Dad, it has been a long time since I wrote to you....but you know I do my fair share of talking your ear off, esp. lately. You know...I thought that by now your absence would be more of a familiar feeling. Not that I will ever get used to it, but I thought I would at least be at peace with it by now. Nope. I was wrong. I still fight the feeling that you won't be coming back. You won't be here to talk to me or see me grow. I think about you throughout every single day... in every decision I make, everything fun thing that I do, whenever I try new food or cook anything, everytime I go to the beach, whenever I see a dad and daughter, when I see a butterfly, when I play my guitar, when I go see bands play or when I see my homies jam,  the list goes on.  I struggle with the fact that you were taken too soon and I would do anything to have more time with you.

The reason I wrote on here tonight is because I heard this song and fell in love with the lyrics. I wanted to write them down so I didnt forget and I thought that this would be a good place to store them. It is nice to come back to this page and read a random entry with something that reminds me of you. I guess for now that is as close as I am going to get to you.

"Another Set of Wings" By: A Rocket to the Moon


I keep staring at your door from down the hallway
Tonight I couldn't make it to the moon
Looking at our pictures on the fireplace
Wishing it was me instead of you
It gets harder everyday but I keep on holding onThere's an angel looking out for me
Because I ain't well
Though I try to be
I'm dancing all alone
'Cause I can hear you sing,
I need my angel
Like heaven needs another set of wingsLately I just keep my windows open
Hoping I might feel you in the wind
Time heals all, but somehow i'm still broken
'Cause parts of me ain't ever gonna mend

There's an angel looking out for me
'Cause I ain't well
Though I try to be
I'm dancing all alone
'Cause I can hear you sing,
I need my angel
Like heaven needs another set of wingsI'm still missing you
I'm still missing you

There's an angel looking out for me
'Cause I ain't well
Though I try to be
I'm dancing all alone
'Cause I can hear you sing,
I need my angel

There's an angel looking out for me
'Cause I ain't well
Though I try to be
I'm dancing all alone
'Cause I can hear you sing,
I need my angel
Like heaven needs another set of wings

It is that time of year again!!!

http://main.diabetes.org/site/TR/TourdeCure/A1WDC-DistrictofColumbiaMetroArea?px=8763581&pg=personal&fr_id=8619

We are riding for you DAD!!!!!!

OH YEAH! Forgot to share....Check this out! I won us free photography for the wedding!

I don't care if it is 10AM, you put some champagne in my OJ. It's mimosa time bitch.

Last trip to our favorite place!! OBX!!

Hey there Dad! How are you? I am doing great! I am going down to the Outer Banks tonight after work to do some wedding stuff and hang out with Mom for the weekend. I am so excited, this will be the first time that the pups have been by the ocean! I hope today passes by very quickly so that I can hit the open road and blast my music with the windows down and heat turned on low (it is getting close to that time of year again!) You know me; I will still ride with the windows in a snow storm, as long as I can crank the heat! I wish you were coming down with me, I would love for you to come help us pick things out for the wedding. Mom and I have a cake tasting on Friday and hopefully we will nail down a few other things while we are there. If not, no worries, we will be there for the next three weekends!! I am really looking forward to spending the weekend with mom, we are going to get up every morning and take the dogs on a long walk on the beach, sip Mimosa's (DUH), swim in  the private pool (even though it is on 75 degrees outside, we are still doing it!), watch movies, do wedding stuff, hang out in the hot tub, cook dinner together, the list goes on. EEK I cannot wait!  I am so fortunate, I get to travel so much for a 25 year old, I love being spontaneous! Plus, the OBX is one of my favorite places in the world, so going down there is always a treat!

I think I have decided on the song that I am going to walk down the aisle, errr…walk down the sand to. It is called “For my Father” by Andy McKee. It is absolutely beautiful and it always makes me think of you. It is all music, no words. However, somehow the song speaks so much to me. I am going to have the guy playing at the ceremony learn it so he can play it live for us. I listen to this song often and I shut my eyes and so many memories and pictures run through my head. Mom will be walking me down the sand, but with this song, you can be part as well. How perfecto!

Check out the song, by clicking here! LOVE IT!

Welp, I have to get back to work, just wanted to let you know that I am thinking of you and wish you were driving down to the Banks with me this evening. Love and miss you!



