Kayla's Famous!!!

Kayla made it on the front page of the newspaper on Sunday! The girls and I went to the Linden Holiday Happenings a couple weekends ago. While we were waiting for the parade to start, we walked around to look at all of the ice sculptures and a Tri-County Times photographer took this picture of Kayla standing in back of an eskimo ice sculpture. 12/14/08 Here's the link to their website, her picture will be on it for a little while. We're so proud of her :)

http://www.tctimes.com/articles/2008/12/19/news/doc4942e5a607335101785691.txt

Fall Party at My Dad's House

We all went over to my dad's house the weekend before Halloween this year to celebrate the holiday and the fall weather. All of the kids wore their costumes, we had a hayride, ate chili and elephant ears. It was so much fun, I love being with my family more than anything. Tracy sent Dad & Helen an autumn flower arrangement and we decided to gather around it for a picture to send to her. It was pretty funny how many people were piled into Dad's spare room!

Dad & Jessica

Alise & Jonathan

Kayla & Jessica have a little rivalry going, it's pretty cute :)

Hayride!

Scary Halloween pictures :)

It's Election Day!!! I've been so excited all day about the election. I voted at the Baptist church in Linden on my lunch break and took Eva there right after school to see how our voting process works. I feel so patriotic and proud and feel very lucky to live in a country where we can choose our leaders. I made my choice and now I'm just watching and waiting! Eva's so cute, she voted for John McCain in her class today, but then she kept singing about being a Democrat :) Kayla doesn't have a clue that a historical election is taking place today, but she's pretty cute too. We ate at the Fenton House tonight and it was a beautiful fall day today, very warm and sunny. Life is good........

I love this website: http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/

"We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." - Thomas Jefferson

Happy Halloween!

Singer/Actress Demi Lovato - Eva's costume is pretty much wearing her regular clothes!

Scary little ghost :)

Right after we dyed her hair for Halloween

We had a great Halloween! It started off with a party at my dad's house last Saturday night and then trick-or-treating on Friday night. Eva was Demi Lovato from Camp Rock, and Kayla, well Kayla had a few different costumes. She started off wanting to be a butterfly, so I bought her wings. Then she fell in love with being a ghost, and then my sister Jaimi gave us a strawberry costume! She was the butterfly and a ghost last Saturday, but trick-or-treated as a cute little strawberry. Here are some pictures of the girls in their costumes. More pictures of the party to come.......

New Toothbrushes

The girls got new electric toothbrushes the other day and of course they had to get the same one. They actually look forward to it now with their matching WallE toothbrushes :)

I love you!!!!!

Another Wonderfully Busy Weekend......

We spent Friday night at a good friend's house (you know who you are :)) visiting and we watched the Zohan movie, gotta love Adam Sandler. The girls got to see the movie Beverly Hills Chihuahua during the day on Saturday. Eva loved it, but Kayla doesn't really do that well at movies just yet! She likes it but only for a little while, it drives her crazy when the attention is not on her for that long! Then Saturday evening at Michelle's reception, and we got to see Kristin and Shayne too, they were our awesome bartenders for the evening. It was a very nice reception, and I'm very happy for Michelle. We went to church today and I tried to catch up on everything that I am behind on at home, laundry, homework, etc......that didn't work out so well. I pretty much hate laundry. We're going to work on picking out pumpkins and Halloween costumes this week, and I think we're going to a haunted house this weekend. We're also planning a party at my dad's on the 25th, I can't wait for that. Dad is doing good and we're planning on camping out at his house that weekend.

Eva's One of A Kind This Week!

Eva's One of A Kind this week at school meaning she gets special privileges all week like getting to be the line leader. The class also gets to learn all about her all week long. We worked on her poster this weekend. She had to answer a list of questions and here are some of her answers:

Favorite food - apples

Favorite thing about school - recess

Favorite book - my Bible

My Wish - That my mom would give me a baby BROTHER!!!

