hats, hats, and more hats...

Aren't they adorable?

Mason Allen

Introducing Mason Allen. He's so sweet!
He is my brother's little one. He was born one day after Alex. From G'ma nd G'pa to Aunt and Uncle in under 24 hours!

Bugles

Bugles.

Those little one-inch cornucopias of snacking corn goodness!!

My sister and brothers and I always knew it was time for card club at our house when Bugles appeared in the cupboard! It also meant we could stay up past bedtime in Mom and Dad's bedroom watching tv, eating snacks, and pretending we were "big kids". Bugles were cause to let the inagination run wild!!


Bugles taste great alone, or with vegeable dip (my favorite) or french onion dip (Leisa's favorite). They taste good with the pale, pinkish, pimento cheese spread that comes in the rectangular, little jars. They taste good without dips at all! The C-R-U-N-C-H when you bit into them is so satisfying.


Nip off the end and they are a horn to call the troop together, or play in the marching band. Pretend to fill them and they become the ice cream cone stacked high with your favorite flavor. Turn them upside down and they are the dunce cap from "Little House on the Prairie" school.

Once those imgination options were exhausted or we fell into fighting among ourselves, Mom would pop her head into the room and tell us to "settle down" it was bedtime. Rather difficult to do with all of the snacks and pop in our system! To actually get us quiet and asleep required at least two trips from Mom and the last trip from Dad. If Dad came in the the room, we knew if he returned a second time, the next trip would be cause for a spanking. Not that I ever remember getting spanked for that but the threat was real enough to us.


Mysteriously, we always awoke in our own beds the next morning, not remembering how we got there. Usually the latest dream would proffer the wildest guesses - the Transformer robot (Todd's usual guess), faeries (Leisa's guess), or a giant hand that gently plucked us from Mom and Dad's bed to our own (my usual dream).


I loved Bugles then. I still do. I just don't buy them because I would eat the entire box in one sitting. I just have no restraint with some foods so I just don't keep them in the house. But the memories those foods bring back never fade.

Our nephew Bo

Here is an article in the local paper about my brother's son, Bo! He's a supererb athelete. He was awarded a scholarship to college but decided to go locally.

http://www.thenews-messenger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080617/SPORTS03/806170328&referrer=FRONTPAGECAROUSEL

June 17, 2008
SLL tops SBC 12-7 G'burg's Faunce, Hobbs aid Suburban Lake's win News-Messenger reports

GENOA -- Gibsonburg's Bo Faunce caught a 38-yard tipped touchdown pass from Elmwood's Nathaniel Fitch late in the fourth quarter as the Suburban Lakes League defeated the Sandusky Bay Conference 12-7 in a senior all-star football game Monday.
The SLL has won two of eight meetings in the series.

The Golden Bears' Ben Hobbs recovered a fumble in the end zone for the SLL in the third quarter.

Clyde's Justin Cook caught a 30-yard scoring pass from St. Mary Central Catholic's Ryan Heath late in the second quarter. Heath, who was named SBC offensive MVP, completed 7-of-13 passes.

Oak Harbor's Spencer Skinner (a co-worker's son), who was defensive MVP for the SBC, forced a fumble to set up Cook's touchdown.

Fitch was offensive MVP for the SLL while the Comets' Josh Teet was defensive MVP.
Cook caught four passes for 66 yards while Clyde's Ethan Ott added three for 28.

picky eaters

Mom used to make oyster stew during Thanksgiving and Christmas. I was Dad's favorite. I loved it too! Oh, how I miss eating that! It was creamy and rich and had just the right amount of oyster flavor. None of the rest of the family liked it. That just meant more for me and Dad!

My brother Troy was a picky eater. I think he got that trait - I don't think it was a habit - from Great-G'pa Henretty. Great Grandpa Henretty was Grandma Heilman's dad. He liked every item of supper on a separate plate. Mom wouldn't let Troy get that bad but he did like eat food in it's own pile. Brannon got that picky eater gene too.

Now as an adult he doesn't have it as bad but when he was little Brannon would quietly dig out the offending food and after the meal there would be a little pile of onions or other things he didn't like to eat. I used to puree the onions so he couldn't tell or at least couldn't find them. He's say I taste onions. I'd tell him that if he could find them he could pick them out. He never did find them when they were pureed.

Aunt WeeZee

I was the first girl on the Faunce side of the family in 35 years. Aunt Weezee (Louise) was my Dad's aunt. I couldn't say Louise so I called her Aunt Weezee. She was my favorite aunt! I hve pictures of me when I was abouit two sitting at her piano. Later Mom and Dad bought that piano for me and I took lessons for 10 years. Leisa, my sister took lessons for about 6 to 8 years. I still have her piano. I don't play it much any more but I love it just the same. Every time I do sit down at the piano I think of Aunt Weezee.

Katrina's graduation day

Katrina graduating from Terra today! 2006

YEAH!

Christmas musings

Faunce family photo at Grandma and Grandpa Faunces' home.
12/25/06
Brannon moved his bedroom today. The room sure looks empty. He’s the last one at home. Where did all the time go?
First there was Joleen, so loving and full of energy. She would run one spot to look at the flower and then dart off again when a butterfly caught her eye. When we lost her I knew she would come back into our lives to bless us again. The years were long but she’s grown into such a beautiful, intelligent, loving, strong, capable person.
Then there was Katrina. She was the blessing we waited on for so long. She taught me so much about how to be a good mom. She is so loving, always giving a hug and her beautiful smile to everyone. Her strength of will, her courage, and her beauty inside and out have made her an intelligent, accomplished person.
Brannon was next. He was always so curious. Nothing was safe from being taken apart to see how it ran. Usually I couldn’t put it back together but that was ok. Brannon tries to be the tough guy but he has such a loving heart that the tough guy doesn’t always win out. That is a good thing. It makes him tough but vulnerable. He’ll always be my baby, time can’t change that, but he’s grown into an intelligent, handsome, capable, loving, strong person.
Ken moved into our lives and our hearts. He had so much love to give and no one to give it to. We changed all that for him. He changes all that for us. He gave us love, stability, discipline, memories; he put the joy back into our lives.
Along with Ken came his children. Not all of their lives turned out like his parent’s wish for them. There will always be an empty place in our hearts for Kenny and Kimberly who went astray.

Ange;a broke away from her roots long enough to go find herself and then return with a husband, back to her roots. Angela is so smart and beautifuk! And she's found a comprable husband who is just as smart and handsome. I'm glad she's finally happy!
Naomi has such a big heart. She taught us all to be more tolerant, to speak clearly from the heart so we could be understood, to work through life’s difficult times to see the beauty on the other side. Naomi works so hard to please everyone. She takes such joy in life. Her beauty shines in her eyes and on her radiant face when she smiles. She has grown leaps and bounds beyond our expectations.
Megan came into our lives so full of hatred for the world. She hurt so badly inside. When she chose to let her light shine she was witty, charming and talented, - although some of those skills were better off left alone. Megan could only shake her ghosts for a little while and went to live briefly with her grandma in Washington. But while she was with us there was never a dull day!
As the times have changed, children grown, they now have families of their own. We are blessed with new young adults now – Juan, Chip, and Samantha. I can’t wait to get to know them all better! I know they will enrich our lives since our children chose them to love, cherish, honor, and last a lifetime with.
So many things have changed in our lives. It’s been 33 years for Ken and 27 years for me that children have been the main focus of our lives. It is going to take a little time to figure out what needs to go in to fill that void. Christmas’s aren’t going to be the same but I know Ken and I will find some other way to fill the void of grown children.
We are looking forward to this next phase with hope for the future and love in our hearts – and a few elastic apron strings. The memories are there and I’m looking forward to making many, many more.
I love you all!
Mom