BELIEVE

just what the doctor ordered

2012-01-27T13:09:00.000-06:00

We've all been sick around here for the past week...cough, fever, aches, headache...and, as usual, big M is all about making you feel better. Last night she hand delivered a special get well painting.

just what I needed

thank you!

♥

today's the day

2012-01-23T00:01:00.034-06:00

On this day two years ago, Shelby and Mike were married.

Here are some of my favorite photos from that day...

Shelby and Amber having a spa morning...three of the cutest flower girls ever {Maddie, Maci and Lily}, and my two beautiful daughters on one of the happiest days of my life.

Look at Maci's curls. As we arrived at the airport earlier that week, we watched as her hair shrunk into tight corkscrew curls. Funny what a LOT of humdity can do!

And these are my favorite photos of the wedding and reception...Maddie letting the sand sift through her fingers, Dave with Shelby and the girlies, Amber holding Maci, the pile of sandals on the beach, the guys at the reception and the beautiful terrace setting where the reception was held.

What a beautiful wedding...

Always put each other first...

remember what falling in love felt like...

and, most importantly, always respect each other.

Happy Anniversary!

May your marriage be blessed with love to last a lifetime.

♥

the day before...

2012-01-22T00:01:00.002-06:00

it was a tropical paradise!

♥

the welcome reception

2012-01-21T00:01:00.003-06:00

and some of our closest friends came to help us celebrate

♥

flashback friday

2012-01-20T14:36:00.001-06:00

january 20, 2010

dreams resort
punta cana

dominican republic

ahhhhhh.....

♥

princess birthday party

2012-01-17T00:28:00.000-06:00

Monday was Martin Luther King day which meant I had the day off so I asked if my girlies could come for part of the day. They arrived bright and early and they brought their portable Princess chest. Now, when they got it for Christmas and I saw all the bajillion pieces, I thought there was no way anyone would put all those pieces together! I was wrong. Mommy and the girls spent one day putting all the little pieces where they belonged and the end result was pretty awesome.

First, this is the mood miss Maci came in. She was craaanky and all she wanted was to have anything Maddie had.

Luckily, Maddie was in a little better mood.

This is the Playmobil Princess birthday party set. It has two sides that open up so both girls could play with it at the same time.

Maddie played on the outside...

and Maci played on the inside...

See all those roses? Bows? Garland? The feather in the prince's hat? His sword? Each tiny piece had to be put together!

Good thing my girlies have patience! But I think this is an adorable set and they love playing with it.

When you're all done, you just close up the sides and carry it by the handle on top!

♥

thank you, Britta!

2012-01-16T00:22:00.000-06:00

On Christmas Day we had a few more gifts to open. These were from Britta. She sent so many gifts...

Britta, thank you for everything. You have no idea how much we miss you. xoxo

♥

make a wish

2012-01-15T00:01:00.003-06:00

One of Maddie's Christmas gifts was a bracelet making kit. I immediately invited Maddie over for a bracelet making day! I love doing that kind of stuff! So, on New Year's Day, Maddie came over and we decided we'd first have lunch and then we'd start our bracelets. The plan was that she would make one and I would make one.

Well, making our first bracelet was hard! There were square and circle foam "patterns" with slits to put your yarn. We had to measure out the yarn and then place it strategically on the foam pattern. And then it was time to start making the bracelet. I criss-crossed the yarn while Maddie watched and then she did it. Sometimes in the beginning we'd have to go back and re-do what she did but she did it!

And it ONLY TOOK FIVE HOURS! Seriously!

Needless to say, we only made once bracelet but now that we've done one, the next ones will be easy. There are so many patterns we can make and I do believe we made the hardest one!

Here's her pattern. Initially, this was supposed to be for mommy...purple, pink, black and silver. By the time we got done, we found the bracelet wasn't long enough so it ended up being Maddie's bracelet.

\

I was really glad to find that Maddie loved doing it. She's gonna be a crafty girl. And she's a patient girl. Patience is the name of the game, you know!

And here is her bracelet two weeks later! It's still holding strong. She made a wish and when the bracelet falls off, she is hoping her wish comes true!

♥

a Kelly Rae Christmas

2012-01-13T00:01:00.004-06:00

There was only one thing I asked for for Christmas. Anything Kelly Rae.

And then, just before Christmas, Kelly Rae announced she was selling out her online store and it would close soon. I secretly hoped someone saw her announcement. I think I sent her email to at least one of my family members... hint, hint...time is running out!

Well, imagine my surprise when I opened Dave's gift. Inside were FIVE, count'em, FIVE Kelly Rae frames! Needless to say, I was thrilled. But the REAL story was that when Mr Waittilthelastminute tried to order online, he couldn't. He waited too long. So, with the help of one of his little elves (Amber), they contacted Kelly Rae. Yes, she still had some items. So Dave told her how much he wanted to spend and Kelly Rae's assistant said she'd take care of it. She picked out what she thought I would like and shipped it. So... as I was opening my gift, everyone else was on the edge of their seats waiting to see what I got, too!

I love Kelly Rae. I wish I was 30 and she was my best friend :) That's how much I love her! There is not one thing she has in her collection that I simply do not love! And now, she is coming out with a home decor line... omy...you should see the couch!

Anyway, here are my frames!

And then I opened Shelby's gift and I LOVED IT... it was a Kelly Rae memory box. It was full of photos of my favorite little man!

And the best part of this is that is little Luke's hand clutching my necklace.

Thank you...thank you...thank you!

♥

gifts for my sweet things

2012-01-11T00:20:00.000-06:00

Baby Luke got the cuddliest gifts this Christmas. Our gift to our grandkids for their first Christmas has always been a 'my first chair.' This year they had a sherpa cover and, oh boy, is it ever soft! Luke loved it. As it turned out, Luke's auntie Andra got him the same chair with a different cover. I took my chair back and just gave him the cover so momma has an extra cover.

Luke's other gift was his little rocking lamb. We wanted to get him a rocking pony in the worst way but it was only available online and I absolutely refuse to pay PBK shipping fees! I think he is a bit small for the rocking lamb but it won't be long til he's riding it "yee haw" just like Maci rode hers.

I have never given Legos a second thought until this year. Amber mentioned that Maci loves playing on the Lego table at the library so I started taking notice. This is the Lego table we got for the girls...mainly Maci... and, boy, did this gramma have fun putting the house together!

Miss Maddie is all grown up this year. My gift to her was a refurbished jewelry box. This wasn't just any jewelry box! It was her mommy's jewelry box. Here it is when I first started....

and here it is all done!

Maddie also got an ipod shuffle from Uncle Mike and Aunt Shelby. Shelb said Mike has wanted to get her one for a long time and she finally thought she might be old enough. Well, Maddie opened it and said, "Am I old enough for this?" I think the answer was 'yes.' Maddie listened to it all night long.

♥

no words necessary

2012-01-06T00:01:00.000-06:00

♥

my baby is 30!

2012-01-05T00:01:00.004-06:00

I find it amazing how your children can grow up right before your eyes. I have loved watching my youngest grow up and bring two of the most precious things into this world, our M&m's. And I'm so proud of the mother she has become.

I know turning 30 has a sort of stigma to it. If only we could know at 30 what we know at 50...or 56 :) Age is only a number. I remember turning 30 but I don't believe it was as traumatic as turning 40. By the time I turned 50, I didn't care anymore. Just give 30 a chance, Amber. I think you'll like it!

The birthday girl and her beautiful girlies...

Amber, this is my wish for you...and I believe it was my wish for you last year, too...

Comfort on difficult days, smiles when sadness intrudes, rainbows to follow the clouds, laughter to kiss your lips, sunsets to warm your heart, hugs when spirits sag, beauty for your eyes to see, friendships to brighten your being, faith so that you can believe, confidence for when you doubt, courage to know yourself, patience to accept the truth, Love to complete your life.

For Christmas, I made my girls "lucky stars." Lucky stars are strips of paper on which a message is written and then the strips are folded and shaped into stars.

I made each of my girls 52 stars..one for each week for the next year.

Amber opened her first star this week. It said "I wish you love."

Happy birthday, Amber

♥love, mom

p.s. this post wouldn't be complete without a little Maddie story. The girls are coming here for supper tonight. I asked Amber what she wanted. She said tater-tot casserole. Well, when Maddie was here last weekend, I said,"your mommy said she wants tater-tot casserole for her birthday supper but I don't think that's a very special meal, do you?" Maddie said, "tacos, mommy loves tacos. I don't like tacos but I would eat them for mommy's birthday." love her. So we're having tater-tot casserole AND tacos. yum.

my mommy's birthday

2012-01-04T00:01:00.001-06:00

Today is my mom's 75th Birthday!
I don't think she looks like she's 75!

♪♫ happy birthday to you ♪♫

♫♪ happy birthday to you ♫♪

♫♪ happy birthday dear grandma Wanda ♫♪

♫ HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! ♪♫

♥

2012

2012-01-01T00:01:00.002-06:00

♥

a gift from the ♥

2011-12-31T00:01:00.022-06:00

Maddie came home with me one Saturday morning before Christmas because we were going to go buy mommy a Christmas present.

On the way home, Maddie said, "I think I know what mommy would like." I asked, "what?" She said, "she would like a present from me, not a present from a store." "Ok, what do you mean?" Maddie said, "I think she would like love and peace and listening." {and I SWEAR those were her words} I wasn't quite understanding what she meant, though.

