June 29, 2011

We . Are . Familyyy




me and the kids, my dad, my bro Eddie, and my sisters Nikki, Jenny, and Jamie.
Julie wouldn't come over ... punk!

I moved from WI when I was 14 years old. It's was a really quick move ... one day to pack and sell most of our belongings, and the next day to hit the road and not look back. Taking that "no looking back" philosophy to heart, I have only been back for one visit in the past 17-ish years (summer of '98; pregnant with Larson). My youngest sister (I have 4 of them) was only 2 at that time, and my brother wasn't yet born (or even a plan for that matter, lol). I've missed my sisters so incredibly much over the years, and I've really wanted to meet and spend time with the younger ones, so it's been really great to reconnect with these peeps; gonna be hard to leave in a couple of weeks. 

We're looking for a temporary month long rental so we can hit up Summerfest (Franti... here we come!), and spend as much time with my sibs as I can! 

I'm having a great time getting to know these girls (now women, wtf?!) again, and the kids are having a blast. Eddie (my bro) is a few months older then Rylan, so they all have a great time together! Throw my Dad, stepmom, a new brother-in-law, and a nephew into the mix ... and it's a recipe for good times (usually, lol).




Auntie Jenny helping Owen with the sprinkler




the sprinkler wasn't doing it for him ... time for the pool




ahhh, this is the life




hitting a few balls ... nice stance, Eddie. 




Eddie and Owen




a little rain will never deter Rylan 




Larson on the other hand; he takes shelter




they get a long so well




Auntie Nikki showing Owen some of her Pro Softball Skills




taking a kickball break
the guy in red is Brad; meh bro-in-law (Nikki's Husband). Great photo of him, I know! lol




always causing a rukus




my seesters (minus one :-P)
me, nikki, jamie, jenny ...
and Barbs little peanut head in the back, lol. 




the boys wanted in on the action





splishin' and a splasin'




we love having Eddie over




not sure he loves the food portion of his time with us, though! lol




hot tubbing




Going for a little hike




ahhh, the lake




good thing we keep suits in the car for impromptu swimming holes, lol




Ahhh... There's Julie!!! My other seester! And my nephew, Jayden!
He's afraid of me right now, but I'm determined to have him loving me by the time we leave, lol!




Owen and Jayden


And to tie it all together, here's a video of our wicked backyard game of kickball! We had a great time playing, but it all fairness; the video is a little boring. lol ... guess you had to be there.


June 28, 2011

Home Sweet Home


This was the house I grew up in. 
Mostly.
It was my Grandparents home, so I was there all the time. 
We moved a lot, A LOT, when I was a kid ... but this house always felt like home to me. It was the one constant in my life. I loved this house!
And then when my Grandparents moved to Florida, my Mom and I moved in.
I was sure this place was haunted. 
I heard noises. 
Found the windows open after I know that I closed them.
Saw shadows and images moving around. 
It was totally haunted!  
Whoever it was liked the breeze from the windows, and the kitchen. Oooh, did they ever like the kitchen. 
Anyway, this was my home!
It wasn't this color, though. 
It was a light yellow stucco. It looked better. 
And there wasn't a privacy fence, either. 
It was much more open and inviting. 
I found a lot of dead baby birds that had fallen out of their nest by that big tree out front (although, I don't know if that's the same tree? I remember it being bigger?)
I buried those birds, along with my other dead pets, under our front porch. 
There were a lot of dead pets *sigh, 'nother story for another time).
I learned how to blow bubble gum bubbles right by that tree, too.
I planted a lot of fruit seeds in the yard (like our dried out peach pits & apple seeds, lol), but nothing every sprouted. 
My cousin and I used to munch on all of the strawberries that my Grandma had planted before she had a chance to harvest them (I wonder if she knew we ate them all, every year, or if she thought they just weren't producing fruit? lol, I'll have to ask her).
I used to sit down in the middle of our backyard garden, with a baggie full of white sugar, and pick & eat fresh rhubarb. Yum!
I basically liked to eat, lol!
My cousin and I also used to turn over landscaping rocks to find snails, and have snail races on the front walkway by the patio. 
Those cement stairs are where I learned to tie my shoes.
And I loved to jump rope on the sidewalk. 
The old school jump ropes, that you had to put together, with hard heavy segments of plastic. I cracked myself in the head - a lot. 
I'm still just as clumbsy, lol. 
I used to climb up and sit on our garage roof; even after being told 15 million times to "keep my ass down from there".
My cousin used to pee off the front patio. Not to be funny, he just thought that was the place to do his business. Something about boys having hoses and not spraying your hose inside? lol. We were together all the time. More like brother and sister. Ahhh, I miss him!
The hill in front (see it? look close!) seemed SO big and steep to me as I learned to maneuver my 10 speed shwinn bike down it without hitting the breaks. Death hill! lol
And that window down there in the photo, the one on the left... that was my one of my favorite places to be at home (aside from the attic. I LOVED the attic!). It was a "greenhouse" type window, not flush against the house. There was a little ledge up there (presumably a place to put your plants) that was my little nook. I liked to read up there, or color, or play with my cabbage patch dolls and my little ponies, or nap. But what I remember most about that window ... I liked to lounge up there naked! It was totally my "naked window", lol. 
Can't believe the cops were never called!


