Gavin's new years post

Gavin (and the rest of us) would like to wish everyone a great happy new year.... and we look forward in 2011 to seeing the ball drop, Dean-o's birthday, and maybe an answer to where we will be settling down at.
Gavin would also like to share a few 'look back @ 2010' pics with everyone.

Here are the gourds that I grew:

Dean-o and Lily getting along:

Grandma Chris came for another visit:

Lily continues with her ballet:

Momma did her very first triathlon and learned a few lessons

(like always wear your sunscreen):

Lots of excitement for my baby brother:

This year we also lost our Grammy:

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

Family games

Dear Santa 2010

I especially love the part where Gavin writes how he, "would not like underware". LOL, he tells me that Santa brings him underware every single year. I have a feeling that this year there will be less underware, but more pairs of gloves and socks.. hehehe

Flag Ceremony

Lilys 2nd year of Ballet (Christmas)

Here is the post I know all of you have been looking forward to-- Lily's 2nd year of ballet Christmas performance. With little sleep since learning of my moms passing, and knowing that I was flying out to California the next day at 5am, this was a really hard time. However, Lily is a ballet natural, and blows me away when she is on stage! I just love watching her and the other girls at their class when they are stretching or learning 'on the bar'. It is so amazing how a 4 year old can fill your heart with so much joy during such a difficult time.

Here is the great ballerina and me before the big show:

Of course we have some 'pre show' pictures. Lily still has length-disabled hair, so it is a challenge to get her into costume with hair that matches the other girls.

She is so beautiful!


(and she knows it!)


Here is her performance. Lily is in the back row. I cannot say just how impressed and happy I am for her!

Dean loves my Jeep

Thursday and Friday before I left for California so much was going on. Lily was getting ready for her ballet recital, the Jeep needed new tires (as well as alignment, something with the axles yadda, yadda--read $$$).

In light of these terrible stresses and financial woes (more than we expected for the Jeep, unexpected plane ticket, again with the yadda - yadda of extra stuff that was going on at this time) when we dropped off the Jeep, sweet Dean was devastated. I mean absurdly upset over the fact that he had to ride in Daddy's car. He wanted Mama's Jeep!

Translation: "I wanna drive my Jeep!"
Anyway, I thought that was a funny story in the middle of lots of chaos.

So not ready

I am not ready yet. Not for happy postings or for Christmas parties. I am just not there. Yes, my mom had health issues off and on for a very long time, but that did not prepare me for her death at the age of 55. I am sad, and I am mad, and I burst into tears at the most random times. I also can hold it together for long stretches of time. I can shop for groceries and get my kiddos ready for their day, but that does not mean that things are ok yet.

'Guardian angel, heavenly friend,

walk with me 'til the journey's end'.

sad news

My mom passed away. I got the news this morning. I will be flying out to California on Saturday morning after Lily's ballet recital.
I really don't know what to say and I am not ready to make a "Facebook announcement", but I know that those people who are close to me will read this. I love her and hope that she is finally at peace.

Happy Thanksgiving Day

Look at this piece of shit sleeping while I do all the work


At least we had good company

Those are the eyes of a drugged idol

Nauseatingly adorable

Nauseatingly adorable (yes, I spell checked the word). These pieces of heaven that were given to me are so darn cute sometimes!

Artistic Sunday

Look what little miss Lily did  It even looks like she wrote the word 'Tat' on her arm



We also did a little family project today. Believe it or not my crafty side is emerging! Dean and I pick out decorations, and Lily and I went on a scavenger hunt for pine cones to make a beautiful holiday bouquet:





It came out wonderfully, if I do say so myself.... but don't expect me to start getting super crafty and do something crazy like sew a quilt or make a scrapbook!

Oh Ikea

Dear Ikea store,

Why are you so far away? Why is your shipping such a ridiculous amount of money? I do love you Ikea, in fact I am saving my pennies in order to furnish my children's' rooms with your lovely decor and storage compartments. Lily's poor little Walmart bed is screaming for mercy and sweet baby Dean is litteraly taking his bed apart piece by piece. My dear Ikea, I do hope that by the time that I spend a chunk of money at your beloved establishment that my darling angels will at least be a little less destructive with their possessions and that we might enjoy said purchases for years to come.

Desperately yours

...................

Dear Santa,

Please send me an Ikea gift card in the amount of at least $500. More is better, but I would also like a Garmin wristwatch/heartrate monitor and I don't want to be greedy.

Thanks

Watch out Picasso

Outta the way Vincent Van Gogh, the new artist in town has arrived... and he will stop at nothing to produce his art. Not the lack of a canvas, or the inability to correctly name all of the colors in his crayon box.

Do not let this tuckered out angel face fool you...

This is the face of an outrageous artist

(carpet after scrubbing)

(backdoor, after 'magic eraser')

(Wall, hit up twice by different 'brush strokes')

Love my Dean!

Fall

So what's new? Not much on this side... it's fall here in NC, with lots of beautiful colors everywhere and yet it's still in the mid 60's temperature wise. *You know that not much is new when I am talking about the weather.
Any who, I feel a little bad about neglecting this little blog o'mine, but really not much is going on. We are 'preparing' for Thanksgiving and Christmas, planning our meals and Santa lists. Lily is getting ready for her Christmas ballet performance (they are doing a scene from the Nutcracker!), Gavin's report card was amazing, and Dean is talking more clearly everyday.
 I am training for nothing specific right now, taking no classes until January, and just hanging with the kiddos.
What's new in your world?

Laundry Day (Thank You!)

October Madness

What's the deal with October? Apparently I have become a 'winner'. Feels more like a wiener... Let me explain:
My yard has been chosen one of the 'Yard of the Month' winners. I have wanted this little neighborhood award for a while so why am I not so excited? Because I am not sure when the judging was. My yard was a crazy beautiful mess a month ago, and each week I have been yanking out more and more plants in preparation for winter. Just to make the space look not so dead I added a few mums and decorations:

Pretty stuff, but also pretty boring if you ask me. So I won when my garden was big and wild or did I win once I 'conformed' to the military neat and orderly? I just don't know. However, a win is a win, and I will gladly accept my winning gift card!

Another win this month was my very first running award. First place female! However, it was a 'beer run' where the other competitors and I had to drink a beer each mile for a total of 3 miles. Did I win because of my new found speed or from other people's lack of drinking abilities? Again, I am still very happy with my win, and there is no way you can take my very first winning trophy away from me!

And the last 'win'? Costume contest with the beer run. That one I am proud of. It was a hot day, and I ran my heart out in that sweaty costume.

So, all in all I am happy to be achieving a few things, and I am just going to work harder to get 'real' wins in the future.