She said she wanted to get an empty box and give it to mommy and then tell her that inside was love and peace and listening. I asked her, "what do you mean, listening?" "Well, mommy likes it when I listen so I will give her listening."

Oh man... talk about being slapped in the face with humility. Here is a five year old telling me she wanted to give the greatest gift of all to her mommy - a gift from her heart, not something she could buy in a store.

So we came home and talked about her gift. She wanted a pretty box and then I had an idea to make a box with some pretty paper. So we got online and I found a video tutorial on how to fold paper to make a box. So Maddie and I sat in the breakfast nook, playing and pausing the video until we folded two pieces of paper into a box with a lid. It turned out very cute. Maddie was thrilled.

Maddie then wanted to cut hearts and flowers out of paper and put them in the box. I told her we could make them even prettier by using glitter. So she made the heart shapes with glue and I glittered them. This was the love. I helped her make a peace sign for peace. And then I asked her what we should do about listening. She said, "we can make a star." So we made a star for listening. After all the shapes dried, I cut them out for her and we put them in the box.

Here is mommy opening the box and Maddie is telling her about 'listening.'

Maddie is telling mommy about the shapes and what they mean.

mommy loved it.

what a big heart maddie has and that's why i love her so much!

♥

the best handmade gifts

2011-12-30T00:01:00.004-06:00

There were some gifts that I received from my girls that were extra special to me. First of all, Amber totally surprised Shelby and me with her creativity! She made each of us a tea towel...yep, from scratch! She bought the fabric, cut it and hemmed it and made a towel! i.love.it.

And as if that wasn't enough, she etched our names and a design on a baking dish.

She also made us coffee cozies which are ADORABLE and I have been using mine every day. And it's even reversible!

And finally, she made the cutest little card holders...just right to put your driver's license and a credit card in. Perfect for when I just need to run somewhere without taking my purse.

And from Shelby, I got a Christmas ornament... not just any ornament but a plaster cast of Luke's perfectly chubby little hand! You can see how he scrunched up his fingers and really 'dug in' to the paster. I love it!

and then there was Amber's gift to Mike. Well, Mike is a Michigan State fan and not so much an Iowa fan so you can imagine his underhisbreath murmur when he saw the fleece blanket Amber made for him! But, as you can see from Shelby's face, she could see the BEST part of Mike's blanket...

the Michigan State side!

Such awesome gifts and so much love put into each and every one of them...the best kind of presents!

♥

the best picture of the night

2011-12-29T00:01:00.004-06:00

Our girlies love to play dress up so when they opened a gift from Auntie Shelby and Uncle Mike and saw it was a treasure chest full of dress up clothes they literally went berserk!

They jumped up and down and then Maci ran to Maddie and they hugged each other til they fell over!

I'm not sure they had even seen what exactly they were excited about because at this point grampa and mommy were still trying to get it open!

All M&m knew was that it was a chest full of princess dresses!

Then they ran to Mike to tell him thank you. He was feeding Luke at that moment but I think this was the best picture of the night. I love how you can tell Maci was squeezing with all her might. This was a heart-felt thank you!

Shelby and Mike...I think you know how happy you made two little girls!

I think it was the gift of the night!
{well, okay, ONE of the best gifts of the night}

♥

Luke's 1st Christmas

2011-12-28T00:01:00.001-06:00

It was baby Luke's first Christmas and we were so happy that he got to spend it here with us! The Adams family arrived late afternoon on Thursday. They stayed with Auntie Amber and cousins Maddie and Maci. I think it's great that Amber wants to have them stay with her but it does cut down on gramma time! We went over for supper Thursday night and Amber made Britta's paprika chicken. Yum... Britta, we missed you and were very thankful for your paprika sauce!

Luke has grown but he is smaller in real life than he looks in his pictures! Here he is before his bath. He was infatuated with his belly. His Luke chair is courtesy Auntie Andra. I didn't know she got it for him and she didn't know I did, too! My cover was different as you'll see so Shelby kept it so she'll have a spare when one is being washed.

On Friday, we went to Rockwell City to see Great-Grandma Lois. She just got home this week after a hospital stay and a short stay in the nursing home. It was good to see her and I know she enjoyed seeing Luke, Maddie and Maci. Afterward, we stopped at Roby's and Luke got to see Ella again. They are the youngest of the Hoyt and Roby families.

Christmas Eve came and we had lunch at Amber's and then an early Candy Cane Service at church. This year it was at 4 p.m. which was perfect so we could get home and open presents. Luke got lots of noisy toys and we gave him his sherpa chair cover and his PBK rocking lamb.

Unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures at church but the funniest thing happened. Luke has the most high pitched, shrill shriek I have ever heard in my life. Well, at one point in the service, it was very quiet and all of a sudden, Luke let out his shriek! I know every person in church turned to see where it came from. After that, Shelby gave Luke a paci {which he never takes} and he decided to just go to town on it. The whole row behind us was laughing at his noisy smacking.

Luke is standing on his own and I so wanted to see him walk before he left but no such luck. It will happen very soon as his balance is amazing. He can lean waaay back without falling over. He cruises everywhere...he just needs to figure out that he moves one foot and then the other!

Here we are with our favorite Christmas presents...

and Maddie had to show how big she is and how well she can hold Luke.

&gt

And finally, Luke looking like he might be up to something...

BUSTED!!

Luke's time here went way too fast. I miss him so much and can't wait to see him again.

♥

catching up

2011-12-27T00:01:00.000-06:00

Well, only one week until the end of another year and I have so much to catch up on. As most people know, this blog is actually a gift to my grandchildren. Stories of our lives the way we live them so someday they might pick up one of my blog books and read what life was like when they were little. I can't imagine what I might have learned if my Nana had done something like this! I love documenting the things my girlies say and, someday, hope to document the same for our little man, Luke. Hopefully, there will be more grandbabes to come and I will be around to tell stories about them, too.

So this brings me to Christmas... we've had a month of celebrating... the Santa Express, helping our girlies get a tree, a visit to Santa, school programs, making Christmas cookies, grampa bringing Santa to town, the Christmas Pageant...to all of us being together this year...whew! No wonder I'm tired!

Two things I haven't yet posted - Maddie's elementary school Christmas program and grampa bringing Santa to town! So here goes...

Honestly, it has been a long time since grampa and I were in the middle school gym for any reason. Our girls went to middle school there and it's been eleven years since Amber graduated high school so you can just calculate how many years since we were in there for any reason. Maddie's elementary Christmas program was held in the old middle school gym this year and walking in was like deja vu!

there she is way down in front!

Maddie's two biggest fans...

chatting with her friends before the concert starts...

a full house! {can you tell I put two pictures together!?}

she is growing up way too fast!

getting all lined up...

the Kindergartners were awesome!

and it is amazing to see what teachers can do with kids in just a few short months! The program was excellent and all the kids did such a good job! We are looking forward to many years of school programs!

Last weekend, Santa stopped by our house to hitch a ride into town. Unfortunately, even though grampa was asked ahead of time to do this, it wasn't publicized so none of the kids in town knew Santa was going to be riding around the square on his way to the library! There were only two little girlies {and their mommy} who were fortunate enough to get to ride to the library that day. Grampa and Santa stopped by the church to pick them up after their program rehearsal and they rode to the library with Santa.

Santa arrives at the barn...

heading to the library...

picking up some special girlies...

causing a traffic jam...

hi, gramma!

the library Santa

Santa and my girlies

♥

T.D.A.C.

2011-12-26T00:06:00.000-06:00

It's The Day After Christmas and I'm pooped.

♥

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T23:17:00.000-06:00

This was probably the best 30 seconds of our entire weekend. I was so happy to have all three sweet things together and my only wish was to get a picture of us with them!

I hope you had a blessed Christmas and were able to spend it with the ones you love.

♥

Christmas Eve Last Year

2011-12-24T01:06:00.000-06:00

This is what we were doing last Christmas Eve Day. The snow was perfect that day for a sleigh ride. Dave drove the horses across town and picked up Amber and the girls and Britta.

Here's hoping you are spending Christmas Eve this year with those you love.

♥

flashback friday

2011-12-23T00:01:00.001-06:00

december 23, 2010

♥

they're on their way!

2011-12-22T00:01:00.001-06:00

Yep, Luke will be here today! I barely remember the last time we saw him in the flesh. He has changed so much and i can.not.wait.to.see.him!

Luke is now 7 1/2 months old. He is standing on his own now and it is my mission to see him walk before he goes home after Christmas!

Here's our little sweetpea the last time we saw him in September...

In September, he was just learning to rock on his hands and knees.

And here he is today...

He has been cruising for a while now and is standing on his own.

I am SO looking forward to a long weekend with all THREE of my sweet things.

♥

let me call you sweetheart

2011-12-21T00:01:00.002-06:00

Maddie said, 'gramma why do you call grampa sweetheart?"

"Well, that's just what I call him."

"I thought that sweetheart was just for kids."

♥

the best Christmas pageant ever

2011-12-20T00:08:00.002-06:00

Sunday morning was the kid's program at church. Now we've attended many, many Christmas programs at our church but this was a PAGEANT! Complete with awesome costumes and a real set and a real baby Jesus. There was only one small incident and that was when Mary was carrying baby Jesus and tripped but she caught herself and didn't drop baby Jesus and the show went on! I'm sure baby Jesus' mommy had a slight heart attack!

