Days of Thunder

A 2011 update. It's about time.

2011-10-09T18:08:00.005-05:00

Wow. It has been a long time since I've been on here. Is anybody out there still reading this thing? If so, your patience is rewarded today with an updated post.

Since I've posted, I turned 32! Thanks to my friend, Lisa, for the awesome cake and for hosting a gathering in my honor. :)

The girls had their faces painted at the carnival this year, thanks to Grandma & PaPa!

Lauryn celebrated her 4th birthday with a donut.

And a Rapunzel costume.

Kaylee enjoyed Crazy Hair Day at school during homecoming week!

We Are Still Alive and Well!

2010-12-04T18:11:00.001-06:00

Already?!?

2010-08-25T08:49:00.004-05:00

Guess where my child is right now. School. She's been counting down the days for a while now. And here it is. Today. This day. Right now. I'll admit to tearing up a bit while walking out to the parking lot. I had just left her. With strangers (mostly.) For the whole day. BUT... she's super excited. She already made her first friend. She and her new Scooby Doo lunch box will be just fine.

What We've Been Up To...

2010-08-14T07:40:00.003-05:00

We've been having fun this summer! I have some cute videos to get on here soon too!

$0.30 Waffles!

2010-07-02T11:06:00.003-05:00

I just got Eggo waffles at Target today for $0.30/box. Here's how: In the 2-day sale section of the HyVee ad for the week, Eggo waffles are on sale 5 boxes for $4.00. That's only $0.80/box, which is already a great deal. At www.coupons.com you can print a coupon for $1.00/2 boxes of Eggo waffles, good at Target only. So, take your HyVee ad to Target today and price match the waffles. Then use your coupon to get them for only $0.30 each! Yeah for great deals! Important note: Today is the last day the HyVee sale is good so get there quick!

Picture Post

2010-05-29T21:17:00.003-05:00

Just a few random pictures to show what we've been up to in the past couple months. We went to G-town for Easter, and the kids had a blast at the annual Easter Egg Hunt. Then at the end of April, Kaylee graduated from Cubbies. She finished her 2nd book, and next year she'll be a Spark! She's not sure she wants to do that, but hey, that's what kindergarteners do.

Fire-women in the making

2010-05-11T09:51:00.005-05:00

A couple weekends ago, our friend Gideon celebrated his 3rd birthday with a party at the fire station. I didn't know you could have a party there, but apparently when your Poppy is retired from the volunteer fire department, you can do whatever you want. Gideon's Poppy gave us a tour of the ambulance and fire trucks and even let the kids sit inside. They had a blast (and I thought it was pretty cool too!) Thanks to Kim for the pictures - and the fun!

Prayer Request

2010-05-10T21:06:00.002-05:00

Please pray for my father-in-law, Charlie. He's having surgery first thing in the morning. We appreciate all your thoughts and prayers!

Let the blog resume...

2010-04-20T15:13:00.004-05:00

Wow. The month of March came and went without a single blog post from me. It was cold. I was uninspired. But today is sunny and warm, the windows are wide open, and the girls and I took a walk this afternoon. If that's not inspiring, folks, I don't know what is.

Pa Pa and Grandma came up, and we took the kids to Disney on Ice last month. They LOVED it.

Did I mention that coupons are my new hobby? I got these items at Target, and after coupons I paid $0.52 out of my pocket. I love it.

it's monday all right

2010-02-22T15:13:00.004-06:00

I just cleaned up overflowed pee water off of the bathroom floor. Yes, I got my feet wet in it. Yes, I already disinfected the floor. And my feet. The water has just finished dripping down from the toilet base into my empty laundry basket down in the laundry room. If I were you, I'd buy stock in Lysol wipes. (Not really. I buy the generic ones, of course.) This entitles me to ice cream today, right?

no, we're not getting a new pet

2010-02-06T09:25:00.005-06:00

We went to check out one of the local Christian schools with Kaylee a couple weeks ago, and here's what happened in the science classroom:

Yeah - a snake. I'm not sure that kid's mine.

A Country In Need

2010-01-15T13:00:00.004-06:00

Check out this article from the Kansas City Star newspaper. Dr. Jim & Sandy Wilkins left my home church in Kansas to move to Haiti and begin a medical mission there. Their daughter, Rachel, has been a good friend since high school. Please pray for the Wilkins's. They are safe, but supplies are minimal. They need food, water, clothing, and medical supplies to help those who are injured. To keep up with their situation, you can join the Facebook group called "Christianville Earthquake Updates." You can help them out financially by sending a donation to Haiti Health Ministries, PO Box 175, Girard, KS 66743. Also, here's a link to an interview with their daughter that aired on the news where my parents live. There is great need in Haiti. Continue to pray that people would turn to Jesus Christ in their time of sorrow.

Snow Daze

2010-01-11T13:16:00.003-06:00

It's actually above 20* here, so it felt like summer heading outside to play in the snow today. Yesterday, Chris and Kaylee went sledding and dug a tunnel through one of the piles on our circle made by the snow plow. He's the fun one, you know. Today Kaylee played in what she calls "the cozy hole" and Lauryn was content just making "snow hands."

This is the sidewalk between our house and the neighbor's. (There really is concrete under there somewhere.) It's hard to tell, but the snow on either side is up to my knees!

2010 (sounds like a sci-fi movie or something)

2010-01-07T16:08:00.004-06:00

Wow. The snow is piling up around here like it's the frozen tundras of Alaska. Good grief. Some of these piles may not be gone before June. We blazed a path on the sidewalk out front last night, and on either side the snow is higher than my knees. Pictures to come.

We had an excellent Christmas in KS and an excellent post-Christmas in IA. It was a fun time with family and friends. The weather was a little treacherous at times, but we made it both places and back without any trouble.

Not much exciting going on around here. I'm trying to get the house organized (somewhat) with all the new Christmas goodies we brought home. They are finally almost all put away! And we're trying to get back into a sense of normalcy after being gone most of the last week and a half. The cold weather has definitely made it difficult for Chris to work. I think the wind chill today is -20 or -30. Tomorrow's not going to be much better. Thankfully they're calling for better weather next week, so maybe these kids can get outdoors finally. Cabin fever is setting in.

Well, here's to 2010 - hopefully a great year is ahead of us all! We celebrate New Year's Eve with a group of friends, so here are pictures from this year's and last year's parties. (Thanks to my husband, the only picture I can post from this year is one where I'm not looking at the camera.)

The Pain of Loss

2009-11-23T08:08:00.003-06:00

Please pray. On Friday, a friend from church delivered a stillborn baby. The baby, a precious little 8 lb. 8 oz. boy, was born on his due date with no previous indications that anything was wrong. I am struggling to understand why this would happen, but I trust that he is cradled in the arms of Jesus. The pain must be nearly unbearable. I've cried a thousand tears, and yet his parents surely have cried thousands more. Mothers,try to imagine having to leave the hospital without your baby and then to return home to his finished nursery without being able to lay him in his crib. Keep Ryan and Rachael in your prayers. They desperately need to feel the comfort and peace that only God can provide.

