My Time Has Come

And she's off, Without Me.....

2011-08-28T10:31:00.000-05:00

Today was Katie's offical first day of Kindergarten. I really thought sending off the "Middle Child" would be so much easier. I was wrong. As soon as the bus pulled away I got all choked up and started to cry. Every time I thought about her I would get choked up again. Silly me.

Here is Katie and her cute Kindergartner sign. I didn't realize at the time it matched her dress. She was very excited about that!

And here is Katie on the bus, WITHOUT ME!! I have driven a school bus for 4 years now, and my kids have always ridden with me. This is the first time she is on a bus and I am not driving it!

Kindergarten Round Up....

2011-08-28T10:25:00.000-05:00

Katie had her Kindergarten round up today. The kids go in and meet their teachers and their new friends while the parents get the low down and what to expect in Kindergarten. I have already done this one time with Braeden so it wasn't total news to me, but there were a few new things.

This is Katie and her friend Sarah from church, they and another boy Brandon from church are all in the same class!

Katie is inline with the rest of her class and her "Pirate" teacher ready to head to her class.

After are meeting we met up with our kids in their class, and did a little scavenger hunt. Part of it was reading a book, so Katie picked one and sat down and read away.

And her she is sitting at her table ready to learn!

Back to School.....

2011-08-24T12:39:00.000-05:00

Today was Braeden's first day of school. I cannot believe my baby is in 2nd grade already! Where did the time go? He is such a smart person, I am really excited to see what the school year brings for him!

New Year New Everything

2011-02-09T14:37:00.002-06:00

So I haven't blogged FOREVER. Really I don't even know who reads this one anymore! I have a master plan for my life this year. I want to beautify my home and myself. “Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing; and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God.” I fall so very short on these things. I want my house to be so organized I end up making it a HUGE mess! I also need to make me healthier, obviously. These are things I plan on working very very hard on. Anyone who wants to help or encourge me on my journey please do! I truly need all the help and prayers I can get!

Kristyn Anne

2009-09-23T04:18:00.002-05:00

She is finally here! Thank you to my super high blood pressure I seem to only have the last 4 weeks of my pregnancy she came at 38 weeks too. She was born on 09/18/09 and 12:10pm. She weighed 6lbs and 15oz and was 19.5in long. She looks just like her daddy! This was truly an amazing delivery. Very painful, but lots of great rewards. My mom, my good friend Heather and Chris were all balling in the delivery room! So here she is!

So Sorry

2009-08-05T12:20:00.002-05:00

I know I know my blog hasn't been updated in forever. It will be coming. My computer fried and I lost almost all my pictures, then my memory card in my camera went bonkers and my computer doesn't like to read it anymore. I don't usually like to blog without pictures, so I haven't posted anything in forever. So....when all starts to work again, I will post!!!

Zoo Trip

2009-04-21T12:49:00.004-05:00

Last week was Braeden's spring field trip for preschool. Braeden was really looking forward to going this year. Last year he was in his wheelchair because he had broken his leg. He was so happy to be able to walk around and see all the animals up close this year. I know it's a hard picture to see, but his favorite thing in the whole zoo (it's a very small local zoo) are the otters. He just loves them. Since the weather was warm the Mountain Lions or Cougars were out enjoying the warm weather so we got to see them right up close. And as always the boys love the reptile house. I have to admit for a small zoo, their reptile house is pretty darn cool.

Finally A Post

2009-03-24T11:04:00.003-05:00

I really hadn't realized that it had been so long since I had posted. I read everyone else's and never updated mine! So here we go. For Valentine's Day we took the kids to Build A Bear. It was Katie's first time there, and Braeden LOVES to go there. They had a blast, they lady stuffing my kid's stuffed treasures however looks less than thrilled. Katie decided on a soft curly bunny, and Braeden fell in love with the smallest bear in the place. No complaints here!! Aside from the line wrapped through, outside, and around the corner from the store (note to self, skip Build A Bear in V-Day falls on a weekend), we had a blast, and it was great to see the kids with their new friends!

GIVEAWAY

2009-01-12T13:16:00.004-06:00

My longtime dear friend Becky and her friend Jess are giving away a beautiful hand-made heart necklace for Valentine's Day. Check out the website here. Good luck to everyone, I really love Becky's designs. Amanda I need you to take pictures of my kids so I can have her make me the beautiful photo necklace. Check out Becky's designs here!!

Something Fun....

2009-01-06T17:08:00.005-06:00

I saw this on an old friend's blog. I thought it was cool, and did it too.

