Christmas so far.......

Nowhere near done, but here is what we have so far:
My nutcrackers standing guard at the front door. That is Bob, our cat, lending a helping hand. :)


The family room tree is my largest. It has 1400 lights (50 of which are currently not functioning....of course) and tons of ornaments, all of which are barely visible in these pics. I'd like to blame it on a terrible camera but I cannot tell a lie. It is definitely operator error. Or operator stupidity. I'm completely incapable of taking a good picture.



My Christmas village. I love this little village. One of the houses and the little Curiosity Shoppe have issues with their lights going off and coming on again at random times. We like to pretend that the people living in the house work at the Shoppe and when the lights go out at home, they're on the way to work. Then the light comes on in the Shoppe and we know they've arrived safely. Sometimes it takes a little longer because they have to stop at the bank or possibly the Dairy Shoppe on the way to work, but they eventually get there. Then the lights go off in the Shoppe and back on at home, so evidently they needed to run home for something.

We have very little to amuse us here in the cow pasture. :)





And finally the front of the house, complete with a section of lights ALREADY OUT!!! How frustrating! And of course it is a section on that peak, so it will have to wait until Josh is home to fix it.


Trying to get up the energy to tackle the nutcracker and Santa collections, and maybe even another tree or two. We shall see. Today is the first day I have had the house to myself since last Tuesday. After being so busy for the past few days, I may just take it easy.

Yeahsureright.

I haven't forgotten about my blog...

I've just been so darn busy! This Thanksgiving week I've had company and the kids are off school the entire week, so blogging time has been difficult to come by. I'm doing my best right now just to figure out how to change the appearance of this place. I want a Christmassy look but I'm having trouble figuring out how to get there.

I love to write. I never said I love technology.

On Monday morning I will get the kiddies out the door to school, the hubster out the door to work and then I will spend a little (more likely a LOT) of time here giving this place a facelift.

And by then I should also have pics of the Christmas decorating I've done here in my humble abode. The outside is done. The inside is in progress. One tree up, four more to go. The village goes up tomorrow. My Santa and my nutcracker collections will make their appearances tomorrow, too.

I hope someone added at least a couple more hours to tomorrow. :)

When it all gets to be too much...

While talking to a friend who is going through a rough time, I started thinking about how I could help her out. I truly believe that this idea could help any of us who are dealing with holiday stress or anything that has us feeling overwhelmed. It's simple and doesn't require anything more than a piece of paper and a pencil.

If you happen to have read any of the essays I've been fortunate enough to have published in the past, perhaps you recall that I am big on gratitude. I think it is one of the most underestimated powers that we hold completely in our own hands. No one else can make you appreciate the good things...the blessings...in your life. You are the only one with the ability to fully realize what they mean to you and what power they can have over you.

Just grab that paper and pencil and start listing the friends in your life.

Every friend is a blessing in some way, whether they can make you smile, make you laugh when you need it most, give you a shoulder to lean on when you're feeling weak, or an ear to listen to your worries. How wonderful is it when something happens during your day and you immediately think "I can't wait to call _______ and tell her about this!" or "I don't know how to handle this. I'd better run this by _______ and get her opinion." Friends center us. It isn't that we can't think for ourselves or make our own decisions. It's that it is always good to share with someone who understands how we feel. That's a friend. It is better yet that even if they don't understand they still respect those feelings. That's a best friend.

Now add to your list those people in your life you don't know well, but who often make you smile.

The teacher at your kids' school who walks the halls distributing hugs to the little ones because she truly loves her job. Or the one who shows up 30 minutes early each morning to open his classroom to students who need that little extra bit of help with an assignment they didn't understand, even if it isn't for the class he teaches. Perhaps it's the young girl who works the drive-thru window at your favorite fast-food joint, who always wears and smile and has something nice to say.

These small gestures make a huge difference to me because I finally learned that little things add up to better days. Go into your day with no great expectations or even feeling a little down and see how quickly they add up to make your day a whole lot better. Think about it. You get only a scowl and a "Here's your change" at the drive-thru, it doesn't exactly improve your day. You have a conference with a teacher who obviously doesn't like her job much and it only adds to your worries. But look for the good, the happy, the positive things that are all around you and you'll find your mood lifting.

