We circled around Childrens Lake and even hit the park for a few.
It is such a treat to spend time with her and her awesome family!
She has some pretty incredible kids and I loved capturing their silliness:
Friday, March 25, 2011
Aunt Quackers comes to town
My cousin Amanda, her husband Jim, and her kids Emilee, Liam and Brynn came to visit for the weekend. What a wonderful weekend it was. Audrey got 3 ready made playmates and she had a ball playing with them! 
We went to the circus. We took a minute or two to visit with Uncle Pickles and cousin Danielle, and even got a new clown name "lil Gherkin" 
It was great! I think we enjoyed it as much as the kids.
Then, I had a great time taking their family portraits, which I was pretty pleased with.
We circled around Childrens Lake and even hit the park for a few.
It is such a treat to spend time with her and her awesome family!
She has some pretty incredible kids and I loved capturing their silliness:
We circled around Childrens Lake and even hit the park for a few.
It is such a treat to spend time with her and her awesome family!
She has some pretty incredible kids and I loved capturing their silliness:
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Send in The clowns
We had the excited privilege to attend the Zembo Shrine Clowns practice. My brother in law is Pickles, a real life Zembo clown. He invited us to bring Audrey out for their practice.
She wasnt quite sure of everything that was going on around her. But, we had a really great time. And managed to snap some cute pics.
She wasnt quite sure of everything that was going on around her. But, we had a really great time. And managed to snap some cute pics.
Monday, March 7, 2011
I Once Was: Clean Air
Clean Air
I remember the smell that permeated from the small house in the bend of the dirt road, steamed cabbage and spicy perfume. It circled through the kitchen, out through the screen door, and onto the porch. My grandparents lived there, comfortably. They had journeyed three hours away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Towering trees and hills surrounded their little white house. On the guided words of my grandfather’s doctor, they moved into the clean mountain air. It would clear his lungs of emphysema. I was born into that clean air. He died there when I was just 10 years old.
Audrey, this is the first of a book of short stories that I wrote about your Great Gram. She was an incredible woman, and besides Pop and Mom-Mom, she was the biggest presence in my life growing up. She would have loved you, your spunk. You get that from her. So, I wanted to post the short stories that I wrote every so often, so that there is a place, for you to enjoy them.
I hope as you read them, you can picture what she was like and the part she played in my life.
Love, Mom
I remember the smell that permeated from the small house in the bend of the dirt road, steamed cabbage and spicy perfume. It circled through the kitchen, out through the screen door, and onto the porch. My grandparents lived there, comfortably. They had journeyed three hours away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Towering trees and hills surrounded their little white house. On the guided words of my grandfather’s doctor, they moved into the clean mountain air. It would clear his lungs of emphysema. I was born into that clean air. He died there when I was just 10 years old.
Audrey, this is the first of a book of short stories that I wrote about your Great Gram. She was an incredible woman, and besides Pop and Mom-Mom, she was the biggest presence in my life growing up. She would have loved you, your spunk. You get that from her. So, I wanted to post the short stories that I wrote every so often, so that there is a place, for you to enjoy them.
I hope as you read them, you can picture what she was like and the part she played in my life.
Love, Mom
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Oh The Places You'll Go...In honor of Dr. Seuss's Birthday!
Oh, the Places You'll Go!
Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You're off to Great Places!
You're off and away!
You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.
You're on your own. And you know what you know.
And YOU are the guy who'll decide where to go.
You'll look up and down streets. Look 'em over with care.
About some you will say, "I don't choose to go there."
With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet,
you're too smart to go down any not-so-good street.
And you may not find any
you'll want to go down.
In that case, of course,
you'll head straight out of town.
It's opener there
in the wide open air.
Out there things can happen
and frequently do
to people as brainy
and footsy as you.
And when things start to happen,
don't worry. Don't stew.
Just go right along.
You'll start happening too.
OH!
THE PLACES YOU'LL GO!
You'll be on your way up!
You'll be seeing great sights!
You'll join the high fliers
who soar to high heights.
You won't lag behind, because you'll have the speed.
You'll pass the whole gang and you'll soon take the lead.
Wherever you fly, you'll be the best of the best.
Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.
Except when you don' t
Because, sometimes, you won't.
I'm sorry to say so
but, sadly, it's true
and Hang-ups
can happen to you.
You can get all hung up
in a prickle-ly perch.
And your gang will fly on.
You'll be left in a Lurch.
You'll come down from the Lurch
with an unpleasant bump.
And the chances are, then,
that you'll be in a Slump.
And when you're in a Slump,
you're not in for much fun.
Un-slumping yourself
is not easily done.
You will come to a place where the streets are not marked.
Some windows are lighted. But mostly they're darked.
