Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I am so incredibly thankful for all that I have - we are truly blessed in so many ways. Looking forward to a fantastic day spent with friends and family. May your Thanksgiving be just as wonderful!

Happy Anniversary Mom & Dad!

A Toast To 36 Years! 

Wishing you both happiness

as you look back

at all you have shared

during the past

and still more happiness

as you look to the years ahead!

Congratulations!

Love,

Us

Happy Halloween/Birthday!

We had a great Halloween and birthday celebration yesterday! Before we proceeded with our Halloween festivities, Bryan got to open up his presents. It was definitely a skateboard theme this year  - go figure. This skateboard Cam and I bought him was actually one Bryan rode back in '85 ...

These were a couple of skate books we got him - yes ... books - and were also a big hit. One was graffiti art and the other is full of skateboard decks from years past. He had a great time pointing out the ones he used to have to Cam ...  :)

On to Halloween ...Cam was an extremely large skeleton bobblehead that was a big hit.

This one was kind of creepy because of the transparent arms on his costume ... little eerie ...

He decided to forego the black gown that came with the "head" and opted for his SK8 ASYLUM t-shirt instead.

We didn't argue with him. In fact, it was great marketing if you ask me! With some of the other kids wearing our shirts too, along with this ...  we figured we were covered.  :)  (Is this there anything wrong with this?!!)

All in all it was a great night - lots of trick-or-treaters. The kids had fun hanging together, as did the parents, celebrating Bryan's birthday! The big 35 ... he's getting up there! Hope everyone had a great night as well!!

Happy Grandparent's Day!

Few can bring the warmth

We can find in their embrace,
And little more is needed to bring love.
Than the smile on their face.

They've a supply of precious stories,
Yet they've time to wipe a tear,
Or give us reasons to make us laugh,
They grow more precious through the years.

I believe that God sent us Grandparents
As our legacy from above,
To share the moments of our life,
As extra measures of His love.
-By Author Unknown

To all of our wonderful Grandma and Grandpas ... we love you! But that's the easy part ... the hard part is being away from all of you! Thanks for being the best and for all the love you give. Wishing you all a wonderful day - please know you are all in our thoughts today. We miss you!

9-11-01

I remember what I was doing exactly eight years ago today. I’m sure you all do. It's right up there with the Challenger explosion for me, and even the start of the Persian Gulf war - the first war to occur in my lifetime, in which I was old enough to know what was going on. Life pretty much came to a halt with the somewhat rude awakening that a terrorist attack of this nature could occur. On our own soil. Eight years ago exactly at this time, I was watching the news and getting ready for work. It was just another day. Eight years ago, and in about a 1/2 hour, that all changed. The breaking news story came on. I was paralyzed in the spot I was standing. Even more so when the second plane hit - and I realized that it wasn't a replay, but another attack. Happening at that moment. Live. Cameron had just turned 1. I was still a new mommy. I was devastated. My first thought was about all those parents that lost a child in that daycare center. All those people that lost a child working in the building. All those people that lost a child on the airplane. Then I started crying. I had only been back to work from maternity leave for a few months and I remember dropping Cameron off at Bryan's aunt's house and how hard it was for me to leave. The third hijacked planed crashed into the Pentagon while I was on the freeway to work. I remember there being a lot of traffic and it moving slowly. People were numb and listening to the radio intently. Nobody at work was even working. There were groups of people all huddled around TVs, computers, radios, whatever they could, just to get some information. And when the last plane crashed, I remember the silence that followed. No phones. No talking, nothing. More numbness. Some people just got up and left. I think I called Sara - again. Just to calm myself. Reassure myself that this was happening at the other end of the country and Cameron was okay. But it didn't matter the distance. We all felt the pain and the shock and the big question of Why? I couldn't wait to go home and see my husband and son.

Some pictures I pulled from the web ...

So in honor of September 11, I just wanted to take a minute and recollect as well as pay tribute to those lives that were lost. Now ... I'm going upstairs to give my baby a kiss, a hug, wake him up for school and thank god that my family is here with me.

Happy Birthday Cameron!

My baby is 9 today!

I can't believe it. I was giving him the rundown of what was happening 9 years ago "at this time" and "right now I was doing this" and just cannot fathom that it has been that long already. He requested daddy's special breakfast burritos this morning before school, and we've got homemade nachos requested for dinner. Plus the chocolate cream pie that mom made for dessert AND of course, his presents. I was told I was a little cruel this morning ... for having his presents and some balloons sitting on the kitchen table when he came down for breakfast. Of course he couldn't open them ... daddy wasn't home. So he was a bit ticked. I guess I don't blame him. Sitting there eating his burrito and staring at them. Knowing he can't open them until later. He told me to move them away. But no ... I'm cruel. Oh well. As for now, I took a few pictures this morning (Cam took a few self-portraits as well) so I thought I'd post them. Check back later for more!

