Surprise!

Unbeknownst to Jared, I planned a surprise party for him this year since he was turning OLD.

We had a super turnout and enjoyed brats and (root)beer.
Here are some snaps from the festivities (thanks for being the photographer, Devanie):

Totally surprised! "Happy happy birthday, Jared dear..."Jared, Devanie, JonBackyard guests

Mazzanti Family

Jared's dino pinata after a few hard hits What Jared always wanted to do as a boy, but only had the opportunity to do as an adult

Happy Birthday Jared

Jared turned 30 today. Of course, being the loving wife that I am, I made him his favorite breakfast--biscuits and gravy--from scratch. It made for a big mess, but a happy hubby!

Happy birthday, dearest.

How's THAT for customer service?

When I went home to D.C. for graduation, I made sure to pack my super sweet new polka dot umbrella. On the first day I was there, I visited my girlfriend in Occoquan and I was thrilled to use it for the very first time (obviously we don't get my rain here in AZ). However, I was not able to use it before I dropped it on the ground as I was fumbling with taking off the cover. As soon as I went to extend it, I realized that I had bent the frame when it was dropped. Total bummer!! And I was iritated until I remembered that ISOtoner umbrellas have a lifetime warranty. I shoved it into my luggage and tried my luck at getting it fixed instead of having to purchase another umbrella. I filled out the warranty form that came with it when I purchased it and obediently tucked a $5.00 check into the envelope for "shipping/handling" fees. Within a week, I received this letter and was able to void the check out in my checkbook: And within a week, I received this new umbrella via UPS:

Way to go ISOtoner! I am a customer for life!

Movies at the Park

Sierra Vista does Movies in the Park each summer starting in May (kiddos are out of school here starting the first week of May). Cox Communications sets up a big projector screen and plays the movie in the Veteran's Park when it gets dark. One weekend in June, Jared and I met up with some friends from the OJAG and watched "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs". It is fun because it is always good people-watching and we can bring whatever we want to eat and don't have to sneak it in through our purses! :) We ordered Papa Johns.

My Lover

Jared, Adri, Tiffany, Patrick Jared and Greg Greg, Kristin and BP

summertime sewing

When I visited D.C. this past month, I had the opportunity to visit with my Grandpa Norm Wheeler and my Grandma Louise Wheeler, my mother's parents who live in Bally, PA.

Grandma is a true artist, venturing into all forms of craftiness, including knitting, rug hooking, crocheting, painting, sewing, drawing, jewelry making, needlecraft, etc. I received some retro fabric from her collection and I decided to put some of it to use by making a clothespin holder for the clothesline I hung this week out in our backyard. I love the holder! Eco-friendly (by saving energy) and sweet vintage retro.This was my first experience working with bias tape. I think I will try it again!

Who says life can't be interesting without kids?

On Monday night I went to bed feeling completely satisfied with life, knowing I had completed a true deep cleaning, transforming the entire house by Murphy Oil soaping the kitchen cabinets and dining room chairs, washing and putting away all the dishes, dusting the plantation shutters and wooden ceiling fans, vacuuming the carpets, cleaning out the kitty litter boxes, doing laundry, scrubbing toilets, and sweeping and mopping the floors. Apparently the kitty litter box wasn't clean enough, because when I walked in to my nice, clean kitchen the following morning, I found this laying in the middle of the floor:

Sigh. I have furbabies, after all.

GWU Graduation

Many friends and family already know that I completed my Master's Degree in Paralegal Studies back in December. After some encouragement from Jared, I took the opportunity to go home and participate in commencement exercises on May 15th and 16th, and visit with family and friends in the Northern Virginia area. Michelle Obama was the key note speaker for GWU's graduation on the National Mall.
Several of my colleagues and I were inducted into Lambda Epsilon Chi, the National Paralegal Honor Society, for graduating in the top 10% of our class and with a 3.9 0r higher (I had a 4.0!). The hard work paid off--I was provided a special honor chord to wear during graduation, and a framed accomplishment certificate along with a lapel pin. :)

It was nice to put faces with names and meet several of my online classmates in person, including my girlfriend Lina, who was kind enough to let me borrow two extra graduation tickets for my rather large immediate family. It turns out that she lives in Virginia Beach, and her daughter goes to high school with my sister, at my old alma mater, Princess Anne. Small world.

During my trip to VA, I was also able to meet my new nephew, Micah Conner Bussey, for the first time. He is a cutie! Poor baby has a hernia and is scheduled for surgery on June 7th; I am sure it will make him feel better, and help him to be less fussy for my sister. He sure does look like a "Bussey" here.

It feels great to be DONE with school...at least for a little while!