The bone!

Kevin bought some really nice T-bones for dinner on my birthday. We grilled them up and sat outside.....everyone who visits the blog knows this because they have seen the photos from that night. Well, Paulie, like any boy/man, loves steak. I have the traditional struggles with Paul to try and eat vegetables. So, we had these steaks. Kevin's T-bone was enormous. I mean gigantic. When Kevin was cutting away the last few pieces of meat from the bone and Paul could actually see the bone, his eyes were the size of saucers.....just eyein' that bone. It made me think of my younger brother, Trent, and how he was this way as a boy. So, I decided to give the bone to Paul. You are just going to have to scroll to the bottom of the blog - to our video section - to see for yourself.

Happy 34th....um, I mean 35th birthday

Today is my 35th birthday. When my parents were visiting, my mother spoke with Kevin about getting a cake and some candles to celebrate. She told Kevin to get the number 34 because it was my 34th birthday. Kevin gently reminded her that it really was my 35th birthday. Too funny, my mother forgetting how old I really am. I told her, and Kevin, if you are going to make me younger why not 25 instead of 34. It was a good laugh.

To start my birthday off early, Adrienne and her boys sent me beautiful flowers. They were a total surprise and just so pretty. Then Kevin gave me my present....an iPhone! Very exciting.....he even uploaded it with episodes from Sex and the City. After reviewing the phone and getting a quick introduction on how to use it, we had breakfast and were off to the Mom gym. I got to watch my shows and listen to my music while working out! I am so technologically advanced I don't know what I am going to do with myself now! After the gym, we hit lunch in town with the boys and then came home to relax. Kevin took William to the store for some grocery shopping and birthday cake purchasing. We then had dinner and birthday cake. It was a great day! Enjoy my pics.

My beautiful flowers.

My cake....with 35 candles.

Blowing out the candles with help from my assistant.

Eating cake...the best part of birthdays.

Trying to get a nice photo of Mom with her boys....William was "angry", I was on the phone, and Paulie was chillin'. Not a good photo but still one worth posting.

The new obession

Kevin has a new obsession.....coffee. In the six and 1/2 years we have been married many obsessions have come and gone in Kevin's life. The new one is coffee - hot coffee, strong coffee, espresso, roasting coffee, reading books about coffee, spending hours on the Internet looking at any site dedicated to coffee, grinding coffee, roasting your own beans, getting the right/perfect blend, trying to get the perfect cup of espresso with good crema....I could go on and on about coffee. So in staying true to Kevin's obsessions, he read about how you can roast your own coffee beans. Here is some video from our first attempt. We have not had this coffee yet because 1: it needs to sit for some time (another new thing I have learned), and 2: we don't have a grinder....it was misplaced in the move.....so another reason to buy something new for the obsession. And, of course, we can't just buy a normal $30-40 grinder....oh no.....we have to have the top of the line which costs about $250. But hey, it keeps him happy....and our visitors will always have a great cup of coffee....until the next obsession hits.

Our dancin' man

As everyone knows from reading our blog, Paul LOVES LOVES LOVES music. No matter the song or the source, he starts shakin' and shimmin' his little body. His best dance move, the run in a circle, get dizzy and fall on the floor. Here he is dancing to the music on our blog.

The weather pixie

I think the weather pixie has been on vacation for awhile. Everytime I log onto the blot, and my friends' blogs that have the weather pixie, she is nonexistent. She just does not scroll up. I think she has decided to travel Europe for the summer, or maybe rent a yacht in the Caribbean, or try to win it big in Vegas. Whatever she is doing, she is NOT telling the weather. Maybe she is overtired and needs a break.....so I am going to give her one. You will notice we have a new weather bar on our blog. It is a bit more advanced than the weather pixie, but hey, she doesn't seem to mind. And if you think about it, she doesn't really show up for work anyway.

Welcome the Balows to bloggin'

My best friend, Adrienne, has finally seen the light and created a blog!!!!!!!!!!!! Now, mind you, I have been buggin' her (only slightly) about creating a blog for sometime. Thank you, thank you, thank you for creating one. We can now all see her boys grow, here about the crazy stories that only happen to the Shireys, and enjoy Chicago thru the Balow's eyes. Welcome the Balows.

PS. You will find her blog under my Family and Friends Blogs section.

Fireworks....and gazing into the sky (the fourth, part 2)

Have you ever noticed that nobody takes pictures of others when watching fireworks....of course not, everyone is watching the fireworks, duh....!!!!! My mom decided she would capture the moment by taking our pictures. I didn't know she was doing this, but it is funny to look at....us all staring into the nighttime sky. William took pictures of the fireworks, so I will post what we were crooning to see.

The night started with kisses.

William thought he would not like the sound of the fireworks, so taking pictures was a good thing....he was diverted and enjoyed the night. And more kisses...

Watching the show.

A picture of our nighttime photographer, my mom.

And the night ends in kisses.....the natural kind. hehehehe