McMilton's Place

Gift Poll

2009-10-29T16:55:00.001-05:00

I couldn't figure out a good way to get a poll up here, or I forgot how I've done it before, so I just made a post poll here:

Click Here for Poll Online Survey
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2009-10-29T07:59:00.000-05:00

I pulled the names. Here are the results:

Mom buys for Kari.
Tom for Becky.
Richard for Scott
Kari for Cheryl
Scott for Mom
Becky for Jason
Cheryl for Leah
Jason for Eric
Leah for Richard
Eric for Tom

Since mom and Tom are going to be in the exchange, do we want to up the price of gifts? Please make your vote in the poll to the right.

Since we are the only ones with kids, please don't feel obligated to buy for them. They are completely optional!

Since there is only one person buying for you, maybe we shouldn't put our wish list on here. Just ask the person you are buying for what they want.

Is this all ok?

Anyone out there?

2009-10-17T13:23:00.002-05:00

Just checking.

A VACATION MEMORY

2009-08-11T20:28:00.003-05:00

Well here ya' have it! We are all so awesome though we never did figure out when the camera went off! :)

Just made for the vacation!

2009-07-30T16:18:00.000-05:00

Vacation 09 Final Thoughts

2009-07-13T10:08:00.005-05:00

Thoughts by Becky and Mom...

Everyone pick a night to make dinner. If you have any special ingredients that might not be found in northern Wisconsin, bring it with you.

Breakfast with Jason!

Water shoes are recommended for the rafting trip.

Check in is at noon on Monday, August 3rd and check out is at 4pm on Saturday, August 8th. He's letting us stay until 4, rather than noon, on Saturday since he couldn't give is another night.

He'll send me the address 1 week before we arrive.

Shotgun Eddy's

2009-06-26T12:33:00.001-05:00

Reservation made for Smokey Falls on Tuesday.

Everyone owes me $10/person, the end.

The Boat

2009-06-19T11:13:00.004-05:00

The boat is reserved!

Wednesday, August 5th - 8th
23 foot pontoon, seats 12
75 HP
$219 per day + gas + tax
A $100 reservation deposit has been put on Tom & Sally's credit card.
$219 x 4 days = $876 / 9 adults = $97 per adult (or $195 per couple) that we owe Tom & Sally. (+ Tax & Gas).

Does anyone remember what we spent on gas in 07?

So, Monday we'll chill at the house and Tuesday we'll go rafting. Oh, and Tuesday is my birthday.

Family Vacation 09 Boat Rental

2009-06-02T12:34:00.003-05:00

Here's the deal. No one in the area rents ski boats bc their too expensive to insure. That leaves us with a pontoon.

Prices
Option 1
$800 per week + gas + tax
12 passenger
24 foot
40 HP

Option 2
$219 per day + gas + tax
(take 10% off for weekly rate)
difference: 75 HP
(Much more expensive, but a faster boat. Just giving you the options)

Personally, I'd love to rent a pontoon for the week. We're saving tons of money on the house & location and the boat is really the main attraction to a lake vacation.

Please leave your opinions in the comments.

Camping 2009

2009-05-26T12:13:00.004-05:00

We went camping this weekend at the IL Beach State Park with a big group of friends. Jason hung out every day (but smartly drove the mile home to sleep in his bed) and Mom & Tom came to hang out on Saturuday and brought a party: tons of marinated chicken, an amazing roasted sweet potato salad (Mom, can you email the recipe?) and tons of veggies to grill. We had so much fun and I heard over and over and over and over again how great my family is. My response: I know!

Notes for Vacation 09

2009-04-25T22:40:00.001-05:00

Location of vacation home
Winneconne, WI (on the Wolf River)
Southwest of Greenbay

Distance from
Indianapolis: 6.25 hours
Chicago: 3.25 hours
Zion: 2.5 hours
Minneapolis: 4.75 hours

White Water Rafting
Shotgun Eddy's
1.25 hours away
$35 per person

MN 2/09

2009-04-06T23:45:00.014-05:00

Thanks for a great weekend Leah! I love my nephews and miss them every day. We had so much fun!

On the train to the library downtown.

The Dragon reading at the library.

Me and Cal.

The Dragon & Cal checkin out the fish.

The boys in the awesome MN libary.

Calvin laughing after calling his mom "Leah".

Babysitting the boys.

Thumbs up yelling "Becky is awesome!".

Thumbs up to Grandma Sally and Grandpa Stach's Easter present. Mom, did you have to send it while I was there?! Isaac stuffed his whole mouth full of jelly beans in about 5 seconds, then coughed and a few came flying out half disolved. Back in his mouth they went.

Leah made us a new oatmeal recipe.. that involved tahini...

ahhh.. good ole cherrios.

Top 3

2009-02-06T11:28:00.007-06:00

Ok, I have literally searched all of Wisconsin. Here are my top 3 picks (and as far as can tell our only choices for July or August). Check them out and give me your fav. I have emailed all the owners to find out about boat rentals in the area.

HOUSE NO. 1 HAS BEEN DELTED. NO LONGER AN OPTION.

Middle Lake
Southwest of Milwaukee (near Lake Geneva)
http://www.vrbo.com/124645
July & August open
Southwest of Milwaukee
$2450 NOT $2950 as originally posted
huge deck, no large dining area
more pictures

From owner: This rental has quit a bit of frontage. It is not a sandy beach and there is a "step" to get in. It is shallow when you first walk in. You are able to jump off and swim from the piers to swim also.

Oshkosh, WI - Between Milwaukee and Greenbay
http://www.vrbo.com/182584
Available all of July
$2600/week

Just got a call from owner of No. 3. Actually 6 bedrooms (2 are master suites), 3 boat rentals in the area, 2 beaches less than a mile away, swimming off of pier. Just opened up for rental, so its going to get booked quickly. July 25th is the air show, so its more expensive. July 18th better.

The positive is that these homes are much less expensive than MO.

Let's do this

2009-01-27T11:00:00.004-06:00

Check out the vacation homes below (in Minocqua). Let's all take this week to look things over and make a decision by the end of the weekend. July and August are filling up. Mom and Tom, can you put the house on a card like we did last time?

All 5 bedrooms

http://www.vrbo.com/116192
$1850 per week; house is ok; beach, great yard, walking distance to town; 2 bedrooms have twin beds; last week in August available, or June.

http://www.vrbo.com/116224
$3000 per week; private bath in all bedrooms, screened in porch, no beach; July & August are booked.

http://www.vrbo.com/83043
2750+; ski boat available to rent; huge - 5 bedrooms + bunk area/game room; beach; last week in August available or June; great guest comments

How much did we pay in 07? How high are we willing to go?

