July 2025: Summer fun and busy-ness

Bought this Janome sewing machine this summer with a trade-in of my two older machines (I only got $90 for both). After using it several times, I think I would have been fine keeping the old ones--especially the price of the Janome was $600 on sale. But I'm keeping it and using it till it breaks!

Some books I read this summer

The two photographs that we bought at the arts and crafts fair in Arizona in early July. I had them matted and framed at Hobby Lobby.

My mama looks old without her teeth! She loves playing games often

View of the clubhouse from our house roof balcony

Pretty new flooring on our roof balcony that ended up bowing! We got a refund from Lowe's and would later get the whole flooring replaced with TREX by our same contractor, Bill Estrada and his guys.

One on one time with my sweet Hannah girl. Playing Suspend here.

The Albuquerque Vein & Laser Institute where I met with Dr. Cutchen about the pain in my right leg. He's a really nice doctor with a really nice clinic and waiting area. I learned that the superficial vein in my leg had a broken valve that was causing blood to pool in my ankle. I made an appointment to have the veins zapped (some were treated with lasers; some injected with a chemical that kills them; and some were surgically removed).

Movie outing with the Dunlap kids

The Cheesecake Factory lunch date with Jacob's family

Special cheesecake slice for the birthday girl, Shauna

Second harvest from our garden boxes

Wednesday, July 23rd: We had Ron and Crystal Holmes and their boys (plus Landon Greene who was staying with them since his family moved to Florida this summer) over for dinner and outdoor fun

Landon Greene was in our Sunday School class a while back

And so was Wyatt Holmes. The two boys are best friends.

Sunday, July 20th: Jess and Seb invited us over for a yummy BBQ including smash burgers, hot dogs, corn on the cob, fruit, and more--so delicious! We always love spending time with our kids.

Babysitting the Dunlap kiddo's after school with an early dinner, playing at North Domingo Baca Park (Hudson sat on a bench looking at his phone the whole time), cool refreshments at Bahama Bucks, and taxiing them to their sports practices. 

At Bahama Bucks after the park

Saturday, July 19th: Dinner and games with Jacob's sweet family

One on one pickleball with Jacob

Ice cream bar for dessert

Corn Hole toss

July 18th: Elise's last Dive Meet at Valley High School

Great job on those dives, Elise!

Tuesday, July 15th: Lunch at Applebee's with Patti and her sister Jill from Montana. These two are crazy fun together!

Monday, July 14th: We had Jacob's family over for dinner and games, which is always a fun time for all of us. I love those sweet kiddo's!

Playing pickleball with my boy

Friday, July 11th: Firehouse dinner with the Dunlap kids during one of my babysitting days after picking the girls up from school

Mike's new pickleball shirt and mug from my sister Jacquie

Meat and potatoes meal--yum

Our first garden here is growing fast!

A jungle of tomato plants overshadowed the pepper plants

The one zucchini plant overshadowed the cucumber plants

We had a rodent chewing on our veggies--probably a squirrel

We got more zucchini than anything, and they were beautiful

Green tomatoes

Lovely green bell pepper

Plenty of Basil

Perfect cucumber. Most of them were short and fat.

Taking the Dunlap girls to their Cheerleading practice at the Double Eagle Elementary School field (where Beau also had his football practices)

And dinner at our house afterwards

Time for some Corn Hole fun

Our newest clubhouse guest, Hal Blegen from San Antonio and a friend and work associate of Sam's. He stayed with us for two weeks Sunday July 27th-Saturday August 2nd). Such a nice guy! 

Our first ripe tomatoes and cucumber