Flashback Friday, and other things

Today for flashback friday, I am sharing a picture of my senior prom but to make it a bit more fun, not a normal pic. I have absolutely no idea what we are all looking at, although I do remember it being very bright with the sun in our eyes, and I think my Dad suggested that we look down to rest our eyes...but I really can't remember. So anyone else in this picture have an idea? (oh and by the way, that is Bj standing behind me with the floppy hair :)

The real reason I decided to post this picture is I have been thinking a lot about my friend Jessica who is the second girl from the right. Two of her sons are in the hospital right now with a rare condition called HLH which is causing both of them to undergo chemotherapy and (possible) bone marrow transplants. First her baby boy (eight months old) began to get sick, now just this week her two and 1/2 year old has gotten sick too. There is a chance that her older son's condition may just be pneumonia which is causing the same symptoms, so please hope for that. She also has a five year old daughter that may carry the gene as well, or may just be a marrow donor, whatever the case, this family is going through a very hard time. I guess I just wanted to look back on a time when we were giggling and happy and excited for a night on the town, even for just a moment.

Jess we are all thinking of you and I forgive you for the whole forklift picture:) (a story for another day...maybe)

A game we play and other things

So Bj and I have known each other forever, and so we have watched many a movie together *read* we have watched lots of romantic comedies together. At the beginning of every romantic comedy, we always decide where the movie will end picking of three locations: hospital, train/airport/bus station, or apartment. Why three? 'Cause nine times out of ten, that's where it ends. Play the game and see for yourself :)

And the verdict is...
eh...

Lily waved hello the other day. Yea! She also now loves sweet potatoes, applesauce, and carrots, still HATES bananas.

Next in my Netflicks cue...Electric Company! Can't wait.

here are some pictures from our last family photo shoot
Smiling Family

Mor Mor and Lily

things that make you go mmmmmm

*remember that song anyone??

Today I had to trek out to the Federal Building to replace Lily's SS card.

Yes I know how could it already be lost, but I was a bit crazed and have put it in a really,
really,
really,
really safe place for keeping,
so safe that I don't even know where it is.

So on my way, I parked EXTREMELY far away-only parking I could find and had to walk quite a distance to get there.
On my way I passed a pair of black shoes on this cement block, lined up nice and neat. I wondered, mmmmm, wonder why someone would have left those there. This immediately reminded me of all the shoes you can see by the side of the road-usually just one...wait, not the point.

So on my way back I looked at the very same spot and the shoes were gone. I thought, oh good someone remembered where they left their shoes. I walked a bit further, and THERE THEY WERE.
Lined up nice and neat.
mmmmmmmm.
Did they walk over themselves?
Did the owner come back and decide, well, nahhhh-I don't really want them.
mmmmmmmm.
why am i still thinking about this...mmmmmmmm

Unforgiving consumer

I think I may have mentioned this before, but I am the world's most unforgiving consumer. It has been at least fifteen years since I have bought a certain brand of tennis shoes because they gave me less than stellar customer service. Well I have a new bone to pick, one that will never be resolved as I cannot possibly ban this particular establishment. So on Saturday I made my way to the Post Office to mail off my circle journal (finally-this is why I did it so early as it took me forever to get there) So the transaction went something like this:
Postal worker: I'm sorry I can't take your card-it isn't signed.
Me: Oh I don't sign my card so people ask for identification (DL in hand)
P.W.: It says it is not valid unless signed.
Me: OK, well ummmm
P.W.: I can take a check or money
Me: ummm (in my head-i just used this here last month...ummm what to do) So could I use it if I signed it now?
P.W.: Yes.
Me: REally???? (so if I stole this wallet apparently it is ok as my signature would now match...ok)
P.W.: Yes. Here is a pen

**FOUR pens later (the pens would not work on my card as it is really old and the plastic was too shiny) I had begrudgingly signed my card.

So here is the kicker. After I signed the piece of paper, SHE CHECKED IT AGAINST MY CARD TO SEE IF THE SIGNATURES MATCHED!!!!! Ah I think it probably wounldn't change within the five seconds I just signed my card.

Anywhere else I would NEVER come back...alas, I forgot to mail another package so I will return on Monday...

***stay tuned for the ultimate reason why I will always be an unforgiving consumer.

PARTY! PARTY! PARTY!

Congratulations Elizabeth! One of 25 winners of Creating Keepsakes Magazine's Hall of Fame. I have said it many times and in many places all over the internet this week, but I will say it again-I am so proud to be your sister and as always so amazed at what you can do. You are an inspiration to all of us! We are ALL so proud of you!!!!!!

check out Elizabeth's gallery at 2peas here
Here are some blog links to other blogs having a party today..

Here are some other blogs who are partying today...more later
Susie
Michelle
Mi'Chelle
Renee
J.J.
Nadine
Becky
Susanna
Maryjo
Melissa
Kelli
Suzanne

Happy Seven Month Birthday

one day late, but happy day anyway. more pictures to come!!

