Lunch with the fam!

Whoo - just flew in from Colorado and boy are my arms (floppy old lady batwings) tired. Actually - we drove, but with 41 mph winds through Nebraska...it felt like flying!

What a time we had. Amy texted that she was bummed that it was over last night. Paul said he was too, as we drove in the driveway. I'm not. Okay, a bit maybe, but in a satisfied way - like a meal you've finished but wish you were still chewing...

Already described night 1. Such fun to have Amo all to ourselves. Jud and Kara arrived late and all were up when we picked them up Saturday a.m. to meet Alvillars for lunch at Rock Bottom. We decided to walk - past the Colorado State Capitol on our way. Lots of folks were out and about on a beautiful a.m. As we posed on the steps of the statehouse, who walked up? Sister Susan and husband Jim! Introductions to Jud's gf.

So we walked to the restaurant with my sissie - catching up on the way. We got seated in the back 40 bar, kinda off by ourselves and niece Leslie and husband (of not quite a year) arrived, followed by niece Jordie. Fund catching up and laughing about fam memories.

Made the mistake of allowing the kids to drink beer (oh, guess they are legal drinking age and made their own choices...still sometimes hard to remember that). They all needed a lil rest before we took them out to the ballgame.

My lil self

I was a cute little thing at some points in my childhood. One such time was when Mom had these cutouts done - check out the baggy knees. In't that precious? I wish my hair was still that un-wavy.

What a cute little haircut! And I like the outfit. Good job Pat B! What a cute little grin on my face - if I do say so my self. This photo cut out is obviously black and white and has a white plastic clip that holds it up. I've got it on my printer's drawer - a real monument to lil me.

my namesake

My niece Leslie Patricia Alvillar just turned 25! And she got engaged to Jordan Lopez a week prior to her birthday. I've not met him, but he sounds like a good guy. She dated him throughout college, and I think he was ready to get married right after she graduated.

But she wasn't ready to settle down yet, so they took a break and dated other people. Until last summer when she realized how much she missed him and they began dating again. Leslie went to college at Claremont McKenna in LaLa Land - Los Angeles. A big step after growing up in much smaller, lots more rural Grand Junction, Colorado. She's the daughter of the "matriarch" of the Bullock girls - Susan, aka Susi or Suso.

I remember when Leslie was born. She was the first grandchild for my parents and boy were they excited! Paul and I were newlyweds living in Osage. I was traveling for Gamble Robinson and was staying in a motel somewhere in Wisconsin - Fon Du Lac, I believe, when Dad called with the news. It's nice to have a niece with my same name, but I realize they named her that more because they liked the name and it is a family name - my Mom's Dad was named Herbert Leslie and I have a cousin Leslie as well. So I can't take full credit.

She was the cutest little thing and was the first tiny baby I was ever really around. She was 1 month old when Cindy got married August 18, 1984. Paul and I went out to Grand Junction for a couple days after the wedding and got to see what it was like to have a tiny one to take care of. Scary!

Leslie has always been smart and funny. She and sis Jordan make funny sayings up and remind me of my sister Cindy and myself. We like to hear ourselves talk. We like to laugh.

Jordan Lopez asked Susi and Jim for their permission to marry Little Leslie (as we in the fam call her) on a recent trip to Grand Junction. Then he took Les to Aspen and proposed on the gondola. They had champagne and a beautiful evening. Leslie has scads of photos with the engagement ring featured in many. Jordan event sent flowers to Susi and Jim that day. He thought of everything!

So we have a big event to go to next summer - Leslie's Big Wedding in LA. Can't wait.