Just another day in paradise...

Garmin Nuvi GPS Giveaway and Auto Insurance questions answered!

2010-12-07T07:19:00.000-08:00

Jolly Mom (www.jollymom.com) is giving away a Garmin Nuvi GPS and a Road safety kit from State Farm. At this time of year, with challenging weather conditions, busy lives, holiday packages in your car, its a great time to think of your safety and what you can do help prevent auto accidents, auto theft or being the target of a auto break in.
Visit http://www.statefarm.com/ to learn more about various Road Safety issues. Visit
http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/398704/What-s-Your-Auto-Insurance-IQ to test your Auto Insurance IQ. I found out that not only am I not very Auto Insurance savvy...an IQ of only 16, but my vehicle had the highest frequency of auto theft claims in 2009- uh oh.

Then head on over to www.jollymom.com to enter to win the Garmin Nuvi GPS and Road Safety Kit!

A "Yummie Tummie" giveaway!

2010-11-29T13:27:00.001-08:00

Melissa over at http://livingonloveandgiveaways.blogspot.com is hosting a "Yummie Tummie" giveaway. Yummie Tummie is modern shapewear, designed to smooth you out, and suck you in, comfortably, making you look slimmer, sleaker and thinner. Who doesn't love that?!
Go check out www.yummietummie.com and then venture on over to Melissa's Living on Love and Giveaways blog to enter the giveaway.

Starbucks 12 days of Sharing

2010-11-16T13:16:00.000-08:00

You got to love a deal on coffee during this busy season! Text 12DAYS to 29943 to sign up for Starbucks 12 days of Sharing and you'll get a new offer send to you (via text) starting Dec. 1st.

NOTE: Available in US only. Text Messaging rates apply

$650 Grand Prize Package Giveaway!

2010-11-15T12:25:00.000-08:00

Enter to win an amazing prize package. Lots of goodies for you, and lots of things to give this holiday season!! $650 Grand Prize Package Giveaway! Please visit Fabulous Finds for Families and enter to win.

30 days of Thankfulness Days 5-9

2010-11-09T08:40:00.000-08:00

Gahh..slacker. Here's days 5-9
Day 5: I am thankful that my friend and coworker Alex was only banged up in a car accident tonight, and although the car is likely totalled, its just a car. She is irreplaceable!

Day 6: I am thankful for "falling back" (from daylight savings time) so that hopefully I will get an extra hour of sleep tonight before getting up early for work tomorrow.

Day 7: I am thankful for my awesome hubby making dinner tonight! (and breakfast too, even better!)

Day 8: I am thankful for my lab Macy aka Macer Moo. She is a the happiest sweetest girl. She is a great guard dog, gives us lots of love and makes us laugh. She has been a blessing to our family and we all love her pieces.

Day 9: I am thankful for our lil Chihuahua/Min Pin JJ aka JJ "The Heater". He can be a complete ahole but I love him. He is the best cuddler, keeps me warm and is too cute for words sometimes. Despite his faults, he's Mama's boy!

30 days of Thankfulness..catch up

2010-11-04T11:22:00.000-07:00

For November I am going to participate in 30 days of Thankfulness...I encourage you to do the same. For all that we lack, suffer, and endure...we are each blessed. I have a feeling that if we each took the time every day, even if just for this 30 days, to recognize our blessings, our gratitude for all that we do have would be bountiful.
So here are days 1-4!!
Day 1: I am thankful to have had the luxury to sit in my sweats 90% of the day, as I didn't feel good.
Day 2: I am thankful for beautiful sunshine today in the Pacific Northwest.
Day 3: I am thankful for health insurance and drug company assistance programs that allowed me to get a $4060.99 prescription for only $5!!
Day 4: I am so thankful for music. I am thankful for Pandora, and XM Satellite radio. Music calms me, soothes me, inspires me and makes me want to party! :)

What are you thankful for?

Pumpkin Spice Cream Cheese...heaven on a bagel

2010-11-04T11:17:00.000-07:00

I just discovered this limited edition flavor - Pumpkin Spice Cream Cheese Spread at Safeway. It's the local Lucerne brand. I toasted my bagel shmeared it with a healthy dose of this delight...and woah...pumpkin pie for breakfast! It is love.

Win a Kindle DX!! Giveaway from "Moms Need To Know"

2010-06-09T08:28:00.000-07:00

Mindi over at http://http://www.momsneedtoknow.com/ is giving away the new Kindle DX as part of her "Dad's Rock Giveaway Bash". The Kindle DX is awesome! You need to go there and enter to win your own!
Imagine having all your books in the palm of your hand in one little pad. :)
Seriously, go now.

Mama's Holiday Wish List Meme

2009-11-30T10:46:00.000-08:00

Mama’s Holiday Wish List Meme

TodaysMama and Provo Craft are giving away a sleighful of gifts this holiday season and to enter I’m sharing this meme with you.

1. What 5 items are on your holiday wish list this year?
1) a navigation system for my Cadillac
2) a cute kitchen apron
3) fuzzy warm slippers
4) Ugg boots
5) salon gift card

2. What is your favorite handmade gift you have received? jewelry from my mom, a beautiful scarf from my mom, a picture of my dad and I when I was little turned into a beautiful tiled display.

3. What handmade gift have you always wanted to tackle? lots! :) I always want to make things for the grandparents and other family members, just never seem to find the time.

4. What was the best Christmas gift you received as a child? Christmas was always more than I expected every year, my mom did an awesome job!

5. What items are on your kid’s wish list this year? Nintendo DS, ipod Touch, Nintendo DSi, American Girl doll, slippers, Northface jackets. They don't want for much eh?

6. What is your favorite holiday food? Oh gosh, our annual Christmas morning breakfast. and all the baked goodies.

7. What will you be hand-crafting for the holidays? Probably only some cookies and baking for friends.

8. What is your favorite holiday movie? A Christmas Story and Elf :)

9. Favorite holiday song? "O Holy Night" is my absolute favorite. I also like "I'll be home for Christmas" especially sung by Elvis Presley and "All I want for Christmas" - Mariah Carey

10. Favorite holiday pastime? baking, watching Christmas specials and movies on tv, catchin up with friends and family thru newsletters and cards.

poor neglected blog..

2009-03-04T08:36:00.000-08:00

We are still around. Life just seems to take over.
Girls are busy with school and Laney, Ash and Jord are taking gymnastics classes at the Y. Craig and I have been going 5-6 days a week as well and working out. He has lost 17 pounds and I have lost 10 since joining at the end of January. Of course we are eating better too! Cortney starts a baseball spring training this weekend. The whole family is just loving the Y.

