**freddie freddie froo froo**

i will miss you....terribly.

fred was an amazing cat. gorgeous. friendly. cuddly. the best nap partner around. we will all miss him. he died today.

**wipeout!! you just gotta' watch**

OMG!! the kids and i were laughing so hard at this show on tuesday night. it is the best in a long time. it's like an hour-long AFV clip! we keep going to abc.com and watching the episode again.

**sometimes you just gotta' laugh**

i thought i would share this with you. it cracks me up every time i see it.

oh to dream...

and the yearly exams begin

HAPPY 40th BIRTHDAY DEAR!

happy birthday sweet boy

look who's 15 today!

lost her today

the best grandma in the world.

and so begins june

birthdays, grad days, father's days, and wedding days make my money go away! and it all starts to-day!!

• 6/1 my neice graduates


• 6/5 my dad's birthday


• 6/6 my birthday


• 6/9-6/14 visit danea (this rocks!)


• 6/15 father's day


• 6/21 cj's birthday


• 6/22 berto's mom's birthday


• 6/24 berto's birthday


• there's a wedding in there some where but i can't find the invite

i think i need to make a run for my local hallmark store! july looks a lot like this as well. plus, this july bailey is headed to europe for 14 days. i am starting to have panic attacks already. putting her on that plane is going to be one of the hardest things i have had to do yet.

the other day i had the urge to take a few pics of the things that were making me smile these days as i walked around my house.

i am loving this awesome potpourri and glass dish i got at pier one.

i finally got a cover for my coveted red kitchen aide mixer.







my mom decided that i needed a couple new appliances in my kitchen. this is the stove top/oven. it had a warming drawer on the bottom (which i never knew i needed but let me tell you i do!). it is also convection so i have to learn how to use that. i hear good things about it.






this is the other appliance i got. a dishwasher that is from the heavens i am pretty sure. i love this thing! i could put a pot roast on a plate in there and every thing would come out clean!











and finally, my fruit rack that is in the center of my island. the red apples are fake but the rest is real. this is my favorite decoration in my kitchen. i have had it for 5 years and i still love it. they say that when something in your home stops making you smile it's time to let it go. i think this one is a keeper for me.








we are getting pretty close to having the outside done. just some edging to define new lines in the back yard, re- planting some perennials that we lost, hanging out baskets, and spreading fresh bark dust. i love it when it's done and all i have to do is water, fertilize, and prune/dead-head.

my herbs. clockwise: parsley, cilantro, basil, and thyme. the parsley is actually the wrong type. my mom picked up the right one and i just have to go get it.







this is my favorite tomato. it produces cherry-sized orange tomatoes that are sweet like fruit. we all like them and i am the only one in the house who likes tomatoes. my mom's dog eats them of her plant so she has to plant hers out of reach.

my seating bench with 3 planters. mom plants these up for me every year and they get huge! by august only one person can sit on either side and is usually touched by a plant on one side or the other.

one of my two deck planters. these are huge and end up trailing down to the deck.


ole' pokey here is still working on school. i never thought i would take so long. i guess my inner procrastinator is finally showing itself. i am actually transcribing now, using the foot pedal and listening to doctors dictate. i like it other than when they use actual "medicines". it's like i should know all of the medications out there and know how to spell them. not to mention they don't sound anything like they are spelled. my scores are good but that is where i get knocked down on my work. i am still struggling with that part. uugh.

my grandpa fell and broke his pelvis so he had been in the hospital. he had some complitcations that arose from that so they put him in a nursing home so he can get physical therapy. he seems to be responding well. my grandma, whom i adore, is about to pass. she hasn't had anything to eat or drink for at least 10 days and her kidneys have shut down. i wish God would take her so she wouldn't have to suffer anymore. i know my grandpa is waiting for her. i will miss her terribly. i hope she passes peacefully. say a prayer.

this this the last full week of school. the kids have 8 1/2 days left and they are dying for it to be over! bailey has some killer finals and she is stressing out. i have been emailing cj's teachers like crazy and getting him in to work with them after school and at lunch to make sure all his work is in so we don't end up with any Fs. cross your fingers.

mom and dad have started their summer ritual of spending thursdays thru sundays in Newport with the fishing clan. it makes them so happy and relaxes them. dad fishes with his buddies and mom hangs out with the wives. they head up to Lincoln City and hit the outlet mall. dad has been catching fish already. we get a lot of fresh fish and fresh crab this time of year and it is great.

well, that's all for me right now. i just wanted to check in with you.

peace.