I Love Being THE MOM!

Just had to share this!

won moor resolusion

I'ev ben thinking I mite ad "fiks my speling" two my list of goles. What doo yoo think, Momb?

And...On To Resolutions

I love this time of year! It feels like a fresh start, a clean slate. I usually start my list about mid October. This year it's pretty obvious things...Lose weight, work on my patience, get organized, lose weight - you get it.

Anyway, I'd love to hear what you've got on your lists! I'd also love to hear your plans for accomplishing them! We started last year sitting down with the kids to make some plans for them. I can't wait to do that again!

So - I'd love some inspiration and/or teammates on my resolutions!

Good Luck to us all! 2008 is OUR YEAR!

Happy, Happy, Merry, Merry!

And on to Resolutions! Hope you all had a great day!

Can't Wait for Christmas Day?!?

Thatcher just came into the room and asked me "What can you do with Coal?"
Hope your days are going better than mine!

I'm a Proud Tree Hugger

This is the beautiful tree in my front yard!
That's with a flash and here's no flash.

I think that this is; well, pretty much; well, TRUE!!!!

These two good men, exploited by the woMAN!

This is my rebuttal to my old post!

To the Tune of "It's My Party and I'll Cry if I want to!"

It's Our Blog and We'll Post What We Want To!

I got my own blogger drama!

O.K already, it is now gone!

Nothing like being scolded by the blogging community!

WELL...

My Little Lightening Bolt has gone 1 whole week with NO Seizures!!! We haven't gone that long since August!

So glad we have control of this!

We Love you so much little Fachey!

A Quiet Afternoon in my Kitchen... with 2 wrestling boys, a crying baby and a dog I'm constantly stepping over.

Thank you, Kami, for the fabulous marshmallow recipe! I made them and loved them!



I also made this! Yum, one of my favorite cakes.




Oh, and a big batch of Meatballs (that my boys are eating 1/2 hour before dinner).


Kami, thanks also for this!
-K- That was a random post!

The Men in my Life

You all know by now that I think Dave is Great. But...I'm lucky enough to be surrounded by several trusty fellows!

My Dad! The gratitude I feel for him seems immeasurable. "Lucky" just doesn't seem adequate. I am truly blessed to have the parents I have!

T-Bob! I Love my brother. He's decisive and ambitious.
He endured 4 Moms (My Mom + 3 older sisters) growing up! 'nuff Said!


Kyle! Kyle is everyone's friend. So easy to talk to, so easy to not talk with! Now, you'll see plenty of smiley pictures on his blog, so a goofy face you pull, a goofy face you get.

Bry! He's the strong silent type! He's one that I know I could turn to for anything!

Steve! No one has been more generous with us than Steve and his family! Steve is so cute with my kids and we love him for it!

Tag's Tree

We let Tag pick out our tree this year! It is this little Charlie Brown tree. Our star makes the top tip way over! It's perfect!

Anyway, like Lisa and my Mom, we buy the kids an ornament every year. Here are the ones I found this year! (They are not the least bit Christmasy?!?)

Tag and I did all the decorating and afterward he climbed up here for a better view of his work!
It's his tree, he decorated it and after...well...Sleep tight Tag!
(I LOVE sleeping pictures! Thank you Aunt Karolyn for the penguins!)

"The Fourth thing at Christmas that's Such a Pain to me...

Sending Christmas Cards!"

It took 7 attempts this year...Here are some of our Blunderous ones! enJOY!

From me to You! enJOY!

It's time to pile on the couch with warm cookies and cocoa together as a family! Here are some great opportunities!

NBC, Channel 5

It's a Wonderful Life

Friday the 14th

ABC, Channel 4

Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas (Movie)

Saturday the 8th at 8pm

I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown

Monday the 10th at 7pm

Shrek the Halls

Tuesday the 11th at 7:00pm

Winnie the Pooh and Christmas Too

Tuesday the 11th at 7:30

Elmo's Christmas Countdown

Sunday the 23rd at 6pm

The Santa Clause 2

Sunday the 23rd at 8pm

Dr. Seuss's How the Grinch Stole Christmas (animated)

Monday the 24th at 7pm

Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade

Tuesday the 25th at 9AM

Dick Clark's Primetime New Year's Rockin' Eve

Monday the 31st at 9pm

CBS, Channel 2

Frosty the Snowman

Friday Dec 7th at 7pm

Frosty Returns

Friday the 7th at 7:30

Will Ferrell's Elf

Saturday the 22nd at 7pm

KUED Channel 7

Celtic Woman: A Christmas Celebration

Saturday the 8th at 9pm

Arthur's Perfect Christmas (one of our Faves!)

