Wonderfully Wordfilled Wednesday

Christmas is over, and I hope all of you had a truly wonderful Christmas! We sure did! All four kids seemed to really like everything they got. And as usual, they were spoiled! We were just a bit more frugal in our spoiling of them this year, and we stuck to things that they asked for or that we knew they wanted or would really like. Kel spoiled me too. I got a Keurig mini brewer, and I LOOOOOVE it! Also got a shark steamer, but it was broken so I have to take it back, but I already know that I love it even though I haven't used it yet! (I have been wanting one for some time! :) I got her a mini HD recorder thing, which she has been asking for! (so expect some video of the kids here soon!!) And some other odds and end stuff. Kel's Mom spoiled all of us, as she usually does!! We completely get a second Christmas there each year! (As a matter of fact, I think we get more there than we do at home! We completely have to renovate the kids' rooms to be able to fit all their new stuff!!)



We have already taken our tree down, which we don't usually do til the first of the year. But we didn't have a choice. Our tree died. We have never had this issue before, but this tree just did not make it. I kid you not, if one of the kids would just walk by, you could just hear all the needles falling off! So, think about it, we have 4 kids, 1 dog and 2 cats (one of which LOVED to grab a hold of the tree and pull the ornaments off) - there were needles everywhere! And I was tired of tired of saying 'damn, there's another needle stuck in my foot' and when Caelyn took her underwear off Christmas Eve, and she had a pine needle in her butt crack, Kel and I decided the tree was gone the day after Christmas! I miss the lights at night, but do not miss those damn needles one bit! And have to say that our new shop vac is AMAZING! and a life saver! Thanks so much Mike and Tina!!



I have pictures galore. From Christmas Eve, which we spend at Kel's Grandma's (who we all refer to as Granny Whitehair! :) And from Christmas morning at home, and then Kel's Mom and Dad's for brunch and gifts, and then Christmas Evening at my brother's with all of the family. And I will try and add them later.



Gryfinn's surgery to remove his tonsils and adenoids is Jan 5th. One week from today. And my stomach is in knots over it. I know it is a pretty standard procedure and blah blah blah - but he is our sweet little 34-35 pound 4 year old boy. And surgery of any kind scares the shit out of me. And the recovery, I worry about that. Jarrod was 5, and so sick after his. And Gryfinn is just so pitiful when he gets sick as it is. He gets worn down so easy, and it seems to take so long to get him back to himself. So I just worry how things will be for him. But we will already have a script for nausea, just in case, and I will not hesitate to take him back to the hospital. So, if you pray, please pray for Gryfinn, if you don't, please think about him, next Wednesday, and the days following. Pray/good thoughts, for a smooth surgery, and a super fast, super easy recovery.

I am trying to get caught up on blogs - well, I have probably read most things, just haven't commented yet. I'm slacking. But I will get on it here soon! :o)

Curly Sue..

My first go at rag curls. Hopefully tomorrow my little Caelyn's hair atleast resembles some kind of curly sue kinda look. I will post pics of the results!

(almost) Wordless Wednesday

My sweet sleepy lil girl!

This Moment

You Better Watch Out....

You better not cry. You better not pout I'm telling you why! Santa Claus is coming.... to town!!

Well, he's actually been in town for over a month I do believe. But, we finally had time to go see him! And we got a picture of all 4 kids, and they are all looking AND smiling! Love it! Gryfinn sat on his lap and told him all the things he wants! Caelyn wanted nothing to do with him until he broke out the candy cane - and then she would atleast talk to him. Jarrod and Jayk humored me and talked to him and told him what they want. So, a great visit to see Santa if I say so myself!!


Merry Christmas!!

Wordless Wednesday

He melts my heart!

WoRdlESs WeDnEsDaY!!

This Moment

Jarrod & Jayk after they cut down our Christmas tree!!

Our Little Photographer

Gryfinn LOVES to take pictures. If we let him, he will snap, snap, snap! Photo after photo! And since he usually is using the cell phone to take the pics, most of them turn out blurry. But, then there are those ones. The ones that really do turn out good. That make me think... Was he meaning to take this picture of this object? And if so, damn, we have the next (enter famous photgraphers name here) on our hands! I sure do hope Santa brings him a camera for Christmas!! :)

This Moment

Caelyn just woke up from her nap, Gryfinn isn't feeling good... She walks out & snuggles up next to him. It was really sweet.

