MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Love, Rich and Cheri

Love, Brittaney, Christopher, Kehli, Brenden, Katelyn, and Tayler

I love this movie...and song!!

Rich had school last night, so after homework and dinner, the kids and I sat down and watched our favorite Christmas movie together. We popped our popcorn, made our hot chocolate, grabbed our blankets and were ready to go. I love this movie because it reminds me of the true spirit and meaning of Christmas! Leave it to a child to be our example! The service rendered, the love shared, the selflessness, the spirit of giving, and the lessons learned in this movie make it a must-see for the holidays!
Of course, tissues are required so have some handy! :)
****
May we all keep the true spirit of Christmas in our hearts this season...and always!

We caught the SICKIES...

Today at church, Tayler started feeling warm and by the end of sacrament meeting she was burning up and her cheeks were very rosy. Rich took her home after sacrament meeting. Then during primary, two women came and got me and told me Kehli was in the bathroom crying and complaining that her side hurt. So, I went to check on her and a wonderful man in our ward (who is a doctor) came and checked her out for me...thanks Grant!! I took her back to the primary room with me and had her lay down in the back of the room. I am primary chorister so I wanted to try and stick it out and see if whe would feel better. However, about 5 minutes before church ended she ran to the bathroom and threw up...YUCK!! Poor thing!!
I gathered everyone quickly after church and hurried home...I did NOT want to clean up vomit out of the van. As soon as we got home, she got a little drink of water and within 1 minute she was throwing up again.....YUCK,YUCK,YUCK!! Poor little thing! Now (tonight) Brenden is complaining that his tummy hurts...OH NO!
Here is my positive take on this situation....at least it is not next week and hopefully this will all be over before Christmas!! Let's all keep our fingers crossed. I'm such an optimist...haha!!

Yesterday's Cute Happenings...

Cute Story...yesterday, I said something to one of the kids about putting their nose in the corner and little Tayler ran straight over to the corner and stuck her nose in it. (if only all kids were this obedient...though I wasn't even talking to her)!! She has never been told to put her nose in the corner. I guess she has seen her big brothers and sisters do it enough...haha!

These are my sister, Elizabeth's, two older kids. Austin is 5 and Brooklyn is 3. They just got in from China (that's where they live) the night before. They did so well playing all morning and then we put on a movie and they CRASHED!! Soooooo cute!!

This is sweet, little Payton. She is such a cutie and loves to smile! This was our first "official" introduction!! I'm so glad my sister and the kids are here to visit! My brother George and his youngest little boy, Owen, came over to visit in the afternoon too! Owen is a cutie too! I'm horrible and didn't get a picture of him. I will just have to fix that today! :) We had a fun day together!

Chocolate cake makes her smile...

I gave Tayler some chocolate cake and then she was just smiling and being silly so I thought I should capture some photos. Try to ignore her "orphaned" look...I took out her pigtails and her hair was crazy! She was being so silly! This little girl does not have a little smile...and she puts a BIG smile on my face!!

She knows you need milk with chocolate cake. However, I didn't pour the milk over her cake like her daddy likes it! She had to settle for milk in a cup!

She was laughing hysterically in this picture, although I think it kind of looks like she is screaming passionately at me! :)

She literally says cheese when you tell her to. She does so well at smiling on command. :) The kids got a kick out of watching her and telling her to do silly things! Thanks for being our entertainment for the evening Tayler! You make life sooo much fun around here! Thanks for reminding us that sometimes it is good to just let loose and be silly! We love you!

Did someone say 48 cakes?

Here are the mini cakes I made for our Christmas enrichment tonight. This is what happens when you miss the second planning meeting...they put you in charge of the dessert! :) I made chocolate mini fluted cakes and then I drizzled double chocolate on one and white chocolate on the other. On the double chocolate, I sprinkled powdered sugar and then added Andes mints and crushed up candy canes. On the white chocolate, I also sprinkled a little Hershey's cocoa. Thanks to my wonderful friends (Dale, LaDeane, Lynne and Becky) who came over and helped!! They made it soooo much more fun!! The other idea I had was to drizzle on the chocolate and then add fresh raspberries with 2 mint leaves as garnish! I'll have to do those for my family...they will be excited!! I hope everyone enjoys them!

Bubbles, Bubbles, and more Bubbles

Tonight, while getting dinner ready, I taught Katelyn how to blow a bubble with her gum. She has tried before, but she finally got it tonight!! Way to blow Katelyn! How fun and exciting...

Holding her bubble...her idea, not mine! :)

another bubble...

She's a PRO now!!

