My Kitchen

This morning I got up to this:
Labor day weekend was a bust....everyone headed in different directions: Garners to Vegas, Claire to Texas, and everyone else here had there own schedule happening. Thus it is with adult children....they do whatever they want and you have no control. (dang, I hate that free-will stuff) Anyway, Monday proved differently...they all came home, not all at the same time granted...but they all made it back to see what was happening in my kitchen.
The Kitchen I had growing up was small, dark, and seemed to more often than not offer up burned dinners. Even with that, there were alot of really good memories made there. I remember doing the dishes with my sister, Maureen, and we would sing camp songs and harmonize old timey songs like "you are my sunshine". In the summer, it might end up with a water fight. I miss singing like that....
When Rob and I moved to the house on 27th street, we had small children and proceeded to remodel like crazy.One day I came out (I was busily getting ready for girls camp) and Rob had taken a sledge hammer to the wall! "What the....!" He decided that while I was gone that week, he was gonna remodel the kitchen...6months later it was done. Ok...It was worth it. We had so much fun in that kitchen. After dinner we would get all the kids to help clean up....we would turn the music on loud and sing and dance around while we were all doing dishes and wiping counter tops. the kids never wanted to stop, so we would dance around for a couple of hours. I have vivid memories of them doing these crazy dances to Ravel's Bolero, or Ella Fitzgerald....our music selection was all over the map, so they got a very diverse education in music. ( not to worry...we mostly listened to rock...Rob and I are children of the 60's and 70's you know)

(we bought these great big strawberries that looked like tongues...heh, heh,....ok so we're a
little demented.)

(there at Easter...)

I absolutely had the kitchen of my dreams, when we built our house in the valley. We had great parties there...it was made for having lots of people and lots of good food....the dancing continued....

This is a picture I took right before we sold the house. Don't get me started...that is a whole nuther post.So where was I...Oh ya...labor day....well on Monday, we picked Claire up from the airport with Levi and on the way home, decided that we needed peaches, which were not on the way home...but DPR being the sweet pirate that he is drove us to Willard to get a box of peaches. =)


So, last night I made some wonderful (sugar-free) peach pie that is to die for...and viola'everyone showed up. I guess it's not the size of your kitchen, but the size of the love in your kitchen that makes them come back for more....or maybe it's just peach pie.....ok...whatever.
anyway, so here I am eating peach pie for breakfast and thinking of my kitchen and that I need to clean it up. Maybe I'll turn on a little music....

McConnell Road

Rob finally got home last night. This time he's been in Oregon visiting his folks and doing some work for them. Hermiston is one of those towns that seem to never change....I know it does, maybe it's just that it goes a little slower, or maybe it's just that we don't get back there very often. Regardless, it seems to me that it is a little slice out of time.
The McConnell "homestead" on McConnell Road is the thing I like the most about Hermiston. Lot's of good memories there...the 1st time I met Rob, he was leaving for his mission in about a week, I was there to hang with Liz....oh ya...(wink,wink) Liz was more fun than anyone in the world to hang with (and still is) and if I remember right I think this visit had something to do with motorcycles.

(as you can see, this was taken in '94....they had to cut this tree down a few years ago...)

Bonnie and Warren have always had a fantastic garden and yard, and a back patio that overlooks the Umatilla River, and farming fields below. We would all go out and sit on the side yard under the huge trees and swing in the hammock lazily, while the kids ran around in the sprinklers or swung in the tire swing. They built their house back in the day...probably around 50 years ago. Rob says that they built the garage first and lived in it while they slowly got the rest of the house done. Over the years it has evolved into the neatest place.

(View from the front porch)

Bonnie has always had style...born with it.

I always remember her emerging every morning with the most beautiful
house robes on.
I'm not kidding! beautiful velvet looking bathrobes that made her look like the
queen of Sheba just arrived.
Someday I'm going to stop wearing sweats in the
morning and look glorious like a queen.

Some things never change.

"I need more cowbell"

K.....so I am feeling a little random today. (hence my random title) I feel like I am needing so many random things like...new jeans, and new...well...dishes..and maybe a new house...along with the cowbell. I also want...rrr...I mean NEED a cruiser bike that I saw on 25th street that has a motor attached so you don't have to pedal up hill. Love that. I also saw some really cute pillows at pottery barn that have my name written all over them, need those.
You get the picture?
I hate being this needy...but I do feel like I need these things, they are not wants-
oh no-they are neeeeeds, I tell you. I also need a haircut and color, (hint hint, Kindle)
and I need a good book and a pool to read it by...
I think what I really need is more of this:

Yes this is exactly what I need....

This was Rob's birthday cake. It was really yummy lemon cake with blackberries

and cream...yes all sugar free and gluten free.

If I had some of this, then I could contemplate my other needs....and maybe think of a way

to get that cowbell.

"happy birthday to you...you live in a zoo..."

I've seriously been up all night, thinking. think..think..think..
I can't stop thinking of Rob. I wanted to write something great for Rob on his birthday
("c'mon, Denise...think of something clever...(cricket sound)...)

Well...I could write about the time he dressed up like a 2 headed lady with me and sang the "sisters" song from white Christmas...that was funny...

or...I could tell everyone how he used to get the kids to run outside and catch the 1st snowflakes on their tongues....that would be clever...

He would always take us out in the boat at Powell...and always looked cool...that was..well...cool.

I could mention what a party animal he is....(kinda goes without saying..know what i mean?)...

he built a house for me once...that was pretty awesome...

but the thing that makes me go weak in the knees? it's that cute little sparkle in his eyes!
On our first date he had it...and I was hooked!

Happy Birthday Hon! You had me at ....sparkle.

the men in my life

I got up this morning to make huevos rancheros for Rob...it is father's day after all and you know how he likes his eggs--- sunny side up and smothered in hot sauce....
(just like he likes his women...tee).
cricket sound...



"I only said that because that is something he would have said."
more cricket sound...

K...Back to blogging...

So I got to thinking about these men in my life. My dad...my brothers...and then this forever partner of mine...Rob.

My Dad was awesome. I think Levi looks like him.
The one on this end is my dad...


My brothers were cool, too...I think they are cooler now as grown daddies
than I did growing up with them....they were'nt that good at sharing bathrooms.

But Rob? Man I love that man!
always have
always will.

...and he's easy to share the bathroom with.


Happy Father's Day sweetheart.

The "Dread Pirate Robert"

Rob called from Cali last Saturday letting me know that he wasn't coming home. He would have to stay 3 more days in order to solve a few work problems. But after seeing my last post...decided that I should go out there to spend the weekend.
( A man can go only so long without his grapefruit)
so I hopped on a plane, ready for my Sunshine Fix!!

San Fran had record rain for the next 3 days.

What the "H-E double hockey sticks!"

I swear the powers in charge are against me ever being warm.
Oh well....the DPR (see title) was very sweet and only said once that "he would probably kill me in the morning."
We did do alot of driving around to theatre's.

me...dreaming of Sunshine.

I wore my red shoes.

it was good.

I saw the sun from the airplane window on the way home. sigh.

Hurry Home

Rob is coming home today. I am so glad. It's been a long week and it seems to get easier when he is here. He's been in Cali working all week...where it's nearing 60 degrees. I'm here in Utah...and it's been cold and snowy every day. Why is it that I am not in Cali waiting for him to come home there instead of here!
what up wi dat?