A Day in the Schultes Home

2010-09-26T07:02:00.002-05:00

OOPS! I know it has been a very long time since I posted here. I've been busier than ever! Two days before school started I received a phone call that a principal in Des Moines wanted to interview me for a kindergarten teaching position. Yes, TWO DAYS before school started! Within 5 minutes of the interview she was telling me that she knew I was just what she was looking for and offered me a job on the spot! It was a very intense and quick moment. She showed me my classroom and introduced me around to various people. I left the building at 3:45 that afternoon and had less than a day to get my room prepared for parents and students that came for open house the next day at 4:00. I think I got about 2 hours of sleep that night because I was up all night trying to get name tags written, supplies figured out, etc. The next couple days are just a blur as I tried to teach on just a few hours of prep time. It has definately been an overwhelming first month. I am shocked at the amount of curriculum we are required to teach and that kindergarteners are 'the new first grade'. There isn't play like there was even 5 years ago! It is teaching and learning every minute..... which is part of the reason my kids get only a 10 minute recess each day. That's pretty rough on a 5 year old!

Things are definately getting better though. I've gotten into a great routine and am getting all the curriculum figured out. My students are well behaved (most of them) even though I have 23 kids in my class, several that speak no English, and one that is functioning at a 3 year old level. I've gotten numerous compliments from other people in the building about how well behaved my class is. It makes me very proud of them, and myself, when I hear those comments!

One thing that I'm hoping will happen one of these days is that I won't be working as many hours to catch up to where I want to be. I've been averaging 10-11 hour days, bringing work home with me at night, and going in every weekend for another 7-8 hours. I feel like I'll get there someday where I may get to stay home for a whole weekend!

Heat Wave!

2010-08-12T09:28:00.002-05:00

OK, seriously? I feel like I don't live in Iowa anymore! This has to be some hot tropical place where the temperature feels like it is above 100 everyday and the humidity is so high you can't breathe when you go outside. I don't mind this weather in small doses.... but every day for weeks? ENOUGH! I just want to be able to open up my windows for a couple of days to get some fresh air in here!

New adventures!

2010-08-08T21:10:00.002-05:00

I am excited to start a new adventure in my life! I resigned from the preschool and have decided to be a substitute teacher at the boys' school this year. My goal was to get a classroom job but there just aren't many jobs in the Des Moines district. I have one more week of work at preschool then I'm off until I get called to sub. The boys seem excited about having mommy there so at least they aren't old enough to be embarrassed of me yet!

Storytime at the library

2010-07-23T10:14:00.002-05:00

The boys and I went to our library this week and there was a balloon guy that told stories. It was a really cute show! The boys laughed out loud through the whole thing! They were both chosen to come up front and be in the show. They each got to say lines on a microphone and wore balloon hats. Rylan was a squid and Peyton was a killer whale. I'm glad we went!

This weekend we are going to Council Bluffs for my friend's daughter's 5th birthday party. The boys are very excited to see their buddies and swim in the pool during the party. They think that staying in a hotel is the icing on the cake! They think hotels are the coolest things EVER! We are hoping to get somewhere else out there, maybe the Children's Museum?

Pics from Peyton's bday party!

2010-07-19T10:04:00.002-05:00

Peyton was thrilled to get money at his birthday!

Goodie! A Pokemon game!

This is all the stuff he bought with his money!

Pokemon cake of course!

We got him a music player... he LOVES music and knows way more songs than I do!

2010-07-10T11:33:00.002-05:00

Happy 9th Birthday to Peyton! He was born at 11:21 am and weighed a tiny 6 pounds and 1 ounce. Now he's growing up so fast and finally hit the 60 pound mark! Happy Birthday Peyton Richard!

Pics from Mahoney State Park

2010-06-20T12:40:00.003-05:00

View from the top of the lookout tower.

Bison at the Wildlife Safari.

Elk...they were amazing!

Rylan and I on the paddleboats.

Cory and Peyton on the paddleboats.

The boys in a big tree under the lookout tower.

On top of the tower.

We went to Mahoney State Park for an extended camping weekend. Unfortunately it rained all weekend long. However, we still found time to do a lot of fun activities with the boys!

2010-06-09T07:44:00.003-05:00

Today is FINALLY the last day of school for the boys. They are pretty excited about starting their summer. We head to Mahoney State Park tomorrow for the weekend. I hope it doesn't rain all weekend long!

2010-05-29T13:18:00.002-05:00

I am shocked that it has been a month since my last post. I don't know that anyone even reads my blog anymore but it is a nice diary for me to remember the important things going on in my life at this time. With my horrendous memory I need all the help I can get.

We are approaching the end of the school year. This has mixed feelings for me. I am excited to be done with teaching for a while and spend some time relaxing with the boys. (Although I still work every other week during the summer). It has been a stressful and busy year at work. Although it's been a roller coaster of a year, I'm thankful to have a job and be able to contribute to the family income. Peyton and Rylan are really looking forward to summer vacation and to be done with Kindergarten and 3rd grade. Next year they'll be back to their actual building with the remodel almost finished now! It will be much more convenient than driving across town to get them from school! In a tiny way though I'm not looking forward to the summer vacation. The boys have been fighting a lot lately and with them being around each other everyday.... well, we'll have to see how that goes.

Yesterday we FINALLY bought a new car. My old car (a 1998 Ford Contour) was on it's last leg and Cory was getting really tired of driving it everyday! We bought a 2010 Mazda 6. I finally got a BLUE car.... I've been wanting one for years. I've only gotten to drive it for a couple of minutes when we test drove it but Cory's been driving it all over Iowa today!

On a very sad note.... we received some devastating news on Thursday. One of our dearest friends was killed. He was on his motorcycle and a young teenager pulled out and struck him. He was a very special guy. He was funny in his own way and always willing to help anyone whenever they needed help. He'd been to our house many times to help with plumbing issues and recently stayed for three days to help us install wood floors. He was here just on Saturday for our anniversary party and I'll forever be grateful that we had that last day with him. We are all aching and still in shock that we lost him. This weekend are his services and I am just hoping we can get through it. He'll be forever missed and loved.

Please hug your loved ones on this long holiday weekend and appreciate all the joys in your life.

ETC.

2010-04-24T11:36:00.003-05:00

Nothing major on the agenda for the weekend! I love it that way! I may take the boys to see a movie this afternoon and Drake and Hudson are coming over tonight for a while. I really need to shop for a kitchen table and chairs sometime soon too but I just can't seem to find anything that I just love. I will like the table, not the chairs. Or I'll like the chairs and not the table. So, I'll just keep on looking till I find the complete package.

Last week I ordered caterpillars for the boys. They are now nice and plump and about ready to make their cocoons. I'm excited to see what they boys think about this whole process! I ended up buying a set for Rylan's classroom so they can experience it too. I've been taking pictures every few days so I can document the changes. I wonder what I'll order next??? Triops? Tadpoles?

I better get to lunch.... I'm making homemade pizza again. I hate making it because I don't like smushing out the dough but the boys love it so much that it is worth it! Have a great weekend!

Cousins at Easter!

2010-04-16T20:54:00.002-05:00

The kiddos had a fun egg hunt at my parent's house on Easter Sunday. There were literally hundreds of eggs spread around outside of the house. However, it took only minutes and they already had themselves a heaping bucket-full! And to make the day even better.... the weather was fantastic!

Happy Spring!

