K'nex Roller Coaster

Santa brought Reece a K'nex Roller Coaster and he has been waiting for weeks to open it. Today he was finally able to spend the day building it with his dad.

First they had to sort out all 637 pieces into separate piles.

Then it was time to start the massive assembly.

Here it is only part way finished. They needed to take a break for lunch.

I...

i was … just thinking about how I need more time to craft & scrap.
i am … exactly where I want to be in my life right now.
i think … I am incredibly fortunate to be surrounded by an amazing family.
i wonder … what it would be like if I got 8 hours of sleep on a regular basis.
i wish … everyone knew their divine worth and used it.
i need ... to start running again.
i save … Box Tops for my kids to turn into school.
i always … crave a little silence.
i never ... want to miss making memories with my little ones because I am too busy.
i hope... for another awesome summer of adventures.
i can't imagine … existing without my family.
i believe … everybody is stronger than they believe.
i cherish ... moments with my mom, as they are few and far between.
i promise … I really earned a 1.8 my first semester of college, but made up for it by getting a 4.0 in my entire Master's Program at UNLV.
i love … being at home with my kiddos.
i try ... to be optimistic.
i pray ... for PEACE, WISDOM and JOY.

Valentine's Day presents from Noni & Pe Pere

My kiddos are so spoiled by all of their relatives! They receive more packages than anyone I know. Pe Pere is very good about sending his grand kids special presents around every holiday. Raine was more excited about her Tinkerbell card than the actual present she received. I love how much she enjoys holiday cards. She saves them all in a special box in her bedroom.

Reece and Raine each received a soft little bug filled with a bag of Jelly Belly Valentine goodies.

So excited to open yet another package from the Hauguel Grandparents!

Baseball Season Stress

We have been trying all week to get Reece released from Cheyenne Little League so that her could play coach pitch with his friends from Bilbray at Mountain Ridge. A parent of one of my students gave me some very good suggestions on Wednesday after school. I called the list of people he recommended and then emailed them as well. Now we sit and wait to hear back. Thursday right after dinner the president of the Division 4 Little League called and asked about our situation and said he would speak the president of Mountain Ridge and look into our situation. Praise God something is brewing between the leagues.

Fast Forward to Saturday morning. I was going through both of the little league web sites trying to find waivers and registration forms to complete and hand deliver to the appropriate people in charge. It was then that I decided to call Beth the president at CLL to make sure she would be at the fields today. She confirmed knowledge of the email we sent and said she would be meeting with the president of Mountain Ridge on Monday. I was so glad to hear this because I wasn't in the mood to drive all over Las Vegas. I will call Tuesday morning to see what the next steps are. Thanks Lord for all your favor in this matter!

life

I don't want to get to the end of my life and find that I lived the length of it.

I want to have lived the width of it as well.

~Diane Ackerman

Thankful Thoughts 04

Today it is hard to find something to be Thankful for when my plate has been so full. If I look hard enough, I know can find something:

1. My friend from Reno came into town for a visit and I was able to spend some time with her.
   



2. My hubby made dinner a lot this week




3. My son is reading James and The Giant Peach and enjoying it as much as I do!




4. I have amazing colleagues at work who help me with all that I need to accomplish during my day.
   



5. The Lord is my Savior and he is always, always there for me.

What do you want to be when you grow up?

Tonight at the dinner table, Reece told us that he was no longer going to be a scientist. Instead he wants to be a meteorologist who studies the weather in Antarctica in hopes of meeting a chinstrap penguin. Who knows what he will want to be next week! Thanks Mrs. S & Mrs. O for teaching my son so much science!

Raine stated a little while ago that she wants to be a cooker like her daddy. I am so grateful for my hubby who is an example of a cooker to my daughter. If it weren't him our kiddos would eat a lot of pasta and breakfast for dinner. I love my chef Mo.

Now if only I could grow up and be a stay at home mommy!

Today our day looked like this...

