The May Files

Christmas Tree

2011-12-19T13:00:00.005-06:00

I love our Christmas tree. There's nothing special about it. I've written about it before. It's almost 20 years old but I still love it especially once it's decorated with white lights and have all my children's ornaments on it. It's just beautiful.

I did find some pictures of some not-so-cute trees. I thought I'd post a few. I know some of you will probably love the pink and white tree because it's trendy and chic. Well, it that's chic, then I don't want any part of it. And...ummm...excuse me...but isn't that an orange monkey as the tree topper??? HORENDOUS!

A favorite game

2011-12-19T11:25:00.002-06:00

My parents introduced my kids to a new game last weekend and they LOVE it. I remember seeing this game in the closet when I was young but never played it. It didn't look exciting enough. I have to say, my parents are so good about finding fun things for the kids to do when they are at their house. They are always introducing them to fun games, crafts, and baking that they don't do at our house. I guess that's why grandparents are so much fun!
Tripoly is a game that has aspects of Michigan rummy, poker, and hearts. While I don't condone gambling for children (ha!) this game is a lot of fun and the kids absolutely love it.

My mom tried to find Tripoly for the kids for Christmas but didn't have any luck. It is, after all an older game and not as popular today as it was several years ago.

On Sunday, Elijah and I were doing some shopping at Meijer and we decided to see if there were any sales on some fun board games. On the very bottom shelf, we found it. On sale for $9.99...there it was....TRIPOLY! Sydney is going to be SO excited when they open it.

I have a feeling we will be playing a lot of Tripoly over Christmas break.

I'm so excited!

On top of that, this will be one of those memories Elijah, Noah, and Sydney will carry over to their children. They will tell their children how Granny and Pappy taught them out to play Tripoly and then we bought it for our house. Maybe even one day, Chad and I will teach our grandchildren to play Tripoly. What a fun thing to pass down to your children's children...games and having fun...TOGETHER!

One of my favorite things

2011-12-19T11:17:00.003-06:00

Goodness knows I'm no Oprah but I do have some favorite things. No, I won't be able to buy you each one of these but I do reccomend getting one.

You can get these cups just about anywhere. Walmart has reasonably priced ones and I notied this weekend that Walgreens had some Christmas style cups that were a bit smaller but really fun. My friend, Sam actually got me one of these and I love them. Fill them up with ice and water and they are good all day. It keeps your drinks cold and they are SO cute! Most are different colors and have decorations on the outside. Sam got me a clear one with a blue lid and blue straw with a snowflke on the outside. It's so fun! I just love it!

If you get one, please wash them by hand to keep them extra nice.

Definitely a good gift for a stocking. They run about $7 to &12 depending on size and kind.

Enjoy!

Ready!

2011-12-19T09:35:00.003-06:00

I'm ready!

I'm ready for snow!
I'm ready for a break from school!
I'm ready to be with my family!
I'm ready to relax!

I'm SO ready for Christmas!
I'm ready for the baking and the smells of wonderful food coming from my kitchen.
I'm ready to finish wrapping the rest of the gifts and get them under the tree.
I'm ready to see the kids excited with anticipation.
I'm ready to not have to worry about practices, projects, and tests.
I'm ready to ice cookies, watch movies, snuggle on the couch, and drink hot chocolate.
I'm ready to stay up late and sleep in.
I'm ready for days full of jammies.
I'm ready to play games and do a lot of laughing.

BRING IT ON!

Are you ready for this???

2011-10-13T12:41:00.001-05:00

Today during lunch, we were talking about winter. Don't ask me why but someone mentioned that we're supposed to get A LOT of snow this year.

My stomach flipped a little bit.

Don't hurt me...but I'm excited.

Just a little bit.

Bring it on.

Yahoo!!!

Apples, apples EVERYWHERE!

2011-10-07T09:05:00.003-05:00

I'm going through a bit of an apple fetish phase right now. I think my family is getting sick of it but they're just going to have to endure it!

This is, after all, the season of apples. We've had apple pies, apple cake, fried apples, apple dumplings, caramel apples.... I'm loving it! I love choosing the apples from all the different kinds and try to decide which ones would be best to bake different things with. One of my favorite things is baking with the kids. We have such a good time in the kitchen. I love smelling the concoctions cooking in the oven. I love spending the next few days munching on all the goodies. I'm so thankful for the sweet, tart, crunchy, warm, sugar and cinnamon coated apples. YUM!

Lovin' this time of Year!

2011-10-07T08:04:00.004-05:00

It is the beginning of my favorite holiday seasons. Nothing beats Fall! Halloween, caramel apples, lighted pumpkins, spooky decorations, crisp Fall mornings, warm afternoons, and the crunch of leaves under your feet. So much fun!

My kids always make fun of me during the Halloween/Thanksgiving/Christmas time of year. I think it's because I get a little giddy and they think I'm ridiculous. BUT...I don't care! I love it! I decorate the house, put up lights, spread cobwebs and spiders on the stairway and lights, make lots of apple desserts, plant mums and decorate my porch with pumpkins.

My family didn't ever celebrate Halloween much growing up. I remember we once had a HUGE Halloween party and bonfire at the farm when I was young complete with hayride and bobbing for apples. Later we celebrated Fall but not Halloween. My parents believed it wasn't right to celebrate a holiday that celebrated witches, ghosts, and evil spirits. So, at about age 6 or 7, we stopped trick or treating, stopped dressing up, and stopped decorating the house. We started attending Fall Festivals instead. It was always a good time but there's something about Halloween that is just F*U*N! We don't do the "scary" part of Halloween but we do love our jack-o-lanterns, cobwebs, spiders, purple and orange lights, and witches. Last year we had a very fun Halloween/Birthday party for Elijah's surprise 16th birthday. It was such a blast that we've decided to do a repeat this year. Hopefully the weather will cooperate and we'll be able to have get out the fire pit, eat some great food, play some fun games and just hang out. I'm excited! We've decided to have our party for our kids and some of their friends. It looks right now that there will be about 25 teenagers at our house that night. While some of you may think, "No Way! You are CRAZY!" I have to giggle! We thoroughly enjoy our kids' friends. They are fun and polite and silly and all around good kids. We love when they come over.

So we'll decorate the house and the garage, make up some treat bags, play some games and celebrate Fall with the kids and their friends. It's bound to be a good time and we're excited!!!

Vacation!!!

2011-07-12T13:24:00.010-05:00

It's sooo much fun to get away and just be together. Our excuse to leave the lovely Hoosier state this year was because of Dance Nationals in Myrtle Beach. (Please read the below post alllll about dance and to watch Elijah's AMAZING championship video!) We left on Saturday night and drove all night and arrived in MB around 1pm on Sunday. We checked into our beautiful and spacious condo, took a nap, and then headed to the Evan's house to help Haley (One of Elijah's closest childhood friends) celebrate her 16th birthday. It was a such a blast to hug their necks, catch up on life, and have some awesome fellowship over some of the best food (prepared by Haley's daddy, Jeff...who was home on vacation that week.) By the time we got back to the condo, we were all exhausted.

The next few days were filled with doing the tourist thing; eating great food, going to the beach, seeing the sights, and relaxing. We ate at Planet Hollywood,
spent lots of time at Broadway at the Beach, saw the fourth installment of Pirates at the 3-D IMAX theater, ate some great ice cream at Cold Stone Creamery, and beached it up at North Mytle Beach.

Wednesday and Thursday were spent doing the dance thing. But in the evening we had time to do some sight-seeing and shopping. We went to this great candy store, called It's Sugar, and spent quite a bit of time looking at everything they offered. Talk about a fun place. It was HUGE and there was so much to see! We picked up some of our favorite treats while looking at some "treats" that didn't seem so sweet....like bacon-flavored mints, ranch-flavored gum, and dill pickle-flavored toothpicks. Fun stuff...but we'll stick with the sweet stuff!

Friday night we went back to the Evans' house for some more of Jeff's homecooking. He introduced us to Shrimp and Grits and it was the most FABULOUS thing ever! I was in heaven! He made a fabulous apple crisp and topped it with vanilla ice cream. It was fun hanging out them. Jeff has one story after another and he is a hoot. He's like one giant kid in an adult's body. Then there is Kristin...this strong, amazing, fun woman whose kids adore her. Isaac was in Sydney's class when they lived here. It was great reconnecting with him. Then there's Haley. We just love this girl and hated saying goodbye to her.

Love this family!

Saturday consisted of beach in the morning and then finals dance competition in the evening. Sunday morning we were up early and on the road.

It's good to be back but we sure had a great time!

Elijah's Nationals Competition

2011-07-12T12:28:00.010-05:00

We are back from Dance Nationals in Myrtle Beach. Good to be back but had a great time. It was HOT and HUMID but we had a ton of fun and most importantly, got to spend some quality time just hanging out together.

Elijah danced his heart out and we are SO proud of everything he has accomplished. Elijah danced tap and hip hop competitively this year as well as danced a production number. Out of all of his dances, hip hop was the best and most impressive. It was fast, current, upbeat, fun, energetic and it was the dance to beat this season.

Traditionally, hip hop doesn't do very well at competitions because it's not considered "technical." This year, Elijah's teacher, Miss Amy completely outdid herself. She and her kids should be very proud of themselves. Elijah kept telling me, "Mom, this dance is soooo fast. I just love it. I think it's my favorite this year." I had to agree. Watching him perform at competitions, the hip hop dance choked me up each time. It was different and exciting. I told his teacher this would be the "one" to win it and she agreed. Hip hop always did okay at competitions. They received platinum standings but never won first overall.

Before we knew it, we were off to Nationals. Over 1300 groups competed. Tap did ok. Production we knew, wouldn't make the cut. Hip hop had a chance, but when we received a second place overall, we weren't sure. What that meant, we didn't know. We just had to wait. In any event, Elijah had so much fun and there were some outstanding numbers to watch, beautiful costumes to drool over, and choreography that made our heads spin. A mass of talented kids who had the same passion as our son...dance.

After everyone competes, the top 80 groups make it to the finals on Saturday which are televised via webcast. The overall winner takes it all so it's literally do or die. We didn't figure any of our senior groups would make it. We figured if any groups would make it to the top 80, it would be jr. company tap. Friday at lunch, Elijah got the call that changed everything. His friend, Grace texted him and said, "We made it to the finals!" We sat in stunned disbelief. Even Elijah couldn't get excited. He texted her back and asked, "Are you sure?!?!?" Sure enough, hip hop made it to the finals. The top 77 groups were in the televised webcast dance-off for the championships on Saturday.

We were nervous, and excited, and not sure what to expect. The competition would be the fiercest they'd ever be up against. The groups were AMAZING and what's more.... Elijah's hip hop group was the ONLY hip hop group that made it to the finals. That right there speaks volumes about how good this number was. They performed and it was incredible, and inspiring, and energetic, and emotional. Watching my son, on stage, dancing his heart out, was perhaps one of the happiest moments for me and one I won't forget anytime soon. Seeing him live out his passion, doing what he loves, putting his all into something he's been working on getting right since he was six years old was awe-inspiring. My heart was bursting with pride watching him up on that stage. Watching him dance on the big screen, knowing that family and friends at home were watching and able to see them do such an incredible job and share in our joy was incomprehendable.

They didn't win but they didn't care. They were so proud of their accomplishments and they couldn't have done a better job on stage. Every movement was fluid, their choreography was completely in sync, and their facials on stage said it all. They were winners because they had done their best and made it to the top and we couldn't have been more pleased. Here's the Top 77 video link of their "do or die" performance. GREAT JOB, ELIJAH!

Prom 2011

2011-04-11T21:59:00.006-05:00

Here they are! In all their handsome glory!

Our boys both got invited to Delta's prom this year. Noah went with his favorite gal, Samantha, who he went to Senior Ball with, and Elijah went with his friend, Ashley. They both had a great time and danced the night away at the Horizon Center and then went to After Prom at Union Chapel's 180 building. They played games, ate, and posed for pictures. They came home tired but really excited from the evening's festivities.

Here are a few pictures from the day. Sam looked unbelievably beautiful in a pewter/gunmetal colored dress. Noah accented her dress with a hot pink tie and pewter-colored vest. Noah and Sam's flowers were gorgeous with hot pink Gerbers and black ribbon. VERY HANDSOME!

Elijah's date looked the complete part of a princess in her pink dress. He set it off with hot pink vest and tie. Elijah and Ashley's flowers were Sweetheart roses and black and pink ribbon. AMAZING!

Great memories to look back on, a fun weekend, and lots of pictures to look back at. I'm so excited that they both got to experience Prom with good friends!

I had to include these pictures. Noah is definitely our big goober and obviously, Chad gets right in there too! :)

She's 13!

2011-04-11T21:34:00.004-05:00

It's official!

We now have THREE teenagers in the May house. I can't believe it.

Sydney's birthday this year fell on another busy weekend but we were able to make it special for her. Friday evening after Sydney went to sleep, I decorated her room with streamers, crepe paper, banners, and balloons. She was very surprised when she woke up and still has refused to take anything down. Later that morning, we had to pick up the flowers for the boys for prom and Elijah bought flowers for his baby sister. She got to pick out five carnations and the gal at Liggets made it extra special and made her a beautiful bouquet. She was thrilled that Elijah did that for her.

After we got the boys off to prom, Chad and I got to spend some one-on-one time with her. She wanted to see the movie Soul Surfer. It turned out to be such a good movie, rated PG and a Christian movie with a fantastic message. We all loved it. By the time we got home, she was tired but had had such a good day that she fell into bed with a smile on her face.

Next weekend, she is having her friend, Brittany over and we will head to the Cheesecake factory for dinner (her choice!) I know she is very excited about that.

What did Sydney want for her birthday? A television in her room and to have her loft bed taken down. We moved the television from the sunroom into her room and hooked up a DVD player to it. She is sooo excited to be like her brothers and have a tv in her room. She is so easy to make happy.

This baby girl of ours, the one who completed what we thought was our already complete family, has brought more joy and sunshine, more inspiration and giggles, more smiles and laughter than we ever thought possible. No matter how much she changes in looks, the older she gets, she remains such an amazing, sweet, and tender-hearted young lady. She is so well-loved by her brothers, adored by her daddy, and more precious to me than she'll ever realize. Happy birthday to one of the most incredible gifts Chad and I have every received.

Elijah's Hip Hop group 2010

2011-02-03T08:25:00.002-06:00

This is a big dance year for Elijah. His tap and hip hop groups will be performing in Myrtle Beach at Nationals and he is so excited! I wanted to publish this picture of last year's hip hop group. They performed a fast, upbeat, high energy hip hop mix and did very well at competitions.

Dance is Elijah's passion and he's very good at it. It is thrilling to watch him on stage and performing.

We can't wait to see this year's numbers and are even more excited to watch Elijah and his friends in action on stage. We know it will be a great year of dance for him and one we won't forget any too soon.

We love Hay!!!

