For Fathers' Day

I want to pause for a moment to wish the important men in my life a very Happy Fathers' Day. 

First, to the love of my life...my best friend...thank you for being a great father and role model to our son.

Second, to my own father, who left this earth much too soon.  You were the best father a girl could ever hope for.  You lived for your wife and kids and it showed.  I love and miss you, Dad!

Next, to my dear father-in-law.  You are a wonderful example of Christian love.  You have accepted me as a daughter from day one, and for that I love you!

Dave and Ed...you both mean a lot to us!  Thanks for being there.

If you are fortunate enough to still have your father, please call him and let him know how much he means to you!  Life is too short...time waits for no one.

Long Distance Relationships

Scott and I started out in high school as good friends.  We didn't date one another, but we did sit together at lunch (while I gave change for the vending machines).  I had a steady boyfriend and he had a steady girlfriend.  He and I were just good friends.  We talked about anything and everything.  Then, we graduated and he left for the Navy.  We started writing to each other and after I went to WVU, my boyfriend and I broke up.  Scott decided to come to visit me at school.

That visit turned into a relationship that has lasted over 25 years now.  Our first 'date' was October 12, 1985.  We got engaged in December of that year and then we got married the following December.  I think we actually saw each other face-to-face about 30ish days in that year.  It was brutal because we didn't have the social media, email, Skype, cell phones, etc. that exist these days.  I still have all of the letters and cards that he send to me throughout that year.

We were able to call one another on occasion, but phone calls were expensive.  He was going to A School at Great Lakes in IL and lived in a barracks.  I lived in a dorm and had a phone in my room.  His phone was in a hallway, and was shared by all of the guys on that floor.  When I called, I would have to tell the person who answered who I wanted to talk to and they would go to see if he was in his room or in someone else's room on the floor.  The minutes added up!

After we got married, we spent the next 4 years in a long-distance marriage.  We lived in an apartment in Virginia Beach, then moved closer to the base in a townhouse in Norfolk.  His battle group would be gone for weeks or even months at a time.  He was a boiler tech, so he was the first one on the ship before deployment and the last one off the ship.  There were many deployments that I would go to welcome the ship back to port with the other wives, only to find out he had duty that night, so after spending an hour or so together, I would have to go back home alone.

Luckily, I was busy with work and school, so I didn't have a lot of time to sit and be sad about him being gone.  And we had a dog.  That dog loved Scott, but beside knowing where his food came from, he had little respect for me.  Needless to say, that dog was like having an ill behaved child.  He was spoiled.  BUT, he was very smart.  I would tell him, "Rex!  I'm going to get Daddy because he's coming home!"  His ears would perk up and he would wag his short, little tail.  One many occasions, I would return home alone from the ship.  I would then take Rex out for a walk and he would pull me over to the car and look in the window as if he was looking for his true Master.  little ungrateful jerk.  (I jest...maybe)

Long distance relationships these days seem like they would be a whole lot easier than 'back in the day.'  There are so many ways to stay connected with a loved-one.  It's not for the weak at heart, though.  I think that if a relationship is truly worth fighting for, then it can work.  Patience and good communication are important.  And both parties have to be willing to make it work.

Have you entered my giveaway yet?  Click here for a chance to win my friend's book Chicken in the Car and the Car Won't Go, a Chicago travel guide for families with tweens and teens.

He was lucky it wasn't a puffy shirt

Two years ago, the three of us went to Walt Disney World for Spring Break.  It was Nick's* senior year in high school, and we decided that if we were going to go as a family, that would be the perfect time to go.  We were making preps for his Eagle Court of Honor and graduation, as well as getting him ready to leave for college.  Scott and I were a bit melancholy, so we thought this trip would be perfect timing....and we were right.

The fourth or fifth day we were there, I started going through all of the pictures on my camera and noticed that I didn't have many from my favorite park, The Magic Kingdom.  I panicked.  I almost started crying and told Scott that we had to make another trip over there so that I could take a ton of pictures of all of my favorite places.

Scott had already bought a Captain Jack Sparrow hat and had been wearing that every day to every park we visited.  He was really getting into the 'zone.'  We decided to be a family of pirates that day at the Magic Kingdom.  I bought a set of Pirates of the Caribbean Mickey ears and then saw the perfect hat for Nick:  a set of Goofy ears with a bandanna and gold earring.  He did his best Seinfeld impression that day..."but I don't want to be a pirate!" 



