Happy Birthday Jamers!

I also forgot my cute niece's birthday earlier this month. I love it when she talks to me on the phone and tells me all she's done that day. She has a very busy play schedule! Can't wait to see her in three weeks for a white Christmas in Colorado!

The Pumpkin Patch with Holden and Elliott

Here's a sneak peek of Holden and Elliott. We had a blast at the pumpkin patch.

Sister-In-Love

My Grandma Brinton used to refer to all her daughters-in-law as "daughters-in-love" because she loved them all so much. I feel the same way about my sister-in law. She had a birthday over the weekend and I just wanted to wish her a happy one. She also found out what "kind" of baby she has in transit who is scheduled to make an appearance in the spring. I will let her make the announcement on her blog!

Too Cute

I found this on etsy and you can find it here! The hats are made in all different sizes. Too cute.

Love My Sister

Happy belated birthday to my sister Emily. Some of the things I love about her...
1. She's fabulously funny!
2. Fantastic cook and gardner!
3. Loving Mom to cute Simon.
4. Outgoing and gregarious personality.
5. Married Mr. Fabulous.

Couldn't Help Myself

Yes, I am still bitter about last week's loss to that school down south with a sweater vest wearing pointdexter of a coach. But somehow this picture makes me feel so much better. My mother says I am evil. I prefer to call it passionate and loyal.

Happy Turkey Day

We haven't had dinner yet, but I feel compelled to report on Aunt Lynne's quotable quote after discovering a catastrophic blunder while working on today's pumpkin pie. After calling Aunt Anne to confirm her mistake Lynne hung up the phone and said, "We are in big sh** trouble". Yes, she said "sh**"! No worries, the calamity was averted by the collaboration of three chiefs (lynne, malee, and mom) in the kitchen. What am I responsible for you ask? What ever the three chiefs tell me to be responsible for of course. Have you ever been in a kitchen with three chiefs and one indian?

Happy Birthday Jack

Jack, my nephew, turns one year old today. We went out this morning and took some too cute photos to commemorate this day. Will post them soon.

Thwarted Plans

I am in Southern California visiting family. My mother, sister, and I had one plan for Monday which included a little outlet shopping. Here's what happened instead....

1. I woke up ready to shop at 4:30 am because I am so familiar with the Eastern Standard Time. Apparently California won't change to my time zone when I visit.

2. Coach Carr retires rendering my Make-a-Wish dream (if I got cancer) obsolete.

3. Endured the Bucknut gloating (via phone, newspapers, and sportscenter) due to the tragedy of epic proportions on the field of the Big House Saturday.

4. There's small crisis at Dad's business and we all are cordially "invited" to help prepare for the audit. I am pretty sure the compensation rate is still 25 cents an hour. I got lucky and was assigned to tend my nephew. Thanks Jack.

5. Five hours later my mother and sister return from the "small project" out at the Medicine Shoppe. Crisis is averted. (Jack and I had a great time. It turns out he likes me. Liza says he likes everyone but I know it's only me he loves.)

6. Mom has to do payroll. (Please note, my mother can accomplish more in a day than most people do all month. She spins circles around all of us.)

7. We finally get on the road around 3 pm for our 30 minute ride to outlet utopia.

8. Twenty minutes later the Audi blows a tire and we are on a precipice in a canyon with three women and a baby. SCARY! And I don't get scared. (Please note......NEVER buy a German-made vehicle. You will swear like a sailor on way too many occasions and it will prevent you from entering into the pearly gates.)

9. AAA comes in 30 minutes (thank goodness we didn't have to wait for Jo Jo to get here to call AAA...more on that later). Man with the greasy hands (he called himself the highway hero) changes our tire while educating us on the finer points of why one should never purchase a German-made vehicle. (Did you know it is near to impossible to change a tire on an Audi, Mercedes, and Volvo? Yes...even for the Highway Heroes!)

10. The Highway Hero gets his jack stuck under the hard to hoist German-made vehicle. He tries to get it down for 30 minutes. No dice. Calls another AAA Highway Hero and 30 minutes later he arrives.

11. Two Highway Hero's are now trying to get the German-made car down off the hoist. One Hero is almost smashed between the guardrail and the car due to the vehicle lurching to one side while trying to get the jack down. Another crisis is averted and another 30 minutes later we are again in hopes of getting to the mecca of all outlet malls.

12. The German-made vehicle now has a dead battery. Yes....seriously! I flag down the Highway Hero as he is driving off by waving my hands frenetically and then showing a little leg. Luckily he stopped again. Not sure if it was my leg or the maniacal woman screaming "WWWWWAAAAAIIIIIITT"!

13. We are on our way to a tire store because Mom is concerned there is another problem with the tires. (Please note....I forgot to eat lunch and am getting very hungry in the midst of all this. Those who know me are aware this complicates EVERYTHING!)

14. The spare tire has a bubble. No...not kidding. It will explode if you drive faster than 40 miles an hour the tire store says.

15. Jack's mad and hungry and crying.

16. Rachael's mad and hungry and wants to cry.

17. Three and a half hours later we are back home.......no shopping. Darn Germans!

I'm Singing Pain and Unspeakable Sorrow

My Dad's response to the news of Coach Carr retiring is as follows. "Good! He robbed me of the joy of watching my son play on the field of the Big House. I'll never forgive that guy. Besides, he can't beat Tressel!"

Apparently the compassion is running rampant here in Southern California. Clearly if I wanted my Make a Wish dream of watching film with Coach Carr and the team come true, I should have gotten cancer this year. I am sad.....again! We lost on Saturday to the detestable open-enrollment school down south. You can click on the links for related articles.

Look closely. Anyone see my favorite Wolverine laughing as Coach Carr takes the Heisman stance?

Coach is asking the referee nicely to reconsider his poor call during the Wisconsin game. The ref didn't respond favorably to Lloyd's nice request.

The announcement is made.

Vintage Lloyd Carr with Bo Schembechler...it was too good not to post! Go Blue!

How Could Owen Be a "Bad Baby"?

Owen has been most recently experiencing the rigors of baby bootcamp (check angie's blog for the story) due to his sleep issues. How could Owen ever be a "bad baby"... even after not sleeping well at night! Easy for me to say.....I have been sleeping through the night for years! Owen's mother is not always so lucky....yet!

Happy Halloween

I am so happy to receive all these fun photos of my cute family celebrating Halloween. Can you believe that Jack had a costume change mid-evening? He had two costumes! I am still waiting for the Arizona update though.

I am very proud of my sister Sarah who posted for the first time recently. Don't forget to check her blog too!