Friends to the rescue

A couple of weeks ago I received an unexpected package in the mail:

From my good friend, Beth Nixon and her family (names blurred because she doesn't publish them on her blog). WOW! What an excellent surprise. Made even more so because we were starting a couple of really busy, happy weeks; so I knew we wouldn't be needing this box any time soon. I honored the spirit of the gift and set it aside.

Today, Jason went back to work after being home for a wonderful (emphasis on FULL) four and a half days. George has been, shall we say, screechy. He can be very cranky and violent while he gets used to Jason being gone. It all calms downs after a couple of days. Then Jason comes home for a weekend. Then he is gone again. And the cycle repeats. Fun.

So, as we returned home from a very noisy trip to the library, Emma asked me, "Can we open that box today?" I admitted that we probably would, then proceeded to STRESS THE HELL OUT when I couldn't find some paperwork Jason needed me to fax to him. Three hours, many phone calls, and a destroyed basement later, he called to say he found copies and doesn't need originals. I went and found my angry, banished children; apologized for acting like a Momzilla; and off we went to open that box!

Tonka trucks just the right size to play with alongside his Thomas trains!
They are currently rolling down a track that stretches across our living room.

That's a happy face, I promise! She just recently started
collecting these little kitty charms and just about inhaled all
the oxygen in the room when she saw a new set!

Ahhhhhh, espresso and chocolate bliss.

Thank you, Bethy, you are amazing. The house is quiet as the kids play with their new toys and my mouth is happy.

My vow is to return this favor in some way. To Bethy certainly, but also to some other mother going through a transition of some kind. To someone who needs an unexpected present to turn the tide of an ugly day. To someone, like me, who needs reminders that little things bring big smiles. To children that have stresses in their lives that they can't articulate, who need a chance to open a present and just play every once in a while.

Thank you for rescuing my day, my friend.

The difference between 7 year old boys & girls

(click on layout for credits and journaling)

THE BEVERLY BAND!!!!!!!

Awesome band, awesome CD, and hey, check out that cover!!! Click on the picture to go buy the CD on Amazon!

Barista Boy

I think I'm figuring this whole "single mom" thing out. Make daily chores seem really fun and your kids will want to do them!! Actually, both Em and George have always been great about helping out, but George is entering into the phase of childhood where he wants to help with, or do, everything I do around the house. He feeds the dog all her meals and treats, makes his own PB&J for lunch (with help, otherwise he'd use the whole jar of peanut butter), and now... makes my coffee in the mornings! From start to finish: he loads the water, filter, and grounds; starts the machine; watches as it brews and calls me when it's done; after I give him a mug, he scoops out the sugar; I pour the coffee and he stirs; I add the cream and he stirs. This is the life!

Of course, now he wants his own "coffee" to make. Namely, milk and chocolate sauce that he can stir together into chocolate milk. Fair trade for the labor, I think!

I haven't featured Emma much lately. Not for lack of love, I promise! Simply, she's just cruising through the summer with not a lot going on (including, thank goodness, no attitude problems worth stressing about). And she's entering the phase where she is very picky about the pictures I take of her. In fact, she'll be pretty upset if she sees that I've posted this one, but I think the look on her face is priceless:

Can't you just hear her??? She's saying, "Moooooooommmmmmmm, I don't want you to take my picture again!" In this instance, it has something to do with her MP3 player. Apparently she doesn't like to have her picture taken when she's wearing it. Not sure why, but obviously I'm a horrible mom who ignores her!

Speaking of her MP3 player, I love her play list and it completely defines who she is and her influences. Everything from The Little Mermaid's Kiss the Girl to Hannah Montana's I Wanna Be A Rock Star to Pink's Let's Get This Party Started to Van Halen's Jump. (She can tell the difference between Van Halen's two lead singers, by the way. Can you?)

Gettin' through the days

Jason left about three weeks ago for month-long training at a school in California. This week, George seems to have realized that Daddy's been gone an awfully long time. So an assortment of items are being carried around everywhere. A picture of Daddy, his spare set of sunglasses (which look absolutely adorable on a 5-year-old's face), and a phone (preferably a real one, but this plastic one works in a pinch - like when Mommy takes the real one away). And he's wearing something other than his blue jammies. For the last couple of days he's worn the one orange shirt he owns.

