Just keep Swimming...

WOW! Have I had a week! Goodness, Goodness! I tell you this wedding stuff it keeps a girl busy!!! I got a manicure/pedicure on Tuesday with the Bride and the other Bridesmaids in the wedding, let me tell you that was pretty funny! Right after that we went and had the pre-make up putting on thing, I dont know what you would call that so by the end of the night I was wearing black capris and a black shirt that said "Love Stinks" on it, with pink toe and finger nails and pretty pretty make up. Theresa (the bride) just keep saying "You look soooo pretty." and staring at me so I am sure I looked different. Wednesday night was the Bachlorette party that I planned, WOW it was fun. We had dinner at a great little mexican place and then went to a club called the Cowboy and danced the night away. It was the night of a bikini contest and one of our gals entered and did well that was funny. We all had on name tags that said "Tonight my name is..." Mine of course was Nanette, she is my alter bar ego to keep a girl safe when strange boys talk to her...not me of course...they just talk to Nanette. I would post pictures, but I don't have the camera so I will when I can. WE dance dance danced and believe it or not that has become one of my favorite things to do. Last night was a trip with the Bridal party (me and the other maids had pink shirts that said bridesmaids and the brides had one that said bride and so on for the groom and groomsmen) to Dave and Busters think adult chucky cheese. I am the archade basket ball champion by the way. Tonight we reherse and have good food and tomorrow is the big day. I have been practicing walking in my shoes so I hope I don't trip or something. It should be a good time, it is a Catholic service so it will be a little long but it is a great bunch of people so I know it will be fun! In other news I have my dads big digital camera so I have a few shoots to do for Blue Room in the next couple of weeks and that is about all for now. I am wiped out due to all the fun I have been having so I am going to go take a nap now. Talk later!

Monica

Sprenkle Kin

Hi
Just thought I would write to say hi and tell you all about my Fourth of July weekend plans. I have Friday, Monday and of course Friday off. I am currently sitting around my very HOT house (no airconditioning and the temp is about 100 degrees!) preparing to go on a long (hopefully) backpacking trip to Northern California. We (Mike, Ian and I) are hiking the Lost Coast Trail. It is a 25 mile stretch of coast that is not beside a road. The 1 or PCH is a couple miles away. Anyway, We will hike mostly on the sand and some in the foot hills/cliffs beside the beach. The pictures on the internet are very beautiful. Hopefully we can take pictures just as beautiful. We will post them sometime next week.

I had a great time with mom and Deidre. We went to the beach up near Ventura. It was very cold but we still got in the water and had a nice time. We also went to the Getty-a musuem. It was very cool. It was also awesome to watch mom see the art. I thought I had an appriciation for art but her appreciation was very apparent on her face and so much greater than mine! And to watch her look at the orginal art of famous artists was pretty damn cool!! They are now with Kathy inland. Mom thought it was hot here! It is hotter inland. But as mom said Kathy has air conditioning. I would be inland too if I could! I guess they were at the beach today and they are going to hike in Forest Falls Friday. Then I think Mom and Deidre go home on Saturday morning.

