gazing

gazing
Originally uploaded by pattisunshine.

January 26th

gerberface
Originally uploaded by pattisunshine.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY H!!!!! MAMA LOVES YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

first steps

I haven't been posting because I hate writing when I'm down. When I was in the midst of the high school trauma of trying to find where I fit in, and all that loveliness of teenagerdom, I wrote books and books of poems, expressing my downward feelings, but let's face it, writing about being down in the dumpies is not entertaining!
Today's post, instead, has a little something to do with the baby. The other night, he took his first steps! The best part of his reaching this milestone is the fact that all of our family was there to witness the action. The four Gundersons were congregated in the playroom/computer room, and baby H. was trying to stand. I was holding onto him and then I just gently released him and Todd reached his hands out and Baby H went step, step, step over to daddy. R., myself and daddy all started cheering, I was jumping up and down, and H. was just beaming with joy and the sense of accomplishment.
In one week, my littlest guy will be one year old. *sigh* I will cherish these little moments in my heart forever.

Ahh, winter in North Carolina, ya sure can't beat it....only we don't live in North Carolina!? What's up with this unseasonably warm weather? A few weeks ago, Todd and I were hastily stacking bowls and towels to catch leaks from "the heaviest ice damming we've ever had" which caused a steady flow of water into our newly painted kitchen. Now all we have left to show for our snowy winter extravaganza is a couple of holes near the kitchen window, a hanging light fixture and wet, brown grass in the yard.

This soggy winter was to be the year when I could FINALLY get out to teach R. how to ski. Last year I was majorly pregnant, and the year before, he was too young. A friend of mine has a brother who has been named a ski pro. He took his daughter out on the slopes, tucked into his special backback, before his baby was able to walk. Since I am not a pro, I would not, could not attempt such a task. I will stick to waiting until my kids can walk well before including them in my favorite (albeit longlost) sport. for now, I can be found bright and early each morning, swooshing the curtains aside in great anticipation of seeing a sign, any hint at all, of those flaky little things falling from the sky. As soon as I see some you know I'll be jumping in the car with ski gear in tow, heading for the ski hill. Let's just hope that my ol' ski pants still fit!!

peeeee youuuu!

peeeee youuuu!
Originally uploaded by pattisunshine.

first Christmas

first Christmas
Originally uploaded by pattisunshine.

it's a miracle!

on santa's lap

on santa's lap
Originally uploaded by pattisunshine.

for Mrs. P.

for Mrs. P.
Originally uploaded by pattisunshine.

Thanks for the cute outfit, Mrs. P!

looking at the snow

looking at the snow
Originally uploaded by pattisunshine.

old video pictures

old video pictures
Originally uploaded by pattisunshine.

R.'s first birthday, 2002 video still

icicledrip

icicledrip
Originally uploaded by pattisunshine.

I feel like this icicle-just melting, melting, melting. exhaustion.

HOO knew?

Holiday Gifts to Support Cystic Fibrosis and the Ronald McDonald House ATLANTA, Nov. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- For 2 weeks, Hooters Girls from Oklahoma, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas and Arkansas will be auctioning off homemade items on eBay to raise money for Cystic Fibrosis and the Ronald McDonald House. EachHooters Girl will add their special touch to their personalized item in aneffort to raise money for these worthwhile causes. The homemade items will beauctioned off on eBay from November 24th through December 5th. "We arealways involved in community service, especially during the holidays, and thispromotion gives the Hooters Girls a sense of personal contribution to theseorganizations," explained Diana Switzer, Outside Sales Manager for Hooters ofAmerica. The items made from the Hooters Girls in the Hooters locations inMissouri and Illinois will raise money for Cystic Fibrosis and the items madefrom in Kansas, Oklahoma and Arkansas will benefit the Ronald McDonald House. Hooters is very involved with charities andorganizations nationwide through HOO.C.E.F, the Hooters Community EndowmentFund. The fund was started in 1992 and has raised and contributed over 8million dollars to major non- profit organizations like Make-A-Wish Foundation,the V Foundation for Cancer Research, American Diabetes Association, SpecialOlympics, Muscular Dystrophy Association and the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation. SOURCE Hooters of America, Inc.Web Site: http://www.hooters.com

Tear jerker

While dropping my 4 year old off at preschool today, his teacher called me over to look at a project that the kids had done. She showed me a list on one of those oversized Kindergarten type notepads. It was a list of what the kids were thankful for. The teachers had asked each student for input. At the top of the list was "God then "trees" then mom and dad, toys, etc., and right there in the middle was the phrase to end all phrases. It said "for my brother to not be sick (R.)". Yep, I bawled, right there, in front of 24 pre-schoolers and three teachers.
I bawled all the way to work, and I told my coworkers about it then went to my desk and sobbed. Then I called my husband and told him, and he cried.
Later, I called Grandma, and she broke down.
The preschool teacher summed it up: "even though that boy is a challenge, one thing is for sure, he has a big heart".
That's my boy!

The Seven

Here's mine:
Seven things I:
Am afraid of: Faces in windows, losing my kids, car accidents, war, terrorists,animals mounted on walls, icy roads

Like most: music, dancing in my living room, driving in the country with Todd, forests, photography, reading, laughing

Random facts about me: I'm adopted, I met my birth mother and sister - actually now, the whole family,I hate driving, I have webbed toes, I won a writing contest in high school for poetry, I sang in a couple operas when I was in junior high. One of which was Carmina Burana, I partied with Timothy Leary in college (he came to the house party where I lived)

Important things in my bedroom:(oookaaayyy) uh... bed, reading lamp, dual alarm clock, baby monitor, baby's nebulizer, clothes, candles

Things I want to do before I die: Take my kids to Europe, live outside of Michigan, publish a children's book, send my biological father a letter about me, reconnect with old friends, see Hawaii, be a grandmama

Things I can do: edit people's writings, paint, ski, multitask, hairwraps, cook quesadillas,a backbend

Things I can't do: Drive a stickshift well, type without peeking at the keyboard, kiss my elbow, wear foundation, stop kissing my kids, not laugh at least once a day

Things I say the most: beyatch, hee hee, er sumthing, you __ nazi (paper nazi, coffee nazi, fill in the blanks), what doing?, yeehaw, that's right

celeb crushes: Steve Buschemi (sp?), Paul Newman, Jude Law, Madonna (don't look at me like that), The host of "the Secret Life Of"...on food Network, Mr. Rogers, Jack Black

Favorite things about my partner: His two-toned eyecolor, thick dark hair, dark eyebrows, his embarassed smile, his collarbone, the fact that he is not afraid to cry, his ability to surprise me

People I want to see take this quiz:Lori, Cari, anyone who reads this and has a blog

imprisoned flower

halloween 028
Originally uploaded by pattisunshine.

At Frederik Meijer Gardens - Children's Garden

Holy haircut batman!

This is the haircut I swore I would never force upon my child - but he wanted it like that!

fireman & pumpkin boy

the boys at Trick or Treat time

pumpkin baby

Here's our little pumpkin boy!

halloween 013

halloween 013
Originally uploaded by pattisunshine.

picking out pumpkins

Wine & Roses for Cystic Fibrosis

Wine & Roses for Cystic Fibrosis
Originally uploaded by pattisunshine.

Paula - a CF mom& our guru, Cat, our CF Nurse, and friend