Today is my mother-in-law's birthday.

I always enjoyed the idea that our birthdays were so close together.

Talked to her for the first time on her birthday.



Had to prank call her for one of those "big" birthdays.

She had never talked to me before.

Little did I know that in a few short years, I would be married to her son.

Never considered her my mother-in-law...because from the first time we met, I felt like I was with my mother.

Was not able make the usual mother-in-law jokes because that wasn't how our relationship was.

She died a couple months after Brad & I were married.

Cannot believe that she has been gone almost 10 years.

Still miss her every day.

I weep because my daughters will never know the joy of spending time with her.

My baby girls know her as their Angel Mom Mom.



She visits them during their dreams.

It just doesn't seem fair.

She has five beautiful granddaughters now.

Each one reminds me so much of her.

My father-in-law does a wonderful job of spending time with each granddaughter for her.

It was one of the many promises that he made to her.

Can I tell you how much I hate Breast Cancer?

My 100th Post!!!

Let the fan-fare begin!

This is what my living room looked like when I told my family about this post...



And this is the celebration that my friends in Sunny, FL did...



So, sit back and enjoy reading and getting to know me a little better. Not sure if you will still like me afterwards...but I hope so!

~~~

100 Things About Me…

1. I was born in Northwestern Pennsylvania, in the same hospital that my parents, as well as the rest of my family, were both born in.

2. I am the middle child…older sister, younger sister, and adopted younger brother, who is estranged from the rest of the family.

3. I can tell people that I grew up in a foster home; My parents were foster parents until I was 10.

4. Because of what I saw when my parents worked with foster children, I was afraid to have children for fear of not being a good parent.

5. After moving to Florida, we hosted Exchange Students and opened up my eyes to all the wonders of other cultures.

6. Besides Pennsylvania and Florida, I have also lived in Illinois and Indiana…both of those moves was because I love for my husband. He in turn loved me enough to move us back to the sun and fun of Florida.

7. I love living in Florida and consider myself very lucky to call this state my home.

8. I hate snow, almost as much as I hate being cold.

9. I despise basketball and have since I was in Elementary School when my parents signed me up for a Summer Basketball Program.

10. I love football, especially College Level, and go through serious withdrawal during the off-season.

11. I played softball and mastered all the positions except for pitcher, 1st base, and short stop…mainly because all the teams I played on had excellent players in those 3 positions.

12. Playing catcher was my favorite position because I could trash talk the batters, deliberately lean into the batters box to get tipped by the bat and force the batter out, as well as block home plate.

13. I am part girly-girl and part tom-boy, but the older I get, the less tom-boy I am.

14. I love playing paintball which is really surprising to me because I hate to get dirty, experience pain, and am very claustrophobic.

15. I love seeing sleeping babies, dogs, and cats…and usually want curl up beside
them to cuddle and soak up all of that sweet innocence.

16. I hate feet and toes…especially my own, but love puppy dog, kitty cat, and baby feet because they are so cute and soft…completely unmarred by life.

17. I love getting spa treatments, but have a hard time with pedicures…’cause my feet have to be touched! Everyone in the spa gets a good laugh because of my facial expressions during the whole process.

18. I love cheesy TV shows like Little House On The Prairie, Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman, and Anne Of Green Gables.

19. I love the Florida Gators…and have since I was a little girl when received my first Gator Toy. I am also making sure that both my girls are Gator Lovers too!

20. I love sushi! But only the vegetarian kind! With lots of wasabi and soy sauce…and I can only eat it with chop sticks.

21. I hate seafood, but on a rare occasion will eat fresh boiled shrimp…unless I am pregnant, and then I crave spicy Buffalo Shrimp with lots of blue cheese dressing!

22. I love grilled cheese sandwiches, especially with a slice of fresh tomato and / or bacon. This is strange because I really hate tomatoes…unless I am pregnant.

23. I wish that I could be more like Martha Stuart and Bree, but I will forever be just like Susan and Lynette.

24. I love watching HGTV, Food Network, TLC, Discovery Channel, and Animal Planet.

25. I have wanted a dark green Range Rover ever since I could remember…that is until I drove a Yukon last month. Now I am obsessed with the Yukon!

26. I hate touching raw meat and cannot eat any meat while it is on the bone.

27. I am honestly a very shy person, but no one believes me because I force myself to be outgoing. I remember telling myself that I wanted to get more out of life in the 8th grade…so that began my transformation from wall flower to social butterfly.

28. Mentally, I still feel like a teenager.

29. My astrological sign is Gemini and there are times where I feel like I really am two different people…the good twin and the evil twin.

30. I am the “Julie the Cruise Director” in my family.

31. My degree is in Management, but I always thought that I would be a good elementary school teacher…or event planner.

32. The first time I met my future in-laws, I felt right at home with them. They were almost identical to my parents. My father and father-in-law both worked for the phone company. My mother and mother-in-law both loved to cook and consider Christmas something that you can decorate for year-round.

33. I spoke to my future mother-in-law on the phone before I talked to my husband.

34. I met my husband through his sister. She & I were friends and she said that I would be perfect for her brother. How right she was!

35. I met my husband when I was buying life insurance and having a will drawn up because of a really bad break-up…my ex- was threatening my life and I wanted to get all of my affairs in order in case he succeeded.

36. I met my husband over the telephone and we fell in love before ever seeing a photo of each other.

37. My husband is my best friend and I cannot imagine what my life would be like without him.

38. He asked me to marry him on our 1 year anniversary of dating and we kept our engaged status for 3 years.

39. This October, we will celebrate our 10 year Anniversary.

40. I was told at a very young age that I would have a hard time getting pregnant and an even harder time staying pregnant.

41. I became pregnant with our first daughter while I was on birth control pills.

42. I became pregnant with our second daughter while I was using the birth control ring.

43. I loved being pregnant both times, even when I had really awful all-day morning sickness.

44. I had life threatening events because of both deliveries…cardiac arrest with the first and severe post-natal hemorrhage with the second.

