175 - Green

Look what I have growing on my deck.

It's true
The dogs have not tipped it over, dug it up, or eaten it.
The storms have not torn it up.
I have managed to not kill it.
I might really get a few tomatos this year!

174 - Guess What We Did Last Night?

I know, surprising.

173 - Because....

we've gone COMPLETELY insane....

Let me introduce...

Baby Kitty With No Name

Don't get me started on how we ended up with this. Let's just say it involved big brown eyes and a soft hearted daddy.

So how is this going over in the animal kingdom?

Shadow could care less

Lucy-Fur is spastic

Smokey Joe Cool is a wee bit on the jealous side.

We are accepting name suggestions.

(it is a boy)

172 - Daddy

This is the daddy I celebrated yesterday. I waited until today to post him because he is also going into surgery this morning to repair a broken wrist. He has been an amazing father. Here is just one of thousands of examples I could give you to illustrate his awesomeness.



For my 16th birthday he was out of town on very important business. I was so upset because I had looked forward to this birthday for so long for so many reasons. The only thing I wanted for my sweet sixteen was to go to a fancy restaurant with my daddy, but he was not going to be there. Much to my surprise, when I got home that day from school, my mom had a new dress laid out and told me to get dressed. My Daddy had rearranged his meetings and was on a plane so he could take me out. We went to a fancy restaurant, a movie, and then he dropped me off at home so he could get back on a plane to make his early morning meeting.


This is my Daddy. He showed me everything I wanted in a husband. He is everything I want my boys to be.

171 - Mr. Incredible

I am pretty sure I have made it clear as to how I feel about Mr. Incredible. I could list 937 things that make my heart skip when it comes to this man. But today, TODAY, I celebrate the fact that I get to parent with him. He is such a great dad and I cannot think of anyone else I would want to raise these three boys with. I love that we are learning the ropes together, that we succeed together and sometimes fail together. I love that he understands the best gift we can give our sons is a strong marriage. Thank you, Goodlookin, for letting me be a part of this crazy ride they call parenthood with you.

170 - Grampa

This is turning to be one of the hardest posts I have written. I want to honor this man in a way that is worth of him and his life, but find I just don’t have the words for it. Sometimes when this happens I find it is best to just list out some of the reasons he means so much to me and what makes him such an amazing man.



He has always been there for me. When I was little, we moved a lot, and while that was fun, it was good to know that there was always a home base. Grampa’s house was my Home Base. Even when they moved out of the “city”, they moved their house to the new lot. One of the hardest days for me was when they sold his house. I couldn’t even be there for it.


Grampa always made Gramma’s Grape-nut ice cream for the 4th of July. I can still clearly see him mixing ice and rock salt, tending the ice cream maker the whole time to make sure it came out just right. Then, he would let me lick the paddle…sweet nectar of the gods!


Grampa could fix ANYTHING! From broken bicycles, to broken hearts.


Grampa taught me to garden and understood when I had to not just plant the potatoes, but also sing to them and dance barefoot over the mounds. He told me it was the best crop of potatoes he ever had.


My grampa is someone who you can sit for hours with, not saying a word and just hold hands.


His steps were long, yet he was always willing to slowdown and let a little hand hold his to walk. One of the greatest moments I have is when I watched him hold my boys hands the same way he held mine.


Grampa is still snarky, guess I know where I got it from.


My grampa loved my gramma with all his heart. They were still so very much in love, even after 50yrs when she passed away. He taught me how to give my whole heart to someone.


Today we loaded the kids in the van, drove 5 hours to see him and have a 90th birthday party. We then turned around and came back home. Was it tiring? Yes. Was it hard? Yes. Was it a long day? Yes. Would I do it again? A thousand times yes.


Happy Birthday Grampa…I love you with all my heart.

169 - When Did This Happen?

This one is growing up overnight. I knew it was coming, a few months ago he started eating even more than usual (Lord help our grocery bill!) and sleeping. But even though I saw the signs, I was not prepared for the reality. Sometimes I catch a glimps of him and it takes my breath away. I love the man he is becoming, but mourn the loss of my little boy.