Merry Christmas

2 Down...........

ONLY 2 MORE TO GO!!!
Congratulations are in order for Jeffrey who completed his two year degree on Thursday! He will be taking the next semester off from school for some much needed rest, but will be back at it in September preparing to become a teacher. Congratulations, Jeff. Job well done!

Again..........

My current view from my front door.

DOUBLE YUCK!

Yuck!

After 11.7 inches of this in 12 hours:


I am ready for this:

Winter officially starts in 17 days. I think it is going to be a long one. I wish I was a bear. I could close my eyes today and wake up when it was all over.

Bittersweet

We started the morning off with a big ol' breakfast. 15 pancakes, 1lb bacon, 15 sausage links, 6 scrambled eggs, 1 omelet, and 5 cinnamon rolls later, and our tummies were full. We were originally scheduled to go out for Thanksgiving, but the weather did not look promising so we decided to just stay home. Right after breakfast, the 18lb. turkey went into the oven. I went to set the timer and it hit me--14 years ago our precious Lilly Marie was born silently on this very same day. Oh, how I wish the outcome would have been different. She was perfect and had the cutest little button nose I had ever seen. Time does not heal all wounds, it just makes it a bit more tolerable. I continued on making the food, stuffing, mushrooms, corn, green beans, broccoli, mashed potatoes, turkey soup, gravy and macaroni and cheese. For whatever reason, the food this year tasted the best it has for a very long time. Before we started to eat, we went around the table and each of us told what we were thankful for. It was heart warming to hear my children talk about being thankful to be part of a big family. It was also very heart warming to hear them talk of their sister angel above. Happy Thanksgiving everybody and Lilly, continue to fly high. I know you know how much you are loved and missed.

Stick a fork in me............

The last couple of days have been filled with disappointments, bad news and lots of trials. I honestly can not take one more thing. So stick a fork in me.........I'm done.

Happy Birthday Nehemiah!

One year ago today, a grandma and grandpa were born, an aunt was born, 4 uncles were born, greatgrandparents were born, all because of one little boy. Nehemiah came into the world very early on the morning on November 10th. I will never forget the phone call I received. I was sitting in the emergency room watching over my youngest daughter who had just been in a car accident. I was frantically giving updates to my husband via phone while he was in route to the hospital when I noticed I had a voice mail. That voice mail was announcing the arrival of my first grandson, Nehemiah. He weighed over 9 pounds and was perfect. At six weeks of age he rode his first airplane to America to visit us. I think he had enough Baby's First Christmas clothes to wear a different one every hour of the day:) Having him in our arms was the best Christmas present ever. Nehemiah, grandma loves you to the moon and back a zillion times. I hope one day we will be able to have the grandma/grandson relationship I have always dreamed of. I hope you have a wonderful first birthday. xoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Happy Halloween

Joe the Chuck E. Cheese Worker, Luigi and Mario

"The Wolf"

How David felt after carving the wolf!
Hope you all had a great day.

Happy Birthday..........

...............to my dad. Today my daddy turns 27!! Ok, maybe I might be a bit dyslexic, but the younger I make him, the younger it makes me. It does work that way, right? Anyhow, I hope you enjoy your day dad. We love you and miss you and can't wait to see you again. The next time we see you will be on a cruise ship next year, right? What's that you missed the memo that we were making it a yearly event? Oh well, it was worth a try. Have a fabulous day!

Introducing...........

My new granddaughter!!!! Little Lady Miss Packle. Yes, it is packle. She wandered into Target one morning and in less then an hour was on her way to my house waiting for her new mommy to pick her up and take her to her forever home. She is great. Grandma got to have her all day at her house today. Obviously she likes grandma's house.

National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day

Today is a day I wish I did not know anything about. I am thankful that much attention has been focused on pregnancy loss and a day has been set aside to remember our broken hearts. Next month will mark 14 years that we said good bye to Miss Lilly Marie Hunt. You don't understand the pain until you've walked in my shoes. Not a day goes by that I don't think of Lilly. A piece of my heart is forever gone. Tonight at 7:00pm local time, myself as well as lots of other people will be lighting candles in honor of our babies. She may be gone, but she will never be forgotten.