Our family always has way too much fun. hahahaha :-) LOVE IT





Post 9-11

http://youtu.be/UaJ8SJze9Vc

Why can't we have a President like him again?

When I die, please don't advertise my death on the back window of your vehicle!" HAHA I know you will laugh at that one.

Hey Dad! How are you? This last month has been a whirlwind for me! I am in full wedding planning mode, I so wish you were here. We selected the house for the vacation and the reception. Guess where it is? Your favorite place, the Currituck Club!! How perfect is that? The house is beautiful and it has a big yard and private pool, perfect for the reception. There are a few people that our turning our wedding into their vacation for the summer. I am super excited about that, its going to be such a fun week with everyone there! Skip and Mike are getting a house, a couple of my friends are, and both Pam’s are getting homes with their families…. I just feel like this is going to be the best week/wedding ever. I am so lucky to have such a great family, though it is small, we are mighty! Lol. My friends are pretty awesome too, but if I am friends with them, they have to be…duh! Haha just kidding J

I think the last time I wrote I was getting ready for a trip to Jamaica; actually no I just went back and looked. It was before that when I last wrote. Eeek! Anyway, I went to Jamaica and had a blast! Get this though, I flew solo! Blair and I were supposed to go together, except the night before she made the decision not to go…Why you ask? HURRICANE ISSAC decided to make a threat on Jamaica and Blair could not risk getting stranded down there. The day after we were schedule to get home, she started her nursing program….if she was not in her seat at 8am, she would be replaced by a “wait-lister” in the program. Nursing is way too important for her to risk…therefore she made the adult decision to stay home. And guess what, you know I sure as heck went. I had a blast too; the resort we had booked was absolutely perfect, with the exception of the rude people that were guests. The food was amazing, the water was perfect, the drinks were great, and the simplicity of a vacation was awesome.

What else is going on….hmmm…

I have been busy with wedding stuff and home projects lately, I feel like I need another vacation! I have spent the last two weeks repainting Kel and my entire house, I no joke, spent 12 hours a day. It looks great though. We are trying to get it ready to sell when Kelly gets back, I loved the old color but I think it is too bright for most, so we went with something a little more neutral. The whole time I was painting, I thought about how you painted the entire basement and I do not know how you did it, painting kicks my ass! It is hard work! It is all worth it in the end, that is for sure. There is nothing better than a freshly painted house.

I am trying to think of what else has being going on lately…OH! Kelly got selected for Staff Sgt! I am so happy for him, he deserves it. Schultz didn’t pick up though, which makes me really sad. He has ten years in and they are forcing him out because he was passed over for promotion. Bummer, but that is life I guess. I am going to help him try and find a job in the civilian world, I am trying to convince him to stay in Virginia and not go home to Pittsburgh…We will see though!

This weekend Blair and I had a last minute party at the house, we were cooking for a ton of people, sipping on Mimosas and talking about how much fun the party would be if you were to be there. I miss being able to hang out with you, it makes me so mad and sad sometimes. I see others who are not close with their parents and I feel like telling them to fix that! There is nothing like being best friends with your family, I love it. I just wish you were still here so we could hang out.

By the way, I have not heard any news on Joel lately, last time we heard anything was when Terry called to tell us that he had the transplant but it became infected and the good lung was filled with fluid (I don’t know the exact medical terms, ask Blair for that one!) He was in ICU and in a medically induced coma…I think I am going to try and get ahold of Terry or Kelly today. Keep an eye out for your homie, he needs you!

Well Dad, I know this was short and sweet but I am swamped at work and my lunch break is over! I promise it wont be another mother before the next update. Love and miss you so so so much.

Oh by the way, I saw this this morning and it made me bust out laughing. You know why? Because do you remember how we used to laugh at people that had this crap on their cars? "Driving in Memory of....." I can totally see you saying this.....I was thinking about getting one on my car....just to piss you off ;-) Love you!

