Clyde James DeLeon

Clyde James DeLeon. Born July 15, 2009. Nearly two weeks early! Which is why he was a month old by the time I got to finally meet him! Isn't he just beautiful?!

He has blue eyes...and how we pray they'll stay (and that he'll grow into that DeLeon nose..). But I just couldn't get enough of this little guy.

I think being an Aunt may just be the greatest thing that has happened to me. Honestly. I'll let Melissa do all the hard work and I'll just show up to hold, snuggle, love, adore, spoil and basically cherish the babies. Whatya think sister? Deal? :)

Oh and let's not forget Vince the Prince, who makes my heart so happy, I just want to cry every time I think about my little man. I mean, look how big he is? And we just had a blast, playing and swimming and being a 3 year old.

Gosh, can you tell who Vince takes after?

Baby Clyde (that is what we are calling him at the moment since that's what Vince calls him...Melissa and I laughed about the thought of the name sticking and him being this huge football playing teenager and us shouting "Play hard Baby Clyde!") sleeping, something he does sorta well, he's still perfecting the art of sleeping through the night. Hey, he's still young!

Grandma and Aunt Mimi kicking it (ya you read that right, I am Aunt Mimi, Vince said it and it stuck, so take that Mariah Carey, I'm the real Mimi!)

And the beautiful woman we have to thank for these two precious babies. My amazingly strong, nurturing, hilarious sister. She is such a great Mom. So patient and loving. It's a pretty surreal thing to watch your sibling turn into a parent...and a good one at that, but then again we did have great examples. And we pretty much have the greatest family. How I love them all.

(there was a cute picture of Melissa and Clyde right here...but alas I accidentally deleted it..dang it!)

NC Funhouse

Just a few ingredients to ensure an out-of-control-totally-amazing-once-in-a-lifetime Girls Weekend.
-Arrested Development

-Sugar & Caffeine. Lots and lots of sugar. Even for breakfast.

-The Beach. Sand. Sun. Ocean.

-More Beach. It is a crucial ingredient.

-And of course these 4 hilariously beautiful ladies. Oh and plain white shirts, permanent markers, cameras and no inhibitions ;)

Mix in a little sass and Pink (her new CD rocks my world, never been a fan before, but she IS a rockstar) and you get an unforgettable 3 days in North Carolina.

We ladies haven't all been together since New Years of 2007. Insanity! We were inseparable in Arizona, laughing every moment we were together...and nearly 3 years later; we didn't miss a beat.

What a blessing it is to have friends like that. To know that no matter where life takes you, you can meet up in the middle of nowhere, hide away and forget about life's mishaps. It was so therapeutic to just let loose and laugh my heart out.

Sitting around watching Arrested Development, dancing the night away at Alexander's, getting checked out by an entire restaurant of Marines...I mean what more does a girl need, besides of course, truckloads of sugar..to make a perfect weekend?

It went by way too fast of course, but the pictures and memories will keep me laughing for months to come. I love you Merrilyn, Annie, Krista and Ashley!

A few of my favorite things...in Utah

Back in July work sent me to Utah.. Ya Utah! Hahaha...I jumped at the chance, surprisingly no one else was eager for the Utah trip. They don't know what they are missing! Well I of course flew out the weekend before and packed in some of my favorite people and things into my mini vacation. It was so blissful, I decided to go back. Yup I'll be in Utah again on the 11th of September for a wedding. Zion here I come!

So here I am (top picture) with Tiff's adorable kids...I can't get over how big they all are! I mean both the girls are in school now..I tell you what, by the time I have kids, Tiff's will be babysitting mine. How convenient :)

Oh just hanging out with my bestest friends. Aren't they just two of the prettiest moms you've ever seen? I tell you what :)

Mr. Graham Gideon Oakeson! What a few months can do! I mean I just saw him back in February and now he's a little man. So stinking adorable.

Cafe Rio. A love affair. 4 trips in 3 days. I don't care what anyone says, Moe's, Chipotle and any other burrito making place just don't compare. What I wouldn't give for one in DC...

Elementary Education buddies! And neither of us are teaching anymore! Hahaha.. I wouldn't have made it through those first few El Ed semesters without Callie. You are a rock.

