The celebration of the SIXTH...

Four score and six years ago today, ok forget the four score but six years ago today, a very beautiful woman named Kandace said "I DO" to a very handsome man named Tyler... thus beginning a marriage made in heaven, or at least a marriage made at LaCaille. Which I suppose could be mistaken for heaven on Earth, if you hadn't worked there for eight years of your life! And on this glorious day, I too laid eyes on the man of my dreams Tyler, just kidding Troy, the brother of the bride, which ultimately led to our marriage, a year later...

So happy Anniversary Kandace and Tyler. Thank you for sharing this very special day! We'll raise our imaginary glasses, filled with imaginary champagne and toast to another sixty, at least!

Here are a few pics of the beautiful couple. I don't have any pics from their actual wedding? I think I should, so send me some-K -Kan...

Here they are with their son Jett, in front of the Married with children fountain in Chicago. I can't remember the real name of the fountain?

A very HAPPY couple! (Just thank me later for posting this pic)

I wanted to post these pics, because it's a very RARE that Avery ever let anyone else hold him besides Troy or myself!

So anyway, like I stated before, their marriage lead to Troy and I meeting each other, and our own love affair started...

This is the very first picture we ever took together. We had just met two days before. (Notice the deodorant on my shirt???) Not to mention the sweater wrapped around my waist? This was when my butt looked good?? Why was I covering it up?

This is our first family picture. Look how little our girls are! Hallie just turned three in this pic. That's the same age Avery is now??? Crazy, I forgot how little she really was when we met! She was just a baby! And Jaylyn was almost nine, and Kasey had just turned eight! Wow...

So basically one wedding lead to another, and the rest of the story will be told at a later date.

Kandace and Tyler we love you both so very much! We hope you have a wonderful anniversary... always and forever all of our love!

"CATCH"-up...

We have had a few people asking if we were still alive, and the answer is yes, barely!
I know it's been quite a while since my last post, but seriously our lives are so boring I don't have anything to post about???

So I'll make some stuff up... A long over-due bath for our doggie Kain... You can tell he just loves it! Poor little pooch! But don't worry, this was the last bath he has to have outside. Now that it's getting cold, he gets to take nice warm baths in our tub!

Kasey and her girlfriend Shianne. They always love to have their picture taken! Their volleyball season is going by very quickly. They play three games a week, so it makes for a very fast season! Kas is playing great! She really loves this sport, and we are going to see if we can get her into club ball... We would really like for her to play tennis or golf, but she will have nothing to do with either sport??? WHATEVER!

Troy and I have also been working on my Dad's website www.grantromneyclawson.com

It's a slow trial by error process, but it will get there! This picture above is one of my Dad's paintings. It's titled, "Hawaiian Paradise" isn't it beautiful! For about 50,000 dollars, you could own one of his paintings too! Just contact me...

Now to the BOY!!! Wow, three years old and wow, I don't know what else to say??? Don't let these sweet pictures deceive you! My son is a wild man!!! Where did my sweet little angel go? The yelling and hitting and crying for no apparent reason is almost too much for me! Seriously he celebrated his third birthday and something just snapped! It's his way or NO WAY! I can't tell you how many times a day, Troy and I just look at each other like "Which side does he get this from???" What have you done with our son?

Well, that's all folks......Avery calls

Happy Boy- Happy Mail...

Avery is wearing his new pajamas that he got from his best friend Jett... thanks Jett and thanks Kandace, they are so darling and just what he needed!


So on to my Happy mail, YES -HAPPY MAIL STILL EXISTS!!! Today I received some absolutely beautiful mail! My friend Karli, who lives in Oregon sent me a beautiful canvas (pictured below) that she designed herself. The words she used on the board she said were character traits that she admires in me! She could not be any sweeter! And for all of you that 'really' know me, don't say anything- just let her believe that I posses all of those wonderful qualities!

She also sent two cds full songs that make her 'happy'... she's hoping they will also make me happy, I'm sure they will! Thanks K- you really are so sweet...

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful Boy...

Three years ago today I looked like this! I was 'very' pregnant with my son, AVERY!!!!
Happy Birthday to my sweet little sugar lips....AVERY who is celebrating his 'third' all day long...

Our Dr. was out of town the day Avery was born. He came a week early (thankfully) and still weighed 9lbs. 3 oz- and was 22 1/2 inches long! I can't imagine if he had waited another week- yikes! And even though we didn't have our "chosen" Dr. the fill in was wonderful! It was a beautiful day!