Missing Dad

2009-01-23T23:32:00.003-06:00

I had a dream last night... that I will tell to my mom, sister and brother, but, ya know... I just really miss my dad. It's a nice suprise to dream about him, but almost too much to handle when I wake up. Does anyone else do this? The worst part of the dream was that his personality was like it was when he was sick. And that's not the only way I want to remember him. Nor should it be. Any good stories? Or dreams of dad?

My simplified reviews for some things...

2008-12-19T13:59:00.002-06:00

The New Adventures of Old Christine- Do any of you watch this show? It's so hilarious. I laugh my ass off everytime. 4 1/2 stars

Four Christmas- The only reason I went to this movie was for the girl night. However, again, I laughed a whole bunch. My stomach ached by the end because I couldn't stop laughing. Go see it. 4 stars.

Chuck- I was getting annoyed with Chuck this season because every episode was the same. But the last two have been sort of original again, so I'm happy. 4 stars.

What about THIS great picture?!

2008-12-08T21:08:00.004-06:00

I'm getting this one framed. I love it!

so long ago

2008-12-07T01:05:00.009-06:00

I was just looking through my pictures:

If you don't laugh at this...

And just bc Leah and I look gooood.

Thanksgiving Fun Facts

2008-11-27T08:54:00.001-06:00

* Thomas Jefferson thought the concept of Thanksgiving was "the most ridiculous idea I’ve ever heard."

* The first Thanksgiving was not a feast, but rather a time when Native Americans helped Pilgrims by bringing them food and helping them build off the land.

* Columbus thought that the land he discovered was connected to India, where peacocks are found in considerable number. And he believed turkeys were a type of peacock (they’re actually a type of pheasant). So he named them “tuka”, which is "peacock" in the Tamil language of India.

* A spooked turkey can run at speeds up to 20 miles per hour. They can also burst into flight approaching speeds between 50-55 mph in a matter of seconds.

http://www.coolest-holiday-parties.com/thanksgiving-facts.html

Here ya go Becky:

2008-11-03T10:21:00.000-06:00

hahaha

2008-10-29T17:20:00.003-05:00

Its a Banana Bunker made to keep bananas from getting bruised. But... come on... really??

http://bananabunker.com/

Minocqua, WI

2008-10-29T11:14:00.002-05:00

Family Vacation Post #2.

Since we haven't gotten many suggestions, Leah and I are looking into Minnaqua, WI and possibly the North Shore on Lake Superior. That's where we're at. Any problems with this... then figure out a solution. I mean that in the nicest family vacation spirit kind of way.

See New Christmas Post Below!

Christmas 2009

2008-10-29T11:04:00.004-05:00

Its time! Post gift ideas that you'd like for Christmas in the comments. I'll start as soon as I think of something.

Yeah, I know, its really early and before Thanksgiving but some of us might want to be organized.

Last year we said $20-$25 per family unit. Is everyone ok with sticking with that? Also, what night are we celebrating? Does Christmas Eve work again? I think that's Tom's only night off.

See ya in the comments.

Devils Lake

2008-10-01T21:35:00.007-05:00

(After I made this entire post, I realized the pictures are small and crappy. They're from snapfish. Sorry.)

We went camping this weekend and it was soooo awesome! The weather was cool, the trees were changing, the bugs weren't out and the camp ground had a flushing toilet. We ate vegan banana pancakes with home made syrup (all Nurse Jackie!) and tons of pudgie pies and everything else you can imagine. It was a great weekend.

There is no better coffee, than campfire coffee.

We hiked up a huge cliff on stone stairs straight up 1/3 of a mile. It was really hard, but here's the view once we made it to the top.

On the way down...

Jackie and Cheryl loading up a tent. haha

McElroy Rivalry

2008-10-01T14:41:00.001-05:00

Whoaaaa we have another famous McElroy!

www.firstfree.com

Family Vacation '09!

2008-09-25T09:37:00.001-05:00

Hey everyone,

Its time to start the thinking about Family Vacation ’09!

Do you want another lake vacation, or an ocean vacation? Any preferred destinations?

Ocean cons: The cost will be much higher: the vacation rentals are more expensive and a lot of us would fly rather than drive. Leah and Eric in particular would be hit hard with the airfare as the kids are too little to make such a long drive.

Lake home cons: Where? We want to make sure the weather will be good (WI… you never know in the midwest). And since we’ve been to Missouri, where is another nice lake destination? Preferably one with clear water and no Gar!!

The last issue for thought: Would anyone mind if anyone invited a friend along? I talked to mom last night and I think, if everyone agreed it was ok, if we invited a friend, they would have first choice on the floor, no bedroom, which would keep us in the same price range by not increasing the number of bedrooms we need.

I think anywhere we go, will be just as great as last year. So…. Start researching and throwing out ideas. If you don’t then those of us who research will be The Deciders (cause we decide things!)

We should have this part figured out by Christmas, so we can find a house in Jan/Feb.

UH-OH!!

2008-09-14T14:06:00.002-05:00

I didn't mean papaya, I meant mango! Scoop out a mango. I've never had a papaya in my life!! (Unless you've tried the trick on a papaya Richard and it ended up by working.) :)

LIFE CHANGING TIP!!

2008-09-11T19:08:00.002-05:00

Because papayas have an odd pit/seed they can be difficult to cut up. Here's a little trick that Becky told me about. After peeling the papaya cut in in half and scoop it out like an avocado. So much easier to cut up. Thanks Beck!

I like this...