2011-02-03T08:16:00.004-06:00

This is Haley. We loooovvveee Haley. She is such a great girl and one of Elijah's bestest friends. Haley and her family moved to South Carolina just after fifth grade. She has been a mainstay friend for Elijah since he started Albany Elementary and even though she is far away, they keep in contact and their friendship is stronger than ever.

We're very excited because this year Elijah has dance Nationals and they are taking place in Myrtle Beach which is only FIFTEEN minutes from Haley and her family. On top of that, Hay will turn 16 while we are there which means Elijah will be able to spend a ton of time with her over her big birthday. We are excited to get to spend some much needed time with the Evans clan. Here are a couple of pictures of Elijah, Kenna, and Haley. The one picture was taken on the last day of school in fifth grade. It was pajama day and they posed like Charlie's Angels. The second picture was taken over the summer of Elijah's freshman year. Same pose, completely different looking kids.

We love you, Hay and can't wait to see you!!!!

Elijah's big year!

2011-02-03T08:01:00.005-06:00

Elijah had a big year so far. He went to Delta Sadies with his friend Maddie Walker, he turned sixteen, and he's going to the Sweetheart Ball with his friend Katherine Smith. I did want to included some pictures of his night of Sadies. He doubled with some of his best friends Aaron Jackson and Leah Williams. Some of you might remember Leah from last year as she was Elijah's date for Sadies and Sweetheart.
On our way out of Leah and Aaron's neighborhood, we saw some more of Elijah's good friends. Here he is posing with some of the girls. Gracie (red shirt) is his best dance buddy. They dance tap and hip hop together. She is silly and loud and funny and adorable. Kenna (on Elijah's left) is our neighbor and she and Elijah sit together on the bus everyday. They've been buddies since second grade. Missy (white shirt) also dances with Elijah. She and Elijah had danced together outside of the studio and have become really close over the years. Erin (green shirt) is Grace's best friend and has become friends with Elijah through osmosis.

You gotta love good friends. They make each day worth living and provide so much joy and happiness. Elijah is very lucky when it comes to his friends. We are very thankful for the friends Elijah has. They keep him going, they provide strong shoulders to lean on, and they are all such great kids.

Elijah is 16!

2011-02-03T07:35:00.005-06:00

I was going back through my blogs recently and realized I didn't post or blog anything about Elijah's 16th birthday. I'm terrible!!! SO...I'm going to blog about it today and hope Elijah forgives me later! We have some pictures but we got more video than pictures. I'll share a few pics here.

First off, we kept the party planning under wraps. We didn't want Elijah to know anything about the party. In fact, Celeste (one of Elijah's best friends) and Elijah share the same birthday so she helped me out a lot by planning a "fake" party for the two of them to distract the birthday boy. And boy, did it work! (Thank you again, Celeste! You are awesome!)

About a month before the party, I started contacting Elijah's friends. Elijah's birthday is November 3 so we decided to have the party on October 30th and make it a Halloween costume party. The kids were really excited about this. Every week, when we took Elijah to dance on Thursdays, I would go to the Halloween store in Muncie and stock up on stuff. We were so excited and we knew as long as no one said anything, we would be able to pull it off. Sydney did slip up once and it was a doozy but we covered well and Elijah still didn't have any idea.

The day of the party, we knew we had to get Elijah out of the house so we could decorate the garage and get the food ready. The Albany Halloween parade was that night and we had told Elijah that Mom and Dad, Uncle Todd and Aunt Sue, Auntie Val and Uncle Randy and allll the kids were coming over to eat and then to walk up and go see the parade. BUT because of all the stuff we had to do, I wasn't going to have time to run to the store. Brooke "volunteered" to pick up Elijah and they went to get all the stuff. Little did he know the list I gave him of stuff to shop for was all the food for his party. Once he left, we had 2 hours to decorate, get everything ready and have the guests show up.

The garage looked great, the guests were dressed up and in place and then Elijah arrived. He walked into the garage and the look on his face was PRICELESS! He had NO idea and was absolutely thrilled. Chad and I had bought him a priest costume and had laid it out on his bed for him to wear so he could be dressed up with his friends. After the initial shock, Elijah and his friends walked uptown to the parade and then afterwards came back to eat, play games, open presents, and dance. They had a blast.

A highlight of the party was our gift to Elijah. We don't allow our kids to get cell phones until they turn 16. We just don't feel like there's a reason for them to have one earlier than that. Two weeks before the party, we ordered his phone, got him a ringtone, and charged it up for him. We delivered it to him at his party. He was SO excited. He and his friends had so much fun taking pictures and putting in their numbers into his phone and calling and texting each other.

It was a great night. We are proud of Elijah and wanted to celebrate his big birthday in a big way. Happy Birthday, Elijah! We love you so much!

Noah and Sam at Senior Ball

2011-01-23T18:21:00.007-06:00

This was the big weekend! Noah was invited to go to the Senior Ball with Sam. He was nervous but very excited.

Our Saturday started off early and was busy until we dropped off to bed around 1 a.m. Chad and I went to an early breakfast at Starbucks and then went to pick up Sam's flowers (which were beautiful!) By the time we finished our errands and got home, it was time to get ready to go to Sam's basketball game. This was a big game for her because first, it was her very last home game and on top of that, it was Senior Day and she and the two other seniors on her team were honored. They won their game against Shelbyville, which always makes for a good day. Afterward, we headed home to get Noah ready to go. Sam on the other hand, had to quickly take a shower and then head over to get her hair done.

Once Noah was showered, shaved, dressed, and smelling good, we made our way over to Sam's house for pictures. Noah looked amazing! He can pull off pink in a big way! Sooooo handsome! And Sam, well, she looked absolutely gorgeous. Her dress looked stunning on her and together they looked absolutely fantastic. While I know you can't see her entire dress, the hot pink sash tied into a huge bow in the back. Her skirt fell above the knee and was all black and filmy and flowed beautifully.
They had so much fun at the dance. They had dinner and danced a lot and laughed and had the best time together. Afterwards, Sam and Noah came back to our house where they had pizza and couched. I think I pulled about 300 bobby pins out of her hair, which I hated to take down because it was so pretty! They both crashed out on the couch shortly afterwards.
We spent a lazy day on Sunday. I made a huge breakfast and later Sam, Noah, Sydney and I played a game of Sorry (Sam won but I think she cheated.) Afterwards, Noah and Sam headed to her house to celebrate her little brother, Trooper's birthday.

Noah had a great weekend and he had such a blast with Sam. I know it will be a night he won't forget any too soon.

Good times!

Meet Sam

2011-01-15T06:55:00.007-06:00

THIS IS SAM.

Sam is AWESOME!

I've always been proud of our kids and the decisions they make when it comes to friends. They have always chosen friends with good character and values and as a mom, I so appreciate that because... as many of you know... who we surround ourselves with speaks volume about our own character.
Don't you love it when you get the privilege to connect with amazing kids that have a good, solid head on their shoulders? I'm talking about kids with not only a great work ethic but the strength to not give into peer pressure and ones that just can be themselves no matter what the situation and keep perspective? There are a lot of kids like that out there but I'm very proud of Sam and the person she is.

Sam has become a good friend of our family. She interns at Albany and while her mom and I went to high school and have always been good friends, her daughter, Sam has become a regular fixture in our home. She loves our kids (she has a special fondness for Noah) and they always have so much fun with her. She and Elijah are going to be workout buddies and are planning to make trips to the Y to keep fit together. She's funny and silly and we love her tons. Sam and Noah have this incredible bond that is so fun to watch. I won't go into a lot of detail but they are hilarious! They laugh at everything and have the same sense of humor. Sydney loves Sam and enjoys having a "cool" girl at the house to hang out with.

Sam was given the honor of being The Star Press Athlete of the week this week. She is a forward on Delta's Girls Varsity Basketball team. She is amazing and we are very proud of her.

She invited Noah to be her date this year for the Senior Ball. (He's very nervous but know they'll have a blast!)

I don't think Sam knows for sure what she's going to do after high school or what school she will be attending but our family can't wait to see what happens in her life and watch her grow into an amazing adult.

We've gotten to watch Sam play basketball this season and she is a great athlete and is usually the top scorer in her games. She is fun to watch in action. We are very proud of Sam and all of her accomplishments.

If you get a chance, check out Sam in the Star Press. www.thestarpress.com/section/aow There's also a video of her that is fun to watch. Enjoy!

P.S. Pictures soon to follow of Noah and Sam for Senior Ball.

#11 Our Christmas tree

2010-12-26T11:25:00.004-06:00

Okay, as silly as it sounds, I love my Christmas tree. I mean...I LOVE IT. I always want to set it up a couple weeks before Thanksgiving arrives and not take it down until mid-January. Chad frowns on the thought of putting up the Christmas tree before Thanksgiving. He thinks it's sacriligous to celebrate a holiday before another one is over. I agree...I guess...but I love Christmas so much I can't wait to decorate the house and I want nothing more than to feel that Christmas spirit and the way the house looks and feels during the holidays.

There's also a bit of sentimental value that goes along with our tree.

When Chad and I were first married, he was working as the general manager of a Goodwill store in Indianapolis. It wasn't a glamorous job, by any means, but we were thankful for his employment there.

Goodwill at the time had a contract with Target stores. They got all of their unsold, returned, and broken merchandise. Chad called me one afternoon and said they had gotten a shipment in and he wanted me to come and look at it. I made the trek to the store one Saturday and was pleasantly pleased to find several Christmas tree boxes in their back storeroom.

Chad said they had taken them out and put them together and they were all complete and in good shape. He had picked one out for us and we brought it home.

That was 18 years ago. Our first Christmas tree. It's still as beautiful as it was when we first bought it. Every year, we talk about getting a new one but we never do.

I am thankful for our Christmas tree and the memories and feelings we have associate with it. Merry Christmas to all of you.

#12 - Laundry

2010-12-21T08:55:00.005-06:00

Okay so the task of laundry is not my favorite and I'm not thankful (persay) for dirty laundry. The sorting, the folding, the putting away....not exactly my cup of tea.

When you have children, laundry becomes a way of life. In fact, I do laundry (at least a load) nearly every day. It's the only way I can keep up. When I was sick with the flu recently, I didn't do laundry for four days. You might chuckle and think, "4 days? Please! Like that will make a difference!"

Let me tell you... In four days, I had so much laundry it was stacked up as high as my washer and dryer in TWO clothesbaskets. That, my friend is about 10 loads of clothes!

When you're a mom, you become a sort of master launderer of sorts. You become efficient at sorting clothes, knowing exactly how much detergent, fabric softner, how many pairs of jeans can fit in a super sized load, time it will take to dry the favorite pair of jeans before the bus pulls up in front of the house...etc and you would think this would bring pride to the children of the family to know that their mother knows how to remove dried on ketchup from the favorite shirt.

Ummmm NO! At this point in their life, it has no bearing whatsoever.

What I am thankful for is CLEAN laundry. I am so eternally thankful for a working washer and dryer so I don't have to lug 15 loads to the laundromat and spend my life savings on getting my clothes clean.

I am thankful for a detergent and a clean place to wash my clothes without leaving the comfort of my home.

So, today as I look for the matching pairs of socks and fold that unbearably difficut fitted sheet today, I will not get frustrated. Because I AM THANKFUL FOR CLEAN LAUNDRY!

# 13 - Silly, sweet Sydney

2010-12-21T08:34:00.003-06:00

I have a wondeful daughter. She is fun and silly and ditzy and kind and loving. She has a great sense of humor that many people don't get to see because Sydney is incredibly shy. At home she is loud, and crazy, and talks NON-STOP, and sings and is crazy about her brothers and can take a joke better than most. She giggles all the time and usually has something pretty funny to say. Around those she doesn't know well, she is quiet and aloof and shy and timid. Even around family, she is content to stay back and listen and absorb without getting involved and being noticed. She hates to be the center of attention. She hates to be involved in an embarassing situation.

She is starting to break out of her shell a bit which is so fun to watch.

We had our Austin Kids Christmas gathering at my parent's house on Saturday. It was a good time. We always do a White Elephant gift which is guarranteed to bring lots of laughter. Sydney's gift was hysterical. She got a Christmas Disguise complete with platinum wig, reindeer headband, and glasses with the giant nose attached. The family called to her to try it on. Inside I was thinking, "She will NEVER put that on in front of everyone!"

BUT she did! And she giggled the entire time.

It was great!

Needless to say, the Christmas Disguise was a hot item and Sydney wasn't able to hold onto it for long. She was even sad about it because she actually loves playing dress-up with her friends. My brother snapped this picture to capture the event. GO SYDNEY!!!

#14 - Health

2010-12-21T08:10:00.004-06:00

Okay...so I'm realllllly behind on my thankful posts. But I have been sick, sick, sick. The flu has rocked our household and I was the first lucky duck to get it. I'm feeling so much better (day 5 here!) but still have quite a tender stomach and tiny meals is about all I can muster without feeling ill.

With that being said, I am thankful for health.

We have battled illness in our house since Fall Break. Elijah and I were very sick with bronchitis and sinuitis and then Noah and Chad got it after we started to get over it. We were healthy over Thanksgiving weekend and then it started up again! It's so frustrating!

Many of you know and realize that when one person in your house gets sicks, usually the rest will follow and it can take weeks to get through it. The more kids you have, the longer it takes to run its course.

The bottom line is, I am thankful for health. Yes, we might have had the flu and bronchitis and sinus infections and colds but on the whole we have health. We don't have an illness that can't be cured with medication, we don't have a debilitating disease, we don't have a mental illness that prevents us from taking care of ourselves and making decisions.

We have health!

I am holding on to that this holiday season as I dish out the Advil and vitamins and take temperatures and soothe aches and fevers. I am thankful for the health my family has.

With that being said...

As I travel to family gatherings, as I sit with my own husband and children around our Christmas tree and open gifts, as I enjoy family meals and play games together over the holiday, I don't want to lose sight of those that aren't able to enjoy the Season because of their lack of health for whatever reason. I want to God prick my heart over these next days of rejoicing to continue to remind me to lift up the sick and suffering.

Today....be thankful for health.

#15 - Thankful for my BFF

2010-12-12T20:19:00.003-06:00

I love my best friend. She has been my best friend since I was around 12 or 13. We spent nearly every weekend together when we were in high school and we endured broken hearts, car accidents, idiot boyfriends, pregnancy, break ups, you name it, we've been through it. We have laughed so hard we've cried. We don't have to talk every day or week to know how important we are to each other. I love her more than anything and I'm thankful our friendship has survived all these years. She is silly and goofy and wonderful and kind and sincere...all rolled up into one person. I couldn't be happier to call her my best friend.

I love you, Holly!
By the way...if I come up missing, have Holly questioned first. She is going to KILL me for posting some of these pics!!!

Noah's Snow Art

2010-12-12T20:09:00.002-06:00

Noah has a wonderful sense of humor. He really is a funny kid and this, I think, proves it.

This is what greeted us when we looked out our front door after Noah had supposedly gone out to "shovel snow."

Wow! You gotta love this kid!!!

#16 - Moscato Wine

2010-12-11T07:50:00.002-06:00

Okay, I am not a big wine drinker. I find it a little bitter and I'm definitely a sweet wine kind of girl. When I drink wine, it must be a white wine and it usually is Pinot Grigio.

