I feel SO blessed

My beautiful, best friend came to visit this past weekend. I feel so blessed to have my sister in my life. We had an awesome time shopping, laughing, golfing, bowling, eating, and just hanging out. I wish every weekend she was here.

We spent a Friday in Denver and visited the Denver Museum. We specifically wanted to see these tornado footage but of course, it was not operating on the day we went...Huge Bummer! We still had fun looking at dinosaurs and mummy displays.

No tornadoes for us!

At the museum...See the dinosaur in the back.



Then later that night we went to the Denver Performing Arts Center to see a play.


We first needed dinner at a cute Martini Bar.

The play was absolutely hilarious!!!

Here we are!

I was so excited about getting a bulls eye (Spelling not really sure), I even took a picture when I had just woke up!

This is how well sister did! Yep that is in the wall!

We also went to Cripple Creek which is a fun gambling community. We didn't win big but stayed almost even the whole night...Not bad!

One of the Casinos

We had such a fun time, everyday, that it was hard to say goodbye! Sisters are those piece of you that will always be the closest. I love you sister!

A few new scrapbooking pages

I post very few of my scrapbooking pages so here are a few of my most recent ones. My favorite ones so far are the uncle/aunt one and the sister page.

Toy Room

Ben and I had always had a plan for the basement, a big grown up toy room! So now that we have the theater we also have a ping pong table (with a pool table underneath), dart board and now a basketball hoop. So much fun!

We had friends over for the super bowl so at half time and after the football game it was a serious match of ping pong.

How much is too much on paper?

This question sounds simple, how much is too much on paper? Would you say 10 cents per page? Would you say no more than 30 cents per page? What about a $1.99 and tax? Too much?

I went to my very favorite scrapbooking store and came out with about 35 pages of designer paper and a $44.00 bill. Too much? Yah, that is what hubby said too. HAHA. I just simply don't understand how hobbies that you love become so darn expensive! I could have easily spent $100 without even blinking!

So Ben then began saying, how can PAPER be that expensive?!?!?

And I turned around and politely said, how can dune buggy building, chopper building, airplane building, theater building, golf playing, BE THAT MUCH!!

HAHA...You got to love him =)

Golf Channel

Along the lines of the previous post, obsessions, Ben has also been into the Golf Channel. Now I have always just enjoyed having golf on while I am doing laundry or cleaning house but not recording it so I can watch it EVERY evening. So the past two weeks have been dedicated to this.

I must also express what I really feel....Tiger Woods is no doubt AMAZING but to have a counter in the right side of every program stating how many seconds away we are to seeing him play seems, um, excessive. Call me crazy but my life does not revolve around Tiger Woods, but apparently the Golf Channel's does. HAHA.

The love for....BOWLING?!?!

It has been a month and I still have nothing new on my blog. I started thinking about what we have been doing to keep me away for so long. I can tell you one new obsession (I mean this is the kindest way, which I will soon explain) of Ben's.

When Ben decides he really likes something...We do it every second we can. So this past month it has been bowling. Ben bowled in high school and actually got a small scholarship for it. He is quite good (surprise, surprise, eye roll LOL). The first two times he bowled a 268 and 258. Yah, I bowled a 76 and maybe a 60.

So in the spirit of the new obsession he decided to buy me bowling shoes. They are of course pink and white...See below.
It is a fun cheap activity that we both enjoy and last week I even bowled a 142. Pretty good when you start off at a 70 =)

"What is he going to do now...."

Many people have asked me, "What is Ben going to do now that the basement is done." With out even blinking, I respond, "He always has some project going." This is the most recent project, his baby, the dune buggy. He bought it about six months after we moved here but hasn't had alot of time to work on it. Last weekend he sanded it down and this weekend he painted it the famous Ben color, Green.

I told him he needed to be in this picture because I did nothing on it. He politely responded with "I need a hot girl in the picture." LOL. Great job Babe!

My wonderful birthday surprise!

How many times can I say I am the luckiest woman in the world? Sunday morning I wake up, this is about 2 days away from my birthday, and find a sign on the "use-to-be" guest bedroom. On the door is a huge Happy Birthday. I get this big smile and say, "Um....Babe...." I walk in and this is what I see!!!!!

THE MOST AMAZING SCRAPBOOK ROOM EVER!!!!!!!!!

My desk for scrapbooking is also right across from this, so yes, the whole room is for my scrapbooking obsession. I LOVE HIM!!!

Viva Las Vegas

Matt, Kari, Ben and I went to Las Vegas for a fun filled weekend of gambling and touring. Here are a few of the pictures....

That is New York, New York behind me.

The beautiful Bellagio fountains

The crew with Ben taking the picture. Excalibur is behind us.

We had so much fun with Matt and Kari.

Ben and I went to the Hoover Dam for a half day excursion. It is considered one of the top 10 Engineering wonders. When we went underneath we saw all the amazing hydraulics (and something else but I don't remember what they were called, LOL, ask Ben).

Ben is in Nevada and I am in Arizona.

We had alot of fun, especially breathing clean air again, always a plus.

Crafts, Crafts and some more crafts

I have taken on a new hobby, wreath making. I never thought I had the "craftiness" in me to not only pick out items but then to place them just right to make the wreath perfect. I looked and looked and looked for the wreath I was imagining and just could not find it so finally I took it into my own hands (I have hot glue gun blisters to prove it) and designed my own. I went to Michaels where everything was 70% off and started tossing things in the cart. I think for a first timer it turned out well!

Winter Wonderland

I can't believe Christmas has come and gone. My parents came out the weekend before to celebrate. We had lots of fun shopping and watching movies....Let me clarify. Mom and I had lots of fun shopping for things they needed for the new house. We got curtains, curtain rods, clothes and a few odds and ends. We opened presents on Friday night for Christmas and my birthday. You can't beat time with your family.

Ben and I were by ourselves Christmas Day. We both opened presents. Ben got his dune buggy seats, some thermals for skiing, an omelet maker and an exacto knife from me. I got my awesome hot pink 16G nano IPod. YEAH! We spent time watching movies, scrapbooking, Ben building his airplane and then I made my own holiday wreath. We had alot of fun and coming up Mary and Gary are coming down for some holiday celebration. Isn't the Holidays so much fun =)

Let the Decorating Begin

Here are some of the indoor decorations we put up so far. Ben finally decided our twig of a tree was not cutting it. So this year we found a great sale (of course) and purchased this beautiful tree. I am still in the process of decorating it but I could wait to show it off a little. We also purchased some new LED Christmas lights. I plan to take a picture of those tonight and post it later. I love Christmas!

Step One: Open Box!

Step Two: Begin the never ending task of spreading each and every pine to make it look perfectly full.

Step Three: Add a minimum of six additional strings of lights to the already pre-lit tree!

Step Four: Put all the decorations out!

The almost completed tree. I just need to add the ornaments. All the presents were dispersed on Thanksgiving so now we only have a few left under the tree.

Thanksgiving in Rapid City

Ben and I went back to Rapid City for Thanksgiving this year. We had lots of fun with the nephews, family and of course some shopping on Black Friday.

Ben is already teaching the boys how to think like an engineer.

Little Nicholas

Ryan smiling big with Uncle Ben.

At my parents house, the kids (ie Ben, Keila and my sisters boyfriend, Callan) decided to do a little target practice with a 2L pop bottle. Being in the middle of nowhere does have isn't advantages =)

Look at Ben. I know he is thinking, "you two better be careful."

He is so giddy in this picture....Makes me laugh.

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving but did miss seeing Ben's parents. Happy Holidays Everyone!