A place you could sprain both you elbow and chin!
Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in?
How much can you lose? How much can you win?
And IF you go in, should you turn left or right...
or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite?
Or go around back and sneak in from behind?
Simple it's not, I'm afraid you will find,
for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.
You can get so confused
that you'll start in to race
down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace
and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space,
headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.
The Waiting Place...
...for people just waiting.
Waiting for a train to go
or a bus to come, or a plane to go
or the mail to come, or the rain to go
or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow
or waiting around for a Yes or a No
or waiting for their hair to grow.
Everyone is just waiting.
Waiting for the fish to bite
or waiting for wind to fly a kite
or waiting around for Friday night
or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake
or a pot to boil, or a Better Break
or a sting of pearls, or a pair of pants
or a wig with curls, or Another Chance.
Everyone is just waiting.
NO!
That's not for you!
Somehow you'll escape
all that waiting and staying.
You'll find the bright places
where Boom Bands are playing.
With banner flip-flapping,
once more you'll ride high!
Ready for anything under the sky.
Ready because you're that kind of a guy!
Oh, the places you'll go! There is fun to be done!
There are points to be scored. there are games to be won.
And the magical things you can do with that ball
will make you the winning-est winner of all.
Fame! You'll be famous as famous can be,
with the whole wide world watching you win on TV.
Except when they don't.
Because, sometimes, they won't.
I'm afraid that some times
you'll play lonely games too.
Games you can't win
'cause you'll play against you.
All Alone!
Whether you like it or not,
Alone will be something
you'll be quite a lot.
And when you're alone, there's a very good chance
you'll meet things that scare you right out of your pants.
There are some, down the road between hither and yon,
that can scare you so much you won't want to go on.
But on you will go
though the weather be foul
On you will go
though your enemies prowl
On you will go
though the Hakken-Kraks howl
Onward up many
a frightening creek,
though your arms may get sore
and your sneakers may leak.
On and on you will hike
and I know you'll hike far
and face up to your problems
whatever they are.
You'll get mixed up, of course,
as you already know.
You'll get mixed up
with many strange birds as you go.
So be sure when you step.
Step with care and great tact
and remember that Life's
a Great Balancing Act.
Just never forget to be dexterous and deft.
And never mix up your right foot with your left.
And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and 3 / 4 percent guaranteed.)
KID, YOU'LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!
So...
be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray
or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O'Shea,
you're off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So...get on your way!
Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You're off to Great Places!
You're off and away!
You have feet in your shoes
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.
You're on your own. And you know what you know.
And YOU are the guy who'll decide where to go.
About some you will say, "I don't choose to go there."
With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet,
you're too smart to go down any not-so-good street.
And you may not find any
you'll want to go down.
In that case, of course,
you'll head straight out of town.
It's opener there
in the wide open air.
Out there things can happen
and frequently do
to people as brainy
and footsy as you.
And when things start to happen,
don't worry. Don't stew.
Just go right along.
You'll start happening too.
OH!
THE PLACES YOU'LL GO!
You'll be seeing great sights!
You'll join the high fliers
who soar to high heights.
You won't lag behind, because you'll have the speed.
You'll pass the whole gang and you'll soon take the lead.
Wherever you fly, you'll be the best of the best.
Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.
Except when you don' t
Because, sometimes, you won't.
I'm sorry to say so
but, sadly, it's true
and Hang-ups
can happen to you.
You can get all hung up
in a prickle-ly perch.
And your gang will fly on.
You'll be left in a Lurch.
You'll come down from the Lurch
with an unpleasant bump.
And the chances are, then,
that you'll be in a Slump.
And when you're in a Slump,
you're not in for much fun.
Un-slumping yourself
is not easily done.
You will come to a place where the streets are not marked.
Some windows are lighted. But mostly they're darked.
A place you could sprain both you elbow and chin!
Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in?
How much can you lose? How much can you win?
And IF you go in, should you turn left or right...
or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite?
Or go around back and sneak in from behind?
Simple it's not, I'm afraid you will find,
for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.
You can get so confused
that you'll start in to race
down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace
and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space,
headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.
The Waiting Place...
...for people just waiting.
Waiting for a train to go
or a bus to come, or a plane to go
or the mail to come, or the rain to go
or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow
or waiting around for a Yes or a No
or waiting for their hair to grow.
Everyone is just waiting.
Waiting for the fish to bite
or waiting for wind to fly a kite
or waiting around for Friday night
or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake
or a pot to boil, or a Better Break
or a sting of pearls, or a pair of pants
or a wig with curls, or Another Chance.
Everyone is just waiting.
NO!
That's not for you!
Somehow you'll escape
all that waiting and staying.
You'll find the bright places
where Boom Bands are playing.
