We Are Back!!

Oh my, where do I start? A whole year has almost passed since I have really blogged. It has been incredibly busy, and I miss visiting all the blogs I used to visit as well as blogging my self. So this is just a quick hello to say I am going to be updating our blog with posts and new pictures ( I think they are well overdue). And I hope all our old visitors will return along with lots of new peeps. So stay tuned for the overhaul. I am sure it will be a long one:)

Merry Christmas 2010

With Love Chartreuse Christmas Card

Get custom photo Christmas cards online at Shutterfly.com.

View the entire collection of cards.

Please Please Help me Raise Money for the March of Dimes

Just a quick hello to everyone. We have been enjoying the nice weather that has finally arrived in Kansas. Sring is here and spring break is over. I am once again asking each and everyone of you to think about donating money to the March of Dimes. It is an important organization to us, as all of our kids were born early, yet we were fortunate that they were all born healthy. Not all parents and babies born early are as fortunate. We do walk in honor of our sweet Mariah, even though prematurety was not the cause of her death. However, we hope that with our help the March of Dimes hopes that one day all babies are born healthy and no other parent will have to go through what we went through with the loss of a child at birth. So if you can spare anything at all, even $5, every little bit helps. Just click on my link button on the side and make a donation. Thanks for all your help in advance. The walk is April 11th, I believe in Manhattan, so if you have nothing better to do, put together a team and walk for your support.

Happy Valentines Day

We want to wish all our readers a very Happy Valentines Day! Hoping that you got to spend the day with the ones you love. It is bitter sweet to us. Not only it is the month of my Dad's birthday, but also the day my Aunt was buried. So it definetly seems at times a little over rated, but yet hold those very dear to us close at heart.

Not much has been carrying on in our house. Dylan spent the night with a friend Friday night and Syd had her girls night with Grandma, so it was a little quiet here Friday night. It was nice as I had been out of the house all day and so a quiet ending to the busy day was super nice. A big thanks to Juang and Steve for having Dylan to spend the night with Kenyan. And to my mom for having Syd, so she could make special memories with my niece, Abbie.

Saturday, Michael and I started the day by going out together and cutting wood. None the less, we also go stuck in a big snow drift that is still out there and had to get pulled out, haha! We just chilled out the rest of the day after we got done with the first load of wood. It was quite a workout. It was good to have a little time alone with him, even if it was work, and get a good workout while doing it.

So today we started off the day by going to the casino for brunch. We then went over to see little Alexis Ellerman. This is the first time we have gotten to see her since she was born. I felt we were all healthy at this point and that it was a good time to see her. She is beautiful. She was very content with Syd holding her and talking to her.


So tonight I leave you with a photo of Michael and I on Valentines Day. We have been together for 16 years, and married for 13 this coming June.

Videos

here are the girls doing their Renegade Man Makers. I cannot get the dance video to post. I will try again tomorrow. Looks like I mayb be pulling an all nighter with Syd. She is not feeling well.

Ahhh, Fat Free Sugar Free Cool Whip!!

I know you are all wondering about this post, but keep reading, it's not what you are thinking=)Below I am adding some video of the kids. The first one is of them dancing at half time of last weeks home basketball game. The dance team does this as a fundraiser, and well, our kids love to dance, so they loved it. Dancing is also a great way to burn energy, and calories, and get in a little exercise.


Speaking of exercise, Michael has been going to the gym and seeing a personal trainer for 2 weeks now. And yes, it is all legit, it is a male trainer (for those who are wondering LOL) and thanks to Joe, Michael is bringing home this "fit" attitude. I have been doing 20 minutes on the treadmill every day, and then doing a great cardio workout and focus on certain area's three times a week. Michael sees Joe 4 times a week, and he is teaching some of it to me and the kids. Along with all that, we are eating a little better as well, not that we ever really ate bad. Which brings me to, fat free, sugar free Cool Whip is really good. You can't tell the difference. So these last three videos are of the kids doing the Renegade Man Maker! It is a big challenge, I can't do very many!! Ok, I am having trouble getting the video to upload. I will try again later!

Eighteen Months Ago, and A Few Days

Well, it's hard to believe that eighteen months ago and a few day, little Xavier came into our lives and once again changed them forever. Since then he has grown into quite a little monkey. As of today, he weighs 24 lbs. oz, and is 32 inches long. He has finally tripled his birth weight! He is a shaker and a mover. He runs, jumps, and climbs on everything. And also tries to do "cartwheels" and somersaults like his siblings. He loves to dance. And he talks up a storm, not all in language that is understood, none the less. He is drinking from a sippy, uses his fork and spoon to feed himself, and eats mostly what we do. He loves to take his clothes off and take a bath. He is still sleeping in his crib in mom and dad's room, he is just not ready for a big boy bed, and since he is not crawling out of the crib, we won't fix what is not broken.

Some of the words he says are: mama, dada, papa, milk, bye bye, juice, shoes, tractor, car, puppy, you see that, where is it, sissy, ball, yes, no

Some words he understands: all of the above plus, coat, hat, boots, shower, bath, blankie, binky, up, down, go get, brothie(brother), Madison, Syd, Dylan, TV, Baby first(his tv program), all gone, drink, hungry

Madison is home not feeling well today. So far that is all it has been, but we shall see what this afternoon brings. She is doing well in school. She is playing the clarinet in band and progressing with it quite well. She has a birthday coming up soon and will be turning 11. Hard to believe.

Dylan is playing league basketball right now. Their games are on Saturday mornings. He does enjoy this for sure. He is doing well in school also. Not to much to report for him.

And Syd, she has some big accomplishments to mention. She stopped wetting the bed. She was finally ready to use the alarm and she really didn't even need it. She wore it for about 6 nights, and was staying dry and decided she didn't want to wear it. So she has been staying dry without the alarm for the last 10 days or so. And has actually wore "panties" to bed the last 4 or 5 nights as well. We are so proud of her. She too is doing well in school. The gets tired of all the reading, but I can't say that I blame her for that.

That is about all we have to post for now. Michael is staying busy as usual, which is a blessing. And for me, well, I stay busy as well.

I am going to leave you with a picture of Xavier with his new haircut and what he looks like at 18 months.

Where to Begin, Ugh, It's Been Too Long!

Wow, can't believe I haven't posted since October. Guess it has been crazy busy here and I just haven't been up to it. So what has happened since then? Hmmm... Well November was just a busy month as always. Nothing major to report that I can think of. I was busy getting our home ready for the Holiday Home Tour put on by the Corning City Library. It was a success. And yes, I was ready for it. With that said, I was also ready to take down the trees the day after Christmas. Oh, Christmas, what a mess this year, but also a time of great memories made. My mom came over, well, Michael went and got her on Christmas Eve afternoon and she spent the evening with us. That way she was not alone and snowed in on Christmas morning. And snowed in she would have been, I think just about everyone was. No mass on Christmas eve or Christmas, it was really sad and different not going to mass. She ended up staying here until Sunday morning. On Saturday, we went to KC and picked up family from the air port. It was alot of fun having them around for a week. The kids were all excited for Christmas this year and it was a lot of fun, just being snowed in with no cares in the world and no where to run.

Sydnie also celebrated her 6th birthday in December. I cannot believe she is already 6. Have no idea where the time has gone. She is turning into a real little lady. She is a mixture of girly girl and tom boy. She will go out and help her dad work, but ususally wants to wear her best Sunday dress to do it. haha She is always willing to help out a friend in need, and is quite the little mother hen. She has a supreme love of baby anythings. Whether it be dogs, chickens, humans, kittins, you name it, she will take care of them.

So with the new year brings new goals. I am hoping to keep a few of them this year. I am hoping to keep up the books better and therefore spend more time doing things with the kids that I have been putting off. And I am going to lose those last 10 pounds I have been working on. Hope 2010 brings lots of health, wealth, and happiness to all of our readers out there. I will try to post pictures soon.