Happy Halloween!

Though, it really, truly isn't Halloween (that is tomorrow) Trick-or-Treat in Grandma and Grandpa's village was tonight. So, we joined Josh and Alyssa in some good ole Halloween candy collecting. And, boy oh boy, did we have a blast.Brendan has been planning his costume since November 1, 2007. I was actually surprised at just how many hippies were out in our neighborhood this year. Jillian wanted to be a Star Wars family, but couldn't convince Brendan to give up his year-in-the-making hippie attire, so she settled for Cinderella. Not that Cinderella is that bad of a consolation costume. Karigan fell in love with Daisy. She laughed, she cackled, she loved, and she hugged that costume so we knew that was the one for her. That is, until we discovered the bill actually quacked. That kind of freaked her out. Okay, it really freaked her out. So no quacking! After we collected our loot, we headed back to Grandma and Grandpa's for our Halloween tradition: pizza, subs, and veggies from JR's. yumyumyum!

Our Family Date Night

WaterFire Columbus is becoming one of the most exciting art exhibits in Central Ohio. I know that may sound like a stretch, but I have always been mesmerized by fire. The magnificent array of bonfires was first established on the three rivers of downtown Providence, Rhode Island in 1997. In downtown Columbus, the flames reflect on the waters of the Scioto (sigh-oh-tuh) River. This was the last fire for the season and was held simultaneously with the Riverfront Arts Festival (kind of like Mayfest for all you Okies.) We had a great time walking through the different tents of vendors, had a few laughs with the artists, and contemplated buying several things only for Mark to say, "why buy it, when you can do that?" A few of our favorites: Chuck Wimmer, his art candidly illustrates the literary playfulness of words. Click on his name to check out his work. You will not be the same afterwards. Susan Kline, she uses children's playing cards with her personal info stickered to the back as business cards. Mark randomly chose a card with a chef on it from the stack. Her pop art is modern whimsy, something I would love in our home. Jennifer Li, whose story was so inspirational, not to mention, her hand made glass beads left Jillian spellbound. And last but certainly not least, Kimberly Erb. Her impressionism is unremarkable--beautiful, poetic romanticism in paint. Tina if you are reading this...she does custom work. I told her about Cricket and she said that she would give you the 30% show price if you would like a portrait - just mention the Riverfront Arts Festival in Columbus.

The Known and The Unknown.

She goes from one addiction to another. All are ways for her to not feel her feelings.

~ Ellen Burstyn

I had a very interesting conversation with my younger sister again today. I don't know where to begin. I don't know the answers. I don't know how this happened. I don't know how to feel. I don't know when she lost her light. I don't know why she chose this. I don't know why she is so angry. I don't know what to do. I don't know what to say to her, to my parents, to my family, to myself. This is what I do know. Addiction touches everyone. Addiction never goes away - it is transferred or replaced. Addiction hurts everyone not just the addict and the pain is often unbearable. Addiction is selfish. Addiction is thoughtless. Addiction is rogue. Addiction is ruthless. Addiction is deceit. Addiction is not cured; it is managed. Recovery is not about blame. Recovery doesn't allow excuses. Recovery requires honesty. Recovery demands self reflection. She has a greater probability of short term relapse than long term sobriety. She has to be honest. She has to want for better. She knows better. She has experienced better. She has a choice. She is strong. She can beat this.

A Hurricane in Ohio?

Mark's Aunt Veda lives in Florida, and upon hearing that Ohio was struck by a remnants of Hurricane Ike, this is what she had to say...

Dear Ohioans,

It is with great pleasure (and much laughter) to tell ya'll to "HUNKER DOWN"!!!!!!!!! I hope you storm chasers are safe and can easily get the knots and tangles out of your windblown hair! Just one of the many hazards of a hurricane!! Just remember...if you need new windows, you have to poke the window from the outside in! the glass has to be inside to make it look real! It does not hurt to throw in a few leaves and branches too! Have fun with this! I never heard of a cat. 1 hurricane so far inland!!!! I wonder if the tide will rise on Lake Erie!!?? Remember...get in water, duck tape, bleach, rx's, 4 day food supply, important papers, photos, flash light, batteries, you get the idea. If you are interested in attending classes on "HOW TO HUNKER DOWN" just call me. Love and prayers to each and every one of you.

Love, V.

