Merry Christmas!!!

We had a wonderful holiday with our families... we are so blessed!!! Here are a few pictures of the celebrations!

Holiday Survey

Jana's Holiday Survey
1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Mostly wrapping paper, but gift bags can look fun in the front!
2. Real tree or Artificial? either one, this year artificial
3. When do you put up the tree? When ever Rob will let me....hoepfully this weekend!!!
4. When do you take the tree down? One week after Christmas..the stuff begins to drive me bonkers
5. Do you like eggnog? yes but never get it because no one else in my family likes it!
6. Favorite gift received as a child? one of my cabbage patch kid dolls
7. Hardest person to buy for? Rob
8. Easiest person to buy for? Karleigh and Aaron
9. Do you have a nativity scene? yes I finally found one 2 years ago that I love!!!!
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? mail
11.Worst Christmas gift you ever received? thats just rude and I refuse to answer!
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Elf
13.. When do you start shopping for Christmas? The week after Christmas
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? what?? prove it! :-)
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? homemade Christmas Cookies
16. Lights on the tree? Yes, all white
17. Favorite Christmas song? Silent Night
18.Travel at Christmas or stay home? We are always home at our house for Christmas
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? "On Dasher, on dancer, on prancer, on vixen, on comet, on cupid, on donner, and blitzen...and of course rudolph! (thanks Jana, I will leave your answer)
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Angel
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Christmas Morning!
22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? The rush people are in all the time!
23. Favorite ornament theme or color? the ones my kiddos make for me.
24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? We have a huge dinner at Grandma's!!!!
25. What do you want for Christmas this year? a new camera!!!

Now I am tagging Amie and Liz!!!!! Have fun ladies!!!!

The Things I Have Done

Ok so I totally stole this from a friend's blog.... thanks Heather!!!

Things I've Done
I saw this on another blog I read and thought it would be fun to include here.
Makes you stop and think about what you have done and would still like to do.... Anything in bold print I have done!

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child (in the process now...I think that counts!!)
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill - but only when my kids were
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo's David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater - wow I must be old since I have been there done that!
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check - not proud to admit it
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt - no, but I really want to
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day.


So there you have it. As of 11/25/2008, I've done 55 of the 100. Not too shabby!!!

finally home

My nephew was finally united with his forever family this past weekend....

The cousins were a little excited waiting for Johnathan, Jeff and Grandma to come home!

The beyond blessed family of 9!!!

friday thoughts

well, without going into too much detail just yet, I would like to ask all my friends and family to keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we enter a new phase in our family.

No I am not pregnant, and we are all still happy but our dynamics of our house are going to be changing soon......In a most WONDEFUL way!!!!!!!! We are truely blessed!!!!!

Happy Halloween!!!

The pictures say it all! The kids had so much fun....and after treak or treating, our neighborhood had a little block party at the end of our court with a bounce house, balloon man, food and fun!

Aaron at his party at our daycare! I love it that I am there with him and can share in these fun times all day!!!!

Aaron with some of his daycare friends enjoying the food!!

Karleigh, or Hannah Montana, and one of our neighbor friends Ashley!

Karleigh and Aaron before they headed out!

Aaron with a few of the neighbor friends!

Long Time Coming.....

So I have been horrible in updating my blog..... but we have been super busy....

I will update with some pictures soon.....

Please keep my family in your thoughts and prayers.... my brother and mom are traveling this week to bring home my nephew!!! And there is something exciting coming down the line for us as well.... more to come soon!!!! Prayers are always good though!!!

Final Soccer Games

So my first official season as a soccer mom has come and gone.... I really enjoyed watching the kids grow and develop throughout the season...

Here are some fun pictures of their final game day..

A Star Among Us!

So Karleigh is minorly obsessed with Hannah Montana and for her birthday she received a Hannah Montana wig....she insisted on going to dinner with it on, with her friend Valerie.... I think she looks pretty grown up and cute!!

Officially a Soccer Mom!!!

Well not only did Karleigh have her first game yesterday but so did Aaron..... and boy is 5 and under a hoot to watch!!! Here is the set up... it is 3 on 3 with no goalie for either team and you don't keep score (which I am very thankful for).

Anyways, Aaron did pretty well....here are some pictures from him game....

Anytime the ball is being put in play they were asked which way their team was trying to go! (Too cute!!!)

Go Pink Panthers!!!!!

Karleigh's first soccer game was this morning at 8:30am....

I have to admit I was a little concerned about the girls after watching practice last night, and the other team scored right off the bat......BUT the Pink Panthers turned on their game faces, and ended up WINNING 4 to 1!!!! Go girls!!!





Here are a few pictures of the big event!

Karleigh's 1st Soccer

So this has been a very busy week in our house....

First with Aaron's first soccer

Then with the start of 3rd grade

And tonight, Karleigh started soccer....

She seemed to enjoy it although she said "wow mommy did you see how much we had to run tonight?" (And I did not have the heart to tell her this was nothing compared to what the rest of the season had in store for her!)

Anyways, here are some pictures of her first soccer experience:

Boy am I thirsty!!!!

Boy am I cute or what???

First Day of School - 3rd Grade!

I can not believe Karleigh started 3rd grade today.....

But here are some pictures from the morning!!!

Aaron's First Day of Soccer

Aaron had his first ever soccer practice tonight.... I think he looked absolutely adorable!!! But I am biased!

Here are a few pictures of him and his team!!!

Thanks!!

Wanted to give a shout out to a friend for giving me the link to an awesome website to make my blog a little cuter!!!! Thanks Missey!

What's the Best Way to Watch a Movie....

Well if you are my 7 year old daughter or 4 year old son and you are watching Hannah Montana Miley Cyrus Best of Both Worlds Concert Movie it is in 3D of course!

What a Great Day!!!

So this morning we headed up to a family member's condo on Lake Erie...what a peaceful, wonderful day we had!!!

How could you not LOVE this view...

Of course Karleigh had a great time in the water, both the pool and the lake! I thought she would be slightly afraid to get in the lake water but boy was I wrong!

And finally my boys enjoyed themselves too!!!! I am so blessed!!!!