sophie

Is this not the cutest thing that you have ever seen? She is wearing Kaelyn's boots, that Sarah gave us. They are 2 x's too big and she would not let me put any clothes on her....She tried to walk a few steps and fell, but she tried it again about 15 times before she finally gave up and took them off....but at least I was still able to get this cute pic of her....

She is talking up a storm....trying to say everything that we are saying. My favorite word that she says is "Love."

She even started this cute little pucker/fish kissie thing when she gives kisses and its just to die for!

Love, my Sophie!

First day of school

Well Emma and Kaelyn started school on August 21st. They just love school and were super excited to get to finally start!! Kaelyn has Ms. June and Emma has Ms. Julie for their teachers. They got big backpack this year!! They go on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. Macy walks them to their classrooms and then goes on to breakfast. They say that the coolest thing about school is eating breakfast in the cafeteria! Here they are on the first day......

Sophie can't be left out! She won't let it happen!!

So we made brownies with strawberries and chocolate over the weekend......Emma said to me last week, "Mom, when are you going to make those brownies with strawberries and choclate?" I really had to think about it, because I have not made them in months...."What made you think about them Emma?" "I think about them every night before I go to bed." If you know Emma then you know that she is obsessed with food. I mean totally obsessed. Morning, noon and night that is all that is on her mind. Well she has also taking up singing in the mirror, but thats for another day. So daddy was under the weather this weekend and we made the brownies with strawberries and chocolate for him, and Emma too. Here are the girls licking the beaters! I made them take off their shirts for fear of having to do extra laundry!! Sophie was napping and Macy had her nose in a book, respectfully.

So today was the first day of school for Macy~wacy. 4th grade! She is growing up so fast.....worried about her hair, and she likes dresses "but not to girly, mom" she says. At least this year she was ready on time! Last year she was running out of the house still putting her shoes on. She talked about recess, how she got to play tag with Justin, and how cool her teacher is and he has all of the Goosebumps books in his class! She amazes me everyday with her vast knowledge of just about anything you are talking about! She is a sponge and yearns for knowledge to soak in to it.....she is going to grow up to do great things!!!

Kaelyn all ready to go!!!

So we are rushing out the door to head off to gymnastics and I told the girls to get their shoes on and meet me at the car. So I am rushing outside because we are always late and I see my little Kaelyn all ready to go. She is decked out with her sun glasses, green purse and her one size too big cowboy boots that cousin Sarah gave her.....she looked so cute I had to take this picture!!

So on Saturday, Geoff went out to the garden and picked some tomatoes from our garden to put on our hamburgers for lunch.......He always seems to know just what I need when I need him the most....he said that he grew it just for me......how sweet!

My Father's Passing

So even though we weren't the best of friends and he did live everywhere but near me, I still loved him. It doesn't make his passing any easier. If anything it has made it much harder. It was unbearable to hear that my father was lying in Sacramento unconscious in the ICU and that I was in Lake St Louis at work alone, my aunt was in North Carolina at home alone, my uncle was 4 hours from my aunt house sitting alone and my grandmother was home in Jamestown alone. None of us slept that night.
Even though my father had lived away from home for 35+ years, my grandmother was still gifted with flowers, phone calls, cooked meals and kind words. Maybe I have unknowingly done something to have not received any words at all. Besides Angie, Stacy and Geoff's parents, not one person has called on me to offer sympathy.
I spent the following night with my husband and my girls and tried to figure out how I was going to explain to my girls that their grandfather had passed away and yet, they had never met him. I was blessed to have had 4 days with him in January when he was in the hospital in Sacramento. He had his heart pump 'installed' and had to recooperate prior to doing the tests that would ready his body for a heart transplant. He was on the top of the heart transplant list when he had a stroke on Wednesday morning. He passed late late Wednesay night.
I am not sure how this works, I have lost a parent and I am not sure what I am supposed to do. I have endured a lot in my mere 31 years and I just ask to be treated as one would want to be treated. I live by that and teach my children that and I have a hard time not expecting that from others. So I move on the only way that I know how. By putting one foot in front of the other and to keep moving.

Chicago

So when we got home from North Carolina, Macy and I were off with Grandma Gail to Chicago for 3 days and 2 nights. We went with Christee and Hannah too. We had breakfast at American Girl and then the girls got to spend their Birthday money! Who doesn't just love that?!?! We went on a double decker bus tour, took pictures at the silver jelly bean at Millinium Park, rode the rides at Navy Pier. We saw a really cool show, Cirque Shanghai. Macy thought that some of the performers had to be 'wierdos' to do those tricks!!! We also had good Chicago style pizza, ate the most fabulous steak at Rosebuds and had old family style Italian food at Buca. I still feel like all we did was eat! But we had lots of fun and I know that these are memories that Macy will never forget!!

switch flops

So if you know me, then you'll know that I normally only wear flip flops. Tennis shoes in the snow and flip flops every other day. I think that I have 50 pair! On vacation I found these FF called Switch Flops. OMG someone deserves a gold medal! They are the basic black or brown FF that have a velcro strap! Only if I were smart enough to have thought of this. You ask what the velcro strap is for? Interchangeable straps, all different colors, patterns, stripes, circles, anything that you want. SO you only need one pair of FF and how ever many pairs of different straps! So they come with a standard black with white polka dot strap with a pearl thingy on them and they are too cute. My Aunt was gracious enough to buy me a black pair!!!! I have already ordered more straps and am thinking about maybe making some!!!! You can even order the wedge FF or the Kitty FF.....the possiblilites are endless......They are nice FF too. They are not flimsy, they are thick and cushiony...
http://www.switchflops.com/