June 19, 2011

Larson... phone home!

Larson.
Not a common name.
Not a name you'll find on pencils,
or keychains,
or souvenir mugs.


Imagine his excitement!
We just drove into Wisconsin.
Through Racine.
And up toward Milwaukee. 
Driving along Lake Shore Drive.
or Lake Park Drive.
or maybe the 32?
lol!
Something like that.
Maybe they're all the same road?
I'm tired!

Anyway, with a giant sign like that, we couldn't miss the photo op.
Dodging traffic wasn't going to deter us!

Now we're on the look-out for a Rylan and an Owen!

Let me know if you see any in your town!

Blowin' in the Wind


I absolutely love wind mills (or wind turbines, if you so prefer). 
There's something so majestic and peaceful about them, 
and I feel a sort of kindredship with them. 
Standing there; blowin' in the wind, but sturdy in their strength. 
Standing there; looking as though they are about to propel out into the world, yet bound firmly in place by obligation. 
Standing there; simple in theory and design, but there's a level of complexity involved in really getting to know what and how this piece of equipment can work with and for you.
They're beautiful.
I Love Them!

This particular wind farm is along I-65 in Indiana. Not quite as impressive as the wind farm outside of Palm Springs, CA ... but still wonderful. 

Alternative Energy Rocks!
And Happy Father's Day!

June 18, 2011

Candy, Chet, & AJ too!


Our first stop was up to West Virginia to visit with some family that Nick hasn't seen in years (and that I have never even met). We were really excited to finally make it up there! 

We called the day prior (we're spontaneous and flighty like that, lol) to see if Aunt Candy and Uncle Chet would be around the following day, "b'cuz we're comin' up". They were; so we pointed the van north and away we went. 

When we hit their town, we pulled over for a quick bite to eat. Kids + Railroad Tracks = Mama gets snap happy with the camera, lol!  



With our bellies full, and our train track wandering behind us, we headed over to their house. Nick felt anxious (as he usually does these days before entering something new), and I felt a slight bit uncomfortable. It's no secret here that the blood between me and Nicks family runs hot and cold on any given day, so I was really unsure what we could be walking into. But it was all for naught... We had a really nice visit. Chatted for several hours like old friends. Their grandson, AJ, was also there, so it was nice to meet him. I forget how old he is ... 12 or 13? He's a great kid; so polite and friendly. The boys had him busy giving them rides on the quad. I could tell Nick really wanted in on the action, but he decided to let the kids enjoy their afternoon; lol. 

So glad we decided to detour up there. We miss them already, and are looking forward to our next visit!



June 17, 2011

aaaand we're off!


We've finally hit the road!
Will hopefully have lots of fun stories and photos to share a long the way.
Till then, I wish you all peace, love, and spontaneous outbursts of singing

June 14, 2011

I miss you Tony, always

post graduation hug

It's been 12 years since we lost him, but I still feel his presence. His memory can send me both into a full belly laugh complete with happy tears streaming down my face, as well as crumbling sadness that has me gasping for air through hysterical sobbing.

