Show me some love!

I know that you're out there... I see my page hits... and rarely a comment! If you're reading... show me some love... and let me know that you're here! :O)

Hope that you have a great weekend. I'm looking forward to mine!

MMH

Happy First Anniversary, Dana and Nick!

My little sister Dana married Nick Everett on February 23, 2008 in our hometown of Sisters, Oregon.

They have had an eventful first year of married life. They created a home together, had job promotions, added their first addition to the Everett family ~ (Curious) George, a yellow lab, traveled all over God's green earth to root for the U of O (Dana is a trader!) Ducks, and visit family and friends. They have sacrificed for each other and I'm so proud of the life that they are building with one another!

The Hughie kids ~ Janice, Ken, Dana, David and I. It meant so much to have all of my siblings together. It was the first time in Hughie history to have all of us together ~ 13. And most of my cousins were able to celebrate with us too!

The whole family

Dana was a gorgeous bride

The (freezing cold) wedding party

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, DANA and NICK!

"Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."

~ 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Pray for Baby Kayleigh

Please join me in praying for Kayleigh.

The Bucket List

The Bucket List. Place an X by all the things you've done and remove the X from the ones you have not.

Things you have done during your lifetime:

(x) Gone on a blind date
No comment
(x) Skipped school
Maybe a little...
(x) Watched someone die
And it was beautiful
(x) Been to Canada
Whistler, BC, Vancouver BC, Montreal, Quebec
(x) Been to Mexico
Me gusta Mexico! Cabo, Cozemel, Yucatan Penninsula and... Tiajuana...
(x) Been to Florida
Naples, Orlando, St. Pete's Beach, Fort Caneveral
(x) Been to Hawaii
Maui, Kauai, Oahu
(x) Been on a plane
Yes, every month
(x) Been on a helicopter
In Hawaii
(x) Been lost
Frequently
(x)Gone to Washington, DC
Twice
(x) Swam in the ocean
I'm a California girl!
(x) Cried yourself to sleep
Yes, especially on 07/01/05
(x) Played cops and robbers
I have 2 brothers
(x) Recently colored with crayons
From my "Thanks and Giving," St. Jude box of Crayolas!
(x) Sang Karaoke
Garth Brooks!
( ) Auditioned for a TV show
But was on MTV's Singled Out and Wild On E
(x) Paid for a meal with coins only
From my ash tray
(x) Been to the top of the St. Louis Arch
With Tim, Thanksgiving 2003
(x) Done something you told yourself you wouldn't
Everyday
(x) Made prank phone calls
Yes and had the police called!
( ) Been down Bourbon Street in New Orleans
Going this May and can't wait! Hello Schexnayders... my crazy Louisiana family!
(x) Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose & elsewhere
Milk doesn't feel so good
(x) Caught a snowflake on your tongue
I miss Sisters Oregon and Cold Springs Ranch!
( ) Danced in the rain-naked
Only clothed
(x) Written a letter to Santa Claus
I do Believe
(x) Been kissed under the mistletoe
Tradition
(x) Watched the sunrise with someone
But not enough
(x) Blown bubbles
And they are big ones...
(x) Gone ice-skating
YES! TIA KEMP!
(x) Gone to the movies
Can't believe how expensive they are
(x) Been deep sea fishing
With my dad in Mexico
(x) Driven across the United States (more or less)
With Kathi from California to Tennessee
(x) Been in a hot air balloon
Yes, but my life insurance policy is void if I should die in one!
( ) Been sky diving
I WANT to go... but only tandem!
(x) Gone snowmobiling
Paulina Lake
(x) Lived in more than one country
England
(x) Lay down outside at night and admired the stars while listening to the crickets
Black Butte Ranch, Oregon
(x) Seen a falling star and made a wish
A dream is a wish your heart makes...
( ) Enjoyed the beauty of Old Faithful Geyser
I want to go!
(x) Seen the Statue of Liberty
With Tommy, circa 2003
(x) Gone to the top of Seattle Space Needle
I love Seattle!
(x) Been on a cruise
1 in High School with the foreign language club, 1 to the Caribbean with Olivia, 1 with my
parents with my parents and 1 in March with Tommy!
(x) Traveled by train
An overnight train
(x) Traveled by motorcycle
Only to El Pollo Loco around the corner
(x) Been horse back riding
RIP Chalice
(x) Ridden on a San Francisco CABLE CAR
Quite an experience
(x) Been to Disneyland
Too many times
(x) Been to Disney World
(x) Truly believe in the power of prayer
Everyday!
( ) Been in a rain forest
(x) Seen whales in the ocean
( ) Been to Niagara Falls
Not yet!
(x)Ridden on an elephant
At the circus!
(x) Swam with dolphins
With Olivia in Mexico.
( ) Been to the Olympics
I was left at home with a babysitter during the 1984 LA olympics... maybe next time!
( ) Walked on the Great Wall of China
(x) Saw and heard a glacier
In Alaska
( ) Been spinnaker flying
(x) Been water-skiing
Every summer
(x) Been snow-skiing
Yes and I prefer the lodge!
(x) Been to Westminster Abbey
When I lived in London ~ 1997
(x) Been to the Louvre
In High School ~ 1993
(x) Swam in the Mediterranean
Beautiful
(x) Been to a Major League Baseball game
Angels, Dodgers, Metts
( ) Been to a National Football League game
( ) installed a toilet
(x) Been the first to say "I love you".

