Fall Back

I guess I should be used to daylight savings after 41 years but I have a hard time adjusting to the time change and it seems like as soon as I get used to it we have to change it back. But along with Fall comes football, Olive Garden All You Can Eat Pasta Bowl and the holidays right around the corner. I just took down my Halloween decorations but I can't wait to get my Christmas decorations up. The suite will be busy as always this year with tamale making and all the other Family festivities. Until then, here are a few leftover Halloween pictures.

Great Grandma as "Flo"

Isn't she adorable!

Mom as the creepy nun from the movie I am too scared too watch.

Uncle Ken and Erik.

Looks like Uncle Ken needs to spend some more time in the Dojo

Sophie and her boyfriend Elias

Michelle as some kind of Chola doll. She may have just been going out that night???

Not Halloween but my beautiful babies celebrating Sophie's birthday

playing Loteria and drinking wine coolers

(Just kidding that daddies wine cooler)

(I mean mommies wine cooler)

Mommy and daddy

I was hoping to get more background in the picture but my big head blocked out the entire San Fernando valley



Who needs Hawaii....this was the view from my front porch a couple days ago

Yes, my beef with Hawaii continues



Halloween in Hollywood

The Graham Clan hit Universal Studios this past weekend as a late birthday present for Sophia who turned 15 on the 17th. Sophie invited her boyfriend and we had a blast. Elias (Boyfriend) has a Harry Potter wand so we bought her a wand so they could do spells around Harry Potter world. For the price of the wand I was expecting real magic but Sophie and Elias had fun doing the interactive spells around Hogwarts. After Harry Potter we saw a few shows, went on the studio tour and visited Springfield where I took a picture in front of my favorite watering hole Moe's Tavern. I hope you enjoyed your Birthday Sophie, Love you

Just waiting for Homer and Barney to join me

Since Sophie was with her boyfriend Mia went and found herself a boyfriend

Mia with Lucy

Daddy in his Halloween costume at work. I was Mr. T with a twist....Mr. Safe "T"

I am the safety manager at work and everyone loved it. All I had to do was make the shirt with iron on letters, wear some of the girls play jewelry and shave a Mohawk on my head. I supplied my own muscles.

PPE stands for Personal Protective Equipment....I guess you had to be there.

Hawaii Still Sucks!

I guess I should be over it by now but I still have beef with Hawaii. I should be thankful that technology allows us to stay connected by face time, etc. but I want to hug little Zoe and Daric so bad. Dan, Janelle and the kids are doing great and Zoe started at her new school so I'm happy for them. I hope we can go visit soon. Love you guys!

Little Daric cruising in his ride

 Zoe going to school.

It's been a long time since the girls first went to school...this picture made me cry

Shoes...Check!, Backpack...Check!, Soda...Check!

 

Janelle sent this picture the first day they got there and I thought...how nice they went to the beach on the first day only to find out they just walked across the street. I'm not hating

 This park is right across the street from their house.

Looks like a shady neighborhood to me

Sergeant Sophie!

Ok so Sophia is not a Sergeant but doesn't she look adorable in her JROTC uniform? I was surprised when she said she wanted to join the JROTC and so far it is her favorite part of high school. I'm not sure if she will make a career of it but I am so proud of her. She is doing so good in her freshman year and working really hard. Love you Sophie!

I don't think she is supposed to have her hand in her pocket so I made her drop and give me 20 

Father of the Bride

So mommy and I are officially in-laws now that Sarah is married. The weekend before last Sarah, now Sarah Pomers got married to Eric (that's 3 Erics in the family now) It was a beautiful ceremony on a yacht in Newport beach. We didn't go out to sea, just putted around the harbor and the ceremony was at sunset which was gorgeous. We had a boat full of our family and friends and even though it was an open bar not 1 fight broke out. Congrats Sarah and Eric, I am so happy for you and pray that God will always be at the center of your marriage. There will be ups and downs but nothing that you can't handle if you put each other before yourselves.

I only have 1 picture but I promise I will share more when the photographer sends them

Back to School

It's that time of year again and even though I have to go to work everyday during the summer it still makes me sad to see the girls leave the house on the first day of school. We decided to go to Universal Studios the weekend before school started but when we got there we realized that our passes were blacked out that day so instead we went for a short hike and lunch in Griffith park and cruised the streets of LA. It ended up being a great family day and adventure.

The Graham Clan hiking in Griffith Park

Lexi trying to figure out what's on Papa's face

Mom and Daddy in our trailer park pool

Graham girls ready to be discovered

Congrats Mom

After 35 years working for Dr. Lombardi Mom finally retired. It's hard to think about Mom even being old enough to retire and looking at Mom she definitely doesn't look old enough but it's official. My brothers and I threw a retirement party for her last weekend that was supposed to be a surprise but uncle Eric spilled the beans months ago so Mom had to fake it. We were able to keep the guest list a secret so she was surprised by how many people were there and from how far. We had a cousin from Nebraska, aunt from Florida, friend from Oregon, uncle from Minnesota, my Godparents from Arizona and a ton of friends and family that still live in the area. Mom was touched as were my brothers and I. I'm so proud of my Mom for all of the hard work as a single Mom raising 3 boys into men. I couldn't have had a better example of hard work and dedication while never losing faith and always praising God for all of our blessings. You did it Mom! and we are so proud of you, now go enjoy retirement. At the party I made a joke about Eric getting 34% of your estate while Dan and I get 33% and while I was of course joking I hope to inherit 33% of 0 because I want you to spend every cent you have ever earned on enjoying your retirement and doing whatever makes your heart happy. Love you Mom.

Mom with aunt Kathy and uncle Ken. I know I inherited their bloodlines but I already look older than all 3.

  

Uncle Eric is hogging the mic and notice he has champagne and Danny and I have beer 

Robert, Danny Jr and my beautiful baby Michelle

 Now I know I drank a lot that night but I didn't think I was drunk enough not to remember the story I told my uncle and brothers. From the looks on their faces it must have been one hell of a story or I'm just good at telling stories.

Uncle Dan, uncle Ken, uncle Eric, uncle Mike, daddy and cousin JD

Ok so uncle Mike and I aren't even related by blood but I may have to have a serious talk with Mom and ask uncle Mike where he was in September of 1977 because other than him being like a foot taller then me it's like looking in a mirror. Ok maybe a mirror after I woke up from a long coma and turned grey. Either way it's nice to know I will still have style in my older years.