Today We'll Treat You Special....

My kids have the best Dad....ever, I have the best husband a girl could ever wish for. Joe's Dad set the standard so high, he's still running to catch up; and I've been lucky to have men in my life that love me for me. That makes me happy! Happy Father's Day!

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The Ties That Bind

As different as Drew and Hunter are, there is one thing that unites them....music. They both love band and their instruments. This week they were both recognized for their hard work and dedication.

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The week started with Hunter being chosen for the Symphonic Band Medal



And ended with Drew being given an award for Musical Improvement

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Way to go guys :)

Leader of The Band

Yesterday, voted by his peers, Hunter was chosen to guest conduct a song at his spring concert.

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"Hot N Cold"

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Lady Gaga Dance Mix

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"Lets Dance"


Hunter with his first band teacher Mr. H. at Christmas 2008 and last night at his last junior high performance.


On to High School!

History Was Made

It hasn't rained in 5 months, we're in drought mode. That ended Thursday with a huge storm that knocked out power at Drew's school, just in time for his spring concert. As the saying goes, "The show must go on." They performed in the cafeteria under back up lights.

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Summer Resounding!

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Deir In De

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A Hard Day's Night

It was hot, steamy and kinda dark. But I had a great view for taping on a stair case........we haven't seen rain since.

His Delta Tau Chi name is...........

Coconut Head!


Band camp was this week for next years incoming freshman. I asked one of the tubas, why coconut head? He said matter of factly, "because his hair looks like a coconut." Silly me for not noticing.

Let's Dance

Hunter's 8Th grade dance was Friday night.


Before the dance he and his date took pictures by a lake.


Sweet G was there too, looking fabulous :)


Speaking of 8Th grade dances Drew's was just 366 days before Hunter's.

Something I Can Never Say To My Husband.....

On the momentous occasion of the Royal Wedding, I can never say, "Honey, Can we go to London?" Cause I've been there! Almost 16 years to the day. Joe and I along with his parents went to London the week of American Mothers Day, May 14. Exactly two months to the day I became a Mother:)


Buckingham Palace


Big Ben


London Bridge


Windsor Castle


Tea at the Browns


Westminster Abby

We rented a "flat" in Chelsea and hit all the "tourist" hot spots. We went to plays, castles, churches and ate at McDonald's! Joe's favorite story is that I took a $30+ taxi to the closest Dunkin Donuts, which happened to be in Piccadilly Circle, and made the cab driver wait while I got my donuts. Maybe that's why Drew loves donuts so much.

I thought NOTHING could top last Easter, I was wrong. Something magical happens at Garner that can only be described in a Montage :)

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'For She Was Momma

I was going through a box of misc. stuff and found this very OLD picture


Me, back in the day, sitting on my first car with one of my brothers friends.


And then there was this, fast forward a few years. I guess I must have written notes and put them on the doors to keep Drew in. Now we leave the doors wide open and try and get him to go out!

Rest

Drew and Hunter finally got their much need R/R for spring beak. We got a sweet invitation to spend time with friends at their lake house.


They played hours of Monopoly with these two:


Ms. R. has decorated in a 40s style motif that is just precious. There are several ideas I will definitely be coping, after all isn't imitation the sincerest form of flattery. Exhibit A


Prints from the National parks they have visited.


We took a drive and saw this, I guess there's a drive-thru for everything.


The food, fellowship and hospitality was awseome. We came home rested and ready to go back :)

Track Meet II and III

Meet II

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Meet II


For the last 2 weeks Hunter has run the 1600 and the 2400 which just so happen to be the first and LAST event. He packs a snack to eat and hangs out in the stands in between while we go home and rest our eyes from all the hard work of watching him run 1.5 miles! Then we come back at the end and watch him run the mile.


While he pushing through the pain I'm in the stands with this sweet thing, playing with ring bops.


Hunter in "Beast Mode"


She's my go-to girl when I want to try out gift ideas. I take her critique very seriously:)

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Spring "No" Break .....Yet

I've always had the opinion that house work kills. We're doing a little housekeeping today before we get in the full swing of Spring Break.


Ours is not a happy home :(


Oh, Joe's happy. It's a BEAUTIFUL day. He has his play clothes on and is playing in the dirt. Life is good!


It's the spirit of our children we are killing by not providing them with the rest they so desperately need.

He Wrote A Sonet

Drew turned this in as an English project today, worried he's written too many papers about band.