The last thing to add to your list is anyone or anything that you consider to be or to have been a blessing in your life. Someone who took time for you when you were a kid. A teacher whose class you enjoyed. The author whose books you enjoy. The singer whose voice thrills you.

There are blessings all around us. Too often we just enjoy them for the moment and forget to savor their memory when we need it most.

Make that list. Watch it grow. Create your own happiness. In turn, that smile you'll be wearing just might end up on someone else's list, too. :)

What a weekend!

The last couple of days have been something else! Busy and productive, which is so much better than busy and fruitless. I needed these last two days to make me feel 'caught up'. Lately I've been feeling like I'm lagging behind, not keeping up, and just basically sitting back and watching it happen as opposed to running to catch up.

After the weekend I've had, I feel better about it all. And I'm caught up.

Well, sort of.

At least now I have made a pretty good dent in my Christmas shopping. Thanksgiving dinner for 13 is planned and the shopping is done. My house is clean enough for company. I even picked up table decorations for Thursday's dinner! If you know me at all I'm sure you are shocked by this. I haven't decorated a dinner table since...well, probably since last Thanksgiving. I love fall things and this seems to be the one holiday that allows me to use the colors and things that I love.

I guess if you have to be known for your expertise at making one holiday meal a little more special, a girl could do a lot worse than Thanksgiving. :)

So progress was made in leaps and bounds over the weekend. I was going to begin wrapping packages tonight but decided that a pint of New York Super Fudge Chunk (no, I didn't eat the entire thing!) and the American Music Awards sounded a little more relaxing. So I'm watching some really strangely dressed people make some incredibly peculiar music and win not-so-attractive trophies for doing so. But hey, at least I'm chillin' on the bed with a few fluffy pillows and a nice cozy quilt and not sitting in the floor, breaking my back and getting paper cuts. So even if the packages don't get wrapped tonight, I think relaxing and rejuvenating is a form of progress, too.

Don't you? :)

A New Moon Experience: Lessons Learned by This Twihard

Last night was absolutely TERRIFIC!

Brie, Perri, Tori (Perri’s friend) and I left home around 10:00 p.m. and made the 45 minute drive to the theater in Charleston. Brie’s friend Emily was already there with her sister and a friend and called us when we were still 20 minutes from the theater saying “They’re opening theaters! Hurry!”

First lesson learned- Part 1: If you’re going to a MAJOR film opening night, allow more time than you think you’ll actually need, even if you already have your ticket. And Part 2: Ignore the first announcement that doors are opening. They lie just to hear the roar and applause from the crowd.

Once there we stood in line with 1500 other Twihards until they FINALLY opened the theater doors to allow the mad dash for great seats.

I’m not sure why I always sit in the very center of the center section exactly halfway back from the screen. I don’t get to go to the movie theater very often and when I do I always stress over getting there early enough to get those particular seats. However, last night we ended up being in a side section a little more than halfway back. I can honestly say I had never, ever sat anywhere other than the very center of a theater before.

Second lesson learned: There are no bad seats in a theater. Stop fretting, find one and SIT DOWN ALREADY!

Perri and Tori have known each other for a while but never really hung out together a bunch due to Tori’s busy cheer schedule and Perri’s hectic gymnastics schedule. Since Perri recently left the gymnastics team she is really getting to do a lot of things she couldn’t do before. (And this has been great! We miss the team and so many things about gymnastics, but since there really was no choice in the matter due to back problems, we’re making the very best of it and that hasn’t been so difficult to do.)

One of Perri’s birthday presents was an extra ticket she could give to any one of her friends and she asked Tori to join us. I was a little nervous about it because we don’t know her well and I thought her parents might hesitate to allow her go with us on such a late night excursion. After all, they don’t know us any more than we know them.

Since the only time they ever had together was typically at school, I hadn’t spent any time around Tori at all. Let me tell you, that kid is AWESOME! She is funny, articulate, well-spoken and just a pleasure to be around! Brie and I enjoyed her so much last night. AND she and Perri really, really had a blast. That alone was a real blessing to witness. Two giggly 12 year old girls at their first movie premiere, and certainly their first MIDNIGHT movie premiere!
Here they are with Edward:

Third lesson learned: It is entirely possible for a 43 year old mom and her 12 year old daughter to experience a ‘first’ together.

And it is pretty cool for that to happen.

And yes, it is true. I had never been to a blockbuster movie premiere OR a midnight movie.