Work your magic

Hey Dad,

Happy Friday! I wanted to write you a quick note to let you know that I am thinking of you. I also wanted to let you know that Joel is in need of some help from you up there. Blair and I talked to Kelly last night and found out that he is in pretty desperate need to a lung transplant. His condition is serious enough that they bumped him up to the top of the list and should hopefully be receiving a lung soon. We found out that last October Joel was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. She said that it is a fatal lung disease that has unknown causes and no cure. The disease has not spread so upon receiving the transplant he should be able to go back to most daily activities. Kelly also said that last spring he went onto oxygen full time and in the last month has spiraled downhill at a steadfast pace.  Last Monday he was bumped to the top of the transplant list. Blair and I asked Kelly for his hospital information so that we could go see him when he makes it through surgery, I know you would be there in a heartbeat and I know that you are with him right now. As you know, Ben passed away right after you did, so maybe the two of you can get together and pull some strings up there. Kelly is such a strong chick, first going through losing her brother and now her dad is so sick…make sure she doesn’t have to go through another loss anytime soon.

Love and miss you Dad

Harley dealership, killer mongoose, adventures on the river, and a weekend full of blonde moments

Big daddy! Hellllllo! So I finally have some free time to sit down and write to you, a lot has been going on lately and I get caught up with so many things, my days feel like they all mush together! Anyway,  so since last post there has been a change in wedding plans, we are now going to have the wedding on August 17^th, it seems to work better for everyone and those that are coming to spend the week in OBX with us. Blair and Justin are not in school at that time and neither is Delaney, so they all will be able to come down for the whole week now! I get so excited every time I think about it, the one thing that is missing is you though, and I wish so much that you could be there. The house we are planning on renting for the week and the reception is AMAZING, you would definitely approve, I know you will be there watching all the festivities go down…I have picked out the wedding colors and they are not your traditional colors, but we love them and you know Kel and I, we never do things the traditional way, anyways.

Enough wedding talk, it gets me too excited!

Look at her!!! So grown up!!!You would be so proud of her

This weekend I spent hanging out, doing sisterly things with Blairsy. Justin was out of town for work on a trip with Obama (yuck!) so her and I had the whole weekend to be goofy as usual. We went to pick up her nurses uniform on Saturday because she is soon to start her clinical rotations at Mount Vernon Hospital and INOVA Fairfax. I am so excited and proud of her. Watching her try on her scrubs almost brought tears to my eyes, she is so grown up and such an amazing person. I know you are so proud of her as well; she is quite the 19 year-old. After we got all of the stuff she needed we went over to the Fairfax Harley dealership, which was the first time I had been in there without you. Blair was getting some of Justin’s birthday presents and we decided to look around for a bit. Seeing all those bikes brought back a lot of memories of you with yours, I remember how we would ride over there on the weekends and you would chat it up with all the employees, we would look at the bikes and you would ramble off facts about each one. You were always so social; I honestly think that everyone in there knew you. It was kind of sad when Blair and I went in because I didn’t have that same welcoming feeling as I did when I went in there with you. Oh well, I guess I won’t have that feeling until I get a Harley of my own! LOL. Maybe one day…You would think Blair is so cute in all her little Harley gear, ever since Justin got his, she has made it her personal mission to look like a Harley chick, and she pulls it off well!

After the trip to the Harley dealer and uniform place, we went home to get some shrimp and beer at Pap’s request, for 91 he can still kick it, he cracks me up! Saturday night Blair and I had a girls night and woke up Sunday and went to breakfast and went yakin’ on the river. Us two in kayaks has to be a funny site to see for spectators… First of all, the two of us trying to get down in a kayak without touching the nasty water of the Potomac was a task in itself and of course, we ended up soaked. In addition to being soaked, I somehow ended up with a clump of hydrilla (I think that is what they call the “seaweed” in the Potomac) all in my hair and on my tank-top. Keepin’ it classy and interesting as always, yay! Once we get in the kayak and paddle out to deeper water, we see this unknown creature. Convinced it was a floating log at first, we paddled up to it. Nope sure as hell was not a log, that sucker swam after my kayak (fast!) and put Blair and I into a complete panic, we paddled our hearts out until we were about 100 yards away. We think it was a killer mongoose…not sure what else is could have been…? All in all it was a good day and Blair and I are always finding ourselves in a crazy adventure, never a boring day when we are together!  Speaking of adventure, we decided to book a last minute trip to JAMAICA for a few days before she starts nursing school. We like to be spontaneous, fa sho!  

