best burger ever?

So, you all know how I love hamburgers right? And how I've loved them all of my life? And how for my 8th birthday I made my mom bake and decorate a cake to look like one??? And when I was going through my "vegetarian phase" I still ate McDonald's hamburgers convincing myself they were made from soy? And how when I eat one, all is right with the world?

So we went out for burgers at this place my brother-in-law told us about. SOOOOOOOOO GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD! The prices are pretty dang decent and they don't charge you for extra toppings (I get mine with everything). Not to mention their cajun fries, delish. Just, great great food. Honestly. This post is starting to look a little like a plug for them in order to get free food. Not true (although, I wouldn't mind free burgers :) Just wanted to pass on a little hamburger happiness. Go eat..................and ENJOY!!!!

super saturday?

Ok, so a couple of things. We made another trip to Goodwill and found a bike for Blaine (when he's a little older) for $15.00!!! Mind you, this bike is brand new. I know, right?!? And then I found a skirt (also brand new) with the price tag......$295.00!!!! I mean, for real! What a good deal day. Might try to sell that bad boy on e-bay. Lastly, Blaine really wanted his own mailbox. So we made him one.....out of cardboard. It only needs to be personalized now. We're going to cover it with some "boy" paper and put Blaine's name on it. If you have an empty cereal box....you can make one too, it's so easy! So that was our SUPER SATURDAY!!!!! Are we rednecks or what?!?

a day at alpine...

When we moved back to FL from VA, I was worried that there wouldn't be as many opportunities to do a "free" family adventure. Enter Alpine Park. There's a play park for the little ones, a nature walk and then some great old buildings being restored by the historical society that you can tour. Hope you enjoy the pictures (sorry about the quality, but I had to take them with the phone).

gratitude.....

Whenever we're at Blaine's appointments, I have a chance to reflect on my blessings. After we've first arrived a little boy with Down's Syndrome is just coming out of his appointment. He can't be more than a year old. He is so sweet and just.....jolly! You should see the look on his mother's face, I've seen it and it is absolute joy! As they're leaving a little girl comes in with her mother. She's walking with the help of arm crutches. Her speech is slow, but she is not. What an incredibly bright girl she seem's to me. Her mother listens proudly as her daughter lets her know that, all by herself, she can go use the restroom. It's hard for me to watch at first as she struggles to man her crutches and open the door, turn on the light. But she does it. Amazing. Whilst in the physical therapy room, a little girl is getting her very first wheel chair. She's scared at the beginning (I would be too), but even at 2...she's figured it out. Once done and we've collected our sticker (Thomas the Train) we pass a little baby on his way in. He's held by two loving parents who, you can tell, think he is the greatest gift. He was born with an abnormally large head and has trouble holding it up. But you should see that little guy smile! He also has the loveliest blue eyes.....I'm always wishing I could hold him. I always come out of there feeling so blessed that I have had a chance to meet them. Their situations are tough...and it's probably very discouraging sometimes. But they all make the best of it. They're happy. They're kind.

Can't we be?

just a pic...

day of fun and other things...

Saturday we headed to St Augustine not realizing that it was biker week....impossible traffic and impossible to get to the historic district, so we hit up Adventure Landing. Blaine made his first attempt at putt-putt (didn't do too badly, as it happens). We also did the whole go-cart thing and that was a lot of fun! I kind of got a little competitive at that, hehe. It's best not to mention when I played air-hockey against my hubby (Michael did not like that side of me). But it really was a fantastic day...hope more of them are coming in our future :).

The "other things" really just being the new side table we picked out of the trash. Not too shabby huh? It sure beats the box we had in it's place, lol.

blast from the past...

aviation graveyard we visited....



beautiful mom...



teeter-totter...good times....

Yeah, I'm getting low on post titles lol. Had a great time with mom and dad this week! Unfortunately, I usually either forgot the camera or the batteries went dead...so I didn't get many pictures. But the ones I did take, I thought were nice~

blaine turns 4!!!!

aunt debbie wrapped his present soooo cute....i had to post it! she knows he loves woody from toy story and made a little hat to go on top...



andrew, bruce and blaine taking a peek....



andrew, nana and grandma v giving some love....



blaine's obsessive love for his fishing pole....finally convinced him he couldn't sleep with it that night, lol....


So yes, what a horrible/wonderful day! From baby to toddler, from toddler to little boy....where has the time gone? I was looking at him today thinking that he actually looks a year older than he did yesterday. I know that's silly....but it really seemed that way. He and we had a great time, can't wait to see what next year brings!

just a few funny things....

Yesterday, whilst getting ready for Blaine's upcoming birthday bash, I was cleaning the bathrooms. So I'm cleaning along, humming to myself and I realize that I'm happy. Happy cleaning a bathroom!!! Crazy or what? There's something about picking up/scrubbing down that I just love! Anyway, I thought that was weird and that you would like to know :).

Next item; I was taking my nephew Clark to school, pulling him and Blaine along in our little red wagon and it was about 45 degrees out. So I'm walking along, humming to myself and I realize that I'm happy. Happy walking the kids to school! Blaine's so stoked that even though it's not his class, he's put on his backpack too. And when I dropped Clark off my own little guy decided he was going to stay and started making himself comfortable. To get him back in the wagon, I had to bribe him with birthday ideas like "Let's go make decorations for the party!".

So we're busy putting things together, cooking, cleaning and Blaine will randomly bear-hug me and says "thank you"....he's just so happy he's turning 4. And I realize that.......I'm happy!

and that's whats been happenin in our neck of the woods....

