The Skating Party to remember!

Let the fun begin...

Revelers trickle in...Hello Teige, ya little cutie...

gearing up for some skate-a-licious fun!

Charlie Sheen made a guest appearance....so angry! :)

awww, we love this family (though 1/4 of them is in college far away)...Vince, Janice, and Megan...our lives would be dull without you! (and if I remember correctly, Dad had a very appropriate name for V..."One Lap Vinny"..which is much more favorable than his other nickname of "Two Plates McCartney")

Tambo and Caroline...makin' the skatin' look EZ. love you, girls!

Becky, Henry and Nicky...lovely ladies, hangin' with the little flirty boy!

The O family had volleyball that night but stopped by for a half hour of skating JOY...Mona, your enthusiasm was infectious! heck, all y'all had me stoked. Thanks for coming, fine folks.

Cali and her Skate Mate...this girl LOVED skating!

the S women did amazingly well skating around. pretty girls!

Charlie Sheen again.... Man, this guy is EVERYWHERE! but boy, can he skate. (Tom, I was really quite impressed with your mad skating skillz) I bet he's not moving very quickly today. I know David, Will and Ethan were hobbling around (though they had a 2 hour soccer practice right before the party...ha ha.)

happy skaters

David and Matt (his twin brother)

My sis and her hubs...they really longed for a couples/slow skate so they could snuggle and maybe even backward skate. Becky, you are an awesome speed skater.

This was Molly while we were at Steak N Shake afterwards....she was CRABBBBBY!! but what a great picture!

Last night, we hosted a skating party.

Since David skated THEE WHOLE TIME, I acted as the immobile half of our union. There were quite a few people that showed up (YOU ALL ROCK, you know that right???)...so yes, I'm leading up to a list of excuses as to why I DIDN'T get pix of everyone that attended and why there aren't any pix of David NOT skating.

He skated the whole time. I'm so glad he did. He had such a great time.

We want to thank every one of you that made the effort to come out and celebrate with us. It really, sincerely means a lot.

These are just a smattering of the pix that could've been taken...in all honesty, I'm a little bit sick, dealing with some weird right rib pains that are giving me fits of even more uncomfortableness than I was already experiencing...so I wasn't on top of my game in the photo dept.

And since Tom isn't on FB now, I can't go steal the few pix he took...if you were there, and I failed to get your pic, please PLEASE please forgive me. Most of David's Illinois family came over (THANKS GUYS), my family, Becky's entire in-law clan even came (THANK YOU C FAMILY...YOU ROCK)...Friends we haven't seen in a while, people that work with David, kind folks from church, even some folks we didn't know showed up...haha.

We have a VERY busy week ahead of us....I hope to be back at some point with some updates but for tonight, I'm tired, old and just glad that TODAY IS THE FIRST DAY OF SPRING WOOO HOOOOO!

Thanks again for all of your support and friendship...we are truly very blessed to have such great folks around us. MWAH!

"On the day that you were born...

the angels got together, and decided to create a dream come true...." though I'm pretty sure you were not created by angels...

these pix were taken on Friday, July 9, 2010 (Moo's actual 3rd birthday...we were at the mall so we could meet Jen for Algebra tutoring and mindless shopping...)

My Three Year Old beauty! For her birthday, I gathered all the change from my purse and car, and let her, Nora, Levi and Pipes ride to their hearts content on alllll those annoying little change suckers in the middle of the mall. hopefully, they won't think we'll do that every time we visit the mall. just on special occasions.

Nora was driving Molly's birthday bus.

oh the sheer joy...

Later that night, David and I sweated our guts out at the Rathskeller downtown Indy. Patrick and Teresa were in town from Ft. Wayne to see Polka Boy. We thought we'd see what all the fuss was about...PB is a highly entertaining band and it was neat to see them in action.

This considerate guitarist came backstage to play for us for a minute. very cool. (we were "stage left")

can you see the accordion players? and the crazy drunk lady at the bottom right? she was NUTS. but fun to watch.

I was really, really scared here. ha ha. j/k. I did come to the realization that I am a homebody though. We had a fun time, and I enjoy people watching. Polka Boy was highly entertaining and so were ALL of the people surrounding us.

This is Patrick and Teresa ('s backsides). I will post a better pic of them but it will be in another post...the middle aged guy in the blue shirt? he was really getting in to the music, which was hilarious to watch...