He was my Tony. I never called him Dad, but in the short 5ish years that he was in my life, he was every bit a Dad to me; and more. The relationship I had with my Mom at that point in life was pretty tumultuous. He was my saving grace. I could talk to him about anything and everything. He would listen quietly, and only offer his opinion/advice if I asked. He was so positive and optimistic, that you couldn't help but feel so much better just being around his energy. We mostly laughed; he was a hoot! A serious friggin hoot!!!

He wasn't without faults. Demons that crept up into the relationship that he and my mom had. Shortly before the end; my Mom asked for a break, and they got separate apartments.  I was young, and ignorant, and judgmental, and I took my Mom's "side". I was so furious with him for messing up another chance. I was so furious that my Mom was hurt again. I had just had my first baby, and moved out to Virginia a couple of months prior to be with Nick. I wasn't really speaking to Tony at the time. This man who felt so much like my rock through my hard "angsty teenage years", and I wasn't even talking to him.

He killed himself. One shot to the heart. Gone.

And the sadness and regret that I feel for essentially turning my back on him when he so desperately needed someone, for not making sure he knew just how much I loved him, and how very important he had been to my life, is so completely crushing some days. Most days I'm ok. I've moved through the grief and the blame, and I found acceptance and forgiveness in myself ... most days; but not all.

I'm pms'ing. Nick and I are fighting. I threw my back out the other day which has really made it difficult to pack, load, and clean to get out of here. I've already been crying for the better part of two days. It's just a perfect recipe for today to be one of my lesser forgiving-of-myself days.

I miss you, Tony! Your great big bear hug would feel so comforting right now. And the stupid joke you'd make afterward would make all my tears disappear.

The kids and I just talked about some of your most funny antics in an effort to turn this day around. My kids love you without ever even knowing you. Sharing memories of your life, your personality, your wit ... the tears have already stopped; replaced by a smile. And maybe, just for kicks, I'll throw on some of Nicks old army pants and combat boots, I'll stuff the pockets full of cleaners, brushes, and sponges, and I'll go tackle the bathroom "Tony Style".
I'm goin' in ...

June 12, 2011

Sunday's Songbird ... Brian Conner and his Amazing Friends

I actually remembered to take the flip out of my bag to capture some live music to share; exciting! So exciting, in fact, that instead of only highlighting one song today ... you get three! Yay!

We're really going to miss this event in the coming years! Who knows where we'll be, but we may just rearrange our schedules to pop back into town next year!
Thanks for the memories, Columbia.

First up is Better Deal. We love this one (although you'll hear me say that about all of them, lol)



Better Deal ~Villanova Band
bring me a better deal
tell me something that you know they don't wanna hear
tell me that you'll make my problems disappear
tell me that you're gonna take me from what I become

bring me a better deal
tell me something that you know they don't wanna hear
tell me that you'll make my problems disappear
tell me that you're gonna take me from what I become

do you ever fell like you was doing the same thing
pursuing the same dreams
and moving the same way
feel like you're living over the same day
keep on doing what you do to maintain
push so hard you about to fall
cant laugh no more without the alcohol
past the point of even walking tall
half the man that you were before
my baby, she prays for me
please let it be alright
my mama she said to me
find someone to share your life
because it fades
it fades

bring me a better deal
tell me something that you know they don't wanna hear
tell me that you'll make my problems disappear
tell me that you're gonna take me from what I become

bring me a better deal
tell me something that you know they don't wanna hear
tell me that you'll make my problems disappear
tell me that you're gonna take me from what I become

the hollywood lights, hollywood lights
screaming driving out west to get a piece of the pie
hollywood lights, hollywood lights
you get messed up and then you have a good time
push the limit till you way out of line
chase the women till you made up your mind
you don't wanna die alone
withering away up inside your home
you don't wanna put up with peoples games
you got beauty and you got youth
but it fades
it fades

bring me a better deal
tell me something that you know they don't wanna hear
tell me that you'll make my problems disappear
tell me that you're gonna take me from what I become

bring me a better deal
tell me something that you know they don't wanna hear
tell me that you'll make my problems disappear
tell me that you're gonna take me from what I become



Next we have Bird in a Cage. They didn't perform this song (*much to Tatum's dismay), so threw the song into a slideshow of photos I took at last nights concert.
*the Tatum story: last year at this event, Brian Conner gave a shout out to the ol' gal after performing Bird in a Cage. He looked at her and said "I don't know about you guys, but I swear I saw that dog was mouthing along to the lyrics". We may be delusional, but now every time this song plays, Tatum flashes the biggest doggie smile in the world!