Friday the 21st and Tuesday the 25th at 1pm

As for Christmas Eve on Sesame Street...YouTube is it! Sorry!

To Blog or Not to Blog

Someone, let's call her "Bubbles", told me that blogging is somewhat phony because we all post fairly positive things. Another "friend" calls it Self-promotion. After stewing about this, I've come to the conclusion that that is one of the reasons I LOVE BLOGGING!

Blogging gives me a reason to look for good in my life everyday. It shows me the good in my friends lives and has opened doors to this small world we live in by creating friendships with those whose paths we never would have crossed.

Thank you, my blogging friends, for inviting me further into your lives. And to those of you I've recently come to know...I look forward to getting to know you better!

My Man! part two

Tally and I went to lunch with my old High School Besties today (thanks girls once again for a gigglin' great time) and while we were out Dave and the boys build a HUGE snow fort in our backyard! They are so lucky to have him for a Dad!

I think the boys ate as much snow as they stacked!!


Meanwhile...Tally missed it all. We'll get you next year!

Oh, I wish...

One day, when my kids are not so small (and I can con someone into watching them), I am SO going on this cruise!
Karolyn, you still in? ANYONE else?

The First Snow

Aaawww, the first snow fall. So pure, so beautiful, so perfect.

UNTIL....

I unleash my little monsters!

She's the Glue

Mom,

Where to begin?!! You ARE the glue of our family. Thanks for all the love and support we could have ever asked for! We all love you very much! Have a GREAT Birthday!

Hungry?

I have found the best blog! It's called Simply Breakfast.
Go check it out!
Have a great Day!

Am I unemployed yet?

As a mother, the goal of your entire existance is to work yourself out of a job. I find myself really struggling with that squiggly line of enough verses too much responsibility for my kids.
Today Dave headed down to this darling little coffee shop at the end of our street. This broke the boys hearts as they had planned on going with him.
SO... I let them walk down without a grown up. They had no streets to cross, their dad was at the end and yet I was filled with worry over their 4 minute walk. After they turned the corner and were out of my site, I called the coffee shop to confirm that they had arrived. (Only for them to begin their usual distruction: spilling hot cocoa, tipping chairs over, accidentally of course, your basic running a-muck.)
Poor Rachael!
So, I ask you mothers out there! What do you think? A 5 year old and a 3 year old that thinks he's 5...How much should they, could they be doing by and for themselves?

This hangs in the coffee shop...Yep, we have a lot of kittens

There really were men at work today

I'd like to apologize to the men in my family. Today they helped their kids, helped their mothers and really did the clean up.
SORRY about the previous post! Love you all!

Now, I know it's sacreligious, but here comes a complaint on Thanksgiving.

This morning women all over my family are racing to make this day as special as possible. We've even gone so far as to plan a basketball game for the men in the family the hour leading up to dinner.

P.S. In case you didn't notice, I woke up on the wrong side of the Parade!

So Grateful for my kids!

Tis the Season for Gratitude and since Dave got my love last post...Here comes the GUSH over my kiddos.

I'm so thankful for Tag, he is my Thinker. He's well spoken and it sounds funny coming from a 5 year old! He's so sensitive and fortunately he's coming around to affection again!
Thatcher makes me laugh everyday. His smile is so innocently filled with mischief. He is my snuggle puppy and tells me he loves me regularly.

With life on Fast Forward, I am so grateful for my sweet little girl. I have to sit down to feed her, I have to sit down to rock her, to change her and to bathe her. In those moments, it's just her and I, and we both exhale.

I love you three with all my heart!

This one just sticks, Enjoy!

You were born a daughter.
You looked up to your mother.

You looked up to your father.

You looked up at everyone.

You wanted to be a princess.

You thought you were a princess.

You wanted to own a horse.

You wanted to be a horse.

You wanted your brother to be a horse.

You wanted to wear pink.

