February Snowman...

The kids couldn't have been happier when the snow fell.
Just enough to go make a snowman.

Only thing is....
For the first time ever...
their favorite playmate, daddy, is out of town!

Mommy actually had to go out and get her snowman on. :)
And we did just that.
It was that kind of day...it was warm enough to stay out and play for hours but I knew we only had a couple hours that the snow was going to stay good enough to pack into a snowman.....
The snow was continuing to come down...but it was that pellet kind of snow at this point....
It wouldn't pack into anything.

So....We got to rolling and packing, and making a dog-gone good snowman!

Our friends came over to check it out too.

The kids named him snowy.
He was a nice wintery addition to our yard!

There is nothing quite like a fresh snowfall...
especially in our area where we don't get A LOT...
But add a snowman to that...
a couple cute, hardworking kids...
and some homemade hot cocoa afterward.
THAT, my friends, is my perfect day.

Waiting....waiting....waiting...

Just standing...waiting....

starring....and waiting...

Just waiting...and wishing....

For the snow to accumulate, enough to go make a snowman!

Family time...

Enjoying a couple of evening milkshakes....

And a rousing game of Connect 4.

A little family time for the crew before daddy leaves on another trip.

Kevin is taking off for another work-cruise.

This time to Mexico.

The kids get so clingy before he leaves...and obviously after he returns.

They don't like him being gone.

Kevin likes having the opportunity to travel for work...

but

he doesn't like to be away from them either.

So...Lots of Connect 4 and milkshakes it is! :)

Artist...

I just adore every stage of having kids.
I have great kids.
I pretty much tend to think I am a good mommy, improvements can always be made...because we are simply born to learn, and change and develop. But overall, I have good, well-balanced kids, who are nice and attentive and loving.
There are stages that they go through.
Some are fun....like, too fun...

Others are not so much on my fun radar...still, I like to think I am learning from them, but more, that I am giving my kids the ability to stretch and shake their wings a little...knowing it is safe to explore who they are.

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Tyler is going through a bit of a...ummm, what do I call it...a "sassy" stage. He talks back a bit, in a way he never has...

he argues some, and says things that are simply not ok for our house.

Nothing terrible, just disrespectful.
We keep saying it is just a stage.
I think it is.
We just keep trying...letting him explore this new side of himself...

but then guiding him back to what is ok in our home.

Hoping of course, that he will just grow out of it.
I am learning.

With it though...

He does stuff...like this...

I love his drawings...I love that he explores so many things!

and...
He has this new sense if humor. He makes me laugh out loud...and can crack us all up.

He has developed this new side...and it is funny. He can do a "valley-girl" impression and, I don't know where in the world he got it...but it is HILARIOUS!!!

also...
He is reading unstoppably. He tested at school at 132 words per minute...
That is really really good. Expectation for the end if the year, is that he can read 90 to 120 words a minute.
He is doing math...he is writing full stories.
He is nice to other kids and has lots of friends.
He plays sports.
He is just all around awesome!
So I guess my lesson is...

that I have to put up with, and grow through all of the stages with him.

There is just too much good in him not to!

He teaches us so much!
As of late, he is even teaching me patience!
And that's okay.
I'll do my time. He's so worth it!

GLOBETROTTERS

Kevin and Tyler got to go see the Harlem Globetrotters with Kevin's parents and sister and family.
Tyler had never heard of them.....
Like most kids anymore...
But he was so excited!
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He is really shy...so I don't think his enthusiam was seen by everyone...but he really had a great time. He has talked about it every day since they went!

He thought the tricks that they did were really cool.
Ever since being there, he runs around the living room pretending to be each of the players....
It goes something like this...
"Special K passes to Flight-time. He catches and runs...throws the ball high into the air and it is caught by Ant. He runs and spins the ball as fast as he can. Oh...Oh, he is going to lose it....then Airplane comes in and saves the day. He shoots....He SCORES!!!"

