kristin. Kelly and Kristin helped me SO much the day of the party...they truly are a blessing to me!! Thanks girls...love ya!

Holly made Grammy a birthday banner. I hung it in the front entrance so she would see if first thing when she walked in the front door...and then SHE CAME IN THE BACK DOOR!!!

My first attempt at a homemade German Chocolate Cake with Coconut/Pecan icing!

Happy Birthday to the Greatest Mom EVER!!! We love you SO MUCH!!

Halloween Gingerbread House

2010-10-31T14:30:00.000-07:00

Chelsea brought over a Halloween Gingerbread House kit and they put it all together. It looks SO CUTE!! AND...they didn't make a huge mess in my kitchen!!

Here they are just starting....

The finished product! I'm impressed...and they had fun! Happy Halloween to my ghosts and ghouls!

Darrell Finished the Half-Marathon!!

2010-10-24T16:32:00.001-07:00

Darrell has been training and working really hard, and today he finished his first half-marathon in L.A. It was so exciting and I was so proud of him, I couldn't believe he could run 13.1 miles!!! I hope he's never chasing me, because I can barely make it around the block!!
HOORAY....for an injury-free finish!!
Resting his legs after the race!
MGD was giving away free beer to all who finished the race...wow, run all that way for a free beer!!!
These shoes have clocked many miles, and I'm sure many more to come. the orange band on the shoelace is a computer chip to track his mileage and time.

Good job Love!!! I knew you could do it!!

Homecoming Dance for KYLE!!

2010-10-02T22:18:00.000-07:00

Kyle went to the Homecoming Dance with his friend Torrie. She is a beautiful girl who is a great friend to Kyle. She actually has a boyfriend who graduated last year, so he couldn't go to the dance with her. Kyle was her "date." Before the dance, they all met at Tortilla Flats on Lake Mission Viejo for dinner. I think there ended up being about 30 kids there!All of the Moms were there taking photos...we looked like paparazzi!! Look how beautiful they look!! I love that my baby is turning into a handsome awesome person, but I hate that he's growing up so fast.

Austin, Torrie, and Kyle. What a lucky girl!!

One of the loves of my life...

In keeping with "Dana tradition"...a photo of the boys shoes!! I wish I would have taken a photo of the girls shoes. Seriously, some of them were 5 inches high!

Some of "the group." Most of these kids have been over to my house many times. They are great kids!!

Kyle with his beautiful friend Ceris! Don't they look like Ken and Barbie?? I'm so happy that Kyle is enjoying his Senior year and is taking in all of the High School activities. I am most definitely blessed to be his Mom!!

Sno On the Go!

2010-09-07T21:14:00.000-07:00

We have a new Snow Cone shop close to our house, and Nathan has been begging to try it out. The night before school started seemed like a perfect time.

Look at all of the flavors of syrup. They had wedding cake, green apple, and chai tea. You name it, they had it.

It's called Sno On the Go. Who would believe that snowcones could pay the rent?

Darrell and I shared Tropical Treat. Pina Colada snow cone with fresh strawberries and vanilla ice cream down the middle. Sounds weird, but it was delicious.

Not a great picture, but you get the idea.

Nathan was happy with his Blue Raspberry/ Cherry combination. He ate the ENTIRE cupful of sugary goo and was humming through the whole thing!

My happy boys! School tomorrow...

Last Day of Summer...

2010-09-06T19:29:00.000-07:00

How do you know how many teenagers are upstairs in your Bonus Room? Count the shoes at the bottom of the stairs!! I so love to have my kids here with their friends. Ya, it's loud and crazy and I go through cases of soda, but there is nothing I'd rather have here than my kids and their friends. We had a busy, yet relaxing summer. Does that make sense? I took a little blog break and did not take a ton of pictures...my family is happy that I did not have a camera in their faces at every second of the day. So...tomorrow is back to work for me and Wednesday starts school for the kids. Back to the routine, which I love. Even though I like summertime, I am ready for back-to-school time.

Okay, I must go make my lunch and prepare my "teacher cart" for tomorrow! Good-Bye summer, we'll miss you.

Larry Had Surgery...and He's Doing Great!!

2010-08-26T22:30:00.000-07:00

Larry had a big surgery today (I'm not sure if he wants the World to know, but he had his prostate removed) and he's doing great. The boys and I went to visit, Darrell is on a business trip this week, and he was eating Jell-O, asking for real food, and telling the nurses that he wanted to go pee.

He was cracking us up...singing the Jell-O song as he ate his food!

He FINALLY got some real food and it was horrible. We think it was either meatloaf, Salisbury steak, or a hamburger patty with gravy.

We're so thankful that Larry made it through his surgery and is recovering now. We love you so much Larry aka Grampy!!!

