ADVENT CONSPIRACY!!!

http://www.adventconspiracy.org/ Americans spend $45 billion PER YEAR on Xmas. You can give clean water to the entire world for $10 billion. Can we all give up ONE gift this year? One sweater we don't really like...one boring gift card...one dust-gathering knick-knack and give that amount to ANY charity instead?!?! This is the TRUE meaning of Christmas and the holiday season. If you were planning on getting me a present (family/close friends) can you do this instead?? Give to ANY charity in my name and put that info in a card. That would be the greatest present you could give to me or to my family.

Summer is Over :(

My brother (Kyle) and Amanda got married on August 8th, 2009. It was beautiful and Ryan, K, and I all got to be in the wedding party.

We got a boat in late August and sure had fun out on the water. Too bad it cooled off shortly after so we only got 2 days of "swimming" time in.

Found Ty Wenger...male author for women's magazines

I thought his article below was funny and probably pretty accurate. So thought I would share it with you. :)

Decoding Men's Oddball Love Signals http://lifestyle.msn.com/relationships/he-said-she-said/articlerb.aspx?cp-documentid=21429005&GT1=32023

Some clips...

(After buying his girlfriend a bowling ball) "Because on that day (and many, many days thereafter) my wife made a conscious choice: to see my hapless effort at romance not as a personal affront but as a love note written by a man in his own foreign language."

"Indeed, most guys will admit that during "the chase," we'll bend over backward to act all lovey-dovey, just the way you seem to like it. It's not as if sending flowers, cuddling on the couch, or tolerating your friends are natural acts for us. And once the chase has slowed to a crawl and we revert to our natural monosyllabic ways, your previously exceeded expectations suddenly go unmet." "Which leads to the next great romantic failing of man: Guys give lousy gifts. You know it. We know it. That checkout guy at The Home Depot knows it."

"Guys just want to connect with their woman doing something that they love. It's basically an organic process for them. It's like, What would I enjoy? Oh, Thai food sounds great! And what about a movie and some beer? Wow, perfect evening! And who can I share this perfect evening with? My lady, of course! Your guy knows what he likes, and if he can experience those things with the woman he loves, he's happy." So you see, we're lazy ... because we love you! "

"The honest truth is that by having sex with you, we are expressing our love. You can blame countless millennia of evolution, which have encoded us as such: I like her; I will have sex with her. (Reproduce, rinse, repeat.) That impulse is the driving force of life, so mock it all you want, but it's not going anywhere."

Another article I found with some good advice from Ty

Dating 101: Five Things Super-Happy Couples Do Every Day "What we learned then is something all happy couples eventually discover: A good relationship is a bit like a pet boa constrictor: either you feed it every day or bad things happen."

*You have to make time to catch up! "It's funny, because I always thought that when you lived with somebody, you'd automatically know everything that was going on," she says. "But we find that if we don't take that time to connect with each other, it's really easy for life to get in the way."

*Do something silly together...like watch reality TV. "Life is serious enough, isn't it? Sometimes you need to do something stupid. And if you can't be stupid with your husband, who can you be stupid with?"

*And pray together! "75 percent of the Americans who pray with their spouses reported that their marriages are "very happy" (compared to 57 percent of those who don't). Those who pray together are also more likely to say they respect each other and discuss their relationship together."

Ocean and Vegas trips

MY NEW CAR!!! 2010 prius is in!!

Kaleb's words at 21 months

Daddy, Momma, Nana, Papa, Gampa (Grandpa), yesh (yes), Outside, Doggy, Up, Hi and bybye, Bbd (dvd), Juice, Truck, Car, Pane (plane), Nigh nigh (night night), Banky (blanket), More, Please, Ego (he gets one for breakfast), Peepee, Poopoo, Food, Bike, Emmo (elmo), Cheese, lawnmower (surprisingly clear!), hot dog, purple, titty (kitty :), choo-choo, bubbles, slide, 1-2-3, Uh-oh, Woah!, Go-go-go, First kind of sentence: Wat dat? (what’s that?...says it all the time, esp. when he hears new sound) and after you answer him he says "oohhh" So cute!!!

Playing in the water and Orcas Island

Summer is HERE!!!

200th post. WOW

"Bish, pleeaase" look was created.

SPRING is here!!

Kaleb @ 18 months.

