Lesson Learned

~ Easter Feaster's where it's at! Thanks Steve and Pauline what a great day in the backyard with your friends and family!!

~My babies laugh is pretty sweet!

~No matter how many times I just don't learn that if I wash a hot burner with a baby cloth I will leave some of my skin on the burner

~ Rain Rain GO AWAY!!!

~ I want to play Barbies soo bad just need a break from the superhero`s

~A surprise visit from a thoughtful friend is the best way to spend the day you had no plans. Thanks Marion I can't wait to plant my "Al" bulbs xoxoxoxoxox

~ I was thinking I never read anymore.. but then I thought of all the Facebook post I read , or blog post that I read each day.. WOW I read so much more then I ever did..

~ Running and watching a movie is my new fave thing.

~ Mamma needs her daycare days!! love my son but man do I love daycare days!

~I will miss you Micheal Scott!!!

~I should have one morning a week that I pretend to have no power.. Cuss this chick can get a lot done with no distractions

~ Wind on Thursday = broken back on Friday pickin up all the tree branches in the backyard

~ Britney is back and I LOVE her new song have a listen Come on it is fun to dance on Saturday AM!

~ I have been counting down for a week for one night out with our peeps and my man.

~ The toad thinks that a camp out is sleeping on an air mattress in our room and I am okay with that for now

~Love watching ball with my man! Jays are holding their own so far!

Happy Weekend Everyone! Hope to see a bunch of you out tonight to celebrate Misters Bday and all things deep fried.. I may even put some lipstick on .. watch out!

A Royal Cry

Well I am guessing this is what the blog world is talkin about today the Royal Wedding. I am not huge on the whole royal family nor did I want to watch due to history in the making (however my opinion did change well watching) I am just a girl who loves me a good wedding and an awesome wedding dress.

When Rob and I got married I tried to stay clear of all things traditional I wanted the day to be about us and what we shared and to stay focused on the fact that this was a day and what the really take home from the wedding was a marriage. I felt concerned of becoming focused on the little things and not the most important thing, Rob and our life as a family.

As I watched William arrive with his brother I started to cry, he looked nervous and that made me as a mom want so bad for him to have someone normal to just say it is okay, your doing great and you picked the right girl go in there and leave with a marriage, one for life. And I knew his mom would have done that for him :(

I was happy he had his bro with him the whole time but I just kept thinking the feeling of your mom's hand on your back when your scared is so peaceful and helps you stay focused.

I watched the ceremony in fast forward and it looked lovely, I loved to see them walk out as a couple knowing how I felt when we took our walk, I was bursting inside I wanted to run out and start our life right then. I know Rob and I lifted our hands and celebrated when they announced us Husband and Wife! I did not see that in Fast forward but maybe I missed it.

I did however stop and watch as they got in the carriage and I loved that she asked him if he was okay.. I started to cry knowing he had that normal in his life.. This is what I love about weddings, you get to see people's love in their eyes and how they look out for each other in the craziness of the day. I love to see the families love and excitement for the couple, I love to hear what others thoughts and feelings are of the couples in their speeches and I love me a great dress.... and that my friends was a stunner!

What a great way to start the day with a wedding! Here are a few of my fave wedding pictures from over the years..

My husband!! xoxo

My girls each one of you and I love this picture SOO much

Go Team Gundry

Sand in his eye from the beach (below the cliff)







Cheers to one of my fave days


Emma and Tom's Wedding

Kathy and Frank xoxo all about you wedding! ha ha

 Our the wedding the chocolates went missing

Mom and Al's wedding

Mrs K and J Fife we love you guys xoxox great wedding

Ah the boys

 Ah Krista and I at K and B's wedding :)

 oh my we are good looking

 the way all besties should be pizza and beer :)

Nik and Jaret in Vegas Baby!

Mike and Mel great wedding!! tons o dancing

How each great post wedding day starts ! ha ha that was a great party!