I MAKE A DIFFERENCE

You want to know what I make?
I make kids wonder,
I make them question.
I make them criticize.
I make them apologize and mean it.
I make them write, write, write.
And then I make them read.
I make them spell definitely beautiful, definitely beautiful, definitely beautiful
over and over and over again until they will never misspell either one of those words again.
I make them show all their work in math.
And hide it on their final drafts in English.
I make them understand that if you got this (brains) then you follow this (heart) and if someone ever tries to judge youby what you make, you give them this (the finger).
Let me break it down for you, so you know what I say is true:
I make a goddamn difference!
What about you?

~Taylor Mali

January has been a very hectic month at school and I have been feeling rather discouraged. I was making a present for Raine's student teacher when I remembered this poem by Taylor Mali, a high school teacher and slam poet. It was just what I needed to read and hear again. While teaching on Wednesday and Thursday, I felt like I got my groove back. I reminded myself that my job is not to have the students like me, but to help them appreciate the joy of knowledge and let them know that they are capable of reaching the stars. It also helps when a co-worker tells you how much her daughters still call me their most favorite teacher even after having several others since me. Thanks Lord for reminding me that I DO make a difference in children's lives.

Thankful Thoughts 03

I have so much to be thankful for:

I attend an amazing bible study about the names of God and really enjoy the ladies I fellowship with.

My children are so successful in school.

Our weekends have been blessed with such fun activities.

We were able to video chat with my sister in law and brother in law, my sister and mother on the computer.

My bunco group of teachers from Vegas Verdes.

Thank you Mrs. Sterling

I am so very thankful that my daughter was taught by the wonderful Mrs. Sterling. She was a very kind and caring teacher, who will be successful where ever she ends up.

Thankful Thoughts 02

I am so thankful for our fantastic Saturday spent at Disney on Ice, In & Out Burger, Barnes & Noble and church. It's these kinds of days that make me appreciate how hard my hubby works on the weekends. We are so blessed by his generosity which help us make these awesome memories.

Three day weekends

should be the rule. January has had two of them already and I have really, REALLY enjoyed them. The kiddos and Mo will have another one next weekend too because of Staff Development Day for CCSD. I will be at a training on IEP's and my family with have a wonderful third day off.

Saturday we went to see Toy Story 3 On Ice and had a ball. It was surprise Christmas present from Mo to the family. We were all very excited and enjoyed the great seats not too far from the ice. Reece enjoyed a yummy snow cone inside a green alien head cup and Raine loves her stuffed unicorn Uni. I took bunch of pictures and made Mo take a few too. The show itself was very funny and well done. Barbie and Ken were quite funny, I laughed right out loud, a lot! Raine said she loved when Jessie skated to her song "When She Loved Me", which was really heart wrenching to me. I love Sarah Mclachlan and that song always brings a tear to my eye. Reece said his favorite character is Rex but he loved the green aliens and the claw scene the best. It was such a fantastic show, even Mo enjoyed it!

2012 has already been so blessed! Our weekends have been great, lots of family time! I pray it continues that way.

23 ADULT TRUTHS

1. Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.

2. Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.

3. I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.

4. There is great need for a sarcasm font.

5. How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?

6. Was learning cursive really necessary?

7. Map Quest really needs to start their directions on # 5. I'm pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.

8. Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.

9. I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind-of tired.

10. Bad decisions make good stories.

11. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you know that you just aren't going to do anything productive for the rest of the day.

12. Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after Blue Ray? I don't want to have to restart my collection...again.

13. I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten-page technical report that I swear I did not make any changes to.

14. I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.

15. I think the freezer deserves a light as well.

16. I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Light than Kay.

17. I wish Google Maps had an "Avoid Ghetto" routing option.

18. I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.

19. How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod and smile because you still didn't hear or understand a word they said?

20. I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars team up to prevent a jerk from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers and sisters!

21. Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty, and you can wear them forever.

22. Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket, finding their cell phone, and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey - but I'd bet everyone can find and push the snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time, every time.

23. The first testicular guard, the "Cup," was used in Hockey in 1874 and the first helmet was used in 1974. That means it only took 100 years for men to realize that their brain is also important.

Ladies.....Quit Laughing. NO! This was an email I received today at work and had to post it on here because it had me laughing right out loud!

Growing Pains

The kiddos are growing and have a lot of complaints to go with it. Raine has had a pain in her right thigh and said she can't walk fast or run, not even at recess. She told me this on Monday and then again today. I wish I could help her but both Mo and I can remember having horrible growing pains as kids. Why is that? Why do we have to feel our muscles stretching and growing?

Reece said his legs were bothering him this week also. Every pair of jeans he put on looked like he was ready for a flood. He doesn't care but I do and I just bought those pants. On Tuesday, I stopped at the Gap to see if they had any pants on clearance. I only found one pair of windpants which probably won't last him very long.

It's been a pretty mild winter here in Vegas so let's just bring on spring then my son can where shorts. Do boys wear jean shorts?

Saturday Savings Shed Built

Today we brought the kiddos to Home Depot to work on their hand eye coordination. They built a savings shed; perfect for our New Year's resolution to save money for our summer vacation. It was nice and relaxing because daddy was able to come with and help out. Raine was given a good amount of assistance but Reece was quite capable of building it all by himself. Their favorite part is painting their projects. Both children were very creative and patient when it came to creating a pattern of stripes. We earned another pin for our apron but more importantly had fun as a family!

Thankful Thoughts 01

I am so glad she loves her dance classes as much as she does. Dressing up and dancing around a room with other 5 years makes Raine's Tuesdays so special.

Wordless Wednesday 01

Reece's first bike ride

Look who learned how to ride his new bike! Pops is such an amazing grandpa, he bought both the kiddos new bicycles for Christmas. Reece and daddy spent the morning putting it together as a team and then Reece learned how to ride with in 5 mins of getting on it! He then rode around the neighborhood 10 times for a total of 4.5 miles with his daddy. I am so grateful to Pops & Grammie for the helping foster this awesome new adventure for Reece!

On the TWENTY-SIXTH day of Christmas

we were blessed to hike around Pennypack Preserve with Uncle Travis. It was so much fun to walk along the railroad tracks and learn about all the adventures our daddy and his brother had as kids. Reece and Raine collected 5 different types of balls and a bunch of other junk they wanted to bring home. Daddy stopped and fished along our hike and caught three rainbow trout and two small mouth bass. As daddy fished Reece and Travis searched for treasures and found a snake. Travis decided it would be fun to play with it. When the garter snake was picked up, it released a very strong, bad odor which went all over his was hands and shirt. Luckily, he was wearing gloves and found some sort of tee tree oil hair product laying near the creek to clean off some of the stench. It was quite a sight to see. Raine and I laughed while watching Uncle Travy dance around like a crazy man with the snake coiled around his wrist. Seconds later, Raine had to use the bathroom so I taught her how to pee in the woods, she did pretty good. It was getting late so we ventured down the tracks to a super old bridge, crossed the creek and started to head back to the truck. We saw our favorite house which we would love to buy and even spoke with a neighbor about the woman selling it. Please Lord provide us with a way to buy this home, it is spectacular!

It was almost 1:00 and the Williams family was meeting us at Village Pretzel in Hatboro so we had to motor through the rest of the hike. We were cold and hungry anyway and ready for some delicious Philly style pretzels and hotdogs. First we made a pit stop at home so Uncle Travis could change his stinky shirt. He decided it would be fun to play with a snake. When the garter snake was picked up, it released a very strong, bad odor. which went all over his was hands and shirt. Luckily he was wearing gloves and found some sort of tee tree oil hair product laying near the creek to clean off some of the stench. It was quite a site to see as Raine and I watch Uncle Travy dance around like a crazy man with the snake coiled around his wrist.

