Happy Birthday Joe & Adam

Wow, where do I start with these two? I have so much I could say. I'll try not to go on too long. First of all Happy Birthday to Joseph and Adam. I guess I'll start with Adam, since he was born first.
February 26th, 1990, Adam was born. He was an emergency c-section. All drama, right from the start. I remember visiting him in the hospital like it was yesterday. Time goes by way too fast. When Adam was in his toddler years, I still lived at home. At different stages in his childhood, Stacy either worked or was going to school, so Adam spent a lot of time at my mom's house. He and I were good friends. We would hang out practically every day. I was part of the duo "Mimmy and Haus." I was Mimmy, and my mom was Haus (which was how he said "Grandma's House").

I have such a soft spot for this kid, I can't even tell you. We spent lots of time together going for long walks in the neighborhood, playing make believe in the back yard on Grandma's swingset, eating popcicles. We've gone to the park together, to the movies, to the zoo and to Disneyland. I've hid easter eggs over and over for him to find. We've read countless numbers of stories together and played endless games of candyland. There have been many sleepovers at my house where he, Joe and Jared would stay up late and watch movies and eat ice cream and be silly.

As he's gotten older, I become more and more proud of him. Adam is creative and extremely talented. I have seen him in all of his school plays, he is quite a good actor. His most recent play, "The Yellow Boat" he was the lead, and he was soooo good. Adam is also quite a good artist and writer. I love that he is so creative. Adam is great with kids. I think it's because he will always be a kid at heart. Even though he is 18 now, he still calls me "Kimmy", I love that. And thanks to him, I always have a good book to read. He is always introducing me to new books, and I always like them. We must have the same taste. My favorites he has introduced me to are: Inkheart and the Bartimaeus Trilogy. In case you can't tell, I love this kid! Happy Birthday Adam.

Now, about Joe....
Joseph was born February 26th, 1997. Seven years after Adam. He was born at 3:18 in the morning. The whole day, when people would come to visit, he was wide awake. I didn't know at the time that it would be a foreshadowing of things to come. This boy does not, and never has, liked to sleep! When he finally did start sleeping through the night, it was exactly 7 hours and then that was it. If I was lucky, I could get him to take two 15 minute naps a day and that would be it. I always felt like his mind was too busy for him to calm down and sleep. Even when he couldn't talk, I could see it in his eyes. Also, he doesn't like to feel like he's missing out on anything. If anything was going on, he was going to be awake for it. He seriously hasn't taken a nap since he was 3.

Joseph is such an awesome kid. I am so happy to be his mom. We do so many fun things together. My favorite is to read stories on the bed. When he was younger, he'd grab a bunch of books and bring them to my room and we'd read stories on the bed. Now that he is older we each grab our own book to read and hang out on the bed and read together. I love to read, and I'm glad that Joseph has a love of books also.

Here are some things you should know about Joseph:

* He prefers to be called "Joe", but I call him "Joseph, or Bo."

* He has the best laugh in the whole world. You hear him giggle, and you can't help but laugh along.
* He loves his hair and is immensly proud of it, although he knows that when he turns 12, he has to cut it.

* He is persistent. Sometimes that can be really annoying because he doesn't hear the word "No". He keeps trying and trying anyway to get what he wants. But I think it is a good quality because he never gives up. I know he will get what he wants out of life.

* He collects "stuff". He has so many different collections, it is ridiculous. His shelves are full of cool things he has collected. It's hard to be mad about it. I was the same way when I was his age.

* He is so creative. His drawings blow me away at how good they are. He's even taken to selling some of them at school. He also is good at creative writing.

* He has such an active imagination. I can always see the wheels turning. He is always creating some new superhero or villain, or coming up with ideas for a comic strip, movie or book. He also likes to come up with costumes for his characters, and will often walk around in some kind of costume throughout the day. He loves superhero action figures. Silver Surfer, Gambit and Black Panther are his favorite.

