Ash is home and it's snowing!

Well, judging by our den, you can see that Ashley aka "The Hurricaine" is home!

Her stuff is everywhere, but we're trying to get it organized. TRYING is the word!

So, after her graduation and alot of goodbyes to all her friends, we came home. I returned to work the next 2 days, then came down with a stomach virus which landed me in bed for two days after that! Then it was back to work for a day and now I'm home for a few days and it SNOWS! The girls went outside and actually...get this Dad, ASKED ME TO TAKE THEIR PICTURES! WHA?

and another...

So, then, Ashley was feeling Seattle-ish and wanted to try out her umbrella...SO, here Ashley is pretending to be in Seattle!

AIN'T SHE GORGEOUS! HA

So after all that, we watched movies and went to bed!

This morning, Mike and Court and I jumped in the bed with Ash and wallered all over her with the dogs. I went and got the camera and took a pic of Ash and Court AND the dogs!

Here is another...

tHAT'S THE QUICK CATCH-UP...

OHHHH....Friday night, we all went up to Country Earl's for his Chomp and Stomp. Here is Ash and Grandma Terry...Darrell, I put this on here for you!

I took this picture, by the way. That explains the quality of it! hee

Here is Silker and her sister, Will, dancing...

Here is Courtney dancing...

Ya'll love her new glasses...she looks like Sarah Palin to me! She loves that!

Here she is singing...

NOW I truly and done updating for the moment...

More soon!

Joan

Another Graduating pic...

I cropped this one and I love it!

I'm off to work today, then off for two days to spend with my babies!

Joan

ASH GRADUATED!!!!

We're BACK! That had to be the LONGEST I've ever driven in two days, ever, but it was SOOOO worth it to see my girlie get pinned and meet all her friends and stuff!

There she is getting pinned by Megan, her best friend who is stationed on the FORWARD. She is still in recovery from her illness over the summer, so hopefully will rejoin her boat soon!

Here they are getting in line to march to another ceremony we went to. Ashley is the one laughing

Here she is with...I forget his name, but he's from Arizona headed to San Francisco...WHY anyone would CHOOSE San Francisco is beyond me, but what do I know!

Here she is with 3 of the 4 foreigners (not counting the Yankees...ha) in her class. They were from Haiti and Liberia and SUPER nice!

Here she is being quiet and still and junk.

That didn't last long! BAH-HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Here she is with her sisters, who once again, would NOT let me take their pictures.

Here is a link to all the pics I took with the camera.

http://picasaweb.google.com/joan29662

These haven't been touched up at all because I had to FREAKING work today and tomorrow and haven't had one spare second to fix them up...BUT, me and/or Dad will!

We had a great GREAT trip...it rained the entire time, but I didn't even hardly notice. Britt and Court were sorry they only had two eyeballs apiece to gawk at all the boys there in their uniforms! I thought as I was looking at all the boys, I bet their Moms would be in SHOCK if they saw their sons there, all pressed, clean, un-wrinkled, and sharp looking...and THE BOYS DID IT THEMSELVES! ALL OF IT! I was impressed and so was Britt and Court!

Well, that's about it...I have a ton more to say, but I just got off work and I'm going to bed.

Ash had new tires put on her truck today and Mike bought her some huge tubs to put in her truck. We're HOPING to get her a hard-cover for her truck bed before we leave out week after next for Seattle. We'll see....

They've all gone to Guadalajara's to sing, and I'm going to bed with the dogs!

Joan

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This is the entrance to Ft. Eustice ARMY base...NOT the Coast Guard base. WRONG BASE! (Yes, Even with GPS, I was lost!)

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Ash and court stopped aT a red light

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BM-3 Arnold and her friend.

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Inside the tunnel on I 664 near Norfolk

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Entrance to a tunnel

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Hour 4. 5 my world!

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Concord, NC IHOP!! WOO-HOOOO!!!

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My creative Sister-in-law gave me this great folding basket for Christmas...this is our "roadtrip goodies" !!!

Harold

This weekend, Harold, Caren and his kids all came up to go visit this weekend. That's Mike's Uncle and family. He asked me to post these pics of him on here for his brothers in California to see him. He wants them to see how good he looks and not all sickly. Harold was diagnosed with lung cancer right before Christmas and has already begun Chemo and radiation treatments last week. He is SOOOO optimistic and positive and that has really eased everyone's minds about this whole thing.

Here is Harold while he still has hair! ha

and another.

He really does look great!

The other night, they all piled in his son's pick-up truck to go out to eat and I HAD to take a picture of it. His mother, in the back seat nearly hid, just HAD to ride with them, leaving little room..

It really was hilarious!

Harold wanted me to let everyone know that he is doing great and I agreed to put those pics on here for him!

Today, we went out for lunch and NATURALLY, I had to take pics!

Here is Court in her new glasses and Mike acting stuuuupid..

Here is me and Britt...

She really does love me! ha

Court's boyfriend called her from overseas today and he is doing well and has made it to his destination, so all is well with all that too!

I work tomorrow and Tuesday, then I'm off Wednesday and we leave for YORKTOWN, VIRGINIA ON THURSDAY!!!! WOOOOO-HOOOOOOOO!!!!! Ashley FINALLY GRADUATES! I will be taking the camera AND a video camera to capture it all! Mike can't go due to his having a new job and no vacation time accrued, BUT we'll sure take enuff pics!