With banner flip-flapping,
once more you'll ride high!
Ready for anything under the sky.
Ready because you're that kind of a guy!
Oh, the places you'll go! There is fun to be done!
There are points to be scored. there are games to be won.
And the magical things you can do with that ball
will make you the winning-est winner of all.
Fame! You'll be famous as famous can be,
with the whole wide world watching you win on TV.
Except when they don't.
Because, sometimes, they won't.
I'm afraid that some times
you'll play lonely games too.
Games you can't win
'cause you'll play against you.
All Alone!
Whether you like it or not,
Alone will be something
you'll be quite a lot.
And when you're alone, there's a very good chance
you'll meet things that scare you right out of your pants.
There are some, down the road between hither and yon,
that can scare you so much you won't want to go on.
But on you will go
though the weather be foul
On you will go
though your enemies prowl
On you will go
though the Hakken-Kraks howl
Onward up many
a frightening creek,
though your arms may get sore
and your sneakers may leak.
and I know you'll hike far
and face up to your problems
whatever they are.
You'll get mixed up, of course,
as you already know.
You'll get mixed up
with many strange birds as you go.
So be sure when you step.
Step with care and great tact
and remember that Life's
a Great Balancing Act.
Just never forget to be dexterous and deft.
And never mix up your right foot with your left.
And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and 3 / 4 percent guaranteed.)
KID, YOU'LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!
So...
be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray
or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O'Shea,
you're off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So...get on your way!
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Ready for Spring
I am ready for sunshine and a day that we can run in the park.
I am ready for a change.
I am ready to plant a garden if tomatoes and peppers and to enjoy cook-outs on the deck.
I am ready for a weekend at the beach and camping with my parents at the lake.
I am ready for leaves on the trees and a visit to the Hershey Butterfly gardens and Lake Tobias.
I am excited that Audrey can spend a few hours on the go without the stroller and that she loves outside.
I am ready to paint her room and set up her big girl bed. Ahhh...PINK!
I am ready for strawberry shortcake and sun tea!
I am ready for the pool.
I am ready to mulch and watch the shoots of my plants blossom.
I am ready to sit on the porch and enjoy the birds.
I am ready for a change.
I want to turn off the TV for 3 months in a row and stay outside for the entire day.
I am ready to feed the ducks at the springs.
I am ready for an Easter egg hunt
I am ready for smores and campfires.
All with you.
I am ready for a change.
I am ready to plant a garden if tomatoes and peppers and to enjoy cook-outs on the deck.
I am ready for a weekend at the beach and camping with my parents at the lake.
I am ready for leaves on the trees and a visit to the Hershey Butterfly gardens and Lake Tobias.
I am excited that Audrey can spend a few hours on the go without the stroller and that she loves outside.
I am ready to paint her room and set up her big girl bed. Ahhh...PINK!
I am ready for strawberry shortcake and sun tea!
I am ready for the pool.
I am ready to mulch and watch the shoots of my plants blossom.
I am ready to sit on the porch and enjoy the birds.
I am ready for a change.
I want to turn off the TV for 3 months in a row and stay outside for the entire day.
I am ready to feed the ducks at the springs.
I am ready for an Easter egg hunt
I am ready for smores and campfires.
All with you.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Dont go changin to try and please me
I love you just the way you are.
Hey Kid,
It's your mom. It's been awhile since I wrote you alone a little note.
Right now, you are fighting off a runny nose. You didnt eat much today, so I made a few macaronis and you seem to be enjoying them now at 8 pm at night. whatever works.
We took you to your new dr today. Dr. Ryder is british. He called your dad the "fire bloke' and your dad had no idea what he said. It made me laugh! Your dad wont be able to go to the dr's with you on his own because he needs me there to interpret. Your dad and I make a good team, even when we dont really seem like we do.
You are so funny, Audie! Lately, you have had us laughing in the aisles.
Today, you repeated back CINCO! very loudly. Out of nowhere, you just sprung out whatever you heard. I swear that you can sing any song back to us to a perfect rhythm. You may not know the words to ABC, but you sure do know the tune. You are like me when it comes to that. My mom and dad used to joke that they needed to sing my math to me, because I remembered any tune, but wasnt so great in math.
You have a new smilethat is just like your dads. You close your eyes and smile really wide. It is a spitting image of your daddy.
You have started calling your Gram: MOM MOM....we think it has stuck.
BUT, there is nobody you call out for more than your POP! You love him.
You say Pop, where are you? You pretend to call him on the phone and you point him out in pictures. It is super cute!
He takes you down to his basement to look at the deer and animal heads and you think it is awesome. he even let you use an owl call. You were a natural!
You love it outside. I cant wait for the weather to get better so we can be outside more often.