An Open Letter

2009-10-22T15:37:00.003-05:00

Dear Mr. Clean Magic Eraser,

Thank you for allowing me to feel as though I have a brand new shower for the first time since it was actually brand new. For years, the red chalk residue left behind by my husband has been an unwelcome presence in the tub. I have searched long and hard to find a way to defeat this enemy but have been sorely disappointed each and every time. The search is over. This very day, victory is mine. Goodbye forever, pale red ring around my tub. I will not miss you. Mr. Clean, you are the man, and your magic eraser makes me happy.

Love,

Amy

Fall Festival Fun

2009-10-15T14:59:00.002-05:00

Here are the rest of the pictures from the Fall Festival. The kids loved watching the parade. They really enjoyed getting to see Pa Pa (on the back in a red coat) riding on an old fire truck with the GHS Class of 1974. A lot of candy was thrown our way from that float! There were also a bunch of bouncy things for the kids to play in after the parade. It was a blast!

Pumpkins and Such

2009-10-08T15:51:00.004-05:00

What? I have a blog? Oh, that's right. I do. We've been busy, yadda, yadda, yadda. That's the go-to excuse for not blogging, so I'll choose not to make excuses today. I just haven't been in the mood. Anyway, there has been a lot going on, which I will fill you in on in multiple batches of pictures over the next few days (that's my intention anyway). The girls and I travelled down to KS for the big Fall Festival/Homecoming extravaganza. We had a good trip. I started a new Bible study on Wednesday mornings, which I really like. Both girls are old enough to come with me and go to their own class. They're lovin' it. What else...? Oh, I'm in the process of potty training Lauryn. That's fun. I have been dreading this for the last six months, and here we are. It's going all right, I guess. She pooped in the potty chair for the first time today, so that's a definite improvement! Anyway, here are some pictures to enjoy!

We had lots of fun painting and carving pumpkins at Grandma and Pa Pa's house last weekend! Grandma carved the jack-o-lantern face and the Cinderella, which was a big hit! Too bad it's already starting to go bad.

The Big Two

2009-09-18T09:10:00.005-05:00

My baby's 2 years old today! Can you believe it? Me neither. We had birthday blueberry muffins for breakfast and are heading out to lunch with Daddy this afternoon. Later this afternoon Grandma and PaPa will get into town, and Grandpa and RaRa, Aunt Twink, and Aunt Marla will all come tomorrow! We're looking forward to a fun-filled weekend of celebrating! Happy birthday, Lauryn!

Closing Out an Era

2009-09-09T10:30:00.002-05:00

So, I turned 30 a couple weeks ago. I've had a little time to let it sink in now, so I have a few thoughts on the end of one decade and the beginning of another. I remember thinking that 30 was so old and was really far away. Yet here it is, not so old at all, and it really didn't take that long to get here. It just kind of sneaks up on you. One day you're 25, and the next thing you know - BOOM - you're 30. Just like that. But what's the big deal? I don't feel much different. One of my friends thinks her metabolism completely shut down when she hit 30 back in June. To that I say, "I never had any anyways, so I haven't noticed a difference."

I didn't think I was ready to let go. My 20's were so good to me. I got married, graduated from college, bought a house, and had two beautiful girls during those years. These are not small feats, mind you. Each of those things changed me in some way, for the better, if I do say so myself. So, I guess I do feel a little different. When the 3rd graders I taught in AWANA my frehman year of college are now in college themselves, a little pang of "oldness" hits the pit of my stomach. Oh well. "Like sand through the hour glass, so are the days of our lives." Right?

Anyway, I guess maybe I am a little older and a little wiser. The next ten years will be good years too. I will get to watch my girls grow up, spend more time with my husband, grow in my relationship with God, and hopefully gain a little more wisdom (and a little less weight). Thanks for the memories, 20's, but I think I'm ready to move on.

Morning Messes

2009-08-26T11:37:00.003-05:00

Kaylee rushed into the kitchen saying, "Uh oh, Mom. Come look what Lauryn did." These are not the words you want to hear at 9:00 in the morning, or any time, for that matter. I found the bathroom a disaster: Q-tips, pads, and bobby pins all over the floor. I called Lauryn in and made her help clean up the mess. When we were done, the girls went back to play and I stayed to use the restroom. When I opened the toilet, I figured out why it didn't seem like we had picked up as many Q-tips as I thought we had. Yep, the rest of them were floating in the toilet. Awesome. I attempted to scoop them out with a big spoon. That was useless, so I resorted to fishing them out with my bare hand. At least Kaylee hadn't peed in there this morning and forgot to flush.

4th of July in Photos (late, as usual)

2009-08-05T10:29:00.004-05:00

Thank You, Wisconsin Dells

2009-07-24T14:35:00.005-05:00

Well, we're back to the old grind. Vacation to Wisconsin Dells was great. The weather did not choose to cooperate, but we had a good time anyway. I think the high one day was literally 60 degrees. Nothing like wearing jeans and jackets to a water park. Let's just say we spent a lot of time on roller coasters and indoor water parks. The girls had a blast, and Kaylee said at dinner the other night, "I wish we were still at Mt. Olympus. Can we go there again?" Maybe this will turn into a yearly event. There were a total of 8 of us staying in a 2-bedroom suite. (B&J and the kiddos had their own room.) It worked out well, but what's a family vacation without someone being walked in on in the shower? In this case, I was the one in the shower, and my father-in-law was the unlucky walker-inner. Long story. I'll spare you the details. And now that it's out there, we shall never speak of it again. And now, what you've all been waiting for:

Thank you Grandma for taking Kaylee & Lauryn on the spinning rides!

This ride was like the Detonator at World of Fun - but for kids. She LOVED it!

Lauryn and Uncle Chad formed a special bond during this trip!

Kaylee on the kids' roller coaster. She makes friends everywhere.

Chris, Ally & Kaylee on the ice cold water slide

Kaylee on the go-carts. She is the stereotypical woman driver. Sheesh.

Mind wanderings...

2009-07-02T10:24:00.003-05:00

Why am I concerned about my carpets being nicely vacuumed before the carpet-cleaning guys come? What are they going to say? "Hey, lady, your carpets are really dirty." Well, isn't that why I called you in the first place?

I'm all about the Ford F-150 right now...

2009-06-27T15:18:00.002-05:00

We are pleased to introduce the newest addition to the family - the pool. The girls and I trudged across town, visiting our second Wal-Mart of the day, in search of this little gem. Thankfully, the 2nd store had it, but our spirits were crushed when we discovered we couldn't fit it in the van to bring it home. Kaylee cried. I considered following suit. Seriously, it was hot that day. Super crazy hot. I resigned myself to helping the Wal-Mart employee carry it back inside to be picked up at a later time with our truck. Then, out of nowhere, an angel in an F-150 came up beside us and offered to drive it to our house - across town, mind you. She had been waiting in front of me in line with her 2 kids to pay for the exact same pool as I was getting. We are indebted to this woman, whose name we don't even know. She would only let me compensate her long drive with popsicles, God bless her. Thanks to her, my kids didn't melt into small puddles.

Life in the 'Burbs Part Deux

2009-06-24T15:47:00.003-05:00

We were cleaning up from the garage sale on Saturday when a man came running up our circle screaming, "Does anyone have a fire extinguisher? We've got a vehicle fire over here!" Um, ok, so I know we have one, but, of course, I can't find it. (Turns out it's in the back of Chris's work truck which was parked directly in front of our house.) The man ran away fairly quickly, so what else are we to do but follow? This was the scene within minutes:

The firemen finally put out the blaze, and the van was hauled away by a tow truck, leaving a stream of ash behind. The people in it were ok, but there van is, well, toast.

