Good Bye Patrick Swayze

You were one of my first crushes...



I loved you as the caring older brother in The Outsiders.



Was afraid for you in Red Dawn.



Loved your man in uniform look in The North & The South.



Wanted to take dancing lessons from you in Dirty Dancing.



And Pottery Lessons after watching Ghost.



Considered surfing because of Point Break.



And just adored looking at you in Road House.



I even enjoyed your performance in To Wong Fu Thanks For Every Thing Julie Newmar, but had a hard time looking at you as a woman...

I will continue to watch your movies every chance that I get.


(August 18, 1952 - September 14, 2009)

You will be missed...



My condolences to your lovely wife, Lisa Niemi.

Busy Life = Lack Of Posts

Sorry to be such a bad blogger, but the craziness of "back to school" is still taking over my life. So, I'll offer this photo as a peace offering...



Isn't she the cutest? Now you see why I have to nibble on her face every chance that I get...

Only 4 More Days

until College Football Season 2009 begins. Is anyone else as excited about this as I am? I mean besides Haute Mama (Tennessee), Laura (Alabama), & WPMomOf2 (LSU). Even though I'm a Gator, I'll still cheer for your teams because they're SEC...but look out when we meet on the gridiron.

In all of my giddy excitement, I learned some really interesting facts that many of you may not know about my incredible boys in Blue & Orange.

Did you know that...

(1) UF has allowed the fewest punt returns (56) and fewest return yards (231) in the nation since 2005. That's an average of only 4.1 yards per return.

(2) The Gators have blocked 26 kicks (16 punts, 7 field goals, and 3 extra points) since 2005, the most of any team in the Country.

(3) The Gators were the only team in the SEC to pass for more than 30 touchdowns and rush for more than 40 in 2008.

(4) Florida has scored 411 points off turnovers created by the defense since 2005.

(5) Florida returned a school-record 5 interceptions for touchdowns last year. They tied for the most in the nation with Boston College and Missouri.

(Credit for these facts goes to Mike DiFerdinando, Tampa Tribune, 09 01 09)

View From The Flu

The Flu bug has bitten my house and doesn't want to leave.





We are now going on Day 4 of our self-imposed quarantine. I am so over this...

Summer Is Over And School Has Begun!

Here was Ky's expression this morning as I tried to take her picture before school.



She told me that she is too grown up for Mommy to walk her into class...but Daddy was allowed. So, I trailed behind and shot a couple photos when she wasn't paying attention.

You can see the rest of them over here.

Guess What The Girls & I Did Yesterday?

It has to do with these...



Go here to learn more.

Please Tell Me That I'm Not The Only One "Weirded Out" By This Doll.

Your daughter can breastfeed her baby "just like mommy does"!



Don't get me wrong. I am pro-breastfeeding...but honestly I do not want to buy a doll that makes sucking sounds when my daughter puts it to her chest...after she has put on the special halter top with the strategically placed daises that she can lift up and acts just like the nursing bra that mommy wears.

Is this beyond creepy or what?

I Am The Coolest Mom Ever!

At least that's what my girls told me at the Demi Lavado concert. Not sure if any of you have ever seen her perform live, but she is one talented little girl. She sings, dances, plays the piano, and the guitar...not to mention she is also an actress. If you have children who enjoy The Disney Channel, then I would highly recommend going to see her.



The girls danced...



and sang...



and we had a blast!



Head over here to see some more photos from the show.

There Was A Boom Boom....

and then they landed safely.



Welcome Back to earth. Glad you all landed safely.

Just another perk about living in Sunny, FL. You get to see and hear the shuttles.

Next launch is scheduled for the very early morning hours of August 25th. Night launches are so beautiful.

If you are ever near Cape Canaveral, I highly recommend a visit.

Wonder if the crew had the forethought to pack cheesecake for yesterday's celebration?

Do You Know Why Today Is Such A Wonderful Day?

Today is National Cheesecake Day! Isn't that some of the best news that you could expect to hear today?



What kind of cheesecake should I have today? I love plain cheesecake, but fresh fruit on cheesecake tastes great too. And I simply cannot resist any type of cheese that has hot fudge or caramel on it either. Lots to think about today. So many choices...



