For 2009?????

Go ahead, put on your boxing gloves . . . . . . .

And come out VICTORIOUS!!!!!!!!!!

For last year's words belong to last year's language and next year's
words await another voice. And to make an end is to make a beginning. ~ T. S. Eliot

Happy New Year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Today is my mother's birthday.  She says that it's such a special day that EVERYONE celebrates!! LOL   And well, they should, she is certainly someone to be celebrated.  I hope to be half the Mom that she has been to me and my brother.  There just aren't enough words to express how much I love my Mom, but I think this quote says quite a bit.

A mother is she who can take the place of all others but whose place no one else can take." 
~ Cardinal Mermillod

My Mom doesn't have many pics of her as a child, but these are some of the very few she does have, and I'm just as happy as she is, that we do have these.

L to R ~ My Mom's older brother (sadly no longer with us), my Mom, my Mom's older sister ~
 

My Mom's younger sister and my Mom ~

Here's a more recent pic of my Mom ~ Click Here To See

Happy Birthday Mom!!! 

We hope you have a VERY special day – today and always!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We Love You!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

See ya' later!!

It is Tuesday right?! LOL  Really, I rarely know what day it is anymore, but I think I'll get this posted before Wednesday hits if I'm lucky.

It's really fun to go back and look at some of the photographs/snapshots that we've taken and to see just how much our little pumpkin has grown.  Wow, she really had some cheeks. LOL  This was taken on January 5, 2006.  I love that you can see her two little teeth on the bottom poking through her gums.  And she's just the cutest, chubbiest little baby that could definitely light up a room.

Here she is – almost exactly two years ago – and five days away from being five months old ~

Kasen has her Canada gear on because it was The 2006 Junior World Championship Gold Medal Game between Russia and Canada.  I'm happy to say that Canada beat Russia.  Woohoo!!!  I'm not exactly sure of the final score, but I *think* it was 5-0.

See ya' later!!

We're still having fun playing with toys here.  Did you see that I said "WE?!" LOL  I think Brad and I have had more fun playing with the Geo Trax airport than Kasen has. haha

We had a great dinner out with Brad's parents this evening.  We thought it was high time that we treated them to a fantastic meal that Brad's Mom didn't have to cook.   We have thoroughly enjoyed being the beneficiaries of Heather's delicious cooking for all the holiday meals.  Thanks again Heather!!

Here's another pic that I took on the same day as the banner picture above.  As I was adding texture to this picture, Kasen was watching me and was EXTREMELY upset that I did *THIS* to her picture. LOL  She kept saying, "No, clear, clear, clear. Make it CLEAR!"  When I removed the texturing, she was quite pleased.  After a huge sigh and inner peace filled her soul, she quietly exited the room, all because her picture was indeed "clear."  As she rounded the corner out of sight, I promptly put it back the way it was WITH texture.  I thought I was safe in my attempt, but she scurried in right before I could turn the computer screen off and yelled "I SAID CLEAR!!  I WANT MY PICTURE CLEAR!" LOL  Well, you gotta' give a girl credit for knowing what she wants . . . . .and boy, does that girl KNOW what she WANTS! LOL  Whew, and so do I.

Here's the way I like it. ~

Oh yeah, and if ANY of you have ANY advice on how to go about brushing a three year old's teeth without tears, bargaining, stalling, clenching teeth, and time-outs galore, please fill me in.  We've tried everything it seems, but obviously not the *right* thing.  Any and all ideas are welcomed.  We're completely stumped on this one, and it's driving us C-R-a-Z-y!!!

See ya' later!!

Yep, that would be her violin – BIGGEST hit!! LOL  She does love her new play kitchen and dollhouse and her Geotrax airport, but the violin, that's her favorite.  Go figure.  Should have known, considering how much she LOVES music.

Here she is playing her tunes.  And yes, we've already showed her how to hold it properly.  She's only put it down once . . . because she accidentally poked herself in the eye with the bow (or stick as she calls it.) She was quite mad at the "stick" but they've now made up and the tunes rock on. LOL

See ya' later!!

The most wasted of all days is one without laughter.~ e.e. cummings

See ya' later!!

Santa that is! LOL  Kasen is beyond excited that we are opening family gifts this evening.  We already let her open one last night and she had a great time playing with her new toy.