Almost exactly like that, except for the Spanish subtitles, that is.  ;) 

Scott told him that he would wear the hat and smile.  He said, "you want to make your mother happy, don't you?"  He reluctantly put on the hat, but wasn't happy....at first.

A bit annoyed....

Still annoyed, but warming up a bit

The happy pirate family in front of the castle.

Starting to relax and get into the zone.

Finally!  

The three of us had some much fun on that trip.  We laughed harder than any other vacation.  Scott was reluctant to go to Disney World because of the heat and the crowds.  We went in mid-March before most of the country was on spring break, so the crowds weren't bad and the weather was gorgeous.  Our timing was perfect!

I'm hoping to go again in 2013 after the Fantasyland renovation is complete.  Is it a coincidence that it is also the same year Nick graduates from college?  Hmmmmmmm........  Must. save. money. NOW.

*Nick aka The Boy....he will always be "the boy" to us, but he's 20, so I'm thinking I can start calling him 'Nick' on here now.

It's a Wonder He Ever Learned to Speak Correctly

Being a parent is hard work.  It's also rewarding and fun.  Scott and I always knew that we would never talk 'baby talk' to the boy.  We never used baby voices and while out in public, we would point things out to him and tell him what they were.  He was a great communicator even before he could talk.  For instance, when he was thirsty, he would say, "Ninga ninga ninga."  Thirsty.  When he was hungry, he would say, "Ninga na, Ninga na."  I knew what he was trying to say.  Then, he started really talking and he hasn't shut up since.  :) 

One day, Scott decided that it would be oh, so fun to teach him the WRONG names for different food items.  Honey came in bear shaped bottles, so it became known as "bear poop."  The boy loved honey on his cheerios, so every time we would give him Cheerios (with milk) he would ask for bear poop.  Mmmm...appetizing. 

My dear sweet husband loves sugary cereal.  Cap'n Crunch is his favorite.  He would hold up the box and say, "want some turds?"  Good times.  The boy would sit in his high chair, point to the top of the refrigerator (where I kept the cereal) and say, "I want turds!  I want turds!"  Oh, this is just great!

Fast forward to the time my sister-in-law came to visit.  She came with her baby in tow.  I think the boy was 2 1/2 because I just started working at a daycare/preschool, so she offered to keep him at home with her.  When I got home, she looked at me and said, "Please tell me what the heck 'bear poop' is!  I pointed to everything in that kitchen and finally decided to 'poop' on his cereal with some raisins."  (great save, I may add!)

As a follow-up, our boy turned out fine.  He wasn't scarred for life and he still likes to call honey in bear shaped bottles 'bear poop.'  It's a family tradition that I'm sure he'll pass along to his kids one of these days.  He makes me so proud.  ;)  

Party in the USA

I got sucked into American Idol last night.  I will admit that the only reason I am watching this season is because my pretend boyfriend is one of the judges.  And did he look hot last night or what?  Also, this part of American Idol, the choosing the people to go to Hollywood, is the most entertaining....and could likely be the only part of the season that I watch.  The reason being is I can only name about a handful of people that actually made it big after the show.  Also, after Simon told Jennifer Hudson that she would never 'go anywhere' (Hello? Simon...did you see that Oscar she won after you told her that?  Do you like the taste of crow?) I was pretty much 'over it.'  After they choose the final 20 or 12 or however many finalists there are, I may start watching again...you know that time when they have to sing in groups and work together, yet try to stand out without taking the spot light off of others?  That is my least favorite part of the series.

But now...I have some eye candy to look at even though I get to listen to Scott, who is sitting next to me, saying, "Is he going to sing 'yes' for everyone?"  Or, "is he going to be that annoying every week?  because if he is, I'm taking your cds and throwing them away."  Um, listen, cowboy, you as much as touch my Aerosmith cds, we will have a problem.  ;)  So, just sit next to me and enjoy looking at Jenny from the Block...you know you love her.

Here is my favorite part from last night's show...enjoy!  :)

Our trip to the Big City

I had the bright idea of a 'family' Christmas gift this past year. Something amazing that would require time spent together with no distractions. I talked to Scott about it and he said that as long as The Boy was up for it, he'd go along with it. I called The Boy and asked him if he'd like to see Blue Man Group or Wicked. Surprisingly, he chose Wicked. I was secretly pleased!

