God Bless America

God Bless America,

Land that I love.

Stand beside her, and guide her

Thru the night with a light from above.

From the mountains, to the prairies,

To the oceans white with foam

God Bless America, My home sweet home.

Thank you to all our men and women who serve the United States each and every day. We are so thankful that you all are committed to all American citizens living a life free from terror. God Bless the U.S.A.

Camping with Pops

I had the opportunity to meet my dad at some property he owns last weekend. This cute little cabin is the closest I actually come to camping. My favorite thing about the cabin is all the rocking chairs on the porch. It is so nice to sit out on the porch, watching the wildlife and gaze at the lake. I could sit for hours just rocking and reading a good book. It is also a great place to watch dad cook our meals on the grill.

Dad and I had dinner one night at the camp. He knows the way to my heart. A delicious steak is what I request everytime I can get him near a grill. It was so good. Thanks Dad for always making our time together memorable and special in so many different ways.

Looking at the cabin from the lake, you get a perspective of all the beautiful trees and foliage on the property. I also spent time picking blueberries from their bushes. I ate a ton of blueberries while we were there. They were delicious.

I love walking down to the lake. It is so peaceful and serene. I actually retract that statement. As I was down at the lake, I turn around a see a sight you might not believe.

This picture isn't necessairly what you might think it is. Pops is cutting the hedges with clippers. The kicker is that he is only wearing underwear and an undershirt. I was laughing as I was taking the pictures. He might have threatened my well being if the uncropped picture wound up on my blog. I decided to stay in his good graces and crop the picture. I didn't want to scare my blog readers! I guess you can get away with this practice when you are literally out in the middle of nowhere.

Pops spent some time mowing the lawn and cleaing up all the foliage. I spent time chasing him around documenting all the projects he was woking on at the lake. I must say that I did enjoy spending the night at the cabin for the first time ever. I was lucky to have friends in town who left their back doors unlocked just in case I couldn't make it all night at the cabin. We survived. Dad cooked breakfast and he showed me how to shoot his rifle on the porch. His aim was much better than mine. I was just nervous to have a shotgun in my hand in the first place. I am thankful when we are afforded the opportunity to create memories. I introduced my dad to Borat. I thought he would find Borat entertaining despite how socially incorrect and inappropriate Borat acts at different times in the movie. He watched it and laughed so hard. He is now taking Borat home to my mom to watch. We will see how that turns out! I am expecting a phone call from her and a lecture about owning Borat in the first place in.....three.....two.....one.

Alligator Hunting

I was awake very early this morning. We are expecting large quantities of rain over the next few days due to the hurricane in the gulf. I decided to get some exercise before I was stuck inside for the next few days. As I was walking around the lake, I spotted a pair of eyes watching me. It was an alligator in our lake. My first instinct was to put as much distance between Mr. Alligator and me as humanly possible. My next thought was that Holdyn would be so excited to see a picture of Mr. Alligator. I called Holdyn and told him what I saw. He was beyond excited and wanted a picture. Luckily, I had my camera phone to document one of the crazier things I have ever done. I was officially stalking an alligator on orders from my favorite three year old. We were a little less lucky because Mr. Alligator decided to submerge himself before I got close enough to get a picture.

I had orders from Holdyn not to leave the lake. He wanted a picture. I tried in vain to find the spot where the alligator would surface.

Holdyn said, " Auntie are you still looking for my alligator?" I told him I was sitting on the dock. Of course, he wanted to see a picture of the dock where I could bring him to fish one day. Please note I sat on this dock for over thirty minutes waiting for the alligator to surface to please Holdyn. He was not very happy when I gave up my hunt.

This is the only type of alligator I prefer to be close to in real life.

Holdyn will show you how an alligator sticks his head out of the water and keep his body submerged at the same time. I bet this little alligator is pretty ticklish.

When Holdyn's momma went to take an important phone call, he also tried to submerge like an alligator in Cynthia's kitchen sink.

He is pretty cute no matter what type of animal he is pretending to be. He has one of the best imaginations I have ever seen in a three year old. He also keeps our family on our toes at all times.

For good measure, I am reminded that there will also be fun girlie adventures in my future thanks to Baby Hadley being a part of our lives. Look at those fat cheeks. I can't want to kiss them soon! Hopefully the only hunting Hadley and I will do might include looking for alligator high heels or an alligator purse.