Bold the things you've actually done
01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink 02.Swam with dolphins 03.Climbed a mountain 04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive 05. Been inside the Great Pyramid 06. Held a tarantula 07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone 08. Said "I love you" and meant it 09. Hugged a tree 10. Bungee jumped 11. Visited Paris1 2. Watched a lightning storm at sea 13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise 14. Seen the Northern Lights 15. Gone to a huge sports game 16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa 17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables 18. Touched an iceberg 19. Slept under the stars 20. Changed a baby's diaper 21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon 22. Watched a meteor shower 23. Gotten drunk on champagne 24. Given more than you can afford to charity 25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope 26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment 27. Had a food fight 28. Bet on a winning horse 29. Asked out a stranger 30. Had a snowball fight31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can 32. Held a lamb 33. Seen a total eclipse 34. Ridden a rollercoaster 35. Hit a home run 36. Danced like a fool and didn't care who was looking37. Adopted an accent for an entire day 38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment 39. Had two hard drives for your computer 40. Visited all 50 states 41. Taken care of someone who was drunk 42. Had amazing friends 43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign 44 . Watched whales 45. Stolen a sign 46. Backpacked in Europe 47. Taken a road-trip 48. Gone rock climbing 49. Taken a midnight walk on the beach 50. Gone sky diving 51. Visited Ireland 52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love 53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger's table and had a meal with them 54. Visited Japan5 5. Milked a cow 56. Alphabetized your CDS57. Pretended to be a superhero 58. Sung karaoke 59. Lounged around in bed all day 60. Played touch football 61. Gone scuba diving 62. Kissed in the rain 63. Played in the mud 64. Played in the rain 65. Gone to a drive-in theatre 66. Visited the Great Wall of China 67. Started a business 68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken 69. Toured ancient sites 70. Taken a martial arts class71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours72. Gotten married 73. Been in a movie 74. Crashed a party 75. Gotten divorced 76. Gone without food for 5 days 77. Made cookies from scratch 78. Won first prize in a costume contest 79. Ridden a gondola in Venice 80. Gotten a tattoo 81. Rafted the Snake River 82. Been on a television news program as an "expert" 83. Gotten flowers for no reason 84. Performed on stage 85. Been to Las Vegas 86. Recorded music 87. Eaten shark8 8. Kissed on the first date 89. Gone to Thailand 90. Bought a house 91. Been in a combat zone92. Buried one/both of your parents93. Been on a cruise ship 94. Spoken more than one language fluently95. Performed in Rocky Horror 96. Raised children 97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour 98. Passed out cold 99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country 100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over 101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge 102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn't stop when you knew someone was looking 103. Had plastic surgery 104. Survived an accident that you shouldn't have survived 105. Wrote articles for a large publicatio n106. Lost over 100 pounds 107. Held someone while they were having a flashback108. Piloted an airplane 109. Touched a stingray 110. Broken someone's heart 111. Helped an animal give birth112. Won money on a TV game show 113. Broken a bone 114. Gone to Africa 115. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears 116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol 117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild 118. Ridden a horse 119. Had major surgery120. Had a snake as a pet121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon1 22. Slept for 30 hours in a 48 hour period 123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. States 124. Visited all 7 continents 125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days 126. Eaten kangaroo meat 127. Eaten sushi 128. Had your picture in the newspaper 129. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about 130. Gone back to school 131. Parasailed 132.Touched a cockroach 133. Eaten fried green tomatoes 134. Read The Iliad and The Odyssey 135. Selected one "important" author who you missed in school, and read 136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating 137. Skipped all your school reunions 138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language 139. Been elected to public office 140. Written your own computer language 141. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream 142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care1 43. Built your own PC from parts 144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you145. Had a booth at a street fair 146. Dyed your hair 147. Been a DJ1 48. Shaved your head 149. Caused a car accident 150. Saved someone's life

I Love the Holidays......and all the crap that comes with them.

2008-12-08T10:12:00.004-06:00

The past two weeks have been very hard on my system. Not necessarily bad, or a reason for BAH HUMBUG, which I am not, but none the less very rough. It all started just over a week ago. I work two jobs now as many of you know. The mall I work at has a "Midnight Madness Sale" that actually starts about 10pm on Thanksgiving Eve. I was slated to work the first shift which I did of our Black Friday sale, so I worked from 9pm on Thanksgiving until 9am Black Friday morning. Oh I forgot to mention that was after we had to call 911 at my mom's house I Thanksgiving to take my Grandma to the doctor because she had Pancreatitis, what a mess. So on no sleep Chris picked me up at work, we ran to Toys R Us and Meijer hoping to catch a few of the Black Friday specials they were having, which we did. The back in the car, drive through for lunch, and a 5 hour drive to Ohio to visit family. We came back on Sunday, and it was a fun, much needed visit. Then comes Wednesday night. I go back to work at Crocs, where I leave around 9:30pm. I get home. Katie starts screaming in her room around 10:15pm, she has the flu. I held her all night, until about 3 when Braeden started throwing up too. finally around 4:30 in the morning they both fell asleep, me too for 30 minutes, my alarm went off at 5 to get up and get ready for work. Yay for no sleep AGAIN! LoL!!! So I went to work, hurried home to my still sick children, got them to fall asleep again, and I jumped in the shower, this time it was off to COURT. My final court date for my divorce. I am now officially single again. Crazy, it has been 10 years for this one. So, Thursday night I was exhausted, feel right asleep. Friday comes and nothing. Friday night....I GET THE FLU!!! Seriously, do I need sleep? Apparently, not. I can function without it lol. Saturday morning I get up, drag myself out of bed, and take my kids to Breakfast with Santa because I had promised them the night before and already bought the tickets. I love the holidays I really do, but I can do without Black Friday, and the cold and flu Season. So Sunday rolled around and we decided to really the Christmas spirit and have a little fun with the kids (after recovering all morning from the flu and no sleep) and we built a Gingerbread house, like we do every year. And yes, my kids do eat it! I hope it gets better from here on out, otherwise I am taking a vacation in January from my holidays!!

