Happy New Year!!

 I love this jar idea and think I'd love to try it for 2014.  Time goes by so fast, life is precious and to put memories or quotes, or things that stand out to you in this jar...I think would be so neat to read at the end of next year.

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

 We hope you all had a very Merry Christmas! (sorry this comes a little late).  

what little girls wish daddy's knew..

I came across this on my face book page and I just had to share it with you! I think all dads need to read this!! When you think of how your relationship was growing up with your father, it really makes sense now to me after reading this why I feel a certain way about things!!

I’m spending the morning waiting for my car in the repair shop. Four men in flannel (I missed the flannel memo) and I sit around smelling tires and inhaling exhaust fumes while an enchanting little girl fairy is in constant motion around her daddy. She climbs on him, giggles, turns around, and then she’s back to twirling on the tile.
She’s bouncing and spinning around in her pink frilly skirt. Her black cable knit tights are sagging around her tiny knees, and her puffy coat makes her arms stand out further than is natural. To top off the ensemble is a shiny crystal tiara. It’s been tacked down to her head with what appears to be about 60 haphazard bobby pins.
She’s probably four years old. So little, so vulnerable. She doesn’t seem concerned about it as she sings about teapots and ladybugs in her black Mary Janes. I feel myself tear up as I watch her. I tear up as I watch him watch her. She could not possibly know at four what impact this man, his character, or his words will have on her for years to come. And, maybe he doesn’t know either.
So, to all the daddies with little girls who aren’t old enough yet to ask for what they need from you, here is what we wish you knew:
1. How you love me is how I will love myself.
2. Ask how I am feeling and listen to my answer, I need to know you value me before I can understand my true value.
3. I learn how I should be treated by how you treat my mom, rather you are married to her or not.
4. If you are angry with me, I feel it even if I don’t understand it, so talk to me.
5. Every time you show grace to me or someone else, I learn to trust God a little more
6. I need to experience your nurturing physical strength, so I learn to trust the physicality of men.
7. Please don’t talk about sex like a teenage boy, or I think it’s something dirty.
8. When your tone is gentle, I understand what you are saying much better.
9. How you talk about female bodies when you’re ‘just joking’ is what I believe about my own.
10. How you handle my heart, is how I will allow it to be handled by others.
11. If you encourage me to find what brings joy, I will always seek it.
12. If you teach me what safe feels like when I’m with you, I will know better how to guard myself from men who are not.
13. Teach me a love of art, science, and nature, and I will learn that intellect matters more than dress size.
14. Let me say exactly what I want even if it’s wrong or silly, because I need to know having a strong voice is acceptable to you.
15. When I get older, if you seem afraid of my changing body, I will believe something is wrong with it.
16. If you understand contentment for yourself, so will I.
17. When I ask you to let go, please remain available, I will always come back and need you if you do.
18. If you demonstrate tenderness, I learn to embrace my own vulnerability rather than fear it.
19. When you let me help fix the car and paint the house, I will believe I can do anything a boy can do.
20. When you protect my femininity, I learn everything about me is worthy of protecting.
21. How you treat our dog when you think I’m not watching tells me more about you than does just about anything else.
22. Don’t let money be everything, or I learn not to respect it or you.
23. Hug, hold, and kiss me in all the ways a daddy does that are right and good and pure. I need it so much to understand healthy touch.
24. Please don’t lie, because I believe what you say.
25. Don’t avoid hard conversations, because it makes me believe I’m not worth fighting for.
It’s pretty simple, really. Little girls just love their daddies. They each think their daddy hung the moon. Once in a while when you look at your little gal twirling in her frilly skirt, remember she’ll be grown one day. What do you want her to know about men, life, herself, love? What you do and say now matters for a lifetime. Daddies, never underestimate the impact of your words or deeds on your daughters, no matter their age.

"A Hallelujah Christmas" by Cloverton

I really love this version of this song and wanted to share it with you all that share in reading my blog!! Hope you have a great Day!!

Happy Birthday Gramps

Happy 91st birthday Gramps!! ( i posted this yesterday, but somehow it went on one of my other blogs)

You are the strongest man I know. Not long ago we thought we were losing you, but you fought through it and today you are strong and feeling good ("could always be better" as you say). But today, you are a walking miracle really and I am so proud of you!! Witty, strong, and you speak your mind that is for sure :-) I love you Gramps!! 

Sandy's little farm

my aunt Sandy is so proud of her farm. Before we left town we had to get out and visit her 46 animals!!
Here are a few pics of our little journey!!

 In the middle my proud Aunt of her farm!! On the left my sweet Grandma Olson. I am so lucky to still have 3 amazing grandma's here to enjoy life with. She's got a very special place in my heart and many memories we share!!!

 The big ol' turkeys...strutting their stuff!!

Happy Thanksgiving

If you have your health, if you have people in your life to love, you are blessed. Life moves fast, slow down and enjoy the simple things.  If you have hurt someone, make it right. If you are holding a grudge, let it go. If someone hurt you, forgive them. If someone needs you, make time to be there for them. If you make a promise, hold true to your word.  If you can't keep a promise...then don't make it! Things don't matter, people and relationships do.  Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!
All together we probably had 26 family members at dinner- was a great day!!

 Below Bailey and his cousin Rylan...always bugging eachother..

 She love her daddy!

A little touch of Christmas ...before Thanksgiving :-)

Yes I know it's not even thanksgiving yet, but this year we are not really setting up a ton of lights outside, so my focus was on my front porch entrance to my house. Here are a few things I did at my door!! The weather was around 50 degrees this weekend, I could definitely love that temp all winter long.  This week I am getting a ton of work done over the next couple of days then off for 5 days for a little Thanksgiving vacation. Excited to spend some time with family!!