Monday was pretty much uneventful, until after Blair and I came home from spin that is…We got home, fed the dogs, let them out and were about to take showers...As we were walking upstairs we noticed that one of the lights that never turn on was on in the living room…It is that light that you have to turn on by the switch on the floor, so it never gets turned on. Plus no one really goes in that room ever….As I turned the corner to walk up the stairs, I noticed it was and immediately I froze, called Blair, and then she froze. Why the heck was it on? We said it had to be one of two things….someone either broke into the house and turned it on to show us someone was there or you turned it on and were messing with us. We thought if it was you, you would have switched on another light, one that we use on a normal basis… After coming to that conclusion, we decided that someone had to have broken in and they are hiding in the house. Think about it, Justin and Mom were gone, it was just Pap, Blair and I and the dogs were all gone too, perfect time for someone to break in….We set the alarm and for about an hour, walked through every single room in the house, every single closet, every possible place that someone could hide. Armed with a pair of scissors and a knife, Blair and I fearfully checked everything and found nothing. Was it YOU?! I don’t know maybe…if it was you, thanks for scaring the hell out of us! Next time, turn on the kitchen light or something! Thankfully Justin was back from his trip and stayed with us last night…We slept with a little bit more ease last night.

This morning however, Blair decided to arm the security system and when I went to let the pups out the alarm went off and I thought nothing of it, I just typed in the pass code and continued on with letting the dogs out…while I was outside the police called and there was no answer, so guess what? Yup, they sent police to the house thinking there was a robbery. Talk about a blonde moment, I didn’t even think that the phone would ring and if there was no answer, I would have a police officer knocking on the door. Dee Duh Dee. Like I said, always an adventure with us two…I wish I could hear your response to all of this…I know you are laughing and shaking your head.

Alright Dad, I will talk to you later, enjoy the pictures from the weekend! Love and miss you oh so much.

07/23/2012--A little late on the post!

Hey Dad! I wrote this with the intent to finish it and post, way to go Ash, FAIL. Lol,

07/23/2012

Hi Dad, how are you on the fantastic Monday? I have a lot to catch you up on; it has been a busy three weeks since the last time I wrote. Let me think, where did I leave off…Last I wrote I was on my way to Pittsburgh! I went up there to visit Kel’s family and attend their traditional 4^th of July bash! I always love going up there, I have so much fun with his little sis, she is my little BFF. I stayed up there that week and came back home the following Saturday. I still wish you had the opportunity to go up to their house in PA, I know you would really enjoy his family and their house; it is so beautiful up there, totally a place that you would enjoy. There is always a ton of butterflies up there, so I know you are there in spirit. The night I got up there, no one was home, so I sat on their huge deck and just watched the sun go down over the hills, sure enough a butterfly and warm breeze went right on by….I know that was your way of saying hello.

When I was up in Pittsburgh, Kelly’s dad told me that he had received a letter from Kelly asking him to be his best man in our wedding…yep, I said wedding! We are getting married!! We have kept it a secret for a while, but Kelly decided to write his dad a letter and fill him in on the news. His dad, Nadine and Delaney were so happy, it made me so happy. I asked Delaney if she would be one of my bridesmaids, she was so excited and said she was so happy I didn’t ask her to be the flower girl! Haha. Mom, Blair and Pap were ecstatic as well. So here I am, planning a wedding and doing it all on my own, it is going to be an exciting year. I think the wedding planning will make it go fast. He knows how I love to design, bedazzle, and do everything myself so he is excited to see what I come up with. We have picked a date, August 31, 2013 and guess where we are doing it? The Outer Banks, NC. At first I thought it would be hard to have the wedding, but the more I thought about it, the more I thought, “Dad would love an OBX beach wedding and this is totally the kind of wedding Kel and I would have…” We are going to rent a house for the week prior to the wedding, Kelly’s parents are going to come down and Blair, Justin, Mom, Pap and a few others will be there too. We are going to have a kickass week with all of us there and then we are going to end the vacation with our wedding! Then Kel and I are going on another week vacation for our honeymoon! I will keep you posted with all of the updates; it is going to be an exciting year!

I have to get back to work dad, I will finish up later! I love you!

Good thing you had a secret stash of fireworks at the house!

Hey Dad! Happy Fourth of July week!