Request Granted

The non blogging brother-in-law requested that I remove the post about being tied for second with him as it is no longer true and therefore libelous Ok. I AM NOW TIED FOR FOURTH WITH HIM (and Ben too) HAPPY NOW MATT????

Congratulations!!!!

Congratulations to my wonderful talented sis for winning Creating Keepsakes Hall of Fame Contest! This is a BIG BIG BIG deal for us scrapbookers and I could not be more proud of her. I know she worked so hard on those entries and she deserves this. So a HUGE CONGRATULATIONS TO ELIZABETH!!!!!

For the record

I just wanted to say that I am tied for second at the moment with Matt. My best mascot wins method is working...I needed to say this now as my overall winner has already been kicked out. So for the record, until games start today when I start completely bombing, sspppffff (blowing raspberry)

Flashback Friday::The Willis Family Secret

Alright, now I am about to reveal a long held Willis family secret...about Girl Scout Cookies. I recently was looking at a pic on Susie's blog and she had a picture of FIVE boxes of Girl Scout Cookies. First YUM!!! need to get me some of those, and second, it brought back memories of the Willis family secret. My sisters and I were in Girl Scouts and we like every other member were sent out to sell...well lets face it the equivalent to crack: irresistible, addictive Girl Scout Cookies. This box at a bargain of $2.50 held instant gratification for any sweet tooth from delectable Mint Thins to Samoas, and my favorite the Tagalongs oh and I love the Do-si-dos. *hungry* So I don't know if it was because our Mama didn't like us to go door to door to sell the cookies, or if we didn't like to go door to door to sell the cookies, or if it was because we were the worst salesgirls in the world, but we never had the amazing win a trip to Europe because you sold so many cookies type of sales. What was our Mama's solution you ask?

SELL COOKIES TO OUR DEAD RELATIVES TO MAKE IT LOOK LIKE WE DIDN'T BUY THEM ALL!!!!

I am not kidding.

We sold to relatives that had died up to fifty years ago (or possibly longer) not too many lest someone get suspicious and ask for proof of...well you get the idea. And that is one more reason why I love my Mama-her creativity to keep us from being blackballed from Girl Scouts. Now you know the Willis Family Secret-shhhhh don't tell anyone :)

And here it is, taken at Kent State University in June '87...the Willis girls!

Mine on the record

Duke
UCLA
Connecticut
Villanova

UCLA
Tennessee

Tennessee

***my name for this: best mascot wins, which is how I started my picks but it was taking too long so I just started picking randomly...'cause I have no idea.

What I've been doing

Hidden journaling: {See} Lily's face when she knows food is coming. Just a glimpse of the boppy or a little bit of cereal can cause this little girl to giggle. {Hear} The Willis family always sings Johnny Appleseed before our meals. We sing a "version" I taught them while in preschool. It's different than any I've ever heard. {Touch} A steaming cup of hot chocolate at Stow HS football games. The itchy woll band uniforms never kept us quite toasty enough. {Taste} My favorite ice cream is still mint chocolate chip from The Patio in Lakeside, Ohio. My friends Kerry Stephanie and I used to walk to the dock to eat it. {Smell} The wonderful aroma of the street treats cart at Akron. Nothing like a hot chicken gyro to keep Jenya and I going for our night class.

things & stuff

The word of the day...procrastination!
I should be cleaning the house right now, instead I am writing this post.

I am starting my super busy time of musical rehearsal three times a week plus choir on Thursdays...I can't wait for May.

Bj and I are working on cleaning our basement right now which has become the dumping ground for all things forgotten. I found my old report cards, Katherine's old report cards, and one report card from Elizabeth (from Mrs. Roach)And by the way, don't ask me how I ended up with my sister's old report cards. I also found my very first stamped project from eighth grade-stamped with my very own hand carved stamps...little did they know that project would lead to an obsession. I have also found old notes from fifth grade boyfriends (and sixth grade boyfriends), cards from my grandma, a very *snotty* birthday card from my brother-in-law (i think for my 13th birthday) about them dropping me on my head when I was born. My favorite find was my Karate Reading trophy from fifth grade (I got a black belt in reading that year.)

The reason for this major clean is so we can get all of the cat *stuff* out of the kitchen. On Sunday Bj installed a cat door by cutting a large hole in our basement door...so far the cats have just hissed at it. Any idea how to train a cat??

ANyway, just to make this post a bit more lively, here is a cute picture of Lily talking to Trotter...or maybe she was just eating his nose.

Flashback Friday

Flashback Friday (or Saturday it seems) Don't know how old I am here (any help?) and I don't remember this picture being taken...just wonder what I was thinking...