Busy, Busy, Busy

2009-06-10T14:44:00.003-05:00

We're having a super busy week. Vacation Bible School has a lock on our mornings. The kids are having an awesome time. Lauryn's in great hands in the nursery and seems to be enjoying herself. Kaylee is really having fun in her class of 22 4 & 5 year olds. (How would you like to lead that class?) She's making crafts, singing songs, learning Bible stories and verses, and enjoying playing with her friends. Mommy is having fun too - in the craft department. You probably know that my crafting ability ranks low on the scale, but it's a fun step out of my comfort zone.

I'm also in the process of preparing for a garage sale in a week and a half. Chris thinks I'm crazy. Maybe I am. Hopefully we can make a little extra cash to take on our vacation to Wisconsin.

Tomorrow we're off to visit PaPa and Grandma for a long weekend. Chris can't come because he has to work. He's making a mental to-do list of things he wants to get done while we're gone. They include re-sanding the drywall and repainting the bathroom, patching the drywall holes from the baby gate, and who knows what else. I'm excited to see the progress he can make without two little girls begging Daddy to push them on the swing!

Oh, and did I mention I'm going to see Rascal Flatts on Friday night? It's been too long since I've seen them in concert, and I can't wait. The kids will be in good hands, and I hope they don't wait up for me. I'm going to try and weasel my way on the tour bus.

Backyard Fun

2009-05-28T15:13:00.002-05:00

Have you guys seen this yet? We have the best daddy in the whole world! Look what he made us. Come over and play any time!

Cubbie Kaylee

2009-05-22T10:55:00.003-05:00

Kaylee had one of her first major accomplishments at the end of April. She finished her first Cubbie book in AWANA. For those of you not familiar with AWANA, it's a Bible memory program with games, skits, songs, and book time for kids ages 3 - high school. (Our church only does it through 6th grade.) Anyway, Kaylee memorized every verse in her book and got her first award. She was very proud, and you can bet Daddy and Mommy were too.

The Fabulous Fours (I hope!)

2009-05-19T15:52:00.004-05:00

It's cliche, really, when parents say things like "Where does the time go?" and "It seems like just yesterday..." I always thought those were the lamest things to say when talking about your kids until I had some of my own. Seriously, where does the time go? Our first little bundle of joy turns 4 today. Kaylee is so much fun. She loves her daddy, mommy, and little sister, and she is learning to love Jesus. We thank God that he chose us to be her parents. She brings us a lot of joy.

She got a bicycle for her birthday, along with a helmet and knee/elbow pads. She put them on first thing when she got up. I think her first attempt out in the street went pretty well. We need to work on how to use the brakes.

Happy birthday, Kaylee! We love you so much and are enjoying watching you grow up from a "little kid" to a "big girl!"

Life in the 'burbs

2009-05-06T14:34:00.002-05:00

It was a peaceful Saturday night. I retired around 11:30 to do my nightly crossword puzzle while Chris fell asleep in his chair (his nightly routine). I dozed off and was rudely awakened at midnight by the sound of a very loud engine. Those of you who have been to our house know that this is pretty much guaranteed to be a particular neighbor of ours. I dozed back off and woke up 10 minutes later to the same sound. This time Lauryn started crying. Now I'm ticked. I wanted Chris to go over there and tell the guy to cool it. I mean, seriously, it's after midnight. Chris opened the window to see what was going on and to see if it looked safe enough for some sort of middle-of-the-night confrontation. Intoxicated Neighbor gets back in his truck after punching his garage door and peals out - loudly, once again. Anyway, I start spouting off about how he's going to get somebody killed acting like a 3-year old and driving after drinking. Next thing you know, we hear the sirens and within seconds, Neighbor's truck is pulling back into his driveway, two police cars following closely behind. Needless to say, Chris and I crowded around the one open window to see what was going down. Neighbor got out of the truck when he was told not to, so Cop #1 spread-eagles him and cuffs him immediately. Nice. After a while, Cop #2 gets neighbor out of the car, uncuffs him, and attempts to do a field sobriety test. After 3 attempts at "put your hands at your sids, tilt your head back, and close your eyes for 30 seconds," said attempt was deemed a failure. He ended up getting recuffed and taken to jail, charged with a DUI. Who says nothing exciting happens in the big O? You should move to our neighborhood.

The Big 3-0

2009-04-20T13:54:00.002-05:00

Chris turned 30 on April 15th, so we celebrated Saturday night with family and friends. My mom made an awesome monster truck cake, and our neighbor, Brandon, smoked some awesome pork roast that turned into awesome BBQ pork sandwiches. He got a Wii for his birthday and a Monster Jam game. A good time was had by all.

Myrtle Beach Part 1

2009-04-13T20:45:00.002-05:00

Congratulations to Jeremy and Marla who have been married a little over a week now! We had a good time in Myrtle Beach. These pictures are from the actual wedding, and I'll follow later with more from the rest of our trip.

Newest Addition to the Family

2009-03-27T15:35:00.004-05:00

Join us in welcoming the newest addition to our extended family, Tana Rae. She was born yesterday afternoon to Chris's sister, Brenda, and her husband, Jason. Big sister Ally and big brother Drew are super excited to have a new baby sister! Chris's mom called yesterday to tell us the news, and Kaylee was so glad to hear it was a sister. I told her the baby's name was Tana, and she said, "Oh, like Hannah Montana. Cool. I always wanted a baby Tana." How in the world does my kid know Hannah Montana already? Sheesh. Anyway, congrats to the proud mama, papa, sister, and brother. We're looking forward to meeting Tana in person soon! Oh, and also a big happy birthday to Ally. She's six today - just one day after her baby sister was born!

Livin' on the Edge

2009-03-11T21:37:00.005-05:00

I did it. I tanned on Monday night, and after only 6 minutes in a Level 1 bed, I got burned. Not badly, but enough to make me cringe a little. To be perfectly fair, the burned parts are those that never see the light of day and most likely never will. I believe I mentioned before that I was a little nervous about closing myself into the coffin-like tanning bed. Julie told me that her biggest fear while tanning was that there would be a tornado while she was in there, and she would have to evacuate the building completely naked. Huh. I never thought of that... Lisa told me that her fear is that some dirty old man has a secret peep hole into the room and watches her undress. Huh. I never thought of that either... I guess all I had thought of was some crazed man breaking through the locked door and stabbing me to death while I lay oblivious in my loud, heated cocoon. And as if that weren't enough, check out the article Kim sent me. Don't worry, Marla, I have every intention of going back. I like life on the edge.

Up and Coming

2009-03-08T20:41:00.002-05:00

The second edition of "Flip This House - Chris & Amy Style" is almost ready to air. Stay tuned for pictures in the coming days. It will be on the market this week! We are thanking God for an answer to prayer - the house passed both city inspections the first time! Well, we did have to properly install the smoke detectors, but on a house that previously had multiple code violations, that was a piece of cake. Anyway, like I said, pictures will be a-comin'.

