Fun Tag for Everyone!

Here is a fun little game... leave a comment on my blog of a memory that you and I have had together. It doesn't matter if you've known me for a short time or a long time, anything that you remember!

Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you.

It is pretty funny to read the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you are playing and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you. On your mark... get set... blog those memories!

Self-Portrait Tuesday

Another week to discuss Lelly's challenge: the five elements of summer. This week our focus is on shade.

When I'm being a good girl, I exercise 4-5 mornings a week by taking a brisk walk around my neighborhood. There is very little shade on my route, so I'm grateful for this stretch of shade provided by the lovely (read with sarcasm, though these are better-looking than most) cinderblock walls that everyone uses here to fence in their backyards. I probably should reverse the route I take because I hit the shade at the very beginning of my walk, before I'm drenched in sweat. But, I'm a creature of  habit and therefore I'll never get to enjoy a shaded end to my exercise.

Right now, though, I'm not exercising and the only shade I care about is the shade my "shades" provide my poor eyes!

I had minor outpatient surgery a week ago and have been having a horrible reaction to the anesthesia. For some strange reason, it appears that it gave me a massive sinus infection which has been giving me ocular migraines. My eyes hurt all of the time. Hopefully the antibiotics will kick in soon and I can go back to normal life soon, including those walks with so little shade!

Wordless Wednesday - Still in Love with those Fingers and that Belly Button

Self-Portrait Tuesday

Lelly issued a feng shui SPT challenge for July: sun, water, shade, grass, and ice cream.

This week's focus in on water.

Despite the fact that most of New Mexico is a desert, there are parts (up north) that have water.

This was a gorgeous little stream next to our Girls Camp site.

I had to laugh because last Tuesday the SPT challenge was sun. I posted about how much sun we have in Albuquerque, but that day ended with a rain storm. (You can see some raindrops on the bottom part of the picture.) We even got a double rainbow.

We're always so grateful when water falls from the sky around here!

But this is my favorite type of water ... the kind that goes in my water bottle.

I'm the hydration queen! My water bottle goes with me everywhere. I even used to take it to church, until my kids started begging to take their water bottles to church, too.

Grateful Sunday - 4th of July edition

I'm grateful for this great country we live in. 

I love being an American!

To celebrate our country's birthday,

we had a barbecue at Ba and Nana Gail's house. 

Sorry - no pictures - I was too busy stuffing my face with delicious food to stop and use my camera!

After dinner, we went to the Johnson's for some water balloons.

Then it was time for the Mike and Shad Fireworks Extravaganza!

(Laura's showing off her handful of Pop-Its - those little firecrackers you throw on the ground and they make a popping noise.)

Self-Portrait Tuesday

Lelly came up with an awesome set of SPT challenges for July:

"to help channel our personal chi, let's take time this month to focus on the 5 elements of summer: sun, water, shade, grass and ice cream!!"

This week the focus is on SUN!

Living in New Mexico, I see plenty of sun. Albuquerque boasts an average of 310 days of sunshine a year! There's so much sun, that our airport is called the Sunport.

Our state flag consists of a Zia sun symbol.

Here's a self-portrait of me in front of my old street sign. In case you've never tried, it is really hard to take a picture of yourself and get the top of street sign in the same shot!

So here's a shot my daughter took.

We used to live on Flor del Sol street.

- which means Flower of the Sun,

AKA Sunflower!