Holiday Season

Favorite Thanksgiving Dessert Recipe

Frosty Pumpkin Dessert

Source: The Pampered Chef

32 gingersnap cookies, finely chopped (1 1/3 cups crumbs)
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 (1/2 gallon) container vanilla ice cream, divided
2 1/2 cups frozen whipped topping, thawed, divided
2/3 cup toffee bits
1 cup solid pack pumpkin
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons Pantry Cinnamon Plus Spice Blend (I use pumpkin pie spice)

Chop cookies with Food Chopper, Place butter in Small Micro-Cooker; microwave on HIGH 30 to 40 seconds or until melted. Stir in crumbs. Firmly press crumb mixture onto bottom of Springform Pan. Place in freezer.

Scoop half of the ice cream into Classic Batter Bowl using Ice Cream Dipper. Place in refrigerator 10 minutes to soften.

Fold 1 cup of the whipped topping and toffee bits into softened ice cream just until blended. Spread evenly over crust using All-Purpose Spreader. Freeze until firm, about 1 hour.

Place remaining ice cream in refrigerator 10 minutes to soften.

Meanwhile, mix pumpkin, brown sugar and spice blend in batter bowl. Scoop softened ice cream into pumpkin mixture. Mix just until blended. Spread evenly over ice cream layer. Freeze until firm, about 8 hours or overnight.

When ready to serve, place dessert in refrigerator 20 minutes for easier slicing.

Fill Easy Accent Decorator with remaining whipped topping. Run Utility Knife around outside of dessert; remove collar from Springform pan. Smooth sides with spreader. Cut dessert into wedges. Garnish each serving with whipped topping and sprinkle with additional spice blend, if desired.

Yield: 16 servings

Wonderful Weekend

Saturday, Rich and I were able to go down to the Louisville Temple. It was so nice, and we had a wonderful time. It almost didn't happen. Friday afternoon I had a feeling to check my recommend and lo and behold...it had expired. AAAHHHH!! So, I called Bryan (a counselor in our bishopric) and I called the stake counselor and by some miracle they were both able to fit me in last minute Friday night! THANK YOU!! I guess we were meant to be there that day! :) Rich, thanks for being there with me and for the wonderful day! I LOVE YOU!!

While we were at the temple, Brittaney got to spend some time with her boyfriend, Austin. He lives down in Louisville about 15 minutes from the temple. Here is a picture of them at his house. He really seems like a great young man and his family seems great too. They were so nice to have Brittaney and let her spend the day with them. The best part of all of this was that Austin didn't know that we were bringing Brittaney down. His parents knew and so they had him answer the door. His face was...PRICELESS!! They had a great day together. He let her bring home his football sweatshirt (which his parents said is a BIG deal)! She is wearing it in the picture. Thanks to Austin and his family for letting Brittaney spend the day with you!! A BIG thank you to my parents also because they watched all the other kids ALL DAY!!
...what a wonderful weekend!!

Cheri's Birthday-a week long celebration!

Ok here we go now...my computer was being dumb, but it's fixed. Now for the text...
My wonderful hubby surprised me with a special day last Saturday. First, we went to the movies and saw The Secret Life of Bees. Then we went to the mall and walked around. After that, we came home and he told me to get dressed up. Then he really surprised me by taking me to dinner at this restaurant called Peterson's. It was the best food we have ever had...EVER!! It was such a nice surprise. I felt bad for him though, because he had planned on surprising me by taking me to the driving range and teaching me how to golf. Then we were suppose to go to Ft. Ben State Park and go for a nice long walk through the trails. BUT---it was freezing that day! His plan B turned out fantastic, though!! We had a wonderful day together. Brittaney was wonderful and watched the kids all day for us and the kids behaved for her! :) Thanks kiddos!!
Then on Wednesday (my birthday was Thursday, the next day) Rich came home from school and he had stopped by the store on his way home and picked me up this card and peach roses (my favorite). It was very sweet of him and a nice surprise for me.
Then on Thursday, he surprised me by coming home for lunch (he never does that). It actually kind of scared me when I heard the front door open. After work, he surprised me by bringing me a Strawberries and Cream Frappuccino from Starbucks. I LOVE that drink!!!! Brittaney (with the kid's help) had made me my texas sheet cake after school and then Rich iced it when he got home. YUMMY!! Christopher made me french toast for dinner (he makes the best french toast)!! In our family, the birthday person gets to pick the dinner meal. French toast sounded good that day. haha Later that evening my visiting teachers brought me a bright, beautiful bouquet of flowers. That was so sweet and thoughtful of them.
I had a wonderful week and I really appreciate the effort Rich and the kids put in to making this birthday very special for me. I love you all !! Thank you!!

