In Remembrance of Casper

Practicing charitable acts is so important in our home and giving to the animal shelter is just as important as donating to the church food pantry. Looking back, I can still see the look on Allison's face as she burst out with emotion when this commercial came on TV. For a while there, I could swear it came on 4-5 times a day. And yes, each time she would cry.

Now why would she have been so effected by it, you may ask? It's amazing how a 4 year old can be so moved by something like that. Now, those closest to Allison know very well how emotional and sensitive her heart is. Raising your voice at her can "break her heart" sending her off to cry for hours. But, Allison was there when we put Casper down. Casper was our "kid" for the first 8 years John and I were together and was a part of Allison's life until she was 2-1/2. John and I never really caught on to how close she actually was with him until he was no longer around. Before Allison, to me, he was my everything! I LOVED that cat more than anything and he was VERY attached to me. Every night he slept on my pillow and was on my lap if I was sitting down. John would probably never admit it but I know he was fond of him as well. Putting him down, because of the cancerous tumor in his lymphnodes, was probably one of the hardest moments for me. We struggled with the thought of having to place him at rest for a good 2-3 months, all the while he was struggling to live each day.

I came across a great deal on cat treats while shopping Kmart's Double Coupons a few weeks back. I bought the treats and waited for Allison to have a really good day--this is a day with very few issues. Friday was the day...no backtalking, meltdowns or timeouts for bad choices, so I decided to tell her about the treats and what I had planned for us. It was a trip to the Safe Harbor Animal Shelter! Boy, was she EXCITED! I guess I would have expected her to forget about Casper no more than a few weeks after his passing. Boy, was I ever wrong! A few days before our big trip to the shelter, I suddenly awoke to her screaming, "Casper, NO! Please don't go to Heaven yet!" That broke my heart and I knew I needed to somehow remind her that he is now sitting in the Lord's lap. So-to-speak!

As we headed off to the shelter, I reminded her that Casper was very sick and that all of the angels are now petting him and "making his heart feel good". Unfortunately, the cats were quarantined due to a virus and the only cat available to pet was "Dora", the shelter mascot who hangs out in the front lobby. We also took a tour of the dog area while we were there. All in all it was a good day to remember our lost loved one and to donate the treats we picked up for those cats who have been abandoned or gone lost. We will be doing this again!

Little Bike Rider

Attempt #1

Attempt #2

It's the Simple Things in Life...

Where did it go?

Whew! It's finally Dec. 26th! Don't get me wrong--I enjoy Christmas but I have to admit that I look forward to it being over...all that food, the countless sweets and music can be quite overwhelming for a person. Since I took like a million pics (surprising, right!?) this Christmas, I decided to throw in a slideshow of all my favorites! My babies made Christmas so much fun! Alli and Ryan had a blast opening all of their presents...and were there a lot of them (3 different places!). Thanks so much to all of our family for making this Christmas so memorable! Little Miss Alli received a ton of Hannah Montana gifts. I think it would be safe to say that her favorite is the Hannah Montana guitar from G&G Levin. Ryan was in heaven...his favorite past time is ripping and crumbling paper, so Christmas was perfect! It's so cute to watch him play with his construction trucks and trains. He's definitely a boy. He has the "vroom-vroom" sound donw pat as he pushes the vehicles across the floor. It's so adorable! It's so hard to believe he's so big already. Who knew seeing a little baby wave and say, "hi" at the same time would cause such a sudden rush of emotion. I thank the Lord each and everyday that we have been blessed with two precious little beings who bring an unexplainable amount of joy to our hearts. To see their face light up with happiness when you walk in the room is so amazing. Although, Christmas has passed, His spirit and grace is still very previlent within us and in our home. Too many people get caught up in the amount or cost of gifts and forget the true meaning of the celebration. As the kids get older, I vow to teach them the importance of His birth. I hope everyone had a wonderful day filled with love and laughter. p.s. Apparently I have failed in my attempt to perfect the art of procrastination...I hope to get my Christmas/New Years cards out very soon...I mistakenly had them shipped to my house rather then to the One-Hour Photo. :(

http://www.slideshow.com/galleries/7641

Age-Appropriate Chores Help Teach About Responsibility

I've always wondered how much responsibility Allison should have--thanks to this article I found, looks like we're heading down the right path.

