Tubes

Colton got tubes in his ears and did so well. While we waited for over an hour past our appointment, the surgery took 15 minutes total and we had our little guy back in our arms. He did really well and hopefully he won't get any more ear infections now. This was a picture right before he was taken back to surgery - Bugs Bunny gown and smiles.

Jessie's Shower

My best friend Jessie and her husband Craig have been praying for this special day for years. And now they are blessed with celebrating times two. Jessie and Craig are having twins - a boy and a girl in the next month or so. We are all so excited for them! May I ask that anyone who reads this blog continues to send prayers for a continued healthy pregnancy.

Date Night

Brian and I won awesome seats to the Phillies game on September 16th and my colleague was generous to offer up her babysitting services to allow us to enjoy a night out with our favorite Philadelphia team. It was an exciting game as we watched the Phillies come back in the 9th inning to tie the game. The game went into extra innings and we were hoping we would get to see them clinch the division, but our Phillies lost. A great night and the next day they won the division for the 5th year in a row. Very exciting!

Surprise! Bob Kenney Turns 80

Brian's dad is one incredible guy. When I met him for the first time - arriving for dinner with Brian at his parents' home in 2002 - Mr. Kenney opened up his arms and welcomed me into his home with a big hug. And that is how I have felt in this family ever since - welcomed and loved by him. This birthday was a big one and we all wanted to make a big deal about how special he is and how much he means to all of us. We had the party at the Knowlton Mansion and surprised him by saying we were going to brunch to celebrate his day with the immediate family. We invited all his friends and extended family and they all couldn't wait to come celebrate with him. We gathered photos of him through the years to make a video of his life - which reinforced what a fulfilling life he lead. We added a photo booth, balloon twister, and took family photos to make it an event to remember. It was a fun day filled with love and excitement. Happy Birthday Mr. Kenney! Photos by Jenny Spinner.

10 Years Later

PSU mural honoring the 9/11 victims who are PSU alumni. Jean is the second one in on the top left.

On the morning of 9/11/01, I walked into my office in center city Philadelphia and noticed a bunch of my colleagues huddled around a mini television. They were watching the news and explained that a plane had just hit the World Trade Center. The details had not been known at the time, so I went to my desk to start my day. Shortly after, another plane hit and we all stopped what we were doing and watched these tragic events unfold on the conference room television. I remember watching my supervisor cover her mouth and gasp as the first building began to fall. What a horrible day.

Later that night I got a call from Devon telling me that our sorority sister Jean Roger was a flight attendant on Flight 11 - the first plane into the World Trade Center. I still can't believe it.

A memorial was held for her in Massachusetts that weekend, and all my Philly sorority sisters rented a huge SUV and drove up to honor our dear friend and sister. Passing NYC, we saw the thick smoke that replaced the two buildings in the skyline.

We arrived to the service and the line that went in to the church went on for blocks and blocks. There was such a turn out to honor Jean that we all had to listen to the service in the basement - which also filled up quickly.

It all makes sense if you knew Jean Roger (there should be an accent mark above the e). I knew her because she was in a pledge class above me. What that meant is her class mentored our class and we did pretty much everything with them. Jean was a positive force, had a great perspective on life and was so much fun. She was the girl that could chug a beer like no other and all the guys in the fraternity knew her and respected her. She was just plain cool. I didn't know anyone who didn't love this girl and want to be around her.

Jean wasn't supposed to be on that flight. She got called up due to a sick flight attendant and was actually excited to fill the spot that morning, her boyfriend said. Knowing what a special person she was and how she made everyone love being around her, God must have placed her on this tragic flight to bring calmness to those who needed it. The night before the flight, she celebrated her boyfriend's birthday and in his card she wrote: "May you have love, happiness, and peace of mind because really, in the end, everything else just comes and goes."

9/11 hurts, frightens, saddens, and angers me. But while it hurts and saddens me to remember this horrific day and those that lost their lives, I find peace in remembering Jean and the special person she was.

Pals

We had Christina, Travis, and Patrick over for Labor Day dinner. While we didn't prepare for this visit like we do for a typical throw down dinner competition, the food didn't disappoint. We had brisket, a zucchini bake, salad, and Christina brought her mean potato salad. We went over to the playground with the boys, and then later Travis and I made some banana's foster for dessert. Patrick is two months older than Colton so he was showing him some new tricks - climbing on chairs, opening up the china cabinet and pulling out the plates, and opening up the dog food container and putting his hand through the food. Luckily Colton hasn't caught on just yet. We look forward to seeing their friendship blossom.

Circus at the Arboretum

The Arboretum had a special circus event on Sunday. We had lunch and then sat in the shade of a big tree while we waited for the show to start. Colton enjoyed running around the grass, checking out all the people, and when the show started, he watched it with excitement. When they clapped, he clapped. When they played music, he bounced like he was dancing. Having a kid this great is just so awesome.

Remembering Christian

Christian Campuzano was born in September of 2009 with a severe heart defect, and he died when he was 2 1/2 months old. Brian's cousin, Jason, and Jason's wife Nicole are two of the most loving people I have ever met. My heart aches for their loss, but I always say to them how lucky Christian was to have felt their love. They celebrated his life this weekend with an annual fundraiser. It was a wonderful event. Tons of activities, raffles, and good food. Brian and I actually won Phillies tickets too.

Family Fun Day

Colton had a teacher in-service day at the Academy on Friday so we decided to make a family day of it and Brian and I both took off. We spent the majority of the day at Morris Arboretum in Chestnut Hill. It was so much fun exploring the place and walking all through the gardens. We went to the human sized bird's nest and sat on the robin's eggs. We went up high into the trees and looked down below us. We saw fountains and lots of flowers as you can see above. Colton loved the trains. When one would come around the track, he would push his arms back behind him with excitement. We had such a good time, we decided to get a membership for a year. We have free guest passes, so feel free to ask us to come.