Mel gets schooled in fine arts...

looks like Tom stuck you next to the weird guy...nice. (what can you say though? he took you to see the show and the tickets cost $43)

Mel, your face doesn't look like your face in this photo...is it the camera phone playing trix on me?

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~Melanie had the pleasure (even as I type this) of attending a Patti Lupone show at Clowe's Hall here in Indy, with her Uncle Tom...

~These are pix that he JUST sent me from his phone...Isn't it fun and quite cool to have neat-o aunts and uncles? Mel has the cream of the crop on this one...heck, all of my kids do...blessed with a slew of "good'n's" but Tom, you are pert near the best! We love you and thank you for taking Mel with you (since Mom couldn't go)... what a fun memory!

I'm a big kid now...

My hubby and I...in the elevator, on our way up to the seventh floor of a neat-o old bldg downtown...yes, I'm a dork.

thought this little detail above the elevator was pretty nifty...

love those old-fashioned turnstiles (or is it turnstyle)....

'twas a gloomy, nasty, rainy day....

and viewing this old, abandoned mental hospital fit right in with the dreary, depressing weather...curtains blowing out of opened windows. A downright spooky Scooby Doo mystery, fersure.

Ok, here are some pix from earlier this week.

I had the immense pleasure of going on a few job errands with David...here there everywhere.

These are just a few shots I took whilst out of the house...I could totally get used to being a grown up again. Not that walking around in work out pants, hair pulled back, no make-up isn't totally fun...it is....but it was fun to meet professionals.

I look forward to many more grown up outings. Whoo. (I am dead serious too, by the way)

Happy Weekend to you....soccer, dinner with awesome people, church, dinner with more awesome people, including the people we are hanging out with tomorrow night, rest, laundry, sun time....what do you have in your plans?

Be safe, have fun, praise the Lord for the beautiful weather, good people in your life and freedom to go to and fro.

Spring finally shows up...

and ain't it grand?

Today is a glorious day here in middle America...hope you can get out "there" and enjoy some sunshine...it does a body good.

Just a little glimpse...

of how....

I'm truly "feeling" this week

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and why I haven't been blogging as well as I used to.

~Besides, there are lots of things I could blog about but can't...soooooooo

~here's a tidbit...I do have some fun pix I plan to blog today, from this past Monday, when I ran some work errands with Daveyboy and Nathan...

~so, check back soon.

***Until then, I must go bang my head on the wall.

Love ya!

It's official...

here she is, just this evening, helping me get some stuff in order for a meeting in the morning...how many peeps can say they get to work, spend lots of time, hang, struggle, laugh, etc, with one of their favorite people EVERY DAY? not many. but I can! You are so cool, B. I love you!

in typical B fashion...poser-iffic.

right backatcha

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My beautiful, smart, driven, funny, talented little sister left her job and came to work for us.

Can you believe that? I know I still can't.

And ya know what? she technically isn't even supposed to be "working" for us yet, she was going to take some time to get her "stuff" in order....but she helped me out a TON on this past Friday, to get some stuff in order for David, and to keep me calm...and then again for a bit tonight...

Beck, you are awesome! David and I are very grateful for you. Very grateful for Tom and the other great people that have really taken this job so seriously already! I'm in awe.

God has surrounded us with some pretty amazing folks! Can't wait to see what is in store with all of this...if these first few days have been this great...wow!

Thanks for your dedication, Beck, Tom, Nathan, Jose, Jeff, you, you, and you! and you know who you are....all of you.

want me to say YOU again?

ok.

YOU!

G'night....peace!

It's all relative...

I thought Molly was a little "toughy" till I met this little crazy cat for the third time....she tunks around like she owns "the place"....and she puts up with no bull! cute! tough! spunky! sassy just like her momma! Your girls are sweet, Dawn.

My big boys...

whose food can I eat now?

I think I'm safe....I don't think Dawn is a regular Livin' the Good Life follower, so she won't notice this picture...but the pic of Taylor is pretty funny!

Levi and Laynee...second cousins can marry, right? eww. j/k

David's trusty side kick (you are doing awesome, big bro), Tom. He is notorious for pulling a Sean Penn when the camera is pointed at him...but when he's snapping shots? watch out...he gets some pretty wild pix...

cute girls

it's like looking at pics from the past, except that Dawn is four years older than me and Molly really doesn't look all that much like me...but Taylor, the little toe-head next to Mollsy??? she is the SPITTING image of her mother!

I thought it was cute the way Molly ran from me when I let her out of the stroller. no really, Mel was walking with her...and this little pug likes to give her patient big sister a harrrrrrd time.

