thuRsdaY...

wow! todaY has been such a haPpY day. not just for me but, for mY brother and his famiLy as well. without going into manY detaiLs of it all i can just say...tis the season for guardian angeLs. i know without a doubt that in any time of need you will aLwaYs find someone out there worse off than you. that at many times we often forget to count our blessings. they don't need to be big items as i often think it is the little things that count and matter the most. like look at the world we live in... we have freedom. what about the air we breathe, the homes which we have over our heads, our bodies...for some are not hole. what about our hearts...they are free to love manY and yet do we fully use it well. i know that at christmas time for me... i love to give way more than i like to receive. it's the light in that child's eye that puts and amaZing waRm feeling in mY heart. knowing i could share with a stranger that has nothing. a famiLy member or friend that is in need. for me...this is the tRue spirit of christmas. i am not rich by any means. though i am trulY rich in blessings. i will aLwaYs remember what mY aunt told me when i was a young mom with 2 kids and one on the waY. she said to me "connie, please let us give. by not allowing us to do so you are denYing us blessings. one of these daYs it will be your turn to give." ever since then i have reminded mYself NOT to deny others if they are able to help in a time of need. i also remember that it is a blessing to give. this holiday season i may not be able to give a lot of material items. though the one thing i can give is mY heaRt...mY loVe. so to all of you out in blog land... i wish you all a safe and happy holiday season. maY 2008 be one that will be good for us all. look around you and remember...you do have it good, cause someone out there underneath this same big sky has it worse. *hugs*

oh, i believe...

are you kidding me....christmas is one week from tOdaY!!!! i'm serious we need to go back to aPriL. i know i haven't written in awhile but, time just creeps away. i am actually writing this while i am cooking dinner and getting my daughter ready for her program tonight. can you say multi-tasking pro right now, lol. i just wanted to let you all know that i have kinda gotten into the christmas spirit. tree is up (still naked) and so are the decorations and lights. i did my christmas cards for my scrapbook stores. haven't done our personal ones yet. you know i might just do a neW yeaRs letter and card instead. just running out of time. still have loads of shopping to do but, i will get there. i wanted to share with you what has helped get me in the holiday spirit. every year since i have been married my mother started a tradition between her and i. she gives me a nativity on christmas eve. this has been a challenge for her at times as she has to reMembeR what she gave me last year and the years before. it is eXciTing for me cause i know i at least get to open one present on christmas eve. as i put all of these nativities out last week, {all 17 of them} i reflected upon the meaning...the true meaning of christmas. i reminded mYself that i need to teach mY children the true meaning. that i don't want them to think it is all about the gifts and decorations. i want them to know that it is a time for caring, sharing, giving and loving. i want them to know that whether santa can bring them what is on their wish list or not, that it is ok. i have listened to quite a few christmas songs lately as well. none struck me more than the one brad shared with me...the song...do they know it's christmas by band aid. as i listened to the woRds...i really listened. so many phrases struck me as true. i will be doing my best to teach all i come into contact with the true meaning. thank you brad for reminding me. so i think i am definitely readY now. i do beLievE, come on christmas...i am waiting. *hugs*

a sigh of relief...

yep you read that right. many of you know that my second oldest, trevor was in a car/bicycle accident on november 5th. the officer decided to give trevor a ticket {2 weeks later}. so i was summons at my home november 27th {austin's birthday} by an officer of the court that trevor was to appear in court on wednesday, december 12th at 3:30. i get a call yesterday from the court stating the judge needs to reschedule due to and emergency. WHAT?! they wanted to reschedule for january, uh i don't think so. we want to get this over with so we can move on. we want to get it settled so we can get reimbursed for all of the medical bills, dental bills, bike, clothes and glasses. so me being pushy {not really, ok maybe a little} was able to have the court date for tOdaY! yep, today at 3:00. so we go there and realize as the judge is looking up the ticket code that it doesn't look good. fyi...if you are on a bike you are NOT considered a pedestrian, you are a motorist. we as his parents said "we think you need to hear trevor's version of what happened. trevor proceeded to tell him and guess what...CASE DISMISSED! yep you guessed it, trevor is breathing a rather large sigh of relief and so am i!!

babY it's cold outside...

