the shoe tree

have you ever seen this:



i have.

it's called the shoe tree.

my first recollection of this tree is as a junior high student.

driving along route 50, "the Loneliest Highway",

to and from different sporting or church events.

it was always a fun sighting during a long drive.

the tree is a large cottonwood, the only sizable tree for miles around, and there are shoes all the way to the top.

a few shoes have even begun to stray into a nearby smaller tree.
Local legend says that a young couple had an argument on their wedding night and the bride, in a rage threw one of her shoes into the tree.

somehow, this started it all.

now, it's over.

someone cut it down.

i feel sad.

i may just throw a pair of shoes on the next tree i see

in memory of the shoe tree.

just a little ditty

yesterday was a great day.

have you seen this movie?

i took my girls yesterday to watch it.

it is officially my favorite animated disney film.

i was laughing out-loud and i cried twice too.

you should go see it.

it's sooooooo good.

did you watch this game?

me either.

i actually started to

(b/c as you know, this is the biggest game for unr EVER)

i fell asleep in the first quarter.

(i went black friday shopping at midnight that morning

and was emotionally drained from watching tangled. i was exhausted.)

jeff took me to bed.

i woke-up today and found out about the game from the web.

jeff got pounced for not waking me.

i'm headed to watch the game now.

thankful for DVR.

way to go alma mater

NoNv

i had not been to my home town in over 5 years.

i needed to see the home i grew-up in.

jeff made sure i really got to see it.

he ran up to the door, knocked, and then promptly ran back

to the car and left jill and i on the front steps.

the intruders...i mean new owners were nice enough

to let me walk through.

i left in tears knowing i may never be back and grateful

that the place i love is being taken care of by a family

that loves it as much as i do.

the mother said that right when her family moved in the

home had a great aura and feeling of love.

she also said that she and husband love it so much that

this will be there their last home.

we got to go to lake lahontan with my bff's family.

the girls weren't timid at all with the brown/green water.

hayley's brother brought out his boat and the girls loved that too.

when we busted out the wakeboard, jill and camille were

glued to the back of the boat watching all the action.

 

their dad looked pretty hot throwing all his sweet tricks.

i even landing my first jump ever.

while hayley showed me up with jump after jump.

hopefully soon we'll have a boat of our own...

later in the week, we went to my college town.

and spent the day with my brother's family

i wished we lived closer together.

my trip to NoNv was made complete by one. last. stop.

lake tahoe!

easily in the top three favorite places ever for me.

i think the girls agree with me.

the beauty of the place surpasses the pain felt by the

frigid temps of the water.

i chased schools of fish around as i snorkeled in the crystal clear water.

jeff admired the wildlife we miss living in se arizona.

"there is a place that i love the best,

fairer than all i can see.

out in the heart of the golden west,

home means Nevada to me."

                         

then and now

it's been 10 years since this:

10 years ago i graduated High School.

can i really be that old?

wierd.

our mascot was the mighty Greenwave.

are you intimidated yet?

whats that? you don't understand?

i didn't either...at least for awhile.

you see i grew up in a small farming town.

greenwave is the waves that the alfalfa makes as the wind blows.

or something like that.

intimidating right? would you be scared to play us in football?

anyway, me and the fam made the trek to NoNv for the reunion.

i had a wonderful time catching up with some important great friends

(save a few that couldn't make the trip)

we posed for pictures and laughed as we remembered old times.

 

i even saw my fellow "best smile" senior person voting thing guy thingy...

then and .....................................................................now.

good times.

Halloween Week

Monday: Crane family party.

i was out catching bugs (more specifically ladybugs)

millers could only stand that costume for so long

jill got a new bff (the pumpkin has a cute little panted face).

she is still (yes, even today) carrying it around and treating it like a baby.

tues: carving party and pizza with the fryer fam

wed: roasting fresh seeds

jills new fav snack

thurs: ward trunk-or-treat

jeff and a few of his best buds

todd: paul bunion

jeff: nasty mexian wrestler

jordan: joker (the best of the night)

jill could be caught all week with a sucker in her mouth.
i caught a snarl toward the greasy man trying to get a picture with her



Halloween: Schnepfs Farm
Gma netty meet us for fun at this country gem by my house.



my little Tabby cat

jill had a blast on the carousal,

at the pig races,

at the petting zoo,

and on the pony rides.

on a side note:

Halloween day is also Nevada Day

here's to my home state, home of my alma mater,

and having Halloween day off of school growing up.