My Helper :)

Ok, I'm going to let the boys in on a little secret.  Unfortunately, letting the cat out of the bag means it may come to an end, but I feel the need to share it anyway.  Every time I get the chance, I have one of them help me out in the studio.  It's under the pretense of testing the lighting and metering it.  The truth, I can test lights on my own.  But I LOVE the opportunity to get one or both of them in front of my camera even if it's just for a minute or two.  Today, I got the chance to shoot Will a bunch.  Here's just a one of the many I got.  Thanks Will, I know you hate it.

The Prelude to Saturday

Need I say more?  Will's heading home from band practice to catch the second half, Hunter is holed up in his dorm with the game on and this is exactly how I plan on spending the rest of the evening.  The wait is over.  It's game time.  

I'm Late, I'm Late....

for a very important date.

Oh, what a week it's been.  I swore when I started this blogging adventure that I would take the time to show the kids their lives, the little moments they would forget over time.  I promised to share Mom wisdom too.  Those little things that they would roll their eyes at now, but would later guide them.  Here's one of those moments.

Go out on a date.  Not before you're married, but after.  Sometimes, you just need to spend a few minutes having an adult conversation, enjoying the person that you chose to spend your life with.  That's what we did tonight.  There was dinner in the fridge, dogs running around and it was just a long day.  You can tell, Jeff's all dressed up!  And sometimes all it takes to make things right in the world is someone else serving you dinner while you enjoy the company of the person you love the most.

It's not goodbye, it's until I see you again!

Tonight was our Girls Night Out going away dinner for Bev.  Country roads are calling her home and the Melting Pot was the perfect send off.  I don't think I've ever eaten that much in my life.  But any dinner that comes with a chocolate and peanut butter fondue as the final course is worth the overstuffed feeling I currently have. 

Anyway, nothing cures what ails you like a dinner with friends.  So thank you to all that attended.  And Bev, good friends are only a phone call away.  Thanks for being such a wonderful friend and support system!  You're going to be missed.  Best wishes and safe travels to you and David.  Until I see you again.

Quite the undertaking....

I'm a big fan of before and after pictures.  So here are Will's before pictures.  It's going to take a little bit of time to get the after ones, it's a bigger room that I thought!  But before you know it, it'll be a room that will make Andy Reid proud.  

Happy Sunday!

It's Sunday evening.  The house is spotless, the dryer is fluffing the last load of laundry and the season finale of Bunheads is playing in the background.  I've talked to Hunter, am eagerly awaiting Will's returned tomorrow and we even managed to squeeze in a trip to Kroger.  Did I mention that Jeff got a hair cut too?  I know that's not overly exciting, but I was thrilled that it's not as "short" as Will and Hunters!

So I sit here tonight, relaxed and ready to face the week.  With a little spare time, I decided to spend some time surfing the net, looking for craft ideas, studio ideas or well, anything that would make me smile.  Here is what I found.  Finally, a company that I can work for!

Happy Sunday, everyone!  Here's to a great week and a well deserved family party this time next week!

BZZZZ....

Some things just never change.  This is what happens when you get the boys together for an afternoon.  I know they were thrilled to see one another, but did they have to celebrate by buzzing their hair?  At least they sent me a picture in advance so all my hair didn't fall out on Monday when Will comes home.  Hope you both had fun...and that you each have a warm winter hat!

 

The Silver Lining.

One day, the boys will understand today.  They'll understand that being a parent is the hardest job there is. Some days you want to grin, pound your chest and scream "I've got this" from the top of a building.  There are other days were you begin to wonder how, after 18 years, you still don't have a clue how it's done.

They say that every cloud has a silver lining.  I think I found mine tonight when Jeff got home.  Because without someone who believes in you, it's a whole lot harder.  To all my boys, I love you with all my heart and while I may not get it right every time, it's always what I hope is best for you.

It's that time of year again!

Meet the 2012 Marching Panthers!  Tonight was the Meet the Band and like always, they didn't disappoint! The saxophone section sounded especially wonderful, while the trumpet section sounded a little flat :)  But as always, it was wonderful to see them take the field!

Another first.

Nope, there is no picture.  And there's no picture intentionally.  Each year, on the first day of school, I get the kids up at the crack of dawn to take their picture as they excitedly get ready for new classes, new friends and a lot of fun.  Today was Hunters first day of classes at Ohio State.  I got to talk to him, Skype him and hear all about his new classes and his new friends.  What I didn't get to was take his picture on the first day.  So my no picture is by choice, to celebrate Hunters first day of school away from home.  I know he'll do great!

An Even Dozen.

