Friday, December 31, 2010

A List of the good & bad most memorial moments of our 2010

For those of you who didn't get my New Year's Day or Holiday Card here is the blog version...I added a few pics so click around and reminisce with me on a great year!

Adam and Maddie tie the knot New Year’s Day on the beach!

Finally took the ugly duck wallpaper down in our bathroom!

Disney and all that Magic!

Taking rides in Papsy’s new Gator at the farm.

Macey started Kindergarten, and Mom and Dad cry!

Visitors that wouldn’t go away.

Trips to Savannah Georgia, Look out Mountain Chattanooga Tennessee, Kentucky, Cincinnati, Michigan, Indiana Dunes, South Bend Studebaker Museum, Evansville and of course our city…Indianapolis.

Taylor moved in a new house.

Paul completed the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.

Gavin survived 4th grade.

Fishing at Grammy & Papa’s.

Macey gets her American Girl Doll!

Welcome baby Nicholas. Gavin and Macey have a new cousin.

October weekends on the Ohio River.

Hiking at Turkey Run with the kids.

Macey jumps off the Diving Board. Thanks Merv!

Playing ponies at Ellis Park.

Jack’s encounter with the family of skunks.

Taylor finds out she get to graduate early. We are so proud!

Gavin joins facebook, gets a cell phone and has one awesome Nerf gun birthday party.

Adam & Maddie get their own place and move to Ohio.

Rocking out to Train at the Indianapolis Arts Garden.

Kary and her camera to capture all of the above.

Paul spending time behind the wheel of his Studebaker.

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Resolutions…

Before you run out and confirm your New Years Resolutions, consider this...

Recently I read a book by Lisa Scottoline titled “Why my Third Husband will be a Dog.” One chapter she devoted to New Year’s Resolutions and suggested that instead of making New Resolutions that you won’t keep, make a list of all the things that you are doing right and make a vow to continue doing them.

Here is my list of things I wish to continue…

Record the journey, and continue to archive our road map as a family. My children may not know where they are going, but they will know where they have come from. Be it notes, letters, old calendars filled with daily journals of what we did that day, baby books, a million photographs, ticket stubs, and of course my blog. Someday I will be gone, but the images I capture, and the notes I write will be left behind. I imagine them being treasured for generations to come, or rediscovered someday by my great, great grandchildren. What a gift!

I will not stop kissing and hugging my children goodnight and goodbye! Gavin still asks me to come and tuck him in, and is always handing out hugs and kisses. I am determined to hang on to this. I have never been a touchy feely person. It is only a small circle of people whom I will share my space with and I want to continue this with them.

I will continue to pamper myself with simple luxuries. By this I mean, I will do the necessary maintenance to make myself feel good. I will continue to splurge and spend the $$$ every six weeks to color my hair and wax my eyebrows! I will occasional not buy the needless toy my kids want and instead buy something for myself. Be it another pair of sexy high heels, or a new dress. If I don’t do this for myself, then who will? And I will not feel guilty about this!

I will keep reading… my new found love! I use to feel that reading was a waste of time. If I was going to read…I had to read something that would be useful to my growth as an individual, or read something only to gain knowledge about a subject. Now I will read anything. I am upset that I have missed out on so many wonderful books for decades. Every book I read gives me a new perspective, builds my vocabulary, and teaches me about people, places and things…what a true gift. Read on…..

I will continue to study photography, take photos and learn as much as I can about my camera and this craft.

I will stay married My third husband will not have the option to be a dog! I enjoy being married to Paul and I am proud of the life we have built together.

I challenge you to think of a few things you are doing right and want to continue in the coming year! I hope what you find within yourself will be as enlightening as it was for me. So…really what will you continue to do this year? Post it on here…share it!

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Phobias

Most of us have one…what is yours? My husband makes fun of my phobia, as if it were way out there in left field, but I have to tell you what his is first. Here is a picture of what he is afraid of.

Yeah, that is right spoons. He has this thing about eating from a spoon. He does not like spoons to touch his food in anyway. He hates restaurants that put spoons in your unsweet tea . He tends to favor the restaurants that don’t even place spoons on the table unless you order something that requires them. And yes, there are restaurants that do this. Bet you haven’t even noticed this before! He even eats ice-cream with a fork. Which I have to say after sharing some very frozen chocolate brown chunk ice-cream I actually found it easier to eat…and thought he might be on to something.

The photos above show a gift from my sister Katie to my husband Paul on his 40th birthday. They (she and my family) took spoons from various establishments and recorded the amount of the dinner, or trip to get the spoon. She collected 40 of them and then displayed them nicely. They hung in our kitchen for years, but then they started falling off. Paul re-gifted them in our dirty Santa gift to our family. Unfortunately Katie got the spoons back, and I know her mind is already plotting and scheming for another way to showcase these lovely spoons. Paul and I just washed them all (as they did not wash them before hanging) and put them in a nice utensil organizer. Who can’t use a few extra spoons, besides my husband?

As for my phobia…there is no photo (you can thank me now). I don’t photograph the things I hate…and what I hate the most in this life, well…actually there are two things I hate the most and I don’t know which I would rather do. I hate throwing up…and I hate flying. And flying makes me throw up, or feel as if I am going to. So ok…the fear of flying is totally irrational, but please tell me who does not mind being sick? I use to take this to an entire other level and hated throw up in general, and I still do, but something about having kids made me have to step up to the plate, take one for the team, and suck it up. You can’t be a mom and not deal with a little or a lot of throw up now and again. It is just something that comes with the territory.

So tell me is my phobia of vomit really that out there?

Hum, spoons or barf…you tell me!

Monday, December 27, 2010

Best Christmas Gifts for Kids...a box...