We caught up with the Williams clan at the Village Pretzel and enjoyed the best soft pretzels around and then headed to safe street at a local park. The kiddos played hide and go seek for almost an hour, it was so nice to be out running around like kids should do. It was also so fun the the aunts and uncles ran and hid as well. The cousins had a blast and didn't want to leave but out was getting too dark and cold. We returned home for Christmas dinner leftovers. It was like Christmas dinner all over again. We are so blessed to be spending the holidays with our Pennsylvania family. Thank you Lord for answering my prayers!

On the TWENTY-FIFTH day of Christmas

pictures are worth a thousand words...

On the TWENTY-FOURTH day of Christmas

we celebrated Christmas Eve with our family in Hatboro, PA. It was a special morning for Raine and I because we were able to get a manicure together. It was the first time Raine had ever received a manicure at a salon. We do mani pedis at home all the time and she just loves it. She was very cute and asked if we could be twins with red polish and gold glitter. She waited very patiently for the polish to dry and then was amazed at how pretty our nails looked.

While we were at the salon, Reece, Daddy & Uncle Travy went into town to a local thrift store to purchase Thor comic books. It was a fun adventure for them because they scored some other cool books too.

After the hustle and bustle of showers and cleaning up for church we made it there with some time to relax and actually get a seat. The kiddos went into the second grade classroom with Aubrey while Mo and I waited for Doug & Amber. Unfortunately, they stayed out in the family cry room with baby Rory. The worship service was amazing, I was quite weepy and somber. Every Christmas I am reminded about the birth of our Savior, but Pastor Joe's teaching was something different. It's hard to explain all the details but even as the two punk teenagers distracted me from the teaching, (several times) I was still able to feel the Holy Spirit's presence.

We met up with the Willams family who were kind enough to grab our kiddos from class and then drove back to Noni & Pe Pere's for Christmas Eve dinner. A feast of pasta with your choice of clam sauce, shrimp sauce, a meat sauce and a plain marinara. Mo & I were able to help roll all the cheese and meat for the antipasto salad. It was neat to hear Mo say that he thought his mom bought the amazing tray of salad delights. Aubrey, Reece and Raine played while dinner was prepared and once Amber & Doug were back from their house we were able to enjoy a Christmas dinner like no other. It was a pretty wonderful sight in Noni's dinning room, peace and joy on the eve of Jesus' birth.

On the NINETEENTH day of Christmas

I am ready to fly to the East coast and visit the Hauguel side of the family. We are just about packed and ready to go. I am trying to figure out some way to make it more of an adventure for my kiddos but I can't think of anything creative right now. 6 am is going to come rather early and I'm not sure how chipper I will be. Can't wait to see what the kiddos will think of it all.

On the EIGHTEENTH day of Christmas

I was given three hours of the alone to pack our suitcases for our winter travels. We are just about ready to go east. Two bags are just gifts and two others are clothes. Mo has to pack his bag and then it will be just getting the little stuff organized and situated. Kids still don't know and I am bursting at the seems wanting to tell them but I know it will be more fun when the figure it out on the plane or as we travel. Mo and I are so excited to spend Christmas with extended family!

On the SEVENTEENTH day of Christmas

Mo and I were able to go on a long awaited date! After a long day of fun at their holiday parties; the kiddos and I picked up Shelby to babysit. Reece and Raine were wired from all the treats and excitement of the day so Shelby had her hands full. Superdad had a tasty dinner ready for the kids when we walked in the door and I ran to change my clothes. Mo and I were blessed with tickets to the Wranglers hockey game. We met Tina and Tori at TGI Fridays for some yummy bar food and fellowship, then it was off to the game. The hockey game was quite intense, the score kept going back and forth. The Wranglers ended up winning it in the last 15 seconds of the third period. It was pretty awesome. Mo and I thought about running over to the movie theater to catch the opening night of Sherlock Holmes but we were too tired. How lame are we?