This morning, we have already baked our birthday cake for Jesus – a pineapple upside down cake.  Yum!!  We have assembled half of our gingerbread house.  We are now waiting on the walls to dry before we can add the roof.  Then, after the roof dries, we can DECORATE.  Try explaining to a three year old WHY OH WHY do we HAVE to WAAAAAIIITTTTTTTT???!!!!  Not easy let me tell you. *sigh*

We're eating dinner at Brad's parents' house tonight and then the present opening begins.  Do you think Kasen will make it through dinner?  Time will tell.  My guess is that she will bargain to open at least ONE gift before dinner, and then it will be TWO, no wait, THREE, and so on and so on. LOL

Then we get to do it all over again in the morning, after Santa drops off his presents tonight.  How fun is all of this????!!!  I'd say GREAT fun!!  Seeing  Christmas through a child's eyes is magical.

Here's our sweet girl visiting Santa Claus – I took these pics at the wonderful charity event hosted by The Spauldings.

Wishing you every happiness

this holiday season

and throughout the coming year.

See ya' later!!

Okay, I have totally slacked on the "Time Honored Tuesday" theme, but I'm here now.  Kind of late, but still here just the same.

I was looking back at some old photos and I found this one and LOVED it.  Poor picture sitting in a folder and never even edited.  It was taken on December 24, 2006.  What JOY this little one has brought into our lives.  I love how she has her hand in the Christmas tree trying to pull out yet another ornament.  I vividly remember that she was looking at Brad for his approval, which she did not get by the way. LOL  But, see her face anyhow, cutting those eyes and giving that impish grin – I should have known then that trouble was just brewing. LOL

Wishing you JOY this holiday season!!

See ya' later!!

There's a new performer in town.   Kasen is loving this new microphone and she has a headset to match . . . thanks to a sale from Club Libby Lu, which is going out of business.  We've never been there, but the sales were too good to pass up.

Here's a list for our Monday Madness since I haven't been around too much ~

• We're all sick.  Yep, all three of us.  Ugh!!  We were feeling so poorly on Sunday that we didn't get out of bed until noon. That's unheard of with a THREE year old.
• I took Kasen to the doctor today and she has officially been diagnosed with her very first ear infection. Yuck.  Our huge clue – she was holding her ear last night rocking back and forth saying "Owww!  Owww!  Owww!"  Poor baby.
• Kasen also has a runny nose, horrible chest cough and a high fever.  Great early Christmas present, eh?!
• On the way home from the doctor's office, Kasen started coughing.  She looked so serious and said, "The doctor did NOT make my cough disappear." LOL  I guess she thought she would get all better after that one visit.
• Some people have nothing better to do than ruin Christmas displays.  Our two reindeer in our front lawn have been mangled not once, but TWICE.  The first time, Brad put them back up and drove the stakes back in the ground.  The second time, he was so frustrated, he picked them up and put them away.  He said if they are going to keep destroying them, what's the use?
• Those poor reindeer have only half their lights now anyway, since the idiots broke them when they smushed them into the ground.  Really people, grow up – go read a book, go fly a kite, just do something positive instead of wasting all your energy destroying other people's property.
• My Christmas cards are finally sent out.  Whew!!  That was late huh?! Well, you have no idea, those were actually LAST year's Christmas cards. LOL  Better late than never I always say. LOL
• We still have a little Christmas shopping to do.  We have some tough customers on our hands.  You know who you are!! LOL
• I haven't wrapped one present, which means I need to get off of the computer and start wrapping!!

I hope you're having a joyous holiday season.  We really are.  I can hardly wait for Kasen to open her gifts on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.  The excitement in her sweet baby blues is enough to melt your heart.

Enjoy your families this holiday season.  Take time to remember what's most important in your lives.

"Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before!
“Maybe Christmas,” he thought, “doesn’t come from a store.
Maybe Christmas … perhaps … means a little bit more!”
 ~   How the Grinch Stole Christmas

See ya' later!!

She wants to be a ballerina soooo badly!!  She asks daily, "Please may I be a ballerina?"  Do you think it's time for me to enroll her in a dance class?!

Kasen had her Christmas Program today at Mother's Day Out.  They were so cute singing at the front of the chapel.  Kasen had been practicing at home and I think it really paid off – she did GREAT!!  We were so proud of her.  And sadly, it was Connor's last day.  They will be moving and I know Kasen doesn't understand now that he won't be there when she returns, but I KNOW she'll be asking me where he is.   She became VERY attached to him last year at Mother's  Day Out and even to this day if I ask her who she played with or who is her favorite friend at school, she will always say Connor.  We will definitely have to make an effort to plan a few play dates.

Without further ado, here's my prima ballerina!!

See ya' later and have a Happy Friday!!!