Michael Jackson - RIP

The day after Michael Jackson died, I was driving to work listening to the many tributes on the radio while I welled up with tears. It's sad, but I'm sure the tears were just my "D'Angelo" side of my genes taking over. It is in our genes to cry at Hallmark commercials, sad or happy stories, and pretty much anything. Now, I'm just your run-of-the-mill Michael Jackson fan. But as the content of Michael's death filled the radio waves, the television shows, and news stories, I reflected a bit on my real feelings about the loss of this music icon.

I was talking to my brother today and he reminded me that we had a sticker on our shared bedroom door when we were little that said, "I love Michael Jackson." I kind of remember that sticker - I think it was from a gumball machine. Then the more I thought about it, Michael Jackson and his music are one of those "first time" memories for me. You know when you can start to remember things as a kid after the first few years being a blur of nothingness. Well, I had the Thriller album and would play the record on my record player & I remember watching the Thriller video on MTV at Renee & Dana's house. I also remember music class in 1st grade and hoping we get to sing "We Are The World." And then the more I thought about it, I realized I had very specific memories from different songs or videos throughout life - whether it be a Girl Scout event where we were all singing "Man in the Mirror" or waiting on a Sunday night at our house with Mark & Stephanie to be the first to see the new video "Black or White" or "Remember the Time." From gradeschool to highschool, I'm pretty sure I could pin point a moment with a Michael Jackson song.

I then feel bad when I reread my second paragraph (mentioning my bedroom door when I was little) and feel like I should rewrite it because of, well, you know.

Either way, the man was a spectacular artist and his music has been a part of my life and memories. And when a song of his is on the radio, you just can't help singing and smiling. It is a bummer he is gone, but I hope he is at peace now.

Luke Turns 1

Luke's big birthday party was on Saturday and he couldn't have gotten a better day. We can't believe a year has blown by already. Luke is a special nephew who we love and adore. His party was a main event with tent, baby pools, bouncy toys and lots of friends and family. Brian manned the grill and loved doing it while I got to chill with all the fun kids. Pictured above is: Luke sitting cool while eating his cake; Ava, Rylie, and JJ bouncing around; Brian with the Assenmachers (Greg, Deb, and Nathan); and Ava, Cecilia, and Luke splashing around in the pool. It was a ton of fun!

Hydrangia Part II

Happy Father's Day

We spent Father's Day at Mr. Kenney's. Not to worry, those who are not actually fathers did the cooking and cleaning. We had lots of fun celebrating our awesome dads. Above is a picture of 3 generations of Kenneys and below is our pre-birthday celebration for Luke who turned 1 on June 22nd. As you can see, Luke and Val are already becoming good friends.

No, I Don't Want a Coffee - Just a Treat Please

Each weekend we take a walk around Glenside with Val. And each weekend we pass the local Glenside coffee shop. At first all Val wanted to do when we passed the coffee shop was sniff at the fresh bowl of water left out for all the dogs passing by. As time went by, Val would remember the bowl of water and begin pulling Brian's arm right after we passed the Keswick Theater just so she could go over and sniff the bowl. And then, one day, Mr. Coffee Shop Owner gave Val a treat. "What a nice guy," Brian and I thought. The owner (a dog lover himself) keeps a fresh bowl of water and also has treats available for the neighborhood dogs.

Well...that was just what Val needed to not only remember this coffee spot, but now it was like she worships this place. Ever since that day, Val now pulls Brian's arm right at the Keswick Theater. She then will sit at the door patiently wagging her tail while hoping and praying that Mr. Coffee Shop Owner is there to give her a treat. Every single time we pass this place this happens. It is kind of cute, and then kind of embarrassing as she sits attentively and begs for her one treat. Pictured above is the owner giving her a treat (round two). I had my phone with me and had to capture the moment on our way back home.

Sushi Fest

Brian and I went out to our favorite sushi joint last night - Bluefin. It is so good you have to make a reservation days in advance to even get a table. It was incredible as always. The dragon roll was our "melt in our mouth" favorite.

The Reunion

Val's blue toy had been missing since March. It had been a very good toy to Val. Pretty much her favorite until "Lil Buddy" (the stuffed toy that Ava got her) came into the picture. We are not positive where this blue toy went, but we believe it may be underneath my bed in Pittsburgh. But while at Pet Smart, I couldn't resist waiting until we go back to Pittsburgh, so I bought her another blue toy. The beauty of this toy is that it is meant to hold treats and is supposed to keep your dog occupied for hours. Val, on the other hand, can master getting the treat out in a matter of minutes, sometimes seconds. But we love the toy and so does Val. We leave it with her with a treat to keep her distracted when we go out. Watch the video to see how excited she was to have her toy back.

Hydrangia

My grandma bought me hydrangias last year and they weren't in bloom when they arrived to my house. She was very upset I didn't get to see them bloom last year, but it was completely worth the year wait to see the pink ones in full bloom. This post is for you Gram. Hopefully my parents will print this out for you to see. As soon as the white ones bloom I will post. Love you!

Phillies vs. Sox & a Downpour

Jamie, Nicole, Devon and I went to the Phillies vs. Sox game this Saturday. Nicole came in from DC, but her hometown is in Massachusetts, so it was a perfect event for all of us. It had been forecasted to be beautiful until the the day of the game - we arrived really early to McFaddens for drinks and as the game began, the rain came too. It was a downpour and Jamie and I didn't even make it to our seats before the game was delayed. We hung out for a bit of the delay and then opted to jet since Nicole and Devon (who did make it to our seats) were drenched. It was a fun day, and we watched the rest at home. Phillies lost that game and the series 2-1. Better luck next time.

A Jimmy Kenney Friendfest

As I'm sure you are completely aware, we miss Jimmy soooooo much. We wish he was back in Glenside all the time. He is a very special brother, brother-in-law, and friend. We love him and hopefully he will come back to live here someday. But in the meantime, we have made some really good friends through Jimmy and like to get together with them when we can. Below is Jeanne Jones, Amy, & Shiatsu Liz. All of which we met through Jimmy. Jeanne is our dog walker now, our house cleaner, and good friend who makes great dishes that make me go "mmmmmmmmmm." Amy, Matt, Luca (pictured at the bottom) and Mia all live on Jimmy's old street and are so cool and fun to be around. Shiatsu Liz is a friend through Jeanne & Jimmy who (as the name describes) gives the best shiatsu massages known to man. My dad can attest to that. And in the spirit of the summer season, we had them all over for a BBQ to celebrate multiple things - Jeanne's new house, Liz's engagement to Dan (pictured below), and Matt & Amy's new addition to the family (Mia). We had a great time together - but as we all would agree, it would have been even better if Jimmy was there.

Lions and Tigers & Bears...Oh My!

You may be thinking that our group looked more like a zoo than the actual zoo itself - but we didn't care. We had so much fun - all 15 of us. We saw lions, tigers, polar bears, but spent most of the time in the aquarium checking out all the fish in the sea but especially the sharks. That was what Garrett was looking forward to seeing. Notice his hand motions below - those are shark jaws he is imitating.

This was the last of my weekend activities before I headed to the airport to come home to my two loves. It was another beautiful day outside and a perfect way to end what had to be the most wonderful weekend. Love to all my family reading the blog.