Adam is 20 Today!

 Adam came into this world 20 years ago today.  He was such a handsome baby with a full head of black hair and dark eyes.

Adam was such a happy baby.  He didn't nap very much because I think he was too interested in the world around him.  He didn't want to miss anything and he loved to learn.

Barney was his favorite stuffed animal.  Barney went everywhere with him!

Adam collected matchbox cars.  Here he made a city with his "Woodtown" set and Lincoln Logs.  He had a great imagination and would play for hours at a time!

He was such a sweet little boy!  He was always willing to help me around the house!

He used to watch the old Gumby cartoons, so I made this costume for him for Halloween.

When he was little, he hated to be the center of attention.  On his third birthday, he covered his ears while we sang "Happy Birthday".

From a young age,  he had an appreciation for the beauty of nature.  And he always took his camera with him wherever he went.  Here he takes a picture of the Burlington waterfront (with Kerry).

 He has been such a sweet, thoughtful brother (most of the time!)

 He used to drive Kerry around in the little red jeep...

... and years later, in the Scion.

Adam was a cub scout.  His dad was one of his den leaders.

He was very creative and artistic.  His artwork was selected to be hung at the state capitol.  For a while, we thought he might want to be an architect.  He loved to draw detailed houses.

Adam was the videographer of the family.  Adam, Kerry, Annie, and our neighbor Jon used to spend a lot of time making very creative movies.  Adam would be behind the camera, and then edit the movie on the computer.  He was amazing at it!

Harry Potter was the perfect choice for Halloween!  He looked just like Harry!

 Adam has such a huge heart for animals.  I could always count on him to walk the dogs.

When he went away to college,  I think he missed Sami more than the rest of the family!

 Another love is music.  He began playing piano in 1st grade and then the sax in 5th grade.

 In 2007, we took a trip to Italy.  Adam loved it!  Now he plans to spend next semester studying in Italy.

Here is Adam on the beach in Italy with his good friend Maggie.

 Lake George is another one of Adam's favorite places in the world.

 Adam stands here with his grandmother and his two good friend, Jordan and Andrew.

In high school, Adam loved track and cross country.  It was the only sport that he was ever interested in.

With the exception of badminton, that is.  He loves badminton!

Happy 20th Birthday, Adam! 
I am very proud of all that you have done and all that your are.
I hope you know that you are very much loved by very many people!

Have a GREAT day! 

A Friendship is Born

Bringing another pet into the household, you hope the established animals (humans included) will bond with it and make it feel like part of the family. 

When Maddie came home,  the lives of our two dogs and two cats were turned upside down.  Maddie was so uninhibited!  They never could tell when she was going to pounce on them! 

Somehow, Momo and Sami must have let her know they werent' interested. They just didn't engage in her antics.

Maddie's main targets now are Tigger and Halle.  Tigger does engage in the game, and puts up a good fight.

Halle actually enjoys the game.  Every morning she and Maddie chase each other back and forth in the long hallway upstairs, tackling each other at times.  Maddie has been seen with her head in Halle's mouth!

Last night was the first time I witnessed real tenderness and friendship, and it was soooo adorable!

 Halle has a real gentleness about her and almost seems to "mother" Maddie.

Here Maddie was actually licking Halle's face.

 Our pets amaze us sometimes in their "human-ness".

 They teach us so much about life.

 Maddie is like the kid in school who teases you to get your attention...

because he really likes you but doesn't know how to let you know.

 

We ALL just want to be accepted and loved!

Why Do I BLog?

I faithfully read the blogs of people I know, but occasionally I branch out and read the blogs of total strangers - just for fun and to possibly get some ideas.  I am amazed at how many people are in the blog world! 

What do other people blog about? 

People blog about EVERYTHING!

I have read blogs about:

 - someone's journey through cancer treatment
 - an American woman who searches London for cupcakes
 - a writer who chronicles his book-writing experiences
  - someone who tells her life story through the eyes of her cat
  - a single dad tells of the things in life that make him laugh

The list could go on and on and on and on ..........

WHY do people blog? 

That list could be endless too. 

Why do I blog? 

I'll give you my top 10 reasons (in no specific order).

  1.  Blogging forces me to reflect on the important things in my life.

  2.  Being a quiet person,  it let's people get to know me.

  3.  It helps keep my kids in touch with home.

  4.  I love to write.

  5.  I love to take pictures.

  6.  It is fun.
 
  7.  Blogging makes me look at life in a different way.

  8.  I hope my readers can identify and be touched in a personal way by the things I write.

  9.  I plan to make my blog entries into a book so that my grandkids can read them.

10.  It is fun to look at the stat counter and see how many times each blog post was read by people all over the country (and the world).  It secretly makes me feel happy!

For whatever reason you read my blog....

thank you!

Happy Anniversary to Us!

On April 14, 1984, Gayle and Vance were married.

Instead of being the beautiful spring day we envisioned, it was a horribly rainy, windy, chilly day.  NOT a good day for any outdoor pictures.  NOT a good day for hair.  NOT a good day for satin shoes.  But it was a GREAT day for a wedding!

 It was back in the days before digital photography, so I have  to cut him some slack, but looking at the pictures with a more critical eye, they were not good.  This is the only picture I have walking down the aisle with my father - and my eyes were mostly closed!  Nonetheless, I treasure the memory!

 It was a late afternoon wedding on a dark, gloomy day.  But the church was warmed by candlelight.

 Presenting MR. & MRS.

 My hair was always permed back then.  Unfortunately, the perm I got right before the wedding caused a large amount of my hair to break off at the roots!  Yikes! 

 My sister Lori was the Maid-of-Honor and Vance's friend Bob was the Best Man.

  Looking at the pictures,  it was nice to see the faces of so many family members who have since passed.

 Vance posed with just his mother.  His father passed away a few years before.

This is one of my favorite pictures.  We are happy and relaxed, and NOT posing!

I just wish that BIG WHITE HAND was out of the picture! 

Two Little Girls x2

I took a few pictures on Friday.  I am fortunate to know two beautiful girls who were extremely happy to let me take their pictures.  It was a lot of fun!

As always,  I couldn't wait to dump my picture card to the computer and look at the pictures up close!

These girls have perfect skin, beautiful eyes, and beautiful smiles.  It made my job easy!

 It wasn't that long ago I worked with two other little girls.

  It seems like just yesterday! 

It's funny how much their personalities were reflected in their expressions!

I love little girls!