Paint Drama and Big Bad JOHN

I started to paint the house today. Really, I just wanted to get the colors up next to the shingles so I would know that I liked them. And, can I say I HAVE NO IDEA!! At times it looks perfect and at times it looks not so great. I have been trying to get my mom's opinion via pictures - - but, pictures don't convey the "real color" In my sticky place, I decided to try to INVENT my own color by slowly adding the two colors that were sort of OK together slowly and testing each new color. That didn't really work! It only made one other color. So, here is the not so wonderful paint job I did (I figure I have someone else around to help make it look super good).

Does the darker or lighter color along the fascia (wood trim around roof) look better? Is the lighter color too much the same as the shingles? Is the dark too dark?

Or does the dark color blend with the shingles and the other paint??


No pictures of my "NEW COLOR."

DAD aka BIG BAD JOHN
Next, my parents forwarded some pictures taken while a friend was up visiting them. They couldn't figure out how to save them to their computer, so I saved them to mine. Needless to say, there were a few pictures that just made me smile. And in honor of my dad's birthday, I had to post them!

My dad has always been known as "BIG BAD JOHN" to the neices and nephews, but today I think we should change his name to "RANCHER JOHN." I submit the following picture of Rancher John surveying his ranch as evidence that such name change should take place!!



How do you know when the RATTLE SNAKES are OUT?? Rancher JOHN becomes a pistol carrying fool!! As you can see from the below picture, rattle snakes are out and about on the ranch, Rancher John is now sporting his and Grammy's protection from them!!
(
Note, I don't think Grammy is as afraid as he is of the rattle snakes)

Happy BIRTHDAY DAD!! I love you more than words could express! Thank you for being one of my biggest supporters no matter what (mom being the other BIG ONE)! Thank you for always having faith in me! I enjoy the time we get to spend together! I cherish the drives we have taken to get a drink together. I am proud to call you my Dad! I love you!

Getting Settled and Start Painting

I have finally started to decide pictures must be on the wall, draperies hung, and things found in a permanent proper place. I am so indecisive when it comes to hanging pictures, I really like to have other people's opinions. But, alas my mom is at her cabin, and all others whom I would sufficiently trust in her place are unavailable. Thus leaving me to make some decorating decisions on my own. I finally got my draperies in the bedroom hung. I wanted them up so bad because they just make our room feel finished off and like a master bedroom. They need a little adjusting, but I must wait for the mom to return to help me with that sewing project that may be a little over both our heads, but two of us is far better than one.

I have made a few changes in the past three days. Tonight, I started the BIGGEST project for our house so far . . . REPAINTING THE OUTSIDE!! I started with the FRONT DOOR and painted it RED!! I am telling you RED is seeming to be one of my new favorite colors! I love it! Can't wait to see the rest of the colors on the home. I am sure the new look will be much better . . . I am most excited about the fact that my house has a front door that stands out and doesn't blend in. People know where to find the front door now!! LOVE IT!!

BEFORE

AFTER

Thanks and CONGRATS Ash and family!

Ok, my great cousin, Ashley, responded with a link to her sister in law w/ other's menu compilation. I have to say, it looks quite wonderful! So, for all of you looking for fresh recipes, I have to share this link!!
http://www.24hourmenu.blogspot.com/

It is looking all sorts of wonderful! THANK YOU, THANK YOU ASH!!

One more thing . . . CONGRATS to the birth of your NON-BOY BABY - Kambree!! She is stinking adorable!!

(P.S. I do have a gift STILL hanging in my closet! I must get it off so she can wear it!!)

Recipes PLEASE

I am trying to do our two week menu for meals, I do this every two week to avoid buying and still having nothing to cook for dinner. Can I be honest, I AM BORED with my REPERTOIRE of meals and the ideas my 6 cook books have for me! I need some fresh NEW YUMMY MEAL ideas!! And I have a few preferences with this request, but again, I will take anything!!

These are requests because if you didn't know, it is HOT here in ARIZONA!! We have been hitting 110 for the last 4 days and there isn't really a break in sight! So, I am truly looking for two meal types! I want to AVOID THE STOVE and the OVEN as much as possible (heats up the house and take forever to cool us off again!). So, I am thinking . . . .

