To be fair, I thought I should post these more flattering pictures of our little benevolent dictator.

Well we said it a couple of weeks ago, but we have been able to confirm it a few times over the last few days...the reign of Chaney has finally ended - Keaton has assumed the throne!

PJW'S New Gig.

After over 15 years on the candidate side of politics, PJW started a new job this week. Congrats honey! (here's the AP story)

Rep. Akin Dividing Up His Troops

July 6, 2011 7:37 AM

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) __ A staff member for Missouri Republican Congressman Todd Akin is leaving to become the state director for the conservative group Americans for Prosperity.

Patrick Werner has been Akin’s district director in the St. Louis area since shortly after Akin took office in 2001. He is leaving as Akin ramps up for a 2012 campaign for the U.S. Senate
seat now held by Democrat Claire McCaskill.

Americans for Prosperity is a limited-government group founded by billionaire oil brothers David and Charles Koch . It spent heavily in last year’s elections and helped organize some tea party events in Missouri.

Before joining Akin’s office, Werner worked for former Sen. Kit Bond and on Bob Dole’s 1996 presidential campaign.

Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press.

 

Not sure at what point in my adult life that cleaning house and doing yard work became an enjoyable days "to do" list...but the girls are gone and I've been looking forward to doing just that for the last couple of days! Hope everyone has an equally fun 4th planned!

Happy Birthday Grandpa Luna!

Chaney has a favorite song. Okay, maybe two on a day you can get her to branch out a bit. But in the car she demands to listen to them - loudly. Today on our third round of "Where the Boat Leaves From" by Zac Brown Band I started to negotiate. "One more time and then lets listen to a new song", or "Sissy and Mommy want to hear what's next", etc...all of a sudden I remembered being on the opposite side of this very same negotiation with my Dad except I was begging for one more Debbie Gibson tape side "A" or pleading for him to turn up Tiffany.

Happy Birthday Grandpa Larry.

My thought for the day: If every kid goes through the "terrible twos" - and every kid eventually out grows this "no", "mine", "me" stage - is it really necessary for me to say 100 times a day, "share with sissy", "play nice", "no whining", or "no, for the 10th time, you cant have ice cream for breakfast"...would she not out grow it on her own?!! Can I just phone it in for the next several months; I mean really, I'm not sure anything I'm saying is sinking in...

Here are pictures of two sweet little girls you would never guess just had their own version of a UFC cage match fight in their Dora the Explorer tent...

Keaton Finley is One!

The lady of the hour poses for a pre-party picture...(look Great Granny-B and yia-yia, she has on shoes!)


She basically licked the frosting until we gave her a spoon...yes, she ate her birthday cake with a spoon...what 1 year-old does that!


Chaney and cousin Tanner...(they are just a few month apart and check out the difference in hair!)


Our little monkey with her little (or actually fairly large) monkey...


Her cute cake and banana cookies...