Has it really been that long?

Oh My-lanta! I seriously have neglected this little corner of my world haven't I? So sorry and hope this finds everyone healthy and happy. So much has happened I have no clue how to sum it all up, so instead I shall just carry on as if I had my act together.

Fall has finally arrived in our little corner of the world. My majestic tree in the yard went from a glorious supple green to shriveled black overnight. Just once I crave to see some beautiful fall color appear instead of this sudden death we so often experience. Ironically we have already had two snowfalls this year, but not such cold until now. I will miss the brilliant warmth of the sun. Cold is frankly not my cup of tea.

Last week we were delighted to share the 1st birthday milestone with our sweet little Princess and her parents. I have no clue how it came to be that she is already past a year old, walking, talking, and pure daredevil.

We also learned the same day that this little Princess will be the big sister to another Princess in March 2012! This rather complicates the postings so it appears new names are in order for all the girls lol!

May you all have a wonderful day filled with much happiness and love.

The Wicked Witch isn't dead after all....

Holy time warp Batman! Where has the time gone? Well, perhaps these will give you a tiny clue of what is happening around the old Gazing Ball homestead.


First of all was my son's wedding in July. Yeah, I know its already October, but I don't recover like I used to ya know?





Here are my beautiful babies (complete with one on the way). Clean up purdy good for kids I think. No one can rock camo at a wedding like my son!


The entire gang for the obligatory photo session, but frankly they are boring. We do better if you don't stick us in a line up.



Sealed with a kiss! The outdoor ceremony went off without a hitch. All the hard work on the flowers made it a color extravaganza! All in all, it was amazing and the couple is happily living the married life.




Now, if that weren't enough excitement for one year, hold on to your hats. Let me introduce you to our new family member! Welcome Miss Summer!

So, I'll spare you the gory details for the zillion other reasons I have been absent. Maybe life will settle into a dull roar shortly. Hope everyone is enjoying fall and is ready for a wicked Halloween as well!

Wild ride

So sorry to appear to have dropped off the map everyone. The last few months have been total chaos with no end in sight. I left my old job, started a new one, and am frantically doing last minute preparations for my son's wedding next weekend. I will be out of touch for awhile, but still try to swing by and read others as I can. Forgive me if I don't take time to comment while I am there. Hope everyone is having a terrific summer!

Its a girl!

Princess is finally developing the "baby bump" and we recently learned that she is carrying a girl!

Happy Spring!

Wow, not sure how time is flying by so quickly these last few weeks. Well, not exactly true. We own a small rental unit that our former renters kindly decided to trash every inch of the place. It has been a whirlwind month of repairs, replacements, painting, and endless cleaning. I can't for the life of me figure out how people can be so rude, disrespectful, and downright destructive of their living spaces.





To make it more eventful, the Princess and her hubby are having to move into this rental for financial reasons. The rush was on to get this wrapped up and them moved before the end of this month. We are almost there now and will begin her move tomorrow. Seems as though there are just not enough hours in every day to do all we plan or need to do. I know it will get done, but it doesn't prevent me from many sleepless nights and countless hours of needed tub soaking and the blasted heating pad.





OK, let's add to the excitement with the big news. Ready?

















Princess is expecting her first child in October of this year! I get to be an official grandmother which is rather exciting. We already technically have grandchildren from my stepchildren, but this will be the first from my own kids. I am hopefully they can fully resolve the major marital issues they have had and move ahead for a better future. We will begin painting and decor for the baby's room after this major move is complete and the dust settles a bit. She wants to do a safari theme in the room which I think will be adorable. We found this great rug a Target

(Target stores)

that will either be directly under the crib or behind it on the wall. It is a large size and would be better centered in the room, but it has latex backing which means Princess can't walk on it due to her latex allergies. Her plan is for pastel colors with a splash of more "real" animal print thrown in which will be cute if we can pull it off. If you bloggers run across any great products out there any links or such would be appreciated. I'd love to find some wall words with a baby/safari theme to use but the walls are very heavy texture which would making hanging difficult at best. I found a sweet safari baby panel at Joanne's to do a crib quilt. Going to try my first go round at machine quilting to perhaps outline the animals. Any quilters out there with hints?

And if that isn't enough fun for one month, my son has now moved his wedding planned for July to another state and location 3 times! AAAHHHH!!! Can you tell Mom is just about ready for the funny farm?

I hope everyone has a lovely weekend. Crossed fingers for good weather during the move as one day it is 70 the next we have snow. Typical desert weather but I am ready for summer for sure.

