Where's The Time Gone?

A.J. just had his 11th birthday. Since his draft baseball team, his MC team, and his all star team doesn't give him enough time on the baseball field.... he wanted to go see a game with his friend for his big day!

Love this kid.

Don't always "get" this kid... but I love him more than anything in the world!
Nana and grandpa kicked down with some cool gifts... like always!

Enjoyed having a few friends over before the game...

11 best things about AJ:

1. Has a heart for worship

2. Loving and fun to be with

3. Always has a smile on his face

4. Can always count on him to find whatever I've lost... anything from my keys to work materials!

5. loves to help

6. has great manners

7. kind heart

8. my baseball boy

9. works hard

10. good friend, and always something nice to say

11. only son who puts away his dad's and my clothes the right way

AJ,

I'm proud of the person you are becoming. I look forward to seeing what God has in store for you! There is no doubt in my mind that, with your servant's heart... and love of worship, you will continue to bless everyone you come in contact with. I feel especially blessed to be your mommy, because I get to experience that fabulous smile every day! I love you son!

Dirty Carnival

My boys have always loved a good mud fight... so I knew this would be a great picture for the Dirty Boy Carnival...

What I didn't know ...

Was that I'd have to look through all of these:

and all of these...

just to find some "dirty pictures" of my boys.

I'm quite certain my boys were dirty all the time when they were little... so I was totally dumbfounded that I couldn't find more "proof" of that in their baby scrapbooks...

I'm not kidding... you'd think I never let them get dirty! (Tony didn't, but I did... I know I did... apparently I just didn't take enough pictures of it... because they aren't there!)

Each boy has a white album for their first year... and they all have a different color from age 1 to 5, and I "tried" to keep each year to one album until they reached school.

Now they have school albums, vacation albums, and sports albums...

AHHH... that would be if I ever get all these pages...

and these pages...
and these pages...

into their respective albums...

sometime before their 18th birthday... at which time... 'unlike' what my father told me...

"I'll give them a road map and a sack lunch"...

I'm going to give them the map, the lunch, and --- 37 scrap booking albums.

ummmh...

What do you think about that plan???

Thanks to this blog: http://boysrulemylife.blogspot.com/ for the great trip down memory lane... it really was fun to get all these books out and look through them together!!!

Dodger Day

This is what it cost to get enough gas to go 1/2 way to see a Dodger game from home...

This is how happy AJ is to help spend that much to get to a Dodger game...
This is how happy mommy is that her 10 year old baby is happy at the Dodger game...

This is how happy the 6 boys are to be watching Dodgers warm up for batting practice several hours before the game starts... (because a 3 hour game is apparently not long enough, and we had room to bring a friend, so why not take another boy to make the trip even more loud... I meant "more fun" (honest)

and this is one happy birthday boy because he had a fantastic catch in the outfield...

and here's one happy daddy eating $12 Dodger dogs...

and your over-joyed 89 year-old great-grandma Faith on our return trip home.

Overall... I'd say that it was a great birthday weekend son...

AND I LOVE YOU TONS... but

PS... I'm not coming out of my room for the next 48 hours because I need to recover from being in the car that long, with that many loud boys, with ALL that energy... but feel free to ask me and your daddy to do it again in 10 years -- we might be up for it again by then!

I'm How Old Again?

The other day my dad asked me, "How old are you again?"

I told him was already 34, and he ... very quickly, reminded me of the year I had apparently forgotten. He reminded me I was half way to 70... thanks pop.

35??? Oh yeah, "you're right," I answered!

He laughed - I didn't.

But then... Tony bought me the greatest gift last night and I felt so much better (His gifts do that for me!). It was a Celine Dion DVD of her last 5 year contract in Vegas. I love her music... but the significance behind the gift is why my hubby is THE BEST.

For my 30th b-day (yes...5 years ago, not 4), he bought us opening night tickets for her show in Vegas. It was AAAAmazing! The DVD doesn't even begin to capture the wonder of her live show. Celine's entire family was there, including all her sibling from Canada. It was one of the best weekends we've ever had... for a lot of reasons.

As we sat in our room and watched the video together, he leans over for another kiss and asks, "yeah, we were good together 5 years ago... but we're so much better now."

Well, if you're gonna put it like that... I guess being half way to 70 isn't so bad.

Happy Birthday Mom!!

Last weekend we celebrated my mom's 21st birthday... again. It was SO fun because I think it was the first time that all of the parents, and all of "the cousins" and our kids have been together. Good job dad, that was an out of the park gift!

The night ended with everyone sharing a special memory or thought about mom. Well, not every one ... because not all of us can do that without blubbering.

So here you go mom:

There are a million great memories and reasons that I love AND cherish you mom... but here's my top 10:

• I love your unconditional love, loyalty, and devotion to God, Dad, and our family.
• I love that I have you as a great example of the Proverbs 31 woman.
• I love that I have so many great childhood memories... from red toast for V-day, to green oatmeal...to summers at Hume Lake... and so many, many more.
• I love you for being the best Nana our kids could ever dream of.
• I love you for your willingness to help any of us, at any time, regardless of circumstances.
• I love you because you are as gentle and kind with my kids as you were to me growing up.
• I love that you are THE most generous person on the planet.
• I love that you sacrificed so much for us kids to go to private schools, especially TMC because, next to being blessed to be your daughter, that really was the best thing that could have ever happened to me- Just ask Tony.
• I love you because you are patient and wise.

Nuts... That's already 10 and I didn't even say how much I love that you are such a FANTASTIC friend... but - I have to say that... because it's one of my favorites!

SO... I love you mom! Happy, Happy Birthday!

Happy B-day

Happy Birthday Son!

You have been such a blessing to your daddy and I. We're so proud of the the young man you are becoming. Thanks for being so patient with us, as we try to figure out this thing called "parenting." We love you LOTS. Hope you have a fantastic day.

Happy B-day Nana

Today would have been my grandmother's birthday... I know you miss her too mom! She'd have been so proud of you and dad. Not just for all you two were as teenagers, but for all that you have become! She's smiling with the angels... what a legacy.

Happy B-day

Happy Birthday to me... I'm so excited! My better half got me the phone I wanted, and he shouldn't have... but-ohhh, I'm so glad he did. I'll never figure out how to use all the doohickies... but I can video, photo, and email...and most importantly- I can keep track of all 7 seasons worth of baseball practices and games that are starting next week! Yippee, for me. And yes, I can count (not well, but count nevertheless). While I only have 4 boys, 2 of the 4 will be playing on 2 teams, + we have to go to all of my nephew's games because... how else are we going to spend our free time? Did I mention Tony is coaching too? So, yes... I need the phone. Thanks Hon... I love you! Just think, for my next birthday... I'll have been with you exactly half my life! Wow, at 18 I didn't think 36 would sound so... old. Hmmm, how's that for perspecitive?