Every time I hear a chain saw running, I cringe a little.  It no longer reminds me of Mark running like a girl through the Haunted Maze.  The sound now only mean that we've lost yet another tree.  Thankfully, this time we had them taken down by professionals, not Mother Nature.  An even dozen.  We'll all be able to breath a little easier during the next storm.  But our "in the forest" feel is starting to fade away.  Hopefully the Arbor Sale in the Spring will help begin to replace the Ashes with new, bug resistant saplings.  Until then, we'll have to live with a few more holes in the landscaping!

Help Me!

Mommy, will you please get my bone out of the toy basket?

Forget it, I'll just get it myself!

Yep, it's a Cemetery.

Oh, let me tell you what a wonderful day we had.  Jeff and I had a day alone, with no plans.  We threw around a bunch of ideas and finally settled on a plan.  It's been a while since we've taken off with my camera for the day, so that won.  Now, where to go?  On my short list of places to visit in Cincinnati was Spring Grove Cemetery.  Yes, it's a cemetery but it's one like no other.  Just the history of the place makes your head spin.  It is the home to the Proctor Family, The Gamble Family and The Kroger Family, just to name a few.  There is also a Civil War area, dozens of amazing mausoleums and some of the most stunning architecture that I've ever seen.  Most of the buildings date back to the mid to late 1800's.  In short, it's beautiful!  And now that I've been there once, you can be sure that it'll be on my short list of places to visit again and again.  I'm sure we only covered a fraction of it!  Here are some of my favorites from the day....

Introducing....

Thomas Computer Restoration and Repair.

Have a hardware problem?  Look no further.  We offer great service, quick turn around time and friendly technicians.  Blow your hard drive?  We replace, reload and re-install to have you up and running in no time.  And the best part?  All services (parts and labor) are free!  Sound to good to be true?  Just give us a call and find out for yourself.  College students available as references.  Delivery available upon request.

If you're looking for the small print (the catch), here it is.  Curse words may be used in the repair of your equipment.

It's almost time.

I have one very happy son, another son longing to leave for college to get his own set and one very jealous husband! Maybe a quick game of flag football in the yard will do?  Either way, Go Bucks!

Who Me?

The boys always complain about me being a messy cook.  I don't know why, lol.  I just wish they could have been here to taste the awesome batch of corn chowder (Thanks Mom and Dad!) or the wonderful, homemade salisbury steak I made for dinner.  And yes, I cleaned it all up myself before Jeff got home!

One More to Go...to OSU

Thank you Shannon for making time for us on your final evening at home!  And of course, thank you for taking Hunter's forgotten items to him too.  You guys are going to have a ball!  Wonder Twin powers activate.... in the shape of a Buckeye!

What's Your Guess?

Here's a picture puzzle for you...

This is the car that Jeff followed home from work.  If I could have it, I would....especially the license plate that matches.  There is definitely one person that will get this, so I'm posting it for him.  Hopefully, it brings him a smile on his first full day in his new home.

If you figure it out, leave me a comment!

We've Got This.

If you would have told me 18 years ago that today would have gotten here as quickly as it did, I would have laughed (or cried!).  As a parent, this is what you work for.  As a child, this is what you wait for.  The first day of being on your own.  Moving from home, being independent and free.  No more rules, no more curfews, no more wake up knocks at your door.  I remember being that age, thinking I could take on the world...and I did.  And I have two amazing boys to prove it.  Now it's Hunters turn and I'm sure he'll amaze us all.

So Hunter, here are the things that I forgot to tell you before I left today.  Be strong, be safe, be inspiring and be adventurous.  Take care, take chances and find some time to take it easy.  Act silly, sleep late, eat breakfast and work hard.  Call home, make friends, try the rock wall and find an event that requires a bow tie.  And above all, remember...we've got this.  

The car is all loaded.  His room is bare.  If he takes one more thing, he'll have to ride on the roof to get there.    And all things considered, we all had a wonderful day.  I wouldn't trade a minute of it.  So instead of blogging, I'm off to spend the evening with the boys since it won't happen again for a while.

No Place Like Home.

When the boys were little, a kiss and a band-aid could fix almost anything.  On the rare occasion that didn't work, ice cream or warm cookies would always do the trick.  As they got a little older and the scrapes and scratches became fewer, the power to "heal" things became a little harder.  A bad day in school required a fun dinner out.  Girl issues required jokes, hugs and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.  And if one of those failed (which rarely happened), a good nights sleep normally resolved the problem.

Now he's an adult.  And his heart is broken.  Saying goodbye, leaving home and embarking on a new adventure is taking it's toll.  I've tried the hugs and jokes.  I've offered ice cream, warm cookies and Smallville.  There's not a band-aid big enough to cover his enormous heart.  All I have left are words of encouragement, plenty more hugs and the offer of a good nights sleep.