2008-09-10T23:11:00.002-05:00

Since I am in Christ, by the grace of God…
• I have been justified—completely forgiven and made righteous (Rom 5:1).
• I died with Christ and died to the power of sin’s rule over my life (Rom 6:1-6).
• I am free forever from condemnation (Rom 8:1).
• I have been placed into Christ by God’s doing (1 Cor 1:30).
• I have received the Spirit of God into my life that I might know the things freely given to me by God (1 Cor 2:12).
• I have been given the mind of Christ (1 Cor 2:16).
• I have been bought with a price; I am not my own; I belong to God (1 Cor 6:19-20).
• I have been established, anointed and sealed by God in Christ, and I have been given the Holy Spirit as a pledge guaranteeing my inheritance to come (2 Cor 1:21; Eph 1:13-14).
• Since I have died, I no longer live for myself, but for Christ (2 Cor 5:14-15).
• I have been made righteous (2 Cor 5:21).
• I have been crucified with Christ and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. The life I am now living is Christ’s life (Gal 2:20-21).
• I have been blessed with every spiritual blessing (Eph 1:3).
• I was chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and am without blame before Him (Eph 1:4).
• I was predestined to be adopted as God’s son (Eph 1:5).
• I have been redeemed and forgiven, and I am a recipient of his lavish grace
• I have been made alive together with Christ (Eph 2:5).
• I have been raised up and seated with Christ in heaven (Eph 2:6).
• I have direct access to God through the Spirit (Eph 2:18).
• I may approach God with boldness, freedom and confidence (Eph 3:12).
• I have been rescued form the domain of Satan’s rule and transferred to the kingdom of Christ (Col 1:13).
• I have been redeemed and forgiven of all my sins. The debt against me has been cancelled (Col 1:14).
• Christ himself is in me (Col 1:27).
• I am firmly rooted in Christ and am now being built in him (Col 2:7).
• I have been spiritually circumcised, My old unregenerate nature has been removed (Col 2:11).
• I have been made complete in Christ (Col 2:10).
• I have been buried, raised and made alive with Christ (Col 2:12-13).
• I died with Christ and I have been raised up with Christ. My life is now hidden with Christ in God. Christ is now my life (Col 3:14).
• I have been given a spirit of power, love and self-discipline (2 Tim 1:7).
• I have been saved and set apart according to God’s doing (2 Tim 1:9; Titus 3:5).
• Because I am sanctified and am one with the Sanctifier, he is not ashamed to call me brother (Heb 2:11).
• I have the right to come boldly before the throne of God to find mercy and grace in time of need (Heb 4:16).
• I have been given exceedingly great and precious promises by God by which I am a partaker of God’s divine nature (2 Pet 1:4).

Victory Over the Darkness (p. 57-59). By John Owen

LEAH IS HOW OLD?!

2008-09-06T09:21:00.004-05:00

Happy 30th Birthday Leah!! Hope it's a great day for you! Take advantage and make those guys wait on you a little. :)

Love you lots,
Mom

Some Stuff

2008-08-17T21:49:00.003-05:00

I've been meaning to post these pictures. Lily and I share a birthday and this is how she spent it.... She was messing her incision after being fixed so the vet tried to make her wear the cone. It lasted 8 hours.

Here's what our livingroom looked like after she went tearing through it scared out of her mind.

And yesterday I had some fun riding to Jackie's softball game and then to brunch. This is our friend Shannon giving Jackie a ride on her bike. They did this for about 4 miles.

Nice brain helmet, right? I was laughing the entire way.

Happy Anniversary to Us

2008-08-05T21:49:00.002-05:00

A tribute to Eric and Leah:

Oh, what fun they have almost all the time.
They can have a blast without spending a dime.
Eric, with his charm and jokes and wit.
Leah with lots and lots of good shit.
They walk hand in hand
as long as no one sees.
They are the cat's pajamas. The bees' knees.
Eight years has gone by and they are still one.
Let's hope they make it eight more before they both run.

Written by Leah
For Leah and Eric

Announcing!!!!!

2008-08-04T19:06:00.003-05:00

Becky, Becky Becky! I just heard the news - it's your

BIRTHDAY!!!!!

Happy, happy birthday girl - lots and lots of love to you!

Your mom would have been all over this earlier today - but as you know she's quite sick.
I think she got it from me.
:(

Party Animals Deux

2008-07-31T22:13:00.005-05:00

Jason and Stef took the train in to hang out tonight. Mom was sick and Tom was at rehersal so it was just us kids. We had a great time! Great food, great conversation and Jason had 3 deserts. 2 from Sal Marie's and 1 giant ice cream cone.

More fun with the boys!!!

2008-07-28T21:01:00.020-05:00

Becky tried to convince me she was sooooo exhausted from watching the guys. I really don't understand why.

The fascination of the rolling coins.

We had lots of fun at the Nature Museum. It was interesting for Tom & I and very kid friendly! They had live snakes & soft shell turtles and turanchulas as well as lots of dead animals that were stuffed. There was a garfish there as big as a person. Don't know about Lake of the Ozarks anymore.

Cal swinging on vines in his new sporty outfit that Grandma Barb & Grandpa Steve bought him.

This was a beautiful butterfly arboritum that had hundreds of live butterflies fluttering all around, some of them even landing on people. Cal was a little freaked out after watching a girl with a butterfly on her shirt being jittery and decided that he really didn't want one to land on him. It was really spectacular and we all were in awe. Gotta love these boys! Are they adorable or what?!

Cal took the ring for the ring toss & used it as a head band (after seeing Ike do it 1st which I didn't get a picture of).

Then it was off to the beach 2 mornings. We went early when it was still quiet & as the morning wore on there were lots of kids for Cal & Ike to play with.

He doesn't look grumpy to me!

Ike loved the Barrel of Monkeys & found out he could make the barrel squeak.

Cal built this the night before. We had a really hard time keeping Ike from destroying it. Cal took these pics as I was trying to hold Ike back. Eventually the destroyer won out.

Cal very happy about his creation.

Our time ended by jammin' with Grandpa Stache. Or at least he let the kids use his headphones. He was too sick to jam. Poor Grandpa. :(

Thank you Leah & Eric for sharing your guys with us. We love them and love you and are grateful for the new memories we have!

Fun with The Boys!

2008-07-26T21:37:00.016-05:00

Cal showing us his giblets.

Crazy Cal!

Adorable Isaac!

We got to the beach early on Friday. It was beautiful! And was knee deep until the sand bar. Cal could swim out really far and loved it.

It was fun watching Isaac do whatever his big brother did. Including drinking the lake water and fake coughing after Grandman Sally made Cal dunk and he choked on the water.

I like this picture of Cal. He just hopped in to hang out with some kids.

Grandma Sally made Ike walk up this slope every time he wanted to go on the slide. I told her it was dangerous, but she said its more imporant he learns balance.

Rock and Roll!

Grandma Sally bought this ball from the toy store and Isaac carried it home like this the entire way.

Dad's Memorial

2008-07-23T22:09:00.003-05:00

Hey Leah, Great job on the invites! They look amazing and probably made a lot more people then me cry.

