Back In P-town

Well as most of you already know I'm currently back in Pendleton. It has been a very long and stressful move back home. I really didn't think it would be very hard to find a place to live that was affordable and nice, but I had another thing coming! After a month and a half of searching everyday we finally found our little house. It's on North Hill in a nice neighborhood and it's very "homey." It's a 3 bedroom, with a full basement, or other wise known to my husband and son as the "man room" which is fine with me, they can escape to the basement and I will get to watch all of my shows on TV while they are playing!!!!! I never thought I would be happy to be back in Pendleton, but I'm thrilled that I get to be closer to my family, I mean in life, family is really the most important thing to me, so for that matter I'm happy to be home. I do not miss Nevada in the very least, I do miss some of the people that I met along the way, and of course seeing the sunshine everyday, but very glad that I didn't have to spend another minute in Hawthorne, leaving it in my rear view mirror was complete joy!!!! So here's to my time in P-town for I will not be here too long, just when I seem to get comfortable we will be getting that call again, TIME TO MOVE, and then the stress will start all over again, so for now I'm going to enjoy being HOME!!!

Farewell Nevada

We got news last week that Justin got orders from the government that we are moving again, and happily we are moving home!! Nevada has been an adventure and a time for change in many good ways. One must give up a little to gain a little, and now we are blessed to be going back to Oregon for a few more years until the Army Depot closes permanently. I'm going to miss my dear friends that I met while in Nevada, we truly are an Army family, and thank God we had each other!!!

In this photo: Jack, Amy, Chris, Me, Sammie, Shelia, Branden, and my hubby Justin.
Braden and Sammie, my peeps!

Samantha, I'm going to miss you girlie, we had a lot of fun together!

Jack our bartender/Margarita shaker!

Me and Shelia, my closest friend, we were wearing matching Mexico shirts, for our El' Presidente Margarita night!

Farewell friends, as I'm sure we will meet again somewhere along the QASSAS family lines. As our lives are going separate ways, good luck and thanks again for the memories we created in Nevada!!!

A Treasure

I have a new obsession, known as the art of Australian Locker Rug Hooking. I saw my aunt Jackie creating a neat rug last summer while I was camping with her, and it peaked my interest, and so the obsession began. It is made of scrap fabric cut into one inch strips, and then with a special tool, it is woven through a gridded canvas. I have made wonderful scrappy rugs, and this is my favorite patterned rug I made for my niece Madison. As you can see I stamped her name in the middle and made her a treasure that I hope she will cherish for a long time. Madison is very special to me because she is my first niece and she holds a very special place in my heart, and so on Valentine's day I wanted to give her something special and so this is what I made! She calls it her "isty" short for "Cristy" and she dances on it and carries it around with her where- ever she goes. This is a photo of her dancing on her new rug!

Madison sitting on her rug

The finished product

Scentsy

If you don't have one of these you better get one!! Let me explain, this has got to be one of the greatest inventions EVER!! This is an electric warmer with a 25 watt light bulb that heats the unique wax that is placed in the top of the warmer and it sends an amazing aroma throughout your home. The reason this is so awesome is due to the fact that you can leave this warmer on all day without the worry of burning down your house, unlike candles! I usually turn my warmer on when I wake up in the morning and leave it on until I go to bed at night. I can leave the house and never worry about "did I blow out that candle?" It is awesome and the variety of scents the wax come in are amazing, and they last longer than candles do. So if you don't have this, you are missing out, they are great gift for a friend or yourself, I promise you won't be disappointed!! Aaawwhh I smell blueberry cheesecake as we speak, yummy!

My Wiener Dogs.....

I have two wiener dogs and their names are Marley and Riley. Marley is the first one I got in Pendleton and she is considered a miniature Dapple as she has grey, brown and black spots, she is 2 years old. Riley is a standard miniature wiener dog and she is the red one, and Justin and I bought her in Oklahoma while Justin was going to school there, he thought he needed a friend while I was away! Riley is 1 years old. They both have very different personalities. Marley is more like an "old lady" while Riley is full of "piss and vinegar" and has a bark that hurts your ears!! Marley is more independent and Riley is a snuggle bug who thinks she has to be on my lap ALL of the time. I actually treat them as if they are human, they even sleep in my bed, I know Caesar you would be so disappointed in me, but when they give me those sad looking eyes I just can't resist them! Even though they are a pain sometimes, I love them dearly, they truly are part of our family and life just wouldn't be the same without them!!!

Precious

Precious: Rare, valuable, very special, or dear, my niece Madison.

I got to spend 5 days over the Thanksgiving holiday with my niece Madison, she flew to Nevada on a jet plane(her first plane ride) with my parents, and here are just a few things I want to remember about her time here.

1. She has the prettiest blue eyes I have ever seen!

2. She is the busiest 14 month old I have ever been around...

3. She is the smartest 14 month old I have ever seen (no I'm not partial.)

4. She loves to say "O WOW."

5. She loves books.

6. She loves her papa very much!

7. She makes me laugh!

8. She blows kisses.

9. She is independent

10. SHE RULES THE ROOST!!!!!!

I'm so thankful for Madison as she is a gift from God a true Miracle, she is so squeezable, huggable, as if you could eat her, she is the sweetest little girl and I'm so proud to be her aunty, I love to spoil her, and I hope to make many fond memories with her and I together, and that she will one day call me her "favorite auntie in the whole world" as I have one of those myself.

Ryder and Madison

My new baby Nephew Ryder Monkus made his appearance into the world on Saturday November 15th, 2008. He weighed in at 8lbs. 9ozs. and was 21 inches long!! His name was picked because if you know my brother his favorite sport is golf, and so Ryder is kind of named after the Ryder Cup of golf, kind of cute I think????? It makes me think of the Ryder Moving Van Company, or as my husband said he will be teased horribly in school with names such as "Ryder Hard Monkus" you have to know my husband to understand that comment. So now I'm an aunty twice first to my adorable neice Madison Jolie Monkus, she will be a very good big sister to Ryder, even though they are only 14 months apart, almost like twins!!! Fitting in itself....