{47/222} Rehearsal

Tonight was my brother-in-law's wedding rehearsal. Luci did very well. Of course, I can't guarantee what she'll be like tomorrow when it really counts. I have pink bubblegum ready for her if she does a good job. She calls it a prize...I call it bribery!

{Oh, that girl! Always posing! Guess that's what happens when you're constantly in front of a camera.}



{Flower girl practice is hard work! Tired and ready to go to dinner.}



{Lulu ADORES her Uncle Greg}



{Good Luck, Matt & Heather! We love you guys!}

{46/222} flower girl

Brian's brother is getting married on Friday and Luci Bella was asked to be a flower girl. The fact that she gets to wear a dress that her grandmother made and toss flowers out of a basket means more to her 4-year-old heart than anything else at the moment. Even better than princess tiaras and pink bubblegum. Well, almost.

{45/222} 1983

• I was ten.
• I vowed I would marry Michael Jackson one day.
• By then, I had watched The Wiz dozens of times.
• The night Motown 25 aired, I was suppose to be in bed, but I snuck into my closet with my little black and white TV and watched a man walk across the stage like no other.
• I cut out every photo of MJ from Teen magazine, TigerBeat, Teen Beat, Seventeen, Sassy--you name it--and plastered every square inch of my room with his image.
• Pleaded with my mother to buy me a Beat It jacket from Merry-Go-Round (loved that store!) It was my most prized possession.
• I had Brooke Shields and MJ dolls and played out their dates--oh how I wished I was Brooke
• I was obsessed with MTV and I remember the exact night I saw Thriller. It was premiere night a few weeks before Christmas. I remember because my parents weren't home. I sat on the couch with my math book beside me and I used my Trapper Keeper as a desktop--writing out my Christmas list instead of doing homework. Heavy breathing came for the television and for the next 14 minutes or so, I froze into a jaw-dropping, eye-popping trance. I was scared and excited at the same time. Amazing.
• I permed my hair like Ola Ray.
• My friends and I tried our hardest to learn the Thriller dance and we spent hours studying a VHS tape that we rewound two hundred times to perfect every move.
• My Gap jean jacket was filled with MJ buttons that I wore proudly to school every day.
• The skating rink was the place to be and everyone wore MJ gear, sequined glove and all.

I'm a child of the 80s and I'm so thankful that I grew up in just the right spot in time. When MTV played videos, Madonna was a material girl, and Michael was crowned the King of Pop. I've never fully understood the latter day MJ. Masked, veiled, skinny, strange,....full of controversy. I do know that I'll always be a fan of the man in a white suit on the Thriller album cover. That's the Michael Jackson that I choose to remember.

Thanks for all the memories, Michael. I pray you are at peace.

(please, no negative comments)

{44/222} my little fish

{43/222} Hey Sis...

Remember the bugs that were bothering you before you reached for the bug spray?







Pesky Brian-Bugs!!!



I know, he's so immature! And ALL MINE! :)

{42/222} Happy Independence Day!

I'm a day late in posting this. We didn't get home until after midnight...boo!

We spent a great evening celebrating July 4th at the BSO concert last night. Everything was just perfect--the weather, music, food, fireworks and family. It was so relaxing to sit and listen to the orchestra and watch fireworks with the family.

Thanks to all who have served in the Armed Forces, including my hubby. Thanks to the soldiers that continue to protect us. Our freedom has never been free and I'm forever grateful to you all.

Happy 233rd Birthday, America!





{PB&J Face}


{Uncooperative Children!}


{"Just smile, Jack. It's the only way to get rid of her!}


{"Like this."}


{I can't get over how much her hair has grown}

{41/222} Mad Hatter

Lulu is often seen wearing this hat around the house. Especially when watching TV. She says it makes her see better. Yeah...I have no clue as to what she means, but she's cute nonetheless!

Have a great weekend everyone!

{40/222} July?

{Tonight's sky. It looks as if the night is swallowing the day.}

It's July? The weather here has been amazing. We've had cooler than normal temps.

Not too hot and the nights are cool enough that you could sleep with the windows open.

Heaven.

{39/222} Recipes

I'm starting to plan my menu for our July 4th weekend and I've realized that I'm the most unorganized recipe keeper. I like to think that I'm a passionate "foodie" but I have no real system for keeping recipes that I love. Everything is scribbled on pos*t-it notes, index cards, scrap paper....just a mess. Does anyone know of any web sites that host your favorite recipes? Maybe even one that offers bounding your recipes into a book? What are your favorite recipe sites?

{38/222} Girly

It's amazing how fast girls mature. Seems like just yesterday I was looking for her favorite pink bloomers to wear under her dress. Today she asked me if I thought the Jona*s Brothers were cute. And so it begins....