disbelief.

i am in shock. never thought i would be writing a post about this so soon. i just can't believe he's dead. now, i never anticipated mj to die an "old" man. he was strange and i know he was in many people's "dead pool" years ago, heck i can't believe he wasn't assassinated sometime during that "alleged" child abuse molestation trial. but at the young age of 50, just 2 months shy of his 51st birthday. it's just too soon.

i'm sad for his mother and father. it's not right for a parent to lose their child. trust me, i know.

i'm sad for his siblings. a family that, despite their struggles, was a strong, close family and loved one another dearly.

i'm sad for his fans (me included). his music and dancing was out of this world and will never be compared to anyone. i'm sad for those fans that shelled out the money to go to london in a few weeks to see him in his final concert. a concert that i seriously, seriously, considered attending. a final concert that will never be.

he will be remembered for many things, both good and bad. but it's his passion for the art of music that he should be remembered for...that's what i'll be remembering him for.

my little hippie

just a few quick pics of tony d showing off his homemade tie-dye t-shirt. he had some help by mama putting the rubberbands on, but the dye squirting, color choices and placement of the color was all him! not bad for his first time, eh?

i'm sure between more relays, summer playgrounds & church camps, etc. that we're in for over the next, oh 14-15 more years, we haven't seen the last of my little hippie's tie-dye creations!

sunday june 21, 2009 - daddy's day

john enjoyed a great father's day. more like father's weekend. sleeping in (saturday and sunday). breakfast in bed and lots of snuggle time with tony d - we were all exhausted from the crazy-as-usual busy weekend! we headed to weaver's (amish store) in fivepointsville to purchase john's father's day present - new hiking/work boots...and some homemade mini-donuts...de.lic.ious. then later that night after giving the decision of where he wanted to eat his f-day dinner, we ended up at our usual, sebastiano's...as it's foolproof we'll love what we'll eat and you can't beat the service and personal attention either!!

john - you are an amazing father...more than i could have hoped you would be. thank you for working so hard to provide for us and take care of us like you do! we hate that you're so busy, but it makes the time we spend with you (like this past weekend) just that much more special!! tony and i love you very, very much!!

i hope all the daddy's...whether it was your first, or you 31st...had a happy father's day!

well, that's all the updating for today. we had very special plans with very special friends yesterday (monday) and that will require a very special post of it's own...but for now...i need to get to bed! nighty-night all!

saturday june 20, 2009 - special delivery

the shirt i ordered for tony from the mini social arrived this past weekend! i.love.it! but most importantly...so does tony!

tony "rockin" his new shirt and lovin' it!

my little model...such a "poser"

and two pics...just cuz he is so darn cute when he's cheezin'!

friday june 19, 2009 - relay for life

on friday we again joined the berks home building community connection team in walking for the relay for life. after work i picked up tony and we headed to the twin valley high school to meet up with john and some others from berks homes. we walked, mingled and tony made a tie-dyed t-shirt at the berks homes kids tent (picture of the shirt to come later). while john stayed over-night with some others from the office, continuing to walk, tony and i headed out around 11 following the luminary ceremony - we couldn't hang much longer...in fact, tony couldn't hang past the parking lot - he was out like a light before i hit route 23.

his sleepiness could have had something to do with the fact that while we were walking around the track...he practically ran every lap - the whole lap. i wish i had 1/2 his energy!

a rare (and not so great) family picture - just the 3 of us - that doesn't happen often!

thursday june 18, 2009 - thirsty thursday

last thursday my sister and dave ran in the thirsty thursday 5k at trooper thorn's restaurant (john was disappointed that his ankle is still giving him trouble or he would have loved to run this as well - lucky for him he had work to take his mind off not being able to run - ha!)

i also attended the race...attended...not ran! i am the official "child care provider" of the thirsty thursday race and tony and i kept harry b company while corinne and dave exhausted themselves!

tony and harry pumping up the crowd before the race began

tony and harry occupying each other waiting for the first finisher's to come through

how many boys does it take to buckle the nuna?

here comes d - strong finish!

nee nee...smiling through the finish line - she improved her time by 1 1/2 minutes from the previous saturday!

following the race, we met up with mom and dad and enjoyed some yumm-o victor emmanual's homemade pasta, pizza and oil and vinegar salad with cheese. sign me up for the next race if it involves eating a delicioso meal afterwards again!