On the FIFTEENTH day of Christmas

On the FOURTEENTH day of Christmas

my kiddos make me such a proud mama at parent teacher conferences. Our squirrely second grader made straight A's and our creative kindergartner is meeting and exceeding standards! We are extremely proud of them and love the comments the teachers gave about them; chatty, inquisitive, detailed and energetic. Daddy took the day off so he could be a parent of the conference and hang out with them all day. Did I mention how super he is at that? Well he is!

They headed to McDonald's for a celebratory breakfast and then all around town. When I called Mo to see how things were going, he said they skipped driving around and just came home to play. The kids were having a blast building, coloring and discovering long lost toys. I loved hearing that and went back to my work. I treasure the time my kiddos get at home with their daddy, it is such a blessing to all of them.

On the TWELFTH day of Christmas

We were able to get back into our book, The Adventures of Hugo Cabret. It is a very interesting read, one the kids love. Every time I tell them that it is time to go to bed, they beg me to read more. The book was the winner of the Caldecott Award which is for the illustrations within a book. This book however is more like a chapter book that just a picture book and we love the illustrations that are mixed within the pages of text. If you can get your hands on a copy, pick it up it is a great read!

On the ELEVENTH day of Christmas

We were able to get in some serious Wii time. The kiddos played Just Dance for Kids for about an hour, nonstop. Reece was very, very good at. Raine started to get the hang of it and then it became quite a competition. It was so fun to watch them laugh, giggle and dance. They also played the Wii sports and Mario Kart for awhile too.

On The TENTH day of Christmas

The kiddos and I went to 'Top Dollar Recycling Center' for a Cub Scout field trip today. It was quite interesting; Mo needs to bring the endless piles of steel he has laying around to Top Dollar for some CASH. He was very busy providing for his family by digging holes at a landscape job and was sad he missed the adventure. After the outting we stopped by 'Five Guys and Fries,' a delicious burger joint, for some lunch - keep digging Mo, you just paid for our lunch :-). While on our way home we drove by Star Nursery and Reece and Raine asked if we could stop in to make a craft. They made these cute, little, tree stump Christmas ornaments. At home we settled down for some good-ol' fashioned quiet time, Reece lasted all of 10 minutes and Raine slept soundly for 2 hours! Daddy came home and we were right where he left us snuggled up on the couch getting ready to watch Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. Another great and mellow adventurous day.

On The NINTH day of Christmas

I feel like a I've been run over by a truck, we are cuddling up on the couch tonight for some good ole favorite Christmas specials. Frosty the Snowman, Frosty Returns, Yes Virgina and Elf on a Shelf. Raine only lasted through half of the original Frosty and Reece would have stayed up until midnight if we let him. It was a cozy, snuggly night and a perfect way to end the long work week. Now to get some cold meds in me and hit the hay.

On the EIGHTH day of Christmas

I feel as though I'm getting a cold. I couldn't get rid of my chill all day. I sit here now sniffling and drinking tea. Mo was super dad and fed the kiddos chicken nuggets and candy while I attended a class on IEP meetings. I was able to stroll around the mall and pick up a few more presents for family. It was very interesting shopping all by myself, to bad I was too tired to do more of it. Praying this cold goes away as quickly as it hit me.

On the SEVENTH day of December

my daughter was kicked off the pretend plane to Israel for talking to her neighbors. She was very sad when I went into Kindergarten to say hello to her. When I asked what was wrong, her gorgeous eyes filled with big crocodile tears and she solemnly said, “I was kicked off the plane.” It was very hard to contain my laughter because only Raine would get kicked off the plane for being too chatty.
She said she loves going to school lately because they get to visit a bunch of different countries and learn about their Santa Claus and how they spend Christmas break. Every morning I ask her where she is flying to today. Yesterday they were very busy in class and didn’t travel anywhere so she was very grumpy when I picked her up from class. Rainey Roo is quite a hoot; she brings a smile to my face more times than I can count and is certainly adding to my collection of laugh lines.