I am a few hours away from making my road trip up to Pittsburgh to spend the rest of the week/weekend with Kelly’s family. This will be the third Fourth of July that I have spent up there, first one without Kelly though! I am really excited to see everyone. I am hoping that traffic is going to cooperate with me this afternoon; I am not getting my hopes up though. I miss this time of the year with you. I know exactly what we would be doing if you were here…Sitting out on the back porch with dogs on the grill and beers in our hands. I would bring my Bose speakers outside to blast some of our music and we would just kick it. I miss those times. You and mom always made every holiday memorable, but I must say, there was one holiday that I will never forget…you know which one I am talking about (Fourth of July when I was a teen and Blair was just a kid). We were still living back in Lake Devereux….ring a bell yet? If not, here it goes; I am totally calling you out….

I think we had spent the early evening up at Lee District, riding the rides, stuffing our faces with snow cones and cotton candy, anxiously awaiting the fireworks display. After a hot day, crowds and a mediocre fireworks display, you decided that we would continue this celebration back at the house. After fighting the traffic home from Lee District, you disappeared into the crawl-space, Blair and I were wondering what you were getting down there… looking back, we should of known you had a secret stash of something down there….apparently you thought it was a good idea to keep illegal explosives tucked away in the crawl-space until a special occasion were to arise! Heck yes! I remember you walking up the steps with fireworks in your arms and Blair and I looking at you like you were so cool. Were you really going to take us out back and let us light off fireworks? Absolutely not. You were going to take us out FRONT and light them in the street so everyone could see! Not only did you want to light up the night sky over Dreams Way Court, you thought it would be funny to light some of the really loud ones on people’s driveways and hide before they could see who was doing it. Well…. as I am sure you remember, there was a neighbor who did not think it was very funny (come on party pooper, it’s a holiday!) but anyway she was screaming off her front porch to stop and threatening to call the cops on whoever was shooting off the fireworks. Blair and I hid and were watching from a distance, trying hard not to laugh or breathe too loudly. We were hiding behind a bush, wondering where our adult father was hiding and snickering at the fact that we knew you were going to at least light one more in her driveway before the night was over. Now any other dad would have gone to apologize and called it a night. But you were much cooler than any other dad. You looked at Blair, Mom and I and simply said, go make sure the fireworks are hidden in case the cops come. We went back into the house and heard another round of the dynamite-style fireworks go off in the neighbor’s driveway and saw a man casually walking towards our house like he had nothing to do with what just happened that man was YOU! That night was so much fun. Memories like this make me laugh and sob at the same time. I laugh at all the fun and crazy things we did over the years, but get really sad when I realize that all I will ever have now is memories. There will be no new events or story’s to tell with you in them and that really sucks. No more crazy Dad doing crazy things that no other Dad in their right mind would do. I think this year you should go back to that woman’s house and light up the driveway. Hahahaha

Let’s see, what else is going on….This past weekend I went down to Skip’s house. He put in an in-ground pool and it is amazing. I was very impressed considering he did most of the work himself. He built a full wrap around deck/lounge area, a Tiki Bar and is working on completing the bathroom, yes, an outdoors bathroom (how awesome!?). I spent Saturday at his house, with him, Beth and Buddy lounging at the pool and drinking some beers while getting a tan! Later that evening we went to Jiffy Lube Live (formerly Nissan Pavilion) to see Alice Cooper and Iron Maiden play. We had a really fun time, I was really impressed with both bands, seeing as they are pretty old and can still rock out! Skip, Buddy, Alison, and two of Alison’s friends went. Talk about a fun time! We were driving out of the parking lot on the way home and everyone was talking about how awesome the concert was…Alison and her friends said they would never be able to get their dads to go to a concert like the one we just attended. Skip looked at me through the rearview mirror and said, “Your dad would definitely go to a show like this one.” Hell yeah you would go to a show like that.

These past two months I have been attending a lot of concerts, all have which have been at no cost to me, how sweet is that? I went to Van Halen, Nickelback, Bush, Alice Cooper and Iron Maiden. I feel very fortunate to have such a great friend and family circle, they hook me up left and right with awesome opportunities!

