memorial day 2012

let us never forget 

those who have fallen

in honor 

of our freedoms.

one nation under God

happy anniversary: 19

it's been 19 years

19 years

wonderful

fruitful

character building

reaffirming

wish i could  lean over and  

squeeze my man

tell him all this

and then give him a big smoosh

not going to happen.

at least not for a few more months.

needless to say, 

i celebrate 

the day i became his wife

the day i said 'i do'  

the best single decision
to shape who i am today

thanks to him being dateless for this event.

 

 tomcat ball

san diego

june 1992

which is when he asked his sister
to find him a date.

 thank you, li.

you knew my hand
couldn't have been any higher
to volunteer for this gig.


little did i know
that this venture
would turn into this

will you look at the smile on my face?

little did i know...

happy anniversary,
honey.
i miss you dearly.

so tell me about

 your kick off?

holiday cookie-ornament exchange: fayetteville style

 it's that time again.

time to 

gather

celebrate

eat 

and 

exchange

set up was pretty much 

same as last yeas in dc

minus my two 

out-of-town v.i.p.s.

okay

i lied.

this year we added

berries in our champagne

who couldn't use some antioxidants?

found boxes

with cellophane tops

for guests to take cookies home in

added a little sparkly  monogram

(you know how i love me some monograms)

and topped it off with a little personalized calligraphy 

ornament pile

lovely guests

am i the luckiest?

how do i always seem to 

find the most amazing 

women to surround myself with?

thanks, ladies,

for an amazing kick off 

to this holiday season.

would love to know

what traditions you've got

to kick off your holiday season.

peacocks and pinecones: my thanksgiving table

love 

love 

love

having thanksgiving in my home

the food

the smell

the company

the after-dinner walk around the hood

and of course 

the piece de resistance

the table

all dressed up and ready to 

par-tay

i have yet to set it

the same way 

two years in a row

i know

crazy to some

guess it feeds

my creative urges

 this year

it's 

peacocks 

and pinecones

maybe with a little

monogram thrown in for good measure

interested in past 

thanksgiving tables?

check it out here

9 people

2 missing

both in a combat zone

protecting our freedoms

thankful

for the

loved ones i am surrounded by

and the table that's big enough 

to feed them

this is,

people,

my fave holiday

of 

all 

time

 kicks off

the season of giving

you see.

 and isn't that 

what life is all about?

tell me about how you celebrate

this glorious day

and of course

your table setting

and those you gather with

getting ready for turkey day

not sure about you 

but team brookes goes thru

a little routine each year as we gear up

 for turkey day.

have i mentioned my fave holiday is turkey day?

well, it is.

probably because it's smack dab in the middle of 

'the season'

and it surrounds good smells, good food and family.

good stuff, i tell ya.

so

this little old process of gearing up starts early for us.

like just after we put the halloween stuff away. 

i fully realize we 

have a whole three weeks until the big day

but who's counting?

certainly not me.

first thing we do:

we listen to christmas music

probably not what you would expect.

i know.

so for  those of you

who aren't crazy about listening to carols in november,

better not come over here.

just saying.

and

 believe it or not, 

it was my girls who

cranked up pandora's christmas radio 

without a word from their mother.

have i corrupted them, or what?

yeah pandora!

2. start making soups

we love eating soup for dinner around this time of year.

some of our faves:

apple vichyssoise

(pretty much apple, potate leek soup)

harvest butternut squash soup

split pea with ham

add bread and salad.

num.

lastly,

we love to ring in thanksgiving with a thanksgiving tree.

now normally i don't put up this bad boy until 

the week of thanksgiving.

but with nothing but time on my hands

and no living relatives in my vicinity to give me a hard time,

i'm wide open.

bring on the tree.

(pics to come,

it's not quite up yet...but it will be)

in the meantime
here are some pics from past thanksgivings

2007
starfish, sparkly coral and golden oak leaves

thanksgiving tree,
aka: homecoming-red-white-and-blue-tree
2008

2010
fleur de lis, peacock balls, gold sprigs

mulling over what will be on the tree this year

tell me how you get ready for thanksgiving.

or not.

pumpking carving tradition... oh and happy halloween.

where does the time go,

i ask?

the girls

6,8,6

2004

 one of the many 

driveway pumpkin carving 

events

ala the brookes fam

 this was always hubs gig

in keeping with tradition,

knew we had to continue the trend.

threw out a few invites to the local peeps

and low and behold, 

they showed up.

.

i know you've heard a lot about

how great i think our neighborhood is.

well, they did not disappoint

we had 7 families

with a total of 14 kids.

it truly was a great time

had by all.

 tons of food,

not to  mention a humungo pot of chili,

rice, fritos and all the fixin's. 

now that's fine american cuisine.

 

 hot cider and mint hot chocolate.

ooh and the desserts.

forget about it.

hard to believe,

5 of the 7 women here

have husbands over seas doing big strong military 

stuff for our country.

i know.

talk about fellow women with 

understanding and support.

i've got it all.

and here we have our one and only husband 

representing his kind.

scott.  

you did a great job as the only one with all the guy duties.

my garage is spotless thanks to you.

erin, thanks for sharing him.

he's a keeper, this one.

 honored to stand among 

this crowd.

truly.

 final pumpkin products

the artists behind them

all in all great night.

but i have to say,

when i recapped with the girls,

all three said fave part was playing 

 team man hunt

in the hood, 

afterhours.
hands down.

 love it.

same time next year?

who's in?

tell me about your halloween traditions.

as always,

sports hall of famer

today i am packing.

i am packing for a brief trip back home

to my beloved san diego.

quick trip.

just a few days in fact.

why?

to celebrate a great honor in our family.

my dear dad is getting

inducted into the 

sports hall of fame.

yes.

i know.

pretty big gig, huh?

that's what i was thinking.

you see. 

my dad was a basketball ref for 

many years of my life.

little did i know,

he was reffing big big games

with peeps like

michael jordan

magic johnson

karl  malone

larry bird

charles barkeley

patrick ewing

scottie pippen

any of those guys ring a bell?

dad was one of the refs chosen to officiate
the practice games

held in san diego for the 

 1992 summer
olympic games.

here he is at one of those

games.

cool, huh?

i'm so proud of my dad.

he's a hard worker.

he flew up and down the coast of california

to be at his games.

what do they call them?

pac 10?

the wac conference?

yeah, 

he did them all.

did i mention how proud i am?

so, dad is flying his daughter down

to be there on his big night.

don't worry.  

more photos to come.

remember this post?

this was the event i was shopping for.

can't wait to tell you all about it.

so if you don't see me for a bit,
i'm off jet setting in my beloved san diego
albeit briefly
celebrating great honors.

more to come.

birthday traditions:

 43

grateful for 

my faith

my family

my friends

my health

my life

am lucky enough to have

gotten

 treated to a 

delightful lunch

shared a prosecco with a lovely twist of lemon

finished off with a maple creme brulee

have i mentioned how lucky i am?

well i am.

one

birthday tradition 

we celebrate in the brookes abode:

 we gather around the dinner table

one by one we go around that table and

share one thing we love about the birthday honoree.

and no repeats allowed...

can you say filled up?

well, you definitely get that way

after you sit  and listen to your family 

share good thing about you.

tell me about a birthday tradition

you have in your house...

heading off to count my blessings