On the SEVENTH day of December

My daughter was kicked off the pretend plane to Israel for talking to her neighbors. She was very sad when I went into Kindergarten to say hello to her. When I asked what was wrong, her gorgeous eyes filled with big crocodile tears and she solemnly said, “I was kicked off the plane.” It was very hard to contain my laughter because only Raine would get kicked off the plane for being too chatty.
She said she loves going to school lately because they get to visit a bunch of different countries and learn about their Santa Claus and how they spend Christmas. Every morning I ask her where she is flying to today. Yesterday they were very busy in class and didn’t travel anywhere so she was very grumpy when I picked her up from class. Rainey Roo is quite a hoot; she brings a smile to my face more times than I can count and is certainly adding to my collection of laugh lines.

On the SIXTH day of December

I was able to enjoy a Michael Buble Christmas special while cuddling with my lil man. He loves to listen to music as much as I do and hates to miss these Christmas Specials on TV every night. He heard Justin Bieber was going to be singing and came running out of his bedroom begging to watch. How can a mama say no? I knew deep down Biebs wasn’t going to sing until the end so I made Reece snuggle up with me on the couch. It was a very fun time singing Christmas carols with my lil guy and laughing at how silly the show was.

On the FIFTH day of December

my true love bought for us a Mac book Pro! I can’t wait to get my hands on it! I am so excited! I want to leave the PC world and join the cool kids at Mac. My lil brother swears by them and my dear friend Tina only owns Apple products. I just need time to play with it.

On the FOURTH day of December:

my house feels a little bit more like Christmas! I wish my favorite photographer was in town the states to take some Christmas pics of my silly kiddos because just look at all that she captures on film. Love this pic!

On the THIRD day of December

we had an awesome day of building a Snowman napkin holder, shopping at the Bilbray Holiday Bizarre and a trip to the Fashion Show Mall. I brought the kiddos over to Home Depot to build and paint a super cute wood craft. They both did a very good job screwing the snowmen into the base, then gluing the hat onto the top. Then it was onto the painting station. Raine chose to paint her one side of her snowman purple and the other snowman yellow. Reece went for the traditional white with a black hat. I was very impressed with how neatly and carefully they painted and placed the stickers. It was a lot of fun!

Around 11 am we headed to Bilbray to check out the 45 craft tables at the holiday bizarre. I was very pleasently pleased with all of the neat homemade items. I found some awesome little stocking stuffers and a present or two for myself! It was also fun to watch the cute Bilbray kids sing, dance, tumble and cheer on stage. Raine was blessed with a beautiful butterfly face painting on her little face. It cost 5.00 and she had to beg and borrow a 1.50 to have it painted. I had to work on some report card comments and print out progress monitoring reports. My wonderful kiddos played on the computers, ran around on the playground and were mad when I finally brought them home.

Once at home we cleaned ourselves up a little bit and then headed down to the strip to shop at the Fashion Show Mall. Mo raised some $ at his fall festival and wanted to look at a macbook pro or ipad for his classroom. While we listen to Daniel explain all there is to know about Macs, the kiddos watched a fancy little Christmas song and dance with Santa and some Rockette type dancers, it even snowed on them. Back in the store, I found it quite interesting learning all about that amazing little piece of technology. I hope he heads back to the store sooner than later to purchase it. The kiddos had a great time playing on the IPad 2 which is something I want for Christmas, but know that it's not in our budget and I probably wouldn't ever get to play with it! The macbook pro would be so great because I could actually get my school work finished at home instead of staying late everyday! We enjoyed some burgers and fries at Johnny Rockets and crushed the kiddos at the classic game of complete a square. Reece was pretty intense, really looking for ways to beat me. Raine was a little less patient. Lastly, we headed to my favorite store Lucky Jeans! I scored three items for 14.99 each, yes a new outfit and an extra top. Mo was happy, all he has to do it wrap it and put it under the tree for me! On the way to out we stopped by Gymboree for a few half price items for my spoiled children. They will look so well dressed this holiday season. It was a great trip to the mall as a family. I was pleasently surprised how well the kids did and look forward to doing it again, soon!

