A DREAM COME TRUE

This was the most wonderful weekend! An absolutely the best dream come true! As we all lined up outside the museum waiting our turn inside with HIM; our private audiences, I grew more and more nervous. I didn't know what on earth to expect. The O.A.A. (Original Appalachian Artworks) representative, Linda Loggins kept trying to calm me down but I started to get misty eyed. I did calm down and it was finally my and my friend, Marsha's turn to go in and I almost got tongue tied. I gave him the birthday card that I made him. Marsha and I put a photo of our best kids, Adam Luther and Ridley, inside too. He seemed to be touched by it and liked the card and the fact that we remembered the date of his birthday.

He was So warm, friendly and huggable!! We gave our cameras to Xavier's friend, Jeff inside and he took all of our pics for us. These 2 are just a very small example. If you want to see more pics of me with Xavier and pics of inside this fabulous museum, Magic Crystal Valley, just click here.

Xavier seemed to spend quite a bit of time with Marsha and me. He only signed Anniversary Kids so Adam Luther didn't get his little tush hand signed...oh well. BUT, he DID get his picture taken with his maker!
After all the signings were over we went over to the Collectors House, mixed and mingled with other collectors and waited for Xavier to come over from the museum and have the actual birthday party. The owners of the museum Pat & Joe Prosey built this Collectors House for the sole purpose of housing the collectors during the hot, muggy August days during the Summer Adventure get together that they host each year. They are the warmest, most gracious hosts ever!!!

We all sang Happy Birthday to the Cabbage Patch Kids (25 years) and to Xavier himself (? years) and then he cut the cake and served us with cake and more photo ops!! His birthday is October 31st!!

Oh! After driving 12 hours on Friday and Sunday, I'm exhausted, but I am still riding on a terrific high! I have to scrap this experience and I will remember this FOREVER!!!

COUNTDOWN TO XAVIER

So, let's see...it's now 4 days till I start on the road to Maryland and 5 days till the big Birthday Bash and meeting Xavier Roberts!!! My friend, Marsha and her little guy, Ridley are driving to my house on Thursday, spending the night, and then we head out bright and early on Friday morning for our nearly 11 hour drive to southern Maryland. Adam Luther and Ridley, along with several Anniversary Kids will be in the back seat...buckled in, of course, and Marsha and I will take turns driving ALL DAY! But, it will be worth it! I've heard great stories about how friendly Xavier he is. I just hope he's up for lots of photos. :0)

On top of it all I've made a special birthday card to give him from Marsha and Me, and the boys too. We plan on taking a picture of Adam Luther & Ridley and adhering it to the inside of the card. Maybe a little corney but I don't care. Xavier Roberts is somewhat of an artist himself so I'm hoping he'll appreciate the home made, scrapped card.



I'm just a little excited. And that's about all I can think about now. I'm subbing at preschool this week too, so it will help to take my mind off of things a little.

But first, my Monday Morning bowling league today. Bye for now.

Triathlon Mini

YAY! I finally finished the mini album for Steph! She participated in her very first triathlon in Philly back in August. I don't know why or how she got it in her head to do this but I'm so glad she did. Steph has always been an active person - lots of sports as a kid and especially basketball, but never anything like this.

Steph first started bicycling in college at Indiana University when she rode in the Little 500 race and then she got hooked on cycling. Then while studying in the Athletic Training program, she was assigned to the school's swim team. She got the swimming bug and really taught herself how to do it "right". She never did run and didn't start until she started training for this triathlon.

To say that I am proud of her is a gross understatement...she is my inspiration! We couldn't be there for her first race but her friends were there to give her support and to take pictures!! The organization, SheRox, also took photos. So, I got to use all these photos when I put this album together.

Since then, Steph has done another triathlon and I bet there are more on the horizon!

GUESS WHO I GET TO MEET????

Well, it may not mean much to most of you but it's going to be a highlight of my year!

XAVIER ROBERTS!!

Who is that, you might ask? Why, the creator of the Cabbage Patch Kids. It's only his name that's on the bottom of each and every 'Kid out there in this wide world!

Here's the scoop...I have friends that own a private Cabbage Patch Museum called Magic Crystal Valley in Leonardtown, MD. In the CPK heyday, they used to be an official adoption site for soft sculpture kids. Anyway, the owners are hosting a 25th Birthday Party at their museum in a couple of weeks (because we are celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the mass marketed CPKs) and HE is going to be there!! Mr. Roberts has met this couple (Pat & Joe) but he's never been to their museum, so everyone is excited all around.

One reason he is coming to the museum is to promote the 25th Anniversary Edition Kids. So, he will be hand signing 2 Anniversary Kids per visitor. We are all very excited about this - Especially Adam Luther who would love to have his picture taken with Xavier Roberts for this birthday. Xavier Roberts' birthday is October 31 and Adam's is November 1st!

Pat & Joe are great! Once a year they host a CPK collectors get together at their museum and lots of us get together to meet, sell, trade and all around have fun. And, they never charge a thing! We always have a blast!

I'll be sure to post with whatever photos I have when I get back....Can you tell I'm just a little excited??
:0)

Birthdays...

51 years ago today I was born. I was the youngest of 3; an older sister and brother. I had a solid family unit with grandparents who lived close by. The best part was that I was a birthday present too! My dad's birthday was the next day. He always said that I was the best gift he ever had. All the years growing up we always shared our birthdays. We always had one cake with both our names on it. It was usually a Carvel icecream cake (I grew up in New York city). At the time I wanted my own cake. As I got older I looked forward to being with my dad on our birthdays just so that we could share again. We always shared bananas too...but that's another story. I've got lots of them.

3 years ago today I lost my dad. He had moved in with my sister in NJ in the last several months of his life as he needed lots of help. He had pancreatic cancer and lasted 2 years with it! He filled those 2 years with near constant travel and experiences!

My birthday is no longer the same. It is now a day of reflection and, in my religion, a day of remembrance. So, since my dad "took" my birthday I've decided to "take" his. Well, we've shared all these years so I don't think he'd mind.

I will celebrate tomorrow.