Bird in a Cage ~Villanova Band
take me out tonight
bring me back to life
free me from this cage
take me from this place

bird in a cage
over and over
bird in a cage
somber and sober
bird in a cage
older and older
bird in a cage
every time i feel this way
i know

ill be
waiting for you
to come and
come and save me
from this
place that I have been for too long
now I know that

it's hard to tell you from a magazine
it's hard to tell you from a fantasy
my heart just melts
you're such a masterpiece
i drank myself
into insanity

bird in a cage
over and over
bird in a cage
somber and sober
bird in a cage
older and older
bird in a cage
every time i feel this way
i know

i'll be
waiting for you
to come and
come and save me
from this
place that I have been for too long
now I know that

i'll be
waiting for you
to come and
come and save me
from this
place that I have been for too long
now I know that

sing to me tonight
bring me back to life
free you from your cage
take me from this place

bird in a cage
over and over
bird in a cage
somber and sober
bird in a cage
older and older
bird in a cage
every time i feel this way
i know

ill be
waiting for you
to come and
come and save me
from this
place that I have been for too long
now I know that

ill be
waiting for you
to come and
come and save me
from this
place that I have been for too long
now I know
yeah, yeah, yeah


And they closed out the show with Slade Stone; which I found absolutely fitting ...Move From South Carolina to California!!! Here we come, baby! Notice Larson getting his dance on! ... And the other two completely passed out through all of the hoopla! Ha!




Slade Stone ~ Villanova Band
slade stone was a rebel from the back wood
raising hell from the day he was born
his mama raised him listening to country
introduced to him to the new record store
later on he started getting into music
from the true hell fire blues band
he was smooth
he was loose
he was true to his roots
you never heard a better sound a slow hand

he got his bags packed up
and his van gassed up
stratocaster and the tape tracked up
and now it's time, it's time to warn ya
move from South Carolina to California
X3
yea yea, yea yea

record labels of paper chasing
debating the brave
and some are making mistakes
and they just turn him away
wont give up
he keeps his head up
he's damn near fed up
until one day
people pick up the paper
take a look at the headlines
can't even believe
they seeing it with their own eyes
reading it from left to right
a country boy can survive

rockabilly, belt buckle, brass knuckle, punch singer
single-handedly managed just to change the whole industry
living life for the rock and roll inaslay
coming up with the top to george chemistry
this is what i was born to be
i never wanted something so badly
this is what I was born to do
now get out my way and watch my dreams come true

i got my bags packed up
and my van gassed up
stratocaster and the tape tracked up
and now it's time, it's time to warn ya
move from South Carolina to California
X3
yea yea, yea yea
X3
yea yea, yea yea

one day she walked right through the door
bass trump bump right through the floor
fresh side pack straight out the box
way to punk for punk rock
she got a toned up body
in a dress
that was black and violet
dark painted eyes that was so hypnotic
he couldn't explain the ways
he said hello there
and told her my names slade stone
and now you know
that i'm supposed to
be on my way down to california
to stomp up on the stage like a soldier

i got my bags packed up
and my van gassed up
stratocaster and the tape tracked up
and now it's time, it's time to warn ya
move from South Carolina to California
X3
yea yea, yea yea
X3
yea yea, one more time
X3
yea yea, yea yea

June 11, 2011

Beach Bums; bidding a farewell to Columbia


We've been thoroughly enjoying Summa-Time!!!
We hit up the water park here once more before our Active Duty ID's expired (it was free then) ... but we've mostly been beach bums at the lakes here.

swim, eat, swim, eat, dig holes, swim, eat some more, sleep
do it all again.

Yea, that's pretty much been our itinerary this past week!