GIve Away

2008-11-22T12:04:00.001-06:00

I found this on a friends, friends blog. Good Luck to all of you!

Vote for Values......2008

2008-11-04T11:04:00.003-06:00

This morning on my way home from work I was the 649 person to vote in my precinct in Kendall County Illinois. Hehe. I know that is alot more than needed information, but I feel pretty cool. I saw a sign at the local gas station that said Vote for Values. I think that sums it up pretty well for me. I am an education woman, but I don't speak well, or write well. Heck, try as I might I may not know all there is to know about politics. But I felt so proud walking to to vote today. Win or lose, I know I did the right thing. As a school bus driver I have had lots of questions from students about who I was going to vote for, and I never tell them. I just let them guess (even though I am wearing a red white and blue elephant jibbit in my crocs). I have had to experiences I want to share. One happened this morning. After the kids asked me who I was going to vote for I took a poll and asked them. First I said Obama, then I said McCain. When the McCain students raised their hands a black students said to them, "Stupid White People." I has so angry. A few weeks ago I had a third grade student tell me he was going to "Vote for Barack Obama because he feels that black people should have the right to be president." All I can say is what the heck are they teaching these kids in school!!! So that was totally off the subject, but I am proud to be an American, and I am proud that I exercised my right to vote today. And, Katie is great full because she was with me, and all the kids that came with their parents got candy!!! Here is to the future.

Tell Me Tuesday......My Favorite Teacher

2008-09-09T19:04:00.005-05:00

I was really blessed to have lots of great teachers while I was growing up. I just ran into my 7th grade science teacher and can I tell you....she is just as excited about sciene now as she was back in the 7th grade! My absolute favorite teacher though was Mr. Lademan, my 8th grade history teacher. He was awesome! He was fun, warm, willing to help, and really made learning just plain cool! I remember studing the stock market. We broke into groups and over the course of serveral "months" we bought and sold stock, based on the actual happenings of the economy around the time of the great depression. The winning team received a bunch of "plus tickets" that could be used as currency in the end of the year 8th grade auction. I also remember more the time we were studying the civil war. We talked about the actual distance that men on the battlefield had to stand from each other while using mukets and bayonets. So Mr. Lademann marched us down to the football field, gave us all tennis balls, had us stand 15 or so yards apart, and then ordered us to "FIRE". A few bruises later we got the point, they were really close to each other!! Anyway, here is to Mr. Lademann!! Thank you!

Happy Birthday Kathryn Marie!

2008-08-27T14:19:00.005-05:00

I realized I haven't posted in what 2 months? What is my problem! lol. So I am going to start off with Katie. She turned 2 just last Monday. How the time flies. I love that little girl so much, and to think I only wanted boys....

My mom and I took Katie To Libby Lu to get her ears piercred. Here is the before...

...And the after. Yes her eyes are closed, the gun got stuck, but she didn't shed a single tear! I can't believe she is such a big girl!

Tell Me Tuesday-My Bucket List

2008-06-25T21:26:00.002-05:00

I like this post. I am sure I could make it huge and long and ramble on more than I usually do, but here I go with the first few things to pop into my head.

1. Get married barefoot in the sand-Seriously, I am doing it my way this time. Not everyone gets to do it twice...
2. Buy a nice single family home-I love my townhomes and duplexes but one without common walls would be nice.
3. Buy a brand new car-never done it, I have always had great great used ones, but a brand spanking new one would be fun.
4. Go back to Switzerland-I loved it so much the first time, I need to go back someday.
5. Go to the Summer Olympics(in Chicago 2016 I hope!!)-I am an olympic nut. I love the swimming and water polo events, I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to see them in person.
6. Go on a cruise-this may happen sooner than I think. A disney cruise for Thanksgiving is in the works. It is still warm enough there in swim right?
7. See my kids start families-I know this is all sentimental, but it would make me so happy.
8. Lose all this DAMN weight!!-Ok sorry for being vulger. I am trying right now. I want sooo badly to get back down to my pre-college/baby/kids/depression/fast food weight. Thank heavens for the gym and personal trainers right?
9. Be ORGANIZED!!-Can I pay someone to come into my home and get everything all organized for me? I would LOVE it.
10.Personal Chef-I have always said, if I won the lottery I would get a personal chef.

Tell it to Me Tuesday-This summer.....

2008-06-11T11:41:00.002-05:00

This one is great Chelsea!!

I have so much on my plate for this summer. I have had quite the interesting year and I have alot of work to do. So here are my plans.

1. LOSE WEIGHT!!! OK, now I know everyone wants to do this, but I am sooooo doing it. I have lots to lose. I joined a gym which I have been going to, and paid extra for the daycare there. My kids love it. My DS4 asks me if we can stay longer every time I go. I also am paying for a personal trainer once a week. I am serious about this goal. I can't have this weight affecting my health anymore so off it comes!!

2. Get organized. This means my house and my schedule. I am on a life changing mission here ladies!

3. DECLUTTER!!! Awesome Flylady advice. I very wise friend once told me that we need to live in the present. Keeping all that old junk around is living in the past. Besides, who wants pictures of the ex-husband to be hanging around??

