My Brother

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

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

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!

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

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

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

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?

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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...

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

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!

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

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

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!

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!

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!

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!

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

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

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

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

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!

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!

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

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!

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

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

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

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

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.