She's starting to RUN!

She's looking at the wax lips she got for Valentine's Day, like "What the heck is this?"
Then she put it in her mouth like this...
She loves using pencils and crayons now.


Her crazy sister put on this silly outfit and hairbows

When I get out the camera she instantly gives me the cheesy grin! She's just like her older sister with the camera!

My little pumpkin has been walking for awhile and now takes off in a little mini jog! It is so cute to watch her. She's not really saying any more words, she's too busy moving! I need to teach her more sign language. She does so well with what she knows. And I shouldn't be saying this...She's been sleeping so well. Goes to bed around 7:30-8:00 pm and then gets up between 6:30-7:00. Occassionally she gets up at 4 or 5 and I comfort her, give her her pacifier and she goes back to sleep. Love getting my sleep!

so sick of this weather!

this is the back yard view, but you can't see the big snow flakes that were coming down
Looking out the speakeasy
The picture below was after getting 15" of snow in ONE DAY! I tried to snow plow and could barely move the thing!

Today on our local tv station reports:



Story Updated: Feb 17, 2008
Blizzard Warnings and Winter Storm Warnings have been issued for portions of Eastern Iowa for Sunday and Sunday evening. The concern is for a winter storm tracking through the Midwest dropping significant amounts of freezing rain and snow. Eastern Iowa has the possibility of both significant ice accumlations, and significant snow accumulations of over 6 inches.
This is a potentially dangerous situation as 6-8" of snow will be possible northwest of a Cedar Rapids-Dubuque line with isolated higher amounts. In addition, a significant amount of freezing rain in excess of 0.25"-0.40" may be possible as well which may cause scattered power outages. Strong winds will be likely, causing blizzard conditions.



It's been non-ending with this weather since early December! So sick of it! I'm so ready for spring!

Holly Cow! The things she says!

My little princess Miss Raven is 5 1/2 going on 20! The other day she tells me she wants to have a sleep over with her boyfriend Jacob! I'm like....um no there will be no sleep over with boys! She says, "well we'll just go to a hotel so we can be alone"! WHAT????? Then the hubby reminds me how I've said I'd like to just go to a hotel some night so I can have some alone time! The girl doesn't forget a thing! She just doesn't really have any idea what she's talking about and I sure hope she doesn't tell anyone at her Christian School her crazy ideas about her boyfriend and the hotel! HELP!

My Son is not really that into girls right now. He's 10 1/2. He's VERY into the computer and car racing games and cars. He was more into girls when he was 5. But next year is middle school! Lord help me then. I'm still trying to decide if I keep him at the same school which will be over 3 schools and several classes combined into one, so big! Or, if I send him to Raven's school which is a private Christian school, pay out the money and his class would only be around 19. He knows 2 of the boys in that class. They have a very good middle school and everyone adjusts better then usual by the time they go on to a big high school. I have to really weigh in on what would be best for him. Wish me luck!

Paisley update: She is getting more and more hair. I've trimmed her bangs a couple of times. she really likes her part time daycare and the teachers there. She is 23 pounds at 11 months old. She will walk across the room if she has her balance just right. She still loves to eat almost anything but hates oranges or slippery sour things. She's like her sister and just loves pasta and cheese and ham! She loves her whole milk and can't seem to get enough. We're still working on all the words. She'll say bye, baby, night night, momma, dada, bible (kinda -she loves to read her baby bible), She loves to look at pictures of dogs or watch them on tv. I'll find a video on youtube with dogs and she goes crazy just screaming and pointing at them. Poor thing! Too bad she'll be an adult before she ever lives with one! Oh well that was the case with me and I survived!

She's one! Happy new year!!

Paisley had her 1st birthday and she just loved the cupcakes and presents! She was having so much fun! Her birthday was before Christmas but I'm just posting all the pictures so this is a big cluster of fabulous pictures from her birthday, Christmas, and New Years in Kansas City.The boys are helping Paisley with her gifts. She didn't mind at all. She's one! I need to learn more sign language myself because she knows "more" and catches on really fast to whatever sign we teach her.

She loves to look at books so she got a lot of them for her birthday and Christmas.
She has so many different expressions!
"I'm sooooo big!"

ok she's wondering why there's an object on the cupcake she's about to eat.
First just a little taste to see if I like it...
Ok yeah! It's good! Where did it go?
I made all these cupcakes! It was so much fun. The turtle cupcakes made with our homemade caramel were fabulous!

I love her in little skirts but it's so dang cold here I rarely put them on her.
She stands and walks about 6 steps now!
kids at her 1st birthday party.

She rarely keeps the bows in her hair. So I try to capture the picture as soon as I can.
Her shirt says "my mom rocks!" not "sucks" like it looks like...
New Year's eve Grandma Hollie got them a Pinata. It was Paisley's first!
She loves her Daddy too!
Ryker the ham bone on Christmas eve!

This kids on Christmas eve and Raven being her normal "Princess" self!

Our little cheeseball posing!She really loves her Nanny! She will now hold her arms right out to her or walk to her with her arms up. Of course my Mom just LOVES that! We try to visit often so she gets used to her Nanny! Of course the foods always better at Grandma's house so all my kids love that. And my sweet Mom made me custard this past weekend when I was under the weather and she said she wished she could help. I suggested her custard! And it did help!!!! I'm the only one in my family so I have 4 bowls all to myself. This is Raven at the Christmas Eve Candle Light service at our church. I also took a great shot of Ryker like this but for some reason couldn't find it. My kids love the tradition of Candle Light service on Christmas eve. I love the Oyster stew my Mom and I make!
This was at the Plaza in Kansas City. It's a carriage ride they will take you on. We just took pictures of Raven and cousin Brittney in it. It was cold when we were there! We rented a house for Jeff's whole family to celebrate Christmas together.
Paisley with her Papa Dave and Grandma Hollie.
We got to see Aunt Helen and Uncle Chuck plus their son Tom while we were in Kansas City. Chuck and Helen have been married over 60 some years! They are our role models. Helen works out at the Y several times a week and she is 86 years old! Tom set us up with the house. My Aunt Helen is here with Raven.

Here's cousin Tom with the girls. He was so good to Raven she kept asking when he was coming back. Then he was telling her all we would do next time we came to Kansas City. She hasn't forgot anything he said. Just the other day she was saying she was having 2 birthday parties this summer because one will be at Tom's, he was taking her to the zoo! (don't forget Tom!)

The kids finally got into making a few cookies. I had been baking for a couple of weeks and they had no interest! It was fun for me though! It was also fun finally seeing them enjoy making some, decorating, and of course eatting the sprinkles and frosting.

This is Raven and her cousins Brianna and Brittney.
This is Aunt Renee with 2 of her kids and 2 of mine.

This is a shot from one of the ice storms we had in December. We've had horrible winter weather this year! And so early! It really hurt a lot of businesses in December.