Anyone that knows Jason will understand why George is identifying with orange. It has a lot to do with the shirt being worn in the photo above. I have a feeling I'll be shelling out $16.95 plus shipping for a smaller version. I love the Internet.

Random Much?

Tips for looking like the classiest lady in town:

1. Shave legs

2. Apply lotion

3. Allow little black cat to rub all over freshly lotioned legs

4. Leave house without checking legs

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Awesome website link stolen shamelessly from Molly: Love Food Hate Waste

Filled with recipes for using leftovers and other food buying and storage tips. We are always drowning in leftovers (well, at least, when Jason's home and I actually cook), and the recipes on this site look like ones I'll actually make, so I'm thrilled to find it.

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Notice anything missing?

The top gap is new as of this morning. There are at least two other wiggly guys in there. I've been teasing her about her new lisp all day. Good thing I have that new recipe site, I'm going to have to get creative with the blender if she looses too many more!

The Lows and Highs of Being Momma

Some days aren't so easy. Thursday wasn't so easy. From the moment he woke up, George was screechy, whiny, screaming, and altogether cranky. When we arrived at school that morning, I literally had to drag him, kicking and screaming and hitting and crying, to the classroom. All the way to the classroom, instead of the bench outside where they gather and the teachers take in the kids. He didn't want to be at school, didn't want to separate from me, didn't want anything to do with anything really.

When he finally was distracted enough by a teacher, I was able to sneak out with his main teacher and the speech therapist to go to our final IFSP meeting. (Individualized Family Service Plan, the plans and goals that are set and evaluated throughout the special needs preschool system.) Although he will remain in preschool next year, he is technically part of the elementary system starting in the fall and all evaluations will be handled by an IEP, transitioning from a family focus to an individual student focus. We have already set the primary goals through the new special needs preschool he'll be attending in September.

This meeting was good. All filled with good reports of progress, laughter about his quirks, and reminiscences over the past two years' memories. As the meeting stretched well into a second hour, I was enjoying talking with two women who knew and cared for my son so well. Then his teacher sat back and very calmly started questioning my reasons for puling George out of her school to place him in a different special needs school. The final 15 - 20 minutes of the meeting were filled with her insinuations that I had made a bad choice and my bumbling attempts to explain my reasons without being insulting or negative toward her and her classroom. I left with guilty tears in my eyes and a heart heavy with sadness over this negative ending to our relationship.

An hour or so after that meeting, I returned to the school to pick up George. Normally, he walks with his class to the bench, I kneel in front of him to get his attention, and, with prompting, he says a quick "Good-bye everybody" without looking as we walk away. After our rough morning, I had no idea what to expect. Certainly not the bright-eyed little guy that cheerfully emerged saying "Hi Mommy" as he walked to the bench. Then he, very deliberately, gave each and every one of his classmates and teachers a hug good-bye. As I stood there, practically fainting from shock, he walked up to me, took my hand, and said, "Go home and have lunch?"

Print It Now 2 picture frames by Beth Nixon

The rest of the day was spent enjoying this special boy as he played (mostly) nicely with his sister and a cousin, gave out hugs like they were going out of style, and careened around corners on his Big Wheel at top speed. Like a normal little boy.

I went to bed as soon as the kids were settled that night. Maybe next year will be easier. Right?

The Girls

Photos fresh off of Lauren Bavin's camera, down in New Zealand!

Almost all of the crop attendees: The lovely ladies I work with:
We rarely see each other in person, yet we instantly connect and hilarity ensues. Such a strange thing, this Internet community. We know so many intimate details about virtual strangers. It makes it so easy to gather and work incredibly well together, as if it were a daily occurrence. Thank you, ladies (both Team members and DSP community), for a FABULOUS weekend! I can't wait for the next one!

Wild Times in California

After a long nine hour drive, I started my weekend with a delightful visit to see these two adorable red-heads. Oh, and their equally adorable parents, too! Not at all long enough, but luckily, they'll be heading up to Oregon in a couple of weeks, so we'll have more time to play together. This morning, the doors opened and nearly 100 digital scrapbookers swarmed the Adobe building with their laptops, cameras, and chocolate!
We've had some great focus groups with Adobe product designers, a presentation from a Wacom project manager, and tutorials from DSP designers. Oh, and did I mention there was dancing?

I have heard a rumor about a video showing up on the DSP blog later. That's a trifle frightening.

More later, I'm sure!

