Three Cheers!

I tried my hardest to capture a short piece of the joyous event.

Mr. Alan W. Wilson DePaul University College of Law Graduate. Congratulations to you on your hard earned degree and to Rhonda for her patients and loyal support. We love you both and wish you all the best!

sweet song.

If this doesn't melt your heart I don't know what will. Here's a clip from Jack's end of the year program. I love this kid!

Happy Mothers Day!

I have always adored my mom. I can remember as a child telling her that I was never going to leave her side. I wanted to live with her forever and the thought of growing older and moving on was unimaginable.

Time has changed my mind and thankfully so because now I have the wonderful experience of being a mom myself. Through these seven years of motherhood I have learned so much about myself. No other job can compare to the selfless and humbling job of a mom.

I am not only lucky to be a mom but to have such amazing women role models in my life. Through their wisdom and example I have grown and matured into what I hope is a compassionate, nurturing and flexible mom.

Here's to the many special moms in my life. Thank you for your tireless and unconditional love.

I love you Mom, Happy Mothers Day!

picture postcard.

Dear Josh,

Thank you for sending me to Florida. My time spent here was fun but now it's time for me to return from my adventure. As you can see I have been enjoying the sun and warm weather. I have visited the beach and have collected some items to share with you and Ms. Yerkes first grade class. Be on the look out for me, I can't wait to see you and the other students!

Sincerely,
Flat Stanley

P.S. Your aunt, uncle and cousins really miss you! You should come spend time with them.

and so it begins...

Always, always do I check pockets before sending clothing into the washing machine. In the past I've found random items, a quarter here a bouncy ball there, every once in awhile a candy rapper. Not until recently have I noticed the items have begun to multiply. Sticks, rocks, bottle caps, bolts, nuts, screws, shells, more and more these items are beginning to fill up Jack's small pocket space. I laugh at the contents sometimes and also wonder, Is this the beginning of something? I think it might be, so I started a collection. Random items that I uncover in the deep dark holes of a young boy's pockets. Have a look.

The Mighty Atlantic.

Oh dear God, please give me strength to endure the next few hours and please hurry the time like never before. I believe this was the beginning of the prayer I uttered an hour into our four hour fishing trip on the Atlantic Ocean.

I have to tell you, with the exception of child birth those four hours were the hardest physical hours I have encountered in my 34 years of life. I'm sure after I write this someone will come back and say...what about the time, well, for what I can recall in my short lived life, this was pretty bad.

Two miserable kids (one refusing to uncover her head and the other with his head stuck in a bucket) and a mom that could barely help due to her own excessive vomiting. I don't know what I would have done without the help of my mom, thank god she was present. Without her we might not have survived.

At one point Scott looked at me with a sad face and said, "I guess this puts the kibosh on my boat plans". Oh boy does it ever! Any boat in the future of this family is heading straight for the sand bar. No more deep seas, atleast for while.

Our faces say it all.



Four hours ... one position!



Jack was loving the boat until we were miles out. He wanted to be fishing but just couldn't do it. Poor baby, we all wanted to love it.



The water was very choppy and the fishing wasn't going so well.





She finally uncovers. Only once before this photo was taken was Ella uncovered and that was only to find the restroom. When entering the inlet we were able to talk her out of the blanket.



I couldn't stay in the interior of the boat. The fresh open air was so nice.



The shore is in sight. I was wishing I was laying on this beach. I heard this is one of Arnold and Maria's residences.



Park this baby!



The dock...what a wonderful place to be

everybody's crazy.

Here's to family and living room jam sessions ... may they continue to live on forever!