45. I think that I would love to have a 3rd, but I am scared about what might happen…and so is my family.

46. I love the fact that I have two girls. I personally would not know what to do with a little boy.

47. If I had a boy, his name would have been Bryce Ellis.

48. I love first names that have Y’s in them…Kyla, Bryleigh, Bryce…do you see a pattern?

49. Hearing the sound of my daughters laughing makes me smile and tear up at the same time.

50. I get creep-ed out when I see someone sleeping with their eyes open. Unfortunately both of my daughters have a tendency to do that!

51. I love People magazine. My subscription has been paid until 2011!

52. I also love Southern Living magazine…and my parents renew my subscription every year as part of my Christmas gift.

53. I hate spiders but can kill them if I am protecting my family.

54. I love Yoga and have the best teacher! I practiced Yoga during both of my pregnancies…until 33 weeks with Kyla when I was put on bed rest and until 40 weeks when I was told to stop providing such a calm environment for Bryleigh who loved staying inside so much that I didn’t have her until 42 weeks…and only after I had acupuncture to start labor.

55. I am the tallest woman in my family and I am just barely 5’4”!

56. I love giving people nicknames and each one of my girls has at least 5 different nicknames that I use on a regular basis.

57. I love to cook and bake but only if I have the time and someone to clean up after me!

58. I had plans to be a chef until I worked the restaurant hours…then I decided that I enjoyed my personal life too much!

59. My husband & I were engaged before he learned that I could cook! I had him convinced that the best thing I made was reservations!

60. My parents let out my secret! So now I have to cook.

61. I usually cook for at least 10 people at dinner.

62. I had my first dinner party when I was 13. My cousin, some of her friends, and I cooked a 6 course meal for our boyfriends. They arrived with flowers, candy, and sparkling grape juice.

63. I enjoy shopping, but love to hunt for bargains!

64. My husband and I collect antiques and Native American artwork…painting, jewelry, pottery, etc.

65. I love to read, especially murder mystery books by James Patterson, Patricia Cornwall, and Diane Mott Davidson.

66. I have really good intentions of being organized, but something will happen and the whole organizational train is derailed.

67. I have no problem sorting laundry, pre-treating stains, washing, drying, or folding clothes…but I hate putting them away!

68. I hate cleaning the bathroom and I only do it when I am really mad! So if you see me scrubbing a toilet or tub…just back off for your own safety.

69. I get up at least one time during the night to check on my girls and make sure that they are still breathing and sleeping in their beds.

70. I am constantly running scenarios in my head about how I would handle an emergency situation…like if I am driving over a bridge…what would I do if the car when over the side…or I am home alone with the girls and someone tries to break in…that sort of thing.

71. I had a pet Hereford Bull when I was a little girl. Raised him from birth and called him Chocolate Chip (because of a spot on his nose). He would follow me around like a puppy.

72. My first day of kindergarten, the bus driver let me off at the end of our driveway and Chocolate Chip came running to greet me. The bus driver tried to “save” me by putting me back on the bus. Chocolate Chip attacked the bus until I was let out the Emergency Door. Then I climbed on his back and we went off to play…

73. I didn’t play with dolls or Barbie’s when I was little. I would take the clothes and use them to dress up my kittens, puppies, or guinea pigs.

74. I hate dolls. I have nightmares that they come alive at night.

75. I also hate clowns. They are just creepy. Totally makes my skin crawl.

76. My worst nightmare would be about being chased by a spider that is dressed up like a clown doll.

77. A friend and former co-worker use to love to torment me by placing fake spiders around my desk and even gave me a DVD called “Killer Clowns From Outer Space” as a birthday gift. It is still in the wrapper and I have nightmares when I get a glimpse of it. She still thinks it’s hysterical…and she is lucky that I still consider her a wonderful friend!

78. I am afraid of the dentist…especially when I hear the sound of the dental drill. It makes my skin crawl.

79. I have been told that the best thing I make is my lemonade and chicken salad.

80. My favorite color keeps changing…depending on my mood. Sometimes I like red…or orange…or chocolate brown…well, you get the picture.

81. My eyes are hazel green but can change to other colors depending on my mood and / or what I am wearing.

82. I drive a 10 year old Jeep Grand Cherokee that I cannot bear to part with. She has over 130k miles and the automatic door locks only work on the right front passenger door and the left rear passenger door.

83. I love drinking ice cold Coke…and will take a pass if there is only Pepsi.

84. I usually wear my hair short, but have been growing it out since I learned that I was pregnant with Bryleigh. I plan on cutting it after her first birthday and donating it to Locks of Love.

85. My husband prefers blonds…so he knew that it was true love because I have never been a blond nor do I ever want to be.

86. The best dinner that I ever had was when I took my husband to The Abby in Atlanta while we were dating. The food was to die for and there service was impeccable. I would highly recommend the place, but I was told that it is no longer a restaurant...condos are there now.

87. I rode a Mechanical Bull in dress slack, a blue blazer, high heeled pumps and a sting of pearls…and I stayed on!

88. I hate the taste of beer! Rode the above mentioned bull because I had drank some beer. I guess it makes me a little crazier than normal.

89. I use to love only white wines, but after trying some imported reds…now I can only drink red wine.

90. When Brad & I were on our honeymoon, we purchased over 2 cases of wine! We had to shop some of our luggage back because there was no room left in our convertible.

91. We were also almost eaten by a bear on the last night of our honeymoon!

92. I have taught all of my children, my nieces and nephews, and my friends children to love black olives…by putting the olives on your finger tips and eating them from there.

93. I use to chase my little sister around the house when I had olives on my finger tips…telling her that I was from outer space and that was what my fingers really looked like.

94. I like to joke around and consider myself a Social Terrorist!

95. Before I met my husband, my friends called me a Femi-Nazi.

96. I registered to vote as soon as I was old enough and consider it my civic duty to vote in all elections.

97. I also started donating blood as soon as I was old enough.

98. Because of a recently diagnosed family medical condition, I can no longer donate blood or be an organ donor. This makes me very sad.

99. My favorite flower is a Star Gazer Lilly.

100. I love to take bubble baths…especially when I am not bothered by little girls that try to crawl into the tub with me.