Wonder if Kate and William will enter their reception like we did?? Welcome to the Jungle Guns n Roses!

A Mix Match of Thoughts

Afternoon All!!

Happy Thursday my day started of a wee bit crazy with no power till 11ish. So my blog today seems a bit crazy like my am all over the place random thoughts from the day..

You can not do ANYTHING with no power.. well you can put away 7 laundry baskets of clean clothes and tidy up the house.. so that is what I did but no TV, no Internet, no phone, no music , no food...
Thankfully the Toad's school had power so he was in daycare today YIPPEEE
I got a ton done during Lovely morning nap but no power so no AM run. However all my hopes and dreams of a PM run hung on a long nap I headed downstairs popped in Eat Pray Love (haven't seen it so far so good and love running to a movie new fave) and 40 seconds NOT joking 40 seconds in Lovely woke up.. So as I ran today two little eyes gazed up at me from the bouncy chair..

Staying with Miss Lovely, I can see 4 count them 4 teeth ready to pop out of her mouth!! YIKES poor little lady.. hang in there shortie mamma will keep hookin you up with your Advil drip and Baby Orajel.

We again have clean bibs .. Can I get a HELL yeah.. we are going through 3 every hour she soaks them to her clothes poor little lady.

WIND yeah Dorothy we got ourselves some wind here in Tburg too.. I think I even saw your little dog blow by my window this am..

Dollar Store gifts from your kids is where it is at! At Christmas I started letting the Toad pick a gift from the dollar store that he thought his dad would love. For Christ Birthday he picked a hammer (that you can see the glue holding the top to the handle) and a paint brush (which my DIY friends say are the best ones??) His first pick at Christmas was a dog collar and we have no dog but he finally landed something perfect both gifts that his dad would love and does. So with his bday yesterday we hit the trusted old Dollarama and the hunt is my fave.. I love how excited he gets over cutting boards or safety glasses all because he thinks he has found the perfect gift. I do think this time he was a bit off and a bit on but I LOVED the gifts he picked.. here are some pictures of dad opening them and testin them out!!



seeing it for the first time





Lets see if we can talk him into wearing it out on Saturday night ha ha ..

Now off to see my favourite mean people at the MTO !!

Have a great Thursday and p.s it is the last Office with Michael Scott tonight!! Can't wait to laugh and cry

Week O Cake

Well the week of Birthdays has officially started. Happy Birthday Rob! 29 again.. My family both in laws and crazy ass family(that is mine) have a crazy thing with birthdays being one day apart, close together OR even on the same day.. Here is the crib notes..

My mom and Grandma are a day apart

My aunt and her daughter on the same day

Two of Rob's sisters are a day apart and he and his other sister are on the same day (Happy Birthday Ash)!

AND Rob and I blow out the candles 7 days apart.

So when Rob and I first got together I was uber excited that for my whole life I would get birthday cake twice in one week (little did I know).

Fast Forward to my pregnancy it was my first and very health so with a due date of May 20th I never ever thought of this Birthday fever would hit us. It was my 31st Birthday and my Bestie and her new boyfriend |(now husband and babys daddy) who I had never met came down to help "celebrate" with me. They live an hour or so away so it was a sleepover well till 3am when I calmly frantically knocked on the door to tell them that we were heading to the hospital and well Toad and I have our birthdays one day apart. YIPPEE !

I love sharing such a cool thing, I love birthday and think they should be big and everyone should celebrate the day you entered this world. If your their family or friend you should be excited as this person would not have been in your life if not for that day! Cheers them, Hug them , drink with them , throat punch them something to let them know your thinking of them.

I love our week o cakes and can't wait till after dinner tonight to start it!

Here are a few pics from last years week o cake

Awake with a Bang!

OOPS

so the kids got a bunch of books and lovely gifts for Easter, some from the Bunny, some from grandparents and Aunts. When I have a bunch of loads to take upstairs I put them on the steps and each trip take one load (depending on what is in my arms) well last night I went to bed with one last trip still on the steps..

