Be Mine

We had a hyped up Valentine's Day at the Thompson House. The girls woke up EARLY and wanted to go downstairs right away to see if we gave them anything. It was like Christmas all over again. Abbie told me she tried to stay up all night...ugh.

We had the usual class parties. Daisy told me she had fun and played games at her party. Abbie's was surprisingly low key compared to the last couple. They worked on a Valentine writing project for a good portion of it so that kept the gang settled down. Abbie enjoyed handing out her Valentines and hanging out with her friends. Both girls ended up with a bag full of loot.

After a doctor appointment for each girl, we had a late lunch at Metro Pizza. Heart shaped pizza please!
We had some gifts for Kyle and dropped them off before he came home from school so he would have a surprise. He surprised his sisters later with a doorbell ditch and presents for them that night. Here they are with the glow sticks he chose for them.
Both Abbie and Daisy told me I was their Valentine...can't go wrong there. And I'm glad they didn't want to be connected with any boys. Our favorite Valentine, Tripp, was oversees but we snuck a little package into his luggage last week so he would have something fun to open. He told us today that he went to yoga and it wasn't busy. For us, that is the next best thing to being with your Valentine(s).

Our Newest City Councilman

That's right...the newest City Councilman for Ward 3 is none other than John F. Marz. I went to his swearing in ceremony tonight and joked with Lindsay that I saw the news trucks pull up outside and it must be a really slow news night. But she let me know that it's been all over...there was a big article about him and all of us in the paper today. Well, I don't get or read the paper so I was happily clueless about that. But now I feel like I need to watch the news tonight!

I am really happy for my dad and proud of him as well. He has been serving on the Henderson Planning Commission for 2 1/2 years now and really just wanted to help make a difference here in Henderson. He promises not to run when the 1 1/2 term ends (he was appointed when a seat was vacated) so no elections for this family (Yay!). He's a good seed my dad and I feel safe knowing that for the next year and a half, my little part of the world is in his hands. Now, if he can just do something about our recycling....

Angie's Celebration

I had the pleasure of attending my cousin Angie's Life Celebration on Saturday night. She passed away earlier this year from cancer.

She didn't want us all to mourn her at a funeral and asked instead for a party...a celebration of life. Her husband, best friend, and family put together a beautiful party in her honor. Joe, her husband, made these amazing posters of her...the one at the birthday party is my favorite. They had photos around the room, different collectibles from her life displayed and a beautiful video to watch. We all had the opportunity to write a note of cheer or advice on a slip of paper then send it up to the heavens on a bunch of balloons. Hopefully someone will find our messages and have some good chi added to their life.

An organization was set up in her honor on the Susan G. Komen website...none of want to lose another loved one to breast cancer. It is entitled Angie Gibbs DeSantis "My Right Breast" and can be found here.
Angie's husband, Joe, is just darling. Sadly, I met him Saturday during set up for the very first time. He started a drum circle with his brother-in-laws and had the kids drumming with him...so fun. I'm certain Angie was loving that. She had an incredible love for her nieces and nephews...quite an aunt.
The entire drum circle. Corbin (Nicole's son) liked the drums so much that Michael handed his over. They went on like this forever.
I have a lot of fun memories of Angie. She was always this beautiful older cousin that did so many amazing things (Miss Reno, acted, lived in L.A., etc.) and was always so funny and up for anything. So was always just cool. I found out so many other amazing things about her that I didn't know and had a good cry over her beautifully written eulogy. She is missed but her energy and joyful spirit lives on and has touched all those around her.

Another one bites the dust...

Will my poor girl have any teeth? At least two of the five she's lost have grown back in. She got two dollars from the Tooth Fairy this time and instead of wanting to give one to her sister she told me this morning that she wanted to give one to the temple fund. Love our toothless wonder....

Grandma Florence

My Grandma Florence passed just after Christmas. The funeral was just over a week ago and our little family met the rest of my family up in Utah for the special day. And it truly was special...with opera signing and the beauty of a guitar, three absolutely lovely speakers and lunch and a graveside service with our wonderful family.

Florence was truly a remarkable lady...so kind, generous, happy and talented. She had a beautiful voice that she took to New York in hopes of a career but in stead decided to serve her country and ended up in England at an Army Hospital. I love all her stories from WWII. Linda read from several of her magical letters of the time. She served during the war valiantly and met her first husband and first of her two "Bills". Her second Bill would be the one we would grow up calling Grandpa..."Mr. C" of Ballet West. She was an Ambassador of Ballet West and their talents until she passed. I could go on and on with her remarkable life but suffice it to say, she was not only a stunner but had the marvelous spirit to match it. She is the type of person you want to know and be around for countless reasons...but mostly because her grace and beauty makes you feel more poised and lovely yourself. She had that special gift.

I think she had all the style and beauty of Grace Kelly but the warmth and voice of Doris Day. She loved to read and I always looked forward to chatting with her about the books she was devouring. Samantha spoke on behalf of all the grandkids and we all had marvelous memories of Grandma and her kindness and love.

Lindsay took some awesome photos of the family that day but I can't get them to save onto my computer. If you want to take a peek...hop over to her blog. She did a marvelous job.

Until we meet again Grandma Flo!

Just Call Her Toothless...

She wanted me to pull it at church Sunday (after class) so I was working on it and her dentist walked by. I called him in and he happily (and easily) yanked the sucker out. She cried for about 1 minute and it was all over. Aunt Lindsay and Nate were in the room and watched (Nate will never want to lose a tooth after this...the look on that poor kid's face) and Nate was worried about Abbie. He talked his mom into baking cookies for her and they dropped them off that evening...what a guy. The tooth fairy left her $2 and she decided to give one to her sister...what a girl.

A New Year

It's a new year...and our family has been thrown a new situation a new set of heartaches and struggles but also the realization after living through the past three that we have to grab this life and wake up each day and live it. My graceful Grandma Florence and cute cousin Angie both recently passed (updates on both to come) and although both were sad, they also sustained my initiative to not let a single day of 2012 go by, good or bad, without living it to the fullest, being truly grateful for it and especially the people in it.

I stole this quote from the absolutely darling blog lilblueboo. You should check it out sometime...talk about living each day to the fullest. I love her "Choose Joy" mantra and plan to to spread it around this year...so watch out!