Ahem....

2008-06-26T13:51:00.001-05:00

Tom was born in 1955.

He is only 53.

Thank you.*

*And no, I am not at all sensitive about that.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TOM!!!

2008-06-26T07:14:00.002-05:00

Another year has gone by for Tom. 54 of them to be exact!

Tom you are the BEST!! You are an example of unconditional love to me. You have a tender heart for the Lord. You're forgiving, hardworking, dedicated, love people and love our family. Hanging out with you is one of my favorite past times. One thing is for sure, there is never a dull moment in my life because of you! I love you and wish a lazy, lovely day for you. And may this year be your best as you walk with our Lord, enjoying Him and the wonderful path He's laid out before you.

Your ever lovin' wife,
Sally

Thanksgiving

2008-06-17T14:43:00.002-05:00

Sooo I might have had a genius idea.

This year for Thanksgiving maybe we should consider renting a house for a few days in Wisconsin Dells, or somewhere around there. April is getting married on the Saturday after Thanksgiving which means Cheryl and I won't be able to go to MN like we wanted and Leah will have to be here on Saturday. We could find a house for around $250 a night and stay mabye Wed-Friday, or everyone else could stay through the weekend. If we did three nights, that would under $200 a couple if 4 or 5 "family units" came.

What do you think??

For anyone that normally spends Thanksgiving with in-laws.... maybe this year you should reconsider. :)

My blogger is acting up. Here's a link to a house on vrbo.com http://www.vrbo.com/117450

We could also consider one of those giant resorts, but I think a house suits our family better.

My New Jewelry

2008-06-10T13:52:00.000-05:00

Another Great Spinach Salad

2008-06-08T15:50:00.004-05:00

Spinach Apple Salad

1 bunch spinach or baby spinach
1/8 c thinly sliced mild onion
3 or 4 oz walnuts, toasted
1 apple, chopped
4 oz goat cheese, crumbled

Layer in a bowl. Dish out & add dressing of choice. Use a lighter creamy dressing, nothing heavy, because of the goat cheese. Deeelish!!!

This salad was copied off of one I ate at Bank Lane in Lk Forest. If I only had their recipe for the dressing. :)

Eddie Vedder

2008-05-15T13:57:00.001-05:00

Karin Labelle went to an Al Franken event in Seatle last night and met Eddie Vedder!

She said he's "as handsome in real life as he is in rock star life"

And about Al Franken:
"Al Franken (your sisters new senator come November) was really great as well. His speach was so moving. He's a good midwestern man and that comes across in his style. He is so good on education and the environment. And super smart and of course funny. I tried to crack a joke to him, but my delivery got all flubbed and it didn't go over. oh well."

The Swell Season

2008-05-08T09:37:00.003-05:00

Eric and I went to The Swell Season (Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova) concert last night with Shae and Lisa and it was so great. I think it's one of the best concerts I've attended, except that we didn't have great seats. They played from 9:15ish to 11:30.

Just wanted to let you all know so that you can be jealous.

Changed His Life....

2008-04-15T13:09:00.001-05:00

I'm posting for Jason, who found his ultimate stir-fry sauce: Soy Wasabiaki (green label, found at Jewel). He said he feels like he's in an Asian restaurant when he's eating it.

Mmmmm....

Somethin' to watch

2008-04-09T22:26:00.002-05:00

American Idol Gives Back

Thoughts... anyone....

americanidol.com

Hair Olympics

2008-04-07T21:28:00.004-05:00

Our church had a ladies night at a salon that a woman in the congregation owns. We had a hair olympics- teams of 3-4 had to do a person's hair with what was given them. I was the model, of course, but I think we could have done much better if given thought and time. Here is the outcome:

And here is the well-deserved winner:

Happy Birthday Mom!!

2008-04-06T18:27:00.003-05:00

Though my mom won't see this I still want to celebrate her & display her birthday pictures. She is an awesome mom and I love her very much. We went to Chili's (her favorite margarita place :) ) for her birthday bash. Attendees included Grandma Becker, Becky, Jason, Stef, Tom & myself. Here are some pictures of us all with the birthday gal. She won't mind me saying that she is 78. I hope I look that good & have all that energy when I'm her age. Go get 'em mom!

Painting 101

2008-03-19T22:10:00.007-05:00

Cheryl and I went to a Painting 101 class tonight. Here is our interpretations of Matisse's Goldfish. I'll let you guess who's is who's.
A:

B:

Close up of the fishes:

(Is anyone else glad to not have to look at Eric's bruised hairy foot?)

Eric's Nasty Foot

2008-03-11T20:01:00.001-05:00

The whole entire thing is discolored. Sick.

Oh, it happened playing volleyball. He landed on it wrong trying to do his awesome 1/2 fliperoo spike.

Weekend in MN

2008-03-09T19:37:00.012-05:00

I just got back from visiting the Millers. We had so much fun!

A few highlights:

Cal pee'ed all over the bathroom and his face and hair. He was really excited I was there and couldn't contain himself. When Leah and I found him in the bathroom the pee was dripping off his hair into his face.

Cal said to me today, "I wish we could get married". Ahhhhh.....!

Isaac is adorable and likes to grunt and point and run and laugh.

Alisa and Kevin came over with Aiden. He's so cute and sweet. Alisa and Kevin are natural parents.

Eric busted his foot and was forced to sit around and play video games all weekend.

My hair looked weird all weekend since I didn't have a working blow-dryer.

Oh, and I feel like a zombie. I'm so e.x.h.a.u.s.t.e.d. I don't know how Leah does it!

Greetings from Chicago, IL

2008-02-19T16:53:00.002-06:00

Its obvious its the middle of winter and no one is doing anything fun. This site is boring!

"Get your *ss moving and the soul will follow."

~ The Boss

Birthday Lady

2008-01-26T14:34:00.000-06:00

Sexy, Strong, and (sad-to-say) Sick. We love Sally.

Happy Birthday, Mom.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JASON!!

2007-12-30T19:26:00.000-06:00

A special start to this world on a Sunday afternoon,
His mother was baptized, baby still in the womb.
That was late spring and by the end of the year,
What joy! A boy! And not an eye without a tear.

Home… gazing… the shimmer of moonlight caressing his face,
All would be changed forever now. We wouldn’t remember a time without him in place.
Some colicky nights that he quickly outgrew,
To play happily alone or giggling & gurgling when attended to.

