Such a Great Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving was nice this year. Bob, Andrew, and I flew to El Paso to stay with my sister and her family. It was such a relaxing time and I enjoyed every minute of it. This was the first time Bob had met my sister's family but it seemed to go off without a hitch. Janet cooked a wonderful Thanksgiving meal; I wish I had some of it right now!
I was really proud of Andrew and how sweet and helpful he was toward his cousins. I will admit that I had convinced myself that Andrew's self-obsession would hinder his ability to be a loving big brother/cousin. But, over Thanksgiving I saw how patient and kind and helpful he could be. It helped me realize that he is just a normal 8-year-old boy. Thank goodness!!
Bob left on Friday and my sister and I had some fun going shopping and hanging out. Usually, when I am hanging with my sister, I feel a bit insecure and I fall into that "little sister" role. But this time, I was able to be myself. That has nothing to do with my sister but with my own insecurities that I lived with for so long. I finally feel more competent and self-assured.
Here are some pictures from the weekend:




I really have a lot to be grateful for. And, I'm getting into the Christmas spirit despite my previously tainted years. In fact, I'm almost finished with my shopping!

My Kid

Andrew just amazes me. He made dinner tonight (chicken and cheese quesadillas) and it was really delicious. While we were eating I told him what a great job he did and I thanked him for making dinner for us. He said, "You're welcome!" Then, he looked at me sincerely and said, "Thank you, Mom, for helping me!" Everytime that little booger is sweet it just sends me backwards!
Andrew and I enjoyed our dinner while we listened to Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone on CD; the story is so entertaining! We finished decorating the Christmas Tree tonight and then Andrew taught me how to do some 3rd grade math. No joke...I didn't even know the stuff he is learning.
I really appreciate these little moments with Andrew. It has been just the two of us for many years now, and I hope when he gets older he has good memories of his childhood. I hope he remembers the two of us watching Biggest Loser and laughing at Seinfeld. And, I hope he can never drink an Orange Cream soda without remembering what a treat it was for us to have one.

A Quick Trip to Jerome, AZ

Jerome was nice. Bob and I left Prescott yesterday around 1pm and arrived in Jerome around 2 o'clock. We split a burger at the Haunted Hamburger and then visited some of the eclectic shops in town. First stop, Nellie Bly; my favorite. I love looking through the assortment of kaleidoscopes that they display. I would love to have one of those and my dream would be to have the one that is attached to a flower pot. You look through the kaleidoscope that hovers above the pot and you spin the pot, creating a beautiful scene through the lens. Bob found one that he likes and talked about getting it after the remodeling for his house is complete.
From there, I showed Bob one of the old books I like that is housed in an antique store. It is called The Secret Death of Adolph Hitler. It is written anonymously and has a conspiracy twist to it that Hitler had actually died quite a while before his alledged suicide. We also saw many Communist China artifacts and some Russian medals from WWII. The shops in Jerome are always interesting and you can find all sorts of things.
We relaxed for a short while before getting dressed up and venturing to The Asylum for dinner. Halfway through the dinner, I thought someone turned on a movie in surround sound but it was actually the table behind us. The people sitting at that table erupted into the most beautiful 5-part harmony rendition of Happy Birthday for one of the men in their group. They were obviously a professional group of singers; my guess is that they are part of a Chamber Choir for a university or one of the towns. Towards the end of dinner, Bob had an experience with a ghost that resulted in our finding out that many other people had also seen the same thing in the exact same spot. It gave me chills.
This morning, we have breakfast outside at Grapes. I met a man and woman who are wedding photographers. They asked if they could take our picture and email it to us. So, here it is:


Our drive back to Prescott was enjoyable and I saw my first javalena! I picked Andrew up from his friend's house and now he is home playing Legos with friends and we are enjoying our afternoon before having to prepare for the short week ahead. Life is good!

Success is Measured by the Number of Comments I Keep to Myself

Today, I paid more attention to what came out of my mouth. So often, I say things that are rude, or make comments on things that are none of my business, or desperately try to point out the less than desirable behaviors and customs of others. And, each time it leaves me feeling pretty crappy. In fact, it just brings my insecurities to light for all to see. I feel pretty good right now and I am happy to say that I don't feel guilty for saying negative things about other people.

Christmas Already? <---your comments are requested--->

I brought out some Christmas decorations tonight. Andrew was super-excited and I could tell he felt really special when I showed him his collection of nutcrackers and snowglobes. He was really proud of them and even showed them to his friends. As for me, I don't really like Christmas all that much. Watching myself go into debt to buy gifts for people tends to leave me stressed.
This year, Andrew is asking for an electric guitar. I found a pretty good one for him and it is reasonably priced and includes an amp. When Andrew was three, I was so financially broke that he got recycled gifts: a Spiderman puzzle with a piece missing, a popcorn tin full of Matchbox cars and HotWheels, and 4 little toy horses. He didn't know the difference though! But, my how times have changed. I am so grateful to be able to buy him the #1 item on his list this year.