Craig has been super busy at work, working 12+ hours every day last week as his partner was on vacation. He is still working a lot this week, as the partner still isn't back as he broke his foot while on vacation too. Sigh... Its great money wise, especially in these unsure times, but we haven't seen much of him lately.

Had the chance to take Craig to his first hockey game this past Saturday. We went to Seattle v. Portland in the new Showare arena in Kent (love that place!). We had a great time!

I'm still working at the coffee stand and am working a couple extra shifts this week. I still enjoy it, and am coming up on my 1st anniversary there.

We are gearing up for busy times! Birthdays coming up, weddings, babies... should be exciting times! :)

It's the little things...

2008-11-13T12:02:00.000-08:00

That sometime make us happy and here is one... I bought Laney these pink rubber rain boots at the Goodwill yesterday for $4. I was especially tickled as the rain had been pouring here for 2 days and I really wanted some rain boots for her. I went looking for something else, and just hoped maybe I might find some, although highly doubting it, thinking they were an item much in demand.
Well imagine my surprise to find one lone pair of rain boots on the shoe rack, and in something close to Laney's size (a size to big, but she'll wear them and grow into them!). And in pink to boot!!
Apparently, she was quite pleased about them as well. She kept talking about her boots all night. She told me that she can jump really high in them and run fast. She also said her boots are for mud, and snow and rain of course. She refused to take them off, and I finally persuaded her to remove them to put on her pajamas, only if she could put them right back on. So we did.

Do I need to tell you that these pictures are from this morning?? Yep, she slept in them.

Who knew a cheap pair of rubber boots from the thrift store would bring one 3 yr old so much happiness :)??

updates coming soon.

2008-11-05T11:49:00.000-08:00

Sorry blogworld and whatever readers I had... I know I have severely neglected this blog.
I will be updating soon. Hopefully today :)

makin cupcakes

2008-04-17T07:34:00.000-07:00

Potty training...its going. Slowly. As I learned after the other 2 children I potty trained, you can't force it. So it has to be Laney's choice. I just daily give her the choice whether she wants to wear panties or a diaper. Even when wearing the diaper I ask her "Do you want to go pee on the potty?" once an hour or so. She seems to have figured out what the sensation is just before she needs to go, and when she is in panties she has not been having accidents. She has now gone pee on the potty 5 times. yay!! So....I keep waiting. Hoping that like Ashlyne if we keep heaping on the praise, she'll just wake up one day and want to wear the panties and it will be done.

So Cortney turns 12 tomorrow! I have a full list of things to do today, including get my house clean. sigh...

She has requested I make peanut butter cupcakes decorated like basketballs for her to take to school tomorrow. This is what I plan for them to look like:

I'll post photos when I'm done. Maybe. Ha ha...unless they turn out horribly.

So tomorrow night is her party, 3 boys and 5 girls have been invited and the girls will be staying the night. Its a sports themed party. We are having hotdogs, popcorn, soda, and cupcakes. The original plan was shooting hoops, playing catch, etc. But now with Cortney having a broken ankle, that blew that plan. I still haven't figured out what they are going to do exactly but I'm working on it.

Wish me luck!! Have a super Thursday!

Maybe an end to diapers in sight?!!

2008-04-10T17:16:00.000-07:00

Laney just peed on the potty TWICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Do you need original gift ideas for the Mom in your life?

2008-04-10T08:32:00.000-07:00

Yes it is true...Mother's day if sneakin up on all of us at light speed. It tends to do that every year.
I just received an email this morning from a website I frequent http://www.coolmompicks.com with news of their Mother's Day Gift Guide. I have put their display button over there on the right, so you can link directly to the guide. There is some very cool stuff, including great book suggestions, original jewelry, and some green choices as well.
Enjoy!!

Spring Snow!!

2008-03-27T11:41:00.000-07:00

So last week was the start of Spring, and we are also now in daylight savings time. Wouldn't it be safe for one to assume that sunshine and warmer temperatures were on their way. Well, as you know, one should never assume....
As last night we were hit with surprise snow showers, and (gasp) accumulation of that snow! It was crazy. So about 5pm we all bundled up and went outside to enjoy a bit of what will hopefully be our last snowfall this year.

Cortney, Laney and Ash just out the front door...

Laney.."See mom...it snow!!"

Jordanna likes to eat the snow.

Craig and Cortney threw snowballs at each other...

Here Laney was trying to catch the snow on her glove..

We went to the park in our development to play..

And here are the loves of my life... :)

So while it was temporary fun...we want our sunshine and warmer temps!!!!!

Happy Easter!

2008-03-24T12:56:00.001-07:00

Happy Easter from all of us! We sincerely hope that you had a great day!! Ours was quiet and different. No big dinner, and Cortney and Jordanna were gone all day. We woke up in the morning to Easter baskets for Ashlyne and Laney....

Here is a smile from Laney!!! I guess candy can coax one out of her!

Craig and I hid 128 eggs in the backyard for the two of them to find. They were all stuffed with candy, so needless to say...we have a lot of candy around here today!

And then we went out to breakfast, and were surprised the Easter Bunny was hanging out at Denny's....

Where's the picture with Laney? LOL...she would go nowhere near that Bunny!! She did follow his every move in the restaurant though!

Happy Spring and Happy Easter!

learning to ride a bike..

2008-03-24T12:42:00.001-07:00

Saturday was a beautiful clear and sunny day here. Which was great, as our Homeowners Assoc. had organized an Easter Egg Hunt that morning. Ashlyne and Laney really enjoyed that and got quite a bit of candy.
A little later that afternoon, Craig took Ashlyne out for bike riding lessons. It went very well and she was able to ride for a few moments without Dad holding on!! Check out the pictures below!

You can see the look of determination on her face! A few more lessons and I'm sure she'll be riding all over!!

Ready, Set, Don't go

2008-02-28T09:44:00.001-08:00

So tomorrow night Misti flies out to Alabama. Last Saturday Gma Jan, Laci and I pulled together a surprise going away party for her at a little mexican restaurant in town. She was indeed surprised, and it was perfect, she was surrounded by a room full of people who came to wish her well. I asked her to come up and have dinner tonight so we could say our goodbyes..as you can't really do that at the airport any longer, and this way the whole family could be here to see her.
She requested that I make meatloaf and mashed potatoes and gravy. So the family is coming up tonight for dinner. I'm making meatloaf, mashed potatoes and gravy, green bean casserole and peanut butter pie. So its a busy day for me, cleaning, run to the store for some last minute things, and then cooking.