A little boy with swings and sandbox, sitting under the sun,
And two sisters coming along to eventually join in the fun.
In school he liked reading and did well in art.
He made lots of friends and must’ve broke some little girl’s heart.

In junior high he wore a mullet and light blue tapered jeans,
He played basketball & was crowned king, well liked by his peers it seems.
In high school we found he had his dad’s legs & speed,
Breaking records in track and running hard in cross-country.

A short stint at college, some jobs here and there,
It took him awhile to find a calling in which to place care.
He found a house he loved and wanted to make a home,
And a girl of his dreams to bring to so they would no longer roam.

We skip ahead now and find him being born, again, somehow.
Jason David Staton, a babe to this new life he’ll avow,
But I see a great man of faith, admitting he’s been broken,
Wanting all to taste of this world to which he‘s been woken.

His art is still there and comes out in different ways:
Plaster molds, cooking, walks in the woods with his dogs these days.
His heart is kinder from the soft blows of love.
He’s still funny and quick, oh the crazy things he thinks of!

Well, birthdays are a great way to end out the year,
Thinking back with love on all you hold dear.
And this is my way of saying to my son
I love you Jas and because of you I’m the blessed one!

Have a great birthday Jas!

Love you,
Mom

Our Pigeon Man

2007-12-23T12:58:00.000-06:00

Here's an article more fully describing Joe Zeman Jr., aka Pigeon Man.

He was remembered:

STEF'S DAY!

2007-12-20T21:23:00.000-06:00

What is the date? Good grief! The 21st!
Today’s the anniversary of Stefanie's birth!

Since that's the situation, the event at hand,
There should be a big celebration in the land.

For Stef is special, a child of God
And I want to bless her with more than a nod.

She's funny and fun, thinking she might be Lucy.
The Golden Girls make her laugh till she's light-headed and woozy.

Stef’s always sweet and thinks the best of others,
That helps Carol and me since we are the mothers.

Through good times and bad, through thick and thin,
She stands by her man and believes in him.

She'll shop till she drops especially at Target,
A sale, a reduction, she's likely not to forget.

She loves her dogs, to dream, and draw,
She'll rearrange a room and paint a wall.

There's plenty more that I could say,
But let's hear from you all on Stef s special day!

Happy Birthday Stef!!

Love ya,
Sally

R.I.P

2007-12-19T11:31:00.000-06:00

A Chicago man widely known as "the Pigeon Man of Lincoln Square" was struck and killed by a van Tuesday afternoon on the Far North Side.

For the full story

(hey, I can't see my tool bar to insert a link or change fonts etc. Any ideas?)

UPDATED to fix link. Still don't know why you can't see the toolbar.

ERIC IS HOW OLD?!

2007-12-16T08:03:00.000-06:00

Eric woke up this morning and said with a cry
“I’ve turned 30 today.” “Oh me!” and “Oh my!”.
Now don’t feel downhearted, dejected or sad,
I’ve shown up to tell you it’s not all that bad.

For Eric’s fulfilling a lot of his dreams,
A husband, a dad and a great job it seems.
He’s got friends all around and a church he can love,
Blessings galore sent straight from above.

You might think he’s quiet, guarded or shy,
But you see his true heart when he plays with his guys.
He wrestles with Cal and makes Ike giggle,
They lay on the floor and wriggle and wiggle.

His friend from the 6th grade and love of his life,
You see that he’s proud of Leah his wife.
He’s faithful and loyal, hardworking, consistent,
Emotional, loud or a braggart he isn’t.

He’s easy to love, has a true servant’s heart,
If he’s called to help out, well, he’s just doing his part.
If you’re there on a weekend to the bakery he goes,
You may even find him baking cinnamon rolls.

So you see by this tale that all’s well and good,
You’d probably pick 30 too if you could.
So say what you want & don’t hold it back,
Of cheers on his 30th may Eric have no lack!

Happy Birthday Eric!!

Love ya,
Sally

Awesomeness

2007-12-06T22:26:00.000-06:00

I thought I better post this since my last knitting post was this debacle. (Thanks Richard!)

Awesome, right?! Yeah, I'm pretty proud of myself.

(The camera makes Kari's art look crooked. Its not. I would never let that happen.)

Recap

2007-11-29T13:38:00.000-06:00

Mom
Gift card from Williams Sonoma
Rosie Thomas CD with the REM song on it
gift certificate from Arcadia Knitting www.arcadiaknitting.com
John Hiatt CD, esp one that has "Have a Little Faith in Me"
Best Buy gift card

Tom
Gift Cards to best buy

Leah
clothes. Medium shirts. Size 8 pants. Or medium pants
Banana Republic, Gap and Old Navy
No sweaters
I would love a little sharp knife. Preferably Rachael Ray.

Cal
An umbrella (they sell them for like $6 in kids' toy stores)
Another membership to the museum or the Minnesota Zoo
books
Cal needs a puzzle organizer. "They" have these wooden table-like things with slots for wooden puzzles. I have no idea how much they are or where to find them. And it's late so I can't look it up right now.

Isaac
http://www.elc.co.uk/toy-34123
http://www.creativekidstuff.com/ ...tasyblocks.html
http://www.creativekidstuff.com/...ravel- town.html
socks.
Books
Also, there are these cds put out by Putamayo and they are great kids cds. You can find them at children specialty shops. Here's the link to their home page.
http://www.putumayo.com/en/ putum...tumayo_kids.htm

Becky
iTunes gift cards
more art from Kari
earthy smelling candles
The Complete Vegan Kitchen (or another Vegan cookbook)
an orange tea pot
a pasta/veggie streamer pot

Cheryl
Game Stop gift cards
Cool (outside) vest - size L
another business card holder from Leah (she lost it and it was her fav)
Sweaters for work – Size L

Richard
Anything from They Might Be Giants Discography.
Blues Brothers
Blues Brother 2000
Clerks X
Best Buy Gift Cards
"The Year of Living Biblically" by A.J. Jacobs

Kari
the Oppenheimer CD (they only have one, so if you go to Best Buy or something, I think it should be pretty easy to find). I'd also like the Social Distortion greatest hits CD. Any of the "Dexter" series of books would be great, too (except the first one - I just splurged on that). So, I think that includes "Dearly Devoted Dexter" and "Dexter in the Dark". They're all by Jeff Lindsey.

Eric

Jason

Steph

Heyyyy Jason, Steph and Eric give us some ideas.