In other news... my sister will be happy to know that I'm going to start tanning for her wedding. It's on April 4th, and I'm just starting this week. Better late than never. That's my life motto. It's my first time tanning since my own wedding - and that was my first time ever. I dislike it very much. It's just for you, Marla.

And let me just vent for a second about my DVR. Don't get me wrong, I really do love having the ability to tape a television show to watch after my children are sleeping without having to insert a VCR tape. However, when American Idol decides to go overtime without letting my DVR know about it, I get a little huffy. I didn't even know they let Anoop AND dueling-piano-guy in until I saw that it said Top 13 on the show's info screen for next week. I had to go online and watch the video clip. Sheesh. And for those of you who just rolled your eyes at me, sorry. Can't a girl watch just one (or two) hours of useless television nonsense a week without having to explain herself? I think so.

2009-02-23T13:17:00.000-06:00

I'm ready for spring. Can you tell?

Goings on and such...

2009-02-19T10:21:00.005-06:00

Did I tell you what we did for Valentine's Day this year? We're wearing out our babysitting rotation this month, so we decided to celebrate family Valentine's Day this year. We took both kids to the movies. It was Lauryn's first time and Kaylee's second time. We figured that as long as we had a giant tub of popcorn, everybody should be good. Thankfully, we were right. Lauryn was getting a little fidgety by the end, but I'd call it a success. "Bolt" is a pretty cute movie that's totally clean and acceptable for little kids. It was probably a little too involved for Kaylee, but she enjoyed it. We went to the cheap movie matinee, so it actually cost more for the popcorn and drink than it did to get into the theater. Gotta love it. I hope you all celebrated in a way that was special! Chris and I have "couple" things to do for the next two Friday nights, so we're glad we got to do a fun family thing last weekend.

We're excited that Grandma Ra Ra and Aunt Twink are coming to visit us this weekend. (They will be our Friday-night babysitters!) Here's to good weather while they're traveling.

Oh, and if you think of it, say a prayer for my Aunt Cindy. She's in ICU and possibly had a massive stroke. They're calling in the family. Remember my mom too. She's lost both parents and one sister already, and now there's the possibility of losing another. It's not easy.

Back to Reality

2009-02-14T08:43:00.004-06:00

After a couple of 60* days this past week, God chose to remind us that technically this is still winter by dealing us a pretty decent snow storm yesterday. I think we ended up with 6" or 7" of snow. Seriously, it was about 50* on Thursday, and then a snow storm on Friday. That's the Midwest for ya. Needless to say, we did not have our usual Friday afternoon lunch with Chris yesterday, which was a bummer. But, Daddy made up for it when he got home by taking the kids out for some fun in the snow!

Add this to the list of things I never thought I'd hear my child say...

2009-01-31T20:53:00.004-06:00

We were picking things up in Kaylee's room the other night just before bedtime. She was putting away tiny foam crafting stickers that she had been playing with when I heard the dreaded words. No, not "I just puked." Although those are definitely up there. They are the other words that strike fear into the heart of any mother. "I JUST GOT IT STUCK IN MY NOSE!" Are you kidding me? Chris said he saw her do it, but he thought she was just picking her nose. Nice.

As I assume my natural freaking out position (includes wide eyes, flailing hands, and a shrill voice), Chris tries to calm the also-freaking-out child. I pull myself together and look in her nose. I can see it. It's orange, and I think I can get it with tweezers. Chris asks Kaylee to blow her nose to see if it will come out, and of course, she sniffs in instead. It's not that she doesn't know how to blow her nose. It was just instinct, I think. At that point, the foreign object is sucked into oblivion and no longer visible to the naked eye. I'm getting nervous again. By the way, she's screaming in pain pretty much this whole time.

I go call Urgent Care, and as I suspected, they tell me that I need to take her to the Children's ER where they are "more equipped to handle that sort of thing." Sheesh. After hanging up, Kaylee says, "Hey, it's gone! I'm OK, Mom." Hmmm... what does one do now? We decided to do nothing. I consulted a nurse friend the next day who agreed with my suspicion that she probably ended up swallowing it without even realizing it.

Our new favorite saying around here: We never ever put anything in our nose, right? Right.

Trying to get caught up...

2009-01-22T20:59:00.003-06:00

OK, finally something you guys actually want to look at: pictures of the fam. For starters, does anyone see a pattern in the gifts Chris got me for Christmas this year? He says he honestly didn't realize that every single item was red. And he says he's colorblind. Hmmm... Oh, and I have no idea why my camera decided to date stamp everything 1/1/2003. These were definitely taken this Christmas. Trust me.

The kids had fun opening presents, and they got lots of good stuff!

Another Year Has Come and Gone...

2009-01-12T12:22:00.003-06:00

Boy, the time sure does fly. It doesn't seem possible that it's been seven years since that relatively warm Kansas afternoon when Chris and I said our forevers to one another. There was dancing, food, fireworks, and lots of fun and laughter with our family and friends. It still feels like yesterday. Happy anniversary, honey! I love you more today than I did then. And back then, I didn't think that was even possible.

Yeah, yeah. I know.

2009-01-09T20:40:00.003-06:00

Wow. Obviously my New Year's resolution wasn't to blog more often. Perhaps it should have been. But that's neither here nor there. It is now nearing the middle of January, and most of you have probably assumed by now that my computer crashed again or that we were all abducted by aliens. Neither is true, and for that we are thankful. To be honest, I just haven't been in the mood. That's all there is to it.

We are all alive and well, and we have had three great Christmas celebrations since my last report. I will post pictures of those soon. You have your doubts about that, and those doubts are understandable. I'll prove you all wrong. Watch me.

Back it up a bit...

2008-12-11T15:22:00.006-06:00

While at my parents' house for Thanksgiving, we had a bridal shower for my sister, Marla, who is getting married in April. Have I mentioned that it's in Myrtle Beach? I'm pretty sure I have, but I wanted to throw that out there again. Considering the cold rain falling in O. today, a trip to the beach sounds pretty good. Anyway, I wanted to post a few pictures from that day. We had a great time!

My mom made this cake. Seriously, she's really good.

A nice portrait of the women of the family.

Kaylee and Great-Grandma playing in her room.

Props to my friend Julie for the pictures. She's really good too.

Time is scarce...

2008-12-08T14:53:00.003-06:00

Wow. I am so far behind on this blogging thing. How in the world do people keep up with these things during the holidays? We just seem to be crazy busy right now. Christmas shopping will hopefully be finished tonight, except for stocking stuff. Then we have things going on at church the next four nights in a row. Weeks like these make me wish we lived a little closer than 20 minutes from church. At least gas is only $1.49/gallon today. I suppose what you really come to this blog to see are the pictures, not to hear me ramble about our busy schedule. So, here you go:

The Daily Grind

2008-11-24T10:47:00.004-06:00

Kids can be so creative, you know? During her "nap time," Kaylee came up with these two surprises for me. Two Crayon banks plus some dress-up clothes makes for one fun afternoon.

Kaylee had lots of fun playing in the leaves while Chris and I were raking. Our trees aren't even the real cluprit, it's the neighbors' tree, but they don't seem to mind the grass-killing piles of leaves suffocating any chance of a green lawn next spring. So we had to rake halfway into their yard, too, to ensure the wind didn't undo all of our hard work. I considered it my workout for the day. I think that's only fair.