2010-04-11T11:43:00.002-05:00

I am thrilled that spring has sprung and winter is long gone! My mood is improved and I even feel like I have more energy! This winter can be one that is forgotten forever.... it was so miserable! Our grass is long enough to be mowed, the trees are blooming, and my flowers are coming up out of the ground. Love it!

Peyton has started Pee Wee baseball and we are keeping busy with that! We don't usually have the boys involved in anything so this has been a big adjustment. He has practice twice a week and will start having games soon too. He is loving it so far and can really hit the ball! Rylan is supposed to be starting t-ball soon too and he's so excited about it!

Burgers are on the grill and I think we might try to eat outside on the back deck today! Love this weather!!! Have a great day!

New Floors and St. Pat's Parade

2010-03-21T16:33:00.002-05:00

We are very happy with how the new floors turned out. It makes the house look bigger and brighter. Cory did a great job getting them put in! The dog is adjusting his speed when he runs so he doesn't run smack into the wall! The kids have loved sliding all over the place on them.

I've also included a couple photos of the St. Patrick's Day parade that was downtown last week. It was FREEZING but the kids had fun collecting beads and candy with Parker and Emma.

Spring Break!

2010-03-12T08:03:00.001-06:00

My conferences are DONE and spring break has begun! Wahoo!

We have started our floor remodel and I can't wait to post pics of the completed project! It will look so nice when we are all done!

Winner winner, chicken dinner!

2010-03-06T14:06:00.002-06:00

OH MY GOD!!! Those were the words that kept flying out of my mouth last night. My hometown basketball girls won the state championship in Class 1A. This is the first time in our little town's history of winning any state title in basketball! The win was even more amazing due to the fact that it is our last year as Exira Schools. Next year we are consolidating with Elk-horn. Our town's show of support was beyond amazing and I am so proud to be an alumi of Exira. The girls played their hearts out and won by a last second shot! The crowd cried, screamed, and rejoiced. Way to go girls!

Catching up

2010-02-21T16:28:00.002-06:00

It looks like I'm starting to get lazier about blogging. I think that because of facebook I neglect my blogger account more and more! Here are some quick tidbits abour our week...

* After the boys had the stomach flu then I caught it! It was horrible. I was sick Sunday into Monday. It was the first day in 1 1/2 years that I had to call in sick to work. I didn't eat much for 3 days and was very tired and weak. I forget how bad it is to vomit that much!

* Due to my laying around in bed and puking, I managed to get my neck totally out of whack again. I went to the chiro once but it didn't do much good. I've been in pain for a week and need to try to go in for another adjustment tomorrow. I hate going and spending the money but I'm desperate at this point!

* We bought our new laminate wood floor today at Menards. It looks like within a month we'll have it completed. We are doing it ourselves and we are so excited to see the finished result. Our living room and kitchen will look so different! I am beyond excited about doing this for our home improvement project. Next up on the list.... painting the house this summer!

* Work is getting busier with conferences coming up soon. It is a lot of work to prepare for conferences but always nice to get to visit with the parents one-on-one. After I'm done I get a week off for spring break! Yahoo!

* The boys are doing well in school. They both go to higher grade levels for reading or math and enjoy that opportunity so much. They have their school music program coming up soon and I'm excited for that!

* I'm trying to keep optimistic about spring making it's way here soon. It has been a long and dreary winter and I can't wait to get outside and see the grass again.

Little Pukers!

2010-02-10T16:29:00.002-06:00

Looks like we may have a stomach bug lingering around our house! Rylan was up at 12:30 last night and managed to throw up right outside of my bathroom (on the carpet). This was his only incident but we kept him home from school today. THEN, about 9:30 this morning we got a call from the school that Peyton threw up too! Luckily, just once also! They have been very energetic this afternoon and you'd never know anything was wrong. Weird, huh? So, hopefully it was very short-lived and they can head back to school tomorrow. Tomorrow is their school picture day and Friday are the Valentine's Day parties! Plus, I really can't miss work because my class has their party tomorrow and we have two more preschool parties on Friday. Gotta love the love!

BIG DAY

2010-02-06T10:02:00.002-06:00

Today is a big day for me. I'm actually going to let my hairstylist highlight my hair! I know for most women this isn't a big deal because they do this on a regular basis. It's a huge deal for me though. I've only had someone do this twice before and it didn't last long at all, just a couple of weeks. I hate to spend that much money if it isn't going to last! I really hope I like it and it can stay in for at least a few months!

Have a super duper weekend!

2010-01-30T14:19:00.003-06:00

Looks like it is going to be a great weekend!

I met with some friends last night for some scrapping and jewelry making. We ate well and I even had a drink! Naughty me!

The boys and I got the house cleaned up really well today. All I have left to do are 2 of the bathrooms and it will be good to go. They worked really hard on it, I made it into a game to entice them. They were scored on each room and earned enough points to go out to McDonald's tonight!

The weather is sunny and 'warm' too. No snow, sleet, rain, or ice today! Yahoo!

Rock Star!

2010-01-23T08:05:00.002-06:00

I'm super excited about a phone call I got last night from Rylan's teacher. She said, "Your son is a rock star!". She tested him again yesterday on his reading and he is now reading two years above grade level. She was so amazed by how well he is doing. She said that he will now start going into a first grade classroom for reading every day. And, since he is two years above g.l. he can now be tested and referred for Talented/Gifted. Surprisingly she also complimented on how good his behavior is too and that he is just such a great kid. I know he's a good kid but that was great to hear too! Rylan was very excited when I told him about his great news and was even getting teary-eyed. He kept saying: Mom! I think I'm going to cry because I'm so happy! This mom may have had a few tears too!

Fun weekend!

2010-01-18T19:18:00.003-06:00

Cory and I had the chance to go to Kansas City this last weekend with his family. It was his Dad's 60th birthday so a big group of us met for a night of fun. We all had a nice dinner at Toby Keith's restaurant at Harrah's casino and then gambled for the rest of the night. As usual, I was unlucky. I lost $20 and never hit a jackpot more than $4.00! That was definately a bummer! I was even trying my best to channel the spirit of my Grandma.... who was an awesome gambler! Cory played craps for 2 hours and ended up $18 ahead so I'd call that a successful night. We had a really nice room at the hotel and got a great deal on it too! We all met for a nice breakfast Sunday morning and had many more great laughs and conversation together. I just adore Cory's aunts.... they are such a riot and some of the nicest women I've ever met. They've always treated us so well and we know how much family means to them. We are already planning a get-together for the summer! It was a great weekend and a nice recharge for us!

Snow day.... again!

2010-01-08T14:57:00.002-06:00

Home again today thanks to freezing cold and more snow! Seriously, enough already. This is actually getting so ridiculous that I almost have to laugh at this point. More snow than our average for the whole winter already! Records after records broken for snowfall and freezing temps! My kids are now going until at least June 10th! NO MORE! When it is 20 degrees on Sunday we will want to be outside in our shorts and t-shirts, it will feel like summer!

Misc. pictures from December!

2010-01-07T20:05:00.003-06:00

The Schultes cousins sledding on Christmas.

Peyton was excited to get a Rubiks 360 from Santa.

Rylan and Grandpa Ron horse around.

Rylan turned SIX on December 17th. He LOVES Ben 10 so we had a friend make him a cake of an omnitrex.

They were THRILLED that Santa brought them a DS!

These two are snugglers, really! Bacon was there first and Gabby jumped right up on him. She does this ALL the time!

Rylan was being silly as I took this pic. His bedroom is on the top level and the snow was covering the bottom part of his window!