Last night, Chad had to work the late shift so I decided to take Sydney and Noah out to dinner and then grocery shop. They begged to go to Olive Garden. We rarely, and I mean next to never, go there. I love it, don't get me wrong, but it is so expensive that we don't indulge ourselves very much.

We went and they were giving out samples of their Moscato wine. This is the description of it, if you've never had any:

Castello del Poggio Moscato

Castello del Poggio Moscato is made from the muscat grape and originates from the Piedmont region of Italy. This wine, which means “Castle on a Hill,” is lightly sparkling, with lush notes of apricot and honey. On its own or paired with a dessert, the wine offers a sweet finish to any meal.

Oh My Goodnes...it is delicious! I think it could quickly rise to the top of my favorites list! While I'm not normally thankful for alcohol, I am thankful for new and fun discoveries that give that giddy feeling like I've discovered something absolutely amazing! I bought a bottle for Chad and I and he liked it alot too!

If you get a chance, and you like sweet wine, give it a try. YUMMMMM!

Some snow pics

2010-12-11T07:44:00.002-06:00

Wanted to include these in the below blog but forgot! I decided to make them into a separate blog.

#17 - Thankful for SNOW!

2010-12-11T06:55:00.003-06:00

I may have some haters with this blog but you're just gonna have to suffer through it.

I love SNOW! Now I'm not talking late February or March snow... I'm talking about Christmas, Tis the Season to be Jolly, wonderfully, white, sparkly stuff that "makes the season bright Snow.

We are supposed to have some sort of storm this weekend. It's supposed to start of with rain and then snow all day Sunday which might make for a nice 2-hour delay for Monday or even a closing :) but there are so many conflicting reports that no one is really sure what is going to happen, how much we're going to get, or how long it will last. I guess we'll see! But I'm excited! I love the way snow can fall in these big, huge, dense flakes but hit the ground in near silence. It coats everything like it's washing it clean. Everything seems purer when it snows. There's something romantic about a snowy day, whether it's morning or evening. I love it.

Now...on the opposite side of this, no. I do not like the slick roads, the icy conditions, the greasy slush... but that's not what I'm talking about.

My kids love playing in the snow. It is one of their favorite things. Elijah has grown out of the desire to bundle up and throw snowballs and make snow angels, but he still loves snow. Noah could play outside for hours! He loves to shovel snow, which is nice because he always wants to clean off our sidewalks and deck and I never have to beg him. What a good boy! Sydney loves to eat snow. She was just talking last night bout all the sweet treats she would try to like make with snow (to be honest, not really sure about that girl but she sure is cute!)

Snow! Beautiful, season changing, throw your scarf and mittens on, and enjoy the SNOW!

#18 - My Noah

2010-12-07T17:20:00.003-06:00

I am very thankful for my kids. Each one of them is so different from the other which is the biggest reason why each of them are so precious to us.

Now it's time for me to dote on Noah.

My wonderful, spirited, energetic Noah. Funny. Silly. Genuine. Tender-hearted.

Noah's toddler years were a non-stop barrage of chasing after him, cleaning up his messes, pinning him down, treating his bumps and bruises. In fact, to the innocent bystander, I'm sure it probably seemed like a circus at times. When he wasn't eating the dirt, the trash, and the dog food he was playing in the dirt, the trash, and the dog food. He was our ER baby as he always had accidents like falling through ceilings (yes, it's true!) He could sit in wet or poopy diapers for hours and when I'd go to change his diaper it always ended being some sort of endurathon of running, chasing, wrestling, and practically sitting on him just to get clean pants on him. I was constantly putting band-aids on him, treating bumps with ice, and we had a constant tube of Neosporin in various places in the house intended for use on Noah.

Not long ago, we were watching some home movies of the kids when they were little. Elijah began to chuckle. I asked him what was so funny. He said, "Noah." I looked at him with a look of question and he explained. "Mom, you always talk about how busy and active Noah was and I never really understood what you meant until we sat down today and watched us in action. One minute he's under the table, the next minute he's being chased down because he has something he shouldn't, the next minute he's sticking cheese puffs into the waistband of his diaper to save for a later treat." Elijah, by this time is cracking up. And he finishes it by saying, "You're right, Mom. He never stopped. Not once." And I agreed. The only break we had was when he slept.

Meanwhile, Chad and I have to just look at each other and smile because we know the heart that beats inside this lanky and long-legged boy of ours is that of a loving and sweet boy who adores his family, takes pride in his schoolwork, and would do anything to make someone else feel better about themselves.

I am including a short video of what we lovingly call "the lipstick incident." This is Noah at his best. He is two in this video. I had left the living room to answer the phone. When I hung up, THIS was what I found. While it was frustrating, I also found it very funny and I tried very hard to seem angry but ended up having to leave the room because I was just about to crack up! If you will notice, Noah is trying his best to "seem" upset and remorseful for what he has done but really can't muster the proper tears or reaction.

In the end... I'm thankful for Noah. Very.

#19 - My favorite cookbook

2010-12-06T21:36:00.002-06:00

This is my favorite cookbook. This is the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook, copyright 1953. From the time I was a little girl, this is the cookbook I remember my mom using to make many of our family favorite recipes. From cream puffs to snickerdoodles, this became a fixture in our kitchen growing up. My very favorite recipe is the amazing apple dumpling concoction she would make. It would come out hot from the oven and we would pour milk over the top to cool it down just enough to eat.

I am thankful for my mom and how she would spend time with me while I was growing up to teach me how to cook and how to follow recipes. I love that many of her well-loved recipes have worked their way into our home to become dishes my husband and children love and request just like we did when we were young.

I asked if one day, mom would pass her beloved cookbook onto me and she gave it to me a few years ago. I use it all the time. Everytime I pull it from the shelf and flip through it, I can feel flour granules on the cover, see the stains of vanilla on the recipes of well-loved desserts, and the memories of my childhood with each turn of the page.

Thank you, Mom for teaching me how to cook.
Thank you for passing on a great heirloom and a wonderful memory from my childhood.

#20 - Baking Christmas Cookies

2010-12-05T10:52:00.004-06:00

One of my favorite traditions that we do with our kids is baking Christmas cookies and decorate them. We give them to our neighbors and we have a blast doing it. It is a tradition I'm very thankful we started and our kids look forward to it every year. We use a recipe out of my favorite cookbook and we have tons of cookie cutters that we have collected over the years. I think when we started out, we had a star, a bell, a candy cane, and a Christmas tree. Now we have about 20 different shapes and each one has their favorite.

We spend the evening baking, icing, eating, and laughing....A LOT!

This year was no different. Sydney has become quite an artist and she iced an amazing Santa on her ornament cookie HOWEVER.... she tried to make him holding a present but she messed up and it looks like Santa is holding a gun!!! Nothing says Merry Christmas like Santa holding a handgun... SHEESH! We laughed and laughed even though she was disappointed with the outcome of something she worked so hard on. Chad always has good intentions when he ices cookies however all his snowmen have red, robot eyes and look a little on the evil side. It's pretty funny!

We love this tradition and look forward to it every year. Being a mom is the biggest blessing and I'm so very honored to get to watch these kids of ours grow up and take some of the traditions we have always done when they were young and apply them to their lives when they have families.

So much fun!

20 favorite things

2010-12-05T10:34:00.003-06:00

So...there are 20 days until Christmas Day. 20 days! I can't believe it. I have a had a pretty frustrating year at work so far but even though, there is still so much to be thankful for. I want to spend the rest of December counting my blessings, as I believe all of us should. There is so much to be thankful for. I have these three beautiful and amazing children that I love more than anything and I'm so proud of. I have a wonderful husband who is fun to hang out with and is an absolutely fantastic dad. We have a wonderful home, we're both employed, food to eat, cars to drive, good health....the list goes on and on. But there are some things that might seem silly or ridiculous that I'm still very thankful for. I thought I'd post some of those things here during December. I hope you enjoy!!!

Merry Christmas, all!

Summertime Sydney

2010-07-25T12:14:00.006-05:00

Our kids love our pool. It is the one thing that has saved us this summer with the blazing hot temps and the humidity that saturates your skin as soon as you step outside. It has been the best investment and the biggest blessing.

My children have had the good fortune to inherit Chad's skin tone. They bronze up in the sun easily. I'm so jealous but I'm so glad they don't have my fair skin especially since they spend hours and hours in our pool.

Sydney is a regular fish. She would spend nearly every moment in the pool. Sometimes she just puts on her bathing suit after lunch just in case the mood strikes her at some point to jump in.

Sydney is a lovely girl. Many people say she resembles me quite a bit and while she has certain attributes of mine, she is far prettier at twelve than I ever was at any age. She has long, tan legs, beatifully thick hair with curls and wave she's inherited from her daddy. She is sweet and loving and always kind. She is funny but usually doesn't try to be. She's gullible and ditzy but it makes her all that more endearing. She is adored by her brothers and her parents are wild about her. While we never intended to have three children, we sure are thrilled that God saw fit to give us our darling girl.

A few months ago, I blogged about the cat we inherited through my friend, Kurt. Sydney is in love with this feline and Tippy follows her everywhere. Wherever Sydney is, that's where Tippy wants to be. For example.... Sydney can't even be on the computer without Tippy being nearly on top of her.

We sure do love our girl. What a blessing!

Gorgeous, Hilarious, Silly Noah

2010-07-25T12:06:00.002-05:00

NOAH

N - Noisy
O - Out-Spoken
A - Astounding
H - Hilarious

I love this blue-eyed, beautiful boy, who resembles his father in his looks but has my free-spiritness.

Ohhh Noah! I hope you know how much you are adored. I'm so crazy about you.

Elijah's Year of Dance

2010-07-25T11:25:00.005-05:00

Elijah had a great year in dance. His tap number was such fun to watch and the chemistry he has with the other members of his group is so tangible you could reach out your hand and touch it. His hip hop number was full of energy and so fast paced that those that watched it got winded. Elijah's talent has come full circle. He has always been an incredible dancer but this year he owned the skills he has learned over the years. He's comfortable with his body and has finally grown into his height and his build. His muscles have become more defined and he's able to hone his moves and his body keeps up. He has immense talent and is so much fun to watch.

His production number this year was to the music of 42nd Street. The costumes were beautiful and flashy and it's always so intoxicating to see all the kids up on stage. Once again, Elijah wow'ed us with his brillance up on stage. Something about him lights up when he dances. He is so fun to watch.

Great job, this year Elijah! We can't wait to see what this next year holds for you!

My Summer Book Swap

2010-07-25T10:37:00.005-05:00

I wrote about this briefly on Facebook but thought I would share more detail here.

This summer Elijah and I decided to trade books. He has been asking me for months to read his favorite book The Hunger Games written by Suzanne Collins. I had been putting him off making the excuse that I was reading other books at the time and couldn't but this summer, I couldn't put it off anymore. The reason I put off the reading of this book was because it didn't seem like the kind of books I usually read. I like books that are funny and light with a little comical romance to them. If a book can make me laugh out loud, chances are it will become a quick favorite of mine.

Elijah will read just about anything but seems to like more serious books that have a lot of meat to the storyline and twists and turns to the plot. He likes intricate stories that weave spells to keep his mind wondering and working on how the end will turn out. Me, well... books are my escape. I like to be entertained, I want to laugh, and I want a happy ending.

So, with a bit of reluctance, I accept the challenge to read The Hunger Games. From the first chapter I am amazed and transfixed as I read the story of Katniss who comes from the less than poor District 12 and illegally hunts and gathers food for her family who is on the brink of starvation. Each year, every child ages 12 to 18 must put their name in to be chosen for the annual Hunger Games. This is a government "game" where two children are chosen from each of the twelve districts and put into an arena of sorts and are forced to kill each other until only one victor remains. The Victor is awarded with money, a house, and food for their lifetime. When her sister's name is drawn for the games, Katniss volunteers instead and is in the fight of her life to just stay alive.

The book is one I couldn't put down. It met every expectation and everything Elijah said about it was absolutely true. I finished the book in four days. Elijah also had the sequel called Catching Fire. It was amazing too.

The third book in the series is due out the end of August. It is called The Mockingjay.

I definitely would say that if you're looking for a great book to read that will transport you from your everyday life for a few moments, this is one you should look into. It is wonderful!

For those of you that are avid readers, who can't pass up a good book, who spend their only free moments with noses buried in books, who would rather curl up on the couch with mug of tea and a great read.... well... this is it.

Thank you, Elijah. Once again, you have proved to give me insight and it has been a blast to share something like this with you.

Happy Reading!!!

Me and my 'Lij

2010-06-27T09:09:00.004-05:00

I love my kids. They are completely amazing and wonderful and cool! I'm completely blessed to have them in my life and they make my life worth living. I miss them when they are gone, I hate when they leave, I love spending time with them.... it borders on obsessive! They are incredible!

Now it's time for me to gloat and brag about Elijah. He's the best! I have been working non-stop at the school without a break and I'm exhausted. I would come home every night and have to deal with dinner and running Elijah to dance and cleaning the house and doing the laundry and just the thought of it exhausted me. I felt like I couldn't get enough sleep!

But then Elijah (without being asked, or told, or prompted) took it on. He swears it's because he was bored but I think he knew that I was being stretched too thin. He cleaned the house, did the laundry and dishes. I would come home and the house would be swept and dusted, the laundry completely washed, dried, and folded. He cleaned my kitchen, took down wreaths from the walls and washed them and set them out on the deck to dry. He washed baskets and decorative jars. No one asked him to do this. No one said, "You know, Elijah. Your mom is really tired and could use some help." NOPE! He did this on his own because he's wonderful and knew that I needed help and just did it.

He even came to work on my last day and spent six hours on my computer entering books, deleting and adding titles. It's long, tedious work. It takes so much time that even the fastest typer can only enter about 18 book titles an hour. Elijah worked tirelessly that day. On top of that, he worked all day and then had to dance in his recital that evening. I love him and I'm so thankful for the son that he is.

He babysat his little cousins this weekend. I watched him play with Lily in the pool. I watched him gently tickle and kiss Natalie. I watched him patiently make blueberry muffins with Lily. I watched him lovingly feed Natalie. I got a glimpse of the kind of daddy Elijah will be one day. It was a wonderful thing to see. I'm completely entralled with the young man Elijah is growing up to be.

Thank you, Elijah for being such an incredible person. For seeing other's needs above your own. For loving your parents and your family so much. I sure do love you!

Summer!

2010-06-27T08:48:00.003-05:00

I've tried to get back in the swing of things by beginning to blog. Things JUST slowed down for me as I have ONE ENTIRE MONTH OFF before I start back into school. Our kids have been out of school nearly a month now but I have continued to work in our library since it is becoming automated. It is a HUGE job and tedious work as well. Since an elementary school in our corporation has been closed, their automated system is coming to Albany, which means trying to get that system integrated with our books before school starts back up. It is a veryyyyy long process and one that will take months and months and months before it is completely finished. I hope our staff is patient (and flexible, for that matter.) This will be a race of endurance...definitely not a sprint!!!

