trick or treaters?

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!

quote for the day

Who you are speaks so loudly I can't hear what you are saying." Ralph Waldo Emerson

October has flown by. Can't believe that I blinked and it will be November next week. Tomorrow is Kota's birthday party and it is going to be a costume party. We figured we would get the most wear out of the costumes and not just wear it once for trick or treating. However, I think the party has bitten the parents. We have been decorating fiends. We have 13 tombstones in our yard and we set up tiki torches and tables and got a fog machine. The walls of the garage now look as if they are old, peeling wallpaper with mona lisa aka medusa picture and some other accessories. Kota did not want gross looking food so we are keeping it simple with pizza, finger jello, chips, cake, and ice cream. But we do have a mad scientist lab that has gross stuff in jars. hee hee! He is so excited for Saturday night! It will be fun! hope everyone else has a great weekend too!

Joke of the day!

A married couple in their early 60s were out celebrating their 35th wedding anniversary in a quiet, romantic little restaurant. Suddenly, a tiny yet beautiful fairy appeared on their table and said, "For being such an exemplary married couple and for being faithful to each other for all this time, I will grant you each a wish.""Oh, I want to travel around the world with my darling husband" said the wife. The fairy waved her magic wand and - poof! - two tickets for the QueenMary II luxury liner appeared in her hands. Then it was the husband's turn.He thought for a moment and said: "Well, this is all very romantic, but an opportunity like this will never come again. I'm sorry my love, but my wish is to have a wife 30 years younger than me."The wife, and the fairy, were deeply disappointed, but a wish is a wish...So the fairy waved her magic wand and - poof! - the husband became 92 years old.
hee hee hee!!! :)

15 minutes of fame??????

Nicholas just got his sports illustrated mag in the mail and left it on the kitchen counter. Well I started to flip thru a couple of pages and low and behold their is an article about the Pacer vs. Piston Brawl. (I know it happened a while ago, but it is sports history) Well, for those of you who don't know my hubby and oldest son went to that game. So I started to look at the pic that they had and guess what .....Vincent is in the top right corner of the picture that is in sports illustrated. what a surprise! The above picture is the pic in the mag but they cut out Nicholas. You can find him above in the big afro. Vincent has his face covered cause he was busy snapping pics of the incident. You can see how close they were to all the action. The above pic I found on a website that is cited below. If anyone happens to have the mag I would be interested in having it. Thanks!
http://www2.indystar.com/special/nbabrawl/theincident/

someone had a lot of time on their hands

Gotta try this it's cool....Here is a math puzzler so unbelievable that it will stump you. I would like to know who came up with this! Give it a try.

1. Grab a calculator. (you won't be able to do this one in your head)
2. Key in the first three digits of your phone number (NOT the area code)
3. Multiply by 80
4. Add 1
5. Multiply by 250
6. Add the last 4 digits of your phone number
7. Add the last 4 digits of your phone number again
8. Subtract 250
9. Divide number by 2

Do you recognize the answer?

*sigh*

NO TIME FOR BLOGGING FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS! SEE YOU ALL SOON THOUGH! :* (kiss)

poor teens?!?!?!?

I just spent several hours observing teenagers hanging out at our local mall. I came to the conclusion many teenagers in America today are living in poverty. Most young men I observed didn't even own a belt; there was not one among the whole group. But that wasn't the sad part. Many were wearing their daddy's jeans. Some jeans were so big and baggy they hung low on their hips, exposing their underwear. I know some must have been ashamed their daddy was short, because his jeans hardly went below their knees. They weren't even their daddies' good jeans, for most had holes ripped in the knees and a dirty look to them. It grieved me, in a modern, affluent society like America , there are people who can't afford a decent pair of jeans. I was thinking about asking my church to start a jeans drive for "poor kids at the mall." Then on Christmas Eve, I could go Christmas caroling and distribute jeans to these poor teenagers. But here is the saddest part . . . it was the girls they were hanging out with that disturbed me most. I never, in all of my life, seen such poverty-stricken girls. These girls had the opposite problem of the guys. They all had to wear their little sisters clothes. Their jeans were about 5 sizes too small! I don't know how they could put them on, let alone button them up. Their jeans barely went over their hipbones. Most also had on their little sister's top; it hardly covered their midsection. Oh, they were trying to hold their heads up with pride, but it was a sad sight to see these almost grown women wearing children's clothes. However, it was their underwear that bothered me most. They, like the boys, because of the improper fitting of their clothes, had their underwear exposed. I never saw anything like it. It looked like their underwear was only held together by a single piece of string. I know it saddens your heart to receive this report on condition of our American teenagers. While I go to bed every night with a closet full of clothes nearby, there are millions of "mall girls" who barely have enough material to keep it together. I think their "poorness" is why these 2 groups gather at the mall, boys with their short ripped jeans from their daddy, and girls wearing their younger sisters' clothes. The mall is one place where they can find acceptance. So, next time you are at the mall, doing your shopping, and you pass by some of these poor teenagers, would you say a prayer for them? And one more thing . . . Will you pray the guys' pants won't fall down, and girls' strings won't break?
I thank you all,

Grandma

another parental milestone....more like a hurdle or speed bump!

