"13" a lucky number

Yesterday, May 13th was our 13th wedding anniversary. Yup that was two 13s this year. I would have to say that 13 is a lucky number in my book.

The first time I saw Mike was in a video store he was working at. When I saw him, my heart leapt, it had never leapt this way before, and I knew! I just knew! I wasn't sure what I knew, but I knew. I will never forget the next few thoughts going through my head, "Wow he is really cute. But he's not my type!" We exchanged a few words, and had a flirtatious moment and I was ever so briefly floating on air, THEN my big scary, long hair, loser boyfriend walked up, and I tumbled back to reality. As I walked out of the video store with "my type" I had an "AH HA" moment! "My type" was all wrong for me. That cute dude with the smile in the video store... He was "the one", even though I didn't know what "the one" meant, he was it... I immediatly called my best friend Nicole and said "Wow, I just met the most amazing guy!" She was shocked! She said, "I've never heard you talk about a guy like this before!" Yep something was different about this guy.

I would be lying if I told you it has been perfect bliss. But, it has been passionate, it has been heart break, it has been work, it has been heavenly, it has been comfortable, it has been exciting, it has been scary, it has been fun, it has been amazing and it has been worth every moment. I am so grateful to share this life with a man such as my husband. You will never meet a more devoted father. He takes care of me and our children in ways I can never fully understand or thank him enough for. Neither of us are perfect, but we are perfect for each other!

Oh Boy Oh Boy

Raegan had a busy month, so Zach wanted me to post these cool pics of him and his best friends Christian Shamo and Jacson Tenney. They're sporting their favorite football team colors in their hair. Actually Jacson's second favorite, we couldnt get the silver spray to work for Cowboy colors so he went with Colt colors. Of course Zach has Bronco colors, I am to clarify this.

"You Get the Best of Both Worlds"

After considering birthday party ideas, such as Chuck E Cheese, the sprinkler park and even the thought of a bouncy water thing, Raegan discovered Libby Lu! OH NO! Libby Lu is a little girls make over store in the mall, where one can go in as a regular girl and come out a rock star. Just like Hannah Montana! Well of course it is pricey and out of the question for a birthday party. So we agreed on a Rock Star make-over party at home. I mean come on, mom's got the goods here, right? You would think I was chopped liver, my kids are so un-impressed with my resume. My bid for this birthday party was harder to sell than a national commercial. So finally, out came the colored hair spray, makeup, blow up guitars, microphones, a large mirror, some sparkle and tons of glitter (thanks to my most excellent girl-friend and makeup sister Phyllis). 16 little girls got their makeup and hair done, did a freeze dance game, taught me some cool dances and had some cake and ice cream.Forget the presence of those so called famous makeup artists. I think the big mirror we had out was the biggest hit. It brought back memories of the hours my sisters and I spent in front of the mirror practicing our lip sync routines.

"Eight is Great!"

So Raegan had her 8th birthday. One of the priveliges of turning eight we granted was piercing her ears. She was counting the days, and when she realized her birthday was on Sunday this year, waiting until Monday after school was probably the longest day of her young life.

Happy to be here!

Gettin Nervous.

Ouch! That didnt feel so good!

But it was totally worth it!

Beautiful Asian Flower Ballerina

For months Raegan attends dance class once a week. This year it was ballet, as I mentioned before. The recital this year was Alice in Wonderland. Rae was in the garden scene as an asian flower. She missed the first two shows due to a stomach virus bout... eew. But was feeling fine enough to perform in two shows on Saturday, luckily we had tickets to one of those "sold out" shows. Dance Etc. is where she dances. It is a little pink studio founded by Amy Arnaz, wife of Desi Arnaz Jr. of I Love Lucy Fame. We think they consider themselves local celebrities. One time when Mike and I were having a sandwich at a local deli, Desi was talking SO LOUD about HIMSELF it was giggle-able. Visit my friend Jessica Benson's site (in links column) she has a beautiful shot of Raegan there. Not to mention all of her amazing photography!