My beautiful roses and my card from Rich!

Brittaney "enjoying" the cake...

All the kids making my cake!

I Love this!

I Know That My Redeemer Lives!

I have some people very special to me that are going through very tough times in their life right now, and I just wanted to share this. This video (the images and music) sum up my testimony of our Savior without me saying a word. I, too, have gone through some tough things in my life. I didn't always handle everything the way that I should have, but I never lost my testimony. That is what got me through my trials. Through faith in Christ...

EVERYTHING is possible!!

One thing I learned through my trials was that the Atonement isn't only for our sins ( I "knew" that, but I didn't KNOW that). Christ suffered for every feeling that we would feel-every tear we would shed, every ounce of fear, sadness, frustration, loneliness, heartache we would ever have---he suffered for it ALL!! All we have to do is allow the Atonement to work for us in our own lives. It truly is miraculous!! I know our Father in Heaven and our Savior love us beyond description. They are mindful of our needs and our feelings. They know what we need to endure in this life to reach our Celestial potential. Trust in Him, have faith, and remember to pray. If you can't pray, know that I am praying for you!! I love all of you dearly and you are all in my prayers! I hope and pray that each of you can find the peace and joy in your life that I know the Atonement can bring you.

I KNOW THAT OUR REDEEMER LIVES!!

This has been my favorite scripture since I was in high school.

Alma 26:27

Now, when our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted us, and said: Go amongst thy brethren, the Lamanites, and bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success.

This is one of my favorite poems that has helped me also.

Prayer

I know not by what methods rare

But this I know God answers prayer.

I know that He has given His word

Which tells me prayer is always heard.

And will be answered, soon or late,

And so I pray and calmly wait.

I know not if the blessings sought

Will come just in the way I thought.

But leave my prayers with Him alone

Whose will is wiser than my own.

Assured that he will grant my quest

Or send some answer far more blessed.

Eliza M. Hickok

Living With Type 1 Diabetes!

***Pause the blog music first***

I saw this video and it brought out so many emotions! I loved it, yet it made me so sad! I wish the world could realize what it is like to live with Type 1 diabetes or to have a loved one living with it. The DAILY struggles, the frustration, the elation when the numbers are good, the worry when they aren't, the sleepless nights, the feelings of being alone in this (when you know you really aren't), the empathy and compassion, the anger, the why me/them, the admiration of his strength and persistance, the fear, the wishing your son didn't have this disease, the pride and love when you see him fighting this disease, the heartache when you see his eyes well up with tears but won't let them fall in order to be "brave" even though the needles really DO hurt, the roller coaster of emotions, the excitement for new treatments but mostly the HOPE for a cure!

Today when Christopher gets home from school I am going to have him watch this and come up with a word for his hand and take pictures. I will have the rest of us do it also. Here's my favor: for anyone reading this, would you please do the same and email me your pictures (pass the word along too). Our email is: mickelsens@sbcglobal.net I would like to do up a video similar to this just for Christopher with all the hands of people who love him and care about him and his struggle! Thank you for helping me do this!

For Christopher: Bud, thank you for being so courageous in this fight! Thank you for teaching me what it means to trust in Heavenly Father and his plan for us. You are doing so well with living with this disease rather than being this disease. I am so proud of how you take care of yourself. No, you aren't perfect in your control, but I know you are trying your BEST and noone is ever perfect. I watch as you test and have to inject yourself with your pump site and especially your sensor site (that needle is pretty big and hurts) and I watch your eyes. You always try to be so brave. You have come a long way...from 5 shots a day to having a pump and now you have the continuous glucose monitoring system. How blessed we have been with this technology. Keep fighting hard and keep hoping hard-I know there will be a cure one day!! You are such en example and inspiration to others, not just because of your diabetes, but because of who you are as a person. Continue to be that young man. Make the right choices and you will be eternally blessed! I love you Christopher!!

Happy Halloween!!

We went trunk-or-treating last night at the church! It was fun...cold, but fun! They had hot dogs, chips, and drinks for dinner and then the trunk-or-treating started. The kids actually got to make about 4 rounds so they really made out with the candy...yeah!! Rich had school last night, so he didn't get to go or even see the kids in their costumes, but we took some pitcures and emailed them to him at school so he could see them. He always misses Halloween because he has to do month-end at work on the 31st, so Iwas excited when they were going to do trunk-or-treating on a different night. However, it wound up being on our mutual night instead, which Rich always has class on Wednesday nights, so it didn't work out any better for us! Oh well! We missed you Rich!! All-in-all I would say the evening was a success and the kids had a blast!

Happy Halloween!!

Mom and her little "lady" bug!