Boys and Guns!

2010-08-19T21:09:00.000-07:00

Those of you who know you well may be shocked at these photos!! Yes, I admit that I was the Mommy who would NOT let my children play with any kind of guns. I'm a Preschool Teacher, I teach peace and using words and non-violence! I didn't even want them to have water guns...but I've given in. BOTH of the boy AND Darrell love guns. All kinds of guns. Grandpa Jim introduced Nathan to his rifle and the kid now needs to go to Firearms Anonymous. He is hooked!!

Look at the concentration...

Then, Kyle came into town. He was NOT going to let his twirp little brother do something that he had not done. So...he loaded up, put on the earmuffs...and shot away.

Of course, not to be outdone by his kids...Darrell shot the GLOC. I know nothing about guns, but I know that this gun was so loud my ears rung for 3 days after this shooting spree.

He is so cute, even with a firearm in his hands!

Nathan and Eldon...like old Pros!!! This was one of the highlights of our Kansas trips for the boys...for me...not so much!!

Happy 90th Birthday Granny!!!

2010-08-15T09:43:00.001-07:00

We just returned from the BEST BIRTHDAY PARTY EVER!!! My Granny Kruse turned 90 years old. She is the most beautiful, kind, non-judgemental, inspirational person that I know!! God surely blessed our entire family with her as our Grandmother and Great-Grandmother!! Nathan and I stayed for an extended time and Darrell and Kyle just flew in for the party!

ALL of her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren were in attendance. I believe we were from 5 or 6 different states. The above picture is grandkids and great-grandkids. There were about 80 people there to love and celebrate her 90 years!!! We adore and cherish you, Granny!! Happy Birthday...and many more!!

*Please pray for my Granny as she fell and broke her femur the week after her party and she is having surgery today to repair the bone.

Wild Rivers!!

2010-07-13T14:24:00.001-07:00

Eldon, Nathan, and I got passes to Wild Rivers this year. It is waterslide heaven for these two. The above picture is what I usually see all day...me chasing them with my camera. They are SO CUTE...I could just eat them up!!

Okay...the race is on...Nathan is on the left and Eldon on the right...on your mark...get set...

GGOOOOOOoooooooooooo!!!

I couldn't tell who hit the water first, but Eldon made a bigger splash! It was a fun day. We plan to go again this week, or next!

Birthday for Nathan...AGAIN!!

2010-07-12T22:13:00.000-07:00

Okay, one last hurrah for Nathan's birthday!! We had Grammy, Grampy, Grandma Groff, Doug and Kenzie, and Diane and Larry here for dinner yesterday. It ended up to be a beautiful day outside and we had yummy Carne Asada and Pollo Asada!! I know, we have had that for many occassions this year, but it is so good, easy and everyone loves it. At least I think they love it, no one tells me if they don't like my food. Look at how cool this picture turned out with the smoke from the candles!

Grampy celebrated his birthday also. Nathan LOVES his Grampy. They text each other every night...isn't that cute!? I don't know what they say, Nathan probably tells Grampy how mean and strick I am because I make him brush his teeth and do his homework!

Our cousin Diane and her new husband Larry!! We love to have them over. They like coffins and ghosts and stuff like that. Larry also celebrated HIS birthday! Happy Birthday Cuz!!

Grandma Groff with the boys! Doesn't she look great! She forgot her glasses here and Nathan and I brought them to her and had lunch with her today. It was so fun!

Happy Birthday to my "BABY!" I love you Nater Tater Punk!!

HAPPY 12th BIRTHDAY NATHAN!!!

2010-07-08T10:48:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we had a pool party in the back yard for Nathan, and it was RAINING! IN JULY!! The boys still swam, played my stupid party games, ate pizza and cake, and we had a pinata!

Here are all the kids after the pinata broke...mass chaos!! It was a fun party with 16 little boys and a LOT of water!!

Happy Birthday Nater Tater!! I love you so much.

Fourth of July ~ Take 2

2010-07-07T22:08:00.000-07:00

This is the inside of Bret and Tanya's barn...pretty nice, huh? This Kansas girl has never seen another barn quite like this!! We played games...

The Meacham side of the family. Grandma Beth is 92 years old...doesn't she look beautiful??

Larry, Tanya, and Mom...Tanya is standing on her tippy toes...don't let her fool you!

Yummy cupcakes. I have been making a lot of cupcakes lately, they're cute, easy, and everyone likes them!

The view of the barn from the house. This is all of their property. You can see Larry and Kyle in the left bottom corner playing horseshoes. Kyle had to play with his left arm...and I think he still won!!

My favorite girl and my favorite doggy!!! God Bless my Family and God Bless America. We are grateful for the soldiers who work day and night to protect us.