It's probably for the best I stay busy today. Everytime I stop for a moment and think, tears come to my eyes. I (along with everyone else) am very excited for Misti and the new opportunites on her horizon. I'm proud of her for having the guts to make such a big leap of faith. She is doing what we prepare all of our children to do- Spread her wings and fly. I never imagined how hard it would be to let her go though.

There is this song that Billy Ray Cyrus sings along with his young daughter Miley. It's called "Ready, Set, Don't Go". I googled the lyrics last week and was crying by the time I was done reading them. This song is so fitting for this time in my life, in our lives.

"Ready, Set, Don't Go"

She's gotta do what she's gotta do

And I've gotta like it or not

She's got dreams too big for this town

And she needs to give 'em a shot

Whatever they are

Looks like she's all ready to leave

Nothing left to pack

There ain't no room for me in that car

Even if she asked me to tag along

God I gotta be strong

She's at the startin' line of the rest of her life

As ready as she's ever been

Got the hunger and the stars in her eyes

The prize is hers to win

She's waitin' on my blessings

before she hits that open road

Baby get ready

Get set

Don't go

She says things are fallen into place

Feels like they're fallen apart

I painted this big ol' smile on my face

To hide my broken heart

If only she knew

This is where I don't say what I want so bad to say

This is where I want to but I won't get in the way

Of her and her dreams

And spreadin' her wings

She's at the startin' line of the rest of her life

As ready as she's ever been

Got the hunger and the stars in her eyes

The prize is hers to win

She's waitin' on my blessings before she hits that open road

Baby get ready

Get set

Don't go

And I leave you with a few pictures from the restaurant last weekend...

Misti, Gma Jan, Cortney and Laci

Sisters...Misti, Cortney and Laci

This is a long time coming.. :) Misti and Cortney
I love you Misti. We wish you happiness and joy under the blue skies of Alabama. Always remember that your family is here for you and we love you. Good, bad, whatever.
We are family and that is a never ending bond.

Trip to the dentist...

2008-02-27T13:00:00.000-08:00

I found a Children's dentist up here near our house, and scheduled appointments for all 4 girls. Ashlyne had been to the dentist before, along with Cortney and Jordie, but its been more than a year since their last visit, as we had some insurance changes and went without dental for the last year or so. Laney had not yet visited the dentist.

So Ashlyne and Laney had an appointment this morning. I scheduled it for 10am, which in itself was a bit challenging, as at 10am they are usually just moving around and having some breakfast. But by 9:45 this morning, we were dressed, teeth brushed, hair done, breakfast had, and out the door.

What a cool place!! There is a playroom that has books, games, a train set, a castle playhouse with a slide, arcade games and a 3 horse carousel ride. And the games and ride do not require money!! Yay! The girls were having a blast! Which was almost a problem- Laney didn't want to leave the playroom when their names were called. I was really nervous about how Laney was going to act, as many times at the dr. I have to hold her down for even simple things like letting the dr. look in her ears.

Ashlyne did really well, sat still for the xrays, and was still and cooperative for the cleaning and the dentist examination. They put sunglasses on them to help with the bright light in their face. Ash has a set of molars coming in within the next 6 months the dentist said, and a few of her teeth are just starting to feel the slightest bit wiggly- she was very excited about that. She does have one cavity in a molar. Which is in the top, down in a crevice. The dentist said she would probably have a hard time even getting to it with her brush. She will be getting a filling next week.

Laney was freaked out having to lay down and having someone poking in her mouth, but she did much better than I expected. I held her hand and just kept reassuring her and of course, coaxed her with the promise of a treat when she was done. And she laid there and even opened her mouth. And didn't scream. lol Success!! Her teeth looked great!

The dentist also said that they both have beautiful teeth and they have nice positioning (even Ash's permanant teeth he could see on xray) which means he does not for see any need for orthodontics for either of them at this point. Hallelujah!! With one kid already in braces, we've been worried at how many more we will have...

So they got a bag of goodies (new toothbrush, floss, stickers) and got to choose something out of a vending machine with a token the dentist gave them. All in all, a good experience and Ashlyne is even looking forward to going back! :)

Happy Valentine's Day from us!

2008-02-15T08:54:00.001-08:00

Hope you all had a very Happy Valentine's Day yesterday!! Here is my girls with one of their treats. Grandpa Perry and Grandma Sherryl showed up with this great cookie bouquet and here the girls posed with their cookies and their greetings!!

And this is the very yummy cupcake that they each got from their Dad and I. :) I visited this great new shop in Downtown Puyallup http://indulgecupcakes.com/index.html and got each of the girls a treat for their valentine's goody.
We ordered pizza and had a relaxing evening at home. I hope that you had a nice day yesterday!!

Enough is Enough already

2008-02-07T12:49:00.000-08:00

So I and Craig have been sick since last week. Cortney came home Sunday sick. Jord started feeling sick Tuesday, Laney has been coughin all week, but it hasn't slowed her down..lol. I went to the dr. finally Tues night and have bronchitis. Haven't slept much this week with the kids all being sick, waking up to take temps, give meds, etc.Then the wind last night- holy jesus. Ash and Laney were both scared so they were in our bed half the night. Then Ashlyne starts running a fever at like 5am this morning.
Enough already!! I want to be well (which is hard to get to when you aren't getting any sleep) and I want the kids to be well! So we are quarantined. lol.
bright spots:
Craig stayed home Monday to help out since he didn't feel well and I was feeling really bad. That was great because I was able to sleep all day pretty much.
A new friend of ours sent over dinner last night. lasagna, bread, salad, even cookies. That was awesome and sooo appreciated!! I must say that after having 3 babies and going thru numerous illnesses, I do not recall anyone ever bringing my family dinner. What a blessing!

Friday Gratitude

2008-02-01T09:14:00.000-08:00

One of my goal's for 2008 was to blog more. I miss writing, I used to do so much journal writing and I just don't anymore. (must be the 4 kids running around here..)

So I want to continue to keep everyone updated on anything exciting in our lives, and do a better job at that, but I also wanted to start getting on here more to just write. So I hope you will come along for the ride. Sometimes I might just post musings, funny stories, goals, dreams, plans. It could be anything. It could be nothing.

I want to start committing particular days to a specific post. This might help me get motivated. So Friday's are going to be "Friday Gratitude". I will post what I'm grateful for that week. So here we go!!

Friday Gratitude (week 1)

This week I am thankful for my best friend- my husband. He is such a hard worker, even doing a side job last week that kept him at the shop til 9pm one night. He does this to provide for our family, and he rarely complains. He puts up with me, and I can be challenging. He still adores me and that is amazing. I love him with all of my heart, would absolutely be lost without him. I can hardly remember life before him, and that is probably a good thing. lol

7 years ago tomorrow- we had our first date, and our first kiss. (yes, tsk tsk, I kissed him on our first date ;) and I kid you not, fireworks. We both knew something amazing was happening. Who knew that this would be the road we would travel. I LOVE YOU!!