I cant believe what a little lady you are becoming. You are just so fun, even when you throw yourself around in a tantrum.
I wish this part of my life happened sooner, the part with you in it, the best part.
But, God knew the right timing and he is so awesome! He gave me your dad and you...only someone awesome could do that! trust him, Aud. he has great plans for your life. Bigger ones than I can even dream for you.
You are my blessing,
Mom( Stacy...as you seem to call me as of late)
Hey Kid,
It's your mom. It's been awhile since I wrote you alone a little note.
Right now, you are fighting off a runny nose. You didnt eat much today, so I made a few macaronis and you seem to be enjoying them now at 8 pm at night. whatever works.
We took you to your new dr today. Dr. Ryder is british. He called your dad the "fire bloke' and your dad had no idea what he said. It made me laugh! Your dad wont be able to go to the dr's with you on his own because he needs me there to interpret. Your dad and I make a good team, even when we dont really seem like we do.
You are so funny, Audie! Lately, you have had us laughing in the aisles.
Today, you repeated back CINCO! very loudly. Out of nowhere, you just sprung out whatever you heard. I swear that you can sing any song back to us to a perfect rhythm. You may not know the words to ABC, but you sure do know the tune. You are like me when it comes to that. My mom and dad used to joke that they needed to sing my math to me, because I remembered any tune, but wasnt so great in math.
You have a new smilethat is just like your dads. You close your eyes and smile really wide. It is a spitting image of your daddy.
You have started calling your Gram: MOM MOM....we think it has stuck.
BUT, there is nobody you call out for more than your POP! You love him.
You say Pop, where are you? You pretend to call him on the phone and you point him out in pictures. It is super cute!
He takes you down to his basement to look at the deer and animal heads and you think it is awesome. he even let you use an owl call. You were a natural!
You love it outside. I cant wait for the weather to get better so we can be outside more often.
I cant believe what a little lady you are becoming. You are just so fun, even when you throw yourself around in a tantrum.
I wish this part of my life happened sooner, the part with you in it, the best part.
But, God knew the right timing and he is so awesome! He gave me your dad and you...only someone awesome could do that! trust him, Aud. he has great plans for your life. Bigger ones than I can even dream for you.
You are my blessing,
Mom( Stacy...as you seem to call me as of late)
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Cruisin
We just arrived home from a 7 night cruise to the bahamas with my parents.
We sailed from Baltimore to Florida and Nassau and Freeport, Bahamas.
The weather was great.
Audrey was a wonderful kiddo...but I must admit that we coulnt have done it all and had a good time without our parents along for the ride. They were so helpful and allowed Jim and I time to enjoy a show and comedy club.
We enjoyed a pontoon cruise in Port Canaveral Florida. We set sail and saw many dolphins and great birds, and we were excited to see 4 manatees during our trip.
Audrey enjoyed the ride with her daddy and at the end fell fast asleep.
Once we left Florida, we sailed to Nassau. There, we enjoyed a day trip to Ardastra Gardens. We fed Lorry parrots and Audrey and Mom-Mom took part in a Flamingo show. She loved it.
Our last stop was Freeport, where we boarded a glass bottom boat and saw many fish...and a whole pod of sharks. 
We even fed the fish with dog food. They jumped out of the water. Audrey enjoyed watching the fish.
On board, Audrey enjoyed the pool. We strolled around the ship often. Audrey spent many nights in Gram and Pop's room. She enjoyed playing at Camp Carnival.
We had wonderful wait staff and stateroom staff.
A nice relaxing trip.
Everyone on the ship commented on how cute our girl was and how sweet she was.
Her favorite activity was dancing on the deck with the other guests.
We also had great photos taken during our special dining nights.
We had a nice time. Thanks to the worlds best parents for traveling along with us and taking such good care of us. We are so very blessed to have you and Audrey is even more blessed.
We sailed from Baltimore to Florida and Nassau and Freeport, Bahamas.
The weather was great.
Audrey was a wonderful kiddo...but I must admit that we coulnt have done it all and had a good time without our parents along for the ride. They were so helpful and allowed Jim and I time to enjoy a show and comedy club.
We enjoyed a pontoon cruise in Port Canaveral Florida. We set sail and saw many dolphins and great birds, and we were excited to see 4 manatees during our trip.
Audrey enjoyed the ride with her daddy and at the end fell fast asleep.
We had wonderful wait staff and stateroom staff.
A nice relaxing trip.
Everyone on the ship commented on how cute our girl was and how sweet she was.
Her favorite activity was dancing on the deck with the other guests.
We also had great photos taken during our special dining nights.
We had a nice time. Thanks to the worlds best parents for traveling along with us and taking such good care of us. We are so very blessed to have you and Audrey is even more blessed.
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