YEAH!

What's the best medicine when you are feeling down and all alone? Why a visit from your mommy!!!! I called my dad today and told him about some awesome airfares I found online and tada, mommy is coming next month. She will be such an awesome help right before the frenzy of the holidays start. I'm so excited! Thank you daddy for sharing mommy with us for nearly a whole week!!!

Not feeling bloggy

Well, it's been awhile since I have done a real post. I just haven't felt up to blogging lately. Between work, school and life in general, I haven't felt like sharing my world with the cyber community. School is going great and both Tony and Brian are still model students. Brian is taking a music apprecitation course which I am enjoying teaching. We are currently studying the Baroque period. Next we move on to Classical. Both boys have a 97% average! I am so proud of both of them. Steve continues to work at Best Buy and live at home. Jeff is in his third year of college and has decided to be a teacher. He is thinking he would like to work with 5th graders because he feels that is a transitional age for children and feels a calling to help them through. He continues to be an AMAZING big brother to Tony and Brian. He has a new girlfriend that he brought to the house so Tony and Brian could meet her and give their approval. They really liked her so that was good news for Jeff! She is also going for a teacher, and he met her at school. Jennifer moved out to her own apartment last month. I miss her not being here, but she is so good at coming back on a regular basis to spend time with her brothers. She only lives about 20 minutes away. She really fixed her apartment up nice. She is hard at work at the U working towards a masters in speech pathology. She is also working full time at the bank, so she is one busy lady! Today she surprised me and came home for lunch. It sounds like Angela is busy planning Nehemiah's first birthday party. From what I hear they really make a big deal out of it in S. Korea. Well, that's about all I feel like sharing right now. I hope everybody that reads this is doing well. Hope to be more creative next time.

Happy Birthday Jennifer Lynn Hunt!

23 years ago today, our second baby girl made her way into this world. Baby Jennifer was the third born and the most laid back baby I had ever seen. It was like she knew that her mama already had her hands full with a 3 year old and an 18 month old. She rarely cried and smiled all the time. Growing up she knew when to push the envelope and when to back off. She was a straight A student and had a passion for writing. She graduated college at the ripe old age of 20 and continues to have that passion for writing. Her family is her world and she makes no bones about that. She loves all things Polish, especially kielbasi, stuffed cabbage and sauerkraut. She is so strong on the outside, but has an amazing tender heart. Just one thing---DON'T MESS WITH HER BROTHERS! Jennifer, you are my rock, my shopping buddy, my partner in crime and my sanity keeper. You have the kindest heart and giving spirit. When I see you with "da boys", my heart melts. I know how hard you are working to better your life and I am so very proud of you! I hope this is an amazing year for you. I love you to infinity and beyond and am proud to be your mama. Happy Birthday Jennifer, JenJen, Jenny, Jennie with an ie, Jen, my daughter. You are an inspiration to all of us.

