What a decade it was........

The 80's - there really was no better time, at least in my eyes. There was so much going on it was hard to keep up with it all. So to relive some of those precious memories we decided to dedicate our annual theme party to the decadent decade that is so near and dear to many of our hearts.....
I mean really what is not to like

• Hairdo's beyond comprehension
• Color pallets that were practically blinding
• Music that was immeasurable compared to the "****" they try to push onto us today (but really I don't feel strongly about this at all!)
• Language and phrases that had no relative connection to the English language. (ie "like fer sure that is totally tubular!") how embarrassing....I swear I never said any of those things!
• Numerous movies that are now considered classics.
• The innocence of growing up with MTV - I mean really when Frankie said Relax, its not like ANY of us knew what he was talking about

Everything seemed so cutting edge back then! Maybe it is because it is the period of time that I did so much "living" and "growing up" that it seems to resonate so deeply inside me, but seriously if we were to throw a 90's party what the heck would we do - throw on flannels and construction boots and mosh pit???? My point exactly no other decade really has as much pizazz as the 80's - Long live Bon Jovi and Spiral perms.... Okay I digress.....so anyway we had a great time (thanks grandparents for your most appreciated childcare!!) Here are a few photos of the event Kudos to all participants who really "turned that mutha out" with the costumes! I think I have all couples represented......

Chris and I gave props to the Jazzercise and Breakin' fads.

Kelly and Jake posed as a mighty fine Axl Rose and Slash.....Who knew you could buy a "sleeve" of tattoos!

Matt and Tammy paid homage to the NEON colors of the 80's!
Todd and Kelly gave a shout out to the "valley girl" and a uncanny Michael Jackson!
Kirsten and Omar did a nice spin on the high school cheerleader and Miami Vice!
Kahle is still hard to look at with that Mullet and creepy stache, and I might have to "out" Stacy for purchasing an entire outfit at Deb....bless your heart!
Matt and Sarah channeling the homecoming queen and Maverick from Top Gun















































































Rob and Nikki = ghost buster and Madonna (Desperately Seeking Susan version)
Jodi as the quintessential preppy sporting the collared shirts and Maury as Nelson , I think, or a blonde Axl.

Mom I just wanted to show you your moon boots are still going to good use!
Rachel posing as Debbie Gibson and Paul as Lamar from Revenge of the Nerds....
Jeanna as your typical Mall rat and Daryl as "I want to pump you up"
Thanks everyone for putting up with the "required" costumes it truly is an anticipation every year!

The Stanley Cup - GR style.......

Chris has picked up a new sport in 2008 and is IN LOVE with it! He has always expressed interest in playing hockey, but never was able to hook up with a team. This past year he was fortunate enough to join an adult men's hockey league and add "another" sport to be obsessed with :) He ended the season last week and it went something like this.......

it's game 7 of the final series and they are down by 3 or 4 - they finally tie it up and capitalize in the last 30 seconds of the game to win it and become "Wednesday night champions" (bless their hearts that this was the best title they could come up with) for real its even engraved that way.......

Or at least that is what I hear....you see this hockey league is something that I really wasn't able to be part of or witness - the games start at some absurd hour after I have already captured a few hours of zzzzz's so I have to take their word for it as they compare it to the "most incredible game ever" I mean you should have heard the recaps - its as if the 12 spectators were throwing buckets of octopuses on the ice in celebration! Now I am sure if you were to ask anyone of the team members to recap the story it would have been a bit more in depth than mine but the gist of it was they won the league and have quite a season to live up to!

Congrats "Wednesday night guys"

I am just excited Chris is able to get out of the compound and really enjoy something he has always wanted to try! (as long as he promises all original teeth will stay in tact) I mean it isn't the NHL but the WNL (Wednesday night league) I am sure is the next best thing! :)

So hopefully he can recuperate from his high of being a "champion" in order to focus up for Softball!

We are all showing our age.....