4. Be a FUN MOM!! I was always a snuggler mom. You know the nurturer. Now that I am the one with my kiddos the most, I need to learn how to be a fun mom. Starting with swimming lessons, and a Just the two of us class my my DD and I this summer. Some of my dear friends from work and I are planning a mom and kids only camp out too.

5. Be happy!! I am a new me. I have has so much drama and unhappiness in my life for so long and its ALL GONE!!! Yay!! I may not be a perfect church goer or member, but I love the church and it's in my heart. My friends are always in my mind and my heart. Let's be honest, being here with my kids and working I am lucky I know my own phone number let alone yours. CALL ME!!! I always love to hang out. And thank you so much to those of you who have called, you have no idea how much I love that!!

So all in all, here is to a wonderful summer, and after that rest of the year. I can't wait for you all to see me when I am thin again, and back to the real me!

Let's Go Fly a Kite....

2008-06-08T21:46:00.003-05:00

The kids and I had a fun filled weekend starting with the 2008 Naperville Kite Festival. Before we went, Braeden would not leave the house without a tatoo, and Katie just looked cute with her girly one.

To bad there's no more Bozo show, Braeden hit every bucket!!

Here are the kiddo's and some "other" family standing in front of the kite flying fields. These pictures don't do justice, the squid and penguin kites were enormus.

The kids loved playing with these "spikey soccer ball" kites.

Hey nice legs!!

I french fried myself a little bit, but I did remember to put sun block on the kids, ya me! Later that night after everybody napped and cooled off we went to see Kung Fu Panda. Super cute movie. We went to the 7:20 show and there were alot of adults. Even they laughed throughout the movie. Fun for all ages, I recommed it. I however do not advise bringing your 21 month old daughter who refuses to sit for the show.

Life's a Beach

2008-05-20T22:22:00.002-05:00

I never went on many family vactions as a child, but a few times we did head to the Rocky Mountains and I adore them. I am such an outdoor person, I love it. However, these are not my favorite vactions. For me my favorites were the two opportunities I had to head to the beach with family. They were not exotic beaches, or super expensive mainland America beaches either. They were Jekyll Island, GA and Gulf Shore, Al. From these two encounters I have found myself to understand, I AM A BEACH LOVER. I cried the first time I left, I was 26!! There is something about the water that fills my soul, and makes me such a happy person. That is where I feel most at home, so being at the beach lets me soak that all in. So I need to add my second favorite vacation?? White water rafting on the New River in West Virgina. I need to do that again someday. I would actually like to be a river guide.....

Out of the Mouth of Babes

2008-05-11T17:23:00.002-05:00

Dave was leaving with the kids on Wednesday night, when Braeden said something that had to come from the wisdom of his young mind. Katie saw the step down to the garage coming as they all were walking out of the house. She turned around and crawled down the step backwards. Dave says, "Way to go Katie practice safety first" to which Braeden replies, "Safety first? I don't practice safety first." Dave kindly responds, "Yes Braeden this is obvious, your leg is broke." Maybe it was one of those times you just had to be there, but I was laughing so hard it brought tears to my eyes. Happy Mother's Day everyone.

When it Rains it Pours

2008-04-28T20:38:00.002-05:00

These words are spoken so true! My tiny little family had yet another set back. My dear dear papa (my dad), had a heart attack in the middle of the night on Saturday. Thank heavens he is alive, and going to get through this. I would like to forget the entire month of April 2008. 4 people close to me have all suffered some kind of trauma! Torn tendons and ligaments, full blown double pneumonia , a broken leg, and now a heart attack. If this continues I am going to have to change the name of my so called "magazine", because for me right now bad things have come in 4's. All I am hoping now is that all of these April showers are going to bring some wonderful May flowers.

The Cast

2008-04-22T20:51:00.002-05:00

As a mom this was truly one of the hardest days of my life. I consider myself pretty strong, but after listening to my child scream in pain as they wrapped his leg in the cast, I broke down, and cried. Everyone kept telling me how wonderful he was. I admit he was great, he screamed but did not kick or try to escape. He would try and curl into a little ball, then they would have to straighten his leg, and reposition his foot, and this caused his to scream even more. All in all he has to be in this cast for AT LEAST 8 WEEKS!!!! Please come visit me, I am going to need a break!! He cannot put any weight on his foot or leg for at weeks, so he even gets a wheelchair!!

This is his broken leg, and the swollen foot. If you ask him he will tell you his ankle is broken because that is where it hurts. Can someone explain this to me? He has a spiral fracture to his Tibia, why does his ankle hurt?

Here we have the final product. Bring you little ones over to sign it! Braeden thinks it is cool to have his friends sign his leg.

Tell it to Me Tuesday

2008-04-22T20:40:00.002-05:00

My creative writing skills (which I do not have to begin with) are running very low. So, seeing how my life is rolling at the moment the title of MY magazine would be THREE. This has a multiple meaning, one being that three has always been my lucking number. Second, three is the date of my birth (April 3rd). And last, bad things they say come in three's and I have certainly had my three as of late. Braeden breaking his leg (more on that to come), my mom was in the hospital last week with pneumonia, and Chris tore the ligaments and tendons in his arm at work last week. I am sooooo starting this magazine!!! The magazine could revolve around 3's. It would be 33 pages long, always issued on the third day of the month, and the March (03), issue would be a special one. OK, really I need some uplifting in my life LoL!!!

