We have walls...

Jim looking out our front door---windows on the sides of the door still need to be cut out.

The eating nook off our kitchen---looking out toward the mountain and our view

The windows out of our great room

The rain slowed things down yesterday, but the walls are going up!!  Plan for today to to frame the garage and then begin on the interior room walls.  Roof trusses come in a week!!  (I'm into "instant gratification" and after weeks and weeks of dirt, rocks and concrete I was just so anxious to see wood---now that we have some walls, I'm wanting a roof!! :0)  Guess that is the fun of the building process---we love it!!)

Springtime...

I'm thinking SPRING...even though it has temporarily disappeared!! (It got down to 31 degrees here last night, brrrr!)  But, we did have a few days in the 70's and 80's last week and I was able to take these springtime pictures of Miss "K".  She turned "5" in April and her Mommy and Daddy got her this adorable bike---I love the "girly" colors! 

And, I'm guessing these lilacs got "nipped" last night, but they were just beautiful in Jamie's yard when we were visiting last week.

Spring and soccer...

Our weather has finally improved, YEA!!  We've been enjoying temperatures in the 70's and even low 80's! We spent the weekend in Spokane and had lots of fun watching "A" and "K" play soccer on Saturday...

The nice weather really helped speed along the building process...our hole is the ground is beginning to take shape and look like a house!!  They have almost finished framing in the basement and are ready to put the deck on the floor for the main level!  Jim walked out on the trusses to see what the view will be like from the main floor! :0)

Counting my blessings...

When it comes to Moms...I "hit the jackpot!"  Just yesterday I was watching Dr. Phil and the show was about healing the relationship of a daughter and her mother...they hadn't spoken in over 3 years.  "What a waste of three years," kept running through my mind; and how terribly sad for both of them.  A mother's love is like no other in this world, and I cannot imagine a hurt so deep that it separates a mother from her child for even a day, yet I know it happens all the time. I wonder if someday they will realize all the precious time that they wasted...what I wouldn't give to have just one more day with my Mom!

My Mom was always "in my corner,"  always my #1 fan, someone that I knew I could count on to share my joys and help to heal my sorrow.  Her unconditional love was a "given", something I knew that I could count on.  Wow, I was lucky....I wish the mother and daughter that I saw on Dr. Phil yesterday could know the joy and peace that this kind of relationship brings to your life. 

"A mother is she who can take the place of all others but whose place no one else can take."

Cardinal Mermillod

I think about my Mom a lot, especially on Mother's Day.  I miss her!  But, I know that I was so very blessed to have her for as many years as I did.  My sister, Jean, and I talk about Mom a lot...what a great seamstress she was, how she made the "best" homemade applesauce, how she and Dad loved to play bridge with their friends...I could go on and on, but the most important thing she did was teach us what it meant to be a Mom...she was a role model for us! 

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY...love your Mothers, and Mother's, love your children, don't take even a moment for granted!

Putt-Putt...

"L" having a fun today doing his very favorite thing---playing putt putt golf!!  (I love camera phones!!)  While he is enjoying a beautiful day in the sun with his Mommy and Daddy, we are watching the rain, then the sun, then the rain, then the wind, then the sun, then more rain...typical spring day for us!!

F....U....N....

Our "post tax-season" R&R was great!  We love to go to Las Vegas, and this trip didn't disappoint!  We saw some great shows, enjoyed relaxing afternoons by the pool reading and people-watching (always fun), and walked our legs off!!

We saw "Jersey Boys", The story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons---such a great show, with music we love..."Big Girls Don't Cry", "Walk Like A Man", "My Boyfriends Back." "Can't Take My Eyes Off of You," just to name a few! We just wanted to stand up and dance!!

We stayed at Vdara, a new hotel at "City Center" (right beside Bellegio).  It was a non-smoking, non-gaming hotel---we loved it!!!  We are always on "sensory overload" when we are in Vegas, so it was wonderful go go back to our beautiful, quiet, "fresh-smelling" hotel! (This was my view of the hotel from my lounge chair by the pool.)

We have gone to "Phantom of the Opera" before, but we love it, so seeing it again was wonderful! The stage production is amazing and the music is beautiful.

This was our first time to the dueling piano bar at Times Square in NY, NY---what a fun and LIVELY evening!!  Every half hour two new piano players would take over, the music was great and the audience participation made for a very fun evening!!

I snapped this picture of Jim relaxing by the pool...luckily I have a camera phone and he doesn't! :0)  I think his total relaxation after many months of long hours and hundreds of tax returns was a success!

Happy Tax Day...

While most people dread "tax day," those of us married to CPAs love it!!  I get to see my husband again...no more LONG days and nights at the office, WOO HOO!!  And, to celebrate, we are sneaking off for a little R&R in Las Vegas!!  We will have some fun dinners, an evening at the NY, NY dueling piano bar, and go to the productions of The Phantom and Jersey Boys.  But, most of all we can relax and be together, the best place to be.

We will be celebrating a special birthday with Miss "K" tomorrow...she turns 5 on Sunday!  One of her favorite things in all the world is "Hello Kitty"...we have a fun surprise for her! 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, silly girl!! :0)

Making progress...

...now we have an even BIGGER hole!  The concrete starts this week, finally! :0)

More digging...more excitement...

After a "record setting" DRY winter, when our contractor was finally poised to begin our new house---BAM, the rains started!!  Sitting in our "LITTLE" temporary condo, I have been looking outside watching the rain clouds gather.  Just isn't fair---but, it's been dry for a few days and the digging continued yesterday.  I never thought I would be so happy to see a digger filling up dump trucks---that feeling is usually reserved for our 4 year old grandson! (And, would you believe a huge dump truck holds only 6 scoops of dirt from the digger?)  Yesterday they took about 50 trucks full out, and they have at least that many more.

The Easter Bunny....

..is kinda scary!!!

("L" from 2008)