Christmas Exchange

2007-11-28T22:59:00.000-06:00

Stolen from Sarah Jane on their family blog:

"Hey All-Talked to Leah Rose last night about our annual Christmas Exchange, we both agreed that we should still do it. If anyone opposes strongly just don't participate. We thought we could try it a little different. We could do a boys and a girls gift exchange, with a limit of 15$. So I'll buy a gift for the girls exchange (no gift cards) (something like jewelry, bath and body, something for the house etc) and Brian will buy something for the guys one (tools, video game, poker chips etc). Then on Christmas we'll play the game where we pull numbers and steal. So mom, dad, you can play, Sally, Grandma Holper, etc. Anyone who buys for the exchange is in. Sound good? Leah is telling her side I'm telling ours. YAY CHRISTMAS"

Thanksgiving

2007-11-21T12:54:00.000-06:00

Hey Familia. I'm using this post as a kind of mass email. Cheryl and I are leaving for Seattle tonight - I'm hoping we don't end up sitting in Ohare all night! I'll miss you all this weekend. Just another Thanksgiving seperated.

I plan on kicking a little A this weekend with the scavenger hunt. Watch out.

Let the Hunt Begin

2007-11-13T09:18:00.001-06:00

Thanks for all the suggestions. I hope that this turns into a lot of fun.

The Rules:

Attempt to take a picture of yourselves with the items on the list.
You get one point for every picture, and .25 points for every member of your family(pets included) you can cram in there.
1 extra bonus point per picture if you capture "that guy"(will add link at home) in any of the pictures.
10 points for being the first to complete all the pictures.
5 points for being second.
100 points if you are married to a Kari.
Just post your findings here.

The List:
A cow
A Baggage claim
A delicious pint of beer
A $50 bill
A star fruit
A unique building
A Winning a poker hand
A Letterman's Jacket
A broken mug
A mouthful of cranberries.

Have fun!

A Must See Film

2007-11-09T15:12:00.001-06:00

Thank you Richard for pointing this out:

See Ya

2007-11-07T20:55:00.000-06:00

If new art from Kari or Cheryl chillin' on the couch with Lily are on the Family Foto Fscavenger Fhunt list, then I'm totally in the lead!

Thanks Kari! I love my painting!

Photo Scavenger Hunt

2007-10-31T08:08:00.001-05:00

I haven't forgotten about this, time has just gotten away from me. Postpone a week, if you have any more ideas get them up here, then I will post the list sometime within the week.

Family Foto Fscavenger Fhunt

2007-10-22T07:41:00.000-05:00

So I'm a big dork and came up with what I thought was a brilliant idea. I think we should have a blog photo scavenger hunt. For the next week think of 3-5 things to add to the list and put them in the comments. Next Monday I'll compile some set number of them (10?20?), then we will have a week to get pictures of ourselves taken with the items on the list and post them back here on the blog. Who up for that?

Christmas already

2007-10-18T10:51:00.001-05:00

Hi everyone! So, I guess its about time to start thinking about Christmas. Although, I know Leah is already on it as she bought Scott his present months ago.

Mom and I were talking last night and we thought it might be a good idea for everyone to post a few ideas for gifts. I think last year turned out great - should we stick to $20 or $25 (?) per person?

I'm assuming everyone can be here for Christmas Eve again. It was way too much fun to miss anyway.

Ok, see ya in the comments!

AZ & Lily!

2007-10-15T14:41:00.000-05:00

I was in Phoenix for Stacey and Matt's wedding this past weekend. I had some pool time and lots of fun with Amy and her family (I'm an honorary Opahle now) and the wedding was beautiful and a really really wonderful time.

Here's Stacey with Mom's purse that she borrowed for "something old". Stacey is the 3rd of my 4 friends who have married this year to borrow the purse. Mom, this was your great aunt's purse, right?

Palm tree and the sunset from the terrace.

Matt & Stacey. I don't have many pictures since everyone else was going wild with their camera and I'll be getting those sooner or later. This is right where the ceremony happened. It was beautiful and of course pictures don't do scenery justice anyway. The restaurant was on the top of a cliff overlooking Phoenix.

Amy and Becky before the wedding on the terrace. I have no idea how to straighten this picture out.

And for the finale.... We got a kitten!! Her name is Lily and she's part siamese. She was born on my birthday! Its fate! She's really cute and funny but still being a little shy. I hope she's running around and not such a scaredy kitten whenI get home tonight. Mom and Tom, you'll have to stop by to see her this week!

Movies

2007-10-13T22:57:00.001-05:00

I saw two really great movies this weekend and I have to share- and you will soon see I am not a writer, nor try to be. Although I do sometimes use the word "nor."

Reign Over Me with Adam Sandler and some other cool dudios was so so great. It was sad, real and had redemption. I loved it. It was rated R for language because the F word was used probably about 10 times. I usually don't like to watch rated R movies, but this one was f-ing awesome.

Music and Lyrics with Drew Barrymore and British sappy guy in all the romances... what's his name? Bridget Jones... You know. This movie was also great. It made fun of the 80's a lot, which I can always appreciate. And it was a feel-good movie. I wish Eric would have watched it with me so that we could have laughed together but he is at a monster-truck rally tonight. However, I actually had a harder time watching this PG-13 movie than Reign Over Me. It had a lot of scantily-clad booty shaking and orgasmic noises. It made me a little uncomfortable. So, actually, I'm glad Eric is watching the school buses get smashed into pieces.

I do realize that these movies have been out for a while, so many of you have already seen them. In that case, just let me know if you f-ing agree with me.

Happy Birthday Scott!

2007-10-05T10:00:00.000-05:00

Ultimate Kickball Champion

2007-10-04T21:38:00.000-05:00

Our kickball team won our division! We are going to the regional tournament on October 27 (I know... it's Isaac's birthday). I am super bad at kicking and get out every time. But, I'm a rockstar outfielder. I made a double play this week by catching the ball and tagging second base because the runner didn't tag up. It was awesome.

Finally!

2007-09-24T21:11:00.001-05:00

Hey we bought a couch! As you can see, its gorgeous, but a monster! A little bigger than expected... Also new is the end table and tv stand (complete with Family Guy in the background).

A little distraction for this hard week I guess.

IT'S LEAH'S BIRTHDAY!!

