A very Merry Trezise Christmas

A trip to Snowflake for Christmas this year was a great joy for all who attended. Landon, Tristan & Avery enjoyed quite a load from Santa Claus, while Grandma Ann, Mom, Dad & Auntie Jenny looked on. Tara prepared a wonderful dinner of turkey, mashed potatoes, Mom's sweet potatoes, corn, stuffing and a relish tray. Will added his touch to the dinner with prime rib and we must not forget Brent, who burned the rolls.... Erin & Brent showed up with more gifts for all... It was coooold.... in Snowflake... which made Auntie Jenny & Grandma grateful that they don't live there. New pajamas were given to all, although we all missed Uncle Preston, Auntie Heather & Baby J, Shane & Shawn.... they were never far from our thoughts.....

Happy Birthday Preston!

Happy Birthday to my son-in-law, Preston. These are some of the reasons I love you.

Preston, you love my daughter, Heather. Through all of the ups and downs of your married life with her, you have stayed strong for her. I have seen you grow & flourish in your marriage. Marriage is not easy, as you know, but you've hung in there and I am proud to call you my son. You are the hardest working young man, I know. You take the responsibilites of your family very seriously. You work hard and constantly strive to make your home life more financially stable for your little family. You, not only work an eight hour day but you head to school in the evenings, often missing those precious times of bathing & eating with Jaxon, to do so. Jaxon thinks you are the bomb. I believe little children, who are close to our Father in Heaven, and know better then we do, when someone is good. Jaxon knows this about his daddy and he adores you. You've come so far, Preston and you have so much to offer those around you. I think back to when you and Heather were first married, and I have watched you grow into a wonderful husband and father. Don't give up your dreams and stay true to yourself & your beliefs. Love my daughter with your whole heart and soul, love your son the same, and know that this side of your family loves you too. Happy Birthday, Preston. Love, Mom

Thanksgiving 2008

A traditional Thanksgiving dinner was had by all. I entertained 21, yes... 21 people at the old plantation. Along with Elmo, we had... (are you ready?), Victor, Emily, Joey, Josh, Sam, Shane, Shawn, Tara, Will, Landon, Tristan, Avery, Preston, Heather, Jaxon, Nan, Pop, Jennifer & Erin. When I say we ate a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, what I mean is a traditional dinner by our new standards. Turkey, ham & stuffing (donated by Nan & Pop), mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, relish tray, (yes, I remembered the olives for Tara), rolls and a little Filipino flavor thrown in there for good measure, Lumpia & ham fried rice. And my girls, Tara brought homemade pecan pies & banana - carmel - pecan birthday cake, and Heather brought cherry-cheese cake & pumpkin pies. It was sooo good! Emily, Tara, Heather, Preston, Jennifer, Erin, Josh & I stole a few hours to ourselves & made it to the movies to see "Twilight". I was a little worried leaving Elmo, Will, Shane & Shawn home to watch the wee ones, but we came home to find the Thanksgiving dinner ready and all 5 children still alive & kicking! I have several pictures of T-bird eyeing the pecan pie, which makes me laugh as he had a full dinner and was already for desert before we were cleaned up! We ended the evening with a birthday party for Jaxon, who turned 2 on November 11th, Tara whose birthday was November 7th & me, whose birthday was on the 28th. I honestly can say, fun was had by all, but when my four daughters left that evening to head home, I was relieved. I believe everyone left here at the plantation was sound asleep by nine.

Although, I do admit by midnight, there were several people milling around in the kitchen in search of leftovers.....

I wanna play tooo!

5 things I was doing 10 years ago:
1. Raising AZ, no raising 7 kids.... Lindsi graduated in 1998, so she had just married Jake & about this time of that year, announcing her pregnancy with Mickinsi.
2. Tara was 16 and learning to drive, or rather she was driving, she was never afraid to do anything.
3. Heather was in junior high, 14 years old and just beginning to let me know how much like me she was and is...
4. Jennifer was 10, in 5th grade, sweet as rain, just like Erin who was 8, and newly baptised.
5. Shane & Shawn were six & in first grade, long blond hair & pony tails, which they hated.

5 things on my to do list today:
1. give Dr. Patel my days off for my wedding in October.
2. get a decent nights sleep
3. write a grocery list for Thanksgiving
4. feed my twins, they are "starving"
5. talk to Elmo

5 snacks I enjoy:
1. anything with cinnamon on it or in it
2. chips & salsa (must be a Milligan trait)
3. chocolate with almonds
4. soft peanut butter cookies
5. veggies & dip

5 things I would do if I was a millionaire:
1. pay off all of my bills
2. take care of my children & grandchildren, Elmo's kids too!
3. invest
4. take a long, long trip with Elmo.
5. fix up this house & sell it.