The Cruise Day 6

June 25, 2010
Cozumel. David and the boys had booked an excursion to go to the Mayan Ruins this day, so I was flying solo. It really wasn't solo as I had Jen and my mom and dad to pal around with. This was the day the cruise was for. The big 50th anniversary of my mom and dad. This was the day we all wore our matching shirts which mom and dad had made for us. After breakfast we found a spot on the ship to take the big group picture. Of course there were shenanigans going on, but we were able to get over our giggles and take some really great family photos. After the photos David and the boys headed off to their meeting spot and I met my mom and dad and Jen and headed out to explore Cozumel. All I can say is Holy Jewelry Stores Batman! Silver, gold, diamonds, rubies, tanzanite......you name it they were ready to sell it to you! Of course there were "special" deals for cruisers. Sorry Cozumel, I grew up in the jewelry industry and it takes more then that to get me to buy! I did find a shop that had the cutest hippo statues EVER! I so regret not getting the artists name. Oh, well next time. I finally got up the courage to ask for a price. When all was said and done the salesman and I were off about $800.00 in what I was willing to pay, so needless to say the hippos stayed in Cozumel. Again, next time. It was HOT, HOT, HOT in Cozumel, so going into the stores was more to cool down then anything. There were stores shoved in every nook and cranny. I missed David and the boys dearly, but I knew they were having a blast exploring the Mayan Ruins. It was a spendy excursion, but they all had a great time and experince of a lifetime. Jen wanted to stop by Senor Frogs, but didn't find anything she couldn't live without. I was able to find an authentic Mayan tomahawk for Tony's weapon collection. I "bartered" for a better price and in the end felt like I did good. We did a lot of walking that day and returned to the ship dripping wet from the heat. The boys finally made it back to the ship and it was time to celebrate the BIG 50! I thought long and hard for what I could give mom and dad that they didn't already have, and through the miracle of the internet, I was able to get them featured on the cover on Time magazine. The entire family contributed their thoughts about mom/dad/grandma/grandpa and the gift was well received. I even gave a little speech at dinner about the hard work it takes to make a marriage work. I am soooo proud of my mom and dad and even more proud to be their daughter. After dinner we hit the promanade and took advantage of the many deals that were being offered to us. Next up Day 7 and getting ready to pack it all up!

Haven't forgotten

I know, I know, I still have to finish the cruise posts. I promise to have Day 6 posted by this weekend. We have been very busy with something called life these past two weeks. Oh how I wish we were back on that boat..............................

We Interrupt the Cruise Posts.........

Day 6 of the cruise will just have to wait because today is Daddy Hunt's birthday!! Daddy Hunt is an amazing guy. He is not nearly as crazy as Mommy Hunt, but that's okay. In times of crisis he is the one we all turn to for our support. He is our rock. When Mommy Hunt is freaking out because the car was in an accident, it is Daddy Hunt who reminds her, "at least nobody was hurt". When Mommy Hunt is freaking out because the house is a wreck, it is Daddy Hunt who always asks, "where do you need my help". When Mommy Hunt thinks the weight of the world is on her shoulders and feels like giving up, it is Daddy Hunt who takes her gently in his arms and says, "I am here for you". And when Daddy Hunt thinks somebody is not being nice to his children, it is Mommy Hunt that just stands aside and lets him take over. Daddy Hunt, thank you for always being there for us. Even through all the eye rolls, the hmpffs, the stares and the stink eyes your love for us is unwaivering. I hope this year is a magical one for you. I love you to infinity and beyond and couldn't imagine like without you. Living with a Polish Jersey Girl isn't easy. Thank you for putting up with me. Happy Birthday!!!!!!!!

The Cruise Day5

June 24, 2010
Grand Cayman. Probably the most upscale island we visited. I really liked Grand Cayman, but Haiti still won my heart. This was our only port of call that we docked in the ocean and had to be tendered to shore. There were three other cruise ships also visiting that day. We were tendered by local boats that held about 200 people. One of the other cruise lines tendered their passengers using their lifeboats. I found this quite funny. We arrived on the island and once again had no excursions booked. We immediately came upon a little historical area that told us about the history of the island. After reading and taking a few pictures, we headed to town to look at some of the shops. I loved the island feel of the town. There were shops and eating places everywhere you looked. It was really hot out so it was nice to go into the shops to cool down a bit. I did not find the help particularly friendly. Tony managed to find a wooden knife to ad to his weapons collection. I fell in love with a gorgeous ceramic lizard which came home with us. We drooled over the Lladro creations in the stores. We went out and explored the town more and found chickens just wandering the streets. We also explored their post office and discovered huge handcrafted iguana figures all over town. We ended up finding a museum where we learned a lot about their culture and history. That was fun. When we were done exploring, we headed back to the ship to eat and swim! Next up: Cozumel.

