My Middle School Sweetheart - Rick Springfield

Rewind:  It was the 1980s and I was a pre-teen/teen obsessed with Rick Springfield.   Oh how I loved Rick Springfield!

Fast forward to today:  Rick Springfield is 64 (yikes!) and still making music!   For our community's Annual Founder's Day celebration - and 10 year anniversary - they brought in Rick Springfield to put on a free concert.

Oh man, I was excited!  And Jonathan agreed to stay home with the kiddos (after all, he truly had no interest in seeing Rick Springfield anyway).  

As I watched the concert, all giddy to be seeing my childhood heartthrob, this list came to mind:

Jennifer at a concert 20 years ago:
• Paid big bucks for the ticket
• Dressed in my trendiest of clothing
• Uncomfortable shoes
• Lots of makeup and perfume
• Hair perfectly done
• An adult beverage (or two or three)
• Didn’t matter when I got home afterwards

Jennifer at a concert in 2014

• Free concert in the park (Rick Springfield!)
• Dressed in yoga pants and a hoodie
• Comfortable running shoes
• Makeup and perfume were applied that morning – and not reapplied
• Bangs simply pulled back in a clippie
• No adult beverages
• My husband is on-call this week, which made me on-call during the concert. I had to be ready to run home at a moment’s notice.

A friend of mine won backstage passes to meet Rick Springfield.  I admit:  I was envious!   But then it ocurred to me that I hadn't dressed myself up for this concert.  Looking like THIS was no how I wanted to meet THE Rick Springfield.  

Turns out, meeting the man was a big disappointment for my friend.  He said NOTHING to her.  Not even hello. He paused for one blurry mobile phone photo and left.  And that was it. 

As for me, I got some semi-decent pictures on my phone ... but of all, I had a blast - esp. after we made our way to the front and got to sing along with Jessie's Girl ... just 10 feet or so away from Rick Springfield.  GOOD TIMES!! :)

.   

Three happy "old ladies" loving us some Rick Springfield

Elvis has Left the Building

Elvis has left the building and entered the body of our favorite 6 year old!! :)

Good Things Come to Those Who Wait (and wait, and wait, and wait ...)

After a few very small landscaping projects, the time has come for a BIG landscaping project to start this week!  We are soooo excited!   We'll be getting an extension to the patio and a LARGE section of artificial grass.

Artificial grass used to be so very expensive, and people typically got a little "island" of the grass because that was all they could afford.  For example, here is an arial shot of a house down the way.  It is a cute little patch of grass, but awfully small.   And I have seen smaller ...

We wanted a large chunk of grass, and turns out it is ON SALE, so the timing is perfect!   We will still have large sections of the yard that are unfinished (or, one could argue they ARE finished in the style of the natural desert landscape:  rocks, dirt and weeds).   But this phase of the landscaping project is HUGE.  HUGE!!!

Here are the before pictures.

Work beings tomorrow, April 3.  Stay tuned!!!!

Silly Little Family

I love this picture of my silly little family! 

 

It is so hard to get a pic with all three of them looking at the camera and actually giving some sort of smile ... finally got one! :)

Outside Fun (Before it Gets Hot)

The heat will all-too-soon be upon us, so we decided it was a perfect day for a picnic and outside adventures!

This picture cracks me up ... it is a pine cone, but looks like she pooped.