You never wanted to wear pink.

You wanted to be a Veterinarian.

You wanted to be President.

You wanted to be the President's Veterinarian.

You were picked last for the team.

You were the best one on the team.

You refused to be on the team.

You wanted to be good in algebra.

You hid during algebra.

You wanted the boys to notice you.

You were afraid the boys would notice you.

You started to get acne.

You started to get breasts.

You started to get acne that was bigger than your breasts.

You wouldn't wear a bra.

You couldn't wait to wear a bra.

You couldn't fit into a bra.

You didn't like the way you looked.

You didn't like the way your parents looked.

You didn't want to grow up.

You had your first best friend.

You had your first date.

You had your second best friend.

You had your second first date.

You spent hours on the telephone.

You got kissed.

You got to kiss back.

You went to the prom.

You didn't go to the prom.

You went to the prom with the wrong person.

You spent hours on the telephone.

You fell in love.

You fell in love.

You fell in love.

You lost your best friend.

You lost your other best friend.

You really fell in love.

You became a steady girlfriend.

You became a significant other.

YOU BECAME SIGNIFICANT TO YOURSELF.

Sooner or later, you start taking yourself seriously. You know when you need a break. You know when you need a rest. You know what to get worked up about and what to get rid of. And you know when it's time to take care of yourself, for yourself. To do something that makes you stronger, faster, more complete. Because you know it's never too late to have a life. And never too late to change one. JUST DO IT.

My Man!

Yep, 12 years and yep, Dave beat me to the post. BUT...it's my turn.

Dave, you are my rock. I am somehow grounded when you are with me. I crave you, your arms, your heart and your kisses. This year has been one of our hardest but I truly think we're stronger because of it!

I love how often you call me. I love how much our kids love you and you, them. I love how patient you are with me. I often wonder if your thinking "what word is she on"!?! Thanks for always listening!

Thanks for all the dates, they are my favorite! Thanks for your poetic mind! Thanks for making our house a musical one!

I look forward to that year in a Winnebago! (Sort of!)

Happy Anniversary, I love you and always will!

TWELVE YEARS AGO TOMORROW, AND STILL MAKING OUT!!!!!

Beck & I have been married 12 years, wow! It is actually tomorrow, but I wanted to beat Beck to the post. Many of you were there to be part of Beck and I falling in love with each other. And, was that not fun or what? It was like Lagoon Day in Junior High, listening to Van Halen’s “PANAMA”. The best part was all the “MAKING OUT”!!!! We would do that anywhere, anytime, and all the time!!!!!!

Twelve years later, here we are with three kids and the struggles life brings. Not enough time to fix the house, bathroom sink, base boards, Bagdad like drive way. I am mid career, sometimes feeling stuck there, with a card that has read "Account Manager" for years. Sometimes it feels like putting pennies together, even though it really is far better. Outstanding expense reports, and a bulging wallet from all the saved receipts. To many phone calls/emails from "needy" clients. My eyes are going bad! Dog with tumors in her nose, more than likely only a few months of life left. My car has massive scratches where someone shut the garage on it, and a dent in the door from a helmet during a scooter accident. Our sweet, sweet boy has seizures that make me cry whenever I think about them (like right now)! I worry about my brothers and sisters, and I would give both my arms to be able to solve all of life’s struggles. I could go on, on, and on, and on…………….

I often ponder the symbolism & inscriptions on the rings I wear. Both rings have worn callous in my hands, and I have scratched & bent them a few times. I have sent them out to be fixed, each time returning shiny and stronger then when they went in, and they still fit! They constantly remind me of where I have been, and the direction in which I point my nose! My wedding ring reads “GOING STEADY FOREVER, 1,4,3” and my kid’s ring reads “YOUR MONKIES LOVE YOU”. Wherever I am, on the road selling, or at home keeping kids from denting my other car door. I know where my heart is; it is in the home we built together! I am completely, head of over heels in love you with you Beck! And, I absolutely love the life we have together!!!!

And, I love you Tag, Thatcher and Talia, forever and always, Dave.

“Twelve years ago today, Beck and I were married. Some of you were there, some of you weren't born, and some of you are now DEED! But, we both said "I do," and we haven't agreed on a single thing since. But I’m glad I married you, Beck, because hey, could’ve been worse”!