Edit to add: Nope, it's on YouTube, yipee! http://www.youtube.com/user/NicoleYoung01

Happy Birthday, Baby Boy!

My baby is five today.
My BABY is five today.

My BABY is FIVE today!!!!!!

How the heck did that happen?

Putting the "Ro" in Romantic!

Jason came home Wednesday afternoon for a couple of days off before leaving early this morning for a month-long school in California. Wednesday evening, we all went to our weekly swim night, had a great time. Wednesday night, Emma came in our room with a stomach ache.

And then proceeded to vomit for the rest of the night.

Oh, and did I mention that I decided to join in on the excitement? Yup. A good twelve hours of vomiting, followed by another 24 or so of mostly unconsciousness, equals quality family time! Emma's doctor diagnosed probable Rotavirus, a thrilling blend of nausea and exhaustion. So, Jason's two and a half days off were filled with keeping [ahem] buckets emptied & clean, keeping George occupied, and keeping food smells away from Emma & me. Fun times!

I've felt better since yesterday afternoon, but Emma is just now (Saturday afternoon) emerging voluntarily from the bedroom to eat a bite or two. (Literally, just a bite or two. She ate NOTHING yesterday and maybe three grapes the day before. She weighs less than 40 pounds. Need I mention that I've been a bit stressed about her blood sugar levels?)

So, Jason is gone for a month after caring for (and possibly being infected by) two very sick girls. But, oh, am I grateful he was here!

As I start to reclaim the house, catch up on chores, and, oh yeah, prepare for my trip next week, I thought I'd leave you with a wonderful time waster. Enjoy!

Later in the day

Due to the fact that George did, indeed, let me back into the house with a minimum of cajoling, I have removed the Ebay listing. HOWEVER, I reserve the right to put it back up at any time!

While George is at school in the mornings these days, Emma has been taking swimming lessons. She's the type of child that wants badly to succeed and, if she thinks she won't, she'd rather not try. Last summer she didn't enjoy lessons and was in with a too big a group for their abilities. More time was spent sitting on the side of the pool than actually in the water. So she didn't do so well. I left it up to her whether we'd try again this year. She nervously voted yes and off we went Monday for the first lesson.

She has a GREAT teacher, a small class, and only four days into it, she's already doing so much better than before. (And really, she's a fish, loves the water, just needed to learn actual techniques to get her to the next step.) Best of all are the smiles I see all the way through the class and the excited chatter I hear afterward.

Maybe having a little too much fun?
Her class, the little red-head next to her is her new buddy. He has a ever-present wide grin and reminds me so much of my nephew. They giggle through the entire class while his mom and I chat. They'll be going to VBS together later in the summer, a happy coincidence!
Trying to coordinate kicking, using "big arms", and coming up for air every third stroke. Not easy, but she's still smiling!

Online sales

George and I just had a delightful conversation. It went something like this:

scene: Me, outside pulling swimsuits and towels off the clothesline. George, standing in the doorway, watching and playing with the door.

George: Bye, Mommy!

Me: George, if you lock me out, so help me, I'll sell you on Ebay!

George: click

The end.

Obligatory Fireworks Photos

Well, sparkler photos anyway! This was George's first 4th of July where we allowed him to handle sparklers and he had a great time. Nearly set his hair on fire at one point, but all was good. Poor guy was kind of confused though. We pulled a bunch of confetti poppers, did a lot of cheering, and afterward he asked for cake. Huh? Well, he thought we were celebrating a birthday (which, yes, we were, in a way), and a birthday to George means CAKE! Luckily, there was one cupcake left from my birthday the week before, so it was an easy way to get him inside and off to bed before the sun completely set and the loud celebrations began.

Most of the photos from that point on are pretty dark and blurry, but I got a couple that I liked:

We did some fun spinning, jumping, colorful, noisy fireworks, too, but my hands were too busy being held over Emma's ears to get any pictures. (By the way, fireworks are legal in Oregon, no laws were broken in the making of this blog post.)

After we were done, we all went upstairs to watch fireworks from our living room window that looks over the city. A spectacular evening for all of us.

We won't mention the tantrums due to a-severe-change-in-routine-and-lack-of-sleep we dealt with the next morning. Nope, not one word.

Happy 4th!!!