last night all the kids were in bed and we were watching the news and our power goes out. it blinked a couple of times and then completely out! we thought...that is strange. opened our door to notice the entire block was out. need i remind you, it's winter and it has been very cold the last couple of days. no problem right? we got out flash lights and candles. then we thought...HEAT! now haleigh is up and scared. i went and checked on the boYs...all sound asleep and i put their blankets back on. as we did not know when the power would come back on. it's now 11:30 and power has been out and hour...getting a little cold. haleigh got in bed with me and galen decided he would go check things out. the entire two towns were out!!! cops were on main street checking business and were hoping power would be on soon. you don't realize how much everything is connect until the power goes out. think about it... lights, alarm clocks, clocks, stereos, tv, computer, phones, phone chargers and HEAT! as i thought to myself...welcome to austin's world. so little miss and i get all snuggled into bed and i am asleep and my cell starts vibrating. galen said "think you are getting a text" i said no it's a call and who would be calling me at midnight. it was my sister in law. we had been online and i told her the power was out. my computer battery died so she had no idea what was going on. she was calling to check on us. so here i am half asleep, and i was trying to tell her we were ok and then...blink...POWER! needless to say we are all fine and warm. then today at work we had power surges all day long. very frustrating when the computer is a big part of your work. i had a dental appointment today and thought i better call and check on it to see if we were still on. all was a go, so off to the dentist i went. did i forget to mention it has been SNOWING all day!!! it was so nice to see the white stuff falling down. it is pretty late for this being our first snow. here is a picture i took of my house as i left for work this morning at 39 degrees. yes, it is still snowing and we are to receive more. i wonder if we will have no school tomorrow. that would be fun other than i would have to WORK. i better get dinner going. have a great night. i know i will be snuggling in my blankey tonight cause...baby it's cold outside! *hugs*

how do i begin to catch up?? another long one...

i have received many e-mails lately wondering if i am ok and where have i been. i sat and thought to myself...i have been right here. then they say, we have missed reading your blog. WHAT, are you SERIOUS?? how could you be so interested in my blog of ramblings. anywho...thanks for missing me and i will try and do better. i just want to let you all know I am ok. it has just been a very busy start to december. like i said before...i think we need to go back to april so i can start preparing for december. don't have my tree up, decorations are not done, newsletter isn't written, christmas cards~nope, no picture was taken, work cards have been started, and please i do not want to hear any christmas music. i think i am truly a bauhumbug. i know these things need to be done for my children. then i think why do it if we won't even be here. it's hard cause we have to travel for christmas. let me tell ya...this is no fun at all. we have to leave a sign for santa, try and organize with two families (luckily my dad lives in PA or it would be 3) and try and make everyone happy. what about ME? isn't it if momma ain't happy, then nobody's happy. at christmas i feel like i have to hide my own thoughts and feelings for others. to make everyone else happy. i WILL do this for my kids and they are mY number one reason for mY liFe. though seriously...think about it...why do we celebrate christmas? what is the true meaning? are we going over board or do we truly remember? i guess i have ramble enough about this and i should not have allowed all of you in on my little tantrum i am having about christmas. i guess i better get my tree up today or my little miss bug-a-boo is gonna put me in timeout! maybe posting this picture of my dad back in PA last year will help me get into the mood. only wish i could of seen him riding around town on his motorcycle in a santa suit. anywho...let's move on...

austin you know turned 17 almost two weeks ago and had the bEst birthday EVER! his dad arranged for him to go to lunch with daddy and two of daddy's friends (Mark & Clay). lunch was about an hour away and to get there it would only be 20 minutes in an AIRPLANE!! yes, you read that right an airplane. here are some pictures of his amaZing ride to get to lunch.

we then attended his brother's wrestling match where oma took a picture of us. it is such a good picture. i usually don't have an pictures of me with my kiddos cause i am always taking them. it is also a tradition in our familY that on your birthday you get to choose where we go for dinner. austin chose eva's right here in town. it is the best yuMmY mexican/american food in snowflake (in my opinion). i was totally excited for dinner, cause i could live on mexican food and i would be a happy girL. my parents were in town and joined us as well. the owner was there and brought austin out fried ice cream with a candle. we sang happy birthday and their tradition there is to put some whip topping on your nose. yep, austin got it...

austin's birthday was fun for all this year and i can't even begin to think that next year....i'm not even gonna say it.