On the SECOND day of December

an elf named Arnie joined us. He happily sat upon our shelf near the TV and watched over our kiddos. He will report back to Santa how they behave and if they have been naughty or nice. At first Raine was very hesitant to believe this little guy could fly all the way back to Santa but Reece reminded her that if she didn't believe in him, then she must not believe in Santa. Ahhh, thank you son for helping mama. I love the spirit of Santa and Christmas, now time to get the decorations up.

On the FIRST day of December

my little man lost his second tooth. He was so excited he hopped out of bed to show me his teeny tiny tooth. He said it came out when he was brushing his teeth and then they couldn't find where it went. Luckily, lil sis spotted it and Reece quickly placed it in it's safe green house for the night. He didn't want to place it under his pillow so he cleaned off a nice open spot for the tooth fairy near his alarm clock. Reece said she would have some light from the clock and lots of space to take the tooth and leave some money. He also left a little note for her telling her the story of how it fell out and that he would like more than 25 cents. She did have plenty of room to work and left him a two dollar bill. Reece came running into our room this morning shouting about the two dollar bill. It was a very exciting evening and morning for my lil man.

Simplicities

• waking~ Raine tapping me on the shoulder asking if she can sleep with me




• eating~ yummy apples and peanut butter in the new singe serve peanut butter containers




• seeing~leaves finally falling from some trees here in Nevada




• snuggling~ with Reece because he still asks me to




• laughing~ Raine has the best laugh and is so stinking funny




• playing~ the wii being a force of good in motivating Reece to get his homework and reading done




• knowing~ Reece is capable of focusing at school and proud he is finally doing so




• praying~ for some challenges I am facing at work




• planning~ a trip home at Thanksgiving




• asking~ my kiddos need to be asked several times to complete tasks, why is that?




• serving~ coming home to a hubby who has made dinner and done the dishes, love that so much




• anticipating~ the arrival of my new niece or nephew

Be Flexible

I am trying to do more of this and really just go with the flow. I must admit this is really, really hard for me. I am a first born child, who needs to be in control and plan out most everything. I also have to have the last word. Anyway, we have been without daddy for the last few days and it has been wonderfully fun until tonight when I took the kiddos to my bible study. I tried to find a sitter but it wasn't happening. I probably should have skipped it and just enjoyed the evening with my babies, but nope I had them pack up a few things and brought them with me.

Let's just say it all started off just swell with cookies and coloring and then Reece was bored and decided to teach Raine how to play go fish. Well he wouldn't whisper, so I sent them into the other area where there was more light and no ladies to disturb. They played far away from me and my sight. Not good, not good at all. I was so embarrassed by how loud they were being that I left the table on the opposite side of the room and threaten my children with the spoon. They cleaned up all 52 cards that were laying all around the room and stomped back into the main area where the video was being played. I asked them to clean up the rest of their belongs and packed up myself too. I was so mortified, but why should I be? I chose to bring a 7 and 5 year old to a women's bible study; it wasn't their fault they were acting their ages. Reece was being a typical little boy and Raine was a perfect little sister following every move her big brother made.

It took me several hours of stewing and disappointment in my children to get to this point. I should never have brought them, it wasn't their fault and I must apologize to them when they wake up in the morning. I just wish I could start this evening over again...

Fall

Wait it is Fall, where did spring and summer go?

