Happy Birthday Ryan !!!

Six years ago at about this time in the early morning I brought my wonderful little Ryan into this world. I was alone, except for the company of a co-worker that came to be with me, and after about 5 hours of good labor I had my Ryan. Ryan has the most pure heart of any child much less person that I have ever met. He is the most genuine, loving, generous person I know. The world would be a perfect place if we all were like Ryan. Everyone who is around Ryan is a better person because of it. I am proud and lucky to be his mommy. He wants to go to Peter Piper Pizza tomorrow, and he asked for Spiderman (his favorite thing ever) stuff and he wants a Batman toy for his Spiderman toy so Spiderman "can have a brother." I love you Ry Ry - we are gonna have fun today. Happy Birthday little man !!!

And thank you Royce for being his Dad. This wasn't something I ever dared hope for when I met you, it just happened, and I am eternally grateful to you for giving him you. You have given him something priceless and immeasurable and have changed what his life would have been like. There is no way I can ever repay you (But I am trying - consider today a millionth of a percent of repayment). Thank you for giving him a Dad.

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This is hilarious, oh my god, you gotta see it - turn up the volume:

http://www.thefunnystuff.net/viewmovie.php?id=657

Kinda makes me want a drink. After I watched this I was thinking about old times - a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. Mike Reagan bought me my first drink. Neither one of us was old enough, but he was in the military, on leave from Desert Storm where I had been writing to him for months, and had some ID that passed for "real", and bought me a 4 pack of Berry flavored Bartles and James wine coolers, at Nikki's New Year's Eve party, lets see ---- 1990? Wow. We didn't want to disrespect Nikki or her mom, so we put them in the bushes right outside the front door. I had one before I went in. Immediate buzz for my virgin liver. Alot of our friends and class of 1989 were there if I remember right - Karl and Kevin were both there, and Karl took me aside to let me know how concerned he was about me cause I was drinking. This is a very sweet memory for me, for some reason. One of the last "me and Karl" memories. Everything changed after that year. I don't think Kevin or anyone else was aware of my consumption,( okay probably Nikki - who didn't care) - except Kristin who promptly took me upstairs to a bedroom, sat me down, went all Linda Blair on me about how she had "lost too many friends to alcohol" (give me a fucking break), gave me this tough-love lecture, then marched me back down stairs, made her way through the crowd, opened the front door and proceeded to pick up my remaining coolers, initiated some dramatic "intervention" and launched them out into the street , "for my own good", glass breaking everywhere. Talk about alcohol abuse. I was mildly irritated, but still pleasantly buzzed, and I let it go ( let's see someone try that today). It was amusing to remember this at our 10 year reunion when we went as a class out to eat after church and she ordered a whole bottle of Merlot with lunch - and drank it. That night, at the party, I remember hanging with Karl, having a great time with everyone, catching a glimpse of my beloved William as he dropped by in his truck for 5 minutes to say hi to Nikki but completely avoided me, and shortly after that leaving with Mike. Mike bought me more alcohol, not sure what it was this time, and we hitch-hiked to Scottsdale Road and University, walked to Mill Avenue, hitched another ride on the Tempe Bridge with some wasted guy, and finally got home. Mike and I were such good friends back then. He was so much fun. He also is the one who contributed the alcohol to my drunken episode at Campmeeting 6 months later. Whole bottle of Cold Duck Champayne downed in about 45 minutes in his car, then off to find William in some psychotic crying breakdown (I'm sure every guys nightmare - sorry Willie), then stumbled off to find Nikki and Fernando who helped me recover a little. Good times. Yeah, not so proud of that memory. And the common denominator here - Mike Reagan. Just kidding Mikey. But I miss you lots Mike. I loved you and Karl like brothers, and I seem to have lost you both. Which all of this makes me think about Gina. If you are reading this - miss you too girlie, you are still my sister. Water under the bridge. You guys are all so beautiful, thanks for the picture, glad I was a part of it all happening. I hate not being about to go back. Maybe someday.

Hope its ok with you guys but I wanna show that picture off. You guys look so happy.

Miss you both.

Enough thinking.

("Tried to make me go to Rehab ........ I said NO NO NO")

Happy Birthday Ry Ry. I'll think about you. Once again, you make everything feel better.