5 places I have lived:
1. Cottonwood, AZ
2. Roosevelt, UT
3. Niceville, FL
4. RAF Upper Heyford, England
5. Enid, OK

5 places I have worked:
1. Cardiac Care
2. Jackson Hewitt
3. Verde Lea Market
4. La Carousel Day Care Center
5. K-Mart (I was in high school)

5 things I am passionate about:
1. Elmo, enough said...
2. my family, from the oldest, Willie T, Tara, Preston, HoHo, Jenny Penny, Shelly Belly, Dean (Shane), Don (Shawn), Lando Commando, T-Bird, Baby J & the youngest, Miss Avery. And of course, Elmo's kids, Emily, Joey, Victor, Alex, Mindi & Ara.
3. My folks, Bob & Rita Milligan (awesome parents), my sisters, Pat, Elizabeth & their families, Larry, Nicole, Meghan, Thom & Zoe, and even my brother Greg, and his kids, Aaron & Marissa.
4. Elmo.... ummmm.....

4 things I say often:
1. "Let me think about it...."
2. "Maybe.... tomorrow...."
3. "No!" and my favorite,
4. "I don't know"

4 things I want to do before I die:
1. Marry Elmo
2. I want to love myself and see myself as others do
3. I want to watch my children grow up, grow old & flourish.
4. I want to go Hawaii, lay on the beach and watch all those fine dark men walk in front of me.

4 things I want/need:
1. I want to have time to crochet, read, sew & grow a garden.
2. I NEED a Beetle.
3. I want many, many years to travel and grow old with Elmo.
4. I want many, many more grandchildren.

4 places I want to see and visit:
1. I want to go on a cruise.
2. I want to go to Hawaii.
3. I want to go to Alaska.
4. I want to revisit England.

4 TV Shows I can't live without:
1. Any bridal show, I love to see the dresses.
2. Jon & Kate, plus 8
3. I love to watch the shows that interest Elmo, cooking shows, adventure shows, the travel channel...
4. that "disgusting" man who eats grubs, worms & turtles ;)

4 things you don't know about me:
1. I cry, whether happy or sad, stupid things touch me, like movies, silly stories about my grandchildren, old pictures, hugs, saying goodbye to people I love....
2. I pick the mascara off my eye lashes when I am tired.
3. I hate taking a shower and then stepping on hair on the bathroom floor, it makes me feel dirty again.
4. If I am tired enough, I snort when I laugh.

Tag you're it!
I hope Erin reads this, she never blogs anymore.

Happy 27th Birthday, Tara Marie!

Tara, what can I say? I am so proud of you and your accomplishments. Bringing my first born daughter home from the hospital 27 years ago, I never dreamed you would grow into the wonderful, strong woman that you are. You were so beautiful, all 5 lbs 14 oz, big blue eyes & ears that flopped in the wind. You were and are my heart & soul. You make me proud to be your mother, to call you my daughter. We have laughed, cried & grown together. You have supported me, when I couldn't support myself, loved me when I felt unlovable and always given me hope for another day. Thank you for giving me 3 grandchildren, for giving me Willie T and for all the memories. May their be many, many more. I love you. Mom

I'm still trying to figure out how you can be 27, when I am only 35!

Happy 2nd Birthday Jaxon Robert Ruiz!

I can' t believe it has been two years since this sweet little spirit came into our lives. Jaxon has been a great joy to his parents and his family. He gave us quite a scare before he was born, Heather's doctors believed that he would be born with some medical problems. Other then being HUGE, a 10 pounder, he was and is an awesome, wonderful addition to our family. He loves his cousins, follows his older cousin, Landon around, wanting to be just like him.... He loves to play with Tristan, they are great friends and their companionship is amazing to watch, and Avery, being the only girl, gives Jaxon a run for his money, everytime they are together. Being the mother of my own children has been a wonderful experience, but being a grandmother has put a whole new prospective in my life. It is great to see what wonderful mothers, I have produced and now, to watch my own daughters, mother their own children. I am so proud of their accomplishments and I look forward to many, many more grandchildren from these truly amazing children of mine. I love you all, but "muzzes" to our Baby J. Happy Birthday, Love Grandma Ann

I just wanted to take a minute to tell my sweetheart, Elmo, thank you. He is so wonderful with my grandchildren. Without hesitation he drove up to Cottonwood on Thursday night & tended my 2 grandsons, Landon & Tristan for Tara & Will this weekend. Unfortunately, he was sick on Friday, but by the time I got home from work on Friday evening, he was baking cookies for them. He fed them, changed a couple of stinky diapers on Tristan, bathed them dressed them and cleaned up after them. On Sunday, we headed to Phoenix to spend some time with everyone, (except Erin, she was in Snowflake, working) and I have to tell you something that really touched me, and confirmed (again) to me what a wonderful grandfather he is. After arriving at the mall, we decided we needed to take a potty break, Elmo volunteered to take Landon with him into the mens bathroom. I headed to the girls powder room and as I was washing my hands, I heard Elmo's voice... "Landon, come back here, Landon...." I walked out into the hallway where I found Elmo, down on his knees in front of Landon, explaining patiently to him why he couldn't run away from him while he was still in the bathroom. Never did he raise his voice or become angry with him. Landon took this in and stayed very close to Elmo until his parents showed up later. I posted this picture, of Elmo with Landon & Tristan taken at the Verde River last year, but to me it shows the tenderness he has for small children.

Elmo's family

I thought it would be fun to take some time to introduce you to Elmo's family. He has three awesome kids. Mindi Lee is Elmo's oldest daughter, she was born when he was only 17, but he did a wonderful job with her, I guess you could say they grew up together.... She is a professional flute player and teaches flute in Tucson. I have never heard her play, but she has promised to play for us when Elmo & I marry in October, next year. I am excited to hear her, Elmo tells me that she is excellent and Elmo is very proud of her accomplishments. She has also volunteered her services in making & baking our wedding cake. Her companion is Alex, a very quiet, good man who is a computer geek. He keeps every ones computers up & running and has even tried to save mine, when kool-aid got spilled into it! They are very loving parents to Ara, age three. She is a beautiful little girl, who, if given the chance runs the whole Acosta clan! Elmo's, 2nd child is Elmo Victor. What can I say about Victor? From the very beginning of our relationship, he always welcomed me with open arms. He is a charmer. He is a machinist operator in Tucson and my twins love to spend the weekends with him playing Halo. Last but not least in Emily Veronica, she is his youngest child & daughter. She is a hard worker and last year graduated from college. She is an graphic design artist and will make all of the invitations etc... for our wedding. She is the loving mother of Joey, who is six. Yes, Joey is blond headed & brown eyed. Those Filipino genes got diluted somewhere along the way with Joey. He is sooo smart, reading & writing and keeping his Mom & Grandpa on their toes with his boyness. I've so enjoyed getting to know the Acosta family and have been welcomed by them with open arms & hearts. Thanks, you guys are wonderful.

Jaxon don't like me!

So this last weekend, Tara & Heather were here with their families visiting, if you visit said blogs you will hear of the many activities during the weekend. Elmo was here visiting also, and babysat with me on Friday night. We watched Landon, Tristan & Avery for Tara & Will as they partied with their friends. No problem, right? I've babysat many a child over the years with no large problems. Three grandchildren... piece of cake. Quick bathes, kisses & to bed, all three of my sweet Trezise grandchildren are happy to have Nana Ann & Grampa Elmo tending to there needs. However, Sunday evening, my Heather & son in law, Preston seize the opportunity for Nana Ann to tend their sweet offspring, Jaxon.... Jaxon plays quietly most of the evening, eats macaroni & cheese, Grandma washes the dishes, straightens up the house, speaks to her Mom, and sister, Pat on the phone, updating them on all of the wedding plans going on.... yep... piece of cake. One two year old, one Grandma.... geez.... Heather forgot to inform me that her son does not like his clothes off.... thinking, as I should never do... that it would be nice to have Jaxon bathed & ready for bed for his parents. I decide to take his clothes off and get him bathed. WRONG~~~~~ Jaxon flips out, completely flips out.... He is screaming at me, "NO! NO! sock on, NO! NO! jeans on! Uncle Shawn flies out of the man cave thinking I am surely killing his nephew. I quickly put Jaxon's clothes back on, soggy diaper and all... as he screams and shouts at me. Shawn and I are perplexed by his sudden change in demeanor. He jumps off my lap, running to the front door crying for his mama & dada! Shawn & I make an educated decision to stand on the front porch with him. Wrong educated decision, now the neighbors think I a killing my grandson, also. We put in a quick phone call to Heather, but alas, she is not answering. After several minutes of listening to Jaxon, we decide to bring him back into the house. I put cartoons on the TV, Uncle Shawn sits down on the couch and.... TAAAA DAAAA! He goes to sleep. Thirty minutes later, my sweet grandson is awake, happily playing with his cars on the floor. Heather & Preston arrive home with a perfectly happy son. Next time I think I'll just say no...

Upper Heyford England, 1974

I thought this would be fun for those of you who don't know the story of how I met Elmo. Both of our fathers, Elmo Acosta Sr & Robert Milligan were stationed at RAF (Royal Air Force) Upper Heyford England in 1974. We were very young, Elmo was 15 & I was 14 and in our freshman year of high school. This picture was taken with our friend, Charmaine, who now resides in Fort Lauderdale, FL with her husband, Ron Kosobucki. I was absolutely crazy about him, he was the first boy I ever kissed, or rather the first boy that ever kissed me. I can't say that I was the first girl he ever kissed, ya know... spin the bottle and all of that... anyway... we were in love. Unfortunately, shortly after finding the love of my life, Elmo's father got stationed in Tucson, AZ, and he left me to go back "state side." A year later, my dad retired from the Air Force and my family settled in Niceville, FL. We kept in touch for about a year and a half, until I wrote him a Dear Elmo letter... Shall we go into why I wrote him that letter? I think not.... but she is standing next to him in this picture! All is forgiven though and I will marry my first love on October 10th, 2009.

New Mama alert!

Grand baby #5 is on the way, Heather is due June 19th, 2009. I know Heather & Preston are thrilled & so am I! I am hoping for a granddaughter, but will be just as thrilled for a new grandson, although... I have already bought a burgundy dress, just in case... so she can match Avery & Ara at my wedding in October next year.

Tara & Will.... remember.... don't make me talk to you two about this again... no new babies in September or October next year... ;) Love, Mom

A girl can't have too much stuff...

This is my one year old granddaughter, Avery Marie Trezise. As most of you know a couple of weekends ago, my whole family, Tara, Will, Landon, Tristan, Miss Avery, Heather, Preston, Jaxon, Jennifer, Erin, Shane & Shawn & I spent the weekend in Snowflake, AZ celebrating Erin's 19th birthday & Avery's first birthday. I took this picture of Avery, sitting in the bathroom sink while her momma got ready for her day. Every girl needs a couple of toothbrushes, some foundation, a blush brush & assorted toiletries to start their day, no matter how old you are....

The ring... the ring..

I know there have been a lot of questions about the asking of my hand in marriage from Elmo... so I wanted to set the record straight... In June of this year, Elmo asked me to go to the White Mountains with him for a long weekend. We had been up to Hawley Lake in May of 07, so this was our second trip up there. Never did it cross my mind that he would actually get down on bended knee and ask me to be his wife that weekend, (okay... it did... so now I admit it). We arrived at our cabin late in the afternoon on a Thursday. It is beautiful up there, pristine... rustic cabins surround the lake, tall green spruces, wildlife, quiet... a beautiful peaceful place. We stowed our gear and then Elmo proceded to make us dinner on the patio. Elmo is a great cook and loves to grill. He grilled steaks, potatoes & a vegatable. After a fantastic dinner and a short clean up... we talked, well into the evening... The darkness of the woods surrounded us as he got down on his knee in front of me, pulled out a black velvet box.... He was very eloquent and sweet, as only Elmo can be, although, I was so stunned... I do not remember his words.... What does a woman do when the man she loves with her whole heart & soul do in such a situation? She cries... and I did...

365 Days and Counting...

It's official. In exactly one year, I will be married to the man of my dreams! I have the privilege of marrying my high school sweetheart. My new name will be Ann Teresa Monica Milligan-Willoughby-Acosta! Still with me? Good.
Want the lowdown? Elmo (yep, that's his name) and I met when we were just duffers. It was love at first sight, but we were too young to appreciate it at the time. The year was 1974 (whoa). I was young and naive and he was hot and bothered. Lucky for both of us, we kept it cool (or there would be lots o' little Phillipean Beans running around). He moved away, I moved away, we lost each other. And here it is, 34 (whoa) years later, and we are finally hooking it up! Save the date. October 10th, 2009. Part-ayyyyyy at our wedding. Everyone who is anyone will be there. Look for me, I will be the one in white (hehehe). Okay-off white. (I do have 6 kids!)

Disclaimer:
Tara "helped" with this first post. Any offensive material was for entertainment purposes only. She accepts full responsibilty for the content of this post.