C is Six!!

I’m not sure there is a child who loves birthdays more. You were so excited for your birthday that you made your own birthday banner several weeks ago so it would be ready for the big day. You made sure I stayed on task yesterday making your cupcakes for your class and your birthday cake for later today. You helped with every step of the way. You are someone who knows what he wants. You wanted oatmeal, eggs and toast for breakfast and even when I told you that might be too much you would not be swayed and you did indeed eat it all!

I love being your mom. I love that you aren’t too old for hugs and snuggling with me. I love that you love school ( most of the time ) and basketball and you have lots of friends. You are quite the ladies’ man and seem to follow the footsteps of your brothers in that department. I have mothers come up to me all the time telling me that their daughters are always talking about you. You have such a big heart and I hope you have a wonderful day!!

We love you big boy!!

Love Your Family!!

Hugs from the past

Today is my grandmother's birthday. She passed away a couple years ago so I'm eating some red vines (one of her favorites) today while I listen to a cd.

My parents are very smart people. When I was a little girl they took a tape recorder to my grandparents' home and asked them all kinds of questions about their lives and what it was like growing up, serving in the war, having polio, and raising children back then. I don't know if they realized the priceless possession they were creating at the time. Those tapes have been in my parent's home for decades.

Both my grandparents (on my mom's side) have passed away now. Both are missed terribly. This past Christmas my parents had those tapes transferred to cds and gave them to us kids for gifts. I knew I wanted to listen to them right away. I knew I wanted to be alone and have some time to just sit and drink in their voices and stories.

Today I did just that.

The only way I can really describe what it feels like to hear their voices, is a hug from the past. My whole family is there. You can hear us as kids in the back ground. Both my parents are asking questions. There are amazing stories of strength and there are hilarious stories too. I miss their laughs. I miss their voices. I'm so glad my parent's made these tapes so long ago and made them into cds for us now.

What I was also amazed at is that I'm probably about that age now. I have young kids. I need to be taping my parents and husband's parents histories so they are not lost.

Thanks Mom and Dad. It truly is a hug from the past!

Dear Aunt Deb

My Aunt wrote my sisters and I an email asking for posts. Yea, I suppose the winter blahs make blogging boring for more people than me. I have written several posts only to become so overwhelmingly bored before I finish it that I delete it instead. This. One. I. will. finish.!!!

We have done some sprucing of the house to see if it would make sense to refinance recently. We have put a lot of blood, sweat, tears, and mucho dinero into this house and it would be nice to get some of that back. K made some calls and the next thing I know we have an appraiser coming by. (By the way...thinking of maybe getting an appraiser's license. Anyone having any input on that?)

Anyway, K got online and started reading that they pretty much look for your house to look like it's ready to sell...as in spotless...as in everything working and beautiful...He read this Friday afternoon. She came Saturday morning at 11. We barely slept that night. We were putting up brand new awesome light fixtures outside the house in the freezing cold until 11pm at night. Picture it...two non electricians standing outside with a huge spotlight on them in the midnight hours hoping to not burn down the house! It was awesome. not.

We scrubbed. We hid just about anything we had to hide in order for a picture to look good of each room. We made the long list of everything we had fixed in the house and also printed out pictures for her to see the before/after shots. We changed every light bulb. You name it. We did it.

We are tired. I haven't cleaned much this week at all. Too much cleaning last week. Still tired. I actually called my mom and told her to come quick cause my house was the cleanest it had ever been and I wasn't sure it was gonna look that way again. Sad but true. And then while I was on the phone some spilled some cookies and then stepped on them. Yep. Told you it wouldn't last long. Good thing I took some shots of my own first.

Oh and the appraisal went great. She was very complimentary and she appraised it for more than we had hoped for. Whew! Maybe we can stay in the house after all :)

the kitchen...I need another shot of the kitchen cause I'm missing the super cute chairs from pier one in this shot.



the lovely light fixtures....



New bathrooms...



Little T's pink, green, and brown room



master room



wall of fame..(my favorite B/W shots of the family



Big T's room and yes those are framed monopoly playing cards on his wall




And this cutey patooty I found posing in pink flowers...she does love her some pink