It took me three weeks to purge Albany's library of old books. By old books, I mean books that hadn't been checked out in over ten years. I had books in my library that hadn't been checked out since 1974!!! I purged around 5000 books! These books will be donated to community libraries in Delaware County. NOW...the books from DeSoto's library will go onto Albany's shelves and then as time allows, Albany's books will be entered into the automated system and integrated into the new library. WOW! Makes me tire just to think about it. I've included some pictures. The boxes you see are just a fraction of DeSoto's books that need to be put on the shelves The books with the brightly colored labels on them is our new labeling system for AR. We have over 10,000 books to label!!!

We've got a long way to go but once it's finished it will be amazing! So excited for our kids! They have no idea all the cool things in store for them!

OHHHH NOOOO!!!

2010-05-26T07:26:00.004-05:00

One of my favorite drinks EVER and look at what I just learned????

I'm going to have to curb my enthusiasm!!! This is just SO sad!!!

Worst Frozen Coffee Drink
Dairy Queen Caramel MooLatte (24 fl oz)

870 calories
24 g fat (19 g saturated, 1 g trans)
112 g sugars

Sugar Equivalent: 12 Dunkin’ Donuts Bavarian Kreme Doughnuts

Coffee-dessert hybrids are among the worst breed of beverages. This one delivers 1 gram of fat and 4.6 grams of sugar in every ounce, making even Starbucks’ over-the-top line of Frappuccinos look like decent options. Maybe that’s why DQ decided to give it a name that alludes to the animal it promises to turn you into. If you can bring yourself to skip DQ and head to a coffee shop instead, order a large iced latte with a couple shots of flavored syrup and save some 600 calories. But if you’re stuck where you are, you’re better off pairing a small treat with a regular cup of joe.

Elijah goes to DHS Sadies

2009-11-08T19:43:00.002-06:00

Elijah got asked to go to Sadies by his good friend, Leah. Leah has been a mainstay friend for years. We love her because she is funny and so sweet. She has a crazy sense of style and we love that she goes by the beat of her own drum. She and Elijah always have so much fun together and they laugh constantly. We were glad that Elijah got to experience Sadies with someone he really enjoys being with. P.S. Great shirts, Leah!

Elijah is 15!

2009-11-08T19:31:00.003-06:00

Well, the festivities have ended so now I can blog about the success that was Elijah's birthday party. Can you believe he is 15 years old? Where did the time go? Where was that little boy who use to run around in Barney underwear and silly hats? Oh my goodness!

Elijah has great friends and they all have been his friends for many years. They are all silly and goopy and really funny. Since Elijah's actual "day" was on Tuesday we really weren't able to celebrate until the weekend hit. On Friday, Elijah had eight of his friends over for pizza, games, karaoke, and then the guys stayed for a sleep over.

Good times!!! Happy Birthday 'Lij! Your life completely blesses our family! We love you!!!

A great Fall Break!

2009-10-28T08:40:00.006-05:00

Fall Break is over and it's back to the grind. Our Fall Break was wonderful and we were able to get away and have some fun together as a family. Chad and I took the kids to Gatlinburg and rented a cabin for a few days. I've never been to the Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge area before so I wasn't sure what to expect. I was just glad to have some time away.

It was gorgeous down there! The trees were bursting with the colors of Fall. A myriad of pinks, golds, reds, oranges, and yellows covered the mountians and the winding roads up hills and down gulleys was breathtaking! Our cabin was very nice and came equipped with a hot tub and pool table which the kids loved.

Noah insisted on "swimming" in the hot tub which was not very relaxing for Chad and I but we sure laughed a lot at him. Sydney wanted us to count at how long she could hold her head under the water. Elijah did a lot of eye rolling at his siblings. It won't be long when they will be "mature" and not do such silly things like that.

The scenery was GORGEOUS! The colors were bright and vibrant and the mountains were beautiful! We spent an afternoon taking a couple mile hike up a mountain to a breathtaking waterfall. Here is just a taste of what we saw each day.

We did some sightseeing in Gatlinburg and also got to do some shopping too. We went on the chairlift and that was a total blast. Sydney and I were a bit nervous with the steep incline of the ride but the scenery made it totally worth it.

It was a good place to go for a short getaway. We all had a blast and it was so fun to hang out together. We mined for jewels, went on a magic wand scavenger hunt, experienced a very cool mirror maze, played Pirate Glow-in-the-Dark putt putt, and even got to see several black bears up close and more personal than I was comfortable with.

Good times! Can't wait to go back....

Beautiful, Beautiful Girl

2009-10-05T08:08:00.001-05:00

This picture was taken last year and I ran across it while doing some computer house cleaning. I just had to share! I will post more recent pics soon!

Been a long, long time

2009-10-05T07:51:00.002-05:00

Okay, so I haven't blogged in...well....let's see...ummmm...FOREVER.

School has started back up and things are as busy as ever. Elijah is dancing competitive tap and hip hop again this year. He is also a FRESHMAN IN HIGH SCHOOL now so life has changed once again for him. He didn't enjoy it much at first but I think now that he's used to it, things are improving. He always has LOTS of homework but continues to maintain amazing grades. He still has great friends and enjoys going to football games and dances. He will be FIFTEEN in November and driving will be coming up in NO TIME! Where does the time go?

Noah is doing great. He is in eighth grade and in his last year at the Middle School. He has all A's this year and continues to "wow" us with his love of all things educational! Noah is involved in PeaceMakers and was inducted last Spring into the National Junior Honors Society. Needless to say he keeps busy. His new love is AirSoft wars with friends. He purchased his first AirSoft gun this month and is loving every single second of it. I have a feeling that Chad and I are going to get shot a lot!!! :)

Sydney is at the Middle School this year. She's a big SIXTH grader! What happened to my babies...they are growing up super duper fast!!! School is a constant struggle for Sydney. Social Studies is causing her quite a bit of angst right now but we are determined to get her on the right path. Syd is still very social and is on the phone quite a bit and now has her own email address so she is keeping "in contact" with EVERYONE! Sydney continues to melt us daily with her silly sense of humor and the ditziness that seems to encapsulate our daughter. She is such a peach!

Chad is doing well. His job continues to be on the stressful side of things and he struggles at times with all the changes and responsibilities that continues to be given to him. Chad is incredibly patient and continues to thrive and do well in his position. He was recently promoted to Accounts Manager and is learning all the ins and outs of his new job all the while doing his other job too. LOTS of stuff going on with him but he continues to maintain that amazing daddy/provider/husband role. :)

I am still working at the school in the library. This is my sixth year working for Delaware Community Schools. We've added a third Kindergarten class due to our increasing enrollment. While it is great for our school, it adds more responsibility for those that teach specials. I do enjoy being with the students and we continue to have a great staff.

All in all...we are great! We are heading to Gatlinburg for Fall Break and we can't wait to get away. I'm sure there will be lots and lots of pictures of that coming soon so be on the lookout!

Blessings to you and yours as we enter this season of Fall and Thanksgiving.

Me and my little Sixth Grader

2009-06-03T19:04:00.003-05:00

I can't put into words how much this girl means to me. I just love her more than anything!!! This was taken on the afternoon on Sydney's last day of school. A bit bittersweet but I wouldn't have traded being able to spend most of the day with her for anything in the world.

I love you, Sydie!!!

Sydney's Graduation!

2009-06-03T18:37:00.004-05:00

Our baby girl has graduated from elementary. It's a very sad thing. Even Sydney is pretty sad about it. She's just not sure if she wants to leave elementary and move onto the middle school. She's pretty nervous about it. I'm sure she will be fine once she learns her way around and gets through the first few days. She will probably love it!

Anyway, here are a few pictures of Sydney with some of her favorite teachers. Mrs. Royal (in the blue shirt) is Sydney's favorite teacher of all. She was her Kindergarten teacher. Mr. Richey is another favorite and was Sydney's fourth grade teacher. He likes to tease her about buying tickets to her "gun show" so this is a very typical Mr. Richey picture. Mrs. Hanna (the blonde) is Sydney's remediation teacher. Sydney loves her because she is silly and fun. Mrs. Cook (in the burgandy shirt) is our school secretary and because I cover the office when Mrs. Cook is busy or out, Sydney has a special friendship with her. Lastly, there is a picture of Sydney with her Elementary Diploma.

It's hard to believe that the last six years have flown by as quickly as they have. Our kids are growing up so fast and I can hardly keep up with them most days.

I am continually amazed at what a blessing our babies are to us. We are very proud of them!

Strange Bird Incident

2009-06-03T18:26:00.003-05:00

This is so bizarre...I just had to write about it.

Okay, so Sydney, Noah, and I were sitting in the living room watching Band of Brothers. It was a beautiful day and we had all the windows open. All of a sudden, we hear this CRASH and we look over and a bird has flown into the screen of our window.

What's even crazier is the fact this his little bird feet got hooked into the screen and he was stuck! He worked and worked to get off our screen but couldn't manage for quite some time. Chad and Elijah weren't home at the time and I knew they would never believe it unless I took a picture of it...so....here's the proof!!!

Noah's Induction

2009-06-03T18:16:00.002-05:00

It has been a very long time since I've blogged. Things have been SO busy around here! Elijah has had dance competitions, Noah has had track meets, Sydney has had choir trips....it's been a little on the crazy side. BUT now that today is the kids' last day of school, I should have some time to blog more.

Starting with THIS...

Noah is officially a SMARTY PANTS! He was inducted into the National Jr. Honors Society a couple weeks ago. We are so excited for him! He is amazing and his grades are fantastic.

We are so, so, so proud of him.

We love you, Noah. Congratulations!!!!

Elijah Dances at The Bridge

2009-04-14T21:31:00.003-05:00

I wanted to include a video of Elijah dancing this past weekend at The Bridge in Anderson for their Easter service. You can pick him out easily as he is the only boy and the only one with white hair! hahaha!

Elijah's hip hop teacher from The Performance Academy sets up a dance every Easter at her church (The Bridge) and always invites Elijah to be involved. He LOVES it and looks forward to it every year. This is the dance and it is AWESOME! Chad and I are constantly amazed at how with every year he gets better and better.

There is a short but very cool slide show at the beginning. Thanks to Wendy Rogers Buck for sending this my way. You are the coolest and we love you lots!!! :)

Take a look and enjoy!!!

Sydney turns 11!

2009-04-14T21:11:00.002-05:00

Yes, it's true. She just keeps getting older. It's so sad! BUT...she had a great birthday.

Sydney wanted to have a slumber party this year. She only wanted to invite her three closest friends so on Thursday, Brittany, Kaylee, and Shae joined Sydney for makeovers, spa time, and dinner at Cheeseburger in Paradise. They had a blast! They all slept in the living room and ate popcorn and giggled and whispered together. They played games and giggled some more. They had such a good time and everyone got along and there wasn't one cross word the entire time. Here are some pictures of our beautiful 11-year old daughter having fun with her girlfriends.

Happy Birthday, Syd!

The Austin Family...from awhile back!

2009-03-10T20:57:00.002-05:00

I had never seen this picture before until tonight. I didn't even know it was in exsistence until I saw it posted on Amy's Facebook page. This picture was taken the day my parents celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary. They renewed their wedding vows that day and we had a party for them in their honor.

This is the Austin clan many years ago. I remember the outfit I wore that day (green babydoll shirt, black leggings with green and pink flowers, and pink bow flats) and my boyfriend's sister french braided my hair. I remember being at the lakes all weekend and driving home for the party and being slightly sunburned from being out on the boat earlier that day. I also remember arguing with my boyfriend about the fact that he wanted to stay at the lakes a little longer but how how important it was that I not be late to the event because it was my parents' special day and how annoyed we were with each other most of the day.

Isn't funny the memories you keep with you from long ago? I remember this day like it was yesterday. We all look different but we are mostly the same. I love my family...every single warped one of them! And even though I'm not with the above mentioned boyfriend anymore...I wish him well wherever he is! :)

Flashbacks

2009-03-10T20:51:00.002-05:00

This is a picture of Chad and Butch Kratky taken at the Variety Show at Monroe Central. This picture takes me back a ways. I believe I was in 7th grade and Chad was a sophomore when he dance in the Variety Show. He and Butch did some poppin' and lockin' and some break dancin' which was totally hot during that time. Their number was the hit of the show. Afterwards I cracked up because TONS of girls stood in line to get Chad and Butch's autographs! What was even funnier was the fact that the girls wanting their autographs were girls we all went to school with and saw on a daily basis.

Thanks to Shelly Hedges for posting this picture on Facebook.

He's a Giant!!!

2009-03-05T19:05:00.002-06:00

Well, Elijah has surpassed all rules of height declared by the genes in our families. He has passed both Chad and I and is officially taller than us. *sigh* But, on the up side, he's such a great kid and I'm so proud of the young man he's becoming. I made him pose with me in the picture (because it's my job to torment him as much as I can!!!)

Meet Kierston

2009-03-05T18:51:00.004-06:00

This is Kierston. She is Kurt's younger sister. I met Kierston FIRST when she was a gymnast at the gym where I worked. She was one of my competitive gymnasts.

Kierston just turned 13. We went to her birthday party at the new Glow-in-the-Dark Putt Putt golf place in Muncie and had a blast! She is funny and silly and I love her dearly.

She always says things like "You should love me more because you knew me first," or "You and Kurt wouldn't be friends if it wasn't for me." And, she's probably right.

Kierston is one of Elijah's best friends. She and her friend, Ciara and Elijah are good buddies and I'm glad they get along so well and like to hang out together. They are crazy when they are together.

It's fun to be with Kierston. She brings out the silly in me! Her laugh is infectious and she always keeps us in stitches ("How does my butt look in these jeans???" or "Look me me! My hips don't lie!" LOL)

I love her and I am SO glad I met her and her family. I feel like she's one of my own. Thank you, Kierston for reminding me how important you are to me. I love you SO much!

Science Fair

2009-02-16T19:43:00.002-06:00

Our last Science Fair is over. I have to say I'm really not sad about it. Science Fair is one of my least favorite things to do during the school year. There is a ton of time spent researching, printing stuff out, experimenting, putting together the board, taking pictures...etc...

Sydney picked a really good project this year. She chose something she was very interested in. She decided to go with "What Bubble Solution Works the Best?" She and Chad did a bunch of research and then made three different bubble solutions and then tested their solution with bubble wands they made from pipe cleaners.

The end result was that Sydney received a bronze medal. We are very proud of her and her Science Fair accomplishment.

While we are THRILLED that this is it for us and Science Fair, we are even happier that Sydney did so well and learned something from it.

Cute Kitty

2009-02-16T19:39:00.004-06:00

I don't want to inundate you with pictures of our new addition but I had to include this one. I have never been a cat person (neither has Chad) but we both have to admit that we love this little feline. She is so sweet and has the best personality!

Tippy loves to be with people. If we are on the computer she has to get all up in it and be right there with you.

Case in point? Check it out!

