Reunions

When I went home to get Chris I tried to visit as many friends & family as possible (in 2 days)

The weekend started with lunch with Gabby, Chris & Nick at Friendly's. The boys saw a drug deal go down out front and we annoyed a lot of people being loud (ahhh family).

 I stayed with my friend Chris for 2 nights and we had a fun afternoon together of lunch and shopping. 

I also got to visit with Marie, Lynne (friends from my teen years) & my sis Heather one evening at Lynne's house. We had a great time!

Also breakfast one morning with my friend Kathy at Lockport's Tom's Diner.

I also had dinner with my oldest friend (not in age) Diane & my sis Amber. 

I wish I had taken more pictures!!!

Needless to say, I ate alot that weekend :)

I appreciate my friends & family so much and miss them like crazy.

Bringing Chris Home

 Chis is with us in MA now! I went to get him a few weekends ago. He came from a spacious area in the Bixby's basement to this partial space in the third bedroom. Although, the first thing he did was rearrange a little so he could fit his 47in TV & Xbox system. (priorities)

Danielle and Chris have been great about making due with cramped conditions. There's been no complaining. I wish we had room for Gabby, we are all praying we get into a house soon.

USO

I've begun volunteering for the USO, United Services Organization. There main mission is to lift the spirits of the troops and their families. Yes, they are the group who send celebrities overseas to entertain the troops. Since they were not in need of my services in that particular part of their organization, I've been doing things like baking and serving coffee & snacks to new recruits or military personnel coming back or leaving on deployment.

This morning I helped with a Barbeque for a 3rd grade class who were touring the base. 

It was fun. 

It's been a good chance for me to get to meet people, feel useful, 

and become a part of something worthwhile.              

C-5 Perks

Sometimes :) I complain about how inconvenient the military makes our lives, 

but I have to say that there are really many good things that we get to experience 

because Ken is in the Air Force- perks!

Westover Air Reserve Base is home to sixteen C-5B Galaxy Aircraft. 

Last week the Base sponsored a spouse recognition flight in a C-5 during a refueling mission. 

We were in the air for over 2 hours and what an exciting experience it was.

We had to arrive a few hours ahead of time for the mission briefing and clearances. 

Finally, they loaded us in a bus and took us out to the flight line.

Being so close to such an enormous machine was pretty daunting and imagining this big boy soaring through the air is pretty amazing. 

We entered the C-5 into the cargo area which feels like a gymnasium. Ken says they can hold  a few tanks or helicopters. It is the Air force's largest aircraft.

They had us climb to the upper deck to be seated. There are only a few small windows in this area so we just took in the sounds and smells of the experience.

During the refueling process they brought groups of us down the ladder-like stairs and up another set of them to the cockpit to have a look. Climbing during flight and walking across this cargo area was no easy task- kind of like a drunk trying to walk a straight line. (yes, crewmen were laughing at us) They actually had to stop fueling when we were there but we could still see the tanker flying above.

Awesome feeling

So many controls!

This tanker was so close

As were deboarded the base commander and his wife met us with roses and a spouse appreciation coin.  There was a small reception after as well. 

Ken met me there which really added to the feeling that being the wife of someone in the military is truly a special experience.

Moving Danielle Home

Last weekend, I traveled to Mansfield solo (Ken had Reserves). Danielle is done for the year and moving "home" to our little duplex in Ludlow. Well, anyone who knows Danielle, knows that she likes lots of things (clothes, shoes, purses, organizer stuff, arts & crafts, sewing things, etc... 

Need I say more :) 

CLOTHES

MORE CLOTHES

ALSO CLOTHES

FOOD

AND ALL THIS STUFF

She sold her bed & desk so we could make the move in the van (missing Ken's Tundra).

We also had her little Kia to help as well. 

Mind you, this stuff not only has to fit in the vehicles but also in our duplex 

(see Duplex Domain blog)

Here was the process

Layer one

Layer two

Inside carrier

Kia back seat

Kia trunk

This was before the last minute bedding, pillows, plant, overnight bags, etc. By the way, almost everything had to come down these stairs of death! (missing Ken!)

The door leads right to Danielle's room

Besides hard work, sweating, and strategic packing we also had some fun seeing a movie, visiting the PA Grand Canyon, and diner dining.

 I forgot my camera when we visited the canyon- it was so beautiful!

Yea, Danielle is home with all her stuff- very cozy!

"Groundhog Whisperer"

Meet Ludlow, my groundhog!

For Mother's Day this year, Gabby got me a groundhog.

Let me try to explain. For some reason, I am pretty good at spotting groundhogs by the side of the road during trips. I'd arrive and report how many I had seen. Sometimes 9 or 10 on a given trip. Well, Gabby coined the title "Groundhog Whisperer" for me. 