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The Cruise Day 4

June 23, 2010

Ochos Rios, Jamaica. Welcome to Jamaica, Mon. I do not have much nice to say about Jamaica. It was stinky and smelly and I could not wait to get back to the boat! We did not book any excursions for Jamaica. We decided we would just walk around and explore on our own. We no sooner got off the pier and were asked at least a million times if we needed a taxi. We were also asked if we needed any weed. Say WHAT? NO, NO, NO, and NO again was the word of the day. My brother in law joked that he was going to make a shirt and sell it that said, "No thank you , Mon". I think he could have sold a million that day. I kid you not, everywhere we turned we were asked if we needed a taxi. Not far off the pier were shops where we could go and look at pretty much everything imagineable. Some of the scenery was really pretty, but I wouldn't want to get lost in that town. We did manage to find a local who had a donkey and a bunch of other animals who allowed Tony and my Mom to join his show. (Of course for a "donation"!) Seriously, I don't know what this guy was high on, but he was an interesting fellow. We saw some lovely turtles and explored the markets. Tony managed to find a boomerang to add to his weapons collection and I managed to buy a beautiful wood carved and painted bowl from a very nice local woman. My dad also bought me a cute pair of dolphin salt and pepper shakers to add to my collection. Thanks, Dad!!! Oh and I almost forgot Tony got a hat complete with crocheted dreadlocks. We returned to the boat for yet another scrumptious buffet. I went to the top deck to take more pictures of Jamaica while others either went swimming or to the gameroom. Jamaica wasn't all bad, just not a place I would want to go for an extended vacation. Next up Day 5 and Grand Cayman.

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The Cruise Day 3

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The Cruise Day 3

June 22, 2010

Haiti. Best known for its earthquake awhile back. This was not the Haiti we saw. We went to a private island that Royal Caribbean leases on Labadee, Haiti. Labadee was not affected by the earthquake. Haiti was my favorite port of call. We arrived in Haiti around 7:00am. Stephen had booked an excursion to go parasailing which he absolutely LOVED. Sorry, no pics of him parasailing as we were on a different excursion. The rest of us went on a historic walking tour of the island and we loved it. We learned so much about Haiti and its culture. I was taken aback by the pride the Haitians have for their country. Our tour guides name was Lami and he was amazing. After our tour was over with, it was time to hit the beach. We got our lounge chairs and floating mats. It was pure heaven!!! We spent several hours at the beach. We did not need to return to the ship for lunch because an island lunch buffet was waiting for us on the island!! Yummy! After lunch, we split up. David and I hit the local shops and Jeff, Steve, Tony and Brian went off to do some exploring of their own. We eventually met up with Kelly and Jen. The prices in Haiti were unbeliveably cheap. I wanted to buy a souvenir that was made on the island and I selected this little turtle. Tony decided he was going to bring back a weapon from each country, so he decided on a wood machette. We had to be back on the ship by 3:00. When we got back to the ship we went swimming and relaxed on the ship. Next up, Ochos Rios, Jamaica mon!

The Cruise Day 2

Monday, June 21, 2010

We woke up bright and early, by we I mean David and myself, showered and went outside. It was the most amazing site to be seen. The majority of the ship was still asleep so David asked if I wanted to just relax and watch the ocean or go to deck 5 and go all the way to the very forward of the ship which happened to be where the heliport was. I wanted to go to the most forward part of the ship and take it all in. Cuba was off in the distance and the sun had just risen. It was VERY windy on deck 5 but I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED it. I couldn't believe my eyes.

Contemplating life

The ocean was amazing and seeing the ship just cut through the waves was unbelievable. Seriously, I could have spent the entire cruise just watching the ocean. David and I spent many mornings in that same spot and just enjoyed our time being us and one with nature. We had lots of discussions about our life, the past, the present and the future. We made a vow to start planning cruise number 2 as soon as we returned, and have pretty much made that decision. I couldn't believe that my husband was enjoying the trip as much as me! After about an hour, we decided to go back to see if any of the kids were up and were hungry. We once again headed up to the 11th floor for our buffet breakfast. HOLY MOLY, a girl could sure get used to these buffets. I think the best part of the buffets was being able to eat overlooking the ocean every meal. Once again the food did not disappoint. I absolutely fell in love with the hashbrowns they served. Seriously, while everybody else was talking about lobster, steak, shrimp, etc., I was praising the hashbrowns! Day 2 was entirely spent at sea, so all we did was lounge around at the pool. No phones, no emails, no nothing, just me and my family spending time together. It doesn't get any better than this!

