... like it was yesterday

So four years ago today we were all in Florida. We had the most awesome sandy phallic looking wedding cake I have ever seen, I was the most nervous I had ever been in my life and Will smelled like chlorine when my dad delivered me to him at our wedding. Katie was still in college, Megan was single and Will would not get out of the pool. How nice that the more things change the more they stay the same. Sue, thank you for giving me a wedding the I still look back on so fondly ... you made our reception magical. Since we could not get married on the beach (fyi - everyone wanted to wait the rain out so my dad took me in this room to talk to me about waiting a half hour ... I looked at him right in the eye and just said, "NOW!" Not b/c I was being bratty but b/c I could not stand being that nervous for one more min) whenever I think about getting married I think about the reception ... a reception, that I would like to note, that was SO magical that a teenager could have a brain tumor in the middle of it and it could still seem so lovely (i guess i should say only b/c he was ok). Thank you for welcoming me in to your family. Happy Anniversary Will-ford ... I am deeply in love with you and am thankful every single day that you are my husband.

Megan ... I am sorry that I had to miss your birthday dinner. We lost an very important audio file at work, in fact this is a picture of out automation system panicking. When I got home from putting out this particular fire at work Will gave me the run down ...
1) Sue was under a blanket with a glow stick and got it in her eye. Her eyes now glow in the dark
2) Jesse just got back from camp
3) Brent was busier than anyone at the table last week
4) Megan is going to chess camp next week
Will usually leaves out some important aspects of stories or mixes them up but he said he was pretty sure all of this happened

Did anyone hear the story on NPR's Morning Edition yesterday about Staff Sgt. Earl J. Catagnus Jr.? He was the leader of a group of snipers who worked to remove insurgents from houses during the battle of Fallujah in November 2004. It was a fascinating look in to the war in Iraq and how it is unlike anything the military has seen before. Anyway, I just sat in front of the radio captivated so I thought you guys might enjoy it ...
You can hear it here:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5502408

Happy Birthday, Michelle....

Michelle.........Happy Birthday to you........................

the mellons.....................

here are the mellon girls in a fashion show.................they look happy, don't they?

So have any of you seen the pirate photos of the Jolie-Pitt baby? You can see her on PerezHilton.com. She looks like she is going to be as impossibly beautiful as everyone expected. I hope that they find a way to raise that poor baby as a normal kid but I am afraid she will be followed around by cameras her whole life. I have to hand it to ol' Angie ... she set a new standard for making pregnancy look glamorous and amazing.

winding down...

hi, all....we are packing up and ready to leave Rapallo.....had to by a gargantuan suitcase....not sure of the spelling but you get the idea!

all in all, it's been a great trip...the weather, people, countryside, antiquities......food, clothes, jewelry......all in all, Italian stuff is fun.....and sobriety is the nicest way to do it for sure...energy level is high...not one headache, mis-spoken word (well, maybe one or two), trip, fall, stumble, curse....

Lots of laughs..................at my mom's expense sometimes and at my expense a lot..............

I miss each and every one of you.....don't want to be gone this long again...miss my precious kids (all 6 of you)...and grand-dogs...and city, and even that pesky company......

In the meantime...leaving soon for Milan and then home to USA...will stay with Jeff and Karma for a day and fly in Thursday night......

Love you all......Mom

greetings from RAPALLO

hi, everyone!

I hope everyone is doing well. AOL is closed today so I can't access my emails...so this is the best way to say "hey"......

This is a surreal experience: sitting in a little bar across from my hotel, it has a computer so calls itself an internet point. There are 3 men sitting at the bar drinking champagne....it's still light out.....one guy has an eye that is all white....pretty scary....the music playing is from the Beyonce CD we listened to in the car in

This trip has been unreal....all of it...and without a drop of wine!!!!! That in itself has been a trip...

better send this...I've been writing emails to you but get kicked off as I send them...it has happened a couple of times...love to you all...