Recap

2010-01-03T13:55:00.002-06:00

Oops, it has been a couple of weeks since I blogged or posted pictures. I will use the excuse that the holidays were busy and I didn't have time. However, the real truth is I was just lazy and forgot! Here's a recap:

* Weather problems galore! We had to miss our Christmas morning traditions at our house due to weather and headed back to Exira a day early. This turned out to be a great decision because we were actually able to make all of our family get-togethers. The drive back on Thursday afternoon was very stressful and scary but we all made it safe and sound. We ended up staying at my in-laws for three nights!

* Christmas morning was great. The boys were shocked to receive a Nintendo DS (to share) from Santa. They've been begging for one and I kept telling them that Santa doesn't spend that much money on Christmas! So, needless to say they were surprised. However, the sharing got difficult because they both wanted to play at the same time so they used their Christmas money (and a lot of ours) to buy an additional DS. Now they are happy little campers!

* We put away all of our decorations and the tree a few days ago. I HATE doing this! I love the Christmas season and this is just a symbol of it coming to an end. PLUS, it is a ton of work! However, now that the tree is down the living room is back to normal again and actually cleaned up and spacious.

* Cory and I went out on New Year's Eve to a friend's house for a party. We had a good time and were even home by 11:30. Roni babysat the kids for us that night. The next night we watched her two boys and they had the chance to go out. THEN... last night Jen and Steve offered to take the boys overnight for a sleepover. (They must have been crazy). Anyway, it was great for Cory and I as we got to meet some friends at Jordan Creek for supper. Then, to make our 'date night' complete we went to Walmart and got groceries. I know... so romantic!

* Tomorrow is back to reality time. I've enjoyed these two weeks at home so much (especially the sleeping-in part). The boys have loved being home too but I know that life calls and we have to go back to the real world again. So, back to loading them on the bus in the morning and heading back to work. I've missed work a little bit and it will be good to get back into a routine again. Maybe...

Busy time!

2009-12-20T20:16:00.003-06:00

Love this time of the year, even though it is super busy! We have class xmas parties, birthday parties, and lots of family Christmas get-togethers. It is crazy and busy and I wouldn't change a thing.

We had Rylan's 6th bday party yesterday. He had a blast. I need to dump pics so I can post a few.

I'm off of work now until January 4th and I'm going to enjoy every minute of it. I don't plan on getting much of anything done other than laying around and playing with the boys!

I think it is a popcorn and TV night for me! Popcorn just sounds really good tonight!

Snow Day (again)

2009-12-10T08:03:00.002-06:00

Going on snow day #2 .... There would have been no getting to school or work at all today since they still haven't cleared our road. Yuck winter!

On a positive note, I got all the Christmas gifts wrapped last night! Woo-hoo!

HEEELLLLOOOO WINTER!

2009-12-08T18:21:00.002-06:00

Winter has hit in full force! Today was the beginning of a record snow and blizzard for Iowa. Our schools were dismissed early and I was able to leave work early too! (yeah). I'm waiting for schools to cancel for tomorrow. However, they always wait till the last minute!

Tonight is the season finale of Biggest Loser. I've watched it all season and can't wait to see how everyone looks! Peyton LOVES this show and is counting down the minutes (literally) till it starts. We are even going to let him stay up past his bedtime to watch all of it tonight!

I'm almost done with my Christmas shopping. I've only got Cory left to shop for. Yipee!

This and That

2009-11-25T18:53:00.002-06:00

* It's been a bad and crazy couple of weeks at work. My boss had a stroke and it hit all of us very hard. She is so lucky to be alive and is doing very well, considering the damage. She is hoping to come back to work next week already! So, that means I've been doing ALL the teaching and lesson plans while she's been away. I look forward to when she's back to 100% and I can settle down a bit on my duties.

* I have a new nephew! Hudson John was born one week ago and is a cutie. The boys were very excited about seeing him! Rylan told me today that Hudson is cuter than a pickle jar!

* I went to see New Moon--by myself on Sunday. It was pretty good and the men were definately easy on the eyes! I wish Edward had a bigger part but Jacob did awesome!

* I can feel that I'm getting sick. My throat has gone from sore, to bad, to worse in just the last few hours. I hope it isn't strep or anything! I'm guessing it is even more irritated because I've been talking constantly at work lately.

* I am going to try to do the Black Friday shopping again this year. I don't get too crazy but usually try to go about 5-6 am and find a few deals. I have something BIG in mind for the boys and I'm hoping I can pick one up! ( Not saying what just in case this gets read by them).

* Tomorrow is TG at my parent's. There is always an awesome meal and the kids play like crazy maniacs till they crash and get crabby! It is also my Dad's Bday and Lauryn's Bday party! Big day!

* We are hoping to get a different car in the next couple of weeks. My old Contour is ready to be gone and a much newer and nicer car is on the horizon. I won't get my Acadia anymore (I LOVE THAT TRUCK) but at least I'll have something different and fun to drive!

* Have an awesome and safe Thanksgiving!

Baby!

2009-11-18T07:34:00.002-06:00

Today I get to be an aunt again! Roni is at the hospital being induced right now. Drake is here and playing hard with the boys before they have to go to school. I'm hoping to get out of work a little early this afternoon to go up to the hospital.

Halloween

2009-11-04T19:32:00.002-06:00

Here are some pics from this year's Halloween festivities. Our trick or treating night for the kids was nasty this year. It was freezing and sprinkling on us too. We lasted about 20 minutes is all. Luckily the boys were able to go on Saturday back in Exira with their cousins and enjoyed that a little bit more. We have so much candy this year.... and I'M the one that keeps digging into it. I need to stop.... but I just can't resist!

***The boys were Batman and a Clone Trooper.

***I was Daphne from Scooby Doo and Cory was the D*CK in the BOX guy from SNL.

***The other photo is of my older sister Jen (she was a cat) and my younger brother at the party.

Fall!

2009-10-18T18:48:00.001-05:00

2009-10-18T16:52:00.002-05:00

Ahhhh.... what a nice fall day, finally! The weather has been the nastiest for weeks and it feels great to have it be 60 degrees again! The boys raked up some leaves and got out their bikes for some time outside. It has been weeks since they've played outside at home!

This week will be busy, but then fun and relaxing. I get a little bit of everything! I have conferences at work on Tuesday and Wednesday so I'll be working 12 hour days. Then I have Thursday and Friday off! I'm looking forward to actually taking the boys to school those two days! I haven't gotten to take them once this year and it is killing me! Then on Saturday is the 3rd annual 15 hour crop at Six Flags. We LOVE this one and I'm looking forward to some girl time. I have no pictures to scrapbook so I'm guessing half my time will be spent on jewelry. I haven't felt creative at all lately so I'm looking forward to getting back into the groove.

I've been getting some Christmas shopping done and I'm almost half way there. I don't mind shopping for the kiddos, it is the grownups that is impossible! It is too much stress to try to get the 'right' gift! It is scary to think the Rylan's bday and Christmas are only two months away!!!

Have a good week everyone!!! I'll try to post some pictures later of the boys' photo shoot from today!

2009-10-11T18:47:00.002-05:00

Crazy couple of weeks ahead! I'm NOT looking forward to that! This week, Cory is gone for work so it is just me and the boys. I will be juggling my work schedule so that I can get them after school (that is always Cory's job). Wednesday night my boys have their fall conferences and then they are off of school on Thursday and Friday (they'll be coming to preschool with me). I NEED to spend this week getting ready for MY preschool conferences. I haven't done any prep yet and have at least 10 hours of paperwork to do for that on my own time somehow! At least I have 8 more days until them! This is one of those times where I wish there were 3 day weekends!