That was a surprise to me! But it's probably because they love baby Shane and Rachel & Heather just got a new baby brother :) Also, Kayla starts her first day of dance class tomorrow!! Here's a picture of her in her little dance tutu, Eva turned on the music as soon as I put it on her and we had a little dance party to celebrate. I'm so glad her cast is off and her leg is ready, and Eva has been so excited for Kayla to dance with her. They will go on the same day but in different classes, it will be fun tomorrow. I should also mention that Kayla is potty-training this week, there's a pull-up under that tutu! She's so close to actually making it to the potty on time, it won't be long and she'll be wearing her big girl underwear (I have said big girl about 100 times over the last week, big girl potty, big girl underwear, big girl poo poos, it's so funny)

$700 Billion Economic Bailout Package

The big breaking news everyday is the economic bailout package. I think Americans are going through and about to go through things in the next few years that are going to make history. Whether it's good or bad, we're still going through exciting times and I love trying to keep up with what's going on with the presidential election and the economy and my fantasy football team :) :) Suze Orman is wonderful at explaining why we are in a financial crisis, we collectively borrowed too much and we can't pay it back. That is why we need the bailout. Here is a portion of an interesting article I read this morning:

"The government bailout of in-the-red U.S. businesses does not come without a price tag for taxpayers"
The financial pinch on taxpayers will begin to sting a little next year. "That's when they'll really have to come up with the money for it," said Roy Long, a Thomasville certified public accountant. How much the bite will hurt taxpayers will be dependent upon who takes national office in January and which political party controls the U.S. House and the U.S. Senate, Long explained. Mike Ryan, a Thomas University adjunct economics professor, compared the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, or bailout, to a company selling bad debts to a collection agency.
"If you want to do something for the economy, go to work. Go to work and work hard. Don't worry about the economy," Ryan said.
People who lost money in investments during the recent money turmoil need not expect to take the losses off 2009 federal income taxes. "Unless you sell, you do not incur a loss," Long said.
He said Americans should not panic. "People who panic lose," Long explained.
His advice: Sit back, and be patient.

I love these girls so much :)

No cast on pictures! Kayla wears her backpack when we drop Eva off at school, she wants to be just like her sister :)

Last Day of September

This past week was not the best. We've been very busy, just like always. Well, on Thursday evening we spent the entire night at our doctor's after-hours clinic because Kayla's foot was not getting any better so she had to have more x-rays. The doctor's thought that she may have injured her foot at the time her tibia broke because she has been limping so bad. But the good news is, her break healed great and no problems with her foot as far as the x-ray was concerned. Thursday was also the day that my online fall classes started. I am taking classes to finish my bachelor's full-time on top of everything else that is going on! So, that's been filling in any extra time I can find :) Then, my step-mom Helen's mom died, Grandma Eva, and it was so hard for my dad especially. She was a wonderful person, anyone who is responsible for raising Helen just has to be, my step-mom is one of the greatest, kindest, and best people I know. But my dad with his lung cancer, and him deciding to stop treatment, and the passing of Helen's mom, it's just not good. I hate cancer, I hate using that word in the same sentence with my dad, I hate how sick it's made him, I hate it, I hate it, I hate it. Oh and did I mention that my mom decided to divorce me this week too? We have had a difficult relationship since, hmmmm, FOREVER, and she picks this week of all weeks to tell me she does not want to see me ever again. Did I also mention that she is an alcoholic and takes pills and hates me because I won't tell her what she wants to hear all the time? I have a really hard time with her because I am the one she calls when she's drunk and crying and wants help. Noone else, and then she doesn't remember it the next day, she doesn't remember anything so when I say something, she tells me I'm a liar. Fun. I should be used to it because she does this about twice a year, but it hurts every time. Then, as if things couldn't be any worse, Kayla had an asthma attack at the funeral home on Sunday because there were so many flowers there. So, back to the doctor's yesterday morning! She has to do a preventative breathing treatment everyday now until the springtime. But the good news is, her walking improved over the weekend and her limp is almost gone. Eva's been doing so good in school and at dance, and we had a mommy/daughter shopping trip yesterday and it was fun to just spend some girl time with her. We bought a book, Tale of Despereaux, that she is going to read. I picked it because it's a Newberry Award winner, but we also found out it is going to be a Universal Studios animated movie at Christmastime this year. So Eva and I are really looking forward to reading it and then taking K-fun to see it in December. So, we've been pretty busy but I'm looking forward to a good rest of the week with my little sweethearts :) God also planted seeds in my heart this week, literally......He must really want me to meditate on his passages about seeds because it has come up in so many different ways this week. I never fully understood until this week and I didn't even realize how badly I needed to until now. I know God loves me and hasn't given up on me yet :) "If you desire the Word of God to produce in your life, you must decide to plant the Word in your heart and mind. "