Shocking, isn’t it? I mean hey, I lived through the Rocky Horror Picture Show craze, too. Never went.

One of the biggest pluses of the night was that I stayed wide awake throughout the entire ordeal! This is an excellent thing, too, since I was driving. But don’t think I didn’t worry about my ability to do so.

Especially since I’m typically in bed by 9.

Fourth lesson learned: This old dog still has a few new tricks left in her.
So what will be next?

I can't wait to find out!

Non-Functioning Computers and Moldy Bananas

This was me today:

Only with longer hair and less makeup.

And no earrings. I forgot to put them on this morning.

The day started out badly enough when I pressed the power button on my computer only to have absolutely NOTHING happen. Seriously. NOTHING. I nearly hyperventilated. I mean what's a girl to do without her laptop???

Thanks to Brie, the situation was handled in a fairly timely manner and we got it back up and running. This was good.

And my respirations returned to normal, which was also good.

So I carried on with certain household chores I had begun in order to keep my mind off of my non-functioning lifeline. Changing sheets, vacuuming, laundry...you know, the things that usually pull me away from my happy place anyway.

And I baked. I had three rotten bananas just begging me to turn them into a glorious loaf of banana bread. They had been begging me for approximately 4 days and were almost to the point of just begging me to put them out of their misery, so I decided today was the day. It was definitely a now or never situation.

Being an organized baker, I set out the ingredients, making sure I had everything I needed.

Flour? CHECK!
Baking powder? CHECK!
Baking soda? CHECK!
Etc., etc., and so on...

I put the dry ingredients in the sifter. I creamed the sugar, oil and eggs. I sifted the dry ingredients into the creamed sugar, oil and eggs. I began to peel the bananas. The first one was great. The second was perfect. The third was....MOLDED?!?!? I've never in my entire life had a banana mold under the peel! So half of that banana had to go in the garbage and I knew I was going to have to throw in a little applesauce to make up for the missing banana.

You probably know what comes next.

NO APPLESAUCE. None in the fridge, none in the pantry.

Okay, my other ingredients are sitting there anxiously awaiting the arrival of the mashed bananas so they can be thoroughly mixed and then poured into that generously greased and cinnamon-sugar coated loaf pan.

I started to feel the respirations picking up momentum, but I quickly regained control.

I am a woman. I have used pencil erasers to replace lost earring backs and repaired a broken bra hook with a paper clip. I can certainly find something in this house to take the place of half a mashed banana!

Once again the fridge was searched and lo and behold, there it sat. That lovely jar half full of apple butter sat right there, half hidden behind the tub butter. YES!!!

Apple butter starts out as applesauce, ya know. And it contains cinnamon, just like my banana bread. So I figure, what can it hurt?

This is what I ended up with:


And ya know what? It's pretty doggone good! I think I'll add a little applebutter from now on!


So the next time you're having one of those days when it seems nothing is going your way, remember that you can handle it! You have what it takes to overcome! Look deep inside yourself and tap into your resourcefulness.

And if you don't find it there, be sure to check behind the butter tub. ;)

The Legacy of a Giving Man

I got a message on Facebook from Brie last night. It was a logo she created. She cut one out of vinyl and she's going to adhere it to a box or basket that she's going to donate to a needy family this Christmas. She's filling the box/basket with a blanket, a coat, mittens, socks, non-perishable food, etc.

The really cool part (aside from helping the needy, which is obvious) is the logo itself. Now stay with me.

My Daddy, Peck Tucker, was a giver. He went to Kroger every morning and picked up day old baked goods from the bakery and other items from the dairy section, meat department and frozen foods that had expired the day before but were still safe to consume and he distributed them to families all around the Kanawha Valley. He had this agreement with Kroger management for years and when his 'route' became so large that it was getting a little bit out of hand, he also had an arrangement with some friends who lived in one of the needier areas of the valley. They cleared out an area of their garage and set up tables where Daddy could drop off a truckload of food and people in that vicinity could stop in to pick it up. He would also receive phone calls from people who had loads of gently worn clothing to donate, bedding and blankets, kitchen appliances, etc. He always found a home for things. Daddy was never reimbursed for the gasoline he used and didn't want to be. In fact, he would have been insulted.

That's the kind of guy he was. He was pretty awesome.

