and sienna's video

This one is sickeningly sweet. Be prepared. I hope they want to do pin the tail on the donkey next year instead of videos.

So I'm getting ready for my big trip on Saturday! Wahoo! Hip! Hip! But then of course, bad news. My best friend and her husband were coming with us and they found out this morning that her dad is in the hospital and will only live a few more days. They had to cancel and lose money on top of the grief that they will face. I feel so sorry for her. Poor, poor Mami. I will miss her very much.

We have been on "new house" and "trip" mode at the same time and it's very scary because I am sure I'm forgetting something. We close on both houses 4 days after we get back and then some flooring guys go in and rip out the floors to put in the hardwood the day after that. I've got to schedule floor guys, movers and shakers all before we leave. What am I forgetting??

Anyway, I'm boring and I apologize. I should have something really meaty when I get back from Europe. If you know some great places in Barcelona, Cannes, Florence or Rome - lemme know. If you need me to bring you home a crepe, lemme know.

camryn turned 7

So we made a video to her favorite song (that day). Why that song? I know not. Enjoy.



if you can't see it ( I don't know why I can), try this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dI1Y-hC0FyI

Things, mostly

I went to visit my new house today. We had a good chat. I welcomed it to the family. I told it that we'd be friends forever. I told it that as a member of my family, it will get lots of love but I can't always guarantee that it will be clean. Like my kids, it was a big struggle to get and I couldn't be happier. I realize it will be a lot of work, but so worth it. This house is really mine and I don't have to worry about not changing things to suit my own personal style because of resale. I can make forts out in the forest and dams in the stream. Mason and I can sit on the end of a (future) pier and fish for fish... or snapping turtles. I can paint things and knock out walls. Oooh! House doesn't know what hit it! This is going to be awesome. Come over, ok?

Here is something else. The other night I took my kids to Gator's and as I got them all out, I waited by the door of the van looking inside and Sienna said,"who are you looking for?" I counted my kids and realized they were all there and shook off the weird feeling that they weren't. But then I had the same feeling on Wednesday when I was getting all the kids into the car for Sisi's piano lesson. I don't think I'm a freaky person that has lots of weird premonitions or anything like that, but it was a very real feeling. So, you know, I hope this means that in the future - way in the future - I might be able to have another baby. I am not allowed to even try until 2 years from my last radiation treatment... so that means January 2010... and we might not be able to have any more anyway because of the effects of the chemo. Yet, I'm hopeful. I know, I know - I already have four and they are dirty and have their shoes on the wrong feet. But I love them. I feel like whether I can have one on my own or have to adopt or something in the future, there's another one out there. Remind me in a couple years when I say,"ARE YOU CRAZY?? NOW WAY!"

Wow. That was personal.

$3.71. C'mon!

That's what our gas is today. What's yours? Big oil jerks.

Mason, Mason, Mason

I had to put this tough-guy picture first so that it might balance out some of what I've said and also will say about this little dude.

The other day his babysitter asked him if Taylor was his girlfriend. He said,"yes!". Then she started teasing him saying,"Ooooh! Are you going to get married and be the daddy and Taylor will be the mommy and have lots of babies??" He laughed and said,"NOOOOO!! SHE's going to be the daddy and I'M going to be the mommy so she can go to work and I get to VACUUM!!"

A note from Clinton:

hi shelby,
i haven't read my website for a while. (life's a little busy these days.)
just wanted to say that it was great to meet you and that your story really touched me. i'm so glad WNTW could help you through your tough time. honestly, it means a lot to me that i can provide a little "info-tainment" for people who can use it.
i hope you enjoyed the macy's presentation. when i'm in town again, i expect to see you looking all healthy and glamorous.
xo,
clinton

What's Shakin'?

So I woke up at about 4am to my house shaking back and forth, back and forth. I thought it was a tornado and ran instantly to the window. (If there is anything I have learned from living in the midwest for the last nine years, it's that you should run right to a window in a tornado so that you can see it. Don't worry about shards of glass chasing your guts like the knives that flew around the old Tom & Jerry cartoons.) When I looked outside, the trees were still. Then my house started shaking again! The mirror was slamming against the wall. It was crazy. We ran downstairs and turned on the tv but all it told us was that an incredible new machine would make our abs flat faster than we can say,"was that an earthquake??!!"

It was! 5.2! I have an inspection and an appraisal on my house today and now I have an excuse for why it looks like it does. Something really did shake it!