The man of steel has a chink in his armor and it's called home.  I know that leaving it is hard, but it'll be right here waiting for him when he returns.  For that matter, I can deliver little pieces of it to him when ever necessary.  A new normal is right around the corner, he just needs to look for it.

The LC

It takes a lot to amaze me.  Not so much to make me cry though (just lately!).  Today, I was lucky enough to experience both.  But tears through a smile are the best.  While Will was finishing up his first week of band camp and Jeff was wrapping up a crazy week at work, Mom, Dad, Charlie and I got to spend the afternoon wrapping up the Leadership Collaborative with Hunter.  And yes, Ohio State knows how to put on a show.  I don't know if it was the slideshow of the weeks events, the singing of Carmen Ohio or the parade of signs that tugged at my heart.  I'm guessing it was a combination of all of it.  And s we drove home for our last weekend before Hunter moves into his new home, I realized how lucky and proud I am.  Lucky to have such wonderful boys, lucky to see Hunter take such a courageous step and proud to be not only his mom, but part of an amazing group of people that will support him on his journey.  Undoubtedly, this weekend will be short, it will be filled with lots of hugs and lots of tears (and a lot of sleep for Hunter!).  But it will also be filled with the excitement.  It's not often enough that you get to start the rest of your life.

She's Back!

Obviously, the third time is a charm.  The other day, Jeff and I noticed that Momma was back and sitting on the nest.  She hasn't left since.  I'm assuming that the little ones will peek their heads out any day now.  Who knew that robins would nest multiple times in a season?  I didn't.  But here she is.  The babies should be a nice distraction next week!

Is it Friday yet?

I've spent all evening looking for the perfect sentiment for today.  This about sums it up.  Happy Wednesday, everyone!  Friday is right around the corner.

And One Time, At Band Camp....

Yep, it's that time of year again.  And this year, it's just one of them.  It's the week when Will gets back into a routine of going to bed on time, waking up early and being a general all around bear until Friday.  But that was last year.  This year, he's less of a bear...except his appetite!  The other change this year?  His new warm up suit.  I love it, he thinks he looks like a cheerleader.  What do you think?

Orange Barrel Season

Did I mention how much I hate summer in Ohio?  It's not the hot temperatures, the humidity, the horseflies or the yearly drought.  It's the orange barrels that drive me crazy...literally.  I don't think that you can go more than five miles on I71 without having to merge into one lane, slow down (or come to a complete stop) or watch the other delightful drivers try to do the same.  And that's just one way.  The other way requires a complete detour.

But thankfully we made it to Columbus (and back) safely to get Hunter to the first of his two leadership events.  And visiting with Mom, Dad, Jan, Charlie, Reese and Ryan made it all worthwhile.  

Thanks for such a great day, everyone!

The Fall Lineup!

Yes, that's what you think it is.  But just to confirm, it's the Fall Lineup.  Next to the kick off to college football season, it's one of the most exciting days of the year for Jeff.  He gets to see every show that will be on and schedule the DVR accordingly.  Unfortunately, most of our favorites came to an end last season.  So we'll look for the next great show and hope that it isn't cancelled as soon as we determine that we love it.  Our secret is now out...we're TV addicts.

Pizza Night!

It's been a long time since I've set foot into Maineville Pizza.  So long, in fact, that it's no longer called Maineville Pizza.  It's now The Village Pizza and Diner.  Since I'm not a huge pizza fan, the "diner" part had me interested.  We were more interested in seeing Shannon since it would be one of her last nights working before she too heads off to OSU.  We had a great dinner, got to hang out with Shannon for a bit and I even got to sneak a piece of homemade lemon meringue pie home.  It was a great ending to a great day.

 

Time Flies...

Oh my, has this week flown by.  I was hoping it would last for a bit longer but instead it flew at lightening speed.  I guess that was to be expected.  I wonder how fast next week will go?

Until Next Time

Today began Hunters official goodbye tour.  Ok, so it's not goodbye.  It's more like I'll miss you until Christmas...or until you come see me.  I hope he knows how blessed he is.  You can never have too many people who love you.  And these two love him to the moon and back.

Popular

First, let me take a moment to wish Dad the happiest of birthdays!  Sorry we couldn't be there to celebrate, but we'll get to do it twice next week.

Second, let me take a moment to congratulate my budding star!  It seems that everyone had a great time at Warped Tour yesterday and Will couldn't help but to show his peeps his many pictures.  And if you want to share a picture with your friends, Twitter is the fastest way.  Well it just so happens that Fuse picked up his Twitter pic and shared it with the world!  Wow, talk about one thrilled fan!

So who's the most popular person in our house today?  @_Squilliam_