I have a ton o posts to catch up on but I told myself that I needed to update somethings that were currently on my mind without pictures. So here is what I need to unload tonight as I lay here all alone in my bed. As I type, I listen to my awesome friend Shontell's super duper cool playlist. I love her choice in music and often steal it off her computer when I am in her home. Tonight I thought of her a lot as I purchased music from itunes, imagine that actually buying a tune or two. The kiddos were able to pick a couple also. Reece chose Justin Bieber "Somebody to Love" which he can sing really well. Raine was a bit indecisive, as usual. I had her listening to a bunch of Disney songs and then I finally convinced her to chose Grace Potter (love, love her) "Something That I Want". I think it was more for me than her but she still sung right along to it. We are huge fans of the movie Tangled, in fact Raine can't wait to dress up as Rapunzel for Halloween. Wow, that's going to be here before we know it, I better go get her that costume. Reece is content to be Ben 10 again this year; I really thought he was going to be Green Lantern, but nope. I wish the weather would cool off so we could enjoy October evenings and fall leaves. A trip to the mountains to collect Aspen leaves and get my fall fix will be happening soon I hope. As for now it is playdates and football games on TV.

Sunday, My Sabbath

I am one blessed girl this year. I get to relax and truly enjoy my Sundays to the fullest. We have been trying to observe Sunday as our Sabbath and it usually works out for me. Mo has had to landscape and do some other side work but I have been enjoying my lazy Sundays. I have really enjoyed watching football and reading my new book, House Rules. Reece had a friend from school over today and he asked me if all I did was watch baseball and football. Why Yes Tyson, on Sundays, that is all I do. I love me some Phillies baseball and Buffalo Bills football. The kids love Sundays as well because they get to play all day, mama doesn't nag them to do a thing.

Hebrews 4:9-10 says it best: There must still be, therefore, a seventh day of rest, reserved for God's people, since to enter the place of rest, is to rest after you work, as God did after his.

October already??

Yikes, September has flown by but boy was it fun! We are back in the swing of school and scheduled activities like dance class and cub scouts. Our weeks have the perfect balance of after school fun. On Mondays, I attend a bible study on the book of Revelation by the one and only Beth Moore. On Tuesdays, Raine attends a beginner ballet class at a fantastic studio called Fairy Tales & Tutus. On Wednesdays, Reece heads back to Bilbray with his dad for Cub Scout meetings and activities. Every other Thursday, Mo meets up with a mens group for a bible study at Canyon Ridge. On Fridays, we have our usual pizza and a movie family night. It may seem like a lot but it seems to work for us. Our weekends are super relaxing, no sporting events or scheduled obligations unless I sign the kids up for something at Pottery Barn or Lowes. I love getting back on a routine but do miss my lazy summer days.

Be Kind Award

Raine attended her first super citizen assembly at James Bilbray ES. She whispered to me, "This is boring..." and then asked me, "When am I gonna get an award?" I told her soon and reminded her to cheer real loud for her brother when his name was called. She just sneered at me. Love that girl and her sassy attitude; at this rate she'll be waiting a long time for her award.

Reece sneaks a smile once he notices I am in attendance at the assembly; so proud of him.


Reece was called up for the Be Kind award. It is a new award this year to go with our school theme, Fill A Bucket by Being Kind. He was chosen by his second grade peers to receive the award for room 55. He has such a big heart and it means so much to me and his dad that he earned this.

What a special moment for this mama. xoxo

Ya just gotta love this kid, no matter how wiggly he is ;)

Reminds me of a song I cherish: Never Grow Up By: Taylor Swift

Oh darling, don't ya ever grow up, don't ya ever grow up, just stay this little.

Happy 7th Birthday Lil Man

I can not believe you are so old! It makes me sad to see you grow up so fast. I am so thankful to all the love and laughter you bring our family. It just wouldn't be the same without your energy!

I remember

September 11 Memorial was a tear jerking experience this summer, but I had to go see it. I could have stayed there for hours but time wouldn't allow it. I will always remember those towers and the times I spent standing on top of them with my cousins as a kid. I am glad I have seen and felt the NYC skyline with the towers standing tall. I cherish them and feel for all those whose lives changed on that day.

So glad this sign still hangs in the subway stations. I look forward to visiting the completed One World Trade Center Plaza and the Freedom Tower next summer.