Love at first sight

Twenty three years ago today, I was hit full force with the reality that love at first sight does exist. No one can ever change that feeling. Happy Birthday to the most incredible man a mother could ever have the honor of calling her son!

Good times

Prince Charming and me at Lake Tahoe

I am hopeful that blogger will finally let me upload some photos as I have been unable to do so for some time now. Will show you some of the fun we had during the recent visit with my son and his future bride.

Well, as you can see it is uploading, but I give up on why it keeps turning this one every direction but up. Anyway, this is Prince's bride-to-be while we spent the day trying on wedding dresses. She is the sweetest, most laid back girl I have ever met. First bridal store, and after 5 dresses she knew this was the one! It's now hanging in my closet to avoid the prying eyes of my snooping son.Next we have a photo of Prince's new car with his custom paint job I mentioned before. It really doesn't come close to what it really looks like in photos. Those flames are amazingly realistic and detailed in person.

And finally we have two shots of the "girls" going for a swim in Tahoe, crazy fools. That water is downright frigid and they were in there for a hour straight having a blast. Mom sat on the beach and called it good. The last is a shot of Emerald Bay. See that island, there is a castle on it. Once again the photos don't do this justice. While most of Tahoe is florescent blue color, this end of the lake is the clearest, most incredible shade of emerald green you will ever see. If you ever get to see it, you'll know what I mean. You must stop at the lookout and see for yourself. You won't be disappointed I promise.

So, our planned excursion was to take about 3 hours, wrongo, we were there all darn day. Oh well, hazards of living in a "tourist area" is playing chauffeur, but the company was great, the day was perfect, and a good time was had by all. Well except maybe Future Ms. Prince who was stood up by my lovely son Prince who felt viewing cars was the priority. Boy, do they have a lot to learn in the give-n-take world of marriage. Oh well, maybe someday she will understand what drives the kid. I know one thing for sure, he isn't going to change his stance on cars, so she'll have to adapt. Lucky for him, I know she will.

So, I hope everyone has a lovely upcoming weekend. For me, the current temp is now 100 degrees in the shade, my swamp cooler is hopelessly losing the battle, and my plan is to just try and cool off. Take care and thanks for dropping by!

Let the good times roll

Engine compartment custom painted by my son!

This very week every year floods our city with thousands, and I do mean thousands, of classic cars, hot rods, old, new, and everything in between. Included in this flood of cars and people is usually the privilege of a visit from my son. I use the term visit loosely, as frankly he is usually only home long enough to eat, sleep a few hours, shower, and he is off again to see the cars. Hey, I'll take whatever I can get. HA! Seriously, why his first word was not car I will honestly never know. That is all he has eaten, wanted, and dreamed of since he was old enough to blink an eye. If it has 4 wheels, a hot rod engine, and a beautiful paint job, he is all over it. His room decor as a child was not "girly" posters and rock bands, it was hubcaps and engine parts and the endless stream of models he assembled.

When he was about 2 or so, I was working the night shift and as a young couple we didn't have the luxury of being able to afford daycare so I could sleep during the day. So, I napped when he did and just did the best I could. Well, one day, after about 6 days straight of 12 hour night shifts my body revolted and hit the wall. I was out cold from exhaustion. I awoke with a start a hour or so later, to hear a strange sound coming from the dining room. It was like a dull roar, humming sort of noise. I rushed into the room and stopped dead in my tracks.

There was my adorable little boy sitting on his knees on the carpeted floor. In front of him was the new tub of whatever-cheapo-brand of 3 pound tub of margarine dumped out in a large mound. He had a Matchbox monster truck in each hand, making the "engine revving noises", repeatedly running up and over the mound with both trucks. He had also creatively devised a "circle track" of margarine surrounding the mound and had a variety of other cars "parked" along the edges of the track. I will never forget seeing this giant disaster on the carpet and shrieking at him, "What in the world do you think you are doing young man?!!???!!!"

He looked at me with that beautiful devil smile he has, batted his dark brown heavily lashed eyes at me and said, "Look Mommy! I made a mud bog! Wanna play?" I was so tired, exhausted and stunned, I just sank to the floor and began to cry. He ran to me, threw his little arms around me, and kissed my cheek. "Don't cry Mommy! I'll let you have Bigfoot, I know you like him best!" he said.

So, this sweet, devilish child is now a successful auto repair technician with a college degree and also does tow truck driving in addition to this. His dream has been realized. His work is flawless, his attention to detail is beyond explanation. His common sense however, still registers about a minus 50. Two weeks ago he entered the local car show in his home town with his newly painted black-with-pink-flamed Mustang and won first prize! Not to be satisfied, he entered same said car into the burn-out competition and blew up his clutch! Same devilish child has now had to take the bus to work 30 miles away daily for two weeks and forked out over 600 big ones and three days straight of destruction and reassembly of his car. Did he learn his lesson? I'm not holding my breath as he did the same thing 2 years ago with his Maverick. Pretty sure its a genetic thing.....

