58 things I LOVE about you...

1~ Always make me smile

2~ You have great taste in clothes

3~ There is always a project and you are always willing to do it.

4~ vacations can happen anywhere

5~ Enjoy cooking dinner for me

6~ You know just how to do the laundry

7~ My feet are happy when you make them socks

8~ You love my family

9~ No one looks better in boots

10~ Are always ready for a sleep over

11~ Make a great breakfast companion

12~ Enjoy being around your family

13~ Are always willing to read and then trade books

14~ Make a baseball game fun and understandable

15~ Are the best cheerleader I have

16~ Will take a trip to DI when you have a few extra minutes

17~ Keep the dreams alive

18~ Write in code to me so no one else knows

19~ Will find something for my sweet tooth when it strikes

20~ Never complain when I make your dinner

21~ Make Bella happy by playing catch

22~ You are so smart and you can answer anything I ask

23~ Will always be a kid at heart

24~ Stay strong during the hard parts

25~ Make me worry when you are waking up after surgery

26~ Stay awake late so we can talk

27~ Make it fun to do the small stuff

28~ Enjoy sleeping in on Saturdays

29~ Will go to the movies I want to see

30~ Humor me when I want to celebrate silly holidays

31~ Take me on new adventures

32~ Know just how to set the "Camp Home" up

33~ Love taking your Dad to the Dr.

34~ Laugh and send the grand kids messages when we wake you up

35~ Enjoy learning new things

36~ Will mow if I scoop

37~ Don't care if I sleep on your side

38~ Take great care of the people you work with

39~ Make me soup when I am sick

40~ Keep things in perspective for me

41~ Will go camping when ever I want

42~ Are always ready for Taco Time

43~ You make me grow in all aspects of my life

44~ Can make me laugh

45~ Know just what to do to make my afternoon

46~ Don't think my family party is like a zoo

47~ Keep going even when you are hurting

48~ Love heading out of town

49~ Enjoy snuggling under wool blankets

50~ Understand me

51~ Are the best concert partner ever

52~ Are worth every $6 glass of wine

53~ Keep track of the important dates

54~ Fly the best kites

55~ Hang out with me at the park any afternoon.

56~ Remind me often that you love me

57~ Humor me

58~ I love you just because you're you!

Let us weave another dream in outer space. While we’re turning, while we’re turning. On this planet home that holds our human race. We still are learning, but all in all I’d say this year in flight together has been a good, good one. What say we make one more circle, One more circle, One more circle around the sun. Happy Birthday Honey. I promise no bathroom shots here:)

Aunt Mandy is missing

Ms. Swamp is back.

Today I had to be the mean Aunt. It's never fun to have to tell the 17 year olds they can't shoot bottle rockets and put fire works in Jones bottles in the back yard in the middle of September.
"Why, can't we?" "They won't make any noise." "Don't be so uptight, my dad's a cop. We won't get caught." "It's not illegal that's just what you think."

Really, feel free to take the fireworks to your house then. Maybe you can talk your dad into shooting them off with you. Seems like there is a reason you are hanging out here where there are no parents home. Only the cool aunt who will let us do anything.

Ok maybe not anything.

Getting an Education

I know I made it through high school. I know I learned a lot of really important information while I was there. Today I was stumped by the senior homework. Constitution, Bill of Rights, Amendments. These are really important parts of our country, but not things I look at read or even think about each day. So being asked what the 24th amendment means stumped me. Needless to say I was glad that I knew how to google. We made it through. We even got Ryan schooled up on roman numerals and the months of the year. He taught us shop safety and colors of signs and what OHSA means. Then we learned a little 1st year Spanish with Lena. I can count and know a few things. My German came back to me a bit during the whole thing. Good thing no one had math home work because I would have cried and called Grampa Gene for the answers.

Labor Day

Run Megan, Run

I loved that movie but today I got to see running at it's finest. Megan had a cross country race in Mantua so we loaded up and headed the canyon and watched her run. It was a beautiful drive through the canyon. the leaves are turning and fall is here. The sun is getting further and further South.

Twenty two minutes is a long time to stand over looking a dry field and nice fall leaves so I took a few pictures and again wished I had my camera with me. Then the action starts the runners are heading up the hill toward triangle park. Next, around the block and into the finish line.

Megan came in fifth runner from Box Elder. She looked good until I go a close look. She was shaking and looked like she was in pain. I got a sick feeling. This week she was not feeling well. She has been a little congested but she did run and said it felt ok. I met her at the end of the finish line handed her water to her and she grabbed me and wrapped her arms around me. She was a little shaky and she said she felt like she was dying. "Oh, great. Leave me in charge of your children and I will allow them to have a heart attack or an asthma attack" After a minute she got her breath and started explaining how this race felt different. When she started she didn't feel like she was running and how coming out of the camp ground felt like she was getting tired. I told her she did great and to take it easy for a minute (remember, I am not the runner. I hate it actually. Volleyball ok, I can dig. Run, no thanks) After the boys race we were waiting for times. Megan said she felt slow today but she was still near the first finishers. Megan's friend Spencer came over to let her know her time was 22:07.

Wow, that is a person record for Megan. She got so excited and suddenly all of the hurt and the end of the race was worth it. I even got so excited I wanted to run. A PR, that means improvement and who wouldn't want to celebrate with improvement on HOME COMING WEEK!!

Way to go Megan! You rock.

Happy Grandparents Day

Wishing you the best GRANDPARENTS DAY EVER!!!!


Grandpa and Carol were excited to have visitors and to find out about Grandparents day!

Greg and Jill got the next surprise because we were in the hood!!

We were bored on Sunday afternoon so we decided to celebrate Grandparents Day. Cookies seemed like a great idea and an easy way to celebrate. Megan and Lena jumped on board so we could get them done and delivered. Here are the girls putting the finishing touches on all of the cookies. Some of the cookies were tie dies and some had stripes. Great decorating by the professionals.

Cookie madness

Lena making cards to go with cookies

Megan Cookie Cutting it up!

A lovely variety. We even made Ryan and Drew special "Hand" cookies.

The more we get together

The family got together a few weekends ago to make chili. This is a lot of work and the day must start early in time to get all of the peppers roasted. Well, I guess if we didn't have to eat breakfast that would save a few hours but that's the fun of it. We met at Mom and Dad's and started the day out with breakfast. Then the work begins. We roasted, chopped and mixed as fast as we could. After about 4 hours we were bagging and ready to freeze. Then we had a "grill". Steaks are always great after a long hot day of work.