All the B's.....

2008-04-20T22:15:00.005-05:00

So, my Sunday evening started with a phone call from Dave at 7:30 saying....Braeden has a surprise for you. We have been in the emergency room for over 3 hours and HIS LEG IS BROKE!!!! At what point do you think he was going to tell me!!! I am ok his leg is broke (he crashed his bike pretty hard), but please please tell me next time you are taking my son to the emergency room!!! I was furious. I am over it now, but he brought my kids home and this is what I have.

My Darling Katie fell asleep with her soccer ballon.....

So what a great Sunday evening. We have bikes, breaks, balloons, Braeden and Bird(Katie's Nickname). Happy evening to you all. Braeden can sure use the good wishes, he is a very sad little boy!

Tell Me Tuesday.....Benjamin Franklin said: ”Three may keep a secret if two of them are dead.”

2008-04-15T21:07:00.004-05:00

In Sarah's words I should be able to come up with a great response to this weeks pondering thought.....And I have. I am great at keeping secrets so I must have killed my friends. JUST KIDDING!!! Can I take anything seriously? I agree with this quote. At fist I thought, no no I don't. There are times good friends can truly keep secrets, and times I know I have kept a secret. But truthfully somehow it always will come out. Maybe right away, or months down the road, or even years. Most people have that ONE person they always confide in. Whether it be a spouse a friend, a PET. Who knows. Someone somewhere knows. Big brother is watching you.

The New Me

2008-04-13T18:38:00.003-05:00

This is the new me. Well, only as I need it to be. I am slightly near-sighted, so I am not blind, but these wonderful glasses help me to not get headaches. OK, I know that was completely improper English grammar, but I know you still love me :) So, what is the honest opinion, good or bad? I feel weird wearing the bigger chic plastic frames. I feel a little white and nerdy. Haha for Wierd Al. I had a busy weekend, more on that to come.

Tell it to me Thursday?

2008-04-10T21:28:00.003-05:00

Well I missed my Dear Friend Chelsea's post so I am going to do it now? LoL. I wish someone had told me.....This is a scary place for me to go. See for me, not all my friends know some of the true reasons behind my separation and soon to be divorce. Many of them think most of what happened fell on my shoulders. Truth be told there are lots of skeletons in his closet as well. Ask me sometime. SO, I wish someone had taken be by the shoulders and looked me in the eye and told me that I needed to stand up for the truth, and righteousness, even if it meant going against members of my own immediate family. I know this is kind of serious, but this is a lesson I have learned the very very hard way. The church is true, people aren't and I see that more and more everyday. I should have fought harder for what I know is right. Now I know, and hold it even dearer to my heart than before.

Happy Birthday to Me!

2008-04-07T19:03:00.000-05:00

Did anyone know my birthday was last Thursday April 3rd?

APRIL FOOL'S BABY

2008-04-01T20:50:00.002-05:00

Yes it is true, no joke about it...Braeden is an April Fool's Baby. Not to mention the fact that I had in completely natural because my doctor wouldn't let me have an epidural!!! Happy 4th Birthday! You make me so happy, and I am proud of all the things you are learning now. You are still my cuddliest baby, and my most emotional :) Love you lots and Huggies!

Easter Update

2008-03-28T08:44:00.003-05:00

Did you all miss me posting? I am back. I have been in Ohio with Chris and his family for Easter and springbreak. Guess what....I have NO pictures. Silly me loaded my last bunch of pictures on my computer at home and LEFT MY MEMORY CARD THERE!! I am a bit upset about it lol. The kids had a great Easter. We went to Chirs's dad's house. We had lunch with his sister and dad and stepmom. Then his sisters and their boyfriends hid eggs for the 4 kids to find. The had candy and money in them. Good money too!! Katie got 4 eggs and $2.75!! Braeden had somewhere around $7!! They had quarters, 50 cent pieces and Susan B. Anthony dollars! I guess Chris's grandma and grandpa used to hid money like that in the eggs because the kids always thought the money would be worth more someday so they would save it all. After a few hours there we came home to Chris's mom's house and had dinner here with his brother, brothers wife their son and his girlfriend and their daughter. My kids were so spoiled!! They got to go swimming in the hot tub with the big kids who are sohpmores and seniors in high school. And the boys played video games. Every boys dream right? I will have to buy a disposable camera so I can get some pictures of this week lol. See you all soon, hope you all had a blast.

Bye Bye....

2008-02-21T12:22:00.003-06:00

I am thinking about making this my very last post. Hardly anyone reads my blog anymore, so taking the time to post stuff has really become unfun. I know there are alot of you I only talk to through my blog, so to those of you...goodbye, I will miss you. It could have been fun. So, unless anyone has a great reason for me to keep blogging.....so long and thanks for the fish.

Not the Brightest Crayon in the Box....

2008-02-02T22:29:00.000-06:00

So I decided to find out my crayon color. HA. I really think this one sounds like me lol, if you know me well that is, and most of you really don't. What color are you?

You Are a Yellow Crayon

Your world is colored with happy, warm, fun colors.You have a thoughtful and wise way about you. Some people might even consider you a genius.Charming and eloquent, you are able to get people to do things your way.While you seem spontaneous and free wheeling, you are calculating to the extreme.
Your color wheel opposite is purple. You both are charismatic leaders, but purple people act like you have no depth.

http://www.blogthings.com/whatcolorcrayonareyouquiz/">What Color Crayon Are You?