Danka Danka Danka

I love my sister

during Intermission of the musical, we decided it was high time for a self-portrait...this first pic was me talking to a guy that was offering to take our pic. I was explaining that we were quite good and rather capable of taking our own picture but thank you.

You really are lovely. Now come back to my blog. I promise I'll blog about you more!

this is what I think of your blogless visits. (man, can I make THE faces?)

This spooky statue inside the Murat Theatre was kinda creepin' me out. Or as Levi says "You're kinda creekin' me out".

__________________________________

I do love my sissy. It'd be nice if she actually visited my blog again.

Since she left her job to come work for us, for David, she says she's only visited my blog twice.

Seriously? two times?

Granted the past two months have been rather iffy for my blog, yes, I know...but c'mon.

So here's my vow, Dad, Tory, Beck, whoever else out there drops by now and then....I will aim to blog at least every other day.

I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place.

New Year's Past

Will stood on the island to get this action shot
Emma Mc. showing us her jazz hands
Party poopers...going home early, since someone was newly preggers

Party Hardy

Twila and Gonzo..our Florida friends
David and Gonzo showing their smooth moves
New Year's Revelers...

Twila...she actually does have some good moves

These pix are from our 2004 party...this was back when our good friends Twila and Gonzo still lived in this area...o how we miss you fun folks!! You can move back up north ANY OL' TIME, k?? We miss you at our harvest parties, we miss you at our New Year's party, we miss you at our kids' parties, we miss you on mundane Thursday evenings, we miss you for cookouts and Air Supply...we JUST miss you! I know living right next to the ocean is NICE but c'mon!! sniff. sniff.

Anyways, sorry for the tangent...this was a fun party!! You can see it. You know it. you want to be here with us. It's good clean, sober fun!!

Allrighty, just wanted to put up a few pix from the past!! Last year's pix were pretty funny, all of us dancing...not flattering. So I think I may just NIX putting any of those up. Plus, Twila and Gonzo weren't here so ....... I may post some though because they ARE pretty hilarious...pregnant me trying to dance, all of us sweating and being just really white. hee hee.

Goodbye California Boys! Hello 2008!

Andy with Charlie and Duncan
Cutie Pie Charlie
Mr. Serious Dunkalunk...(he wakes up just the way his dad did as a child, and still does)
Vince holding Molly Moo
My brothers and my nephews

My kid brother, Andy, and his sons, were here for Christmas...these are pix from yesterday morning, when they got up bright and early to head up to the airport!! Charlie is 4 and Duncan is 6.5. They are cute boys and it was nice to have them here...they both played very well with my kids. We will miss you guys! Maybe the Lord will call you to this area of the country again someday. (soon??) The guy with Molly (at 7 a.m.) is our good family friend, Vince. He's a nice, helpful kinda guy!

Otherwise, the down time after Christmas has been nice...I feel so lazy and not myself. We have all been fighting some sickness, thankfully not the stomach upheaval kind. Tomorrow night is our annual New Year's Eve bash. If I haven't invited you yet, you are more than welcome to come...come one, come all...it's usually a crazy, wild time...Nerf guns, games, the Hustle and lots of other crazy "dancing" (though we are all quite "white" and did not get the dancing gene), food, fun fellowship...so come on down!! 8 p.m.

I will post some pix from years past parties...

Brownie batter and good times, good times!

Christmas carols playing cheerily throughout the lower level, sounds of glee and good times from the upper level and occasionally throughout the downstairs when Levi and Piper chase each other (STOP THAT SCREAMING...you are ruining my mood)...and brownie batter...does it really get any better than that, after a serving of Creamy Crockpot Chicken (affectionately referred to as triple C now and then)...?? I will come and put anyone's lights on their tree for that!
Beck, I had a great time putting the 11 strands of lights on the tree...and when I come back to put on #12, we will get our pic taken in front of it. I will help u with the ribbon and ornies too if you want. just let me know. I really just wanted to get this pic of Scott with the batter and you with the batter...because they are quite funny. Time to go clean up the living room and take care of my frantic baby girl!! love and peace to you all. Merry Christmas!! MERRY CHRISTMAS!! Take that...and do something about it...make sure to say it loud and proud. They can't take Christ out of my Christmas. (sorry, Beck got my hackles up with an email this morning, wish I knew how to post that here...it's good and it's about how a lot of stores and such won't let their employees say "Merry Christmas"). We are going to refer to it as ChristX instead of X-Mas. (yes, I know in the Greek, X is Christ's symbol but I know that is not what most Americans mean when they refer to it as that) I guess it was just a matter of time till the "establishment" got to our Christmas. Christ has been out of the public forum for a long time now, thanks to Madelyn Murray O'Hare! ok, done preaching. for now!