Didn't get pictures of my brother, cousins, aunts and uncles...but we definitely partied it up. I do love my family. We have such a blast together. Work can send me to Utah anytime ;)

Land of Lincoln

Life has been a bit of a whirlwind lately and there is tons to blog about..the weekend in North Carolina with my Arizona girls (one word: AMAZING) and the week in Florida with my new nephew (Adorable) and family and friends. Yet, I can't upload those pictures yet..so I will jump to this week of my life of travel.

For work this week I was in Missouri, Illinois and Michigan and all I can say is I heart Illinois. It was an adventure and made me nostalgic for my childhood (we lived in Illinois before Hawaii, I was 7 when we moved).

These are photos I uploaded from the internet, so don't start thinking I'm some incredible photographer, but they give you a taste of the day I spent in the Land of Lincoln.

We stopped by Lincoln's Presidential Library and house and walked the streets of Old Springfield.
Yet in the middle of the day, while evaluating a school in Jacksonville...a siren went off and we heard the rain pounding outside... The owner ran in and told us there was a Tornado warning and we had to move into the center of the building! We hurried over and sat with all the Cosmetology students for about a half hour until the warning passed. Apparently the storm did some damage we found out later, but luckily we were spared.

Before sirens and storms though, we cruised Main Street for some lunch and pulled into a local dive..Grandma Rudi's, whose parking lot was crammed with trucks and SUVs. We figured a full lot was a good sign. Well good ole Grandma did not disappoint. We ate a full buffet, complete with fried chicken, ribs, pork, mashed potatoes and all that is delicious for a whopping $7.50!?! Oh and you better believe I got my money's worth ;).

As we sat there devouring our incredible find, I became aware that beside my colleague and the waitresses, I was just about the only woman in the place...and certainly the one with the most trips to the buffet. What can I say, I'm a Shurtleff, and we don't play :). It was such a great snapshot of the heart of America, farmers and construction workers just enjoying the company, no discussion of healthcare or global warming...just laughter and good times...though I couldn't help but notice a hat on the way out.."Don't blame me, I didn't vote for Hope".. Hahaha. What a great nation we live in, where we don't have to all think the same way. To each his own.
And maybe I'm the last one to know...but the sunsets in Illinois are gorgeous! I was driving to the store and saw the sky and literally starting chasing the sun to catch a good shot (this isn't my shot-but I think I got a pretty good one). Enchanting.

And now, even as I rock in my rocking chair here in the Grand Rapids Gerald R. Ford (ya I caught his Presidential Library too) International Airport, with my 7 am flight cancelled for a noon one...I can't help watching the clouds float by and realize how my love affair with this great nation just continues to unfold. Can't wait to see what Wisconsin, Minnesota and North Dakota have in store for me.

I thought I loved you then..

The first time I heard "Celebrity" I laughed out loud...not quite as loud as the first time I heard "I'm still a Guy"...and then there was the time I first heard "When I Get Where I'm Going", a duet with Dolly Parton...talk about tearjerker. I honestly thought I loved Brad Paisley then...well, my love has grown. I've seen him in the flesh and my cup runneth over.
Saturday night, on a bit of a whim...if a Facebook status and 24 hours notice constitutes a whim...KA, MJ and I headed into the Virginia Countryside for a bit of Brad Paisley. Thunderstorms, miles of traffic, Rebel Flags and tailgating Rednecks couldn't keep us away from Brad and Dierks (yup Dierks Bentley opened and he was pretty dang amazing too!).

Please note the man behind KA (on the right)! Hahaha...merely a sampling of the good 'ole boys that were in attendance. Love, love, love it! I thought Florida was country...all I can say, is that now I fully understand why Virginia is considered below the Mason Dixon Line ;)

Brad honestly put on an incredible show. His music is just as good, if not better, live. He seriously is a secret Rock Star because I've never witnessed longer guitar solos than I did at his concert!! Haha. He is FANTASTIC. That man can play and his songs just make me smile.

Gettysburg Reenactment 2009

So recently I read the book "Killer Angels" and LOVED it. I had purchased it a while ago and then in a conversation with my Dad found out it was his favorite book, so I knew I had to read it. Well it is an incredible book and I recommend it to everyone (just ask Kim, Tim, Uncle Russell and so on..haha). It is a historical fiction novel about the battle of Gettysburg, but the only thing that is fictionalized is the actual dialogue between the men..which is based on their diaries and letters..so it's a very accurate account of what led to Gettysburg as told from the perspectives of the Generals. I just ate it up..such a great read. The TNT mini series "Gettysburg" is actually based on the book, which I of course watched after reading it.