~~~

So, do you still like me? Or are you going to leave now and never come back?

And before I forget, it's also my birthday. I've been getting inquiring e-mails from family and friends asking why I haven't mentioned that. So, here it is...



I keep telling people that I stopped celebrating my birthday. It is just another day that I get to do whatever I want...as well as eat more cake!

I'm Having A Flash Back To High School...

'cause I'm heading out to see The Cure.



So, what's your favorite song? Can't decide between "Friday I'm In Love" or "Let's Go To Bed"...although, "The Lovecats" is really good to...

What does my drawing say about me?

Well to be perfectly honest, the drawing doesn't really say anything about me...but the person who analyzed it say...



Your friends and associates should generally find you a dependable and trustworthy person.
You are a thoughtful and cautious person.
You like to think about your method, seeking to pursue your goal in the most effective way.
You like following the rules and being effective.
You are precise and meticulous , and like to evaluate decisions before making them.
You have a sunny and cheerful disposition.



What does your drawing say about YOU?

Scooby Doo And The Monster Of Mexico

Not sure about other children, but mine are all about Scooby Doo.



And to be perfectly honest, he was my favorite cartoon as well.

Right now their favorite episode is Scooby Doo And The Monster Of Mexico. It has just the right amount of scary-ness in it to make them sit close and cuddle.



In case you're not familiar with this episode, Scooby and the gang head down to Veracruz to visit a friend. They celebrate "The Day Of The Dead" and try to solve the mystery of El Chupacabra.



El Chupacabra is basically like a cross between Big Foot and a Vampire...and is a legendary monster in alot of Hispanic countries. A loose translation of Chupacabra is Goat Sucker. They are suppose to roam the countryside attacking and draining the blood from Goats, Cows, Horses, and other animals.