And this ... was Cameron's response after I explained for the fifth time that yes, he still had to go to school on his birthday.



He has his "friend" birthday party on Saturday, so I'll be sure and post pics of that later.

Happy belated Labor Day!

Just a quick post. Hope everyone had a good weekend. Our was great ... we had fun hanging out with mom and dad, relaxing - a lot, and actually worked for a bit. It was pretty busy, but great overall. Think it was successful in the "business" sense, and gave us LOTS to think about. More on that later. I know, rude, huh? ;)

Thought this was a great quote to start out a short work week! Yahoo!

"Nobody says you must laugh, but a sense of humor can help you overlook the unattractive, tolerate the unpleasant, cope with the unexpected, and smile through the day." ~Ann Landers

A child of one

... can be taught not to do certain things such as tough a hot stove,
turn on the gas,
pull lamps off their tables by their cords,
or wake mommy before noon. ~Joan Rivers

Happy Birthday Dad!

Happy Birthday to a "true classic"!

"When I was little,

I thought good luck meant

picking a four-leaf clover or

finding a penny heads up or

seeing a shooting star.

Now I know

it was having you for a dad!"

Just want you to know

that we're thinking about you today

and hoping it's a great one!

Love,

Us

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Wednesday Funny

Two young boys walked into a pharmacy one day, picked out a box of tampons and proceeded to the checkout counter. The man at the counter asked the older boy, "Son, how old are you?"

"Eight," the boy replied.

The man continued, "Do you know what these are used for?"

The boy replied, "Not exactly, but they aren't for me. They're for him. He's my brother. He's four. We saw on TV that if you use these you would be able to swim and ride a bike. Right now, he can't do either."

Words for Women to Live By

1. Aspire to be Barbie - the bitch has everything.

2. If the shoe fits - buy them in every color.

3. Take life with a pinch of salt ... A wedge of lime, and a shot of tequila.

4. In need of a support group? - Cocktail hour with the girls!

5. Go on the 30 day diet. (I'm on it and so far I've lost 15 days).

6. When life gets you down just put on your big girl panties and deal with it.
7. Let your greatest fear in life be that there is no PMS and this is just your personality.
8. I know I'm in my own little world, but it's ok. They know me here.
9. Lead me not into temptation, I can find it myself.
10. Don't get your knickers in a knot; it solves nothing and makes you walk funny.
11. When life gives you lemons - turn it into lemonade then mix it with vodka.
12. Keep your chin up, only the first 40 years of parenthood are the hardest.
13. If it has Tires or Testicles it's gonna give you trouble.
14. By the time a women realizes her mother was right, she has a daughter (or son) who thinks she's wrong.

As Eleanor Roosevelt once said ...

In the long run,

we shape our lives,

and we shape ourselves.

The process never ends until we die.

And the choices we make

are ultimately our own responsibility.

Happy Fourth of July!

Hi everyone - hopefully you all have plans to enjoy this great holiday. It has been quite the week here ... I took a couple of days off from work and really spent them working around the house. You know ... fun stuff: baseboards, plant shelves, kitchen cupboards, Cam's ROOM, things like that. Pretty much things that have been put off way too long. I also squeezed in a few appointments, so it was pretty busy. It felt like something had been accomplished, so I suppose that is always a good thing. Another week of skate camp is complete. Cam's been having so much fun, and really progressing with his skating. There was a skate contest this morning at one of the local skate parks, but the thought of skating in the heat didn't seem too appealing. Yeah, me either. Now how about an annual New Year's skate contest, or even Memorial Day? Seriously ... Fourth of July is not the holiday to expect a good turnout. The weather has been stifling. And pretty crazy. It's rained off and on the last few days which is great ... when it keeps raining. The few drops here and there suck - all it does is bring the humidity up and it is miserable. Today is clear and not a cloud in the sky. It should be perfect for our BBQ/party we've got planned for today. Looking forward to it! Our week also consisted of heading tot he theater to see Transformers. Loved it. Thought the first one was better, but this was really good. And ... we also watched Gran Torino which was EXCELLENT. Clint Eastwood was amazing in this movie. It was a tear-jerker, so watch out. But in a great way. It also had some great humor in it, which made it a great all-around flick! Honestly that's about all we've been up to. Not too exciting - but I'll take it. Have a great weekend!