And this one, well, it's just cute. Two kids playing in a storage bin. It doesn't get any better.

Better Late Than Never

2008-11-14T15:20:00.003-06:00

Happy Belated Halloween from Mulan and Piglet!

Last Respects

2008-11-07T14:48:00.004-06:00

This morning was the funeral. It was nice seeing old friends from my working days, but unfortunate are the circumstances that brought us together. I suppose I should make a clarification on my previous blog about the death of my co-worker. It was not suicide but an accident. It doesn't really change anything, I guess. Maybe it will be easier for the daughter to know her dad didn't leave her on purpose. It still stinks.

A Family Tradition

2008-11-06T08:38:00.003-06:00

I think I forgot to post pictures of our visit to the pumpkin patch. We always enjoy our trip out there, and the kids really had fun this year. If it weren't so expensive, we'd probably go more often, but at $12 a pop (Kaylee & Lauryn were free this year) plus a $6 bag of kettle corn, once is enough. Chris can't help but count people by 12's once inside, attempting to comprehend the mass amounts of cash raked in by the pumpkin patch each day of October.

What a Day...

2008-11-04T16:26:00.003-06:00

I performed my American responsibility this morning and cast my vote at my local polling station. Much to my relief, the building was relatively empty. Of course, it was 10:30 am, the perfect time for stay-at-home moms to head out to the polls. After receiving three "I Voted" stickers, we headed back to the van only to realize that I had left the sliding door open the entire time. At least nothing important was missing, like the pop I bought last night.

Later we met Chris for lunch at Taco Bell, and Kaylee immediately had to go to the bathroom. This really peeves me because it's disgusting in all fast food restaurant bathrooms, and everybody knows it. She proved that she really had to go by taking a very long time to finish, to which she said, "I'm really good at making potty, Mommy." Yes, honey, you are.

Lastly, I heard some sad news today. A guy I worked with before I became a stay-at-home mom committed suicide on Sunday. Tragic. All the cliches are true - he was a nice guy, always smiling, and nobody saw it coming. Please pray for his family. He leaves a 6-year-old daughter behind.

Val Kilmer was my favorite until now...

2008-10-28T15:01:00.007-05:00

** Disclaimer: If you didn't want to know one of the gifts our nephew Drew is getting for his birthday, you probably shouldn't have checked this blog today. **

I think we're going to have to invest in one of these. There's nothing like giving a slightly used toy for a birthday present. Sorry, Brenda, but it kept Kaylee occupied until lunchtime!

Mmmm.... Brownies

2008-10-23T09:15:00.002-05:00

I called my friend Kim the other morning. The converstion went something like this:

Me: Do you have a recipe for brownies?

Kim: Um, go to the store, buy a brownie mix, bring it home, make it.

Me: Hmmm, that sounds a lot like the recipe I have...

Well, going to the store wasn't going to work for me that morning, so Kim suggested I try www.allrecipes.com. I did, and I found the best recipe for brownies. I had to share it with you all. They are rich and fudgy and oh-so-good. If I can make brownies from scratch, you can too. Trust me.

These Kids Are Too Cute

2008-10-15T21:47:00.002-05:00

Weary Travellers

2008-10-01T13:18:00.006-05:00

Yeah, yeah, I'm still here. My absence from the blogging world has been due to two things: my lack of being at home for the last week and my busyness since returning home on Sunday. The girls and I spent last week at my dad and mom's house, and we had a good visit. We got to spend some time with my grandma, who got out of the hospital on Sunday, praise the Lord! She is doing better, and I know my grandpa is glad to have her home. That is a really big answer to prayer.

Chris met us in Kansas City on Saturday to see the Backyardigans Live show. Chris's mom, dad, sister, brother-in-law, and their 2 kids came down for the big show too. The kids really enjoyed it, and then we stayed overnight in St. Joe with the fam. We had a good time swimming and just hanging out. But, let me tell ya, it feels good to be home. The laundry, dishes, and dust have built up in my absence, but I don't mind. Waking up next to my husband in the morning is worth it.

And... last but certainly not least... my sister is getting married! Congratulations to Marla and Jeremy. They got engaged last Saturday. No date has been set yet, but we're looking forward to spending some time on the East Coast for the big celebration!

Updates

2008-09-17T15:58:00.004-05:00

You know, sometimes I'm in a blogging mood, and sometimes I'm not. I have not been this week, but it isn't for lack of things going on. In fact, we've been incredibly busy lately. Let me update you...

*** My grandma's in the hospital. To keep it short, she has a bowel obstruction that is making her very sick. She's fighting a massive infection and is really agitated and confused right now. Please pray for her. The girls and I are probably going to head down to Kansas to see her next week. Chris will meet us in KC the next Saturday to go see "The Backyardigans Live!" and we'll ride back home with him then.

*** Lauryn's birthday is tomorrow! I can't believe my baby's going to be a year old. Time truly does fly. I turned her car seat around this afternoon and am looking forward to her reaction tonight when we drive to church.

*** We recently got a swing set for FREE from a guy Chris was working for (you could call it Lauryn's birthday present). That's exciting, people. It needed new swings. I just happened to see brand new swings at a garage sale the day before. I stopped back by. She still had them. I got two new swings for $10 total. That's exciting too.

*** I hosted a Tastefully Simple party at my house last night for my neighbor. If my upstairs hasn't been sparkling clean before, let me tell you, it was last night. It lasted for about 10 hours, until my kids got up.

It feels like there must be more, but that's all I can come up with right now. If you think of us, say a little prayer because we'll be doing lots of travelling in the next week.

Just life...

2008-09-08T15:43:00.004-05:00

Nothing too exciting to blog about, so I'll just share a few pictures. Enjoy!

The Excitement Builds...

2008-09-03T15:45:00.003-05:00

I hope everyone will be watching the Republican National Convention tonight for the big speech. Sarah Palin is great and is, in my opinion, the perfect VP pick for John McCain. I don't think I've watched FOX news this much in the last three years.

29 Sets In

2008-08-30T10:48:00.003-05:00

Thanks to everyone for the cards, emails, phone calls, posts, etc. wishing me a happy birthday. It was happy, indeed. A few friends came over for supper last night, so now my celebration is officially over until next year.

And now, a picture of a mess made by my little trash can raider. (I know the amount of crumbs can't be completely seen in this picture, but trust me, there were a lot.) She took the old raspberry bars that I had just thrown away out of the trash can and was chowing down before I even noticed. Is that interest in trash hereditary I wonder?

Happy Birthday to Me

2008-08-28T14:57:00.003-05:00

Well, today's the day. Goodbye 28, hello 29. You know, 30 used to seem so old...

Reality Sets In

2008-08-25T21:19:00.004-05:00

Man, I love the Olympics. For two weeks once every four years I soak up as much television coverage as is humanly possible. And then it's over. And now I have nothing to do.

Six degrees of separation? Try two.

2008-08-20T15:08:00.003-05:00

Want to hear a funny story? I have a friend, Sheila, who is a teacher over in the Czech Republic. We met in college at Grace. A few weeks ago she was in the states visiting, came through Omaha, and had lunch with me, the girls, and another friend. She is now in Baltimore visiting her sister. This past Sunday she and her sister attended church in Baltimore and were invited to lunch at the home of a member of that church. The inviters just happened to be Chris's cousin Kim and her husband Shane! (They figured out the connection while discussing where they had gone to college.) What are the odds? I'd say slim to none. Don't you just love stories that remind us just how small the world really is?

