Happy Birthday Sweet Connor!

Our sweet little grand baby turned 1 already on May 26th! Where or where does the time go? It seems like he was just born the other day. He has grown so much in such a short time. He is walking around (when he wants too!). He has several teeth and knows how to use them! He is such a sweet little thing and I am totally and completely in love with him! He definitely has this G-Ma wrapped around his cute little finger!



I told you he's gorgeous! He's got such a sweet loving spirit. He loves to laugh and cracks us,and himself, up all the time!



His daddy BBQ for all the 50 something guests. They served Hamburgers, Hot Dogs, and 3 differently seasoned Tri-Tip roasts. His mommy arranged for all of the other food with some guests pitching in. There was chips and dip, crackers and cheese, 7-layer dip and tortilla chips, french bread and artichoke dip, fruit salad, macaroni salad, potato salad, green beans, a tossed green salad and all kinds of other delicious dishes!



There was a bounce house for the kids to play in and they sure looked like they were having a lot of fun in there!



There was lots and lots of presents! I don't know how one little boy can need or use so much stuff! Clothes and clothes and toys and toys! Of course this G-Ma might have contributed a lot of the presents but what can I say. I love my grandson and I like to SHOP!!



Of course there was cake and cupcakes and ice cream for everyone.



Then there was a pinata for all the kids to try their luck at. I'm not sure if everyone got a turn though. They started with the birthday boy Connor and then let the kids have a turn by their age.



There was one tired little baby boy at the end of the day! He almost made it all the way through his party before he nodded off! Like a good little host he did stay awake long enough to see his guests off and made sure that they all went home with a goodie bag!

Mexico Vacation May 2009

We'll we went on vacation to Mazatlan May 15 til the 23rd. We were there during the so called "Swine Flu" epidemic. I don't know what the news was talking about but there wasn't any swine flu along the coast of Mexico. We only saw a few people working at the airport that were wearing masks. They asked us if we were sick when we got off the plane and then there was no problem... on to beautiful Mazatlan and the Pueblo Bonita Resort.

The resort

Sad to say since there had been so much in the media about the outbreak in Mexico the resorts and the whole town wasn't even half full. The locals are really hurting because tourism is what they mostly make their little living from.

We had 8 days of pure heaven soaking up the great sun and swimming almost every day. There was a small pool over one of the bars and we were lucky enough to get it to ourselves for 3 whole days!

"Our pool"

We took a Catamaran sail around the coast and saw some great sea caves and birds. Then we went over to Stone Island to horseback and have a BBQ lunch on the beach. We've been to Stone Island before and loved it. It was so rustic the last time I was there and I felt like I was truly in an old Mexico city without all of the modern day appliances and things that we take for granted every day. It was still a very nice trip but the tourist are being brought over by the boatloads so it has lost it's rustic charm a little.



We went horse back riding down the beach and then through a coconut grove. There was only a family of 4 with us so it was nice and quite and laid back. I of course got the horse that wanted to gallop! I kept on pulling back the reins and telling him NO! This girl hasn't been on a horse in awhile and was never very good at it. Luckily the horses just about knew the route so it was a pretty easy ride. I of course wanting to go slow was at the back of the group. A ATV and a car wanted to pass me and I finally figured out how to get the horse to the side of the ride. Of course by then the guys that were with us caught up with me and coaxed the horse off to the side.



We went back to the beach and had a yummy plate lunch. It was BBQ chicken that had been cooked over an open grill. We off course also had beans and rice and tortillas. David got the comb plate so he also got some fish with his meal. It was a delicious meal and they had an open bar the whole day so it was quite nice. We ordered us a dessert to share. It was fried bananas with a brown sugar kind of caramelized topping all over it. It was great! I let David have most of it though cause I was already pretty full.

We then took a horse drawn cart through the town for a tour. We were the only ones who opted for the cart ride. We could have chosen kayaks but neither of us knew how to steer and paddle. They also had banana boat rides but I didn't want to have to take the boat ride back in wet clothes.



We went down to the Golden Zone one day to look around. The Golden Zone is their major shopping area in downtown Mazatlan which is where most of the jewelry stores and diamond outlets are. They also sell pottery, ceramics, hammocks, clothing and just about anything you could want to buy in Mexico all in the one area that goes about 4 blocks long. It was almost deserted in the stores. We have been to Mexico so many times that we didn't really need to purchase anything but I wanted to help the economy so I made a few purchases. Okay that's my story and I'm sticking to it!! You all know I am a major shopaholic!!