And this morning I woke to a huge bang.. Yep Rob was heading down for his run and stepped on the books and went sliding down the stairs HARD. I shot out of bed and knew that second what happened.. I yelled out are you okay? Nothing YIKES Batman killed my husband..

Then I heard it the mumbled swearing and I am 100% sure it was not at Batman but rather at his awesome and loving wife who left the books on the steps.

This morning when the Toad got up I said your dad fell down the stairs today on the books did you hear him? His eyes got HUGE and he said oh no, Is he really mad at you? HA HA I said yes I think he is..

So in true Rob and Nic style I thought and thought about how can I turn this to a laugh? And lets see how he does getting changed after work..

only problem I forgot how much I use the stairs each day!



Shakin Bellies!!

I love a good hot shower or a raining Sunday with a great book or a picture that captures the feeling I was feeling at the time I took it or a great chat with a special person in your life even a unexpected you look good or wow that was awesome really any kind of pat on the back all these things make me smile and are really my little moments in life that I cherish.  However the one thing I love more then all these things is a really good belly laugh, the kind that makes your lungs burn and your belly hurt and brings tears to your eyes. The kind that make you smile long after if you think about what was said. I live my life open to these in everyday life, I look for them really and yesterday my baby girl got to have her first. I remember what Toad's was Rob had pulled a water cap from behind his ear and saying ohh there it is and this made him laugh soo hard.

Yesterday Lovely's cousins were playing with a stuffed animal she got from the Bunny and tossing it in the air and falling back to catch it. The laugh was shakin her whole body you could feel it in her stomach, her eyes were lite up and it went on for 15 mins. It filled the room with other family members who just wanted to enjoy the sound of a baby's laugh. The best part was it made others laugh too.

My baby girl got to enjoy my fave thing in the world and I got to sit with her well she did it. What an amazing moment for me. After it was done she let out a huge sigh as if to say wow!

I turned her around and told her that I love belly laughs and I hope her life is full of them. I reminded her to always be open to them in unexpected place in unexpected ways and if she did her life would be full.

I know No money can buy a belly laugh, no expensive jewellery or big house will give you a laugh, ONLY human interaction and being open to it will bring that on. Please know I am aware that she is only 7 months old and will not remember our chat this Easter weekend but also know I will reminder each time she laughs like that to be open to them.

Here's to a day full of belly laughs or at least a little chuckle!
Thanks girls for giving my girl her first belly laugh!!

What I learned this week

~You may not remember what people said but you will always remember who was there in your darkest hours.. (THANK YOU)

~ Lock the Truck cuss even on Friendlest Ave Ever your change can get taken over night.. Punks don't you know I am a stay at home mom of two crazy kids who just needs a over priced coffee each Monday..

~A 3 year and a juice box = an angry end to a long Monday.. ahhh thank god I am planning on washing the floors sometime this year...

~when taking your toddler to swimming you should pack a towel! But if your at the t-burg pool your good to go ask the sweet 17 year old lifeguards will hook you up!

~when your feeling down and out getting dressed really does help!

~ I dislike washing the floors but am in love with my mop and new bucket.. who knew!

~Fevers 2 nights in a row + a teething baby = sleepy mommy and daddy!

~Big changes are coming my way next week... eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee stay tuned..

~Easter can get "gangsta" in our house (Thanks for the light up Cornona Hat Dad G)

~ Some things go along with being related..See Toad and his Cousin

~ I can push myself to do whatever I put my mind to.. Running 2 mins and Walking 1 for 30 mins are you KIDDING ME never thought that would happen..

~ I am so excited for Easter Morning with my family.. love holiday's and watching your kids enjoy it together is awesome!!

HAPPY EASTER everyone!!

Is it wrong to want a parade and applause??

Yesterday I ran into one of my biggest pet peeves, grumpy customer service people.

Lets just remember what getting out of the house looks like for most parents: ok maybe just me!