On the Move

2008-08-16T16:14:00.004-05:00

There are multiple forms of transportation that take place in this house - running, jumping, skipping, etc. Here are two other examples.

Home Sweet Home

2008-08-13T11:02:00.007-05:00

We had a great time in the Dells, as you can see. Jason, Brenda, Ally & Drew joined us for a couple days, and the kids had lots of fun together riding rides and playing mini-golf. Stay tuned for more pictures to come...

See Ya on the Flip Side

2008-08-05T11:03:00.004-05:00

This mama's in need of a vacation! We're heading to Wisconsin for the rest of the week. How could you resist taking these precious babies anywhere they want to go?

Thanks for the pictures, Christi, and thanks for the bow, Julie!

More Pictures

2008-08-04T14:30:00.007-05:00

We had a fun time on both of our trips to Kansas last month. The girls liked playing with Aunt Marla.

Marla missed out on the family reunion, but the rest of us had a good time. Especially Kaylee. Can you tell by her face? And here she is, the other new addition to our family. Sarah just came home from Guatemala to join her mommy, daddy, two big brothers, and baby sister. Congratulations on finally bringing her home, David & Marianne!

Let the Picture-Posting Commence

2008-07-30T14:55:00.005-05:00

I have a lot of updating to do since we've travelled the month of July away! I'll try to spread out the picture-posting so as not to wear any of you out. And here we go... `

On 4th of July weekend, Chris's parents came into town to welcome Charlie's aunt and cousin (along with her two boys) to the U.S. from France. It was the first time I've met his cousins, and we had a fun time eating BBQ and playing at the park along with Chris's aunt, uncle, and cousin from Arizona. Here's a family pic of us at the park and one of Chris's cousins from France. In the picture below, Stephanie's youngest son has a giant cut on his forhead after smacking it on a coffee table while visiting in South Dakota. Three stitches later, he's got a nice souvenir to take home from the United States, huh?

Also, I would like you all to meet the newest addition to the family. Chris's cousin, Nathan and his wife, Kari welcomed baby girl #6 on Friday, July 18th. Her name is Della Nadean, and she has five (yes, five) big sisters (yes, all sisters) at home who are lovin' her to pieces! Stay tuned for another new family member coming home to her mommy, daddy, brothers, and sister very soon!

WA (Worrier's Anonymous)

2008-07-25T09:26:00.003-05:00

My name is Amy, and I'm a worry-aholic. I have no excuse other than I'm pretty sure it was passed down to me from generations past. So when my husband said he wanted to buy another house to flip, my stomach immediately tied itself in double knots. For those of you without the worry gene, let me give you a little taste of what swirls through my head in moments like these: "Why take another risk? What if it doesn't sell as quickly as the last one? Why don't you want to save our money in case you don't have any work building new houses for a while? If we don't have xxxx amount of money in our savings account, our entire business will implode, and we'll be forced into financial ruin." OK, the last one's a little far-fetched, but you see what I'm getting at.

After a day of fretting and stomach aches, I got into bed to read my Bible. Wouldn't you know I ended up in Matthew 6:25-34.

"... do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! Do not worry then, saying, `What will we eat?' or `What will we drink?' or `What will we wear for clothing?' For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

Let's just say I'm working on it.

On the Road Again...

2008-07-16T11:08:00.006-05:00

This little family has been quite busy lately, and the craziness has just begun. We traveled to Kansas last weekend for a family reunion with my grandma's family. There were over 90 people there, which is a great turnout! It was fun to see family that I haven't been with in a while. Kaylee had fun making friends with her (extended) cousins.

After returning home on Sunday, we were fortunate enough to have Chris's aunt, uncle, and cousin from Arizona stay with us on Monday night. They flew home early Tuesday morning out of Omaha. It was great having them with us!

And it continues... this weekend we're having a good, old-fashioned garage-raising in Iowa. Chris's parents are building a new garage, and we're going up to help. (I say "we," but I really mean Chris.) It will be great to see everyone - including cousin Ally, who just got her tonsils taken out.

We will return on Sunday and be home just long enough to repack for the girls and I to go back to Kansas to see my sister. She's going to be in town for a few days, and we haven't seen her since February. The girls are looking foward to seeing their Aunt Marla!

You think it must be time to relax at this point, but oh no. The weekend after that, we're headed up to South Dakota to hang out with Chris's cousin, Matt, who just graduated from boot camp. We're looking forward to seeing the fam and Mitch & Linda's new house!

Is anybody else exhausted, or is it just me? Oh, and if anyone wants to contribute to our gas fund, let me know.

Kaylee and Lauryn with Chris's cousin, Nicole, while they were here.

Could I Have Your Attention Please

2008-07-11T09:41:00.004-05:00

Here's a little taste of daily life at our house:

My favorite part of Kaylee's concert is when her "clarinet" starts actually singing the words of the song, not just humming the notes!

Lauryn is my little cook!

Maybe I Should Do This More Often

2008-07-09T15:41:00.005-05:00

In cleaning out the family van today, I happened upon some interesting items...

~ our phone book

~ $0.35 in change, which went directly into my kids' college fund

~ half of a crumbled up granola bar in Kaylee's car seat

~ half a can of baby puffs scattered about on the floor

~ an entire lawn of grass clippings

~ more trash than my dad hauls to the landfill in a day

Our Biker Gang

2008-07-05T10:15:00.004-05:00

Our family has a new favorite past time, biking. We've got the bike trailer, the helmets, the water bottles - you name it. The girls really like going for rides. Kaylee gets to take her water and a snack, and Lauryn gets to bring her toothbrush to chew on. Everyone's happy. They're getting so used to it now that they occasionally fall asleep while riding! Chris estimates that from our house to the bike trail, around, and home again is close to 10 miles, and we've been riding about 3 times a week. Pretty good for an out-of-shape mama! Oh, and thanks to my neighbor, Kathy, for her great picture-taking!

One Down...

2008-06-30T14:39:00.003-05:00

It's official... the flip house is sold! We closed on June 27th. We are so thankful that it sold quickly, and Chris is already looking for another one. (Does anyone else remember that he said "My advice is to never do it" on his post back in March?) Anyway, I am very proud of my husband for getting it flipped so quickly and being really proactive about getting it sold. We'll keep you posted on any further purchases.

Backing Up a Little...

2008-06-26T11:11:00.004-05:00

I know I posted pictures of Chris's sister's wedding back in March, but I failed to put these up. Kaylee had to have curls for her stint as a flower girl, so Aunt Brenda put in the hot rollers. You will now witness the two sides of Kaylee:

Camera Kaylee

Real Kaylee

The Mondays

2008-06-23T16:00:00.003-05:00

Am I the only mother in this world brave enough to take two small children, ages 3 and 9 months, to two different grocery stores by myself at nap time? Seeing it in print makes it seem like a far worse idea now than it did at the time ("the time" being mere hours ago). The conversation went something like this:

Kaylee: Mommy, can I help?

Me: Sure.

K: I got the mushrooms for you, Mommy.

M: Thanks. Put them in the cart, please.

K: OK. I poked a hole in them for you.