Big Bro Little Bro having a blast

Me sis and brother-in-law

The stars of the show my Mom and Dad

I had heard all about the cool towel animals that the staff constructed each night and couldn't wait to see what animal was waiting for us. Each night after dinner I eagerly opened our room door to see what was waiting for us. Here is what we found on this night.

My friend "Ellie"

Wow what a wonderful day. Next up Day 3 and Labadee, Haiti.

The Cruise Day One

Sunday, June 20, 2o1o

While most of the world treated this like any other day, we were about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime. I was so organized with everything UNTIL the last day. Thank goodness for an extra suitcase! The van picked us up at 10 and we were OFF!

It was nearly a two hour ride to Miami, but nobody cared. We were ready to get on that boat! As we approached the Port of Miami, my dad pointed and said, "There's our boat." I about lost it. All these years of dreaming of cruising and that dream was about to become a reality. I was soooooooooooooo excited.

The van dropped us off, we got our luggage and bam!, we were on the boat. The first thing we had to do was get our sea passes which was how we paid for everything onboard. After we showed our passports and got our sea passes, we headed to the 11th floor for lunch. Holy Moly! There was food EVERYWHERE! After lunch we checked out our rooms, threw on our bathing suits and headed to the pools!


It was finally time to disembark so we headed up to the 12th floor to begin our adventure. I felt like any moment I was going to awaken and it was all a dream. It was no dream. Haiti here we come. We spent the rest of the day checking out our ship and trying to get our bearings. There were 14 floors on the ship, so needless to say, we had a lot of exploring to do. We ended the night with a fabulous buffet and just sat on the deck watching the sunset and listening to the sounds of the ocean. But at near midnight, the promenade came alive with a spectacular parade.

I was so glad I stayed awake for the parade. I knew right then and there it was going to be the time of our lives.

It's True.....................

NO MORE PENCILS,


NO MORE BOOKS,


NO MORE TEACHER'S DIRTY LOOKS!

Schools out for summer. It was a GREAT year. Thank you Tony and Brian for being amazing students! See you August 30 for another terrific year. Brian will be a (gulp) senior (sniff, sniff) and Tony will be a fifth grader. I am proud to say Tony ended up the year with a 98% average and Brain ended up a 96% average!!!! You guys rocked the house! I am one proud mama!

Happy Birthday Brian Daniel Hunt

17 years ago today, another star was born when Brian Daniel entered the world. He and I busted out of the hospital only 23 hours after having a c-section! Baby Brian loved to eat, and at 2 mos of age, he weighed almost 16 pounds!! He was the most content, smiley baby in the world. Although he is way more then 16 pounds now, his love of life, family and video games continues on. Brian is an awesome writer and hopes to become a famous author one day. Brian, thank you for being an amazing son. The love you have for your family is something we do not take for granted. I absolutely love being your teacher and seeing you learn. I can't believe you are going to be a senior next year and graduating. (insert tears) You have taught me so much in your short 17 years on earth. Because of you, I have learned we can conquer any obstacle placed in our way. Thank you for allowing me to be such a big part of your life. Thank you for being patient with me as I try to learn the foreign world of computers. Thank you for reminding me to relax and take time to smell the flowers each day. Thank you for just being you. I love you more then an infinite amount of hippos and 10 million gallons of ice cream. Happy birthday, Brister! Now, let's get the party started!

Feeling defeated

We woke up this morning at 6:30 to the sound of our doorbell ringing. I looked out front and saw a police car. (NEVER a good sign). Jeff's car window had been smashed sometime last night and they helped themselves to his property in the trunk. They took his gym bag full of half used water bottles and stinky clothes. Apparently the stench of the gym clothes got to them, as they dumped them along the road and the policeman recovered the clothes and his backpack. Fortunately he had his name in his backpack and the cop was able to find out where he lived and returned what he could find along the road. They kept the gym bag to carry all the other loot they had stolen from other cars. We have worked so hard to give our kids a good upbringing. Not to be snooty, but we live in a good neighborhood with lots of expensive houses. We live on a preserve where we have taught our kids to value nature and our environment. We leave our lights on all night. The kids lock their car doors. If they leave stuff in their car they lock it in the trunk. In the end it doesn't matter. The thieves are everywhere. It broke my heart to see the hurt in my son's eyes. Yes, the car will be fixed but the fear will live forever. This is the world we live in.