For some of us its a good thing for others not so much....... Obviously we age everyday, but somehow it has been more apparent lately.....


Hubbie - last two injuries were nothing to be "proud" of one consisted of a sore arm for several days resulting from a extraordinarily hard high five while playing hockey (sorry this one still makes me giggle.....) The other a toe that could barely be walked on from a break dancing mishap. The body is reminding us that we are a year older and it's not as forgiving as it once used to be!



Brooke - She is 4 going on 15 lately....She has become extremely argumentative lately and always looking to get the last word in....It doesn't matter what the subject may be! She is starting to watch "non cartoon" movies, proclaim she is Hanna Montana (after viewing one episode), going to kindergarten visitation.....Sometimes I look at her and think...How did she get that old - and did she really just say that? i.e. "Mom remember the golden rule" when we were battling out some issue (most likely getting her bangs out of her eyes!) We love you Brooke, but stop growing up so fast!


Me -I have never enjoyed a nap more in my life. I was never a big fan of them in my younger years, but given the opportunity I usually won't pass it up, I have had a stiff neck for about 2 weeks now, my bones creak at a volume that is sometimes absurd. I just visited a "retirement community" and really didn't feel all that much out of place :) I have also caught myself saying things in defense to Brooklyn's arguments like..... "Because we are the parents", "Because I am your Mom and I know what is good for you" - I swear another year and who knows perhaps "because you live under my roof, you will live by my rules" will slip out...... I know it's happening.......


Brady - All of a sudden this little boy fills our house with running, jumping, endless hugs and kisses, starting to get territorial with his sister and his things, a definite need to roughhouse, but hasn't let go of his cuddles with mom yet. He has started this hilarious laugh that I can't get enough of, still has an infatuation with any sort of balls (case in point) he will sit in this bucket of balls for hours.....sort of sad - but he is all smiles when he is in it....

Oh an the BEST part is that he is consistently saying Ma and Da to us - we have waited an extraordinarily long time for this but it is music to our ears as he finally is able to say our names! He is still working on Brooke but it will come all in due time!

So we are all aging in our own ways, some better than others in my mind, but still fun to watch all the twists and turns life gives you!

Thanks for everything Grandpa & Grandma!

We had a great time with you guys and we are back to reality - Surprisingly it is very "spring like" here so it wasn't that tragic. Thanks for all you showed us it was a nice break from the Michigan Blahs! Dad, Chris was wondering if one of the requirements of the "festivals" is that one spouse must be blind and use a walking stick :)

Also Mom we were wondering if there was a new pool rule for all people over the age of 55 to be assisted by a noodle in the shallow end. I mean it does look pretty deep from where dad is "sitting" :)

Thanks for watching the B girl while I enjoyed a magazine Pool side.....

Grandma thanks for warming me up by the hot tub 3 hours of non stop swimming every day!

Grandpa thanks for teaching Brooke how to calm down and swim like a big girl! And thanks to the family from Milwaukee for providing playmates for Brooke. Tyler the little 5 year old admitted to his mom that he was dreaming about Brooke - so funny!

Thanks for taking us on a hike and being able to witness mom see a REAL rattlesnake cross out path! Tom and Dave I know I don't have to write out the dialogue you can both hear it word for word in your head!

Thanks for taking Brooke back to her mountain roots - she felt one with the rock.....

Thanks for supplying the sunshine, sunscreen & definitely the Aloe!

Thanks for moving to such a cool place with so much to do! Even if you don't leave the compound.

Thanks for providing door to door service to/from the airport - I will have you know Brooke broke down twice - once as she saw you guys drive away and once as we were on the plane prior to dozeville. When asked what was wrong she responded "I miss Grandma and Grandpa!" I am so glad you have such an impact on her life and can't wait for your visit to beautiful, humid, hot Michigan in a few months!

Dear Dad.........