M: Great. Climb on the cart and don't get down for a little while.

She did as she was told, and the next event happened without conversation. Let's just say my loaf of whole wheat bread has a large divot right in the middle. Sheesh.

It's over the river and through the woods...

2008-06-17T15:29:00.004-05:00

The girls and I had a fun time at Pa Pa and Grandma's house last week. Can you tell?

What a Night...

2008-06-08T10:25:00.004-05:00

Have you ever been awakened by a noise so strange that you can't help but bolt out of bed without even saying a word? I have. And if you thought there was any chance a 2-block radius around your house could look like this, you'd jump out of bed too.

None of these pictures were taken at our house. In fact, we can't really see any significant damage at our house at all. However, a lot of people very near us have major damage, so please keep the people of Omaha, Nebraska in your prayers. I will try to post more pictures later.

Time to Stimulate the Economy

2008-05-29T15:35:00.004-05:00

Thank you, Uncle Sam, for the economic stimulus check. I'm appreciative of the extra cash and all, but does anyone out there hear me on this?

Before actually getting our check, we received two separate letters in the mail telling us that we might be receiving a check. Does the US government really need to spend $.84 per taxpayer telling us we MIGHT get a check? Just send the check, then I'll know whether I'm getting one or not.

And where exactly did all this stimulus money come from? It's not like the government has a surplus or anything, according to my calculations. I suppose it's my money anyway, from all the taxes paid in over the years. But maybe I'd rather have them save mine for when I need some Social Security in about 40 years. Oh wait. That's crazy talk, I say. I guess we'll just take our share now and go get a new TV or something.

Beware of the Giant Burrito

2008-05-23T19:59:00.002-05:00

We've got lots of fun games going on at our house right now. The first game Kaylee likes to call "I'm a Giant Burrito." She tells Lauryn that she's a giant burrito, and then Lauryn crawls over to try and get her. It's great fun. The second game is called... well, it's not really called anything. Kaylee just likes to climb into Lauryn's crib when she wakes up in the morning. It's one of my favorites.

Birthday Pics

2008-05-21T10:22:00.001-05:00

The Big 3

2008-05-19T14:43:00.005-05:00

Sorry for the lapse in posting. Time has flown. Speaking of time flying, it's hard to believe that 3 years have passed since we brought our first baby girl home from the hospital. (OK, so this picture isn't right out of the hospital, but I really like it.)

She's growing up so fast, and she's doing so many fun things. I'll try to post more pictures from her weekend of birthday celebrations later. Happy birthday, Kaylee. We love you to pieces.

Top 2 Reasons Why I Like May 7th

2008-05-07T14:36:00.004-05:00

#1: Happy anniversary to my Grandpa and Grandma! Today they're celebrating 53 years of wedded bliss. I wonder what Chris and I will be like after 53 years of marriage...

#2: Happy birthday to my dear friend, Christi (the one on the right). She turns 28 today. Sorry for posting your age, Christi, but you're younger than me, so I can do that. Can you believe that these lovely ladies are now in their late 20's? I don't think we've changed a bit. Check out the picture on April 22's post to see for yourself.

Pay Your Respects to the King

2008-05-02T15:35:00.006-05:00

We may not have gone to Graceland on last weekend's trip to Memphis, but Jason and I observed a moment of silence for the King, thank you very much. We also ate some great Memphis BBQ at Charles Vergo's Rendezvous. Chris and I agree that those were the best ribs we've ever tasted. `

The weather on Saturday was perfect for an outdoor wedding. Congratulations to Andy and Ginny!

` `

Ginny is a nurse at St. Jude's Research Hospital in Memphis. Andy, Chris's cousin, works with Habitat for Hope, an organization that helps provide temporary housing for families with children being treated for cancer or other illness at St. Jude's. Check out Habitat for Hope's website to learn more about this great ministry.

Kiddos

2008-04-29T09:34:00.005-05:00

"Uncle Chris" with our friends' kids, Tessa and Brody, and Kaylee reading a story before bed.

These kids were out!

Ally and Kaylee - excuse me - Cinderella and Mulan.

2008-04-22T09:38:00.004-05:00

Here's what I was doing two years ago today...

That's my sister, Marla, then Christi, Julie, me, and Jenny enjoying ourselves at Julie's wedding. It was beautiful, and we had so much fun just hanging out. I remember it like it was yesterday. Happy 2nd anniversary, Julie!

It is still hard to think about that wonderful day without thinking of the next day, April 23, 2006.

That is the day my friend, Ian Anderson, went home to be with Jesus. He was killed in a car accident on the way home from the wedding. I will never forget the phone call I received that day bearing the awful news. I will never forget that feeling in the pit of my stomach that is still there today as I think back. But there are other things I will never forget too, like the way Ian always made everyone laugh. He was one of the funniest guys I've ever had the pleasure to know. I will never forget his love for video games, rap music, and most of all his family. I am so proud of his wife, Christi. Her strength comes only from God, and she is on a road of healing that has led her to newfound joy. You can read about her journey here.

Today I am thankful for Julie's wedding and the time that we got to spend together as friends, enjoying each other, yet not knowing the pain that the next day would bring.

Holy Car Seat

2008-04-18T13:15:00.004-05:00

The last time I plugged an item on my blog was right after we got the new vacuum. Did I mention that it's beltless? Anyway, today's plug is for a car seat, so all you mommies and daddies take heed. If you haven't seen this new car seat yet, hold onto your hats. Here it is, folks, the Graco Nautilus.It is a regular forward-facing car seat with the 5-point harness straps that you can use up to 65 lbs. After that, you use the regular seat belt up to 100 lbs. It also converts to a backless booster chair for older kids. Kaylee is almost 3, and this should be the last car seat we will have to buy for her. We just got it, and I already love it. If I had to ride in a car seat, I would choose this one. If, in my old age, I shrink to under 4'9", I will use this for my booster seat.

Graco should really be paying me for this.

Happy Birthday, Chris!

2008-04-16T07:45:00.003-05:00

Yesterday was Chris's 29th birthday. We celebrated last night with two other couples and had a great time grilling brats and eating cupcakes. With 6 kids among us, the house was pretty hoppin'. It was nice outside, so we shipped half of the kids out there to play. It was lots of fun, and we're already looking forward to a summer full of cookouts with friends!

Happy birthday, honey!

The Fam

2008-04-14T10:13:00.006-05:00

Chris's family (minus his sister Rachel and her husband) were in town this past weekend to celebrate his birthday, which is tomorrow. Lauryn has a cold or allergies or something and was a little out of it all weekend.

We had a fun time hanging out at the Children's Museum, and Kaylee's already asking when Ally and Drew are coming back.

One Shining Moment

2008-04-08T11:44:00.007-05:00

Can you believe it? If you didn't see the game last night, you really missed out. When Mario Chalmers hit that 3-pointer to send it into overtime, the screaming and jumping around about took our house down. Then when it was over and "One Shining Moment" came on, I believe I saw a tear well up in Chris's eye.

Today I am proud to be a Jayhawk.

Rock Chalk Jayhawk, baby!

2008-04-05T08:40:00.003-05:00

Tonight is a big night. Our Jayhawks are playing in the Final Four against North Carolina, the team who took our beloved coach, Roy Williams. Here's to hoping we make him wish he'd never left the great state of Kansas!

