Merry Christmas to All

To All....













...and to all a blessed 2009!

'Twas the Night Before Christmas....

....and all through the house were these cute creatures who I happen to call my family. I know time is passing faster than I think it should, but for now I am so blessed to have the pitter patter of these feet among me. For they will grow, and they will go, but for today they are still mine.

Are You Ready for Some Football?

DPJ started tackle football this year. He now has full garb.....

.....And a full set of bruises to match!

1st Day of School 2008

Aren't they adorable:Yeah pictures are fine on your front porch. I barely had to threaten them for this shot:But all that changed when we pulled up to the school.

Not that this ritual is anything new, we've only done it every year since kindergarten, but this year I got the full, "MOM!" including (but not limited to) arms crossed in defiance, eyes rolling and huffs galore, when I pulled over and hopped out to take this shot:
You'd think I was dressed in a Hawaiian mu mu with curlers in my hair insisting on a big fat kiss right in front of their classroom! (OK, no mu mu, but surely a kiss for your mama!) Notice the ready to bolt stance DQ has taken. If this shot has not worked too bad the next one would have been her backside running away.....

I'm sure DQ thinks that I lay awake at night dreaming up new ways to completely embarrass her! (no..... but sometimes on the way home in the car my mind does wander..... tee hee)

Fell in Love with a Boy

A funny thing happened on the way to my friend's wedding. I met a boy and fell in love.

It's been a long four years. And I won't lie, it's not been the happily ever after ending I thought it would be.

He's not perfect - he says "What?" more often than not when responding to something I've said. He remembers things I wish he'd forget and forgets just about everything else. He's dirty. And I don't mean in a fun, deep husky voice "What are you wearing ?" kind of way. I mean he works hard for a living and he comes home filthy and spreads his love on everything he touches. But he makes me laugh and looks into my eyes and doesn't look away. He is truly the most patient man when it comes to dealing with me. It is the right combination of persistence and patience that he has with me that just works. Which is a feat. After all, I am a piece of work.

He's curious. Which means he tries things. I like that. Sometimes he fails, but other times he succeeds. Sometimes he takes my advice (although begrudgingly) and then sometimes he doesn't. But on a Saturday afternoon when I pull in the drive way and spy a beautiful new gate to the backyard staring back at me, one I said we didn't need, but never the less looks so beautiful I cannot find the words to complain, I am so grateful he doesn't always listen.

He tries, and he gets it wrong (A LOT) but then again, when I least expect it he gets it right. Wrapping his arms around me answering me, "Why? Because I love you and I need you. That's why." I'm just so thankful he never gives up.

Uplifting

*** So yes, I've been a very BAD blogger lately. So much to post..... hopefully in the next few weeks I will be posting a bunch of stuff, but I plan to back date it, so it won't show up in the latest..... yeah I'm kind of weird that way... sorry!

What a weekend! zoom-zoom broke down which killed the trip to Seattle (sorry auntie!). Figured we had one car in the shop, might we as well tear apart the other one right? I know great logic. Chris had ordered a lift kit, new shocks and new tires for the jeep and he could wait no longer so he said.....It took him and Seth two days under the Jeep (literally!) to install....









And now..... It's so high my chubby butt can barely get in and out of it..... but as you can see, Chris is VERY happy with how it turned out........ and also has to jump in and out! tee hee!

Too Sexy!

I'm too sexy for my shirt - too sexy for my shoes.... too sexy... yeah!

Chris can so rock the after eye appointment shades, don't you think? Originally he put the little rolled up film over his glasses and as he was rocking out in the optical shop lobby (singing My Future's so Bright with some air guitar thrown in for good measure) the assistant gently advised him that these were actually suppose to go BEHIND his glasses. Who would have known? So properly affixed he took this picture as confirmation of just how cool he is! Maybe his eyes were so dilated that he couldn't see what these shades *really* looked like! Hard to tell.

Doncha wish your Monkey Bread was HOT like mine? Doncha?

Now when Chris woke up to find me in the kitchen pulling this out of the oven he says,

"That is a one sweet hot piece of Love...." with a growl in his voice and a look in his eyes.....