Bummer

2009-10-09T07:12:00.002-05:00

Thanks a lot weather!!!!! We had reserved a spot at Mahoney State Park in Nebraska for our last camping weekend of the year. We had even packed the camper and had everything ready to go. Then, we decided we'd better cancel since the weather is going to be so nasty! Camping with highs of 30's and snow and rain is not my idea of a good time. We will be out around $50 for the reservation but I guess that is better than the alternative. I'm disappointed. The kids are disappointed. Maybe we'll do something here this weekend for fun instead.

Brrr!!!!!!

2009-10-01T20:09:00.002-05:00

Looks like Fall has come in full force! What a nasty cold and dreary day today! I don't mind fall but knowing that winter is on its way sucks!

I am amazed at how well Peyton is doing on the piano. He started playing in June and is quite the little pianist already. His teacher is amazed at how fast he is progressing and he still seems to really be enjoying it. He loves going to his lessons and I think he'd like to go more than once a week if it was possible! He can play a song a few times and has it memorized already. That's not surprising though... he never forgets anything!

Rylan keeps me hopping with all his funny sayings and antics! Tonight he was telling me that his scab on his arm really looks like.... steak! He was insistant! Ahhh, what will I do with him???

I was excited this week to have a necklace picked up in Crafts n Things magazine. I haven't been published in this mag so I'm excited to see how it turns out.... and how much $ I get too! I haven't been very creative lately and wish I had more energy at night to work on these projects. Between work and the kids I just don't have it in me to do anything at night. My job really wears me out most days!

The couch, and Grey's Anatomy, are calling my name! Have a great weekend!

2009-09-25T21:20:00.002-05:00

Yeah! It's Friday! The weeks really drag and the weekends just fly by so fast! Tomorrow my friend is coming for a short visit. I've been lucky to see her a few times lately! It is hard when you live over 2 hours away!

I've been loving the new TV season! I've missed all my favorite shows. The bad part about new shows starting back up is that I neglect other things around the house that I should be doing! I need to get better about getting those not-fun things done first and THEN watch my shows!

Fall is definately here! It is chilly and our leaves are falling fast. I don't mind fall other than the thought of knowing that winter is right around the corner. I HATE winter, with a passion. I hate everything about it (except Christmas time). I am already dreading waiting at the bus stop when there is snow on the ground and it is freezing. Plus, driving to work in the snow is by far the thorn in my side!

School has been great for the boys so far! They're doing fantastic. Sunday School started 2 weeks ago so now our weekends are busy with that too. We haven't been camping since July and I am hoping we can get out at least 2 weekends in October before it gets too cold.

I think I'll go relax now and catch up on some DVR'd shows from the week! Happy Weekend to All!!!!!!!!!

Quick bits...

2009-09-09T07:08:00.002-05:00

I'm taking a minute before work to post.... I don't know why either because I really don't have the time right now! Maybe I'm stalling!

* The boys are both doing super at school! They both like their teachers so far! Rylan has been one step up from 'green' every single day so he's been getting certificates home daily for his super behavior! Peyton has also been doing great and getting 'star' awards most days....sometimes even 2-3 each day! They don't say too much about their day when they get home.... I have to pull any information out of them. I guess they'd rather play together or play video games instead of talking to mom about school!

* We went back to Council Bluffs this past weekend to see IWCC's first football game. We had the chance to catch up with some old friends there. I was lucky enough to get to spend lots of time with my great friend Kim and her family. The boys thought it was awesome staying in the hotel and also going to the Omaha Zoo on Sunday.

* Work is going pretty good. I have a nice bunch of kids. They are so little so I'm trying to be patient with them and work slowly these first couple of months. After that we'll have to dive in and really hit the hard academic stuff!

* Rylan is requesting breakfast and I better get moving or we'll miss the bus for school. Have a great week!

Home Improvement!

2009-08-30T15:56:00.002-05:00

I think we are finally getting motivated to get some projects completed around here. Not that our house is falling apart....it's not....but sprucing some things up always feels so good! Cory has been working all weekend on power washing and sanding the deck. It already looks amazing and he hasn't even stained it yet! We are also planning on replacing two upstairs windows and our deck sliding door too! Our deck door lets in so much winter air that it NEEDS to be done! We've been playing with the idea of installing wood laminate floors in our living room and kitchen area. The floors aren't too horrible now but are showing their age. We think it would look so nice to add the wood floors and I know it would be easier to clean up after the kids and pets! So, lots of projects to do..... finding the time to do them is the hardest part!!!

2009-08-24T21:11:00.003-05:00

Well... I made it through the first day of preschool! It went very well this year and there wasn't too much crying either! ( Not me... from the kids!). Tomorrow I'm nervous because it is my T/Th class starting. They are the little ones, barely 3 years old. I hope it goes okay and I'm not too exhausted by the end of the morning! Wish me luck!

Pics from the zoo

2009-08-19T17:23:00.002-05:00

The boys and I enjoyed a visit to our zoo yesterday. I even splurged and let them ride on the camel this time! They thought it was pretty darn cool!

Summer is flying...

2009-08-10T13:57:00.003-05:00

Wow! It is hard to imagine that summer is almost over. Why does it go so fast? I start back with kids in two weeks. I'm dreading those first couple weeks where they are scared and not used to a routine, but I'm also looking forward to meeting some new faces too. My workload increased this year so I've been busy planning lessons already and psyching myself into working...... FULL-TIME! I was very spoiled last year with Fridays off. I think I'm going to wish I kept it that way for this year too! I just felt that since the boys are both in school it would be silly to stay home for that day. We'll see!

I had a blast at our girls' weekend! It was fun to get away and hang out with the ladies and TRY to get some work done! I got some pages completed and jewelry made but didn't get as much done as I would have liked. My next crop isn't until mid October so I'll be ready to get out again for that.

The boys started golf camp today. They go every day for a week to a local golf course. A Pro teaches them the proper way to play the game. Peyton was informing me of all the 'parts' of a golf club on the way home. Ahhhh......

I should post some pics but blogger is so annoying with posting lately that I'm not even going to bother! Maybe I will another day! Have a good week!

One more day...

2009-07-30T09:13:00.002-05:00

Goodie goodie! Just one more day until our BIG girls weekend at the Craft Cottage! Tomorrow my sisters, two other good friends and I are staying from Friday noon until Sunday at 2:00 at a craft house just outside of town. We purchased the weekend for us to get away together and scrapbook. We are each planning a meal and bringing lots of snacks and goodies to get us through. By the sound of it... we're all going to come back 10 pounds heavier! I think on Saturday we are also headed into town to do a bit of shopping and go out for lunch together. I'm so excited to be able to create, laugh, eat, and even drink a little with my good friends. I know I'll miss home and the 3 boys (and even the pets) but it is a weekend away that a girl needs every now and then!

Scrappin'

2009-07-17T13:58:00.003-05:00

Here are some past pages I've done. Click on them for a better view. I love doing pages with girls in them so I can use flowers and pretties!!!

I'm off tomorrow (minus one sister) for our crop in Van Meter. I'm looking forward to scrapping and eating all day long! I hope to get at least 6 pages completed in the 12 hour time frame. That is usually my max anymore. I'm definately a 'slow' scrapbooker. I have to look through all my supplies and really think about what I'm going to do. I've been trying to break out of my element that everything has to be straight and precise. I've been doing more 'crooked' pages lately and even like them! I'd love to take my jewelry stuff but there just isn't room to work on that too. So, I'll save that for later this month when we have our weekend retreat.