I am listening to Pandora (imagine that) and Weezer came on. Guess what song…. “Say it Ain’t So”! It reminds me of you because I remember all the times we listened to it on the way to soccer. I have been thinking about our soccer days a lot lately, I truly miss playing. Not just playing, but Sting, Dean, Dave, and traveling to all the tournaments. Those truly were some of the best years of my life. I cannot believe that they are over, where has the time gone? It feels like just yesterday you were dropping Ash Houck and me off at camp GIVA….or driving me down to UNC to play there for the week. So many good memories, hard to believe I have not touched a soccer ball in three or more years.

Well dad, I am going to get back to work, just wanted to wish you a happy Fourth of July! Love and miss you so much, DUDE! Tehe



I read this and thought of you, totally something you would say!
LOL.



Military Life

Hey there Dad,  I hope you are enjoying this warm Friday morning. I am having a hard time today, I had to say goodbye to two really good friends. I love the military life, however, saying goodbye to those that mean a lot to you is never easy. Unfortunately that is the military life. I have learned so much over the past few years about friendship, because of the friendships I have gained through being affiliated with the military life. There is nothing like the bonds you form with those in the military and their families. I feel like it is a special club that automatically presents you with the opportunity to have good and genuine friends in your life. Today Craig and Taylor left for San Diego. Craig has been staying at the house this week and Taylor came down from Baltimore last night. I didn’t think it would be so hard to say goodbye this morning, but it was. I have known Craig for a while now, he has been there for Kelly and I whenever we needed him and I am so glad he found his wife, Taylor. Seeing their relationship flourish over the last year and then attending their wedding last month was simply beautiful. Taylor brings out the best in Craig and you can totally see it in his eyes. I am so happy for them both, however, I hate that they have to leave. Like I said, the bond amongst military families is irreplaceable, it is a family. It has shown me how to be a better friend and taught me that your real friends will be there for you no matter what. The people who I could call if I needed a ride, place to stay, help with the lawn, fixing something, or just someone to talk to, etc… are those that I have met through Kelly, my marine guys and their families. Seeing one of them leave today with no idea when we would see each other again puts things into perspective.  Cherish the times you have with the ones you love, you never know when they are going to have to pick up and go on a moments notice, always be a good friend, be there when you say you are going to be there, do what you say you are going to do, and never judge. That is what I have learned about friendship over the last few years.

Keep an eye out for Craig and Taylor as they make their cross-country trip to San Diego.

Love and miss you dad, I could really use one of your big hugs today. 

Craig and Taylor on their wedding day!!

Mom and her girl's Marines. Love them

All Along the Watchtower

Happy Tuesday!

What a beautiful day outside this morning, totally your kind of weather! I hope you are riding that Harley! It has been excruciatingly hot these past few weeks but last night and this morning it was pleasantly cool! I am dreading the dentist appointment I have this afternoon, I have been putting it off for long enough, I finally decided to suck it up and go. You know how much I hate the dentist! Dr. Schell still brings you up in conversation, the last time I saw him he mentioned your shoes…the crazy plaid Vans. You know, those “fugly” looking slip-ons you loved. I’m just kidding, they really weren’t that bad, just a little punk rock! Anyway, let’s hope I don’t have a mouth full of cavities like last time…I know I have at least one…UGH!

This weekend was pretty eventful! I planned on just relaxing and watching movies, tanning on my deck, sipping a cold beverage…however, things came up. Friday night, I went to spin and got into bed super early so that I could go to my spin/ab class early Saturday morning. As soon as I got tucked in, Blair called me and told me Aunt M was in the hospital up at Mt. Vernon and they were unsure if she was going to pull through. The nursing home called Blair because both Mom and Uncle Bubby were out of town. I didn’t want Blair up at the hospital alone so I hopped in the car and drove up; luckily there is no traffic on 95 at night! When I got there Pam G. was there with Blair and they were holding M’s hands and rubbing her head. I officially dislike Nursing Homes and Rehabilitation Centers. They say she had been unconscious since 8am that morning, yet Blair was not called until late that evening? They didn’t think it was “that serious”… really? What is wrong with people? When she was finally rushed to the ER her blood sugar was close to 800 and they were unsure if she had suffered a heart attack. Long story short, she is still in the hospital recovering, they think she is going to pull through. It broke my heart to see her that way and to know that we were the only ones there for her. Mom drove home as soon as Blair called her so that Blair didn’t have to go through another possible death alone and Uncle Bub & Brenda drove home from the OBX in the middle of the night. Our family may be small, but everyone is always there for one another in a heartbeat. Once Aunt M was settled, Blair and I went on home to let her rest.