Snow, Snow, Snow

2009-02-16T19:29:00.003-06:00

Well, it's official! I'm sick of snow! I'm so ready for Spring! I think it happened with this last big snow and ultra cold temps! Sydney and Noah's love of playing in the cold, white stuff hasn't been dampened at all. They have played and played outside and have loved every minute of it.

Chad took them to the park to sled and they had a blast. I wanted to include a picture of Noah pulling Sydney on the sled and of the GIGANTIC icicle that hung from the front corner of our house. It was amazing and when Noah pulled it off the house, I was even more astounded that it was nearly as tall as Sydney! HOLY COW!

So, while the snow is indeed beautiful, I so ready for green grass and leafy trees and warmer weather. C'mon Spring!!!

Our new addition

2009-01-27T20:02:00.002-06:00

Meet Tippy. She is not really ours. We're providing a long-term babysitting service for my friend Kurt (and his angelic mother, Ami) while he's getting through this second semester at college.

The shortened version of the story is this; Tippy is a wild kitten that Kurt worked on when he was a vet tech in Bloomington. He fell in love with her and brought her home. Since he is a college student, he is pretty busy with classes, homework, and diving so poor Tippy didn't get a lot of attention. Sydney however, loves this kitten. Whenever Kurt comes home for a long weekend or holiday, she begs to play and spend time with her.

On Sunday, Ami was teasing and telling me that Tippy told her she wants to live in Albany. While hysterical, I told her unless Chad was willing there was NO WAY I would be able to show back up at my house with an animal. I mean, isn't it enough that we have two dogs? So after Ami's hysterical phone conversation with Chad....Tippy was packed up (complete with litter box, deodorizer, and food) and together we made the trip to Albany.

SYDNEY IS ABSOLUTELY THRILLED! She squealed with delight when she saw Tippy and scooped her right off my lap and away she went. She has taken tons of pictures and videos and draws pictures of her and when she's home, little Tippy's feet don't hit the floor. It's rather adorable.

While I know Kurt might miss her, he has given Sydney an amazing gift. She knows we won't be keeping her forever but she is loving this long-term slumber party she is having with his cat. It is teaching her responsibility and she is loving being Tippy's mama. In fact, today while she was in the library for class, she looked at me and mouthed the words, "Mom, I miss Tippy." It's just too sweet. So I'm including pictures of the very adorable Tippy. While she's not ours, we are loving taking care of Kurt's cat.

One of my very, very favorite things!

2009-01-15T21:20:00.005-06:00

For those of you that know me well, you know that I have an obsession with purses. I would rather have a new purse than new clothes or shoes. There is something about purses that makes me so happy. I don't know what that is or where that comes from. I could shop for purses everyday and not get bored.

My favorite purse of all time that I have been dying for is an authentic Juicy Couture pink and brown Daydreamer bag. Oh my goodness. It's so beautiful.

I have been on ebay looking for a decent used one because they are a little on the expensive side and I couldn't justify spending money like that on myself. But when I'd find one and get close to purchasing it, I'd chicken out at the last minute.

Recently, my friend Kurt and I were at the Keystone mall shopping when we passed through the purse section. There...in front of me...staring me in the face was the pink and brown Juicy Couture Daydreamer bag! OMG...I started having heart palpatations. Kurt, who knows of my Juicy obsession, goes over to the purse, grabs it from it's display and says, "Christy, come over here and look at it. It's so cute. Rub it on your face. Put it on your arm and see how it looks." Inside, I was dying. As close as it was to Christmas there was NO WAY I would purchase this item for myself. I had to leave the store. I knew the longer I stood there, the worse it would get and I had to get as far away from that Juicy as I could get. It was just too tempting. You'll be proud to know that even though Kurt thought I should buy it, I resisted temptation and dragged myself from the store.

When I got home from Indy that day, I told Chad about my close encounter with the Juicy and he got quite a kick out of it. He laughed at how Kurt teased me about the purse and how I had a near coronary while in the proximity of the aforementioned obsession.

Two weeks later, Chad gave me an early Christmas present. He gave me this huge box and when I opened it and saw the Juicy paper it was wrapped in, I began crying. Like a complete idiot, I cried for about 20 minutes. My heart was in my throat and beating so hard that I thought I might need some extra oxygen. It was a genuine Juicy Couture pink and brown Daydreamer bag. I couldn't believe he bought it for me.

No one ever got me anything like that. It wasn't necessary, it was something that I didn't have to have yet he bought it for me because he knew that it was something I really wanted.

I had to include a picture of my new Juicy. Isn't she pretty? Even if you don't think so, I love her....she's totally yummy!

My Senior Year

2009-01-13T06:54:00.004-06:00

My brother, Curt posted this on his Facebook page and I thought I would steal it and post it here. Kinda fun to go back and think about your last year of high school.

1. Did you date someone from your school? Yes

2. Did you marry someone from your high school? Nope

3. Did you car pool to school? Oh yeah...Jennifer Smith, Kevin Lefevre, and Trisha (Squisha) Hayden....GOOD TIMES!

4. What kind of car did you have? 1981 Two-Tone Brown Caprice Classic (the flying turd)

5. What kind of car do you have now? Silver Envoy

6. Its Friday night...where are you? then...out with my boyfriend

7. It is Friday night...where are you? now...ummm...hard to say! I'm unpredictable!

8. What kind of job did you have in high school? teaching swim and dive lessons and babysitting the Jeffer kids

9. What kind of job do you do now? Work in an elementary school library

10. Were you a party animal? nope...not really.

11. Were you considered a flirt? I don't think so...

12. Were you in band, orchestra, or choir? No, No, and Yes

13. Were you a nerd? Nope

14. Did you get suspended or expelled? Nope

15.Can you sing the fight song? Nope

16. Who was/were your favorite teacher(s)? Mr. Chalfant and Mr. Orchard

17. Where did you sit during lunch? In the commons at a table in the middle of the room with Kevin, Scott, Spencer, Doug, Mandy, and Jodi.

18. What was your school's full name? Delta High School

19. When did you graduate? 1989

20. What was your school mascot? Eagle (the fiercest of all birds, I might add!)

21. If you could go back and do it again, would you? Heck, yes!!!

22. Did you have fun at Prom? So much!

23. Do you still talk to the person you went to Prom with? Nope...that ship has sailed!

24. Are you planning on going to your next reunion? Yes, always!

25. Do you still talk to people from school? Oh yeah, all the time!

Little Elijah dancing...

2009-01-11T17:54:00.003-06:00

I totally forgot I had this video snippet of Elijah dancing. This is so cute. Elijah is about 8 years old in this video. The gal in the white tank top is Wendy. Wendy was Elijah's hip hop instructor for three years. He loves her so much and is probably one of his very favorite people in the universe. In this video, Elijah and Wendy are practicing for an Easter performance they did at The Bridge church in Anderson. The dance was AmAzInG! This is just a peek at some of the choreography. Sorry for my annoying counting in the background. I was following orders....lol

Elijah Dancing

2009-01-11T17:33:00.003-06:00

Okay, I know this is terrible quality (I recorded this with my digital camera and not my video camera) but you get the idea. This is last year's competition dance. Elijah is the only guy in the group and he is in the front. This was a dress rehearsal and they changed the moves right before they went on stage so Elijah does mess up but it was only practice...not actual competition. Wanted to put this on here because I've had many requests to see Elijah dance. Wellllll...here you go! This year, Elijah is dancing competitive tap and hip hop. He is learning a lot even though it's a lot of work. Hip hop is his passion. He's amazing at Tap but has to work really hard at it. This year so far, has been a great year for him. We will have three competitions and Nationals in Gatlinburg. He's excited! Enjoy! I'll get more stuff on here about him soon! Once I get his actual recital DVD loaded on my iPod, I'll put it on here too.

Goofy Girls

2009-01-11T17:23:00.002-06:00

Chad and I got Sydney a Spa Creations Kit. Sydney had declared that she really wanted this way back in the summer and I mentally thought, "Good Christmas idea!!!" She was thrilled when she opened the box. It's actually a pretty fun toy. You have to follow a recipie in order for the things you're creating to turn out okay. You have to add fragrance, water, oils, colors...it's very interesting! Very girlie! Totally up Syd's alley.

She made lotions, perfumes, lip glosses, fizzy bath beads (she made 14 and put all 14 in her bath water at one time...it was like taking a bath in alka-seltzer!) When her BFF Brittney came over, they decided to make oatmeal masks. Talk about funny! I had to get a picture of the finished product.

Sydney and her Christmas Bike

2009-01-11T17:19:00.002-06:00

Her expression says it all. Sydney got a bike for Christmas. She's been asking for one for awhile and even picked out the one she really liked. But her face was priceless when she saw it sitting in the living room. Too fun!

Greeting Cards Gone Wrong...but so so so funny!

2009-01-10T10:02:00.004-06:00

My tire was thumping.
I thought it was flat
When I looked at the tire...
I noticed your cat.
Sorry!

Heard your wife left you,
How upset you must be.
But don't fret about it...
She moved in with me.

Looking back over the years
that we've been together,
I can't help but wonder...
"What the heck was I thinking?"

Congratulations on your wedding day!
Too bad no one likes your husband.

How could two people as beautiful as you
Have such an ugly baby?

I've always wanted to have
someone to hold,
someone to love.
After having met you ..
I've changed my mind.

I must admit, you brought Religion into my life.
I never believed in Hell until I met you.

As the days go by, I think of how lucky I am...
That you're not here to ruin it for me.

Congratulations on your promotion.
Before you go...
Would you like to take this knife out of my back?
You'll probably need it again.

Happy Birthday, Uncle Dad!
(Available only in Tennessee , Kentucky & West Virginia )

Happy birthday! You look great for your age.
Almost Lifelike!

When we were together,
you always said you'd die for me.
Now that we've broken up,
I think it's time you kept your promise.

We have been friends for a very long time ..
let's say we stop?

I'm so miserable without you
it's almost like you're here.

Congratulations on your new bundle of joy.
Did you ever find out who the father was?

Your friends and I wanted to do
something special for your birthday.
So we're having you put to sleep.

So your daughter's a hooker,
and it spoiled your day.
Look at the bright side,
it's really good pay

25 Random Things

2009-01-10T08:52:00.002-06:00

My friend, Malia who I've known since I was a little, little girl sent me this 25 random things on Facebook. My evening wasn't too busy and I hadn't seen or heard from Malia since I was in jr. high so I thought "what the heck!" This was the end result and it ended up taking me almost an hour to finish. I'd write, get up and take a break, think of some more stuff, come back and write some more. I thought I would publish it here for you to read. I did tag a few of my Facebook friends so for some of you this will be a repeat. Kind of fun!

1. Umm...let's see. I'm not very good at this first and foremost. I hate sharing myself with people because I hate to be judged and what I say people might think sounds pretentious or arrogant. I'm pretty private. Only my closest, closest friends and family members know me well.

2. I trust easily until my trust is broken and then...it's ova! It's very hard for me to forgive someone for hurting me or those I love.

3. Ever since I got my heart broken when I was 18, I guard it closely. I superglued it together so very few can see the cracks and chips and I only let those in who I'm most sure will help protect it from breaking again.

4. Sometimes the sense of obligation and responsibility in my life overwhelms me to the point that I can't breathe. I have to take a step back at times and remember who I am and what I have.

5. I love my job but one day I want to do what I went to school for and kick some serious booty while doing it and reap the monotary rewards for doing so.

6. I never make my bed unless we have company or a holiday gathering.

7. I have a few regrets in my life. I won't go into most of them here but I wish I would have pursued music and made that a priority when I had that opportunity. I am SO kicking myself now about that.

8. I love to gossip but I am an excellent secret keeper. I know those two things don't normally go together but it's the honest truth.

9. I completely miss the thin Christy. *sigh* I'm going to find her one day....

10. The older I get the more I hate winter!

11. My last birthday was the worst birthday I ever "celebrated." It sucked!

12. I'm never going to make to point 25.

13. I hate doing laundry. The washing and drying is fine but the folding and putting away is the worst and piles of clean laundry will sit in a clothesbasket waiting to be put away and hung up...but the lazy girl in me just can't muster enough energy to do it! ARRRRG!

14. I have a secret fear that when my boys grow up they will move far away from me and Sydney will live with us forever.

15. I can't be friends with you if you can't make me laugh...A LOT!

16. I can't stand people who think they know everything.

17. I hate feet. I think they are the ugliest part of the body and I don't understand people who get pedis and decorate their toes like they are the most beautiful things on the planet. BLECH!

18. I don't like to shop...with the exception of going shopping with one particular person. :)

19. When I'm by myself I always drive with my music up really loud. AND...I love Linkin Park but when I listen to them in my truck, I get road rage.

20. I don't like chocolate and I don't understand those woment that talk about loving chocolate like they loved their first boyfriend. What is that about?

21. My favorite television show is The Office. I think it's because I have worked in a similar type of environment before and can so relate to all the CRAZY that the bosses have dished out. UNBELIEVEABLE!

22. I am worried about my daughter going to middle school. She is so not ready and I don't want her innocence wrecked by evil and horrible middle school kids! I have complete anxiety about this! EGH!

23. I have a secret fear of running out of toilet paper. I know it's weird but I always check to make sure there is extra toilet paper wherever I go.

24. I wish I could tan....stinking fair skin...

25. Finally, this was the hardest thing I have done or written in a long , long time. I hope you found it interesting! :)

My Brother

2008-12-23T10:29:00.003-06:00

I love my brother Todd. From the time I was little, little, little, Todd and I have had a special bond. I don't know how that happened but that bond exists today. I have always been able to talk to Todd about anything and he never judges me, talkes down to me, and while he doesn't always agree with me or supports every decision I've made in life, he's always been honest with me and loved me through my mistakes. He has a warped sense of humor and always, always makes me laugh.

In my book, he is the cat's meow, the highest rung on the ladder, and a bright light in the darkness. I love this guy more than anything.

As a sidenote: Did I mention how ornery he is? In the picture above Todd is pulling my hair which is why I'm laughing so hard. Do you see how innocent and docile he looks? Looks can be verrrrry deceiving!

The Vaught's Open House

2008-12-23T10:22:00.002-06:00

On December 6th, Chad and I traveled to Indy to spend some time with some of Chad's college buddies from BSU. Some of these guys Chad hasn't seen in 20 years and it was fun to watch them reminisce, catch up, and laugh about the good, ole days. Here are some pictures of Chad with his buddies.

Brad Vaught (in the red sweater) otherwise known as Fausty, was one of Chad's groomsmen in our wedding. Mark Parkison (dark hair) was one of Chad's best friends throughout high school and was also one of Chad's groomsmen. Dwayne Butcher is someone Chad met at BSU and was close with while he was there.

Good guys, good times, and lots of laughter.

My Christmas Babies

2008-12-23T10:12:00.003-06:00

I took some pictures of the kids to give to Grandparents for Christmas and thought I would share a few with you. They are growing like weeds and I'm so proud of them, their amazing hearts, their sweet personalities, and their senses of humor (did I pluralize that correctly???)