But now, she's running like a charm and he is headed to see Mom tonight after work so should arrive by early morning. The man who spents 8-16 hours per day fully immersed in cars spends his vacation here looking at more cars. Did I mention he is also bringing the fiance, her mom, her aunt, and her cousin so we can go wedding dress shopping while he drools over cars? Oh, and did I also mention he is bringing a coworker who happens to be his bosses son? Oh hell, bring it on!

So folks, let the good times roll! Me, I gotta go hide the margarine.

No rest for the wicked here....

I can't believe it has been so darn long since I even did a post here. Not surprising given the vast amount of work that piles up on my desk here daily (they are growing as I type...). Just wanted to pop in and say hello and let you know I am still alive, but my to do list is a bit overwhelming these days. Work consumes far too much of my time.

Maybe instead I should give you a sneak peek at our next project.

Planning something like this

(unknown photo source-so sorry didn't remember where I saw it)

Experimenting with a little of this

One of the hazards of having more than one child is exactly this. If one does it, they all gotta do it!

Let the party begin!

So, at long last we get back to business for the professional photos. None of us can seem to pay attention at the same time for a photo.

Me, Princess, and Prince Charming-see what's up with his looks today?

Mr. and Mrs. Princess

Again with the wacky looks

This one you can just barely see the gold locket that is dangling with the ribbon. It was a locket my Mom had with photos of herself and my father when they were in high school.

OK, enough drama, let's have some fun!

We had to do things very much out of order due to the time constraints of the photographer. We ended up just going with it and it turned out fine in the end. Frankly, at this point I was so exhausted and relieved that I do not have a clue what order things really happened, so you'll just get it in this order. HA!



The couple's first dance was very nice, although I still have no clue what the darn song was. They liked it so that's all that mattered. In this one you will see the confetti is stuck in their hair. We did the confetti toss during their first dance, since they didn't really "leave" and after the experiment we found the darn confetti doesn't really toss. More like drops like a rock. Yeah, the ecofriendly confetti made of corn, not for tossing folks. We ended up ganging up on them and dumping the little bundles on their heads! On a positive note, it rained the next morning and the confetti disappeared-NO CONFETTI CLEANUP! But if you want a confetti toss, it doesn't fly so don't say I didn't warn ya.

I think they are in love.....

Next came the Father/Daughter dance. Now, without going into all the massive drama, I will just say that Prince Charming is technically her stepfather. Her real father was deliberately not invited or included in this happy day by Princess's choice. Instead she chose Prince Charming to walk her down the aisle, give her away, and dance the special dance. He has been a MAJOR influence in her life since she was 5 years old and was very honored and touched to be given this luxury. They both got a bit choked up a few times while dancing to "You are gonna miss this" by Trace Adkins. Cowboy music ya know? If you haven't heard this song and you have kids, you simply must. Trust me.

This was one of those moments when they just had to stop and have a bit of a hug. She was crying, he was crying........still makes me cry. A major milestone here folks, you really have to know the whole story, but this is major.........

Yes I have photos where they really do appear to be dancing, but these are so much more reflective of the moment.



Then came the dance I got to share with Mr. Princess. I was so touched when he chose the song and didn't tell me what it was. We danced to "I told you so" with Carrie Underwood and Randy Travis. Weird huh? Well, from the first time he and Princess had a minor misunderstanding, or she did one of her many wacky things she always does, he would give me this look and say, "What the heck did I fall in love with her for, and what am I going to do with her?" My response has always been, "I told you so!" which is literally the truth. When they first became serious I told him she was a hand full and he would wonder again and again what in the world he is doing with this wild child. See, he is very serious, methodical, deeply emotional, loves to make everyone happy. Princess, is classic ADD/ADHD, wild, reckless, emotional roller coaster, quick tempered, impulsive, loyal, and fierce. True opposites indeed. So, our dance song was simply perfect!







I should also note that the second prior to this dance, my Prince came running to whisper, "Hey Mom, better speed this up, our cake is sliding before my eyes!" YIKES!

