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?
Thursday, August 21, 2008
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!
Saturday, August 16, 2008
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! :)
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."
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.
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.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
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.
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.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
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.
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 TricksterWOW!
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!
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!
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