wednesday june 17, 2009 - wormy

tony and i finally visited our local community library this past week (wednesday 6.17 to be exact). i've been wanting to take him, but til we get home in the evenings, it's all we can do to have dinner, get a bath and get to bed. but after tony, who has been enjoying his favorite caillou episode where caillou goes to the library, watched that episode for the billionth time that morning, i finally decided we needed to get that kid a library card!

after school i picked him up and we headed around the corner to the exeter community library. we each received a library card...tony's is waaaay cooler than mine as it has a dinosaur on it - i *heart* dinosaurs. we perused the awesome kids section and tony selected 4 books - when daddy's truck picks me up, knuffle bunny, excuse me (tony's favorite), and the saggy, baggy elephant - to check out. he was sooooo excited!

tony outside of the new library

my little book wormy!

sunday june 14, 2009 - early holiday

with my mom and dad out of town over the upcoming father's day weekend, my sister and i decided to celebrate the special day a week early with my dad. following church, we gathered at my mom and dad's house where the boys swam for a while and rode in the battery-powered jeep. following a yummy friend turkey, clams and delicious grilled veggies, the boys decided in mid-change from their swimsuits to their clothes, to run around the yard in their "panties"...or "diapees" if you're harry b. they got a kick out of it, and the two monkeys were dancing all over the yard.

for fear of being accused of posting "kiddie porn" or something, i won't post them all. but i couldn't resist this cute one of the two of them "in their skivvies". harry is in a "monkey-see-monkey-do" phase and however tony sits/stands/sings/dances...harry does - hence their identical poses here.

i know i can speak for my sister when i say we couldn't love these two boys anymore than we already do!!

saturday june 13, 2009 - wedding work

the sun was shining and the rain held off...the day was truly a blessing for clarisa and lance. this couple has gone through the obstacles to make it back to the alter...yes, i said back to the alter. clarisa and lance were married before - to each other - and have 4 children. due to personal circumstances (that is not my business to blog to the world about), they like millions of others in the world, got a divorce several years ago, but remained amicable towards each other co-parenting their children. their love they shared for their children, then grew again into love for one another and through Christ's redemptive work, blossomed into a beautiful relationship.

following their thanksgiving engagement, clarisa asked if i would make the invites & bulletins and act as wedding coordinator for their day. my duties included decorating the church, meeting with the florist and picking out the bouquets, alter flowers and the flowers for the favors. of course, i jumped at the chance seeing as how i love to do that sort of thing!

the invites - black linen cardstock, white cardstock, vellum overlay, tied together with a turquoise sheer ribbon (personal information blurred out of course)

the invite with the vellum lifted to see the print better

the bulletin - black linen cardstock, white cardstock layered, tied together with a turquoise sheer ribbon

another view of one of the "layers"

the "with thanks" layer (personal information blurred out again)

i met the bride, groom and their children at the reading museum for pictures prior to heading over to the church to do some final prep and open up for the guests and musicians to arrive. i have to admit i was extremely nervous as this would be the first time she would see the flowers i selected...but luckily...she loved them - i was relieved!

clarisa - the beautiful bride

a family - reunited by love

here's another collage of a few of my favorite photos i took that morning. i am by no means a photographer, but as much as i know i will enjoy looking at her professional pics when she receives them...there is something about the candids taken by friends that show that much more of the "personal" side of the day.

friday june 12, 2009 - phillies fun

neither john's nor my company had an official picnic this year due to the ever present "state of the economy", however tamara volunteered and took over the daunting task of organizing a great evening, attended by several berks homes employees, at the reading phillies on the coors light party deck. the all-you-can-eat buffet was great as usual and everyone had a great time...

little kids (paige, tony & jacob)...

and big kids (steve, john, joe) alike.

i didn't take too many pictures as i got to the game late since it ended up being the same night as the rehearsal for the wedding i coordinated. i got there just in time to enjoy a beer, chat with some friends and see the a-m-a-z-i-n-g fireworks display the stadium does! tony had a great time (as he usually does anywhere he goes), but i know he enjoyed spending some daddy-and-t time! thanks to aunt sue for lending her helping hands as usual!

names in the sand

there is a blog. a beautiful blog, to write their names in the sand, that was started by a woman named carly after losing her son christian. it's a memorial page to children who are no longer here, on earth, with their parents and families. carly and her husband sam live in perth, australia and have a hope that their site will "bring warm light back into bereaved families lives. they wish for everyone hope and peace ".

carly and her mother spend their weekends on the beach in perth, writing names in the sand of these children and then photographing them against the sunrises/sunsets with the ocean water flowing in and out around the names. you can read more about them here.

