Screw You, 2008!

I keep reading all of these blogs that have a 2008 review in them. It's all the rage. Not me, baby!

For me, 2008 sucked. I worked for an awful, crazy, delusional and paranoid boss in a job I hated, left that job to take another job that fell through the cracks, and spent the last 2 1/2 months of the year unemployed. 2008 was the year that Dave's blood pressure went through the roof and his ugly genetically-high cholesterol decided to stop by and stay a while. We had major issues in the fertility department and to top it all off, kidney stones was my birthday gift.

Thanks, 2008. You suck!!!

But 2009? 2009 is already looking better. I have a new job which will start soon, and we'll be relocating to Columbus. Yes, things are looking up.

Happy New Year, everyone!

Hi Mom!

So, this weekend, I found out my mom reads my blog. I immediately realized that I should go back through my posts and make sure I didn't have anything on here that should be kept from her. I think I'm in the clear, though.

Mom, how come you never comment on my fabulous blog?!? (She hates how often I use the word "fabulous.")

Anyway, welcome to the blog, Mom. I'll see you next week. Love you!

My Little Charlie Brown Christmas Tree

I have to be honest...the past few years we haven't put up a Christmas tree. Sad, huh? It's just that we don't spend any time at home during the holidays. We spend 7-10 days traveling between our families. I don't wrap gifts until I get to the destination, so nothing gets put under the tree. And we have a small house. We don't really have the room for a full-size tree.

Enter the little pencil tree I rescued from my mom! I bought it 5 years ago for my office. Mom saw it when I moved, and she totally stole it. Okay, maybe "stole" is a harsh word. Maybe I meant to say "borrowed knowing full well she would never return it so I had to stage a rescue."



Anyway, it fits perfectly on a side table in the living room. The only sad thing is that the beautiful angel that I love so much cannot fit onto the top of the tree. So I have it sitting beside the tree instead.

Instead of the angel, I have a little Boyd's Bear Santa on top of the tree instead.

And you know what, I really love the little tree! It's perfect. It makes me happy. And at a time when a lot of things have made me sad this season, it's nice to come home to a warm feeling.

Hate is Such a Strong Word

You know what I hate? I absolutely hate the sound of water being poured. There is an ad on TV for Brita that kills me with their incessant pouring of water. That sounds just grates on my nerves. It's awful.

I used to work with this guy, Greg, who was hilarious! I loved being around him. He was hilarious, and he always found a way to cut the stress in our office. We worked for this absolute crazy nazi-ish manager and he could make her look so ridiculous that I would laugh myself into an asthma attack. And having to use that inhaler that made me shake like an addict was totally worth it. But he was constantly pouring himself huge glasses of water out of a pitcher he kept out of his desk.

And he knew it drove me crazy, so he did it even more. Oh, that sound! It haunts me. And when that commercial comes on, I can't mute the TV quick enough.

Thanksgiving Can Last For a Week, Right?

Dave and I braved the horror that is I-71 from Cleveland to Columbus last Wednesday in order to spend Thanksgiving with my family. Can someone explain to me why the construction powers-that-be decided the day before a major travel holiday would be good to shut down 2 of 3 lanes for absolutely no reason? I wanted to find out where those jerks were eating their turkey on Thursday and then drive really s-l-o-w-l-y in front of them, delaying their arrival by 2-3 hours just to get even. Morons!

I figured we would stay through the weekend in order to help Gramma put up the tree and decorate, but I extended my stay a few days in order to bake Christmas cookies. We freeze them so they are wonderful on Christmas Day...otherwise, yuck! Too early. We also made buckeyes. The last time I made these was for my wedding 2 1/2 years ago, and we made over 400. This time we made a single batch and they were done so quickly. How I ever convinced my mother and gramma to help me with that project, I'll never know. And somehow I managed to escape putting them in the wrappers and boxing them up, not to mention assembling the boxes, and closing and sealing them. Thank God for my matron of honor. [Side note to BJ...you are the best and I didn't deserve the amount of work you put into that weekend!]

So now I'm getting home a week later and playing catch up with emails, phone messages and laundry. Anytime you get one-on-one time with Gramma, it's good. And yummy food! 7 days of yummy goodness. Thankfully her pantry is in the basement and I had to keep running up and down the steps.

So, what did I miss?

Worst Movie Ever? Quite Possibly.