Of course, we went to see our girlies. They were sheep and they were adorable.

the Confirmation Class sang some tobyMac...Christmas This Year

while the shepherds watch from the sidelines...

Miss Maci had the best seat in the house...

and then the high school girls came out. And there is a reason I didn't get a picture of them. It was because they made me bawl like a baby. And I couldn't stop. They sang "Grown Up Christmas List." That is one of my favorite Christmas songs and the words just hit me like a brick. It started out with those great big tears that swell up in your eyes and then you blink and the dam opens.

No more lives torn apart

That wars will never start

And time will heal our hearts

And every man will have a friend

That right will always win

And love will never end

This is my grown up Christmas list

I know I freaked some people out - they probably thought I'd lost it. Well, I did, for a short time but soon I gained my composure back and enjoyed the rest of the show...

singing Away in the Manger

All the animals were invited up to see baby Jesus...

and one little lamb found a really nice place to take a rest

two of my favorite lambs

and our Maddie lamb who is taking everything to heart this year

Pastor Vicki with the entire cast.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

♥

Nana's cookies

2011-12-19T00:01:00.001-06:00

This weekend I invited my girlies over to make Christmas cookies. These aren't just any cookie, they are my Nana's famous {secret recipe} Christmas sugar cut out cookies. When Nana was alive, she was known for her Christmas cookies. Everyone wanted to be lucky enough to get a box of her decorated cookies. They were so beautiful, you didn't want to eat them. I've never attempted making them for two reasons - a) i hate baking cookies and 2) it looks too hard.

Well, I will do anything for my girlies so I invited them over and we made Nana's cookies and I was right...it was hard and I hate baking cookies! Even so, it was fun, messy, stressful, hilarious, sticky, and the start of a yearly tradition!

I whipped up the cookie dough in the morning and by afternoon, we were ready to roll...literally.

I helped the girls get started and we rolled, cut, baked and frosted. It didn't take long for them to get a bit bored with the whole process and eventually wanted to just "play" with their dough.

I found that Maddie is the messy one... she had flour everywhere, sugar everywhere, frosting on everything, and wanted to taste every cookie she frosted!

Maci was a bit more deliberate. She knew exactly what she wanted to do and wanted no help doing it!

Maci's base frosting color was yellow {because that's my favowit color, gramma!}. The girls also discovered that red hots are just that - RED HOT! One taste and they had me running {HURRY, GRAMMA!)}to the kitchen for water!

Grampa pooped out on the picture taking and by the time we were done, he was sawing logs on the couch. We had to take our own picture - 20 pictures later and we had one fairly good one!

And here they are....

I BELIEVE they are almost as beautiful as Nana's ♥

♥

The Twelve Days of Christmas

2011-12-17T00:01:00.001-06:00

A friend sent me the following. I found it most interesting!

From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics. It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church. Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality which the children could remember.

-The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.

-Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments.

-Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.

-The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John.

-The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.

-The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.

-Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit ~

Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy.

-The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.

-Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit ~

Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control.

-The ten lords a-leaping were the ten commandments.

-The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.

-The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed.

♥

flashback friday

2011-12-16T07:04:00.000-06:00

December 16, 2010

♥

how does your family handle gift giving at Christmas?

2011-12-15T00:01:00.001-06:00

I'm curious. How does your family exchange gifts at Christmas? Do you buy gifts for everyone? Do you draw names? Do you have a dollar limit? Do you only buy for the kids?

Last year it was suggested we draw names. No way could I do that! I couldn't just give one gift to one person! And the kids didn't want to leave us out of the gift exchange.

So, what do you do? And if you do only give to one person, how do you feel about it?

In addition to Christmas, we have two birthdays.

I really have mixed feelings about changing the way we do gifts, but I also realize that we should do it differently. If we had a larger family, it might be easier to change.

So, tell me what YOU do?!

♥

M

2011-12-14T00:01:00.021-06:00

Tonight I watched the girls for a bit while Amber went to a meeting. Every time I stay with them I am amazed at what a routine they have. They don't need anyone to take care of them; they just need someone to supervise!

We finished supper and I was cleaning up the kitchen and Maddie wanted to help. I let her help and she was wiping off the counter and she said, "oh gramma, I love to clean. Do you like to clean?"

"No, Maddie, I don't like to clean at all!"

She said, "Well, you should invite me over!"

She's right. I should.

**********

The other night, grampa and I asked Maddie what she's learning in school. "Oh nothing."

Mommy said, "tell gramma and grampa what you're learning this week."

"I'm learning to count by 10s and I'm counting pennies."

"Maddie! That's great! We're so proud of all you're learning in school!"

She said, "Oh, it's no big deal."

**********

And here's Maddie at dance. She is doing really good even though one night she said to me, "Gramma, I don't like dance so much. I'd rather sing and color." I love a girl who knows what she wants.

warming up...

learning the routine...

circle of friends...

tappin' feet...

cute, cute, cute!

♥

mosaic monday

2011-12-12T00:01:00.002-06:00

♥

O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!

2011-12-11T15:41:00.002-06:00

We had the pleasure of going with our girlies to pick out their Christmas tree. What a yucky, cold, dreary day it was.

We went to a new farm this year.

The girls had to check out every.single.tree.

Even the trees that were not for sale...

They finally found the perfect tree...

Oh wait! THIS is the perfect tree!

All that's left after choppin' it down and loading it up!

On the way out, we had to stop to see the "donkey with the cross."

The lady at the tree farm told us there is a legend that the donkey was marked with a cross after carrying Jesus into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.

We headed home and Amber got her tree up.
And there's Maci....always on the move...

Yep, it takes teamwork to get a tree decorated!

and it's oh, so worth it! Ta-da!

♥

a visit to Santa

2011-12-10T00:54:00.000-06:00

Last weekend, Amber took the girls to see Santa. She sent me the pictures. Even though I wasn't there, I can tell exactly how it went....

Maci: "and I want a Barbie and...."

Maci: "jeez, hurry up Maddie, I wasn't finished telling Santa what I wanted."

Maddie: "Maci talks too much."

Santa: "Does your sissy always talk this much?"

I think they were both happy with their visit to Santa.

As I was looking at these pictures, Santa looked vaguely familiar. So I found the pictures of Maddie's first visit to Santa...

I believe he might be the same Santa!

♥

flashback friday

2011-12-09T00:09:00.000-06:00

December 9, 2009

♥

The Santa Express

2011-12-08T00:06:00.001-06:00

On Thanksgiving weekend, grampa and I decided to surprise the girlies with a trip to the North Pole on the Santa Express. We had supper at Hickory Park and then headed to Boone. When we got there, the train station was packed full of people and we were even a half hour early! We got in and got our tickets and then stood in line waiting for the conductor to let us on the train.

Miss Maci is such a stinker. She would not look at the camera!

Ha! Gotcha!

Maddie was happy to pose. The girls wore their jammies and took their favorite blankies for their ride to the North Pole.

We crossed the Kate Shelley bridge... 190 feet above the Des Moines River. I was so thankful it was dark and we couldn't see how high we were!

We got to the North Pole. And you can imagine who was waiting for us there!

Some passengers anxiously awaiting you-know-who

Here he comes!

What blue eyes you have, Santa!

All the good boys and girls got a bell.
Of course, only those who BELIEVE could hear its jingle.

We then headed back to Boone with hot cocoa and cookies.

♥

wordless wednesday

2011-12-07T15:09:00.000-06:00

♥

growing up

2011-12-01T00:01:00.003-06:00

Well, I have a computer now and after spending a month giving thanks, I'm a bit behind on all my picture posting!

On Tuesdays, my girlies usually stop over after school. It's the only night I have to see them as every other night of the week is busy for them. Usually, Maddie wants to see if she's grown...I measure her on the wall and she's so excited if the line gets higher. On this night, she immediately put on my reading glasses. They are very weak so I don't think they hurt but I really don't like her to wear them. But she looks so darned cute in them! I don't think she looks like a five year old...more like she's ten going on 16?!

Then there's Miss Maci. She totally into comfort these days. She calls these her comfy clothes. She's growing, too, but I do believe she has hollow bones that are filling up. I think she is going to be a forever skinny girl. She moves constantly and never really is quiet {nice way of saying "she n.e.v.e.r. shuts up}. I'm sure she burns each and every calorie the minute it goes in her mouth.

I often think of my Nana and I know now how she felt having us live right next door to her for 14 years. She must've been in heaven ♥

♥

thankful

2011-11-30T00:01:00.004-06:00

Well, I made it through a whole month of thanks and I didn't say thanks for diet Pepsi, my kindle FIRE, SugarPlum sugarcakes, music, Kelly Rae, frosted flakes, Noah, Britta, DQ, my Canon, my Laid Back Lilies, orange chicken, honey nut Cheerios, pasta, Olive Garden, non-drowsy Alavert, Sonic Berry Lemon slush, Arbana, rainy days, my many bracelets, flip flops, my PEACE pieces, Adele, peanut butter fudge... the list goes on and on.

What I AM thankful for every day is the love of my family, my health, the roof over my head, the food on my table, the friends who support me, my faith and that I BELIEVE. I am thankful for every second I get to spend with my girlies and sweet pea. I am blessed beyond words.

♥

thankful for mr adams

2011-11-29T00:01:00.003-06:00

Well, on this next to the last day of thanks, I am going to toot Mr Adams' horn. Mike is my son-in-law. Husband to Shelby. Daddy to Luke. Now before he goes getting a humongous head, I have to say he has his moments. He can be a bit of a prankster and sometimes thinks he's smarter than me {which is impossible}. But I have to say that I am most thankful for the husband and father he has been.

