Sweet

Photo Hunter's word this week is Sweet. I had a hard time choosing the perfect picture. I finally narrowed it down to 2 pictures. And thought, by golly, it's my blog and if I want to showcase 2 pictures, then 2 I shall! The 1st picture showcases my sweet hubby's creative talent. We went to Vegas a little over 2 years ago (without kids, Woot!). It was just a marvelous time! Once we returned home, hubby made this poster for me. The man is pure genius and a sweetheart to boot!
This next picture I choose because of the boy in the picture with Lamb. You can just see that he's interested in what she's saying to him and he's enjoying being with her. When they were in 5th grade, they went on a travel sponsored trip (thru the school) to Washington DC. I did not go, but my mom went. She said that this boy was so thoughtful and gentlemanly. When walking up stairs, he would place his hand on Lamb's back to help her. They would seek each other out to partner together. The teacher told me that really those 2 were the only ones truly interested in the history and where they were. Most of the kids took it as just a fun time sans parents. Sadly, the two go to different schools and haven't talked since 5th grade (they are going into 8th now). However, I'll always be grateful to him for showing her that this is how she should be treated, whether it be friend or boyfriend. She does have another really good (boy) friend. Bear thinks they'll be a couple one day because, and I quote, "they have good chemistry." We'll see. We'll see.
These are my SWEET pictures. Enjoy!

Friday's Feast

On the menu for this Friday:

Appetizer
How many pieces of jewelry do you wear most days?
6: my wedding ring set and one other ring, charm bracelet, necklace, and 2 pairs of earrings

Soup
What is your favorite instrumental song?
love theme from St. Elmo's Fire is the very 1st thing that came to my mind

Salad
Who has a last name that you like?
a little girl who I help teach, her last name just flows

Main Course
Name a popular movie you’ve never seen.
The Princess Bride

Dessert
Fill in the blank: Nothing makes me ___________ like ______
Nothing makes me more depressed like paying bills.

Mr. 3,000

Congrats to Craig Biggio of the Houston Astros!!! He hit his 3,000th hit of his career. What an achievement! While I'm incredibly happy for him, I'm also bummed. I have tickets for TOMORROW night's game. Who knew he'd get 3 hits in one game?
*Even though he is not 'fan friendly', he is one of Bear's baseball heroes. And a great one to have. Now Bear has added 3,000 hits to his baseball goals.

Amazing Grace

I wasn't going to blog this as I didn't want it to seem that it's always all about Bear. However, someone thinks I absolutely should. I promise that it won't always be about him. It's just that he's.....um, not quiet. Plus, it's a sweet story about my sweet boy.

This week is vacation bible school week. Lamb is too old to attend so she's enjoying her No Bear time.
Being in the car with Bear is such a fun experience. Since I work at the same school he attends, I think of the travel time as our time. And he uses it to his full advantage. He tells me all about his day or we work on his homework. Picking him up from VBS is no different.
We were in the car with the son of Bubba's Sis when, out of the blue, Bear states that he accepted Jesus into his heart. May I add that I love her children. They are so accepting and loving to my children. My children are safe with them in body and spirit. Bear didn't think twice about conversing with me at that moment. He knew he'd be accepted no matter what he said.
Anyway, I responded that I thought Bear had already accepted Him. "I just want to make sure it took," was his reply. A few minutes later, when we were alone in the car, Bear again mentioned accepting Jesus and asked if tonight I could recite the prayer and he repeat after me. While I don't mind a bit, I wondered why he didn't want to do it independently. When asked, he told me that he can't read the prayer with his eyes closed! And, he couldn't do it at church because they weren't saying it out loud. You see, not everyone is ready to accept Jesus and that's ok. So, those who were did it silently. But, Bear's eyes were closed so he couldn't do it.
So right there at the stop light (on the corner of 518 & Dixie Farm Rd), I recited the prayer and, with eyes closed, Bear repeated after me. I could have told him that it doesn't matter if his eyes are opened or closed. What matters is what is inside his heart. I just wanted him to remain my sweet innocent baby a day longer.

Now *this* is quality entertainment ;)

My spoon collection of my family's (and Coastie Brother's) travels finally has a home! After being fussed at, ahem Coastie Brother, I found the perfect spoon display case as a birthday present from Mom. Two months later, I organized it. I already need a new one as not all of them fit!

And don't these shoes just scream my name? I heart them!

My Time

This week's word is Time. This picture shows how I would like to spend my time right now...... on a Florida Emerald Coast beach.

Loaded Questions #19

The questions for this week:

Hypotheticals:

If you had to run a marathon, how many miles do you think you could last?

I'd be lucky to last one mile!

Anything Goes:

What is life's greatest mystery?

Where that one sock ends up

No-Brainers:

What is your favorite flower?

White Gerbera Daisy (also, the always classic Red Rose)

Personals:

What do you generally sleep in at night?

Tank top/pajama shorts

Conversation with Bear

As we were watching America's Got Talent, Bear was outraged that an older couple didn't make it to the next round. He thought since they were old, yet had talent, they should have moved on. I asked him what he thought of me. His reply: You aren't old, but you aren't young. You are medium rare. Once you hit 40, you'll be well done, like Daddy. Me? I'm still a frozen piece of steak.

Visual DNA

Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™

Click on "Read my VisualDNA" above for a detailed interpretation.
It describes me pretty well!

Ten Greatest Bands

This week's Ten on Tuesday was hard to narrow down but here's my posted early list. I've been sitting on this for a week. Ready to get it out there. :)

You can totally tell what generation I come from.

1. Bon Jovi



2. Beatles



3. Duran Duran



4. Van Halen



5. Journey



6. Aerosmith



7. U2



8. Guns N Roses



9. Eagles



10. The GoGo's

contenders that I wanted on my list: Def Leppard, Poison, BeeGees, Police, Motley Crue, Queen, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Cars, Chicago, The Monkees.....I'll stop now

3 current bands I think may have Great Band written all over them generations to come: The Fray, Nickelback, and Maroon 5. Time will tell if I'm right or not.

Eight Things I know

Bubba's Sis tagged me for this meme. Without further ado, here are eight things I know.

1. I know that all things in my life are because of the grace of God.


2. I know that my husband loves me to the best of his ability which is pretty darn good. But, I shouldn't nag him even if 8 mths or 2 years later projects are still only partly finished.


3. I know that I love Lamb & Bear equally but definitely differently. And I'm going to have to have a firm hand on Bear. But Lamb will probably be the wily one since she's so quiet.


4. I know that I had a miscarriage before Bear so that I could be his Mama along with Lamb.


5. I know my brother is my biggest defender other than my husband.


6. I know that I take way too many pictures but I'm terribly afraid of forgetting something.


7. I know that there's nothing like having good friends to make life complete.


8. I know that my mom and my dad did the best that they could and that I can always count on them. I can always count on all my family.

I tag the few who read this! If you don't have a blog, feel free to leave your 8 in the comments section.

Conversation Overheard

Me: Kids, breakfast is ready. Let it cool down a minute.
Bear: Breakfast? Did she just say breakfast?
Lamb: I think so, but that doesn't sound right.
Bear: Well, I think I smell cinnamon rolls.
Lamb: Great, she cooks breakfast and it's CINNAMON rolls. Why couldn't it have been scrambled eggs and bacon?

Photo Hunters-Shiny

I found another photo meme at PhotoHunters. I like showing my pictures. Not sure how much you like seeing them, but.....anyway, here is my vision of the word shiny. This was taken when we went to Las Vegas 2 years ago. We had so much fun! That's another place that I'm just waiting to return. Like New York, we didn't get to see everything the 1st trip. And, oh, to smell the flowers in the Bellagio again would be heavenly.

Friday's Feast

On Friday's Feast's menu:

Appetizer

Name a funny habit you have.

Name A funny habit? I have so many...... Ok, here's one, I love tomatoes, but I don't love tomato chunks. So, I have to put rotel or sauce or whatever has tomato chunks in the blender first.

Soup

If you could instantly know how to play a musical instrument, which one would you pick?

piano, I have always wanted to play

Salad

How long is your hair?

shoulder-length now

Main Course

When was the last time you forgave someone, and who was it?

today-my son

Dessert

What is your favorite kitchen appliance?

kitchen appliances aren't my thing, but I'll say my blender so I can puree all those tomato chunks!

I need a new honey

I was sixteen years old. We had just moved to Massachusetts from my hometown in Arkansas. To cheer me up, my mom thought she'd take me to this movie everyone was raving about. That movie was Top Gun and it changed my life!! That smile, that arrogant charm made me a believer. I started a serious crush on Tom Cruise that lasted decades. When I met hubby, everyone teased him that he'd come 2nd in my heart. When he was in Memphis filming The Firm, I tried stalking him (don't worry, we did live in Memphis and I never could find him). Then, the unthinkable happened. Tom Cruise made public his weirdness. I laughed off what I could, but it became too much, even for me. Hubby says, "Finally, after almost 20 years, I made it to the top." He knew if he waited long enough, he'd become 1st in my heart. Everyone is in shock. I am too. I am over Tom. Of course, I'm now without a fantasy honey. I can't think of anyone to replace Mr. Tom Cruise. I can think of a lot of hotties, but not one to be a honey. Does this mean I've grown-up? I hope not.

Summer

The foto pherrets word of the week is Summer

Nothing says summer like

the beach, good friends, family

relaxing & escaping

Loaded Questions #18

This week's loaded questions are as follows:

Hypotheticals: If you created a new flavor of ice cream, what would it be? I would have to say something like key lime pie (if there isn't already one). Tart, fruity, and sweet. Yum!

Anything Goes: What celebrity makes you glad you are not a celebrity? Even though she is no longer with us, Princess Diana.

No-Brainers: Besides a cat or dog, what animal would you want as a house pet? chimpanzee....what fun!

Personals: Which of the following do you feel yields the greatest benefits - extraordinary wealth, strong friendships, true love, or a loyal, loving family? This is tough because I do have strong friendships, true love, & a loyal, loving family. I think they all equally yield me great benefits. But, if I must choose, I guess I have to say true love. In my true love, I have all the choices: extraordinary wealth (just not monetary), a strong friendship, true love, and a loyal, loving family. Definitely the greatest benefits.

Randomness

• We saw Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer yesterday. It was a great sequel! The family really enjoyed it.
• Jergen's Natural Glow really works!! I've used it for 3 days now and noticed the color after the 2nd application. Yee Haw!
• I found a new mystery series that I love! A few months ago, I found Victoria Thompson's Gaslight mysteries. They are set in the early 1900s in New York. I just have her latest to read (I'm finally #9 on the library hold list) and have been bummed that I'm almost caught up. Well, I did a search and found this series. It's by Rhys Bowen and it's also set in the early 1900s New York. The stories & characters are great (I'm only on the 2nd book). I'm having great fun reading about a setting and knowing where she's talking about. I had to call hubby to tell him that her 'office' is set in the Washington Mews. We've seen it!!!! Surprisingly, he wasn't as excited as I was. Great fun for me. :)
• I'm also looking forward to reading the latest Stephanie Plum book which was just released today. I thought I would have to be #600 on the library's list. Lucky me, a friend of mine ordered it and I get it right after she reads it. I'm a total Morelli girl and can't wait to find out the latest on this love triangle. I'm also looking forward to the last Harry Potter book. I'm a tad scared to read. I don't do well with sad endings. I'm deeply afraid it will have a sad ending for me.
• Next year will mark my 20th high school reunion and plans are already being set in place. I have no plans of going because I only went to that high school my senior year. I don't keep in contact with any of the friends I made that year, besides, most of them weren't even seniors. However, my very best friend from growing up mentioned that I should go to her reunion which has also started planning for next summer. I really should have graduated with them. I grew up with them all the way through my sophomore year. It would be so much fun to see the town I grew up in (although, I hear that it hasn't aged well at all) and to see all the people of my youth (hopefully they have aged well ;) ).
• I am finally all caught up on Lost! I just have one more Desperate Housewives to watch then I'll be all caught up with it. I never got behind on Grey's Anatomy so I'm good there. Currently, I'm just watching reality tv. So You Think You Can Dance is my favorite at the moment. I'm looking forward to Big Brother 8 in July. Nothing like fun mindless entertainment to get you through the summer!

I reckon that's it. I must go round up a Blue Bear now.

Ten Movie Quotes

This weeks Ten on Tuesday was a hard one! I have a family of quoters. They quote everything! I get in on the action sometimes, sometimes I just sit and laugh at my silly family. Anyway, it was hard picking the quotes. So many good ones once I sat down and truly started to think.

1. Shrek- Ogres are like layers.....the 'Do you know the Muffin Man' scene....

2. Napoleon Dynamite- Idiot...Gossssh... Yessss... I caught you a delicious bass... Queso-dill-a... (so many good quotes from that movie)

3. Star Wars- Do or do not. There is no try....Luke, I am your father...Size matters not. Judge me by my size, do you?....May the force be with you...

4. Cats Don't Dance- How does the pussycat go? Gulp, Meow. Verrrrry Good.

5. Gone with the Wind- Frankly, my dear.....I don't know nothin' 'bout birthing babies...Great balls of fire. Don't bother me anymore, and don't call me sugar....I can't think about that right now. If I do, I'll go crazy. I'll think about that tomorrow.....After all, tomorrow is another day...As God is my witness....Fiddle-dee-dee

6. Top Gun- I feel the need, the need for speed.....Hey, you big stud, take me to bed or lose me forever.....Talk to me, Goose

7. Finding Nemo- Just keep swimming....Mine, Mine, Mine, Mine (seagulls)...Rrrrring of Firrrre

8. Talladega Nights- Help me, Tom Cruise

9. Steel Magnolias- Well, you know what they say: if you don't have anything nice to say about anybody, come sit by me.... I'm not as sweet as I used to be....That which does not kill us, makes us stronger

10. Miss Congeniality (ok I don't quote this but it has the BEST line ever) When asked to describe the perfect date, Miss Rhode Island answers: That's a tough one. I would have to say April 25th. Because it's not too hot, not too cold, all you need is a light jacket.

Your turn! Have fun!

Not your typical teenager....

My 13 year old daughter is cleaning her room, music blaring, singing at the top of her voice. Is she listening to Gwen Stefani? Nope. Fergie? Nay. Maroon 5? Wrong again. She is listening to her Wicked the Broadway musical soundtrack. This is the girl who reads Shakespeare without a Language Arts assignment involved. A girl who is perfectly happy being on the cross country or track team and not have any friends with her. She would prefer to sit with a friend at lunch, but, if there's not one available, she is just as content to eat her lunch by herself. Where did this child come from? She is so completely different than I am. The phone doesn't ring constantly for her, boys are just annoying creatures (I blame her brother for that one), and she loves to hang out with her family on the weekends. She is full of confidence, is willing to try things, and doesn't really care what people are doing/saying around her. The down side to this is that she doesn't fit in with the kids her age group. She has totally different interests than they do. She is sweet and they like her, they just don't hang out with her. While I struggle with that, Lamb is perfectly happy in her own world. She is not alone though. She has the perfect best friend who has the exact same interests as she does and LOVES to hang out with her. What more could a mom ask for her daughter? I want to be her when I grow up.

Random Music Questions

I got this meme from Bubba's Sis who found it on ilovegoaliesplits' blog! I'm a little nervous as I have just about 2.000 songs!!! They range from Veggie Tales to Fergie. There's even some of my younger brother's rap songs on there. I have yet to delete them. Yikes! (And, wouldn't you know it, some of his songs came up!)

- Put your music player on shuffle.
- Press forward for each question.
- Use the song title as the answer to the question even if they don’t make sense.

How am I feeling today? "Them Not-So-Dry Bones" by Schoolhouse Rock (appropriate since it rained all day)

Will I get far in life? "Mr. Lonely" by Bobby Vinton (how sad!)

How do my friends see me? "You Get What You Give" by New Radicals

Where will I get married? "Some Veggies Went to Sea" by Veggie Tales

What is my best friend’s theme song? "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" from the Evita Broadway musical

What is the story of my life? "It's Raining Men" by The Weather Girls (uh, where are they?)

What is/was high school like? "Real Gone" by Sheryl Crowe

How can I get ahead in life? "Gone" by Chris Daughtry

What is the best thing about me? "Drive" by Alan Jackson

What is today going to be like? "Desperado" by The Eagles (I'm sensing a sad lonely theme here)

What is in store for this weekend? "I Wish I Was a Little Bit Taller" by Skee Lo

What song describes my parents? "Dancing Queen" by A-Teens

To describe my grandparents? "In Da Club" by 50 Cent (ummm, ok)

How is my life going? "Ode to Joy" by Beethoven (that's much more cheerful)

What song will they play at my funeral? "What Are You Waiting For" by Lindsay Lohan(Confession of a Teenage Drama Queen soundtrack)

How does the world see me? "Me vs. The World" by Halo Friendlies (Freaky Friday soundtrack)

Will I have a happy life? "U Can't Touch This" by MC Hammer

What do my friends really think of me? "I'm the Only One" by Melissa Ethridge

Do people secretly lust after me? "Modern Love" by David Bowie

How can I make myself happy? "The 8 Polish Foods of Christmas" by Veggie Tales (food does tend to work)

What should I do with my life? "The Man in Love with You" by George Strait

Will I ever have children? "Sunday Morning Coming Down" by Johnny Cash

What is some good advice for me? "You're So Beautiful" by John Denver (snort!)

How will I be remembered? "Pride and Joy" by Stevie Ray Vaughn

What is my signature dancing song? "Come On Eileen" by No Doubt cover

What is my current theme song? "Don't Know Why" by Norah Jones

What does everyone else think my current theme song is? "All Star" by Smashmouth


What type of men/women do you like? "Hey Baby" by Bruce Channel (Dirty Dancing soundtrack)

19 Years Ago Today

Coastie Brother, do you remember what you were doing 19 years ago today? I do!! We spent the day at the water park, Adventure River.

I woke up that morning not realizing what this day would mean. All I knew is that we'd have fun and it beat sitting at home. I even went to bed that night not thinking much about what happened. Foremost on my mind was how much sunburn I got. Little did I know how important this date would become. Nineteen Years Ago! Boggles the mind. On this date, I met the man who would become my husband.

Even today, I can clearly remember the 1st time I saw him. Coastie Brother and I were walking down an aisle in Wal-Mart. Future hubby was leaning against the wall waiting for us. When I envision it, it's always in slow motion with my hair blowing out. Take My Breath Away by Berlin is the background music. He worked at said Wal-Mart with our then stepmother and thought it would be fun for us to join him & his buddies at the park.

We met a few guys that day, I even dated one of them, but hubby is the only one I can clearly remember meeting. And I didn't even think much of meeting him at the time. Oh, he was sweet and, I thought, gentlemanly (later, I found out that letting me precede him up the stairs had little to do with him being thoughtful). But, beyond that, he didn't register with me. It took me another month or two. How silly I was!

Is that how you remember the day too, Coastie Brother? ;)

Friday's Feast

This Friday's offerings:

Appetizer
Fill in the blank: The best thing about where I live is _______great friends__________…

Soup
Create a new name for a deodorant (like “Flower Fresh” or “Shower Scent”).
Scent of Confidence (sorry, just can't get those creative juices flowing right now)

Salad
What was the last piece of software you installed onto your computer?
quicktime to fix an active x problem that just WON'T fix!

Main Course
If you were to receive a superlative award today beginning with the words ”Most likely to…”, what would the rest of the phrase say?
Most likely to bum around

Dessert
What two colors do you like to wear together?
it changes, but currently, turquoise or teal with brown

The Birds and The Bees

Those of you who know Bear know that he is a curious sort of fellow. He takes things in and ponders them. Then he comes out with the most outrageous things. His newest obsession is how babies are made. This all stemmed from rubbing the belly of our dog. His sister and I had one conversation with him where all our warnings bells to stop speaking were going off incessantly. Thinking I had solved it with the old "Talk to your Daddy" adage, I merrily went about my business. Nine years with the child should have taught me better.

The next morning brought him to my bed with the same questions complete with hand gestures this time. Knowing there was no way to end this, I called for his dad to help me out. "You know the basics, you are too young for the rest. Drop it, savvy?" says my dear, sweet, sensitive hubby. Bear savvied and the rest of the day was peaceful.

Evening, when it's just the kids & me, starts up a new tangent. Bear's feelings are now hurt because all he wants is knowledge. What could be wrong with that? Lamb has told him that he will learn all about it in science. In.Graphic.Detail. Not soon enough for him. I'm starting to think he's enjoying all the gulping, scurrying around for answers, and passing the buck. I bite the bullet and ask what exactly he wants to know. All he wants to know is where the baby comes out and how the baby is made. That's all. I can do this. Very concisely I answer his questions. And by concisely, I mean in as little words and information as possible. I have no desire to ignite even more questions. He's a little mortified, but satisfied as enlightenment sparks inside his intelligent hazel eyes. As for the rest, I tell him when he's older, he & his daddy can talk. "Oh, no, Babycakes, I'm asking you all my questions, savvy?" my precocious son replies. I'm thinking his daddy knew exactly what he was doing when he denied Bear his knowledge. Gulp.

Ten on Tuesday

As per the request of Bubba's Sis, I am going to attempt to do Ten on Tuesday.


Today's topic is Ten Awesome Things About Yourself. No laughing from the family, but this was hard to do! Bubba's Sis gave me a helping hand. If you don't agree with the top ten, keep your comments to yourself! ;)

1. I am awesome at recording our family history through pictures (thank you Mr. Inventor of the Digital Camera).

2. I have the patience to work with and truly love learning disabled kids, even the behavioral ones (I don't necessarily think this is awesome of me, it's just what I love to do, but I've been assured that it is).

3. I taught myself to crotchet (and probably in another 10 years I'll have finished the blanket I'm crotcheting for Bear). Although, I can't do one bit of anything fancy. Straight line, double over for the next line....but, it's a start!

4. I also pretty much taught myself to cross-stitch (and I did finish the blanket I cross-stitched for Lamb).

5. I am awesome at giving support.

6. I am pop culture savvy (thanks Daddy for all the penny games we played in the car).

7. I am awesome at cussing. Ok, that's a lie. People laugh if a cuss word comes out of my mouth so I don't cuss. It's hard to think of awesome things!

7. I am awesome at playing spades with Bubba's Sis as my partner.

8. Grilled cheese sandwiches made with love is my specialty.

9. I can be ready for work in about 10-15 minutes. I am that low maintenance! Of course, it all depends on careful night-before planning.

10. I am awesome at letting my kids be who they are. Some days that isn't an easy task. There's lots of lip-biting and worrying. But, there's also a lot of laughter and being proud.

Whew. Glad that's over! Now it's YOUR turn! If you don't have a blog, feel free to leave your comments on mine. I want to know what's awesome about you. :)

Happy Birthday Coastie Brother

Happy Birthday to YOU

Happy Birthday to YOU

Happy Birthday, dear Coastie Brotherrrrrr

Happy Birthday to YOU

My wishes for you today are good buddies to hang and relax with, a good view to look at while hanging & relaxing, and lots of mail from family and friends.

