has it really been over a month since I last posted?

Apparently it has. You may have noticed I made my blog "open" again. Nobody reads it anyways (fine with me, believe me-not a complaint) and my dad has trouble signing in with his Google account. It is a lot easier this way and I'm ok with that!

So, where to begin? We have been busy as usual. That seems to be a reoccuring theme here. Busy, busy, busy. I'll work my way from the most recent to the oldest. My memory works much better that way. First up, Boy Scouts. Harrison is done with his Bear book and earned his Bear rank last Friday a little ahead of the game. So now we are working on extras for him to earn and the belt loops. He loves receiving belt loops. Did you know that the Boy Scouts came out with a belt loop for video games? Yes it's true and before you groan and remark that that is the last thing they need to learn about, it is actually a great lesson. They have to go over the rating system for the games and explain why they are in place, come up with a schedule for playing them and learn to play a new game with their parent. Of course he has already earned that one!
Charlie is just about done with his Tiger book, they have one more requirement as a den then he will get his Tiger ranking. Here is a photo of my Scouts. I love them. Scouting has been a great experience for both of them. We look forward to next year when I'll have a Webelos I and a Wolf scout. Charlie just told me over the weekend that he is going for Eagle. Whatever you say, son! Go for it.

We were able to go on an awesome field trip with the scouts about a month ago. Charlie's den leader is a sargeant with the LAPD. He arranged for us to go and see the LAPD's Air Support Division in downtown L.A. The whole family went. It was spectacular. We got a tour of their building and got to go out onto the roof to see the helicopters. We even had a couple of helicopters fly by and greet us. I was totally impressed with our Los Angeles county police helicopter pilots and officers. Here are a couple of photos from that day.






We've also had a few conferences of Little People over here. They especially like to gather around the books.

Let's see, we also celebrated Easter! Audrey got some new shoes that she loves. We went to downtown again and ate at the Grand Cafe in the Omni Hotel right next to the Museum of Contemporary Art and down the street from the Disney Concert Hall. We also took Angel's Flight and saw where the scene on the benches from 500 Days of Summer was filmed. See those benches in the Angel's Flight photo? That was the main character's favorite place to sit. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked that movie. It is really cute.




Ok, that's about all I could think of now. That, and if I continue this is going to be the post that never ends. More later. Thanks for sticking with me. :)

Scout Sunday & Blue and Gold, plus a new family member

Busy, busy, busy. That's what it's been around here. I wanted to post these photos of the boy's Scout Sunday Mass that was last weekend. They each earned their religious medal and it was given to them and a lot of other scouts at the mass on Sunday. They all looked so nice in their uniforms. Charlie and his friend got to lead the procession into church. After mass we all headed over to the church hall and had a nice reception and celebrated Blue and Gold which is a celebration honoring scouting. It was a full day. You can see that Audrey loved to run around outside. Robert and I took turns with her. We also brought home a goldfish. They had them in the centerpieces. Charlie picked one out, I've never seen him so happy. So, welcome to the family, Moe!
* I am getting used to the glasses. My vision is clear, that wasn't the problem. When I read, I can see things much better without holding the book so close to me. What an improvement!

here is my second set of eyes...

I know this is a cruddy photo, and I promise I'll post another one later. I just picked my glasses up today. They feel good, the real test will be tonight when I go to read...

guess who is getting glasses?

That would be me. I went to the eye doctor today for my "when-I-remember-and-have-time-to-schedule-one" eye exam and got the news. Apparently I am right on the cusp and need glasses for reading and driving at night. The prescription is so low he said that I could fill it or not that it was up to me. Truth be told, I have noticed at night when I am reading that I sometimes adjust the way I hold the book or blink a few times too many to see if it helps. Lol. I know, I know. So I checked out some frames while I was there but I need someone else's opinion. I just couldn't decide. Believe me, you'll see them when I do.

On my desktop right now. He loves her and she loves him.

A little bit of our afternoon...

We are having some glorious weather here and today it was calling our names outside to enjoy a nice little walk. Everyone is finally feeling better. Audrey was running a low fever this week but thankfully, it has passed. The boys had their Valentine's parties at school today and came home loaded with sugar. I think the walk helped them release some of that pent up sugar rush energy.
Happy early birthday to my dad, his birthday is tomorrow.
That's all for now. Lot's of love to you this Valentine's weekend. :)

I can't forget the 9th birthday that occurred

Can you believe that Harrison had the nerve to go and turn NINE on us? Thank goodness everyone was well enough to celebrate at Chuck E. Cheese, it would have been an absolute crime to miss out on that. :) We really had a good time. He invited a couple of friends from school and the scouts and we were lucky that enough of them were around to celebrate with us. Harrison is a neat, thoughtful, caring boy. He can be a bit of a tattle tale, or as we like to call him, "Captain Obvious". I count on him a lot. I have to remember that he is only nine. It is hard to believe that is was nine years ago that he came into our lives, and we are so glad that he did.

We were so festive...

Here's how Christmas played out at our house. Don't we look happy and joyful? Well, we weren't. The boys were sick and Audrey was on her way to being sick. Instead of having Christmas here at our home on Christmas day, we had it on the Thursday after Christmas. Instead of spending Christmas with Robert's family the day after Christmas, we celebrated it on Jan. 2nd. Sometimes these things happen. Kids get sick and what are you supposed to do? While I wouldn't recommend it at all, it was way to have a nice, relaxing Christmas if you don't count the fevers and ensuing coughs that followed. It was still a blessed holiday, that is what is most important. And I guarantee none of us will forget it soon. Except maybe for Audrey. :)
In case you are wondering about that fabulous beaded necklace I have on, that is what Harrison made for me. He told my dad that I didn't have a necklace to wear to the market. I am so happy that he took care of that for me. :)