* Everything is drama with this kid. I swear he'll win an oscar some day. He can fake cry with the best of them. When I believe him and ask him what's wrong, he busts out laughing. Stupid me, I fall for it every time.

* He likes to eavesdrop on the phone. He can't stand being out of the loop.

* He has a sensitive soul. He can empathize with others. He doesn't like it when people are sad. He is a deep deep thinker. We have some really awesome conversations. I am amazed at some of the things he thinks about. I know I wasn't that deep when I was 10.

* He loves to be outdoors. He loves riding his bike and his wave. He recently got rollerblades. He would rather be outside running the neighborhood, than inside playing video games. Can I tell you how much I love that?

* He loves the beach. He is like a fish. When we go, he is in the water for hours and hours and never wants to leave.

* His favorite color is purple

* He loves to eat crab legs.

* He beats me at Harry Potter Scene it nearly every time we play.

I love Joseph. I am lucky to be his mom. Happy Birthday Joseph. Happy Birthday Adam.

I know this seems long, but believe me, I could have went on longer!

Wise Guy

So, I'm sure you all know about the multitude of health problems Brian has had over the past year. I recently posted about his surgery to repair his deviated septum. We'll, the recovery for that was loooong, and he kept having acute pain on the left side of his face. So, he went back to the doctor and was told it was infected and was given even more pills to take. When the pain didn't go away they decided to have him come in so they could drain the infection. So, he went in for the appointment and guess what? Nothing to drain. Which meant that something else was causing the pain. After an x-ray, he was informed that he had not 1 but 2 impacted wisdom teeth on the upper left side. One of them was so far up, it was near the sinus cavity and was probably the culprit of all the pain. So, we make the appointment for surgery to have all 5 of his wisdom teeth removed. Where he got 5 instead of 4, who knows, I guess he is just extra wise. Does this mean he'll be extra stupid when they are gone?

So, Friday morning I take him to the oral surgeon, where he is told that after looking at the x-ray more closely, there are not 5, but 6 wisdom teeth. There are 3 on that upper left side. He was in surgery for 2 hours. When he is done, I'm given all the instructions and pretty much taking him out the door, when the surgeon comes in and says, "Well, it looks like we missed one."
What? He explained that when he was removing the teeth, he never saw the 6th tooth. But, when he checked the x-ray afterward it was still showing up. He gave us the option of waiting and having it done at a later time, or putting Brian back in the chair and doing it now. We opted for now. He is sick of doctors and hospitals and just wanted it to be finished. So, back in the chair he goes for another half an hour. This time he is awake for the whole thing, he is numb, but awake. After another 1/2 an hour, the surgeon tells me that he got the tooth, and that it was not one, but 2 small teeth. That makes a total of 7. Apparently, I married the Wisest guy around. He also said they were so so close the the sinus cavity. I'm thinking that some of his diagnosed "sinus infections" from last year, may have been misdiagnosed. I think 4 wisdom teeth on the upper left side of his mouth may have been causing a lot of the pain problems.

So, he is now very much swollen and in pain. I think he looks cute with his chipmunk cheeks. Instead of rubbing his head and saying "poor bunny", I've switched to "poor chipmunk". He wouldn't allow any pictures, sorry.

Happy Birthday Sheri!

Yes, it's that time, for another family birthday post. This time it is for my little sister Sheri. I do know her celebrity crush, because he's one of mine too - Josh Duhamel. Enjoy!

Sheri is awesome. I'm sure all of you out there in blogland know that already. She is spunky and silly! She is the busiest person I know, but still manages to get it done and then some! But, as busy as she is, if you need help, she'll be the first to volunteer. I have so so many Sheri memories, it was hard to narrow it down to just a few, but here they are:

* Mom dressing us like twins when we were younger. I didn't find out until much later on that it upset you because you thought you were so much cuter than me, how could people possibly believe we were twins?

* Getting ready for school in the mornings, listening to "When in Rome" practically every morning - you sitting up on the sink blocking the mirror.

