For Bonnie

I have really wanted to get back to blogging, but up until now I haven't really been ready to post this.  A month ago, yesterday, my step-mom passed away after battling cancer for over a year.  We knew she was sick, but her passing was quite sudden and was not something that we were remotely prepared for. I know that a lot of you out there have kept my family in your thoughts and prayers - and everyone, especially my dad, has felt the outpouring of love from family, friends and church members.

I generally try really hard to only write about positive things on my blog, but I really felt the need to dedicate a post just to Bonnie because she followed my blog DAILY.  She often checked several times during the day to see if I just happened to post twice.  She was wonderful to my kids, she was a great friend to me, and made my dad incredibly happy.  I was always amazed at her willingness to try new things - even at her weakest she was tackling ridiculous obstacles and smiling the whole way through.  I am grateful for the things I have been able to learn about myself because of the relationship I had with her.

Two weeks after she and my dad got engaged, they learned about her cancer - and from that moment on the two of them filled a lifetime into fourteen months.  They traveled all over the world and spent as much time as they possibly could with their loved ones.  Rob and I are especially grateful for all the times they visited us and the opportunity we had to spend so much time with them in Hawaii.  They are memories that we will cherish forever.

Please continue to keep my dad in your thoughts and prayers - I know that all of the support continues to help him through this.

Riding the Heber Valley Creeper June 2009

Hawaii March 2012

Day after their wedding May 2011

Family Camp August 2011

Johnny's wedding March 2009

Indiana Dunes 2011

Tubing March 2010

Alpine Slide June 2009

Video Share

Usually I am just "meh" about the Olympics.

Yes, I realize that makes me 1. un-American and 2. Awful.

No need to rub it in, I just don't get that excited about the whole ordeal...sorry.

Can I win back your faith and love by posting this video?  Because, honestly, it's the happiest the Olympics have ever made me.  Proof that there is a human in here, somewhere!


 
So presh.


 BDEM: Listening to Claire's unforgettable laugh as Rob tickled her little arm-pitties.

One Year Ago...

Claire hated food THIS much:

Yes, this is the same Claire that is often found roaming the house carrying an entire bag of potato chips. This is also the same Claire that is in the 99th percentile for her weight.

 Living proof that miracles do happen...

 and sometimes miracles go too far.

BDEM: My wonderful sister in law and (more importantly) good friend, Lindy, is in town! We loved spending the afternoon visiting with their family - and can't wait to see them again tomorrow!!

Another One Bites the Dust

 ...and only five days after losing the first one.  In her words - being seven is awesome.

And now they are teeth twinners! 

BDEM:  Free Slurpees for the entire family on 7/11?  Oh, heck yes!  They even had a sugar free option for me.  

Busy, Busy, Busy!

Okay....so maybe blogging is becoming a bit of a habit again.  I guess there are worse things that I could take up.  I'll just go with it.

I try...and I mean REALLY TRY to keep my house in pretty decent condition.  It gets messy, obviously - seeing as how I have four kids, but I always like to have the 4pm clean up that resets my sanity.

The 4pm clean up hasn't happened since last Friday.

My house is a PIG STYE.  I honestly cannot walk into a single room without seeing crap everywhere.  Things have just been so crazy busy around here that I haven't had a 4pm (or a 3pm or even a 10pm) since Friday.

This morning I watched some of my darling neighbor's children - and as we stood in my kitchen as she picked them up we could honestly see black footprints (several sets of them) leading from my back door - to my kitchen sink - then back out the door.  I looked at those footprints while standing in front of my full sink of dishes wondering what the heck happened around here.

In most cases neighbors wouldn't even be invited into my home when it looked like this. So today, as I gear up for my evening sweep of the house, I am grateful for friends that just don't judge.  The kind that wouldn't think twice about the footprints/dishes/spilled raisins/overflowing garbage and will just carry on a normal conversation with you as if everything were completely normal.

You're awesome, Jessica.  Totally awesome.

BDEM:  On top of my ridiculous mess, I idiotically decided that TODAY was the day that we needed to take cookies to the local firemen that saved my father-in-law's business.  I whipped up a quadruple batch and Rob and I took the kids over with the pictures they had drawn as a thank you.  Even though it was bad baking timing, the kids had a blast.  The firemen were so nice and showed the kids all over the place - while trying to convince Rob that he really should follow his heart and become a fireman.  I wish I had taken pictures!  

Preview

Oh, man.....I am WASTED tired - and not that I'm blogging every day again - but I feel that I should just put a little something out there from Maddie's party today.  We had nineteen kids here - followed by a trip to seven peaks with my brother and his family....AND to add to my exhaustion, today was the hardest workout in our new program.  (It's called Les Mills Pump - check it out, we love it!)

So I'll wrap up tonight with my favorite shot from all of Maddie's birthday pictures:

I told Rob that if I were a seven year old, I would have loved this party.  I hope all 19 of them felt the same!

BDEM:  Maddie was so grateful for this day.  I'm so happy that everything went well and that she felt like a princess for an afternoon!

Watching Time Fly

Counting Down

Birth Day

First Birthday

Second Birthday 

Third Birthday

Fourth Birthday

Fifth Birthday

Sixth Birthday

Seventh Birthday

Happy Birthday to my beautiful firstborn.   You are the sweetest, kindest and funniest seven year old I have ever met.  I am honored to be your mother and am so proud of the amazing girl you are.  Love you, Sunshine!  