Peyton's Big Party

2009-07-12T21:53:00.004-05:00

Peyton blows out his candles on his Pokemon cake.

All the cousins in the pool. I can't believe they all stopped long enough to pose for this!

Peyton's birthday party went off pretty well. We had fantastic weather for the kids to swim and play outside on the trampoline and swingset. Peyton enjoyed every minute of his party and has been playing hard with his toys.... especially his new Razor Scooter. He's quite the rider on that thing!

Eight!

2009-07-09T21:55:00.002-05:00

Eight years ago Friday at 11:21 am, my life changed in the most amazing way imaginable. My little 6 pound 1 ounce baby boy was born 4 weeks early. It makes me sad that he is already this grown up. I'm so proud of him and all he's grown up to be. He's creative, intelligent, funny, and loving. Happy Birthday Peyton Richard!

Surviving the Fourth!

2009-07-05T08:37:00.003-05:00

The big annual 4th of July celebrations are done and over. I look forward to these couple days every year and I'm always sad when it is finished. However, this year just wasn't the same for some reason. I can't quite put my finger on it but I almost think it is because the weather was so crappy. It rained and rained most of the time.

We headed back to Exira late on Thursday. Cory had to be up early to run the 5K road run on Friday morning. He did really well with his best time ever. I was so sad I wasn't able to run again this year because of my damn knees and ankles. I'll try again next year. Later that morning and afternoon we had Sydney's birthday party at Mom's and the kids had fun playing with their cousins. After that we went into my m.i.l.'s and the kids had different games to play outside for prizes. They thought that was pretty darn cool! That night Cory and I went up to the bar and hung out with some friends. We were tired and headed back for bed a little after midnight.

The actual fourth was a dreary, cold, and rainy mess. It was no fun watching the parade while holding umbrellas. The kids tried to get candy but it was all wet from the road and rain. It was just plain miserable. We didn't even stick around for the whole parade and headed back down to the house for lunch. After that we were on our way home and back to town by 3:00. It felt so good to be home in my own house again and see Gabby and the turtles.

Last night we loaded up in the car and drove to Carlisle for their fireworks show. It was very comparable to the Exira show. We had a great spot outside of town and for the first year ever.... neither kid was scared to watch the show. Rylan has decided he likes fireworks now and we all got to enjoy them fully this year!

Pics from the Keith Urban and Taylor Swift concert

2009-06-28T20:26:00.003-05:00

Saturday night Jen, Roni, and I (and even Emma) went to the Keith Urban/Taylor Swift concert at Wells Fargo Arena. I like country music but don't know a ton of Keith Urban's songs. However, it was $20 well spent. Taylor Swift did better than I thought she would (although the hair flipping got out of control). She sings a lot of songs I like so it was almost better to see her than Keith! They both did great and the concert lasted over 3 1/2 hours! I didn't get back to the campsite until after midnight so it was a long night. These are just a few of the MANY pictures I took.

Holy summer!

2009-06-19T11:18:00.002-05:00

Wow! Summer heat has hit hard! We had to turn our air on yesterday for the first time. I guess that is pretty good considering it is mid June! Cory and I celebrated our 9th wedding anniversary on Wednesday. We went out to Okoboji grill for supper without the kiddos. It was odd eating at a restaurant other than McDonald's for once!

Tomorrow I am running the kids to Mom's for the day and I'm scrapbooking in Van Meter. Cory has his city golf tournament today and tomorrow so we've both got a busy weekend. Sunday is pretty open... I'm hoping I can talk Dad into taking the boys and me fishing! What a great way to spend Father's Day, right?

Vacation

2009-06-14T08:55:00.002-05:00

Our camp weeks at work went well but now I'm off for the week. I'm going to take full advantage of this week off of work. I'm hoping the boys and I can spend lots of time outside and stay busy too. I'd like to take them to Adventureland but haven't decided if I am brave enough to do that on my own yet.

Wednesday is Cory and my 9th anniversary! 9 years! That is crazy. I don't feel old enough to be married that long. I'm hoping we can go out for dinner or something that day.

I can smell our Sunday morning chocolate chip muffins are about ready. I'm off to enjoy those with my boys!

Cap Guns

2009-06-06T18:14:00.003-05:00

I caved and let the boys get some cheapie cap guns the other day. They played with some at Gma Jean's a couple weeks ago and thought they were totally awesome. They've definately gotten their use out of the $2 I spent!

Hair???

2009-06-01T21:38:00.002-05:00

I have an appt. tomorrow for a haircut. I can't decide if I want to just do the usual trim or go for something different? I'm torn! I'm not too daring, yet would like to try something new. I'm tired of my same style!

Preschool Graduation

2009-05-30T17:36:00.003-05:00

Today was a big day! Rylan had his preschool graduation. It was a very big event and I'm so excited that I not only got to be a part of it as a mom.... but also as a teacher to these 60 kids. It was very heartwhelming and emotional for many of us. We had such a big crowd, it was unbelieveable. Apparently everyone not only brought their parents but also grandparents, aunts and uncles, and more. We figure we had around 400 that attended! People even flew in for the big event. Rylan had a couple lines in the program and did them wonderfully. I was so proud. He also graduated "with honors" I guess. He tested the highest in his class and is also reading at a late first grade level already! I'm so proud.... can you tell???

Misc. pics

2009-05-27T18:40:00.002-05:00

Blogger has been impossible for me lately so I haven't been able to upload much. Here's just a few from the last month.

First camping of the year!

2009-05-21T21:41:00.001-05:00

Can't remember if I posted this or not and too lazy to go back and read... but we bought ourselves a 2008 Jayco camper a few weeks ago. It is exactly what we were looking for (except much nicer than we planned on getting)! We've been working on packing it all week and we're taking it up tomorrow night to Saylorville for the long weekend. I'm excited to have a shower, bathroom, and all the ammenities. The boys are so excited they can hardly stand it. The bad part of camping though is all the prep work. I'm exhausted from cleaning, packing, and getting it loaded up. Because I've been doing that all week my house has been neglected and I WILL get it picked up tomorrow. There is nothing worse than coming home from a long weekend to a messy house!

Now.... for my thoughts on this week's finale shows. First: Dancing With the Stars. I was very happy that Shawn Johnson won. She is from West Des Moines so we're all very proud. Second: Idol. WTF??? Not that Kris was bad but Adam was way more talented!!! I think America got it wrong this year.

Grey's Anatomy

2009-05-14T22:15:00.001-05:00

OH MY GOD! I am in shock and literally gasped out loud at the ending. I didn't see that coming!

Big Week

2009-05-11T20:13:00.002-05:00

Today Cory and I brought home our new camper. I guess it isn't officially new... a 2008 and been used twice. We weren't planning on buying one this nice but we couldn't find anything out there that fit our requirements. So, we're pretty excited about it. It has all the ammenities. Stove, microwave, oven, CD player, TV hookup, air/heat and best of all: a toilet and shower! No more running to the public restrooms! Thank God for that!

Big week on TV! Grey's finale, Biggest Loser finale, and down to the final few on Idol and DWTS. What will I do with my time when all these shows are over? I guess then Big Brother starts in July!

Kids go to the dentist tomorrow and couldn't be more excited about it! Ahhh, to be young again! This weekend we have an out of town wedding and then on Sunday is my work picnic with all our families. I'm looking forward to that! So, we're keeping very busy here!