10 mins of No you can't go in your pj's , No we cant' just put your snow pants over your pj's, here are your clothes please put them on I will be right back
Dress myself tights and zip up jacket.. sexy I know it is my new uniform
Pass by the Toads room
Nice Mom:Toad please put your shirt on now, stop playing and get dressed
Dress and change lovely who is actually at my fave stage where she rolls the whole time your trying to dress her. for real I do love this stage it makes me smile...
Cover your ears..
Mean Mom:TOAD GET DRESSED.. Why do you have your old Halloween costume on? No you can't wear it please get dressed.(p.s I have on occasion said sure!)
Mean Mom: Do you have to go pee? NO
K then wrestle Toad in a coat, boats.
Mean Mom: What? you do have to pee okay off with your boots and coat (yes coat we had a pee accident one time so we just take it off now)
Toad :Mom do you know where my dash is? Can I go downstairs and play just for one second? Mom I have to close this door
Mean Mom: PLEASE GO PEE
Back into the coat, boats and out to the car seat
Dragged another car seat with a baby that is nat getting any lighter out to our car.
I am of course at this point am sweating.
We drive there and I answer a billion questions much like why does that house have so many windows? What is an apartment? Where is their backyard? How do they make gas? Why is Lovely looking at me? Can I wear my Pj's out to the store? AHHHHHHHHH

Oh good we are here! Toad undo your seat belt

Then I go into super panic mode stay near me toad, come on hold my hand , k stay here see all these cars it is sooo dangerous!! stay close (the whole time he is right beside me I just feel safer if I say it 100 times). Get miss lovely in it the cart add toad to it and then drag the two of them around a store all well saying, No Toad you can't have Kool Aid? We don't need to buy any toys today you have a full basement of them. blah blah blah blah

Soooooo when I get to the cashier and they don't say hi or eat dog do or nothing I get my back up..

Is it wrong to want a big welcome? a cheer!  a way to go you did it, you survived! Your almost there SOMETHING..

I always say how are you? and if I get a complaint back.. Watch out..
If I get a oh yeah good.. Sorry did I bother you at work? ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Please just give me my applause and I will go.. This bad customer service is on the rise I see it more and more and it makes me want to jump the counter and either hug the very sad young skinny 17 year old who thinks life is just too hard OR tackle them to the ground and say look at my cart.. do you see that Tigger or Ninja with chocolate milk on his face he's all yours of an hour and that baby, someone should change her crappy diaper! You want to?? NO then please just say HI and how are you and we will move along home.

Well I should get ready the Toad has school and I have to get Miss Lovely to the Dr.. Let the work out begin.. Happy Thursday everyone!!

Someone found their voice!

A few things that people have never said about me.. Can you speak up I can't hear you, or do you have anything you would like to add?? Yep I talk a lot and LOUD!! I come by it honestly so was I surprised when the Toad was yammering on at an early age or that he was a loud talker? No BUT I do know my poor hubby was crossing his fingers and holding his breath that Lovely would be soft spoken , quiet little girl more like him.

SORRY HONEY....

Lovely has in the last week started to talk and talk a lot.. She says A Daddad dadda dadda over and over and over again at a level no baby should be able to speak at. It is so sweet and I love to hear her talking to her brother or yelling at me from the other room during the day but lately at 4 am when I give her back her soother and try to grab a few extra hours of sleep it is NOT cute.. She is two rooms , a loud fan and a closed door away and I can hear her like she is in our room. Oh man I can almost picture our dinner table in 5 years... Loud, silly and a bunch of talking over each other with the head of the table rolling his eyes and wondering how he ended up with the loudest family in history..  