Thank you Al Roker, I'll take it from here! So I thought that you all might like to get an update on yours truly....and her family...of course lol.
Our new apartment is pretty cool...it's a quiet complex and there's a pool :) :) :). Michael's new job has been going great so far, he's gotten back into the swing of things and really enjoys getting to work with his brothers. He just joined a gym, so he's pretty stoked about that! I want to go too because it is quite possibly the cleanest gym I've ever seen!!!
Blaine gets to live near a park, which he loves and his future pre-school is across the street. He likes to stare and say "Can I go there? That's MY school! Can I eat my lunch there?" I'm glad he's excited....I'm not, I'm gonna miss him :(.
Our library is real close and we go together on Tuesday evenings and also the following morning (sans Michael) with my sis-in-law and her chillins.
I make the trip back to the library on Wednesday evening for a free Thai Chi Gung class. I am, easily, the youngest member of that group...which is ok with me. I have a buddy named Clint (who told me it rhymes with lint, so I can never forget his name). And at age, what I'm guessing to be 75, could kick my trash from here to the moon....I'll try not to get on his bad side.
Our dentist's office is right down the street and that comes in real handy...especially on days like today when I've bitten into my last piece of raw rigatoni pasta. So me + Blaine made the trek there and back one way with half a tooth and the way home with a new half :). The dentist and his wife I have known for several years and were super troopers letting me bring in the kiddo who practically sat on my lap while my face was being drilled, lol. Gotta say, he was a super trooper too...no tears.............at least on his part.
So, you know what? Life is pretty good. It's pretty good~

Lisa

feels like yesterday....

In a couple of weeks, my "little Blaine" will be 4. Okay, okay....you can stop screaming now. Oh wait, was that me? Yes....yes it was :). So I thought that I would post Blaine's past 3 years of portraits to give you an idea of how much he's grown. Good gravy, motherhood is hard....but holy heck, it is WORTH IT!

things kids say...

Sometimes Blaine will say something that will send me into fits of giggles. He likes to talk to himself..... a lot! I heard him say (again, to himself) "I want that." quickly followed by "No, we don't say it like that we say 'May I have that please?'". It was so cute...I love that kid!!!

Happy New Years, ya'll!

Feliz Navidad....

there's a snake in my boot!

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blaine's viewing the note santa left for him...








Wow....what a day, right?? Blaine came into our room at about 1:30 saying "There's a wagon out there!". He went back to sleep and was just as excited the second time around, lol. It seems like we were really spoiled this year...Blaine especially! It was great to spend some time together as a little unit, it's been a little crazy for the past couple of weeks but I think we're finally normalizing. A huge thank you to Oma, Papa Dennis and Aunt Alayna for the amazing gifts - it is loved by all of us! Another thank you to Grandma Ginnie for really making Christmas possible! Thanks to Mom and Dad V who gave Blaine a Toy Story Woody doll that is now a constant companion to our little one (who needs siblings, right? haha). But most importantly....the biggest thank you goes to Heavenly Father who sent His son to us. He IS the reason for the season!! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all of you!!!

merry Chrsitmas eve....

blaine licking the spoon that we mixed Santa's cookies with....

a Christmas letter....

blaine and his "girlfriend" rose....she sure knows how to handle him, lol....






Many apologies for not having sent out Christmas cards this year! Would you be ok with a Christmas blog post instead? I'm going to imagine that you're feeling the spirit of the season and you said yes :).

Michael, Blaine and I attended our ward Christmas party last night. Good food, great company....wonderful time! The primary children provided the musical entertainment and they did a really good job.

After it was all over and we were feeling a little sleepy, someone told us about this Live Nativity happening behind our local grocery store. Remember that I just said that we were tired? Anyway, we decided to go at the last second and I am sooooo glad we did! It had to have been the best Live Nativity I've ever seen....they gave us coins at the entrance and reminded us that we needed them to pay our taxes in Bethlehem. But if we were feeling generous, we could give our coin to one of the needy (which, if Santa is reading this...I chose to do :). They had built a miniature Bethlehem on the hill and it was so realistic! Real camels were led around...we viewed the Wise Mens' procession and we even bartered trade with a carpenter. At the very end, we were led to a stable behind the inn where we saw Joseph, Mary and Baby Jesus. Angels, shepherds, wise men.......it was AMAZING! How easy it would have been to pass up this opportunity in favor of an early night at home. I am just so glad we didn't.

~Merry Christmas to you all~

what's been happenin....

want's to be "cowboy woody" we he grows up, at the moment...



blaine's new haircut...albeit it's rather bed head just then...



We've been pretty busy these last couple of months. Mike's getting ready to graduate, we've been planning our move and we've been trying to raise a 3 year old that hasn't been getting nearly enough attention from his parents :). Hopefully that will be remedied come Christmas time! So please be patient with us when we don't call or email very often. And if we do actually call or email, please do not mind our tetchy and terse behavior. Just know that we really love you all and less hectic times are on the horizon!!

a snow day....

Well, it's snowed for the past 2 days here in BV, but this morning was the first time we were able to frolic about in it. The sun was shining and we were all in great moods....ahhhh glorious! I'd forgotten how fun snow could be~

extra extra.....read all about it....

oma came for a visit and was provided a surrogate papa dennis, lol...




blaine as a fearsome pirate for halloween....



blaine being blaine.....

we'll miss you pa....

On Thursday, November 11, Ralph Clark (aka Pa) passed away. He was truly one of a kind and we will miss him greatly! Wish we could have one more evening of poetry, boxing and Boston peanuts. Much Love~

L