Happy Fourth of JULY!!

2010-07-06T10:24:00.001-07:00

We spent the Fourth of July at the Meacham Ranch this year, and we had a blast!!! The kids spent hours swimming...I mean HOURS!!

C-A-N-N-O-N-B-A-L-L------------

Me and Darrell...my honey...

Eldon riding his motorcycle like a "typical Meacham"...some of you know what that means!! Fast and crazy!!

Nathan plugging along on the little Quad...

Oh. No. He. Did. NOT. Oh...yes he did! Darrell on Eldon's first motorcycle. I was holding my breath waiting to call 911.

Helmeted boys!! More Fourth pix later after my camera charges back up. Thanks Meachams for an awesome day of food, family, friends, games, swimming, motorcycles, and FUN!!

Wordless Wednesday #42 ~ Grammy Bought Nathan a Rifle!!

2010-06-16T14:11:00.001-07:00

Okay....so....it shoots airsoft BB's...my boys LOVE GUNS!!

Wordless Wednesday #41 ~ 24 Stitches! OUCH!!

2010-06-03T07:33:00.000-07:00

Kyle's elbow 1 week Post-Op! Bruising, Swelling, and tons of Stapes!!!

A Beautiful Saturday!

2010-05-29T10:23:00.000-07:00

I painted an old ugly red frame and put one of our World Vision Childs drawing inside...much more beautiful than anything I could buy. AND Nathan went for a walk and picked these flowers for me!!! Made my day!

Anyway, we are kind of getting back to "normal." Kyle is finally feeling a little better and is having all of his baseball buddies over for pizza and to watch a fight on TV tonight. Nathan still has a bad cold (and so do I) but he was able to sleep last night. Soooooooo......all is well, almost, in the Groff house!

Nathan's Home From Science School!

2010-05-28T08:37:00.000-07:00

Here's Nathan getting off the bus...I was so happy to see him! He had fun, and learned a lot...but he got a horrible cold and his asthma was bad in the mountains!

I think he missed Molly the most...and she missed him...she was so happy to see him when he got home.

Kyle's Surgery

2010-05-27T15:38:00.000-07:00

Pre-Op...

Waiting...

The Pre-Op talke with the Drs...

Had to have hospital bracelets on his ankles because both of his arms were having surgery...

After surgery...we were so happy to see these two guys with smiles on their faces. The surgery went well. They removed the torn ligament, relieved a pinched nerve and removed a bone chip.

Waiting to go back to the recovery room...

Just waking up...

Ready to go home at 6:30. We had checked in at 11:30...it was a LLLOOONNNGGG day for all of us!! So glad it's over!!

Wordless Wednesday #40 ~ Kyle's Surgery Day

2010-05-26T10:24:00.000-07:00

Surgery at 1:30...we're ready...and scared!

Nathan Goes to Outdoor Science School

2010-05-25T20:26:00.000-07:00

Nathan left yesterday for Outdoor Science Camp. Most of the 5th grade class (some parents chose not to send their children) went up to the mountains for 4 days to sleep in cabins and learn about nature, ecology, and have fun!! He was so excited to go...they had snow there on Saturday, so there was still snow on the ground!

Before they board the bus, all the kids have their temperature taken. They have to be healthy and fever-free.

Here we go onto the bus. Suitcases and sleeping bags are loaded, paperwork is signed, and kids are ready!

Some of Nathan's buddies! Most of them have been in his class for many years. That's the beauty of being at a small school. They are all really good to each other and help each other out. A great group of boys!

Good bye Moms and Dads!

Boarding the bus. The lady in red is one of Nathan's teachers. The man in the tie is the Assistant Principal.

My friend Jan pretending to be weeping as her son leaves for 4 days. She was making fun of ME, because I WAS getting weepy. I admit, I want my kids around me always.

All the parents waiting for the bus to leave. Darrell went to work late so he could see Nathan off, he's such a great Daddy!

Okay, close the door and leave already. Bye Nathan.

We'll miss you! Have fun at Science School.

Flip Flops $1 at Old Navy

2010-05-23T18:44:00.000-07:00

One can never have too many flip flops.

Yesterday we went to lunch and shopping with the Newbry girls (the boys were at the Doheney Blues Festival) and we went flip flop crazy. Ready for summer!!

Happy Sunday

2010-05-16T20:30:00.000-07:00

We have been so busy lately and I have not had too much time to blog...here's a photo to make you smile. This is what I see when I am driving...
two of the cutest little faces in the World!!!

Mother's Day

2010-05-11T07:30:00.000-07:00

World's Best Grammy with her 4 grandkids and her spoiled dog!! These kids are so blessed to have my Mom so closely involved in their lives. She knows each one so well and gives all of them so much attention and care.