We don't know what's wrong with Gryf. Must be a virus of some sort. Not much of a fever (highest has been 100.7), he's not eating much, says everything hurts, looks paler than usual & his eyes have dark circles, & he just kinda whines every now & then. Just looking at him we can tell he doesn't feel good. Poor guy. Sure wish he felt better.

Thankful

I am thankful for my wife.
I am thankful for our 4 beautiful kids.
I am thankful for our families.
I am thankful for our friends.
I am thankful for our jobs.
I am thankful for our health.
I am thankful for our house.
I am thankful for our cars.
I am thankful for my life.
I am thankful for my happiness.
I am thankful for the love I feel each & every day.
I am thankful for this day spent with family.
I am thankful that my upside down turkey turned out FANTASTIC!
I am thankful for that bottle of homemade wine that our nephew gave us!
I am thankful for this blog.
And I am thankful for all of u that take the time to read my ramblings!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Wordless Wednesday

Love Is....

Waking up next to her every day
Feeling that 'spark' when she walks in the room
That feeling of being whole - cause she completes me
Raising our kids together
Not just saying sorry.... but MEANING it
Not being able to live without her
Completing each other's sentences
Our family
Knowing that things sometimes aren't easy
Knowing that when things aren't easy that we still have each other
Those special moments that are just for us
Knowing not to take for granted any special moments that we have
Being so connected that she knows what I'm thinking about and she is clear across town
Treasuring each other
Not taking each other for granted

Love Is US!!!

I love you Kelly! Happy 8th Anniversary! Looking forward to our lifetime!!

'It takes a second to say I love you, but a lifetime to show it!"

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Found It!!

Yep! We found it! Soooo excited! Had to drive to another city, but we got it!! YAY!!!!!

This Moment

The kids are in bed, we opened a bottle of wine, snuggled on the couch, watching a movie... These are the moments that keep us... US!

whatcha whatcha whatcha want whatcha want

Gryfinn had his appt with the ENT yesterday. He was super nervous - had tears and all on the way. But was fine once we got there. Dr is a pediatric ENT, at the Children's hospital - nothing at all like our dr's office. The staff is more friendly, and then the waiting rooms with the video games and brightly painted walls and colorful decor - and oh so kid friendly! He did great. Did not cry when the dr touched him! He is growing up! And he will be having his tonsils and adenoids removed. We are going to wait until after the first of the year. That way Kel and I can take off the time we need (and get paid for it) and also so our lil man isn't down and out for the holidays. And also so we have time to get things scheduled for Jarrod's surgery. He has to be recircumcised. Now, for those who opt to not have it done, I respect your wishes and your views, and please do the same for us. I will discuss Jarrod's surgery once we know more. But we decided it was best to have them done the same year for deductible purposes. So 2011 is the year. And heck, we figure we might as well have Caelyn and Jayk's tonsils and adenoids out, and should go ahead and have gall bladder and appendix removed from all that still have them - ya know - take advantage of it - if we are gonna hit the deductible, we need to just go all out and have everything done for everyone! What ya think? :)

So, we have been really talking to the kids about Christmas, and what they want. Money is super tight this year, with Kel moving back to days, and we lost out on her night shift differential and also her daytime babysitting money ($600/month) and we were jut getting by losing that money, and then both of the other parents lost and/or quit their jobs in July (loss of another $600/month). So we were lacking their child support for months - one of the other parents got their pension and paid child support up for a year - but with trying to play catchup, and make sure we try and keep some back.... yeah, it just doesn't go that far. So we are trying to really find out what the kids want. We aren't going to buy like we usually do, and just pick up things we think they would like - we want to get them things they really want. Jarrod is all about clothes and cologne and some video games for the Wii. Jayk wants a Pryor jersey, a few toys, and some video games for the Wii. Gryfinn wants moon dough and a pillow pet. Caelyn wants Dora Puppy, that has been all she has asked for - until she saw the ad. The one with the Tinker Bell Cafe. And she wants it. Last night,we were watching a movie with the big boys. And out of nowhere, Caelyn climbs on my lap, pops her binky out, and whispers in my ear "I want Tinker Bell kitchen! And I be Tinker Bell!!" She gets down, and a little later, she climbs back in my lap, pops that binky out again, and whispers "I want Tinker Bell kitchen! I be Tinker Bell! I want Tinker Bell kitchen!!" It was the ABSOLUTE cutest thing! So, now my mission is to find this damn thing! She HAS to have it. She does! I have tried both Walmarts here, and neither one have it. Although online it says that one does have it in stock, but the lady even checked in back and said she couldn't find it. You can't buy it from Walmart online - only in stores. Other places have it, but the cheapest online is $80. And in the Walmart Toy Land book - it is $50. (you can kinda see the price in the pic) but I also verified the price in the online toy land book. So I will be calling and or making a trip to ALL the Walmarts within a reasonable driving distance. Cause she has to have it. She does. I wanted to get it for her anyways, but after last night, and her whispering to me, it was like she was whispering this sweet lil secret to me - now it is my mission to get her this Tinker Bell Cafe!!