According to the Parent Institute, parents shouldn’t burden young children with tasks they’re not ready to handle. But age-appropriate chores help teach children responsibility. Children need to learn to be responsible for themselves. In addition, chores should teach helpfulness. And chores should engage kids in helping their family and others.

Here are some chores a four-year-old can do with your supervision:

Find grocery items in the store.
Help put groceries away.
Help with the laundry (fold towels, sort white clothes from dark).
Dust furniture.
Take library books and videos to and from the car.
Help younger brothers and sisters.
Help plant a garden.
Put dishes in the dishwasher (or dry dishes).
Empty dishwasher and stack dishes on counter.
Make a simple meal/snack.
Rake leaves for short periods of time.
Walk well-behaved pets.
Feed, water and help wash pets.
Help plan meals.
Pour things.
Help measure ingredients.
Carry in the newspaper or mail.
Set the table.
Help clean up after meals and play.
Make beds.

One word of caution: Don’t give your child only the “low dignity jobs”—such as taking out the garbage or cleaning up the dog’s messes. This gives children a bad taste for chores.

For more help on setting up your children for success at school visit http://www.schoolfamily.com/

I Have Been Blessed

Wow ! I still can't believe that Thanksgiving Day is here...well, tomorrow anyways. When I take a moment to give thanks for all I have...there are far too many to list. First and foremost, are the following: My husband, children, family, friends, health, home, career, nurishment, and freedom to make our own choices.

I think Martina McBride said it perfectly. Even after all these years, this song still brings a tear to my eyes.

I get kissed by the sun each morning
Put my feet on a hardwood floor
I get to hear my children laughing down the hall through the bedroom door
Sometimes I sit on my Front porch swing just soaking up the day
I think to myself, I think to myself
This world is a beautiful place!
I have been blessed and I feel like I've found my way
I thank God for all I've been given at the end of every day
I have been BLESSED

With so much more than I deserve
To be here with the ones that love me
To love them so much it hurts
Across a crowded room, I know you know what I'm thinking
By the way I look at you and when we're lying in the quiet
No words have to be said.
This love is a beautiful gift
When I'm singing my kids to sleep
When I feel you holding me
I know, I have been BLESSED!

As we sit down with our families tomorrow, don't forget to thank Him for all of the small things that we frequently fail to recognize...like each breath. God bless you all tomorrow and always.

Is yours?

It turns out there are no set directions for living a happy life--no rules about marriage, how to raise your kids or what clothes we have to wear, nothing about career choice or ideal weight or what car to drive.

In fact, we actually have a right to pursue happiness however we define it, on our own terms, and in our own way.

And for this I am so thankful!

I love my boy!

A few of the many reasons I love my little guy:

• He give the BEST smooches to my mommy only.
• No matter how large the challenge, he is determined to give it his all...like playing in the toddler's McD's toy area. Yes, he crawled up the ladder and came down the slide without my help.
• He has a knack for getting himself in a bind--day after day he tries to crawl his way through spaces less than half his size. While funny at times, not when there's blood or gigantic goose egg appears.
• He opts for the quicker way of getting to the couch without going around coffee table--like crawling through the bottom shelf. Only once has he succeeded, yet he continuously tries.
• While visiting daddy at the fire station, Ryan smacked his temple on the corner of the dining room table...tear of the skin and blood droplets, but no tears.
• One morning Allison was in the shower, I was doing my hair in the mirror and Ryan was...well let's just say not where I thought he was. He had crawled into the bathroom right past me, crawled up the side of the shower, threw open the curtain and in a matter of seconds did a somersault head first into the shower. All wet in his pj's making a "eh, eh" sound...a little kiss on the forehead, a gerber and dry clothes brought a big grin to his face.