My sweet son of 16 went on his first double date last night! oh the parental unrest I have in cutting the aprons strings a little bit more. I just got used to the idea of him driving and not even a week later we have this. I know I am not the only one dealing with this stuff and I knew it was going to happen. The only difference is when it did happen I wasn't fully ready. Is there any way to be ready for something like this anyways! Well I know he is planning on taking her to the movies next Saturday. Just the two of 'em. Thank goodness he is doing the matinee special (4-6 p.m.) I feel I don't have so much to worry with there being daylight, yeah right! I must give him some credit though in his choice of ladies. His "girlfriend" was on homecoming court this fall, she is adorable/beautiful, she comes from a good family, and most important she goes to church!

baking a cake

A little boy is telling his grandma how "everything" is going wrong. School, family problems, severe health problems that he knows of, etc. Meanwhile, grandma is baking a cake. She asks her grandson if he would like a snack, which of course, he does.
"Here, have some cooking oil."
"Yuck", says the boy.
"How about a couple of raw eggs?"
"Gross, grandma!"
"Would you like some flour then? Or maybe some baking soda?"
"Grandma, all those things are yucky!"
To which grandma replies: "yes, all those things seem bad all by themselves. But when they are put together in the right way, they make a wonderfully delicious cake! God works the same way. Many times we wonder why he would let us go through such bad and difficult times. But God knows that when He puts these things all in His order, they always work for good! We just have to trust Him and eventually, they will all make something wonderful!"

try it!

www.liquidgeneration.com/sabotage/pumpkin_carve.asp

festival of beards????

quote for the day!

People don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care.
- unknown

recouperating!

My house is a mess and we are sooo tired from the whirlwind of activity. I need to be off to finish cleaning my house and finish putting all the party stuff away. This morning we put together a surround sound system with ps2, vcr, dvd and stereo system for Nicholas. It was set up into his room and I know he will be excited when he comes home from football. have a good week all and on to prepare for the next bday party. Kota is having a costume birthday party at the end of the month!

Here is Nicholas at the Michigan game and then later at his bday party with some of his friends. Maybe I will post more pics later :)

*Side note* i am having so much fun with this new computer. I get to down load pics, make videos, slide shows, record movies onto dvd's, and the best is that I can burn a music cd in just 5 minutes or under. Awesome (until I have a glitch) lol!!!!

lil brown jug!!

http://www.gophersports.com/history/mfball/LittleBrownJug.asp?sport_id=mfball

Nicholas and Vincent went to the Michigan game today. It was a birthday present to Nicholas. His tia (aunt) Sally bought his ticket and we just bought Vincent's. What a surprise when last night after Tecumseh won their homecoming to present Nicholas with tickets to UofM's homecoming for today! He was stoked to say the least. Then tonite when he comes home he has his 16th bday party with friends and family!
Yesterday, Vincent went and took him to the sec of state's office and got him his license. Then Vincent had Nicholas drop him off and he (Nicholas) drove to school. The life of a parent is a nail biter for sure. Nicholas then came home after school with a friend and then went to subway. (I did not have to take him or drop off football equipment-amazing) Then off to the game. After the game there was a dance and Nicholas called (with his bday present-a cell phone) and asked if he and friends could go to big boy's. We said yes so he drove there and then home around 12:30. I think I have now been officially entered into parenthood of a teenage boy! Not looking forward to all the gray hair that will come with it! ;)

HAPPY 16TH BIRTHDAY NICHOLAS!!! WE LOVE YOU!!!!

tres amigos-feliz complianos!!!

This lovely trio all have October birthdays in the same week. Which is this week! Amazing!!!
TODAY IS ALI'S BIRTHDAY! EVERYONE NEEDS TO GO TO HER BLOG ( you can find it on the links on the side- Ali de Espana) and wish her a happy birthday from the USA!
aLi- happy birthday and it is awesome that you and Kota can share some birthday hours because of the time difference. May you have a special 20th bday and God bless you with many more!
Hey and guess what? Today is Sally's bday too!!! Another amazzzzzing person. Did you know she is 29 and holding!!!! LOL LOL
October is the best month! MUAAAAAAAAAAAK :*

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!

THIS WAS YOU 10 YEARS AGO AND THIS IS YOU TODAY! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

did you know?

I married my high school sweet heart.
Have been married almost 12 years, together 17.
He is my soul mate.
Don't ya just love the pic of him from the 80's!!!!
My favorite color is orange.
My favorite food is whatever I don't cook-seriously!
My favorite flower is yellow rose with pink edges.
My favorite season is fall.
My favorite holiday is Halloween a close 2nd is Christmas.
My dream is to travel the world.
My favorite shows are Survivor, CSI and Amazing Race!
I prefer a book to a movie.
My favorite books to read are drama/mystery.
Favorite drink is tea hot or iced!
I took french in high school and it did me no good cause my inlaws speak spanish?!?!?!?!?
I used to work in the pediatric dental field.
I have attended Washtenaw Community and U of M! (maybe i'll finish)
I attend the church of Christ (for the past 16 years)
I love my boys!!! ...................

he did it -he did it!

Well the most nerve racking thing I have ever done so far is over. Nicholas taking a road test and me sitting in the back seat and not able to say a word was THE WORST! When we were done and the instructor mentioned where he picked up a couple of points he then says congrats you pass. As soon as he said that, I was able to move and breathe in the back seat. Imagine an hour of not moving, breathing, or saying Nicholas you needed to ........... or Nicholas what is the speed limit here? The instructor said, "it wasn't bad at all, was it?" All I could do was take my hands and wipe my sweaty palms on the back on Nicholas' head rest and tell him thank you. The instructor actually chuckled when I did that. My word was it stressful. I even asked him if he had either a good blood pressure reading or if he was on meds? I had an instant headache and I think Nicholas is a good driver! Imagine if he wasn't. Just glad it is done, that all of my prayers were answered and that a hedge of protection surrounds Nicholas' car daily. Next step official license when he turns 16!!!!!