Happy Birthday Melynda!

Today is my Nina's 25th birthday.

A quarter of a century, man that's old.

I thought in celebration I would break out some old pictures, some she's never seen before:

Grandpa reading Me and Nina a book

Sleepy Nina on Dad's lap

So much to love about this picture.

Nina's pretty eyes, Lane resting his chubby cheeks on newborn David.

Ha, Nice. Nina making a face.

The fambly at the grandparents for Christmas.

Nina is on Grandpa's lap, I have my arm around his shoulder.

Nina's on the far right.

Check out bruiser Lane, second from the left.

I love the way Nin is looking at Katie, she was such a cool older cousin for playing with us.

David, Lane, Mom, Dad, Grandpa, Melynda, Me

Same table, different meal.

left to right: Kristy, David, Lane, Nina, Karalee, Me.

Aunt Bev, Aunt Marsha, child cousin (sorry can't tell who, if I had to guess I would guess Shanny), and Melynda up at Grassy.

Happy birthday my little sister.  I love you!

Electronic Gadgets Update

If you will recall, back in December I did an introduction to our new "master control" and then went over some possible gadget plans for this year.

Well, I thought that I would do a review because, while none of the projects mentioned in my last post have moved forward even slightly, I naturally decided to take care of an item that no one sees/cares about but myself.

That rat's nest of cords shown in the gadget review....let me refresh your memory:

Well, it now looks like this:

First I had to spend some time unplugging and untangling...

...then I mounted the cord tray and two power strips to the underside of the desk...

...then I filled it up...

...and now I am happy that I don't have to look at cords on the floor.

Oh, and to review where we are at on the "Electronics that possibly make the 'to buy in 2010'" list":
1. New mini laptop for Curt. We bought this for Curt in January.
2. A laser printer. Still on the list.
3. Someday I would like a nice digital SLR camera. Got it for my B-day, and love it.

the work is stacking up...

I have an unprecedented amount of projects that are started but that have stalled...

Remember that piano I promised was almost ready back in May?

Yeah, still needing to finish this last panel.

I received a beautiful buffet from friends that had some water damage that I almost got repaired...and then it's been waiting for me for...well a couple months.

Most uncharacteristically, I started painting downstairs walls when my family was first here at the end of June...

...and just look at where they are at.

People, this is stripe of cut in paint, can I tell you that something like this has never (in my memory) existed in my home for more than 24 hours?

Insane.

And while laundry is certainly not my favorite, it surely has been piling to never-before-seen-in-my-residence heights before I can convince myself to tackle it.

And while part of it has been the busy travel schedule we've been keeping...

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...

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part of it is because of this:

we're so happy that I get the opportunity to be so exhausted. :)

Surprise Florida Trip

Well, I'm starting off out of order, but these are the pictures I have ready to share.

Despite my thinking it was impossible, we actually surprised my mother-in-law, Shauna, for her 50th birthday by showing up unannounced.  Her husband, Ron, had also coordinated to have all of Curt's siblings there and her parents and her brother, Brent.

Now we've discussed how I don't personally like surprises, but I know others do (Shauna being one), so I was ecstatic that it went off without a hitch.

Curt and I flew in to Orlando Friday night and stayed with Grandma and Grandpa Hogie, then drove down to Curt's parent's home on Saturday morning.

We all coordinated and then showed up at the house while she was out grocery shopping...

And this was her face as she came in the door....priceless.

We had good family trash talk time and good phase 10 playing.

After church on Sunday we took the opportunity to take some family pictures.

Me, Curt, Katherine, Uncle Brent, Megan, Grandpa, Grandma, Shauna, Ron, Alison, Andrew, Jeff

It cracks me up how Grandpa is attacking Andrew here...

...and then acts all serious and stern in the very next frame.

The girls.

Summary of Things to Come...

Phew.

We are home and sitting still for a minute.

Actually more than a minute, I plan on now being firmly entrenching in my normal routines until Thanksgiving.

Which is a good thing.

Perhaps I can do some laundry.

But who really wants to do that.

Not I.

Here's what I need to cover in my next few posts:

• Most of my siblings + my mom + my baby niece's real life visit to my house
• My little brother, David's, birthday at my house
• trips with aforementioned people: 1) Kirtland, 2) Palmyra, 3)Niagara Falls
• The 4th of July with the people at my house
• A trip to middle-of-nowhere Illinois for a good friend's wedding
• Putting down weed and feed to, you know, kill the weeds and feed the grass.  Only it sucked the life out of our grass.  Bummer.
• Trip to Florida to surprise my mom-in-law for her big 50th B-Day
• The ongoing attempt to repair the lawn
• My fabulous flowers that I tell myself make up for the rest of my yard.

Right now I am attempting to edit some of the 1 beeleeon pictures I took with my schnazzy camera.

Wish me luck.

And...since I can't possibly do a post without at least a sampling of said beeleeon pictures, I present to you what happens when sibling time happens near cameras.

Because it's perfectly natural to take beautiful pictures capturing every, single, sexy, sleepy eyed, pajama-ed, bedheaded, close up detail, right?