This was the day we got the toy book - and she was SO excited!

Is It Possible?

'Arguing with a teenager is like wrestling in the mud with a pig. Sooner or later you figure out that he/she is enjoying it!' ~ Author Unknown

'Attention teenagers - NO is a complete sentence!' ~ Author Unknown

'Hmm! Teenagers. They think they know everything. You give them an inch, and they swim all over you.' ~ Sebastian, "The Little Mermaid"

'I am every emotion times ten, I conform yet I am rebellious, always obeying but somehow still an outlaw, always talking but never heard, I am a teenager." ~ Author Unknown


Our oldest is 13 today. THIRTEEN!!! How did this happen? It just doesn't seem possible that he is this old. A freaking TEENAGER?!! Really? We are Mom's of a teenager?! I have been telling him to stop. To quit growing. To stop getting older. I have said "Jarrod, please, if you love me, you won't get any older, any bigger" and then I tried to forbid it. But he hasn't listened, my threats fell on deaf ears. My bribing/persuasion did not work. He continues to grow, and he is now a teenager. A teenager. A teenager - I keep saying that over and over in my head. (Well - actually, in my head it comes out more song like - to the tune of Teen Angel - yeah, I agree - him turning 13 is making me a bit looney - not that anything else in our lives would make me looney - our lives are very sane, non-chaotic, stress free - haha that really has me laughing! :)

I know lots are going to be changing for him. Teenage years are difficult. Your body goes through so much. You are trying to figure out who you are, and deal with what is happening. Hormones go haywire. I know there will be rough patches, but I think we have done a great job raising him. I am hoping that as he continues to get older that he will continue to feel that he can talk to us about anything. And that he knows that we always support him and love him. He has a journey ahead of him, and so do we! (Us, the new parents of a teenager! seriously, is it possible?!!)

Happy 13th Birthday Jarrod. I love you so much!

Jarrod - 13 yrs 5'4 1/2" 102lbs

So...

I suck at blogging on the weekends. Yep, I do. I did blog last night. From my phone. But apparently I did something wrong, cause it never posted. Kel even asked me today 'didn't you blog last night?' It wasn't anything really, just a filler, to get me through til today. But I still wish it posted, cause then I wouldn't suck as bad. :)



We had Jarrod's bday parties on Saturday and Sunday. Had a family party with my family Saturday afternoon, and Kel's Mom made him dinner on Sunday. And we had like a dance party kinda thing for his friends and cousins Saturday night. My sis-n-law put together some music, which the kids loved! And she also let us borrow their disco ball, which was a HUGE hit! They all danced, it was great!

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This Moment

So I know the rules said to post one picture, no words, to capture a moment in time. Well, I never said I was good at following the rules! :o)

I love how much they love each other, and that when outside playing with friends, they still hold hands and run around. I do, I just love it. And I want to always remember these moments - especially when they are fighting, and their words aren't so nice, and they can't keep their hands to themselves. :o)

What's In A Name?

When Kel and I first started talking about having kids, and we decided that I would be the baby oven, without any thought or actually any discussion, I told her that any kids we have would have her last name. I just wanted this. It sucks that our children can not be our biological children. And we live in a state that second parent adoption is not an option. So I felt that the best thing for us to do for everyone to see them as hers was for them to have her last name. And I have said all along that the day she decides to marry me - to make me an honest woman! haha - that I will take her name also. But I have really been considering going ahead and legally changing my name also - even without Kel marrying me first. (although, she may think she is getting off easy if I do, but babe, you aren't - you will marry me someday, and I do mean someday soon!! haha I love you sweetheart!)

So, what have you done? Have you taken your partners name? Did your partner take yours? Or have you both kept your own names? What about your kids? What name did you give them? And why?

