DON'T FAINT..

Riles has clothes on! lol.. she was outside today "finding" treasures on our road. (Now, before anyone has a heart attack and posts how irresponsible I am about letting her play on our road..we live in the middle of nowhere on a dead end street. Whoever comes down or up our road has a clear view.)

The "treasures" she was finding were soybeans the wagons dropped as they were coming down the road to fill the bins.

There are also pics of her riding her bike, and falling off of it as well.

Enjoy

wendy

Pumpkin carving 101..riles and danny style

Chris and the kids carved pumpkins this weekend. Riles carved hers on Saturday, sorry no pics of that one..I was scrapping. She just couldn't wait. It is a tradition she usually does with her papa(blackie), but he has been sick with a nasty respiratory thing..that he caught from her. :) So, danno and Chris carved his Sunday night, I got pics. Danny is such a thoughtful little man. He let riles help.
Here is the night in pictures.

whimp

Getting together with the girlies..and then a potluck.

I am going scrapping today with my girls, Fickel and Mindy. I have such an amazing friendship with both of them. It still humbles me when I think of how they are there for me..in life. Thank you girls. I could never have gotten through this past week without your support. Love you.

We haven't been friends long, just 3 short years, but I feel you have been here forever. Thank you for that.

So, we are packing our things, heading to Bellevue, and just scrapping away. The store there is small, but has an amazing crop room. Michaels is just around the corner if we need something she doesn't have.

I will leave early tonight to go to a family potluck at deanne's. I will get to see Turtis, Stacy, and Fay tonight. I love my Fay. I cannot imagine going through what they went through and are still facing everyday. I can't. But I know with the love and support from most of our family, they will get through this.
So, that is my day. I am finishing a christmas present, putting the pics in ron's journey book, and then scrapping my kiddos.
I will also try to talk fickel into doing a family photo shoot while the leaves are pretty. We don't have one. I want pictures of me and my kids, since I am the one who always takes the pictures (chris is intimidated by my camera :)

have a great weekend!

whimp

Sweet, Sweet Baby....

You will never know how much you were loved, treasured,and admired. You were the strongest person I knew. You went through so much in your short time here on earth, and you did it all with a smile on your face. I will miss you Hadleigh Ann. Kiss my daddy for me and tell him I love him so.

I love you big girl,

aunt whimp

Introducing......FRANKLIN!

I had the opportunity to buy a turtle from Craigslist (via a teacher from school). I said YES! She assured me there isn't too much care needed..just clean water and food..plus someone to play with him. So, I brought him home today. The kids are absolutely thrilled, and have been observing him all night long. We have taken him out and played with him and he is now tucked into his aquarium where he can swim and relax.

Here are some pictures..

whimp

180 Days...
Wednesday will mark an amazing milestone for my brother. Ron will reach his 6 month (180 day) anniversary for being sober. I cannot even imagine the struggles he faces each day to overcome this addiction. I only know God has given us a great gift...180 more days to cherish our relationships with him.
Here is his celebration in pictures.
Whimp

WoW! Don't faint..a new post!

School is going pretty good. I have a young class this year, mostly 3 year olds, but they sure like to work and play. It makes it easier when kids like to try new things. My own kiddos have settled into school nicely. Riles loves her teacher and danny likes the freedom jr. high brings. He isn't a child who likes to be poured into a mold. He likes to just be. He is my odd little duck, the one who can make me smile through the roughest storm, and my first born. I cannot wait to see what he becomes.
I haven't been up to much, my peeps and I are going out on Thursday night for Mindy's bday. Happy Early Birthday Mindy! Then Friday night I have a stampin up party to attend, and Saturday I am scrapping with the girlies. Can.not.wait.
I would also like to send out some get well soon vibes to Ed. He works with my brothers and was in a car accident over the weekend. Hope you feel better soon!

Here are some pics of recent layouts I did.

Have a good week.

wendy
riles frog pics
ron's van pics

danno

Lots of updates...

School has started here in oz, Danny is officially a jr. high kiddo. Riles is a first grader, complete with no front teeth!

We took a trip to Boone a couple weeks ago. It was bittersweet for me, because I remember going there every summer while I was growing up. Mom and Dad always took us camping at the waterworks park with Uncle Bob and Aunt Peg. Now, it is an overgrown timber, the horse riding lesson academy isn't there anymore either. We then went down to see the Kate Shelley High Bridge. They are in the process of building a new one in front of the old bridge. :( One thing that hasn't changed was the shale pile. Kristi and I used to call it the meatloaf! lol.. We still do. On the way home, Chris and I had the boys in our van and we took a little side trip down the greenfield exit to go see the rock in rural iowa. Otherwise known as the freedom rock. Every year a local man paints the rock on Memorial Day to honor our countries veterans. Check out the website. It is really a very beautiful tribute.