Mike definitely scores high in the daddy department. He is so much help to Shelby and has truly been a hands-on daddy! And I love him so much for that. And he does a pretty darned good job of taking care of our Shelb.

So, on this 29th Day of Thanks, I am thankful for our son-in-law, Mike. Thank you for loving Shelby and for taking such good care of your family.

♥

thankful for my mother-in-law

2011-11-28T00:01:00.004-06:00

Well, grandma Lois was on my list of thankfuls and I just hadn't gotten to her yet but today seems like the perfect day to give thanks for her.

Lois raised five boys and a girl. Wowza. And those boys weren't easy! I'm sure she's seen it all. Lois is a whiz when it comes to computers. She even has a facebook account!

On this day, I'm keeping grandma Lois in my prayers. She has been sick and today will undergo a test for an enlarged bile duct. She was transferred to Mercy Hospital in Des Moines over the weekend. I'm praying that everything turns out okay and that it is just a stone that can be flushed out and she'll be fine.

So, on this 28th day of thanks, I'm thankful for you, Lois. I pray that everything comes back okay and you'll be home in no time!

♥

thankful for my sense of humor

2011-11-27T00:01:00.001-06:00

I definitely inherited my sense of humor from my nana. I have a wicked nasty sense of humor sometimes and my girls keep me from being totally wicked nasty most times.

I guess when I'm nasty, it's because I'm pushed to the brink. Maybe it could not even be considered humor. I recently exercised my right to my wicked nasty humor and within minutes had a call that it was just too much.

Be thankful if you've never seen my nasty side. I'm thankful I have it.

♥

thankful for sleepovers

2011-11-26T00:01:00.005-06:00

with my oldest sugarplum, big M.

I just love having Maddie sleep over. At five, it's still a battle to get her to sleep because she doesn't want to go to sleep. But when she's here, she gets to sleep on the couch like I did at my nana's when I was little. So going to bed tonight went like this: we were both lying on the love seat... she is squirmy and talky. And that is what I love...lying in the dark talking. She tells me anything and everything. Then we ended up on the floor with lots of pillows and blankets. This didn't last long. Finally we end up on the big couch together. She can't get comfy. She is at one end; I'm at the other. Then she is on top of me. Then she's upside down kicking her feet back and forth "because that's what makes me go to sleep." Then she went and got mommy's sweater vest that mommy left here. Maddie says, "When I have mommy's stuff, I sniff it like this because it smells like her."

She was out almost instantly.

♥

thankful for online shopping

2011-11-25T00:00:00.000-06:00

because NO WAY would I go Black Friday shopping! Shopping is bad enough on a normal day let alone shopping with all the crazies out there running as soon as the doors open.

If you're a Black Friday shopper, what fantabulous deals did you get?

♥

thankful thankful

2011-11-24T00:01:00.004-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving to my friends and family!
I am blessed beyond words and so thankful for all I have.

♥

thankful for wordless wednesday

2011-11-23T00:01:00.002-06:00

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i interrupt my daily thanks for this public service announcement

2011-11-22T15:11:00.001-06:00

I came across this today. So many times we tell our girlies that "sticks and stones..." you know the chant. Well, this really hit home today and I'd like to repost it here - for all my girlies, my friends, coworkers, everyone... it's never too early to teach our girls to take care of themselves.

Hurtful Words

by Pat Gaudette

Verbal abuse can leave lasting scars

"Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never harm me" -- African Proverb

Most of us were probably taught that little chant when we were fairly young. Words can't hurt. Ignore them. Let them slide off your back. Maybe one of your parents repeated them to you when you came home in tears because someone in school called you "fatso," or "stupid," or "fag." Maybe the incident, which may have been one of many, was brushed off as "just kid's play," nothing to be concerned about. And so the next time you just hung your head and kept on going, maybe with that little chant playing in your mind.

If you had gone home with scratches and bruises from sticks and stones you might have returned to school the next day accompanied by an indignant parent. The kid who hurt you may have been reprimanded. Your injury wouldn't have been too trivial to ignore.

And that's the difference between the damage caused by physical abuse, which leaves visible marks, and verbal abuse, which marks the victim on the inside. Unlike the marks of physical abuse which will heal, the damage from verbal abuse can compound to cause serious emotional damage to its victim. Anger, depression, and low self-esteem can be products of verbal abuse. And they can last a lifetime.

But not every hurtful word will cause the same type of pain. Something said by a stranger won't have nearly the effect as the same thing said by someone you trust, someone you love, someone you want to please, someone you want to like you—a parent, your spouse, a best friend, an employer. Because the words come from someone you respect you take them to heart and begin to believe they're true. You must be worthless. You must be stupid. They're only words but they're said by somone who knows just which words to use and in what tone to cause you the most pain. And when you hear them said enough times, it becomes easier to believe they're true. You're worthless and stupid.

The most calculating verbal abusers may be friendly and charming to most of the people who know them. Most abusers won't hurl their hurtful words at you when witnesses are around, they will wait until it's just the two of you before unleashing yet more words meant to damage. Living with a verbal abuser keeps you off-balance. They can be extremely pleasant one minute and bitingly vicious the next. They may lash out in anger or refuse to speak to you for days on end until you don't know which is worse, the words or the silence. Either way, it's all your fault. You deserved whatever treatment you got. Who could possibly be expected to love someone as insignificant and inferior as you?

Verbal abuse will cause you to doubt yourself, your abilities, your own judgment. Verbal abuse will make you feel insecure and vulnerable, powerless and depressed. No matter how much you try to please, nothing you do will ever be enough to stop the abuse. My first marriage was extremely abusive but it wasn't until I got away from it I realized just how abusive it really was. There were never any bruises, or black eyes, or broken arms. The abuse built up over the years, wrapping around me like heavy chains. When I finally got the courage to walk out of my first marriage it was as though I'd been freed from solitary confinement.

If you're being verbally abused, get help. Call an abuse hotline or join a support group. Get counseling to help uncover and heal the scars. If the wounds are deep enough, they may stay with you for life, but you don't have to stay in an abusive relationship for life, even if it requires distancing yourself from an abusive parent or divorcing an abusive spouse.

If only healing from verbal abuse was as easy as healing from the damage of sticks and stones.

Take care of yourself.

♥

thankful for Dell.com

2011-11-22T00:01:00.001-06:00

because my laptop is officially dead. So until I get a new computer, no pictures...guess I'll be putting my Kindle Fire to some good use...tomorrow... delivery date November 23.

but for today, I'm thankful for dell.com

I'm checking out my options.

♥

thankful for technology

2011-11-21T00:01:00.005-06:00

What on earth did we do before the internet...before cell phones...before Facebook...before Skype...before wireless connections...before FaceTime...before Twitter...before text messages...before online shopping...before gps...

...the list goes on and on.

Today I am thankful for technology. Sometimes I think things are moving at such a fast pace, it's scary. But I love that I can message my daughter while watching tv, find my way via GPS, Skype with my sweetpea who lives in Chicago, text my sweetheart when he's on his way home and ask him to pick something up for me, do all my Christmas shopping without having to step foot in a store and connect with old friends via Facebook!

So today, I am thankful for technology. I wonder what it will be like five years from now?

♥

thankful for puffs and big M

2011-11-20T00:01:00.001-06:00

I'm sneezing my head off today. I don't know if it's because everyone is burning today or what but I can't stop sneezing!

Tonight Maddie was here. She asked me "what is making you sneeze, gramma?" I said, "I'm not sure!" She said, "it has to be something near you... is it me?" {oh sweet Maddie...) "No, it's not you!" She said, "is it my perfume?" {LOL - she got a squirt of mommy's new perfume today} "No, it's not your perfume." I said, "maybe it's grampa!" Oh boy, she thought that was so funny.

Later, grampa was in the bedroom watching football and I started sneezing. Maddie's eyes got big and she said, "GRAMMA! It's NOT grampa!" She said, "I think you better see the doctor."

I love that girl.

♥

thankful for my job

2011-11-19T00:01:00.002-06:00

Almost 24 years ago, I started working for the State Health Registry. It was January 5, 1988 when I started. I can remember that date because it was Amber's sixth birthday and I had to be gone. I had a week of orientation at the U (of IOWA) and I missed her birthday. Of course, at the time, I just knew she'd never forgive me but I know now she doesn't even remember it!

I remember it was horribly cold in Iowa City that week and walking to Westlawn from the Union was just plain miserable. We ended up taking the Cambus for the short trip just because it was so cold.

There were four of us hired at the same time and only one has retired...the rest of us are still here!

I love my job and the flexibility. I love that I was able to work close to home when I needed to be close for the girls.

When I started we wrote everything out by hand and now everything is electronic and I can work remotely in a hospital that is half way across the state. When I work from home, I can go days without stepping foot outside. If I don't want to get dressed, I don't have to. I can sit and work and listen to the radio and there is no one to bug me.

Not just anyone could do this job. We are isolated and have to be very self-motivated to work on our own. This job suits my hermit-like tendencies very well. Once in a while, I do get itchy to get out and visit my hospitals. I've made some very good friendships over the years and it's always nice to go see my girlies even if it's only once or twice a year.

So, on this day I give thanks for my job as a cancer registrar.

