Jen Returns!

After major computer problems, numerous outings and one family disaster, I am back to blogging! It has been one He** of a month and I am quite frankly glad to have it behind me for the most part.

Right after the 4th of July, I started having trouble with my computer. It starting acting very strange it became harder and harder to get online. Thinking it was my AOL browser, I downloaded a couple of other browswers to try them out. Doing so only made the problem much, much worse. So, I took my Gateway computer - that I custom ordered and paid big bucks for - to my local computer repair place. They called me a couple of days later saying that the machine was working fine - and it did for a couple of days - but they they whole computer became totally unresponsive and will not work at all.

I felt at first that I ought to try and have my Gateway fixed. It was quite expensive afterall but my husband encouraged me to just go and buy another one. So, yesterday, he took me to Best Buy and I chose a Sony - and purchased the extended service plan. So far, so good. Even the Windows Vista is not what I thought it would be and all is well!

In the meantime, we had planned a trip to Yellowstone Park. It was so hot that we decided at the last minute to change our plans and head to Couer d Alene, Idaho to visit Silverwood Theme park instead. In the end, I was glad we went to Couer d Alene because as soon as we had made our plans, my 92 year old Grandmother passed away and my Dad was a wreck. After all sorts of drama that I don't care to recount, I finally ended up in Idaho with my family enjoying cool weather and having a great time riding some rides and eating everything that I should not!

We also had Owen's 4th birthday party. He had a wonderful time and is thrilled to be a big boy now. Of course, all of the boys that we invited we on vacations with their families so it was Owen, his sister, all of his cousins (who are all girls) and Owen's friend Lindsay. All the girls did a great job of being really excited over toys meant for boys and had a great time trying on Owen's Batman wings and playing with the remote control cars and Transformers. All in all, a great day!

So, now things are beginning to wind down and we are getting ready to settle in for the school year. I am getting the paperwork together for Maya's Kindergarten registration and going through all of her clothes and shoes to make way for the new wardrobe! She is very excited and I am scared to death. My baby girl is going to ride the bus with all those other big kids and eat lunch without me. I have resolved NOT to cry about it, but I am not sure I will make it

I give all of you my word of honor that I will visit blogs very soon. I hope all of you are well! Take care and enjoy what is left of summer!

My sisters and I were playing on blogthings and I found this quiz.

Your Blog Should Be Blue

Your blog is a peaceful, calming force in the blogosphere. You tend to avoid conflict - you're more likely to share than rant. From your social causes to cute pet photos, your life is a (mostly) open book.

What Color Should Your Blog or Journal Be?

The funny thing is, I dislike blue - a lot. I do not mind Cinderella Ballgown Blue so much, as for most other shades of blue, I do not like them. I really do not know why either. It is just one of those things I guess.

So, what color should you blog be?

Back from the House of Mouse.....

Our trip to California is sadly over. I really enjoyed it - in spite of the heat and crowds and would go back next week if I could.

Let me start with the hotel. The Grand Californian is where we stayed. I chose this particular hotel because the travel agent suggested it. We took my mother in law - who is over 70 - with us and I wanted her to be comfortable and be able to go to her room if she needed to rest. The Grand Californian, with it's private entrance into Disney's California Adventure, was the absolute best location.

The Grand Californian is an Arts and Crafts style lodge - totally my style - well, one of them anyway. Very nice and very big! The pools were great and the food was plentiful and all fantastic! Our hotel was not terribly crowded and we had two rooms with a view of Downtown Disney. Maya loved that! She could hear all of the music that was playing and watch all the people as they walked by. Owen was, as usual, indifferent to the entire Disney experience. Owen.

We went on as many rides as we could handle. They were all a lot of fun but I have to say that my very favorite was the newly reworked Pirates of the Carribean. It was great and both of the kids loved it. I will not say anything more about it because I would not want to ruin any of the details for anyone.

In spite of the crowds, we really did not wait in any really long lines for any of the rides. We used the FastPass gizmo for some things, but most of the time, we just waited in line - never waiting for more than about 20 minutes or so. I was quite impressed with that. The most fun for the kids was Mr. Toad's Wild Ride and Buzz Lightyear's AstroBlasters.

It was crowded at this time of the year and Maya and I were the only ones of our group to cope with that fact very well. Crowds do not bother me. Traffic does not bother me. I had a great time in spite of the complaining and lack of help from the other two adults - who were both so overwhelmed by the crowds that they were a bit out of sorts. No big deal. I am used to such things and we all got on well and had a great time in the end. The only thing I wish is that I could have done a bit of shopping for myself. That is not happening with two kids!

I also got the chance to meet my friend Sharon Lathan. She and sat in the lobby of the Grand Californian for a couple of hours and gabbed. She was lovely - very Jane Bennet like - and we were instant friends. I think she and I could have gone on for quite some time, but we both needed to get back to our respective families. Now I have the idea of taking a vacation, sans my family, and meeting up with Sharon and a few of our fellow Darcy Saga fans. That would be awesome to do some day! Someday....

When I got back, I was shocked and humbled to find that I have had a blog award bestowed upon me by my friend Jenster. I am thrilled to be the recipient a Rockin' Blogger Award. Try as I might, I could not get the graphic to load. My DSL is down again so I will have to give it another try in a day or so. Thank you Jenster! You are an awesome friend and a TOTALLY ROCKIN" BLOGGER!!!