Just in case I don't post in a few days: Happy early birthday to my fantastic grandpa Rick. I love you Grandpa!!!

Cropping

2009-05-07T21:31:00.002-05:00

The sisters and I are headed to Archiver's on Saturday night for an impromptu crop. I'm not sure what I'm going to work on yet and better pack tomorrow!

Swimming over!

2009-04-29T20:31:00.002-05:00

Tonight was the last night of swimming lessons for the boys. They had a great time each evening and I know they'll be sad that they are over. Peyton can completely swim on his own, backstroke, swim under water...... and more. He learned SO much! Before lessons Rylan wouldn't even put his head under the water and now he is comfortable doing that. I was very pleased with the program. But, I'm glad they are over. I got tired of running twice a week!

I'll get some pictures posted later this week!

(Better catch up on Idol and All My Children)

Weekend Rain

2009-04-25T15:13:00.002-05:00

Seems like this weekend is a washout. So much for getting the trampoline set up or my flowers planted!

Cory is hoping to pick up my aunt's piano tomorrow, weather pending. I'm excited for the boys to take lessons. We'll probably just have Peyton start and see how that goes. That might help Rylan get motivated to start playing too!

Cory and I actually went out on a date last night. We went to the horse races and then bowling with some friends. I've bowled once in the last five years but didn't do too bad. Broke 100 every game!

Rainy

2009-04-18T12:40:00.002-05:00

Today it is dreary and rainy. That's okay with me though.... the grass will just start growing faster now! I'm anxious to get my flowers planted and spruce up the yard too. I love Spring!

Today Peyton has a birthday party at Skate South. He's never skated before and I'm very nervous about it! I hope he is careful. I'd rather not have his arm in a sling for the summer. While he's there Rylan and I are going to hit the mall and do some window shopping. I decided that later this afternoon I'd take them to see Monsters Vs. Aliens at the theater. They've been begging to see this movie for weeks and with Cory gone it will give us something to do.

I hope your weekend is going well! We're off to the party!

Busy!

2009-04-16T20:34:00.002-05:00

Things have been rather hectic lately but I'll try to be brief and catch up on all we've been up to.

~ The boys are on their second week of swimming lessons. They are M/W nights for an hour. They LOVE LOVE LOVE them! I'm surprised at how well they are doing. Peyton is swimming like a fish and Rylan is actually putting his head under the water!

~ Cory left for Texas today and will return late Monday. He is visiting family and hoping to get a lot of golfing in while he is there. Before he left he surprised me with sneaking in some flowers to my workplace. When I got there this morning they were on the table waiting for me. How sweet!

~ I've been dying to get the boys' trampoline set up that they got for Christmas. I'm tired of it taking up space in the garage and ready for them to finally enjoy it!

~ I've started the process of applying for jobs. I love where I'm at but I'm just putting my name out there for a public school job. The pay would be twice what I'm making now so that is mainly the only reason I'm leaving. I'm not counting on getting anything with this drab economy but I've got to at least give it a try! The applications take hours and hours to complete and they practically want to know my shoe and pants size! Many many questions!

Only in Iowa....

2009-04-05T21:30:00.002-05:00

A few weeks ago I was laying outside with my swimsuit on..... today we had blizzard like conditions! Luckily the heavy, blowing snow isn't accumulating too awful bad and should be gone in a day or two. Spring.... get here already!

I was pretty bummed that Desperate Housewives was a rerun again tonight. There is nothing on TV on the weekends and then during the week I'm bogged down with too much TV to watch. I guess that is why I'm surfing the net right now!

I'm definately not looking forward to getting up tomorrow. It seems like this weekend was here and gone in a flash! Next weekend will be packed as I'm cropping on Saturday at my favorite crop of the year and then Sunday we'll be back home for Easter. I need to get some more Easter goodies this week. It has really creeped up on me this year. We usually just get the boys a small toy, a book, and some candy for Easter but I haven't even gotten that yet! Looks like I'll be shopping this week.

Enjoy your week! I think I'll try to turn in early tonight!

Hoover Dam Pictures

2009-04-04T13:17:00.001-05:00

Vegas Pics

2009-04-04T13:07:00.005-05:00

Photos: Me posing with the statue inside Caeser's Palace, a pic of us at our casino, the Bellagio fountains, a night photo, and our group before leaving for Vegas.

We had so much fun on our trip! Other than some cold and windy weather eveything went off without a hitch. We went inside most of the casinos, toured Hoover Dam and saw Lake Mead, went to Fremont Street and saw the light show, saw Mystere (Cirque show), did some shopping and a lot of eating, and saw many pretty free performances. We stayed pretty active but by the last day we were all very tired and ready to head home. Our return flight was an hour delayed (we were on the plane and something was wrong with the battery) so that was a bummer. Jen, Roni, and I played some cards to keep us occupied! I have many funny stories to share but don't even know where to start! None of us were arrested, mugged, or injured so I'd call it a great success!

We're off!

2009-03-21T09:46:00.001-05:00

I am headed to Vegas today! I'll be sure and share some pics (and stories) when I get back! BYE!

Spring?

2009-03-16T19:26:00.002-05:00

I can sure get used to this fabulous weather. We spent so much time outside today: riding bikes, playing hockey, and just hanging out. I know the kids (and I) will sleep so good tonight after burning off all of our energy!

I'm not sure what is on the agenda for tomorrow. We are either going to the St. Pat's parade downtown, trying out the Botanical Center for the first time, or maybe going to a movie. I'll have to see what I feel like doing. I work on Wednesday and then I'm off until after we get back from Vegas. This vacation is getting really easy to get used to! : )

FIVE days and counting till our girl's trip! Woo-hoo!

700th post!

2009-03-12T13:54:00.002-05:00

I can't believe I've posted 700 times. This will be quite the diary for me when I'm old and can't remember squat. Here's just a few random pics from the last week!

SICK!

2009-03-11T09:02:00.002-05:00

Looks like the kids and I are sure getting our fair turn of illness this year. I guess that goes with the territory of working at a school! Peyton has been the next one to fall victim. He started running a fever Monday evening and as of this morning is still warm. He's now missed two days of school! I wish it would have held off for a couple more days since he'll be on spring break for over a week now. He's been watching a lot of movies and chilling out on the couch. I'm hoping today he'll get an appetite and get some energy back!

Less than two weeks till Vegas! I haven't started preparing yet and need to really research everything before we go. I am always one to be prepared and have to have everything planned out!

I was disappointed with the new DWTS contestants. Most of them are so D-List this year. Thank God for Shawn Johnson. I also like Melissa from the Bachelor. Peyton and I have been faithfully watching The Biggest Loser this year. We both really like this show. I've never watched it much until this season. Peyton's favorite day is Tuesday now because the show is on that night. But, since he goes to bed before it is over he has to watch the second half on Wed morning. He runs downstairs and turns it on right away to see who got eliminated. Too funny!

Saturday night

2009-03-07T22:06:00.002-06:00

Rylan was sick again today with another high temp of 103.8. I don't know why he keeps getting these? Poor little man!

My older turtle seems to be in love with his new friend Gizmo. Poor Giz just tries his best to get away from Squirt. I think Squirt has an identity issue!

It is strange to hear thunder this early in March! Better rain than snow!

Two weeks till Vegas! WOW! I need to start getting things ready for the trip.

I'm excited for DWTS to start next week. I hope Shawn Johnson does well.

