Michigan Weather!

Days like today make me wonder why I live in Michigan! It is freezing and that's it, no snow, nothing but freezing cold air!

How did this happen so fast?

or this?

My babies are growing up way too fast!! I miss snuggling with a freshly bathed baby in my arms, the learning of new words, sounds and steps. Time sure does go by fast and it is hard for me to believe that in a few months my girls will be 7 and 5!!! That just seems ubsourd to me! I remember Mike and I wondering what Maddie would look like when she turned 2 or how Bella will sound when she starts talking. Now Maddie is so beautiful that it takes my breath away sometimes. As for Bella's voice, I'm surprised that she hasn't lost it. She talks more than any kid I know but with a very sweet voice. Enjoy your babies they don't stay that way for long.

Some of my thoughts on this Holiday Season

The holidays are getting closer and so is the failing economy. It brings me to thoughts like how did the meaning of Christmas come to buying so many gifts for your family that they are left overwhelmed and don't even appreciate it. Whatever happened to enjoying each other at Christmastime and having a few special gifts to give that will actually leave a lasting impression on someone? I believe that this Christmas is going to be a rude awakening to many children(mine included) but a much needed one! My girls have circled almost everything in the toy catalogs that were printed. I remember doing this as a child and it is fun but, the consumerism of it all has sort of ruined the true holiday spirit. We have a certain amount to spend on each child this year and have decided to not buy for everyone else like we usually do, it is just too much. I have some homemade gifts that I will put my heart into and give to those special to me and our family but we really need to pull together and stop this materialistic life that is taking the "real" moments from our children.
So tell me some of your ideas on this Holiday Season, how will you save money? What are some of your favorite traditions? Are you cutting back too?

I hope everyone has a Wonderful Holiday Season, enjoy your family and have fun creating those memories and traditions that will last a lifetime!!

Halloween

Halloween, finally, no more "is it trick or treat day yet?". Yesterday was a very long day, a party and parade at school for Maddie, which Bella and I attended. Then a rushed dinner, costume gathering, and then finally the trick or treating. The girls looked adorable in their costumes and it was still light out when we started, not to mention warm. A beautiful evening indeed. Bella started off on the shy foot not even going up to the fisrt few houses but, by the second street she would turn after getting her candy and say "Happy Halloween" it was very cute. Maddie did a great job with her good manners, a thank you every time. Well here are some pictures of the girls. Enjoy!

Just a few pictures I like

A day at the pumpkin farm

We have been visiting a local tree farm for several years now. We go once in the fall for pumkins, grapes, hay rides and to see the animals. At Christmas time we go for a train ride to visit Santa in a log cabin nestled in the woods, roast marshmallows and get a tree. Well about two years ago we quit getting our tree there, way too exspensive. Now it looks like we are going to cut out our fall trip all together. We had to pay a $2 admission ea, well Bella was free because they thought she was only 3! And the pumpkin patch was mostly all green and really big, the kids like to pick out the little ones for themselves, no grapes either. And the word about this place is out and it was crowded, never ever used to be crowded or this pricey. So we just went on a hayride, looked at the animals and then drove the country side where we found some pumpkins for $1 a piece, can't beat that!! So next year we plan to pack a lunch and drive the counrty side in search of our fall harvest of pumpkins and squash. At least we captured some great pictures;)

Bella's 1st day of "peeschool"

Well I had an empty nest this morning, first time in 6 years!!! It was so cute though to see Bella up, dressed, teeth brushed, hair done, shoes and backpack on all by 7:45am:) She was really excited and did an awesome job listening to her teacher, Mrs. Malaska(Mayakka in Bella language). Here are a few pictures from her day. I love, love, love this first one!!

1st day of First grade

Here is Maddie on her 1st day of school. She is in school all day now and it was harder on me than it was on her. She wanted me to just leave the classroom, no whining or crying for me to stay this year:( Tears pricked my eyes as I walked away from her classroom). She is loving it though and when we went to her open house last night she excitedly took me around her room and told me all about everything in there. She is very bright and I could tell that she will be the sweet girl in class that tries to get everyone to laugh. That is Maddie in a nutshell!

I love this new smile!

Need I say more?

Finally.....

I have been waiting for almost two(yes that's 2) whole years to remodel our bathroom. We have been storing all of the stuff we needed to remodel in our garage for just as long, even two old mirrors I found at a garage sale for $1 a piece!! Well Michael had his cousin Bill come out and tile the floor, and he helped with everything else. Thank You Billy!!!!!!! If anyone in Michigan needs tile work done let me know, this guy is amazing at what he does. I really didn't get that many pic's of the before bathroom so I will give you all a little insight , we had berber carpet on the floor(a quick and cheap, move in fast fix), white paint on the walls and trim, a very tiny vanity that only came up to my hips if that, a medicine cabinet over the sink that was scratched and waaaay to tall for me(I had to stand on a stool so I could see to curl my hair), and no mirror over the old dresser, and a really bad shower head that was ready to fall off the wall at any given moment. So here is the new bathroom that I could sit in all day long if I could actually do that. Everything is new( well new to me) new vanity, toilet, shower, paint, mirrors, towel holder, tp holder, floor, and that pretty little light. Ahhhhh now all we need to do is put up the shower rod and we are golden!!! Here is a view going in a circle around our bathroom, it is quite big.

More pic's

A BEAUTIFUL sunset on lake Charlevoix

Vacation

My dad and I.
Lake Michgan.

My dad and stepmom were very generous letting us take our vacation at their place up north. We had a wonderful time visiting, relaxing on the beach and just "being". So here are a few pictures, my favorites....Enjoy!

Fashion show 2008

Well "the girls" have been seperated for a week(we were on vacation) and it didn't take them long at all to get back together and quickly put on a fashion show! I didn't even know they were doing this, but they sure did put on a cute show, I think they may be onto something,lol!! You have to click to enlarge and really see all of the "fancy" accesories!!

Spiderwick Chronicles anyone???

I love this movie and the girls are into it too. We watched it at the theatre and just rented it a few nights back. Our next door friends had rented it too and all of the kids got together and watched it next door. When I came home from work Ruth was telling me how the kids convinced her to give them some salt, only to find it in the window sills:0 Maddie came running over to me with a backpack full of cans of tomato sauce, too cute. But the funniest thing I've seen in a long time is this picture of Bella with her Goblin seeing goggles on and CRAZY outfit!! I love it, it makes me smile every time I see it! She is a funny girl and those kids had a blast playing The Spiderwick Chronicles yesterday:)

Sharing secrets over a root beer

Madison

Maddie begged us for a snorkel and when I seen this one at the $ tree how could I resist!! She was afraid at first and wouldn't even put her face near the water. Then Michael went and threw some coin money into the pool and within ten minutes she had it mastered! That is Maddie in a nutshell, she will not give up until it is mastered. That is how she learned to ride her bike too, on a gravel driveway in less than an hour. I hope her drive to succeed stays with her forever!

Isabella

I just "had" to post this one of Bella, isn't she cute? She is not really crazy about getting in the pool but boy does she love to wear the swim suits!!

Maddie is a thinker....

I just love this outfit that Maddie decided to wear this day and the thoughtful look on her face. I'm not quite sure what she was doing, I guess I should start taking more time to just be with her and then I probably would have quite the story as to what she was doing.

This one is for you Mom and Paulette

My mom and Paulette were complaining that you couldn't see Bella's dress good enough, so here you go:))