My Version of a Bucket List

Over my whole life I have had a on going list of things I wanted to see or do, and I even have the people I want to do some of it with call it a Bucket List or just a check list whatever! I have been lucky to cross a few items off the list but I still have a bunch on there that I look foward to the stories and experiences that go along with adding completions dates to.
With the tremendous lose our family suffered this past week I dusted off this list and wanted to share it with you I love to see others list they gives me great ideas and inspiration. So who knows you may want to add something to your "list"

Be a wife   June 11th 2005
Be a mother May 5th 2007/September 20th,2010
Donate Blood 12 times (full year) you can save SOO many lives!
Go to Disneyland  and do it right!
Raise 10,000 dollars myself for Cancer Research ($7145.00 so far) 
Skinny Dip
Ride a Horse
Ride a gondola in Venice
Take a photography class
Watch all the movies nominated for best picture one year.
Take make-up lessons with a make-up specialist
Win and Yell BINGO at a Bingo hall
Meditate or Enjoy a Sunrise or Sunset on top of a mountain ( stole this from someone else list but LOVE IT)
Ride in a convertable in the rain
Read every book Nicholas Sparks has written
Maintain a positive attitude
Go to an Oprah taping (oops maybe one that is left on here :(  )
See a firefly Summer 2003
Catch a fish Girls weekend 2009 Yippee Krista!!
Run a 5 Km Fun Run for Chariety (and run more then I walk)
watch a sun set on a island
Go away with Mom on vacation
Witness a miracle Birth of the Toad May 2007
Be in a room filled with Balloons May 4th 2006
Girls weekend in Vegas
See a Shooting Star July 2005
Feel true love October 26th 2002
Right a wrong
Go on a 4 state/province roadtrip with Rob
Own a house May 13th 2005
Quit Smoking 2003
Learn a magic trick
Renew our vows
Go Ziplining in a forest
Spend a week on a beach (the whole week)
Visit Ireland
Sleep on the beach
Build something August 25th 2002
Volunteer ongoing
Buy a new car March 2004
Perfect a hobbie
Dance withToad's at his wedding

Gosh I get soo excited when I read this list!! I am excited to do it all and add to it along the way!

Happy Tuesday everyone.. ENJOY the day!!

Cast On!

Dear Al,

I find it so very hard to say goodbye when you are still so much apart of everything around me. I see you in my sisters eyes as she wipes the tears away, she will carry you in her heart forever as you were the one who got her. I see you in my mom as she tries to be so strong but is broken hearted. I see your love around her like an old blanket trying to keep her together.

I feel you in my mind telling me Sweetie we are okay, this is okay. As I drove home Wednesday all I could think about was that I would not say goodbye,  you would not do it to us for these past few months so I will not be doing it either.  I will follow your lead and say We will see you soon.. but till then know I will miss you tremendously, I will speak of you often and tell stories of you to anyone who will listen.

As I left mom on Wednesday I thanked her, I thanked her for bring you into our lives! You touched every single person you met and somehow reminded them that life was about being kind to each other, being a good friend and to work hard.

Dawn told me two things this week that I found special. First she said you can go through your life and never love fully, that way if the person or people in your life go you will never have to hurt BUT we decided that is not how we live, and I would rather feel this pain and know I loved you that much then to have not loved you properly and feel nothing!

Second she said there are two types of people, First people go through their lives and when it is done they have touched a few lives, or there are people like you who touched so many lives all around the world with your love, friendship and amazing nature. Now that is a legacy..

As I sat with mom well she called your friends and family, I knew the pain they were each feeling as they got the news, I knew they too were wishing for just one more visit, one more fishing trip, morning coffee, or like Rob and I to flip through the flyer's with you. But we had to let you go. We had to let you go and be free.  Free to be with your son, free to be with all the animals who have loved you over the years. Free to fish, boat and enjoy!

You have taught me so much about many things but mostly you taught me that life is for living.. so as hard as it is if you see me smiling and laughing, playing with my kids, hugging my friends and family, and creating new memories please know I am doing it in tribute to you and the lessons you taught me.

I could not have loved you more, you could not have loved me more and my little family is bless for every second you spent with us.

Thanks Bert.. I love you and we will see you soon!

What I learned this week

Happy Saturday Everyone!

