Hosting an 80's party!

Getting ready for a party, so I picked up a few basics. 

 Because of the theme I painted a bunch of old cassettes her favorite color.  The cardboard that I sprayed them on looked so neat I just had to take a picture.

One finished project, the invitations!!  The inside cover has all the needed info for the party.

Gettin ready to rock 80's style!

Here fishy fishy!

Watch out Dad, Alex will be out fishing with you and she is out for the "BIG ONE"!

Oh yes I did!

Proof that I went on the Northern Lights Ropes Course, when we were in WI last summer.

Not something I would normally do, but that's what you do when on vacation.

I didn't make it to the third story the second was good enough for me.

I did it!

And I don't ever have to do it again.



AVID

For the last three years Bre has participated in the AVID program.  Tonight they had an open house, the kids read poetry, did skits, a pay if forward promotion, a commercial they wrote, and so on and so on.  I loved Bres poem.

I AM POEM

I am... an AVID student.

My friends call me ...crazy..

I keep... my secrets to myself.

I remember...nothing.

I shout...only when I'm really mad.

I am...myself.

I hear...the world go by.

I taste...all the food I can eat.

I think...about school and my friends.

I whisper...in class.

I am...loving this poem so far.

I want...to succeed.

I will...reach my goals.

I can...try to multitask.

I pretend...to be tough and strong.

I sing...with all the voices of the mountain.

I am...hilarious.

I dream...of the future.

I'm afraid...of losing my friends.

I say I'm sorry...all the time.

I love...those I'm close to.

I declare for the world to hear... I will be successful, just watch me.

I am... Bre

First Ice Fishing Trip and Walleye

Over Christmas break Alex went on her first ice fishing trip.  This is her with her first Walleye, from her very first time out on the ice.  Thanks Papa, Mike, Uncle Tom, Rob, Chad and twins, Alex had a great time fishing with all of you!

Not an ordinary 1st date.

Bre had her first date!  Bre and Arion went to see Mr. Peabody and Sherman Friday night.  It was not a private date or a quiet date.  I picked the kids up from the school dance and took them to the theater.  There they were joined by myself, Alex, Mike, Matt, Arion's Mom and Dad and little Brother.  I got great enjoyment when Arions Dad started taking pictures, I love it!

From the Heart.

I just love making gifts for others.  I made the white skate Christmas decoration for my Sister Sara.

This red one for my Mom.

Lots of play food for the Bug. (pancakes, bacon, eggs, steak, grapes, radishes, eggplant, ham, doughnuts, pop tarts, toast and jelly)

I made Miss Bug a Best Buddy, that lives in a little lunch box.

Alex was able to make a mouse Best Buddy for herself.

My Mom started a cook book for Sara and I.  What a great idea, now we can learn to make some of our favorite foods.

My dear friend Amy made me this, she knows me too well.

I LOVE A HOMEMADE CHRISTMAS!



Christmas Card

Well this Mom and her 3 little chicks survived another year!

2013 was a big year for us.  I started working outside of the home for the first time in 12 years.  I have to admit I enjoy my job and conversing daily with ADULTS.

Mike, my oldest, is a Freshman in high school!  He plays Trombone in the school Pepband and enjoys playing Basketball with the guys on Monday nights.  If you haven't seen him lately you could be in for a shock. He is closing in on that 6 foot mark, and growing up to be a very nice young man.

Bre is busy as always.  She plays clarinet in the school band and sent in an audition tape for the All State Band!  She played Volleyball again and was so happy when she learned to spike this year.

Alex is Alex, there is no good way to describe this child.  She is to darn smart for her own good.  She loves school! and is in all the advanced programs they offer.  She is also very creative and everything turns into an art project and a HUGE MESS.

But our year was not all sunshine and roses.  We lost two deeply loved pets.  Bre's beloved Becky passed in Sept. Bre was there to hold her in her last few moments on earth.  In Oct. Doober , my parents dog that we claimed as ours, passed also.  I am so thankful to my parents for giving my kids the opportunity to grow up with a dog.  They have so many good memories with both pets.

Life has not been just sad.  The kids had a GREAT summer!  We started our summer off with a big family vacation.  The 9 of us traveled in 2 vans to Wisconsin.  We had a blast!!  Water parks everyday, ropes course, laser tag, pottery, Riplies, Top Secret, a haunted house, mirror maze, House on the Rock and many many more things.  In addition to the vacation the kids each had the opportunity to go spend one on one time with Grandma and Papa B.  They loved their time alone with them.

So our year has been a full one, with many ups and downs.  I am so grateful for all the many blessing we received this year, and look forward to the new year.

Photo Bomber

Alex tried to scare me with the ski mask and water gun.  (Oh Bre I can see you)



Ski Mask

Alex was playing outside in the snow.  She thought she could see better out of the mouth of the ski mask.

SILLY GIRL!



Oh-no

Candy is up to no good again.



Candy

Alex's little elf is up to no good again.



Elf on a Shelf

Our Elf on a Shelf taking a bath in a cereal bowl.



Certificate of Appreciation

This cute girl received a Certificate Of Appreciation.  It was for excellent behavior in the lunchroom, on the playground, and in the hallways.  It is given by lunchroom and playground paras.  On top of that she and a guest of her choice were able to sit at a special table reserved for her.

She is such a good girl and I'm glad that the school is finding fun ways to reward good behavior.  She is such a good kid and is often overlooked because of it.

WAY TO GO ALEX!!



Far Out

Just a cute picture we took after one of Bre's Volleyball games.  The backdrop is a little trippy.



World Wide Web

This is Alex's project from her enrichment class.  She needed to think of a word that had a double meaning and she needed to show it in a way that we wouldn't normally think of it.  She came up with the World Wide Web on her own.  Alex originally wanted to paint a basketball to look like the world and paint a web on it.  I wasn't willing to sacrifice a basketball, so she drew the world, the web, and glued a spider on it.

GREAT JOB ALEX!!



Mike and his puppy.



Play time

Mike, Uncle John and Lucy.

Sometimes I feel bad that my kids have not had their own home to grow up in. But they have been able to grow up in Papa and Grandmas home.

Moments like these have not been missed just relocated.  I am thankful that they have opportunities to do the simple things like play in the leaves.

Doesn't seem to matter how old they are either.

Fun is fun.



Love

My Dad and Doober hanging out in the front yard.

It is hard to say anything about these pictures.  We are just so thankful that she has been part of our lives.  She was/is such a great dog with a HUGE heart and personality.  So many great memories.

You are loved.



Volleyball

Some pictures of my very AWESOME daughter Bre playing Volleyball.

She has great team spirit and is always cheering everyone on, and encouraging them even when they make mistakes.  (She will be a great team captain some day)

She really developed her serve this year and has great consistency with it.

She also learned to SPIKE this year and loves to!

Bre being line judge for a game she wasn't playing in.

GO BRE!!