Happy Birthday Kansas

Some of you may not have realized that today is KANSAS DAY!! This is Kansas 148th birthday. Growing up in the Kansas public school system, this was a big day to look forward to (of course in the middle of winter in Kansas, there's not a lot else to look forward to). We would draw pictures of sunflowers, the state flower, and cottonwood trees, the state tree. Of course, we sang the state song, "Home on the Range". But to be a fully indoctrinated Kansas child, you sang and in your heart believed this little ditty: "I was born in Kansas, I was bred in Kansas, and when I get married, I'll be wed in Kansas, I'm a Sunflower from the Sunflower State!" Well, I did all of the things I promised in the song, and yet somehow I still ended up living in ARIZONA!! Ah, well, happy birthday anyway, dear Kansas.

The Garage Sale Guru

30 years ago, when I fell head over heels crazy-in-love with the hot IBMer who drove the blue corvette, I never would have imagined that he would be the garage sale guru. I personally hate everything about a garage sale, whether having one or going to one. My handsome husband loves to host a good sale and he did another bang-up job yesterday. We spent most of the week going through closets and cabinets, digging out all the extra "stuff" we had accumulated since moving 5 years ago. Bruce becomes ruthless (I had to save my favorite candlesticks or they would have been gone!) Bless his heart, he made his signs, had them all out yesterday morning and started his sale at 8. He even loves me so much, he scheduled the event for a day I worked, so I was long gone for all the "fun". To my surprise and delight, I came home to an empty garage and husband with over $400!! So, in spite of my whining and complaining, I think being married to a "Garage Sale Guru" is a wonderful thing.

Lunch with Debbie

I went to lunch today with my friend, Debbie. She and I both moved to Arizona about 5 years ago, and have helped each other to get used to the land that "looks like a litter box", to quote Deb. We have done at least 10 bible studies together since then, laughed together, celebrated births and grieved deaths together. She will be moving back to her beloved mountains of Colorado later this Spring, and I promise not to feel sorry for myself when she goes. Until then, hopefully there will be many more laughs and hugs and lots of fun. Love ya, Deb.

Bruce and I went to see the movie "Marley and Me" the other night. It was a fun movie about a family and their yellow lab. We have our own yellow lab "Molly" who is 15+ years old, and thought the movie was really fun....right up until the last part where Marley gets old and dies. Talk about a tear-jerker, people in the theater were sobbing and blowing their noses! Needless to say, I was one of them, all I could think about was our good old girl. This is a picture I took of her that night, she can't figure out why we are being so nice to her and giving her so much attention after seeing that movie!!

Boxes and books

While I was shopping at Borders today I found a cute new book for Peyton called "Barnyard Dance". All about dancing with farm animals. Luckily for me, Peyton and Sara were at our house when I got home. Peyton loved sitting in a lap and hearing his new book. The other thing he loves right now are boxes! We kept the big box his slide came in, and he loves playing in it when he comes to our house. He also loves to take a box and wear it on his head. He combined the best of all these by wearing a box on his head, while he took his new book into his big slide box. Can you tell we think he's wonderful?

My first post!

To start the New Year out right, we attended the Insight Bowl at Sun Devils Stadium last night to watch our KU Jayhawks soundly defeat the Minnesota Gophers! My husband, daughter and I all had plenty of KU clothing and even got our son-in-law to wear a KU sweatshirt for the event! It was a blast to be sitting right next to the KU band, in the middle of the KU fans section and cheering ourselves voiceless! We even saw a few people we knew from our Lawrence, Kansas Days. Thanks to Quinn and Colette for arranging the tickets - the T-shirts we are holding are on their way to you. We took the new light rail from Mesa to right in front of the stadium in Tempe, it would out great, avoided all the traffic and parking problems. We all decided it was such a great way to start the year, that we want KU to get a bid to a Phoenix area bowl every year so we can make it an annual event.