1 - EASY CROCK POT MEAL IDEAS!! (you know throw them in the morning forget till time to eat)
2 - SALAD MEALS (salads that you would feed your family alone by itself and feel good about the nutrients they get!!).


So, if you have an idea for me, PLEASE e-mail it to me! My e-mail is Janan1978 at aol.com, and just tag it NEW RECIPE!! I hope to go shopping either today or tomorrow!! I have a lot of HOT summer to go and could use any ideas!!

GRRRrrrrrrRRRRRrrrr!!

Ok, I have to vent! I have benn LOOKING AND LOOKING for a mirror to go over my formal dining room table. I finally found one today at ROSS! Love ROSS! Come straight home, put Kaiya down for a nap, and get my hammer and 60lb picture hanging nail. And as most people know, I am a little OCD when it comes to making sure pictures on in the RIGHT place. So, as I spend the next half house figuring out how high it needs to be, where the center is, and finally have the perfect spot. I begin to pound the nail into the wall. Soon, I discover it won't go in all the way. I know what you are thinking . . . STUD! Pound a little harder you have run into a stud! Oh no! Not a stud! Get this . . . the previous owners have DRY WALLED IN A WINDOW!!! Grrrrrrr! Not a big deal unless you want to hand a mirror there and you need to be able to beat the nail in all the way! Yes, a window I have behind my "wall."

That big beautiful red wall, has no studs behind it, just one big window!! grrr!!

Apples, Apples, and MORE Apples!!!

One of the lovely fruit trees in our backyard is an apple tree. I was so excited about all the apples I would have all to myself. Now, I know that when things get ripe, they usually ripen at near the same time. But, I think I was trying to convince myself that I could just bounce out my back door and pick an apple anytime I wanted for like a period of 6 months. RUDE AWAKENING!! We returned from Idaho to find one limb broken by the weight of the apples and the rest severally drooping. Most are ripe, some eaten by birds, and others are tiny! So, we went to picking what we could and came out of it with a big box, 10 walmart bags, and one other huge bag of apples. What to do, what to do??

I am thinking who might want them, what can I do with them, all before they go bad. So, today, I did the, what can I do with them . . . and I can make exactly 6 apples pies with them. Let me just say, it didn't even make a dent!! Thank you to my domestic diva friend, Karina, I have made nearly 4 pies. Yes, I am domestically challenged, and this is my first make pies from scratch adventure. They are still cooking I will let you know how it goes!!
Does it look delicious? I am quite proud of myself!! There is hope yet!!

Scattergories

SCATTERGORIES...it's harder than it looks! Erase myanswers, enter yours, and post it. *Use the 1st letter of your name to answer each of thefollowing...*They have to be real places, names, things...nothing made up! Try to use different answers if the person in front of you had the same 1st initial. You CAN'T use your name for the boy/girl name question.

WHAT IS YOUR NAME: Janan
4 LETTER WORD: Jinx
VEHICLE: Jaguar
CITY: Jackson
BOY NAME: Jace
GIRL NAME: Jada
OCCUPATION: Journalist
SOMETHING YOU WEAR: Jacket
FOOD: Jalepeno (I LIKE IT HOT)
SOMETHING FOUND IN A BATHROOM: Jacuzzi Tub (wish I had one)
REASON FOR BEING LATE: Jetlag
SOMETHING YOU SHOUT: Jeepers!!!!

I did it! It is a lot harder than I thought (Andrea, I give you credit)
Ok, now YOU have a go at it! Leave me a comment if you do it, so I can see!

One Week Cool Down

Well, we escaped to Idaho to COOL OFF and that is EXACTLY WHAT WE DID!!! Here are just a few of the pictures I took of the GREAT COOL DOWN!!

At one point, our cool down was from 105 degrees (arizona) to 27 degrees (Idaho) (a whopping difference of 78 DEGREES - - yes, that is correct a 78 DEGREE DIFFERENCE!!)! We loved it! Kaiya loves the snow since we always only VISIT it and leave!! I guess we were caught off guard a little being it was JUNE - - I was thinking cool of as in the 30 degree difference, but 78 was mind blowing!! We left this morning in a major SNOW STORM and arrived to a balmy 97 degrees!! Feels a little surreal!!

We got to spend a few days with the TRIPLE M cousins! Kaiya loved it and picked up a few new words! Such as "HOLY HEAVENS" and her favorite from M1 "HOLY CRIMEMNIE" (spelling? anyone know the correct spelling on that??).

