HAPPY NEW YEAR!

We celebrated about 8pm with Ben and Caitlyn so they could go to bed. We put on our party hats and popped our "crackers" and blew our obnoxious horns to welcome in 2010. Amanda is going to make it to midnight, but I am not sure I will. I am so tired. I am glad this year is over, it has not been the best but I do have so much to be thankful for. Healthy, happy kids; a (new) job that I like, I survived and healed well from 3 surgeries; wonderful friends. I hope the new year brings many blessings and surprises for my family and friends!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.......

The tree is up, the presents are bought (but not wrapped yet), the cookies are made, the cards are addressed and ready to be mailed tomorrow. Wow, this is the earliest I have ever been this done. I still have so much to do though. The kids are excited. Amanda's last day of school is Friday the 18th and she is off for 2 weeks. Mom is also off the same time from MTI. I have to work, but it should be quiet around there. Ben and Caitlyn are old enough this year that it has been fun to see their excitement.

I can't believe another year is almost over. It hasn't been the year I expected it to be, but it has been filled with blessings and love.

Merry Christmas to all.

Happy Thanksgiving!

we had a great time at Mark and Jennifer's house today. Lots of good food and good company. Caitlyn was entertaining and Ben is his usual charming self.

Busy, busy, busy.....

Caitlyn has taken a recent liking to hats. This one was from tonight while we were sitting at the table doing puzzles. Maybe Uncle Jeff has a new fishing buddy.

my little soldier boy. he needs to work on his salute.

My birthday cake from Kim and Kristin. Awesome and so yummy.

Caitlyn was supposed to wear a winne the pooh outfit for halloween, but ended up as a cat.

She HATED this costume and cried the whole time it was on, which was about 10 minutes.

My tigger :0)

It has been a while since I posted. We have been very busy. I have been at my new job for almost 2 months now. I like all the people there, everyone is so friendly and it's nice to work with a lot of guys. Amanda was busy with RYAA Volleyball, which she really liked and learned a lot. Halloween came and went and then my birthday. I thought I should get something posted before Thanksgiving. Life here is crazy as usual. My hours at my new job have been hard to adjust to and the kids have been cranky and now it gets dark way too early. I am looking forward to the Christmas season and will try to post more frequently. I wonder if anyone actually reads this blog?

The Birthday Party

Ben's very first Harley.

He also got a remote control car. We all had a lot of fun with that!

Today was Ben's birthday party. Mark and Jennifer and the girls came over and we had cake and ice cream and a pinata. Ben got cars and trucks and trains and his very first Harley Davidson Motorcycle.

Happy Birthday Ben!

Ben turned 4 on Friday. He was very excited and took treats to school. about 10:20 I got a phone call from the daycare. Ben had a little accident. He was pushed into the lego table and cut his ear. I had to take him to prompt care to check if he needed stitches. He didn't, thankfully but his ear will be purple for a while. He was very brave and didn't cry when the Dr. was cleaning it and he got a blue bandaid, and three stickers. It was a day we will always remember.

back to work

for the last three weeks, I have planned and shopped and napped. I have made lists and crossed things off one by one. I took my kids to the zoo (twice), babysat for friends, had lunch with my friends, cleaned house, bought stuff, sold stuff, forgot to do stuff and got my hair chopped off :0)

And on Monday I start a new job. When I left my last place of employment, this is not what I had in mind but circumstances being what they are I decided to go back to work. Yes, I will miss being home with Ben and Caitlyn. I will miss seeing Amanda getting off the bus and run to the house with a smile on her face and being home for her when school is out. I think I will like my new job. It is closer to home and I know I will be busy. I will have health insurance which is major. I'm still confused as to what the whole point was of the months of planning I did but I am trying not to dwell on it and just move forward in a positive way.

It was a good three weeks(which by the way I was paid for from the last hell hole) but I guess the time for dreaming is over and it's back to what is.