We Listen To a Prophet's Voice

2008-01-28T10:21:00.001-06:00

We Listen to a Prophet's voice and hear the Savior too. With love he bids us do the work the Lord would have us do. The Savior calls his chosen seer to preach the word of God. That men might learn to find the path marked by the iron rod (Hymn #23). I had the great honor having the man who wrote the music to this hymn as one of my religion teachers, but that is besides the point. President Hinckley was truly a wonderful man, inspired by god. He became prophet shortly after I was baptized. He was the man I followed religiously all throughout college. I was amazed by the things he said and taught. I went to conference one year while I was attending Ricks, and I was amazed at how everyone stood when he walked out to sit down. But the interesting thing was how uncomfortable he looked. He was to himself, a simple man with a great calling. I was also honored to hear him speak at the inauguration of the new Rick's College president David A. Bednar while I was a sophomore there. Both of those men were amazing, they were able to captivate an audience full of starving college kids for hours, truly an amazing feat. What is also amazing that President Bednar went on to become an apostle. We are so luckily to have these men, leading us through these Latter Days. I know I am rambling, but I had a full heart, and I needed to empty it a bit. Thanks for reading.

The Time has Come

2008-01-09T18:01:00.001-06:00

Well ladies (and others who read this)I think it is time for me to introduce you to the newest part of my life. I hadn't posted about this yet, mostly because it hasn't been the right time. It is time now. I can't truly post about the goings ons in my life if I don't tell you about the wonderful man in my life, Chris. He is truly a best friend, and everything I need to get through this difficult time in my life. My kids love him, my parents and grandparents love him, and so do I. He teaches me all sorts of stuff I need to learn and know. Soooo, I am hoping as my friends you won't judge and can just be happy for me. People don't always get it right on the first try....

This is Chris and I at a concert in September

This is Chris and Katie opening Christmas presents, she loves him, and follows him everywhere!
This is us at the Rainforest Cafe in Chicago before going to see Phantom of the Opera, he can't be to bad, he wore a puple shirt!! And a tie!!

I AM SOOOOO HUNGRY!!!!

2007-12-09T21:01:00.000-06:00

Well ladies and who ever else may read this, I need some help. This is easy help though. As you all know it is just me and my kiddies here these days. I do work a couple of hours in the morning and a couple of hours in the evening. I am home by 9am and home again by 4:40pm. I am looking for some super super easy recipes I can make that my kids will eat!!! I love the simple dinners on Jill's blog. I need more though. I can only handle the same things over and over so many times. Here is the thing, I am not creative so I really need some good recipes. Can you guys help me? Let me know. Post them here or email them to me at freddiemarie@gmail.com. Thank you so much!! There will be more cute pictures coming soon.

Grab the DICE, I'm on a ROLL!!

2007-10-17T21:45:00.001-05:00

I saw Chelsea saying she would check back, and there was no way I could disappoint!! I posted the above picture because......I like it for some odd reason. I don't think I look to horrible, and Katie in her diaper and hair bow pointing at the camera with her long skinny fingers cracks me up. Well ladies, here it goes. I am going to lay it all out there. I want my friends back. I feel so alone over here. I just want to be a girl again. It is no secret my life has been nothing short of hellish, and I just want to be me again. I have learned an important lesson lately. Bad things are going to happen, there is no stopping them ( like the bank losing my first paycheck, which the still have not found by the way!!!). But getting through them all is so much easier with your friends!! Lately I don't feel like I have many. Some of it is my fault, I admit I haven't called anyone or anything, but no one has called me either!! Please don't hide from me, I need you all now more than ever!! So that being said.....did anyone know I love driving a bus? I feel all powerful talking on the intercom saying SIT DOWN hahahaha. I feel very helpful, I get paid, and it sure makes the time go by fast. The other day I did this charter where I took the Yorkville High School marching band to Oswego High for some band performance thing. Guess what I did? I went home while they were there, ordered pizza with my two co-workers on the trip with me, and hung out for two hours and got paid for it!!! So awesome!! I sound like some giddy school girl who just got her first job don't I? What a dork :). OK, so other than that here is a brief overview of my goings on lately. I am working as a bus driver and liking it. Katie turned 1 and we had a super fun party for her at the clubhouse over here in Churchhill Club, Braeden started preschool and loves it, Braeden takes swim lessons two days a week at East High, I am still somewhat active, I even dyed my hair a bit, but it looks very natural, hmmm I can't think of what else, but I am sure there is stuff I am missing. Anyway, I miss you guys. I hope you don't all hate me, or judge me, or whatever. I just need my friends back, even if I have been a crappy one myself. Hugs to you all, imaginary ones for Amanda. Talk to you all soon.

For Chelsea

2007-10-16T23:41:00.000-05:00

Chelsea I promised you I would sit down and type so I am. I have lots and lots of things to catch up on, but since you and Sarah read my blog, and also talk to me in person, I know you can be just a tad more patient! Thank you for looking for me though lol, it feels good to know people are out there. I am having some problems with my comma placement, can Cam help me with that yet? I want to be smarter than you too!! Hehe.

Artsy Amanda, Happy Birthday~!!