March Madness

2008-03-31T21:30:00.002-05:00

And now a rare post from Chris...

Klaassen Homes Inc. kicks off March Madness. 1725 Ontario has been flipped and the sign is out front. It looks easier on a 30 min. tv show. My advice is to never do it. So crack the Pepsi's and enjoy the show.

Ax Man

2008-03-28T10:10:00.003-05:00

Have any of you heard of the new series on the History Channel called Ax Men? If not, you should check it out. It's a look inside the logging industry of the Pacific Northwest, and Chris is HOOKED. Here is a look at my very own ax man chopping down our friends' tree last year. So it's not the Pacific Northwest, and he doesn't have his own TV show, but he sure looks rugged out there!

Happy (belated) Easter!

2008-03-25T14:56:00.007-05:00

I hope you all had a nice weekend and celebrated the true meaning of Easter, the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ! The girls and I spent last week in Kansas with my family while Chris worked mucho overtime on the "house flip." (I'll fill you all in on that later with pictures.) Kaylee had a great time at the Girard Easter Egg Hunt, even though it was only about 40 degrees out. BRRRRR! Can I just say for the record that parents of 2 & 3 year-old kids don't need to split up to find the prize eggs for them. Are you really that hard up for a giant stuffed bunny that you will practically trample another small child to get that special egg for your kid? Kaylee got like 7 plastic eggs all filled with candy, and she couldn't have been happier. Anyway, we returned to the big O on Saturday and spent Easter as a family. It was a very relaxing week spent with family and friends, but we sure did miss Daddy! (Check out my husband's enormous bicep in this picture. Isn't he something, ladies?)

2008-03-16T14:17:00.007-05:00

The wedding pictures are here, and I'm finally getting some posted. Enjoy.

Look out. Lauryn's about to stiff-arm someone.

Apparently Chris and his cousin Andy have nearly identical DNA, which was directly passed down to Kaylee.

Dancing Machines!

All tuckered out.

Patience, patience...

2008-03-13T14:28:00.003-05:00

I know, I know. I can hear the chanting through the speakers on my computer. "We want some wedding pictures! We want some wedding pictures!" Well, I don't have any yet. I hope these will tide you over until the pictures you so desperately seek arrive in my inbox.

Decorating cookies at Grandma's house

Does she look teeny in this thing or what?

The newest addition to the family - Emily Anne Gross, born on Monday, March 10th to David & Marianne (David is Chris's cousin). We're looking forward to meeting her in person at David's brother Andy's wedding in April! Look at that hair! She could share some of that with Lauryn and still have plenty.

The Big Day

2008-03-07T07:21:00.002-06:00

Well, we're off to the big wedding this weekend. Chris's little sister is gettin' hitched tomorrow evening. Kaylee is a flower girl, along with her cousin, Ally. I anticipate Kaylee doing something that could potentially win us $10,000 on America's Funniest Home Videos. I will try to post some pictures of the girls in their "Cinderella dresses" soon after we get back. A lot of Chris's family that we don't get to see too often will be there, so we're looking forward to spending time with everyone. Congratulations (in advance), Chad and Rachel!

Did ya miss me?

2008-03-02T15:03:00.003-06:00

Oh, my faithful readers, it's good to be back. To explain my lengthy absence, need I say more than this?

The dreaded blue screen of death. Many have heard the terrifying tales, but few have actually experienced its deadly wrath. On Tuesday evening, all of my worst fears are realized in these words, "A problem has been detected and windows has been shut down to prevent damage to your computer." Well, the damage had already been done. After at least an hour on the phone on Wednesday morning with Enrique of Dell Technical Service India (my best guess), we determined that my computer was not recognizing the hard drive. Not good. The first of the tears came soon after. (My tears, not Enrique's. He didn't seem bothered in the least.) Have I mentioned yet that we just got this computer in January 2008? Anyway, Enrique, from some distant country, set up soem guy here in Omaha to come out and replace the hard drive. He showed up on Thursday morning with the new hard drive. My hero. Now wouldn't it be just peachy if the story ended right there and we lived happily ever after? Come on, people, it's me we're talking about here. Nothing ever happens quite that easily. And now for the rest of the story...

After Mr. Hard Drive Replacer installed the new hard drive, I came downstairs to check on the progress. He said it would take about an hour for setup to complete. He hadn't even left the driveway yet when I was out there tapping on his window telling him it was already displaying an error message. He pretty much said, "Too bad. I just replace the hardward. You'll have to call Dell again." Could he be serious? Was he just going to leave me here to drown in the misery rising up from our basement? Yes, he was, and yes, he did. Jerk. So, after another hour on the phone with Lee of Dell Technical Service Canada, he decided it was still broken. I told him that much when he picked up the phone. When all of his suggestions didn't work, I called my salesperson (who probably wishes she'd never left me that message with her direct phone number). I left her a mesage basically saying, "Fix this issue or face my wrath." OK, I didn't say that, but I was thinking it really hard. She called back and said they were sending me a whole new computer. Yes! Well, it got here on Friday, my friend, Joe, came over to set it all up for me last night, and we're back up and running today. I had forgotten how hard it is to live without a computer. I almost had to have Julie set up our fantasy NASCAR drivers for the week. Good thing we're back online. Our secret fantasy NASCAR driver-choosing techniques could have been compromised.

Is she ready for makeup already?

2008-02-23T17:16:00.004-06:00

My sister already posted this story on her blog, but I had to put it on mine too. Kaylee got a little bored while we were helping Marla move out of her house, so as kids often do, she found something to occupy her time - Aunt Marla's makeup. The conversation that followed went something like this: Marla: Kaylee, what have you been doing?

Kaylee: Putting on my makeup. Marla: It looks very pretty. Kaylee: Thanks, Aunt Marla. Marla: You look like a raccoon. Kaylee: No, I don't. I look like you. Marla: (stunned silence followed by great laughter) `

By the way, I probably owe Marla like $20 for all the makeup Kaylee used (and smashed up) that day. Sorry, sis!

Little Peanut

2008-02-22T14:17:00.006-06:00

"I pity the fool who doesn't give me some more rice cereal."

Anybody recognize the emblem on this shirt? I hope Pa Pa and Grandma have been saving their nickels. Just kidding, Mom.

Kaylee loves to make Lauryn laugh. It sure is nice to have someone else entertaining child #2 all day instead of just me.

We're Home!

2008-02-19T14:56:00.004-06:00

Surgery went well, and we're home from the hospital. The doctor put a tube in each ear and removed her adenoids. She said the adenoids were really enlarged, so I'm glad she did that part too. Kaylee did great and was happy to come home. She didn't like the blood pressure cuff or the stuff wrapped around her arm holding the IV in place. By the time we left the hospital, she had a bowl of Jello, a popsicle, a bowl of ice cream, and a cup of apple juice. I'd say she's feeling pretty good. Thanks again for all of your prayers this morning!

The randomness of life...

2008-02-18T10:35:00.005-06:00

Happy belated Valentine's Day! The balloon is Kaylee and Lauryn's present from Daddy. The flowers are mine, and the candy bar bouquet is Chris's.

Just out of the tub...

Baking cookies!

Kaylee's surgery is tomorrow morning at 10:00am. I'll be sure to post an update when we get home. Thanks for your prayers!