Well I guess that is all for now. I hope that everyone has a wonderful Fourth of July weekend. Be safe and have a ton of fun!!!
Love to you all
~~~Suz

1:00 a.m. It's my B-day!

It is 1:00 a.m. on June 23, 2006....I am 24 years old officialy! Ummmm yeah aren't I supposed to be 14? Anyway! I know I should be in bed mom but what can you do...I guess not watching court TV before you go to bed alone in your apartment MIGHT help...but oh well. Aunt Cindy mom gave me my candel plates I LOVE THEM thank you thank you! My friends are jealous as always that I have such a cool family. So yeah, 24 years...you guys sure have put up with me for a long time!! Grandma sent me some pictures of when I and some of my cousins were little I love that she does that! Remember my third birthday that was a Luau, or the Rainbow Bright bike I had with a banana seat and platic spokes? Oh yes good times! There is also a picture of me with a goat in Truchas wearing the UGLIEST coat ever! I must have picked it out myself because WOW it is all kinds of neon and polka doted and UGLY! Mom is holding a goat in the picture which makes me laugh and I think Theresa is poking it but I can't be sure. In honor of my birthday I am going to take the weekend off and when I say off I mean OFF i am not doing a thing I don't want to do until Monday when I have to go back to work. I think me and my gals are going to BBQ and then go swim at my friend Pauls pool it will be loverly. They wanted to set me up on a blind date for my birthday which I am not convinced isn't going to still happen, that worries me a litle. I am eating a big ol' pot of mac and cheese right now which I think is proof that you can grow old and not up. My phone has been ringing since midnight so I guess I have a lot of friends who both know I don't sleep AND that it is my birthday so that is fun. I think I am going to have lunch with my biggest sissy tomorrow and perhaps catch a movie with my friend Shawna in the afternoon. Yes, Kath and Cindy I think I do remember a 16th I think birthday where you guys and Grandma helped me face my fear of heights AND water by parasailing...how fun was that!! And I found a picture today momma of my 18th birthday cake that was just a little tiny one because it was just you and me which was never a bad thing.
Anyway...I am getting sentamental in my old age and just wanted to say hello to my family on my birthday, it really stinks sometimes that we aren't closer but it is on days like today that I am very thankful for all of you and all of the memories that we have made in my 24 years and before and every day after today. Not a lot of people have a family like ours and I am soooooo glad that you all are in mine!!! My friend told me today that she has an aunt and she "thinks" four cousins but she has never even met them...I can't wrap my head around that. Anyway I love you all berry berry much and heres to 24 more years!!!
And one more thing...momma I love you! I am ok, I promise! Sometimes a girl just misses her mommy! I love that you love me enough to worry and for 24 years you have done a great job of it, today is our anniversary as much as my birthday so happy anniversary!
~~~~HUGS~~~~~
Moni

Hi ya'll

Just popping in for a couple short seconds to say yes, I am alive, and summer has finally made it to the East Coast. Good LAWD it is muggy out there!!

Am in summer school, taking 2 more pre-reqs. Bah. In about 15 minutes I have to give a speech about Teddy Roosevelt. Makes me feel like I'm in 4th grade, but I guess they want us to know how to tell other people about presidents when we grow up. Feel free to ask me anything about our 26th president!

Home is good... I planted some Hosta and Impatients, they're doing well and really pretty. I'm afraid the kids in the neighborhood tromped on my Impatients the other day though, so I'm going to have to show them that their crochety old lady neighbor won't stand for that kind of hooliganism.

Sarah is done with her night shifts this week. I'm so proud of her! I could never do these 12 hour overnight shifts, but she does them w/ no complaints (well, ok, just a few). Her nurse mentor said that she was ready to be a big girl nurse already, so that's encouraging. I think it takes a special kind of person to want to be w/ sick people all day. I couldn't do it that is for sure.

Um... what else? I think we might go up to Sarah's parent's house in Long Island for 4th of July. Sarah's dad has a sail boat that I might go out on, only in the Bay because otherwise "we'll need a bigger boat". No Jaws for me thanks.

In August we're going to a really cute B&B in Philadelphia, then taking a day trip to New Hope, PA. It is a really cute artist's community, where I will spend most of my time saying $50!! My Aunt Cindy/mom/Aunt Teresa could make that for $12!! We should create our own artist's colony hmm?

I got an antique typewriter the other day, it is gorgeous! I wrote a letter to Uncle Larry the other day on it, because I always remember that he types his letters.

Ok, I've gotta go talk about Roosevelt now. Love to you all!!!

-aimee

HELLO TO EVERYONE

I just love to come here and read about what everyone is up to. From Hummingbirds to quilts for orphans, to graduations and wedding parties. You can find it here. It is kinda funny that now that school is out the blog is pretty quiet but obviously school is boring and you try to get out of school work by typing on the blog. Summer on the other hand has fun stuff to do. I am not sure what the "adults" problem is.