This week I am also thankful for another month of bills paid ONTIME!

I am thankful that gas prices went down this week.

I am thankful for cupboards with food in them, a warm house, and hot showers.

I am thankful that Ashlyne seems to finally be kicking the crud she has been carrying around since before Christmas.

I am thankful that my children are generally in good health.

I am thankful for their smiles and laughter, that each day keep me going.

This week, I am full of gratitude.

adventures in cheerleading!

2008-01-25T08:54:00.001-08:00

Ashlyne went to a PHS Cheer Clinic last weekend with her friend Dani that she played soccer with. It was a 4 hour clinic for elementary school kids to hang out with the high school cheerleaders and ultimately learn a routine and a few cheers to perform at halftime at a PHS Basketball game. She was pretty excited after the clinic and was really excited when Tuesday came and we loaded up the family to go the PHS Basketball game and to watch Ash cheer at halftime. Here are some pictures that Dani's mom Leanne took of Ash and Dani. My camera failed me miserably that night. :( I really need a new one. Anyway, she did great! She is such a natural at cheer, its so fun to watch her!

Here's our cheerleader......

Big G, Little O, GO GO!

This is definately the "Color Shout", Purple, Purple, Purple,

Gold, Gold, Gold, Gold, Gold...a lot of hip shaking!

I'd say she is enjoying herself!!

Craig and I had this long discussion on the way home about how much cheer costs. LOL We are pretty sure she will be interested in being in cheer in high school.

It's 19 degrees here right now, brrrrrrrrrr. I am so done with winter, we've been so jipped on snow. I'm ready to just move on to spring.

Have a great weekend all!

Christmas at our house

2007-12-30T14:19:00.000-08:00

Christmas has passed for another year. I have to say, that although in terms of material gifts this year may have been less in someways...it truly was the best Christmas ever in all the ways that really matter. Our oldest kids- Laci, Misti and Jordan all stayed the night Christmas Eve, so for the first time ever we had all 7 kids here in the morning when we woke up. It meant so much to us and made the day special. At one point, I had my back to the window and Craig said, turn around and look...It was snowing. It didn't snow long and didn't stick, but it just added a little something extra magical to the day. Christmas Eve we had most of the family over and a big spread of food and plenty of gifts. We are marching on towards 2008 counting our blessings!!

Here are some pictures from our festivities...

Christmas Eve
Ashlyne opening a gift from Uncle Jeff and Aunt Brooke, with the help of cousin Rhianne:

Brooke and I on the couch helping the little ones, Ashlyne, Rhianne, Laney and Jordanna opening gifts.
I tried to get a picture of Laney with her new Dora doll, but when I asked her to hold it up, this is what I got...lol

This is the moment that Jordanna and Cortney opened the gift they most wanted, Nintendo DS game systems from Uncle Jeff and Aunt Brooke. Priceless!

Christmas Day

The tree in the morning, surrounded by gifts...

Laney and Ashlyne opening gifts...

Cortney got a new pink Seahawks jersey..

And her autographed Sue Bird Storm jersey framed..

Ashlyne when she stopped jumping up and down and screaming over her new Barbie Jeep!

Laney lost in a sea of gifts...

Laney and Ash sitting in the Barbie Jeep when Dad finished putting it together.

And out riding in it in the backyard.

We hope that you had a magical Christmas and we wish you all the best that life may bring in 2008! Happy New Year!!

Our family :)

2007-12-30T13:04:00.000-08:00

My friend Angela came over here the week before Christmas and we had a fun picture taking session...ok, not so fun as Laney was asleep when she got here, and if you know Laney, you know we don't wake her up, for good reason.
Not only did we have to wake her up, we had to change her clothes too. She was not a very happy camper! But since its so difficult to get all 9 of us together, we just went with it. Angela is an amateur photographer, and I think she did an amazing job and was so patient with us all.

We have had pictures of just the kids done before, but none since Laney has been born. And the last "family" picture was of just Craig, Me, Cortney and Jordanna after we first got together.
So... Here are our first ever FAMILY PICTURES!

Merry Christmas from our family to yours...

All my children..

Jordanna, Ashlyne and Cortney (Laney was not havin it at this point...)

Misti, Laci and Jordan

Me and Craig

The whole family...we bleed purple and gold! ;)

Misti

Laci- the last picture we had of her was from her Sophomore year of high school, she was overdue!

Jordanna, my first born, and I.

This is where this whole thing began...a girl met a boy..

Our creative shot:

The only time she wasn't crying or hiding her face...

Let me know what you think. :) And if you want some, let me know as well. Happy Holidays to all of you.

Long overdue Holiday pictures!

2007-12-30T12:25:00.000-08:00

I will have a couple of posts probably to properly categorize these. Christmas is over (whew!) and New Years is tomorrow. It has been a blessed holiday for us so far. Our christmas was great, we had all the kids stay overnight Christmas eve which was incredible. Between Christmas Eve and Christmas day I believe just about everyone in our family was here at some point, with the exception of our family that is out of the area. We are counting our blessings, trying to find a home for all of the new gifts the kids received, and enjoying the time with family.

Here is a picture of Craig and I at his work Christmas dinner. It was a great time and a nice evening out.....

Here is a picture of our house with Christmas lights, and you can see our tree lit in the front window:

So with our vaulted ceilings in our front room, I was determined to get a big tree. I and the kids went one evening and came home with this 9.5 foot tree. It was a bit of a pain to get it in the house and up in the stand and straight. Then came the realization that we did not have enough lights for a tree this size. So Craig ran to the Rite Aid down the road and bought 4 more strands of lights. Every year, we get about a 6 ft douglas fir and we never use all of our ornaments. Well this year, we used every single ornament and the tree still looked bare. I was talking to Craig's Aunt Vivian and she said she had lots of extra ornaments. So at a family luncheon the following week, she brought us a bag of ornaments. Then the week before Christmas, a package arrived with instructions on the outside "open immediately". It was a package of ornaments from Craig's other aunt Gayle. :) So THANK YOU to Gayle and Vivian for helping to finish decorate our big tree. Now its so beautiful I don't want to take it down.
Here is a picture of Laney and Ashlyne next to the tree so you can sort of get an idea how huge it is!!!

Comin up next.... our first entire family pictures :)

Sleepin Cutie...