~ A Sunday morning coffee in your jams with your buddy and their kids is pretty sweet way to start your week
~Celebrating someones 80th birthday is pretty amazing! (happy birthday grandma)
~A cousin your own age is maybe the coolest thing when your 3!
~Don't wait till your losing someone to tell them how much they mean!
~A pool deck at a community pool maybe the hottest place on earth
~I love Winners.. who knew!
~We get the newspaper each day and never read it.. and we sure don't have enough campfires for all this paper..
~Your day can change in seconds.
~Losing someone special is more heartbreaking then anything I have ever felt.
~You can be so sad that you feel sick.
~I am blessed beyond words (knew it but man I feel it this week)
~The Toad is having as hard a time with me being sad as I am with my mom being sad.. life is pretty special that way..
~A phone call, a visit or some stunning flowers and plants can make a girl feel pretty loved at a time that I feel lost.

I wanted to also say a quick thank you

Thank you to all the amazing nurses and Dr at Strathroy Hospital for loving and taking care of Bert. Thank you to my mom for constant presents with Al in the final days and the final years of his life. He loved you SOOOOOOOO much as I know you did him.  Thanks to my amazing step sisters who let us share their dad for all these years, we could not have loved him more.. Thank you to my husband who picks me up , dusts me off and helps me get through the day. What an amazing gift your love has been to me and our kids. You make me laugh when I need to , hug me when I can't go on and most importantly love me with out words. xoxoxoxo
Thanks to Dad and Jo your love and support (and help) has meant the world to us. Dad your visit to Al touched me beyond words.. I wish he had been awake to have a chat!  I have been so blessed to have such amazing parents to set such caring examples.
To my besties, I would not have got through these last 7 months with out you, your calls, hugs and friendship keep a girl going. How do you properly say thank you for the times you dropped what you were doing to talk to me, the times you drove out to see me just cuss you knew I needed a friend, the times you listened well I cried, and in "us" style made me belly laugh my way through the pain.
Keri and Krista what you did for me yesterday leaves me speechless (IT CAN BE DONE!! WHO KNEW) you swooped in with food,and love. You played with the Toad and lovely, did the memory boards with love and mostly shared your amazing memories of Bert. THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart!

Toad's new hat.. Gone Fishing (thanks Keri)

A Mixed Up day

Today Blog should be about my terrible lose of a loved one yesterday but I can't write that blog yet. So today blog is one I did up on Tuesday night to post yesterday but didn't get around to it before I got the call. I love you Bert you are in a better place and are missed beyond words! So here is my mixed up day!

I miss my work peeps.. ! Love Chatting with a few of them the other day!

My baby Girl is starting to be SOOOO much fun to hang with look how sweet she is in these pictures from today.. (dont look at my crazy windblown hair PLEASE)..

look at that sweet face!!

Today Miss Lovely and I had to spend the Am stuck inside well our Tv was repaired.. but then we headed out to enjoy the day. Just a bit of girl time..I have to say that I love hanging with my baby girl always but as she starts to get older she starts to be so fun! Her smile which is always there is now being joined by her voice and laughter. Who wouldn't want to hang out with that?

So we hit up the Woodstock wal-mart and did our grocery shopping, then I remembered that they had a Winners Store in town, I have not been in one for years I just don't like them. I always found them hard to find things in and ended up being frustrated and never really found any awesome deals but that all changed today! Over the weekend I fell in love with a piece of art at my aunts house, she told me she got it at Winners, we needed art for our kitchen so I thought what the hell.

I had wanted to originally copy this idea from Sarah 101 for a wall of plates, this was dropped after trying to find plates that both Rob and I loved! Yeah Right..





So I walked into Winners and headed to the Home design section(which was easy to find as there were HUGE signs ) and 5 minutes later left with my version of plate art.. and Roberto loves it too :) YIPPPEE~ let me know what you think...

The day ended with a beer and some darts with my hubby (too cold to sit outside) so here is our picture for the day!!



almost 3 bulls eyes

sooooooooo close! 