Sleepy Stanley

I received some pictures of Stanley. We go to pick him up this weekend. I am so excited. In this picture, he is just waking up from a cat nap. When he comes home, I have a Moses basket for him to sleep in for his cat naps.

Joe says he looks wild and crazy. I think he is a little scared for us to bring him home. I keep reminding him that Stanley is just a baby. Joe usually says, "I hope he isn't a bad baby." Stanley and I have our first road trip already planned. I hope he likes planes, trains and car rides. He is going to be a traveling cat.

The Big 40

Happy Birthday to Joe. He turned 40 this weekend. We had his family birthday party on Sunday. Joe spent time trying out his parenting skills on his nephew Riley. Riley loved being twisted upside down. I got dizzy just watching Riley be turned upside down!

I am so thankful that Mark and Christa were able to come and have dinner and cheesecake with us. We consider them family. My cousin John David and his girlfriend Amanda also enjoyed the party. I am so thankful to look in the corner and see these four. They made me laugh everytime I glanced in their direction.

Joe picked out a Banana Cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory. He loved it.

We also served three other bite sized flavors for his birthday. As soon as I took this picture, I looked up and Joe's sister was laughing at me. I guess taking pictures of your food is strange. But I enjoy looking back at pictures to see what we served at various functions.

Jarrott passed on cheesecake and instead chose cookies. I consider it my job as an Aunt and surrogate Aunt to sugar up the kids and send them home.

I found these adorable turtles at Anthropology. Thanks to Amanda's penmanship we were able to make cute signs to label all the food. We had appetizers of fresh fruit and vegetables, chips and three kinds of dip and a few other munchies. For dinner, we had salad, lasagana, shrimp scampi, fresh green beans, potato salad, and fresh bread. For dessert, we had an assortment of cookies, fresh watermelon, banana cheesecake, New York cheesecake bites, white rasperry cheesecake bites, and turtle cheesecake bites. I think all of Joe's family went home full. Joe's mom asked me if I secretly had any italian in my blood? I took that as a compliment. It is better to have plenty of food than to leave your guests hungry!

Amanda was my lifesaver for the party. I would not have gotten everything ready without all of her help. She help me unload all the groceries, cut fruit, wash vegetables and help me figure out where everything was in my own kitchen. Thanks, Amanda! It wouldn't have been nearly as nice a party without your help!

My Two Firefighters

The Captain and his understudy. If we aren't fighting fires in our family then we are watching videos non-stop of the different types of fire engines, trucks and the sounds they make. It is fire! fire! fire! non stop in both my household and Cynthia's household. It just so happens that we don't cry wolf at the Houston Fire Station or in the Guarisco family. My mom said that if Holdyn ever does see a fire that no one will believe him because there is the never ending sound of Fire! Fire! coming from his mouth as he scampers past you to get his gear on to go fight fires. Holdyn is so dedicated that he will only sleep in firemen or firetruck pajamas.

As you might know all firemen need to eat in between fires. They must hurry up and find their groceries because you never know when they will receive the "call of duty" to fight the next fire.

It is an exhausting job being a fireman. Uncle Fireman can be very grumpy at times when he has come off a busy twenty-four hour shift. Holdyn has figured out that even the hardest working firemen need their rest.

The most exciting thing to happen in a day with Holdyn is spotting any type of emergency response vehicle. He was so proud to stand on this firetruck and get his picture made. After I took his picture, Holdyn exclaimed, "Auntie, I fireman just like Uncle Fireman." Yes, baby. You are the very first fireman who ever captured my heart. Fire! Fire! And we are off.............

Super Seven Moms and TNT

Aunt Karen and I always have a great time slipping away for a quick dinner together!



These are a few of the Super Seven Moms. They have been so sweet to include this non-mom in their monthly dinner rituals. The Super Seven Moms were formed when my cousin Will was in high school. Will and his six best friends were inseperable. The Super Seven Moms were formed because they are all the moms of these boys. The boys are all in college now. The moms make a point to keep in touch with each other. It is so neat that they were able to find lasting friendships through their children.

