One present came early... At least for Mom & Dad!

We got an early Christmas present at our house this week...

No, it's not a visitor.
(That happens tomorrow).

No, we're not expecting a new baby.
(Shame on anyone even thinking or laughing at that thought!)

No, we're not on some vacation to a warm spot in the south.
(Though that is tempting in this cold, soon to be snowy weather).

Curious yet!? Okay.... Here it is:)

Due to how well he did on his ACTs, Devin has started receiving scholarship offers from the colleges he's sent stuff to! And not just any scholarships... Academic Scholarships that are renewable for his tenure at college. That means Tony and I can finally breathe a little when Devin talks about going to college next year. Because it is now reality that we won't have to sell a car or something to pay his tuition! (JK)

Soon it will be Christmas Day...

What happens when you try to take a group photo of children at our house when they would rather be running around?

THIS....

Devin and his sisters "goof" for the camera

Emmalie has been asking for me to take her on a carriage ride for Christmas "like Belle and Cinderella" do in their prospective Christmas princess specials. She started asking about the time the giant Christmas tree went up at Bradley Fair. So last night while my Dad had the boys enthrawled in a KU basketball game in good ol' KC, Tony and I took the girls out to dinner and on to their first carriage ride. Bethie and Em were both REALLY excited and the weather held up pretty well for mid-December. Emmalie told me this morning that she "felt like a princess" and "dreamt of riding the horse carriage all night!".

The Christmas tree at Bradley Fair...
and carriage waiting line, too!

Emmalie all smiles sitting on that velvet seat!

Bethanie making a holiday wish in the fountain

Em and Bethie were so happy, they asked to ride again!

Can you believe that Christmas is less than two weeks away?! I've been trying very hard to make sure that the kids all know the true meaning of the season. They have all picked out a gift to purchase for a child or teen in need and ask for change to put into every holiday collection basket they encounter. Devin and Dalton even said when they are older they'd like to be someone similar to the "Secret Santa" in Kansas City. We are so very lucky to have four children who have big hearts... especially at this time of year.

Hope everyone is managing to stay warm and remember the great things about the holiday season. And, for those of you still braving the stores, I'm kind of glad I'm not in your shoes:) Until next time...

Time Goes By... (Fast these days!)

Thanksgiving came and went... As did my first attempt to truly experience shopping on Black Friday and Dalton's first middle school basketball game (and second, too). It seems like we're all so busy living and running and working and playing that my blog time is dwindling down even more these days. (I'm sure some of you know well what I mean!).

Thanksgiving was great! We went over to the Haag home for some wonderful food and fun. Then I went to work at the hospital for a while! It was actually a good way to work off the pumpkin pie I just ate... NO! I didn't eat the whole thing!

Uncle Joe playing with the girls

One handsome Daddy!

Dalton and Grandpa Larry "just chillin'!"

Dalton had his first and second basketball games last week. He's starting in the "power forward" position on the 7th grade "A" team and working really hard. For those of you who don't already know, the hardest sport for Dalton to play has always been basketball. It seems to be the one sport he isn't a natural at. He hasn't fouled out, has scored in both games and played at least three quarters each game... so I guess he's coming along well!

The remainder of our "free time" the past four weeks has been spent taking the girls to birthday parties. I swear everyone was born in November or early December:) I didn't realize there were so many play places to have a birthday party around this town either. The girls have had a blast!

Emmalie exiting the "king of the hill" bouncer

Bethanie... she would NOT get out of this thing!

Our little "Snow Princesses"....

They LOVED having their faces painted

(Thought Tony would freak with his girls all made up!)

Probably the best event of the past week or so... December 1 arrived. That may mean nothing to anyone else, but around these parts it means Devin finally has a clean shaven face! The high school boys decided NOT to shave from November 1 thru November 30 for some odd reason. They referred to it as... get this.... "NO SHAVE NOVEMBER!". (How fitting!).

The next couple of weeks are bound to be even busier. I have so many business trips coming up, too. I'm actually embarrassed to admit that for the first time since Tony and I have been married... I don't even have my holiday cards in the mail yet:o (Makes you feel better knowing I didn't just forget you, huh?!?!).

Until next time...

Happy Birthday DALTON!

It may be the day before Thanksgiving... but around here it's an even more exciting day!



Our little boy is no longer a boy... HE'S A TEENAGER! So scary to think that this once 6 lb 12 oz baby boy has grown up. Dalton is even about to out-grow his big brother now. Though he's changed a lot over the past 13 years... he still has those same big blue eyes that gave him the family nickname of "Ol Blue Eyes" at birth!

He was a handsome guy at 6-months of age

On his first birthday... look at all that blonde hair!


He was just starting to lose his "baby face"
the Christmas of 2005.


And today! Still such a handsome guy!