His cotton candy is BIGGER then he is! That is his cousin Elaine in the background.

Kevin has never been to a game to see them play either.
We just all know who they are.
We have seen them perform...and of course, we all remember the classic Scooby Doo's! :)

For a half hour after every game all of the players gather for autographs!
Daddy bought Tyler a ball for autographs...but do you think he would ruin his new beautiful ball with writing...NO...(he didn't quite understand the point.)
So he used the paper that we had brought just in case he was lucky enough to get some signatures!

Look how big they are.
Can't imagine why a little guy would be a bit intimidated!

He was so proud when he showed me all of his autographs!

They had a really good time.
It makes me all warm inside when they have these special times together.
I love that Tyler wants to do everything his daddy does...and loves to be with him.
There is nothing that I could hope more...then to have Tyler turn out just like Kevin.

60 miles in 3 days???

So when I first thought about doing this journey...I din't think I had it in me.

I mean, my heart was there! No doubt in that...but I mean, really.
60 miles.
In.3.Days????
It just seemed next to impossible.

Welcome to the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure:

But...
I couldn't get it off my mind. It woke me at night. It sat with me during the day.
I kid you not, when I would truly stop at certain moments...and think to myself....
"WHO AM I KIDDING....I am overweight and out of shape...and don't even get me started on the fund-raising...I don't think I can do this...."
A commercial would come on the radio and remind me...
That it is a choice.
That I CAN DO THIS!

I can help make a change.

It consumed me.
I obsessed in my self-doubt. That is what I do.
I second guess myself, and live in my shell of questioning.
Only to let time pass.
Then I regret.

At some point I needed to break free of my comfort zone.
I needed to become a part of something SO much bigger than myself.

My friend Cindy decided to sign up for this journey.
She inspired me.
She made me want to be better.

So here I am.
On January 31st, I signed up....and now...I want to do better...to be better!
My friend Erin just signed up as well.
It will be an amazing, life-changing journey.

Now on to FUNDRAISING!!!!
Please help me on this journey...
I will blog about it here and over at my 3-Day website.
Please visit me at ... www.the3day.org/goto/bizibean

I so look forward to this amazing experience...
The digging deep to change the introverted person I have become...
And seeing who evolves!

Berkley Bound...

I just dropped Karman off.

Bound for University of California Berkley...for a HUGE debate tournament.

This was a huge honor to be invited to.
We scraped together the money so that she could be a part of it!
It is a multi-state tournament, and is a really big deal!

She leaves today, and will be heading back on the 22nd.
She got a shiny new ID card...and is all packed and walking around with bells on!

Hoping for good news!!!
Good Luck Karman!!!

Family Date Night..for Valentine's Day...

We had a beautiful family date night for Valentine's Day this year.
Funny how things change, isn't it?

Now our table is filled with pink milk, and red jello....
We sure do love our favorite people!

Red Raspberry Jello....

Pink Strawberry milk...

BEAUTIFUL Asparagus!!!

The absolute YUMMIEST Sweet potato oven fries you have ever tasted in your life!

Stir-fried mushrooms....

And of course, gorgeous T-Bones.

I LITERALLY NEVER buy T-Bones. It was a real treat!

I even made some herbed butter that I watched Rachel Ray make on this same day.
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And well...

Ummmm.

Fresh made ganache dipped strawberries...

And homeade fresh strawberry ice cream....

Happy Family.

I adore my family.

I really truly do....from the depths of my ever-loving soul!

They force me to appreciate....

Everyday!

With every fiber of my being!

Happy Valentine's Day my loves...

Happy Valentine's Day...

Happy Valentine's Day!
We feel the LOVE around here!

Even my sick little girl was lovin the LOVE!

Hope everyone's day was filled with hearts!

Our Debater!!!

