Giveaways....

I love the give aways though I never ever win..but here is one that I hope I have a chance on. I just love the prizes...yea.....
Lady Bug Blessings giveaway......
http://ladybugblessingscrafts.blogspot.com/

Our angels are waiting till our time comes.....

So yesterday was Bethanie's angel-versary. She has been gone 9 years....9 long years. Those 9 years seem like they were so long, but then everytime that I think about her, it seems like yesterday that I laid her down for a nap. You know everyone has told me that things happen for a reason, and I fully believe that. You see many years ago I went to school with a girl who came from such a big family. She kinda sorta dated (if that is what you call it, when your 11 or so), my little brother Jamie. I was never really nice to her, and never really spoke to her. I knew she was nice, but you know how teenagers are, everyone younger than them are children ha ha.

So for years there after, we graduated and our paths would cross on occasion in Walmart, and I worked with her dad at the hospital. Nothing more, nothing less. Then one tragic day my little brother comes home to tell me that her little brother had been killed in an accident. That is where our lives met so many years later. Being a mother who had lost a child, and she was a sister who had lost her dear little brother. My little brother means the world to me and I knew that I would be devastated if I lost him. So I went to her brothers site and I paid tribute to her angel, asking him to watch over my angel. At the beginning of this blog, I told you that things happen for a reason, well they do. I was contacted by her sister, and then her mother and then her, and we are such dear friends now. Things that I can't get through with loosing Bethanie, I can now, because of her and her family. Days like yesterday are easier to manage with her and her family. My own family forgot Bethanie's angel-versary yesterday, but I awoke to a gorgeous bouquet of flowers from her and her family. Just to let me know that they are thinking about me. So has I do every year I let them know that I am thinking about them today on their angel's birthday. To let them know that my family has grown and I am honored that God chose us to walk these paths together, even on days that I wish it was a path that I was not made to walk.

So THANK YOU Jenn, Thank you Brenda, Gary and Amy. You guys are my shoulders when I need to cry and I pray that I can always return the love to you guys that you have shown to me. So on this day I wish Kristofer a very happy birthday, Bethanie a very happy angel-versary and smile to know that I am no longer forced to go at this alone. I love you guys!!!

Vacation here I come........

Well, I did it. I booked our cabin in Branson on the beautiful Table Rock Lake. We will be staying at the Lake Side Resort on Coney Island. I can't wait to get away for a week. My mom and dad and niece Telissa will be going with us. We all had a camping trip planned but decided that we had done that three times this year and it was time to do something different. So we got the cabin below. They were so nice to us at Lake Side Resort and gave us the fourth night for FREE!!! Now that is a word you don't hear very often.The cabin is a 3 bedroom, 1 1/2 bath sitting on 4 acres next to the lake. We have a pool, a hot tub, free WiFi, and a country general store for all our needs. Not to mention Branson at our front door for many days of fun and adventure.
http://www.lakesideresort.net/index.html So I have gotten our tickets to the Titanic. I mean it is over rated, but none the less I think it will be a neat experience for the girls.
http://www.thetitanic.com/

There is a new adventure in Branson this time. It is called the BallKnocker. I think the name speaks for itself. Mom and myself are going to attempt this one. You can do it dry or you can do it wet with 5 gallons of water in there with you. Check out the videos at www.ballknocker.com


Oh, and you can't go to Branson without hitting Silver Dollar City. Last time we went we were unable to ride anything because of our girls. Mom and dad are going this time, so we will share baby sitting times and everyone can ride. I am looking forward to the water log ride. I am a big kid at heart lol. http://www.silverdollarcity.com/

Last but certainly not least I am going to see my bestest friend Alicia. She lives about an hour from Springfield, MO, which is about an hour from Branson. One day while our hubby's all run off to Bass Pro (another can't leave Missouri without being there), mom, myself and the girls will go and see Alicia, Maddie and Macie Jade. Hopefully she will be able to come and spend the day with us in Branson as well. This is our one time a year that we get to have a vacation and get to spend some time with my dear friend and her kiddos.

No more diapers....

Yea!!!! No more pull-ups for Averrie. I have officially got her trained. The night thing always scared me. I hate to put them to bed without protection on the bed and the butt. So I decided to "wing" it and make her sleep with no pull-up on. For the last 5 nights she has been pull-up free and I am loving it!! No more expensive pull ups, but it is also sad to a point. I mean she is my last baby, and she is the cutest little thing running around in a pull-up, but it had to be done right?

Kelly's Korner Children's party post

This is Aleeyah's 2nd Birthday party. She got to pick and it was Strawberry shortcake. Everything smelt like strawberries. She had a strawberry outfit on and was sporting a strawberry hat.

This Averrie Samarah, my two year old. This was her scond birthday party and she chose the theme, Lady Bugs. I blow out for parties, down to the matching outfits. As you can tell her hair is lady bugs, the shoes and the outfit. We usually serve food, cake and drinks. Walmart makes the cutest cup-cake, and was able to create a lady bug for us this year!!

Give me an A-L-E-E-Y-A-H

Well, Aleeyah has been at cheer camp for two days so far. The first day was a little shaky with her telling me that she would scream at the top of her lungs if I left her there. I did not intend to leave her at the gym, but NOT having to do the cheers with her sure would be nice to!! Little by little I would sneak further away from her. Aleeyah has never stayed away from me not even for a night. After loosing Bethanie, I have a fear of leaving one of my kids. I am slowly trying to get out of that!! By the end of the day Aleeyah was out there yelling at the top of her lungs, IN A GOOD WAY!!! She was cheering with them and having a great time. She loved it.....even telling me that "cheer camp was AWESOME" with a little hand action to boot. She was so excited about going this morning and was the first one through the door. She went to her "cheer-teachers" and began playing duck, duck, goose. She did not need me all day long!! That was kinda sad to see that she is growing up on me, but a relief that she can proof people wrong. Everyone always tells me that Aleeyah is "anti-social", and that she will never get better. I am home schooling her and I believe that has everything to do with their opinions. They think that she will never come out of her shell if I don't send her to public school. She has a tendency of proofing them wrong. It might take her a couple of hours but then she is right out there with the rest of them. I am the one that keeps her from doing things, and I realize that now. I am not a "crowd" type of person, and even a little crowd bothers me. I don't like to "visit", and do things with people. Call me a hermit, that is okay, at least I fess up to it ha ha. At least Averrie is nothing like me, and she is nothing like Sam. Averrie is more like the high school version of me. When I would do anything, talk to anyone and play any sport. Thank goodness I only got ONE with my disposition haha.....

Enough already!

I hope I don't offend anyone with this post, but everyday on the news all I see is Micheal Jackson. Over the fourth of July it was all about Micheal Jackson, and how his family was coping. I understand that they are hurting dearly and I pray for them, but what about the 6 soldiers that were killed over seas today in a never ending war? What about their families? How are they coping? I really got irritated today as I looked on CNN.com, and see that once again Jackson has made the top of the list. There at the bottom of all the news was the article of 6 men being killed in Afghanistan!! At the bottom of all the news, is this really the LEAST important story? They are fighting a war that is "supposed" to be for our freedom (don't go there with me, we don't have enough time), and they are at the bottom of the list. The only thing Jackson gave us was DRAMA on TV!!

These men should be the first story of the day with pictures of their faces shown to us all. That way we know who lost their life in our defense in a foreign world!! So at the end of this I am sorry he is gone, I pray for his family and dearly for his soul....but this story needs to "just beat it!!" (<----all punts intended)