Merry Christmas Rocky

Poor Rocky...but how cute are these pictures. He stood still for about 10 minutes and then ripped the costume off...haven't been able to find it ever since, he hid it very well!

Henry Ford and the Christmas Carol

We spent December 23rd doing something we have never done and it made for a great day. I am sure as a kid Tony and I went to Henry Ford but for some reason we did not remember it. What a cool place so much history and the ability to be up close to some amazing things from our past. It was cool to see how much the kids knew about things they have learned in class but I think they really enjoyed seeing some of the items up close. Tony loved the aviation exhibit and Cam loved the Lego trains...Cait she loved SANTA! I think watching your child interact with Santa is pretty special as usually they are way overwhelmed and a little shy but also excited meeting him face to face. We finished off the evening by going to see the Christmas Carole t the IMAX Theatre which WAS AWESOME!!!!!! Cam was scared by the ghosts and to be honest seeing that movie in IMAX was crazy...but soooo cool.

Christmas is coming...

Well it's that time of year when everything gets crazy! Shopping for two families, 100 people at work for our Holiday party, Christmas cookies, picture for our Christmas card, 100 Christmas cards and oh yeah trying to enjoy this time of year. All this fun and of course the month of December seems like 10 days rather than 31. Well hopefully we survive and have a ton of fun stories to share.

Rocky II...there always has to be a sequel

One of my favorite movies as a child was the Rocky series...probably explains my love for boxing and my secret infatuation with Oscar de la Hoya, Manny Pacquaio and Floyd Mayweather...oh wait that is not a secret :-)

The first Rocky was so memorable, but without the sequels we would have missed the Apollo Creed re-match, Mr.T, Ivan Drago...I must break you :-) Ok enough of me being such a goof ball...I need to finally get to my point.

Three years ago we adopted two sweet kittens from a farm and named them Rocky and Adrian. Why...because I wanted to stand out on my deck and yell "Yo Adrian". I need to do stuff like this as there are certain days where I feel every bit of like has been sucked out of me by the hundreds of conversations I have...this in a weird way breathes life back into me. For no other reason then nostalgia, I love to quiz people on old movies and music. Although God has played a funny joke on me by surrounding me with people who did not grow up in my generation or lived in an amish village where they never watched any of the old classics. Unfortunately, Rocky moved back to California as he missed his mom and dad :-) this is what I tell the kids when we lose a kitty. "I say well you would miss your Mommy" :-) it always works but Cam now sells me out and just says Rocky is dead Cait...it was so much easier when they believed everything I said.

Getting to the point...here comes Rocky. At the beginning of October we adopted the newest member of the Bacarella family...Rocky Balboa II. He was 8 weeks old an we got him from Joe and Jan. Either Cait lacks total imagination or she just liked the name Rocky, so when I asked her what we were going to name him "Rocky" came flying out of her mouth, hence the sequel commentary I have been throwing around.

So we are loving this new crazy cat. He is a lot like me as he can fall asleep on a dime...basically anywhere, he eats constantly like Cait and has the stalking ability of a lion like Cam. The Tony trait is that he is the King of the Castle and will do whatever he pleases to do. So to say the least he is fitting in nicely, and after 6 weeks Adrian finally will walk by him like I could care less that you exist which was much better then 6 weeks ago when she sounded like she was going to rip all four of his legs off. We are a family of six now, Rocky chooses to be inside and Adrian likes the comfort of the outside as the food supply is endless for her in the woods.

Rocky almost met his maker a month back when he decided to pick a fight with the boxer next door...in a weird way Rocky won as the blood he was covered in was not his own...it was Riley's. $80 later at the emergency vet we feel that Rocky earned his name, he beat up the dog next door that is a Boxer...to weird not to point out.

My impeccable Christmas tree is half decorated as Rocky has broke over 10 bulbs and pulled all the ribbons straight. We can't leave presents under the tree as he tears them open...btw the kids love this! It is the start to an old fashioned Griswold Christmas as Rocky likes to jump out of the tree at you and attach himself to your body...although he did this to Adrian today and she gave him the proper smack down for scaring her...I think he might have learned his lesson

Can friendships last forever?

Sixteen years today I started at Sigma and it was today that I would meet Kristen. We are polar opposites to the core...I think sometimes she looks at me in total disbelief (like I can't believe you just did that) and other times I make her laugh uncontrollably! If you spend anytime with the both of us...we are the odd couple - quiet and shy - loud and obnoxious.

Not having a sister I do not know what that bond is like, but what I can imagine is that the relationship would mirror ours. There are times that we have thrown stuff at each other, slammed doors, called each other names, walked away from each other...but we never miss a birthday together, have spent every Christmas, been in each other's weddings, held each other's hand through the birth of our children, cried when we are sad, above all just loved each other the way that a sister would.

We spent some days up north picking out the venue for our next work conference and it was just sooooo much fun! Spending the night on the island at the Grand hotel, riding the boat, drinking and eating...perfect girl's trip! I waited until now to post this for my 16 year anniversary, the day that I was hired at Sigma...the day that I met Kristen.

The little boy who made me Super Aunt Jen

Here is my first great nephew...Conner :-) Love him soooo much that I want to squeeze him everytime I see him. From the moment he was born I became Super Aunt Jen...well Great Aunt Jen just makes me sound old...and I am far from bring old!

He turns 2 in December and we were able to find a great afternoon with some perfect fall weather to snap some shots of him. He kept saying "all done, Aunt Jen?" nope a couple more as I ran after him trying to snap all of his fun as he picked up sticks, threw stones and stomped on leaves. All boy he is and all mine as this little one has Colpaert blood running through him which makes him so special to me...I am so glad that Bobby met Renee at college, but hopefully they are the last of the Bacarella/Colpaert marriages :-)