First and foremost I do miss you - Mom warned me when we were on the plane that there were a lot of grandmas and grandpas that lived here and not too many kids, so I would have to play with a lot of grown ups while I was here. I am not sure what mom was talking about I am having a ball and haven't found it that hard to make friends.....

We did the hula at the Luau and watched fire dancers....

Yesterday we went to the zoo and got to feed a giraffe right out of our hands - it was pretty cool Grandpa fed him after I saw that big mammoth tongue coming my way.....

I hope you and bugs are having fun and can't wait to see you!

Love,

Brooklyn.

Seriously....We do Really miss you :)

Well in the course of the past 24 hours....Brooklyn has traveled across the country on two planes (did awesome and loved chatting with our row mates...), has eaten every meal outside so far, had her own personal Easter egg hunt, jammed out at a local park, swam for 3 straight hours, which induced a 3 hour nap, got a sunburn, met all the neighbor dogs, ran into the screen door 3 times(she does have a little Novacek in her after all!), and ran wild on the golf course for hours, got up at 5 am but still got 11 hours of sleep, 3 hours time change is a killer..... So if you can't tell someone is in her GLORY and loving her visit so far....tomorrow a straight up Luau......she is already wearing her coconut bra and grass skirt....haha - sorry I just overheard her outside saying "I want to take my boobies off" haha too much - these old folks are crazy here Anyway we are having a ball already but we do miss you Dad and Butterball! Here's some pix of the trip so far......I know it's just plain old obnoxious at this point but the weather is heavenly and so nice to be outside......

Playing babies with G'ma....

Swimming at the pool.....
A lil' more supervision without the puffy suit this year...
Taking some strokes with face in water...
Cruising the lazy river with G'pa

A Hare of a Holiday!

Hope everyone had a happy Easter! We were lucky enough to have TJJA in for the weekend so the kids were in their glory. We got a visit from the floppy eared fellow as well as a random visit from Alex P. Keaton circuit 1987. Sorry Brady I couldn't help myself!!!

We did the egg hunt, we colored eggs, we opened baskets,watched hours of March Madness, we gorged on jelly beans, we ate ham, and then we did what every other religiously appropriate family would do on Easter - hit the cinema for a good old movie and a big tub of corn!! Thanks Dr. Seuess for making our Easter a special one.....

Ahhh vinegar and a colored tablet = hours of fun!

Look Ma - I got one......

Cousin Bousins just lovin' on each other.....Does Brady look like a ventriloquist dummy sitting on Lexi's lap? haha!

The inseparable duo in action - these two did not leave each others sides......

Jake being a great cousin before bed time......What is it about Dora that all these kids adore.....It appears that swiper has gone and swiped Brady's eye balls!

Hope everyone had a great Easter!

Go UCLA......

Suicide or Sabotage???

It came without warning. There were no cries for help, no warning signs, no note left. And just like that Clara is gone. We are still a little suspect - you see Clara didn't take the normal path to the pearly gates. There were no gasps for air, there was no floating at the top of the bowl. She in fact appeared to make a break for it jumping out of her fish bowl and flopping far down the kitchen counter where she lay stiff and hardened. This was a great treat for Mom who came down after a long night out on the town and feeling a little fuzzy from the night before to view this crime scene. So what could have made Clara so unhappy to take her own life? Was it the fact that she lived in a bowl of her own excrement? Was she soo mad that we found we purchased a new fish food? Was she furious that her boyfriend Angelo hadn't been by to see her in a long time? These questions will remained unanswered and we may never know why she took her own life (Grandma swears she was in her bowl when she headed up to bed!) but Clara you will be missed and you were loved.

Born July 11, 2007. She grew up in Michigan and spent most of her life viewing the kitchen sink and telephone. Clara was preceded in death by pretty much ALL her friends and family that were given out on Brady's first birthday. She is survived by Angelo and Nemo and they have said “Clara's generosity and kind heart were an inspiration to all. She lived her life with integrity and bravery"

A memorial service will be held SOON, before the plastic bag breaks it's seal and we start to smell the remains of dear ol' Clara. The family wishes that all contributions to go to Petsmart.