Ok, here are some harvest party highlights...and some serious Laurie babbling. You've been warned!

David does a good hippie, ay?
Pinata action...led by the hippie dude
Nick and Natalie: Magician and his bunny from
his hat trick....how cute and original??

We caught us a mermaid (Nora)... Piper in the catwalk show...as Princess Aurora aka Sleeping Beauty....

I really didn't take as many pix as I should've...I'm such a loser that way....:) Nora and Molly had the same costume but I didn't put Molly in hers at all that night. She slept thru most of the event. I was a Goth (no picture to prove that though)...my friend Sherry was as well but she has forbidden me from posting her pic....and being the good, obedient friend that I am, have obeyed..for now. The party was great though...thanks to all who participated! You know who you are..

Will was a cowboy, E. was a WWII soldier, Mel was a mini-Goth, and Levi was supposed to be a monkey but wouldn't keep his garb on! Again, really no pix to prove any of that and yes, you can harass me about that...I get too overwhelmed in moments like these and lose control.

right now, it's 12:45 a.m. I should so totally be in bed. We have a crazy busy day with speech club and hanging with some awesome friends etc but here I sit. I've been going through albums, reminiscing like the nerd that I am. Just getting myself all verklempt, thanking the Lord for the rich blessings He has given to me...and it overwhelms me to think how good He has been to me over the years of my life. (I'm getting so choked up right now...the Nat King Cole song I have on repeat, "Stardust", does not help my melancholy mood)...I have such an awesome family, Mom, Dad, Tom, Andy and his crew, my sister, who I would truly be lost without and just can't fathom how other women go with out a close relationship with their sisters...her family, the good, God-fearing folks (friends and fam alike) that we know and love. Man, it is just too much! I have one rockin' hubby, we will celebrate 14 years of marriage on Nov. 27, and just how good he is to his children and I! Yeah, he's intense and all that deep stuff, but such a source of encouragement and strength for me!! He is a kick butt dad too. It's too much for this peanut head to comprehend. and then my kids??? o my gosh. little walking pieces of heaven right here on earth. I take them so totally for granted and I pray the Lord forgives me for that and gives me the strength to overcome my selfish ways. I need to stop being such a yeller. waaaaaaaaaaaaaa I could so go on here but will not. I want you to keep coming back.....:)

I want to encourage you, whoever you are, to love (an act of the will, selfless) your family, love your friends, tell them how much they mean to you. and then, like I need to do, quit taking them for granted and show them just how much they truly mean to you, even when it's not convenient or easy. Quit snipping at them (I'm talking to myself here). Words and tones can be so painful. mood swings are so painful...I know. I do it DAILY! you can see the hurt on their faces when it spews out...ouch. venom to the soul. puts a damper on pretty much everything.

Sorry for the sermon. not really. it's my blog though so deal with it...you know I love y'all. All of this came from wandering down memory lane and visiting our wedding albums and listening to this Nat song, it's from Sleepless in Seattle (which was out the summer before we wed and I listened to this album when I was living in D's parents basement, missing my fam back here etc blah blah blah), when Tom Hanks is missing his dead wife and she is suddenly there on their couch...this song is playing. It's a classic...man, can this dude sing. over and over too. ( I have that soundtrack on as well as AOL radio).

Life is too short, soak it up...before you know it, your kids will be 13 like my big boy...it's spiraling away from me. Where did that newlywed 20 year old girl go?? I can't find her. (Plus she was a size 9 back then, so that is quite confusing....)

Good night, one and all. Thanks for letting me unload. Beck, hope your 3rd day back in the workforce is the best yet...hey, it's HUMP DAY!! I can't believe I haven't seen you yet this week. Happy Wednesday y'all!! (now on Radio AOL, Johnny Mathis is singing "Misty"....I'm gettin' misty) gotta run to bed before I get goin' again....ahhhhhhhh. peace.