Have a great day everyone...

I'm Over that

I just watched Oprah with Shirley MacLaine and her new book I'm Over all that.. Made me think what am I over?

Well I am over high heels and all the drama that goes with them
I am over being a domestic goddess, or the thought in my head that I was or wanted to be or something like that OVER it all!
I am over complainers at the checkout.. next one is going to get a big fat can of shut the hell up from me and my baby!
I am over whining.. Not Wine Whining..
I am over not sleeping.. p.s my baby girl, boy and big boy are all asleep well but I am not!
I am over being judgemental... not 100% but trying :)
I am over McDonald's.. yeah I think Fast Food is a good idea but it makes me feel sick and I feel guilty after eating it.
I am over The View and onto The Talk!
I am over sweaters and winter coats.. bring on the shorts and t's
I am over Microwave Popcorn, was on a big big kick for a while..
I am over passive aggressive drivers (me included)
I am over being rushed
I am over rude teenagers I hope I was never one
I am over only hearing from someone on email.. i love a good chat even once every quarter!
I am over being inside.. bustin out to the yard
I am over fair weather friends
I am over hockey season (not a fan) and am SO excited for Baseball season..
I am over Reruns
I am over Pop! Not gonna be doing all this running then having a pop :(

Movin on to what I am lovin!

Lovin Flat shoes and boots
Lovin Running
Lovin dried banana's
Lovin having the window open again
Lovin my family
Lovin my uber supportive besties
Lovin Mumford Son's (check them out.. soo fun)
Lovin a good cup of coffee to start the day
Lovin Extreme Couponing (TLC show)
Lovin our new house!!
Lovin New blogs that I read each day..
Lovin shopping at Walmart for groceries.. CHEAP!
Lovin that I can put my hair in a pony tail.. tiny but still up

Lovin the sun and going to head out to enjoy with my sweet baby girl!

I am also lovin my new cup.. thanks Kris it does sum me up!

Happy Tuesday!

Meet the Gundry's

I have on occasion watched an awesome show called Meet the Wilson's

This amazing Canadian Couple share the joys of parenting, flipping houses and a music career. They are funny, real and super cute! Yesterday my family celebrated my grandma 80th birthday, we shared a ton of laughs,memories and yummo food. We also as a family shared our love and sadness over the upcoming lose of our favorite fisherman. Bert was missed more then he will ever know, this was our first family gathering without him. It was sad cuss we knew he was in a hospital room sleeping peacefully and we wanted him with us. I love my family for many many reasons but the fact that we stood around in the kitchen telling each other how much we loved Bert, how his grace and courage during this whole experience has inspired us and made us appreciate our loved ones even more was amazing to me. Some families experience death and never ever talk to each other about it and here we were all sharing our feelings.

As we drove home with our two very over tired kids in the back my husband and I shared how special the day had been to us, how much we loved being able to share the day with my family. We marveled in the Toad's love of his cousins and how we had not seen him all day. How great Lovely was on zero sleep, how great it was of Krista to come, how much our family meant to us. I cried , laughed and felt more love then I had in a long time, as we drove home I thought I don't want today to end!

We got home and put the kids to bed and Rob turned to me and said I am going to have a beer in the back yard. I smiled YIPPEE the day is not over yet! So we headed out back, turned on the tunes and relaxed. We looked up at the stars , chatted and just hung out.. I remembered that on Meet the Wilson Kortney and Dave finish each crazy day checkin in on the porch swing.. I asked my man if he wanted to start that this summer? He said Of course, now he works shift work so it will not be every night but each night he is home we will take some time to check in and hang out in our back yard for even just 30 mins. I can't wait to start this new tradition! As well Kortney has started a 365 photo challenge on there facebook page, one picture a day for 365 days. So Rob and I will do the same, one picture each night. Maybe both of us , maybe one of us and maybe just one of my feet :)



Wilson picture borrowed from  http://www.facebook.com/MeetTheWilsons