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Part of our Michigan family came down for a visit last week...Lanie (my aunt, she was married to my mom's brother, and he passed away almost 10 years ago...can u believe that, guys??), her daughter, Dawn, and Dawn's two little chicklets, Laynee and Taylor...We visited the mall, the local Mickey D's playland, soccer practice, ate dinner a couple different times in the hotel dining room....and the catch up visit was nice....Thanks for coming down, gals!

We had a very nice time! I'll have to stalk Dawn's facebook page to put some of her pix on here....until then...hope you had a fantastic weekend. Be back later.

Crash, Boom, Bam...and a bumpity bump

Mom, showing off her seat belt abrasion..youch.

Dad, showing off his shaky self...getting loved by Levner...

This past Monday, April 13, was a bit rough...Started out with my sister's hubby, Scott, making a trip to the ER with some chest pains...left arm and hand pain..never a good sign. Thankfully, after a batter of CT scans, stress tests and labwork, he got a clean bill of health...'tis scary though because he has stroke/heart attack in his family tree...we don't mess around with the ticker! Glad you are ok, Scott!

Becky also quit her job that day...and will be coming to work with David and I. not that that was a bad part of Monday, but it's never fun to tell your boss you are leaving your job, even if the one you are leaving for is waaaaaaaaay cool! (snicker snicker)

If all that wasn't sorta stressful enough...as if....Mom calls me at a bit after noon, cool as a cuke, "Hi, your Dad and I just got into a car accident..." ahhhhhhhhhh, those 6 little words you never want to hear from a loved one...."we're ok, but I'm a little banged up and the other person is ok...and Dad is ok". It could've been a lot worse...and thank the Lord it wasn't...the other participant's car is totaled, most likely? Mom and Dad are still a bit shaken, reliving those crashing sounds in their heads, over and over...but aside from soreness and that nasty seat belt mark on Mom's chest...they are doing well! Thank You, Lord!

I have more pix to post of a visit from our MI relatives...but I hope to get more today....so that will be the next installment...until then...Godspeed to you...safe travels and choose that JOY!

Resurrection Day delightfulness

goofballs

Piper has that serious, "I must find lots of eggs" expression on her face...

David robbed Levi of one of his blue Peeps.

The hunt is on...

Having the 3 older children hide the eggs always has some interesting advantages...like eggs hidden up in the unfinished porch rafters...

and eggs on cars

and eggs hidden high up in the trees.

I think in this picture, Will was actually laying an egg. yup.

you're not done yet, kids....run.

we have this strange self-portrait obsession....I think, when we are old, or when we die, our kids and grandkids will enjoy these. maybe.

she's a two fisted egg hunter!

and eggs up on house ledges that only climby kids can get to...Will is lifting Pipes up here...and she was NOT excited....so much so..........

that she pushed him off of the 5 foot high wall....thankfully, he survived. (hee hee)

She was telling him to "GET UP" here....it was kinda cute

oh oh hoooo hooo, the new family tradition..."Pioneer Woman's sheet cake"...and oh, it's heavenly! Great cake, B! thanks!~

ok, so they were the only ones that sat long enough to get a family shot.

honey

thankfully, Uncle Tom was "on it" and got some pix before your nap, Molly. I was a bad mommy and didn't get any pix of all 5 of my children on this Easter day.

Thankfully, again, I got a pic of Mollsy, Pipes and Nora and my dirty laundry basket was in the background. Yah!

I hope your Easter celebrations were joyful.

We enjoyed a delicious lunch of tacos..since it's easiest to cook up quick...and then the traditional egg hunt...

Ya know what? I will update this tomorrow...at least you have some pics to look at...until then!

I just realized how truly tired I am after a crazy, scary, hectic, rainy day...more on this tomorrow.

Let's play catch (up)

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I have been meaning to get these karate pictures up on the blog for some time now! almost two weeks, to be exact!

Ethan and Melanie have really enjoyed taking karate with Brown's Karate. Shihan Sherry and her crew are amazing and it's cool because it's not into all the eastern-y aspects, which there are some good things about, but it's from a Christian perspective...and that's neat-o. :)

these pix are from the night they took their test to get their yellow belts. They didn't receive the belts that night because Shihan had forgotten them in the midst of a crazy busy day at her house. time to meditate!

I have more pix to post but I think a cat nap is in order....so until they get magically uploaded to my computer....so until then....ahhh.

Hope your Resurrection Day has been about more than ham, bunnies and chocolate. So glad to serve a Risen Savior...Amen.