Kayla got her cast off!

Kayla got her cast off this past Thursday and I'm so glad we can finally put this behind us. She was very upset at the hospital, she did not want it off. I think she knew her leg was protected with it on, and the saw was very scary to her. I am also a little sad for her because she has been limping since Thursday and it doesn't seem to be getting better. But the doctor said that it's normal. Hmmmm, I have no experience with broken bones, but it is not easy to see her limping. Her leg was not thinner either, cute and chubby like the other one, but it was very dry at first. And she got her first real bath in 6 weeks!! We spent lots of time at St. John's Applefest this weekend to celebrate. Becky and I took the girls on Friday evening and had so much fun. We met Sarah and Jeremy up there too and played every game that was there....and lost! I rode a ride with Eva and quickly found out I'm not much of a carnival rides kind of person anymore! I don't know what's happened to me, but I get a little dizzy on them now. Eva is fearless though and she was able to ride most of them on Saturday with Rachel & Heather. Kayla loves the little rides too, she was so cute and not scared at all. The Applefest has always been a favorite of mine, I remember a few years ago being the chairperson for the Bingo event. Noone else wanted to and I thought it would be easy but those Bingo people are very serious about that game! And the first year we did it, a mouse had babies in the Bingo balls! The other years I volunteered in the Finance department and helped keep track of the money. That was my favorite, and it was fun meeting the owner of the carnival, Joe Skerbeck, and his family and giving him that fat check he gets every year. And being in accounting myself, I loved helping out with that the best. It was also my good friend Stephanie's 30th birthday party on Saturday, that was so much fun. I got to see all of my good friends that I love so much. And Steph announced that she's pregnant after she opened her gifts! It's going to be a May 2009 due date, I'm so happy for her and Shane, this will be their first :)

Ella's Birthday Party

On Saturday, little Ella turned 6! She is my goddaughter and one of my cousins Rachel & Dennis' five girls :) That's right, five daughters! Here are pictures from her party......

The Birthday Girl!

Katelyn and Eva :)

Alayna signing Kayla's cast

Pretty Mya

Sweet Jillian

Naptime for Dennis and Baby Geoffrey

Ella is a miracle, she came at a very difficult time in our family, right after we lost Rachel's dad, my Uncle Bob, from pancreatic cancer. His loss was so hard on our family, he was an awesome person and the best uncle and I miss him so much. We needed little Ella, and when she was born, they found a very large hole in her heart and the prognosis was not good. The doctors were sure it was just a matter of time before she would need surgery to repair it. Never once did that little girl ever show any outer signs that she had a major defect in her heart, she was so cute and so chubby and every test showed the hole getting smaller every year! The hole is still there but she still continues to amaze her doctors and at six, has never needed any surgery or treatment for it. I pray that it will close completely one day. Ella, I am so proud of you and I love you so much!