(we will discuss marriage in an upcoming blog)

LETS PRETEND.....

That I didn't screw up, and miss several days in the NaBloPoMo thing. Lets pretend I did post everyday. Cause I did, it was just in my head. Yes, there are LOTS of things in my head, but we won't talk about all that now! :0)

My catch up posts are written in the same way as if I had posted each day... so you may want to scroll down to the bottom and start with the oldest date - well, I guess that is if you want to read all my ramblings!


Wednesday November 10, 2010

almost WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

Picture day at school - he was showing me how he was going to smile for his picture, and he said that this is his BEST smile! Have to say I agree! It is ONE of his BEST smiles!

Tuesday November 9, 2010

LIAR LIAR

So we learned tonight that our sweet little princess is our own little fibber. And she is super serious when she is doing the fibbing!

Tonight, after dinner, her and Gryfinn both had two things of Smarties. (Gryfinn's all time favorite candy!) A little later, she says she wants a cookie. Kel asks her, 'didn't you just have some Smarties?'. She looks her dead in the eye, face super serious, eyes widen just a bit, and she says 'no'! Well, we are suckers, so she does end up with a cookie. (yes, we are those kind of Moms! haha She ate a good dinner, and we have learned that she loads up on food right before bed, like a mini hibernation kinda thing!) After she finished this cookie (which Mama gave to her) she comes to me asking for a cookie. And I say, 'sis, didn't you just have a cookie?'. She looks right at me, eyebrows raised a little, eyes slightly widened, face serious, and she replies 'no'! It's hard not to laugh. She is only 2. And her little face is just so sweet, even as she is telling little fibs!

Monday November 8, 2010

WORK

Sucks. Only for the simple fact that Kel and I are both working 10 hrs overtime. We did last week, and we are again this week. And will next week probably too. And even though our jobs aren't physical, working 10hrs a day, and then cooking, cleaning, chasing the kids, doing laundry, more cleaning, still chasing the kids, breaking up arguments, bathtime, snack, brushing teeth, and bed - and that's not adding in running to the store, or running a kid here, or there, or here and then there. And also, we don't get any sleep. Whether it's cause we go to bed later than we should, cause the kids are actually asleep, and we can actually watch some tv and snuggle on the couch, or it's because Caelyn seemed to be waiting on Kel and I to go to bed so she could snuggle with us before she feel asleep, or it's because Gryfinn woke up in the middle of the night and climbed in bed with us, oh wait, and so did Caelyn. So yeah, working sucks, working overtime really sucks - until you see the extra money on your pay check.

Sunday November 7, 2010

LOOK AT THEM BROWNS!!

Kel and I are Browns fans. As a matter of fact, being Browns fans is kinda the icing on the cake when it comes to us getting together. We were friends, and little did either of us know that the other was having those feelings! Kel bought us tickets to a game in Cleveland, it was the first game for both of us. They played the Texans. That was 8 years ago! And the rest is history, the happily ever after kind! :)

Anyway, we are Browns fans. Through thick and thin. Die hard fans. We get razzed, alot. But we stay true. We love our Browns. And when our Browns play like they did today, it makes it just that much sweeter to be a Browns fan! Our rookie QB Colt McCoy was on it. Even under pressure, his passing game was on. He put the ball right where it needed to be. And Peyton Hillis - what can I say - that man is a BEAST!

CLEVELAND 34 NEW ENGLAND 14 GO BROWNS!!

Saturday N0vember 6, 2010

MICHIGAN 67 ILLINOIS 65

My brother bought Kel and I tickets to the game! We had a great time, did some tailgating, fired up a lil grill, and I actually drank a couple of beers (which isn't like me anyways, but definitely not considering I cracked open the first one around 10:30am!) It was a crazy game. I mean, look at the score - it was not basketball - it was football - these kinda scores just don't happen!

My brother's friend Derek and Kel

Nephew Ben and brother Doug

Friday November 5, 2010

THIS MOMENT FRIDAY

So, I am borrowing this from my blog buddy KJ !!

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. (but, I may have a hard time not putting any words on sometimes :)

waiting on grandma!!

Yep, she's that kind of Mom!