♥

thankful for a little bit of testosterone

2011-11-18T00:01:00.020-06:00

On this day, I am oh-so-thankful for our little bit of testosterone! Yep, little Luke is ALL BOY! I never in my life thought I could be so in love with a little baby boy. We just didn't know anything about boys. What on earth would we do with a little boy? Well, I'll tell ya what...you love 'em!

Here is baby Luke at six months, two weeks. He is getting his six month check up. He's got a big noggin' but I'm sure his daddy would say that's because he's smart like him :) He weighs in a 18 lbs., 7 oz. and he's 27 1/2 " long.

He's been crawling for a couple weeks now which is unbelievable. He was on the go in utero and we always said he would probably come out walking. Well, he's definitely going to be on the go now! He is pulling himself up on everything and Shelby said he just figured out how to get down after he stands.

I am so excited for Luke to be home for Christmas...yes, Christmas. There just aren't any weekends that work out between now and then. We'll just be all that more excited for him to come.

Luke, I hope you're a patient boy because EVERYONE is going to want to love on you when you get here in five short weeks! We can't wait! Today, I am SO very thankful for you. xo

♥

thankful for family

2011-11-17T00:01:00.004-06:00

Today I am thankful for family. We are a circle of strength and love. We've grown our circle wider with blessings -our m&m's and baby Luke... and we are stronger for the trials in our lives.

I have these words on my dining room wall. Of course, my walls are way prettier than this... but my laptop is broken AGAIN so I'm blogging on my work computer (shhh!). So I had to find a picture online of my wall words.

When I saw these words so many years ago, I felt it described our family perfectly. It did then and it does now. So today, on this 17th day of thanks, I am thankful for my family. I love you all more than you know.

"What if the trials in our lives are just mercies in disguise"
- Laura Story "Blessings"

♥

thankful for dirty windows

2011-11-16T00:09:00.000-06:00

Yep, I love my dirty windows with little handprints all over them.

There's nothing better than the early morning sun shining through my windows reminding me that I am thankful for the little blessings in my life.

♥

thankful for our maddie

2011-11-15T00:01:00.002-06:00

My girlies came for supper tonight and from the minute they walked through the door, Maddie looked like the cat that ate the canary. We set the table and then it was time to sit down. As I pulled my chair out, there was a paper folded up on my chair. I picked it up and looked at Maddie and she had the biggest smile on her face.

This is what was on my chair:

I love Maddie for her tender heart, her caring, and her compassion. Mommy told her I didn't feel good the night before so she had to color me a picture. Then she secretly put it on my chair so I'd find it.

So, today I am thankful for my first born grandbaby, Madison Marie. Maddie, someday when you read this, I want you to know just how much you are loved and what joy you've brought to our lives! You're such a special little girl and you're wise beyond your years. You're also a prankster because after you left, I found my picture in the bathtub. You know me too well!

♥

thankful for nyquil

2011-11-14T00:01:00.001-06:00

and Advil.

Because I feel like crapola.

♥

thankful for good friends

2011-11-13T00:01:00.009-06:00

♥

thankful for Saturdays

2011-11-12T07:01:00.000-06:00

and sleeping in. Have a great weekend!

♥

thankful for freedom

2011-11-11T00:01:00.002-06:00

Today I am thankful for our freedom. I am thankful to the men and women who fight to maintain our freedom. My grandpa Roy was in WWII and I so wish I'd had him tell me the stories of his time in the Navy. Only two things I know about that time...my nana bought their house while he was gone and when he came home, he just arrived at the door unannounced. I remember my grandpa calling it Armistice Day. My younger brother was a career Marine. Two of Dave's brothers served in the Navy as well as his dad. We have friends who are currently serving. Dave's nephew recently served in Afghanistan. To anyone who has served or is currently serving, I say thank you.

It is easy to take liberty for granted, when you have never had it taken from you. ~Author unknown

♥

thankful for my four-legged friends

2011-11-10T00:01:00.001-06:00

In addition to all our four-legged friends, I am also thankful for the GROOMER of one of my four-legged friends, Noah. For half a day every six weeks, I get to drop Noah off and he gets a shampoo and a dry and a haircut and I get four hours of peace and quiet.

This is who I'm talking about:

Oh, he looks like such an angel in his pictures, just lying around sleeping all day...but he is the BIGGEST pain in the behind! He constantly wants attention, wants to be held, wants in, wants out, wants, wants, wants!

And then we have Blue whom we sort of inherited. Of course, we wouldn't give her up for anything because she's such a good doggie...except when she lays on my lilies....grrrr (that's ME growling at her).

And then we have Bear who belongs to my girlies. Honestly, I don't think there is a better dog in the WORLD. Yep, he is that good. He has the best temperament and the girls can do anything to him and he just lets them. He's truly a keeper.

But back to my Noah. As much as he drives us all nuts with his constant movement, I do love him. I got him when he was six months old. Drove to Des Moines and bought him from a woman who had been given him as a gift. She didn't want a dog. I got a good deal. At least I think so. Anyway, Noah is now almost 13 years old...that's 91 human years...but he acts like a puppy.

Yep, Noah, I am thankful for you, today!

♥

thankful for caffeine

2011-11-09T00:01:00.000-06:00

yep, I love my morning java...in my favorite mug

♥

thankful for mini-getaways

2011-11-08T00:01:00.005-06:00

Last Friday, I took a vacation day and Amber and I had a mini-getaway with our good friends, Michelle and Lacey. We headed to a Christmas Open House in a BIG OL' BARN in Eastern Iowa.

Anyway, on this day of thanks, I am thankful for good friends. There's nothing like having a friend to talk to. Now, Amber and I are not real keen on "shopping" but this was fun. Maybe this will be the last time we're invited to go along but I hope M and L know we really did have fun! Baby m went along and that was the highlight of the trip for me as she was right in front of me and I could watch her. What a good baby! She jabbered, ate her socks, sucked on her sleeve, looked out the window, smiled at me, and slept all the way there and back. I don't believe I've ever seen such a content baby!

We got to the barn and, of course, got ROCK STAR PARKING! Right in front of the barn...first spot... didn't have far to walk at all which was good considering Michelle bought a tree and we had no idea how we were going to fit it in the car. But we did. Getting in and out of the third row seat was the real challenge for this gramma.

On our way home, we stopped in Cedar Falls and hit a couple of shops there and then we stopped at Scratch Cupcakery. I am positive that Amber was drooling in envy. Oh how I wish she could open a cupcakery here. She uses the same type of papers and boxes... anyway, the cupcakes were yummy and Michelle and I both had the same - Wedding Cake... and baby m was just watching us, staring, drooling, wishing she could just have a teeny tiny taste...so Michelle being the good gramma, gave her just a teeny tiny taste.

Of course, we didn't let baby m eat all that frosting! Michelle wiped it off and baby m only got a teeny tiny taste.

Thanks for a fun day! I think it was just what we all needed.

♥

thankful for White Hot Truth

2011-11-07T00:01:00.000-06:00

I've re-posted from White Hot Truth before. I love the way this gal thinks. And once in a while, she really hits home.

STRIKE "OVERWHELMED" FROM YOUR VOCABULARY

Your plate is full, right?
You’ve been at this for a while.
Life is your kind of kuh-raz-eee.

And then it gets fuller, and the time has come, or there’s a curve-ball, and things get well n’ truly wild. And you could say, because it’s your right to, that you’re feeling “overwhelmed”. But don’t. Don’t go there. Stay with me, on the light side of change and bursting creativity; on the front end of pressure, and greatness, and the best and worst kinds of challenges.

Back away from overwhelm. Because when you just utter that word, you cast doubt on your capacity to rise. You let angst flop on your couch. You fret that you might not have the resources to surmount obstacles or to seal the deal on your dream.

Let's make a pact. If you slip and use the o-word, I'll refuse to believe you. I’m going to act like you didn’t even say it, and I’m going to remind you that

: you put everything on your plate with intention, and you have a huge say in creating your reality.

: you’ve been watering your dreams for years and you’re going to get what you ask for and allow (ya!)

: tragic circumstances or a circus of success -- you’ve got what it takes to meet life with more giving.

Ban "overwhelmed" from your vocabulary. Refuse it entry to your psyche. You’re bigger than that.

Just be, you know, whelmed (this is best said with a Jewish, Brooklyn accent.)

Whelmed. Not at full capacity, rather, full of capacity.

Whelmed. Sounds full of potential, doesn’t it?

♥

thankful for "falling back"

2011-11-06T00:01:00.003-05:00

Yep, today I am thankful for Daylight Savings Time. We all get an extra hour of sleep.

I will love having the morning light but I won't like that it will be dark earlier.

♥

thankful for my mom

2011-11-05T00:12:00.001-05:00

Today I am thankful for my mom.

♥

thankful for my sweet ♥

2011-11-04T00:01:00.001-05:00

I have no idea what day I met my sweetheart. The only thing I remember is he let me cut in front of him in the lunch line at AIB in Des Moines. For weeks, my roommate had been telling me about "the boy in the red sweater." Long story short...Dave was the boy in the red sweater. Only after my roommate quit talking to me when I started dating him, did she tell me "DAVE is the boy in the red sweater." Sorry. Oh wait, I'm not sorry at all!

I remember when we were first married, we called each other sweetheart sort of as a joke. But it then just became habit and now we call each other that even in public. I'm sure some people probably look at us and think we're crazy.