I got online and purchased 3 tickets to the 2pm showing the day after Christmas. We got very good seats...right side of stage, floor seats, row Q. I looked at the tickets and got a bit alarmed because they were seats 24, 26, and 28. Would we be separated? ACK!

Scott was scheduled to fly out of Chicago on the 27th at 7am, so he was going to have to leave the house at 3am, so we decided that driving to the city (instead of taking the train and having to heed to its schedule) would save us time and frustration. Scott told me that I was in charge of getting driving directions and parking information. Not a problem, says I! I'm your girl! I have been the 'navigator' our entire marriage, so this shouldn't be a problem, I thought.

So, I log on to the Cadillac Palace's website for driving directions and parking information. I got the directions telling me which exit to get off of the interstate and then it said, "Our self-park will be on the right, one half block from such and such avenue." Not a problem, I thought!

So, we got up on the morning of the 26th and got ready to go to the big city. I was so excited! Scott double checked that I had the directions and the parking information. Check and check. So, off we went.

It was a bright, sunny day when we left Farm Country, but the closer we got to the city, it started to snow. What a fun, Christmas-y day this is going to be, I thought! Scott was driving since I tend to get a bit of road rage (or so he says) and I sat back and directed him on where to turn, etc. We got to our exit and made the appropriate turns and there she was....SELF PARK...on the right-hand side of the road! Woot! I said, "Scott, there's the self park. Pull on in there and we'll park and walk to the theater!" I was feeling so proud of myself.

So, we got our ticket, parked the car and started walking...and walking...and walking. I kept looking at the guys and smiling and saying, "I'm sure it's just up ahead! Isn't this fun?" After awhile, it wasn't so fun. There is a reason they call Chicago "The Windy City." It was cold. And windy. And snowy. Finally, I started apologizing. Ok...I should have looked more into the parking situation. I said, "Hey! There is a 7-11. I'll just go on in and ask for directions! You just wait here and I'll be right back!" I go in and asked the kind man inside where the Cadillac Palace was. He said, "just go out, turn right and it's right there." Um, yeah...I go outside and see the signs for "Wicked Parking". I sheepishly smiled at my guys and said, "Look! We're so close! It's right over there!" I think by this time they were thinking, "No $h!t, Shirlock!"

We made it to the theater and went inside. It was so warm in there! Finally! So, our tickets said to go to the doors labeled "Aisle One", so we did. I said, "ugh, our tickets are evenly numbered. I hope we're not separated." The Boy said, "Mom, don't say anything to the usher. I don't want to look like a noob! We'll just make sure we're sitting next to one another, ok?" Lucky for us, the seats didn't have any odd numbers in our row, so we were sitting next to each other. Glad I didn't have to embarrass The Boy and make him feel like a 'noob.' WHATEVER

We settled in and the show began. I cried because I get emotional at Broadway musicals, the guys were restless cause it was a musical, you know, and they couldn't stand the fact that the actors kept breaking out into song every two seconds. Hello? That's what musicals are, thankyouverymuch.

After the show, we found our way back to that self -park and paid THIRTY DOLLARS for like 2 and 1/2 hours of parking (I found out from a friend that if we would have parked closer to the theater, it would have been about 1/2 that cost...but we wouldn't have had our adventure, right?) We got a bit lost leaving the city because Sassy Manassy got confused every time we went through construction, so I almost started laughing and saying, "Look everyone! Big Ben! Parliament" (like in European Vacation?) except that by now it was dark and the area we were lost in was scary and it just wasn't very funny.

We finally made it to the interstate and got home around 7:30pm. Scott logged in to Southwest and found out that all of the flights East were canceled due to the snow storm they were having, so we could have taken the train after all. But then, it wouldn't have been such an adventure and we wouldn't have had anything to look back on and laugh about later.

Why am I the only one laughing about this? hmmmmmmm

Our New Year's Eve Celebration

Every year, we spend New Year's Eve with our oldest friends (when I say 'oldest', I don't mean by age, I mean that we've known them our entire married life), Jim and Melisa. Last year, our brother-in-law turned 40 on NYE, so we went to his birthday celebration, so Jim and Melisa came to our house the day after Christmas instead. This year, we went to Jim and Melisa's house. We got to their house around 5pm. They were in the kitchen making pizza. YUM.