Such a rough life, ha!

We're no longer going up to Asheville (atleast for now). It's been decided (I know, what the hell does "decided" mean in my family! lol)  We've been busying planning a road trip that I'm being all hush hush about (probably because no one would believe me anyway; the girl who cried "road trip" too many times, lol).

We're driving out of here on Monday!
I'll fill you all in when we are officially on the road.
We may show up at your door a day later! lol
Seriously!

Until then ...
we just returned from the beach, a smoothie is being prepared by my hunny, and then we're off to our absolute favorite event here in Columbia:
Rhythm on the River

Tonights artist is...

Brian Conner (of Villanova our favorite local band [actually rates right up there with our favorite overall bands, not just local]) and his Amazing Friends (to include my girl crush, Nikki Lee).

What a great way to say good bye to this city we have called home for the past 4 years! You've seen us through thick and thin, Columbia ... We Love You!

June 7, 2011

RETIRED!!!


Today this little family of ours is

drum roll please ...

OFFICIALLY RETIRED!!!

annnnd
We're still in Columbia!
Haaaaa!

I'm pretty damn sure that no one (myself included) believes me anymore when I say we're leaving *next week, *on monday, *tomorrow ...
Nope, not a one of you!

S'ok, we don't have a schedule to keep, or a boss to pacify; we're allowed to change our minds at the last minute (seventeen hundred times over) and hang a bit longer. lol

And our reason for staying an extra week this time is a good one!

Our favorite local music performance is this coming Saturday. We planned to be in Asheville already (like, months ago), and we would have just made the drive back down here to see them.  Now, since it's only a few days away; we just decided to stay down here one more week. Great, right? We can rearrange our whole schedule to accommodate a concert. Lovin' this life!

BUT, our housing office has "put their foot down"; no more extensions after this one ...  so we HAVE to be out next Monday. We're thinking maybe we'll go straight into traveling; instead of nesting in Asheville first. Would love to see as many of you as we can!!!

Anyway, to celebrate our official retirement 
we went and did something Cah-Razy! 
We got new ID cards!
lol. We didn't have a choice; our old ones expired today.   

The Dependent ID's are pretty much the same as they've always been, only instead of saying "active duty" they say "retired". Still fun!  But Nicks ID got a whole new look ... and, it's blue. The kids have been eagerly awaiting the "cool retired blue id" since we started this med board process like 2 years ago, lol! 

The day is finally here.
Behold the Glory of the Blue...







June 6, 2011

Mac-Attack ... break it down!

setting up their new MacBook Pro's, baby! 

Holy Mother of Crap... 
is it Christmas? 
Or my Birthday?
Or Both?
Or something else entirely?
I think it's both; and more, too. 
Yea! Is it both and more?

Well, my boys ...
it's LAST OFFICIAL DAY IN THE ARMY DAY!!! 
aaand iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii just wanna celebrate!
Who wants a new computer???

The back pay for the kids' portion of our social security disability compensation came in the other day, and we decided to take about 1/2 of it to buy them each a computer. We could have been practical, and you know ... put it in their savings, or used it to buy a new (used) car (ours is seriously considering screwing us one of these days; I can feel it), or possibly used it to figure out our living situation after next week ... but please! We're not really the "practical" type, lol!  

We really wanted to use this portion of the back pay for them; since technically it IS for them. Only seemed right. And we only used 1/2 of it, which means we can be practical with the other half ... if we want to, lol. 

We bought them a macbook computer to share this past Christmas/Hanukkah/Winter Solstice, but it turned out to be a dud (it's win or lose with craigslist), so they haven't gotten much use out of it. Larson is really expressing interest in making movies, and Rylan is eager to do more with photography and a blog (hello my mini me) ... they'll both be able to really delve into these passions and interests now with their own space. Owen is just excited to have his own apps on facebook so he can spend every cent he earns on the games without having to ask his brothers permission first. Score, buddy! He loves YouTube, too. I can see some of his videos going viral, ha!

Unschooling Rocks!!!

We're APPLE lovers 'round here, so they're all brand new macbook pros
with warranties; 
so no funny business diminishing their spirits this time.



