Drumsticks and Sunshine

Our Black Friday this year was actually quite golden.  No mall, no movie theater, no boots, no gloves, no shoveling.  Just a big blue sky, sixty degree temperatures and a lovely family hike up Goldmine Mountain.  Not sure it burned off the butter fest known as Thanksgiving Twenty-Ten, but it was a start.

Having some family in our hometown made Thanksgiving so easy! Grandparents, cousins and friends came just for the afternoon.  No one had to cross a time zone or brave a blizzard or get the airport pat-down.

The food was all homemade and delicious.  And nothing makes a house feel more like home than hosting family and friends.  Much to be thankful for!

How We're Spending Our Summer Vacation

Swimming in Cincinnati.

Pedi-love in Loveland.

Walking a Purple People Bridge across the Ohio.

Finding fishy friends in Newport.

Slugging in Louisville.

Cruising caverns in Kentucky.

Eating Original Recipe at the original KFC.

Speeding in NASCAR country.

Getting hooked in Kansas City.

Looking at Liberty Jail.

Hiking in Boulder.

Snake-hunting in Brighton, CO.

Camping in Little Cottonwood.

The past two weeks have been some of our most fun, relaxing and memorable days ever. Seeing the country at eye-level is fascinating. Spending time with long-lost friends and relatives-- absolutely priceless.

Thanks so much to everyone who has hosted, fed, or entertained our family in any way. You people are amazing. We owe you. Big Time.

Tomorrow will be the grand splash finale--a day on the lake in Uncle Sco's boat.

Next stop: Sunshine Central (or as Brad likes to call it...Satan's Backyard).

I'll keep you posted.

Spring, I Love You

Me + spring = happy + busy

When the sun starts to shine in April, I suddenly remember what a happy person I am. I didn't recognize how cold and dark things had been all winter. But once the rays come out and I can pull off the parka, I realize that all I needed was a little light and warmth and some vitamin D.

The natural sunlight, and all the springtime business that goes along with it, has pulled me away from the artificial light of my computer screen. I have much to catch up on...

Batter Up

Base/soft/t-ball has basically taken over our lives. Practices, pictures, games, keeping track of everyone's gloves and uniforms. It's a full-time job. So far so good. Jake is a strong lefty, Luke and Em are righties, like me. Sam still doesn't know if he's a left-handed player or a right-handed player...but we love him ambidextrously.

Can you believe it was warm enough to head to the beach last week?

Have I mentioned the weather is glorious? It's been park-hopping and eating on the back patio for us. Mother Nature is kindly helping us keep our house clean.

Two of us freckle, two of us brown like butter and two of us just turn pink. We are all shades of happy around here.

Want to buy our house?

The realtors have been knocking this week. Lots of foot traffic. Lots of good feedback. I spend an awful lot of time wiping out sinks, running up/down stairs to turn on every single light in the house. My home has never been this clean for so many consecutive days.

The youngest "old man" I know

Brad has been around a little bit more lately. It's so nice. Like sunshine, I don't realize how much I miss him until he comes back and lights up my life.

Here is what we do after dinner. The picture is a little shaky, but Emmie's commentary makes me smile.

I Know They Call it Sin City, But it Felt Like Heaven to Me

Leaving three different hometowns, five wonderfully supportive husbands, and one dozen darling children behind, my sisters and mom and I met for a weekend in Vegas. It was sublime.

Why so celestial?

Well. It could've been the supernal suite, the glorious weather, the heavenly food or the supreme shopping. Could've been the bubble baths or dressing up for dinner or sleeping in. Could've been the sensational sights or the masseuse with the fingers of gold.

Could've been any of those things. But it wasn't.

The truth is, any place with these four is heaven on earth to me.

Thanks for a great trip, girls! You are truly my angels.

Male Bonding

Sam + Luke in 30 years?!

Just over twenty years ago, I was babysitting my little cousins for a week. I had a supercute new boyfriend who came over to play with the kids (a little) and watch sports on the big screen (a lot). There may or may not have been some lip action. My mom was very interested in this whole situation, of course, and sent my younger brother over to "bring us some donuts."

Mom's carefully crafted espionage may have thrown a wrench in the romance (as if five kids weren't chaperone enough!), but it was the start of a beautiful friendship. Brad and Josh shook hands manfully, grabbed a couple of chocolate-glazed, plopped down in front of ESPN and started a conversation that hasn't stopped since.