It doesn't get dark here until 10 pm, so the kids won't see too many fireworks, but we have sparklers ready to go as soon as the sun starts to set! Hope you all are having a wonderful holiday! (Or a wonderful Friday, for you non-American types!)

Yay for holidays!

Daddy gets to come home early this week! We're all looking forward to seeing him tonight.

So far, it's a bit rough, but I think that the lack of schedule is most to blame. Yesterday saw all of us crying at some point (yes, including me) and a lot of screaming, pouting, whining, and fighting. (Really, just the crying and a bit of shouting from me, I promise!) But that's okay. I learned a lot from yesterday. And this morning, I signed Emma up for swimming lessons that start next week. And made sure everything was in order for George's summer school that starts up next week. And planned lots of activities to get us through today.

Busy. We will stay busy.

Other than scheduling, the other difficulties we're encountering are George's reactions to stress and change, and our eating habits. George reverts back to his old habits of physical violence when he's stressed. Lots of hitting and pulling Emma's hair. No fun, but we're working on it. And the kids' eating habits haven't changed all that much, but I'm finding myself eating a lot of cereal or cheese & crackers. It's so not worth it to cook a full meal for only me. Going to have to plan on making double batches of everything when Jason's home, so that I'll have leftovers available during the week. I'm really looking forward to the full spaghetti dinner with salad I have planned for tonight. Yum!

Sorry there aren't any pretty pictures to share today. My camera has been dead since last week, just got new batteries today. Plus, my hands have been pretty full keeping kids separated!

New Pages

From the July DSP Newsletter (sign up to receive it and read my monthly articles!):

Changes

(Copied & edited from family email)

Monday, Jason returns to active duty military life, working for the National Guard full time about two hours away. He will be home only three weekends a month (still has to do his one weekend a month drills). We are choosing to live apart for awhile because the world is what it is and deployment is in our near future. I don't want to move with the kids now and then be living away from family while he's deployed. Plus, the kids are in such good school situations here, we want to give them a couple more solid years before we have to move them. There is always the possibility that he'll be able to transfer somewhere closer once he gets back.

It's scary and awful, but good too. There are things the military can provide that we need and have missed. And Jason has missed being a soldier, it's the life he loves.

Jason's new job is with the headquarters of his unit. So, when he deploys, he'll be far away from the front lines. In an air conditioned building (thank goodness computers need air conditioning) somewhere with all the big wigs. We're counting every small blessing we can find.

All really is well, but we're busy making all the arrangements right now. Keeping the kids stable is priority number one. Emma seems excited that her daddy will be a soldier again (plus the thought of talking to him via web cam is just too cool for words), but the reality will be hard. And we never know how George will interpret long absences. Most likely, Jason will have a 35 pound growth attached to him every weekend!

So, you'll either find a LOT more blog posts here as I use it to share pictures with Jason, or the time between posts will be ever longer as my time on the computer dwindles. Either way, I'm grateful that technology will keep our family together, even when we're a world apart.

Where did June go?

Busy.
Life is busy.
Many changes happening really quickly.
Big ones, exciting ones, scary ones.
More details later.

Right now, we're busy playing.
Happy Summer!

There's paint under my fingernails!

This morning I went and played scrapbooker with the girls. Like, real scrapbooker, with real paper and glue and such. I sat with another digital scrapbooker, my friend Becky, and we painted our albums, covered them with paper, cut our photos (did you know there's no "undo" button in paper scrapbooking?), and Mod Podged like crazy. We also had a yummy breakfast, chatted with ten other fun and creative women, used new tools, and brought home TONS of amazing products. And it was good.

I only finished a couple of pages beyond the cover, but that's pretty good for me, I think! In that picture above there are 68 photos waiting to go into this album. Don't know how many will actually make it, but I'm going to try to relax and let it flow.

I think it's pretty funny that I'm making a paper album of my trip to Vegas with my friends from Digital Scrapbook Place. Ironic, no?

Poor Boy

Guess who's jammies are in the wash.

On the brink

The last day of first grade. Totally excited, yet doing a lot of thinking this morning.

Emma and I have had some ups & downs this year. Lots of struggles, trying to find a balance of needs between (or rather, encompassing) her and her brother. Other people tell me what a delightful, polite little girl she is and I look at them, thinking, "I don't know who you see, because at home a crazed, attitude filled monster takes over." And then she comes to me for a cuddle, or to share her excitement over her plants, or giggling about some silly joke. And I see that she's just a little girl. And that I'm expecting her to be more. More responsible, less childlike. How crazy is that?