2007-11-28T08:08:00.000-08:00

This is just too cute to not share...Last Friday (Black Friday)Laney fell asleep about 8pm in the chair in her room watching a movie. She hadn't napped that day and we had visited Santa that day and watched the bridge lighting in Sumner. It was a full day and if you look close you can even spy some candy residue on her face. ;-)

She was OUT for the count.

My little soccer player

2007-11-16T14:11:00.001-08:00

So soccer season has ended, with our final game last Saturday morning. (woohoo no more early Saturdays in the cold!). We had the team party on Wednesday. The girls got adorable bobble head trophies and certificates. Coach Scotty gave each girl a special award. Our Ashlyne earned the "Most Inspirational Player" award!! :) I couldn't be more proud of her. Here she is accepting her award.... WAY TO GO ASHY!!!!!

Home Improvement Project #1

2007-11-05T10:56:00.000-08:00

When we bought the house the family room looked like this on the far wall...the "tv" shelf was neat architecturally, but wouldn't fit our big ole tv. And I wasn't too fond of the burnt copper color. So on to our first home improvement project. We had Frank come over and cut the opening to fit our television and then framed it in. I also chose a new paint color "plum shade", and Craig started the painting last night. So here is the after:

We aren't done painting to the right of the shelf and fireplace, and we are still going to drill a hole through the right of the tv shelf to run the wires for the cable box and dvd player. But its getting there...

Welcome to November..

2007-11-05T09:36:00.000-08:00

Wow!! November already! Its amazing how fast time flies, and it seems to be going faster and faster all the time. I signed up for a neat little email newsletter from ivillage.com that will send daily helpful holiday hints. When the first one arrived on Friday, I almost passed out..ha ha...it came with a countdown for how many days left until the holidays!!
So today, days left until ...Thanksgiving-17 days, Christmas- 50 days, and New Years-57 days!! Do you feel my panic?! We are having our housewarming party on Sunday the 18th and 4 days later is Thanksgiving. Apparently, I didn't think that one through really.

I have the girls started on their holiday wish lists, and I myself need to continue to plug away at unpacking and settling us in. I also need to arrange for a family picture, and get started on our holiday newsletter.

How are your holiday preparations coming along?

Halloween 2007

2007-11-01T11:11:00.000-07:00

So last night my girls morphed into a monkey, a witch, a spa girl and a cheerleader...Ashlyne- the cheerleader (I know, shocker, huh?!)
Cortney- a spa girl (all her idea, and it was the cheapest and easiest costume ever!)

Jordanna- a witch (costume from the box, she wore it when she was like 7...)

Laney was a monkey. Apparently a very unhappy monkey. Ask her what she was wearing she said "a bunky". :)

Cortney went to a party at her friend's, one of the girls from Maplewood. We took the other girls around the old neighborhood. It was cold but not too cold and they got more candy than any kids need...Hope you all had a very happy Halloween.

Curve balls and home runs

2007-10-23T11:31:00.000-07:00

Somethings are going very well. The girls have all 3 started school now, and so far so good. They all like their teachers, and have met some new friends, including quite a few kids in our development. Even riding the bus is going well. So for that I'm grateful.

We are beginning to settle into the new house. Still have tons of unpacking to do, and things to buy, but we are adjusting to where things are, and to the house. Craig is not liking his drive to and from work, though.

Last Thursday in the very early morning (3am) we were awoke by screams and yelling. My immediate thought was that there was some sort of fight, domestic disturbance. It continued, sounding like it was right outside our house. Then I heard "I can't breathe! I can't breathe!" I knew this was not any type of domestic disturbance. Craig and I both had been looking out our bedroom window and couldn't see anything, but it was coming from out front of our house.
So I ran downstairs and out the front door in my jammies, and bare feet. There was a woman standing in the driveway of the house next door, and she was yelling and there were screams coming from the window up above the garage. The front door was open and there was smoke coming from there. The house was on fire and there was a 14 yr old girl trapped in the upstairs bedroom. I attempted to go in the house, but I only got about 2 ft and the smoke was so thick that I couldn't breath, so I went right back out. The girl was able to get out onto the roof and then Craig and another neighbor helped her down from there.
A window in the back of the house shattered and flames were coming dangerously close to my new house. The house that was burning is directly next door to us. The firefighters had us get our kids out and we all stood outside in the cold and rain, watching this house just burn. It is appearing it is a complete loss, I'm pretty sure the house was gutted. Thankfully everyone got out safely and our house survived in tact and with no damage!

Then Sunday morning, Craig's Mom had a massive stroke. When we got to the hospital, she was on life support and the damage was far too great and unrepairable. His Dad was waiting for the family to all get to the hospital and then he was going to have her taken off the life support. So that is what we did. She was gone within an hour of being removed from the life support machines. This was a horrible, painful thing to watch, and just so sudden. She passed surrounded by her husband, kids, a few of her grandkids, some of her foster kids, and other extended family. She did not suffer, and she went quickly. I guess that is the most any of us can hope for.

R.I.P. Patricia Smith...may you know PEACE now. I thank you for the son that you gave to me that is an amazing husband and a tremendous father.

Yes, life is full of ups and downs. Continually. Just when you get a home run, it throws you a curve ball and you struggle. I am so thankful for my family and for the blessings that He has given us. I'm thankful for the extended family I have that I know I can count on and lean on, who support us in our joy and in our struggles. We are blessed and for that I'm thankful.

and my heart breaks...