* Trips to stinkweeds to buy music and even more posters for the walls of our bedrooms.

* Every time I hear "The Smiths" I think of you.

* Making "Book of Love" videos in the basement.

* All of the concerts we went to together. Why do all of my memories revolve around music?

* Watching your first ever modazz dance concert. You blew me away at how good you were. I was in awe.

* Our big plans to tear down the wall between our rooms to make one big hangout, so we could be together all of the time.

* Cherry dipped cones.

* You not being able to eat anything without spilling it on yourself.

* Your afterschool "Cure" t-shirt. I think every picture I have of our teenage years at home, you are wearing that shirt.

* My favorite Sheri story ever - you at the doctor's office (I'll leave it at that to spare you the embarrassment.)

* Our many trips to San Diego together with friends.

* Driving to MCC together, singing the wrong words to "The Wonderstuff".

* Hanging out with you in college. Those were some of the best times of my life.

I admire your drive and your work ethic. I love your laugh and your spirit. You are such a fun person to be around. You're not just a sister, but a good friend. I love you. Happy Birthday!

don't be mad about the pictures! I posted one silly and one beautiful, because you can be a goofball, but your also beautiful.


I couldn't find any pictures of you alone. I guess this picture is appropriate. You always have kids hanging on you. That is a sure sign that you are a great mom!

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day to the love of my life. I want to publicly express my appreciation to Kim for all that she does for me. She is the glue that holds this union together. She also is very humble and will dispute everything that I am saying. Another great quality, I'd say. We all know how sweet she is, but many may not realize the extent of her kindness. I have put this family through a lot these last 2 years in particular with all of my health issues, not to mention the financial stress that accompanies many surgeries, but she is always making sure I get done what I need to get done so that we can be together in health and happiness for many years to come. She is always there to rub my head and say "poor little bunny" (see Sheri's blog if you want further detail). I cannot express in words just how much I love her and how much she means to me. Kim truly is an angel on earth, and I feel blessed everyday that she chose me.

Happy Birthday Trina

Ok, so there are so many February birthdays in our family, that every new post will probably be a birthday one. Oh well!

I didn't know Trina's celebrity crush, so I had to put up a picture of her instead. Don't be too mad at me Trina! I think you look beautiful in that picture.

A few thoughts about Trina: She has the face of an angel and a heart of gold to match. She is always smiling. She cares about people. At every family get together she is the first one to start cleaning, and the last one to finish. She never sits down and lets someone else do the job. She loves to be outside (on warm days). She hikes, bikes, plays tennis, soccer, you name it. She loves the outdoors. She is a great mom. She loves her kids so much. She is like a little ray of sunshine. She has a way of walking in a room and lighting it up. She is also very humble and will probably be more than a little annoyed that I posted this. But, she is also forgiving, so I hope you don't stay mad at me too long. It's just because I think you're great! I'm glad you are part of our family. We sure lucked out the day Darrel married you!

Have a very happy birthday. I wish you lots and lots of chocolate today.

Happy Birthday Stacy

Ok, so apparently Sheri and I had the same idea, but she beat me to the punch. (She always does). But I am going to post anyway. I like my pictures of Hayden better. This is of course for my big sister Stacy's birthday. She happens to be the biggest Hayden Christensen fan EVER! Hey, we all have our secret crushes. She just happens to be really proud of hers, no matter who makes fun of her. And Sheri is right, she does take a lot of abuse for it. But since it is her birthday, lets not leave any mean comments about Hayden today. Let's just let her enjoy the pictures in peace. He may not be the greatest actor ever, but you can't deny he photographs well.

Happy Birthday Stacy. You are an awesome big sister. I have so many great memories of growing up with you. You are such a fun person. Here are a few memories I have of growing up with Stacy. They may not make any sense to any of you out there, but Stacy will remember.