So, what's #1 on your Christmas list this season? As of yet, I don't have a list. I have not made a Christmas list since I was a kid. I'd like to blame my parents for my lack of enthusiasm towards Christmas. I asked for a drum set for 10 years...but I never got it. :)
I have considered making a list this year, but it just seems so desperate to ask for things. And, when someone asks me, "What do you want for Christmas?" I always reply by saying, "Nothing; I don't need anything." It would be doubly embarrassing for someone to get me something of value!!
Well, I want your responses! What's on your Christmas list this year? Give me some ideas of what you're interested in!

My Way Or The Highway??

I have recently acquired a character defect that I'm quite ashamed of. It dawned on me this morning how to put this defect into words: "Whenever something isn't my idea, I immediately put it down." I don't think I have always been this way. In fact, I think that it has just come up over the last couple of months. Here's an example of my most recent escapade:
Bob is remodelling his house. He always asks for my opinion on what the designer presents to him, as we both believe I will be living there with him this time next year. Well, I just go overboard! I was looking at some pictures he sent to me of the flooring. I easily convinced him last month NOT to use a silver plating that the designer selected as the divider between the elevated travertine floor and the sunken wooden floor. But, this silver plating reared its head again in the form of a "focal point" on the floor in the entry way. I think it looks "cold". And, I held nothing back when I blurted out, "I just don't see why someone would want SILVER METAL in their house! UGH!"
Now, you must understand that Bob is the most patient, loving, kind-hearted man I have ever known. And, he didn't react at all to my rude comment. So, I talked in circles and said it a few other ways. What I was hoping was that he would agree with me and do what I wanted. Another thing to keep in mind is that I live in a teeny, tiny 850 square foot apartment with ripped carpet and dirty linoleum flooring. Really, I should be happy that he is even asking for my opinion. But, instead, I say things that are mean. I should have been focused on how grateful I am to have Bob in my life...not how pathetic it is that someone would put silver plating in a design.
So, this is just one example. The truth is, the silver isn't all that bad. And, it certainly isn't worth taking cheap shots at the man I love. I really need to pick my battles...and quite frankly, I need to learn which battles are mine and which ones are none of my business.

Birthday Time

Bob's birthday is November 23. I had no idea what to get him. It's hard to buy for someone who already has everything. A watch is out of the question...he has a Rolex. Clothes are out of the question...his shirts cost almost what I make in a week. Movies are a no-go...he's already seen everything. He loves books...but he doesn't have a stocked bookshelf to let me know what he's already read. A gift card to a bookstore then? Sure...but why would I give him something like that. He doesn't need my money to buy books.

So...I listened to him for a few weeks. And I came up with the perfect gift for him. It's something specifically for him that I know he will love to have. I will let you know what I got him AFTER November 23. But...he's going to love it.

Anyway, since Bob's birthday falls on a Monday, we decided to celebrate during the weekend. I got us a room in Jerome for Saturday night at the Connor Hotel. We are going to hang out in Jerome on Saturday, have a good dinner, and enjoy the nightlife. Then Sunday, we will have breakfast and read the paper together...our favorite Sunday morning activity. I am so excited about our mini-trip. But, I am not going to give Bob his gift until Monday, his actual birthday. I think I will end up sending it to one of his associates to give to him on "the big day". Or maybe I will drive down to Phoenix and surprise him because I sort of want to bring him his favorite dessert...warm pie. We'll see what happens.

This weekend, Andrew and I headed down to Phoenix to spend time with Bob. We usually do this every weekend. Bob used to come up to Prescott quite often but with winter approaching, I prefer to spend time in Phoenix, where the weather is warmer and the castle is cozier. :)

I'm still recovering from my bike accident last weekend, and Bob is recovering from a surgical procedure so we had a pretty relaxing weekend. However, we did wake up at 4:30 Saturday morning for a fundraiser yardsale with the Arizona Thunder.

Bob has been coaching with the Arizona Thunder Girls' Basketball Club for about 8 years. This year, he and I will be coaching a team together. I am so excited about it. He and I actually met two years ago, coaching against each other for high school junior varsity. He and I both had great teams. I lost two games that season...they were both to him :(

So, this year we will put our basketball brains together and hopefully win some tournaments. We have tournaments scheduled for Chicago and San Diego and I think we are choosing between the northwest area and Memphis for another tournament. This is really going to be fun and I am looking forward to us coaching together. We work so well together and enjoy each other's company so much.

My Two Favorite Men

I wanted to start this blog by sharing with you my two favorite men: My son (Andrew) and my boyfriend (Bob). A girl couldn't ask for more lovin'!

Here are Bob and Andrew in the White Mountains of Arizona during Labor Day!

And here they are at an Arizona Diamondbacks game last month: