Happy 40th Grandma & Pop!

My parent's, on their 24th wedding Anniversary, got an unusual gift delivered that day...it was my baby bro, Johnathan. So, it is not unusual that their Anniversary is over shadowed and shared with Johnathan but, as with most loving parents...they do not mind ONE BIT. This year, was no different.

We celebrated both my brother's 16th Birthday and my parent's 40th Anniversary with a yummy cookout and water slides. What we did not get a picture of...our brother, Will slamming Johnthan's face into the Birthday cake. Classic!  :)

(Aunt Mary and Uncle Steve...these first pictures are for you...wish you were here, hugs!)

Our photo bomb...just like his father...

The kids loved sharing in the fun with their grandparents.

 The slide cover needed to be fixed so I reached in to fix it...and Jason took that opportunity to push me in...It became a family fun-for-all after that...and I admit it, that water slide was fun.  :)

With Summer Comes Mohawks...I mean haircuts.

What better way to welcome the summer then with a good ol' fashioned "buzz cut". Russell finally got his Mohawk and got to help “buzz” his godfather’s head too. I made Aaron get his hair “buzzed”, though could not persuade him to go any shorter …

Preschool End of the Year Musical...

My baby is close to her last day in Preschool...today was a little sampling of what songs they learned and sang everyday...as well as some fun ones, like "Chicka-chicka-boom-boom" and "Five Silly Monkeys". 
(Seems funny that on the same day she would have been "Graduating" from her old preschool in B'ham she has a Musical for her new preschool...funny sad, not funny "ha-ha"...it shows the difference in the programs, doesn't it?)

I forgot about iPhones and not being able to get any closer...sorry.

Aaron was my Photographer for the show...

Aunt Dona, Uncle Emmett, and Aaron (who got to come out
of school just for the show) all came to see our "Song bird"

Miriam and one of your sweet friends, Laura

First Communion...

We celebrated our Aaron's First Communion this past Saturday. We are so proud of him. He has taken this step very seriously and was very excited. Thank you to all our family and friends who made his day even more blessed. A special thanks to Aaron's Grandma...we could not have done anything without her help and hard work.

Aaron and three other girls sang the main part of a song after Communion, then the whole class joined in later...

Aaron and a few of his classmates before mass...

Mother's Day

My children and hubby surprised me with a wonderful breakfast in bed on Mother's day...and the kids were so proud because they made the breakfast. They all gave me some wonderful gifts and great memories. I am truely blessed with such a wonderful family.

"No, Russell, that is your mommy's bacon."

The Garden...

The kids have been wanting to plant a garden for months and have been working hard to get the area ready for planting. Today they planted beans...

Discussing bugs...or in Miriam's case, "Bugs...what bugs?"

Klutz

I am such a klutz and I have no business wearing Flip-flops, as I have been told many times by many Dr's over the years. This was made VERY clear last night.

Right before I fell...

We went to McT for the band's Symphony Concert, to support my baby bro. We went to the balcony so the kids could see...it had just started and I was walking down the carpeted stairs to get my boys out of the way when my flip-flop and weak left ankle decided to ignore the whole stairs thing...my left ankle went one way while my body went the other. Nice, right? Oh, it gets better. My parents, God love them, panic. 911 was called and long story short I got to take a ride to Springhill ER in an Ambulance.

Kudos to:

• Mc-T band for not skipping a beat, literally, in their music

and to...

• The Firemen who carried me up the stairs I fell down and then down 2 flights in a chair (they so got a workout)

•  We were in the ER for 4 hours...a lot of worse cases came in...so, I understand.
  
  

  

  Happy to report...no cast just an air brace, ice, and Ibuprophen for a couple of days.
  And I am not allowed to wear Flip-flops.  :)

Honor Flight

Our Great Uncle Bernard got to go on an Honor Flight today. We went to greet him and several other men and women who fought in WWII as they came back from their tour of D.C.'s WWII Memorials.

Uncle Bernard as he walks to his family after getting off the flight.





http://download.wkrg.com/04-05-2011_riales1.mp4 

Here is a Link to our Great Uncle's WWII story.

I am hoping to get my "Ham's" big TV appearance...what a dork head.  :)

http://download.wkrg.com/05-04-2011_showers.mp4