I started wondering why I'd see them some places but not others, so I did a little research. (Remember- I am a teacher) So, the kids were teasing me about getting one for a pet and I blurted out in a serious tone "No, they make terrible pets. they are too aggressive!"

Well, I just gave them too much material to think their mother is crazy!

For Mother's Day this year Gabby bought me a sponsorship for a groundhog at the 

Turtle Back Zoo in West Orange, NJ.

So, I have adopted him for a year, I named him Ludlow. This may be the most creative gift I have ever received- although my kids have given me many. I guess they do love their crazy mother!

Excellent Company For Mother's Day

I did have wonderful company on Mother's Day; I had brunch with Ken, Gabby, and Danielle. We also got to see Gabby perform in Company (a musical comedy) by Stephen Sondheim 

on Mother's Day as well. 

What a treat it was to see her on stage, in her favorite musical and playing her favorite character, Amy.

By the way she also painted this set. 

If  you have ever seen Gabby act you will know why it is such a treat. She captivates the audiance with her bigger than life comedic performances. This show was no exception- one of her best!

The story is about Bobby who is turning 35 and all of his friends are married or engaged. He is exploring why he isn't married. Amy is his best friend. 

The cast did a marvelous job, the musical was very entertaining. 

She is engaged to Paul, whom she really loves but she has a break down her wedding day. 

I video taped her song, sorry about the quality and the fact that you have to hear me laughing. I tried not to shake the camera too much!

 The song's tempo is very fast, with a lot of words; she really did a great job with it!

Watch Gabby Here

This past weekend we also got to spend time with Justin and Katie at there new apartment. Christopher, Gabby, Ken, and I had a nice dinner Saturday evening. Thanks to Chris & Tim for letting us stay at there place over night. Especially since we were playing hookie from church the next morning. 

My mother's day weekend was full because I got to spend time with my kids, especially now that I am living in a different state than them. I got a very interesting gift from Gabby- future blog material!

Just When She thought It Couldn't Get Any Worse

Maggie has had it rough since those two fluffy intruders came to live in Ludlow. 

But, this week she had her yearly vet visit and the "box of shame."

Her nemesises were not without compassion and a little concern as well. Could they be next?

She Sings Like an Angel

At least that's what Ken always says about Danielle. Well, here is proof. 

She looked so beautiful!

On Friday evening Danielle gave a stunning performance for her Senior recital at Mansfield University. 

She performed for about an hour singing beautiful selections in Italian, German, French and English.

Not only was her voice and the piano playing breathtaking, Danielle also captivated everyone with her dramatic expression as she sang. And did I mention how beautiful she looked.

Here is a video from her final song. It is an aria by Georges Bizet, from Carmen called 

"Je dis rien ne m'epouvante." This means (I say that nothing can frighten me). 

I only filmed part of it because my camera card filled up but you will definitly enjoy it!

After the performance we held a reception for about 65 people. 

Danielle wanted a tea party theme so we decorated the classroom. 

Thank you Derek for helping us with set up, especially hanging the lights!

Danielle made these flowers to add to the ambiance.

The food went over big:

 scones, muffins, snow balls, fruit pizza, tea sandwiches, and lemonade with berries. 

The guests were very appreciative.

 Thankyou Danielle & Nanette Harmon for coming from Lockport and helping me with the food. 

It was a thrill for me as a mom to see my daughter blossoming in her gifts. I know that God has big plans for her, I can't wait to see where He takes her.

We were all really tired after the entire production. Thank you Josh for helping with clean-up and Ryan also, who came from Fredonia after a long day of teaching and also stuck around to help with clean-up.

Mansfield Concert Choir Spring Performance

This weekend Ken and I had the privilege of attending Danielle's Spring concert. This was her last concert at Mansfield University because she will be student teaching next semester. What a wonderful experience to sit and enjoy a group of expertly trained voices. The performance was amazing.

One of the feature segments was a few songs from the Women's Choir's Carnegie Hall performance with The Sound of Music. The girls were the nun's choir in the show. This came about when they won first place in competition, while in Europe this summer. Someone producing the New York show liked their sound and asked them to come.
If you want to read Danielle's reflection on her trip here is the link to her blog. http://everythingsboring.blogspot.com/2012/04/sound-of-music-final-bow.html

Here is a selection from the entire choir. Enjoy!

The members that were leaving received a plaque at the end of the concert.

We are very proud of Danielle and all her music accomplishments. She has grown so much these past years in college and we are excited to see where her life takes her.

We pulled out of Mansfield Saturday night about 9:45PM headed for Lockport. Thank you to my sister Heather & Ken for letting us come in so late and crash. We were in town to see Tim Dombrowski, our Pastor, ordained at Grace that next morning.