Brittaney as herself! :)

Christopher: Skateboarder

Kehli: Hermione (from Harry Potter)

Brenden: Iron Man

Katelyn: Baby

Tayler : "Lady" bug

Here are some pictures of the pumpkin we let the kids paint on. We let the boys do one half and the girls do the other half. They had so much fun and it turned out great! We did this Tuesday night so Daddy was able to be here and fun with us doing this! YEAH!! Here it is:

Girl's Side...

Boy's Side...

Christopher's Big News...

Christopher was approved to be put on the continuous blood glucose monitoring system for his diabetes. He has been on it for about a month now and it is making all the difference. It is a device that he wears all the time and it checks his blood sugar every 10 seconds and then takes an average of those results and sends the average number to his insulin pump every 5 minutes. Now he knows what his blood sugar is constantly. If he is going up or down really fast it will have 1 or 2 arrows beside the number too. This doesn't completely eliminate the need for finger pricks, but it greatly reduces them. The only drawback is the insertion of the device. It has a pretty big needle and it hurts, but then he gets to pull the needle out and just leave the plastic cannula inserted. He is pretty tough about it. Each sensor lasts about a week so he only has to change it once a week or so. The biggest positive is that we set alarms on it and if his blood sugar drops below 90 then an alarm goes off and if it goes above 240 then an alarm goes off. That way he knows to check his blood sugar right away. This device has greatly helped his blood sugars. You can imagine how easy it is for a kid to forget to bolus (give insulin through his pump) after he eats. He is anxious to get up and go play. Well, with this device, if that happens and his blood sugar rises above 240, his alarm will go off and alert him. What a blessing this has been. how thankful I am for technology and for these modern-day conveniences that make Christopher's life so much better and easier. I know that these devices are keeping him alive and helping to prolong his life and reduce complications. I still struggle with the fact that he has to endure this. I wish I could take this from him. Don't get me wrong, he doesn't let it slow him down and he is a trooper about it, but I know he hates it too. His insulin pump and his new sensor have changed things so much for the better, though! Hopefully, one day there will be a cure!! Until then, we wait and stand in awe of this amzing young man and how he endures this trial in his life so well!! What an incredible example of strenth and patience he is to me!!
p.s. When he gets home from school today I will see if he minds me taking a picture of his belly with his pump and sensor so you can see what it looks like. I'm sure he won't mind! :)
OK-the sensor is the whitething on (his) right side and the other round thing is his site for his pump. You can see his insulin pump right below it. Neither is very big, but they literally save his life!! Cool, huh?!