Enjoy your day!!!

Glaring Omission

Bear was in a panic last night because when listing his favorite NY spots, he left out the Baseball Hall of Fame. I promised him I'd remedy that. You might be wondering how a NYC trip takes a sidebar to Cooperstown, NY. A little picturesque village in the middle of nowhere surrounded by lush greenery. My guys are doing a baseball stadium tour. I'm the historian and Lamb is there to look pretty. Afraid that he might be showing favoritism to the boy, hubby asked Lamb what she would like to do. After much thought and consideration, she decided that she wanted to see famous landmarks and state capitols. Thus, our baseball stadium/state capitol tours were born. Of course, the BHoF is not a stadium, but it has been a dream of hubby's to see it.

After researching and consulting a map, hubby realized that Albany was about 3 hours away. Do-able. Cooperstown was only about another hour after that. Do-able. So plans were made to rent a car and make the trip. Make the trip on either toll roads or 2 lane highways. But!! The scenery was gorgeous!

The state capitol was gorgeous as well. It has a fascinating staircase (3 actually) with carvings of prominent people. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Susan B. Anthony, and Harriet Tubman were a few in particular that we saw. Hurry, hurry. We must get on the road again. The long 2 lane highway, nothing but small towns, road again. But!! Oh, the scenery!!

The museum was everything hubby wanted it to be. He only wished he had more time to really look at the memorabilia. Bear was flitting around taking pictures of everything and being excited about things he saw. Lamb even got in on the action. She says she wasn't 'terribly' bored. She did find some things that excited her so much she had to run to us to report them.

Cooperstown was a complete surprise to me. I don't think I had any expectations. I suppose I thought it would look like any other town. I was wrong. It was incredibly pretty and cute. I would love to go back to stay. It was like Mayberry. We only really saw Main Street. The quaint little shops were all filled with baseball stores. The streets were tree-lined and mountains were on the horizon. Just simply beautiful to see.

So I have now corrected the glaring omission. And Bear desperately wants one day for HIS name to be on a plaque in the National Baseball Hall of Fame. One day it just might be.

First time for everything

I am not much of a writer, nor an entertainer, but I am going to try and do my part.

NYC was all I ever imagined it be and more. The history, the hustle & bustle, and the beauty were more than I could even take in at times. The kids were troopers and didn't complain (too much). I was a trooper and didn't complain (too much) either. Ha! I am in the process of organizing/weeding out the pictures. We took over 2.000!! Digital cameras are one of the best things to happen to me. :) We had Bear right along with us taking pictures. Everytime I looked, he & hubby had the cameras to their eyes taking the same picture.

We hit all the main 'attractions' plus some really cool 'forgotten' things. Unfortunately, we didn't see everything we wanted to see. Dang, I guess this means we'll have to return some day. My favorite spots were seeing where Marilyn Monroe's famous Seven Year Itch pose was filmed, seeing where the Titanic would have docked, Central Park, Madison Ave, and Phantom of the Opera. Of course, just walking through the neighborhoods was exciting for me too. Lamb's favorite spots were Central Park, Broadway, Statue of Libery & Ellis Island (oh yeah, I *really* liked that too), and Times Square. Bear's favorite spots were the baseball stadiums (Yankee, Shea, and the new Brooklyn Cyclones), Empire State Building, Chrysler Building, Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island, Times Square, and Central Park. Hubby is sleeping (he is back to working nights, wah) but I'm going to take a shot at his list. The stadiums, finding the stairs to the old Polo Grounds where the NY Giants played, taking us to all our 'surprises' he had for us, Phantom of the Opera, and Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island.

Now we are back home and I have post-vacation blues. I do have a couple of things to look forward to happening. My niece & nephew will possibly come for a visit. Also, we'll do our 3rd annual weekend trip with our best friends. So I'm not totally depressed. :)