I somehow got tricked into watching the movie The Bodyguard this weekend by Dave, which surprised me, seeing as it really should be classified as a chick-flick and he is SO not into those! Anyway, I had made it all this time without ever watching it. I mean, come on, there's a reason for that. Subconsciously, I knew it was a lot of crap rolled into a 2-hour delivery. But I wasn't fully prepared for just how bad it actually was.

I think the premise of Whitney Houston (the worst actress ever, or pretty darn close) playing a character who was receiving an Oscar for Best Actress was so unbelievably ridiculous that the movie was ruined right there. Shouldn't the director have realized this and changed the script accordingly? Make her a singer receiving a Grammy...I'll buy it. The horrendous acting wouldn't have been so obvious. It's like trying to shoot a film about Paris in Tijuana. By the end of the movie...no, wait, that's a lie...by the middle of the movie, I wanted the bad guy to kill her and end the suffering for all of us.

And really, can you now watch anything with Whitney in it without hearing her yell "Bob-bay!!!!!!" I surely can't.

The Bodyguard...two hours of the worst crap you'll ever witness on film.

I'm In Love!!!

Okay, it's a blog I'm in love with...but it got your attention, right? I have recently discovered Smitten Kitchen. I was searching for a fried chicken recipe this weekend and stumbled across this fabulous site! And I do mean fabulous. It's like porn for foodies. The author was featured on Martha Stewart's show on blogs in mid-September. She blogs 2-3 times a week with great recipes and ideas. Even if you don't cook, the photos are sumptuous. Reading the blog has awakened the foodie in me that apparently fell asleep a few months ago.

Crickets Chirping

So I know I've been quiet for a while now, but I guess I don't have anything I need to say. I've kept myself busy, even though I'm not working right now. But not so busy that I can't keep up with the blog. It's amazing how important stupid things become when you no longer have truly important things happening. Today, I ran out of butter. And then I forgot to call Dave and have him get some on the way home. When he got home and I realized what I hadn't done, I acted like it was the end of the world. Drama over freaking butter!

I hate not working. I feel sluggish and dull. I feel unimportant and lazy. Most importantly, I feel like I'm not contributing, and that totally sucks. I'm praying that a door will open for me and I can find a job that will be fulfilling. Because I honestly cannot stand this inactivity!

Freaking Awesome Weather!!!

I love unseasonably warm days. And today was so fabulous! I spent the day with Dave at the golf course. I even pitched in and took the ball-picker out to clear the driving range. I love it when the guys on the range aim at me. Most of them can't hit the broad side of a barn, so just imagine them aiming for a MOVING target!

I know cold weather is coming, but I am just enjoying this for now. It reminds me of a Christmas Eve some years back...I think I was in junior high...and it was 70 degrees. We drove to my grandparents' house with the windows down. It reminds to just get out and enjoy the day because who knows what tomorrow will bring.

I'm off to enjoy the sunset.

I'm Not Ready

I'm not ready. I'm not ready for cold weather or snow or ice or frozen tundra-like landscapes. And I'm especially not ready for LAKE-EFFECT!!!

I'm freaking out here.

Virtual Vacation Day 3-Denmark, the Happiest Place on Earth

In honor of the Dane who visited my blog Friday, Day 3 of my Virtual Vacation is being spent in Denmark. I've read that it's the happiest place on earth. Don't take my word for it, though. Here's a video:



A few quick facts:
*Home of Hans Christian Andersen
*One of the oldest kingdoms dating back to Gorm the Old (910-958)
*Second-most visited country in Scandinavia
*Constitutional monarchy with parliamentary system of government
*Current Queen is Margrethe II
*Associated with being the home of the Vikings
*Population of 5.4 million
*Home to Lars Ulrich (Metallica drummer), Connie Nielsen (actress), and Helena Christensen (model).

My First European Blog Visitor

I was reading my blog stats this morning, and I had my first blog visit from Europe. Someone in Denmark found my blog via a search on Albufeira and was directed to my Virtual Vacation post.

Hooray! I hear that Denmark has fabulous sandwiches called smorrebrod which are as varied and wonderful as can be. And their Crown Prince is quite the action man. And he married an Australian whose haircolor I covet.

In honor of this, I will be visiting Denmark tomorrow on my Virtual Vacation.

Death by Golf Club

So my husband, whom I normally love and adore, wanted me to come in to work with him today. He told me he had to be here early, because he had lessons and clinics. So I got up at 6am on a rainy, cold, dismal Saturday so we could be in by 7:30am.