......and here I thought he was talking about me.

A Piece of Work

So... I know I can be "difficult" at times. But this? We-he-hell....

Me "I know I am a piece of work..."

Him "Oh baby, you're a WHOLE job site..."

What? Me? NOOOOOO........

Gung Hay Fat Choy

"Gung Hay Fat Choy means: Best wishes and Congratulations. Have a prosperous and good year.

Chinese New Year marks the end of winter and the beginning of spring. (Can a hear an AMEN!!!) It is a time for family reunions, for honoring ancestors and for thanking the Gods for their blessings. (of which we have many)

Families make great preparations for this special celebration. Before the New Year, families settle debts and buy new clothes. (Well, the taxes are done, does this count???) The house is cleaned and food is prepared. (Got the food covered the house could pass muster I guess....) Homes are filled with flowers and fruit. (Got a couple of bananas...but flowers....hummm.... could I be so lucky as to get flowers today? Anybody? Anybody? ~silence~ that would be a no.)"

Any way you want to look at it I guess. I see it as another chance to have a new start.... or in our case: just another reason to have a special meal. Yes, surprise, surprise, one of the ways I show just how very much I love you is by feeding you.

And I'm gonna love me some family tonight! Broccoli Beef, Fried Rice, Kung Pow Chicken, Egg Rolls... all eaten with chop sticks and even fortune cookies...... all that will be missing is my red silk kimono. Go ahead, close your eyes and picture it. The mental image is good for a laugh, I promise. You know if I had one, I would be dressed to the nines!!!

O Happy Day

The project we (well, honestly, mostly HE) had been working on is finally done.

The Roomie has moved into his new room and we have moved back into our bedroom, and the kids each have their own rooms back. And I cannot tell you how blissful the first night was. We spent the whole night in our room, in bed, watching TV and just smiling at each other. Frankly I am still smiling ear to ear just reveling in FINALLY having our own space back.

It is hard to believe, really. 8 weeks ago, we had a shop, and now we have a room with a bathroom. It looks awesome. Quite an accomplishment for him. I am really proud of him and his perseverance. It’s been a long and hard (and unlike some people, apparently this isn’t something he uses to describe fun) project. But sadly luckily all things must eventually come to an end. No more long nights with him in the garage. No more trips to Jerry's several times a night week. No more sheet rock covered Chris emerging from the garage for a break. No more strings of epithets coming from the garage. Seriously, some nights I’ll be in the bedroom putting away laundry or reading and I could hear him out there through the heating vent. (You know that scene in Christmas Story where the Dad is in the basement? And he is just banging away on the broken radiator and cussing up a storm? Yeah…. That is exactly what I heard!) Then there were other times I would hear him: Ha-Ha! BooYa! Mutherfecker! It’s been an interesting ride, that’s for sure. But he did it. Each and every obstacle, he overcame. And when push came to shove he got the job done.

I don’t know what kind of “favors” I owe, but I assure you they are BIG…HUGE (I thought my knees hurt after installing the floor…) now surely they will hurt from bowing and kissing his.... feet. I tell ya! For all the times I walked into the room as he was working and said, “I was thinking….” And he’d give me that “Oh feck, here we go” look as I added to changed some part of the project. I’m sure that all of the gray hairs that he is sporting are my fault!

I guess he really does love me. Imagine that? Either that or he was really tired of climbing over me to get out of bed in the morning in that cramped little room.

So it was quite the scene on Saturday when the kids came home. I sent them in to their beds (which had both been in DQ's room until just that morning), to get their surprises from our trip, and the BIGGEST surprise of all greeted them: First it was DQ, "MY ROOM! ALL MINE!" DP Joe pushed past her and upon seeing that his bed was no longer in her room immediately turned and ran to his room, the door flew open and I tell you that look as he turned back to me, "MY ROOM IS BACK!" was priceless. Worth every minute of aggravation, every penny spend on screws, nails, sheet rock, molding, flooring and fixtures. Even if sometimes we had to buy them twice.