WICKED musical weekend

Sheryl and I went to Portland with friends this weekend to see musical WICKED.

It was amazing and fun and we had a great weekend. I brought my friend Janelle along and we did some great bargain shopping!! Kaleb helped daddy put sprinklers in while mommy was gone. Also, my dad got my new built-in shelf unit complete!!! It looks AMAZING!!! Still need to do a couple of layers of gloss added but it looks wonderful and once it is full of my books, my library is going to be the best room in the house! THANKS DAD!!!

(see Simba helped too !:-)

Isaac Stanley Hunacek arrived!!

Born 03/29/09@ 2:30am. you can click on the link on my right hand navigation for more pictures and information but Isaac is home now and both mom and baby are doing great. :-)

Hilarious Gas Prices Cartoons I Found

GO TO FACEBOOK.COM

If you wonder why this has not been updated...it is because I am communicating with most people on facebook now! I post pics and video there and it is easier/quicker for me. So if you are NOT on facebook.com yet...you need to go!!! Just search for Lauren Perrault or Lauren Rogers and you will find me there. I will still post random thoughts on here just for whoots.

Last email from my Grandma Donna...beautiful story

I found this recently clearing out some old email. It was the last FW I got from MaSus (grandma Donna). It made me cry. Not just because she sent it, but because the message is so beautiful. I hope you enjoy it.

A Beautiful story....things happen for a reason!

The brand new pastor and his wife, newly assigned to their first ministry, to reopen a church in suburban Brooklyn , arrived in early October excited about their opportunities. When they saw their church, it was very run down and needed much work. They set a goal to have everything done in time to have their first service on Christmas Eve.

They worked hard, repairing pews, plastering walls, painting, etc, and on December 18were ahead of schedule and just about finished.

On December 19 a terrible tempest - a driving rainstorm hit - the area and lasted for two days. On the 21st, the pastor went over to the church. His heart sank when he saw that the roof had leaked, causing a large area of plaster about 20 feet by 8 feet to fall off the front wall of the sanctuary just behind the pulpit, beginning about head high.

The pastor cleaned up the mess on the floor, and not knowing what else to do but postpone the Christmas Eve service, headed home. On the way, he noticed that a local business was having a flea market type sale for charity so he stopped in. One of the items was a beautiful, handmade, ivory colored, crocheted tablecloth with exquisite work, fine colors and a Cross embroidered right in the center. It was just the right size to cover up the hole in the front wall! He bought it and headed back to the church.

By this time it had started to snow. An older woman running from the opposite direction was trying to catch the bus...she missed it. The pastor invited her to wait in the warm church for the next bus 45 minutes later. She sat in a pew and paid no attention to the pastor while he got a ladder, hangers, etc., to put up the tablecloth as a wall tapestry. The pastor could hardly believe how beautiful it looked and it covered up the entire problem area.

Then he noticed the woman walking down the center aisle. Her face was like a sheet. "Pastor," she asked, "where did you get that tablecloth?"

The pastor explained.

The woman asked him to check the lower right corner to see if the initials, EBG were crocheted into it there. They were. These were the initials of the woman, and she had made this tablecloth 35 years before, in Austria.

The woman could hardly believe it as the pastor told how he had just gotten the Tablecloth. The woman explained that before the war she and her husband were well-to-do people in Austria . When the Nazis came, she was forced to leave. Her husband was going to follow her the next week. He was captured, sent to prison, and she never saw her husband or her home again.

The pastor wanted to give her the tablecloth; but she made the pastor keep it for the church. The pastor insisted on driving her home, that was the least he could do.

What a wonderful service they had on Christmas Eve. The church was almost full. The music and the spirit were great. At the end of the service, the pastor and his wife greeted everyone at the door and many said that they would return. One older man, whom the pastor recognized from the neighborhood continued to sit in one of the pews and stare, and the pastor wondered why he wasn't leaving. The man asked him where he got the tablecloth on the front wall because it was identical to one that his wife had made years ago when they lived in Austria before the war and how could there be two tablecloths so much alike.

He told the pastor how the Nazis came, how he forced his wife to flee for her safety and he was supposed to follow her, but he was arrested and put in prison. He never saw his wife or his home again all the 35 years in between.

The pastor asked him if he would allow him to take him for a little ride. They drove to Staten Island and to the same house where the pastor had taken the woman three days earlier.