With all that said, you can now understand my overwhelming excitement for the Gettysburg Reenactment, I was so happy when Amanda said she'd love to go and so on July 3rd we drove up and participated in all that is Civil War reenactments and just ate it up! It was so much fun.
Here is the entrance to the Reenactment...so authentic :)

Amanda and I with Col. Chamberlain. I was so excited to meet this guy because I have a little historical crush on Chamberlain, which this great Living actor must have sensed because he totally hit on us! It was hilarious! He was so in character and then all of a sudden he's asking if we're married and getting all cozy..apparently his true New Jersey self was slipping out ;) When I told my Dad about this, he said to go for it since Chamberlain is/was a great man! Haha. Thanks Dad, hitching me up with dead guys... ;)

Here's what the actual Chamberlain looked like. I think they did a pretty good job casting him. All these guys had real facial hair, they must spend all year growing them out. It was pretty awesome.

Here is another shot of the stud that is Chamberlain. I'm telling you, read your history books..this guy and his bayonet charge down Little Round Top makes him pretty hot.. :)

Here's General Buford. Another Union General represented at Gettysburg. This guy got the high ground for the Union..which was a key factor in their victory at Gettysburg.

Here would be General Robert E. Lee. This guy really did have a presence. He walked by and shook our hands..and everyone was cheering for him when he started to speak. Apparently a lot of people at the Reenactment didn't quite like the way the war turned out...haha..funny, but a little unnerving when it's been roughly 150 years and I think we can all agree saving the Union and ending slavery was a good thing, right?!

The Confederate leaders addressing the crowd. When Pickett spoke, I admit I got a little teary eyed...he lost his whole division in the last charge, it's a moving part in the book and movie.

General Longstreet. Yes he was a Confederate, but he was still an impressive man. He tells most of the story in "Killer Angels" and I just really respected him by the end of the book.

A live mortar demonstration. Pretty dang cool I'd say.

Actual Gettysburg battlefield. For obvious reasons the reeactment is not staged on the real sites, so we drove over afterwards to check it all out. It was an incredibly reverent place. I mean here it was the middle of the day, July 4th weekend, people everywhere and you could still feel a quiet stillness in this hallowed place.

Col. Chamberlain quote describing the bayonet charge down Little Round Top.

A memorial for Chamberlain's men, the 20th Maine. True Heroes.

Standing on Little Round Top looking down on the rest of the battlefield.

I loved this day. I'm so glad we were able to go and see the reenactment and drive through the actual battlefield. Made me so grateful for our nation and those who serve her and defend our freedoms. And I love the history that surrounds me, a great reminder of the price that has been paid for us today. I hope I never forget it and never take it for granted. God Bless America!

Kindred Spirits

You know how you just have those people who get you? Anne referred to them as "kindred spirits" and I'm right there with her....and so Ms. Amanda Smith is a kindred spirit for me. We were inseperable in our year together in Jacksonville and since parting ways have kept our coast to coast friendship strong (she's in LA now). She came in town for the July 4th weekend and we packed it in..what can I say, I've done this a few times.. :)
Here we are enjoying the fireworks in front of the Air Force Memorial. They were A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!

Here we are enjoying the Waterfront in Old Town Alexandria.

Getting ready to go out and take in the 4th of July DC Style (note my shirt..it says "Handcrafted with pride in America" haha. I love this shirt, a Goodwill special ;) )

Sitting on the lawn of the Capital building on the 3rd of July gearing up for the free concert featuring Natasha Bedingfield, Aretha Franklin and the man himself...Barry Manilow (we were so hoping he'd sing our song "Mandy"..but he didn't :( Haha.)

This was our view on the lawn..not a bad spot. It was such a great night..perfect weather and just a ton of fun. Plus on the walk back to the metro, we could see the fireworks over in Old Town...one of those great DC moments..have I mentioned how much I love this town?! :)

We ate dinner Thursday night at this little grill by my house and they had a free concert..I love live music, especially on a summer evening...just so..perfect.

Just Amanda and I getting ready for our weekend...it was such a great time. We went to Gettysburg on the morning/afternoon of the 3rd for the reenactment (which I will blog more about) and attended the concert on the Capital lawn that night, saw all the monuments at night and just took in the town...it was a great weekend with a great friend. I love this girl and wish she lived closer. Come again Amanda!