Day 400, Birthdays Rock!

How cute is this? My Dad checking out my newly tinted windows. Thanks for the birthday gift Dad :) No, it's not my birthday.... not for a couple of months... but my Dad is awesome!! Early b-day present... and Mindy has tinted windows. I'm still in the honeymoon stage with my car...getting to know each other.

The real birthday celebration goes to Taylor,,, now known as Tucson Taylor. Today he turned 19. Wow. How did my kids get so old? Three more days till Andrew comes home....and then Taylor will be his new companion for the next 2 1/2 months. It's just so cool!

So, Raechel... darling... Looks like you are next on the birthday list. Hmmmm. I wonder.....

Aren't birthday's great?

Day 113, Happy Birthday to me ;)

One year older and wiser too.... Happy Birthday.... to you! I received an amazing number of birthday greetings and wishes this year! Wow.. that was super cool! Thank you everyone! Ron and I actually celebrated on Sunday...with the king crab boil (YUM!) and chocolate cake..... then tonight Ron made another one of  my faavorite dinners. What a guy!
Today I discovered that I can attach my IPOD to my home theatre surround sound system in my classroom. That was waaaay awesome! Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks? I even learned (thanks to RaeLo) how to download music onto my IPOD... I've only had it a year... it was time :) So.... either you CAN teach an old dog new tricks... or I'm really not that old! Either way.... I win :)
I see where Raechel did her top ten worst Christmas songs ever.... so I thought I'd include a few of my own here.... I apologize in advance if I am about to ick someone's wow. Here we go (No particular order):
1) Feliz Navidad (it was fun the first 5 million times I heard it....now it's just annoying.)
2) Ave Maria...(I mean, really..... it's a beautiful piece of music.... but some people just should NOT try to sing it! Why does every  Tom, Dick and Jane think they need to include it on their CD?)
3) Santa Baby.... GRRRR The worst part is, even though I hate it, I find myself singing along! AAAHHHRRRR
4) Baby It's Cold Outside.... not bad when Dean Martin does it... but no one else should try.
5) Sleigh Ride.... Sorry, I know it's a holiday favorite... but sooooooo over done. I can almost tolerate Henry Mancini's version.
6) All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth.... Oh come on! You must be joking! I don't know a person a live who is missing their front teeth that doesn't want something else for Christmas!
7) The 12 Days of Christmas..... do I need to justify this one?
8) The Chipmunk Song..... Okay... If I want to listen to them, I'll rent the cartoon.

That's it for now... If I think of a couple more, I'll add them tomorrow. How about you? What are your least favorite Christmas songs?

Here are some of my favorites:  White Christmas, Silver Bells, The Little Drummer Boy, Winter Wonderland, Blue Christmas, Jingle Bell  Rock, What Child is This?, O Holy Night, Silent Night, Do You Hear What I Hear? For Unto Us a Child is Born.....
That's just the beginning ;)
Time for bed..... Hmmmm I'm sitting on the floor in front of the fireplace,,, and I am 98% certain that I smell cat pee somewhere in the room. Great!

Day 58, 22 years ago...

22 years ago.... in a galaxy far, far away.... a beautiful, perfect little baby girl was born. I will never forget the feeling of complete awe that swept through me as I held her for the first time. I remember the excitement I experienced when my parents saw her for the first time. My own (then) 25 years melted away in a flash, and for a split second I saw what must have been in my parent's eyes when they saw me for the first time. That fleeting moment was priceless, and something I shall treasure forever. Raechel is everything a mother could hope for a daughter to be; she is beautiful, healthy, intelligent, funny, and tenderhearted. She has been my daughter, friend, confidant, helper, and on occasion, advisor. It is my privilege to be her mom. My prayer for her is that she will be happy and fulfilled in her life. Always.

Also celebrating a birthday today, is my soon-to-be daughter-in-law, Jen, who only five days ago, brought beautiful Jane Ellen into the world. Jen now knows the feeling I had 22 years ago tonight when I held Raechel in my arms for the first time. Our prayers are still with Jen and Ryan--that very soon they will bring their little girl home for good.

"Real birthdays are not annual affairs. Real birthdays are the days when we have a new birth." ~ Ralph Parlette


What will the "new birth" be in your life this year?

Day 41, Taylor is 18!

Happy 18 Taylor. You are now a member of the majority. You can buy a car, get a loan, stay out after curfew, enter into a legal contract, and work overtime! Wow! What will you do with all this freedom? Oh, did I mention, you need a job in order to do all those things? The world is yours to experience and explore; man-up and make the most of it! Your destiny and your success are now solely in your hands. I love you wholeheartedly and unconditionally.

My husband is the king of the RAK today. He took me to see "Love Happens," without complaining (too much.) He even wiped away my tears. What a guy! I'm sure there is a boxing match or ultimate fighting competition in my near future to make up for stealing another piece of his manhood. Thank you honey.

I made my first double-layered pineapple upside down cake today (Taylor's request.) Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks?

"Birthdays are good for you. Statistics show that the people who have the most live the longest." Larry Lorenzoni