Had a great trip to ABQ last week. Of course the time went too fast and all of that. Loved the I-25 route and saw tons of antelope and scraggly deer. My new I-pod deally that I got from my girls for my birthday provided just the right music for the trip. (Aimee loaded it for me) I felt 49 again! YIPEEEE.

Cindy's new floor looks awesome and I took some pictures. Will try to get them up. Paul did a great job and could be convinced to install flooring for others (Aimee) just for a plane ticket there. Only took him 2 days to do his mom's.

I found all the Maestas family doing well and way too busy as always. Valerie is SO SMART and such a hoot. She is going to a YMCA summer program during the day and does tons of activities including making a commercial for the incumbent candidate for governor. Jessie is going ninety to nothin' and looks so good. She has the best smile and such a great sense of humor! Paul is actually in an ESL classroom this summer with real kids (YIKES). He had only been with kids one day when I saw him and liked it just fine. Hope it continues that way. He is right on track with school and before we know it he will have his own classroom and he too can start a collection of apple mugs, and apple ties and apple magnets and apple notepads etc....If I may speak for us all, and I can, we are so proud of Paul and the great job he is doing with school, work and raising Val.

Okay, guess this is getting a little leeennngggthhhy as David would say. Rachel and Gunar are right on track to close on their house at the end of the month and celebrate their 1 year anniversay as homeowners, Aimee is doing fine, aren't you Aimee, and will doing even better when Sarah gets off of the night shift! Monica is Monica as seen in her blog below. And that is all I have to say for now. Whew!!!! Love you guys!

HAPPY FATHER's DAY
to the lone Sprenkle male on the blog!

It's been a while...

OK lets see what has been going on in the wild world of Monica. Lets see...my work has been crazy busy with fathers day coming so I have been working a ton. When I am not working I have been getting ready for this wedding I will be in on the first let me tell you it got a little sticky the other day when the lady who is altering the dresses was pressing mine and burnt a hole in it. Thank goodness I didn't do it but it looks like we found a way to fix it so that is good. The bride only had a small heart attack and seems to be recovering nicely. I planned that bachlorette party this week and sent out invites, I was going to have it at a skating rink as the bride wants an all ages type event but it was kindly mentioned to me the number of bones I have broken and the fact it might not be a good idea to have the bridal party on wheels. A conceded and now we are going to a really neat Mexican restaurant and to the club after. Speaking of clubs my friends and I went out for my birthday this last Friday it was a lot of fun, my friend Jeff tried to teach me to two step it was a disaster I don't know how I made it out of western Kansas without knowing how. My real birthday is on Friday of this week and I think a smaller group of us will be going to Lawrence for the occasion, out to dinner and then who knows. I am supposed to get a fire house tour as well. On Monday I am taking care of my friend Natalies four year old son Sage over night...that should be interesting. We are going to go see the new movie Cars...after that I am out...we'll figure out something he is a good kid and we hang out a lot so he should be just fine and if anything goes TOO wrong I have her moms number whew. Right now I am supposed to be cleaning my apartment getting ready for him and my new roommate. Sometime in July my friend Shalyn from school will be moving in with me, it should be a lot of fun. She has been a truck driver for the last couple of years and now she is coming off the road and going to college. I have known her since preschool which brings the length of our friendship to 20 years as we were four when we met...it is kinda funny knowing a person that long. Anyway I am rambling BAD and ya'll are waiting for me to close so I will. Hope all are well and I send my love!
~~~~~HUGS~~~~
Monica

we have hummingbirds

yep, there is a hummingbird nest in our backyard here in So Cal.
today is the first day that Ive seen the mom nesting on it, so shes prolly just now laying her eggs, but I checked it out and it takes about 2 weeks for the eggs to hatch and then 3 more for them to leave the nest. so well take lots of pics and make a great timeline for it. you can check out a timeline of baby hummingbirds at http://www.learner.org/jnorth/tm/humm/NestWeeklyCQs.html
its pretty cool

Silence on the Blog

I find it funny that during the school year when everyone is very busy there is more going on on the blog and now that it is summer less and less ends up here. I have been sad each day that I log on and see nothing new. I too am to blame. Not much going on. I took a character building backpacking trip over Memorial day. It snowed on us and I have never been so cold in my life! Pictures will be up in the next week or so on http://airnewt.smugmug.com I am doing it that way instead of choosing a couple to put up on the blog. Go there and you can see other backpacking photos too. Work is going well. I am liking my work and southern California. We went to the San Diego Wild Animal Park Saturday and it was a ton of fun! Very cool animals. My only dissapointment was not being able to feed the giraffes as they are remodeling! I did get to feed the Lerakees (spelling) which are colorful birds if you did not know. The icky thing about that is I got peed on! There will be pics on the above site soon of the Park too.

I was on ABC local news the other day briefly. I was inteviewed because I am making about 16 quilts for a friend who is going to work in Uganda for a month at both an orphanage and with a speech language pathologist, the only one in the country for both peds and adults. Here is the link if you would like to see me for two seconds http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=seenon&id=4255558

Mom is coming out here for a visit. She comes out the 23rd and will be here until that Tuesday when she will go to Aunt Kathy one day more than she will spend with me. Not that I am counting! :) Speaking of Kathy--Rumor has it there is a party this coming weekend? Let me know when so I can crash the party!

I had better get going! I will see some of you soon! I cant wait! Nicole, my backpacking trip to the SF area may be falling apart but the trip may still occur. Iwill keep you posted if we do end up your way so you can reseve mattress space for me. :) People let us know what you are up to. Rachel, Aimee, Lindsay, anyone everyone?
Love
~~~Suzanne