Go out and celebrate. Have a slice for me, OK?

Just To Make You Smile...

because she has that same effect on me. Don't you just love watching kids eat noodles?

I posted the rest over here...

So Sorry...

about the lack of posts lately. Just been really busy with the girls and preparing for heading back to school. Besides, has anyone else fallen into that dreaded blogging slump?

See Honey...

Tabby does love you...and misses you when you're gone...



so much so that she is laying on your stinky flip flops because they smell like you.

Now that is what I call "True Love".

Help Wanted - Vacation Planning

This October, my husband and I will be celebrating 11 years as husband and wife.



As a way to mark this event, we decided to take our first "Just Us" vacation in almost 7 years. Originally, we had talked about going to some tropical place in the Caribbean...and then remembered that hurricanes really like to visit that area in October. Our wedding was almost postponed because of a hurricane and our first and second anniversaries had "run ins" with the mighty wind & rain machines as well.

So, now we are planning on our first visit to California Wine Country.



The first place that comes to mind is Napa, but I'm worried that it has become "too commercialized" with one tourist trap after another. Then we talked about Sonoma Valley. Our brief online research leads us to believe that Sonoma is quaint and not going to be "wall-to-wall" with buses full of tourists.

With that being said, could I get some ideas from any of you who have been to either place? Which location has a better "non-touristy' feel? What is a "must do"? What should we not even waste our time and money on? Any and all advice is going to be greatly appreciated.

Just Have To Give A Shout Out To Cool Gal and her Rib Recipe.

We had it last night and had to tell you about it. They were super easy to make and tasted heavenly. And for me to rave about a Rib recipe is something. (I'm the type of person that cannot eat any meat on the bone...just one of the many quirks that make me who I am...)

Here is the recipe -

Cool Gal’s Easy Baby Back Ribs & BBQ Sauce

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

1 rack of baby back ribs, membrane removed (butcher can do this); cut into individual pieces (A little over 2 lbs.).

Place ribs in a baking dish. Sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper.

Bake, uncovered, at 450 degrees for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile put together BBQ sauce.

1 cup ketchup
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup vinegar (white, distilled)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 cup water
1/2 cup brown sugar

Cook on stove until combined. Let simmer for 5 minutes.

Pour sauce over ribs. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours (Don't forget to drop oven temperature to 350 degrees.)

The ribs will be so tender they will fall off the bone. There will be extra sauce in the bottom of the pan which you can stir and drizzle over the top of the ribs

I also had to "borrow" her photo



because this is all that was left of 3 racks of ribs once my family got a hold of them!



Wish I could share her blog because she is just as wonderful as her rib recipe, but unfortunately she had to make it private. I'm just thankful that she decided to continue to write. Why some people feel the need to leave nasty comments about other peoples' personal thoughts is something I will never understand. Didn't every ones' mother teach them that "If you don't have anything nice to say about someone, then don't say anything at all". I know mine did.

College Football Season Is Almost Here!

Let the rivalry begin!

Scarlet O'Kara is so excited that my former Tennessee Volunteer-lovin niece Kadence is now my Gator Girl!



Take that Uncle Kebin!

What Do You Do On A Rainy Day With Seven Little Girls?

Have a cupcake decorating party!



Head over to my photo blog to see the rest of the fun!

Want To Enter A Give-Away?

If so, head over to Madras And Pearls. She is hosting her first giveaway.



Leave a comment and you get one entry. Follow her blog and you get two entries. Post about her giveaway and you get three.

Can you guess which one I did?

This Man Should Have Been Fixed A Long Time Ago!

Do you remember the story about the single father of 9 who abandoned his children? Well guess what...he's going to be a father again! And according to some news agencies, the girlfriend is expecting twins! When asked why he'll be able to handle the parenting better this time, he said it's because he won't have to do it alone. Give me a break! What a self-centered jerk!

This news is being announced just days after he gives up all of his parental rights to the abandoned children...saying that he could not handle the stress and didn't have the desire to be a parent after his wife and the mother of the children died shortly after giving birth to the youngest. He had said that he never wanted to be a parent again.

Guess he lied about that too...

Those poor children. Why can deadbeats have so many children but good, decent people are left childless?