2007-10-11T09:27:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was the hardest day I've had (we've all had) in a very long time. The end of an era at Maplewood Elementary.
We arrive at school and I am watching Ashlyne get in line with her friends. She has an umbrella (its not currently raining), so that was the cool thing and all the kids wanted to stand under her umbrella (ay ay ay..lol) I turn my head in the direction of the older girls, and I see Cortney embraced in a hug with a mother of fellow Maplewood student. I knew she was crying and I thought, "oh no..already?" I knew in that instant what I had tried to deny....this was going to be a very very hard day.
I came back to the school to pick them up about 20 minutes early. As I stood on the blacktop on the playground, I could see Cortney in her classroom. There was a line of classmates lined up to hug her, and I could see her wiping her eyes. When the doors opened, a few girls came out with tear streaked faces, that I knew were in her class.
The kindergarten teacher opened the door and motioned to me that we had tears today. Then when Ashlyne appeared in the doorway, tears pouring down, I just buckled. I couldn't contatin it myself, as much as I wanted to be strong for my girls so that maybe it would make them feel better. I knew that her heart was hurting and that killed me. She ran to me and I pulled her into my arms and we just cried for a few minutes. Then I tried to pull it together and told her it was ok, that it was going to be ok. She will still see her friends at soccer, and we will still come down for PTA events. (carnival, bingo, etc.) She said her friend Gillyan was so sad too, and wouldn't let go of her. (literally, was hugging her and wouldn't let her go.. )
I looked to the kindergarten door, and there was Gillyan standing with the teacher and she was crying, clutching a little wad of kleenex. I hugged her too and told her she would see Ashlyne at soccer tomorrow and we would get them together to play.
I finally get Ashlyne gathered to go find the other two. We walk over to the the other side of the school. Cortney finally emerges and she is sobbing, and she is flanked by like 5 other girls who are all sobbing. I hug her and I tell her and them that we aren't going that far away, we will still see them!
This is repeated when I find Jordanna. I feel just awful, not only are my girls heartbroken but so are their friends. And I feel completely responsible. My heart is so heavy. We make our way to our car and by this time, I'm crying again. The four of us cried all the way home. Cortney says to me, "This is the hardest thing I've ever had to do, leave my friends..." I acknowledge her pain, and I say I understand and I'm sorry that this is so hard for them. I am sad too, and so is Dad. BUT...we are all going to be ok and I promise you are going to make new friends..I promise.
There were sooo many tears yesterday here. One of the worst things as a parent is when your child is hurting. It tears your heart out.
Yesterday our house closed. The deal is done, we are officially new homeowners. I was a bit miffed last night, I said to Craig, um, shouldn't we be celebrating and be happy? Where's my steak dinner and champagne?
Instead I was nursing broken hearts with fishsticks and tater tots and hot fudge sundaes from McDonalds...
It is going to be ok. We are going to love the new house and we will all make new friends. Its going to be ok.

We are buying a new house!!!

2007-09-20T10:45:00.000-07:00

BIG NEWS!!! We are buying a new house!! We began our search around the beginning of September and we found a house we fell in love with. We put an offer in, and it was accepted! Just Tuesday we had the home inspection and when that went well, we signed off on that, and our agent put up the sold sign!!

We are scheduled to close on October 12, taking posession by the 15th. So we are packing and making all the necessary arrangements. This is going to be a huge move for us, as the girls will be switching schools and that is a first for our family! They've been at the same school since they started kindergarten. So its a new neighborhood, new school district, and a new school. BIG CHANGES!

So here is the new house! Its in a gated community (not a huge community, but nice size). There is a park with a full basketball court about 3 blks away, in our community.
This is part of the backyard and our patio.

This is the pond and waterfall in the far corner of the yard.

Sunken tub in the master bath. :-)

Backyard- completely fenced!!! All it needs is a big playtoy! (ok, and some fertilizer, but I trust that Craig will be on that!)

Family room, gas fireplace

My gorgeous new kitchen!

We are all really excited! We are sad to be leaving Puyallup and Maplewood though. The girls are apprehensive about starting a new school and meeting lots of new people, and wearing a uniform everyday (new school has a uniform dress code). But they are excited about a new house, a yard to play in again, and a neighborhood that they can go play in!

Other than that, things remain crazy busy around here. Soccer is going well for Ashlyne, she still isn't liking all the running, but she is enjoying it and seems to be learning a lot.

Volleyball signups were this week, and Cortney and Jordanna are both playing. Their first practice is this Saturday. At the same time as Ashlyne's soccer game of course! lol...

Craig is very busy at work and I am trying to do the mom thing, and pack up our house and make all the arrangements... :)

Have a great week everyone!!!

And a new year begins..

2007-09-06T22:36:00.000-07:00

I apologize for my lack of posts. Its been busy here, as usual, and with a few extra things thrown into the mix. We are in the midst of house shopping and hope to soon have chosen something. Some big changes are in store for our family, stay tuned!!

Here are pictures from the first day of school. Ashlyne started kindergarten, Jordanna began 5th grade and Cortney is a big 6th grader this year! So far so good, they all like their teachers and are excited about a new year.

Ashlyne began soccer today as well. Today was her first practice and they have their first game on Saturday already! We got to go shopping for new cleats, shin guards, soccer socks, and shorts! I wish this shot has turned out a litle more clear, but its a good action shot none the less! She looks pretty intent on getting that ball eh??

This weekend kicks off football season for us! Tomorrow night our family will be at the HS Football game and Saturday is a big UW vs. Boise game that Craig and I are going to! WELCOME FALL!!!!

big girl :)

2007-08-08T10:59:00.000-07:00

So last week brought some exciting changes for Laney (and all of us really). On Monday we took down her crib and put up her "big girl" toddler bed. And the next day, we took away her binky for good, and her bottle at bed time that she still had. Yep, cold turkey. It was over due.
It has actually gone so much better than I expected and it could have been so much worse. She had never even tried to get out of her crib, which is odd because she is a monkey everywhere else.
It was an adjustment, but she has done really well with it. I tell her it is time for bed and she whines a bit, but I just pick her up, put her in her bed and say goodnight. Some nights she whines a little bit, but within a few minutes she is quiet and we don't hear another peep out of her! That is amazing!! And she hasn't even mentioned her binky or bottle since the first day or two. So obviously she was ready- it was just a matter of me bucking up and doing it. :)
Now if I could just get her to check out the potty...

Boat Races 2007

2007-08-02T11:28:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was Boat Race Weekend in the Tri-Cities. This has become an annual trip for Craig and I. Last year and this year we have stayed with our friends GR & Jenn that live in Kennewick. Its been a nice time to catch up, hang out and see some hydros! This year was especially nice as we were able to meet the 2 new additions to their family- a new puppy Lola and their son Ace. :) I was a big time slacker with pictures this weekend, I am pretty sure I was just preoccupied enjoying my kid free adult time! So there are only a few pictures....

Craig and I enjoying "Rum Barrels" at the Cedar restaurant on the Columbia River.The sun setting over the Columbia. Taken from the patio at the Cedar.
We were closer to the boats this year than we have ever been! It was almost scary how close we were...

Laci, GR and Tyler enjoying the sun and boats...

I'm burnt and hot...ha ha

and so is Craig...

Ocean Shores

2007-08-02T11:11:00.001-07:00

I'm behind. again. Please forgive me. I know a lot of you have been waiting for new pictures. Sorry!! So here are lots of pictures from our overnight trip to the Ocean at Ocean Shores, WA on July 14. Craig, I, Cortney, Ashlyne and Delaney went.

The girls playing in the sand with brand new sand toys!

Craig and I (: Cortney and Dad and Mom

Laney was loving the sand!
The wind blowing in her hair...

Ashlyne diggin...

Cortney striking a pose for me..

This one is kind of blurry, but it captured a funny moment. Laney saw seagulls land on the sand right by here and she was cracking up!!

The water didn't feel that bad actually. The weather was a bit weird, rained a little, but muggy and warm...

