Graduation

My baby brother Joshua graduated this past weekend with an associates in diesel engineering! When Josh was a kid, he was always tearing things apart just so he can see if he could put them back together so I always knew he was destined for a career of some sort in mechanics.

Here are a few pictures from the weekend....

Josh in his cap and gown after the ceremony



My aunt Jean, uncle Larry, Josh, and my father


My sister Jessica, me, Josh, my father and the handsome guy in the front is Alex


Alex LOVES hanging out with his uncle Josh! Josh usually can't shake Alex from his hip when he's around



Congratulations Josh - I'm very proud of you and as always, love you very much!

Working Through The Pain

Last week was finals week and I get so extremely stressed out during finals week. For some reason, everything else in my life also seems to fall during finals week - Alex starting baseball practice Monday and Tuesday nights, long work projects...etc and for those of you who don't know, in the past.....I'm ashamed to admit, I use to smoke during finals week. I hid it from almost everyone that I knew so I'm sure that you out there in blogging world didn't know about my nasty and disgusting once a semester habit. I would turn on a movie for Alex and sneak across our alley behind a tree to light up which, I realize, is really pathetic.

However, I now jog when I get stressed and yes...it takes a bit longer to wind down than smoking an ultra-light Marlboro, but I feel much better. I've been smoke-free for two semesters now!! You can see last weeks finals week had me stressed from this picture.



I ran 6 miles one night and when I arrived home and took my shoes off, the insides of my shoes and socks were bloody! I know....EWE right?!?!! I was so focused on everything else that was running through my mind that I didn't even feel the giant blister that had formed and popped on the bottoms of my feet.

Melt My Heart

Alex has been into drawing lately and he has been using my accounting paper so I went out to the store last night and bought him his own drawing notebook. He settled into his drawings and I was busy studying for my operations/production management final when he jumped up and grabbed the tape and dashed into my bedroom.

He came out with a grin on his face and when I asked him what he was up to, he smiled and directed me to walk into my bedroom and look at my closet door.

Here is what I found





and some people think parenting is a thankless job - those people have a lot to learn

President Alex Lindner

While watching Senator Obama on Fox News last night.....





Alex - Is that our new president mom?

Mom - No, but he wants to be the next president

Alex - I want to be president someday

Mom - Really?

Alex - Yeah, it can't be that hard. All you have to do is listen to people complain and stuff

“Why is it the ship beats the waves when the waves are so many and the ship is one? The reason is that the ship has a purpose.”
- Winston Churchill

Only One Week Left?

It doesn't seem possible, but next week is finals week! Yikes - with the snow that we received last week, and my typically procrastinator behavior, I have two chapters of accounting and a facility layout to makeover for production management to zoom through this weekend. Sorry, but I hope we have really crappy weather because then I'll be forced to keep my butt inside and my head in a book all weekend.

Happy Birthday Josh

Do you remember me? UG - I've been so crazy busy with school lately that it's amazing that I can still function. I enjoy learning, but I wish I could do it at my own pace and take exams or finish papers at my leisure rather than be given a deadline. Ahhh - keep dreaming.

It was my baby brother Joshua's 21st birthday yesterday!! He, my sister and my father drove to my home for brunch and birthday cake. Here is a picture of my sister Jessica, my brother Josh and me.



Yes, we did make him a pink and purple birthday cake for his 21st and yes, he is smiling. For us who know and love Josh, that smile is the equivelant of him grinning from ear to ear. After birthday cake, we did keg stands and cherry bombs for his 21st. Kidding kidding kidding. Josh is a great kid and I'm very proud of the caring and compassionate person he has turned out to be.