June 5, 2011

Sunday's Songbird ... Blessed

Tomorrow we are officially hitting the road (for real this time, lol)

To celebrate; here's a light, happy, uplifting little tune to lead us onto our new path.
I'm going to celebrate being alive!



Blessed ~Brett Dennen
I welcome the sun
the clouds and rain
the wind that sweeps the sky clean
and lets the sun shine again
this is the most magnificent life has ever been
here is heaven and earth
and the brilliant sky in between

blessed is this life
and I'm gonna celebrate being alive
blessed is this life
and I'm gonna celebrate being alive

I dwell in the darkness
I let in the light
I sleep in the afternoon
and become the noise in the night
I trespass in temptation
suffered in sacrifice
but I awake each day with a new sunrise

*ba da da noises* ;-)

blessed is this life, oh
and I'm gonna celebrate being alive
blessed is this life, oh
and I'm gonna celebrate being alive

blessed is this life, oh
and I'm gonna celebrate being alive
blessed is this life, oh
and I'm gonna celebrate being alive

June 3, 2011

Good Life Cafe = OH YUM!!!

Columbia's first Raw Vegan restaurant, Good Life Cafe, was graced with our presence yet again. We friggin love it there! The food is amazing, and the staff is even more amazing. 

They had lasagna on the menu today; which is what made us pile in the aircondition-less car and make a RUN for it. By the time we got there, the lasagna was all gone (bummer, we were SO looking forward to it.  Over 4 years of being raw vegan, and we haven't tried a lasagna yet! One day ... ONE DAY!) 

I'm getting hungry again just looking at these photos ...

taco salad

unsausage w/biscuit and gravy
beet and kale salads on the side

pimento-less veggie wrap with same side salads as above

June 2, 2011

Can we go to the dentist?



My kids really love to go to the dentist.
All three if them.
We bring them in for a cleaning every 6 months.
They make it about 3 or 4 days after their last visit before asking how soon the next appt is.
"When can we go back to the dentist"????
It's always been this way.
Even after a couple of cavities.
The drill didn't ruin their spirits.
Are they alone in this? lol
... I mostly hear horror stories of trying to get a kid in a dentist chair.
It might have something to do with the super cool flavored toothpaste.
Or the cartoons they have playing for you while you're in the chair.
Or the new tooth brush they get.
Or the arcade room they have set up to play for FREE.
As long as we have a dentist that doesn't scoff when I request that no fluoride treatment be used;
I get pretty happy and excited to visit the dentist, too!

June 1, 2011

"Doing 7 Proud"


We celebrated Owens SEVENTH Birthday today. So hard to believe my teeny babe is already seven! 

He says he totally feels seven. He says it's a very different feeling then the feeling he had the day prior; when he was just six. Says he feels taller, too (which is a significant feeling for him ... he totally takes after his Dad in the short department). He's very confident he's "doing 7 proud", Haha!

He's a very strong willed, passionate little dude. He's extremely protective of those he loves (especially his mama), and he wields fierce opinions about everything and anything. He's sarcastic, deliberate, and so very quick witted. Truly one of the funniest people I know! He curses like a sailor, will give you his last bite of cake, and is the best damn snuggle buddy a person could have. All at only 7 years old. He's destined for greatness, this one :-)  

early morning balloon fun in an empty house is killer! 

rocking his new "pint-sized" guitar.
He loves to rock, but the guitars we have are a bit too big for him to really get down.
This one fits him perfectly ... he's already learned how to swing it around, throw it in the air, catch it and continue the rock. He puts on a pretty awesome show! lol 

he wanted a beach birthday!

he got a beach birthday!

little fish

we looooove the beach
X3

<3 my loves

a "man-made diving board" of sorts, lol!

i love watching them together

this shot reminds me of dirty dancing, lol!

Happy Birthday Our Sweet "not so little" Owen!


our family!

serenading his cake? lol

make a wish

Mmmmm .... caaaaaaaaake!
He wanted a chocolate forest cake, with almond brittle as both crust and frosting.
Done! With an extra layer of almond brittle w/a deep chocolate fudge sauce in the middle.
All Raw Vegan, of course!
SOOO GOOD!