He helped the man climb the three flights of stairs to the woman's apartment, knocked on the door and was witness to the greatest Christmas reunion he could ever imagine.

True Story - submitted by Pastor Rob Reid

Who says God does not work in mysterious ways. I asked the Lord to bless you as I prayed for you today, to guide you and protect you as you go along your way. His love is always with you, His promises are true, and when we give Him all our cares you know He will see us through. So when the road you're traveling on seems difficult at best...just remember, I'm here praying and God will do the rest. When there is nothing left but God, that is when you find out that God is all you need.

I know she is up in heaven right now praying for us, sitting next to Our Father. :-)

www.wordle.net

HYBRID CARS---my two cents

For those who have not heard, Ryan and I are considering a Prius as my new car as Ryan's STI is paid off. He would drive my Honda as his commuter car. Means he'll get 38mpg and I'll get 50 mpg. NICE!! Anyway, I am ASTOUNDED by the amount of negative reaction we've got when I say "We're going to get a Prius". Geesh! You'd think i was buying a HUMMER the way people gasp. There are SO many incorrect claims out there. I had to post something on here to show the reason why WE are getting one. Not for everyone, I understand, and I would love to hear other viewpoints.

And I have to say it is funny when people tell me "You know you won't save money buying a hybrid. That isn't why I am buying one...or at least not the sole reason. Because I truly believe in the 8-10 years I plan to own mine, it will definitely pay for itself. however, there are so many other reasons to purchase one instead of a normal car (if you can afford to). I know hybrids aren't for everyone--if you are a farmer...probably won't help, if you have 3 or more kids...probably not feasible for you, if you need wheelchair accessibility...might not be accomodating. I am just saying, a hybrid can be considered by most people when they are looking at purchasing a slightly used or new family sedan.

Example: I wanted a Nissan Murrano or a Subaru Legacy...however, they are just as much if not MORE than a prius and got between 22 and 28 mpg. Which, after driving my Honda forever, is just unacceptable to me. I refuse to spend more than $20 in gas when I fill up (I never have)!!!

A main point for me is that part of every dollar I spend on gas is going to foreign countries that supply our gas (and not many of them are "friends") so the less I spend at the pump, the better I feel about that. And the less I spend on gas, the less gas we use and the less demand for gas.

And the more people that buy a prius, the more demand for those and less demand for the gas-guzzlers, which means the auto makers MIGHT actually spend more $$ and time trying to come up with EVEN better fuel alternative than the hybrids! wouldn't that be awesome?! But as long as people are okay with their 22 mpg sedans and 15 mpg Expeditions, I don't think manufacturers will invest their profits making something else. Anyway, throw more comments at me! Love to hear em!!

I am quoting from another article here

Title: The Truth About Today’s Hybrid Cars: They Don’t Save Money

Article COMMENT A few points from a new Prius owner:

1) The WSJ article did not compare apples to apples, i.e., a new prius against a new car in the same class and with like amenities. Forbes I believe compred several hybrids in those terms and found the Prius a good value.

2) New Prius is rated 50 mpg by EPA; users generally report about 45-55 in real-world driving. No SUV gets that kind of mileage.

3) One comment above assumes that all the electric power in a Prius comes from a plug or the gas engine for no net savings in emissions/fuel. Untrue. No plug, and much of the electricity comes from capturing wasted kinetic energy from coasting, breaking, etc. Very smart and efficient.

4) The batteries on a Prius come with an 8-year 100k warrantee. The car has existed for 5+ years now in its current form and Toyota has not had to replace a single battery.

5) The Prius is consistenly ranked as an excellent value in mid-sized sedans (it has 4 doors, people), even leaving aside its hybrid engineering. It has good or excellent ratings for reliability (read lower repairs), safety, performance, and features.

6) All the dead batteries in a Prius go back to Toyota, if the owner disposes of his car responsibly (i.e., doesn’t dump it in the local creek bed). Toyota publishes the cost of replacement batteries so, yes, that is known. The cost is going down as production increases, of course. That’s how Toyota is now making a profit on the Prius.

7) There’s a reason you don’t see ads for Prius. They are unnecessary. They sell themselves.