Do you know what time he actually had to be here? 10AM!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was ready to KILL him when I found that out. I was so tired, and it was so warm and cozy in my bed and it was so dark outside. I could hear the rain and I did not want to move. But no, Mr. I Have To Be 2 Hours Early forced me up and out the door.

Obviously the only solution is death by golf club. Should I go with a driver or an iron?

Virtual Vacation-Day 2...Let's Scuba!!

Welcome to Day 2 of my Virtual Vacation. Today I'm scuba-diving at the Great Barrier Reef. The best part? No jet lag!!

I Declare a Virtual Vacation

Since I'm home anyway, I've decided to take a virtual vacation. For every day that I'm not working, I'm going to visit a new place. Today I'm visiting the Algarve in Portugal. I spent some time there ten years ago, and I loved the people, the towns, the ocean, the beaches! This is a video I stole from someone else. It's my favorite beach, in a town called Albufeira. In order to get to this beach, you have to climb down a steep set of steps. Albufeira is a version of an Arabic word meaning lagoon, which is perfect for this cove. I would love to go back!

Catching Up

I realized that I still have a ton of pictures on my camera, and thought I would share some of them. Some of you remember the apple-picking trip from September. Here are some photos of my niece, Palmer, and my mom from that trip...

Of course, no trip to the orchard is complete without lunch and ice cream at Ye Olde Mill followed by a walk by the water wheel and the duck pond. Big Day!

And here's a video from the day!

Curse you, Down Comforter!

I finally did it! I broke down and got the winter bedding out. I washed my jersey sheets and thermal blankets, rinsed them in the fabulous lavender-scented Downy and now have a bed that is ready for cold and crappy weather. I think it's the thing that depresses me most about the coming season.

That being said, I do love my winter bed! It's so cozy and inviting with it's fluffy down comforter and incredibly soft sheets. It begs you to hunker down and stay a while. Last March, when that awful blizzard came through, I spent most of that snowy Saturday in it, catching up on several months worth of magazines. It also makes it hard to get out of it on those super-cold mornings.

I hate winter. Why don't we just hibernate?

Bad Hair in the Wind

I was flipping through the channels today, trying desperately to find something to watch that was work-friendly (I'm tagging along with Dave to work today) and found unintentional comedy on VH1. Did you know they show videos from the 70's?!?

First of all, let me just say that the amount of hair that men sported back then was, quite frankly, appalling! Was it really that attractive to women back then to date men who had hair longer than theirs? And the beards? Really? You needed emergency nesting material for whatever wayward bird flew your way?

The first video we saw was "Dust in the Wind" by Kansas. Folks, I've been in Kansas. They know about dust. Anyway, in the interest of full disclosure, I should also tell you it was the only video we saw. I was laughing too hard, so we changed the channel. Dave's first comment was "Jesus?" And I could totally see where he was coming from, as two of the band members did resemble him, except these guys clearly just came from their prom or a really awful wedding with the tuxes they were sporting.

And talk about a depressing song! I don't feel right just telling you about it. I want to share it as well! So here, good readers, is the video in question:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkbdP7sq0w8

I'm off to find more videos from that era. I need the laughs today.

I'm Tired of Politics

Anyone else? I'm so ready for the election to be over. OVER. O-V-E-R!!! Every other commerical is political. The level of vitriol being spewed at rallies is atrocious. And what exactly is it about elections that brings out the most ignorant, nasty people? It's getting to the point that watching the news is just depressing. There's a reason I don't know what to wear to work every day. I'm afraid to get the weather report, for fear of getting sucked in to 20 minutes of political crap.

3 more weeks.

I can get through that, right?!?

A Blog for my Best Friend

We all have at least one, right? A best friend. A person who has seen you at your very best, your very worst, and everything in between. Someone who takes the time to drop everything and chat with you about nothing, just because. For me, that's BJ. She's my very best friend. We've known each other since our freshman year of high school. We've been through it all together: dating, marriage, her pregnancy and childbirth, my constant job changes, everything!

Some people are blessed to live close enough to see their best friend on a regular basis. BJ and I are not that lucky. She lives in western Kentucky. I live in northeast Ohio. Before she moved there, she lived in Texas. We burn the phone lines, though. And when the opportunity arises, we are able to see each other. This weekend was one of those times. BJ, her husband and baby were up for the Quarter Horse Congress in Columbus, so I took an extra day off and had a long weekend with them. I got some cuddle time with their daughter, too, which is always a bonus!