Happy Father's Day!

To all the Dad's out there ... may you enjoy your day to it's fullest! And just a few messages for some of the "Dad's" in my life ...

To my Dad,
You're the kind of dad who shows his love by endlessly protecting and providing for his family. Your devotion and strength gives us strength and speaks louder than words about the kind of dad you are. This is just one in a million reasons why you deserve to be honored today!

And ...

To my wonderful father-in-law,
Thank you for who you are, for the things you do, and for just being you. We are all incredibly lucky to have you in our lives.

I hope for you both that today is full of wonderful memories and the year ahead is full of many reasons to celebrate. We love you!

And ... last but not least ...

To my husband,
You are at the heart of all the most wonderful things in my life... a happy home, a beautiful son, and a love that never stops. I couldn't ask for more!

Thought for the Day

"Adults are always asking little kids what they want to be when they grow up because they're looking for ideas."

~Paula Poundstone

Quote of the Day

"Think about what a better world it would be if we all, the whole world,

had cookies and milk about three o'clock every afternoon

and then lay down on our blankets for a nap."

~Barbara Jordan

Happy Mother's Day

To All The Mothers Out There:

May the love you've given others come full circle back to you.

Thank you for ALL you do to make life so much greater and brighter.

You make life happier for so many others

and you make everyday something to celebrate!

Well I hope everyone is having a fabulous Mother's Day! Cameron woke me up this morning to snuggle, and then asked if I wanted to open his present yet. I asked him what time it was and he said, "Well it's ALMOST seven." But then he fell asleep for a bit, so that was nice. :) When I woke up again there was breakfast and coffee downstairs, beautiful flowers (see above), and a FANTASTIC hammock in the backyard. It is the perfect spot for me to catch some rays by the pool, or hang out with a great book. It was Cam's idea, Bryan said, but he financed it. :) Then there was Cameron's masterpiece, that he has been talking about all week. In fact, when he came home with it on Friday, he wanted to know if I wanted to open it. I told him I would wait. He was so excited! As he should be ... I've taken some pics of the book he made, and each page so you could get the full effect of how perfect it is.

If you cried, it's okay.
So did I.
In fact, I read it through three different times, and cried each time.
Wonder if that will pass?
Probably not.

Happy Mother's Day to my mom, it's been a rough couple of weeks. Her and dad are in Portland visiting with my Uncle, and right where they should be. Mom - I hope for you a day of peace and contentment. Thanks for all you have done, and all you continue to do for Theresa and I and the rest of the family. We are headed out to see Denise later today, and wish her a Happy Mother's Day as well! She definitely deserves it. Kudos to her for putting up with Bryan all these years. Ha! Our day will be spent relaxing here, Bryan needs to mow the lawn, so Cam and I will be lounging in the pool. I'm not sure it gets any better than that.

Happy Easter!

I hope everyone had a wonderful day, ours couldn't have been better! Cam started off the day by hunting down his Easter basket ... finally found it in the office under the desk - silly rabbit! Breakfast and mimosas followed, of course, and then a bit of yard work. The weather was gorgeous! We headed over to Mike and Denise's for dinner and had a great time! The food was fantastic, the dessert was even better (we had quite the selection of cheesecake, and each one was delicious!) and Mike and I polished off the wine with no problems. :) Cam had some Easter eggs to find in Grandma and Papa's backyard, not the most observant little fella, that's for sure. It took a while. Then Bryan had an itch to fish, so he dug out the fishing pole and hat and went to work. He and Cam had fun fishing, and skipping rocks across the lake. Cam needs some practice, as he so eloquently admitted, "I suck." All in all it was a great day!

The Basket

Mommy's Easter breakfast

Looking for those hidden eggs ...




I thought you guys said I was close to one?

Glad the eggs have all been found!

Certainly not the most flattering picture of mom, but ... Cam took it of us, so I thought I'd include it.

Bryan and Cam shootin' the breeze




Daddy/son bonding moment



Shucks Honey! I'm fishin'! Can ya git me anotha' beer?




FINALLY!
Cam was laughing because the fish's tail kept batting around and he was just waiting for it to smack Bryan in the face. Bryan's smiling because he FINALLY caught a fish. It was a carp, and Bryan thought it to be about 6 lbs. Mike's laughing because it was more like 2 lbs and he's just thankful we weren't waiting for him to catch our Easter dinner.