Elijah just got his braces off and he's very proud of his incredibly beautiful teeth (which is obvious in these pictures by his toothy grins.) Noah was the one in every picture making everyone laugh and Sydney is just our sweet, innocent Syd.

I hope Santa gets each of you what you have been asking for and that you all have a wonderful Christmas and New Year!

I love this band!

2008-11-18T14:23:00.004-06:00

Okay, a couple years ago we took Elijah and Brooke to see some bands at Anderson University. We mainly went to see Tobymac who is AMAZING but we also saw Building 429 and our new favorite...FAMILY FORCE 5 which we L-O-V-E! They are crazy and fun and loud and make slammin' music that you want to jump up and down to.

Now to forewarn you, this isn't sweet, soft praise music. If you don't know who Family Force 5 is turn your speakers down until you get used to the level of bass pumping through your veins. Then by all means....turn it UP AND ROCK!

This is a great Christian band and I would go and see them again in a heartbeat. They put on an incredible show.

Radiator

Shocking...sooooo shocking

2008-11-02T18:37:00.002-06:00

While Obama might have some good points about the economy...I could never, never vote for this man. I'm speechless! I'm borrowing this from Deanna Greene's blogsite (thanks Deanna) and I am shocked!

WOW...unbelievable!

If I ever waivered before, after seeing this I know who I'm casting my vote for now!

Oooooh! Gross

2008-11-02T18:15:00.004-06:00

Boys are gross!

The night before Halloween we carved pumpkins. Chad was teasing Noah about eating the innards right from the pumpkin. I just had to take a picture of this to capture the silliness of boys.

Instead of eating fresh pumpkin guts, we separated the seeds and cooked them with butter, garlic powder, and salt. Needless to say the garlic was strong enough to make my eyes water and our house smelled like an Italian eatery for a couple days afterwards!!!

What I compromise for the love of my family. It was my good deed for the week!

Halloween '08

2008-11-02T18:06:00.004-06:00

My kids are getting bigger.

It has always been a tradition on Halloween that the kids and I pass out candy to our many trick or treaters. Chad picks up some pizza on the way home from work and we eat, pass out candy, and watch a movie. This year there was a twist....

Elijah wanted to walk around town with his friends, Kelsey and Kenna (who dressed up as nerds...so hilarious!)

Noah and Sydney wanted to trick or treat. Sydney was Dorothy and Noah was a soccer star. Chad took them around town.

Which left me home by myself to pass out candy to trick or treaters.

It actually was pretty great.

Elijah and his friends had a hysterical time. Noah and Sydney got enough treats to last them until next Halloween and I had a great time seeing my students dressed up and handing out candy to them.

It was a good night and to top it all off, Kurt stopped by and we got to visit with him.

Halloween this year was different. But so much fun!

Maybe new traditions aren't so bad!

What did that say?

2008-10-27T17:10:00.004-05:00

OH MY GOODNESS! I can't believe it!

I just checked weather.com and it said there is a chance we'll get S-N-O-W tonight! WHAT!?!?!?! We're still in October, Mother Nature! Wait a minute....hold the phone! This is crazy!

I then looked out the window and noticed the sky looked as if snow could very well be approaching. It looked gray and the clouds looked heavy. Ooooooooh....it is pretty darn chilly out there!

Admission? I get a little giddy when the first few snows of the year happen. There's something magical about that little white stuff as it floats down from the sky. I know, I know, most of the people out there are hating the thought of winter coming but I love it. I love how gorgeous everything looks and look forward to the upcoming holidays bringing gatherings of family and friends. It makes me reallllly happy when it snows around Thanksgiving and on Christmas Eve.

When I saw the weather report, I ran out to the garage where Chad was organizing and cleaning things up and said, "Guesssssss what?" He barely looked up until I mentioned the possibility of snow to which he replied, "Are you kidding me?" Then came my reply which got quite a chuckle. "If it snows, can we put up the Christmas tree?"

He laughed heartily at that one and even though I was kidding, I have to admit I can't wait to put up my Christmas tree. It's one of my favorite things! However, since we have Thanksgiving at our house, Chad is adament that we WAIT until the guests have gone and the Thanksgiving meal is cleaned up before we start dragging boxes of decorations down from the attic.

Oh well...a girl can hope. As for the snow...even though it's only October 27....BRING IT ON! I'm ready!

My friend, Kurt

2008-10-26T13:40:00.005-05:00

Oh, how I love my friend, Kurt!

Kurt and I got tickets to see comedian, Jeff Dunham on Saturday at Emens. It was great to be able to catch up and then have some fun seeing the show together. When Kurt and I get together, we laugh A LOT and last night was no exception.

I love that we are close and that I have gotten the opportunity to watch him grow up. It's so fun to see him grow and learn and make decisions about his life as an adult. It's awesome to see his parents' great parenting skills at work!

Thank you, Kurt for taking time out of your busy schedule to spend time with us! I sure had a blast hanging out with you! Let's do it again SOON!

Oh...to add a little P.S.....I only let you win at Mario Party 8 because you were the GUEST! Next time there will be NO MERCY!

My Fall Babies

2008-10-26T13:37:00.001-05:00

There aren't enough words in the English language to express how much I love these three monkeys of ours. They are pretty darn incredible and we are truly blessed!

My BIG goober

2008-10-26T13:30:00.003-05:00

Elijah is our more serious child. He's very tender, very kind, and loves his family without abandon. He spends a lot of time in quiet reflection, he reads a lot, he's just so smart and every now and again we do or say something that will make him laugh so hard he gasps for air.

A couple weeks ago, Chad's dad and stepmom came over for lunch. We were sitting at the table talking and all of the sudden, Elijah pulls this thing (don't know what it's called but it's like a spikey bathing cap...don't ask...my mom bought it for Noah while on vacation) on over his head and just goes on listening to the conversation....no big deal.

I just happen to look over and could not contain my laughter. It just caught me so off-guard! I had to take a picture. Thought I would post this for you to enjoy too.

I just love my little goobers...even Elijah, who's not so little anymore!

Twins

2008-10-26T13:26:00.003-05:00

I love this picture of Noah. He's just so silly and says the funniest things...sometimes without even thinking about it or meaning to. Right before I took this picture he said, "Look Mom! We're twins!" I'm not exactly sure what he was talking about. Maybe he meant because they both smell funny or maybe it's because they both need their distemper shots...it can't be because they both shed...hmmmmm, something to think about futher, I think!

School Days

2008-10-20T22:13:00.006-05:00

I took this picture today during the after school group I work with on Mondays and Wednesdays.

This is Sydney with her two closest friends. Brittany (dark hair) has been Sydney's bestest friend since Kindergarten. They are two peas in a pod and they have the best time together.

Megan and Sydney became good friends last year. We love Megan because she is very silly and loud and isn't afraid to share her opinion. She pushes Sydney to be goofy and act crazy and laugh a lot.

These girls are very different from each other but both girls bring out fun and brillant qualities in Sydney.

This picture was just too cute to pass up sharing.

Thank goodness for great girlfriends. They make life so darn fun!

I love this time of year!

2008-10-20T22:02:00.003-05:00

Aaaaaah, Fall!

This is one of my favorite times of year. I just love the smell of the decaying leaves, the crispness of the air, the frosty mornings, and the frequency of rainstorms. I also love raking leaves and then playing in them with my kids. I love taking walks and hearing the leaves crunch under my shoes. I love the mums and pumpkins and gourds that decorate porches and yards and I love handing out candy to neighboring trick-or-treaters. So much fun!

This weekend was gorgeous. We spent most of the late morning and afternoon in our yard picking up walnuts, mowing, trimming down bushes and cutting down plants. Chad got a new toy (leaf blower) that he spent a lot of time blowing the leaves with. Sydney spent over an hour playing in the leaves and once she was done she had leaves tangled thickly in her curly, blonde hair.

We took a walk in the afternoon and walked out to the old cemetary and down to the old bridge. It was absolutely beautiful. Seeing the reds, golds, oranges, and greens all mingled together while the river gurgled over rocks and the smells of farmers bringing in their corn and beans. It was glorious.

Sydney and Noah rescued a little turtle that was in the middle of the road. He was covered with mud and didn't look real good. They washed him off and released him to the edge of the river where Sydney exclaimed, "He was the best turtle I've ever known." She gets so attached to things!

I think in these couple of pictures you can see how much we enjoyed our Saturday. At least it's evident seeing Sydney and Elijah's smiles.

My recent lapse in blogging...

2008-10-20T21:44:00.005-05:00

Once again, there has been a slight lapse in my blogging. Are you ready for my excuse for not being online among the world of blog readers and blog enthusiasts?

Last week was just plain hetic. Work was insane. Our secretary was out for most of the week and I help cover the office when she is out. Normally this is all well and good until the tornado that rips apart my world (otherwise known as Book Fair) comes to town. Set up is crazy busy and then the kids come, and then there's Family Night, and then there's Grandparents Day and everything becomes a blur of activity! Every afternoon I would get home and just be utterly wiped out from the day's events. I craved sleep and just time to sit down and do something besides run, run, run.

Thankfully, today was my "official" last day of Book Fair. My financials have been tallied and reported, book fair has been packed up, and our secretary (oh how I've missed her) is back. Life has returned to normal and I love that.

While I am thankful that it is over, I am very pleased with how well we did. We raised more money than had in the past (which, frankly I was surprised at considering the state of our economy!) and I am thrilled with that because I am going to be able to purchase some great things for our library that I've had my eye on for quite some time. I can't wait! The students are going to love the tricks I have up my sleeve!!!!

More about that soon!

Mercy

2008-10-02T22:11:00.003-05:00

Elijah took this picture when we went on vacation to North Carolina.

When I look at this picture and see the gorgeous colors with the sun just coming up and making the sky a myriad of pinks, reds, and oranges, I am reminded that His mercies are new every morning.

Thank goodness for that, huh? I could use some new mercy right now in my life!

I'm a bad, bad, bad aunt!

2008-10-02T21:27:00.005-05:00

Did you ever have one of those weeks where it doesn't matter what you do you cannot keep on top of things...let alone your schedule...let alone your life???? That's how I feel this week. I had an overwhelmingly busy day at work today. It was frustrating because I didn't get anything I wanted to done and my mountain of work just keeps piling up!

Here are a few insights that I have come up with this week:

Helping the kids with their homework makes my brain hurt...(I hate Math and Science makes my stomach hurt!)

It doesn't matter how many times I look in the refrigerator....the same stuff is always in there and none of it looks good enough to fix for dinner for the family!

My daughter leaves for an overnight field trip which I'm feeling a little bit nauseous about.

I have so much laundry to do I could bury myself alive in it and I wouldn't be found for several days. Added point: I am sick of my kids throwing clean clothes into the laundry because they are too lazy to put them away! ARRRRG!

Is it Friday yet?

OH...and to top it all off...it's 10:30 PM and I just remembered that my nephew's Sectional tennis match was tonight and WE MISSED IT!!! Man! I put it on the calendar, I put a sticky note on my computer at work so I wouldn't forget....I completely suck! (I know suck is a strong word but I honestly can't think of a better word to convey my absolute horror at this point!) I'll just briefly mention that we missed senior night, we missed his last tournament, and now the sectional!!!

Note to Tabey: We love you so much! Words are not enough to let you know how much you mean to us (even though it's hard to see that since we missed another one of your matches, again!!!) Don't hold it against us. It is so NOT intentional.

I will work sincerely hard to clean up my act and tattoo your graduation and open house date on my forehead so I don't forget....SHEESH!

P.S. Caleb is such an incredible young man. He is amazing and talented and genuine and loving. I know this picture of Caleb is old...but I love his expression here and his hair is awesome!!!!!

VIB- Very Important Blog

2008-10-01T07:04:00.004-05:00

Sixteen years ago today, Chad kissed me for the first time.

I know for most people this is not a huge deal. For us, it is. For most people, their wedding anniversary is what they get excited about. We do love our wedding anniversary and it is important to us but there is something about October 1 that is very special. For us, that was the day that our life started together.

To back up...

Many of you already know that I have known Chad since I was a little girl. I was about five when I was first introduced to him. I have loved him since then.

My family has loved Chad for many, many years and he has been a part of our family for as long as I can remember knowing him. He and Todd were very close growing up so Chad was at our house a great deal. It was Chad's skateboarding skills which then inspired Todd to build a skateboard ramp on our sidewalk and then LIGHT IT ON FIRE! Needless to say, it didn't end well. Todd broke his leg and was in a cast for eight weeks.

Chad went on vacation with us to Dale Hollow when I was twelve. Chad was the first to congratulate me with a hug when I found out I had made Selectones as a freshman. We went to the same church, the same school, our families were close....and although I'm sure he thought I was his sister's annoying friend, I always thought Chad was totally awesome!

Chad and I started dating by accident. Well...at the time I thought it was an accident. Now I know that this was God's plan unfolding for me. We ran into each other after not having seen each other or each other's family for six or seven years. We decided to get together to catch up. I had no expectations. After all, I had just gotten out of a not so good, very serious 4-year relationship and the last thing I wanted was to get involve with anyone. Besides...this was Chad May. He had always thought I was his sister's annoying friend.

Our get together turned into another get together. That get together turned into me being invited to his house for pizza. That evening, October 1, 1992, Chad May kissed me. It threw me off guard but in that very moment, I knew he was THE ONE. I cried all the way home. Those tears were full of fear and excitement. Chad May? Really? The California boy who I had loved since I was five? The boy who my family has loved and thought of as one of their own? This is CRAZY!

Shortly after we started dating, I was telling Chad how much I had adored him when I had first met him. I told him that in fall of 1978 I wrote him a letter (I would have been seven and Chad would have been about 11.) I told him I remembered writing him but he never wrote me back. He laughed and said he kind of remembered that.

A few days later after we had gone to dinner one evening, Chad grabs my hand and says, "Here." He hands me an envelope that is old and yellow with age. I turn it over and see my childish handwriting on the front. Inside is the letter that I wrote to Chad in 1978. He had kept it. All these years. Why? It was just a childish note. There was nothing in it that mattered. I was just a little girl. My spelling was terrible, my handwriting horrible...but he had kept it. That evening, I fell even more in love with Chad May.

I never thought in a million years I would end up with Chad. I never thought after I moved away and graduated from Delta High School that our paths would ever really cross again. I never thought that the boy I had grown up adoring would be my husband and someone I could adore out loud every day for the rest of my life.

Last night, Chad and I were laying in the darkness of our bedroom and talking about our day and how in about six minutes it would be October 1. We started laughing and reminiscing about the days when we first started dating. At that moment it was like God switched on a light bulb in my head. He immediately reminded me of promise he made to us in Psalms.

Psalms 37:4 says, "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart."

It hit me like a ton of bricks. I immediately became silent so I could digest this. Silent tears ran from my eyes because I knew God had given me the desire of my heart. He had given me Chad.

I believe from the time I was a little girl, Chad May became the desire of my heart, even though I wasn't old enough to understand what that means. Even when I was a teenager and then an adult, I had no idea that Chad May would ever cross my path again but God did. I know that God had my steps planned out. I know that God planted that little seed in Chad's heart for me and in my heart for him. I know that what happened between us when it happened between us was in God's perfect timing.