Luckily, our boys are great friends and enjoy hanging out together. from left: Melisa and Jim's younger boy, older boy, and our boy.

Every year, our boys play video games while we play Spades. It's always Girls vs. Boys. And most times, we girls let the boys win. It's good for their egos. ;) However, Melisa pulled out an old notebook that showed that we won, proving that we DO have a strategy and we are as good as we say we are!


The old notebook...notice the score...527 vs. 95...were they even playing the game that night? We decided to use the old notebook to bring us luck.



We figured, if all else failed, we could dazzle them with our beauty.



Let the game begin!



Scott* thought that using his light-up hat would bring him luck...he was sorely mistaken.



Oh yeah! Our first trump of the night! Stomping on some ace action! Go Melisa!

Apparently, beauty + brains overpowered the boys.....Victory was ours! Score....Girls 1; Boys 0


Woot Woot! Go girls! We turned on our cheerleading skills. The guys were just jealous they didn't have a great clap like we did. Go! :clap: Girls! :clap: Go! :clap clap:

True to form, we 'let' the boys win the second game. Scott was trying to justify their loss. It fell on deaf ears.



It's a balancing act, dontcha know? It's our secret to being married 24 years (Melisa and Jim got married 8 days after we did.)





After eating some great food, including these delicious cupcakes:


...and playing a couple of games of cards....
we toasted the new year....



Then, around 1:30am, we decided to call it a night. (we spent the night to keep off of the roads, esp since we live 90 min away.) Roxie even was exhausted from cheering on Team Girls!



The next morning, we were treated to a delicious breakfast of cheese and spinach quiche, breakfast pizza, blueberry muffins, and cinnamon rolls. After sitting and chatting for awhile over many cups of coffee, Scott and I headed home.

Happy New Year to everyone! May your 2011 be filled with many blessings. :cheers:

*I decided to stop calling Scott "The Man" in my blog. It's my resolution for 2011...it's one I know I won't break. ;)

24 Years....

Twenty four years ago, I married the love of my life. Here's to many more years together!

I love you, Hon!
xoxo

The Time Shopping Saved the Day!

One of the great things of living here in Farm Country is the ability to enjoy living in a small town while having a major city within driving distance. I grew up in a small town in Northern WV that was 45 minutes away from Pittsburgh. I've been to the symphony, ballet, zoo, concerts, baseball games, etc. in Pittsburgh, but it was always wonderful to go back home to our small town. (and when I say small....I mean small!)

When we moved here, we knew we wanted to find a house in a small town. Many people who worked for the same company questioned our reasoning for wanting to live in a town with a prison. Doesn't faze us one bit. In fact, we have a state police headquarters, sheriff's police headquarters and the local police all in one area. Pretty safe small town.

About 6 months after we moved here, our friends who live in the suburbs asked us if we wanted to go to Chicago to see a Broadway play. I was all over that idea! The Man? Not so much. He's not really interested in musicals. However, after Jim begged him, I mean... talked him into it, and after the promise of dinner at The Butcher Shop (now closed, sadly)....mmmmm MEAT....he finally agreed.

So, The Man and I drove to the suburbs and the four of us took the Metra into the city. We got to Union Station early, so we decided to sit and have coffee (Jim and Me), hot cocoa (Melisa), and espresso (The Man). So, we're sitting and talking and people watching, while some Asian woman working in a kiosk is yelling at The Man, "HEY Yummy Yummy!"..... when out of the blue......The Man spills his espresso all over his shirt and pants. He was wearing a dark blue button-down shirt, a tie that had browns and blues (like watercolor), and khaki Dockers. OH NO! We all look at each other......Jim is thinking, "Our day is ruined!" Melisa is checking to make sure he didn't get burned. I yell, "I know! Let's go shopping!" I am such a thoughtful and caring wife! Seriously, I do know that he would never be comfortable walking around with espresso stains on his clothing, so I am thoughtful! ;)

We quickly hail a cab and it was so fun to say, "To Michigan Avenue!" We ended up at Eddie Bauer. The Man grabbed a blue shirt, a pair of khaki pants (thankfully his tie was watercolorish, so you couldn't tell it had espresso on it) and he told the clerk, I'm going to go put these on, take off the tags, and bring the tags to you to ring up. She was a-okay with that. He came out of the fitting room wearing his new duds, asked for a bag for his ruined clothes (that I was able to later get the stains out) and handed the tags to the clerk so that he could pay. She said, "What about the tags for that leather coat?" We looked around....."well, since you don't sell leather coats and this one belongs to me, I don't have a tag!" She wasn't the sharpest crayon in the box and it took her awhile to 'get it.' He finally had to show her the tag inside the coat that said 'Wilson's Leather' on it. Yeah....she finally 'got it.'