I've always said that when I hit the Powerball ;) I have all intentions of starting a charitable organization in Daddy's name. This organization will distribute food and clothing to the needy, picking up where he left off. Every year at Christmas we donate items requested to a needy family, but I want to do this on a larger scale someday, just like Daddy did.

In creating this logo, Brie has named the organization. She was only doing this for the box she was making but I got so excited when I saw it and I want to run with it. I think it is PERFECT!

And here it is...

(Click on logo for a larger view!)

"A bushel and a peck and a hug around the neck!" That was a huge part of my childhood. I LOVE this! ;)

I know it seems early, but....

We normally don't work around here on Sundays, but there was something we felt compelled to get done yesterday. I myself don't really consider it to be work because I think it's FUN.

We put up our Christmas lights. Now just because they're on the house doesn't mean they have to be turned on yet, and they won't be until the Friday after Thanksgiving. But there were so many reasons to go ahead and get them on the house.

Reason 1: We've been having unseasonably warm weather here. In the seventies and beautiful blue skies and sunshine. It made sense to do it before the rain, colder temps and blustery winds move in here later this week.

Reason 2: I just love everything Christmas and I'm always in a good mood when the lights are going up and the trees and other decorations are being planned. I get the warm-fuzzies, don't you? :)

Reason 3: The hubster was willing. That's a very good reason.

Reason 4: This one is actually the BIGGEST reason. He's about 6'4" and 230 lbs. His name is Josh. He's my son-in-law and he works out of town. He leaves on Sunday evening and comes home on Thursday night. And best of all, he's a lineman. You know what that means, right?

It means he's not afraid of heights!

Did I happen to mention that we live in a two story house with a very HIGH peak in the center?


I don't do heights. Any heights. Three steps up a ladder and I start to get the shakes, my stomach is tied in knots, I break out in a sweat. And that's when the hubster is the one on the ladder. You ought to see me when I'm the one doing the climbing!

So today I am very grateful for Josh and his fearless climbing abilities. Like I tell my daughter all the time, he's a keeper!

A Day Well Spent

You know how some days just leave you feeling peaceful and at ease? I've had one of those days today. :)

All of my kids were here, my grandson, my son-in-law, my same-as-daughter-in-law, and a neighbor girl who is just like another daughter. Dinner was good, dessert was better, and the company was the best!

I spent part of yesterday preparing for today so that I wouldn't be totally stressed out trying to get things done before everyone arrived. The meat loaves got mixed, the desserts were prepared, and the dishes were set out and ready to be filled. In the last couple of years I have gotten so much better at this.

I used to have a really hard time relaxing and enjoying my company because I was always fretting over everything being just so, every dish being ready at exactly the right moment, every detail falling perfectly into place. Now I do as much as I can ahead of time and at my own pace. And while it rarely results in perfection, it almost always turns out well enough to keep everyone happy. Including me. :)

I hope you are relaxing this evening, feeling peaceful and happy with life, and reminiscing about your own day well spent.

Already Slipping!

There are a few of them lying around the house. One in my nightstand, at least three in my cedar chest, and a couple stashed in my closet. Occasionally I'll stumble across one while cleaning out drawers or under my bed. And no matter what, I always stop what I'm doing and skim through the contents. Which usually doesn't take long since it's more than three-quarters empty.

Yes, I'm talking about daily journals. I always start them with the best of intentions. I vow to make an entry, no matter how short, at the end of each day. I love looking back over them a few years down the road and being reminded of the mundane (I rearranged the bedroom on September 23, 1999) as well as the noteworthy (Phil and I had our first date on April 5, 1996). My intentions are good but life gets in the way and I have a hard time sticking with the program. That's sort of what happened with this blog yesterday.

First of all, I had this: He was home from school with a sore throat.

Then I did this:
Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting, all from scratch. Pretty good stuff, but a word of advice: If you grate your own nutmeg, use less than called for in the recipe!

I forget that every time.

I also did four loads of laundry, drying two loads of towels on the clotheslines. I made chicken and dumplings for supper. I cleaned out the cabinet portion of our computer armoire in the family room, sorting books and trying to figure out where to put the ones I'm not ready to give away. I vacuumed. I straightened up the kids' bathroom. I read to my sick boy.

And somehow I didn't make it here to post.

I think I'm gonna have to rearrange my priorities.