Happy Birthday Dad/Hubbie!!

Just wanted to give a quick shout out to the dear OLD hubbie - His birthday was yesterday and as much as I would love to write everything we love about him - we were fortunate enough to go out and celebrate on the town for his birthday and the four hours of sleep are just not agreeing with me - So here are some pix of us whooping it up for Hubbie to join in the 35 and over crowd! (Thanks Grandma!!!) Happy Birthday Babe! We love you!

Dad enjoying one of his favorites - Black Forest Cake!

Enjoying the night life with the birthday boy - we were able to head out and watch a friend that plays in a band!

One of the benefits of knowing someone in the band - is that you have random guest appearances - which Chris just REALLY hates :) Here he is performing "rock and roll all night" by yup you guessed it....the hottest band in the land....

Lastly, HAPPY ST. PATRICKS DAY - AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM AND PAMPY!!!!

Waterpark Wisdom......

We took the kids to an indoor water park last weekend and they had a BLAST! What's not to like? Splashing, swimming, tidal waves, slides, games, whirlpools, friends. However we all left in an induced chlorinated coma....swimming and keeping your eyes on your two kids as well as the additional six that accompanied us was a lot of work - this was our first water "vacation" with the kids so here are some do's and dont's to consider for the future.....

Do: Arrive in your swimsuit - juggling a locker room with total strangers and trying to get everyone dressed - not a party - short lived - but just a note......

Don't - Bring a bag the size Texas with every living thing to make your day manageable with two kids only to find out the lockers are the size of a bread box and you will be just leaving it out for any one's enjoyment.

Do: wear a comfortable, appropriate suit - the water slides and bumpy bottom of the pool are not ideal for a "lay on a chair suit"

Don't expect to see or talk with your husband the entire four hours as your four year old finds out she can stand the entire length of the lazy river and just does laps at warp speed where Chris can't even keep up with her.....

Do go with large group it is a great option to trade off watching kids so the adults can enjoy hot tub time and the slides that are just too big for the lil ones.....

Don't try and stay up all night playing cards and charades and then give the water park another try in the morning and expect to have one ounce of energy to keep up with both kids who are in hog heaven!!

Do expect to eat every living naughty thing that the snack bar offers :)

Don't expect to sit down at a restaurant with 16 people and expect to get out of there in less than 2.5 hours :)

Do expect that facilities are ready to accommodate people wanting to eat breakfast at 7am since they have been up for what seems to be eternity and are starving.....

Don't feel ashamed to go to the buffet in your pajamas - you will be relieved to see every other parent with a toddler in tow that has been up at the crack of dawn and sporting their "I can't believe they woke up so early wear"

Do study your child's face as they laugh uncontrollably because they have just have been splashed by a huge gust of water some kid aimed at them, or look so proud as they try a baby slide in the toddler section for the first time, or remain wide eyed and mouth open as they "swim" in the lazy river and think they are swimming instead of a "fake current" that guides them along - then all the don'ts really don't seem like that big of a deal - it was definitely worth all the sweating and splashing and of course a great way to wish away the winter boredom.....

Enjoy some pix of the weekend.......

Having trouble posting pix tonight - will add more later......

The age of Techonology........

I never thought it would be 4 years and 19 months of age!! Here are the kiddos hard at "work". Brooke begs us to get on the computer for typing and good ol' Nickelodian games all the time......(The last thing Chris and I would "like" to do after an 8 hour day ON the computer! :)) and now she has taken someone under her wing and is now explaining the ropes of the mouse, the keyboard etc etc.....Its amazing how quickly they pick it up! Its funny to think I have only been using the computer since my days at the WMU computer lab and already I feel like life doesn't exist without it.....our kids will NEVER know life without it - WOW times change - I can't even phatom what technology will be like 20 years from now.......

Enjoy!