Dalton celebrated his birthday over the weekend with friends and family. He's a bit like Tony when it comes to his birthday... Dalton doesn't like a lot of fuss to occur. It's hard to believe that he's already a teenager. Though, he was making sure last night that point was well known. Oh! Two teenagers under one roof now- WHAT TO DO! (Advice is welcome!). I hope Dalton never forgets that he will always be my baby boy:)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DALTON!

What a way to "Brick" in the Holidays!

The title says it all...! Tony and I had the joy of watching Jim Brickman perform in his Wonderful World concert tour tonight. For those of you that don't know, I saw him once before Tony and I got married and that paved the way for my wedding song selection. (Yes, I even walked down the isle to a Jim Brickman piano solo instead of a more traditional song!).

THE CONCERT TONIGHT WAS WONDERFUL (as if there was any doubt it would be). He performed some of his classic hits, some Christmas songs and some new ones, too. His guest performers were amazing as well. I think Tony was taken by the electric violinist who could play everything from classical holiday music to Led Zepplin and Metallica! Honestly, I probably liked Jim Brickman's imitation of Kermit the Frog singing "The Rainbow Connection" as a duet... it was priceless. What a great relaxing way to spend the Monday evening before Thanksgiving and the whole beginning of the holiday hub-bub! If any of you ever get the chance to see Jim Brickman live, GO... you won't regret it:)

Thank you Dad, Mom and Dad for taking care of the kids and their activities for the evening. It's nice to have the "village" around to help every once and a while... THANK YOU ALL!

Calling All Veterans

To all of the men and women who have protected us throughout the years... THANK YOU and Happy Veterans Day. This is the first Veterans Day since Papa Murphy passed away. He was one of our unsung heros of WWII. Dalton's 7th grade class had a very touching tribute to these wonderful men and women today in celebration. Part of this included researching a loved one's contributions to a war-time event, what they went on to do with their life, and a "thank you" letter. Dalton, of course, dedicated his time to make everyone aware of his Great-Grandpa's heroism.

A picture of a younger Papa and

Dalton's "Thank You" letter

The finished product of DJ's hard work

Also... so I stop receiving hate mail (LOL Ang!!)... here are a handful of pictures from the pumpkin patch before Halloweeen. Remember that the boys have mastered the ability to yet again escape any pictures. In fact, Dalton dropped a pumpkin and literally took off running to avoid getting his mug caught on camera!

Bethanie goofing around at the pumpkin patch

Emmalie smilin' big at her "little" pumpkin finds

Just us girls... :)

Bethanie shows off the "just her size" pumpkins

Emmalie... a little TOO attached to this pumpkin!

We have all been on the move a lot lately. Dad took the boys to the KU/KSU football game last weekend... I can't believe Aimee talked Devin into attending KSU... :0 Tony & I attended the first Dress for Success Distinguished Women Awards Ceremony last night. (It was a full house). I'm currently in the middle of traveling the midwest for work... new places every day! Tony is up to his ears in statistics. Devin is ready to schedule his first college site visit. Dalton is full force into basketball practice. And the list goes on and on. I'm just biding my time until after next weekend... I surprised Tony with tickets to see Jim Brickman in concert on the 23rd. Then Dalton will become an official teenage boy on the 25th. And, of course, Thanksgiving the following day!

Hope everyone has a great end to their week. Don't forget to say a prayer for our veterans still serving overseas!

California Dreamin'... And Halloween, Too

Happy Halloween... belated (as most things are for us these days!). The past week has drug on and on and on. At least it's over now:)

Tony got to be "Super Dad" from Sunday thru Wednesday while I went on the first of many business trips with my new job. California was beautiful as always. Though I sat in classes all day (and learned some helpful information), I was also able to get in a short visit with my big brother and his family!

A valley view - San Jose from the balcony

Ready for Halloween!
My niece Becca & nephew Gannon

I was even serenaded by an Elvis impersonater:o

I was so ready to return home to the kids! It's been a fast-paced end to the week as well. Dalton had basketball try-outs all week (he made it!). Bethanie headed to the doctor for a nasty double ear infection and is now on $50.00 worth of antibiotics and steroids. (Bet the Democratic healthcare reform plans won't help that cost any time soon).

And then there was Halloween! I only took the girls to a few houses in the neighborhood of elderly couples that we know. They still ended up with large amounts of candy. Emmalie had more fun handing out candy at our house than, as Bethie calls it, "tick-teeating".

Our Queen Fairy and Teddy Bear

I've been so busy lately that I totally spaced putting up any of the pumpkin patch pictures. Hopefully I'll get to that post soon. Until then...

Too Close to Home

OK! I'm an avid watcher of the Today Show. It's a sort of morning ritual while I'm getting ready for work each morning. This morning they showed a story that hit way too close to home. I was appauled at what I was hearing... "Toddler Too Thin"

A 2-yr-old little girl

Weighs only 22-lbs

DENIED HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE

Considered to be "too small"

That prompts the question, "What is the world coming to?!". As you may recall, our little Bethanie is 2-yrs-old, only weighs 22-lbs, is also NOT making it on the growth curve. If I found out that our insurance could decide she's uninsurable by being too thin, it would **** me off:0 Last week it was the 4-month-old refused coverage after being considered to be obese.

