Well, we once again, took off on another adventure with our friends, Joe and Hallie. 
Hallie and I got the guys Zipline Tickets for Christmas, and headed up to
Whistler to have some fun. 
The guys had a great time on the mountain, and
Hallie and I thoroughly enjoyed the village.
( I have to post the pictures here in different posts, as I can't figure out what is happening with blogger, but when I go to add pics to a post, it takes forever.) 

This was the view from our hotel room.  It was a great place to stay.  Well, except of course for the one little issue with one of the robes.  I will probably be scarred for life and I just cannot seem to be strong enough to blog about it.  So I will just leave it at that.  Do I recommend the hotel?  Absolutely!  It was cozy and nice.  Do I recommend the robes?  Uhhh...not so much.

It doesn't show up in this picture below, but atop the left mountain is a gondola, it is called "Peak To Peak" and a huge cable goes from one mountaintop to the other.  It was pretty amazing.

At the base of the mountain.  This was mine and Hallies view during lunch.  Not to shabby!

After lunch we needed an afternoon warm-up.  So we went into this place that looked rather inviting.  It wasn't until after we were inside that we noticed the pictures on the walls.  Let me just say, that when Hallie and I left, we did NOT leave a picture of our "bosoms" behind for them to add to their collection.

The drinks were rather yummy...I cannot name some of the drinks that this place offered on this website...but our friend Joe...he wanted to know what was in each of those drinks.  Shame On You Joey J.

This was the Olympic Square, where the medal ceremonies were.  Had fun posing in the rings...Go USA!  Oh, hmmm...and for Tony and Joe and Hallie....GO CANADA, too. :)

Turned out a little dark but this is the memorial for the Georgian luger, Nodar Kumaritashvili, that crashed and passed away during the Olympics. 

I was so enthralled with the ice everywhere.  They were dangerous!  One would definately not want to be in line with one of these dropping from all of the roofs...I would say that some serious damage could be done.

On the way home we found the falls that Hallie had been telling us about.  I would love to get a camera that shows the color and beauty that was all around us.  One of these days...
We thought it would be a short little stroll along a friendly little path...uhhh...not so.  Instead, we went slip-sliding away through the parking lot, up the trails, and finally to the falls.  Everything was a solid sheet of ice.  Me, being the ADVENTUROUS one that I am, of course, sailed passed Tony and Joe and Hallie.  I don't know why they are so afraid of everything but I will definately have to help them curb their fears.  (Disclaimer...those who know me, know that was an absolute un-true fact...)

  I loved this place...that is the fireplace I want in the new house.  Wishful thinking, I know.

Solid ice...Absolutely BEAUTIFUL!

Here are the Zipline pictures.  The company sent them to us.  The guys had a GREAT time, and Hallie and I are totally patting ourselves on the backs for giving such a FANTASTIC Christmas gift.  We truely are FABULOUS wives!

Joey J...please suck it up and be a man...open your eyes and enjoy the ride.  You will be ok...really you will.  YOU CAN DO THIS!

We are glad you guys had a great time....truth is, you deserved it.  And all joking aside about how you thought we booked this trip so that we could get away from laundry, cooking, cleaning, screaming children, mooing cows kind of life...we really just wanted to do it for YOU.  You boys work so hard, we believe you needed this getaway. 

Needless to say, it was good for us too. :)

Happy Birthday To My Numero Uno Amiga!!

I have a friend and her name is Ana Banana...
Well, actually her name is Ana Maria Pico Royball...
She lives far away and I miss her like CRAZY!

I have known Ana Banana for over 23 years...and I believe it was 22 years ago when she became my Numero Uno Amiga! She taught me spanish...she taught me all the BAD words in spanish too!! I have forgotten my spanish, but I have not forgotten the bad words. Hmmm...guess she taught me those too well!

Ana Banana and I had alot of really fun times...

Here you can see we doubled to our prom. I was QUEEN...She was NOT. HAHAHAHAHAHA!! Oh, wait, I am sorry...let me rephrase that...My boyfriend and I were prom king and queen. Ana Banana and Brian were there to support and cheer and be the best friends they could be! Ana and Brian did not have the best prom, but I am still glad we went together cause I had my bestie at the prom and Jason had his bestie at the prom. Could it be any better than that?! A memory I will never forget...me and Ana...BFF's. Well, it was 1989...so guess there weren't "BFF's" back then. That is 2010 terminology.  But we were once called "Those Bi@#@*!" by a fellow baton twirler when we hid from her. We thought we were so funny! Obviously, she didn't think our joke was so funny. When we heard her utter those words, we didn't know if we should come out of hiding or not. We chose the latter! We were not very brave!  Yes, Ana Banana and I were baton twirlers.  I taught her how to twirl the baton.  One time during one of our practices...Ana threw up her baton really high.  About 2 seconds before it hit my head she yelled, "Ei Dios Jimi!  Look out!"  Ya, a little too late you nutcase!  I think I still  have an indent on my head.

Here is a picture of Ana Banana and I on our last night in Arizona together. Two wild and crazy white/mexican girls out on the town. We went to Dairy Queen. Ate our last Ana Banana Split at the Vista Park....that is until the female police officer came up and told us we had to leave. We were obviously intoxicated with CALCIUM and Banana's and Strawberries...OOOOHHHHH!! "Bad Girls Bad Girls...What Cha Gonna Do? What Cha Gonna Do When They Come For YOU!!" We then laughed. And laughed. And laughed some more. Then we headed up to Old Bisbee...drove through the streets asking innocent bystanders, "Pardon Me...but do you have any Grey Poupon?", in our best french accents. Nobody had any Grey Poupon. It was Old Bisbee after all!

