"Try Our Chicken Chunks"

That is what was posted outside a local burger and soft serve restaurant here in town. I would have taken a picture, but I fear the small town syndrome, someone knows someone who put it up, and now they hate me... so they will remain unseen. But seriously, this is just gross. There is NEVER a time (except when describing chocolate) that you should use the word chunks to talk about a meal. The word actually has the reverse meaning to me, and makes me think of vomit. Sorry, but it's true.
Blowing chunks.
NOT eating them.

Ahh, life indeed.

For a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin -- real life.
But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be got through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid.
Then life would begin.
At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life.
- Fr. Alfred D’Souza

For a friend...

If you judge people, you have no time to love them.
Mother Teresa

Afternoon at the park

We tried to lunch outside, but it proved a bit to windy for the boys, so we resorted to a picnic in the burb!

Old friend tree is still big and strong.

The space shuttle is landing tonight, you know.

And Micah, well, what can you say about Micah?

Blackbird Singing In The Dead Of Night...

Take these broken wings and learn to fly...

SO, it runs in the family!

My Aunt Janet (Zach's Mom) sent me this picture of Zach! She says it must run in the family! Very cool Zach, very cool!

Zach graduates!

Here are some photos of my cousin Zach graduating from basic training! He looks so great! And I have to brag a little bit... He was one of only three people, out of two hundred and ten to recieve a promotion! Amazing, and so proud!

These are my cousins, Zach, the stud Army dude, Luke, who is Isaiah's age, and Rachel, Zach's older sister.

Check it out...

Ever so rarely I do put new items on Etsy... just in case you wanted to know. :)
The link to my site is in my blogroll.
Have a happy day!

Happy Easter to all!

This is as close to perfect as we could get, it started to snow, so we had to quit.

Baskets galore... and we added one more!

Even the birds were confused, didn't know what to do... Snow on Easter... boo hoo hoo.

Random Pictures...

Yet another nap in Mom's bed.

The kid's had a hard time leaving Steve alone after he got home!

The little boys trying on their Easter outfits.

Daddy's Girls

It's True!

The fabulous neighbor comes through again, with this amazing stunt. Apparently this can only be performed on the spring equinox, something to do with the gravitational pull today. Pretty amazing. Hannah and I were the only ones that could do it! Check out Jean's picture!

The key

Today, while I was sitting on the bed, Micah held a green plastic key. All of a sudden, he started poking me with the key. When I asked him what he was doing, he said that he was locking up all my mean words. What mean words, I asked. He said, the one's you use when I am doing things to get in trouble. Oh. At this point he started poking me again. Hey, I thought I was already locked up! No, Mom, now I am turning it the other way. So, what does that do? It makes only beautiful words come out of your mouth. Of course. I should have known.

My blue eyed boy....

Steve's home.

Made it back around 11:30pm last night. So glad. Thinking he is way better looking at 36 than he was at 35.
(p.s. my tattoo loving is wearing off on him, notice the "Miami Ink" shirt!)

A blog I love

Last week I came across a blog, set up by a man named Will. I came across it purely by chance, just hit the next blog button at the top of the page. Will's blog was the third one I came to, the other's not being in english. I began to read, and watch his videos. Will is the younger brother to Dan, of whom the blog is about. Dan has Down Syndrome. Dan is a gift.
Will is an artist, an actor, a singer, and a courageous little brother. He has some physical issues as well, he is missing his large intestine. This has proven to be a gift, as it allowed Will to come home, and begin this documentary on Dan. I want you to meet Dan. I fell in love with him by the end of the first video I watched.
I wrote Will a quick e-mail to tell him how his stories of Dan had touched me. He wrote back and said that he had not yet even shared the blog with the people who already know and love Dan. He said that it was an encouragement to him, to see how Dan's life impacts even those who don't know Dan.
I am not kidding you, you have to read and watch. You will be changed. You will fall in love. You will feel more deeply, cry a little harder, and understand a little more.
Meet Dan.

Reflecting

This morning I was thinking back to when I was in second grade. My parents were recently divorced, which in today's world seems perfectly normal. Back then, it was still not the norm, and I was the only kid I knew, who's parents were divorced. My sister and I used to spend every other weekend with my Dad. He lived in this small apartment behind a store called Fred Meyer. I don't remember a lot about the apartment, but I assume it was only a one bedroom, because I do remember sleeping on the floor or the couch, in the living room. My father was new to bachlorhood, and knew how to cook very few things. I believe we ate pot roast every weekend for a while. He had a glass top table for four. I remember thinking to myself that a glass top table didn't make sense with kids. The reality was, he wasn't with kids. Only for a couple of days every other week. My most vivid memory of those trips to the little apartment, were breakfast. Hostess donut sticks in a box, and a glass (not a cup) of milk. I loved those donut sticks. I remember looking so forward to them. We were allowed to eat them straight out of the box. We were allowed to eat them in front of the t.v. watching cartoons, while my Dad took a shower. It was like we were bachlors too. I always felt so strange, eating those donut sticks, on the floor, wrapped in blankets watching Tom and Jerry. But I liked it. It was my first taste of independence, as odd as that sounds. And to this day, every time I think about those donut sticks, I smile a little smile.

Pineapple

No great insight here, just wish I had one. Juicy, FRESH, sweet, and straight from the islands.

-

And in those moments just before night turns to day.. the only light that could be found, was the cool glow from her computer screen.

Naptime in Mommy's bed

As far as the kids go...

There are some days when no matter what I say it feels like I'm far away in another country & whoever is doing the translating has had far too much to drink
-- Story People

Check out the Cheeks!

These are absolutely, completely, totally REAL sunburned cheeks! So exciting! The kids were outside from 11AM until 5PM, only came in for food once!

More fun ones.

So, seriously, should I be worried?

Nah, he is just expressive, right?

Hannah and Brody were pretty darn cute too.

My boys love me.

Micah and Brody spent yesterday morning collecting these for me. It's true, they love me.

Yes, they ate the apples....