Anyway, we've been together for 35 years, 5 months and 6 days.

On this fourth day of thanks, it's my sweetheart I am thankful for. He is a very hard worker. He works hard and plays hard. He's is the best dad to my girls. When I was at my wit's end, he was the one who took over. When the girls were small and I worked long hours in a physician's office, and then later at a hospital, he was the one who got them ready for school and took them to daycare. Why, my cowboy husband even braided their hair! At one time, he could even french braid. And once he even put pink sponge rollers in Amber's hair the day before school pictures. Once the rollers were out, he brushed it...{Now imagine Maci's hair if you brushed it out...poor Amber had the biggest 'fro there was that day!}

When my sweetheart worked long hours, he always put us first. There were some times he would rush home to spend just an hour with the girls before they went to bed and then he'd go back to work.

And now, he's a grampa...and a great memory maker...and tickler...and sleigh ride giver...and horsey ride giver... There isn't anything he wouldn't do for his grandkiddos.

We've been through a lot together, had our ups and lots of downs. But I think we'll make it. And I am SO thankful for what we have together...

♥

thankful for skype & face time

2011-11-03T00:01:00.007-05:00

Some days I am in awe of technology. I'm amazed at how connected we are. There are times when I can email Shelby and it seems like the instant I hit "enter" to send the email, the phone rings and she says, "I just got your email."

And now we have Skype and Face Time. It's so easy to stay connected with loved ones. And to think there wasn't such a thing when my girls went to college.

So on this third day of Thanks, I am thankful for Skype and Face Time. Silly thing to be thankful for but it keeps us close to the ones we love.

♥

thankful for my tub tv

2011-11-02T00:01:00.003-05:00

A few years ago, my sweetie gave me a television for my bathroom. Well, my bathroom is just that...a bath room. The only thing in it is my bath tub. My very DEEP and looong bathtub. I believe one bath empties our humongous water heater. I'm reminded every month when I get the water bill. I spend many hours in my tub just soaking and floating and thinking and watching tv. I am uber-thankful for my tub tv. When my sweetie is watching something on TV that I don't like, I can go to my bath room and soak away and watch whatever I want. It's amazing what a nice hot soak can do for you.

My two favorite tub nights are Tuesday (Parenthood) and Wednesday (Revenge).

I do believe my bath room needs a new color...I'm thinking seafoam green...or teal blue...something very relaxing.

♥

30 Thankful Days

2011-11-01T00:01:00.002-05:00

A friend of mine posted on Facebook that November starts 30 Thankful Days. She asked everyone to post one thing a day that they are thankful for. I decided my blog would be a good place to post my 30 things I'm thankful for.

Well, I couldn't be more thankful for these little blessings in my life... in no particular order...

my hubby who loves our grandkiddos as much as I do...

litte m... spunky, quirky, funny, ornery...

Big M...beautiful...thoughtful...creative...too big for her britches...

mister L....aka {chunky} monkey...adorable...smoochable...lives too far away...

and then there's our little friends, mnm...cute as buttons...look alike...I mean, ALIKE! I can't tell who's who! One is serious and one is not.

So, I'm starting November with a good list of things I'm thankful for... six to be exact.

♥

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T00:01:00.001-05:00

Well, I wonder what my punkins are going to be for Halloween? I will have to wait until tonight to see them. I'll be waiting with camera in hand.

♥

Mosaic Monday

2011-10-24T00:01:00.003-05:00

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a vewy skewy monster

2011-10-21T00:01:00.000-05:00

by Maci Mae

♥

"j" store Boo Bags

2011-10-20T00:01:00.004-05:00

Oh dear, I love Maddie so much. I get such a kick out the the things she says. I couldn't pass sharing the latest.

The girls were "booed" last week by DD & Dig. Booed means someone leaves a Halloween goodie bag at your door with instructions to "boo" others. Well, Amber took the girls to a certain store here in town to buy goodies for their bags. Amber said they walked in and Maddie's mouth dropped open and she said, "is this the "j" word store?" Then she whispered "junk - you know the stuff some people like and some people don't?" O.MY.WORD. I've never laughed so hard in my life.

I must say, their "junky" boo bags sure ended up pretty cute.

♥

happy birthday, grandpa Dean

2011-10-19T00:01:00.002-05:00

October 19, 1924 - October 24, 2007

We miss you grandpa and think of you often.

♥

Bear the d.o.g.

2011-10-18T13:15:00.000-05:00

We had the pleasure of keeping Bear this weekend. He is SUCH a good doggy! Bear is huge and these pictures do not show how large he really is. But there is another side to Bear. He is the biggest baby I've ever seen!

Our french doors that go out onto the deck have a rubber strip across the bottom. Well, one of these strips came loose and as I opened the door in to let Bear in, he spotted that strip of rubber trailing across the carpet and he took one look and ran the other way. The only thing I can figure out is he thought it was a snake? I cut the strip off but he would not go in and out that door after that unless I stood between him and the door.

Bear tolerates Noah. Noah tends to be a bit, um, hmmm.... amorous around Bear. Eventually, Noah wears himself out and then he leaves Bear alone.

Bear and Noah each wanted the other's food all weekend. Noah ate Bear's food and Bear at Noah's.

When Bear and Noah got to playing a little too hard, this mean gramma had to put a stop to it. I was afraid something was going to get broken!

Here are some shots of Bear this weekend. Notice Noah in the background in one of them. He's all tuckered out.

I think I snored while Bear was here because several times in the night, I woke up to bear's nose in my face. One thing I love about him is he never licks. But he loves to put his nose right in your face or use his nose to move your arm so it's on him.

Bear won't go out to potty if the grass is wet. He'd much rather poop on the sidewalk. So, if you're gonna stop by Bear's house for a visit, {{as Maci says}} "WATCH OUT FOR THE BEAR POOP!"

Bear should've been a lap dog. I think he would love it if he could just jump up on your lap and snuggle.

♥

a wicked good sleepover

2011-10-15T00:01:00.001-05:00

Last weekend, big M had her first sleepover. Of course, whatever big M does, little m wants to do the same. So little m had a sleepover at gramma's house.

I picked her up and we headed to the grocery store. Whatever you want, sweetheart...

We were at the checkout and the gal says, "Hi, how are you?" Little m replied, "I'm having a sleepover at gramma's house!"

The checker said, "oooohh... so you're sleeping over at gramma's. Well, no wonder you have Chocolate Peanut Butter Puffs...and string cheese...and pudding....and Cookies 'n' Cream ice cream...." We didn't tell mommy what we bought at the store.

Maci got to sleep on the couch like big sissy does when she stays over. That's where I always got to sleep at my Nana's. I told Maci since she is a big girl now, she could sleep on the couch.

We had a totally wicked good time.

♥

our visitor

2011-10-14T10:46:00.000-05:00

Last weekend, we had a very special visitor. Yep, baby Luke came to stay with us. Luke and his mama flew into Des Moines on Saturday afternoon. Shelb has two weeks of meetings in Des Moines and daddy had a meeting in Denver. Talk about schedule conflicts!

I picked Shelby and Luke up at the airport on Saturday. On Sunday, Shelb went back to Des Moines and Luke stayed with us. Well, actually he stayed with Amber. Can you believe she would not let me keep him!? It was only fair because she hadn't seen him for a long time and, besides, she is much more prepared to take care of a baby than I am!

On Tuesday, I took Luke to Des Moines to meet his daddy who flew in from Denver. On Wednesday, daddy and Luke flew home to Chicago. Whew! I'm tired just thinking about their schedule! Luke now has three flights down...he's gonna have some major frequent flier miles someday!

Before Luke got here, grampa had some help putting Luke's jumperoo together. Dadddy thought he should have one here, so he shipped one to us. And we also got a shipment of diapers and wipes and then got a package of balls for Luke to play with. I bet the UPS man thinks I'm having a baby!

After picking Shelby and Luke up at the airport, we headed directly to Rockwell City so grandma Lois could see Luke again.

The Robys came and here is a picture of baby Ella with Luke. She is adorable! Luke is 2 1/2 months younger than Ella and is bigger than she is! The last time Luke and Ella were together, Ella was a newborn and Luke was still baking! I still cannot wait to get a photo of the Roby and Hoyt girls together - all ten of them plus Luke. The next generation.

On Sunday, mama and Luke had some Face Time with daddy.

And gramma just wanted one picture of her three...just.one.picture.please.

Well, as you can see, it's a hard thing to do!

On Monday, Luke was busy with Amber and the girls. He got to visit Maddie's kindergarten class, go on a walk and he got to go to dance class that night with Maddie!

On Tuesday morning, Luke was brought to me and I got to take him to Des Moines to meet his daddy who flew in from Denver.

Maci saying good-bye before she goes to preschool...

Auntie Amber saying good-bye...

And this gramma couldn't wait for everyone to leave so I could have Luke all to myself!

I love my little sweet pea SO much. I can't wait til we see him again at Christmas!

♥

our little man

2011-10-06T00:01:00.002-05:00

is five months old and he's coming for a visit!

♥

how am I today, you ask?

2011-10-05T09:23:00.000-05:00

yep, pretty much sums it up.

♥

a very cool story

2011-10-03T00:03:00.001-05:00

TIGHTLY KNIT: AN AFRICAN ODYSSY

As a teenager, Jacqueline Novogratz donated a favorite sweater to charity. Eleven years later, a stunning coincidence in Rwanda illustrated how intertwined our lives on this planet have become.

In 1973, Jacqueline Novogratz is 12 and living in Alexandria, Virginia. As a gift, her uncle Ed gives her a blue wool sweater with an African motif: two zebras at the foot of a mountain. She writes her name on the tag; it becomes her favorite sweater.
In 1976, a boy at Novogratz's high school cracks a joke about her breasts, highlighted by the tight sweater. Humiliated, she vows never to wear it again, and gives the sweater to Goodwill.
Like many articles of donated clothing from the United States, the sweater most likely travels to Mombasa, Kenya, after it is fumigated, bound in a 100-pound bale, and sold to a secondhand clothing distributor who in turn sells to local citizens across Africa.
Novogratz graduates from the University of Virginia in 1983 and lands a job with Chase Manhattan Bank, reviewing loans at banks in troubled economies. On a business trip to Brazil in 1985, she befriends Eduardo, a homeless boy in Rio de Janiero. But when she brings him to the hotel restaurant, the manager turns him away. Novogratz wonders, "What will it take to build a society where everyone has doors of opportunity?"
Novogratz proposes that Chase implement a loan program for low-income families as well as struggling banks. Her bosses reject the plan, so she leaves to join a nonprofit in Africa that finances small businesses. In early 1987, she travels to Kigali, Rwanda, to help establish a microfinance enterprise for poor women.
While jogging one afternoon, she spots a young boy on the road. He is wearing a familiar-looking sweater; it is made of blue wool, with zebras at the foot of a snowy mountain. She stops him, turns down his collar—and sees her name written on the tag. It's the sweater she donated 11 years earlier. The encounter convinces her that all of us are interconnected: "Our actions—and inaction—touch people every day across the globe, people we may never know and never meet."
In 2001, her sense of purpose renewed, Novogratz founds the Acumen Fund, a nonprofit that encourages entrepreneurship as a means to combat global poverty. To date, the Acumen Fund has helped a company in India provide clean water to more than a quarter million rural residents; an agricultural products designer bring drip irrigation systems to 275,000 small farmers worldwide; and an African malaria bed-net manufacturer that employs more than 75,000 people produce 10 million lifesaving bed nets each year.
Novogratz writes about her visits to the companies she's helped finance, posting entries on the fund's website (AcumenFund.org). The entries evolve into a book about her experiences, The Blue Sweater: Bridging the Gap Between Rich and Poor in an Interconnected World, which will be published in March. She plans to donate a portion of the proceeds to the Acumen Fund. "Rather than seeing the world divided among different civilizations or classes," she writes in the prologue, "our collective future rests on embracing a vision of a single world in which we are all connected. We all play a role in the change we need to create."

♥

sugar plum friday

2011-10-01T00:03:00.000-05:00

We spent the evening with our girlies on Friday night. Mommy invited us for a yummy supper and yummy
warm-from-the-oven chocolate chip cookies.

Big M loves to draw. No sense in even trying to talk to her when she's engrossed in her art.

Here is her final masterpiece...

Little m loves to play. Here she is riding her horsie (me). Do you know how hard it is to stand on three legs and take a picture of the girlie on your back?

After supper, we read books, books, and more books. Then it was bath time and Mommy had to kick us out. ♥

♥

celebrity look-alike

2011-09-30T00:08:00.000-05:00

Earlier this week I was on the internet searching for something when my clicks took me to MSN's Entertainment site, Wonderwall. This is where all the celebrity news is. Well, I was reading and scrolling when all of a sudden a picture caught my eye. I just stared at it because it looked exactly like little m!

The picture was Jessica Alba carrying her daughter, Honor. And Honor was wearing Maci's Gap dress!

When Dave got home, I told him to come look at something and showed him the photo. He just kept starting at it. I said, "the little girl! Who does she look like?" He said, "Well, I'm trying to figure out who that is carrying Maci."

Here's little m in her dress...

Who's your celebrity look-alike?

♥

thought for thursday

2011-09-29T00:01:00.000-05:00

♥

wordless wednesday

2011-09-28T00:01:00.000-05:00

♥

it won't be long!

2011-09-27T00:01:00.015-05:00

my sweet pea - four months - three weeks

{plug your ears at the end...he's a screamer!}

In this video, it appears that Luke will be able to sit up once he figures out how to push up with his arms.

What a strong little guy! I can't wait to see him again!

♥

happy birthday

2011-09-26T00:01:00.005-05:00

Wishing

Shelby

and

Grandma Lois

very

HAPPY

BIRTHDAY!!

♥

windy city weekend

2011-09-25T00:01:00.001-05:00

This weekend we are in Chicago. We are here to celebrate Shelby's birthday and we are also here to watch Luke so mama and daddy can go out on their first date without him since he was born!

We got here Friday afternoon, just in time to see Luke in his late afternoon daze. He was sooo sleepy that he just didn't seem himself. I think he was just being on his best behavior for gramma and grampa. We went to dinner and grampa and I took turns holding him. We walked to Roots and they had the BEST pizza, mozzarella sticks and greek salads!

I love this shot of Luke and grampa.

We had dessert after we got home. Amber sent Shelby a dozen peanut butter fudge sugar cakes. Can you believe she taped up the box with packing tape so someone (mwah?) couldn't get into them before they got to Chicago?

Soon it was time for Luke's bath...

Luke LOVES his bath time (and his mama)!

I had to take a couple shots of his room...this was from Aunt Katie...

and this was from Aunts Mary and Tammy...

Saturday morning and Luke is wearing his BL's {baby legs}...are they cute or what? Daddy doesn't like them because he thinks they're too girly... he said maybe if they were argyle, he might like them. Note to gramma.... Luke needs argyle baby legs!

Do you think Luke is loved? Just a little?

Daddy spends almost every waking moment entertaining...

Finally, one of the reasons we came to Chicago for a visit this weekend. Mama and daddy are finally going out on a date without Luke and we are here to babysit!

We fed Luke and bathed him and he was out like a light at 7 p.m. and as of right now (11:45 p.m. on Saturday night), he's still sound asleep and mama and daddy have been home for almost three hours! Now everyone is in bed except nightowl gramma.

Shelby and Mike really enjoyed their night out and this gramma is glad she and grampa could be here to babysit. They went to Girl and the Goat (2008 Top Chef winner) and said the food was fantastic.

While they were out, grampa walked down to the corner and brought back sandwiches from Gaudi's, one of my favorite places to eat. That's one thing I love about Chicago, yummy food and you never have to walk far to get it! But the main thing I love about Chicago is you-know-who.

♥

clarksville...

2011-09-24T20:54:00.000-05:00

who are you?

♥

another WHITE HOT TRUTH

2011-09-23T00:01:00.003-05:00

get immediate relief: energy leaks + enlightenment

the lock that always sticks

the client that can never remember what you said
that kink in your neck
slight allergies, slightly foggy head
the girl on the team who's always cranky
those too-tight trousers
the way your partner greets you (s.he can do better)
the way you greet your partner (you can do better and you know it, and you want to)
those damn e-newsletters that are so tricky to unsubscribe from that you just hit delete and curse at the screen

the pebble in your shoe is bigger than you think

Small, annoying things. Energy leaks. We tend to discredit the slight aggravations in life + work because our attention is on accomplishing the big things. But think about the trying to walk with a grain of sand in your sock. You won't go more than a block until you frantically peel off your shoe and giving things a firm shake 'n swipe. Ahhh,relief. Think about the dramatic effect of a pin prick to an inner tube, the power of a mosquito, that impact of a sliver.

Every time you make REPEATED contact with aggravating tasks and situations, you make a conscious or unconscious choice to endure (the root of the word endure is 'to suffer',) and to settle with less-than-ideal. This kind of aggravation triggers resentment and bad ju-ju. We direct our pissed-off vibe outward, (Damn landlord needs to fix this lock.) Or inward, (These too tight pants are what I get for being so lazy.) And in doing so, we affirm any feelings of helplessness and overwhelm that are floating in our consciousness. And a little bit of our energy zipples out of our sails.

fix the small stuff

Noticing -- really noticing -- what's rubbing on you is part of being conscious. When subtleties grab your attention you are not OCD, you're lucid. When you deal with the annoyances, you're not a control freak, you're the master of your reality.

Look at it this way: energy leaks are usually really easy to fix because they're small. It's simply a matter of stopping to tend to them. When you fix the stuff that's picking at you, you get relief, and that freshness helps you focus on the big stuff.

god + mastery are in the details. so is your freedom.

Where's the rub in your day-to-day? Make a plan to cure, dissolve or absolve it.

What's the mosquito-like thought form that's zifting in your psyche? Visualize rinsing it away, make a phone call that will settle things.

What's broken that you want fixed? Hire a handyman, find a homeopath, reach out and mend it with love.

Your vitality deserves an as-soon-as-possible response.
Get on it. Because you have bigger things to do.

from The White Hot Truth

♥

my favorite artist

2011-09-22T00:01:00.002-05:00

Anyone who knows me, knows I have a favorite artist. As you can see in the picture below, I love, love, love her artwork!

Oh, it's not Kelly Rae...

and it's not Judy Sebern Beachy...

it's Madison Marie!

