I finally did it~~A new camera!!!

So after LITERALLY months of research....bugging everyone I knew about what camera they had...buying one camera and returning it and going to Best Buy OVER and OVER and OVER agian to "play" I finally decided and bought my new friend!

I made the jump to a Digital SLR! I ended up getting a Canon XS 1000D. This was just the best match for all of my "wants". I have to say...I am in love! From the very first picture I took!

Yup....my first picture. By the time I had the time to open it up and play....everyone else was in bed. :)

Can't wait to figure out photshop now!

Now, I am sooooo looking forward to the tulip festival this year! I am already contemplating my shots!

Inaguration Day 2009

Today, I was unable to stop watching history in the making. When I did finally stop watching...I couldn't stop thinking about how far our nation has come. How much we, as a people, have finally grown! I am so happy that my children are being brought up in a country that has passed "that" point...a country, where the majority finally looked beyond race, and decided based on other factors!

When my son looked at me and asked why I was so involved, I explained that this was our new president, and told him that he is the first African American president ever...and he said...
"so, what's the big deal?"
I am so happy he sees it like that, and wish that for everyone! I hope it is never a "big deal" agian...

This is certainly NOT to say that I do now, nor will ever agree with everything that President Obama intends to do, or might do, while in office. But, as an American, I am proud to stand, and support.
I believe that None of this has ANYTHING to do with party lines....not caring whether you are Conservative, Liberal or Independant,
This was a monumental day in America! A day of exceptance...of new beginnings...of hope.

Highschool Debate...

Karman has joined debate this year.
It seems it is right up her alley...She is very outgoing, and can be well spoken, and always makes a good first impression on people.

We, as parents, are hoping it will give her some experience beyond what is in her comfort zone. To gain some world knowledge, to become even more clear in her thoughts, and learn how to organize them. We are hopeful, as she is excelling, that the intrest remains, because there are MANY scholarship opportunities.

There are many different forms of debate, and she has chosen the speech format. So she has written two speeches. One is informational, and one is persuasive. Throughout the year, she keeps the same speeches, but improves them. Eventually, she will memorize them, and add movements, and visual aides. They are very good, and I look forward to them getting even better as the year progresses.

In her very first debate she got a ribbon...which was unheard of, as she is only in her first year of debate, and at a brand-spankin new school, that barely even has a team. She competed against many very seasoned teams, and still won a ribbon. Her second earned her a metal...At the end of November, her fourth debate, she received TWO trophies....one FIRST place, and one SECOND place! It was amazing. She and I had worked and worked on the speeches, and it paid off!!!

Now she is working toward her sixth competition, she is working on memorization now, and will be moving into open debate (which means that notecards are no longer allowed).

She puts in LONG hours on competition days, and works hard...and the pay off, for the teenage self-esteem, is HUGE!

Where does the time go?

A little Wii

We got a Wii for Christmas.

It is sooooo great! We have never let our kids watch much TV, or play the computer or video games much at all. That, hasn't changed....but I have to say, something that can entertain, two adults, a teenager and two little kids is pretty awesome!

So one of our new years resolutions for the year (for the umpteenth time) was to lose some weight and gain back some strength etc....so I really wanted to get the Wii and the Wii fit for us. It is amazing! It acts as accountability as you weight-in on it, and also gets you up off the couch and moving :) Plus, and this is the best part...it is FUN! So you want to do it again!

Plus, the kids love it. Tyler has the most interest. Makylie is still too young, to really "get it"...and Karman had already played it many times before we ever got it, so it isn't as exciting to her...but she still enjoys it. We still limit to about 1/2 hour a day...but it is so fun to watch everyone play it and learn the skills and the coordination. Plus, it is a great bargaining tool...for cleaning up, studying and staying in bed at night. :)

Happy New Year

Reflecting....


On the love of family, the beauty of the world, and the wonder that is life.


HOW HONORED I AM TO BE A PART OF ALL OF IT!

Happy, Happy New Year!

My Big Snow Dog

My dog Izabelle is a Boxer Lab mix. She is such a good dog! I love her!

(This is when we first got her...she was soooo little)

(This is around 5 months old)

(This is closer to now...)

She is obedient, gentle, playful and beautiful. She so much wants to be one of the kids.