I bought a cute shoulder purse that is made out of candy wrappers of all things. They are woven and then sewn together. It is totally cool. It is a little bright in colors but I will use it this summer. We got Connor a little outfit, the girls some pretty bracelets that are made with gemstones, David got a hat and I bought some tequila to take back and share with Davie. Unfortunately I had to gift my tequila at the airport to some man that was working on the shuttle. I found out that I couldn't bring it back because the bottles were more than 4 ounces and we weren't checking our luggage this time.

Hawaii Vacation & David's 50th BD

We went to Hawaii the end of March and early April to celebrate hubby's 50th BD and to see our beautiful Hawaiian girl and her hubby, Ryan. We made it a family affair and my parents accompanied us and we also brought David, Brenda and Connor as a surprise to Heather! It was also Ryan's birthday while we were there so we had a lot of fun celebrating everything and anything! A few Pina Coladas, Mudslides and Pomegranate Tini's were sampled by most everyone along with some great food.

The birthday guy and his little grandbaby
G-Ma Donna and baby Connor

Mom and Dad Unger

The beaches were beautiful and the scenery was spectacular! We managed to see quite a few whales right off the coast and they did some beautiful breaching for us to watch. I've always wanted to see them in Hawaii but never have any of the times we've been there. They came out in numbers to make it up to us. We also went to see the big sea turtles. They come right up on shore in the same area every year. They are smart and have set up a "safe" place for them with guides making sure the visitors stay their distance away and don't harm them in any way.


Hawaiian girl Heather also know as Auntie Bo and her little nephew

David, Brenda and Connor

Hawaii is always a great vacation but it's even better when you have all of your loved ones with you. Heather and Ryan have lived there almost 3 years and they know some of the best unspoiled areas to go to and enjoy. We had a ball and will try to make it out there maybe late summer or early fall for another trip to paradise!



Isn't he the cutest little thing?

Arpon Swap

I just signed up for a Valentine's Apron swap over at the Sassy Flirty Apron Swap http://sassyflirtyapronswap.blogspot.com/

Santa Paws

For the past few years in our town they have an event called "Santa Paws". It is a fund raiser for our local dog park. Even though we have never been to the dog park I felt it was still a worthy cause and wanted to help out.

As soon as I got out his Christmas sweater he came running for me to put it on him. I even had to embarrass the little guy with a little Santa hat. It didn't stay on long though!


My friend had already taken her two boxers to see Santa and have their pictures taken. They turned out so cute that I just had to take Chewbacca for his picture to! He enjoyed sitting on Santa's lap quite a bit and was very much into posing for the camera. He's a natural!

The local newspaper was also there and took several pictures of Chewbacca also. I'm not sure if his picture will end up being in the paper or not but they asked us a lot of questions about him and his breed. Most people haven't heard of his breed. He is a Brussells Griffon.

Christmas Gift Giving

These past few weeks has kept me quite busy. I have been busy trying to figure out how to buy so many presents for so many people with not so much money. I have had to take a new approach to buying Christmas gifts this year. The economy has really hit our area and our family just like it has hit many others. This past year has certainly been a little harder for us. My son has been unemployed most of this year and my husband's job has been very slow and a little bit uncertain. We, like many people in California and across the States have had to cut way back.

We have had to make changes in our lifestyle, but we still have many blessings to be thankful for. God always has a plan for us, and though we might not always be happy about our current circumstances I will give Him thanks always. He has always provided for us and I know he will continue to.

What is my new approach to gift buying you are wondering? We'll I am just not buying as many gifts this year. We usually buy for all of our extended family. That includes both sides of our families. Our sisters, brothers, their husbands and wives, their children, and now their children, etc.. We have had to cut down and are now only buying presents for all of the nieces and nephews, great nieces and nephews, our kids and spouses, our grandson and our parents.

I'm sure our family knows that we love them and it's not about giving and receiving a gift. We all have so much anyways that we really don't need more stuff. It really is the thought that counts and in some way I'm sure I will still manage to let them all know that they are much loved.

I hope you and yours have a very Merry Christmas!

Happy December

December is finally here!! It's time to get out the holiday decorations and start decking the halls. Christmas is my favorite time of the year. I love everything about it.

To me it not only represents Jesus birth and our Salvation but it is a special time for family togetherness. I love it most of all when everyone is home together all snuggled up on the couch watching a movie or enjoying some delicious food.

I can't wait!! Only about 3 weeks and I will have everyone home for the holidays!!