Yep, see that colored heart? And the colored pictures taped to my wall? Those were given to me by my favorite artist. I am so impressed with her eye for art! A while back I gave Maddie a bookmark made by one of my other favorite artists, Kelly Rae. Recently, Maddie was in my office and she looked at the artwork on my walls and then at my Kelly Rae girlies. She said, "gramma, did the same person who made your pictures make my bookmark? " Wow! "Yes, Maddie, they were all made by Kelly Rae." I asked her how she could tell that and she said she could tell they were all alike by the colors she used. I was impressed.

My latest girlie was a gift from my mom. She is a magnetic girlie so she's perfect for sticking Maddie's artwork on. Girlies. That's what Kelly Rae calls them. Maybe that's why I like her so much. She makes girlies and anyone who knows me knows I love my girlies.

♥

wordless wednesday

2011-09-21T00:01:00.002-05:00

♥

SWEETS from my sweets

2011-09-20T00:01:00.002-05:00

I got home from work a bit early and was sitting on the couch checking my mail when all of a sudden three of my favorite girlies were pecking on my door.

They had a small box with homemade chocolate chip cookies inside! They weren't here five minutes - it was like a mini whirlwind came and went.

Of course, I just had to take a picture of my girlies, but Maci was having nothing to do with it.

So I told her to just forget it. She pouted all the way to the car...

...and walked away from me as fast as she could...

but, HA! GOTCHA!!!

Thank you for the cookies! Maddie told mommy that she bet gramma ate all of the cookies before grampa got home.

Nope, I saved him ONE.

♥

M&m monday

2011-09-19T00:01:00.002-05:00

maci...

is 3 1/2...started preschool...started Sunday School...still talks non-stop though she is learning to listen instead of talk...does not like taking naps...doesn't like to walk and whines til you carry her (which just might come to an end soon as she is finally starting to grow heavier {and longer!}...has brand new jeans that are waaaay too short-do they make 3 'longs?'...loves to snuggle with her mommy...will pick fruit over meat 'n' taters any day...thinks she's pretty hot stuff now that she goes to preschool...says her friends are "mya, mea and gwacie (Gracie)...takes her "pack-pack" with her everywhere she goes...fights with her sissy...loves her sissy...tends to repeat phrases - A.L.O.T...started dance classes...is the best hugger ever...drama queen...great big brownies...crazy hair...

maddie...

is 5 1/2...started kindergarten...has a heart bigger than she is...loves to learn...takes after her mommy in the cleaning department...good student...is very creative...loves to make up songs...loves to be read to...can't wait to read by herself...loves her sissy...meat 'n' taters girl...always says, "what's for dessert?"...loves having mommy-maddie days...lost her bottom two teeth...won't let mommy take her to school in sweat pants...wiser than her years...takes dance...still loves Taylor...has a memory like her mommy (aka steel trap)...beautiful gray-blue-green eyes...semi-crazy hair..

Next week I'll have an update on my little man. We are headed to the Windy City to see him this coming weekend! Can't wait!

♥

luke finley adams 2011

2011-09-18T00:01:00.004-05:00

I received a package on Friday. I didn't hear the mailman bring it into the garage and leave it at our back door and didn't see it until late afternoon. It was from Shelby's father-in-law, Ric. Ric is who supplies me with the most gorgeous lilies. Well, I knew the box contained lilies, but I got busy and didn't open it and then on Saturday we were gone all day. We got home late and I opened it when we got home.

Ric sent me the BEST lily ever! This is a lily named after OUR grandson, Luke.

I can't wait to plant this one (and the others he sent).

I have to find a perfect spot.

Thanks so much, Ric. I love it!

♥

wordless wednesday

2011-09-14T00:01:00.000-05:00

♥

19 weeks

2011-09-13T00:06:00.000-05:00

Well, it's been awhile since I've posted about our little man. He's 19 weeks old today! He's still a mover and shaker. He started on cereal and according to mama, he can scoot himself off his mat and wedge himself under the love seat... I think he just might crawl soon!

Labor Day was spent at Lake Charlevoix at Mike's family's cottage...we're still trying to figure out how this fair skinned little guy came out of these two! Personally, I think it was God's way of getting our little sun worshipper out of the sun so much!

I LOVE this picture - Luke is such a happy little guy!

I remember the day Shelby showed me the hat she bought Luke. I hated it. Of course, I didn't tell her that but I'm sure she could tell what I thought! However, when I saw mr L in his hat - I fell in love with it! What a stylin' kiddo - of course, it's because he has cool parents!

Okay, a button-down and a cardigan on a four month old? ADORABLE!

I cannot wait to see Mr Luke...only two more weeks and then grampa and I are road-tripping it to the Windy City so mama and daddy can have a night out on the town - alone. I believe we'll get the better end of that deal.

♥

today

2011-09-12T18:12:00.000-05:00

♥

9/11 - a letter to my kiddos

2011-09-11T00:01:00.000-05:00

Dear Maddie, Maci and Luke,

Ten years ago today, the world as we know it, changed. America was attacked by terrorists. I'm sure you will learn all about it in school so I won't rehash all the details here. But I do want to tell you what it was like that day here in Iowa.

We all woke up that day never suspecting that by the end of the day, our world would be turned upside down. I will never forget that day. It was September 11, 2001. Maddie and Maci, your mommy was just starting her second year at Iowa State University. Luke, your mommy had graduated from DePaul University the year before and was working in Des Moines for the Des Moines Symphony. I was driving to work that morning and I was on the "Garden City Road" when my cell phone rang. It was Amber telling me that the World Trade Center had been hit by an airplane. Of course, at that moment, we had no idea that this was an attack on the U.S. We just thought it was an accident, a pilot who lost control, not an intentional act of terror. While I was on the phone with Amber, she saw the second plane hit. At that moment we knew it was not an accident. We hung up and I immediately called Dave and then Shelby. For then next half hour I listened to the radio and what they were saying was surreal. I happened to be working at Mary Greeley Hospital in Ames that week so when I got there everyone was crowded around the TV in the lobby. We all just stood there watching in disbelief.

I remember I wanted to come home from work that day. I wanted your mommies to come home and their daddy, too. For the first time in my life I was afraid what might happen to us. I remember the sky was so blue and there were no planes in the sky. All flights were grounded and it would be several days before they were allowed to fly again. The world seemed to stand still. It was quiet and it was scary.

On that day, September 11, 2001, there were 2,819 people killed. 60 companies lost employees; one company alone lost 614 employees. There were 115 nations whose citizens were killed in the attacks. There were over 3,000 children who lost a parent.

I hope you never know the kind of terror that we witnessed ten years ago. You are so lucky to live in a nation that is known for its freedom. But freedom does not come without cost.

I can't imagine how life will be ten or even twenty years from now. Twenty years...I wonder if I will still be here? Quite possibly... I would be 75. Maddie, you will be 25; Maci you will be 23 and Luke, you will be 20. I pray that you live in a world of peace.

I believe I got my patriotism from my Grandpa Roy. He loved his country, fought for it and taught me to never forget that freedom isn't free. I love flying the American flag. I don't know many people who do. My hope is that you never forget what happened the day that evil changed America forever. Never take what you have for granted and never forget 9/11.

♥GRAMMA

the manifesto of encouragement

2011-09-10T00:01:00.000-05:00

right now:

There are Tibetan Buddhist monks in a temple in the Himalayas endlessly reciting mantras for the cessation of your suffering and for the flourishing of your happiness.

Someone you haven't met yet is already dreaming of adoring you.

Someone is writing a book that you will read in the next two years that willchange how you look at life.

Nuns in the Alps are in endless vigil, praying for the Holy Spirit to alight the hearts of all of God's children.

A farmer is looking at his organic crops and whispering, "nourish them."

Someone wants to kiss you, to hold you, to make tea for you. Someone is willing to lend you money, wants to know what your favourite food is, and treat you to a movie. Someone in your orbit has something immensely valuable to give you -- for free.

Something is being invented this year that will change how your generation lives, communicates, heals and passes on.

The next great song is being rehearsed.

Thousands of people are in yoga classes right now intentionally sending light out from their heart chakras and wrapping it around the earth.

Millions of children are assuming that everything is amazing and will always be that way.

Someone is in profound pain, and a few months from now, they'll be thriving like never before. They just can't see it from where they're at.

Someone who is craving to be partnered, to be acknowledged, to ARRIVE, will get precisely what they want -- and even more. And because that gift will be so fantastical in it's reach and sweetness, it will quite magically alter their memory of angsty longing and render it all "So worth the wait."

Someone has recently cracked open their joyous, genuine nature because they did the hard work of hauling years of oppression off of their psyche -- this luminous juju is floating in the ether, and is accessible to you.

Someone just this second wished for world peace, in earnest.

Someone is fighting the fight so that you don't have to.

Some civil servant is making sure that you get your mail, and your garbage is picked up, that the trains are running on time, and that you are generally safe. Someone is dedicating their days to protecting your civil liberties and clean drinking water.

Someone is regaining their sanity. Someone is coming back from the dead. Someone is genuinely forgiving the seemingly unforgivable. Someone is curing the incurable.

You. Me. Some. One. Now.

♥

flashback friday

2011-09-09T00:01:00.013-05:00

Boston * September 9, 2010 * CanCORS training

My co-worker and friend, Lori, and I spent some time in Boston undergoing training for a study at Dana Farber Institute in Boston. We saw all the Boston sites and had a ton of fun. It's funny how, when you go somewhere, you connect with certain people. We may never see each other again but we will always remember our days in Boston together.

we met some forever friends...
Holly, me, Mary Jane, Maryse, Meredith and Lori

♥