BDEM:  Maddie LOVED her presents.  I was at such a loss as to what to get her (iPad, TV, and dog were all ruled out) but we ended up getting her a new hat, a purse, a kids bop CD, some chapter books and a little clip on light so she can read in her bed at night.  It was a random year, but she couldn't have ben more excited for each gift. 

Even at her messiest...

I can't seem to get enough of this mug.

BDEM:  It's been a crazy day of running around for Maddie's birthday tomorrow, but I think everything is done (for tomorrow at least - Monday will be a whole different story) and I'm feeling good about the way it all came together!  

It's Finally Out!

This tooth has been loose (I kid you not) since before Christmas.

 ...and she couldn't be happier that it happened just three days before her 7th birthday.

GOOD GRIEF - how is she already seven?  Funny how she has aged and yet somehow I am still 23.  Guess I'm just lucky that way!

BDEM:  Her whistling S's as she tried to tell us how exthited thee ith about finally loothing thith tooth!  

And I haven't even missed it...

I really should blog again, huh?  Truth is - it's the last thing on my mind, and when I do remember old buddy-blog, I have no idea what to write about.  How on EARTH did I do this for an entire year?

Send me some ideas - will ya?

Let's end this post with the many faces of Ella Bell.  This kid can't do anything without giggling - then hiccuping.

Show me your happy face

Show me your mean face

Show me your angry face

Show me your serial killer silly face

Show me your tired face

Show me your surprised face

Show me your scary face

I'm going to guess that acting is probably not in her future.  I'm also going to guess that professional hairdressing isn't in mine. 

BDEM:  OH MY HEAVENS!  Best surprise ever when some of my greatest friends (who live in Florida) showed up at my door.  I think I honestly squealed when Ben and Kat pulled up.  I wanted to cry when they drove away.  I have missed them  terribly this summer.  Thanks for the visit - love and miss you guys!  

Yeah, Sure.

Me:  Hey, Maddie - ya know, your birthday is coming up.  What do you want this year?
Maddie:  (After some serious thinking)  I want my own TV.
Me:  Well, that's not happening.
Maddie: {grunt}  Okay, fine.  I'll just take an iPad.

BDEM:  Lunch with my big brother, Derek.  His bff (our brother) Johnny has recently moved away, so I'm doing my best to swoop in at his vulnerable time and break up their brotherly friendship....ensuring that I am everyone's favorite sibling.

Any Guesses?

BDEM:  Family night with the kiddos.

Homemade Hero

The other day Maddie stopped me and said, "Mom, did you know that when I go to my friends' birthday parties their dads don't come?"

I asked, "You mean the dads aren't home?" She said, "No - they are.  They are just doing something else like being on the computer or working or something.  It's so nice that my dad always comes to my birthday parties, isn't it?"

Indeed it is.

It is also so nice that when giving Rob a sentimental gift from his kids, I can guarantee that his reaction will look like this:

I love seeing his "I love my family" tears.  Luckily for me, they come out often.

I cannot even begin to express how much I love this man and the father that he is.

My kids and I couldn't have asked for more.

BDEM:  Above moment.  




A great big thank you to all of the wonderful fathers out there - especially mine.  I am blessed to have several father figures in my life, and I love and appreciate them all.  Love you Dad, David and Ross! 

T-Ball Pros

...pay no attention to the fact that in ALL my pictures, the bat has already swung past the ball that is still sitting on the tee.  Because with the exception of that....I assure you, they are pros.

Prepared Fielders

Check out the gross factor on this pink eye victim.  You should have seen her sneeze - I thought my friend Stacy was going to vomit!  

"I think I look cuter with my hat on sideways - but it's your call, Mom."

Her adorable T-Ball buddy, Makinlee

Cheering on the Fireballs

Almost a homerun

Almost a hit into the innocent fans.

I see a strong future for them both in the major leagues.  

BDEM:  My friend, Katie, hosted a super-cool party for her son - and the three older kids couldn't have been happier.  They must have thanked me ten times for letting them go (as if I have ever said no to someone else entertaining my kids for a couple of hours?!).  

Ode to Oliver

Today I pulled out the old hose and after three weeks, washed away the chalk greeting that has been by our front door.  Anyone that has come over has seen the words, "I love you Oliver" before entering our home.

Kind of a long story, but the quick version is that one day while walking the neighborhood we noticed that the words "I love you Maddie" were by the front door of Oliver's house.  MADDIE WAS ECSTATIC.  She could not stop telling everyone that her boyfriend had written her name outside his front door, so she came home to do the exact same thing to our front door.

I didn't have the heart to tell Maddie that the words in front of Oliver's door were actually written by a friend of Oliver's sister...who just so happens to be named Maddie - and had absolutely nothing to do with her.

So this afternoon as I washed away Maddie's love note, I realized that I hadn't ever blogged about the song that Maddie wrote for Oliver.

It was written at the beginning of the school year - so there are a few slightly misspelled words - but I'm pretty sure you can get the gist of it.  

Apparently it was written at a low point in their relationship.

By: Maddie             Song Colde:  You are the best

Ooooooooo Olivr you are the best.  You are the best in the wold. It yoost to be fine intel I ast you to play end then you said no.  What do I do withoat you?  Ooooooooo Olivr you are the best. The best in the wold.

You should hear her sing it.  The Oooooos are just more than I can take.

BDEM:  In the past 24 hours we have mini golfed, bowled, hit the batting cages, and ridden a 3-D roller coaster for (basically) free.  I love you, pass of all passes!