"Hooked on Books"

Growing up I was WAY too kewl to be seen reading a book! A Metal Edge, Bop, Hit Parader or Tiger Beat Magazine, for sure, but NEVER a book. Forget Jane Austen, I was way too busy reading up on the antics of Keanu Reeves, Bon Jovi and Ozzy. My scrapbook was not a book it was my bedroom... SCARY I TELL YOU!Well we all grow up sooner or later, as do the celebs we idolize as a teenager, mine are scary these days. Now my appreciation for things published are much much different than my days of yore! I now LOVE to read read read, and listen I must add.

I read a vampire series in my early 20's, (B.B. before baptism) and that was about the extent of my reading. About 4 years (or so) ago I was in an airport with a friend and we went into a bookstore, I was buying a recent installment of the old vampire series, hoping I could stomach it in my now mature minded years. My friend suggested I buy a Harry Potter book instead after I explained my concern. A kid's book? Puh-leez! She insisted I purchase it along with my other choice. What can I say.... she was right! Three and a half weeks later I had gobbled up all 5 available books at the time! (after I had tossed the other book at about page 50) The most reading I had ever done in my lifetime. Thank you J.K. Rowling for sparking a new love in my life.

I must admit, I am quite a lofty reader still. I like some romance, I like dragons, I like period and I love to laugh! Can you say novel? I usually have a library book in my lap and a audiobook in the cd player in the car. I commute a ton, so I get alot in this way. Its great, until I find myself still sitting in the driveway waiting for a chapter to end.

So what is the best book you have read recently??

I am torn! So I will name a few. I am currently reading/listening the Phillipa Gregory series, The Constant Princess (good) The Other Bolyen Girl (scandalous), (I skipped one I think) The Bolyen Inheritance (so far cant stop listening).

But if I were to recommend a recently published book to you I would say... The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield... It will be my next hardcover purchase, I want this book in my life.

Settle down to enjoy a rousing good ghost story with Diane Setterfield's debut novel, The Thirteenth Tale. Setterfield has rejuvenated the genre with this closely plotted, clever foray into a world of secrets, confused identities, lies, and half-truths. She never cheats by pulling a rabbit out of a hat; this atmospheric story hangs together perfectly.
There are two heroines here: Vida Winter, a famous author, whose life story is coming to an end, and Margaret Lea, a young, unworldly, bookish girl who is a bookseller in her father's shop. Vida has been confounding her biographers and fans for years by giving everybody a different version of her life, each time swearing it's the truth. Because of a biography that Margaret has written about brothers, Vida chooses Margaret to tell her story, all of it, for the first time. At their initial meeting, the conversation begins:
"You have given nineteen different versions of your life story to journalists in the last two years alone."
She [Vida] shrugged. "It's my profession. I'm a storyteller."
"I am a biographer, I work with facts."
The game is afoot and Margaret must spend some time sorting out whether or not Vida is actually ready to tell the whole truth. There is more here of Margaret discovering than of Vida cooperating wholeheartedly, but that is part of Vida's plan. The transformative power of truth informs the lives of both women by story's end, and The Thirteenth Tale is finally and convincingly told. -

I am trying to read classics as well, since I was too busy backcombing my hair as a youth. I loved The Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexandre Dumas.. A favored movie of mine too.

Something fun my girlfriends and I did was read Rhett Butler's People, which is Rhett's side of the G.W.W. story (my all time favorite movie). Then we watched the movie again, and wow we were able to connect so much more with the story line and not just Scarlett's tale. It helped me to appreciate the Civil War again as well.

Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer..... Edward...need I say more?... eek!

Please comment, I am always looking for a new book to read!!

Civil War Renactment, a B.C. Right of passage..

For the last 11 years the B.C. 5th grade has done a Civil War Reenactment. To be a key part of the ceremony the student must complete the required memorization and reports to become a "Great American". Then you receive an award as well as other privileges. It is not a required assignment, the students complete the G.A. outside of their regular curriculum. Anyway, Zach was given the privilege of portraying General Robert E. Lee of the Confederacy during the ceremony. We had a great time preparing his costume and filling water balloons for the battles.Zach started off as a Union Soldier fighting for the end of slavery. A soldier fights and goes down for his country.The surrender of the south to the north.Zach with the two retired teachers who started the whole thing. Mr. Coe and Mr. Tobler (the father of our friend Bill Tobler). What a great experience this was for the kids, they really learned alot about our great country and what a wonderful way to take stock in what we have in this great land of ours, and so many blessings in our lives.