It's 10:00 on a Saturday night and I'm exhausted and going to bed. Pretty pitiful...

New Lil' Guy!

2009-03-01T14:21:00.002-06:00

Last weekend I bought another turtle. Squirt needed a friend so I found a small red-eared slider buddy for him at Petco. They took some time getting used to each other but now they are best buds. Squirt is much more active and seems happy to have a companion. This new guy is so hyper and eats like a maniac! After several days of running names by the kids (and Cory) we decided on Gizmo. It just suits him!

I tried uploading photos but Blogger sucks with that lately!

Sick child

2009-02-22T16:35:00.002-06:00

Rylan has had the weekend from HELL! Without going through the horrid details.... he couldn't go #2 and that was just insane. Nuff' said. Today during church he started coming down with a fever. By the time we got home it was up to 103.3! He took a nap this afternoon (so did I). His temp is still high, even with Tylenol. The poor kid can't catch a break!

Quick tidbits....

2009-02-18T21:24:00.002-06:00

* March is around the corner and I couldn't be happier for many reasons... my birthday, vegas, spring, work vacation....

* I've had a headache for over a week. Enough already....

* My turtle is so darn cute.... I love him more everyday!

* I've been in a jewelry making slump.... I haven't gotten my stuff out for weeks. I'm too tired at night to work on it!

* I'm glad that DWTS starts soon except the "stars" suck this year except for Des Moines' Shawn Johnson.

* Idol competition started yesterday.... I like the Danny guy!

* I can never get caught up on laundry... even with Cory doing some of it!

* I'm sick of eating the same meals for supper. I need to get out some of my recipe books again!

* I've been on a chocolate kick for a week. I can't seem to get enough!

* Facebook is addicting!

* I need to blog more but just can't seem to find the time!

Vegas!

2009-02-06T21:06:00.003-06:00

I don't remember if I posted this or not yet..... BUT, I'm headed to Vegas! My two sisters, my mom, and I are going for 4 nights in March (over my mom's birthday). We've gotten our plane tickets booked and tonight reserved our room. We are all very excited to have the chance to go and plan on making some great memories. Hopefully we won't get too wild and crazy. But, what happens in Vegas......

Baby Talk! Oh NO!!!

2009-02-02T19:21:00.003-06:00

The other day on the way to school Rylan asks me..... "How does a baby come out of your belly"? First off, I have NO IDEA why he brought this up at all! I was shocked and tried to choose my words very wisely. I said that babies come out of your belly and he said that, "no they can't come out of your belly". (So, now I knew I had to tell him the truth!). I said that they come out of a girl's private parts. He laughed and asked, "What private parts do they come out of"? I'm thinking.... Oh GOD! This isn't happening!!!! So I tell him that they come out of where you go to the bathroom. He laughs again! He says, "But, a baby wouldn't fit out of that private part"! I had to say that that is why it hurts to have a baby.... because it doesn't fit well. I also told him that this isn't something he talks about at school and it is just something we talk about in the family. Apparently this was enough for him because he hasn't asked me anything else. I'm waiting for him to ask the BIG question! Oh help! I wasn't ready for this yet, especially from my 5 year old!!!!

Hi

2009-02-01T16:02:00.002-06:00

Wow, it's been a long time since I posted. I guess now that I am on facebook I don't post quite as much! It was a very busy week here. My boss was gone so I worked quite a few extra hours. The paycheck will be nice but I sure do enjoy having my Friday's off! Yesterday I scrapbooked (well, not really). I worked on some jewelry at a scrapbooking crop in Truro with the sisters. I got a lot done there! I felt a little guilty not working on layouts but it was totally stress-free just doing my rings and etc.

This week should be pretty normal, other than going to a BB game on Thursday night with the family. My home town is playing close by and so we are going to go watch them play.

Have a great week! I'll try to post some pics soon. Hopefully Blogger will let me now!

Jewelry

2009-01-18T16:15:00.003-06:00

I worked a couple hours last night and made a couple jewelry sets. I've also been working on making tons of button rings too! I might try to sell some for fun at Twigs (if Judi doesn't mind).

***Tried 3 times to post pics but wouldn't let me, will try later.***

Back to work tomorrow for ME. Cory has the day off and Peyton does too! I'm sure they'll have some good Rock Band competitions and Yahtzee tournaments.

Nothing on the agenda

2009-01-16T18:20:00.003-06:00

I'm really looking forward to just doing nothing all weekend! We don't have to BE anywhere or do any major home projects either! I may even get outside with the kids tomorrow and play in the snow. They've been begging to build a snowman and it should be warm enough tomorrow to venture out!

On a sad note.... my dog is now on meds for the second time for a urinary tract infection. The first antibiotics didn't do the trick and so he's on some stronger ones. If this doesn't clear up it is possible he has stones and would need surgery. I've already spent a couple hundred dollars on him this month so I'm hoping that isn't going to happen. Poor Bacon!

Blizzard?

2009-01-11T18:25:00.002-06:00

Iowa. Apparently we are getting a blizzard tomorrow? Figures. Cory is in Ohio for the week for work and I have to deal with getting to/from work and scooping snow. I hope he can MAKE it there with the flight conditions. Maybe we'll luck out and it won't be SO bad.....

Had our big crop yesterday. It was fine... nothing fancy at all but worth the cheap fee we paid. Especially considering that I won a prize that more than paid for the crop fee. The crappy part was the company.... there were some strange, rude, annoying, loud, skanky people there! I don't know for sure if we'll go back.... probably though!

Crop!

2009-01-09T14:59:00.003-06:00

Tomorrow the sisters and I are headed for a 15 hour crop in Winterset. It will be nice to spend the day getting some of my Christmas pictures scrapbooked. Hopefully I can manage to get at least 5 pages done! I'm already packed and ready to go!

Here's a funny thing Peyton said last night (and I have NO IDEA where he heard these words from). He was putting darts onto his forehead and chanting: "I'm a horny devil...I'm a horny devil". Yep. I know he had no idea what that meant and it took every ounce of energy not to laugh my head off! I did mention to him (and Rylan who started chanting it too) that it is not something they should say at school!

Last days of vacation!

2009-01-03T09:08:00.002-06:00

Boo-hoo. It is the last weekend before vacation is over. I was off of work the whole break and enjoyed spending the time with the kids. It will be really hard on Monday to make myself get up early again and get all of us off to school. I've been very spoiled lately and have been sleeping in pretty late!

How am I going to spend my last two days of vacation? We are renting a carpet cleaner this morning and cleaning the whole house. This is always nice to do once a year and I've been dying to get it done. Not a fun way to end the weekend but it will be so nice when it is all clean!

Christmas FUN!

2008-12-29T20:28:00.005-06:00

A tunnel that the kids LOVE going through down by Gpa Dave's house.

Gpa Dave with the boys...

Santa visited in Arkansas too!

The boys both wrote letters to Santa this year. They left cookies and carrots too!

Christmas came and went faster than usual this year! It was over and done before I even knew what hit me! We actually ended up being pretty healthy this year and didn't miss any of the festivities on the big day. Thank GOD!

We had many celebrations as usual. We went to Cory's Dad's side in Carroll, Cory's Mom's in Exira, our house on Christmas morning, my Mom's on Christmas day, my Gpa's on Christmas night, and Cory's Dad's after Christmas (in Arkansas). Needless to say.... we were busy and well traveled. I hate to think of how many miles were added to the Acadia this month.

Here are just a few photos from out week. I took about 150 pictures but I certainly don't have the time or energy to add more than four tonight! I hope your holiday was also extra special!

The "LOOK"

2008-12-19T15:26:00.003-06:00

Here is a video of Rylan from the S. S. Christmas program. I LOVE his embarassed/nervous/goofy look he has during the song. He was this way through the whole program! He sang and did the actions but every now and then he'd look at us and be so embarassed! Priceless...

Misc.

2008-12-19T15:16:00.002-06:00

Here are a couple recent pictures...

Rylan's class had a visit from Santa Claus at school. He was excited to get the game Cootie.

The other photo is of the boys all decked out for the Sunday School Program.

We are off to my M.I.L.'s this weekend for Christmas! It should be fun!

MIA!

2008-12-13T15:46:00.003-06:00

Here are some recent photos:

Rylan and Peyton saw Santa at our neighborhood party and also made some great crafts at our church Advent Workshop. The group photo is of my coworkers in front of the Hummer Limo we went in last night. My boss is awesome... she threw a great Christmas party!

I apologize for not posting in over a week! Life has taken over and it has just been one activity after another. It will be busy till after January now. I LOVE the Christmas holiday but the craziness of it all catches up to me so fast! We HAVE to get our Christmas letter done today and sent this week, presents need wrapped, events need attended.... and so on! Wednesday is Rylan's 5th birthday too! He's getting a bike and that needs assembled so he can ride it (in the garage).

Yum, Yum!

2008-12-02T18:26:00.001-06:00

I stole this picture from my friend Jill's blog (Sorry, Jill. I had to do it!). Oh Baby!

Birthday Pics!

2008-12-01T20:11:00.001-06:00

Just a few photos from Rylan's party on Sunday! He's growing up WAY too fast!

Party

2008-11-30T17:03:00.002-06:00

We celebrated Rylan's 5th birthday today (a few weeks early due to scheduling conflicts). He had fun opening his gifts and hanging out with his cousins. I'll try to post pics later tonight if I'm still awake and functioning! It was a busy weekend and I'm barely able to keep my eyes open at this point! We have xmas and birthday parties constantly until New Year's. This month will fly by so quickly I'm sure!

The wait is over...

2008-11-22T08:12:00.002-06:00

I went and saw Twilight last night. I had a good time going with Roni and her work buddies. We ate supper first at On The Border. Roni and I aren't Mexican-food eaters so we both ordered chicken from the kids menu! My huge marguirita was delicious! AND, so was Edward. The movie was alright....I think it gets hyped up too much and then feels like a letdown. Plus, the book was so fantastic that it would be impossible to live up to it. So, it was just okay for me. The best parts were when we got to see Edward huge on the screen with his sexy smile and major hottness.

Now that the Twilight books and movie are over I'll have to find another obsession to focus on. Hmmm, what should it be?

11 hours 30 minutes and counting......

2008-11-20T20:28:00.001-06:00

UNTIL I SEE TWILIGHT! I'm getting very antsy to see it. I've watched the movie trailer a dozen times already. I think I'll be having some yummy Edward dreams tomorrow night!

Is that Junk mail?

2008-11-14T18:13:00.003-06:00

I got a letter today in the mail. I almost tossed it because it looked like junk and a company I didn't recognize. I'm glad I didn't! It was a contract for one of my jewelry sets to be published in Simply Beads magazine. I started reading the fine print and about fell over when it said they are paying me $195 to publish my creation! WHOA! The other magazine I've been in gives me $20 and 2 free magazines. (I thought that was great) But now? I guess I'll have to start submitting more to Simply Beads! I've only ever sent a couple things to them but that is about to change. That letter just made my day!

QUESTION?

2008-11-12T19:59:00.002-06:00

Just wondering..... how old do brothers have to be when they stop tattling on each other and start getting each others' backs? I am asking because mine were tattling like CRAZY tonight and I'm getting tired of it!!! Aren't brothers supposed to lie for each other? : )

Oh.My.God.

2008-11-07T14:30:00.003-06:00

I finished the final book (Breaking Dawn) from the Twilight series this morning. WOW. If you haven't read this series...DO. It was great. I'm actually very sad that I can't have my nights reading it anymore. I almost feel a little "lost" without Edward and Bella! So, go get these 4 books. You won't be sorry!

Yes!

2008-11-05T18:31:00.001-06:00

Hooray for Americans! Our country will be a better place to live in now that Obama is headed to the White House! Yipee!

Goodie!

2008-11-02T20:15:00.002-06:00

After a fantastic 15 hours of scrapbooking yesterday I got home and had a pleasant email waiting for me. I had a necklace picked up by Bead Trends for their April Issue! This is the 5th item so far to get published. I know I'm a dweeb but I'm so excited about it!!! The funny thing is: this necklace is one of the easiest, most boring things I've made. I guess you never know what they are looking for!

Off to watch Desperate Housewives.... I'm too tired to do anything else tonight. We worked very hard today and I'm just plain exhausted.

Halloween

2008-10-28T21:51:00.002-05:00

Here are some recent Halloween photos of the boys. They spent a few days working on paper mache pumpkins. They loved getting their hands messy and then painting the faces on their pumpkins. The other photo is at Living History Farms. Can you tell they like Star Wars?

Rylan's Preschool Photos

2008-10-24T13:59:00.001-05:00

I thought these turned out pretty cute.....

TGIF

2008-10-23T22:02:00.003-05:00

I am very glad tomorrow is Friday!!! Cory was gone this week for work so it seemed longer than usual. It is good to have him back home again. I have tomorrow off and I'm looking forward to catching up on some things around the house and eating lunch at Peyton's school. (Well, he's eating and I'm watching....those school lunches can be nasty). Have a great weekend everyone!

A conversation....

2008-10-16T14:06:00.002-05:00

I wish I had always carried a small notebook with me to jot down the funny things my kids say. I know I'll regret it someday! However, yesterday Peyton was saying some interesting things at the table and I jotted it all down. It went something like this:

P: I wish I could be a king!
S: What do you mean?
P: You know.... a regular king. One that lives in a castle. I just want to be a king.
R: But you won't live here anymore!!!
P: I know....
R: If we fall in water across a bridge than we won't get to the top again.
S: So you don't want to live here anymore? (Insert sadness here)
P: No! When I grow up! Rylan, you can live there. You could be a slave or something.
R: NO! When I grow up I want to be a doctor.

Peyton later tells me he got the idea of being a king from reading Rumplestiltkin. I had to control the laughter when he made the slave comment. I don't know where that one came from.

FIRE!!!

2008-10-13T20:03:00.003-05:00

We had a local fire department visit the kids today at preschool. The kids thought it was the coolest thing EVER! I've never seen them sit for THAT long and listen THAT well before!!! Here are some of the pics from today. It helped to be the teacher....I was able to get my own personal pics! Yipee!

Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-11T15:50:00.003-05:00

We made it to the pumpkin patch this morning. The weather was perfect and the kids had a blast. There were trikes to ride, a big slide, corn mazes, swings, a hayrack ride and more. We even ran into some good friends while we were there!

One scary thing that happened was: At the last part of our hayrack ride a lady sitting next to me passed out. We laid her down and she was totally unconcious for several minutes. A few of us tried to get her to wake up and she eventually did. She was so out of it and then passed out again! The husband didn't want us to call 911 because he said she was just starting on some new blood pressure meds. It was scary and I felt so bad for the family. However, I felt much more confident knowing I just had my CPR/First Aid training and would hopefully remember what to do if I needed to use it.