School Updates

We had parent/teacher conferences this last week and they went great! Here is the scoop:
Katelyn:
She is doing fabulous! Her teacher absolutely adores her. She said she has never seen a child that is so loving, empathetic, kind, and so aware of other peoples feelings around her. She said she is so well rounded. She said her social skills are incredible (couldn't ask for better), she said her attention span is so long...yea, and she said she has already mastered everything for kindergarten. She told us that she writes very well and her pictures are incredible. In fact, she said the art teacher came down after school one day to show her this picture Katelyn had painted of a sunflower. She told her she couldn't believe the detail and that a kindergartener had painted this. The funny part is that she said after she saw it, she turned around and then Katelyn painted a big green circle around it and she was like......NOOOOOOO!! I asked Katelyn about the green circle and she said that she had to draw the LONG grass around it. Pretty funny if you ask me. So, we can't wait to see this amazing picture!! I would have to say we were very pleased with the conference. :)
Brenden:
I was a little worried about this one. Brenden had a horrible experience with kindergarten. We did NOT care for his teacher. He would cry when it was time for school. I even spent a few mornings in tears myself. Then, when school started this year, he had this teacher and it was a man and he wore glasses jsut like Brenden. Brenden was so excited. He loved going to school! YEA!! But...the second week of school they had to downsize first grade and move one of the teachersto 2nd grade. You guessed it...it was my sweet, little Brenden's teacher that was moved and he got moved to a new class. Can you say HORRIBLE!! The day he came home and told me, he just started crying. I felt so bad. Anyway, I think it might have been the best thing ever. Heloves his new teacher and so do I. Brenden has straight A's. He is reading above grade level and is above grade level in math too. He loves spelling. If you ask him what his favorite subject in school is he will tell you "spelling tests". :) She has really pushed him and he has come out of his shell and has exploded academically. She said she just loves him. He got straight A's and is doing great.
Kehli:
Her teacher loves her too. She said she is very well behaved and is doing great at turning her work in on time. She has an incredibly neat desk and she showed us. Kehli got straight A's too and her teacher said she is going to try to challenge her more next quarter. Kehli loves to read and she is reading above grade level, of course. Her and Brittaney can't keep their noses out of books (not that I am complaing...I love that)!! Kehli is quite the artist also and we got to see some of her work hanging in the hallway. She is doing really well at math and her teacher said once she gets all of her timed tests under 3 minutes, she won't make her take one ever again. Kehli was very excited about that. She is very good at math too. She is also very fast running her mile. I can't remember her exact time, but she is the fastest girl and beat most of the boys....GO KEHLI!! She is having a great year.
Christopher:
We didn't have parent/teacher conferences for him. He got 2 B's and the rest were A's. YEAH!!His B in english was an 89. He has to turn in reading logs every week. If they forget to get them signed then she only gives them 80 out of 100. He forgot 3 times. When i saw he had an 89 I was going to write his teacher and see if she would give him an extra credit assignment to do, but then I decided this could be a great life lesson for him instead. I explained to him that if he had just turned in one of those reading logs with a signature that he would have an A. He said "Are you serious....awwww man"! I told him he has to remember that even the littlest of things can add up and make a huge difference. I think it was a good lesson for him, besides a B is great too!! We are really proud of his grades. And he got these grades while playing football too! Yea!! He is still playing trumpet and doing very well too! I will try and get the kids to do a post about school too. He is doing fabulous though and is having a great year so far!
Brittaney:
Brittaney got all A's except for a B in French 3. She was totally bummed! Her French teacher is very tough (which is great), so I just asked her if she did her best and she said yes, so I told her you can't be disappointed in that now can you? She works so hard and we rarely have to tell her to do her homework. Education is very important to her....YEAH!! She is having a blast in her show choir. I will try and get her to blog about her experiences with a broadway star in her show choir. She still plays her violin in orchestra too. She said she is going to run cross country again next year too. The young women in our ward are training for a big bike ride next summer. Some adults (including me) are going to bike down to the Louisvile, KY temple next summer with the young women. She is so excited! The YW have been begging for a high adventure trip. The boys get one every year and now they finally get one. It's going to be really tough, but she will do great! More details about that to come in the future! She is doing great in school too, though!
OVERALL: out kids are loved by their teachers and they were all praised about their behaviors and their grades. We have such great kids and they are all really smart too.....how did that happen? Rich likes to take the credit for that! :) Great job kiddos!!

Katelyn's Surprise!

The other day, Katelyn told me to go upstairs and not to come down until she said I could. So, I went upstairs. I went and switched over the laundry and started folding. Of course while I was up there, thoughts were running through my head like...what is she doing down there? Should I be worried? Is she making a big mess? A few minutes later she told me I could come downstairs and this is what I found! She had made us lunch!! I actually started to cry over penut butter and jelly...who knew!! haha She even got us some pears and a glass of milk to wash it all down! What had I done to deserve such an incredible treat? I'll never know, but it made my day! So, the two of us sat down and had a special lunch together. She shared with me that she wants to be a chef because she can cook so good! :) Thanks for such a sweet, special memory Katelyn!! These moments are why I LOVE being a MOM!!

Katelyn Validates my "Mommyness"

I was upstairs and Katelyn came up to me and asked how old I was. I told her that I was 33. Then she asked, "Is that how old I will be when I am a Mommy?" I told her maybe and then asked her why. She said, "Because then I can say what I want to." I asked her what she would want to say and she said that she would tell people to clean and she would make lists. She definitely got that from me. Rich always makes fun because I make lists for EVERYTHING...but that is what works for me. Then I asked her what else she will do when she is a Mom and she said, " the same things you do, Mom". I said...what do you think I do... here is a list of the things I could remember that she said.
Gives me baths

Cleans the house

Cooks yummy food

Takes care of Daddy

Sings and Dances

Acts silly

Takes everyone places

Gives lots of hugs and kisses

Plays with me

Goes through our clothes

Does LOTS of laundry

Makes lists Helps people

Makes beautiful cakes

Loves my family

Helps me get on the computer

Fixes our boo-boos

I would have to say that she covered things pretty well! I'm so thankful that my 5 year old notices the things that I do. I LOVE being a mom and that just made my day! Thanks for noticing, Katelyn! Mommy loves you!!

Kehli's 9th Birthday Party!

BubbleShare: Share photos - Craft Supplies

These are pictures from Kehli's 9th birthday party! She had a BLAST, but it was crazy. There were 20 girls (including Kehli) at her party!! I know....what was I thinking? I was going to do a slumber party, but after I told her she could invite her friends from school I decided against that...THANKFULLY!! She received many wonderful gifts from her friends. We had cake and ice cream and then they watched Camp Rock with the Jonas Brothers in it! Her friend Lauren and her cousins Heather and Brian spent the night (Brian slept over with Brenden)! I hope that she felt very special and loved because she is...special and VERY LOVED!!!!

Funny, Funny, Funny...

PAUSE THE MUSIC FIRST, THEN WATCH IT!!

This is the funniest video ever. Brittaney showed it to me a few months ago and I can't stop laughing at it still. It gets funnier and funnier every time I watch it. I have been so busy the last 2 weeks and haven't posted so I thought I would share this and tell you to stay tuned for more posts. They ARE coming!! Enjoy the video.

Precious Moment...

This afternoon, after the kids got home from school, I walked upstairs to the rec room and there sat Brenden in a kids chair. Katelyn was sitting on the floor next to him and she had her head laying on his lap. Brenden had one hand on her shoulder and the other hand was rubbing her head! It was so sweet!! Those two are inseperable!! I swear they were suppose to have been twins...haha!! I am so thankful that my kids love each other so much!! I hope they all stay the best of friends throughout their lives!! I just love these precious moments!! I wish I could post a picture of them...I tried to get a picture and capture "the moment" but the stupid batteries died on my camera...UGH!! Oh well...just remember to enjoy every moment, especially the precious ones!! Time goes by way too fast...

What I Do ALL Day...

My sister posted this on her blog and I loved it, so I thought I would share it with everyone! I hope you enjoy! As much as I wish I had my own little cleaning fairy, I'm just thankful that I have 6 wonderful, healthy kids and an amazing husband that I GET to clean up after! I'm also thankful that I have a husband that appreciates my daily efforts...Thanks Rich!! :)

WHAT I DO ALL DAY...
A man came home from work and found his three children outside, still in their pajamas, playing in the mud,with empty food boxes and wrappers strewn all around the front yard. The door of his wife's car was open, as was the front door to the house and there was no sign of the dog. Proceeding into the entry, he found an even bigger mess. A lamp had been knocked over, and the throw rug was wadded against one wall. In the front room the TV was loudly blaring a cartoon channel, and the family room was strewn with toys and various items of clothing. In the kitchen, dishes filled the sink, breakfast food was spilled on the counter, the fridge door was open wide, dog food was spilled on the floor, a broken glass lay under the table, and a small pile of sand was spread by the backdoor. He quickly headed up the stairs, stepping over toys and more piles of clothes, looking for his wife. He was worried she might be ill, or that something serious had happened. He was met with a small trickle of water as it made its way out the bathroom door. As he peered inside he found wet towels, scummy soap and more toys strewn over the floor. Miles of toilet paper lay in a heap and toothpaste had been smeared over the mirror and walls. As he rushed to the bedroom, he found his wife still curled up in the bed in her pajamas, reading a novel. She looked up at him, smiled, and asked how his day went. He looked at her bewildered and asked, 'What happened here today?' She again smiled and answered, 'You know every day when you come home from work and you ask me what I do all day?''Yes,' was his incredulous reply. She answered, 'Well, today I didn't do it.'

Funny Story about Brenden and Grandpa!

So, Friday was my Dad's 60th birthday. My Mom and Dad went out to dinner with some friends. I told my Mom I wanted to surprise Dad with a chocolate cake. My Dad loves chocolate cake, but noone ever wants one for their birthday so he never gets any. So, I made him a texas sheet cake. After they went out they came over here. My Mom told me that my Dad didn't want to come for a "birthday party"! So, when they got here they played and then we put candles on the cake and sang "We Wish You A Merry Christmas" to my Dad! We didn't want him to think he was here for a birthday party or anything...haha...wink, wink!! Then my Dad started cutting the cake. He cut two pieces for Brenden and Katelyn. He is always doing crazy, funny things. The pieces he cut for them were like the size of your pinky finger. It was really quiet and Brenden just blurted out "Man, he does NOT know how to cut!" It was hilarious...we were all laughing so hard! This might just be one you had to be here for, but it was really funny!! You never know what my Dad is going to do next! I love that about him!! :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!!! I LOVE YOU!!!!

I love this picture of my Dad and Tayler!

HAPPY 9th BIRTHDAY KEHLI!

Here is our beautiful birthday girl! Kehli turned 9 yesterday and she will be having her birthday party with her friends on Friday night! She is having a CAMP ROCK party!! She is so excited! :) HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KEHLI!! THANK YOU FOR BEING SO WONDERFUL!! WE LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!

I LOVE my new zebra!!

Aunt Marci...are you there? I'm just calling to tell you THANK YOU!! I LOVE my new zebra toy you gave me for my birthday! This is the fist thing I went to when mommy got me up this morning! I have my phone and my zebra...what else could a girl want? Thanks Aunt Marci!