dallin has been wrestling and has been second string. right before thanksgiving he had a wrestle off for first string. as he was up on points and was beating the first string he pick him up and slammed him down really hard. he really hurt him, bad! when he would come back from thanksgiving he would find out the results for both...making first string and how the other boy was. well, dallin made it! the other boy will be on crutches for 4-6 weeks. i felt so bad as we have know the other boy since t-ball. we have coached him and the boys are pretty good friends. this put dallin in the position for regionals. WHAT??!!! he only had two matched before regionals and they were against the two best schools. he tried his hardest and did his best and still lost. yesterday was regionals 20 minutes away. it was 34 degrees when we left in the morning and 11 hours later it was 34 degrees coming home. it was snowing and yet we were all inside watching wrestling matches all day!! it was a very long day for all of us. we were so excited for his first match. it was against a kid he had wrestled for fun while on second string. guess what...he pinned him in 1:15. we were all so excited!!!! this is all we asked of dallin. go out and do your best and have fun. the next match was not fun. he had to wrestle the first guy he had wrestled his first time as a first stringer. he didn't get pinned...but lost. the mom of the other boy said to me, "he is really strong". i was so happy that he held him. he lost 5-0. now he has one loss and it's double elimination. next kid just thrashed dallin. smacked him hard into the mat. he had a hard time even concentrating on the rest of the match as his head was killing him. we thought it was his mouth where he just got the rest of his braces put on. he has a huge bruise on his right shoulder as part of the take down. he lost that match as well. we are so proud of him for sticking it out. he never got pinned and that was just awesome! we bought him a sweatshirt as it was the white mountain regionals. on the back we added a screen. i picked it out and this is what it says...it's not the SIZE of the DOG in the FIGHT, but the SIZE of the FIGHT in the DOG. this is my dallin!! way to go D, i am so proud of you. you didn't even want to wrestle and yet you didn't quit.

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now do you question where i have been for the last couple of weeks. with mY life i realize that it will never slow down. but, i can promise you that mY kids are my liFe and i wouldn't change a thing!! i love taking them to and attending all of their events whatever it may be...soccer, marching band, choir, ffa, football, wrestling, baseball, concerts, parades, softball and the list goes on... i will alwaYs be their biggest fan!

better go potty before you sit down and read this one...it's a book, lol...

wow! it seems like forever since i have really written a deep blog entry. not that all of my entries have to be moving but, as i sit here full of emotions once again... i have so much to say. i was able to spend a much needed evening with mY very best friend, debbie. you don't realize how much you miss someone until they are not around. we use to talk once a day...seriously! we live 3 1/2 hours apart for the last 9 years. we use to talk every day because we had the same cell plan. then she went and changed it and now we are luck if we talk once every couple of weeks. now this is not just because of our cell plans but, our lives. she was working two jobs, owned her own store and a full time mom of two amaZing children. then there is me...a full time mom of 4, a scrapbook sales rep and a part time receptionist. our lives have been truly busy and our schedules have really clashed. so on friday i drove down and we ate dinner together and caught up. we were there for 3 hours!!! with work and my drive down, we knew we were too tired to catch a movie so we went back to her place and tried to watch one. by midnight we were both so exhausted we went to bed! we are getting so old aren't we? i also got to spend part of saturday with her as well. as i sit here and write this my heart is full! i am truly blessed to have her in mY lifE! we have been friends since jr high 23 years ago. i would say the last 15 1/2 years we have been the bEst of fRienDs!! when you find people like this who touch your life daily you never want to let them go. i also spent some much needed alone time too on saturday and it was just so rElaxing. love those times. finished the rest of the weekend with familY. on sunday we had a baby blessing to attend and then we were heading home. this is where mY weekend doesn't end...

i drove my mom's car down so i could spend friday & saturday with deb. on sunday we noticed mom's car was overheating and the battery was giving us problems. right as we were heading out of town i felt it wasn't good to be driving it. we stopped at my aunt's and figured i would stay behind one day to get it fixed. lets just say one day turned into 3!! so here i was stranded with no car and missing work and my kiddos. mY wonderful brother and his father-in-law were able to look at the car and determine the problem. it called for a specialty part, after ordering it once and having them mess up, ordering the correct part, waiting another day, mY brother was finally able to put it all back together. i hated asking for rides everywhere. don't like to asK for help but, love to give it! i then was able to head home last night. when i got home i hugged my kids f-o-r-e-v-e-r (in your best sandlot voice)! it was so nice...i missed them so much and was soooo glad to finally be HOME!!

i have again been reminded that familY is always forever, friends are there no matter what and that your kids will aLways be there for you when ever you need them. last night was amaZing for me and was much needed. *hugs* connie

a quicky...

just wanted to post a quick note to let you gals know to be on the look out for some pacKagEs!!!! all were shipped out on fridaY and i can not tell you how excited i was. never a haPpiEr lady at the post office the daY before december, lol. anywho...i will try and post later. haPpY december...are you readY? i'm NOT!! lets go back to...

aPriL

that would do for me. *hugs* connie