It's Anniversary time...it's Anniversary time...

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Leeners, Budders and all that jazz...

We came home from California this week and didn't get to lumber o'er to Leener's house until tonight. She absolutely slays me...talking up a storm, showing off her new striped Gap zip-up jammies, making sure I knew her Gramma Tina was in town, and identifying family connections right in her own living room. "...Gramma Tina is Mommy's mommy; Mommy is Lena's mommy; Babajuje is Daddy's mommy; when Lena has a baby, Mommy will be a gramma and Simon (a/k/a Budders) will be an uncle" - you get the drift. She kills me.

Anyway...after looking around "My Three Sons and Other Tales..." tonight, I realized that the Brighton Vaiseys don't really have equal exposure on this here blog, so as of now that all changes. Fratake...as Dylan would say...

Our trip to the punkin' patch with Leeners and Budders...

A Very Special Girl

California...here we come!

California was so fun!!!! We had the pleasure of traveling to the other side of the world to see our oldest son, Steve, and his remarkable wife, Rebekah. They have produced four of the most incredible children ever born. (The other two live in Brighton...:)) Just thought I would share some pictures of the greatest joy I have ever known. I should qualify this by saying that watching Dylan play football is right up there as well. (Since I have never seen Jeff score a goal in soccer, I am bitter and won't mention him in this posting.)

It was DeeDee and Milo's birthdays, so we had a bowling party...fun...fun...fun!!! Let's just say we all needed bumpers! Birthday cakes, lots of singing...you know the drill. Milo had fun helping the next door neighbor cut down their extremely tall pine tree...hence the hard hat. Milo made sure that the cool guy with the chain saw had a piece of birthday cake in exchange for the opportunity of donning that yellow beauty. He cracks us up!

ZuZu (a/k/a Eloise) and I took a trip to Target and she picked out those beautiful sparkle shoes...pretty shoes. She wore them everywhere. Talk about a treasure...that ZuZu is a trip and a half! She never stops talking, but always has the sweetest things to say. What a fun time we had in California...even though Dyl missed a big football game. The burn is still being felt...not to mention the heaps of homework he faced upon return to school. He may have to phone in Milo's baptism in two years. Not a good time of year for #3 son.

Family Treasures

Check out RAY FOX...father to RUTHANN (that cute little Mary Jane shoe-ed toddler). How stinkin' cute is she? Her father had a drug store in the mountains and is seen here standing proudly in front of his establishment.










AND...who thought five kids would be fun? The pin curls and the bow tie are killing me.

Almost Birthday Time!!!

Another year goes by, but this year I am going backwards. No more of this 50-something stuff. I will be 49 on October 6th. Happy Birthday to me!!! Thank goodness for hair dye and wrinkle cream as no one ever suspects my age. That is, unless they see me hanging with my grandbabies...but the teenager calling me "Mom" confusing everything. I love it!

Latest news includes school is back in session, so Dylan and I are now on a regular schedule. I love it when summer hits, but about halfway through I start craving some sort of order. Left to my own devices, I will stay up all night and sleep all day. What a joke that is! I would take four straight hours of sleep in a row and feel really fortunate. Menopause is such a mean bed fellow...get it?



Dylan is playing football again this year. He is on the Fairport Red Raiders Mod B Team #1. That's my boy...#63 on top! I never thought I would have a football player as Jeff was always a soccer player and Steve played the guitar. Ok...Steve played some soccer, too, but preferred the guitar any day. They both tried football for a year and I must admit I was glad they gave it up. I wasn't fond of all that smashing into each other. But...enter Dylan...and you have something to smash up against. He is covered with bruises, but loves the sport. Steve (husband) is the official team photographer and I must admit is turning out some sweet pictures of the team. All the parents are raving.

We are preparing for a trip to California in October for Delia and Milo's birthdays. It's hard to believe that DeeDee will be 8 years old and ready for baptism. Can it be so???? Milo will be 6 and wants a green Power Ranger costume (killing me), Eloise is as beautiful and chatty as ever and Oliver just turned 1. We can't wait to see them. California is so far away...have I said that before?????

Work is good. I really enjoy working with my students in the computer lab. My co-workers are great people, too, which makes going in every day all that much more fun. Steve's work has been interesting with the economy such as it is. I tell him not to sweat it as I have us covered. My BIG huge paycheck might take us to Friday. We do have health benefits, though, so that's the good news!

Nothing else exciting to report. I miss my family and friends that live far away, and my dream is to take a world tour to visit everyone. Given I have a teenager at home and money is an interesting topic these days, I don't foresee much travel in the future. As I work on my latest passion of family history, more than ever I would love to connect with family members I haven't seen in 30+ years. With all that's available on the Internet now, gathering new branches to the tree happens all the time. I love it!

Life is good and all I can say is thank goodness for the World Wide Web!

Happy Birthday, Suzanne Marie!

Make a Smilebox postcard

Happy Birthday, Laura Jean!!!

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Long tang dong...

Before your mind hits the gutter, this is an interpretation by my #1 granddaughter, Delia, of the Dixie Chicks song "Long Time Gone." She used to sing it like crazy in her cute little toddler voice and everytime I hear the song, I hear Sweet Dee.

"Delia plays that old church piano...Sittin' out on her daddy's farm..."