Here is BJ doing what she does...I wish I knew more about it, but I just don't. But I am in awe at the wonderful life and career she has built for herself. Through thick and thin, she always sees the positive. She is a joy to me.



So this entry is dedicated to my very best friend, BJ, who reminds me to always look on the bright side, to live my life honestly, to love my husband with all my heart, and to embrace whatever comes my way.

BJ, I loved having three days to hang out with you. They were priceless. I cannot imagine my life without you as my sounding board, my cheerleader, my most sincere critic, and my calm before, during and after the storm.

I'm a Pet Owner...okay, not really

I adopted a virtual pet, because my schedule combined with allergies does not allow me to have a real pet besides fish. And who wants to deal with that? (No offense to "fish people")

So over there to the right, under that fabulous picture of my awesome husband on our honeymoon, you will find Pilar the Pig. She's kinda cute, and seems to be really enamored with her tail. If I do okay with her, I might find a friend for her. Maybe a turtle or a hedgehog. I love stuffed and cartoon pigs. I also like them roasted or fried, but don't tell Pilar. There is the cutest stuffed pink pig at Cracker Barrel. Someday, she will be mine.

When I was four, I was a flower girl in a wedding in Dayton. I lost my stuffed pig in the hotel. I just know that damn housekeeper gathered her up in the sheets and that was that. I was DEVASTATED. I cried all the way back to Columbus, then for two more nights. I wanted my pig!!!

And clearly I am still affected. And I still hate Dayton for it. Sorry, Daytonites, it's nothing personal...except if you were the housekeeper in question, and then it's entirely personal!

I've Been Tagged!

Hooray!!! This is the first time this has happened to me. Allison tagged me to give seven random facts about me. So please stay to read my facts, then run over to Allison's blog and find out her random facts. One word...TBDBITL. Wait, is that a word?



Random Fact 1. I was a Girl Scout for 1st through 12th grade. I won the Gold Award, and worked two years at summer camp as a counselor.



Random Fact 2. I have a fledgling pastry and cookie business.



Random Fact 3. I love, love, love chocolate peanut butter ice cream.



Random Fact 4. I am addicted to Spearmint Tic Tacs and they are nearly impossible to find in stores. I'm seriously considering buying them in bulk online.



Random Fact 5. I really enjoy reading cookbooks.



Random Fact 6. I have a mixed marriage...my husband is a Republican and I am a Democrat. Sometimes I get so angry at his views that I want to throw something at him.

Random Fact 7. I worry incessantly about everything.

So, there you go! 7 random facts.

A Bushel and a Peck

It's apple-picking time! Oh, how I loooooove picking apples!! This weekend my mom and I will take our annual trip to Legend Hills Orchard in Utica. This year is really special, because it is the first time we are taking my niece, Palmer, who is 2. We've taken my other nieces and nephew from the time they were her age. It's a really great day.

After picking, we always go to Ye Olde Mill for lunch and ice cream. Ye Olde Mill is the home of Velvet Ice Cream, which is really good. You've had it if you've ever eaten a dessert with ice cream at Bob Evans restaurants.

The best part of the day is the smell of the car on the way home. Yummy!!!

And for those of you who are curious, a peck is equal to 8 quarts or 16 pints. 4 pecks equal 1 bushel. And that is your lesson for the day.

Happy Apple Picking!!!

Wishin' and hopin’ and thinkin’ and prayin’

For two years now, David and I have been actively trying to get pregnant. I knew we would have trouble, because I was diagnosed with PCOS four years ago. I knew the issues and the odds, and that we would need help. But honestly, I really thought that once we started down the road of fertility treatments, we would have success.

I was wrong.

While we are really just at the beginning of treatments available to us, I know that as we cross a method off the list, the odds of us conceiving become lower. It's so incredibly frustrating. I see people bounce into each other sideways who end up pregnant. I see people who probably, for all intents and purposes, should not have children, yet they have no issues in that department whatsoever.

I think the hardest thing is watching cases of abused children...children that were born into such horrific circumstances that you just know the chances of them growing up unscathed are slim. What I wouldn't give to hold and cuddle and cherish a child, and there are people out there that throw them away like trash. It just hurts so much.