its official

I am not homeless and have a place to live!
I moved into my new place last weekend, my parents come up to help me for the weekend, which went way to fast. anyways I unpacked my last box today, and the only thing we really need is a couch for the living room. Summer school is going fast, which is good cause im ready to enjoy my summer break. Anyways I have plently of room and an extra matress if any of y'all are compelled to come visit, maybe make uncle larry come out and visit too! One disclaimer though just because my rent is an outragious 1700 per month doesnt imply that Im getting my moneys worth...meaning although the apartment is big doesnt mean that it is in the best condition and doesnt have a list of things to be fixed. but besides that...I fly down to So Cal next week for Ty's graduation, it makes me feel old though, I have to admit. I think my mom might be having a grad party for him that weekend too.
Thats all for now, talk to ya' all later
oh, aunt cindy are you coming to CA over 4th of July weekend? I heard a rumer.......

me and my floors

Finally getting the wood floors done in my house. Only a year in the making!! Paul and I are doing it. It is awesome and fun! Paul has a knack for it and is really enjoying it. He has just come to the realization that if he is going to be a teacher, he should probably find something he also enjoys doing that he might make some money doing. He thinks something like this might be the thing. And he really liked making my gate and did a great job especially for his first one. He is going to do Deidre's gates later this summer. His summer school starts Monday.

Everyone is fine as far as I know. Just found out that Mike's birthday was yesterday, the 1st, but Zan just let us know, sooooooo......will send belated. Zan. how was the memorial weekend trip and hike???? Where are the pics??

Loved the pics Kath!! Awesome. Will send the dvd of mom's and extra pics soon. Sorry. The floor came in and everything else sort of went out the window.

RAchel....the house is great! CAn't wait to see it. Good luck, Mr. and Mrs. Homeowner!!

WEll, I have to go....lots to do and miles to go before I sleep! Hey, that sounds cool. Maybe I should write a poem and include that somewhere!! Aimee....what do you think????

Will be in touch all. Love the blog. Cindy

Sprenkle Kin

ty and his buddys prom picture - crazy guys


a couple of tys pictures from the beach out here and san francisco