Perhaps the best argument for buying a hybrid, even if it is not strictly the cheapest option, is contained in the “Tragedy of the Commons” metaphore. Hybrids internalize some of the true costs of car ownership that we previously have left for future generations to pay, in the fouler air and unnecessarily expensive future energy costs that are inevitable from our current wasteful use. It seems to me that one should be rooting for new efficient technologies, rather than dismissing them out of hand.

AMEN!!!

CELL PHONE ETIQUETTE

This is in response to my growing annoyance with cell phone users. PLEASE READ!!

First, think of your phone as a tool for emergencies (i.e. the baby sitter to say that your child has made a hole in his sister's head; the hospital to say your father's long-awaited kidney is on the helicopter; your staff to alert you the jury is returning; your neighbor to say Ed McMahon is hovering about your door with a massive rectangle of cardboard).

Second, think of your phone as a portable answering machine. It takes messages and when you are in an appropriate place, say your car BEFORE you unpark it; a park bench far from anyone else; a phone booth (!) no one else wants (phone booths are fairly quiet nowadays), etc.

Restaurants: Put your phone on vibrate. Immediately. Regardless of whom you are dining with. It is just plain RUDE to answer a call from someone while you are PHYSICALLY with someone else. You are, in essence, saying that you are only fully available over the phone. If you simply must be available - say for your anticipated dinner companion to tell you that he is caught in traffic so have another drink -practice speaking in a quiet conversational tone. If no one looks your way I think you've got it.

Theaters, concerts, meetings etc: Check at the entrance to be sure your phone is "off." If you're compulsive, check for voice mail at breaks. (Remember, you used to have to go home to check your messages.) If the only time you could get tickets to take the kids to "The Lion King" coincides with the only time a major mucky-muck is available for a conference call, put your phone on "vibrate" close to your heart and dash for the exit at the first tremor. If you forget both "off" and "vibrate" and your phone rings, turn it off instantly. (And as unobtrusively as possible so nobody will suspect you are the jerk responsible). No matter what: DO NOT ANSWER IT!

Museums and art galleries: Consider the reasons you are in such a place and be there totally. Turn off the phone, or better yet check it with your coat or tote bags.

Someone else's house or office:Turn off your phone. If you are expecting a call of extreme importance, ask if it is acceptable that you receive the vibrating only call so you can leave the room to take the call.

Places of Worship: Leave the cellphone at home, in the car or at least turn it off before you enter. God may call you but it's unlikely He will use Verizon.

Airline Travel: Follow airline personnel instructions. Usually cellphones must be off as soon as the aircraft doors are closed until the doors open again on arrival. (Unless otherwise informed on long apron delays etc.) Be particularly diligent if you have a cellphone with you but haven't used it lately. It could be on; there is adequate evidence that electronics within can interfere with those that guide the plane.

Face-to-face with someone: Do not talk on the phone while someone is trying to take your order in a restaurant, locate an upgrade for you on an airplane, or return the shoes you had half-soled. Attend to the face-to-face business totally even if you have to ask the one on the line to hold. Continuing to use the phone while nodding and signaling to the person in front of you is belittling and so extremely rude I've only seen the obnoxiously self-important do it.

Now here's a thought: Do you really want to be available all the time? Does that truly make you more productive, or does it just spread the productivity thinner over more time?

Keep in mind, the more available you make yourself the more available everyone will expect you to be. People will actually be miffed if you are not instantly and constantly available rather than being pleased when you do call. Think: Do you really need to be - or want to be - "connected" 24/7/365? And ask: what's it doing for that tension across your upper back? If you can summon the discipline to be unavailable at certain times - and even for uncertain lengths of time - it's doubtful much will change, except your peace of mind. THANK YOU for being not so selfish and instead courteous to everyone else.

Santa and Kaleb Meet

Poor Santa!!

New Family Photo and new haircut

I'll replace this picture later, once we get it scanned.

Family photo with my new short hair!!

click on picture below to expand. Speaks for itself. :-)

For Posterity

Remarks of President-Elect Barack Obama-as prepared for delivery. Election Night Tuesday, November 4th, 2008, Chicago, Illinois.

If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.

It's the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen; by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the very first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different; that their voice could be that difference.

It's the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled - Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been a collection of Red States and Blue States: we are, and always will be, the United States of America.

It's the answer that led those who have been told for so long by so many to be cynical, and fearful, and doubtful of what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day.