The loves of my life...my beautiful babies!! I thank God ever single day for giving me these boys!!! I had an awesome Mother's Day...

Strike Day 3= FINAL DAY!!

2010-04-27T07:03:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I carried on in the 2nd grade classroom. The kids are delightful, I loved their questions and the way they worked together. BUT...I am not their teacher. I missed "my" kids and parents!! I hate Math worksheets...

Seeds were sprouting....children were sprouting...BUT THEY wanted their teachers. They missed them, I missed them.

TODAY will be business as usual. The union reps negotiated until after midnight to settle on an agreement...thank you Jesus!!! Teachers will be teaching their students...and better yet....I WILL BE TEACHING MY STUDENTS. It was a trying time...but we carried on and made it through.

Teacher's Strike~ Day 2

2010-04-23T20:37:00.000-07:00

Today was the 2nd day of the Teacher's strike. Once again, I left my regular post (teaching Mommy and Me classes to ESL parents and children..which I LOVE!!) and was in with the 2nd graders. They were delightful and I had a great day with them, but I would much rather this whole thing be over so the children get back to their normal routine. Today, I decided they needed to have some fun. SO....I decided to bring some activities in from my classroom and let them play...they had a blast! Check out what they did...as you can see I did not photograph any of the children's faces as they are not "my" children. They made amazing structure with the blocks!

And beautiful patterns with the Geo-Boards!

They especially loved the Dot Paints. Many of the children had never seen Dot Paints...they made some beautiful pictures!

Outside of the school the teachers were yelling, chanting, singing, playing tamborines, blowing whistles...it is so terrible. Below is the District Office that I passed by on my way home. You can see many teachers surrounded the office and picketed ALL DAY LONG!!

I hope this is all resolved before Monday. The kids deserve a quality education with teachers who love them!

Teacher's Strike Day 1

2010-04-22T22:04:00.000-07:00

Our teacher's are on strike...and it makes me really sad! The entire school year they have had meetings, negotiations, fact-finding missions, and disruptions to our kids school day. I feel so bad for the teachers, but also for the kids. I have been pulled from my "regular" assignment into a classroom. Today I worked with 2nd graders, and they are amazing, but they want their regular teachers and I don't blame them. I took this photo today at recess time. The teachers were outside the fence with signs and chanting and blowing whistles. Of course, all the kids ran over to see their beloved teachers. There was news media and yelling back and forth. The bottom line--it's terrible for all of us. I am not sending my kids to school, no normal teaching is going on and I don't think they have to see all of this. Hopefully, tomorrow will be the last day!

Wordless Wednesday #39 ~ My New Favorite Cleaner

2010-04-21T15:23:00.000-07:00

Smells great. Works great. Great for the planet. Go get it at Target! Am I the only one who has a favorite cleaner?!?

How to Easily Make Hamburger Patties...Delicious!!

2010-04-20T15:57:00.000-07:00

I LOVE me a good hamburger...especially grilled with Swiss Cheese and Avocado on a Wheat Bun!! I prefer to use fresh ground beef instead of the pre-formed patties, but it is a pain in the butt to get the patties formed so that they are uniform in size and they don't fall apart. Many years ago, I bought a hamburger patty maker from Tupperware! It works SO great...I don't know why anyone who NOT use it!? I know that is not proper English...whatever!

You just section off your hamburger meat. I usually buy about 4 pounds and section it into 12 pieces, so each patty is close to 1/3 pound. Put the handful of meat in the bottom of the Tupperware thingy.

Top it with the handle press. Press and turn at the same time for about 3 seconds...literally!

Lift the handle and...Wa La...perfectly shaped burgers!! It does not get easier that that!

Keep going to use up all the meat. I always make at least twice as many as we will eat and freeze them. It's a good snack/lunch/dinner on a busy day. Especially during baseball season when we don't get home until late, and many days have 2 games in one day. WAY better than fast food, and ready in minutes.

All of these patties took me maybe 5-10 minutes to make. Buy a Tupperware hamburger maker, it is not a gimic, I use mine regularly.

Okay, I must go now...and eat a burger!

Christian Hernandez Rotation

2010-04-19T20:45:00.000-07:00

We went to watch a friends' son play with his band. His name is Christian Hernandez and he is a recent graduate from the Berkeley School of Music. It was FANTASTIC, but really loud!! Kind of updated jazz...all their own stuff. I was very impressed.

The lady above was older and did not care that she was the only one dancing. I loved that she had no hesitation about dancing in front of so many people, even while wearing a weird purple shirt!!

His guitar playing skills were amazing. He also plays bass and drums. VERY TALENTED!!

This is his Dad, Mike. He also has a son who is Nathan's age. He is such a proud papa...rightly so!