We had conferences at Gryfinn's preschool tonight (yeah, yeah, I know. I haven't even mentioned that he is in preschool - but I promise it will be in one of my previous written in my head blog posts that I will post this month - along with pic's) He is doing great! Super friendly, very eager to learn, and just so excited to be there each day. She said starting in January she will start going through a checklist of what they need to know to start kindergarden, that way we will have time to work on things before he goes for his screening.

After we leave there, we head to the store. We needed milk, waffles and syrup, bagels and vitamin water. We check out and walk to the car. Kelly puts Caelyn in her seat, which is in the 3rd row, I load the groceries into the car, and then get Gryfinn out and Kelly buckles him in. Then Kel and I get in and buckle. Total time like 1 min 30 sec. The moment I put the car in reverse, Caelyn says she has to pee - and there is that urgency to her voice. So Kel gets out, reaches over the 2nd row, unbuckles Caelyn, and pulls her over the seat, sets her on the ground, and they walk into the store. It is a store that is on the other end of town, so we don't go to it that often. So she had to walk around a bit to locate the bathroom. And as she is walking around, looking for the bathroom, she looks down at Caelyn walking next to her, and realizes that she does not have any socks or shoes on. Now, if it was mid Summer and 80 degrees, this wouldn't be as big of a deal, but considering it is November and 45 degrees, thats a whole other story! She said she picked her up and carried her the rest of the way. All while trying to hide her feet - they were filthy from walking across the parking lot and the store, and did I mention that is was 45 degrees! Kel said she felt like she was getting 'those' looks from people. I laughed, and said, "yep, you're that kind of Mom!!"

WoRdLeSs WeDneSDaY!

Halloween Weekend

Our weekends are super busy, and Halloween weekend was no different. Friday night, my brother hosted a family Halloween party/soccer Halloween party. We did a haunted trail, and I think it turned out good. There were screams of fear, so I think we did our job! Saturday Jarrod had a soccer game, and we had our family over for trick or treat and dinner/college football. It was lots of fun! Jarrod and my niece Kelsey didn't trick or treat, Jayk took off with his cousins and Uncle, cause the little ones are too slow and hinder their candy getting ability! So I didn't get any pic's of Jayk trick or treating... and that upsets me. But he had fun, and that is the most important thing!





Here are some pic's of my littlest monsters getting some sweet treats!






The pic is blurry, but the sunset was gorgeous so

I had to put it on here! and not to mention how cute

the pic is of Kel and the kids!!




On a mission to get more candy!!

Got a lil captain in you?! haha

And awaaaaay they go!!

Tinker Bell

Police Officer Gryfinn

Jarrod and Jayk dressed up for school, and I do have those pic's, but they are on Kel's phone, so I will save those for another post in this NaBloPoMo! Which, by the way, today is day 2. When was the last time I posted 2 days in a row? Or even 2 times in one week? Yeah, I can't remember either! :) And I decided to post 'now' things first, and then I can go back and catch up on previously written in my head blog posts.

We rented Toy Story 3. We went to the drive in to see it over the Summer, but it was so nice to watch it again. All 6 of us were cuddled on the couch to watch it together as a family, and I just really enjoyed that. We don't get to do that often with our busy schedules. And even though we have already seen it, Gryfinn still got super worried about the Toys during 'that one part' and I cried during 'that' part. If you have seen it, you will know which parts I'm talking about, but if you haven't, this way I'm not a spoiler! And if you haven't seen it - rent it. It's really cute!

November already?

So, seriously.... where did the other 10 months go? I mean, didn't we just bring in 2010, like 2 months ago?!! Time sure does fly when you're having fun.... and on the go nonstop between work, kids, dinner, games, practice, bath, bedtime.... oh wait, did I even talk to Kel today?!! Some days it really is like that. The only conversations that we have our via the phone, whether text or talk. But atleast we get to go to bed together each night, yes, most nights we have an extra lil being between us (I won't mention names Miss Caelyn!!) But for years we were on different shifts. So even when we are away during the evenings doing different things for our kiddles, we do still go to bed together each night. And I am grateful for that!!

The computer is still a mess - but I am not as aggravated today, so it isn't pissing me off like it was the last time. So that's good. As I type that, the enter key flips up. haha Stupid computer! It's a good thing I love those rotten monsters that did this!!

So I just read that November is NaBloPoMo - you know, the blog a day for a month thing. I am not going to vow to do it, just gonna say I am going to make an effort to do it. Atleast post a pic or something each day - or atleast try to post a pic or something each day. And believe me, if it doesn't happen, it's not due to lack of things to talk about -cause I think I have atleast 30 posts archived in my head - and that's not to mention the things that are yet to happen this month!

