Happy Birthday Jeff!

Jeff is starting to catch up to me! Today is my Jeffy's 29th birthday. I don't have much time to post, but I want to say a few things about him. He's an awesome husband and father. There isn't a day that goes by that he doesn't make me laugh, and that is what I love most about him. If you know him fairly well, you'll know that he is fiercely loyal to and protective of the people he loves and he would do anything for his friends and family. And he is always cheering for the underdog. He's just an all-around great guy. Happy Birthday Frito! I love you!

Happy Birthday Patty!

I'm sure all of you love your mother-in-laws, but really, I have the best one out there! Sorry. It's just the truth. I can't even begin to describe how wonderful my mother-in-law Patty really is. But I will tell you some of my favorite things about her. Here goes...

1. She has a great smile. She doesn't think so, but she really does. The best is when it really reaches her eyes and you can see the joy of whatever it is that she is smiling about.

2. She has a very mischievous side to her. She's been known to start more than a few water fights (and she's not afraid to get wet).

3. She is always ALWAYS there for you when you need her. And I'm not just talking about babysitting or doing something for us. I know that I can always talk to her and she is always there to listen. The best part is, she never judges, she just listens.

4. She always knows where to find the best deals! Let me tell you, the lady can shop...

5. Probably the most important. She has always accepted me and loved me no matter what. I have always felt welcomed and loved in her home even when I didn't really deserve it.

Obviously, the list is incomplete but I am so lucky to have the mother-in-law that I do. Happy Birthday Patty!!

Heigh Ho! and New music I found...

Heigh Ho! Heigh Ho! It's home to work I go. Ha ha. As most of you know, I recently started a new job working from home. I've had a lot of questions about it, so I thought I'd post about. Where to begin? I get up every morning with Jeff at 5am. Once he leaves at 6, I log on to the computer and sit in my jammies listening to music, and work for about 2 1/2 to 3 hours before the kids get up. Then I usually do another hour or two in the afternoon or at night after the kids go to bed. There is really nothing interesting about the actual work - I look at pictures and inspection reports on high value homes and then correct any mistakes, complete the reports and send them to the insurance company. It gets a little tedious, but I do enjoy it! The best parts are that I can be at home with my kids, work in my jammies, listen to music, eat, whatever, while I work, and I make my own hours. I can work any time during the day that I want, its fantabulous!

New Music: The other day I watched one of my favorite movies "Somethings Gotta Give". It is a really cute show with Diane Keaton, Jack Nicholson, and a little eye candy called Keanu Reeves. For those of you who haven't seen it, before you take my recommendation and see it, you need to know that its rated PG-13 and does contain a couple seconds of nudity (Jack Nicholson's butt) and a few swear words. Anyway, I love the soundtrack from it and so I looked up the songs on playlist.com and made my own little playlist of just that music. While I was looking for the songs from the soundtrack, I "discovered" an artist that I really like. His name is Django Reinhardt. He was a Belgian/French jazz musician back when Jazz music was in its hayday and is considered one of the most renowned jazz guitarists of all time. So, as I was looking for his music, I realized that there is a whole other part of Jazz music that I really like. It's kind of French folk music and with jazz mixed in. Sounds weird, I know, but it is really good!! I have a very eclectic taste in music, as you can see. I changed my playlist on the blog for a couple of days so you can hear it. Its good stuff!

Oh what do you do in the summertime?

Some of my favorite times of summer are not the vacations or swimming, fireworks or the parades. Although those times are great, my favorite times are lazy summer nights like tonight. The sun was just setting and it had finally cooled down enough to be not only bearable but quite pleasant outside. Jeff and Mason had been outside playing baseball, while Mallorie ran around barking like a dog. Her favorite pastime! We did some sparklers and then just sat outside enjoying the fresh air. You could hear the dogs in the neighborhood barking, a plane flying overhead, and eventually the crickets chirping. It was as if time stopped for awhile. For awhile, there was nothing to clean, no laundry to do, no bedtimes. It was just us being together. It was so great and its one of my favorite things to do in the summertime. So, of course, I ran to get the camera. And after much begging and pleading with Jeff to smile (he hates smiling in pictures), I managed to get a couple of great ones! My life, my loves...

Another first and Moon over Miami...I mean, Layton

On Saturday, Mason and Mallorie received their first big kid bikes! Yay! They picked them out themselves and they have loved them. Mason already had a helmet from his skateboard, so we needed one for Mallorie. Dad picked out a pink Barbie helmet for her because he knows she loves her. She is definitely a girly-girl! They are still a little cautious riding them, even with training wheels and they haven't wanted to practice a lot so that they can get better. Both of them have already had a couple of "crashes". The funny thing is, Mason already instinctively knows how to bail off the bike before he falls, he's such a crazy kid!



































On a more embarrassing note: This morning while I was in the shower, the kids decided to scatter toys all over the living room. So I walked out in my towel and saw the tornado-stricken area and without even thinking, started picking up toys. With my hands already overflowing with toys and still holding up my towel, I bent over to pick something up. Well, it was one thing too many and, instead of dropping the excess toys, I let go of my towel! This wouldn't be a big problem (except possible mental scarring of my children) except that I was backed right up to the sliding glass door at the time and let's just say the neighbors, if they were looking, got a little peep show of my backside. Hope they liked it! I haven't checked for a butt-print on the glass yet. So, the lesson for today is...even if there are toys scattered and you can barely make a path through the room, always get dressed first! Or at least close the blinds!