PHEW!

Hello blog readers! I'm back! I've returned from that oblivion that is "vacation" and "wedding". Time for new blog fodder!

Gone for nearly three weeks put me in to what surprisingly wasn't too much computer withdrawls. I just tried not to think about it and concentrate on the people I was there to see. And we really had a fabulous time.

My Dad and I took the girls to the beach nearly every evening after dinner. It was very warm the first week of our visit, so it was very comfortable at the beach at that time. And by 7 p.m. the crowds had gone home and there were usually just a few locals and dog walkers. I missed BBQGuy a ton during these times.

The girls were the proud recipients of Grandpa's favor; he bought them skim boards. It looked really fun and easier than the boogie boards they were using. Not so, dear reader!!! Skim boarding takes balance...and you feel like you are slipping and going to fall upon thy badonkadonk! So, the skim boards were around and as the girls gain more balance and confidence, they will be put to good use. It took them about six days to get down boogie boarding; I had them sit with me and watch the "real surfers" to see how they rode in the waves, instead of just jumping over them with the board. It helped and they rode about 30 feet. The waves were large. We stayed until sunset and it was just good fun and memories.

Unfortunately, we have determined that my camera was indeed stolen. Its no where here, as BBQGuy basically gutted our garage just to confirm it was not in there. So I have to file a theft report. I called our homeowners, but its just not worth it to file with at $500 deductible. I think I'm just going to save my pennies and get a D80. I might not get it until Christmas, but you never know. I have about $500 stashed away; half birthday money, and half that I had left from our vacation. I really did do it on the skinny. It was too hot for Disneyland, so that helped. But I missed my camera so much...I still do! Waaah! Maybe it will get located via the seriel number in a pawn shop or something. (Hence the NO PICTURES on the blog today...no camera! BBQGuy even has the point & shoot. I might get out CurlySue's Fisher Price camera to show you my closet "after" shot; it takes surprisingly good shots.)

So...the wedding. It was BEAUTIFUL! Melanie was gorgeous, Pat was handsome, and the champagne was tasty! :D  We made the boutaineers, corsages and bouquets on Wednesday. They were just gorgeous. Mother Of The Bride (also known as the Best Mother Ever) had ordered the flowers off the internet and had the ranch grow sunflowers. So there were yellow sunflowers, red sunflowers, purple snapdragons, baby's breath, and some other really tiny green "balls" on stems for filler. We made Melanie's bouquet special by using only sunflowers and surrounding it with baby's breath, then wrapping the long stems with 2" white ribbon and closing with stick pins. The bridesmaids' bouquets were sunflowers, with purple snapdragons in the middle, surrounded by the green ball filler stuff. I made her a bouquet to throw out of only yellow sunflowers and purple snapdragons....it was sooooo fun. We also used lemon leaves (in great abundance on the ranch) for the backs of the boutaineers and corsages for the mothers. Funny thing was.....the boutaineers and corsages were COMPLETELY FORGOTTEN in the rush of the wedding morning. OH WELL! No one even noticed...lol...just us girls who made them thought of them at the end. hehe...every wedding has a story!

I was so touched by my nephew. During the ceremony, I looked at him and he was tearing up! He and his sister (the bride) are very close. It will be a new adventure for them all. He has also decided that getting marriage on the ranch is very cool and he wants to do that too. I would have to agree; very cool. The ceremony was in a meadow, and the reception was just a short walk away under the oak grove where the hotel has wine tasting. I don't think even a beach wedding could top it! My brother had had the ranch hands water down the area all week, so that there would be minimal dust. It worked! Even the bugs were not bad.

Because Pat is a USMC, there were MANY USMCs there for the wedding. What a bunch of party boys! They were so polite and social. After the wedding....the beer and champagne was no where near out, and they just hung out helping us clean up and draining the kegs. We finally left, but as we headed out on the dirt road, there was a young man, slouched down by his giant pick up truck! Many of these "boys" were from the midwest and wore cowboy hats and boots, so I didn't recognize him as one of the fellas at the wedding....but yep, it was him. He had been asleep next to his truck for three hours. The bride & groom had taken his keys and locked them inside his truck because he was trying to drive. But they were on their way out and couldn't help him much, and they knew we would be along shortly. So we left him snoozing there, changed clothing at the house and drove back to get the leftover chicken and the leftover cowboys.

By this time his little cowboy friend was with him. They were so drunk, they thought they had lost the keys. They were looking everywhere and said they had their camping gear in the back to stay the night right there. We didn't really buy that, so we took them back to the Bride's old appartment, where they had stayed the night before, to sleep it off. Then we headed back to the house.

BBQGuy, the girls and I had had such a fun day. The girls danced and got to be with their cousins. I got to be with my brother and his fabulous wife and kids. It was so nice to see all of the family and friends get together again. Many of these people I have known for about 25 years or more. My brother and his wife have been together since they were about 17 years old and I was just 9 back then. Good times! Good times!

I hope to have some pictures to share soon...my brother is making me a CD.

Ok...I think I should get on the stick. I have some kids toys to get rid of and I'm taking the girls swimming at 2 p.m.-ish. So I'll be back with some pictures of my finished closet later tonight. BBQGuy is out of town, so I have unlimited use of the PC in the evening. :D OH...and no TV! The thunderstorms took out my reciever. IT SUCKS! :D