2007-09-06T08:10:00.001-05:00

Happy Birthday to you L Diddy,
you sure have turned out pretty!
I've noticed that you get giddy
when those guys of yours do something witty.
You've moved away to a far city
and at times it makes me feel sad and sh----,
but your heart's not dirty or gritty,
you're loving and kind and show pity,
we could even find you on a committee
pointing others to the Celestial City.
So I hope you like this little ditty
that says my love for you is not itty-bitty!

Newborn Leah 1978

School Pics. Can you guess youngest to oldest?

Leah's early years.

Leah and Eric 1999.

Hope you have a wonderful birthday Leah! I love you babe-
Mom

Must Read

2007-09-04T21:34:00.001-05:00

I just finished reading Extremly Loud & Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer. It was AMAZING. Its about a 9 year olds search for a lock to a key that he found in his dad's closet after his dad died in 9-11. Its real and sad but the saddness is tolerable and shouldn't scare you away for many reasons. I highly recommend it if for all.

For your convenience.

Thanksgiving

2007-08-27T21:05:00.000-05:00

What is everyone doing for Thanksgiving? Eric and were talking about having everyone up for the weekend. Would that be doable? We don't have tons of bedrooms like the sauna house in MO, but the basement will be done, so lots of people can crash there and Cal can crash with us. So, we'd have two extra bedrooms plus the recroom. What do you think?

Staceys' Shower!

2007-08-26T21:46:00.000-05:00

Today Mom hosted Stacey's shower at their beautiful condo. I wasn't the photographer of the event so the following pictures are the "after party". (Tom was only part of the after party - he hung out at the beach while we invaded the condo). We stayed and enjoyed wine with Mom, Tom, Nurse Jackie and Cheryl. While we were enjoying this wine, Mom hatched the idea of having monthly Sunday dinners at her place which turned into Saturday night dinners with the McElroys coming maybe once every other month. Sounds fun, right??! What'd'ya say?
Miller's, maybe we can get you here once or twice!

Anyway, has anyone seen the movive "Jaws"?..... The one with the sharks?

Gavin Thomas

2007-08-22T21:13:00.000-05:00

Kim & Lee had their baby this morning! Gavin Thomas, 8lbs, 3oz and everyone is doing great. Cheryl and I went to the hospital tonight to meet him. He has fuzz all over his body and a conehead! I love him already.

Title

2007-08-21T09:04:00.000-05:00

Hey family! We had a ton of fun on vacation. I think we should do something like that every month or so. Maybe we could at least get together for a steak dinner? No? I miss everyone already.

It's Gonna Be HOT, HOT, HOT!!

2007-08-09T14:10:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone, I just looked up Lake of the Ozarks weather and they are saying hot! Perfect swimming and boating weather. And if I'm as savvy as I think I am you'll be able to find out by clicking on weather. And if it didn't turn out I'm just a loser after all. FYI this is Sally (obviously) and not Dad no matter what this #&*% thing says.

5 Days!

2007-08-07T11:10:00.000-05:00

I'm so freaking excited about vacation, I could pee my pants!

Das Tube.

2007-08-05T17:40:00.000-05:00

UPDATE: Nevermind! It's losing air after all Richard's hard work. Sorry, guys! :*(

What do you guys think? Is the tube big enough or do we need to get a different one?

Games and Cereal

2007-08-05T16:13:00.000-05:00

1. Please write down which games you will bring for the week so that we don't bring doubles.
2. What General Mills' cereals do you like? (HN cheerios, Oatmeal Crisp, Cookie Crisp, Golden Grahams... go to the website for a complete list)

Hell Card

2007-08-05T10:12:00.000-05:00

I can't stop laughing at this card. I'm posting this mainly for Eric, Richard, Kari and Scott. And I think Leah too. I showed my Mom at dinner and she said "All of your girls are going to heaven!"

I just found out that Jason actually reads this blog too! I'd like to include him above.

Becky's Birthday Dinner

2007-08-04T21:08:00.001-05:00

Alright, where did Cheryl go?

Becky & Cheryl

Me & Beck

Cheryl, Julie, Stacy, Jackie, Becky, Tammy & Alisa

Jackie made a delicious vegan cake and Becky was too
high to eat it. JUST KIDDING!! Becky did one of her
"take my picture and I'll close my eyes" poses. Oh well,
it was her birthday and she can do whatever she wants!

I had a fun time w/Becky and all her great friends.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BECKY!!!

2007-08-04T12:46:00.001-05:00

Today is Becky’s birthday and I’d like to say a word
About my middle child, in case you haven’t heard
Of just how great & fun she is, her talent & her fame,
A few of her adventures I’m gonna’ pause and name.

The time she jumped out of a plane, her dad & I did miss
When I ask if she’ll repeat for me, she says she’s now a wuss.

Or how about those cars she’s had from a T-bird to a Del Sol
But now she’s giving all them up cause biking is her goal.

She’s more in stores to buy some yarn than in the local bar
She knits with passion and she wants to be a fiber star!

She loves to cook and stir things up from soy she’ll make a treat
Just get outta’ the way when she gets hot and don’t ask her to eat meat.

Being an Aunt to Cal & Ike is something she enjoys
She waits for visits expectantly and buys them clothes & toys.

She loves her family & friends and to that circle she’s loyal
Just don’t do wrong to any of them or you’re gonna’ see her boil!

She’s so much fun to laugh with and we did till we felt pain
When I picked her up at Midway and was found in the cab lane.

She’s forgiving and forgetful and expects the same from you
She doesn’t hold the past in grudge and every day is new.

She grew up in a small hometown and camped and hiked for fun
Now city life has got her heart, a new era has begun.

So here’s to Becky at 32, my daughter and my friend,
My love and admiration of you is never going to end.
Have some fun, enjoy the day, give thanks and look around
All the good things brought your way, may this year they abound!!

I love you Beck!
Mom

Question.

2007-07-31T14:34:00.000-05:00

I was trying to do the title of the post all Dwight Shrute style ("Fact . . . fact . . . question . . .") but I decided it would be too long. So, anyhoo. I do have a question to pose to all you McMiltons about vacation. My best friend since high school lives in Missouri and she planned to visit for one night while we're on vacation. Originally she was going to get a hotel room somewhere near the area, but she's run into some financial difficulties and asked if it would be all right if she could instead stay at our vacation house for a night. She and I both understand if you guys aren't comfortable with that, but I wanted to give it a shot. So, let me know your thoughts on the situation. :)

Harmony Info

2007-07-29T09:39:00.001-05:00

Hi everyone!