Playing dressup

This is one cool fireman

and the two little princesses

If you're Caitlyn, you're not dressed up until you have your tutu

It rained most of the weekend so we had to think of a few things to entertain ourselves. Saturday morning the kids played with the dress up clothes.

Caitlyn and the flower garden

Caitlyn was helping Nana in the garden.

Faith

Over the past several months I have been learning a lesson about faith. There has been an issue in my life that I have wanted to change for about 2 years. I haven't done anything about it for a long time. Then in May of this year I just felt it was time to move on it. So I prayed. and I talked to some people whose wisdom I value, and then I prayed some more. Then I saw things begin to happen. Things just worked out too conveniently.. So why did I not have more faith that what I was doing was from God? Why did I not trust him to handle the problem? Do I not know that he has a plan for me. Over and over this summer things happened and worked out and I would say "that is an answer to prayer!" and I was surprised by it. Why should I be surprised when God answers prayer? Still, as I sit here tonight and type this I am on the verge of making an important decision, I hold back. Hesitant still that I will fall and fail, and maybe that's part of the plan, but still holding close to me that last shred of trust and faith that God will provide and answer this prayer. Has the lesson been learned?

Random photos

This is my cousing Zack's little boy... Draden, I think

Ben did not want to leave the park

Caitlyn ate a lot of food

Ashlee was being so funny, as usual

the "tweens" Natalie and Amanda

happy girl

Mark, Jennifer(my sister) and Ashlee

some refreshing fun

I had a busy weekend. I had surgery(yes again) on Friday. I had my gall bladder removed. I felt good enough to go sit in the heat at a family get together on Saturday.

New sunglasses

Yo, whassup?

Can you say Diva?

The best part of Ben's day

The backyard project

look at those muddy feet!

Have you ever seen a happier boy?

a few weeks ago, we had some young men from the local highschool football team come out and help us dig up some thorny bushes we had in the back yard. they also dug up a path for us to extend the patio. Yesterday, we finally decided to set some bricks and create a little flower/vegetable bed where the kids and I could try some planting for fun. Of course, it rained. We hauled brick and dug dirt anyway. Ben had the BEST time being a boy, sitting in the dirt, throwing the dirt, dancing with his mommy and riding his bike... all in the rain. a perfect day all in all for an almost 4 year old boy.

The vacation ends...

The rest of the vacation went so quickly! On Tuesday, my sister Pat, mom, Amanda and I drove up to Frankenmuth, MI to go to Bronners. It is Christmas on steroids! Wow! It was a lot of fun and I did get a few Christmas ornaments and gifts but by the end of the day we were pooped. Wednesday, Pat, Mom and I went to the outlet malls right by Pat's house in Howell. OH MY! they have outlets for my favorite children's stores: Gymboree, The Children's Place, Baby Gap, Oshkosh and Carters! Everything was on sale or clearanced and I made off with some bargains! I loved it! Amanda got to go fishing with Uncle Jeff again on Wednesday and actually touched the worms. Ben and Caitlyn stayed home with Jeff and Jordan while I was out and I think they will miss being waited on hand and foot :0) Thursday was the long drive home but the kids did great and we stopped every few hours for potty breaks and food. Friday we spent in Decatur at the pool with Jennifer, Natalie and Ashlee. The kids had fun, but by 3:30 Ben had had enough and wanted to go home. He was so tired. All in all we had a great week, but we are ready to get back into our routine.

Vacation - days 3 and 4

Amanda finally got to go fishing. Uncle Jeff took her and Jordan to Lake Howell. Amanda caught 4 fish her first time out and she cut up the worms. Very impressive! While they were out, Pat, mom and I took Ben and Caitlyn to a playground and out to lunch, then let them swim. The mosquito's here are awful so I can't stand to be out for long. Monday, we went to the Toledo Zoo. Ben was miserable most of the day, but everyone else had a pretty good day. Two more days to go.....