Catching Up

Happy New Year! Well since I last posted, Cameron has turned 14 and Kelsie 17. We bought a 3rd car...a very exciting experience as now Kelsie has transportation more readily available to her. Kind of makes me sad...I don't want her to be more independent from me...although I won't lie...yesterday morning it was awfully nice that she could take herself to school. She's a good girl though, I don't see her wanting to be gone from us all the time.

As for me...let's see...since I last posted, I've had surgery on my leg/hip to remove a hematoma-type thing that I got as a result of falling down the steps on 29 October; I've had an ultrasound scope/biopsy of what turned out to be a cyst in my stomach; a CT scan of my carotid arteries; an MRI of my head....hmmmm...is that all? Seems like so much more! Waiting on the results of my MRI. I will tell you that the Lord gave me peace while in the MRI. I sang praise songs and prayed during the 1.25 hours of the test. Not something I really want to do again, but thankful that I got through it pretty easily. If you have been praying for me through this junk, thank you so much.

Today is my dad's birthday -- my folks have been in FL for the past 5 weeks enjoying wonderful weather. Wish we could have gotten down there, but as you can see, we've been busy. Happy Birthday, Dad!

It's been great weather here too -- love when it stays in the 50s and 60s during Jan & Feb.

Happy 2012!

Merry Christmas Eve

As I wait for Santa to arrive...actually, I think he already arrived ;-), I think back over the last year and wonder where the time has gone. Really not only 2011, but the past several years. Whoever said "time flies", really was right. What will 2012 hold, I wonder. Will it go as fast as 2011 did, and the year before that, and the year before that? My guess is yes. I've had some health struggles the past few months. I wish those times would fly on by - and sometimes I wonder, why those times don't seem to fly by quite as quickly as the good times. But through it all, I've been blessed. I pray in 2012 that I can be strong in the Lord, live in His plan and be a blessing as I have been blessed. I pray that my family and friends will experience His blessings and that the Lord will continue His hedge of protection around my kids. Merry Christmas Eve and Merry Christmas everyone.

My Worker Girl

I am not sure why I have a picture of Kelsie's friend with her apron and bow tie on but not of Kelsie????

Going Red

The blog is going "Red" in support of the Cardinals' post season participation! I will admit, I was SO done with them about 3 weeks ago. I couldn't help it. I was done! But, now I am back ;-)

In other news, let's see...my partner Ashley and I won our City Finals match a couple of weeks ago. I am now officially over-committed with tennis. And I'm tired.

Kelsie's job is still going well. Cam is playing his fair share of tennis...so is Kenny. Did I mention that I'm tired?

August....

I have to have an August post! But, I didn't want to until I could post a picture of my new little worker girl in her Steak n Shake uniform. But alas, I am too lazy to find the camera card and the adapter, and....well you get the picture (no pun intended). Anyway that was the big news of the month, Kelsie got her first "real", non-babysitting job and she's doing great at it. I have had to pry her tip money out of her hot little hands so it can go into her bank account. She's made so much $$$, I'm thinking of quitting my job and becoming a Steak n Shake waitress myself ;-) I am very proud of how she has managed work, friends, and homework. They are working her to death, though, so we may need to make a few adjustments, we'll see. As August passes...happy September to us all.

Ft. Lauderdale

We spent last week in Ft. Lauderdale. It was a great weather week, rained a little bit one late afternoon, but that was it. We had a good time with one exception. One of us was sick. Check the pictures out...who is missing? And now he's given the sickness to me...sore throat, etc. :-(, but...we press on. These are a few pix -- haven't uploaded all of them to the computer yet. Heather was able to fly to FLL and join us for most of the week, I think the girls really enjoyed themselves. And we got to see the Linn's in Miami, but I don't have those pix uploaded yet, except the one of Cameron quacking the quacker from the Ducks ride.

I'm Tired and Ready to Go Home

Lots of driving, a graduation party, seeing good friends, more driving, more driving, work, more driving, a wedding, family, some stress, driving, work, more good friends, driving, work, driving, driving, home. I'm about in the middle of all of that right now. I'm tired. I am thankful for the Lord keeping me healthy and I'm thankful for my family and friends, safe travels, my job. Come Saturday, I'll be heading home. Here are a few pictures from my niece Shayna's wedding. She was a beautiful bride, it was a wonderful wedding.

Happy Mother's Day

This might be the best mother's day ever. Stay with me. I'm sitting in a hotel room on Base without my kids, my husband, my mother, all by myself. Sometimes on mother's day, I really wish for just peace and quiet. A nap. Some alone time. Today, this mother's day, I am getting just that. And what I miss most? My kids, my husband, my mom, my dad (who are at my house taking care of my family). So while I wonder why my plans didn't work out, to be home today, maybe I'm learning something...on those mother's days that I long for some peace and quiet, a nap, some alone time, while those aren't bad things, I should treasure the hub bub a little more ;-) - and learning that just might make this the best mother's day ever.

I hope my mom, my mother in law and all of the other moms who read my blog have a very happy mother's day -- no matter what you are doing today!

The Very Important Post!

Kenny has finished his long awaited memoir and "You Can't Take the Bronx Out of My Dad" has been published!!! I am very proud of him -- this is a huge accomplishment. If you would like to check it out and purchase this soon to be best seller, visit his blog: http://www.kenhand.blogspot.com/ I have had a lot of feedback from friends and family who have already bought it and they can't stop laughing ;-) Let me know what you think.

The Long Awaited UPdate

Ok, well...I've been planning a big post since last Saturday...I think it was Saturday when I was on the tennis court, taking a lesson and I did something I've never done before. I hit myself with my racket -- on my chin -- it brought tears to my eyes, it was the hardest hit forehand I've ever swung -- and there was my chin. It hurt really bad. Well, I put ice on it, it was totally black and blue the next day. So, knowing that I needed to update my blog, I had my husband, and both kids try and take pictures of my chin that would do the black and blue justice, but not make my neck/face look fat and not show up my nose. That was a difficult task all the way around. So, yesterday, I decide that I'll upload the picture....when much to my dismay, the picture card was missing from the camera. So, I'm wondering, was it missing when the pictures were taken and I'll need the cord to plug into the computer (which I don't know where that is), or is it on the card, which I don't know where that is. So, I gave up and here I am without a picture. Please take my word for it, it scared a lot of people this week when they saw me ;-)

So that's what's been going on around here. Now that I am back blogging -- please stay tuned...I"m going to have one more VERY IMPORTANT post, probably within the next 2 days ;-)