Before I got her a couple of years ago, I learned that Boxers grow up to be big 45-55 pound dogs...but will always believe they are small lap dogs. This has proven to be true for my Izzy. She is about 45 pounds, looks relatively threatening to strangers (which of course is what we wanted) but really is the biggest lover you would ever run across. She tries to snuggle on me if I lay on the couch, when I rub her favorite spot on her chin she melts, and rolls over onto my lap, and just really thinks she isn't much of a burden. And when Maky does it...she more-or-less disappears under the big gentle giant. :)

The reason that I thought I would dedicate a page to her...is because today we were out in the snow and she was going CRAZY! It was so funny! She was catching snowballs, chasing Tyler in circles as fast as she could and rolling around...now....she is a short-haired dog, so shouldn't be out in the cold for much time, but she would spend every single waking moment in the snow if I would let her. :) She thinks she is a Husky.

Ah my puppy!

Merry Christmas to all!!!

What a beautiful day. We don't often get White Christmas' around here. We all normally long for it, but to no avail. This year however, we have at least a foot of snow on the ground, and it was snowing ALL DAY. It was so gorgeous!

We got up in the morning...and I had made an egg casserole, and Kevin made his traditional cinnamon rolls, both the night before...we threw those in the oven while the kids ripped through their stockings...

Then we ate...which Kevin and I LOVE...but for the kids...it is the LONGEST BREAKFAST EVER!!!! :) Patience is a virtue, right?

Then on to presents.

(lovin' the shoes...over the jammies)

It has been nice because for the last couple of years, Christmas has been all ours. We do the big extended family dinner on Christmas Eve...but now, on Christmas, we do our thing...go say some Merry Christmas'/thank you's, if we so choose, (this year, there was so much snow we couldn't have) and then we have dinner in the crock pot at home. A big ole' ham! It is really nice. It gives us a chance to ~ just enjoy ~ and the kids a chance to play like crazy!

And that they did.

Santa even remembered the dog...and she played and played.

Christmas is just in the air...
This was a great year. Karman has relaxed about it all...she doesn't get so insane about everything like she used to I mean she still gets that look of wonder in her eyes, but it isn't the same...so it takes some of the fun out...but finally, Tyler is at the age where he truly GETS it....and LOVES it. He believes in EVERY aspect of Santa Claus (which only last a couple of years, really) and he just has that magic in his eyes!! He was so excited! Yet, through all of the excitement, he was so thankful for every single little thing. Makylie, still doesn't really understand...but she did sit on Santas lap...and remembered ALL season what she braved herself up to ask for. This morning, she really played off of Ty's excitement.

It was an amazing day.

Full of love....family.....and of course, new toys.

Merry, Merry Christmas...

from our HOUSE FULL OF BEANS!

Christmas Eve

Gone most of the day, for a wonderful family traditional dinner.

Home just in time to open the kids yearly Christmas Eve gift of new jammies...

Set out cookies for Santa

Read the letter Santa sent to the kids

and read 'Twas the Night Before Christmas.

Exhausted kids, but utterly excited kids. Us, knowing full-well, that we are in for a night of light sleepers with endless questions...trying SOOOOO hard to stay awake to hear the thumps of hooves on our rooftop, and sneak a peak of the big guy in red. Me, sitting here...loving that innocence that, not too many years from now, will be gone.

It is snowing outside...atop our already foot+ of snow. We have finished ALL wrapping, for the first time ever, and are just going to enjoy the evening...waiting for Santa to arrive.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a Good Night!

Another Year Older...Another year better

Today is my birthday...

So this morning I was suppose to get to sleep in, which was nice...not that I did, but you bet I tried!

We had some errands to run in the early part of the day.

Then in the afternoon we met up with our friends and their kids and went bowling. We planned to bowl for a few hours as we all (kids included) really love it! BUT...it was snowing, and was snowing a lot. It was like 18 degrees outside and we already had ice covered roads, and then snow was building outside. So the bowling alley announced that they were going to close quite early. So, we ended up only being able to bowl for just under two hours...but it was a BLAST!!! I got my first TURKEY ever, so that was a nice birthday present, because I beat the hubby!!!! (and everyone else) :)

Then we went to dinner. We were planning on Claim Jumper, but due to the rapid accumulation of snow, we decided on Applebees since it is only about 3 minutes from both ours and our friend's houses. Kevin was pretty worried that we weren't going to make it home if we didn't make that choice. It was a nice dinner...everyone had a good time!

Then we went home, and got the kids ready for and into bed, and I cleaned up the kitchen. Then Kevin and I decided to go play in the snow...so we went sledding right outside our house! It was so much fun...Tiring, but fun! Not as easy to run up the hill now as it was when I was a kid ;) We live just on top of a relatively small hill, but it makes a great sledding hill when it's icy! We made some snow angels, and threw some snowballs, and challenged each other down the hill. I didn't feel 32 right then! :)

It was a great day...Amazing family, wonderful friends...who could ask for more!

And, of course, IT IS STILL SNOWING