I open my black case, and reach inside,
My hands close around a shiny object.
Quickly I attach the bell to the slide.
I twist the mouthpiece so it won’t eject.

My trombone is put together at last.
I hold the cold brass up against my face,
I take a deep breath and let a note blast.
Playing my trombone is my happy place.

My trombone and I have been through a lot,
In marching band we didn’t make the show,
Nevertheless we worked hard for a spot.
Us two have been friends since long ago.

Gently I unscrew its slide from its bell.
And put my trombone back in its black shell.

He has come such a long way since the end of 5Th when he found out he has perfect lips to play the trombone. Which was not he 1st, 2nd or 3rd choice. He had taken drum lessons in hopes of playing percussion.

His whole 6Th grade year his trombone made it no farther than the back door, where he would drop if off in the afternoon and pick it up in the morning. Everything started "clicking" when try-outs for 7Th grade band started. To this day he has regret about not practicing enough and asks us why we didn't push him more. Like he would have listened!

Fast forward to 9Th grade and band is ALL he talks about. He can take any subject and turn it into a topic about band.


Summer band can't get here fast enough!

Track Meet #1

Hunter's first track meet was yesterday. He ran in the mile and 1.5 mile. Which happened to be to first and last event! The temp swung high and very low. He came in 4Th in the 1.5 mile and somewhere in the middle for the mile. Good Job Hunter!

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Redneck Pole Vaulting

It's track season and Hunter being the dedicated athlete that he is practices at home. In the backyard, with PVC pipes, folding chairs, really nice pillows from his BED and the pole we use to attach skimmer baskets to for the pool. It's like a scene from the rugrats where, in their mind, they're at the Olympics but reality it's just their back yard.

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They look so happy, who would tell them different.

Oh, How the Years Go By

Channel Amy Grant. Last week during the snowstorm debacle of 2011, one of our pipes burst GASP! Joe even "wrapped" it.


Proof there was precipitation- icicles :)


We got a call from a neighbor saying his driveway was flooding thanks to our hose/facet. Joe raced home. I, on the other hand, continued lunch with friends, ha! Full discloser, the neighbor turned the water off to our house. If you've ever lived anywhere the water is turn off regularly, you know what that means.....1 flush per toilet...that's it! TMI, I know.

Back in the day our kids were ALL over helping Joe, fix ANYTHING!


Exhibit A


Exhibit B


Exhibit C


today, not so much.


Drew prefers to have his Dad work around the house while HE is in the comfort of his game room. This all happened before Hunter got home , so we'll just assume he would have been a model son and helped his Dad.


And Joe prefers not to have a kid between his legs while he doing it :)

Valentine's Day 1998

Hunter had tubes put in his ears that morning and Joe and I were on a committee at church that planned valentine dance that evening.

I had just turned 30, wanna know what I got? My FIRST cell phone, it was HUGE! And a VCR! I won't even watch a movie today unless I can get it "on-demand"! The world has changed so much in 13 short years!

Christmas Part II

We got to Chicago just ahead of the snow.


It was Perfect! Drew and Hunter could play in the snow


and we could watch from the warm living room window.


Meet their new brother


and first snowman Jorge- said in a very Latin accent :)


One night we bundled up and headed to Lincoln Park Zoo- they decorate for Christmas and had great lights. It inspired me until I thought about having to take it all down!


The consequences of snow are probably only fun if you're visiting for a week and know you're headed south to warmer temperatures. Like putting salt on the driveway and sidewalks to melt the snow and


SNOW BLOWING!!!! Can I just say.... if I ever live anywhere close to snow, I'm going to have the biggest most bada** snow blower ever!

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and finally Christmas Day!

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Sweet Home Chicago Part I

We've spent a few Christmas' in Chicago, Joe's hometown. Like the year Drew was born, we were living in Moscow, Russia and had plans to got to Elot, Israel for the holiday when we realized because of a surgery, Joe's dad had NEVER held our precious bundle of joy. So, we hopped a plane and surprised them Christmas Eve.


And 3 years earlier-


It was my first "white" Christmas. Me and my sweet SIL MB blowing in the wind to see our breath.

Fast forward to 2010 the forecast was promising a big snow, with lots of family activities and a car begging for a road trip.


Columbia, Mo at Kat's graduation.

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Drew and Hunter's first time in the snow.


hotel fun :)




sweet niece H and her mom-

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who scrapped our car clean of snow in freezing temperatures and outfitted our kids for the week so they won't freeze! That's just the beginning, wait until you meet Jorge!