I'd say the ocean was a big hit!!

Cortney wrote "Craig+Corina='heart'" in the sand.

Laney snuggling Daddy at dinner

Ashlyne turns 5!

2007-07-15T19:26:00.001-07:00

We celebrated Ashlyne's 5th Birthday last Tuesday night at Chuck E. Cheese's. We had a great time with a big group of friends and family, including a few of Ashlyne's friends from preschool she hadn't seen since the end of May. She had a great day and is really looking forward to kindergarten!!

Happy 5th Birthday Ashlyne!!!

The kids were dancing with Chuck E. Cheese to a birthday song!

Ashlyne gave Chuck E a big hug!

High 5 Chuck E!! Ashlyne got a lot of cool gifts: a baby doll, a princess creativity set, a new dress, a new bike and lots of things to go with her bike. So many new things!

Thank you to everyone who joined us that day! It was a birthday to remember!

More pictures!

2007-07-13T15:57:00.001-07:00

I forgot about these, from the day before the 4th... Here is Jordan and Alexis... (they were both a little sunburned from being out on the jetski's that day) Me and Misti :)

I was laying on the floor and Laney jumped on my back. She was saying "pee boo Mommy!"

she's so cute!!!

Delayed Update

2007-07-13T15:22:00.000-07:00

So I am lattte updating I know. Its been busy over here! And I forgot how this photo uploading works, so these pictures are backwards! UGH...well here goes a ton of pictures.
First are pictures from our camping trip to Lake Cushman last weekend. We were there Thursday until Sunday. We had a double site and we had all 7 of our kids, plus our friends Adam and Nicole and their 5 kids, and our friend Devron, and Jordan's girlfriend Alexis. We had a great time! First up, Delaney figured out that grabbing handfuls of dirt and throwing them on herself and up in the air to land on herself was a lot of fun! ha ha...we were calling her Jungle baby!

Let's just say by the time we got home, I had to empty her bathwater twice before I got her clean! LOL...but she had a great time and was really good. This was her first camping trip since she was only a few months old.

Next up, a family picture. LOL...we were dirty and icky, but dang it, it was the first time we had all the kids camping with us, so I couldn't pass up the opportunity to get a picture.

We had a great time swimming and playing the lake all day Friday and Saturday. We just lugged coolers down and spent the day. This is Jordan (standing behind everyone), Alex, Cole, Brittany, and Misti jumping in the lake.

Laney had a good time cruising around in the blow up boat with Daddy.

And playing on this "hot dog" that Adam and Cole brought.

Or just floating in a tube, as long as Misti didn't let go!

Ok, so the night before we left for camping was the 4th of July!!! My birthday and America's. We stayed home and lit off fireworks. GOOD TIMES!
Ashlyne, Misti and Laney watching Daddy light a sparkler:

This was pretty much where Laney spent most of her evening: on Misti's lap with her ears covered. She enjoyed the fireworks a lot actually, they were just loud.

What can I say about this one? It's LOVE :)

This is a rare moment.....Laney talks a lot about her "Bubbo" as she calls him, but she gets shy when he gets too close to her. So when she let him pick her up, Jordan said "get the camera!!"...lol... So sweet..

Sorry I was a week late, but I hope you enjoy the pictures! I have Ashlyne's 5th birthday pictures coming up.... :)

Take me out to the ballgame..

2007-06-28T12:06:00.000-07:00

We took the family to the Tacoma Rainiers game last night, and brought along Uncle Devo. The weather was beautiful, clear and about 70 degrees. Tacoma lost, but it was fun anyway. Here are some pictures. :-)

Relay for Life and End of the School Year

2007-06-25T22:06:00.000-07:00

This weekend was the Relay for Life. I, Cortney and Jordanna arrived at the Relay just after it began at 6pm on Friday. Our entire team did great, raising over $2000 and walking over 10 miles each one of us. Cortney walked 15 and Jordanna walked almost 20. I came in with 11, which was no small feat either. Jordanna slept for a couple hours early Sat. morning and I slept for about an hour that morning. Cortney didn't sleep until we got in the car and headed home Saturday night. I'm so proud of my girls for participating fully in the Relay this year. I didn't hear either of them complain at all and they gave it 110% for sure. It was amazing!
Unfortunatly, I am not sure what the heck I was doing (hmm, walking?) but I didn't take any pictures except for the luminaries.

Today was the last day of school. This morning I checked the mail for Saturday's mail. There were 3 letters in there from the Puyallup School District with our approvals for all 3 of the girls into Maplewood for next year!!!!!!!! I was so ecstatic! It is such a relief to know that they are in for next year. Especially because I didn't think we were going to hear until August.

The girls' report cards were WONDERFUL! All their grades were either the same or improved, and the comments from their teachers were great too. I'm just beaming with pride today!

And I picked up all the registration papers for Ashlyne for kindergarten today too. I will turn that in this week. :) I'm excited to be able to finally register her for Kindergarten- and so is she!

So that is our update! Have a great week!

It's almost summertime...

2007-06-19T10:42:00.001-07:00

We survived another year of dance!! The recitals went great on Saturday! Ashlyne did great in both of hers and was so excited to get her first trophy, for 3 years of dancing!
Jordanna also received a trophy- for finishing her 8th year of dancing! I can't believe we've been doing this that long! Jordanna did a great job as well. I think we are all relieved to call it a year.

Cortney and Jordanna have just this week of school and then Monday is their last day. We are all looking forward to sleeping in and all the fun things summer has in store for us! So with that, here is my Summer Top Ten!

Top 10 Things I love about Summer:

1. Warm temperatures and SUNSHINE!!

2. Sleeping in

3. BBQ'ing and just hanging out with friends and family more

4. Margaritas on the porch

5. CAMPING!

6. Hydros in the Tri-Cities

7. swimming in the pool

8. daylight savings

9. 4th of July! - my birthday and fireworks

10. the smell of coconut tanning oil

11. Football Season is almost here!

Top 10 Least Favorite things about Summer:

1. sunburns

2. sand everywhere (trips to the beach/lake)

3. plethora of dirty wet towels

4. the never clean kitchen floor from kids running through there coming in and out of house

5. "I'm bored!!" cry of the kids home on summer break

6. packing and preparing for camping

7. unpacking and laundry from camping

8. mosquitos

9. watching forest fire after forest fire on the news

10. its not football season yet! :)

I'll have more pictures soon...

The new and improved Acura

2007-06-11T21:46:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago Craig spent most of the weekend painting to Acura. For our anniversary last month he got the windows tinted for his gift. The wheels and tires are fairly new as well, in the last 6 months. So here it is....

