Happy Birthday TJ!

Todd is 35! It's impossible to find something to buy this man. It seems like if a man wants something, he just buys it. If he can't afford it, he saves for it. If a woman wants something, we go to the store and have an internal battle over if we should buy it or not, then we end up buying more clothes for our kids or 30 things from the Target Dollar bin and head home without our original prey.

So this year I decided just to do, instead of buy. I asked T to go to my parents house in the morning to help my dad move a tree. He was of course thrilled to death. I packed up our stuff while he was gone and then headed up to my parents. I walked in and told him we were going to run errands. Then we went to Rent-a-vette. I had reserved a corvette for the weekend, but when we got there T asked if they had any Porche's. The man took us in his garage of Bentley's, Vette's, Escalades, Porche's and historic cars and said to pick what we wanted. So T picked a little Porche convertible. We took of riding in style, enjoying the AZ air and headed up to Scottsdale for lunch and shopping. After that, we headed to Talking Stick Hotel and Casino to hang out by the pool and enjoy a full nights sleep with no little people having bad dreams or having to go potty....ah, heaven!

Happy Birthday TJ, it was great having you all to myself for a couple of days!!

Pray for Kate

If you haven't read this website, you must. A little girl named Kate who was diagnosed with brain cancer, which went into remission. It has now returned and her family is asking for prayer as they face hard decisions ahead. Reading their online journal is heart-wrenching, but their faith is amazing.

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/mcraekate

We'll miss you buddy!

Poncho,

You were such a great dog! Now, great is relative for a dog who ate a sofa, a bag of paintballs, my wedding ring, and about 100 pairs of shoes. You were such a lover, and would get thrilled to death when we walked out of the bathroom (after 1 minute of being in there) like we had been gone all day. You slept on my feet for 10 1/2 years, and if your brother tried to take that coveted spot on the bed, you just layed on top of him. You would only listen to dad, and if I told you to go in your room, you rolled over with your belly up and refused to move. I just left you, because I never really wanted you away from me anyway. You let our babies play doctor on you, sit on you, and pull your tongue out over your head. You watched as we brought 3 babies home, and sat next to their swing in the living room each time. One of your favorite things to do was to take the trash out with me, you would "heel" all the way to the trash can and back in the front yard, quite an accomplishment for such an excited boy. You were so in love with everyone in our family.

We cried with the kids last night, and are so sad for your brother who is looking all over the house for you. You are greatly missed already my friend.

Girl Scout Cookies!!!!!

Do you love Girlscout Cookies?
Do you love Rylee?
Do you love us and want to spare us from going door to door?





If you've answered yes to any of these questions......



it's time to buy Cookies!!!!

4$ per box, money due when cookies arrive (mid-Feb)

Thin mints, Samoas, Tagalongs, DoSiDos, Trefoils, Lemon Chalet Cremes

Thanks! xoxo....us.

Tis the Season

Anyone else losing brain cells by the minute? Anyone out there:
-Find yourself giving fish food to your dogs? Poor guys sat in front of me, eager for their glucosamine as I sprinkled fish flakes on their faces.
-Forget to put jackets on your kids, and when they cry, respond with "just move around alot, you'll be fine."
-Thank the dog for licking the cheerios off the kitchen table, grateful that you don't have to clean it now?
-Have your kiddo wake up at 10:30 at night to say "um...mom, you never got my homework out of the car today."
-Spend 3 hours trying to load songs on a new ipod for your daughter for Christmas, text a friend to ask for help, then realize it's not plugged in all the way?
-Wear your pajamas to drop the kids off at school, thinking noone will see you, then almost run out of gas and find yourself at a gas station by a high school in camouflauge flannel pj's.
-Sing loudly to yourself in the car, to the point your daughter says "mom, stop! There might be other 7 year olds in the other cars"
-Set the house alarm at night, then walk straight to the back door, and open it for the dogs to go off. I'm sure the neighbors enjoy the alarm as much as my kids do when they are sleeping.

Ah....Tis the Season

Feeling Defeated

When you are feeling defeated, surround yourself with the things you love most. Here is Kennedie. I refused to take her boots off and change her for the 52nd time today. I then found her in her closet, surrounded by the things she loves most, shoes. Head burried in her knees, crying and talking to her shoes.

Lovin me some daddy at the Suns Game

Rylee's latest date night, which kept her out until 10pm on a school night, Holy Moly that's a big deal when you are "7 and 3/4."