This is what El Chupacabra is suppose to look like...



During the movie, Daphne decides to interview so of the locals and ask questions about El Chupacabra...

What is El Chupacabra?

What does El Chupacabra look like?

What does El Chupacabra sound like?

What does El Chupacabra smell like?
All of the interviewees give their personal opinions and that particular part always makes the kids giggle.

So, yesterday I decided to ask the same questions to the kids. They basically gave the same answers as the DVD, except when it came to the last question...

What does El Chupacabra smell like?

All four of them shouted out four different names for the same person...Daddy, Daddy Bear, Uncle Bear, & Uncle Brad! And do you want to know why? "Cause he farts! And they stink really bad!"



You got to love kids. Can't sneak anything past them...even if you're trying to be quiet!

Life's A Beach...or atleast mine is.

What the Beach Test Says About You

You like people, but you're careful about who you get close to. Friendship is important to you... so important that you aren't just friends with anyone. You fall in love with ease and confidence. Even if you've had bad experiences in the past, each new love is a reason to start completely over. You are deeply passionate about several things in your life. You're not passionate about much... and the few passions you have are truly obsessions. Your sense of humor is goofy and silly. You are good at making almost anyone laugh.

The Beach Test

Wordless Wednesday - Why?

5-Minutes For Mom

How Do I Know That Summer Is Here?

Well, excuse the pun, but...



Drools Out For The Summer!

Yes, my friends, those two dark spots on the couch are drool spots! My little girl was napping hard today.

I Felt Like A Kid Again Yesterday

We have spend the past week and a half watching all of the old Indiana Jones movies.



The kids are all too young to have ever seen any of them before. Plus we needed to refresh our memories...because we finally went and saw the latest one.



I was so worried that it would be disappointing compared to the others...but that didn't happen.



My heart really starting beating fast when I saw that profile and the music started!



Harrison Ford may be older, but like Sean Connery, he only seems to get more rugged and handsome.



And can we just talk about how beautiful Karen Allen still looks! I can only hope to look as good as she does when I reach her age...many, many, many years from now, of course! :0)



I didn't really know much about Shia LaBeouf, but he did a pretty good job too.



Cate Blanchette has always been a favorite of mine, but this was the first time that I had ever seen her play a true villianess. Loved it!



There was alot of action, adventure, and just plain excitement through out the movie!



So long until next time Indy. My house cannot wait to experience your next adventure!

Aren't They The Cutest Little Graduates?

I think that this photo needs to be published in their High School Senior Yearbook.

Wordless Wednesday

Just some random shots that I have of the girls...









And if you want to join Wordless Wednesday, just got to 5 Minutes For Mom and sign up.

Happy Memorial Day

I want to say a special Thank You to my family and friends who served our country in the military. Your dedication and love for our country and way of life is awe inspiring to me and many others. Most are thankfully still with me, but some have gone on.



Right about now, my Aunt Cheryl is going to the family cemetary to make sure that the graves all have some new blooms and are cleaned up from the past few months. If I still lived in Pennsylvania, I would be right there beside her...