It feels great to have it done! We were both getting tired of driving it around with primer spots on it! :) It looks incredible!

Dress Rehearsals

2007-06-11T21:23:00.000-07:00

This post is late, I know. (i'm falling behind already...yikes!) I started coming down with something Wednesday night last week and just haven't been up to doing much of anything. So without further delay, here are pictures from Thursday's dress rehearsal:

Here is Ashlyne doing "L-O-V-E" her ballet/jazz performance:

Here is Jordanna during her jazz performance, "We're dancing":

Jordanna and Ashlyne:

Ashlyne, Jordanna, and Laney dancing around: It was a long night, we had to be at the studio by 4:20 and didn't leave until 8:20. Whew! Now we get to do it all again this week for pictures, and I'm still not feeling well. Recital saturday!!

2007-06-05T14:19:00.001-07:00

I meant to post these 2 pictures on the last post as well, but since I'm just learning this program, I was having technical difficulties... so this is part 2. :)

Ice Cream and Cheerleaders

2007-06-05T13:53:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the first day in over a week our temperatures were under 80 degrees and we even saw a smidge of rain! It was a nice change. Last Thursday while Jordanna and Ashlyne were at dance class, I treated Cortney and Laney to ice cream cones from McDonald's...

I'm not sure if she wore more than she ate or not, but she sure enjoyed it!

Last night was dress rehearsal for Ashlyne's cheer class. This is a hectic 2 wks leading up to the Recitals! On Thursday Jordanna and Ashlyne both have dress rehearsal (full costume and makeup, with multiple costumes for Jordanna). Then next week they have pictures on Monday and Thursday, which is full costume and makeup again. This culminates in recitals on the 16th- which will be a very busy day with Ashlyne having 2 dances in the morning recital and Jordanna having 3 dances in the afternoon recital. Here are a few pictures of Ashlyne from last night:

Who are you proud of?

2007-06-01T09:44:00.000-07:00

When I drove the kids to school this morning (all 5 of them, we have our friends 3 kids for the weekend as well!), they were having this discussion on one of the morning radio programs. "Who are you proud of?" so I thought what a great idea to post today.

I am proud of my kids. Each one of them.

Laci, Misti and Jordan: I am so very proud of each of them for triumphing over adversity and against all that they had stacked against them. They have each grown to be an amazing adult- kind, giving, responsible. I am lucky to have them in my life.

Cortney: she has been through a lot as well, but she is growing into such a well-adjusted, kind, loving, and sweet young lady. I am so proud when other parents complement me on how thoughtful she is.

Jordanna: my creative spirit! She is tenacious, imaginitive, and so smart. I am so proud of the artist that she is becoming. The whole world is open to her and I am excited to see what she becomes.

Ashlyne: the princess! I am proud of what a good big sister she is to Laney. Also, she is so smart, creative and helpful. I am also proud of the fashion sense this girl has! She can dress and accesorize! :)

Laney: my daredevil, the fearless one! I am proud of you for figuring out how not to be overlooked in a large family! You are smart, strong, and beautiful. I know that you will give us plenty of moments to feel proud in the years to come.

I adore each of you and find something in each day that reminds me why I do this "job" I do. Seeing you each grow into your own person, an amazing person, is the reward.

Sunny day, everything's a-okay...

2007-05-31T13:39:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pictures from the park on Tuesday afternoon.

Ashlyne, one of her teacher's- Mrs. Samples, and her friend Chloe:
Ashlyne and her friends Ashley and Kate

Laney being the monkey that she is:

That's my beautiful girl!

Laney going down the slide

So yesterday was a scorcher- 92* was our high in Tacoma. Good Lord that is warm for May!! I have a feeling it is going to be a very warm summer, which could be good and bad. We'll try to keep it on the good side! I'm already exploring options and making list of things the kids and I can do for free or darn cheap this summer. No sitting at home day after day after day boooored. So wish me luck. If you have any ideas, send 'em my way!

Today is another beautiful Pacific Northwest Day! It is about 82* right now, which I must say I prefer to 92*!

Preschool is all wrapped up for the year. Ashlyne had her last day on Friday and on Tuesday they had a family picnic at the park. One last chance to play and have fun together. She'll be in Kindergarten in September, I can hardly believe it.

Hopefully we'll either be back down in the district and school zone or at the very least, we will get our out of district waiver approved. I'll have a kindergartener, a 5th grader and a 6th grade. And Jordan will be a Senior in high school! It will be busy year, not to mention I'll still have Laney at home!

Have a beautiful Thursday!

Welcome to our blog...

2007-05-22T10:09:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Smith family blog! I thought this might be a fun way to keep all of our family and friends updated on the going on in our lives. Internet is an amazing thing!
So first off, the title of the blog... "Just another day in paradise.." refers to a song by Phil Vassar that makes me smile everytime I hear it. It sounds like my life!

The kids screaming, phone ringing

Dog barking at the mailman bringing

That stack of bills - overdue

Good morning baby, how are you?

Got a half hour, quick shower

Take a drink of milk but the milk's gone sour

My funny face makes you laugh

Twist the top on and I put it back

There goes the washing machine

Baby, don't kick it. I promise I'll fix it

Long about a million other things

Well, it's ok. It's so nice

It's just another day in paradise

Well, there's no place that I'd rather be

Well, it's two hearts And one dream

I wouldn't trade it for anything

And I ask the lord every night

For just another day in paradise

Friday, you're late

Guess we'll never make our dinner date

At the restaurant you start to cry

Baby, we'll just improvise

Well, plan B looks like

Dominoes' pizza in the candle light

Then we'll tippy toe to our room

Make a little love that's overdue

But somebody had a bad dream

Mama and daddy

Can me and my teddy

Come in to sleep in between?

Yeah it's ok. It's so nice.

It's just another day in paradise.

Well, there's no place that

I'd rather be

Well, it's two hearts And one dream

I wouldn't trade it for anything

And I ask the lord every night

For just another day in paradise

Well, it's ok. It's so nice.

It's just another day in paradise.

Well, there's no place that I'd rather be

Two hearts And one dream

I wouldn't trade it for anything

And I ask the lord every night

For just another day in paradise

Well, it's the kids screaming. The phone ringing

Just another day

Well, it's Friday.

You're late Oh yeah, it's just another day in paradise

So that is why I chose that as the title for this blog. The song is definitely our life!

Tonight is the year end performance at Ashlyne's preschool- they are having a circus! I can't believe it but the preschool year is wrapping up- her last day is Friday. Kindergarten next!

Laney is learning a new word or words every day! Yesterday it was "remote" or "mote" as she says.

Have a great Tuesday!