My Goal for Today

Today I will be shopping with my daughter and I will also be on a mission. My mission for today is to not only enjoy the freedom that I have to spend time with my daughter, shop for her birthday, and to pretty much do as I please; but also to thank any man or woman in uniform that I might have the good fortune to meet. I try very hard to not take for granted the dedication and sacrifice of our military and their families. But like most folks, I sometimes just don't think to say those two simple words that should be said so much more often...THANK YOU.

This is the military man in our family. His name is Jeremy and I am very proud to call him my nephew. (Sorry I don't have a pic of him in uniform.)


So please, if you're out and about today and you see a member of our armed services, express your gratitude for their service to our country. You just might make someone's day. :)

Twelve

Perri is 12 today. I remember 12 pretty well, mostly as being an age of feeling torn. Some days found me playing with the toys of my childhood and curling up on my Daddy's lap to watch television. Other days I might be experimenting with make-up and hairstyles and trying to walk in heels. My body at that age, awkward and gawky and somewhat clumsy, growing and changing seemingly overnight. There I was, quickly becoming a woman but still a child in so many ways.

And I am in no hurry for Perri to give up on childhood. It is such a fleeting thing anyway, gone before we know it and we really have no appreciation for it until we've grown up and realized that adulthood isn't all it's cracked up to be. This is the time when I wish Perri could hear what I'm saying and take it to heart. This is what I would have her truly understand if it were possible:

These are the best days of your life! Don't hurry through them, in a rush to grow up.

Take your time and savor the sweetness of childhood. Enjoy the responsibilities of a little bit of homework and a few chores around the house. All too soon those things will be replaced with the much weightier worries of adulthood.

Go ahead and play with the dolls you've stashed in the back of your closet. Break out the Barbies and the dress-up clothes. Have fun!

Be the best friend you can be. Love the people who are good to you. Take care of the friendships you are building now and hold them close to your heart. All too often they slip away and you will miss them later.

Don't be in a hurry. Look at those kids who are in such a rush to grow up and have the courage to do your own thing. Be confident in yourself and your sense of right and wrong.

Always know that whatever difficult stage you're growing through, each time I look at you I will see the bright, beautiful little girl who held my hand while crossing the street; fell asleep on my lap after begging to stay up late; spent hours making dandelion chain necklaces and crowns; gave me hugs and kisses just because.

And never ever forget that no matter where you are or what you do, I will always love you to the moon and back.

I'm about to admit something that any self-respecting 43 year-old woman probably should not admit. But if I'm gonna do this blogging thing, I'm going to go all out. I mean, I may not tell you everything (after all, some things are just not meant to be shared ;) ), but I do intend to be honest in the things I do tell you. So even though I am far too old (and married!) to have a crush, I must confess...I get butterflies every single time I see a picture of Robert Pattinson. Yes, I know he is only 20-something. Yes, I know this makes me a dirty old woman. And no, I don't care. ;)



However, I must say in my defense that a picture of him did nothing for me until I read Twilight.

For those of you who don't have teenage daughters, don't read pop fiction, or just live under a rock, Pattinson portrays Edward Cullen, a young man with the culture and manners of someone from another era. That's because he is from another era. Edward is a 100+ year old man who dwells in a 17 year old body because he is, you see, a vampire.

The whole vampire thing did nothing for me when I first saw the previews for Twilight, the movie. But my daughters begged me to read the book. "Please Mom! Just try it!" So one night, after tucking the kids into bed, I decided to give it a shot. Shortly after 10 p.m. I crawled into bed and picked up the book.

Shortly after 2 a.m., I forced myself to close the book and turn out the light. It was THAT good. I have since read the other three novels in the series, too. The way that Edward talks to Bella (his love interest); the way he is so respectful and kind, opening doors and pulling out chairs. Can you say ROMANTIC?

And now I'm counting down the days to the premiere of the second movie based on these stories, NEW MOON. It opens at midnight on November 20th and yes, I have tickets for that night. The next day just wouldn't do. I must be there for that first showing. I am that excited about these books, these movies....and Edward.

Plus, it's a night out with my girls. And THAT'S something to look forward to, too. :) So on that note just allow me to say...ELEVEN DAYS TO GO!!!

What Makes Me Tick...

This is an essay I had published last year and while you need to add a year to the listed ages of the kids, I thought this would be the best way to introduce you to my clan.