Nesting Family

I am absolutely in love with this idea. How cute would this be for Christmas gifts? Every year each family subunit creates a homemade gift for all the other subunits. We could paint and decorate them like each family member. In addition, I have been looking for a way to decorate the top of the armoire for summer. As domesticated as it sounds, I have a different display for just about every season and holiday - except summer and back to school (which is definitely a holiday in our house.) How cute would this be to paint our family in their swimsuits. Bonus: Cellulite is not included. Get yours here.

Getting By with a Little Help from our Friends

100% Waishnora has been in a time out for a little while.This last month has been crazy and super-dee-duper challenging. The latest ingredient in our cake (see previous blog entry) -- Mark has pneumonia and I have shingles. Woo flippin' hoo! Pardon the sarcasm, but pain is not my friend and it makes me rather irritable and discontented. Thankfully, we have great friends and an even greater family that have rose to our challenge better than we could have ever anticipated. So a big thank you to everyone who has called, helped, cooked, prayed, etc. Your efforts have been just about the only things that have been smile worthy these last few days. My grandpa always used to say, "Jesus never said let me know how I can help, He was just always there to help." So thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for all the help. Goodness knows we need it now more than we ever have before.

Josh is Three!

Happy Birthday to our big guy, nephew, and cousin. We love your outgoing personality, the way you always insist on being in the thick of things, your independent spirit, and your awnry grin. If a game has ball, you are there and dressed in the appropriate uniform I might add. We love you big guy and hope your big day is everything you deserve.

The Family Party

This year Jillian wanted to have a sleepover for her birthday party, and well since 6-10 five year old girls screaming for their moms and dads at 11 pm didn't sound like MY idea of fun, we opted for a pretend sleepover aka A. Pajama. Party. Which meant we needed to separate the good ole family party and the wild and crazy friend party. Today: Family Party. Saturday: Friend Party. Today's Plan: simple, simple, simple. Saturday's plan: stay tuned...

So we celebrated with Grandma and Grandpa Waishnora, Uncle Matt, Aunt Jennifer, Joshua, and Alyssa. Pizza and Salad then the most adorable cupcakes and ice cream. Unfortunately, I am still not feeling quite well, so I didn't get too many pictures. But I had a wonderful assistant that captured many lovely images of our living room floor. Thanks Josh, you were a big, big, HUGE help!

Gotta Love a Deal

So as a last minute hurrah before school starts, Mark and I decided to finally take the kids on that Cincinnati trip we have been talking about ALL summer. We are hoping to squeeze in as much as we can in a very little window of time on a very, very tight budget. So, I had been searching all day for a good rate at a decent hotel that was close to where we wanted to be. No luck. Later, Mark called his mom to see if she knew of any steals, and she recommended priceline.com. They now offer a "name your own price" on hotels. So, if you are familiar with priceline for airline tickets you know that you name the price and once your bid is accepted they tell you the name of the airline you will be flying on and the time of your flight. With the hotel option, you pick your star rating and name your price. Once your bid is accepted, they tell you the name of your hotel. I figured with a little strategy, we could get a nice room at a great price, and hopefully we wouldn't be stuck with one that we would have to sleep with our clothes on or wear our shoes in the shower. So we picked out a 3 star hotel and bid $50 - hey there is no harm in aiming low. Surprising, they came back and said "increase your bid by $14 to win." Thank you priceline - $64 a night for a heavenly room at the Kingsgate Marriott. I will definitely be using priceline again for every hotel stay.

Happy Birthday Jennifer!

"The great thing about getting older is that you don't lose all the other ages you've been."~ Madeleine L'Engle

Please join me in wishing Mark's sister a very happy, happy birthday (not that it couldn't be because she is on an island off the coast of Florida right now.) She is one of the most wonderful people on this planet, the original Jennifer Waishnora. Everyone who knows Jennifer, loves Jennifer. Here are a few reasons I think she is soooo great...

She is always up for an adventure, stays active, and teaches the importance of these things by example to her children. * * She has big, HUGE dreams, her education and personal legacy is on the forefront. * * She keeps things exciting - even the little things. * * She isn't afraid to take on Mark in a cupcake eating contest. * * She makes some mean cupcakes herself - I know it is just a box, but no one does 'em like she does. * * She is extremely friendly and kind-hearted. * * She is real. * * She always looks for the good in everyone and never spotlights the bad. * * She finds the fun in every situation. * * She is an amazing Mother. * * She washed my husbands dishes before I did, even the special-can't-be-washed-in-the-dishwasher plate. And that is honor enough ;)

Who looks like who?