Love

There is no one that is more important to me than the two people in this photo. Love. It is a word I learned anew when I met these two. Love. The kind that rips deep into your soul. Auntie loves you both. There is nothing I wouldn't do for either of you. Love. Holdyn and Hadley taught auntie a love she never knew existed. I love both of you.

Kemah Boardwalk

Joe and I decided to have a date day to the Kemah Boardwalk. I had never been to Kemah. We had a great time and I would love to take the little man in the picture below to the boardwalk to ride all the rides Uncle Fireman can stand to ride with him. Don't worry, Auntie will be there to photograph the rollercoasters that I refuse to ride anymore. The wooden rollercoasters just don't seem as safe as they once did. I think I am getting old.

Speaking of Firemen, Pops showed up for Holdyn's last day of school. Excuse me, his name is Holdyn the Fireman, and if you get it wrong he will correct you. He also wears three layers of fire jackets every day despite the 90 degree heat. He is a dedicated fireman who called Auntie and told me "Me Love You Auntie." It was enough to produce tears talking about it on the way to Kemah. Uncle Fireman quickly reminded me that this is date day and I wasn't allowed to cry. It is time for a visit with my little fireman and his adorable sister who chooses fashion over firesuits anyday. Hadley is my kind of girl. I love her expression in this picture also. She is looking at her brother like what are you doing now? I would also like to thank my dad for keeping his eyes open in the picture long enough for someone to snap it.

Joe and I loved sitting on the patio and watching all the boats go past us. We spent over an hour just boat and people watching.

We picked Joe's Crab Shack because they have the best porch to block the sun and enjoy the breeze. There were better restaurants Joe wanted to eat at but Joe's by far has the best set up to sit outside for lunch.

Joe was not happy I made him stand in front of the sign stating "The Origional Joe's." He is learning quickly to pick and choose his battles. I think he has a cute smile and I loved him standing in front of anything close to a monogram.

I think I saw Forrest Gump's boat go by as we sat on the porch. Joe asked me, "Is that one of those movies that made you cry?" I quickly told him there is nothing past tense about that statement. Forrest Gump is my all time favorite movie. I can almost quote the whole movie. Yes, I cry everytime I watch it. What can I say, I love Forrest Gump and Bubba too! I remember the movie came out on tape when I was in the seventh grade. My dad suprised me and bought it for me. I was so excited. It is a classic and I still watch it over and over again.

I decided I wouldn't mind having a boat if we could travel on this boat. I can imagine diving near our favorite islands as our full time job. I was in sticker shock as Joe told me the price of boats. Well we don't need a boat, we just need a good friend willing to lend us their boat for a fun vacation.

Road Trip

We three amigos (John David, Uncle Fireman and I) decided to take a road trip to Fort Worth. We went to visit our cousins and attend the Colonial Golf Tournament. On the way to Fort Worth, the boys forgot to wake me up for an icee stop at Buckey's. In order to keep their favorite female companion in good spirits, they decided to drop me off at the salon for a manicure and pedicure when we arrived in Fort Worth. The boys proceeded to my aunt and uncle's house. It took fifteen minutes and my mom searching for me in a panic for the family to believe that the boys didn't forget me at Buckey's. Sorry mom. I was just getting my toes painted.

The three amigos (John David, Uncle Fireman and I) spent Friday night in the same room together. I can personally report John David was sleeping soundly in his bed. The problem was that he wasn't sleeping quietly. I volunteered to sleep on the tiny mattress on the floor so John David could sleep in the bed. He repaid my kindness by talking all night long in his sleep. Uncle Fireman Joe was fast asleep on the blowup mattress. After sleeping in the same room as Uncle Fireman this weekend, I am rethinking if we will be able to share a bedroom - EVER. He snored louder than my dad -who can compete with a train whistle anyday while he sleeps. It was a good thing I took a nap on the way to Fort Worth because the boys were the only two who slept Friday night. I am now a professional Solitaire player on my Iphone.

Saturday we went to the golf tournament. My aunt and uncle live in the neighborhood where the Colonial is held. It was so nice to walk back and forth to the golf course. I also was able to witness my first hole-in-one. Isn't their house cute?

Sunday we headed to Buffalo, Tx for lunch with my Great Aunt Jean and my Uncle A.E.