It's been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America.

I just received a very gracious call from Senator McCain. He fought long and hard in this campaign, and he's fought even longer and harder for the country he loves. He has endured sacrifices for America that most of us cannot begin to imagine, and we are better off for the service rendered by this brave and selfless leader. I congratulate him and Governor Palin for all they have achieved, and I look forward to working with them to renew this nation's promise in the months ahead.

I want to thank my partner in this journey, a man who campaigned from his heart and spoke for the men and women he grew up with on the streets of Scranton and rode with on that train home to Delaware, the Vice President-elect of the United States, Joe Biden.

I would not be standing here tonight without the unyielding support of my best friend for the last sixteen years, the rock of our family and the love of my life, our nation's next First Lady, Michelle Obama. Sasha and Malia, I love you both so much, and you have earned the new puppy that's coming with us to the White House. And while she's no longer with us, I know my grandmother is watching, along with the family that made me who I am. I miss them tonight, and know that my debt to them is beyond measure.

To my campaign manager David Plouffe, my chief strategist David Axelrod, and the best campaign team ever assembled in the history of politics - you made this happen, and I am forever grateful for what you've sacrificed to get it done.

But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to - it belongs to you. I was never the likeliest candidate for this office. We didn't start with much money or many endorsements. Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington - it began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston. It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give five dollars and ten dollars and twenty dollars to this cause. It grew strength from the young people who rejected the myth of their generation's apathy; who left their homes and their families for jobs that offered little pay and less sleep; from the not-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on the doors of perfect strangers; from the millions of Americans who volunteered, and organized, and proved that more than two centuries later, a government of the people, by the people and for the people has not perished from this Earth. This is your victory.

I know you didn't do this just to win an election and I know you didn't do it for me. You did it because you understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead. For even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime - two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century. Even as we stand here tonight, we know there are brave Americans waking up in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan to risk their lives for us. There are mothers and fathers who will lie awake after their children fall asleep and wonder how they'll make the mortgage, or pay their doctor's bills, or save enough for college. There is new energy to harness and new jobs to be created; new schools to build and threats to meet and alliances to repair. The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even one term, but America - I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you - we as a people will get there.

There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who won't agree with every decision or policy I make as President, and we know that government can't solve every problem. But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And above all, I will ask you join in the work of remaking this nation the only way it's been done in America for two-hundred and twenty-one years - block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand.

What began twenty-one months ago in the depths of winter must not end on this autumn night. This victory alone is not the change we seek - it is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were. It cannot happen without you. So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism; of service and responsibility where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves, but each other. Let us remember that if this financial crisis taught us anything, it's that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers - in this country, we rise or fall as one nation; as one people. Let us resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long. Let us remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House - a party founded on the values of self-reliance, individual liberty, and national unity. Those are values we all share, and while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress. As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, "We are not enemies, but friends...though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection." And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn - I may not have won your vote, but I hear your voices, I need your help, and I will be your President too.

And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of our world - our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand. To those who would tear this world down - we will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security - we support you. And to all those who have wondered if America's beacon still burns as bright - tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from our the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity, and unyielding hope.

For that is the true genius of America - that America can change. Our union can be perfected. And what we have already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.

This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations. But one that's on my mind tonight is about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta. She's a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election except for one thing - Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old. She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldn't vote for two reasons - because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin. And tonight, I think about all that she's seen throughout her century in America - the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we can't, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes we can.

At a time when women's voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot. Yes we can.

When there was despair in the dust bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs and a new sense of common purpose. Yes we can.

When the bombs fell on our harbor and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved. Yes we can.

She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma, and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that "We Shall Overcome." Yes we can.

A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination. And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen, and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change. Yes we can.

America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves - if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made? This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time - to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental.

For Christmas this year....

I like to post gift ideas on this blog in case people who have our name are stumped. I wish everyone did this cause Man...it seems like everyone already has everything they need. And actually, making a list like this forces me to see just how truly blessed we are. It was hard to come up with things! And there aren't any NEEDS at all, just wants. So I guess I am thankful for that this year. For having all our family's needs met. I know a lot of families are not as privaleged. And with that in mind....

donation in our family's name to http://www.kiva.org/. This is a wonderful company that gives interest-free loans to individual's in 3rd world countries so they can become self sufficient and provide for their families and their future.