She has the double pressure of being my oldest child and the older sister of a special needs brother. And here, in this picture, I see that. The other pictures I took this morning show her jumping up and down, totally thrilled about summer vacation. But this one speaks to me more. It shows her thoughtful side. The slightly insecure posture. The little girl on the brink of growing up out of childhood. It is my goal this summer to remember that she's still a child. A beautiful, talented, smart, silly, happy, loving child.

Who, as of 11:45 today, will be a second grader. Yikes.

Croak

Every Monday afternoon I volunteer in Emma's classroom. Unbeknownst to me, today was Field Day for Kindergarten through Second graders. I just spent and hour and a half yelling at, er, cheerleading and herding about a thousand and two kiddos around a circle as they balanced cups of water on their heads. My vocal chords are not happy with me.

I also got many enthusiastic hugs from the kids that know me (and a few that just felt like hugging). So I got a bit wet. Then I handed out popsicles. So I got a bit sticky. Fun times!

I'm going to miss this class of Emma's though. They are a great bunch of kids. I never pictured myself as a room mother, but I have loved it. Can't wait to see if it works out next year!

You Are

A Perfect Day for a "Hicnic"

This morning started with Emma running a fever and upchucking the last three days' worth of food, so I didn't have very high hopes. But she recovered and we have since had a wonderful day. She and I ran some errands and enjoyed some rare Mommy-daughter time. She tends to get stuck behind the needs and schedule of her brother, and when we do get to be alone, I'm usually distracted and thinking ahead to the next project for him. Getting out with no agenda or schedule was amazing. I rediscovered the bright, sweet, smart little girl I am blessed with.

Then we came home to an unexpected and delightful bar-b-que and picnic. My brother seems to think all days in Oregon are dark and dreary (and granted, lately they've been leaning further that direction than I like), but the following pictures should prove that we do get our fair share of sunshine, too.
Jason is spending much of the day working on his Jeep. Radio blaring, beer in hand, tools strewn everywhere. A perfect day.Armory and I spent some time reading and scratching and watching children play.

Play-doh, sprinklers, and swings are on the schedule for the rest of the afternoon. THEN, Jason and I head out to the movies! *falling over in disbelief* With FRIENDS! I know, I know, the planets must be aligning or something. There's no other explanation for so much good in one day.

Go Shopping!

(Click on photo for details) Great deal that expires at the end of the weekend. And heck, $75 worth of gas will buy you, what, maybe a tank full? At Shell prices, maybe not, but still, every bit counts these days.

Oh, and did I mention that I'll be taking a 1,000+ mile road trip this summer? So, you know, if you don't want to use your gas cards......

Favorite Jammies

Important Poll

So, let's talk about something other than sleep (or lack thereof), sickness/coughing, and children for a moment, okay? I have an important decision to make and I need your help.

Jason and Mom have both asked me what kind of Cake I want for my birthday this year (two weeks from Wednesday, in case you're wondering). Now for most of my life I've asked Mom to make me Chocolate Cake with chocolate frosting and cherries. Sometimes, to mix things up a bit, I ask for German Chocolate Cake, yummmmmm. (And yes, "Cake", and all it's subsidiaries, must be capitalized, it's that important.) Post marriage and children, all I ask is that I don't have to make it.

This year, I'm thinking out of the box. As much as I love Cake, there is the choice of shaking things up a bit and having a special dessert of any kind. I mean, how often do we have dessert, right? So, the options:

Chocolate Cake or German Chocolate Cake

Dump Cake - horrible name, yummy, yummy, yummy dessert (heck, with two sticks of butter, what's not to like?)

Cold Stone Creamery Ice Cream Cake - it doesn't get much better than this

Frozen Black Bottom Banana Pie - chocolate, bananas, pudding, AND Cool Whip? Yum!

Molten Chocolate Cake - holy moly

Chocolate, Strawberry & Cookie Parfaits - ooooh, or with raspberries....

Okay, or anything from the Chocolate Lover's page!

Your turn! Give me your vote, or add your own favorite dessert! I may have to make more than one!

Morning musings

Sleep that knits up the ravelled sleave of care
The death of each day's life, sore labour's bath
Balm of hurt minds, great nature's second course,
Chief nourisher in life's feast.
~William Shakespeare, Macbeth

It's amazing to me how broken sleep can completely turn your life upside down. And conversely, sleeping just a couple hours more, without waking, makes all of life's little hardships so much easier to take.