"Now me and Delia singin' every Sunday
Watchin' the children and the garden grow
We listen to the radio to hear what's cookin'
But the music ain't got no soul
Now they sound tired but they don't sound Haggard
They got money but they don't have cash
They got Junior but they don't have Hank
I think, I think, I think...the rest is...A [long tang dong]..."

California is sooooooooo far away...and it has been a long tang dong since I posted a new entry, so here goes!

It's been a busy summer and I start back to school on Tuesday. How can this be? I still have two pallets of rocks waiting to be constructed into a beautiful garden; I still have a basement full of junk that needs to be organized and/or tossed; I still have oodles of family history work to do; I still need to paint the new interior doors that were hung up 6 or 7 years ago (I am not kidding on that one); and the list goes on. Not to mention I have a rather energetic granddaughter #3 (these numbers are not assigned in order of favorability, but merely by birth order - FYI) who I really should have run around the block all summer so she would give her poor wee mum a break for the 9 months I will be in school. The road to somewhere is paved with all the best intentions...

Things are good around here, though. Dylan had a good summer and is ready to hit 8th grade running. Football starts the first day of school and it's finally going to be HOT this week, so I hope all goes well. It's going to be a good year...and I need to enjoy every minute because I remember when those other two clowns I gave birth to were in 8th grade. Talk about time flying...holy smokes!

I promise to return soon with a report and pictures of all my beautiful grandchildren as well as Dyl's new haircut. He looks smashing! I still can't say enough about "Bekah Bootcamp." Highly recommended!

Oh, and about that Delia? She sings a mean soundtrack from "Wicked." Here's proof.

My husband is out of town and my head hurts...

Most of you might think that a woman's head should hurt when her husband is IN town, but not me. Over the past few weeks, I have gained a greater appreciation for how hard my husband works to support our family. I am covering for him this week while he is attending scout camp with Dylan and my head is spinning. I don't know how he does what he does every day. What a lucky gal I am, and I really need to start helping more. I suppose I get credit for the calendars going out every year - usually on Christmas Eve - which is no small feat, but there is a whole lot more going on than passing our menus and mailing calendars. (Inside joke...) Anywho...I need to be more supportive and help him with the madness. My specialty is organization and getting things off "the list" using my one-touch method. I wonder how much he will pay me????? Ha!

Anyway, I thought I was going to have so much alone time this week to play with my family (ok...Lena and Simon - forget the Jeff and Kelly), but I haven't had two seconds to myself. I heard from a friend of mine today about a place called Color Me something or another and it's in Pittsford. Kids can go there to create artsie fartsie projects. I do believe Lena would love that, so I am definitely looking into that adventure.

I need to go exercising tomorrow morning before my friend, Amy, disowns me. It has been over 3 weeks since we have been serious about our commitment to the "NO FLAB" philosophy. Not working so well this summer. It's summer...who wants to get up at 5AM? I get busy on projects and am lucky I get to bed by 5AM.

I am still working on the grandkid entry...it's such a work of art that I almost can't stop myself. How does one woman get so lucky???? I ask you...how?????

And thanks to SherBear and KKKKKKK for a fun afternoon of girl stuff. We need to do that more often. Sweet dreams!

Anticipation, Anticipaaation...

is making me late...keeping me waaaaaaiting...

Dylan arrives home tonight after visiting with his brother and family in California for the past 3+ weeks. It has been quite rejuvinating for all...hopefully Steve and Rebekah will recover soon.

I am very much looking forward to seeing Dyl after his stint at Bekah Bootcamp. You have heard of Super Nanny? You ain't seen nuthin' yet...structural changes complete with a heavy dose of spiritual enlightenment at every turn and there you have it...Bekah Bootcamp. If I had tried to create a scenerio that was more perfect for our family at this moment in time, it wouldn't have been possible. Answers to prayers, my friends...answers to prayers. Now, let's hope I don't screw it up...

And, you also might be anticipating my next blog entry with great rapture and wonder...like where are those grandkids she brags about all the time? I didn't purposely leave them out of the introduction, but wanted to save a whole blog entry just for them. So stay tuned as I create the perfect yarn complete with picties (as Kelly would say).

P.S. I am all alone this week as Dylan and his dad leave for Scout camp at 3AM...that's less than 4 hours from now in case you are looking at a clock, and our little Scouter hasn't even landed in Rochester yet. My husband is the best! I couldn't do it, but he will and he will do it well. I get to be Realtor of the Year this week. Wish me luck!

It's about time...

I started blogging a while back, but I didn't like what I posted. I was whining about turning 50 and now that October 6, 2007 came and went...guess what? It's been the worst of times and the best of times. How can I complain when I have a husband who loves me unconditionally (I am still trying to figure that one out); three of the greatest sons that Heavenly Father ever sent to earth; two of the finest daughter-in-laws a mother could ever ask for (they are extraordinary mothers and wives, and I don't think they dislike me too much for how much "conditioning" they have had to implement being married to my boys); and a strong faith that has carried me through both the good and the bad for the last 22 years. I am truly blessed and loving life...well, except when the dogs go outside and roll in smelly stuff. But other than that, no complaints here.

I plan on using this blog to keep in touch with friends and family. I hope you will visit often and let me know what you think and/or how you are doing. Talk to you soon!