War of the hobbies

Bj and I have been having the same *argument* over and over lately about hobbies. The jist is I think that "gaming" is pretty much the biggest waste of time and he doesn't really see what is so great about scrapbooking. He plays World of Warcraft-I think that is what it is called, where he runs around as a wolf or bear or something, or maybe an elf of some kind, fighting various animals, people, or bugs. MMmmmm. Oh and his character can dance like Michael Jackson. O-K-A-Y.

So he was telling me about these "guilds" that are formed and you have to make sure that you can play at a certain time so you can all gang up together to get one big thing accomplished...O-K-A-Y If you can't be there at a certain time, you can get kicked out of the guild. Or if you are just not good enough, you can get kicked out. So he plays this game by himself, or plays with friends talking via instant message or on the phone-he does not have one of those "super cool" headsets like someone's husband I know...click here for that whole story...not that I am making fun or anything :)

Anyway, I was talking to him the other day about how much fun I was having being part of 'tis herself and having all these new friends to talk to via email and letters, and he said that it sounded just like one of the guilds he was talking about. You know, fighting some big monster together or creating a circle journal...yep, exactly the same. My comment back was will anyone know or care in twenty years that you were able to kill three tigers in your game or will Lily enjoy looking through her scrapbooks that her Mama *lovingly* made her as she was growing up.

A few days later he came up with his answer...he will just take screenshots of all the things he beats and create his own scrapbook-maybe even post it on 2peas. Too bad he just reinforced my point-to make his hobby "cool" he has to use my hobby to prove it! :)

The quirk (in case you wanted to know)

If you didn't know, I am a musician-a singer to be exact and because of that, or some weird quirk in my brain, I never go a moment without a song in my head. Back in fifth grade during art class I had a song running around in my head...engine, engine, number nine, going down chicago line over and over and over. Someone said something funny and I distinctly remember blurting out Engine! instead of just laughing. A moment that I will *embarassingly* take with me the rest of my life.
Tonight I had a meeting at church...wanna know what the song was tonight?
Movin' on up! To the east side, to a DE-LUX apartment in the sky-y-y-y...why? You ask? I HAVE NO IDEA. Just another quirk I guess. I have also woken myself up singing-out loud-before. I swear. I even remember the song...from Madrigals, my senior year...God Bless the Master of this House...just in case you wanted to know.

I sneezed...

Three posts in a row! It is now WAY TOO LATE FOR ME TO BE UP I MUST GET A CLOCK IN THIS ROOM!!! Oh well. I had planned on working on Lily's album tonight, but alas I ran out of the pp I needed. Drats. Then I was going to work on my Italy album...just couldn't do it...too overwhelming tonight. So I found this old photo-perfect for flashback friday and decided to finally give it a proper home. So this is what I did tonight.

Flashback Friday

I have been meaning to join in to the "flashback friday" craze and tonight I discovered a great picture to start. Elizabeth and I at my Grandma's house sharing some piano time. Remind you of anyone else? (click here)

Old Friends, new friends

In the past week I have had the opportunity to meet with three of my oldest friends. Last Monday I got to have lunch with my friend Stephanie, Kerry, and her brand new baby Gwen (oh and Lily came too). It was so fun for us to get together as it had been way too long. So much has changed since we first met way back in high school. We are now married and have children (or almost) and have lived and are living different lives than we once were. Although so much has changed we can pick up a conversation like no time has gone by. Talk about past memories and swap advice about current events. It is so nice to have such wonderful friends like this. We ended our lunch with a vow that we will never go that long without talking again-I think we will keep it this time.


On Sunday I got to spend the entire day with my oldest friend in the world-Liz. She who knows me best, who knows my secrets and who I know hers. She is the friend who comisserated with me way back in sixth grade when I had to have this icky guy put his arm around me in this play we were in called Wheels! She was also in my wedding to this very guy. Her parents are like my parents-in fact as I was over at her parent's house showing off Lily, her mom invited me to give them a scenic picture I had taken for their wall of pictures in their newly built bathroom. My picture will join the wall with the rest of the Troyer kids. I was more touched than she will ever know, but it just makes sense. I feel part of their family because I ALWAYS have been. We have always joked that we talked to each other in our Mama's tummys.

{I give up-here was supposed to be the cutest pic of Liz and I in our halloween costumes way back in 1980, but it just won't work-comes up gray everyting...may think about this whole typepad thing...}

So here's to old friends. Here's to new friends that we have never met but have become dear to our hearts. Friends that we may not see as much as we would like, friends that are too far away to see every day, or friends whose busy schedules are tough to rearrange. I miss you all and I hope to see you all very soon.

Picture problems

Well I realize that it seems like it has been a long time since I have posted but I actually have been trying to post. I am having picture problems. I wanted to share my very first circle journal and the pages I created tonight but for some reason they are turning out all gray and non existent when I try to post them...and I have no idea why. So stay tuned for there will be some more exciting stuff soon...I hope.