MyHeritage: Look-alike Meter - Vintage photographs - Family history

MyHeritage: Family tree - Genealogy - Celebrity - Collage - Morph

MyHeritage: Look-alike Meter - Family name history - Free family tree software

Mini Cheeseburgers...

...or are they?

Our family project today was to make cupcakes to take to Matt and Jennifer's house for a good ole BBQ with all the family before the Florida family leaves tomorrow. So we decided to make mini cheeseburger cupcakes. I baked the cupcakes, sliced the "buns," and separated the "patties." Brendan put on a zigzag of red icing for the ketchup, a slice of chocolate cupcake for the hamburger patty, and then a swirl of yellow icing for mustard. Jillian added the lettuce - 1/2 tablespoon of sweetened coconut tinted with green food coloring. Then I frosted a white ring of icing for an onion, a red dollop of icing for a tomato, and then placed the bun on top. As we were working we decided next time we will add green melting chocolates for pickles and ivory sprinkles for sesame seeds. We could also use the metal-pushy-down-thingy-cutting-tool (I am sure it has a name, I just don't know what it is) that you use to cut a potato into strips and cut french vanilla ice cream to look like french fries. How clever!?

Say Cheeseburger

Today, we joined Jennifer, Josh, and Alyssa; Veda, Jody, and McKenna; Grandma and Grandpa; and Jeff, Pam, and Heather at Target for a little cheek stretchin', smile givin', picture takin' fun. The goal: a picture of all the great-grandchildren on Mark's side of the family for Great Grandma Betty in Florida. We arrived a little early, so the photographer warmed up with a few shots and poses of Brendan, Jillian, and Karigan by themselves. And since I am a big, big, HUGE slacker and have yet to have all 3 of the kids professionally photographed together, I was grateful for her suggestion and enthusiasm (but now I have the picture bug and want more, more, more.) There are a few picture-haters in the group, namely Jillian. Until recently, she refused to have her picture taken and when anyone was able to snap one she would act as if the flash stole her soul, hence the reluctance to have family pictures taken. So...to ease the anxiety of the 6 kids under the age of 10 and the adults pining for the perfect picture all crammed in to a room the size of a closet, I opted for a little distraction, namely balloons, balloons, and more balloons. It was great. Everyone had a good time laughing, playing, posing, and - da ta da da - smiling. Results seen below...

Alyssa's Baptism

Alyssa is such a beautiful, precious child of God and today was her baptism. Her sweet spirit radiates sunshine, and her big, blue eyes gaze so intensely. We love, love, love her so very much and know that she will always be loved - by God, her parents, her brother, all family, and many friends.

Dear Alyssa, may this day be the beginning of knowing now and always how much your Heavenly Father loves you.

Sliders Anyone?

Grandma and Grandpa Waishnora stopped by today and brought a 6 pack of "Sliders" with them. Wowee. Brendan. Loves. Sliders. I have often said and today reinforced the notion that Karigan is Brendan in girl form because Karigan loved, loved, loved her first slider. Thanks Mamaw and Papaw. We love you!

What is Happiness?

So I was trying to come up with something positive and uplifting to post for my sister. She needs all the sunshiney smiles we can send her way right now. Needless to say, that got me to thinking: What is happiness? I have always had a firm definition of what my own personal happiness means, but here is a few quotes on how other people define happiness. Find mine at the bottom of the list.

*Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony. - Gandhi

*Happiness is that state of consciousness which proceeds from the achievement of one’s values. -Ayn Rand

*Happiness is something that you are and it comes from the way you think. - Wayne Dyer

*Happiness is essentially a state of going somewhere, wholeheartedly, one-directionally, without regret or reservation. - William H. Sheldon

*Happiness is not a reward - it is a consequence. - Robert Ingersoll

*Happiness is different from pleasure. Happiness has something to do with struggling and enduring and accomplishing. - George Sheehan

*Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence. - Aristotle

*Happiness is not something you experience, it’s something you remember. - Oscar Levant

*Happiness is not a station you arrive at, but a manner of traveling. - Margaret Lee Runbeck

*Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace and gratitude. - Denis Waitley

*Even if happiness forgets you a little bit, never completely forget about it. - Jacques Prévert

*If you want to be happy, be. - Leo Tolstoy

*Happiness is never stopping to think if you are. - Palmer Sondreal

All in all, I would say that happiness is a choice. Your happiness is your decision to make. All the quotes above require actions on our part and actions require choices. So what do you think? How do you define happiness?