This is so FUN!!

I'm ONE!!

Cutie Pie!!

Nana made it all better...

Here's the story...when I was little I had a yellow blanket just like this blue one. So, my mom got each of my kids one (different colors for each one) when they were born. Well, somehow, we lost Brenden's. So everyone has their blanket except Brenden. At some point I found a little version of his blanket (before he lost his). It is about a 12'' x 12'' size blanket. Very convenient for taking in the car or to have in his little infant carseat at church. Anyway, the point is that he has been using that little thing ever since he lost his big blanket. So, I told my mom that he had lost his big blanket and of course it was Nana to the rescue!! I got a call yesterday afternoon that she was on her way here and that she needed to speak with Brenden. So I got Brenden and we met her outside. When she pulled up he got in her car and the conversation went something like this:

B: Hi Nana!
N: Hi Brenden. Hey, have you lost something that you loved and wished you could have back?
B: (paused for a moment)...Nope...
N: (grabbed the bag and started pulling out the blanket slowly) Not even a....(she didn't even get a chance to finish)
B: (his eyes were as big as quarters and he said)...A BIG BLANKIE... YEAH!!!!! He grabbed it and snuggled it and started to jump out of the car.....(I knew where he was headed so quickly...he wanted to show his Daddy)! Of course I grabbed him and reminded him to thank Nana and so he gave her BIG hugs and kisses. Then he jumped out of the car and ran inside to show Rich! (Nana understood his excitement, though)!! Thanks Nana!

Mom, thank you for making my little boys day! You know how I feel about those blankets and so I guess you can say you made my day too!! :) Who knew when you bought me that yellow blanket 34 years ago that it would become a family tradition! I LOVE those blankets.

P.S. Just so everyone knows...my mom was gone for 3 hours trying to find Brenden this blanket. She couldn't find a blue one anywhere. She wound up finding one on the other side of town. So she drove all the way there to pick it up for him. That's a big deal, especially considering gas prices. What a trooper...THANKS MOM...you are the BEST!! I LOVE YOU!!

HAPPY 1st BIRTHDAY TAYLER!

WOW!! I can't believe that it has already been a year. Tayler is the best baby ever!! She has the sweetest disposition and is always so happy! You rarely see her without a smile on her face! I think she is the most loved baby on the planet! Everyone loves Baby Tayler...especially her parents and her brothers, and sisters! She has really become "Daddy's Little Girl"! She truly was our little blessing from Heaven!! We love you Baby Tayler and are so thankful to have you in our family!! Happy 1st Birthday!!!!

I LOVE HIM...

I was sitting on the couch with Rich the other night and I told him that I love him like I did when I was 16...obviously more than I did when I was 16, but LIKE I did then. What I meant was that I can't seem to get enough of my husband these days (G-rated thoughts only!!). I miss him when he goes to work. I get so excited when I know he is on his way home. I love that he still makes my heart skip a beat! I love holding his hand in public. I love snuggling up next to him on the couch. I love when he puts his arm around me. I love the look he gives me from across the room that makes my heart melt. I love when I am doing the dishes and he walks up behind me and puts his arms around me and kisses me. I love the quiet time we have together after the kids go to bed. I love watching him hold our kids. I love watching him give our kids hugs and kisses! I love watching him wrestle around on the floor with our kids. I love the way he holds my face in his hands as he kisses me. I love the random emails during the day just telling me that he loves me. I love the way he sweeps and mops a floor. I love that he knows everything about electronics. I love the back rubs every night. I love the patience and forgiveness that he gives me. I love that he inspires me to be better than I really am. I love watching him with our kids. I love the way he loves our kids. I love watching his face light up when the kids charge at him every night when he gets home. I love that he goes to church with us every Sunday. I love that he fulfills his calling. I love that he was able to give our kids blessings for school. I love that he has gone back to school and has worked so hard. I love that he only has 1 more year left! haha I love that he works SO HARD for our family. I love that he will allow me space and time to do the things I like to do as well. I love watching him watch the Steelers play. I love the excitement in his eyes and his screams. I love that he thinks he has to wear his jersey, sit in his chair and hold his football a certain way or they won't win. I love that he has converted our whole family and a lot of our friends to Steeler heaven. I love that he can say "I'm sorry". I love that he can shed a tear in front of me and show his emotions. I love that he loves his parents and brothers and sisters so much. I love that he would do anything for anyone. I love that he would protect his family at any cost. I love that he puts up with his little car so that I can drive the van. I love that he puts up with my sarcasm and throws it right back at me. I love that he laughs at my jokes even though they aren't always funny. I love that he tells me I'm beautiful. I love that he likes to hear me play the piano. I love going on dates with him. I love that his is the last face I see when I go to sleep every night. I love when I have fallen asleep and I wake up to him kissing my cheek soflty as he whispers that he loves me before he goes to sleep. I love seeing the excitement in his eyes as he reaches new milestones on his new adventure - I am so proud of him. I love that he likes my cooking. I love his cooking too, especially his roast he makes...mmmmmm. I love to watch him "people watch" - he's so funny. I love his sense of humor. I love to watch him laugh so hard that he cries. I love that he still tries to surprise me. I love that he tries so hard to make us happy. I love that HE is the father of my children. I love that he made me a MOM!! Most of all- I LOVE that after 16 years of marriage and everything we've been through that he still loves me...THANK YOU RICH - I LOVE YOU!!

Katelyn's Birthday Cake!

Here is the birthday girl with her "Princess Castle" cake! She loved it...yea!! It took a LONG time to make this one. There are over 300 flowers on this cake. I actually got blisters on my fingers making this cake. BUT-she loved it and that is all that matters!! I love making cakes for my family!! Happy Birthday Princess Katelyn!

Another "First"...

The score was 21-17. Christopher's football team was down by 4. There were 4 seconds left on the clock. The quarterback dopped back and looked for an open man, threw the ball and the crowd went crazy! Christopher was running as fast as he could, turned and looked to catch the ball...beautiful catch! He continued running with the defensive backs right on top of him. They lunged and tackled him as he threw himself into the endzone. TOUCHDOWN!!!! Christopher just scored the game-winning points! Unfortunately, as he got up, he was holding his arm. Christopher had broken his arm. The crowd was absolutely quiet, but then Christopher waved as if to say, "I'm ok!" The crowd went crazy chanting Christopher's name.
That sounded great didn't it? If only that had really happened. The truth is.... he was playing football (catch) out front with his best friend (our next-door neighbor), Josh, and he tripped over the curb while trying to catch a pass. I guess Christopher thought that his Steeler's Jersey gave him SUPERPOWERS...haha!! WRONG!! Needless to say, we got to spend the evening in the ER last night! Luckily, we weren't there too long. They put him in a splint and we have to go see the orthopaedic doctor on Monday. What really stinks is that football tryouts were this last week and practice starts on Monday. I don't know that Christopher will be playing this year now. I guess we will see. I know....you are all so jealous of Christopher! haha
Christopher, when I said in the last post that I love "firsts", I didn't mean that you needed to get in on the action too! I can do without these kind of "firsts"!! haha Seriously, love you bud and I'm sorry this happened to you!! Hopefully, you can still play at some point. Love you!!

Tayler's First Steps 8.14.08

Our baby girl is growing up way too fast...she took her first steps last night. We were all in the family room getting ready to say family prayer. I stood her up and she saw Brittaney's cell phone. I guess she decided that she really wanted it. She started walking over to Brittaney. She took up to four steps at a time. It was fun to watch the kid's reactions. They were so proud of her. She, of course, started clapping for herself too. She loves to clap! I love these "first" moments. We are so blessed to have this little angel in our family! She is truly a blessing from our Father in Heaven.
WE LOVE YOU TAYLER!!

FINALLY...

FINALLY...I got my Hines Ward jersey!! Rich SURPRISED me. I told Rich it can be an early birthday present for me, since getting a jersey in the middle of November is no fun...since the regular season is almost over. However, we all know that I will be wearing this jersey in February too!! Thanks Rich...I LOVE YOU TONS!!!!

Katelyn's First Day of Kindergarten!

Yesterday was the big day! She was so excited! She gets to ride the bus with Brenden and they sat together, so I'm sure that helped! Daddy went in to work late so he could see her get on the bus too...what a GREAT Daddy!! I must admit my heart ached as I watched the bus drive off...my little girl is now in Kindergarten. She is a very young kindergartener here, but she is more than ready. She is a little smarty pants like her big brothers and sisters. Her teacher was very impressed with her writing abilities. She had a wonderful day and said that she made A LOT of friends. Her teacher sent home a picture of the class, which is nice to put a face with a name! Her teacher seems FANTASTIC!! I think she is going to have a great year! We'll keep you posted on all of her new, fun, and exciting adventures (as well as the other kids too)!!

Happy Birthday Katelyn!

After the kids went to school, I asked Katelyn what she wanted to do. She wanted to go to the Children's Museum. So, we got ready and headed down there. Here are some pictures from our day. We had A LOT of fun!! Happy Birthday Katelyn! I LOVE YOU!!