Sports, church, business, family, travel, politics, you name it. These guys talk and talk and talk. They solve the world's problems one free-throw at a time, with me watching, amused, on the sidelines. They see eye to eye and, yet somehow, they still look up to each other.

Together, their job is keeping me humble. Not hard to do. Especially when, like last night, I amble into their late-night bull session feeling the effects of my night-time cold remedy, wild-haired and ranting.

It's ok. They've both seen me looking (and acting) worse.

Josh came with an adorable, lanky sidekick for a weekend visit. There was bowling, building, eating, scary movie-making, scary-movie watching, sledding, Olympic-viewing, and, of course, lots of talking.

At the end of the weekend, it was hard to know who'd had a better time. The men. The boys. Or me, watching, amused, on the sidelines.

Love you, Chase! And, yes, you too, Uncle Bosh!

Living Inside a Snowglobe

This is what it looks like outside my house right now...

And this is what it looks like inside my house right now...

We are living in a snowglobe. A noisy, messy, too-many-snow-cancelled-school-days kind of snowglobe. All shook up.

(By the way, those aren't snowflakes. They are patch marks. Brad started his fix-it-up kick and left polka dots all over the house. Then he left town. The effect of so many polka dots on the mocha family room walls is unsettling. My feng shui is definitely off.)

Yesterday, talking to Emmie via cell phone about the upcoming storm, my mom wondered how our little family would survive. She knew Brad was gone and asked Emily what we would do if we lost power or some other emergency.

Em's answer was matter-of-fact. "Well, we DO have Jake."

And it is remarkable how safe an eleven year old boy can make me feel. Jake built, lit and tended this fire all afternoon. He is quite manly is his woodpile duties and very strict if Sam and Luke get too close to the flame.

Emily and her best friend spent the afternoon building an obstacle course in the basement. It involved every single toy we own and a lot of yelling "not to come down yet!"

For some reason, clean-up isn't nearly as exciting.

Before leaving town, Brad made a SnowDad on the back patio so I wouldn't miss him so much. I enjoy looking at SnowDad through the kitchen window.

But, I think, if we lose power tonight, I just might go knock him over.

You Are...

an island of pink in my sea of blue

Scout + Ramona + Harriet the Spy

not afraid of boys

sensitive

beautiful, but completely oblivious to the fact

going to be a very popular babysitter someday

quick

the original Ms. Independence

confident, capable and competitive

sort of messy, in a creative way

responsible

the best valentine I ever got

nine

Happy Birthday, Squeege! I love you.

Life and Times on Inverness Drive

Item Number One: Purple Sparkly Glasses = Instant Status Symbol.

These specs are to Em what the airsoft gun is to Jake. No crying Four-eyes at our house. These babies are polished, adjusted and discussed with an intensity formerly reserved for Webkinz and soccer trophies. This week, Emily heads to the orthodontist to straighten her smile. (In the tender words of her loving older brother, "Glasses plus braces equals nerd.") The tween years can be humbling.

Item Number Two: Twin Kitty Cats are Always Fun, Sometimes a Twin Brother is Not.

Luke told me that he wants his birthday to be on a different day than Sam's this year. He's over the whole wombmate/roommate thing. I don't blame him, but I'm not exactly sure how to handle it. Having twins was very efficient of me and I really enjoy parenting my children As A Single Unit. Individuality sometimes throws a wrench in my plans.

.

Item Number Three: Jake's birthday was two weeks ago, but I don't have any other photos.

Please note the birthday cake (lemon with cream cheese frosting) which the birthday boy decorated himself. Those are Lego guys battling on top. Brad, of course, chose chocolate velvet pie for his birthday cake. Some things never change.

Item Number Four: Recycling Can Be Fun!

Sam enjoys building with recyclables, counting and the color orange. The best way to freak Sam out is to say "You can have a few marshmallows." He will sit paralyzed for a minute or two and then ask, "Mommy, how many is 'a few'?" Sam appreciates exactness in all aspects of his life

Of Sleep, Sun and Salsa

A million thanks to all you Southwestern sweethearts. It wasn't just the sunshine that kept us warm and the best gifts weren't the ones under the tree.

You made our Christmas magical! We love you.