We're returning back home on Friday just in time for me to go back to work this weekend. Ash will be home for 2 1/2 weeks, then we head out to SEATTLE! ROADTRIP!!!!!! Now, THAT trip will be a doosy, but fun. We'll leave in plenty of time to stop all along the way and stuff. I'm taking Court's netbook, so I can post pictures from the truck as we're traveling! The wonders of technology! I have promised Dad I will take TONS of pictures and I can't WAIT! FINALLY SOMETHING TO TAKE PICTURES OF BESIDES THE DOGS!!!!

Well, that's all my news for the moment. Stay tuned!

Joan

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We locked the keys in the truck..waiting on Mike to get here to unlock the door! Ha

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My sweet tea at McDonalds!

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Told you, Dad!

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Boomer taking a nap while I practice my guitar. I think I put him to sleep!

I saw my quote of the day is...

Funny Quote of the Day
Happiness is having a large, loving, caring, close-knit family in another city.
George Burns

I just laughed out loud because I'm POSITIVE that's what Ashley thinks EVERY DAY! HAAAAAAAAAAA I think that quote just made my whole day! hee

I'm off to see my parents this morning, to Wal-mart, then to go with Court to the Orthodontist to get her last retainer!

Hope everyone has as great a day as I'm about to!

Joan

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At work...which came first??

attempt

Well, I have discovered taking pictures of objects is harder than it looks. Here is my best attempt of several I took.

Plain, boring picture. OHHHH well, I shall persevere. I did try to put Buddy on the blanket, but he ran off.

Joan

New pics

Not much to report from here! The girls are doing great...Court is THRILLED at the possibility of snow tonight, Britt is asleep and Ashley just texted and is training on the small boat today...COLD and HARD WORK, but she's so HAPPY! I called her one day this week just to say hey and she was laying in bed (at 6:30pm...TOTALLY unheard of even when she had the swine flu! She had trained on the small boat all day. SHE WAS TOO TIRED TO TALK! OMG.)

SO...being left alone with the dogs....I turn to them for entertainment. Unfortunately, whenever they see the camera now, they RUN UNDER THE BEDS. whatev.

Here is the best picture of Harley I have taken...

I bounced the flash off the ceiling to achieve this remarkable photo!

AND...NOOOO, we are NOT New England Patriots fans...at all...ever. Britt got that hideous scarf-thing for her EX-boyfriend to give to Harley. They broke up (yipee) before she could give it to him to give to Harley. See! I'm going to take it off him and throw it away!

This next picture of Boomer, I captured him ASLEEP...SITTING STRAIGHT UP! He's so clever!

I had actually meant to turn the flash off so as not to scare him and him fall off the couch, but I forgot. After I captured this moment, he woke up and ran in the bedroom and got in the bed...for the rest of the day. geeeze.

This next pic I took of Britt right before we took the tree down. I bounced the flash on this one as well. I was trying to see how to avoid having a shadow behind the tree...AND IT WORKED!

I would bore ya'll with more photos, but I'm boring my own self, so I won't bore ya'll!

Today, I plan on taking more pics...of my guitar! You'll see!

I'm just trying to get ready for our trip to Virginia to see Ashley graduate. Gotta capture the moments! Also, I'm SOOOOOOOOOOOO excited to be going to Seattle with Ashley...THINK OF THE PHOTO OPS! ha

More, hopefully more entertaining news, soon!

Joan

MY Christmas 2009 Pictures

The previous pictures taken from Christmas were from Dad. THESE few on here are mine. I''ll add a link towards the bottom of where to go look at all of them. If you aren't my family, then they will bore you to tears, but you can observe the fanTABulous photo skills that I possess.

Firstly, Courtney has met a VERY VERY nice boy, Andy, and brought him over to Silkers house for her annual Christmas party.

Andy in in the Marines stationed out of Camp LeJeune.

Now, I just want to say here that WHY my daughters seem to attract MARINES is beyond me. TOTALLY beyond me.

BUT....

Andy is VERY nice, and very serious minded, which even further baffles me.

I didn't know there were any "serious-minded" Marines since all the other Marines I have known, ain't!

But, there ya have it. Courtney and Andy.

He is being deployed out very very soon, so ya'll all keep him in your thoughts and prayers.

He really is very nice tho, even if he is a Marine. ha

**DISCLAIMER**...IT IS NOT THIS BLOGGERS INTENTION TO INSULT ANY PERSONS IN OUR ARMED FORCES. THIS BLOGGER IS PARTIAL TOWARDS HOWEVER, THE NAVY, AIR FORCE AND COASTGUARD.

THIS BLOGGER WAS BORN AND RAISED IN A NAVY HOUSEHOLD AND THEREFORE WAS NOT ALLOWED TO ASSOCIATE WITH MARINES OF ANY SPECIES.

THIS BLOGGER HAS LEARNED THAT THEY DO INDEED HAVE A VOCABULARY EXCEEDING 4-LETTER WORDS AND DO EAT WITH UTENSILS. (I TOLD you, Dad!)

Now on for Christmas pics...

Here is Harold, Caren and Ash...

Here are some of the family...ain't they purdy?

Here is a terrible picture of some of the family. Art was VERY sick and went home soon after this picture was taken...

Mike had said something loud and scared Grandma Terry...

Here is a picture of the girls and Lauren and Alex at my parents house...

Here is another...I forgot what they're laughing at!

Here are the girls Christmas morning opening presents..

I have put all the rest of the pictures here..http://picasaweb.google.com/arnoldfamily5/Christmas2009#

That's about it for the moment. I have been taking some pictures of the dogs today and I'll put them on here as soon as I get more space on my web album...in just a sec...

More SOON!

Joan