27 years ago...............

There was a girl:

That walked down the aisle:

To meet a boy:

And start a journey to happily ever after:

And what a journey it has been!
Happy Anniversary to Mr. Hunt from Mrs. Hunt xoxoxoxoxo

Feeling.................

..........like crap.


Here's to hoping for this all to soon be behind me.

Mother's Day Reflections

I feel for woman who don't get to celebrate today, I really do. It seems like only yesterday that they placed a nearly 11 pound baby boy in my arms and my world changed forever. I always wanted to be a mother and have lots of babies. As everybody knows, that dream is my reality. And what a reality it has been and continues to be. I do not know where I would be without my children. They are my life, my universe, my everything. This year I have a new first, my first Mother's Day as a grandma. Now if that doesn't make one feel old! I also couldn't be the mother I am if I did not have a great role model. Thanks, Mom, for teaching me how to be a strong woman. Thank you Stephen, Angela, Jennifer, Jeffrey, Brian and Antonio. Don't ever forget what precious treasures each of you are or let anybody tell you differently. Remember to take time each day to smell the roses. Life with you six continues to be an amazing adventure--the best adventure of my life.

One more week....................

................. of no work. Foot is still too swollen to be walking on it for 8 hours a day. We will reevaluate in another week.

Patience, please

Well, after two weeks of hoping my fractured foot would get better without taking time off from work, the doctor has written me a prescription for NO WORK. If I had a sit down job that didn't require me to walk much, I could still work. But, since I sit for maybe a total of 1 hour per day, my life at work has come to this:

A SCREACHING HALT!!

I knew when I went in for my appointment on Thursday the news was probably not going to be good, and my hunch proved true. I go back to the doctor in a week, so we shall see.

Ouch!

My family thinks that if I would be doing this:



Instead of this:

I would start to heal. I must admit, they are probably right. I'm trying dear family. I am not used to having people wait on me. I am sorry Jillzilla has hatched. Doc says one more week and I should start to be in less pain. I know, this is going to be one looooooooong week. Thanks for all your efforts.

Happy Birthday Stephen Leighton!!

Yes, somehow it has happened, my baby boy is 26 today!! Wow, do I feel old! I can remember his birth like it was yesterday. 25 hours of grueling labor, an emergency c-section to save both our lives, and finally my 10lb 14oz son came into this world. I was and still am the proudest mama in the world. Stephen has a heart of pure gold. There is nothing he would not do for his family. He is a master gamer and although he test my patience with his lack of patience at times, it is all good. Stephen, thank you for everything you do for us. You are a wonderful big brother and keeper of the downstairs. You are thoughtful, insightful, generous, and kind. You have knowledge well above me and there are days I am floored with what you know. We are so lucky to have you in our lives. Now, about that lack of patience with your video games............. Happy Birthday, Tben. I love you with all my heart and soul. I hope you have an awesome day!

I just did it.

On Easter Sunday, we loaded up the van and headed to the Minnesota Zoo. It was a beautiful day and I love any and all opportunities for family time. We spent five hours at the zoo. We saw all kinds of animals including lots of babies. We decided to break for lunch around 1:00. My mother-in-law joined us for lunch, looked at me and said, "how did you do it?" "Do what?" I asked. "Raise all these amazing children." I gave my usual answer of "with a lot of love and a great sense of humor". But over the past few days, as my family is growing up and out, I have been asking myself that very same question. My answer is, "I just did it". I can remember going to the grocery store with 2 in a stroller, one seated in the shopping cart and another in the infant seat placed sideways in the grocery cart. 4 children age 5 and under and I did not give it a second thought going out on my own. I laugh when I hear moms of one or two children whining about how hard it is to handle their children. Then we added two more children and still that did not slow me down. I wouldn't trade my large family for anything. Yes, I made tons of sacrifices and gave up lots of me time, but I would do it all again in a heartbeat. I honestly don't know how I did it. I had two options, sink or swim. As we left the zoo, I realized it has been awhile since I have taken a picture of my family minus Angela. So, for your enjoyment, I give you my amazing children:

And their pretty cool parents:

I thank God for all of you each and every day. Like Grandma Shirley said, you all are truly amazing!

God help her..............

I opened my sliding door this morning and was mortified!! I thought, oh my gosh, an animal got up on my deck and killed or seriously injured something. This is what I saw:



About a foot away I saw this:



About five feet away, I saw THIS:


"Please don't beat me mommy!"



Apparently Miss Martha was trying her paws at dying Easter eggs, but didn't get the memo that you dye the eggs NOT the deck and yourself. Why God, why? Why me? Miss Mildred was an angel. Miss Martha is pure devil. Upon further investigation, this is what I found:



It appears as if a marker was found, and half eaten. Oh Martha, when will you stop?

Happy Birthday Jill!!!

Today marks the first day of Spring and the birth of an incredible woman, my wife Jill. She is a fantastic mom and wonderful woman. The passion she brings to everything she does makes her a true force of nature. My children are truly blessed to have her as their mother and I am lucky man to share my life with her.

Happy Birthday Grandma Elaine

Today is my mom's birthday. She is an amazing woman. I have never seen a grandmother spoil grandchildren as much as this one does. My kids are so lucky to have her in their lives as am I. I did not inherit my mom's love of cleaning and cooking, but I did inherit her love of flowers, animals and desire to please other people. Mom, thank you for EVERYTHING you have done for me and your grandchildren. I love you very much!

Happy Birthday Angela

Today is Angela's 24th birthday. She is celebrating her first birthday as a mom. Angela, I hope you have a great day. I wish we lived closer so we could celebrate together. I pray that this will be an awesome year for you.

Questions and Answers

I have been receiving quite a few emails of late asking a lot of questions. I have decided to post the questions here with my answers.

1. When is Jen getting married? Jen is getting married on August 13, 2011.

2. When are you going on your cruise? We are leaving Miami on June 20, 2010. The cruise is a major celebration for my parents 50th wedding anniversary which will be on June 25, 2010.

3. Who is going on the cruise? Let's see, mom, dad, Janet, Matt, Jill, David, Stephen, Jen, Kelly, Jeffrey, Brian and Antonio. Angela, HeeSuk and Nehemiah will not be joining us:(

4. Where are you going on your cruise? We will leave Miami, head to Labadee, Haiti, then Ochos Rios, Jamaica, then St. George, Grand Cayman, then Cozumel, Mexico, and finally back to Miami.

5. Are you excited for the cruise? DUH, I can't believe you even asked that!!!

6. When is Angela moving back to the states? I honestly do not know.

7. Are you getting used to Minnesota yet? You would think after living here for 9 years there is one nice thing I could say about this place, but sorry, it still sucks. BUT, we did find a place that sells NJ style kielbasi AND has an awesome Polish buffet every Sunday, so things might start looking up. I also found there is a Polish festival, too!!!

8. Are the boys still being schooled at home? You bet your bottom dollar they are and WE LOVE IT!!! I really wish I would have started it years ago.

9. Do you miss NJ? Yes, I do. The last time I was there was for my grandmother's funeral 4 years ago. I do not miss the congestion. I miss my family terribly. I miss the Jersey Shore and the people of NJ. I miss going into NY during the holidays. I miss the food in NJ.

Happy Birthday Jeffrey Peter Hunt

Good bye teens, hello twenties!!! Yep, that's right, son number 2 turned twenty today. Jeff is an amazing man. Wise and mature beyond his years, I always hear, "I wish I had a son like Jeff". Jeff, I don't know where to begin. You are an amazing musician. You are a talented artist. You are the bestest brother in the world. You need to bring your laundry up daily. You continue to be the comedian of this family. You have a way of turning storms into rainbows. You are a good listener. You need to bring your laundry up daily. I love the respect you have for me. I love watching you with your siblings. I loved going car shopping with you and seeing you drive up in your own wheels. I simply love you. I know great things are in store for you. I know there are days when you feel like you try so hard and nobody notices, but Jeff, I notice. I couldn't be more proud of you. You need to bring your laundry up daily. Hope you have a fantastic day. Happy Birthday and here's to many, many, many, more!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Capitol Update

So yesterday was supposed to be our big day at the Captiol. We were on the road by 7:30 AM because we didn't know how traffic would be and we had to be there at 8:30 AM. Just our luck, there was no traffic and we got there about 20 minutes early. It was freezing cold outside. We were to meet at another building and then were going to head to the Capitol. Well, we get to that building and the doors are locked. UM, Houston, we have a problem. Sign says building does not open until 10:00. So the brave souls we are, we head out in the cold and walk to another building entrance F-R-E-E-Z-I-N-G only to find those doors locked, too. We finally ask somebody if they work in the building and they say yes and tell us the guard should unlock the doors around 8:30. Ok, just a little bit longer. We get inside and proceed to where we were supposed to meet. We go the the reservation desk and are told we are not registered. Um, hello, what is that you just said?? We just drove almost 40 miles for nothing. We woke our boys up at 6:30 for nothing? I got out of bed at 6:00 AM on my day off for NOTHING???????? Long story short, there was some sort of miscommunication between two different agencies. We were presented our options and decided to take the sure thing: reschedule for March 9. Done. We didn't put up much a stink because we didn't want to upset the boys. Mistakes happen and we still get to tell our story, just a couple of weeks later, so basically all is good.

Love

We're going places.......

The Hunt Family is going to the Capitol building in Minnesota to tell their story!!!! We will be meeting personally with our state legislators and senators on Feb 17 to tell our story. We are nervous, we are excited, and we are thrilled our voices will be heard!! We will be telling our personal stories and why it is so important to make special education funding a top priority in Minnesota. Both Antonio and Brian will be telling their stories from a students perspective and Mama and Papa Hunt will be telling their stories from a parents perspective. What an amazing opportunity this is for our family.

Dear Winter

Dear Winter,
Please go away. I know I live in the frozen tundra, but this is not by my choice. I hate you winter. I need sun and warmth and green to survive. Go pester the people even further north who love you. Go pester the people who like to do outside sports. Go pester your friends who like to drill holes on your frozen lakes and sit there for hours on end. Winter, just please go away. Thank you.

Happy Birthday Antonio James!!

Today the youngest Hunt turns 11 years old. It has been an amazing 11 years!! Antonio is just a joy to be around. I have never seen an 11 year old enjoy music as much as he does. He loves to rock out with his IPOD or playing rockband with his brothers. (Oh, sorry Tony, you have a ZUNE!) He absolutely loves all things science, especially the discovery channel. He is also a master lego builder, doesn't care, easy/hard, he builds them all. Tony, I can not tell you how much joy you have brought into my life and this families life. There is not a day that goes by that I do not thank God for the wonderful gift of you. I can not wait to come home each day and see your smiling face. I love, love, love, the kind and caring heart you have. Happy Birthday, T-bone!! May all your dreams come true! I love you to the moon and back, around the sun, through the entire solar system, and back to Minnesota.

Our trip to Russia

Okay, so we really didn't board a plane and fly to Russia, but we did board our van and head off to the Minnesota Zoo for a field trip and fell in love with the Brown bears from Russia.


These guys were having a blast wrestling in the snow!


Yes, I love this weather!


Ah, Tony, you might want to start running!!


The gorgeous Siberian Tiger!


Learning more about tigers. Yes, it won't be long before David is the shortest of the Hunt boys!!
We had a great time at the zoo. The animals are so much more visible when the zoo isn't crowded. We, too, like the zoo better when it isn't crowded.

Post Holiday Blues

The hoidays are over. The family is gone. The decorations are down. The weather is bitterly cold. I know it will get better, but for now, I am going to go back to bed and hide under my blanket because I definitely have the post holiday blues.

Goodbye 2009.....