Doing the Happy Dance!

I paid off our Disney World Trip yesterday! 52 more days to go and we will be at my favorite place in the whole world!

I will now spend the next month and a half obsessing over the mail box anxiously awaiting my Mickey Mail!

Emerald Downs

Every year on the 3rd of July we go to Emerald Downs race track for a fun day of races and the most awesome fireworks around. We have been going for about 9 years now! The weather was perfect and the place was packed. The most people I have ever seen there.

Breanne and Mike Texting friends cause hey isn't that what you do at the races.

Here they come. I didn't get may pics of the horses like I usually do. It was just so hot I did not want to move much!


Mike and Liz finding some shade under the chairbrellas. We found these little wonders at Walmart and they have been a life saver! You can see that this pic was taken right after we arrived and before the huge crowds showed up!

Me and Bre plotting our betting strategy.

I didn't get any pics of the fireworks. I have a new camera and the shut down the track lights before I could figure out the night part. Bre got a bunch though so I will try to get some up here later.

Too Hot!

Man Ron and I just aren't used to the 116 degree heat we had in Palm Springs. Luckily everyone has AC or we would have melted for sure. Mostly we stayed inside. Caryns neighbors were away so we got to borrow there pool for a quick cool off. We did make some runs to the store and Ron and I took a breif drive and walk around Palm Springs. It was a very short walk as the heat was unbearable.Trying on hats. I thought this hamburger hat was a winner! Ron not so much.

Palm Springs

Last weekend we went down to Palm Spring for Ed memorial service. We all got together at Caryn's sisters house to remember Ed. It was a sad day but we tried to keep it more about remembering Ed and not a sad dreary affair cause that is how he would have wanted it. I got to meet Caryn's family for the first time and they are all really great.

Caryn, Her Niece and her sisters. (Oh and Me)

It was soo hot that weekend 116 degrees. Heat we are just not used too. We got to spend time with the boys and Caryn which was really nice. Those boys sure are growing up fast. We are hoping that they can make it up here for a visit before the summer is over.

Jack Ron and Grant.

Edward Arthur Gates, Jr.

Our beloved Ed was called home suddenly on June 20, 2009. Edward Arthur Gates, Jr. was born on Nov. 3, 1965, to Sue and Edward Gates in North Hollywood, Calif. He graduated from Clackamas High School in Oregon, 1984. Ed joined the Air Force in 1986 and was stationed in the Philippines. After leaving the Air Force, Ed had many adventures from Band Roadie, working in TV and Films, living on Catalina Island and eventually ending up in the culinary field. His true passion in life was his family and he was a devoted, loving husband and wonderful, caring father. He enjoyed good music, good movies, good food, and great martinis. Ed leaves behind his one true love and wife, Caryn Gates of Cathedral City, Calif.; his best buddies and sons, Jack, 9 and Grant, 2; his mother, Sue Gates of Seattle, Wash.; and his sister, Marsha Sturdevant of Seattle, Wash.; as well as many other relatives and friends that he cherished and adored. His passing leaves all that knew him with deep sorrow, but knowing that he is with his Dad and other loved ones brings us comfort and peace. A service to Celebrate his beautiful Life will be held on June 27, 2009 at 4:00 PM at the home of Ron and Mary Nayfack. Ed, we love you and have all enjoyed and relished this life more because of you being a part of it.

Eddie

On Saturday Evening my Brother Eddie passed away in what appears to have been a heart attack. He was 43 years old.

I don't want it to be true. Ed I will miss you.

Breanne update.

I took Breanne to a new doctor on Monday afternoon. Her name is Dr. Pang and we really liked her. Breanne is still having chest pains and the Zoloft that was prescribed for her anxiety makes her lose her appitite. Which for Breanne is not a good thing. She got weighed at the doctors and is down to 82 lbs!!!! Theydid another EKG which was abnormal so she now has to go have a pediatric EKG done and wear a Holter monitor for 48 hours to see if they can capture her palpitaions and chest pain episodes. We go in on the 29th for both. After a physical exam and a lengthy discusion with the doc she was prescribed new meds for the anxiety, rantadine to make sure the pain she has is not acid reflux and Ambien because she still is not sleeping. So now we wait to see if the new meds help.

Sick of being sick!

I was sick all last week. Ann, my co-worker, was on vacation so I was all alone in the office and sick to boot! I made it through though. Very stressfull week, always is for me when Ann is gone and then add not feeling well on top of that. It finally caught up with me though. I think I did not get the rest I needed over the weekend and on Monday afternoon I really started to feel just awful. Tuesday morning I had lost my voice and was coughing and could barely breath. So I stayed at home in bed all day Tuesday and Wednesday and today I am beggining to feel better. I am happy this is a 3 day weekend so I can get some rest.

Trampolean Fun

Finally got the Trampolene set up and the kids are really enjoying it.Skyler clearing the badmitton net. He could even do a back flip over it!

Mike, Breanne, Eric and Skyler.

Eric, Bre's boyfreind, trying to get her to bounce higher.

It was so much fun just watching them.

Deck day

We have spent the last couple of weekends pressure washing and stipping the front and back decks so we could re-stain them. Ron got the front done last weekend and on Saturday I did the back. Funny how I got the bigger job. Man what a HUGE job it was. We thought 2 gallons of stain would do 2 coats well it barely did 1 coat. She was a thirsty deck!

BEFORE :

AFTER!

It sure looks good now that it is all done.