Hope everyone had a Happy Halloween!

Wordless Wednesday

No Way Tuesday!!

I have a lot I want to say, but this computer is driving me crazy. My sweet nephew Eli and my darling daughter Caelyn removed ALL (yes, ALL) of the keys. It took 2 days to put them back on. The first night Jayk and I put all the plastic pieces back together and then I attached them back to the keyboard. The next night I put all the keys back on. But, some popped back off, and after putting them back on 32,000 times, I quit. So the t, y, k, z and shift are missing. The space bar, the . and the enter key are jacked up, oh wait, and so is the j. So typing on it is not fun, and takes me too long. And I can already feel myself getting frustrated with it, and the pads on my fingers are starting to hurt from having to push the little button for the missing keys. Ugh! And I really do have a lot to talk about.... but it will have to be some other time... some other computer.

The pic's I am posting are from the pumpkin patch. Well, actually, patches. Jarrod and Jayk were at the other parents when we went to the first one. We really went just to let Caelyn and Gryfinn play in this little play area thing that they have, and it really was the only time we were going to be able to take them while the weather was nice. And while we were there, we took the hay ride over to the pumpkin patch, and we bought one. Although Caelyn picked out and put in our wagon about 6! haha The following weekend we went to another pumpkin patch at a local farm. And while we were there, we got a special treat of another hay ride!

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As for the title of the blog - one day last week, I asked Gryfinn "Are you ready to get in the tub?" He looked at me, gave me his rotten grin and said "No way Tuesday!!" I think he was meaning no way Jose... sure did make me laugh!!

Decorations for Halloween

We finally got some free time, and we used it to decorate for Halloween. There are still more things that we want to do (origami bats, and these spider egg hatchling things - I'm hoping we get to them this weekend) Oh, and the pics were taking with my cell, so they aren't the best quality! Hope everyone is enjoying Fall. I love all the Seasons, but I do believe that Fall is my favorite. I love the chill in the air, and the colors of the leaves, in the trees and the ones that have fallen. I love football, and chili, and snacky foods during football games. And I love Halloween. I love decorating, and I love costumes, and I love trick-or-treating, and Haunted Houses! Well, I say I love Haunted Houses, until I get there, and get all scared. I scare easy, jump at the littlest things, and the anticipation eats at me... and while we are going through it, I say, why do I do this to myself, why oh why, do I put myself through this?!! But when we are all done, I realize that I do love it! Until we get to the next one! :o)


Our tree ghosts


Light up pumpkins made out of milk jugs


pumpkins, gourds, hay and corn stalks


More milk jug pumpkins

view of the front of the house

The Simple Things

Each day, around 4pm, I'm making dinner, Kel's in the basement, still working, Caelyn & Gryfinn are playing (usually Sis is playing whatever Gryfi wants her to play! in the pic, he has Buzz & she has some Ninja guy) and the big boys are doing homework. (In the pic, Jarrod is helping Jayk with his Math). And I just love it. I love my family & these simple, every day things that we do. Life is usually so busy, going to practices & games, birthday parties & family get togethers, but its during these moments, seeing the kids working/playing together that I enjoy the most! They make all the chaos worthwhile!

ANOTHER GRYFI-ISM!

Today at school they did hearing & vision screenings on the kids. Kelly was asking Gryfinn about it and this was his response!

'I got a sticker cuz I hear good and I look good!' :)

Boy do I love this little guy! He just melts my heart!

For My Mom!

Today is my Mom's birthday. And I thought that today would be a great day to do a blog in her honor!





My Mom has been through a lot in her life (and one day I will go in to more detail). But even though she has not been dealt the easiest hand, she is still so full of life, love and laughter. She brings our entire family so much joy. All four of our kids just adore her so much, but so do all of her grandchildren. (She has 14 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren). And all of them just light up when she walks in the room. She has always been such a wonderful Mom. As a child, I always felt so blessed to have her as my Mom. Even as a teenager, when most of my friends were hating their Mom's, I still enjoyed hanging out with mine. Renting movies and snuggling on the couch with a bowl of popcorn was something we always enjoyed doing together. And I feel even more blessed that she is able to do that with our kids now. I don't know what we would do without her, she is such an important part of all of our lives.





I love you Mom. And I hope that today was a wonderful day for you.