Spring is coming!!

I haven't blogged for a while, partly because I did not know what to blog about & partly because life was getting a little crazy.  

Today was beautiful so I went outside & took some pictures.  Now I am starting to get spring fever & I know it's too early for me to do that.  Anyway I hope you all enjoy the pics from today!!

Bald Bob

First let me say I'm sorry to my blogging friends.  I have been terrible about keeping up with reading everyone's posts & posting new blogs myself. I will try to do better.

Tuesday my kids got to have a "SNOW DAY"! So, the kids & I went out to play in the snow. We did some sledding, the kids made snow angels & we made a snowman!  At first the kids did not want to build a snowman but I started him & pretty soon Cheyenne started his middle and as we were putting ours together Wesley brought us his head.  We got him all put together (& agreed he was cute) when Wesley chimed in "He's bald", :-) Well we all thought that was funny so we decided to name our snowman "Bald Bob". 

 

Unfortunately I did not get pictures of "Bald Bob" until he had started to melt but I think you can get the idea of him.

 

Crazy Hair!

Today the middle school had crazy hair day so this is what my daughter looked like to head off to school this morning!  We had gotten it all done except I was spraying the color on when she say "now watch today is going to be -Dress like a basketball player day- instead of -crazy hair day- & I'm going to go to school like this"!  As it turned out it was crazy hair day and she said that her hair was crazier than anyone else's! 

This is all for spirit week at school.  They are doing something different everyday this week.  Yesterday the kids were supposed to wear the school colors.

Anyway Cheyenne is having fun with spirit week & some of the high school kids voted that her hair was the best!

It took us about a half hour to achieve this effect & about a half hour to wash & comb it out!! It was fun! 

Weekly cleaning job

A friend of mine had been cleaning houses for people and has recently accepted a secretary job, so she has passed me a couple of her clients (Thank you Iva).  Today was my first day cleaning for the first couple and the plan is for me to go there every Wed. morning to clean.  It took me about an hour longer than it took her but I didn't feel too bad about that since it was my first day & I think that as time goes I will speed up as I get to know the job & the people.  The couple that I am cleaning  for are very nice & I was glad for their patience today as I cleaned for them and got acquainted with the job.  Now the other job that my friend has passed to me is a little less often than that, maybe once per month.  I am looking forward to starting that one also but it will be a little while before I am expected there.  These jobs are exactly what I needed to help us out & to keep my busy through the day while the kids are off at school. I was very nervous this morning & I am very glad that I am done for today and excited for next week (hopefully I can speed things up a bit).

Just to make you smile!

While we were traveling a few years ago (2008) we saw this sign & it made me laugh so I thought I would share it with everyone.  I hope that it at least makes you smile.  I believe this is in Pennsylvania.

Butterfly!!

I came across these when I was looking through some of my digital pics.  I took this a few years ago when Andy & I went to Put-N-Bay.  I was impressed since these were taken with a 4mp camera. I followed this butterfly for a while trying to get a picture of it & I think they turned out pretty good.  I forgot all about it until I found them again.  I hope you all enjoy this small break in winter!

 

Along came..... WESLEY

As if life wasn’t crazy enough…… Andy & I had a son.  This time I would like to introduce you all to Wesley!!

Wesley was born Dec. 28, 2000.  He was born 5 days (that’s right I said F I V E) before Cheyenne’s 2^nd birthday!!  Wesley was a HUGE baby weighing in at 10lbs 1oz.  As it turns out Wesley’s shoulders were 2 inches bigger around than his head so after his head was out he got stuck for 3 minutes.  When he finally was born he was blue & he was not breathing.  This was very scary for me & although exhausted & was crying believing that my baby had died.  During this time I could hear my mid-wife praying as she worked with my baby trying to get him breathing.  He did start breathing & the realization of a miracle was setting in as I impatiently waited to hold my baby.  Wesley was not a “normal” child, as he grew we began to realize that he was a little different.  As it turns out we found that Wesley has some learning disabilities; he is slightly autistic, possibly a little A.D.D. but the final diagnosis was P.D.D.N.O.S (pervasive development disorder not otherwise specified), also he was diagnosed & treated for appraxia (not sure of the spelling)of speech.  This made things interesting.  When Wesley was about 4 we found out that his tonsils & adenoids were so swollen that he was not getting the oxygen that he needed, so off we went to surgery.  About a week after his T&A (tonsil & adenoidectomy) he coughed up the cap that formed & started bleeding from the artery in his throat so off we went to emergency surgery to cauterize the artery.  The lack oxygen from his birth & from the tonsils was the explanation we got for why he has learning disabilities.  Wesley doing very well and has improved greatly.  As time goes on and we keep him socially active with kids his age his disabilities are becoming less obvious. 

Wesley is 10 years old now.  He loves vehicles of all kinds; if it has wheels he is fascinated by it.  He talks about being a truck driver or some other kind of driver when he grows up.  He is very nice & the parents of smaller children at our church tell me all the time how great Wesley is with the little ones & that their (much younger) child thinks Wesley is their best buddy.  He is very patient with the little ones.  Wesley is now learning to play the cello at school and although he struggles a little he is doing very well with it.

I am a very proud parent of both my children & in case you all are wondering we ARE done having babies.  The 2 we have are special and ALL we need.

As always a send off of a few more pics of Wesley…..

Wesley in hi element

couldn't pass up just 1 pic with both my "babies"

This concludes the introduction of my family, I hope everyone has enjoyed getting to know us!

Welcome, Cheyenne!

Now that you have met Andy I would like to introduce the next member of my family, Cheyenne. 

Cheyenne was born Jan. 2, 1999.  I think she was the most beautiful baby I have ever seen (of course I’m a little bias)!  She was sleeping through the night almost right away.  As she grew she was the most well behaved child I have ever seen. In fact my cousin told me that she was exceptional and that she wished a “normal child” on me for my next 1! 

Cheyenne is now 12 years old.  She loves to read, ride her bike, roller skate & so many other active things.  She used to be quite the girly-girl but has settled into being kind of a mixture of girly-girl and tomboy.  It has been an adventure watching her grow into the beautiful young lady she now is.  She has a generous loving heart & is very responsible for her age.  She is hoping to start baby-sitting soon & I can't believe that she is old enough to even consider it!

I am a very proud parent!!

And to wrap things up a few pics to watch Cheyenne grow....

and she def. knows how to pout

Andy

I finished the bathroom project and was at a loss as to what to blog about then I thought that I need to introduce my family.  I should have started with this but somehow I managed to skip it & start with the bathroom. 

The first member of my family I want to introduce to you is Andy (the book nut).  Andy is my loving husband; as some of you know.  Andy & I have been married for 12 ½ years.  He & I went on our first date Feb. 15, 1998; that day changed our lives.  We spent every day together after that & were married on July 24, 1998. 

Andy loves books, computers & model trains, but most of all he loves us, his family.  The kids & I are #1 above everything and he lets us know that every day in so many ways. 

Andy is always in a good mood!  We have been married for many years & I can count on 1 hand the times I have seen him in a bad mood & even when he has been upset he doesn’t let it affect me & the kids.  We have a friend that told us that she couldn’t picture him mad because every time she looks at him she sees “puppy dogs & rainbows”.   

This is only a small glimpse of who Andy is.  

Here are a few more pics to show a little of who he is....

he LOVES maple syrup!

reading, of course

we went to "The BIG Apple"

maybe a little tired but never grumpy