* Pipsy the one-eyed bunny

* Vaselina and purple

* Tarzan boy - making the video

* Listening to "Desert Moon" by Dennis DeYoung almost every day

* "Mom come quick, there's a hot dog in the bedroom" (those words were uttered by Stacy, not me.)

* Being on pom together and watching you lose your pettycoat during our halftime dance at the biggest football game of the year, Chandler vs. Willis. You just kept on dancing.

* Going to lunch with you and Paul in high school. Leaning Tower had the best lunch deal around.
* Going to Pizza Hut after Chandler High School football games. Turning down "Coke" in the parking lot. You told the guy "No thanks, we just had some inside."

* Not being embarrased to hang out with your little sister (if you were, you never made me feel bad about it.)

* Beating you at hearts because you try to shoot the moon every time.

* Eating Breyers mint chip ice cream and being silly.

I hope you have a great day. You are awesome! Thanks for sharing your boys with me. I love them, and I love you. I love our long talks on the phone (when you are able to get a hold of me). You are always pushing me toward my dreams. You are a dreamer and I love that about you. Never let the dream die. Happy Birthday!

Random

Ok, so my friend Amy tagged me. She actually tagged me on January 18th and I am just getting around to responding. That is totally indicative (did I spell that right?) of my personality. I mean well, it just takes me a while to get things accomplished. This is similar to a tag I did previously. In that one I had to list 5 things people probably don't know about me. It is also similar to the one Sheri just did on her blog. In this one I have to list 7 random things. I seriously tried to be random and I quickly wrote down the first 7 things that popped into my mind. I didn't think about it or edit at all. Here goes:

1. I love milk. I hated it as a kid, so I don't know why I like it so much now, but I do.

2. I have super dry skin, but I hate lotion, so, oh well!

3. I wish I had strawberry blonde hair.

4. I ran a 5k at Disneyland and it was soooo fun. I want to do the 1/2 marathon this year.

5. Someday I want to run the San Diego Marathon. I know it's hard to believe, considering the shape I'm in, but someday... Anyone who wants to run with me is invited.

6. I love the movie "French Kiss". I could watch it over and over again.

7. I'm addicted to "The Amazing Race". It would be my dream to be on that show. My 2nd favorite team of TK and Rachel won this year. Woo hoo!

So that's it. Also, when I was on Amy's blog she had a fun feature that I wanted to share with you guys, so I took this right off of her blog. I hope that is ok. Here it is:

It’s the Random Album Cover Game! A great exercise in creativity.

This requires three random things. But wait, here’s what you’re supposed to do (I promise I didn’t cheat on mine):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random The first article on this page is your band name. (If it’s a real band or musician, you might want to cheat and hit refresh.)

http://www.quotationspage.com/random.php3 Scroll down - the last four words of the last article are the title of your album.

http://www.flickr.com/explore/interesting/7days/ Whatever the third picture is - that’s the album cover.

Now, put it all together in your favorite image editing program(s)… It’s fun!

I did it twice. Here is what I came up with. ( It would have been better if I could edit it and put the name of the band and album on the actual picture, but I am having trouble with my photo shop.) Which one do you like best?

Band Name: Bergelmir

Album title: They Chose Each Other

Album cover:

I thought it was interesting that this picture came up. Bergelmir is from Norse Mythology. He is a frost giant. I thought the picture was fitting.

Here was my second try:

Band name: State Route 55

Album title: Of It's Ugly Side

Album cover:

This is fun. Try it out and let me know what you come up with.

On a side note, I was finally released as cubmaster of cub scout pack 888! After three years, all I can say is woo hoo!

Have an awesome day!

Election Day

Just a reminder for all you bloggers out there that today is election day (in Arizona). Get out there and exercise your freedom to VOTE!

Who Else is LOST?

Ok, now that Season 4 is underway, I'm officially blown away at the complexity of the show. I use this post as a forum for all of you who have taste and are LOST fanatics. Please let me, and all other LOST fans, know your impressions of the Season Premiere. I loved it! It did not disappoint.