He's such a sport--quick on his knees and can take a knock on the noggin without a fuss. Two things that come to mind, I think I see pee-wee tackle football player in our future and I'm beginning to wonder if he can feel pain.

In Her Own Words

About Mommy...

1. what is something mom always says to you? "You better get in time out"
2. what makes mom happy? "When I make good choices"
3. what makes mom sad? "When I make bad choices"
4. how does mom make you laugh? "When you tickle me"
5. what was mom like as a child? "happy"
6. how old is your mom? "6 or 7"
7. How tall is your mom? "little"
8. what is her favorite thing to do? "Eat a banana"
9. what does your mom do when you're not around? "Watch a movie or play on the computer"
10. if your mom becomes famous, what will it be for? "doing what she wants to do"
11. what is your mom really good at? "crying"
12. what is your mom not very good at? "bowling"
13. what does your mom do for her job?"make dinner and construction"
14. what is your mom's favorite food? "peas"
15. what makes you proud of your mom? "When you make good choices too"
16. if your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be? "tinkerbell"
17. what do you and your mom do together? "play games and snuggle"
18. how are you and your mom the same? "when we wear the same color of underwear"
19. how are you and your mom different? "we don't wear the same size clothes or shoes"
20. how do you know your mom loves you? "Because you always say you love me more"

About Daddy...
1. what is something daddy always says to you? "I'm gonna put you in the garbage can...or the washing machine to wash your attitude away"
2. what makes daddy happy? "When I make good choices"
3. what makes daddy sad? "when I don't listen to him"
4. how does daddy make you laugh? "When he says, "I'm gonna throw this out the window"" (Inside joke)
5. what was daddy like as a child? "He liked his bedroom"
6. how old is your daddy? "1 or 2"
7. How tall is your daddy? "big"
8. what is his favorite thing to do? "tickle me"
9. what does your daddy do when you're not around? "Watches scary movies"
10. if your daddy becomes famous, what will it be for? "He goes somewhere"
11. what is your daddy really good at? "saving people's lives"
12. what is your daddy not very good at?"bowling"
13. what does your daddy do for his job?"puts out the fires"
14. what is your daddy's favorite food? "Onions"
15. what makes you proud of your daddy? "When he helps people"
16. if your daddy were a cartoon character, who would she be? "One of The Three Stooges"
17. what do you and your daddy do together? "Go to the car store"
18. how are you and your daddy the same? "I have daddy's ears"
19. how are you and your daddy different? "He's a boy and I'm a girl"
20. how do you know your daddy loves you? "He says he loves me more than mommy"
I love this girl--she's a riot!

Put to the test

Have you ever wondered if you're on the "right track"? How different would your life be now had you chosen to take a sharp left rather than the wide right turn? Would you have been better off? I've always believed that everything happens for a reason. And that He has a plan for each and every one of us. How do we know if we're responsible for those times of hardship and despair? Was it due to a poor decision we made along the way or is it simply the next chapter in the plan? Are we responsible only for how we deal with the situation? How many of us turn to Him for guidance, wisdom and strength?

So many questions, I know. But, these are honestly the questions I've been asking myself nearly every day for the past few months. Sleepless nights due to numbers running through my head--payment amounts, current balances and due dates. Waking up with that heavy weight on my shoulders each morning has been extremely taxing on my normally positive outlook. How do I see past all the worry and maintain my optimism? It's frightening to think how much worse this can get for all of us. There was one thing that actually raised my eyebrows in shock today...no, it wasn't the Dow’s 151-point increase; it was the sign that read, 'Unleaded $1.68/gal with a carwash'. Honestly, when was the last time you saw that? Figures...after I had John fill up the tank when it was $2.01/gal. Just my luck! Well, the future is unforeseen territory.... only He knows what's in store for each and every one of us. Now more than ever, I need to put my faith in Him and trust that He will see us through.