The Wii

The Wii has been the best purchase - the family got it for Christmas from "Santa" and we all enjoy it - especially the kids and Bill! The photos are Markie and Ben playing a Wii game - they love the Mario games. Bill loves this flying game he got - he pretends he's a fighter pilot defending England in WWII - - which I guess is good work if you can get it! The Wii has been fun and it's something we can all do hanging out as a family. I'm also including some cute photos of Alex I took tonight. He doesn't play the Wii yet, but sometimes he holds the numchuck and pretends. Tonight he was just doing his own thing - we played with some of his little people toys and watched Dancing with the Stars - he loved to clap at the end of the dances.

In Memorium

Cancer took another great person today.... I've known Debbie for over 10 years through PartyLite, but have really gotton to know her better in the past year or so. Debbie was diagnosed with cancer about 3 years ago and she battled hard. Even when she was sick from chemo and had no hair left, she would come to our trainings with her scarf on and work her business. She didn't complain and always had a smile on her face. Debbie had a great sense of style and she always looked good! But beyond that, Debbie was a real genuine person, so sweet and thoughtful. She was also a lot of fun too - we had so much fun at last year's PL conference with her husband Steve and her, just hanging out at the trainings. Debbie made us laugh so hard at a party Elaine and I hosted in our room one night during conference - I can still picure her and June imitating a dance number we had seen that day......what a blast. I'm going to miss her so much, especially at our unit workshops and at conference later this year. In the end, Debbie found out the cancer had spread and she only had about 3 months. She passed at 5:40 this morning at home with her husband at her side for her final breath. She leaves behind two grown sons, her husband and two sisters, her mom and a boatload of friends. Debbie, I will miss your smile and fun loving nature! I'm sure you are dancing in heaven right now. . . .This photo is Debbie and Steve at last July's PartyLite conference - she was doing what she did best - laughing and having a great time.

Bill rushed me off the computer last night to watch something on TV with him....so; here are some more photos of the weekend! Whew! What a couple of days.!

Whirlwind

OK, first it was Alex's Birthday Party - Chuck E. Cheese on Saturday. Bill's brother Scott, his wife Kelly and their 3 boys were here for a visit from Ohio! They came to the party too! Well, first they came over for a suprise visit before the party - I was RUNNING to clear the crap and clutter from my house before they got here - had a 20 minute warning! They brought their cat for us to keep for 2 years while they are living in Turkey during their military assignment. OK, so party done, "check" - Alex has super-fun.....then, Easter, next day....8:30 Mass, followed by breakfast and egg hunt at Lynn's, followed by being over to Janet's house for Bill's family -visiting and dinner.....then Monday - Alex's actual 4th Birthday - with dinner from Pong-Pong and Lynn and kids over.....then Mark -and cake - courtesy of Aunt Lynn.....finally....weekend done.....wow....need a day to recover! Assessment - Alex birthday - he loved it; Easter - kids had so much fun eating candy, hunting for eggs in 2 egg hunts and playing with cousins they haven't seen in several years!

Champ

Since reading my friend Becca's recent blog posts about her pets, I felt I HAD to write about my dog Champ. Champers or Shmo as he is called has been in my life since 1994! I try to block out just how old he is, because I can't bear to think of him not being with me! Champ has been with me before my house, my husband and my boys! He's seen me through everything - I love him so much. I try to spend a little time with him every day - sometimes Ben or Bill will tease me that I love him the best! I always think about how people say once you have kids you ignore your pets - I did not want that prediction to come true so I make sure Champ is treated well. Nothing overboard, but he does get to sleep anywhere he wants, including the "big bed"! Champ has been a true friend to me and I hope he has at least a couple more years in him!

Homework Time!

Try telling a first-grader that their homework requires a two paragraph essay on what they did over spring break! First you get disbelief, then you get denial, then avoidance and finally acceptance - well, sort of! 45 minutes later we finally have a rough draft fiction work on going to Luigi's (a fictional video game character!) house for break! Well, the teacher did say fiction was OK! Guess it was more exciting than what we really did over break - which was mostly hanging out and relaxing - Disneyland would have been fun but oh well, there is always next year! The homework assignment will be finished tomorrow - it's due Thursday. The photos show Ben's different thoughts as he works on the assignment - I think we both would have rather been doing something else!

Bahama Mama's

My family is everything to me - I love hanging out with the boys and even Bill sometimes - but it's my Friends (yes, you too Lynn) that really get me through! It makes me so happy to hang out and have "girl talk". This is a photo of me with my friends Holly, Elaine and Becky - the Bahama Mama's - named after the 4 of us ended up together on a PartyLite trip to the Bahama's several years ago. Since then, we try to get together every month or two to catch up and just visit and laugh. Last night we went to a Cantina/Restaurant at Tempe Marketplace and had dinner. We have done some really fun things together like go dancing, go to concerts, bowling, pottery painting and laser tag - not all on the same night! We're not that young anymore! We did have a great time last night - so to the Bahama Mama's and all my friends that I love to hang with including all the crazy gals that came to Vegas to celebrate my 40th, and especially too - the Supper Club Gals - thanks to you I'm sane today!!

A.M. Coffee

From time to time I'll be posting one of my favorite things!

Today I want to share the joy I get from my first cup of coffee. I love fresh, steaming hot coffee with my favorite creamer (vanilla caramel) from Coffee Mate. I sip the first cup looking at the view out my back kitchen window and it's pure bliss for me. I usually have 2 or 3 cups after that, but there is nothing like that first one! Usually I lose my cup at various places around the house as I'm trying to get the kids out the door in the morning - the kids are probably sick of me yelling, "has anyone seen mommy's coffee cup?!"

I recommend you stop and drink a few sips of your favorite morning beverage while doing nothing else but that tomorrow morning. Let me know how it goes!

These are the before and after pics of my coffee.

My Boys

Here are some words that describe Ben:

• Cuddly




• Thin
  



• Artist




• Sensative




• Gamer




• Easy




• Love
  

Here are some words that describe Alex:

• Solid




• Special
  



• Hilarious




• Loud




• Energy




• Runner




• Love

This picture is the aftermath of baking brownies - all 3 of us!! Like all kids, they love to "help"!