Tag I'm It...

Here's how it works:
1. Choose the 4th folder where you store your pictures on the computer.
2. Select the 4th picture in the folder.
3. Explain the picture.
4. Tag 4 people to do the same
5. No cheating. (cropping, editing, etc.)


This was taken at the retirement party that the hospital gave my Mom on her last day of work. She retired in May of 2007 after 25 years of service in Labor and Delivery,Postpartum, various doctor offices, and the Child Care Center. We were on the top floor in their conference room. The view down below and the food was really good. LOL Ally and Elise had the best time! The Child Care Center brought some of the school-aged kiddos over to the party and Ally had a great time sitting and talking with the big kids! haha I got to see some old friends that I worked with in the past. I worked at the Child Care Center as well for a little over 3 years. Ok now I tag Mandi, Lauren, Jana, and Lindsey. Have a great weekend!!

You know we all have those moments when we come to realization that we are now adults and our parents are not invincible!!. I mean really adults, not like being 18 or 21 but real life adults like our parents are! I have a plastic tote full of blankets that were mine when I was a baby. One of the blankets in there has patches of material and a backing that almost feels like foam. It was not my favorite blanket because the foam backing always felt kinda funny to me. My mom later explained that when I was a baby there was no such thing as fleece. This foam like material was the closest thing there was to the warm snugly fleece of today. I always knew that this was a blanket that my mom had made for me with her own 2 hands so I kept it even though it was not one of my favorites. There is a tag on the end that says made with love for our baby. That is what has always made this particular blanket special to me. Well I needed this plastic tote that the blankets were packed in for something, so I started pulling out the blankets and the foam on this blanket started crumbling off. As many many of you know foam will deteriorate after time into a weird powder like substance. Well after 30 years the foam had had it! I took the blanket to my mom and asked if she could put a new backing on it. I told her to please save the tag and sew it back onto the blanket. Well a week later I have the blanket back with a new yellow cotton backing. And yes the tag is still there!
When my mom brought the blanket to me she explained that the pieces of material she used to make the patches were from her old maternity clothes that she had while she was pregnant with me. There are also some patches that were from a gown that she had made for me. It took me few minutes of looking at it and it hit me like a freight train that I have now worn the maternity clothes just like my mom did. I am in the place that she was after she had made the blanket! I am done with my maternity clothes just like she was and it is my turn to be the mommy just like she is! WOW! So now I am on a mission to make a blanket with some of my maternity clothes and baby clothes just like she made for me! With my mom's 70th birthday just around the corner I have realized that she is not going to be here forever. She always tells me not to be sad when she is gone because that is just the way life goes. Now it's my turn to be the Mommy and eventually the Grandma and Great Grandma that she is! I only hope I can be 1/2 of the person she is and has been! Thanks Mommy for giving me the courage to be the woman I struggle to be everyday! I Love You!!

Goodbye 2008

Where in the world has this year gone! I mean seriously it feels like it flew by sooo incredibly fast! It has been a big year with lots of joy, hugs, and laughter! I enjoy everyday to the fullest (or at least I try my hardest to) and I thank God for each day and all of the blessings they bring!! I thought I would wrap up the end of the year and catch everyone up on our little family! Chris is now pulling up to standing while holding on to an object. He just started doing this within the last 2 weeks. He had mastered the pulling up to his knees about 2 weeks prior. One day I walked into his room and WOW he was on those little feet just smiling at me! He has 8 teeth, 4 on the bottom and 4 on top. He is a great sleeper. All I have to do is put him in his bed with his blanket and paci and her usually goes to sleep without much fuss. With the exception of a snooze in his rocker from time to time, he really like sleeping in his own bed! (what a change from the girls!!)


Allyson is loving school and turning into such a grown up little lady! She is in an advanced reading group and can read just about any word out there now! VERY SCARY!! She had been having lots of luck not getting strep throat this school year until November. She came down with it a week and a half before Thanksgiving! It looks like those tonsils are coming out more sooner than later, possibly Spring Break or Summer of 2009! Allyson is a great artist and loves to draw these immaculate pictures that tells stories about how she is feeling and events that are happening in her life. She is such a sweet and loving little girl and I am so lucky to have her in my life!! She has lots of friends at school that she tells me about. About half of them are boys! She always talks about this boy named Christopher who is in another 1st grade class. UHH OHH It begins!! Daddy better get the baseball bat! haha She has now lost 6 teeth and the 2 next to her front teeth are really loose. The next pic I post they will be gone!
Elise is still my sweet little spit fire! She is full of bounding energy and can argue any subject with any person until she gets her way! We say she is going to be a great lawyer or politician one of these days!! haha She has been very lucky and has not be sick much at all this year! She has had colds, runny noses, and coughs but noting much else! Some how she has dodged the dreaded strep throat that Ally can't seem to get rid of!! She is my picky eater and eats like a bird! Some days she eats really well but most days she only snacks. Elise loves to climb and jump off of things which gives her mama grey hairs!! She can't wait until she starts Kindergarten and knows that she is every bit as big as Ally! She gives Ally such a hard time! She is the typical little sister that just bugs and torments any time she can! At the end of the day she stills loves to climb into my lap so that I can rock her and sing 'Hush Little Baby" to her until she falls asleep! It's moments like these that you will never forget!!
Elise loves to paint with water colors and has started to draw potato people. You know the little potatoes with stick arms and legs and 2 tiny dots for eyes and a half smile. She can also write an H, an E, and an A. She is sooo proud of herself!!