Bon Voyage...

Bill is practicin' up by swiggin' down a desert martini. Yes, it is desert...not dessert...he's going to Arizona, after all!

We made a trip to Ahn DeeDee and Unna Paht's house Sunday to get together with Keith's parents before they leave us, in the cold, for Arizona. We didn't have the big boys with us. They stayed at Pat and Jen's since they didn't have school Monday. Poor Brenda!! I think she may have gotten tackled for more than 5 straight hours!! She didn't have a chance to sit with any of us to chat. Keith and I took the time to sit, relax, and tip a few. Sorry, Brenda!
It may appear as though Brenda was sitting, relaxing, but I know for sure that she was actually standing, not sitting, all the while being tugged from behind..."Damma!! 'Mon!!

Have a safe trip. We will miss you. See you in the spring!

'Just wanted to show my Christmas creation that I made for my niece, Sammi, for Christmas. She is getting a room re-do and showed her grandma this cool bedding that she wanted for Christmas. Brenda brought up an idea to me that I have been wanting to try out for about 6 months or so, but have had no use for...until now. I am very excited with the outcome of these letters. I did all of the work freehand. The only problem with this picture is the horizontal lines on the "S" do not show up very well. I also made Sammi a message board to hang on the wall. It turned out pretty funky, trimmed out in a black feather boa, but I think she really liked it. I worked on it until the 11th hour and forgot to take a picture of it.

Blast From The Past...

I think the title explains it all!! I came across this last night while going through old photos searching for old Halloween pics of the boys to get my Halloween scrapbook caught up. I like this photo. This was taken in 1992 inside our lovely Glen Oaks apartment. Are you all loving the decor? Ha ha. Have a good laugh and have a good trip down your own memory lane today!

(in case you aren't sure, in the front row is Sara, Corinna, and Chris. In the back row is myself and Johanna)

Me Dump...

I'd love to say that we were just clowning around, but unfortunately this is just what happens on a daily basis at the Stratton's.

As a side note, when you think of OCD, cleaning compulsions usually pop into mind. I, however, have a rare form...I see this picture and think that I'd like to paint the wall in Caleb's room, maybe move the dresser, and raise the photo on the wall. In reality, I like the dresser where it is and the photo was hung in that spot to balance the tall football display that is currently missing from this photo. A picture is supposed to be worth a thousand words, and this one is no different, but the words I'm hearing are saying something SO different! Who knew I'd have to proportion the surroundings before taking a picture...I guess I'll add that to my list of things to do!

BS-ing...

Contrary to popular belief, BS isn't just an abbreviation for the obvious. I am using it to describe a new trend. Well, maybe trend isn't the correct choice here. I have been Blog-Stalking lately, and let me tell you, it has taken on a life of its own. Kristin thinks it is a little creepy. I figure blogs are on the web for perusing and I have found great pleasure perusing many a blog!!! I enjoy reading blogs belonging to friends and family to keep up with other's lives. I find that by reading stranger's blogs, I am getting the thumbs up that my life isn't so much out of order and that my kids are manageable, and that all the crazy thoughts crossing my mind about kids, family, laundry, appointments, pets, bills, laundry, gas prices, the presidential campaign, and laundry are all relevant, and even if they aren't, they are at the very least irrelevantly relevant in the lives of many women from every corner of the U.S! I will continue BS-ing and if I learn a thing or two, I will certainly pass it on!

High Zeek...

At first glance, this looks kind of like a cupboard or cabinet or something...
but in reality, it is Kyle's new favorite toy!!
..."Mom...mom..MOM...me high zeek!!" It is what he does over and over. hey, there are worse things he could do to passify himself. I was smart enough, the first time he climbed inside, to empty out all the cds and dvds. He even added decorative pillows to the inside. (not shown) Truly a boy after my own heart!! Actually, it reminds me, on a very SMALL scale, of Amy Hulce's secret hiding space under her basement stairs in her childhood home...what an awesome spot. Laurel Helveston, come to mention it, had a similar one in her bedroom growing up, too. it was a doored cubby in her wall, pretty high up, where we hung out and talked, and wrote on the walls. I remember wanting houses just like theirs. Come to think of it, I had one myself, but it wasn't a place more than just myself could hang out in, which would've made it a little creepy, so I wont go there. Those memories are the reason I will continue to keep the clutter out from underneath my tv cabinet for now. Kyle and his little friends won't fit in there too long, but I want him to be able to make his own favorable memories, and as many of them as possible!

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