Moral of the story: The one's making the decisions cannot decide whether they want us to be fat, thin or indifferent and have no morals with regards to the well-being of our next generation! Scary thought, huh?!?!

Alright, I'll get off of my soap box now:)

Can we slow down just a bit?!

The past week has just flown by! We have been on the move with so much going on since last weekend... Football, college planning, dental visits, work, work and even more work. I'm getting tired just thinking about it all!

Quick updates:

My new job is going GREAT:) I was very nervous starting into a new dimension of my career; however, it has turned out to be an exciting change that has already provided me with challenges and opportunities for personal growth. I'm still in the healthcare arena, but my formal title is "Director of Marketing/PR"... fun sounding, huh?!

Tony is Tony! Keeping the family in "reality-mode" and making sure he gets in the KSU home games keeps him busy outside of work these days.

Devin has finally decided on a college major. (YEAH!). It looks like he'll be majoring in journalism/literature with a focus on arts and multimedia. I'm glad he's finally made a choice and, unlike many, I really think he'll be part of the 10% that actually comes out of college without changing his mind. Dev has also set his sights on a private college not far from here... that part I see him changing once he realizes how much it's going to cost!

Emmalie and Bethanie are becoming our inseparable duo. Though I really don't think Bethie has a choice... Emma's a very demanding "mother hen" sometimes:o Grandpa Larry bought Bethie a cool reading toy for her birthday (a Leap Frog TAG). It is so cool and easy for her to use. We get quite the laugh watching the girls sit in their chairs and "read" to each other.

That leaves us with Dalton... Where to I start with him?! Probably the biggest news is that we were finally able to meet Dalton's girlfriend this week. Emily is a very pretty and mature young girl. She's very, very athletic... which is a good thing or she wouldn't be putting up with Dalton for long. Dalton has decided to try wrestling at school for his next sport... to "tide him over" until basketball season, that is. (We're beginning to think he is going to try every middle school sport possible at least once just to say he did it!). Thursday was his last football game:( It was preceded by a school newpaper article on him Wednesday. We've put together Part 2 of his football montage for you all to enjoy...

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Another couple of busy weeks ahead with parent sports meetings, pumpkin patchs, haunted houses and the list goes on and on. I'll close with one of my favorite verses:

I paint the world with lights,

because that is how we see it.

Without light, we would never know

the colors of the rainbow,

or see our reflection in the faces

of our children.

We would not know where we came from,

and we would not know where we're going.

40 Degrees NOW... Are you kidding me?!

Our grand plans to celebrate Bethanie's 2nd Birthday at the farm were a little dampened by some bitterly cold temperatures outside today. So we did the next best thing... we brought the pumpkin patch to our house!


My side of the family was unable to make it back from western Kansas in time, so we had a small and quiet time. (Which was nice!). Well, until Em & Beth started to fight over the same doll that is:O

Bethanie puffed her cheeks way out to blow her candle.

Our friends Aimee & Mark's handsome son Caleb...

...And their adorable daughter Katelynn.

Think Bethanie liked her cake?!

Bethanie & her Great-Grandpa Chet

Bethanie shows off her new jewels...
Aimee makes absolutely beautiful bracelets!

Bethanie poses for a picture in her own pumpkin patch

The girls had tons of fun... despite the frigid weather

Emmalie playing peak-a-boo around the hay stacks

The boys somehow managed to yet again escape any photo opportunities:) As did Tony! We'll be making our trip to the farm next weekend (we hope)... so I'll get some decent pictures of the boys then.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend.

Happy 2nd Birthday Bethanie!

On Octoober 7th, 2007, our family was blessed with the arrival of one Miss Bethanie Ailene! Her big blue eyes would stair up at us... and she'd immediately get her way. That has not changed over the past two years:)


In 2008, we had a still so small and fragile girl with a baby face who was full of curiousity!


And this year... we have a grown-up looking, fun-loving, all smiles and energy toddler! Bethanie still has not made it on the growth curve for her weight, falling below the 3% curve line for all but one month of her 2-years. She's still our small "baby" girl (we're starting to put her in 18-month clothing now)... but she definitely isn't fragile anymore! Our little Bethie-Boo has taken on the philosophy that she is just as strong as all of her older siblings. (Now, if we can just get her to stop biting them out of frustration... which is another post in and of itself!). She's been off of the Prevacid for four months now and is doing very well. There are no more surgeries in her foreseeable future, either:) Bethanie has been a great addition to our family the past two years... our little ray of sunshine! We cannot wait to see her learn and grow even more over the coming years!

HAPPY 2nd BIRTHDAY BETHANIE!