I received this in the mail from the owner of Harmony. It has directions and all sorts of useful info. I hope you can somehow read it. I'm not very advanced with these "computers".

Items you may want to bring: seasonings for cooking, wine from TJ's, coolers, beach towels (not supplied), citronella candles, iPod and dock, beer can chicken cooker, fishing poles

I should be getting a call from someone regarding check-in, but so far the time is 5:00 p.m. on Sat.

Can't wait to see everyone in Missouri in less than 2 weeks!!

Boat, boat and more boat

2007-07-27T16:50:00.000-05:00

Hey, family.

I put a 12 person deck boat on hold for the 13th-16th. The total is $1380 (plus gas and tax). We don't pay until we get there, but I suppose we could send mom and Tom the money whenever we have it.

$1380 + $110 (I'm assuming 8% tax) = 1490
1490/5 couples = $300.

I'm guessing about another $60/day in gas. 60 x 4 = 240
240/ 5 couples = 48

So, all that to say, save $350 for the boat! Woohoo!

It's Time.

2007-07-20T04:42:00.000-05:00

Vacation is around the corner. The bill has been charged to our credit card and it's now time for everyone's final installment! Please remit asap.

We are gonna have such fun!

Party Hardy with Lisa on her 30th

2007-07-06T22:28:00.000-05:00

Lisa and Me

All of Lisa's Mpls friends

Fancy raspberry dessert

Leah and Jess

Leah trying to be sexy. Lisa succeeding.

The whole table- 12 of us.

We all dressed up and went to eat at this super fancy French restaurant with awesome food. It was so fun. Lisa's husband flew in her two sisters and best friend as a surprise.

Cinnamon Toast Crunch

2007-06-30T20:06:00.001-05:00

I know I already sent this to a couple of you, but I just have to make sure you all can listen to it. It's so dang catchy, right?

Happy Birthday, Tom!

2007-06-26T15:15:00.000-05:00

Today is the day to celebrate Tom.
He is absolutely da bomb.

He is friendly, fun and oh, so cool.
And what a substitute he was at school!

But that's nothing compared to the way
that he brews coffee. What more can I say?

I haven't even mentioned his awesome acting.
He blows everyone away! And that is a fact (ing).

We're glad you are part of the family- it's true.
So celebrate hard now that you're 52.

Vacation Update

2007-06-22T18:58:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone!

7 Weeks till Family Vacation 2007!

Quick Update:

Our 2nd payment of $2026.25 ($405.25 per couple) is due July 11th. Mom and Tom have agreed to use their credit card again. Let's have it paid off before the trip!

New plan for the boat: We'll rent a boat large enough for everyone for 2 days (and everyone chips in) and then those interested (Becky & Cheryl, Leah & Eric and Mom & Tom) will rent a small ski boat for a few days. Eric is currently researching a deck boat for the larger boat, rather than the tri-toon.

Items to bring: cooler, beach towels, toiletries, fishing poles (need license)

Check in is at 5:00 p.m.

sites to check out: funlake.com, lakelinks.com

I'm pretty excited! Soon we'll be relaxin' and maxin' on the lake.

Boat!

2007-06-05T11:00:00.001-05:00

Harmony, our awesome house, set me up with a boat rental company. We get a 10% discount and the boat is delivered to our dock. Here's the specs:

175 HP Tri-toon (highest HP of all rental boats on the lake)
Brand new
Fits 15 people
can pull water-skier's or tubes

Cost:
$300 per day for Monday - Friday = $1500
or
Sunday - Friday with week discount = $1500
($500 deposit via credit card required. I beleive Mom and Tom are going to front their card again. Thanks!)

The person I spoke to said that another rental co., Glencoe, charges $450 a day for this same boat and $375 per day for a boat with less HP. I beleive this. When I first started checking around the price was more like $500 per couple for the week.

Also, the boat does not come with water ski's or tubes. Leah & Eric - is your tube with your boat in AZ? I think we should consider buying one if we can't rent one. Scott will probaby spend the entire vacation on it.

That's $300 per couple. Give me your opinoins, I'd like to book it for Sunday-Friday - It sounds perfect for us.

Sarah Jane

2007-05-30T21:57:00.000-05:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SARAH JANE!!

Hope you had a great day in Charleston!

Tuesday Love

2007-05-21T21:03:00.000-05:00

Well, I wanted to post on the McElory Experience but I'm not sure how or if I can. Either, way... I'm ready to Love.

I love that the weather is crazy but always goes back to warm and sunny. I L.O.V.E that our Family Vacation 2007 is sooner then any of us execpt. And that we'll have more fun than some of us may expect. I L.O.V.E that I finally get to see my nephews in June who I miss so much that I can't put into words. I also love that I get to see my sister and Eric whom I miss also, but maybe not as much as my nephews. I love that I get to be honest during Tuesday Love. I love my sister and wish we lived closer. I love that my family is so close (and lucky to be) but I miss that we don't see each other as much as we'd like. I love that love my job - I never thought it could happen! I love that I'm helping Leah get home with the boys after their visit and I love that Leah and Eric asked me to help. I love that I'm finally celebrating Mother's Day with Mom on Saturday and taking her to Over Easy. I love that the only thing Tom had to say when my Mom told him was "Sooo?!" (Tom, we'll take you soon!). I love that I have a few days alone (but I miss Cheryl!)

Also, and most importantly, I love wine.

Haha, mabye most importantly is my family's sense of humor!

Happy Tuesday Love (or late Monday Love)! Someone link me (Tom)!

Krazy Kristy

2007-05-08T21:53:00.000-05:00

Familia Vacaciones 2007

2007-05-05T13:42:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone - follow these instructions to check out the new pictures of our rental house:

go to lakerentals.com and and type in 13773 in the property ID box.

It looks pretty awesome....!

Bright Eyes

2007-04-26T08:30:00.000-05:00

Eric and I got a babysitter last night and went to a concert- Bright Eyes. It was great. My only complaint is that I wore my contacts and couldn't see a thing once I got there. I'm not sure why. So, I drove back home to get my glasses and missed the first opening band. The second one was awesome, though. Oakley Hall for those of you interested.

Bright Eyes is funny. He's this amazingly talented 27 year old who is overly politically charged. And he wants to be British. For real. He says the word "bloody" and he has a funny accent when he sings and talks. He was born in Omaha. Anyway, good concert. Fun times.

To listen, go here:
http://www.myspace.com/brighteyes
Listen to Four Winds.