After the coffee fiasco and the impromptu shopping trip, we had to hurry to our dinner reservation. We decided to walk (bad idea), so by the time we got to the restaurant, Melisa and I had blisters on our feet and we were miserable. However, dinner was wonderful and we had a good time in spite of the blisters. After dinner, we decided to take a cab to the theater since our feet were killing us. No. More. Walking.

We got to the theater and I was so impressed! The play, Ragtime, was playing at the Ford Oriental Theater. What a gorgeous venue! We settled into our seats and we were transformed to NYC at the turn of the 20th century. I don't remember much about the show, I just remember crying when it was over. I. loved. it. so. much!

After taking another cab to Union Station, and then the Metra back to the 'burbs, we were exhausted. We still had another 1.5 hours to drive back home, but it was so worth it! That was the first of many trips we've made to 'the city' for dinner, shows, touring, etc. We love visiting Chicago, but our favorite part is always coming back home!

End of Summer Trip

At the end of August, I found myself at my happy place (no, not Disney World) once again. There is nothing like the smells and sounds of the ocean. When we drive onto Chincoteague Island across the causeway that takes us over the salt marsh, I love to roll down the windows and take in the smells. I anticipate being able to kick off my flip flops (yes, Sam...I still wear them daily in the summer when I'm not barefoot) and walk across the sand toward the ocean's edge. I can almost hear the waves crashing and the smell of the ocean. Nothing cleanses my soul like the ocean (well, Disney is a close second!)

This trip was very laid back. My mother-in-law (other mother) and I spent some quality girlie time hanging out, reading books, and picnicking on the beach. The guys spent their time golfing and fishing, and we weren't 'allowed' to go. That was fine with us! ;)


My lovely other mother and me at the beach...after a coupla cosmos. ;)

The Man is an early riser, so he spent his early mornings taking Molly in the car to McDonald's for coffee (him) and for a sausage biscuit (her.) Then, they would hit the nature trail for their daily walk. He found that they would have to go before the sun rose because Molly, being a miniature Schnauzer and thinking she was a pit bull, liked to antagonize every. single. dog that she saw. The other dogs laughed at her, I'm sure. Or, they wanted to be like her since clearly she IS a princess. ;)


The Man and Molly...she thinks he's HER man, but she's delusional!

I did manage to talk The Boy into coming to the beach with us for an afternoon. He played volleyball with a group of young people and then chilled with us. It's nice to have mom-son-grammy time every once in awhile. ;)


The Boy at the beach...sorry his underwear is hanging out. I guess that's cool or something...or maybe he just needed to pull up his shorts?

Relaxing at the beach....PRICELESS.

Doin' the Happy Dance!

Guess what came when we were on vacation? Go ahead...guess...I'll wait.....

MY AEROSMITH TICKETS! So, yeah, I'm just a bit excited!

I have so many wonderful things to look forward to in the next few weeks...

• spending the week in Chicago with my mom and sister
• seeing Melisa while we're there...she's like family :)
  
• The Boy coming home from camp
• Aerosmith concert
• something I'm not at liberty to discuss because it's a bit too personal, but if it comes through, y'all will be among the first to know (how's that for mystery and suspense?)
  

So, it's Saturday here in Farm Country and The Boy texted his dad and wanted to meet somewhere in the middle between here and camp to play golf. Isn't that SWEET? I'm probably going to just hang out here and do something productive...maybe.

Have a great weekend...I hope your Saturday is a sunny one!

Fourth of July

On Saturday morning, I woke up and The Man asked me if I wanted the good news or the bad news. I just looked at him and said, "What?" He had his laptop out with directions to my sister's house. We originally thought it would take approximately 6 hours to get there. WRONG! He said we could either take the long way and cross the Bay Bridge again, OR we could take the 'short way' and cross the Bay Bridge Tunnel. Good times.