I haven't written about our struggles with this before, and I'm not sure I will going forward. But I needed to put this down, because things aren't going well, and it is very hard emotionally. I see little ones and I yearn to be a mother. And while I would never begrudge someone's wonderful news, I must admit that sometimes the pain and frustration is overwhelming when someone announces a pregnancy. I don't want to be the person that lists our issues as a kind of scorecard, because that just highlights my failures.

But I do want to ask for your prayers and/or good thoughts.

Great American Pastime..or Losing 4 Hours to Really Bad Baseball

Dave and I attended an Indians game today. I got tickets through work, and even though I spent the afternoon with the very people I try to stay away from on my days off, we did have a good time.

Here is our view... you don't get the "nosebleed high" feeling from the photo, but we were pretty far up there. How far, you ask? Well, we could see the passengers in the jets circling the field before landing at Hopkins Airport easier than we could make out the ball players. So high that the ball would travel past the pitcher's mound before we heard the "crack" of the bat.

Jacobs Field was renamed this year to Progressive Field, but make no mistake, I will always call it Jacobs Field or The Jake. I'd love to say it's because I'm protesting the corporate takeover of our daily lives, but really, it's just because it's been The Jake for something like 14 years. I simply cannot remember the new name. And there's no quick, cute nickname to call it.

Quick question...have ballpark hotdogs ALWAYS tasted like a salt lick? Yikes...one bite and my ankles instantly swelled.

Anyway...we won the game, but it was an endurance trial to sit there through so many innings of bad ball. Some of these guys are getting paid millions of dollars to let a ball roll through their glove...I'm looking at you, Grady Sizemore. T-Ball was more appealing than today's game. Thank goodness I had the distraction of jets flying by my left ear.

Not Exactly the Stones I Wanted for My Birthday

Months ago, I told Dave I wanted a birthstone ring for my birthday. A pretty peridot ring. That's all! Imagine my surprise when my "birthday present" came early...Sunday night to be exact, in the form of Kidney stones. Yikes, is this painful. This birthday has turned out to be pretty sucky. Worse than the year I turned 14 and my ear canals swelled shut from a massive ear infection.

Apparently bad birthdays happen every 20 years for me. And no, I didn't get the peridot ring. I did, however, get Vicodin and rainbow sherbet. Now if that isn't a combo, I don't know what is!!

Happy Birthday to ME!!!!!!!!

Also sharing this day with me?

Fellow Ohioan Neil Armstrong, Maureen McCormick (Marcia, Marcia, MARCIA!), Loni Anderson, and Patrick Ewing.

So, no cake or celebrations today...but this weekend I'm reclaiming my day!

Fun Site

I was reading a really great blog by Erin, and came across this really fun site:

http://wordle.net

You put in a series of words, names, etc. and can turn it into a really cool piece of art for you blog, etc. Erin did one with her kids names and nicknames. I did one for Dave and I. It's on the right.

Very fun! Thanks Erin!

Happy Anniversary

Two years ago today, I married my best friend, my biggest supporter, my buddy, my partner in crime and the love of my life. I can't imagine my life without you. I'm so proud to be your wife, and I love you so very much.

Happy Anniversary, David!

Who Even Picks Up Hitchhikers These Days?

We gathered our provisions and took off for Lyndonville last Thursday for a fabulous 4th. But what should have taken 3.5 to 4 hours ended up taking 4.75. Of course we did stop for lunch at the greatest road trip restaurant ever...

I LOVE Cracker Barrel! And I do mean love!!! It's so fabulous. MMMM...Cracker Barrel! Wait, what was talking about? Right...road trip.

The reason it took so long was because the first part of the trip included rain of biblical proportions. No really...we got passed by an ark. Of course, it's not like I saw this. Like a good wife, I was sleeping in the passenger seat. But I did wake up in time for my favorite part of the trip to New York. If you've ever traveled the eastern section of I-90 between PA and Buffalo, I know you've seen this:Wait, what is that sign? Wildlife crossing? Tourist attraction? Nope!
That's right...it says "Correctional Facility Area - Do Not Pick Up Hitchhikers." No, we didn't stop to take the photo. Dave wouldn't let me. I took the photo while the car was traveling at 65 mph. Not bad for our little digital! But what I didn't realize until I enlarged it when I got home was the fact that there is a car clearly parked on the shoulder and people are walking towards it. They're too well dressed for prisoners, unless the State of New York has increased the budget for prison wear astronomically. I just bet they all got their picture in front of that sign. I'm so jealous.

But the whole point is this...who picks up hitchhikers anywhere, much less there? I mean really? This happens?!? It's a PRISON! Can you just imagine the conversation?

Passenger: "Hey look, here comes someone in an orange jumpsuit from down by the double layer of razor wire." Driver: "Who said orange was the new pink?" Passenger: "Poor thing...let's give him a ride."

And scene!

Not to forget about Dave, who gamely drove the entire way both there and back. Here he is in all of his driving glory:

The Norma Rae of Husbands

My husband is unhappy with me today. He's going on strike from the blog! Why, you ask? Well, because I changed the template on my blog. He thinks it's too girly, too frou-frou, too flowery for him to have his name and (gasp) photo so prominently displayed!!

We may be going through a series of revamps until I find one that he can live with. OR I might decide to leave everything as is and tell him to suck it up, as he so eloquently tells me to do when I'm whining about something. Stay tuned.

Lyndonville, Here We Come!

Tomorrow we are leaving for the fabulous 4th of July celebration in Lyndonville, NY! They have the absolute best 4th for such a small town! Big parade, big craft show, the Buffalo Philharmonic will play a concert, then awesome incredible fireworks!! It's so awesome, I can't stop using exclamation points!!!!!

Dave's family lives there, so it's always so much fun to see everybody. I'll post pics when I can.

Happy 4th, everybody!

I Tried It Tuesday

I've recently been following the blog, Chic Critique. It's a fabulous site that tries all the fun stuff for you, so you know exactly what (or what not) to buy or try.

They've introduced a new feature called I Tried It Tuesday. So here is my addition!

Recently, Chic Critique had a guest blogger, Nina, who shared a little secret about shaving. She's been using hair conditioner to shave her legs. I know what you're thinking, because I thought the same thing. But she assured the reader that the shave would be much smoother and last longer than with regular shaving cream.

Guess what...she was right!

I tried it first on one leg, with my original shaving cream on the other. The leg with hair conditioner was much smoother. The next day, I noticed I had stubble on the shaving cream leg. Still smooth on the conditioner side. So then I thought that maybe one leg's hair grows faster than the other. So I swapped legs. It still worked.

My legs are so smooth now, and so well moisturized. Who's a rock star? Ummm, that would be Nina, my new hero!!

And the very best thing? It's cheaper than than shaving cream. Bliss!!!

Stalker, Take 2

Here is the video evidence:

You say stalker, I say embarassing wife

Tuesday evening I swung by 2 Club to pick up Dave from work. (We've been carpooling for a few weeks in order to keep our Ford Explorer from driving us straight to the poor house.)

And for those of you who are tempted to lecture about environmental impact, terrorist ties to SUV's, or that I'm driving up the price of gas, please spare me. I get it. That's why it's parked right now. But please understand that I live in Northeast Ohio, where we regularly get snow, sleet, freezing rain and ice during the 9 months when it isn't 90 degrees and 600% humidity. Two words...lake effect! The Explorer got us where we needed to be in March after we got two feet of snow.

No, that isn't an exaggeration...we literally got two feet in one system.

But I digress. I was about to tell you about Tuesday night, and my ability to mortify my husband right in front of an NFL player. Who's wife of the year? That's right...it's me!

Rob Sims, who plays for the Seattle Seahawks (NFL, for those of you furrowing your brow right now), stopped by the course to hit a few balls at the range. Dave wanted to go out and meet him, so he trotted out to introduce himself. The next thing I know, Dave was hovering very close to him and gesturing. My husband gave his first lesson to an NFL star. Please don't debate me on the star thing...he's a former Buckeye after all.

So, where was I...yes the stalking thing.

Being the good wife that I am, I thought I would sneak out and try to take some pictures. By the way, Dave is in the blue hat and the red shirt. The big guy to the left of Dave, that's Rob Sims. Big guy, huh?

Nice Chevy Trailblazer, by the way.

Anyway, I was worried that they were too far away for the pictures to be clear, so I snuck closer. Into the parking lot. Which was fairly empty. That last picture...that's right before my husband looked at me and wished a huge sinkhole would swallow me up. God help any children we might have.

Birthday pictures!

Birthday pictures!

Birthday pictures!

Palmer's 2nd Birthday