Chad once told me, "I'm so glad that God saw fit to slightly blind you long enough to fall in love with me." I'm just glad God saw fit to allow us to find each other. So unexpected but so wonderful all at the same time.

I know I'm not the best steward. I make LOTS of mistakes. I sometimes do and say things that do not glorify my Heavenly Father but I am so grateful that He loves me and gave me the desires of my heart.

Happy Anniversary, Chad. You are the desire of my heart and I love you!

Celebration Funeral

2008-09-26T09:25:00.003-05:00

Sounds weird, huh? Last night our family attended a celebration service for our dear friend, Joe Bennett and I was amazed at the love, the laughter, and the intimacy of the service. So profound!

First of all, if you don't know Joe, he was amazing man. I've known Joe and his family since I was "knee high to a grasshopper" (I've always wanted to use that phrase!) and Joe's greatness, his size, his uncanny resemblance to some grizzly frontier man, would make any girl of five, six, seven and eight uneasy. But Joe had these amazing kind eyes and he smiled often. He had this deep, rumbly laughter that echoed around you. I can see him wearing his SEEKERS t-shirt, jeans, sporting his dark beard and twinking eyes. Joe always reminded me of a pioneer Santa Claus. We spent lots of time at the Bennett house. In fact, while Mom and Dad were away at Epworth, Val and I spent some nights at the Bennett house. Joann made us drink goat milk (I don't think I've ever recovered from that) and we swam in their pool for hours and hours.

Joe and Joann's son, Shane was Todd's closest friend. Joel, the middle son was one of Chad's closest friends. We all kind of grew up together. I was four years younger than Jenny (their youngest daughter) but I can remember vividly that one time when we stayed at their house, Jenny had this hand-held kissing/apple/boy/girl game (Jenny, forgive me. I can't remember the details of the actual game.) But I can remember playing and playing that game and seeing how many times the boys "kissed" the girls. Jenny, do you remember this? Help me out! Oh man...Val and I would fight over that game...it was crazy!

We have great memories of this family. A group of men from our church went on a fishing trip. My dad went along. Chad's dad, Cris was there too as well as Joe. They came back with amazing pictures of their stay, the fish they caught, as well as stories of their fellowship, the things they studied and learned, as well as the fun they had.

Joe passed away the other day. His service was last night. It was wonderful. The praise service was fantastic. The memories that Shane shared were delightful and gave us another peek into Joe's incredible life. Mark Beeson, who made one of the biggest impressions on Chad and my's spiritual walk,(he also shared in officiating our wedding) was there to speak as well. Mark spoke about things that I had always wondered about and again gave me new insight on which I will need to ponder and pray about. I will have to blog sometime soon about Mark and the amazing man/father/pastor he is.

We were able to see and catch up with many dear friends that we don't get to see often. It was wonderful.

Joe, I'm sure is a very proud man. Not only is he in heaven with his heavenly father but I'm positive he looked down and was pleased with how his family chose to honor his life.

To my friends, the Bennetts; You are such wonderful people. I'm so glad that you are a part of Chad and I's life. Thank you for sharing Joe with us last evening. We will be praying for you over the coming weeks and months.

Winnin' Big at the Track!

2008-09-24T16:13:00.006-05:00

We had such a fun weekend! Saturday, we headed to Hoosier Park in Anderson to watch some horse racing. A teacher at school works at a horse track in Shelbyville during the summer. She knows many of the jockeys and so she arranged a "fun staff day" at the racetrack. It was a blast!

Chad and I brought the kids along. It is a beautiful place and if you haven't ever been there, you should definitely check it out. The flowers are lovely, the atmosphere is clean and family friendly and the horses are amazing!

Chad and I know NOTHING about betting or gambling (heck...we only played penny slots in Vegas!) but we did want to try our luck at wagering on some horses. I picked my horse (Horse #1 is Musical Laughter) and we placed a $6 win/place/show bet. OH MY GOSH...it was so exciting and what's more we WON! I can't remember exactly how much we won but it was around $15. So fun! So with some of our winnings, we placed another $6 win/place/show bet on Moutainside (this was Noah's pick) and won again! This time we won about $20! We won nothing on the third race but on the fourth race, we took some of our winnings and place one $6 win/place/show bet on #1A Cousin Bill and won about $40!

We stood outside right at the finish line so we could watch our horses cross (which was SO exciting) and then we were able to take pictures of them when the winners came into the winner's circle. Below are our winning horses. Boy...can I pick 'em or what?!?!?!?!

#1 is Musical Laughter
#3 Mountainside
#1A Cousin Bill

Talk about exciting! We took our winnings and put gas in our truck and then bought a pizza. What a fun time!

Thanks to Morgan Jones for arranging the day! And to Morgan, Matt, and Julia.... let's do it again sometime! P.S. Next time, could you please introduce me to Jose? I'm dying to meet him....

Too Funny!

2008-09-20T08:45:00.003-05:00

I saw this on my friend's blogsite and had to copy it to share with you. Linda (you can visit her blog at www.2nd-cup-of-coffee.blogspot.com) hates musicals and posted this video because (as she says) she can relate to the spectators at a food court in this mall. I however, love musicals. My favorite is Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. Sydney loves White Christmas. Elijah loves Newsies. It's hard for me to relate to a person who doesn't love musicals. I just don't get it. While I love my friend, Linda...I just don't get it.

I am posting this video because it is hysterical and while Linda can relate to people in the crowd, I however, see genius at work and think whoever came up with this idea has great imagination not to mention the sheer gall of the people performing. It is a hoot.

Take a peek and see what you think!

It's been awhile!

2008-09-20T07:35:00.010-05:00

I know, I haven't been on here much lately but it's always the same story around here.... Once school starts our lives spin out of control. We just get so busy! It seems like our next few weekends are already booked and I'm not even sure how that happened!

School is going great! This year is going much smoother for me. Most of it I'm sure, is because I know what I'm doing and have a plan of action on how to get there. Our annual book fair is in about three weeks which means I will be CONSUMED with all things books! Last year was pretty overwhelming for me because A) I had NO idea what I was doing and B) I had virtually NO help. It was all "fly by the seat of your pants and hope you do a decent job" sort of thing. This year I'm more comfortable because I know what to expect which makes all the difference in the world.

Another thing that is in our near future is that this is a Nationals year for Elijah in dance which means (for all you non-dance folk out there) Elijah will be competing out of state this year. We are hoping for Gatlinburg but we won't find out for a few more days. We'll see! It is a week long ordeal and while I know he is VERY excited about it, all I can see is the $$$ that is involved! I'm sure my anxiety will subside and I hate fundraising but I think we might need to do some of that to help with the costs.

On top of allllll this, I am amazed at how much my kids have changed over the last four years. We were looking through some pics and I thought I would share these with you. For those of you with little ones, cherish every moment of your little ones' lives. They grow up SO unbelievably fast!

Update!

2008-09-03T13:20:00.002-05:00

I thought it might be time for an overhaul. Instead of the traditional pink background I usually go with I decided to go with a more subtle and soothing background. Hope you like it!

Oh...and about my banner at the top...well normally I am NOT a foot person. I've never gotten a pedicure (the thought of someone I don't know touching my feet completely creeps me out) and I don't think feet are AT ALL cute. However, Chad took this picture while sitting on the beach and watching the kids playing in the sand. It just looks so darn relaxing that I had to include it. With summer quickly coming to a close, I thought it might be appropriate. I will change it eventually so for those of you that (like me) can't stand the look of feet, just grin a bear it and scroll down quickly!

Today was a crazy day. Everything was going like it normally does until 10:30 when we were informed that a water main had broken in town and we had to close the school and send all the kids home. It was pretty exciting stuff...no water...no drinking fountains or toilets...solution....SEND THE KIDS HOME! Yahoo! Sydney and I made it home by 1:00 which made my week SO much better.

Everyone here is great. Elijah is dancing competitively again this year. He is dancing tap and hip hop and will be in junior company tap and teen hip hop. He's pretty darn excited.

Noah joined the Peacemakers group at school this year and is loving that. He had his first meeting last week and has a field trip on Friday dealing with Peacemakers. He's really enjoying this so far.

Sydney is loving fifth grade, which is so awesome since she was having quite a bit of anxiety about it this summer. She loves her teacher and is doing very well. Sydney is very active in choir and is learning to play the recorder this year. (Just a sidenote for those of your that are wondering....No, Sydney will not be joining band in middle school. She has decided that playing the recorder is not her cup of tea!)

School is good, jobs are good, kids are great, and Fall is coming up fast! Now if we could only get some much needed rain, September would be off to a slammin' start! Hope you all had a great Labor Day weekend!

Hummingbird, part 2

2008-08-21T21:43:00.002-05:00

I'm getting a little bit better at photographing my hummingbird however, this shot I had to get through the window. Isn't he cute?

Mom's birthday

2008-08-21T21:35:00.005-05:00

Today my mom turns 63. I think she had a pretty good day. Because we worked all day, I didn't even get a chance to call her until I got off work. I invited them over for dinner to help celebrate her special day.

I made spaghetti, salad, green beans, and garlic bread. Dad surprised her with a Reese Cup ice cream cake. She was thrilled. Elijah made her a bracelet and just about every four or five minutes, Sydney and Noah were hugging her and wishing her a Happy Birthday. We played some cards and did a lot of laughing. It was good to spend time with both of them. Here are a few pics of Mom (and Dad) on her big day.

Happy birthday, Mom. We sure do love you!

Great times with Kurt Barttrum

2008-08-16T22:00:00.008-05:00

Several months ago, I wrote a blog about my friend Kurt Barttrum. If you don't remember it, you should go back and read it (so I don't have re-explain myself, it's listed under March 2007 :)
As a re-cap (ahem...clearing my throat) Kurt is a 2008 graduate of Yorktown High School (Please don't hold this against him. He can't help it! hee hee) and he is the state diver. This kid is amazing. I can't say enough about him.
He comes from amazing parents. He has an amazing sister. He is completely charismatic. He is extremely talented. He is genuinely super nice. AND...he's a great friend of mine.

I love Kurt. I've watched him grow up. If you remember my blog at all when I wrote about him before, you know that I met Kurt while I was working at The Performance Academy. At that time, he was 9 or 10 years old, ornery, spunky, and an amazing tumbler in our gym. He used to sit with me at my desk and write on my hand, tell me stories of his latest girlfriend drama, or write me silly notes and stick them in my purse for me to find later. As he got older, the stories of girlfriend drama became more serious, the writing on my hand didn't happen nearly as frequently but he would still stick hand-written notes in my purse for me to find at a later date. We've karaokied (that's not a word, I know. Get over it!) spent holidays together, wrestled in our living rooms, and laughed until we've nearly peed our pants. Great times. I love this kid! We have so much fun together!

His parents are awesome. I love Ami and Tim so much! They are incredible and when we are together, we laugh and laugh and laugh. They are so good to their kids and teach them such amazing life lessons through circumstances that pop up in day to day life. Kierston and Kurt are so lucky to have them. What's more, I think they know that. And, just to touch on Kierston, how much do I love this silly, adorable girl. I can't even begin. We laugh so hard at her. She is goopy, and ditzy, and precious and so fun! What a great family!

Kurt is getting ready to head to IU on Wednesday. I'm so excited for him and this new chapter of his life. He will be on the IU dive team who is coached by the 1996 Olympics diving gold medalist. He won't be close enough for us to hang out as much as we usually do but I'm sure we'll talk often and he always sends me text messages to brighten my day. Tonight, I got to spend a little bit of time with him and his family before he leaves for school. We met for dinner and had such a blast. I brought my camera to catch some of the fun.

I'm so proud of the young man that Kurt has become. There is not a doubt in my mind that he will be heading to the London 2012 Olympics to dive. He's been training so hard for years and he's being trained by the best. He's so talented and wants it so badly! I know we are going to see him on our televisions and be rooting for him in a few short years.

Here are a few pictures of my friend, Kurt from our get together tonight. He is awesome! Kurt, I love you and will continue to support you and your dreams! Good luck at school and call me soon! :)

Silly Girls

2008-08-16T17:03:00.003-05:00

This is Sydney and her good girlfriend, Megan. Believe it or not, they went swimming Friday evening in our pool. Needless to say, it was freezing! That's probably one of the last times Sydney will swim this year (unless we have a heat wave in the next couple weeks) so I wanted to make sure I got a couple of pictures of her and her crazy friend.

Megan stayed for dinner and then they practiced their recorders on the front porch. We also got the weird pleasure of watching Sydney and Megan walk like chickens while mooing like cows. Once they would do this, then they would explode into hysterical fits of laughter. (Don't ask...all I know is fifth grade girls are VERY silly!)

They asked if I would take their picture when they were in the pool so this is the end result. The second picture is them making "crazy faces."

Fishin!

2008-08-16T16:55:00.004-05:00

Chad got up early one morning last weekend and took Sydney and Noah fishing. They were thrilled at the opportunity to spend some time with their daddy. Sydney couldn't wait to go fishing (she's never gone before) and I couldn't believe her eagerness to bait hooks and touch squirmy, slippery fish! Too funny!

Sydney even worked extra hard picking out an outfit the night before that was suitable for fishing. If you can read her shirt, it says "Grandma says I'm a keeper" and it has a girl holding a fishing pole and fish.

Even though they didn't catch much (Sydney caught two and Noah caught one very little bluegill) the trip was a success and they both can't wait to go again.

My kids...gettin' so big!

2008-08-16T16:40:00.003-05:00

Here they are in their new clothes, carrying new backback, and looking cuter than ever. I can hardly believe school has started up again. This will be a difficult year for me. Sydney is in her last year of elementary, folks. Can you wrap your mind around that? This is it! My itty, bitty, baby girl will be hitting DMS next fall! Just crazy! However, if it was up to her, she would be staying in elementary. At least she's saying that now. I have a feeling as the time gets closer, she'll become more and more ready to move on. Thoughts of the middle school terrify her right now but that will get better, I think as the year progresses.

AND...look at my gigantic boy! He is head and shoulders above Noah in height. What a good-lookin' boy! Elijah is shaving now which is so weird to think about. His voice is very deep and when people call our house and he answers the phone, people often mistaken him for Chad. He think's that's pretty funny. This is his last year of middle school. He is an honors student and is on a competitive tap and hip-hop dance company this year. He amazes me!

Then there's Noah. My little monkey boy. My never-ending bundle of energy. My comedian. He's in seventh grade this year and couldn't wait for school to start. Noah loves school. He loves to learn and loves to be a part of discussion groups at school when it concerns what he's learning in the classroom. Noah plays soccer and is on the DMS track team. He still loves to ride his bike, play tennis, and whomp on anyone willing to play him on the Wii. He's a little guy but BOY...is he scrappy! He's a hugger and when you can pin him down, he likes to be loved on.

I'm blessed with wonderful children. They have completed my life in ways I never expected. They are all so different from each other but all have amazing spirits and amazing hearts.