Anyway, I have been thinking a lot about what I would write today about our only 'boy'..... Now don't get me wrong, we love our girls! We love all of our kids equally- but there's just something different about having a boy??? You know the part in the movie The Lion King where Mufasa holds up his new son Simba, and the music is peeking and the whole pride is looking up at this baby boy (Lion) and he feels SO proud of his new baby boy... well... the feeling I get when I watch that part, is the same way I feel about my baby BOY!!! I want the world to know how proud I am of him??? Maybe it's because "The World" has already helped design my feelings about what my son 'should' be or just exactly what's expected of him in this world. It's not that I don't expect or want my girls to succeed in school, athletics, or what ever it is they want to do, because I do- I expect a lot from all three of them- and have every confidence that they will be successful in anything they choose to do! But at the same time, It feels a little different when I think about my son and his future...

I don't think I'm totally alone in this regard, especially when I look back on the "dating" years, when you not only "dated" a guy, but you "dated" his mother too! I could never figure out why I was never really 'good' enough for these guys, where now I can see, it was less about 'me' and more about what was expected of these boys, and in a Mothers eyes GIRLS JUST GET IN THE WAY OF THEIR BOYS FUTURE!!!

Ok, now that I have my own boy, I kind of 'get it' at least a little bit! I don't 'want' to be one of those moms, but I guess you never know! And the fact that I'm even talking about this when my son is only three, might lead us all to believe that I am already ..................."ONE OF THOSE MOMS" .....The flip side to my negative dating memories is this.....that even after a couple of "Frogs" I found my "Prince" and the Mother attached to him I absolutely ADORE! Turns out, fairy tales DO come true!

Anyway, back to the birthday boy! He has brought tremendous joy to our family! I will always be so thankful to my sis-in-law Kandace for basically talking me into having another baby.... because seriously I was SOOOOOOOOO done having babies! And now, I can't imagine my life without him- my body I can imagine but....just kidding!

So basically we celebrated Avery's birthday for a week! Here he is showing his new Harley Davidson pillow from Nana and Papa...

And Here he is opening another gift from Nana and Papa....

Papa was in town a week ago on Troy's birthday, so we decided to also celebrate Avery's birthday while he was here. We went to dinner and Troy and Avery opened some presents.... it was a lot of fun!

Then yesterday we went to dinner again just for Avery's birthday, a day early because Troy had to go out of town on his actual birthday- HOW RUDE!!!

Then we went home and had cupcakes instead of cake, which Kasey thought was really unfair to Avery, but really he could care-less! All he wanted to do was blow out candles- so we lit six of them, and let him blow them out over and over again! He couldn't have been happier!

And just to top off this great birthday week, Avery and I drove Troy out to O'Hare airport this morning, and wouldn't you know it poor little Avery started complaining that his tummy hurt and then started throwing up! I couldn't get home fast enough, but that's just it- we couldn't get home!!! I MISSED the turn off towards our house and spent the next THREE HOURS OR 170 MILES ( how ever you want to look at it!) TRYING TO GET UN-LOST.... As if I needed yet another reason to HATE ILLINOIS!

Anyway, if you need us we'll be right here! I'm never leaving this house AGAIN!

Avery, my son- We love you without end, even if you decide not to play sports! No really, we will love you always and forever.......but play sports anyway-k....love Mommy and Daddy

THE TROJAN HORSE...

Today is my hot, sexy, sculpted, amazingly wonderful husbands 34Th birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEETIE!!! Finally he's as old as me! (for three months) It's hard being the "older" one in this relationship! So I thought I'd write a few things about this beautiful man that you may already know, or -you may learn some things you didn't know, but where dying to find out...

1. He will gladly wear pink!

2. He looks sooooooooo good in pink!

3. He got the nickname "Trojan Horse" in high school. He said it started because Troy is similar to TRO-jan, but if you asked his Grandpa Hinckley he would tell you it was because he was the greatest baseball player that ever lived and that he played ball like a Trojan Warrior!!! Yes, he might be Troy's biggest fan!

4. He played baseball in the Minor Leagues for about 7 years.

5. His baseball career ended when he was diagnosed with Cancer. He is a 9 year survivor!!!

6. He loves to fish and could do it everyday. As a matter of fact, he could live on a boat, fish for his food, and be the happiest man on this Earth! Instead he lives in a house, gets to fish a couple times a year, and is still HAPPY!

7. He is non-confrontational. We are complete opposites in this regard.

8. His first car was a 1983 z-28 Camero.

9. His eyes change color with whatever he is wearing.

10. He has PERFECT teeth. Zero cavities, must be nice! I can set off the alarm at the airport with my mouth!

11. He does Yoga with his son. He wishes his wife would do it with them too.

12. He married his High School sweetheart when he was nineteen. Found out it wasn't so "sweet" and got divorced 8 years later.