WALL*E

Mark, the kids, and I went to see the new Disney/Pixar movie WALL-E. Talk about a movie whose subtle but poignant theme about the dangers of consumerism makes you want to get off your butt and do something. When I first saw this movie trailer, I knew I would be one of the first in line to see this tale of a little robot left behind on a deserted and trash-covered planet Earth. WALL-E is a curious, trash compacting robot who is forgotten on earth when humans leave. The visuals in this film, as we might expect of the Pixar folk, are amazing, particularly the opening 40 minutes or so when we see Wall-E travelling about a city emptied of its people, scooping up junk into his trash compactor body and forming it into neat, stackable skyscrapers of garbage. We quickly discover that this mostly voiceless little robot represents the best qualities of humanity: innocence, curiosity, diligence, compassion, and love. Throughout the film, WALL-E develops a love interest in another robot, Eve. A bot from the space station full of lackadaisical humans, the dove of Noah's Ark, sent to find any evidence of vegetation...And I won't spoil the ending for anyone else, but if you saw it, let us know what you think.

Fireworks and Festivities

This year we decided to park in the aquatic center's parking lot instead of driving back downtown. The Bigs were a little bummed that we weren't going to the festival to watch the fireworks, but Karigan wasn't feeling well. So, as a consolation we put a mattress in the back of Mark's truck equipped with pillows and blankets, the cooler, and a pizza we picked up on the way. It turns out, the spot where we parked was perfect. Grandma and Grandpa parked next to us, the kids cuddled in the back of the truck, and Mark and I sat in our chairs. In the end, parking a little farther away by no means lessened the "ooh and awe" factor.

Rain, Rain Go Away!

A neighboring village has a large Fourth of July celebration every year that begins with a kiddie parade at 10 AM and then ends with fireworks at 10 PM with a little bit of everything for everyone in between. The main parade started at 1:30 PM, and the rain started at noon. We stayed anyway, and with umbrellas turned upside down, collected as much candy as we could.

Cleanliness is Next to Godliness

Today the kids and I went over to Matt and Jennifer's new house to help clean and unpack, and while I was on my knees scrubbing the bathroom floor (trying not to think about just whose pee I was cleaning) I began to wonder...

...What would life be like if you lived with the dark-haired, bearded Oxi-Clean guy? You know the guy from the commercials that elevate the volume of your TV by 10 decibals so you can still hear him when you go to the bathroom during the break. I mean, can you imagine life on a daily basis living with a man who cheerfully speaks at full volume and in ALL CAPS all the time?

Every morning:

“GOOD MORNING, HONEY! RISE AND SHINE! WHY ARE YOU HOLDING THE PILLOW OVER YOUR HEAD? WAS I TALKING IN MY SLEEP AGAIN? OH NO!”

At Breakfast:

“THESE EGGS ARE AMAZING! I’VE NEVER HAD EGGS LIKE THIS! LOOK AT HOW QUICKLY I CAN EAT THESE EGGS! I’VE LICKED MY PLATE CLEAN IN LESS THAN TEN SECONDS AND BECAUSE I BRUSH MY TEETH WITH KABOOM AND OXI-CLEAN, I CAN PUT THE PLATE RIGHT BACK INTO THE CUPBOARD!”

To the kids:

“HAVE A GREAT DAY AT SCHOOL, SUZY, AND DON’T FORGET TO SHOWER THOROUGHLY AFTER GYM CLASS! YOUR SWEAT STAINS LAST WEEK TOOK TWO TEASPOONS OF OXI-CLEAN TO GET THEM OUT! AND YOU, JUNIOR, DID YOU NOTICE HOW SPARKLING CLEAN YOUR UNDERWEAR WAS THIS MORNING? NO MORE SKID MARKS, THANKS TO YOUR DEAR OLD DAD AND THE POWER OF OXI-CLEAN!”

To the dog:

“ROVER! WHY ARE YOU ALWAYS HIDING UNDER THE COUCH WITH YOUR PAWS OVER YOUR EARS? COME OUT HERE AND SHAKE HANDS! LET'S GO PLAY FETCH!”

To his wife:

“I DON’T UNDERSTAND, HONEY! YOU’RE LEAVING ME? I THOUGHT IT WAS MY EXUBERANCE, CLEAR COMMUNICATION, AND STAIN-FIGHTING ABILITIES THAT DREW YOU TO ME!