Birthday Post

2008-08-12T15:00:00.002-05:00

Today I am officially 37. I don't feel 37 (at least I don't at the beginning of my day...the end of my day is looking like a different story!) My sister, Brooke said she doesn't believe I'm 37. She said I look and I act like a "girl" in her twenties. (God bless her...I knew I liked her for some reason!) I haven't been looking forward to my birthday. I am on the downward spiral to 40 and that really stinks so with each birthday, the thought in the back of my mind is "Uh oh...you're getting even closer!"

This was a very uneventful birthday. Tomorrow is the first day of school so there are lots of "last minute" things to do and finish up before we all head off to bed tonight. Noah and Elijah had orthodontist appointments this morning at 9 a.m. and then we had the very unfortunate task of trying to buy Sydney some shoes. If you've ever shopped shoes with Sydney Layne, you know immediately this is NOT a fun task. She is VERY picky and on top of that, she has weird (but really cute) feet. I'm not exactly sure how her feet are weird but they are. In any case, finding some cute, cheap sandals or slip ons is close to impossible.

I first need to mention, I don't like to shop. I know this is probably not normal for a girl but I have never been a shopper. So, after trying on nearly 20 pairs of shoes and hearing Sydney say things like, "This one makes my big toe feel funny," or
"I think the side of this shoe feels hard on my foot," or how about "the inside of this shoe is just not cute" I had had it! We had been in and out of four or five stores and I was getting grouchy! I just wanted to get the rest of my stuff done and go home. However, we still had two or three stops to make and we were becoming hungry so we decided to stop someplace for lunch. OH...before that could happen, I had to separate Elijah and Noah in the car because they wouldn't stop "touching" each other. (BOYS....so much energy in such smalls places equals a touchy mommy!) I'm quickly losing patience so we head to Burger King where Sydney then spills her orange soda all over the floor and onto my flip flop. Are you seeing a pattern here?

After Burger King, we head to Target and look for more shoes as well as finish up the loose ends of supply hunting. I still can't find all I'm looking for!!! It's so frustrating.

We came home for about 30 minutes only to head to the middle school to check lockers and schedules. FYI - due to construction issues, students weren't allowed back to their lockers during enrollment. Noah couldn't get his locker open and neither could the custodian so we had to wait in line for another locker.

It is 4:00 and we are finally home. The grass needs mowed and I seriously don't think I have the energy to do it. My patience is gone, I have dinner to make, Sydney wants her toenails painted, Noah needs the faded blue dye cut out of his hair yet, and I have a little ironing to do before bedtime.

*sigh*

I get online to check my email and there are several birthday greetings from friends on my Facebook as well as an email from a friend I haven't spoken to in years.

Then my doorbell rings. It's a flower delivery. Beautiful purples, pinks, and yellows crammed into a square, white vase. They are so lovely and they're from my husband. How did he know that today of all days and at this exact moment, I needed this? I know he didn't know how frustrating and exhausting today has been but his thoughtful delivery brightened my day.

Isn't it amazing that you can be blessed even when you least expect it? I hadn't had a great day. It was tiring, I didn't feel like a very good mom, I didn't get as much accomplished as I had planned, and I have sticky orange soda inbetween my toes yet something as small as a flower delivery from my husband, birthday greetings from Facebook friends and an email from a friend I haven't heard from in years makes me feel loved and cared for.

Thank you to those who cared for me today. It turned out to be a pretty nice day.

KOOZA!

2008-08-05T16:09:00.004-05:00

OH MY GOODNESS!

We took the kids on Sunday to see Kooza. For those of you that haven't heard of this, Kooza is a Cirque du Soleil show that is running in Chicago right now until the end of August. It is amazing!

When Chad and I went to Vegas in March, we decided to spend some extra money and go to a show. We picked the Cirque show KA which was unbelievable! After that show, more than anything, I wanted my children to experience a Cirque du Soleil show. Fortunately for us we found out there was one running in Chicago while we were there.

Kooza is just like the old circus shows but with all the flair of the modern-day Cirque du Soleil shows. It even takes place in a circus tent called the Grande Chapiteau. The acts were all amazing. Some made you hold your breath while the performers excited the audience with their acts of sometimes very dangerous proportions. Then there were acts that completely dazzled and puzzled you with the "how did they do that?" question. There were also the acts that made you laugh and even tear up at the halarity of the performance. There were clowns, high wire acts, a juggler, a trapeeze artist, wheel of death act, contortionists, acrobats, and a live band that provided the entire soundtrack to the show. It was incredible and perfect for kids to see. We laughed a lot, gasped aloud many times, and hated it when it was over. There were many favorite acts (the Wheel of Death was incredible and the contortionists, who were ages 10, 14, and 15, left us amazed at their jaw-dropping flexibility, but my absolute favorite character was The Trickster. His tumbling was amzazing and flawless, his costumes and makeup were incredible, and his presence on stage was intoxicating.
My favorite - The Trickster

WOW!

Here is a snippet of what we saw. Totally worth it. If you get a chance, go see it.

Back from Chicago

2008-08-05T15:56:00.002-05:00

We got back late last night from Chicago. What? You went to Chicago? Yep! First things first...

Our lease is almost up on our Saturn Vue. It's hard to believe three years have flown by so quickly but it's true! September 15 our lease is officially up! When we decided three years ago that we like the Vue, Chad and I were deciding on what to do about financing. Neither one of us had ever leased a car and we thought it might be something to try. So we did. It's been okay. Saturn makes an amazing vehicle and we have loved the Vue but during the entire time we had the Vue, I never felt like it was ours (probably because it wasn't!) Now that it's time to make decisions about what we want to do with the Vue (turn it in, get another Saturn or keep it and make 3-4 more years of payments) we've kind of been thinking of getting something a tad bigger.

We've been looking at the Chrysler Pacifica. We've test driven one and we really like how it handles and rides. It's a beautiful vehicle and comes with third row seating which is really nice. You get the feel of a van but in the look of a car. It's so fun!

Chad took some vacation so we could do some car shopping. We found a couple of nicely priced Pacificas in the Chicago area so we decided to take the family for a couple days, look at cars, take in the sights, and have some fun before school starts up again (which, by the way is in 8 days!!!)

We made appointments, printed out maps, planned some fun things and then the day before we left...the one car we were really interested in...SOLD! The other car was little farther away but was on the same side of Chicago we were traveling to for the other car. We ended up canceling the appointment and spending three days in Chicago instead.

While it was fun to spend some fun family time together, we are still on the lookout for a car. I hate deadlines and now that we have a month to find a vehicle that works for us, I'm becoming quite anxious. I know it will work out but I just hate not being able to know now that everything will be fine. (Where's that crazy crystal ball of mine?)

More on Chicago later! Have a great evening!

The Concert

2008-07-08T22:41:00.003-05:00

Once Again....

John Mayer wowed me. Elijah was blown away. Chad was completely mezmorized by his guitar playing. Our seats were great and a special thank you goes to my parents for their last minute use of their binnoculars at the show so we could see John up close and personal.

He played songs I hadn't heard him yet perform. Two of my new favorites Stitched Up and Covered in Rain. So great.

He even covered Tom Petty's Free Fallin' which was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!

Take a listen and see if you don't agree.

New Bathroom Pics

2008-07-08T22:27:00.005-05:00

Okay, so we are now on the downward spiral of getting the bathroom done. This is the update!

A) Tile - all installed and finished
B) Toilet - installed
C) Shower - installed
D) Laundry - done (okay well not DONE...I always have laundry but the washer and dryer are in place and useable!)
E) Vanity - Up and Painted and re-filled with all bathroom neccessities!

We have the little things left to do like painting trim, repainting laundry cabinets, installing trim, installing the doors, and re-painting the sunroom. BUT, the cool thing is, we are now able to take showers again, we have a second toilet once more, AND clean clothes as well. Life is good!

I love the tile Chad installed above the shower. It's so cool!

Tea for Two

2008-07-04T11:55:00.004-05:00

Yesterday was so dreary and dark and rainy all day. I love the rain and I love thunderstorms but with all the rain and yucky weather we have had lately, I was ready to do something fun!

Sydney loves tea parties. When she goes to her granny's house, they have tea parties with fancy dishes and goodies to eat. Sydney usually dresses up in frilly, oversized clothes from the play trunk (with as much gaudy jewelry as her little frame can handle and still manage to walk upright) and together Granny and Sydney have a good ole time together drinking tea (hot cocoa because as Sydney says "Tea is so gross!") and eating dainty little cookies. She loves every minute of it.

Sydney has been begging me to have a tea party with her. In some ways, I hated to do this because this was something special she and Mom do together. It's one of the many reasons Sydney loves to spend time at Mom and Dad's house. Mom is always doing special things with the kids and going out of her way to have fun with them when they come over. So, I was kind of putting the tea party idea off hoping she would forget about wanting to have one with me and that way it would continue to be something special just she and her granny did.

Not the case!

In some ways, Sydney is like an elephant in that when it's something she REALLY wants, she won't let it go.

A few weeks ago while out running errands, I went to Goodwill and found some sweet little teacups, saucers, and dessert plates at only fifty cents apiece. What's more, they were pretty similar to a teapot, sugar bowl, and creamer I had in the china cabinet.

While Sydney was busy doing other things, I set to work. I boiled some water, put some Vanilla Caramel teabags on a plate, poured some Vanilla Caramel creamer in the the creamer bowl, and some sugar in the matching sugar bowl. I had bought little miniature chocolate chip cookies (her favorite) and put out an antique table runner on the dining room table along with a candle. I laid out her Christmas dress on her vanity and then got myself ready. I put on a fancy, long, black dress I had worn in a wedding and pulled up my hair. With the help of Elijah, we got Sydney into her room without her knowing anything and gave her instructions on what she was to do.

When she stepped out of her room, she emerged this shy, quiet, 10 year old girl with wide eyes. She was very surprised and pleased when she saw my fancy dress, the set table, and the fancy dishes. Elijah pulled her chair out for her and then he and Noah excused themselves to the upstairs so Syd and I could have a "proper" tea party without the interruptions of loud and smelly boys! (ha!)

It was a success! It was lots of fun and the girl who thought tea was gross, had THREE cups of tea with cream and sugar then admitted that tea was a pretty great thing and asked if she could have some with her breakfast the next morning.

It was such fun to spend a few minutes creating a memory I doubt she will forget anytime soon. Maybe this will be a tradition she will carry on if she has a daughter of her own.

After we cleaned up, changed back into our play clothes, and put everything away we played some Mario Party 8 on the Wii with the boys. It turned out that our rainy, dreary day turned into one of the most fun we had together.

John Mayer....here we come!

2008-07-03T06:54:00.007-05:00

As you probably know by now, I have an extreme fondness for John Mayer. I love going to his shows because (and I didn't ever think I could say this about any artist) he sounds better live than on his cds. I know that doesn't seem possible what with all the producing and altering of instruments and voices done now in the studio however it is true! His voice is clean and swaggy and listening to him while he plays his guitar is unbelievably magical! Plus it doesn't hurt that he is fun to look at too....(ahem)

Okay, enough rambling.

Saturday is the night of the big show. We are taking Elijah. Last year we took him to see Tobymac, Family Force 5, and Building 429. That was a great show (we are huge fans of Tobymac and FF5) but it took place at a very small venue so it was difficult to get the whole concert "experience." In February we took the kids with us to see Randy Stonehill which was AMAZING. It was small and very intimate and they loved it. They got to meet him and get his autograph. Very cool! THIS is the doozy. Elijah will get to experience a major concert in a HUGE venue. I'm excited. Not only is he also a John Mayer fan but I think he will be blown away at how awesome it will be not to mention how much fun we will have.

There are a few differences between Christian concerts and secular shows. Besides the obvious of no drunks and pot smoking at Christian concerts here are some other observations:

1. Ticket prices are much lower for shows.
2. Shows are way more intimate. Afterwards, most bands at Christian concerts will stay to meet and greet the fans. Fans line up around the block to meet and get autographs of their favorite bands. It's very cool!
3. Christian concerts are any age appropriate....all the time! I have to say, a couple years ago, I went to see Gwen Stefani and while her show was absolutely fantastic, my friends and I were shocked to see how many 5-10 year old kids (mostly girls) were there attending with their parents. I love Gwen. She is talented and has a great voice but it still wasn't a kid-friendly show. Lots of F-bombs, and her two opening acts were pretty racey (Akon - who got in trouble for dancing lewdly with a 15 year old girl during one of his shows and this other rapper chic from the UK who dropped a curse word every 120 seconds.) My friend, Michelle and I were shocked that a parent would take their young child to something like that. And we wonder what's wrong with kids today and why they are growing up so fast!!! Hmmm....

And, not to sound mundane but back to ticket prices. Are you kidding me? To purchase tickets PLUS pay the taxes, convenience charges, and whatever else they throw in, you could buy groceries for a family of four for a month!!!

I love concerts. I always have. When I was in high school and college, that was what I did. My first concert ever was Debbie Gibson. Fifth row from the front with Michelle and loved every minute of it. I was sixteen. Since then I've seen bands like Motley Crue, Warrant, Aerosmith, Janet Jackson, Whitesnake, Bon Jovi, and even classics like Vanilla Ice (it was a favor for a friend's sister.) Back then you could pay $30 and see the show, get something to drink (or eat,) pay for parking and have an amazing evening. Now you pay $80 just for your own ticket (not to mention the price for a loved one to get in as well) parking is another $25 (you can pay nothing for parking and park out in Egypt somewhere and then sit in your car for 90 minutes until you finally get out of the venue's parking lot!) and let's not forget about the price of gas to get to the show. It's crazy!

Poison is on tour this summer and came to Verizon. I love Poison. I've see them twice and they always put on a great show. My friends and I were considering going this year until we found out that lawn seats were $40 apiece! YIKES! If Bret and the gang were still in the middle of their hay-day, maybe I'd pay that. But these guys are much older now and they are on tour only because of Bret's recent back-in-the-spotlight stint from his Rock of Love show on VH-1.

Not to beat Gwen Stefani into the ground but she put on a rockin' show and lawn seat prices were $13 apiece!!!! Good for her! There were 10,000 people at that show and it was sold out. It was amazing and we had a great time.

$13 per ticket for lawn seats is appropriate, don't you think? Sitting on the ground in whatever weather Mother Nature throws at you, not being able to see the stage, only being able to see costumes and expressions of the performers by watching the show on the big jumbo screens at the front of the lawn (which is like watching a DVD version of the show on televison) and every now and then seeing way more than you would like when a couple's make out song is played. $13 is about right! Way to go, Gwen!

We rarely go to concerts anymore because of the high prices. In today's economy, it's just not affordable. Musicans are already making a butt-load of money. They should stop raping their fans when they come around live.

With all that being said, I am defintely looking forward to Saturday. It will be my one show this year that I will be attending and Chad and Elijah are coming along for the ride. I am a die-hard fan of JM and he always puts on a great show. It's gonna be such a blast. I'll update after the show!

Have a great holiday weekend, everyone. Happy Fourth of July!