Enough depressing stuff…Ohhhhhh snap! All Along the Watchtower came on Pandora radio. I know how much you love Jimi Hendrix!



So more on the weekend, Saturday, was crab feast day down at Pam S.’s house in Fredericksburg. We had such a great time!! Blair drove Pappy down and it took them two and a half hours because traffic around here blows on the weekends. We ate crabs, spent time with Pam’s family and friends, drank some beers, and pretty much laughed the entire time. It made me miss you though, I know how much you wished you were there.  Marilyn came up after work and Pap was surprised to see her decked out in her cop attire. He wanted her to handcuff & frisk him. HAHA. So funny. Sunday was FINALLY my “chill day” that I had been craving all weekend! I went to spin and then hopped right back into bed and cuddled with the pups and watched movies for the rest of the morning and early afternoon. I went up to Mom’s house for dinner and I have been there ever since!







Always a blast!

 

CRABS!




Cop lovin' for PAP!



LOVE this

Motorcycle Drive By

Good morning Dad! Happy Saturday, it is the day before Father’s day, I have come to dislike this time of year, for obvious reasons.  I am watching the sun come up and came to the conclusion that I am up way too early for a Saturday but I have been unable to sleep the past few days, too much on my mind I guess. I am having a BBQ down at my house today, first one of the summer without Kel. I am nervous because he is usually the grill master, I am not even sure how to turn the stupid thing on…. I am going to have to get some help from the guys.

Blair is coming down this morning to spend the day with me, and then later in the evening we are having a bunch of friends over for some burgers and beers. I wanted MamaJ to come down but my townhouse is not exactly wheelchair friendly and given that I just took the banister off the stairs to paint, it probably would not be a smart idea, so she is going to catch us next time.  I really wish that you were here to hangout with us; everyone always enjoyed your company. I am sad that you only got to see where I live one time and you never made it inside. Remember the day we took the road trip to drop Ace off? When you dropped me off on the way back to your house, I said, “Dad, come check out the inside of the house”!  And you told me that your legs were bothering you and didn’t think you could make it up the stairs. I tried to convince you to come see the bright red family room that Kel painted and you said, “I will be back down and see it then, I just want to get back and relax.” Who would of known that would have been the last time you drove down my way.  Wow… makes me think ya know? I really am trying to live for today, live in the moment, just as it says on my wrist. You never know when your opportunity to do something may be your last. You would be pleased with all the home improvement projects Kel and I have done on the house; I think you would approve of our bright colors and modern décor. We always had the best-decorated house growing up, you and mom did such a great job making it unique and dynamic, I wanted to follow in those footsteps! You know what I have realized over the past couple of years? Painting is a pain in the ass! I don’t know how you did all that painting at both houses, especially the most recent house.

Your girls!
In addition to making the house awesome inside, I have finally set the deck up just the way I like it! I think I sit outside more than I do inside now! I bought a ton of flowers to make it bright and colorful, the flowers I bought attract butterflies, yup, got those for you! I also just bought a bird feeder and I don’t think the birds are too fond of it. I don’t really have a place to hang it up so it is just sitting on the table, no birds yet…. the pups have managed to get into already though! Who would of thought, my dachshunds like birdseed, tehe. Speaking of the pups, they are growing up so fast, almost two years old! Hard to believe they are already two. You would love these guys, especially Tuff, he is such a cuddly thing. Tootsie is cuddly to but she is a princess so cuddling is on her terms, when she isn’t busy. LOL.

BABY GIRL!

I am listening to my Itunes and there is a song that came on that I didn’t even realize that I had, it is by Third Eye Blind, “Motorcyle Drive By.” I don’t know why but I think of you whenever I hear it, I think it is because I just picture you riding your Harley on the open road in a music video for this song or something. Haha, you in a music video,  that is a funny thought!  I don’t feel like starting my day quite yet, but the gym is calling my name. Enjoy your day Big Daddy and don’t forget to help me out with the grill tonight! I don’t want to have a blonde moment when trying to grill burgers and dogs… lol 

The Sound of Sunshine!