This is a quick moment when my Uncle A.E. wasn't telling a story about a cow or "the war." My Uncle A.E. fought in World War II. It is men like him we have to thank for our freedom. One of my all time favorite memories of Uncle A.E. happened about ten years ago at the beach. Everyone was having a great time playing in the sand and water. Uncle A.E. was in his lounge chair sitting straight up scanning the horizon. He was scanning the water for "the Japs." He is still fighting "the war." If you ever meet Uncle A.E., please don't tell him I drive a Japanese vehicle. I would like to continue to be invited back for Sunday lunch.

This is the fantastic lunch my Aunt Jean prepared. We had a great time visiting and eating. Aunt Jean even called me bossy when I insisted on staying and washing the dishes. For once, I was happy to be called bossy! After lunch, we three amigos headed back to Houston. I took a nap. Once again, the boys didn't wake me up for a stop at Buckey's. They are still in a bit of hot water for not stopping.

We had a wonderful time seeing our family for Memorial Day weekend. We are so thankful for our family, our freedom and the chance to all sleep in our own beds again.

Stanley

This is the newest member of the Guarisco family. His name is Stanley and he is a Ragdoll kitten. Awwww, you might be thinking that he is so cute. You could be thinking along the lines of my oldest and dearest friend Charles who says, "get a dog." But there is more to this story than meets the eye. Over time, I will tell you the entire story. For time sake, I will just give you a snippet today.

Joe Guarisco does not like cats. Growing up he disliked cats so much that stories circulate about unkind things he did to tease cats. I will tell you that many of these stories come from his own mouth.

After we had been dating for over a year, I started talking about getting a kitten. I had not wanted to get a pet until I was settled and felt I could provide a safe and secure place for a pet. For seven years, my job took me all over the Southeastern part of the country. I moved five times in four years. Finally, I landed in Houston, Tx. I made the decision that this would be my home. I would not be moving to another state anytime soon, God willing of course.

Back to the subject at hand, Joe and I began talking about possibly getting married one day. Each time, I asked if we could have a kitten. Each and every time his answer was the same, a resounding NO. He didn't like cats. We had already decided down the road that we would adopt a dog. I tried to put Norman Rockwell thoughts in his head about a puppy asleep at his feet, a fire roaring, wine glasses clinking and a little ball of fur curled up in between the two of us. I was quickly told a Norman Rockwell family we would not be, at least for the time being.

Joe decided it was time to propose. That is another great story, for another time, which includes my sweet Markie Mark. The revelant part for this story is Joe brought me to the computer one evening and showed me a video slide show. It was of a trip or a memory created from each month we had dated over the last two years. I thought it was sweet. Then he says, "There are a few more photos. I hope these represent the things to come in our future." (SIDE NOTE: We were leaving the next day for Washington, D.C. where I had no doubt he was going to propose. I figured this video montage was apart of our week of love.) Hopefully, he doesn't read this blog or he might throw a pillow at me for showing you his sweet and sentimental side :).
I tend to get off on a tangent. Sorry.

The last picture of the post was of a Grand Champion Ragdoll father and mother. They were beautiful and just what I wanted my kitten to look like one day. Joe says to me, "If this doesn't prove my love to you then I don't know what will. We are getting a kitten in two months. It's being born in a few weeks and will come home with us when it's old enough."

I found out he had done months of research to pick out the perfect parents for the type of seal-pointed baby I wanted. I told Joe I was worried he wasn't going to be sweet to it and it's not fair if he isn't equally loved by both of us. Joe grinned and said, "Well I got to pick him out, so I think that will help me love him." I also let Joe name him. He is now as excited about Stanley as I am. Please don't tell Joe I said that becuase he is a tough Uncle Fireman you know.

The kicker to the story is the breeder says of all the kittens in the litter, Stanley likes to nestle right next to her husbands head on his pillow. Come September, our bed might be a little more crowded than sweet Joe Guarisco intended.

Guarisco Family Mother's Day

Madison and Riley needed to run off some energy before dinner. I took this opportunity to capture some sweet brother and sister moments.

We are trying so hard to get a good picture for our family wedding table.

Jack loves his Great Grandmother.

We celebrated Mother's Day with Joe's entire family at Nick's. It was a great day. The only thing that was missing was my own mamma.