Apparently I've lost my mind

Happy 16th Birthday Bradley

Today is my nephew's 16th birthday. I can't believe it. It doesn't seem like it's possible that he's practically a grown-up! I've put together some of my favorite photos of the little guy!

I remember when he was just a cuddly baby, he was cute ...me, not so much. This is his first Christmas.

He's always been a happy kid. Who know anyone could get that excited over his birthday cake? I've always loved this photo just because of his sheer excitement!

I took this next photo at my 18th birthday. He was so cute, always wanting to sit next to me. It looks like we enjoyed some more birthday cake, (look at Nancy back there... always trying to get in the photos!)

But popping into photos is just family tradition. (There's a picture of his mother running through a wedding picture, here.)

Even with bunny ears, look what a cute little kid he was!

He's been so cute, I wish he could stay little. Happy birthday Brad! Have a great day, and good luck on the driving test!

Love,
Aunt Heather

A Stranglehold on my weekend

So apparently there's a new game out this week, Stranglehold. I discovered this because suddenly we weren't listening to the news, but rather gunshots rung through the house. I enjoy auto racing games, sports games and the like. These first person shooters ON THE BIGGEST TV IN THE WORLD with full surround sound and a blasting subwoofer are another thing all together.

I grew up in a fairly quiet home. My parents didn't listen to music too often, they wouldn't let my brother blast punk in the eighties, and the television was hidden away in a small room at one end of the house. As the drastically youngest of four children, my older siblings moved out by the time I was eight years old. Without the others in the house my parents and I lived in a quiet environment, with the exception of me and my girlfriends giggling about who knows what. That made me a creature that likes silence. This is where Thomas and I have a bit of disconnect, he being the eldest of four. I don't suspect his house was loud, but I think there was always something going on, somebody with a friend over, a sister practicing the piano or the television. Result: he's more comfortable with music on, I like silence.

So, I decided to spend my evening outside. I like Thomas to get some time doing what he likes to do even if it's not my favorite way of spending time at home. I'll make the most of it by tending to my plants that were slightly neglected in last week's unbearable heatwave.

And by admiring Lola and her dedication to eating sticks, playing with her toys and napping.

Our turn

Since moving to California, I have become more conscious of energy usage and especially electricity consumption. I rarely run any major appliance before 8pm, and we use our air conitioner so infrequently I didn't even realize it worked! I try to do my part to not overload our ailing powergrid. But today I guess our neighborhood drew the short straw and we had the priveledge of helping our fellow Californians stay cool by going without power for the entire afternoon. The power company decided roll down our street and flip us off.

A house guest

Why is it when someone comes to stay at our home, I suddenly feel the need to tidy and rearrange? Thomas would be content to leave yesterday's wardrobe stuffed between the couch cushions. Me on the other hand, I run around like a maniac five minutes before people arrive. I get sweaty, exhausted and out of breath I'm in such a cyclonic frenzy.

We can live with our own mess for years, but it's only when a visitor is on their way that I decide we really shouldn't be living with dog hair dust bunnies billowing around the foyer. I not only vacuum, but for some reason I find new storage solutions. I suddenly decide my stuff looks cuter in baskets, and why didn't I ever move my orchids on to those odd shelves in the bathroom?

They look so pretty in there, and they might ACTUALLY get watered!