Hope you all have a wonderful and safe holiday...and be sure to remember your loved ones who also served our country.



~~~

Cemetery Escort Duty

I just wanted to get the day over with and go down to Smokey's for a few cold ones. Sneaking a look at my watch, I saw the time, 1655. Five minutes to go before the cemetery gates are closed for the day. Full dress was hot in the August sun. Oklahoma summertime was as bad as ever -- the heat and humidity at the same level -- both too high.

I saw the car pull into the drive, '69 or '70 model Cadillac Deville, looked factory-new. It pulled into the parking lot at a snail's pace.

An old woman got out so slow I thought she was paralyzed. She had a cane and a sheaf of flowers, about four or five bunches as best I could tell. I couldn't help myself. The thought came unwanted, and left a slightly bitter taste: "She's going to spend an hour, and for this old soldier my hip hurts like hell and I'm ready to get out of here right now!"

But for this day my duty was to assist anyone coming in. Kevin would lock the "In" gate and if I could hurry the old biddy along , we might make the last half of happy hour at Smokey's.

I broke Post Attention. My hip made gritty noises when I took the first step and the pain went up a notch. I must have made a real military sight; middle-aged man with a small pot-gut and half a limp, in Marine Full Dress Uniform, which had lost its razor crease about 30 minutes after I began the watch at the cemetery.

I stopped in front of her, halfway up the walk. She looked up at me with an old woman's squint. "Ma'am may I assist you in any way?"

She took long enough to answer. "Yes, son. Can you carry these flowers? I seem to be moving a tad slow these days."

"My pleasure Ma'am." Well, it wasn't too much of a lie.

She looked again. "Marine, where were you stationed?"

"Vietnam, Ma'am. Ground-pounder. '69 to '71."

She looked at me closer. "Wounded in action, I see. Well done, Marine. I'll be as quick as I can."

I lied a little bigger "No hurry, Ma'am."

She smiled, and winked at me. "Son, I'm 85-years old and I can tell a lie from a long way off. Let's get this done. Might be the last time I can do this. My name's Joanne Wieserman, and I've a few Marines I'd like to see one more time."

"Yes, Ma'am. At your service."



She headed for the World War I section, stopping at a stone. She picked one of the bunches out of my arm and laid it on top of the stone. She murmured something I couldn't quite make out. The name on the marble was Donald S. Davidson, USMC, France 1918.

She turned away and made a straight line for the World War II section, stopping at one stone. I saw a tear slowly tracking its way down her cheek.

She put a bunch on a stone; the name was Stephen X. Davidson, USMC, 1943.

She went up the row a ways and laid another bunch on a stone, Stanley J.

Wieserman USMC , 1944.

She paused for a second, "Two more, son, and we'll be done." I almost didn't say anything, but, "Yes, Ma'am. Take your time." She looked confused. "Where's the Vietnam section, son? I seem to have lost my way." I pointed with my chin. "That way, Ma'am." "Oh!" she chuckled quietly. "Son, me and old age ain't too friendly."

She headed down the walk I'd pointed at. She stopped at a couple of stones before she found the ones she wanted. She placed a bunch on Larry Wieserman USMC, 1968, and the last on Darrel Wieserman USMC, 1970.

She stood there and murmured a few words I still couldn't make out. "OK, son , I'm finished. Get me back to my car and you can go home." "Yes, Ma'am. If I may ask, were those your kinfolk ?"

She paused. "Yes, Donald Davidson was my father; Stephen was my uncle; Stanley was my husband; Larry and Darrel were our sons. All killed in action, all Marines." She stopped, whether she had finished, or couldn't finish, I don't know. She made her way to her car, slowly, and painfully.



I waited for a polite distance to come between us and then double-timed it over to Kevin waiting by the car. "Get to the "Out"-gate quick. I have something I've got to do."

Kevin started to say something but saw the look I gave him. He broke the rules to get us there down the service road. We beat her. She hadn't made it around the rotunda yet.

"Kevin, stand to attention next to the gate post. Follow my lead." I humped it across the drive to the other post.

When the Cadillac came puttering around from the hedges and began the short straight traverse to the gate, I called in my best gunny's voice: "TehenHut! Present Haaaarms!"

I have to hand it to Kevin, he never blinked an eye; full dress attention and a salute that would make his DI proud. She drove through that gate with two old worn-out soldiers giving her a send off she deserved, for service rendered to her country, and for knowing Duty, Honor and Sacrifice.

I am not sure, but I think I saw a salute returned from that Cadillac.

Instead of "The End"....just think of "Taps".

As a final thought on my part, let me share a favorite prayer:

"Lord, keep our servicemen and women safe, whether they serve at home or overseas. Hold them in Your loving hands and protect them as they protect us."

Let's all keep those currently serving and those who have gone before, in our thoughts. They are the reason for the many freedoms we enjoy.

What's A Mom To Do When Your Baby Can't Poop...

break out the olive oil



and massage away.



This little trick was recently shared with me by an old Native American woman.



She said that the reason why infants get constipated is because they cannot move around like toddlers and grown ups. And that is how we all usually get things moving in the right direction...so to speak.

So how do you do it? Just remove all your baby's clothes, diaper included. Lay your baby on a soft towel and put a little olive oil on your fingers and start gently massaging the lower abdominal area. More than likely your baby will love this activity and start smiling. Then before you know it, things will start happening and your cranky baby will be happy again!

I tried this recently with Miss Bry. She is just starting to eat baby food and was having a hard time going poo. After a couple days of watching her struggle, I tried this procedure. Within 20 minutes, everything was back in working order. Could not believe how fast it worked too.

Oh the things you learn and are willing to do when your baby is hurting.

P.S. She also said that I could take a little Vicks Vapor Rub



And place it in her belly button



but I wasn't real comfortable with that.

Busy, busy weekend...(Part Four)

It's Sunday, Sunday, Sunday...Our blessed day of rest.

This was pretty much what we did all day...Sleep, glorious sleep.





And if we weren't asleep then we just sat around in a daze...







Even the cats were lazy...



Or grumpy!




Don't you just love lazy Sunday afternoons...