Plant trees in our name throughout the U.S. and replenish what man-made fires have destroyed at http://www.americanforests.org/

Help us be a voice for animals who are treated cruelly and abused who can not speak for themselves.

Or help us spread the Word of God on our favorite radio station http://www.klove.com/

If you would like something to actually wrap and put under a tree, here is a list of what I could come up with for our family.

• Lowes gift card for new home items (blinds, yard, fence, patio, etc)
• Dinner gift cards for mommy and daddy date nights (anywhere)
• Fall Out Boy new CD
• David Cook new CD
• Wall E on DVD
• Prince Caspian on DVD (For Lauren)
• Hancock on DVD (for Ryan)
• Burn Before Reading on DVD
• Mamma Mia on DVD
• The Dark Knight on DVD
• Wanted on DVD
• House (all seasons) on DVD (for Lauren)
• Scrubs (any season) on DVD (for Ryan)
• THE HOST novel by Stephanie Meyer (for Lauren)
• A Great and Terrible Beauty... by Libba Bray (for Lauren)
• The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray (for Lauren)
• Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher (for Lauren)

And for Kaleb, pretty much any car items. :-) He LOVES cars. Please, nothing TV related, as we are trying not to let him watch TV at this age. Also, he could really use winter clothing in 18 month sizes (should be in this size soon) and spring/summer clothing in 18-24 or 24 month or 2T sizes.

He loves to climb ALOT!! And any toys that help him explore or that he could ride on. :-D

Duplo or Quatro blocks, automoblox cars, any Fisher-Price Little People sets (he has bus, truck, airplane and horse), anything musical, tools...really, I think he will be happy with anything.

We are FINALLY in our new house!!!

Yes, it's true. We are finally in our new home. New address: 5516 coolidge ct 99301 Send your Christmas cards! :-D

BIG THANK YOU to everyone who helped us move. We could not have done it so quickly and with such ease without you. A special thank you to Andrew Clement who was there I think every single day helping.

We will post pics as soon as we get our computer up and running and find our digital camera cable...it's in there somewhere....hehe

Family picture on Thanksgiving at Skvarek's.

Kaleb turning headlights on the car bed his Grandpa Mark made him. What an awesome gift! And it matches daddy's car!!! :-)

Halloween 2008

Halloween was much different than we had originally planned. It was in California for the first time. Instead of freezing our rears off on what is usually the coldest night of the year back home, we walked around in shorts and sandals. Kaleb was actually sweating in his costume. When has that ever happened in Washington?! hehe His costume was a skunk costume that my grandma Donna made for my cousin Deni about 16 years ago. It seemed fitting to be in California, saying goodbye to my grandmother, on her favorite holiday, with her grandson in a costume she hand made. What a unique tribute. :-)

And with the difference in weather...there was a difference in costumes as well. :-)~

Long Awaited pics

Kaleb at my Grandpa's house in California.

 

Ryan taking Kaleb for a ride in Grandma's "wicked witch" bicycle basket.

 

Family picture...right before my grandmother's memorial on grandparent's front lawn.

My crazy family. Aunt Rene chocking childhood girlfriend.

 

From left to right...(unknown friend), the youngest Mindy, John, Rene, Grandpa John, my mom, and Jeff. My aunt Margo is missing from the picture.

One Last Tribute

My aunt Mindy read this poem during my grandmother's eulogy and I had to add it here. It fits so well for how our family feels and I hope it will comfort someone else who has felt the loss of a wonderful woman.

He Only Takes the Best

God saw she was getting tired and a cure was not to be.

So He put His arms around her and whispered, "Come with Me".

With tear-filled eyes we watched her suffer and fade away.

Although we loved her deeply,We could not make her stay.

A golden heart stopped beating,hard-working hands put to rest.

God broke our hearts to prove to us

He only takes the best.

Guest Book for Grandma Donna

http://www.legacy.com/OrangeCounty/GB/GuestbookView.aspx?PersonId=119460905 sign the guestbook for Donna Mae Sustacek

IN Memory of Donna Sustacek

My grandma Donna Sustacek passed away last night.

"If ever there is tomorrow when we're not together… there is something you must always remember. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. But the most important thing is, even if we're apart, I'll always be with you.”

This is from Winnie the Pooh but could have come right out of this wonderful woman's lips.

She was a strong, stubborn, giving, loving and much loved woman. She had 6 children and raised all of them to become fabulous parents. And those children are starting to become parents themselves...hopefully as wonderful as ours were.

She was a role model that I will continue to look up to. She was my best friend. She was a wonderful listener but she never gave you the easy way out of a problem. No BS from Grandma...she told it like it is.

After her stroke 3 years ago, cancer last year, and a heart attack...it was just her time. I prayed that my grandmother would be able to hold my son in her arms and God gave me that blessing. Not only was she able to hold him, she got to see him smile for some of the first times, hear his laugh and they even shared a conversation or two "dadad?" "Dadada".

She will be missed by SO MANY PEOPLE, most of all by her closeknit family.

Thank you for your prayers and well wishes.

The Funeral will be late next week sometime (Oct 30th-Nov 1).

Little did we know that morning God was going to call your name. In life we loved you dearly,In death we do the same. It broke our hearts to lose you,But you did not go alone. For part of us went with you,The day God called you home. You left us peaceful memories,Your love is still our guide. And though we cannot see you,You are always by our side. Our family chain is brokenAnd nothing seems the same. But as God calls us one by one,The chain will link again.

And a last fitting quote for my grandmother (by Ingrid Bergman): "I have no regrets. I wouldn't have lived my life the way I did if I was going to worry about what people were going to say." Don't worry Grandma. No one is going to say anything but the best about you....cause that's what you were.

Prayers Please

My mom's mom (Grandma Donna) is in a coma. She had a heart attack on Thursday. The hospital sent her home with oxygen and morphene on Friday. She was strong enough to say "goodbye" to Kyle and I over the phone on Saturday and know that all of her kids were there surrounding her. That night she went into a coma. We are just waiting for the end now...

She doesn't seem to be in any pain as her body shuts itself down but hospice says her mind is still working. They are surprised she is still alive, frankly. But she always was a stubborn woman and I'm not surprised she isn't letting go. She'll go when she's darn well ready.

I am just so happy that we've had these last 3 years with her. When she had her stroke, we all thought it was the end. To have her hold Kaleb, to see his smile, to hear him babble....I know we are blessed that his Great-Grandma Donna got to be there for those things. She is a remarkable woman and I only hope I can live a life as full of laughter, friendship, love, and true memorable moments as she has.

Move in/Move out Dates

Well, we got our move out date. November 2nd we say goodbye to our first home. Sad but leading to the next stage of our lives together. Ryan's mom, Becky, bought our Nash Dr. house and will be renting it out. Good investment for her, easy transition for us.

Our move in date for our new home at 5516 Coolidge Court Pasco, WA 99301 is set for November 7th. Even though they are still doing sheetrock and have only 3 weeks left...our Olin Homes lady swears they will be done by then, as it is our loan lock expiration date (and they don't want to have to pay the fees if they aren't done).

We are excited but this is going to prove a VERY stressful next 3 weeks as we prepare to move out, move in temp. with my parents or my brother, move out of temp resident, move in to new house. I can't wait though! Each day we see the new house it is looking more and more like a home. I just want to move in the last box, collapse on the couch with my husband, smile at our son playing on the floor, breath a sigh of relief and know that it's over and we're in!!

Benny Lava Make You Laugh

Walk and Talk

Man do they pick up this walking thing fast! Kaleb went from walking mommy to daddy and back across the living room to walking EVERYWHERE by himself in three days!! I wasn't ready for that!! This is day 3 of walking as he runs along babbling. :-)~ Now he can stand up by himself too! Without any furniture. he just squats and pushes up and off he goes. I still can't believe we have a child that is walking. crazy.

Walking (the PG-13 version) LOL

WALKING!!!!

Vegas Baby!

My world traveler! He got to swim with the dolphins (or look through glass at them swimming....same thing!)!! We went to the dolphin exhibit and it was pretty darn cool.

Here he is with his "gang" comprised of Miss Abbigail Grace, Little Luis, and Noah (mohawk)...all one year old! Waiting for a tram, in front of the Trevi Fountain, in front of Treasure Island Pirate Ship, in front of Beatles Advertisement, and posing with life-size Siegfried and Roy heads.

They all played very nicely and even napped together once a day! However, the only way we could take this picture of all of them sitting was to bribe them with food on the floor! hehe

Here are the four of us mommies as we board the shuttle to the strip. We were quite the parade!

From left to right, Sarah (Abbigail), Teresa (Luis), Erin (Noah), and me (Kaleb). Boy did we have a great time and Sarah is already planning next year's get together. Hopefully, we can have more than 4 mommies make it! We had 16 originally wanting to go, then down to 10, then 6, then 2 last minute. We still had a blast though! And probably more down time than if we'd had 16 mommies and 16 one year olds...(GULP) can you even imagine?!?!

FIRST STEPS!

Kaleb took his first steps back and forth between people Tuesday (Sept 30th) on his 1 Year, 1 month birthday! So if I let him hold my finger and then release him while he is in motion, he takes 3-6 steps to get to the person holding their arms out. Yesterday, he just started letting go of my hand as he rushed towards someone. But he still won't just walk on his own. Maybe he just doesn't like first gear. LOL

He also stood for the first time all by himself for more than 5 seconds on Tuesday! We went to Picture People for family pictures and the photographer told me to count to 3 and then let go of him and we'd get shots before he quick sat down. But he stood there for like 10 seconds while she snapped away and looked at us like, "WHAT?!" Ryan and I were so excited!

So...he stands pretty much on his own, he doesn't need to hold anyone to walk...any day he should put it all together and he'll be off running! hehe

I'm trying to appreciate his holding my finger though. Not much longer and he won't want to do that anymore. :-( My big boy. Also, he had his 12 month check up and he's finally out of the 10th percentile! He is 50th percentile for both height and weight!! Wohooo!!! He's 21.5 lbs and 30" long. And, of course, he is in his "big boy" carseat now. Forward facing rocks!!

And here is family picture from my Uncle Mark and (new) Aunt Lara's wedding last Friday. It was very nice.

Oh and Bonnie reminded me...we missed Talk Like a Pirate Day this year cause I was in Vegas. Here is Kaleb's solute, though it is posted on here a little bit late (Big thanks to his Grandma Ruth who made his outfit!!)

BIGGEST LOSER!! personal competition starts today!!

Okay, so I know none of us have weight to lose cause we all look HOT. But, I would like to lose a few pesky pounds and wondered if having a biggest loser type contest would help motivate anyone else.

Basically, if you don't watch the show (http://www.nbc.com/The_Biggest_Loser/), the people compete against each other every week and the results are in percentage of weight loss...so if someone has to lose 75 lbs and their competition only has to lose 25....they have same chance of winning each week.

What I was thinking was this: Everyone who wants to participate emails me back. We have our "starting weigh in" on Tuesday (night show is on..or wednesday morning for those of us who prefer a morning weight) and everyone writes down their starting weight (you can email it to me or just keep it yourself by OCTOBER 8th). Then we will weigh every Tuesday. You can email me your starting weight and then weight lost each week or just your % of weight lost each week. Then I will "announce" the winner by email and a spot on my blog each Wednesday afternoon. We will do this every week with a potential to be the "biggest loser" starting again every week!

Here is the big motivation. We all put in $5 each week. It's not much...a starbucks coffee or mcdonald's breakfast (that we won't be eating anyway)...but the winner each week gets the pot!! This could be anywhere from $15 to $70 per week!! Depending on how many people participate. Along with announcement of the winner, i will include that person's home address so we can all send our $5 to them.

So what do you think?! Please pass this along to any friends who might be interested! The more that get involved, the more competition but also the more potential for big wins, and the more of us that will get healthy!!!

I need to know who is going to be participating by THIS TUESDAY (OCTOBER 7th). A small group of us started on October 1st, but everyone else will just miss the first week of competition and jump right in after that. So pass this on and let me know if you are ready for this challenge!! My email is http://us.mc508.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=alyssa80ryan@yahoo.com (Lauren) And for those of you wondering...yes, this is based on the honesty system. I am trusting people to send me their exact and true percentage each week, and trusting that people will send the $5 each week to the winner. No cheating. If we all play fair...this should be great motiviation!!!

KALEB IS ONE YEAR OLD!!!

What a year!

I can't believe how fast time flies by!!

I'll post some more later but I'm on my way home to see my beautiful birthday boy!

Today is Anti-Procrastination Day

I'll put something here later.