after my nephew, precious oliver, left too soon i knew that i wanted to do this to honor him, and to give something beautiful and tangible to my sister and david that would be a constant reminder of our love for him.

after submitting a name request the other week (they only take them so often as she gets between 100-200 requests per day when she posts her email), oliver's name is now a part of this beautiful tribute.

oliver david brumbaugh

born in to heaven march 20, 2009

pennsylvania

missed in our arms, but held in our hearts

loving you always,

aunt christy, uncle john and cousin anthony

edit 6/18/09: carly's photo of christian's name has been entered into a contest sponsored by canon cameras and their "creative for a cause" campaign. click the link here to vote for her photo. if she wins, her charity, "sids for kids" will receive $60,000 and carly herself will receive a canon camera package. imagine the photos she could take with a new camera!

a day at the park

while i realize it's monday and i should be posting my not me! monday post about the things i certainly did not do over the last week... my creativity is just plain shot right now. at least since this past saturday and for the next few days...so bare with me while i take a creative mental break.

i was the wedding planner for a co-worker/friend's wedding this past saturday and i am just spent! it was a beautiful day and i have pictures to post of the decorations/invites/bulletins/floral arrangements i selected/made and had done, but you'll just have to be a little patient as i want to do a nice post...a post that the bride would be proud of and i just can't do it right now.

to hold you over, i have just a few pictures of my adorable tony d at the park the other day (okay, a week ago...i said i've been busy!). john, tony and myself enjoyed a relaxing day at home...just the three of us. we all took a nap together and then walked to the park by our house. tony rode his bike the entire way while john and i strolled behind him holding hands. mushy right? but so needed by all three of us after the past few weeks. i can't wait to do it again!

my little fireman.

he would love to ride a real dolphin someday!

flyin' high on the swings!

he couldn't get off the metal slide fast enough...that thing was h.o.t.

more to come soon. i promise. i really do. there are pictures in my camera from this past weekend just screaming to come out and be shared!

not me! monday

wow, it's monday already? ugh...well, at least that means i can talk about all the things i most certainly did not do last week.

there is no way that i would go to a dr. appointment on friday and rather than returning to work ever so promptly following the appointment, instead head to marshall's for a mental health break and some retail therapy...nope, not me...not this hr manager!

and of course i would never then also go to a planned happy hour with my husband (thanks mimi for picking up tony) and some of our friends/co-workers only to have said happy "hour" turn into 5 1/2 hours, 2 beers and 2 margaritas later...oh and having to pick up my car the next morning...still wearing the clothes i passed out in...not this 31-almost 2 year old, haven't done that since my college days gal!

oh, and one for the family..,.

john and i most certainly did not find tony so snuggly-looking laying in our bed when he went down for his nap yesterday after church that we crawled in bed with him...for his nap...for two hours! not the two of us who soooo needed to get things done around the house.

ok, whose gonna join mckmama and her "not me! monday" fun?!

are you feelin' social?

i came across this really cute site during my blog hopping the other day...it's an invitation only site that provides access to the most hip and modern designer clothing and accessories for mom (and dad's too), baby and child at...are you ready for this??? up to 60% off!!! to keep it simple, they only host two to three designer socials each week.

anyone that knows me knows of my love for celebrities and their kids...well, imagine my excitement when i checked out the new mini social sale today to see items from the kingsley line of clothing on their site!

kingsley has received notoriety from the press and celebs over the past several years. the people magazine cover with the first photos of brad & angelina's baby, shiloh, wearing the now famous kinglsey "pots & pans band" tee gained world wide recognition, and became the first infant ever given a wax figure at madame tussauds wax museum wearing the same kingsley tee.

the past few sales have been primarily geared toward girl clothing and accessories (bobbi and luci you have to check out the bathing suits and dresses for the girlies)...but not today...when i got notice the kingsley sale had started...i knew today would be the day i would make my first mini social purchase! introducing...

the mod rock tee.

i think tony will look adorable playing his drum set and air guitar with his black-flamed vans and this sweet tee on, don't you?! i think this video would have been even better had he been wearing this rockin' shirt (and i had provided better lighting)!!

tony's rock 'n roll band from Christy D'Angelo on Vimeo.

as i said, it's an invite-only site, so if you want, let me know and i'll email you an invitation...you'll just need to mention my name and email (dcodydog @ comcast . net) to sign-up. i thank you in advance as it will then give me a referral credit (after you've made your first purchase) to use towards my next purchase. but don't fret...you too can earn referral credits after you join, by simply sending your nearest and dearest invites and encouraging them to shop away!!