Birthday celebration in the Islands!



Hey there Daddy, from your 25 year-old daughter, did you hear that…25! I feel old! I wish you were here to celebrate with me. Birthdays and holidays are not the same without your big hugs, amazing dinners and handwritten, heartfelt cards. This weekend mom and I went to the BAHAMAS to celebrate; gosh it was perfect out there. We stayed at an all-inclusive resort in the Grand Bahamas Island. It was only a two and a half hour plane ride! We got there on Thursday afternoon and left on Sunday morning. Poor MamaJ found out a few days before that she had a broken ankle and ruptured a bunch of ligaments in her foot, but that did not stop us from living’ it up in the Islands! Her doctor said the only way she could go to the Bahamas was if I pushed her in a wheelchair, she is not supposed to have any pressure on her foot. I wheeled her around everywhere; I even got her out to the ocean and into a kayak, I wish someone had a video camera! It was quite an adventure getting a wheelchair down to the ocean and then getting her out of the chair and down into the kayak. I told her that she could not pass up the beautiful warm water, so we were doing’ it no matter what! We succeeded and went all the way off the resort’s private beach; you know mom and her kayaking, go hard or go home! HA. The water was absolutely gorgeous and it made me think of you…especially when I stubbed my toe on a huge piece of coral rock down under the sand! I knew you were looking down and laughing, of course! I wish you could have been there; Mom and I talked about you a lot. We talked about how much you would’ve loved to be there, enjoying the free drinks, good food and hot sun. I know you were with us in spirit though. We miss you so much, Dad. Everything we do we always wish you were there.   We came home on Sunday and had a great dinner and an amazing cake that Blair made. Triple layer, Oreo cookie cake. She is so good at everything, I love it! The cake was probably the best cake I have ever had….well right up there with the Elmo cake Mom and Pam made me for my birthday way back in the day! Here are some pictures for you to enjoy from the BAHAMAS, I love and miss you SO much DaddyJ.

Acting goofy as usual!

Mom is so cute here!

Check out that cocunut that almost nailed her in the head!

Spending the evening down by the water!

Mom in her YAK! Loved when you used to call it "YAKING"

So pretty!

Smile! It's my birthday!

Gift from my pups! Blair helped them out, a little :)

Every gift we give now has a butterfly in honor of you! See the green sparkly one?!

Tour De Cure Recap-Team BIG DADDY RIDERS

Hey Dad! How are you today? Hope you are out riding your Harley and enjoying this cooler weather!  I wanted to write to you yesterday and let you know all about the ride we did in honor of you on Sunday, but I got caught up with work stuff and when I not too long after I got home,  I called it a night. I did however read some of the first book I wrote to you before falling asleep. I haven’t read that in over a year and a half, so it was fun to re-read and get some laughs out of what I wrote.

Back to Sunday…I know you were out there riding with us, all 35 miles of it! Gosh it was such the PERFECT day for it too. We had a team of eight of us riding and we collectively raised $2,235 to donate to the American Diabetes Association in your honor. Blair never ceases to astonish me; she was the team captain and did amazing job putting all the fundraiser together, making the team shirts, ribbons, etc…She does everything whole-heartedly, that is why she is such a great person and friend to so many. Not to mention, we had such a fun group riding, you would have had a blast with all of us. It was such an inspiring day for me, I always feels like I should be doing more to contribute to certain aspects of life, this ride only made that feeling stronger. I think I may go back to volunteering for the ADA on a more continuous basis. There are so many out there with diabetes, or at least knows someone with diabetes, I feel like I would make a laudable advocate for diabetes prevention and awareness by sharing your story.



The best part of the ride was when I was asked, “Who is Chris Johnson.” Blair put your name on the back of our team shirts, which sparked people’s interest. It made me very proud and happy to talk about you! Here are some pictures from that perfect day!



Our team, our family, your fans! Alli brought her good friend Mick (the one between Mere and Mom) you would of loved him, he is such a fun person to be around!

 

I suprised Pouvee with a team captain shirt, to show my
appreciation for all she did for the team!

We miss you DAD!

Your girls!

Mick, Justin, Pouvee and Mere! Such a fun group!



All for YOU