Well, here are the pictures from our adventures, plus first day of school photos.

whimp

How very thoughtful...
So, I was talking to my sister yesterday to wish them a happy belated 16th wedding anniversary (which was thursday) and she told me her children (ages 15, 13, 13) bought them a $50 gift certificate to Applebee's. HOW VERY THOUGHTFUL of her children. Sometimes after working with students (when I worked at a high school in CB), I am a bit jaded that there are still thoughtful teenagers out there. I was so proud of them, I told everyone at my meeting Friday what they did for their parents. Then I told them how very wonderful Brandy is to help out with the plans. ON her own birthday, she took the kids to the city to get the GC. HOW VERY thoughtful IS SHE? Brandy is absolutely one of the most amazing and unselfish people I have met. She will do anything for you if she can. The kids LOVE going to her house, because she lets them be KIDS. If you have a sick kiddo, she will take them so you can go to work. Thursday her REALLLLYYYY good friends RJ and Shawna surprised her with a present left on her doorstep. How cool are they?
So, happy belated birthday Brandy and Megan, and Happy belated anniversary Shell and Jason.
Job well done
whimp

So busy...
Went back to work on Tuesday..ya..i know you all feel really sorry for me. I can just feel it. I can. trust.me. Anyway, i have been in meetings all week. I spent half a day Tuesday in my classroom..the furniture is where it needs to be, I have my calendar up, and will get more up on the walls next week. Anyway, I spent 3/4 (look mindy, i did math) of today in an inservice. It was one of the MOST inspiring speakers I have been too. The woman's name was Peggy Cambell Rush. She was there to talk to us today about writing in early childhood classrooms. It is hard to describe how elated and inspired I feel about using the simple everyday household items she described to help my students develop the fine motor skills needed to become successful writers. Once they have the process down, they can go anywhere. I will keep you updated! (and probably bore you too)
whimp

ONE HUNDRED TWENTY...120 and counting
Congrats big brother. I love you very much!
whimp

After 8 years, they are married..

and I have the pictures to prove it! Congrats Josh and Leslie..

Annual Frog pictures...

riley loves to catch "frogs" at the river (they are really toads..but ya know life with a 6 year old). Every time we go to the river she goes hunting. She always brings them to me to "inspect", isn't she so sweet? Here are this years pictures (taken at Josh and Leslie's wedding. I am almost done editing photos..will post when i am finished).

whimp

Welcome Home Zach!
Saturday we held a get together at the river to welcome Zach back home from Iraq. Michelle, Brandy and I got together and made t-shirts, we had tons of food, and tons of fun. Here are some pictures of the fun.

back of shirts

We can’t all be heroes…someone has to sit on the curb and clap as they go by.

eye candy (zach realizing what mike's shirt says.

Welcome Home Zach we missed you.

whimp

Whew!
I have my laptop back. THANK YOU JEFFERY! The only thing is one of the keys is not working. Can you guess which one? hee hee.. They are going to be mailing me a keyboar(). The letter that isn't working is the first letter of my son's name. It is a little tricky thinking of new verbage to use to express myself. Anyway, I have most of my programs on the new system. Just got to put SCAL on. PSE, Office, & my MP3 player info is all that is left. Once I have a free moment I will put the pics from the 4th & Zach's party on the blog. I hope everyone has a great tomorrow!
whimp

Closed.... Closed...
For construction

Do you remember ...
This song?

It was made for Desert Storm. I remember watching the video and making of it on t.v when I was a freshman in high school. My older brother was over there and I remember sending a copy of the tape for him and his buddies to listen to. I remeber driving down the runway in Fort Riley KS to see him come home. I was supposed to go to prom that weekend with a boy from a neighboring town. I cancelled. I had to go see my brother come home. Why am I posting this? Because I almost lost him recently, only it wasn't a war that almost took him away. He celebrated 90 days of sobriety on Tuesday. Congratulations, Ron. I love you big brother.
whimpy

Pondering...
At what time in your life do you quit allowing people to hurt you? When do you realize you will never measure up to their standards and just go on with your life? When does it stop? I know it will stop as soon as I quit giving them the power to hurt me. SO.. I guess it stops now. You no longer have the power to hurt me. Now, or in the future. I am sorry you won't get to know me further, know what exceptional people my children are or will be(nor will you be able to judge them or my parenting any longer). I am sorry you feel the need to be judgemental and petty. I hope your life and your children's lives are happy.
wendy

Cropping for a Broken Heart...
Friday July 24th from 5pm-12am (or later :) ) we will be having a benefit crop to raise money to help Stacy, Curtis, Hadleigh, and Faylynn with living expenses while Hadleigh is in Milwaukee, WI waiting for her new heart. Who knew there was a cost to use Ronald McDonald House??!!?? More details will come so keep checking!
wendy

T-Ball 2009...and a card for Less..

Riles played t-ball this summer and we had tons of fun! Here are some of the pictures we took at the last game.

Enjoy!

(card made snoopy snails font cut with SCAL on cricut, and bottom punched with EK Success swiss chees border punch, and decorated with hand dyed skittles! yay!)

Happy Birthday Less Carpimer!
Today is my niece's FIFTEENTH birthday. WOW. I remember her sitting at the table at my mom and dad's when mike and brandy first got married (or something like that..they were together anyway) and you would ask her to say her name and it came out Less carpimer. We still call her that. So i wanted to shout out to her HAPPY BIRTHDAY and i hope you enjoy your seafood lasagne.

On another note, mom had a CAT scan done on Monday and all is clear. Looks good.
whimp

Just a drive by to say HI...
and to post one of my most favorite quotes. This quote is laminated and used to hang on my desk when I worked as a library clerk in a high school. It now hangs beside my scrapbooking desk.

Watch your thoughts, for your thoughts become your words.
Watch your words, for your words become your actions.
Watch your actions, for your actions become your character.
Watch your character, for your character becomes your destiny.

I have tball pictures I will be posting soon.
whimp