The OTHER Blog

Most of you already know this, but for those of you who don't ...

Stan and I are pursuing two adoptions -- one from China (4 years away) and one from Kazakhstan, which we hope to complete by the end of this year or early 2009. I have another blog all about the Kaz adoption. Up until now, the Kaz blog was invitation-only. It's now available to all readers.

You can link to it here or you can find a permanent link over to the right on the side bar. If you're going there for the first time, go to the bottom and read your way up the page.

I Want to Rock N Roll All Night

Last night, our whole fam damily went to see a Kiss tribute band called Mr. Speed. My nephews LOVE this band and have seen them four times in the past six weeks!

During that time, they've been developing some very interesting skills! My brother Brian says that they are turning into little Kiss Monsters.

This was taken right before the show started. We were all so excited!!

I think Gene Simmons is their new hero. When I took this picture, my mom was standing right next to me clapping and grinning ear-to-ear.

These guys are really fantastic. They are Cleveland-based, but they get requests to play shows all over. I work with Ace's wife! (His real name is Joe.)

Wyatt and Rider are totally digging this rock n' roll. These kids are so passionate about the things they love. They know every word to every Kiss song. They stood in front of that stage and focused every bit of their energy on the band for a full two hours.

Five Year Anniversary!

Tony's is our favorite Athens bar.

Stan asked me to marry him in this very booth in August of 2002. We were married five years ago this weekend!

What a weekend! First, we went to Columbus and visited our family. We had a great lunch with Henry and then spent some time reading a really cool children's book about the human body -- complete with x-ray like pictures of the heart and the lungs and the skull!

Then, we went to the Franz's annual Fourth of July Bash where we met little Ila for the first time! She is a totally awesome baby. She was so good and so happy. We really got a kick out of her.

On Saturday, we drove to Zanesville to pick up Jenny and then we all drove to Athens for the day. This weekend marks our fifth wedding anniversary, and Athens is where we met and also where Stan proposed, so we thought it would be a great time to visit the town. We miss Athens so much!! It's too much to explain in a post, but we love Athens very deeply. And not just because of the party atmosphere. Athens is so much more than that! There is just something very special about that little town tucked away in the hills of Southeastern Ohio. It's a magic place.

We walked around the uptown area and College Green. Then we stopped by The Pub for an aquarium (a fish-bowl-sized draft beer for only $2.50!) and then to Tony's for a $5 pitcher of Killian's. After that, we met up with our friends Jen and Carrie and ate dinner at Casa Nueva. Then it was back to Jen's house to CRASH after a very fun, hot, and excessive day!

I just thought this was funny.

Jenny is striking a pose.

American Woman statue behind the library.

Athens is quiet in the summer.

I miss everything about Athens -- even the ground!

I miss Athens rain, too!

Jenny ate a big pickle.



Our friends Jen & Carrie live in Athens. We are so envious!