Having a great time with Kenny & Cameron........

Kenny, Cameron and Kelly singing "Who are the people in your neighborhood??" We'll post the video later.

Cameron trying to pick a winner.

Uncle Kenny with the kids and Hutch.

Cameron showing Tommy a PG-13 picture of Aunt Sheri & Uncle Kenny when they were dating.

A hug from Phil.

I need to vent. This is a huge election year--so when it comes to the news coverage of McCain and Obama--is the media playing fair?????

I don't think so. In my opinion, the media is unashamedly doing EVERYTHING possible to unfairly persuade you and me to making this very important decision for us. Just read your local newspapers, turn on any one of the "big three" television networks or even cable news (except for maybe one) and you can decide for yourself. Not that I believe anyone reading this blog would fall prey to this media bias, but what about the other average persons who might believe that the previously mentioned news outlets are actually reporting 'fair and balanced' news?! I'll tell ya, I'm thankful for talk radio and the Internet to get "the other side" of these news reports--because believe me there is another side.

I guess today I had had it up to my eyeballs with the media's obsession with Obama and with headlines like these: Just one reporter waiting for McCain as his plane landed in Manchester, NH, last night. IMHO, McCain is NOT getting the fair coverage that each candidate deserves and that should outrage people on both sides of the isle.

When I vote I want to be a well informed voter.

ANYway, thank you for letting me vent ::)))

Happy 7th Birthday Kelly !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A great big happy birthday shout out to the baby of our family, Kelly Anne (with an e). We love you and hope your day is as fun as you are!

With all our love,

Mom, Dad, Lauren, Alison and Tommy

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxo

God Bless America!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What a great weekend we had with barbeque's and fireworks and with some real work thrown in :(

Happy Independence Day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Please take the time to read this story about our National Anthem, "The Star Spangled Banner."

In 1813 the commander of Ft. McHenry asked for a flag so big that "the British have no trouble seeing it from a distance." He asked Mary Young Pickersgill to make the flag for him. Her thirteen year old daughter helped her. She used 400 yards of fine wool. They cut 15 stars that were two feet across. There were 8 red and 7 white stripes. The stripes were each two feet wide. When it was finished it measured 30 by 42 feet and cost $405.90.

During this time Francis Scott Key was a lawyer in Georgetown, just a few miles from Washington D.C. He and his wife Mary had 6 sons and 5 daughters.

In 1814, the British captured Washington and set the Capitol on fire. President James Madison and his wife Dolley had to leave the White House and run to a safer place.

After this attack, the Americans knew that Baltimore would be attacked next. The British had captured Mr. Key's friend. His name was William Beanes and he was a doctor. Key and another man set out to try to save Dr. Beanes' life. They told the British the doctor had helped to save British soldiers who had been wounded. They agreed to free him, but they wouldn't let them leave because the three men had overheard the British making plans to attack. So they were placed under guard on a British ship.It was from this ship Francis Scott Key watched the bombing of Ft. McHenry. There was a lot of smoke and haze, but when daylight came, he could see the flag was still waving.

He was so inspired he began to write a poem on the back of a letter he had in his pocket. He later finished the poem and showed it to his brother-in-law who took it to a printer and had copies made of it. Two of these copies survive today. Newspapers started printing it and people began singing it to a familiar tune. The Star Spangled Banner was adopted as our national anthem on March 3, 1931.

The flag which flew over Ft. McHenry is now at the Smithsonian in the Museum of American History. The flag is very fragile and they keep a curtain in front of it to protect it from the light and dust. They show the flag for a few moments once every hour when the museum is open to the public.