Ya, I suppose a couple of old chaps like these fine fellows

would not have any Grey Poupon!

The local spots in town...well, we were always too chicken to go to the parties on the outskirts of town. My dad was a border patrolman there, and I knew all of the law enforcement in town. What on earth would they say if they knew if I was at one of those drunkin' stuper parties out at the rifle range?! And poor Ana Banana....she was just as scared as me. But we were rather rebellious from time to time...bet all you Bisbee partiers did not know that Ana Banana and I ventured out to the rifle range a time or two...only to get all of you in sight and...and..and...CALL THE POLICE! Ok, not really! We did not call the police you silly people! We sat there saying to each other..."Should we go?" "Yes!" "No!" "Lets Go!" "No!" "We will stay for 5 minutes!" "NONONO....someone is coming! Lets get out of here!!" I then hit a pot hole, got stuck, and I don't remember if I got a flat tire or not...but I remember the panic that you all would be saying, "Why on earth are you here?!" But truth be known you were each our friends and would have welcomed us with open arms (And Open Beers)! But we were too afraid of getting caught!
So, once again we would laugh and laugh and laugh...and drive away...

Oh the memories...so long ago. But I am so glad I had my Ana Banana. I loved her and she loved me. I think she is the only friend who has ever called me at midnight, when I moved away, crying her eyes out saying, "Please Jimi, don't move away. I will miss you so much!"
My numero uno Amiga was going to miss me...and I believed her. Cause I was going to miss her too.
I have never found another Ana Banana.
I am not sure anyone has ever missed me so very much.
That is how I know my Ana Banana was the best Ana Banana out there!
I have found lots of amazing friends, and some I love to laugh with just as much.
But Ana Banana will always be my Ana Banana.
Even when we don't talk so much, or even though she NEVER WRITES ME LETTERS...or, EVEN THOUGH I HAVE NOT GOTTEN A PICTURE OF HER DAUGHTER IN ABOUT 7 YEARS....I still love my Ana Banana....
and in the lingo of 2011:
2 My Numero Uno Amiga...U R My BMFF (best mexican friend forever)...

I will never ever forget our special times together. I went back for you wedding in 1997, and that was the last time I saw you. I miss you! One of these days I will make it back to Bisbee and You and Me sistah are going to the Dairy Queen...Ana Banana Splits all around!
I hope you have a FABULOUS 29th Birthday!
Feliz Cumplianos Mi Amiga...
I hope it is your best yet!!

Oh, and by the way...I got your email...thankyou for getting the info for me!  Will call you soon!! :)

It's A New Year!

To Blog...Or Not To Blog...
Now THAT is the question?!
Well, it is a new year...and I have been filled with the delimma of...do I want to continue blogging?  I don't think really anyone reads it anymore....but I am not really sure if I am writing in my blog for the world to see, or for long distance relatives to read, or just merely for me to do what I love to do...and that is write.  I started my blog thinking it would be a fun way for my family in California and friends in Arizona to see what a crazy life I live with my family on our farm.  It slowly went from, "This is what we are up to" to "this is the crazy story of the week".  I would get a few emails, "Hey, I saw your blog, great pictures!"  or, "Funny story!"  I guess feedback is always good, as it gives a sense of direction.  Thoughts would go from, "Ok, I think they liked that one" then I would think, "I don't think anyone is reading this anymore."  Truth is, I don't really know what others think.  I know I have gone from starting this blog, and putting on a counter and now I have almost 17,000 hits.  I think that means there have been a couple loyals out there! :)
So, here we are in the year 2011!!  Can you believe it?  I think...I like to blog.  I think...I should continue!  I think...(no, it doesn't hurt...)...I think I like sitting here in my little solitude, telling my boring kid stories.  I like to share what life is like on our little farm.  We have new things coming up for us in the new year, and this is going to be my place to vent my little tidbits.  Biggest event this year?  We are building our new house!
We are so excited...but there are so many decisions to make!  Floors, cabinets, paint, fireplace?  Should we pad the walls to the playroom?  That way when we lock the kids in there, we won't hear a thing and they can fight it out all they want!  Do we put bars on Kaycee's windows, as she is appearing to be better than Houdini at escaping.

So many thoughts and so much to say.  Is it just a place for me to chat to myself, as I am so surrounded by kids life that I am starting to talk to myself, and people look at me funny?!  Well, I think I like it and I think I will just keep on talking!
So, it looks like I am back.

I haven't been here in quite awhile.  Lots has happened since the fall...some sad, some happy.  Kids are good.  Farm is good.  Life is good.  Christmas was great.  2011 has started and here we are at the end of January!  Wow!  Where is the time going? 
Guess I better sign off...I have a crying 2 year old, dinner to be made, and a night to finish off.  I hope whoever enjoyed reading my blog in the first place continues to enjoy it.  For those who have left...goodbye, you are always welcome to come back and visit!  And for me...who writes all this nonsense...quite rambling and get to cooking dinner!
CIAO!