Next, came the mother/daughter dance. May not happen in other circles, but that's the way we roll around here. Now, since Princess does really have ADD and daily does some seriously crazy things, a real Mom has to find a way to cope. Sorry but true. So, many years ago they came out with these silly shirts that say" they say I have ADD, OH LOOK a chicken...." The first time I saw that I laughed for three days. From then on, every time she said or did some bizarre thing, Prince Charming, myself, and a few select friends who knew would simply say "Oh look a chicken" and laugh. Now, she had no idea why, and given the ADD would quickly forget. Over time we let Prince in on it (even though he too has ADD), so the chicken legion grew. About a year ago, she finally was in a calmer moment, but still did some typical weirdness and the chicken jokes started. She by now was old enough, or I had had enough to drink I decided to tell her what the heck we were talking about all these years. She was mad for about two seconds, then over time would do it herself whenever she would just lose it. So again, she told me we had to dance, but didn't tell me what. Can you guess?






Meet my wacky family and the CHICKEN DANCE!

Yes, I have just shown a picture of myself looking like a total idiot. Thanks.







If you have never had the pleasure of a chicken dance, lets just say it is REALLY hard with just three people.

That's much better. I should also tell you I am doing this in bare feet cause I hate shoes! Splinters galore, but it was worth it!

OK, so now we have to cut the sliding cake or risk a major collapse like the night before. So here we go.

Here are those initials Prince painted for me. Guess what Princess's initials are now?

ADD!!!!!!!!!! Charma baby, pure charma!

See Prince in the background laughing? He knows what is coming. Mr. Princess, you won't believe what you are in for...

Oh, look she is going to be nice....

NOT!

She even tried to make up and lick it off, he wasn't having any part of it though!

Isn't that sweet, they kissed and made up already?

Now, run Mom!

Off to put the cake back in the freezer.....good grief!



Meanwhile enjoy the Prince and Princess, I'll be right back.

For 15 years you could let these two get closer than 3 feet away from each other without blood involved. Wow, my kids clean up purdy good don't they? And guess what, they didn't even fight and don't tell them but I think they might even be friends. Shh, it will be our secret OK?

Good thing she didn't hear him whisper to Mr. Princess that if he doesn't take damn good care of her and treat her right he WILL be sorry...and trust me, this guy isn't kidding around!


OK, I'm back. The cake is safe for now!

Now, let's see the bouquet toss. Since it was a very small gathering, the potential catchers were limited.

See my friend Lisa back there in the far left? She was MADE to participate, but notice how she didn't move a muscle. Smart chick isn't she?

Yes, Heather caught it! Best friends!

Now for the garter.

Peek-a-boo!

Wait, check out my shoes Mr. Princess!

So, this toss again had a limited choice of participants. Of course Prince, Heather's boyfriend, and ironically Jenny who is Mr. Princess's mom to be in October were in on the act. Now, anyone who knows my son will tell you no one stood a chance in this, not even for a second. I think we even warned Jenny, but she said she would win cause she's a tough chick. Really she is, but we all knew what was going to happen.

On your marks, get set, GO!

Told you Jenny didn't stand a chance. I think she believed he would be nice since she's a girl and all. Nope, not Prince, this is serious business.

The champion!!!!

Should I tell you now his wedding is set for July 2010 and guess who is doing the darn flowers? No rest for the wicked!

















Here is one of the pro pix, your classic ring shot.

I'll just cut to the chase. This was the toast speech by the groomsman. He had us all in tears with funny stories of he and Mr. Princess in high school and his joy of seeing the couple together at last.

I don't think toast meant chug it Princess......teehee




After much eating, and drinking, and more drinking

we broke out the presents.

They were given terrific gifts for their new home, and so much cash I was humbled. The cash was so needed by this new couple and had them both in shock.

After the gifts, they snuck off for some quiet time, and Prince Charming and I got to sneak a dance of our own.



Notice the clothes are MUCH more my style by this time!






We eventually fired up the fire pit and got to sit, relax, and chat. I had bought some glow in the dark bracelets the kids liked. Since many of the guests had left by now, our poor caged herd got to roam free, which of course meant Calloway got outside as usual and wanted to be in the fun.

So Mr. Princess decorated her with necklaces too!

And here is what she really looked like.....

The alter looked lovely after dark, and the couple relit the candle one last time before the night was over.

The last dance of the happy day!

OK, off to home for the happy couple. Lucky for them they live across the street from Mom!
(just pretend it's still dark and humor me OK?)

Wait, first they had to pose in front of Prince's new car. Both of them are glad he has the payments for this baby and not them.

OK, this is Mr. and Mrs. Princess's truck.
See, they still can't get a picture looking the same direction!

OK, come on Mr. Princess, take your bride home!

Home sweet home at last! Trust me, we don't want to see what happened next.....

Next time, we will get a peek at the honeymoon, well at least the sight seeing portion of the trip!