We said our good-byes to Patty, Ed, Molly, and Gypsy, plugged in Sassy Manassy and headed out of town. We made it to the bridge tunnel in 2 hours. We got to the toll booth, The Man pulled up and the lady taking the money just stared at him. He smiled and stared back. No signs stating the price, etc. She just sat there. Seriously. Finally, he looked at her and said, "What do you need?" TWELVE DOLLARS! Yes, folks, you heard that right...so let's see, after paying $8 to cross Indiana, $13 to cross Ohio, $6 to cross the Bay Bridge, our tolls have now totaled $39! Craziness!

So, we paid our money (it was that or swim the 30 some odd miles across the Chesapeake Bay) and off we went. Here are some pictures of the Bay...











When we got to the other side, we were suddenly in Virginia Beach. Listen, we used to live in Virginia Beach, but believe me when I tell you I had no clue that this bridge/tunnel ended there! Maybe the city expanded since we left in the late 80s? Who knows? Anyway, by this time we were starved, so The Man typed "Fuddruckers" into Sassy to see if there was one close by. OH YES! 3.8 miles away. So, off we went for some tasty goodness! We used to love to eat here when we lived at "the beach." My dad L.O.V.E.D. this place! The man said that he wanted to eat here in honor of my dad. ;) See why I love him so? Before we left, I stopped at the bakery department at Fudd's and got a few chocolate chip cookies and the biggest krispy treats I've ever seen. YUMMY

So, once we got back onto the interstate, we drove and drove and drove some more. I chatted with my sister a few times and The Man wanted me to assure her we'd be arriving sometime in the millenium. She just asked that we call when we got about 1/2 hour away so that she could order the pizzas so that none of us would starve.

Finally....we reached Wild, Wonderful West Virginia!


I took this picture at the welcome center...

And then about 2 hours later, we finally arrived at my sister's house! Craig had driven to town for something and he saw us on the way back home, so the girls and my sister were on their front porch waiting for us. Aubrey was jumping around when we pulled into the driveway. :) We went in, had our pizza and visited before heading to bed. It was a very long day! Oh, and by the way, I had been craving corn on the cob for a few days. There is something to be said about sister e.s.p. because my precious sister had TWO DOZEN ears of corn waiting to be cooked on her counter for the 4th! I love her so!

On the 4th, Craig and The Man left a bit early so that they could golf, so we girls just hung out around the house. The girls were getting antsy because 'Uncle Doc* brought fireworks!!!' We stopped in Ohio when we were 'home' for the reunion and went to Phantom Fireworks for the girls. Then, along the way to VA, we purchased a bit more. We didn't over do it like in years' past, but you know....The Man is just a big kid at heart.

While we were waiting for the guys to get home, we prepared the food, shucked corn, took pictures, chatted, etc.


picture courtesy of Allison


Aubrey taking a break from picture taking


Al reading 'her' Kindle


Aunt Dawn! Take a picture of me jumping! (notice the Raggedy Ann in the background? That was Margie's when she was a little girl...Mom had to make her new legs because she put 'boo boos' on Raggedy with Magic Marker...plus we put 'make up' on her face with chalk. lol)

Finally, the guys got home and Uncle Doc and Aubrey started shooting off fireworks. The Man gave her a punk, taught her how to light and run and oh boy! What fun they had!


Who is having more fun here?

Then Allison decided to get in on the action...

Seriously...we're innocent here! ;)

Do it like this....light it and then RUN!


This is fun!






My beautiful Sister

After Craig grilled burgers, hot dogs, and kielbasa, he made a fire in the fire ring that he built. Isn't it beautiful?




Craig and Margie taking picture of the fire on their iphones. :)

The Man taking a break from entertaining the chicks. :)

And what's a fire without s'mores? Mmmm...yummy, gooey marshmallow-y goodness...




Sparkler girls with attitude...






watching the fireworks show


The girls made sure we all had glow jewelry.

The fifth came way too soon and we had to leave. The Man had to be back to work by the 6th. Out of the 10 days we were gone, we spent 4 full days on the road. The next time, we'll have to take 2 weeks in order to really be able to rest and enjoy our vacation. All in all, we had a wonderful time...well, except for the eye incident. :( And, of course, it would have been perfect had The Boy been able to join us.

*Allison used to call The Man 'Uncle Doc' when she was a baby. Isn't that ADORABLE?