I’ve discovered that motherhood is a career of many titles. Having spaced my children the way I did, I’m now covering the entire spectrum of possibilities where mother/child relationships are concerned.
My firstborn, Drew , is 24 years old. Next comes Brie , 21. Perri is 10 and Tucker just turned 6. While no two kids are really alike, there are a few similarities. Drew and Tucker share some of the same mannerisms and the inability to tell a fib without a half-grin that gives it away. Perri is much like Brie was at her age in that she’ll do just about anything to avoid hurting someone’s feelings. But there aren’t many similarities in the relationships that we share at these various stages of their lives.
To Drew I am Mom, Sounding Board and (Sometimes) Advisor. My fiercely independent firstborn, he has been on his own since before his high school graduation. He felt he was ready to take on the world at the ripe old age of 18 and there was no changing his mind. I wanted so badly to make him see that he still needed me, but I guess the truth of the matter was that I was the one who simply didn’t want to let go so soon. We now speak daily on the phone, see each other fairly often, and even though he’s 6’2”, I still consider him my little boy.
To my 6 year old son, who is the ‘caboose’ according to birth order but already wise enough to know that he is actually the ‘conductor’, I am Supermom, aka The Woman Who Can Do Anything! We always start out being the bestest mommy ever and it is definitely every mom’s favorite stage of motherhood. I enjoy this little guy so much and I’m not the only one. We all spoil him rotten because we realize he is it; there will be no more siblings born into this family. He is so much fun, with his precocious wit and his ability to say the most thoughtful things. He makes us laugh, he makes us think and he makes us thankful. He’s a pretty special guy and, at the moment, life with Tucker is so very simple.
To Perri I am, for now, the Usually Somewhat Cool Mom. Perri is bright and beautiful and enduring the toughest three years of her life to date. She has entered the middle school years. Changing classes, meeting new people and making new friends; the stuff of which a preteen’s dreams are made! But I remember all too well when Brie was in middle school. The drama of he said/she said and the venomous tongues of girls that age. That whole sticks and stones thing doesn’t really ring true until sometime after high school. Add a few raging hormones to the mix and high drama is at hand. So right now I am bracing myself for the inevitable change that is about to transform my relationship with Perri to something akin to the one I had with Brie during those middle school years. That is not something to which I am looking forward, but hopefully I learned a few things with Brie that I can use to my benefit this time around.
And speaking of Brie, she and I have now come full circle. I was her best friend prior to those middle school years and now, after much trial and error while becoming her own person, she is mine. We muddled through the tough years, both of us learning as we went, and I couldn’t ask for a happier ending. Last November she married Josh , a wonderful young man who loves her and makes her happy. I think that being married has given her a new perspective, allowing us to build a friendship that I wouldn’t trade for anything. And to top it all, she has now added an exciting new title to my repertoire. On October 10th we welcomed Hayden into our family and I became Grammy. Now I am watching my baby begin her journey through the many phases of motherhood, as I am enjoying finding my own way in the land of grandparenting.

My Addictions Are Many

Hello, my name is Kelli and I am an addict. The sheer number of things to which I have become addicted over the years is stunning, and yet I have not sought help in overcoming my obsessions. On the contrary! If anything I have worked extremely hard to feed my habits.

My first obsession is with the written word. Whether it is reading it or putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) to express my own feelings, fears and faults, words are my friends. That's the biggest reason for starting this blog.

Another addiction is food. I love cutting, chopping, mincing, cooking, baking, grilling, mixing, kneading...well, you get my point.

I like to cook.

I also enjoy consuming the fruits of my labor. But that is one addiction I do attempt to control.

My biggest obsession of all is my family. They are the purpose for my existence, the reason I get up each morning, the objects of my affection and they are simply awesome. Yes, you feel that way about your family and so does every other mother worth her salt. And you know what? That's why we moms are the coolest ever! Revel in your addiction to your family!

No need to overwhelm you right in the beginning. More addictions will come to light as I continue this blogging experience. I don't know where I'm headed with this whole thing so I will be just as surprised as you to see where this goes each day. There may be recipe to share, a book I've read that I'd like to tell you about, a great decorating idea that I simply MUST pass on, or a funny family moment that I think will make you smile. I just know that I have a lot of things I'd like to share with you and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I think I'll enjoy writing it. : )