Hurricane Ike

Eva and I have been watching the storm in Texas all evening on CNN. She is so sweet and is so worried about everyone down there too. My twin sisters, Sheryl and Sue, and my big brother Daniel (King Dan as Eva says) live near the Gulf and near the eye of the hurricane that is hitting Texas right now. I have lots of nieces and nephews too that I am so worried about. My dad has been giving me updates all day on how everyone is doing, they have all evacuated and headed north. It's so hard to be so far away from them anyways, but especially now. I hope that the hurricane weakens soon and doesn't cause too much damage. Eva misses Ashley and Alex and was very worried about them tonight. She just couldn't get away from the news on TV tonight and kept running to tell me everything she heard. It's just very hard to watch and hear that it might get really bad by tomorrow morning.

Some more pictures from the past week

First Day of Second Grade! My Eva making such a fashion statement :)


Baby Shane Sitting


Kayla's New Grill




We've had a lot of fun this week with birthday parties and new toys and school and dance class starting! And Kayla has just two more weeks with her cast on, but it was so funny, at dinner the other day Eva told her she was going to get it off soon, and Kayla said, "No! I love my cast, I don't want to walk!" I think someone likes being carried around and waited on :) And Eva got a new MP3 player for her birthday, so it's been Miley and the Jonas Brothers all weekend at home. We've also enjoyed babysitting for our friend Sarah who just had a baby in June, the girls LOVE baby Shane so much. It's so nice to see them so caring and gentle with him, we love it when he comes over.

Birthday Pictures!

Last week on Eva's birthday, it was Kayla's half birthday too. We celebrated a little for Kayla too, it was very cute and she felt big like Eva :) Eva turned eight and Kayla's two and a half now. For their birthdays they both wanted Playmobil. We have more Playmobil than we know what to do with, but it's their favorite and they can spend hours playing (fighting) with their sets. I bought Kayla a miniature Noah's Ark that is magnetic so hopefully that will help her to keep it all in one spot. For Eva's birthday, she got a pirate ship and a treasure chest. Eva celebrates her birthday all week long, I swear, with all of our family throwing her a party almost every single day when they see her! She's a lucky little girl...here are some pictures from her party at my mom's house last Wednesday.

Today is Eva's Birthday! :):):):):):):)

Glitter Text @ Glitterfy.com

My Vision Statement

To be His warrior, to pray everyday all day, to be so close to God, to be grateful, to laugh often and love much, to be the best mom I can be, to raise my girls with respect and integrity and courage, to be patient and understanding towards them, to pray with them, to put them first in everything I do, to value my family, to value my health and wellness, to be close to my family, to value all of my relationships, to be organized and efficient, to be generous and responsible, to never stop learning, to grow everyday, to appreciate my work, to have everything my family needs because I was smart and saved and worked hard, to be timely and a person of my word, to enjoy life and all the good it has to offer, to love without hesitation, to take risks that are necessary, to have the strength and courage to do the right thing, to do everything with a smile and find the good in all situations, to leave the world a bit better........these are my goals :)

I decided to come up with a personal vision statement (that turned into a paragraph!) last fall when I was going through a very difficult time. I keep it in my desk at work and read it almost every morning. It was inspired by a poem written by Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Kayla Broke Her Leg :(

My poor little K broke her leg on Sunday :( Todd was on a trampoline with her at his sister's house up north, and she took a very bad fall and broke her shin bone. When he got back from Petoskey, we took her into the doctor's and got the bad news. I just felt so bad that she had to go the whole night in pain, but Todd thought she was okay. So, we spent the whole night at the hospital where they splint her leg and today she got her cast on. She is so brave and so strong, it upsets me so much to see her go through this. But, I know she is going to be okay. The only bad thing is, she cannot walk for 4 weeks. The doctors want to make sure she heals perfectly. I want to be cautious too, but I feel bad that she has to spend the rest of the summer like this. It's just been a very, very bad week. The good thing is, Kayla's in good spirits! Nothing slows this little girl down.....I love you Kayla :)