2007-08-28T13:26:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday Amanda!! I am sorry this is the only picture I have on my computer of you and I. I want you to know how wonderful I think you are. This girl rocks!! She is a great photographer, she loves to decorate her friends houses (eventhough it must be so much better to get paid for it!). She is by far the most creative person I know. She is not crafty, she is Artsy!!! She is wonderful at picking out colors, even if you have to just trust her, she is almost always right. Did you know your birthday is just 10 days after Katie's? I was kinda hoping to have her on or near or closer to your birthday hehe. I hope your day has been great, if not we have to do some making up for it. Did I mention that she is the mother of 3 beautiful children? Did I also mention that I am rambling?? Anyway, Amanda happy birthday. You are awesome.

Happy Happy Birthday Katie Dear!!!

2007-08-18T22:27:00.000-05:00

I cannot believe it. Where did the time go? My baby princess Kathryn Marie turned 1 today!! I am so blessed to have this little girl in my life, she is wonderful. Do you guys remember when I cried because I wanted a boy? Now I am crying because I don't want this sweet baby girl to get any bigger!! I want to keep her tiny forever. Thank you for this special gift, and Happy Birthday Katie girl. I love you so much!

What is the REAL Story....

2007-07-26T14:05:00.000-05:00

I sure hope this statement does not always ring true. It is about time for me to put a real post in here about my real life. I have hit rock bottom girls. What do I do? I have no idea. The weight and toll of my divorce has finally sunk in, and I am so darn scared. How do I pack a house, move, sell a house, find a job, stay with my kids and still come out ahead? I am crying more and more. I try and put on my happy face, and I really need to do some more talking to my Heavenly Father, but I am lost. A few girls have come here to help me and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I will never be able to thank you enough for helping me. I am so grateful to the friends I have who have been able to help me, and thankful for my friends who have just been there to talk to. I have a long long road ahead of me, and I pray I make it through with a fully-mended heart. Lots of love to you all.

FOUR!!!!

2007-07-20T00:41:00.000-05:00

I have been tagged, over and over. I get it!! I will post!

4 jobs I've had.....

1. Walgreens

2. Day Care Center

3. Payroll Specialest

4. Time and Labor Consultant

4 Movies I Can Watch Over and Over.....

1. Newsies (Diana, I really have done this lol)

2. Space Jam (Me and Braeden watch it everyday)

3. JFK

4. Any good mystery....I love them!

4 Places I have lived...

1. Schaumburg, Roselle, Aurora, Oswego, Montgomery, Illinois

2. Rexburg, Idaho

3. Cedar City, Utah

4. I think I can say I am done now with all those ones in number one

4 Favorite T.V. Shows

1. Grey's Anatomy

2. Ugly Betty

3. Lost

4. American Idol

4 Favorite Foods

1. Fruit

2. Pizza

3. My Veggie Pizza

4. More Fruit

4 Websites I Visit Daily

1. Blogs

2. Yahoo.com

3. Weather.com

4. Wamu.com

4 Places I'd Rather Be...

1. Colorado

2. Alaska

3. Switzerland

4. Taking a Nap

4 People I am tagging...

1. Sarah

2. Stephanie

3. Mercy (we will get you to blog, just you wait)

4. Dali!!

There Was an Old Woman who Lived.....

2007-07-18T17:23:00.001-05:00

So... I found these shoes. Are they cute? I hope they aren't to ugly I love them!! I am not sure what it is, but I had to have them. Tell me the truth, what do you guys think?

Elvis Has NOT Left the Building

2007-07-08T11:58:00.000-05:00

Well Ladies, here I am. And like good concerned friends you are wondering where on earth I have been. Well, I am back. I am blogging again. Let me get you caught up.

Braeden really enjoyed pushing Katie around in this baby stroller. And Katie liked the ride.

This is the garden we planted this year. It now looks like an over grown jungle. Crazy.

This is Braeden and his little friend Ty, pimping it up with the ladies down the street.

I just like this picture. Makes Katie's eyes look sooooo Blue.

Braeden on his new BIG BOY bike!!! YaY Braeden!

Hehe. Guess what.....I broke my toe.

Awwww......what a cute watermelon!

And there you have it. I have a few more pictures to post but this should do it for now. I am alive and I am missing you all terribly. Talk to you all soon I hope!

An Apple a day takes 5 pounds away?

2007-05-21T08:37:00.000-05:00

Well girls, honestly I am not really sure who is still doing the fitness challenge. I know I am still plugging away even if I did gain 3 pounds during week 3. I am happy to report for week 4 I have lost 5 fabulous pounds!! That means I lost the 3 from last week, and 2 additional. This also means with 4 weeks to go, I only have 10 more lbs to go. I really need to drink more water, and work out more. Well with Bachelor night, and the Idol/Lost night this week, I have to do a TON of exercising.....I am really pleased with myself. It is amazing how my eating habits have changed. I hope the weight keeps coming off. Thanks for your support girls, and I cannot wait to see how much I lose.

He's My American Idol

2007-05-17T20:40:00.000-05:00

Well everyone it is time to VOTE!!! Blake is the best. He has what it takes to be successful and he is so darn cute!! Who wouldn't want him to win? And can we talk about sex appeal? He has it!! So everyone has to vote for Blake Lewis next week! Ok, you don't have to, but please do it anyway!!