13. He has two beautiful children, Jaylyn and Hallie from his first marriage- Now that's "SWEET"

14. We met at his sisters wedding at LaCaille. It was love at first sight................(for me)

15. He played recreational baseball when we met. One night, at one of his games, the pitcher threw a pitch to the catcher who was Troy. The umpire stopped the game, took the ball out of Troy's mitt, walked it over to me and said "Does this belong to you?" He handed me the ball and written on it was a proposal for marriage. Before I new what was going on Troy was on his knee asking me to marry him, right in the middle of a game!

16. We have been married now for almost 5 years.

17. He is the most patient man I know. I deliberately put this one in after number 16- believe me, marriage works because of him!

18. He rarely speaks negatively about anyone. If he does say anything negative about someone, it's because they have really done something that he doesn't approve of.

19. Like his Dad, he is an amazing father. His children are his life. He loves them without end, and it kills a little piece of him everyday being separated from two of them!

20. He is a life long Dodger fan. I think it hurts him a little that I do not share this love for his team. Sorry baby, I'll never leave my Sox, RED SOX that is!

21. His favorite color is Dodger Blue.

22. His favorite place to eat, in the whole wide world is PAGODA!!!

23. He loves all things Chinese, Japanese, well really anything Asian! Food, movies, etc...

24. I have a couple girlfriends who's husband have odd fetishes about dressing up like Pirates or Star Wars characters. Well my husband would be a Ninja if he could. I imagine that if he had a Ninja costume he too would put it on and ask me to take pictures of him in it! (Taunacy are you laughing?) I think he has a 'crush' on Jackie Chan! Seriously, I can't watch another movie where the mouth movements don't match the words, it drives me crazy! How can anyone watch those movies??? Well sweetie how?

25. He practices Martial Arts. He just earned his yellow belt! Way to go honey! He says he loves doing it more than playing baseball! (Don't tell his Dad or Grandpa)

26. He loves his Blackberry. He would have an affair with it, if that was possible! As a matter of fact, I think he is having an affair with it!

27. He is extremely disciplined! He loves to work out and rarely misses a day doing it. Again he wishes his wife would do it with him.

28. He would grow his hair out and wear it long if his wife would allow it.

29. He is so funny! He has a wonderful sense of humor, and loves to tease!

30. He has the 'Doezie toe' which is an inside joke with the Doezie family, and it appears as though he has passed it on to his son, poor baby!

31. He plays the guitar.

32. He is a worthy Priesthood holder. He loves the Gospel and has a testimony of it that he probably won't be sharing (with any of you) anytime soon! It's just like praying in public, he doesn't do that very often either! We definitely have this in common!!!

33. He is a great cook!

34. He love, love, loves animals- especially his doggie Kainer!

Troy, I am the most fortuitous woman in the world! I don't think I could love you anymore than I already do! What could I have possibly done to deserve you in my life? I don't know, but I am so thankful whatever the reason! I want nothing more than to spend my life with you, and to continue this love affair for all of Eternity! Your the 'paper' and what good is the 'glue' without it? I love you Troy, I loved you before I knew you and I will love you always and forever...

LABOR on Labor Day...

Labor Day. What a great day to do all the things you have been putting off FOREVER!!!
I had a list of things to do, as long as my arm and we almost accomplished the whole list!

Two of the things to do on my list where to paint around our front door, and to paint this darling little bench I had bought a few months ago.

Avery absolutely LOVES to paint. The entire time we were painting the bench he would say "I love this paint Mom, I'm a great painter." It was so cute!!! He honestly did such a great job and he only got a little paint in his hair, which is why his hair is wet in the pics. Troy hosed him down a couple times during painting. Also notice the (Big boy Spongebob-pants) he's slowly potty training and he insisted we buy these underwear.

The almost finished bench. Now I just need to antique it and it will be done!

So at church on Sunday, we decided to celebrate Avery's birthday a little early. I had to teach the lesson that day, so I decided to incorporate a small party into the day. It was probably the most fun I've ever had in nursery, and the kids loved it too. Each child got to decorate their own cupcakes with frosting and a bunch of different candies and sprinkles and such. Only a couple of them actually ate the cupcakes, they mostly just licked off the frosting and ate the candy. It was a little messy but a lot of fun!

We decided to do it this way because Troy will be out of town on his actual birthday, and we didn't want him to not get a party at all, poor little baby!