Santa brought my Myrt a cardboard castle that she can color....
Wow! What a great idea! How did he know that she and the dog would love it so!


Sunday, December 26, 2010

Watch me grow old....

As promised here are me and my sister's Christmas pics....
1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

New Year's Eve 1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2003

2004

2008

2008

Saturday, December 25, 2010

My Sisters and I

Every Christmas since I was 18 my sisters and I have tired to get a Christmas photo. There has been a handful of years that I have missed, last year was one of them. So here we are for this years Christmas Photo....Katie, Kelly and me!

I am going to look for all of them and try to post them this week so be sure to check back later!
Hope everyone had a great Christmas. Santa was full of caprizes (Macey's word for surprises) this year. Merry Christmas...and to my sisters I love ya!

Friday, December 24, 2010

The Middle Finger

So this is what Macey made for us in school! I love it! It is a little hard to tell from the photo, but that is her hand print.

She was showing it to her daddy last night and told us that all of us were on there. Jack was her pinkie, she was the thumb, and since daddy was the tallest he is the middle finger!

If she only knew what she was saying, which is why it was so darn funny, and for those of you who know Paul...well you would laugh even harder!

Wishing you a Happy Christmas Eve!

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Extras

Ok...just a couple of extra pics that I took tonight that are too cute not to post. This is my sister Katie...who reminds me of my Myrt everyday,and when they are together I sometimes call my sister Macey and my Macey... Katie!

It's the socks...make you want to jump!

Holiday Cheer!

My suggestion if you need some holiday cheer...were some funky socks!

Aren't these fun? I think I need to add a pair to my own wardrobe!

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Moonlight...

We may not have sun, but we have moonlight!

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

It's the kind of night

where you want to warm yourself by the fire!

Monday, December 13, 2010

Ever wonder what the person on the other end of the phone is doing...

Ever talk to someone and feel that they are distracted?

My kids were on the phone tonight talking to thier Grammy...and being silly at the same time...

We were in the middle of a Christmas project when she called.


I wonder if she noticed?

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Friday, December 10, 2010

What you can expect....



This Santa looks harmless, but he is my biggest Christmas Nightmare! I hate him! I highly advise any mom to think twice before she purchase any of these cool advent calendars, especially if you have more than one child.

See it is really hard to find something to fit into the darn things anyways. And depending on how many children you have that gets even more difficult. Then if your children are anything like my children that get so excited about the $.07 candy you purchased for the days...that they will actually lose sleep over it, and that means you will too! My children have been getting up before I get out of bed just to see what the prize of the day is. This is not only bad for you...but the children, cuz if you are like me it is nice to have a shower without someone sitting on the toilet telling you what they dreamed about....or a cup of coffee without having to make hot chocolate and a toaster strudel for them before you can have your cup of coffee.

Another bad thing that could happen....
Last year I ran out of money to fill the Santa so I made up colorful notes of things we would do that evening. I forgot to take them out. My eleven year old who I swear opens the boxes a few days in advance finds these...and then thinks we are going or doing such an adventure, example seeing lights or making cookies. He tells Macey and then with both of them ready to go...what do you say?

That leads me to the next bad thing...they do not come with alarms. My sneaky son checks them all out! Which leads to the entire other issue of where to hide ALL the real Christmas presents!

So I am just asking all other's who pause to consider these in Target to take not only a second thought, but a third cuz once you start it you are committed. It is just like the stocking we fill, the cookies and milk we fill ourselves with, and the toys we have to put together on Christmas Eve. Just ask yourself if it is REALLY worth it.

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Hey Grammy, call me sometime...Gavin



My son is on the phone all the time. Mostly it is just to me, his dad and Grammy! It is kind of funny now!

And as a side note tonight Macey asked me "Don't you ever just fall asleep singing?" I hated to tell her that I did not, and I laughed, only because she is such the singer!

I love my kids!

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

the kids

Monday, December 6, 2010

CLEAN YOUR ROOM!!!!!

So Gavin's room is a mess. I've asked him over and over to clean it up. He goes into his room and comes out in ten minutes. At first glance it looks kind of ok. I told Paul I bet it is all in his closet.

I was right! There is a wall and floor in there somewhere under all that mess of toys!

Sunday, December 5, 2010

The Christmas Story

Yesterday we broke out the Christmas stuff from storage and I ran upon this treasure. I am so glad that I took the time to write it down, and that I have saved it all these years!

This was Gavin's version of the Christmas Story at age 3...

First the donkey gave Mary a ride to a hotel. Joseph and Mary knocked on the doors, and were told "Nope, no rooms here." Finally, someone told them they could stay at their farm.

When they got to the farm, baby Jesus was born. Everyone was very happy! Then a fairy came and put a big bright star in the sky. The three wise men saw the star and followed it to baby Jesus. They brought baby Jesus presents, smelly things and birthday cake. They all sang Happy Birthday to Jesus.

Saturday, December 4, 2010

Snow Dog

Can you find Jack in the snow?



It is a great day to be a dog!


Friday, December 3, 2010

Santa

This little girl was all smiles after we left Santa.

While we were eating dinner after seeing Santa, Macey told me that Santa was going to bring her a camera, a barbie and DS. Evil Santa! No wonder she was all smiles and seemed to be walking on a cloud. When I questioned her even more she told me that all she had to do to get all this stuff was be good. Guess I am glad she didn't ask for a 2nd American Girl doll.



The kids took time to write letters to Santa.


Gavin just Thanked Santa, as he knows the truth. And Macey asked for a camera. She is so my girl, and of course she is going to get a camera...from me, not Santa.



We also got to cook and eat with Mrs. Clause. I think this might have really been their favorite part of the evening.




This is Macey's Cookie.


This is Gavins's.