Happy Birthday Amanda

It is so hard to believe that my little baby girl is growing up on us!! Amanda you are the joy of my life. I can't even begin to express how very proud I am of you! How does 15 years go so fast?!  You are such a sweet spirit, loving, giving, caring, you are a leader and not a follower and that quality is something I admire in you. You always stand firm in your beliefs. I love your drive in life weather it is doing amazing things with your hair, learning piano, voice lessons, jumping into softball (and doing great), or teaching yourself the guitar. What ever you want to learn you always go for it!  You are the best sister anyone could ask for, and by far the best daughter!! Today we celebrate your 15th Birthday!!! I love you so much!! MOM

I hope you always think I am "cool"

time really goes fast...treasure the moments always!!

Luv this girl

this goofy nutty girl is now teaching herself how to play the guitar!! She is a girl with many talents that is for sure. She was self teaching herself piano and voice (now I have her in lessons), but now she has taken my guitar and dusted it off from the many years of sitting in the closet and is now teaching herself how to play guitar! She amazes me with all her determination and drive in life. A true inspiration and she always has a little sister watching and admiring!!

birthday fun day

Yesterday was my birthday, and I do admit I felt a little spoiled. I had a great day. Lots of phone calls and messages a morning date with hubby, some shopping, then dinner out with the whole family! I'd say it was a great day!! and..I am not exactly sure how old I am since the candles on my cake kept changing numbers. I will take the 36 though..:-)

 Both my teens are taller than me now..and so is Gracie lol

 thanks Storff for making today extra special!

Happy Halloween..

 My sweet kitty Gracie and two big babies!!

My oldest daughter Amanda and her friend Holly!!

 Gracie and her friend Tenley

 This Halloween was a chilly one. But we ventured out for a while and went trickor treating!! The kids had a fun time and even though it was a little cold at least it was not windy out..the kids had a perfect time and got way too much candy as usual!!

Fall Family Photos..

It has been a while since I have played with photography..and sometimes last minute planning is best for our family :-) It is unreal to me how much my kids have changed and grown up on me in the past year. Makes me sad how fast time really goes as a parent.  I love my kids more than anything in the world!!! They are such a joy to be around!! Life is always hopping with 2 teens and a toddler!! :-)

 Gracie, Bailey, Amanda (love you with all I have)

 and finally I got a photo of my son..it has been a couple years since he has let me take his pic. :-)

My Hero..

Recently I got home to visit my family and spend time with my gramps! This man means the world to me. He helped in the raising of me when I was a little girl and we really grew close and have always had a very special bond between the two of us. Sadly, my gramps has not been well. In fact many ups and downs. He has had emphysema for many years. This disease affects the lungs. So it seems the past few years he has had a lot of up's and down's with this. This summer on top of that, he got west nile. He got really really sick. The Dr's basically told him he was not going to make it. The priest was in the hospital room and all our family around him, we thought he was going to heaven. He pulled through a few more days and the hospital sent him home with hospice care. I have visited home many times during his up's and down's since June.  On one of his really bad days, I had to say good bye not knowing if I would see him alive again he said to me "Go live your life kid, because time goes so very fast, do things you really want to do and be happy".  This always sticks in my mind. He is 90 and he says his life has gone so fast.

Recently I got home to visit him again and this time he was having a great week. This is a total miracle to see him sitting up, talking, and his witty self was so great!! He is very sharp and knows everything that is going on.  He is still a contractor, "working", bringing homes in on his land, remodeling, and selling them. Yep that is him. He is determined and still "has more to do".   He has fought the west Nile which hardly no one his age has has ever done especially with his condition. This man is strong willed, Determined, has never left my side, has loved me no matter what and he is truly my HERO!! My Gramps!! xxoo

This pumpkin my aunt grew in her garden. This one was Gramps and he knew exactly how it needed to be carved.lol

Great Devotional book

I have decided to pick up Battlefield of the mind by Joyce Meyer.  I have felt my thoughts and things that I think about just seem to be a struggle in my own mind. There are so many things that as woman we can get pulled from one direction to the next.  It is easy to fall into believing certain things are true, or not true either about ourselves, or about others around us.  But in reality the enemy absolutely loves to play with our thinking on a daily basis. It is his way to detour us from God's plan for our lives!   I am also an emotional driven person. Meaning too many time than none many of the decisions I make are really based on how I am feeling emotionally at the time. I am slowly and I mean slowly trying to not let my emotions guide what I do or say...but rather think on things longer before making such decisions.  If I think back I have probably always been an emotional decision making...so this change I am trying to make is definitely going to probably take me a life time..lol
Anyway I think this book is really great. It is simple, easy to read and very much to the point. Surely makes you think about how we all face battles in our minds, but the truth is always in God.

Fall Winter Storm dumps on us!!

while most are enjoying the changing of the color of leaves and out taking fall photos with their families, we had over 3 feet of snow dump on us in 24 hours. This storm ruined 4 of our trees that were 15 yrs old. Much of our landscape bushes and scrubs. Some may say oh fun..snow!! But when it dumps on you like this and ruines 15 years of your work into your yards it really is not so pretty anymore!! I do know one little girl though..that really enjoyed playing in the snow as her daddy shoveled over 8 times in two days!!

Here is a little idea of what the interstate looked like. It was closed down for 3 days! Pretty crazy fall storm!