Add 3 to the Pile.....

2007-05-14T03:18:00.000-05:00

Well darn it, this week wasn't so good. I gained three pounds. Over all in three weeks that puts me at 9 down? I am still happy! I didn't exercise and after a late night Gymboree excursion with Mercy, I had taco bell.....so not part of South Beach. That means I have to work extra hard this week. Good luck to all of you ladies, I am quite sure you are doing wonderful, and you all look great!

The Fab Five

2007-05-06T23:00:00.000-05:00

So ladies here it is, week two and 5 more pounds. I do not see it in this picture at all. In fact this picture prolly makes me look 5 pounds or more heavier then last week. So far in the two week cleansing period i have lost 12 pounds. That puts me 3 pounds away from halfway to my goal!!!! I am very excited about that. So now I have 13 more pounds to lose and you all don't have to see skimpy fat pictures of me hehehe. I really notice that my appetite has changed, I don't crave as many anything, my stomach must be shrinking. I am not drinking as much water as I should. That is my goal for this week, to try and force that gallon into me. I want to see if it makes a difference. I am starting to exercise again which is a great thing, and I loved yoga!! I think i can really do something with that one. I am going to post later this week about some exercise stuff i am doing. I really needed this challenge and even though the 25 pounds i pledge to lose is a small amount of what i need to loose, I am so glad I can do this part with my friends. Thank you all for you love and support. I really need it, I need to get back to the real me and be happy again. Good luck to all of you, and let me know if you need any help at all!!

What a Week

2007-05-04T14:32:00.000-05:00

This week Dave has been home on vacation. We have spent time in the backyard getting the gardern ready. We went to the Morten Arboretum Children's Garden which is always so much fun. If you haven't gone you really need to. There is so much to do.

Dave thought it would be funny for Katie to chew on a plastic Praying Mantis. So gross.

Braeden really enjoyed the rope bridges.

And he really enjoyed the playing in the pond.

This is a scupture that was made right at the Arboretum. You can even go inside. It was amazing. It took the artist one month to complete.

8 pounds down

2007-04-29T22:30:00.000-05:00

This is me one week into our challenge and I have lost 8 pounds. I have been so strict on myself. The first two day were hard, but now it is all a piece of cake. Well, really more like fat free cottage cheese or something. LOL. Anyway, 17 lbs to go. I better keep up the good work!

25 and Life to Go

2007-04-23T12:02:00.000-05:00

Ok so this picture is a week old, but it is my first post in my Fitness Challenge endeavor. I am excited about this challenge, time to lose the weight and look great. Well, I am sure I can lose the weight but man I have some good looking friends.....they will ALWAYS look great. So time to suck it up and get my groove on. Wish me luck everyone I have a long road ahead of me.!

* Happy Mail *

2007-04-16T11:55:00.000-05:00

I am so excited I have my first Happy Mail ever. Thank you Amanda you made my day. I am so happy to be the proud owner of a sweet set of Artsy Amanda Greeting Cards. Hehe. Watch your mailboxes girls, I will be sending some soon.

Who is that??

2007-04-14T11:33:00.000-05:00

Yes ladies, I used to be skinny. Can you belive this picture? Once upon a time I was a tiny thing too. So here is my motivation picture. I need to lose a TON of weight and have l bit of nip and tuck and I can do it. No more complaining, crying, being depressed. GAME ON!!! My time has come to change who I am, or at least the way I look. Hope you all enjoy this one. South Beach Diet here I come!

If it just had Palm Trees.....

2007-04-14T11:09:00.000-05:00

Here is to Amanda's/Chealsea's post. This is my messy island. It's messy but we use it for everything. It is the center of all that happens in our house. Lots of Good Times.

Buckets of Fun.....

2007-04-12T11:35:00.000-05:00

Happy Easter! Dave grew up in a family that never had Easter baskets (so he tells me) so he has never been very supportive of me making them. I still do, trying to keep it small and including a few small things for him as well. I went with matching little pink and blue buckets. Braeden has had a blast playing with his and Katie's. What do you give a 7 month old instead of candy? Although you can't see it she got Dessert Baby Food: Vanilla Pudding, and Hawaiian Delight. Okay maybe that is a bit corny, but I thought it was fun!

He's 3!!

2007-04-09T11:56:00.000-05:00

We had Braeden's 3rd birthday party on Saturday. We just had a few friends and family over for some pizza and cake. It was so much fun!! Small and simple and we had a great time. And we had the coolest cake ever!! Take a Look!!

Her First Kiss

2007-03-29T00:34:00.000-05:00

Last night was the Fife's going away party. It was a blast. We went roller skating. I have not been roller skating in who knows how long. This was just a great chance for some good old fashioned fun. Now I am not silly enought to pst pictures of me yet, but I have some of my cute baby girl.

Her dad was not to happy with the little boy in this picture. Graham is such a cutie and boy does he know how to kiss!!!

Time to Jive

2007-03-26T07:41:00.000-05:00

Ok that title is rediculous. But here it is girls......My first Blog entry!!!! I can be cool like the rest of you guys now :) I hope to accomplish alot of things from this. Staying in touch with great friends, learning more about everyone, having some accountability on goals that I have. You guys are all great so here is to happy blogging.