Bruno Family Vacation - Day 1

It's time again for the annual Bruno Family Vacation. We're staying in-state this year, vacationing in the lovely Rochester area and staying with Aunt Marge and Andrew. We met them in route this morning and all went to the Renaissance Festival in Sterling. Boy, was it nice and warm today! Definitely needed the sunblock.

Highlights of the day. Xander went through his spending money like water, going on rides, buying food, and playing games (no, he didn't win any). His big thing was buying a wooden axe, a companion piece to the wooden sword he picked up there two years ago.

We watched the jousting (our guy lost), and checked out bits and pieces of some of the shows. We lost Joe for most of the day, as he made the clothing rounds - hats, boots, the works. The only thing he picked up to bring home was a commemorative mug, but I have the feeling we'll be getting some interesting mail in the next few weeks.

At the end of the day, Aunt Marge got her turkey leg, which Xander promptly took off with. They ended up sharing it with each other and Andrew. Ah, family love! And then it was off to Aunt Margie's house to unload the car and rest our tired feet. Oh, and break open the suitcase which had somehow locked. We need to rest up for the Strong Museum tomorrow. Fun!

Oh, and I can't forget the "tattoo" Xander had painted on his arm. He requested a snake...eating a rat. Boy, was the face painting guy amused by that! The snake took him no time at all to do, but he spent a whole lot of time getting that rat just right! Only Xander...

And the car is making a funny, not-good sound, but I prefer not to dwell on that at this time.

Happy Independence Day!

Stuart Little - The Saga Continues

Stuart has been doing some new things this past week. One is cute, one is puzzling. The cute thing is that he's found a new toy in one of Xander's plastic jacks. He carries it around in his mouth, he'll drop it down the stairs if the gate is open and then run after it, and he bats it around the house at all hours of the day (and night!). I've been trying to catch a picture of him with the jack in his mouth, but haven't had any luck.

The puzzling Stuart thing is that all this week, after I turn off my alarm he'll come into bed with me and let me pet him. He'll lay on my, lick my face, and act like almost every other cat I've ever had. Which is totally against type for Stuart! This morning started out the same, but then while I was petting him he wrapped himself around my arm and I'm once again all scratched up and bloody. Now that's the Stuart I know!

One thing's for sure. This wackadoo cat fits in perfectly with this wackadoo family!

Summer of 1983

Let's take a trip in the Way Back machine, shall we? I've been wanting to scrap the family reunion we had back in '83, but had been holding off because the handful of pictures that I have from then are less than stellar. It's a wonder anyone even bothered!

But I finally just sat down, used the so-so pictures, and told the tale of our crazy family reunion where adult pranks ran wild! (At least that's how my mother remembers it. My only clear memory of that weekend is my cousin Jay peeing on a bee that then chased him back to our tent in the yard.)

Here's the LO I came up with. If you want to be able to read the journaling, check out this page in my ACOT gallery!