People who say they sleep like a baby usually don't have one.
~Leo J. Burke

Friday night, Jason and I spent the hour from 2 am to 3 am soothing a coughing little boy and catching & cleaning up his regurgitated dinner. Poor little guy just couldn't catch his breath. After remaking his bed and calming him down, we went back to bed and listened to him through the wall for another hour. The next morning, I felt like death. Jason stayed home from work to help out and allow me to recover a bit.

A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor's book.
~Irish Proverb

Saturday night, we all slept clear through until 7 am. I still have the cold that descended upon me yesterday, but somehow, it's not bothering me a bit. The kids and I are smiling and having a muffin picnic ("hicnic" in Georgie terminology) in the living room, and Jason rode his bike to work.

Insomnia is a gross feeder. It will nourish itself on any kind of thinking, including thinking about not thinking.
~Clifton Fadiman

Isn't it incredible though, the thoughts you think in the dark hours of the morning? Problems that could be solved in five minutes during the daylight take at least an hour to mull over and stress about at night. Even my minimal "to do" list that I have running on a continual loop through my mind becomes a hamster wheel spinning out of control at night. Why the need to return books to the library is so stress-inducing at 3 am, I really don't know.

If people were meant to pop out of bed, we'd all sleep in toasters.
~Author unknown, attributed to Jim Davis

With our brains and bodies refreshed, I'd say today is a good day to get outside a bit, take those books back to the library, and refill the cough medicine prescription. Happy Sunday everyone!

Unreal

My children are playing together. Sharing a single puzzle. Not screaming. Not whining.

Might have something to do with the zombie effect of the antihistamine.

Allergies, who knew?!

Yesterday's doctor visit had surprising results. Instead of bronchitis or just a bad cold with a side of pink eye, George has seasonal allergies. Last week it looked like it was snowing all over town as the cottonwood trees did their annual shedding, so that may have started him off; or just simply the abundance of pollen flying about this time of year. Either way, the slightly runny nose was actually causing the cough as his throat was being irritated constantly by drainage. (Ewww, sorry about that visual.)

The pink eye was a side effect that has already gone away with the help of ointment, YAY! Not so great is the fact that now I have to get George to take medicine. Not an easy task for someone with George's heightened taste senses. Most medicines these days helpfully come in kid-friendly flavors. Unfortunately, those kid-friendly flavors are so sugary sweet that he can taste the medicine no matter what I try to hide it in. Case in point, I put the grape flavored liquid into his favorite grape juice. Nope, he smelled it, took one sip, and wouldn't go near the cup.

(Getting him to swallow the medicine by itself is quite literally impossible. He has super hero strength and it takes two of us to hold him down, then he locks his jaw and refuses to swallow. I always end up doing the laundry and sticking him in the shower after an attempt. Not worth the mess or stress.) So, I purchased some adult tablets that I cut up and ground down to powder I could hide in yogurt. He ate it!! I'll be asking the doctor for a prescription for adult antihistamine if it seems to be working.

No school for him today, but he'll be able to go tomorrow morning, so I can get a few last errands done (i.e. teacher gifts, eek!!) That is, if we all get to sleep past 3 am tonight.

What to do with a tired kid with newly diagnosed seasonal allergies? Take him outside and play in the grass of course!
And this picture, just 'cause she's cute!

Good Goopy Grief

Two days left of preschool, George wakes up with Pink Eye.

Bad news: Mommy just lost her last days of no-kid time and gained a cranky kid.

Good news: A doctor's appointment in an hour where we can get some antibiotics that will hopefully help not only his eyes, but also the cough that's keeping us all up at night.

Poor little dude, all he wants is a heated blanket, some muffins & juice, and Thomas. Oh, and Mommy. Coming, buddy!

Yawn

Due to the sounds of George's cough coming through the walls, the cat jumping on the bed and climbing all over me, and the dog's tail (thumping because she wants to be on the bed, too), I've been awake since about 3 am. Around 4:45, I gave up and got up.

So, I thought I'd share a picture of the sunrise with you!

Have I mentioned we're bringing a new kitten home later in the week? Be ready for more sunrise photos!

My Boys

As seen in DSP's June Newsletter: