THE WEDDING

Well, my brother is now a married man...
The wedding was a great time! For more pics of the wedding click here... The Brown-Thomas wedding

I hope you enjoy them! (I stole some of them from my cousin, Erica, and my friend, Julie)

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

Lamonaca's reunite

Today is Wednesday and there was a mini cousins reunion.... we have yet for the five musketeers to be together, but we had a semi big dinner at the Walter's tonight. So, I have gotten to see Erica, Justin, Tommy, Anna, Danny, and Anthony. Not to mention my aunts and uncles. Anyway, Thursday (thanksgiving), I will get to see Nicki and Mike. Then Friday we will pretty much all be together again. Saturday for sure everyone will be together at the wedding! Plus (shhh dont tell), the five of us (Anna, Andrea, Justin, Tommy and I) are going to perform a little dance at the wedding!! haha. Hillarious.

I feel whole again when I am around my cousins.

Matthew says I need to post something so I am posting something.

SOMETHING

You know what's interesting about assassination.... did you ever stop to think about the people we kill? It's always those who tell us to live together harmony and try to love one another. Jesus, Gandhi, Lincoln, John Kennedy, Bobby Kennedy, Malcom X, John Lennon. They all said live together in harmony... BAM! Right in the head. Apparently we aren't ready for that yet.
- George Carlin

Monaca needs...

I stole this from Julie Clawson's blog (ps- to see really cute pics of Emma, check out Mike's blog):

So there is this blogger game I saw recently. You google your name followed by "needs" and post what comes up. I changed Monaca to Monica since nothing came up as Monaca... but its surprising (and hilarious) what the internet thinks I need!

1- monaca needs a job
2- monaca needs another dress washed
3- monaca needs a communicative parent who is skilled at listening and probing for feelings
4- monaca needs a permanent family who will be involved in her therapy
5- monaca needs to go to work for a rest
6- monaca needs special mention
7- monaca needs the gift of love to help steer her in the right direction
8- monaca needs to move in a new direction
9- monaca needs distraction
10- monaca needs a time out

wow -- those are weird...

I'm Pathetic!

Today I came to the sad realization that I am really not funny.

I think I have always known this, but secretly never wanted to believe it. I find a lot of things funny... so why shouldn't I be funny when I retell the stories.

For starters, I am a horrible story teller. Enough said. More than that, I have a unique sense of humor so the things that I find funny are usually pretty dumb to begin with and then I ruin them even more with my horrible story telling ability.

I'm getting better the longer I hang around Matthew... I've learned to say things like (when getting hit on the arm) "hey, thats my good arm, I need that for arming!" but then I quickly get in trouble when people hit my fingers... Or I've learned the great way to end a story "and then I found five dollars." -- twenty dollars if your story really needs a boost. I find myself often "finding" twenty dollars. If only it were true--I could have paid for my ticket to Spain by now.

So in conclusion, I am working on learning when to shut up (which is probably almost all the time) and I will just let my roommates be the funny ones.

Speaking of funny- I am starting a house quote board... and here is what is on it so far.

Josh tells a story and laughs...
Monaca: I don't get it
Josh: I didn't get it either.... but I laughed!

Gerry: What are you doing?
Josh: Tempting your girlfriend

Monaca: I ran into Dulce at the mall yesterday!
Gerry: Did anyone get hurt?

There are a couple more, but out of context they are x-rated and you are too young to read them.

Man, if you made it this far in my post -- you are a true friend! Because this is the most ridiculous post yet...

My life is sad...

Ariel

That's my boyfriend! :)

ODE TO CELESTE

Friday was my roommate's twenty-first birthday. Yup... the big 2-1. That means she can now legally consume alcohol and illegally supply minors with alcohol. It also means she can legally gamble. So now her and Ari have all these big plans to leave me at home and go to a casino and sit at the nickle machines while they bring her free drinks. That's the dream.

But that's not what is important, is it? What is important is that Celeste is one of my favorite people. I met her sometime in high school, but we didn't become friends until the summer going into my senior year when we went on a church retreat. We were put in the same street evangelizing group and instantly became friends. That whole retreat my new friends, Celeste and Kendra, and I had so much fun... getting on stage in front of three hundred people and performing a cheer that goes like this "form banana, form, form banana. peel banana, peel, peel banana. go! banana, go! go! banana" yeah... I knew I would be friends with these girls for a long time. Celeste and I have had one of those friendships where even though we were away from each other for a long time and didn't talk when I first went away to school--when I came home we just picked up where we left off. And our friendship has stayed strong. I find myself waiting for the times when it will be just the two of us in the house and we can have one of our long conversations about the most random things--but always about the important things in life. I can honestly say she is one of my favorite people. So, here is my ode to Celeste! Happy 21st Birthday, Friend!!

Ode to Celeste
Celeste, my friend
I will love you till the end
You are so great
You are one I will never hate
The End

And now, here are some pics from her birthday party!

Celeste and me hugging

Us dancing!

HAPPY BIRHDAY, CELESTE!
I LOVE YOU!

Cassandra Grace

Mom, Beth, Cassandra, Me, Anna, and Ang

I finally met my niece for the first time in the begining of October. So far, all I have gotten to see are pictures. Sad really. But I just got pictures back from when Beth, my sister-in-law and Cassandra, my niece, were in town. So I will share them with you...

Cassandra Grace Thomas (7months)

Cassandra and me at the Pumpkin Patch

Yeah, I gave her a beer bottle to play with... teaching her young....

And finally, is this not the cutest halloween costume you have ever seen?

She is definitely her father's child... although she has her mommy's eyes. If you want to see more pics of her throughout her eight months of life you can see how she's grown at http://thethomasfamily.photosite.com/CassandraGrowing

oh brotherly love

Compliment of the Week:
"I haven't been happy all week. Seriously, the first time all week that I was happy was in the last 48 hours and that's because I've been hanging out with you."
--Matthew

Insult of the Week:
"Sorry to totally cut you off but I'm cooler than you."
--Matthew

Newest poem

Hey guys, here's the newest poem I wrote for my poetry class.

Final Goodbyes
A searing pain
runs through my brain
leaving me paralyzed
I lay in bed
thoughts racing in my head
avoiding final goodbyes
I feel such a shame
from life's wasted game
with so much left unsaid
I can't comprehend
the way this will all end
her soul is already so dead
There was so much I hated
and so much wasn't appreciated
she had so much love to give
And as I watch her sleep
I can hear the monitors beep
as sickness takes her body captive
I start to yell
crying "why this awful hell?"
but I never get an answer
I scream to God "why?"
as her soul starts to fly
she's lost her body to cancer
--written 11/1/06

ha

IN YOUR FACE ALL YOUR PEOPLE WHO CALL ME WEIRD!

You Are 30% Weird

Not enough to scare other people... But sometimes you scare yourself.

How Weird Are You?

survey of the day

-Birth date: May 15

-Height: 5'6

-Eye color: hazelish brown

-Hair color: dark brown with some crazy red highlights (all natural of course)

-What does your name mean: couselor

-High school graduation year: 2003

-Favorite relatives: the cousins

-Summer memories: every memory from spain, going to lake geneva, almost winning survivor, running the mole

-Favorite TV shows: alias, judging amy

-What's on your mousepad: i always used paper

-In the car- ac or windows: apparently my ac doesn't work... not that it matters, i always have the windows down anyway

-Do you believe in yourself: it used to be hard to, but i try

-Favorite game: i can't answer this question...

-Favorite drink: water (although all week i have been craving orange juice)

-Favorite food: i like food way to much to have a favorite

-Favorite colors: blue and purple

-Favorite cigarettes: dont have a favorite

-Favorite sounds: children laughing, my friends laughing, rain on the ground,

-Favorite smell: homemade cooking, rain, cookies baking in the oven
-Favorite thing to do on a weekend: relax (not that i ever do) and spend time with friends, family, and God

-Favorite soundtrack: hrm... chicago

-Where do you see yourself in 10 years: i dont know - done with school... maybe in the missions field or something?

-First thought in the morning: not yet!

-Do you get motion sickness: rarely

Rollercoasters- deadly or exciting: exciting because they are deadly!

-How many rings before you answer the phone: depends on where my phone is... when andrea calls me i usually let it ring a little longer cause i like her ring... and wendy, brad, and ann -- their ring is thriller!

-Are you a good friend: i try to be but i'm not really sure how successful i have been

-Chocolate or Vanilla cake: if i actually eat it-vanilla

-What do you drive: my 91 buick regal!

-Do you sleep with a stuffed animal: i used to up until two weeks ago...

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-Thunderstorms cool or scary: very cool

-If you could meet one person in the World, who would it
be: Mary the mother of Jesus


-What is your zodiac sign: taurus

-What do you wear to bed: am i alone? tank tops and underwear

-Do you eat stems of broccoli: yes

-If a girl ever asked you for the shirt on your back,
would you give it to her? uh... no

-If you could have any occupation when you get older, what
would it be: social worker

-If you could dye your hair one color, what would it be: i like my hair color

-If you could have a tattoo, what and where would it be: i already have a tattoo

-Favorite brand of gum: anything but winterfresh

-What is your favorite quote: uh... "she laughs at my dreams but i dream about her laughter" its from a song

-Have you ever been in love: who wants to know?

-What's on your walls in your room: a collage of pics and cards and stuff from friends and christmas lights, kendra's parrot picture, and so on

-Is the glass half-empty or half-full: depends on what i am drinking

-Which do you prefer- Cool Ranch or Nacho Cheese Doritos: cool ranch

-Favorite flavor Snapple: i dont drink that crap

-Which one, Coke or Pepsi: pepsi

-Which kind of milk is your favorite: 2%

-If you were to kill someone, which method would you use? celeste tells me the perfect way to kill someone is stabbing them with an icicle so then the weapon would melt -- i think i would just tie them to a railroad track, all evidence would be destroyed (goodbye fingerprints)

-Are you a righty, lefty, or ambidextrous: righty

-Do you type with your fingers on the right keys: yes i do

-When you meet a person of the opposite sex, you notice
their: how he presents himself then smile

-What's under your bed: well, i think ari finally took the shotgun that was under my bed for a bit... now i just have a bedsheet

-What's the best number in the World: pi

-What is your dream car: pontiac firebird

-Who is your biggest crush right now: Ari Leo

-Nickname: Mon and for some people Monny

-School: College of Dupage (aka college of dreams)

-Bacon Bits Or croutons: both

-Favorite Salad Dressing: it varies from week to week

-Do you Drink: i'm H2O intollerant

-What type of Shampoo/Conditioner: aussie

-Have you ever been skinny dipping: no

-Do you make fun of people: i try not to

-Have you ever been convicted of a crime: nope

-One pillow or two: none

-Pets: my fish vaughn that is still at the taylor's house.

-Favorite Movies: so many...

-Favorite type of music: i like it all (even some country)

-Hobbies: eating, sleeping, hanging with friends

-Word or Phrase you overuse: No No!

-Toothpaste: crest vanilla

-Piercing or tattoos: three holes in my ear lobes two in my left cartilage and a tattoo

-Favorite beer: corona

-Favorite song at the moment: insomniac by ???

-Most humiliating moment: when the first time i brought ari to my parents' house my brother asked (in front of a lot of people)"so you're the one sleeping with my sister?" (long story behind it... dont worry it's innocent)

-Favorite Holiday: new years eve - the family always has a great party!

now cut and copy this and post it in ur blog, if u dont have a blog then make it into a t-shirt and wear it to starbucks on wednesdays after 4pm.