We had several first while we were up there! We took Kaiya for her first trip to the FAMOUS and WONDERFUL PLAYMILL THEATRE in West Yellowstone. This is a family favorite when we are in Idaho. We saw the musical OKLAHOMA and Kaiya was on the edge of her seat the entire time. And continually told me, "That guy is a good guy" (in reference to Curly).

The next first was learning to jump a stream without falling in! Yes, this is a very important skill especially when your granddad has LOTS of STREAMS on his ranch!

Another IMPORTANT first was CATCHING HER FIRST FISH (well, make that THREE). The first fish was caught in a stream by the ranch house, and was mostly an assist to M1. M1 held the fishing net while Kaiya poked the fish in the tail end, thus causing the fish to swim right into the net!! The last two were with a POLE! She loved it! She reeled them in all by herself - - the SECOND of the POLE FISHING FISH nearly PULLED HER IN THE POND! He was a jumping, fighting, not going without a fight kind of fish! She loved it! I didn't get a good picture of her with the fish, but, I have one of "the fighter" at the end of the pull!!

First visit to OLD FAITHFUL GEYSER in Yellowstone National Park. She loved it! We lucked out and pulled up right before it went off (as in 2 minutes as opposed to waiting the hour for it to erupt). She loved it! We also went driving on a HUNT to see a BEAR! We didn't see a bear! But, we did see lots of "BUFFALOP" as she calls them - - even got stuck in a one hour long traffic jam because of the "Buffalop" herd blocking the road! We saw lots a elk, a grey wolf, bald eagle, and that was about it!

OH! She got to play with her first set of REAL LIVE KITTY CATS! My parents got some "ranch cats" that are suppose to be WILD (aka not kid friendly and only for catching mice). M1 and M2 got to pick the ranch cats out! I think that with continued granddaughter visit, there will be little "WILD" left in them! They were affectionately named "TIGER" and "CUTIE PIE" or "Sweet Pie" as Kaiya sometimes changes it around!! My favorite picture is of her holding these to cats below!


Things we were up to in Idaho

Dancing

Kaiya had her first dance lessons today. She was so excited all day long to go. She really enjoyed them and even did a impromptu dance as we left dance! Lucky me, I got it on video!! Predominantly posting for Dad in Ohio and a few other family members not here!! Enjoy the musing window view of her first class, I did!!

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Needless to say it went well. There was one instance of problem. She and another little girl began doing the "hip push" to claim their section of the mirror they got to rest the bum on. It lasted about 6 times and then Kaiya went to get the teacher! I was quite proud that she did so. Now, we have to infuse the don't push back, ask them to "please stop." Then, go get help, steps!!

Also, we won't be posting for a while. We are headed to the ranch and cabin for a week. Figured we should get out of the heat too while dad is gone. Kaiya is excited to go fishing at the ranch! Plus, the triple M cousins will be there too! So, see you when we get back! I am sure we will have pictures!!

The Dad is away the Girls will Play . . . .

Prasan is in Ohio for 11 days doing training for an endorsement (acronym escapes me at this time), which has left us here to PLAY (swimming, gymboree, cookie making, swimming, tap/ballet, and more gymboree). Needless to say, we have had some fun!

Also, Kaiya is not a fall asleep in random places kid! She is the kid that will go and go until you make her sleep or is lulled to sleep in the car.

Today, we had so much fun here at home cleaning that this is what happened around 7 p.m. She was trying to convince me to go see a friend so she could see the dog at the friends house. I said, no maybe tomorrow. This of course induced crying and I told her to go to her room till she was done. Long about a minute later, crying was gone and this is what I found in her room.

Pretend Conversation of a 3 year old

I caught Kaiya on her "cell phone" earlier today. Here is what the conversation was . . .

"Hi Mr. Storeman. I need to come pick up a new purse."
pause
"I need to pick it up right now because someone steal my other purse."
pause
"No, I need it right now. Thank you Mr. Storeman."

I guess it is being a FIRST TIME PARENT that I find such conversation so FUN! Like any of you really care! But, it was darn cute! By the way, I did ask if I could go to the store with her, but I was told:

"No! Mr. Storeman said no big people at his store."

OK!!