Surf City Half Marathon

Kathi and I finished the Surf City Huntington Beach Half Marathon on Superbowl Sunday! It was a tad bit harder then the previous 3 that I've run... and may have to do with the fact that I didn't train very much! But Kathi and I up were up for a challenge ("intense training" as Kathi calls it.)

The marathon and half marathon had 19,000 runners and was sold out. We didn't sign up in times, so we... um... cheated and joined the pack at the start line. We'll know better next time.

Kathi did a phenomenal job and will have no trouble doing her training Climb Against the Odds, a training and fundraising for the Breast Cancer fund.

The U-turn couldn't come fast enough...

All done!

No pain, no gain!

Memphis Weekend ~ WOOHOO!

Last month, I had a quarterly work meeting in Memphis. I flew in early to spend the weekend with Tommy and my sweetness Goddaughters, Brittnee and Taylor. My beloved Nikon is in the shop (as it went ka-put while in Rwanda) so I had a cheap-o point and shoot that does not take good pictures. So... my apologies for the blurriness of the photos, but they are too cute to not include!

Tommy picked me up from the airport and we headed straight for Memphis finest BBQ at The BBQ shop. This, is of course, BEFORE the whole lose 52 pounds in 52 weeks mission began. And I timed it that way on purpose!

For good measure we started with the BBQ pork and cheese nachos. We passed on the fried pickles and ranch dressing... but probably would have indulged if we didn't have this coming...

Pork shoulder, half dry rub and half wet ribs, baked beans, slaw and Texas toast. How's that for a heart healthy meal?

Next stop was Brittnee and Taylor's house. I gave her a doll from Africa and a Madame Alexander doll for her 8th birthday (which is later this month!) A friend of mine who is a year older than Taylor passed on some of her favorite outgrown clothes. We had fun putting outfits together and walking the catwalk in the living room while Taylor strutted her stuff!

Here she is with her 3 babies. The one in the polk-a-dot dress was a Christmas present from me, and when I saw it I had to get it for her ~ she looks just like a mini Taylor!

Tommy and Brittnee are listening to my iPod and Britt is showing off her vocal talent. This girl can hear a song a couple of times and then have the whole thing memorized. She reminds me of my little sister and I. We did the same thing!

Taylor wanted to bring her dolls to the bowling alley. We compromised on her letting one tag a long.

Brittnee and Taylor at the bowling alley in Cordova. I didn't realize how expensive bowling is! Whatever happened to affordable family fun. You've got to rent the shoes and the lanes and by the time you're out of there it's over $50! Well worth it though... just to see the girls have fun. Quite entertaining!

Tommy provided the lessons. He's new to the whole hyper, girly, school age girls. He was a trooper though and very patient! He'd never admit it, but I know that he enjoyed the night! Who needs Beale Street when you can BOWL with a 7 and 13 year old?! He did comment on how, "well behaved and polite they are." Of course they are!

Oh yeah! The celebratory dance moves were all over the place tonight!

This after her (gutters up assisted) strike! GO TAYLOR!

I love my Brittnee. Even if she is growing up too fast and now has love interests!!!!

This is how you do it!

My girls

Rock on sistas!

Miss Diva Dolly had her bowling debut tonight.

One handed!

Uh-huh, uh-huh, UH-HUH!

Taylor was over the whole bowling thing and chilled on the floor.

And she's back! Strike a pose!!!

Strutting along...

Bowling king!

Heck yes!!!!!

We stimulated the economy a little more at the arcade...

The next morning we went to church. Taylor skipped, "little kids church," and sat next to me in, "Big Church."

After church Tommy took me to Ronnie Grissanti for lunch Yummy pasta and red velvet cake.

Sunday night I checked into my hotel to get ready for the work week. I had a great view of St. Jude. I LOVE my job!

So official!

Our meetings went well and there wasn't a shortage of food! Have I mentioned that a whole lot of eating goes on in these parts? Dinner from Corky's BBQ and a new place to me, Pearl's Oyster House on South Main in Memphis. And here, I did have fried pickles and ranch dressing. Along with seafood gumbo. Can't wait to start the d-i-e-t soon. Enough is enough, folks!

And here is, most definitely, the BEST Administrative Assistant, Marti! She is most often my brains and makes my job SOOOOOOOOOO mush easier! I love you, Marti! Thanks for all that you do!!!!!

And there you have it...

See you soon, Memphis!