Happy Birthday Mia!

Happy First Birthday my sweet girl! We won the baby lottery when you were born...sleeping well, eating well, and rarely (if ever) crying. You and your brother bring us joy everyday seeing you love each other and become friends. So thankful for you each and every day! We love you!!! ❤️

Someone is the boss alright! Who says girls can't wear their brothers old shirt and shoes??? 

Weekend of karate as usual

I didn't realize this didn't post 2 weeks ago... Pics from Chicago.

Another weekend of Karate

Mia got to sport an early birthday gift in the pool and Alexander took 3rd and 3rd...probably would have done better had he not felt bad. Ended up having strep. That'll definitely slow anyone down!!!

My little rockstar

First in sparring and second in forms

Beryl's Buttons

My #TBT is a tribute to my former neighbors. Chuck and Beryl were my neighbors when I bought my first house in 2005. They quickly became very good friends and were like pseudo grandparents to my son after he was born. They were the sweetest couple and the best neighbors. Beryl loved my dogs and had a very special place in her heart for my dog  Sonny which was extremely funny because he was huge and Beryl was a tiny, tiny English lady. Sonny was probably 50 pounds heavier than her. We actually used to joke around about how small she was because her daughters had the worst time finding her clothes. They'd have to shop in the kid's section and even then, it was a toss-up as to whether it would fit. They had been married for a very long time after meeting when Chuck was in the military. I remember them telling the story of their courtship and how Beryl actually laughed when Chuck asked her to marry him. She thought he was joking. Many days were spent with those folks drinking cocktails on their back porch, talking over the fence about how Sonny scared our other neighbors and how Beryl thought no one should be scared of her boy, and discussing how they hated their "dirty" maple in the back yard.  Despite their age and health concerns, they were always working in the yard, fixing up the garage for the season, and cleaning something in their house. They're the only people I've ever known to take the hinges and knobs off the cabinets to clean them, every year.  It was a sad fall when they found out Chuck's cancer from many years before had returned. He quickly went downhill and passed away. Sonny knew Chuck was going to pass before anyone else and sat on his doghouse and howled and cried long before the ambulance came to take him to the hospital for the last time.  I remember getting a call at work the next day that he'd passed. I was devastated...not only because I loved him but for Beryl.  But, how they handled his death was amazing.  I remember leaving work, going straight to the store to buy wine and liquor and a giant stuffed dog she could cuddle when she got lonely. They told me that was the sweetest and most relevant gift she could have gotten. She named him Sonny Jr. Beryl went about her way and lived life as she should have by continuing their cleaning traditions, traveling, and coming over to our house for cocktails. A few years went by and Beryl's health issues finally caught up with her and she became ill. Those were a very sad few months not knowing what was going to happen to her and watching her get worse and worse. We were able to visit Beryl in the hospital and she acted like nothing was wrong with her and told us stories and laughed with us about Sonny and the many memories she had of him. A few weeks later, Beryl passed away as well. Her and Chuck's death were devastating and like losing family. Beryl's best friend June and I sat on the phone one evening crying and laughing and I listened to her remembering their friendship and how the 4 of them had spent so much good times through the years together. June's husband had passed many years before. I'm thankful that Carol and Susan were generous enough to offer us whatever we wanted of Chuck and Beryl's from furniture to dishes to Christmas ornaments. There's not a room in my house that doesn't have something of theirs in it. Today, I was looking for a button to use on a barrette of my daughter's and I grabbed Beryl’s old button tin.  When I opened it, it still smelled like their house. She had taken the time to write on them so she'd know which shirt or jacket they belonged too. She had even written the size. I stood there over the buttons and tears came to me remembering the sweet friends and neighbors that I still miss so much. Here's to you Chuck and Beryl...I hope you are enjoying all the splendor Heaven has to offer.

Shodan banquet 2015

Alexander receiving his award for getting medals at Nationals last year

Mia with her bunny Lilliana