For the first time ever, Karman's team went to Eastside Catholic.
She wasn't too excited, because it is a relatively small tournament.
I reminded her...that she has to do her time, doing the small sets too, in order to prime for the big sets.
That you can't expect to always have these amazing, enlightened experiences...sometimes...you just have to put in your time to get to the reward at the end...
{You see...you don't HAVE to go on these...it is a choice which you participate in, if any, (or all) but how many hours you put in directly relates to lettering....and obviously...winning.}

So she went. She did her time...and the work....
She had a good day...She had fun!
AND LOOK WHAT SHE GOT OUT OF IT!!!!!

Hands down, the coolest trohpies thus far in her debate career.
They are huge....and REAL metal.
She adores them!
(She is even doing a ceramics project in her class based on the larger one.)

So, she ended up with a 1st in ORATORY and a 3rd in EXPOSITORY!!!
SO COOL!
She was SO incredibly happy that she made the decision to do the work and go!
I can't believe how well she is doing in Oratory!
It is phenomenol to me. Oratory is usually her least favorite, and it shows. It is the one she doesn't want to practice...and doesn't work on.
This year has just been a complete turn around in it!

So her dresser is really full of trohpies!

She is going to BERKLEY NEXT!
Which is HUGE!
it is a huge opportunity for her...and one of the largest high school debate tournaments that exsists.

Then she still has the STATE competition...and National Qualifiers...and from there...Maybe, NATIONALS!!!!

Can't wait to see what the rest of the year brings for her.
We are really proud of you!

A letter from a boy...

Tyler just loves his cousin Tanner.
My sister and their family live in Arizona...so we only see them once a year or so.
However, Ty doesn't forget...and often...

He randomly comes out with a drawing, or a letter, or a book he has made for Tanner.
Here is his lastest one.
It is so funny and adorable.
I can't read it without breaking into tears.
(as an explanation....Tanner calls everyone Hobo. He got it from the Nickelodeon show, I-Carly. Tyler just thinks it is hillarious...and somehow over the last year, it has just stuck as Tanners name of adoration from Tyler. :))

I just love, that even though they have never lived close...and have never had major amounts of time to bond...that they just love each other.
It makes me very happy that Tyler just randomly thinks of him.
I have such a nice little boy.

He makes me so happy!
I love you!

Little Student of the Week

This week, Makylie is the student of the week in her Preschool class.
The kids get to make a poster of themselves.
(did I mention I miss my camera...this cute girl deserves to be crisp and clear... :))

She made sure to wear one of her prettiest dresses for her special day!
And look how proud she looks!!

Here is her poster.
She chose her pictures from the groups that I set out.
She helped me come up with all of the "favorite things"...which included...shoes, pink, drawing, Hello Kitty, Silly Bandz, Friends, sports, dancing and her brother... and she drew a picture of her pets, and her family...and she wrote her name and the date etc...


It was so fun to watch her look through pictures that she doesn't remember.
And then get excited about them...remembering...

I can not believe how big you are getting little lady.

The pride-filled sparkle in your eyes...

LIGHTS my world!

Awarded...

3rd place plaque, awarded to Karman Bean, on February 5th, 2011.

For her Oratory speech on Oceanic Polution!

Great job again, Karman!!!!

Saasy...

Oh....my sassy little girl.
What do I do with you?

You melt me like no other.

Look at you.

How could you not?

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You are a little fashionista...

The first thing you notice are shoes...ALWAYS

then nail polish or hair or earrings.

You are the first one to notice when something is different...when I change my nail polish...or wear high heels.

Or when I put on perfume...you say "what do you smell like?"

You are soft and angelic like that.

You are just such a girlie-girl. And yet, you kick-it in sports too!

Where did that come from???

I sit with you, and breathe you in as deep as I can....until you overwhelm my lungs with your amazingness!
You astound me.

Everyday.

And I love you!

Just because...

Is it wrong that I dream about my poor, broken, camera...???
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I miss my camera.

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Just sayin.